Author's Note – Hey guys! I started writing this before work on Wednesday, and I really like this one lol. Enjoy! Not much more to say! Haha. (Oh yea, I keep switching how to spell Nibbs name because one time I think it's right, it's wrong, and so I keep changing it. But now I know that this time it's right, so this is how it will stay. *wink*)
I would also like to thank my editor, Nat! She is awesome! Go read her fic, "Let the Fight Begin" because it's better than mine!
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Shadow Dreams
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Nibbs looked around. Where was he? The darkness no longer seemed entombed by the cold walls of his cave prison. He slowly stood up: nothing hurt. The last thing he remembered was Hook's sneering face, and pain. Where was the pain? He looked down; there were no marks on his body, no hook-shaped welts. He felt his arms. Everything felt normal. When did his hands become free? What was going on?
He couldn't see more than a foot in front of his face. He reached blindly, feeling for obstacles in his path, as he slowly walked forward.
"Hello?" he called out to the stygian darkness. His words echoed back to him.
"Is anyone there?" he tried again. Then he remembered: Hook. He looked around worriedly. Where was Hook? Had Hook heard his calls? His footsteps were much quicker now. There had to be a way out! There! Up ahead! A light! It did not seem like a lantern though. Rather, it was a softly glowing blue. Was it the exit? As he neared the light, it slowly began to take on a shape.
"Peter!" he whispered happily. Peter smiled at him, and nodded.
"Why are you glowing?" Nibbs asked, reaching out to touch Peter. His hand went through Peter's arm. Nibbs gasped. Peter appeared solid. What was going on? He stepped back. Peter stepped forward and gently clasped Nibbs' arm. He placed something on Nibbs' wrist. Nibbs looked down. It was a bracelet he had never seen before. Peter smiled when Nibbs looked up again. His eyebrows furrowed, uncomprehending, and began to ask what it was for, but Peter shook his head no. Peter stepped back again.
Slowly, as Nibbs watched, Peter glowed brighter, until his outline became almost invisible. It lit up their surroundings. Nibbs could see the forest behind them, and the water beneath them. They were standing on a cliff? And was that the Black Castle? He didn't have time to think about it. Suddenly the light detached from Peter. The glowing ball of blue light hovered between them before vanishing into the bracelet on Nibbs' wrist. Nibbs in turn looked at Peter, mouth open in shock. Without the light about his form, Peter became a ghastly hue. His lips were tinged with blue, and his skin was ashen gray. Nibbs once again reached out. Peter stepped out of reach and shook his head sadly. His eyes closed, and Nibbs watched in shock as he fell to the ground. He ran forward, but Peter slowly vanished before his eyes. The light in the bracelet flared brightly, until all Nibbs could see was white. Then it disappeared, and all was black again.
"Peter!" Nibbs screamed, sitting up quickly. He looked around. The familiar walls of his prison surrounded him, and he felt the rope keeping his hands bound together. His entire body was in pain. His chest heaved as flashes of pain raced across his abdomen. Nibbs sobbed.
"Please help me." He whispered, curling up into a fetal position. The darkness danced soothingly around him, lulling him back to sleep, the only place where he was truly safe.
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Wendy and the others watched Peter fly out of sight. They turned to Curly, who had refused to look up. Wendy walked over and gently forced Curly to look up with a hand under his chin. Stubbornly, though his head was up, Curly refused to look at Wendy. Rather, he looked up into the sky.
"Curly." She gently shook him. He made no acknowledgement of her. She sighed.
"Curly please listen to me." His eyes traveled down to look at her, but it was the only movement he made. The other lost boys came closer.
"Curly, I know you are angry over what's happening. We all are. But you cannot take it out on Peter. Do you not see how he is taking this? He already feels the guilt over what happened. And even now he is still being punished in ways no one knows how. You mustn't take this out on him. Promise me you won't, please Curly?" Silence; then, slowly, a nod. Wendy sighed, relieved, and turned to the others.
"That goes for the rest of you also. Do not take this out on Peter. He has gone through so much, protecting you from Hook. Now, he makes one mistake, and you come down hard on him. He is going through a lot right now, and I fear to believe that this will be the time he needs us the most. Inner strife amongst ourselves will not help get Nibbs back." Nods answered her pleas. She smiled.
