 
### Petra Pan

GENDERBENT FAIRYTALES COLLECTION

Book 2

By KuroKoneko Kamen

Copyright 2018 by KuroKoneko Kamen

Cover Design by Leah Keeler

Smashwords Edition, License notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or give away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. All characters are invented. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

### Chapter 1:

" _En garde_...ready...fight!" the judge called out to the two fencers that were standing in the field of play in the middle of a large hall.

Eirwen Darling's opponent - Thomas Paisley - moved forward and lunged his foil at Eirwen. Eirwen deftly parried the attack, and was about to _riposte_ when loud, overzealous female cheering coming from the stands distracted him.

"Darling! Darling! Darling! My Darling! _My darling!_ " the girls all chanted in lovesick voices.

The tips of Eirwen's ears turned red out of embarrassment and he groaned. "Ugh. What do they think they're _doing_? This isn't a basketball game!"

His fan girls were there _again_. He glanced at them out of the corner of his eyes and immediately wished he hadn't. His flush started to spread to his cheeks. The girls were holding up flashy, homemade banners and posters, which read embarrassing things like: 'Do your best, my Darling!' and 'I (heart) Eirwen Darling'.

Eirwen hated that his last name was 'Darling'. When the girls called out to him it sounded like they were using a silly pet name. And with the way they were looking at him lustily he had the feeling he was right on the money.

The reason that Eirwen Darling had fan girls in the first place was because his great grandfather Eirwen Darling was famous for being the inspiration behind the popular children's book: _Petra Pan_.

Eirwen Darling also bore an uncanny resemblance to his great grandfather when he'd been Eirwen's age. So when people pictured the boy who'd been spirited away to Neverland by Petra Pan for a series of grand adventures - they usually pictured the boy with Eirwen's face. Eirwen's great grandfather was dead now, but people never seemed to forget the connection.

Eirwen's current opponent and close friend, Thomas, was a good sport, and waited patiently for the cheers to die down before he'd make his next move. "As always, you're popular with the ladies, Eirwen. I'm jealous." Like himself, Thomas was dressed in an all-white fencing uniform with a chest protector made of plastic and a lamé - a layer of electrically conductive material worn over the fencing jacket in foil that was used for detecting hits. A mesh metal mask was covering his face protectively, so Eirwen was unable to see what was undoubtedly Thomas's amused expression.

"Do shut up," Eirwen groused irritably, before lunging his foil forward.

Tom parried the blow and retaliated with an attack of his own. Eirwen gracefully parried. This was the London Open - a fencing competition for national and international fencers. Eirwen had made it to the final, and this last match would determine the gold medal winner and champion of the competition. He wanted to make the club he belonged to - the Academy Cadets Club - proud. The current score was 14 to 12. Eirwen just needed to win one more point and he'd have this victory in the bag.

Eirwen's muscles were beginning to ache and a pounding headache was beginning to form behind his eyes. His vision was blurring slightly. He blinked rapidly to clear his vision and looked up towards the stands. _What the...?_

There perched at the very top of the stands was the oddest girl Eirwen had _ever_ seen. Her wild, long, golden blonde hair with scattered braids was adorned with spring flowers and ivy vines. She was dressed in a green tube dress that was decorated with ivy, and a pair of green ankle boots made out of soft leather. Her grass-green eyes were sparkling mischievously and an impish smile quirked her pink, pouty lips.

She looked very 'fairy-like' or 'pixie-like', but she had no wings and was the size of a normal human girl around his age. (Eirwen had just turned eighteen).

Maybe it was just how the sunlight coming in from the windows framed her body with a golden aura that made her look so...otherworldly.

_Fairy cosplay?_ Eirwen wondered in bemusement, arching an eyebrow at her. When he blinked again the girl just disappeared from his sight. _What the?_

Thanks to Eirwen's well-honed battle reflexes he just barely managed to dodge a lunge from Tom - the fencing blade passing his face. _Bloody hell._

Eirwen needed to concentrate on his match. He took a deep breath to steel his nerves, got into a stance, and charged forward. He managed to slip past Tom's defenses and touched the tip of his fencing sword to Tom's chest.

He'd just scored the winning point, making the final score - 15 to 12!

"Bout! Winner - Eirwen Darling!" the judge announced, waving his hand in Eirwen's direction.

Deafening cheers rose up from the stands and Eirwen had to resist the urge to plug up his ears with his index fingers. "Darling! Darling! Darling!"

Eirwen removed his helmet while Tom did the same. There was a lopsided smirk on Eirwen's face. He'd won the match. His _final_ match.

Eirwen ran a hand back through his sweaty, short, dark brown hair to get a few troublesome strands out of his face that had been irritating him.

Tom was grinning at Eirwen cheerily even though he'd lost. "Brilliant match." He stuck his hand out for Eirwen to take.

Eirwen took Tom's hand and shook his firmly. "Hell yeah."

Tom's happy expression turned serious. "Are the rumors true? You're quitting fencing?"

Eirwen shrugged carelessly. "I'm afraid so."

Tom's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

Another shrug. "Fencing...just doesn't interest me anymore," Eirwen lied.

"Bollocks!" Tom swore in a frustrated manner. "I know you'll be back eventually, and when you return - I'll be waiting for our next rematch. But next time it will be at the Olympics."

"Sure," Eirwen half-heartedly agreed before his attention was drawn to the stands where he spotted his two younger sisters - Joan and Michelle - waving and screaming his name. His smirk widened into a broad grin. His sisters were utterly adorable, and the apples of his eyes.

Joan was eight-years-old, and had the same boring dark brown hair he did. She'd pulled her hair back into a serious ponytail, and had a pair of thick-framed glasses on her face. Michelle, on the other hand, didn't look related to them. She had blonde hair, which she wore in two pigtails, bright blue eyes, a round cherubic face, and a smattering of freckles along the bridge of her nose. Michelle was holding a stuffed pink unicorn.

Eirwen met their gazes and held up his sword in a triumphant pose. He then headed for the stands with purposeful steps, and watched as his sisters descended the stands. Once they'd reached the bottom of the stands Joan and Michelle started towards Eirwen.

Out of the corner of Eirwen's eye, he noticed that a man in a hoodie was approaching his sisters. He didn't really think anything of it until the man suddenly grabbed Michelle, who let out a surprised squeak.

The man kept one arm wrapped around Michelle's waist while he turned to face Eirwen and used his right hand to lower his hood to reveal-

It was Jim Graveson - an ex-fencer. Eirwen had competed against him during past fencing competitions. Eirwen recalled that Jim used to be a part of his school's fencing club, but he'd been expelled from his school for getting into fights outside of club activities, and had been forced to quit the fencing club too.

If he hadn't been expelled, Jim would have participated in the London Open and probably would have ended up in the finals against Eirwen since he was a better fencer than Tom. It was no secret that Jim had liked to consider himself Eirwen's rival.

Jim was tall and had a lanky physique. His skin was overly pale and he had short curly black hair. He was wearing a _Black Sabbath_ T-shirt, a pair of faded jeans and some muddy sneakers. Eirwen's fan girls probably would have considered Jim to be attractive if it wasn't for the glazed, slightly psychotic look in his eyes.

Eirwen gave the young man a confused look. "Jim."

"Eirwen," Jim drawled with a dark edge.

"Why are you doing this, Jim?" Eirwen demanded, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. "Let Michelle go."

"Why don't you make me, _Champion_ ," Jim sneered, his lip curling in disdain.

"W-What?" Eirwen stammered in surprise.

"You heard me," Jim drawled, a glint in his gray eyes. "Make me. Fight me with that sword you're still holding in your hand. I should have been the one to fight you today - _not_ Tom. I would have beaten you and become champion. I'm the _real_ champion of this competition!"

Eirwen looked down at his fencing sword, and shook his head in a helpless fashion. "No way, mate."

Jim reached behind him and pulled out a rapier - a _real_ one with a long, thin, sharp steel blade. Jim put the edge of the blade against Michelle's throat. "I said...fight me. Or else little Michelle gets it."

Eirwen's amber eyes flashed with anger, and he raised his sword threateningly even though he knew a foil couldn't really do much damage. "Let her go, Jim."

"That's more like it!" Jim crowed happily.

When Eirwen saw a thin cut form on his sister's neck he flew into action, lunging his sword forward. Jim moved his sword away from Michelle's throat to parry the attack, and their blades clashed.

Michelle took that opportunity to bite Jim's forearm as hard as she could. Jim cried out in pain. "Ah! Why, you insolent little brat!" He let go of Michelle, who fell to the floor on her backside with an 'oomph!'.

Joan quickly scooped her younger sister up into her arms and ran for it.

"Get back here, you little brats! You'll pay for that!" Jim turned and started off towards the fleeing girls.

But Eirwen smoothly stepped into his path, blocking his way, and with his fencing sword raised. "I thought you wanted to fight _me_ , Jim."

A twisted smile spread across Jim's face. "Quite right." The two young men both got into fencing stances, and sized each other up for a moment. "Let's find out which one of us deserves the title of champion! Shall we?" Jim egged, before letting out a shout and attacking Eirwen.

Eirwen easily blocked the reckless attack with his fencing sword. Jim attacked swiftly again and again, but Eirwen continued to deftly block all of Jim's attacks.

Jim was beginning to get pissed and frustrated. Letting out a roar, he swung his rapier in a fierce sideways slash. Eirwen raised his sword to block the attack. Their swords clashed and Jim's rapier cut through Eirwen's fencing sword.

Eirwen leapt backwards instinctively, narrowly avoiding the tip of Jim's sword from grazing against his chest. No point had been earned yet though. But then Eirwen realized with a sinking feeling in his chest that he should have just let Jim's sword graze him and lose this impromptu match. _Bloody hell. Why am I even playing along with this lunatic? Who the hell cares who wins or loses at this point?_

Now Eirwen only had the pathetic stump of a fencing sword left to defend himself with while Jim had a _real_ sword that was deadly sharp and dangerous. There was this sinister leer on Jim's face as he pointed the sword at Eirwen.

Eirwen didn't fear death.

In fact, he would welcome it, but...

"Jim, stop this now. You're already going to be in so much trouble for this." Eirwen gave the young man a beseeching look. "Do you really want to throw your life away for this? For one silly match? It's not worth it. _I'm_ not worth it. As far as I'm concerned you've already won this match!"

" _No._ I haven't won the match yet," Jim argued passionately. "Not until I make you _bleed_!"

_Shit._ Eirwen realized he had no choice but to fight Jim seriously. When Jim charged forward Eirwen rushed to meet him. Jim's sword sliced into the side of Eirwen's cheek.

Getting past Jim's defenses, Eirwen used the stump of his sword to disarm Jim. Jim's rapier went flying up into the air. Eirwen spun and caught the sword by the hilt, and pointed the tip of the rapier to Jim's throat. "Yield, Jim."

With a psychotic glint in his gray eyes, Jim chuckled darkly. "I think not." Jim reached into his hoodie and pulled out a handgun. People immediately screamed at the sight of it and began to run for the exits in the hall.

Eirwen looked down at the gun and let out a heavy sigh. "You have got to be kidding me. Bad form, mate."

"Eirwen!" his sisters cried out simultaneously in their worry.

Jim's attention turned towards them and he pointed the gun at Eirwen's sisters.

Eirwen's eyes flared in alarm. _No!_ Eirwen dove in front of Jim and reached out to grab the gun. A single shot rang out through the air. Eirwen looked down and noticed the bright red spot spreading on his shoulder, blooming like a red flower on his white fencing uniform. _Heh, I've been shot._

Eiwen wondered dazedly why it didn't hurt. He smiled lopsidedly as he began to lose consciousness. _Hopefully this has killed me. That'd be great._

Out of the corner of his eye, Eirwen caught sight of a flash of gold and green.

A green mist enveloped the handgun and it was wrenched out of Jim's hand and sent flying, skidding across the gymnasium floor.

Jim loosed a cry of alarm and he too went flying, but Eirwen hadn't touched him. _Huh...? What's going on?_

"Eirwen! Eirwen!" His sisters were shouting his name, but they sounded so far away. This was the last thing Eirwen remembered before he lost consciousness.

***

With a flick of her graceful fingers Petra Pan had sent the punk's gun flying out of his hand and skidding across the hall floor. "What a coward, bringing a gun to a swordfight." Petra stuck her tongue out at him in an immature fashion.

With another wave of her hand Jim was sent flying across the hall. The back of Jim's head hit the wall hard and he was knocked unconscious.

Petra's grass-green eyes focused on Eirwen Darling again. She watched as he fell unconscious and his little sisters ran to his side. She grinned widely.

Eirwen had selflessly risked his own life to save the lives of his sisters. He was a hero. A guardian. A true knight. "Eirwen Darling...he's perfect. I have found my knight, Tink!"

Petra's male fairy companion - Tinker - shot Petra a look of sheer disbelief. " _Him_? But he _lost_."

"If Eirwen had been wielding a _real_ sword he would have easily won," Petra argued flippantly. "Neverland needs a knight to slay the evil creature that threatens its existence. And Eirwen is just like the dragon slayer, St. George - the perfect heroic knight."

Tink smacked a hand to his forehead and groaned. He now regretted having read the tale of _St. George and the Dragon_ to Petra. He'd been the one to put odd ideas into her head - _this time_.

There was a strange, hungry gleam in Petra's eyes as she looked down at Eirwen's unconscious form. She licked her lips unconsciously. "He's also quite...handsome. Isn't he, Tink?"

Tink gawked at Petra in horror. "What!"

"Oh, don't be jealous, Tink. You're handsome too," Petra quickly assured, glancing at the fairy on her shoulder. And the tiny male fairy _was_ handsome. Tink had short orange hair, and sparkling teal blue eyes. He was dressed in a tunic made of green skeleton leaves, brown leather pants, and green boots. A tiny sword the size of a needle was strapped to his side. All in all, he had a rather dashing appearance.

But...she'd never felt _this way_ about Tinker. Petra couldn't quite explain what she was _feeling_ in that moment. She'd never felt like this before.

As Petra had watched Eirwen face off against Jim without his helmet, Petra's heart had started to pound loudly inside of her chest as her gaze lingered on his handsome face. Butterflies had started to dance in her stomach, and tingles went up and down her arms. She was feeling strangely hot, restless and achy somehow.

She nibbled on her lower lip contemplatively and realized that she wanted to touch Eirwen. Get close to him. And then...do what? She didn't know.

_Oh, what is this strange, restless feeling welling up inside of me?_ Petra wondered dreamily. Was it an _adult_ feeling? Petra's eyes widened as she came to a sudden realization.

Love.

_Could this be...love?_ That feeling that adults felt for each other in the romance books Petra had sneakily read in secret. If Tinker had known the kinds of books she'd been reading he would have given her that disapproving look of his. He could be so overprotective sometimes it drove Petra mad.

Of course, Petra had also read about a different kind of love in fairytales. True love. Those tales were about brave princes rescuing kind-hearted princesses in distress. The destined couple wouldn't kiss until the very end of the story, and only after evil had been vanquished. Then the happy couple would live happily ever after. Also, according to those tales the power of true love's kiss was an incredible force that could combat dark curses and the forces of evil.

True love.

Love at first sight.

"You know what, Tink? I think...I've fallen in love with him at first sight," Petra announced before letting out a wistful sigh of longing. She had her chin propped on her hand and a dreamy expression on her face.

The blood drained out of Tinker's face, and he fell off Petra's shoulder out of shock. He quickly flapped his wings though, and flew back up to perch on Petra's shoulder again. "Love!" he screamed into her ear. "You can't be serious. You shouldn't even be capable of such feelings. And besides, you don't even _know_ him."

Petra's brow furrowed and a tiny frown formed on her face. It was odd for her to frown. She'd never frowned _before_. "Um, that's why it's called 'love at first sight'. Duh," Petra explained knowledgeably.

"You don't even know what love is," Tinker scoffed, but his voice was tinged with doubt. "You're nothing but a child!" He decided to remind her instead.

Petra snorted. "I _was_ a child. But not anymore...not since the Neverland Clock was stolen and started ticking." Petra's voice was laced with regret. Ever since she'd started to grow up things seemed so much more complicated. She longed for the days when she'd always been happy and without a care in the world. Her days had been filled with silly games and exciting adventures that she'd shared with Tinker and her Lost Girls.

"Only on the outside," Tinker said stubbornly. "You're still a child on the inside."

"A child that's been a child for a few hundred years," Petra reminded.

"You've never felt adult emotions before," Tinker said while giving Petra a stern stare. "You don't _know_ them. It's dangerous for you to think that what you feel for this mortal is love."

Petra raised a questioning eyebrow at Tinker. "Why would it be _dangerous_?"

Tinker flushed as dirty thoughts filled his head. He really didn't want to have to explain sex to Petra and its consequences. "J-Just stay away from him!"

Petra shook her head. "No can do. I want to get closer to him. He's the one, Tink. The one we've been looking for. With his help...we'll save Neverland. I'm taking him back with me. He's _mine_."

"You know the rules." A grim scowl formed on Tinker's face, and he folded his arms in front of his chest. "You can only bring those 'out of time' to Neverland."

A somber cloud fell over Petra's countenance. "Why do you think I chose to watch him in the first place, Tink? Eirwen Darling's time...has run out."

Tinker grew visibly startled, and looked back down at Eirwen, who was currently being put on a stretcher by an EMS team. That would explain the young man's recklessness. "I still don't like him," the fairy huffed with obvious irritation.

"Well, I do. A lot!" Petra giggled mischievously, turned herself invisible with a waggle of her fingers, and flew after them. "Come on, Tink! We have to follow them! He's mine!"

"Impetuous girl." Tinker shook his head, turned himself invisible, and followed after Petra.

***

Eirwen Darling awoke five hours later with a pained groan slipping past his chapped lips. "Ugh." He blinked his eyes open, stared up at an unfamiliar ceiling, and immediately frowned. Where the hell was he?

When he tried to sit up there was a sharp, stabbing pain in his left shoulder. "Ouch." He glanced down at his torso and saw that it had been bandaged. Also, someone had apparently dressed him in his pajamas. Ah, that's right, Jim had shot him. They must have already removed the bullet from his shoulder, or the bullet had passed right through the flesh of his shoulder.

Then Eirwen noticed his sisters - Joan and Michelle - in bed with him. Both girls were sound asleep, and snuggled up against his sides. His haggard expression softened at the sight of them. His lips dipped into a frown, however, as he thought about how they must have been worried about him. The last thing he wanted was to cause his sisters worry.

_It's a shame...I didn't die. Shit._ That would have been the perfect opportunity to die and get to die like a hero no less. He let out a disappointed sigh.

Eirwen Darling's time had run out. He'd been diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer. At this point the brain cancer had spread and the cells kept multiplying. It was already too late for chemotherapy to make much of a difference and surgery wasn't an option due to where the cancerous tumor inside of his brain was located. The last time he was at the hospital his doctor had told him he had a month left to live at the most.

Three years ago, Eirwen's parents had died in a car crash, and he'd been raising his sisters ever since. They were living off of a combination of their parents' savings and the money they got from their parents' life insurance policy. Still, it wasn't a lot of money and Eirwen decided he didn't want to tap into the money that could be used for his sisters' education by wasting it on chemotherapy that wouldn't buy him that much more time anyways.

All Eirwen wanted was to enjoy his last month on Earth by spending time with his sisters as much as possible. And then maybe he'd come up with a creative way to kill himself so his sisters wouldn't feel guilty that he hadn't wanted to spend money on chemotherapy and break into their college fund.

Maybe he'd jump off a bridge. Or jump out in front of a truck.

He'd taken a bullet for them, but hadn't died. What rotten luck.

Life wasn't done buggering with him yet apparently.

As carefully as possible so that he wouldn't disturb his sleeping sisters, Eirwen slipped out of the bed and made his way to the bathroom. After taking care of business, he washed his hands, and then splashed cold water on his face. His muscles ached. He felt exhausted and drained, and his head was pounding. He looked up at his haggard expression in the bathroom mirror.

Florescent lighting was _never_ very flattering to begin with, but Eirwen had to admit to himself that he looked like shit. He had dark shadows beneath his tired brown eyes, his complexion had turned incredibly wan, and his cheeks looked hollow.

A drop of blood dripped down from his nose. _Shit._

Eirwen grabbed a paper towel and held it up to his nose. He applied pressure to the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger to help staunch the blood flow. He couldn't return to his sisters until his nose had stopped bleeding. He didn't want to worry them.

Eirwen had accepted and come to terms with the fact that his time had run out.

Time was a bitch.

No one could escape Time. Except for maybe...Petra Pan.

A rueful smile tugged at his lips at the thought of the twelve-year-old girl who never grew up, and that lived in a magical place called Neverland where she battled her archenemy, Captain Jasmine Hook.

Eirwen's great grandfather Eirwen Darling had still been alive when he'd been twelve and had told him stories about how he'd been taken to Neverland one night. He'd always had a twinkle in his eye as he'd recalled Petra Pan and her loyal male fairy companion Tinker, who was so obviously in love with his charge. Petra had invited Eirwen to be the 'father' of the Lost Girls who'd been in dire need of parental guidance. For a time, Eirwen had lived in Neverland, but he'd eventually missed his family and decided to return home to London, England.

_If I could go to Neverland...I wonder if I wouldn't die. Or maybe when I die I wonder if then I'll get to go to Neverland._ Eirwen ran a hand down his face as he sighed. _I can't believe I'm even thinking about this. I don't believe in fairytales...or dreams or magic._

Abruptly, Eirwen recalled the vision he'd had of that strange girl - the one in fairy cosplay. She'd been pretty hot. Maybe if he wasn't going to die in a month he could have invited her out for a coffee or ice cream or something. _C'est la vie._

But even if he could go to Neverland, he'd never go without Joan and Michelle. He'd never abandon his precious sisters. Their protection was his responsibility and he would protect them until his last dying breath.

Finally, Eirwen's nose stopped bleeding and he exited the bathroom. He returned to the bed with his sisters curled up against his sides. His eyelids felt heavy and drooped until he fell into a very deep sleep.

***

Eirwen was having a nice dream. He could feel a cool, sea breeze blowing against his face. It felt refreshing. He could smell the salt in the air and could hear the sound of seagulls squawking as they probably soared overhead and eyed the sea below for fish. He groaned and stretched his stiff arms over his head.

Eirwen was reluctant to open his eyes since he didn't want this nice dream to end. Finally, he opened his eyes and looked up at...the sky? _What the?_ Instead of a plain white ceiling with peeling paint and water stains a blue sky was overhead complete with fluffy, white clouds that were drifting lazily past.

Eirwen sat up quickly and groaned at the pain in his shoulder. He tried not to panic as his head spun. But, apparently his bed was _flying_! He looked down at Joan and Michelle who were both still fast sleep and let out a sigh of relief. He didn't want to worry them just yet. After all, he was probably hallucinating or something.

"Wow," Eirwen muttered darkly to himself, "just what kinds of pain meds did they put me on?"

Something caught Eirwen's eye and he noticed that there was a rope tied to the footboard. Eirwen's gaze traveled along the length of rope until he spotted-

_What the fuck?_ He rubbed viciously at his eyes. Was that...a girl? And she was flying. Just like Petra Pan might have been. The girl appeared to be tugging the floating bed along with her as she flew off somewhere.

"Yep, I must be dreaming." A laugh started to bubble up his throat. Eirwen saw something flying close to Petra and shielded his eyes with his hand against the blinding sun to see it more clearly. It...looked like a tiny fairy man. His wings reminded Eirwen of a dragonfly's wings. They were opalescent, translucent, and glowed with a golden light. As the fairy flew forward he left a trail of glittering, gold dust behind him. _Pixie dust?_

The sound of Eirwen laughing slightly hysterically drew Petra's attention and she glanced over her shoulder at him. Her green eyes widened, and a bright smile formed on her face. "Oh! You're awake, Eirwen Darling." Petra dropped the rope and flew over to hover directly in front of Eirwen. "How are you feeling?"

Eirwen offered her a crooked smile. "Hello, Miss Hallucination. I'm going crazy. But other than that...I'm great. Thanks for asking," he replied dryly.

Petra tilted her head at Eirwen and her brow furrowed slightly in confusion. "Miss Hallucination? That's not my name. My name is Petra. Petra Pan!"

Eirwen laughed despairingly. "Yeah, and I'm the Easter Bunny!"

A small frown formed on Petra's face. "You don't believe me?"

"Well, first of all, you're just a figment of my overactive imagination. Secondly..." Eirwen glanced down at Petra's ample cleavage. Petra had rather large, luscious breasts. "Petra Pan is supposed to be the girl who never grew up. She's supposed to be twelve-years-old. And you...well, according to those breasts are at least as old as I am. Maybe older. You're an _adult_."

"My breasts?" Petra looked down at her chest quizzically. A thoughtful expression settled over her face as if she hadn't even noticed her breasts until Eirwen had pointed them out to her. Petra cupped her breasts with her hands and squeezed them. "What's wrong with my breasts?"

Eirwen flushed at her childish yet lewd actions. "N-Nothing is _wrong_ with them. They're just...you know, _huge_."

"And that's a _bad_ thing?" Petra looked up to meet Eirwen's gaze, her frown deepening.

"No - yes - I mean, it just means you're an adult," Eirwen coughed awkwardly into his hand. "Ahem. You know...?"

Petra blinked. "Having big breasts makes me an adult?"

"I'm starting to doubt that now actually." Eirwen scratched his head. What the hell was up with this strange girl? This was a very odd, messed up dream.

Petra accidentally pinched one of her nipples and gasped. Startled at her body's reaction to her own touch, her eyes widened. "What was _that_?" Her voice was tinged with awe.

Eirwen's mouth gaped open as he stared at this innocent yet lewd girl. He was at a total loss on how he should actually respond to _that_ question. "Uh..."

"Petra!" Tinker zoomed over to Petra and wagged his index finger at her in a chiding manner. "Stop that at once!" He flew over to Eirwen and glared into his face heatedly. "And you - stop putting strange perverted ideas into Petra's impressionable head!" The fairy then bit Eirwen right on the tip of his nose.

"Ow! Hey!" Eirwen rubbed at his sore nose and shooed the fairy off with his hand. "Okay, now there's a little fairy man talking to me and he sounds pissed. Maybe I should apologize or something. Even if this is just a dream there's really no reason for me to be impolite. Uh, sorry, mate?"

Tinker let out an exasperated huff. "This is not a hallucination, you fool." The fairy looked down his nose at Eirwen in a condescending manner. "And you're _not_ dreaming. This is real. She is really Petra Pan, and I am Tinker."

Eirwen gave the fairy man a suspicious and doubtful look. "Uh, no, you're in _my_ dream. That's why Petra has such huge-"

"Enough!" Tinker snapped, predicting where Eirwen was going with that thought, and bit Eirwen's nose again for good measure.

"Ow! Quit it!" Eirwen waved the fairy away again. "Will you stop _doing_ that?"

"I...grew up," Petra began to explain, wanting to soothe Eirwen's obvious unease. "The Neverland Clock was stolen, and it started to tick again."

"Neverland Clock?" Eirwen could feel a headache coming on.

Petra nodded. "That's why I've brought you here to Neverland, Eirwen Darling. Neverland needs your help. The help of a brave knight."

"A knight?" Eirwen shook his head. "I'm no knight. I'm just-"

"There! Look! You see, it's Neverland! We've arrived!" Petra waved a hand at the expanse before her.

_Neverland?_ Eirwen followed her line of sight and then spotted-

"Bloody hell."

An island had appeared seemingly out of nowhere in the middle of the ocean. And it was beautiful. The green, verdant island was mountainous and there was a dormant volcano located at its very center. Eirwen recalled his great grandfather's stories and thought he could recognize what must have been Merman Lagoon with its cascading waterfall, and the Indian encampment with its tall, carved animal totem poles, and conical-shaped teepees.

An unbidden smile had started to form on Eirwen's face as he admired the island, but then he caught sight of something rather unsettling towards the far end of the island. His lips thinned into a stern line. If Eirwen didn't know any better the far end of the island looked like it was...disintegrating.

At that moment, a gigantic forty-foot-long worm rose up from a hole before it crashed back down into the earth creating another hole. Dust was sent up into the air and it disappeared before it hit the clouds overhead. The worm wasn't alone either; there were more of them. "What the hell are those things?" Eirwen shuddered and rubbed his arms.

"Time worms," Petra explained bleakly. "Time is devouring Neverland."

Eirwen looked away from the depressing sight, and that's when his eyes landed on what appeared to be a pirate ship. "Wait, is that...? That's can't be Captain Jasmine Hook's ship, the Jolly Roger? Can it?" A deafening boom filled the air as if in answer to Eirwen's question. "Is that...a cannonball? Holy shit, it's coming straight for us!"

Tinker bite Eirwen's ear. "No swearing in front of Petra!"

"Ow!" Eirwen grabbed his bleeding ear and glared at the pesky fairy.

Petra zoomed around to the front of the bed, grabbed the rope, and quickly pulled the bed out of the way. And just in time. The cannonball went through a cloud instead - leaving a round hole behind.

"What the hell?" Eirwen demanded, his heart beating a mile a minute. "Is that Captain Hook down there? This dream keeps getting crazier and crazier! And why haven't Joan and Michelle woken up from all that noise?" He glanced down at his sisters in concern.

"I put your sisters under a sleep spell," Tinker informed Eirwen in a nonchalant tone. "They won't wake up until I choose to wake them up."

"Well, that's..." Eirwen frowned at the fairy suspiciously. "Slightly creepy. But, thanks. I think."

There was an excited gleam in Petra's green eyes, and she whipped out a dagger with a wickedly sharp blade. "That's Captain Hook's ship alright! She's spotted us! Tink, you take Eirwen and his sisters to the Lost Girls' Forest. I'll keep Hook busy!"

"Understood, Petra," Tinker grumbled. He wasn't too happy about being left to baby-sit Petra's knight and his sisters.

Eirwen looked conflicted by this sudden turn of events. "You'll... _what_?" He grew more alarmed when he saw the dagger in Petra's hand. "You can't just-" Eirwen was cut off when Petra flew over to hover directly in front of him and nuzzled her nose against his affectionately. Tinker turned red out of jealousy.

Petra smiled widely at Eirwen and winked. "Don't you worry about me. I can handle that catfish!" Petra returned her attention to Tinker. "Keep my knight safe, Tink."

"I will... _not_ ," Tinker muttered the last word to himself darkly.

"Hey, wait a second-" Eirwen objected as Petra flew off, heading towards the pirate ship.

Tinker grabbed the rope that was tied to the footboard, and began to head in the direction of the Lost Girls' Forest.

"Hey, wait, ahhh!" Eirwen was forced to hold onto the headboard for dear life as the bed shot off, flying towards the island. Towards Neverland.

***

"Hey, Hook, over here!" Petra egged as she slapped her behind with her hand. "Blast me if you can!"

Another cannonball was sent zooming Petra's way from the cannon that was sitting on the main deck of Hook's ship and currently being manned by Mrs. Bree.

Petra giggled madly as she easily dodged the attack and the cannonball went soaring through another fluffy white cloud harmlessly. She decided to get closer, and entertain Hook while Tinker took her knight to safety. Dodging cannonballs gracefully, Petra flew down and headed straight for Captain Jasmine Hook's ship.

She noticed that Jasmine had given her ship _another_ new paint job. This time the ship's hull had been painted with red and pink stripes. The sails on the ship's three impressive masts had been made out of a pink and red checkered material. The latticed windowpanes of the captain's cabin that could be seen at the stern of the ship had been painted pink instead of their usual gold. The current flag that was flying was hot pink with the image of a white skull and crossbones on it. Petra squinted her eyes at the flag and thought she could see red lace decorating the flag's edges. Mrs. Bree was probably responsible for that extra feminine touch.

Petra swooped down low and made a loop around the crow's nest, taunting the tattooed pirate girl inside of it and that fired a pistol shot at her. Then she spotted Captain Hook just below her.

"Petra Pan!" Hook shouted up at Petra, waving her golden, jewel-encrusted hook angrily in Petra's direction. "Get down from there so that I can gut you!"

Captain Jasmine Hook was beautiful despite her awful temperament. Her long, raven-black hair cascaded down around her shoulders in chaotic, glossy waves. She was wearing a dark green, gold, and black Victorian-style coat, tight black leather pants and boots with large cuffs. The green of her jacket brought out the dark green color of Hook's eyes. Hook was tanner than Petra due to being out in the sun more often, and from giving orders while swaggering along the main deck. A cutlass was stuck into the gold sash belt that was tied around her waist.

"Hello, Jass," Petra greeted casually, flying closer to Captain Hook. "Is that a new hat?" The hat sitting on Hook's head was larger than the one Petra remembered, wide-brimmed, green, and with a giant black feather.

A muscle beneath Hook's eye ticked in irritation. "Don't call me that! You have no right to call me by my first name! I am known as Captain Hook now! And it's all thanks to _you_!" she snarled and waved her hook at Petra threateningly.

Petra stared at Jasmine's left hand, which was a sharp, deadly, solid-gold hook. A flash of guilt crossed her usually carefree expression. "I'm sorry. You know I never meant to-"

"Lies!" Hook cut Petra off as she unsheathed her cutlass and charged forward. She swung her cutlass through the air in a sideways slash as soon as she was in range of Petra.

Petra swiftly flew upwards so that the cutlass's blade passed beneath her feet. A tiny frown formed on Petra's face. Although, _this_ was nothing new. It was always the same song and dance between her and Captain Jasmine Hook.

But for once Petra wished Jasmine would just...listen. Things could be different between them. They didn't have to be enemies.

"I will have my revenge, Petra Pan! I will have your head on a golden platter, and then I will present it to _him_!" There was a manic gleam in Hook's dark green eyes as she attacked Petra fervently.

Petra dodged the sword attacks easily. Captain Hook lunged her cutlass forward, aiming for Petra's heart next. Petra used her dagger to block the attack and the steel blades clanged loudly as they clashed together.

Captain Hook was an excellent swordswoman. The best in all of Neverland. But anytime she encountered Petra Pan she became blinded by her hate, and her attacks became reckless and stupid. Hook let out a frustrated sound as Petra effortlessly blocked another attack that should have taken off her head.

As for Captain Hook's loyal crew - Petra glanced around the deck and couldn't stop the amused smile that curled her lips. The all-female pirate crew was also used to Petra and Hook trying to kill each other on a weekly and sometimes daily basis.

Since Hook had already made it _quite_ clear that Petra was her prey (the last pirate who'd tried to interfere had walked the plank) and that no one else was to interfere during their battles, they, well, didn't.

But, Petra thought they all looked a little _too_ relaxed and unconcerned with the infamous Petra Pan in their midst. While reclining on ornate lounge chairs covered with plush velvet cushions several female pirates were dressed in skimpy bikinis and sunbathing. The bikinis were black and white, red and pink, red and white, or pink and white striped.

The female pirates were filing their nails, enjoying colorful alcoholic drinks and fancy cocktails, and reading fashion magazines. Petra's eyes narrowed when she recognized one of the titles as being _Cosmopolitan_. Hook must have taken a little trip to Earth to pick up those magazines for her crew, Petra realized uneasily. Hook's ship, the Jolly Roger, could fly because of the pixie dust Hook had stolen from the Fairy Kingdom during one of her pillaging raids. Hook going to Earth was never a good thing, and Petra wondered how much damage she'd done this time.

That's when she spotted a man. Petra blinked and did a double take. A man onboard the Jolly Roger was a very unusual sight indeed. Hook and her crew _hated_ men. And with good reason. They'd all been slaves once upon a time.

It'd been Jasmine who'd led the revolution of the female slaves to rise up against their pirate captors, and had taken over Blackbeard's ship. Jasmine had killed Captain Blackbeard herself and most of his crew all on her own apparently. Those that had been captured alive, Hook had mercilessly forced to walk the plank.

It was obvious that Hook hated men and had forbidden them from being on her ship. Which made it very odd that there was a man on Hook's ship at the moment.

And not just any man. He was incredibly handsome. Petra raised an eyebrow. Was he some sort of pleasure slave for the pirates?

But when Petra caught sight of the man's face she instantly recognized him and wondered why she hadn't realized who he was sooner. It was Prince Tiger of the Piccaninny Tribe!

Tiger was currently shirtless, showing off his tanned, muscular chest. He was wearing a pair of brown leather pants and moccasins, and like most of the other Indians of his tribe he was wearing a feathered headband. Orange face paint was streaked across his cheeks. Tiger's long black hair was thick, straight, had orange highlights, and scattered braids decorated with feathers and colorful beads.

_Goodness, what is Prince Tiger doing here?_ Petra wondered.

Tiger was holding a golden serving tray covered in an assortment of colorful, fancy, sweet cocktails decorated with little paper umbrellas that had definitely come from Earth. As he moved there was this clinking sound that drew Petra's attention to the thick manacles around his wrists that had a long chain between them.

Tiger approached the sunbathing female pirates and offered them drinks from the tray nonchalantly. The pirates tentatively took the drinks offered them, and smiled in thanks. They wore guilty expressions on their faces, however, and were shooting nervous looks in Hook's direction as if they expected her to make them walk the plank for associating with a male without her permission.

Petra couldn't help it - she burst out laughing like a hyena at the absurd sight of the brave, proud Prince Tiger serving these pirate wenches fancy cocktails! Petra quickly got her laugher under control though. She had to help Tiger. She flew up and cut a line on one of the sails so that it fell right on top of Hook.

Hook let out a cry as the heavy sail fell over her and pinned her to the deck.

Petra then flew over to Tiger and hovered directly in front of him. There was a mischievous glint in her green eyes. "Good day, Tiger, fancy meeting you here in a place like this."

Tiger's dark eyes widened as he looked Petra over. "Petra...Petra Pan?"

Petra nodded vigorously. Tiger was used to seeing her in her twelve-year-old form. Not this eighteen-year-old form. "Yes, it's me. I grew up."

"But how?" Tiger asked, a dark scowl forming on his face. One of the constants about Neverland was that Petra and her Lost Girls had remained young girls for hundreds of years. "Why?"

"It's kind of a long story...but actually a pretty short one. Tezcatlipoca stole the Neverland Clock and broke the spell on it. The clock has started to move again and so I started to age. But, more importantly, what are _you_ doing here? Are you on some kind of top-secret mission? Spying on Hook?"

Tiger held up his manacles. "What does it look like I'm doing here? I was defeated and captured by Captain Hook. She's trying to get me to tell her the whereabouts of Excalibur."

Excalibur - the legendary sword of Kings, and the only sword in existence that could slay a god like Tezcatlipoca.

A glint formed in Petra's eyes at the mention of Excalibur. "Speaking of Excalibur, I found a worthy knight that may be able to pull the sword from the stone."

Tiger's brow furrowed. "You brought him here to Neverland?"

Petra nodded, and shot a glance Hook's way. The pirate captain had almost managed to free herself from under the sail. "Uh oh. I'd better hurry up and rescue you!" Petra wiggled her fingers at Tiger's manacles. They became enveloped in a green-tinged mist before unlocking and falling to the deck with a loud clatter.

Petra reached into her cleavage and pulled out a small brown leather pouch next. She turned it upside down over Tiger's head and golden pixie dust sprinkled down over the Indian prince. Petra held her hand out to Tiger and grinned devilishly. "Think a happy thought!"

Tiger took Petra's hand, smirked, and nodded.

Petra began to rise up off the deck - Tiger along with her. Then they were flying. "Come on, let's go!" Petra declared as she flew off with Tiger. "So long, you catfish!" Petra called over her shoulder.

Hook removed the sail just in time to see Tiger and Petra flying away, and let out a shriek of outrage. "Argh! She stole my slave! Petraaaa! Get back here! I'll kill you for this!" The pirate captain waved her hook at their retreating backs.

Petra giggled madly. "My, my!" Hook was always _so_ angry. It couldn't be good for her health. The duo flew towards the Indian encampment and landed at the outskirts of the village.

"I can't stay," Petra said as she began to rise up off the ground again. "I need to check on my knight." Just as she started to fly away Tiger reached out and grabbed Petra's wrist, stopping her. He pulled her down towards him and Petra had been caught off-guard so in a matter of seconds their faces were inches apart.

"Thank you for rescuing me from Captain's Hook's clutches, Petra Pan," Tiger's voice was low, husky. He leaned forward and Petra's eyes widened when she thought that Tiger might try to kiss her. But then he seemed to think better of it and placed a kiss on the top of Petra's hand instead.

Petra blushed at the unexpected gesture and her hand was tingling slightly. That was no thimble! Tiger had always treated her like a little sister...a pesky little sister. So that'd just been weird.

Petra forced a smile on her face though. She didn't want to hurt Tiger's feelings after all. And now she was learning a thing or two about feelings. Bothersome things to be sure. "Anytime! Bye!" Petra said brightly before pulling her hand out of Tiger's grip and flying off, heading towards the Lost Girls' Forest.

To be continued in...Chapter 2:

### Chapter 2:

Continuing to pull the floating bed behind him, Tinker descended below the trees' thick green canopies of leaves in the Lost Girls' Forest. Eirwen glanced around his surroundings, and noted that the forest wasn't all _that_ unusual. Still, the birds were definitely unique looking with glittery, glowing feathers, and the squirrels that were running along the trees' branches had purple and blue fur.

Tinker maneuvered the bed into the center of a large clearing. Eirwen looked up and blinked. This was the Lost Girls' forest alright. High up in the surrounding trees were tree houses. Connecting the tree houses together were wooden suspension bridges. It reminded Eirwen of the Ewok Forest from _Star Wars_. Except, of course, there was that feminine touch that the Lost Girls had added to their dwellings. All of the tree houses had been decorated with pretty, colorful flowers and leafy vines.

The village looked deserted until several young women began to drop down from the trees on thick, leafy vines in an impressive fashion.

The Lost Girls...well, lost _women,_ anyways. Eirwen thought to himself wryly, as his gaze drifted down from their faces to their ample breasts. No twelve-year-old girl had breasts _that_ big.

Most of the Lost Girls were wearing skimpy bikini tops and mini skirts made out of green or brown leather and that were decorated with fresh flowers. The girls were also wearing armor - vambraces, greaves, and some were even wearing helmets. The armor surprised Eirwen and made him think of Amazon warriors and Valkyries.

As soon as the girls' feet touched the ground they fluidly nocked arrows to their bows and aimed at _him_. Eirwen glanced over his shoulder in surprise, expecting to see a giant monster standing behind him or something, but nope. There was nothing there but more trees. Those Lost Girls who weren't wielding bows had spears pointed his way threateningly. The tips of the spears appeared to have been fashioned out of stone.

Eirwen gulped nervously. The girls surrounding him were beautiful and equally intimidating. And although they were beautiful, Eirwen noticed the dark shadows beneath their eyes and their hollow cheeks.

The haunted looks on their faces were oddly _familiar_. Eirwen knew that look all too well. It was the face that stared back at him in the morning ever since he'd been diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer.

There were six girls that stood out from the others in particular due to their flashy and colorful hairstyles and outfits. One had blonde hair, and was wearing a headband with a pair of fox ears on the top of her head. She was wearing a red leather bikini top and matching mini skirt. The blonde's outfit was decorated with red roses. Another girl had curly, purple locks and freckles. She was wearing a purple top and matching skirt.

Two of the girls looked exactly alike and Eirwen realized they must be twins. They both had rainbow colored hair and matching outfits. One adorable girl appeared to be younger than all the others, and had bubblegum pink hair. She was wearing a pink dress decorated with daisies.

The last girl that had caught Eirwen's attention had a bob of sky-blue hair. She was wearing a blue and black leather corset and a black leather mini skirt. She was also wearing knee boots instead of greaves and sandals like the other girls. On her head sat an ostentatious, wide-brimmed blue hat decorated with blue flowers, and a curling, black plume. She strode forward and pointed her spear at Eirwen. "Who is he?"

She was obviously addressing Tinker, but Eirwen opened his mouth to respond anyways. Unfortunately, Tinker flew in front of him and beat him to it. "I would think that would have been dreadfully obvious, Nibby. He's a _slaver_. He escaped Hook's clutches. He was going to sacrifice those two little girls in that bed over there to Tezcatlipoca!"

Nibby gasped in horror and shot Eirwen a dirty look.

"I'm a _what_?" Eirwen glared at Tinker as his stomach began to twist itself into knots. He met Nibby's recriminating stare. "That's _not_ true. He's lying! Those girls over there are my sisters! I would _never_ harm them!" He gave Nibby a beseeching look, willing her to understand that apparently the mischievous fairy had it out for him.

The small pink-haired girl gave Eirwen a searching look before hesitantly speaking up, "He doesn't _look_ like a slaver." She made a show of exaggeratingly looking his current outfit over.

Eirwen had nearly forgotten that he was still dressed in pj's - a white and blue striped button down shirt, and matching pants. He was definitely feeling underdressed in that moment. At least, they hadn't stuck him in one of those awful hospital gowns though, so it could have been worth. His ass could have been hanging out for all the girls to see.

Nibby appeared uncertain for a moment until Tinker scoffed loudly. "He's obviously lying. As you can see he's _not_ an Indian and since he's a full-grown man...that means he can only be a slaver," Tinker continued in his matter-of-fact tone.

The Lost Girls began to murmur their agreement to Tinker's wise words. Besides, they trusted Tinker. He'd always been the Lost Girls' 'guardian' and had acted as a sort of 'father figure' to the girls.

In a desperate, last ditch effort to save his skin, Eirwen tried to wake up Joan and Michelle. He shook their shoulders roughly but still they would not wake. _Bloody hell._ He was so buggered. Hadn't Tinker said something about how until the fairy chose to wake up the girls that they would remain asleep? _Shit, shit, shit._

A sudden thought came to Eirwen. "Wait, Petra said I'm a kn-"

"Gag him!" Tinker ordered with an imperious wave of his hand.

Nibby quickly did as ordered, stuffing a rag into Eirwen's mouth as he struggled against her futilely. She was a lot stronger than she looked. "Mmph!"

"I think he was trying to say something," the pink-haired girl said softly, but wasn't heard by her companions.

"Twins, take the two girls somewhere safe so that they can rest," Tinker directed next.

"Yes, Tink!" The Twins saluted Tinker before approaching the bed. Each picked up one of Eirwen's sisters carefully and began to carry them away.

Eirwen's eyes flared in alarm out of worry for his sisters. "Hey! Wait! Where are you taking them?" Eirwen tried to say with the gag still in his mouth, but all that came out of his mouth were unintelligible grunts. Realizing that no one could understand him, Eirwen leapt off the bed and ran towards the Twins.

"Stop him!" Tinker called out. "That bastard is _still_ trying to capture those poor girls!"

Nibby swung her spear at Eirwen and hit the back of his neck with the butt-end of her spear. Eirwen's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell unconscious.

When Eirwen regained consciousness twenty minutes later, he discovered that he'd been hogtied to a long wooden pole that he was hanging upside down from. Okay, so the Lost Girls had definitely seen _Star Wars_. He felt a lot like Han Solo right now being carried off by the Ewoks for a grand feast where he was to be the main course.

Two of the Lost Girls were carrying him along through the forest. One of the girls was Nibby and the other was the blonde wearing the fox ear headband.

"Mmph!" Eirwen objected through the gag in his mouth, eyes wide with panic and alarm. Where were they taking him?

As if Tinker had read Eirwen's mind he flew over to Eirwen and whispered in his ear, "You are going to be tossed into Merman Lagoon. Whether you drown first...or the mermen decide to eat you, remains to be seen." A dark chuckle slipped past Tinker's lips.

Eirwen's eyes widened like saucers. _Merman Lagoon?_ He remembered his great grandfather telling him about the place. Merman Lagoon was supposedly a well-concealed rock pool of dark blue water. There was a waterfall where the mermen liked to bathe beneath it. And in the center of the pool was a large rock that the mermen liked to recline on while they sharpened their wicked tridents.

Any other time, Eirwen would have been excited to get to see real live mermen and perhaps even mermaids, but...it definitely would have been under different circumstances than his present ones.

"Mmph!" _No, please, no._ Eirwen thought desperately, giving Tinker a beseeching look. One that the fairy completely ignored. _Bloody hell._ _Having your flesh ripped off your bones by sharp teeth probably isn't going to be very fun._

Eirwen noted the cruel, triumphant expression on Tinker's face and wondered why the fairy seemed to hate him so much. _What did I ever do to him?_ Eirwen thought grumpily.

His great grandfather's words suddenly came to mind:

Tink was so jealous when Petra brought me to Neverland to be the Lost Girls' father. He probably would have killed me if given the chance. I'm quite sure he was in love with Petra Pan.

_That's it!_ Tinker was in love with Petra! That's why he was trying to off Eirwen. _Great, just great._ Eirwen let out a helpless groan. He was dealing with a jealous and murderous fairy. Weren't fairies supposed to be friendly albeit mischievous? So much for the accuracy of children's stories.

As they continued their way through the forest Eirwen noticed that the flowers appeared to be... _alive_. Well, more than just alive. The flowers were talking, singing and giggling.

Eirwen no longer thought any of this was a dream. This was definitely real and definitely happening because real life _sucked_. _Yep, my life is cursed._

Eirwen stopped struggling and resigned himself to his fate of being eaten alive by hungry mermen. Why should he struggle? Didn't he _want_ to die?

When Eirwen abruptly went limp and stopped struggling the Lost Girls shot him concerned looks. "Why do you think he stopped struggling, Slightly?" Nibby asked her friend in a hushed tone so that Tinker wouldn't overhear her.

"He's obviously come to terms with his guilt," Slightly replied with her nose in the air. "And has accepted his punishment as his due."

"Oh," Nibby said with a small frown on her face. She didn't sound all that convinced.

When the group exited the edge of the forest they entered out onto an outcropping of rock on a cliff that overlooked Merman Lagoon. The Lost Girls carried Eirwen over to the edge of the cliff and he glanced down. He gulped at that daunting one-hundred-foot drop.

Merman Lagoon was just as his great grandfather had described with its serene pool of dark blue water and stunning cascading waterfall. There was a pebbled bank of glittering white stones and shells. The lagoon was beautiful, and not such a bad place to die, per say. _A beautiful watery grave for my final resting place._ Eirwen thought gloomily to himself.

"Toss him in, girls!" Tinker ordered, a gleam in his blue eyes.

Nibby hesitated at the glum look on Eirwen's face. Her heart suddenly went out to him. "But he looks so...pathetic now."

"He's a slaver, Nibby," Tinker growled, and waved his hand angrily through the air. "He deserves no mercy!"

Nibby bit into her lower lip, but eventually nodded. She looked over at Slightly, who had a quizzical eyebrow raised at her friend. Together the two girls swung Eirwen out over the edge of the cliff, and then simultaneously let go of the pole on the count of three.

Eirwen fell one hundred feet down, and landed on the water on his back with a tremendous splash. The air was knocked out of his lungs from the force of the impact. He immediately began to sink below the surface of the pool. He wondered fleetingly if he would get to see a merman or mermaid before he died, and if that would be a good thing or a bad thing.

What did it matter? What did _anything_ matter?

Eirwen thought morosely as he closed his eyes and accepted his face.

But then Eirwen thought of Joan and Michelle.

His sisters would wake up alone on this mystical yet wild, unpredictable and dangerous island. _This place...is like Hell dressed up as Paradise._ Eirwen thought to himself grimly. And his sisters would be alone here with no one to protect them from whatever sinister thing was out there lurking in the woods - bloodthirsty pirates, savage Indians and strange Never-beasts. They would be...afraid.

And Tinker...Eirwen didn't trust that fairy one bit.

Eirwen realized in that moment that he had to survive. His sisters needed him. _Until my last dying breath I will protect them!_ Eirwen began to struggle against his bonds once more, and the ropes rubbed the skin at his wrists raw until they bled. Now there was blood in the water. That couldn't be good.

A few seconds later, Eirwen caught sight of movement out of the corner of his eye. _What's that?_ Then Eirwen saw them - _mermen!_

The mermen had the upper body of a man and the lower body of a fish. They had odd hair colors - blue, green, and silver. All of them were wielding golden tridents with sharp, deadly points. They appeared harmless enough until they smiled at Eirwen revealing sharp, pointed teeth that reminded Eirwen of a shark.

The mermen had been circling him almost warily, but now they swam closer. One lunged his trident at Eirwen. He was about to be impaled! However-

A short blade blocked the trident's path with a clang that seemed to vibrate through the water. _What the hell?_ Someone had just saved him. But who could possibly be down in the depths of the lagoon with him?

Eirwen turned to see who was holding the short dagger, and saw that it was Petra Pan. Petra caught his stunned gaze and smiled at him, a fierce glint her green eyes.

Eirwen managed a weak smile. His lungs were burning. _Shit._ He couldn't stop himself from opening his mouth and trying to breathe. Cold water immediately rushed into his lungs. Black spots swam in his vision. He watched numbly as Petra battled against the mermen with that tiny but wicked dagger of hers. But then Eirwen blacked out.

Eirwen didn't get to see Petra hiss at the mermen: _He's mine!_

When Eirwen came to soft lips were pressing against his mouth, and blowing air into his lungs. He shoved the person away, turned on his side, and coughed up the water that had been in his lungs.

Someone was running a soothing hand up and down his back as he continued to cough and wheeze and pull delicious oxygen back into his lungs. Eirwen flopped over onto his back and sighed. Petra's face filled his vision, and she looked down at him with obvious concern.

Eirwen just stared up at Petra silently. He didn't have the strength to move, or to talk to her, or even thank her just yet.

Due to Eirwen's unsettling lack of response, Petra decided Eirwen needed more CPR and pressed her lips to Eirwen's again.

Eirwen gasped in surprise at the feeling of those soft, damp lips pressing insistently against his own again. Petra took that opportunity to slip her tongue into Eirwen's mouth since it just felt _right_.

When Eirwen's tongue met her own she moaned and shuddered at the new sensation. Eirwen didn't know why he did it, but...he started to kiss Petra back. Maybe it was because he'd almost died. Maybe it was because Petra had just saved his life. Maybe it was because he wanted to kiss a beautiful girl before he died a month from now.

Maybe the reasons behind the kiss didn't really matter. He just did what he wanted to do. Eirwen caressed Petra's tongue with his own and swirled his tongue around hers making her moan again as her toes curled.

Petra tried to mimic what he was doing as best she could, but since it was her first kiss it was messy and a little awkward. But Petra made up for her lack of skill with her fervor.

Their kissing started to get more heated and intense. Abruptly, Petra straddled Eirwen so that their crotches were suddenly pressed together.

Eirwen let out a startled gasp, and when Petra leaned over so that her breasts pressed against his chest he grabbed her arms and pushed her back, breaking their kiss. He...couldn't do this. Not with anyone. Not when his time was up.

Petra was flushed and panting as she looked down at Eirwen, a hungry gleam in her glassy green eyes. She licked her kiss-swollen lips and hummed. "W-What was _that_?"

Eirwen's brow furrowed in confusion. "What was what?"

"This," Petra explained by brushing her lips against Eirwen's and then pulling back to give him an expectant look. "That."

"You mean kissing?" Eirwen gawked at her naiveté with a slight frown on his face.

"Kissing?" Petra echoed and tilted her head at him.

"You don't know what kissing is?" Eirwen asked incredulously.

"I've never...kissed anyone before. At least, not like that. Long ago...someone gave me a 'kiss'. But it was a small little thing that could fit into the palm of my hand." There was a far-off look in Petra's eyes as she took a little trip down memory lane. She returned her attention to Eirwen a few seconds later. "This kissing...felt good. I've decided that I like kissing. But I also feel so...strange." Petra looked down at her chest; her peaked nipples could easily be seen through the soaked material of her green cotton dress. "My breasts feel...heavy. What is this _feeling_?"

Eirwen gulped as he looked down at Petra's breasts and her hard nipples. She was...aroused, he realized uneasily. "Well, you're, uh...aroused."

"Aroused? What does that mean?" Petra asked.

"You know...arousal." Eirwen waved his hand helplessly through the air. "You got turned on."

"Turned on?" Petra pinched her nipples, gasped, and instinctively ground her hips against Eirwen's crotch.

"Bloody hell!" Eirwen felt all the blood in his body traveling south in response to her naively lewd actions. He quickly shoved Petra off of him before she could feel his half-hard cock, and scrambled to his feet. "Whoa there, Nelly!" Eirwen exclaimed, feeling unnerved and looking quite disheveled. His hair was sticking up all over the place, and his pj's were soaked and wrinkled.

Petra pouted up at Eirwen and was looking thoroughly put out. "What did I do?" she asked innocently.

Eirwen stared down at Petra in disbelief. Did she really not realize what she'd just done? _She can't be serious._ But when Eirwen observed her confused expression and the way she nibbled on her lower lip like a sex kitten, he realized that she _was_ being serious. And that truth hit him like a ton of bricks. He'd almost forgotten just who he was dealing with.

Petra Pan was no _normal_ girl. She was supposed to be 'the girl who never grew up'.

But the Neverland Clock had been stolen and time had started to move in Neverland, so the eternal child had suddenly grown up. She'd never felt these 'adult' feelings before that she was experiencing now with Eirwen - like lust, desire, need, and arousal.

_Oh my God._ Eirwen thought when he realized something. Petra Pan was _attracted_ to him. "You... _like_ me." There was a note of incredulity to Eirwen's voice.

Petra's expression warmed and she smiled silkily as she rose up off the ground. "No. I don't just like you, Eirwen Darling. I _love_ you." She wrapped her arms around Eirwen's neck and tried to kiss him again.

But Eirwen pulled back, and tried to push her off of him. "Whoa, what are you doing?"

Petra pouted. "I'm _trying_ to kiss you. I like kissing. Now, hold still."

"You can't just...go around kissing people!" Eirwen objected with a slight flush rising to his cheeks.

A small frown formed on Petra's face. Ever since she'd grown up she seemed to be frowning an awful lot. "I'm not," she huffed, feeling frustrated. "I only want to kiss _you_. My love."

