WANTED{EDITING}

Chapter 24

The next day, I made my way down to the dungeon.
Or...jail as they called it in this realm.

The guard let me in without any questions.
Was I still royal? Or did everyone know me?

But Pan had said there was no royals here. Only important people...but what did he know?
Maybe it was a trick. Maybe he was lying to me yet again.

Nevertheless, everyone welcomed me, and I followed a guard down a long hallway.
Strange glass torches hung from the ceiling, occasionally flickering.

The farther we went down, the colder the air got.
I shivered and let out a small breath.
The air around me crystallized.

"W-why is it so cold in here?" I asked.

"It's to slow the bad prisoners down. If they are cold, their blood freezes, and they can't run away as fast." The guard said, without looking over his shoulder.

I looked around. The ceiling had gotten lower, and spider webs lined the walls.
Marks, and words were engraved everywhere.
Some looked like grave stone lettering.

How could someone live down here? Even in the enchanted forest, no one was treated this bad.

"We are about to enter the Mental ward. Are you sure you want to continue?"

I nodded slowly. Mental?

The guard opened the door, revealing a long staircase.
"This is where I leave you. The person you are looking for is not far."
He smiled evilly. "Have a nice visit, Alanna."

I blinked, and in his place, stood a zombie like creature.
His head lolled, and his skin was peeling.

I gasped, and blinked again.
He was back to normal.

"T-thanks." I breathed, and took a step down the stairs.

As I walked, the beam of my flashlight flickered, threatening to go out.
I swallowed hard.
Maybe I should turn around....maybe I should live my new life and let Pan suffer.

No. Even though he was mean, coldhearted and evil, no one deserved this.

I could hear my breath echo off the walls.
As I passed, the criminals went silent. I felt their eyes on my back, scanning me, looking for a weakness.

Finally, I came to a cell marked
#33456=7373829
Peter Legend

I took a deep breath. "Mr...Mr. Legend?"

Silence.

"Hello?" My voice started to shake. "I-it's me."

"Alanna." A raspy voice said, so quiet I could hardly hear it.

"C-can you come into the light?" I asked.

"No."

"W-why not?"

"I've been in the dark too long, princess. You don't want to see me now."

My hand hovered over my dagger.
"Why did you bring me here?" I demanded. "Why didn't you bring me home? To the enchanted forest?"

Silence.

"Pan!" My voice echoed around the tight room.

A insane laugh filled the room.
"Little child. Scared child. Doesn't know what to do. She won't go home. No one will go home. Not after I am through."

I gulped, and shivered.

"Some time ago, I was stripped of my powers. All Alanna's fault. I was damned to this place, while she got the good life. All her fault. I am alive, but barely breathing. All her fault." The voice got closer to the bars of the cell.
"Now I'm struggling, now I'm tortured. All her fault."

"H-how is it my fault! I just wanted to go home!"

"Born to die, is what she was." Pan put his face between the bars.

He had scars lacing his features, his eyes had turned and icy blue, while his hair, had gone from brown, to Snow White.

A wild light lit his face.

"You brought this on yourself." I snapped. "It's not my fault."

"But it is." He growled. "You were bred for my purposes. I made robin and regina fall in love. I made them get married, all so I could have you. I needed you Alanna. And you let me down."

Guilt sparked in my stomach.
"I'm sorry."

"But no you just had to-.....what?"

"I'm sorry." I repeated. "I was scared. I didn't know what you needed me for. If I came into your life demanding something that you didn't know you had, wouldn't you be scared? And especially since I don't have any experience with people?! My parents were scared stiff of you. So how did I know it I could trust you or not?"

Pans eyes softened. "You are right."

"I know."

"I acted totally out if proportion."

"Yes you did. Maybe if you introduced yourself properly, and not lure me into the woods like a crazy person on that first night, I would have trusted you." I felt his hands hold my waist, but I ignored it.
"I don't make friends easily. And what you did was completely wrong. Maybe I would have saved you if you didn't kidnap me, take me to any other time, leave me in the dungeon with your creepy little friends...."

He pulled me close to the bars of the cell.

"What are you doing?"

His lips were inches from mine.

"You're right. I went about it the wrong way..." He whispered.
"Maybe, you can find it in your heart to forgive me?"

I bit my lip. "I don't know."

His eyes flashed green. "Please? It would mean the world to me."
Slowly, he leaned in, and touched his lips to mine.

I was shocked. Completely and utterly shocked.

Slowly, I kissed him. Everything seemed to vanish.
All my hate, regret and pain, was flushed out.

His hands moved down my back, sending shivers up my spine.

I closed my eyes, and enjoyed it.
Because now, I saw him for what he was.
Nothing more, than a lonely, unloved, lost boy