"You know our old captain was Hook's father, don't you?" Oliver was balancing himself on a thick, exposed root, the rough bark of the tree apparently perfectly comfortable for his bare feet. Miku couldn't stop looking at his feet and calves, which were all wrapped up with white bandages.
She wasn't sure if he was really injured or if his bandages were just for appearance. The pirate didn't seem to be in any sort of pain. Len nodded cautiously – he was the only one Oliver allowed to stay while he talked to her. Nero and Gumo had been sent back to the den, with Len ordering them to sort out their differences in a civilised, rational way. Miku feared that they would lose their tempers and start fighting again – neither Lost Boy appeared to be in a great mood when they went back.
"Well, you also know that we pirates embrace polygamy, yes?" Oliver continued, spinning his white cap around his fingers. His hair was feathery golden, light and slightly wavy – Miku thought of those old Victorian paintings of angelic cherubs with their light blond hair and felt that Oliver would look greatly like one of those beautiful cherubs if he wasn't so…strange. Again, Len nodded, and Miku turned the concept of polygamy over and over in her head – back home, where she came from, polygamy was strictly frowned upon. She couldn't even begin to imagine a polygamous lifestyle.
To have multiple partners, multiple children with different people, and everyone else knowing about that as well? Back home, that'd be considered cheating…she idly wondered if the Red Indians were like the pirates as well. Oliver's lips curved up into a smirk. "Then we need to take a little trip down memory lane together, you and I," he hopped down from the tree root, landing gracefully on the dark forest ground. "We need to take a look at our captain's past – how much do you know about Captain Hook, Peter Pan? The one who is supposed to know everything about our dear island…"
Oliver's golden eye gleamed with secrets and hidden knowledge, and there was a clear challenge on his face as he looked from Len to Miku, waiting for them to respond. Miku failed to see how this was relevant to anything at all – it almost felt like the pirate was just out to waste their time. But when she tried to catch Len's eye, she saw that he was staring intently at the pirate, as though he could somehow understand what mysterious, coded message Oliver was trying to tell them. "All right, we can take that trip together," he spoke evenly, answering for both Miku and himself. Oliver grinned.
"It starts off many years ago, of course," Oliver spun around, heading off through the forest. Len followed suit, though Miku lingered a little distance behind the two boys, still very suspicious of the pirate and wondering why her leader seemed so willing to play along with him. "Let's go back in time to when our captain's father was born – a nasty old man, he was! I barely remember him," Oliver tapped a finger against his lips, looking thoughtful. "But what I do remember isn't very pleasant…"
"Could you get to the point?" Len asked, though his tone was calm and patient, which seemed at odds with what he said. Oliver turned slightly, giving them an unnerving smile, and Miku shivered, hurrying a little closer to Len for comfort. She had no idea where the pirate was leading them, and she'd stick as close to her leader as possible.
"Fine, since you asked so nicely," he shrugged. "So, you already know that among the pirates there is no such thing as official relationships or families or whatever – everyone just kind of does their own thing. For example, I have about four half-siblings…maybe more, I don't know really. And almost the entire pirate crew is related to each other somehow," Oliver stretched, placing his white cap back where it belonged. He continued walking forward with his arms behind his head. "The captain is the sole exception to that."
"What do you mean by exception? I thought the captain has the right to sleep around with anyone he wants. That's why he's the captain, right?" this conversation was, Miku grudgingly admitted, rather interesting. Of course, she'd much prefer if they weren't talking to Oliver, of all people, but she was finding out something new about Neverland and its people so she didn't want to complain too much.
"Definitely, he has all right to do whatever the hell he wants!" Oliver agreed easily, ducking through a narrow gap between two tall, leafy ferns. Len hesitated for a quick second before he followed, and Miku suppressed a groan, bending down to go through the small opening as well. She bet Oliver was leading them towards some kind of trap or something, but what he was saying might be important. "But while he can have as many illegitimate offspring as he wants, the captain is the only one who must take on a formal wife, whose child will become the next captain of the ship. So our previous captain's son is our captain now, and his wife was Hook's mother…who died when he was very young."
"Aoki Lapis?" Len asked. The way he said the name made Miku pause. It was a new name, not one she had ever heard before, but the way Len said it made it sound like he knew this person very well. Which was very strange, because if this Lapis person was Hook's mother, and she died some time ago, then how did Len know her? Hook looked like he was older than Len. And Len had only been here since he was ten years old, right? Unless he met Aoki Lapis when he first arrived in Neverland? Or maybe she was just thinking too much about the whole thing. She focused her attention back on Len and Oliver's conversation.
