Author's Note:

Okay, I don't do these notes before the chapter very often, but since it's the first chapter of my first OUaT fic, I figured I'd greet you guys. Hello, there! So, as I said before this is my first attempt at an OUaT fic because why the hell not? My fic center's around my OC who is a Reaper – not exactly Death personified, mind you – who has a little run-in with everyone's favorite little devil, Peter Pan. The reason I went with creating the concept of Reapers was because death is a constant theme in fairy tales and much of my inspiration came from the tale, Godfather Death, which essentially showed how Death saw everyone in an equal light, was neither good nor bad, and was in fact a kind and fair being. Anyway, I thought the concept would be fun and a little ironic to play with - ya' know, what with Death and Pan and all that jazz - so tell me how it goes! I hope you all enjoy the story and stay along for the full ride. And with that, I'll leave you to your reading!


Loyalty Only To Me

Chapter One:

"Stay in the middle of the bell-curve of social norms and follow along, or you will find out the about freedom you never had."
― Bryant McGill

"Excuse me, sir," The man glanced over his shoulder, ripped away from preoccupying himself with cleaning a metal jug. His dull, brown gaze met with chilly blue eyes, cold like the winter winds yet somehow soft, and he arched a brow at the young girl said eyes belonged to. He didn't speak, but gave her an acknowledging grunt, urging her to continue lazily. She managed to flash him a miniscule, but kind smile before it faded away as quickly as it came. "I was wondering how much you rent your rooms and stables."

He seemed surprised and she couldn't blame him. It wasn't often that a girl barely out of adolescence would ask to rent anything. The travelers usually consisted of wicked old women and heavy-set men who were a little too shady for comfort. She knew this all too well and had gone over the same routine several times in her wandering from town to town, kingdom to kingdom. The questions were usually the same, the answers were as well and there was always some sort of skepticism. She learned over time to ignore it, whereas before she would have easily gotten annoyed and irritated by the barrage of inquiries thrown her way. Now, she would have preferred if that wasn't the case, but could bear through it anyway.

"Right." He drawled, turning to face her directly. "Depends on how long you're stayin', girlie."

"No more than five nights, I'm sure," was her quick and soft-spoken answer. The tone she took on was that of one who had gone through the process of paying for a room many times before.

She didn't quite appreciate the look of amusement that slowly appeared on his scruffy features. He chuckled. "Why don't you let your dad negotiate the money with me?" He said in a condescending tone that earned him a stony glower as she lowered her head in disapproval.

"Sure. Let me just wake him from his grave." She said bitterly, throwing the fact casually in his face. The look those words managed to conjure was priceless to her. Before he could speak, the hooded girl continued in a lighter but just as equally patronizing tone. "Are there any other inns in this village? I'm sure there is and perhaps they would actually like to make money rather than waste their customers' time with pointless questions." She took pride in the wide-eyed stare that was thrown her way, but her face remained hard and a little bit bored.

"Wait." His gruff voice stopped her move to leave as she had just turned around and she glanced over her shoulder, a brow arched expectantly. "I can give you five nights for twenty coins. Both the stable and a room." There was that tiny smile again.

The girl turned around, shifting to pluck something from the belt hidden behind her cloak and jacket, resting evenly on her hips. "Thank you," She murmured just loud enough for him to hear the true, but quiet gratitude in her tone, the irritation and stress suddenly absent. She opened the small leather pouch and shifted through the many coins to find what was required for her payment.

"Can I have a name, girlie?" He asked, watching her as she picked out twenty coins as instructed.

"Elise Lobelia," She answered smoothly, placing the coins requested down on the wooden counter. He took them and counted each piece twice and his face scrunched up in confusion when he noticed there was one coin extra. Surely she didn't tip him, right? Not after the nasty glares she threw him just moments before. "I would like a nice room, sir. If that is manageable." She explained, noticing his silent questioning of the extra piece.

