"We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know." - W. H Auden
PETER'S POV:
Lilith turns her back to me, and judging by the soft sniffling I hear, I can tell she's crying again.
I feel bad for her - I do, really. It's just one thing after another for her. First she moves away from her home to a strange new land, then her Mom threatens to send her away from her new home, and then when she finally comes to a place were there should be no worries and only fun, she's bombarded with the responsibility of this prophecy, almost driven mad by The Fates, almost killed by the Isilo, and now her fairy has been captured.
I've tried to do everything I could to lessen all of the problems but, I fear I've only made them worse. Like I've said before, I don't regret bringing Lilith here. She needed it.
I needed it. But perhaps if I had shielded her from this prophecy or kept her safer then... maybe she wouldn't be so upset all the time.
She cries - a lot. Which I guess could just be a thing that girls do - boys don't do it very often, you see, I've only cried once and that was for an extremely valid reason - but it could also be because she's just not happy here. There are moments that I know she's happy. She gets this little crease, in the right hand corner of her mouth, that only shows when she smiles wide enough. It's how I know that she's not faking a smile - that she's having a good time. I see it when we're together sometimes. Especially when we're flying, that's her favorite thing. But other times I see it over the tiniest things. When one of the Lost Boys gives her a hug, or when she stands in the sunlight on a warm afternoon, or when she looks at the night sky after a long day. It's as if these tiny things give her such an immeasurable pleasure that she cannot say it out loud - the only thing that gives it away is her smile.
But then there are times like this, when she cries, and I feel completely helpless. How do I make it stop? I have no idea how to properly comfort a girl! Do I pat her on the back? Do I give her a hug? Do I give her space? When Lilith cries, she's like a ticking bomb. One wrong move and she goes into this state of isolation, where she doesn't want to talk to anyone. Usually she'll talk to Alina but... Alina's not here now.
I see Lilith wipe at tears on her face before she turns around, "We have to rescue her. We have to go help."
I sigh. I knew it would come to this, and it's not that I don't want to help Alina, it's just that rescuing her from Mermaid's Lagoon without being either drowned by the mermaids or slashed by the pirates is highly unlikely.
I drop my head, "We can't."
She goes rigid, "What do you mean we can't?!"
"You know where she's being held," I say as I cross my arms over my chest, "It's too dangerous to try and get in and out without somebody getting hurt."
"So we're just giving up on her?! I'm supposed to stay here and pretend that Alina is perfectly okay when you do nothing?!"
I rub my hands over my face, "You don't have to pretend anything. But I'm not willing to risk fifteen people going up against twelve pirates and numerous mermaids. It's not possible."
"Not possible?!" She shouts, "Have you forgotten where we are, Peter? Anything is possible!"
I sigh again, "I'm sorry Lilith, I won't send my boys to their deaths. I can't risk tha-"
"How dare you give up on Alina! She has done more for you than any fairy ought of, and here you are abandoning her because you're too afraid! You don't even need to send all of the Lost Boys to rescue her! Just you and I could sneak in and grab her before anyone notices. But you," She looks up at me with heated cheeks, "You are a coward, Peter Pan."
She turns away from me and pushes past me to the door, "And you always will be."
"I'm a coward because I don't want anybody to get hurt?!" I yell in frustration, "Because I don't want you to get hurt?"
Lilith freezes with her hand on the door. Slowly, she swivels herself toward me, "Is that what this is about?"
I look down at my feet and take a breath, punching myself in the face for saying that.
She walks up to me and gently uses one hand to lift my head up. Her eyes look softer, "You're worried that I can't look after myself?"
I shake my head and put my hand on top of hers, "I know you can. But I don't want anything to happen to you. I have this unexplainable urge to just... protect you." I close my eyes and shrug, "I don't know why. But I do know that if I let you go rescue Alina... something bad will happen."
Lilith rubs her thumb on my cheek, "How do you know?"
"I just... do."
We stand in silence. Neither of us hardly breathing, the intensity of the conversation wearing us both out. Actually, it looks like it's wearing Lilith out faster. Her normally rosy colored cheeks are pale, and her hand feels too warm. I see her waver a bit where she stands, but she quickly catches herself. That was odd...
She pulls my head down and rests my forehead against hers. I close my eyes and enjoy the moment.
I know Lilith won't listen to me. She'll go rescue Alina whether I'm on board with her plan or not. That's the thing about her - she's hard headed. She always puts others safety above her own, and does what she believes is right. It's an admirable trait, but I worry that it will soon get her into more trouble than she can handle.
Like now. I just know that something is going to go badly wrong it we go rescue Alina. I can't explain what the feeling is, but it's there. And it's telling me - screaming at me - not to let her go. But I don't think I'll be able to stop her.
"You know I can't leave her there." Lilith whispers.
Eyes still closed, I squeeze her hand gently, "I knew you wouldn't listen to me."
"Peter, if it were you in there-"
"You would come to rescue me, no matter the cost."
I open my eyes and move my head away to look down at her, "Because that's just who you are."
She blushes.
