The Shadow's Keeper ~OUAT Peter Panfiction (Book 2)

Near Triumphant

Hastened as the most dreaded hours of the night descended upon the crew of rescuers, thick, white fog would block pathways. Unrest by the oblivion, Regina specifically was not having any stops. The air frigid, chills often slithered almost ghastly around stressed and persistent limbs. Huffing with impending defeat, Tink suddenly had to catch herself on a cold tree. She was the leader because she knew exactly where to go. Though she was the most exhausted. She had to close her eyes a few times, feeling faint. Hook had reached her just then and laid his hand across her back. "You alright, love?" He asked, concerned and being the first to notice her stop. Emma noticed second and Regina noticed lastly. Tink shook her head.
            "What's the matter with her?" Isabelle called from behind Emma's parents.
            "She feels faint," Hook answered, recognizing the sleepiness to the fairy's eyes and her hand pressing against the rough trunk of a tree for support. She then shook her head.
            "No, I'm fine, we should keep going," she spoke, pushing herself off the tree and limply carrying herself onward towards some more fog. Hook watched attentively from his place.
            "Tinkerbell, wait," he called, beginning to follow her again.
"Perhaps we should set up camp," Hook then told Tinkerbell. Everyone moved closer to the two.
            "No, it's alright," Tink struggled, growing fainter. She fell into Hook's arms suddenly, alerting panic. Everyone gathered around as she looked as though she had fallen asleep.
 
It was mere exhaustion that secured the idea of setting up camp. The panic and worry had eased and a fire was beginning to snap in the center of a clearing. Sprawled about on blankets, drifting away, Regina remained awake. Emma suddenly approached her, sitting down next to her on to a log.
"How can you sleep knowing Henry is out there? Especially when we have no idea where he is or what's happened," Regina spoke lowly to Emma, stricken with cold anxiety.
            "We'll find him," Emma started, "and he's alive."
Curiously, Regina looked up. "How do you know?" she asked her.
            "I can feel it. And plus, Anne would never let anything bad happen to Henry."
            "How do you know that?" Regina repeated, lifting a brow.
            "She saved him, all of us. We should've just listened and left when we had the chance. She was willing to stay," Emma pointed out.
            "Oh really? And who's to say once we left, Pan would leave us alone for good?" Regina challenged. Emma shrugged in honesty.
            "At least we would have Henry, and that way, we could protect him."  
            "If Pan wants the girl, he can have her as long as we get Henry back in return," Regina commented.
            "Problem is, how could we just leave her?"
            "She wants to stay, she said it herself," Regina protested.
            "But her family..." Emma began.
            "Her family can stay here and fight for her themselves, we don't need to do it for them," Regina explained, protesting again.
            "How could you say that?" Emma asked her quietly. "She saved everyone, Henry...he cares for her. Her brother. Do you even realize?" Emma then challenged.
            "I realize that Anne is none of our concern, and until you start realizing that yourself we can't fight," Regina exclaimed, getting up and leaving into the woods. Emma hurriedly got up herself.
            "Regina wait!" But she was already gone. Huffing in frustration and anxiety, Emma sat back down in defeat, the fire before her roaring on.
~
Trees opened to the edge of a cliff as Rumple stepped upon it. Instantly throttled into a panic once he realized, the ocean crashed against rocks below the land form. Rumple then looked down on them, whirling around. Pan stepped from the woods just then. "Clever lad you are," Pan started, a slick and dark smile spreading across his lips.
            "You planned this," Rumple spoke, his heart racing. Perspiration dampening his neck, he struggled to catch his breath.
            "It was a last minute arrangement," Pan replied, his light eyes narrowed as the moon cast no shadow behind him. Chills still towards his dark features, Rumple remained in dread with fear. "You were right, by the way...about the key. Though there is just one thing you missed." Pan then stomped on the ground in front of him and a tremor rippled beneath Rumple's feet. Engulfed in more panic, he struggled to straighten out his thoughts and reactions. Another stomp and a more violent tremor was alerted.
            "Why did you lead me out here?" Rumple asked quickly. Pan then pulled from his belt, his particular dagger.
            "I forgot something," Pan told him simply before slashing Rumple's cheek.
            "AHH!" Rumple reacted, stumbling back. Crimson lining the side of Pan's dagger, he grinned wickedly before looking back at his bleeding son. "What did you just do?!" Rumple yelled, panicked and running at Pan. He abruptly lifted into the air, snickering darkly. More panic then an invisible force pushed Rumple back and he fell more closer to the edge of the cliff. He knew the instant he saw his blood on Pan's dagger, he'd be cursed. Pan then landed on his feet once more.
            "Now to watch you drown," Pan started before stomping his hardest and the edge of the cliff broke off, taking Rumple with it. The echo of his last cry evanesced and the keeper then peered over. The broken off piece of the cliff became swallowed by the ocean.
~
Warmth was cast over Anne's sleeping figure and she very nearly smiled in her waking as she was pulled from a beautiful sleep. Eyes heavy with dreams, Anne lifted her lids. Hazed from her rest, she slowly breathed inwardly, stretching. Sunlight having seeped into her eyes, they shown gold. Her sense beginning to crawl back to her as she moved what felt like a blanket off her legs, her dreamy haze left. Remembering everything, she shot up to a sitting position and recognized the dark cloak she uncovered herself with. Panicked that it was now sunlight, Anne then peered around her shelter and her gaze shifted to the opening.
 
She then climbed to her feet, kicking the cloak away and escaping. Wolves howled outside just then, pulling from Anne, a gasp. Down the stream in front of her, she saw her two special protectors. She became almost glee filled and began walking towards them when the reality of things forced her to stop. They tried to eat her last night. The horror of seeing them eating away at old friends around that dead fire dawned on her, alerting fear to spring erect, and she stumbled back.
 
