Chapter 6 'Dark Hollow'
He was dead.
She ran her fingers along the side of Peter's face. It was cold. She checked for a pulse. There was none. She pulled his body into her arms and tried to shake him back to consciousness. She cried out his name, desperation caught in her throat. But he wasn't responsive. Never before in her life she felt the fear and misery she was experiencing now. The one who really understood her, who had been through years and years of just about everything with her, was gone. Just like that. Her pride didn't matter to her at the moment and she let herself grieve over him. She let the tears fall. She let herself become vulnerable only for him.
Grief then morphed into guilt. If she had known the chest contained a Shadow, she would have never let Peter come near it. Once a Shadow takes, the damage could never be undone. She knew that her whole life. It had escaped into the jungle after stealing Peter's shadow. Hunting it down in an act of vengeance escaped her mind. She was too overwhelmed to remember or care. Tigerlily sniffled as she wiped away her tears. She must bring the body back to the compound. She carried him in her arms, a surprising feat for a girl, back home. She was set in a stony silence the entire way there and when the Lost Boys came to greet them, she didn't utter a word. Not even when she saw their mortified expressions when his corpse was shown.
Felix and Fox tried to take him from her but she refused. She stubbornly headed for the tree house a little ways off from the compound. The whole structure had been a gift for Tigerlily many years ago, so she could be near the boys when she had to. She desperately tried to make it up the ladder but the extra weight threw off the balance. With a tear stained face and determination she eventually reached the top. She laid him down on the bed and hastily left to make the difficult announcement that Peter Pan was dead. It pained her to look at him. She knew that if she did, it seemed as though the boy was merely sleeping.
She ultimately returned to the treehouse hours later. She stood near the hatch, watching as each Lost Boy paid their respects. They brought gifts beside the bed, trinkets and keepsakes the boys had that reminded of them of Peter. Sooner or Later spread out their knife collection, Thud left a half-eaten bird leg, Tootles had a sketch of Peter that resembled nothing like the boy but was a cute adaptation nonetheless. When it was Felix's turn, he offered his club. It was his favorite weapon and giving it to Peter reflected his loyalty towards him. Devin was too distraught to come near the tree house.
Soon, the tree house was empty, all the Lost Boys waiting below for the final sendoff. It was time for Tigerlily to offer something. If she was honest with herself, she would admit she was shaking as she neared the bed. She thought she could drop her offering and dart down the ladder. But no, Peter deserved a proper farewell.
She sat on the edge of the bed, facing straight ahead. After a sharp intake of breath, she shifted her head to see what became of Peter.
His face was brightly orange, an added hue from the flickering candlelight she held in front of him. For a second, she couldn't see the pale features associated with death. She dared to stroke his cheek and felt no sweat, no heat, no sign of fear that he might have had when opening the chest. That only showed he was brave even when facing the end of his days. She liked to think this was a sick joke he played. It wouldn't be the first time he faked his death.
"I'll be safe," he had said, "When I return…"
But she witnessed it happen. Peter was stripped of his shadow.
She was emotionally numb. She couldn't bring herself to cry again after bringing him to the treehouse. She never found the reason to. As if crying would bring him back anyway.
She missed him. The things they had been through together could only come from centuries of companionship and trust. She refused to believe he was gone. Dare she admit it, Peter was her best friend and she couldn't believe she let this happen. She reached for his hand, and put something on his palm. She curled his fingers around it. The last keepsake and it was the symbol of their friendship.
"So it's true?" A boy's voice carried from the entrance, "He's really dead?" Tigerlily felt her body stiffen at the sound. She swiveled around to find an unwelcomed guest in the treehouse. He wasn't a Lost Boy, but with the sorrowful gaze he was giving her, he might as well be. His clothes were as disheveled and dirty as one and was armed with only leather satchel. This boy was the outcast among outcasts, never joining the others for mealtimes or hunting expeditions. He was the one who regretted coming to Neverland.
"Baelfire," she said, surprised he would show up to the funeral. Baelfire, or Bae as most would call him, resented Peter for bringing him to the island and tried his best to get as far away from him as possible, eventually moving of the compound and into a secluded cave near her village. No one minded the arrangement, Peter didn't argue or fought with him about it. He simply let him go, but he never stopped caring for Bae.
