Chapter Eighteen – Peter's Imprisonment, Part 2

"You're getting to be as tall as me," Shade said, amused, as he watched Peter eat his lunch.

Peter decided to ignore the comment. Better not to get a fight started with him – Shade always managed to turn it around and make Peter look and feel bad.

It had been four years since Peter's kidnapping, and though he was accustomed to the way things were, he grew tired of it, longing to go outside. Shade had decided to allow him to practice fencing for exercise, but Peter was forbidden from leaving the room – it was not even an option to think about. "Just like that girl with the long hair Wendy would tell us about…Rapunzel, was it?"

"So, Peter, anything you want to do tonight?" Shade asked, leaning back in his seat.

Peter shrugged. "I wish I could go out and breathe real air."

His face fell for a moment but the cheery smile quickly came back. "Now, Peter, you know you can't…"

"Why?" Peter asked, already knowing the answer. He frowned at the man, and the man frowned back.

"Because you'd leave," he said at last.

Peter pushed his plate away, heaving a heavy sigh. "Can you blame me? I've been in here for years, like a dog in a pound. You treat me like a prisoner-"

"Have I treated you badly?" the man snapped, becoming easily frustrated. "Have I done such terrible things to you?"

"You lied to me, drugged me, locked me up in a room, and won't let me even go to the next room to look out the window at least," Peter counted off on his fingers. "You made me grow up, the thing I despise most."

"Is it really so terrible, growing up?" Shade pressed on, raising an eyebrow.

Peter's eyes locked with his, and for a brief instant, he could see just how old and tired this man was. The magic kept him youthful and strong, but he had dealt with so much, not to mention he was constantly battling the evil entity within himself. "Maybe…maybe growing up wouldn't be so terrible," Peter admitted. When a smile began to grow on the man's face, Peter added, "But this isn't exactly the best way to get a child to see that. And without me, the island isn't well…it's kind of in a frozen state until I get back, and I can't be gone forever."

Shade's face darkened at once, a white shimmer appearing in his eyes. "So…you still wish to go back?"

Peter nodded, firm in his decision, crossing his arms over his chest. "The more you keep me in here, the angrier I am with you…" Truly, Peter had come to pity him. Perhaps it was part of growing up, but he saw that the man who was his father wasn't so terrible…but that did not change what he did and who he had become. "Tink must be worried sick-"

"That fairy of yours didn't bother looking for you. Otherwise, she would have been here by now," Shade sneered.

"Then that's not the Tink I know," Peter sniffed, looking away. "I need her, and she needs me. And the same goes for Neverland-"

"DAMMIT, PETER!" Shade exploded, the rolling black smoke rolling off of him as he stood before the boy. Peter did not budge or flinch from his seat, raising an eyebrow at the creature. "YOU'RE MY SON – PETER DAVID FULLER! PETER PAN IS NOT REAL!"

Peter looked at him with pitiful, sad green eyes and shook his head. "Then I'm not really real. I'm just a shell of the boy you wanted."

Anger and frustration contorted Shade's face as he gave a bellow. Stalking off, he exited the room, leaving Peter inside. Pausing, he looked at his book of spells, glanced out the window, and then, back at Peter. Peter frowned at the way Shade looked at him, almost as if he were scheming something. The smoke around him vanished and left the room, fixing his tie.

Plopping onto the bed, Peter huffed, stuffing his face into the pillow. "I can't take this much longer…"

Shade had to inhale deeply as he exited the room that kept his son and book. Peter was getting more and more infuriating each year, just as stubborn and resolute as when he was a child. He didn't fight or snap as he used to, but his mind hadn't changed. He had thought that if Peter had gotten used to him and learned about how life could be, he would surely give in, if not forget about Neverland. But it was no use – no matter what he did, Peter insisted on being let out, to be free as he once had been. He couldn't understand why on earth Peter would want to go back to a bunch of dim-witted fairy tales…fairies died all the time, right? So what if he had his own precious little fairy? And the pirate captain…Hook…Shade gritted his teeth as he entered his home once more, the window showing him the cemetery outside. Captain Hook was nothing more than an old bully, a pedophile! Why else would he stay in Neverland and chase his son around?

