Chapter Four:
Clary kept her feet light and breathing airy as she grazed after the boy. She doubted Henry would sense her, but any Lost Boy worth his salt knew the signs. Which is why she was suspicious. Felix was the best of the best, along with Bear and Cae, he trained the new recruits in these sorts of survival skills. Henry was being comically loud with his tracking. Felix must be able to hear him, which meant he was leading him somewhere in particular. And she was going to be there when it went down. No more hovering on the side-lines, waiting for Pan to maybe let something slip.
She soon started to realise where they were. It was a hard task on Neverland as the land was temperamental, and Peter could change certain elements depending on his mood. But she knew this rock-hut like the back of her hand, having hidden here for a small period of time.
Felix dropped a bag and disappeared back into the undergrowth as a desperate cough drew Henry up the ladder. Clary hovered near the bottom, listening intently as the coughs continued.
"Who are you?" Henry questioned, suspicion high.
"You're not supposed to be here."
Clary gasped as both Wendy and Peter spoke the words, the latter yanking her away from the ladder and pinning her against the rocks. He waited for her fumbling excuse, but nothing came as she just hung her head in rising panic.
"Oh, I do hate when you get all hopeful" he sneered pathetically, throwing her from the rock with a harsh slap, as she fell to the floor. He used his magic to keep her pinned against mud and jagged rocks painfully. She knew to keep quiet as much as she wanted to groan. Peter disappeared back towards the hut.
Soon, Henry clunked down the ladder and ran straight past her without a second thought as she just about heard Pan's mocking voice from upstairs. When she heard other footsteps, the spell finally faded. Clary was left to rest against the rocks gasping in pain as her back flared with bruising and aches. Lost boys surged past with one of the cages in hand, causing guilt to ripple through her.
She had saved Wendy from the fate of being killed or tortured for the others amusement but had condemned her to sleep her life away dreamlessly in a hanging trap.
"Come on" Peter ordered to her, Clary desperate to catch a glimpse of the girl, but they had disappeared into the forest before given the chance.
They went the quick way, actually passing the boy at one point. He really did lack the same abilities as they did. It made her pity his naivety. Peter sat on the floor, pulling her down to rest next to him as she caught her breathe.
Peter sat toying with his cuff, observing how little green sparks twinkled down and gravitated towards her own bracelet. His was a plain brown, about 5cm wide. It connected his magic to her, so he knew where she was and could harm her. Clary's was a lighter shade, made of thinned tree-roots, twined together to make a simple pattern. His hand moved to skim her trousers with a blanket expression.
"I prefer the dress" he practically grumbled, as if mad at his past self for making her wear her current outfit.
"Not very practical" she commented, before his hand gripped around her leg.
"Practical for what I have in mind" Peter insinuated, before a crack alerted them to the boy finally appearing. "Why so glum, chum?" Pan mocked, keeping his hand on her leg, before using it to launch himself off the ground. Henry followed the movement hesitantly.
"You said you weren't keeping any secrets" Henry accused, trying to act tougher than he was probably feeling when Peter rose towards him. "But you lied. I found Wendy."
"Henry I can explain-" Peter turned sincere, regret and guilt lacing his tone.
"She's dying, isn't she?" Clary snapped her head up at his words. Peter did a lot of things wrong, but he very, very rarely lied to her.
"I'm afraid she is. Like much of the island, because the magic here is slipping away" Pan explained, ignorant to Clary's growing distress. "I would have told you, but I didn't want you to have that weight on your shoulders. Knowing that a young girl life depends on you."
"So, I'm the only one who can save magic?" Henry questioned, falling right into Pan's pity party.
"You are" he agreed solemnly, growing tense as Henry paused in his reply.
"How do I do it?"
"The question isn't how, Henry. It's where" Peter smiled, jerking his hand up behind his back for Clary to rise.
As she followed closely behind them, her worry for Wendy grew. Was this all an illusion? Just another trick to get Henry to play along? But Peter had no reason apart from their deal to keep her alive. Would he bother when he was so close to no longer needing her consent?
Peter's magic came with a price when it regarding the bigger aspects, it had to be willing. Henry had to be willing to hand his heart over, Wendy had to be willing to fall into her dreamless sleep, Clary had to be willing for Peter to place a bracelet on her to control her actions.
And she had been willing, to save Wendy. But now he was going back on that deal? When Henry gave his heart over, and he had absorbed enough of its power, he would be limitless. He could do anything without the consent of those involved. Would he let Wendy die now she was of no use? She didn't put it past Pan to make her ill for his own ends. Clary had only one choice to save her friends life.
She hung back as Peter showed Henry Skull Rock. Clary had never liked that place after what happened to Caleb. Pan knew that, so let her hang back while her mind continued to twist and turn, ignoring Pan's growing glee at Henry's words. This state of questioning continued even as they returned to camp.
Peter had told her not to leave the perch, and when she caught a glimpse of Wendy's white dress out of camp, she knew why.
