Peter Pan and Me

WHERE THERE'S SETH, THERE'S FIRE; WHERE THERE'S PETER, THERE'S COLDNESS

Holding Excaliber, Peter flew ahead of me, laughing as he knew he would
save our Lost Boys, unaware they had already saved themselves by
believing in him and things such as Rip Van Winkle and Clifford the Big
Red Dog. I flew behind him but the fires raged again, worse than ever.
The trees took to flame. Explosions rocked the volcano. I looked at the
sky, "Oh no, God, not again!"

Neverland seemed to be burning again and the fires were worse than ever!

The air was stifling hot, making it difficult to breath. Sweat covered my
eyes and filled them. I couldn't really see as I flew so I slowed down.
Smoke filled my nose, "Peter," I gagged but knew he was far ahead. Didn't
the fucker care about me? He'd forget all the cruel mean things he said
to me, did to me, but...I wanted to also but how could I? He always says
he loves me but then he goes and says and does things that are so
contrary to that. Where are these thoughts coming from? The very air
shimmered in heat.

When I landed on my feet, the ground, even the very sand, was hot to the
touch. The grass didn't help either, it was hot too. Everything was hot.
The Lost Boys all were following Seth outside, keeping at bay by stating
their belief in Peter, God, fairies, angels, Little Bo Peep, the Wizard
of Oz, Harry Potter, Mother Goose, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the
Tooth Fairy, among others, but I turned to them, "Get back to the
underground house! And stay there!" I was yelling in a furious loud
voice that shook the very bushes around them, they looked scared, not of
Seth but of me. I softened, "And by the way, I'm proud of you all."
The boys turned and ran.

Infront of me, as I turned, I saw Peter with Excaliber, already landed
infront of a cringing Seth. "YOU!" Seth screeched in front of Peter, who
smiled at him and pointed his sword at Seth's face. "YOU PETER PAN! YOU
OF THE DEMON PATH! PAN, THE GREEK GOD....."

Peter frowned on one side of his mouth, and tilted his head in that cocky
fashion, "Blah blah blah. Greek gods, they wouldn't use dreams to try to
defeat me...they would act like men!"

"You speak to me of men!" Seth roared, his fingernails sprouting even
longer.

"And ruin everything!" Peter flew up and waved Excaliber at Seth, who
raged. On touch of one wing, Excaliber made it fold up as Seth tried to
fly up also. Seth unfolded his wing and took off, Peter followed.

Peter was ranting too but in a happy way, "That's what adults do! Ruin it
all! Just like you, cause you are acting like they! You are already grown
up and you're not even an adult! You can't get away from me, not this
time!" Peter laughed but Seth flew up and away, then turned as Peter
flew after. They collided face to face, chest to chest and tumbled out of
the sky.

I could only watch in terror as they flew, one being, legs wrapped around
each other. Flew straight down. I grabbed a bush and flew it under them
as they fell. They landed in it and rolled. Peter threw his body to one
side. Seth flew up over him but Peter tossed Excaliber at Seth's body, it
winged against his other wing and that folded, making Seth lopsided in
the air. Seth began to try to flap wings but they wouldn't work, so he
landed face down in the dirt. He got up spitting dirt and his eyes were
human again and his whole look was more human. Yet his face was filled
with anger and his hair filthy with leaves, dirt, and even rocks. He
shook them off as best he could and picked himself up. Peter was over
him. Suddenly fire burst up and launched itself at Peter's back and
backside, a missile of pure inferno. Peter giggled and flew away from it.
"Hey Seth, you're hot," he threw his face out to Seth and raised an
eyebrow, "but I'm hotter!"

"I'll say," I said. "Wouldn't mind a threesome," I joked but I meant
it. Seth was kind of hot in his own way but it was Peter who had my
heart. Seth was trying to pull Peter's heart out of his body.

Yelling a loud war cry, Peter threw himself down at Seth, sword raised.
Seth struck claws to Peter's chest and ripped inward but peter flung
himself back, locked legs around Seth's legs and flew him up with him,
laughed, as Seth's claws came free from his chest flesh and Seth was
flung by Peter's flying, head down. Seth kicked free and rolled as he
fell. He pointed up and fire came from his pointer finger and moved at
Peter, who moved in turn, away from it.

"That all the fire ya got in ya, old teen?" Peter laughed. Peter landed
near me. "He's beat."

