A/N: Hey guys welcome back to an update. Don't worry, pretty sure this story won't be longer than thirty chapters. I think this one will probably be the first finished multi-chapter story on my account! New years resolution guys, we can do this! I can finish this story in 2020 for sure!
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Tiger Lily Chapter 22: The Big Cheese
(Past)
Tiger didn't know what was happening until she opened up her eyes. Everything was colored differently, as if the green leaves from the plants blended together with the brown bark from the trees. It started to swirl, and for some reason - the island looked as if it were spinning.
She took a step forward out of the tent, only to land harshly on the sand. It seemed like she could feel every individual grain of sand that was between her bare feet. She then bent down and felt the sand that almost seemed to be alive. Looking down with squinted eyes, the sand seemed to be moving as she cupped a handful in her hands. She watched the way the usually lifeless sand had a current, and it was shifting up and down – much like the ocean waves.
Blinking her eyes to help clear her vision, she found that the action hadn't made a difference. Letting out a small breath, she dropped the sand and tried to get up, but she completely halted her actions when a hand was offered to her. It was the only thing that wasn't swirling or distorting around her. Slowly looking up at it, she found that the skin was soft and mostly pale. It was as if the skin had never been out in the sun for long periods of time.
It almost seemed like it had never been on Neverland before.
Then, her eyes started to work with her a little bit more to look at the body of the person that was in front of her. While the rest of the world was still spinning and being distorted, the figure standing next to her was perfectly still.
The clothes that the person was wearing seemed familiar – but Tiger needed to drag the memory from the deep corners of her mind. It was a long white blouse with a red skirt. Not a button was missing and there wasn't a single stain - there wasn't a wrinkle on the blouse, or a thread out of place on the skirt. The clothes looked pristine and were worn with such elegance.
Her eyes trailed up to look at the face of the person only to freeze in shock. She could feel her heart start to race from the overwhelming anxiety that she was feeling.
It couldn't be possible.
Her own smiling face was staring down at her. Except, instead of her green signature eyes…The eyes that were staring at her were a wide, chaotic red. They looked crazed and unstable, as if the girl was about to do something insensible in the next given second. There was a smile permanently etched on her face, which Tiger found chilling. It wasn't welcoming but instead was forced with an emotion that Tiger couldn't describe.
The only word that seemed to come close was insanity.
"Aren't you going to take my hand?"
Tiger seemed taken aback by the voice…since it was her own.
It was her face, but it was coming from a stranger in front of her. It was also her voice, but once again it was unfamiliar because it belonged to someone else. It was unnerving, and now she realized what White Beard was speaking about before she took the mysterious cocktail.
The chaos.
The evil inside.
This was her inner demon.
Tiger couldn't believe that she had this thing inside of her mind – inside of her soul. It was frightening. This person in front of her was the very incarnation of everything terrible that had transpired since she arrived on Neverland. She wondered briefly if her inner demon would harm her. Although she couldn't feel any pain coming from her leg, her eyes briefly gestured to it in thought.
This girl had caused serious damage.
She could do it again.
"I would never hurt you, you know…" She added and then glanced down at the ground with a sly grin. The body double then paused for a split second. "Well, not unless you asked, of course…" Her grin increased and Tiger could see a metaphorical fire burn in the girl's pupil less red eyes.
"You're me…" Tiger looked at the girl, still not being able to take in that this was all happening. The girl quickly shot her eyes over and bounced on her feet to an immediate crouch. Tiger didn't flinch at the sudden action, or why she wanted to have direct eye contact. Tiger would not show any fear to her twin and instead stared at the girl in the eyes, not tearing her own eyes away. "What do I call you?"
The girl chuckled innocently. Tiger knew it was anything but that. "You can call me Lilith. You see, that is what my parents named me…" Lilith placed her hands on her knees. She stared at Tiger with the same smile on her face. "Oh!" Tiger observed her every action to be sure she wouldn't attack. Although the teen wasn't sure what she could possibly do in her current position. The island was still spinning, and colors now seemed to burn with a bright intensity.
She focused her attention back to Lilith when she continued to talk.
"But, it's also a name of a dangerous demon of the night." Lilith continued, but then paused. She closed her eyes in happiness. Her tone held an emotion of wonder and curiosity. She embraced the next few words she spoke. Her chilling smile never left her face. "I wonder what variation I am."
"You took control of me."
Lilith's eyes opened up instantly. "You gave me control."
Tiger stared and Lilith's smile vanished from her face. Tiger narrowed her eyes at the girl that was the dark side of herself. "You will never do that again. You are not real. You did not go through the things I did."