Eirwen let out a frustrated groan, and put his face in his hand. But then he looked up at Petra and those glittering green eyes of hers and was pulled in. "Ah, what the hell." Eirwen let Petra kiss him. Because, why the hell not? But he wouldn't let her do more than just kissing. It still didn't feel right. He felt like he'd be taking advantage of her naiveté and innocence if he did anything too adult with her.

Eirwen and Petra continued to kiss until he noticed they were both shivering from being wet and cold. He needed to be the adult here. He pushed Petra back, breaking their kiss. "We need to stop. I'm worried about my sisters. I was forced to leave them back at the Lost Girls' Forest."

"Oh. Okay. Let's fly there!" Petra reached into her cleavage, pulled out a tiny brown leather pouch and held it over Eirwen's head before sprinkling some gold pixie dust over him. "Think a happy thought, and let's go!" Petra grabbed his hand and rose up off the ground. "Eek!" Petra was abruptly yanked backwards when Eirwen did not join her in the air.

Eirwen was frowning, his brow scrunched together deep in thought and concentration.

Petra gave him a searching look as she hovered in front of him. "What's wrong?"

Eirwen's frown deepened as he shook his head at her in a helpless fashion. "I...can't find a happy thought."

"You can't...?" Confusion swirled in Petra's too-green eyes. For a moment Eirwen could have sworn she was giving him a pitying look, but it was gone in an instant. "Come on, it's easy. Think of something you really like or enjoy, like...baseball or kittens or chocolate."

_Okay. I might have one._ Eirwen thought about fencing. He'd really enjoyed getting into fencing, and at one point had thought he might even compete in the Olympics one day. Fencing was fun, challenging, and exciting. He was going to be a world fencing champion. But then he'd been diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer...and his dream had been crushed.

Eirwen had been floating a few inches above the ground when he suddenly plummeted back down. He ended up landing on his backside with a thud.

Petra eyed Eirwen concernedly. "Did you lose your happy thought?"

Eirwen shook his head, and punched the ground out of frustration. "I have no more happy thoughts. Just sad ones."

Petra's expression turned aghast. "No happy thoughts?" A determined expression settled over her face after a moment. "That's okay. We'll just have to walk home then." Petra landed on the ground next to Eirwen and held her hand out for Eirwen to take.

Eirwen sighed and allowed himself to be pulled up to his feet. Without letting go of his hand, Petra started off into the jungle.

Eirwen lagged slightly behind Petra as she pulled him along and he stared at her back. Her back was very straight. She had her chin held high and she exuded confidence as she strode into the dark forest that was filled with who knew how many dangerous, mythical beasts. She'd bravely fought against those mermen for him. She seemed so fearless. Eirwen frowned as he remembered the last image he had in his mind of Petra battling against the mermen. "What happened to those mermen anyways?"

Petra chuckled, an impish glint in her eyes. "Oh, they ended up apologizing. They were quite repentant after our little...conversation."

"They...what?" Bewildered, Eirwen blinked at her.

"Once they finally recognized me, those silly bubble-heads," Petra shook her head, her expression irritated yet fond. "They swiftly apologized for trying to eat my knight."

Eirwen's brow furrowed. "Why didn't they recognize you?"

Petra eyebrows rose to her hairline as she gave Eirwen a 'duh' look. "This adult body, remember?" She waved a hand over herself.

"Oh, yeah, right." Eirwen nodded.

"After they realized it was me they stopped trying to kill us and started trying to squeeze my breasts." A thoughtful expression settled over Petra's face as she remembered. "Why would they want to do that anyways? Do they look that funny?" She looked down at her chest pensively.

Eirwen flushed. "Uh, they were just being perverted. And no, your breasts are perfect."

"Perverted?"

"Inappropriate. Contrary to how an English _gentleman_ should act," Eirwen said firmly.

"Ah."

"Uh, don't let anyone touch your breasts," Eirwen added on an afterthought. There was no telling who'd take advantage of Petra's naiveté in regards to her now alluring adult body.

Petra gave Eirwen a sharp look. "No?"

"Nope."

"What if I let _you_ touch them?" Petra asked slyly.

"Well...." Eirwen caught himself quickly, and coughed into his hand to try and cover up his slip. "Nope, not even me. In fact, you should probably slap me if I try."

Petra let out a thoughtful hum. "Do you _want_ to touch them?"

"I plead the Fifth," Eirwen said dryly.

"Interesting." Petra's green eyes were sparkling with mischief.

As Petra and Eirwen walked through the Neverland jungle the flowers began to speak up as they watched the couple pass them by.

"Look, look, it's Petra Pan!" "Who is that with her?" "It's a man." "A man!" "Is he an Indian?" "Maybe he's a pirate." "What if he's a slaver!" "Oh dear!"

"He's my knight," Petra swiftly interjected. She didn't want the curious flowers to start shooting poisoned darts at Eirwen after all if they mistook him for a slaver.

The flowers became even more excited at this revelation. "He's a knight!" "The foretold one." "The Chosen One." "The would-be King of Neverland!"

"Shush!" Petra chided them. She still had a lot of explaining to do to Eirwen and was still waiting for the right time.

Eirwen arched an eyebrow at a talking daffodil. "Would-be King?"

"I'll explain everything," Petra readily assured him. "But first we should get you back to your sisters."

"Sure." Eirwen noticed that Petra was shivering more violently than earlier from being in cold, wet clothes. "I wish I knew how to build a fire..." His tone was apologetic.

"Oh, I can make a fire easily," Petra bragged and waggled her fingers. A green glow surrounded them. "I can use my magic, remember?"

Eirwen studied the green glow curiously. _Magic. Right. And talking flowers are real. And mermen too._

The sun was just beginning to sink below the horizon and the forest was growing darker. "Hey, it's getting dark." Eirwen felt the need to point out. "We should probably stop here for the night and make camp." They'd reached a small clearing that didn't look too easily discoverable. He still felt like Hook and her crew, or even a group of tomahawk-wielding Indians were about to burst out from the bushes at any moment. A chill crawled up his spine at the thought, and he rubbed his arms in order to offer himself some comfort.

"Alright, good idea," Petra agreed easily as if she'd just noticed that the forest around them was getting alarmingly darker by the second.

At least, she was pretty easygoing, Eirwen noted. Even if Petra Pan tended to be a bit oblivious at times to possible danger. For the next twenty minutes, Eirwen and Petra gathered firewood together before bringing it back to their chosen camping spot. Eirwen carefully stacked the sticks into a conical shape and then stepped back to give Petra some room to work her magic.

With a waggle of her fingers Petra set the wood on fire, and red, orange and yellow flames burst to life. "There." Petra wiped her hands off together, and a cocky grin formed on her face. "Aren't I awesome?"

"That was brilliant, Petra. Magic sure is handy," Eirwen allowed carefully. It probably wasn't a good idea to fuel Petra's ego.

Petra nodded. "Yep. Now we can finally take off our wet clothes and dry them! Why didn't I think of that earlier?" Petra mused aloud before she unceremoniously began to pull her dress up and over her head.

"R-Right." Eirwen flushed as he quickly turned around in order to give Petra some privacy. Apparently, she had no shame about her nakedness. He, too, began to strip his wet clothes off. He could hardly believe he'd been going around Neverland all this time while dressed in pj's. _How embarrassing._ "I really need to get some new clothes to wear while I'm here," Eirwen muttered as he hung his pants on a low tree branch.

"Once we've returned to the Lost Girls' Forest I'll have the girls make you some new clothes," Petra informed him. "They're really very good at sewing."

Eirwen smiled as he pictured the six Lost Girls who'd made an impression on him sitting around a campfire while embroidering. "What about you? Are you good at sewing?"

Petra laughed musically. "Oh, goodness no. I'm _hopeless_ when it comes to domestic things like that. All I'm good at is magic, playing games, having adventures, and fighting pirates."

"Have you always possessed magic?" Eirwen asked her curiously.

As Petra hung her wet clothes on a tree branch she frowned thoughtfully. "No. The fairies took a liking to me and shared their magic with me. So, now I'm more like them - a creature of magic."

Eirwen took a seat by the fire, keeping his back to Petra. He brought his knees to his chest, wrapped his arms around his legs, and propped his chin down on one of his knees. "You were a normal human girl once?"

Petra took a seat by the fire and stared at Eirwen's naked form. Her gaze lingered for a moment on his toned biceps before traveling down his bare back and continuing to his firm behind. She smiled impishly, feeling naughty for looking at him without him knowing. "Once upon a time," Petra agreed nonchalantly. "But that was a long time ago." Petra scooted closer to Eirwen and placed a hand on his back.

Eirwen jumped at the feeling of her warm hand on his chilled, bare flesh. Petra rubbed his back soothingly and he shuddered. He felt like a pathetic, horny teenager with the way his body was reacting so quickly to Petra's light, innocent touches.

"You're so muscular and strong," Petra praised as she stroked his biceps appreciatively. "The perfect knight."

"Um, can you stop touching me, please?" Eirwen said through gritted teeth.

Petra leaned over to whisper in Eirwen's ear, "Why aren't you looking at me while we're talking?"

"Uh, because you're naked, and that would be inappropriate," Eirwen explained in a throaty voice.

"Inappropriate." Petra let out a frustrated sigh. "I seem to be having a lot of inappropriate thoughts around you, Eirwen." She wrapped her arms around Eirwen's neck and pressed her chest up against his back.

Eirwen gasped at the feeling of her breasts pressing against him and shuddered. "W-What are you doing?"

"Hugging you." Petra glanced over Eirwen's shoulder and looked down at his crotch. "I've never seen a naked man before. What's _that_?"

"Bloody hell!" Eirwen leapt to his feet away from Petra and covered his junk with his two hands. "You're not supposed to just _look_ at it!"

"I'm not? Why not?" Petra tilted her head at him. "Oh, wait, let me guess - it's inappropriate?" A mischievous smirk curled her lips.

"Can't you behave like a lady for five minutes?" Eirwen chided in an exasperated tone.

"Behaving is boring." Petra pouted.

"Please, let's just dry off, and put our clothes back on like civilized people," Eirwen pleaded with a tinge of desperation in his voice. He was trying so hard not to get an erection around Petra Pan, and it was just getting more and more difficult with the things she was doing to him.

"Being civilized is boring too." Petra pouted. "You're no fun," she complained. But, Petra could tell she was making Eirwen uncomfortable, and didn't like it when people were unhappy around her. She had to make unhappy people - happy. "Alright, fine, I'll be good." Petra took a seat by the fire and put her back to Eirwen. "Happy?"

Eirwen glanced over his shoulder and saw Petra seated by the fire with her back to him. He swallowed thickly and couldn't stop his eyes from traveling down her slim bare back to her thin waist and tiny behind. "Y-Yeah." His voice had grown rough, husky.

Eirwen returned to the fire and sat down next to Petra, but with his back to her. "Alright then Petra Pan, I believe it's time you explained a few things to me. First of all, why did you kidnap me and my sisters, and bring us here to Neverland?"

"It's because I need your help to save Neverland," Petra started to explain and nervously twirled a strand of her golden hair around her index finger. "I needed a knight like St. George that slew the dragon. A knight to defeat an undefeatable monster."

"You know, I'm not really a knight," Eirwen grumbled as he raked a hand back through his hair uneasily. He noticed that his hair was a mess and began to rake both his hands through it in a futile attempt to tame it.

"Oh, but you are!" Petra quickly objected. "I watched you fight with that skinny sword."

"You were there at the fencing competition, weren't you?" Eirwen abruptly realized. "I thought you were a hallucination."

"I get that a lot," Petra quipped.

"What's the deal with this monster that needs slaying?" Eirwen prodded.

"The monster is actually a powerful, shape-shifting mage named Tezcatlipoca," Petra explained carefully.

"Tezcatlipoca? That's quite the mouthful." Eirwen's brow furrowed thoughtfully. "Is that an Aztec name?"

Petra nodded and then realized Eirwen couldn't see her face, "Yes. He's an Aztec god."

"A _god_?" Eirwen rubbed the back of his neck. This shit storm he seemed to be caught up in just seemed to be getting better and better. "And _what_ can he shape shift into exactly?"

"A gigantic crocodile! At least forty-feet long!" Petra dramatically spread her arms wide. "Tezcatlipoca stole the Neverland Clock and somehow managed to break the fairy spell upon it so time has started moving forward once more in Neverland." A dark cloud fell over Petra's face. "But, Neverland is supposed to be a place that exists outside of time. If the clock isn't enchanted again by the fairies then Neverland will be destroyed."

"Destroyed _how_ exactly?" Eirwen asked. "Wait, you're talking about those 'time worms', aren't you?"

"Yes," Petra agreed. "Those time worms will slowly devour all of Neverland until the island ceases to exist. Also, the island is slowly disintegrating into dust."

"Okay. I think I get it now," Eirwen said. "You needed a knight to help you defeat this shape-shifting mage that can turn himself into a giant crocodile and that has stolen the Neverland Clock. Tez needs to be defeated so that you can get the clock back. But...what I don't understand is, _why me?_ "

"I needed to find a worthy, honorable knight," Petra started to explain. "One that would be able to pull Excalibur from the stone."

Eirwen's eyes bulged. "Excalibur? You mean, King Arthur's legendary sword that was forged in the dragon's breath?"

Petra nodded. "The very same. After Camelot fell and the sword was given back to the Lord of the Lake, he brought the sword here to Neverland for safekeeping. Only Excalibur has the power to pierce through Tezcatlipoca's protective magic shield, and his diamond-hard scales when he is in his crocodile form."

"Now, I get why you need Excalibur." Eirwen nodded to himself, but then his expression turned grim. "There's only one problem with all this, Petra."

"What's that?"

"I'm not a knight," Eirwen reiterated somberly. "There's no way I'll be able to pull Excalibur from the stone, and there's no way I'll be able to defeat Tezcatlipoca and save Neverland. You've got the wrong man. My time is already up..." He murmured the last part more to himself than to Petra.

"No. I'm sure that you're the one that Neverland needs," Petra argued while she thought silently to herself: _The Fairy Queen Mab told me that I would fall in love with the knight destined to save Neverland. So, it must be Eirwen...because I fell in love with him at first sight._ "I believe in you, Eirwen Darling."

"Well, you shouldn't," Eirwen denied in a gloomy manner. He let out a heavy sigh. "Why don't _you_ do it?" He gave her a searching look.

Petra's eyebrows rose to her hairline. "Me?"

"Yeah. I mean, you're amazing," Eirwen said matter-of-factly, and scratched the back of his neck in an awkward gesture. "You can fight with that wicked dagger of yours and use magic. Why don't you defeat Tezcatlipoca yourself?"

Petra shook her head helplessly. "I've already tried. He's too powerful. My other dagger shattered against his scales. Only Excalibur will be able to cut through his scales and I cannot wield Excalibur because only a _man_ is able to wield that sword."

"Well, that sucks." Eirwen's shoulders slumped despondently. "Why does Tez want to destroy Neverland anyways?"

"Tezcatlipoca is an ancient god...evil, powerful, and dangerous," Petra explained as she brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, mirroring Eirwen's pose. "Neverland is his prison. It seals the majority of his powers away. But when Neverland is destroyed Tezcatlipoca will be free and he will bring down chaos, death, and destruction to your world - Earth."

Eirwen felt hysterical laughter bubbling up inside of his throat. "You expect _me_ to fight an evil _god_? You really do have your head up in the clouds, Petra Pan. I'm sorry, but...no, just, no." He shook his head. "I can't help you."

Petra gave Eirwen an intense look. "Why not?"

"First of all, I have no reason to help you save Neverland," Eirwen said with a flippant wave of his hand. "Second, I'm no hero."

"No reason?" Petra blinked. "You don't want to help stop Tezcatlipoca from taking over the Earth?"

Eirwen shrugged carelessly. "Let him take it over. In a month...it won't really be _my_ problem."

"What about your sisters?" Petra asked keenly. "Will you leave them to be enslaved by an evil Aztec god that hungers for the tender flesh of virgin females?"

Eirwen's mouth pressed into a thin, grim line. _My sisters...Joan...Michelle. Shit._ Eirwen raked a shaky hand back through his hair. "You want me to help protect the Earth...in order to protect my sisters' futures?"

"If that is the reason you need to fight with us, then yes," Petra said firmly.

"How do I even know if what you're telling me is the truth?" Eirwen groaned, and put his face in his hands. "You could be lying," he mumbled against his fingers. "You could be making up a story. A fairytale. This could just be a game of make-believe to you."

"All fairytales have their origins in truth," Petra said. "But, I'm not lying to you, Eirwen Darling. Neverland needs your help. _I_ need your help. _Please_." Her voice cracked slightly on the word 'please'.

The usually carefree Petra sounded so desperate and afraid. And it made Eirwen feel things. He sighed. "Even if I _wanted_ to help you, I still don't think that I'm the knight Neverland needs. You'd be better off finding someone else."

Petra's dour expression brightened at Eirwen's words. "Even if you're not the knight Neverland needs - you are the knight I _want_. I want you and only you, Eirwen Darling."

Eirwen stood up, and walked over to the tree where his pj's were drying. He grabbed his pj pants and started to put them on. "Sorry, but you can't have me. I want to help you, but I need to get back to my sisters. Then find a way to get them out of this Looney bin and return home. I plan to spend my final month on Earth in peace with them. We're going to cross activities off our bucket lists. I don't have time to spare on fairytales, magic and make-believe." He pulled on his shirt next.

"I...understand, Eirwen Darling," Petra said dejectedly. There was a forlorn look on her face that Eirwen couldn't see. She stood up to retrieve her dried clothing and quickly got dressed in silence.

That night, Eirwen and Petra curled up close to the fire, and soon fell asleep.

***

At the break of dawn, Eirwen and Petra set out into the forest, heading for the Lost Girls' encampment. An hour later, they were entering the area of the jungle that was known as the Lost Girls' Forest. The sounds of celebration reached their ears - singing, laughing, pipe playing, and drums.

When Petra and Eirwen entered a large clearing the sight that greeted them was a party in full swing. The Lost Girls were decked out in more flowers than usual, and dancing around tall, blazing bonfires where fish was cooking on spits. The delectable aroma of roasting fish reached Eirwen's nose and he began to salivate.

Eirwen caught sight of Nibby skipping around while playing on pipes. The Twins were seated on the ground and playing on drums. The pink-haired Lost Girl was running while holding onto several long pieces of colorful ribbon. Slightly, the Lost Girl with the fox ear headband was singing along with the pipe and drum playing, and Eirwen was pretty sure she was making up that nonsensical song as she went. The Lost Girl with the curly purple hair was busy watching the cooking fish.

The Lost Girls made Eirwen think of 'wood elves' in that moment. They seemed so joyous, free, wild and untamed. Eirwen arched an eyebrow at Petra. "Is it always this...lively?"

There was a small, thoughtful frown on Petra's face as she observed the spectacle before them. "No. I don't know what is going on. They've never had a party without me before...or without my permission."

That's when Eirwen spotted his sisters - Joan and Michelle - dancing. They were a part of a circle of Lost Girls that were dancing around one of the bonfires and all holding hands.

A bemused look fell over Eirwen's face. Apparently, Joan and Michelle had gone 'native'. Their Earth clothes were nowhere to be seen. Joan was dressed in a dark green dress decorated with ivy, and wearing a pair of brown boots. Michelle was dressed in a dress that had been made entirely out of flowers and willow branches. She looked like a little wood pixie or sprite.

"Joan! Michelle!" Eirwen called out to them, a slight tremor in his voice. He was so happy to see them, and looking well, unharmed, and unhurt.

When Joan and Michelle heard their brother's voice they looked around frantically before finally spotting him standing there at the edge of the clearing. Their eyes widened and grins spread across their faces. Michelle let out a happy little squeal.

Both girls shouted out 'Brother!' simultaneously before leaving the dancing circle of Lost Girls and rushing over their brother at top speed.

A bright smile spread across Eirwen's face at the sight of his sisters charging towards him like little hellions. He knelt and spread his arms wide, ready to swallow them in a fierce embrace.

Petra did a double take upon seeing that happy smile on Eirwen's face. _So, he can smile like that._

The circle of dancing Lost Girls came to an abrupt halt, and the musicians stopped playing their instruments. Everyone's attention was suddenly on Eirwen and his sisters. The Lost Girls appeared to be thoroughly shocked by the girls' exclamation of calling Eirwen 'brother' and their jaws were hanging open almost to the ground.

Because this could only mean one thing - Tinker had lied to them.

Joan and Michelle slammed into Eirwen's chest and began to hug the life out of him. He chuckled at their overzealousness and wheezed. "Joan, Michelle, are you girls okay?" Eirwen asked, just to make sure.

Both girls nodded readily. "Yeah, it's awesome here!" Joan began to gush. "The Lost Girls are just like Amazon warriors. And they said they'd teach me how to use a bow and arrow - just like Katniss! Oh, and they invited us to become a part of their tribe, so now we're Lost Girls too!"

"I'm a Lost Girl now," Michelle bragged proudly. "Officially."

"This party is to celebrate us becoming Lost Girls," Joan continued to explain.

Yep...his sisters had gone native.

"Brother." Michelle tugged on her brother's shirt to get his attention. "Did you know that the flowers talk here? And the squirrels are purple, and really friendly. Can I have one?"

Eirwen blinked. "A squirrel? I'm going to have to think about that." _Don't those rodents have rabies?_ He wondered to himself.

"There was also this friendly giant snake with polka dots on it-" Michelle was gushing with obvious excitement, a twinkle in her blue eyes.

"Pet squirrel it is." Eirwen ruffled Michelle's hair that was still styled in her usual twin pigtails.

Nibby frowned as she watched the family reunion closely. "Brother?" The Lost Girl shot Tinker a questioning and somewhat accusatory look.

"Oh shit." A guilty look had formed on Tinker's face and he tried to fly away unnoticed.

But Nibby noticed Tinker trying to escape and reached out to grab the fairy by his wings to stop him. "I thought you said he was a slaver, Tink?" Nibby questioned in a loud voice so everyone would hear.

Petra frowned. "Tink said Eirwen was a slaver?"

"Yes," Nibby confirmed. "We took Eirwen to Merman Lagoon to...." She trailed off looking at Joan and Michelle concernedly. She didn't think it was probably a very good idea to let the little girls know they'd tried to drown their brother.

Petra shot a shocked, disapproving look towards Tinker. "Tink, we're going to have words later." She then turned her attention to the Lost Girls that had started to gather around them. "Now, listen up, Lost Girls, Eirwen is _not_ a slaver! I brought him here from Earth...from a place called London, England to be our knight. But-"

"Our knight?" "Eirwen is a knight?" "He's the Chosen One!" "Our Savior!" "The would-be King of Neverland!" The Lost Girls began to make excited exclamations that continued to rise in volume.

"I knew he was trying to say something important," the pink-haired Tootles said softly to herself.

"I knew he wasn't a slaver," Slightly scoffed with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I mean, look at what he's _wearing_. What kind of slaver goes around dressed in their nightclothes?"

The Lost Girls rushed over to Eirwen and surrounded him with apologetic looks on their faces. "We're _so_ sorry. We really had _no_ idea!" "Will you ever forgive us?"

Eirwen put his hands up before him in a placating gesture. "Uh, it's okay, really. I'm okay, so no harm done."

"Please, forgive us!" the girls continued.

"Here, please take this as a token of our repentance." Tootles placed a wreath of flowers around Eirwen's neck.

Eirwen smiled at her. "Thank you-"

Suddenly, all of the Lost Girls were placing flower wreathes around Eirwen's neck - not to be outdone by Tootles of all people!

"Ah, thanks, but I think I have enough flowers," Eirwen said after the flower wreathes began to obscure his vision.

The Lost Girls giggled, and then guided Eirwen over to a log where they had him sit down. They continued to shower him with gifts. With an unnecessary dramatic flourish, Nibby presented Eirwen with a roast chicken leg. Slightly handed Eirwen a wooden tankard filled with mead. A girl with curly purple hair presented Eirwen with some kind of candied fruit. The Twins approached and started playing a merry tune for Eirwen on their matching pipes while dancing at the same time.

Nibby held up her hand-carved wooden tankard. "A toast! To our Knight - Eirwen Darling - who has come to save us! He has brought back _hope_!" There was a tear in Nibby's eye.

The Lost Girls raised their tankards in unison. "To Eirwen!" And drank heartily.

"Ah, I'm really not-" Eirwen started to object uneasily before things got too out of hand.

"Eirwen, I don't know if you realize how much this means to us," Nibby was saying. "To have hope again. Tezcatlipoca stole our hope. We're all dying, you see."

"Dying?" Eirwen gulped.

All of the Lost Girls began to remove their brightly colored wigs. One by one, they revealed their matching bald heads.

Eirwen sucked in a shocked breath at the unexpected sight, and shot Petra a questioning look. She nodded grimly, and started to tell Eirwen the story of the Lost Girls. "I went to these girls when they were on their deathbeds on Earth. They were all dying from terminal diseases. I used the power of the Neverland Clock to turn their bodies' time back to a time when they'd been healthy. After that, I brought them to Neverland. While the Neverland Clock's time was stopped the girls were able to continue living here while not aging."

"Brilliant," Eirwen murmured, obviously impressed.

"There are rules I must follow though when it comes to using the power of the Neverland Clock," Petra continued in a solemn tone. "I'm not supposed to use the clock to bring people back from the dead, for example. Only people who are sick or dying are allowed to be brought here. Because Neverland is a place that exists outside of time...there are certain rules that must be followed to preserve the balance here. Only people whose time has run out on Earth can be brought to Neverland. If a person from your realm who still has time remains on Neverland the delicate balance that keeps this place _magical_ will be disrupted. The very existence of magic would be threatened."

Eirwen's attention returned to the Lost Girls. "They're all just like me," Eirwen realized to himself, speaking in a low voice. Their faces were the same as the face that stared back at him every morning in the bathroom mirror.

"Ah, bloody hell!" Eirwen ruffled his hair with both his hands, and then let out a defeated sigh. He looked up at the Lost Girls who were all giving him an expectant look. "Alright, fine. I'll do my best to be this knight that you all need, but I make no promises that I'll save you all. I'm probably going to fuck things up - big time!"

Tinker flew over and bit Eirwen right on the tip of his nose. "No swearing in front of the Lost Girls! Do you want to corrupt them?"

"Ow!" Eirwen complained as he rubbed the tip of his bleeding nose. "What are you, part piranha?"

Petra's green eyes were wide as she stared at Eirwen. "Oh, Eirwen," she sighed happily.

Joan was looking proud of her brother's brave decision to try and help these people that were obviously in need of help. "That's our brother alright. Eirwen, the hero."

"Our brother is going to be a knight?" Michelle asked with wide blue eyes filled with awe. " _Cool_."

Eirwen offered his sisters a crooked smile. He just hoped he wouldn't let everyone down.

To be continued in...Chapter 3:

### Chapter 3:

A warm ray of sunlight hitting his face awoke Eirwen the following morning. There was a slight throbbing behind his eyes. He felt so...exhausted and achy. He glared up at the wood beam ceiling. He was inside of a tree house in the Lost Girls' Forest in _Neverland_.

Neverland.

He could still hardly believe the mystical island was real, and Petra Pan too.

Somehow, he'd ended up agreeing to be their foretold knight. A groan slipped past Eirwen's lips at the remembrance, and he covered his face with both hands. What the _hell_ had he been thinking?

Joan and Michelle were snuggled up against his sides on the bed, which was made up of soft green moss and leaves. It was surprisingly comfortable considering how primitive the bedding was. Eirwen's lips dipped into a frown. He needed to protect his sisters and needed to get them home safely.

But after watching the Lost Girls remove their colored wigs to reveal that they were all dying of terminal diseases - just like he was - it was impossible to say 'no' to them when they were reaching out to him for help.

Looking at their hollow faces and the dark shadows beneath their eyes had been like looking into a mirror. Only their eyes were less 'dead' than his own. Their eyes sparkled with life and hope.

Hope.

He'd given them that hope, and he couldn't be the ungrateful asshole who took it away. The Lost Girls had been kind and gracious enough to offer one of their tree houses for the use of him and his sisters.

Eirwen glanced around the interior of the tree house since he hadn't really had a chance yet to check it out. It was incredibly well-made with a solid wood door and pretty latticed windows that had no glass. Flowery vines were twisted around the windows artfully. Piled on a small, round wooden table were all of the gifts the Lost Girls had given their 'knight' - flower wreathes, shiny, polished stones, weapons, armor, and clothes.

The sight of all those gifts made Eirwen feel incredibly guilty because...he was a _fraud_. He wasn't the _real_ foretold knight or would-be King of Neverland. He was just a gloomy young man who was out of time, and knew how to fence.

Making sure not to disturb his still sleeping sisters, Eirwen carefully got out of bed and made his way over to the pile of presents. He spotted a pile of carefully folded clothing that hadn't been there before and smiled broadly. The Lost Girls had made him some clothes. "Thank God. I can finally get out of these pj's." Running around Neverland in sleepwear truly sucked.

Eirwen quickly stripped out of his pj's and put the new clothes on. The Lost Girls had made Eirwen a dark green tunic with lace-up collar, brown leather pants, and a pair of brown leather boots with cuffs. He tried to adjust the crotch of his pants and was happy that his sisters were still awake. The leather pants were a little... _tight_. In fact, he'd never worn pants so tight before. He'd never worn the color green either. He felt a little like Robin Hood in this earthy getup.

On the table Eirwen noticed a thick brown leather belt with a scabbard attached to it. His eyebrows rose to his hairline when he realized it was a rapier. He grabbed the belt, enthusiastically buckled it around his waist, and then unsheathed the rapier in one fluid movement. He began to inspect the blade. It was solid steel, sharp, and well-balanced. The rapier was rather fancy with a jewel-encrusted pommel. It reminded Eirwen of sunken pirate treasure. Eirwen had the sneaking suspicion that Petra had 'borrowed' this sword from Captain Hook.

Eirwen sheathed the rapier and felt a little less vulnerable now in this strange land. He was incredibly thankful for the gift. Today, they were planning to travel to the Indian village. There, Petra would introduce Eirwen to Chief Pantera and request the opportunity to try and pull Excalibur from its stone. According to Petra the Indians were the only ones who knew the whereabouts of the legendary sword.

Eirwen wondered darkly if the Indians would see right through him and realize that he was nothing more than an imposter. He shuddered as a chill crawled up his spine. They were probably going to scalp him. He unconsciously ran his hand over his head.

At that moment, Petra flew into the tree house from the open window. "Good morning, Eirwen Darling!" She flew over to Eirwen and hovered in front of him, her jiggling cleavage pretty much right in his face. Before he could properly react she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him sweetly.

Eirwen grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back, a stern expression on his face. "Haven't you ever heard of using the front door?"

Petra tilted her head at Eirwen. "Front door?"

Eirwen scratched his head. "Yeah, thought so."

Petra tried to kiss Eirwen again, but he pushed her back. "Hey! Quit it, will you?" Eirwen concernedly glanced over his shoulder at his sleeping sisters. "What if my sisters _see_?"

Petra pouted and landed on the wooden floor, looking thoroughly put out. Petra's gaze lowered and she caught sight of the clothes Eirwen was now wearing. She grinned wolfishly. "How do you like your new clothes? Nibby was up all night making them. She's always had a flair for style. The Twins helped too. They made the boots."

"Ah, they're nice," Eirwen said, smoothing his hands down the front of his new tunic in order to get rid of any wrinkles. "The pants are a little tight."

"Really?" Petra questioned innocently before grabbing Eirwen's shoulders in order to spin him around. "Let me see." Her gaze immediately went down to Eirwen's behind that was now tightly encased in brown leather. Petra felt herself salivate a little. Eirwen had a really nice butt. "I think the pants look perfect." She raised her hands and her fingers were twitching like a cat about to grab a mouse. Petra couldn't stop herself from reaching out and grabbing his butt with both her hands. "Mmm, yep, _very_ nice."

"Ack!" Eirwen yelped in surprise as Petra squeezed his ass cheeks. He spun around and glared at Petra angrily. "What are you _doing_?"

Petra blinked her green eyes innocently at Eirwen. "What? I was just checking the fit of your pants. I should probably check the front part too." She glanced down at his crotch, and a mischievous smile started to curl her lips.

Eirwen followed her line of sight and his eyes bulged. "Don't give me that bollocks." He grabbed Petra's wrists in order to restrain her and stop her lewd pawing. Petra giggled madly as she struggled against him. _Perverted little minx!_ Eirwen thought to himself in exasperation. "Will you cut that out? You know, this kind of behavior is extremely unladylike."

Petra pouted. "How about a kiss then? I like kissing." She pursed her lips and leaned forward. "Mmm!"

A muscle ticked beneath Eirwen's eye in irritation. "No. No kissing! My sisters are in the room with us, you know?"

"You kissed me before," Petra reminded.

"That...that was a momentary lapse of judgment," Eirwen said evasively. "It won't happen again."

All the commotion between Eirwen and Petra ended up waking Joan and Michelle. The two girls caught sight of Eirwen and Petra 'playing', smiled, and got out of bed.

"Good morning, brother, Petra," Joan greeted their host politely and with a cute little curtsey.

Michelle got out of bed more slowly and reluctantly, rubbing sleep from her wide blue eyes. "Good morning, brother, Petra Pan..."

There was a purple squirrel perched on Michelle's shoulder that Eirwen hadn't noticed before. He frowned at it suspiciously. When had she gotten her hands on that unsanitary rodent? The squirrel chittered at him in greeting, and its purple and blue striped tail twitched behind it back and forth in an excited manner. Eirwen shrugged helplessly. _Whatever. Neverland._

"Morning, girls," Eirwen greeted them and ruffled their heads affectionately, making their sleep-tousled hair look even worse. "Go wash your hands and faces. And then we'll have breakfast."

"Kay!" The two little girls skipped off to a porcelain pitcher filled with water and that was sitting on a small table. Next to the pitcher was a large, white porcelain basin that Joan carefully started to pour water into. Apparently, that setup was the Lost Girls' solution to not being able to have plumbing up in their tree houses.

Petra was giving Eirwen a wistful look. He was reminding her of a 'father' she'd brought to Neverland long ago...

"What?" Eirwen questioned when he noticed Petra staring at him.

"You act like their father," Petra said casually.

Eirwen watched as Joan and Michelle washed their faces diligently. "Our parents died in a car crash three years ago. Joan was five at the time and Michelle was only one. I've raised them since then. All we have is each other. I'm all they have, and..." Eirwen cut himself off, not wanting to finish that sentence when Joan and Michelle were so close by and could overhear him.

Petra followed Eirwen's line of sight to the girls and her eyes widened with realization. "They don't know." She placed a comforting hand on Eirwen's shoulder. "I don't remember my parents. But if my father had been more like you he probably would have protected us from the slavers."

Eirwen arched a quizzical eyebrow at Petra. "Us? Slavers?"

But before Petra could respond Joan and Michelle ran over to show Eirwen that their hands were clean. "Our hands are clean! Can we eat now?" Joan questioned.

"Yeah, let's go get some breakfast, kids." Eirwen took their hands and started to walk towards the front door. He shot Petra a concerned glance over his shoulder though. He'd have to talk to her more later about what she'd mentioned about slavers.

After climbing down a swaying rope ladder that Eirwen had been reluctant to let his sisters go down in the first place, Petra escorted the brother and sisters to a long, wooden picnic table where all of the Lost Girls were already seated, and enjoying breakfast. In large wooden bowls sitting in the center of the table were different kinds of fruits.

At first Eirwen didn't recognize the fruits and thought they were native to Neverland, but upon closer inspection Eirwen realized that the only thing different about the fruits were their sizes. The bowls were filled with strawberries, blueberries, grapes, cherries and cranberries that were the size of watermelons!

When Michelle spotted a giant strawberry she squealed in delight, and as soon as she'd taken a seat at the table reached out to grab it.

"Fascinating," Joan said, pushing her glasses up her nose and inspecting the fruits. "I wonder what made them grow so big here? Perhaps, certain nutrients in the soil." Joan eventually settled on a huge cherry, and Eirwen decided to try a giant blueberry.

After they'd stuffed their faces with the sweetest and juiciest fruit Eirwen had ever tasted, the group that would be traveling to the Indian village began to make the necessary preparations for their trip by gathering food, weapons, flint, and medical supplies.

The Lost Girls that would be traveling with Petra, Tinker, Eirwen, and his sisters were: Nibby, Slightly, Curly, Tootles, and the Twins. The group couldn't fly to the Indian village because Eirwen was _still_ unable to find his 'happy thought'.

Joan and Michelle had fun teasing Eirwen about his inability to fly as they flew circles around his head for fun and just to show off.

Eirwen noticed that Tinker was acting surly and ignoring everyone. The fairy was probably still angry that he'd gotten caught red-handed in his lie about Eirwen being a slaver.

The Lost Girls were armed with bows, quivers of arrows, and spears. With the way the girls were acting, Eirwen felt like they were his _unofficial_ bodyguards.

"Before we head on out," Petra began loudly in order to get everyone's attention, "I believe that Tink has something he'd like to say to Eirwen. Isn't that right, Tink?" She shot the fairy an expectant look.

Tinker crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. "No, I don't-"

"Tink!" A scandalized expression fell over Petra's face. "You owe Eirwen an apology!"

Tinker glared daggers at Eirwen. "Fine. I'm sorry for having you thrown into Merman Lagoon. Anyways, it was just a bit of fun." The fairy's lip curled snidely. "How was I supposed to know that the mermen would attack you? You probably did something to threaten them. They're usually very peaceful."

Eirwen gawked at the fairy in disbelief. "Peaceful my ass-"

Tinker flew over and bit Eirwen's ear. "No swearing in front of the girls!"

"Ow! Bloody hell!" Eirwen complained rubbing at his sore and throbbing ear.

Petra appeared to take this as a good sign, however, and beamed at the two. "I'm so glad you're both getting along now!" She hugged Tinker with her right arm and hugged Eirwen to her side with her left arm. Then she kissed Tinker on his forehead (which ended up being his whole face), and did the same to Eirwen. "My best friend Tink...and my knight Eirwen."

"Friend zoned," Eirwen coughed into his hand.

Tinker shot Eirwen a venomous glare as the fairy's entire face turned tomato red in anger.

"Onward!" Petra said before walking off into the forest and expecting everyone to follow after her. They walked for about an hour until they reached the outskirts of the Indian village. That's when they were suddenly surrounded by a group of Indians that had appeared from seemingly out of nowhere, and who had spears, tomahawks, and arrows aimed their way.

"Get behind me, girls." Eirwen swiftly moved to stand protectively in front of his sisters. He frowned at the Indians, who all wore stoic expressions on their tanned faces. They didn't seem very friendly.

"Real live Indians," Joan muttered softly to herself. "This is so awesome." She pushed her glasses up her nose as she scrutinized them. Most of the Indians had long black hair decorated with scattered braids, feathers and colorful beads. Some of the Indians had mohawks though.

All of the Indian males were shirtless, showing off their gleaming, oiled muscular torsos impressively. Several of the Indians were only wearing loincloths to hide their nakedness, but others were wearing leather pants. All of them were wearing soft leather moccasins on their feet, which was probably why the group hadn't heard their approach.

Petra seemed unfazed by their sudden appearance, smiled brightly at them, and raised her hand in greeting. "How!"

The Indians continued to glare at Petra suspiciously, and after a few awkward minutes of this one finally spoke up, "You _dare_ to enter Indian territory, you pirate scum-"

Petra frowned and waved her hand dismissively through the air. "Oh, we're _not_ pirates. We're the Lost Girls! Don't you remember us?"

The Indians exchanged skeptical and amused looks. Some of the Indians' gazes lingered on the girls' breasts, and sadly Eirwen knew exactly what they were thinking. The girls were no longer 'girls' but young women with nice assets.

"Petra?" questioned a deep, authoritative male voice. The circle of Indians parted to allow one man to step through and approach them. This Indian had a commanding presence that set him apart from the others, and Eirwen could tell right away that he was in charge. Like the other Indians he was shirtless, showing off his battle-scarred chest that made Eirwen think he was probably a fierce warrior. You didn't get nasty scars like that staying home knitting socks after all.

The Indian had on a feathered headband that appeared to be more elaborate than the other feathered headbands his tribesmen were wearing. He was probably someone important in the Piccaninny Tribe.

"Prince Tiger!" Petra greeted Tiger enthusiastically, walking over to him and giving him an affectionate embrace. Tiger's chest puffed up with pride at Petra's trusting manner. Petra Pan's reputation preceded her in Neverland as being a fierce fighter, and most knew not to mess with her, especially if you were an evil pirate or monster. The fact that Petra was acting this way around Tiger meant that he'd somehow managed to gain her trust.

_Tiger. So that's his name._ And Eirwen couldn't really say he was all that surprised. Tiger's long black hair had orange highlights. He was wearing orange leather pants, and a necklace made out of tiger claws. _And he's a prince._ Eirwen thought, not that he was jealous or anything of all the attention Petra was suddenly giving this Indian man.

"Stand down, men," Tiger ordered his tribesmen with a wave of his hand. "This is Petra Pan. She has...grown up." His voice was tinged with wry amusement. The stoic expressions on the Indians' faces morphed into shocked ones.

"Then the rumors are true?" one Indian asked with a worried expression on his face. "The Neverland Clock was stolen?"

Petra pulled away from Tiger and nodded in the Indian's direction. "Yes. By Tezcatlipoca."

Several of the Indians muttered the name 'Tezcatlipoca' darkly and a few spit on the ground in a show of obvious disgust.

"Petra, not that I'm not pleased to see you. But why have you come to my village?" Tiger asked while throwing Eirwen a surreptitious glance.

Petra gave Tiger a searching look, and knew the question was more for the benefit of the tribesmen that were there. Petra had already mentioned to Tiger that she'd found a worthy candidate to try and pull Excalibur from the stone. "I have come seeking an audience with Chief Great Big Little Panther. I have something very important to discuss with her."

Tiger nodded his assent. "Then follow me," the Indian prince said gruffly as he began to lead the way into the village with confident strides.

The village of the Piccaninny Tribe was composed of scattered, conical-shaped teepees made of buffalo hide, and decorated with the images of wildcats, panthers, lions, and tigers running free. Some of the teepees had the images of buffalo and deer being chased and hunted by wildcats.

Joan and Michelle were running circles around Eirwen as they tried to take in all the sights at once. "Those strange houses are called ' _teepees_ '," Joan explained to her sister Michelle.

"Ooo," Michelle responded, thoroughly impressed by her older sister's smarts.

Indian women were milling around the village as they ran various errands - fetching firewood, filling up buckets of water, going to the river to wash clothes, cooking, and fixing damaged clothing for their husbands with their needles and thread.

"Indian women are called ' _squaws_ '," Joan continued.

Tiger offered Joan a smile. "She's a smart little one, isn't she? You must be proud." He directed this comment to Eirwen.

Eirwen nodded. "I am."

When Tiger finally came to a halt it was in front of a teepee that was larger than all the others. This teepee had the image of an enormous black panther and paw prints painted on it. Tiger approached the door flap. "Chief Pantera, we have guests who request an audience with you."

"Very well. Enter," came a gravely female voice.

Tiger nodded at the group, opened the flap, and ushered them inside. Petra, Eirwen, Tinker, Joan and Michelle entered the tent while the rest of the Lost Girls remained outside to keep a lookout.

Hanging from the ceiling were several ornate dream catchers in all different sizes. The dream catchers were made out of willow, and decorated with the rainbow-colored feathers from the Never-bird. As Eirwen and the others entered, Chief Pantera set aside a dream catcher that she'd been working on in order to give them her full attention.

"Dream catchers...are said to catch nightmares and turn them into good dreams," Joan said.

A twinkle came to Chief Pantera's eyes at Joan's comment and she nodded. "That's right, little one."

Chief Great Big Little Panther, also known as 'Chief Pantera', was an elderly woman with tanned, wrinkled skin, graying hair that was styled into two twin braids, and wise, dark eyes. She was wearing a black headdress made out of a panther's pelt, and a black leather dress. With the way the panther's open maw sat on the top of Chief Pantera's head it looked like the panther was trying to swallow her whole.

Chief Pantera was sitting cross-legged on a mountain of animal furs. In front of her was a small fire where a container of water was being heated for tea. Eirwen noticed that a bow along with a quiver of arrows was leaning against the teepee's buffalo hide wall.

Tiger silently walked over and took a seat cross-legged next to his mother. Chief Pantera waved her hand at Petra and the others to come forward. "Please, make yourselves comfortable, and have a seat." Everyone obediently sat on the ground cross-legged.

Chief Pantera's eyes narrowed as she took in Petra Pan's new grown-up appearance. "Petra Pan...you have _matured_." Her brow furrowed in thought, and the corners of her lips dipped into a frown that was tinged with sadness.

"Not by choice, of that I can assure you," Petra said solemnly. "Tezcatlipoca has stolen the Neverland Clock and broken the fairies' spell. But I intend to get it back and set things right in Neverland. That's why I'm here. I need your help."

"What is it you need?" Chief Pantera's eyes narrowed slightly.

Petra waved a hand at Eirwen and a confident smirk formed on her face. "I have brought a worthy knight to remove Excalibur from the stone."

Chief Pantera's sharp gaze snapped to Eirwen and she scrutinized him for a moment. "How can you be so sure this young man is a man of _worth_?"

Petra raised her chin in challenge. "I believe in him. And I...love him," she admitted softly.

A flash of shock passed over Tiger's face, and his stoic expression turned disappointed. The Indian prince's shoulders hunched dejectedly.

Chief Pantera appeared to be equally surprised by Petra's sudden admittance. "For hundreds of years the Piccaninny Tribe has guarded the secret of the location of Excalibur. My son Tiger..." She glanced at Tiger with a concerned expression on her face. "Was kidnapped by Hook and tortured in order to discover the sword's whereabouts. But my son would not be broken." A proud expression settled over Chief Pantera's face as she gazed at her brave son. Tiger grew stiff at the remembrance of being in Hook's evil clutches.

"Excalibur...is a very powerful weapon," Chief Pantera continued as she laced her fingers together in a pensive pose. "We cannot allow it to fall into the _wrong_ hands. The consequences would be catastrophic."

"Neverland is _already_ in grave peril," Petra reminded. "We must save it. And the only one who _can_ save it is Eirwen. But, he needs Excalibur if he's to defeat Tezcatlipoca."

Chief Pantera let out a thoughtful hum. "Eirwen's worth must be tested. He must pass the test to earn the right to try and pull the sword Excalibur from the stone. The test shall be...a fight to the death. If Eirwen is truly worthy - he will live. If the Great Spirit deems him unworthy - my son, Tiger, will kill him." Tiger nodded in grim agreement to his mother's command.

Eirwen's eyes widened in alarm and he shot a worried look Tiger's way. A fight to the death with Prince Tiger? He didn't want to kill anyone...

A sharp smile formed on Tinker's face, and he gleefully rubbed his hands together in eager anticipation of getting to see Eirwen scalped. "Chief Pantera, you are most wise. A fight to the death is an excellent idea."

_Suck up._ Eirwen shot the fairy an irritated look and began to voice his hesitations, "Chief Pantera, I don't think I-"

Petra swiftly interrupted him. "Eirwen _will_ fight. And win." She turned to Eirwen and gave him an intense, meaningful look. "I believe in you. And I trust that you'll do the _right_ thing."

Eirwen gave Petra a searching look in return. He had the feeling he understood what she was trying to hint to him. When Petra winked to make it even more obvious, he let out a defeated sigh and nodded. "Alright, fine. I accept your challenge." A determined expression had settled over Eirwen's face.

"Do you really think that's wise, brother?" Joan questioned tentatively, placing a hand on her brother's arm that Eirwen noticed was slightly trembling. "Fighting to the death is, well..." She spread her hands in a helpless gesture before her. "Dangerous." Michelle's bottom lip had started to tremble, and her wide eyes were filling with tears.

Eirwen turned his attention to his sisters and gave them a reassuring look. "Don't worry, girls. Your big brother knows what he's doing. And I have a plan," he said the last in a low voice only they could hear. _At least, I hope I know what I'm doing._ Eirwen could feel a headache coming on and had to resist the urge to rub at his temples with his index fingers.

Chief Pantera was impressed by the steel she saw in Eirwen's amber gaze. "So be it."

Eirwen, Petra, Tinker, Joan, Michelle, the Lost Girls, Tiger, and a small group of Indians traveled through the forest to an open-air coliseum. Or at least, the grass covered ruins appeared to be what was left of what was probably at one time a very impressive fighting arena. Word of such events spread quickly in Neverland, mostly due to gossipy flowers, and the tiered stone seats were quickly filled with Indians and Lost Girls.

This is how Eirwen Darling ended up standing in the center of a dusty arena facing off against the greatest warrior and prince of the Piccaninny Tribe - Tiger. The Indian prince had switched his feathered headdress for a headdress made out of the skin of a tiger. The tiger looked like it was devouring Tiger's head, and the rest of the pelt covered Tiger's back like a cape. The aura surrounding Tiger was one of confidence, strength and fearlessness. Eirwen gulped, feeling slightly intimidated.

Sitting regally in the stands, Chief Pantera raised her hand in order to start the death match. "Fighters...you may begin!"

Tiger grinned widely, flashing very white teeth, and got into a fighting stance with one tomahawk poised in front of him, and his other tomahawk slightly behind him for good swinging leverage.

Eirwen unsheathed his rapier and held it out before him as he got into a fencing stance. His back leg was straight and he was leaning into his attack position at a forty-five degree angle, front leg bent. His left hand was behind his back.

Eirwen could have used a little more confidence in that moment. He didn't think he was Neverland's foretold knight _or_ their would-be king. There was this sinking feeling inside of his chest and his spirits began to plummet until he looked up into the stands and caught sight of the sickly Lost Girls. He remembered what they'd looked like without those colorful wigs, and something stirred inside of him.

Petra, his sisters, and the Lost Girls - he had people to fight for. People he wanted to protect.

_I am Eirwen Darling, fencing champion._ Eirwen reminded himself as he took a deep, steadying breath. _And I know how to kick butt with a sword. I can trust in my own hard-earned skill at least. That's something I can believe in._

He could do this. He could win. He had to. For Petra, his sisters and the Lost Girls. They were all counting on him. He couldn't let them down.

Getting impatient while waiting for Eirwen to make the first move, Tiger let out a battle cry and charged towards his opponent. As soon as the Indian was close enough he swung his first tomahawk at Eirwen.

Eirwen quickly raised his rapier and blocked the attack. Tiger let out a frustrated growl, and brought his other tomahawk forward.

Eirwen dodged. Tiger spun like a top, bringing his right tomahawk upon Eirwen, and then his left in quick succession.

Showing off some fancy footwork, Eirwen blocked both attacks with ease.

The spectators in the tiered seats were watching the fight with baited breath. Tiger was vicious, relentless, and fast, but Eirwen had the longer reach with his deadly rapier, and Tiger couldn't seem to get past Eirwen's defenses. The stands had fallen silent and the only sound to be heard was the clanging sound Eirwen's sword made as it clashed against Tiger's tomahawks.

Eirwen concentrated his entire focus on Tiger's hold and with a skillful twist of his wrist he managed to disarm Tiger and send his left tomahawk flying.

The Lost Girls, Petra and his sisters erupted into excited cheers at the sight. The Indians all moaned in despair and worry for their beloved prince.

Tinker, however, was _not_ happy that Eirwen appeared to be gaining the upper hand against Tiger. He had to do something. But what? An evil smile curled his lips when a sudden idea came to him. A wicked idea. He summoned his magic and waggled his fingers towards the arena.

Eirwen concentrated on disarming Tiger of his remaining tomahawk next. If Tiger became weaponless, perhaps he could force his surrender. Eirwen lunged his rapier forward, aiming at the tomahawk in Tiger's right hand.

However, in that exact moment, the ground beneath Eirwen's left foot abruptly turned to mud and he stumbled forward as he tried to maintain his balance. "Bloody hell!" Eirwen almost fell flat on his face, but he quickly imbedded the rapier into the ground and used it for leverage in order to hop out of the mud and land on solid ground once more. "Phew." He let out a breath of relief, a trickle of sweat sliding down his brow.

That had been close. Too close.

Eirwen frowned darkly as he glared at the mud puddle in obvious suspicion. "Is it just me...or was that mud puddle not there earlier?"

"The Great Spirit has granted _me_ favor, Eirwen Darling!" Tiger declared in a haughty voice, a wide, vicious smile on his face. "Prepare to die!" The Indian prince charged towards Eirwen, his moccasins allowing him to run soundlessly across the sandy arena floor.

"The Great Spirit?" Eirwen's voice was laced with incredulity. He glanced up into the stands and that's when he caught sight of the fairy, Tinker, who was looking quite pleased with himself. _Why, that little stinker!_ Eirwen thought, realizing that Tinker was up to something.

Watching his footwork to make sure Tinker didn't create another mud puddle to trip him up; Eirwen redoubled his efforts to disarm Tiger. He _had_ to disarm Tiger. It was the only way he was going to win this thing.

Eirwen surreptitiously glanced down and spotted another mud puddle forming out of thin air. _Aha!_ He quickly looked back up at Tiger, but the Indian prince didn't appear to have noticed it yet.

Eirwen moved a few steps back in order to make it look like he was retreating. He also tried to look afraid, and allowed his hand to tremble slightly.

Tiger fell for the trap and charged forward, a cocky grin on his face.

_Gotcha._ Eirwen thought triumphantly as he watched Tiger's right foot slip down into the mud and the Indian prince stumble forward.

_Now's my chance!_ With a lunge and artful flick and twist of his wrist Eirwen disarmed Tiger sending his remaining tomahawk flying. Eirwen pointed his rapier at Tiger's throat. "Do you yield?"

Tiger just smiled savagely, and laughed at Eirwen. "Never."

Eirwen's brow furrowed in confusion. "You have no more weapons. You cannot continue this fight..."

Tinker let out a frustrated huff and snapped his fingers so that Tiger's foot was released from the mud. As soon as Tiger noticed he leapt backwards to put some distance between himself and Eirwen, grinning confidently. "Who says I'm out of weapons?" Tiger removed his tiger headdress with a flourish and reached behind him to grab two more tomahawks.

_Bloody hell._ Eirwen got into a fighting stance. Tiger threw one of the tomahawks at Eirwen, spun, and threw another. Eirwen blocked the first and then second with his rapier. As Tiger spun Eirwen caught a glimpse of Tiger's back and his eyes widened like saucers. Several tomahawks were strapped to Tiger's back like a mini-armory. "Oh, come _on_."

Tiger continued to spin and launched tomahawks at Eirwen in quick succession. Each tomahawk was coming in faster than the last. _Shit._ Eirwen internally swore. It was taking _all_ of Eirwen's concentration to block those fierce attacks, and his hand was starting to tremble, and this time it wasn't a ruse.

Suddenly, a large purple egg with yellow polka dots on it, and that was the size of a melon appeared out of thin air to hover in front of Eirwen's face. "What the hell?"

A tomahawk that was flying through the air, end over end, hit the egg, and it exploded into a cloud of purple glitter. This completely caught Eirwen off guard and he got glitter in his eyes. "Ack!" He was now temporarily blinded. _The hell?_ Had Tinker just glitter bombed him? _That meddlesome fairy!_ Eirwen could hear Tinker cackling loudly at his plight from up in the stands, and bristled with anger.

Blind Eirwen was a sitting duck. Right?

Or so Tinker thought.

Eirwen took a deep breath and concentrated on blind fighting. He and his club mates had practiced blind fighting for shits and giggles back in London.

Tiger mercilessly continued to throw his tomahawks at Eirwen even though his opponent had been blinded - something, which Tiger thought was a boon, granted by the Great Spirit, and so didn't bother to question it.

With his sharp hearing, Eirwen could hear the weapons _whooshing_ through the air. He spun and blocked the first and then second tomahawk.

"Ooo!" Several spectators let out awed breaths in response to Eirwen's impressive fighting prowess.

Tinker let out a growl of frustration. "Dodge _this_ ," the fairy muttered darkly to himself and waggled his fingers.

Eirwen was unable to see what the hell was going on, and so didn't see that as Tiger threw his tomahawks at Eirwen his weapons were bathed in a green-tinged light before transforming into snakes. _Live_ snakes.

Tinker cackled evilly.

Eirwen felt something 'off' about the tomahawks that had been heading towards him, and instead of trying to block the weapons leapt backwards as far as he could. _What the hell is that fairy up to now? What did he do?_

Eirwen painfully blinked his eyes rapidly in order to clear them of the glitter. He _needed_ to see. When Eirwen's eyes finally cleared what he saw was that he was now surrounded by live snakes. His eyes flared in alarm and disbelief. How the hell had this happened? Was Tiger cheating...or was this all Tinker?

Tinker's laughter was getting louder. Petra shot Tinker a questioning look when she suddenly realized what was going on. "Tink! Bad fairy! I should give you a spanking! I'll have to fix this..." Petra waggled her fingers at the snakes. They were bathed in a green glow and then disappeared in a puff of green smoke. "There! I fixed it! You can thank me later, Eirwen, my darling!" Petra called down to Eirwen and waved in an enthusiastic manner.

Eirwen and Tiger both looked up at Petra, who was looking quite pleased with herself. "Now you boys can have a _fair_ fight!" Petra yelled down loudly.

However, when the green smoke cleared it was to reveal a ginormous twenty-foot long snake. The snake had black and white stripes, and a red mouth filled with sharp teeth.

Eirwen glared up at Petra. "You just had to pull a Beetlejuice, didn't you, Petra? Next time do me a favor and don't help!"

The huge, menacing, creepy-ass snake slithered towards Eirwen. Eirwen got into a fighting stance. "I'm so dead," he muttered glumly.

But then Tiger let out a battle cry and charged the snake. The Indian prince threw tomahawks at the snake, one after the other, and the weapons spun through the air end over end. The barrage of tomahawks flew through the air towards the snake and hit it, but the tomahawks just bounced harmlessly off the snake's hard scales.

