Chapter Nine

"You idiot!" Patrick shouted, grabbing the nearest object—a teapot—and hurling it at Maverick. The younger brother barely managed to dodge, the teapot smashing against the wall of the lighthouse in a spray of ceramic shards. "You worthless, worthless IDIOT!" Patrick's voice rose with each word, his frustration palpable as he stormed after his brother, who, in true Maverick fashion, was already running in panicked circles around the lighthouse base.

"W-Wait, Pat! Hold on!" Maverick pleaded, clutching the yellow bandana atop his head, trying desperately to keep it from slipping off as he darted around. His wide eyes flicked nervously between his older brother and the door of the not-so abandoned lighthouse, clearly debating whether making a break for the outside wilderness was worth the risk. "Oh what am I gonna do Patrick!? I lost the key! Mother and Jack are gonna kill me!"

"Oh, don't worry about them laying a finger on you. I'm about to do the job myself!" the pirate brother in green snapped.

Maverick's panic only intensified as he scrambled to put more distance between himself and his fuming brother.

"I—I can't believe this!" he babbled, glancing at his mustard colored vest with a pitiful frown. "Maybe I need better pockets, you know? Bigger pockets. If I had—"

"Pockets?" Patrick cut him off, his tone sharp enough to slice through the icy air. He stalked toward Maverick, eyes narrowing dangerously. "I think you, my good sir, might need a lawyer!"

Maverick gulped, backing up further until his heel hit a rock, nearly sending him tumbling.

"A lawyer? W-What are you talking about?" He trembled as his brother backed him up into the wall. "It was an accident! You think I wanted to lose the key?!"

Patrick closed the gap between them in two swift steps, grabbing Maverick by the collar and pulling him close, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper.

"Accident or not, you losing that key means we're the ones in deep trouble. And guess what? I don't plan on taking the fall for your screw-up."

Maverick blinked, his usual bravado evaporating in the face of Patrick's threat.

"But... but I didn't mean to!" he whimpered, tugging at his collar as he tried to wriggle free. "You—you've got a plan, right? You always have a plan!"

Patrick shot him a glare, his grip tightening.

"Oh-ho, I've got a plan, alright. Step one: stop listening to you whining. Step two: find that blasted key before we're skinned alive."

Maverick nervously nodded, Patrick's grip on his collar still unrelenting. His eyes darted upwards to the top of the lighthouse, where the spiral staircase ended at the laboratory-like setup up top.

"G-good plan. But what if the big man upstairs finds out? Literally?" He tilted his head back to make sure Patrick knew exactly who he was talking about.

Patrick, still seething, followed Maverick's gaze, looking up to where he knew the imposing figure of their superior was lurking around at the top of the lighthouse. The dim light flickered ominously, casting eerie shadows across the walls. A shiver ran down Patrick's spine despite his best efforts to appear unfazed.

He released his grip on Maverick's collar, pushing him back slightly, and took a step away, his voice dropping as he tried to steady his nerves. "We'll have to find it fast, before anybody finds out we've lost it," He looked up at the top of the lighthouse again. "Especially him."

The storm had calmed down a bit, but tension still hung in the air as Bucky washed up on the soggy shore of Neverland. The kids weren't exactly sure where they had landed, but for now, they were on solid ground, away from the raging Neversea—and that was all that mattered. Jake was the first to hop off the ship, the jar containing the pixie fruit clutched tightly in his hand, followed by Izzy, Cubby, and Skully.

"So, where are we?" Izzy asked, glancing around at the dense jungle that stretched ahead of them.

"I have no clue, but we can't stay here," Jake replied, glancing at the swirling clouds above. "We need to find Hangman's Tree and give this to Peter." he said, gesturing at the glowing golden fruit in the jar.

The jungle felt more eerie than usual. Dark, thick vines twisted around towering trees, and the ground was soggy under their boots. Every gust of wind carried the scent of rain, mixed with something else—something old and wild. Jake kept his eyes fixed ahead, his mind racing.

"Cubby, do you know which way we should go?" Jake asked, his tone more urgent than usual.

Cubby, still trembling slightly from his earlier plunge into the sea, shook his head.

"I don't even know where we are anymore, Jake. I think we got washed way off course…or maybe we didn't….I can't even—" he cut himself off by uncontrollably coughing and sneezing, followed by shivers.

