Peter Pan: The Next Generation
Chapter 21
AN: Whoo! I'm super pumped for this chapter, you guys have no idea. I have two days off from school this week and I am dedicated to write as much as I can. I'm sad though, my original story got deleted. It wasn't EXACTLY a screenplay…Okay, so it wasn't a screenplay at ALL, but oh well. The point is, is that I'm sad and so this chapter will hopefully make up for it : ) You guys know the drill.
It was late, the beautiful English sun was setting behind the drabby gray buildings. Another day came and went, winter was coming to a close, and Mrs. Darling was sitting on the floor in the nursery where her two daughters had once slept only four weeks ago. She couldn't believe January was practically gone, yet there was no word from Wendy or Amanda.
She rarely did this, sitting on the bedroom floor. Too much pain passed through her even gazing at the closed door from the hallway. This was her second time to venture into the bedroom by herself. Normally she'd see her husband inside, staring at the still unmade beds and picture frames filled with the smiling faces of his daughters.
Tonight, however, was different. As she walked down the stretched hallway, coming upon the nursery, she felt something pull her in. Like an invisible hand gently took her by the arm and led her to the bedroom.
Curiosity got the better of her and she was currently positioned Indian style in front of the vast window that Peter Pan tempted her out of so long ago.
Something was happening in Neverland, something magical…And it involved Wendy.
Pondering for some minutes about what could be happening to her oldest daughter in the stars, she was then suddenly pulled out of her daydream by the doorbell.
I wonder who that could be, Mrs. Darling thought, a bit peeved that she was interrupted in her musings. She reluctantly got up, walked gracefully to the stairwell and padded down the twelve stairs that immediately threw her into the entranceway. "Jillian!" She exclaimed when she pulled open the door. A head of honey blonde hair catapulted itself into Mrs. Darling's startled arms. "What on Earth are you doing here?"
"Is it true? Has Wendy really run away?" She asked, her voice starting to tremble. Mrs. Darling couldn't understand why Jillian was here without her parents, or how she found the money to fly here. Or even how she convinced her parents to let her come alone!
"Jillian, where are your parents?" Mrs. Darling asked, looking out to the street as if they were waiting in the car. There was no car, unfortunately.
"Back home. Please, Mrs. Darling, where is Wendy?" Jillian answered shortly.
"How did you get here? Come inside before you freeze to death." Mrs. Darling said, pulling her child's best friend inside the warm house. The sun had descended fairly low and the temperature was dropping by the second. There would be a fresh blanket of snow tomorrow for sure.
"Please, I need to know! Is she okay? Where did she go? Why did she leave?" Jillian bombarded Mrs. Darling with questions even before she closed the door. Mrs. Darling turned to Jillian, a stern look on her face.
"I'm not telling you anything until you tell me what's going on with you. Why are your parents not with you?"
Jillian sighed, defeated. "They're back home. They probably don't even know I'm gone."
"Well, how did you get here? I'm pretty sure you don't have enough money."
Jillian winced. "I took my mom's credit card and called a cab to take me to the airport."
Mrs. Darling sighed. "Well, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to call your mother," Jillian's eyes widened. "She needs to know you're okay."
"No, please don't! I don't want her getting mad."
Mrs. Darling held back a laugh. "Jillian, she's going to realize eventually you're gone and that her credit card is missing. If she knows Wendy is missing too, she'll put two and two together."
Jillian groaned. "I know. Just, please don't call her yet. I've answered your questions, now please answer mine."
Mrs. Darling stared at Jillian, studying her. She was a loyal friend to come all the way to another country by herself just to make sure her best friend was okay. That's why it hurt Mrs. Darling so much to tell her the truth.
"Jillian, I think you'd better sit down. This is going to be a long story."
"Peter, are you sure we can't walk along the beach? I'm afraid my dress is going to tear."
"Yes, I'm sure. The jungle isn't that bad, and that material is impossible to tear. So tromp and stomp away."
"Well, it's just the moon is out and it's full. I wanted to walk under the moonlight, it's supposed to be good luck if you're bathed in the light."
