Neverland

Chapter 33

That night I awoke to a faint nocking at my bedroom door. From downstairs I could hear hushed voices arguing over what could only be the rescue plan. I stood to answer the door and paused when I noticed a blue light spreading across the floorboards from the crack under the door. This bright glow caused me to move carefully, opening the door only slightly to the mysterious stranger outside. As I peeked through the doorway, I found myself face to face with a small winged woman, who had a strange sense of familiarity about her. I felt as if I should know this fairy, but I couldn’t quite figure out who she was. Something about her sad smile and knowing look made me hesitant to trust her. Nevertheless, I allowed her entrance. Who was I to deny a fairy, after all?

“Granny told me you were staying here, Kate,” she said formally as she fluttered in. Her voice was light and sweet, yet held an odd sense of authority and wisdom. This was not someone to be messed with. As I spent time in the Enchanted Forest I was coming to realize that there were few people here to be messed with, and it appeared that I was one of them.

Still, It puzzled me that she knew my name. “It seems,” I said, “that I am at a disadvantage. You know who I am, but I don’t know you.” She nodded appropriately, smiling again, “My apologies. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Blue Fairy.”

Ah crap.

Of course! I chided myself mentally. This fairy was blue. She was the Blue Fairy. Honestly, it didn’t take a genius to put that together, but apparently my mind had gone on an unannounced vacation. No wonder I didn’t trust her! This was the heartless creature who stripped Tink of both her wings and magic. I had pictured some strict woman with a tight bun and wire rimmed glasses. In reality, however, she was beautiful, with brown curly hair and a kind expression. It was disorienting.

She frowned at my expression, “You do not trust me, do you, Kate?”

I felt that it would be a very bad idea to lie to her, so I shook my head.

“I assume this is to do with your friendship with Tinkerbelle.”

I nodded, and she cast me a stern look, “Do not be too quick to judge me, Kate Holden. There are parts of this world which you do not understand.”

I wanted to argue that I understood perfectly well, but something held me back. Instead I simply asked, “What do you want from me.”

She exhaled, “I have watched over you a long time, Kate. You’ve been through quite a lot, and I am afraid your troubles are far from over. I have come to tell you, my dear, that you must return to Neverland. The battle between Peter and Sloane has been foretold for centuries. If he goes up against her without your aid, he will fail. He needs you.”

There was no doubt in my mind that she spoke the truth. I fell back onto my bed and put my head in my hands. “Believe me, I know he can’t do this without me. Peter’s powerful, but he’s too arrogant. He’s got a lot of flaws, but that’s his fatal one.” She grew to full size and sat down next to me on the bed. “It’s up to you to save him now,” she said. I nodded, “I know.”

Only then did it occur to me that I had no clue how to get back to Neverland, and plus Pan would not be happy to see me back so soon. I looked to her, “I hope you have some sort of fairy magic that can send me back there.” She frowned, shaking her head, “Unfortunately I cannot help you with that. Fairy magic is powerful, but travel between worlds is extremely difficult. Pan has always been an exception to that rule, but without him, well I’m afraid you’re going to have to go about this the same way everyone else does. And I am truly sorry, but that means that you’ll have to go through someone to whom in any other circumstance I would never send you. Unfortunately you really don’t have much of a choice.” She turned away, but her unease and fear was easily visible in the stiffness of her posture and the tight voice with which she spoke.