"I . . . Rosie, I still don't understand all this. How are ye able to help me? I didn't know ghosts had such powers . . ."

The girl sought to find the words to answer her father's questions, but the effort proved wasted as she realized she had no voice to speak them with. Mullins put a hand on her shoulder and drew her close to him.

"Can't ye talk?"

Rosie shook her head and looked at him forlornly. Robert looked about him and reached over to a box of his belongings. He dragged it over, searching through it until he found a ledger, inkwell, and quill. He opened the ledger to a blank page, dipped the quill in the ink and handed it to Rosie.

"Ye remember how you'd always practice writing with me? Write, Rosie," he urged her. "Tell me what's happening."

Her hand shaking, Rosie let the pen hover over the paper. She was nervous, Robert could tell, and probably didn't know where to begin in this strange tale. He might have frightened her too. "Rosie, if ye can't write, then draw. Ye always loved drawing." The girl seemed to respond to this, and the ink was suddenly mapping out figures on the paper.

Robert waited until the quill held still and then lifted from the paper. Rosie pushed the ledger toward him and pointed to a drawing of string and a long pointed rectangle attached to it. It looked like . . . "The pendant ye made?" The girl nodded and began to draw again.

This time it was a very familiar-looking stick figure with wild black hair going every which way. She drew a line from the figure to the pendant. "Aye, I gave it to him," Robert murmured. Rosie nodded. She drew another figure, this time of her, and also pointed to the pendant. "Ye want it back?"

Rosie shook her head in despair. She looked down at the paper, thinking hard, then suddenly, inspiration struck. She drew a halo and wings coming out of the new figure and once again, pointed at the pendant. This time Mullins caught on immediately. "You're protectin' the lad!" he exclaimed, and Rosie nodded, overjoyed she had gotten the message across.

"From Ballast?"

Rosie nodded and set to work again. She made another stick figure, this time with pointed ears and sharp teeth. Then she made another. And another. And still another, until she had a page full of them. She turned the page, and Mullins reached out a hand to stop her. "It's alright, lass. I get the message," he said faintly. "So Ballast ain't the only one . . . "

The girl shook her head solemnly.

"Aye, that's right. I should've known it was more . . . Ballast is just the worker bee for the whole hive. But we'll get 'em. We'll find some way to rescue me shipmates. Won't we?" he asked tentatively.

Rosie shrugged and crossed her fingers for luck.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Fighting exhaustion, Billy raced as fast as he could, tearing his way past nests of vines and hidden roots that sought to trip him up. All he could see were the demon's eyes burning into his soul and a face leering, wavering, melting . . . it was made even more horrible at the fact that it was real. That he had actually witnessed something worse than one of Mullins' story creatures . . . What would Robert think of him anyway? Running away like a scared child, leaving his shipmates . . . Jukes stopped in his tracks.

"I left them," he whispered in horror at himself. He had been so terrified . . . "What have I done?!" he cried in anguish. Coward! You should never have left them!

He turned in the direction he had come. He had to go back and do what he could. Nobody on land could help him -- unless by some miracle he found Mullins. Jukes cursed himself bitterly for not believing the older man. He had to find him!

But he didn't know where Mullins was, and that was the problem. Do I have time to search the whole island? I know he couldn't have left . . . it's near impossible to leave without magic-- A flash of green light interrupted his thoughts and Billy looked down at the pendant once again.

What is this thing? he wondered, taking off his bandanna. He reached for the clasp of the chain to take it off so he could look at it better, when the crystal did a surprising thing. It floated up and over his shoulder and began tugging him backwards. "What in the name of Guy Fawkes?!"

Billy went where it was tugging him curiously. It was leading him back through the forest and away from the Jolly Roger. "But I need to return to them!" Jukes almost argued but didn't because there was nobody to argue with.

