//------------------------------//
// (Nocturnal Neverland) 
// Story: Friends and Fairy Tales 
// by CrackedInkWell 
//------------------------------//

Although the rainbow mare didn’t want to admit, it was a bit uncanny of successfully teaching wingless, apelike creatures to fly. Still, she still felt very proud for doing so with the help of brightly glowing fairy that, although the tiny thing spoke like bells ringing, she can understand her perfectly. So it was for her to safely assume that she was having a weird, yet, very enjoyable dream.

Flying up ahead, she was followed by a small ground of those that call themselves the Darlings: Wendy, John and Michael that were playing along with her version of follow the leader. Rainbow Dash couldn’t really tell how long they have been flying or many seas and lands, be it hours or several days, she was still full of playful energy to show off the children behind her.

Even when napping, her wings seemed to move on their own as she lead them to a place where the golden arrows in the skies pointed towards. At one point when she had her eyes closed for a moment, she could hear the children behind her.

“Do be more polite to him,” the one called Wendy, the eldest of the tree, whispered to John.

“Then tell him to stop showing off,” said John.

Rainbow Dash smirked at the comment.

Even when she thought she was dreaming, the pegasus did took care of the Darlings on the way towards Neverland. For example, she help feed them by teaching them how to snatch food right out the beaks of birds in flight. This of course led the birds themselves trying to snatch the food right back, in which they and the children would go chasing one after another for miles on end until they parted with the mutual expression of good-will.

However, the mare did give themselves the opportunity for some fun when it present itself, such as playing a game of how many shark tails they could touch, or how well they could dodge the clouds they flew by. Yet, being new to this sort of situation with these creatures, she had at several times forgotten what their names were. Not to say that she didn’t recognized their faces, but for the moment, it was their names she was having trouble with.

“I’m Wendy,” the eldest said agitatedly.

Still, Rainbow couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed each time. “Look, I’m sorry Wendy,” she whispered, “If it looks like I’m forgetting you, just keep on saying ‘I’m Wendy,’ and then I’ll remember.”

The five of them continued towards their destination towards the enchanted Island. Soon, when the sun was setting on the horizon, they at last spotted land.

“There it is,” said Peter calmly.

“Where, where?” the children asked as they peered at the horizon.

“Where all the arrows are pointing.”

Above them, a million golden arrows were pointing it out to them, all directed by the sun who wanted them to be sure of their way before leaving them for the night. At one point, Rainbow looked back at the children who stood tip-toe in the air as they saw the island for the first time. She couldn’t blame them, as odd it was for her as it was for them, Rainbow somehow recognized the island itself. Only, there wasn’t a sense of excitement, but rather uncertainty like a surprise visit of an old friend one hasn’t seen in years.

“John, there’s the lagoon.” She could hear the children say.

“Wendy, look at the turtles burying their eggs in the sand.”

“I say, John, I see your flamingo with the broken leg.”

“Look, Michael, there’s your cave.”

“John, what’s that in the brushwood?’

“It’s a wolf with her whelps. Wendy, I do believe that’s your little whelp.”

“There’s my boat, John, with her sides stove in.”

“No, it isn’t! Why, we burned your boat.”

“That’s her, at any rate. I say, Hon, I see the smoke of the Indian camp.”

“Where? Show me, and I’ll tell you by the way the smoke curls whether they are on the war-path.”

“There, just across the Mysterious River.”

“I see now. Yes, they are on the war-path right enough.”

While Rainbow was a bit annoyed at the three of them for knowing more about the island then she did, part of her was new to this. However, that sense of dread grew stronger when the sun had lowered beyond the horizon in which all the arrows in the sky had faded until only darkness draped over all of them.

A sense of caution was felt when they flew closer to the mainland, just above the tree line. They moved much slower and anxious this time over the shadows below. There were the sounds of wild beasts and unknown calls of birds crying out in the nighttime. Yet they persisted. Rainbow, with a sleeping Tinkerbell on her back, had both ears and eyes scanning for any signs of danger as they flew over, searching for the perfect place to land.

Her other memories, the ones that has the name “Peter Pan” attached to, reminded her why she was doing this. She and the Lost Boys were at war with the Pirates who could be anywhere on the island. Still thinking this is a dream, she decided to play along.

In the darkness, she spotted a figure leaning up against a tree. Slowing down even further, she flew side by side to John and asks casually, “Would you like an adventure now or would you like to have your tea first?”

From Wendy, she said “Tea First,” Michael pressed her hand in gratitude. John however seemed a little hesitant.

“What kind of adventure?” he asked curiously.

“There’s a pirate asleep in the pampas just beneath us,” Rainbow told him. “If you like, how about we go down there and kill him?”

“I don’t see him,” John said after a long pause.

