Disclaimer: I don't own the mentioned characters; they belong to their respective creators and companies.
Author's Notes: Hmm. This, ladies and gentlemen (though I suspect there are quite a few more ladies than gentlemen), is a Peter Pan re-make. Yes, you heard right, Peter Pan. Why Peter Pan? Because I'm in love with that story. I grew up watching the movie, and a few weeks ago read the novel, so...I'm writing a re-make. Some parts will be taken from the book, whereas others will be taken from the movie, based on which scenes are my favorites, and furthermore, more important to the plot. I'll also make up my own scenes, and tinker with things a bit, so the story might be very different. The characters in Peter Pan will be replaced by both SM and GW characters.
Peter - Hiiro
Wendy - Serena (I'm going to use the name 'Serena' for this fic, even though I prefer the Japanese form, because Peter Pan is set in England, and 'Serena' is by far a more English name than 'Usagi.')
The lost boys - Duo, Wufei, Quatre, Trowa, Zechs
Tinker Bell - Relena (I'm going to call Relena 'Tink.')
***
The window was blown open by the breathing of the little stars, and instantly a boy dropped in. His form was vague and dark, and he cleverly hushed his footsteps.
"Tink," he called softly, after making sure the children were asleep, "Tink, where are you?"
Tink was in a discarded jug for the moment, and liking it extremely; she had never been in a jug before.
"Oh, Tink, do come out and tell me where they put my shadow."
The loveliest tinkle as of golden bells answered him. It was the fairy language. You ordinary children can never hear it, but if you were to hear it you would know you had heard it once before. Tink said that his shadow was in the big box.
She meant the chest of drawers, and Hiiro leapt at the drawers. He rummaged through the contents, scattering sweaters and socks and other objects of no significance to the floor. He recovered his shadow, eventually. In all the excitement, he'd managed to forget Tink, and she was rather rudely shut up in the chest of drawers.
He was elated.
He had surmised that he and his shadow, when brought near each other, would re-join, not unlike drops of water; and when they did not he was stricken.
He went and got soap from the bathroom. Fruitlessly he attempted to stick it on using the soap. Upon realizing it would not work, he stopped. He felt intensely sad, somehow. Then Hiiro drooped to the floor and cried.
His sobs woke someone, however. Serena stirred in bed. She was surprisingly not alarmed to see a stranger crying on the nursery floor; she was only pleasantly interested, and sad that the boy was sad.
"Boy," she said courteously, "why are you crying?" Her blue eyes shone.
Hiiro could be exceedingly polite also, having learned the grand manner at fairy ceremonies, and he rose and bowed to her beautifully. She was much pleased and delighted, and bowed beautifully to him from the bed.
"What's your name?" he queried.
"Serena Moira Angela Darling," she replied. "What's yours?"
"Hiiro Yui."
She was already sure that he must be the legendary Hiiro, but it did seem a comparatively short name. "Is that all?"
"Yes," he said sharply. He felt for the first time that it was a shortish name.
"I-I'm so sorry," said Serena. And she truly was.
Hiiro shrugged indifferently. "It doesn't matter."
Curious, she asked where he lived. It did seem odd that he would visit so suddenly.
"Second to the right," said Hiiro, "and then straight on till morning."
"What a funny address!"
Hiiro had a sinking feeling. For the first time he felt that perhaps it was a funny address. "No, it isn't," he mumbled.
"I mean," Serena said nicely, remembering that she was hostess, "is that what people put on the letters they send you?"
"Don't get any letters," Hiiro said contemptuously. He furrowed his brows and pouted. This girl was asking too many questions.
"But your mother gets letters?"
"Don't have a mother," he said. Not only had he no mother, but he had not the slightest desire to have one. He thought them very overrated persons. Serena, though, felt at once that she was in the presence of a tragedy.
"Oh, Hiiro, no wonder you were crying!" she exclaimed, and hopped out of bed and ran to him.
