Pan's Kiss

Courage

Shadow

As Rayden and I shared my form and crept across the deck I concealed my yearning to detach myself from the boy.
Many years I'd been with him and he'd served me well but he had done his part and it was time for a new vessel. As soon as I came in contact with the boot of Captain James Hook I knew this was it.
I tore myself from Rayden and entered the Captain, which was easy due to his surprise at suddenly seeing Rayden at his feet.
I could feel his pulse quicken as fear and confusion crept into his mind. I scrambled to gain control before he could rebuke me.
I felt Hook's consciousness fighting against me and fed off of any negativity in his mind to keep control.
It was strange seeing Rayden through the Captain's eyes as I used my vessel's one hand to choke him. I wouldn't kill him, not yet at least.
Hook began fighting back with more strength and I had to work quick before he could regain control.
I ordered a pirate to take the boy down below and quickly disappeared to the Captain's Cabin.
What's going on?! Hook asked in a panic.
Who are you? What are you?
Ignoring the man I continued to study his memories searching only when his father was still around.
I found the bitter memory of his mother's death but it was laced with love and I quickly had to find another, I found the incident of when he lost his hand and discovered his feelings for Tiger Lilly.
I latched on to those thoughts and emotions and began twisting them around to serve myself.
You think she could ever love someone like you?
A princess and a pirate. What an absurd idea.
A proud native with someone who's ended countless lives? Someone with a father like yours? No, she'll never love you. So give up James, no one could ever truly trust the son of Blackbeard. Your father was a murderer and so are you.
Stop!
James fought back.
Stop! She believes in me! She always has!
Believed in you or simply wanted safety for her tribe and this island? The witch lied to you, she used you.
James fought back.
How dare you! Don't talk about her like that!
She will never love you. All these years you've waited for her, fighting who you truly are..a pirate. Nothing can wash the stains of your past, you will never be free, so stop fighting a battle that can't be won!
I could feel James's conviction waning as my words soaked into his mind.
Succumb to me and together we will make all of this wretched island pay. Together we will be unstoppable.
I felt myself tap into the side of this pirate that had long been suppressed. The side of this pirate that was most feared and hated. The dark side of Captain James Hook.

