Captain Hook's fingers shoot forward and dig into Peter's pocket. The skinny fingers, two of which were no more than bones, closed greedily around the little star.

"Tie him up! TIGHT!" he commanded icily. As Mullins had to hold Peter, Hook's gaze went accordingly like lightning to Smee. The latter, however, was kneeling by the girl. He helped her to sit up, for her arms were still bound. Blood had stained her beautiful face and stuck to her hair at the slashed spot on her forehead.
"What are you waiting for?!" barked Hook in response, overcoming the steps to his boatswain because the latter did not obey immediately.

"Ab-But Captain she-" he stammered.

Then Hook lashed out and struck him squarely in the face with the hooked hand with the iron body. The force flung the more petite man to the side, and Smee whimpered as he wiped the blood from his chapped chin. His body shook, and his eyes were wide, like those of a child whose dream had turned into a nightmare.

"Did I order you to take care of that wench?!" the voice thundered, mixing to a new shaking of the mountain. The ground shook, a rock dislodged, and fell in chunks from the ceiling. With a loud crack and crunch, more shots pulled into the cave's rock, and huge pieces of the stone steps fell, rumbling, into the depths.

"It's time to end this hell and everything in it," Hook hissed, watching as Smee tied a rope around one of Peter's wrists, then the other, and finally pulled them together. Mullins then took over, lashing it down, pulling a punch across Peter's skull, and pushing him down onto his knees in front of him.

"That's how I like you, Pan," Hook laughed, looking at the image he had dreamed of for many years. Everything was going according to plan, and now ...Hook reached out and held the star out to Smee."Wish for it," he commanded, pinning the gaze of fiery hellmouths on his right hand.

Peter narrowed his eyes as Smee's hands tremblingly accepted the star.

"Get up, Peter! DO SOMETHING!" rose Sitara's voice, and Peter blinked at the woman, trying to reach her feet. She swayed, visibly affected by Mullin's blow, and moaned as she squinted one eye to keep the blood out.

But Peter had no strength left. He shook his head, deep regret reflected in his eyes.
"I'm sorry... I only ever made things worse," he murmured, and Peter's shoulders sank. He had wanted to defeat Hook and, in doing so, had let the Darling children die, and his most loyal friends die. Peter had tried to bring them back and, in doing so, had cut the web of heaven and ruined the fabric of this world. He had wanted to save the falling star and condemned her to a body where she was now injured. Peter wanted to defeat Hook, had been reckless, and Sitara had had to waste the precious star for HIS life. Then he tried to warn the natives and not only led Hook into the most sacred site on Neverland... but had condemned Tink to death. And because of him, Hook had the last star. He had been unable to protect anyone and, instead, had doomed all of Neverland.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Pan! Get a hold of yourself!" Tears welled in Sitara's eyes. "Nothing is lost yet! Everyone can fail, and everyone can make mistakes. But no matter how hopeless a situation looks, how many times you fall or stumble ... the most important thing is to get back up and keep going! And you ALWAYS did that, Peter!" Sitara's golden eyes swam with soft tenderness. "We've always watched you. I watched you. All these years. Every time, in all your adventures, all your exploits. You are Peter Pan! You are the hero of Neverland. You could do it. For I have chosen you, and I believe in YOU. No matter how bad things looked, you always found a way, and you will this time too, Pan. I know you will ... PLEASE."

"Enough with the chatter!" this time, Hook roared, taking a step towards Sitara. Suddenly, however, Smee reached into the crimson fabric for his sleeve, and the captain paused jerkily. He turned his head, and his gaze settled dangerously slowly on the life-weary man.

"Pan and the creature... don't matter now, captain," he said, withdrawing his hand with a jerk.

Hook turned to the side, and his shadow settled over Smee, who visibly swallowed and ducked his head. Cold sweat stood on his forehead as Hook suddenly clicked his tongue. If he didn't need this little figure so severely..."You're right ... do it. NOW," he demanded.

Smee's blue eyes darted to the girl and Peter, whose blond hair Mullins had buried his fingers, the other holding the young man by the shoulders, ironclad on the ground.
The gaunt man with light hair and small round glasses moistened his lips with his tongue. He swallowed harder again so that Adam's apple on his throat visibly bounced, almost as if he lumped in his throat that he couldn't get away from.
"I wish," he murmured to the star, "... that the crew of our ship were back home ... with their mothers and family."