He glanced at her before pocketing the money. "Of course, Miss Lobelia. I'll get you your keys right away." He told her before turning to make his way to the other end of the bar. With a quiet sigh, she let her shoulders drop and she turned around, closing her eyes. She was tired, but she hoped being in a new town would bode her a more restful night than the past few while she was on the road. She took in a deep breath through her nose, exhaling through her mouth to keep from yawning. The sun had just set, but already she was tired. However, for whatever reason, she didn't want to sleep just yet.

Maybe fate had something in store for her that night. She scoffed inwardly at the idea. Yeah, right.

"You look like you've had a long day," An accented voice cut into her thoughts and she turned to meet the pale, hazel-greenish gaze of a young boy, close to her age. At least, the age she appeared to be at the time. The first thing she took from him was that he was amused, but she was ignorant to what he found so entertaining. The other was his ridiculous and admittedly poorly made cloak consisting of many different variations of patches, each different from the other.

Crossing her arms, she turned her head away from him and huffed. "Yeah, I suppose so." She murmured, having little interest with having a conversation. Her eyes roamed the wooden floorboards, back and forth as if she were reading something off a page.

He looked like he was going to say something else and she vaguely caught a sign of irritation etched ever so subtly on his features. However, before he could do anything, the inn keeper returned with two keys. She turned to face him, her patience relieved by his appearance. "You're in luck. You have the last open stable and your room is sixteen." He told her orderly and held out the keys on an iron loop for her to take. She swiftly took them from his hand and nodded to him.

"Thank you, sir." She muttered and turned on her heel to tend to the horse that waited patiently outside of the inn, not minding the boy whose stare lingered on her a little to long.

OOO

It was a cute little village and from what she noticed so far, it was full of life that was close-knit in a small community. Though, she couldn't help that something was a little off about it and she could tell that such a sense was a recent thing. She'd be lying if she said her curiosity wasn't piqued at that notion, but she tried to steer clear of personal affairs within the towns she passed through. That is, until the matter became of her business, but for her sleeping sake, she hoped it wouldn't come to that.

She wordlessly worked around her horse with a heavy saddle in her arms and heaved it over the short wall of the stable room she rented. Turning back to the large beast standing behind her, she drew her attention to the large sweat spot that had appeared from wearing the saddle all day and she wondered if the mare was relieved to have such a constricting thing off of her. Slowly and quietly, Elise approached the large, dark-brown horse and patted her side. The thick and hardy hide twitched ever-so-slightly under her touch and she watched the mare glance back at her with big brown eyes.

"Don't worry, Calla. We won't be riding out for a while." She told her quietly. Talking to her horse became habit in her spare time; after all, Calla was the only company she had when she wandered about. She tried to keep her connections limited for both others sake and her own. She gave the horse another soft pat before turning around and kneeling down to her bag that she discarded to the hay covered floor.

Picking it up, she rummaged through it for something she knew her horse would appreciate. "Lucky girl, you get to eat before I do." She said, scoffing dryly as she dug out a red apple. She turned back to the horse and walked over to her head, holding up the fruit to her large mouth. With her free hand, she petted the large animal as she ate the apple right off of her hand. "I wonder what we'll find here. Aren't you curious?"

Calla snorted as if to say that had enough of strange happenings for a life time and Elise couldn't say she didn't agree. "I guess you're right. We could go for a little normalcy for a little while, don't you think?" Having finished the apple, the mare's lips brushed her hand just a little as a silent, unspoken 'thank you' and then he lifted her large head to blow air on her forehead, disturbing the thick, coarse bangs there. Elise rolled her eyes and brushed the hair back in place.

"Something tells me we won't exactly have normalcy yet." She muttered a little sadly, biting her bottom lip. The oncoming cold of autumn left them more chapped than usual and needless to say her habit of chewing on her lip didn't help at all. Giving the mare a sweet kiss on her muzzle, she parted from the animal and grabbed her bag before making her way out of the stable. She turned around to close the gate and shifted her gaze to the finally relaxed mare. "Night, Calla." She called softly and padded out of the stables, thankful that the sharp smell did not follow her out onto the cobble-stone streets. She pulled the hood of her cloak over her head.

