A lost girl.
That was what she was now, had been for a long time. The boys had quickly decided upon her being worthy of the title, of being allowed to stay in Neverland and with them. That was something that they didn't do for just anyone she realised; when she stumbled upon a particular fairy that was inhabiting the land too. It was almost suspiciously quick but then she could hardly have complained when they had given her exactly what she wanted, a place to call home, and a place where her magic was welcomed. And it wasn't just the boys and Peter Pan that had welcomed her but Neverland itself and all it's many wonders.
In the beginning the boys had frequently asked her if she was ever going to leave them, testing her perhaps? She had always said no to them, there was no better place for her to be so why not stay? There was also something appealing about the idea of immortal youth. She had become extremely excited when Peter had explained that time stood still on Neverland, she would never age, never gain a wrinkle, and how wonderful was that for a girl to hear; to be young and pretty forever.
Years had flew by, though she had lost track of how many, on an island whose seasons were as capricious as it's mermaid inhabitants it was hard to even so much as guess. Over these many years, Bebelle had learned a lot about her magic; well she'd learned how to use short harmless bursts of it instead of everytime being impulsive explosions. She'd studied hard to try and understand it better, watching when Peter used his magic and comparing it to herself and also digging through his extensive library of books that the shadow had brought from various other lands.
Now she was waiting. Waiting for the next move of Peter Pan's grand scheme to play out and waiting for The Truest Believer to be brought to Neverland. Such a title belonged to a young boy, she had been told. The boy was the son of a saviour of magic, the key to everything Peter had said, how he was she had no idea, but Peter had promised to give her all the answers she needed after the plan had succeeded. And she believed him, of course she did.
Bebelle sat cross legged on the ground in front of a pile of pink flower petals and placed her hands palms down over them. Her brows furrowed in concentration as she focused on lifting a single petal. Raising her hand she wiggled her fingers, slowly lifting it higher and higher each time, levitating the petal for a short time before letting it fall. Pleased with herself, she progressed further, this time attempting to levitate the whole pile. Her bottom lip jutted out and her focused frown deepened, as she made sure not to let her concentration falter.
She had managed to lift them so they were floating several inches above ground before she realized she was being watched. Bebelle had tried to ignore whoever it was, but her intrigue got the better of her and she let her eyes stray, finding none other than Peter Pan, arms folded as he leaned against the nearby tree watching her practice.
Setting the petals back down on the ground, Bebelle wished that she had been doing something much more impressive like lighting a fire with her mind-though last time she had tried that she'd almost burnt down the whole camp due to lack of focus. She had to remind herself that the exercise wasn't about using impressive magic, but was more meditative, teaching her to focus keeping her magic contained and controlled, as more often than not it liked to grow and change of it's own wild volition.
"Am I distracting you Dolly?"
Peter smirked, raising an eyebrow as she stopped using her magic and looked at him.
"Yes." She scowled, though it was a false anger and she soon switched into a smile and batted her lashes.
"That's a shame."
Peter sighed, pretend disappointment in his voice as he flashed a challenging glance at her. Bebelle met his gaze with an equally strong stare and pulled herself up from the ground, her eyes landing on the petals as she flicked her wrists skyward, launching the small pink shapes into the air, leaving them suspended above the two like levitating confetti.
"You're getting good at that."
Peter remarked as she wiggled her fingers, sending the petals spiraling.
"Yeah, I haven't managed to set anyone on fire yet or created a thunderstorm so I guess you can call that progress."
Her triumph was cut short though, as she felt a distraction tugging at her from another part of the island, and the petals were forgotten about, falling to the floor in a flood of pink as she let out a gasp.
"What is it?"
Curiosity laced Peter's voice and he stepped closer to the girl, eagerly awaiting an answer.
"The boy, he's here."
Peter's signature smirk was a playful and malevolent one, that meant the start of a wicked game. Bebelle once would have been uneasy with this and caused a protest, but now she had grown accustomed to the boy's lack of a moral compass, even though she never fully agreed with it. She followed him through thick leafy bushes and into the enclosure of the camp, away from the clearing where she practiced her magic in isolation and towards the rowdy group of lost boys.
"Boys it's showtime!"
The call seemed to liven up the lost boys greatly, and they dropped what they were doing to congregate around their leader and wait for orders. It was going to be a simple game of cat and mouse; only Peter was going to be playing mouse too. The lost boys began to move out after Pan had relayed their roles in the plan and Bebelle folded her arms over her chest and frowned, Why hadn't she been given any instructions yet?
"So what am I doing?" She asked, hoping that this wasn't going to go where she thought it was heading-she refused to sit this one out.