"Who told you that?"
"Jillian."
"Her theories have always been a bit weird to me."
"Everything about her is weird to you, Mandy."
"That too."
"We're almost there, you three."
Peter, Wendy, Amanda and Tinkerbell were stalking through the forest to the secret location of the ball. Peter had left Trinity and Foxx in charge of the Underground, but Trinity was a bit apprehensive about Peter leaving. It seemed that Trinity wanted to tell him something, but couldn't find the right words. All she told him was to be careful and that she was truly sorry. After that she scurried over to her bed and lay down, turned away from him. Peter knew to be careful because of the pirates, but why would she be sorry? For extra precaution, he tucked his dagger inside a conveniently slim pocket on the outside of his outfit.
"Does anyone know where we're going?" Amanda moaned.
"It won't be long now," Peter said. Amanda groaned again and Peter glanced over his shoulder at her, grinning. "I promise."
He was right, of course, it wasn't very long until they reached a strange sort of hill. Although it didn't look out of place for they were still in the middle of the forest. It wasn't very tall, maybe about four feet high and six to seven feet wide. It was covered in moss and grass and Peter felt around the front before finding a shell that was well concealed. He grabbed it and pulled and a door magically formed on the hill. It opened slowly for them, and Peter ushered everyone inside before looking around the still jungle and closed the door.
"Wow. That's incredible." Wendy said. The three humans were crouched inside the small entranceway while Tinkerbell buzzed comfortably in the air around them.
"That's powerful fairy magic. Made by Queen Mab herself." Peter explained. Wendy and Amanda 'wow'ed silently. Two very bright wall lamps of fire lighted the entrance. Directly in front of the group was a group of stairs that led down, the fire lamps leading the way. "Well," Peter looked to everyone. "Shall we?"
Wendy led the way this time, taking cautious steps and holding on to the wooden hand railing. The staircase spiraled down, down, down, and eventually they could stand fully upright without any problems.
"Geeze, how long does this go on?" Amanda complained.
"It's pretty far down. It's almost like a shelter, only a few people on the island know about it." Peter said.
The steps suddenly ended and they were greeted by another entranceway, but this was very large. The floor was made of black marble, a brilliantly illuminated chandelier hung in the center of the room. A few people dressed in amazing fabrics were still milling about before they headed into the ball. Two armed guards were standing on either side of the doorway that led to the party.
"Oh this is so exciting. I think I'm going to faint." Amanda said breathlessly, looking around.
"Please don't." Wendy laughed.
"Peter!" A voice called. They all turned and saw a gorgeous woman dressed in a flowing gown made of black velvet glide toward them. Her long black hair hung freely down her back and as she got closer, a red feather hung from the center of her dress and beads of topaz lined up on either side of the feather. This woman looked very familiar to Wendy.
"Tiger Lily!" Peter exclaimed. She reached him and they hugged.
"I'm so happy you made it! You look great." She gushed.
"Thanks, so do you." Peter blushed. She looked at him, and glanced at Wendy and Amanda. Peter cleared his throat, understanding her looks. "Tiger Lily, this is my date Wendy," he pointed to her and she smiled and did a sort of curtsey, but ended up almost falling over. Peter grinned. "And her sister Amanda." Amanda, however, made a perfect curtsey. Wendy rolled her eyes.
"Nice to meet you, girls. And you officially, Wendy." Tiger Lily said. Her brown eyes glinted mysteriously and Wendy suddenly understood.
"You were the woman from the village who helped us!"
Tiger Lily laughed. "Yes. I look very different, don't I?"
"You can say that again!"
"Wendy! Amanda!" Another voice called. They barely had time to turn before a pink head bobbed into view.
"Rose!" Wendy exclaimed. "Tariana! Hi!"
