Kasia grinned through her pearly fangs, raising her head lightly and howling an icy song at the sky. The sound resembled that magickal melody emited by the whales, that which sailors feared as mermaid songs. Her eyes of water had caught the small and nearly invisible image of a white griffin soaring away from the ship, flying at the speed of storm light torwards the land of safety.
That was all she needed, no words to be spoken between the two dragons, only actions, only flight and attack. She inhaled deeply and expanded her jaws as wide as she was allowed, keeping her wings steady to hover calmly as she aimed. She inflated her chest and arched her long neck, feeling her helium organ inflate, and the water in her special gland begin to freeze.
Kasia heart the booming sound, but the world revolved slowly around her, she needed to have this done, and quickly. Throwing her head forward, plunging with accurate aim the water organ closed and threw out the water, that came in the shape of ice, mixed with brief particles of helium that froze in contact with the athmosphere. It was a powerful beam since the air was humid and dense, molecules that fused with the existent of ice. A thick colum of ice flew torwards the shick, crashing against the thick backside, and expanding a legion of ice that was quickly covering everything, conquering each area of rotten wood. Inmediatly an inhuman shriek filled the air as the wave of ice splashed against the crew, engulfing then into its mortal, doomed waters. Hook froze with that cruel, maddened grin in his lips.
The crew was enclosed in an enormous block of ice, not dead, nor alive, which meant they were in their prison for eternity. Kasia quickly pronounced a sequence of words in arcane language, ancient speech of inimaginable power. The ice that covered the ship glowed brightly, blueish and pale, only to fade with a sparkle, closing the lock and keeping the ice steady forever. It was not to vanish, melt or break for it had been magickally sealed.
Liz only saw the sparkle of a deep crimson, she was perceiving the world at slow motion, and she had seen the arrow flying torwards her, threatening dead with a blood covered fang. Impulsing herselft with all her might she flew up with a quick, powerful flap of her wings. The leathery surfaces retreated brief nanoseconds before the arrow made it's way through the air that Liz had ocupied. The copper dragon arched her back to fly over the argent dragon behind her and dive down through the other side.
Unfortunately Kasia had been inmersed in her spell and her attack to realize that a flying death was quickly gaining on her terrain. With a loud shrill that vibrated with pain, the arrow went through Kasia's side, stabbing itself right behind the left arm, under the wing's skin.
"Kasia!" had yelled a terrified Koe with a roar that reached a fearful whimper.
The argent sighed breathlessly and started descending, hovering quickly torwards the island, where her efimerous posibilities of surviving increased lightly. She was conscious that the poison was deadly and instant in humans, which granted her more than 15 minutes of intense suffering. She considered casting a spell on herself to destroy her life, but harakiri was not an option, but the safety of Koe, the girl and Peter Pan.
Kasia perceived through foggy eyes and a feverish, blurry veil in her vision the shore. Lightning shifted worriedly at the decayed appereance of Kasia, and Peter grabbed Kelly tightly, ready to take off if the beast lost all control and collapsed. Liz flew closely behind, her eyes stared at the argent colossus worriedly, her wings trembling lightly, and her head tossing with concern.
The control of the wings was excelent, but not the strength remained on the animal's body, for as she touched land her powerful legs buckled and gave in under the 5 ton weight of the dragon. Kasia collapsed under a cloud of tan dust, and her breathing became laboured, pained, while her skin dripped with glass, the sweat of all siler dragons.
"Kasia!" yelled Liz, diving straight torwards the beach.
Upon reaching the land, Liz stopped expanding the wings like a parachute, becoming a perpendicular line with the floor. A golden and copperish sparkle shone and floated into a rain of zillions of stars as the dragon's body vanished. Liz was back to human self, gone the dragon she could handle things easier. She ran across the sand until she reached the dragon's head, where Lightning was situated, vigilant and worried, his dawn eyes dull.
"Elisabeth, you are a dragon?" said a very stunned Kelly, trembling with worry and concern in Peter's arms.
"I'll explain later!" snapped Liz harshly, more than she would have wanted, and inmediatly she was sorry.