“I do, right over there,” she pointed downward.

“Suppose,” John said, a little huskily, “he were to wake up.”

“Well duh,” Rainbow rolled her eyes, “you don’t think well kill him while he’s asleep? We’re at war with them! I have to wake him up, then kill him like I always do.”

“I say! Do you kill many pirates?”

“Tons.”

John said “how ripping,” but decided to have tea first. He then asked if she knew how many pirates were on the island.

“I’m not quite sure.”

“Who is captain now?”

A name came to the blue pegasus’s mind. One that was dripping with bitterness, “Hook,” she answered; her face became very serious as she said that word.

“Jas. Hook?”

“Yep.”

Then Michael began to cry, and even John could speak in gulps only, for they knew Hook’s reputation.

“He was Blackbeard’s bo’sun,” John whispered. “He is the worst of them all. He is the only man of whom Barbecue was afraid.”

“That’s the one,” answered “Peter.”

“What is he like? Is he big?”

Another memory that wasn’t Rainbow’s came to her, “He’s not as big as he was.”

“How do you mean?”

“I cut off a bit of him.”

“You!”

“Yes me,” Dash said sharply.

“I wasn’t meant to be disrespectful.”

“Oh, alright then.”

“But, I say, what bit?”

“His right hoo-” Rainbow dash suddenly coughed as she realized she was about to say the wrong word. “His right hand,” she corrected herself.

“Then he can’t fight now?”

“Oh, he still can.”

“Left-handed?”

“Not really, he uses the iron hook alright. He claws anyone with it.”

“Claws!”

“Do you have to repeat practically everything I say? Now John?”

“Yes?”

“There’s one thing I everyone that serves under me has to promise, so you, Wendy and Michael must do also.” All three asked what that was. “It is this, if we meet Hook in open fight, you must leave him to me.”

All three of them promised.

Even with Tink awake, giving them some extra light as she circled around them, it still didn’t offset the eeriness of the nocturnal Neverland. Suddenly, the bright fairy stopped and went up to Rainbow Dash to deliver the bad news.

“Peter, what did she say?” Wendy asked.

“She told me, that the pirates sighted us before the darkness came… and they took out Long Tom too.”

“The big gun?”

“Seems so.” She listened to Tink a little more, “Uh-oh… Of course they would see her light, and if they guess we are near it, then they are sure to let fly.”

“TELL HER TO GO AWAY AT ONCE, PETER!” the three cried simultaneously.

Tinkerbell had Peter to tell them, “She can’t. She thinks we’ve lost our way, and she’s scared. I don’t think it’s a good idea to send her out when she’s afraid.”

“Then tell her,” Wendy begged, “to put out her light.”

“Fairies can’t put out their lights,” Rainbow replied, “They could only do that if they’re asleep.”

“Then tell her to sleep at once,” John almost ordered.

Again, Tink gave her objection, “She says she can’t sleep except when she feels sleepy, and it’s the other thing fairies can’t do.”

“Seems to me,” growled John, “These are the only two things worth doing,” Here he got a pinch from the fairy, and not a loving one.

Rainbow tried to think fast, “If only one of us has a pocket…” Still she looked around to figure out how to put out her light. Then she looked at John, “I’ve got it!” she exclaimed, “John, give me that hat!”

The bright fairy agreed to travel by hat as long as it was carried in someone’s hand. Minutes later, John gave his hat over to Wendy to carry in which she held the black top hat against her stomach to snuff out the light.

Back in the darkness, the whole island was very quiet. The sounds below were very still as if the mainland was holding its breath. For several minutes, it was the longest silence any of them have ever known, not even the wind whispered nor even the birds sang at this moment.

“If only something would make a sound!” Michael complained, the loneliness of sound was being too dreadful for him to bear.

Unfortunately, his wish did come true. The air was shattered by the most tremendous crash any of them have ever heard. Instantly everyone knew that the pirates had fired Long Tom at them.

The roar itself echoed all over the island and rick-a-shaded between the mountains as if to cry out savagely, “Where are they, where are they, where are they!” The sound along was so fierce that it knocked Rainbow off course to be carried away by a strong wind current away from the island.

As for the Darling children, the thunderous crash had made all three forget which way was up. Wendy had let go of Tink out of the hat in which she too had escaped from. John was busy trying to get himself right-side-up, while Michael without knowing how to float was floating.

“Are you shot?” John asked in which it came out as a trembling whisper.

“I haven’t tried yet,” Michael whispered back.

All three took noticed of Tinkerbell ringing at them, as if pleading them to follow her. Wendy called out to her brothers that it would be a good idea to see where the fairy would lead her until they find Peter once more. Completely unaware of the sudden, wicked idea that Tink had in mind to solve her jealously of Wendy.