Disclaimer:

I, Aslansphoenix declare that I do not own 'Peter Pan', Neverland or anything that you find familiar. Technically some of the characters did come from my head ... but I think they belong to Neverland just as much as any canon characters.

*/*/*

Author's Note

Thank-you for your patience.

Warning – Hook has quite an evil plan.

*/*/*

"All Children Grow up Except One"

Everyone Knows about Neverland,
About the home of Peter Pan.

Second to the Right, and Straight on till Morning.
To the place between dreaming and awakening.

There are rules in Neverland
Rules that must be obeyed.

Boys forget much easier than Girls.
"No Girl can resist Peter Pan,
When he uses a specific voice."
One more thing, which is True ...
In Neverland, You learn all about You.

*/*/*

Chapter Nineteen

Angela danced across the room, but then she stopped, she paled to an ashen grey colour then she fell to the floor in pain.

*/*/*

At that exact moment, Mitchell watched in dawning horror as Captain Hook revealed his true intentions and nefarious plan. And Peter Pan collapsed into the darkening Fairy Dust.

*/*/*

After Peter was captured by the pirates

Mitchell should have been feeling pleased.

The plan for Eliza to pretend to be kidnapped to lure Peter Pan to the ship had worked perfectly. Okay so having the rail of the ship being blown off, had not been part of the plan, but everything else went well. Captain Hook had even praised Mitchell's skills in the fight. Everything was going as the Captain wanted, and Mitchell should have been feeling pleased.

But there was a nagging feeling of … something, that made Mitchell's insides twist and writhe. He couldn't get the disappointed look from Margaret when she had seen him with the Pirates … that look made Mitchell feel guilty and that made him angry. An anger he took out on the other cousin.

Mitchell had recognised George, even while looking just like the other Lost Boys. And Mitchell had remembered; not all the details, but the emotions; the jealousy, the competitiveness, the desire to make someone feel worse than Mitchell. So; he had taunted what he was sure was the truth, but the lost and confused look in the other's eyes had not been expected.

But now; they had captured Peter Pan, as per the plan and were heading up the ridges of the Neverland Mountain. Sure, the side of the ship blowing up had not been part of the plan, but they had succeeded; and Mitchell should have been thrilled.

Should have been. There was something unidentifiable … niggling in the back of his mind. Perhaps it was from the betrayed expressions of his cousins. Or maybe the memories he could still recall of before Neverland that were popping up more frequently than they had ever done.

Mitchell shook his head and tried to squash down those nagging concerns. Captain Hook was a great man and he wouldn't lead them wrong … He wouldn't. Maybe Mitchell wouldn't have felt such doubt if Peter Pan hadn't started talking to him.

Throughout the journey; Pan had behaved like the whole situation was just a game. He grinned cheekily at the pirates, mocked their voices (with absolute and terrifying perfection), and somehow successfully managed to seem like he was in control – despite being tied up and carried. In fact; the only thing about the situation that seemed to bother Pan; was that Hook had not yet tried to kill him.

Then Pan started talking to Mitchell directly. "You don't have to do this you know."

"What?"

"Whatever it is that Hook wants you to do. I know you're not really a pirate."

"You don't know anything! You don't know anything about me, or about what goes on around – like you didn't know that Eliza was faking being kidnapped …"

"Yeah she likes playing the damsel in distress doesn't she?"

"You're not surprised …"

"Course not, I already knew. Just like I know you're not really a pirate. If you were you would have attacked Mother, but you didn't. There's got to be a good guy in there somewhere. You're one of Wendy's children, so you got to be good."

Mitchell let out a scoff "Like I said – you don't know anything. I am not on of 'Wendy's children', and besides who says that Captain Hook is the villain here?"

"Wendy asked me to look after you, that makes you her child."

"You are just an idiotic boy!"

Mitchell tried to ignore Pan's incessant jabbering. He reminded himself about what the Captain had said – that Pan was a being who got inside children's heads and made them believe whatever he wanted. He tried to hold not that, used it to dismiss his own doubts about what they were doing.

