Chapter 8: Ambush at the lair
Hook laughed when he heard the story of the crocodile. "What a foolish child." Little did he know that before long that crocodile would become his own curse. Several days passed, and Hook itched for a fight. Peter also was yearning to cross blades with a pirate again. Both of their wants would soon be fulfilled. Peter and Elizabeth were out tracking the crocodile that had attacked them. The lost boys decided it would be best to know where his lair was. Unbeknownst to them, they also were being tracked by the pirates, and the pirates in turn by the lost boys.
"Peter, I think this is it." Elizabeth flew close to a dark cave. "I don't think he's home." "Well, then we don't know that this is it, but I suppose we can wait around and see." Elizabeth nodded, and the two sat down on the soft grass that bordered the shallow water. They sat quietly for a long time, neither talking for fear of alerting the crock of their presence. Suddenly Peter leapt up, drawing his sword. Elizabeth smelled it too. Smoke.cigar smoke.
"Pirates." Peter breathed out. He was right; at his words Elizabeth noticed several gun barrels eyeing them.
"If you fly, you will die." Hook strode forward holding a cigar lightly in his hand, his sword hung upon his hip, and a broad hat crowned his head.
"It is you versus me Pan." Peter stepped forward, but stopped when he felt his sister's hand upon his shoulder.
"Don't. Brother-please." The word brother struck Peter. They hadn't really played like brother and sister since coming to Neverland.they hadn't needed to. It was a silent knowledge just between the two of them, already forgotten by the boys. Her eyes were pleading, but Peter so itched for a fight.
"Elizabeth I.."
"Oh, isn't this just the precious sight? Sister begging brother not to leave her. I should have seen it before. The way you argue, only siblings could fight so vehemently, yet be so connected as to practically know each other's thoughts. Don't look so surprised, my men have been watching you for days. Now." But they never found out what exactly now was for the lost boys sprang into action.
Shouting intermingled with the clash of blades; the air felt electric. Elizabeth took down one pirate, two pirates, and then spinning around for another came face to face with Hook. Though she had promised that he should be left to Pan, the fight was inevitable.
The man lunged, Liz parried, the two danced around each other barely aware of the battle around them. Occasionally Elizabeth would leap into the air, to avoid a blow, but for the most part she found her feet on the ground. This, however, would prove to be her undoing.
She threw her blade into a slice, just a Hook kicked out, striking her leg. The blow, didn't take Elizabeth down, but left her open for the attack that Hook willingly took.
Peter had been fighting his way toward Hook since the battle begun, and got there just in time to see the battle slow down to a near stop. He watched, helpless, as Hook's blade drove forward into Elizabeth's stomach. The girl never screamed, she merely looked down at the blade, and then back up at the captain with a defiant look in her eyes as if saying 'How dare you.' Time sped back up as Peter heard his own scream.
"NOOOO!!!!!" Peter lunged forward, his blade flashing.
"You!!" Hook just laughed at him. The fight that then took place is one that has not yet been matched in all the history of Neverland. Peter fought with a passion that he only had that once. All fights with Hook that he fought after were fights of an old rivalry that would not die; this fight was of a pure unbridled anger. For once in his life Peter Pan was living in the moment, he felt pain, and didn't like it.
Hook's eyes grew wide as the boy drove him backward. He had underestimated Pan. He was far better with a blade than he had ever imagined, and the boy was winning. Hook's feet hit water, and then it happened. His boot hit a moss covered rock; as he fell he threw his arm up for balance, and Peter swung. A painful scream filled the air as Peter looked down at Hook's now handless arm. Hook's voice was soon joined by the voices of the remaining pirates and lost boys as the crocodile came home to find his glade filled with humans.
In that moment the final seal was placed on Hook's fate. Peter reached down, picked up Hook's hand, and without ever breaking eye contact he flung the hand to the crock who snapped it up quite willingly. Peter's face was intense, and hard; Hook just laid there shaking, looking up at the boy. After several moments Hook was hauled to his feet by his men who practically carried him away from the battle. As they left so did the crocodile, for he so liked the taste of Hook that he had begun to yearn for the rest of him.
Peter watched the crock leave, and then hurried back to Elizabeth's side. A few of the lost boys were already crying, for even they knew that Elizabeth would not survive.
"Brother."
"No! Elizabeth, you will not say good bye, it's against the rules." Elizabeth slowly turned her head.
"Peter this isn't a game. It hurts." Tears were now streaming down Peter's face. Never before had he been forced to experience such pain. Why did this hurt so bad?
"Where is Tink? TINKERBELL!!!!!" Moments later the fairy appeared.
"Make her glow Tink, its time to fly."
You see Peter knew that if Elizabeth stayed in Neverland she would surely die, but if she went back to where she came from they could help her. Peter was taking her home.
