Melody awoke in a large room. It seemed she was still in the castle with her knew friend Dorcas. She had forgotten all that happened after the queen left to see the pirate. She must have been so worried.

"Oh morning, mama," Dorcas rubbed her eyes then stretched her arms. Queen Zerra reminded her to take Gis, the queen's beloved pet, for a swim. The prime princess was still sleepy, but she dared not breaking the promise she made to her mother. Getting up slowly and lazily, she nodded and left her comfortable bed. Her mother told their guest, Melody, to go with Gis as well. The selfish princess rolled her eyes a bit though she did not really mind having Melody with her.

After the mermaid queen had left, Dorcas swam to the courtyard. The shark excitedly swang its tail like a puppy. Patting its smooth body, the princess smiled slightly. "Let's go, Gis," she ordered in a calm voice. Then they waited for Melody and started to swim out of the castle.

Queen Zera drew the curtains to her daughter's room. It was still a little after dawn and her kingdom was still in darkness, the lights haven't reach beneath the surface of the waters. Her younger children were still sleeping soundly in their respective rooms in the castle but the Queen did not like to pamper her eldest daughter into making it a habit to be a late riser.

"Dorcas dear, it's time for you to rise," she whispered softly, brushing her daughter's silver strand that had fallen across her eyes while she was sleeping. The new mermaid had fallen asleep in the bed her maids had prepared the night before by her orders.

"Gis is waiting in the courtyard for her morning swim. For which you had promised to attend to yesterday." There was a slight strain in her voice indicating her agitation as the visions from yesterday played in her mind once again. "Make haste now."

She swam to Melody and with a warmer air, shook the girl's shoulders slightly. "It is time to wake up, my dear." She was the Queen, so it was a given she had to play the role of a host for her guest, after all.

"And Dorcas, please bring our guest along with you. It might help her to get to know our kingdom better. That is all." The Queen graced the two mermaids with a final smile before exiting the room.

Micah had searched everywhere he could think of but avoiding the places they were not to go to during the night, or the places known to be dangerous. It was nearly sun rise when he finally found the pixie, oh how he was happy to have her with him once more. "Tari.....what happened to you?" he said to her in a relieved voice as he let her stand on his hand, looking her over to make sure she was fine, also seeing how tired she was.

"Oh Mi.....it was horrible." Batari said to him as she begin to tell him what had happen to her. How she was going back from Pixie hallow when a female pirate had caught her, she even told him what she heard while talking with the captain. "I am just glad to be home." she said to him as she hugged his thumb, smiling up at him as she watched him head back to Hangman's tree.

"I am just glad that your safe." he said to her as he sat down outside of the tree, setting her on his shoulder as he gave a yawn before he went on to tell her what had happened when she was gone and how he searched for her, even told her about Mold and how he wish she would just quit being the leader so Peter can have his spot back when he came back from the mainland.

Loki jolted up when he heard Mold's announcement. The children were all fired up and were ready to go—even Loki was feeling quite giddy at the thought of a fight—when Micah hissed his discontent and stormed out.

"Weee~ll," he drawl before letting out a canary's whistle. "This is just a guess, but, it doesn't seem like he wants our help fer this, Leader." Loki shrugged and yawned. "If ya ask me," he started, already walking towards his bunk. He flopped down easily onto the spring mattress which resulted to a few dust flying in the air, for which the boy remained unfazed as he dangled one leg over the other. "It's 'bout time to get some shut eye. The kid'll manage."

Loki's sky blue eyes were already drooping as he rolled onto his side, waving his hands dismissively. "And give that girl a blanket or sumtin'. I ain't want no cold in my cabin." It wasn't long after that Loki was heard snoring into the night.

The Next Day

"Mold, Mold! Wake up! Wake up!"

It was just at the break of dawn and none of the other children were awake yet. It usually takes them until noon before they realize how hungry they were and finally get on their feet, preparing for the day's adventure. But it's the perfect time for him if he wants to carry out his dare with the leader, where the waters were cool and Mermaid Lagoon was bound to be vacated. He grinned at the lost girl, tugging at her arm enthusiastically. "Ya need to get up now if ya wanna play with the fish!"

In his impatience to leave, Loki tripped over the new girl that had been sleeping in the same spot he had left her yesterday. To their credit, the children did cover her with some drapes. Well, close enough.

"You too, Lola! Wake up! We're gonna go play a game now," he whispered, taking care to keep his voice low as to not wake the others but the excitement contained in them was evident. Loki waited by the exit for the girls to get ready, wondering if he was successful with his wake up call. He allowed his mind to wander. It rested on the thought of Micah. Wonder if he found Tari. Well, just hope so. Then, he can join us for the shark ride!