Peter stared at Liz disaproving, hugging the girl tighter, yet with tender arms. He felt comfortable with this little creature in his strong, powerful arms, and he felt like everything he said would make the girl feel better.
"Kelly, I know it's weird, but this world can just make anything happen, like for example your sister being a dragon, or me being Peter Pan!" explained Peter with a tender, friendly smile.
"but you are Peter Pan!" exclaimed Kelly staring at the boy's eyes which had turned cloudy, searching for something that affirmed her belief.
"of course not!" laughed Peter and winked knowingly at the girl, a secret between the both. A secret known to all, but that making Kelly believe she was the only one to know made the girl go through this trauma more smoothly.
The two children's attention was directed torwards the large figure laying on the ground, exhaling her last breaths. The griffin was afliged and highly affected, his folded wings trembling with silent sobs that shed no tears. Liz face glowed like a diamond, stained in the salt humidity of her sorrow. Kneeled by Kasia she caressed the velvety muzzle tenderly, gripping on the scales as if trying to keep the life from flying away.
"Kasia tell me you will survive!" sobbed Liz, wanting a hug of comfort, something to assure her this friend was to live.
"no promises Koe, for the venom is deadly, nothing can be done! But it was great fighting with you again Koe, and meeting you Liz!" gasped Kasia through ragged, laboured breaths, coughing a mouthful of blood that was becoming acidic and darker.
Upon hearing the dragon's words, Lightning's head feathers pricked with a frown. A look of ilumination crossed his features, and one could sense the light of hope that irradiated pure and strong from his heart.
"perhaps something can be done!" comented the griffin taking a step forward, the grey colour of his feathers vanishing to return into the pure white of hope.
"you think?" Liz said eagerly looking at the griffin's eyes through the blurry veil that covered hers, seeking eagerly for a trace of truth.
"yes, you see? This is your story Liz. You are Koe, who fought with Kasia, Shai and Aura against the Nit Kyrum, but you are also Liz who wrote that story. Can't you see? All you have to do is go back and write the story of how Kasia was cured from the uncurable venom." Shrieked Lightning eagerly, flapping his wings with a triumphant grin on his beak.
"yes...it could work, lets go back to the Mainland then!" called Liz pointing at Kelly and Peter.
Kelly rushed to Lightning and mounted on his back, being helped by the beast as he kneeeled before her. But Peter didn't budge or shake any bit. He remain tense, straight and full on his position. Liz's hopeful smile faded as she saw the saddened look casted by his dull eyes.
"you are not coming!" said Liz. It was not a question, for there were none to be asked. The simple way his eyes glittered with tears showed her that this sentence only affirmed it.
"understand it Liz, I'm the boy that never grows up! If I go back I'll grow up, and I'm afraid of doing such" explained Peter emphatising his fear with a tender tear that fell across his cheek.
"you are a child no more Peter, and you know it, that's why you are scared, because if you go back you'll loose any trace of childhood in you!" yelled Liz frightened herself for loosing that which she loved more than anything.
"Wendy was happy as long as I came to visit her!" yelled Peter angrily, frightened himself, and knowing it was not fully true.
"Wendy was not pregnant!" Hissed Liz silently, narrowing her eyebrows and suddenly looking as threatening as her large, draconish figure.
The girl walked past a frozen Peter, straight and proud as her shattered spirit was. She leapt onto Lightning and, automatically kicked on the beast's sides. Lightning took off with a pained shriek of protest. He flew speedily, away from the land, away from the star that was Neverland. Away from Liz's first love. It was a race against time, at least until she reached the Mainland, for Kasia had few minutes to live.
"Sis, what happened to Aura? You never told me!" inquired Kelly excitedly, bored about the flight and wanting to kill the time by hearing to the much awaite end of her sister's story.
"Aura? Who? Ah, yah...the story! Well...
"Aura NO!" shrieked Shaimoon, upon seeing the dark beast plunging torwards his beloved moon dragon.
The dragon was engulfed by the flame, and so was her rider, an Eare Kyre that was a wizard, known as Gaby. The creature covered his humanoid body with a pale, furry hand of golden fur. But nothing could save them as the fire devoured each scale, each fur and cloth belonging to the two creatures. A howl, and yell, all pain, all terror and fear, and then the flames vanished. Gaby perished but not Aura, whose eyes stared into Shai's begging for forgiveness, for as much as she knew he loved her, the female's heart belonged to her deceased companion.