"Hmm, but I definitely did. I was there for it all, in fact!" Lilith stood up and hopped on the ground from the action. Tiger studied her and then cautiously stood up as well, except the island started spinning once again. When Tiger got to her feet, she lost her balance and was about to fall again, but Lilith placed a hand on her shoulder and steadied her.
Lilith stared into Tiger's green eyes and then smiled again. "Should I tell you all that I was there for?" She asked rhetorically. "When we first came to the island? Oh! How about when he ripped our heart in half and fused it with his?" Lilith let out a chuckle, her nails elongating to demon-like standards and piercing into Tiger's flesh. The nails punctured her skin, but Tiger was used to injury. She showed no emotion, but she started to lose her control at Lilith's next words.
"Or the time that Thomas died?" Lilith's smile vanished for a split second. Her voice grew monotone. "That was sad, wasn't it?"
Tiger let out a growl, and swatted Lilith's vice-like grip away from her. Lilith watched as her own hand was brushed forcefully aside, seeming to be lost in something akin to disappointment. She then flicked her eyes back to Tiger's at her next scathing words. "Is your goal to bring up unwanted memories?"
"Well, I did go through the things you did." Lilith smiled. "I am only proving your null point, am I not?" She turned around with a shrug. "It would be a lot for one human mind to cope with. Did you not stop to think about the sudden anger you were feeling? The dark impulses?" Tiger stilled at that. "How else could you live with Peter Pan for seventy years? Nearly eighty years?"
Tiger stared at Lilith.
"Eighty…years?" Tiger asked, feeling light headed at that fact. She knew that her time on Neverland was long, but she never expected that eighty years had went by so quickly. Then again, there were years that she was in depression after Thomas had died, and also her brother. There were so many times where she would disassociate from the world around her because that was how she could live through it.
That was the only way that she could keep going.
"I was also growing, you know!" Lilith beamed with a raised index finger. Tiger glanced over to her in disbelief. Tiger placed a hand to her head which was now starting to pound loudly. Everything that Lilith was saying began to sound like truth. "Every heartache, or sadness…The anger, frustration, depression, and disassociation…" She trailed, and Tiger could see the hungriness in her eyes. "I was becoming stronger…Because you wanted to be stronger. You want to kill Peter Pan and go home, do you not?"
Tiger let out a snort and looked away. Tears were welling in her eyes, but she couldn't look at Lilith right now. She settled to see the strange swirling of the ocean – how it always mocked you with freedom that you could never have. "I have no home to go back to! Everyone is dead now. I don't have anyone waiting for me."
"Ah, then, if not to return home…Why do you wish him dead?"
Tiger didn't miss a beat with her answer. "He's the reason for all of this."
Lilith's hand found its way back on Tiger's shoulder. This time, it was gentle, and Tiger looked over at Lilith with tears running down her face. Lilith continued her speech that was starting to make sense the more she spoke. "You also want to live. You have spent so many decades here, but never once have you lived for yourself. It was always for Peter Pan."
Tiger swallowed and crossed her arms. Her arms were shaking, and sweat was pouring down her back, and she felt sick in her stomach.
"If you let me have control then I will finish the job. He will no longer be a problem," Lilith's voice softened to a gentle tone. Tiger knew what her aim was. It sounded like a dream come true for her, to be rid of the thing that brought her misery. But, she also knew from experience that when Lilith took control that she would be too wild to control. Her injured leg proved that, and Lilith also probably killed all those around her.
The tribal women she was with were extremely lucky that they weren't worth Lilith's time.
Tiger clenched her hands.
"No," Tiger turned to face Lilith. "You will not take control anymore. You will not force ideas into my head." Lilith looked to the side in disinterest, her gleeful smile proved that she wouldn't agree to those orders. Tiger also had a feeling that this wouldn't happen – Lilith was her inner demon.
Yet, maybe there was a way for both of them to win.
"I will admit that you are strong, Lilith." Lilith turned her eyes to Tiger at those words. "You are something that I want to be. I want to be strong and to protect the people in the tribe. I want to live my life how I want. I think I could learn a few things from you."
Lilith let out a small drawn out breath. "You have control – something that the chaos will need. What do you propose?" Lilith rose her hand up to her face and examined her fingers. Her nails extended immediately into hideous looking lethal weapons. Tiger couldn't tear her eyes away from them, it looked as though it would be able to sink into someone's skin so easily.
"We can merge."
Lilith rose her eyebrows, the smile vanishing. She stared at Tiger for a few seconds and then a sinister smirk grew on her face, her eyes becoming a far darker shade of red. Lilith placed her hand out to Tiger, and for the first time since she had drank the potion, the island stopped spinning. Tiger walked over a few feet to Lilith.