Peter would have appreciated Bae for coming to send him off, "Make it quick, we need to bury him soon," Tigerlily said, her guard back up. She didn't want for Bae to see her emotional.
The boy of fourteen shook his head, flipping his tousled hair out of his eyes as he did so, "No, I'm not here to pay my respects,"
"Neither am I," Then Tinkerbell came into the picture, grown to full size, a rarity. Tigerlily didn't see much of Tink since Peter moved out of Pixie Hollow. Peter tried to distance himself from him and his former fairy guardian though she could never understand why. She was just as unwelcomed as Baelfire. Sizing up Tink now, Tigerlily could see she was rather chipper, which was inappropriate for the current circumstance. She fiddled with her wand nervously, smiling slightly, "We are here to help."
"Help?" Tigerlily gave a dry laugh, getting up towards the hatch. And the joke kept going... "He is beyond help. His shadow has been taken, fairy."
"Taken, I know. But that doesn't mean you cannot get it back," Tigerlily turned around, looking at Tink as if she sprouted another head. If it had been that easy, then why didn't they used this to get back other people's shadows? Half her people wouldn't be dead. There was a reason Dark Hollow, the home of the Shadows, was forbidden. They were a class of creatures Tigerlily wouldn't dare to face.
"Getting a person's shadow back is possible?" She gritted her teeth, cornering Tink against the wall of the treehouse where Peter kept his Lost Things. The fairies had their own way of doing things, keeping things to themselves, claiming to be working for the greater good. That infuriated her, "You tell me this now? My mother died because her Shadow was ripped from her. You would know. You were there, weren't you? Have you always known?"
"Tigerlily please," Bae begged, coming to the fairy's defense, "Returning shadows has never been done before. We could only assume its possible since the taken shadows dwell in Dark Hollow. If one could go-"
"Dark Hollow is the most dangerous part of the island," Tigerlily reminded, "If I set foot there, I might as well be joined with Peter in death,"
"Now would he want you to give up?" Tink raised an eyebrow towards said boy, "Let me tell you, that is the greatest disservice to his memory. Peter Pan never gives up. Never. And you know as well as I do that he would have done the same for you in a heartbeat," she lowered her voice,"We have a small window of opportunity. Queen Clarion and the other fairies figured we have until nightfall to get his shadow back. If we fail to return it soon, his shadow will become a Shadow and it cannot be rejoined with its owner. It's still daytime. They are at their weakest during the day. You can easily slip in, grab the shadow, and go,"
"Easily? Yes, because fighting Shadows is easy,"
"It isn't," Bae reached into his satchel and took out a coconut. It was cracked perfectly in half. He opened it up and inside was a chunk of wax, "I made this. It will serve as a cage for Peter's shadow. You light a flame here. Light can serve as the best prison, only if its contained somewhere where its only light. A simple torch isn't enough, in fact that only makes it worse," Tigerlily was beginning to see the logic behind this. The torch could cast dark shapes, giving more power to the Shadows.
"How could I tell which one is his?" She asked, slowly leaning towards agreeing to this quest. It was suicide, but if it was the only way to save Peter, then she must. She owed it to him. He saved her countless times. The Echo Caves, the swamp monster, and their first quest- the jaguars.
"I don't know. But we believe you will find it," Tink said
Tigerlily paused and turned to Bae, "Why are you doing this?"
"Despite everything that happened, he is family," He replied solemnly, risking another glance back at the corpse with wistful eyes.
Tigerlily stepped off of Tink and snatched the coconut from Bae's hands. She shimmied down the hatch in seconds. Tink and Bae ran out to the balcony and watched as Tigerlily broke through the crowd of confused Lost Boys, who had prepared the coffin and were awaiting for the funeral. Ignoring them, the princess snatched up a torch and lit it off of the compound fire.
"Where are you going?" Felix's voice brought her back.
