AN: Hello again lovelies! Here's a nice and long chapter. Sorry if it's a little dialogue heavy, I had to copy out one of the scenes from the actual show. Tell me what you think, what I can do better, or just whatever!

Thank you to RedHotChiliSteppers2008 for following. Thanks to lulalulale for following and favoriting. Finally, a huge thank you to Amelia-bella1 for following, favoriting, and reviewing! Happy reading!

~Luna

Chapter 8: Fires and Nightmares

After Felix and I got the fire going (Peter refused to help because it would be a waste of magic according to him) we all waited for midnight. The sun had set and the three of us were waiting by the fire, warming our toes. Peter and I had traded our usual Neverland garb for the clothes we had made the journey in all those years ago. Peter had taken my cloak- without asking, mind you- and was using it to play up his already dramatic outfit. I rather liked that cloak, but I knew I could just imagine another one when we got home when Peter would lose it.

Around 11, the three of us stood up, sensing a change in the atmosphere. Something big was going to happen tonight, something outside of our recruitment session. The air was crackling with danger and the three of us shared an excited look. Things were going to change for us.

I flew over towards the village when Peter began to play the pipes. Even from this far of a distance I could hear the Melody of the Lost. I yearned to go back, to join my best friend and my brother in reverie. But I had a job to do first.

I stood at the entryway to the village watching as dozens of boys climbed out of their windows and onto the street. They could hear the haunting tune as well and I smiled as they followed the notes like bloodhounds. Some were laughing, others pushing their friends to get closer to the sound. One that was addressed as Rufio seemed to be the leader of the boys in this town. He was big and muscular with skin as dark as the trees on Neverland. He would be an excellent Lost Boy.

"Hello?! Why are none of you listening to me?" I heard a voice call and immediately flew over to the origin.

There was a girl about my age, pulling at the boys' nightclothes and shouting in their ears. Nothing worked and it was painfully obvious that she couldn't hear the Melody.

I floated down behind her, whispering "Boo."

She shrieked before turning round and discovering me. "Thank heavens, another girl. All of these knuckleheads refuse to listen to me and they're staggering around like blind bats! Hello? Are you even listening to-"

Growing bored of her tirade, I dug into my pocket and blew a handful of deadly poppy dust on her face. She spluttered before falling forward into my arms. This was standard procedure, almost every night. There would be a sister or a mother that would get suspicious and follow the boys, causing a ruckus and trying to wake up the entire town. I dragged the girl by her feet, depositing the now sleeping beauty in front of a door. They'd find her in the morning.

I heard a giggle behind me and immediately snapped my head up. Sitting on a windowsill was a man. I peered closer, making out almost scaly skin. The new Dark One had come to watch us. I had heard he was especially interested in our rumors and general mystery, but had never thought he would come. He wasn't interfering, but all the same I flew back to the fire. Once I located Peter I pulled him aside, motioning at Felix to keep the drumbeat going.

"Just a little busy at the moment, Nibs," he stated, trying to get away from me.

I put a hand on his chest to get his attention. It worked. "Peter you don't understand there's-"

I never finished for there was the new Dark One shouting "Bae" at our dancing boys. I looked in his direction and recognized the face beneath the almost glittering skin. Peter's brother, Rumplestiltskin was the new Dark One. Of course he was a good twenty years older, but that didn't really matter when you had near immortality and immeasurable power. I turned back at Peter, but he was already pulling in the hood of the cloak, some devious but dramatic plan being the cause for his ever growing smirk. He disappeared amount the throng, leaving Felix to join me in the back. I shared my new knowledge with him and he tightened his grip on the piece of metal. The two of us would protect just the concept of Neverland with out lives and Felix hasn't even been there yet.

Rumple caught up to Peter, snarling as he broke the pan flute. "Where's my son, Piper?"

"Is that what they're calling me?" Peter asked, throwing off the hood. "We both know who I really am. Been a long time, laddie. Glad you could make the show."

Felix slapped me on the arm because I was laughing too hard at Rumple's stunned expression. I felt like I was watching a play unfold, with Rumple and Peter both vying for the lead role. No wonder these two didn't get along, they both had to be the biggest drama queen in the room!

"You surprised to see me, Rumple? Well I don't blame you, I'm a little surprised myself," Peter drawled, childish confidence exuding from every fiber of his being. "Look who's all grown up and become the Dark One, good for you. "

"What're you doing here?" The Dark one asked. Honestly I had thought Rumple would be more assertive. I guess some things never change.

"Oh it's lonely in Neverland. All I have are the children who come in their dreams and those two," he pointed to me and Felix. It didn't escape me that he was convo entry leaving out the younger boys. "They can't stay, the boys I take back with me will."

"You're here for my son."

"Not exactly, he's just the icing on the cake.

"It's gonna take a lot more than a magic pipe to take my son."

Peter laughed. "The only thing magic about this pipe is that only certain boys can hear it. Boys who feel unloved. Boys who feel lost. I guess that's why you can hear it, Rumple, isn't it?"

