Chapter Twenty Three

Motivation

Jake POV

Ria, and I walked down the dimly lit hallways of the temple, after leaving the dark creepy dungeon so Izzy could have it all to herself. A chill ran down my spine, mingling with the guilt and pain that had taken residence in my heart. I couldn't shake the feeling that every step I took brought me closer to not my fate-but my crew's.

"That's right lad," she sneered, grasping my hand as we cut the halfway corner. "Keep following me just like you're doing now. We'll soon be in a more private place where we can finish our conversation."

"If you think I'm going anywhere private with an armed witch you're crazy." I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper, hoping to mask the tremble of fear that threatened to betray me. Ria rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Do you enjoy making people's lives difficult or something?" Ria's voice cut through the heavy silence, her tone dripping with disdain.

"You sure are one to say that after you told Izzy that hers is over! I hope you know you're gonna regret that little stunt you pulled back there! That was nothing but plain evil!" I shot back, the anger bubbling inside me unable to be contained any longer.

"Oh, and what you said to her wasn't?" Ria's retort stung, her words a sharp reminder of the hurt I had caused. "You telling her to her face that you wish she was still possessed and stranded on that hellish island was perfectly appropriate? Wow. And then you wonder why she said she hates your foolish hypocritical self." I gasped, my heart growing heavier with guilt.

"How did you—" I started, but Ria cut me off with a knowing smirk.

"Come now, you should really know it at this point: There are no secrets in the house of the Mistress," she said, her voice laced with amusement as she pointed to herself. "I hear everything. And the way you talked to her, I'd figure that you think she deserves her impending death as much as I do."

"No I don't! I didn't mean anything I said! I-I was just frustrated and angry!" I protested, the guilt weighing heavy on my shoulders.

"Angry at her and quite frankly, I don't blame you," Ria countered, her tone dismissive. "Trust me, boy, logic is not her friend. She deserves to rot down there with the other rats and pests. Now I shall hear no more about her. She's made her bed, now she can sleep in it. This is just between you, me, and this here ax," she said, gesturing to the weapon she had originally handed to me back in the dungeon but decided to take it into her own possession for safe keeping. "Now come along, we must take a little… road trip if you would."

"To where?" I asked, my voice tinged with apprehension.

"To somewhere outside the temple." Ria replied cryptically.

"Why?" I pressed, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"Because that's where Mount Destiny is located, Mr. Forever Quester!" the witch exclaimed with a hint of aggravation. "And if you've paid attention in the last hour, you'll remember that I've been yearning for a reunion with a certain tree."

"If I had a doubloon for every time someone tried to get the Forever Tree..." I mused aloud, my skepticism evident.

"And failed?" Ria interjected. "Oh yes, I know, you'd be swimming in the ill-gotten gold. But you know what distinguishes all those fruitless plans and actions from mine? Simple: Mine is going to succeed."

"And this plan is different from the one you had hundreds of years ago, how?" I challenged, unable to resist the opportunity to question her motives.

"Easy. This time, I am going to have help from a certain green eyed, black haired, olive skinned pirate lad." Ria declared, her confidence unwavering.

"Give me one good reason why I would ever help you after you trapped me in your temple." I countered, my voice laced with defiance.

"Well, it's your own fault for falling for my little trap in the first place," Ria retorted smugly. "You come to me like a moth to a flame. You and Isabella. She helped me get you here and vice versa. You were each other's bait! You idiots come for her, and she comes for you, and what do you know!? I've got you both right where I want you!"

"Alright, maybe you do," I conceded reluctantly, my voice barely above a whisper. "But in what universe do you think I will ever cooperate?"

"In a universe where I hold both of your friends' lives in my very hand. So in other words—this one." Ria replied calmly, her words dripping with sinister intent. My heart sank as her words settled in, for as much as I hated to think about it, she was right. I clenched my fists, struggling to maintain my composure in the face of her cruelty.

"Why are you still keeping Cubby trapped here with your little three-ringed cult?" I demanded. "What has he done to you? From what I have seen, you've already got the blood you've been out for, and your plans of any possible alliance are only aimed at me. So please, just let Cubby free."

Ria's eyes narrowed, a hint of amusement dancing in their dark brown depths as she regarded me with a cold stare.

