Second To The Right, And Skate On Till Morning, 9/11
Title: Second To The Right, And Skate On Till Morning
Rating: G
Summary: Peter Pan AU. The final battle!
Disclaimer: I own neither skaters nor magical flying children, and anything that happens to them herein is entirely fictional.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8
The next few days passed in a flurry of activity. Fairies came and went, the zamboni stopped by at least six times to make sure the Royal Army would hold up their end of the bargain, Evan and Mullet kept running to the lagoon to check in with the mermaids, and everyone took turns teaching the Indians to fly. Mao and her warriors picked up the basics of flying quickly, but in order to be perfectly battle-ready, they wanted to learn all the tricks as well. When the lessons became advanced, Yu-na, Evan, and Johnny resigned as teachers and became students.
“You just pull your leg in like this,” said Bug.
“And swing your arms out like this,” said Mullet.
“And feel for the wind, sometimes you can run on it,” said Bear.
“And try not to bump into clouds,” said Googly.
One evening as the class was winding down by playing midair hide-and-seek, Mullet arrived, dripping wet and grinning widely. “The bay is melted!” he said. “They did it!”
“They” were the mermaids and the fairies. The mermaids scraped away at the ice from below, while a team of fairies tried to warm it from above. The fairies’ power with heat was limited, but they had other useful abilities, and the team cast an illusion to make the ice appear just as solid as usual. This operation was overseen by Lady Surya of the Blue Shadow Clan, one of Queen Michelle’s most honored courtiers. If you knew how to look, she could often be seen backflipping around the edges of the melting area, securing the illusion.
“That’s wonderful, Mullet!” said Yu-na, popping out of the cloud she had been hiding in. “We’ll attack tonight. If that’s what Adam wants, that is.”
“Sure,” said Adam. He had not been hiding, as the fairies in his hair always gave him away. There had been no major voodoo incidents since the one that almost killed Jeremy, but no one wanted to take any chances. “The sooner Morozov is dead, the better. Come on out, everyone!”
Lost boys and Indians emerged from behind clouds and trees. “I could have found them!” said Takahiko, whose turn it was to seek.
“Next time,” said Chieftain Mao. “Now we need to prepare for battle. Queen Yu-na, General Adam, we will meet you at the bay once the sun has set.” Mao and her warriors flew off in their usual formation, adapted somewhat for the air.
“Let’s go,” said Adam. “We need to prepare, too.” As the Royal Army flew home, Adam turned to Mullet. “The mermaids know what to do?”
Mullet nodded. “They’ll wait for my signal.”
“Good.” Adam pushed off the wind and spiraled toward the ground, flying straight into the iceless tunnel. The others followed.
Jeremy, Meryl, Charlie, Tanith, Ben, Federica, and Massimo were waiting in the home under the ground, and they tinkled eagerly when they saw the humans hurry to pick up the weapons they had laid out earlier. “It’s time!” Bug answered them as he stowed a dagger away in his vest.
Adam took Tessa and Scott, his current tenants, from his hair, and shook out the fairy dust they left behind. “I can’t have any of you in my hair when the fight starts,” he said. “The pirates would see you, and we need to take them by surprise. But you can come along in our pockets, if you like.”
Jeremy claimed his usual spot in one of Adam’s pockets, and Charlie, still the best at maintaining Adam’s curls, jumped into the other. The rest of the fairies found pockets elsewhere, being careful not to dislodge any weapons. Yu-na wound up with Meryl and Tessa, and giggled as they tried to find the most comfortable spots in the pockets of her tunic.
Once all the fairies were settled, the Royal Army hurried outside once more and flew for the bay. In the last gleams of the sunset, they could see Lady Surya and her team hide themselves away in the space between the water and their illusion. Some of the fairies waved at Adam before they disappeared. When the sky was completely dark, Yu-na felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to see Chieftain Mao.
“We’re ready,” said Mao quietly. “Are you?”
Yu-na glanced at Adam. His hair was drooping and his lips were pressed tightly together, but his gaze was steady. Bear was at his side, ready to step in as General if need be. Only his fingers clenched in Blade’s fur betrayed his nervousness. The rest of the boys looked likewise grim, with just a touch of excitement for the coming fight. “I hope so,” Yuna said at last. “Adam?”
Adam shook his head as if to clear it, and touched the spot where Evan’s medal hung beneath his shirt. Evan had insisted on giving it to him, thinking that it might help fight the voodoo. “Let’s get closer,” he said.