"Peter, the sword, you have to touch him with it and...the Neverland, it
won't take all this!"
Fire flew up in front of us. A large tree was on fire and fell at us,
snapping, crackling, popping. And not a cereal elf in sight. Peter put me
behind him as fire came at us. We were surrounded by flames, a circle of
death around us now. "Peter, I can't see you."

"I'm right here," Peter whispered as he turned to me and held me by the
shoulders and then the arms. "I love you."

"Are you...? Giving up? Are you readying to die?"

"Been there, done that. Wasn't allowed in for some reason..."

"I think I know why..."

"Okay, I have to do something you won't approve of but...."

"Whatever you are going to do to save Neverland...and by the way us too,
do it!" Peter kissed me on the lips deeply. I swooned as he broke free.
My eyes remained closed. "Was that what you were going to do??? I'm not
complaining. It's hot but it's getting even hotter, what can you... "

Seth was up and walking at us, noting in his facial expressions that he
was winning, even that he had already won. Fire was engulfing the forest,
the lava spewed from a blowhole in two volcanoes, and smoke gagged us.
Peter snapped, "Frost and fire ice and fear, say his name and he'll
appear. King Chyros, King Chyros, King Chyros!"

"Peter! That's going to make things...."

"Cold, I know!" Peter was enjoying all of this.

Seth looked around and scowled. From the ground, ice broke and spread
across out of a crack in the ground that appeared. Snow flew up from the
crack and a giant tornado of snow and ice flew forth from the crack. It
whirled and turned and blew leaves away, snow and ice flinging from it
and covering the area. Like a whale's spout but infinitely colder. Seth
was hit in the face by a snow ball. The tornado began to take form and
the outlines of a being began to be seen. It turned to a giant ice stalk
and that broke quickly and from it emerged the form first seen. A very
large, very tall giant of a man-shaped being in a long white and blue
robe, the color of cold. Covering that was a cape around his shoulders
and arms, almost a robe over the first robe, a giant six pointed clasp
holding them together. He also had four points on his head and deep icy
blue eyes. The being had a large white/blue beard and an equally thick
moustache over that. Thick eyebrows. Pointy...what is it with pointy
fingernails? Pointy icicles for fingertips. Sprouting from his under
garment was a steady stream of snow that spread out like one of those
leaf shooting machines but this was shooting snow, ice, snowballs, snow
flakes. The fires were out in a moment. The tree that fell was now just
an ice tree and it split into a million shards, firing up. I put my hands
up infront of my eyes.

The being was loud voiced and deep voiced.

Now it must be told that everyone knew the story of Peter's visits and
encounters with this crusty old Ice King, Chyros, lord of the frozen,
king of the Ice Caves. Long ago, before me, before even Wendy, was the
first time Peter visited. It was not a pretty meeting and the less said
about that the better. Then Peter, who was of the opinion that he was
king of Neverland...and gosh, he was....felt he could go anywhere and
take anything that he wanted. On this particular visit, also before Wendy
and John and Michael came to Neverland, Peter went to the secret ice
caves, Peter took a crystal and gave it to Tinkerbell simply because he
wanted to. The Ice King attacked Peter but never got it back. I'm not
sure how Peter got out of that one but some time later, he decided to
give the crystal to Wendy. This lead to Peter telling Michael the King's
name and this game between them that the Ice King didn't think was a
game. The Ice King took the crystal back but Peter went and stole another
one, a trap for him, and Neverland became a frozen wasteland. Tink
unfroze Peter but couldn't unfreeze anyone else so Peter used the volcano
Krakatoa, East Of Java, against the Ice King, to free the others and
Neverland. The Ice King then countered by making an ice copy of all the
cold things within Peter. Wendy gave the new crystal back and ended
Peter's fun for that day. Peter and the Ice King. What silly asses. And
I'm sure Tink would agree with me.

"Why have you summoned me again, Peter Pan!" The booming voice made one
think twice about mistaking the old man look for a powerless giant ice
king. He pointed a finger at Peter.

Peter looked up, waved Excaliber at him and smiled, "This time I need
your help!"

"HELP?" The Ice King yelled, infuriated, "HELP?!!! MY HELP???"

"Yes," Peter nodded and bowed, "This time we are on the same side."

Seth pointed a finger at the Ice King and flame came out and flew at the
giant. Peter dashed up from the snowy ground where he briefly landed to
deflect the fire blast using Excaliber. Peter almost didn't make it and
the lack of a laugh and a look of surprise on Peter's face told me the
story. He was outmatched this time...