"My brothers!" Peter boomed, walking into camp with an arrogant swag and Henry at his side. He rose to stand on a rock a little in front of her. "Tonight, the dream of Neverland will awaken from its slumber. Tonight, the heart of the truest believer shall fulfil its destiny, and with it, our destiny." Your destiny, Clary thought bitterly, avoiding Henry as he glanced at her. "Tonight, Henry saves magic!"
Everyone cheered, the excitement growing, the buzz suffocating. They all knew everything would change after this, become unpredictable and entertaining, just as they all loved it.
Peter grinned as his eyes suddenly caught her blank ones, "Why don't we have a moment to celebrate, before we must be going." The boys swopped in to distract Henry as Peter helped Clary off the platform and took her to the resources camp attached. "What is it?"
"Is what you said about Wendy true?" she asked, seeing his roll his eyes.
"No. It's a way to manipulate the boy" he replied flatly, clearing not the mood for her pettiness.
"I don't believe you" Clary whispered as he spun to her in anger. He hated disloyal more than anything. "You are about to get everything you've ever wanted, you don't need her anymore."
"And what if I do kill her?" his voice lowered.
Clary took a deep breath, her heart beating heavily which just made Pan pity her, until she spoke those words.
"I reject this bracelet and the magic that comes with it."
Peter physically twitched as both of their cuff's fell to the dirt with soft thuds.
"Clarissa" he hissed, trying to seem controlled as he bent down in front of her and picked up the bracelet delicately. "I swear to you, she isn't dying. I have a purpose for her. Her brothers work for me. If I kill her, they will cease to be of use to me."
"What are you scared of?" she breathed as Pan shot her a warning gaze. "There's a chance you will lose. And if you lose, I escape. I can't escape if I'm still connected to your magic."
"You can't escape anyway. But take the risk and let Wendy die, let Baelfire and Henry die" Peter turned from persuasive and sweet, to harsh and evil. "I don't need you to have the bracelet. I'll return it to you, full of new tricks, when I get my magic back. I don't need your consent for this."
Pan sent multiple shots of pain through her body, silencing her cries from the other camp. When she was too weak to fight back, he lifted her bridal style. Carrying her back into the camp, the other lost boys had sent Henry to collect his thanks for Wendy.
"Peter" Clary wheezed, as he lay her gently on her perch.
"Shh" he cooed, grabbing the chain from the bottom of the platform and clicking it heavily over her ankle, running his hand over the metal till it flashed blue. He used the blanket to cover it from view. "I forgive you."
Clary felt her mind weaken, before drifting unconscious.
She awoken when a spell did the opposite, rising just in time to see the lost boys fall to the ground unconscious. Whoever did this spell clearly didn't take into account anyone already asleep. Instantly she noticed Peter and Henry were gone, next the eight figures that swarmed into camp, too busy looking at the floor to look at her. There were a lot more of them than she originally thought. One person drawing her attention above all.
"Killian" she breathed, as sixteen eyes swivelled towards her.
"Clary" his shock turned to a smile as he charged towards her, leaning up so the platform just about reached his neck. "I'm so glad I found you. I didn't know you were still here." She saw Baelfire look away as if in shame for a second. He never told him.
"Let me guess, this is supposed to be Wendy?" Regina scoffed.
"She's over there" Clary remembered, pointing off where she had seen her before.
"Wendy!" Bae took off, some others not far behind.
Hook pulled over a log to try and get up to her, pulling away the blanket to see the chain attached.
"I rejected the bracelet" Clary admitted. "He wasn't impressed. Don't hit it, or it will just hurt the both of us."
Wendy was slowly led back into camp, instantly hiding away from all the unfamiliar faces before seeing Clary sitting on the platform.
"Oh Clary" she smiled softly. "I was so sure he would have killed you for saving me."
"Not yet" she replied in the same tone. "There's food in the box and water in the barrels."
Everyone started dishing things out, Clary tossing her blanket for Wendy to wrap around herself as Hook stepped down but stayed close. Tink sent her own determined nod as she took a seat. They hadn't seen each other in a long while.
"Did either of you see my son, Henry?" Bae asked, crouching in front of Wendy. "Pan needs his heart."
"Has he said anything about the heart of the truest believer?" a blonde woman prodded. Clary wanted to tell them everything she knew, which wasn't much but probably enough to help them. But if she did that, Pan would most definitely cause irreparable damage to her.
"No, I'm sorry, he never mentioned anything about a heart" Wendy replied, eyes widening a fraction.
"She's lying" Rumpelstiltskin snarled, pointing his sword in her direction. "Where is he? I've carried enough lies in my life to recognise the burden. She knows where Henry is, they both do." He turned to Clary with the same accusation in his eyes.
"Clary" Bae held his arms out in pleading. "No one is closer with Pan than you are."