"You're staying here Dolly."
Bebelle scowled, her eyes lit with angry annoyance. He had spoken it so simply, as if it were expected of her to just sit there and wait while the boys had fun. She reigned in her irritation letting a pleading pout and fluttering eyelashes take the place of frown lines.
"Please let me come with you."
She asked in the cutest and most innocent voice she could muster, her little fingers touching Peter's arms lightly. But of course he saw right through the act and a smirk quipped up the corners of his lips and he raised an eyebrow before shaking his head.
"No." Peter stated firmly but she was too stubborn to accept it and her anger lit up ferociously.
"I am sick and tired of being told no all the time Peter! Everytime I want to do something fun and it's the slightest bit dangerous I always get told no, I'm not a fragile little thing any more, i'm not going to break easy!"
The Lost boys had stopped moving around the camp, all turning slowly towards Bebelle and an icy wind billowed through the tree's curling through her hair-the tell tale sign that she was very angry and her magic was threatening to unleash. They shrunk back slightly as she yelled at Peter, watching as their leader crossed his arms firmly over his chest.
"It's not fair!"
She shrieked stamping her foot like a petulant child and the ground rippled with tremors knocking the smaller lost boys to their feet, while the taller ones stumbled.
"Bebelle enough."
Peter warned her, regarding her trembling hands that were starting to dangerously glow, knowing that it would be no good to let her continue like she was. The sky was starting to blacken and the wind felt arctic biting any form of exposed skin it could find. The lost boys were starting to become unsettled.
Peter held his gaze firmly on Bebelle as her mood darkened.
"I said that's enough Bebelle. I can't let you come with us if you're going to cause an earthquake as soon as you get a little annoyed."
The girl frowned, but she knew he was right. He was never going to let her go anywhere if she couldn't keep a lid on her magic, it would ruin things for everyone. Her bracelet glimmered, sending a calmness throughout her and Bebelle nodded closing her eyes.
The wind died down into a soft warm breeze before disappearing entirely and her windswept hair stood still around her shoulders, the dislodged hairpin threatening to slide out .
"You're right, i'm sorry."
She muttered, shame burning her cheeks pink as she witnessed the mess she had caused, averting her eyes guiltily she suddenly found the embroidery on her torso so much more interesting.
"Felix, take Bebelle with you."
Her eyes widened and she darted her head up in shock at Peter's instruction. She dared not question him and ask why he was letting her go now for fear he would change his mind. Instead she curiously watched as he collected a brown cloak and handed it to her.
"No magic, no one can know about you yet."
She nodded feverently promising to be good, and wrapped the cloak around herself to conceal her colourful hanbok.
"Keep the hood up and stay with Felix alright?"
Bebelle nodded once again, giving Peter a look that said 'i won't let you down' before she turned to join the tall blonde and the party of lost boys around him.
"I'm glad Pan let you join the party Dolly."
Felix said as they moved through the jungle towards the location of the boy. Bebelle giggled peals of laughter and grinned.
"It wouldn't be a party without me."
Bebelle stuck out her tongue through her teeth as Felix's lips turned up into a wry grin as she caused him to snicker. Eventually as they began to hear unfamiliar voices and Bebelle nodded her head confirming it was the boy, Felix shushed the group and they fell into silence. They all moved as they had been ordered using the thick foliage as they hid until they were to be given the signal. Through her hiding spot behind a wall of green bushes Bebelle watched as Felix made his way down the dirt path towards a man and woman who had brought the boy to the island.
Felix gave a slight nod, a gesture that would have went unnoticed to anyone other than the lost boys and Bebelle who had been waiting for the movement, and then they slowly began to flood through the tree's, forming a concave arch around the trio. Not wanting to draw too much attention to herself Bebelle pulled up the rear, lingering half in the shadows still.
"Who are you?"
The man in front of them spoke, an unsettled look apparent on his features and awareness in his tone. He was beginning to realise that something was definitely not right.
"We're the home office."
Felix quipped, waving his hands as he gestured to himself and the lost ones.
"Welcome to Neverland."
Although she was unable to see his face, Bebelle could hear the smirk in Felix's tone. She watched as the trio looked at the group before them in disbelief, as sudden realisation that everything they had thought they knew was now falling apart in front of them-they had been tricked.
"The home office is a bunch of teenagers?"
The woman spoke, voicing her thoughts of uncertainty as if hearing them out loud would make it more believable and easier to understand. Bebelle focused on the small boy; he was far more interesting and from the look of recognition on his face, he knew exactly who they were.
"They're not teenagers, they're the lost boys."
