"Hook has captured Tiger Lily in the past, for find your fortress. New fortress now. Hook is looking again. What's to say my daughter will not be captured and taken away for your mistakes?" The chief looked at his daughter who danced slowly to the music. The lost boys and girls clapped their hands with the rhythm of the beats while she turned and twirled, dancing the traditional dance of the Tiger, expressing welcome between two separate nations and developments. Though both groups in Never land. They have a bond that is mainly made up of friendships and games. They often play capture games, sometimes they win while sometimes they win. A great fun can be reflected onto the adults by the children of Never Land. If only Hook would find that fun. What makes him differ from the Indians? Possibly his lack in parenthood. The Indians have a very exquisite look on motherhood and the whole concept of family. They are all one tribe even brothers who do not share the same mothers are considered to be brothers, everyone and everything is in tuned with something else. The chief was good like that, and the people were happy if it wasn't for Hook and him disturbing the good people. As their crops are very resourceful and stealing is in order in the crew of the Jolly Roger in order for them to eat.
Peter thought about that he had said. Yes indeed Hook has once captured Tiger Lily so he could find the home of Peter Pan and attack him by surprise revolving around his emotion of that day as well as his schedule. However, his schedule was quite empty. His frustration with Peter and his obsession has gotten the way of his true piracy. The crew would often gather together in the middle of the night and exchange curse words to the selfish captain who has made them all forget how to slash the necks of true adults instead of lost boys and girls. Hook was blind that way and his reputation was slowly damaging, no good captain would waste his time with an eleven year old boy. But any pirate would soon realize that with Peter Pan comes eternity, as he can never be defeated and an eternity of admiration and slight obsession. It is a part of the riddle of his being or existence, every creature is strangely drawn by him and his difference towards life. He was special that way. And he knew that well which is why knowing that Remi Rouge was also a part of his obsession, it damaged his ego ever so slightly.
"If he takes Tiger Lily, I will get him and return her safely to you. You have my word." Peter bowed, removing his hat.
The chief held out his hand while his daughter walked towards her father, he draped his arm over her shoulder.
"I will take your word Peter Pan. And you have the trust of us." The chief smiled as he does not often do. Tiger Lily walked towards peter and bowed her head as a sign of appreciation and trust.
Her father handed her a large crown of feathers and colorful thread. Tiger Lily placed it on Peter's head.
"A gift. To make the words last." The chief said as he fit it on top of his head proudly. Peter pan crowed loudly, his feat slightly hovering above the ground as he did so. The lost children followed, crowing loudly with him. The music then grew louder a more
vibrant tone. The Indian women gathered and danced in circles the dance that Tiger Lily had been dancing in fast movements. The lost children clapped their hands while the chief sat down on his throne, admiring the show. Tiger Lily took Peter's hand and danced with him, Peter looked down at his feat, not knowing the steps but moved along happily. Tiger Lily put her face closer to his and rubbed noses against him playfully and flirtatiously just before going to the middle of the crowd and starting the main attraction of the dance. Peter crowed once more.
Remi saw the display and felt her chest burn with a feeling of strange hatred. She found her self breathing faster and envy burnt through her fingers while she saw the two dance. "Hmph." She dismissed.
"Um, Mister Indian?" Olly walked towards an Indian who clapped along to the rhythm. He turned around, and to Olly's surprise he had breasts and quite larger lips compared to that of a man's. "Miss Indian?" Olly laughed hesistantly.
"Höw!" She raised her hand to Olly.
"Um, höw.. ya. Um do you think you can make up a love potion for me?" Olly stretched out her hand, giving her a small glass bottle.
"I can." She smiled as she looked at the bottle. "A good luck charm for luck. Is your loved one the Peter Pan?"
"Yes, how did you know?" Olly touched her cheeks flattered.
"Oh he is a handsome boy he is. Very popular among the ladies." The Indian woman laughed while she got some basil leaves and wax from a bee hive. She let some fall into the bottle just before crushing it gently, along with a strand of Olly's hair she gave it back to Olly. "keep it near you as you are with him and your luck will grow. Unless his heart belongs to someone else."
"Oh thank you. I'm awfully certain he feels for no one." Olly smiled at kept it in her pocket with her.
Peter crowed again and the music was loud enough for the crew of the Jolly Roger to hear.
"Hear them Smee?" Hook looked out the window of his room of the ship and saw the lights of torches in the Indian Camp. "Its as if they are celebrating my death."
"Oh nonsense Cap'n! You are not to die. You're as fit as strength itself mi capt'n." Smee comforted his leader.
"One pan, One rouge was already enough. The two combined. What would that do to me Smee? It only takes one child to throw me to a crocodile, two could ruin me completely." The captain buried his head in his right hand.