The fairy business truly had him riled, however. For the past four years, he'd kept a special spell on the house, one that would deter fairies away from the place. He had to renew it every year, otherwise, the fairies would be able to sense Peter's presence. If Peter truly was as close to the fairies as he claimed to be, then if the spell was gone for even a day, the little blighters would be all over the building! For just in case, he'd bought a rather ruthless, fat Persian cat, so that if any fairy did get too close, the feline would have a tasty snack.

As the sun lowered in the sky, turning the late afternoon into evening, a thought occurred to him.

"He believes Tinker Bell will find him…if I weaken the spell on the house, surely, she'll be the first to come. And if Peter sees that she is no more…"A wicked, greedy grin grew on his face as he gazed at the tombstones across the street. "Then he will have no need to go back to Neverland…"

Flameburst darted through the air, her wings glistening in the red-orange light of the setting sun. Sniffing the air, she hopped she could find some tasty morsel to munch on. Human food fascinated her, and she couldn't get enough of it.

"Flame, you're not looking for more chips, are you?"

With a groan, the little fairy looked over her shoulder to see her elder brother smirking at her from behind.

"Quiet, Blue Falls, I'm sniffing," she scoffed, taking deep breaths of the air . "I was hoping for a freshly baked pretzel this time, actually."

Her brother shook his head at her but smiled. "Perhaps we could bring some back for Tinker Bell."

Flameburst glanced over at the boy fairy, noticing how sober he became. "I know you're worried about here, but there's nothing we can do. She's searched Neverland, Kensington, London, and all the surrounding areas hundreds of times. It's been four years since Peter Pan vanished…maybe it's time to give up."

"You know she'd never do that," Blue Falls frowned. "After everything they've been through together…she's his fairy. There's got to be something else going on that we don't know about…" As they flitted past a grim cemetery, the two fairies stopped midair, both catching a whiff of something strange.

"Do you…smell that?" Blue Falls whispered, his eyes falling upon a house just across the street, the window cracked open.

"Sure do! Chili!" Flameburst squealed in delight, heading for the window.

"No, wait!" he cried, growling in frustration as she vanished. Huffing, he took off for the house as well, but instead of following his sister into the kitchen, he went around the back wall, constantly sniffing the air. Touching the stones, he concentrated on the cracks towards the bottom rocks, closest to the grass. That smell…it was of a person who knew and lived for adventure, who laughed and cried all at once and forgot about it in seconds, the smell of a person…a child…who knew and lived and loved fairies… "Peter Pan," Blue Falls though to himself, hope flickering in his eyes. He'd never actually met the boy – it was only through Tinker Bell's accounts that he knew anything at all. But the scent was so distinct, he knew it had to be something or someone important in this house.

He was so engrossed in his task that he barely noticed a shadow looming over him. It wasn't until he heard a low growl that he paused to look around. His eyes widened in horror, a gasp escaping his mouth, he shot up into the air, just in time before a cat's malicious claws could pierce him.

"Go away!" he shouted, searching for a hiding place in the wall. "Shoo!"

The cat seemed to disregard all he said, pouncing constantly after him. At last, he caught sight of a tiny nook, and heading forth full speed ahead he slide through the opening in the wall, the cat banging his nose against the rocks and yelping in pain.

Scurrying further and deeper into the opening, he collapsed at last and gasped for breath. Wiping his hand over his forehead, he sighed in relief, taking another deep breath to calm down. When he did, the scent of the magical person filled him, even stronger than before. Brows furrowed, perplexed, he crawled forward on hands and knees, his wings tucked to his back. Using only his nose and judgment, he turned many corners, flew up several passages, and squeezed his way through tight areas until, at last, the smell was so strong, both of good AND bad magic, that he knew he'd found something.

