Chapter 1: Some Meetings, and A New Beginning

JT/SD: Yeah, it's us again. Thought we'd go away, did you? Haha…WRONG! Here's the actual first chapter to our Peter Panfic (ingenious, isn't it?)! Also, the italic sections are the animals talking.

As a child, Winter had always admired her grandfather, Peter Pan. She would listen to his stories about Neverland and be captivated, no matter if it was about Captain Hook or he himself.

Soon, of course, she decided to start looking for Neverland herself. It was to no avail until she was 13, and heard her grandfather tell a story containing the words, "second star to the right, and straight on 'til morning!" Although she didn't know precisely what that meant, she used it as a clue, and somehow stumbled upon it.

Her entire life after that was consumed with finding out the secrets of Neverland. She would look everywhere and anywhere to find out whatever she wanted. She knew how to talk to the merpeople, where Captain Hook was at all times (and therefore was able to avoid him, thank goodness). She had even found the Lost Boys' tree house, and converted it into her living space.

One day while wandering, trying to find out another Neverlandish secret, she found a deserted fishing hole. Deserted, it seemed, at least. She began to fish there, then she heard a feral growl behind her.

She slowly turned around to find an enormous gray wolf behind her. Like every other person to look at a feral wolf, her eyes happened to target the wolf's huge teeth. Suddenly she heard a deep voice in her head.

I mean you no harm, Winter. She looked around.

"Wh-who said that?" she whispered. The wolf gave a short bark. "Y-you? But…wolves can't talk!"

Ha! I'm not talking, foolish one.

Winter rolled her eyes. "Honestly, yes you are."

Fine, I'm talking—but in your head. The voices…they speak to you.

"Oh great, a wolf with a sense of humor."

The wolf pulled back his mouth and nodded his head in what looked like a mischevious smile. Of course I have a sense of humor, don't you, foolish one?

"Look, I thought wolves were supposed to be wise and helpful when they talked. But…first things first, why do I hear you? What is it with me?" Winter asked.

The wolf sounded serious when he said, Alright, it seems that you have a special talent—power, if you will. Talking to animals is an odd…strength you have. I seem to have a powerful connection with you. Perhaps one of your strengths is speaking with wolves? I would try out speaking with other animals as much as possible.

"I see," she nodded.

The wolf nodded, too. And by the way…my name is Silverpaw.

Winter smirked. "Seems you already know my name, but it's Winter, anyway."

Wolves are blessed with vast knowledge, breaching all human's minds and finding out, shall we say, personal things. Such as…names. Lovers. Winter looked shocked. But of course, since you had none…I just found out your name.

"Thankfully," she said sulkily. "You seem to be smart enough. But, where is your pack?"

Ah, a sore subject. I was too strange for them. They decided to outcast me, and since then I have been fending for myself.

Winter was astounded. Grandpa, Mother…suddenly she felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness. She turned away from Silverpaw as her eyes brimmed with tears. Mother, Grandpa…

I know. I feel lonely sometimes too. Were you cast out of your pack?

"Oh no…I left. My grandpa was someone famous, and I wanted to have adventures too, you know?" Winter sniffed.

So you're lonely too? Silverpaw asked. Winter nodded.

Then why don't we stick together? We could be a great team! Silverpaw put his head on her shoulder.

"Oh, I'd love to! Thank you so much!" Winter cried, and threw her arms around the wolf's shaggy neck. And thus an intimate friendship was born.

---

Samoso, hereby referred to as Sam, was walking in one of the sparser parts of the forest. He was trying to figure out what he had just forgotten. He bent down carefully to pick up a small bird that had fallen out of its nest, when he heard someone crying softly on the other side of the tree. Forgetting about the little blue and silver jay in his sparkling green hands, he silently glided around thee tree. Sitting there, with his head in his hands, was a small boy of around 16. This, of coarse, of Ali, but Sam didn't know that. He looked at the jay in his hands with huge, glittering purple eyes. Then, gently, he touched the boy on the shoulder. When the boy looked up, Sam put the bird in his hands and said shyly, "I thought you might need some company. That bird will never be able to go back to its nest. I thought you might like it." Ali turned his head to look at the bird he was gently stroking with his warm, brown hands.