"Pirates are really annoying," Dorcas leaned against the huge column in the castle. She was doscontented about her mother being dragged around to attend conference, at least that was what she thought. A sister of hers came and hugged her arm,"Big sis, I've learnt a new song! Want me to sing it to you?"Dorcas kept her poker face and shook her head. The silver-haired mermaid believed she sang the best among the siblings, so she was not interested in her sister's voice.

Princess Dorcas swam to the entrance of the castle, leaving her sister panting at the original spot.

Ana waved to Zerra as she disappeared, relishing in the feeling of knowing she had successfully angered the collected Queen. Someone thinks herself high and mighty. Ana thought to herself, crouching down low, to get ready to launch herself at the rocks. With a graceful leap, she landed on a rock, and before she could even start to think about where that crocodile was, she was already on the other shore, panting, and hand on her sword. Hearing nothing, she broke out into a sprint, mud splashing everywhere.

By the time Ana reached the ship and was being lifted up, holding onto the anchor, she was completely and utterly covered in mud, from head to toe. Mud on her face, in her boots, even in her inside jacket pockets. Ana hissed and wiped her face, grunting in anger when all it did was get her even dirtier. She shot the crew members bad looks when a few tried to hold in laughter, a couple even letting out a snort. All it took was a low hiss, and the crew was deathly silent.

"I didn't think so. If y'all would excuse me, I'm going to my quarters to get changed." Ana said, walking away to do just that.

The Queen flicked her gaze away from the pirate, resisting the urge to lash out for the latter's insolence. "If that is all, Captain, I would like to take my leave, now," she said with the tone of ice. And before the pirate said any word in response, the mermaid disappeared into the waters.

Chris offered her a piece of tissue paper which the pixie gladly accepted. She liked him. Since forever, he'd always give her something really tasty to eat. Even now, he's slicing a small crumb of blueberry cake for her. And just like her, he hated the lost kids too.

"Woah, hold up there, Rozy," Chris said with a look of alarm when she mentioned that to him. "I don't hate the kids, okay? Don't you be spreading any rumors now." The boy shook his head and smiled easily as he placed the small slice of cake into a plate and rested it on the wooden table.

With a roll of her eyes, the pixie landed on the plate and started nibbling on the crumbs. The cake left a rubbery taste on her tongue. Blueberry, egh! Rozalin made a look of distaste and shoved the cake back into the plate.

The pirate frowned and forked a small portion before tasting the cake himself. "Ugh, those boatswains took the berries from the Gulch. The should know that none of the plants there are sanitary." He winced at the memory of his former companion's prank—watering the earth of the Slightly Gulch with soap water, simply to make the land more slippery for the Red Skins—before shoving the rest of the cake into the bin. "I need to have a word with them about this," he mumbled with irritation before walking out to the deck.

From the sound of it, Rozalin could tell that the 'negotiation' didn't go too well. None of the crew paid any attention to anything Chris would say, anyway. Bored, she flew to the dining hall and started hovering over the feast. There was one plate that was set aside from the rest, a card with the words "CAPTAIN" sprawled beside it. Smiling with her usual smirk, a twist of her lips with a hint of mischief twinkling in her eyes, Rozalin sprinkled the plate with a heavy coat of spices she saw set in the middle of the table. She barely returned to the kitchen, an innocent look pasted on her face when Chris walked back in, a twitch of annoyance in his eyes.

"I've got to send the Captain's supper in, so I've to go for now, okay Rozy?" he consulted the pixie, smiling apologetically.

The pixie nodded and giggled. "It's okay, I was just leaving." Rozalin flew out the window swiftly and headed towards the children's hangout. "Gotta visit little Elora, now."

Ana tried to hold back laughter. Silly, silly Zerra. Taking things the wrong way. Ana thought to herself, suppressing a smile. "Queenie, don't take it the wrong way. I didn't mean treasonous mermaids. I was simply implying I've got pirates that have made what you may call 'relationships' inside your kingdom. I know how you feel about mortals. I didn't mean it that way at all." Ana explained quickly. At Zerra's agreement, Ana nodded solemnly.

"Of course, Queen. Of course. Couldn't have said it better myself." She agreed, meeting her gaze with calm confidence, letting some humor into her eyes. Zerra should be a little more trusting. Ana thought to herself, smiling. Well, it went better than expected, that's for sure.

It was most definitely not a difficult issue. Most of her mermaids barely ever swim around the dark cavern or the pirate filled cove. But, of course, she was not about to heed to the demands wordlessly, especially upon hearing the suggestive threat.