"Yes, Lapis," Oliver tutted. "A sweet, lovely young lady. Died in her prime – quite a tragedy, you know. Our captain has never stopped blaming himself for her death," Oliver suddenly stopped along the forest trail, turning back to study them with his uncovered eye. The molten gold was, for once, remarkably serious. "Though what he fails to understand is that what happened back then was something far beyond his control. After all, what can one man do against the ocean and its fury?"
The young pirate sounded wistful, almost. It made Miku think that perhaps, Oliver wasn't quite as deranged as he portrayed himself to be. In this very instant, the blond haired boy seemed almost normal. "What happened? I never knew how she died. In fact, I don't think anyone besides the pirates themselves knew of her death until a month later, during the Hunt," Len frowned, looking like he was trying to recall something. This tale was certainly fascinating, but how was it relevant to their situation?
"Oh, nothing much. Hook has one half-sibling…just one, really shocking I know, but his father wasn't the kind of person who slept around very often. The old captain only had kids for the sake of a heir. He was much more interested in sailing us out of Neverland," Oliver shrugged his thin shoulders. "Hook got into a pretty nasty argument with that particular sibling and the kid pushed Lapis over the side of the ship in revenge. It was supposed to be just a scare, a stupid prank. But Lapis got…taken."
"Taken?" Miku echoed, the first time she spoke aloud ever since Len and Oliver began talking. Two pairs of eyes cut towards her, Len's filled with surprise, Oliver's golden eye knowing, almost pleased. She realised belatedly that she actually said the word out loud, and she ducked her gaze, trying not to attract Oliver's attention again. She could still remember the feeling of his cold blade against her neck.
"Yes, taken," the pirate continued easily from where he left off. "The seas are filled with all kinds of dangers. The giant squid, the crocodiles, the kraken – they all take up space in the vast, dangerous waters, but those are threats we know how to deal with. Then on the other hand, there are the sea women who appear at will and take what they wish before they vanish into the depths with the things your heart holds most precious, never to see them again. The sirens, as you may have found out," Oliver spoke those words so casually, but Miku saw Len stiffen at the mention of the sirens.
What were sirens? She thought that the mermaids were sirens, but from Oliver's description it didn't sound like the same being. Was there a different kind of water woman out in the sea? She suddenly remembered the blonde woman they saw in the pirates' territory, the other time they were passing through, and wondered if that woman was possibly one of those sirens Oliver was talking about.
A sea woman who could walk on dry land… "Oh, so you know what the sirens are," apparently Miku was not the only one who noticed Len's reaction. "Well, then you should know they are malicious, that they live only to toy with the feelings and desires of human beings. There is only one creature they listen to – the great sea hydra, who none of the pirates believe is real, by the way. Living out in the open sea, we were told legends and stories while growing up, but we always thought the hydra was just that – a story. Until recently, since there have been several disturbances that made us think…otherwise."
"Disturbances," Len repeated, his tone flat. Miku glanced at his face and saw that his blue eyes were dark with mysterious thoughts. She wondered what he was thinking about – she could practically see the gears in his mind shifting. Though of course, Miku still couldn't see where this entire exchange was going, she was confident in assuming that all this was somehow relevant to Len. "What disturbances?"
"Just the usual," Oliver shrugged, reaching out to a berry growing on a nearby plant and plucking the small fruit. He studied it carefully, the fruit staining his fair skin dark blue, before he crushed the berry between his fingers, the juices spurting out and dribbling across his hands. The twisted smile on Oliver's face as he squashed the berry did not reassure Miku in the slightest. "You know, shaking and screaming and disappearing people and stuff like that. Oh, and the sirens keep singing at night now. it's getting kind of bothersome, having to restrain the crew so they don't jump off the ship."
"The pirates looked fine just the other day, when we were there. It was only a few days ago," Len sounded suspicious. The frown on his face had deepened. "You're telling me that within the short span of a few days, so much has changed about the sea?" Miku wouldn't doubt him for being so cautious. If it was her, she'd be wary of Oliver too. Who knew what kind of agenda this pirate had?
