We looked up as a shadow descended. I realized it was a person, they had jumped from the deck of the ship that was thirty to forty feet up! With a thud, an imposing figure landed in full pirate garb, down to the billowing jacket and triangular pirate's hat. They looked up as they straightened and the eyes in the shadow of the hat cast their gaze upon us, seeming to see right through to the core of each of us.
I shuddered internally. The fact that the pirate had a gleaming hook on one arm, and I felt more foreign power than I have ever outside of Oz just emanating off of the figure. Greta was on the edge of changing into her Perchta form. It was obvious as her white antlers grew and white feathers started trailing down her back as she slid in front of us when Red didn't like she normally did. She saw this person as formidable.
Then I was surprised when a rich, low woman's voice asked as the pirate looked up revealing a startlingly alluring woman, “Which one of you is Parker?”
I swallowed and raised my hand like an awkward platypus. Snow holding her arm back across me protectively, feathers hanging from her arm.
The woman tilted her hat back and smiled widely, all of that ominous foreboding washing away as her rich brown eyes twinkled in mischief. Then another shadow appeared on the ground followed by another thud. I had to blink twice. There was no mistaking this smaller, more slight pirate was all woman as the first pirate offered, “My daughter is always talking about you.”
The newcomer looked to be eighteen or nineteen, dressed almost identical to the more intimidating one. She was stunning and familiar and... she had a wolf's tail swishing behind her as she whined out to the other pirate, “Mooom! I told you not to intimidate them! They're my friends!”
I had to blink twice as I recognized the voice, even though it was much younger. Then I saw it. This girl looked like Mandy's younger sister. I asked in shock, “Amanda?” As the older of the two chastised, “Don't get sassy with me, young lady.”
The wolf girl lowered her eyes submissively from the other woman, then she cocked her head at me in confusion and asked, “Parker?”
I nodded, and she grinned Amanda's cocky smirk as she strode forward. “Looks like we weren't the only ones to get whammied.” She snagged a shocked looking Snow's hand and dragged her to me then hugged us both tightly. “God, I've missed you all so much. I'm sorry it took thirteen years to sail here. The Elders movements are messing with the tides between realms.”
This was our Mandy! I hugged her desperately then she pulled back to look at the others with excitement. Thirteen years? I mumbled, “But... I just hung up with you moments ago.”
She cocked her head like our old friend and said, “Huh.”
Then she was running around hugging everyone, tail swishing in excitement as I pointed out, “You're... young. And you have a tail.”
She nodded back at me with a sly grin and said, “It's better than being seven. The Lost Boys changed us back, but their imaginations see 'old' as like sixteen or seventeen. Luckily we see in our heads that adult is between eighteen and twenty-one. So it's probably my fault I wound up somewhere in between.”
Whaaaaaaa? I was trying to comprehend what she was saying. Then she looked at her tail when Rapunzel caught it and smiled as she stroked it. She shrugged and said, “Can't get the smartasses to get rid of the tail though.”
I was about to reprimand her for her language, but the other pirate snapped, “Mandy!”
Our girl lowered her head and actually pouted out a, “Sorry.”
Then she moved back to the woman and hugged her arm in a proprietary way. “Everyone, this is my mom... don't ask, long story... Wendy, better known as the Hook in Neverland.”
Again I was blinking. Her mom? But I thought her mom was a real piece of work here who wanted nothing to do with her. This was... this was Captain Hook from Neverland? My question was answered when a little fairy flew down from the ship to land on the woman's shoulder. I was getting light headed.
Then I paused and looked around, “Where's Robyn? Is she ok?”
Mandy nodded and smirked like she had a secret. She called down as she just took to the air, flying up to look at the deck of the ship, “She's stowing some gear. Ah, here she comes.” She landed beside her, umm, mom? And when she caught everyone's stunned expressions, she added with a shrug, “Oh, and I can fly.”
