Omigosh! I have very, very, very loyal reviewers!! I'd like to thank Pirate, AngelicPirate, Dreamless-Mermaid, and boogalaga! Thanks so much guys! And especially thanks AngelicPirate for that wonderful piece of advice! I had no idea you could choose not to accept anonymous reviews, so I apologize to all of those who tried before and couldn't…Holy BEJEZUS! I have as many reviews as I do chapters…that is of the highest quality of awesome…now without further ado…ONTO THE STORY!
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Tink was wrong, as she often is. Faeries weren't the smartest creatures known to man, thought they often think they are. So, when she led me to a clearing in the midst of a very large Boingy tree, I just laughed a bit and shook my head. There was no swashbuckling, pirate-slaying action to be had. Instead, there was a large group of children dancing around a noisy black box in the midst of a clearing. I say clearing, meaning it wasn't very clear at all. There were dingy houses stacked all around the base of this tree. They were made of various jungle materials: wood, sticks, leaves, and mud. They looked accommodating, but not as nice as Wendy's house had been. Hers was green with ivy walls and small wooden windows. It even had a door-knocker! These were just made of sticks and mud with twigs for ceilings. Their windows were just open holes in the walls, it just wasn't decent…
The dance below me continued, and it seemed like some sort of strange ritual. The black box was emitting some sort of rhythm that sounded like music. It wasn't music like that of my panpipes, and it didn't sound like anything the faeries would play. "You put your right foot in, you put your right foot out..." The sound wafted through the jungle around me.
'What a queer party,' I thought. Part of me wanted to fly down there and join them. I am Peter Pan! I was their natural leader and everything. I led the Lost Boys, I led the Faeries, I led the Pixies, you name it I lead it! Neverland is mine. I had named everything there, hadn't I? Yes, I was sure I had, and that obviously made the island mine. It always was, always is, and always shall be mine.
But I held back. I didn't recognize any of these kids. I hadn't invited them to my island! I'd never met strangers in my land before, so I fingered my dagger and my arm muscles flexed, ready for a fight, but my anger was just beginning. Looking over the scene again, I noticed a chair set on a platform attached to the bough of the tree, overlooking the small fiesta. It was a very fine chair, indeed. It was entwined with lovely deep forest-green vines, and the chair was big as to be comfortable for its sitter. The glorious chair looked remarkably familiar to the throne I used to own in my willow tree. Sadly, the fine thing disappeared when Slightly did. I inched closer to the edge, trying to get a better look…
IT WAS MY THRONE! I could see the chair clearly, as if I was standing right in front of it. The slight twinkling of what I knew to be a kiss embedded in the center of the backrest. I tell you, I was so close to zooming down there and beating the hell out of everyone, kid or not. You DO NOT steal Wendy's kiss from me. I gripped the hilt of my dagger. Right before I could lift into a hover, a strange boy hopped onto the platform and plopped down in my chair! Just like that! He sat there laughing at the children, and a few minutes later more older kids had joined him on the platform. Someone had even brought the boy something to eat. They watched the dancing children with mocking entertainment.
My initial reaction was blazing fury. 'Who dares take my place as leader?!' My thoughts were vividly gory with stabbing the dark, blonde boy repeatedly with my blade. I was particularly enjoying a nice little daydream where I stood laughing over his bloody and mangled corpse, when sadness inched ever so slowly into my head.
'Have I been forgotten? Was I not the leader anymore?' It seemed so obvious, I had been replaced. Strangers had replaced me. The issue was just too much to deal with at the moment.
"Come on, Tink," I just wanted to get out of there. I wasn't sure where I would go…just somewhere that was not near this strange city of kids. No use lingering if I wasn't even remembered. Tinkerbelle's light grew blue when she saw my expression. I jumped off the springy net of branches and soared into the blue sky.
I…Peter Pan…had become a mere myth on my very own island.
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Fine I'll admit, Tink's discovery wasn't as stupid as I thought it was. The next day my thoughts were consumed by that small patch of civilization in the jungle. I couldn't brood on it for too long, though. Tink's little adventure made me realize how much I'd missed by being pent up in that old tree. I went to the Indy that night to check things out.
