Papa knows his way around Neverland better than anyone I know. I should know because I'm the one who helped him draw the map once we were off this death trap of an island. If Regina and Emma were smart then they would listen to him. Emma, I'm positive she'll agree - given the circumstances. Regina...that's a whole different story. I wouldn't be surprised if she tried to burn the bloody island to the ground.
Another I forgot to consider is the Crocodile. Given his past with Pan, I'm sure he'll be here too. Which means, not only do I need to leave a clue for Papa but for him as well. And I can't really hear myself think with all the Lost Boys hollering and dancing around the campfire.
My only goal now is to make sure Henry is safe. Feelings or not, Pan isn't going to get his heart. There has to be another way for him to live but stealing Henry's heart isn't the answer.
"You're starting to get on my nerves, Sparrow," Felix said as he stood in front of me. "Why don't you just give up and let Pan take his heart? You know how long he's been looking for that heart. Now that he has it, he won't let anything stand in his way. Including you."
I gave Felix a sarcastic smile as I ran my fingers through Henry's hair. "Then he's going to have to kill me if he wants to get to Henry. Which means, you'll lose the only other person who'll tolerate you in Neverland."
Oh, how the roles have reversed. In the original movie version, Peter Pan was the hero who saved the Lost Boys and the Darlings from the evil Captain Hook. But that is another tale people have gotten wrong. The thought of the movies portraying Papa having a waxed mustache and perm got me to snort. I really need to show Papa the movie.
"What's so funny?" Felix asked.
"Don't worry, mate, you wouldn't understand." I tilted my head to the side. Who would Felix be from the movie? I wanna assume Slightly. And now I'm picturing Felix in the fox onesie. Speaking of the fox, he decided to sit next to me. "You're not gonna celebrate?"
"I'll celebrate once Pan gets the heart and his Lost Girl stays in Neverland."
I sighed. "Not gonna happen. So save your breath."
Not everyone can have a great love story like Snow and Charming.
Enchanted Forest (Past)
"This way!" I yelled as Charming and I rode through the forest. We spotted the dwarves up the clearing, surrounding a glass coffin. Oh, now, we're too late. Why, lass, why?
"You're too late," Doc stated sadly before looking back at the coffin. They were about to move the coffin but Charming shook his head.
"No. No!" Charming yelled. The dwarves stopped what they were doing as Charming rushed toward the coffin. "Open it."
They complied and opened the lid. Charming cradled Snow's face before giving her one last kiss goodbye. Suddenly, the ground shook before we were surrounded by this light, the magic breaking and waking Snow.
Charming carried Snow out of the coffin and asked, "Will you marry me?"
Snow smiled. "What do you think?"
》》》》
I'm so happy for Snow and Charming. They're finally together and now we, and the dwarves, are rallying the villagers to fight the Evil Queen.
"The Evil Queen murdered my father, put me under a Sleeping Curse, but I am not the only one she has made to suffer," Snow listed.
"Yeah!" the crowd agreed.
"She terrorized us for far too long."
"Yeah."
"This kingdom doesn't belong to her. It belongs to us!"
"Yeah!"
"So who is ready to stand beside me and fight for what's rightfully ours?!"
No one responded, which made me roll my eyes. Cowards, all of them.
"Quite the courageous army you're building," we heard from behind the crowd. They dispersed when they noticed the Evil Queen, yet Snow, Charming, the dwarves, and I didn't move. My hand went toward the hilt of my sword in case the Queen decides to attack.
"They might be afraid of you, but we are not," Snow stated proudly.
"Why? Because you and the shepherd broke my sleeping curse?" Snow, Charming, and I drew our swords. The Queen held up her hand to make the rope bind me and Charming together. "Lucky for you, I didn't come here to fight."
I scoffed. "That's a bloody surprise," I commented sarcastically. "Why are you here then?"
"I came to offer her a deal," the Queen smirked at me before looking at Snow. "Consider it an engagement present."
"Snow, don't listen to a single word," Charming warned.
The Queen waved her hand to make the rope shut Charming's mouth. "Are you really gonna marry that?"
"Beggars can't be choosers," I muttered before I felt another rope going over my mouth.
"What do you want?" Snow asked wearily.
"I want you to give up your claim to the throne. If you declare me the rightful ruler of this land, I'll let you, the dwarves, the pirate, and your so-called prince escape back to the sheep farm he once called home.
"Exile?" Basically.
