Peter Pan and the War of Evils

Chapter Nineteen

      Chapter Nineteen

The closer she got to the surface, the harder the wind blew. It raged and howled, ripping branches off some trees, completely collapsing others. The clouds churned dark, anticipating. In the great cavern of The Sanctuary, it blew an eerie moan across the narrow opening of the ceiling, like when one blows on the top of an empty bottle, deep and low.

The Lost Boys ran in after Peter, alerted by fairies who had been watching over Kaytee. It was only their second visit since Kaytee had been brought here. Peter knew she wouldn't want them gawking down at her the whole time, so he kept them away until there was a change.

Now, they stumbled over each other, falling to their knees at the edge of her pool of dust just as Peter had. Nibs squeezed one of Peter's shoulders, nodding with a small, hopeful smile.

The majority of the fairy population, it seemed, also hovered around them, peering from above or behind each other, whispering excitedly.

The tip of Kaytee's nose touched the surface of the pool. Everyone held their breath.

And then she rose.

The dust slid off her like a sheet of feathers, tumbling down into the pool as she emerged. She didn't stop once out, she kept rising, her arms, legs, and hair floating in the air as if suspended in water.

"Why isn't she stopping?" asked Peter to no one in particular. Indeed, there was no answer for it.

She climbed further and further, a hush falling over the fairies. They grew completely silent as Kaytee ascended through the air. Then, one by one, the pixies settled onto the ground and covered their heads, as if in prayer, waiting.

The Lost Boys, unsure, mirrored their positions, and so did Peter, though he didn't cover his head, unable to look away from Kaytee as she suspended a few feet below the ceiling of the cavern. There, she was still.

Slowly, the air around her began to glow, swarming with dust that radiated off her skin, unaffected by the raging wind. Across the sky, blue lighting cracked and whizzed, dangerously close to her body. And then, she transformed.

Golden fairy dust exploded off her body in a great pulsing dome, like a soundwave. In a burst of pure energy and light and warmth, it raked across Neverland, healing everything it touched. The animals emerged from hiding, their noses sniffing tentatively at the fresh air that brushed passed them. The trees, damaged by fire, mended their leaves and branches. The mermaids could foresee the future once again and saw that it would be long and bright.

The Indians, unaware of what was occurring, found themselves filled with a sudden peace. Their bonfires grew larger, warmer. The sick regained their energy. The weight on the fairies' shoulders evaporated.

And the sky parted above Kaytee, golden rays of sunlight bursting through like a long overdue exhale, the clouds disappearing into the sky. Peter held up his hand to see better and watched her slowly begin to lower back down. With the help of the boys, they urged her onto the ground, her head on Peter's lap.

They waited, breath tense, unblinking. Would she wake?

With a gasp, she did.

Her brown eyes were streaked with gold, almost completely blocking out the color, giving her an ethereal appearance. Her nose and cheekbones were also highlighted with golden dust, along with her hair, which sparkled faintly in the new light. Peter cupped her cheek with a trembling hand; she felt like she'd been sitting in the sun for hours, soft and warm.