"Oh you'll find a way, you'll find a way Cap'n!" Smee patted his nervous captin on the shoulder.
"Alas there is nothing I can
do."
"Your greatest realizations have been done last minute
but it always gets your opponent!" Smee continued.
"I hope you are right Smee. With my life. I hope you are right."
Peter crowed once more as he flew into their yet unfinished fortress.
"Wasn't that fun!" Slightly ran as well with a large smile.
"Definately!" Peter pointed at Slightly, agreeing.
"You seemed to have a lot of fun with Tiger Lily." Remi blew some hair away from her face.
"Tiger Lily?" Peter rubbed his chin, forgetting the name.
"We need to finish making the other rooms!" Rufio groaned.
"Very well. Now, we work!" Remi flew up and the lost children collected wood and tree sap. "We wont sleep till each room has a roof and walls!"
The three moons of never land, accompanied by a mist of pink, revealed the midnight blue in the black sky. The figures on the moon was visible enough to make out different shapes that resembled other things that shared its beauty. The fortress was complete.
To make sure that it was hidden from the eyes of pirates and spies, it was disguised underground of a dead tree. With a slide down the opening of a thick branch, lead the dining room. Wooden walls with bear fur carpets, the tables and chairs were laid out in the middle. There was a long couch of fur and tree bark next to the wall of the room. Next to the couch was an opening, with a curtain of fur as it's door. Beyond that, was Peter's room. The room had a day bed draped in blankets and sheets of brown. Next to his bed was a side table with a leaking roof top over head. On the other side of the couch in the dining room was Remi's room. Her room had walls of wood as well and her bed was a round bed with borders and a collection of pillows on them. She had her Stacy Dolls in a corner table with a few candles melted half way down. She printed some hand prints on the walls, marking it to be hers. Next to Remi's room was Emily's. Emily's room had walls of stone and a hammock as a bed. Her arrows were put in a small cabinet in the corner, draped with a carpet of fur like Peter's. Next to Emily's room was Rufio's room. His room had stone walls painted messily with red paint, his bed was a mattress with blankets and sheets that kept him warm during the night. Next to Rufio was the twin's rooms with twin beds of blue and two carpets on the sides of the room. Next, Flip and Weed's room. They shared a room as they were very close and they each had their own bed, Weed's was a bed on the ceiling as she so loved heights,. Flip's was like a spider's web made between the corner of the room. Dot's room was like Tootles, a set of mattresses and carpets of red. Nibs and Slightly shared a room, two hammocks on both sides with a closet filled with their weapons and Nibb's battle plans. Olly's room was simple. Her bed was a mattress that was on top of a shelf on the walls and she had the indian's drums for decoration in the corners. Over all, the fortress was beautiful and best of all…
Surrounding the tree was a forest of fairy trees as well as apple trees. At night, when the moons were full and the silence was gratifying, the fairies would emerge from their homes and dance to the music of their wings and their magic.
However, beyond the fortress was a pirate, tired of waiting. Captain Hook smoked a thick cigar, pierced in the middle by the hook replacing his left hand. The captain frowned at the map of Never Land in front of him, aggravated by the possibilities of their fortress' where abouts. Smee, who sat on a wooden chair, bored pleased himself with a bottle of rum from the storage room of the Jolly Roger.
"Smee?" Hook looked at his hook with the cigar sticking through the middle of the metal. He found no reply. "Smee?" He repeated. Smee sat drunk, admiring the bubbles that came out of his mouth. "Smee!" Hook dug his the curved metal hand into his desk, leaving yet another mark.
"Yes Cap'n?" Smee smiled and stood up groggily.
"What do you think your doing?" Hook rubbed the bridge of his nose with his good hand, angered by his 'best man'.
"Oh I dunno Cap'n!" Smee laughed.
"Make yourself useful, and free me of my misery." Hook dramatized the situation, this boredom was simply unknown to a pirate, to be ignored by your enemy is the greatest insult a pirate could get.
"Oh cap'n cap'nt, such a strong word! They are probably getting ready for the great captain hook." Smee patted the shoulders of his leader, giving hick ups in between words.
"I need a plan, Smee." Hook continued to stroke the bridge of his nose.
"Oh but your Captain Hook! The ruler of the seas! And what a mighty good job you do, at that." Smee sneaked in another sip of rum behind the Captain's back.
"Don't think I can be that easily amused." Hook took out the cigar and threw it out his window, into the salty waves of the never sea..
"Oh but cap'n its true. What would the world be like without captain hook." Smee patted the captain's cheeks.
