A Tale That Could Not Be

Selvina watched a young man swim toward her, his arms clawing through the water ravenously. A rowboat skimmed toward shore nearby, rowed by a figure dressed in a familiar black coat. A young woman at the bow of the rowboat was waving her hand frantically and another seated behind her brushed some flaming hair out of her eyes.

“It’s them!” Selvina exclaimed, too elated to hold back. “It’s all of them! They are here!” She turned to Wendy, grabbed her collar, and pointed at the rowboat. “Tell me that’s Captain Hook and Red!”

Wendy, her face etched in a beaming smile, nodded rapidly. “Yes, Selvina. It’s them!”

Selvina could barely control her joy. Her mouth was about to burst open with a cry of glee until, suddenly, she froze on the spot in confusion.

How is that Red? she asked herself. How is that Cindy? They’re both dead! I’m so confused… What is going on here? Is this a trick?

She glanced at the swimming man getting ever closer and every cell in her body wanted to explode into motion toward him. This couldn’t be a trick. This had to real!

Instead of waiting for the swimming man to reach shore, whom she knew without a doubt to be Jack, she ran out to him. She gave in to her urges and charged ahead, silencing her doubts and quelling her slowly rising fears.

This is true, Selvina told herself as tears of joy began to seep from her eyes. I need this to be true.

Selvina splashed through the water, her clothes soaking through and weighing her down. She trudged through as it grew deeper, her eyes on the rapidly approaching young man. Before long, he stood up and stopped moving, eyeing Selvina directly.

She stared back, her eyes wet with sea water and tears. “Jack,” she breathed.

A silent moment passed as both Jack and stared at one another, water dripping down their bodies and their hearts thumping powerfully. Despite all the troubles they had faced, here they were.

Finally.

Bursting in motion, Jack rushed through the water, wrapped his arms around Selvina and hugged her close, pressing his lips on hers with intense passion and power. Selvina returned the hug and squeezed her body against his as she ran her hands across his toned back. There were those familiar lips again; so tender, with a hint of roughness, as hot as the sun and yet comfortably moist. Selvina’s entire body was on fire and it pulsed in passion and desire. She kissed harder, proving to herself that it was all real.

Jack’s hands slid down Selvina’s back and gripped her sides as throbs of ecstasy and need exploded throughout her body. She had missed him so much. His touch was electrifying, creating a delightful buzz across her skin with the lightest of strokes. Her soul was alight with energy, brighter than the brightest stars and hotter than the hottest flame.

Jack had come back to her.

Jack was here again.

And Selvina would never let him go.

After what felt like hours but was simply a few minutes, Selvina and Jack pulled away, staring at another deeply. Selvina saw through his eyes and directly to his soul, to the amazing man she knew—to the man she loved.

“I love you,” she whispered, her lips saying the words without hesitation.

Jack smiled. It wasn’t his cocky smirk or his mocking grin but a genuinely beautiful smile. It was full of pure happiness and bliss. As much as Jack was everything Selvina wanted, she could tell that feeling was mutual. Their souls were locked together and would never separate.

“And I love you,” he replied before kissing her again.

As Selvina returned to shore with one of Jack’s hands in hers, she saw a similar reunion between Wendy and Hook. It all started with confusion and disbelief, then amazement and wonder, and then ended with the two embracing deeply, their kiss every bit as passionate as Jack and Selvina’s.

Cindy came next, rushing up to Selvina with such speed that when she leapt in her arms the two girls went splashing in the shallow water. They both shared a laugh, another hug, and then stood up soaking wet.

“I missed you so much, Selvina,” Cindy said, her smile from ear to ear.

“I missed you too, Cindy. I am so happy to see that you’re all right. I thought you were dead!”

“Nope! I’m fireproof!”

“What?”

Belle approached, smiling contently with moisture in her eyes. “Beast and I are both overjoyed to know that you’re all right.”

“Belle?” Selvina asked in surprise, forgetting about the multitude of questions she had for Cindy. “What are you doing here?”

“I have business in Noyr. Well, I had; now I’m not so sure. In any case, I decided to join Captain Hook on his way to find you. You warned us about Artemian and almost suffered death because of us so I thought I’d repay your bravery by helping you on your quest.”

“Quest?”

“Hey, Selvina,” said a familiar husky voice.

Selvina shifted her gaze to the redhead that had been her first friend in this world and ran up to her, unable to stop another wave of tears from rolling down her face. Red burst into tears as well and the two friends hugged powerfully, nearly breaking each other’s bones but not caring in the least.