The snake hissed angrily and turned its sights on Tiger. The snake's red mouth opened to show off its teeth in what appeared to be a sinister grin. The snake slithered towards Tiger, reared up in front of the Indian prince, and opened its maw wide.

Tiger stared up at the snake, swallowed a lump of fear, and resigned himself to his fate. "If the Great Spirit wishes this then I accept my fate."

_Shit._ Eirwen internally swore as he watched what was happening. Why had Tiger helped him? He couldn't just stand back and watch the Indian prince get eaten. "Dammit!" He ran towards Tiger. _I won't make it..._

The snake descended upon Tiger, ready to swallow him whole.

Then Eirwen appeared directly in front of Tiger, and lunged his rapier up into the snake's maw and right through the creature's brain. The snake's yellow eyes rolled into the back of its head as it died.

Eirwen let go of his rapier and stepped back as the snake collapsed to the ground in front of him - dead.

_Oh, shit, Tiger._ Eirwen had just placed his back to his enemy. Eirwen spun around worriedly, fists raised before him, expecting Tiger to fight him.

Tiger was looking at him with wide, astonished eyes, however. "How did you know to do that?" There was something that may have been respect shinning in the Indian's dark eyes.

"I stole that move from a very talented wizard named Harry Potter," Eirwen said seriously.

Tiger's brow furrowed. "Harry Potter? I have not heard of this wizard."

Eirwen smirked amusedly. "He's from England. My homeland." It was getting harder and harder for Eirwen to keep a straight face.

Tiger nodded agreeably. "I see." Then Tiger surprised Eirwen by kneeling before him. "I yield."

Eirwen blinked. "What? Why?"

"You saved my life," Tiger declared, though there was a twinkle in his eye.

"Well, I was kind of returning the favor," Eirwen pointed out. "You saved me first. Why did you do that, anyways?" He gave the Indian prince a searching look.

"I realized the fairy Tinker had been interfering in our fight." An angry scowl formed on Tiger's face. "I wanted a fair fight. An _honorable_ fight. You could have let the snake eat me, but you chose to risk your life and save me instead. You fight with honor. You are a man of _worth,_ Eirwen Darling."

Eirwen was touched by Tiger's words. He grinned and held his hand down to Tiger. "You also fight with honor, Prince Tiger." Tiger took Eirwen's hand and allowed himself to be pulled up to his feet.

Loud, deafening cheers filled the coliseum arena. Joan and Michelle started chanting: "Darling! Darling! Darling!" And soon all of the spectators were chanting right along with them.

A bittersweet feeling rose up in Eirwen's chest at the sound of those cheers so reminiscent of his fencing competitions. His heart clenched painfully inside of his chest at the thought that he'd most likely never participate in such a competition ever again.

Eirwen walked over to the dead snake, wrapped his hand around the hilt of the rapier, and pulled it out of the snake's skull. He held the rapier high above his head in a victory pose. The cheers became even louder. With this victory, he'd won the chance to try and remove Excalibur from the stone.

_What the hell am I doing, acting all cool?_ Eirwen thought to himself dismally. _I'm nothing but a fraud._

Eirwen swayed on his feet. He was utterly exhausted. His whole body ached and he could feel a headache forming behind his eyes. He kind of felt like throwing up too. He had to concentrate so that his limbs wouldn't visibly tremble. Eirwen didn't want his sisters to worry...

All Eirwen wanted to do was crawl into a nice, warm bed, and sleep for the next five days. But apparently his victory was a cause for celebration. That evening, the Piccaninny Tribe held a great feast in Eirwen's honor. The Indians were now also convinced that Eirwen was the foretold knight and would-be King of Neverland.

Eirwen felt like such a fake. An imposter. He'd managed to win his match against Tiger by the skin of his teeth, and with a whole lot of luck.

Eirwen sat on a log drinking a cup of some kind of wine and watching the festivities. The Indians, Lost Girls, Petra, and his sisters were all dancing around giant bonfires to the beat of the drums that several Indians were playing. The Indians must have painted the war paint onto his sisters' faces and gifted them with those feathered headbands they were now wearing.

Eirwen cracked a lopsided grin at the sight of his sisters looking like Indians. Michelle was slapping her hand over her mouth while trying to imitate an Indian war cry. Eirwen's expression softened - his little sister was just too adorable.

Then Eirwen caught sight of Petra dancing to the beat of the drums, and his eyes became riveted to her. Someone had braided feathers into her long, flowing, golden locks. Green war paint had been painted across her cheeks, and it brought out her grass-green eyes. She looked so...wild, untamed and free in that moment.

Petra Pan was this beautiful and otherworldly creature of Neverland.

The wine was giving Eirwen a nice buzz. He felt a little warmer as he continued to watch Petra dance with such passion. He frowned when he noticed that Tinker was dancing in the air beside her. _That little bugger..._

Then Tiger appeared to 'accidentally' smack Tinker out of the way before joining Petra, and dancing with her for a little while. Eirwen snorted in amusement at what had just happened, and had to hold back a laugh at the sight of Tinker flying head over heels through the air.

Eirwen's amused expression slowly slid off his face as he continued to watch Tiger and Petra dance together...like they were a couple or something. They were nicely the same size, unlike how Tinker and Petra had appeared. And what a strange thought that was. Eirwen blamed it on being in Neverland.

Eirwen decided that he didn't like the way Tiger was hungrily looking at Petra with heat in his gaze like he wanted to eat her. The Indian prince's dark eyes were lingering on her cleavage for an inappropriately long amount of time too. _Bloody pervert..._

Eirwen started, catching himself in his possessive and jealous thoughts. But, really why should he give a fuck? It's not like Petra was his girlfriend or anything. She was free to do as she wished. His grip tightened on his wooden tankard.

Petra caught sight of him staring at her and shot him a bright smile. Dismissing Tiger by suddenly ignoring him, Petra began to dance towards Eirwen instead. The corner of Eirwen's mouth twitched as Petra stomped her feet on the ground and clapped her hands. Then she moved her hands gracefully through the air while making swirling patterns. Her movements were sensual as she let the primal rhythm of the drums guide her instinctively.

Petra's smile widened as she danced right in front of Eirwen and leaned forward to nuzzle her nose against his in a playful manner. Flushed with drink, he couldn't help himself from smiling a little in response. Petra could be quite cute in moments like these.

Petra grabbed Eirwen's hand. "Come on, dance with me."

Eirwen hesitated. "I don't really-"

Petra pulled him up to his feet - she was surprisingly strong - and tugged him over to one of the bonfires.

"Know how to dance," Eirwen finished lamely to himself.

"It's easy," Petra assured. "Let the music guide you."

Eirwen shrugged. "Ah, what the hell. A little dancing couldn't hurt."

And so he danced with Petra while Tiger and Tinker glared jealously at him. Eirwen gave them the bird when Petra wasn't looking. He was actually enjoying himself when a wave of dizziness swept over him, and his head started to pound. _Shit._ All of a sudden he felt achy, weak and slightly nauseous. "Ugh. I need...to take a break. Sorry," Eirwen muttered to Petra before he ran off into the nearby woods so he could fall apart without an audience. _Shit, shit, shit..._

Eirwen felt like he was dying. The pain in his head was intense. He sank to his knees and threw up until he was throwing up nothing but stomach acid. Then he was just painfully dry heaving after that. A drop of blood trickled down from his nose.

He could _pretend_ that he had things under control, but everything was going to hell in a handbasket. _Bloody hell._ Hysterical laughter was bubbling up his throat. He was such a fraud.

"Eirwen?" Petra's concerned sounding voice reached his ears.

_Shit._ Eirwen quickly wiped the blood from his nose with his tunic's sleeve, stood up, and tried to compose himself as best he could before turning around to face Petra.

"Are you...alright?" Petra asked, an intense look in her green eyes.

He wanted to say 'No'. He wanted to tell her that everything was falling apart.

Instead Eirwen looked at her - _really_ looked at her. _God, she's beautiful._ Petra's cheeks were flushed pink from dancing, and her chest was rising and falling with each of her large intakes of breath.

Eirwen stalked forward with purposeful steps, cupped Petra's cheek, and pressed his lips against hers roughly. Petra let out a surprised squeak, but when Eirwen's lips began to move against hers she closed her eyes and gave in to the kiss.

Eirwen's kiss wasn't gentle or tender - it was hard and desperate, reflecting the chaotic emotions that were swirling around inside of him in that moment. He stepped forward so that Petra had no choice but to step backwards until her back hit the trunk of a tree.

Eirwen captured her lips again, and plundered her mouth possessively with his tongue. It was a bruising kiss. Petra cried out when he brought up his right hand and squeezed her breast hard, though her cry was mostly muffled by Eirwen's mouth pressing against hers.

Eirwen slid his hand up Petra's dress, up her thigh, heading towards her-

Petra placed both of her hands on Eirwen's chest and abruptly shoved him back and away from her. Her green eyes were wide and slightly glassy. "W-Wait-"

Eirwen gave her a scathing look. "What? Isn't _this_ what you wanted?" He pressed the telltale bulge of his arousal against her crotch.

A flash of fear crossed Petra's green gaze.

"No? I thought you loved me," Eirwen challenged cruelly, and his eyes narrowed. "You don't love me. You love the 'Chosen One'." He made air quotes with his fingers.

Petra shook her head. "No, you're wrong. I _do_ love you."

"Then how about you prove it," Eirwen egged as he grinded himself against her. "Give yourself to me."

Petra gulped nervously, but then nodded. "Alright. I love you, so it's okay. I want you, Eirwen."

Eirwen arched a skeptical eyebrow at her. "Do you really know what you're agreeing to? What if I give _it_ to you, huh?"

"Do what you want to me," Petra said bravely. "If it will make you feel better."

Eirwen's brow furrowed in confusion. "Feel better?"

"You're crying," Petra said softly.

Eirwen raised his hands to his cheeks and sure enough he _was_ crying. _Shit._ God, he was so pathetic.

Petra reached her hand up and brushed a tear away with her thumb. "It's okay, Eirwen. I love you. I trust you. I know you won't really hurt me." Petra wrapped her arms around Eirwen's neck and pulled him close, flush up against her body. "Take me. Make me yours, Eirwen. Make me a _woman_."

Eirwen noticed that her arms were trembling. _Shit._ He was being such a dick! And Petra...brave Petra was being so understanding and awesome about it. He didn't deserve a girl like her.

Eirwen rested his forehead against hers. "No." He pulled back to look into Petra's grass-green eyes that were swirling with confusion. "And...I'm sorry for being a dick."

Petra reached up and ran her hand back through Eirwen's short brown hair in a comforting gesture. "Tell me what's wrong. Maybe I can help you."

"I'm...dying," Eirwen said lowly.

Petra nodded. "I know."

"Right...you can only bring people who are out of time to Neverland." Eirwen recalled her earlier words. "I...thought I didn't care. I thought I had accepted that I was going to die. I thought I didn't fear death. Truth is, I'm afraid, and alone. So alone. I'm just pretending to have my shit together. But I'm a fucking mess."

"But you're not alone," Petra reassured as she continued to run her hand through Eirwen's hair in a soothing gesture. "I'm here, with you."

"Everyone is alone when they die," Eirwen said grimly.

"You don't have to die, you know," Petra said tentatively. "You could always stay here in Neverland with me. The Neverland Clock could save you."

"But first...I'd need to save Neverland."

"Well, yes."

"I'm _not_ the Chosen One."

"I don't care."

"I probably won't be able to pull the sword from the stone," Eirwen admitted his greatest fear. "I'm a fraud."

"I still don't care. If that doesn't work...I'll find another way to defeat Tezcatlipoca." There was a determined look on Petra's face. "You...don't have to help me if you don't want to. I'll protect you. I can save you, Eirwen. I want to save you...because I love you." Petra stroked Eirwen's cheek and kissed him tenderly.

Eirwen eagerly kissed her back, but as gently as possible, feeling guilty and unworthy of this incredible girl in his arms.

To be continued in...Chapter 4:

### Chapter 4:

The following morning at daybreak, Eirwen, his sisters, Petra, Tinker and the Lost Girls got ready to make the journey to the secret location of where Excalibur had been hidden. Before they could leave Tiger said that he had to retrieve a certain item that they would need for their quest from his mother's teepee. After that, once everyone was ready, Tiger led the way through the forest, heading towards the dormant volcano located in the very center of Neverland.

Eirwen tried to keep a straight face as they walked through the forest that was filled with talking flowers, and strange creatures. Joan and Michelle were less reserved than he was and 'oohed' and 'ahhed' at all of the interesting sights. The forest was filled with purple squirrels that were following them curiously and leaping from branch to branch as they continued their way along the winding forest path.

The flowers began to talk excitedly when they caught sight of the group of traveling companions: "Look, it's Prince Tiger!" "And Petra Pan." "Isn't that Petra's knight?" "Where are they going?" "To save Neverland, duh." "Will they defeat Tezcatlipoca?" "There's Prince Tink! He's _so_ handsome!"

Eirwen arched an inquisitive eyebrow at Tinker who was flying close to his shoulder. " _You're_ a prince?"

"Don't sound so surprised, lowly human," Tinker snapped in irritation.

Eirwen chuckled. "It's just...you don't act very prince-like. What, with all the pranking and glitter bombing and mischief making." A wry smile curled Eirwen's lips at the remembrance of a giant egg bursting into a cloud of purple glitter.

Tinker's eye twitched. "You have an uncanny way of bringing out the _best_ in me," the fairy said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Joan was looking at Tinker with stars in her eyes. "You're a _real_ prince, Tink? Cool."

Tinker shot Joan a surprised look and a slight pink tinge rose to his cheeks. Eirwen opened his mouth, prepared to tease the fairy about it, but then thought better of it since he enjoyed not being covered in hot pink glitter.

"All hail, Prince Tink! All hail, Prince Tink!" Michelle chanted happily as she continued to march forward with exaggeratedly long strides. The squirrel that was perched on her shoulder chittered happily in response as if it were cheering the fairy too.

"Now, Tiger, on the other hand." Eirwen nodded his chin in Tiger's direction. " _He's_ very prince-like."

Tiger, who'd been eavesdropping on their conversation, puffed up his chest proudly.

"He's got the whole haughty, superior attitude thing down pat," Eirwen continued obliviously.

Tiger's jaw clenched and he started to grind his back molars.

Highly amused at the boys' antics, Petra laughed musically. But then her expression turned serious. "Tink is a _fallen_ prince. He was banished from the Fairy Kingdom."

Eirwen instantly grew curious. "What? Why?"

"For causing too much mischief, I suppose," Tinker said dryly. "My mother, Queen Mab, exiled me in the hopes I would mature through having to live on my own. It didn't work. Obviously." The fairy's tone was almost self-deprecating when he said this last, but he was smiling cheerily.

"And that's how Tink became my partner in crime," Petra continued, shooting the fairy a fond look as she started to recall all of the adventures they'd shared together and games they'd played in Neverland. "Well, after you saved my life, Tink." Petra's expression turned pensive as she recalled past events.

Tinker's smile turned smug since he obviously knew what Petra must have been referring too. The fact that Tinker and Petra had shared history that Eirwen knew absolutely nothing about irritated him for some reason. Eirwen looked back and forth between Petra and the fairy. "Saved you from what?"

A dark cloud fell over Petra's face then, her expression turning grim. "Tezcatlipoca."

Eirwen was opening his mouth to ask Petra more about how Tinker had rescued her from the evil Aztec god when he grew distracted by a strange, white mist that had started to crawl across the forest floor towards them from the forest beyond.

At first, the mist wasn't that thick, but as they drew closer to the volcano the fog thickened and it was starting to get harder to see and follow the forest trail. Without Tiger leading the way confidently they surely would have gotten lost.

"What's up with this creepy ass fog?" Eirwen questioned, eyeing the white mist warily.

"It is the dragon's breath," Tiger explained with a tiny, barely visible smirk playing on his lips.

Eirwen's eyes flared in alarm. "Dragon?" He looked around at the surrounding forest worriedly. "Nobody said anything about a dragon!"

"A dragon?" Joan pushed her glasses up her nose smartly. "How fascinating."

"A dragon? Ooo! Can I keep it?" Michelle asked Eirwen with a hopeful expression on her face. "I've always wanted to ride a dragon - just like Hiccup!"

Eirwen looked aghast by the outlandish suggestion. "No." He shook his head vehemently. "Definitely not. No dragon riding for you, Missy!"

"Aww," Michelle pouted.

Tiger looked darkly amused. "An ancient Never-dragon guards Excalibur and conceals the path up the volcanic mountain to the sword using its breath."

"Okay. So, then how are we supposed to find the path in all this fog?" Eirwen asked as the forest trail suddenly disappeared in front of them completely.

Tiger whipped out a black, polished, buffalo horn with a mouthpiece attached to the smaller end, and showed it to them. "We shall open up a path using _this_ enchanted horn. It has the ability to put the dragon to sleep. Temporarily."

"Brilliant," Eirwen praised.

Tiger put the horn to his lips and blew. The horn's booming call echoed through the forest. The Indian prince continued to blow the horn until the mist started to recede, revealing the forest trail, and the fact that the group was already standing at the foot of the volcanic mountain.

Eirwen craned his neck up to look at the volcano's peak as it was impressively revealed before them. The mountain's apex wasn't a point, but an open lip since at one point it'd probably been gushing lava through its top. There were visible winding paths that led up the mountain and dark mouths of several caves were visible.

Tiger lowered the horn and smirked cockily. "The way has been revealed."

Looking pleased and thankful, Petra pecked Tiger on the cheek. "I knew I could count on you, Tiger."

Tiger grinned at her, flashing his startling white teeth, and puffed up his muscular chest. "This way." Tiger continued to lead the way, choosing one of the paths that led up the mountain.

The questing party carefully traveled up the mountain on a winding, narrow path until they reached a cave. They entered and continued forward until they had to stop when the outside light no longer illuminated the way in front of them.

"Tink," ordered Petra.

Suddenly, Tinker's usual, inner golden light started to become brighter until the entire cave was aglow.

Michelle giggled excitedly at the sight, and clapped her hands together. "Ooo, pretty!" The squirrel on her shoulder chittered loudly, equally excited.

"What makes you glow like that?" Joan asked quizzically as she casually sidled nearer to the fairy.

"Magic," Tinker informed her plainly. "I am a creature of magic."

"Magic," Eirwen repeated. "Well, it certainly is handy, lightning bug."

A muscle beneath Tinker's eye ticked in irritation and he flew over to Eirwen before biting him right on the nose. "I'm not a bug, pathetic human!"

"Ow!" Eirwen grabbed his nose and moaned in pain.

With Tinker and Tiger now leading the way, the group continued their journey deeper into the cave until they reached a large circular chamber that had three different tunnels to choose from. Tiger strode forward and breathed deeply. "This way." Tiger nodded in the direction of one of the tunnels.

"How do you know that?" Eirwen asked.

"It smells worse," Tiger admitted with a nonchalant shrug. "The dragon must be this way."

"Well, that's reassuring," Eirwen muttered darkly to himself.

As the group continued their way down the winding tunnel Tiger had chosen, Petra casually moved to Eirwen's side and hugged his arm to her chest. "Oh Eirwen, I'm so scared. I'm afraid of the dark."

Eirwen raised an eyebrow at Petra, but noticed that her hand was indeed trembling so he wrapped his arm around her shoulders in an obliging fashion. "Don't worry, I've got you."

Tiger glanced over his shoulder and let out a loud snort. "She's playing you. Petra can glow in the dark too if she wants. Don't forget, she is also a creature of magic."

Eirwen looked down at Petra and gave her a questioning look as her skin began to glow with a golden light from within. "Busted," Petra said as her lips curled into an impish smile.

Eirwen shook his head at her, and his expression was exasperated yet fond. He flicked her forehead playfully using his thumb and index finger. "Silly." But even though Eirwen knew Petra had just been pulling his leg he didn't remove his arm from around her shoulders. Eirwen and Petra giggled as if sharing an inside joke while Tiger and Tinker glared at Eirwen fiercely.

Eirwen's eyes widened as he came to a sudden and horrifying realization. _Bloody hell, I'm caught in a Love Square! I'm going to wind up getting scalped. Or turned into a toad by fairy magic. Great, just great. My life is cursed._ Eirwen swallowed a lump of nervousness down his throat.

But the feeling of Petra's breasts pressing up against his arm was pleasant. _Worth it._ Eirwen decided to himself.

Finally, they exited the tunnel, and entered an enormous cavern. They were in the very heart of the volcano that was now dormant, and when they looked up the sky could be seen through the volcano's mouth. In front of them was a flat expanse of black, hardened magma.

There was a hot breeze blowing in their direction, but then Eirwen realized it wasn't a breeze at all, but the breath of a sleeping dragon. The Never-dragon was curled up and fast asleep in the very center of the chamber, and its body was curled protectively around what appeared to be a large volcanic rock. In the very center of the rock the hilt and part of a sword's blade was protruding.

"Bloody hell," Eirwen breathed. "A dragon." The Never-dragon was eighty-feet-long and had rainbow-colored scales: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. As the dragon breathed a slight fog exited its nostrils. "And that sword must be Excalibur."

"Brilliant," Joan exclaimed, pushing her round glasses up her nose so she could see the dragon more clearly. "I wonder what it eats to get that big."

"Probably 'people'," Eirwen muttered grimly to himself.

Michelle hugged her squirrel tightly to her chest, and her blue eyes were wide with fear. "Is the dragon mean?" she questioned in a tremulous voice.

Eirwen turned and put his hands on Michelle's shoulders. "Hopefully, we won't have to find out. I want you girls to stay _here_. It's much too dangerous for you both to get any closer to that dragon. There's no telling when it might decide to wake up."

Michelle nodded. "Okay."

Eirwen turned to address Joan, "Look after Michelle for me, Joan."

"You can count on me, Brother," Joan said with a salute.

"I'll stay with the girls and keep an eye on them," Tinker offered casually as he flew over to hover above Joan's shoulder.

A flash of surprise crossed Eirwen's face and he offered the fairy a crooked smile. "Thanks, Tink." Eirwen noticed that everyone was giving him expectant looks. "Well, I guess, I'll just, uh, yeah..." Eirwen turned his attention back to the dragon and the sword in the stone, and gulped.

Eirwen approached the dragon tentatively with Petra, Tiger and the Lost Girls following a few paces behind him. He had to step over the dragon's tail to continue his approach to the sword in the stone and nearly had a heart attack when the tail brushed against his leg. _I'm so going to die._ _How the hell did I get myself into this crazy situation?_ He inwardly bemoaned.

Once Eirwen was standing directly in front of the sword in the stone he took a deep breath to steel his nerves before reaching out and wrapping both hands around the ornate hilt.

As soon as his palms wrapped around the steel hilt it was like Eirwen was suddenly plunged into water and sinking fast. Was this a dream? A vision? A hallucination? Was this really happening? Eirwen wondered dizzily. Was all of this happening inside of his head, or had he really been teleported into the middle of a lake somewhere on the island?

As he sank beneath the water's surface bubbles rose upward all around him. Then a bright, golden light appeared in front of him, temporarily blinding him with its intensity. Eirwen blinked his eyes rapidly and when the glow began to dim he saw a medieval knight dressed in silver armor. The knight was incredibly handsome with long, silvery hair, gray-blue eyes and a dimple in his chin. In his hands was Excalibur.

_It's the Lord of the Lake._ Eirwen thought to himself dazedly, and awed.

The knight nodded his head regally in acknowledgment, as if he could hear Eirwen's thoughts.

_Indeed._ An amused smile played on the knight's full lips. _And you are Eirwen Darling._

_Whoa._ Eirwen's eyes widened. _Did you just speak to me inside my head? And how do you know my name?_

_I'm speaking to you...inside your head._ The knight pointed out dryly.

_Oh, yeah, right._ Eirwen nodded to himself. _That makes sense._

_Eirwen Darling, why do you wish to be King of Neverland?_ The Lord of the Lake questioned with a serious expression on his handsome face.

Eirwen swiftly put his hands up before him in a gesture of denial. _Whoa. I don't want to be King of Neverland. I just...want to borrow the sword Excalibur so that I can help Petra defeat some evil mage named Tezcatlipoca and get the Neverland Clock back in order to save Neverland._

The Lord of the Lake was looking pleasantly surprised by Eirwen's admittance. _You wish to simply borrow the sword?_

Eirwen nodded. _Yeah, after I help defeat Tezcatlipoca I can bring Excalibur back here._

You don't wish to use the sword for your own personal gain?

Nope. Not really.

_And why should I let you borrow the sword?_ The Lord of the Lake narrowed his gray-blue eyes at Eirwen in a scrutinizing manner. _What makes you think you are worthy to wield Excalibur?_

Eirwen shrugged helplessly. _I don't really know if I am worthy enough to wield Excalibur, but...I'm the only guy around that appears to be stepping up to the plate. Look, you can see inside of my head, right?_ Eirwen tapped at his temple with his index finger. _So, you know I'm a fencing champion. I can fight. I have the needed...skill set for this quest or whatever. I don't know if I can defeat this Tezcatlipoca dude or not, but...I'm willing to try. I'll do my best._

_Why?_ The Lord of the Lake tilted his head at Eirwen in a quizzical pose. _Why would you be willing to risk your life for Neverland...and for people you barely know?_

_My time...has already run out._ Sorrowful, haunting shadows swirled in Eirwen's amber eyes. _And Petra says that Tezcatlipoca is imprisoned by Neverland, and that if Neverland is destroyed then the evil mage will be free to go to Earth and conquer it. My sisters live on Earth, and I must protect their future as best I can._ Eirwen shrugged lackadaisically. _Besides, Petra and the Lost Girls did ask nicely...so yeah. Why the hell not? Why not go out in a blaze of glory?_

_Your intentions appear to be honorable._ The knight stroked his chin in a considering manner. _But, I wonder how sincere you are truly being. If you defeat Tezcatlipoca and retrieve the Neverland Clock - Time will cease in Neverland again. You could remain here and live. And not only just live here, but rule here as Neverland's King. You would have untold wealth and power._

_The only thing I care about is my sisters and their well-being._ Eirwen insisted with a passionate look on his face. _Only those 'out of time' are allowed to remain in Neverland, and once the Neverland Clock is stopped again my sisters will have to return home to London. And I will return with them because even if it's just a month, or a week, or a minute - I want to spend every single remaining second that I have left with my sisters._

_You must really love them._ The Lord of the Lake said, his mind-voice tinged slightly with wonder at the sheer depths of Eirwen's feelings for his little family.

_I do. And I made my parents a promise at their graves that I would protect my sisters, and I intend to keep that promise until my last dying breath. I can't abandon them for my own selfish reasons._ Eirwen clenched his hands into fists at his sides. _I won't abandon them._ Then Eirwen's expression softened and a lopsided smile formed on his face. _All brothers love their baby sisters._

The Lord of the Lake smiled sadly at Eirwen, and nodded in agreement. _Eirwen Darling...you have the humble heart and honorable spirit of a guardian, and I find you worthy of wielding Excalibur._ The knight held the sword out horizontally before him in order for Eirwen to take it from him.

"Thanks," Eirwen said as he reached out to take the sword, but then he hesitated. "Uh, this is still just a loan, right?"

The knight smiled enigmatically as he set the sword upon the open palms of Eirwen's outstretched hands. A bright, blinding, golden light filled the lake, and the next second Eirwen was back inside of the dormant volcano.

A loud scraping sound filled the air as Eirwen pulled Excalibur from the stone. He stumbled backwards a couple of steps, caught off guard by the sudden weight of the broadsword in his hands. Bewildered by everything that had just happened, Eirwen gawked at the sword for a moment. _Bloody hell. I did it. I actually did it!_ "Hey, guys, take a look at this!" Eirwen spun around to face his friends, and his eyebrows rose at the sight before him - his traveling companions were all kneeling before him with their heads bowed. Petra, Tiger, the Lost Girls...

"Whoa," Eirwen breathed in awe.

Petra looked up and smiled devilishly. "My King."

"Yeah, um..." Eirwen scratched the back of his neck bashfully. "Will you all just hurry up and rise...arise? You're all making me feel like a real douche bag here."

Petra tittered amusedly. Everyone stood and smiled at Eirwen cheerily.

"All hail...King Eirwen!" Petra started the chant.

"All hail, King Eirwen!" everyone chanted in response.

Eirwen frowned at the display. "Yeah... _awkward_."

Petra walked over to Eirwen, and draped her arms around his neck. There was a wicked twinkle in her green eyes. "I knew you could do it. I believe in you, my love." Petra leaned forward and captured Eirwen's lips with hers in a tender kiss.

_Ah, what the hell._ Eirwen thought before deciding to kiss her back. He figured that if anyone deserved a kiss from the lovely Petra Pan it was the would-be King of Neverland. Even if the sword had only been loaned to him. He closed his eyes and gave in to the kiss. He did feel pretty damned good in that moment. He was on a high from actually managing to succeed in pulling the sword from the stone.

"Eirwen! Look out!" Tiger shouted a warning.

_Huh?_ Eirwen opened his eyes just in time to see Captain Jasmine Hook swing down from a rope towards him. She was dressed in a fancy, Victorian-style, emerald green coat decorated with solid-gold buttons and golden embroidery. A pair of tight black leather pants sinfully hugged her curves in all the right places. A wide-brimmed black hat with a large green plume sitting on her head, and a pair of knee boots with dramatic cuffs completed her pirate look.

Eirwen was so stunned by the pirate captain's sudden and unexpected appearance that she was able to easily grab Excalibur out of his hand as she deftly swung by on the rope.

Eirwen gawked as Captain Hook swung past him and landed several yards away, Excalibur now in _her_ possession.

"I have it! Excalibur!" Captain Hook raised the sword high over her head in triumph. "Aha! Finders keepers, losers weepers!" Hook grinned sharply at Eirwen and Petra.

"Bloody hell," Eirwen groaned in despair. "Captain Hook."

"Sister?" Petra blurted out in a horrified tone.

Captain Hook's dark green eyes narrowed at Petra dangerously. "I am _not_ your sister! You lost the privilege of calling me 'sister' the day you betrayed me and left me to die!"

Eirwen was glancing back and forth between Petra and Captain Hook now. "Whoa, whoa, whoa...you two are sisters? That definitely wasn't in the stories!"

A haunted, guilty look settled over Petra's face. "Yes. We're sisters," she confirmed, her voice laced with sorrow.

"Once upon a time, perhaps," Hook sneered, her lip curling in disdain. "But now we are mortal enemies!"

Petra gave Hook an urgent, beseeching look. "But we don't _have_ to be, Sister. _Please_. Give Eirwen back Excalibur. He needs it to defeat Tezcatlipoca."

"Defeat Tezcatlipoca?" Captain Hook glanced at Eirwen and cackled madly. "You think _you_ can defeat him? Fools. I won't let you get anywhere near Tezcatlipoca with Excalibur. I plan to present Excalibur - his foretold weakness - to Tezcatlipoca. I shall surely be greatly rewarded. The treasure of El Dorado will be mine!" There was a manic gleam in Hook's green eyes as she licked her tongue along the sword's blade.

"El Dorado?" Eirwen muttered to himself. "The Lost City of Gold?"

Petra paled as the blood began to drain out of her face. "Sister, no! You can't trust Tezcatlipoca. He _will_ betray you. He's pure evil. He _must_ be stopped. He must be defeated!"

"I trust him more than you!" Hook snapped hotly. "You are the one who left me to _his_ mercy! Besides, Tezcatlipoca is too powerful - he cannot be stopped. It is better to be the right hand of the devil than in his path! Ta-Ta!" Hook began to climb up the side of the volcano using the rope she'd descended into the cavern with.

"Lost Girls, to arms!" Petra called out to her companions in an authoritative voice. "Shoot the rope! Stop Hook from escaping!"

Nibby, Slightly, Curly and the Twins all nocked arrows to their bows, aimed at the rope Hook was dangling from, and fired. A wicked barrage of arrows soared through the air in the pirate captain's direction.

Hook glanced over her shoulder and fearlessly used Excalibur to cut the arrows down. But one found its mark and sliced through the rope. It was Nibby's arrow that had found its mark. Hook shrieked as she fell to the ground, and let out a frustrated growl, lip curled back in hateful sneer. Recovering quickly, Hook leapt to her feet though.

"Give it up, Hook," Petra said urgently. "You're outnumbered, and we have you completely surrounded!"

By this time, Nibby, Slightly, Curly and the Twins had their spears pointed in Hook's direction in a threatening manner. Little Tootles had a small handheld crossbow raised in the pirate captain's direction, but her hand was trembling slightly.

Hook didn't appear to be at all concerned or intimidated by this hostile display. "Am I outnumbered?" The corners of Hook's lips curled into a wicked smile. "Think again!" Hook stuck her fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly. "Get your butts down here, lassies!"

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Swinging down into the cavern on ropes from the mouth of the volcano were several female pirates. "Arrrr!"

Eirwen couldn't stop his gaze from traveling over the pirates' forms appreciatively. They were dressed in colorful silk corsets that their ample bosoms were practically bursting out of. Tight leather pants hugged and showed off their curves. Cutlasses and pistols were strapped to their waists by thick leather belts with shiny, gold buckles.

The pirates were all wearing boots with large cuffs. One of the pirate girls was covered in tattoos lending to her fierce appearance. Another was dressed like a proper English lady, and looking a little out of place among her crewmates with her frilly dress, umbrella, and bonnet. Although, when she managed to pull a concealed sword out of her umbrella, Eirwen thought that she was looking a little more fitting.

"Pirates!" Petra exclaimed, her voice tinged with a mixture of surprise and alarm. "Lost Girls, on your guards! Prepare for battle! Get them!" Petra whipped out her short, wicked dagger, and pointed it in the pirates' direction.

The Lost Girls set their sights on the pirates that were swinging down into the cavern from thick nautical ropes. The Lost Girls nocked arrows to their bows, aimed at the pirates, and loosed their arrows. The arrows flew through the air, and many hit their marks. Several pirates cried out in pain, let go of the ropes they were holding, and fell to the ground.

Eirwen thought it was like watching a movie until the pirates retaliated by whipping out their pistols, aimed at the Lost Girls, and fired. Pistol shots echoed loudly through the cavern.

Eirwen watched in horror as one of the Twins pushed her sister aside and took a bullet to the chest. She cried out in pain and crumpled to the ground. Another bullet hit Curly's shoulder and the purple-haired girl, too, was down. The two girls didn't get up from their prone positions on the ground where they lay bleeding onto the volcanic rock, pools of bright red blood forming around them.

The Lost Girls were...being _killed_. They were _dying_. Eirwen felt bile rise up his throat at the sight of so much death.

But the Lost Girls didn't give up. They tossed their bows and quivers of arrows down before whipping out their spears that had been strapped to their backs. The remaining Twin, Lulu, had a ferocious gleam in her eyes. She was prepared to avenge her Twin.

As soon as the pirates' booted feet touched the ground they unsheathed their cutlasses. With baited breath, Eirwen watched the Lost Girls and pirates charge each other, letting out fierce battle cries. They engaged in battle, spears clashing against cutlasses.

"Ayayayay!" Tiger let out an Indian war cry before charging one of the pirates and engaging her in battle. He spun and his tomahawk clashed against her sword's blade.

"Hook!" Petra cried out to get her sister's attention before rushing towards the pirate captain. Her usually carefree voice was laced with anger and despair at having watched some of her beloved companions fall.

Frozen in shock, Eirwen just stood there watching everything that was happening. He couldn't really digest what was happening in front of his very eyes. People were fighting for their lives and getting _killed_. People were _dying_. This was no magical fairytale. This wasn't a dream. This was harsh reality.

A flash of red caught his eye and he watched Slightly fighting a pirate. Only another pirate was sneaking up on her from behind. "Slightly, look out!" Eirwen called out a warning.

But it was too late. The cowardly pirate behind Slightly mercilessly shot her - right in the back. Slightly cried out and collapsed to the ground face-first.

A horrified expression fell over Eirwen's face. "Slightly!" Eirwen called out as he ran over to her. Once he reached her, he flipped her onto her back. "Slightly..."

Slightly opened her eyes and looked up at Eirwen blearily. "My King..." She smiled weakly. "Eirwen, please, look after Petra. She really loves you."

"I know." Eirwen took Slightly's hand and squeezed it to offer her comfort. "I will. Just, hold on, Slightly. I'll get help. Tink can-"

Slightly shook her head in objection. "My time is up. Until we meet again in another life, Eirwen Darling."

"No." Eirwen's amber eyes filled with tears. "Don't give up, Slightly."

Slightly just continued to smile up at Eirwen until a gasp slipped past her lips and then she stilled. Eirwen watched as the light left Slightly's eyes and felt numb with shock. Slightly...was _dead_. A pirate had _killed_ her. That evil, cowardly pirate had ended Slightly's life. Eirwen felt nauseous, and dizzy as his head spun.

He looked around at what had become a bloody battlefield. Then he spotted a group of pirates heading to the tunnel opening where his sisters were hiding. Unfortunately, his sisters had been peeking out to see what was going on, and had just been spotted. _Bloody hell!_ _Joan! Michelle!_ Eirwen took off running.

The pirates smiled devilishly as they raised their cutlasses and threatened Joan and Michelle, who were hugging each other out of fear. The squirrel that was perched on Michelle's shoulder sensed her unease, and leapt at one of the pirates, sinking its sharp teeth into the pirate's hand.

"Ah! Get off of me, you disgusting bilge rat!" the pirate roared, grabbed the squirrel roughly around its waist, and threw it at the nearby stone wall. The squirrel let out a yelp, slid down the wall, and remaining unmoving on the ground.

"No..." Michelle murmured sadly as her lower lip started to tremble.

"Stay back, you bloody pirates!" Tinker bravely fought against the pirates - pulling on their hair and biting their ears, but a quick backhanded slap sent poor Tink flying into the cave wall. The fairy's head hit the stone wall hard, and he was instantly knocked unconscious.

Joan and Michelle both cried out when they watched what happened: "Tink!"

The pirates raised their swords, prepared to bring them down on Joan and Michelle. "Join us. Or die."

Joan held up her chin in defiance. "We'll never join the likes of you!"

"Yeah, you...you bullies!" Michelle agreed, trying to follow her sister's lead and act bravely.

"Have it your way then," the pirate sneered and slashed her sword down through the air.

But then Eirwen was there, intercepting her. "Oh no, you don't! I won't let you lay a finger on my sisters! Ah!" Blood boiling in his veins, Eirwen unsheathed the rapier the Lost Girls had gifted him with, and brought it up to deflect the cutlass blow. Eirwen moved his sword lightning fast, got past the pirate's defenses, and stabbed her in the chest.

The pirates hadn't shown the Lost Girls mercy, so why should Eirwen show them any?

The pirate gasped in shock, sank to her knees, but then she smiled. "Long live...Captain Hook! Hail, Hook!" Blood dribbled down her chin as she forced these last parting words past her lips.

That was the first time Eirwen had ever killed anyone before. Tears threatened to blur his vision, but he couldn't allow himself the luxury of breaking down now. He had to protect his sisters, and there were two pirates left.

They attacked him with their cutlasses at the same time, intending to skewer him. Eirwen blocked one attack, and swiftly dodged the other. A fierce battle ensued as Eirwen fought against the two female pirates.

Eirwen spun, blocking one cutlass, and then the other. With a twirl of his rapier he disarmed one pirate, and stabbed her throat. Without waiting to watch her fall, he spun to engage the remaining pirate. He slipped his rapier past her defenses and killed her next. Blood splattered onto his green tunic. Panting for breath, he turned to check on Joan and Michelle. They were looking at him with wide eyes.

Eirwen wondered what he must have looked like in that moment, rapier dripping blood, and his blood-splattered tunic. He probably looked...demonic. He started to take a shameful step back, away from his sisters.

Abruptly, Joan ran to him and hugged him before burying her face in his shirt. "Brother, you saved us! Thank you!"

Following Joan's lead Michelle tentatively approached her brother, and then hugged him tightly. "Brother, I was _so_ scared. I want to go home." This was the first time since Michelle had woken up in Neverland that she'd even mentioned their past home. It made Eirwen's heart twist painfully inside of his chest.

He felt a wave of relief wash over him, however, as his sisters continued to hug him tightly. He was so grateful for their love, forgiveness, and acceptance. He didn't know what he'd do if they started to think he was some sort of monster. Eirwen hugged his sisters back, and ruffled their hair affectionately. He glanced around searchingly after a moment when he remembered the fairy. "Where's Tink?"

"Goodness, Tink!" Joan let go of Eirwen and rushed over to the fallen Tinker. She scooped Tinker up into her hands carefully and checked him over for injuries. "He's breathing, and there's no blood. He was probably just knocked unconscious. He should be alright," Joan assured.

Eirwen nodded. "Good. Look after Tink, Joan." Eirwen turned his attention back to the battle at hand. His eyes scanned the battlefield until he spotted Petra and Hook fighting - locked in a deadly dance. Hook was fighting with Excalibur and her sinister golden hook, and Petra was forced to block dual attacks with her small dagger. "I...have to get to Petra. She may need me. Stay out of sight, girls."

"Okay," Joan said. "Go kick their butts!"

Michelle went over to pick up her fallen Never-squirrel, and it too appeared to be miraculously alive. "Yeah!" Michelle said as she cradled the squirrel protectively to her chest. "Make them pay for hurting our friends!"

Eirwen took off running across the cavern and headed for Hook and Petra.

Meanwhile, Petra and Hook were engaged in mortal combat. "Hook! See reason!" Petra beseeched, a plaintive look on her face. "It doesn't have to be this way! Join us. Together we can defeat Tezcatlipoca. I _know_ there is still good in you. You don't have to be the villain of this story!"

"I am what you made me to be!" Hook sneered, her lip curling. "A monster."

Petra winced, and a flash of sadness and guilt crossed her green gaze. "Sister, I..."

A manic grin spread across Hook's face. "Sentiment will always be your greatest weakness, Petra Pan!" Hook swung Excalibur down upon Petra.

Excalibur clashed against Petra's dagger and shattered the small blade. Petra gasped in shocked surprise as small shards of steel whizzed through the air. She would have been cut in two if she hadn't flown backwards and out of the way of Hook's next vicious attack.

Hook stalked forward doggedly, however, sword raised, a menacing glint in her green eyes. "You can't escape me, Petra Pan! I _will_ have my revenge! An eye for an eye! A hand for a hand! Die, Petra Pan!" The pirate captain swung her sword towards Petra's wrist.

"I don't want to fight you, Sister, _please_ ," Petra begged, her voice cracking. "I am _not_ your enemy! It's time for us to end this game."

"Game?" Hook arched an eyebrow at Petra. "This has never been just a game to me!"

Petra landed in front of Hook and spread her arms wide at her sides. "I will not fight you, Sister." _If it must be Hook or me this time, then let it be me._ She thought to herself stubbornly.

"Then...you shall die!" Hook swung Excalibur down towards Petra.

"No!" Eirwen shouted and moved to stand in front of Petra. He raised his rapier to block the attack. Excalibur clashed against his rapier and shattered the blade. Excalibur continued its downward arching slash and sliced deeply into the front of Eirwen's chest.

"Eirwen! No!" Petra shouted in alarm.

Blood splattered onto Hook's green jacket. She looked equally stunned and bewildered by this unexpected turn of events, but also darkly amused. "Huh. He must love you to sacrifice his life for yours. Lucky you. Too bad he's going to die from all that blood loss. Such a pity," Hook cackled evilly.

Eirwen was numb from shock and pain, and sank to his knees as he fought to remain conscious.

"Eirwen!" Petra called out to him, tears glittering in her pale green eyes. She went to his side. " _No_."

Hook looked psychotically pleased with Petra's suffering and smiled cruelly. "How does it feel to have _your_ heart broken, Petra? I think I'll let you live a little while longer so that you can suffer over the loss of the man you love dying to protect you!"

Hook slashed Excalibur through the air in order to get some of the blood off its blade before sheathing the sword into an empty scabbard that she had strapped to her side. She stalked over to the volcano wall, and grabbed one of the ropes that were dangling down from the mouth of the volcano. "Time to go, me hearties! Retreat!"

"Aye, aye, Captain!" The pirates obediently sheathed their weapons, ran for the lines, and grabbed them. A group of pirates that had been positioned at the mouth of the volcano then started to quickly pull up the lines in order to assist their crewmates with making a faster escape.

Tiger swore as the pirates and Hook began to make their escape. Where the hell was Petra? His dark gaze quickly scanned the battlefield and he caught sight of a bleeding, agonizing Eirwen cradled in Petra's arms. "Oh, Great Spirit..." The Indian prince ran over to them and crouched down in front of them. "Petra."

With glittering tears in her eyes, Petra looked up at Tiger. "He's mortally wounded."

"I'm sorry, I wish I could help, but..." Tiger's dark gaze flicked over to the escaping pirates. "I can't let Hook escape with Excalibur. That sword is our only hope for saving Neverland."

Petra nodded solemnly. "I understand. Go after her." She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say more, but then snapped it shut.

Tiger noticed the conflict swirling in her eyes though. "I'll try to take Hook alive if I can."

Petra let out a sigh of relief and gave Tiger a grateful look. "Thank you, Tiger," she said softly.

Tiger grabbed an unused line and began to use it to scale the volcano's wall in order to pursue Hook and her crew. He wouldn't let them get away. He'd get Excalibur back.

As soon as the pirates had left the cavern, and it was safe, Joan and Michelle ran across the expanse of black rock, and over to Petra and Eirwen. Joan collapsed to her knees next to them. "Brother!"

Michelle sniffled as tears filled her blue eyes. "Is Eirwen going to die?"

Petra gave the two girls a hopeless look. "I...don't know what I should do. I think he's..."

"Apply pressure to his wound," Joan directed firmly. "We have to stop the bleeding first. Then we'll think of something. Some way to save him. There must be a way. This is...Neverland after all." She nibbled on her lower lip thoughtfully. "Maybe some pixie dust would help."

A spark of hope ignited in Petra's green eyes. "Of course." Petra ripped off the bottom of her dress and pressed the cotton material against Eirwen's bleeding chest in an attempt to staunch the blood flow.

Nibby had approached the group and was watching what Petra was doing. Her expression was grim, however, as she watched Eirwen growing as pale as a ghost. "Petra, I don't think he..."

At that moment, Tinker stirred in Joan's hand, and groaned. "Ugh. Anybody get the number of that truck?" He blinked, and rubbed his head. Then he suddenly remembered about the pirates that had wanted to gut Joan and Michelle. "Bloody pirates!" He flew up and out of Joan's hand and looked around frantically, but the pirates were nowhere to be seen. "What's going on? Why the long faces? What's everyone looking at?"

When Tink followed their line of sight he saw the wounded Eirwen cradled in Petra's arms as she applied pressure to his wound. "Merlin's Beard!" Tinker flew over to get a closer look. He clucked his tongue at the size of the wound. "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. How did that happen? I thought he was supposed to be good with a sword?"

A dark cloud fell over Petra's face, and she looked sad and guilty. "He...saved me. I thought I could finally reach my sister Jasmine, but I was wrong."

Tinker looked down at Eirwen in surprise. "He saved you?"

Petra gave the fairy a beseeching look. "Please, Tink. There must be something _you_ can do. Heal him with your fairy magic. Save him!"

Tinker nibbled on his lower lip while looking at the dying Eirwen. The others were unable to see it, but Tinker was able to see the life energy that was leaving Eirwen's body. "I can't...this is beyond even my powers. Maybe, if we could get him to a healer in the Fairy Kingdom he could be saved. But...it's too far. He'd never make it in time. I'm sorry, Petra."

A broken sob slipped past Petra's lips.

"Um, guys..." Joan spoke up in a tentative tone. "What's happening...?"

Petra and Tinker looked around to see that a thick white mist was rolling across the ground.

Tinker's eyes widened in realization. "The Never-dragon is awakening." He looked around the cavern. "Where's Tiger? He has the horn."

"He went after Hook," Petra informed them, "to get Excalibur back."

Tinker began to pale and his eyes widened in alarm. "We need to get out of here. _Now_."

"I won't leave him," Petra announced adamantly. It was already going to be hard enough to leave the bodies of her fallen comrades behind. There was no way she could leave behind the body of the man she loved.

Tinker let out a resigned sigh. Petra Pan could be really stubborn at times. "Alright, fine, I suppose we'll have to take him with us. Just...give me a minute." The fairy began to fly around the cavern at top speed while gathering sticks, and other odds and ends. The fairy was moving so fast that he was a mere blur to the naked eye.

Tinker started to build something and Joan watched with narrowed eyes until she realized just what it was. "Cool, Tink's building a stretcher!" It only took two minutes for Tinker to complete his makeshift stretcher.

Petra grinned brightly when the stretcher was completed. "They don't call him _Tinker_ for nothing!"

Tinker then turned his attention to the remaining Lost Girls that had managed to survive their encounter with the pirates: Nibby, Lulu and Tootles. "Nibby, Lulu, get Eirwen on that stretch, and get him out of here. It's time to go."

"Yes, Tink!" The two girls said simultaneously and saluted Tinker. They were used to following Tink's orders. Petra watched as Nibby and Lulu got Eirwen on the stretcher, then picked it up, and started to carry him from the cavern.

Everyone left followed after them, heading for the tunnel opening with Petra lagging behind. There was this niggling sensation that was telling her she shouldn't leave the cave just yet.

Just as Joan and Michelle entered the tunnel the ground began to tremble as the dragon started to stir. Petra hesitated at the entrance to the tunnel, and glanced over her shoulder at the slowly rousing dragon. It had a rather large pair of wings. She bet that dragon was able to fly really fast.

Suddenly, it was clear to Petra what she had to do. She turned around, started to walk back into the cavern, and approached the dragon bravely.

Tinker looked around the tunnel and noticed Petra's absence. Where the hell had Petra gone now? He turned around to see that Petra was walking back towards the dragon. "Galloping gorgons! Petra, what the hell are you doing? Get your silly butt back here! He'll eat you!"

Petra ignored the fairy and didn't respond. Instead, she just kept her eyes trained on the dragon in front of her. The dragon's eyes slowly began to open, revealing two enormous golden orbs filled with ancient wisdom, and a spark of mischief. The dragon's keen eyes immediately fixed on Petra.

Petra did not break eye contact with the dragon and continued her approach until she was standing directly in front of it.

"Please, I need your help," Petra said as she lowered her eyes and reached out her hand. She placed her hand against the dragon's snout and waited.

Would it eat her, or...?

Any aggression the dragon had been feeling appeared to seep out of the dragon abruptly at Petra's innocent touch, and it nuzzled its snout against Petra's hand affectionately.

Michelle's blue eyes were as wide as saucers. "She pulled a Hiccup."

Petra's eyes flew open and she turned to stare at the dragon. She swallowed nervously. "Will you help me?"

The dragon grinned revealing its sharp teeth. "You are quite brave for a lowly human. For your bravery you have gained yourself a boon from me. Consider yourself lucky I'm not feeling hungry. What is your desire?"

"My friend is dying," Petra quickly began to explain. "I must take him to the Fairy Kingdom as fast as possible. It's his only hope."

The dragon let out a snort. "Then what are you waiting for, girl?"

Petra grinned brightly back at the Never-dragon, and its own smile widened to match hers. Apparently, she'd found herself a kindred spirit.

To be continued in...Chapter 5:

### Chapter 5:

Prince Tiger of the Piccaninny Tribe stealthily followed Captain Hook and her pirate crew through the forest. Tiger found it odd that they didn't appear to be heading to Pirate's Cove where Hook's ship _The Jolly Roger_ was usually anchored. Tiger wondered where the pirates were heading instead, and realized with a sinking feeling in his chest that they could only be heading to one place - Tezcatlipoca's evil lair located somewhere in the Lost City of Gold, El Dorado.

Tiger was keeping a close eye on the pirates when they suddenly entered a certain patch of forest and simply disappeared. Tiger's jaw dropped open slightly in shock. _What the hell? Where'd they go?_

Tiger's brow furrowed as he cautiously approached the trees where the pirates had disappeared. He reached his hand out and watched in amazement as it seemed to pass through some kind of magical barrier and disappear. "Great Spirit," he said in awe.

Tiger took a deep breath to steel his nerves before simply stepping forward and through the barrier. Tiger's eyes widened when the landscape before him changed completely to reveal a low valley with a city nestled in the very heart of it. "El Dorado," Tiger murmured to himself.

The city was an amazing sight. Stone pyramid-shaped buildings as well as square-shaped buildings made up the city. In the distance, all the way across the city from where Tiger was standing, he saw an impressive pyramid-shaped temple that dwarfed all the other structures in the city. On either side of the steep stone steps that led to the entrance of the temple two enormous stone crocodiles stood like guardian sphinxes.

But, the most extraordinary feature of the city was that every building, statue, and stone animal totem pole had been inlaid and embellished with gold and precious gems. There was so much gold that Tiger had to shield his eyes from the glare caused by the sun's rays reflecting off of the gold. "The Lost City of Gold." Tiger was thoroughly stunned. He almost expected to see Aztec people going about their day-to-day lives, but the city was devoid of human life.

That didn't mean that the city was devoid of _all_ life, however. Sunbathing on the stone steps that led up to the pyramids, and relaxing in artificially created pools of water were crocodiles. The crocodiles varied in size from four feet to twenty feet in length. Tiger figured that the smaller ones were younger or female. The deadly beasts came in a variety of different colors: dark green, pale green, black and gray.

Tiger could tell instantly that none of them were the evil shape-shifting mage Tezcatlipoca, who while in his imposing 'beast' form was rumored to be forty-feet-long.

Tiger watched as Hook and her crew fearlessly descended into the city, and into the heart of that nest of crocodiles. As the pirates casually started their way down the main cobbled road of the city, which led straight to the grand temple, several crocodiles approached the group with menacing intent.

Tiger frowned. Surely, Hook didn't intend to fight _all_ the crocodiles in El Dorado in order to reach the temple.

That's when Hook smiled sharply, and raised her golden hook high over her head. As the hook reflected the sun's rays glyphs and pictograms that had been engraved into the gold cup hilt became visible, and started to glow brightly.

The crocodiles released distressed animal sounds before quickly retreating as if they were afraid of the hook. _Magic._ Tiger realized uneasily. Tezcatlipoca had most likely placed some form of dark enchantment or protective ward on the pirate captain's hook.

Jasmine kept her hook raised before her as she continued to lead her crewmates through El Dorado with confident steps.

Tiger started down into the valley after them. He knew he had to keep as close to Hook and her crew as possible, or else he'd been overwhelmed by the crocodiles. Unfortunately, he couldn't allow himself to be seen by the pirates either.

As luck would have it, the Indians of the Piccaninny Tribe were masters of camouflage techniques, and so Tiger was able to continue his pursuit of the pirates unnoticed by concealing himself behind some tropical foliage. It helped him to blend in with the city that had become overgrown with plants and vegetation.

Since the pirates were heading towards the temple with the crocodile sphinxes Tiger deduced that it must be Tezcatlipoca's evil lair. It took twenty minutes for the pirates to reach the temple, and Tiger watched as the pirates climbed the steep stone steps.

As soon as the pirates passed through the entrance, Tiger ran up the steps and followed them inside, keeping to the shadows. Tiger quickly ducked behind one of the enormous stone columns that were on either side of the main audience chamber.

Abruptly, the chamber was illuminated as flickering yellow and orange flames burst to life in several tall golden braziers that were situated around the room's perimeter. The coals that the golden basins were filled with were glowing red.

Across the chamber sat a macabre throne made up of human skulls, and on it sat the evil shape-shifting mage, Tezcatlipoca. Piles of treasure surrounded the throne: gold coins, jewelry, goblets, crowns and weapons.

The god didn't _look_ all that threatening, but he _felt_ dangerous. Tiger's knees knocked together and he sank to his knees on the floor. He began to tremble in fear, humbled by Tezcatlipoca's powerful battle aura. The air inside of the temple felt heavy and overwhelming, and Tiger was finding it difficult to breath. No wonder the humans on Earth had at one time worshipped Tezcatlipoca as a god, and had sacrificed people in his name.

The shape-shifter was currently in his human form. His golden eyes with slit pupils held ancient wisdom and malice. He had long, emerald green hair with black highlights, and an ornate headdress made up of black, green and yellow feathers sat on his head regally. Tezcatlipoca was wearing a lot of gold: square-shaped gold earrings inlaid with emeralds, a matching necklace, thick gold bracelets, and anklets. The flickering firelight was causing the gold to glow.

A long rectangular piece of dark green material embroidered with golden thread had been wrapped around his waist like an elaborate loincloth, leaving Tezcatlipoca's tanned, muscular chest on display. Tiger knew that the sight of all those bulging muscles was meant to be intimidating. And it was.

The god's expression was stoic and he almost looked bored as he drummed his fingers against the arm of his throne.

Apparently not intimidated by the god's powerful aura, Hook strode forward with confident steps and with her chin held high as she approached the throne. Her crewmates followed cautiously a few steps behind her.

Tezcatlipoca arched an eyebrow at Hook as he observed her approach. "Why have you come here, Hook? I did not summon you." There was a dangerous edge to his deep, gravely voice that sent a chill up Tiger's spine.

Hook removed the sheathed Excalibur from her belt, dropped to one knee, and presented the sword to Tezcatlipoca, the sword's scabbard resting horizontally on the palm of her right hand and over her hook. "I bring you a gift, Master. The sword that was foretold to bring about your destruction - Excalibur."

Greed flashed across Tezcatlipoca's face and then his expression settled into one of triumph.

Tiger clenched his hands into fists out of indignation. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Hook was going to give Tezcatlipoca Excalibur - relinquishing Neverland's only hope of salvation. _That selfish bitch!_ Tiger ground his back molars in frustration, but there was nothing he could do. He was no match for Tezcatlipoca - he knew this deep in his bones.