"Your right Smee. Your absolutely right." Hook rose up from his seat, content with his reputation and the work he had done from birth to this point. "I have worked, oh so hard." He looked at his hook with a smile, seeing his reflection across the metal. "Now, give me my shave."
Smee nodded and put the wooden chair sideways by the window and let his captain sit with his head out into the open air. Smee took out the shaver and together with the shaving cream, he smeared on the captain's gray chin.
"After all. Unlike any other captain. I have no weakness." Hook smiled.
Then.
Tick
Tock
Tick
Tock
With each tick and tock, Hook felt a slab of fear and ultimate humiliation teasingly freeze his spine.
"Smee?" Hook said with his head up. He heard no reply. "Smee…" no reply. "SMEE!!" He yelled as he heard a large snap behind his neck. The captain ran to the other side of the room before the other snap had been heard.
There in the ocean, the green crocodile swam, awaiting another chance to take a bite out of the delicious delicacy that was captain hook.
"Yes Cap'n!?" Smee turned around with the shaving cream bottle in hand. "Oh no." Smee walked towards the window. "Shoo now. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Giving the old Cap'n a fright like that, you should know better. What's wrong with you?" Smee shooed the crocodile gallantly.
"I have had enough of the blasted crocodile!!" Hook raised his fist and stormed around the room.
"Oh Cap'n please settle down." Smee chased him with the shaving cream bottle still in hand.
"Blasted Pan! If it wasn't for him that crocodile would not follow me so much!" Hook struck the walls with his metal hook, making scars on each end of the wall.
"You will defeat Pan and Rouge!" Smee waved his hands, supporting his captain.
"Yes… Yes, your right." He smiled. "We will fight and they shall die!"
"Very good captain, very good." Smee sighed, taking a sip of shaving cream accidentally, mistaking it for rum.
"I must send them a letter, so they know to plan their funerals." Hook laughed and walked out of his seat to begin writing the letter then paused suddenly. "Why send a mere letter when the fight can start now?" He grinned.
"I can capture one of them Smee. And let them come here. Come here to die." Hook laughed greatly.
The mermaids washed their hair and admired their reflections brought to them by the waters of Mermaid Lagoon. Hook drew near them in a small boat with Smee rowing it.
"Its Captain Hook!" The mermaids screamed of terror, they fell from their stone beds and sunk into the oceans.
"Now ladies. I know you're in there." Hook drew his face closer to the ocean. A squirt of water sprung from the surface of the water and splashed Hook's face. The mermaids laughed silently. Hook drew his hanker chief and wiped the water off of his face.
"I see. Oh well Smee. I guess that the mermaids will not be needing our help." Captain hook turned to Smee with a sly smile, and smiled wider when he saw three mermaids emerge from the surfaces of the water.
"Help with what?" The first mermaid said with a questionable look.
"Oh help with getting rid of that dreadful Remi Rouge." Hook sighed dramatically.
"You know how to get rid of her?" The second mermaid smiled. "Peter hasn't spent any time with us since she arrived."
"Why even his fairy's all alone." The third fairy felt comfortable enough to lay back on the rock bed.
"Hm… His fairy abandoned aye?" Hook rubbed his chin.
"Well what's in it for you? And what do we get in return exactly?" The first mermaid spoke once more.
"It's simple really. You bring me a lost child. The plump one if possible, he amuses me somewhat so. And I, in return of your gracious deed, will grant you the freedom of Remi Rouge." Hook bowed, taking his hat in his right hand.
"So all we got 'ta do is to bring you the boy and you'll get rid of the girl?" The second mermaid smiled mischievously.
"Quite true. Well ladies? Up for it?"
"He's been passing the route to the Indian Camp every few days to collect herbs and medicine. Through the route he passes there is an indent of land, bordered with sea. We can take him from there. We shall bring him to you next week, tied up and in a bag of sea weed and sail men rope. Collect him and your word as well as him will be all that you shall keep." The mermaid recited the plan, remembering the words as they took motion.
†
"Thank you ladies. I am much obliged. I assure you, Remi Rouge shall expire very soon." Hook smiled as the pirates collected the boy as he squirmed in the bag.
"Hook? Oh, I knew it was you! You wont get away with this you know! Remi and Peter will come!" Tootles yelled in the bag, squirming and kicking the opening, trying to loosen the grip of this strong pirate.
"Oh I hope for their arrival as much as you do, lost boy. More than you can imagine." Hook laughed.
†
"Where is Tootles?!" Peter yelled, flying from room to room in the fortress, leaving the stuff that gets in his way in an endless mess.
"Tootles? Tootles?" Remi yelled as she flew around the surroundings of the fortress entrance. She flew to Mermaid Lagoon and saw a letter of red ink and hazel brown paper, laid on the sandy shores. "What is this?" Remi picked it up and held it in her hands, feeling it's history before reading it's contents.