Nathan's POV

I stood back with the rest of the crew as we watched the Captain deal with the sudden appearance of Rayden.
The moment he appeared the Captain's mood changed drastically, making me suspicious.
Even more suspicious was how the Captain dealt with the situation. Ordering us not to tell Peter that his own brother was on this ship.
A gut feeling told me something was out of the ordinary with the Captain and so when he shut the door to his cabin I quickly took a boat, ignoring the inquiries and warnings from my fellow crew mates repeating what the Captain had said.
I turned for a moment to look at them with an expression of extreme severity.
"Something is wrong with the Captain. Trust me, don't tell him where I've gone and stay out of his way. We are all in danger."
I saw Smee out of the corner of my eye leaning against a barrel staring at me with wide eyes that screamed fear.
I looked at him for a moment, raising an eyebrow in question thinking that perhaps he knew something I didn't. Smee quickly looked away and I dismissed his behavior as simple fear of the unknown.
Once my boat had been lowered into the water and oars passed down to me I set to work paddling as fast as I could towards the island. 
Sweat dripped down my dark brown arms and quickly chilled me when the summer breeze blew over me.
After ten minutes of laboring I finally felt the bottom of my boat hit the sand of the beach.
I jumped out of the boat and dragged it away from the water before running as fast as I could to Peter's cabin.
I climbed up his ladder and rapped in his door fiercely and caught my breath as I waited for him to answer.
Peter pulled open the door and his expression immediately turned to concern when he saw my face.
"Nathan, what is it?"
He asked.
I gulped down another lungful of air before responding in a raspy voice.
"It's- it's Rayden! He's here, on the Jolly Roger. And James is..something's wrong with him, Peter! He's not himself!"
Caeli came to the door next to Peter.
"What's going on?" She asked.
Peter ducked into his cabin and came back a moment later with a sword.
Peter looked to her for a second before responding.
"Stay here. It's Rayden."
Caeli shook her head. "No! I'm not going to sit by while this happens. I'm coming with you wether you like it or not."
Peter looked as if he were going to argue but instead sighed and nodded his head.
"Fine. It's better than you coming unbeknownst to me." He mumbled.
Caeli rolled her eyes. "You could've just told the truth." She sang.
I butted in on their little argument.
"Not now you guys!" I reminded them.
Peter and Caeli glared at eachother for a moment more before Peter snatched his dagger from his belt and handed it to her. "In case of an emergency use this. But just don't leave my side and you'll be fine."
Caeli nodded and took the dagger.
"Okay, lets go." She said as she took Peter's hand.
Peter held out his other hand to me.
"Flying is the fastest way." He reminded me.
I grimaced as I took his hand.
"It better be quick. I hate flying." I growled.
Peter grinned at me. "Oh, it'll be quick. I promise you that."
The gleam in his youthful eyes set my stomach churning even before we had taken flight.
How he could be light and carefree even in the direst of situations was beyond me.
My stomach dropped like a stone in my stomach and we launched into the air, flying at breakneck speed towards the Jolly Roger.
One terrifying minute later we crashed onto the deck of the ship and I immediately ran to the rail where my stomach expelled everything I had eaten that day leaving the acidic flavor of bile in my mouth which couldn't be spit out.
I wiped my mouth and grabbed a bottle of whiskey that had rolled into my boot.
I took a swig and swished it around like a mouthwash before spitting it out into the sea.
"You'd think a sailor would have a stronger stomach." Caeli commented as she came to stand beside me.
"I'm not a fan of heights." I growled.
Caeli nodded. "Neither was I. But that's not important right now, we've got worse things than heights to deal with."
I spat one more time before straightening my back and turning to face her.
"You are not dealing with him. Peter and I are."
Caeli raised an eyebrow. "Well Peter told me to stay by him so I'm going to do just that. Don't argue with me let's just go."
I rolled my eyes. "Fine, let's go."
Caeli ran over to Peter who was talking to Alexander and joined the conversation while I walked slowly due to my stomach.
When I joined them Peter turned to me with eyes that gleamed with the excitement of the current circumstances.
"Alex says Hook went down below and swore to gut anyone who bothered him."
I looked at him astonished.
"And you're excited about this?"
Peter looked down, almost shamefully.
"Well, it has been years since I've had a good duel..."
I shook my head at him with disapproval while Caeli looked at him with a disturbed expression.
Peter looked between the both of us before grabbing the hand of his sword.
"Come on. We've got to deal with Hook, not my slightly sadistic way of thinking."
Caeli scoffed, "Slightly?"
"Yeah?" The tall young man called as he loped over to us.
Caeli looked confused. "Uh what?"
Peter and I laughed. "This is Slightly. He was one of the original lost boys." I explained.
Peter turned to Slightly "Waddya say pal, wanna fight Hook with me again like old times?"
Slightly hesitated before nodding. "Well I guess I can't refuse a good fight. Even if it is against my Captain."
"Alright, now can we please go?" I asked impatiently.
"Yeah, lets go!" Slightly echoed.
Peter spun around on his heels and began marching toward the hatch that led below.
"Come, let us slay once more my worthy opponent. And let us hope that in his many years of sleep he hasn't grown slow and weak. Ha! Ha! Ha!"
He crowed.
Caeli walked beside me and whispered.
"Isn't he the least bit worried? Both of his sworn enemies in one place? His brother possibly being tortured by the deadliest pirate in Neverland?"
I chuckled. "Of corse he's nervous. Why do you think he's acting so chipper and brave?"
Caeli was silent for a moment. "So, all of this is just a show? Like a sort of 'fake it 'til you make it'?"
I nodded. "Peter is a leader, that's who he is and his way of leading is by lifting spirits and boosting moral. If the lost boys ever saw that he was afraid well, they would be too."
