Neverland

Chapter Thirteen

All of my surroundings disappear, replaced by a plain room. A girl sits in a chair. The girl looks much like Tinkerbell, but I cannot see coldness in her eyes.

"Have a seat," the girl says. A chair materializes in front of her. I take the seat.

"So," the girl says. "You wish to have the pixie dust, the power of Neverland."

"That's right," I say. I keep tapping my fingers against my knee; I don't know why I am so nervous.

"It's all right," the girl assures me. "You don't need to be afraid."

"I'm not afraid," I say hotly.

"Of course you're not," she says. "May I ask why you want to retrieve Neverland's magic. The responsibility is tremendous. It needs to be taken to the white magic."

"I need to keep this place alive." I don't know where these words are coming from. The girl seems to reach into my soul and extract my secrets. She nods as if she knows my thoughts.

"Yes," she says. "I know all about you, Peter Pan. A coward turned brave. Losing everyone he cares about most, always when he needs them." My glare hardens.

"You don't know anything about me," I say. "Nothing at all." She arches an eyebrow. "Who are you, anyway?"

The girl smiles. "I am Princess Karissa. Princess of the fairies." I start to stand.

"I've had enough fairies to last my entire lifetime," I say.

"Ah, yes," Karissa says. "Tinkerbell. Such a terrible fate."

"I caused that," I say. This fairy is making me unrationable.

"You still have good in you," Karissa insists. "I can see it, weak and small. But still there."

"My good is long gone," I say. "It was gone when I was taken to Neverland."

"Some of it perhaps," she says. Something waves her hand at me. "Go. Take the pixie dust. But be warned: it comes with a price. If not careful, everything will fall." She echoed Tinkerbell's final words. Everything will fall. I turn and see a door.

My hand is on the knob and is turning when Something calls, "One more thing, Peter." I stop.

"Your evil is not your own," Something says. I push the door and snap back to reality.

"Ah!" I say. I breathe heavily. I feel a small drawstring bag folded neatly in my hand. Wendy looks at me concerned.

"What happened?" Wendy asks.

"How much did you see?" I say.

"You were pulsing with blue magic, and then your eyes rolled back in your head," Wendy says. "You just passed out. That was all I saw. What happened?" I open my hand. Wendy carefully picks up the little bag.

"Amazing," she says. Wendy begins to loosen the string. I take the bag away from her.

"What is it?" she says, hurt.

"I just don't think it should be opened," I explain. "At least, not yet. Not here." Wendy nods.

"But so much power, in such a small bag," Wendy exclaims. "Neverland's magic, all in here." She's right. All the magic, grinded up to dust.

"Off to Skull Rock, I suppose," Wendy says. I smile.

"Right you are, Wendy," I say. "After you." This time, Wendy smiles back at me. She flies into the air. So this is what it's like to have a friend. This is something I haven't felt in a long, long time.

Wendy is way ahead of me, flying faster than I have ever seen. Her speed nearly kills her when she hits an invisible force field. She screams as she tumbles to the ground. I swoop down and catch her. Wendy blows her hair out of her face.

"What was that?" she says.

"Hook," I say grimly. "He must know about this place." With Wendy in my arms, I fly down to the landstrip near Skull Rock.

Hook's men guard the bottom of the magic shield. Off to the side, are the Lost Boys bound and gagged. Now I notice how quiet camp was. I march straight up to Samuel.

"Let me pass," I say. "And I promise not to hurt you."

"No can do, Pan," Samuel says. "Hook's orders. We've won, so give up. We have the white magic, and your Lost Boys."

"Do you remember how you used to be one too?" I ask. "You traitor."

"Serves you right," Samuel says. "You were worse than Tinkerbell!" Two others from Hook's crew nod. "You were a tyrant worse than I have ever seen. I was glad to join Hook." I step close to Samuel.

"You think you've won?" I ask him. "You are forgetting one detail."

"And what's that?" Samuel says.

"I am more powerful than Hook," I say. I slap my hands together, knocking everyone backwards. I watch the shield shatter and fall. Hook is working used magic. That magic came from a small portion of me, which means I get the best of him.