by Thomas Hayes
Chapter Twenty-One
A long, dark canoe ride later, Peter, Tim, Blue and I walked through the forest of the Island of the Lost Boys. When we reached the village, I saw many people—more than I expected—gathered in the open area under Peter’s treehouse. It was the Babbles, the Lost Boys, the Natives, and Wendy, Michael, and John—all of the Neverlanders we had rescued from the prison. Many of them were in rough shape, so Wendy and the Chief were applying bandages, giving them food and water, and helping them get comfortable in bamboo chairs. However, the mood was actually happy and festive; people were talking, laughing, and even dancing to music from some Lost Boy musicians.
Then, when the Chief saw us, he began to clap, and this caused the others to start applauding, too.
“Um, why are they clapping?” I asked.
Peter smiled. “I believe it’s for you.”
“Welcome back, Emily!” the Chief bellowed. “The hero of Never Land!”
Wendy ran to Peter and wrapped him in a hug. Then, she embraced me.
“Thank you, Emily,” she said. “You were right: you brought him back, just like you said you would. Thank you, thank you, for everything.”
“I’ll say!” John said. He and Michael took turns hugging me. I was surprised, to say the least. “We heard what you did, Emily! That’s amazing!”
“Truly!” Michael added. “You took down old Captain Hook himself!”
“What we tried to do for centuries,” the Chieftess said with a smile, “she accomplished in one night. She really was the key to all of this.”
Wes approached me. His arm was in a sling from the battle. “Yeah, crazily enough, Peter actually had a good idea for once. You really did have some of that fight left in you.”
“I don’t know about that. I just stalled until these guys showed up.”
“That’s not all you did.” Peter turned to the crowd. “I wish you all could have seen her: facing down Captain Hook—magical, maniacal Captain Hook—with nothing but a sword that she barely had ever even seen before! It was bloody gorgeous.”
He threw an arm around me. “I haven’t seen anything like that in a long time.”
“Is there anything you need, Emily?” the Chief asked.
“Are you hurt?” Wendy said. “I’m sure you could use some medical attention.”
“Anything you need,” Tiger Lily said, “you just let us know.”
I looked to my right. Tim was there.
“Emily,” he said, “can we go home?”
I pulled him close and smiled.
“I’m glad I could help,” I told the others. “But at this point, I’d really like for someone to take us back.”
The Chief smiled. “I understand. However, since it’s so late, you could always head back in the morning. We’d love for you to stay here and regale us with the story of how you battled the legendary Captain Hook.”
“Thank you,” I said. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for us—all of you, really— but it’s time for us to go home. My parents must be freaking out, to say the least, and I think for my own sanity, I need to be back in New York.”
“Of course,” the Chieftess said. “Peter, would you do the honor of returning Tinker Bell home?” She shook her head. “I’m sorry. Emily. Old habit.”
“It’s okay,” I chuckled.
Tim looked at me. “Why do they keep calling you that?”
“I’ll tell you later. Maybe.”
“Let’s leave them to say their goodbyes,” the Chief said. “Of course, I hope you’ll visit us again soon, Emily.”
“Possibly.” The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind.
The group dispersed into the village, ready to celebrate the defeat of Captain Hook. That left Tiger Lily, Wes, Peter, Tim, and me alone.
“Thank you so much, Emily,” Tiger Lily said. “I would say I have no idea how you mustered up the courage, but I knew the old you for a long time. So it really doesn’t surprise me.”
“That makes one of us.”
We laughed and hugged.
“Thank you, Tiger Lily,” I said. “I hope Peter doesn’t bother you too much while I’m gone.”
“That’s impossible to escape, I’m afraid.” She held up a finger. “Before you go, though, there’s someone I’d love for you to meet. I’ve been telling her about you for a long time.”
Tiger Lily stepped into the crowd, then returned with a dark-haired girl, about ten years old. She was beautiful, with dark skin, brown eyes, and her hair in a long braid.
“Lilac,” Tiger Lily said. “This is my friend I’ve been telling you about. From many years ago. She goes by Emily now. Emily, this is my sister, Lilac.”
“Hi,” Lilac said, shaking my hand. “Nice to meet you. Are you sure you have to leave now? I’d love to hear more about your adventures.”
“Uh, yeah, I think so. Sorry. We need to go back home.”
“Oh. I was hoping maybe you’d stay for the celebration.”
“Emily?”
I looked down. Tim was staring at Lilac with wide eyes and a dropped-open mouth. I’d never seen that look on his face before.
“Maybe we can stay for a little while longer,” he said.
I laughed.
“Yeah,” Wes said with a chuckle. “I think it’d be nice to introduce these two.”
Peter put his arm around me. “C’mon, Em. Let’s go have some fun, one last time.”
I thought it over. I sighed.
“Fine. But you have to promise me, if I stay, no one is going to attack us.”
“Of course not,” Tiger Lily said.
“Thanks to you, there’s no one left to attack,” Wes replied.
The group of us walked towards the center of the village. Exhausted—and still debating over whether we should stay or get out of there—I looked to Tim. He was walking ahead of me with Lilac. He was doing most of the talking, chatting her ear off.
I squinted, confused.
Somehow, even here in Never Land, Tim had grown up, just a little.