Then, wingless, for the fire consumed her leathery folds, she fell. The beast agonized a minute longer, then her body collided with a dry thud against the hard ground. All was silent, for all were too conmotioned to articulate word. The silence broken by the war cry belonging to Shaimoon, a call of sadness, of shattered heart, and also of revenge.
He saw then, below him, a creature battling with grace and agility. Her silver scales glistenend like ice and water into the setting sun. He saw her under a whole new brightness, as she conjured a wave that washed the five, black dragons that ambushed her. And Shai realized that Eikasia was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. He didn't love her like he did to Aura, but he felt phisically attracted.
Koe and the Noa Kyre (a black, humanoid dog) flew around, stabbing the enemy with the Dragonbane (a magickal lance) that belonged to Jaguar. The copper dragon tore and slashed, and torched with her weapons, and Jaguar, the Noa Kyre fought bravely through her tears, tears of sorrow for the loss of her mate.
Shai returned to the battle, and growling deeply and hoarsely he pounced forward, torwards Nerana, the monstruous dragon, no larger than him, who was the cause of the dragons' disgrace. Both clashed into a bloody fight, tearing their flesh with their claws, and the Nit Kyrum attempting to flame the delicate ice dragon. Shai managed to pull himself away from the deadly grip, and with a swift move he released a column of ice that crashed against the dragon's wing. Without loosing a spark of time, Shai swinged his tail with much strength and hit the frozen wing. Under the powerful contact, the wing shattered into a million particles of ice. It was all they needed for the leader of the Nit Kyrum could no longer fly.
He perished instantly, painfully, destroyed inside and consumed in the blood he pleased and rejoiced in pouring. Gone their leader, the survivors scattered towards safety. And that was the end of the battle. The dragons cheered with their howls and roars, and shrills. But never would the world be the same, since dragons were now to be feared everywhere. And all because of the Nit Kyrum's cruel game, and Chaos terrible shadow expanding in the form of darkness wyrms.
"See? I told you they existed!" affirmed Kelly triumpahntly, glad upon hearing the much expected end of the story.
"yeah, you were right!" Liz said smiling tenderly, and ruffling the girl's flaming locks, smiling sadly and remembering that, in a way, this end was Peter's cause.
"where can I find a cure?" inquired Peter with trembling voice, praying for the dragon to hold on.
"the...the unicorns!" hissed Kasia in a tired, exhausted voice.
"the unicorns? But they hate me! All the creatures of this island hate me!" called Peter, making his point clear through a frown.
"I know, and so do I! After all you though egg-soccer with my eggs was fun! But you are my only hope, Peter!" explained Kasia raising her foggy eyes lightly.
"the unicorns will never come close to me!" muttered the boy, lowering his eyes shamefully.
"Peter Turner, you have changed! I see that change in you, I sense your good heart! The unicorns will do such as well!" explained the dragon feeling her eyelids growing heavy, and her voice shattering lightly.
In the darkness of the woodlands, in the depths of it's core, a blueish mist floated lazily. It was not dangerous, thick and heavy like that around the Jolly Rodger, but a light, pure and comforting magick. This was it, Peter knew, this was the land of the unicorns. The leaves shook and rustled at one side, the silent pitter pat of light footsteps, and the chimming of a melodic neight filled the air. A unicorn, of a white purer than recently fallen snow, of a curly pearly mane, a slim body and a golden horn larger than all, penetrated the area with elegant and dignified steps.
"what do you want stranger!" called the unicorn through threatening eyes, which seemed to blaze with a spark of suspicion.
"Lady Dianoia, you know me well for I have pursued your calfs, and attacked your herd in numerous occasions...cruelly!" Peter called valiantly at the enormous unicorn before him.
Gasps echoed in the depths, and Peter knew he was surounded by brave and powerful unicorn warriors, beasts of such magick and stregth he had little to do against an attack. He had to play his words carefully.