*/*/*

The group arrived at where they were apparently going – at foot of the Neverland mountain. There was something like a gentle hum in the air that gave the spot an odd feeling, like it was somehow … more. The pirates were huddled together in a respectful – fearful silence. Except for Mr. Smee who didn't seem to feel the same fear, and Captain Hook who always pretended to be above his fears.

Hook glanced at the sky and allowed himself a pleased smirk. It was an almost cloudless evening with the moon in just the right position. He turned (dramatically slow), for now ignoring the immortal boy who haunted his nightmares, and instead spoke to the pawn in his plan.

"Mitchell, my boy, come stand by your Captain's side. I am very proud of you, my boy, you have done us well, and in just a little while more you will have changed the fate of children everywhere. Now tell me; what do you see?"

Mitchell hid a gulp, aware of that hook glinting at the end of the arm wrapped around his shoulder, and he looked where the hand was pointing.

"Umm, trees, a rose bush and a rock wall. Captain."

"Look closer at the wall. That is where it is apparently, but your young will see it."

Mitchell looked and then looked some more, because there was something, something that didn't look like everything else. "There's a door in the wall!"

Hook's eyes glinted with something. Something that might have maliciousness and greed, not that any of the crew would have said so. "Open it. We cannot, only children can see the door, but you lead us and will follow. Go on boy prove your worth."

Mitchell stepped forward, trying to block out Pan's "You don't have to do this." He pushed on the door; it was surprisingly light, and then stepped inside the mountain.

It was hollow. There were narrow walkways and ridges criss-crossing up and around the sides, and at the top was a hole, showing that that place was probably a volcano rather than a mountain. Though it was unlike any volcano on Earth. There was no magma or lava, instead there was what seemed to be a lake that turned into a rushing river flowing downwards.

A river of Gold.

Well not gold the metal, but gold the colour. Admittedly Mitchell thought it was liquid metal at first, until he realised that it was sparkling in away that metal never did. Hooked stepped to edge and slowly dipped his hook into the liquid. He held it up and watched as glitter trickled off.

"Pixie Dust."

His voice was soft as breeze, and in that moment; Mitchell looked at Captain Hook and saw the being that was described in the stories. He couldn't rightly say exactly what it was about the slowly standing figure with glitter dancing off his hook that scared him … but scare Mitchell it did. The group started to make their way up the ridges, as they did, Mitchell felt the courage to ask about their purpose.

"uh – Captain, Sir, what is all this?"

"Pixie, or Fairy Dust. You know what that is don't you, what allows Pan and his visitors to fly. A sprinkle of Fairy Dust, then think happy thoughts and they lift you into the air. But it is so much more than just that. You know how fairies came to be? 'When the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.'*

And if someone were to say that there is no such thing as … our little winged companions, well then somewhere a fairy always falls down dead. Because fairies exist by belief. And Pixie Dust is the physical representation of belief, of the innocence, and hopes and dreams of children.

Have you ever wondered what happens to the baby teeth taken by the Tooth Fairy? Oh, it's true; adults take the physical tooth, but the metaphorical tooth and all that it holds? That is taken by the Tooth fairy and ground up into the smallest size – into dust. That is what Pixie Dust is – all the innocence and belief from children everywhere across all the worlds.

Belief is very powerful … it can create gods and worlds and magic beyond logic. Apparently our ability to believe in stories, to be able to imagine something, and to strive to turn it into reality; is what makes us human, what makes life worth living.

Children are free to see the world through the eyes of their imaginations. Neverland is the heart of children's imagination; and Pixie Dust fuels them. An infinite loop – Children believe so Pixie Dust is created, Pixie Dust exists and so children believe.

And right at the centre of it all is the heart of Neverland – Peter Pan. Neverland reacts to his emotions, his state of being. Peter Pan exists so Neverland exists, which means Pixie Dust is around and Children believe. Children believe, so Neverland, Pixie Dust and Peter Pan all exist. A beautiful balance in the universe."