Izzy frowned, glancing at Cubby's shivering form.

"Maybe we should stop and take a break? Cubby looks exhausted, and we're all soaked."

But Jake shook his head, stubborn determination glinting in his eyes.

"Peter's counting on us. We can't stop now."

Before Izzy could argue, Skully swooped down from above, flapping his drenched wings.

"Ahoy! I see Misty's cottage not too far ahead!"

Jake's face brightened.

"Misty's cottage? That means we're close to Peter's hideout. If we keep going, we'll be there soon."

But as if on cue, the sky lit up with a brilliant flash of lightning, followed by a deafening crack of thunder. Within seconds, the rain started pouring down again, harder than before. It felt like the sky itself had opened up, drenching them in cold, heavy sheets of water.

"You were saying, Jake?" the lass of the crew quipped as she looked up at the sky.

"C-c-coconuts." Cubby trembled. He coughed and clung tighter to Izzy, his teeth chattering uncontrollably. Izzy put a protective arm around him, looking over at the green eyed boy with concern.

"Jake, Cubby can't keep going like this. He's freezing. We need to stop and find shelter."

Jake hesitated, clearly torn. The storm was brutal, and Cubby was visibly struggling, but so was Peter. He glanced at the jar of pixie fruit in his hand, then back at his crew. As much as he wanted to press on, he knew the well-being of his friends came first. The flying boy could wait a little longer.

He sighed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Skully said Misty's cottage is close, right? Maybe she'll let us stay there for the night."

Cubby looked up at Jake with wide eyes, hopeful but still shivering.

"You think she will?"

"Only one way to find out." Jake replied with a determined nod.

The little crew finally made their way through the storm to Misty's cottage. The once charming little house now seemed eerie in the relentless downpour. Jake, leading the group, approached the door cautiously. Behind him, Izzy trudged through the mud with Cubby clinging to her side, teeth still chattering from the cold. Skully swooped low, his wings heavy with rain, landing on Cubby's shoulder.

Jake raised his hand to knock on the door when a sudden cold gust of wind swept through the trees and pushed the door open with ease. The creaking hinges groaned, revealing the darkened interior.

"That's... strange," Jake muttered, glancing back at his crew.

"Why does everyone leave their doors unlocked around here all of a sudden?" she quipped, shaking her head. "First Red Jessica, now Misty?"

Jake shrugged.

"I guess they don't expect visitors in storms like this?" he reasoned before stepping inside.

Just like Red Jessica's castle, Misty's cottage was eerily empty. The warm glow of candles they'd expected was absent, replaced by shadows and the flickering of lightning through the windows. The air inside felt colder than it should, as if the warmth had drained out. The wonderful witch who had once helped them, was nowhere to be found.

"This doesn't feel right," Izzy said, her voice low, as she and Skully exchanged concerned looks. "Where could she be?"

Skully squawked nervously, ruffling his feathers.

"Do you think this has anything to do with Red Jessica being missing too?"

Cubby, shivering in his blanket, peered around the dim room.

"M-maybe something happened to them? What if they're in trouble?" His voice trembled, fear creeping into his words.

Jake glanced back at them, his expression firm, trying to keep his cool for his friends' sake.

"It's probably just a coincidence," he said, though his voice held a hint of doubt. "Misty could've just stepped out…"

"Yeah but in the middle of a storm like this?" Izzy asked.

"Um…I dunno, witches do weird things, right?"

Cubby tugged on Izzy's arm.

"What are we gonna do now?"

Jake walked over to the window, peering out at the storm still raging outside. Lightning split the sky, followed by a rumble of thunder.

"We're not going back out in that," he decided. "We'll wait here for Misty. She'll understand."

While Jake stood watch, Izzy disappeared momentarily, only to return with a small, patched blanket in her hands. She draped it over Cubby's trembling shoulders, kneeling down next to him.

"Here matey. You better go to sleep before you get sick." she said softly.

Cubby let out a tiny sneeze, wrapping himself tighter in the blanket.

"Thanks, Izzy," he mumbled before lying down on the floor near the hearth. A few minutes later, his heavy breathing filled the room as he drifted off to sleep. Izzy soon followed suit, resting next to Cubby, her exhaustion catching up with her.

Skully perched himself on top of Cubby's head, his feathers puffing up as he nestled in.

