Chapter 6 - Fairy Godparents

      Peter’s blood froze as she realized just how angry her godparents were. “I – I haven’t lied to you, sir! I haven’t done anything wrong!”

      “Are you denying that you are a girl?” Oberon challenged, his eyes flashing. Gloriana raised an eyebrow, but gave no other indication that she wasn’t carved from stone.

      “No, sir,” Peter answered, her confusion mounting. “I guess I’m a girl. What difference does it make?”

      “What difference?” Oberon roared, taking a menacing step forward. Gloriana placed a hand on his arm and he halted, but still the Fairy King seemed to tower over the bound girl. “If we had wanted a girl, we would have asked for a girl.” He gestured at Tinker Bell and the pixie found herself floating before her sovereign. “Did we not specify a boy-child, rich with promise, to be found to serve as our ward?”

      “Yes, majesty…” Tink answered, her voice quavering.

      “Since Sarah, have we ever adopted any human other than a boy? Are the laws not specific that only a male child will do?”

      “Yes, majesty, but Peter…” Tink tried to explain, to point out that no previous child had ever been as strong as Peter.

      “And yet you brought us a female? Why?” Oberon asked, his voice suddenly cold steel.

      “I didn’t know at first!” Tink wailed helplessly. “She was dressed like a boy, she said her name was Peter… the birds that told me about her said she was a boy!”

      Oberon let the pixie drop to the deck as he returned his glare back to Peter. “So you’ve lied to everyone, then. You’ve betrayed our trust from the start! Do you have anything to say before I pass judgment upon you?”

      Peter’s mouth dropped open in shock. Judgment? What? Her head spun, everything had gone so terribly awful in such a short time… it was her earliest nightmare come true. “I didn’t know I was a girl! The pirates told me yesterday, but I didn’t know it was true until this morning!” She glanced at Tink, wondering what her friend had meant by what she’d told Oberon. It wouldn’t surprise Peter if Tink hadn’t known she was a girl, since no one else had. But somehow, Peter felt sure that her pixie had known everything. Help me, Tink!

      “You didn’t know?” Oberon was incredulous. He didn’t think it was possible, but that made him even angrier. “You lying brat!” he hissed. “How stupid do you think we are? You don’t deserve our gifts! You don’t deserve our protection and you have violated our trust! We revoke our faith in you, Peter Pan, and we withdraw our sponsorship!” He gestured at the girl and Peter screamed.

      It was like fire raced along her body, burning every inch of her. Her very soul reeled in shock, feeling as if it was being torn from her. She screamed at the pain, trying to find the words to beg him to stop, to calm down and let her explain. I didn’t know! I don’t understand… I thought you loved me! She could see the sails of the ship, Hook’s standard waving in the breeze above her. Lovely white clouds floated high over that, serene and peaceful, a jarring contrast to the agony that coursed through her. Something snapped free within her heart, leaving her with a final agonizing pull, and the sky began to dim. She couldn’t breathe, every gasping breath becoming harder to pull into her failing lungs. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, drowning out almost everything else, but over the din she thought she heard voices speaking urgently. But nothing made sense; her mind was going numb and she only felt a terrible loss inside her when her next heartbeat didn’t come. A final convulsion shook her and then darkness covered all.

      Pandemonium ruled when Peter began to scream. The children began shouting at the two fairies, begging them to stop and leave their friend alone. They didn’t understand why the King was so angry, it was barely registering with them that Peter had admitted to being a girl. But they could plainly see the Fairy King was hurting their leader, and they screamed at him to stop.

      The pirates tried to draw back from the scene, knowing that no good could come out of this. While Captain Hook thought it was poetic justice for the fairies to turn on Pan, it struck him that this was a gross miscarriage of justice. “She didn’t know!” he roared angrily, fixing his eyes on the Queen. The woman was frowning at Oberon, and her hand was held as if she was trying to decide whether to intervene or not. “Queen Gloriana!” Hook called, deciding to appeal to her instead. Her eyes turned to him and he continued, “I swear to you on my ship and my honor as a gentleman, Peter Pan did not know she was female!” He knew that Peter had denied his accusations yesterday because she didn’t believe it, not because she’d tried to cover it up. She’d been too upset when she’d finally accepted the truth to have been faking it.