"Dark Hollow,"
"But the burial-"
"There will be no burial," Tigerlily stated, causing a clamor in the Lost Boys. She whipped around to face them, her grim features highlighted by the flames of the torch, "I am going to bring him back. Back from the dead."
Mother Superior paced solemnly in her office, pounding her heels against the hardwood floors, making Lily flinch. Sure, the woman was a nun, but she was capable of being frightening, especially to students who misbehave. She rubbed her temples to relieve the stress Lily's antics caused. The window repair would dock off a few hundred dollars in necessary funds for the school and the boys' parents were threatening to shut the institute down altogether. She could explode.
"Clockwise," she whispered to herself, massaging her temples in said direction,"Like Dr. Hopper said,"
So much for an explosion, but Lily squirmed in her seat nevertheless, feeling sorry for Mother Superior. She didn't mean to add onto the pressure of managing both nuns and kids. But that girl pounding on those bullies just sorta appeared. She finally snapped and in doing so, she snapped. It was initially self defense, but once socking two of them in the face, it triggered this beast. Never before today, she imagined wanting to hurt someone. Now, she tried so desperately to swallow her thirst for more violence. Her fingers were itching to inflict more pain, and that scared her.
She tilted her head and caught Sheriff Swan stationed near the door. Mother Superior had called her as a precaution, in case Lily freaked out again. Oh, she could already feel the handcuffs on her wrists now. She knew what the students and teachers were saying. Whether if it was 'freak' or 'public menace', she was heavily disliked by everyone. Even more than before.
"Lily," Mother Superior began, "You have single-handedly harmed a group of boys, consisting of both elementary and high school students,"
"The way you said it made it sound like it's an achievement," said Sheriff Swan. The corners of her lips quirking to an almost smile.
"I assure you Emma, it is not,"
"Okay. But are you sure you got the right girl here? I mean, come on kid," she focused on Lily now, "but this doesn't seem like you at all."
"You don't think I can handle myself?" Lily found herself biting back, not caring if she sounded contemptuous. At least Graham thought she was stronger than she appeared.
"I'm not saying that at all. But Mother Superior, those boys out there are not the victims,"
Mother Superior made a face like she had been told God didn't exist, ""Miss Swan, you saw the boys on your way in. They're the ones who got injured,"
"But with all due respect, I think they deserved what they got," Both Lily and Mother Superior were in pure bewilderment. Here was the Sheriff saying the violence was well earned in her book.
"Have you seen what they've done to her? In the back of Granny's, beside the dumpster, you know what those boys have done to her? Imagine their injuries from today, all inflicted on one person. And that one person is sitting in front of you today, being punished while they never been reprimanded. I tried to intervene but Regina said that since they're your students, you dish out the punishment,"
"There is no proof of this abuse, like I told Lily before,"
"Proof? You want proof?" Sheriff Swan belligerently asked, her volume increasing, "The bruises aren't enough proof?"
Mother Superior, startled by the blonde's assertiveness, stepped back. "Bruises?" she said softly, not believing it, "Lily, show me," she ordered.
Lily crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to do what the nun asked. She didn't like going around displaying her scars. It had been a feat showing them to Dr. Whale. But how else was she going to prove it? Sighing, she then slowly lifted up her shirt, her purple bruises exposed. All the kicks to the stomachs had done it, making it hard to breathe at times. Ignoring Mother Superior's stifled gasps, she rolled up her right sleeve, then her pant legs to reveal the rest of the bruises.
But that wasn't all. There was another injury, one she was never to share under any circumstances. She kept it hidden underneath chunks of bracelets and oversized sweater sleeves.
"Is that it?" Sheriff asked. She nodded.
"Oh my. Why didn't I see this before?" Mother Superior whispered, "Those boys will be getting disciplinary action, mark my words."
She hastily arranged her clothes back to their original settings, "But I'm still getting punished,"
"I'm afraid so. You did hurt them,"
"It was self-defense," Sheriff Swan argued.
"Self-defense," scoffed Mother Superior,, "A getaway punch is self-defense. She launched a full on assault still!" That came off quite rude, in Lily's opinion, but she didn't mean for it to be, "Lily, why did you do this? Revenge?"
