Mainland Time: July 15, 1957
Izzy POV
One time Peter Pan said that exploring was like an endless journey, and tonight, under the starry sky of Neverland, I can't help but believe in the truth of his words. It's been a month since the boys rebuilt our hideout on Pirate Island after I apparently demolished it, and the hot July night came over us. I rolled over in the newly-sheeted bed to see Jake, Cubby, and Skully in their own sound asleep, snoring as loud as ever. Well, that was boys for you. I couldn't help but giggle. I rolled on my back and exhaled heavily. My pillow and sheet were both very warm and it being the middle of summer didn't help in the slightest. I just couldn't get to sleep tonight.
But then an idea popped into my mind. With a hint of nervous excitement, I then slipped out of bed. I grabbed my pixie dust off a hook I had placed it on and threw it around my neck. Something told me I would need it tonight. I quietly tiptoed past my slumbering companions, afraid they might awaken and catch me in my quiet escape. Fortunately, things were gonna work in my favor tonight (for once) and I made it outside undetected. I met the beach that had been awaiting me for a while. It was bathed in the gentle glow of the moonlight. I walked alone, feeling the cool breeze of the sea. A nice contrast from the sweltering summer heat. As I gazed at the stars above, I can't help but reflect on everything that has transpired. The adventure, the joy, the pain, the sorrow, the relief—all of it is now just a part of our young never ending lives.
My left leg, that had been injured for so painfully long, is now free to carry me across the shore and wherever I wanted to go. After weeks of practice, I could walk normally. Even run! I took a moment to appreciate the clear water as my eyes had quickly healed up too. Well enough to catch a glimpse of my reflection: The pink pirate blouse and bandana with purple pants (that over the weeks I had crafted back together) and shiny red boots (that the ladies of Neverland had re-gifted me with) is a big contrast to Morgan's ugly attire.
A smile graces my lips as I revel in the familiarity of my old looks—tan skin, light brown hair, and a short stature. Yet, as I stand here under the starlight, I can't ignore the changes that have come with the passage of time. I've grown older and my body has taken on curves, a testament to the path of womanhood that I would never fully complete as long as I stayed in Neverland to never grow up. It's a strange feeling, and I don't quite know how to navigate it. But as I stared into the glowing sea even longer, I understood that self discovery was a form of exploring. And then an idea dawned on me
Reaching into my pouch of pixie dust, I feel the familiar, magical warmth beneath my fingertips. With a sprinkle over my shoulders, I watch as the luminous dust shimmers and glistens, casting a radiant glow around me and the tips of my red boots left the sandy shore. At that moment, I took flight. I leap into the air, and I let out the most childish laughter ever as the ground drops away beneath me. I soar into the night sky like a rocket, the world beneath me shrinking. Pirate Island looked like a little floating leaf as I flew higher and higher. I had to be over a hundred feet in the air. The cool wind ruffled my hair into a tangled mess but I didn't care. The stars glimmered and shined like a fish net that was made up of nothing but diamonds sewn together. I haven't felt this free in so, so very long that I had forgotten what it was like. But now I remember. Every twist and turn I made was a dance with the constellations, and the sheer joy of flight fills my heart.
I decided to test the limits of this re-discovered freedom. Shooting up into the sky with incredible speed, I ascend until Pirate Island becomes a mere dot below. The Neversea glowed beneath me like a pool of liquid stardust. With a daring free fall, I plunged toward the luminous waters, the thrill of the descent making me feel like I had just chugged three pints of ice cream. At the last moment, I pull up, ascending once more into the night sky. The rush of the wind, the sparkling of the stars, and the endlessness of the horizon just made me want to fly higher and higher above the clouds. I was so high up that it felt as if I could reach out and touch the stars. Their glow was so beautiful that for a moment, I forgot about all the trials and all the supposed pain I had caused. This right here was one of the happiest moments of my life and nothing could change that…I thought.
