A/N: My author's note as going to be at the end of this chapter. Enjoy!
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Margaret pried herself away from Tootles' tight hug and ushered him to join the other Lost Boys in the jungle. He did so half-heartedly as he sadly trudged into the overgrowth with his head hanging slightly. A few more tears pried into Margaret's eyes as she watched him walk away in his devastation. A pang of guilt punched her gut.
"Don't feel guilty," Peter told Margaret quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder. Margaret turned to look at him as she brought up a hand to grasp his.
"I know," Margaret replied. She wanted to say more, but thought better of it. It was hard knowing that she was causing pain to her first friend on the island. She wished that she didn't have to hurt Tootles by leaving, but it was impossible for her to do so.
"Margaret, you always blame yourself for everything. It's time that you don't," Peter finally said flatly. Margaret didn't respond, though she knew in her heart that Peter was right.
Another sigh escaped her as she closed her eyes in thought. Peter carefully ran his thumb of her hand as he continued to hold it gently. It was his way of sending his positive energy toward her, something that Margaret absorbed.
Margaret opened her eyes. "I think it's best that we start our tour now. We're only wasting time." Peter nodded at her words, leading her outside.
"Are you ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be," Margaret replied, walking out into the clearing with Peter. He pulled out some pixie dust for Margaret to use as she stored away her emotions to make room for her happiest memory. Peter dusted the pixie dust over her head as she closed her eyes and focused. Within seconds she began to hover over the ground.
"Make sure to stick close to me, alright?" Peter called to her. Margaret nodded her head as a mischievous expression crossed her face. The feeling of the air rushing past her caused her corners to tug upward for a brief while as they shot across Neverland. The pair wound through the intricate lace of trees and brush. A few times, Margaret reached out a hand to brush it against the trees as she shot by them.
Margaret followed close after Peter, though she found herself wondering where they were headed. She didn't ask, figuring that if he wanted to, he would have mentioned this important piece of information to her already.
Margaret wasn't left wondering long before she soon saw the trees clear as the sandy beaches of Neverland came into view. Margaret and Peter rounded the edge of the beach until they finally landed by the lagoon.
She absorbed the setting around her for a brief moment before she gasped in shock. In plain view before her, she saw mermaids laughing, singing, and brushing their hair.
"Mermaids?" She asked under her breath. Margaret couldn't help the starstruck gaze that lingered over the aquatic creatures as they failed to notice the presence of Peter and Margaret. Peter grinned at her, gazing over the scene.
"What? You didn't believe they existed?" Peter asked her teasingly. Margaret rolled her eyes.
"Well, I don't know. I guess I wasn't convinced; I hadn't seen them during my entire stay," she said in a distant voice. However, after another moment of thought, Margaret backed away as her face turned pale.
"What's the matter?" Peter asked in concern.
"I recall Nana telling me how they attempted to drown her when she visited them," Margaret said quietly. "And it appeared that you were of no help in that situation," she continued on, looking over at him with a disapproving frown. Peter blinked.
"They were trying to drown her? I don't think I remember that ever happening. When she visited, they were splashing her with water, and she nearly slipped. But that was all."
"Peter, Nana didn't know how to swim!" Margaret exclaimed in a quiet voice. Understanding burst in Peter's eyes as he realized his misunderstanding. Margaret cocked up an eyebrow and folded her arms as she waited for him to respond.
"That…that makes much more sense now," Peter said, shutting his mouth tightly.
"I would hope so. Honestly, Peter, you can be a loony sometimes," Margaret told him with a shake of her head. She walked in the direction of the lagoon, leaving a perplexed Peter behind to try and figure out what a "loony" was.
Margaret stopped at the edge of the lagoon, watching the mermaids as they remained oblivious to the two visitors. "They are quite beautiful," Margaret said to Peter. Peter reached out a hand, grasping Margaret's right hand with his own. He wanted to tell her that the beauty of the mermaids paled in comparison to her, but he decided it was best to withhold the thought as the mermaids noticed their presence.
"It's Peter!" One of the mermaids shouted. All of the mermaids looked over at the pair, beginning to shout and wave as they all clamored for his attention. Margaret and Peter flew over to one of the rocks they were lounging on as all of the mermaids crowded them. "Oh, Peter! It's been so long!" A particularly young and devious mermaid said as she fawned over him. Peter casually shook her off of him as he kept a friendly, but distant demeanor. Margaret kept a cautious glance at all the mermaids.
