Taking Fantasia : A Disney Fanfiction

Chapter 38: Tag. You're It.

Chapter 38: Tag. You're It.

One breath.

One breath was all the time he had. To fall to the earth, release Wendy's gaze, and attack Peter Pan.

The rest, Jim thought as Peter roared through the air, was all luck. Dumb luck.

Jim looked at Wendy. Wendy looked back.

Together, they hit the ground.

Together, they broke eye contact.

"Run." Jim breathed as turned and sprinted into Peter Pan.

Wendy forced herself not to look back as Jim screamed.

She ran. Outpaced by her thundering heart, Wendy ran across the ravine. Sunlight burned into her eyes as the wind ripped by, trying to knock her down. The black and golden thread trailed behind Wendy, flaring from the needle in her hand. The silver thimble danced over her chest.

Fleeing bodies suddenly appeared.

Left: Merida and Robin, exchanging shots with the golden arrow.

Right: Elsa and Wart, pursued by a shadow.

Above: David, plummeting from his surfboard.

Behind: Facilier, flexing his spidery fingers.

Ahead: Mermaids, seething and submerging under the water.

"LOOK OUT!"

Wendy swerved. Facilier's shadow ate through her like steel rain. Hissing, the shadow curved into Elsa and Wart.

"Stay away!" Elsa threw out her hands. Wart skidded, missing icy shards by an instant. Terrified, Elsa folded her arms against her chest. "Stay away, just go!"

The shadow cackled. It swarmed Elsa's head like hornets.

"No!" Elsa cried, collapsing to her knees. "Stop it! Stop it! I can't! I CAN'T!"

Stalagmites of ice protruded from the earth as Facilier's shadow tormented Elsa's mind. The stalagmites punctured across the ravine, erupting fitfully around Wendy.

"Yes!" Facilier goaded, splaying a deck of cards. The ace of spades flicked from his fingers as Elsa screamed. "Yes! Give into my friend from the other side. Give into your evil."

Wendy fell backwards as the stalagmites exploded like fireworks. Robin and Merida covered their faces. The golden arrow scattered uselessly over the ice.

Jim shouted her name. Wendy looked up into the sky. Peter had intercepted David, and tossed his frozen body into the wintery pit. The surf board smashed into a stalagmite, cracking in two.

Peter sighted her. He dove. Wendy rolled over, seizing a handful of snow. Packing it tight, she turned and threw. The white snow was soaked pink with Peter's blood.

Peter tumbled backwards into Jim. A stalagmite burst, fracturing their bodies with an icy blast.

Elsa screamed. Facilier approached, watching Elsa rake her white hair.

"I've been waiting for this tag." Facilier crouched, extending one gnarled finger. "Waiting to freeze the Snow Queen."

"No!"

Facilier's shadow screeched. Elsa collapsed as Wart struck Facilier with a broken stalagmite. The blow was less strong than it was valiant, and Facilier seized the stalagmite before tearing away. The magic ice stuck to the boy's hands, and Wart shouted as skin ripped from his palms.

"Tag." Facilier seized Wart's throat. "You're it."

"And so are you!"

ZING! The golden arrow sailed over the ice. Facilier wailed as the arrow punctured his palm, pinning he – and his shadow – to the earth.

"Leave him!" Merida shouted as Wendy's gaze wavered on Wart. Frantically she pointed to the sky. The tiny blue Will'o the Wisp ushered them toward the river. "Pan! He's coming! Run sods!"

Wendy obeyed. Breathing hard, she sprinted after Robin, Merida, and Elsa. Peter's shadow flickered over her head. Wendy looked up. The finish line was so close! Just across the river!

Elsa reached the river first. Energized by shame and fear, she tore into the river. Wendy gasped. The water beneath Elsa's feet froze. Mermaids scattered as Elsa ran safely to the opposite shore.

"Quick now!" Robin notched his arrow, skewering an aquamarine mermaid tail as he and Merida hopped across the icy bridge. "Quick! The ice is melting!"

"Wendy, faster!" Merida shouted over her shoulder. Her red hair blazed over her pumping arms. "Faster!"

Wendy jumped. The ice broke, cracking into jagged pieces. Knees buckling, she slipped as mermaids scratched their hands over the ice stepping stone.

Then a strident scream, like the call of a crow, filled the air. Wendy looked up.

Peter met her gaze. Then, he dove, flying like a bat out of Hell.

Jim heard the cry. He saw Peter dive. He saw Wendy, alone.

Then, Jim saw Silver.

Take my word...without a gift...it's all about bein' like me...like a cyborg: resourceful.

Resourceful.

Mind buzzing, Jim search. He spun around, eating in every detail of the battle field, soaking in every resource. He needed a plan. He had ten seconds to reach Wendy before Pan tagged her out. "But Pan's flying." Jim cursed, thinking furiously. "The only way I'd be able to reach her in time is if I were..."

Snap. Jim's eyes lit. He saw David's surfboard, broken, dysfunctional. Then he saw John, fingers frozen around a Ziploc bag of...

"Pixie dust."

Jim moved. In one fluid movement he seized the surfboard. Wendy in the corner of his eye, Jim sprinted to John and kicked open the Ziploc bag.

"Sorry kid." Jim said as pixie dust fluffed into the air. Raising the surf board over his head, Jim dunked the splintered base into the golden glitter. "But I've got a friend to save and an ass to kick."

Jim punched the surfboard with his heel.

He exploded forward. The surfboard roared over the golden engine of pixie dust.

Jim leaned, willing his speed to increase. Wind screamed through his ears as he raced at Peter. The distance plunged. Wendy looked up. Peter stretched open his hands. Jim propelled himself off the board and into Peter as the surfboard nose-dived into Wendy.

Wendy shouted. Pitched through the air, she slammed onto her back as the surf board burrowed into the river bank. Painfully, she rose.

Suddenly, she saw it! The finish line! The finish line! It was right there!

"Wendy!" Jim grabbed, but Peter slithered into the air. "Wendy! Run! Go! Go! NOW!"

Wendy ran. Blood dripped down her forehead and into her eyes. All she could see was Peter's shadow, covering her feet...neck...head...hands...

Wendy felt tears in her eyes. Peter was laughing. She could feel his breath. She ran so hard her heart felt like it would explode. She'd never make it!

Three more steps.

Jim was shouting. She couldn't hear the words.

Two more steps.

"Wendy. Wendy. Wendy!" Why could she only hear Peter's words!?

One. More. Step.

"Tag! You're it!"

Wendy felt Peter's fingers dive into her hair. Stumbling over the finish line, she turned, holding out her hands.

The needle pricked Peter's skin.

And Peter Pan screamed.

He screamed as if Wendy were ripping apart his soul.