Oliver shrugged again. "Yes, that's precisely what I'm saying. Whether or not you believe me is up to you," he yawned, covering his mouth with his dark, juice-stained hand. Miku couldn't help but stare at the berry juices, which were practically black in comparison to his pale skin. She was suddenly reminded of the dark shadows which haunted her so regularly, and which had appeared to her for the first time in a long while, shortly after leaving the pirate ship – she shivered, averting her gaze.
"Fine, assuming that you're telling the truth. Then why are you saying all this to Miku and I? I don't think Hook sent you here to tell the enemy about your current state of weakness," Len retorted. "And how come you don't seem to be affected by the sirens' singing? You don't even seem to be any different from your usual self," Len observed, his words dripping with suspicion. Oliver grinned.
"You could call it a desperate plea for help. Not so much on Hook's side – as you have surmised, our glorious captain would never ask for help from another ethnic group, not even if his entire crew is endangered as a result of his pride," Oliver said all this with no hint of sarcasm. It made her curious about how the pirate truly viewed his captain. "And as you noticed, yes, I am not affected by the sirens' singing. It's for a simple reason, really – but I'm afraid I can't tell you yet," he smiled. That smile was small but very, very creepy. It was a smile that showed how determined he was to…well, she had no idea what Oliver was determined to do, but she wouldn't trust the pirate for anything.
Len, thankfully, seemed to be equally doubtful. "Yes, thank you for verifying my suspicions, but what does all that lead up to?" he folded his arms across his chest, tapping his foot against the forest ground. It was midday by now, and the weak sunlight filtered through the trees, barely illuminating their dim surroundings. Oliver happened to be standing in an area with less dense foliage, so he seemed to be almost glowing compared to the rest of the murky forest. It made her uncomfortable.
"I just want to have a good night's sleep," Oliver groused. "You have no idea how difficult it is to get some rest when half of the crew is trying to fling themselves off the ship and swim towards those goddamn sirens. Earplugs work, but some people are so curious about hearing the sirens singing that they don't put them on in time, and…well, myth tells us what happens when one hears the songs of the sirens," Oliver sighed exaggeratedly. "And of course, I know that for you to step in with my little problem, you'd want something in exchange. Unfortunately for you, I'm not unintelligent. And I do have quite an excellent bargaining chip, if I must say so myself," his golden eye gleamed. Len and Miku exchanged a look, wondering what the pirate could possibly have that they would want.
"There isn't much the Lost Boys could want from you, unless you're capable of fighting off an entire pack of angry, fire-breathing wolves," Len raised an eyebrow, staring down at Oliver. Of course, there was more he wanted – he had to locate the Keeper of the Hearts, who knew where the sirens hid their ever-beating hearts, so that he could enlist the help of the water kararehe. But what were the odds that Oliver would know about something so secretive, so private? He was merely a pirate, the best gambler they had. If one took that away from him, he was nothing but a boy, young and unknowing.
"No, I can't do that. You knew that even before you said it," Oliver answered serenely. "But what I do have is information. Hook has many maps…maps that lead to all kinds of places. Some of the crew say that he might already have found a way out of Neverland," the one-eyed pirate lowered his voice conspiratorially, a strange smile on his face. Miku twitched at the mention of a way out from this place, and she saw that Len seemed interested too – he was leaning towards the pirate now, his attention evidently arrested by that tantalising possibility. Miku realised just how badly Len must want to leave this accursed island, and the terrible duties he was forced to carry out for the dark masters.
"Surely not. If that was the case, wouldn't the pirates have left Neverland already?" Len questioned, though he sounded like he was talking to himself more so than to the pirate. Oliver tilted his head and spun back around, walking along the forest trail once more. Miku and Len resumed moving too, trying to keep up with the pirate who, strangely enough, seemed to know perfectly well where he was going. Did he explore their territory before? How else could he navigate so easily through this place?
"Oh, there are reasons why we choose to stay. Private reasons, really," Oliver responded breezily, looking straight ahead so that Miku couldn't see his face. "Keep in mind however, that those are just that – rumours. What is definite, on the other hand, is a certain map – a map that is of the utmost importance to those who would rid this island of the sirens. It is said that this map Hook owns leads you to the Keeper of the Hearts, who in turn knows where the sirens hide their greatest weakness."
