Hangman's Tree was a nifty little area, one that Jack found he would enjoy, despite the somewhat small quarters. There were several areas that he could assume were various entrances and exits. The tree's roots curled and wove itself throughout the area, giving it all a natural, rugged look. The 'carpet' was made up of a soft green moss. Random objects were scattered around in no particular order, ranging from an old pocket watch to a large wooden chest filled with unknown objects.
At one end of the room was a throne-like chair, a series of smaller branches making up the chair itself. Animal furs were draped over the chair, tropical ferns and flowers decorating the parts that weren't covered. Near the chair, in a small corner overshadowed by a low hanging ceiling, was a mattress covered in more animal furs. A bed of sorts, Jack figured.
"Welcome home!" Peter chirped, spreading his arms out in a dramatic gesture. He grinned, and Jack couldn't help but smile himself.
"I'm back," he replied, jumping towards the ceiling and peering through one of the many holes. "Are all of these different ways in and out?" He asked, raising a brow as he moved across the room to look at another one.
"Yup!" The blond replied, doing a series of flips before landing with a laugh on the fur-covered bed. "So what do you wanna do?" He asked with a grin directed towards the winter spirit. "We can visit the mermaids, or maybe the Indians!" Peter exclaimed, kicking his feet in thought. "We can go on a treasure hunt and—ooh, we can go visit Tink at Pixie Hollow!"
"Pixie Hollow?"Jack asked, turning his full attention on his newfound friend now.
Peter grinned, sitting up and nodding. "Yeah! It's where all the fairies live!" He explained briefly, floating over and grabbing Jack by the hand, pulling him towards one of the larger knots in the surrounding trunk.
Jack let himself be pulled out of the tree, the two laughing as they flew easily over the island once more, hopping and skipping over trees and bewildered animals.
Pixie Hollow wasn't very far, it seemed. The tree was one of the thickest and perhaps the tallest of the fauna covering the island, an almost ethereal glow seeming to emanate from it. Jack quickly found that the glow had come from what Peter named "Pixie Dust", a substance that allowed living creatures to fly. The fairies practically emanated it, but perhaps the most fascinating part of it was that the tree itself made the dust.
Jack turned to his friend, enamored by the sight. "Is this how you fly?" He asked.
It was an innocent question really, but the distant look in Peter's eyes, as well as the soft muttering of an affirmative response said there was much more to the story. Something painful. Jack frowned, but the past was in the past, and so he dropped the subject.
Tink had found the duo almost as soon as they'd arrived, putting her hands on her hips in a sassy manner. She chimed out words in an equally emotional manner—or, Jack assumed they were words, as he couldn't actually understand it—and Peter gave her a sheepish look.
She went on for a few minutes, the winter spirit standing there in confusion the entire time. When the blonde fairy finally finished, she turned to Jack, looking at him with a brief, appraising look before flitting off into the tree for who knew what.
"What was that about?" The white-haired sprite asked, bewildered, as he turned to find Peter blushing heavily.
"None of your business!" The boy snapped, but as it was more out of embarrassment than anger, Jack couldn't get upset.
Captain James Hook watched as the blasted Peter Pan laughed, flipping through the forest in exhilaration. The action caused the man's teeth to grind, knuckles whitening from where they held him balanced against the tree. This quickly morphed into surprise as a white-haired boy—perhaps only a few years older in appearance from Pan—followed right behind, a breeze in his wake. If Hook had to guess, it was a winter sprite, which would explain the recent cool weather.
While he was curious as to why one was hanging around Neverland, he was certain the stranger would be no more than a minor discrepancy in his plans. No, perhaps even an asset.
The person hidden amongst the foliage of the jungle was a vastly different man from the one those familiar with Mrs. Wendy's stories would know. His once tall and regal figure, perfectly sculpted, was now haggard, his chest sunken and his face gaunt. His once healthy, tanned skin was pale with blood loss and illness, an almost yellow-ish color that looked sickly.
His previously illustrious, long black hair had become greasy and scraggly, streaked with gray, and his equally forlorn mustache was no longer regal but rather, overgrown. His chin was prickly with the makings of a beard. It was still intimidating, (he was once called Black Stache for a reason) but rather than the intimidation of a famous, powerful pirate, it was one more akin to that of a feral creature with little thoughts aside from violence. The red coat hung on him loosely—he'd lost his hat long ago—and the ends were frayed and tattered, stained with dirt and dried blood.
No, this was not the man most would remember, and all of it was the boy's fault. But it was no matter. Captain James Hook had been feared throughout the Seven Seas for a reason, and if it was the last thing he'd ever do, he would have his revenge upon Peter Pan.
So, I'm really sorry this took so long. I promise this has not been abandoned, but as a more minor project, it took a lot longer. Plus, I had no idea where I was going with it, being spur-of-the-moment and all. But no longer! :D I've got the layout of the entire story done now, so hopefully I'll finish it before the end of the year. It'll be around 12 chapters long, give or take.