"It's a deal."
The instant their hands touched, the island grew brighter, and Tiger woke up on her bed. She blinked her eyes and she could feel that her leg had already healed. Testing it by swinging her legs over the cot, she stood up on it and walked over to the exit of the tent. She swung the cloth door open and found that White Beard was waiting nearby.
A small gathering was happening, and a campfire was lit. Tribal people were playing instruments, and when she approached the group of villagers who were dancing, the music stopped. White Beard glanced over, holding a tall stick in his hand.
"Tiger Lily…How do you feel?"
Tiger let her long hair flow behind her and she let out a small smile. White Beard could tell that it wasn't the same smile that Tiger would show as before, nor was it the chaotic smile from the red eyed Tiger that he had witnessed. He could only hope that she had done what she had set out to do.
"I conquered my inner demon," Tiger said in their native tongue, much to the shock of everyone there. Considering that before the girl could only use simple words. "I have come out stronger than before and am now ready to become a warrior of this tribe."
White Beard smiled. He was proud that his bloodline could continue to overcome the inner evil that laid dormant inside everyone. How they chose to overcome that evil spoke volumes about who they were. "Welcome to the tribe, Tiger Lily."
There were cheering from the people dancing as they all rushed over to Tiger and patted her on the back while conversing in their tribal tongue. Despite everyone wanting to talk and get to know their new family member, it was difficult due to the language barrier. It seemed that since Tiger had merged with Lilith that the language had been instant for the teen.
Tiger was led to sit be the camp fire, and many started to give introductions to who they were and even some stories from living in Neverland. Tiger sat silently, but asked questions to keep the conversation going.
And for the first time, it felt like the teen had belonged.
(Present)
Tiger could hear quiet hushing and murmuring from below her. It was a dreamless sleep that she had woken up from, and ever since that day she had merged with Lilith, she never had dreams. Then again, it was a blessing considering all of her dreams from before were filled with nightmares. Shrugging off the thought, she carefully brought herself to a sitting position and glanced down to see a few boys walking by. She eyed them carefully, seeing that one of the boys was injured.
"I can't believe you're still alive."
"I know…" replied one boy as he rubbed a bandage on his arm lightly to not aggravate it. "You should have seen her. She was aiming for my neck but I dodged and she got my arm."
The other boy did a whistle. "Why is Pan so obsessed with her, anyway? She's burned down like two of our camps now."
"He did say he did a favor and wiped out the natives in return."
Tiger stared at the trees in front of her. She didn't have the time to mourn about her tribal brothers and sisters. Luckily White Beard had passed two years ago and passed down the mantle to Water Lily. Tiger strummed her fingers against the tree branch in concern. Unaware of the noise that she was causing, she heard one boy yelp and that caused her attention to shift back down.
"T-T-T-Tiger Lily!"
"Relax," Tiger insisted with no emotion as she jumped down, landing expertly on her feet. One of the boys took a step back warily. They had known what kind of brutal and merciless fighter that she was. "Where's Henry?"
The other boy drew out a spear and aimed it at the girl. Tiger noticed that he was shaking violently and sweat was rolling down his face. She rolled her eyes and grabbed the spear at the top, minding the tip, and snapped it effortlessly with her hand. The wood splintered and the top half fell to the ground. The boys stared down at the pointed end on the ground as though their last line of defense was thrown away.
"Am I going to have to repeat myself?" Tiger threatened, staring unwaveringly at the two boys in front of her. She didn't like doing that, but sometimes with the Lost Boys she needed to repeat herself. They weren't too smart, and they should know better than to try her.
"H-H-He's with Pan…"
"Where?" Tiger looked only at the boy who first answered. This caused the other boy to think that he could do a sneak attack on the warrior since she wasn't looking at him. He moved with the tips of his feet and was about to stab the teen girl in the back when she elbowed him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He was hunched over and she kicked him down to the ground with a side-swept kick, leaving him on the ground in pain. "Don't waste my time."
"Skull Rock!"
Tiger rolled her eyes and walked away, but not before eyeing the sword that the boy had holstered to his hip. Raising an eyebrow she placed out her calloused, rough hand to the boy. He looked at her with fear in his eyes and his knees were shaking. "Sword."
"O-Of course!"
He gave it to her willingly and as quickly as he could. He didn't want to get beat up by her again and have another injury that would probably take three weeks to heal. Tiger took it by the handle and started to walk away again. She took a few steps and teleported to the entrance of Skull Rock. A shiver of remembrance shot through her when she remembered what happened at this place.