Well, he reasoned, it's done nothing but good since Robert gave it to me. With any sort of luck . . . it might lead me to Mullins. Or at least something that can get rid of that creature . . .

~~~~~~~~~~~

It was simple really. All he had to do was explain to Mandryd that they weren't under his control yet. Perhaps he could blame Scurvy, the one who had supplied the powder. Yes, the powder was defective. Scurvy was used to getting blamed; Mandryd wouldn't put it past the younger demon to screw something up. In any case, Ballast couldn't take the fall for this. The consequences were too dire. This was more of a last chance for him than any normal mission.

Whether he managed to blame it on Scurvy or not wasn't what he wanted to dwell on. Ballast wanted to give his leader good results; to get back in his graces and stay above Hell for many more centuries. But for the last time, how?! If he could manage to put the powder in their food again . . . but he had lost the pouch! After he had failed to kill the boy, he had put his efforts into searching for it and came up empty-handed. The pouch was gone, perhaps kicked thoughtlessly over the side into the briny . . . unless . . .

The galley. Had he left it in there? Convenient if he had; he'd be able to find it and taint their food all in one sitting. But he couldn't be caught; it would raise far too many questions. Ballast knew he couldn't kill any of them outright; not unless they were immediate threats. In the worst case scenario, they'd hack him apart, see him pull back together, realize the truth of what he was, and try to escape. Then things would be an awful mess.

Things were an awful mess already, Ballast thought to himself as he crept down the ladder to the galley. Little did he know that the men were just finishing what Cookson had prepared for dinner and already getting up to avoid being offered seconds. Ballast happened to blunder right into Alf Mason. Oh great, this is all I need . . .

"Hey! How'd you get out!" growled Mason. Starkey, Smee, and Cookson's attention was brought to the hallway in which Mason stood before a very desperate-looking Ballast.

"The Captain let me out," he answered as nonchalantly as possible. They didn't buy it. His face hard, Mason reached out and grabbed Ballast's left arm, while Starkey held his right in arrest. Ballast hissed wildly and struggled against them as they began to drag him towards the ladder, no doubt to confirm what he said to the Captain. Why oh why were the Fates being so hard on him?! Were five souls really too much to ask for?!

"Let go of me!" yelled Ballast and stumbled against the wall as his request was immediately obeyed. Mason and Starkey had a blank look about their faces and were standing stock-still. Ballast blinked and waved a hand in front of Starkey's face. No reaction. He snapped his fingers at Mason. Nothing. Not even a blink.

Curious, he moved past them and they made no move to stop him. Smee and Cookson were also looking confusedly at their shipmates. "Oh begorra, an' what do ye suppose happened?"

"Me thinks Mason an Starkey eez hypnotized, no?"

Ballast looked toward them next. "Move against the wall," he ordered. Smee and Cookson obeyed without a word of protest. In the same instance, their eyes became like those of Starkey and Mason's. Ballast smiled. His smile became wider and wider until it turned into a giggle, then a high-pitched laugh, then an all-out shrieking cackle. Still laughing like a tomfool, Ballast ran to the galley kitchen and looked around for what miracle had saved him. He found the pouch that Cookson had emptied half the contents out of and laughed even more wildly. His work was nearly done.

All that was left was the Captain.

Hook looked up as his cabin door banged open. "In there," Ballast hissed, pointing at him, and Mason and Starkey lumbered in, hands outstretched to subdue him. "What the blazes?!" Hook yelled, standing up. The two men grabbed his arms and held him in arrest. Short Tom screeched in alarm and winged his way to freedom out the open window.

"What do you think you worthless slubberdegullions are doing?!" Hook spat as Mason and Starkey began to drag the bewildered Captain out of his cabin and onto the deck.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Billy staggered toward the light of the tavern ahead, wiping smudges of dirt and disentangling leaves from his hair. He heard the chortling laughter of the bar's patrons within. It sounded like a moderately rowdy crowd.

The door opened and he casually stepped aside as a beefy bartender literally threw a drunk out on his bum. "Don't ye be causin trouble in my inn, ye lout!" roared the man, then caught sight of Jukes making his way up the steps.

