Chapter XXXVII- Neverland (Part 1)
Sora and Koga jumped awake when they heard the alarm go off in the Gummi ship. They saw that the ship was flying through a vast ocean in the night sky.
"What's going on? I thought we were going to that new world you found?" Koga said to Donald.
"We were, it's right there!" Donald pointed to distance where they saw what looked like a large island covered in jungle, it was hard to see it when it was dark out. The ship's data says it's called Neverland.
"Why are we over the ocean? Shouldn't we ge-" Suddenly the ship lurched to the side as the alarms kept blaring.
"Please don't tell me that was Monstro?" Sora said.
"No, it's a ship!" They saw it in their field of vision. It was a large ship, and based on the black flag it was a pirate ship. It was near a large rock formation in the shape of a skull. It was firing it's cannonballs at them. To make matters worse on each side of the Gummi ship was a pair of heartless that looked like mini flying pirate ships with a Heartless captain at the wheel
Battleship
The Heartless shot at the wings and engines and they blew out.
"We're going down!" They crashed into the ocean near the ship. Water started pouring in as Goofy hit the eject button. They swam for the surface and saw a rope ladder coming from the pirate ship. With no other choice they climbed it and made it to the deck. Donald and Goofy went first then Sora and Koga were the last ones to make it up. It was strangely empty of any crew members and Donald and Goofy seemed to have disappeared.
"Huh? Where is everyone?" Sora asked looking around the deck.
"Donald, Goofy!" Koga called out.
"Looks like you still care about only your new friends huh?"
The twins froze and turned around to see their old friend Riku on the upper deck glaring at them.
"Riku!"
"Nice you see you again. Though I guess the feeling isn't mutual."
Koga glared back keeping his gaze on the silver haired teen.
"Where did you take Donald and Goofy?"
Riku rolled his eyes. "Are they really that important to you, more important than old friends?"
Koga groaned annoyed. "Just tell us wh-" He took a step forward when suddenly he was surrounded by Heartless dressed in pirate rags carrying large curved swords.
Pirate (Not the most creative name...)
They blocked the way to Riku and Kairi
"Instead of worrying about them, you should be asking about her." He stepped aside revealing none other than their best friend Kairi, laying on the ground seemingly in a catatonic state. He smirked at the shocked expressions on their faces. "That's right. I was telling the truth before, I found her while you two were off goofing around."
"Riku you petty jerk!" Koga growled almost ready to summon his Keyblade when someone roughly grab his hand. He turned to see Captain Hook sneering at him. Next to him was a small portly gentleman, Hook's first mate Smee.
"Not so fast. No Keyblade shenanigans aboard my vessel boy or my name isn't Captain James Hook!"
Sora looked at Riku with concern. "Riku, are you controlling the Heartless?"
"Yes Sora, the Heartless obey me now. Now I have nothing to fear."
They stood slack jawed, he's not making any sense at all. Koga narrowed his eyes, something sounded off about his words.
"You're stupid Riku! Are you even listening to yourself? Sooner or later they'll swallow your Heart."
"Not a chance. My Heart's too strong. Stronger than either of you, though in Koga's case it wouldn't be much." He chuckled seeing Koga growl at him like a wounded animal. "I also picked up a few new abilities dabbling with darkness. Like this for instance..." With a wave of his hands the twins felt really strange. Like something tugged at their feet. Their very shadow disconnected from them and lifted off the ground. They're were now life sized replicas of Sora and Koga covered in black with two yellow orbs as eyes. These were not Heartless, they were their shadow's brought to life. They walked towards their original owners and the two walked back in fear. They didn't notice them walking into a trapdoor and they both fell below.
Riku smiled in triumph before picking up Kairi bridal style and turning to the Captain. "Let's get underway already. And keep both Sora and Koga away from Kairi until we make it to Hollow Bastion."
Hook scowled watching the boy leave.
"E-everything alright captain?" Smee asked.
"It boils me blood, Smee, taking orders from that whelp. Just because he's up close with Maleficent doesn't mean he can just order me around my own ship!"
"What should we do about it Captain Hook?"
"Nothing! Let the Heartless keep an eye on the brats for us."
"But, Captain, you-know-who is also down-"
Hook suddenly put a hand to his first mate's lips shushing him. He started shaking in fear. "Do you hear that Smee? Is that ticking?"
"Um, no, I don't hear anything besides the ship noises."
Hook sighed in relief. "Ooh my poor nerves. I can't wait to get off this world and away from that infernal crocodile!"
"You don't say?" Goofy asked.
Koga nodded happily. "I saw it with my own eyes."
"Yep, it was definitely Kairi. We finally found her!" Sora said. Goofy chuckled.
"Well alright! Then let's go up and talk to her."
"Yeah!"
"Alright!"
"Sounds great!" Donald agreed. "Okay, but first how about getting off!"
All of them were on a heap on the floor, with Donald at the bottom. Soon enough they all untangle and stood up straight. They were in a small wooden room with crates on one side and the door on the other. Sora peeked through the hole on the top and saw that the halls of the ship was empty.