"Stay awake Lizzy, do NOT close your eyes." With that, Peter scooped her into his arms, and lifted off the ground. He flew high above the tree tops, closing his heart to the shouts of the Lost Boys far below him. This was the way it had to be.
Many times during that flight did Elizabeth try to close her eyes, and many times Peter would force her to stay awake. During the entire journey Peter racked his brain, forcing himself to remember which window to go to. Finally, the street came into view. The windows were dark, but the one which he needed was closed. How long Elizabeth had been away he did not know, in fact he didn't even care that the window was closed.
Landing softly on the snow covered ground Peter laid Elizabeth down in front of the door; he took a deep breath and banged hard on the door.
"HEY!!! Wake up!" He hit the door again. A light came on in a room above. Peter ducked into the door frame.
"Peter." Elizabeth's voice was barely audible. "To die will be an awfully big adventure don't you think?" Peter closed his eyes and shook his head. His tears seemed like ice against his hot face.
"Don't go on that adventure without me Lizzy for to live would be an even bigger adventure."
"Peter, you must go.NOW!" The last word seemed to cause her much pain, so much that Peter's feet left the ground. She gave him one last smile, and then closed her eyes.
Peter flew for a long time before returning to Neverland. He couldn't stand to go back and face the lost boys. He didn't want to tell them that Elizabeth was gone for he knew that if he admitted it to them, then he admitted it to himself, and he just couldn't do that. He also couldn't bring himself to return to her window just to see if she had lived because he she wasn't there...
Hook cursed the boy for cutting off his hand, but he loathed him even more for throwing it to the crocodile. The damnable creature would not leave him alone. Constantly, it was swimming around the ship waiting for him to slip, and come sailing into his jaws.
The lost boys didn't go back to the hide out. None of them could stand to go back and not have Elizabeth there. Rimsy vowed never to return to the hide out as long as he should live, and left to dwell amongst the Indians. The others waited many days after Pan returned to go home.
During Pan's absence the whole of Neverland was cast over in snow. Even when Peter returned things did not change for to some extent Peter is connected to the land, and he remained in such deep distress that the land went cold. Of course after a time things began to thaw out, and return to normal, but not after a considerable time of mourning. In his long youth Peter Pan forgot many things he wished he'd remembered, and remembered only one thing he wished he'd forgot. For in his own eyes was a constant reminder of the deepest joy and pain the boy had ever known.
The End. or perhaps the beginning...
Hook laughed when he heard the story of the crocodile. "What a foolish child." Little did he know that before long that crocodile would become his own curse. Several days passed, and Hook itched for a fight. Peter also was yearning to cross blades with a pirate again. Both of their wants would soon be fulfilled. Peter and Elizabeth were out tracking the crocodile that had attacked them. The lost boys decided it would be best to know where his lair was. Unbeknownst to them, they also were being tracked by the pirates, and the pirates in turn by the lost boys.
"Peter, I think this is it." Elizabeth flew close to a dark cave. "I don't think he's home." "Well, then we don't know that this is it, but I suppose we can wait around and see." Elizabeth nodded, and the two sat down on the soft grass that bordered the shallow water. They sat quietly for a long time, neither talking for fear of alerting the crock of their presence. Suddenly Peter leapt up, drawing his sword. Elizabeth smelled it too. Smoke.cigar smoke.
"Pirates." Peter breathed out. He was right; at his words Elizabeth noticed several gun barrels eyeing them.
"If you fly, you will die." Hook strode forward holding a cigar lightly in his hand, his sword hung upon his hip, and a broad hat crowned his head.
"It is you versus me Pan." Peter stepped forward, but stopped when he felt his sister's hand upon his shoulder.
"Don't. Brother-please." The word brother struck Peter. They hadn't really played like brother and sister since coming to Neverland.they hadn't needed to. It was a silent knowledge just between the two of them, already forgotten by the boys. Her eyes were pleading, but Peter so itched for a fight.
"Elizabeth I.."
"Oh, isn't this just the precious sight? Sister begging brother not to leave her. I should have seen it before. The way you argue, only siblings could fight so vehemently, yet be so connected as to practically know each other's thoughts. Don't look so surprised, my men have been watching you for days. Now." But they never found out what exactly now was for the lost boys sprang into action.
Shouting intermingled with the clash of blades; the air felt electric. Elizabeth took down one pirate, two pirates, and then spinning around for another came face to face with Hook. Though she had promised that he should be left to Pan, the fight was inevitable.
The man lunged, Liz parried, the two danced around each other barely aware of the battle around them. Occasionally Elizabeth would leap into the air, to avoid a blow, but for the most part she found her feet on the ground. This, however, would prove to be her undoing.
She threw her blade into a slice, just a Hook kicked out, striking her leg. The blow, didn't take Elizabeth down, but left her open for the attack that Hook willingly took.
