Neverland's Shadow

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I found myself staring at the vines lining the tree roof where I resided. I had been living in an intricately created treehouse that had slowly been growing more and more with the people I had under my command. The part of the tree where I stared had the branches growing together in a twisted style to create something that resembled a roof. I sighed and looked forward, readjusting my position in the chair. In front of me, I had Captain James Hook, although Captain was used loosely around here. Tinkerbell was lounging on the armrest next to me, the yellow light surrounding her dimmed from the boredom of the talk. Hook met my eyes, an arrogance resting on his face. He seemed very confident that I would hear him out and agree to whatever he had to say to me.

Hook and I have had a long-standing rivalry. He believed himself the ruler of the island but he and his pirates were only allowed to inhabit a small area. The rightful ruler, of course, is me. He had yet to get that through the thick head of his. He was a grimy, disrespectful man. He looked at me like I was beneath him, but he came to the island without a drop of magic and he knew he would never rise further than where he currently stood.

"What do you want, Hook?"

His smirk faltered and I watched as he straightened up just a little bit. He always did get antsy when I didn't address him as Captain. It took more willpower than I thought I had not to let the smile spread over my face.

"My men have seen your little ghost."

At that moment, it felt as if my heart would stop. Somebody had seen it. It was real. I wasn't crazy. I leaned over and propped my elbows on my knees.

"Where? What did it look like?"

Hook let the smirk spread back over his face. I had made a mistake, I showed him a weakness. He knows I'm interested and he could use it against me.

"You think I will just tell you that information for free, Peter Pan?"

"Of course, you wouldn't Hook, what do you want?"

"My people. There are many of us and we are growing. We need more space than the tiny piece of land you so generously allowed us to inhabit." He spat the word generously at me with a sneer. Of course, he was asking for more when I should have kicked him off the island altogether. "I think you should let us inhabit the land up to the lagoon."

I let the full displeasure of his request show on my face. A scowl replaced my usual laid-back demeanor. "The lagoon is sacred to me and my home, yet you dare ask for the land up to it? You, who is not even welcome on my land. You, who has no authority here, and not a single creature welcomes you."

I could feel my power lashing out around me, causing the vines along the treehouse to writhe like snakes. My magic often reacted to my emotions when I allowed it, I had been alive almost as long as the island and I had good control over it. I sat in smug satisfaction as I watched Hook squirm in his chair, his eyes moving back and forth rapidly to the vines shaking around us.

"It was merely a suggestion. Just a thought, Pan. We do need more land but perhaps to the lagoon was a stretch. I'm sorry, I overstepped."

The magic released the hold over the tree once Hook was thoroughly shaken. After his bumbling apology, he sank further into his chair, clearly frustrated with the mere fact that he had to put down his pride and leverage. He seemed to often forget his place and a reminder didn't hurt.

"You may inhabit the island up to the cliff. You go any further and I will push you and your men off the cliff and into the rocks and sea below, understand?"

Hook nodded his head slowly, gripping the armrest of his seat tightly. A satisfied smile appeared on my face at the way he sat there so dejectedly. I motioned my hand out towards Tink, dismissing her from the rest of the conversation. Her yellow glow flared orange for a moment as she glared but quickly flew away. She didn't get the privilege of sitting in on a conversation about a ghost that she didn't believe was haunting him. Hook watched the fairy fly away closely, She had always caught his attention and he had been trying to covet a fairy companion since meeting her. However, none accepted him and would much rather die than be his companion.