"Well, I've tried to kill you. I've tried to curse you, and none of its worked. But then I realized I was going about it all wrong. You need to be alive. You need to be awake. So you can spend all your days knowing that I have taken everything that was supposed to be yours." Why does that sound so bloody familiar? "Now get down on your knees and swear on your father's grave that this kingdom belongs to me."
"And if I don't?"
The Queen scowled. "Well, then someone will pay the price."
She used her magic to levitate one of the villagers and choked her.
"Stop!" Snow shouted. The Queen had a look on her face that said 'make me.' So Snow jumped off of the cart, sword in hand, and charged at her. The Queen disappears in a cloud of smoke, dropping the girl and releasing Charming and me. I went toward the girl while Charming went toward Snow to help her up. "Is she ok?"
"Yeah," I said.
"Next time she won't be," the Queen continued when she poofed in front of Snow and Charming. "You have until sundown tomorrow to give up the throne. And for every day that you defy me, I will kill one of your loyal subjects. Stop denying who you are, Snow White. You may have been a princess, but you will never be a queen."
》》》》
Neverland (Present) (3rd POV)
Emma slowly opened her eyes when she heard the sound of children crying, waking her from her slumber. She scrambled out of her makeshift bed, grabbed her sword, and went over to Mary Margaret and David.
"Guys, wake up!" she tried to wake them but they didn't stir. Without any other choice, she walked into the jungle alone and followed the sound.
"You hear that, too?" she heard from behind. Emma jumped in fright and spun, spotting Peter Pan leaning against the tree. "You're Emma, right?" She didn't lower her sword. Pan glanced toward her camp before looking back at her. "I wonder why they can't hear the crying."
"Who are you?" Emma questioned.
"Oh, did I forget to introduce myself? I'm Peter. Peter Pan."
Finally putting a face to the guy who's responsible for Henry getting kidnapped, Emma pinned Pan to the tree, holding her sword against his throat as she sneered, "Where's Henry?"
Pan smirked at the little 'threat.' Clearly amused that he got a rise out of her. "You've got fire. I like fire."
"Where's my son?"
"Henry's still alive, if that's what you're worried about." His smirk grew, of course, she wouldn't say anything about Cassie. "Cassie's fine, in case you're wondering."
Emma used her arm to add a little more pressure. "Jax is dead. Your little lackies killed her."
Pan couldn't help but chuckle. "You sure about that?" Using his free hand, he held up a ring with a skull on top. He managed to swipe her ring. Pan planned on grabbing the ring he gave her but decided against it last second, feeling odd if he knew she wasn't wearing it. "Why would I have them kill my favorite Lost Girl?"
Emma's eyes widened as relief flooded through her. "She's alive?" she breathed. Her relief soon turned to anger and she pinned Pan closer to the tree. "Why the hell did you take them, then?"
"They're very special, Emma."
"I know. That doesn't answer my question. What do you want with him? Where does Jax fit into this?"
Pan ignored her question. "I came here to see who I was up against. The Savior. Gotta say, I'm not disappointed."
Emma tilted her head. "What do you say now? You're gonna tell me how I'm never gonna see Henry or Jax again?"
"No. I'm going to help you find them. I'll give you a map." Emma pulled away from Pan, still not lowering her sword. He pulled a small piece of paper out from the inside of his shirt. "A map that will lead you straight to them."
"If this is some kind of trap..." Emma warned him.
Pan chuckled. "I may not be the most well-behaved boy on the island, but I always keep my promises. The path to finding Henry and Cassie is on this parchment."
"Why are you giving it to me?"
"See, it's not about finding them. It's about how you find them. And, Emma, you are the only one who can."
Emma furrowed her brows as she slowly took the parchment from Pan. She opened it to reveal a blank map. "It's blank," she pointed out.
"You'll only be able to read that map when you stop denying who you really are."
Emma looked at the blank map, unsure what Pan meant by that. But there was one thing from that entire conversation that started to replay in her mind. "Cassie?" she muttered.
"What?"
"Jax? You called her Cassie. The only other person who calls her that is Hook. And they've been on this island before. From how Hook describes you, he really hates you."
Pan raised his brow. "Your point?"
"It's not just a regular hate. I've seen that look before. A hateful look a parent gives to someone who broke their kid's heart." Emma narrowed her eyes at him. "And you brought her before my son. So, it's making me think that something happened between you two. What I wanna know is, what?"
Pan chuckled at her assumption. "You wanna know what happened between me and Cassie?" He smirked at her. "Why don't you ask the one other person who was there?"
"Hook," Emma concluded before trying to ask Pan another question, only to find him gone.