"Lad, this ain't no place fer . . ." Children, he was about to say, but trailed off when he recognized Jukes. "I heard of ye. You're one of Hook's lads aren't you? The gunner, right?"

"Aye. Would you know where a man named Robert Mullins is?"

"Mullins! Checked in this morning by me brother. I wish I had the honor . . . ye boys are legends among us!"

Billy smiled, but then shook his head. Now was not the time for appreciation. "Sir, it's a bit of an emergency. Please show me where he is."

"Well, sure, lad. Fer a price . . ."

Jukes' eyes widened. "What?!"

"Oh, no? Tis a pity, then. I don't think I remember which room . . ." the bartender made a show of clucking and shaking his head.

Billy understood now. 'Legends among us' indeed. He was buttering me up, that's what. "Look, I don't have any money," he muttered.

"Ah. Well, ye ken give me that rock around yer neck, aye?"

"This?" Jukes asked, touching the crystal. "No, sir. I'll find him myself, thank you." Billy walked past the bartender who frowned and went back to work.

"He'll never find the right room," the older man snickered. "Not before walkin' in on one of them scoundrels and his lady friends. Won't that be entertainment, now?"

 Billy walked up the stairs until he reached the level where the tenants of the inn left. He sighed. "Well, Mullins is in one of these rooms. Let's hope I get the right one."

Jukes raised a hand to knock at a door, then decided against it when he heard heavy breathing and feminine moans of pleasure coming from the other side. He grimaced and moved on.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Impudent curs," snarled Hook while Mason and Smee tied him to the mast. "Smeeee! Untie me this instant!"

Ballast tsked and walked over to the Captain. "James, James, James. You are in no position to make demands."

Hook turned his infuriated gaze on Ballast and snarled. "What is all this? What have you done?! They're as listless as walking corpses!"

"They're as good as walking corpses. When Lord Mandryd gets here, so will you all be."

"Mandryd," murmured Hook. "So, he is behind this as well."

"Aye, that he is," chortled Ballast.

"What are you? Spirit or demon?"

"My dear James, I can assure you that I am as solid as the wood against your back. A demon, you called me? Such a harsh word you humans gave us . . . but yes. I suppose we do fit into the category."

"What business have you with us?" growled Hook.

"Simple. We were part of Neverland once, long ago. Before Peter Pan came, we had our own way with the place. Made our own creations. The few faeries who opposed us; well, we drank their magical essence like fine wine. Aye yes, faeries are immortal, you might argue. We didn't kill them. They live on, the miserable wretches, powerless and small. Pets, you might call them, for our young.

"But it all couldn't last . . . the same force that dragged you pirates to Neverland also dragged us out. Yet, not completely. Now we exist between worlds in limbo. Only once a year can we return to Neverland - on this day, while the spirits of the dead stream in to join the living. When they leave, we must depart with them.

"We are very hungry, you understand. It's been a while since we tasted the soul of a sinner. The darker the sins, the richer the flavor . . ." Ballast leered at him, and Hook felt as if his soul was being searched. "But you, I will save for Mandryd alone. Starkey!"

Ignatious shuffled forward with the pouch of powder and handed it to Ballast. Hook sneered. "That?" he scoffed. "Is that what you used to bewitch my crew?"

"Aye, and so shall it be used on you!"

Hook smirked. "No magic has power over me. Not this world, nor yours."

"Are you so sure?" the demon asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well then. It would have been a mercy to reduce you to your crew's state. But if you really wish to feel the full sensation of your soul being devoured . . . yes. Mandryd may actually prefer that."

The Captain of the Jolly Roger turned away while Ballast's harsh laughter rang through the air.

Above, in the crow's nest, a small green faerie bit his lip. "Ohhh, this is very very bad. I knew something wasn't right." With a flit of dragonfly wings, the faerie took to the air and flew off towards the forest.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Robert glanced out the window, watching as the fog rolled in off the ocean. Rosie was sitting cross-legged on the floor, her eyes closed and glowing as she had been once before. Mullins could not shake her out of whatever trance she was in; though he had tried. Finally he had decided that it was futile, and that he may as well go over any possibilities of rescuing his shipmates from the demons.