"They hurt Paige,"she replied, "They can kick, punch, or do whatever they needed to do to hurt me. But when bring other people into this, innocent people, now that's unfair."
"There are other paths you could have taken. Ones that didn't involve violence. You are going to be suspended for three days and I advise taking anger management classes during that time, Lily," The girl nodded, accepting the punishment. "And I know this might be uncomfortable for you, but you need to give a formal apology to those boys. Come,"
Lily begrudgingly left the office along with Mother Superior and the Sheriff. In the hallway were a string of chairs occupied by the seven boys she previously injured. All of them looked up at her as Mother Superior made her stand before them.
She took this as a time to asses the damage. The boys in her class, the ones she punched in the face, had ice packs pressed against their faces. The high school boys seemed to have the worst of it. And Manny clutched his shoulder, the fragment of glass still embedded in. She half expected them to glare at her or make a snide comment, instead, they were terrified.
"I believe there is an apology in order," Upon that, there was a chorus of "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," bursting from the boys, taking Lily, Mother Superior, and Sheriff Swan off guard. She was the one who was supposed to apologize to them! Not the other way around. Lily and Swan tried to refrain from laughing at their shameless cries for forgiveness.
Lily didn't know what to do. For months these boys had been giving hell, and for them to admit their mistakes was a big deal. Especially when some of them were high school students. She didn't like how they were looking at her, like she was going to lash out and kill somebody. That only brought on more shame.
But she could use this to her advantage. She had the power to do something huge, something that would forever change the school.
"I expect all of you not to mess with me," her voice shook as she got the words out, "or my friends, or anybody at this school again. Got it?"
As frightened as they were, the boys were hesitant to agree to those conditions, so Sheriff Swan had to slip out her taser out of its holster just a tad. She quirked a knowing eyebrow that said 'You have brains, use them'. Their eyes widened and they nodded eagerly.
Lily crossed her arms and sighed, "In that case, apology accepted,"
Tigerlily ran as fast as she could, all the while trying to keep the flame on the torch in tact. Dark Hollow was a day journey but that would have taken long. If she had walked, by the time she reached the cursed wood, it would be too late.
The whispers of the trees whipped across her impeding figure, whistling warnings about the place no one dared go. The muddy earth changed, her feet now trampling on the brittle bones of the fallen warriors who had tried to stop the Shadows before her. And when the sun shed a layer of light, dimming while Tigerlily approached the underbrush lining the entrance, it became clear to her where she was. Ahead of her, about three feet away was the fine line between Dark Hollow and the rest of Neverland. The transition was sudden, so she could pinpoint exactly where the light turned into dark. She inched towards it. She was going to break the most important rule her father, the Chief, enforced.
"Rules are meant to be broken," Peter's swept through her mind. It had been a phrase he said often. It described him perfectly.
"The things I do for that boy," she grumbled to herself. Then with an uneasy step, she crossed into Dark Hollow.
Her people would gather about the fire and hear tales of terror about this place. And she couldn't justify them, it wasn't as sinister as they said it would be.
It was worse.
The sky was streaked with scarlet and the trees were black and bare, exposing the eerie skeleton beneath. Howls of unknown creatures came from all around. No matter where she went, there was no safe place. There seemed to be a danger hiding, waiting for the right time to attack her when she least expect it. Tigerlily carefully searched for any signs of Shadows. She didn't think it would be hard to locate them, it was just finding Peter's shadow that would be difficult. Like a needle in a haystack, but in this case, the haystack was a sinister forest and the shadow was a needle.
She eventually came to the middle of the wood and decided to stop there. She needed to be organized. Going off on a search without a plan wasn't wise. She set sat on a tree stump, getting tired of holding the torch and the coconut. She analyzed the paths she could take. There was only so many places she could go and still be under the protection of the sun. And there was the factor of time she had to worry about as well.
Then suddenly, there was a great wind. It extinguished her flame, taking the only defense she had against the Shadows. She didn't have the chance to light the coconut yet. Dropping the torch, she held the coconut close to her. That wasn't random gust of wind. They knew she was there. Her bow weighed heavily on her back now, feeling her mother's spirit with her as she let the Shadows reveal themselves.
