Chapter 12
*Peter Pan*
"Peter!" Solstice called out. I didn't look back at her even though I desperately wanted to.
'What was wrong with me? What just happened? Stupid! I almost gave in.'
"What if that's the only way to take her heart?" My conscious spoke, "if you get her to trust you, even love you, you could use that to your advantage. You'll be one step closer to taking her heart and being youthful until the special owner appears."
'That's what I needed to do. I need to make her love me then I will take her heart. Her heart will last long enough until the Truest Believer shows his face.'
.+**+.+**+.+**+.+**+.+**+.+**+.
.+**+.+**+.+**+.+**+.+**+.+**+.
.+**+.+**+.+**+.+**+.+**+.+**+.
*Shine*
"What!? What do you mean you can't find her! We have millions of eyes in the sky, literally!" I yelled at the guard, my anger flaring.
"My Queen," he kept his head respectively bowed, "we are doing everything we can to find the lost princess."
"That's not good enough! Solstice is missing and we don't even know where she's gone! Find her or so help me I will kill you myself!"
"Y-Yes my Queen." The guard bowed again and walked out of my throne room in haste.
'Solstice what have you done?
Where are you!?'
.+**+.+**+.+**+.+**+.+**+.+**+.
.+**+.+**+.+**+.+**+.+**+.+**+.
.+**+.+**+.+**+.+**+.+**+.+**+.
*Solstice*
"What is wrong with me?" I groaned as I sat up on my bed. It's been a whole day since my walk with Pan. He's been ignoring me every since. He won't even glance my way. Last night Pan had my hut put back together. It was like nothing ever happened. "Magic," as Pan said. He used magic to rebuild my room.
I sighed; I glanced out the window; Moon was full and my people twinkled in the black sky. I kept thinking about home, about Shine, about why my magic didn't work here. Except it did but I only used magic twice and that's only when I was mad. Really mad.
"Magic is different here." Pan's words echoed through my head.
'How was magic different here than in the sky? And how can I re-learn it?' I thought to myself.
Jumping off my bed, I decided to go into the forest and practice. 'Hopefully I'll be able to wield magic again.'
I got up off my bed and tiptoed to the door. It creaked open as I stepped outside into the cool air. I went down the ladder and silently raced across the grass and into the forest. The shadows lingered in the night, the silent breeze ruffled the leaves, and the crying never ceased. I almost forgot about the crying. The lonely children crying in the night, missing their parents.
I sighed, 'I know how they feel.'
Once I found a nice area in the forest, I grabbed a stick and sat down, trying to concentrate. I held the rough stick firmly in my hand and attempted to make a flicker of fire appear.
I closed my eyes.
'Fire,'
I opened my eyes,
No fire.
"Ugh! Come on!" I shouted at myself. This was obviously going to take longer than I thought. I gripped the stick tighter and thought of fire; still nothing.
Twenty minutes past, and still no flame appeared. "I give up!" I shouted as I threw the stick at the closest tree. I huffed in frustration. 'I don't understand. I used magic against Cale and Pan's shadow, so why can't I use it now?'
"Why are you having a hissy fit?" An accented voice asked.
I knew exactly who the voice belonged to, "what can I help you with Peter Pan?" I asked mockingly. I was tired of Pan at the moment. He somehow confuses me. One moment my heart flutters at his voice but then the next moment I want him to disappear.
"The question seems to be what can I help you with." He stated with his smug accented voice.
I scoffed and stood up, "nothing. Absolutely nothing."
Pan trailed over to me with another stick in his hand. "Here," he walked around me so he was facing my back. He placed stick in my hand and whispered in my ear. "concentrate."
"I have been!" I shouted irritatingly. I had about enough of this.
But then he placed his hands on my arms; "Try harder."
His soft touch made me jump. My heart started to flutter and I could feel my cheeks growing hot. 'Get ahold of yourself Solstice!' I scolded myself in my mind. I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes.
"Think of something that makes you happy." His warm breath ticketed the back of my neck as I stood there. Shivers ran down my spine as Pan's hands traveled up and down my arms softly.
Trying to forget about his presence, I breathed again and thought of home. I thought of the sky and how I used to love it there. I opened my eyes but there was still no flame.
"This isn't working." I stated with annoyance.
"You weren't thinking of something happy." He teased as he stepped into view.
"Yes I was!"
"No you weren't."
"Yes I was!"
"No, you weren't." Pan raised his eyebrow
"Yes I was." I grumbled.
He gave me a look like I was an idiot.
"Shut up." I wrinkled up my nose.