The Indy is a little cave set into the corner of a huge lone mountain occupying the top corner of the Neverland. A small winding creek made it's way into the niche and formed a large still pool near the back of the cavern. The water didn't stop moving there, but I wasn't sure at the time as to where it did go. This movement made the grotto shimmer with light. The water-lights danced off the smooth edges of the cave which were the closest thing resembling that of a mirror. The walls were uneven in most places; so if one were to stand in front of their reflection and look upon it, it would seem as if one had three eyes or very sizeable thighs.
I touched down in the clearing near the foothills of the mountain and found the familiar dark opening. I made my way into the mouth. For a moment I found myself submerged in complete darkness, but as I walked a little further the light began to shimmer around me. It seemed as if the walls were moving with a glowing, snake-like light. Soon I happened upon the pool of water, and the mirror walls became less cloudy. I turned to the walls and gave myself a once-over. This was the smoothest section of the wall, and despite the chip in the upper right corner that made my ear seem smaller than normal the, image was clear. And the image was quite a shock.
I knew I'd grown, but I'd never really seen the results. The last time I visited the Indy I was nearly a foot away from the ceiling. Now I had to stoop a little just to fit. I looked at my feet, they were longer and my calves were bigger with muscle. My eyes skimmed to my torso and arms.
I was definitely harrier than the last time I was at the Indy. It was growing from everywhere! I'm not sure where it all came from! It was everywhere: on my legs, my arms, and a little on my chest. There were even little patches of it in my armpits. Gross…manhood was already disgusting. Sadly, I hadn't yet discovered the worst of it.
I noticed a little trail of the stuff had sprouted just below my bellybutton and led into my ivy breeches. 'No…it can't be,' I was a little nervous, but I had to check it out and I tugged on the edge of my shorts. It didn't help much. I hadn't noticed, but the lining of my breeches had been digging into my skin, making things a little…eh…tighter in that area. I tugged some more. It didn't do anything, but make things a little more uncomfortable. Getting impatient, I finally tore the lining.
Gasp!
I looked up, shocked. Being a man was just…too much. I looked down slowly again, and a grin crept it's way onto my face. "Heh, I could get used to this…" I crowed and ended up on the floor in a fit of laughter. Bad idea, my little tear ripped into a gaping hole extending all the way down the middle. I didn't care, though. Chuckling I laid on my back and stared at the shimmering ceiling to the cave. The lights wove in and out of one another and calmed me down a little.
Sigh…'This would be a nice place to just sit and relax…wait. Me? Relax? Fat chance!' I chortled some more, it was truly a beautiful place and the grotto floor was cool against my bare back. 'Too bad it's usually infested with…'
"Come sister! Maybe we'll meet him this time! The boy in our mother's stories!" Giggles wound their way around the corner of the tunnel and echoed off the walls around me.
"PIXIES!" shit.
"SISTER! Did you hear that?"
The voices were closer now, and I scrambled into a standing position. Checking out my surroundings, I found that there wasn't many places to hide in a cave of mirrors.
"Yes, I'm sure 'tis him! Oh, it is HIM!"
I spied the small creek and the pool of water. 'It's just big enough,' I thought. Quickly, I jumped into the air and zoomed into the water, splashless, just in time. I hid myself under an outcropping of rock and watched as two pale bodies made their way around the corner.
They both looked the same, as all pixies did: petite with long pink hair and soft, white eyes. They were also lacking some much needed apparel. All the same, their naked bodies were nothing to get all excited about. Pixie's bodies don't mature the same way humans' do. They have small, pale frames and not much to desire from the frontal point of things. Their bodies were exceptionally hairless, except for their shocking pink hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes.
These two were vigorously searching the vicinity of the cave. Stupid, because there wasn't much to look at. "Oh, Noémi, I thought he was here!" One whined.
"Be quiet, Anouk!" The other one snapped. "I thought he was here, as well. The cave has tricked us again!"