Remi Rouge, Peter Pan,
Your presence is required at the request of one of you're lost boys. We are anticipating for you're arrival.
Sincerely, Captain James Hook. ʡ
Remi looked at it, quite saddened by the news it had brought with it. Surely, this wasn't a cause over looked. She returned to the fortress.
"Peter!" She flew through the entrance.
"Have you found Tootles?" Peter flew towards her.
"No. But look at this." Remi handed him the letter and watched his eyes, wide eyed and stitched to the blood red letters.
"We leave at dawn." Peter put down the letter.
†
The lost children prepared their weapons and readied their armors.
"No food during battles! So it should either be in your gut or on the ground!" Peter flew around the fortress, warning the children with cries of orders.
Remi gobbled down her breakfast and flew out the fortress. Remi and Peter left, without any unnecessary armor. Emily wore a chain of sticks around her body with a helmet of wood. Rufio wore a string of chicken bones as a coat with black paint staining the skin of his cheeks. The others wore helmets and the usual guards on their elbows and knees, mostly made out of coconut shells or stone carved pads.
"Ready fellas?" Remi flew above them, pointing to the sea with the tip of her knife.
"We shall save Tootles!" Weed waved her arrow and the children replied with a cry of determination.
"Then off we go!" Peter flew to the sea along with Remi, above the running warriors.
†
"They are soon to arrive." Hook took his last sip of wine from his cup of gold and took his hat and placed it upon his head of raven black hair.
"Peter! Remi!" Tootles yelled as he dangled from the sails, wrapped in a strong rope.
"Oh Codfish?" Remi flew from above, hovering a centimeter above deck. The pirates gasped.
"Rouge!" Hook smiled. "Get them!" the Captain yelled and the pirates collected the lost children by the hands and held them strongly. Rufio and Emily broke loose of their grasps and kicked their attacker with their feet.
"Hey! Let me go!" They yelled.
"Over here!" Pan flew from behind Hook, pushing his hat deep into his head before flying beyond him.
"Ah, and the prince of pranks!" Hook jumped down the second floor of the Jolly Roger to the deck.
"Prince of Peace!" Peter drew his knife and the children cheered.
"The prince of peace at war with a weapon." Hook raised his sword.
"Lets see you use your weapon!" Remi flew towards Hook and clashed weapons with the Captain.
"Hang on there." Peter flew to Tootles and released him from the grip of the ropes.
"Oh thank you Peter! I did believe in you! I told Hook and he ignored me, he did!" Tootles continued to chatter as beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks. Remi and Hook continued to strike and doge, shift and dig.
"Proud Insolent youth…" Hook smiled.
Remi grinned and flew to the right, Hook watched in amazement as pan swooped in, ready with his knife.
"Aah, Peter Pan." Hook clashed weapons with Pan as Remi ran to the under decks of the Jolly Rogger. She admired the row of swords and collected them, feeling it's weight against her arms she flew back up to the deck and through them to the lost children. The lost children cheered and grabbed them by their free hands before striking their attackers with the top of their heads or the heels of their feet.
Everybody was at a fight, the pirates struck weapons with the lost children and so did Remi while Peter aimed for the bigger fish, Captain James Hook. Peter turned around to see Tootles now free and he rose up. Hook looked up at Peter.
"We have protected our men! Now we must leave!" Peter raised his knife. The lost children jumped out the ship and back into their canoes and rowed to shore. Peter flew with them. Remi turned around about to leave but Hook had caught her by his words.
"This isn't the end you know." Hook yelled. "Lost child by lost child I shall capture until one of us is dead."
"Give me four days! Four days and we will have our duel!" Remi stuck out four fingers.
"Two!" Hook debated.
"Three! Bare minimum for a decent fight!" She folded her arms waiting for a reply.
"Deal. Do not disappoint me." Hook gave his final word before Remi flew with the lost children and Peter.
†
"The fight with Hook?!" Emily screamed. "In three days?!"
"You've absolutely gone mad! You have not yet joined forces! Team work means nothing to you, now does it?" Flip yelled, shaking her head.
"Team Work? Ha! I am the best there ever was! I need no team work to defeat Hook!" Peter raised his hand but was replied with no cheer.
"Peter. We have to talk." Remi pushed him out of the fortress.
"What is it?" Peter laid on the backs of the wind.
"The fight with Hook is in three days, would it be completely selfish to do nothing of it?"
"Planning will prepare for nothing. We fight and that is all!" Peter stood on his feet, ready to go down the entrance again.