"Who is that with you?" One of the mermaids inquired. The rest of the mermaids noticed Margaret, standing next to Peter with wide eyes.
"This is Margaret, Wendy's granddaughter," Peter said quietly as he looked over at her. Margaret felt her heartbeat quicken as worry over how the mermaids would react overshadowed all else. However, a light squeeze of her right hand by Peter calmed her down as the mermaids studied her with suspicion.
"Oh, Wendy I remember her," a mermaid said with a deadpan tone to her voice. "Funny that the resemblance hasn't changed much in the family."
"Yes, I guess we do look the same," Margaret said uncomfortably. An awkward silence followed as all of the mermaids administered some less than welcoming looks in Margaret's direction. She couldn't help but feel extremely out-of-place.
"Oh, stop it all of you!" A voice shouted. Margaret searched the group of mermaids as they all turned back to look at one of the younger mermaids who swam over to the cluster. The mermaid had blond hair and green eyes and appeared to assume a role of leadership amongst the group. "Honestly, when will you all quit being so jealous all the time!" She chided. The other mermaids reluctantly bowed their heads as they parted so the leader of the mermaids could reach Peter and Margaret. "I'm so sorry to put a damper on your visit, but I felt that something must be said to my sisters about being more welcoming hosts," the mermaid said as she threw a glare at the others.
"It's alright, Larissa, thank you," Peter said with a grateful smile. Larissa beamed at him before turning toward Margaret. Margaret was stunned at Larissa's beauty. Her creamy milk-colored skin glowed in sun's light. Her green eyes sparkled wide and clear for Margaret to see.
"I know it's weird for me to apologize when nothing had occurred, but I would like to make up for our poor treatment of your grandmother. Though, I should be honest your resemblance is uncanny," Larissa commented. If Margaret had been conversing with another individual, she would have been annoyed at the comment over her appearance. However, Larissa's kind and gracious nature kept her from feeling as such.
"Trust me, I am well aware. The Lost Boys went into a fit when I first told them I was not my Nana. They refused to believe me," Margaret said. Larissa chuckled as the other mermaids resumed their carefree and playful conversations from earlier.
"So, tell me, what brings the two of you to our lagoon?" Larissa asked curiously, eyeing Margaret and Peter's intertwined hands.
"It's Margaret's last day in Neverland. I had to rescue her when Captain Hook threw her out of a window and she's been residing with me and the Lost Boys ever since. With the pirates retreating to the Jolly Roger, we figured that it would be safe for her to leave," Peter explained as Margaret nodded along to the conversation. He also filled her in on the pirate situation on the island during Margaret's stay.
Larissa nodded, looking over toward the beach. "That is a sound plan if I've ever heard one. But, and I'm certain you've accounted for this, be aware that it could be a trap. It appears that Hook is determined to capture Margaret. He is not stupid; I'm certain he's capable of coming up with such a plan."
"That's why we chose to not leave immediately. Besides, it gave me an opportunity to have an official tour of the island," Margaret said. Larissa smiled at the girl, though she couldn't discern why.
"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you. If you ever return, Margaret, please know that I would be more than happy to help you with any of your troubles, should any arise," Larissa said. At that, Peter and Margaret said their words of farewell as Larissa swam away from the pair.
"That was…intriguing," Margaret stated afterwards. Peter laughed.
"That's one word for it."
The pair decided to fly to their next destination, leaving the lively mermaids behind as they flew away from the island to Skull Rock. They carefully took the long route to their destination due to the Jolly Roger being located so close to Skull Rock. They flew in the jungle near the beach and took that route around the island until Skull Rock came into view.
Margaret gasped at the sight of Skull Rock. She'd heard about it, but never really thought that it would look like a skull. However, the fact that it resembled one gave much more meaning to its name.
Peter and Margaret flew through the left eye of Skull Rock, landing on one of the ledges located inside. Once Margaret landed, she carefully scanned her surroundings, reaching out a hand to touch the rough rock from. It was such a strange thing that the rock looked like this, and she found herself boundlessly fascinated by its features.
"This is incredible!" Margaret said aloud. Peter smiled at the look of wonder pressed onto her face. He figured she would be very interested, considering her interest in things that were different.