      Gloriana’s frown deepened as she listened to the pirate. James Hook had no reason to defend Peter Pan, if anything he should be delighting in this. Tinker Bell said she didn’t know at first… Peter also claimed ignorance. I need to learn more. Peter’s screams halted abruptly as the magic within her was finally wrested free. Oberon held a glowing orb in his hand, the accumulation of everything they’d bequeathed to Peter so long ago. Sadness filled the Queen when she beheld that… she did love Peter dearly, as she loved all the children they’d entrusted Neverland to in the past. But if Peter had lied to them, then how could they trust her with such a responsibility?

      “We will send you back to Kensington Gardens, Peter,” Oberon said quietly, but stopped when the girl collapsed to the deck. She lay on her back and stared at the sky without blinking, gasping for air.

      “Perhaps we should wait, my King,” Gloriana suggested, looking at the girl closely. Something was wrong here. “It would be safer to find a successor first, and then transfer the trust to him. If something happens to Peter in the mortal world before a new boy is found, Neverland will still die.”

      Oberon nodded, staring at the orb thoughtfully. “You’re right…”

      “Majesties!” Tink screamed, “Peter!”

      All eyes turned back to the girl lying on the deck. She was deathly pale, her shallow gasps coming slower and slower until she finally inhaled and stopped. Her glazed eyes remained fixed upon the clouds and everyone waited in vain for her to take another breath.

      “You’ve killed her!” Tink wailed, struggling against her magical bonds. “She didn’t know! She forgot everything and she didn’t know! You’ve murdered an innocent!” Then the pixie gasped and faded to a transparent, colorless shade. She stilled as she felt herself weaken, and she knew that Neverland was dying, unable to remain coherent without Peter’s imagination to hold it to reality.

      A shudder went though the island and the shore began to disappear behind a thick fog. The ship quaked and groaned as its keel settled into mud, the water of Kidd’s Creek Bay having faded back into dreams. Oberon and Gloriana stared in shock. They themselves were not directly affected, not being creatures of Neverland. But if the island completely disappeared, thousands of their subjects would disappear with it, never to return. “Peter!” Gloriana whispered, kneeling beside the dead child. She dismissed the bonds around the girl’s body, lifting her up and cradling her close. “Oberon! Restore the magic to her, quickly! We must revive her!”

      Oberon knelt facing his wife, shock evident on his face. He held the orb over the girl’s heart, placing his other hand on her forehead. “I didn’t realize it had become such a part of her. I didn’t know it would kill her.” He closed his eyes and began whispering an incantation, working quickly to restart the girl’s heart and bring her back to life. Gloriana said the spell with him, joining her magic with his to create a balance, a balance that must be maintained to coax the girl’s soul back into her body and anchor it there once more.

      As Neverland continued to fade around them, they sent their magic outwards into the nether-realm, seeking the path Peter’s spirit would have taken. A familiar sensation, almost like a scent, alerted them that they’d found her. Come back to us, they called to her, but the anguished soul fled in fear. “You’ve hurt her too much,” Gloriana whispered, “let me call to her myself. Stand ready.”

      The Queen followed the spirit with her magic, sending out warm, loving thoughts. Peter, come back. Don’t leave us. I’ll protect you, I won’t let him hurt you, I promise. I love you, my child, and I’m sorry. Come back. Peter paused at that, but refused to return. Gloriana could sense the girl’s distress, her fear and sense of betrayal. The spirit was close to the threshold, nearing that point where no fairy could follow, and Gloriana felt her heart fill with fear and longing. This was the place that was denied to her kind until the end of days, yet this small child could find it so easily. She knew the happiness that awaited Peter if she just went a little further, and she knew she had no right to deny the little girl that. But her people needed Peter Pan, so she called again, promising the girl her love and support. Peter hesitated a moment, then drifted towards her godmother.

