"You took away my sunlight, so I learned to glow in the dark."

~ You cannot take my sunshine away from me- S.L.O.

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Peter's P.O.V

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    Hunter stands to attention when I enter the room. "Pan."
    "There's no need for that." I wave my hand dismissively. "Where is she?"
    "In the library," Hunter answers. "She woke up an hour prior to your arrival."
    "That girl practically lives in the library," I mutter under my breath.
    "Huh?"

    I shake my head. "Nothing. You can go now, Hunter."
    "Pan," Hunter begins, hesitantly. "If I may be so bold as to ask, why did you chose me?"
    "You mean why didn't I chose Andrew or your brother to watch Alice instead."
    Hunter nods.
    "It's because I trust you," I answer.

    "Having said that, it doesn't mean that didn't trust you before, because I did, just not entirely. You earned my complete trust when you decided not to break my rules that day at Mermaid Lagoon."
    He nods understandingly. "May I ask another question?"
    "Go ahead."
    "I heard from my brother that you just found The Truest Believer."

    "What of it?"
    "Why Alice is still here then?" he asks. "I mean, you already have The Truest Believer."

    I hesitate, partly because I'm unsure of how to answer his question and partly because I don't know how to.

    "I have my reasons," I say instead. "Any more questions?"

    "No, Pan," he replies, shaking his head.

   I hand Hunter his sword, the hilt facing him. "You are dismissed."

    "Report to Felix at the training grounds," I command. "I'll be joining the group shortly."
    Hunter nods, leaving the room without another word. I make my way towards the library,waving my hand to open the French doors.
    "Mornin', Alice," I greet, stepping into the room.
    "Good morning, Peter," she replies, not looking up from her book.

    "Ready for training?"

    Her attire consists of a pair of brown boots, forest green tights and a simple green shirt, one that suspiciously resembles a shirt I have stored in my closet. Her hair is up in a loose bun today, with some stray hairs framing her face. A hunting knife rests inside the holster strapped to her thigh, something that she's recently started wearing.

    "Yup," Alice replies, popping the "P". She slots a bookmark between the pages she stopped at before placing it on the table. "Where were you last night?"

    "We have a new recruit," I tell her. "I was testing him to see if he had the qualities of being a lost boy."
    "And did he?" Alice questions.
    "Yes, he passed the first stage with flying colours."
    "And what would you do if he hadn't?"
    I'd kill him.
    "I'd send him back to his family if he wasn't of any use to me."

    "So you'd get rid of anyone who isn't of use to you?"

    "Yes."
   "Then, why am I still here?"
   "Because the game is still ongoing," I reply. That isn't entirely a lie. "Besides, you'd make a perfect lost girl. My first lost girl."
    Thankfully, she doesn't press for anymore answers.
    "Ready to start training?" I repeat.

   Alice gets to her feet. "Yes, I'd like to meet the new recruit."
    "Great," I say, wrapping my arm around her waist. "You'll get to witness the second stage of initiation."
    I then teleport the both of us to the training grounds.
    "Wait here, I'm going to wake him up," I say, jerking my head towards Henry, who's sleeping under the shade of an old oak tree.

   "I'm going to find Cassie and the twins."
    I wait until Alice leaves before making my way towards a group of Lost Boys. They stop what they're doing and stand to greet me. "Pan," they say in unison.
    "Mornin' boys, ready to start the initiation?"
    "Yes, Pan," They reply, grinning.

    "Good," I give them a grin of my own. "Someone hand me their crossbow."
    A tall, dark skinned boy with curly hair, hands me his crossbow. "Here, Pan."
    "Now all we need is the Dreamshade. Shay, find Marcus, would you?" I say, turning to face the boy who gave me his crossbow. "Tell him to meet us here, and bring the jar of Dreamshade."

    "Yes, Pan," he replies obediently, leaving the group to find the said boy.
   "Good, now let's go wake the recruit up," I say, using my magic to make a ruby red apple appear in my hand. "It's time to begin the second stage of initiation."

    We make our way over to where Henry is sleeping. One of the boys behind me cuckoos, causing him to stir.

    "Wake up," I say as we approach him.

    I toss him the apple. "Catch."
    The younger boy just stares at the fruit, letting it fall to the ground. "I don't like apples," he replies, looking up at me.
    I give him an incredulous look. "Who doesn't like apples?"

    "It's a family thing," he answers as if that should explain everything.
    "Well, don't worry," I kneel down so that I'm at eye level with him. "They're not for eating. It's for a kind for game. A really fun game." I pause, bringing my crossbow up to Henry's face, the tip of the arrow an inch away from his nose. "I call it target practice."

****

    Marcus holds the crossbow for me as I dip the tip of the arrow into the jar of black liquid that he's holding.