A shuffle and a door banging out in the corridor made him turn around. "Rosie? What --?" Mullins asked as his daughter stood up suddenly. "What is it?"

The girl pointed to the door and Robert walked toward it. Loud arguing was heard without; on of the voices seeming very familiar.

"Sir, I'm sorry to bother you, but---"

"Buzz off, kid!" roared a man's burly voice.

"Sorry, I was just looking for Robert Mullins . . ."

"Ain't me, boy. Now git!"

At the sound of his name, Mullins opened the door and Billy turned to see him. "Robert!" he cried in relief and ran toward him. The older pirate grabbed  him by the arm and pulled him in the room, shutting and locking the door.

"Ye jumped ship?"

"Yes. I had to, or that demon would've--"

"Thank God, you're alright!"

"It's mercy you are as well! But for how long our luck will hold I don't know ---" Billy broke off with a choke as he stared at something past Mullins.

"What is it?" Robert asked in alarm. Seconds after the words were out of his mouth he realized who Jukes had seen. "Oh."

"G-g-ghost . . ."

"Lad, stay calm. Tis no evil spirit you see."

Billy took a deep breath and Rosie smiled at him from where she stood. He sighed shakily. Mullins was right. She was only a little girl; not a spook with chains, missing limbs, or hideous features like Patch. Though it was a shock that he could see right through her, the girl wasn't nearly as frightening as his encounter with Ballast had been.

"How do you do, miss?" he asked, politely. She nodded back, but did not answer. "Who is she, Mullins?"

Robert held back a sigh. "My daughter. Her name is Rosie and she died at the age you see her now. She was ill. And her mother . . ." Robert bit his tongue. No. He might still be angry with Sarah, but he would not slander her before Rosie. "Nevermind. Billy, how did you come here? How did you know where I was?"

Jukes numbly reached for the pendant, still staring at the girl. A million questions were on his mind. Mullins' had a daughter? Had a wife? But he hates women--- something in the way Mullins had begun to speak about the girl's mother suddenly registered in the boy's head. He decided to let it lie; most obviously it was a very touchy subject since Robert had avoided talking about it.

"Did you say your daughter made this?" he said.

"Aye, that she did. Filled it with her bedtime prayers and a kiss every night," Mullins spoke softly. He looked at his daughter and smiled so wistfully, it tore at Billy's heart. The boy swallowed and continued.

"It would glow brightly when I was in danger of any sort from Ballast. It protected me well and led me to you."

Robert stared at his daughter a few moments longer. "Thank you, love," he whispered, then turned to Jukes. "Come, boy. We're going back."

"Back? To the ship?"

"We have to find a way to open their eyes. To make them see what lies in their midst."

"But Robert -- Hook said he would kill you if you ever set foot on deck!" the boy cried distraught.

"I know, Jukes, but how would we live with ourselves if we let those demons win without a fight? We'll find a way to beat them. Robert Mullins never deserts his shipmates."

"You're right. And neither do I," Billy replied, shaking his head firmly.

Rosie stepped forward and put a cold hand on Robert's arm, telling him something with her eyes.

"You coming too, lass?" Mullins asked. Rosie nodded. "Then let's be off. I tied the longboat off at the dock in front of the tavern. With any luck none of the blaggards livin' here stole it."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Tink was dreaming that she and Peter were all alone. No Wendy, no Mermaids, no annoying green faeries shaking her awake . . .

"Tinkerbell! Pssst! Tink!"

"What?!" she yelped, sitting up and swatting at the hands on her shoulder. Blearily, she rubbed her eyes and let her eyes adjust enough to sharpen the green glowing fuzz in front of her eyes. "Wisp, if that's you with another one of your 'Midnight Serenades', I'm going to kill you."

"We have trouble on the Jolly Roger," Wisp said, seriously.

"We always have trouble on the Jolly Roger. That's where the pirates live. Go away!" Tink flopped back on the bed, but Wisp once again resumed shaking her.

"Tink, this is more serious than the pirates! Demons have taken over--"

Tinkerbell sat right back up again. "What don't you understand about GO AWAY?!" she squawked.

Her voice was loud enough to wake Tootles who sat up and asked what was going on. Wendy opened her eyes and looked around for what was causing the noise. She heard two voices arguing in Tink's apartment and yawning, pulled back the petal curtain. "Tink? Who's in there with you?"