"Wake me if Misty shows up." he mumbled before his eyes drooped closed.

But Jake remained awake. He couldn't shake the uneasy feeling creeping up his spine. The silence of the cottage, the storm outside—it all felt wrong. He sat down on the edge of a small wooden chair by the window, his gaze flicking between the swirling clouds and the glowing jar of pixie fruit in his hands.

Lightning illuminated the room again, casting sharp shadows across the walls. Jake sighed, leaning back in his chair, his mind racing with possibilities. Where could Misty have gone? And what about Red Jessica? Was something happening that they weren't aware of? What about Captain Flynn or Pip or for heaven's sake even Captain Hook? Were they gonna start disappearing too?

He shook his head, trying to push the thoughts away. For now, his friends needed rest, and Misty's cottage—despite its strange emptiness—was the only shelter they had. He'd stay up and keep watch, just in case. A few moments later the lad's eyelids grew heavy, but he fought to stay awake, his thoughts still on Peter and the pixie fruit. The mission couldn't wait much longer, but for tonight, they had no choice.

With one final glance at his sleeping crew, Jake whispered into the darkness, "Hang on, Peter. We'll get this to you soon. I promise."

The next morning, Jake blinked awake, his eyes adjusting to the sunlight spilling through the open door of Misty's cottage. The storm was gone, replaced by the warmth of a perfect summer morning. The golden rays danced across his olive skin, and for a moment, it felt like the events of the previous night had been just a bad dream.

But something was wrong.

He turned to his left, where his friends were still cuddled up together, fast asleep. Cubby's blanket was half-fallen off his shoulder, Izzy snored softly, and Skully was perched precariously on Cubby's head. A frown crept across Jake's face as he looked around the cottage—Misty was still nowhere to be found. His mind raced. What could she be doing? What if something really did happen to her?

His hand instinctively went to his lap, searching for the jar that held the precious pixie fruit. His heart skipped a beat when his fingers grasped nothing but air. Jake's pulse quickened as he frantically patted his vest, his pockets—every inch of him. The jar was gone. The glowing fruit that Peter was counting on had vanished.

His stomach tightened with panic.

"No, no, no..."

He shot to his feet, scanning the room. The jar was nowhere in sight.

"Wake up mateys!" Jake's voice cut through the quiet cottage, urgency seeping into his tone. He kicked the chair back, his wide eyes darting from corner to corner as his heart raced faster.

Izzy stirred first, rubbing her eyes groggily.

"Jake? What's going on?"

"Yeah," Cubby yawned, still half-asleep, "What's wrong?"

"The pixie fruit!" Jake nearly shouted. "It's gone!"

That woke them up.

Izzy bolted upright, her eyes wide.

"Gone? What do you mean, 'gone'?"

Before Jake could answer, a squawky voice filled the air.

"Looking for this, puny pirate?" the voice asked.

Jake's blood ran cold. He spun around to face the open doorway, and there, standing smugly at the entrance, was none other than Captain Hook. Mr. Smee stood by his side, wringing his hands nervously, while Hook twirled the glass jar between his fingers—the jar containing the very pixie fruit Jake had been clutching the entire night.

Jake's eyes widened, and his breath caught in his throat.

"Captain Hook!?" he exclaimed, almost not believing what he was seeing. He hadn't come face to face with the captain in five whole months, and yet here he was, standing in the doorway, holding the one thing Jake couldn't afford to lose.

Izzy and Cubby groaned in unison, leaning back against the wall in frustration.

"Oh-ho no." Cubby whined.

"Oh ahoy there lad," the very bubbly Mr. Smee greeted. "Glad to see you're back at la—."

"Well if it isn't the little cabin boy," he sneered. "How's your trip beyond the Neversea been? And with Pan, no less?" His words were drenched in mockery.

The very mention of Peter's name stirred up a sense of urgency in Jake. He needed to act fast before Hook found out too much.

"Captain Hook, please!" Jake blurted, his voice filled with desperation as he took a step forward. "Give it back!" Without thinking, Jake jumped, trying to snatch the jar from Hook's hand. But the captain simply held it higher, well out of the boy's reach.

Hook's eyes gleamed with amusement as he examined the fruit inside the jar.

"Oh I don't think I will. I've never seen a fruit made of gold before," he said, admiring it as though it were the rarest of treasures. "It would make a fine addition to me collection."