They came like a tornado, swirling about, sucking the air out of her lungs. She dropped to her knees, clawing at the dirt while trying to regain air in this vacuum. Then she reached for an arrow and swiped at the Shadows. This breaks the storm, sending them spiraling out into the trees, apart for one. This one looked the most human, like a silhouette of a young man. White eyes stared intensely at hers. A Shadow didn't have a feature that could distinguish it from another, This species looked the same, thought the same, moved the same. Never before she saw eyes on one. This one was unlike the other Shadows on Neverland. It had been the Shadow that stole Peter's.
She leapt for it but it flew high to the scarlet sky. It slithered northwards, prompting Tigerlily to follow it, hoping it could lead to Peter's shadow. She ran in the proposed direction and eventually found it with another Shadow.
But wait, the other Shadow was desperately trying to distance itself from the white eyed one. It had to be Peter's shadow. She could tell by its quick movements, using theatrics to dodge 'White Eyes' and even stopping to point and laugh whenever it missed. She sneaked up on them and grabbed at both, dropping the coconut. They felt like cold, thin fabric in her hands as she clasped her fingers onto them. On her right was the Shadow and on her left was Peter's shadow.
She couldn't anchor them to the ground and she found herself rising from the ground. She was airborne, wildly swinging her legs to drag the Shadow and the shadow back down to earth. For floating black masses, they sure were strong. Her foot scrapped the prickly branches of a tree and an idea sparked in her head. Using both feet, she clamped on the branch, serving as an anchor. Sensing the disturbance in flight, White Eyes stopped and decided to make an impromptu landing. It swooped down along with Peter's shadow, who had no choice but to follow, causing Tigerlily to hit the ground, near where she left the coconut. She released White Eyes. Her priority was trapping Peter's shadow and his shadow only. White Eyes stayed hovering over her. Why was he staying?
It was a struggle to lure Peter's shadow. Like its owner, it was free spirited. It required much of her strength to haul it to the coconut. She risked one hand and got the coconut, but then White Eyes interfered. He swept the shadow out of her desperate hands, engaging in a fight. Peter's shadow took the bait and struck at the Shadow. The two kept going at it, tangled up in each other's darkness. Tigerlily spectated, intrigued and bewildered. What would the White Eyes want with Peter's shadow?
She wasn't aware how long the brawl went on, like forever it seemed. Then, White Eyes had the upperhand, landing Peter's shadow in a chokehold, trapping it. Subsequently, the outline of the two masses began to shrink, like they were being fused together. Before Tigerlily's eyes, White Eyes and Peter's shadow fused together until they were one. What came from the merge was a new shadow entirely, having the appearance of Peter's shadow and the faintest outlining of eyes. Tigerlily didn't know what to make of this, this was not common for Shadows to merge and change. But she had to bring back Peter's shadow, changed or not. She would figure out what to do about that later. She lifted the coconut lid The stub of wax staring back at her made her realize she needed a flame. Striking a fire was impossible since it would be blown out by the Shadows. There was no time for it either.
Peter's shadow zipped down at tried to grab her and she ducked. It was trying to steal her shadow. Panic swelled inside her. History was going to repeat itself, it was going to kill her the way her mother was killed. She didn't want to be condemned to the same fate, but how would she escape? She was quick to her feet and launched in a full sprint to out of Dark Hollow.
She was there in four gigantic bounds, the line between Dark Hollow and the rest of Neverland. She raced past all the other Shadows in her way. She was sure she gained a few more pursuiters but they wouldn't touch her once over the line...unless it was already nighttime. At the sight of light, she leapt for it though she didn't land. A cold hand gripped on her foot and dragged her back into Dark Hollow. Turning, she saw Peter's shadow hybrid gazing menacingly at her.
Tigerlily braced for the end, bringing her hands to her face as a last attempt to shield herself. She tried to make peace with death, associating it with her lifelong dream to see her mother. She could finally meet her this way.
Just when she she thought that was it, a miracle happened.
