A/N-
Lyra- Hello everyone!
Peter- Wow, it's been a long time since we've seen all of you! What, two months?
Haley- No, almost four on the 30th.
All- Whhhoooaaa.
Lyra- Yikes, that's a little scary!
Raven- It's been boring for us. The pirates left back in March. Something about Mardi Gras…
Hale- Yeah, they haven't been back since then. Weird…
Peter- Hmm. Wait a second. Someone's missing. *Looks around, counting heads* Hey, where's Bookie?
Danny- I think she's in that room over there.
Lyra- *opens door to see Bookie passed out on the floor.* Uh, Bookie?
ZZZZZZZZ
Lyra- *closes door* Let her sleep. That was a pretty nasty case of writers block, and she just finished this chapter today. She needs the rest.
Peter- Sure, why not?
Raven- And now the Lost Kids proudly present:
Chapter 11- The Fun
Lyra's POV
I finished my breakfast of bread with cheese (goat cheese, as there aren't cows on Neverland) and raspberries. I glanced around the common room.
Nibs was sitting with Slightly and Raven at the other end of the table, pouring over battle notes and maps. They were the group that volunteered to come up with the plan to catch the spy parrot of Hook's. Raven was actually a good strategist, having led many games of Capture the Flag and toilet paper tepee-ing parties before. She could always be counted on for having a unique plan of action. Slightly was very smart, and of course Nibs was the master strategist of the group. They made a good group to plan the mission.
Danny and Sweetie were talking about something I couldn't hear on the couch. From Danny's goofy smile and Sweetie's blushing and giggling, I don't think I should go over.
Cora and Haley were being taught by the Twins and Tootles how to fire a slingshot properly using a drawing of a pirate as a target. The many holes showed that my friends were improving greatly.
Curly was taking a nap, curled up in a chair by the flickering fire. From the looks the Twins were stealing at him, I wouldn't be surprised if Curly was going to wake up covered in feathers and war paint.
Peter had disappeared after eating quick breakfast. I don't know where he went, but I had my suspicions that he had gone above ground looking for trouble. Again.
Sometimes he was just the most troublesome kid in the group.
I suddenly got an urge to paint. I slipped into the hallway that led to all the girls' rooms, then went into my room, overcome by the urge to paint something. I sat at my art easel and paused.
I have no idea what to paint. Well, that's a first for me. Completely out of character.
Hmmm…
A fairy, glowing softly as the early morning sun behind them, while she glided through the misty forest. Enchanting, beautiful, slight touch of mystery.
…No, that doesn't work.
Maybe the mermaids, reclining on the large half submerged rocks among the watery shores of Mermaid Lagoon. Mysterious and enchanting, with a touch of danger.
…Nope, that's not it.
Hmm… what to paint? Grrrrr… I can't think of anything! What the heck! I've heard of writer's block, but never painter's block! So of course I would get it! Grrrrr… I heard a commotion coming from the common room.
"HEY EVERYONE! HUGE NEWS!" I heard Peter shout. I knew he went above ground! But apparently he had news instead of a group of beat up pirates. That's an improvement.
I ran out of my room, nearly running into Haley in the door way of the girls' rooms. The Lost Kids all clustered around the dining room table (currently littered with papers and maps). Peter was at the head of the table, flushed from the cold air high up and grinning broadly. Tinker Bell was perched on his shoulder as usual.
"Everyone here?" He asked. The rest of us looked around.
"Looks like it," I said.
"Great! Well, Tink and I were flying over the island, and you won't believe what we saw in Pirate's Cove!"
"Pirates?" Raven guessed sarcastically.
"NO! That the thing! The pirate ship is gone!" Everyone gasped and started talking at once. Peter held a hand up and everyone quieted.
"I say that means we should play an island wide game of Hide and Seek!"
"YEAH!"
"I vote Nibs it!" Raven shouted.
"I second that!" Haley shouted.
"I pass the motion!" Slightly yelled.
"WHAT?"