Tezcatlipoca stood up from his throne of skulls, a pleased smile curling his lips. He started to walk down the couple of steps that led to the dais his throne was on. "Well done, Hook. I knew I could count on you, my loyal pet." His smile widened until it was gloating. "Now, give me the sword." Tezcatlipoca urged as he eagerly reached his hand out towards the sword's hilt.

"As you wish, Master," Hook purred before she suddenly unsheathed Excalibur and drove it upwards - aiming for Tezcatlipoca's heart. "This is for eating my hand, you sick bastard!"

Tiger watched in shock as Excalibur cleaved through the air towards Tezcatlipoca's bare chest. However-

Instead of piercing Tezcatlipoca's heart the tip of Excalibur appeared to hit some kind of invisible energy shield. The shield flickered for a moment with green light making it temporarily visible as it was attacked.

Hook shot the sword in her hand a betrayed look. "No. This cannot be. Excalibur you _must_ obey _me_!" The pirate captain tried to push the sword forward past the shield, but Excalibur ignored her pleas, for she was not its true master.

The hilt of Excalibur began to grow molten hot in Hook's right hand until painful blisters started to form. A scream of pain was wrenched from Hook's lips, but no matter how hard she tried to persevere the sword would only obey its _true_ King.

Tezcatlipoca's gold eyes glowed like two red coals in his face from the anger that was coursing through his veins at Hook's obvious betrayal. "You would dare to kill _me_? Your Lord and Master!" The mage snarled and backhanded Hook hard across the face.

Hook cried out in pain at the force of the blow and was sent flying sideways, Excalibur flying from her grip. The sword clattered to the stone floor and skidded across it.

Hook curled up on her side, looking at her blistered hand. "It didn't work. I failed to kill him. It's over. Everything I've endured until now for this moment has been for nothing." Hysterical laughter started to bubble up Hook's throat until it slipped past her lips.

Tiger was blown away by this unexpected turn of events. Captain Jasmine Hook had just tried to _betray_ Tezcatlipoca! What the hell is going on? Wasn't Hook Tezcatlipoca's loyal pet and ally? But now...it appeared as though Hook was having some kind of nervous breakdown on the floor. She looked...broken. The sight caused something to stir inside of Tiger's chest.

Tezcatlipoca approached Hook while a menacing aura that looked like black flames flared around him. "Jasmine, you shouldn't have done that. You shouldn't have betrayed me. How ungrateful you are, after I showed you mercy, long ago by not eating you. My little virgin sacrifice." Tezcatlipoca sniffed the air in Hook's direction.

Hook watched what Tezcatlipoca was doing and suddenly stopped laughing. She grew stiff and held her breath.

"Ah, you're _still_ a virgin, Jasmine. Good. Very good." A sinister smile spread across Tezcatlipoca's face and widened until his shark-like teeth were visible. "You have outlived your usefulness. Now, you shall be more useful to me dead. Your virgin flesh will help sustain my immortality and powers once I consume you!" He licked his lips hungrily. "Your flesh is quite delectable as I recall. It's been hell resisting eating you all this time." He unconsciously fingered a necklace of finger bones that was hanging around his neck. "I desire more. This time I shall have _all_ of you."

Hook's crewmates were shooting their captain worried and questioning looks as they awaited her orders. "Captain...?"

Hook glanced in their direction and shook her head in denial. "Go...go now! Run!"

"Before I eat you...you have something that belongs to me, Jasmine." Before Hook could properly react Tezcatlipoca's hand shot out, wrapped around her throat, and he started to lift her up off the stone floor. When his hand clenched painfully around her throat she started to struggle in his hold. Her struggles were futile, however, and the mage grabbed the golden hook that had been attached to Hook's left forearm and cruelly ripped it off.

Jasmine howled in pain as the hook came free from where it had been imbedded into part of her arm bone. Blood gushed down from her forearm in a torrent.

"Captain!" "Jasmine!" Hook's crewmates cried out in a mixture of shock and concern. Angry fires blazing in the pirates' eyes they whipped out their pistols and fired them at Tezcatlipoca in retaliation.

The bullets soared towards Tezcatlipoca, but hit his invisible magic shield and ricocheted off. As the bullets hit the shield it flared with a green light.

"Stay away from the Captain!" "Let her go!" "Leave Jasmine alone!" The pirates shouted furiously.

Tezcatlipoca snarled in annoyance at the female pirates and tossed Jasmine carelessly aside. Jasmine hit the floor and rolled across it. When she finally came to a stop she coughed, gasping for breath. Bruises were already starting to form on the pale, delicate flesh of her throat.

The female pirates unsheathed their cutlasses next, and pointed them threateningly at Tezcatlipoca.

Tezcatlipoca narrowed his golden eyes at them, and then sniffed the air in their direction. He bared his shark-like teeth at the pirates in a wicked grin. "You're all _still_ virgins...excellent. I will consume you all!" Tezcatlipoca let out a fierce, animalistic roar as he began to transform.

Unable to move from the fear that had temporarily paralyzed her, a horrified expression settled on Jasmine's face as she watched. "No. Run. Leave me!"

The transformation only took a handful of seconds, and then Tezcatlipoca was a forty-foot-long crocodile with dark green and black scales, black foot-long claws and razor sharp teeth that looked like daggers. Tezcatlipoca's eyes were very similar just much larger in this form. Tezcatlipoca opened his maw and loosed a ferocious roar. It echoed throughout the temple and caused the stone walls to vibrate.

"Captain, you must retrieve Excalibur, and get out of here!" one of the female pirates shouted desperately.

"We'll buy you time, so you can escape!" another female pirate added, her voice laced with resignation.

"If Petra's knight is still alive take the sword to him," a third pirate advised sagely. "He's our only hope. If he's alive, he'll be with your sister. Go to her."

"Girls, I...I can't," Hook said brokenly. "It's over. I failed. And I've failed all of you. Go. Leave me."

"We won't abandon you, Jasmine," one of the pirates was quick to object.

"We owe you our lives and freedom," another pirate said fiercely. "It is time we repaid that debt."

The pirates raised their cutlasses high in the air. "For Captain Jasmine Hook!" "For the Captain!" "Attack! Charge!" They let out battle cries as they charged towards the crocodile, cutlasses raised. They ruthlessly attacked the beast and swung their cutlasses through the air towards the crocodile. However-

The steel blades of their cutlasses shattered upon impact with Tezcatlipoca's thick, impenetrable scales. Jasmine watched in horror as their swords shattered as they impacted against the crocodile's scales, pieces of sharp metal whizzing through the air.

And then the slaughter began.

Tezcatlipoca turned his head and chomped a pirate in half, swallowing half her body in the blink of an eye.

The pirates bravely held their ground though, and continued to attack Tezcatlipoca, but it was no use. Their swords shattered and once they were weaponless and defenseless Tezcatlipoca ate them. Those he didn't rip apart, he swallowed whole. It was a gruesome display.

Hook watched in mounting horror and disbelief as her crewmates were being eaten right in front of her eyes. They were sacrificing themselves for her sake. " _No_..." She couldn't move. Couldn't find the strength to act. Her crew believed in her, but she was letting them down. She had had all her hopes pinned to Excalibur, and the sword had failed her, _betrayed_ her...

Blood and gore splattered across Hook's face and she blanched.

Tiger watched the pirates fighting the enormous crocodile and dying bravely. Heroically. They were obviously sacrificing themselves for Captain Hook. What had Jasmine done to gain such loyalty and respect from her crew? Tiger felt their urgency to save Jasmine. It was contagious.

Maybe Captain Jasmine Hook was _worth_ saving.

Tiger took a deep breath to steel his nerves and pushed himself up off the floor. He couldn't continue to cower in a corner like a child that was afraid of the monster that lived under his bed. He was no child. He was a proud warrior of the Piccaninny Tribe!

And the pirates were doing an excellent job of distracting Tezcatlipoca. How could he ignore the golden opportunity they were giving him?

Tiger ran out from his hiding place and raced across the chamber. He grabbed Excalibur and headed towards the fallen Jasmine next. Without her golden hook it was hard for him to think of her as being 'Hook' anymore. "Jasmine!" Tiger called out to get her attention.

Startled, Jasmine looked up at Tiger. "Tiger." A bitter smile formed on her face. "Have you come to kill me? You might have to get in line."

"No. I've come to save you! Don't let your crew's sacrifice be in vain!" Tiger held his hand out to Jasmine. There was a determined expression on the Indian prince's face.

Jasmine stared at Tiger's offered hand in disbelief and suspicion for a moment before a spark of hope ignited in her green eyes. She took Tiger's hand with her right hand and allowed him to help her to her feet.

Tiger grinned at her, flashing bright white teeth. He didn't let go of her hand. "Come on. Let's get the hell out of here, Jass."

Hand in hand Tiger and Jasmine took off running, heading for the temple's entrance. They had to be careful not to slip on the blood that was covering most of the floor by this time. The floor beneath their feet trembled when the crocodile spotted them, let out an enraged roar, and tried to pursue them. But two pirates quickly stood in the crocodile's way. They held up something in front of them that resembled a round black ball with a lit fuse.

"Hail Hook!" the pirates cried as the bombs exploded.

The fiery explosion created a shockwave that pushed Jasmine and Tiger out of the temple where they ended up crashing into and rolling down the stone steps. The explosion caused two of the stone columns inside of the temple to collapse and neatly block the front entrance so that Tezcatlipoca was unable to immediately pursue them.

His angry roar followed them as Tiger and Jasmine pushed themselves to their feet and took off running through the city. They had no idea how long that temporary barrier would stall Tezcatlipoca in his pursuit of them, and so didn't look back as they continued to run through the gilded streets of El Dorado.

A few crocodiles tried to stop them from leaving the city, but Tiger barely spared them a glance as he sent his tomahawks spinning through the air at them. His tomahawks unerringly embedded themselves in the crocodiles' skulls. If Jasmine hadn't been in such a shell-shocked state she would have been impressed by Tiger's battle prowess.

As soon as they managed to make it past the magical camouflage shield that concealed El Dorado they were able to breathe easier. Tezcatlipoca was unable to leave El Dorado for reasons unknown, but probably having to do with the fact that he considered Neverland to be his prison.

Tiger was leading Jasmine through the forest when she tugged at him. "No. This way. Follow me."

Tiger gave her a curious look, but allowed Jasmine to lead him through the forest. Half an hour later, they were exiting the edge of the forest and entering a beach. A group of horses were tethered to the palm trees there. Tiger noted that there were enough horses there for Jasmine and her crew. Sadly, her crewmates - at least the ones who'd accompanied Jasmine to El Dorado - would no longer be needing them.

Jasmine appeared to be thinking something along the same lines as her expression turned grim. Silently, they both picked two horses to mount. With one hand wrapped around the reins, Jasmine took off, galloping down the beach, and headed for Pirate Cove where her ship was either currently anchored close to shore, or docked there at the harbor awaiting her return.

Rounding a corner of the island, Jasmine's ship suddenly came into view, and it was closer to shore than usual \- docked at the harbor there. The gangplank was down and easily accessible from the long wooden dock that jutted out from the beach.

Jasmine smiled slightly at the heartening sight of her ship. "There she is... _home_."

They were only a few yards away from the dock when Jasmine suddenly leaned sideways in her saddle and then fell right off her horse.

"Jasmine!" Tiger called out, his voice laced with concern. He quickly dismounted his horse and ran over to her. The Indian prince reached out and helped Jasmine to turn over onto her back. He gently brushed some sand off her face with his calloused hand.

Jasmine batted his hand away. "I'm...I'm alright. Piss off." She struggled to a stand, but then swayed on her feet.

"Stubborn pirate," Tiger complained as he grabbed Jasmine's arm and put it around his shoulders. "Let me help you."

"I don't need your help, savage," Jasmine slurred.

Tiger frowned. Jasmine had lost a lot of blood and more of it was still gushing out from the wound on her left forearm. The sight made him want to punch something - preferably Tezcatlipoca's face.

Tiger wrapped his arm around Jasmine's waist for extra support, and then started to head for the dock. He had the feeling that if Jasmine wasn't delirious from blood loss she would have removed his arm from around her waist - maybe she would have even tried to cut his arm off for taking such liberties with her person. The thought made the corner of Tiger's mouth twitch.

Tiger was surprised that the pirates didn't appear to have noticed him yet as he drew closer to the ship, and then he began to make his way up the gangplank. As soon as Tiger placed a foot on the deck of the Jolly Roger, however, he was instantly surrounded by pirates, who had their pistols and cutlasses aimed his way.

"Prince Tiger, what have you done to Captain Hook!" a female pirate demanded with an angry snarl. She was quite lovely with tanned skin, short brown hair, and wide chocolate brown eyes. Her name was Cecily.

"I saved her life, foolish woman!" Tiger snapped and glanced at Jasmine. "Tell them how I..." The Indian trailed off when he noticed that Jasmine had fallen unconscious. "Great Spirit...we don't have time for this. She needs medical attention. She's lost a great deal of blood."

"You expect us to believe a man-" Cecily was saying scathingly.

"Oh, _do_ be quiet," a female pirate with an Irish accent spoke up. "Back off. Give the poor boy some room. Shoo." The crowd of pirates began to part to let the speaker through. She was a middle-aged woman with graying hair. She had mirthful blue eyes that had crinkle lines around them from smiling a lot. She was wearing a blue and white striped shirt, a pair of dark blue leather pants, and boots. A pair of tiny, round spectacles was perched on her nose. Tiger recognized her instantly. She was Mrs. Bree, Captain Hook's bosun. "Greetings, Prince Tiger." There was a twinkle in Bree's eyes, and a knowing smile curled her lips. "I thought you might be back here one day."

Tiger offered her a stiff nod in greeting. "Hello again, Mrs. Bree."

"What did I tell you about just calling me 'Bree'. Come on, don't just stand there gawking like an idiot while our captain bleeds to death all over the deck. Let's get her to her cabin." Bree turned on her heel and headed for the captain's cabin, expecting Tiger to follow. The pirates moved aside for Bree again and Tiger followed close behind.

Bree opened the ornate red and gold painted door to the captain's cabin, and quickly ushered Tiger and Jasmine inside with an impatient motion. As soon as Bree had closed the door behind them Tiger swooped Jasmine up into his arms. He hadn't done so earlier since he had the feeling that Jasmine wouldn't appreciate having shown such weakness in front of her crew.

"Where do you want her?" Tiger questioned Bree in a gruff tone. When Bree turned around and caught sight of Tiger carrying Jasmine bridal-style her eyes widened in shock at his caring actions. She'd almost expected Tiger to just dump her captain on the floor.

Bree quickly schooled her expression, however, and merely appeared pleasantly surprised. She motioned towards the four-poster bed. "On the bed. Quickly now." Tiger did as he was told and set Jasmine down on the bed carefully. Again, Bree couldn't help but be surprised that the prideful Tiger was taking orders from her.

Bree walked over to the bed and began to inspect Jasmine's arm wound. She clucked her tongue disapprovingly at the sight. "Who removed her hook? _Petra Pan?_ " Bree's voice was dripping with contempt.

Tiger flinched at the obvious animosity directed towards his ally Petra Pan, but then responded in a grimly solemn tone, "Tezcatlipoca."

A knowing look settled over Bree's face as she adjusted her spectacles. "She tried to kill him."

It wasn't a question. A flash of surprise crossed Tiger's face, but he nodded. "Yes." He didn't think that Jasmine's crew would have known where her true loyalties lay.

Bree let out a heavy sigh. "I take it she failed?"

"Unfortunately," Tiger confirmed.

Bree swore colorfully in Irish.

"I still don't understand _why_ she decided to suddenly betray him," Tiger began in a contemplative tone. "I was under the impression they were allies."

"Jasmine had her reasons for playing the part of the villain in Neverland." Bree was looking down at Jasmine's unconscious face as she said this, sorrow swirling in her blue eyes. "Only we, her crew, knew that she was biding her time and waiting for the right moment to strike against Tezcatlipoca."

"What reasons?" Tiger demanded, thinking of all the fairies and Indians that had died at the hands of Captain Hook and her crew.

Bree chuckled bleakly. "You'll have to ask her yourself. It's not really my place to tell you the story about how she became known as Captain Hook. Now, I must tend to the captain. Go take a seat over there and don't distract me. Shoo." She waved her hand dismissively at the Indian prince.

Tiger awkwardly took a seat on one of the spindly-armed antique chairs inside of the cabin. The chair had a red velvet cushion embroidered with golden thread. The chair was very dainty and Tiger feared his weight would break it. _Women._ He thought, shaking his head bemusedly. They always picked _pretty_ things over practical ones.

Tiger watched Bree work intently. First, Bree cleaned and disinfected Jasmine's wound using hot water, soap, and clean towels. Then she went to fetch a small ceramic jar that contained a healing salve. When Bree opened the jar Tiger could see that the blue salve was sparkling.

"What is that?" Tiger's brow furrowed.

"This is a very special healing salve that was made with pixie dust," Bree informed him as she dipped her fingers into the salve and scooped up a generous amount before rubbing it over Jasmine's wound unflinchingly. "It should heal Jasmine's wound quickly."

"How did Jasmine get her hands on pixie dust?" Tiger questioned. The fairies weren't known for being very generous with their pixie dust.

Bree arched an eyebrow at the Indian. "She stole it, of course." When Tiger just gave Bree a confused look she decided to add, " _Pirate_ captain." Once the wound was healed Bree would be able to attach a brand-new hook to Jasmine's forearm.

Bree clucked her tongue, upon noticing that there was blood and gore all over Jasmine's green jacket. "Come over here and help me, Tiger. I need to get this jacket off of her. The captain is very persnickety. If she wakes up covered in blood, she's going to have a fit."

Bree wanted him to help take Jasmine's clothes off? Tiger couldn't stop his cheeks from reddening. "Alright, if you're sure." Tiger stood up, feeling awkward. He hesitated for a moment until Bree let out an exasperated sigh.

"Well, what are you waiting for, lad? Get your butt over here and help me," Bree said persistently.

Tiger made his way over to the bed and proceeded to help Bree with removing Jasmine's jacket. The only thing Jasmine was wearing beneath her jacket was a lacy black bra. Tiger's cheeks reddened even more until he noticed that Jasmine's entire back was covered in scars. Tiger narrowed his eyes at them. They looked like the scars one had after being whipped. But who could have whipped the fierce Captain Hook and lived to tall the tale? Tezcatlipoca?

Tiger unconsciously reached out and traced one white scar with his index finger slowly. He was feeling strangely protective of Jasmine ever since he'd saved her life and didn't like the idea of someone having harmed her like this. He growled low in his throat. "Who?"

"Ask her when she wakes up, if you're so curious," Bree suggested flippantly before walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Tiger asked, his voice slightly panicky. He was afraid how Jasmine might react to waking up being half-naked while in his presence.

"I'm going to go and bake Jass some sugar cookies," Bree said with a tired smile. "Cookies always help to cheer up the captain, and I just know she'll be in an awful funk after losing so many of her crew. You look after her, Tiger." She sent a roguish wink the Indian's way.

Tiger looked down at Jasmine's sleeping face as he responded fiercely, "I will." Bree smiled knowingly, and left the cabin, shutting the door behind her. Tiger moved the spindly chair over next to the bed and took a seat. He watched the steady rise and fall of Jasmine's chest as she slept.

Jasmine.

When had she stopped being 'Hook' in his mind?

Her sleeping face looked so...innocent. Unguarded. And strangely familiar. She looked a little like Petra Pan, but with black hair and darker green eyes. He'd never noticed the resemblance before, but hadn't Petra called Jasmine 'sister' during the battle at the volcano? A thoughtful frown formed on his face. There was definitely a story there.

A stray strand of dark hair was lying across Jasmine's face. Tiger reached out and tenderly tucked the strand of hair behind her ear. _You've been through a lot, haven't you?_

An hour later, after her wound had been completely healed by the pixie dust, Jasmine began to stir. A slightly pained groan slipped past her lips, and her eyelids fluttered. When she fully regained consciousness she sat up swiftly, and waved her left hand through the air in an arcing slash as if she still thought her hook was attached to her forearm, and wanted to gut anyone foolish enough to be in her presence while she was sleeping.

With a pang in his chest, Tiger realized that Jasmine probably woke up like that by habit.

As a pirate captain Hook lived a very dangerous life and had made countless enemies. Until just a little while ago Tiger was one of those enemies. "Hello," Tiger greeted her softly.

Jasmine's sharp green eyes snapped to Tiger and instantly narrowed with suspicion. " _You_. What are you doing here?" She started to question before she remembered...everything. She bit down on her lower lip as she recalled her crew sacrificing themselves for her. Her girls. A red bead of blood formed on her bottom lip. "My crewmates...Tezcatlipoca killed them." Jasmine clenched her right hand into a fist on her lap. "He _will_ pay for that."

Tiger gave Jasmine a searching look. "I thought you and Tezcatlipoca were allies? Why betray him now?"

"Betray?" Jasmine arched a dark eyebrow at the Indian prince as a bitter cackle slipped past her lips. "We were never _truly_ allies. I was but his pawn. He used me to get what he wanted - the Neverland Clock."

"Why couldn't he just go get it himself?" Tiger asked curiously. After having come face to face with Tezcatlipoca Tiger was well aware of how powerful the god was.

Jasmine let out a heavy sigh. "Tezcatlipoca is unable to leave El Dorado due to an ancient binding curse that was put upon him long ago. He needed someone that could enter the Fairy Kingdom. As soon as I'd stolen the clock from the fairies for him, I knew I'd outlived my usefulness, however. I knew that it was only a matter of time before he would want to _consume_ me." She shuddered at the thought of being eaten by Tezcatlipoca in his crocodile form. Jasmine feared little, but she _did_ fear Tezcatlipoca.

Tiger hesitantly reached out and placed a hand on Jasmine's shoulder in a comforting manner. He was surprised when she didn't flinch at his touch, or jerk away. He kept his hand where it was. "Great Spirit," Tiger breathed. "Stealing the Neverland Clock must have been no easy feat." The fairies were creatures of magic, and Jasmine must have somehow found a way to get past their magic in order to steal the clock. "What did Tezcatlipoca want with the clock anyways?"

"He wanted the clock so that he could break the spell that was on it in order to return the flow of time to Neverland, which will ultimately destroy the island," Jasmine revealed darkly. "Once Neverland is destroyed the binding that has been placed on him will be broken, and he will be free. Free to go to Earth and conquer the world as a god among men. And with his power as an evil mage he _will_ be able to do it." Jasmine dug her right hand into her hair in a gesture of frustration. "And now that I have failed to defeat him with Excalibur there is no hope. Neverland will perish, and Tezcatlipoca will be unleashed upon the Earth. It will be Armageddon."

"Excalibur can only be wielded by the destined King of Neverland," Tiger said gently. "The Chosen One must be a knight that hails from a land called England. And he must be a _man_. At least, this is what the fairy Queen Mab said in her prophecy. The sword chose Eirwen Darling...only _he_ can wield Excalibur now."

A dark cloud fell over Jasmine's face. "And _I_ killed Eirwen Darling. There is no hope. All hope is lost."

"I doubt Petra just let Eirwen die," Tiger said confidently. "Knowing Petra Pan, she probably took him to the Fairy Kingdom to try and save him if Tink's magic wasn't powerful enough." The Indian prince stoked his chin in thought for a moment. "We should both go to the Fairy Kingdom and join them."

Jasmine shot Tiger an incredulous look. "You want _me_ to join forces with my sister? After how she betrayed me? Never! I will _never_ join her! I _hate_ her! All I want is to get my revenge on her! I lost my left hand because of her!" Jasmine waved her stump in Tiger's face. "I want her to die...I want to kill her!" The pirate captain's emerald green eyes had gone wide, her pupils dilated, and she'd started to pant as bloodlust began to consume her.

Tiger squeezed her shoulder gently. "Tell me. What happened between you two?" Maybe, if he was able to get Jasmine to talk about what was making her so angry, she would calm down a bit.

Jasmine took deep gulping breaths as she tried to calm herself down so that she could tell Tiger her story. "Hundreds of years ago, Petra and I lived on Earth in a place called London, England. We had a mother and father, but I no longer remember them. All I do remember is looking out my bedroom window one night, and seeing a pirate ship soaring through the sky. At first, the sight was magical. But then a pirate known as Captain Blackbeard entered my home and kidnapped my sister and I."

Tiger moved his hand down to Jasmine's right hand and risked trying to hold it. Jasmine surprised him by opening her hand and allowing their fingers to lace together.

Jasmine shot Tiger a grateful look as she continued her story. "We were thrown into the brig where there were a lot of other young girls around our age. We were only twelve-years-old at the time. Inside of the brig there was a single glass lantern, and inside was a small flickering candle. Petra insisted that a fairy was inside of the lantern. I didn't believe in fairies, and so I was unable to see Tinker. I thought my sister was just trying to cope with a bad situation by creating an imaginary friend. But Petra insisted Tinker was real. She had conversations with him, claimed to befriend the fairy, and continued to be adamant that he existed." A wry smile curled Jasmine's lips. "Of course, after living in Neverland for so long I can see him _now_."

Tiger's brow furrowed in confusion. "What did the pirates want with a bunch of children?"

"They were slavers," Jasmine began to explain, and when the blood started to drain out of Tiger's face she quickly continued, "But they didn't want us for... _companionship_. In that, we were lucky at least. No, they wanted us for a far more sinister purpose. We were chosen to be virgin sacrifices. Apparently, Blackbeard had gotten his hands on a map that led him to the Lost City of Gold, El Dorado, which as you know exists in Neverland as all the Lost Things do. Also, on the map were instructions that said that in order to appease the Aztec god Tezcatlipoca a virgin had to be sacrificed in his name. If the god was pleased with the sacrifice then whoever performed the sacrifice would be rewarded generously with gold."

"They were going to sacrifice _children_...just to get their hands on treasure?" Tiger snarled angrily. "Those greedy bastards."

A flash of surprise passed over Jasmine's face. She wasn't used to anyone empathizing with her story. "Don't worry. They ended up getting what they deserved." Jasmine shook her head of such thoughts. "Anyways, Petra and I were both chosen at the same time to be virgin sacrifices to Tezcatlipoca and were taken into the city of El Dorado. We were tied to a wooden stake that was set up on some kind of platform. After that, we just awaited our fate. That's when an enormous crocodile emerged from the temple and approached us - its intentions clear as it eyed us hungrily and licked its maw. It wanted to eat us. We screamed, struggled against our bonds, and called for help. And Petra...Petra called for Tinker."

Tiger used his thumb to caress the back of Jasmine's hand in a soothing fashion.

Jasmine's brow furrowed as she tried to recall what happened next. "I remember that a small ball of golden light approached Petra, and golden dust was showered upon her and myself. Then our ropes magically broke. We were free. That's when Petra started to fly - right before my very eyes. I asked her how she was doing that, and she responded that Tinker was helping us, and that in order to fly I needed to think of a happy thought."

Tiger cringed knowing how impossible that probably would have been for a scared twelve-year old girl in that moment.

"A happy thought?" Jasmine scoffed. "Can you believe that? Easier said than done. I couldn't think of a single happy thought, and...I didn't _believe_ I could fly. I didn't _believe_ in fairies or magic. But Petra wrapped her arms around my waist and started to carry me away with her."

Tiger sucked in a breath. At this point in the tale Petra was still sounding like herself - heroic and brave. She'd tried to save her sister. What could have possibly gone wrong?

"Unfortunately, the crocodile was fast approaching us. Just as we were rising up off the ground it leapt up into the air and grabbed my leg. I kicked the crocodile's snout, and it released me. Then I was falling. Petra quickly grabbed my hand and began to fly us away again. The crocodile continued to doggedly pursue us, but then all of a sudden I was falling again. I fell into a pool of water and as I sank down beneath the surface the crocodile dove in after me. Once it was close enough it bit into my wrist and pulled me down. I called out for Petra, and remember how the cold water filled my lungs. I remember reaching my right hand up to her, but through the water I saw Petra decide to just leave me behind."

Tiger frowned at her words. "Maybe she thought you were dead-"

"She _let go_. Don't you see?" Jasmine heatedly interrupted him. "Petra abandoned me to my fate and to Tezcatlipoca! She let go of my hand on purpose in order to use me as bait to keep the crocodile busy while she made her escape."

"That doesn't sound like Petra," Tiger started to argue, but Jasmine stubbornly ignored him.

"In that moment, all of my fear turned into anger, and I fought against the crocodile with all my strength. I let him have my left hand. Then I mounted his back and wrapped my right arm around his snout in order to keep his maw closed. The beast struggled against my hold and I remember rolling through the water. I knew that my resistance was futile and that in the end he'd eat me, but I didn't care. I decided to fight until the bitter end."

"Admirable." Tiger's dark eyes were glittering with respect and newfound admiration.

"Then the strangest thing happened. The crocodile transformed into a man. I was so shocked I didn't react right away. He pulled me out of the pool, and said that I had _surprised_ him - something a mere mortal had never done before. He reached out, cupped my cheek and said I might be _useful_ to him. That's how I became Tezcatlipoca's 'pawn'. He taught me swordsmanship and I became one with sword _and_ spear."

"No wonder you're so deadly with a sword," Tiger complimented with a twinkle in his dark eyes. He recalled how quickly Hook had bested him in battle when she'd kidnapped him from his village. "But all that still doesn't explain how you became the captain of this ship."

"Years passed, and then one day Blackbeard's ship returned to Neverland. That's when I decided to get my revenge upon Blackbeard. That very night, I snuck aboard his ship. First, I snuck into the captain's cabin and slit Blackbeard's throat while he was sleeping. Since that had been so easy, I continued my way through the ship, slitting the throats of all those sleeping, drunken pirates one by one with my golden hook - the one Tezcatlipoca had gifted me with. I acted like a cowardly assassin that night."

Noticing the shame in Jasmine's expression Tiger shook his head. "What you did was anything but cowardly."

Jasmine's shoulders lifted in a self-deprecating shrug. "Perhaps. I killed all the slavers with my hook that night. Then I freed the prisoners. One of the girls called me 'Captain Hook' as she thanked me, and that name has stuck with me ever since. Tezcatlipoca allowed me to keep the ship and crew, but on one condition. Each year, I had to sacrifice one of my virgin crewmates to him. At first, I didn't care. I didn't know these girls. They were strangers to me. But later, when the girls had started to become my friends and family, I started to care about them, and began to _hate_ Tezcatlipoca. That's when I started to plot ways to kill him."

"And then you heard of the prophecy?" Tiger questioned sagely.

Jasmine nodded. "Indeed. According to Queen Mab's prophecy Excalibur would destroy Tezcatlipoca. That's why I kidnapped you, Tiger, to force you to tell me the location of Excalibur."

"You should have told me _why_ you wanted the sword," Tiger said solemnly. "Things could have been different. You've killed many of my tribesmen, fairies, and Lost Girls."

"I know," Jasmine said grimly. "And you may not believe it, but I am sorry. Unfortunately, the ends justified the means. I needed Excalibur at whatever cost. Besides, you never would have believed me if I'd told you I wanted to kill Tezcatlipoca. I was Neverland's villainess. We were enemies. Pirates and Indians have been fighting and killing each other for hundreds of years on Neverland. And I was carrying this burden alone. I'm used to fighting alone..."

"You're not alone," Tiger objected fiercely. "Not anymore. I will carry this burden with you. We will find a way to kill Tezcatlipoca. Together."

Jasmine gave him an astonished look, and her jaw dropped open slightly. She quickly composed herself and closed her mouth. Her expression turned contemplative. " _Why_ did you save me, Tiger?"

"Because I decided you were _worth_ saving." Tiger tossed her a roguish smile that was almost flirty. "We'll need someone as tough as you to help us defeat Tezcatlipoca. You were a powerful enemy - you would make a powerful ally."

"You would be willing to trust me?" Jasmine eyed him suspiciously. "After all the horrible things I've done?"

Tiger nodded. "One must give trust in order to gain trust in return. I'm willing to risk trusting you. I saw _good_ in you before all this. I want to give you a second chance. Everyone deserves a chance for redemption. This could be yours."

Jasmine arched an eyebrow at him sassily. "You saw _good_ in me?" There was a skeptical note to her voice.

"When I refused to tell you the location of Excalibur you could have tortured the information out of me. But you didn't," Tiger reminded her keenly. "Why?"

Tiger watched fascinated as Jasmine's face turned pink. "I...that's because, I...I was being selfish," Jasmine admitted with a shy look on her face. "I _liked_ you."

Tiger's dark eyebrows rose to his hairline. "You liked me? But I thought all pirates hate men? Doesn't your crew have some sort of rule that forbids falling in love with a man?"

A chuckle slipped past Jasmine's lips. "Well, that was a rule I came up with _before_ I met you." She nibbled on her lower lip.

Tiger flushed. "Do you _like_ me still?" he asked tentatively, and held his breath as he awaited her answer.

Jasmine swallowed, met Tiger's gaze unflinchingly, and raised her chin. "Yes. I do like you, but it's _more_ than that. I desire you - the way a _woman_ desires a man."

There was a strange look on Jasmine's face. Tiger thought it reminded him of a cornered animal that couldn't decide whether it wanted to flee or attack. It was defensive and vulnerable, and somehow very attractive.

Tiger was caught off guard by her admission, but found himself strangely pleased and flattered. He could tell she feared rejection as she held her breath and awaited his response to her confession.

A disappointed look fell over Jasmine's face when Tiger took too long to respond. "I understand that we can't be together because we're enemies, and-"

Tiger frowned since Jasmine was getting the wrong idea. He couldn't think of the right thing to say to her, so decided to act on his feelings instead. He leaned forward and captured her lips with his own.

"Mmph!" Jasmine let out a surprised squeak, as she was cut off mid-sentence by his sudden kiss. She quickly got over her shock though, and eagerly kissed him back.

Tiger pulled back before she could deepen their kiss, however, and smirked at her, a hungry gleam in his dark eyes. "I want you too. I've wanted you for a long time, Captain Jasmine Hook. Too long." It was Tiger's turn for revelations, and he'd always admired Jasmine's beauty and strength from afar. Even if they had been enemies. She'd been forbidden, but now...

_Forbidden fruit always tastes the sweetest._ Tiger thought lewdly to himself.

A sensual, teasing smile spread across her face and she threw the bed sheet off of her with her right hand. "Then what are you waiting for? Come and take me, my Indian prince."

Tiger groaned at the forward invitation and moved onto the bed quickly. Once he was straddling her body she suddenly seemed so much smaller than him. He took a moment to admire her graceful body and long legs before he leaned forward and licked her lips, demanding entrance to her mouth.

When Jasmine parted her lips Tiger plunged his tongue inside, plundering the sweet cavern of her mouth. Their kissing was passionate and messy.

Tiger grabbed her breasts with his rough, calloused hands and began to knead them boldly. Jasmine let out another startled squeak that quickly transformed into a moan as Tiger continued his skillful ministrations. When Tiger pinched her nipples through her lacy black bra she arched into his touch and writhed beneath him in a needy manner.

Tiger loved how Jasmine was quickly coming undone in his hands. He caressed her thighs next, slid his hands up to move her legs apart, and settled between her spread legs.

Abruptly, Jasmine somehow managed to flip them over so that she was on top of Tiger, straddling him, her crotch resting against his six-pack abs. Jasmine smiled sharply at the man pinned beneath her, and took her bra off. She spun the article of clothing around her index finger before tossing it aside. It landed somewhere on the deck floor.

Tiger hummed at the delectable sight as her bare flesh was revealed to him. She had beautiful breasts with pink nipples that begged to be kissed and adored. Her raven-black hair was cascading about her shoulders in waves. She looked incredibly sexy in that moment. And just a little bit evil. That last thought made Tiger harden in his leather pants.

Jasmine scooted back a little and teasingly rubbed her crotch against the growing bulge in Tiger's leather pants. Tiger let out a masculine grunt and soon moans were slipping past his lips as Jasmine continued to grind herself against him wantonly. _Wicked squaw._ He thought to himself, half in exasperation, half fond.

When Jasmine leaned over Tiger to kiss him again, her breasts pressed against his muscular torso, and caused both of them to groan at the sensation of bare flesh meeting deliciously.

After a few more minutes of just kissing and grinding, they both needed more. Tiger started to impatiently unbutton the top button of her pants. Jasmine quickly got the hint, however, and moved off of Tiger so that she could remove her boots, pants, and black silk panties. By the time she turned back to Tiger he'd somehow gotten rid of his own pants, undergarments, and moccasins.

Tiger was lying back on the bed with his hands behind his head to better show off his biceps. Jasmine licked her lips at the sight of all that gorgeous tanned skin and her green eyes raked down his body to the long, hard erection that was resting against his stomach. Tiger smirked smugly at her as he noticed her gaze lingering on his cock. "Enjoying the view? Feel free to take a closer look."

"You dastardly fiend." Jasmine chuckled amusedly. She liked how Tiger wasn't ashamed of his nakedness. Instead, he appeared confident and proud. Jasmine quickly got back onto the bed and straddled Tiger's body. She boldly sat on his cock so that she could rub her sex up and down his length, and coat it with his desire. She wanted him to be nice and slick to make it easier for her to take him deep inside.

Tiger's hands had been resting on her hips and he dug his fingers into her flesh as she grinded against him teasingly. He couldn't take much more of this bittersweet torture. "Jasmine, _please_..."

Jasmine leaned over to kiss Tiger again, and when she pulled back and looked down at him, her eyes were hooded with lust, and her pupils were blown with desire. She nibbled on her bottom lip sensually and Tiger shuddered at the sexy sight.

"I can't wait to have _this_ inside of me, Tiger," Jasmine purred.

Tiger gulped. "If you're sure that's what you want. We could always wait until you're ready..."

Jasmine blinked down at Tiger in surprise, thrown by his suddenly gentlemanly behavior. She threw her head back and cackled. "My, such a gentleman! I thought savages were supposed to be _savage_? I need you, Tiger." Jasmine raised herself up, gripped Tiger's erection in her right hand, and guided his cock to her entrance.

They both gasped as the head of his cock slipped inside of her. Jasmine then placed her hand on Tiger's chest before slowly beginning to sink down on his length, taking more of him inside of her, inch by inch. She gasped at the heady sensation of being stretched and filled so fully.

Tiger shuddered as her tight pussy enveloped his cock. It felt so damned good. He dug his fingers into her hips as he tried to restrain himself; to hold himself still when all his body wanted to do was to thrust up into that welcoming heat, again and again - fast and hard.

Jasmine felt Tiger hit a barrier inside of her - her virginity - she realized, and smiled wickedly before impaling herself the rest of the way down on Tiger's cock in a purposeful manner. She cried out at the mix of pain and pleasure that assaulted her senses.

A masculine grunt slipped past Tiger's lips when he was suddenly balls deep inside of her.

Saying goodbye to her virginity was incredibly liberating for Jasmine. Now she was no longer of any 'use' to Tezcatlipoca. _Take that, you bastard god._ She thought viciously to herself. She'd freed herself from him in an act of sweet defiance. She felt like she could feel invisible shackles that had been caging her start to break and fall away from her. _I'm free._

Jasmine leaned over Tiger with her head hanging down as she panted for breath and tried to get used to the feeling of being completely claimed. "Just...give me a moment." So many new emotions and feelings were swirling inside of her. It was a little overwhelming.

Tiger reached up and stroked her back soothingly. "You need to breathe, Jasmine."

At his words Jasmine realized that her breathing had become irregular and started to try to breath more slowly. She looked up at Tiger, and their eyes met. She smiled at him.

Tiger.

Jasmine could hardly believe he'd allowed this to happen between them. She had desired him from the first moment she'd laid eyes on the strong, prideful Indian prince, who was also so brave and _heroic_. So unlike herself - sly and _villainous_.

She'd felt like a moth attracted to the flame. And just like the moth that would inevitably be consumed by the flames, she felt as though she was about to be consumed by her own burning desire for this man.

Jasmine forced herself to relax and then started to move over him.

Tiger groaned as Jasmine started to ride him. He kept his dark eyes pinned to her not wanting to miss a single second. She looked so beautiful, powerful, and sexy like this as she took control of his body and controlled their pleasure.

Jasmine wanted to savor the sensation of being 'one' with Tiger, and so took it slow at first. But warmth began to pool in the pit of her stomach, and she started to move a little faster. She rubbed at her nipples a little desperately and sighed in bliss. She was close.

However, at that moment, the door opened and Mrs. Bree waltzed inside the cabin carrying a plate of cookies, completely oblivious to what was happening on the bed, and humming a little Irish tune to herself as she made her way over to the table. She set the plate of cookies down and finally turned to face the bed. "I brought the cookies for- oh! Oh my, you're...you must be feeling better then, Captain?" A wry smile curled her lips as she took in the sight of Jasmine straddling a very naked Indian prince.

Jasmine smirked at her bosun, and continued to ride Tiger unabashedly. "Yes. I feel... _very good_ actually."

"I wonder if what they say about savages is true-" Bree was saying slyly.

Tiger flushed, and groaned in embarrassment. "Give us some privacy, woman!"

"Oh, alright." There was a twinkle in Bree's blue eyes as her gaze lingered for a moment on Tiger's muscular chest. "I'm going, I'm going. Don't forget to touch her cli-"

"Mrs. Bree!" Tiger shouted loudly. The last thing he wanted was for Mrs. Bree to give him tips on sex.

"Sorry, sonny boy." Bree was looking mildly apologetic. "It's just men always forget, and there's really no point in having sex if they don't, you know?" Bree waggled her eyebrows at the Indian prince. When he continued to glare at her, Bree shrugged carelessly. "Just saying."

"Get out!" Tiger snarled.

"Alright, I'm going. Geesh," Bree grumbled, but her voice was tinged with mirth. "Have fun you two!" The bosun left and shut the door behind her.

Tiger let out an irritated huff. "Did Mrs. Bree just try to give me sex advice?"

Jasmine smiled in bemusement. "I think so. But she _may_ have a point." Her smile turned positively wicked.

"Oh, Great Spirit," Tiger sighed with a roll of his eyes before reaching out and thumbing her clit. Jasmine cried out, shuddered, and tightened around him. Tiger's exasperated expression turned smug. "Maybe the old lady has a point."

It didn't take long before Jasmine was coming against Tiger and shouting out his name: "Tiger!"

The feeling of her clenching around him sent Tiger over the edge next and he came inside of her. "Jasmine!"

Jasmine felt his hot seed spilling deep inside of her, and trembled. She collapsed on top of Tiger, utterly spent. Jasmine lay her cheek against his muscular chest, and let out a contented sigh. "That was _wonderful_."

"I'm glad you liked it. I might be able to do it again in a few more minutes," Tiger joked.

Jasmine smacked his chest in a playful fashion in response. "Savage."

To be continued in...Chapter 6:

### Chapter 6:

Petra, the unconscious Eirwen, Joan, Michelle and Tinker were seated on an enormous saddle that Tinker had made out of twigs and vines and a pinch of fairy magic, and which was strapped down to the back of the Never-dragon that Petra had somehow managed to befriend.

Michelle and Joan couldn't help the excited little squeals that slipped past their lips as the dragon flew towards the Fairy Kingdom at top speed. It was faster than any roller coaster they'd ever been on.

As the dragon flew over the Fairy Forest, the forest became noticeably lusher. The canopies of the trees were fuller, and the colors of the plants were more vibrant. There was also an abundance of sweet-smelling flowers in all the colors of the rainbow. The flowers were able to talk, and others glowed or sparkled. Some of the flowers were singing and dancing with a swaying side-to-side motion.

The animals that lived in the Fairy Forest were also noticeably friendlier. The squirrels, snakes, turtles, hedgehogs, rabbits and deer were all walking around out in the open and frolicking together. The Fairy Forest was a protected sanctuary for these peaceful animals, and there were no predators there.

Dandelion seeds were floating through the air lazily on a hot summer breeze. Joan and Michelle 'oohed' and 'ahhed' as they gazed down upon the mystical flowers and otherworldly animals that could only be found in the Fairy Forest.

When Michelle spotted a small herd of pink unicorns with white manes and golden horns drinking at the edge of a tranquil pool, her eyes sparkled, and she squealed in delight. "Eeee! Look down there! Unicorns!"

"Unicorns. How fascinating," Joan said.

Michelle turned wide puppy dog eyes towards her sister. "Sis, can I have one? _Please_?"

Joan laughed when Michelle's eyes seemed to grow even wider. She could never resist her sister's puppy dog eyes and neither could her brother. "We'll have to ask Eirwen about that when he wakes up," Joan replied noncommittally.

Michelle was bouncing up and down on the saddle excitedly, and didn't seem to be too worried by this prospect. "Okay," she agreed easily.

Joan looked down at the majestic creatures, and pushed her glasses up her nose smartly. "According to the books I've read, unicorns are known for being such pure creatures that they can only be captured by a virgin. Their horns are known for having magical and medicinal properties. It is said that the horn of the unicorn can purify contaminated water and heal various incurable diseases."

Tinker was impressed by Joan's knowledge of creatures that in her realm were only legends. "You know a lot about unicorns for a human. I'm impressed." He threw her a playful wink.

Joan beamed at him. "I read a lot. Is the forest always so beautiful?"

"Here, in the Fairy Forest, it is always summer-" Tinker was saying knowledgably when he was interrupted by a sudden exclamation from Michelle.

"Look over there! Fall!" Michelle pointed to the canopies of some trees beneath them.

Tinker frowned as he looked down at the canopies of orange, red, and yellow leaves.

Fall.

Fall shouldn't exist in the Fairy Kingdom. "This has never happened before." His frown deepened. "Take us down, Dragon. I want to take a closer look."

The dragon obediently swooped down into the forest, so that they were now beneath the canopies of the trees. With a feeling of unease, everyone watched the falling fall leaves as they drifted towards the ground. This area of the forest was dark and colder. Also, on the ground among the fallen leaves were dead butterflies.

Michelle spotted the butterflies and gasped. "Are those butterflies _dead_?" Her lower lip started to tremble.

"When the warmth of the sun deserts them...they die," Tinker said grimly. "If this continues and we have winter in the Fairy Kingdom many plants and animals will die because they've never experienced winter before and won't know how to survive through it."

"It's the Neverland Clock," Petra breathed in horror. "Time has started to move in the Fairy Kingdom now. We _must_ defeat Tezcatlipoca, and get the clock back as soon as possible before this entire forest and all the creatures that live in it die."

A heavy silence descended upon them at Petra's ominous words, and they remained silent as they exited the edge of the forest, and entered an enormous clearing - the heart of the Fairy Kingdom where the fairies lived at one with nature. On either side of a winding stream were dwellings made out of large, spotted mushrooms that came in a wide variety of colors. The mushrooms were about the size of a watermelon, and happened to be the perfect size for the fairies to make their dwellings out of them.

Tethered in front of the mushroom houses were bunny rabbits and birds wearing saddles and harnesses. "Fairies ride birds and rabbits, Tink? What's the point when fairies can just fly everywhere?" Joan asked with a speculative look on her face.

"Our wings would grow very tired and our magic would be drained if we flew _everywhere_ ," Tinker explained. "Our innate magic produces pixie dust constantly, but our magic isn't unlimited. It can be used up, and then it takes time to replenish itself. And that usually takes a lot of food and rest."

At the edge of the fairy village stood an impressive castle made out of a gigantic mushroom that dwarfed all the others, and with smaller mushrooms connected to the main building that acted as turrets.

The dragon landed on the outskirts of the fairy village so that it wouldn't squash the fairy homes under its large feet.

Everyone dismounted from the dragon and Tinker sprinkled some pixie dust onto the stretcher that Eirwen was currently lying on so that it would be easier to take him with them. With the stretcher now floating, Petra was able to pull it along behind her as the group headed for the royal palace.

The fairies that had been obliviously going about their daily routines stopped to gawk and stare as the strange group of traveling companions passed by their homes. They were mystified to see humans inside of the Fairy Kingdom since it was expressly forbidden to bring humans into their midst.

When the fairies spotted Tinker, their eyes widened even more at the unexpected sight of their exiled prince. Some of the fairies looked upon Tinker with awe and respect shinning in their eyes, but others looked upon him with hatred and disgust.

"Look! It's the prince!" "Prince Tinker has returned!" Some of the fairies exclaimed excitedly.

"It's the fallen prince. Boo!" another fairy sneered cruelly.

Tinker raised his chin defiantly as they continued their way. Joan gave Tinker a curious look. _Tinker is a fallen prince?_

Just before they were about to reach the royal palace a swarm of fairies dressed in armor and wielding weapons flew out of the mushroom palace from the balconies, and surrounded Tinker and the others in a swarm.

Joan and Michelle would have been worried about having swords and spears pointed their way threateningly - if it hadn't been for the fact that the fairies' swords were only three inches long!

Michelle noticed that the guards were wearing acorns as helmets and giggled. "So cute."

"Humans, you dare to enter the Fairy Kingdom!" Vartan, the captain of the guard, exclaimed with his lip curled back in a snarl. "How did you even find this place?"

"I brought them here," Tinker exclaimed loudly as he flew forward to hover in front of the others. "It is I, Prince Tinker."

A muscle beneath Vartan's eye ticked in obvious irritation. "Prince Tinker, you would dare to break the rules and bring _humans_ into the Fairy Kingdom again? Especially, after what happened the last time! You obviously didn't learn your lesson. I knew that you should have received a harsher punishment than exile. Associating with humans will only ever bring about chaos and destruction to our kind!"

"This time is different." Tinker stood his ground and waved his hand in the direction of the stretcher. "I have with me the destined King of Neverland, Eirwen Darling, who pulled the sword Excalibur from the stone! He _is_ the Chosen One!" A saucy smile curled the fairy's lips and his eyes twinkled. "Now, now, don't thank me all at once for bringing him here."

"Excalibur?" Vartan's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Where is the sword?"

Tinker grimaced. "Unfortunately, the sword was stolen from us by Captain Hook. And she stabbed Eirwen. He's dying. I need my mother to heal him!"

Excited whispers rose up from the swarm of fairy guards: "The would-be King of Neverland." "The Chosen One." "Excalibur." "A knight."

"Why should we believe you, Mischief Maker?" Vartan sneered, flying up a little more so that he could look down his nose at Tinker in a haughty fashion.

"Because that human that is lying there bleeding to death is Neverland's _only_ hope," Tinker said through gritted teeth. It was still hard for him to admit this. "I saw him pull the sword from the stone. I didn't think he was the destined knight until that moment, and then I too _believed_. He _is_ Neverland's King. He will save Neverland, and the Fairy Kingdom!"

An exuberant cheer rose up from the swarm of fairy guards and they began to fist pump the air in celebration. Vartan shot them all an irritated look. "Such nonsense-" The guard captain was saying when he was interrupted by an authoritarian sounding female voice.

"Tinker, is it true? That human is Neverland's would-be King?"

All eyes turned in the direction that the voice had come from. Emerging from the mushroom palace was the Queen of the Fairies and Tinker's mother, Mab.

Joan could see the resemblance easily. Mab had long orange hair, and bright blue eyes. She was wearing a blue gown and her wings resembled a butterfly's. "She's beautiful," Joan breathed in awe.

"So pretty!" Michelle said as she clapped her hands.

Tinker's eyes snapped to his mother and his expression softened. "Mother." His voice was tinged with longing.

Queen Mab flew over and hovered directly in front of her son. She reached out and caressed his cheek. "Tinker, welcome home, my son." Her voice was thick with emotion and unshed tears were shimmering in her blue eyes.

Tinker eagerly pressed his cheek against her hand. He was starved for her affection and acceptance, which he had been deprived of for hundreds of years. "Mother, I...I'm so sorry-"

"I know," Mab interrupted him. "And I knew you would return when our Kingdom had need of you. Now, let me see this knight you have brought us." The Fairy Queen flew over to Eirwen and began to inspect his wound.

Petra was wringing her hands together worriedly as she watched, but couldn't remain silent any longer, "Can you save him?"

A thoughtful frown formed on Mab's face. "I shall try." She placed her tiny hands on top of Eirwen's wound and began to summon her magical power. Mab's body began to glow brightly with a golden light until the glow became blinding.

Mab poured her magic into Eirwen and concentrated on closing his wound. Eirwen's wound began to glow and then heal right before their eyes.

Petra let out a sigh of relief. Joan and Michelle also looked relieved as they watched their brother's wound begin to close.

When Queen Mab pulled her hands away from the wound it had been healed completely, and she stopped glowing. But there was still a slight frown marring her beautiful face. "I have healed his wound. However, he is _still_ dying." The fairy queen offered Petra an apologetic look.

"What? Why?" Petra demanded.

"This young man has lost the will to live." Mab's soft voice was laced with pity and sorrow. "He wants to die. To be at peace."

"Eirwen wants to die?" Joan asked in a horrified tone.

"Poor brother." Michelle sniffled sadly before she broke into tears and started to sob loudly.

"There must be something we can do," Petra said firmly while giving the Fairy Queen an expectant look. "Tell me. Whatever I must do to save Eirwen Darling - I _will_ do it!" There was a steely, determined look in Petra's eyes.

A flash of bewilderment crossed Queen Mab's blue gaze before her expression turned hopeful. "You...love him, don't you?"

Petra blushed and began to fidget with her hands. "Yes. I do."

Mab let out a thoughtful hum, and then smiled slightly. "Perhaps there _is_ a way you can save him by using ancient magic...known as 'love magic'."

All the blood drained from Tinker's face at his mother's suggestion, and he looked aghast.

"Love magic?" Petra questioned innocently with a slight tilt of her head.

Queen Mab glanced at the two young girls, and decided to be a little vague in her explanation about what love magic would entail exactly. "You will have to unite your body with his, and become one-"

Petra's blush intensified as she started to understand what Queen Mab was hinting at. In order for the magic to work she'd have to make love to Eirwen.

"No!" Outraged, Tinker flew over and hovered in front of Petra's face to glare at her heatedly. "I won't allow him to steal your innocence and purity! I won't allow you to make such a sacrifice for his sake!"

Petra's expression softened as she looked into the fairy's face, which was beginning to turn red from his anger. "Tink, I _want_ to do this. I _want_ to save him. I love him."

Tinker shook his head and his body began to tremble out of indignation. "What about _me_? What about _my_ feelings? If you do this, then...!" _I've lost you forever._ "You don't get it. You don't understand how I feel. I...!" _Love you._

Tinker clenched his hands into fists out of frustration. Why hadn't he been able to say the most important parts of that aloud? _I've lost you forever. I love you._ He was such a coward. His expression turned hurt and betrayed. "I hate you, Petra Pan!" The fairy prince exclaimed petulantly before he flew off into the Fairy Forest leaving a trail of glittering tears in his wake.

Petra gaped after him in confusion. She offered Queen Mab an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I'll be right back. I must speak with Tinker before..."

"I understand, child," Queen Mab said with a regal nod of her head. "Go to him."

Petra flashed the fairy queen a bright smile before running off in pursuit of Tinker. She found Tinker seated at the edge of a riverbank, skipping stones. He looked so small when he was sitting down like that. Petra carefully sat down beside him. "Tinker, I never meant to hurt you."

Tinker frowned morosely as he selected another flat, round stone to skip. "But you don't know _why_ you've hurt me, do you?"

Petra shook her head, at a loss. "No."

Tinker let out a frustrated sound before skipping the stone. After it sunk into the water he took a deep breath and looked up at Petra. "It's because I love you, silly girl," he admitted softly.

Petra smiled cheerily. "I love you too, Tink."

"No!" Tinker snapped hotly. "I love you...love you." Petra blinked down at the fairy prince in confusion. Tinker pulled at his hair out of frustration since Petra just didn't seem to get it. He loved her dammit! How could he get her to see, get her to understand? Tinker suddenly began to glow brighter and brighter.

Petra grew alarmed. "Tink!" She was forced to shield her eyes from the brilliance of the glow. When the glow finally dimmed Petra tentatively lowered her hands from her eyes. A gasp slipped past her lips at the sight before her. "Tink...you're...big?" The fairy prince Tinker was now the size of a human man.

Tinker was looking down at his hands and body in awe. Startled, he looked over at Petra with a hopeful gleam in his blue eyes. "This...was my greatest wish. I love you, Petra Pan, in the way a man loves a woman. I love you...like _this_." Tinker reached out to cup Petra's cheek and then leaned in so that he could press his lips against hers.

Petra's eyes flared in surprise as Tink suddenly kissed her.

She did not kiss him back.

Tinker pulled back, and looked into her green eyes searchingly. "I've loved you for a very long time. I never thought you would grow up and become a woman though - capable of romantic love and not just _plutonic_ love." There was a giddy note to his voice. "Now we can finally be together. Oh, how I've dreamed of this moment." Tinker kissed Petra again desperately, and pushed at her shoulders so that she was forced to lie down on the riverbank.

Tinker smoothly moved over her body and straddled her, his knees on either side of her hips. He placed a kiss on the tip of Petra's nose, then one on her cheek, then her other cheek and then her mouth. He peppered her entire face with kisses and each time he pulled back he murmured her name. "Petra, Petra, Petra."

Petra remained silent under his ministrations, and shuddered as Tinker began to kiss a trail from her neck to her exposed collarbone and then down to the tops of her breasts.

Tinker reached up and squeezed Petra's breast. She flinched at the unwanted touch.

Tinker gazed down at Petra lustfully, his eyes hooded. He expected to see his lust mirrored in Petra's eyes, but all he saw was sadness, confusion, and a little fear.

The fairy prince suddenly realized that she hadn't been reciprocating his kisses or touches. She'd just been lying there and letting him do whatever he wanted. Was this because she was just being shy or...?

"You don't want this, do you?" Tinker asked with a sinking feeling in his gut. "You don't want _me_." His voice cracked. He became incredibly embarrassed and ashamed at his own lewd actions. Apparently, his feelings weren't reciprocated like he thought they would be. A single tear trailed down his cheek.