The heart ceremony.
The regret.
The heartache.
There seemed to be something heavy in her chest, and she struggled to let out a breath. She slid the sword into an empty holster on her belt.
"Tiger!"
A woman embraced her tightly and Tiger's eyes widened at who it was. "Water Lily…" She trailed out with happiness. She returned the hug, unable to contain the overwhelming surge of relief that flooded her. "I'm so glad that you're safe. Pan…" Tiger paused. Water looked at her with knowing eyes and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I couldn't stop him. He used me…"
"It's okay. We still have each other."
"Water Lily! I'm supposed to watch over you for Tiger! Where did you go?!" Tiger could hear Fin's voice and pulled away from the hug. She didn't want to be separated from Water again, so she resorted to holding her hand. Water didn't oppose to the idea, considering that Tiger was her tribal sister and the only thing she had to family anymore.
They were the last two natives left alive.
"Fin?" Tiger asked, and Fin ran around the corner, out of breath. The teen girl watched how he let out a few huffs of air and the sweat that appeared on his face. This was the first time that she could tell that he had grown very old. His body was chunkier, and he shouldn't be running around. She had seen large adults in the tribe, but they were never this out of shape. "Are you okay?"
Fin brought his hand out. "Fine. Have to…Catch my breath." He took in another breath to steady his breathing. Tiger watched without any emotion at the man that almost seemed to fall over dead at any second. This wasn't something that she was used to seeing.
Water eyed Tiger. "This. Is. What. I. Had. To. Put. Up. With," she signed with one hand and a roll of her eyes. Tiger smiled in response, while Fin looked a little insulted at the sign language that he didn't understand.
"Where is he?" Tiger asked, referring to Pan, and they all knew it. Water looked up when someone let out a scream of anger. Tiger perked up her ears, and she gave a glance to Water. The girls locked eyes and then took off running at the same time. Fin, who didn't get the memo, let out a groan at being left behind, and also having to run again.
"Can't we take a break?" Fin's suggestion fell on deaf ears.
Tiger continued to run up the rocky path of the carved out cave, and when she reached a part where some adults were waiting, she paused. Water who was right behind her skidded on her feet causing the adults to turn and look at the two. Fin's loud pants could be heard a few feet away, and David walked over to Tiger with a grim look.
"He has Henry. We can't get through."
"I can," Tiger stated without missing a beat. "He has a barrier put in place," she didn't say it in an asking tone, but David nodded anyway. She walked over to the invisible wall and placed her hand against it. Narrowing her eyes, she caused the barrier to crack suddenly. The other adults let out a gasp, and when the magic barrier fell to the ground like broken glass, she took a step through the area and continued to walk through. However, after she took another couple of steps, a familiar black shadow appeared in front of her.
"Tiger!" Water called cautiously from behind her, drawing out a few knives from her sash. Tiger nodded to her sister before raising a hand that illuminated white. "Watch!" She added as an additional warning. The shadow floated down to the ground and then showed its true shape to the girls. The adults approached the area carefully, and when Mary Margret recognized the familiar shape, she let out a gasp.
"Tiger, it's your-!"
The shadow eyed the girl with the magic in her hand. It let out a shiver and walked closer to the warm light, it was waiting a long time for this girl to arrive and bring it back. "Come here," Tiger responded warmly to her own shadow, and it let out a small monstrous mutter. Water let out a flinch at the inhuman sound, finding it beyond disturbing.
"You've been alone for so long. It's okay. Come home."
Fin managed to catch up to the rest of the group, and he blinked in surprise at the encounter. Water still hand her fingertips on the handle of her knives and didn't trust the shadow. Tiger lowered her hand and placed both her hands to her sides in an outstretched manner. "It's okay," Tiger repeated, causing the shadow to perk its head up, its white beady eyes looking at Tiger with longing. Then, it shot inside of her body, causing Tiger to double over.
"Tiger!" Water screeched, running over to help catch her sister from falling on the ground. Tiger started to convulse with the shadow entering her body, and she blinked her eyes rapidly for a couple of seconds, until she let out a long breath of relief. "Okay?"
Tiger looked into her sister's eyes and nodded. "Yeah. I'm okay. It's happy to be with me again." Water nodded and helped her sister stand up. Tiger took a wobbly step forward and then exhaled loudly. The adults were still looking at her with concern and intrigue. "Go and get Henry. What are you waiting for?" She ordered harshly, prompting the adults to hurry up the rest of the way.
