Song I listened to for Chpt 100: Six Degrees of Separation by The Script

sultal's note: Guys...100 chapters. I can't believe it. So happy to have shared these characters and their story with you. Thank you.

HeartofGold7 made FANART for Chapter 27! More details below at the end of the chapter!

Chapter 100: Was It Worth It?

"MATES!" Silver bellowed, tracheal microphones projecting his voice, "TODAY! WE HAVE THE CHOSEN ONES! TODAY!" Triumphantly, Silver shook Jim's arm. "WE TAKE FANTASIA!"

The response was deafening. Ice rattled off the sails as the pirates, villains, seawitch, and mermaids roared. Jim spun about, dangling from Silver's hand like a fish on a hook. Over his shoulder, Wendy and Michael were dragged to Peter and snarled in pirate arms. Jim twisted, trying to make eye contact with Wendy.

"In that last battle – " Silver yelled, wrenching Jim about. "—in the last battle the Chosen One was against us! The Chosen One broke the Wishing Star and put it back together leaving us tormented by the demons and shadows he brought with an ill-fated wish! Aye – back luck we had – "

"—ARGH!"

"— defeat we suffered!—"

"—ARGH!"

"—and run we were by the puny little mouse and his guardians to the very nooks of Hell!"

"—ARGH! ARGH! ARGH!"

"BUT NO MORE!" Silver yelled, turning in rapid circles. "This time me maties, we have Fantasia by the throat! THIS time…we have the advantage! WE HAVE THE ENCHANTED ROSE!"

Silver turned, pointing past Jim. With an insane cackle, the Queen of Hearts lifted Belle's enchanted rose.

"The enchanted rose!" A pink petal fluttered from the sepal as Silver shouted. "The rose that wilts with Fantasia! The rose that dies as Fantasia dies!" Silver pointed to the sky. "The rose that twill tell us when the Wishing Star is broken and our battle is won!"

Jim flinched. The red mark bled over his wrist as Silver charged across the deck. His fingers twitched as the villains directed themselves apart, clearing Silver's path to Peter, Michael, and Wendy.

"WE HAVE THE CHOSEN ONE!" Silver beckoned and Wendy was ripped from Michael. "The lass with the celestial thread! The little seamstress that will unstitch the Wishing Star from the sky!"

The villains cheered, tossing Wendy back and forth. Hatred gut Jim as a pirate wrenched Wendy's head backwards and kissed her cheek.

"Stop." Jim growled beneath his breath. He clenched Silver as the pirate's tongue dug into Wendy's ear. "Tell them to fucking stop."

Silver beamed, guffawing to the sky. "WE HAVE THE CHOSEN SECOND!" he continued, pointing at Peter Pan. Peter's chains were lifted, and he was hung upside-down.

Peter wrenched, flung, and fought. But as Peter dangled, Captain Hook calmly approached, raised his hook…

"Peter!" Wendy screamed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"The boy who can fly!" Silver bellowed as Peter clamped a hand over the gash split down his skull, cheek, and pointed ear. Jim gawked – Captain Hook has severed the tip of Peter's ear completely off. He stepped forward, but Silver pushed him back. "The boy who will carry the little seamstress into the starry sky! AND…."

Jim's shoulder popped as Silver raised it into the sky. "…WE HAVE THE CHOSEN THIRD! JIM HAWKINS! The boy with Billy Bone's map! The boy that will chart the course…" Silver squeezed, letting blood gush from Jim's hand. "…to the Wishing Star!"

"LET THAT NOT STAND ALONE!" Silver continued, shaking Jim with mock congratulations. "For Maleficent tells me…that Mickey Mouse, Mickey the King…" Silver punched a fist into the sky. "…IS DEAD!"

The roar was deafening. The cries curdled clouds and scattered constellations.

Jim held his stomach. It was as if Silver had pushed a sword into his belly and through his spine. Dead. Dead. Headmaster Mickey….was dead.

Dazed, Jim shook his head. Then, his eyes met Wendy's. And the hurt he found there…almost killed him.

"'…Wen—"

"AND WHEN LADY LUCK THREW HER DICE!" Silver yelled, knocking Jim's gaze from Wendy, "She gave us a Shadow Worker! FACILIER!"

Pink, purple, green, blue flames spiraled from Facilier's fingers, filling the sails with psychedelic neon symbols and reflecting off this shadow. The display was well met by the screaming villains.