"I wasn't crying about mothers," he said indignantly. "I was crying because I can't get my shadow to stick on. Besides," he added childishly, "I wasn't crying."
"It has come off?"
He nodded in the affirmative. Then Serena saw the shadow on the floor, appearing so draggled, and she was frightfully sorry for Hiiro. "How awful!" she said, but she could not help smiling when she observed that he had been trying to stick it on with soap. How exactly like a boy!
Luckily, she knew just what to do. "Why, it must be sewn on," she said, a tad partonisingly.
He dipped his head slightly to the side. "What's sewn?" he asked.
"You're dreadfully ignorant."
This chance Hiiro frowned. "No, I'm not."
"I shall sew it on for you, my little man." she stated happily, though he was as tall as herself; and she got out her sewing kit. "I daresay it will hurt a little," she warned.
"Oh, I shant cry," said Hiiro, who was already of opinion that he had never cried in his life. Serena promptly sewed the shadow to Hiiro's foot, and he clenched his teeth and did not cry; soon his shadow was attached, behaving properly.
Hiiro took to leaping around the room gleefully. Alas, he had forgotten he owed all his bliss to the girl, Serena. He acted as if he had sewn on the shadow himself. "How clever I am!" he cried rapturously.
It is humiliating to admit that this conceit of Hiiro's was one of his most fascinating qualities. To put it with brutal frankness, there never was a cockier boy.
Serena was shocked. "You conceited boy," she said, her mouth dripping sarcasm, "of course I did nothing!"
"You did a little," Hiiro said carelessly, and continued to dance.
"A little!" she replied haughtily. "Well, if I am of no use I can at least leave you be!" And she sprang in the most dignified fashion to the bed and hid under the blankets.
Hiiro was apologetic. He had hurt her feelings, and he comprehended this. But what could he do? To induce her to glance up he pretended to be going away; this obviously failed. Defeated, he sat on the end of the bed and tapped her gently. "Serena," he whispered, "don't withdraw. I can't help crowing, Serena, when I'm pleased with myself."
Serena remained still, though she was listening eagerly.
"Serena," he went on, in a voice that to this date no woman has been able to resist, "one girl is more use than twenty boys."
Now Serena was every inch a woman, though there were not very many inches, and she peeped out of the blankets. "Do you really think so, Hiiro?"
"Yes."
"I think it's perfectly sweet of you," she declared, "and I'll get up again." And she sat beside him on the bed. She also said that she would give him a kiss if he liked, but Hiiro did not know what she meant, and so offered his hand expectantly.
"Surely you know what a kiss is?" she asked, aghast.
"I shall know when you give it to me," he replied stiffly; and not to hurt his feelings she presented him with a thimble.
"Now," said he, "shall I give you a kiss?"
She replied with slight primness, "If you please." She delicately inclined her face towards him, but he merely dropped an acorn button into the palm of her hand.
She slowly returned her face to where it had been before, and said nicely that she would wear his kiss on the chain round her neck. It was fortunate that she did put Hiiro's kiss on that chain, for it was afterwards to save her life.
Serena, curious by nature, asked Hiiro how old he was. It really was not a good question to ask him.
"I...don't know," he said uneasily, "but I am quite young." He actually knew nothing of it; he had merely suspicions, but he said at a venture, "Serena, I ran away the day I was born."
Serena was shocked, yet interested; and she indicated in that charming manner, by a touch on her night-gown, that he could sit nearer her.
"It was because I heard my father and mother," he explained darkly, "talking about what I was to be when I became a man." He was agitated now. "I don't want ever to be a man," he said with a passion. He crossed his arms. "I want always to be a little boy and to have fun. So I ran away to Kensington Gardens and lived a long time among the fairies."
"Fairies!"
"Yes, fairies. Matter of fact," he said absently, "I can't think where Tink has gone to." Her absense had just instants ago dawned upon him. He called Tink by name, rising. Serena's heart fluttered, thrilled.
"Hiiro," she said, clutching him, "you don't mean to tell me there is a fairy in this room!"
