Peter Pan and Wendy Turned out Fine, Sure. But What About Lilli?!

The rest of the flight had been silent, and definitely not a good silence. As soon as we had reached the hideout, he had went to his room, and I had sat in one of the many large branches outside.

Wonder still coursed through me as I looked around the mystical land that was now, once again, my home. Where were the pirates?

I jumped down from the high branch before cautiously sneaking into the hideout. Nothing had really changed, except for the fact that it was much quieter without a load of boys running and yelling through the area... I couldn't help but think that Peter must have been excrutiatingly lonely.

Reed pipes sounded throughout the tree, causing me to follow the music to his room. The sound was... Relieved, yet sad.

The music immediately stopped as I reached the cloth hanging over the doorway.

Relief: He had found me. Sadness: ... Could it be about Wendy?

"What is it Lilli?"

I jumped at hearing his voice. Being away for two and a half years had almost made me forget just how good Peter was at everything; Fighting, listening...

"N-nothing..." I whispered. "I'm going to go explore, I suppose..."

There was a small shuffle on the other side of the cloth before he answered. "Okay."

"...Would you like to come with me?" I asked quietly, reaching out to touch the fabric gently while awaiting his answer.

"Just let me be, please." He sighed.

I nodded, though I knew he couldn't see me. "Alright."

Something was bothering Peter, and for some odd reason I could tell it wasn't just about Wendy... It was something else, too. Something he just couldn't get over... Possibly something he just realized or came across. A new problem.

But what could that problem be?

I sighed, carefully flying up and over the trees, simply looking around. A smile crossed my face as I spotted the mermaids.

Everytime someone would mention a mermaid in America, I couldn't help but laugh. They portrayed them as though they were kind, beautiful creatures. And then, Greek Mythology? Pft. Basically, they claimed they were underwater prostitutes... Both were wrong portrayals.
You may not know this, but mermaids are very dark creatures. Get close enough, and they would do anything to trick you. They would drown you, and enjoy every minute of it. Not to mention, they are also notorious thieves.

I landed on the rocky landscape beside the water as they appeared, only rising enough to show their eyes. They carefully waded toward me, speaking in their unusual but captivating tongue.

You see, mermaids have their own language... Luckily, when I arrived here, they took me in.

Yes, they could have killed me. But they didn't. To them, I was intimidating because of my powers... So they taught me things; Like how to speak their language and how to kill without mercy. Though I never even thought of killing, aside from Wendy and the Char's.

"Lilli, you have come home..."

I smiled at the leader, Amarila, as she layed her webbed hand ontop of my arm. Laying on my stomach, I was face to face with her. "Yes... It has been so long."

The other swam up beside her as she studied my appearance. "You have grown, my child, into a beautiful young woman."

"Thank you..." I sighed. Beautiful young woman or not, it seemed to have no effect on Peter...

Analiegh, a mermaid around my age swam up beside her mother. "How is Peter, Lilli? He came to us for clues to where you went... I suppose this means he has found you."

"Yes, sister." I whispered. "I suppose he is fine... Though he's acting strange."

Amarila laughed heartily, though to anyone who did not understand mermaids, it would have sounded evil. "My dear, I am sure you learned of how humans mature..."

I nodded, not completely understanding what my mother-like figure was trying to say.

"Peter has practically grown a year searching for you..." She smiled. "He should be around thirteen now... Isn't that a point of maturing in a young man's life? Just as twelve or thirteen would be for a young woman?"

A blush came to my face as I realized what she was speaking of. "Puberty? That's what you are getting at, Amarila?"

She laughed once again, this time a bit louder as she found my words humorous. "Dear, you both chose an awful time to stop maturing..."

"Why do you say that?" I asked slowly.

Analiegh looked at her mother and then I, obviously understanding what her mother was saying. "You are never going to grow out of this state."

I rose an eyebrow at her.

"You are always going to be emotional, and he will always be confused about his feelings... Unless you both find a way to work it out, that is."

I sighed, looking into the water. "Why is everything so confusing now? I wish it was simple, just like it use to be."

Kyrie, another mermaid swam up infront of me and tugged on my arm. "Well, to get it off of your mind... How about a swim for old time's sake."

A smile graced my face at the thought. I made sure to check my surrounding before taking off my shirt and pants, leaving all undergarments on. My clothes and shoes were left on a high-up rock before I jumped in.

Kyrie screeched as I splashed her, not failing to splash me back.

Before I knew it, our water war was all I was thinking about, and everything else was left in the back of my mind...

Though I couldn't help but get the feeling that someone or something was watching me.