Peter Pan Imagines

Remember Me Part 14

Peter POV:
The clashing of a hundred swords rang in the hall. Monks exploded into bronze dust as I severed countless arms and heads from bodies. All of their pale faces were identical and filled with Valhallic rage, but they rushed at me endlessly. They seemingly didn't care if their brother was dead at their feet; they would die if it meant protecting their most important project to date: the heart of the truest believer within Nicole.

I could see her overhead even now, floating above the altar in a cloud of dust. They intended to drop her onto that spike: a hole punch that would take out her heart without any magic needed at all. They were sloppy and cruel -- even I could have taken out her heart using just a little bit of magic. But she was only meat to them and she would be processed as such.

If I could fly, I would have gotten to her sooner. I just had to fight a little longer. Amidst the chaos, I silently promised to myself that if we got out of this alive, I would give her a new life, a better life. I vowed that I would love her properly for the rest of my days.

Behind me, Tiger Lily was pressed against my back and shooting the remaining cultists with her bow. I could hear her whispering, keeping count of how many bodies she dropped. As good of a swordsman as I was, she was equally matched with the bow. We ripped through the crowd and stockpiled the bodies around us, but we were quickly getting tired. The both of us knew that at some point, we would be outmatched, and when that happened, we would be swarmed.

"ENOUGH!" A bellowing voice screamed above the crowd. Horns wailed overhead, bringing the violence to a standstill. At the pulpit, Michael stood proudly. "Bretheren, we must not indulge these barbarians. If they wish to take her, then let them."

I turned around to face him, so did Tiger Lily. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, she's the one who has to give in. Not us take it from her." Michael walked down the steps and the crowd of cultists parted. He approached the two of us, glaring at Tiger Lily. "I chose to become stronger from your betrayals, not weaker. She must choose the same."

"Why give her a choice?" Tiger Lily snapped. "You just want her heart and you have her suspended above a spike. You could take it out whenever you like. Can't you?"

Michael stood there quietly.

"Well, can't you?" She asked again.

"Not exactly." He snapped his fingers and the bronze clouds dissipated around Nicole. In a free fall, she plummeted down toward the sharp metal spike beneath her.

"NO!" I screamed, diving for her.

The moment she was about to be skewered through, a bright yellow light shined from within her and repulsed the spike. She rolled onto the floor before the altar: unconscious, but unharmed. Michael then snapped his fingers and the crowd of cultists melted into bronze dust, including the bodies on the floor.

I scooped Nicole up in my arms and held her close. Her skin was cold and her eyes were sunken. I would have thought she was dead if it hadn't been for the slight rise and fall of her chest. "What did you do to her?."

"We couldn't do anything. For one reason or another, we have been unable to remove her heart by force. No matter what we tried, it always repelled us away as if there was a protection spell on it. But that heart of hers, no matter how many wards and spells on it, is increasingly unstable. It is coming apart thread by thread!" His expression darkened. "But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"Why isn't she waking up? Remove the spell from her now!"

"No, I don't think I will. For her own comfort, put her into a dream. A long, comfortable dream." He knelt down beside his sister. "Here, I'll show you." He reached out his hand to touch her forehead and I pulled her away.

"Don't touch her!"

"Don't you want to at least see what she's thinking?"

Normally, I could have tapped in myself, but I had barely enough magic to keep my own heart beating. I grabbed his wrist. "Just show me, nothing more."

Michael smiled. "Of course."

He placed his shiny bronze finger in the middle of her forehead and a shimmering cloud appeared above her. In the middle, I saw a vision of Nicole sitting in a bed as Michael and Tiger Lily cared for her with soup and tea. On her head were bandages, but she was propped up in bed with piles of pillows.

"I made her dream about home, or rather, an alternate time where you never killed me. A time where I married Tiger Lily like I promised and you finally let go and let her continue on in the world. This is a time where she no longer remembers you."

Inside the vision, Tiger Lily told a joke and Nicole laughed like I haven't seen her do in ages. As Michael and Tiger Lily left, I saw her look out the rainy window with ease and comfort.

"I gave her a dream where she can forget all about the pain, embarrassment, and suffering she's felt because of you. It's the least I can do to comfort her before her imminent death at your hands."

"No, I know her. There's no way she can be tricked by an illusion like that."

"You just don't get it, do you?" He sighed. "She's dying, Peter."

"What do you mean by that? This is your fault!"

"No." He shook his head. "When you started to unwind her heart, it never stopped. Even if we wanted to give her a new body, we can't because there's a protection spell on it. Her heart has gone through so much that if I was to bring her out of this dream, it will unwind and she will die a painful, early death." Michael rose to his feet. "However, since you seem to be the only one who can remove her heart willingly, placing it into her automaton would be her best and only chance."

"Don't listen to him." Tiger Lily rushed to Nicole's side. "He's just trying to trick you."

"Trick or no trick. You know what's best for her, don't you, Peter?"

I was speechless. I looked over to the lifeless automaton exactly in her likeness on the altar. "And what will happen if she's put into that... thing?"

"Well, her heart will remain somewhat intact. We can't repair what has been broken, but we can at least keep it from falling apart, you understand. Besides, you've already seen what I can do in my new form, now imagine that tenfold because of your blood! She won't just be happy in her own world, she'll be a God in this one!"

"No. I won't do it." I held her closer. "She'll come back. I know it."

"Then you're damming her to a short and painful existence." Michael's expression darkened. "Fitting for the monster you are."

I couldn't take it anymore. I rested Nicole on the ground and tackled Michael. I beat him senseless, his nose breaking and repairing with every punch, but no blood came out. He wheezed like a dying animal as I dug my hand into his chest, ready to rip out that putrid mechanical heart.

"Stop!" Tiger Lily screamed out. "There's something happening to Nicole!"

I turned around and saw Nicole beginning to convulse. Foam exited from her mouth and her eyes rolled around violently beneath her eyelids.

"Nicole!" I rushed to her side again, holding her even closer. I felt tears in my eyes, more helpless than ever.

"It's already starting." Michael clicked his limbs back into place disgustingly.

"Fine. I'll do it."

Tiger Lily tried to hold Nicole down as she shuddered. "Peter, you can't."

"She's dying, Tiger Lily! I don't have another way!"

I turned toward Michael. "Before I do it, send me into her dream."

Michael shot me a confused look. "She's nearly dead, what do you expect to accomplish?"

"Please." I never thought I'd beg Michael of all people, but now here I was. "Send me in and I'll do exactly what you want."

Michael looked me up and down, assessing. "Fine."

He snapped his fingers and everything went black.