"The cards have been dealt in our favor, they have!" Silver yelled, applauding Facilier, "Yes, the Chosen Ones have escaped death – the purge of children born on the first of autumn, winter, summer, and spring! BUT, with a shadow worker on our side, we can control the Wishing Star's shadows! With a shadow worker – WE have the ADVANTAGE to TAKE FANTASIA!"

Facilier lifted his hands. Wendy's thimble twinkled on his middle finger. Jim caught his breath – Facilier could only detach his own shadow. But, with Wendy's magical thimble, he could control the shadows from the Wishing Star. All the villains had to do…

"…all we need – " Silver growled, clutching Jim to his side. Caught, Jim turned with Silver as the villains gathered tightly around them.

"All we need…" Silver repeated, leering at little Michael Darling. "…is a way for our crew te follow the Chosen Three. Te make sure the map's coordiates are read. Te make sure no escapin' spoils our plans. Te make sure that the Wishing Star is broken proper. All we need…." Silver lifted Jim. He pushed him at Michael. "…is a way for the Jolly Roger te fly."

Jim flinched. Blood smeared under his palm, over Billy Bone's map, and onto the deck. He looked up. Michael Darling stared back, shivering with fear.

Silver's shadow drowned Micheal and Jim. "Any ideas…..Hawkins?"

Baffled, Jim shook his head. Fly? Fly? How could a ship fly? It was crazy. Crazy. The only way to get a ship the size of the Jolly Roger into the air and up to the Wishing Star would take a bucket load of…

Jim froze. He looked at Michael. "Pixie dust."

Michael trembled. Recoiling from the advancing villains, he hugged his teddy bear protectively. "…no…"

Jim looked at the teddy bear. There was a cut in the side. Cotton…and something sparkly, poked out of the furry slit. Pixie dust. Michael had stored his pixie dust inside the teddy bear.

"Mike…" Jim began, one eye on Hook, Ursula, and Maleficent. Carefully, he reached for the the little boy. "Mike…it's okay. It's okay. But…give me your bear. Just for a second."

"No!" Michael scampered back, tucking the teddy bear beneath his chin. All around him, guns clicked. "No! No! Go away!"

"Mike…" Jim tried to push the urgency from his voice, but Ursula had raised the trident over her head. Crouching, he crawled faster. "Mike, listen to me. I won't hurt your bear, but you have to give me your pixie dust. You – "

"—no!" Michael kicked. Climbing to his feet, he hid Teddy Bear behind his back. A villain crept from behind, angling a cutlass at Michael's throat. "You're being bad Jim! Stop! You're being bad!"

"Michael – " Jim's heart throbbed. He couldn't breathe. Ursula grinned. The trident sparked. The villains aimed their weapons. "Michael! Give me your bear."

"—No! Wendy – "

"—Michael! Give me – "

"—Wendy!—"

"—Mich—"

"—Go away!—"

"MICHAEL!"

Jim dove. Tackling Michael in a gentle cradle, he tore the teddy bear from the little boy's hands. Without pause, Silver snatched the teddy bear, and to Michael's horror, ripped it apart.

"YES!" Captain Hook hollered over Michael's sobs. Jim watched, trying to hold Michael as Silver displayed Michael's Ziploc bag of pixie dust. "MATES! VICTORY IS OURS! ON TO THE WISHING STAR!"

The ship swerved as villains swept over them like tidal waves. Caught in the momentum, Jim clenched Michael as Silver dragged him to the main mast. In seconds, there he stood: holding Michael to his chest and solidifying the wall of villains surrounding Peter and Wendy.

"Now… Captain Hook leered as Peter took Wendy's hand. "…perhaps you have noticed, perhaps not, but you – Master Pan – have been bound to the ship."

Peter glared. He refused to glance down, but his ankles stiffened against the metal cuffs chained to the main mast. "Think they're strong enough, Codfish?"

Captain Hook's eyes flashed red. But he laughed, placing his hook on Jim's shoulder. "Amusing when they're defiant and hopeful. Hawkins – mate – tell these two children our plan."

Jim glared. But his anger was transient as Michael wriggled from his grip and buried his nose between Wendy's knees.

Quickly…" Captain Hook sneered as Wendy wrapped Michael in her arms. "…before the sun sets. Or the little mermaid dies."

Emptily, Jim turned. Wendy's head was tilted away, pressed against her brother's. But Peter met him with burning eyes.