Pan chuckled. "Think of something else."
"You know, I don't exactly have happy memories. I mean I was a star for goodness sake.We don't do anything. We're nothing special. No, let me rephrase that; I'm nothing special."
"Solstice," Pan eyed me, "you're more special than you realize. You're not just a star."
"Now you sound like Shine. Why am I so special? Why is everyone saying i'm special when I know I'm not!?" I raised my voice at him. He was seriously getting on my nerves.
"Let's make it a game."
"I don't want to play any of your games. I've had my fair share." I said as I recalled my near death experience when Cale shot the arrow at me.
Pan shrugged, "Are you sure you don't have any good memories? Nothing makes you happy?"
It was my turn to shrug, "not really."
Pan stepped closer to me and I waltzed back startled. His eyes brightened for a moment, "Are you sure?" He asked while he stared at me with his green eyes.
I nodded my head and looked away from him. I was still hurt from his rejection yesterday. His rejection felt as if my heart had been ripped from me and then crushed.
Just then Pan came closer to me and unexpectedly placed a soft kiss on my lips. My heart skipped a beat. His kiss was light but passionate. His hands trailed up my arms and cupped my face. But then he departed as quickly as the kiss came.
My eyes fluttered open. I gazed into his magnificent green eyes, they showed compassion, not evil. I gave him a small smile.
He walked around me, "Try again." He whispered into my ear. It seemed like he almost knew whispering in my ear would make me blush.
But my mind was still trying to compute to what just took place. I shook my head, telling myself that it really happened. I closed my eyes, thinking about the kiss Pan and I shared. The thought brought a smile to my face
"Do you smell that Sol?" Pan whispered, "Smoke." My eyes shot open to see a flicker of light rising from the stick. "I did it!" I couldn't contain the giddy in my voice. Then I stopped myself short, "Pan?"
"Hm?"
"Why is magic different here than in the sky?" I asked hesitantly.
Pan sighed, "it's complicated."
"So in other words you won't tell me?" Annoyance began to sting my chest.
There was a long pause.
"Why do you keep so many secrets?"
I asked as I turned to face him.
"If you knew all my secrets, you'd never look at me the same way ever again."
Pan's gaze held firm, he never took his eyes off of me.
I fell silent. 'What are you so afraid of? Why won't you tell me?'
"Pan," I coaxed, "it's just a simple question. Why is magic different here?"
He huffed, getting frustrated, "Because you're a star Solstice. Stars have unique magic, stronger than any other magic in the realms."
"I know but—"
"And," he cut me off, "unlike in the sky, magic always comes with a price."
"Okay but I still don't get why—"
"Because," Pan cut me off again, "because I made it that way."
"Wait what? Why?"
"I cloaked Neverland with a spell, a spell that any star who comes here loses their ability to use magic."
"But why would you do that?"
"To protect Neverland." Pan shrugged and eyed me, trying to decide what I was thinking.
"So, my magic—?"
"You can re-learn it." Pan informed. "Normally any other star would lose their ability to use magic. But you can use magic again as you did just yesterday." He paused, "The spell only made you forget magic, not keep it from you forever. You can re-learn it."
"Okay. So, how long will it take exactly?"
Pan sighed again, "it could take a while to master it again. But since you're special, it should be quicker."
"Why is everyone saying I'm special!? I'm not!" I shouted and folded my arms defensively. Pan quickly covered my mouth with his hand and pushed me against a tree "keep it down!"
"Why?" My voice was muffled by Pan's hand.
"You're going to wake everyone up if you haven't already." He looked around cautiously.
The dark black forest was silent except the sounds of our voices. Shadows lingered in nooks and crannies of the vegetation. The trees whispered but kept our secret.
"Sorry." I whispered.
Pan removed his hand but never backed away from me, "look, you may not see it now, but you're special. You're unique to your kind. Your outburst proved that yesterday."
I tried to make myself small, to try and hide from Pan. He was a little too close. "That doesn't make sense. I'm not unique. What makes you think that?" I have officially decided that Peter Pan is crazy. No doubt about it.
"I just know. Shine knows it too." Pan answered. The thought of Shine almost brought tears to my eyes. I missed her so much. "Okay, I'll play along." I mocked, "If Shine knows that I'm 'special', which I'm not, then why hasn't she told me?"
"That's a question for her, not me."
Pan said.
This was giving me a headache, "you said I was unique to my race, how- I mean, what am I?"
There was another long pause, Pan looked off into the distance and then sighed, "You're a Blue Star."
________________
Everyone thanks so much for reading!! :)
Remember to comment and vote!