      Oberon pounced, snaring the spirit with his magic. Peter tried to bolt but she was caught fast. She wailed against this newest betrayal as she fought, but she could only protest as she was dragged from Heaven’s gates back to Neverland by the one who had betrayed and killed her. When they felt the girl’s spirit re-enter her body, Gloriana sent a magical pulse through her, forcing her heart to beat and her lungs to draw air. At the same time, Oberon poured the magic from the orb into Peter, restoring the magic to the Never-child.

      Peter convulsed, the shudders wracking her body as it coped with its sudden reanimation. Gloriana held her tightly, waiting for the girl to adjust and awaken. She fixed a baleful glare on her husband, her lips twisting into a derisive sneer. “You arrogant bastard!” she spat. “She was coming of her own accord, and you trapped her. She’ll never trust us again! I promised her I wouldn’t let you harm her.”

      Oberon stood and looked out over the island. As Peter’s hold on life strengthened, the magic of the island regained its cohesiveness. “I did what was necessary, Love. We didn’t have enough time to pander to this spoiled child. Our people were dying, and you dallied along in an attempt to play nice.” He spun to glare at her, “She will remain here until we’ve found a replacement. After that, she can either go back to her people, or I’ll escort her to the afterlife myself.”

      Peter took a deep breath and opened her eyes once more. “No,” she whispered in despair when she saw her godmother’s angry face. She wasn’t supposed to be here. She’d heard the voices calling to her, promising her peace and happiness, forever. She’d seen the beauty of the light, and it had been ever so much more wonderful than Neverland. But the fairies had lied to her and pulled her back; back to the pain and the unhappiness. At the memory of what had been denied to her, Peter’s heart broke and she wept.

      Gloriana held the girl and began rocking her, trying to soothe her. She could sense the changes in the child’s body and knew she hadn’t come though this unscathed. It was a miracle that she’d suffered as little damage as she had by having the magic ripped from her. Using a small bit of power in conjunction with a soft lullaby, she continued to calm the girl until at last Peter fell asleep, exhausted by her ordeal. Gloriana stood, still cradling Peter to her, and faced the King. “Look what you’ve done to her,” she said coldly.

      Oberon turned, his eyes widening a bit when he perceived the change. Then he shook himself. “It doesn’t matter. She won’t be a part of Neverland for much longer.”

      “Really?” Gloriana snapped angrily. “How long was it until we found Peter? How long did Cory Pan have to remain while he waited for us to find someone to inherit his gift so he could move on? You’re a fool if you think we’ll simply pick a boy and he’ll be the one. It could be years, years that Peter will have to stay here and wait. You had to lose your temper and act.” She held the limp figure a bit higher, forcing Oberon to look at the girl again. “Her body had to age to recover from the damage you did to her.”

      “She’s fine,” Oberon barked, dismissing the girl. “She’s still a child, a year or two added on her doesn’t change anything. We will continue this argument later, my Queen. We have other matters to attend to.” He turned to look down at Tinker Bell, whose color had returned. “You will return to Tintagel with us, Tinker Bell, to be held accountable for this deception. Even if you didn’t know Peter was female at first, you did find out, and you chose to cover it up instead of telling us.” Next he turned to regard the humans that watched him in shocked silence. “These boys will also come with us. They are the best candidates to be the next Pan. Perhaps after such long exposures to the magic here, they will have become compatible enough to bear our gift.”

      Blue mist surrounded the boys, including Billy Jukes, and soon each boy was encased in a bubble. The boys fought, fists beating against the walls of their prisons, muffled shouts of denial and threats of harm against Oberon could barely be heard through the thick barriers. Mullins drew his sword and tried to pierce Billy’s bubble, but once it began to float up he couldn’t chase it; his feet were still firmly stuck to the deck. Another gesture from the King and the bubbles began shrinking, each occupant shrinking along with it, until all the boys were fairy sized. Then with a loud pop, all of the spheres disappeared, and silence reigned on the ship.

      Oberon turned his attention back to Peter. “You, girl, will remain here aboard this pirate ship. I can think of no other punishment more fitting at the moment.”

      “They’ll kill her,” Gloriana protested.