Len stopped in his tracks, and Miku paused behind him, wondering why Oliver's words incited such a great reaction from her leader. Oliver stopped as well, like he knew, even without looking, what was going on behind him. "You see how the situation works now," the pirate continued, sounding smug. "Among the maps Hook has, one is capable of getting rid of the sirens entirely. Those sea women know, which is why they harass us every night, in a bid to get rid of this weapon our good captain possesses. Why they chose now to act upon it when they've always had this knowledge, I don't know, so don't ask me. In return, you can obtain a map for anything else you might want. Unlike most of the other pirates, I have access to Hook's study, so this is a promise I can afford to keep."
Oliver sounded so sickly sweet that it would be stupid not to be wary of him. Miku was tempted to ask why he thought that was such an amazing bargain – from her point of view, going through all this danger just to find a rumoured map which could take them out of Neverland sounded like they were getting the short end of the stick. But Len seemed to be giving this serious thought, which concerned her a bit. She hoped that Len wasn't about to agree to this deal. It was too much effort for too little reward – if even Miku could see that, then surely Len, who was so knowing and clever, could see it too?
"Very well," Len finally decided, much to her chagrin. She had been hoping that Len would be more reasonable and reject the offer. She'd have to pester him for information later – perhaps there was something Len knew and which she did not, that made him agree to Oliver's stupid trade. The young pirate spun around at his agreement, a wide grin on his face, and extended a hand out towards Len. After just a moment of hesitation, Len reached out and grasped the hand, giving it a firm shake.
"All right, then that's all I have to say to you, Peter Pan," Oliver chirped, letting go of Len's hand at once, as though he had been burnt. "You can be on your merry way. Now, I want to talk about something with Miku," Oliver's golden eye cut towards her, and that wide grin he was wearing became something more like a smirk. Miku froze, heart suddenly accelerating at those sinister words, and she helplessly looked towards Len, silently pleading with him to get her out of this situation.
Len cleared his throat. "I don't see what you have to say to her which is so important that I cannot be present at the same time," he protested against Oliver's blasé dismissal of him, much to Miku's relief. She really didn't want to be left alone with the pirate. His cutlass against her skin, the kiss he had forced upon her…no, it definitely wasn't a good idea to be alone with Oliver for any period of time, no matter how short. Oliver rolled his golden eye, his gaze slanting over towards her again.
"Of course you won't understand why I want you to leave. You don't know the special bond we have, Miku and I. I suppose you are simply jealous, Peter Pan, that I'm close to one of your Lost Children, but you must understand that children are meant to grow up – and giving her some personal space and time to be with other people is simply part of the ageing process," Oliver explained, tone light and airy. Len's blue eyes narrowed as he prepared some scathing retort. Miku really did not like where this was going, and briefly considered slipping away while both boys were distracted.
"The last I noticed, we didn't exactly have any kind of special bond, Oliver," Miku decided to speak up instead of running away, since frankly, it'd be pretty obvious if she chose to leave now. Both boys turned to stare at her, Len with a raised eyebrow, and Oliver with a look of outright glee.
"That's why it's special, Miku! Because you didn't notice it forming," he cooed, and that sickly sweet voice – it was so obviously fake – made the hairs on the back of her neck rise. The bad feeling in her gut intensified, and she somehow knew that if she spent any time alone with Oliver at all, things would not end up well. She trusted her intuition, and right now her intuition was screaming at her to get the hell out of there. Oliver didn't seem to be armed with any weapon, but it was equally likely that he did have one and was just hiding it in that long coat of his…or maybe he had something even worse for her in mind. Len seemed to pick up on her discomfort, for he stepped in between Oliver and Miku so that the blond pirate wouldn't be able to see her, at least not without craning his neck.
"I'm the leader of the Lost Children, and as the leader it is my responsibility to be there for them and look after them, no matter the circumstances," Len stated firmly. "So whatever it is you want to talk to her about, I should be there to listen as well, unless there are particular reasons for otherwise…?"
She heard a quiet growl sound from behind Len, and realised it was the pirate, hissing to himself in frustration. Miku was suddenly extremely thankful that Len insisted on accompanying her. If she was alone with the deranged pirate, who knew what he would do? "Fine, since you insist, Peter Pan," Oliver spoke scathingly. "I simply wish to collect on my…debt, as you might put it. I know you believe that she did not cheat, but I know what I saw. We both do," the forest went very quiet as the pirate paused for a moment. Miku abruptly realised that the sound of wildlife was gone – the trees were eerily silent.
