Peter Pan - Dark Neverland (Closed)

[mad_as_a_hatterx]

Peter did his best to process Wendy's words, despite his fear. For he was scared - petrified, even. Pirates, hungry crocodiles, wolves, Red Skins on the war path; these were all in a days work for Pan. They had never really scared him. Even the threat of death did not seem to strike home with Peter - he had once said, after all, that death would be a very great adventure. Yes, he was sure he must have killed thousands of pirates in his time. Certainly, this was what he told the Lost Boys, and they, naturally, readily believed him.
Wendy though - Wendy with all her sensible ideas and grown up notions somehow managed to instill fear in Peter. It felt as though his blood had frozen in his veins.

Pan was caught between a rock and a hard place, and there was no escape. Had he not vowed to save Neverland, whatever the cost? Naturally, in one of his more arrogant moments, he had. At the time, it had seemed a very grand thing to do, and at the time, Peter had fully believed that he was capable of saving Neverland. But what Wendy was asking of him....It was too much. Far too much. It was impossible. True, Peter had asked for her help, and now here she was, taking his hand in her's, providing a cure. Much as he wanted to dismiss the idea and snatch his hand away from Wendy, like the child he considered himself to be, he couldn't.

"It's ok to be scared, Peter..."

Despite his fear, Peter felt the colour flood back to his cheeks. Scared he might be, but he didn't want Wendy to know it. "Scared? Who said I was scared?" he muttered, scowling and looking away. "I'm not scared..." He muttered again, though this was possibly the most blatant lie Peter had ever told. He even failed to convince himself. He glanced back at Wendy, suspicion suddenly darting about behind his eyes. Eyes flickering across her face, it seemed that Pan was trying to determine whether Wendy was genuine. Whether this was all some sort of horrid trick. He wished it was.

Alas, for Peter, though. He only found sympathy in Wendy's eyes and pity on her face. This only made him scowl more, and this time, he did not refrain from snatching his hand away. Huffing angrily, Peter clenched his jaw. "Will it work?" he managed to force out at last, hating the words that were coming from his mouth with all his being. "You're sure it will work?" he questioned again, narrowing his eyes slightly, as though he still suspected Wendy of some dishonesty.

To Peter, Wendy was rapidly becoming the villain in this piece.

[Sirius Baren]

Wendy watched as a pink tinge came to Peter's cheeks at her words. She sighed as he quickly denied that he wasn't scared. "Peter, it's not childish to be scared." She tried convincing him once more. Wendy knew that fear was what drove humanity. The first time she had seen her father truly scared, that had scared her, but it had made her realize that it made you human, and often the bigger person to let others see your fear. As she got older she realized that it was okay to be scared because everyone got scared.

Sympathy twisted in her stomach as Peter scowled. Wendy hated suggesting this, especially since she was very unsure of it, but it seemed like the only way things might actually work and turn out. She frowned as he asked her if it would work, and if she was sure it would work. For a moment she was silent, and then she shook her head.

"I don't know Peter, I don't know if it will keep Neverland from going over the edge, and I don't know if it will be completely useless. All I can say is..." she stopped. "I just don't know. It seems like the answer to saving Neverland is locked in a different age. You're just a child Peter, of course you don't know what to do to save Neverland, but I believe that if you let yourself grow up, just a little, you'll know the answer." She said calmly. She didn't want to freak him out anymore than she all ready had.

[mad_as_a_hatterx]

"I don't know..."

The words rang through Peter's head, and he struggled to make sense of them. It was jolly difficult. Peter was used to things not making sense - he was used to being impulsive and unpredictable, acting in accordance with his mood. He usually considered uncertainty to be a thrilling thing, and took delight in never quite knowing what was round the corner. This, of course, conflicted rather nicely with the fact that Peter thought he knew everything, but Peter Pan had always been one of the most contradictory and contrary people.

But he didn't know about this - and neither did Wendy, and this certainly was not a thrilling adventure, and it most definitely was not fun. "But...But...I don't know...If you're not sure....It might not even work!" Peter threw up his hands in frustration, before folding his arms. "And it's impossible anyway, I..." Peter trailed off, one hand flying to his mouth, fingers brushing his lips, a startled expression on his face. Had he really just said...? Impossible? Pan never used words like that - everything and anything was possible in Neverland. Well, it was if you believed it.

Shaking his head yet again, blonde curls bobbing, Peter frowned. "There's no point - it probably won't work anyway, and...And even if I agreed, I don't know the slightest thing about growing up!" he exclaimed, shrugging his shoulders helplessly.

[Sirius Baren]

Wendy raised an eyebrow when Peter declared that it was an impossibility. She was shocked, that was a very un-Peter like thing to say, especially coming from Peter Pan himself. She watched him as his hand flew to his mouth as he realized his own words. She waited patiently as he absorbed the magnitude of his statement. She felt bad for him. It must be miserable to be so incapable of accepting certain facts in life.

