The Three Wayfinders
Chapter 11: Heartless Flight
Captain! Captain Hook! Look what I caught in my hat!" Smee said as he ran across the deck of the ship towards his captain.
"What is it Smee?" Hook responded.
"I've captured Tinker Bell in my hat, Captain!" Smee excitedly revealed his sparkling hat which entrapped the fairy.
"Excellent. Now nothing will stand in me way." Hook grinned. "Put her in that lantern in me study. I'll want to personally inform Peter Pan we have his precious pixie."
"What about those Lost Boys?" Smee asked.
Suddenly, none other than Peter Pan himself had risen up from the side of the ship and tackled Smee to the deck, making him drop his hat.
"Go Tink! Get out of here!" Peter ordered.
Tink made her way out of the hat and was about to help out Peter until the big bully, Pete, appeared from the lower deck and he summoned some Heartless to capture Peter Pan. Even though it really hurt her, Tinker Bell flew off to get some help as Peter was tied down by the other Pirates.
"Well if it isn't Peter Pan coming to the rescue. You didn't think I expected this?" Hook taunted. "Pete, you and the Heartless will be invaluable to me plans."
"That's right." Pete warned. "But you better understand who's in charge here now."
Hook scoffed at this as he ordered Peter Pan to be tied to the mast of the ship so that all of the residences of Neverland could see him as his prisoner.
"You'll never get away with this Hook!" Peter declared.
"Oh yeah boy? Who's going to stop me?" Hook laughed. "Men! Man the life boats! We are going on a treasure hunt!"
"Ahhh! Help us!" Slightly was avoiding being caught by the Heartless.
"Go away!" Cubby tried to outrun them as well.
The Two Lost Boys found themselves at the water's edge of the Cove where they could see Skull Rock from a distance. But as soon as they thought they were done for, two red chakrams, Wayward Wind, and a claymore eliminated the threat, saving the boys.
"Wow, thanks a lot." Slightly said relived as Isa, Lea, and Ven approached them.
"Yeah, you really saved us." Cubby thanked as well, but then recognized their saviors. "Oh wait a minute... Ven! How ya been?"
"I've been good. It's certainly been a while since I've been here." Ven smiled.
"Well, we need your help!" Slightly addressed. "Hook's at it again-"
But before he could start explaining, Tinker Bell flew around the edge of the Cove to find all of them here. She sped down to the Lost Boys.
"Tink! You're safe!" Slightly exclaimed. "Wait... what?!"
"What did she say?" Ven inquired.
"She said Peter is being held prisoner on Hook's ship, and the pirates have a horde of monsters with them." Cubby informed.
Tinker Bell nodded seeing that they were correct with the translation then she flew over to Ven and Lea and told them of Pete and his alliance with Hook, and also of their impending landfall with life boats.
"So, Pete was true to his word." Lea understood. "Then we have to help Peter."
"Let's come up with a plan." Isa asked the Lost Boys. "Can either of you two fight?"
"I wish we could but we can't." Cubby sadly answered.
"Then I suggest you go back to your hideout and let us take care of it." Isa advised.
"Alright, we'll be at the Hollow Tree. Good Luck!" The two boys left to go into hiding.
"So what's the plan?" Lea inquired.
"Tink, can you make us all fly like before?" Ven asked the pixie.
Tink gave an affirmative nod as she encircled the three boys with pixie dust, sprinkling them until they all began floating, except Isa...
"What? Now you're flying?" Isa questioned as he watched his friends floating off the ground.
"Why am I not surprised this wouldn't work with you Isa?" Lea grinned.
"Just think happy thoughts Isa." Ven advised.
Isa did what Ven told him and thought of the happiest thoughts he could think of. What those thoughts were, we will never know, but they did the trick and sure enough Isa was floating with Lea and Ven as well.
"Well look at that, I'm flying." Isa calmly admired.
"Wow, even when you're happy, I can't even tell." Lea laughed.
"Let's just make the plan. ...Ventus and the pixie go to the ship and rescue Peter. Lea and I will watch the coast for pirates and Heartless." Isa formulated.
"Sounds good to me, let's meet up back at the Indian Camp." Ven agreed.
They all said their good lucks as Ven and Tink flew off out to the ocean towards Hook's ship while Lea and Isa flew off towards Mermaid Lagoon.
"Hehehe. Everything is going to plans." Pete evilly rubbed his hands together as he stood guard of Peter with the Heartless while Hook was off on his treasure hunt. "Those losers should be here any minute now..."
"What are you up to?" Peter asked his large captor.