As I soared further through the night sky, feeling the magic of flight coursing through me, a sudden burst of bright yellow light caught my attention. It buzzed towards me like a firefly, growing brighter until it was right in my face. Blinking against the brilliance, I soon recognized the figure of a fairy, her blonde hair shimmering, her skin a flawless golden, and her dress made of delicate green leaves. It was Tinkerbell. She hovered in front of me, her blue eyes fixated on mine. Her speech came out as jingling sounds, but her expressive hand motions were clear.
"Go back to bed!" is what it looked like she was trying to say as she pointed down at pirate island. She pointed to me and then gripped her leg as if it were in pain, signaling that she thought my leg was still broken. I guess Peter must've filled her in on everything that happened. We hadn't seen him since he returned to Neverland last month.
Concern etched across Tink's tiny face as she gestured for me to get back to sleep, her wings fluttering with urgency. She pointed at me and then to the hideout again, demanding I get back. However, my rebellious spirit kicked in, and I shook my head, insisting that I was fine. Tinkerbell persisted, her determined signs indicating that she feared I might get hurt again. But I couldn't resist the thrill of the night sky, the freedom of flight, and the joy that wrapped around me like a warm embrace.
"Aw Tink, I'm tired of bed! I wanna get out for once!" I giggled as I then flew a few feet away from her. Tinkerbell, seemingly realizing that persuading me was futile, gave up her attempts to convince me to return to bed. Instead, she surprised me by joining in the flight, her tiny wings buzzing with excitement. Together, we soared through the skies of Neverland and through the boundless wonders that stretched out before us.
As Tinkerbell and I continued our joyful flight through the star-studded sky of Neverland, an idea sparked in my mind. With a mischievous glint in my eye, I turned to the glowing ball of light.
"Hey tink! What if I told you that a really long time ago I did a little 'exploring of the lands beyond the Nevereseas' of my own?" The fairy stared at me blankly. She then did an imitation of Peter and looked at me in confusion after. It took a while for me to realize what she meant but I then caught on. "Oh of course not where Jake and Peter went to explore! It's way way further away! It's a…a much different direction. In Fact it's the complete opposite of where they went. I don't even know if it's even a part of our Neverland universe, but I do know that you don't need to be a legend to get there!"
This magical place, hidden from the usual hustle and bustle of Neverland, was a secret location only known only to a few. It was a place of dead silence during the day, completely still, yet by night, it transformed into a bright, vibrant wonderland. I described it to Tinkerbell with animated gestures and excited expressions. "It's a place of enchantment," I said. "Where mermaids and other Neverland ladies sneak off every once in a while. Imagine it Tinkerbell! Glowing steaming hot springs, lagoons, fireworks lighting up the night sky, waterfalls, and fountains that dance with magical lights. There are flowers that bloom in every color of the rainbow! And, oh, there are peaks where you can stare at the stars all night long!" Tinkerbell's eyes sparkled with interest as she absorbed my description. Her silent nods indicated her curiosity and willingness to come along.
"I haven't been back in years. I sure do hope I remember the way," I said, rubbing my chin. The blonde fairy quickly stopped in mid air, looking concerned. "What?" I asked her. She pointed at the moon , indicating that it would be gone soon and replaced by the daylight. "Aw don't worry! It only takes three hours to fly there! We'll be back by morning…I think," Tink didn't seem too convinced. I smirked. "Well you can stay if you want Tinkerbell! But you're missing out!" I said confidently as I flew past her. The blonde fairy quickly left her worry behind and caught up to me.
I dove down towards the water and began dragging it with my hand, creating a white, bubbly tail behind it and then eventually shooting up again. As the wind whistled past us and the stars became our companions in the night sky, I couldn't help but reflect on the journey that had brought me here. Over the years, I had learned the value of friendship, the strength that came from facing challenges head-on. But the before and the after had taught me something as well. One of the first things I had ever learned about growing up is that it is not fair. It was not meant to be fair and it will never be fair. And that is why I came to Neverland. But that did not truly solve all my problems because more awaited me here. Bad things were going to happen no matter what and sometimes (oh who am I kidding? Most of the time!) we cannot control them. We can only control how we tolerate them. It's all just a single part of this wonderful and miserable thing we call life. It may have taken me fifty years to realize this but better late than never. I glanced over my shoulder to look at pirate island one last time. I thought of Jake and smiled. And then of Cubby and Skully. It was a great feeling to know that they were all right where they belonged. They would be there all night and they would be there as long as the world went 'round. But as for me, right now I was on my way to paradise. And something else although I didn't know.