"Nibs is it! Close your eyes, count to one hundred, then come and find us!"Peter shouted. With that everyone ran outside, leaving Nibs in the hideout to count. I separated from everyone else, heading north toward the mountains. I think it's about time I explored the mountains. I pushed deep into the forest, climbing over fallen trees and jumping over creeks. It must have been ten minutes before I stopped in a small grassy clearing. There was a tall, gnarled tree in the center, and the tall grass was dotted with wild flowers. It was peaceful there. I sat down under one of the tall trees surrounding the trees. When I burrowed down a bit, I was largely hidden by the tangled roots of the tree. Now I had time to think about Peter's birthday. A surprise party would be great, but I highly doubted the Lost Kids could keep that big of a secret. Okay, scrap the surprise party. But that doesn't mean I couldn't' get him a present or something. Great, another dilemma- what to get him? Maybe I should just… no, asking him would be a bad idea. Maybe I could… no, asking the Lost Kids would probably end up the same as the surprise party thing. Anyone else I could ask…. Wait! Tinker Bell! Of course! She knew Peter really well, and she can keep a secret! Now my only problem left… how to get Tink alone so I can ask.
Crud. Or as Nibs would say, cripes.
This is going to annoy the heck out of me.
Branches rustling nearby snapped me out of my thoughts. I froze, 'cause movement is seen way faster than staying still after all. A person appeared, but he was too tall for Nibs. It was Peter. He clearly had no idea I was here. I smirked inwardly. Time for payback. Peter passed right in front of my hiding spot, and I launched myself at him.
"HA!"
"What the-" Peter managed to say before I tackled him. We tumbled to the ground, rolling around and around until we finally stopped, me on top of him. I sat on his chest and grinned.
"Ha! I got you back!" I gloated triumphantly. Peter stared at me with wide eyes.
"For what?"
"Repeatedly scaring the heck out of me this morning."
"And that means you get to tackle me?"
"Of course." Peter suddenly grinned mischievously. My stomach dropped. From that look Hook has once been covered in bat poop and turkey feathers. I am so not kidding.
"What are you-" I couldn't finish the sentence because Peter was tickling me mercilessly.
"Peter! No… stop! You know I'm ticklish!" I protested.
"That's the point!" I couldn't protest anymore because I was laughing so hard. It was worse than the times Danny has ambushed me. Peter kept me trapped while he tickled me. Finally Peter stopped the torture when I could barely breathe from laughing so hard.
"Don't… do that," I panted.
"Why not? You're really cute when you're laughing." Peter then turned bright red when he realized what exactly he said. I was probably redder then him.
"Thanks. You're cute when you're in shock." Peter grinned, then realized the double sided comment. I giggled when he said an indignant "Hey!".
"See? Shock!"
"And you're laughing! A laughing twit!"
"And you're a shocked fish!"
"Giggling flounder!"
"Shell shocked twinkle toes!"
"Hysterical fire elf!"
"…Fire elf?"
"Oops…"
"Tell me!"
"Uh, well, I, uh…"
"Come on Peter!"
"Fine!" Peter shouted. "Fire elves are like imps that control fire. They are burning hot to the touch, bright red with charcoal colored eyes, and love to play pranks on everyone. They live up north in the marshy areas. They're behind those weird lights that float around and lead people off track and into the deep areas where you sink up to your armpits."
"Does Iagan talk with them?"
"Yes. It's like me with fairies or you with mermaids."
"What does their language sound like?"
"Um… crackly."
"Crackly?"
"Yeah, like a fire. You know how a fire pops and cracks? It sounds a bit like that."
"Ooohhh."
"FOUND YOU!" Nibs shouted. Peter and I looked to see Nibs and all of the other Lost Kids standing at the edge of the clearing. Apparently we were the last ones to be found. I stood up, dragging a sulking Peter with me.
"Alright, you found us. What now?" I said. The Lost Kids gathered around.
"Well… we could keep playing. Or we could plan a gigantic party with the Indians!" Peter said. The Lost Kids all cheered.