"Wisp, that's who!" Tink said crossly then turned back to him. "Do you even know what TIME it is?"

"Yes! An hour and a half before midnight. Which means we don't have time for this!" he replied.

"What's going on?" Peter asked, stretching.

Wisp flew out of the apartment and landed on Wendy's outstretched hand. "A demon has taken over the Jolly Roger, and is holding Hook captive. They called him Ballast, and he spoke of other demons being caught between the world of Neverland, and the world outside. They're going to steal the pirates' souls!

"And Tink, you should have heard him talking about how he drained the faeries of magic . . . it was horrible." Wisp's wings drooped and he shuddered. "Those poor things . . ."

Tinkerbell, in the meantime, had gone very pale. She had heard of these creatures . . .

"I'm not letting them do that to Hook!" Peter said, defiantly.

"But Peter!" John protested. "It's nearly the middle of the night and we've been flying almost all day!"

"I'm tired!" echoed Tootles.

"Me too," Michael yawned.

"Very well. You boys can stay behind if you like."

"Peter, you can't go!" Tink cried, finding her voice at last. "Those things are dangerous! They're immortal, you can't kill them!"

"Since when do you have to kill anything to beat it? Hook is still alive and we've defeated him countless times."

"Well, maybe this is different!" Tink shouted, but Peter had already flown out of the Underground House, followed by the other lost boys. She gave a small groan of frustration and flew after him, Wisp tagging along behind.

"What can we do to stop them, Tink?" he asked her.

"Forget the pirates, I'm stopping Peter from getting involved!"

"What?!" Wisp cried, and stopped flying. Tink didn't wait for him, so he had to struggle against the night wind to catch up to her. "You're just going to let this happen?"

"We finally get a chance to get rid of Hook and Peter wants to rescue him! Sometimes that boy is unbelievable!"

"I think his heart's in the right place," Wisp countered.

Tink looked at him in surprise. "That's the first nice thing you've ever said about him."

"Well, what will happen if the demons take the souls? They'll become even stronger! And next year, they'll have enough to attack the people of Neverland; maybe even Small Monday Island, or the Faerie Palace! Like it or not, we're in this up to our wings!"

Tinkerbell opened her mouth to argue, and found that she had nothing to say.

~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 "Blast this cursed fog," grumbled Robert, peering upwards. The mist was so thick, he could scarcely see the top of the ship's railing he was ascending the rope ladder towards. Removing his hat, Robert peered over the edge of the railing and located Ballast at the starboard side, giving orders to the men. Hook was tied with his back to the mast, looking absolutely furious.

Mullins furrowed his brow as the demon muttered a sharp order to Cookson and Mason to get planks. Much to his dismay, the men obeyed without a whim. "Witchcraft," he hissed, and pulled himself quietly over the side. Keeping a hand on his sword and an eye on Ballast at all times, Robert slipped behind some barrels. Once hidden from Ballast's view, he motioned to Jukes to do the same. The boy made it over to him quietly and Rosie appeared beside them once she too was out of the demon's sight.

Robert quietly pointed to the Captain and together he and Jukes crept their way over to him.

"They'll be here soon," Ballast mused aloud, and the two pirates froze in their steps, wondering if the demon wasn't addressing them. "Mandryd will be pleased, yes. He won't care about the loss of the boy's soul; children's souls taste disgusting. No flavor to them; untried apples. The older man . . . a dark one, yes. He may have been worth something; but he would have ruined it all. Yes, Mandryd will understand."

"Loss of the boy?" Hook said then. Mullins and Jukes tensed, expecting Ballast to turn his head and see them. But the demon fortunately kept staring into the fog. "What did you do with Jukes? I do not see him among my men."

"Ah yes. Do not worry for him, Captain. The coward fled to save his worthless hide. A true shipmate to the last, eh?" Ballast snickered. Jukes bristled but kept his mouth shut. The betrayed look on Hook's face made his heart sink. The fact that the Captain believed the lousy scug hurt more than words could tell. "I feel so deeply for you. You defended the lad and how does he repay you? By running. And leaving you to lose your soul."