"Oh, you'll see soon enough..." Pete smirked. "Uhh?"
Pete was staring at a VERY angry pixie that kicked him right in the face, making him fall on his back.
"OW! Why you!" Pete stated as he saw Ventus swiftly destroy the Heartless on the ship from above.
"Tink! Ven! What are you doing here?" Peter inquired as Ven cut the ropes tying him down.
"We're here to rescue you!" Ven answered with a smile.
"Gee thanks, but the Lost Boys are in danger, and the treasure Hook is after it's-!" But he was interrupted.
"Shut up! Don't you go saying I didn't plan for this, you bozos!" Pete grinned. "Let's see what you'll do when you have to choose between your friends and the people!"
Pete's hand began to glow with darkness and he shot a dark ball into the air above them. The dark energy ball stopped and grew stagnant. Then suddenly, the dark orb hatched into a giant Heartless: Ruler of the Sky... it's screech was ominous and full of rage.
Play 358/2 Days Struggle Away Battle Theme on a second tab.
"Go! My Heartless take in some of the sights... perhaps Big Ben and that city? Definitely more hearts for you over there!" Pete commanded.
The Ruler of the Sky obeyed and it promptly left Neverland towards the end of the horizon.
"Where's that thing going?" Ven angrily asked.
"Oh no! It's heading towards the real world!" Peter shouted. "Come on, we have to stop it!"
Peter, Ven, and Tink flew off to follow and end the serious threat the Ruler of the Sky poses on London...
"Well look who we found." Lea pointed below them as they were floating above Hook, Smee, and some other pirates while they were looking for the treasure at the Gully.
"This is it Smee! X marks the spot." Hook excitedly pointed to a nearby tree where he knew the treasure would be. "Start digging!"
"Should we get the drop on him?" Lea inquired.
"Lea why don't we make it rain fire?" Isa gave a small grin.
"Now you're speaking my language." Lea returned the smile.
Lea conjured some sparks then some fireballs to rain down flames on the pirates below them. All of the pirates beneath the two boys were caught aflame and all of them, except for Hook, abandoned the hunt that had turned into a blazing inferno.
"You cowards! Fine, I'll dig it up me self!" Hook angrily grabbed a shovel and started digging.
"Not going to happen... you're going to take your leave and walk the plank, Captain..." Isa challenged as he and Lea landed some feet away from Hook.
"Swoggle me eyes, it's you two again?! No! No one will get me treasure!" Hook drew his sword.
"You don't stand a chance against us." Lea responded as he summoned his chakrams while Isa respectively summoned his claymore.
"Wait a minute!" Hook examined the chest half covered in dirt. "NO! It's that chest full of junk AGAIN!"
Indeed, Hook had found the precious treasures of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys once again. This was that same chest where it was the home of Ven's wooden keyblade for a while. But at this discovery for finding the same useless treasure chest a second time, the Captain was seeing red!
"Haha, nice find there Captain." Lea chuckled.
"You two will pay for this!" Hook declared.
"Really? Can you take both of us... all alone?" Isa dared him.
"...No... I'll just head back to the Long Tom and blow you both to smithereens!" Hook threatened.
"Unless we get there first and blow up your ship... unless you leave these other kids alone!" Isa proposed.
"Outrageous! I'll never agree to that!" Hook responded.
Then before any of them could get in another word, a certain distinct ticking from a certain distinct crocodile swam up the Gully nearby, staring hungrily at Captain Hook.
"NO! STAY AWAY FROM ME! WAAAAAAHHHHH!" Hook had never run faster in his life as he left Lea and Isa in defeat with the crocodile nipping at his heels.
"He must taste delicious for the crocodile to go through all that trouble." Lea grinned.
"Let's wait for Ven and Peter at the Indian Camp." Isa suggested.
"Knowing him, he won't be long." Lea stated.
It wasn't until The Ruler of the Sky had reached Big Ben that Peter, Tink, and Ven finally caught up to the Heartless.
"We can't let it destroy the city!" Peter shouted.
"I got an idea!" Ven remembered a powerful attack he learned from Aqua and Terra: Time Splicer.
"STOP!" Ven conjured.
And just like that, The Ruler of the Sky was frozen in place, frozen in time, and almost like a speeding bullet Ven teleported to the Heartless and struck it multiple times. Ven teleported again and attacked from another side as the beast was helpless. Over and over, Ven's powerful Time Splicer attack did massive damage on the Heartless. Then the magic wore off and The Ruler of the Sky was mobile once more.
"Ven, LOOKOUT!" Peter pointed.