That was never a good sign. "I didn't cheat – how would I know how to cheat when I've never played that game before?" she protested, defending herself. Her heart was thudding in her chest. Would Len trust her, or the pirate? She had never gotten caught while gambling before. Oliver…he had to be extremely sharp-eyed to see what she was doing. But then, no one ever looked at Hatsune Miku and thought that the crazy, frail girl who hid in her own room and was frightened of her own shadow would know how to cheat at such games. She hated to use the word cheat, though. Miku would rather call it…alternative strategizing. She was making use of what resources she had to better her chances of victory.
"Again, you claim you've never played dice before, but you didn't even need to know the rules before we played the first round," Oliver's voice had deepened, becoming almost threatening. It was such a far cry from the happy, almost insane cheeriness in his words earlier – this was what Miku thought was the real Oliver, the one who plotted and schemed behind a mask of youth and innocence. He was such an angelic looking boy – who would imagine that his mind was so twisted?
"Luck! Sheer luck!" she cried out, subtly trying to edge away from the pirate. Len was still in between them, looking between both her and Oliver with careful consideration on his face, and Miku felt confident that her leader would take her word over Oliver's, but she'd rather get out of this dark forest and away from the dangerous pirate as quickly as possible. She hardly ever played card games or dice, but she had learnt a few tricks during her youth, and she never passed up an opportunity to put what she learnt to good use. Although those three years she spent alone had made her rusty.
"There is no such thing as luck," Oliver's voice echoed through the forest, and it sounded a little nearer to her than the previous time he spoke. She shuddered, but Len was still standing calmly between them, and she trusted that he wouldn't allow any harm to befall her. "Luck is nothing but empty hope, a false idea whispered to trusting fools who pray for divine deliverance from their personal hells. When you live this long, you know that clinging on to luck and good fortune is a slow death wish in itself," Oliver's voice suddenly snaked into her ear, and she whipped around, feeling sick.
The pirate was standing right next to her now, studying her intently with his good eye. He looked very serious, sombre even, and she looked wildly around at Len – Len was still standing in front of her, but he was silent and unmoving, as though frozen in time. She tried to call out to him, but Oliver flung out his hand and clamped it over her mouth, preventing her from saying a single word. She tried to speak, but the words which came out were muffled and incomprehensible; she herself couldn't understand what she was saying. "Now we can have a good, proper conversation."
She tried to respond, but again her words came out garbled and confused. Oliver seemed to know what she was trying to say, however. "How is all this happening? Let's just say that there are many forces at work here, Miku – forces that even the omniscient leader of the Lost Children is not aware of. And when you know as much as I do – when you've been involved in as much as I was – you tend to know what these mysterious forces are. The kararehe are just one of the many secrets Neverland has to offer," he tilted his head, studying her, then he grinned. "How about we make a deal, Miku?"
She tried to glare at him, hoping that her green eyes were filled only with anger and none of the fear that she now felt. Len was not able to help her – she had to figure a way out of her situation herself. None of the Lost Boys would come for her either, she was certain, so she thought that maybe the best thing to do for now was to play along with whatever Oliver wanted. So finally, she grudgingly averted her gaze and waited for him to continue. The pirate laughed. "It's really simple. I think it'll be much easier and much more comfortable for you if I were to take my hand off your mouth, but the thing is if you scream, it's really bloody irritating. It's not going to change whatever's happening now but it'll give me a hell of a migraine, so I'd really rather you just keep quiet. Could you do that for me?"
She nodded slowly. She could keep quiet. Miku had every reason to believe that Oliver might kill her if she didn't do as he wanted. The pirate slowly took his hand off her mouth, and she took in a deep breath of air, grateful that her face was finally free. "What do you want?" she hissed, taking a step away from him. He was too close to her for her comfort. "This isn't about the gambling thing anymore, is it?"
Oliver gave her a long, measured look with his golden eye. "Don't be stupid. I could hardly care less about that," he looked up at the sky, a serene expression on his face. Meanwhile, the forest around them remained quiet and still – she and the pirate were the only two still moving in this fixed world. She really had to wonder what was going on around them. "I know you're different, Hatsune Miku. And it's not just because you're the only Lost Girl, though I suppose that's one way you're not like the rest of them. No, I could tell…the moment I kissed you I knew that you're different from the others."