Slowly, they all advanced. On the deck of the Flying Camel, the pirates were carousing. In the center stood Captain Morozov, laughing and holding a small doll above his head. The doll was dressed in leaves and had a head of curly hair. Now and then Morozov jabbed it with his hook, and the pirates cheered. Yu-na heard Adam’s labored breathing as he struggled not to cry out in pain. “Now, Adam?” she asked. “Let us distract him, please! He’s hurting you!”
“Now,” gasped Adam. “But leave Morozov to me.”
Mullet shot a blunted arrow into the water, and Yana, who had been watching for this sign, plunged beneath the ship. The other mermaids helped her untie the net which kept the ship in place, and then they swam to one side of it and shoved with all their might.
The effect on the pirates was immediate and astounding. Accustomed to the ice, they had lost their sea legs, and they slid to one side as the ship tipped. The voodoo doll fell from Morozov’s hand, and Adam’s hair sprang back into place. “Down, boys!” Adam shouted. “Make these rascals know the wrath of Rippon!”
Mao rolled her eyes at Adam’s theatrics. “Get them,” she ordered her warriors.
The pirates, literally thrown off balance, never stood a chance against the onslaught of the allies. The Royal Army and the Indians attacked with swords, with skates, with bows and arrows. The fairies emerged from their pockets to pinch and pull hair, Blade bit all the ankles he could find, and even Miki’s spider joined in the fight by scaring several pirates into jumping overboard. Bug, daggers in his outstretched hands, whirled through the ship like a tornado, slicing through anyone foolish enough not to get out of his way. Googly chopped away at the pirates with his sword. Mao fired her triple bow, and every arrow hit its mark. Shizuka twisted her body into improbable positions, avoiding one pirate’s sword while stabbing two others with her toe picks.
Johnny and his tassel declared a rematch with Scoot. “Nooo!” Scoot groaned as the rope tightened around his neck. “I won’t be killed by a tassel! I refuse! It’s undignif-” He crumpled to the deck, his grunting silenced forever.
“So there,” Johnny told the bo’sun’s body. He collected his tassel and flew off in search of other prey.
During the flying lessons, Yu-na had refined her skate-fighting technique, and now she put it into practice. She caught a piece of solid wind with one foot and let it carry her across the ship, spinning all the while. Her free foot struck out again and again, leaving a trail of devastation in her wake. She tried not to think about the gore accumulating on her blade.
Mullet sought out Champ and pursued him to the edge of the deck. “You think you’re so great because you can still fly,” the pirate sneered, struggling to keep his footing as the ship rocked. “Just wait a few years. Only Adam can stay young forever.”
“At least I’ll never be a pirate,” said Mullet as their swords clashed.
“Just wait,” Champ repeated. “We’ll get you.”
“You won’t!” Mullet attacked Champ with even more fury than before, and with a final show of strength, pushed him over the side of the ship. He watched as Champ’s startled expression was consumed by the waves, then slowly turned his back and rejoined the battle.
Only Captain Morozov gave the allies any real trouble. He retrieved the voodoo doll as soon as he could reach it, and with the dark power at such close range, even Charlie couldn’t keep Adam’s hair from straightening. As more and more pirates were killed, more and more lost boys and Indians gathered around Morozov, but somehow, he was a match for all of them. He even lifted up Nobunari with his hook and used him and his skates as a weapon, leaving his hand free to clutch the doll. Adam was frozen in midair, helpless, while the fairies swarmed around him.
“Get him, Bear!” said Yu-na, ducking as Nobunari swung towards her.
“But Adam wants to kill him!” said Bear.
“Adam can’t do anything right now! You’re in charge!”
“But-”
“Do it!”
“Yes, Your Highness.” Bear flew high above Morozov and lashed out with the sword he’d acquired during the previous battle. The flat of it hit Morozov’s arm, and his hold on the voodoo doll loosened.
“Again!” called Yu-na.
But now Morozov knew that Bear was after him, and he aimed his human bludgeon carefully. Bear rolled out of the way, then quickly cut through the back of Nobunari’s shirt where it was snagged on Morozov’s hook. Mao and her warriors cheered as Nobunari tumbled to the deck.
“You will pay for that, boy,” said Morozov, but without Nobunari or a sword, his reach was too short to stop Bear from striking at his hand. The doll fell, and was scooped up by Ben and Massimo.
