Chapter 93: The Chosen Two

Silver threw Jim. Unable to maintain balance, Jim ran three steps before tumbling into the captain's cabin. Wack! Dark gold things smashed. Jim turned and tripped over the treasure. Around him, dark figures bundled together, laughing and clearing a path for the cyborg.

Razed of all restraint, Jim tore upright. He was furious, livid, uncontrolled.

He charged. He attacked.

Had not the pirates reached him first, Jim would have killed Silver.

"Easy!" An infuriating croon decorated Silver's voice. Polishing Billy Bone's map over his heart, Silver ruffled Jim's hair. "Easy now Jimbo! Easy! Can't have those manners in the presence of Fantasia's most fearsome cap'n. Now can we?"

"Get off!" Bound by four pirates, Jim thrashed, throwing Silver's hand from his head. "Get the fuck off of me!"

"Manners!" repeated Silver, tossing the map lightly in an arc over his head. The smile on his face widened as candles were lit, one by one. "Lest ye displease the elegant Cap'n Hook."

Jim responded by biting the closest pirate's neck.

"ARGH! Bloodly little – "

"Stick 'im one!"

"Slice 'im!"

"Tear his gizzard out!"

"Pop his jugulars!"

"Rip his tongue – "

Jim buckled as the pirates clawed. All at once firsts slammed into his face, breaking his nose, lips, and skin. A stone-sized fist crushed into his stomach. Breathless, Jim doubled over, jacket ripping up his back.

Belle's enchanted rose slipped from his pocket and fell to the floor.

"And now!"

Jim's neck cracked. His head snapped back by a fistful of hair.

"And now!" said the pirate, rearing back his club. Jim's eyes widened as it swung into his face. "And now we push his skull in!"

BANG.

"Hold him still."

Jim breathed. The pirate squeezed his hair, extending his neck until the skin started to split.

Slowly, Jim heard footsteps. Delicate, purposeful footsteps that gouged his ears like a needle.

Then, he saw the hook.

"The cyborg's pet."

Jim held his breath. The captain placed the hook against his throat. Saliva and sweat collected behind his tongue. Jim hacked, trying not to swallow. Half a gasp escaped. His skin tensed under the hook's sharp point.

Jim dared not move. But, as the ship waved, the candles slid, throwing the captain into dim, dirty light.

Jim couldn't see much.

But he could see the captain looking at him

Straight at him.

Then spotting the enchanted rose, the captain moved. The hook drew blood.

Jim growled. Billy Bones had warned him. He had warned him! Beware of the man with the metal hand. But he hadn't been talking about Silver. He'd been talking about this pirate.

Captain Hook.

"Where…" Captain Hook shifted, hook still angled against Jim's throat. Intrigued, he held up the enchanted rose, twirling the stem between his fingers. "Where did you get this?"

Jim spit. Blood trickled down his neck and over his collar bone. "Where is Wendy?"

Captain Hook was still, all except his eyes. His eyes flashed red then returned blue, like a candle that is lit and extinguished all in one moment.

Calmly, the pirate wiped his cheek.

"Who?"

A flicker of smiles passed through the pirates. She's here. Jim thought. They know who I'm talking about. She's here.

Furiously, Jim dragged against the pirates. "You know who, shithead! The shadow worker! The one that's going to slaughter you when I –"

"—rescue her? Save her? Set her free?"

Captain Hook leaned forward. Reaching into his breast pocket, he held three objects under Jim's nose.

A needle. A spool of thread. A silver thimble on a chain.

Captain Hook snapped his fist close. "How?" he hissed before leaving Jim's side.

"Hook!" Jim twisted, trying to maintain sight of Captain Hook. Far in a dark corner he saw Silver, watching with a red eye. "HOOK! If you've hurt her – "

"—that," responded Captain Hook, dropping the spool, needle, and thimble into an obsidian chest. "—is entirely up to you, Jim Hawkins."

"Oh yes." Captain Hook raised the enchanted rose. The soft, pink glow wilted in the light of the Wishing Star. "Yes…we know your name. Much thanks to master cyborg."

"Don't act surprised." Captain Hook continued. Pacing across the room, he watched Jim over the enchanted rose. "Mister Silver has been reporting to me ever since Billy Bones dropped his sorry hide from outer-space. Ever since the Wishing Star appeared in the sky. Ever since the mouse had you – and your filthy little classmates – pick from the Magic Bag of Tricks."

The ship dipped. Starlight poured into the cabin, slicing light over the villainous gathering. In their midst Jim saw a sea witch, her octopi tentacles groping imaginary throats.

"The Magic Bag of Tricks. Goodness. Most amusing." Captain Hook blew across the enchanted rose. "Mindless pubescents selecting the most powerful gifts in all space and time. Lovely. Tis always been the mouse's weakness – launching his secret schemes without divulging to those directly involved."

"Oh but Captain…"drawled the sea witch, "it played nicely to our advantage. Perfectly nicely."

"Quite." agreed Captain Hook, pausing as the pirates laughed. "Quite. With no one – save you, Jim Hawkins – on the suspicion, the Chosen One fell right into our hands."

"Chosen One?" Jim stared as Captain Hook returned to the obsidian chest. "Who? Who is the Chosen One?"

Captain Hook paused. A petal slipped from the enchanted rose's sepal as he retrieved the needle from the obsidian chest.

Jim stared.

"Wendy." he breathed. "Wendy. You think the Chosen One…is Wendy."