Caeli chuckled. "I read once that true courage is being afraid of something and facing it anyway, so I suppose you could say Peter is as brave as he pretends to be." She laughed again. "I guess faking it 'til you make it really does work."
Peter spun around as he reached the hatch that led below deck. "This is no time for laughing!" He glared as he pointed his sword at us.
"But Peter, weren't you just laughing a minute ago?" Caeli asked.
Peter smiled, "Yes, but that was a minute ago. Now is no time to laugh. Now come on." He said as he lifted the hatch and disappeared below deck.
I looked at Slightly. "You're next."
The tall lanky young man obliged and swiftly dropped below.
Caeli made to go next but I put my hand out to stop her. "I will go next and at my command, after I've made sure it's safe then you will follow us. I won't have you getting killed on my watch."
Caeli swallowed and nodded. "Okay." She said, barely over a whisper.
I paused before my head disappeared below the deck. "Are you okay?" I asked.
She took a deep breath and then exhaled shakily. "It's just, I never thought..I never thought I'd be facing a pirate and a shapeshifting 'evil twin' and now here I am..and I'm scared."
I nodded. "Maybe you should stay hidden up here and if things get too serious you can warn the others, that might actually be better than being with us so that Peter isn't distracted."
Caeli nodded. "You make a good point. I'll stay up here."
I nodded. "Good."
As I stepped onto the floor below I was struck by the eerie silence that pressed against my ears.
As I crept slowly past all of the hammocks and bunks I heard a crash from the Captain's cabin and ran across the lower deck to his door.
I tried to open it but it was locked so I knocked politely. "Captain, is everything alright?" I asked.
"Yes..yes everything is fine I just....help!..I just accidentally knocked my mirror off of the wall everything is fine I have it covered."
I stepped back from the door. Help. I knew the Captain was not fine.
"Alright Captain. I'll just be going then." I said as I walked away making sure to step on the creakiest boards. I took five steps away And then quietly crept back to the cabin door.
I pressed my ear against the polished wood and strained my ears to listen.
A low voice was growling, the chilling realization hit me that this was no human voice.
"You fool! You don't need help, you have me and together we are unstoppable.....don't hurt your friends? What friends? You have no friends..except me. I will never desert you."
I stepped back from the door in terror and stepped on a creaky floor board that let out an agonizing squeal.
I heard the voice stop and then in its eerie growl it said in a sing song way "Who's theeere?"
The hair on the back of my neck raised and I knew there was no running. The best I could do was stall whatever was hiding behind that door.
Slowly the handle turned and the old door slowly opened.
My heart was beating furiously as I watched anxiously for the monster behind the door to appear, but the only thing that the door revealed was my very own Captain. I tried to look behind him but all I saw was the shattered mirror.
"Captain..are you alright?" I asked.
His skin was pale and his black hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat, but the most worrisome thing was his eyes. His dark eyebrows were furrowed low over his eyes giving them a shadowed and eerie appearance.
He raised a dark eyebrow.
"I told you already, I'm fine."
He paused and sniffed the air.
"Do I smell Peter Pan?" He asked, his voice growing angry.
"I thought I ordered nobody to tell him if his brother. Why is he here?" He demanded.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I lied.
He smiled and shook his head.
"You can't lie to me Nathan. Where is that pesky boy?"
"I don't know." I said in all honesty.
The Captain looked over my shoulder and his eyes seemed light on fire.
I spun around to look and saw Peter and Slightly standing at the foot of the ladder and the legs of Rayden clambering up the ladder above them.
Peter drew his sword.
"So, we are once again enemies. I must admit I miss fighting you." Peter smiled cockily.
Hook laughed "And I you. Many years I've dreamed of tearing my Hook through your flesh and hearing you scream."
Peter raised an eyebrow. "And many years I've ached to feed the rest of you to that tic' toking croc' in any case who ever should win, such a magnificent spectacle deserves to be seen. So what do you say we take this to the top deck eh?"
Hook spat in the ground and smiled.
"Of course. Down here you're at a disadvantage but no matter. I shall receive more glory for killing you when you have the upper hand and all of my crew can see and sing songs of how the Pesky Peter Pan was defeated at last by the almighty Captain James Hook and all of Neverland shall bow to me and it will be your body that is fed to the crocodile."
Peter masked his mild disgust behind a dazzling grin. "That's bold talk for a one handed pirate. Now how about we move above and see if you can walk the walk."
Peter winked before flying up through the hatch.
Hook laughed evilly before chasing after him with his hook raised.

With the lower deck deserted I took the opportunity to inspect the Captain's cabin but I found no evidence of another being having been in that room.
But I couldn't get that voice out of my head it sounded...evil.

Hello my lovelies. I am so sorry it's been over a month since I updated and that chapter wasn't very action packed or exciting. I'm sorry it was long and boring but there was SOME cool stuff.  Know you're all probably wondering who the hell Nathan is.  He was part of Hook's dad's crew when he was younger and he was the only nice person after Hook's dad went crazy and became a total asshole. If you can remember when I first introduced the pirates and there was the one chiseled pirate with the dark colored skin that was Nathan. I kind of used him as a third person POV without breaking my pattern of first person POV.
Okay so what are your guys' thoughts on the shadow? What exactly do you think it/he is?
I love to read your comments so please make my day and fire away with your speculations and  thoughts. Questions? I can maybe answer those too 😉
Don't forget to show my story some love and hit that star button down there to show your support. Every vote brightens my day and drives me to keep writing.
Much love and appreciation~CaeBae 😘