    "What's that?" Henry asks, approaching us.
    "Dreamshade. It's a nasty poison," I say, my tone nonchalantly.
    Marcus hand me the crossbow. "I've heard a story about a man who once shot an apple off his son's head with an arrow. Let's find out if it's possible," I announce as I nock the arrow.

    Marcus repeatedly throws the apple in the air, waiting to pass it to me.

    "If you're shooting at the apple, what's the poison for?" the younger boy asks.
    "Motivation not to miss," I reply, aiming the crossbow in no particular direction. "Felix, get over 'ere."
    The said boy stands up and walks towards us, his mace slung over his shoulder.

    "I-Is Felix good? Is his aim good?" Henry asks nervously.

    "Doesn't matter—"

    Felix grins at the younger boy's anxiousness, shifting the toothpick in his mouth.

    "—You're the one doing the shooting," I explain, placing the crossbow in the younger boy's hands.

    "But I— I don't wanna shoot," Henry says, hesitantly taking the crossbow from me.
    I toss the apple to Felix, ignoring the younger boy's statement.
    The Lost Boys around us start chanting, banging their staffs on the ground as Felix steps back. "Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!"

    "You won't hit him," I insist. "Trust yourself. Go on. It's exhilarating."
    Felix balances the apple atop his head, chanting along with the other boys. "Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot."
    I spot Alice leaning against a tree, her arms crossed over her chest as she stands next to Cassie and the twins. The sight reminds me of the time I made Alice carry out the same task.

    I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't surprised that she passed the second stage without a single fault. She surprised me that day, when she did something no other recruit had ever done before. She shot both the apple and I at the same time. How she managed to do so will forever be a mystery to me.

    I push the thought to the back of my mind, the boys' loud voices bringing me back to reality.

    "Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!" I chant along with them, taking a step back.
    I raise my left hand, signaling for silence. I turn back to face Henry as he aims the crossbow at the apple. The young boy places his finger on the trigger and I can already tell what he's going to do next. Just as I predicted, the turns to face me, shooting the arrow at me at the last second.

    I catch the arrow midair, right before it reaches my chest, and smirk at him. Henry gulps, staring at me as the Lost Boys clap and cheer loudly.
    I cast the arrow aside. "Told you it was exhilarating,"

    I take the crossbow from Henry's hands before passing it back to Shay. "Come on, I have something to show you."

https://youtu.be/MIb6bOJL98g

****

    "Look at the fun they are having," I say, turning to face Henry. "The thing with this place, Henry, is that no one ever tells you no."
    "You can do whatever you want," I emphasize as the both of us sit down on large rocks.
    Henry glances at the group of boys throwing knives by the bonfire. "They never hurt themselves?"

    "Oh, all the time," I admit, following the younger boy's line of sight. "At one point, I had four boys with missing fingers."
    "Cost of the game," I tell him. "They didn't mind."
    "I don't belong here," he states without much conviction.
    "Actually, you do," I insist. "You see, we've been waiting for you a very long time, Henry. Long before you were even born."

    "I don't believe that," Henry argued, shaking his head.
    "You should. This place runs on imagination, on belief." I gesture around us. "But your world stopped believing. Magic is dying and you, Henry, need to save it."
    "In my world, you mean?" the younger boy asks.
    "In every world. You need to bring it back. That's your destiny. To return magic. To be the savior."

    He shakes his head. "My mum, Emma, is The Savior. Not me."
    I scoff. "She broke some curse, yeah."
    He looks at me unquestioningly, wondering how I could possibly know that.
    "Oh, I know more than you think," I say cryptically. "But what if breaking the curse wasn't what made her The Savoir? What if having you was?"

    "Think about it," I say adding conviction to my voice. "You're descended from the greatest of light and of dark. Believing that it's a coincidence and that the spawn of The Dark One met your mother? You were created for a reason, and I can help you find it."
    "So, you think I'm supposed to save magic?" Henry asks, pointing at himself.

    "Oh, I don't think. I believe. Remember I said I had something to show you?"

    Henry looks at me expectantly.

    "Here," I say, taking out a worn-looking scroll. "I've had this for a very long time, long before you were even thought of. Take a look and you'll know why I'm so sure you're the hero magic has been waiting for."

    Henry glances at me skeptically but takes the scroll from me anyway. But my smile falters when he throws it aside without looking at it. "I don't believe you."
    I chuckle.

    "You remind me of your father," I tell him before walking off without another word.

    I wait till I'm out of sight to make myself invisible, teleporting back where I stood a few seconds ago. I watch as Henry hesitates before picking the scroll up from the ground. He slowly unrolls the piece of parchment open, peering at the drawing inside. He looks up in shock when he sees the drawing of himself on it. I smirk at the sight, then teleport myself to the clearing for my daily practice with Alice.

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Alice's P.O.V (A Few Hours Later)

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    "For the first time, he heard something he knew to be music," I read out loud. "He heard people singing. Behind him, across vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left, he thought he heard music too. But perhaps it was only an echo. The end."
    "Tell us another story!" Isaac says, excitedly.

