Keeping Fantasia: The Third Book of the Fantasia Series

Chapter 56: Back to the Future

Chapter 56: Back to the Future

"After that," Jim said to King Arthur, "We came here. Silver stayed with the ship, and we sailed down in a long boat. So the Neverland adventures – or misadventures – are over. We completed our mission. We did everything you asked."

There was a pause. Arthur watched the guardians expectantly over steepled fingers.

"The end." Peter said.

Ariel waved her arm like a shooting star. "Fairytale ending."

"We realize that was a long report," Wendy said, "And we expect you to have questions. But if it pleases you..." 

She looked imploringly at Arthur, "We would love to find our children."

Arthur touched his fingertips to his mouth. He had not spoken through the entire narrative, choosing to process the information silently as Jim spoke. Now that the story was over, he seemed unconvinced that it was (to quote Ariel) a 'fairytale ending.'

"Permit me two questions," he finally said, "First, you are all essentially thirty-three years old?"

"More or less," said Jim, "The Black Hole spit us out 6 years into the future. What month is it?"

"September." replied Arthur. "Early September. School just started."

"Then Wendy is technically thirty-two," said Jim, "She'll be thirty-three on September twenty-first."

"So you are thirty-three, and your classmates are thirty-nine." Arthur marveled at the difference, "Time travel. Incredible. I don't know how Merlin does it. Merlin lives backwards through time you see, but you four...you've literally skipped six Fantasian years!"

"Six years without our children," Wendy reminded softly. "So...could we please finish answering your questions?"

"Right. Of course." Arthur readied his second question. "My final, and most important question concerns Captain Hook."

Arthur leaned forward, arm on Excalibur. "Captain Hook is gone, right?"

Jim responded immediately, as if he'd expected the question.

"The Jolly Roger didn't make it out of the Black Hole." 

He pretended to throw something. "Remember when I threw Billy Bone's map off the ship? Well, the map was the only thing visible in the Black Hole. Hook was using the green trajectory to follow us. When I threw the map, Hook followed the trajectory before it flickered out. It would have led him astray before everything went dark."

Arthur fingered Excalibur. "That is not what I asked, Lord Hawkins."

Jim stiffened.

"Hook is not in Fantasia." he said. "He got lost in the Black Hole. There's no reason to close the realms."

Arthur gently placed a hand on the table between them. "Again. That is not what I asked."

Jim squeezed Ariel's hand under the table.

"Hook is not in Fantasia." he repeated. "He got lost in the Black Hole. There's no reason to close the realms."

Arthur's expression fell. He looked down at Excalibur, as if the sword could help him unravel Jim's evasive answers. Sighing, he started to speak, but there was a sudden rap rap rap on the door.