Water watched the adults travel up the rocky path, and Fin walked over to the two of them with a frown. "Aren't you going to rescue Henry, too?" Tiger glanced over at the man and then shook her head.
"It's not my battle. I've looked over him as long as I could. I've struggled with where my place has been. I've taken lives and I've also spared them. I still don't know where I belong, but I'm sure that I don't belong in the path of light."
Water frowned as well. "Not true. You good. You always good."
Tiger smiled at her sister's comment. "Thank you."
"Have you told them about the evil that lives inside you?" Pan's voice came from the corner of the cavern. Tiger narrowed her eyes at the disembodied voice, and soon Pan walked out from his hiding place with a smirk on his face. He crossed his arms lazily as he walked to the center of the hallowed out room. "She's a particularly nasty thing."
"What are you talking about, Pan?" Fin asked with a glare, taking out the sword that he was carrying. Pan grinned. "We don't want to hear anything that you have to say."
Pan shrugged. "I'd think you'd want to hear about this one," Pan looked at Water with a smirk on his face. Tiger stood up while brandishing her own sword. She glared at the teen, wondering where he was going with this. Pan looked back over at Tiger. "Don't act like you don't know. I felt her chaotic energy resurface just a few hours ago. Why don't you let me see her again?" He brought out his own sword. "We have unfinished business."
"Lilith?" Tiger asked and then shook her head with a smirk. "Last time you two met you barely got out alive. I'd count that as a loss, wouldn't you?"
Pan smirked in retaliation. "Are you scared?" He taunted and tried to get under her skin, and much to his amusement, he saw how Tiger looked as if she was ready to pounce. "Or…is it that once she gets unleashed, she'll kill all those around her." He chuckled lifelessly. "And there goes the rest of your living family. It would save me the trouble – I still have one more dirty native to kill," his tone was murderous and dark as he looked at Water.
Water clicked her tongue angrily, bringing out her knives from her sash in one hand. "Not if I kill first…!" Water trailed, edging forward. Tiger brought her arm out to stop her from getting any closer to Pan. The last thing that she wanted was to have Water die in front of her when she could have prevented it. Tiger tried to change the subject.
"Where's Henry? Don't you have him?"
"My shadow is currently posing as me. Those simple-minded adults won't know the difference," he spat out in disgust before changing his mood completely. He smiled slowly at his next few words. "Not that I need Henry for my plans," he paused as he looked only at Tiger with a smirk. "I only need you."
Tiger kept staring at Pan, not realizing what he was going on about.
Then, she fell to her knees when a strange fire burned at her center. Her hands caught her fall, and Water's eyes widened at her sister falling to the ground. Tiger started to cough when she felt as though fire was dancing in her throat. She coughed again and again, losing her strength to keep her up on her hands and knees. Falling to the ground, she felt as though the world was burning around her.
It was a familiar sensation that she had felt only when Lilith was in control.
Her eyes widened. "No…"
"You didn't think that I'd just give you your shadow out of the kindness of our heart, did you?" Pan teased, walking over to the downed Tiger Lily. Water brought her knives up to make Pan not come any closer. Pan eyed the weapons in amusement and then snapped his fingers. The knives transformed into little sticks, and Water dropped them from her hands in frustration. She held her hands in the air trying to brandish claws that she didn't have to attack the teen with as she moved closer to Tiger.
"I'd do my best to keep away from your dear sister," Pan addressed to both Water Lily and Fin.
Tiger let out a growl and then turned away from the three of them that had crowded her. She could feel her darkness – Lilith's darkness force its way to the surface. Tiger clawed at the dirt to try and keep control of her other personality. The fire kept burning in her chest, and she let out a yell of agony when she could feel Lilith's nails dig into her shoulders.
You need me now.
You always did.
"We need to work together…" She let out a shaky breath. "If you do this then we lose everything," Tiger spoke, to seemingly herself. Water and Fin took a few steps away, causing Pan to let out a few chuckles. "Stay inside." Lilith's claws started to release their hold, one at a time. Tiger thought that she was retreating back to her mind, but then Lilith let out a shriek.
It was loud, and deafening. Tiger clutched her hands to her ears, knowing that the sound was coming from inside of her own head. She closed her eyes, and soon she was losing hold on her sanity, and soon, the only thing that Tiger Lily knew was that she was in darkness.
And Lilith was in control.
(Past)
"Yes, like that," Tiger instructed a small child who was holding a bow and arrow in his hands. Kongol grinned up at his teacher, and Tiger smiled fondly at the boy while patting him on the head. "Make sure the string is tight." She was about to open her mouth to say more advice, but Ravi, one of her tribal brothers, appeared out of the trees with a scratch deep in his chest. He was gasping for air, and Tiger ran over to the now downed man on the ground.