"She was here just now," he said impatiently. "You don't hear her, do you?"
They both listened.
"The only sound I hear," said Serena, "is like the tinkling of bells."
"Well, that's Tink, that's the fairy language. I think I hear her too," said Hiiro.
The sound emanated from the chest of drawers. Hiiro made a merry face. No one could ever look quite so merry as Hiiro, and the loveliest of gurgles was his laugh. "Serena," he said excitedly, "I do believe I shut her up in the drawer!"
He cautiously opened the drawer a crack, and Tink buzzed around the nursery, screaming her rage.
"You shouldn't say such things," Hiiro gasped. "Of course I'm very sorry, but how was I to know you were in the drawer?"
Serena was oblivious. "Oh, Hiiro," she cried, "if only she would stand still and let me see her!"
"They hardly ever stand still," he said, but for one glorious moment Serena viewed the romantic figure come to rest on the cuckoo clock. "Oh, how lovely!"
"Tink," said Hiiro, "this lady says she wishes you were her fairy."
Tink answered insolently.
"What did she say, Hiiro?"
He had to translate. "She says you are a great ugly girl, and that she is my fairy." He attempted to argue with Tink. "You know you cannot be my fairy, Tink, because you are a lady and I am a gentleman.
To this Tink replied, "You silly ass." And she disappeared into the adjacent bathroom.
They were together, sitting in the armchair by this time, and Serena drilled him with endless questions.
"If you don't live in Kensington Gardens now--"
"Sometimes I do still."
"But where do you live mostly now?"
"With the lost boys."
"Who are they?"
"They are--Oh! Nevermind!" he sighed heavily. "I don't care to explain."
Serena's nose wrinkled in distaste. "Fine, if you don't care to tell me a simple thing, then I must be of no further use, and I shall--"
"No!" he cried, distressed. "Pease don't go back to bed, Serena." His eyes were desperate, protesting the idea of her leaving him. "I'm so apologetic."
She smiled. "It's alright. And I know you meant to be kind," she said, relenting, "so you may give me a kiss."
For the moment she had forgotten his ignorance about kisses. "I thought you would want it back," he said a little bitterly, and moved to return her the thimble so precious to him.
"Oh dear!" Serena laughed. "I don't mean a kiss, I mean a thimble."
"What's that?"
"It's like this." She kissed him.
"Funny!" Hiiro crowed. "Now shall I give you a thimble?"
"If you wish to," said Serena, and she kept her head erect this time. Hiiro thimbled her, and...she screeched.
"What is it?"
"It was as if someone were just pulling my hair." Serena said. Her perplexity overshadowed the strange, lingering feeling of her stomach doing flip-flops whilst Hiiro had been kissing her.
"That must have been Tink. I never knew her so naughty before," Hiiro said angrily.
And indeed Tink was darting between them, using offensive language anew.
"She says she will do that to you, Serena, every time I give you a thimble."
Then Hiiro asked, "But why, Tink?"
Again Tink replied, "You silly ass." Hiiro could not understand why, but Serena understood acutely; and she was disappointed when later he admitted that he came to the nursery window not to see her but to listen to stories.
"You see, I don't know any stories," he whispered mournfully. "None of the lost boys know any stories."
"How awful!" Serena cried.
"Do you know why swallows build in the eaves of houses? It is to listen to the stories! Oh, Serena! Your mother was telling you such a lovely story."
Serena copied Hiiro's earlier gesture of dipping his head. "Which story was it?"
"The story about the prince who couldn't find the lady who wore the glass slipper."
"Hiiro, that was Cinderella, and he found her, and they lived happily ever after."
Hiiro was so glad, he sprinted from the floor where they had been seated, and hurried to the open window.
"Where are you going?" Serena cried apprehensively; she did not wish him to go. She feared dreadfully that she would never again see him.
"To tell the other boys."
"Oh, Hiiro! Don't go, please," she entreated, "I know such lots of stories!"