"I do not know what you may consider as friends, Captain," the Queen retorted sharply, her eyes twitching slightly in suppressed anger. "But, I have confidence in my mermaids' loyalty if treason was the matter which you were trying to imply." She will not have her people be demeaned by such accusations.

As she fought to recollect her calm, the Queen thought of the pirate's demands more carefully.
What did they plan to gain from such requests? Was it just a mere ploy to let the mermaids know their place in Neverland? Or was there something else which they're after?

There was no definite answer that she could conclude even after her thoughts, and the Queen figured it unwise for her to remain silent in the consultation. "Very well," she said finally. "I will inform my mermaids of the matter. The waters in Skull Island and Cannibal Cove are yours to claim, Anabella. I now leave it to your care." Her eyes locked on the Captain then, in a way of transmitting her warning so that it would be taken into all accounts. "But, if I were to hear of ruins and spoils in the waters or in your failure to retain them, be assure that this will not be the last you hear from me, Captain."

Ana whistled innocently, shifting her weight onto her left foot. "Let me put it this way." Ana began, pulling both her hands out of her pockets and placing them on her hips. in a way that showed cool confidence, as well as humor. She kept her face serious, dismissing Zerra's arrogance. Let the Queen think herself high and mighty for now. Ana thought to herself, fighting back a smile at the thought that ran quickly through her mind.

The day Ana was crowned Captain was a loud one. The words that Hook's boatswain had said to her that day rang clearly in her mind. "Well, the vote's been tallied. Anabella, you are the Captain. Now now, don't look at me like that. You'll be fine. Just remember, you're the all mighty now. No one dares stand up to you. Make sure they understand that!" Ana had been the ripe age of 28, a master of swordplay, and a jack-of-all-trades. There was nothing to learn; Ana had done everything she possibly could to get where she was. Of course, except catch that fairy.

Ana smiled slyly at Zerra's expression. "Ma'am, it's quite the easy proposition. I want a change of territories. As you know, these waters are shared. I simply want you to keep the waters around Skull Island, and Cannibal Cove clear of all mermaids. It's not a hard thing I'm asking. I don't want to risk injuring your mermaids, and frankly, due to the current..." At this Ana trailed off, leaving the silence hanging for a few seconds, then continued. "...Situation, we should play fair, don't you agree?" Ana finished, gesturing the waters behind Zerra.

Ana suddenly remembered another issue, and mentally debated bringing it up. If she didn't, the chances of something happening was going to rise, but if she did, something even worse could occur...

"Besides, just a suggestion, I wished you're people and mine could get along. I know how you feel about mortals, but, ya see, I've got a few crew members, who, well, have what you might call 'friends' within your kingdom." Ana said carefully, her voice showing a small amount of confidence and caution.

Counter, check. Tools, check. Dishes, check.

Chris scanned his kitchen with a satisfied sigh. This was good. Clean was good. The blonde started humming happily as he moved the plates of tonight's dinner from the kitchen to the dining room on the adjacent room, one by one.

No one in Neverland can deny that Chris Hunter can cook up the best Italian sauce there was, but one thing everyone also knew was that he was pretty much useless in any other departments. So, of course, the translocation of the plates took more time to complete than if some gruff muscle headed pirates were to do it. But, anyone who wanted to have a decent meal for the week had enough sense not to get within even a mile of Chris's kitchen.

A new face would wonder though, how did a wimpy kid like Chris became a pirate? Well, here's the story. Chris Hunter came to Neverland as a lost boy. Everyday he'd be put up for cooking duties and he would happily oblige to the children's request. But, one awful, awful thing happen. While all the children in Neverland played to their heart's content, Chris grew up. Rules were made, manners were insisted. 'Put the dishes in the sink! Be more careful when you eat! No, you cannot eat until I say so! Don't come in the house when you're covered in filth! Do you know how long it is to get the stain out!?' And to one's surprise, none of the children followed through. So, when he finally couldn't take anymore of the children's antics, he turned sides.

When he joined the crew, it didn't take long for everyone to realize how incompetent he was in doing the regular duties, so he was sent to the kitchen. There, Chris found his calling. The pirates were a nasty bunch but Captain Ana gave him rights to the kitchen and forbade all the others to even get near it. He was practically in Cloud Nine. He had the kitchen all to himself.

But, sometimes, he does get lonely. So, when the red mischievous pixie came in through the round window, her dress covered in red mush, Chris was more than happy for the company. "Hey there, Rozy. Why are your cloths bleeding?"

"Oooff!"

Rozalin rolled around in the air before slamming face-first to the wall after the Captain's "casual" hair flip. Although, she had to admit that she was quite glad to be flicked off instead of being swatted as she had seen the Captain proceeded on doing seconds later. The pixie giggled as a response. "Aye, aye, Captain!"

