A/N - Ok, notice anything new? Well, my user name maybe? Yup, I changed my username. it is no longer lilmizzrebel31, it is now OneMoreParadise, why you say? Because it sounded much prettier and I like prettier. Ok, enough of my ranting, on with chapter 14!
Sickness of the Heart
Chapter 14- Anger
Almost as if an invisible force had shaken him awake, Peters eyes popped open. Something in the air gave him a most unsettling feeling. The silence around him didn't help much either. His room was separated from the rest of the house by nothing but a thin sheet. The strange thing about it was that the sheet moved around in a rhythmic pattern as if it were being pushed by the wind. Coming from behind the sheet, a cool breeze wrapped itself around Peter and pulled him towards the door. As the young prince of Neverland, Peter was given the unique power of the land. When he was happy, it was a hot sunny day. When he was sad, the sky turned black and the rain turned to freezing snow. And when something was wrong elsewhere on the island, the land in some way subtle way, alerted him of the problem.
Feeling the gust of wind wrap itself around his thin frame, he stood from the bed and decided to follow it. The wind led him into the hall where the Lost boys slept peacefully, but it didn't stop there. It kept sweeping across the flap of Wendy's room. When peter refused to step into the room (With the obvious reason being he was a boy and should not just step into a girls room) a violent gust of wind spun around the flap, lifting it completely to reveal that Wendy was gone.
"Gone!" Peter shouted.
"What's gone?" Peter heard a small voice ask. He turned quickly on his heel to see Tootles standing behind him. The youngest of the group rubbed the sleep from his eyes
"Nothing." Peter began looking around the house frantically for a sign . Another wind swept through the room. This time it directed his eyes to land on the open front door. Peter leaned down to rest a hand on Tootles shoulder. "I've got to go, be good and go back to sleep." Peter stood and flew for the door.
"Where are you going!" Tootles tiny voice called out behind him, but Peter didn't hear him. He was already gone.
Even with Peters' uncanny ability of the very world around him, he didn't know everything that happened, but there was one creature that did. The pale skinned creatures living beneath the waters knew for Peter. Being seductive creatures by nature, they enjoyed Peters' frequent male company. Each one enjoyed trying to charm the boy in it's own unique way. Often times, all the eyelash batting and blushing got on his very last nerves, but they also loved to listen to Peter gloat about himself. Which was one of the things the eternal youth did best.
Peter landed on the edge of the mermaids lagoon. He pulled out his panpipes. The mermaids were a creature easily lured in by music. So Peter put the wooden instrument up to his lips and began to play a soft tune he had once heard Wendy hum while she worked around the house. Just as expected, the pale blue face of a women popped up close to the rocky edge of the lagoon.
"Sweet song Master Pan." The mermaid clicked. "One from the throat of that girl I presume." To anyone else, the mermaids only talked in a series of clicks and shrieks, but Peter understood their words as if they spoke in human tongue.
"Actually, she's the reason I'm here." Peter leaned down closer to the water. "Where is she?"
"That pesky little girl, she disobeyed you. Why do you still pursue her?" The women placed a webbed hand over Peters hand and stroked it. Peter raised his eyebrow.
"Disobeyed me?" He asked.
"Yes, that rotten girl snuck out of the house and got herself captured by Hook." She said with a smirk. "But your too good for that wench anyway." The mermaid slowly began to dip his hand into the frigid waters. Trying to get him to follow her to a watery death. Teasing him in a way she knew never worked.
"No!" Peter pulled his hand away.
"Well fine, pursue the girl, but I'd hurry. Hook pulled out the plank not to long ago." With that, the jealous women dove back into the murky waters while Peter set his sites on his new destination.
----
"Now what Cap'n? The little wench fell. Gone!"
"Pan will come." Hook replied simply. He watched as the girls body descended quickly. Soon enough, Wendy hit the water and disappeared into it's depths.
The coldness of the water sent an immediate shock to her body which caused her eyes to fly open. Her vision was immediately blurred by the dark waters around her. She pumped her arms to try to get to the surface but the water seeped into the fabric of her dress, weighing her down. She couldn't possibly hold her breath much longer. She opened her mouth but the air was replaced with water which began to fill her lungs.
"Hook!" Peter landed on the deck behind Hook.
"Show time..." Hook whispered to himself. He had gone through this plan in his head time and time again. Peter was by far a very predictable hero. That was one thing Hook knew well. In his head, he already had all of Peters actions planned out. Now it just took the right acting on his own part. It was time for the show to begin.
"Where is she?" Peter immediately questioned.
"Your a little late Pan." Hook gestured over towards the plank. "She's already gone." Peter drew his dagger that he kept safety at his hip and walked cautiously past Hook to the railing. Peter watched the water carefully for any signs that may have proven Hooks' words true. Suddenly a bubble of air floated to the top of the water
"Wendy!" Peter jumped over the railing and dove into the water. The pirates held their breaths, watching the water closely just as Peter had. Suddenly Peter broke the surface with a blue faced unconscious girl in his arms. He landed back on the deck and set her down gently.
"Is she ok?" Peter leaned down to her and whispered in a very nervous, childlike voice.
"See here boy..." Hook walked to Peters side and pointed to her rising and falling chest. "She's still breathing." Hook saw a faint smile appear on Peters face. One that disappeared as fast as it came.
"This is all your fault!" Peter turned sharply on Hook with his dagger raised.
"Is it my fault Wendy disobeyed you?" Hook drew his own sword from its sheath and pressed it against Peters dagger. "Does it remind you of everyone Pan? That other abomination of yours? Berry, I think it was."