"And uhm..Tink..another thing," I began. "Ever wonder how far the horizon really goes?"
After leaving the enchanted paradise behind, which I sure needed to make more visits to, Tinkerbell quickly rushed back to Neverland, explaining her little wings could only carry her so far. After promising to not tell Peter what I was doing, her light quickly faded away into the stars. I, however, continued my journey through the night sky, exploring the unknown. As I soared in the opposite direction of Jake and Peter Pan's past explorations, I spotted a cluster of islands in the distance. The curiosity ignited within me, prompting me to venture towards these new lands. As I drew closer, the islands revealed themselves to be nothing like what I was used to. It looked so...less magical and more...serious?
I descended onto a small isolated section of an island with a quaint beach house resting peacefully. The surroundings were serene, and the air held a distinct warmth. The realization struck me – I had ventured far beyond the realms of Neverland and into the unfamiliar territories of...of the real world! But that shock was nothing compared to what was coming up next. I looked around. This place specifically was really not all that different from pirate island. There were palm trees, beaches, all under a beautiful clear moonlit night. However it was complete deserted…at first
As I further approached the beachouse, out came a man, a woman and seven or eight children, all with dark hair and sunkissed skin and their expressions a mix of confusion and curiosity. I felt like an alien in a foreign land. These locals were bewildered by my unconventional pirate clothing, a weird difference to the typical attire of the modern time. The man of the house, after giving me a thorough up and down, turned to the beach house and called out in his heavy accent "Eh! Omario! Could you come out 'ere for de momen'!?" Omario? The name struck a chord in my memory, sounding oddly familiar, but I couldn't quite place why. Shortly after, an elderly man, seemingly in his seventies or eighties, emerged from the beach house, using a cane for support. He wobbled over to me, and as his eyes met mine, a smile creased his weathered face. The wrinkles and lines etched into his skin hinted at a life not so very well lived, as if he had spent the last 50 years of his life in agony. However, seeing me seemed to bring a smile to his face. But why? I couldn't shake the feeling that I had encountered him somewhere before. His presence triggered a distant memory, but not a pleasant one. For a moment, I stared at him, searching his face for a clue to the familiarity that tugged at the edges of my consciousness. His features seemed now frightfully familiar to me, especially if they were bent in an angry expression.
I couldn't help but wonder if he, too, sensed a connection. I looked at him once more and something about him made him look like….like me? Even underneath all the many years of age he wore I could see a reflection of my own eyes, nose and even mouth. The man would not stop smiling at me and I just stood there in deep bewilderment, wanting to shoot up into the sky and go back home to my mateys. My family. What in the world was this all about? I had left this awful world fifty whole years ago and I don't plan to stay another minute! What was with this old fellow? He couldn't possibly know me. Could he? His eyes met mine and with a warm smile. And that is when I realized it. The island, the palm trees, the smell of the ocean, the beachhouse, the features of the people who lived here, and even the name of this elderly man, Omario, all collided together in a single memory that came back to me. What felt like an eternity later, the man finally spoke. And what he said was just enough to make me remember exactly who he was.
"I guess I shoul 'ave poot a few locks on your window, eh' Isabella?"
THE END
68022 Words
4 Months
27 Chapters
50 Reviews
AN: So what did you think of "Psycho Pirate?" The amount of reviews this story has is more than I ever imagined. Thank you so much to every wonderful person who left a review! Please leave more if you want! Also, ik a lot of people are gonna be confused about the ending. Reread chapter 21 very carefully and it will all hopefully make sense. Also, the picture for this chapter that I made on Wattpad I am absolutely in love with! It's not out yet but it will be by the end of the week! Go look at it if you want! (and I went to art school for almost two years so no joke!) Does this story have the potential for a sequel? Maybe. But any way, comment your opinion on the story and on the pictures if you want to look at them! Good or bad it doesn't matter! :) Any who, goodbye...for now. God bless!
~ GoldyFox