"Peter wait!" Peter stopped… "The lost children have agreed to join forces."
"I take orders from nobody." Peter walked towards her, making her walk back a few steps.
"I am not giving orders! We live under the same roof, we are considered mother and father, and yet we continue to report ourselves not joint."
"And?"
"And what difference would it make now but that you are mulish? "
"I am not mulish." Peter stepped forward, displaying a hint of strength with his distinguished facial expressions of revolution.
"Your actions are both stubborn and obstinate." Remi swallowed hard. Peter reached for his knife, held the grip of it firmly and let half of it out, letting the metal glisten softly. He looked down and quickly placed it back.
Silence swept Never Land…
"So I am to join forces?" Peter's voice softened, as if receiving guide lines to follow.
"I suppose so." Remi looked down with her voice also softening.
"And we both are leaders?"
"Yes."
"Then I shall prepare the boys." Peter walked towards the entrance once more, with his foot on the edge, ready to jump.
"Peter!" Remi stopped him from jumping once more. "Thank you." He smiled and jumped into the fortress.
"We have decided to join forces!" Peter stated and this time, received cheers from the lost children.
"Then we must continue our training!" Nibs yelled.
"Well, pick up your weapons!" Remi flew next to Peter with a smile that one could only read as happiness if not moderate satisfaction.
"But hold on! Dicipline! That's what fathers believe in! We must punish the children for letting Tootles be captured." Peter walked towards a sword, stuck to the opposite side of the wall, skipping above a few lost boys that blocked his path. He brandished the sword as the lost boys and girls backed up with a synchronized gasp.
"Peter!" Remi yelled and held his wrist from moving any farther. "Letting Tootles be captured, I agree, was perfectly horrid. But hurt them, they should not be able to fight with Hook." Remi smiled, enjoying the game.
"Yes, father! At least think us to be some sort of importance?" The twins cowered behind Pan's thrown.
"However, the lost boys must be punished none the less!" Peter waves his sword into the air.
"And the girls?" Olly scratched her head.
"Girls are much to clever to be punished by fathers." Peter drew the sword back in his belt.
"Peter. That was an awfully charming thing to say about girls." Remi smiled at his unusual remark. A joining of two groups and households, could this have been some change in Peter's heart…
Peter shrugged arrogantly yet humbly. "Well, get going girl! And discipline our boys!"
"Oh, and I'd suppose his words to be charming?" Emily crossed her arms.
"Oh, a discipline is quite an unfamiliar thing. Vigorous training is in need. Girls first." Remi pointed her finger in the air, keeping the lost children as well as Peter in tuned with her words. Peter smirked at her statement.
†
A stack of branches, when let go would spring a deadly hook at you was placed across the wooden walls of the outside fortress. Next, was a series of dolls like pirates, dressed in headdresses and golden ear-rings was placed as targets for shooting events and practices.
"Keep yourselves busy!" Peter struck his knife through the head of one of the pirate dummies releasing it from it's bond of string to the body.
"Hey! I was going to hit that!" Tootles frowned, dropping his spear in disappointment.
"And don't slack off!" Remi flew behind the lost girls who cautiously targeted the swift hooks.
"I'll show you who ain't slacking off…" Emily drew her arrow and aimed it at the mid area of the hook, coming at her slowly. She pulled it back against the thin rope and let go, letting it his the metal, snapping it in two. The arrow shot beyond the hook itself and swerved behind the tree beyond it. It shot at Nibs, who ducked quickly, leaving his hat still in the air.
"Watch how your supposed to do it." Rufio laughed and threw his sword to the neck of the pirate dummy, slicing it within an instant. Emily mumbled words of hate beneath her breath as she readied the next arrow. She aimed, imagining Rufio's face plastered on the metal hook. She pulled it back but felt a pat on her shoulders. She lowered her weapon and turned around to see Nibs. Nibs was about a centimeter taller than Emily but three less than Rufio none the less. He had Emily's arrow in his hand and handed it to her carefully.
"Oh thanks. Did I almost hit you there?" Emily laughed a bit, stroking the wounded part of the wood in the arrow gently.
"Just a shock, really. I'd normally catch it but I do often get nervous around girls." Nibs removed his hat from his head.
"Oh that mustn't be true… Girls are people too." Emily put her hands on her hips as Rufio turned his head at them.
"You are?" Nibs scratched his head as Emily gave a laugh. Rufio snarled and Threw his sword to their direction. Peter flew in and caught it by the handle. Peter cocked an eyebrow and looked at Rufio questionably.
"It slipped." He lied.
Peter turned his head and saw the two he had been aiming for and replied to Rufio with a smirk.
