(Disclaimer: I do not own anything recognizable from OUAT! Including quotes.)
Sorry it has been so long since I last updated! It was the end of the semester and I had to focus on my schoolwork! And also I thought I had posted it last night, but it didn't work, so there's that too. :/ Alright here is the chapter!
I quickly change into my new clothes, grateful to peel off the disgusting rags I had on. I toss my old clothes into a bush (it's Neverland so littering shouldn't be a problem) and turn towards the path Peter had made for me. It's a skinny path, only wide enough for one person to walk through comfortably. The trees run right along the edge of it and seem to connect together at the top, almost like a gate or a wall or an arch of some sort, leading into a tunnel of trees.
I look back in the direction that Peter flew off before deciding to follow the path. If he didn't want me to get back to the camp he wouldn't have made me a path leading straight to it. On the other hand, this could be leading to another monstrous creature. Taking in a deep breath, I begin to walk down the dark trail, losing almost all of the light from the moon. Small beams of moonlight shine through leaves, but other than that, the trail is dark like the rest of the island.
There is a loud crackling sound and I whip around to see the opening where I had just entered closing in, the trees moving back, creating a wall of thick trees, blocking any way of escape. The only way out is forward now. Trying to keep my breathing at a normal pace, I cautiously inch forward in the darkness. I reach down for my dagger, needing some type of comfort, but touch nothing but air.
I look down at my pants and see no sheath, and no dagger. Of course my new clothes didn't have the sheath. In fact, the sheath is still at camp. I only took the dagger when I left camp. I must have dropped the dagger when I was being attacked by the Jabberjay. Groaning to myself and feeling more on edge than ever, I continue down the trail, constantly looking back behind me.
After several minutes of nothing, I let myself feel a little at ease. Nothing is going to happen, I try to soothe myself. Exhaustion is starting to take over me as I walk. Everything that has happened has really drained me. My eyes start drooping and my walking speed slows down so that I am now lazily walking down the trail, swaying slightly. I need to rest. Just for a minute, I think coming to a stop, Nothing can happen to me while I am in here.
I lean against one of the trees and slowly start sinking to the ground, thinking about how nice it will be to just sleep and not have to worry about anything. Just as my body reaches the ground, I hear a thumping sound and a grunt. I turn my head slightly, trying to detect where the sound came from, but I am feeling so exhausted and slightly disoriented that I can't tell.
"Welcome home, Baelfire," I hear a voice say. The voice sounds close and I sit up straight at the name. Baelfire? The name sounds familiar, but I can't put my finger on where I have heard it. "Pan is going to be so happy to see you."
"Good to see you too Felix," a voice, I assume it's Baelfire, replies sarcastically. There is no response, just the sound of shuffling, and another grunt.
"Seems like just yesterday I was welcoming you to Neverland for the first time, Baelfire. Gotta say, I was sure hoping I would never see you again." I clumsily stand up and look at where the voice is coming from. It sounds like he is right behind the tree was just leaning against.
"Maybe Pan shouldn't have taken Henry," Baelfire replies back. Henry?! I put my hand up against the tree, searching for a way around it. Who is this person trying to save Henry? The trees are too close together for me to get past so I press my ear against one of them.
"Maybe you should have left well enough alone," Felix retorts. It sounds like they are walking now. I follow the sounds of their voices as they walk on the other side of the tree wall.
"I'm going to get him back."
"Do you really believe that?" Felix asks,"You were a lost boy once. You know Peter Pan's not to be trifled with. You know how long he's been searching for the heart of the truest believer. Do you really believe he'll just give him up to you?" Recognition of the monotone voice suddenly floods through me, It's the lost boy.
"Maybe, if I ask nicely," Baelfire says. His voice sounds familiar too, but I can't put my finger on who it is. I continue to follow the voice, who are heading in the direction I just came, keeping my ear pressed against the trees, not wanting to miss anything.
"You may have grown up Baelfire, but it would appear you've grown up stupid," Felix says mockingly, chuckling to himself. I can just imagine his smug face smiling cruelly at whoever is out there.
"I have grown up. I don't know if I'm stupid or not, but I do know I know how to tie an overhand knot!" There is a loud smack and a thump, and then the sound of footsteps running away. Realizing he is running away from where I am I call out, "Wait! Come back!" I don't know if he can hear me, or if he could see the big tunnel of trees I was in, but I call out anyways. If he is here to help Henry, then he is on our side.