Those were her precise words, so there can be no denying that it was she who first tempted him.
He retracted his steps, and there was a greedy look in his eyes now which ought to have alarmed her, but did not.
"Oh, the stories I could tell to the boys!" Hiiro gripped her and began drawing her toward the window.
"Let me go!" she ordered him firmly.
"Serena, do come with me and tell the other boys."
Of course she was extraordinarily pleased to be asked, but she said, "Oh dear, I can't! Think of mummy!" Yes, her wonderful mother, she could not leave her. "Besides, I can't fly."
"I'll teach you."
Serena envisioned deliciously the wind in her hair, herself soaring above the clouds. She croaked, caught breathless, "Oh, how lovely to fly..."
"I'll teach you to jump the sky's bounds, and away we go."
"Oh!" she exclaimed rapturously.
"Sere, Sere, when you are slumbering in your silly bed you might be flying with me saying funny things to the stars."
"Oh!"
"And, Sere, there are mermaids."
"Mermaids! With tails?"
"Such long tails."
"Oh," cried Serena, "to see a mermaid!"
Hiiro had become frightfully cunning. "Serena, how we should all respect you."
She was wringing her hands in distress, and it was quite as if she were battling to stay on the nursery floor.
But he had no pity for her.
"Sere," he said, the sly one, "you could tuck us in at night."
"Oh!"
"None of us has ever been tucked in at night. And you could darn our clothes and make pockets for us. Sere, none of us has ever had pockets."
How in the world could she possibly resist? "Hiiro, could you teach my brother to fly too?"
"If you like."
And she ran to Sammy and shook him. First, he rolled over. He yawned so widely Serena had the urge to yawn as well. "Wake up," she cried, "Hiiro has come to take us away!"
Sammy drowsily rubbed his eyes. "Serena?"
"Oh, Sammy, do hurry and get up!"
Finally he was fully awake, and as sharp as a knife. This occurred only when he saw Hiiro. "Serena! Who is that?"
"Hiiro Yui, you silly! He's going to teach us to fly."
"I say, can you really fly?" Sammy asked skeptically.
Hiiro could tell he did not like this boy as much as Serena. Instead of troubling to answer, Hiiro flew round the room a few times. Then he landed arrogantly on one of Serena's bed-posts. It seemed delightfully easy.
"Wow! How do you do it?" Sammy was awed.
Hiiro raised his nose in the air, relishing in how much more knowledge he had of flying. He gladly swooped down, and sprinkled some of Tink's golden fairy-dust over their heads.
"You just think happy thoughts," Hiiro explained, "and they lift you up into the air." He showed them again.
They were all on the beds, and gallant Sammy flew first. He was borne across the room. Then Serena, yet neither were so elegant as Hiiro, who could dance and leap and twirl about as gorgeously as if he had practiced the entirety of his life.
Hiiro lended Serena -- or Sere, as he had nicknamed her -- a hand, but had to cease and desist, Tink was so meddling.
Then, once, Hiiro wrapped his arms round Serena, and danced with her. Tink interrupted, needless to say, but not before Hiiro so craftily stole his second thimble from the blonde girl. Sammy failed to see this happen, so occupied with flying was he.
"I say, may I go away with you?" asked Sammy.
This was exactly to what Hiiro had been luring them.
The stars were watching the trio. Once again the stars blew the window open, like they had previously, and the smallest star cried, "Hiiro, it is time!"
And Hiiro knew that there was not a moment to lose. "Come," he said imperiously, and soared out into the night, Serena on his arm and Sammy in their wake.
...And the birds were flown.
***
Author's Notes: I don't even make much claim to this prologue. The majority of the words were taken exactly from the book, because I loved the way the book had it written. I cut some parts and added some parts, and re-wrote some parts, but otherwise everything was as the book had it. I don't especially own all the plot, either, save the parts I added and made up and re-wrote.
Arigato, and criticism is ALWAYS welcome. Tell me if you want me to continue (and I'm fairly positive none of you want me to continue) this story.
