Chapter 28:
As soon as everyone was ready to go, Bella used the magic wand her father had given her to create a portal the ship would be able to sail right through.
Killian and Smee were used to using magic beans to create portals and to have to sail through a storm like portal but Bella's portal was much different. It appeared like a large double door, kind of like an archway, in front of them, no wind, no thunder, no rain. Bella's portal was just a peaceful passage to cross. Everyone was impressed, it was beautiful magic. It was the kind of passageway you'd expect to cross on your way to the afterlife, if you ended up in the good place.
"Your father would be proud." August whispered in Bella's ear, making her blush.
"I hope so." She replied, kissing him quickly and enjoying being in his arms.
She tried not to think about the fact that he wouldn't be able to look after her anymore and she looked back once before crossing the portal, looking up the the sun, because, somehow, ever since learning that her father was looking after her, this is where she imagined him looking from.
"Goodbye, dad, hopefully you'll see me again soon." She whispered, not knowing that, in front of his magic mirror, he was smiling at her, proud of her portal and of her bravery.
Once they arrived in Neverland, Hook decided to do something he had held off for a while and so he asked Smee to sail the ship. On his way, he crossed the Savior, Emma, who looked a bit pale and about to throw up. He didn't question it. She had her parents to take care of her and he didn't have magic medicine for sea sickness. He could understand that she wasn't used to sailing on a ship but she had chosen to take his offer to use the Jolly Roger, she must be ready to suffer through the sea sickness to save her son.
"Baelfire? Sorry, Neal. I'm trying to get used to using your new name... Here, I thought you might want your old cutlass back. We both know it's going to be useful where we're going and nobody has been using it since you left. I figured maybe once we get your boy back, you can give it to him when you teach him how to fight with a sword. Use it to bond with him, have father-son moments..." He told the grown man, handing him the weapon once he found him below deck.
It was clean and had obviously been well taken care of since Baelfire had last seen it back when he was a boy.
"You kept it?" Neal asked him, surprised, as he took the cutlass in his hands.
"Of course I did. You were important to me, still are." He replied sincerely.
"I… Thanks." He nodded.
"Don't worry, we'll get your boy back and Pan will fail. With all the people who came along on this trip, how could it go any other way? Pan won't know what hit him." Hook tried to encourage him before leaving him alone to see if Smee needed him or if he was fine on his own.
On his way back to Smee, Hook crossed Lilly, Emma and Bella listening to David who was trying to teach them how to fight with a sword in the little time they had. Snow and Robin would use a bow and arrows and Regina, who didn't have any magic left, would be using a sword as well but she didn't need lessons, she had had some training in the past. As for August, he was helping Smee but Hook figured he'd know how to fight. The man seemed to have lead a life of adventures, he had to know how to fight.
Killian couldn't help but look at Lilly a little longer than the others, trying to think of an excuse to get closer to her, get to know her better. Maybe he could help her learn to fight with a sword? The two of them had spoken a bit since she arrived in town and he liked her. More than that, he could see a future with her, something he had once believed would never happen to him.
"Everything alright, Smee?" Killian asked his First Mate as he neared him.
"Fine Captain. So far so good but I doubt it'll stay this way. It never does around these parts." Smee replied.
"Let's keep our fingers crossed." Killian told him before he went to help David Charming, concentrating his help on Lilly.
Maybe this, helping her learn how to fight, would count as a date to her?
"I still think you girls should concentrate on using magic before actual weapons. It'll be better." David argued.
"I know, but we never know, Pan might have something in place to prevent us from using magic. We can never know. I mean, my magic doesn't work on vampires like the one who gave me this scar, Pan could have something to shield himself and his boys from my magic as well. Better be prepared." Bella smiled.
"The apprentice did warn her not to rely too much on her magic here, there must be a reason behind it." August reminded David.
"You're right." David nodded.
A few minutes later, mermaids attacked them and, having read something about this in her book before leaving, Bella knew what to do to repel them without hurting them too much. She concentrated and used magic to push them away without harming any of them. She wanted to hurt the least amount of people as possible and she wanted these mermaids to remember that, when they attacked, they were repelled without any of them being injured in the process while they had the power to kill them all if they wanted.
"It's not even dark magic…" Regina whispered, surprised.
"Of course not. I don't use dark magic, white magic is much stronger." Bella smiled.
"I just didn't know there was a way to repel them like this." Regina explained.
"The book my father sent me was full of good information and before we embarked, I read over anything that could possibly be useful. I also took it with me, just in case. Since there are mermaids in the original tale of Peter Pan we have on our land, I've read everything there was about them in the book." Bella replied.
"My mother has been trying to teach me but she concentrated on my dragon form and self control for now. We figured it was more important, a priority." Lilly informed them.
"I think it's a good thing. Granny wouldn't like having her dinner destroyed every week because a girl changed into a dragon every time her food was cold or her coffee too hot." Emma teased her, making her smile.
"True, though Leroy's face last time it happened was golden. He was in the process of complaining that his bacon took too long to be ready... I don't think he'll complain much in the future." Lilly nodded with a chuckle.
