Chapter 9: Soul Searching
Hook violently threw Peter down to the ground when Peter looked up he saw Casandra standing over him, he gave the woman a look of complete disdain
"So you must be the infamous devil child that the captain here thinks I should be sending to the void" Casandra said
"And you are?" Peter asked
"My name is Casandra I make sure that the realms are cleansed of evil souls"
"Then why is this one here?" Peter asked looking back Hook
"Quiet Boy" Hook said
"No let the boy speak" Casandra said "I would like to hear what he has to say about himself and about you as well" she said looking at Hook
"He is a villain" Peter said "him and his pirates they are all villains"
"That is a matter of perspective" Casandra said
"How So?" Peter asked
"Good and evil is rarely black and white boy, sure there are those who are completely evil souls and there are those who are completely good souls, but for most part there is both darkness and light"
"That is why we do not judge here unless a soul truly is that covered in darkness, but every soul has the right to find peace in the afterlife"
"This boy deserves no peace" Hook said
"That is for me to be deciding, not you" Casandra told Hook sternly, she then tried putting her hand on the side of Peter's head but Peter quickly backed away looking frightened
Hook then grabbed Peter and kept him still, Casandra then came eye to eye with him, "this will not hurt, I promise" she told him, she then put her hand on the side of his head and closed her eyes taking a look into Peter mind and soul
After jumping through the portal the rest of Peter's friend all being led by Wendy approached the cave where Casandra lived, Wendy looked in and saw a woman she had never seen before, from what Wendy could tell she looked to be from the Caribbean and she was touching the side of Peter's head almost like she was trying to read Peter's mind and Peter was being held down by Hook
"What are we going to do?" John asked
"I do not know John" Wendy said looking at her brother
"That lady is scary looking" Michael said
"And I wonder what she is doing to Peter?" Maimie said "she better not be hurting him"
Just then Casandra took her hand off of Peter and then looked at Hook, "let him go" she told him
"So what is his fate to be?" Hook asked
"I am not banishing him" Casandra said
"But you have no idea what he put us through" Smee said "Trapping us in Neverland, making us go through all those harsh winters"
"Actually you were there before he was" Casandra told him "he didn't trap you anywhere"
"And what about my hand?" Hook asked "he threw it to a crocodile"
"You reap what you sew James Hook" Casandra said "perhaps you should have been nicer to him when you first met him"
"What are you talking about?" Hook demanded
"I guess you wouldn't remember either Neverland was suppressing it or your ego was, but I looked into his soul and his memories, even the ones that the magic of the island had managed to suppress, but your little war with him was one that you started"
"I would never" Hook said offended
"You can't fool me James Hook I told you children be imitating what they see you doing, this boy would never even hurt a bug before he met you, everything that is violent about him, it all came from you and your crew"
Hook and Smee looked at each other bewildered, all of Peter's friends were also watching and listening intently, Wendy the most as she was still looking for ways to help her friend in any way she could not to mention learn more about him and what bought him to his state
"You greeted this boy with violence James Hook when all he wanted was to be a part of your crew and instead you gave him to your men to beat up, how is he suppose to respond to you after that, none of you men ever tried to show him any better, instead you just hunted him down like an animal
"He is an animal!" Hook screamed "He knows nothing of proper behavior or how to be gallant"
"A person is not born knowing those things James Hook, those are all taught and you never once bothered to teach it to him, you treated him like a dog and he responded like one and as a result a crocodile got your hand"
She then looked down at Peter "is the boy perfect, no he is not and he has done his share of bad things, but not everything was within his control, like I said good and evil rarely comes in black and white"
"Now I suggest that you be leaving my cave and let this matter go or the next soul I pass judgment on will be yours James Hook is that understood?" she said looking at Hook sternly
"Aye my lady it is?" Hook said bowing he then motioned for Smee and the two left Casandra's cave
"So I suppose that it is?" Smee asked
"Oh no Smee this is far from over" Hook said
Casandra sat in front of Peter "you all right Peter Pan" she asked him
Peter slowly started to nod his head, just then Casandra turned in the direction where everyone else was hiding
"The rest of you can come on out, I know that you are there" she said, just then Wendy followed by everyone came out from there hiding place, Wendy got down next to Peter
"He will be all right" Casandra said "His mind is just a little shaken, but it will become clear"
"Who are you?" John asked
"I am Casandra I watch over the afterlife and keep it safe from the most darkest souls"
"You mean evil?" Maimie asked
"Aye child, I banish them to a place called the void, and the good captain wanted me to send your friend there"
"So I take it Peter is not evil then" Michael said
"In terms of good and evil he is no different then any of you"
"Did Peter really want to become a pirate" John asked
"It was one of his suppressed memories" Casandra said "he has many going back a very long way, this boy has literally seen the world change and he isn't even aware of it"
"But it was not being a pirate that he wanted, the boy did not even know what a pirate was, he had lost his friend Solomon and had not had human contact since you returned to your family" she said looking at Maimie
"He was new to Neverland and just wanted someone to be around, someone human, someone grown up and like I said the good captain and his crew were less then welcoming, so no he is not evil, he was welcomed with violence and he reacted with violence, it is human nature at its truest and simplest"
"I suppose you were right after all" Wendy said touching the side of Peter's face, just then Peter had completely come to and once again reacted to Wendy's touch by quickly backing away scared
"Relax Peter Pan, the girl is trying to show you affection, she means you no harm"
Peter just looked at up at Casandra and then looked at all of his friends
"I know you do not like to be touched" Casandra said "you are afraid that everything might hurt or that someone is trying to hurt you"
"I fear nothing" Peter said
"Who you trying to fool us or yourself, stop pretending to be something you are not, try just being who you are, it is the only way you will truly find any peace"
"I do not understand" Peter said
"Yes you do Peter Pan but I shall explain it to you anyway, stop acting like you are fearless, that you have no feelings and that it was your life dream to always be a boy and have fun, and instead just be the real you"
"So what if the real you is scared of being touched because he's scared someone is going to hurt him, so what if does not trust grown ups, your parents forgot you and the pirates were not good role models how you suppose to trust them you never had any reason to"
"Are you saying that is OK?" John asked
"I am saying that nothing changes so long as you do not let people see the real you," Casandra then turned to Peter, "these are your friends your real friends, they want to help, do not be afraid of them judging you, because none of them are going to and guess what you might end up finding what you are looking for"
"I do not think it is that easy" Peter said getting up
"Nothing is easy Peter Pan and as you go on you might find many things you will not like, but just remember everything happens for a reason and now this is about finding peace with that and with yourself otherwise you will always be a restless and lost soul"
"And now that I have offered up those words of wisdom to all of you, it is time for you all to go" Casandra said
Tinkerbelle motioned the way out for everyone, Peter looked at her, "lets go" he said turning back to the others
"Thank you" Wendy said to Casandra
Casandra looked at Wendy, "I am sorry you could not help him in life, and I know you wanted to, but here he has to do in death what he never was allowed to do in life"
"What was that?" Wendy asked
"He has to face what he really is and why he really is, and he is going to need you to help him when he does"
Wendy nodded she then went and joined the others and they made there out of the cave and out of Casandra's realm
To Be Continued