Disclaimer: You know how it goes I own nothing blah blah blah, except any
character you have yet to hear of, so maybe I own quite a lot actually,
sadly not the Captain nor the boy.
No one really knows how long it takes to get to Neverland. Sometimes it seems ages have passed by you, others as if it had merely been a blink of an eye.
I fell asleep on a strong current of Northern wind. I awoke some time later to see Peter fast asleep next to me. Wendy did forget to mention one thing........Peter snores!
I entertained the idea of just staying like this forever, but the outline of an island was blotting against the rise of a glorious sun.
"Neverland....." I whispered.
At that moment Peter woke up with a start, "I was NOT asleep!"
"Oh, of course not, Peter." I smiled knowingly.
"I wasn't!"
I began laughing so hard that I lost my concentration and began to fall. Peter's hand flashed forward and grasped my arm.
"I wasn't in trouble!" I protested.
"Oh, of course not, Kate." He replied in an exact imitation of me only moments before.
I regained my balance and we flew toward the enchanted island.
"Are you mocking me?!" I asked, pleasingly shocked.
He held me with his clear of morning light eyes, "Never."
"Now for the tour." Peter said, pulling me down to the clouds, which were orange and gold tinged from the light of the sun. Often times at carnivals that I had gone to when I was younger, there had been a sugary confection called, cotton candy. The clouds looked exactly the same and when we landed on one swollen cloud I imagined I could smell the sweetness in the air.
"Amazing!" I laughed as I stood on the cloud seeing the sun break over the horizon. Peter plopped down and pulled me along with him.
"That over there," he said pointing to a small village near the mountain, "is the Indian Village.......and that is the Mermaids Lagoon......."
My eyes scanned over everything, taking in as much as I was able.
"And right below us........." Peter continued.
"......The Jolly Roger?!" I yelped, alarmed, "but......but.....I thought it was destroyed and forgotten."
"A ship is never forgotten by pirates." Peter informed me.
"But who would have the gall to dare Captain that ship, now that Hook is dead?"
"Who?"
I looked at him incredulously, "What do you mean 'who?' only your most feared opponent!"
"I fear no one." Peter told me defensively.
I sighed shaking my head thoughtfully, and then laughed, "No, you really don't do you? You truly fear nothing."
He smiled again and I thought even if I saw it a hundred hundred times in one day, nothing would ever prepare me for it.
"I suppose it could have been Captained by a pirate by that name at one time, but now there is a new Captain."
"Who.......?" I began.
"I don't know," he frowned, "The others have kept his name in complete secrecy so that not even the moon or the sun knows his name."
"Sounds quite ominous." I shivered.
"Sounds like fun." Peter replied.
"Oh dreadful fun." I agreed. I paused in a moment of silence as the strains of a vulgar pirate chanty wafted up to us on the fine breeze. "Do you truly not remember Captain James Hook?"
And for a moment I thought he was struggling to grasp a shadow of the past and that he almost had caught it, when he shook his head, "No, I do not."
"Hmmn......." I hummed, "Well I shall have to refresh your memory with a story, shan't I?"
"Yes, but first you must be properly introduced to the Lost Boys."
With that we flew down, passing by the ship. My eyes caught on the large white sails, "Wait, Peter......I have an idea." I gave him my own mischievious grin, as I flew to the sails.
"Hand me your dagger, Peter." I instructed. He did so.
He kept watch as I went about my fine artwork. "There." I said finished. Glancing at it, Peter's smile quirked as if he were holding back a flood of giggles.
"Very clever."
"I do try." I smiled in return.
With that we flew off in search of the Lost Boys, leaving behind the message I had ripped into the white sheets of the Jolly Roger sails.
'HELLO BOYS! MOTHER'S HOME!"
Peter and I landed amongst the wild trees and ferns of the jungle that covered most of Neverland.
Peter signed to show me to be silent and then from his waist he pulled out a thing of lovely wood made pipes. He waggled his brows and played quite a spritely jig on them. Suddenly a call rang out from the tops of the trees.
"Peter!"
"Peter's back?"
"Of course you twit!"
"Peter, is that you?"
"Who else can play the pipes like that?!"
"I can!"
"No you can't, you're horrible!"
"I'm getting better!"
"Peter's back!!"
The air was filled with their frantic cries, and I spun around in a circle looking up into the trees to find faces to match the many voices.
And then.....there!
And there..........
And there!
It seemed they came to life from the very wood of the large trees, springing from the inside of the trunks.
"Oi, Peter, 'o's that wich ya?" One little boy with loud red hair and freckles called out as he took hold of a vine and slipped down on it toward us. Others followed suit, about five more or so. A scrawny black haired lad, two boys with chestnut curly locks perhaps at one time brothers, and the youngest had the bluest eyes and hair that looked as if it were silver mined from black caves.
They all came to land right before us. I tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear, shyly as the gazed up at me.