Ven had only a fraction of a second to react as The Ruler of the Sky was firing golden coins from its treasure chest mouth. Peter and Tink were rapidly dodging the projectiles while Ven made it his mission to deflect the coins back at the giant Heartless. And sure enough it worked!
Ven had reflected some lethal projectiles into the monster's eyes, blinding it. In addition, Ven noticed a vulnerable spot on The Ruler of the Sky's underbelly. So, now blind and weakened, Ven used his keyblade and launched a ball of light into the Heartless's chest, effectively ending the battle.
"Nice shot!" Peter cheered.
The Ruler of the Sky had slammed into the face of Big Ben on the impact of the attack, and it faded away into darkness before it could even hit the ground below.
"Let's head back to Neverland." Ven stated.
"What's that Tink?" Peter questioned. "Look at what?"
Tinker Bell was pointing at the clock face. It was about midnight now, and to everyone's' surprise the Keyhole to that world appeared on Big Ben!
"That's convenient." Ven smiled as he locked the Keyhole with his keyblade. "Alright, now let's head back."
Back on Captain Hook's ship, Pete was contemplating his plan and how it didn't go exactly the way he had expected.
"What kind of pirate is afraid of a crocodile? Couldn't he just shoot it with cannonball or stab it with his sword? Whatever... looks like my plans for this place went sideways here." Pete pondered. "But now, it's time to see my old friends... and I'm sure they won't mind if I make myself King!"
Pete laughed to the heavens as he walked off into another dark corridor with evil intentions.
Back at the Indian Camp, Lea and Isa were anxiously awaiting the arrival of their friends.
"What's taking them so long?" Lea groaned. "I've got a feeling they got the short end of the stick."
"Be patient, Lea. I'm sure they'll get here." Isa responded.
"Wait! There they are!" Lea pointed at the sky.
And there they were: Tinker Bell, Peter, and Ven flying towards them with victorious grins on their faces as they waved to their allies. Then out of nowhere, a shooting star came down on them from the sky and slammed into Peter and Ventus! They flailed around with the odd path of the falling star until they crash-landed into the middle of the Indian Camp!
Now sprawled out on the grounds were Peter, Ven and... Mickey.
Isa and Lea ran up to the little crater that the star shard had created on impact, but it looked like everyone was okay, and they all got back up unharmed.
"Mickey! What are you doing here?!" Ven asked.
"Gosh, I'm glad I found ya guys. I've been looking everywhere for you!" Mickey revealed.
"What do mean? Why?" Lea inquired.
"It's Master Eraqus! I found him in the Lanes Between near his death! Yen Sid wants us to regroup and return to his Tower!" Mickey explained.
"Master Eraqus... is he okay?" Ven worriedly said.
"Yep, he's going to make it. But I gotta feeling that it was-" Mickey was cut off.
"Vanitas, right?" Ven finished and Mickey confirmed this with a nod.
"Gee, it seems like I'm in way over my head. You guys seem ready to go, but did you take care of Hook?" Peter inquired.
"Yes, he ran away like a coward." Isa replied.
"Sounds just like him, and what about that big guy that helped him out? What was his name again...? Pete?" Peter Pan asked.
"He just disappeared, onto his next target most likely." Isa stated.
"Wait! Pete was here?" Mickey chimed in.
"That's what we were doing here. Pete is apparently working for Vanitas now, and he said after this world, he was going back home to his own world." Lea informed.
"He's from your world, right Mickey?" Ven wanted to clarify.
"Yep..." Mickey sadly nodded. "But you know what? I'm sure Yen Sid will understand if we all go stop Pete together before we check on Eraqus."
"Then let's take that fool down a notch. ...I really wanted to step on him..." Isa crossed his arms and gave a small grin.
"Well good luck you guys. You're all still welcome back here anytime." Peter Pan waved off as he and Tink flew away to return to the Lost Boys.
"Mickey... Please tell me you can control the Star Shard... because I don't think all four of us will fit on Ven's Glider." Lea jokingly stated.
"Don't worry Lea; I got the hang of it. All I have to do is think it and-WHOA!" Mickey gasped.
"No! Not again!" Lea covered his eyes.
"Hang on!" Ven advised to Isa.
Ven, Lea, Isa, and Mickey were all engulfed in the light of the Star Shard as they twinkled away and traveled forth to the Lanes Between...
A/N- Neverland is safe, but Pete's ambitions will now take him to Disney Town... Will our heroes be able to make it there with the Star Shard and stop him? Will Isa ever get to step on Pete? Find out next chapter! I'll trade you updates for reviews, it's only fair :)