"But mommá…mommá says he is here! She said, 'Once the island comes alive look to the cavern of mirrors.' Is this not the cavern of mirrors?" The one called Anouk was whining quite nasally. I wasn't sure how much more of this I could take. Pixie accents were quite romantic and they always rolled their r's with a gusto. That r-rolling combined with a nasal-whine voice was boring it's way into my ears, giving me a dull headache.
"Oh don't be so gullible. Mommá has no idea what she is talking about," Noémi was getting quite haughty and frustrated. "Peter Pan probably does not exist. He is probably just a tale mothers tell their children to lull them to sleep at night. He isn't real! He's just-"
She arrogantly continued, while my impatience gave way to anger. I began to breathe heavier, to the point where I knew I was audible, but didn't do anything about it. Anouk seemed to take notice. "Noémi, shut up," she whispered, but her sister took no notice.
"Oh please Anouk! How could you buy in to those cheap stories! A boy like Peter would never be caught on this horrible island. And the stories about Peter flying! Sheer rubbish! Only pixies can fly without wings-" My breathing grew even heavier as I could feel my blood-pressure rising.
"Noémi, SHUT UP!" The sound bounced it's way around the cavern, and all was silent. Except my breathing. Slowly, both of the girls turned around and I was found. Their eyes widened as I brought myself out from my hiding spot. They gasped as I floated slowly up out of the water. "Who says I'm a myth.! I'm more than a myth…I'm a legend," my voice was steady and sure as I continued to rise up slowly. The pixie's gaped, wide-eyed and shocked. I was completely out of the water now, but I was forgetting one little thing…I mean I was forgetting something completely large…
The rip down my breeches…my goods were exposed to the world, but more specifically two hormone-high young pixies. They squealed with delight. My anger was gone now and I was just embarrassed for a second. The one called Noémi actually reached out to take a handful….luckily my reflexes were quicker. I flew back and they gasped again. Holding my pants together, I flew out of the cavern as fast as I could. I'd never known a pixie to catch up to me before. Now was not any different, but the giggles caught up with me before they did.
I was panicking. If they caught me, no telling what they did to me…nice things…but nothing that I would want from a pixie…I think…yea.
I flew to the only place I knew to be secure…The Pirate's Cove.
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Genius, I know. The pixie's stopped short behind me with a shriek and I zoomed ahead. Hook had died years and years ago, and with him his crew. I remembered the day happily as I landed onto the decaying deck.
It was the best battle I had ever had. . I attacked at the worst possible time for pirates. Dawn. The drunken bastards were still asleep. Nibs, the Twins, Slightly, Tootles, and I crept onboard. Curly had stayed behind, as he often did, the wuss. All he ever wanted to do was read books, and the like. 'Education this, reading that. The stupid cur,' I thought, but my bitterness was replaced by nostalgia once again as I passed by a gaping, splintered hole on the ship's starboard side. I remembered fondly as that being the place where the gigantic crocodile rolled it's way onto the deck. The crock's teeth almost gutted as many as my sword that day. Almost. The sea had long washed away the blood and mangled body parts, much to my dismay.
I remembered the men's screams slowly dying away one by one, and then they were gone. All that was left was the captain's cabin, which had been bolted shut. Hook hadn't even come out to face me, the worthless codfish. He thought his men were enough to take me down. That was his downfall.
I strolled to the gritty cabin doors. They were ancient now, and their gilded handles were stained with rust and grime. My excitement peaked as I remembered what had happened in this room, and what might be waiting beyond these doors.
Wendy had been captured by Hook and his mongrels. He thought he could lure me by using her as bait, but I'm not that dim. I knew what he was doing, and I knew what he was planning would fail miserably. I knew about Hook's little secret, and about his little secret's small servants room adjacent to the captain's den. That's where Wendy was.
I sidestepped the captain's doors and slipped, instead, through another doorway. The hinges had long rotted off and the room was bare. I remembered how Wendy was huddled in the corner, bound and gagged. A frizzy-haired girl cowered in the corner with her, whispering to her like a snake. She was a snake, this girl was Hook's daughter, Morgan. His dirty, little secret. I remember the way I grabbed Morgan's wrist and jerked her away as she cried out in shock. She landed with a thud onto the floor behind me, and Wendy's eyes widened with an emotion I still couldn't place. I quickly grabbed her and flew out through the window.