Author's Notes: Hmm. This, ladies and gentlemen (though I suspect there are quite a few more ladies than gentlemen), is a Peter Pan re-make. Yes, you heard right, Peter Pan. Why Peter Pan? Because I'm in love with that story. I grew up watching the movie, and a few weeks ago read the novel, so...I'm writing a re-make. Some parts will be taken from the book, whereas others will be taken from the movie, based on which scenes are my favorites, and furthermore, more important to the plot. I'll also make up my own scenes, and tinker with things a bit, so the story might be very different. The characters in Peter Pan will be replaced by both SM and GW characters.
Peter - Hiiro
Wendy - Serena (I'm going to use the name 'Serena' for this fic, even though I prefer the Japanese form, because Peter Pan is set in England, and 'Serena' is by far a more English name than 'Usagi.')
The lost boys - Duo, Wufei, Quatre, Trowa, Zechs
Tinker Bell - Relena (I'm going to call Relena 'Tink.')
***
The window was blown open by the breathing of the little stars, and instantly a boy dropped in. His form was vague and dark, and he cleverly hushed his footsteps.
"Tink," he called softly, after making sure the children were asleep, "Tink, where are you?"
Tink was in a discarded jug for the moment, and liking it extremely; she had never been in a jug before.
"Oh, Tink, do come out and tell me where they put my shadow."
The loveliest tinkle as of golden bells answered him. It was the fairy language. You ordinary children can never hear it, but if you were to hear it you would know you had heard it once before. Tink said that his shadow was in the big box.
She meant the chest of drawers, and Hiiro leapt at the drawers. He rummaged through the contents, scattering sweaters and socks and other objects of no significance to the floor. He recovered his shadow, eventually. In all the excitement, he'd managed to forget Tink, and she was rather rudely shut up in the chest of drawers.
He was elated.
He had surmised that he and his shadow, when brought near each other, would re-join, not unlike drops of water; and when they did not he was stricken.
He went and got soap from the bathroom. Fruitlessly he attempted to stick it on using the soap. Upon realizing it would not work, he stopped. He felt intensely sad, somehow. Then Hiiro drooped to the floor and cried.
His sobs woke someone, however. Serena stirred in bed. She was surprisingly not alarmed to see a stranger crying on the nursery floor; she was only pleasantly interested, and sad that the boy was sad.
"Boy," she said courteously, "why are you crying?" Her blue eyes shone.
Hiiro could be exceedingly polite also, having learned the grand manner at fairy ceremonies, and he rose and bowed to her beautifully. She was much pleased and delighted, and bowed beautifully to him from the bed.
"What's your name?" he queried.
"Serena Moira Angela Darling," she replied. "What's yours?"
"Hiiro Yui."
She was already sure that he must be the legendary Hiiro, but it did seem a comparatively short name. "Is that all?"
"Yes," he said sharply. He felt for the first time that it was a shortish name.
"I-I'm so sorry," said Serena. And she truly was.
Hiiro shrugged indifferently. "It doesn't matter."
Curious, she asked where he lived. It did seem odd that he would visit so suddenly.
"Second to the right," said Hiiro, "and then straight on till morning."
"What a funny address!"
Hiiro had a sinking feeling. For the first time he felt that perhaps it was a funny address. "No, it isn't," he mumbled.
"I mean," Serena said nicely, remembering that she was hostess, "is that what people put on the letters they send you?"
"Don't get any letters," Hiiro said contemptuously. He furrowed his brows and pouted. This girl was asking too many questions.
"But your mother gets letters?"
"Don't have a mother," he said. Not only had he no mother, but he had not the slightest desire to have one. He thought them very overrated persons. Serena, though, felt at once that she was in the presence of a tragedy.
"Oh, Hiiro, no wonder you were crying!" she exclaimed, and hopped out of bed and ran to him.
"I wasn't crying about mothers," he said indignantly. "I was crying because I can't get my shadow to stick on. Besides," he added childishly, "I wasn't crying."