Peter had been fighting his way toward Hook since the battle begun, and got there just in time to see the battle slow down to a near stop. He watched, helpless, as Hook's blade drove forward into Elizabeth's stomach. The girl never screamed, she merely looked down at the blade, and then back up at the captain with a defiant look in her eyes as if saying 'How dare you.' Time sped back up as Peter heard his own scream.
"NOOOO!!!!!" Peter lunged forward, his blade flashing.
"You!!" Hook just laughed at him. The fight that then took place is one that has not yet been matched in all the history of Neverland. Peter fought with a passion that he only had that once. All fights with Hook that he fought after were fights of an old rivalry that would not die; this fight was of a pure unbridled anger. For once in his life Peter Pan was living in the moment, he felt pain, and didn't like it.
Hook's eyes grew wide as the boy drove him backward. He had underestimated Pan. He was far better with a blade than he had ever imagined, and the boy was winning. Hook's feet hit water, and then it happened. His boot hit a moss covered rock; as he fell he threw his arm up for balance, and Peter swung. A painful scream filled the air as Peter looked down at Hook's now handless arm. Hook's voice was soon joined by the voices of the remaining pirates and lost boys as the crocodile came home to find his glade filled with humans.
In that moment the final seal was placed on Hook's fate. Peter reached down, picked up Hook's hand, and without ever breaking eye contact he flung the hand to the crock who snapped it up quite willingly. Peter's face was intense, and hard; Hook just laid there shaking, looking up at the boy. After several moments Hook was hauled to his feet by his men who practically carried him away from the battle. As they left so did the crocodile, for he so liked the taste of Hook that he had begun to yearn for the rest of him.
Peter watched the crock leave, and then hurried back to Elizabeth's side. A few of the lost boys were already crying, for even they knew that Elizabeth would not survive.
"Brother."
"No! Elizabeth, you will not say good bye, it's against the rules." Elizabeth slowly turned her head.
"Peter this isn't a game. It hurts." Tears were now streaming down Peter's face. Never before had he been forced to experience such pain. Why did this hurt so bad?
"Where is Tink? TINKERBELL!!!!!" Moments later the fairy appeared.
"Make her glow Tink, its time to fly."
You see Peter knew that if Elizabeth stayed in Neverland she would surely die, but if she went back to where she came from they could help her. Peter was taking her home.
"Stay awake Lizzy, do NOT close your eyes." With that, Peter scooped her into his arms, and lifted off the ground. He flew high above the tree tops, closing his heart to the shouts of the Lost Boys far below him. This was the way it had to be.
Many times during that flight did Elizabeth try to close her eyes, and many times Peter would force her to stay awake. During the entire journey Peter racked his brain, forcing himself to remember which window to go to. Finally, the street came into view. The windows were dark, but the one which he needed was closed. How long Elizabeth had been away he did not know, in fact he didn't even care that the window was closed.
Landing softly on the snow covered ground Peter laid Elizabeth down in front of the door; he took a deep breath and banged hard on the door.
"HEY!!! Wake up!" He hit the door again. A light came on in a room above. Peter ducked into the door frame.
"Peter." Elizabeth's voice was barely audible. "To die will be an awfully big adventure don't you think?" Peter closed his eyes and shook his head. His tears seemed like ice against his hot face.
"Don't go on that adventure without me Lizzy for to live would be an even bigger adventure."
"Peter, you must go.NOW!" The last word seemed to cause her much pain, so much that Peter's feet left the ground. She gave him one last smile, and then closed her eyes.
Peter flew for a long time before returning to Neverland. He couldn't stand to go back and face the lost boys. He didn't want to tell them that Elizabeth was gone for he knew that if he admitted it to them, then he admitted it to himself, and he just couldn't do that. He also couldn't bring himself to return to her window just to see if she had lived because he she wasn't there...
Hook cursed the boy for cutting off his hand, but he loathed him even more for throwing it to the crocodile. The damnable creature would not leave him alone. Constantly, it was swimming around the ship waiting for him to slip, and come sailing into his jaws.
The lost boys didn't go back to the hide out. None of them could stand to go back and not have Elizabeth there. Rimsy vowed never to return to the hide out as long as he should live, and left to dwell amongst the Indians. The others waited many days after Pan returned to go home.
During Pan's absence the whole of Neverland was cast over in snow. Even when Peter returned things did not change for to some extent Peter is connected to the land, and he remained in such deep distress that the land went cold. Of course after a time things began to thaw out, and return to normal, but not after a considerable time of mourning. In his long youth Peter Pan forgot many things he wished he'd remembered, and remembered only one thing he wished he'd forgot. For in his own eyes was a constant reminder of the deepest joy and pain the boy had ever known.
The End. or perhaps the beginning...