The Tip of the Iceberg
Peter Pan:
He walked through Echo Cave's entrance. He stared down at the barren rock floor spread out beneath him, not wanting to look at what was ahead of him. He wasn't ready for it. He wasn't ready to say anything. She'd just gotten back to Neverland.
"Peter?" he heard the frail whisper echo through the cave.
It was then when he looked up.
He saw the cage placed on the island, and in that cage waited the girl he waited on for what felt like years. Because of him, she was trapped.
"Peter, is that you?" she asked in her still quiet voice.
"Wendy," he croaked. He coughed and cleared his throat so he could speak. "I -I'm here."
"What happened?" Naturally he walked forward to her. He kept going until he reached the edge of the cliff, looking at the gap that was separating the two of them.
"Felix is responsible for this," he searched for her eyes, but it was hard to tell. "They don't want you here, the Lost Boys."
"Yes, I know," Wendy admitted she knew the fact, and it surprised Peter, "But, that doesn't mean I'm going to give up."
Peter let her continue.
"Peter, I haven't seen you in a year. Do you honestly think a few tricks from the Lost Boys won't stop me from seeing you? That's absurd. It will take much more than that to stop me."
"I'm really sorry this happened to you Wendy. I didn't think they'd do anything like this. Felix, I don't know what's gotten into him, and the other Lost Boys, they're -."
"I love you Peter."
Those words struck Peter numb because he'd never heard anyone say them to him. A new feeling rose within him. He was glad Wendy said it because he felt the same about her.
"I love you too, Wendy."
The bridge appeared right before his feet.
"Peter! What just happened?"
He stepped foot on the bridge and walked slowly, and then began explaining.
"We're in Echo Cave, Wendy. I don't think you've ever heard of this place, correct me in I'm wrong."
"No, I haven't."
"It's the only place on Neverland where one must reveal his or her deepest and darkest secrets. When you enter the cave, there's no backing out. It's the only way to get around this place. This bridge appeared only when I revealed a secret of mine. You won't be able to get out of that cage unless you reveal a secret of your's."
Peter found himself standing in front of the cage that held Wendy. He knelt down and looked inside of the cage, seeing her for the first time in forever. Peter brought his hands up and grasped the cage bars, afraid that he would lose her. He watched as she brought her head up, exposing her sad eyes.
"Peter, I don't know what I'm supposed to say," he could see the tears forming in her eyes.
"Anything," he whispered, without taking his eyes off of her.
"I -," she hesitated, "Sometimes I just wish I could run away, forever. I hate the rules that bind me together back at home. It's too much. I don't want people telling what I can and can't do. For once, I just want more freedom."
He listened and watched as the tears streamed down her face. Upon hearing those words, though, nothing made him happier.
"Wendy, do you really mean it?" Peter had to ask.
She nodded and laughed. "John and Michael, I can't leave them alone, though."
"Bring them here," Peter suggested as the bars began to dissolve around his hands.
Slowly, the cage dissolved and left a crying Wendy in its spot. Peter cupped her hand in his face, just to reassure that she was really there and it wasn't just his imagination playing with his mind. He felt as she leaned into his touch.
"Wendy."
He leaned forward and placed a much-needed kiss on her lips, smiling as she returned it.
"Peter," she said as they broke apart, "I've missed you so much."
She threw her arms around his neck and he picked her up, twirling her around in a circle, wanting nothing more than that moment to last forever.
He placed her gently back on the ground, his arms still wrapped around her.
"Let's get out of here," Peter smiled, leaning his forehead against hers.
She stood on her tip-toes to kiss him once more. "Agreed."
Hand in hand, they turned around and walked back across the bridge and to the entrance.
Felix:
"How did it not work?" he walked back to Tinker Bell, who was waiting a few feet away from the cave entrance.
"It's Peter," she reminded Felix. "He can find a way around anything."
"It seems like we need to figure out a new plan."
"When she finds out what he really needs, there's no way she'll stay here."
"If she does, I guess we'll just have to kill her," Felix smiled.
"What happened?" Tink cocked her head to the side. "I thought you were the most loyal one."
"Oh, I am," Felix said, "but, he's my brother, you know? I can't let anything or anyone get in his way if he wants to succeed."
"Well, I guess that's one way to put it."
"If he lives, then I live. If he dies, then I die."