I followed that same route and lifted off from the dusty floor and flew out the window. Then, I had burst through sharp panes of glass, but nothing was left of those. I landed on the forecastle near the foremast. I remember setting Wendy down to lean against the mast. I gingerly removed the gag, and held her in my arms. She said something very peculiar, something that puzzled me for a long time, "DO NOT UNTIE ME!" I ignored her and bent to undo the knot but her foot shot out of nowhere and collided with my jaw. I was angry and my jaw sore, but it was Wendy. I looked into her pleading eyes and nodded.
I still remembered those beautiful blue eyes as I flew to the captain's doors once again. I remember kicking the doors through and galloping in to find Hook cowered over his desk on the other side of the room. He was examining his face in a large mirror that covered the wall. The mirror was cut off, and I suspected it continued into the servant's quarters. Hook had suffered from severe vanity. He glowered, his eyes a malicious red as he spun around, banging his famous steel hook into the desk. Wood chips flew around the room. I remember smiling malevolently myself. It wasn't a game anymore. Hook wouldn't walk away from this one.
Hook, stupidly, left his left hand unguarded and I whipped out my dagger. Speedily, I threw it at his exposed hand. The blade had rung out while blood poured all around, staining the silver. Hook whimpered loudly but stayed still, panting. It was strange, but I didn't think about it at the time. I remember the redness of his blood, but nothing would compare to the scarlet of his eyes. He had whispered something, but it was inaudible. I didn't care what it was, anyhow. I walked around his desk and unsheathed my sword. Slowly. He needed to suffer, and needless to say his impaled hand looked mighty painful. He turned to face me and whispered something again. I noticed he had a black eye, and he was crying. He was weeping blood-red tears. I raised my sword. "You worthless codfish…," I shouted as the door banged open.
"NO! FATHER!" Morgan screamed as I cut my blade straight across the nape of his neck. The head fell with a sickening thud, and the bloody body of the stricken pirate crumbled onto the desk below him. I crowed. Morgan ran, never to be seen again.
The memory was a satisfying one, and I faced the crusty gilded handles once again. Smirking, I swiftly kicked them open with a bang. I expected to see a headless skeleton hunched over it's desk reaching for it's skull, barely feet away. However, there was none of this. The only reminder of the bloody battle that went on here was a large red stain embedded in the wood of the rotten desk. Slightly disappointed, I turned around and walked out of the cabin again. 'I could have sworn it was still here. I ordered the boys not to touch it! Hadn't I?' I tried to think back, but was interrupted when a cold breeze blew out over the deck, and I remembered my little predicament.
Drafty…I looked down and reddened as I remembered why I had gone there in the first place. I needed clothes so I promptly about-faced and went back the way I came. The cabin was dusty and everything was dark and dirty. I walked around the desk and a once-ornate bed. In the corner I spied a chest of drawers. I walked over and pulled on one of the handles.
Snap
The whole right side of the chest had collapsed in on itself in a cloud of dust. I sneezed and coughed, but when the dust subsided I reached my hand into the nearest drawer, pulling out a pair of black breeches. They seemed to be a good size when I held them up, so I set them down and began to peel off my vine-shorts. This wasn't an easy task and required much more ripping and tearing than I would have liked, but eventually they came off and I was standing starkers in Hooks' cabin. Feeling a little sheepish, though no one was watching, I quickly pulled on the pants, perfect fit. They were a little baggy at the knees, but no big deal. I looked around, and spied the mirror. It was still there. I studied my reflection. It was acceptable, but I was still bare-chested. Did I really need a shirt? I decided to go for it and reached into the drawer once again and rummaged around until I felt smooth linen. I held up the white shirt.
It was slightly dingy and reminded me of something a girl would wear. So I ripped off the sleeves and put it on. Liking what I saw in the mirror, I stepped out of the cabin. It felt a lot better to be in clothes that fit. Of course I could have stolen something from that city in the jungle, but who needed the complication? I sure didn't.
