Anger was such a familiar emotion.
Occasionally, he wondered if he could feel anything else but it.
The way it ate at your soul, but fuelled your fire was a cruel thing. Like a necessary evil. But if you let it go, just for a second you might lose. Lose everything.
Who was he kidding?
He already lost everything.
"Pan."
His head snapped up.
Felix.
He resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
Felix was a great lieutenant, to the point of irritation. Occasionally he wondered when Felix would just leave him alone. As Artemis would have put it: 'Felix was just obsessed with him'
Maybe Felix believed himself to be what Artemis was to him. A constant presence, something you mind always went to, even when you didn't want it to go there.
The person who whispered 'grant them mercy' in his ear, talked to him when he was alone, held him close when he was in pain, but vanished the second someone opened the door.
"Pan." Felix repeated, watching his leader. His captain lazily attempt pull his head out of the clouds. Pan wasn't succeeding, or had given up trying already. "We found another ship." Felix continued.
Pan's body shot up, his eyes suddenly focusing. "Where?"
"The mermaid's sung it into the southern side of the island. No survivors, and nothing out of place. Not gifts, or packages. Nothing."
Pan strolled forward. Grabbing Felix by collar of his shirt. "Then why tell me." he hissed, squeezing hard, his shadow appearing behind him, going wild.
Felix's face contorted in fear, spluttering, as Pan's hand began to burn the ends of the shirt from its normal colour to a burnt black.
"P-Pan, I-there-"Felix tried, too focused on Pan's hands that were slowly setting his shirt on fire.
"Because you have a letter," Curly interrupted, stopping in front of Felix, holding out the crumpled note in his hand. "From John and Michael." Curly added quickly.
Pan glanced at the note, before back at Felix.
Giving him a final squeeze, he dropped the taller boy to the floor. Snatching the note from Curly's hand. Curly glanced down at Felix, who had pulled back his scarf, rubbing his chest. Curly stared at Felix's shirt which looked mildly singed.
Pan's magic was going wild again. Not that either of them would tell him that.
They valued their lives.
"It's good news," Curly said, in attempt to put Pan in a nicer mood. Pan didn't say anything still looking over the note.
"I mean," Curly said, deciding to risk it. "If their right, we could get the boy and Artemis back-."
"Don't. Say. Her Name." Pan said sharply cutting him off, tucking the note into his belt.
Curly swallowed hard, he was not a coward, but Pan had become like a ticking bomb. One wrong word, one off movement and you risked an explosion.
It was painful more than anything else, not being trapped or being around Pan, who had become nothing short of a sociopath. But watching him, watching Pan slowly go mad. Watching the games and the fun, slowly disappear. Replaced by maddened rants and the unfamiliar violent outbursts.
Watching the Aaedfal's multiply and the shadows darken. Pan occasionally losing control of his magic, causing destruction and death. The Lost Boy's, instead of rejoicing and playing becoming quiet and worried. Huddled together, in fear of what might happen if they were to separate.
Watching Neverland slowly begin to die.
"I'm going to visit Wendy." Pan said finally. "Curly you're in charge. Considering Felix's-" Pan paused, before walking into the trees. "Theatrics." he said, disappearing into the cool evening.
Curly nodded, the second he was out of site, helping Felix up.
"Alright?"
Felix nodded, shaking him off. Stalking off back to the camp.
Curly sighed, running his fingers though his hair, the golden curls bouncing. "Miss you, Missy." he mumbled to himself, turning around and following Felix.
~
"If I'd known you'd visit. I would have cleaned up more." Wendy said quickly. Peter nodded, watching her bustle around her makeshift home.
She was wearing one of her many blue nightgowns. She never asked for anything else. Besides the leverage over John and Michael, Wendy had little use to him.
He didn't know why he came here, maybe it was just some...sort of connection to her, despite there being nothing similar between Wendy and Artemis.
It was strange how similar she and Artemis looked, yet they were completely different. Both were blonde, small framed, with a light innocent look about them. But, that was really were all similarity's ended.
Wendy was meek, when he came close she flinched back. Even though he had promised years ago, he would not hurt her.
She remained in her little home, isolated from everything, much like Tink despite him allowing her the same freedom that Artemis had when she had first arrived.
When Wendy had arrived on his island, she had already given up. It's what made manipulating her childsplay. Controlling Wendy was easy, because she didn't fight him. It just wasn't her. Wendy simply wasn't a fighter.
Artemis however, was a fighter. He pushed, she shoved back harder and stronger than he expected her too. The second Artemis landed on this island, she knew she could get off. It didn't matter if she wanted to or didn't, she had already decided and told herself she would.
She had been afraid of him, at first. But her spirit, her soul, her fire had burned it down. Realising what he was. Understanding him in a way no one else had before.
She had not healed him, like Wendy had often claimed to have done herself in the years that Artemis had remained on the island.
Artemis had never healed him, she had done something far greater. She had tried to teach him to heal himself. Artemis was strong in every meaning of the word. She had fire that burned in her soul, with armour made of iron and a golden heart.
She wasn't perfect, far from it. She was too stubborn, too impulsive, so hurt and broken herself that mystified him how she had not turned bitter and cold like he had.
Like he is.
He had tried. If he ever saw her again before he died. He would tell her, he had tried.
"Not hard enough." Artemis whispered in his ear. "You could have tried harder."
Pan violently shook his head, a harsh breeze sweeping though Wendy's home. Wendy dropped something. She shivered, her hands shaking.
The wild thought of dropping her off a cliff, flew into his mind. That would give her something to really shake about.
"Peter." Artemis scolded light in his ear. "Come on, you can still try, Peter."
Pan shut his eyes. He hated her voice, but he loved it. He missed it. His mind never did justice to the real thing, but if he ignored it…would he ever hear it again?Or would her voice remain just that, a haunted memories of the past, when things were good. When they were happy. When they were free.
He couldn't.
"Yes, you can."
"Wendy," Peter said, snapping the girl out of her stupor. "Write a letter to your brothers, give it to me by tomorrow evening."
Wendy nodded, rubbing her hands against her nightgown. "What do you want me to say?"
"What am I meant to think for you too?" Peter snapped, looking out the window, taking a deep breath. "Whatever you like." he said softly. "Just make sure it's done by tomorrow evening."
Wendy smiled. "Of course."
Peter nodded, climbing out of the window, jumping most of the way down. He landed harder than he would have liked, but there was nothing he could do about it now.
Pixie dust was already on its last legs, the hourglass was nearly empty.
"If their right, we could get the boy and Artemis back-."
Artemis was a fighter.
Peter whistled lowly, his shadow by his side in an instant. "Keep an eye on the Darling's. Make sure you can tell if this tip is real or not. If it is, stay close. If it isn't…" Peter paused, glancing up at Wendy's house.
"Make them pay."
Hiya!
First of, I am so sorry how late the chappy's have been :(
One, was just general problems and lateness, but honestly I hit a mountain of a writers block concerning the Game of Survival. I think I just chalked it up to me, missing Peter and Artemis together. So, my first Peter centic chapter, please, please, please review or something, coz I was like really worried about this one.
Wishing only the best, stay safe!
You guys rock!
Thank you all for reading, reviewing, faving and following!
Anyways, as usual please review, like, fav, follow, PM, ect. :)
Till next time...