Hook looked angrily to his right, turning his face away from Ballast, then froze. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Billy and Robert moving silently towards him. A tug at his bonds made a grin spread over his face. Mason and Cookson returned with two planks.

A light blinked from within the blanket of fog and seconds later, the prow of a ship pierced through it, led by the figurehead of a gallows tree, corpses rattling in the breeze.

"Ready the ship for boarding. Smee! Get over here. What are you doing?" Ballast yelled at the bosun who was tangled in rope and turning in aimless circles with one of the planks. The demon gave a bark of disdainful laughter. "Not even turning him into a zombie improves his intelligence. Wouldn't you say so, Hook?"

Ballast turned and was greeted with the sight of empty bonds around the base of the mast. "What?! What happened?!?" A feral war-cry alerted him to dodge out of the way as a sword sliced past, narrowly missing his ear. Hook swiped at him again, and Ballast was hard-pressed to keep out of harm's way. Misfortune abode as the Captain plunged his sword into the wood of the railing. By the time he managed to free it, Ballast had already formed his hand into five talons and was prepared for bloodshed.

Before a drop of blood could be spilled, unearthly howls turned both their heads. Ballast grinned as several demons leapt or flew across the gap between the two ships. The first of them spied Smee, still struggling with the rope. Leering, it picked the bosun up by the front of his shirt and drew in a long deep breath. Something white and transparent flew like fog into the demon's nostrils. Robert cursed and reached for a dagger in his belt.

Smee hung limply from the demon's claws, not knowing nor caring that his soul was being sucked away like wisps of smoke from a pipe. A dagger ripped through the flesh of the demon's fingers, causing it to drop Smee in startled surprise. With a snarl, it turned on Mullins and made a beeline for the Brooklyn pirate. "Never thought I'd risk me own life fer that idjit, but 'ere we go," Robert growled, holding his ground.

Rosie covered her eyes behind the barrels as Jukes was sent flying backward into a pile of debris left over from the earlier attack of the Lost Boys. The demon that had thrown him gibbered excitedly and bounded toward him on all fours, eager to taste flesh and blood. Its hand gripped the pendant, yanking the dazed pirate up. Immediately after, the demon screeched and stumbled back, watching stupefied as its hand melted off. Billy gagged and fought to keep from throwing up as he picked up his weapon.

"What happened?" he muttered, watching the demon gripping its stump and howling in maddened pain.

"Avast, sinister beings!" yelled a young and very familiar voice. Jukes turned around to see Peter Pan and a few other Lost Boys heading straight toward the ship, weapons drawn.

"Watch out, Bill Jukes!" yelled one of the Twins and too late, Billy felt the demon's remaining hand close around his throat. Slightly swooped down and aimed a kick for the demon's face. The claws left the pirate's throat and reached up to grab Slightly's booted foot, yanking him down and slamming him on top of a few barrels. Slightly cried out in pain and the sadistic creature laughed darkly.

"Making my mistake, are we?" yelled Jukes, and neatly impaled the demon on his sword. Chills ran up his spine as the demon continued laughing.

"Foolish boy," it hissed. "We are immortal. Nothing can kill us! You're helpless!" So saying, it turned its attention back to Slightly, who spat defiantly in its face. A scream erupted from its mouth as it fumbled to wipe away the spittle from its burning face.

"What the . . .?"

"I-I have no idea, cully," Jukes answered, faintly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mason and Starkey standing in a trance as two demons stood before them, inhaling their souls. "Come on!" Billy yelled, running towards them. Slightly got up shakily and followed.

The first demon spun around snarled, then shrank back at the two boys approaching. "Why are they afraid of us?" Slightly wondered. Curious, he made a fist and punched the first demon in the abdomen. With a sickening slurp, Slightly's arm went through the demon's body and it convulsed around him. With a scream of horror, Slightly stumbled back, arm coated with sticky entrails. The second demon, equally horrified, made quick its escape.

"All I did was touch it!" the lost boy cried, shaken.

"It was a horrible sight . . ." Jukes agreed, his voice trembling. "But come on. We have to get these men out of the way." Gently taking Mason's arm, Billy escorted him down the stepladder to the galley while Slightly did the same for Starkey.