"You're right, Jacob," she conceded, her tone chillingly calm. "I do not have anything against little boy blue. However, I have the feeling that you will work with me much better if I threaten to even touch one hair on his head. That is the only reason I wish to keep him here."

I squinted at her. But before I could muster a response, she simply laughed it off, leading me through the Temple's main entrance. She pushed the heavy door open, revealing the breathtaking sight of Neverland's lush mountains under the moonlit night sky.

"Now, to Mount Destiny we go." Ria began, but her voice was followed by a deep, booming call from the darkness of the temple.

"Maria!" Titan called and then a tall muscular man with fiery orange hair, stepped into the light from the darkness of the temple. Ria's eyes rolled with annoyance and she pinched her nose bridge.

"Titan, what in the seventh layer of hell is the matter with you!?" she growled. "Do you have cataracts or can you not see I am doing something of vital importance here!"

"I know, my love, but... hold on a second, where are you going with the boy?" Titan's voice carried pure curiosity as he gestured towards me. Ria sighs deeply, rubbing her forehead in frustration.

"I could've had any wealthy gentleman of the mainland or a legendary Pirate captain of Neverland, but no. I settled for an all brawn and no brain sailor who did a clown act at a circus," she muttered. The witch then regained her composure and took in a deep breath. "We are going to Mount Destiny to pay a visit to the Forever Tree, and Jake here has volunteered to help me with my 'special' task, if you know what I mean. Now, you stay here and watch the temple until we get back." Titan nods hesitantly, then voices his doubts.

"Not that I in any way doubt your capabilities Mistress, but... how did you get him to volunteer? The boy is as loyal to Pan as they get and he will die on that hill. And how do you know he isn't gonna try and make a run for it like how that pigtailed pipsqueak did?"

Ria pondered for a moment, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

"Hmmm... I was thinking of saving this for later but….you know what? You're right, Titan. I think Jake here needs a bit of motivation…right now," She shoots me an evil grin, sending shivers down my spine. "So I was thinking ... .why don't you give his friend Cubby a….whip of a time?" she asked, slyly. My eyes widened. Memories of Cubby telling me about Izzy being strung up and lashed endlessly by Captain Hook began to flood my mind with fear, but now the thought of Cubby himself having to go through that unbearable pain…I had already let one of my mateys suffer that horrendousness, and that was one too many for me. I can't, no I won't let this happen.

"NO! DON'T! You can't—" Before I can even finish protesting, Ria's grip tightens on the collar of my shirt, pulling me close to her.

"Then I suggest you do as I ask," she growls, her breath hot against my ear. "And don't ever tell me what I can and can't do. This is my temple. I can do whatever I please."

"Actually... in this case, Ria... no, you can't." the orange haired man said, sheepishly Ria's gaze snaps to Titan, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"What?"

Titan hesitated before delivering the news.

"Well...the little blonde lad... he sort of... escaped..."

"Did he now?" Ria asked lightly, a fleeting smile crossing her lips. Titan nodded and the witch's smile quickly faded into a scowl. "YOU ARE FIRED!" she roars, her voice echoing through the temple's big main room. The brawny man then tried to defend himself.

"Now wait just a minute! It's not my fault he got out!" he exclaimed, hands up. "Morgan was the one who was supposed to be watching him!" Ria growled in frustration for the umpteenth time.

"Why did I ever bring that vamp back to life!?" she hissed.

"Well you—."

"It was a rhetorical question! Oh! You red headed idiot!" the Mistress barked. "Now get out of my sight! Before I test out the sharpness of my blade on you!"

"But..what about him?" Titan asked, timidly pointing at me. Ria once again moved her gaze to look at me.

"Oh don't worry, I'll think of something to make him step up his game." she said, sounding very sure of herself as she peered at me.

"Why don't you just tell him you'll kill him if he doesn't do as told? The ginger suggested. I crossed my arms.

"You know…you can always talk to me and not about me!" I proposed, glaring daggers at both of them.

"Shutup!" the witch and the man exclaim in unison, before turning back to each other.

"We can't lay a hand on him, Titan," Ria lectures. "I need him to be well and strong to help me with this task. Now, if I un-fire you will you make sure that Morgan actually does her job, before I return her to the afterlife where she belongs!?" she asks, her tone a terminal one. The buff ginger man bowed ever so chivalrously.