"First, we go tell the chief the good news. Then we help them prepare the giant feast and bonfire that follows. Then we eat, drink, and be merry!"
"YEAH!"
"Now, follow me!" Peter led us to the Indian camp, which was more fun then it sounded when playing an intense game of Follow the Leader. It took us over two hours to make it to the Indian Camp with the rate our game was progressing, but it was worth it to see the look on Tootles face when he fell into an ice cold stream while trying to cross mossy stones. Everyone had made it across but him, and at the last second his foot slipped on a particularly wet patch of moss. Poor Tootles fell into a deep spot in the stream, completely submerging. When he came back up, sputtering water and looking positively shocked, none of the Lost Kids could help it. We dissolved into fits of laughter. I helped Tootles out of the stream (shivering and a little miffed at our reactions), and we continued on our way. When we arrived at the Indian Camp, the Indians were busy at work as usual. Chief Fighting Bear came up to Peter, and after a short conversation the Indians were busy for a completely different reason. The rest of the afternoon was spent in a blur of preparations: getting wood for the bonfire and cooking fires, helping prepare the food for the feast, keeping an eye on the little kids as they ran around playing Catch the Pirate (a game like reverse tag- one player gets chased by everyone else).
When it was two hours away from sunset, everyone was ready. The celebration began with a bang- literally. Somehow Hunter and Trapper managed to find a case of gunpowder and constructed an actual firework with the help of Raven. It was pretty awesome, but it scared the pixie dust off of everyone. Soon everyone was eating their fill of delicious food and praising the creativity of the Twins and Raven. I ended up sitting between Haley and Danny.
"Great food, huh Lyra?" Haley said conversationally.
"Yeah," I said absently. Should I ask her? It might be a bit rude. Haley knew something was wrong.
"What's wrong? Cat gotcha tongue?" She asked.
"I was just wondering… why did you stay on Neverland? You could have gone home to your family by now. Why did you stay?" I asked. The question had been bugging me since Haley, Cora, and Raven all decided to stay a couple weeks after we left the Mainland. Peter had given them the option to leave and go back home. None of them hesitated to say that they would stay. Haley thought about this for a few minutes, her nose scrunched up like she does whenever she's thinking hard.
"Well, it just felt right. I didn't really feel like I fit in with the rest of my family. Everyone in my family is an amazing athlete and a brilliant scholar. But I was the klutzy bookworm, the one who didn't live up to my parents expectations," Haley said.
"But you got straight A's in school!" I exclaimed.
"And a C in gym class because I was a complete klutz ," Haley said, "Neverland has helped me become less klutzy, and give me something to shine at. The Lost Kids are all tutored by me, excluding us five older kids. Neverland lets me have something to be better than everyone at. With my big family, I couldn't do that on the Mainland. So I wanna stay here. And Lyra? Could you just call me Hale from now on? I want to finalize my decision, and what better way than to get a new name?" Haley, I mean Hale said.
"Sure. I'll help spread the word… Hale." Hale beamed at me and went back to her food. Talk about your food for thought… no pun intended. By the time the sun set, everyone had finished their food and some musicians struck up an upbeat tune. Dozens of people started dancing around the bonfire. I sat on the side, watching everyone dance and spin round and round the fire. At one point Cora sat next to me, breathing heavily from dancing.
"Hi Cora! Having a good time yet?" I asked.
"I will be… soon as… I catch… my breathe," She panted. I waited as Cora slowly caught her breathe.
"Cora, I was thinking recently about things. But I wanted to know why did you stay in Neverland? Don't you want to go back to your mom?" I asked. Cora thought, absently drawing swirling designs in the dirt.
"I guess I stayed to keep you safe. I mean, all we know is that Hook wants you for some reason. I may be a coward for most things, but I can't just leave my friends here to fight by themselves. Mama always said, "No se puede tapar el sol con un dedo." That means you can't cover the sun with one finger. I can't just let you guys try and fight without my help. Mama would understand," Cora explained.