"There's lots of legends about how Skull Rock formed. Some say it was pirates, others say it had to do with ghosts, and some are a combination of both," Peter told Margaret as she continued to study every detail.
"Nana told me about how you saved Tiger Lily from here. It was a very intense story, if I remember it right," Margaret said with a mischievous grin on her face. Peter cocked an eyebrow at her playfully as he flew into the air.
"Well, Wendy and I were visiting the mermaids. Captain Hook scared them off when he came by in his boat. He had captured Tiger Lily, and was going to put her in the middle of Skull Rock and threaten to drown her in order to find out where the hideout was. Tiger Lily being Tiger Lily, she refused to say even a word to him," Peter began, giving wild hand motions. Margaret stifled back a chuckle at how animated Peter was.
"The tide was beginning to come in as Tiger Lily was sat on the inside of Skull Rock. She was tied up, and couldn't swim. I waited for the pirates to leave as she was submerged under the water. Finally, I shot down into the water," Peter said diving toward the ground of Skull Rock. Margaret raced over to the edge of the ledge she was on, looking down to ensure he was alright. Peter floated up to Margaret's level as he smirked in triumph. "And I saved Tiger Lily from the tide!" Peter shouted in victory. Margaret laughed and began clapping as Peter began to bow in jest.
"Thank you, thank you!" Peter replied, landing himself on Margaret's ledge.
"You really are quite the story teller," Margaret commented. Peter shrugged.
"I've gotta make myself sound interesting somehow, right?"
"Indeed, I guess you must," Margaret said with another musical laugh. She lifted off of the ledge into the air as Peter joined her. He ushered her toward the island so they could go to their next destination.
This time, they plunged through the heart of the island, winding their way through the labyrinth of trees before landing at a barren, think pathway that lead to a small peninsula on the island.
"Here we are," Peter said in a noticeably more solemn tone. Margaret glanced at him curiously before her eyes flicked over the region before her. The pair walked in silence on the path until they reached a wide area of land that was completely void of any structures, vegetation, or animals.
"What is this place?" Margaret asked curiously. She paused as she noticed a small black circle the size of a car wheel. She bent forward and ran a hand over the black substance, rubbing the flecks of black in her hands. "This appears to be ash," Margaret observed. She looked over at Peter, who wore a stony expression on his face.
"This is where the Indians used to be," he explained to her. Margaret froze as she shot up to look around. She recalled Nana describing a place like this when she told her the story of the celebration following Tiger Lily's rescue. "When the presence of the pirates grew, they decided to leave to look for a new and better home. They were very capable fighters, but overall a peaceful group of people. They did not want to be around for anymore fighting with the pirates. It would be too wasteful."
Margaret nodded as a sign of her understanding. She took a long look at the peninsula where the great tribe of Indians used to be. It was likely difficult for Peter to see a people that he had known so well leave the island. That wasn't to mention that it probably didn't help his feelings of abandonment.
"Were you close with Tiger Lily?" Margaret asked him curiously. Peter shook his head.
"We'd conversed on occasion, but we didn't spend much time together. In their culture, unless I was interested in marrying her, it wouldn't have been very appropriate. I knew the chief and the warriors much better," Peter told Margaret quietly. "They were all very good people."
"I have no doubts about that," Margaret said comfortingly. Peter nodded quietly as he turned around, flying into the air.
"Come on, we need to go to our next spot."
Margaret hesitated a moment before nodding and flying into the air after him, casting a brief glance at the remnants of where a great people once lived.
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A/N: Hello, so I'm very sorry that it took me a while to get out this chapter. I've been really trying to not disappear for a long time, but unfortunately, I got a bad case of writer's block and just couldn't figure out how to get on with the story. I'll be honest, I don't consider this chapter to be my best work, so I'm sorry if the quality of my writing just wasn't as up to par in this chapter. I didn't want to write this out at the beginning as to not set any low expectations, but I'm truly sorry for the while that I spent in getting this chapter out. I hope to get out the next one more quickly as I do know where I'm heading with the story from there. At least, I hope to get out the next two to three chapters out relatively quickly. Thank you all for being so patient and hanging in on this passion project of mine. Since this story is in a very small fandom, I appreciate every single person that reads this story. It seriously means a lot.