sultal's note: request for guardian outfits received and posted to DA. see below.

Chapter 4: Peter and Jack

There were three reasons people could not see the Skyworld.

One, gravity was greedy and no one could fly.

Two, when one looked up, they were actually looking at the Skyworld's underside. Fantasia's ceiling, was the Skyworld's floor.

Three, the Skyworld was colossal. Huge. Unfathomable to the human eye.

But it was still too small for Peter Pan.

"Kay, Rat Tail."

Peter crouched on the peak of a cumulonimbus cloud. It was his favorite type of cloud; gigantic, dense, with bellies full of lightning. Peter was so high, all he had to do was tip his nose to touch the boundary between the Skyworld and Outerworld.

Peter slid a finger across the invisible barrier. He smiled at the Outerworld, the realm protected by Jim Hawkins. The realm Peter was forbidden to enter.

Technically.

"Tonight's the night." Peter flicked the barrier. "Tonight I'm going to the Wishing Star, Rat Tail. Like it or not."

Grinning like a fool, he reclined against the cloud. Waiting.

"Bring it on."

Peter Pan did not believe in boundaries. Were he to define it, the definition would go something along the lines of, 'Boundaries: weird things that don't apply to me.'

Most people found this a frustrating conviction, but as guardian of the Skyworld it served Peter well.

The Skyworld was the most boundless of all the magical realms. The Underworld was enclosed underground, the Seaworld was confined by continental shelves, and the Outerworld was outlined by constellations.

But the Skyworld was unbounded. Air mixed arbitrarily into ocean and space. Up could turn down, down could flip up. Clouds and rainbows formed castles and streets that continuously metamorphosized, changing the shape of the kingdom. Weather was cruel or kind, wind pushed or pulled, and no day was ever the same.

Peter thrived in the ambiguity. Flexible as he was quick-witted, Peter learned the Skyworld's secrets. The indefinite nature of the Skyworld excited him, challenged him, and kept him entertained.

Once he mastered the Skyworld, Peter sought companionship. He charted wind-routes with an armada of feathered friends, Zazu, Dumbo, Aladdin's Genie, the Wright Brothers Orville and Wilbur Albatross, and Big Mama the Owl.

He put pegasi in the skies with the help of three fairies Fauna, Flora, and Merriweather.

Partnering with Fantasian's Indians, he learned to paint with the colors of the wind. He even learned to warp the colors as he flew - making it look like he was flying with wings.

Peter even collaborated with the Seaworld and the Underworld. Via liaisons (a seagull named Scuttle for the Seaworld, and Tinkerbell for the Underworld), he filled the Skyworld with pixies and flying whales.

There had even been plans to include dragons, but according to Tinkerbell, the dragons were perfectly satisfied to stay underground. That disappointed Peter - dragons would have been cool. Er - hot. Whatever.

There was only one realm not interacting with Peter Pan.

Peter unsheathed his dagger. He tossed the golden hilt.

The Outerworld. The realm of Rat Tail boy - Jim Hawkins.

Peter caught the dagger. Hand behind his head poked imaginary holes into the stars.

It would be like Jim to ignore the Skyworld. True, Peter had never met a liaison that could pass between space and sky. But if there was, Peter knew Jim would refuse to interact with the Skyworld just the same.

Basically Jim hated Peter. Peter had no idea why - okay MAYBE it had something to do with Peter's cruel pranks and general self conceit. But that was still no excuse! After all Peter was awesome - and he had created a badass fairytale kingdom with one hand behind his back.

Peter kicked a leg over his knee. Happily, he twirled a neon sneaker.

Yup. It had sure been a fun, productive six years. And Peter loved it. For the first time in his life, he flourished in a home that was malleable and electric as he.

There was only one thing missing.

Peter sighed. Reaching to his belt, he untied a pan flute from a rainbow of strings. Smoothing his lips once against the curved pipes, Peter began to play. It was a sad song, one he doodled on that first lonely night, and one that survived the passage of time.

Peter was not open with his music. He never had been, especially as a student. But even as the notes blew down to Fantasia, Peter continued to play. The sad song trickled into another familiar tune, one that was on Peter's mind: happy birthday.

"Hiiiiiiiiiiiii Peter!"

The notes sliced staccato then stopped.

"Hi Tink." Doffing his Indian headdress, Peter bunched it over the pan flute. Cloud condensation gathered like pearls on the colorful feathers.

Ghost of a tune in his ears, Peter turned. Tinkerbell was grinning under an aviator hat and lime green goggles. Peter adjusted for a better view. Even her wings were framed with leather straps and metal gears.

"Nice monkey suit." he teased. "Doesn't that chafe your baby-girl wings?"

"Rich." Tinkerbell flittered to the cloud. "Coming from you, pow wow central. Birdbrain."

Peter grinned. He wasn't sure what 'proper' guardian attire entailed. But since he was above the rules and awesome, Peter wore whatever he wanted. And 'whatever he wanted' was usually a fusion of Indian feathers, sunglasses, war paint, ripped jeans, and bright green kicks.

Like the Skyworld, Peter's wardrobe underwent violent changes. Except for one item: a silver thimble around his neck. Wendy's silver thimble.

"Whatcha doing up here?" Peter rubbed the thimble. "Underworld blow up yet?"