"Don't pretend to know me; you don't. Not anymore," he growled.

"Oh I think I do. Beneath all that power, you're nothing but a lonely, lost boy!" Peter stopped, looking at us almost proudly. "That what we're called, you know. 'The Lost Boys'. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"You can call them whatever you like. Baelfire will not be a part of it," Rumple completely ignored most of the tirade.

"Oh he's already a part of it. The question is, what are you willing to do to get him back?" An evil smile crawled onto Peter's face and I began to pull Felix in his direction. We needed to be there for damage control.

"I'm gonna make you regret ever asking that question," Oooh Rumple was threatening. That made a nice change.

"They're going to start throwing punches, I know those looks," I whispered as we pulled up behind Peter, standing like two very scrawny bodyguards.

Felix just stared at me. "Your point? They both have magic."

"Peter's magic doesn't work if he's far from Neverland, the most we can do is fly." I whispered. There was need for Rumple to know that we were mostly powerless right now.

"Oh, I understand you're upset. Most parent's worse fear is that their child will be taken away from them. But that's not yours, is it Rumple? No, you're not afraid Baelfire will be taken from you; you're afraid he'll leave. After all, being abandoned is what you're good at, isn't it? Everyone you've ever known has left, haven't they? Like Bae's mother, Milah, not to mention your own father. But you're rather good at doing the abandoning, aren't you? After all, leaving your ten year old brother with a strange man could hardly be considered taking care of the child. Why should Baelfire be any different?" Peter spat, no doubt a good deal of personal experience thrown into that.

Rumole didn't want to believe it. "You're wrong."

"Am I? Well let's find out, shall we?" Peter glanced around the glade, arms out in a 'Come and get me' gesture. "You ask Baelfire if he wants to come to Neverland with me or stay here with you."

"Peter," I hiss. "An angry Dark One is not what we need right now."

"Oh let him be angry," he laughed. "You're not going to do anything about it, are you Rumple?"

Rumple glanced at me, as if he finally recognized my presence. "Listen to your pet. Although, she seems to be reigning in your own leash."

I trembled with rage, pulling out the dagger and holding it to his throat, while Felix readied the bar. "Nibs doesn't like to be called she," he said in his monotone way. Still, I was glad he was sticking up for me.

"Felix, Nibs," Peter warned and the two of us backed down, reluctantly sheathing our weapons. I still kept a hand on the hilt of my dagger. "If he wants to stay, I'll leave and never return. Deal?"

"I don't need to make a deal with you," he said, his false bravado apparent in his cracking voice.

"But why wouldn't you? If you're so sure he'll stay." Peter followed his brother, smirking. "You don't even recognize him, do you, Rumple?"

"How could I when he's wearing a mask?" Rumple spat.

Peter begins some speech about how Baelfire is finally happy when I tap Felix on the shoulder.

"I bet you desert for a week that Rumple will cheat with magic. Influence Bae or something," I whisper, again watching the entire event as one would a play.

"Add a silver piece and it's a deal," Felix whispers back.

The two vanished in a pillar of smoke as Felix groaned. I smiled at him, to where he just fished a slimy silver piece out if his pocket and placed it in my hand. I placed it in the pouch with the deadly poppy dust and relax.

"You'll regret taking my deal!" Peter shouted before rejoining us, walking away in a huff. "Grab the one named Rufio, we're going home."

"Why?" I ask. "There's still about half of the boys making their way from the village..."

Peter fixes me with a death glare. "We take him and leave now."

Stunned, I obliged. He had never threatened me before, at least not in a serious manner. I walked over to Felix and began to help him shovel dirt over the fire because while we might have been magical, fire starting delinquents, we weren't totally ignorant of the possibility of a fire spreading.

Once everyone was flying their way towards Neverland, things began to relax. I was doing tricks while Felix looked as if he was trying to remember the laws of gravity and if it was possible to defy them. Felix and Rufio had made fast friends, Rufio's rather boisterous personality balancing out Felix's quieter one. The two were using each other as a support system, both looking horrified at the fact that they were not safe on the ground. I dropped like a stone, hearing the two gasp before reclining in a laying down position, waving up at the boys. They scoffed.

I noticed Peter was way ahead of the rest of us and I shot up to his position. "What happened tonight?"

"Rumple happened, or did you happen to miss all of that," he said, not looking at me.

I rolled my eyes. "I know what happened with him, but why with Baelfire? Why do you need him."

At first Peter didn't answer so I had thought he was ignoring me. I went to return to the other when he finally spoke. "I saw a Seer while you were out with Felix. Our belief is not enough to keep Neverland going, we need someone called the Truest Believer to save the island. Bae is that person."

Oh. Well then. I simply raised my eyebrows but understood why he said all those things. It was to try to get Baelfire to come with us. From what Peter said, it sounded like our island was dying. And with a dying island, we need all the belief we can possibly get.

I nodded. "So how can we get him to come to Neverland?"

Peter smiled at me, one of smiles that promises a highly detailed, highly exciting plan. "We find a girl named Wendy Darling."