And she was right. Felix turned slightly towards the lost boys and then Bebelle briefly, sharing an amused grin.
"Well look at that."
He spoke in a slow mocking drawl, and the lost boys snickered giving mock applause to the boy who had figured out the obvious.
"Why do the lost boys want to destroy magic?"
Bebelle couldn't help the giggle that escaped between her teeth at hearing such a preposterous notion, and she quickly clamped her hands over her mouth to muffle it. But she had already become the focus of attention for the trio as they all turned to her, bewildered to find a girl among the lost boys.
Felix shot her a warning glance and she stepped backwards concealing herself behind two taller lost boys.
"Now who said we want to destroy magic?"
He spoke, diverting the attention from Bebelle and back onto himself.
"That-that was our mission."
The man replied, the last strands of hope that he hadn't been deceived barely clinging to his voice. Felix's smirk grew.
"So you were told, yeah."
He gave an unapologetic shrug and then turned towards the boy, it was time to get the show running.
"Now the boy. Hand him over."
Suddenly fearful the boy backed away, and after a whirl of mixed emotions flashing across her features, the woman stepped forward protectively.
"Not until you tell us the plan, for magic, for getting home."
"You're not getting home." Felix laughed shaking his head.
They were confused and alarmed, angry and unwilling to accept their decided fate.
"Then you're not getting the boy."
"Of course we are." Felix's smirk grew.
Belle looked skyward, and everyone else's eyes followed hers to see the black silhouette with glowing eyes swoop down and steal the man's shadow, leaving him to fall lifelessly to the ground.
The woman suddenly turned to the boy shouting fiercely, alarm in her eyes.
"Run!"
Felix turned slightly to the boys behind him.
"Get the boy."
He ordered, and the lost boys immediately broke apart, splitting up and filing through the trees in various directions.
The woman made to follow the young boy she had sent running, but as soon as she spun around an arrow flew towards her, and she heavily fell to the ground.
The remainder of the lost boys followed the direction that the boy had ran, whilst Bebelle trailed behind, pausing at the slumped woman and crouching down, removing her hood. She took a moment to fix her hair, making sure the braided headband was secured by her pin and the rest of her inky hair was smooth and untangled. Then she glanced over the woman's form with sympathy.
"I'm sorry, really I am."
The woman looked at her with eyes pleading for help, but Bebelle knew she was in no position to give any, Peter wouldn't allow it. Before the woman could speak and try to persuade her otherwise, she hopped to her feet and picked up her skirts as she skipped to catch up with Felix and the others.
Following them down a dirt trail she paused, sensing Peter, but then continued on not wanting to ruin his plan when he already had the boy with him.
Bebelle and the Lost boys found themselves in a large clearing, hiding behind bushes and between trees waiting for their leader to fall into position.
Peter and the boy landed in the middle of the clearing and got up from the floor brushing themselves off.
"See if you believe anythings possible."
The boy spoke with a smile on his face, completely oblivious to the fact he was being fooled.
"You couldn't be more right Henry." Peter spoke, and Bebelle could feel the sudden change of emotion in Henry to fear. Part of her felt bad for him, but if this boy was so important then obviously Peter wasn't going to hurt him.
"How...how do you know my name? I never told you."
Peter's eyes lit up menacingly.
"Let's make it a game, a puzzle to solve."
"You lied to me, you are a lost boy, you work for Pan!" The boy shook his head.
"Not exactly.."
Peter stepped closer to Henry.
"I am Peter Pan."
Henry stepped back shaking his head confusion rolling off him.
"But you told Greg and Tamara that magic was bad..."
Peter grinned sadistically.
"You helped them destroy it why?"
"Because I needed their help, it's so much easier to get people to hate something, than to believe."
The boy continued to spring questions on Peter, trying to figure out what he had fallen into.
"Why did you bring me here?"
Peter began pacing around the circle clearing.
"For quite some time, i've sought after something extremely important, something more elusive than the greatest of all mysteries,"
"What?"
"The heart of the truest believer."
He circled Henry, like a predator stalking it's prey, eyes glinting dangerously.
"And when you took that pixie dust Henry and jumped off that cliff,"
Peter walked up to one of the hollow barks and rapped his knuckles on it before continuing.
"You proved yourself, you are the lucky owner of that very special heart, and now you and it are mine."
Peter took out his dagger from a hidden pocket and lifted it up in the air.
"Come on boys!"
Felix made to move into view of Peter and Henry and Bebelle reached out her hand stopping him, her expression stern.
"None of you are to hurt that boy."
Felix nodded to appease her and moved off, Bebelle moving into view but staying away from the lost boys who were circling Henry.
"Let's Play."