"Anything you wish, my darling." he replied.

As if right on time, we reached the summit of Mount Destiny, using a pinch of the pixie Ria had stolen from Izzy. My heart hammered against my chest like a prisoner against its cell door. The air was crisp and my nerves tingled with an uneasy anticipation. The Mistress stood confidently beside me, her every step echoing determination and purpose.

I couldn't help but notice the subtle flicker of moonlight dancing off the beads of sweat on my brow. My palms felt clammy against the ax in my hands, that Ria had handed back to me. Despite the breathtaking view of the tall mountains and the glowing Neversea below, I found no solace in the beauty that surrounded us. Instead, my mind raced with memories of the past and all the choices I had made that had brought me here. It was here, exactly here, on this hallowed stone mountain, where it all began. My quest to save Neverland, my seven year long expedition with Peter, and lets not forget the seed of psychosis that was planted in my matey's head that night. But despite that eerie memory, I couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that something even worse was about to bypass all of that.

"I wonder if the Neverland architect ever visited Stonehenge," Ria noted smugly, rubbing her chin as she stared at the white stone statues that circled around the very edges of the top of the mountain. She shot me a fake smile. "It would certainly explain this knock off of the famous English rock formation, don't you think?"

"Why are we here?" I demanded, even though I already knew the answer. The Mistress chuckled.

"You like to get right down to business I see," she observed. "Y'know…. I like that about you kid. I think Peter made a wise choice when he selected you to save this place. Back then, Izzy was a wanna-be, Cubby was afraid of his own shadow and the he's still just a parrot. You on the other hand, boy, like to keep it real. You're a pirate after my own heart." I put my hands on my hips, glaring at Ria, feeling the heat of frustration rising within me.

"You can insult me and call my friends names all you want but-"

"Your friends?" Ria interrupted me with a flick of her hand, her voice cutting through the air like a blade. "Are you sure that is what they really are? I wasn't born yesterday, boy, because I'd say that they're nothing but nuisances compared to you. You are the hero. You are the leader. You are the important one. But may I ask just out of raw curiosity, was there anything else that made the other two so inadequate and so impractical that they can't even have their names in your local title? They're just referred to as 'the Neverland Pirates'?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words got stuck in my throat, leaving me at a loss.

"I'll tell you why," she continued. "Simply because Peter Pan said so. The little bastard could say that the sky is purple and you and every other fool of Neverland would blindly agree to his truth claim and you would gladly die on that hill for him. Am I wrong?"

"Yes! Yes, you are, you liar!" I shot back, my frustration boiling. Ria simply shrugged, unfazed by my outburst.

"Is that all you do when you realize you're caught in a conversation? Just call the other person a liar and call it a day? First Morgan, then Izzy, and now me. Wow, you really have a way with women."

I cross my arms, feeling a surge of sarcasm.

"I'm sorry, but flattery won't do anything. I'm not telling you how to open the door."

"Fine, have it your way," she responded with a nonchalant shrug.

But then, in a swift movement, she takes a confident stance and touches the Heart of the Viper necklace around her neck. Both the amulet and her eyes begin to glow bright red. An enormous laser-like beam of bright red shoots out from the amulet, hitting the door to the Forever Tree with a resounding crack. I could hear the stone that made up the door breaking and falling down into the cylinder-shaped mountain. A giant puff of smoke billows out, and when it clears, I see that Ria has done something only Peter Pan, apparently Morgan, and I have done before. However, she needed no special medallion to do it. She had just broken down the door to the Forever Tree with the magic of the Heart of the Viper. There's a giant hole-that once used to be where the door was and I could see the bright purple glow of the magical tree peeking out.

I looked up from the giant cavity in the floor to look at Ria, my jaw hanging open in shock and anger. She sprinkled more of Izzy's pixie dust on the two of us and then very politely gestured down at the hole in the ground that led to the tree.

"Shall we?" she asked, reaching out her hand.

"Must we?" I was contemplating on using the weapon in my hands to slice her neck off and the pendant with it, but one wrong move and I knew my crew would only be in more hot water.

Ria yanked me by the collar, dragging me into the dark abyss below, I felt a surge of unease grip my stomach. The darkness enveloped us, but the gentle glow of the pixie dust guided our descent. Streaks of lavender light were painted in the air as we flew downward towards the tree. My heart pounded in my chest, matching the rhythm of my apprehension as we approached the heart of Neverland.