"You're right, it might not work." Wendy stated calmly. "It might fail miserably, but so what? You're Peter Pan! You live on the edge, you love danger and adventure! Why in the world should this scare you? It's just another adventure Peter, staring you in the face. You can't say you won't at least try to grow up a little." She was trying to con Peter with words into running head first into the darkness without a light. Neither of them knew what would happen if he tried to grow up, but Peter had to try.

"That's okay." Wendy folded her arms casually. "But you don't have to know, at least not now, but you are Peter Pan. You can know anything, do anything. You are a fabulous boy, nothing has ever failed you, and you have never lost a fight. You go blazing into battles with blood thirsty pirates, you play cat and mouse with the indians, you can do anything if you've got a mind to do it. You aren't a coward, and it would be a very cowardly thing to do to at least not try." Wendy was hoping that boosting Peter's confidence would help. "I believe in you Peter." She said in a quieter voice.

[mad_as_a_hatterx]

She was right, of course. He was marvellous, amazing, brilliant, brave, daring, bold, dashing and...At this point, Peter's mind ran out of complimentary words that he felt described himself. Yet something still didn't feel quite right, and Peter was uncomfortable. An adventure? Perhaps. The trouble with this particular potential-adventure, was that Peter was fairly sure that it could not be forgotten. And something that cannot be forgotten is a dangerous thing indeed, because it leaves a mark, so to speak. It will change you, and you will never, ever be the same again.

It was that which scared Peter.

In Neverland at the moment, he was really the only constant thing. He was taller - that, even Peter had to admit, but he hadn't changed; not really. It was as though he was at the eye of a great storm; everything seemed calm and eerily quiet, yet he could plainly see that all about him was descending into chaos. It would have been fine if he had been the one to instigate the chaos, of course, but it was out of his control. Spoilt and childish being that he was, Peter enjoyed being in control...And yet not, all at the same time. Up until now, that had seemed possible. He was only just learning the lesson that you cannot possibly have your cake and eat it, all at the same time.

Troubled, Peter rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, taking a pace away from Wendy. On the one hand, he felt like he wanted to throw his head up and crow (Wendy was, after all, very accomplished at stroking Peter's ego), but on the other hand....It still seemed like Wendy was trying to trick him. She had just slapped him, after all.

"I believe in you Peter."

A phrase Peter had not heard in quite some time. Usually, and for reasons he could not quite understand, the phrase would buzz round his head. Particularly when he lay in bed at night, just at the point between waking and sleeping. Recently though, it had all been silence - silence and dreams that did not include Peter. After all, when faced with a war, what child would bother themselves with the fantastical Peter Pan and his Neverland?

"I'm no coward" Peter replied at length, his voice matching the stubborn expression on his face. "It's just...I just...I do not know how to go about it. I do not think it can be done in Neverland - it makes one too forgetful" he explained, a frown passing over his face. "So you see..." Peter tailed off, his head snapping round abruptly.

A bush had just rustled.

Taking a couple of steps towards the offending shrubs, Peter narrowed his eyes, hand curling around his dagger. "Out!" he ordered, tones harsh. "Now!"

Looking very sorry for themselves, and rather guilty, the Lost Boys each removed themselves from the foliage and lined up before their leader.

"You were spying?" Peter questioned, his eyes growing dark with a fury that was not often seen. "Slinking in the bushes like...Like snakes! Explain yourselves!" he demanded at once, one hand still curled, white-knuckled, around the hilt of his weapon.

"We...We're very sorry, Peter..." Began Nibs hesitantly, staring down at his toes. "We didn't mean to-"

He was cut off by the twins, who broke line, faces pale and drawn. "Don't leave us, Peter!" Twin Two wailed, falling to his knees in what he clearly believed was a dramatic fashion.

"You'd leave us to...To...To...You want to grow up! You said you'd never, never grow up!" Twin One accused, falling flat on his face. He was clearly trying to out-do Twin Two.

"...Peter...Please don't...Don't leave us all alone" Tootles put in, clutching hold of Curly's arm.

"It is her. It's her fault!" Nibs accused, pointing a trembling finger at Wendy. "It was her idea...She wishes to make Peter grown up, just like her!"

Peter watched the Lost Boys, shaking his head slightly. "You are all in disgrace. Go to the tree." he muttered, turning his back on them, arms folded. He turned his attention back to Wendy. "Do you see?" he asked at length, upon hearing the Boys enter the tree, grumbling and cursing. "It cannot be done here, and I can never leave, so the idea is completely impossible" he added, hoping beyond hope that Wendy would understand.