"You're not match for me, Seth!" Peter flew down at Seth. "I got it from
here, Ice Man, you can go now."

The Ice King looked at Seth, who held up his arms. Fires sprouted out of
the snowy ground. "Yes, yes, I think I shall. Sticking around here could
be too hot for me to handle. In your hands I leave it Peter Pan, but do
not disturb me again!" The Ice King drilled himself into the snow and
melted into it and vanished, a giant puff of snow balls spiraling out and
hitting more of the fires Seth started again.

Seth laughed as Peter came at him. Seth held up a sword that appeared in
his hand and blocked Peter's spin driven sword arc. Fire flew between the
two swords. Peter spiraled up and around to Seth's back. Seth met him
sword for sword. Peter gritted his teeth and put his face up to Seth as
their swords went up sideways near their faces and he spat, "Don't have
any sleeping boys around to threaten this time, do ya, Seth! This time
it's just you and me!"

"Don't need any! I kept you alive..." Seth pushed him back, "As long as
I wanted in the fight to see if you could defeat me...."

"Because you wanted him to?" I called but I was sure neither was
listening to me. I wanted to help Peter but I wasn't sure I should
interfere. Get too close to Seth and he might use me to kill Peter.
Again.

Seth pushed Peter back and then retreated. "Where are you...going to?"
Peter called.

"Peter watch out! Above you!"

A tree had sagged with the weight of to much snow on it. The fires Seth
restarted inched up the tree to the branch and the snow fell, a giant
mound of it. It landed right on top of Peter. "PETER!"

Seth took his sword and began to punch holes into the ground, slicing
through snow and thrusting stabs at the ice. As he did he snarled and
growled. Fires sprang up again.

"Seth no! You know you don't want to kill! Your human side!"

Seth snarled, "You don't have any idea what I am! Keep your mouth shut or
I'll burn it off!" He looked at me and while he was still in human
form, he looked quite evil. Seth stabbed at the mound of snow where Peter
was buried. Then he stopped.

I moved closer. I saw blood. "Peter!"

Seth looked, "It's over. I rule now. You cannot stop me. He couldn't stop
me. And your little boys can't stop me!"

"They looked like they were doing a pretty good job of it when I came
here!" I moved closer. I walked right up to Seth, "I will see Peter
defeated for myself." I was casual about it. After all, Peter had died
already and was none the worse for it. And something was not right.

Seth laughed and threw his head up to the cloudy sky. Fires burst around
us. Then suddenly from under Seth's spread legs, Peter rose up from out
of the snow mound, snow falling from him. He laughed as his head butted
into Seth's private parts and Seth yelled in pain. Peter kept his body
moving up and snapped both hands onto Seth's legs and as he rose he
flipped Seth over into the snow. Peter laughed and laughed and then
landed. Seth shook himself off of snow and ice. "Child's games!"

"Thank you, Seth."

"For calling you a child!?"

"Yes that and, the reason I was able to come back to my love Chase, was
that I couldn't get into heaven....that thing inside me that you put
there...couldn't get into heaven. SOOOOO....I had to be returned here to
Chase and to defeat you. So you see, I have you to thank for my being
alive again!"

Seth snarled again and threw his sword. "Your mother must be very
proud!"

Peter yelled this time, snarled, and flew straight at Seth, holding
Excaliber straight out at Seth's neck. "Peter!" I yelled. Peter glanced
sideways at me and Seth held up his fingers and fire flew from them.
Peter dodged the fire rays and put his legs straight down, turning at
incredible rates of speed and in all different ways. Seth was calling
forth more fires.

Peter landed again and with spread legs, looked toward Seth and with a
jovial voice laughed out, "Hey Seth one good turn deserves another,
between my legs hangs your mother!" Peter laughed.

"Peter!" I said, astounded that Peter would say such a thing, would know
enough to say such a thing. Truth be told, I was laughing a bit as I
scolded Peter with that one word, his name.

Peter waved me off, "AW!"

I laughed. The happy Peter was back. The giggling, Pan driven joy. Snow
on his hair. Wetness on his body glistening. I wanted to see goose bumps
on that smooth skin of his but, of course, due to magic, he and I were
not really cold. And besides, Seth set enough fires to melt almost all
the snow and ice. The volcano, which was frozen moments ago, now thawed
and the lava began anew.