"It was…" He coughed, his black hair now being moist from the blood that was spilling out of his chest. Tiger watched in remorse that one of her tribe members was dying in front of her. She placed a hand out and tried to do some magic to heal him, but he snatched her hands tightly. "No!" He screeched, narrowing his eyes. "Not his. Die good…!" He let out another cough and then Tiger noticed that he stopped breathing.
She kept watching him, not moving from her spot on the ground. She stayed with him for some time before Kongol walked over to her. Tiger eyed him and when he offered his bow to her she had a strange feeling deep in her chest. It was almost as if she wanted to give them payback. She wanted to hurt Pan like he was hurting her.
She knew that this influence was Lilith, and, she agreed.
They needed to know that they can't attack her family.
Standing up, she gripped the bow tightly in her hands. Moving to get some arrows to prep her bow with, she found Kongol had offered her five arrows. She patted his head in appreciation, and then moved to take a step into the forest while taking the arrows.
"The path of blood is not a favorable one," White Beard spoke, walking up to the two of them. Tiger turned and looked at the chief. "Tiger Lily, you should be all too aware of this. Remember, you are trying to live your life, are you not?"
"He killed one of our own."
White Beard nodded. "Blood will have blood…" He remarked darkly. "Is that what you're thinking?" He asked, and Tiger moved to take a step into the forest. She had thought that he understood the tribe philosophy when it came to dealing with Pan and his group of boys. Yet, his next words stopped her in her tracks. "And what if you see him? Will you be able to come back unscathed?" She paused in her steps. "Will you be able to come back at all?"
"I'll be careful-!" Tiger began to say but was stopped when she saw the pleading look in his tired, old eyes. "I understand that you are concerned," she took a step forward with newfound confidence. "But I will come back. I'm not sure how unscathed I will be."
"You aren't meant to be this hateful."
Tiger let out a cold, emotionless chuckle. "And here I am," she spat out, walking into the trees and disappearing into the darkness of the forest. She walked until she reached the barrier where the lost boys were gathered around. It still baffled her how they hadn't realized which part of the island had the natives in it.
Even Pan was at a loss and he had been here for centuries.
She watched them from just behind the barrier. They were laughing, and one of the weapons had blood on it from where a boy had stabbed her tribe member. Tiger clenched her bow tightly once more, and observed them. She was waiting for an opening, and she was waiting for when she could plummet an arrow straight into four of their hearts.
Several minutes had passed, and they had let their guards down. They were starting to head back to camp, and that's when she unleashed two of her arrows at the same time. They had met their target, and two of the boys had went down instantly. The remaining two were now on alert, and she came out from beyond the barrier to reveal herself.
"T-Tiger Lily!" One called out, recognizing her. The girl glanced at him and then prepped her bow. In record breaking time she had released the arrow, and it made its target into the boy's chest. Tiger noticed the other one sprinting away from her. She readied another arrow and aimed it at the retreating boy only to slowly lower it back down.
Maybe this needed to be a message to Pan.
Slowly she made her way back into the barrier and continued back to camp. She didn't want to stick around and see Pan, not when she knew that he wasn't going to let her go if they met. White Beard was certainly right about that. Tiger let out a small sigh and before she entered the camp, she noticed some splotches of blood from the third kill on her clothes.
Wiping off the blood, she walked into the area to find Kongol waiting for her. He ran up and hugged her which she smiled fondly at. He didn't have a mother, and his father was off hunting for food most of the time. He looked up at her with big, hopeful eyes. "Did my arrows help?"
Tiger bent down to speak at his eye level and placed her hand on his head. "They did. Thank you, Kongol," she said with little to no emotion in her voice. He nodded happily and then ran off to join the others at the dining area. It was time for supper, and Tiger looked over to the chief's chair to see White Beard shake his head.
"At what cost to you?" He spoke, and Tiger didn't understand what that meant. She sat the bow and remaining arrow on the ground and then joined the others at the dining area. A couple of the other older men grouped around Tiger and started telling their stories of hunting that day. Kongol listened with excitement, knowing that one day he too will be able to hunt.
Tiger looked down, distracted from her tribal member's stories. White Beards words still bothered her, and she shook her head. She ate the deer meat in silence and it wasn't long before it was meant to be night. Tiger looked up at the sky to see that it was still sunny out, and she let out a long sigh when she stood up from the dining area to head to her tent.