Adam, freed from the chains of voodoo, had his dagger at Morozov’s throat in an instant. “Coward!” he said. “You wouldn’t dare fight me without your voodoo!”
Morozov nonchalantly turned the dagger away with his hook. “Just as you wouldn’t dare fight me without your flying. Are not you a coward as well?”
“Adam Rippon is no coward!”
“Prove it,” said Morozov. “Fight me with your feet on the ground.”
Adam landed, his skate blades digging into the wood of the deck. “All right, I will. And I’ll win!”
“Adam, no!” said Yu-na. “Don’t do it!”
“Why not?” asked Adam. He loosened his skates and kicked them off. “I can take this guy any day.”
“So you think,” said Morozov, drawing his sword from its sheath. “En garde!”
With Adam flightless and skateless, Morozov’s far greater height seemed like an insurmountable obstacle. Morozov wielded his sword with controlled abandon, slashing at Adam. Yu-na wanted to cover her eyes, but Mao pulled her hands away.
“A queen should be brave,” Mao whispered.
“A general should know not to get himself killed!” Yu-na whispered back.
Adam nimbly evaded Morozov’s sword, but he could never quite manage to drive his dagger home. Still he fought on, and refused to listen when the lost boys pleaded to help him. “I’ll beat him,” he said, straining to keep Morozov’s sword above his head.
“Will you really?” asked Morozov. He pulled back his sword, feinted to the left, then thrust straight into Adam’s heart. Adam fell.
Yu-na shrieked and flew to Adam’s side. “Adam, Adam, say something! Tell me you’re not dead!”
“Oh, but he is, my girl,” said Morozov with a satisfied smile. “And now, you all belong to me!”
Adam’s eyes flew open. “Do not!” he said, and threw his dagger at Morozov.
It landed in his chest. Stunned, the pirate pulled the dagger out and let it clatter to the deck. He staggered backwards, bleeding heavily. “But you were-”
“Dead?” asked Adam. He slowly got to his feet and advanced, the sword still lodged in his chest. “I am youth,” he said. “I am joy. I am freedom! Those things can never die!” He grabbed hold of Morozov’s hook and forced him to the edge of the ship. “But you can.” Letting go of the hook, he kicked out, and Morozov toppled to the water below. A cold breeze blew over the ship.
Not all of the pirates died that night. Champ was rescued by a mermaid who thought he was cute, and lived out the rest of his days on a tropical island, happily clothing-free. Viktor swam as far as he could and eventually washed up on shore near Oksana’s nest, where he was promptly pressed into work as a nanny for the baby Never birds. But the zamboni got his meal, and Morozov was truly gone.
The allies stared at Adam, mouths gaping open. Yu-na found her voice first. “Adam,” she said. “What- how…?”
Adam laughed. “You didn’t think I’d let him win, did you?” He pulled the sword from his chest, and showed that it was clean. Then he took Evan’s medal from beneath his shirt. There was a sword-point-shaped notch in it. “Sorry about the dent,” Adam said as he handed the medal back to Evan. “But you were right. It did help.”
“Wow,” said Evan. He took the medal, in awe of its power. “Cool. I’m glad you didn’t die.”
“Thank you,” said Adam. He laughed again, then crowed loud and long.
At that, the shocked silence of the others was broken, and the Royal Army thronged around Adam, crushing him with hugs. The fairies, joined by Lady Surya and her team, danced across the sky like shooting stars. The mermaids cheered, Blade and Miki’s spider shook hands, and the Indians smiled at it all.
“Another good fight,” said Mao. “We’re glad that you didn’t die, too.”
“You were all wonderful,” said Yu-na. “Are you all right, Nobunari?”
“Yes, except for my shirt,” Nobunari said with a grin.
Bear laughed sheepishly. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t apologize,” said Adam. “You did great. I knew I could count on you!”
As the allies celebrated, a fairy broke from the group and approached Adam. He tinkled a greeting and bowed.
“Prince Jeffrey,” Adam said with a bow of his own. “How may I be of service to you?”
Prince Jeffrey placed something in Adam’s hand, then spun around until it grew large enough for the humans to see.
“A letter!” said Googly. “Who’s it from?”
“He says he got it in Canada,” said Adam. He squinted at the address, and Prince Jeffrey angled his light so he could read it better. “‘Yu-na, Evan, and Johnny Orser-Wilson, c/o Adam Rippon, Neverland,’” Adam read. “It’s for you, Your Highness.”