"I…I have the map. When I open it…it will lead you to the Wishing Star. Peter…you have to fly Wendy to the Wishing Star." Jim shifted, trying to keep Ursula in his peripheral vision as the sun set. "Hold her tight. Don't let her fall."

Peter curled a lip. "Asshole."

Jim paused, but his retaliation died turning to his best friend. "Wen…Wen look at me."

Wendy did not. She stared into the sun, stroking Michael's back.

Jim blinked, forcing the tears back from wherever they came from. "Wen…take your needle. And your thread. When you get to the Wishing Star…" Jim lost his breath. Bowing his head, he forced the words from his throat. Each one felt like a knife sticking through his mouth. "…break it. Just. break. the. damn. star."

He lifted his eyes. "Got it?"

Wendy closed her eyes. Jim's heart dragged to the bottom of the sea. She would not look at him. After everything they'd been through…after everything they'd meant to each other…after…everything…

"…Wen…"

"We won't."

The villains withdrew. Hissing, they watched as Peter Pan lifted his fiery head high.

"Say your prayers. All of you. Each and every one of you black-hearted things." Black coals burned behind Peter's eyes. Without regard for his life and staring into each evil eye, he stood taller than he could ever fly. "But we are never, ever going to help you take Fantasia."

Reaching back, Peter drew Wendy forward. Blood caked over his mangled ear, he held Wendy and Michael against his side. "And never….is an awfully long time."

Captain Hook and Maleficent smiled. Statues in the vulgar reactions, they made eye contact.

Then, they looked at Jim.

"Lovely." Captain Hook turned to the sea. "Kill her."

Jim's heart stopped.

He turned. Ursula lifted the trident….and stabbed it into the ocean.

And this time…Jim heard Ariel screaming his name.

"NO!"

Tears broke through his eyes. Violent and scared and hopeless and desperately in love, Jim moved. In a single motion, he ripped Michael from Wendy's arms…and pressed a gun to his head.

"The Wishing Star." Jim shook. The gun trembled against Michael's temple. He ground his teeth to keep them from rattling. "Get. To. The. Wishing. Star…..Now."

Jim stared. Tears dripped down his hallow cheeks as Wendy stared back. Directly into his eyes.

No one spoke.

Then…

"—YOU PROMISED!"

Jim stumbled. Wendy slammed on top of him, reaching for the gun, reaching for Michael, and sobbing uncontrollably. "You promised! You promised! You promised we'd be best friends forever! You liar! YOU LIAR LIAR LIAR!"

Jim rolled. Silver's hands flashed like spiders before wrenching him upright. Jim twisted, swinging his arm, aiming the barrel, and cocking the trigger.

The gun quavered. The tip rest against Wendy's forehead.

"…Please…" Jim rasped. He couldn't see, but felt the tears stinging his eyes. "…get…back…to…Peter…now..."

Click.

"….please…Wen…"

Wendy stared. But she did not cry. Because…when a heart breaks…sometimes…it's broken beyond all hope of repair.

"You…scumbag." Voice loathing and touch gentle, Peter drew Wendy from Jim. "You scumbag. I knew you were a traitor…" Without breaking gaze, Peter lifted Wendy into his arms. "…but…I didn't think you were…evil."

Curling his arms around Wendy, Peter held the girl against his chest. "Fine. Help them take Fantasia." Pressing his forehead against Wendy's, Peter closed his eyes. "Open the map."

Jim closed his eyes. When he opened them, pixie dust glittered across the ship, and Peter had lifted Wendy into the sky.

Jim looked at the map in his hands.

Then, he looked at Long John Silver.

"Was it worth it?" he breathed, twisting the map, and unlocking the path to the Wishing Star.

sultal's announcements:

(1) HeartofGold7 is an amazing FF author. She drew a fanart picture for Chapter 27: Found Love in a Hopeless Place. It is AMAZING! To see her picture, you can (1) go to my Deviant Art page at sultal-wf (just google sultal-wf deviantart), you can go to my profile page for google plus, or you can email me (see my profile page for the address). ALSO go check out her story Call of Heaven for more Treasure Planet adventures! Also, if you have fanart and want to contribute, let me know!

(2) JIM AND WENDY PRE-STORY: The story of Jim and Wendy's first meeting before Taking Fantasia (when Wen told Ariel that the first time she met Jim, she hit him:))- it will ALL be posted on Christmas!

(3) keep writing.