A/N: Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed the last chapter *winky face*.

Here's the next chapter - back with more backstory!

Thank you for reading! Love you all!

Enjoy! xx

Regret

Pan was out to the world when Ella awoke early the next morning. The sky was still dark in the moments before the dawn, and she found herself scrounging around the room for her clothes, pulling them on as quickly as she physically could so that she could put as much distance between her and the boy in the bed as was possible.

He stirred in his sleep when Ella stepped on a forgotten floorboard that creaked. She took a quick glance at him, hesitant about whether he would awaken or not, but he merely buried his head further into his pillow as she dropped down the stairs nimbly and began to walk across the campsite.

"What the f…Felix?"

She hadn't seen him in a few months. It was strange, considering everyone on this island practically lived in each other's back pockets, but the boy had been off doing something for Pan. Ella wasn't too sure what it entailed

"Pan's asleep."

"I know," Felix answered, ever the wordsmith. He looked at her carefully, "Where are you going?"

"Home Felix," she said with a frown, "You can tell Pan that if he ever decides to wake up."

Felix opened his mouth to say something, a little put off by Ella's tone as she walked away, but ended up frowning to himself as he watched her retreating back. She was getting exceedingly arrogant for a slave. He hoped Pan knew what he was doing.

12 Years Ago

"Don't even think about it."

Mei dropped the sword she was holding with a metallic clang, attempting to calm her shocked heart as she spun around to face the man who had just entered the tent. The apologies that sprung to her lips weren't spilling from her verbally and so she settled for sorrowful eyes. She, of course, knew that she wasn't supposed to be in Shang's tent unless she was cleaning. Judging by the way she'd been enviously eying his sword, she definitely hadn't been cleaning.

"You're Zhanshi Mei correct?"

Mei's speechlessness was further embedded in her by the fact that Captain Li Shang even knew her name. Sure, she'd been hanging around the campsite a lot – her and fifteen other women who took care of the domestic side of things.

"Mulan's friend."

Now that made more sense. Finally, she found her lips working again as she got over her sudden starstruck demeanour, and reached down to pick up the sword from the ground, mumbling apologies. "I'm so sorry Captain Li!"

His hard face broke into a rare smile as he muttered, "I was joking."

"I didn't know you had it in you!" Mulan came walking into the tent past Li Shang and saw the sword that Mei held in her hand. She said with a small frown, "Not yet Mei."

Mei's face scowled at her friend before she relinquished her hold on the sword and put it back where she found it, walking past the two warriors and into the cold night air. Five minutes later, Mulan walked straight past her without saying a word, too much unspoken tension between them for her to simply return to training. Mei had seen it in Mulan's eyes – when she said 'not yet' – she meant 'not ever'.

In frustration, she began to pound her hand on a nearby tree, angry with her friend for giving up on her, but also angry with herself for not being able to push herself. Why was it that she couldn't fight yet? She would never be a soldier-

"This is for you."

Mei was surprised once more by the sound of Li Shang's voice behind her. She spun around quickly and glanced at what he was holding out in his hands. It wasn't his sword, it was smaller and lighter. "I can't fight," she revealed, not willing to look at it, too frustrated with her inability to be who she wanted.

"I know Mulan's the best warrior in the Empire," Captain Li said, "But never let it be known that she's the worst teacher I've ever met."

And with an apprehensive smile, Mei took the sword from him, "Thank you Captain Li."

"Shang," he corrected as he walked away, calling out over his shoulder, "We start at dusk!"

Present Day

Pan, upon waking up a few hours after dawn, was expecting to find an empty bed. Ella wasn't one who stuck around.

Felix, as though sensing Pan had awoken, called up to him, "I'm back Pan."

With those words, Pan jumped out of bed, throwing on his clothes before going downstairs and greeting his second in command with a manly hug. "How've you been brother?"

"Searching for a shadow," he answered drily.

"Well?" Pan sat down, Felix following, "Did you find her?"

"I'm sorry Pan," Felix answered, a little worried about Pan's reaction. "I've spoken with fairies, mermaids, I spent an entire month looking at distant worlds through the looking glass. She isn't anywhere."

"Maybe we just need more time," Pan murmured, a frown growing upon his face.

"Time is the only thing we don't have Pan," Felix answered honestly. "Her curse is spreading beneath the island. I don't know if you've seen the state of the dark forest but –"

"Never mind about her then," Pan shrugged the woman away, impossibly trying to forget the woman who cursed Neverland. "What about the girl? I'm going to need her if Plan B is to begin."

"Ah," Felix gave a dark smile at the change of subject, "I did manage to find her. I had to look forward in time, but the shadow can cut across time easily."

"And you're sure she's the one," Pan confirmed.

"Honey hair, brown eyes, young, kiss hidden in the corner of her lips," Felix listed before he remembered the most important thing. "Oh, and her name's Wendy Darling."

"Perfect."

12 Years Ago

"Excellent! Put your weight into the sword," Shang was saying as he deflected blow after blow.

"You know," Mei panted, as she deflected another blow, her arms getting exceedingly tired. "Maybe swords aren't for me. Maybe I'd be better with something lighter."