"Hey, over here!" The group turned and saw there was someone else in their little cell. It was a boy with a elfish appearance dressed in a green tunic and tights. Red hair sticks out of his green hat with a red feather on top. He also had a small dagger sheathed on his hip.
"Who are you?" Goofy asked.
"I'm the answer to your prayers. I'm Peter Pan! Looks like you all ran into that old Codfish Hook huh?"
"Yeah, you got caught by him to?" Koga asked.
"Nope. I'm just waiting for someone. She should be here any minute." Seconds later a glowing yellow ball of light flew in through the hole in the door. It left sparkles of dust as it flew around and stopped in front of Peter. The light dimmed a bit revealing a tiny blonde girl with a green dress and wings.
"Is that a fairy?" Sora asked astonished by the tiny girl.
"She's a pixie and her name is Tinker Bell." He turned to the pixie. "Hey Tink, did you find Wendy?" When Tinker Bell spoke she made only tinkling sounds but Peter seemed to understand it. "Hold on. There was another girl there too?"
"She must be talking about Kairi." Sora said to his brother who nodded back.
Tinkerbell then looked angrily at Peter. "What? There is no way I'm gonna leave Wendy there!"
"Aha. She must be pretty jealous." Donald laughed. Tinkerbell glared angrily at the duck, flew over to him and kicked him on the beak. She then scoffed and flew away.
"Well she's gonna be angry for awhile" Peter sighed. "So anyway, who's this Kairi person?"
"She's our friend, we got separated and we've been trying to find her ever since."
He then nodded his head. "I guess then we can work together, looks like the people we are looking for are in the same place." Peter then held out his hand.
"Sure, I'm Sora by the way."
"And I'm his brother Koga." He reached his hand out but then Peter pulled back.
"Okay, we're in this together, but only 'til we find Wendy. After that you're on your own."
Koga made a face at Peter but nodded. "Fair enough, so how do we get out of this room?"
"Didn't you look at the door, has no lock."
"What?" Donald pushed the door and it slid open.
"Then what are you doing stuck here?"
"I'm trying to avoid getting the attention of... them." Just then a trio of Pirate Heartless burst into the room swinging their swords. Sora and Koga struck but they countered their attacks.
"Cucco cawcaw!" Peter said. The group turned and saw that Peter was floating in the air with his knife in hand. He then lunged at the Heartless making quick stabbing motions, destroying the Heartless fast. Donald then blasted the other with a fireball and the other was taken out by Goofy.
"Man, haven't seen monsters like that since... hmm I can't really remember."
"How are you flying like that?" Koga asked astonished by the sight. Sure on his adventure he's shrunk, grown, learned magic, met a genie, and turned into a merman but the idea of flying is so amazing to him.
Pan shrugged. "Anybody can fly. All it takes is pixie dust."
"Can we try?" Sora asked.
"Sure why not?" Peter put his hands to his mouth and whistled. Tink flew back in still looking angry. "Hey Tink, can you give them some pixie dust?" Tink shook her head and turned her back to him. Peter then leaned in close to her and whispered something that made her smile. She then sparkled brightly and flew around them as the sparkles coated them. "Alright, give it a try!"
They all smiled in excitement and together they all hopped into the air, only to immediately fall on their face.
Peter threw his head back as he laughed up a storm, clutching his belly. Tinker Bell jingled in mirth as well. "Oh man, you should have seen the looks on your faces! That was hilarious!"
Peter didn't notice but Sora had to reluctantly hold his brother back from tackling the boy down and giving him a knuckle sandwich.
"Alright, let's get a move on." Peter said ignoring the glares they were giving him. They ventured into the ship's hold, none of them noticing Sora and Koga's shadows no longer present.
"What? So Wendy is not one of the chosen ones?" Hook exclaimed.
He and Riku were in his private captain's quarters under the poop deck (stop snickering readers).
Riku eyed him impassively. "There are seven, supposedly. And Maleficent says she's not one of them. Hoist anchor as soon as possible. Leave all the dead weight behind, including her."
Hook's face fumed red with anger. "After all that trouble of capturing her and now I got Peter Pan on my tail! And why seven? Just what is Maleficent planning?"
"Who knows." Riku shrugged. "As long as it means getting Kairi's heart back, I couldn't care less."
The pirate gave a mock laugh making the boy scowl at him. "You're wasting your time! I would stake me other hand that the Heartless have already devoured it."
"I would watch what you say before you do lose the other hand." Riku growled, tendrils of darkness radiating off of him. Hook tightened his grip on his sword in case Riku tries anything. The darkness receded as Riku turned around. "I will find it no matter what."
"Ahem, Cap'n?" Smee's voice came through a pipe in the wall, the ship's communication system, a gift from Maleficent along with the granting the ship the ability to fly to other worlds.
"What is it Smee?" Hook asked, trying to mask the quiver in his voice.
"Um those Shadows of the two boys came back and they said that the prisoners have escaped with Peter Pan."
Hook clenched his knuckles. "Blast that Peter Pan! Alright bring the girls to me cabin, hop to it!"
"So what's are you two doing with a Keyblade?" Peter asked, the group were in a middle of a hallway.