"Don't look at me like that Pan the Man, I wouldn't expect you to understand." Rufio took his sword from Pan's hand and jumped into the fortress' entrance.
Peter followed. "Try me." Peter laid on the back of the winds and played his instrument carelessly.
"Oh, I don't know. The truth is… I'm not even sure of it myself." Rufio scratched his head.
Peter continued to play his instrument with his hand behind his head.
"I knew you wouldn't have understood. You're as blind as a bat. Cant even see that Olly's head over heel's for you." Rufio sat down on a near by chair, dropping his heavy sword on the way.
"What? Olly? Oh. All girls get like that around me." Peter continued to play his instrument with a nod.
†
"Emily?" Remi walked slowly into Emily's room as Emily sewed on the floor.
"Perfect." Emily winked, admiring her new done work. "Hey, Remi come over here."
"Hn?" Remi walked towards Emily to took her hair and began to tie it in two places with the material she had been sewing.
"How is it?" Emily handed Remi a mirror and saw her reflection. Her hair was braided into two short braids in the corner. Remi blushed a bit and smiled.
"I like it." Remi held one of the braids and fidgeted with it for a while.
"Great." Emily put her hands behind her head as she sat on her bed. "I thought you woulda liked it. So? Whatcha come here for?"
Remi looked down at the pile of thread and yarn on the floor. "Nothin'. Just bored, is all." Remi spotted a shiny object that glistened softly beneath a mountain of yellow yarn. "What is this? It's beautiful." Remi picked up a thimble and placed it infront of her eyes, seeing a stretched reflection of her green pupils.
"What?" Emily groaned. "That thing? It's just a thimble."
"Thimble… sounds fearsome." Remi admired it, watching it roll on the palm of her hand.
Emily smiled. "You can keep it if you want. I don't really need that old thing."
"Really?! You'd give me you're rare and precious thimble?" Remi gasped, putting the thimble close to her chest.
"Hey, who said anything about it being rare and precious?" Emily's words were ignored as Remi cut of a bit of black yarn and put it threw the thimble, tying it around her neck.
"Thankyou." Remi smiled at Emily who winked at her best friend.
Morning had awaken and the moon's accomplice had still been lurking beneath the milky clouds. The stars were still out but time had read the moment to be day otherwise.
Remi swept in from under Peter's door of fur and fell on his bed, making him bounce in his place. He groaned and turned around drooling on his pillow.
"Peter! It is another day! We must begin our training for the pirates!" Remi shook him but found a dead reply.
"It is still night…" He groaned.
"Oh, not by my watch! 3:45 in the morning! And we mustn't waste a moment of it." Remi smiled as she drew out her watch, reading the message the hands gave.
Peter sat up, shaking his head from the ache.
His eyes widened a bit. "Hey, did you change your hair?"
Remi blushed a bit and held one of the braids. "Yeah. Do you like it?"
"Eh. Whatever." Peter looked away.
"Hmph." Remi pouted.
"If you had not awakened me from my dream… I was just at the part of cutting Hook's hand." Peter's voice was still groggy, his eyes were half open.
"I dreamt of my mother." Remi sad down next to Peter with a sigh of sentiment.
"Mothers? You remember?" Peter's eyes grew a bit wider. How long had it been since he even had remembered even the hair color of his mother.
"Oh. Yes. Barely. I dreamt I left home, receiving one last kiss from her." Remi said with a slight tone of sadness in her voice.
"Kiss? What is a kiss?" Peter cocked an eyebrow and rubbed his head. Remi turned her head and looked at him quite astonished.
"You do not know what a kiss is?" Remi frowned at him, anticipating for his reply.
"Guess I dont. Is it a good thing? Or a bad thing?"
"Good I suppose, when from the right person." Remi hugged her knees blushing quite a bit by the words that she had not realized had been said.
"Then I must have one! I shall keep it with me for such a thing might bring me luck." Peter jumped from the bed and put his hands on his hips, looking quite conceited.
"Surely, I am not to give you one…" Remi blushed greater.
"Why not? Is it precious?" Peter looked back at her.
"I suppose…" Remi pushed a lock of hair behind her ears.
"I knew it." Pan sighed, dismissing his disappointment.
"But I suppose I could… give you a… a kiss." Remi stood up in front of him. Peter watched her curiously as she began to feel herself heat up. She grabbed the nearest thing she could find, in her case, the thimble around her neck and placed it on Peter's palm. "Uh.. W-well there it is." She laughed hesistantly.
Peter looked at it with a cocked eyebrow. "Doesn't look that precious to me." He snarled.
Remi felt herself heat up again. It is precious! Emily gave that to me last night and he doesn't even appreciate it!