Wisp had seen everything and while he watched the battle rage, he knew it was the only way the Lost Boys could win this battle quickly and before any of their number got killed.

"Peter!" Wisp yelled flying to the leader of the Lost Boys who was busy fighting Captain Mandryd. Of course, the silly boy had decided to go for the toughest and meanest looking demon in the bunch. The big showoff . . .

"I'm a little busy right now!" Peter Pan grunted, dodging another blow.

"I know how you can beat him! All you have to do is touch-- aaaaaaaaaugh!" Wisp yelped as a yellow-skinned demon's hand closed around him.

"Faerie!" it snarled happily. "Make good snack!"

"Oh no," fretted the green faerie, struggling to get free. The demon licked its lips, then leaned its face close to Wisp; the faerie was able to smell what animal it had last eaten alive. Wisp whimpered and closed his eyes, feeling the magic leave his body as the demon began to drain his powers. Suddenly, the demon sneezed several times. Wisp felt hands grab him underneath the arms and wrest him free of the confused creature's grip.

"Are you alright?!" Tink yelled over the din.

"You saved me!" Wisp cried, hugging her.

"WISP! LET GO OF ME THIS INSTANT OR YOU'LL WISH I HADN'T!!!"

"Begone from my ship, you vermin!!!" Hook yelled as he cleaved off Ballast's arm. Ballast sneered and bent down to retrieve it. Before Hook's astonished gaze, the flesh from the stump funneled upward and stretched itself like putty to bind the flesh between shoulder and arm.

Ballast's triumph was cut short when he heard Mandryd squalling in agony like a slaughtered pig. Peter had grabbed Manryd's wrist and was holding on, perplexed - or perhaps frozen in revulsion - as the demon Captain began to melt into a puddle. "What?" Ballast said in disbelief. All around him, the demons were fighting . . . on the defense. Puddles of flesh and bone lay in stringy residue across the deck and before Ballast's eyes, turned into ash and blew away with the breeze.

Demons that should have been immortal.

"What's . . . what's happening?" he hissed wildly in fear.

"You . . . failed us . . ." gagged Mandryd, eyes rolling back in his head even as he spoke. "You . . . will perish . . . in the darkest hell . . ."

"No!" screamed Ballast frantically. He dropped to his knees and extended a claw beseechingly to Mandryd. "It was not my fault! It was not my fault!"

Robert cried out as five talons sliced across his chest. With a groan, he fell to his knees. Rosie opened her mouth in a silent scream of protest and ran forward to her father. But she didn't make it in time. The talons swooped down upon Robert and stopped inches above his face. The demon's features contorted in confusion then rage, as it tried to move its arm free from an unseen antagonist. Curly gave a cry and flew before Robert gripping the creature by the ugly horns protruding from its forehead until it was reduced to the same type of squealing puddles as its former acquaintances.

Ballast found himself alone on the deck of the ship and he looked around helplessly while the shouts aboard the Maelstrom told him the surviving demons had raised anchor and were sailing back to their place between worlds.

"Damn you," he hissed, looking at Jukes who stiffened in anticipation of any forthcoming attack. Ballast's body began to glow and the ground he stood one opened up, dragging him down with great force. "NO!" he shrieked in despair. "NO! I WILL NOT GO THERE! I DO NOT DESERVE THIS!" Painfully, Ballast half-crawled to Jukes, reaching out his talons to try and snare the boy. "I WILL TAKE YOU WITH ME TO HELL BOY!" He laughed maniacally. "COME CLOSER, AND I WILL SHOW YOU WHAT'S ALREADY WAITING FOR YOU AT LIFE'S END!"

"Ballast, just go to hell."

With a final burst of light, Ballast was dragged into the swirling vortex, screaming all the way.

Robert shook his head and struggled to his feet, grimacing at the pain of his wounds. A pair of gentle hands lifted him up, though he could not see whom they belonged to. "Rosie?" he murmured, but his eyes told him that the girl was standing at his left side . . . while the hands were lifting him up on his right . . .

Confused, Mullins turned around and came face to face with someone he had never desired to see again. Not while he still lived.

"S-Sarah . . . !"

The auburn-haired woman looked at him and nodded faintly. She reached a hand up to touch the scarf at her neck and moved her mouth wordlessly.

"Whatever your excuse is . . ." Mullins started hotly, but Rosie tugged at his hand and looked up at him pleadingly. With a sigh, Mullins turned back towards his wife. "Fine. Sarah, thank ye for saving my life. It don't excuse what ye did, but ---"