"You're kind, and you're good-hearted, and you're smart," I pause and brush a curl out of her face, "And you're the bravest person I know."
She beams, and I see that little crease in the corner of her mouth.
"You're not too bad yourself, you know."
"So I'm not a coward?"
The smile vanishes, and I instantly see guilt.
"I'm sorry," She says, "I was just angry that you wouldn't help and I said something I didn't mean. I'm sorry."
I shake my head, "I knew you didn't mean it. But did you really think I'd let you do it alone?"
She tangles her fingers together and begins pacing the room, "But I know you said you don't want to risk the Lost Boys' lives, and I don't want to either. I just don't know how we're going to rescue her without more people."
I absentmindedly run a hand through my hair, "We'll have to make do with what we have."
Lilith was still pacing, "What we have. What we have..."
She trailed off and stopped pacing, one hand near her mouth as she chewed on a nail.
"What is it?" I ask.
"Do you know what we have, Peter?" She excitedly asks, walking closer to me.
I shrug, "A charmingly handsome boy who can fly?"
She puts her hands on my arms, "What we have, is a whole colony of fairies who would gladly help rescue their princess, and a tribe of Piccaninnys who will always come to our aid."
I finally see where she's going with this. We can use the army of the fairies, and the warriors from the Piccaninnys to help us defeat both the pirates and the mermaids.
"Lilith!" I shout as I almost jump with joy, "You're a genius!"
*******
Lilith and I quietly fly our way from one tall branch to another, doing our best not to be heard or seen. We figured being up in the trees gave us a better view, and an advantage in case any pirates were keeping watch in the bushes below.
We land on the same branch and peer out from behind the trunk of the tree. Below us is Mermaid Lagoon.
The trees recede to a rocky platform and then that dives down into a lagoon filled to the brim with a sparkling, blue water. The point is that it looks inviting, so that people want to go in, and then the mermaids can have their dinner. Even now, I can see them gracefully swimming under the surface, no doubt waiting for an unlucky pirate to fall into their grasp. They wouldn't boldly attack, seeing as how the pirates have one of their sisters, but whoever fell in the water was fair game.
On the rocks were at least a dozen tents, and with those tents came the filthy pirates. Even after killing a number of them, and destroying their ship, twelve of them managed to escape - including their fat Captain.
Convincing both the fairies and the Piccaninnys to join us in getting back Alina was no problem at all. The Piccaninny warriors were more than happy to put on their battle paints and grab their spears. Lilith calmly told the Chief of our trouble, he clamped a hand on her shoulder, and assured her that the Piccaninny never run from a fight. The fairies were shocked at first - the Queen nearly fainted from it - but she just as quickly regained her composure and assembled the army of fairy guards. She pulled Lilith aside and had a conversation which I couldn't hear, but Lilith kept grinning over at me, and speaking in a hushed voice to the Queen.
So now here we were. Lilith and I scouring the playing field before we all attacked, and our small armada waiting for our word. Against my best wishes, the Lost Boys had come too. They insisted that they go, based upon the fact that 'even the dainty, little fairies were going to fight' and it was 'only fair' that they did too. I wasn't thrilled about it, but at least there were lots of people there to protect them.
"Do you know which tent she's in?" Lilith whispered.
I squinted into the moonlight, trying to look for the faint sparkle of a fairies glow. I knew it well enough to spot it, and so when I saw the sparkle in the same tent I saw Smee walk out of, I knew this mission was going to be very difficult.
Lilith wobbled on the tree branch and her knuckles were white from gripping it so tightly. Sporadically, she whipped her head around and looked behind her.
I turned my head as well, and when I saw nothing I looked at her,
"Did you see something?"
She glared into the darkness, eyes searching the tree tops, and then she shook her head and sighed.
"I've been seeing things out of the corner of my eye all day. I think I may be going crazy but... I feel like something's following me."
I looked into the trees again, but still saw nothing.
"Well whatever it is should know not to mess with you. You're completely determined to save Alina right now, and I know you'll cut down anything in your path."
Her eyes had some more life in them when she smiled at me, and returned to looking at the pirates below us.
"I don't see many mermaids." She whispered.
I shook my head, "They're below the surface, but trust me, there are dozens of them. And each is as bloodthirsty as the last."
Lilith let go of the trunk and walked to the edge of the branch we stood on, "Come on. Let's go tell everyone."
She lifted herself into the air, but I saw her struggling to descend. There was a moment of panic when she flailed her arms like a bird, and I rushed down to catch her.
"Are you alright today?" I asked, "You seem a little off."
She nodded and held onto my arm as we flew down, "Just scared for Alina, that's all."
I didn't entirely believe her. Something was definitely off, but she wasn't saying anything. I just hoped it wouldn't interfere with her fighting.
When we reached the waiting point, the Chief and head of the fairy guard came up to us.
"What did you see?" Aeden Greydust (the head fairy guard) said to us with a faint British accent.
"At least twelve pirates. They've set up some sort of base camp with all these tents and weapons and stuff. There's no telling exactly what's in them all, but I would assume it isn't good." Lilith explained.