Yu-na took the letter and ripped it open. Evan and Johnny read over her shoulder by Jeremy’s light. “It’s from Papa Brian and Papa David!” Yu-na said. “It says, ‘Dear Yu-na, Evan, and Johnny, Please please please please come home. We miss you so much, more than we could ever say. PLEASE come home.’” Yu-na looked up from the letter with wet eyes. “We should go home.”
“And leave us?” asked Googly. Bug flew up beside Johnny and clung to him.
“You got along without us before, didn’t you?” asked Yu-na.
“That was before we knew you,” said Bear.
“We like having a queen,” said Mullet.
“We like you!” said Bug.
“Please don’t go!” said Googly.
“I’m afraid we must,” said Yu-na. “We miss Papa Brian and Papa David, too, don’t we, boys?”
“I guess,” said Evan.
“They tucked us in every night,” said Johnny wistfully.
“They need us,” said Yu-na.
“We need you,” said Adam.
“So do we,” said Mao. “We never could have defeated the pirates without you.” She smiled. “And we like you, too.”
Yu-na looked down at the letter, then up at her friends and allies. “If you want to come with us,” she said, “I’m sure our fathers would adopt you.”
“All of us?” asked Mullet.
“Why not? They adopted the three of us!”
“Then I’ll go,” said Mullet. He had been thinking hard about what Champ said.
“And I’ll go!” said Googly.
“So will I!” said Bug.
“Me too,” said Bear.
Yu-na beamed. “Mao? Will you come with us?”
Mao shook her head. “We’re needed here. But if you ever come back to visit, know that we’ll always be your allies.”
“Thank you,” said Yu-na. She turned to the true ruler of Neverland. “Adam?”
“Parents make you grow up,” said Adam, scowling. “I want to be a little boy forever. I’m staying right here!”
“If that’s what you want, Adam,” said Yu-na sadly.
“It is.”
“Then we’ll have to go without you. But I hope- you will let us visit, won’t you?”
“Sure,” said Adam, and he turned his back so no one would see how sad he was at losing his Queen.
“Well,” said Yu-na. “Let’s not think about leaving right now. Now, let’s clean up the bodies and celebrate our victory!”
The cheers started up again, but somehow they weren’t as enthusiastic as before.
Part 10 Part 11
Rating: G
Summary: Peter Pan AU. The final battle!
Disclaimer: I own neither skaters nor magical flying children, and anything that happens to them herein is entirely fictional.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8
The next few days passed in a flurry of activity. Fairies came and went, the zamboni stopped by at least six times to make sure the Royal Army would hold up their end of the bargain, Evan and Mullet kept running to the lagoon to check in with the mermaids, and everyone took turns teaching the Indians to fly. Mao and her warriors picked up the basics of flying quickly, but in order to be perfectly battle-ready, they wanted to learn all the tricks as well. When the lessons became advanced, Yu-na, Evan, and Johnny resigned as teachers and became students.
“You just pull your leg in like this,” said Bug.
“And swing your arms out like this,” said Mullet.
“And feel for the wind, sometimes you can run on it,” said Bear.
“And try not to bump into clouds,” said Googly.
One evening as the class was winding down by playing midair hide-and-seek, Mullet arrived, dripping wet and grinning widely. “The bay is melted!” he said. “They did it!”
“They” were the mermaids and the fairies. The mermaids scraped away at the ice from below, while a team of fairies tried to warm it from above. The fairies’ power with heat was limited, but they had other useful abilities, and the team cast an illusion to make the ice appear just as solid as usual. This operation was overseen by Lady Surya of the Blue Shadow Clan, one of Queen Michelle’s most honored courtiers. If you knew how to look, she could often be seen backflipping around the edges of the melting area, securing the illusion.
“That’s wonderful, Mullet!” said Yu-na, popping out of the cloud she had been hiding in. “We’ll attack tonight. If that’s what Adam wants, that is.”
“Sure,” said Adam. He had not been hiding, as the fairies in his hair always gave him away. There had been no major voodoo incidents since the one that almost killed Jeremy, but no one wanted to take any chances. “The sooner Morozov is dead, the better. Come on out, everyone!”
Lost boys and Indians emerged from behind clouds and trees. “I could have found them!” said Takahiko, whose turn it was to seek.
“Next time,” said Chieftain Mao. “Now we need to prepare for battle. Queen Yu-na, General Adam, we will meet you at the bay once the sun has set.” Mao and her warriors flew off in their usual formation, adapted somewhat for the air.