Robert's voice died in his throat as he saw the woman tug away the scarf away from her throat. Transfixed, he stared at the knife wound slashed horizontally across her throat, so deep it had nearly decapitated her. He trembled and reached a hand to her wound, running his fingers over it; feeling the cold in her skin, and perhaps the sorrow she had felt while wandering the earth, alone and unforgiven for a crime she had never committed.

"Sarah . . ." he breathed helplessly. "What . . . who did this?" Sarah shook her head mournfully and Robert was once again reminded that she, like Rosie, could not speak.

Feeling tears overwhelm him, he pulled her and Rosie close into a hug. "I'm sorry . . . I'm so sorry . . ." he whispered, stroking Sarah's hair. "Forgive me . . ."

Hook turned his gaze away, respecting the man's privacy. Mason, Cookson, Smee, and Starkey's confused voices came from down below where Billy and Slightly had hidden them, and the young gunner descended to fill them in and to keep them from emerging above deck.

Within his arms, Sarah shuddered and stood to her full height. Mullins could feel her slipping away, as she became less and less solid against him. Rosie hugged him and walked to her mother, taking her hand.

"All this time I've been hating ye . . . and ye didn't even do anything wrong ---" Robert said lowly. Sarah touched his cheek tenderly. A gentle light filled her eyes and Mullins knew that both her and Rosie were finally able to journey together to a place where the loving warmth would banish the cold from their forms and heal the wounds of memory.

Robert could almost feel that warmth as he touched his wife and daughter for the last time in his life. A soft light began to surround them and they became fainter and fainter before them as the midnight hour struck, ending the Day of the Dead, and beginning a new morning.

Mullins stood there until he could no longer make out their faces safe for the memories of them in his vision. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and turned around to see Hook.

The Captain cleared his throat. "Robert, I admit, I made a mistake when I refused to believe you. I thank you for our lives, and I would be pleased if you would return to the service of the Jolly Roger . . . indefinitely."

Robert nodded curtly, and gave the faintest of smiles.

Hook left him standing by the ship's railing and retired to his cabin.

Mullins looked out over the water, and sighed gently. He was hurt deeply, but at the same time, he felt as if an old wound had suddenly disappeared from his heart, replaced with new and unscarred flesh. His wife and his daughter were at peace now. Though he hated himself for the pain he had put them through, lamented the fact that he would never see them alive again . . . they were at peace now and they would never hurt again. It was enough for him; even faced with the possibility that he would never go to where they were; not with his sinful life.

"But I'll see you again, my loves," he vowed. "If God be merciful, then someday - even if it's through a closed gate - I'll see you once again."

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Tink?" Peter asked, breaking the silence while he and the Lost Boys flew back to the Underground House. Many were shaken by what they had seen; especially Slightly who kept rubbing at his arm, even though he had washed it thoroughly in the clear ocean water. "What happened? Why were we able to do that?"

Tink was silent, not knowing how to explain. Wisp answered for her. "Demons attacked the pirates for a reason. They are the foulest of creatures and if it's one thing they can't stand, it's the innocence of a child. None of you have seen the extent of misery a human can put himself or others through. None of you have any worldly desires to harm another living being. You lack the vices of the grown-up world because you're too young to understand them."

"But we did harm creatures," argued Nibs. "Even though they were evil, we still killed them. Does that mean we're no longer innocent?"

Wisp was quiet for a minute. "You're no longer sheltered from the fact that pain and death exists, if that's what you mean. But if you mean innocent as in good-hearted . . . then I assure you, you boys are that."

"Will it be enough to get rid of the demons next time?" Curly asked forlornly.

"They're not coming back-," cried one of the Twins.

"Are they, Wisp?" finished the other.

Wisp looked at Tink and she returned it, just as worried. "I don't know, boys," she answered. "I really don't know."

The End