"This, boys," Peter said proudly stepping to the side to show me off, "Is your new mother!"
There was a moment of silence.
"Wha's that, Peter?" The eldest with red hair asked curiously.
"Is that what mother's look like?"
"How would I know, I can't remember?!"
"Ah, that because you can't remember ANYTHING, on account of your small brain!"
The air was warm with their arguments, until the smallest with his startling blue eyes and silver moonbeam hair stepped forward and peered at me. He took hold of my hand, and I found myself kneeling before him.
His small pale hand cupped my cheek handsomely, as he raised my head and my eyes met his.
For one terrible and brief moment I thought he would stand back and shout, "You're no mother! What do you take us for?! Mother indeed!"
But he merely leaned forward and asked in a breathy whisper, "Do you tell stories?"
I blinked, surprised, "Aye, and sing too."
"And would you hold us if we woke from bad dreams?"
"Every time." I answered.
"Would you protect us from ghoulies and ghosties?"
"And wolves dressed as Grandmothers?" I asked, "With my very life, yes."
He stood back from me then, "Then you are our mother."
I glanced at Peter who smiled knowingly.
"Do I have a mother?" The scrawny black haired darling asked.
"Silly, she's right there in front of you!"
"Oh......right!"
"Lads, let your mother have some room to breathe!" Peter laughed when they began to smother me in tight hugs.
"Now who," I asked nipping at the blonds nose, "wants to hear a story?"
"Me!"
"No, me!"
"And me!"
I suddenly realized that all my books had not followed us into the forest.
"Peter, this is less than half at best." I informed him frankly.
"All those poor books lost in the wild!" Shouted one of the chestnut twins.
"Being drowned by mermaids!"
"Scalped by the savages!"
"Being gutted by grisly pirates!!"
"We must save them!" Peter declared gallantly, "Can't let stories go to waste on ugly pirates, won't do at all."
"No, indeed," I replied succinctly, "We shall have to find them. We shall make it a game! For every book found, the son who finds it shall get a....." I looked for something on my person to give them, finally noticing the charm bracelet on my wrist fill around the way with thimbles, "......shall get a kiss!"
The boys nearly stumbled over themselves, anxious to start finding the books.
"But first we shall just make due with these," I said pointing to the number of books that littered the small ground around us.
My hand unconsciously went to the manuscript in my pocket, 'No, not that one,' I thought, 'Not yet.'
I picked up, "Swan Lake" and as they helped me climb to their house in the trees I began to speak in a voice every girl adopts to when she knows she is performing for an audience, "Now.......once upon a time......."
Peter's smile grew.
No one really knows how long it takes to get to Neverland. Sometimes it seems ages have passed by you, others as if it had merely been a blink of an eye.
I fell asleep on a strong current of Northern wind. I awoke some time later to see Peter fast asleep next to me. Wendy did forget to mention one thing........Peter snores!
I entertained the idea of just staying like this forever, but the outline of an island was blotting against the rise of a glorious sun.
"Neverland....." I whispered.
At that moment Peter woke up with a start, "I was NOT asleep!"
"Oh, of course not, Peter." I smiled knowingly.
"I wasn't!"
I began laughing so hard that I lost my concentration and began to fall. Peter's hand flashed forward and grasped my arm.
"I wasn't in trouble!" I protested.
"Oh, of course not, Kate." He replied in an exact imitation of me only moments before.
I regained my balance and we flew toward the enchanted island.
"Are you mocking me?!" I asked, pleasingly shocked.
He held me with his clear of morning light eyes, "Never."
"Now for the tour." Peter said, pulling me down to the clouds, which were orange and gold tinged from the light of the sun. Often times at carnivals that I had gone to when I was younger, there had been a sugary confection called, cotton candy. The clouds looked exactly the same and when we landed on one swollen cloud I imagined I could smell the sweetness in the air.
"Amazing!" I laughed as I stood on the cloud seeing the sun break over the horizon. Peter plopped down and pulled me along with him.
"That over there," he said pointing to a small village near the mountain, "is the Indian Village.......and that is the Mermaids Lagoon......."
My eyes scanned over everything, taking in as much as I was able.
"And right below us........." Peter continued.
"......The Jolly Roger?!" I yelped, alarmed, "but......but.....I thought it was destroyed and forgotten."
"A ship is never forgotten by pirates." Peter informed me.
"But who would have the gall to dare Captain that ship, now that Hook is dead?"
"Who?"
I looked at him incredulously, "What do you mean 'who?' only your most feared opponent!"
"I fear no one." Peter told me defensively.
I sighed shaking my head thoughtfully, and then laughed, "No, you really don't do you? You truly fear nothing."
He smiled again and I thought even if I saw it a hundred hundred times in one day, nothing would ever prepare me for it.
"I suppose it could have been Captained by a pirate by that name at one time, but now there is a new Captain."
"Who.......?" I began.
"I don't know," he frowned, "The others have kept his name in complete secrecy so that not even the moon or the sun knows his name."