"She is nothing like him!" In the back of Peters mind, he couldn't help but think that Wendy and her fathers past betrayal were just vaguely similar. But that mattered very little in Peter's book. Peter threw in a quick swing of his dagger, only to have it blocked. Hook hovered above Peter with his sword pressed against Peter's dagger.
"Give up Pan."
"Never!" Peter thrust forward, throwing Hook off balance.
"Well then, shall we?" Hook held out his sword in a challenge pose.
"We shall." Peter ran towards Hook with his dagger held out proudly in front of him.
----
"Nibs! Slightly! Wake up!" Tootles jumped up and down on two lumps under the covers.
"Go away, 's not even mornin' yet." One of them responded.
"Twins! Curly! Come on guys!" Tootles attempted to shake curly awake.
"Go back to sleep Tootles." Was the only response he got.
"But guys, Peter left!"
"What!" At that, the other boys popped up.
"Wendy's gone too!" Tootles shouted frantically. Curly smiled and wrapped a lazy arm around the young boys tiny body.
"It's nothing to worry about. You see Tootles, Wendy and Peter are in luuuuve!" He said in a sappy voice. "and when two people are in love, they go off alone and -"
"Curly!" Slightly hit Curly over the head before he had a chance to say anything inappropriate for such young ears.
"But Peter looked worried, and Wendy never left with him!"
"Well then, What are we waiting for? Lets go!" Nibs gestured towards the open door.
----
Peter's moves were fast and swift, but Hook moved much faster. In the time between now and Wendys' last visit, Peter could tell Hook had been training for this moment. Not only that, but he had indeed grown stronger. Peter occasionally flew into the air to avoid a swing, but Hook knocked him right back down. Peter grasped onto a nearby barrel and pulled himself up. Suddenly, he felt the cold hard bottom of Hooks boot roughly make contact with his back. Feeling a sickening crack, Peter found himself right back down on the floor of the deck. Hook crew did nothing but watch while these two enemies were engaged in battle. Peter didn't give up easily. he once again stood up.
"Peter!" Several boys called out from the horizon.
"Seize them!" Hook yelled while continuing to swing at Peter. The second the lost boys landed on the deck of the Jolly Roger, they were captured by several of Hooks crew members.
"Let them go Hook!" Peter yelled.
Hook delivered a blow to Peter that sent him backwards into a post on the ship. Peters hands went up to comfort the back of his bruised head as he collapsed by the post. Hook saw his opportunity. As Peter lay against the post in obvious pain, Hook went to stand right in Peters' path. Peter looked down at the heavy black boot before averting his gaze up into the menacing eyes of his enemy. Peter couldn't help but have the unsettling feeling of Vulnerability. With Wendy unconscious and the lost boys captured, Peter couldn't come up with any happy thoughts. Not only that, but now he was badly hurt. He pulled his fingers from the back of his head to see they were covered in a red sticky liquid.
Sometimes Hook forgot that Peter was nothing but a child. Peter was a master sword fighter and had snide remarks down to an art form. But when Peter looked up at Hook with his big wet helpless blue eyes, Hook was reminded he was only facing down a child. Still, this same 'child' held no qualms in taking a razor sharp sword and slashing it straight through his flesh. No matter how innocent Peter's gaze may have looked, Hook wasn't about to back down on this child.
"Are you ready to meet your end Peter Pan?" As a response to Hooks threat, Peter closed his eyes, bracing himself for the oncoming blow.
In the dark forgotten corner of the ship, the pale girl laying unconscious slowly began to regain some of the lost color in her face. The blood coursing through her veins began to heat up. The invisible weight that seemed to be holding her eyes shut seemed to loosen up. Coming back to the world, Wendy blinked several times.
'Are you ready to meet your end Peter Pan?'
She faintly heard. Of course, she couldn't hear much, water still clogged much of her ear. As she sat up, the world spun around her. 'Peter!' Wendy saw Hook, standing over Peter with his weapon raised.
"Hook no!" She stood up on shaky feet and ran towards the scene.
"Wendy!" Peter shouted out with a brief moment of happiness. Then he realized she was in danger. If she came close enough, Hook would have her! "Wendy no! Stay back!" Hooks crew members granted his wishes in their own twisted ways. They grabbed her and held her roughly at knife point. "Leave her alone Hook! It's me you want, not her!"
Hook let out a laugh, looking at Wendy desperately try to edge away from the knifes edge. "Oh but Pan, Wendy is the biggest part of my plan." Hook prodded at Peter's bare foot with his boot. "You see Pan, if you don't surrender, your precious Wendy will be no more. So Peter, you have a decision to make. Continue your hopeless fight for your freedom or give it all up to save your Wendy?"
Peter looked over at Wendy who, at this point, had tears streaming down her face. The girl slowly shook her head.
"I'm sorry Peter..." She choked back more oncoming tears.
A/N - Ok, end of chapter 14. This is just a warning to everyone, but chapter 15 will most likely be a bit on the short side. Mostly because its just a filler chapter, its going to be a lot more on the characters emotions other then storyline. Trust me, its much needed. Also chapter 16 may be short as well, I don't know, I haven't written that one yet. Also, the Lost boys have a reason for coming (two reasons in fact) the didn't just fly in to get captured.
And now for my own plug, I am writing a Kingdom hearts story that should be posted either later today or tomorrow. So if anyone reading is a Kingdom Hearts fan , I would appreciate it if you would check it out
