Giving Fantasia: The Taking Fantasia Sequel

Chapter 143: Pendy and Jariel

Chapter 143: Pendy and Jariel

"Psst. Psst. Wendy."

Wendy smiled. She knew who that rascal was, even without opening her eyes! Sifting under the linens, Wendy found Peter perched at the foot of her bed. She smiled. He returned.

"Hullo pretty girl."

"Hello Peter."

"Whatcha doing?" Peter crouched over the footboard. He rubbed her toes through the sheets. "Dreaming about me?"

Wendy rubbed with her foot. "Not anymore, silly boy. I'm wide awake. Peter why aren't you in bed?"

"I am in bed. Your bed." Peter hand-walked up Wendy's torso, legs trailing midair. Twisting vertical, he gave her a kiss. "Plus, I'm Peter Pan. Peter Pan doesn't sleep! Sleep is for mortals. And pretty little shadow workers."

"Shhh." Wendy hushed, reminding Peter of his manners. The Triton sisters had vacated, but Ariel occupied the next bed. "Shh silly boy. You'll wake Ariel."

"Naw, I won't."

"You very well might."

"She's asleep."

"Not anymore." Ariel mumbled under her pillow. "Gosh. You two are so cute it's disgusting... and Peter you're...ah. yawn...Peter you're a creepy little dingle hopper...sneaking in windows...middle of the...night..."

Ariel nuzzled, her trident twinkling a lazy, baby blue. She murmured something about Jim, adjusted on her stomach, then fell into a dream about starfish.

Wendy smiled at Peter. Peter smiled back. Rubbing noses, he uncovered her blankets.

"Come on pretty girl. We have a very important mission."

"Oh dear, now? Peter I'm – " Wendy gathered her nightgown. She curled against Peter as he carried her to the window. "Peter I'm not properly dressed."

"Oh." Peter smirked. The Devil smirked with him. "I disagree. I think you're a little overdressed."

"Shameful Mr. Pan."

"I'm just kidding. Honestly." Peter hopped over the sill and into the breeze. "This is important. You have to introduce me to someone. Actually...two someones."

Wendy was mystified. Two someones? Who? Sarah? Michael and John? Peter already knew Jim, and Wendy prayed he'd never meet Sinbad. Who could Peter mean?

She found out. And when she did, Wendy knew Peter was the one.

"Wendy." Peter guided her across the cemetery. He paused before two gravestones, both glistening with autumn frost.  Wendy touched her cheek, stunned.

MARY G DARLING : LOVING WIFE. LOVING MOTHER.

GEORGE M DARLING : LOVING HUSBAND. LOVING FATHER.

Peter had found her parent's graves.

Wendy squeezed his hand. "Peter..."

Peter grinned. "Not introducing me to your parents is very unladylike. So I guess I'll break the ice...eh hem!"

He cleared his throat. 

"Eh he-he-hem! Okay, here it goes. Mr. Darling., Mrs. Darling. Hullo. My name is Peter Pan and I love your daughter. I know we've never met, so I can't ask you for her hand. But, I promise you can't imagine how much I need her. So..." 

Peter hugged Wendy's shoulders. "I'm going to keep her."

At that point Peter paused, politely waiting for a response. When none came, he turned to Wendy.

"Do the honors, pretty girl?"

Wendy glowed. "Mother, father! This is Peter! He's the most wonderful boy that ever lived and I love him! I love him forever – "

"Forever?" Peter laughed. Seizing Wendy, he started to waltz. "Well that's not an awfully long time! I say, for longer than forever!"

Wendy agreed. Peter crowed. And the Darlings smiled from heaven as their children danced – Wendy twirling in her nightgown and Peter singing like a bird.

"Yeesh." Ariel sighed from a distance. She had roused from her slumber ad followed the romantics en route for Jim. Marching alongside her trident, Ariel departed from the graves. "Those two. So cute. Pendy all the way...Pendy?"

Ariel blinked. Pendy? Where had that come from? What did that even mean? Ariel glanced back, at Peter and Wendy dancing. Peter...Wendy...squish them together and you get...

"Pendy."

Ariel ground her trident. Pendy? Where had that come from? And how had it popped so naturally from her mouth? Inexplicably, Ariel looked up. She scanned the stars, half expecting the answer to unfurl overhead, like a billboard sign or chapter title. No answer came. Ariel wondered: Pendy. Had that thought even been hers?

"Weird." she finally decided. Shrugging her concern, Ariel trudged for Pirate's Point. She shimmied the drainpipe, crawled through Jim's window, snugged under the covers –

"Hey." Jim adjusted as Ariel wrapped herself in his arms. "Missed you babe."

Ariel smiled. She stroked Jim's hair. 

Then she giggled. "Jariel."

"What?" murmured Jim.

Ariel pattered her feet. "If you smush our names together, you get Jariel. Jim plus Ariel...that equals Jariel. You know..." Ariel rubbed his nose. "Just like Peter plus Wendy equals Pendy! Neat huh? I have no idea why I thought of that!"

Jim smiled quizzically. "Maybe it's wedding fever?" he suggested, hand resting on her stomach. He pressed, feeling for a tiny heartbeat. "Or maybe it's... something else?"

"Could be..." Ariel's breath slowed. "Who knows..."

Jim was silent. Abruptly, he spoke. "Ariel...Ariel there's something I have to ask y...Ariel? Ariel?"

Ariel was asleep.

Jim did not wake her. As Sandman sprinkled the last of his dreamsand, Jim cherished his last moments with Ariel – that is, the moments they would share alone. Tomorrow, King Arthur would give Fantasia to the Otherland, Wendy Darling would marry Peter Pan, and Amalthea would become queen. The happy, hectic day would end in heartbreak: when Arthur and Amalthea married, the guardians would return to their realms.

Jim smoothed Ariel's stomach, searching for life inside her. If Ariel was pregnant, Jim was none the wiser. Ariel hadn't affirmed or denied either way. He would just have to wait. Wait in agony...

"And pray." Jim curled over Ariel. Reaching under her pillow, he withdrew an engagement ring. The ring was golden (like coral) and silver (like ocean waves), and inset with a piece of the Wishing Star.

Jim held the ring at Ariel's fingertip. Then, he tucked it away.

"I've got a better idea." Jim kissed Ariel in her sleep "So everyone will know I'm part of your world." 

Jim rest with his future bride. "Jariel. Where did she think of that?"

Again no one answered. 

But --

Outside, illuminated by a thin laptop light, someone typed by the Western Fantasian Sea.