"My mother was a good woman! Her name was Rosemary. She didn't want a
devil for son!"

"She was human, wasn't she?" I asked.

"It doesn't matter now! I will fire destroy all of you! She cannot have
what she wants! My father saw to that!"

Peter said, "I have one name for you in answer to that." And with that
he said the Ice King's name again.

"Ohhhhh!" I yelled as the Ice King made his spectacular entrance again.

"Stay only a moment but I need your snow to combat these fires."

Peter called forth the Ice King twice more to put out Seth's fires. The
Ice King was not happy. Nor was nature. It was being shaken apart by this
fire and ice fight. Presently there was more snow and ice on the ground
and the volcano was frozen again. But the rocks were cracking beneath
it. And trees were just falling apart around us. The landscape was a
winter wonderland. "Peter! Neverland cannot take this much longer!"

"Neither can I. I grow tired of this game!"

Peter tumbled through the air, head over tucked in feet. Seth was
pointing his fingers to make more fires but this time, Peter tumbled up
at him and then above him, he held the sword he had in his two hands at
Seth and cut off all Seth's long fingernails, "Manicure anyone?" Peter
tumbled onward and laughed as he landed.

"I can set more fires naturally if I have to!"

"Then set Seth!" Peter flew at Seth again and this time just before he
made contact, he landed, and ran around Seth. He knocked the flat side of
Excaliber against Seth's butt and Seth fell forward into the snow, face
first.

Seth got up on all fours and spat snow, huffing, "Then end it! If you are
boy enough!"

"I AM!" Peter landed infront of Seth again and held Excaliber back
behind him with two hands and was made ready, a swing came forth. Peter
meant to take Seth's head off!

"Peter! No, you're not meant to!" I yelled but it was too late. Peter
swung with all his might and all his anger spilt out of his mouth as he
snarled.

"Peter! Forgiveness!" I yelled.

Peter seemed not to hear me and kept his swing going. Seth had his head
up now, facing the sword, baring his neck. He didn't blink. Peter hit
Seth's neck but tapped it with the sword, making just a bit of blood
drip out, not more than a shaving cut, "Boink!" Peter laughed. On
contact, the sword glew and Seth's eyes closed. A bright light engulfed
him and Peter and then faded. Then Peter expertly spun and had the sword
over his head and then down again onto Seth's shoulder, "I dub thee fully
human now!" He threw the sword up into the air and caught it in his
other hand and tapped Seth's other shoulder, "Hereby, the genes of your
demonic half are banished from thee! Go in peace, human teenager! Don't
forget to shave!"

Seth stood up, wiping snow off his bare chest and arms, "I...I
feel...cold."

I ran through the snow to him, "Seth? Seth? Do you feel any different?"

"I...I don't know," he felt his bare stomach.

"Of course he does, I knew Seth wanted something from ME and figured that
Excaliber could do it, getting rid of his evil nature!" Peter stuck out
his chest, "Oh the cleverness of me!" He jumped up to two branches
between a split tree crotch and swung like a child, which he was, snow
dripping between his toes.

I looked up, "Of course...." My voice echoed in the surrounded snowy
mountains, "I had nothing to do with figuring that out...."

Peter frowned and curled his lip up, "Ohhh, you did a little." He swung
and then twirled like a ballet star as he landed down infront of me and
bent his knee and put the other leg on the snow covered icy ground. He
held his hand out to me and the other hand was on his hip. I put my hand
in his and he kissed it.

"You silly ass," I told him and kissed his hand in mine.

Seth looked at them, "I...I'm human. I feel human!" He laughed and
there was a lightness in him that wasn't there before. "I..." Suddenly
he grabbed his stomach and seemed to squeeze it into impossible foldings.
"I don't feel so right!" He bent.

Peter and I turned to him. I was horrified, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know!" Peter answered.

Seth sprouted wings and they were bigger than ever. I jumped back but
Peter watched wide eyed. Peter smiled. Seth's face was not evil though
and his eyes were human. The pain was gone. And there were no horns, no
tail, and no real evil qualities. But....Seth took off and flew into the
sky.

"It....failed!" I gasped as Seth flew away, "He is still part demon!"

We both watched the last of Seth's form vanish into the higher sky...both
of us stunned....


TO BE CONTINUED...


The play Peter Pan and its characters are trademarks of and copyrightJ.M.
Barrie.