Petra reached up to brush the tear away tenderly with her thumb. "No. I don't want you _like this_. I've always seen you as my older brother. I've never thought of you as a _mate_. But, I don't want to hurt you, so do what you will if it will make you feel better." She offered Tinker a tremulous smile, and tried to be brave.

Tinker felt like he'd just been slapped, however, and he scrambled off of Petra as swiftly as possible. He stood up, put his face in his hands, and groaned. "Ugh." When he removed his hands from his face he gave Petra look of disbelief. "You think I would do something like that? That I would take you against your will? And you...you would allow it? Why? To stop my tears?" A bitter laugh escaped Tinker's mouth. "You are too good and too pure for this corrupt world." A stricken look formed on the fairy's face. "But don't worry, Petra. I won't touch you like that ever again. You have my word."

Petra pushed herself up off the ground and walked over to Tinker. Tinker took a step back when she got too close, but she was having none of that. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Tinker in a warm embrace. Petra noticed that Tinker was trembling. "What are you so afraid of?" she questioned softly.

"That I'll lose you to him," Tinker murmured.

"Tink," Petra said looking up and waiting until Tinker met her gaze to continue, "You will _never_ lose me. We will _always_ be best friends. There is no Petra Pan without Tinker by her side! And I _do_ love you." She placed a tender kiss on his forehead.

Tinker sniffled and offered her a crooked smile. "I love you, Petra." He let out a heavy sigh. "Now that I've been 'family zoned' I feel like a grumpy older brother about to give his sister away in marriage! That blasted human better not hurt you, or I'll kill him!" There was a fierce glint in Tinker's blue eyes.

Petra gave Tinker a watery smile in return. "Thanks, Tinker. You're the best."

***

Eirwen had been carried into a secluded part of Fairy Forest, and then set down on a comfortable bed of flowers and moss beneath a willow tree. The willow tree's long, leafy branches would provide Petra and Eirwen privacy as they made love.

Petra gulped. She was feeling incredibly nervous about what she was about to do - coax Eirwen into having sex with her, and then using 'sex magic' to create a soul-bond between them. Her powerful will to live would then keep him alive after that.

Queen Mab had helpfully explained to Petra about the birds and the bees. Petra had had a vague idea of what 'sex' was from watching animals mating, but she was still a little freaked out by the reality of what it apparently entailed.

Just thinking about what she and Eirwen were about to do made her feel hot, tingly, and strangely excited. She placed a hand over her stomach as butterflies fluttered there.

Petra was certain that she desired Eirwen _sexually_ though. She wanted to touch him and for him to touch her. She wanted to be as close to him as was physically possible. She wanted to smell him, taste him. Her primal instincts were telling her she wanted to _mate_ with him.

A round, bronze incense burner had been set up nearby, and the scent of sandalwood and musk was drifting lazily through the air. Queen Mab had told Petra that the incense was a special concoction of the fairies, and contained animal pheromones that would help to stir lust in Eirwen.

Petra scooted over to Eirwen and looked down at his sleeping form. He was so handsome with those chiseled features of his. His long, dark lashes fanned against his pale cheeks. She'd never noticed how long his lashes were before.

First, Petra needed to undress him. With trembling fingers she reached out and removed Eirwen's tunic first before tossing it aside. His leanly muscled chest was revealed to her hungry eyes that drank in the delectable sight. Her gaze traveled over his bare flesh down to his six-pack abs. His ribs were showing slightly, but other than that his form was extremely pleasing to the eye.

Petra noticed the scar on his chest from Hook's vicious attack. She reached out and gently trailed her finger over the pink, newly healed flesh. Petra leaned over and placed a tender kiss upon the scar. Then she licked it.

Eirwen shuddered at the sensation of her tongue laving along his flesh and even in his sleep arched his back for more.

Next, Petra removed Eirwen's boots and then started to work on getting his pants off. She unbuttoned the top button of his tight leather pants and began to tug them down his legs. Petra let out a squeak when his pants finally came off and she fell backwards onto the grassy ground. A giggle slipped past her lips as she lay on her back in the grass and looked up at the willow canopy. Maybe Eirwen had been right about the pants being a little _too_ tight.

Petra sat up and made her way back over to Eirwen. She reached her hands out and hesitated before she grabbed the hem of his boxers. Petra shut her eyes, slid his boxers down his legs, and then removed them entirely from his body. She slowly opened her eyes and her gaze immediately went to his crotch.

Petra couldn't help but stare at his flaccid penis curiously with a tilt of her head. _So that's his penis._ Petra thought to herself. Queen Mab had described to Petra what it would look like, but it was different seeing it with her own eyes. _Once it's hard, that will be inside of me._ She shivered at the mental image that caused inside of her head.

Queen Mab had explained that before Eirwen could be inside of her she would have to coax Eirwen's penis to hardness. Petra tentatively reached out, grabbed Eirwen's penis and began to slide her hand up and down his length carefully, not wanting to apply too much pressure and hurt him.

Petra's eyes widened when his cock began to harden in her hand. Experimentally, she squeezed a little harder and started to stroke his cock a little faster. A bead of precum formed on the tip of his penis, and the sight caused Petra to salivate. Letting her instincts guide her, she leaned over and lapped up the drop of cum with her tongue. She was curious to see what his desire tasted like. She hummed happily. Eirwen taste sweet \- like salted honey.

The sight of Eirwen's cock starting to swell with blood and rise did strange things to Petra's virgin body. It made her feel overly warm and tingly. Heat pooled between her legs. Her sex throbbed with need and grew moist. She rubbed her thighs together unconsciously as this restless feeling of unsated lust filled her. Her nipples had peaked and were straining against the soft cotton fabric of her green dress. Her dress started to feel confining in a way it had never felt before.

Petra swiftly removed her dress, folded it, and set it aside on the grass. She blushed a little out of embarrassment for being completely naked in front of the man she loved. How strange. She'd never felt or experienced 'embarrassment' at her own nakedness before. She supposed it probably had something do to with the fact that she was an _adult_ now.

Petra's cheeks turned red as she recalled how when she'd been 'Petra Pan the eternal twelve-year-old child' that Tinker had had a hard time getting Petra to even wear clothes! "Oh my!" Now that she thought about it, she used to love to go skinny-dipping with the mermen. Petra put her heated face in her hands. "What was I thinking?" she murmured to herself shamefully.

Petra's returned her attention to Eirwen's erection. She scooted closer, and leaned over him so that she could lick a stripe up the pulsing vein that was visible on the side of his cock.

Queen Mab had told Petra that she'd been able to coax Eirwen's penis to hardness by using either her hand or her mouth, or even both.

Petra decided that she wouldn't mind pleasuring Eirwen that way, and so gripped the base of Eirwen's cock before guiding the tip to her mouth. She kissed it tenderly then opened her mouth, and started to lick and suck on the head of his penis. More salty honey formed at the tip and Petra licked it up and swallowed it eagerly.

She was suddenly feeling _thirsty_ for more. Petra opened her mouth and guided more of Eirwen's cock inside until the head of his penis hit the back of her throat. She pulled back and then took him fully into her mouth, again and again. She felt...moist between her thighs and her sex was throbbing.

Petra continued to use her mouth and tongue to pleasure Eirwen's cock, sliding up and down his length, and stroking him until he was finally fully erect.

Eirwen gasped loudly. His hips bucked and his eyes snapped open. Eirwen sat up and blinked confusedly. For some unknown reason his lower body felt so... _good_. "What the...?" He looked down at his lap and saw Petra looking up at him with this impish gleam in her eyes, and her mouth on his cock. "Bloody hell! Petra, what are you doing?"

Petra removed her mouth from Eirwen's cock with a slick _pop_. "You're awake." She smiled happily before standing up and straddling Eirwen.

Eirwen's eyes widened like saucers when he suddenly had a lap full of Petra Pan. Petra sat down on his rock-hard stomach, leaned over, and kissed Eirwen. Eirwen's eyes fluttered shut and he kissed her back, his hands coming to rest on her hips. After a few minutes, Petra pulled back, her smile widening as she stared into his amber eyes that had become hooded with lust.

"Is...is this a dream?" Eirwen's throat was rough, dry, and husky.

"It is if you want it to be," Petra purred before sliding down Eirwen's body and rubbing herself against his throbbing erection. "Eirwen, _please_. I need you inside of me. Take me."

Eirwen sucked in a breath at the bold request. Her pleading tone was his undoing. If this was just a dream that meant he could give in to his forbidden desires. And he'd been secretly lusting after Petra Pan ever since he'd come to Neverland. Finally, the frail reins on his restraint snapped, and he could hold himself back no longer.

He wanted Petra.

And he would have her.

"Petra," Eirwen groaned roughly, and flipped them so that he was now on top of Petra. He eagerly captured her lips with his own, and after a few minutes pulled back so that he could look down to admire her bare breasts for a moment.

Eirwen had secretly fantasized about what it would be like to see and touch Petra's enormous breasts for quite a while now. This moment exceeded all of his expectations and wildest daydreams. Her breasts were so full and her nipples were rose pink. Petra's breasts were simply gorgeous.

Eirwen swallowed a lump in his throat before placing both his hands on her breasts. He looked into Petra's eyes a little warily, wondering if he'd get slapped for this. But when Petra just smiled back at him innocently, he decided to risk her wrath, and squeezed her breasts in an experimental manner.

Petra gasped at the feeling and her body arched into his touch. Eirwen smirked smugly. Apparently, she'd liked that. Feeling more confident due to her positive reaction to his touches, he started to knead her breasts. This caused Petra to start to writhe beneath him. When he pinched both of her nipples at the same time Petra cried out his name, "Eirwen!"

Eirwen slid his right hand down her body, heading towards her sex. He brushed his fingers gently over her entrance and was surprised to find that she was wet and ready for him. He wanted to be inside her so badly, but...a little voice at the back of Eirwen's mind reminded him that Petra was a virgin, even if she seemed like a rather horny one!

Eirwen slipped a finger inside Petra's pussy tentatively, and she instantly clenched around the unfamiliar intrusion. God, she was so tight. He waited for her to relax before he moved his finger in and out of her. After a few minutes, he added a second finger, stretching her. Petra moaned loudly, and dug her hands into the grassy ground.

Eirwen removed his fingers, moved down Petra's body, grabbed her legs, and spread them, baring her sex to him fully. Petra gasped at the sensation of being so...exposed and vulnerable all of a sudden.

Eirwen groaned at the delectable sight of the petal-soft folds of her womanhood, and felt his cock twitch. He wasted no time in leaning over to press his mouth against her sex. Then he started to lick and suck at her pussy messily.

Petra squealed and placed her hands on Eirwen's head. She didn't know if she wanted to pull him away or closer to her. "W-What are you doing?"

Eirwen pulled back, looked up at Petra, and licked his lips slowly. "Kissing you," he said lowly. "You taste delicious, Petra." Eirwen returned his attention to her sex, and deftly sucked and nibbled on her clit.

Petra was pushed over the edge by these ministrations, and came against Eirwen, crying out his name. "Eirwen!" She unconsciously dug her fingernails into Eirwen's scalp and grinded her sex against his face as she rode out the wave of her orgasm.

Eirwen didn't mind her roughness and eagerly lapped up her sweet nectar. After Petra had finally stopped trembling, Eirwen sat back and took a moment to admire his handiwork. Petra looked debauched. Her cheeks were flushed pink, her lips kiss-swollen, her chest was heaving as she struggled to regain her breath, and her green eyes were slightly glazed.

Petra Pan's blonde hair was a mess, and spread around her head in chaotic waves. Eirwen saw a few twigs and flowers stuck in her hair and smiled lopsidedly at the sight. His gaze greedily traveled down her body, and he saw that her pink sex was glistening and ready for more.

Eirwen smirked smugly. _Now_ she was ready for him.

He moved over Petra, pressed his lips eagerly against her own, and used his hand to guide himself to Petra's entrance. "May I?" he murmured against her ear when he felt the tip of his penis finally brushing against her core.

"Yes," Petra breathed readily. "Oh, yes."

When the tip of his penis entered her, they both gasped and shuddered. Then they looked at each other with amazed looks on their faces. Trying to be as careful as possible, Eirwen started to slowly slide himself inside while Petra wrapped her arms around his torso and dug her nails into his back.

Eirwen stopped moving when he felt her virginity, and he pulled back to give her a searching look. "Petra, are you sure you want _this_. Me?"

Petra met Eirwen's gaze, smiled, and nodded. "Yes. Make me _yours_."

Eirwen thrust the rest of the way inside of Petra, who cried out at the sudden mixture of pleasure and pain flooding her senses. She felt so full, taken, and claimed. She dug her nails even harder into Eirwen's back, drawing blood.

Eirwen saw that tears were leaking from Petra's eyes and tenderly kissed her cheeks and licked up her tears. He waited until she began to relax around him before he started to move. "Petra, I...I...my Petra Pan."

Petra's eyes widened at his almost-confession, but then remembered that Eirwen thought this was a dream, and so might not really mean what he was saying anyways.

All thoughts were blown from her mind when Eirwen started to thrust in and out of her. At first just shallow thrusts to get her used to the sensation, and then once Petra started to raise her hips to meet him, only then did he move faster and slide in deeper than before.

Now that the pain had passed, Petra realized that it was time for her to perform the love spell. Making sure that Eirwen didn't notice what she was doing she cut her hand with a dagger before wetting her index finger with her blood. Then she drew a magical rune that Queen Mab had taught her onto Eirwen's chest.

Eirwen was so lost in a haze of fiery lust and desire that he didn't even notice.

Petra closed her eyes, and concentrated while doing as Queen Mab had instructed her: _Once he has taken your virginity and your bodies have united and become one, your souls shall be temporarily united as well. Many do not known this but making love is a temporary union of the souls. You'll need to concentrate on the feeling of being united with Eirwen- mind, body, heart and soul. You must pour your magic and love into his body. Then you need to visualize your magic turning into a red string that will connect your soul to Eirwen's._

Petra focused on pushing her magic inside of Eirwen, and then visualized her magic flowing through his body until it found his soul. In her mind's eye, Eirwen's soul was a brilliant ball of white light.

Then she pictured connecting a red glowing string to his soul in order to forge the 'soul bond' between them. As soon as the red string connected their souls the spell was complete. Petra's soul was now bound to Eirwen's by an invisible, magical, red string of fate.

They were now 'soul-mates' - two parts of a whole.

Petra's fierce will to live would keep Eirwen alive. (At least, until the cancer killed him.)

Petra came back to herself with a gasp. Eirwen's thrusts had increased in speed and strength. His movements were becoming more desperate, and less controlled as he neared his climax.

Petra could feel the pleasure building within her again too, coiling tight in her stomach. She wrapped her arms around Eirwen's neck and brought him down for another heated kiss. The feeling of Eirwen's tongue swirling around hers pushed her over the edge, and her orgasm slammed into her. Her cry of his name was swallowed by Eirwen's mouth. Sparks flickered behind her eyelids as she trembled in his arms.

The feeling of her clenching around him sent Eirwen over the edge next. He thrust deep and came inside of her with a groan.

Petra felt herself being filled with his seed, and blushed. She wondered dazedly if they would have a child from this union. If so...she would be a _mother_.

A mother.

Abruptly, Petra remembered her mother. The one the pirates had stolen her from. _That's right, I had a mother once._

Utterly spent, Eirwen collapsed on top of Petra. Petra didn't mind the feeling of his heavy weight on top of her. It made her feel strangely safe. She patted his back, and ran her hands up and down his spine. She wanted to savor this feeling of oneness, just a little while longer.

A few minutes later, Eirwen gathered enough strength to tiredly roll off of Petra, his flaccid penis sliding out of her and making Petra keen at its loss. Petra snuggled up to his side, wrapped her arm around his chest, and let out a happy sigh. Eirwen fell asleep first, and Petra soon joined him. She started to dream.

And Eirwen shared that dream.

FLASHBACK

A few hundred years ago in London, England...

Petra and Jasmine shared a room, as sisters frequently did. Their room on the top floor of a brick townhouse located in the heart of London had a large, latticed bay window that had a spectacular view of the clock tower, Big Ben.

Every night their mother would read them a bedtime story before tucking them into bed. Petra loved fairytales, especially stories that had actual _fairies_ in them. Jasmine was more of a realist than her sister, and would request that their mother read them science books about animals instead.

Once their mother left the room, Petra and Jasmine would pretend to be asleep, and when they were sure their mother wasn't coming back they would scramble out of bed, giggling behind their hands, and run over to take a seat in the bay window together.

There they would admire the view of London at night. The sight of the twinkling lights made the view magical somehow. At the time, the lights were from gas lamps and candles. In a conspiratorial manner, Petra and Jasmine would discuss their dreams and secrets together.

One night, as Petra looked out at the night sky and the twinkling stars, she placed her chin on her hand, and let out a wistful sigh. The stars were making her think of fairies for some reason. "I wish that one day I will get to meet a real fairy and he'll take me away with him to the Land of the Fairies where we'll have a wonderful adventure together."

Jasmine snorted in amusement at her sister's silly daydream. "Fairies aren't real-"

Petra's eyes widened in alarm, and she let out a shocked gasp before leaning over and slapping a hand over her sister's mouth. "Shhh! Every time someone says they don't believe in fairies a fairy drops stone dead somewhere! Take it back, Sis!" When Jasmine nodded, she slowly removed her hand.

Jasmine gave her eccentric sister an exasperated look. "I suppose there is a _remote_ possibility of their existence somewhere. Most likely, in another _dimension_. There. I took it back. Happy?"

Petra was still frowning at her sister, and looking put out. "No, but I'll take it." She smirked. "Jasmine, why don't you believe in magic?" Her tone was tentative.

Jasmine let out a heavy sigh. "I believe in science, and what I can see with my own two eyes."

Petra let out a thoughtful hum. "So, if you _saw_ magic - you would believe in it?"

"I suppose," Jasmine reluctantly agreed.

"What do _you_ wish for?" Petra propped her chin on both her hands and gave her sister an intent look. She was just dying of curiosity.

"I wish," Jasmine began shyly, "to fall in love one day. With a prince." Petra giggled madly and gave her sister an eager look to continue. Encouraged by her sister's enthusiasm, Jasmine smiled awkwardly, and elaborated, "And he'll be powerful, brave, handsome, and exotic. He'll protect me, and believe in me when no one else does. He'll know the _real me_."

"If you wish hard enough for something in your heart," Petra was saying, her green eyes sparkling. "Your wish _will_ come true. I just _know_ you'll find your prince someday, Jasmine."

"I hope so," Jasmine let out a heavy sigh. "The boys at school...they all think I'm _mean_." She lamented with a frustrated roll of her eyes. "They don't _understand_ me at all."

Petra patted her sister's arm in a consoling way. "Well, _I_ understand you. I know you're a good person, Jass."

Jasmine's dark green eyes were full of doubt. "Yeah, I guess. I'm not as good as you though. You're like a Saint."

Petra laughed loudly and had to cover her mouth with her hands out of fear that their mother would return. After she'd removed her hands she asked, "Why do you think that?"

Jasmine arched an eyebrow at her sister. "You give snails the right of way when we're walking through the park. If you see a bird that's fallen out of its nest, no matter how high the tree is you'll risk your life climbing it in order to return the chick to its nest. You almost broke your neck the last time you fell out of that tree. You share half your lunch with the stray cats we encounter on the way to school. Who does things like that anymore?" She chuckled softly.

Petra's shoulders lifted in a nonchalant shrug. "I just love nature. I feel...connected to it somehow. Sometimes, I feel like nature _speaks_ to me." Her voice had grown low, secretive, and conspiratorial.

Jasmine shook her head at her sister. "You're crazy!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

The sisters glared at each other for a few minutes before they couldn't keep their straight faces and broke out laughing.

Then something out of the corner of her eye caught Petra's attention. She turned her gaze back to the bay window, looked out, gasped, and pointed. "Bloody hell, Jasmine, look! It's a pirate ship! And it's flying!"

Jasmine snorted derisively. Her sister was obviously imagining things _again_. Though she turned to look anyways. "You and your vivid imagination-" Jasmine was saying, but then her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. "What the...?" For once she could see what her odd sister was seeing. "A pirate ship," she breathed, her voice laced with surprise. She could even see a black flag with a white skull and crossbones on it attached to the main mast, and flapping in the night wind. On the starboard side of the ship, ports for canons were visible.

Jasmine squinted at the ship, and spotted pirates running around the main deck while they obeyed their captain's orders. That's when she noticed a man holding a brass telescope. Due to his long black coat that was embroidered with golden thread, and the flamboyant hat that was sitting on his head with a large feather, Jasmine figured that _he_ must be the captain.

The pirate captain was surveying the cityscape slowly until he abruptly turned his telescope in _their_ direction.

The hair on the back of Jasmine's neck prickled in warning. They'd been spotted. She was sure of it. They'd been _seen_. Jasmine let out a startled squeak, and fell off the seat at the bay window. She didn't like this. She didn't like this at all.

"Petra," Jasmine began from her place on the floor as she stared up at her oblivious sister who still had her sparkling green eyes glued to the pirate ship. "Get down from there. I have a bad feeling about this. We should probably go back to bed."

Petra glanced down at her sister and shot Jasmine an incredulous look. "And miss this? No way! This is the most exciting and interesting thing that's ever happened to us!"

"Petra, I think they _saw_ us," Jasmine hissed in warning.

"What?" Petra asked, distractedly as she turned her attention back to the ship. "Ooo I think the ship is getting closer. Wow. It's like they're heading straight for us."

Jasmine _really_ didn't like this. She pushed herself up off the floor, and grabbed Petra's arm. "Petra, I think you should get away from the window-"

Petra frowned; her brow furrowed, and she shot her sister a confused look. "Why?"

"Because...they're pirates," Jasmine said stiffly. "And pirates are never _friendly,_ now are they?"

Petra's expression turned thoughtful. " _Some_ might be."

"Now you're just being stupid," Jasmine snapped, beginning to lose her patience with her spacey sister. "Come away from the window. Now. I have a bad feeling-"

All of a sudden, the bay window shattered. Jasmine somehow managed to pull Petra away in time, and as the window exploded, sharp shards of glasses went flying through the air dangerously. Then a pirate swung into their room on a thick hemp rope.

Jasmine and Petra scrambled backwards across the carpeted floor, and stared in shock at the pirate suddenly in their bedroom.

The first thing the sisters noticed about the pirate was his dark cunning eyes that focused on them and caused them to freeze out of fear. The pirate captain was wearing a black hat with a red feather, black and gold jacket, black leather pants, and a pair of boots with wide, dramatic cuffs. "Arrr!" He looked the two girls up and down thoughtfully. "Tell me, would you fine lassies happen to be virgins still?" A leer spread across his swarthy face.

Jasmine and Petra both screamed loudly in response.

Blackbeard flinched, but then chuckled darkly. "I'll take that as a 'yes'," he drawled before marching forward, wrapping an arm around their waists before they could properly react, and easily picking them both up off the floor. The two sisters struggled in his hold, but he was just too strong.

Blackbeard turned around, leapt up onto the windowsill, and then jumped right out the window.

Petra and Jasmine screamed again as they plummeted down through the air, but their descent was abruptly stopped by the nautical line that was tied around Blackbeard's waist.

Blackbeard glared up at the ship. "Well, what are you waiting for, you scurvy dogs! Hurry and pull us up! I've fetched a pretty prize for our picky god!"

"Aye, aye, Captain Blackbeard!" the pirates shouted back before grabbing the line and starting to pull them up towards the main deck.

To be continued in...Chapter 7:

### Chapter 7:

Petra and Jasmine were unceremoniously tossed into the brig, and then the barred door was shut with a loud clang and locked quickly after them. When the two sisters turned around they realized that they were _not_ alone in the large cell. Several other young girls around the same age or even younger were in the cell with them.

Petra frowned at the sight of all the terrified young girls. "Were all of you kidnapped by those nasty pirates too?"

Most were too afraid to respond, but one brave girl spoke up, "Yes." This girl was quite lovely with olive-hued skin, short brown hair, and shinning brown eyes. She spoke with an Italian accent.

Petra looked pleased that one of the girls had some guts. "What's your name?"

"Cecily."

"Do you know what the pirates want with us, Cecily?" Petra asked in a curious tone.

"They asked us if we were virgins..." Cecily trailed off grimly.

The older girls who realized what this probably implied began to cry.

"They're slavers," Cecily continued, her voice laced with hatred. "I think we'll be sold off somewhere to someone." Her shoulders lifted in a helpless shrug.

"Sold." Petra frowned at the unsettling thought. "I don't belong to anyone, but myself."

"Tell that to the pirates," Cecily scoffed.

Petra raised her chin in a defiant manner. "I think I will."

Horror flashed across Cecily's brown gaze. "No, you can't. They'll flog you! Or make you walk the plank!" she warned.

"I'm not afraid of them," Petra continued firmly. "I won't let them sell _me_ off! I'll find a way to escape. You'll see." Petra's sharp green eyes began to scan the cell, and she looked for any notable weaknesses such as a window that could be a possible escape route.

Jasmine wore a sad, resigned expression on her pretty face. "Petra," she began in a patronizing tone. "Just give up. There's no hope. They kidnapped us, and now we're at their mercy. They can do whatever they want with us." Jasmine shuddered at the thought of being flogged, and rubbed her arms where goosebumps had formed. "Our best bet is to just lie low and try not to draw too much attention to ourselves. Then maybe we'll get out of this alive somehow."

Petra shot her sister an incredulous look. "As long as you never give up, there's always hope. And I'll never give up! I won't let those dirty, rotten pirates have their way!"

Jasmine was jealous of Petra's inner strength, her optimism in the face of such a dire situation, and her bravery. Jasmine, on the other hand, was terrified. She felt so helpless, and afraid. She wanted her mother. She hated Petra a little bit in that moment. They were so...different. Like night and day. The sun and the moon. Jasmine shook her head at Petra. "Then, you're on your own." She stalked off with a huff, and went to sulk alone in the corner of the cell and brood.

Petra's hopeful expression fell at her sister's harsh dismissal. "Jass..."

"Good riddance," a tinkling male voice declared loudly. "You're better off without that sourpuss anyways!"

Petra whirled around and eyed the interior of the cell searchingly. "Who said that?"

"Over here," the male called out again.

Petra followed the sound of the male's voice and found what appeared to be a glowing glass lantern. She crouched down, picked up the lantern, and held it up in front of her face. When she peered inside she saw that there was no candle inside, but a fairy! "Y-You...you're a fairy! Aren't you?" Petra asked, her green eyes sparkling with delight.

A wide, mischievous smile curled the fairy's lips. "Indeed, I am, Miss."

Petra's gaze hungrily took in the sight of a _real_ fairy. He was quite handsome with teal blue eyes and short hair the color of tangerines. The fairy was wearing a green tunic, brown leather pants, and green shoes. What appeared to be a sword was strapped around his waist by a brown leather belt, which gave the fairy a dashing appearance, even if the sword was only a few inches long in reality. "What's your name, Fairy?"

"My name is Tinker, and I am at your service, Milady." The fairy executed a dramatic and gentlemanly bow.

"Nice to meet you, Tinker," Petra said as she curtsied back. "My name is Petra."

Tinker gave the girl a thoughtful look that slowly began to turn calculating. "I'm surprised you can see me. The other girls have lost all hope and so I am invisible to them. But you...you have a strong heart and spirit. You're not like them. You're different. Special."

"I've always dreamed of meeting a fairy, and that he would take me to the land of the fairies," Petra admitted with a wistful note to her voice.

"The Fairy Kingdom," Tinker corrected absentmindedly. "Most girls your age don't believe in fairies anymore."

"You're right." Petra giggled as she thought about her classmates at school that used to tease her for playing with dolls. "Most girls my age don't even play with dolls anymore! My parents even told me that I need to grow up, and stop playing with toys already. But, I don't _want_ to grow up. I wish I could go to the Fairy Kingdom, and eat a golden apple and live forever!"

When Tinker laughed, his tinkling laughter sounded like wind chimes blowing in a summer breeze. "I don't know anything about golden apples, but...there is a clock in Neverland that could stop you from aging. You'd be a twelve-year-old girl forever."

"That sounds wonderful," Petra breathed, happiness glittering in her green eyes. "I wish you could take me there, but we're all trapped here."

A cunning glint formed in Tinker's blue eyes. "You think you can get me out of this lantern?"

Petra blinked. "Well, yes..."

"Then don't worry your pretty little head about anything," Tinker reassured her smoothly. "You get me out of here, Petra, and when the time is right I'll help you escape from the pirates. You have my word. Alright-"

"Who are you talking to, Sis?" Jasmine was suddenly at Petra's side with her brow furrowed.

"Jass, look! It's a fairy!" Petra excitedly held up the lantern to show her sister. "He says that he can help us!"

Jasmine frowned as she peered into the glass lantern. She only saw a flickering candle inside, however. "Petra, you're imagining things _again_. There's no such thing as fairies-"

Tinker's heart clenched painfully inside of his chest. "Ugh," he let out a pained groan as he clutched at his chest.

Petra gasped in alarm when she saw that Tinker was in obvious pain. "Tinker! Bloody hell, Jass, how could you? Please, don't die, Tink! I believe in fairies! I really do! I believe! I believe! I believe!"

Tinker staggered on his feet and his inner glow began to flicker ominously. He wheezed, "Clap...clap your hands..."

Petra set the lantern down and clapped her hands. "I believe in fairies! I believe in fairies!"

Tinker's inner glow brightened again and he straightened. The fairy shot a venomous glare Jasmine's way as he dusted himself off. He'd almost been killed because of that nosy brat!

"I'd better get you out of there. Quickly." Petra searched around for something she could use to break the small padlock that was on the lantern. She spotted a rock, grabbed it and used it to break the lock open.

As soon as Petra opened the tiny glass door, Tinker zoomed out and flew over to hover in front of Petra. He bowed gallantly, and blew her a kiss. "I thank you for your assistance, Milady Petra. I have to hide for now so the pirates won't find me, but I will come back for you when the time is right. I promise."

Petra nodded. "I understand. Go, Tinker."

Tinker flew off, leaving a trail of glittering gold dust in his wake. Petra smiled in a giddy fashion. She believed in Tinker. She'd sensed that the two of them had a connection of some sort. He would save them.

Jasmine rolled her eyes at the dreamy look on Petra's face, and shook her head. Petra was obviously imagining things in order to help her deal with this stressful situation. Tinker was just a figment of her sister's imagination. Nothing more.

***

Five hours later, Blackbeard returned to the brig, unlocked the cell door, opened it, and scrutinized the girls therein with his dark, calculating eyes. "Now, who shall it be this time?" His gaze finally landed on Jasmine and stayed there. She was quite the catch with her pale, milky white skin, dark hair, and emerald green eyes. Jasmine reminded him a little of Snow White. _Yes, Snow White. She's very beautiful. She'll make a fitting virgin sacrifice for a picky god._

Blackbeard sauntered over to Jasmine, reached out and grabbed her chin in a harsh grip. He turned her face from side to side, and examined it closely. Not a single blemish marred that moon white skin. "I think...you, dearie."

Fear along with a little disbelief shone in Jasmine's green eyes. "No." She hadn't done anything to instigate Blackbeard's attention, and yet she'd been chosen anyways. So much for her plan of trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. "Please."

Blackbeard grabbed her arm and with a rough pull hoisted her to her feet. "You'll make a fitting sacrifice to the god Tezcatlipoca! You should be honored, girlie."

Petra snuck up behind Blackbeard and bit the arm he was using to hold onto Jasmine.

"Ow!" Blackbeard let Jasmine go and turned to snarl at Petra. "Why, you insolent little brat! I ought to-" He raised his hand to strike her.

Petra raised her chin and stared back at Blackbeard defiantly. "Do your worse, pirate scum. Only take me instead. Please, spare my sister."

Blackbeard's angry look turned contemplative, and he tugged at his bushy black beard as he looked Petra over. "You are rather lovely too. But your sister's skin is divine. Tezcatlipoca might like your inner fire though. No one really knows a god's tastes, and we've been wrong so far." Blackbeard shrugged. "Perhaps, it's better to be on the safe side this time. _Both_ of you will come with me."

Petra looked relieved while Jasmine appeared horrified by this turn of events. Blackbeard led the sisters up the ladder and to the main upper deck of the ship.

"You girls might as well go ahead and enjoy the view." Blackbeard's lip curled back in a cruel sneer. "Since it's the last one you'll be seeing!" A dark chuckle slipped past the pirate captain's lips.

Petra ran over to the railing and eagerly peered over it. Meanwhile, Jasmine dragged her feet as she approached the railing. Both girls gasped at the sight that was below them, however.

They were more than a hundred feet in the air, surrounded by clouds. And there in the distance an island could be seen. There was something otherworldly about the island.

Petra smiled to herself. Somewhere on that island was Tinker's home - the Fairy Kingdom. "It's so beautiful," Petra breathed.

"Loathsome, you mean," Jasmine grumbled. "We go there to die. I think they plan to sacrifice us to some pagan god or some such nonsense." She folded her arms over her chest and dug her fingers into her arms.

"Don't worry," Petra said while keeping her gaze focused on the island. "That won't happen. Tink will come and rescue us. You'll see."

Jasmine shot her sister a skeptical and slightly exasperated look. "No, he won't. He doesn't _exist_."

Blackbeard shouted various orders to his crew and the ship started to head towards El Dorado. They passed over the Neverland forest and abruptly passed through the magical camouflage shield that concealed the lost city's location.

When the city was abruptly revealed to the sisters, they both gasped again. Petra's eyes eagerly took in the amazing sights - the Aztec architecture, pyramid-like buildings, animal totem poles, and the artificial pools of water and fountains. All of the buildings and statues had been inlaid with gold, so that any time the sun's rays hit the city it literally glowed. "El Dorado," Petra said.

"The legendary Lost City of Gold?" Jasmine's voice was dripping with skepticism. "What the hell would it be doing _here_? It should be located someplace in South America."

Petra shrugged carelessly. "I don't know, but I have this gut feeling that this place _is_ El Dorado."

"Aye, and ye be right, lassie!" Blackbeard agreed as he swaggered over to stand beside them, and peer down at the glittering city with greed shinning in his eyes. "That there is El Dorado. The Lost City of Gold, and _treasure_! Arrr! The city is ruled by an Aztec god named Tezcatlipoca. Apparently, he hungers for virgin flesh. You two will be offered up as sacrifices to him. If our sacrifice pleases him then we shall be greatly rewarded in gold, jewels, and treasure!"

"A god?" Jasmine scoffed. "There's no such thing as _gods_."

"Then ye be having nothing to worry about then, dearie!" Blackbeard let out a dark chuckle and tugged at his bushy black beard in an amused gesture.

Petra and Jasmine noticed that the city was teeming with crocodiles. They were all different sizes, some obviously adults and others their offspring. This was _their_ city.

Blackbeard took over the helm and steered the ship to the center of the city where a raised platform was located with a wooden stake in the very center of it. When the ship was hovering directly over the platform, Blackbeard called out an order, "Drop anchor, men!"

"Aye, aye, Captain!" the pirates shouted back with obvious enthusiasm, and one muscular pirate picked up the anchor all by himself and heaved it over the side.

Petra watched as the anchor plummeted down fifty feet through the air and landed on the wooden platform with a heavy thud.

"Lifeline!" Blackbeard called out next.

"Aye, aye, Captain!" A pirate rushed over and swiftly tied a rope around Blackbeard's waist. As soon as the rope was secure Blackbeard strode over to the sisters and wrapped an arm around each of their waists. He held them tight, hopped up onto the railing, and then jumped right off the ship.

Jasmine screamed as they fell through the air, but Petra had already gotten used to the sensation of falling through the air, and remained silent. Secretly, Petra enjoyed the feeling of...flying.

They were only falling for a few seconds before two crewmen began to carefully lower Blackbeard and the girls onto the platform at a slower pace. Once his black boots hit the wooden boards of the platform, Blackbeard unwrapped his arms from around their waists. "I wouldn't recommend running." An evil smile curled Blackbeard's lips. "It's not like you really have a safe place to go - except for the mouths of these here crocodiles!" He waved an arm around them.

Petra followed his line of sight, and saw that Blackbeard was surprisingly telling the truth. Crocodiles surrounded the platform on all sides, and were the largest ones they'd seen yet. Some were almost twenty-feet-long. Jasmine gulped at the frightening sight, and started to tremble in fear. The sisters didn't resist as Blackbeard tied them to the wooden stake.

"Take me up, lads!" Blackbeard called up to his crew. The crewmen obediently pulled Blackbeard back up on deck. Then the pirate captain took the ship up higher, so they could watch the proceedings at a safer distance. Safe - was apparently one-hundred-feet up.

A thunderous roar was heard in the distance, coming from the direction of the grand temple. A few minutes later, the sisters watched as an enormous, forty-foot-long crocodile emerged from the temple. It had fierce, golden eyes with slit pupils, dark green and black scales, and foot-long black claws. It started its descent down the steep stone steps at a pace much faster than the sisters expected due to its size and bulk.

"Tinker!" Petra called out. "Now would be a really good time to rescue us!"

"He's _not_ coming!" Jasmine snapped irritably.

Out of the corner of her eyes Petra caught sight of a flash of gold, and saw Tinker zooming towards them. Tinker flew over to Petra, hovered in front of her face, grinned wickedly, and bowed. "At your service, Milady." He whipped out his sword, and began to skillfully cut the ropes with it.

"He's cutting the ropes," Petra explained for Jasmine's benefit, her voice tinged with excitement. The ropes fell away from the girls, and Petra rubbed her sore wrists. "Now what?" she asked Tinker.

Jasmine was looking at Petra in a mixture of awe and confusion. "How did you do that?" she demanded. "How did you just free us?"

"Now, I want you both to think happy thoughts!" Tinker instructed in an authoritative tone before the fairy flew around Petra and Jasmine, and fluttered his wings rapidly, showering the two girls in glittering, gold pixie dust.

"There. That should be enough. Think your happy thought, and fly!" Tinker reached his hand out to Petra and gave her an expectant look.

"Okay." Petra concentrated on her happy thought - which ended up being the fact that she'd actually gotten to meet a real live fairy! Seconds later, Petra started to lift up off the platform floor.

Jasmine watched as Petra began to lift up into the air in bewilderment, and her jaw dropped open slightly. "H-How are you doing that?" Her voice was laced with frustration.

Petra reached her hand down to Jasmine. "Come on, there's no time. Think a happy thought!"

Jasmine eyed her sister skeptically. "A happy thought...at a time like this!" She demanded as her eyes darted to the enormous crocodile approaching the platform at a run. He would be upon them in seconds.

"There's no time," Tinker snapped in irritation. "You'll have to leave her behind! She's dead weight anyways."

"No!" Petra objected, and flew down to wrap her arms around Jasmine's waist. As soon as she had a firm hold, Petra took off flying away from the platform. However, Jasmine was heavy, and this was Petra's first time flying, so they dipped and bobbed precariously in the air.

"You need to get higher!" Tinker instructed in a chiding tone. "He can still get you at that height, silly girl!"

"I know! I'm trying!" Petra said through gritted teeth as she struggled to get them higher.

Tezcatlipoca rushed towards them in his crocodile form, and when he was beneath them he crouched down low, and then sprung up through the air, his maw dangerously wide. Chomping down, the giant crocodile managed to grab Jasmine's leg.

Jasmine cried out in pain as the crocodile's teeth sank into her thigh. Then she looked down at the crocodile and glared. "Get off of me, you beast!"

The crocodile shook its head from side to side in order to pry Jasmine from Petra's grip, and finally Petra lost her hold on her sister.

In that moment, Jasmine kicked the crocodile right in its eye with her free foot. The crocodile let go of Jasmine, who fell down through the air, screaming.

That's when Petra grabbed Jasmine's hand in midair. "Got you." Once again, trying to make their retreat, Petra flew off with Jasmine over the city, and soon they were flying over a large pool of water.

Enraged that his sacrifice had been stolen from him, Tezcatlipoca let out a roar, and doggedly pursued them through the city.

Tinker let out a frustrated huff as he flew next to Petra. "You have to let her go. You'll never make it with her pulling you down like that."

"Let go...?" Petra repeated dazedly.

Jasmine thought Petra was talking to herself, and with a sinking feeling inside of her chest, realized her sister's intention - Petra was going to let go and save herself. Tears burned in her dark green eyes. "Sister, please, don't let go!" she begged pitifully.

"I won't." Petra frowned down at Jasmine's teary face. She was confused about why her sister would think she'd ever do such a heartless thing.

Tinker's face turned red as he was filled with frustration. "I said...let go!" The fairy bit Petra's finger. If Petra wouldn't come to her senses and let go of her sister on her own, Tinker decided he'd just have to _help_ her make the right decision.

Petra flinched in pain and opened her hand out of reflex. She watched in horror as Jasmine fell down through the air, and hit the pool of water that was below them with a splash. "Jasmine!"

The crocodile smoothly dove into the pool after Jasmine, and a minute later red blood was filling the water.

Petra dove down closer to the pool's surface, intent on diving into the pool to try and save Jasmine, but Tinker grabbed her hair and tugged back viciously. "No, don't! She's _already_ dead! We have to get out of here! Now!" Tinker insisted with an urgent look on his face.

Petra's determined expression grew stricken. She trusted the fairy's words implicitly since as a creature of magic he must know what he was talking about. "Dead...?"

"Come on," Tinker pressed with another hard tug on Petra's hair. "She's _gone_."

Petra nodded grimly, and flew off with Tinker as the fairy led the way out of El Dorado. They passed through the magic camouflage shield, and into Neverland's wild forest. Their adventures together had only just begun.

END OF FLASHBACK

Eirwen awoke feeling warm, safe, and content. Maybe a little _overly_ warm. He hugged his pillow closer to his chest, and his pillow moaned.

_Huh?_ Eirwen's amber eyes snapped open and he turned to see that Petra was snuggled up against his side. His expression softened at the sight of her. _Heh, this isn't so bad_ -

His gaze traveled down from her head to her torso - her very _naked_ torso.

With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Eirwen realized that they were both naked. "Bloody hell, why am I naked? What did I do?" A feeling of dread swept over him. "Gah!" Eirwen shoved Petra off of him roughly.

Petra stirred awake, sat up, and rubbed her eyes sleepily. She caught sight of Eirwen staring at her, and a coy smile curled her lips. "Good morning, Eirwen _Darling_." She put extra emphasis on his last name 'Darling'.

Eirwen glared at her hotly. "Would you mind explaining to me why we are both _naked_?"

Petra's happy expression fell, and she frowned. "You don't remember?" She twirled a lock of blonde hair around her finger in a nervous gesture. "We made love."

"That was just a dream!" Eirwen snapped, but then he began to remember what had happened between himself and Petra with startling clarity. His pent up lust and forbidden desire. Petra begging him to take her. The feeling of being inside of her. Of taking her virginity. The smell of sandalwood incense and sex lingered in the air all around them.

Eirwen's gaze snapped to Petra's womanhood - there was a little blood visible on her inner thighs. "Bloody hell!" He'd slept with Petra and he'd taken her virginity! He groaned in despair, and put his face in his hands while trying not to panic. _What have I done? Why would I do something so stupid?_ He mentally berated himself.

Eirwen was close to hyperventilating at this point. He lowered his hands, and shot Petra a reproachful look. "I thought that was a dream. You told me it was a dream."

"I told you it was a dream," Petra started, as she fidgeted with her hands on her lap, "if you wanted it to be."

"You tricked me!" Eirwen accused in an angry voice.

"I saved you!" Petra snapped in sudden irritation. "You were _dying_. The only way to save your life was to use sex magic to create a soul-bond between us!"

Eirwen could feel a headache coming on, and rubbed at his temples with his index fingers. "Sex magic? Soul-bond? What does that even mean?"

Petra swallowed nervously. "It means, we're soul-mates now."

Eirwen's ensuing laugh was part hysterical, part bitter. "Great, just great. Is that why I dreamed about your past?"

Petra's brow furrowed and her expression turned thoughtful. "You...dreamed the same dream, I did? You saw my past?"

Eirwen nodded, his angry expression turning solemn. For a moment, he was able to forget the 'issue' at hand. Eirwen recalled the dream memory vividly. He remembered how Petra and Jasmine had been kidnapped by Captain Blackbeard and taken to El Dorado to be virgin sacrifices to the Aztec god, Tezcatlipoca. And lastly, he remembered how Tinker saved Petra only to leave Jasmine to her fate.

Eirwen's amber eyes widened with a sudden realization. "You _didn't_ let go!" He reached out and gripped Petra's shoulders while staring into her eyes. "Hook is wrong! You didn't let go! Tinker bit your finger and you let go after that. But _not_ on purpose! It was all _Tinker's_ fault!"

Petra frowned at the way Eirwen had phrased that last part. "Tinker saved me."

"But he _made_ you leave Jasmine behind!" Eirwen mercilessly pointed out. "You're innocent. Hook...needs to know this." He was nodding to himself. "She needs to know the truth. Then maybe she'll be able to forgive you." A pleased, knowing look settled on Eirwen's face.

"Then she'll want to kill Tinker," Petra said softly.

Eirwen waved his hand dismissively through the air. "Tinker can take care of himself. He has magic."

Worry swirled in Petra's green eyes and her lips dipped into a frown. "Maybe."

Eirwen peered through the willow branches at the forest beyond. "Where are we, anyways?"

"The Fairy Kingdom," Petra revealed, her frown fading. "Tinker took us here and asked his mother Queen Mab to save you. She healed you. But it wasn't enough to save you."

"Whoa, hold on," Eirwen interjected, raising his hand. "Tinker is really a _prince_? I figured that was a lie or something."

"A fallen prince," Petra corrected sadly. "He was exiled from the Fairy Kingdom hundreds of years ago."

"Why?" Eirwen asked with curiosity.

Petra shrugged lackadaisically. "I don't know. I never bothered to ask."

"What about my sisters?" Eirwen started to question as soon as he remembered Joan and Michelle. The last thing he remembered was leaving Joan and Michelle in the cave tunnel so that he could go help Petra in her fight against Hook. "Are they here too?"

Petra nodded. "Tinker is looking after them."

Eirwen groaned and slid a hand down his face. "Great. He's going to be a bad influence on them. I just know it." He accidentally glanced down at Petra's naked body, flushed, and quickly averted his gaze. "We, um, we should get cleaned up and dressed, so that we can meet up with the others." He stumbled over his words.

The blood began to drain out of Eirwen's face as a sudden thought occurred to him. He looked around the forest floor and down at the bed of flowers they'd made love on searchingly. His gaze turned frantic when he didn't see what he was looking for. "Bloody hell. Petra, please tell me we used a condom."

Petra's brow furrowed and she tilted her head at Eirwen questioningly. "What's a condom?"

Eirwen groaned and gripped his head with his hands. "No, no, no...don't tell me we had _unprotected_ sex! What if you get _pregnant_?" He was starting to panic.

Petra crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive pose. Eirwen really didn't sound too happy with the prospect that she might be pregnant. "Why do you make it sound like it would be the end of the world? I did this with you knowing what the consequences might be. I did this because...I love you." She gave Eirwen an urgent look, willing him to understand.

Eirwen just stared numbly at her.

Petra placed a hand on her stomach. "I would be happy to carry your child."

Eirwen let out a broken laugh. "Do you expect me to be _happy_ that you might be pregnant with my unborn child? A child I would _never_ get to see born because I-!" Eirwen cut himself off and panted for breath. _Am going to die._ He finished the last in his mind.

Petra reached out and placed a hand on his arm. "I already told you...you could stay in Neverland. Forever."

"And I already told you - I won't abandon my sisters. Not while I'm alive," Eirwen said with a bleak look on his face. "You should have let me die."

Petra instantly grew angry. "Life isn't done with you yet, Eirwen Darling! Neverland needs you! And I...need you too." Unshed tears began to shimmer in Petra's green eyes.

Eirwen ran a shaky hand back through his short brown hair. "Don't look at me like that. I know what I promised to do. But Hook has Excalibur, doesn't she?" Petra nodded, and Eirwen sighed. "Then I suppose we'll have to get it back first." Eirwen's lips curled into a crooked grin.

A flash of surprise crossed Petra's face before she beamed back at Eirwen. "Right." She swiftly wiped the tears from her eyes, and her dour expression turned hopeful.

In a nearby stream, Petra and Eirwen got themselves cleaned up. After that they dressed and started to head back to the Fairy Village, walking through the tranquil forest. Eirwen couldn't get over how friendly the animals were in the forest. Birds landed periodically on their shoulders and squirrels rubbed against their legs, begging to be petted. It didn't take long before they had an entourage of animals following them.

Eirwen chuckled in amusement and shot Petra a pensive look. "Don't tell me you're a Disney princess?"

"A what?" Petra arched an eyebrow at him.

Eirwen gawked at her for a moment before realizing Petra had been trapped on Neverland for hundreds of years and that 'Disney' was after her time. "Never mind."

As soon as Eirwen and Petra entered the village together the fairies greeted them with great enthusiasm. They flew over the couple and placed garlands of flowers on their heads and necklaces of flowers around their necks. Then the fairies threw handfuls of petals and rice over their heads as they headed towards the royal palace.

Eirwen grew bemused by the fairies' behavior. "What are they celebrating?"

Petra offered Eirwen a shy, tremulous smile. "Our marriage."

Eirwen blinked. Then his expression grew angry before he reached up and removed the garland of flowers from his head and tossed it aside. "We're _not_ married! That was just a one-time thing. A mistake!"

Petra's hopeful expression fell, and her heart clenched painfully inside of her chest. "Oh."

Oblivious to Petra's pain, Eirwen continued his tirade, "A _real_ marriage is held in a church and presided over by a Priest. In the real world _this_." He waved a hand between them. "Would be called a meaningless one-night stand!"

Petra flinched at his cold words.

Eirwen cut off his rant when he caught sight of his sisters - Joan and Michelle - seated on the grassy ground next to the mushroom palace and hanging out with some guy with orange hair and blue eyes that was sitting behind his sisters while he braided Joan's hair. It appeared as though Michelle's short blonde hair had already been braided in a tight French braid, and decorated with flowers.

Michelle was busy making a flower garland as she watched this guy braiding Joan's hair. Joan's hair would have two braided pigtails decorated with flowers when the man was done.

Eirwen frowned at the unsettling sight. Hadn't he warned the girls about 'stranger danger'. Just who the hell was that random guy braiding his sisters' hair? "Girls! Joan! Michelle!" He called out to get their attention, and when their gazes met he spread his arms wide in an expectant gesture.

As soon as Joan and Michelle spotted their brother wide, elated grins spread across their faces. Michelle let out a happy little squeal. Then the two girls hopped to their feet and ran towards Eirwen at top speed before barreling straight into his chest. It hurt a little, but Eirwen didn't really mind as he wrapped his arms around his sisters and hugged them close.

"You're okay," Joan said.

"Yeah," Eirwen said, and glanced past the girls at that suspicious looking dude. "So, um, girls, who's your new 'friend'?"

Joan gave Eirwen a funny look. "That's Tinker. Duh."

"Tinker?" Eirwen exclaimed in shock.

Tinker stood up and strolled over to Eirwen and his sisters. "Hello Eirwen," Tinker greeted with a smirk.

"You're...huge!" Eirwen said, gaping at the fairy that was actually now an inch taller than he was.

"It was my wish..." Tinker trailed off in a wistful tone before shaking his head and returning his full attention to Eirwen. "And for some reason I can't seem to be able to figure out how to turn myself small." The fairy shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "I'm sure I'll go back to normal eventually." Tinker glanced over Eirwen's shoulder and spotted Petra, who was crying silently, and his eyes widened like saucers. "What did you _do_ to Petra?" he demanded furiously, his face starting to turn tomato red.

"Huh?" Eirwen glanced behind him and saw that silent tears were streaming down Petra's face. "I didn't _do_ anything! Well, I mean, I _did_...but it's not like I _wanted_ to. It was a _mistake_ -"

Petra flinched when Eirwen used the word 'mistake' again, and Tinker keenly noticed. The fairy prince punched Eirwen hard across the face, and as Eirwen stumbled backwards Tinker grabbed him by the front of his tunic before pulling him forward so that he could glare into his eyes. "How dare you treat Petra this way? And after she gave herself to you in order to save your worthless life! She loves you, you miserable excuse for a human!" Tinker's lip curled back in a disgusted sneer.

Tinker's words hurt more than his punch had, and were more sobering. Eirwen realized that he was being a real dick. He'd already known this actually, but...he was dying. It would only be worse if he encouraged Petra's feelings for him, and he had no right to reciprocate those feelings either since he was already planning to leave Neverland and Petra, and never return. "I deserved that. Punch me again."

"What?" Startled, Tinker let go of Eirwen's tunic and took a step back.

"You think I don't know that I don't deserve an amazing woman like Petra Pan?" Eirwen snapped. "She's too good for me. I'm unworthy of her. I'm just..."

A spark of hope ignited in Petra's green eyes again. Tinker, however, was looking thoroughly confused and conflicted by the way Eirwen was acting and the self-deprecating words the knight was spouting.

"Enough." Petra walked over, and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "It's okay. Play nice, boys."

A sudden commotion at the entrance to the Fairy Village reached their ears and had them turning around to see what the hell was going on. That's when Eirwen caught sight of none other than Captain Jasmine Hook sauntering into the Fairy Village, followed close behind by a stoic looking Tiger.

The pirate captain appeared to be completely unconcerned with walking right into enemy territory, and was instead acting like she owned the place. Her back was straight, and her chin was held high. With a twinge of unease, Eirwen fleetingly wondered if Tiger was her prisoner. Then Eirwen noticed the sword strapped to her side. _Excalibur!_

Tinker glowered in Hook's direction. "What's _she_ doing here?" he huffed, and crossed his arms over his chest.

Eirwen shot Tinker an irritated look. His possessive tendencies towards Petra had caused enough problems already.

Hook spotted them and strolled over in their direction. She stopped a couple of yards away, and taking her wide-brimmed black hat with red plume off, executed a dramatic bow. "Greetings! Rejoice...your savior has arrived!"

Eirwen unconsciously rubbed at the healed wound on his chest as he eyed Hook warily. He wondered what the pirate was up to now.

A myriad of emotions were swirling in Petra's green eyes as she stared at her sister: surprise, hope, and guilt. Tinker merely looked suspicious of Hook's sudden presence.

All of a sudden, a swarm of fairies flew out of the royal palace, and zoomed around Hook while brandishing their swords and spears at her in a threatening manner.

"Hook! You have a lot of nerve showing your face here again...after all the fairy lives you've taken!" The Captain of the Guard, Vartan, exclaimed loudly. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't slit your throat this instant!"

Hook smiled sharply. "I come bearing gifts!" With much fanfare Hook took the sheathed Excalibur off her belt, and held it out before her. "I bring you - Excalibur." All eyes were on the sword resting on Hook's hand and hook. Even in the black and gold scabbard, the ornate hilt of the sword was instantly recognizable. Varying degrees of disbelief and hope played across the fairies' faces, and they whispered excitedly amongst themselves.

Eirwen noticed that when the fairies had threatened Hook, Tiger had placed his hand on the hilt of one of his tomahawks. _Interesting._

Hook suddenly turned to face Eirwen, a calculating gleam in her green eyes. "I thought I killed you." She pointed her finger at Eirwen's chest.

Eirwen shrugged nonchalantly and had to resist the urge to rub at the scar on his chest. "If it's any consolation...I did too."

"I saved him using sex magic," Petra announced proudly.

Eirwen groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead. "T.M.I, Petra."

Hook gaped at Petra for a moment, and an enigmatic smile curled her lips. "Well, I suppose that means we've _both_ stopped being virgins. Tezcatlipoca will be _so_ disappointed. How wonderful." Her smile widened and took on a vicious edge.

When Tiger realized that everyone was suddenly staring at him questioningly, he puffed up his chest in a proud manner, and raised his chin in challenge.

"Did you guys use a condom?" Eirwen blurted out before his brain could catch up with his mouth.

Tiger and Hook both look confused and asked at the same time: "What's a condom?"

"So...you're not bothered by the idea Jasmine could be pregnant?" Eirwen found himself asking the Indian prince.

Tiger bristled at the suggestion. "I would be happy and honored. If Jasmine _luckily_ carries my child...I will protect the child and its mother with my life! A child is _always_ a blessing sent by the Great Spirit." Tiger raised his tomahawk high, and let out a war cry. "Ayayayay!"

Jasmine was gawking at Tiger with her jaw slightly hanging open, utterly surprised and caught off guard by Tiger's bold and possessive declaration. "Tiger." Her voice was thick with emotion.

Meanwhile, Petra was looking a little jealous. If only Eirwen had accepted things between them so easily.

"Right. Happy." Eirwen's voice was dripping with sarcasm and he looked irritated. He rubbed at his temples; he could feel another headache coming on. _Apparently, I'm the odd man out worrying about an unplanned pregnancy. This place is nuts._

Jasmine quickly schooled her features into a neutral mask, and returned her attention to Eirwen. "Well, I'm glad my sis- er, Petra, saved you. Neverland needs you...knight Eirwen Darling." Jasmine presented the sheathed sword to Eirwen with a flourish.

Eirwen arched an eyebrow at the pirate captain, and looked down at the sword that was lying across Jasmine's open right palm and her new silver hook that had been attached to her left forearm. "Okay. What's the catch?" he asked cautiously.

"No catch," Hook said, looking amused.

"Jasmine tried to slay Tezcatlipoca on her own, but failed," Tiger spoke as he strolled forward to stand beside Jasmine. "She was unable to use Excalibur to its full potential, however, and so was unable to get past Tezcatlipoca's magical shield. She was almost eaten by him, but _I_ saved her."

Petra shot Jasmine a worried look. "Sister! Are you alright? You're not badly hurt are you?" She flitted around Jasmine worriedly while checking for injuries.

Hook waved Petra away in an irritated manner. "Shoo! Buzz off. I'm fine, you pest!"