The star in his fingers flickered. The light blazed up and out rapidly, pulsing brighter and brighter. Then a dazzling glow filled the whole cave.

Smee squinted, Peter turned his head away, and Mullins pulled his hands back to shield his eyes. Even Hook couldn't look, and his sinister laughter rang out as the light took over everything. It echoed off the cave walls and mingled with the sound of the water.

Then the light was gone ... and Smee, trembling, expelled the breath he had been holding. His eyes clung to the stone in his hands, which had lost its light and become nothing more than a piece of shimmering star rock.

"What ...?" the pirate murmured and raised his eyes.

They were still in the same place. He, Peter, the girl, Hook, and Mullins too.

"What's wrong?!" Hook lost his temper and grabbed Smee by the collar. "What have you done?!" he barked, beside himself with anger and assuming Smee had made a mistake in performing the ritual.

"He hasn't done something wrong." Sitara, meanwhile, stood again. There was a bitter smile on her lips that held no joy. Nor was it satisfaction ... but the expression of someone who was not surprised.

Hook pushed Smee away, who landed with a pained yelp just a few feet from Pan and Mullins.
"What do you mean by that? Speak, or I'll slit you from navel to throat, you filthy fairy spawn!" In a few long strides, the pirate captain had closed the distance, and his fingers closed around her throat.

"This is Neverland ... it's the place of dreams," Sitara reminded Hook as if that explained everything. She faced the monster bent by dark nightmares without fear and jutted her chin slightly as if his bony hands weren't pressing around her neck.

"Let her go now!" barked Pan, but Mullins immediately grabbed him again and yanked his head back by the hair.

"Talk ... NOW!" snarled Hook, squeezing harder. Bones and long fingers pressed into her throat, and the star rasped as much as she fought it.

"The lagoon of the mermaids and the one with the pink flamingos. The natives, the crocodile, and even you pirates..." murmured Sitara as if whispering a secret to Hook. "Think, Captain James Hook. Use your sharp mind. All here are dreams. Plucked from the myriad musings of children. Did you think YOU were different?"
Sitara's gaze quietened, the expression on her features like smooth, flawless glass. Fine and delicate, but just as cold.
"This island is your home, your mother, and the place of your origin. You, as well as your crew - each one of you. You, too, are dreams. Fantasies of children who would have loved to be pirates or fight them. There is no home and no mother to return to."

The star's words made even Peter's chin drop, and a handful of little fairies would have found room in his mouth in a moment.

"That ... that's a lie!" stammered Mullins, as if her words had driven a dagger into the big man's stomach. "That means there is nothing for us to go to?! No... no home, no... home or escape?!"

"We... are only dreams?" muttered Smee, looking at the girl standing there before his captain-dreams... of course. Yes, the island had always been a big, colorful dream, and the others had never seen it... but he had.

"You could have done anything. Save the island, and change your fate for the better. Fulfilled a heart's desire that might have planted a little happiness in your stony heart. Instead, you wasted your wish and the magic, thinking only of yourself and your revenge. And now you will suffer the same fate as all those you wished death upon."

Hook stared at the star in disgust and hatred. And the Morning Star stood there, still so proud and unimpressed. The apparent gold of an eternity met the dark abysses of nightmares like raging waves against insurmountable cliffs.

"Be careful what you wish for," Peter murmured. Titania had said it, admonished him not to forget it. The lesson was meant not just for him but for each of them in so many more ways than one. And now, at this very moment, Peter understood the vastness of those words.

Hook's fingers pressed into the star's pale flesh. His nails pierced the soft, snow-white skin, sending red drops rolling across it as he pulled her close to his face.
"If that is so... then so be it," he murmured darkly. And with those words, Hook gripped the star tighter and lifted the girl off her feet easily.

Sitara's eyes widened, and her hands went up, but she could not dislodge Hook's hands from her neck. Her toes dragged across the floor, kicked, gasped, and struggled -but it was useless. She had no chance against the deviant. Within the blink of an eye, Hook had stepped to the platform's edge.

"Then let this cursed isle sink along with us, and let this dream now end once and for all!"
And with these words, he loosened his grip. Hook let go of the morning star - and the girl plunged into the depths with a scream.

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