"What of the mermaids?" Cheif Great Big Little Panther asked.
"Most of them are down in the water somewhere, but a few sit out on the rocks watching the pirates. Have you found her yet?"
That was another part of our plan. If we were able to find the mermaid that the pirates had captured, then we could return her to the water, and this would give the mermaids no reason to help the pirates. If anything, they would help us defeat them.
The Chief shook his head and his large, feathered headdress moved with it, "Not yet, Little Flying Eagle. But my people are searching, and the night is young. We will find the siren."
"I just hope we find her in time." Lilith said, putting her hands on her hips.
She looked pale again. Her eyes had large circles beneath them and her forehead was lined with sweat, but it wasn't the least bit hot out. In fact, it was a bit chilly. A cold breeze blew inwards from the lagoon, nipping at my toes.
"And what of the Princess?" Aeden wondered.
"She's there. I saw her." I answered.
"You did? Where?" Lilith asked.
I clenched my fists and said through my teeth, "In Smee's tent."
It mad me so angry. So angry. That vile man had caused so much damage... so much chaos. After we defeated Hook, I thought for certain life on Neverland would be much safer. But no. Smee and his miscreants stole all of our treasure, and destroyed our home. The same home Wendy stayed in. It was gone - forever. And with it went Wendy's thimble. I had another way to remember her by, a certain important memory, but the thimble was mine... and it was lost forever.
And now Smee has done it again, taking away the thing that means the most to Lilith. He deserved death. He deserved it soon.
"Well then," Lilith announced, pulling her sword from her belt and holding it into the air, "Let's go rescue Alina!"
The men in front of us looked invigorated. Chief Great Big Little Panther held his spear up and shouted an animal call, that then caused a chain reaction of louder cries from his tribe. Aeden Greydust turned to his men flying behind him, in their shiny armor, and called,
"For the Princess!"
"FOR THE PRINCESS!" The little guards yelled back.
"Onward march!" Aeden shouted as he turned, and began marching his army towards the lagoon. I stepped to the side as they moved past me, as well as the tribe of wild Piccanniny as they stampeded forward. In last pursuit were the Lost Boys. They stopped in front of me and looked up.
I knew what they were waiting for, so I grinned and cupped my hands over my mouth. I leaned back and gave a loud crow-call, our signature thing. They crowed back, and excitedly followed the rest of the armada. Surprisingly, I saw Lilith's friends following the Lost Boys.
There was Mike, the younger boy. He was wrapped in animal pelts, like the rest of the Lost Boys, and he held a slingshot in his hand. Gil put his arm around Mike's shoulder and they stomped off together. Then there was the older sister, Wendi. The one who looked nothing like my Wendy, but shared a similar name. She saw me watching and stopped in front of me.
"You may not like us, but we're going to help fight in this either way." She defiantly said.
I put my hands on my hips and bounced on my toes, "Who said I never liked you?"
"You did," She chuckled and pointed at me with her dagger, "Many times, actually."
I laughed and rubbed the back of my neck, "I don't think you're that bad. You're kind of helpful, sometimes. Plus the Lost Boys like you, so that must mean something."
"Well, thanks." Wendi smiled, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Actually, maybe I should be thanking you for helping fight in this. I know it's dangerous, but it's good that you're here. I know it'll mean a lot to Lilith."
Wendi shrugged, like it was no big deal, "That's what you do for people you care about, right? You don't think of yourself for once, and do something that matters to the other person. It's called love. Haven't you heard of it?"
I snap my head to her, "Of course I have."
"Then I don't know why you're so surprised I'm here to help Lil. The fairies are here because they love their Princess, the Piccaninny are here because they love to fight, and I'm here because I love Lil - she's like a sister to me."
Wendi turns her head to her right and looks at something. When I follow her line of vision, I see Lilith over by some trees talking to Jonathan. He's leaning one arm up on the tree and has the other on his hip. Lilith keeps playing with her hair, and uses big hand gestures. I wonder with a twinge of jealousy what they're talking about so quietly, and at this particular moment.
"Love makes you do crazy things. You put yourself in harms way to do things to protect the ones you love, and Lil does that quite a lot. She has a big heart. She loves a lot of people, but not all in the same respect. She loves Alina, and so that's why she is trying to rescue her." Wendi explains, us both still watching Jonathan and Lilith.
"So I think you need to ask yourself something, Peter Pan," Wendi continues, taking a step away from me and walking backwards to catch up with everyone else, "Why are you here?"
A/N: Hey wonderful people! Hope you all liked this chapter! I've been listening to the soundtrack for the new Pan movie (coming out in October in the USA) on repeat while I wrote this :) I'm so excited for that movie I cant even tell you!!!!!!
The first Peter Pan movie in theaters since 2003!!!!! It's gonna be amazing
Anyway, I have a mini surprise for you all! I have written a bonus chapter, based on this chapter but in Lilith's POV and of a different time, and I wanna post it! But the deal is, this Chapter has gotta reach 10 comments and 5 votes :)
Alright dearies, thank you for reading this. I love you all!