"It's not made of gold featherhat, it's just a pretty looking fruit!" Skully squawked.

"Please! We really need that!" Jake pleaded, panic rising in his chest. "It's for—" before he could finish Izzy quickly cut him off.

"Don't tell him who it's for, or we'll never get it back." she whispered.

Jake blinked, realizing what he'd almost done. Hook raised an eyebrow at Izzy's interruption, clearly intrigued. He leaned forward, his curiosity piqued.

"Oh, do go on," Hook taunted, his voice dripping with false interest. "Who is this fruit for? Hmm?" He smirked, enjoying the tension between the crew.

The boy bit his lip, his mind racing for a way out. They couldn't let Hook keep the fruit, but they couldn't reveal its true purpose either.

Jake's mind raced as he stood there, staring at Captain Hook, the weight of the pixie fruit's loss pressing down on him. He was about to tell the truth—it was the only thing he could think of—when suddenly, Izzy stepped in, her voice cutting through the tension.

"It's for another prank." she said smoothly, crossing her arms with a smirk.

Jake blinked, confused for a second, but before he could react, Skully hopped onto the bandwagon.

"Aye, Cap'n! Classic pirate mischief! We're plannin' to fool another crew with it. Pull the ol' switch-a-roo trick. Old-fashioned, but effective!"

Cubby, catching on, nodded vigorously.

"Yeah, the real fruit made of gold... that's with..uh…," his mind searched for a name and he just ended up blurtng out the first one that came to his mind. "LeBeak!" he blurted, clearly just going along with whatever Izzy was setting up. "Yeah! She has the real golden fruit. This one's just a regular fruit with a little pixie dust on it!"

Izzy flashed a grin.

"We're gonna get the real one and switch it with this fake one."

Captain Hook's eyes narrowed as he glared at them. His lips curled into a sly smile, but it was far from amused.

"So, you still like to make pirate crews suffer with your little jokes, hmm?" he said coldly. "Well, best it be that sneaky snook crook LeBeak than me," he muttered. "Though I must say, your little friends are getting to be very good liars, Jake."

Jake gulped, his heart pounding in his chest.

"But not good enough," Hook sneered, twirling the jar one last time before turning to leave. "Of we go Mr. Smee." Mr. Smee, nervously fidgeting, hurried to follow him, the pixie fruit now firmly in Hook's grasp.

"No, wait!" Jake called after them, his mind scrambling for a solution. Desperation dripped from his voice. "Uh….how about a trade?"

Hook stopped, turning back to face Jake, an eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"A trade, you say?" he repeated, his tone mocking. "And what could you possibly have that I would trade a golden fruit for?"

Panic surged through Jake. He hadn't thought Hook would actually consider it—he'd only been trying to stall. His mouth went dry, and he stumbled over his thoughts, unsure of what to offer.

Suddenly, Cubby reached into his pocket, pulling out the same T-shaped key on the red, yellow, and green ribbon they had found earlier. "This!" Cubby exclaimed, holding the key up for Hook to see. "We'll trade this for the fruit!"

Hook stared at the key, unimpressed.

"A key? I have millions of keys, boy!" He waved his hook dismissively. "Why would I want this one in particular? What makes it so special?"

Jake, seizing the moment, decided to play along.

"It's... uh... important! We're not sure why, but I bet it's valuable!" He flashed a confident smile, even though he had no idea what the key was for.

Hook tilted his head, intrigued but still skeptical.

"What's so great about it, then?"

Izzy jumped in again, her mind working quickly.

"It belongs to the Talstein Pirates."

Hook's expression shifted ever so slightly at the mention of the notorious Talsteins.

"The Talsteins?" he repeated, his voice dripping with disdain. "And why would I want anything that came from the hands of those Delta dimwitted brothers?"

"Because it's not just anything, Hook!" Jake told him. "Whatever this key unlocks, it's something they've been protecting for years."

"Yeah," Skully added. "And you know how the Talsteins are about their treasure."

Hook stared at the key in Cubby's trembling hand, then back at the glowing pixie fruit in the jar he held. His eyes flicked between the two objects, a calculating look in his eye. After a long, tense moment, he huffed, his lips curling into a sneer.

"Fine," Hook said, his voice dripping with annoyance. "You can have your silly fruit. At least I get treasure out of this deal."