I wouldn't say I prided myself on the fact that I was wearing Hook's old clothes, but they fit, and I did not want to go around dangling all over the place. I jumped off the ship and flew in the direction of the willow. A zooming ball of light met me halfway. Tinkerbelle flew in front of my face, an innocent jingling disguising the way she was chiding me.
"Oh, please, Tink. So what if I didn't bring you along. You're not my pet, you know." She reddened, but stopped jingling. I flew into the leaves of the willow and stood in the middle of the room. "So what do ya think, Tink?"
She flew two quick circles around me and came to a stop in front of my nose. She was glowing purple with a concerned look. "A pirate?" She jingled questioningly.
I groaned, "No TINK! It's the best I can do at the moment, okay!" She looked indignant and zoomed into her den. I sighed and sat on my bed, I was a little tired. It had been a big day and the sun was just beginning to sink below the horizon. "I guess I'll sleep….ZZzzzzzzzzzz…." It didn't take much more than that.
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The next day I woke up and walked to the opening of the willow. I did my usual crow and Tinkerbelle streaked her way toward the tree in the usual way. But this morning was different, I was happy. Tink wasn't yet to the tree when I heard a stirring in the brush below. Two small green heads popped their way out of a bush.
"Didja hear it?"
"Yea I did."
"But can we trust em'?"
"Yea, pixie's are stupid, but they don't lie. Well…usually."
The other one just nodded. They walked on past the tree, their conversation drifting away into the jungle. They had peaked my interest, so I clandestinely floated out of the willow and entered the trees below. I followed them, hiding myself in the leafage.
"So he's back? But I always thought he was a story."
"Of course he's real Snatch, don't be stupid!"
The one called Snatch nodded energetically. Of course they were talking about me. The pixies must have babbled, and no doubt the gossip had sped through the jungle at a right speed. I followed the little arguing elves until I reached the river. They paused for a second and leapt clear across, without so much bending their knees. I had forgotten how weird the elves were.
"Shh…Snatch, shut up! We're close now…"
Close to what, I had not known, but I followed blindly anyway. The two elves stopped below me and I looked ahead. I had followed them clear to the city of children!
"Do ya think that girl made it here?" Snatch whispered.
"What girl?"
"The not-pixie girl."
"Oh…her…maybe."
This is not where I wanted to be! Despite myself, I stayed. Talk of this girl…interested me…in a way I wasn't sure I liked…
I sat for a few minutes on a branch and noticed that kids were gathering around the giant trunk of the Boingy tree. 'Probably doing that queer dance again,' I thought. I was a little taken aback when the group formed a circle and two boys began wrestling in the center of it. The spectacle was an odd one, as each of the scrawny boys tried to hit each other in the face. Neither successful in doing so. Amused, I grinned and stayed on my branch.
CRASH
It echoed around the clearing and seemed to come from above me. I looked up and spied a house built a little higher than where I was sitting. I hadn't noticed it before. I had never seen such an scheme. A house built in the limbs of trees…it was a good idea…Shouts followed the crash and I looked up to the window. Shadows were moving inside and for a few minutes all I heard was muffled conversation. Until the girl stepped to the window. The sight of her made me breathless once again. Those eyes…they swept the ground below her as she tried to see what was below her. Suddenly the blonde boy was at her side, head resting on her shoulder. What was he doing? Anger flooded it's way into my system and I stood up on the branch. The girl's face changed, to an expression I recognized easily. Annoyance. She squirmed against his back and…snap….
She was dangling below the house, the boy held her by the…well that wasn't decent. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" she screamed.
"SAVING YOUR LIFE!" the boy roared back. The girl squirmed again and the boy's hands unclenched their vise-grip.
I saw it as if in slow motion….she fell, ever so delicately to the jungle floor.
What else could I do? I sped out of my hiding place, not caring who saw. She was all that mattered, and I would not let her be pancaked. The world was a blur and it was just me and this Bea girl. Barely ten feet from the ground, I caught her in my arms and barely got out of the clearing when her hands flew around my neck and held on for dear life. It would have been really cute, if I was able to breathe…
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Oh geez phew. Sorry if I killed you with the length of this one. Oh and I apologize for the wait. Finals can be a bitch. Until next time!
-Gwen