      Oberon smiled and lightly touched Peter’s throat. A shining band of silver appeared around her neck, glinting brightly in the morning sun. “No one shall kill you, Peter, not until your replacement has been found. Tinker Bell claims you had forgotten you were a girl. That is a shame, to forget something so important. You will remember everything you’ve forgotten, so that when I return to complete your punishment, you will understand why. You will not return to the island until I give you leave, and you certainly shall not fly.”

      He glanced at Hook then, finally deigning to notice the other humans that had been present all along. “A gift, Captain Hook. I give you Peter Pan. You will not kill her, and you shall not do her lasting harm. I expect her to be in relatively good health when I return… perhaps at that time I will let you keep her for good, if you desire her. This collar will protect her from you and your men, if you become too rough, and will prevent her from doing any harm in return.”

      Gloriana shook her head at Oberon, but did not object. She would make a better case for her goddaughter in private, when he didn’t have to protect his authority. She waited until Oberon disappeared, taking Tinker Bell with him to Tintagel, then turned around to look at the pirate captain again. Keeping Peter cradled to her, she floated to stand before the man, trying to take his measure. I feel that leaving her with him will make things worse. But I cannot gainsay my King in this, not right now. But he will hear me, loudly, until he sees reason.

      Hook stared at the Fairy Queen for a few moments, knowing he was being scrutinized. Then he remembered himself and gave a short bow, trying to show the royal woman proper respect. “Majesty,” he said softly, “would you be so kind as to explain to me what has just happened here? And where has my gunner been taken?”

      The Queen sighed. “I’m passing to you a great responsibility, Captain. I hope that you will put aside your personal feelings for this child and take proper care of her until we return. Regardless of what my husband has said, I will be very upset if any harm comes to Peter. I promise you and your men great riches if she is in good health and spirits when I see her again.

      “As for what has happened,” she continued as she placed the girl in the man’s arms, “that is a very long tale. Suffice it to say, Peter is not the first Pan that has ruled Neverland, nor will she be the last. Only once before has a girl-child been a Pan, and it very nearly ruined us all. Since then, only boys have been sought. The previous Pan, Cory, grew up a bit faster than we expected he would, but we could not find a boy that could replace him for a long time. When Tinker Bell brought us Peter, and the child passed the tests, we were ecstatic. Perhaps because of this, we failed to notice her true gender. I dare say we were so desperate that we probably would have taken her anyway. But the fact that she deceived us in this leaves us in doubt as to whether she can be trusted any longer with Neverland’s safety. The lives of many of my people depend on this island.”

      Hook looked down at the unconscious girl in his arms. She looked different somehow, and he realized that she had indeed aged some. “What happened to her?”

      Gloriana brushed a curl from Peter’s face, a pensive frown creasing her own forehead. “We didn’t realize her very soul had become so entwined with the magic we gave her. We’ve never revoked a gift… always the old Pan surrenders it willingly to the new Pan when he is ready to move on. By tearing it from her, my idiot of a husband hurt her, badly. She died, and as part of reviving her, the magic aged her body.” Gloriana stepped back. “She will no doubt be distraught when she awakens. Please, be gentle. I need to go now. Your gunner is safe, and if he isn’t a match he will be sent back to you, mostly unharmed. That is why I must go now. If Oberon is still angry, he may harm the boys by testing them too much at once. I need to calm him.”

      Hook nodded. “I won’t promise you anything, madam. This is still Peter Pan, regardless of how innocent she seems right now. If she goads me, I can’t vouch for my reaction. But I will try to keep her from harm, if you will try to keep my gunner from harm. Bill Jukes is useful to me, and I have no desire to lose him.”

      “Very well,” Gloriana agreed as she faded away. When she was gone, everyone stumbled as their feet were freed from the deck. The men muttered, bewildered by what had happened. They all had heard what the Fairy Queen had said, but that did nothing to alleviate their concerns for their youngest shipmate. But as worried as the pirates were for Billy Jukes, they didn’t hold a candle to the worries of one small little girl who sat huddled on the deck, sobbing alone with her fears. Starkey was the first to notice Wendy Darling, so he knelt by the girl and yelled for the other men to be silent.

      “Miss Wendy,” he called softly, putting a hand on her shoulder.

