Several hours passed until Hazel found some possible ways that she could get back to the land of the living. She could have Hades’ brother Zeus resurrect her, but she had no way of contacting him nor did she really have a good reason to convince him to bring her back.  She could eat from the ambrosia tree, from the food of the gods, that Orpheus and Eurydice used to escape the Underworld.

The chances of either of those pan out for her were slim to none. Hazel slammed the book in her hands shut with a loud thud before she threw it clear across the room. She ran her fingers through her hair in frustration, pulling her legs into her chest. A few tears welled up in her eyes and she quickly wiped them away. The pit in her stomach only grew with each book she read. The dread of finding a way out of the Underworld and back to Killian grew exponentially.

He bit the edge of his lower lip. He couldn’t take his eyes from her form. Any moment, he expected her to sit up and say she was okay. Say that it was all a trick or an enchantment that she cast to fake her death. The black veins around her face, down her neck that disappeared into her green tunic, and along her exposed arms where her sleeves were rolled up, told him the opposite. All he wanted was for her to be okay. For her to be with him, but she was brought here. Whether or not it was of her own volition, he had no way to tell unless he could ask her himself.

“…Please come back to me….this was all my fault…” He choked out, feeling the tears well up in his eyes.

Pan turned on his heels to leave, but before he took off, he heard the sound. “So you had the gall to follow me, fae.” He felt a mischievous streak hit him, a game perhaps would distract him along enough to figure out how he was going to find the heart of the truest believer. Or where he was going to find it. “How about a game of chase? It should be about time that the spring water is losing its magic effects on this island. Let’s see who can get to the spring first, shall we?” He taunted, quickly flying in her direction.

Hazel stepped onto the sandy beach, her eyes settled on the ocean waves. A somber smile sat on her lips as her gaze drifted to the Jolly Roger. Every nerve in her body pulled her towards the ship and it killed her to know that she couldn’t leave with her captain and his crew. That she couldn’t take refuge in her crow’s nest.

A lump formed in her throat and tears welled in her eyes. She quickly used her finger to wipe the tears away, hearing the familiar footsteps of Killian come from behind her. She cleared her throat before turning to him as he walked to her and stood beside her.

The pirate captain didn’t dare move from his spot, afraid to disturb the fae from her slumber. His eyes stayed locked on her and his fingers played absently with her hair, running his hand through her golden locks. A long absent memory rose to the surface of his mind. One that he thought escaped him.

The memory took place aboard the Jolly Roger in his quarters. He was sitting on his bed, reading a book after a long day of sailing. Milah sauntered in and laid down on the bed, setting her head in his lap. He set the book down on the bed open-faced to keep his place. He played with her jet-black hair, running his fingers through it like he had been doing with Hazel in this moment.

Hazel’s blue eyes snapped open at the feeling of a stick jutting into her stomach. “Stop that!” She exclaimed, moving to take the stick away, but was pulled back by the rope binds that kept her tied to the tree. The back of her head smacked against the bark causing her to wince.

Her pain caused the young Lost Boy to laugh at her expense with a hand on his stomach.

“Sorry, lady, but you can’t get out of this rope.” A blond male stated. He appeared to be the eldest of the Lost Boys and their leader…second in command to Pan. His gray eyes studied the female up and down as he walked up to her.

The sun rose over the horizon, highlighting the tops of the vast forest. The smell of the morning dew just settling in the air. The sunrise was one of those sights that the fae could never tire of no matter what. To be fair there were many sights that Hazel enjoyed admiring, but the sunrise always meant a new day...a new adventure...regardless of where she was.

The only thing tearing her gaze away from the sunrise was the heaviness of her eyelids threatening sleep. But she had to stay awake to protect the crew from the Lost Boys and Pan. She had to keep watch over the cave if one of them were to wander off on their own. She couldn't allow herself to sleep for a moment.

Arrows flew through the air and Hazel quickly moved in front of Killian and Mr. Smee. Her feet slid on the sandy beach as she acted without a hint of hesitation. Her fingers hover over the grip of her sword for a few moments before the specks of fairy dust began to glow. Her eyes sharpened and she swept her hand through the air horizontally. Her sword unsheathed itself and flew in the air, following the fae's commands. The blade sliced the incoming arrows that were certain to hit the captain and the others.

Hazel opened her eyes to the distinct scent of salted fish and fresh fruit wafting into her nose. The menu choices on the Jolly Roger were something that she was still getting herself acquainted with. Granted the foods were prepared to last for long periods of time spent on the water. It did not mean that it was an easy adjustment to make from having the delicious mouthwatering berries that grew on Pixie Hollow.

She threw off the blankets and pushed herself from the bed. She made her bed before she walked out her quarters and followed her nose to the small dining hall on the ship. The whole crew was there with the exception of the captain. They were eating and chatting about loudly which wasn't unusual and it was something she was quite accustomed to by now. The fae watched as they interacted with one another.

"That is enough for today, Hazel." Killian spoke as he sheathed his sword at his side, using his hook to press his sheath against his leg. He looked up to the fae with a smile on his lips, a faint proud one. Hazel had made great progress in one days time. He could only imagine the leaps and bounds she would make given more time. She would prove to be an asset to his crew more than he realized when he first took her from Pixie Hollow to join his crew on the Jolly Roger.

Hazel panted softly as she returned the sword to the crew member who lent it to her for the training session. She gave them a small smile before turning her attention to the captain. Her smile curled high on her cheeks while she neatly placed her hands behind her back. "What adventure will we be going on next, captain?”

Weeks passed from their encounter with Black Beard in the Enchanted Forest and the Jolly Roger was back sailing on the open sea to wherever their hearts desired to venture next. The sun shined brightly over the pirate ship and the wind pushed the vessel onward. Hazel stepped out from the lower deck onto the upper deck. She dawned on new clothing that Killian purchased for her while they were docked in the Enchanted Forest. She wore a slightly puffy dark green shirt with a black v-neck leather vest. Around her waist was a dark brown belt with a golden belt buckle, her pouch and dagger secured in place by the aforementioned belt at either side and around her wrists were matching leather gauntlets. She wore black leather pants paired with knee-high dark brown leather boots that laced up in the back with leather straps that had a slight heel to them. She had tied some of her hair back with a hair bind, fashioning the blonde strands that would get in her face into a small braid.

Hazel sat cross legged rather uncomfortably in her cage, watching the celebrations and joy that filled the patrons of the tavern. It was truly fascinating how everyone seemed to act while under the influence. Including that of her captain who was preoccupied with the copious amount of women throwing themselves at him. She didn’t dare say anything to disturb him. Not that she liked what she was witnessing. It sent an odd sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach seeing those women practically crawling all over her one-handed captain. She simply looked away and watched everyone else. Though seeing the kind of attention everyone else in the crew was getting didn’t sit well with her either.

The waves rocked the Jolly Roger back and forth gently, lapping against the lumber. The metal bird cage swayed side to side with the boat as it hung high on a hook. Hazel gripped onto the bars of the cage in an attempt to keep herself from tumbling down. She tucked in her transparent yellow wings close to her body in any hope of preventing them from getting damaged.

A light breeze shook the leaves on the trees while the sun rose in the horizon. The orange and red hues ribboning in the distance. The ocean waters lapped along the sands of the island known as Pixie Hollow. Sat in a tree overlooking the ocean was a blonde fairy. To the other fairies she was known as the ‘Yellow Fairy’ or ‘Yellow’, but she took the liberty to choose another name, Hazel. For this particular fairy had a dream to get off the island of Pixie Hollow.