“Let’s go,” said Adam. “We need to prepare, too.” As the Royal Army flew home, Adam turned to Mullet. “The mermaids know what to do?”
Mullet nodded. “They’ll wait for my signal.”
“Good.” Adam pushed off the wind and spiraled toward the ground, flying straight into the iceless tunnel. The others followed.
Jeremy, Meryl, Charlie, Tanith, Ben, Federica, and Massimo were waiting in the home under the ground, and they tinkled eagerly when they saw the humans hurry to pick up the weapons they had laid out earlier. “It’s time!” Bug answered them as he stowed a dagger away in his vest.
Adam took Tessa and Scott, his current tenants, from his hair, and shook out the fairy dust they left behind. “I can’t have any of you in my hair when the fight starts,” he said. “The pirates would see you, and we need to take them by surprise. But you can come along in our pockets, if you like.”
Jeremy claimed his usual spot in one of Adam’s pockets, and Charlie, still the best at maintaining Adam’s curls, jumped into the other. The rest of the fairies found pockets elsewhere, being careful not to dislodge any weapons. Yu-na wound up with Meryl and Tessa, and giggled as they tried to find the most comfortable spots in the pockets of her tunic.
Once all the fairies were settled, the Royal Army hurried outside once more and flew for the bay. In the last gleams of the sunset, they could see Lady Surya and her team hide themselves away in the space between the water and their illusion. Some of the fairies waved at Adam before they disappeared. When the sky was completely dark, Yu-na felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to see Chieftain Mao.
“We’re ready,” said Mao quietly. “Are you?”
Yu-na glanced at Adam. His hair was drooping and his lips were pressed tightly together, but his gaze was steady. Bear was at his side, ready to step in as General if need be. Only his fingers clenched in Blade’s fur betrayed his nervousness. The rest of the boys looked likewise grim, with just a touch of excitement for the coming fight. “I hope so,” Yuna said at last. “Adam?”
Adam shook his head as if to clear it, and touched the spot where Evan’s medal hung beneath his shirt. Evan had insisted on giving it to him, thinking that it might help fight the voodoo. “Let’s get closer,” he said.
Slowly, they all advanced. On the deck of the Flying Camel, the pirates were carousing. In the center stood Captain Morozov, laughing and holding a small doll above his head. The doll was dressed in leaves and had a head of curly hair. Now and then Morozov jabbed it with his hook, and the pirates cheered. Yu-na heard Adam’s labored breathing as he struggled not to cry out in pain. “Now, Adam?” she asked. “Let us distract him, please! He’s hurting you!”
“Now,” gasped Adam. “But leave Morozov to me.”
Mullet shot a blunted arrow into the water, and Yana, who had been watching for this sign, plunged beneath the ship. The other mermaids helped her untie the net which kept the ship in place, and then they swam to one side of it and shoved with all their might.
The effect on the pirates was immediate and astounding. Accustomed to the ice, they had lost their sea legs, and they slid to one side as the ship tipped. The voodoo doll fell from Morozov’s hand, and Adam’s hair sprang back into place. “Down, boys!” Adam shouted. “Make these rascals know the wrath of Rippon!”
Mao rolled her eyes at Adam’s theatrics. “Get them,” she ordered her warriors.
The pirates, literally thrown off balance, never stood a chance against the onslaught of the allies. The Royal Army and the Indians attacked with swords, with skates, with bows and arrows. The fairies emerged from their pockets to pinch and pull hair, Blade bit all the ankles he could find, and even Miki’s spider joined in the fight by scaring several pirates into jumping overboard. Bug, daggers in his outstretched hands, whirled through the ship like a tornado, slicing through anyone foolish enough not to get out of his way. Googly chopped away at the pirates with his sword. Mao fired her triple bow, and every arrow hit its mark. Shizuka twisted her body into improbable positions, avoiding one pirate’s sword while stabbing two others with her toe picks.
Johnny and his tassel declared a rematch with Scoot. “Nooo!” Scoot groaned as the rope tightened around his neck. “I won’t be killed by a tassel! I refuse! It’s undignif-” He crumpled to the deck, his grunting silenced forever.
“So there,” Johnny told the bo’sun’s body. He collected his tassel and flew off in search of other prey.
