Again In Neverland

Chapter 49: On the Last Night

(QUICK A/N: music above is perfect for playing for a scene below!! You'll know which ;) )

"Maybe life is all about twirling under one of those midnight skies,
cutting a swathe through the breeze
and gently closing your eyes."
- S. Khan

LILITH'S POV:

Out of the golden burst of light flew the small (but strikingly elegant) Queen Madelyn. The last time I saw her was in that crazy 'life/death' dream thing, and that wasn't even actually her; it was The Fates. As she flies towards our little huddle, I can't help but feel differently towards her -- as if our relationship has grown in a sense that I know her better. But, again, that didn't happen in this reality.

Madelyn stops a little bit away from where Peter and I stand. Four of her Fairy Guards stand at her sides. One of them being the handsome Aeden Greydust, and I watch out of the corner of my eye as Alina's smile widens. It feels good to witness something as normal as love, and not the insanity I've been mixed up in for the last... well, since I "died".

"Kulethe." The Queen says, all business.
I squint at her through the strong afternoon sun, "Yes?"
"Perhaps I should start calling you by your human name," She says, a small smile forming on her face, "You deserve nothing less."

I tangle my fingers together in front of me and give Peter a sideways look, "Oh, sure. Whatever you'd like, Queen Madelyn."
The Queen chuckled, rolling her eyes, "You can all relax. I'm not here to scold you... this time."

The Lost Boys released a collective sigh of relief. They no doubt believed they were in trouble for one thing or another, per usual. Although, if she wasn't here to scold them, what was she here for?

"I have come, to talk to you, Lilith Mallory." The Queen spoke, nodding at me.
"Me?" I asked, "But why?"
"Actually, I have come to thank you. What you did, sacrificing your life like that to save my precious daughter," I could see her choking up, "It is something truly unforgettable. Something that, no matter how hard I may try, I will never be able to thank you enough for. Not properly, at least."

She folded her hands delicately before her, "It is something I would expect my knights to do, but a human? In all my years I have never seen a human do something quite like that. In this matter, I would have to say your bravery overshadows that of even Peter."
"Hey!" Peter shouted, "I helped too!"
"As I said earlier," Madelyn continued, ignoring Peter, "The Fairy Kingdom, myself included, are indebted to you for your bravery in rescuing the Princess. Should you ever need assistance, in this world or another, all you must do is ring this bell five times, and no matter where you are, the Fairy people will be there to aid you."

Aeden Greydust flew down to me and placed a small, silver bell in the palm of my hand. It looked to me like a thimble for sewing, being just about the size of the tip of my pinky finger. I jingled it next to my ear and heard the softest of tinklings. The best part about the bell was that it was held on a silver chain. I carefully slipped the chain over my head, although it ended up getting caught in my wild curls. Luckily, Peter was quick to help my de-tangle it. His fingers lingering on my neck for just a second too long, and his eyes locked on mine for a moment longer than expected.

I turned back to the Queen.
"Thank you. It is a lovely gift, and I will cherish it. But, Your Majesty, it's important that you know I didn't do it because she's the Princess." I faced Alina, "I did it because she's my best friend, and if I had lost her, I would have lost a part of my soul."
Alina's eyes welled up with tears, she blew me a kiss and a trail of orange pixie dust tickled my nose.

The Queen smiled, "I know you did. And still, I am grateful to you."
"Thank you." I said.
"Also, I must say my thanks to both you and Peter for restoring Neverland to the place it was meant to be."
"Wait," Peter interrupted, shaking his head, "You knew?"
The Queen chuckled, "Before Neverland came into existence, I was a simple garden fairy living on a small island in a place called Kensington Gardens. The same place where you too found yourself once, Peter, though our paths never crossed. The other fairies all spoke of a land far away, passed the stars, where anything was possible. Where adults flew the skies with the birds, where children ran merrily on the beaches, where animals lived peacefully with each other. Straying from my brothers and sisters in Kensington, and before you found your way Peter, I ventured to this land without the slightest notion of where it actually was.