The palms of her hands started to glow, illuminating so magnificently Tigerlily had to clench her eyes shut to not get blinded. She felt the shadow's grip falter and after a while, deeming it safe to open her eyes again, Tigerlily saw Peter's shadow recoil into the bark of tree, cowering from her. The light in her hands remained though not as bright as it was before. She gaped at them and wondered where it had come from. Then, she remembered the shadow and retrieved it, this time, without struggle.
"Lily! Are you okay?" Lily stomped down the stairs leading to the school's entrance when she heard Paige catching up to her. She had been in the office since lunch, and by the time she got out it was already dismissal time.
"Now you're talking to me?" she said coldly, though with not much venom. She wasn't mad at Paige anymore. It was Mother Superior. A suspension? Now, the Tailors were sure to give her the boot and she would no longer consider Paige as her sister. She took a long breath to compose herself before giving the conversation another shot, "I'm , why don't you go and see how your boyfriend, Henry is doing?"
She marched to the bus stop with Paige tagging along. Kids dispersed to create a path for her, scattering far from the stop sign. Just to get away from the menace, "It's about time we started talking again, after...whatever just happened back there. And he is not my boyfriend!" Her face reddened at the last part.
Lily didn't buy it. "Yeah, okay,"
"You did it," Paige said cheerfully, "You got them all on your own."
"I am more than capable, remember?" she said, quoting her earlier words.
"I know you did it for me. So, thanks," Paige surprised her with a tight hug. Lily wholeheartedly returned it, bringing her arms around her, "They're not going to bother you anymore," she whispered, "I talked to Allison and the girls and I made it clear that no friend of mine is going to treat other people like that- especially you. I don't like it when we fight. I'm sorry. You were right, I didn't do enough to help,"
"No," Lily shook her head and pulled away from her, "You were right. You and Graham were doing the heavy lifting. It was high time that I got my hands dirty, really trying to make things better for myself,"
"Since you went all Jackie Chan back there," she mocked a few karate moves, causing Lily to laugh, "I should never cross you again. Sisters?"
"Sisters,"
"Woah, Lily!" Nic and Ava came rushing from the school.
"Dude, you're a legend!"
"We thought Mother Superior was gonna chew you out big time for that,"
"You were such a badass back there," Ava commented, clinging onto Lily's jacket while she went on excitedly, "You have to show me how you did that backflip while picking up the shard of glass,"
"Just like in that Speed Racer movie we watched," Nic said, "But that was with a gun, unless you know how to use one of those too?"
"No, I don't," Lily took note of the kids' reactions and turned confused, "You guys aren't afraid of me?"
"What? No," The twins said simultaneously, causing them to glare at each other. "What you did was amazing. They unleashed this beast inside. I don't think they'll ever pick on another kid again,"
"You've brought peace to the schoolyard!"
"Thanks guys," Paige elbowed Lily in the stomach, her eyes switching from her sister to the Zimmers. Introductions were in order, "Oh yeah. Paige, this is Nic and Ava Zimmer, they're from the program I go to on Tuesdays," Greetings were exchanged and it seemed like they were going to get along quite well. Lily figured Paige loved them already since she invited them to come over.
"Let's walk. I don't feel like taking the bus today," Paige suggested, knowing the alternative would have made Lily uncomfortable, being surrounded by those kids and all. They took a route past the school and on their way, they spotted Henry on the side of the road. He was in a deep conversation with a strange man on a motorcycle. This man must be new to town, if he were local she would have recognized him.
"Hey, is that Henry?" Ava pointed out.
"Let's call him over," Lily gave Paige a stern look, "Lily, please. He's really nice once you get to know him," she begged. She must really like him, Lily thought bitterly. It didn't help when the Zimmers were backing Paige up.
"He's cool, Lils,"
"Yeah, it would be fun,"
"Fine," she decided finally, "Because I can't take another fight between us,"
"Who's the biker dude?" Nic voiced Lily's thoughts.
"I don't know. He looks suspicious to me," The group ambled by the two, "Hey Henry!" The Mayor's son looked up then whispered something to the man. The man nodded, as if they shared serious business. Then with that, he strapped his helmet on and sped off on his motorcycle.