During the flying lessons, Yu-na had refined her skate-fighting technique, and now she put it into practice. She caught a piece of solid wind with one foot and let it carry her across the ship, spinning all the while. Her free foot struck out again and again, leaving a trail of devastation in her wake. She tried not to think about the gore accumulating on her blade.
Mullet sought out Champ and pursued him to the edge of the deck. “You think you’re so great because you can still fly,” the pirate sneered, struggling to keep his footing as the ship rocked. “Just wait a few years. Only Adam can stay young forever.”
“At least I’ll never be a pirate,” said Mullet as their swords clashed.
“Just wait,” Champ repeated. “We’ll get you.”
“You won’t!” Mullet attacked Champ with even more fury than before, and with a final show of strength, pushed him over the side of the ship. He watched as Champ’s startled expression was consumed by the waves, then slowly turned his back and rejoined the battle.
Only Captain Morozov gave the allies any real trouble. He retrieved the voodoo doll as soon as he could reach it, and with the dark power at such close range, even Charlie couldn’t keep Adam’s hair from straightening. As more and more pirates were killed, more and more lost boys and Indians gathered around Morozov, but somehow, he was a match for all of them. He even lifted up Nobunari with his hook and used him and his skates as a weapon, leaving his hand free to clutch the doll. Adam was frozen in midair, helpless, while the fairies swarmed around him.
“Get him, Bear!” said Yu-na, ducking as Nobunari swung towards her.
“But Adam wants to kill him!” said Bear.
“Adam can’t do anything right now! You’re in charge!”
“But-”
“Do it!”
“Yes, Your Highness.” Bear flew high above Morozov and lashed out with the sword he’d acquired during the previous battle. The flat of it hit Morozov’s arm, and his hold on the voodoo doll loosened.
“Again!” called Yu-na.
But now Morozov knew that Bear was after him, and he aimed his human bludgeon carefully. Bear rolled out of the way, then quickly cut through the back of Nobunari’s shirt where it was snagged on Morozov’s hook. Mao and her warriors cheered as Nobunari tumbled to the deck.
“You will pay for that, boy,” said Morozov, but without Nobunari or a sword, his reach was too short to stop Bear from striking at his hand. The doll fell, and was scooped up by Ben and Massimo.
Adam, freed from the chains of voodoo, had his dagger at Morozov’s throat in an instant. “Coward!” he said. “You wouldn’t dare fight me without your voodoo!”
Morozov nonchalantly turned the dagger away with his hook. “Just as you wouldn’t dare fight me without your flying. Are not you a coward as well?”
“Adam Rippon is no coward!”
“Prove it,” said Morozov. “Fight me with your feet on the ground.”
Adam landed, his skate blades digging into the wood of the deck. “All right, I will. And I’ll win!”
“Adam, no!” said Yu-na. “Don’t do it!”
“Why not?” asked Adam. He loosened his skates and kicked them off. “I can take this guy any day.”
“So you think,” said Morozov, drawing his sword from its sheath. “En garde!”
With Adam flightless and skateless, Morozov’s far greater height seemed like an insurmountable obstacle. Morozov wielded his sword with controlled abandon, slashing at Adam. Yu-na wanted to cover her eyes, but Mao pulled her hands away.
“A queen should be brave,” Mao whispered.
“A general should know not to get himself killed!” Yu-na whispered back.
Adam nimbly evaded Morozov’s sword, but he could never quite manage to drive his dagger home. Still he fought on, and refused to listen when the lost boys pleaded to help him. “I’ll beat him,” he said, straining to keep Morozov’s sword above his head.
“Will you really?” asked Morozov. He pulled back his sword, feinted to the left, then thrust straight into Adam’s heart. Adam fell.
Yu-na shrieked and flew to Adam’s side. “Adam, Adam, say something! Tell me you’re not dead!”
“Oh, but he is, my girl,” said Morozov with a satisfied smile. “And now, you all belong to me!”
Adam’s eyes flew open. “Do not!” he said, and threw his dagger at Morozov.
It landed in his chest. Stunned, the pirate pulled the dagger out and let it clatter to the deck. He staggered backwards, bleeding heavily. “But you were-”
“Dead?” asked Adam. He slowly got to his feet and advanced, the sword still lodged in his chest. “I am youth,” he said. “I am joy. I am freedom! Those things can never die!” He grabbed hold of Morozov’s hook and forced him to the edge of the ship. “But you can.” Letting go of the hook, he kicked out, and Morozov toppled to the water below. A cold breeze blew over the ship.