“Don’t ever get kidnapped again,” Red ordered.

Selvina laugh-cried and nodded. “I promise, Scarlet, as long as you don’t die on me again.”

“Deal,” Red replied with a sniff.

As she looked over Red’s shoulder at Hook, Wendy, and Sinbad conversing among one another, Selvina’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Where’s Bigbad?”

Red sniffed back more tears before pulling away. “We ran into a storm on our way here and he was swept overboard. I was hoping he would have made it through but those waves were simply too big…”

Selvina’s heart was heavy and she hugged Red again, not knowing what else to do. Bigbad had always been more than just a wolf to her. He had been like a silent guardian, a wordless protector, a real, chivalrous knight.

A little fluttering insect buzzed in Selvina’s ear and she shooed it away. It soon returned and she swatted at it again. “Can’t you see we’re mourning?! Stupid bug!”

The bug suddenly shoved itself into Selvina’s ear and, to her surprise, spoke. “Stop mourning for nothing, Selvina! It’s me, Tinkerbelle!”

“Tinkerbelle?” the young blonde exclaimed, taking a step back.

The fairy hovered in midair and nodded, smiling proudly. She then pointed to the sea and Selvina gazed in that direction. To her surprise, and soon everyone else’s, a heavily muscled and bearded man bearing a trident stuck out of the water from the waist up. A crown of coral stuck on his head and little seashells were intertwined in his massive, white beard.

“Hail!” he called out, getting everyone’s attention. “I am King Posanos, Lord of the Depths, and I have received word from a certain fairy that aid is required here.” He crept closer to shore and everyone else moved nearer to him.

As they walked, Sinbad approached Selvina and rustled her hair. “It’s good to have you back, Selvina. Jack was getting unbearable with his fits of depression.”

Jack shot him a look but Sinbad only laughed.

Once everyone was gathered before the Lord of the Depths, he looked directly at Captain Hook. “Had I known that your ship sailed through the storm I would have had it quelled. A scout of mine saw Tinkerbelle,” he pointed his trident at the fairy hovering over Selvina’s head, “circling the ship and the two shared a quick word amongst one another. I have come to know that you, Captain Hook, and your friends are here for Selvina. I was told by a certain snow-haired woman that she is important to you all.”

“Snow White?” Selvina asked curiously.

King Posanos nodded, shifting his gaze to Selvina. “The very one. She has made the jungle her home and both she and Tarzan shall protect it from any wishing to bring it harm. She offers you, Selvina, and your other friends here, the best of luck in the future and that when you have the time, to go visit her. I know, however, that time is not something you have much in abundance.”

Selvina furrowed her brow. “What do you mean? I have plenty of time.”

Jack and Red exchanged a glance that Selvina did not miss.

“What is he talking about?” she asked them.

“We’ll tell you soon,” Red said. “I promise.”

“In any case,” continued King Posanos. “I do not wish to hinder those seeking to save this world and therefore I have decided to give back what the sea has taken. Thus, Captain Hook and his companions, I return to you the men and beast that fell overboard in the storm.” He then raised his arms high and a wide path split open through the sea. Two walls of water parted and rose hundreds of feet into the air. Walking along the seabed were several sailors and a familiar black wolf.

“Bigbad!” Red cried out, rushing to the parted sea. Upon catching sight of Red, Bigbad charged past the sailors and shoved his big muzzle into Red’s arms before licking her face all over. The sailors reached shore, walked up to King Posanos, and bowed low. Some even dropped to their knees and began to pray.

“Rise,” King Posanos said. “I am no god, good men of Sauradia. You need not pray to me. Go with your captain and guide him true. He will have need of you all in the coming times.” King Posanos then turned to Selvina. “Before I go, there are two people that wish to see you first.”

Rising out of the water beside him was a young woman with round, almost fish-like eyes, and a young man that Selvina recognized immediately. They both gave Selvina a wave and a smile.

“Eric!” Selvina cried out in surprise. “I thought you were dead!”

“Hi, Selvina,” he replied. He then glanced to side and added, “Hi Rapunzel, Goldilocks, and you too, Wendy. I am glad to know that you all survived.”

“What the bloody hell are you doing bobbing in the water like that?” Goldilocks asked. “Get up here and give us a proper hug, you twit.”

Eric laughed. “I missed your humour, Goldilocks. I would get up and hug you but it would be rather difficult.” He then leaned back and out from the water protruded a large, silvery fish tail. It flapped about for a moment before sinking below the surface as Eric straightened himself.