"You're never gonna get a real kiss with that arrogant attitude." She heard herself say.
"But isn't this a real kiss?" Peter held up the thimble.
"Huh? Oh ya!" Remi laughed hesitantly. "I meant thimble."
"What's that?" Peter scratched his head.
"Something you'll never get!" Remi crossed her arms. Peter grinned playfully and flicked her ear, teasing her of her stubborn attitude.
"Quit it!" Remi blushed a bit.
Suddenly, a firefly flew into the room. Remi turned her head in shock.
"Christabelle?" Remi gasped when she saw him take a lock of Peter's hair in the palm of his tiny hands and tug on it violently.
"Let go of me!" Peter kicked the fairy off his head with his hands and shooed his off with his hat. Christabelle kicked fairy dust in Pan's face and gave him a punch in the chin before he flew around Remi. "Ow!" Pan yelled as the shock of the hit came in motion.
"Christabelle!" Remi grabbed him by the wings and frowned at the look of fake innocence plastered on the fairy's façade.
"Morning!" The twins' heads peeped from beneath the fur door and Rufio stepped on them as he entered Pan's room.
"Ow!" The twins said in unison.
Peter rubbed his chin, getting the feel of his usual jaw again.
"Well, time for training." Rufio stretched his arms.
"Yes." Remi smiled, not yet free from the roseate shade from her cheeks.
†
"Two more days!" Nibs yelled throughout the training areas.
"Ugh. We already know how to fight!" Tootles groaned as his sling shot missed the sword of the effigy of the pirate by half a centimeter.
"Oh you do, do you?" Olly smirked a bit, pointing at the false aim.
Tootles blushed at his clumsiness. "Oh yes. We live for it." He covered up his embarrassment by a statement of false pride and egotism. Thankfully, a boys ego never bruises like that of a man's.
"That's good. We wouldn't want you to be waiting cowardly within the sidelines while I gash and tear the limbs or Hook magnificently!" Olly waved her weapon around the air, growing excited at the idea.
"Sidelines!? There is but no such thing as a sideline to me. I'll be there as well, gashing at the pirate's limbs with Nibs. Nibs by my side!" Tootles looked up. "Aint that right Nibs."
"I suppose, unless you mess up the entrances. It takes hard work to plan the battles. Just for your pleasure in knowing, Tootles, if the entrance is ruined by any misunderstanding that would most likely be from your side of the never children, we shall no longer be friends." Nibs aimed his arrow at a target and let go, letting the spear endof the arrow break through the winds and straight ahead for the bull's eye.
"Would that not be considered harsh, Nibs?" Emily drew her arrow back aswell, letting it hit the bull's eye with great precision. Rufio lowered his weapon as Emily spoke to Nibs. He tilted his head back and listened to the conversation.
"Harsh is but the only type of training Tootles needs. The strength of will my dear Emily. The strength of will." Nibs laughed a bit along with Emily.
" Strength of will? I'd like to tell him what I WILL do to STRENTHEN the punch I'd throw at him." Rufio drew his weapon up again.
"I'll tell you who needs strengthening in control. Rufio, he has temper problems." Nibs laughed a bit under his breath.
"Excuse me but we need to
train. Do you have any idea how important it is to defeat Hook?"
Rufio put his weapon down and walked towards Emily. "Have you even
done one training exercise?"
"Yes!"
"What weapon?"
"Arrows."
"How many? Having a hard time?"
"… the arrows?" Emily laughed.
"Ugh, it is so like a girl to reply with a comedic comment that would only appeal to challenged mentality." Rufio rolled his eyes.
"Geez! What comedic comment? What mentality? What are you talking about?" Emily was sort of screaming at this point, already aggravated by the boy's words. He paused, not knowing himself what he was talking about.
"N-…nevermind!" Rufio turned around, hiding the beating red heat that was pumping into his cheeks. God. What am I doing? Would I have done that if it hadn't even related to Nibs?
"Rufio!" Emily ran after him leaving her arrow and bow behind her with Nibs watching them with a cocked eyebrow.
"W-what?!" Rufio continued to walk.
"What? You really are heartless aren't you." Emily backed away a few steps, squinting her eye just a bit with a somewhat forced smile, revealing an expression of moderate sadness when below eyebrows that dropped down on one side, showing sorrow.
Rufio turned his back on Emily once again and continued to walk away.
"I don't know if you should have done that…" Nibs emerged from behind her, looking at Rufio walk away as she did.
"What do you mean?" Emily turned around at Nibs, who continued to look at the direction of Rufio.
"Rufio isn't all that bad. It would be best…. It would be best to understand him before you would call him heartless." Nibs broke from his trance and looked back at Emily and gave a soft smile just before heading back. Leaving Emily, she looked into the darkness that Rufio had walked into, and looked down with a shadow of guilt hanging from her feet.