Not all of the pirates died that night. Champ was rescued by a mermaid who thought he was cute, and lived out the rest of his days on a tropical island, happily clothing-free. Viktor swam as far as he could and eventually washed up on shore near Oksana’s nest, where he was promptly pressed into work as a nanny for the baby Never birds. But the zamboni got his meal, and Morozov was truly gone.
The allies stared at Adam, mouths gaping open. Yu-na found her voice first. “Adam,” she said. “What- how…?”
Adam laughed. “You didn’t think I’d let him win, did you?” He pulled the sword from his chest, and showed that it was clean. Then he took Evan’s medal from beneath his shirt. There was a sword-point-shaped notch in it. “Sorry about the dent,” Adam said as he handed the medal back to Evan. “But you were right. It did help.”
“Wow,” said Evan. He took the medal, in awe of its power. “Cool. I’m glad you didn’t die.”
“Thank you,” said Adam. He laughed again, then crowed loud and long.
At that, the shocked silence of the others was broken, and the Royal Army thronged around Adam, crushing him with hugs. The fairies, joined by Lady Surya and her team, danced across the sky like shooting stars. The mermaids cheered, Blade and Miki’s spider shook hands, and the Indians smiled at it all.
“Another good fight,” said Mao. “We’re glad that you didn’t die, too.”
“You were all wonderful,” said Yu-na. “Are you all right, Nobunari?”
“Yes, except for my shirt,” Nobunari said with a grin.
Bear laughed sheepishly. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t apologize,” said Adam. “You did great. I knew I could count on you!”
As the allies celebrated, a fairy broke from the group and approached Adam. He tinkled a greeting and bowed.
“Prince Jeffrey,” Adam said with a bow of his own. “How may I be of service to you?”
Prince Jeffrey placed something in Adam’s hand, then spun around until it grew large enough for the humans to see.
“A letter!” said Googly. “Who’s it from?”
“He says he got it in Canada,” said Adam. He squinted at the address, and Prince Jeffrey angled his light so he could read it better. “‘Yu-na, Evan, and Johnny Orser-Wilson, c/o Adam Rippon, Neverland,’” Adam read. “It’s for you, Your Highness.”
Yu-na took the letter and ripped it open. Evan and Johnny read over her shoulder by Jeremy’s light. “It’s from Papa Brian and Papa David!” Yu-na said. “It says, ‘Dear Yu-na, Evan, and Johnny, Please please please please come home. We miss you so much, more than we could ever say. PLEASE come home.’” Yu-na looked up from the letter with wet eyes. “We should go home.”
“And leave us?” asked Googly. Bug flew up beside Johnny and clung to him.
“You got along without us before, didn’t you?” asked Yu-na.
“That was before we knew you,” said Bear.
“We like having a queen,” said Mullet.
“We like you!” said Bug.
“Please don’t go!” said Googly.
“I’m afraid we must,” said Yu-na. “We miss Papa Brian and Papa David, too, don’t we, boys?”
“I guess,” said Evan.
“They tucked us in every night,” said Johnny wistfully.
“They need us,” said Yu-na.
“We need you,” said Adam.
“So do we,” said Mao. “We never could have defeated the pirates without you.” She smiled. “And we like you, too.”
Yu-na looked down at the letter, then up at her friends and allies. “If you want to come with us,” she said, “I’m sure our fathers would adopt you.”
“All of us?” asked Mullet.
“Why not? They adopted the three of us!”
“Then I’ll go,” said Mullet. He had been thinking hard about what Champ said.
“And I’ll go!” said Googly.
“So will I!” said Bug.
“Me too,” said Bear.
Yu-na beamed. “Mao? Will you come with us?”
Mao shook her head. “We’re needed here. But if you ever come back to visit, know that we’ll always be your allies.”
“Thank you,” said Yu-na. She turned to the true ruler of Neverland. “Adam?”
“Parents make you grow up,” said Adam, scowling. “I want to be a little boy forever. I’m staying right here!”
“If that’s what you want, Adam,” said Yu-na sadly.
“It is.”
“Then we’ll have to go without you. But I hope- you will let us visit, won’t you?”
“Sure,” said Adam, and he turned his back so no one would see how sad he was at losing his Queen.
“Well,” said Yu-na. “Let’s not think about leaving right now. Now, let’s clean up the bodies and celebrate our victory!”
The cheers started up again, but somehow they weren’t as enthusiastic as before.
Part 10 Part 11