Up ahead, a beam of light shone through a hole. Silently, he made his way. Upon arriving he carefully peeked out of the hole and looked around.

It was such a strange room, three walls of stone and mortar, one of cement with a door that had no handle and a glass window looking out into another room. There was a room sectioned off within this room, a desk, some flat black object against a wall, and a cot. On the cot was person, a teenaged boy of about fifteen or sixteen perhaps, whistling a fairy tune as he stared at the ceiling. His eyes were a vibrant green hue, his hair brown like the earth, and the strange but wonderful scent Blue Falls had smelled seemed to flowing from his being. There was something strange and wonderful about this boy, and when the young man sensed he was being watched and looked around, he could see the child-like curiosity in his gaze.

"Peter Pan!" Blue Falls gasped, covering his mouth in amazement.

At the mention of his name, Peter's eyes went to the hole, seeing a sparkling face peeping out from it. His jaw dropped for a moment before his eyes lit up, smile stretching on his lips. "Tink?!" he asked softly, for fear that Shade may walk back in at any moment.

The fairy shook his head, looking about before entering the room. "No, I'm Blue Falls," he said, bowing to Peter, who returned the bow at once. "But I'm friends with Tinker Bell. She's been searching for you everywhere!"

"She has?!" Peter asked, gleeful. He knew his fairy wouldn't have given up on him so easily. "Poor Tink, she must've been worried sick. Where am I, anyways?"

"You don't know where you've been these past few years?" the blue fairy asked incredulously. "It's a stone house just across a cemetery, not too far from Kensington Gardens."

Peter's eyes widened, narrowing at once as fury filled him. "I was this close to Kensington all this time…? No wonder he wouldn't let me near the window."

"Who?" asked Blue Falls, cocking his head when they heard steps coming from the door of the other room.

"Hide!" Peter hissed, watching the fairy dart for one of his sweatpants' pockets. Plopping back down on the bed, Peter pretended to read one of his books as Shade entered the room, a tray of steaming food prepared for dinner.

"I made chili," he said, entering the boy's quarters. The door tapped against its frame, but did not close all the way. Peter bit back a frown – it wasn't like Shade to forget about shutting and locking the door once he was in.

"Hmm," Peter nodded, pretending to be absorbed in the book.

"Better eat now while it's hot," Shade urged him.

Sighing, Peter set the book down and went to his desk, complying.

"I have a little surprise for you, Peter," the man said suddenly, looking very pleased with himself.

"Huh?" Peter asked, his mouth full of food.

"You've got a visitor," Shade said, his tone condescending. Sticking his hand into his pocket, he grinned as he pulled forth a sparkling red light. If you looked closely, you could see it wasn't just a light, but a person.

"What-?!" Peter gasped, coughing on his food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Peter. It's not polite," Shade chuckled darkly. "Won't you say 'hello' to Tinker Bell?"

"Tink?" Peter asked, gawking at the struggling fairy. He could tell at once that it was NOT his fairy, but he sensed Blue Falls's anger from his pocket so he knew that she was important. Keeping up the act, he jumped to his feet, noticing how the smoky wall reconstructed itself around Shade. "What're you doing?!" he demanded.

"I tried to be a good father, I tried," snapped the dark creature forming in place of the man. "All you care about is this damn fairy. If I have to remove her in order to be the only person you've got, so be it."

The voice came out as a rumbling hiss, his eyes glowing white and slanted as he cackled. Peter watched in disbelief, terror filling him as he watched the man open his gaping mouth and begin to suck the air around the frightened fairy.

"NO!" Peter cried, seeing how the poor female sprite gasped for air, tears streaming down her face as she gripped her throat, staring into Shade's mouth. "Don't kill her!" Peter shouted, slamming his frame against the smoky wall, but to no avail. A cold feeling filled him as he watched the fairy's wings flit weakly, her eyes closing.

"Flameburst…!" he heard Blue Falls weep, his tiny fairy body shaking with sobs against his side.

