Hi guys! I'm well aware I've been away for quite some time now (a month I believe ?) but please accept my apologies. I had a hard time writing lately but I'm not giving up! One sentence at a time hahaha anyway... Here's chapter 9!

Rachel walked outside the river, ignoring the cold air wrapping itself around her naked body. She grabbed the towel Pan had left for her and managed to get dressed. She was lost in her thoughts, assimilating the vision she just had, if that's what it was. She spent quite some time sat on the grass, not moving a muscle but soon enough her wet hair made her sneeze. She swore. She had witnessed the very same story she used to tell her brother to get him to sleep. Rachel closed her eyes, remembering the sight of the blonde Tinkerbell girl. Of the Fairy Queen Hilda. And the madness getting into the Neverland people once a year, that caused them to cruelly end each other's lives. The ubiquitous song that illustrated the different scenes. A guttural music, so different from Pan's pipe but as meaningful. And as beautiful.

Rachel stood up as she felt a presence in her back. She turned around and noticed Fletch approaching.

"You better be ready." he said in the arrogant tone he always had. "Tonight's your ritual."

Rachel was not surprised by this statement for she knew it would be coming sooner or later. She nodded and walked after the boy. The weight of the dagger hidden in her clothes reassured her in her decision. Things were finally going to change.

They were soon back. The Lost Boys had prepared a gigantic campfire and had begun their chanting, just like she had witnessed it before. The drums echoed in every part of the island, announcing the becoming of a new Lost Boy. No other sound but these two, and maybe the wind passing by, were heard. The ground trembled by the dancing feet. Even the earth knew better than resist these powerful boys.

Suddenly, without warning, Pan's pipe made itself heard from the nearby trees. As soon as the music reached their ears, the boys gathered around her in a perfect circle and froze in waiting.

Pan appeared by her side and bent over her, susurrous in her left ear:

"I have a little present for you tonight, darling. I hope you take it as the proof of my honesty towards you."

As soon as he closed his mouth, Rachel stepped aside and grabbed her dagger. She shook away the fear that everything was going too easily and faced the dark leader.

"You will stop whispering in my ear." she said, trying to stay calm. "I'm no toy whatsoever. Drop the act, Pan. You and I both know who you truly are."

Her statement caused him to giggle and she saw a spark of amusement lit in his dark eyes. What else was she expecting ? Pan stood there, still laughing and didn't seem to realise that at each second passing the girl was drawing closer and closer to him, her hand firm on the handle of her weapon. This was her chance.

She jumped towards him and, falling upon him on the floor, drew her blade to his throat with no glimpse of hesitation. Pan laughed even harder.

"Oh can you please stop laughing for once in your life?" Rachel grumbled. She insisted the blade against his soft and delicate skin and resisted the temptation of making clear the fact that she would not hesitate to free herself no matter what the price was.

"Sure, darling." Pan kept laughing hysterically. Rachel slightly cut his tensed throat as pure rage flowed to her head.

"I know I need your agreement to leave Neverland."

Silence was then so dense you could feel it rubbing against your skin. Pan locked his eyes into hers and what she saw there was anything but mockery. She felt a wave of guilt shake her but she stood still, knowing for sure the boy was playing his tricks on her again. Pan sat and pushed her away gently before she could make a move to stop him. He didn't break eye contact for an instant.

"You've always made things your way, darling." he said out of nowhere.

"Stop. Calling. Me. That." Rachel roared. Pan slightly laughed again.

"Of course you wouldn't like this nickname. Look, I can't let you go, however..."

"You will get me back home, you filthy little..."

"There's no need for such insults, darling. There's so much to know about this place."

Rachel opened her mouth.

"By the way..." he added. "Where's little Ben? I thought you told me you had brought him Fletch!"

"I have." echoed the hunter's voice from the crowd. "Shitty boy almost escaped my grip when we arrived. Had to look everywhere on the island to find him. I even ran into the Piccaninny tri..." Fletch's voice stopped when he realised the words he had let out.

"Fool." Pan simply said. "So you think she was not enough of an annoyance before?" He looked back at Rachel who, eyes wide open, stared at Fletch.

"So there are other people on the island." she whispered to herself.

Pan firmly took her arm.

"Indeed. But you wouldn't find them even if you spent a lifetime looking for them. You won't want to anyway."

"Let me go!" Rachel yelled at him as she tried to free herself from his grip.

"Fletch!" he called. "Introduce our newest recruit to the boys."

Then she saw him. Ben. Half hidden behind Fletch's long cloak. Her young brother. As electrified, Rachel pounced in his direction while freeing herself using her blade to cut through Pan's flesh. She felt absent from her body in these quick seconds although she was very well conscious of what she was doing. She felt no remorse as Pan screamed and let go of her to press the bleeding wound with his other hand. His clothes quickly took a deeper shade of black, and as his hot blood dropped to the ground, he grabbed his pipe. His fingers left red marks on it, which he knew would never leave. In this moment Pan couldn't have cared less. His eyes were blurred with anger and when he brought the instrument to his lips, he knew full well he could never undo what he was about to do. Rachel saw nothing of it. All her attention was directed towards her sibling, for now prisoner of Fletch, who couldn't stop laughing, louder than ever.

"Let's see if you've got the stomach to fight me, girl. I hope you took advantage of Pan personally training you."

The pipe's first note made itself heard, and as soon as it got to Rachel's ears, the young girl felt weak and collapsed on the floor, unconscious. Slowly, as the music intensified, Rachel's body rose. It was imperceptible at first for she barely moved a millimetre or two above the ground, but it soon became quite consequent. The Lost Boys gathered under her. All eleven of them stared in shock at the powerful magic taking action before them. They couldn't believe their eyes. Of course they knew Pan was powerful, they just never fully realised how much until this very instant.

Pan's music kept on filling the air around the young girl. Sparks of magic danced all around them, making a magnificent show for anyone else who would have been witnessing the whole scene. For the present protagonists, these sparks were as dangerous as a wildfire. They burnt them when they hit their exposed skin, and blinded them for microseconds due to their intense brightness. Pan smirked. Finally, all his efforts were showing results. He couldn't take his eyes off the levitating body in front of him. No one could, despite the dangers of the flying flames. Ben had started crying earlier but Ron had taken him away. He was probably in his room by now.

Still playing his devilish instrument, Pan approached the girl. The Lost Boys drifted apart to let him through so he could plainly see her. His glowing eyes strangely softened. He let his fingers caress the cheek of the sleeping girl. Her hair had turned blond, her skin paler. She seemed slighter but he knew this was an impression for he knew her strength. For a moment he said nothing and then let out the least expected sentence:

"Welcome back, Tink."