"Well Peter Pan, I want to know something." Rose Red started to say, slowly moving towards Peter. "Why are there thorns on my island?"
Her teeth were clasped against each other and her gaze was accusing. Her eyes started to narrow and she watched as he quietly waved a dismissive hand towards his Lost Boys, who eagerly followed his command and left the clearing. Peter walked towards her slowly, just as she had done a moment before but then he started to circle around her.
"You should understand something Rose Red, your island reflects you, you may be able to control it but you can really change it." His voice was patronizing, "Your Island may seem innocent and sweet, but as you look closer into it you see the hatred and the spite in it."
"Everything on the Island reflects who I am?" She breathed out, backing up and stumbling into Peter without realizing just how close he was. She sucked in a breath of air before sharply moving away from him and staring into his eyes.
"It mimics how your feeling, haven't you noticed yet?" He raised an eyebrow and she could see the amusement in her eyes as he saw realization cloud them.
"I never thought to look." She sounded deflated, "It just makes sense, in a way. It was me who poisoned Leslie, not you."
"Of course it does, did you just think all that revenge you felt wouldn't affect the girls you want to enact it on, poor little Leslie was only the beginning of your doing"
She opened her mouth several times to unleash the bubbling emotion she felt, but it wasn't directed at him. Without any words coming to her mouth, she moved the blue flower in her hand to the other one and shook it until the powder surrounded her; she flew away without a second glance with an unseen determined gaze in her eyes.
Peter slowly smirked and moved to the middle of his clearing. "Alright boys, you can come out now."
The Lost Boys all moved into the clearing, each one that had been hiding just on the outside of the clearing, still within hearing. They crowded around their leader who had stepped up onto a log.
"That was Rose Red, as I told you the one who made her island appear suddenly." Peter Pan told them, with a dark expression already starting to cover his face.
"Why can't we just get rid of her, she is just a girl." One of the newer Lost Boys boasted.
The boy quickly let the smug smile fall of his face as he saw Peter look towards him with a wild gaze. In two long strides Peter was standing in front of the boy and silently dared him to look into his unwavering eyes.
"Do you think I haven't noticed that?" He spat rhetorically, the air crowing colder and the tension and fear rising. "If she were just a girl, she would have been gone now. But obviously she is no normal girl seeing as she is still playing a game far too complicated for her."
"Now James, do you know what happens to people who ask silly questions."
The air in the clearing quickly grew cold as soon as Rose Red disappeared and the scent that the flowers had that blanketed the area died out as the flowers closed. The girls were too busy dotting over Leslie to notice, but Thea did. She also noticed how during random intervals in Rose Reds absence the clearing would grow form a startling hot then back the cold it had settled into. As the length of her absence grew Thea couldn't help the thought of Rose Red leaving the island out of cowardice. Her green eyes just narrowed at the thought as she absently pretended to be listening to Eliana spout out her feelings about Leslie being sick from the thorn.
Unbeknownst to them, Rose Red stood stark straight in the dark area of her island, where the thorn was. Where all the anger Rose Red felt, right in the middle of the island. The air was cold, so cold that it reminded Rose Red of the last moments she spent as Anastasia, and the air was thick and she instantly felt depressed and alone, just as she felt that night. In the heart of it all, there was a mound of dead ashy trees, all their branches huddled together and made a mound of sorts. Narrowing her eyes, she waited. It felt like she had been in the darkness for hours, just as it had felt during the fateful moment, even though it had only been a beat. Instantly, she knew when it arrived, the air suddenly grew tense and her emotions spiked. She knew it felt it too and she knew it loved each moment Rose Reds heart beated faster as each moment ticked by.
"I see you've decided to accept the truth,"
Rose Red glared at her shadow, the thing she was once thankful for the shadow, but now she knew the truth it was nothing but the darkness inside her, the one who really wanted to be in charge.
"Accepted what?" She asked rhetorically, "That you have betrayed me and sabotaging my island."
The shadow seemed to be laughing at her in its rough yet smooth voice, "I meant the darkness that will always linger in you." The shadow glided towards Rose Red, "I don't care about this island, I'm only here to, essentially, push you in the right direction."
The double meaning underlying her words weren't recognized by Rose Red, who was refusing to acknowledge the darkness. She only wanted revenge, killing them was too far and she knew it. She didn't want to blacken her heart like the monsters in her old village; she just wanted them to know what it was like to feel so secure and safe and then have it ripped away with no one caring about you. After all, she wanted them alive to feel what she felt for so long.
"You don't know what you want yet, just let me-"
"No!" Rose Red shrieked, cutting off the shadow that was outstretching her hand as she cooed at the girl. "This is my island, my emotions, and my plan!"
The shadow glided back, and then titled its head. "Hmm, it seems like you don't know what's right for you yet. I guess I'll have to shove you instead of push this time."
Rose Red could only stare on as the shadow disappeared into the murky cave of sorts, before deciding not to spend another moment listening to the shadows empty threats or being in the coldness she didn't want to feel. With her eyes tightly shut, she vanished from the center of the island and opened them once she finally smelled the flowers.