The liveliness of the town had slowly begun to fade away as the night hours took over. Children had long since retreated to the home and soon the adults began to follow after, talking amongst themselves about trivial things such as the latest news of marriage and the market sales lately or maybe the occasional riff-raff that ran amuck in the little village. Autumn air nipped at her already cold flesh and the gentle winds softly rustled the hairs that had come loose from her messy, over-the-shoulder braid. It was usually the later seasons, fall and winter, that she loved most. Their chill made her feel like she was supposed to feel as cold as she already had, but there was no fooling her.

Glancing up at the sky, she noticed the overwhelming blackness that blanketed the sky, masking the moon's brilliance and hiding the stars. Thick clouds had settled in and the scent of rain was already present. She wondered if it would rain that night. If it would, the inn she was staying at luckily wasn't too far from the stables she had left. She began to feel small droplets of water fall from the sky when she finally found the inn+ once again and stepped inside, the creak of the wooden door as her greeting.

Unlike the rest of the town, the inn was still alive with energy from the many travelers and even some locals who stayed in the afterhours to socialize and drink and eat. She kept to herself as she stepped quietly over to the counter. The man from before, the inn keeper, turned to her and slung a dirty rag over his shoulder. He must've noticed that she was a paying customer, much like the rest of those there, and decided to treat her with a little more kindness as he gave her a small grin when she reappeared at his bar.

"What can I get for you, Miss Lobelia?" He asked and she was a little surprised that he even bothered to remember her name.

Blinking, she slowly regained her words that she had meant to ask. "Erm, how much are your meals?" She asked, regaining her voice from her little surprise.

"I can have a bowl of soup out for you for three coins." He told her as he folded his arms over his barrel chest. She nodded, satisfied with the answer.

"And drink?"

"For young ones such as yourself, we have tea, water and spiced cider."

"Hot cider?"

"Only the best in the village."

At that declaration, she was a bit challenge to find out if it was true and she smiled, amused at how proud he seemed at the statement. She took out her pouch "Alright then. I'll have a bowl of soup and a hot cider, please." She said, glad that the man was finally treating her with a little more respect than before.

"That'll be four coins." He told and she quickly gave him what he requested. The man gathered up the coins and pocketed the money, but before he left he leaned down curiously. "Is it too bold for me to ask where your parents are, kid?"

Normally she would have turned sour at such a question, but this time she let a small smirk play on her lips and her blue-grey eyes glinted with light. "That is too bold, Inn Keeper." She told him, turning her head slightly. He nodded.

"Couldn't hurt to ask," He justified for himself and she dipped her head in understanding. "The name's Barry, by the way."

"It's a pleasure."

"That it is, lass. I'll bring you your food when it's ready." He told her and with one final and finishing nod, he left to tend to other things. She turned around to scope out an empty place in the inn and spotted an empty table home to two chairs off in the far corner of the room, the candle was already lit. Quietly, she stepped over there and dropped her bag on the table before sitting down. Leaning back, she used her foot to drag over the other chair in front of her to prop her feet on. From her bag, she pulled out a dusty old book and set it on her lap. Her fingers found a small black ribbon that held her place and she opened the book there to continue the story she was reading.

Music played softly in the background, a treat from the performers in the inn, and it slowly faded away as she lost herself in storytelling and thought. The conversations became loud and then suddenly dropped from all hearing, but she could vaguely make out small chatter about a band of thieves running around recently as well as the strange deeds they did. The book she held in her hands was a common story, yes, but she enjoyed it. It was about an old man who tricked the trickster into starving himself when he tried to steal from the old man. It wasn't exactly a bedtime story to read to children, but it was interesting enough. At least for her, it was. Tucking back a lock of black hair, she stuck her nose in the book and became invisible to the world.

She didn't know when, but eventually the man, Barry, came over with her food, setting it down on the table she sat at without a word to her. He must've noticed how engrossed she was in her book and hadn't said anything to her. After a little while, she found herself absentmindedly drinking the hot apple cider she was served. She sighed, satisfied with the drink. She hasn't had good hot cider in a long time and the man was right, it probably was the best in the little town. She relished in the warmth that the drink gave her, even if it was short-lived. The bowl of soup was just as equally good and she downed it all quickly, finally sustaining her famine.