"Sounds quite ominous." I shivered.
"Sounds like fun." Peter replied.
"Oh dreadful fun." I agreed. I paused in a moment of silence as the strains of a vulgar pirate chanty wafted up to us on the fine breeze. "Do you truly not remember Captain James Hook?"
And for a moment I thought he was struggling to grasp a shadow of the past and that he almost had caught it, when he shook his head, "No, I do not."
"Hmmn......." I hummed, "Well I shall have to refresh your memory with a story, shan't I?"
"Yes, but first you must be properly introduced to the Lost Boys."
With that we flew down, passing by the ship. My eyes caught on the large white sails, "Wait, Peter......I have an idea." I gave him my own mischievious grin, as I flew to the sails.
"Hand me your dagger, Peter." I instructed. He did so.
He kept watch as I went about my fine artwork. "There." I said finished. Glancing at it, Peter's smile quirked as if he were holding back a flood of giggles.
"Very clever."
"I do try." I smiled in return.
With that we flew off in search of the Lost Boys, leaving behind the message I had ripped into the white sheets of the Jolly Roger sails.
'HELLO BOYS! MOTHER'S HOME!"
Peter and I landed amongst the wild trees and ferns of the jungle that covered most of Neverland.
Peter signed to show me to be silent and then from his waist he pulled out a thing of lovely wood made pipes. He waggled his brows and played quite a spritely jig on them. Suddenly a call rang out from the tops of the trees.
"Peter!"
"Peter's back?"
"Of course you twit!"
"Peter, is that you?"
"Who else can play the pipes like that?!"
"I can!"
"No you can't, you're horrible!"
"I'm getting better!"
"Peter's back!!"
The air was filled with their frantic cries, and I spun around in a circle looking up into the trees to find faces to match the many voices.
And then.....there!
And there..........
And there!
It seemed they came to life from the very wood of the large trees, springing from the inside of the trunks.
"Oi, Peter, 'o's that wich ya?" One little boy with loud red hair and freckles called out as he took hold of a vine and slipped down on it toward us. Others followed suit, about five more or so. A scrawny black haired lad, two boys with chestnut curly locks perhaps at one time brothers, and the youngest had the bluest eyes and hair that looked as if it were silver mined from black caves.
They all came to land right before us. I tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear, shyly as the gazed up at me.
"This, boys," Peter said proudly stepping to the side to show me off, "Is your new mother!"
There was a moment of silence.
"Wha's that, Peter?" The eldest with red hair asked curiously.
"Is that what mother's look like?"
"How would I know, I can't remember?!"
"Ah, that because you can't remember ANYTHING, on account of your small brain!"
The air was warm with their arguments, until the smallest with his startling blue eyes and silver moonbeam hair stepped forward and peered at me. He took hold of my hand, and I found myself kneeling before him.
His small pale hand cupped my cheek handsomely, as he raised my head and my eyes met his.
For one terrible and brief moment I thought he would stand back and shout, "You're no mother! What do you take us for?! Mother indeed!"
But he merely leaned forward and asked in a breathy whisper, "Do you tell stories?"
I blinked, surprised, "Aye, and sing too."
"And would you hold us if we woke from bad dreams?"
"Every time." I answered.
"Would you protect us from ghoulies and ghosties?"
"And wolves dressed as Grandmothers?" I asked, "With my very life, yes."
He stood back from me then, "Then you are our mother."
I glanced at Peter who smiled knowingly.
"Do I have a mother?" The scrawny black haired darling asked.
"Silly, she's right there in front of you!"
"Oh......right!"
"Lads, let your mother have some room to breathe!" Peter laughed when they began to smother me in tight hugs.
"Now who," I asked nipping at the blonds nose, "wants to hear a story?"
"Me!"
"No, me!"
"And me!"
I suddenly realized that all my books had not followed us into the forest.
"Peter, this is less than half at best." I informed him frankly.
"All those poor books lost in the wild!" Shouted one of the chestnut twins.
"Being drowned by mermaids!"
"Scalped by the savages!"
"Being gutted by grisly pirates!!"
"We must save them!" Peter declared gallantly, "Can't let stories go to waste on ugly pirates, won't do at all."
"No, indeed," I replied succinctly, "We shall have to find them. We shall make it a game! For every book found, the son who finds it shall get a....." I looked for something on my person to give them, finally noticing the charm bracelet on my wrist fill around the way with thimbles, "......shall get a kiss!"
The boys nearly stumbled over themselves, anxious to start finding the books.
"But first we shall just make due with these," I said pointing to the number of books that littered the small ground around us.
My hand unconsciously went to the manuscript in my pocket, 'No, not that one,' I thought, 'Not yet.'
I picked up, "Swan Lake" and as they helped me climb to their house in the trees I began to speak in a voice every girl adopts to when she knows she is performing for an audience, "Now.......once upon a time......."
Peter's smile grew.