"Jasmine was heavily injured due to her other hook being ripped out, but Mrs. Bree skillfully tended to her wounds," Tiger informed them.

"So, let me get this straight," Eirwen started with a bemused expression on his face. "Because the sword doesn't work for you - you're giving it back to me?"

Hook nodded, smirking. "Someone give the boy a prize."

Eirwen accepted the sword from Hook. "Well, that makes sense." He looked the black and gold sheathe over with a critical eye. "This is a nice scabbard. Where did you get it?"

"I stole it," Hook revealed with a sly glint in her eye. "From Tezcatlipoca."

"Pirate...right." Eirwen nodded to himself. "I keep forgetting."

Tinker still looked skeptical about Hook's true intentions, and was glaring daggers Hook's way. "This has to be some sort of trick. Do you really expect us to believe that you betrayed your _master_ and tried to kill him?" He directed this last to Hook.

"He was not my _Master_ ," Hook sneered, her lip curling with disdain. "He only _thought_ he was."

Tinker's blue eyes raked over the red and gold jacket that Hook was now wearing. Her usual colors were dark green and black. "You may have changed the color of your jacket, but a leopard cannot change its spots."

"Long ago, Jasmine's life was spared by Tezcatlipoca on the condition that she work for him, and eventually steal the Neverland Clock for him," Tiger explained, and discreetly placed a hand on the small of Jasmine's back. "Tezcatlipoca tortured her. She was his pawn. His puppet. Not his ally."

Jasmine shot a glare Tiger's way and stepped away from him. "They didn't need to know that."

"You expect us to believe Hook is some kind of victim?" Tinker scoffed. "Ha!"

Tiger gave Hook a beseeching look. "Take off your jacket and show them."

Hook stiffened at the request, and scowled darkly. "I don't have to prove anything to the likes of them - backstabbers and mischief makers."

"Backstabber?" Eirwen piped up. "Are you talking about Petra? Because about that - Petra _didn't let go_."

Hook whirled on Eirwen, emerald green eyes flashing. "What?" she demanded.

A smug expression formed on Eirwen's face as he watched various emotions flicker in Hook's eyes. "Um, Petra and I are soul-mates now, and so I shared her dream memory. I _saw_ what happened between you, Petra, and Tezcatlipoca. Tinker _was_ there. Tinker dusted you both with pixie dust, but only Petra was able to fly."

"Eirwen, don't," Petra tried to interject.

Eirwen ignored her, and continued, "Petra was determined not to leave you behind, but as you were making your escape Tinker was insisting that Petra drop you and leave you behind. Petra wasn't listening to him though, and ultimately Tinker bit Petra's hand causing her to drop you into that pool. Petra tried to go back for you, but Tinker claimed to know that you were already dead."

"Way to throw a guy under the bus," Tinker muttered darkly to himself in a voice that the others didn't catch.

"So, then Petra you...didn't let go?" Hook met Petra's gaze searchingly.

Petra let out a resigned sigh, nodded, and then appeared hopeful. "I told you before that I didn't intend to leave you behind."

Hook swayed on her feet and would have collapsed to the ground if Tiger hadn't reached out to catch her and support her upright. "All this time...I thought you betrayed me. Left me to die." Her body began to tremble with anger and she clenched her hands into fists. "You never told me about the fairy biting you!"

Petra flinched guiltily because that was true. "No. I didn't want to tell you that because..."

Hook's eyes widened with sudden realization. "Because I would want to tear that little fairy limb from limb! Where _is_ Tinker?" Jasmine glanced around the surrounding area. "Let me at him! This is all _his_ fault! I will gut him with my new hook!" She held her silver hook aloft. "Arrr!"

Tinker snorted. "I'm right here, genius."

Hook's green gaze snapped to Tinker, and she looked him over from head to toe before a deep frown formed on her face. "You...you grew. What the bloody hell?"

"It was my greatest wish-" Tinker began to explain in a solemn tone.

"To get it on with Petra," Eirwen smoothly cut in.

Tinker sent Eirwen a heated glare.

Hook noticed the odd exchange, and pointed her hook at Tinker threateningly. "You stay away from my sister, you traitorous bug! You are not worthy of her!"

Petra was practically glowing with bliss. Jasmine had just called her 'sister'!

Tinker pointed at Eirwen accusingly. "And what about _him_? He _deflowered_ your precious sister. Aren't you going to gut him too?" A snarky smirk curled the fairy's lips.

_Bugger me._ Eirwen thought to himself as he shot Hook a worried look. That new hook of hers looked really sharp. He gulped. "Don't bring me into this, lightning bug!"

Hook glanced at Eirwen, looked him up and down, and glanced at the sword, Excalibur, in his hand. A sly smile curled her lips. "No. He's worthy of my sister. Excalibur _chose_ him, and he's destined to be King of all of Neverland, which would make my sister his _Queen_."

Eirwen almost fell over out of his surprise that apparently Hook seemed to like him now. Well, at least she wasn't trying to kill him anymore, so that was a nice change of pace, at least. _One should celebrate the little wins in life._ Eirwen thought to himself wryly.

"Eirwen also risked his own life to save Petra in the volcano," Hook added, enjoying the way Tinker seemed to be getting angrier at every compliment she gave Eirwen. "He's a hero."

Tinker's face was turning beet red. "I'm a prince!"

"Fallen," Hook reminded snidely. Jasmine raised her hook and stalked towards Tinker while the fairy stalked towards Hook.

But then Tiger grabbed Hook from behind to stop her. "Calm yourself, my love. We wish to form an alliance with them against Tezcatlipoca, remember?"

At the same time, Petra grabbed Tinker's arm and gave him her best puppy dog eyes look. "Tink, please. She's my sister. I love her. And she finally called me her sister again."

Tinker's anger seemed to deflate at the sight of Petra's puppy dog eyes shimmering with sadness and worry. "Don't look at me like that. Ugh. Alright. Fine. I'm willing to let bygones be bygones if she will-"

All eyes turned to Hook, who was looking a little dazed at being called 'my love' by Tiger. She quickly composed herself and wiped the dreamy expression off her face. She had a reputation as a heartless pirate to maintain after all. "I can't forgive you for what you did...you ruined my life and turned me into a villain. I was tortured because of you. But getting my revenge on Tezcatlipoca is more important to me than the vendetta I have against you. I suppose I can handle working alongside you as a temporary ally. We could have a temporary truce. Deal?"

Tiger let go of Jasmine so that she could approach Tinker and offer her hand to the fairy. Tinker looked down at her hand suspiciously, but shook it. "Deal."

"Tell me...why did you bite Petra's hand?" Hook asked as she tightened her hold on Tinker's hand until he could feel the bones in his hand grinding together painfully.

"You were deadweight," Tinker said bluntly. "And a total killjoy. You couldn't see or hear me, and you couldn't fly. If I hadn't made Petra drop you - Tezcatlipoca would have eaten you both. And I...even then I had plans for Petra. She's _special_. I envisioned her one day becoming my _Queen_."

Petra's cheeks turned pink.

Eirwen opened his mouth to say something, but then quickly shut it. What had he been about to say anyways?

Hook let out a thoughtful hum and nodded. "I suppose those are valid reasons. You did it to save the woman you love. I hate you a _little_ less now, but...I still hate you." She let out a heavy sigh. "And I know the feeling is mutual. In fact, I know that most of you will never trust me, but trust is needed if this alliance against Tezcatlipoca is going to work." Hook shot Tiger a resigned look. "You were right, Tiger. I need to show them." Using her right hand Hook unbuttoned her gold and red coat and took it off with a flourish.

Beneath her jacket Jasmine was only wearing a black lacy bra. Hook turned around and showed her back to Petra, Eirwen, his sisters, Tiger, Tinker, and the fairy guard.

Petra gasped in horror at the sight of the many scars that marred the skin of her sister's back.

Eirwen felt bile rise up in his throat. "How utterly barbaric." Hook had really been tortured by Tezcatlipoca. Eirwen clenched his hand more tightly around Excalibur's scabbard. He wanted to kill Tezcatlipoca now more than ever. To save the Lost Girls, help Petra, save Neverland, and now avenge Jasmine. That evil, sick, twisted son of a bitch deserved to die.

Hook turned around to face them all again. "You see, Tinker, I became the hideous monster you turned me into."

Tiger came up behind Hook, and kissed her back and scars tenderly. "You are not hideous, love."

Tinker was looking pale, and a little repentant. "I've always been a selfish creature, but...I'm sorry for what you had to suffer at Tezcatlipoca's hands. You didn't deserve that."

"No shit." Hook allowed Tiger to help her put her jacket back on, and rolled her eyes at Tinker. "But I don't want your pity. I merely want your aid in the coming fight against Tez. Next time, he'll be ready for us. We've lost our element of surprise." Hook's attention turned to Eirwen. "And he needs training. Desperately."

Eirwen frowned, suddenly defensive. "I know how to swordfight."

Hook arched an eyebrow at him. "Have you ever fought against an evil shape-shifting mage before?"

"Well, no, but-" Eirwen stammered.

"I have," Hook cut in. "Tezcatlipoca trained me. Fighting me will be like fighting against him. Minus his magic powers obviously."

" _You're_ going to train me?" Eirwen questioned in surprise, his tone skeptical.

"Indeed," Hook agreed nonchalantly.

"You should also learn how to fly, Eirwen," Petra added brightly. "It would give you an extra edge in battle."

Eirwen gulped. "Fly? Humans weren't meant to fly. If they were - they'd have wings," he groused.

"And I'll teach him how to use Excalibur to fight against magic," Tinker announced.

A groan slipped past Eirwen's lips. "Magic?" He could feel a headache coming on.

They had their work cut out for them.

To be continued in...Chapter 8:

### Chapter 8:

Day one of swordsmanship training, Eirwen was taken to the same open-air coliseum where he'd once faced off against Tiger in a duel to the death. Eirwen faced off against Hook in the arena, Excalibur strapped to his side. Hook was wielding a long deadly looking spear in her right hand. Apparently, the spear was Tezcatlipoca's weapon of choice, and Hook wanted to be sure he'd be able to defend against it.

Hook impressively spun the spear around her shoulders using her hand and hook. Eirwen shook his head in wry amusement. _What a diva._

"I'm ready whenever you are, Eirwen Darling!" Hook took a defensive fighting stance, the tip of the spear aimed Eirwen's way.

Eirwen swallowed a lump of nervousness in his throat, and eyed the pirate captain warily. He was a little worried she was just going to gut him. Yeah, Hook was on their side _at the moment_...but it hadn't been that long since Hook had skewered him like a fish on a stick. That hadn't been a very pleasant experience, and it was definitely an experience he didn't want to go through again.

Eirwen unsheathed Excalibur with an easy, well-practiced motion, and pointed it at Hook, settling into a fencing stance. "This is just for _practice_ , right? You promise not to stab me?"

Hook smiled sharply, a wicked gleam in her green eyes. "If I promised you that, I wouldn't be a villain."

"Villain," Eirwen muttered darkly to himself. "Righhht." He nodded in reluctant agreement.

"Attack me, Eirwen," Hook urged impatiently. "Like you mean it. Don't hold back."

Eirwen cracked his neck from side-to-side. "Okay. Alright. Let's do this." He attacked, charging towards Hook, and as soon as he was close enough he swung his sword at her. Hook easily blocked the attack. And so the deadly dance began - sword versus spear.

Eirwen lunged his sword forward again, but before it could get anywhere near Hook she used the tip of her spear to block the attack and change its course.

Hook showed off by spinning the spear around her arms and shoulders, and then the butt-end of the spear was hitting Eirwen's sternum hard.

"Oof!" Eirwen was knocked backwards, and the air was knocked out of his lungs painfully. He hit the ground and rolled, Excalibur falling from his limp grasp and skidding across the sandy arena ground.

Eirwen wheezed and panted for breath. When he looked up, Hook had the spear's tip an inch away from his throat, a vicious smile curling her lips. Eirwen huffed out a breath, blowing a lock of dark brown hair out of his eyes. He rubbed at his sore sternum that was throbbing in pain. "So much for going easy on me." Eirwen pouted up at the pirate captain.

Hook arched an elegant eyebrow at Eirwen. "Tezcatlipoca won't go easy on you - so why should I?"

Eirwen grumbled an assent. "Yeah, yeah."

Hook pulled her spear back to allow Eirwen enough space to get up. "Now, get up and attack me again."

Eirwen pushed himself up to his feet and walked over to retrieve Excalibur. He picked the sword up and sighed. His whole body ached. He could feel a headache forming behind his eyes, and this sparring session had only just begun.

Eirwen placed both his hands on Excalibur's hilt and charged towards Hook. This time Hook gracefully sidestepped his lunging attack, swung her spear low, and managed to trip Eirwen up so that he stumbled forward and landed on the ground, flat on his face. He let out a pained groan. His nose hurt. He wondered if it'd been broken. _Bloody pirate..._

Hook poked his behind with the tip of her spear jeeringly. "Get up."

Eirwen turned to glare at Hook. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he accused hotly.

An innocent look formed on Hook's face, but her words were far from innocent, "Of course, I am."

Eirwen tried attacking Hook again and again, but each time the pirate blocked and evaded his attacks, and sent Eirwen flying. Her defense was impenetrable. She was just too fast. _Shit._ "Y-You're...too fast," he panted on his knees, sweat gleaming on his brow.

A dark cloud settled over Hook's face. "And yet Tezcatlipoca is _much_ faster."

Eirwen looked up at the stands where Joan and Michelle were seated and currently cheering him on. Just like they had at his fencing competitions. That seemed so long ago...

Also seated in the stands were Tiger, Tinker and Petra. Tiger had his usual stoic expression on his face and his arms were folded in front of his chest. But Eirwen could tell that Tiger must have been worried for Hook since he was as still as a statue and didn't appear to be even breathing.

At that moment, Tinker stood up from his seat and walked down the steps before jumping into the arena. "My turn. Let's see how Eirwen fairs against magical attacks." There was an impish gleam in the fairy's eyes that Eirwen didn't like one bit.

Hook executed a graceful bow. "Be my guest, bug." The pirate captain waltzed out of the arena and joined Tiger up in the stands. The Indian prince was finally breathing again.

His brow furrowed in worry, Eirwen pushed himself up off the ground, and gave the fairy a skeptical look. "Isn't it a little too early for this?"

"Eirwen, sometimes you gotta run before you can walk!" Tinker waggled his fingers and they were enveloped with a green mist. Seconds later, a water balloon was sitting innocently on the palm of Tinker's outstretched hand. The fairy smirked smugly.

Eirwen raised an eyebrow at the fairy's antics. "Is that what I think it is?"

Tinker got into a baseball pitcher pose, and threw the water balloon at Eirwen. "Think fast, Eirwen!"

The water balloon sped through the air towards Eirwen at top speed, and Eirwen let his well-honed fencing reflexes take over. He slashed Excalibur through the air and sliced through the water balloon. The water balloon burst, and water splashed onto Eirwen's face. He sputtered indignantly as he wiped water out of his eyes. "Tink!"

But Tinker wasn't through yet, and summoned another water balloon to his hand and launched it at Eirwen. Eirwen had no choice but to slice through this one as well.

Tinker decided to kick things up a notch and wind-milling his arms like two crazy catapults he started to throw water balloons at Eirwen in quick succession.

Eirwen dodged what attacks he could, and cut through others. When he cut through a purple balloon he was suddenly covered in pink glitter. He glowered at Tink, but didn't appear very threatening with his face covered entirely in sparkly, pink glitter. "Tink! Pink glitter. Really?"

Eirwen could hear his sisters, Petra, and even Hook laughing up in the stands at his appearance and flushed in embarrassment. How humiliating.

"Not bad," Tinker allowed with a nod. "But let's see if you can handle this!" The fairy waved his hands in front of him, and cupped the air until he'd formed a fireball the size of a melon between his hands.

A smug look settled on the fairy's face and that mischievous glint in his eyes was back. Not a good sign, in Eirwen's opinion.

"Tinker, no!" Eirwen objected, eyeing the fireball in disbelief. "Don't do it!"

Tinker cackled evilly and tossed the fireball towards Eirwen - who predictably ran for his life.

Thirty minutes later, Eirwen was panting for breath on his knees, and slightly singed. "I give up. Mercy. I surrender." He gave the fairy a pleading look.

Tinker rolled his eyes at Eirwen's overdramatic theatrics. "I suppose that's enough...for _today_." The fairy snickered amusedly. "That was fun!"

Eirwen shot the fairy prince a heated glare. "Maybe for _you_ it was! I think a chunk of my hair got burned off." He patted the top of his head self-consciously.

"Oh, it did," Tinker assured and started cackling loudly again in amusement.

A horrified look settled over Eirwen's pale face. " _Please_ , don't tell me I have a bald spot!"

"Well, since you used the magic word." Tinker put his hands out before him in a sarcastically helpless gesture.

At that moment, Petra stood up from her seat in the stands and flew down into the arena to land next to the boys. "Now, it's my turn." Her voice held a giddy note to it. "Flying lessons! Eee! This is going to be fun!" She clapped her hands together excitedly and turned to Tinker with an expectant look on her face. "Tink, a little pixie dust, if you please."

"Oh, alright," Tinker grumbled and waggled his fingers over Eirwen's head so that golden dust showered over him. Then Petra wrapped her arms around Eirwen's waist and started to lift him up into the air.

"Hey! Wait! Where are we going?" Eirwen demanded as Petra began to lift him up off the ground. "Put me down!" His eyes flared in alarm.

"Not until I get higher!" Petra said. "Much higher."

"Petraaaa!" Eirwen quickly sheathed Excalibur to his belt so that he wouldn't drop the sword, and held onto Petra for dear life.

Petra flew Eirwen out of the Fairy Forest, and after a few minutes of being airborne the landscape below them surprisingly began to look familiar to Eirwen. That's when he recognized a cliff. Eirwen's brow furrowed. "Wait, isn't this...?"

"Yep, Merman Lagoon!" Petra confirmed his suspicions.

Understandably, Eirwen freaked out. "You can't be serious! Petra! Those mermen hate my guts! They tried to drown me last time! I can't fall in there!"

"Then don't fall! Fly! Think a happy thought, Eirwen Darling!" Petra said right before she let go.

Eirwen tried thinking about his sisters. His sisters...that he'd never get to see grow up and get married. Then Eirwen tried to think about Petra - the woman he was falling in love with - or probably loved already - who he was planning to leave behind and never see again. All his 'happy thoughts' were tainted with sadness and pain.

Eirwen fell into the lagoon and sank below its surface. _Shit._ A sinking feeling of defeat washed over him along with the cold water. Almost immediately he sensed he wasn't alone, and saw the mermen approaching him swiftly through the water, gleaming golden tridents in hand.

Eirwen glared at them fiercely. _I'm not taking shit from them again!_ Eirwen unsheathed Excalibur and pointed it at them. He gave them a challenging stare as if to say: 'Bring it, fish!'

Then Excalibur's blade began to glow with a soft blue light, illuminating the lagoon's depths. The mermen's eyes were drawn to the sword and their eyes widened with recognition.

"Excalibur," they murmured. "He wields Excalibur." "Our King." One by one the mermen let go of their tridents and bowed humbly in Eirwen's direction.

Eirwen smiled at this surprising change of pace. _Well, that's more like it._

The mermen swam towards Eirwen, grabbed his legs, and began to quickly swim him back up towards the surface. A few seconds later, Eirwen broke through the surface with a gasp. The mermen hoisted Eirwen up higher, so that he was sitting on their shoulders.

Petra flew down to Eirwen, hovered in front of his face, and grinned brightly. "You see, I knew they'd warm up to you eventually, my knight." She tossed him a playful wink.

"Yeah, well, better late than never, I suppose," Eirwen grumbled before addressing the mermen. "Swim me to shore!" he ordered. He half expected them to just let him go and swim away in a huff, but they obediently swam him to shore with proud smiles on their faces. Apparently, they were happy to have this opportunity to please their foretold King.

Eirwen crawled up onto the bank coughing. "Ugh." That...was awful. He never wanted to-

"Let's do that again!" Petra wrapped her arms around Eirwen's waist and flew him up, higher and higher until they were one hundred feet over the lagoon.

"Petra! No! Put me down! Enough!" Eirwen objected.

"Think a happy thought, Eirwen," Petra said airily. "You can do it. I believe in you!" Then she dropped Eirwen _again_.

A blood-curdling scream was wrenched from Eirwen's lips as he plummeted down to the lagoon and then there was a tremendous splash as he hit its surface.

Petra frowned thoughtfully as she watched Eirwen hit the lagoon and tilted her head. How strange. The destined King of Neverland was _supposed_ to be able to fly.

Once again, the mermen brought Eirwen to the surface and carried him to shore. Petra flew down to him.

Eirwen scrambled to his feet before Petra could get a hold of him and spun to glare at her. He put his hands up before him and backed away. "No! Enough! I've had enough of this torture for today, dammit!" he yelled angrily at Petra.

Petra flinched at his loud voice and visibly deflated, her shoulders slumping. "I...I'm sorry. I was just trying to help."

"Well, I don't _want_ your help. You're going to get me killed!" Eirwen snapped and ran a hand back through his wet hair in an irritated gesture. "I...I need to be alone for a while! Don't follow me. Got that?" Eirwen stomped off into the nearby forest.

Eirwen's whole body ached from his sparring session against Hook and then Tinker. His head was pounding, and black spots were swimming in front of his eyes. He didn't make it very far.

Eirwen collapsed to his knees with a groan of pain and started to cough. He coughed blood. He looked down at the blood coating the grass, wondering if his sickly body would manage to hold out for him until he could try and defeat Tezcatlipoca.

Could he even do that?

He was a fraud. An imposter. A fake.

He wasn't the _real_ Chosen One.

Excalibur had agreed on a temporary loan only.

_I can't do this. I can't even find my 'happy thought'._ Eirwen dug his fingernails into his scalp. _I have no happy thoughts. I have nothing to be happy about. I'm going to let them all down - the Lost Girls, Petra, my sisters, Neverland._

Why did I ever think I could defeat a god with my Earth fencing skills?

Eirwen pushed himself up off the ground and began to walk aimlessly through the forest with no real destination in mind. The flowers talked as he passed: "Look, it's the foretold King!" "Petra's beloved knight." "Sir Eirwen!" "The Chosen One."

Eirwen bristled with irritation, and grew angry. He rounded on the flowers and glared at them. "I'm _not_ the Chosen One, okay?"

The flowers instantly quieted, and stared at him with overly large eyes that were starting to fill with tears.

He continued walking, feeling like a douche bag. _Who takes their shit out on a bunch of flowers anyways?_ Eirwen thought to himself morosely. A few minutes later, he stumbled upon a stream in front of a small waterfall, and decided to take a seat on a fallen log to rest. There was something soothing about the sound of the cascading water. A few hours passed and the sun started to set. Eirwen still didn't feel like getting up off his ass, or moving at all though. He let out a heavy sigh.

Someone cleared their throat to get his attention, and Eirwen turned to see Tiger leaning against a tree in a casual pose. "Greetings, Eirwen Darling."

"Hey," Eirwen said in a dull tone.

"Everyone's worried about you," Tiger began with obvious concern.

"I'm sorry to have worried everyone," Eirwen drawled.

"Petra, especially," Tiger continued in a nonchalant tone. "Are you...well?"

Eirwen raised his shoulders in a helpless shrug. "As okay as a dying man can be." He raked a shaky hand through his hair. But Eirwen really didn't want to talk about how he was dying of cancer right now and so decided to swiftly change the subject. "So, you and Hook, huh? Who would have thought? The Indian prince and the pirate captain." A wry smile curled his lips.

There was a far-off look in Tiger's dark eyes. "Jasmine is an amazing woman." A fierce expression crossed his face and he unconsciously placed his hand on the hilt of his tomahawk. "And I will always believe in her when no one else does."

"So, you two...um, you know..." Eirwen awkwardly waved his hand through the air.

Tiger arched a dark eyebrow at the knight. "If you're asking if Hook and I mated...then yes."

"Do you consider yourself to be married now?" Eirwen asked curiously.

A thoughtful expression settled over Tiger's stern face as he thought about it. "Jasmine...is mine now. So, yes, I do consider us to be 'married'. But I'd like to have a ceremony back at my village to make it more official among my Tribe, and to show the men of my tribe I have staked my claim upon her." He beat a hand against his chest reminding Eirwen of a possessive gorilla for a moment there.

"Whoa, go get 'em tiger," Eirwen quipped, amused by his little inside joke.

"What about you, Eirwen Darling?" Tiger gave him a sharp look. "Are you and Petra married now too?"

"What?" Eirwen blinked, looking startled. "Uh, no, I mean, where I come from you need to get married in a church by a priest for it to count."

Tiger frowned. "I...do not understand. Do you love Petra?"

"I shouldn't," Eirwen sighed. "I don't deserve someone like her. I'm not worthy, I-"

"That's not what I asked," Tiger interrupted in a stern tone. "Do you love Petra Pan?"

Eirwen gulped. He had the feeling if he didn't answer honestly he might just get scalped. "Yes."

A pleased expression settled over Tiger's face. "Then be with her and be happy."

"It's not that simple," Eirwen objected. "Back home-"

"You are not in London, England anymore, Eirwen Darling," Tiger reminded firmly. "You are in Neverland, and we have our own rules here."

Eirwen snorted. "Yeah. More like 'no rules'. This place is lawless and crazy and nothing makes sense here."

Tiger smirked. "That's Neverland. Think outside the box, Eirwen - find your happiness. Petra loves you. You love her. That's a rare, precious, and special thing. Enjoy it while it lasts. No one really knows how much time we really have to live. It's better to just enjoy each day to the fullest." Tiger patted Eirwen's shoulder and turned to go.

"Think outside the box..." The gears in Eirwen's sharp mind began to turn. "When in Rome...that's it! I think I get it now! Tiger, my man, you are a genius!" Eirwen called after him, a wide grin spreading across his face.

Tiger gave Eirwen a bemused look. "Thank you?"

Eirwen stood up from his seat on the log, a determined expression on his face. "Let's head back to the others. I've brooded long enough. It's time for the Chosen One to get his ass in gear."

***

Petra entered the Fairy Village alone. Her shoulders were hunched in a dejected manner and she was dragging her feet. There was a frown on her face and a sigh on her lips.

"I didn't know the infamous Petra Pan could actually _frown_ ," a dry female voice reached her ears.

Petra turned to see her sister Jasmine leaning against a tree casually. "Hey, Sis. I've just...got a lot on my mind."

Hook's eyebrows rose to her hairline. "Another unusual thing. Petra Pan _thinking_ before acting. How about joining me for a drink?" The pirate captain raised a bottle of rum.

A crooked smile formed on Petra's lips. "Sure."

The two sisters took a seat on a fallen log that had a nice view of the entire Fairy Village. They were able to watch the comings and goings of the fairies as they began their chat.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Hook said, taking a swig from the rum bottle and then handing the bottle to Petra.

"Thanks," Petra said as she took the bottle. She took a large gulp, and the rum burned pleasantly down her throat and tingled in her stomach. "It's about...Eirwen."

A sly smile curled the pirate's lips. "Of course it is. What about him?"

"What if...I'm wrong?" Petra said in a small voice. She took another large gulp of rum.

"What?" Hook's voice was laced with confusion.

Petra turned to meet Hook's questioning gaze with wide, haunted eyes. "What if Eirwen _isn't_ the Chosen One." Petra's voice was barely above a whisper. "And I've forced him into this dangerous position."

A deep frown formed on Hook's face. "I thought you _believed_ in him."

"I do!" Petra immediately assured. Perhaps, a little _too_ quickly. "I just...don't want to lose him. He could be killed...because of me."

"Excalibur chose him for a reason, Petra," Hook said firmly. "If you can't believe in your judgment, or him...believe in Excalibur. There was something inside of him that Excalibur found worthy."

"Excalibur," Petra breathed. "You're right." A smile curled Petra's lips and she handed the bottle of rum to Hook.

Hook took the bottle with a nod of thanks and took a swig. "Petra Pan...doubting herself. It really is the end of the world." She shook her head in a helpless way.

"Eirwen will save Neverland." Petra's green eyes were sparkling with renewed hope.

"That's more like it!" Hook took another swig of rum to celebrate her sister's declaration, and almost choked on Petra's next question.

"So...you and Tiger, huh?" Petra gave her sister an expectant look to spill the beans.

A triumphant smile curled Hook's lips. "Yessss. He's _mine_. What a man. He...believes in me."

Petra giggled. "You always said you'd marry a prince!"

Jasmine nodded, recalling their childhood conversations at the bay window. "And you wanted a knight in shinning armor that could slay a dragon-"

"I don't really, uh, have him," Petra interrupted and a small frown formed on her face. "He's...not mine."

Hook's dark green eyes narrowed in a calculating fashion. "I thought you two had sex?"

Petra's cheeks turned pink. "We did, but...I think he regrets it. I think...after he saves Neverland he's going to go back to London, England to never return."

A thoughtful expression fell over Hook's face. "So, you'll just have to go visit him there. Even I visit Earth from time to time when I've managed to steal enough pixie dust to make my ship fly."

"It's not that simple," Petra said, nibbling on her lower lip. "If he goes back to Earth - he'll die. He's...out of time."

Hook's eyes widened with sudden realization and she swallowed a lump in her throat. "You mean...he's like the Lost Girls?'

Petra nodded grimly. "That's right."

Hook reached over to give her sister a consoling pat on her arm. "Then...my advice to you is simply this - decide what it is you want and take it!" She held up her hand and closed the open palm of her right hand into a fist in a dramatic gesture.

"Take it?" Petra tilted her head.

"If you want Eirwen - take him! _Make_ him yours! Even if you have to break a few universal rules to save him...do it!" Hook hinted slyly. "Since when has the infamous Petra Pan let anything stand in her way?"

"Break the rules...?" An idea came to Petra then and she grinned brightly. "Jass, you're a genius!"

Hook's expression was smug and she flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Of course I am. You can thank me later."

"I'll thank you now instead." Petra pulled her sister into a tight hug. "Thank you, Sister!"

Hook blushed and awkwardly patted Petra on the back with her hand. "You're welcome...Sister." Her expression turned fond since Petra was unable to see the look on her face.

When Eirwen and Tiger returned to the Fairy Village at sunset they were immediately greeted by Eirwen's sisters, Tinker, Petra and Hook. Petra was acting shy and happy to see Eirwen, and Eirwen was acting shy and happy to see her too. Hook rolled her eyes at the way the two innocent lovebirds were acting. "Bloody hell."

As Joan and Michelle hugged Eirwen he met Petra's gaze over their shoulders and mouthed: 'I'm sorry'.

Petra's eyes widened in surprise before she smiled back, and nodded as if to say 'Apology accepted'.

Since everyone in the group were all too large to fit into any of the fairy dwellings they slept beneath the stars that night with only the light of a campfire to keep the darkness at bay.

***

The following morning, Eirwen and Hook faced off once more in the arena. Hook was pleased to note that Eirwen appeared to be brimming with confidence, and was acting surer of himself. He no longer appeared to be plagued by self-doubt. She smiled since this was a sign that they were finally getting somewhere with Eirwen's training to be a true knight.

_When in Rome._ Eirwen took a deep breath to steel his nerves, faced Hook, unsheathed Excalibur, and got into a fighting stance. _Do as the Romans do!_ "I can do this," he muttered softly as he tried to psyche himself up.

"Eirwen! Eirwen! Eirwen!" his sisters were cheering from their seats in the coliseum stands.

Eirwen charged forward and watched Hook's hands closely. In this way he was able to predict her next move - a horizontal slash of the spear. Eirwen kept running, fell to his knees, ducked under the spear as he skidded forward, and lunged Excalibur past Hook's defenses.

Hook's emerald green eyes widened in shock as the tip of Excalibur headed towards her stomach. The pirate captain stopped her swing, and executed a few back flips to put more distance between herself and the suddenly deadly Eirwen.

Eirwen was back up on his feet quickly, however, and charged her again. This time Hook executed an overhead downward slash. Eirwen turned sideways and brought Excalibur down on the spear's wooden pole - cutting it in two. Then Eirwen swung Excalibur in Hook's direction, stopping the sword an inch from her throat.

"Bad form, Eirwen," Hook drawled.

Eirwen's elated expression fell. "I'm sorr-"

"I'm praising you, silly ass!" Hook explained as she stalked over to him and thumped him happily on the back. "You're _finally_ fighting like a dirty rotten pirate! I'm _so_ proud. It brings a tear to my eye." The pirate wiped an imaginary tear from her eye with her index finger.

Eirwen grinned. "Yeah, well, I just had to realize this wasn't a fencing competition, but a battle to the death. And there are no rules in a battle to the death."

Eirwen's sisters and his friends were cheering in the stands. "Whoo! Yeah! Eirwen!"

"My turn!" Tinker abruptly announced, making his way to the arena.

"Good luck," Hook said, giving Eirwen another pat on the back. One that was hard enough to make him stumble forward a step. "He's a trickster. Make sure you keep your eyes on him."

"I know," Eirwen agreed.

Tinker and Eirwen faced off in the arena next. The fairy prince waved his hands through the air and began to form a fireball in his hands.

"Bring it on, Tink!" Eirwen called out confidently.

A muscle beneath Tinker's eye ticked in irritation. "Just because you defeated Hook doesn't mean you're ready to face Tezcatlipoca! You'll never beat his magic! I think I should teach you a lesson about being too cocky, Eirwen Darling!" Tinker turned to face the stands, and Petra. The fairy suddenly threw the fireball in Petra's direction.

Eirwen's eyes flared in horror. _Petra!_ He ran to put himself in front of the fireball and frantically tried to figure out what would be the best way to deal with the attack. He couldn't slice it since some of the flames could end up hitting his sisters who were seated nearby.

_Excalibur, please I need your help. Guide my movements._ Eirwen desperately pleaded in his mind.

Suddenly, it seemed clear to Eirwen what he had to do. Using the flat of the sword's blade Eirwen hit the fireball like a baseball and sent it flying back at Tinker. Tinker barely managed to get an energy shield up in time to block his own attack. "Impossible!"

Eirwen then charged towards Tinker, leapt up into the air, and brought Excalibur down on the magic shield in an overhead downward slash that he'd watched Hook do several times. Excalibur clashed against Tinker's magic shield and slowly small cracks began to form in the translucent barrier. Excalibur glowed with a pulsing blue light, and seconds later Tinker's shield shattered.

Tinker fell back to the sandy arena ground with a startled cry, and landed on his backside. He gawked up at Eirwen in shock and blinked owlishly at him. He couldn't believe what had just happened. A mere human had bested his fairy magic. Something like that had _never_ happened before. "You did it. You actually did it."

Eirwen rubbed the back of his neck in a chagrined manner. "No need to act so surprised." His expression turned smug as he made a joke, "I'm just awesome at everything I set out to do with my life!" He held his hand out to Tinker, obviously offering to help him up.

Tinker frowned at Eirwen's hand, but after a moment of hesitation he took Eirwen's hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. The fairy was still eyeing Eirwen with a stunned look on his face. "Maybe Petra was right about you after all."

Eirwen shrugged nonchalantly. "Who knows? But I'll give it my best shot, and play by _my_ own rules."

Tinker's expression turned thoughtful. "Maybe some humans _can_ be trusted," the fairy said so softly that Eirwen didn't overhear him.

Joan, Michelle, Tiger, Hook, and Petra all entered the arena in order to congratulate Eirwen for his win against Tinker, and to slap him on the back. He'd have bruises there tomorrow, but he didn't really mind and couldn't seem to wipe the silly grin off his face.

"Way to go, Brother!" Michelle was literally jumping up and down with glee.

"Good going, Bro," Joan said, a little more composed than her younger sister, but equally proud of her brother. "I knew you could do it!"

"A splendid display of swordsmanship," Hook complimented with a regal nod.

"Well done," Tiger whacked Eirwen on the back causing him to stumble forward a few steps and causing everyone to laugh at his plight.

Petra's green eyes were sparkling with pride. "That's my knight."

Eirwen heard her and turned to meet her gaze, a glint in his golden-brown eyes. "I'm ready for my flying lesson, Teach."

A flash of surprise crossed Petra's face, but then she nodded. "Alright. Tink." She shot the fairy an expectant look.

"Yeah, yeah, coming. Geez, I feel used." Tinker sauntered over to Eirwen and sprinkled some golden fairy dust onto him.

Petra wrapped her arms around Eirwen's waist and flew off, heading for Merman Lagoon again. "Are you sure?" Petra Pan asked tentatively once they were hovering one hundred feet in the air over Merman Lagoon.

"Do it," Eirwen said with a smirk.

Petra let go.

Eirwen fell through the air and decided to think his happy thought - Petra writhing beneath him in pleasure and moaning his name as he made love to her.

All of a sudden, he wasn't falling anymore.

Eirwen opened his eyes, looked down, and noted he was hovering twenty feet above the water's surface. He'd done it! He'd found his 'happy thought'.

Petra flew down and hovered in front of him, an excited and proud expression on her face. "You did it! You found your happy thought!" Her expression turned pensive. "What is it?"

Eirwen's ears turned red. "Not telling."

Petra pouted. "Oh, come on, _please_ -"

"How about I give you a hint?" Eirwen offered with a wolfish glint in his eyes.

Petra tilted her head at Eirwen in confusion. "A hint-?"

Eirwen flew closer and pressed his lips to Petra's in a tender kiss.

Petra's eyes flared in astonishment, and she squeaked. Eirwen cupped her cheek affectionately and prodded at her lips with his tongue, demanding entrance to the sweet cavern of her mouth. Petra sighed blissfully as she opened her mouth to allow Eirwen's tongue inside.

Eirwen's tongue swirled and danced around her own in a way that made Petra's head spin and her toes tingle.

Eirwen felt like he was on Cloud 9 quite literally as he kissed the girl he was secretly in love with in midair.

By the time Eirwen pulled away for air, they were both flushed, and panting for breath. Eirwen admired Petra's disheveled appearance - her kiss-swollen lips, flushed cheeks and her shinning green eyes with their pupils dilated from lust. He did that to her - made her a _woman_.

Eirwen offered Petra his hand with a cocky smirk. "Come on, babe."

Petra shyly took his hand, their fingers lacing together. Then they were off, flying together, and taking in the sights of the beautiful island of Neverland.

They flew back over Merman Lagoon and swooped down lower so that they could get a better look at the mermen who were sunbathing on rocks and sharpening their wicked tridents. The mermen spotted them, cheered, and waved when they saw that Eirwen was finally flying.

After that Eirwen and Petra flew over the Lost Girls' forest. When the Lost Girls spotted them flying together hand-in-hand they raised their spears and let out happy whoops and triumphant cries.

The sounds they were making reminded Eirwen a little of Xena, Warrior Princess, and the thought made Eirwen smile in amusement.

Next, Eirwen and Petra flew over the Indian Village of the Piccaninny Tribe. When the Indians spotted them they raised their tomahawks and let out fierce, passionate war cries. "Ayayayayay!"

Eirwen was tempted to fly over Pirate's Cove, but thought the better of it. He didn't want to get shot down by a cannonball after all. And they may have won Hook's loyalty, but that of her crew remained to be seen.

Eirwen turned his head and looked at Petra, flying beside him. This moment was so incredibly magical. The skies above Neverland belonged to them.

Petra felt Eirwen's eyes on her, and turned to meet his gaze with a slight blush on her face. The smile on her face turned coy.

Eirwen squeezed her hand. "Petra, there's something I need to tell you-" Before Eirwen could tell her what he was feeling, a strange rumbling sound reached their ears, and when they looked down they saw a flock of Never-birds become startled and suddenly take flight from their nests, which they rarely left unguarded, and take to the skies.

Eirwen's eyes narrowed and it appeared as though the leaves of the trees' canopies were shaking below them, which could only mean that the ground itself was shaking too. _An earthquake?_ Eirwen wondered, his brow furrowed with concern. In the distance, the dormant volcano began to shake and emit smoke. "What the hell?"

Petra gasped at the sight. "The volcano...it's awakening. That means we don't have much time. If the volcano erupts...Neverland will be destroyed." Petra nibbled on her lower lip before turning to Eirwen with a grim expression on her face. "The only thing that can stop that volcano from erupting is the Neverland Clock. Our time for preparations has come to an end. You must defeat Tezcatlipoca now."

"Well...shit," Eirwen grumbled. _When it rains...it pours._ "Let's get back to the others."

Petra nodded, and together they flew back to the Fairy Kingdom.

***

When the fairies caught sight of Eirwen and Petra flying over the Fairy Village they cheered triumphantly, their eyes sparkling with hope. The look they were giving him, made Eirwen's stomach tie itself up into knots. _It's time for you to save Neverland, Eirwen. If you fail, everyone is going to die. No pressure._ He thought darkly.

Eirwen and Petra landed on the ground just outside of the royal palace where Hook, Tiger, Eirwen's sisters, Tinker, and Queen Mab were all waiting for them.

As soon as Eirwen's feet touched the ground, Joan and Michelle ran to him and hugged him tight. Eirwen was forced to let Petra's hand go so that he could hug his sisters back, and felt the loss with a pang in his chest.

"You can fly! You can fly!" Michelle said excitedly. "Now we can fly together and have fun adventures in Neverland!"

"I knew you could do it, Bro," Joan said solemnly.

Eirwen hugged them close, tears stinging his eyes. In that moment, he needed their affection desperately. It helped to calm his frayed nerves and fill him with renewed confidence and strength. His sisters depended on him and his strength. He couldn't let them down.

There was a mischievous glint in Tinker's periwinkle eyes. "Heh. It looks like _someone_ found his 'happy thought'. I wonder what it could be?"

Eirwen flushed and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Not telling."

A cat's paw smile formed on Hook's face. "It's sex. Isn't it?" she purred with a knowing glint in her eyes. "Men can be so predictable."

Eirwen turned redder. "Don't say such things in front of my sisters!"

"Jasmine!" Petra chided, in a scandalized tone. "Behave."

Hook merely chuckled, clearly unrepentant. "Behaving is _so_ boring," she drawled.

Tiger was looking amused and silently whacked Eirwen on the back.

Just as everyone started to congratulate Eirwen for finally learning how to fly, the ground beneath everyone's feet began to tremble, harshly reminding Eirwen and Petra of the reason why they'd hurried back to the Fairy Kingdom so quickly.

Joan and Michelle stumbled on unsteady feet and Eirwen reached out to steady them, placing his hands on their arms. Tiger smoothly wrapped his arm around Hook's waist to keep her upright. Tinker steadied Petra - something Eirwen didn't like, but he had his hands full with his sisters, so there was nothing he could really do about it anyways.

Joan frowned. "Another earthquake." She pushed her glasses up her nose. "And this one was stronger than the last one."

"I'm scared," Michelle murmured as she stroked the fur of the squirrel perched on her shoulder to draw comfort from it.

Eirwen and Petra's expressions were grim as they exchanged a knowing look.

"While Eirwen and I were flying over Neverland - we noticed that the Never volcano has begun to awaken," Petra spoke up loudly, so that all could hear. "If the volcano erupts..." She trailed off ominously, being mindful of the presence of Eirwen's sisters. She didn't want the poor little girls to be reduced to tears of fright.

Queen Mab flew over to hover in front of Eirwen's face, reached out, and placed a hand on his cheek. "Eirwen Darling, the time has come for you to face Tezcatlipoca. It is your destiny."

A lopsided smile formed on Eirwen's face. "Sorry, your Majesty, I don't really believe in fate or destiny. But, I do plan to go and kick Tezcatlipoca's ass! For Neverland!"

"Brother used a bad word," Michelle giggled.

"Tezcatlipoca will be expecting us," Hook warned. "His pet crocodiles will make it difficult to get to the great temple."

"The Piccaninny Tribe shall help to cut a path to that demon!" Tiger declared and held up his tomahawk.

"And so will the Lost Girls!" Petra added.

"And the pirates!" Hook said as she took a step forward. The two sisters smirked at each other.

Queen Mab was looking pleased by this unlikely alliance. "Tinker, you shall go with them," she said imperiously.

"Nothing could have kept me away," Tinker said.

Eirwen turned to his sisters and crouched in front of them. He placed his hands on their shoulders. "I want you girls to stay here...where it's safe."

"But, brother-" Joan began to object.

"We want to come with you!" Michelle finished.

Eirwen blinked the tears from his eyes and smiled crookedly at his sisters. They were so brave. So strong. They really were amazing. And he was lucky to have been born their brother and to have been able to know them in this life. "I know, but...if you girls were there I'd be distracted."

"We understand," Joan said. "Good luck, Brother."

"Go kick that big mean crocodile's butt!" Michelle added.

Eirwen chuckled brokenly. "I'll do my best."

Tiger left to gather the warriors of his Tribe. The Indians would meet Eirwen and the others just outside the magical camouflage shield that concealed El Dorado. Hook left to rouse her pirate crew while Petra flew off to retrieve the Lost Girls.

Eirwen and Tinker flew to El Dorado together, landed just outside the shield, and waited for their allies to arrive. Tinker's eyes were on Eirwen as they landed and he noticed that Eirwen's back was straight, his chin held high, and there was this air of confidence around him that hadn't been there before. He almost seemed...Kingly. "You've changed, Eirwen Darling."

"Oh, yeah?" Eirwen arched an eyebrow at the impish fairy prince.

Tinker nodded. "You have more confidence in yourself. Less self-doubt. What changed?" The fairy's voice was laced with curiosity.

Eirwen's shoulders lifted in a casual shrug. "I decided to just...live in the moment, and stop worrying about tomorrow. That's all."

An understanding look fell over Tinker's face. "I know what you mean. You can plan for every eventuality and yet all your plans can still come crashing down. It's next to impossible to predict the future. Hard to predict outcomes...betrayals." Tinker clenched his hands into fists as a dark cloud settled over his face.

"What happened?" Eirwen asked tentatively.

"You wanted to know why I became a _fallen_ prince and was banished from the Fairy Kingdom..." Tinker began. "Well, I'll tell you. Perhaps, you've heard of the famous pirate captain known as Blackbeard?"

Eirwen nodded and recalled how Blackbeard had been the one to kidnap the sisters. "He's the one that kidnapped Petra and Jasmine."

"Indeed. I forgot that you saw Petra's dream memory. One day, his ship was shipwrecked close to Neverland's shore. I found Blackbeard on the beach, and he wasn't breathing. I chose to save his life - a decision I would later come to regret. Blackbeard befriended me, and gained my trust. I was naïve...I believed his praise and compliments. He'd acted so amazed by my ability to do magic. Now, I know better, it wasn't appreciation, but greed.

"I ended up telling him about my home - the Fairy Kingdom and its secrets. I also told him about the Neverland Clock, which had the ability to keep certain things on the island in a time stasis. Blackbeard convinced me to take him to the Fairy Kingdom even though it was forbidden to bring humans there. Then a few days later, Blackbeard returned to the Fairy Kingdom with his entire pirate crew and attacked the fairies while demanding the Neverland Clock.

"The King...my father was killed trying to protect the clock. By the time I got there...it was already too late. I fought against Blackbeard, but it was no use. He easily overpowered me and stuck me inside of a glass lantern. He had fun telling me that he intended to keep me as a pet, and that he would make good use of my ability to produce pixie dust.

"Once Blackbeard had gotten enough pixie dust from me, he used it on his ship, and returned to Earth. That's when Blackbeard started to kidnap virgins with the intention of sacrificing them to the god Tezcatlipoca in order to be rewarded with treasure. This had been Blackbeard's true aim all along. He'd been after the treasure of El Dorado. His friendship with me had been nothing but a well-crafted life.

"Somehow Blackbeard had gotten his hands on a treasure map that had led him and his crew to Neverland. Neverland is where all the 'lost' things go: Excalibur, El Dorado, Eden, Shangri-La, the Holy Grail, the Fountain of Youth, the Sorcerer's Stone and more.

"It was in the bowels of Blackbeard's ship that I met Petra. She shone like a bright light in the darkness. Petra was so different from the other girls who'd been captured. She was brave and hopeful. All the other girls had already given up hope, and had accepted their grim fate. But not Petra. She wouldn't give up or back down. I...admired her instantly. I befriended her, and as you know I helped her to escape Tezcatlipoca's clutches. I heard later that Jasmine was still alive, and she'd somehow managed to kill Blackbeard and his crew. She'd also freed all the slaves."

"Why are you telling me this now?" Eirwen questioned.

"We're about to battle a god," Tinker said grimly. "I might not come out of this alive, and I wanted someone to know the truth. I, too, fear the future."

"It wasn't your fault that your father died, Tinker," Eirwen consoled. "That's all on Blackbeard."

"And Hook killed Blackbeard, and avenged my father's death," Tinker pointed out. "Ah, the irony. The girl I selfishly left to die - did what I was unable to do. I owe her one."

"Well, Petra and Hook can make a guy feel a little inadequate," Eirwen joked as he tried to lighten the mood a little. "That's perfectly normal."

Tinker raised an eyebrow at Eirwen before letting out a sigh. "I still can't believe _you_ are destined to be Neverland's King."

"I don't believe in destiny," Eirwen reminded.

"After Tezcatlipoca's defeat do you still plan to leave Neverland?" Tinker asked.

"Yes," Eirwen said without missing a beat. "I've already made up my mind."

"And _that_ is exactly why I don't think you're worthy of Petra's love," Tinker sneered, his lip curling in disgust. "You would abandon her so easily."

"It's _not_ easy," Eirwen objected fiercely. "But I have a promise to keep."

"Excalibur might think you're good enough, but I still don't think you're good enough for Petra," Tinker continued mercilessly.

"You just don't get it." Eirwen let out a frustrated huff. "I don't _want_ to leave her. I have no choice, but to leave."

"There's always a choice," Tinker snapped irritably. "If you break her heart more than you have already, I'll be forced to kill you. Remember that, human."

"Well, you'll have to get in line," Eirwen quipped. "Tezcatlipoca is going to try and kill me first."

"I suppose I will," Tinker agreed with a dour nod. "You'd better not die before I've gotten the chance to try and kill you, Eirwen Darling."

A broken laugh slipped past Eirwen's lips. "I'll do my best." _It's all I can do._

To be continued in...Chapter 9:

### Chapter 9:

Eirwen and Tinker's conversation was cut short when their friends and allies started to arrive. The first group to arrive was Petra and the Lost Girls. They were flying through the air, bows and quivers of arrows slung over their shoulders, and holding spears. The Lost Girls flew over to Eirwen and Tinker, swooped down, and landed gracefully beside them.

The Lost Girls had taken their wigs off, revealing their bald heads. They obviously wanted to express that for them this was a fight for their very lives, and it reminded Eirwen of all the things he was fighting for.

Eirwen was fighting for the dying Lost Girls. He was fighting to protect Petra and his sisters from an ancient evil. And he was fighting to save Neverland from destruction.

_I can't save myself, but I can save them!_ Eirwen thought adamantly to himself. _I'll give it my best shot, and win, or die trying!_

Eirwen nodded at the Lost Girls he recognized \- Nibby, the remaining twin, Lulu, and Tootles. Eirwen thought that Tootles was a little young to be there fighting with them, but there was a determined look in her eyes and she was holding a slingshot. At the very least, he had to admire her fighting spirit. The girls offered him crooked smiles and nodded back. The other Lost Girls were a little star-struck by Eirwen, and were looking at him with hope and respect shinning in their eyes.

_No pressure._ Eirwen thought to himself as his stomach started to tie itself up into knots again.

The next group to arrive was prince Tiger and the Piccaninny Tribe's warriors. They were wearing feathered headdresses, loin clothes or leather pants, and moccasins. Colorful war paint had been slathered across their faces lending to their fierce appearances. The warriors were wielding tomahawks, and also had bows and quivers of arrows slung over their shoulders.

The Indians were shirtless and their tanned muscular chests were on display. They had powerful battle auras surrounding them. Eirwen could tell they were all seasoned warriors with a tremendous amount of battle experience (ironically gained by fighting pirates). Like Tiger they wore stoic, determined expressions on their faces.

Their bulging muscles made Eirwen feel a little self-conscious about his leanly muscled physique. It was hard to put on weight when you were dying of brain cancer. They looked so much stronger than he did, and yet he was the one who was supposed to kill a god.

Last to arrive were Hook and her crew. Some of the female pirates swung down from the nearby trees on ropes for dramatic effect. Eirwen shook his head amusedly at the intimidating display. _Hook...such a Diva._ The pirate captain was prone to theatrics and putting on a show. Apparently, there was method to her madness though, when Eirwen noticed that the Lost Girls and Indians all stiffened at the abrupt appearance of the pirates. One's image or reputation could also be seen as a form of strength.

The Lost Girls and Indians eyed the pirates warily and with open suspicion. They'd been mortal enemies for centuries after all, so Eirwen could hardly blame them.

Hook noticed the glares and casually strolled over to Eirwen before she suddenly knelt before him, head bowed. "I await your orders, my King." A tiny smirk was playing on her lips, but only Eirwen could see it.

Eirwen's eyes widened at this unexpected display of loyalty. Hook's crew swiftly followed suit, and they all knelt before Eirwen. This action immediately appeared to break the mounting tension, and the Indians and Lost Girls all knelt and bowed their heads before Eirwen in a sign of loyalty and respect to Excalibur's chosen knight. They couldn't let themselves be outdone by a bunch of pirates after all.

The Lost Girls and Indians may not trust the pirates, but they could understand that Hook had decided to serve Eirwen for the time being, and Hook had never knelt before _anyone_. Ever. It was quite shocking for the prideful Hook to do so, and had caught everyone off guard.

Eirwen observed the kneeling pirates, Indians, and Lost Girls before him. They all seemed to believe whole-heartedly that he was their destined would-be King. Eirwen was almost beginning to feel convinced by their fervor that he really _was_ Neverland's King.

But, he was the only one who knew about the deal he'd made with Excalibur, and how the sword was on loan. He still felt like a fraud because of it, and doubt swirled inside of his chest. He didn't know what the truth was anymore. Perhaps, he really was Neverland's destined King, perhaps not.

In the end, none of that really mattered. What did matter was that Eirwen understood the importance of all these people believing that he _was_ the foretold King, the Chosen One. He couldn't break that illusion for them since it would ruin their moral and perhaps affect the outcome of the upcoming battle against Tezcatlipoca. He had a part to play, and he would play it well.

The denizens of Neverland needed something to believe in. Something real. They needed him. That's why Eirwen unsheathed Excalibur with one fluid motion, and held the sword high above his head. "People of Neverland! Tezcatlipoca's insidious plot to destroy Neverland must be stopped at all costs. The time has come to fight! His evil reign must come to an end. Today, we go to face the evil god Tezcatlipoca in order to retrieve the stolen Neverland Clock from his dark clutches. I plan to kill Tezcatlipoca, but I cannot do this task alone! Tezcatlipoca's pets and minions must be destroyed first if we are to reach the great temple! That's why, I need _all_ of you to stand with me!"

"Eirwen's right," Petra Pan spoke up loudly. "We can no longer live in fear of Tezcatlipoca! It's time to instill fear in _his_ heart instead! And Eirwen is here to help us!"

Eirwen tossed a roguish smirk Petra's way before continuing, "With the power of Excalibur I _will_ slay a god! For I am...the Chosen One, the foretold King of Neverland! So, who will fight with their King? Lost Girls?" Eirwen turned to give the Lost Girls a questioning look.

The Lost Girls shouted out their agreement: "Aye!"

"The Piccaninny Tribe?" Eirwen turned to look at the Indian warriors next.

The Indians all raised their tomahawks, and let out fierce war cries: "Ayayayayay!"

"The Jolly Roger Pirates led by Captain Hook?" Eirwen turned to the pirates expectantly.

The pirates grinned sharply, raised their cutlasses and pistols, and shouted their agreement to fight alongside Eirwen: "Aye, aye, King! Arrr!"

All three groups began to chant as one after that: "All hail, King Eirwen! All hail, King Eirwen! Long live, the King!"

The players had been gathered, and the game for control over Neverland was about to begin. Petra Pan grinned wickedly. She'd always enjoyed a good game.

Eirwen hovered up off the ground and pointed his sword forward. "Then, follow me! To battle!" He flew into the magical barrier and disappeared from sight. All three groups fearlessly followed after Eirwen into the Lost City of Gold, El Dorado.

As soon as Eirwen made it through the barrier to El Dorado he had to duck as a crocodile leapt up into the air towards him, its maw wide open. "Bloody hell!" Eirwen gawked as the crocodile soared over him where he'd been floating just seconds before.

The main entrance to the city was being guarded by dozens of crocodiles just like Hook had predicted, and warned them about.

Once the Lost Girls, pirates, and Indians passed through the barrier they instantly had to engage in battle against the hungry, ferocious, and angry crocodiles. After just a few minutes of fighting, it became obvious that the crocodiles' scales could not be pierced by either spear or cutlass.

Things were already looking grim, when Tiger bravely ran forward and leapt onto the back of a crocodile. He gripped its neck and pulled back, exposing the crocodile's underbelly. "Now, men!" Tiger yelled to his tribesmen.

Two Indians let out war cries, rushed forward, and attacked the crocodile's soft underbelly with their tomahawks.

Once the crocodile had been slain Tiger hopped off its back, and turned to face Eirwen. "Go! Continue your way to the temple, my King! The Piccaninny Tribe shall handle this!"

Eirwen hesitated. He didn't like the idea of leaving people behind.

Hook noticed his conflicted expression, stalked over to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We should continue our way to the temple," Hook urged with a squeeze to his shoulder. "This won't be the only obstacle Tezcatlipoca will throw at us. He's sure to have more tricks up his dastardly sleeve."

Eirwen nodded his reluctant assent. "Okay."

Hook let go of Eirwen and walked over to Tiger. She boldly wrapped her arms around Tiger's neck and pulled him down for a quick, desperate and passionate kiss.

Eirwen flushed at the heated display, and glanced away.

