Chapter 1: Sleep (Began: Tuesday, June 28, 2005; Finished 6/28/2005 1:59:20 PM)

She was happiest when she was sleeping. She bore, learned, and remembered nothing of past, present and future. When she was sleeping, she could forget all that was troubling her. She forgot who, what, when, where, and why she was. It was the most pleasant feeling of all.

A pair of fingers rubbed against her face. She started awake fully aware of all her surrounding as thoughts flooded back to her. Who? Vashti, What? Cat-human, When? Her eyes stirred towards the window, morning. Where? Never land. Why? That she had still yet to discover.

Quickly she stared wide-eyed at what caused her disturbance. A man, dark curly hair, slight mustache, and those burning forget me not blue eyes. "Get up" He murmured. She got up carefully trying not to hurt her tender feet and unstable legs. She tried avoiding the mirror, but her eyes cast a wary glance. Gashes and gouges traced her from one end to the other. Some single gashes were long but thin, as if a blade had cut her. There were more scratches, just as deep, but in clumps of four of five. Cuts and bruises covered Vashti; in all places accept her face.

Ah, the lovely face, the large green cat eyes, pouting lips, and heart shaped face and wild strange curls. She had a feral look about her usually, but now she seamed tired and worn. She moved to the door to open it. "Vashti"

"Yes, Captain Hook?" She stopped with a red hand on the knob.

"No one, not even your precious Faber is to know about this."

She sighed and closed her eyes. "Yes Captain" She opened the door and walked to her room. It was still early in the morning. A bitter chill blew past her, causing her to wrap her arms around herself for warmth. She opened the door to her room with every intention of getting into bed and sleeping.

As she stepped in and softly closed the door like the shadow she was, a voice called out to her. "Vashti is that you?" It was Faber, her ever-faithful cat-human companion.

He was handsome in his own right. A silently deadly strength behind his yellow-green cat eyes, he wore his sandy hair short, a little above the nape of his neck; he also had the pouting lips and goodly shaped face. He sat up from his bottom cot and looked at her. "Where were you last night?" He accused.

"I was ashore!" She defended herself. "Now leave me be!" She stepped up into the ladder leading to her cot on the top bunk.

"When did you get permission from the captain?" He inquired still further, knowing that she was lying.

She stopped and hung her head, obviously quite irritated. "I am a free being Faber, I choose where I am, and what I do. I don't need anyone's permission, and I especially don't need his!" she growled bitterly; then climbed into the cot and rolled over so that she faced the wall and away from him.

Faber stepped outside his cabin; there were morning chores to do. He sighed and hung his head. Something had gone on with his companion Vashti, and she would not tell him what or who, more than likely, it was. The cat human scanned the crowds to see if he could sense who had upset her. It was a lost battle, but he more than had an idea.

The day went as usual aboard the Jolly Roger, nothing eventful enough to spark the interest of anyone. Finally, Vashti exited her room. The noon winter sun gave little to no light at all. She looked and felt drained physically and emotionally. She figured that if she were to disappear for a little while, no one would miss her. She got on the railing preparing to jump onto the ice, when a voice spoke to her. "And just where do you think you are going hmmm?" It was cold and chilled her certainly enough.

She turned to face the fierce eyes of Captain James Hook. She looked at him tiredly. "Nowhere Captain Hook" she breathed finally as she looked down defeated. Dejection traced in her features. "I was just looking at the island." She turned her head towards it to put an emphasis on her point. Suddenly some other pirate in the rigging called her name. She quickly jumped up into it with feline grace, grateful to be out of his cold stare.

In the city of London a young girl was about to stir from a great adventure. A young Wendy Darling sat up in her bed and gazed at the clock. "He was vain, very vain," She whispered. "His eyes were as blue as forget me knots." She smiled and logged her new information away for future reference and fell back asleep.

Night had fallen in Never-never land. All aboard the Jolly Roger fell silent and in a pensive mood, all except one woman. Vashti had made it a point to get off that ship and away from the horrible captain. She slipped out of her room, like the shadow she was, and past the night watch. Carefully she stepped on to the starboard side railing. The island was not so far away. She could make it by morning.

With a leap of feline grace, Vashti landed on the thick ice. A cold wind blew through her mesh pant legs and seeming through the leggings, she wore beneath them. There were no sounds except for the sound of her breathing and footsteps on the ice. Finally she stopped to catch her breath. The sound heavily booted of footsteps behind her startled her. Her eyes grew attentive and wide with fear. She had scarcely caught her breath before she began running.

It was a mad dash to the shore. Once she was there, she was safe. She dared not look back for fear of being caught. If caught then she would have to go back to the ship. Oh, what would happen there? She wondered. She heard the footsteps grow closer and realized that she had become lacking in her pace. Her only hopes were that it was not Captain Hook or another pirate, and that she would reach the island before them.

Faber heard rustling in the bunk above him. He flinched shortly knowing that Vashti was going to leave. He waited patiently for her leave. She had taken nothing so he grabbed a few food rations, warm clothes, and blanket. Much in the same manner that his female companion had, he disappeared from the Jolly Roger.

"Solid land!" She breathed, stumbling on to the shoreline. Vashti dropped to all fours breathing hard. The cold air stung at her lungs and her lips started bleeding. The heavy footsteps were now closer, but she no longer had the energy to run. If the captain were to punish her, she would get over it.

"For pity's sake Vash," A kindly voice whispered in her ear. "Kill yourself why don't you?" He asked with a slight chuckle.

"Faber" She whispered smiling. She did not look up to see his face, but could sense a smile tugging at his lips. He reached over his shoulder, opened the knapsack, and pulled out a flannel blanket. He wrapped her in it and then pulled her close to him. She smiled at let a small purr out.

"Better I'm sure," He said. She nodded to cold and tired make any reply. "You stay here and get warm; I'll get a fire going." It was not hard for Faber to start a fire. Like many other things, this was written in his nature. He grabbed a few sticks and placed them in pile on the shore. "Fuego" he breathed and a fire stared.

Captain Hook woke up in the middle of the night. He groaned, as he wanted so badly to sleep. Sleep was something that he always wanted dearly but always seemed to lack. Last night he had punished one of his crew. She had fought him so harshly. He had a few scratches up and down his arms and five on his face. He sighed and decided that it was not worth thinking about, so he went back to sleep.

"Cinderella flew through the air far from all things ugly and ordinary. When she landed at the ball she found herself most impertinently surround by pirates." The new version of Cinderella continued as Wendy Moira Angela Darling acted it all out with her brothers. The night when the extraordinary adventures may have been said to begun was the night Nana barked at the window. But there was nothing there, not a bird or a leaf, so the children forgot about, for what troubles a grown up will never trouble a child.

It was not too much longer before Peter Pan came in search of his shadow. They were such troublesome things always getting away from you. After the letter of out rage had been sent to Mr. Darling, the night her parents left her to go to a party was the very same night that children set off on their greatest adventure yet.

In some odd part of Never land a young woman sat huddled up in a teepee. Her senses suddenly perked. Something was going to happen. Something phenomenal! She raised an eyebrow. An Indian squall entered the teepee speaking her native tongue. Vashti nodded as she stood to walk about. The feline-human was one of the oldest inhabitants of Never Land, and understood its random mood swings.

Hook took out his eyeglass and surveyed his island. "Mr. Smee!" He shouted. The Irish Bo' sun scurried up next to his captain.

"Aye sir?"

"Mr. Smee, fetch me Faber"

"Aye Captain"