Even though the mermaids were now kept at bay, it was obvious that if they had attacked, it meant that Peter Pan knew that they were here and that he'd probably send other people after them.
"Might as well forget the 'sneak in quietly' plan now. Pan knows we're here." Hook told them.
"Then we just go in, find the camp, attack, get Henry and leave." Emma decided.
Of course they all knew that it probably wouldn't be so easy but they didn't say it. Emma needed hope, so they gave it to her. One way or another, they'd get Henry back, that, they were sure of.
"What about Tinkerbelle, Captain? Maybe we should find her, she might be willing to help us if we offer to help her leave, to take her with us. She doesn't seem to like this place much either." Smee suggested.
"Good idea, Smee." Hook nodded.
"Tinkerbelle? Getting her help might not be as easy as you think… It's my fault she lost her powers and was banished here. We could hide the fact that I'm with you, or I could go to her and try to make things right but either way, it won't be as easy as you think." Regina warned them, deciding that honesty was the best policy.
"I think the second option would be for the best. Being open and sincere is always the best course of action." Snow nodded.
"I remember reading a bit of what happened to her in the book. We can help her get her power back, she just needs to believe in herself more. I can't believe we'll get to meet Tinkerbelle! The real Tinkerbelle!" Bella exclaimed happily, making Lilly, August and Emma chuckle.
"We should also try to think of a way to speak with Henry, to communicate with him." Emma said.
"We can try to get him a mirror if we can't find the camp soon." Bella replied.
"There's a more urgent matter we need to handle: Peter's shadow. It's lethal. I know how to trap it, I have what we need back at my old hide out." Neal told them.
"Should we separate into groups then?" August suggested.
"Why not? We'll be more efficient this way." Snow nodded.
"Regina, Bella, Lilly, August, Hook and Smee, you're going to find Tinkerbelle. Neal, Robin, my parents and I will go get whatever it is he needs to deal with the shadow. I have one of Bella's enchanted mirror. The first team who's done meets the other half way. The groups are large enough that if something happens and we need to split up, we can do so and still have back-up. The first group who has the opportunity to sneak a magic mirror to Henry does it and warns the others." Emma declared, officially taking the lead of everything.
"Be careful if you meet the Lost Boys, their arrows are tipped in Dream shade." Hook told Emma's team.
"I remember." Neal frowned at the memory.
"Show them the plant as soon as you see it, they need to be able to avoid it." Hook advised his old friend who nodded his agreement.
"And, if you see Tiger Lilly on your way, might as well try to get her help as well. She could be very useful." Neal suggested to Hook who nodded his agreement, even though he had never really been on the same side as Tiger Lilly before.
Quickly, they accosted.
Hook, Smee and Neal discussed what would be the best possible meeting place in case of trouble and, once they had agreed on a place, they separated ways.
.
While Hook lead the way with Smee right behind him and Lilly by his side, Bella held on August's hand, enjoying the little contact and the fact that they were there together. Regina walked behind them all, deep in thoughts, probably trying to figure out a way to make things right with the green fairy she had let down in the past.
"You were one of those girls who clapped their hands in front of the Peter Pan movie while claiming that you believed in fairies to bring Tinkerbelle back to life, weren't you?" August asked Bella in a teasing tone.
"Of course I was!" She smiled.
In front of them, Lilly and Killian were getting to know each other and Bella could see something happening between the two of them, she had hope that they'd help each other find a happy ending, maybe even together. They were smiling, sometimes chuckling. She could definitely tell that Lilly was interested, sometimes laughing or chuckling, blushing even. They had obviously gotten close lately and she couldn't help but be happy for them both.
"I overheard the Apprentice telling you that your father was unable to watch over you here. Is it making you nervous?" August asked Bella.
"I'm not sure… It's not like I can feel him watching over me in our day to day life. I'm a bit worried as to why he can't see me, and on the way here… I… I caught myself wondering if it had any link to the fact that his magic, our magic, doesn't work on … You know, Vampires, like the Cullen's." She replied in a whisper.
"I hope not, but even if it does, know that you're not alone." August told her, he could tell that this possibility scared her so he did his best to reassure her.
"I know. Plus, my magic might not work on them but I can always open a portal and have Lilly turn into a dragon and breathe fire on them until they leave through the portal. Since her fire is dark magic, it will definitely work on them." Bella smirked.
"I'm sure it would make you feel better to do so." August smiled back.
"I'm sorry, I kind of overheard. Even if your magic doesn't work on them, you can always light an object on fire and throw it at them if Lilly's not around." Regina suggested.
"I'll definitely consider it. I'm pretty sure I can light a fire with my magic but just in case it doesn't work, I took a box of matches and a lighter with me. A fire I light while using magic might not be able to burn them either…" Bella replied.
"Always ready." August smiled before he kissed the side of Bella's head.
The rest of the way, Bella made an effort to speak with Regina, to help her figure out what she'd tell the fairy she had wronged, while August went to speak with Killian and Smee. Lilly soon joined Bella and listened to Regina's advises on how to conjure fire and how to control it like her mother did.