"It has come off?"
He nodded in the affirmative. Then Serena saw the shadow on the floor, appearing so draggled, and she was frightfully sorry for Hiiro. "How awful!" she said, but she could not help smiling when she observed that he had been trying to stick it on with soap. How exactly like a boy!
Luckily, she knew just what to do. "Why, it must be sewn on," she said, a tad partonisingly.
He dipped his head slightly to the side. "What's sewn?" he asked.
"You're dreadfully ignorant."
This chance Hiiro frowned. "No, I'm not."
"I shall sew it on for you, my little man." she stated happily, though he was as tall as herself; and she got out her sewing kit. "I daresay it will hurt a little," she warned.
"Oh, I shant cry," said Hiiro, who was already of opinion that he had never cried in his life. Serena promptly sewed the shadow to Hiiro's foot, and he clenched his teeth and did not cry; soon his shadow was attached, behaving properly.
Hiiro took to leaping around the room gleefully. Alas, he had forgotten he owed all his bliss to the girl, Serena. He acted as if he had sewn on the shadow himself. "How clever I am!" he cried rapturously.
It is humiliating to admit that this conceit of Hiiro's was one of his most fascinating qualities. To put it with brutal frankness, there never was a cockier boy.
Serena was shocked. "You conceited boy," she said, her mouth dripping sarcasm, "of course I did nothing!"
"You did a little," Hiiro said carelessly, and continued to dance.
"A little!" she replied haughtily. "Well, if I am of no use I can at least leave you be!" And she sprang in the most dignified fashion to the bed and hid under the blankets.
Hiiro was apologetic. He had hurt her feelings, and he comprehended this. But what could he do? To induce her to glance up he pretended to be going away; this obviously failed. Defeated, he sat on the end of the bed and tapped her gently. "Serena," he whispered, "don't withdraw. I can't help crowing, Serena, when I'm pleased with myself."
Serena remained still, though she was listening eagerly.
"Serena," he went on, in a voice that to this date no woman has been able to resist, "one girl is more use than twenty boys."
Now Serena was every inch a woman, though there were not very many inches, and she peeped out of the blankets. "Do you really think so, Hiiro?"
"Yes."
"I think it's perfectly sweet of you," she declared, "and I'll get up again." And she sat beside him on the bed. She also said that she would give him a kiss if he liked, but Hiiro did not know what she meant, and so offered his hand expectantly.
"Surely you know what a kiss is?" she asked, aghast.
"I shall know when you give it to me," he replied stiffly; and not to hurt his feelings she presented him with a thimble.
"Now," said he, "shall I give you a kiss?"
She replied with slight primness, "If you please." She delicately inclined her face towards him, but he merely dropped an acorn button into the palm of her hand.
She slowly returned her face to where it had been before, and said nicely that she would wear his kiss on the chain round her neck. It was fortunate that she did put Hiiro's kiss on that chain, for it was afterwards to save her life.
Serena, curious by nature, asked Hiiro how old he was. It really was not a good question to ask him.
"I...don't know," he said uneasily, "but I am quite young." He actually knew nothing of it; he had merely suspicions, but he said at a venture, "Serena, I ran away the day I was born."
Serena was shocked, yet interested; and she indicated in that charming manner, by a touch on her night-gown, that he could sit nearer her.
"It was because I heard my father and mother," he explained darkly, "talking about what I was to be when I became a man." He was agitated now. "I don't want ever to be a man," he said with a passion. He crossed his arms. "I want always to be a little boy and to have fun. So I ran away to Kensington Gardens and lived a long time among the fairies."
"Fairies!"
"Yes, fairies. Matter of fact," he said absently, "I can't think where Tink has gone to." Her absense had just instants ago dawned upon him. He called Tink by name, rising. Serena's heart fluttered, thrilled.
"Hiiro," she said, clutching him, "you don't mean to tell me there is a fairy in this room!"