Henry jogged over to them, "Hey guys,"
"Who's your friend there?" Paige asked.
"That's August. He's a writer,"
"Okay. So, do you guys wanna come over to our place. Our parents rented a bunch of movies we could watch,"
"Sure," he agreed joyously. Lily dreaded to return to the Tailors, fearing they were going to kick her out. But Paige kept assuring her on the way to Drury Lane that it could never happen, she would make sure of it. Paige strung one arm around Henry and the other on Lily, "Come on guys. I've got popcorn with our names on it,"
On that day was the beginning of a friendship like no other.
"Done,"
Tink had finished sewing Peter's shadow back on. A strange way to stick a shadow on a person, but Tigerlily didn't question it. She had come just in time, but before she could inquire about White Eyes and the shadow fusion, Tink seized the shadow from her hands and began to work. It was her, the fairy, Felix, Devin, and Bae in the treehouse. There was a pregnant pause.
Then Felix piped up, "When do you think he-" A groan broke his sentence.
Their attention went to the boy on the bed, who was just starting to wake. Baelfire took this as an opportunity to leave the treehouse. He wanted to make sure Peter was okay before he returned to the desolation of his cave. In that case, he would avoid an awkward exchange. Tigerlily understood and didn't try to call him back when Peter was fully conscious.
With wobbly confidence, Peter propped himself up from the bed, his mind still reeling from the events leading up to his death. He resumed from his last breath, gasping for the air he couldn't obtain before. His eyes landed upon the people at his bedside and he gathered them all in a big hug.
"You lot are a sight for sore eyes," he breathed in relief. He released his friends, who looked at him with mix happiness and relief. Even Felix, one who nlet out a sigh of relief, "The last time I go treasure hunting, isn't that right, Tigerlily?"
Tigerlily grinned despite herself. She wanted to hear his voice. But then it quickly changed into a frown as she punched him in the face. Tink yelped while Devin winced. She witnessed him die in front of her and he was acting like he came back from picking berries. He had scared her.
Peter shook away the hurt and massaged his jaw, laughing from the good nature of it, "I deserved that."
"No. What you deserve is some rest," Tink ordered lightly. She moved to bring Peter back to a horizontal position but he wouldn't have it. He insisted he was perfectly fine.
"I don't know what you're all worried about. I'm capable of-" He had tried to reach the balcony but his legs were jelly, failing him as he moved. Tigerlily and Devin caught him before he ended up on the floor. They brought him back to the bed, this time with a tight tuck-in to keep him from escaping again.
"Your body needs to regain energy, so you can't go around depleting it all," Tink said, tip-toeing to the window. She was needed back at Pixie Hollow, " Sleep, heal, then play. Got it?"
"Yes mother," he drawled, earning a giggle from the fairy, "Silly boy. I must go. Felix, Devin, take care of him because I doubt he will behave," She shouldered her wings then shrunk into miniscule size. She shot out of the treehouse in a ball of green light.
"Ah," Peter turned to the boys in charge of him, "I'm awfully thirsty. Boys, do you mind fetching me some water?"
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Felix asked. He prodded Devin out of his seat, both walking to the hatch to get water.
"If it isn't much of a bother," he added sweetly.
"Not at all, your Majesty," With that, the two boys disappeared into the ladder, leaving Tigerlily with Peter. She knelt by his bedside, avoiding eye contact. She was still furious. She focused her attention at wringing out the washcloth instead of the impossible boy next to her.
Peter sensed her displeasure, "Talk to me, please,"
"You almost died," she replied curtly. She was done with the washcloth and laid it across Peter's forehead. A fever might be in his future. This struck Tigerlily as something strange. Peter never got sick, yet he was there with pink cheeks and a climbing temperature.
"But I came back. Let's focus on that,"
She slammed a hand against the headrest and the bed shuddered. "Why must you live like that? Always acting like the unpleasant is not there. How could you forget? How could I forget?" she yelled, "You know what had happened to my mother. And seeing history repeat…" her fire simmered, bringing her voice down to a whisper, "I thought I was going to lose two people the same way."