"I'm so happy to see you, girls." Rose said excitedly. A man, whom Wendy assumed to be King Mercer, strode quietly behind them. Elektra was there, arms over her chest and glaring at Wendy. Jade was there also, smiling widely. Rose and Tariana were dressed in simple yet elegant pink and blue dresses. They each wore small diamond tiaras and their necks and wrists were adorned with strings of pearls. Elektra and Jade were wearing the same style of dresses, only theirs were gold and emerald green. They didn't have tiaras, only a headband of pearls and Elektra wore a small chain of pearls around her waist. Kind Mercer was pretty much dressed like Peter, only his was a solid black. A large crown of pure gold sat atop his whitened head.
"You guys look so different!" Amanda said, astonished.
"I know. We hardly ever leave the water, but we were invited by Tiger Lily." Tariana said, smiling at the Indian princess.
"Aunt Tiger Lily?" A boy came up to the huge group. He was dressed in sleek white robes that were made of silk.
"Yes, Bear?" Tiger Lily smiled down at him.
"Can we go in now?" He asked politely.
"Of course! I was just about to come get you," Tiger Lily looked at the others. "Okay, when we go in we're going to be announced so if you have a date, get with them quickly."
"What do you mean announced?" Wendy asked curiously.
"When you walk in, you tell the announcer at the top of the stairs who you are and who your date is. Then they shout it out to everyone. Say for instance you and Peter. He would simply say, 'Peter Pan and Wendy Darling' and you just glide down the stairs. It's easier, because then people will know who you are without having them to ask your name."
"Do people really remember ALL the names?" Jade asked in amazement. Tiger Lily nodded.
"You'd be surprised. Now, who doesn't have a date?" Amanda and Tinkerbell raised their hands. "Bear, you don't have a date, please escort Amanda."
"Sure." Bear walked up to Amanda and they smiled at each other. Tiger Lily ushered a cute and unavailable male fairy over and asked him to escort Tinkerbell. The pixie blushed as he smiled and offered her his arm.
"Tiger Lily, Jade and Elektra can be announced as our ladies in waiting." Tariana said. Tiger Lily nodded.
"Okay, everyone, prepare to be amazed." Tiger Lily said, motioning for the guards to open the doors. They obliged and a scene unlike anything anyone could have imagined met their eyes. The ballroom was huge, almost as long and as wide as a cruise ship. Thousands of balls of pixie dust somehow managed to stay on the ceiling, and they lit the room. Black marble was again used for the floor and along the far right wall there was a long row of tables filled with nothing but food. A string orchestra was playing, emitting beautiful music. Various paintings were hung on the wall, some artistic, others depicting great achievements. There was even one of Peter defeating Hook with great-grandmother Wendy and the Lost Boys cheering in the background. Wendy felt a swell of pride, knowing that her ancestor was part of something monumental.
Tiger Lily walked up to the man standing to their left and said a few words to him. Then, "Princess Tiger Lily." He boomed, his voice echoing around the room and over the music. Heads turned to see her and she walked down the stairs with ease and grace, waving to a few of her guests like a good hostess.
"I guess we're next." Peter said. He stood on tiptoe and told the man their names.
"Peter Pan, escorting Wendy Moira Angela Darling." He said. Wendy took Peter's arm.
"You told him my full name?" She asked. Peter shrugged.
"Why not? You have four of them and you never use at least three." He said and Wendy laughed as they came down the staircase. A few more heads turned to them and some even started whispering and pointing at them. The couple waited for their friends at the bottom when they reached it.
"Prince Bear, escorting Amanda Michelle Darling."
"Lord Adair, escorting Tinkerbell."
"King Mercer, escorting his daughters, Princess Tariana and Princess Roselyn. Also accompanied by their ladies in waiting, Lady Elektra and Lady Jade."
After all announcements were complete, Tiger Lily led them to a round table that was covered with a white cotton tablecloth. Four candles were placed in a circle and an unusual coloured flower stood in the center. The table fit all eleven of them comfortably and after they were seated, Tiger Lily stood before them.
"Now that we're all here, we will begin shortly. I'm just going to retrieve the stragglers and then the fun can begin." She said, leaving her unusual group of guests.
"How do you like it?" Peter leaned in to Wendy and asked.