All at once, anger, fear, hope, determination, and courage filled him. A cry escaped his mouth as he ran back to the smoke barrier, his fist raised…his eyes glowing gold…

The moment Peter's fist came in contact with the barrier, Shade's eyes went wide with pain. The barrier vanished and Peter's arm came to hit the monster's stomach, causing him to double over in agony, his breath knocked out of him. His hand went slack and the fairy fell to the floor. All this had happened in a blur, and when Peter pulled his arm back and took note of what had happened, his eyes went huge with shock.

"What…what happened? Where did all that power come from?!" he thought, staring at his hand in awe. All he knew was that he wanted to save Flameburst, that he wanted to stop Shade…he willed himself to stop him.

As Shade was recovering and Peter was frozen, Blue Falls peeked out from his hiding place, his tearful eyes on his sister. He gasped when he saw her twitch, her eyelids fluttering. "Sis," he whispered.

This snapped Peter out of his trance. Kneeling down, he gathered the fairy into his hand and stroked her hair. "Are you ok?" he asked softly, seeing her sneeze and stretch.

"Ugh…that was a nightmare!" she wheezed.

"How…?"

Spinning around, Peter saw Shade get his footing again, raising his eyes so that his furious gaze was on the boy. "How did you…? How…how DARE YOU?!"

"FLY!" Peter yelled, tossing Flameburst towards the door. "GET OUT FAST!" She barely managed to do so just as Shade lunged past her. Giving a breath of relief, she looked back and gasped in horror. Blue Falls gaped as Shade pinned Peter back against the wall, hissing in contempt.

"You ungrateful, insolent brat! If it weren't for the fact that you remind me so much of Agatha, I would've found ways to make you forget about your stupid childhood fantasies ages ago!" snarled the monster.

As its fingers curled tightly around Peter's neck, Peter squinted into the monster's eyes, unafraid. "That shade thing really does have full control of you, huh?" He gave it a pitying look, only serving to infuriate it more. The cautious caring man had already given in to the darkness within him – there was no telling when or if he would snap back to his old self.

"Prepare to die," he said, opening his mouth and starting the process again.

Peter smiled fearlessly. "To die would be an awfully big adventure."

Flameburst and Blue Falls exchanged glances, nodded, and darted out together. As once, they aimed for the monsters eyes and blinded it. The monster howled, falling back and releasing his victim for the second time. Spinning around the creature, they covered him with their own dust. Flameburst threw her fairy dust over his frame and with a mighty clap of her hands, his back became covered in flames. Blue Falls, meanwhile created a drop of water in his hands and tossed it for Shade's open mouth. It instantly became a thick stream of liquid, traveling down into the creature's throat in order to suffocate it. Peter watched, amazed and inspired, but noticed how Shade, though weak, was still fighting back.

"GO!" he ordered them. "NOW!"

Blue Falls looked back to him, filled with fear and uncertainty for the boy when he caught a mischievous glimmer in Peter's eyes. At once, the fairy knew what to do. Grabbing his sister, he made a break for the cracked door and flew out of the house.

Peter remained where he was, catching his breath against the wall. He trusted that the fairies would know the way out…and the way back.

Slowly, Shade transformed back into his human shape, though the black smoke wafted off of him. "Peter…" he gasped. He could see his father returning, the darkness receding for the time being. "Peter…I'm so sorry," he coughed, his eyes flickering from black to white. "Are you-?"

"Fine," he said, yanking the man to his feet. Turning away, he sat back on the bed and closed his eyes. "I'm tired."

Shade blinked few times, stunned at his behavior, then trudged out of the room, locking the door behind him. Looking down at the book, he felt shame and humiliation fill him. Peter was stronger than he thought him to be…his will…his desire to protect the fairies was so great that it weakened him.

"So it's true…he cares more about them than me…" Looking out the window, he could see the stars coming out, one in particular twinkling star catching his attention. The dark anger flared within him as a wicked thought came to mind. "Fine…so Tinker Bell got away…that doesn't mean I can't destroy Neverland and its inhabitant…"