"Thanks," he said. Sam smiled. Maybe this was a friend who could help him.

"My name's Sam!" he said. "Why are you crying?" Ali smiled sadly.

"I'm lost. And I don't feel right here. But I've never belonged anywhere, so I guess I'm used to that." Sam looked confused. "Here," Ali explained. "Look at this bird. Shoved from its nest, it can never go home. I'm like the bird." The said animal peeped. Ali smiled a wide, friendly smile. "I was outlawed from my home. If I went back, they would drive me out. Maybe kill me." Sam shook his head.

"That's not fair. What did you ever do?"

"Watch." Ali put his hand over a small leaf. Slowly, green light sparkled down his arm, and the leaf began to grow. It grew up and up, until a mighty redwood stood in it's place.

"You can make things grow!" exclaimed Sam. "I can do it too, but not as well as you! My main power is healing."

"I love my power, but my tribe was scared of it. They threw me into the desert, hoping I would die. But the cacti there helped me. Giving my water and nourishing milk from their bodies. I went to England, and met a girl there, sort of like me. But one day, she left. I looked for gates after that, and found my way here." Sam felt sorry for Ali.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Ali. Yours?"

"Sam. I'm an immortal."

"That explains a lot." Ali was captivated by Sam's glowing green-blue skin and sparkling puple eyes.

"Want to come to my house? You sorta look like you need a bath and a place to sleep." Sam asked.

"Sure, why not."

And so the unlikely duo trudged of into the denser woodlands, bordering the sea.

---

"Detention, Tam. Room—"

"Yeah, yeah. I've got it memorized, ok? It's not that hard," said Tam.

"Less sass, or you'll face another detention," her teacher warned.

"I've got enough detentions for a month, so it doesn't matter. Do your worst," she taunted.

"Detention," Mr. Maclow shouted. He snatched his pile of detention papers and furiously wrote out another.

"Psh. I'll take that," Tam said with great defiance. Grabbing the sheet out of his hand, she stalked out of the room.

"That girl's gonna get herself into big trouble one day," one of her classmates whispered behind his hand, "and no one will be able to help her."

The thing was, Tam's parents had both perished in a car accident years ago. She had been depressed for a long time after. Then, out of nowhere, she began to get very rebellious. She wouldn't turn in her homework and would speak out against authority. Millions of detentions were lined up for her, just waiting. Some teachers kept slips filled out just for her—just in case.

"Stupid fucking teachers," she fumed under her breath. Stuffing the slip in her backpack, she slipped out of school unnoticed. She sprinted off towards the western horizon. "I will never—never!—go back to that school."

Right then, a peculiar thing happened. She felt herself lifting up off the pavement. Her feet were moving frantically, but they were no longer on the ground. She looked up in fear, and noticed the daylight fading quickly, revealing a single star. It seemed that the star was expanding, a kaleidoscope of colors fanning out before her.

Suddenly, the colors snapped together to form a land mass—a beautiful crescent-shaped island surrounded by a picturesque, turquoise sea. On it floated a sinister-looking boat adorned with flags of the Jolly Roger.

"I'll stay away from there," Tam said to herself as her feet thumped onto the ground. "It's much too sinister. After all, it is a pirate ship."

Staring around, Tam noticed that she had landed almost in the water on a perfect yellow beach. Dropping her heavy backpack, she took off her shoes and waded into the water, finding perfectly cold for a hot day. She ran through the water back to shore, where she dumped out her backpack. In it she found her sandwich from earlier that day, and walked with it to the shade of a nearby palm tree.

After she finished, she threw her shoes into her pack and set off along the beach, enjoying the feel of the warm sand between her toes.

This is the beginning of a beautiful lifetime, she thought.