Finally, we landed on solid ground, the soft thud of our feet echoing in the cavernous space beneath the Forever Tree. I glanced around, taking in the sight of the towering tree with its ethereal glow, the very essence of Neverland pulsing within its roots. My gaze flickered to the weapons in our hands—Ria's sword gleaming in the dim light, my own axe feeling heavy and burdensome. Ria's voice cut through the silence, breaking my thoughts.

"Well? What are you waiting for, boy?" she asked, her tone sharp, demanding action. I squared my shoulders, mustering whatever defiance I could muster.

"For Peter to come and take you out! You better say your prayers when he gets here!" I shot back. Ria rolled her eyes and let out a chuckle that sent shivers down my spine, a cold reminder of her cunning nature.

"When are you going to learn that Mistress is always two steps ahead in the game? Pan will not be a problem at all because I am going to offer him something he just can't refuse. Much like you." My pulse quickened.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, though I feared I already knew the answer. Ria's gaze bore into mine, unyielding and penetrating.

"Your guilt." she stated matter-of-factly, her words like daggers piercing through my defenses. I swallowed hard, a lump forming in my throat as memories I'd long tried to bury resurfaced.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I lied, though the truth hung heavy in the air between us. But Ria wasn't fooled. She could see through my facade, straight to the heart of my torment.

"You can cut the act," she insisted, her voice soft yet insistent. "We both know what I mean. The guilt you have carried over the past years of abandoning your friends and leaving them here to suffer. It's killing you, isn't it?" My heart hammered against my ribs, each beat a painful reminder of the burden I bore. I wanted to deny it, to push her accusations away, but deep down, I knew she was right. The guilt gnawed at me as if it wanted to consume me from the inside out. Reluctance pressed at me, a stubborn refusal to acknowledge the pain that simmered beneath the surface. But try as I might, I couldn't escape the relentless grip of guilt that coiled around my heart like a serpent, squeezing tighter with each passing moment.

Izzy's face flashed before my eyes, her eyes wide with fear as she endured the lash of Hook's whip, her cries echoing in the darkness. I could still feel the weight of my culpability, the gut-wrenching realization that I had abandoned her when she needed me most. And then there was poor Cubby, who was back then so small and vulnerable, left to face the horrors of Izzy's psychosis alone. They needed me to come back..and I did…only it was far too late.

Did they forgive me? Correction, did they forgive me and did they mean it?

Ria continued.

"What if I told you I can make both you and your friends forget about it?" she proposed, her words laced with temptation. "As a matter of fact, why not go the extra mile and make everybody in Neverland forget about it? It will still be as if you have saved Neverland, only the option of exploring beyond the Neverseas was never an option to begin with. Just picture it, boy. A guiltless world. And all you have to do is one little thing for me."

"How do I know it'll work?" I interrogated.

"Kid, I wiped myself clean from almost every memory in Neverland, why else do you think nobody has ever heard of me? Stealing all those books of lies about me was just to be safe. Nobody here knows I exist, Pan being the only exception."

I met her gaze, torn between the weight of everything I stood for the possibility of a solution to make everyone forget my wrong doings. Could I really erase the pain and suffering I'd caused? Her magic was surely powerful enough to do so. But still I knew, deep down, that joining forces with her was not the way. To put Neverland in danger because of my own mistakes, to erase the memories of suffering and pain, it felt selfish, reckless even. But as I gazed up at the towering Forever Tree and its amethyst leaves, a small voice whispered in the recesses of my mind. Maybe… just maybe… it was for the better.

The thought sent a shiver down my spine. If I cooperated, everyone in Neverland would be less tense, less traumatized by witnessing the Psycho Pirate burn down Pirate Island and try to take Neverland for herself. My mates, well at least two out of the three of them would forget their horrifying nightmare of a life aboard the Jolly Roger. I then formed the sole reason for my decision that had just formed in my mind. I have already lost Izzy, I can't lose anybody else now.

"So, what do you say?" she asked, her tone sly and welcoming. I moved my gaze from the ground to her face and her glowing eyes.

"What do I have to do?"

To Be Continued...

I nearly got this chapter out today but I managed to pull through! Pls review ;)