"She was here just now," he said impatiently. "You don't hear her, do you?"
They both listened.
"The only sound I hear," said Serena, "is like the tinkling of bells."
"Well, that's Tink, that's the fairy language. I think I hear her too," said Hiiro.
The sound emanated from the chest of drawers. Hiiro made a merry face. No one could ever look quite so merry as Hiiro, and the loveliest of gurgles was his laugh. "Serena," he said excitedly, "I do believe I shut her up in the drawer!"
He cautiously opened the drawer a crack, and Tink buzzed around the nursery, screaming her rage.
"You shouldn't say such things," Hiiro gasped. "Of course I'm very sorry, but how was I to know you were in the drawer?"
Serena was oblivious. "Oh, Hiiro," she cried, "if only she would stand still and let me see her!"
"They hardly ever stand still," he said, but for one glorious moment Serena viewed the romantic figure come to rest on the cuckoo clock. "Oh, how lovely!"
"Tink," said Hiiro, "this lady says she wishes you were her fairy."
Tink answered insolently.
"What did she say, Hiiro?"
He had to translate. "She says you are a great ugly girl, and that she is my fairy." He attempted to argue with Tink. "You know you cannot be my fairy, Tink, because you are a lady and I am a gentleman.
To this Tink replied, "You silly ass." And she disappeared into the adjacent bathroom.
They were together, sitting in the armchair by this time, and Serena drilled him with endless questions.
"If you don't live in Kensington Gardens now--"
"Sometimes I do still."
"But where do you live mostly now?"
"With the lost boys."
"Who are they?"
"They are--Oh! Nevermind!" he sighed heavily. "I don't care to explain."
Serena's nose wrinkled in distaste. "Fine, if you don't care to tell me a simple thing, then I must be of no further use, and I shall--"
"No!" he cried, distressed. "Pease don't go back to bed, Serena." His eyes were desperate, protesting the idea of her leaving him. "I'm so apologetic."
She smiled. "It's alright. And I know you meant to be kind," she said, relenting, "so you may give me a kiss."
For the moment she had forgotten his ignorance about kisses. "I thought you would want it back," he said a little bitterly, and moved to return her the thimble so precious to him.
"Oh dear!" Serena laughed. "I don't mean a kiss, I mean a thimble."
"What's that?"
"It's like this." She kissed him.
"Funny!" Hiiro crowed. "Now shall I give you a thimble?"
"If you wish to," said Serena, and she kept her head erect this time. Hiiro thimbled her, and...she screeched.
"What is it?"
"It was as if someone were just pulling my hair." Serena said. Her perplexity overshadowed the strange, lingering feeling of her stomach doing flip-flops whilst Hiiro had been kissing her.
"That must have been Tink. I never knew her so naughty before," Hiiro said angrily.
And indeed Tink was darting between them, using offensive language anew.
"She says she will do that to you, Serena, every time I give you a thimble."
Then Hiiro asked, "But why, Tink?"
Again Tink replied, "You silly ass." Hiiro could not understand why, but Serena understood acutely; and she was disappointed when later he admitted that he came to the nursery window not to see her but to listen to stories.
"You see, I don't know any stories," he whispered mournfully. "None of the lost boys know any stories."
"How awful!" Serena cried.
"Do you know why swallows build in the eaves of houses? It is to listen to the stories! Oh, Serena! Your mother was telling you such a lovely story."
Serena copied Hiiro's earlier gesture of dipping his head. "Which story was it?"
"The story about the prince who couldn't find the lady who wore the glass slipper."
"Hiiro, that was Cinderella, and he found her, and they lived happily ever after."
Hiiro was so glad, he sprinted from the floor where they had been seated, and hurried to the open window.
"Where are you going?" Serena cried apprehensively; she did not wish him to go. She feared dreadfully that she would never again see him.
"To tell the other boys."
"Oh, Hiiro! Don't go, please," she entreated, "I know such lots of stories!"
Those were her precise words, so there can be no denying that it was she who first tempted him.
