Edited✔️✔️
Sorry for another wait... Thank you for sticking with me this far. Xx
Chapter 19
Rufio had always hated Neverland—even when he was a Lost Boy.
He always had hated the humid temperature and the animals. But most of all he hated the fact that he was always stuck living in his brother's shadow... literally. And unlike his brother, he had no ties or magic connected to the island and was as powerless as a typical Lost Boy.
Being the infamous Peter Pan's brother came with its many disadvantages such as always being hated everywhere else when anyone found out the truth about his only sibling.
The smell of dirt and the sticky air of an incoming storm slapped against his face as he trekked through the Neverland woods, creating a gleam of sweat on his forehead. His boots were covered in thick mud, not that he cared.
The bright red feather braided into his long, dark hair could be seen in the corner of his eye blowing in the wind. A knife was sheathed in the waist of his pants and hidden underneath his shirt. Another was placed in his left boot and he could feel the smooth, cool metal rub against his ankle bone.
He whistled an old tune he had heard once in his childhood, a song his mother had hummed often. Immediately a chorus of birds mimicked the exact tune and pitch perfectly and soon an echo of the sad lullaby echoed throughout the entire forest.
His back froze, and for the first time that day he stood still and listened.
It was like his mother was haunting him.
Rufio loudly cursed up at the hidden birds beneath the green leaves and branches when they didn't stop.
"Stupid pigeons," he muttered angrily and spat onto the ground, watching with observant eyes as the earth soaked it right up.
"I believe they are called mockingbirds, actually."
Rufio turned and glared at Hook. He had almost forgotten about his presence up until that point.
Hook's hand and hook went up in defense. "Just saying," he added quickly with a smug grin and walked past a now fuming Rufio.
"Don't you have anything better to do like stick that hook of yours up your—"
"You know," Hook interrupted, stopping suddenly, and put his only hand on his hip, "I think everything will all work out the way it's meant to." He stared off into the distance with his back turned towards Rufio so he wouldn't see his sly smile.
Rufio rolled his eyes while having fantasies about driving his dagger through the pirate's back when he was distracted. "Whatever." He clicked his tongue. "As long as I get the honor of watching the life leave my brother's eyes," he chuckled darkly, "I will be very—very—satisfied."
Hook's nose scrunched up and he turned to face the merciless teenager. "When I was with my brother I just wanted to play backgammon. But I guess everyone has their... hobbies."
"Shut up, pirate," Rufio snapped. "You're distracting me from the mission."
"Of course, mate. My apologies," Hook stated with a grin that said otherwise. "It's just funny to me."
"What?" Rufio asked more like a growl.
"Well, with that attitude, I don't want to tell you anymore..." Hook trailed off and Rudio scoffed, not caring in the slightest about what the captain had to say.
That was his grievous fault. Not knowing this, Rufio began sharpening his dagger with a rock off the ground, imagining all that he would do with the weapon if everything went according to the plan.
While he was distracted, Hook stared up at the starry Neverland sky. He could instantly see the constellations clearly with twelve unusually bright stars surrounding an even brighter one in a perfect circle. However, he did notice the bright, centered star was almost touching the second star on the right.
Hook smiled a knowing smile and slowly turned his head towards his traveling partner with a devious look in his eyes.
⋆✶
Thomas groaned and after hours of trying now sluggishly tugged at the ropes around his wrists and ankles. No matter how hard or which way he pulled, they wouldn't budge.
He huffed and blew a strand of his hair out of his face, giving up when his body's protests were too loud to ignore.
Then when he tried sleeping, he found no rest and nearly cried out in frustration.
Mia had left suddenly without a sound a long time ago, Thomas sensing her warmth leave the room while he was sleeping before, and with no indication of when she'd return—or if she would ever.
The dozens of candles still burned to his left, keeping the room very bright and uncomfortably warm, almost scorching. Thomas could practically feel every single bead of sweat that rolled down his face, onto his upper lip, and down to his chin.
He leaned his head back with yet another groan, this one sounding defeated as he closed his eyes, wondering helplessly if saving Mia was even an option anymore.
⋆✶
Mia rolled up the sleeves of her shirt, knowing confidently that she had made the right choice in changing out of her dress.
"Once Pan and his boys get here," her master stated, sounding somehow bored and eager all at the same time, "I need you to distract a large group of them. Rufio and Hook have already been given their orders."