"stranger, how do you know of my name? And although your actions fill my noble heart with terror, and your structure is familiar to my old eyes, who are you?" inquired the female, eyeing the boy suspiciously.
"I know much more, Lady Dianoia, for I know you are the leader of this pack. My name is Peter Turner, but I believe you know me more byu the name of Peter Pan!" Peter called inflating his chest bravely, and standing his ground, although always respecting the unicorn's high rank.
More gaps, and exclamations of surprise echoed in the depths, in unision the leaves rustled nervously.
"he is Peter Pan?"
"oh my I would have never guessed!"
"what happened? He's all grown!"
"that doesn't matter, he is still that cruel, vicious and evil boy!"
"yeah, I say we kill him!"
"he might have changed! Give him a chance to explain himself!"
"Doulcara! Always so trusting, never confide in that who stabbed you once!"
"SILENCE! Unicorns, it is I speaking, so let me decide the boy's fate!" Dianoia's voice boomed loud and severe over the pale mist, the golden horn, only belonging to the leaders, glistened dangerously.
Peter gulped and stood there, frozen, with a trace of fear crossing his boyish features. He looked pleading at the female, beggin to speak.
"what brings you to the land of Unicorns? This could have costed your death!" inquired the high female, placing her weight on the left foot to rest her asleep right hoof.
"Eikasia, the argent dragon was reached by an arrow covered with a deadly poison. She told me only uncorns were to know of a remedy. I know I am risking my life, because I did many cruel things in my prolongated youth, but I've grown five years in body and mind, and if Kasia trusted me, I dont see why you could not give me a chance!" explained Peter through a trembling voice, clenching his fists and sweating trickles of cold drops.
"hum!" the Unicorn was thoughtful, her pale blue eyes glistened with a studying gaze.
All was tension in the area, the huffinf and nervous stomping of eager unicorns echoed in the depths. Peter shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other, anxious and slightly frightened.
"I see you standing here, brave, yet your eyes glisten with a spark of fear. Peter I am old and wise, and I can sense that your heart shines brighter now, and in your voice I feel your shame, hencefore you are allowed to live!" Dianoia said raising her head up high, and keeping one knee folded with a foreleg raised proudly.
"thank you, Lady of the Unicorns!" said Peter kneeling before her respectfully, hearing an angry and deceived huff behind him.
"I will help you cure my old friend Kasia, for if she trusts you, so do I. However Peter, I tell you now that I see you, for my eyes and heart never lies, you are Peter Pan no more, and from now on shall be known as Peter Turner!" nieghed Dianoia walking torwards the boy.
Peter understood her words inmediatly, raising his head with admiration and respect to focus his eyes in the ice cold, intelligent ones. He was frozen with a current of fear, cold and terrified, but deep inside all was warmth, hope and excitement. And in his mind was the thought of Elisabeth Adams, the woman who changed him, and who was controling the world where he lived.
Kasia raised her eyes weakly when the stomping of hooves collided against the sand, sending a rain of itching grains against the silvery scales of the dragon. She was weak, and cold, very cold even when the sun was caressing her body in a tender sway, with an increased intensity in his heat as worry grew in the flaming heart.
"Peter, you made it, I knew you could!" Eikasia said with a cough, managing a very weak and trembling smile.
"Kasia..." whispered Dianoia, looking at the much larger beast with sadness and a slight flame of anger flickering in her ice depths. "Peter, dismount, you have done all you could already!" comanded Dianoia at the boy still situated on her back.
Peter obeyed and leapt off, gliding lightly to avoid falling or hurting the female's body. He sat by a rock, observing the scene before him. Dianoia walked torwards the dragon, muttering something under her breath. The enormous alicorn began shinning brightly and intensely, turning from a golden flicker to an intense white, like a star flashing with all it's might. The equine placed the alicorn by the dragon's chest, her great accuracy being less by the beast's laboured and efforted breathing.
"I'll place my magick into your heart, and your blood will be free of all poison!" Dianoia explained calmly, silently, focuse on her work.
Said that, the glowing horn penetrated the chest painlessly, no wound, no blood, only an enormous glow that expanded throughout the dragon, almost as if the beast was transparent. Peter saw with wonder how Kasia began to regain her strength, standing and roaring loudly, stretching a pair of enormous wings over his head, wings that glowed and glittered like a sky, with sparkling stars.