A minute later, Hook shoved Tiger back and licked her lips, a possessive glint in her eyes. "Don't you dare die, Tiger. I have plans for you."

Tiger grinned cockily, and raised his bloody tomahawk. "Worry not for my safety, my love. I am a warrior of the Piccaninny Tribe. And we do not die easily."

Hook grinned sharply at her handsome and fierce Indian prince before pointing her cutlass forward towards the great temple in the distance. "Onward!"

"Be safe, Jasmine," Tiger murmured softly as Hook and the others marched off.

In this manner, the warriors of the Piccaninny Tribe were left behind to battle against Tezcatlipoca's beloved pet crocodiles. The Indians charged towards the crocodiles, leapt onto their backs, and wrestled with them until they managed to wrap their arms around the crocodiles' necks. Then they pulled back on the crocodiles' necks, exposing their underbellies so that their fellow tribesmen could charge forward and use their tomahawks to mercilessly gut the beasts.

As Eirwen continued his charge through the glittering city of El Dorado, he tried not to let the fascinating sights of the city distract him. This was the first time he'd been inside of the legendary city before though, and the pyramid-like buildings with Aztec architecture and tall, stone animal totem poles inlaid with gold were all quite impressive.

There were also large stone animal statues inlaid with gold and that had glittering gemstones for eyes. These statues were situated on either side of the main road they were running down. The air was still around them. Too still. And it was quiet. Too quiet.

All of a sudden a loud scraping sound like stone rubbing against stone reached their ears. "What the?" Eirwen looked around nervously, wondering where that strange sound was coming from. But there were just statues...

"Look out, Eirwen!" Hook warned, shoving Eirwen aside, and raising her pistol and firing. And just in time too.

"Bloody hell!" Eirwen watched wide-eyed as a stone statue shaped like a lion, flew through the air. The bullet hit the stone lion's forehead and its head shattered. The rest of the statue crumbled to pieces, chunks of stone hitting the ground, and rolling across it.

Eirwen looked bewildered. "What the hell was that?" he demanded from Hook.

Hook's expression was grim. "Tezcatlipoca's blood magic. Tez is able to imbue the statues in El Dorado with his dark blood magic and animate and control them from afar. Like puppets." She waggled the fingers of her right hand at Eirwen.

"He can bring the statues in this city to life?" Petra questioned, narrowing her eyes warily at the other stone statues that were close by.

Hook nodded stiffly. "Tez will most likely animate _all_ of the statues in El Dorado. And they're obviously targeting Eirwen." A determined look fell over Hook's face. "You and the Lost Girls go on ahead. We pirates will handle Tezcatlipoca's statues. Isn't that right, girls?" She questioned her crew loudly.

"Aye, aye, Captain!" the female pirates yelled back and readily raised their pistols in response.

"Alright. Let's clear a path for the Chosen One!" Hook shot a mocking wink Eirwen's way. Eirwen gave her a crooked grin in return.

Eirwen, Petra, the Lost Girls, Hook, and pirates continued their way forward. The stone statues all around them began to come to life, their jeweled eyes glowing with an eerie green light. And just as Hook suspected, the statues all seemed to be targeting Eirwen specifically.

Hook ordered her crew to form two groups. The first group would fire their pistols at the stone statues and then immediately the second group would fire their pistols at the statues, giving the first group time to reload their pistols. This way the pirates had two lines of defense. Eirwen had to admit he was impressed, and could understand why Hook had been made captain. She was one savvy pirate.

With the pirates distracting the stone statues and keeping them busy, Eirwen, Petra and the Lost Girls were able to slip past them, and make a break for the temple. Luckily, they managed to reach the steep stone steeps that led up to the temple unhindered, and without hesitating continued their way, running up the steps. A few minutes later, they were cautiously entering the main audience chamber.

Orange and red flames burst to life in the tall gold braziers that were situated all around the stone chamber's perimeter, and flooded their surroundings with an eerie, flickering light. Eirwen had to resist letting out an impressed whistle as the chamber was illuminated. On either side stood enormous stone columns that had Aztec pictograms carved into them. Eirwen was even able to recognize what some of those pictograms were meant to represent - there were a lot of crocodiles and warriors fighting for their lives carved into those columns, and Eirwen found that to be pretty self-explanatory.

At the far end of the chamber on a raised dais sat a throne made entirely out of human skulls. A chill crawled up Eirwen's spine at the unsettling sight, but his chill only increased when he saw the being that was seated upon that macabre throne. Eirwen instantly knew that the male being must be the evil shape-shifting mage and Aztec god known as Tezcatlipoca.

Tezcatlipoca had golden eyes with slit, reptilian pupils that were currently glowing with a green-tinged light that reminded Eirwen of the animated stone statues. Somehow, Eirwen knew that the god must have been busy controlling the statues to fight the pirates while he sat on his throne in a relaxed pose. Tezcatlipoca didn't appear to be at all concerned that enemies had wandered into his midst, and that made Eirwen incredibly uneasy.

The Aztec god had long dark green hair with black streaks, and was wearing an elaborate feathered headdress. He was also wearing a lot of gold: earrings, a necklace, bracelets and anklets. The only article of clothing the mage was wearing was a dark green and gold loincloth, leaving his tanned muscular chest on full display. Tezcatlipoca had even more muscles than the Indian warriors of the Piccaninny Tribe, and Eirwen gulped. He looked like he could rip a tree right out of the ground, and snap it in two with his bare hands.

Malevolent power was radiating off of the mage in waves and making the air around them feel heavy. Eirwen's limbs started to tremble due to Tezcatlipoca's intimidating presence. He tried to take a step forward, hesitated, and ended up stumbling forward a step. He realized that he was instinctually afraid of this being before him. This was probably the same way a mouse would feel looking at a cobra.

But what did Eirwen really have to fear? Being killed? Death? Dying?

Eirwen's time was already up, so he had no reason to fear death. His days were already numbered. Death was already coming for him.

Eirwen swallowed his fear. He was not afraid of dying. He was not afraid of death. And so, he was _not_ afraid of Tezcatlipoca!

Eirwen took a deep breath and let it out slowly, steeling his nerves. He could do this. Eirwen always had to do this relaxation exercise before a fencing match. And that's all this really was - a glorified fencing match to the death. No holds barred.

Piled around Tezcatlipoca's throne were mountains of gold: coins, jewelry, goblets, crowns, and weapons incrusted with jewels. A tiny, amused smirk formed on Eirwen's face when Tezcatlipoca suddenly reminded him of the greedy dragon, Smaug, guarding his hoard of treasure in the Misty Mountain.

Eirwen unsheathed Excalibur and pointed it at Tezcatlipoca. He gave himself a mental pat on the back since his hand wasn't trembling. "Hello there, Smaug. Let's play a game."

Tezcatlipoca's still glowing eyes narrowed dangerously at Eirwen. "Eirwen Darling, I've been watching you - your exploits and your failures. Do you really believe that you - a mere _human_ \- has what it takes to kill a _god_?" His lip curled in a disdainful sneer causing his pointed incisors to become visible.

Eirwen shrugged carelessly. "I dunno, but I sure as hell am going to try! Return the Neverland Clock, or die."

Tezcatlipoca's eyes flashed. "You dare to threaten a god?" A dark chuckle slipped past the mage's lips. "How utterly pointless. As for the Neverland Clock..." Tezcatlipoca reached out and picked it up off the pile of treasure close to his throne and showed it to Eirwen. "I've become quite fond of its ticking and have no plans to relinquish my possession of it _willingly_." He stroked the clock lovingly.

_So that's the Neverland Clock._ Eirwen eyed the clock with great curiosity. It was a very ornate looking mantle clock, but it wasn't overly large and could easily be held in one hand. Eirwen let out a frustrated huff. "Then, get off your lazy ass and fight me, Tezcatlipoca!"

Tezcatlipoca arched an eyebrow at Eirwen. "You presume much to give me orders, foolish mortal. But why should I give in to a mortal's whim? I have no reason to play your game. If you wish to fight me so badly - you'll have to get past my minions first! Arise, my lovely virgin sacrifices!" He spread his arms wide.

A disquieting rattling sound filled the chamber, and then Eirwen watched as the bones and skulls that were scattered around the chamber began to slide across the floor and combine until skeletons were rising up off the stone floor to a standing position.

The animated skeletons were all glowing with a green light, and their hollow eye sockets were glowing brightly most of all. The skeletons stalked over to the piles of gold and treasure, and retrieved various weapons - jeweled swords and daggers.

These were the skeletons of all of the women that had been sacrificed to the god Tezcatlipoca. Eirwen felt bile rise up in his throat at the unnerving thought. "You sick bastard." Even in their death, Tezcatlipoca wasn't allowing those poor girls to rest in peace - they were still his slaves, his victims.

Petra whipped out her dagger, a steely expression on her face. "This looks like a job for the Lost Girls! Right, girls?"

"Aye!" The Lost Girls called out, holding up their spears.

Petra turned to Eirwen and spoke, "Let us handle the skeletons, Eirwen. You fight Tezcatlipoca."

Tezcatlipoca waved his hand dismissively in their general direction. "Kill them, my lovelies."

The skeletons raised their weapons and charged forward. The Lost Girls raised their spears and ran forward to meet them, letting out loud battle cries.

Stunned, Eirwen watched as the Lost Girls engaged in battle against the animated skeletons without fear. Spears clashed against sword and dagger, a clanging sound filling the chamber.

The Lost Girls were adept fighters, and soon their spears were slipping past the skeletons' defenses and their bones were being shattered. The Lost Girls looked so brave, strong and beautiful in that moment it made Eirwen's heart ache. He knew that they must have been feeling just as drained and exhausted as he was. But they weren't letting their aches and pains hold them back. They kept moving forward.

The Lost Girls inspired Eirwen, and gave him hope. They were amazing. In the face of such overwhelming odds they stood tall, unbroken, and would not bend. Would not give up. So strong was their conviction that they would fight until the end. Until their last dying breaths.

And so would he.

Sword held in his right hand, Eirwen marched towards Tezcatlipoca, who was still reclining regally on his throne. Eirwen didn't even bother to glance sideways at the skeletons he saw approaching him out of the corner of his eye - he _knew_ the Lost Girls and Petra had his back.

Tezcatlipoca arched an eyebrow at Eirwen's confident approach. Once Eirwen was in front of Tezcatlipoca he placed both hands on the hilt of Excalibur and swung his sword in a horizontal arcing slash towards the god.

Just before Excalibur would have sliced into Tezcatlipoca a shimmery green shield flared to life and blocked the attack. _Bollocks. A magic shield. It's just like Hook said._

"You would _dare_?" Tezcatlipoca snarled viciously. "You lowly mortal! I am a _god_!" The mage summoned his magical power, and an invisible blast hit Eirwen and sent him flying.

Eirwen knocked into one of the stone columns that were on either side of the chamber, the back of his head cracking painfully against the stone. Temporarily dazed, Eirwen slid down the column, leaving a trail of blood behind on the column from his head injury. He groaned in pain and a little despair. Tezcatlipoca was just too powerful.

Tezcatlipoca stood up from his throne, held his hand out, and summoned a long golden spear from a pocket dimension. It appeared in a flash of gold in his hand. An evil gleam in his gold eyes, the mage approached Eirwen with slinking, predatory steps that reminded Eirwen of a stalking panther.

"Eirwen, get up!" Petra yelled.

Tezcatlipoca came to stand directly in front of Eirwen, and pointed his spear at the would-be King. "You are nothing but a pathetic little insect. And I will squash you like one." The mage sniffed the air in front of him. "Your blood carries the stench of death. Allow me to put you out of your misery. Killing you...is me being merciful." A cruel smile curled the mage's lips.

Eirwen blinked his hazy eyes and looked up at Tezcatlipoca.

Tezcatlipoca lunged his spear forward.

Petra cried out, "No!"

At the very last second, Eirwen used Excalibur to block the attack. A loud clang reverberated through the air. Eirwen then rolled out of the way of a second attack coming his way, and scrambled to his feet. He placed both hands on Excalibur's hilt in a tight grip.

Tezcatlipoca's blood boiled with anger that his prey had escaped him, and he growled low in his throat as he stalked after Eirwen with menacing intent.

Eirwen was blinking black spots from his vision, and his head was pounding. "This is just a fencing match," Eirwen muttered to himself before he attacked the mage again, lunging his sword forward. Tezcatlipoca blocked the attack with his spear as expected.

The deadly dance began. Sword clashing against spear.

Tezcatlipoca's blows were so fierce that when their blades clashed, sparks were sent up into the air.

Try as he might, Eirwen couldn't get past Tezcatlipoca's defenses, but neither could the god get past Eirwen's defenses.

The frustration and growing disbelief were beginning to show on Tezcatlipoca's face. Eirwen noted that the god's movements were eerily similar to Hook's, and because of this he found the mage's attacks easy to predict and block.

Stunned, Eirwen realized that he was holding his own against a so-called god. _Don't let it go to your head, Eirwen. Concentrate._ He told himself sternly. Eirwen's gaze focused on Tezcatlipoca's hands, so that he could read his movements and predict his next move. _Now!_

Eirwen predicted the horizontal swing of the spear and ran forward, fell to his knees on purpose, skidded across the stone floor with his momentum, and lunged Excalibur forward towards Tezcatlipoca's exposed stomach.

_Come on, Excalibur! I need your help!_ Eirwen thought fervently in his mind.

The tip of Excalibur's blade hit Tezcatlipoca's magic shield, but then cracks formed on the shield that had temporarily become visible as it was being attacked, and then seconds later Excalibur was passing through the translucent green shield.

Eirwen let out a yell as he continued to press the sword forward, and finally he managed to stab Tezcatlipoca's stomach.

Tezcatlipoca glanced down in shock at the wound and leapt backwards to put some distance between himself and Eirwen, Excalibur sliding out of his flesh. The mage touched a hand to his wound and stared down at the purplish-red blood on his hand in horror.

Eirwen smirked smugly. "Heh. I guess gods _can_ bleed."

Tezcatlipoca's head snapped up and he snarled in outrage. "How dare you - a mere mortal - do this to me? I will make you _pay_ for your insolence!"

"You're nothing but a coward, Tezcatlipoca, hiding behind your magic," Eirwen egged. "Why don't you try and fight me without it, huh? You monster!"

Tezcatlipoca smiled viciously, bearing his sharp, triangular-shaped shark-like teeth. "A monster, am I? How about I show you how much of a monster I can be!" The mage's body began to glow with a green light and then he transformed.

The transformation from man to beast took a handful of seconds, and then there was a ginormous forty-foot-long crocodile standing on four legs where the evil mage had been standing only moments before. The creature had a sinister appearance with overly sharp looking dark green and black scales, and large gold eyes with slit pupils. The black claws on its forelegs and hind legs were a foot long, and razor sharp.

Eirwen gulped. It was bigger than he'd thought it would be.

Tezcatlipoca opened his maw, let out a ferocious roar, and charged towards Eirwen a lot faster than he would have thought possible.

"Bloody hell!" Eirwen exclaimed. Tezcatlipoca opened his maw wide and tilted his head slightly, prepared to devour Eirwen whole. At the last second, Eirwen flew upwards towards the ceiling. The crocodile's maw snapped closed around thin air.

Eirwen let out a sigh of relief. "Phew. That was a close one." He wiped sweat from his brow. "Good thing I learned how to fly." He shot Petra an appreciative glance, but she was busy fighting off skeletons and he didn't want to risk distracting her with a loud 'thank you'.

Eirwen flew down and attacked the crocodile with Excalibur. The sword impacted against those diamond-hard scales and had no effect. _Bloody hell._ This was so not good.

Tezcatlipoca swung his tail at Eirwen. Eirwen dodged the attack and Tezcatlipoca's tail collided with several of the stone pillars. The pillars shattered and crumbled, large pieces of stone flying through the air and then rolling across the floor.

The whole temple began to shake ominously as the support pillars were broken. "Uh oh," Eirwen muttered darkly. "Not good." Eirwen looked down and saw that the Lost Girls were still busy fighting the skeletons. Fighting the undead was always tricky since they never seemed to want to _stay_ down.

Eirwen knew that he had to somehow lure Tezcatlipoca away from the temple before the destructive beast ended up destroying the temple along with the Neverland Clock that was sitting on the skull throne.

"Hey Tick-Tock, over here!" Eirwen flew down, bonked the crocodile on his snout, and flew off towards the exit of the temple. "Catch me if you can, Slow Poke!"

"Rawwrrrrr!" Tezcatlipoca let out a furious roar and charged after Eirwen in a blind rage.

***

Meanwhile, Hook and her pirates continued to face off against the animated stone statues, and had thus far been successful in their destruction. However-

At that moment, there was an ominous rumbling sound, and the ground beneath their feet began to tremble and quake. "What the bloody hell?" Hook's gaze darted around nervously and that's when she spotted an enormous stone dragon statue she hadn't noticed before. The statue was twenty-feet-long, had a square-shaped head, and boxy limbs. Its eyes were two large emeralds.

The Aztec pictograms that had been carved into the stone began to glow with a green light as Tezcatlipoca began to animate the dragon statue with his dark blood magic.

Hook fearlessly approached the statue as it started to move, and aimed her pistol at its head. She fired her pistol and the bullet flew through the air before hitting the center of the statue's forehead. However, it had no effect and harmlessly bounced off.

"Bugger me." Hook unsheathed her cutlass, and got into a fighting stance. "Bring it on then!" She charged forward and attacked the stone dragon that was still only partially animated. Hook leapt up into the air and brought her cutlass down upon the statue's head.

The blade of her cutlass shattered. "Bloody hell!" Hook landed on her feet, and the dragon approached, tilted its head sideways, and opened its maw wide.

Jasmine tossed her now useless sword aside. She held up her hook, but realized it wouldn't do much damage. There was really no point in running either. Without her pistol and cutlass, she was pretty much defenseless. Hook shut her eyes and waited for the sensation of all the bones in her body being crushed.

"No!" A male's outraged shout reached her ears.

Hook's eyes snapped open to see that Tinker was standing in front of her. He was using his bare hands to keep the dragon's maw open and to keep it from closing. Sweat beaded Tinker's brow and his muscles strained visibly as he used all of his strength to keep the dragon's stone maw from closing around him.

"Tinker...?" Hook asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. "What are you doing?"

"Making amends," Tinker said solemnly. "And repaying a debt. Ah!" The fairy gathered his magical power until his entire body was glowing with a bright golden light. The light grew brighter and brighter until Hook was forced to shield her eyes. Then Tinker concentrated on letting his magic explode outwards.

An explosion rocked the air and destroyed the stone dragon statue. The shockwave of power hit Hook, and she cried out in surprise as she was knocked off her feet and sent flying back.

When Hook pushed herself up off the ground, a cloud of dust was obscuring her view of Tinker and the stone dragon. "Tinker!" she called out and cautiously approached. Slowly, the dust cloud began to disperse, and finally revealed that the stone dragon had been utterly destroyed, blasted to bits. Large chunks of stone lay scattered everywhere.

_Where's Tink?_ Hook's eyes scanned the debris searchingly. When she finally spotted the fairy lying on the ground, she saw that he was small again. "Tink!" Hook rushed over to the fallen fairy and carefully scooped him up into her hand. The fairy's inner glow was flickering ominously and becoming dimmer by the second. Tink...was dying. "Tink, you saved me. Please, don't die. If you do, you'll make Petra sad."

***

Eirwen zoomed out of the temple with Tezcatlipoca right behind him. The entrance was big enough for the crocodile to pass through, but its swishing tail hit another stone column and caused it to shatter as the crocodile exited the temple in a rush.

Eirwen made sure to avoid the pirates that were still fighting against the animated statues. The last thing they needed was a gigantic crocodile added to the mix. Once he'd found an area where no one appeared to be fighting, Eirwen turned around in midair, and eyed the crocodile that was heading towards him.

"Okay. Let's do this," Eirwen said to himself as he tightened his grip on Excalibur and then flew towards Tezcatlipoca. He circled the crocodile, and then dove down and attacked.

Excalibur's blade clashed against the scales, but the crocodile's scales took no damage. _Shit, shit, shit._ Eirwen inwardly swore. He tried not to lose hope and tried attacking a few other places on the crocodile while narrowly avoiding its snapping maw and vicious tail swipes.

_Maybe his underbelly is his weakness...like the other crocodiles._ Eirwen mused, and decided to fly down lower. Then he flew forward as fast as he could, ducked down under the crocodile's chin, and lunged his sword forward.

Eirwen's sword bounced harmlessly off the scales. Harsh tremors went up Eirwen's arms from the force of the impact and the vibrating sword blade in his grasp. _Weak spot. Weak spot._ Eirwen repeated in his mind as he flew circles around the crocodile. _Where is its weak spot?_

The crocodile's large golden eyes tracked Eirwen's movements. Eirwen swallowed thickly. Those reptilian eyes were super creepy. _His eyes...that's it! It's now or never. I can do this!_ Eirwen flew forward and lunged his sword towards Tezcatlipoca's left eye.

Tezcatlipoca opened his maw wide and snapped it down - it closed down on Eirwen's leg, but he ignored the pain in his thigh, and continued lunging his sword forward.

Eirwen jabbed Excalibur into the beast's eye, and then slightly aimed the sword upwards, in order to pierce Tezcatlipoca's brain. Eirwen flinched at the increased pain in his leg, continued to ignore it, and kept lunging his sword up. _Come on, Excalibur, buddy! Let's do this!_

Excalibur emerged out of the top of Tezcatlipoca's head. Tezcatlipoca roared in pain and began to thrash. The crocodile let go of Eirwen's leg.

With the crocodile swinging his head from side to side Eirwen lost his grip on Excalibur's hilt, and tumbled back through the air. Eirwen didn't have the strength to fly, and so hit the ground hard. He rolled across the ground, and came to a stop in a bloody heap.

Tezcatlipoca continued to thrash and roar in pain until finally the crocodile's body went still, and crashed to the ground with a heavy thud that caused the ground beneath Eirwen's body to tremble. The creature's eyes rolled into the back of its skull in death.

Tezcatlipoca's body transformed back into his human form. Excalibur was still grotesquely imbedded in Tezcatlipoca's eye socket and brain, and the sword's tip and part of its blade could be seen sticking out of the top of the mage's skull.

Eirwen weakly pushed himself up off the ground, and limped over to Tezcatlipoca's prone body to make sure the evil sorcerer was _really_ good and dead. Blood was gushing out of the wound on his left leg, but Eirwen barely paid it any mind.

Eirwen nudged Tezcatlipoca with the toe of his boot. "Hey, evil mage...you dead? You'd better be - because I'm out of batteries here." He reached down, wrapped his hand around Excalibur's hilt, and slid the sword out of the Aztec god's skull. Tezcatlipoca's body began to disintegrate, and it turned into a pile of gold dust.

Eirwen could hardly believe it. Tezcatlipoca...was dead.

Eirwen watched as the animated statues around the city of El Dorado stopped moving, and crashed to the ground. "The statues...stopped moving!" the pirates cried cheerily.

The crocodiles that had been attacking the Indians suddenly stopped and began to wander off. "The crocodiles...they're leaving!" The Indians shouted and then let out triumphant war cries with their tomahawks raised high. "Ayayayayay!"

Inside the temple, Eirwen figured that the animated stone skeletons had probably stopped moving and trying to kill Petra and the Lost Girls. Apparently, he was right because just a few minutes later he saw Petra and the Lost Girls flying out of the temple and heading in his direction.

"Look, Tezcatlipoca is dead!" Cecily yelled out, having seen the god's body disintegrate to gold dust.

"Eirwen did it! He killed Tezcatlipoca!" A pirate that was covered in tattoos added.

"Where is Eirwen Darling?" Tiger questioned.

"He's over there!" Another Indian pointed in Eirwen's direction.

That's when all the different groups began to head in Eirwen's direction - the Indians, the pirates and the Lost Girls. They formed a circle around him and began to celebrate their victory over Tezcatlipoca.

Eirwen smiled lopsidedly at them and raised Excalibur in a victory salute. "This victory...I owe it to all of you! I couldn't have done it without everyone! We did it! We defeated Tezcatlipoca and saved Neverland! We won!"

A loud cheer rose up from all three groups and then they began to chant: "All hail, King Eirwen! All hail, King Eirwen! All hail, King Eirwen!"

Petra flew over to Eirwen and hovered in front of him, her green eyes sparkling with delight. "I knew you could do it. You saved everyone, Eirwen, my knight. My hero. My love." She flew forward and pressed her lips against his.

Eirwen eagerly kissed her back, putting all his secret feelings behind the kiss. He couldn't tell Petra that he loved her too, not when he still planned to leave Neverland, and go back to the 'real world', but he could at least show her how he truly felt.

Tiger was glancing around the crowd searchingly. "Hey, has anyone seen Hook?" His voice was laced with worry.

"I'm over here." Hook's tone of voice was subdued. All eyes focused on the pirate captain, and then their gazes dropped to the tiny figure she was cradling carefully in the palm of her right hand.

Petra sucked in a breath at the sight of the unconscious Tinker whose inner light was flickering. "Is that...?"

"Tinker." Hook nodded. "He saved me." Her green eyes were full of sadness and regret.

Eirwen approached Hook and looked down at Tinker's unconscious form. The fairy had returned to his usual smaller size. His inner golden glow was flickering as the light began to fade.

A dark frown formed on Eirwen's face. Tinker couldn't die. He just couldn't. Eirwen didn't realize what he was doing before he did it. He clapped his hands and then clapped again. "Come on, Tinker! Wake up! You can't die! You're stronger than that! I do believe in fairies! I _do_ believe in fairies!"

Everyone began to join in and clap along with Eirwen and chant: "I do believe in fairies! I do believe in fairies!"

"Come on, Tinker," Eirwen murmured softly. "You can't leave her. Petra needs you."

Slowly, the flickering light began to stabilize and grow a little brighter. Seconds later, Tinker awoke with a gasp and sat up in the palm of Hook's hand, blinking around in confusion.

Hook stared down at Tinker in awe. "He's...alive."

Petra had tears in her eyes, but they were from happiness not sadness. "Oh, Tink! You're alive!" She ran over, scooped Tinker out of Hook's hand, and kissed him. Her lips practically covered Tinker's entire face.

Tinker sputtered indignantly as he used both his hands to shove Petra's lips off his face. "Blargh! Couldn't you have tried to kiss me while we were the same size? Now, it's just...wrong on _so_ many levels."

Everyone laughed at the sight of Tinker wiping saliva off his face, and then cheered that Tinker was still alive. The Lost Girls had tears in their eyes. Tinker had been their 'guardian' for centuries. He was family, and his loss would have been a tremendous blow.

Tinker looked around somewhat irritated by everyone's carefree attitudes. "Petra, where is the Neverland Clock?"

Petra gave the fairy a smug look before whipping it out and showing it to Tinker. "It's right here." The Neverland Clock was _still_ ticking away.

"Good," Tinker nodded with a pleasantly surprised expression on his face. Petra usually wasn't so responsible. "I'll cast the Time Stop spell on it, so that Neverland will go back to the way it was before - a place outside of time." Tinker fluttered over to hover in front of the mantle clock and began to wave his hands in intricate gestures as he summoned his magic.

Tinker hit the clock with a blast of golden sparkles and the clock's second hand started to slow until it finally stopped altogether. Lastly, the clock stopped ticking as its inner gears stilled.

Everyone had been holding his or her breath as Tinker worked his spell. Once the clock finally stopped ticking a loud, triumphant cheer rose up from the Indians, pirates and Lost Girls. Neverland had been saved.

Eirwen smiled crookedly, and a feeling of relief swept over him. Suddenly, he felt so damned tired. He let darkness envelop him, and passed out.

***

When Eirwen awoke several hours later, he found himself under the same willow tree that he and Petra had made love under, which meant that he must still be in the Fairy Kingdom on Neverland. His sisters, Joan and Michelle, were curled up to his sides and fast asleep. His expression softened as he peered into their adorable sleeping faces. Their little hands were clutching at his tunic as if they were afraid he'd just disappear on them.

Eirwen's eyes glanced around searchingly and he wondered where Petra was. She chose that moment to slip through the long willow branches and their eyes met. Both of them were startled at abruptly seeing each other. A pink tinge rose to Petra's cheeks. "You're awake." She fidgeted awkwardly with a strand of her blonde hair.

"Yeah." Eirwen's voice was as rough as sandpaper.

"You look much better," Petra said softly. "Tinker was able to heal your leg with a little pixie dust."

"I'll have to thank him later," Eirwen said absentmindedly.

There were a million and one things Eirwen _wanted_ to say to Petra. He wanted to tell her how happy he was that she was okay and unharmed. He wanted to tell her how great it was to see her again. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her. But what came out of his mouth instead was: "I feel good. Well, enough, I think, to fly my sisters back home even."

Petra's hopeful expression fell. "Oh, I see. You're leaving Neverland..." She glanced down at her feet dejectedly.

"Hey," Eirwen called out to get her to look up. Once Petra looked up and their gazes met Eirwen continued, "Staying here was never really an option for me. I have a promise to keep to my parents, Petra. I promised them I would look after my sisters, and I intend to until my last dying breath. Besides, you said my sisters can't stay in Neverland because they still have 'time', right?"

Petra nodded solemnly. "Correct. Only those 'out of time' from your world are allowed to remain in Neverland. Your sisters must return to London as soon as possible before strange things start happening in Neverland as a result."

"I wish I could be selfish and stay here with you," Eirwen admitted gently without breaking eye contact with Petra. She sucked in a gasp at his words. "But I can't. I want to spend the time I have left with them...every single precious second. Please understand, Petra. I never meant to hurt you."

Petra nibbled on her lower lip and tried not to burst into tears. "I...understand. You are a man of your word and you made a promise you must keep."

Eirwen nodded. "Exactly. I'm sorry, Petra."

Petra shook her head, and tried to look as composed as possible even though her heart was breaking into a million pieces. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You saved Neverland, my knight. It's just...I'm going to miss you terribly. We could have gone on so many fun adventures together."

Eirwen's smile was sad and broken. "I'm going to miss you too, Petra Pan."

With the help of a little pixie dust, Petra Pan guided Eirwen and his sisters back home to London, England. No one said the word 'goodbye' because in their hearts they were all hoping this was more of a 'until we meet again'.

***

Twenty days later, Eirwen was returning home with his arms full of groceries when he suddenly collapsed on the sidewalk. When Eirwen next awoke he found himself to be in a hospital room. He was hooked up to a heart monitor and there was an IV stuck in his arm.

He felt so...tired. But, he was also at peace. He could feel the life draining out of him.

Eirwen was dying. His time had finally run out.

He glanced at the digital clock sitting on the nightstand. It read 1:05 PM.

His sisters were still in school. They had probably already been notified that Eirwen had been hospitalized, and knowing his sisters they were probably on their way there in a taxi to see him. The school they went to was thirty minutes away from the hospital.

Eirwen didn't think he had thirty minutes left...

Even though he wouldn't get to say 'goodbye' to his sisters, he had no regrets. For the past twenty days, every spare minute they had, Eirwen and his sisters had tried to cross various activities off their 'bucket lists'.

They'd enjoyed a thirty-minute long ride on the Coca-Cola London Eye - the iconic Ferris wheel that had a 360-degree view of London. They'd visited places like: Westminster Abbey (the coronation church of British monarchy since the 11th Century and the venue of Prince William and Kate Middleton's 2011 Royal Wedding), St. Paul's Cathedral, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (where they enjoyed an open-air performance of Romeo and Juliet), the Sea Life London Aquarium, and the Royal Botanic Gardens.

All those fun moments and memories - they were new happy thoughts.

Joan and Michelle hadn't really understood why their brother was suddenly spoiling them rotten by taking them to all these places, but they definitely hadn't minded.

Eirwen's thoughts strayed to Petra Pan and Neverland...that had been an incredible dream he'd had. The dream had been so detailed. It had felt real.

But, of course, it was just a dream - Neverland, magic, fairies and evil shape-shifting mages weren't real.

In his final moments, Eirwen couldn't help but think about Petra Pan though. She'd been quite lovely and in his dream she'd been in love with him, and he'd been in love with her.

Eirwen frowned when he couldn't remember himself ever having voiced his feelings of love to Petra aloud. Why had he held himself back when it'd just been a dream? If he had a regret it would be that. And what a strange regret to have - that he hadn't told a girl from a dream that he'd been in love with her. "Petra..." a weak, desperate murmur slipped past his chapped lips.

At that moment, a bubbly blonde nurse entered his room. "Hello Eirwen Darling, how are you feeling?"

"Just...a little tired," Eirwen lied, even though he felt like crap. But there was no need to worry the pretty nurse that had come to take his blood pressure.

The nurse walked over and took Eirwen's blood pressure. As she leaned over him Eirwen noticed that a silver peace sign pendant was dangling from around her neck on a chain. She was obviously a bit of a hippie. Her eyes were a bright green color that reminded Eirwen of spring grass. His gaze drifted down to her breasts. She was pretty well-endowed, and he tried not to stare.

Now that he thought about it she resembled 'Petra Pan' - the girl from his bizarre dream. He frowned, and his brow furrowed. Then Eirwen let out a low, bitter laugh. Maybe he'd seen her walking down the London sidewalk one day, and had then dreamed about her. She _was_ beautiful. What guy wouldn't have a fantasy or two about her?

Abruptly, Eirwen's heartbeat began to falter and the heart monitor reflected it.

The nurse's eyes widened in alarm. "I should probably go get someone-"

"No!" Eirwen reached out and grabbed her hand. "Don't go. _Please_. Stay with me." Somehow Eirwen knew he wouldn't last the time it took her to go and get help, and he didn't want to die alone.

"Alright." The nurse obligingly sat down on the edge of Eirwen's bed, and held his hand. She reached out and stroked his sweaty hair back in a comforting and soothing gesture as his heart stuttered and slowed.

Eirwen looked up into those too-green eyes. "I love you, Petra Pan," he said before his heart stopped, and the heart monitor's sound became one long sad note.

The nurse let go of Eirwen's hand. "Time of death 1:10 PM...not!" An impish smile formed on Petra Pan's lips, and she whipped out the Neverland Clock from where she'd been keeping it safe in a pocket dimension. "Only those without time are allowed to stay in Neverland forever, Eirwen Darling. And your time is officially up. Now, I'll give you some time back."

Petra set the clock on Eirwen's chest, summoned her magic, and pointed her index finger at the clock's face. She then twirled her finger in a counter-clockwise swirling motion. The hands of the clock began to spin counter-clockwise in response until they were spinning faster and faster. Outside the window time could be seen passing by in reverse. The sun dipped below the horizon, and the moon appeared already high in the sky.

Petra looked down at Eirwen intently, and decided to stop his time when he was at his healthiest, and before the tumor in his brain had become cancerous.

Petra watched as Eirwen's health visibly began to improve. The dark shadows beneath his eyes faded, his hollowed cheeks filled out, and his pale skin adopted a peachy glow.

When Eirwen appeared to be at his healthiest she reached out, twirled her finger in front of the clock's face and the hands of the clock stopped moving.

Eirwen gasped. His amber eyes shot open and he sat up in the bed wide-eyed. "Bloody hell." His eyes darted around the hospital room and he spotted a pretty nurse staring at him with an expectant look on her face. The tenderness in her expression seemed to be a bit out of place for a stranger to have.

"Good afternoon, Eirwen Darling." There was a mischievous twinkle in the nurse's eyes. "So, we meet again."

Eirwen's lips dipped into a frown, and his brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but do I know you?"

Petra grinned impishly. "Maybe you'll remember me if I do _this_." Petra wiggled her fingers and her nurse's outfit disappeared to be replaced with a familiar skimpy green dress, and green ankle boots. Spring flowers appeared in her long, golden blonde hair. Eirwen glanced down at her waist and noticed that a short, but wicked looking dagger was strapped to her side. Petra let herself float up off the floor a few feet, and giggled. "Do you remember me now?"

Eirwen gawked and his jaw dropped open slightly. "Bloody hell! Petra Pan? You're...real. But then...that wasn't a dream. Why are you here? What did you do?" His shocked expression turned suspicious.

Petra's happy expression turned serious. "I decided to break the rules of the universe so that I could be with the man I love."

There was a sinking feeling in Eirwen's stomach, and he swallowed a lump in his throat. "I died. Didn't I?" He rubbed self-consciously at his chest. He suddenly felt...odd.

"Yes," Petra admitted tentatively. "Your time ran out...so I _borrowed_ a little more for you."

Eirwen's frown deepened as a sudden thought hit him hard. "What about my sisters? I can't leave them."

A dark cloud fell over Petra's face then. "Eirwen...the day you died your sisters were on their way to the hospital to see you. They told the taxi to go as fast as he could, and they ended up in an accident. They...died."

Eirwen felt bile rise up his throat. His stomach was tying itself up into knots. "Joan. Michelle."

"Their time was also up that day." Petra was having a hard time keeping her face serious and the corner of her mouth started to twitch. Then a wide smile spread across her face. "Which is why I also reversed it for them!" Petra's dour expression morphed back into a happy one. "Now, your sisters can come with us to Neverland because they're also 'out of time'. Isn't that wonderful? Tinker is with them at the moment. I told him to get them out of the taxi once time started to reverse itself."

Eirwen gaped at Petra. His sisters had been saved by the Neverland Clock too? A giddy, slightly hysterical laugh bubbled up his throat. "I can't...I don't believe it. I just...that's great." Grateful tears filled Eirwen's eyes and a crooked smile formed on his face. "Petra, you saved them. What can I possibly do to ever repay you?"

Petra's green eyes were sparkling with mischief and mirth. "Oh, I can think of a few ways you can start to repay me. But first, say it again."

"Say what again?" Eirwen asked in a hesitant manner.

"The words you told the hot nurse right before you died," Petra requested in an amused tone. " _Romeo_ ," she teased.

Eirwen flushed. "I only said that to her because she reminded me of you."

Now, it was Petra's turn to blush.

Eirwen met Petra's eyes and said the words he'd been wanting to say since they'd shared their first kiss: "I love you, Petra Pan."

"And I love you, Eirwen Darling, my knight," Petra declared before tilting her head back and crowing loudly in triumph. Eirwen couldn't help but chuckle at her antics. She then flew over and captured Eirwen's lips with her own in a sweet, tender kiss.

And they lived happily ever after...in Neverland.

THE END

Petra Pan the audiobook, Narrated by L.A. Johnson is coming September 2018! Keep reading for an exclusive sneak peek of the other installments in the Genderbent Fairytales Collection: Handsome and the Yeti, and Alister in Wonderland.

### Chapter 1: Handsome and the Yeti

Bellamy DeWinter lived in a small town in northern Alaska named Yeti Town. The town got its namesake from the Nepal folklore legend of the yeti, also known as the Abominable Snowman. A yeti was an ape-like creature, taller than an average man and covered in snowy, white fur. Apparently there'd been sightings of such a creature in the nearby forests by the Hunters that lived in town and the town's name had been changed shortly thereafter.

The majority of the people that lived in Yeti Town were either Hunters or furriers. This was mostly due to the sudden increase in predators - bears, polar bears, lynxes and wolves - that started appearing around the town. This abrupt influx of predators in the area put not only the human towns that were in close proximity to the creatures in danger, but also the farms and cattle ranches, which had livestock to worry about protecting.

In recent years and in this modern era, the hunting of animals for their furs had become controversial, but due to the fact that this increase in predators in the area was _not_ natural, but unexplainable the Hunters of Yeti Town were able to make a living hunting, and killing these predators and selling their meat and fur. Since they were providing a service to the ranchers and farmers the controversial aspect was entirely overlooked, and the Hunters were looked upon as heroes.

Eighteen-year-old Bellamy and his mother, Doris, had moved to the isolated town because Bellamy was _cursed_. If a female saw Bellamy without his round, nerdy glasses on his face she would instantly fall in love with him.

Bellamy had been aware of this strange curse since he could form rational thought, and his mother had taught him how to stop the effects of the curse by always wearing a pair of nonprescription glasses. Sunglasses would also have the same affect, and could nullify the effects of the curse.

When Bellamy became a senior in high school his luck finally ran out. Due to his nerdy appearance he'd been targeted by a group of bullies, taken to the men's room, and beaten up. His glasses had been punched off his face and then stepped on.

Bellamy left the bathroom while trying to keep his head lowered, but it was inevitable that he had to look up to see where he was going. Unfortunately, at that very moment lunch had ended and the hall was flooded with students. When Bellamy looked up a large number of female students saw Bellamy's handsome face and instantly fell in love with him.

At the time, Bellamy was living with his sickly mother, Doris, in their tiny apartment. The place was so small there was no escape from the phone that started ringing off the hook from Bellamy's fan girls that began calling. Bellamy's fax machine also started spitting out love letters from his new stalkers.

At first it was almost funny, but then the content of the love letters started to become more and more desperate as time passed. Other handwritten letters that were delivered by the mailman started to include photos of the girls, locks of their hair, fingernail clippings, and some letters were even written in blood. It was downright creepy.

Bellamy's mother, Doris, already had a weak constitution and could barely handle the added stress of the unsettling love letters, the phone ringing off the hook, the girls that stood on the sidewalk outside of their apartment building demanding to see Bellamy, and later the kidnapping attempts on her son. It all just became too much for Doris to handle.

Even the therapy sessions Doris had been going to no longer gave her peace of mind. After the most recent kidnapping attempt on Bellamy, Doris decided that she had to protect her son somehow. Doris was also filled with an overwhelming sense of guilt. It was _her_ fault that her son Bellamy was cursed after all. Doris had suffered from the curse herself before Bellamy had been born, and the curse had been passed onto him.

After one of Bellamy's babysitters had tried to kidnap him, Doris decided she had to find a way to stop the curse from activating and had started covering Bellamy's face with a scarf to see if that would work. When it did, Doris tried covering Bellamy's face with just a mask where his eyes were barely visible, and this worked too. Next Doris tried sunglasses and when those worked she lastly tried nonprescription glasses.

Doris had the feeling that the reason the nonprescription glasses worked to stop the effects of the curse had something to do with the old mythos that 'the eyes are the windows to the soul'. As long as females didn't make direct eye contact with Bellamy he was safe from the effects of the curse.

Wearing glasses had become a simple solution to stop the curse, and Doris and Bellamy had been able to live in peace for many years. Doris reprimanded herself that perhaps she should have warned Bellamy to be more careful at school, or provided him with an extra pair of glasses, but it was too late now. Bellamy's female classmates had already fallen crazily in love with him.

It was also around this time that Doris learned of the death of her parents. They'd been Hunters living in Yeti Town and had been overwhelmed by a pack of vicious wolves during one of their usual hunting expeditions. The hunting cabin that used to belong to her parents now belonged to her. Doris instantly decided to take Bellamy to live there. There in the isolated town Bellamy would be _safe_.

Unfortunately, Bellamy wouldn't be able to graduate from high school, and it would be difficult for him to get into a college without a high school diploma, when and if they found a way to break the curse. But that's why Doris was determined to support her son financially.

This is how Bellamy DeWinter found himself living in the small Alaskan town with his sickly mother. To make a living Doris made woodcarvings of various animals that lived in the Brooks Range area of Alaska: brown and black bears, polar bears, moose, goats, foxes, coyotes, ravens, lynxes, and wolves.

For hours and hours Doris would sit in her comfy armchair by the fireplace in the living room, and carve little wooden figurines of animals until the calluses on her fingers popped and bled. She was highly skilled at woodcarvings.

Sometimes Bellamy would help his mother by making woodcarvings of his own, but usually Doris insisted that Bellamy didn't need to do anything to help out with the household finances, and that he should instead continue to concentrate on his self-study.

Bellamy knew his mother felt guilty and blamed herself for their current situation because of the curse. But Bellamy didn't see it that way. He saw it as _his_ fault that they had to live here in the middle of nowhere now. If only he'd been braver and fought back against those bullies. If only he hadn't let them break his glasses, none of this would have happened.

Because of him, his mother had gone through a lot, and her already poor health had declined from all the stress. That's why he never complained to his mom about living there in Yeti Town. There were only a few young single women his age in the town that might have showed an interest in him, and he made sure to avoid them as much as possible.

Most days, Bellamy had his nose stuck in a book in self-study. He was determined to go back to school one day, and get a college degree. He wanted to get a high-paying job so that he'd be able to support his mother financially, and give her the easy life she deserved after everything that had happened.

Bellamy had to admit to himself that it could get rather boring though living there when compared to how his life used to be back in New York. There wasn't much to do for fun in Yeti Town. The town's inhabitants were mostly Hunters, and Bellamy had no interested in learning that particular trade. The other people that lived there were either a part of the Hunters' families, jewelry makers, or woodcarvers like his mother.

There was a mine close to Yeti Town that contained several types of semi-precious stones that the townspeople made jewelry out of. Alaska was known for its jade, quartzes and even diamonds, but this particular mine contained other semi-precious stones that were normally found in South America.

Bellamy had become fascinated by all the different types of semi-precious stones the jewelers worked with - agate, quartz, rose quartz, onyx, obsidian, jade, jasper, red jasper, tiger's eye, turquoise, lapis lazuli, and more.

The semi-precious stones may not have been as valuable as diamonds, rubies and emeralds, but Bellamy thought that they were uniquely beautiful in their own way.

To stave off his boredom, Bellamy started going to the small local library and checked out all the books that were available on gemstones, and gemology. Bellamy had his nose buried in a book about stones more often than not.

Bellamy didn't care about his lack of a social life since all he wanted was to protect the peaceful life he and his mother were currently enjoying in Yeti Town. His books became his only friends. It was lonesome without any friends his age, but peaceful. And Bellamy just wanted to keep it that way.

However, peace and quiet never lasts forever. The Hunters had become curious about their new neighbors and had confronted Doris about Bellamy. After they'd discovered that Bellamy was so young they instantly decided that he must be lonely, and should make some friends his own age. The Hunters immediately told their children that were around the same age as Bellamy all about him, and of his 'plight'.

This meddling resulted in someone knocking on Bellamy's front door one Saturday night. It was eight o'clock at night. Doris was in her usual spot, seated on the plush armchair by the fire in the living room and carving a small piece of wood into the shape of what Bellamy thought looked like a dancing monkey. _Oookay._

Bellamy was seated in the armchair across from his mother, nose in a book about Alaskan jade. He frowned and looked up from his book at the door, wondering who would be coming to visit them at this late hour.

A secretive smile curled Doris's lips when she heard the knock at the front door. "Could you be a dear and get the door, Bellamy?"

Bellamy frowned and his brow furrowed slightly. His mother was acting different from usual. "Are you expecting someone, Mom?" he questioned as he stood up, and approached the front door with his now closed book still in hand.

"I'm not," she began softly. "But you are."

"Huh?" Bellamy said as he opened the door to see who it was. Staring back at him with wide, mischievous grins on their faces were two young men around Bellamy's age. Because of their flashy fur coats Bellamy deduced they were the sons of Hunters right off the bat.

One of the young men had sandy-blonde hair, pale skin, and honey-brown eyes. The other was an African-American teen with short black hair, brown eyes, and super white teeth. They were both wearing friendly, amiable expressions on their faces, but this didn't make Bellamy any less nervous about what their intentions were. He already had a bad feeling about this.

They looked past Bellamy and smiled at Doris. "Good evening Mrs. DeWinter. We're here to pick up Bellamy."

Doris nodded knowingly. "You boys have fun!"

"Thanks, Mrs. DeWinter!" The African-American teen crowed as he and his friend latched onto Bellamy's arms and began to drag him out the door.

"Huh? Wait, what?" Bellamy sputtered, giving his mother a look of sheer disbelief. Why had his mother o-kayed this? Didn't she realize how dangerous it was for Bellamy to hang out with people his own age?

When his mother just waved him off, Bellamy let out a resigned sigh. _My life officially sucks._ He thought morosely as the sandy-haired teen shut the door.

Bellamy glowered at the two young men that had interrupted his precious reading time. "Who the hell are you guys?"

The two teens chuckled in amusement at Bellamy's surly attitude. "I'm Crispin," the sandy-haired boy started and jerked his thumb at the African-American teen. "And he's Oscar."

"And we're here to rescue you, Belle." Oscar flashed his gleaming white teeth in a teasing grin.

A muscle beneath Bellamy's eye ticked in irritation. "Rescue?"

"Yeah, our parents told us all about you," Crispin began to explain. "Like about how you didn't get to graduate from high school due to your mother's health, and more importantly how you have no friends."

Oscar slung an arm around Bellamy's shoulders amiably. "But fear not. Now, you have _us_."

"Wonderful." Bellamy's tone was sarcastic.

"We're going to introduce you to the other people in this town that are our age, so you can make even _more_ friends," Crispin said excitedly.

Bellamy felt his temples beginning to throb. Just how important did these guys think having a social life was? He was already feeling exhausted.

"And more importantly we're going to introduce you to the fine, single ladies in this town." Oscar waggled his eyebrows at Bellamy in a playful manner.

"And this is what I was afraid of," Bellamy muttered darkly to himself in a voice so low that the other teens didn't hear him. A chill of fear crawled up his spine, and he had to suppress a groan of despair. Young men his age had a one-track mind. This was nothing new. All they ever thought about was girls and sex.

The last thing Bellamy wanted right now was to be introduced to girls though. If something happened, and they saw his face - they'd fall madly in love with him. And go slightly crazy. Their 'love' would quickly turned into lustful desperation. _And those girls can become freakin scary._ He shuddered as he remembered how his old female classmates had finally formed an alliance and had tried to kidnap him.

What had his mother been _thinking_ letting him go out with these guys? Sure, _they_ were guys, and thankfully the curse didn't affect them, but guys his age were _always_ on the prowl for chicks.

Bellamy felt like hitting his head against the wall repeatedly. _Why me?_ He inwardly moaned. Before Bellamy had even realized it, his two new 'friends' had dragged him down the main street in town and had stopped in front of some kind of bar or tavern.

Like most of the rustic buildings in Yeti Town it was made out of logs and had a sloping roof. Swinging over the front door from two chains was a hand-painted, wooden sign shaped like the head of a polar bear. The polar bear's mouth was wide open and clenched between its sharp teeth was the establishment's name: _Polar Bear Pub_.

Crispin puffed up his chest proudly and waved his hand at the pub in a dramatic fashion. "And this, my new friend, Belle, is the _Polar Bear Pub_. It's the best bar in town!"

"It's the _only_ bar in town," Oscar added dryly.

"My older brother, Wren, is one of the two bartenders working here, so we'll be able to get a couple of beers!" Crispin bragged, since technically they were still underage.

"Great," Bellamy droned as he was dragged into the pub. He couldn't help but glance around at the interior décor curiously. Most of the long tables and chairs were made out of solid pinewood. An enormous stone fireplace took up most of the back wall and several comfy looking chairs had been situated in front of it.

Animal head and antler hunting trophies covered the walls. Though Bellamy wasn't too surprised by this since pretty much all of the men drinking in the pub were Hunters. Bellamy was able to recognize them as Hunters due to the outfits they were wearing: white or gray fur coats, winter camouflage, and heavy boots. The rifles and shotguns leaning against their chairs were also a dead giveaway.

There were two bars inside of the _Polar Bear Pub_ \- the largest that took up most of the right hand side of the pub was exclusively for the adults. A shorter bar on the left was for the teenagers that were around Bellamy's age. Really, the teens should have only been allowed to order nonalcoholic drinks but the adults seemed to turn a blind eye if their children wanted to have a few beers on the weekends since they were being supervised anyways.

Crispin and Oscar led Bellamy over to a small group of teens that were surrounding the bar on the left. "Hey, everyone," Crispin began in a loud voice to get everyone's attention, "I want you to meet the new guy in town - Bellamy DeWinter."

The group of teens' focus was suddenly on Bellamy and he could tell that they appeared to be excited about a newcomer to their small town. Bellamy raised his hand in an awkward greeting. "Hi."

Almost instantly, Bellamy was surrounded by a mob of teens that were bombarding him with a ton of invasive, and personal questions. "Where are you from?"

"New York," Bellamy replied.

"Ooo he's a city boy," a girl cooed.

"Why did you move _here_?" one of the boys asked in an incredulous tone.

"My mother's health-" Bellamy started to explain, but was rudely cut off by one of the girls.

"Is it true you didn't get to graduate from high school?"

A scowl formed on Bellamy's face. "Yeah."

"Home schooling rules!" a random boy shouted and fist pumped the air.

"Are you single, or do you have a girlfriend?" a girl asked boldly with a glint in her green eyes.

"I, er, I'm single," Bellamy reluctantly answered after a long stretch of silence had passed as the teens awaited his response.

"Eeee!" the girls squealed loudly. Bellamy was forced to plug his ears with his index fingers in order to drown them out.

Just how desperate were these Alaskan girls? Bellamy wondered worriedly. They hadn't even seen him without his glasses yet and they were already acting ridiculous. He supposed their behavior had a lot to do with the fact that it was slim pickings for a boyfriend when you lived pretty much in the middle of nowhere.

Bellamy mused for a moment about what things might be like if his circumstances had been different, and if he weren't cursed. Perhaps, he would have been happy to be surrounded by a bunch of desperate, pretty girls. As things were, however, he remembered just how crazy girls who thought they were in love could be and shuddered.

Crispin grabbed three beers from his bro at the bar, and quickly distributed them. Crispin and Oscar held up their beer bottles in Bellamy's direction. "To new friends!"

"Yeah." Bellamy could barely keep the skepticism out of his tone as he clinked his bottle against theirs. He bitterly remembered what had happened to his high school friends once their girlfriends had inexplicably turned their sights on Bellamy, and how they'd given Bellamy the cold shoulder after that.

As oftentimes happens with groups of teenagers, the group split in two - girls and boys. Bellamy was actually glad for the girls' sudden apparent shyness. He could breathe easier without them being in such close proximity.

An hour ticked by without incident, and Bellamy was beginning to feel hopeful that perhaps nothing bad would happen to him this evening. Letting his guard down a little, Bellamy glanced around the pub and couldn't help but notice an incredibly attractive young woman that was seated at a table, surrounded by a group of fawning guys.

Bellamy's eyebrows rose to his hairline as he took in her flashy appearance. She was wearing a tight, v-neck, red dress along with a floor-length white and black fur coat. The corner of Bellamy's lip twitched in amusement since the coat was definitely necessary to provide her with warmth when wearing such a skimpy dress. Her thick, black hair cascaded down around her shoulders in waves, and sultry lashes accentuated her intelligent, dark brown eyes.

Bellamy took a sip of his beer as he let his gaze travel over her curves appreciatively. He was a little buzzed. He pointed his beer in her direction. "What's the deal with Cruella de Vil over there?"

"Isn't she beautiful? Her name's Astonia Sharpe," Oscar began, a dreamy expression on his face. "She's French. And she's awesome. She's also my future wife. She just doesn't know it yet."

"Uh huh," Bellamy agreed dryly.

Crispin draped his arm around Bellamy's shoulders conspiratorially, a rueful smirk playing on his lips. "You'll have to get in line." He nodded his head in the direction of the guys surrounding Astonia with hearts in their eyes. "All those guys over there are in love with her. It's like she has her own personal reverse harem."

Bellamy had been in the middle of taking a sip from his beer and promptly began to choke at Crispin's words. "Harem?" He arched an eyebrow. "You don't mean she's sleeping with all of them?"

A flash of anger crossed Oscar's face at Bellamy's careless words. "Hey! Don't talk about Astonia like that! She's _not_ that kind of girl!"

Bellamy quickly put his hands up before him in a surrendering gesture. "Whoa, sorry man. I didn't mean anything by it."

"She's just a big flirt," Crispin began to explain. "It's pretty obvious she just likes the male attention. Apparently, no one in this town has even managed to _kiss_ Astonia yet."

That dreamy, lovesick puppy look was back on Oscar's face again. "There's nothing I wouldn't do to get a kiss from Astonia." He released a wistful sigh of longing.

"Yeah, good luck with that," Bellamy said as he took another sip of his beer to hide his unease. Crispin and Oscar's obsessive behavior with Astonia was a little too similar to how the girls who saw Bellamy's face without his glasses acted.

"It sucks that _everyone's_ in love with her," Oscar muttered darkly. "But how could they not be? She's smoking hot."

"In love?" Bellamy arched an eyebrow at Oscar. "In _lust_ maybe," he murmured to himself. Those guys over there were just in love with Astonia's outer appearance. There was no telling what kind of person she was on the inside, but as Bellamy watched Astonia preening under the boys' attention he began to get an idea of how narcissistic she was, and shook his head disappointedly.

Astonia was just playing with those guys. But playing with people's _emotions_ was dangerous. Love was dangerous. Bellamy knew this from firsthand experience. He grew bored of observing Astonia and remembered that luckily he still had his book with him. He opened it up and began to continue his reading about Alaskan jade, and how the term was really referring to two minerals - Jadeite and Nephrite.

Astonia surreptitiously glanced over at Bellamy DeWinter - the 'new guy in town'. She was sure that he was probably gawking at her stupidly just like all the other guys in the pub, but she was in for an unpleasant surprise when she saw that he'd actually taken out a book and had started to read at his own 'welcome to the town' party.

Astonia's jaw slowly dropped open as she gawked at the bookworm. He was completely ignoring her presence! It was like she didn't even matter. And after she'd done him the honor of gracing his party with her presence. Astonia Sharpe did not like to be ignored - _would_ not be ignored! _How dare that nerd ignore me! Just who the hell does he think he is? Hah?_ She thought venomously.

"Would you look at that? That nerd is actually reading a book in the middle of this party. How pathetic," Astonia sneered loudly, and her boy toys laughed in a jeering fashion as if on cue.

Bellamy just sighed, ignored Astonia's immature outburst, and continued to read. He was used to people making fun of him and bullying him due to his nerdy appearance.

A muscle beneath Astonia's eye ticked in irritation as Bellamy continued to ignore her. "I mean, how _uncool_ is that? Maybe he moved here because he's mentally disabled or something." She cackled and again her boy toys joined in.