    "Anader stwory!" Cassie choruses, clapping his hands enthusiastically.
    I laugh, ruffling the little boy's hair up. "Not until tomorrow night, boys. You know the rules."
    "Why?" Cassie whines, looking up at me with his adorable, big eyes.
    "That's Peter's rule not mine," I say.
    "I don't remember saying that," a voice behind me speaks up.

    I glance over my shoulder to see Peter standing by the entrance of the tent with his arms crossed. "Ello, love."
    "Oh, hey, Peter," I greet, standing up.
    "Could you come out for awhile?" he asks. "I need a word."
    "Sure, just give me a sec," I repy.
    Peter nods, exiting the tent.
    "I'll be right back, boys," I say, turning to walk out the tent.

    "Okay, so what do you want to talk about?" I ask, stepping out of the tent.
    Peter stands outside the tent, beside him is a young boy no older than eleven. The boy is dressed in a checkered shirt and blue jeans. His modern clothes stand out in contrast to the old-fashioned ones that everyone on the island wears. Peter gestures at the boy. "Him."

    "Hello, there," I greet, smiling at the young boy. "What's your name?"
    "Henry," the young boy replies.
    "So this is the new recruit I've heard so much about?" I say.
    "Yes," Peter says.
    "What did you want to talk to me about, then?" I ask, looking back to Peter.

    "Well, since Henry is new to Neverland, I decided that he needs to be with boys closer to his age," Peter says. "So I'm moving Ray to Lewis's and Will's tent, and Henry to the younger boys' tent."
    "And you were wondering if I could introduce him to the boys?" I say, finishing his sentence.
    "Yes," Peter says. "I'd do it myself, but I have other matters to attend to."

    "Of course, I'll do it," I say.
    "Thanks, love," Peter says, pecking me on the cheek. "I'll see you tonight."
    "See you tonight," I reply.
    He then teleports himself to who-knows-where.
    "Come on, Henry," I say, placing my hand on the boy's shoulder. "Let's go meet the other boys."
    Henry looks up at me. "Is your name Wendy, by any chance?"

    I shake my head. "No, my name's Alice. Why'd you ask?"
    The young boy shrugs. "Well, you're the first girl I've seen in Neverland so far and Peter Pan seems to like you a lot."
    "Oh, that," I sigh. "That's just a for a Game that we're playing."
    "What?"
    "Never mind."

    I open the tent flap, gesturing for Henry to go in. "After you."
    The young boy hesitates, but walks into the tent when he sees the warm smile on my face. I step into the tent after him.
    "We have a new member, boys," I announce to Cassie and the twins. "His name's Henry and he'll be staying here with you from now on."

    "Hello, Henry," Asa greets, waving at the older boy. "I'm Asa and this is my twin brother, Isaac."
    Isaac waves. "Hey."
    "Hwello, Hwenry," Cassie mumbles shyly.
    Henry waves back at them. "Hey, guys."
    "What happened to Ray?" Asa asks.

    "Peter's transferred him to Lewis's and Will's tent. Don't worry, you'll still be able to see him during training hours and bonfire parties,."
    I turn to face Henry. "If you ever need anything just come to me, or my friend—" I pause, thinking of Ray, Lewis, and Will. Are we still friends? They haven't talked to for a couple days so I'm not sure what we are now.

    "You can come to me or Ray, Lewis and Will," I say, correcting my previous sentence. "Their tent is the fifth one to the left."
    "Okay, thanks," Henry says.
    "No problem," I say, smiling. "Your bed is over there." I point at the bed that Ray and I once slept in. Henry nods walking over to the cot.

    I walk over to Cassie and kiss him on the forehead. "Goodnight, Cas," I say, pulling the blanket up to his shoulders.
    Cassie yawns. "Gwood nwight."
    I tuck the twins in, kissing them on the forehead as well. "G'night, boys."
    "Goodnight," they whisper in unison.

    Lastly, I make my way over to Henry, tucking him in. "Goodnight, Henry."
    "Goodnight, Alice."

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I actually updated another chapter! Yay me! xD the only pros of being sick is that I managed to write this chapter. But as usual, the cons outweigh the pros as I can't go to camp ;_; I miss my friends so much, I was actually looking forward to going to camp with them *sighs* maybe next time.

Anyway, I'll try to update another chapter tomorrow (I'm not going to promise anything because knowing me, I'll probably be too lazy and procrastinate again) Ugh, I still have a ton of holiday homework that I haven't touched yet, I'd better do it now. Bye, guys!

~ Alice xx

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Did I do Peter and Henry's characters justice in this chapter?

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My edits are super boring today 'cause I was rushing for time

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Vote, comment, rate, do whatever you want <3

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Edited: 8/03/2018