“You’re a merman?!” Selvina asked in astonishment.

“Selvina!” the woman beside Eric called out.

She looked oddly familiar but Selvina couldn’t remember who she was. “Have we met?”

“Mermaid! You try help me speak. I speak now! I am Ariel!”

Recognition dawned and Selvina’s eyes bulged, as did Jack, Red, Sinbad, and Hook’s.

“That’s the mermaid I scared off!” Jack said in shock.

“Yes it is, you loveable idiot,” Selvina said.

“Ariel followed you here,” Eric explained. “She saved me before I drowned and, well, we formed a close bond. King Posanos gave me this tail so I could be with her always. We’ll both never forget you, Selvina, and I’ll never forget the rest of you girls. You all showed both of us kindness when we never expected any. For that we are forever grateful.”

After a final goodbye, Eric, Ariel, and King Posanos slipped beneath the waters and were gone with a quick flick of their tails. The two walls of water closed in on each other and filled the empty seabed path, returning everything to how it had once been.

Selvina turned to Jack to ask him something but instead he hurriedly left her side and headed toward the domed cage. Selvina followed him as she saw Hook and Sinbad rushing it to it as well. Red, Cindy, Bigbad, and Belle followed close behind.

Hook tore the cage apart with his right hand, his wooden one, and then roughly grabbed Peter Pan by the collar of his tattered doublet. “Look at you now, Pan! LOOK AT YOU NOW!”

Pan chuckled, not intimidated in the least. “I missed you too, Hook. How have you been? How’s that ship of yours? Hahaha!”

“I have waited for this day for far too long.”

“Selvina knocked him out,” said Rapunzel quietly, appearing intimidated by the irate captain.

“Selvina?” Hook asked incredulously. He eyed the young blonde with a curious expression and then eventually smiled. “Well done, Selvina. Well done, indeed.” He then gave her wink and a nod. “It is good to see you again.” When his attention focused on Pan once more, his face reddened and his eyes filled with rage.

I can hardly believe it myself, Hook, Selvina thought to herself.

Hook unsheathed his cutlass and poked Pan’s chest with it. “I will relish every moment of this, Pan.”

“Know that if you kill me,” Pan continued, “you will never learn the location of your wife.”

Hook froze and Wendy gasped. His body was as still as a statue and his eyes were wide in shock. The sword in his hand trembled and the grip he had on Pan’s doublet loosened. Pan, meanwhile, grinned widely.

“Not in such a hurry to kill me now, are you?” the orange-haired pirate chuckled. “I may be unable to fly and move slower than usual but even now, at my weakest, you cannot kill me. Hahahahaha! Such a cruel twist of fate! You will never stop me, Hook! As long as I know where your beloved Julia lays you will never—”

Pan gasped in alarm as Hook’s blade plunged through his heart. Captain Hook pulled Pan’s face up to his and said, hate dripping from his teeth, “You’re a coward to use my dead wife as leverage. Your days of endangering the innocent are over, Pan. You will forever be nothing more than a memory!” With that he tossed Pan’s body on the sand and walked away, appearing quite shaken. Wendy was it his side, consoling him and urging others not to follow.

Pan let out a few final laughs before his eyes fogged over, colour left his skin, and his body remained motionless.

Peter Pan, the most feared and hated pirate to ever sail the seas of Faeryum, was dead. Bleeding out on the sands of Skull Island he lay, to rot away and feed the gulls and beetles; the only kind act he would ever commit.

“That was long overdue,” Goldilocks said, breaking the long silence.

“Good riddance,” Jack said with a nod.

“Do you think he actually knew anything about Hook’s wife?” Cindy asked Sinbad as they both stared at the dead pirate.

Sinbad shook his head. “I doubt it. He was simply trying to save himself. That villain would do anything to protect his worthless self. Conjuring painful memories and throwing out false hope is one of the least treacherous acts he’s ever done.”

After enough time had passed and Hook had returned, appearing somewhat composed, Selvina grabbed both Red and Jack’s arms and turned them to face her. “All right, now that Pan is gone and that we have time to talk, why is everyone talking to me about a quest or something? What did I miss? And how is Cindy—and you Red—still alive?!”

Jack and Red exchanged glances again.

“You might want to sit down for this,” Red said.

“It’s a long story,” Jack added as the three lowered themselves to sit on the sand.

“Well, let’s hear it,” Selvina urged.

Jack took a deep breath and gathered himself. He then looked directly at Selvina.

“Remember that unicorn you saved?”