Time to go even more insane about Peter Pan!
One of the main plot points in the 1953 Disney film is the banishing of Tinkerbell. Long story short, the pixie attempts to off Wendy one or two times, Peter finds out, confronts her, and consequently banishes her. Where from? Who knows. All that's known is that she is *not* welcome in the Lost Boys' company, at least, for the moment. She reacts angrily, flying away, her glow turning so red hot she burns through a leaf!
That begs the question: how did the pirates find out? Later on in the movie, after the events at Skull Rock, Smee is caring for the injured Captain Hook when he mentions Tinkerbell's current situation. The way he puts it has very interesting implications for the unspoken details of the movie! When we see the scene where Peter confronts Tink, they're in a clearing in the woods, alongside the Lost Boys and the Darling kids. There aren't *any* other souls around! Yet, when Smee brings up Tinkerbell, it's a rumor from among the crew. A they-heard-he-heard kind of thing. How does that work? There weren't any pirates around!
The mystery is fascinating to think about, but I have my theories. Firstly: there are pirates in the woods. I'm thinking they scout the forest, seeing what they can see, gathering intel. Whether there are more pirates on Hook's crew than we see in the film, or scouting the island is just one of their many duties, I'm betting THAT'S how the rumor of Tinkerbell's banishment started. Someone witnessed the whole thing go down from afar - of course, they didn't dare intervene themselves! One lone pirate vs *the* Peter Pan and his entire pack of Lost Boys? No thank you. Self preservation is a valued talent among the pirates, especially given that Hook and his crew have been around for what appears to be quite a long time. Instead, the pirate who might have witnessed Tinkerbell's banishment just retreated, heading back to the ship with that juicy information fresh on the mind. I don't think they'd report that to Hook. Clearly it wasn't immediately made known! A smart decision on that guy's part. With the captain's capricious attitude, that news could have sent him flying all the way in either direction, good or bad.
My other idea? The Lost Boys aren't all against the pirates. A popular theory about the pirates of Peter Pan is that they're just Lost Boys who grew up - Hook included. Now, that could have happened any number of ways! Maybe Peter is the only one with the magic of immortal youth, or maybe, somehow, he withholds the magic from those who rub him the wrong way... either way, just because Peter feels one way doesn't mean his followers share the same sentiments. The fact that he probably *wants* them to is another story entirely. What I'm getting at is this: if the pirates were previously Lost Boys who were essentially kicked out for going against the grain or getting too old, it makes sense that current Lost Boys, having known the others, would want to keep in touch (even if it means risking the wrath of their trickster-fae-immortal leader). That explains how the pirates discovered Tink's banishment - although we don't necessarily see it, sometime between the kids all splitting up and the Jolly Roger sequence after Skull Rock, one or some of the Lost Boys meet up with some of the crew. They share what happened with their pixie friend and the pirates, perhaps intentionally or unintentionally, take it back to the ship. Word spreads, and the rest is history.
There's a detail about Return to Neverland, the almost direct-to-DVD sequel, that has always bugged me. I get it: Disney wasn't thinking that hard about continuity, but it's still an itch that begs to be scratched.
That detail is this: during the original, classic Peter Pan film, a bomb - which is a major part of the plot - erupts and destroys the Lost Boys' hideout. It gets OBLITERATED! The destruction is unparalleled! Yet, we only really get a small glimpse into the aftermath of the explosion. There's a heartbreaking scene amid the rubble of Hangman's Tree, then, miraculously, the heroes make it out off-screen. The movie has a happy ending, and several decades later, Disney cranks out a sequel that does an okay job!
However, there is no sign of destruction anywhere on Neverland. Everything is picture perfect, as if the main events of the first movie never happened! Truly, a missed opportunity for some theoretically crazy world-building. Alas, the health of the island goes unexplained.
I like to think the fairies had something to do with the flawless regrowth. That explosion was surely seen and felt by all manner of Neverland's denizens! Such a catastrophic event would probably stir some of them to action. The mermaids, whether they wanted to or not, probably couldn't help much, but I'm sure Tiger Lily and her people did their own investigating. The animals likely fled, scattering among the remains. The fairies were certainly the safest of all the lives affected by Hook's scheme; with Pixie Hollow nestled in the high hills, hidden from view. Though they might have been last to hear the news, the fairies, with their dedication to nature, surely offered their services to the place they call home! Their kind aren't eager to befriend or play nice with humans, so I'm sure the fact that Peter's own home was included in the regrowth was probably just a bonus... perhaps, after all was said and done, Tink shared her story and asked for help. I'm sure she's not forgotten the things that lead up to the big showdown between Hook and Peter. She probably remembers that she's still "banished", and stays away from the Tree for a while. Maybe she spends some time along the beaches, sifting through lost things as the fairies work their magic. Queen Clarion approaches her when their work is done, curious as to why she lingers here, so far away from her true calling (being with the lost boys). She offers some vague yet sage advice before taking her leave, just as Tinkerbell's fairy friends arrive. They chat about all the things that have happened recently, and Tink resolves to return to the Tree.
Just... fairies working their magic like druids! Wild life restored to the scarred land, greenery creeping back to the heart of the forest... fun stuff 😊💣🌋🍃🌳