She narrowed her eyes, wondering what he was getting at. But she didn't interrupt, waiting for him to finish speaking before she said anything. She was utterly sure that whatever Oliver was about to say would be unbelievable and completely ludicrous, but she would at least pretend to entertain him so that she wouldn't get hurt…hopefully not, at least. "You know why I'm such a good gambler?" the pirate continued pensively, as though he was talking to himself rather than to her. "I have this very strange power. I've never told anyone about it before, you know, but I'm telling you now. When I touch something or someone, I can see memories and sense…things. When I touch a card, I know what card it is without even having to look at it. Same applies to dice, to objects, to people, to lips…"
His golden eye fixed upon her face, and automatically, her hand reached up to cover her mouth. He had kissed her. If he was telling the truth, then…what sort of memories, what feelings had he felt during that brief contact? Did he feel the horror, the shock, the pain and revulsion? Did he delve into her deepest, darkest memories and uncover that most vulnerable part of herself? She shivered, her mind becoming momentarily overwhelmed by all these possibilities, but then Oliver snapped his fingers in front of her face and startled her back into lucidness. "What did you see?" she whispered.
"Things," the pirate shrugged. "Things about you that no one else should have had to see. Trust me, it's not like I wanted to jump around your thoughts either," a strange expression crossed his face, but it was gone so quickly that she wasn't able to identify what expression it was. "But your mind, what I saw inside it…I saw these dark, whispering shadows which seemed to stain your thoughts, covering your every dream, your every memory, your every desire and hope in a dark velvety blanket. It's faint, but it's there, and it's dangerous. And most of all, it's very, very familiar to me."
Miku was becoming intrigued. Shadows? Did Oliver see…those dark beings which tortured her at night, which were such a constant fixture in her life ever since she was a child? The dark shadows which worsened, becoming almost threatening, after her father died and no one was there to sing her special lullaby to her anymore. Only Len knew the lullaby, she now recalled that, but she had gotten so caught up in Neverland's affairs that she forgot to ask him how he knew it. "What do you mean by shadows?" she finally asked when the pirate failed to continue of his own accord.
Oliver's hand had reached up to his face, his slender fingers wandering up to his eyepatch. Miku suddenly found herself wondering what lay beneath that eyepatch. What had happened to his other eye? Was he born half-blind, or had there been some kind of accident which took his eyesight away? "Darkness. Thoughts and sentient beings, determined to take you and use you as an escape," his cryptic words were hardly an answer, but she still clung on to everything he said, wondering if she was finally getting some kind of explanation for the horrible shadow beings which had been plaguing her for most of her life. "It's hard, living with those things. I might respect you somewhat for that."
"How would you know…?" Miku's voice trailed off as Oliver lifted his eyepatch, showing her his other eye. While his good eye was molten gold, his left eye, the one normally covered by the eyepatch, was completely black. There was no white at all – the entire eye was just one solid mass of darkness, and within it she could see…swirling beings, almost reaching out to her from within those inky depths. She stared, mesmerised by the pure, raw darkness, until Oliver put the patch back on.
"You're lucky. Your shadows don't leave a physical mark on you," Oliver remarked casually, as though he was talking about something as unimportant as the weather. But Miku found herself hanging on to his every word. "Mine did, though. Why they would leave a mark, especially within my left eye, I don't know, so don't ask me. I can't really see out of that eye anyway. It's just…darkness."
"So you live with the shadows too…" her voice was barely more than a whisper. She was so shocked; it was the first time she had ever met anyone living with a condition similar to hers. Oliver's smile was thin, and he inclined his head, golden eye regarding her lazily. She had so many questions to ask, but she didn't even know where to begin. "How long have you lived with them? What are they?"
"Years," Oliver shrugged, walking away from her back towards Len. Miku watched carefully as the pirate circled Len, studying him from all sides. Peter Pan still had not moved. "Ever since I was a little kid, really. The other pirates always kind of thought I was strange. As I grew older I learned how to hide it because I was tired of being ostracised. And I learnt how to keep the screams and nightmares to myself," he stopped right in front of Len, looking critically into his eyes. Miku saw that Len still gazed blankly ahead, completely unaware of what was going on around him. "What I saw from your memories wasn't much. We didn't touch long enough for me to see, but…I know that in your case, you didn't do the same thing. You never quite learnt how to live with them, how to embrace them."
"Why would I want to embrace them?" she exclaimed, incensed by the very thought. Those shadow beings had tormented her, almost tortured her, for her entire life. Welcoming them was the last thing she would ever want to do. "You probably saw what they did to me. They made my life a living hell! And just when I thought I escaped them, they found me all the way here too…" she quietened.