"Peter Turner, thank you, I owe you my life!" Kasia said looking at him with thankful eyes.
"nah!" Peter exclaimed shaking his hand, "I owe you all for my terrible behaviour.
"Peter Turner, you have proved noble, and your sins have been redeemed with your good will and your uninterested aid towards the dragon, therefore you are welcome to the herd, to join us and share knowledge, and to learn our magick!" Dianoia explained wisely and calmly, lowering her head in a nod.
Peter smile and raised a hand, thankfully, grinning and feeling special and perfect for having aided this creatures, for being thanked and praised by his changed. Peter felt diferent, and more special than he had ever been, and all that by begging forgiveness and doing something good for that matter.
"is that the end of the story?" inquired a childlish voice.
Hawk eyes looked at the older female with an accusative glare. A childlish hand ran across a mop of wild, dark blond hair, while rosy lips pursed angrily at the end. He was a boy, of around 10 years old, and had a large resemblance to the woman in the sharp eyes, and intelligent glare, but also to his father, in the blond and wild locks, and childlish face.
"well, that's where my story finishes, Gabriel!" Liz said calmly, smiling lovingly at her son, and messing his hair with her hand.
"and what happened with the girl? She wrote the story and saved Kasia, all right, but what with the boy? With Peter? did he ever return to her? Or was he so dense as to change love for youth?" exclaimed Gabriel narrowing his thin eyebrows.
"hum, I think he did return!" Liz said smiling at the boy, and turning to focus her eyes on the oppening door.
Peter walked in, older than before, but also mantaining his childlish features. He had a blondish bear, and his wild locks had been somewhat tamed. His eyes were still the colour of sky, and his body had grown more muscular. He walked up to Liz and she placed an arm around his waist, while the man rested his hand on her shoulder. Their eyes drowned into each other's gaze, shinning with love, and drinking the passion that still persisted.
"it was a tough decition for Peter, he knew he was no more a child, and he knew Liz needed him now, but he still wouldn't accept that fact. Dianoia had told him he was no longer Peter Pan, for he was no longer cruel, heartless and mischievous. He was a new self, Peter Turner, the teenager of 15 years old. And so he did!" Peter explained squishing the woman's shoulder tenderly.
"right!" Liz said looking at him, and returning her attention to the young man, "Elisabeth had finished writting the story, when she heard a nock on the window. She was shocked when Peter went through the window and landed next to her, hugging her tightly and begging for forgiveness. Liz had never written about Peter's return to her, and he had done that under his very own will. They were married not long after, and although their life was never happily ever after, they were fine!" Liz finished explaining.
Gabriel seemed contented with this end, and yawning deeply, he layed down, sighing, and closed his eyes. Peter and Liz left the room, shutting the door and turning off the lights. Minutes after a creature swooped past the open window, galloping on fresh, summer air. It was a girl, of chestnut hair and caramel eyes, dressed with leaves and no older than the boy. Gabriel looked up, oppening his eyes abruptly, and stared shocked at the girl.
"who are you?" inquired him pointing an accusative finger at the girl, who simply grinned widely.
"my name is Jessie Pan, I heard your mother tell you a story about Neverland, do you want to come and see it by yourself?" inquired the girl.
Gabriel was hesitant at first, but inmediatly grinned mischievously. HE threw out his hand and grabbed the extended and dirty palm of the girl's hand.
Peter and Liz stared into the infinity of the sky. Their faces were far from worried, and of you looked closely Peter's lips were almost twitching into a knowing grin. Their son's empty bed layed behind them, almost laughing at them, but depressed at the aparent tranquility of the two parents.
"I just hope there are no more undead pirates around Neverland!" exclaimed Liz, sighing.
"nah, what I hope is that they dont bother the griffins, dragons or unicorns, took me ages to befriend them!" said Peter grinning, his eyes glinting proudly, and his mind flying away, over the night skies. Over Neverland.
THE END
AN: OK, as I promised, it finished, I told you the end might surprise you, maybe it didn't, however I hoped you did enjoy it.