The running continues and eventually fades away. I sigh and turn my head towards where hopefully my camp will be. I need to tell them someone is here for Henry too.
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Peter lands just outside of Skull Rock Island and makes his way in, smiling to himself. He could definitely see a potential ally in Jane, if he could just get her to change her point of view. And at the moment, he felt very confident in his ability to do just that. The way her face fell when he questioned her, he could tell she had a lot of insecurities. He could definitely use her tragic past to his advantage. He only had to find a way to convince her that he could help her. And once she trusted him, everything else would fall into place. With an ally as potentially powerful as Jane, he could be unstoppable.
Being distracted by his thoughts, Peter doesn't notice a follower, gliding behind him silently, watching as he walks up the rocky stairs and approaches the big hourglass that sat in the middle of the cave.
"Time is running out," the follower says in a eldritch voice. Peter turns his head slightly to see The Shadow, hovering high in the air a few feet away from him. He nods slowly, no expression on his face and replies, "I know, but I'm so close. I almost have it. Everything is going according to plan." He redirects his gaze back to the hourglass, filled with shiny golden sand on the bottom, and the top half that gets emptier and emptier each time he comes to see it.
"Really? Because from what I've seen, the boy still believes that his family is coming," the Shadow moans softly, gliding closer to the hourglass, it's glowing eyes staring at the sand as it streams to the bottom half of the glass.
"He's losing faith everyday. I have a plan to get him to trust me faster. It won't take long now." Peter says confidently turning and walking away from his countdown to possible doom.
"Does it involve the girl?" the Shadow asks with a hiss, making Pan freeze in his tracks.
"Possibly. I'm still working on her too."
"You must beware Pan. She is a threat, not to mention she is a girl. There is a reason no girls live on this island, and it's not because you requested only boys so you could find the heart of the truest believer. Girls are dangerous. They trick you into growing up. Do not be deceived by her."
Pan raises his eyebrows in amusement, "What are you trying to say? That she could outwit me? Do you honestly think she is capable of tricking me?"
The Shadow hisses in annoyance and glides right in front of him, "I'm only going to say this once. Love is for grown ups. There is no place for it here in Neverland."
Peter laughs loudly at that and steps around the Shadow, heading towards the exit, "Love?! Do you really think I'm stupid enough to fall in love?"
"All I'm saying is that your focus should be on your goal. What you have been working so hard for. Not on a potential ally." the shadow hisses before turning and soaring out of the cave. Peter looks back at the flying shadow before leaving the hourglass part of the cave and entering into a smaller section. The room entrance is an allusion, making it look like just a crack in the wall, but really being a small opening to Peter's part of Skull Rock. Peter walks to one of the large stone walls of the cave and waves his hand in front of it. A large white cloud of mist forms, and Peter steps up to it and whispers, "Show me Jane."
Immediately the white blob of mist swirls around, colors starting to form. It stops and there is an image. It is of Jane, sitting against a tree on the path, slowly starting to close her eyes. Peter lets a small smirk form on his face as he sees her seeming to fall asleep. His smirk quickly fades away when she suddenly sits up, obviously listening to a sound. He watches in confusion as she presses her ear against the tree she had been leaning against, seeming to be listening intensely. With a wave of his hand, another cloud of mist appears and on this one, the image of Felix and none other than Baelfire appears. Peter frowns, watching the two clouds. He watches as Baelfire, or Neal as he called himself now, escape easily from Felix. He would have to talk to Felix about that later, but he had more important things to worry about.
Jane now knew someone was her for Henry. She obviously didn't know who Baelfire was by the expression on her face, but this still wasn't working to his advantage. He couldn't let her go back to the group and give them hope, but he couldn't just leave her trapped. She would never trust him if he did that. He runs a hand through his hair, thinking of what to do. He changes the scene of an irritated and annoyed Felix to the Charming campsite. They were all awake now and looking around, possibly searching for Jane. He would have to do something, anything, to get them to stop the search. To forget about her.
And then there was the problem with Henry. His father was here now. Another person for him to deal with. He shakes the thought away. Baelfire was definitely not an important issue right now. He holds out his hand and whispers a few words. The object he desired immediately appears in his palm and he smiles. He throws it into the air and watches as it zooms off in the direction of its destination. Swiping away the misty image of Jane, he turns and takes off into the sky, a determined look on his face. He was going to need Tinkerbell to help him pull this one off.
Ok so sorry this chapter is kinda weird and short. I just needed to add in the part with Peter somehow. Soooo? What did ya think?