Oliver had walked back towards her now, and he was staring down at her impassively, listening to her every word. She felt immensely self-conscious, especially now that she knew what lay underneath his eyepatch, and her tongue refused to move as she gaped at him, nervous about their close proximity. "Of course they found you here as well, Miku. The shadows originate from Neverland. You know of the dark masters that Peter Pan serves," Oliver raised an eyebrow. "Before you ask me how I know of them as well, I just do, so stay quiet," he added before she could interject. "Those are simply older forms of our shadowy companions who have gained consciousness and minds of their own. What we are plagued by are young tendrils of thought, barely-formed knowledge and secrets…perhaps you could call the dark masters human thought, and what we are faced with animal instinct. Ultimately, they are one and the same thing. The dark masters control Neverland – control the shadows that haunt us," Oliver closed one hand into a fist, "and you are eventually able to control Neverland."
"Is that how you managed to make time freeze?" she asked, intrigued despite herself. She never thought of her tormentors as possibly being something which could assist her. All her life she had tried to push them away, thinking that they only served to make her existence miserable. Yet what Oliver was suggesting now was that they could actually be of some use. With them, she could change…
"Perhaps. That information is mine to know, and yours to discover," Oliver turned away from her, his ragged blue coat fluttering. "I've had much experience dealing with these beings. I know what they are, what they want, how to control them. I know what they need, you see," she thought he might be smiling. "But that is something you ought to figure out on your own. If I tell you everything, you probably won't be able to deal with them anyway," he shrugged. "I hope that you now know that you're not alone, Hatsune Miku. But don't let that fool you into thinking we're allies of some sort. I still have my own agenda, and I'm only here to level the playing field a little. It's much more satisfying to crush an opponent when they aren't entirely useless," he laughed. Miku frowned.
"What do you mean by useless?" she shot back. "I'm not useless – yeah sure, I'm not exactly the best hunter or fighter but I'm learning!" she knew that she was becoming better at surviving out here, and she wouldn't allow Oliver's disparaging words to tear her down. The pirate spun around to stare at her, and there was no smile on his face. She shivered. Oliver's expression…he looked almost hungry.
"I didn't mean you, Hatsune. But if you choose to take it that way…" he bared his teeth, shoving his hands inside his pockets. "Learn how to control the shadows. Don't let them consume you, and you will eventually understand. Meanwhile, I ought to take my leave. I've overstayed my welcome in this territory," his gaze drifted up towards the sky again, which was right now exactly the same as the last time Miku looked at it. Even the clouds had yet to move. "But there is no need to fret. This is hardly the last you have seen of good old Oliver…though you should keep in mind that the next time you see me, I won't be as nice to you," his words were a dark promise. Before she could say anything or ask him anything else, Oliver snapped his fingers and time unfroze – everything turned into a blur of motion, and the next thing she knew Len was holding her, looking concerned, and Oliver had disappeared.
"Where did Oliver go?" Len demanded, letting go of her once she seemed capable of standing on her own two feet. Miku blinked, feeling a little woozy while the world went back into focus around her. She wasn't sure why but she felt like she had just run for miles and miles without rest, and she felt extremely dizzy. Maybe it was a side-effect of the whole time freezing thing. "Miku?" Len spoke her name when she didn't respond immediately, and she gazed into his eyes, so blue and so worried…
"I'm fine, I'm fine," she said faintly, standing straight and shaking her head slightly. "And I don't know where he went. He just suddenly ran off, and I didn't want to follow him," she shuddered. It wasn't a lie, technically. Len paused, staring at her – he seemed almost unconvinced, but then in the end he nodded, turning away from her and staring out into the dense forest. Miku sighed quietly.
"It won't be a good idea to chase him now, since we don't know where he went or where he's headed. I suppose we ought to just head back to the den, in that case…" Len turned back towards her, expression thoughtful. "Come on, we both need some rest. You especially – the events of today must have been shocking for you. Hopefully Nero and Gumo didn't continue fighting in the den," he muttered, and Miku felt a small smile spread across her face. Things were back to normal, it seemed.
But Oliver's words lingered in her mind. Could those primal, terrifying shadows which whispered in her ear really be controlled? She never once imagined herself as the master of her own demons. But if that was the case – if those shadows really could be managed, the same way Oliver seemed to be using his, then perhaps these beings weren't really a curse after all. Maybe they could actually be of some use to her.