Jake let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Relief washed over him as Hook extended the jar containing the precious pixie fruit. Cubby, with shaking hands, passed the T-shaped key to Hook. In turn, Hook handed Jake the fruit, his grip tight on the jar for a second longer than necessary, almost as if second-guessing the trade.

"Thanks," Jake muttered, not expecting Hook to reply.

The captain didn't even acknowledge him. Instead, with a flick of his wrist, Hook turned on his heel, his coat trailing behind him. Mr. Smee followed closely, wringing his hands nervously as they disappeared into the thick jungle without another word.

Jake stared at the fruit, the glowing golden light illuminating his face. "We better get this to Peter—quick," he said, his voice firm with determination. He knew they didn't have much time. The longer they stayed in one place, the greater the risk of Hook changing his mind—or worse, running into another danger.

After what seemed like forever, the children made it to Hangman's Tree. They slid down the tunnels, their laughter and nerves filling the narrow passageways, until they landed with soft thuds in the underground room. The familiar, cozy space was a stark contrast to the perilous journey they had just endured.

Tinkerbell, in her usual energetic fashion, jingled excitedly at their arrival, flying in rapid circles around them. She gasped when she spotted the glowing fruit in Jake's hand, her excitement only increasing.

"Easy there, Tink!" Skully squawked playfully. Tink's excited jingles softened for a moment, but when Skully asked, "How's Peter doing?" her sparkle seemed to fade. Her little shoulders slumped, and she let out a sorrowful ring. The joy that filled the air just moments ago evaporated, and a thick silence hung over the room.

Jake's heart sank. The unease that had been gnawing at him returned tenfold. Without waiting for another moment, he stepped forward, his voice catching in his throat.

"Peter?"

When he spotted Peter, Jake gasped. His friend was lying against the base of the large tree, looking far worse than the last time they'd seen him. His skin had gone from a slight pallor to a near ghostly white. His fiery red hair, usually wild and full of life, was scraggly, matted, and tangled. He wasn't even wearing his iconic Robin Hood hat, and the energy that always radiated from him was barely a flicker. His eyelids drooped as if it took every ounce of strength to keep them open.

Izzy and Cubby gasped beside Jake. Even Skully flapped his wings nervously, his usual bravado nowhere in sight.

Despite his weak appearance, Peter smirked, his voice raspy but still laced with his signature wit.

"What… took you… so long?"

Seeing Peter in such a state made Jake's stomach twist with guilt. But the sight of the glowing fruit seemed to spark some hope in Peter's eyes, if only for a moment. Jake stepped forward, his grip tightening on the jar. "We ran into a storm," he explained quickly, his voice slightly shaky. "And Captain Hook. He, uh, tried to steal the pixie fruit."

Peter grunted, forcing himself to sit up a little straighter, though his muscles visibly strained with the effort. "And… how'd you get it back from him?" he rasped.

Cubby, who had been uncharacteristically quiet until now, spoke up.

"At the abandoned lighthouse—y'know, the one that's supposed to be a myth—we ran into Patrick and Maverick again. A key fell out of Maverick's pocket, and we… uh, may have taken it and…traded Hook that key for the pixie fruit."

Peter's sharp green eyes, though tired, flickered with interest.

"A key?" His voice was soft, but there was a distinct edge of curiosity. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his face growing serious. "What did it look like?"

Jake handed the glass jar to Izzy, nodding.

"You know what to do." he told her quietly.

Izzy nodded back, taking the fruit and disappearing to prepare it as Jake's attention returned to Peter. Peter still had that contemplative look on his face—the same one Jake had noticed the last time they'd mentioned the Talstein Pirates.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked, crossing his arms. "What are you thinking?"

Peter didn't answer right away. His gaze was far off, as if he were piecing together a puzzle in his mind. Finally, he glanced up at Cubby.

"What'd it look like?"

"Well….it was a gold key," Cubby said slowly, trying to recall what he had seen. "And it had this… colorful ribbon on it—red, yellow, and green. That's about all I remember."

Peter's eyes narrowed, his brow furrowing. "And the shape?" he asked, his tone sharp.

Cubby's eyes widened in realization. "Oh! It was also in the shape of a letter T."

Peter's gaze darkend.

"Of course it was."

To Be Continued…