Seems like Pan got her little message. He didn't want to make it night, and he must have been in one of his moods. It had been almost four months since she was taken in by White Beard and his tribe. Tiger opened up her tent flap and then sat on her small cot which was nestled inside of it. "I hope he dies soon," she muttered.
There was a jostling by the tent, and Kongol poked his head in with a grin. "Can you tell me a story?"
"What do you want to hear?"
"Tell me about the story with the prince and forests."
Tiger smiled knowingly at that one. It was a distant memory now, and she looked back on it with mixed feelings. "The Enchanted Forest," she clarified, and patted the empty space next to her cot. She turned on her side and strived to remember the details. "It was a long time ago. It was a land that I came across when I asked a merman to take me there."
Kongol listened to every word, fascinated with a magical place that wasn't Neverland. At least not everything in the Enchanted Forest wanted to kill people. Tiger would tell him a story every night, which would only make Kongol grin. She didn't want to tell him that people like Pan existed. She wanted him to believe in the good of life.
And he would.
She would see to it that he would never fight against Pan.
He would be protected.
(Present)
Pan watched with sadistic amusement of the girl that was standing in front of him. Her head was lowered, and the familiar red eyes that he wanted to see again were in front of him. It had been a long twenty years since he had last seen Lilith, after all. Water Lily and Fin were silent, and took a few steps back cautiously. They could both tell that the atmosphere around Tiger had changed drastically.
"Hello again," Pan antagonized, walking over to Lilith, who kept looking down. She examined her hands and in seconds her deathly, lethal claws emerged from her fingertips. It was different, being back on the outside – Lilith could feel all the magic around her.
She could feel the intoxicating strength around her as well. Behind her, Water Lily resonated a hefty amount of skill, but contained no magical prowess. Fin, although had mastered skills of being a swordsman when he was young, was now not as equipped to be swinging a sword around like he did in his youth. A spark went through her, and she raised her head to see Pan standing in front of her with an amused smirk.
He was the powerhouse of magic – he was the one she needed to take down.
He was the one that caused all of her and Tiger's suffering.
"Salutations, Peter," Lilith greeted with a slight bob of her head. "If you're looking for a thank you for bringing me to the surface, I'll have you know that the journey for getting to this point was not an easy venture." She could feel Water Lily still hesitantly at her voice and words, while Fin couldn't find it in him to breathe casually. "I would have preferred resting in the darkness!"
Lilith swung out quickly, causing Pan to leap backwards to avoid getting slashed. However, he hadn't anticipated the speed and she had slashed the fabric of his shirt. The thin slice of fabric fell down to the ground slowly, and Lilith's hair covered her face, not allowing her family behind her to see her expression.
"Wouldn't you rather be free?" Pan asked with a grin. "I did you a favor. Tiger Lily always has to be in control, doesn't she?"
There was a brief pause. Lilith knew he was trying to drive a wedge between her and Tiger. Was he trying to tempt her to fight? It shouldn't have come as a surprise, but it honestly made her amused. She was seeing him for what he really was all this time – just a lonely teenager who wanted more than what he could have.
Lilith let out a bone chilling chuckle. "You know nothing about us," Pan's grin vanished from his face. "We overcame our differences many decades ago. If you're looking for redemption, or perhaps to settle a score I've long since forgotten…" She stood up straight, allowing for Pan to truly see her eyes. They were red, but they weren't chaotic. "You won't be getting it from me."
She was meant to be the demonic side of Tiger Lily, but she couldn't fight him with anger. She couldn't fight him with hate or rage. Despite everything that had went down between the two of them, she pitied him. He was someone who needed to be in control, and threw a fit when it didn't go his way.
She wouldn't feed into what he wanted.
In a way, she had outgrown his antics.
And…she had outgrown him as well.
Pan shook his head. "How? Your shadow was meant to set you free – and here you are…" he trailed in confusion. "Not wanting to fight me?" He let out a disbelieving snort. "You should be going mad with chaos. You should be slashing all those around you. You should be untamed. You should be killing."
"It sounds to me as if you're whining from not winning your precious game," Lilith grinned hauntingly at him. "Honestly, Peter…you're a child."
Pan didn't like that comment one bit and charged at her. Lilith narrowed her eyes and pushed both Water Lily and Fin away from the battle area so they wouldn't be harmed. She went to reach for her sword but found that she wouldn't be able to reach it in time. Pan raised his own sword that he materialized and went to hit her with the blunt side of it so he wouldn't seriously injure her.
A white flash overcame the area, and steel had hit steel. Pan's eyes widened at the white slender blade that Lilith was currently holding – and her red eyes widened as well. It had a different feeling to it, and she quickly swung the sword out to send Pan flying. He landed on his feet and skidded a small distance and then looked up at her.