I guess I should explain the Spanish expression. Cora's mom is Spanish, and is a single mother. Cora doesn't know her dad, and neither does Cora's mom. All I know is that Cora's mom was… raped… and left for dead. Luckily she lived and along came Cora nine months later. Ms. Jones is very strong, and raised Cora by herself with the help of her parents. And did a good job about it too. They're very close. Anyway, Cora looks a lot like her mom, except for her wavy hair and light blue eyes, and speaks fluent Spanish because of her mom.
"Well, I think I speak for everyone when I say that we're glad you stayed. Oh, and Haley wants to be called Hale now. Spread the word?" I said. Cora nodded and ended up leaving to join back in with the dancing. I wasn't left alone for long.
"Hiya Lyra! Why aren't you joining in on the fun?" Raven asked, plopping down next to me. I shrugged.
"Hey Raven, can I ask you why you stayed in Neverland?" Raven pondered this for a minute before answering.
"I think I stayed because I can be who I am, not someone else. You know my family Lyra- always proper, always busy, always arguing," Raven said, "They always disapproved of my wild child antics. That was one thing they agreed on. Neverland is the one place where I can be me. Crazy, hyper, rebellious, always ready to pick a fight. But I don't even get in trouble! In fact, I get encouraged to be me!" Raven said, laughing a bit.
"Encouraged by Nibs maybe," I teased, rewarded by a blushing Raven and a punch to the arm.
"And what about you, Mrs. Pan?" Raven asked. My face grew hot.
"Raven! I don't like Peter," I said.
"Yeah right. Look, here he comes now. Go dance with him and have some fun!" Raven said. True enough, Peter was walking towards us.
"I'm having fun right here watching everyone Raven," I protested.
"Hi Lyra," Peter said.
"Hey Peter," Raven said, "Can you get Lyra to go and dance? I've been trying to convince her for two minutes and she won't budge." My jaw dropped. Before I could protest, Peter grabbed my hand and tugged me onto my feet.
"Can't have someone sitting all night," Peter joked, pulling me toward the dancers, "Don't bother arguing. You're goanna dance whether you like it or not."
"That'll be a not." Peter just laughed and pulled me into the dance. I'll admit it- I had fun. But by the time the night was over, I was beat. Same with everyone else. The Lost Kids all said their goodbyes. Slightly got a kiss on the cheek from Tiger Lily, which made everyone tease him. Then Sweetie surprised everyone and kissed Danny on the cheek. He turned bright red and held her hand the whole way home. It was so sweet! Sure, Danny was teased as much as Slightly, but he was completely oblivious. After everyone got home, I shooed everyone to their bedrooms. I went to my own after being persuaded to tell Danny a short bedtime story. I fell into bed, and soon fell fast asleep.
Hook's POV
"Land ho!" Came the cry from the crow's nest. I saw the houses we were heading for. The perfect bait for the perfect trap…
A/N-
Raven- that was a pretty boring chapter.
All- NO!
*comes out of room wielding chainsaw* DIE!
Raven- AH! SAVE ME! *runs away from Bookie who chases Raven out of the room*
All but Raven- No!
Lyra- It's cold, but after that writers block, I don't want to mess with Bookie.
Hale- But we do know that Bookie would say, if she wasn't trying to kill Raven with a chainsaw,
Peter- Where did she even get that?
Lyra- I don't even want to know.
Hale- Bookie would apologize profusely, and say that the next chapter will have more action. Hopefully it won't take as long. And this chapter was mostly character development for Raven, Cora, me, and a few others in tDG who shall remain nameless
Nibs- *cough* Peter and Lyra *cough*
Hale- Nibs, nameless, remember !
Nibs- Right sorry!
Lyra- Oh look, Bookie's back!
*Comes back dragging a tied up Raven* Uh, hi?
Lyra- Anything you need to add?
Um… nope, think you guys covered everything. Now if you'll excuse me, I got some business to take care of
Lyra- Don't kill Raven Bookie, we need her for the next chapter!
Right… I'll just maim her a bit.
All- WHAT?
Thanks for reading and sticking with this story! I promise the next chapter will have more action!