She covered her face with her hands when Batari assaulted her with the raspberries but failed to shield her cloth. "Aww, Tari," she whined when she saw her raspberries splattered dress. The pixie huffed. "Really."

After a moment, Rozalin had completely forgotten the offense and hummed as she flew to the ship's kitchen. "It's not a betrayal, really. After all, it's just a game," she chuckled.

"Changes," she repeated, pronouncing the word carefully.

She eyed the Captain warily, aware of the dagger she held in her hand. But still, Zerra held the pride of a Queen and the confidence of a seer. The confidence of one who held knowledge over the dangers and surprises that were lurking ahead. Her head was tilted slightly, at an angle where one would see her as conceited and arrogant—yet, poised.

She had been trained well, the words of the patron that was assigned to her when she first rose to the throne still playing in her mind to this day. "Your Highness! You must remember. You are a ruler! There are many people who are depending on you, my Queen. Yes, yes, that's it!" She was still a doe eyed teenager then, unfamiliar with the custom and order of the castle, but since, she had grown and learned, perfecting the art she was entrusted with as she bore the responsibility that was bestowed on her shoulders. There was absolutely no room for weaknesses.

Her eyes betrayed no emotion as they pierced into the pirate's. "What kind of changes do you have in mind, Captain?"

Ana watched in quiet interest as Zerra walked up onto land, on legs, covered in a cloth. She smiled as Zerra walked over to her. "Well, that's an easy question to answer." Ana replied, slyly reaching towards her jacket and placing her hands in the inside pockets, touching the cool metal to help focus.

"You see, Zerra," Ana said, keeping her tone informal, "I wanted to speak to you about our treaty. It's in need of a few changes, I think." Ana explained, grinning coolly. She kept her hands on her daggers, rubbing the metal and wood with her forefinger and thumb, watching Zerra's body language, trying to judge how she would react.

The creek was certainly not the Queen's favorite place. The river was shallow here and the carried along arguably the least sanitary waters here in Neverland. However, it was the one and only place she could think of that was remote enough for a conference with the pirate.

Before she emerged from the water, the Queen eyed the crocodile who held claim to the creek as it's own. She nodded to the creature in silent acknowledgment of it's territory and after a moment's pause, it nodded in return, approval of her intrusion.

She emerged from the water at last, scanning the area for the Captain. When she finally located Ana on the opposite shore, the mermaid swam to her slowly. As she reached close to the shore, the Queen closed her eyes and whispered the quiet incantation. She felt the heat on her tails as they burned and glowed. Two ticks later, she felt that odd sensation as her feet touched the soft ground. She glanced down to her bare legs and tied a long cloth around her waist. Hoisting herself onto land, the Queen made her way towards the pirate.

"What was that you wish to consult with me, Captain?"

Ana pulled her foot out of the mud with a loud, wet, 'Squelch'. Ana frowned in disdain, glancing at her boot, and stepped down on semi-solid ground, careful not to put too much weight on the soft ground, so as to not sink. As Ana found a nice foothold, she shifted her weight and began to pull her other foot out. She cursed angrily when she sank onto her left foot, the one that was on supposedly semi-solid ground. She yanked her sword out out of her scabbard with a hiss and stuck deep into the ground, using it as a lever. With one heave, she pulled herself out of the mud and swung her feet up, vaulting herself onto a rock in the river. She landed with a soft 'Thump'.

Ana suddenly froze as she heard a low, almost inaudible ticking sound. She tensed, her hand clutching her sword tightly, tight enough that her knuckles had turned white. The sound disappeared for an instant, and Ana took advantage and dove for the opposite shore, catching herself on the soft ground and rolling forward, spinning around, her sword still up. There was an eerie silence. Ana took a step back and sheathed her sword.

"Freaking crocodile." Ana said to herself, eyes still on the creek.

Micah's fist clenched as he turned and looked at Mold, oh how he loathed her, she was just a pain in his butt and she knew it. "I don't want your help." he said to her as he gritted his teeth before he turned and darted off, purposely leaving her and everyone behind. It just made him so angry that they all thought he was careless with Batari, it wasn't that he was careless it was just he let her do as she pleased and she gets into trouble sometimes.

Batari blinked at Rozalin, it did hurt that the pixie just ignored her, laughing in her face she flew out of the jar once it was open, glaring at the captian as she hovered in front of her face. "Well Captain if you keep a leash on your people you would have never saw me in the first place. Just so you know i will never betray the lost kids or the pixies. Though it seems like Rozalin has betrayed us pixies already." she said to them as she gave the pixie on her shoulder a hurt look, she then childishly blew raspberries at her before shooting off into the woods, knowing fully well that Micah would be looking for her.