Mia nodded. She could feel the multiple boys' restless energies humming from almost a mile away. She could also sense the Red Skins who thought they were being clever by coming in from the opposite side as the Lost Boy's to supposedly surround them.
"You are also responsible for that Thomas boy," he continued. "If anything happens, it is not my responsibility to fix it, understood?"
Mia nodded, her golden eyes flickering unknowingly to him. "People will die," she blurted out randomly and to no one in particular.
"That they will, Princess," the man in the cloak agreed before he disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.
Silently, Mia went back to Thomas with her nails digging into her palms nervously.
⋆✶
Pan marched forward, the Red Skin Chief at his side, covered in tattoos, animal skin, body paint, and jewelry—typical Red Skin attire for war.
"They aren't that far away," Pan told him, brushing a leaf out of his face. "I can sense them now."
"Strange how all of a sudden you can sense them," Big Chief pondered aloud. "As if they want to be found."
"It doesn't matter," Pan snapped, forgetting to be polite. He wasn't about to explain how he was always able to sense Mia after she was captured, allowing him to locate their target.
"It does," Big Cheif replied in his deep, croaky voice, sounding in no mood for an argument.
"Not to me."
Big Cheif just silently rolled his eyes at the boy and continued walking, knowing full well that Pan was not a person of reason or compromise.
The Red Skin warriors were surrounding the other side of their destination along with a few Lost Boys, just a little behind them on reaching it but not too far that it caused worry.
Pan hadn't heard anything from Queen Clarence or any fairy for that matter. He didn't know and didn't care if the fairies were helping them or not. He guessed they were all in hiding. Either way, it would all end tonight.
The truth is: Sometimes you don't need fairy dust. Just yourself.
⋆✶
Tinker Bell coughed into the tissue, hating how the taste of iron had grown stronger especially in the past hour.
As expected when she pulled it back from her face, the soft, white paper was covered in scarlet liquid.
Her face scrunched up in pain from the throbbing throughout her body and also in disgust at the sight of her own blood.
"Go," she had told the lost boy who was taking care of her. "I'm dying no matter what."
He did as he was asked with one last pitiful look and Tink was grateful. She didn't want to die with someone watching her. She wanted to die in peace—alone.
Tink closed her eyes, trying to get as comfortable as possible on the small bed that she was given. It hurt to breathe and the world was beginning to spin, her head as light as a feather. She could feel herself slipping away and she embraced it, not fearing the inevitable for every creature that was or is to come.
"Tink."
Tink's eyes shot open at the familiar voice and she nearly cried when she saw the familiar people standing before her, surrounded by white, blinding light so she couldn't see the place behind them.
"Come home."
With that, she breathed one last time and took her friend Wendy's hand, staring at her mother, her father, and fallen brothers and sisters with both awe and love.
Finally, she knew, she was free... for good this time.
⋆✶
Mia felt Tink die and her head rose from staring at her lap. At the same time, Pan stuttered in his step and lost his breath for a minute before he trekked on, reassuring himself that he could do nothing for her now.
An unknown feeling rested in the pit of Mia's stomach. She swallowed the lump in her throat as another tear escaped her.
She reached up and touched Thomas's sleeping face, knowing exactly what she had to do. Her bloodied palms screamed at her and she released a shuddering breath, closing her eyes.
Pan and his allies were getting closer by the second, and Mia could feel their murderous intentions as they neared as if blood already stained their hands.
Mia let out another breath, now shaking and opened her mouth in a silent scream as her very soul felt like it was being ripped apart and put back together again and again and again...
She fell over onto her hands and knees, panting and fighting harder against the darkness in her mind that had kept her contained for so long, like a clawed hand wrapped around her brain trying to squeeze tighter and tighter.
Slowly, she started to recall her mom, Anna, Thomas, James, Pan, and Hook—not just who they were but what they meant to her. Whether the feelings were good or bad.
So with that, Mia opened her eyes, pried the invisible fingers off from around her mind, and finally remembered herself too.
~**~**~**~**~**~
||AN|| RIP Tink. This was kind of a weird chapter but I hope you liked it. Only a few more updates and then this book will officially come to a close.
I'm still editing stuff so that's why it's been a while since I last updated.