Peter turned to her direction, gently wrapping his fingers around her tight fist. He looked at her apologetically, "I know. I'm sorry that it had nearly come to that. But you got my shadow back. From Dark Hollow for crying out loud! You didn't let it happen,"
His face contorted into confusion when he noticed something in his other hand: Tigerlily's offering. He uncurled his fingers to find a black stone resting on his palm, "Tigerlily," he breathed, "You kept it?"
She nodded. The stone had been a reminder of the first time they truly became friends. It held much significance to the both of them. 500 years passed since then, so it baffled Peter how she still had it.
"Half a millennia," he whistled in appreciation, "But I can't accept it. You deserve this more than I do. Honestly, you've been the better friend than I am. I built you a treehouse and you raise me from the dead,"
"It is not a competition, Peter,"
"I know. But I still think this stone…" he closed his hand then opened it again. The stone was gone. And with a flick of his wrist, Tigerlily felt a small weight hanging off her neck. A small chain materialized on her neck, the stone hanging from the center, "...best serves as a beautiful necklace for my savior, "
"Peter-"
"Think of it as a 'thank you'," Tigerlily rolled her eyes. Not this again. Peter made it a habit to treat her with lavish presents as a thank you or a peace offering after an argument. She was not that type of girl who cared for jewelry or fine dresses. She was sure he did that to get a rise out of her during those times. But this stone was an exception, and so was this 'thank you'. She traced her fingers along the glossy charm around her neck, absorbing the power and heart that came from that one stone. She was struck speechless.
"Well I'm glad you like it. Wear it and people will recognize how powerful our friendship is, Remember the oath?"
"Through thick and thin," she said, recalling the promise they made to each other a long time ago, "No one gets left behind. I will come back for you and you with me,"
"We have yet to break that promise. You didn't leave me. You found a way to bring me back,"
"How could I?" she said, finally coming around to forgive him. She even returned to their playful exchange as if her negative feelings toward him never existed. This effect he had on her, to make her forget her problems- he knew to work it to his advantage. He could get away with just about anything, "What would the world be without Peter Pan?"
"Rather dull, don't you think?" They laughed at that. Then the sound of a horn resonating through the jungle reached their ears. It was time for Tigerlily to return to her village. She groaned, plucking her bow and quiver from the corner, and ambling towards the hatch.
"Do you have to go?" whined Peter. He cleared his throat, not wanting to sound weak, "I mean..I built this place for you and it seems as though I use it more. Why can't you live here?" He knew very well why she couldn't. Her father would have her head if she spent extra time with the Lost Boys instead of running the tribe.
She shook her head, "Announcement. I cannot be late,"
"Tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.
Her head was barely peeking from above the ladder when he spoke. She spared a second to touch the stone once more and give him a fleeting glance, "Always." Then she descended from the treehouse.
A/N:
I didn't expect it to take so long though. I mean nearly 7,000 words. That's the longest chapter I've ever written.
Okay, I know what you're all thinking. There's a difference between shadows (lowercase) and Shadows (uppercase). Uppercase refers to those without an owner, having already been pulled from a person's being and continuing this circle of shadow snatching. So a shadow could become a Shadow after a while, a couple days max. By then, the body is far from saving.
A Shadow has taken Peter's shadow.
Get it? Please do.
And so what's up with Tigerlily? What do you think was the ball of light that appeared in her hands? I'm going to introduce another character in the next chapter. I'm sure you already know him...he's quite famous in the Peter Pan universe.
And will Lily finally be nice to Henry?
I wanted to write a sweet Peter this chapter. It showed how different their relationship was from when they first met. I will be writing what happened in between these last centuries, especially when Peter took Baelfire to Neverland. Yup, like I said, I'm going in a different direction.
Thanks for taking time from your oh-so-busy lives to read this little ol' story. It means alot and is deeply appreciated. Don't forget to review, put down what would you like to see. And in regards to SlayGal27, Peter will be coming to Storybrooke, but in the way you expect. But I'm afraid you're going to have to wait a while for that. I mean, who wouldn't want to see Pan in some regular clothes? Walking the streets of Storybrooke? Eating at Granny's?