The native symbol of the tribe of Neverland was burned on the handle of the blade, causing Lilith to examine the blade briefly at the detail. "This is an unforeseen event…" She trailed, and then looked up to see a phantom transparent image of Tiger Lily in front of her. It seemed that whatever this blade that appeared in her hand was, it counter-acted the spell that Pan had casted.
What is that?
"I'm not quite sure of it myself," Lilith responded, aware that to the other people in the area that she was just talking to herself. "It appeared when I cast away my animosity for him, it seems…" Lilith tilted her head to see Pan narrowing his eyes at the blade that she was still holding. Tiger was also now narrowing her eyes at the blade as well – trying to figure it out. Lilith wanted to make a comment about the similarities between the two of them, but refrained.
She would never say that out loud.
Pan didn't deserve any ounce of being compared to a human.
Lilith knew that she was created because Tiger couldn't accept what was happening around her. Still, she had a feeling that after she released control on their body that she would disappear forever. She wasn't needed anymore – Tiger was strong, but she needed to become the better person.
"Forgive him?" Water Lily asked, stepping up to see Lilith. She glanced at her, meeting the tribal woman for the first time in person. "How? He killed tribe – our people! Kongol!" The woman shook her head with anger as she glared heatedly at Pan with disgust. "He scum. He rot. I make him rot!" Water charged at the teen, but was prevented when Fin latched onto the back of her dress. She made a choking sound and when she looked to see who had done it she started to grind her teeth. "Release me you no good son of a bitch!"
Fin didn't have the time nor energy to say anything back to her and instead forced them both to hide behind a large boulder in the area. Pan charged back at Lilith, who barely had any time to block his attack. "What shiny new toy is that Lil?" He asked, and Lilith narrowed her eyes in focus at the teen. "Where did it come from? You shouldn't have that."
"You know what this is…" Lilith assumed from the way he was acting. Pan quickly broke away and then snapped his fingers. Lilith looked up to see a plethora of weapons above her. She couldn't use magic like Tiger Lily could, and instead resorted to trying to dodge each one as they came down. She was successful in dodging most of them, but a sword had plummeted in her side, causing her to slam to the ground.
Lilith clenched onto the handle of the blade as Pan walked over to her. "The Sword of the Savior…" Pan trailed out, still looking at the blade. Then, he looked over at Lilith with a snort. "How did a demon like you manage to conjure up something like this?"
"Want it?" Lilith taunted, causing Pan to shift his focus to the red eyed girl. "Try and take it."
Goodbye, Tiger Lily. You can be a Savior too.
Pan reached down to take it, but it instantly disappeared. Frowning slightly, he looked back to see that Tiger Lily was now in Lilith's place. She released a strong burst of magic that sent Pan flying again. Crawling over on her back, she took the handle of the blade that had penetrated her in the side and yanked it out.
"Each time I get control back I'm injured…" Tiger muttered, throwing the weapon to the side with a glare. She focused on Pan and started to angrily march over to where he was. She took out her own sword that was attached to the holster on her hip and drew it out slowly. "Why do you want that sword? Why are you afraid of it?"
Pan looked up to see Tiger's face filled with anger and disgust, unlike how Lilith was looking at him before. Then, he quickly drew some conclusions. He started to laugh hysterically, causing Tiger to clench the handle of her sword tightly. "Why are you laughing?"
"You won't be able to wield it Lil…" Pan stated with a final chuckle. He smirked, now gaining back confidence and the cheeky arrogance that he would always show her. "You hold too much resentment for me. You'll never be able to wield that blade in your life."
"I won't need that blade to take you down," Tiger stated, quickly swinging her sword to where Pan was. He teleported away, leaving nothing but his haunting chuckle that echoed off the walls of the cave that they were in. It took a few seconds to set in, but Tiger was beyond angry. "Lilith…"
She waited a brief moment to feel her energy.
It was taking longer than usual. Tiger let out a frown. "Lilith!" She called out, this time wondering if Pan had done something to her. Water Lily and Fin came out from their hiding spots and looked at the teen girl who was yelling at herself. "Get your chaotic ass out here right now!" Tiger didn't know what was happening – she would always answer when she called to her.
Tiger fell to the ground. Her sword slipped from her hands, and she shook her head. "Lilith?" She whispered, and she felt incredibly lonely for the first time. Ever since they had merged Lilith was always a constant annoyance in her head. This was the first time that it was quiet – this was the first time in twenty years that she was gone.
Lilith was gone and the secret to wielding something that could defeat Pan once and for all left along with her.
To be continued…