He retracted his steps, and there was a greedy look in his eyes now which ought to have alarmed her, but did not.
"Oh, the stories I could tell to the boys!" Hiiro gripped her and began drawing her toward the window.
"Let me go!" she ordered him firmly.
"Serena, do come with me and tell the other boys."
Of course she was extraordinarily pleased to be asked, but she said, "Oh dear, I can't! Think of mummy!" Yes, her wonderful mother, she could not leave her. "Besides, I can't fly."
"I'll teach you."
Serena envisioned deliciously the wind in her hair, herself soaring above the clouds. She croaked, caught breathless, "Oh, how lovely to fly..."
"I'll teach you to jump the sky's bounds, and away we go."
"Oh!" she exclaimed rapturously.
"Sere, Sere, when you are slumbering in your silly bed you might be flying with me saying funny things to the stars."
"Oh!"
"And, Sere, there are mermaids."
"Mermaids! With tails?"
"Such long tails."
"Oh," cried Serena, "to see a mermaid!"
Hiiro had become frightfully cunning. "Serena, how we should all respect you."
She was wringing her hands in distress, and it was quite as if she were battling to stay on the nursery floor.
But he had no pity for her.
"Sere," he said, the sly one, "you could tuck us in at night."
"Oh!"
"None of us has ever been tucked in at night. And you could darn our clothes and make pockets for us. Sere, none of us has ever had pockets."
How in the world could she possibly resist? "Hiiro, could you teach my brother to fly too?"
"If you like."
And she ran to Sammy and shook him. First, he rolled over. He yawned so widely Serena had the urge to yawn as well. "Wake up," she cried, "Hiiro has come to take us away!"
Sammy drowsily rubbed his eyes. "Serena?"
"Oh, Sammy, do hurry and get up!"
Finally he was fully awake, and as sharp as a knife. This occurred only when he saw Hiiro. "Serena! Who is that?"
"Hiiro Yui, you silly! He's going to teach us to fly."
"I say, can you really fly?" Sammy asked skeptically.
Hiiro could tell he did not like this boy as much as Serena. Instead of troubling to answer, Hiiro flew round the room a few times. Then he landed arrogantly on one of Serena's bed-posts. It seemed delightfully easy.
"Wow! How do you do it?" Sammy was awed.
Hiiro raised his nose in the air, relishing in how much more knowledge he had of flying. He gladly swooped down, and sprinkled some of Tink's golden fairy-dust over their heads.
"You just think happy thoughts," Hiiro explained, "and they lift you up into the air." He showed them again.
They were all on the beds, and gallant Sammy flew first. He was borne across the room. Then Serena, yet neither were so elegant as Hiiro, who could dance and leap and twirl about as gorgeously as if he had practiced the entirety of his life.
Hiiro lended Serena -- or Sere, as he had nicknamed her -- a hand, but had to cease and desist, Tink was so meddling.
Then, once, Hiiro wrapped his arms round Serena, and danced with her. Tink interrupted, needless to say, but not before Hiiro so craftily stole his second thimble from the blonde girl. Sammy failed to see this happen, so occupied with flying was he.
"I say, may I go away with you?" asked Sammy.
This was exactly to what Hiiro had been luring them.
The stars were watching the trio. Once again the stars blew the window open, like they had previously, and the smallest star cried, "Hiiro, it is time!"
And Hiiro knew that there was not a moment to lose. "Come," he said imperiously, and soared out into the night, Serena on his arm and Sammy in their wake.
...And the birds were flown.
***
Author's Notes: I don't even make much claim to this prologue. The majority of the words were taken exactly from the book, because I loved the way the book had it written. I cut some parts and added some parts, and re-wrote some parts, but otherwise everything was as the book had it. I don't especially own all the plot, either, save the parts I added and made up and re-wrote.
Arigato, and criticism is ALWAYS welcome. Tell me if you want me to continue (and I'm fairly positive none of you want me to continue) this story.