"It's incredible. I never thought I'd get to come to one of these in my life. I've always wanted to and now I'm living every girl's fantasy." Wendy answered truthfully.
They started to relax and talk amongst themselves. Wendy was having a grand time and sometimes had to remind herself that she was talking to mermaids and fairies and Indians. Sometimes it just seemed so surreal, like she was caught in a long dream that she never wanted to wake up from. But then she would touch things and smell exotic fragrances and fly and realize that it wasn't just another daydream. She was living it and loving every minute of it.
Somehow, the topic changed to the negotiations of Mermaid Lagoon. King Mercer, Wendy found out, was a hard man to bargain with. She didn't want to argue with him for fear of being fried by his magnificent trident he carried, so she let his daughters argue for her. They, along with Jade and Amanda, made excellent points, although Elektra was still sulking and tried to talk the King out of listening to them. Wendy couldn't understand what Tariana saw in her, why she picked this snobby mermaid to be one of her ladies in waiting. Maybe Tariana was one of those girls that saw the good in everyone, which made sense why she was the next in line to take the throne.
Finally, after intense arguments, a decision was reached. King Mercer agreed to have the negotiations with the other mermaids at Mermaid Lagoon the next evening. Wendy cheered and clapped with the rest of them and could suddenly feel several pairs of eyes on her. She looked around and found one of them to be Peter's, but the rest were foreign. Different people from different tables were whispering being their hand to whomever they were sitting next to, others were pointing. It was just like when she came down the stairs and she couldn't figure out why she had sparked their interest.
"Peter, why are those people staring at me?" She asked. Peter looked in the same direction she was and frowned.
"I don't know, but I don't like it." He said, shifting position in his chair.
"I think it's because she looks so much like the Wendy in the picture." Bear said. Wendy nodded.
"She was my great-grandmother."
"Then that would explain why they're staring. I think they're trying to figure out why you're here again. They probably think you're her, Lord knows I did." Bear said.
"Really?" Amanda asked and he nodded.
"I had heard stories of a Wendy bird rescuing my Aunt and joining Peter Pan to defeat Hook and the pirates. Wendy also fell in love with Peter, but left Neverland and breaking Peter's heart." Bear explained.
Something stirred inside Wendy. She didn't know what it was. Curiosity, maybe. She never knew that great-grandmother Wendy broke Peter's heart. She felt sorry for him, knowing what it's like to loose something you love dearly. Wendy had seen Peter as a very mood-changing boy. He couldn't decide what he liked or didn't like and frankly it confused her. She didn't think he was capable of loving. She knew that he liked her but something about Peter getting his heart broken…That just made him more vulnerable, and she wanted to cry. The image of Peter Pan in her head before she met him was one of a strong, yet happy boy, unafraid of anything and brave enough to attempt everything. He didn't have faults, but he wasn't perfect, yet somehow he managed to be perfect. Imagining him as anything but felt strange.
Wendy quickly glanced to him and saw that he was looking down, playing with a loose string on the tablecloth. He was probably remembering that night when he took the legendary Wendy home and watched her happy life unfold before his eyes. She couldn't imagine what it was like to loose someone, much less the love of her life.
Tiger Lily's voice shouted over the chattering to get their attention and everyone quieted down immediately. She announced that today was Bear's ceremony into manhood and would soon become the next leader of the village. Then she said a few more things, mostly memories of him growing up and running around the village like a wild child. In short, he was going to be a great leader. A round of applause erupted among the guests and Tiger Lily finally announced that the ball has officially begun.
Bear and Amanda and the mermaid clan got up and wandered to the food table while Tinkerbell, Lord Adair, Wendy and Peter strode onto the dance floor. Wendy had never danced before in her life, much less with a boy. She knew Peter had experience, but he cheated. He was in the air and just moving about, not really dancing at all. They locked hands, he put his right hand on her waist and she rested her left hand in the only available spot, on his shoulder. At least he knew what he was doing when it came to placing his hands right.
"Can I tell you something? I've never done this before." Wendy said quietly, as if it were a huge secret. Peter smiled charmingly.