The duo turned their heads to the flying boy. "You know about the Keyblade?"
"Yeah, I met a few Keyblade wielders over the decades."
"Decades? Aren't you our age?" Koga tilted his head.
"Of course but in Neverland you never grow up. Nothing but fun and games everyday!"
"Sounds interesting." Koga murmured before turning his attention to the room they entered, it looked like a kitchen.
Tinker bell started twinkling loudly. "What is it Tink?" Peter asks.
"Peter? Peter Pan?" a girl's voice calls out. They look up and through a grate they see a young girl in a blue nightgown.
"Wendy!" Peter exclaimed flying close to the ceiling. The grate was too small for any of them to fit through. "Don't worry, I'll get you out!" He said using his knife as a saw to cut open the thick wooden grate.
"Please hurry! The pirates are coming!" Wendy said with urgency in her blue eyes.
"Don't you worry," Pan assures her, "I'll be right up there just as soon as I get this thing open."
"Wendy?" Koga said nervously.
"Yes?" Wendy asked confused on who these boys were, they didn't look to be Peter's lost boys.
"My name is Koga and he's my twin brother Sora. We were wondering if you seen our friend Kairi?"
"Oh Kairi, does she have red hair and have blue eyes?"
"Yes!"
"She's right here next to the grate, though she seems to be asleep. She hasn't budged an inch."
"Kairi..." The twins gave a silent gasp.
"Guys, give me a boost." Koga orders. Goofy, Donald, and Sora get on each other's shoulders as Koga got on top and reached his hand out for her.
"Kairi, can you hear me?" Koga said.
"It's us, Sora and Koga! We're here!" Sora shouts from below his brother.
For a moment nothing happens. Then suddenly they see her arm slowly moves across the grate. Koga's face lit up, it meant she wasn't gone and she can hear them. He felt himself get lifted up closer to her.
Suddenly there was a bang sound Wendy cried out. The next thing they see is Sora and Koga's shadows fly in and grab Wendy and Kairi before dragging them away.
"Wendy!" Peter shouts, making little progress with the grate.
"No Kairi!" Koga gave a distraught yell. "Pete, stand back!" Peter did as he as as Koga aimed his Keygun at the door and fires a Firaga spell, blasting a large hole in half the ceiling. The group ladder stumbled back at the force of the spell but Koga jumped off his brother and hopped onto the upper room.
He looked around and spotted an open door. Peter flew up next to him while Sora and the others climbed up. He ran across the ship's interior until he reached a large room, probably the captain's quarters based on the cleanliness. He looks around the room and saw Riku carrying Kairi in his arms. He was walking towards a dark portal.
"Riku stop!" Koga shouted. The silver haired boy turned to him with a devilish smirk.
"What, don't want me around Kairi because I'm not afraid to use the darkness? You and Sora aren't exactly perfect either, you got your own darkness as well. Wanna see it?" A black puddle forms between them and it forms both Sora and Koga's Shadows. They even have shadow replicas of their Keyblades. They even drop into the same battle stances as them.
"Don't be scared of your own shadow, mommy isn't around to leave a nightlight." Riku taunted as he stepped into the portal as it closed.
Shadow Sora ran and struck them in a wide arc. It's battle style is an exact copy of his own. Shadow Koga fired dark projectiles from his weapon attacking from a distance.
Sora slashed back at his shadow but they blocked the attack before diving into the group and appearing right behind him.
"Stop!" Koga shouted freezing the shadow in place with his magic. No more than two seconds later the shadow broke free and charged at his counterpart. Peter Pan stabbed at Shadow Koga but then he split himself into three decoys of him. All of them slashing at Peter. Donald then used Thundaga to blast all the Shadow Kogas, leaving it open for Koga to charge up a blast and shoot it point blank blasting it to bits. At the same time Goofy blocked the relentless Shadow Sora before the original Sora rushed in and slashed it in half. The remains of their shadows crawled across the floor and returned to their owner as normal shadows.
"I know shadows get up to no good but I've never seen them so hostile before." Peter said. He then noticed a hatch on the floor. Opening it he found an unconscious Wendy.
He quickly picked her up before turning to the others. "Well this is as far as I go. I've gotta help Wendy."
"Well, thanks I guess..." Koga said still upset that he lost Kairi.
"Hey cheer up, or else you won't be able to fly again."
Koga scowled at the boy. "Oh, you mean when you pulled that prank on us?"
"No, after that when you were reaching your hand out towards Kairi, you're telling me you didn't see it?" Koga's eyes widened.
"Wait, are you serious?" Koga asked.
"Yep it was a few inches in the air but I know what I saw. See I was lying when I told you, you need pixie dust to fly. Also faith and trust, or just think a happy thought."
"Yeah..." Koga said. He wasn't having much happy thoughts lately.
"Yeah, good luck finding your friend." He said flying out the window without even saying goodbye.
Have to stop the chapter here guys or else I will not stop writing until the end of this world!
It always bothered me that this world get's called Neverland, and you never enter the actual Neverland. So even if it's a small bit I wanted to add a little bit of the place.
See you guys next time...
HAVE FUN!