"Tuh. I wish." Tinkerbell removed her goggles. She sat beside Peter. "But nope. I have an update for you. Concerns the Skyworld. Apparently we're trying the dragon thing again."

Peter brightened. "No way!"

"Way."

"Dragons? Real dragons? In the Skyworld?"

"That's the stinking plan."

Triumphantly Peter punched a fist. "Ah-HA! The cleverness of me!"

"It wasn't you, Stupid." Tinkerbell folded her wings. "Vinny - the quote on quote dynamite expert - blew the crap out of a tunnel the Seven Dwarves were digging. Guess what popped out?"

"Guessing it wasn't the Easter Bunny."

"Dragons." Tinkerbell sneered. "Lots and lots of dragons. We were going to barbeque them, but then Miss Holier than Thou - "

Peter's ears pricked. That was Tinkerbell's name for Wendy.

"-got all motherly and didn't let us cook them. Fawn got excited and suggested we try dumping the dragons on you. Then Miss Holier than Thou said you could handle it, so here we flipping are! Dragons!"

Tinkerbell squirmed. "Dragons! Yuck! I hope you're ready!"

Wind whispered over the cloud. Distracted, Peter squinted into the sky. "I was born ready, Tink. Born ready."

Peter lifted a knee, preparing for possible flight. Intently, he searched the skyscape.

"Nothing." Peter murmured. Suspiciously he lowered his knee. "Nothing yet. Hm. Tink?"

"Yeah-yah?"

"Got anything else for me?"

Tinkerbell batted her eyelashes. "What you'd have in mind, Hotstuff?"

Peter couldn't resist a grin. "Knock it off. But seriously, don't you have something else to tell me? Like a message?"

"Message? Message, what kind of message?"

"I dunno." Peter rolled the thimble under his thumb. "Like...a thank you message?"

Tinkerbell glared at the thimble. "From whom? Exactly?"

Peter paused. He released the silver chain.

"Forget it."

Grey clouds obscured the stars. Peter blew and they whisked away. For a moment he let the starlight shine on his crystal circlet. It felt heavy on his head. Then gently, he looked down.

"How is she?"

Tinkerbell chipped her nail polish. Lime green. "Who?"

Peter was callous. "Your boss."

"Oh." Tinkerbell snorted. She crossed her legs. "Miss Holier Than Thou? I dunno, but let me tell you -did she let herself go. Not that there was much to lose..."

Peter clenched his fists.

"Tink."

"What?" Tinkerbell huffed at the growl in Peter's voice. "What I'm telling thah truth! You want me to lie, Peter? Do you? Plus I'm not the pixie to ask..."

Slyly, Tinkerbell glanced. "She spends most of her time with Terrence."

"Terrence?" Peter turned like a gunshot. His neck cracked. "Blondie? Pixie prep boy? That Terrence, from school? Why? How much? What are they doing?"

"Who knows?" Tinkerbell slid a hand over Peter's thigh. She smiled. "It's after work hours."

Peter swallowed nails. "What? She - "

Peter buckled, nearly knocked over as wind ripped over the cloud. Tinkerbell gasped as the wind punched between them.

Peter flew. Wind lashed him back and forth, like a whip. Kicking over the gust, Peter grabbed. He knotted the wind between his hands.

The wind was wild. The wind was cold.

Peter looked at Wendy's thimble. The metal was frozen against his skin. Frost covered the silver. Swirly, fern shaped frost.

Peter exploded with excitement. Raising a hand, we swept away the clouds.

And there, sailing on the wind, was a boy. A boy with white skin, whiter hair, and icy blue eyes fixed on the moon.

"My ticket..." Peter laughed, springing into the wind. "...to the Outerworld!"

Peter dove. The boy in full target, he counted down the seconds until they would collide.

"Three..."

The boy jackknifed into the moonlight.

"Two..."

The boy pushed into the Outerworld with a crooked staff.

"ONE!"

Peter lunged. Wrenching the boy's blue hoodie and leap-frogging over his head, Peter rode into the Outerworld and erupted into space.

"YES!" Peter zig-zagged between constellations and raced shooting stars. "YES! YES! YES! YES BABY! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"

Peter was enraptured! He was thrilled! He was AWESOME! Laughing his head off and spinning like a comet, Peter blazed for the Wishing Star.

Jack Frost stared through Peter's exhaust.

"What the heck was that?"

Bemused, Jack looked to the Man in the Moon. As always, the Man in the Moon refused to answer.

"Fine." Scowling, Jack shouldered his staff. Bare feet kicking, he followed Peter's trail.

"If you won't tell me, Man in the Moon, then I'll just figure it out myself."

Big4girl poem:

All children grow up except for two now they tell stories by the light of the moon

sultal's note: I was asked to provide pictures of the guardian's outfits, which help to reflect the different cultures of their realms.

Since FF is not stellar on letting me post links, the best I can do is give you directions to my Deviant Art page:

Deviant Art account name: sultal-wf

Gallery Folder: Giving Fantasia Art

Wendy's outfit title: Giving Fantasia: Wendy's Guardian Outfit

Peter's outfit title:Giving Fantasia: Peter's Guardian Outfit

I will post Ariel and Jim when they arise in the story.