Hook reached the top of a ridge, seemingly unperturbed by the climb. His crew stood a way behind him, the only sounds they made were off heavy breathing. Even Pet had fallen silent, and he was staring at Hook as though it were his first time witnessing evil. Captain Hook turned slightly to face the group.

"But I wonder; what would happen if one of the parts was taken out of the equation?"

He reached into a pocket and pulled out a small bottle of poison (the skull and cross-bone topper gave it away). He held it out to Mitchell, who took it with hesitance.

"Now my boy, it is your time to shine. On this night, this poison poured into the River of Pixie Dust, by the hand of a child; will cause the Dust to blacken in colour and in behaviour. Belief will be destroyed, and fairies will fall. Those most connected to fairies will start to fade; starting with the most connected – Peter Pan!"

He didn't do an evil laugh, but it was close. Mitchell stared in horror – he thought they were going to break a curse … not cause one!

"I –"

"Come on lad, you wished to prove yourself as better than Pan, this is your chance." Came the whispered order of Captain Hook.

"No! you don't have to do this – it's not too late to turn around, to be a hero!" That was the yell of Peter Pan, as he struggled against the five pirates holding him.

Mitchell looked down at the bottle in his hand … it would prove himself to be the best, to be noticed, but at what cost? The hopes and dreams of innocent children, the existence of fairies, the betrayal of his family? No; no amount of power was worth any of that. He clenched the bottle tight and gripped his sword with the other hand.

"No."

Captain Hook glared at him, and Mitchell wondered how he had ever admired the man. There was no doubt that Mitchell would have died right there, had Peter not been there. With a loud crow, Peter broke one of the men's nose, and flew into the air. Hook was distracted enough for Mitchell to get away from the edge and draw his own sword. A short battle began, and Peter (still behaving like this was a game) grinned at Mitchell, as they fought side-by-side.

Mitchell thought they might have a chance to escape, and then he tripped. He threw his hands out to catch himself, only in doing so, he dropped the bottle of poison. Mitchell tried to grab it, but it rolled away to fast. He watched; in what felt like slow-motion as it reached the edge of the path, it teetered on the edge … and then it fell.

All froze; Peter and Hook were sword to sword up on a ledge above the rest. Mitchell gazed into the swirling gold as the bottle disappeared, he hoped the lid would be enough to stop leakage … but of course, Hook had loosened the lid enough before handing it to Mitchell.

The gentle rush of gold glitter slowed and from the centre of the 'lake', came a hissing noise, and a blackness started spiralling outwards. The hopes and dreams, plus the innocence and imagination; turned to despair and destruction, to pain and anxiety. Its sickness began to spread across the worlds.

In the Wendy House; Angela danced across the room, but then she stopped, she paled to an ashen grey colour then she fell to the floor in pain.

In the Lost Boys Hideout, the boys watched in fear as Tink stopped insulting them and her light dimmed dangerously.

Fairies across all of Neverland fell to the ground, not quite dead, but certainly not well.

In England, Wendy, sitting by the open window of the nursery clutched her chest as though she had been stabbed by a great pain.

And Mitchell watched in horror as Peter Pan gave a gasp and collapsed onto the ledge, as the darkening Fairy Dust surrounded him, cursing him into a sleep of nightmares.

*/*/*

End of Chapter Nineteen.

*/*/*

Author's Note:

Here this chapter ends.

Amusing fact – I almost wrote the line "that makes you her child" as 'that makes her your child', which could confuse things. I found it amusing at least.

References/where the ideas came from

Golden Pixie Dust; The Tinkerbelle movies made by Disney (I do not own).

Hook's evil plan; strongly influenced by The Hogfather written by the late great Sir Terry Pratchett (which I also do not own).

*Direct quote from Peter Pan novel.

Thanks to all readers of this story.

I thank you all for your patience.

Oh, and Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Good Luck to Everyone in 2020.

Date - Thursday 19th December 2019