"You were here long enough to know that isn't true" Clary argued. "I can't tell you anything without risking my own neck, and as I'm the one chained to the wood, I'm going to keep quiet. Unless Rumpelstiltskin wants to have a harmless try at getting this off me?"
"You're helping Pan?" the short haired woman sounded aghast, making Clary roll her eyes as they turned back to Wendy.
"You don't understand. My brothers, John and Michael. He's keeping them alive only if I do as he says" Wendy admitted. Lovely little cycle Pan had going, the brothers did as he asked to keep Wendy alive. Wendy did as Pan asked to keep her brothers alive. And neither were aware.
"They trusted us" someone else spoke, Clary already losing track. "They trusted a woman named Belle, helped us get this box so we can defeat Pan." It didn't take much more persuading for the girl to open up like a waterfall.
"Pan told Henry that he need his heart to save magic. It's a lie. He needs to save himself" Wendy started. "Pan's dying. He needs the heart of the truest believer to absorb all the magic in Neverland. And once he does, he will be immortal, all-powerful." How did Wendy know so much?
"What happens to Henry?"
"Well, it's a trade" Wendy continued. "When Pan lives, Henry will die."
Every took a moment to digest the information, pacing to their feet or thinking to themselves.
"How do we stop Pan?" the man asked, stepping closer.
"I don't know where he has taken Henry. But I know there isn't much time" Wendy explained, shame lacing her voice that she didn't know the vital piece of information.
All eyes returned to Clary as she leant languished against the back of her perch.
"She knows" Rumpelstiltskin deduced easily, going over to her and reaching up. His hand ran over the metal for a moment as everyone tensely waiting. "I can get it off, but not without enacting the consequences. Pan has put some sort of repercussion for forcing it off."
"Yes, it's called unbearable agony" Clary summarised. "I can't take the risk."
"You told me earlier you wanted to escape" Bae urged, Hook glaring at him after his confession. "This is your escape."
"You act like this is going to 100% work" Clary fought back. "Like I haven't tried killing him a hundred times, like you haven't. What makes this failproof? Pandora's box? That isn't enough for me."
"How did you know-" Rumpel was cut off when Tink stepped up.
"You know I wouldn't be here if it wasn't certain we would win, Issa" the nickname hit her, and Clary knew it.
"Skulls Island. East from here" Clary sighed. "Better I tell you before the pain makes me unable to speak."
Everyone burst into actions, splitting into teams as Rumpel started working on the chain.
"How do you know who I am? And don't say it was Baelfire" Rumpel muttered to her while concentrating.
"I met you" she admitted, wincing when he stopped, and his magic slipped a little up her leg. "You can't tell the others, they don't know I've been here that long. But I was in Hamlet the night Pan had all the boys, including Bae, go to the fire."
"And Pandora's box?" he continued to pry, his curiosity for the girl spiking.
"I read it in school" she shrugged, before realising her mistake. She had admitted she wasn't from the right point in history. Her timeline to getting here was a complicated one. She was born in 1990's yet had been with Pan for centuries.
"We need to have a chat when we leave here" Rumpel decided. "Be ready."
With a painstaking scream, the chain fell from her leg, leaving the girl withering in agony as his power washed through her. Hook rushed over, taking her hand as she clamped down. The others also hovered nearby with painful expressions, sensing the intense fear and suffering behind her words. They left before she was even feeling any slight relief, the final few going to get her water and a blanket for when it was over.
It must have been almost an hour later when she finally lay gasping pathetically against the wood, sweat glistening on her skin, her body torn from the trashing and lip bleeding from biting down.
"Oh my dear" the short haired woman soothed, placing a towel on her head.
"Sorry about you hand" Clary gasped to Hook. "Gotta look after the one you've got."
"It's alright, lass" Killian smiled at her as the other woman fussed around her.
"Thank you" Clary returned the gratitude as the woman propped her at the edge of the platform. Her feet just skimmed the ground, meaning she had been lowered at some point, probably by the other man who was watching her hesitantly and pityingly. "I'm Clarissa."
"Yes of course" the lady smacked her forehead and clasped the girls hand now Hook had let go. "I'm Mary-Margaret, and this is my husband David."
"Well, I'm indebted to you for helping me" she replied formally, finding it still so weird to talk to someone new and adult and kind.
It took only a little while longer for the lost boys to start stirring, the others tying up them in pairs or threes with the rope from storage. Clary noticed how there was only a small number of them here, which meant Pan had sent some to one of the other camps or taken them with him.
She noticed Felix in the corner, constantly keeping his eyes on her weakened state with unblinking determination. More of the older lost boys, the original dozen or so, were also glancing at her every now and then. Always so loyal to Pan's ideals.
But when a large shock burst through the camp, everyone froze.
"Fuck" Clary's head collapsed into her hands in defeat.
"What was that?" Tink asked, but it was answered when the lost boys started cheering and whooping uncontrollable.
Peter Pan was officially immortal, all-powerful, and coming for them.