"Personally," Shang grunted in effort as Mei brought her sword down over his head. "I prefer fighting with butterfly swords, but we haven't used them in a few generations. Besides, you're doing fine with the jian."

Mei tried once more to get through his defences and he found himself skidding backwards over a tree branch. In the time it took him to regain his balance, Mei was staring at him wide eyed, sword hovering over his heart, not quite sure what had just happened.

"In a battle situation," Shang said, trying to cover up his embarrassment. "That wouldn't happen."

"Aha," Mei smiled, knowing it to be true, but still being happy with the outcome of their training. He was right; he was a better teacher than Mulan.

And Mulan knew it, watching them from the shadows, holding her arms folded across her. She was scared for the girl. Mei was learning quickly because Shang was willing to teach her. He was trying to earn her trust; to get on her good side. Mulan saw the spark in his eyes and couldn't help but wish that she

But Mulan knew the danger that Mei would face if she could fight. For those who could fight; would fight. And they never stopped fighting.

It was time to take a leaf out of Mushu's book and get meddling.

Sitting in Shang's tent, she waited patiently for the man to finish up Mei's training, speaking the moment he flipped the tent open and stepped inside.

"You like her, don't you?" Mulan raised her eyebrows at him, a smile curling at the side of her mouth. Shang's face became guarded fairly quickly after that, returning to his usual self; not, of course, before he had slipped up and Mulan had glimpsed the affirmation of her question.

"You should court her," she encouraged quickly. Shang looked up at her in confusion.

"We're in the middle of a war," Shang sighed, sinking into a nearby chair.

"So would you prefer to die alone, or knowing that you have someone?"

"I'd prefer not to die at all actually Mulan," Shang answered honestly, her harsh but honest words cutting into him.

"So would I Shang," she answered, "But the way things are going on the front, we're going to need a miracle to get out of this alive. The negotiations are failing, our troops are diminishing quickly. Shayan will be overrun and we'll be done for."

"Well I'm going out fighting," Shang said, looking up at his superior officer in determination.

"I expect nothing less Captain Li," Mulan nodded, before making to exit his tent. "And I think you should go for it."

Maybe it would distract Mei long enough to stop her continuing training. Because if she kept going at the rate she was now, she'd be thrown head first into the war whether she liked it or not.

xxx

"Shang?"

Mei crept up on the stoic man in the early hours of the morning. He stood watching the sunrise, looking out over a sea of tents as the day they went to war drew closer. She regretted speaking and breaking him from his trance, but the next moment, he hand her in his arms and she didn't seem to care anymore.

"How long until we go to war?"

"Two da – we?" His eyes widened in shock. Surely she hadn't –

From within the pocket of her coarse brown dress she withdrew a folding scroll of paper. Down the page were written her orders. The call to war.

"This is Chi Fu's doing," Shang said bitterly as he snatched the paper and read it quickly. "Who else would have sent notice to-"

"I did," Mei said simply. "My family is well known Shang. Well known for being warriors."

"But you're –"

"A woman?" Mei asked with wide eyes, a little put out that he would still be thinking along those lines. "Mulan broke all the rules to let people like me be able to do this."

Shang thrust the paper back to her, "I was actually going to say that you aren't ready."

"Neither are they," she inclined her head to the camp that was slowly beginning to awaken. "After all. You learn more in your first minute of battle than you do in training. And who knows," Mei shrugged. "Mulan says that a miracle might save us. Maybe I'm the miracle."

Shang's face became a mask of shock when he realised that she'd been listening in on his and Mulan's conversation. He hadn't heard her presence at all, and he felt a gush of pride at the espionage skills of his protégée. But that didn't make him any less wary of everything else they'd said in the conversation.

"So," Mei continued, taking a swinging step forward, a small smile creeping onto her face. "We're most likely going to die."

Shang looked at her advancing form, unable to say anything. His heart rate was increasing steadily in confused awareness as she grew closer. So close that he heard her when she muttered with a cheeky smile, "I hear you like me."

Shang seemed to finally realise what was happening as he looked down into her shining purple eyes and lightly pressed his hand to her smooth cheek. "I do."

Mei chuckled as she withdrew herself from his hand saying, "Save those words Captain Li. You might be needing them someday soon." And with that teasing promise, she skipped away impishly with Shang watching her wistfully, his heart not slowing down for a moment.

Present Day

The water in the river was calming, but Ella's hands were scrubbing at her skin vigorously, trying to get the invisible taint of Peter Pan off her skin. But his every touch was ingrained on her, and as she clawed at her arm, trying desperately to rid herself of the golden band, she finally let out a cry of pain and disgust that gave way to a torrent of salty tears. She was glad no one was around; because she needed to let it out.

"I'm sorry Shang," she was muttering, hiccupping on her own tears. In between short breaths she was crying out to him – apologising for what she'd given to Peter Pan – what should have been given to him.

But she was here to protect him – if he was still alive. If the war hadn't destroyed Shayan completely…

Well she had no way of knowing. But Pan did. Somewhere, within the depths of his twisted mind, he knew what was going on in all worlds.

But she was alone, and kept in the dark. Nothing more than one more pawn in his endless game.