"Now, let's go find-"
"Peter!" They looked around. It was not a scream of agony, it was not a
scream of pain. Rather, a single, verbal
plea for help, and everyone knew who it came from. The group jumped slightly, looking up, yet
knowing the source of the disembodied voice would not be seen.
"Quickly now. We must find Peter before night falls." Wendy finished. They made their way inland, hoping to catch up with Peter along the way. Though this was highly unlikely, as they did not know where Peter had gone, and the fact that he was flying, left no tracks for them to follow. They sincerely, though secretly, each hoped that Tink would find Peter, and lead them to him, before something else happened.
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Peter flew entirely on instinct towards the Black Castle. His mind was preoccupied, and dwelt miserably on what Curly had said. Yet, he also fought desperately to hold on to some happy thoughts, in order to remain in the air. Curly's words cut deep, and then echoed throughout the wounds they had made. He gasped a choked intake of air. It was all his fault. Curly had every right to hate him. They all did. He would find Nibbs and return him to safe hands, it was the least he could do. No! Happy thoughts! But he had no happy thoughts.
The Black Castle loomed larger up ahead. Peter sped up, and quickly flew through the gate, not bothering with caution. But there was no one there. Peter all but dropped into the hand of the gargoyle carved into the back of the wall. He had no more happy thoughts. He needed to find Nibbs. But where did he look? The Black Castle was empty, and they were not on the Jolly Roger. Peter dropped his head into his hands. Between sobs, words could softly be heard.
"I'm sorry Nibbs. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me I'm so sorry Nibbs. It's all my fault, please forgive me." Peter's slight frame heaved with each hiccupping gasp he took.
The stone walls echoed his lonely cries, bouncing them back at him. He lifted his head slightly, recognizing something familiar about the echoes, but his brain was too muddled to think.
"Peter!" It too, echoed over the walls. Peter's head snapped up. He knew that voice all too well. Where was he? Why did Nibbs sound louder than usual? But there was no source. A tear slipped down Peter's cheek. It was a figment of his imagination. He guilt was playing upon his emotions. He once again buried his tear-streaked face in his arms, curling up into a fetal position. The giant claw he rested in almost seemed to curl in around him, secluding him from the outside world. The water reflected along the walls, playing across the castle interior. Peter looked over at one wall, seeing the blue light weave about the stone. The light swirled and blurred as he watched. Peter's eyelids became heavy, and the blue light swirls flared brightly as sleep claimed him.
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Okies now on to the review thank-yous! *wink* There are only three, but I think it's because people haven't been here to read for some reason. Oh well. I miss you all! But thank the three who reviewed!
Tazmainian Devil – Haha, thanks! Yea I thought that the angry Curly would be something different. Its cool! I also wanted a story about the Lost Boys. They deserve some of the limelight. Haha. Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoy the rest of the fic.
Katy – Yea poor Nibbs and Peter. It just won't stop! I feel bad for them also. Haha yea a lot of people like the angry Curly part. I think Peter needs to see just how much it affects them, when Nibbs is missing like this. The Lost Boys are really close, and they really do count on Peter to protect them. But they are still boys, so they are young, of course they are going to blame. A lot of people who put the lost boys in their fics, make them act older, but they aren't. So you need to keep to their age. And of course he would get angry at Peter. Yea I can picture Peter adorably upset also. I mean I literally pictured it that way, although I can't remember exactly how I did. Oh well. Its really cute though. That's not cool, with the whole page getting all weird on ya! Not cool beans at all! Do you really think you have to foreshadowing? You have to tell me! I will always tell what I think in my reviews, because even if its wrong, it also helps the author, it takes them down different paths (like saying "wow I never thought about it that way") and I just want to see how you think it is. And maybe you are right. I might tell ya if you are. But please tell me what you think about the foreshadowing. You won't spoil it I promise. No one reads other people's reviews lol.
Pottersweetie – Yay! My 'yay' friend gave me a long review! I am so happy you loved it! Haha I am glad you think it was 'god' lol. I try to work on my vocab lol. I have two writing courses right now in school, so it rubs off on you. And yes, we are going to make Jeremy go to the HP3 premiere! And then we will kidnap him! Lol. But we also have to write to him and get his autograph! Lol. Yea! I know I wouldn't mind going to his house and telling him haha. Can you imagine the looks on his family's face? Yea go to GA sometime (when its open) I could meet you there and we can chill and talk about Peter Pan and HP! Haha! I promise to keep writing because I love getting long reviews! Haha!