Captain Hook smiled. He turned the needle in the starlight.

"Twinkle, twinkle little star,

Darned to whole with loose threaded scar…"

Pausing to turn, Captain Hook held Wendy's needle before Jim. "Darned to whole…imagine…sewing instruments that stitch and tear shadows from people's souls. And…in the same token…tear the stitches holding the Wishing Star together. Setting the shadows free."

Jim couldn't believe it. He stared at the needle.

Silver cleared his throat. But Captain Hook interrupted.

"All that time…All that worry…All the pain and suffering to hide the Chosen One from me…" Captain Hook hissed, pointing the needle at Jim. "…and she was right under your nose!"

Jim recoiled. He was stunned, but not enough to withdraw from a fight.

"Took you long enough." he snarled, throwing a glance at Silver. "Some spy."

Silver stepped forward. "Capn—"

"—I don't deny it." Captain Hook said, flicking away the needle. "Truth be known by sea and stars, I should have killed her long ago! Blasted! Then all these adolescent unpleasantries could have been avoided!"

Jim jerked his shoulders. The pirates clamped his forearms together. "What the Hell are you talking about?"

Captain Hook narrowed his gaze. "You don't know? Have never you seen her worst memory? The one provoked by shadows? No? Well. Interesting. Tell me…."

Crouching, Captain Hook lowered his voice. "Did you ever wonder how her mother died?"

Jim was taken aback. But despite the question's disconnect, Jim suddenly realized that he did. He did wonder, once long ago, how Wendy's mother had died. But Wendy never explained. Never trusted him with that truth.

Jim looked up, trying to grimace the wonder from his face.

But when Captain Hook spoke, he was horrified.

"I killed Wendy's mother."

For a moment, Jim was too paralyzed and confused to speak. When he did, his voice was full of gravel. "…you what?"

"Me. I. Myself. Killed Wendy's mother." Captain Hook's face darkened. "Although, I meant the death to be Wendy's. Blasted martyrous woman! The death should have been Wendy's!"

Seething in his memory, Captain Hook struck the air. The pirates flinched as he cursed. "Long ago the Prophesy unearthed! It filled the air! And sailing the seas, we heard the sound on the wind before all other on land! Twinkle, twinkle little star, Then is near, future is far. To stall evil and star mend, Past must be present again."

The pirates shifted as the Prophesy's last stanza lingered eerily.

"We heard The Prophesy first, and we knew what it meant! Past must be present again! We knew that the Wishing Star would break and that the Chosen One had been born! Twas the way thousands of years ago – with the birth of the last Chosen One; the Fantasian King! The king with the power to break and mend the Wishing Star! And we had to assume – as last time – if the Chosen One was pulled into the powers of light…then we…the powers of darkness…would be ruined."

"We had little time." Captain Hook continued, striding to the window. Starlight shimmered across his face like ripples in the sea. "We knew our task: Kill the Chosen One."

Jim's stomach lurched. "Kill? Why?"

"Because…." Snarled Captain Hook, grinding starlight between his fingers. "…because the powers of darkness – myself, mistress sea witch, Maleficent, etcetera – were still healing from the last battle, thousands of years ago. And it is far easier to wage war on Fantasia without wondering which side has the Chosen One. So…if we could kill anyone and everyone that could be the Chosen One…then at least the mouse wouldn't have her – and the Wishing Star – on his side."

"But!" Captain Hook said, "Now that we have the Chosen One, and know her identity, the strategy has changed."

Jim shook his head. "But why kill?" he asked, pulling against the pirates. "Why did you have to kill Wendy? Why not just take her?"

Captain Hook glared. "Fool. We knew the Chosen One had been born. But we did not know the identity! Think! Did that mouse teach you nothing? The Chosen One's identity is secret except for one detail – born on the first."

To Jim's confusion, Captain Hook struck the glass. "Fool! Fool! The Prophecy! The Prophecy reveals when the Chosen One was born!" Impatiently, Hook recited the stanza.

"Twinkle, twinkle little star

Find your guardian and ours.

Four seasons turn, all are cursed,

Choose the one born on the first!"

Jim shook his head. "First of what? That could be anyone—"

"First—" The pistol on Captain Hook's belt gleamed in the starlight as he crossed the room. "—of the season. Four seasons turn, all are cursed. Find the one born on the—"

"—first!" Jim snarled. He lunged at Hook, toes sliding as the pirates pulled. "First! First! You've got the wrong girl! Wendy wasn't born on the first of anything! Her birthday's September –"

"—twenty first." whispered Captain Hook, an evil glint in his glare. "The autumnal equinox. The first…of the season."

Jim opened his mouth. Then he was silent. Very, very silent.

"We hunted Fantasia. We killed them all. Every child, every boy, every girl born on the first of the season – Spring Equinox, March 21st. Summer Solstice, June 21st. Autumnal Equinox, September 21st. And Winder Solstice, December 21st."

Pausing, Captain Hook leered at Jim's bent head. The boy had given up.

"We killed them all…all but one. Thanks to Wendy Darling's blessed mother. And now…" Turning, Captain Hook let the needle twinkle in the starlight. "Now…we have the Chosen One. The last child…born on a seasonal first."

Silence. Then…

"..not quite."

Eyes heavy with hatred, Jim lifted his head. The shadow across his eyes faded in the light of the Wishing Star. "I was born December 21st. Asshole."