      The girl lifted her puffy, tear streaked face, and stared first at Starkey, then at Hook. “My boys… they took my boys…” she sobbed, her voice hitching. “My brothers… what’s going to happen to my brothers? Michael? Michael’s too little to be without me! Why didn’t they let me go too? My boys need me!” She wailed, her hands coming up to cover her face. “And they hurt Peter! Why? How’s Peter a girl? Will they hurt me too? What’s wrong with being a girl? I don’t understand!”

      “Starkey,” Hook said softly, his heart softening for the distraught little girl. “Take young Wendy to my cabin and see if you can calm her down. Assure her that her boys will be fine, and that Peter is safe for now.”

      “Aye, Captain,” Starkey nodded and picked the girl up. Wendy didn’t resist, instead she clung to the man and buried her face in his shoulder, her body shuddering with her cries. With a slight grimace at the wetness soaking into his shirt, Starkey carried her to the Captain’s cabin.

      “Mason,” Hook called, “I want two beds set up in Pan’s cabin, one for Peter and one for Wendy. I want pillows and blankets, enough for them both to be comfortable. Add anything else you deem necessary to make the room suitable for two girls. They will likely be our guests for awhile. Smee, I need you to play tailor for me. It seems Peter has suddenly gotten a little tall for her new dress. Find some suitable dresses and alter them for her… maybe one for Wendy too. It might make her feel better.”

      “So we’re babysittin’ then, Cap’n?” Mason growled, a smirk on his face.

      “Aye, we’re babysitting, Mr. Mason. Do you have an issue with that, or would you like to debate the matter with my hook?” the Captain snarled angrily.

      “No, sir,” Mason backed up hastily. “Just makin’ sure I unnerstood th’ situation.” He nearly ran below to prepare the cabin like Hook had instructed.

      Mullins still stared at the place he’d last seen Billy, looking as if he was expecting the boy to reappear any moment now. He needs to be distracted, Hook thought, feeling a bit of sympathy for the man. His heart wasn’t completely stone, and he understood that Robert Mullins cared for Jukes. It just didn’t do to let his men see his softer side. They’d take it for weakness and try to exploit it. “Mullins!” he barked, and felt satisfaction when the man jumped and turned to look at him. “Go to the cabin Pan was in and help Mason make it livable. Then I want you to put Long Tom away. Mr. Jukes won’t be happy when he returns if he finds his cannon has been neglected.”

      Mullins nodded, a faint smile on his lips. “Aye, Cap’n. He’d swear me out in about four different languages.” The man made his way below to help Mason, shaking his head. He was worried, but Billy was a tough kid and he had no doubts the boy would be back soon. Give ‘em hell, lad. Show ‘em what bein’ a pirate’s all about.

      Hook was relieved to find he was alone at last on the deck. He sat on the nearest barrel and contemplated the girl in his arms. She wasn’t sleeping peacefully, that was for certain. Her forehead was creased in a frown and her fists kept clenching and relaxing as she made soft moans and grunts. But, despite her restless sleep, she showed no signs of waking. “Peter, Peter, Peter,” Hook clucked, “What have you gotten yourself into?” He wasn’t sure how he felt about this situation. It was immensely satisfying to have the girl safely in his clutches, knowing for sure there was no escape for her. There were no Lost Boys to free her and she’d been given into Hook’s custody by the fairies themselves.

      There was also the bonus satisfaction of knowing how devastating this would be for her, having her special status taken from her along with her friends. But at the same time, Hook was appalled by how Peter had been treated. She was just a child, and they’d tortured and nearly killed her. Actually, they did kill her. I saw her die. He closed his eyes, remembering his horror when Pan had stopped breathing. It was wrong for her to die in that manner. She was supposed to die by his hand, not by those who claimed to be her protectors.

      “You’re better off with me, Pan,” Hook said softly as he caressed her face, trying to soothe away her frown. “I’ll never betray you like that. You know where you stand with me. And if I see fit to change our relationship, I’ll tell you first, not spring it on you as your so-called godparents did.” Peter whimpered a bit in her sleep and began to squirm. Humming softly, Hook continued to stroke her cheek while he waited for Mason to finish preparing her quarters.