[Sirius Baren]

Wendy watched Peter with a mild satisfaction. It had worked, she could see Peter's ego growing by the second. It was only a matter of moments before he'd be off and boasting about himself and describing just how wonderful and fabulous he was even though there was no one to really hear it other then Wendy. She knew all about how wonderful Peter was, and she also knew all about how wonderfully stubborn Peter could be. She waited and wondered as he suddenly seemed to get grips on the whole idea. He certainly was growing up, even if he wouldn't admit it. The Peter Pan Wendy had known would've been stalking around the clearing with his chest stuck out proudly and his head held up high, but this Peter was a critical thinker.

Peter's words had Wendy quite confused. He was saying that it was impossible to grow up in Neverland, he was sure that it wouldn't be possible for anyone. Yet Wendy could feel herself growing just a little each day. It was much less than if she were back in London, but she was growing just the same. Perhaps Neverland was merely losing its magic, perhaps Neverland was dying.

The thought horrified and petrified Wendy. Neverland couldn't die. Sure it could become wild, but Wendy couldn't even bare the thought of no Neverland despite how grown up she was becoming. It was a place of fantasy and never-ending adventure. One who thought of Neverland thought of a constant place, not of it as being something of the past.

The bush at the edge of the clearing rustled and Wendy felt her heart quicken as she remembered her recent kidnapping experience. Wendy didn't say anything as the Lost Boys all tumbled out and began to all talk. They all seemed so scared with the thought of Peter growing up and leaving. Wendy wasn't asking him to leave, she was just asking him to try and make sense of this all by just accepting that he was growing up.

Wendy felt rather sour as the accusing fingers all pointed to her and she could tell that the boys instantly disliked her for the moment. She wanted to huff and defend herself, but she felt that it was the wrong time for that. She watched as Peter sent them all off to the tree, all of them hung their head in shame.

"That's just it Peter." She sighed heavily. She knew that this would get no where, and it was now pointless for her to stay. "It's not impossible, especially since I know I'm growing up here. I don't belong here anymore Peter, I don't belong with you. Neverland isn't just getting wild, can't you see, can't you even realize?" she asked softly as she knew these were the words Peter did not want to hear. "Neverland is dying." She whispered before she looked at the ground.

"Don't worry about me Peter, I'll find my own way home. It's obvious I'm too much trouble for you and I've got to go." She smiled sadly at him before she turned her back on him and walked through the trees. Wendy wasn't scared anymore of what happened to her hear. It was still a better reality than going back to London and facing the brutal war.

[mad_as_a_hatterx]

((Sorry I've taken so long to reply. >.< I've just been so busy, and then I was hit by a bought of writer's block.))

"Neverland is dying."

Cold chills ran down Peter's spine and he shuddered slightly. He had once said that to die would be a great adventure, but then, at the time, it ad sounded like a very grand and brave thing to say. Besides, Peter had not really known what death had entailed. In some respects, he was rather like the Grimm Reaper himself - he dealt out death to pirates, unfriendly Indians, wolves, bears and anything else that irritated him. Any pirate who heard Peter crow and saw the delighted battle-fire in his eyes knew that he was done for. And so though Peter dealt death out with an almost casual air, it had never touched him; it seemed like something that did not concern him and could be treated like a game. Only other people died.

Now was the first time that Peter felt that death might not be so much fun after all. For if there was no Neverland, what of Peter? What of the Lost Boys? There was nowhere else like Neverland, nowhere else that could cope with being home to Peter Pan. Of that, he was absolutely certain. No Neverland meant....No Peter. Caught up in his own thoughts, Peter barely noticed as Wendy turned her back on him. It was only when he went to reply, in fact, that he realised she was no longer standing in front of him.

Oh honestly! Peter rolled his eyes before jumping up to catch a branch above his head. Pulling himself up on to said branch, he ran along it and jumped to the next tree, landing with a cat-like grace and continuing. He continued in this way for a little while, the bark of the trees scraping at the bare soles of his feet and twigs catching in his curls. Before the trees would've patted him fondly on the head but now their twigs had become like cruel fingers, just itching to scratch or poke anyone who passed their way.

Then, at length, he spotted her. Strolling through the trees looking, Peter thought, a little sad, but not nearly so scared as she had been. Swatting a branch away, Peter dropped neatly out of the tree to stand in front of Wendy, hands on his hips. He was about to speak, when he realised that what with the bits of twig in his hair, he probably didn't look quite so dignified and impressive as he'd intended. Removing said twigs quickly and with a slight scowl, Peter threw them over one of his shoulders into a nearby bush. Then he drew in a deep breath and positioned his hands on his hips once again, intending to act as though the twig incident had never occurred. "Wendy, you can't just walk off like that. There is no way for you to get home - not without my help" Pan began, slightly annoyed that he had to tell her so. "So I propose...." he paused, trying to recall the word - the one he barely ever used. "A compromise. "You will help me to grow up just a little, seeing as you think that's how I can stop Neverland from dying and," Peter paused again, a slight smile forming on his face. "I shall teach you to fly again - you need to learn how to be a little careless if you are ever to get home."

A compromise - how could she refuse?