Watching curiously still, the wolves then glanced at her, turning her frigid. Looking at them somehow stirred up her fears till they blended together, becoming vague. She could only think of the possibility of them still wanting to be loyal and protect her. Guilt weighed down her heart just then, remembering how cruel she had been to make them leave her last night. It was only to protect them but they might've never figured that out. "Boys," she suddenly called, whistling. They howled in response, the sun laying on the leaves of plants behind them beautifully as the stream sparkled with light.
 
Anne stepping forth at their hesitation, that somehow seemed to trigger them because they sprang over the stream and bolted off. Anne stopped again, the focus in her features softly fleeing. She began to feel disappointment and a faint sadness before she heard something quietly land behind her. Sighing, she closed her eyes and turned around.
"What a surprise," Anne told Pan sarcastically. "They're only afraid of you, that's why they ran away," she told him, annoyed.
            "Even after they tried to eat you, you are still willing to seek them out?" Pan then asked her, his gaze highlighted from the morning sun behind Anne.
            "They never tried to eat me, you just made it look that way."
            "I wouldn't lie to you, Anne, there is too much danger for that. Now come here," he spoke and stepped close to her. Lifting her face gently with his hands, he observed her skin for cuts or bruises. "Are you hurt anywhere, darling?" he asked in desperation as he moved her head some to examine areas of her neck.
            "I'm fine now get off," Anne lightly pushed Pan back. He refused to give up and took her hands to observe her arms. She tried to pull away, knowing how much she relished in how his bittersweet touches made her feel. While she would've liked to let him observe her face longer to look into his eyes, she resisted. He could throw off her focus and she couldn't afford falling for him. Though she already had. Since she could remember, there had always been this faint connection like he had meant something more to her before she lost her memory. Sure he could've been like a brother to her in her previous life, but there was too much she felt that was saying otherwise.
 
No doubt, Anne had fought the urge to ask Pan if they might've been lovers in her previous life, to save herself from embarrassment if she was told they weren't. And no doubt she was still fighting the urge. Perhaps she'd bring herself to ask him later. "I'm so glad you're alright," Pan breathed, hugging her tight. She was hesitant at first but eventually hugged back, and liked the feeling.
            "That cloak," she started as they let go, "there was something about it...I woke up with it. Did you cover me with it?" she asked. Pan suddenly smiled. "It also saved me a few times," Anne added. Still smiling, Pan leaned close to her ear.
            "Perhaps it was my shadow." He then pulled away to look at her. Puzzlement read on her face.
            "Your...shadow?"
            "That's right. My shadow is no longer attached to my body. It can shift into things, such as a cloak. I told you you'd need it." He smirked. Shocked, Anne opened her mouth to speak but was lost on the words to say. Her eyes wide, she took a moment to put the pieces together.
            "It was you..." she spoke.
            "Not quite me, just my shadow," Pan explained. Everything Anne thought was correct from the start. Pan plannedeverything she went through last night. Of course Anne kept silent about knowing it was all some sick and twisted plan. She'd act like she believed Pan on everything, when truth was, he just gave himself away and didn't realize it. Or did he realize it? "One...final twist," he started. So he did know, but why would he give himself away on purpose?
            "What," Anne asked, her gaze dark. He then took her hand and began leading her to the stream. They stopped in front of it.
            "Peer down at your reflection and tell me what you see," he told her. She listened and slowly brought her head to hover over the water. There was nothing, no reflection. Confused, Anne looked harder. Still nothing.
            "I don't understand..." she looked at Pan.
            "When I cut you with that knife, I placed a spell on you to turn you invisible so no one could see you, except me...so nothing could harm you." He then briefly glided his hand over the water and her reflection finally appeared. "But you see, dear...my spell failed because you were attacked several times, were you not?" he then asked her, looking at her.
            "I was," she admitted. "Why'd it fail?"
            "Your resistance. It was so powerful to the point it nearly killed you," he explained. Fear grasped Anne by the throat.
            "But, what about the cloak?" she muttered, still afraid.
            "That's the best part," Pan started, snickering. "I know you better than anyone else, little Anna. I knew my spell would fail and the only thing that could protect you was my shadow. So, I gave him to you."
 
Anne was still terrified, speechless as she intensely battled with herself. "Perhaps if you hadn't resisted so much, by going out in the first place, by fighting me, you would've been safer. Now do you realize why it is so essential for you to trust me? I am the only person that can protect you from this curse. There is no one left to save but yourself. Despite my being corrupted by the darkness on this island, you are my only chance, and I have to preserve my only chance. Do you understand love?"
 
"But I--"
            "Look," Pan interrupted, taking a strand of her hair. She watched as he curled it around his finger, the golden blonde coloring changing to a deep brown. Anne then gasped in horror as the strand fell back down her chest. "You have been touched by something, haven't you? Not just the wolves, but something else," Pan spoke, sounding dreadfully frightened. 
            "Uhm," Anne panicked, growing anxious, "yes," she admitted, panic in her eyes as though she were crying for help.
            "What was it?!" He panicked, his eyes huge.
            "A-a boy! Hemlock!" Anne admitted altogether, hopeless on what else to do. Pan's expression suddenly changed. He now looked puzzled himself.
            "Hemlock?" he asked, curious. Anne nodded quickly, biting her bottom lip. After a moment of thought, Anne noticed Pan's jaw clench. He was silent for a while, Anne still suffering in silent fear.
            "Pan?" She asked him. He looked at her suddenly darkly.
            "We must take you back, now," he then told her, taking her arms. She voluntarily nodded and he flew away with her.