Her smile was contagious, and I found myself beaming at the young adult version of Mandy. A moment later, with a buzzing sound, Robyn of Locksley landed beside Mandy, gave her quick peck on the lips then looked around at us all with excitement, as... as delicate looking fairy wings folded flat to her back.
She kneeled in front of Snow in supplication and said to her, “Goddess.” Then she stood and rushed over to hug us all. “We've missed you all so very much these past years. The Elders ride in our wake, we need to prepare.”
Then our Mari, the Red Hood and Scale stated cryptically, “They are almost upon us.” She looked up at the ship and asked, “Is... 'she' with you.”
Robyn looked up at the ship, and she nodded in understanding and shared, “Titiana has come.”
Red nodded. “Good. We need to prepare.”
I pointed at Robyn and said in a little voice, “You... you've got wings.”
She chuckled and said, “Yes, yes I do. Long story.” Did she look younger too? She always looked young, being an elf, but I think she looked about Mandy's apparent age now. I was so confused.
Then as we were led back into the farmhouse, Ella took control of our body and turned us back to look to the east. I could feel it too, something was coming. Something huge. Something menacing. But now that our family was back together again, we would be here to face it together. I nodded to myself as I added, my family, my Avatars.
The End
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Novels by Erik Schubach
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Books in the Techromancy Scrolls series...
Adept
Soras
Masquerade
Westlands
Avalon
New Cali (2019)
Books in the Urban Fairytales series...
Red Hood: The Hunt
Snow: The White Crow
Ella: Cinders and Ash
Rose: Briar's Thorn
Let Down Your Hair
Hair of Gold: Just Right
The Hood of Locksley
Beauty In the Beast
No Place Like Home
Shadow Of The Hook
Books in the New Sentinels series...
Djinn: Cursed
Raven Maid: Out of the Darkness
Fate: No Strings Attached
Open Seas: Just Add Water
Ghost-ish: Lazarus
Books in the Drakon series...
Awakening
Dragonfall
Books in the Valkyrie Chronicles series...
Return of the Asgard
Bloodlines
Folkvangr
Seventy Two Hours
Titans
Books in the Tales From Olympus series...
Gods Reunited
Alfheim (2019)
Books in the Bridge series...
Trolls
Traitor
Unbroken
Books in the Fracture series...
Divergence
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Novellas by Erik Schubach
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The Hollow
Novellas in the Paranormals series...
Fleas
This Sucks
Jinx (2019)
Novellas in the Fixit Adventures...
Glitch
Vashon
Descent
Sedition (2019)
Novellas in the Emily Monroe Is Not The Chosen One series...
Night Shift
Unchosen
Rechosen (2019)
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Short Stories by Erik Schubach
(These short stories span many different genres)
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A Little Favor
Lost in the Woods
MUB
Mirror Mirror On The Wall
Oops!
Rift Jumpers: Faster Than Light
Scythe
Snack Run
Something Pretty
Summer Break (2019)
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Romance Novels by Erik Schubach
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Books in the Music of the Soul universe...
(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)
Music of the Soul
A Deafening Whisper
Dating Game
Karaoke Queen
Silent Bob
Five Feet or Less
Broken Song
Syncopated Rhythm
Progeny
Girl Next Door
Lightning Strikes Twice
June
Dead Shot
(All short stories are standalone and can be read in any order)
Misadventures of Victoria Davenport: Operation Matchmaker
Wallflower
Accidental Date
Holiday Morsels
What Happened In Vegas?
Books in the London Harmony series...
(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)
Water Gypsy
Feel the Beat
Roctoberfest
Small Fry
Doghouse
Minuette
Squid Hugs
The Pike
Flotilla
Books in the Pike series...
(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)
Ships In The Night
Right To Remain Silent
Evermore
New Beginnings
Books in the Flotilla series...
(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)
Making Waves
Keeping Time
The Temp
Paying the Toll
Books in the Unleashed series...
Case of the Collie Flour
Case of the Hot Dog
Case of the Gold Retriever
Case of the Great Danish
Case of the Yorkshire Pudding (2019)