"I hope you're ready lost boys! We'll have Hook begging for the other one to be cut off!" Peter raised his knife and threw it down.
"Hey! There are girls as well you know!" Flip snarled at Peter who flew over her.
"What? Girls…?" he rubbed his chin.
"Father is extremely forgetful." Weed shook her head aiming the sling shot for the wooden targeting hook. Remi took out her water canteen made out of coconut skin and let some water slide down her throat.
"I think it is utterly wonderful the way he is so carefree." Olly lowered her weapon as she watched Peter fly around the training areas, examining the lost children. Remi choked as she heard her statement and coughed out the water sloppily. She inhaled deeply and coughed a few times more.
"Remi are you okay?" Olly dropped her weapon and aided her mother.
"Oh, yes. Don't worry, I am fine." Remi stood up, faking a smile and dismissing the awkwardness that only was sensed from her direction. "Just blacked out a bit is all."
"Oh… I understand how you feel." Olly smiled a bit and sat on a near by rock. She looked at Remi and motioned for her to sit down next to her.
Oh no… does she mean… is she going to talk about it? Yes, I think she is. Jimini… What'll I do? Wait… whats the problem? There's absolutely no problem…
Remi sat down by Olly. "Whats wrong Olly?" Remi hugged her knees, anticipating the moment when Olly would confess her feelings as Remi experienced false excitement and dismissed her obvious feeling of true fear.
"Its Peter. Is it strange to feel this happy around him?" Olly smiled and admired her leader from a far.
"I-… I do not know." Remi lowered her feet. But I don't really feel that happy around him…
"And to never utter a single insult or to think a bad thing about him?" Olly smiled, blushing greatly as she continued to speak of her loved one.
"I… I do not know." Remi looked down. But I always seem to insult him…
"To feel your heart beat one hundred times per minute as he comes close!" Olly put her hands close to her heart.
Remi's eyes widened. Yes! I do know! Finally, something I can relate to! Its not just—wait. Why must I relate? Olly has feelings for Peter. … But…
"I do." Olly smiled.
Remi squinted one eye as she looked at Olly. I do! Remi thought, putting emphasis on the 'I'.
"What do you suppose I do?" Olly looked at Remi. Remi felt a drop of sweat fall down her nose.
"Um… Eh… I think… You should…" Remi looked down and held her knees strongl, panicking. What do I do? Why cant I tell her to just tell him how she feels? Why wont I just say it?... Oh it doesn't matter! He'll just hurt her! Tell her no! No! Tell her yes! Tell her no! tell her yes! Kill Weed! Why? Because she took some of your breakfast remember? Oh ya—but that's not the point! CANT YOU JUST TELL HER TO GO TO HIM AND FORGET ABOUT THE REST OF IT?! "I… I think…" Remi looked down with her eyes closed and sighed revealing a soft smile. "You should tell him Olly." She looked up at Olly with eyes slightly squinted, revealing a small light within their depths. "Tell him how you feel."
"Really?" Olly smiled, frowning a bit at her nervousness. "Would you do me a favor?"
"Sure, Olly." Remi swung back, flying as she did so.
"Would you talk to Peter for me? Tell him to meet me at mermaid lagoon. I'll be waiting there."
"S-sure…"
"Oh thank you, Remi!" Olly jumped up and twirled. "You don't know how thankful I am!"
"I wish I did." Remi muttered to herself as she watched from a far Peter, who ran from Tootles as he stole his small spear, laughing as he flew around him while Tootles nagged continuously, surrounded by the laughs of lost children.
"Oh." Peter looked up and saw Remi. Their eyes met and Remi jerked a bit, uncomfortable by the news she had just recently heard. He flew to her, with Tootle's spear still In his hand he rubbed his head with his hat tilting slightly as he did. "The lost children are doing well. I think we will be ready by the time of the fight."
"Oh… that's good." Remi bit her lip. Should I tell him now? No… not yet. Not now. "Well um… I think I'll go check on… ya. Um… haha… the… uh… Emily. Ya. Her! I'll just go check on Emily now." Remi laughed hesitantly with one hand behind her back. Remi flew to the left, towards Emily.
"Uh. Remi?" Peter tilted his head, adjusting his hat back to it's place as it tilted as his head did. "Emily's that way." He pointed to the right.
"Oh! Um. Ya." Remi laughed at herself and flew to the right.
"We're having a celebration tonight! Tomorrow is the fight with Hook." Peter yelled as she flew away. Remi turned around and gave him a smile. She had already turned around by the time he smiled back at her.