Elise was once again absorbed into her book when a voice caught her attention. "For as tired as you seem, I'm surprised you're still up." The voice was familiar and a little part of her had hoped it wasn't who she thought it was. She glanced up and sighed mentally, not really surprised that the boy from before was standing right in front of her. What did he want? "A bit of a night owl, are we?" His grin was lopsided.

She shifted her gaze back to her book. Maybe if she ignored him, he'd go away. "I guess you could say that." She answered, leaving not much room for further discussion.

There was a few seconds of silence and she thought she had succeeded in her plan. "I'm Peter, by the way." Unfortunately, it didn't. This time she let her tired sigh be audible for him.

"Elise." She introduced quietly. She didn't exactly want to be rude, she just didn't want to be bothered.

"Hmm. Nice night, don't you think, Elise?" He asked and for some reason she was a bit unsettled by the use of her name. She blinked at her book, brows slowly coming together in thought. Why had it bothered her? She pushed away the feeling and glanced back up at him.

"Yes, it is very lovely, I must agree." She answered a little too brightly. "Almost as lovely as this book," She hinted at the boy, hoping he would leave. "That I will continue to read for the rest of this lovely night," She deadpanned as he remained in his place, a smug look on his pale face. Why wasn't he leaving? "As soon as you leave." Her voice was demanding, a little edgier than usual. It was clear she really didn't like the boy before her.

There was something dangerous and a little bit devilish that flashed in his green eyes that made her chest tighten and she felt herself slowly tense. "Now, why would I do that?" Peter asked lowly, tilting his head. That was it.

"Because," She began as she snapped her book closed and stood up. "I'm going to sleep." The girl did a mock curtsy before grabbing her bag, stuffing her book into it with one swift motion and walked past the boy. She tugged the edge of her hood to hide her face a little bit better and because it made it to where she couldn't see the boy any longer. Though, as she left, she could barely hear the words he had uttered to her that made her blood run cold for the first time in ages it seemed. Hastily, she made her way over to the wooden stairs that lead up to the rooms upstairs and hurried down the hallway until she found her room. She unlocked it quickly and pushed herself in, almost slamming the door shut before locking it and tossing her stuff onto the bed that waited for her.

With a heavy sigh, her shoulders dropped and she pulled back her hood. Her heart raced in her chest and she bit her lip nervously. Hesitantly, she looked down at her hands and became appalled at the sight of them shaking violently. She hugged herself tightly, closing her eyes so that she could forget what he had said to her. The words repeated in her head over and over.

"Sweet dreams, Lobelia Reaper."

So much for normalcy.


Author's Note:

Okay, so that's the chapter! I know it's not much so far, but things will become a little more clearer the next couple chapters about our little Reaper. Just little note, this takes place after the first incident in Hamelin when Baelfire went to Pan and all that jazz. If that makes sense. Also, this is a completely different town other than Hamelin, but similar events occur because it's Peter Pan and Pied Piper is a fun element to work with. Why Pan went back to the Enchanted Forest may or may not be revealed, but for now let's just say he wanted more friends. Anyway, how do you like Elise so far? I'm trying to keep her from being Mary-Sue, so if you see her starting to edge that way, please let me know! Also, leave some constructive criticism if you want. All of that is welcome as long as you're nice.

Also! Let's have a next chapter sneak peak, shall we? Roll it!

"My name is Elise Lobelia and I am one of Death's agents. I am a Reaper. And your children are not dead."

"She might be telling the truth,"

"Why would she? All those demons care about is when someone is dying so they can take their souls to Death."

"If you don't want my help, then I won't give it."

"You're not going anywhere."

"You dare challenge a Reaper?"

So, I'm not exactly sure how the schedule for updates will be constructed as of yet, I think I'm going to try to update every Friday. Anyway, enjoy the story! Leave a review, drop a favorite and follow if you want. All of it is much appreciated. Also, if you guys want to recommend some quotes that I could put at the beginning of the chapters, that'd be awesome! Anyway, thank you so much for reading, I look forward to seeing your thoughts, and I'll see ya'll cool cats on the flip side!