Finally, Bellamy shut his book with a loud snap. He turned and glared at Astonia. "You like making fun of _disabled_ people?" He narrowed his eyes at her critically.

Astonia flinched guiltily. "What? No. It's just you're so... _weird_." She waved her hand through the air as she tried to search for a better word. "So...different from the rest of us."

"Well, excuse me for being weird." Bellamy slid off the barstool, book in hand. "It's become much too noisy in here to continue reading my book." He turned to give Crispin and Oscar an apologetic look. "Sorry, guys, I'm gonna call it a night." He started to head for the front door.

Astonia fumed as she watched Bellamy. She hadn't even dismissed him yet! _He_ was dismissing _her_. _I'll show him._ Just as Bellamy passed by her chair she stuck her foot out and tripped him.

Bellamy fell flat on his face, and his glasses flew off his face, skidding across the floor. His eyes widened in panic as soon as he realized what had just happened. _My glasses! Shit!_ He inwardly swore. Bellamy frantically scrambled across the floor, reaching out for his glasses, but someone beat him to it.

"Oops, sorry." Bellamy heard Astonia's voice as he watched a delicate hand with red-painted fingernails reach out and pick up his glasses. "I have such long legs that it's hard for me to keep them under the table."

Bellamy swallowed nervously and stood up as slowly as possible. He tried to keep his head lowered and his face shielded by his bangs. "Give me back my glasses, Astonia," Bellamy demanded as he reached his trembling hand out to her. _Shit, shit, shit. Just don't make eye contact. Don't make eye contact._

A wolfish smile curled Astonia's red lips. "What's the magic word?"

"Please," Bellamy said through gritted teeth.

"Alright, fine. Here you go, _nerd_." Astonia laughed as she handed Bellamy his glasses.

Bellamy let out a sigh of relief, grabbed his glasses, and quickly raised his face so he could put his glasses back on.

Suddenly, it was eerily quiet inside of the pub and Bellamy realized that Astonia had stopped laughing. With his glasses now on his face, Bellamy risked looking up at her.

There was a look of astonishment on Astonia's face, her brown eyes wide. "You...you're so _handsome_ without your glasses. How is that even possible?"

"Shit!" Bellamy swore in her face realizing it had only taken a second - just _one_ measly second - for the curse to activate. "Sorry...I gotta go!" He turned and bolted out the front door.

Less than a minute later, however, the pub door opened, and Astonia emerged chasing after Bellamy. "Hey, Belle, wait!"

Bellamy grit his teeth and didn't slow down. That's when a gunshot split through the night and a mound of snow that was directly next to Bellamy exploded. He decided he'd better stop unless he wanted to end up full of holes.

"I said 'stop'," Astonia called out in a strangely calm tone. "Turn around."

Bellamy gulped, raised his hands in a surrendering gesture, and turned around slowly to face Astonia. His eyes widened when he noticed that Astonia was holding an old-fashioned double-barrel shotgun in her hands. Most of the Hunters these days used semi-automatic rifles or pump-action shotguns.

Astonia approached Bellamy with a smile curling her scarlet lips. She stopped only when the gun barrel was pressed against Bellamy's chest. Bellamy knew that she had one shot left in the shotgun. "You ran away from me." There was an incredulous note to her voice. "That wasn't very nice. Now, take off your glasses. I want to see your face again."

Bellamy hesitated, but he had no choice - this lovesick biatch was crazy enough to blow a hole in his chest if he refused. He removed his glasses and glared at Astonia. "Happy?"

Astonia gasped, blushed, and lowered her gun. "I didn't imagine it then. You really are drop-dead handsome. Do you know what this means?" she asked Bellamy in a giddy manner.

"No. Not really," Bellamy replied warily.

"I finally have a boyfriend!" The Huntress exclaimed happily.

"And _who_ would that be exactly?" Bellamy's brow furrowed in confusion.

"You, silly." Astonia shoved his shoulder playfully. "You're the most handsome guy in Yeti Town. And that makes you the best. And I deserve the best."

Bellamy swallowed thickly, and wiped his hands on his pants to try and hide his nervousness. "And if I _refuse_?"

Astonia raised her gun at Bellamy and pointed it at his heart. "I'm known for my bullets never missing their mark. Especially, if it's the heart of a handsome young man. There is _no_ escape. You are mine, Bellamy DeWinter."

Bellamy's head was throbbing; he could feel a headache coming on. He rubbed at his temples with his index fingers. _Shit, shit, shit._ Bellamy had no choice but to agree to this ridiculousness. For now. He couldn't cause his mother any more problems and stress. "Fine. But I really need to get going now. It's getting late and my mom waits up for me." He turned to go.

There was a soft clicking sound as Astonia began to playfully pull down on the trigger. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Bellamy turned back around, and raised his eyebrow at the Huntress. "What?"

Astonia offered him an innocent smile. "Where's my goodnight kiss, Belle?"

A muscle in Bellamy's jaw ticked. "Think you could at least lower your gun first? It's kind of a mood killer."

Astonia laughed loudly and lowered her shotgun. "Of course, darling."

Bellamy stepped forward reluctantly until he was standing directly in front of her. He tilted his head sideways and leaned forward for a kiss. He intended for it to be a quick peck on the lips, but as Bellamy tried to pull back Astonia wrapped her arms around Bellamy's neck and kissed him fervently.

Then Astonia started to try to get her tongue into his mouth in a desperate manner. Bellamy stubbornly refused her entrance, and kept his lips pressed together.

Once Astonia finally pulled away so they could breathe again, they were met with boisterous cheers, catcalls, and whistles. "Whoo! Yeah!" "Way to go, city boy!"

Bellamy groaned and looked past Astonia to see that a crowd of people had gathered in front of the _Polar Bear Pub_. The pub's patrons had become curious due to the gunshot going off outside, and had all exited the pub to see what Astonia had done now.

Bellamy spotted Oscar's betrayed expression in the crowd, and felt his stomach twist itself into knots. _Great, just great. More icing on the shitty cake._ "Now, I really gotta go. See-ya." He sped off down the snowy sidewalk and did not look back.

Astonia smiled and waved. "So long, honey!"

When Bellamy reached his home he opened the door as quietly as possible and entered. Thankfully his mother was fast asleep in her chair by the fireplace, and didn't hear Bellamy as he rushed into the bathroom, sunk to his knees in front of the toilet, and proceeded to puke his guts out. _That crazy bitch..._

He felt...violated.

Was it normal for a guy to feel that way when a hot girl kissed him? He wondered ruefully. Still, that kiss had been _against_ his will - even if she _was_ attractive. Other guys would have probably done anything to be in his shoes. But not Bellamy.

He was feeling overwhelmed as his body was wracked by dry heaves. There was only acid left inside of his stomach at this point. Suddenly, it was all just too much. All the stolen kisses he'd experienced throughout his life, all the unwanted groping. He'd been treated like an object. He supposed he knew what a lot of women must feel like - being treated like sex objects.

_I'm being retarded. I'm a guy. What does a stolen kiss matter?_ Bellamy scolded himself as he straightened and made his way over to the sink. He brushed his teeth and rinsed his mouth out with _Listerine_.

After that he splashed water on his face and looked at his haggard expression in the bathroom mirror. His already pale skin was even paler than usual, his deep blue eyes were sunken, and his long dark brown hair, which he wore pulled back into a ponytail, looked limp and lifeless. Everything that had happened tonight was because of his handsome face. He was almost tempted to just pour acid on his face, but...

That would just make his mother cry, and then she'd probably blame herself for his rash actions. Bellamy decided that he had to deal with the 'Astonia problem' some other way, and without his mother finding out about all this.

Bellamy began to pace across the tiled floor as he thought about his options. He wondered if just giving in to what Astonia wanted might lessen the effects the curse had on her. Maybe after she'd slept with him she'd leave him blessedly alone. It was his only hope.

He was going to have to get his mother out of the house in order to put his plan into action. Bellamy knew that his mother was planning to travel to the next town over to sell her accumulated woodcarvings to a gift shop there in just a few days. That's when he'd put his plan into action, he decided.

Bellamy quickly wrote a letter to Astonia, and set up a date with her to make sure she wouldn't show up while his mother was still at home. The night of his mother's departure, he and Astonia would dine together, and then...he shuddered. He'd give himself to Astonia. Bellamy only hoped Astonia would be patient and wouldn't show up randomly to do something stupid while his mother was still at home.

***

Doris DeWinter knew something was bothering her son Bellamy. Over the following days, Bellamy helped her to finish her woodcarvings until a nice sizable collection was ready for her to take to the next town over where she sold them to a gift shop that specialized in having souvenirs for tourists visiting Alaska.

A couple of the carvings she was going to sell were of a yeti. Or at least, what Doris thought a yeti probably looked like. She pictured him as being a tall, monkey-like creature with fluffy fur covering his entire body except for his face. She'd come up with the idea to carve the yeti due to the town's popular urban legend that an actual yeti, or Abominable Snowman, had been spotted in the forest nearby.

All of the Hunters in Yeti Town wanted to kill the yeti and get famous. Doris shook her head ruefully. She had the feeling that her yeti woodcarvings were going to be a hit.

Despite appreciating her son's help with the woodcarvings, Doris couldn't help but notice that ever since the party he'd gone to with the Hunters' teenaged boys he'd become awfully quiet and withdrawn. She began to worry that perhaps _something_ had happened at the party, which Bellamy hadn't told her about.

She'd just wanted Bellamy to have the chance to make some friends his own age, but maybe she shouldn't have meddled. It had been selfish of her to force Bellamy to go to that party when the reason she wanted him to go was to relieve her own guilt over the fact her son hadn't been able to finish high school and currently didn't have any friends.

Doris still felt responsible for the curse that her son now suffered from and for him having to live out there in the middle of nowhere with her.

When the day of Doris's trip to the next town arrived, Bellamy helped her to pack all of the woodcarvings into a large burlap sack which he then secured to the back of the dogsled. A team of five huge Huskies was already attached to the sled. The dogs were incredibly intelligent and would be able to get Doris to the next town even through a snowstorm.

Doris was dressed in a gray fur-lined coat that had pretty, white fur trim on the hood, a pair of winter camo pants, gloves, a scarf, and heavy boots. "Thank you, Bellamy," Doris said as she mounted the sled, and picked up the long, brown leather reins.

"Don't mention it, Mom," Bellamy said. He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "You sure you're going to be okay on your own out there?"

Doris offered Bellamy a reassuring smile. "I'll be just fine. I've made the run on my own before and the dogs know the way. What would you like me to bring you from Coldfoot? A new jacket? A new book?"

Bellamy thought for a moment. He didn't want to trouble his mother with buying him anything. But there _was_ something he wanted. He was missing a rose quartz for his stone collection. Surely, it wouldn't pose too much trouble for his mother to find him a small rose quartz at the gift shop. "Can you bring me back a small rose quartz for my stone collection?"

Doris raised an eyebrow at the humble request. Most teens his age would probably have asked for the latest smart phone. "A rock? That's all. _Bellamy_..."

Bellamy took his mother's hands in his and squeezed them tight. "Yes, mother - a rock. You know I love stones. And it's the only one missing from my collection."

Doris gave Bellamy a searching look, but then let out a resigned sigh. "Oh, alright. If that's _really_ what you want. I'll bring you back the prettiest rose quartz I can find."

"Thanks, Mom." Bellamy leaned over and placed a kiss on his mother's cold cheek, momentarily warming it against the frigid Alaskan air.

There was a haunting sadness in Bellamy's blue eyes, and Doris wanted to do something to erase it. All they had was each other.

"Be safe," Bellamy added when his mother didn't get the sled underway immediately.

Doris smiled thinly, and snapped the reins. "Mush!" The dogs barked and shot off down the snow-covered road. As soon as Bellamy was out of sight, she frowned. Her son was hiding _something_. But she'd have to wait until she got back to find out what it was.

Driving a dogsled was easier than it looked since the dogs did most of the work. Or at least, this is how Doris felt about it. She barely had to guide their movements with the reins since the dogs confidently knew where they needed to be going, having done this run with Doris before. Doris also felt safe and protected having five huge dogs with her and probably would have been scared if she'd been out there alone on a snowmobile.

It wasn't long before they were winding their way through the forest with tall pine trees on either side of the narrow path. A wolf's howl echoed through the forest making Doris swallow nervously. She wasn't a Hunter like her parents had been and never carried a gun with her. Her dogs were her only protection against predators. So far she'd never had a problem on this road between the two towns. But she was feeling slightly paranoid for some reason. That howl had sounded a bit...unusual. "It couldn't be...the yeti?" Doris mused aloud with a nervous tremor to her voice.

Abruptly, from out of the trees a gigantic, white polar bear emerged onto the road right behind Doris, thudding loudly behind the sled. It opened its maw wide, and roared at Doris loudly, showing off its sharp teeth.

"Oh my God, a polar bear!" Doris's eyes flared in alarm. She snapped the reins. "Mush! Hurry! Go faster!"

The team of dogs broke into a faster run, and continued their way swiftly down the main snowy road with pine trees blurring past them on either side.

Just up ahead, Doris saw that a tree had fallen onto the main road, blocking their path. "Oh no!" There was nowhere else to go. "Wait..." She spotted another road to her right and steered the dogs to head in that direction instead.

Doris and the dogs flew down the narrow path and just a few minutes later exited the edge of the forest, emerging onto an expansive frozen lake. Doris squinted as she tried to see the other side of the lake but it was so far away it wasn't visible yet.

Even though it was unsettling how large the lake was, Doris didn't hesitate in snapping her reins again. "Mush!" Her sled flew over the thick ice of the lake smoothly.

The polar bear burst out from the tree line a few minutes behind Doris and her dogs, and charged after the sled. The ice started to crack due to the polar bear's tremendous weight. "We're not going to make it," Doris moaned, but then she miraculously reached the other side of the lake. The sled shot down a narrow path, which ended at a black wrought-iron gate that was a part of a towering stone wall that enclosed a large estate.

For a moment, Doris wondered if she'd have to get off the sled and try to figure out how to open the gate - when the gate opened of its own accord. Doris briefly pondered if the gate was electric, but snapped the reins and drove the sled through the open gate.

Doris glanced over shoulder, her mousy brown hair whipping in front of her face, and obscuring her vision slightly, expecting to see the polar bear following her through the gate, but watched as the polar bear skidded to a halt at the open gate entrance. It opened its maw and roared angrily, and appeared to be frustrated that its prey had escaped.

Doris frowned, wondering why the polar bear hadn't followed her inside, and watched as the wrought-iron gate slowly closed behind her on creaking, rusty hinges. When Doris turned her attention to what was in front of her, she gasped in astonishment.

Doris and the dogs were approaching a Tudor-style mansion that looked like it'd fallen right out of a fairytale storybook. The mansion was made up of several different wings with triangular-shaped roofs. The dogs guided the sled right up to the sweeping staircase that led to the front door.

Doris hopped off the sled and approached the mansion warily. She put her foot down on the first step, and looked down due to the clicking sound of her booted heel hitting the surface of the step.

The steps looked like they were made out of blue ice. Doris removed of her glove before reaching down and touching the step. She'd expected it to be freezing cold, but she realized it wasn't ice. It was a blue quartz crystal.

Doris laughed at her own foolishness. Apparently, she'd watched the movie _Frozen_ one too many times. This wasn't a palace made of ice, but it was still incredibly impressive. It must have cost a fortune to build the mansion entirely out of blue quartz like this. Doris mused about the possibility of an eccentric billionaire living there.

She carefully made her way up the slippery stairs, and arrived at the front door. Her dull brown eyes were immediately drawn to the beautiful doorknocker. It was made out of a dark blue lapis lazuli and had been carved to resemble the face of a yeti with a large metal ring in its mouth. Doris reached out and stroked the doorknocker. "What incredible craftsmanship." She took a deep breath to steel her nerves, grabbed the metal ring, and knocked. The door opened and she stepped inside.

To be continued in...Chapter 2:

### Chapter 1: Alister in Wonderland

Alister Kingsley wished that he was anywhere but where he currently was - inside of a posh art gallery that was having an exposition featuring his latest work. He still wasn't quite sure how his manager Mr. Adam Bailey had convinced him to come to this bloody thing.

For once, Alister had set aside his paint-covered smock and was looking presentable. He'd showered for over an hour to get the oil paint off his skin, and dressed in an expensive designer suit Mr. Bailey had bought him. Alister still didn't really get why he had to make an appearance at this thing.

Sure, he was a famous artist now, but it's not like he was a singer or actor. Why the bloody hell did his clients need to meet him in the flesh? They could buy his work and spend thousands just as easily if he wasn't there. Besides, his being there was just too _risky_.

There were way too many _women_ at the gallery.

And Alister was afraid - er - allergic to women. Didn't his manager Mr. Bailey understand the tough spot he'd put Alister in?

From beneath shyly lowered lashes, Alister observed the crowd of clients and art lovers that were milling about the gallery while admiring his artwork. The men were handsomely dressed in slick suits, and Alister was envious of how put together they looked. He was sure he looked silly in _his_ penguin suit.

Alister self-consciously ran his hands down over his jacket to remove nonexistent wrinkles. He'd choose his comfortable, old T-shirts, jeans, smock, and sneakers over an uncomfortable designer suit and dress shoes any day.

The women were dressed in glamorous gowns, luxurious furs, sparkling jewelry, and doused heavily in expensive perfume.

Furs...diamonds...perfume...

Alister shuddered. He could feel the walls closing in around him. His palms were becoming sweaty, and sweat beaded on his brow. His arms felt itchy, and his heart rate began to speed up. _Shit._ Alister realized he was close to having _another_ panic attack.

A soft, tortured groan slipped past his lips. He wished he could go home, crawl into bed, and stay buried under the covers for a week.

What part about being an anti-social, eccentric, woman-fearing artist did Mr. Bailey _not_ understand? He shouldn't be there...

Among people.

Among _women_.

Another uncomfortable shudder traveled through his body and he rubbed his arms. He grabbed a glass of bubbling champagne from a passing server's tray and gulped it back. Maybe if he got drunk enough it would help to calm his nerves.

It was moments like this that made Alister regret that he'd become so famous for his fanciful paintings of a land that only existed inside of his imagination and his dreams: Wonderland.

The paintings depicted different surreal locations in Wonderland such as the Mushroom Grove with its over-sized, spotted mushrooms that came in a rainbow of colors, Hedge Maze that defied gravity and logic by swooping up towards the sky, and the Dark Forest that was only illuminated by bioluminescent plants and organisms.

Alister's paintings were also filled with fun, nonsensical things like: animals wearing Victorian-style and Steampunk clothes, and that stood on their hind legs, mythological creatures from fairytale stories, and flowers and trees that had faces since they could talk and sing.

Some of the paintings included Wonderland's eccentric _human_ denizens. One example was the King of Hearts a.k.a the Red King. In one of the paintings of the Red King an enormous white castle with turrets that had red roofs and heart-shaped decorations could be seen in the background.

And then, there were Alister's paintings of _her_.

The only woman he wasn't afraid of because she didn't exist.

_She_ wasn't real.

Madeline Hatter a.k.a the Mad Hatter.

Alister turned to face an enormous painting that he'd painted featuring a 'Mad Tea Party'. On the front lawn outside of a hat-shaped cottage a long dining table had been set up for tea. Even though there were only three beings seated at the table, each spot at the table had a place setting consisting of: a frilly placemat, porcelain teacup, saucer, and silver spoon.

There were multiple porcelain teapots available on the table that came in all shapes and sizes, and some teapots even had more than one spout. One of the teapots was floating in midair while pouring tea by itself into an empty cup. Bread-and-butterflies hovered around the table waiting for someone to reach out and grab them before dunking them into their tea.

Madeline was seated at the table along with her two closest female friends: the March Hare and the Dormouse. The March Hare had styled her purple hair into a punky mohawk, and was wearing a _Steampunk_ , purple vest with the pattern of gold pocket watches on it. The Dormouse had adorable, overly large ears, and pink fur covered with purple polka dots.

Alister's gaze focused on Madeline. She was beautiful. And of course she was. Alister had made her that way.

Madeline Hatter had long, curly hair - the color of tangerines. Her eyes glittered like two emeralds. She was wearing a purple, velvet, Victorian-style tailcoat with a green lining, a green, orange and black corset with the pattern of diamonds on it, a pair of tight, purple, leather pants, and a pair of lace-up, black, leather knee boots. A purple top hat sat on her head with a green ribbon tied around its base into a large bow. There was a sword strapped to her side that was partially obscured from view by the table.

Alister never painted Madeline in frilly, girlie dresses. He didn't imagine her to be that way. In his imagination, Madeline was a bit of a tomboy. She was strong, brave, and slightly mad. Her madness tended to make her fearless and reckless. Madeline was always very sure of herself.

_Brave_. So unlike his _cowardly_ self.

In Alister's daydreams, he pictured the Red King being in love with Madeline, and imagined that she rebuffed all of his advances. The thought made him smirk slightly. She was too good for the King of Hearts. She'd never submit to him, or anyone. She was a free spirit, and a fierce swordswoman.

Filled with longing, Alister unconsciously reached his hand out towards Madeline. It'd be nice if he could just pass right through the painting into Wonderland. His brave Madeline would protect him from his clingy female clients that were currently eyeing him like a piece of meat. He gulped and refocused his attention on Madeline.

And she winked at him.

_Wait...what?_ Alister rubbed his blue eyes, and then narrowed them at the tea party painting in a scrutinizing way. A hand on his shoulder had him jumping a foot in the air. "Ack!"

"Alister," a familiar, deep male voice said in a slightly chiding tone.

Alister spun to face his manager Mr. Bailey with a hand pressed over his frantically beating heart. "Mr. Bailey, what the bloody hell?"

Mr. Bailey's expression turned chagrined. "I'm sorry I startled you, Alister." An amused smirk curled Adam's lips next. "But, your best client, Miss Cameo Stone wishes to meet you. Desperately."

Alister frowned. "I thought I already made myself clear that I'm _not_ good around women." He folded his arms in front of his chest, and tried to stare down his manager, which was hard to do since Mr. Bailey was a couple inches taller than Alister at six-five.

"And I think you can make an exception this time since Miss Stone just paid forty thousand dollars for that tea party painting you can't seem to stop staring at," Mr. Bailey said with raised eyebrows.

Alister winced and let out a defeated sigh. Mr. Bailey nodded in Cameo's direction. Alister followed his line of sight to see what his best client looked like. He had to bite down on his lower lip to stop a despairing groan from slipping past his lips. _Great, just great._ She was the _worst_ type of middle-aged woman to deal with - one wearing clothes that didn't suit her age.

Cameo was wearing a black and white tube dress, a black mink shawl, black stilettos, and diamond jewelry.

Alister was eighteen-years-old, and Cameo was probably somewhere in her early forties. Alister's lips thinned into a grim line. She was a total cougar.

Fur...diamonds...perfume...

_Deep breathes, Alister. Deep breathes._ "Alright, fine. I'll give her five minutes," Alister grumbled in a reluctant manner.

Mr. Bailey whacked Alister amiably on the back. "That's the spirit, Kid!"

Alister stumbled forward a few steps and shot an irritated glare over his shoulder at his manager before heading over towards Miss Stone. Once he was a couple of feet away from her he cleared his throat and started to shyly introduce himself. "Hi, I'm-"

Cameo's attention immediately locked onto Alister and she interrupted him. "Oh, I know who you are, Darling. You're the famous artist Alister Kingsley, and the man who painted that absolutely lovely tea party painting that I just paid a pretty penny for."

Alister immediately felt guilty about how much Cameo had paid for the painting. It was his manager Mr. Bailey who always decided how much Alister's paintings would sell for though. Even though Alister always thought the prices were too high, Mr. Bailey had repeatedly explained to Alister that the prices were reasonable for someone as famous as he'd become. "I could ask my manager to give you a discount, if you'd like."

Cameo threw her head back and cackled loudly. A few people shot her questioning and slightly worried looks. "A discount?" Cameo arched an eyebrow at Alister. "Do I _look_ like I need a discount? Besides, your painting is worthy every penny. Your paintings are the perfect...how shall I put this? Escape from reality. And let's face it, Darling, reality sucks."

Alister offered her a crooked smile. Finally, something he could agree on. "Yeah."

Cameo smiled sharply at the artist. "Although, perhaps, with the right... _companionship_ reality could be more bearable. More... _fun_." She reached out and placed a hand on Alister's arm in a flirty manner.

Alister shuddered in disgust and revulsion at her touch. It took all of his self-control not to slap her hand away. "I'm not sure what you mean, Miss Stone." Alister gulped and glanced around nervously.

Cameo squeezed his bicep. "Surely, you know _exactly_ what I'm saying, Darling."

Out of the corner of his eye a flash of white caught Alister's attention. _What the hell? A rabbit?_ "Did you just see that?"

"See what, Darling?" Cameo drawled in her smoky voice.

"I think it was a rabbit," Alister started to explain in an airy tone. "I wonder how it got inside the gallery."

Cameo scowled in displeasure. "A rabbit? Nasty little pests. It must have wandered inside from the garden. I usually sic my dogs on any rodents I see in _my_ garden."

"I think it was wearing a dress..." Alister trailed off thoughtfully.

"A dress?" Cameo cackled in amusement. "You mean, like from one of your impossible paintings? You must have spotted a rabbit in clothes from one of your own paintings, Silly Boy."

Alister shrugged carelessly. "Maybe. I guess."

"Now, where were we? Ah, yes..." Cameo started to stroke his arm. "I was just inviting you out for a drink, and you were just about to say 'yes'."

"I...er..." Alister's eyes darted nervously around the gallery and then he spotted the White Rabbit again. His eyes widened when the rabbit held up a pocket watch, pointed at its face, and gave Alister a disgruntled look before running off.

"I...I'm sorry, Miss Stone, but I really need to go! My Muse is suddenly calling me!" Alister started off and made his way over to a closet where he'd stored some of his art supplies for just such an occasion. He grabbed a blank canvas, his portable paint set, and his favorite paintbrush before taking off in the direction he'd seen the rabbit go.

Once Alister entered the hallway outside of the gallery he spotted the rabbit again at the other end of the hall. As soon as the rabbit saw that Alister had followed her she took off around the corner.

"Hey! Wait!" Alister called after the White Rabbit as he took off, running after it down the hall. "Hold still so I can paint you!" He was soon exiting the gallery building and entered the garden beyond.

The rabbit sped through the garden, only pausing for a moment to check her pocket watch again. The rabbit tsked, and shook her head in a disapproving manner. "We're late. We might not make it in time. Oh dear, oh dear! She'll have to marry _him_ if we're too late!"

Alister took this opportunity to start his painting of the White Rabbit. She was dressed in a lacey, white and blue, Victorian-style dress with a bell skirt and puffed sleeves. Alister noticed that the rabbit was even wearing a pair of tiny, white, lace gloves, and smiled goofily. "How curious."

The rabbit didn't stand still for long, however, and took off running again through the garden until she ran into the nearby forest. Alister didn't hesitate to follow the rabbit into the pine trees, and that's when the rabbit suddenly disappeared from sight behind a tree. "Oh, no you don't! You won't get away that easily!" Alister called out.

When Alister rounded the tree a gigantic rabbit hole appeared from out of nowhere beneath his feet. Alister windmilled his arms desperately as he tried not to fall into the hole, but he'd been running so fast it was hard to halt his forward momentum. "What kind of rabbit hole is _that_ big?" Alister complained as he gawked down at the hole in shock.

Alister let out a very undignified squawk as he ended up falling forward and right into the hole. Alister screamed in terror as he plummeted down through the dirt tunnel. Abruptly, Alister's speed began to slow, and he stopped screaming. This whole bizarre experience suddenly seemed oddly familiar to Alister somehow, and that helped to calm his nerves.

Alister glanced around the dirt tunnel with great curiosity as he fell at the unnaturally slow speed. This was definitely no _ordinary_ rabbit hole. Framed paintings ( _was that a Van Gogh?!_ ), antique mantle clocks, cuckoo clocks, and mirrors with gilded frames decorated the dirt walls.

Alister also passed floating furniture on his way down, and narrowly missed knocking into a piano that was playing all by itself. He wasn't so lucky with avoiding a rocking chair, and landed right in it. But, the chair tipped back so much that Alister fell right out of the chair the next second.

Alister spotted a shelf lined with labeled glass jars, and unconsciously licked his lips when he spotted a jar of orange marmalade. His favorite. He reached out and miraculously managed to grab the jar. Sadly, the jar was empty, and Alister carefully set the jar down on a random shelf he passed as he continued falling.

Alister pouted and lamented his inability to stop his descent when he spotted a gray, stone fireplace with a blazing fire in its hearth that would have been a nice painting opportunity.

Alister's fall was abruptly halted when his feet ended up touching glass. He looked down at his feet, narrowed his eyes, and saw a room directly below him. He realized he was standing on top of a glass dome ceiling. Suddenly, cracks began to appear in the glass beneath Alister's feet.

"Oh shit!" Alister ran for the dirt wall, but he wasn't fast enough. The glass broke beneath his feet, and he fell down into the room.

The air was knocked out of Alister's lungs as he landed with a hard thud on a black and white checkered marble floor. "Oof!"

With trembling arms, Alister pushed himself up off the floor while being mindful not to cut his hands on the broken glass that was scattered around him. He looked up just in time to see the White Rabbit open a tiny door, exit into what appeared to be another garden, and shut the door behind her.

"Hey! Wait! I just want to paint a quick portrait of you, White Rabbit!" Alister ran over and crouched down in front of the 15-inch high door. He tried the tiny, golden doorknob, but the door was locked. "Shit."

Alister straightened, glanced around the room, and spotted a small, golden key sitting on a three-legged, glass table. Alister blinked and rubbed his eyes at the sight of it. He didn't remember that table being there before. Alister walked over to the table, picked up the key and inspected it. "Well, even if this key works to open the door there's no way I'll be able to fit through," Alister complained aloud to himself, and his shoulders slumped in disappointment. He really hated it when he let a good painting opportunity slip though his fingers.

"You'll fit _if_ you're the right size," a sultry female voice declared.

Alister spun around, and his eyes darted around the room fearfully. "W-Who said that?" He frowned when no one appeared to be inside the room with him.

"I did," said the same purring voice.

"And who is 'I'?" Alister questioned.

"I...am myself," the voice continued in an airy manner.

"But..." Alister let out a frustrated huff. "Oh, never mind."

"If you drink the magical potion that's on the table you'll be able to pass through the door," the female voice told Alister helpfully.

"What potion?" Alister glanced at the glass table again, and this time sitting on its surface was a tiny, blue glass bottle that definitely hadn't been there before. "The hell?" Alister walked over and picked up the bottle. A large tag had been tied around the bottle's neck that read: 'DRINK ME'. Alister's eyebrow twitched. "Well, it's not marked poison, but I'm still not stupid enough to drink from a bottle just because it says 'DRINK ME'. That's a good way to end up drugged, and in a bad porno film." Alister shuddered at the unsettling thought.

The sound of giddy laughter filled the air. "It's _not_ a drug. It's a shrinking potion. I promise it won't harm you."

"Oh, and I'm supposed to trust a _disembodied voice_?" Alister asked with a flippant wave of his hand.

"Would you trust a _non-disembodied_ one?" the female voice purred.

Alister thought about it for a moment and shrugged carelessly. "I suppose."

The first thing to appear out of thin air was a pair of lips painted with purple lipstick. The lips curled into a smile that widened until it was a toothy grin. The smiling lips hovered eerily in the air for a minute before the rest of the woman's body slowly started to appear.

The woman had stunning, golden eyes with slit pupils, long, silky, purple hair, and tanned, golden-hued skin. She was wearing a frilly, purple _Gothic Lolita_ style dress with the pattern of pink hearts on it, black and white striped stockings, and shiny, patent leather shoes. There was a thick, silver collar around the woman's neck engraved with runes. The mysterious woman was floating in midair in a lazy, reclined position as if she were relaxing on a French settee.

"A woman!" Alister instantly began to panic, and took a step back. That's when two furry, purple cat ears appeared on the top of the woman's head, followed by a purple and pink striped tail that started to swish back and forth behind her. "No. Wait. A cat? A cat-woman? What _are_ you?" Alister gave the cat-woman a wary look.

A dark shadow flickered over the cat-woman's face, but it was gone so fast that Alister was sure he'd imagined it. "My race is known as the Cheshire Cat People. We are half-human half-cat. Demi-humans. We're also known as being shifters. We can shift fully into cats. _Big_ cats." She smirked and there was a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"So...you're _not_ human," Alister questioned.

"Not entirely." The cat-woman shook her head. "No."

"Well, that's...good." Alister offered her a bright smile. "I might actually be able to trust you then. I happen to dislike humans."

The cat-woman's expression brightened considerably. "Is that so? Oh, dear, where are my manners. I haven't even introduced myself properly. My name is Katrina."

"I'm Alister Kingsley."

" _The_ Alister Kingsley?" A keen glint came to Katrina's glowing golden eyes. " _The_ Artist?"

Alister gave her a quizzical look and tilted his head slightly. "Yes. I _think_ so."

"You don't sound very sure," Katrina pointed out, looking amused. This young man was fun to tease. "Anyways, Alister, if you drink that potion you'll become the right size to be able to pass through the door."

"Okay," Alister said, popping the cork off the bottle and taking a swig.

"Wait! Don't forget the-" Katrina slapped a hand to her forehead and groaned. "Bugger..."

Alister rapidly began to shrink in size until he was the perfect size to fit through the door. Katrina had been right. He quickly ran over to the door, grabbed the doorknob, and tried to turn it. Alister flushed in embarrassment when he realized he'd forgotten the key. Oops. "Uh...Katrina." Alister looked up at the now enormous, floating cat-woman, and gave her a sheepish look. "Think you could do me a huge favor and bring me the key?"

"Sorry. No can do." Katrina shook her head sadly even though she was still smiling. "My orders were quite clear. I can't interfere with what you do. Only observe."

Alister frowned. "Orders?"

Katrina tapped her chin in thought. "Although, I _can_ advise you on how you can get the key. You see that cake sitting on the floor over there?"

"What cake?" Alister looked around and spotted a plate with a square-shaped piece of cake on it. He was pretty sure that cake hadn't been sitting there before. It was just like... _magic_.

Alister walked over to the cake and peered down at it. It was decorated with icing that read: 'EAT ME'. "Curiouser and curiouser..." Alister's eye twitched again. "What is up with this crazy place and strange food and drink?"

Katrina let out a thoughtful hum. "It would only be strange if you were in a realm where it didn't matter if you were the proper size as the occasion called for it."

"The proper size?" Alister shook his head in bewilderment. "I'm guessing if I eat this, I'll get big, right?"

"Well, yes, but be careful not to-" Katrina was saying.

Alister took a large bite and his body began to grow at a rapid rate. So rapid, in fact, that in seconds his head was pressing uncomfortably against the glass domed ceiling. "Ow."

"Eat too much," Katrina sighed, and shook her head. "You would think you would remember all this from all those other times," she muttered the last to herself.

Alister frowned as he caught a small part of what she'd said. "What was that?"

"Oh, nothing," Katrina said in a singsong voice. "Now, pick up the key and the potion this time. Then take a small sip of the potion to shrink yourself again."

"Got it." Alister grabbed the key, and carefully pocketed it. Then he picked up the potion bottle and took a sip. He started to shrink until he was only ten-inches-tall, and the perfect size to get through the fifteen-inch-high door.

Unable to contain his excitement, Alister ran over to the door, fished out the key, and quickly used it to open the door. Alister peered through the doorway into a lovely garden that was sure to provide him with lots of wonderful painting opportunities.

Alister was just about to step through the doorway when he remembered about Katrina, and he turned around. "Are you coming too?" He gave the cat-woman a hopeful look. The idea of being alone in such a strange place unnerved him.

A flash of surprise flickered across Katrina's face, but then her expression became unreadable. "I'm afraid I can't."

Alister's shoulders sagged in obvious disappointment. "Oh, well, thank you for all your help, Katrina. I really appreciate it." He offered her a tremulous smile.

Katrina's grin widened until Alister was able to see her pointed incisors. "You're very welcome, Alister."

Alister took a deep breath to steel his nerves before crossing the threshold and entering the garden. He jumped when he heard the door shut and lock behind him all on its own. "Curiouser and curiouser."

***

Once the door closed behind Alister, sadness and guilt swam in Katrina's golden eyes. She hoped Alister would be alright, but knew that it would be dangerous to let her treasonous emotions show on her face so quickly schooled her expression back into a more neutral one. Then Katrina floated over to peer into a six-foot-tall mirror with a golden frame. "King of Hearts. King of Hearts. King of Hearts."

The silvery surface of the mirror rippled for a moment before it stilled to reveal a spacious throne room. Seated upon a high-backed, gold and red throne was the King of Hearts a.k.a the Red King, Crimson.

As soon as Katrina's gaze landed on Crimson her eyes _literally_ turned into two pink hearts. The King of Hearts was _very_ handsome, or at least Katrina thought so. He had chiseled, regal facial features including a square chin and a Roman nose. His skin was so pale that it reminded Katrina of white marble. Sitting on top of his short black hair was a golden crown decorated with glittering rubies that had been carved into the shape of hearts.

Crim was wearing a black, Victorian-style suit with the pattern of red hearts on it along with a red cravat. Sitting on his broad shoulders was a floor-length, red, velvet cape with a black and white fur trim. There was a haughty, dangerous air about Crim as he reclined languidly on his throne.

He reminded Katrina of a panther waiting to pounce on its next target. A pleasurable shiver raced up her spine at the thought. "Your Majesty-" Katrina began.

Crim waved his hand impatiently through the air. "Report."

Katrina gulped. Crim's dark, brooding eyes always seemed to be able to see straight through her, so she didn't dare lie. "It is as you suspected, Your Majesty. Madeline sent the White Rabbit to bring Alister here to our realm. If he signs the magical contract before sunset he will become a contender in the tournament."

Crim's pale face slowly began to turn red out of fury. "So, Alister Kingsley is here in Wonderland, and he thinks he can challenge me?" Crim ground his back molars in irritation. "Well, we'll just have to make sure Alister is _eternally_ late for tea with Madeline." A cruel, twisted smile spread across the King of Heart's face. He gave Katrina an expectant look. "Which door did he pass through, Katrina?"

Katrina nibbled on her lower lip as she hesitated to respond.

A vein at Crim's temple throbbed in response. "I _order_ you to tell me where he went, Katrina!" the Red King growled impatiently.

Even though Crim had just given her a direct order Katrina _still_ hesitated. Consequently, the magical control collar that she wore around her neck sent thousands of volts of electricity coursing into her body as it punished her for her disobedience. Katrina cried out and fell to the marble floor where she writhed in pain.

Crim watched the Cheshire Cat slave twitching in pain on the floor with a dispassionate look on his face. His expression turned irritated after a few minutes, however, and he waved his hand through the air. "Enough."

The control collar immediately stopped shocking Katrina. She looked up at Crim, and her expression wasn't what one might expect from someone who'd just been tortured. Instead, Katrina's eyes were glazed and hooded with lust, she was panting for breath, and there was a wide smile on her face. "Oh, yes, please punish me more, my King!"

Crim rolled his eyes at her unseemly behavior and sighed. "You damned, masochistic cat. Tell me where Alister went or else..." Crim wracked his brain for an appropriate threat. Torturing Katrina never quite worked out the way he hoped. A sly smile curled his lips when an idea came to him. "I will _never_ punish you again."

Katrina pouted up at Crim. "Oh, alright, you win. Alister went through the fifteen-inch-high door into the garden of talking flowers."

Crim grimaced. "Ah, yes, the White King's garden. Unlike that idiot, I prefer my flowers and trees to be silent as the grave. The White King is even worse than _you_ , Katrina. He has these plants that tie him up with their vines. For _fun_." Crim sneered, his lip curling in disgust as he recalled the plants that protected the garden.

But then, a cunning glint came to the King of Heart's coal-black eyes. "Perhaps, it's not such a bad thing Alister chose to enter that particular garden. If I'm lucky those flesh-eating plants will finish him off for me." A dark chuckle slipped past Crim's lips at the savage thought, and he smiled sharply at Katrina. "Well done, Katrina."

Katrina blinked at Crim in surprise and blushed prettily. "Thank you, My Love."

Crim's dark eyes flashed red for a moment. "That's 'Your Majesty'! _Constrict!_ " The King of Hearts clenched his hand into a fist as he used one of the command spells on the magical collar around her neck to punish her audacious behavior.

The control collar began to constrict around Katrina's neck like a snake. "Ahhh..oooo!" The Cheshire Cat slave's cry of pain swiftly turned into a moan of pleasure.

The Red King rolled his eyes at her depraved display, and let out a heavy sigh. After a few minutes of torturing Katrina he grew bored, and waved his hand through the air to stop the command spell. "Enough!" He let out another sigh. "It's so hard to find good help these days. Tweedledee. Tweedledum!" Crim called out as a sudden wicked idea came to him.

From out of the shadows appeared two young human girls, who had nearly identical appearances. The girl standing to Crim's right had a short bob of black hair, and was wearing a black, _Gothic Lolita_ style dress with the pattern of red hearts on it. Her left eye had a red heart painted around it.

The girl standing to Crim's left had a short bob of red hair, and was wearing a red version of the other girl's dress with black hearts on it. The redhead had a black teardrop painted beneath her left eye shaped like a heart. Both girls were wearing mini top hats on the sides of their head, black and red striped stockings, and shiny, black, patent leather shoes.

Tweedledum and Tweedledee were both only twelve-years old, and resembled two adorable porcelain dolls. What ruined their innocent appearance, however, were the giant battleaxes they held in their hands. The girls curtsied before the King of Hearts simultaneously, and spoke at the exact same time: "Your Majesty, how may I serve you?"

A smile filled with malice spread across Crim's face at the sight of them. "Tweedledum, Tweedledee, I have a job for you, my beloved executioners."

Tweedledee and Tweedledum shared a pleased look before wide, maniac smiles spread across their faces. "Oh, do tell, Your Majesty."

"Alister Kingsley has returned to Wonderland," Crim announced in a scathing voice. "In the _flesh_."

Tweedledee and Tweedledum instantly grew excited. "Why has he come here?"

"He's here to prevent me from getting what is rightfully mine!" the Red King snapped hotly and then took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself down. "That's why I want you two to execute him for me. This is an order. Off with his head!"

The bloodthirsty smiles on the twins' faces only widened at the command. "We shall not fail you, Your Majesty," Tweedledee said. "You can count on us."

"We will-" Tweedledum began.

"Bring you his head on a silver platter," Tweedledee finished.

Crim steepled his fingers before him on his lap and drummed his fingertips together. "Excellent."

Katrina watched the proceedings while on the other side of the mirror with a worried look on her face. "Alister...no..." she murmured softly to herself.

***

Meanwhile, Alister was walking through the White King's garden with a slightly awed expression on his face. He couldn't decide what to keep his eyes on, or what he should paint first. He saw dragonflies zipping through the air, and did a double take when he realized they weren't _ordinary_ dragonflies at all, but instead resembled miniature fire-breathing dragons, only with translucent, insect-like wings. "Ooo."

Alister whipped out his paintbrush and started to add a dragonfly next to the White Rabbit's head. A minute later, Alister spotted a rocking-horsefly that resembled a miniature toy rocking horse with translucent, insect-like wings, and had to paint it next. "Ooo!"

"There are so many great painting opportunities in this place," Alister muttered to himself in a giddy manner as he painted. "So many incredible, impossible things." He took a mental pause when he realized that this place and these things all seemed oddly familiar to him somehow. When he couldn't figure out why, he shrugged carelessly, and continued to paint while humming happily to himself.

Once Alister was finished adding the dragonfly and rocking-horsefly to his portrait of the White Rabbit (although he didn't paint their eyes) he decided to continue his way down the cobbled path, which he figured the White Rabbit must have taken.

"Look who it is." "Who is it?" "Why, it's Alister, of course." "He doesn't _look_ like Alister." Several small voices reached Alister's ears.

Alister spun around and eyed his surroundings warily. "W-Who said that?" There was an obvious tremor of fear to his voice.

"We did," a large, red rose said in an imperious tone as it leaned in Alister's direction in such a way that it towered over him.

Alister gawked up at the rose that was bigger than he was at his current size of 10-inches tall. That's when he realized that the flowers currently surrounding him didn't have _normal_ appearances. Their flowery heads appeared to have faces on them, and they could apparently talk. "Talking flowers...how curious," Alister muttered to himself.

"Are you Alister?" a yellow daffodil asked intently with a toot.

"Uh, yeah...I'm Alister Kingsley," Alister said, rubbing the back of his neck in an awkward gesture.

" _The_ Artist?" a dandelion with a head that resembled a lion asked.

"Well, I am _an_ artist," Alister corrected.

"He sounds unsure," a violet declared in a snooty manner. "Maybe he's not the _real_ Alister."

"Salome would know," the daffodil said in a matter-of-fact tone with another toot.

Alister became distracted when he spotted a majestic, white gardenia. "Ooo, My Fair Lady, you must allow me to paint you!"

The gardenia blushed prettily. "If you wish, Sir."

Alister offered the gardenia a charming smile. "Thanks!" Alister quickly set up his canvas and began to paint the talking flowers next. A good portrait always needed a good background after all, or else it would be boring to the eye. Alister even painted the flowers' faces, but made sure not to finish their eyes.

Alister _never_ finished his paintings of living creatures because...

_Why was that again?_ Alister scratched his head in bewilderment. A chill of unease crawled up his spine when he tried harder to remember. He knew something _bad_ would happen if he actually _finished_ his paintings though. It was a gut feeling.

Alister shook his head of such morbid thoughts, and continued to happily paint the talking flowers, until-

A vine wrapped around his ankle and tugged backwards. "Ack!" Alister ended up flat on his face in the dirt. Then he was being dragged backwards through the grass. "What the hell? Hey! Let go of me! Bollocks!" Alister stuck his paintbrush inside his inner jacket pocket, and then tried to pry the vines off his legs in an attempt to free himself.

Alister was dragged back through the grass at top speed until he spotted the plant that had a hold of him, and his blue eyes flared in alarm. "Oh, shit."

The flower resembled a Venus flytrap, but had tentacle-like vines that helped to capture and pull prey towards its open mouth. The plant had a feminine face and licked her lips as she spoke, "Mmm, a tasty looking morsel has wandered into the White King's garden without his permission. That means I get to eat you! Yay!"

The blood drained out of Alister's face at the plant's ominous words. "Help! Somebody, help me!" he yelled out, his voice tinged with desperation.

As the tentacle vines continued to wrap around Alister's body and drag him towards the plant's mouth the vines started to touch places they had no right to be touching. "Hey! Watch where you're touching, you perverted plant!" Alister complained with flushed cheeks.

"Never fear...help is here!" a gallant male voice declared that was followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. Footsteps that sounded like they were coming from a giant and that made the ground beneath Alister tremble. Alister gulped nervously. He _really_ didn't want to get stepped on since he was currently only 10-inches tall.

A six-foot tall man approached Alister and reached down to take a hold of the vines. "Unhand that poor boy this instant, you naughty plant!"

"But, he looks so tasty," the plant whined petulantly. The man flicked his index finger and thumb against the top of the plant's head. "Ow! Okay, geez, I'll let him go, Your Majesty," the plant reluctantly agreed.

The vines released Alister's body, and as soon as he was free he scrambled to his feet. Alister turned to face his savior and had to crane his neck up painfully in order to get a good look at the man.

Alister's rescuer was dressed in a white, Victorian-style suit with the pattern of green three-leaf clovers on it. Sitting on top of his short, snow-white hair was a silver crown decorated with sparkling emeralds that brought out the man's pale green eyes. It was the crown that made Alister realize that he was obviously in the presence of royalty. A sword was strapped to the man's side that had an ornate silver hilt.

Alister self-consciously dusted himself off. "Um, thank you, Your Majesty!" he said in his loudest voice.

The White King smirked cockily down at Alister. "Think nothing of it, Boy. It's all in a day's work for a heroic king!" He struck a dramatic pose.

Alister felt a trickle of sweat slide down the side of his face at the silly sight. "Uh, right." Alister squinted up at the King. "You know, you look strangely familiar. Have we met?"

The White King raised an eyebrow at the ten-inch-tall boy. "I don't think so. I've never met someone who looks like you." He crouched down and started to scrutinize Alister closely. A flash of recognition crossed his face a moment later. "Wait! Are you Alister?"

_Why does everyone act like they already know me in this place?_ Alister wondered to himself uneasily. "Yes. My name is Alister Kingsley."

"I see." The White King stroked his chin thoughtfully. "So, _The_ Artist has come to Wonderland." His happy-go-lucky expression turned serious. "My brother won't be too pleased about this. I suppose you're here to enter the tournament?"

"Tournament?" Alister asked in confusion.

The White King frowned down at Alister. "You're a little _slower_ than you used to be, aren't you? Really, I should kill you now and rid myself of a rival for _her_ hand. Right now I could simply pick you up and crush all the bones in your tiny body with my bare hand." He clenched his hand into a fist to stress his point.

Alister gulped, and started to tremble slightly.

The White King noticed Alister's distress, however, and decided to have mercy on the boy. "Fear not, Alister. That wouldn't be honorable. And I believe in a fair fight. I fight with honor! Lucky for you, I'm a _heroic_ king...unlike my _villainous_ brother. Now, _he_ would probably kill you on sight!" He chuckled lowly at the macabre thought.

There was a sinking feeling inside of Alister's chest and he rubbed it with his hand absentmindedly. "Yeah, lucky."

The White King gave Alister an expectant look. "Isn't there some place you should be going? You don't want to be late."

"Well, I was following the White Rabbit, but I lost sight of her-" Alister started to explain.

At that moment, the White Rabbit appeared in front of them, and held her pocket watch up at Alister. "You're late! You're _so_ very late! You _must_ hurry!" Then the rabbit took off running into the garden.

"Hey, wait!" Alister called after it. He gave the White King an apologetic look. "Sorry, but I gotta go!"

The White King smiled serenely. "The next time we meet, we'll both be contenders. May the best man win!"

Alister's brow furrowed in confusion. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but yeah, sure. Bye!" He waved at the White King before taking off after the White Rabbit.

The White King turned his attention to his plant. "Where were we, my lovely pet? Why don't we practice how to restrain trespassers properly?"

"Of course, Your Majesty," the plant eagerly purred before sending her vines whipping out in the White King's direction.

A masculine groan of erotic pleasure followed after Alister as he pursued the White Rabbit through the garden. Alister shook his head in wry amusement. "Do I even want to know?" Luckily, Alister stumbled upon his canvas and portable paint set, and was able to take his art supplies with him even as he continued to run after the rabbit. However-

The sound of rapidly approaching footsteps reached Alister's ears, and they sounded like they were coming from a giant again. The ground beneath Alister's feet trembled with such force that he stumbled forward and had trouble to remain standing. "What the hell?" Had the White King returned for some reason?

Emerging from the forest at the edge of the garden were two young girls that were both five-feet-tall. Unfortunately for Alister he was still ten-inches-tall, and so the two young girls towered over him in an intimidating fashion. At first, Alister thought he might not have anything to worry about since they were just kids.

But, normal kids...didn't have bloodthirsty grins spread across their faces or were holding wicked battleaxes in their hands.

The twins stepped into his path and blocked Alister's way to the White Rabbit.

Women were scary.

BIG women were absolutely terrifying!

Alister swallowed a lump of fear. _Oh, shit! I'm so dead._

"Hello Alister-" Tweedledee began in a singsong voice.

"Welcome back-" Tweedledum continued.

"To Wonderland." Tweedledee finished.

"Um, do I know you two?" Alister questioned in a tremulous voice.

Tweedledee and Tweedledum both frowned at each other before turning their attention back to Alister. "It appears as though-" Tweedledee started.

"He's forgotten us," Tweedledum continued.

"No matter," Tweedledee declared with a dismissive wave of her hand. "We're not here for old time's sake."

A wicked smile curled Tweedledum's lips. "We're here to decapitate you on the King's orders."

"No hard feelings," Tweedledee added with an apologetic look on her face.

"Decapitate?" Alister paled and rubbed his neck unconsciously with his hand. "But, _why_?" His voice cracked due to his frayed nerves. "I haven't done anything to this King of yours. I don't even know who the hell you're talking about!"

"You're here to get in the King's way-" Tweedledee accused hotly.

"And he won't have that," Tweedledum finished in a grim tone.

"I still don't know what you're talking about." Alister shook his head helplessly. "I'm _not_ here to get in anyone's way."

"You wouldn't be _here_ if that were true," Tweedledee argued with raised eyebrows.

"Hold still so I can chop off your head!" Tweedledum raised her axe and swung it at Alister without further ado.

"Eek!" Alister instinctively ducked down behind his canvas, using it as a makeshift shield, and the gleaming axe blade whished over him with such force that it caused his golden blonde hair to stir. The blade of the axe ended up slicing through the top of Alister's canvas. His eyes widened like saucers as he looked at his ruined canvas and stood up. "Bloody hell! You really just tried to kill me!" He decided to toss the ruined canvas and art supplies aside. He had the feeling he was about to make a run for it.

Tweedledum pouted at the lack of blood on her axe's blade. "I missed."

"My turn!" Tweeldedee declared in a voice laced with excitement. She placed both hands on the battleaxe's handle, leapt up into the air, and brought the axe down, ready to cleave Alister in two.

Alister jumped backwards, and Tweedledee's axe hit the ground in front of him, and with such force that clumps of dirt were sent flying up into the air and a small crater was left behind. Even though these girls appeared young they had incredible strength for some reason. "You two are crazy!" Alister complained breathlessly.

"No, we're not," Tweedledee started in a teasing tone and gave her twin an expectant look.

"We're mad!" Tweedledum finished with an insane giggle.

Alister took off running. _Shit, shit, shit!_ He was in a real pickle here. If all this was just a dream, now would be a really good time to wake up.

"Come back, Alister!" Tweedledee called after him.

"We promise to turn your head into a trophy," Tweedledum said.

"If that will make you feel better!" Tweedledee finished.

"It does _not_!" Alister snapped over his shoulder irritably, and continued to run for his life. The talking trees he was passing were enormous at his current height, and the forest seemed dark and foreboding to Alister. Tweedledee and Tweedledum were hot on his heels, and sadly didn't appear to want to give up pursuit any time soon.

Any time they got close enough they swung their axes at Alister and when they missed their axes sliced through talking flowers and trees without mercy. The flowers' and trees' cries of pain filled Alister's ears and he slapped his hands over his ears to block it out.

Alister swiftly ducked behind a tree in an effort to hide from the child assassins, and crouched down low. He was panting for breath and his heart was hammering inside of his chest a mile a minute. He felt close to a panic attack. Tears started to fill his eyes, making him feel even more pathetic. At this rate he was going to start hyperventilating. _I can't handle this nightmare._

Women were scary.

Women trying to decapitate him...were even worse!

Alister hugged his knees to his chest as his body started to tremble. His stomach clenched painfully due to his nerves, making him feel nauseous. "Someone, please, help me," Alister murmured softly as hot tears began to slide down his face.

"There he is!" Tweedledee declared gleefully. A second later an axe went flying into the tree's trunk and sliced the tree in half.

Alister stood up, wiped the tears from his eyes, and stared over the tree stump at Tweedledee and Tweedledum who were only a couple of feet away. Alister gulped and trembled as he awaited the next deadly swing from their axes. _I'm so dead._

"Use your paintbrush!" Katrina's sultry voice suddenly reached his ears.

"Katrina?" Alister looked around wildly. He was sure that he'd just heard Katrina's voice, but he didn't see her.

Katrina's mouth abruptly appeared, floating in front of him. "Hurry! Take out your brush!"

Alister reached into his inner jacket pocket, and pulled out his paintbrush. "Now what?"

"Use it!" Katrina snapped in an impatient manner. "Just paint something, Silly!"

Tweedledee charged forward with her axe raised. "Eek!" Alister waved his paintbrush wildly in her direction.

A rope that was tied around her ankles appeared from out of thin air, and Tweedledee tripped the moment she tried to take another step forward. "Ah!"

Tweedledum gawked at her fallen sister in disbelief. "Sister!" She shot a heated glare Alister's way. "Oh, you'll pay for that!" She charged forward with her axe raised high over her head.

"Quick! Draw a mud puddle on the ground!" Katrina instructed.

Alister did as he was told and drew a circle on the ground while envisioning it to be a mud puddle.

"Now, run!" Katrina snapped.

Alister turned around and ran. The circle Alister had drawn on the ground glowed with a golden light and turned into a real mud puddle.

Tweedledum's foot got stuck in the puddle, and she was unable to get it free. "Argh! What did you do? Get back here, Alister!"

Alister ran through the dark forest until his legs gave out and he collapsed to his knees.

"You need to keep going," Katrina chided. "Those traps won't keep them occupied forever."

"I...I can't..." Alister panted.

Katrina shifted into her cat form, and abruptly materialized in front of Alister. He took a moment to admire the otherworldly cat that had purple fur decorated with pink stripes. "Get on!" Katrina said with an air of impatience.

Alister used the last of his strength to climb up onto Katrina's back, gripped her fur with his hands as best he could, and then they were off, heading deeper into the forest.

To be continued in...Chapter 2:

###

Final note:

Other works by the author:

GENDERBENT FAIRYTALES COLLECTION

Handsome and the Yeti

Handsome and the Yeti (audiobook now available)

Petra Pan

Petra Pan (audiobook now available)

Alister in Wonderland

Alister in Wonderland (audiobook now available)

King of Hearts: A Wonderland Story

King of Hearts (audiobook now available)

Theodore Gale in Oz

Theodore Gale in Oz (audiobook now available)

Wicked Warlock of Oz

Wicked Warlock of Oz (audiobook now available)

Ashe and the Glass Sword

Ashe and the Glass Sword (audiobook coming soon!)

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