"Don't worry, it's easy. I'll lead and don't look down." Peter said. They moved easily together and Wendy was surprised how easy it was. She tried her hardest not to look down, she didn't like not knowing where her feet were going, but she molded so well with Peter that she really didn't mind. He twirled her across the floor, spinning her gently and pressing her closer to him. Her familiar aroma of cinnamon filled his nose and he couldn't stop smiling. The music ended just as sudden as it started, and the people dancing clapped and the orchestra nodded to them, then began playing again.
Wendy clapped with the rest of them and when she heard the next song, she knew it sounded familiar. She'd heard it before, a million times, she knew it. Her and Peter stood in the middle of the floor, couples dancing around them, while she tried desperately to remember what the song was.
It was like a lightbulb exploded in her brain.
"Fly Me to the Moon." She whispered.
"What?" Peter asked.
"That's what this song it, or what it sounds an awful lot like," Wendy said, excited. Peter frowned. "Frank Sinatra sang it, my dad loves him, he has every record Sinatra put out. I was raised around his songs so I know all the lyrics by heart." She explained. "Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars. Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars." Wendy sang. "Oh, Peter we have to dance to this!" She grabbed his hand and, feeling more adventurous, pulled him to her and started to lead. She sang as they danced. "In other words, hold my hand."
"I already am." Peter said, smiling.
"In other words, baby kiss me."
"Well, I um…" Peter stuttered and blushed. Now was the perfect time to tell her how he felt. Suddenly, Amanda pounced on them from out of nowhere.
"Wendy! Sinatra!" She exclaimed.
"I know!"
"Fill my heart with song, let me sing for ever more. You are all I long for, all I worship and adore. In other words, please be true. In other words, I love…you." They sang together and fell into a giggle fit. Peter was stunned that this song was being played, because that's exactly how he felt about Wendy. He needed to tell her. Now.
"Wendy, can I talk to you?" Peter asked after the worst of her giggles subsided.
"Sure." She said, a giggle escaping every once in a while. He took her by the hand and led the two of them out of the ballroom, through the double doors, up the stairs and out of the hill. "How come we're all the way out here?" She asked when Peter closed the door.
"I just didn't want anyone to overhear us, that's all. Come over here." He whispered. He again took her hand and led them a few feet into the forest where they came upon a canopy of trees and bright lights. He held a finger up to his lips, indicating that they should be quiet. She nodded and they crouched low to crawl toward the lights. Once close enough, they peeked through the brush and saw hundreds of fairies, dancing in a circle.
Wendy gasped lightly. "A fairy ring!" She whispered. "Oh I never thought I'd see one of these!"
The fairies danced to the music that was being played by others. Wendy assumed these were the ones who couldn't or simply did not want to go to the ball. They watched them for a while, having the grandest time. Then, Wendy got an idea. She looked to Peter and nudged him. His eyes moved away from the fairy scene and went to her. She leaned in close and Peter's heart began to race. Her lips went to his ear.
"Fly me to the moon, Peter. Let's play among the stars." She whispered. He smiled, took her hand and flew the two of them up into the sky. There, he placed her arms around his neck and put both of his arms around her waist, pulling her in to a hug. Then they danced to the soothing sounds of the fairies' instruments. Peter was surprised that she didn't pull away, but lean in closer and put her head on his chest while the moon smiled pleasantly at them, bathing them with her light.
"Wendy, I have something to tell you." Peter whispered, not wanting to break the mood by speaking too loudly.
"Yes?" She whispered back.
"I haven't known you for very long, although I feel like I have. You remind me so much of your great-grandmother that I took it for granted, and started treating you like her. That wasn't right. But the more time I've spent with you, the more I realized that you're different from her. Different in a way that I can't explain, but that I know I like." Peter continued in a whisper. Wendy said nothing so he went on. "I had my heart broken by her and it took me a long time to get over her. I thought I would never find anyone to love again as much as her. She opened the door for me to love, to realize all the wonderful things the feeling has to offer. If she hadn't…I never would have met you."