Bella also promised Lilly that they'd find time to train together later, that she'd help her with the help of the book her father had sent her.
.
On the other side of Neverland, Neal was doing his best to get closer to Emma but she was keeping her emotional distance. She didn't know if she could trust him and she didn't feel like she could waste time on him right now. She had her son to worry about, along with her new husband. She couldn't risk letting Neal in at the moment. He had missed his chance. All he could hope for from her was friendship and she wasn't ready to open up to him right away.
It wasn't the right time.
.
Eventually, Neal and his group had managed to capture Peter Pan's shadow and they held him tightly wrapped in one of their bags. At the same time, Hook's team had reached Tinkerbelle's cabin and had managed to convince her to help them, especially after Bella swore that she could take her back with them and that she could have a second chance. Regina also did her part by apologizing profusely and promising to do whatever she needed to do to make it up to the green wearing fairy. It did help that Regina informed Tinkerbelle that she was now with Robin, the man with the lion tattoo and that she had seen the error of her way. A little "You were right, I was wrong" could go a long way it seems.
"You know, I'm sure that the only reason you don't have your powers anymore is not because people stopped believing in you but because you don't believe in yourself anymore. In our world, every child knows your name through the stories and believes in you. You're probably the fairy most people believe in." Bella told the human size fairy on their way to the meeting point.
"You might be right… But it might take time to learn to believe in myself again." She replied.
"I know, but you're not alone anymore and in our world, there are people who'll love to help you." Bella smiled at her.
"Did any of you think that maybe Tiger Lilly would be willing to help? After all, she's a fairy too. And unlike me, she still has some of her powers." Tinkerbelle asked Hook.
"Baelfire mentioned it, but we don't know where to find her. If we cross her we'll ask her to come along but until then…" Hook shrugged his shoulders.
"I know where to find her and I'm pretty sure I can convince her to help us. She's always ready when it comes to crossing Pan the wrong way." Tinkerbelle assured them.
"You're sure?"
"Of course." She nodded.
"Do you think you could go find her, ask her to help us and offer her to come back with us?" August asked the fairy kindly.
"I could, yes… You wouldn't leave without me, right?" She asked them.
"We won't leave without you, you have my word." Bella nodded.
"We need you to help us find Pan's camp to get Henry back, so, as you can see, there's no chance we'll leave without you." Regina added.
"Where should we meet you?" Tinkerbelle asked them.
"Baelfire's place?" Hook suggested and the green dressed fairy nodded before she left through the trees.
"What do you know of this Tiger Lilly, Hook? Have you met her before?" Bella asked him and she noticed that Lilly looked interested in his answer and, maybe even a little jealous.
"Of course we've met her, but I can't say that we were ever really on the same side." Hook replied.
"We were never really on opposing sides either, though." Smee added.
"Except that last time on Skull rock. Let's just say that she disapproved of our status as pirates." Hook told them with a nod.
"Well, I hope she agrees to help us. Does Pan trust her?" Regina asked.
"It depends on the days, but to get close to Pan, Tinkerbelle is our best bet. Tiger-Lilly opposes him too often to be on his side. I think something happened a long time agao. Pan blames Tiger and she blames hi for something else, but I don't know what." Hook replied.
"One day I heard that she used to be a savior's fairy Godmother but that savior's mother used enchanted scissors to cut her son's destiny and so Tiger-Lilly felt like she had failed in her duty even though the Blue fairy, who was present as well, told her that it wasn't her fault." Smee told them.
"Another savior?" Regina asked, surprised.
"Yes, there has been several saviors, in different realms, or time periods. I've read it in the book my father sent me. Emma is just the last one in a long line of saviors destined to fight their own final battle, which is a pretty loose term, kind of the last step before they earn their happy endings." Bella nodded.
"Well, maybe she'll help, then." August declared, full of hope.
"Even if she doesn't want to help us, we can be sure she won't help Pan, which is a good thing." Hook added before they kept on their way to join the others.
When they arrived to the meeting point, their friends were fighting against Lost Boys and they rushed to help, fighting to push the boys back. They managed to do so without anyone being injured.
"Where's Bealfire?" Hook asked, looking around.
"Neal?" Emma called out.
"The Lost Boys took him! This way!" Snow replied and they all followed her down a path, careful not to scratch themselves with the dream-shades bush surrounding them.
Before they left, Bella sent a message to Tinkerbell so she wouldn't worry if she arrived and didn't see them. The fairy got it quickly and replied shortly before they found Neal that she had convinced Tiger Lilly to help. She didn't know if the other fairy would join them on the way back home, but she'd at least help them save Henry, and that was something they were all thankful for.
They eventually arrived in front of the Echo cave and Hook told them why it wasn't guarded and what was needed to create the bridge that would allow them to access Neal's cage.
Another Chapter done, next chapter they free Neal, meaning CONFESSIONS!
I'm sorry that I'm letting so much time pass between updates. I promise I will finish this story, I just need to find inspiration and time at the same time. But I haven't forgotten this story, it will be finished eventually.
Review please?
Lorelei Candice Black