All the girls were where she had left them, save Thea who had moved to sit on the outside of the small group. Leslie looked horrible, her tan skin was tinted gray and slicked with sweat and her brown eyes where now filled with an emotion that was all too familiar to Rose Red. The realization, the abandonment, the betrayal, and the sadness. She knew that moment, what the thorn had done, it had removed the spell she had placed on them, the spell that would make them feeling secure and safe happen quicker and never dwindle until Rose Red wanted to yank it away from them.
It wasn't exactly the way she saw this happening, and she didn't like an unnecessary death, but she couldn't help the satisfactory feeling that sunk into her as Leslie saw how Rose Red felt, what she didn't expect was to see the sympathy in those brown eyes that were rapidly being glazed over with the unavoidable death. She, Leslie, was aware now and she wanted to beg for forgiveness now that she saw things the way Rose Red did. Unfortunately for her, she was too late.
With one piercing scream that echoed throughout the island and that even left Rose Red feeling shudders down her spine. It grew eerily quiet; none of the Free Girls dared to move, speak, or even breathe. Slowly, so very slowly, something that hadn't been seen on the island, but was not forgotten, the ashes rained down. Their gray color gently rested over Leslie's still body, it seemed to wrap around her until it faded away, taking her body with it. All the girls were too distraught and enticed by what they had seen to notice Rose Red smirking at their faces. They didn't even recognize the power she held, all the things she could do with it.
None of them noticed how she disappeared, just as they didn't notice Thea trailing behind the wild curls with a scowl.
"What did you do?" Thea growled, grabbing Rose Red's shoulder harshly and pulling it back. "I always knew you were a bit off Ana, but this? This is crazy!"
Thea glared at the unresponsive girl in front of her, who didn't even seem to care.
"How do you know I did it?" Rose Red pointed out, slipping her shoulder away, "I wasn't even there."
Thea released a humorless laugh, shaking her head. "Of course you had something to do with it! It's your island that your island, Anastasia, you make the rules."
Rose Red didn't say anything; she didn't even bother to defend herself further-much to Thea's chagrin.
"Do you have anything to say, at all?" Thea yelled out loud after a few moments of unwavering silence, much like it was in the clearing they were standing outside of.
Thea waited a few more beats of silence before Rose Red looked into Thea's eyes and slowly spoke before vanishing in a puff of flower powder.
"Welcome to Foreverland."
A/N: I don't know you guys, I feel like this chapter is a bit bleh. It feels choppy and kind of stupid to me. I guess it's true when they say you're your harshest critic. If you guys don't like it either, I don't mind re-writing a new chapter, it just doesn't feel right to me. I guess it could be based on the fact that I wrote this over the span of a couple of weeks and didn't really get into the flow.
Also, I need to apologize for how short it is and for the really late update. I feel like I should have more than a half-assed chapter and lame apology to make up for it. I guess I could give you a little spoiler for the future of Rose Red and Peter Pan's relationship: They will have a relationship. Okay, that "spoiler" sucked, but personally I ship it. (I totally need a ship name now ^_^) But really, I can't explain how bad I feel for the late update and shortness (of the chapter) and promise I will update this as frequent as humanly possible. I was just really swarmed with school, family, holidays, events, headaches, and something with my ribs- don't know what exactly yet.
Also, I really don't want to single anyone out, because you all are amazing( really guys I probably wouldn't write or have ideas as okay as they are if it wasn't for all of you), but I really need to thank BettyBoopFan123 for the name Foreverland- it just seemed perfect! :)
Also (wow I use that word a lot) I didn't really know if you guys like the ending of Peter's part, where he assumingly kills or injures James, I don't see him as some daisy picking nice guy, but I don't know if you guys like that portrayal of him. I can promise that he won't be very dark in this, just the basic Panness that is him.
ElektraMackenzie: I have to be honest, that was probably the best/funniest review I've ever read and I have never snorted out loud, or as loud, to a review.
KreativeGirl: Thanks; it makes me feel really awesome, dare I say talented, when I read that. :) Don't worry; their relationship will be staring soon. ;)
Guest: I can't say this enough; your reviews about the chapters are pretty awesome! If I wasn't the writer of this, I would swear you were me reviewing. (I promise you guys, I don't review my chapters, it's just a really cool person I don't know.)
BettyBoopFan123: Thank you! I have to admit, I was pretty excited to write about her there, my inner ten year old( and current age :P) was fulfilling a part of its dream, well if I was there I would probably have stuffed Peter and Felix into a bag and taken them back with me-but that's another story. I totally agree, I want this romance to go pretty slow and sweet and advance with the occasional bit where Rose Red attempts the make her bear attack him or throw him out of her tree house window, just kidding…kind of. I love the name Foreverland; I love the idea a lot and can't thank you enough for suggesting it! Seriously, without you I probably would have given it some weird name and then regret it for a billion years. Yeah, I think keeping it just as her island is a good idea- Peter can't control everything. Yes! That would be perfect; Emma would be in for a surprise with that! Speaking of OUAT story and Disney, currently making the OUAT chapter and cover and recently posted the Disney story, which may be just a one-shot or could continue depending on what you all want.
Thank you guys so much for the reviews, the follows, and the favorites it means so much!
Before I forget it, on my page you will find that I have posted the Disney version of Rose Red's story! Go check it out if you want to! It could play a part, as in a canon character referencing it, but you don't have to read it if you don't want to. :) Don't forget to review you guys! I love you all and will see you next time! Byeeeeeee!