Wendy looked up at him in his eyes. She couldn't believe what he was saying. It was finally happening. "Are you saying that…you…"
"I like you, a lot. I mean of course I like you. Not as a friend or a brother or anything like that." He rambled. Wendy smiled.
"So…"
"So in other words…I love you."
Wendy smiled like a little girl would on Christmas morning and finding a pile of presents just for her under the tree. She hugged him tighter than she's ever hugged anyone in her life. She felt so natural in his strong arms, it felt right. She never wanted to leave his embrace.
A hand gently lifted her chin up and she was once again looking into the eyes of Peter. His swirling orbs were enchanting her, pulling her in like on her very first night in Neverland. Although, she wanted his kiss now.
His forehead leaned against hers. "Say you'll stay here forever. Please don't leave." He said.
"Forever and never." Wendy said. He inched forward just a bit so that his lips just barely touched hers. She drew a sharp breath, her heart beating faster with each passing second, and her cheeks burned. She was ready for his kiss this time and wish he would get on with it. As if reading her mind, Peter brushed his lips over hers one last time before kissing them just ever so gently. The last time this happened, the other Wendy had done it so he really wasn't sure how to do it himself. Wendy kissed him back and they suddenly ended up in a passionate thimble, not rushed or frantic, but soft, warm and loving. He ran his hands through her hair and cupped her face.
So this is love. So this is what makes life divine. He was all she longed for, all she worshipped and adored. The kiss was magical, simply put. She was getting her wish, to dance among the fairies with Peter by her side and have her first kiss. This was all a girl could hope for in life, and she never wanted it to end.
But all things have an ending, and Peter and Wendy's were the sound of bombs exploding in the distance and screams of terror cutting through the night.
AN: Oh my (sigh) the kiss of love. Isn't it just romantic? But I don't think I'd like my first kiss to be interrupted by bombs. Anyway, cliffie! Every author does them and I am one of them. Bwahaha! (clears throat) Now, on to the shout outs:
shot to pieces: I'm glad you've been keeping up with it! That makes me happy. Thanks for the review! Update your story, too.
look for the girl with the broken smile: Hey, I really like your user name. That's a great song. Thanks for reading the entire thing (blushes) I'm glad you like it so far. Thanks for the review!
mistymixwolf aka Perch: Thank you! (huggles back) Yes, newsie one shots are the greatest aren't they? LoL. Thanks for the review!
Princess.Ginnay.of.the.Icknay: Haha, I hope I got this out fast enough for you. I'm really sorry I didn't update over Christmas break, I was super busy. My family was in town and I went to Goliad for a few days and…Craziness ensued, I can tell you that. I'm glad you like the mermaid plot, I like it too. I figured Neverland should have good mermaids that were pissed off with the bad ones for taking their Lagoon. Since there were nice ones in the cartoon and evil ones in the live action, I thought I'd blend them together and this is the result. Anyway, I'm really happy you're liking this and thanks a lot for the review.
tinkerflyinbell1: Thanks! I thought it was pretty sweet too, lol. Thanks for the review!
Dimonah Tralon: It's not allowed to end unless you say so? Well then it will never end! (I could have wrote all night, I could have wrote all night, and still have wrote some more) Hah, not really. I've noticed you haven't updated anything. Why is that, mister? You're lagging behind. I'm at LEAST two months late and you haven't updated in God knows HOW long. LoL, just kidding. But seriously, update something soon. I did for you! LoL, thanks for the review hun.
Okay, so I have two disclaimers that I need to get out of the way. (snaps fingers and newsies instantly appear)
Jack: Hey, we're in the wrong fandom!
Me: Yes, but you're my Disclaimer Boys, so get to the disclaimer…boys
Newsies: Dani does not own Frank Sinatra's song, "Fly Me To The Moon" or the Disney movie Cinderella's song, "So This Is Love".
Me: Great job! (snaps fingers again and they disappear) They're so useful.
Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter. I had so much fun writing it and I think it's one of my favourite chapters so far. Well, that's it. I have school tomorrow and it's about 1 AM, so see you all in chapter 22!
DreamlessMermaid