{ Dreamshade }

•Chapter 9•

Henry started to make his way back towards camp. He fought his way through the jungle. He kept looking over his shoulders to make sure there were no lost boys behind him. "Why so glum, chum?" He heard Pan's voice behind him. He stopped walking and turned around. He spotted Pan sitting on the ground against a tree. He stood up and walked towards him. "You said you weren't keeping any secrets. But you lied. I found Y/n." He informs the boy. Pan gulped loudly. "Henry, I can explain." He started. "She's dying isn't she?" He asked him. Pan sighed. "I'm afraid she is. Like much of the island. Because the magic here is slipping away." He replied, "I would've told you, but...I didn't want you to have that weight on your shoulders, knowing that a young girl's life depends on you." He continued. Henry glanced down at his feet. He could tell Pan felt bad by the tone in his voice. He remembered them being close when she was at camp...before she disappeared. He glanced back up at him. "So I'm the only one who can save magic?" He asked the boy. Pan exhaled loudly. "You are." He answered. Henry took a deep breath. "How do I do it?" He asked. "The question isn't how, Henry. It's where. Follow me." He answered. He puts his hand on the boy's shoulder and pulls him along with him. They walked for a while until they stood on the edge of the island. They had a beautiful sight. The night sky filled with stars, the ocean waves crashing against rocks, and the moonlight shining upon skull rock. "See that?" Pan asked him. Henry looked over at the little island with the giant skull on it in the ocean. "Is that skull rock?" He asked Pan. "Yes. Inside is where our salvation awaits. Salvation that only the heart of the truest believer can bring." Pan informs him. "Me?" Henry asked as he kept his focus on the skull. "That's right, Henry.  But I won't lie to you. It won't be easy. It will require heroism and sacrifice. The only question is, are you up to the task?" Pan questioned. Henry waited a second before he took another deep breath. "Yes." He answered. Pan started to smirk, but the boy couldn't see him. Pan's plan was working. Everything was going just as he'd planned. 

Killian stood behind Neal waiting for the others to return. "I want to apologize for my actions earlier today, mate." He said. Neal looked at the pirate. "We shouldn't be fighting over Emma. We should be focusing on helping her to get her son back." Killian added. "Our son." Neal reminds him, "But yeah. I'm sorry too." He added. He turned his back at him. Killian stepped closer to the now full-grown Bealfire. "There is something else you need to know." He informs him. "Yeah, what's that? Have you adopted Henry while I was gone?" Neal asked him. The pirate ignored his comment. "Y/n is still on the island," Killian tells him. Neal turned around again. "What?" He said. "She's still here. And she's nothing like the last time you've seen her. She's...changed." Killian informs him. Neal furrowed his eyebrows. "Changed? What do you mean?" He asked the pirate. "I mean that she's a lot like Pan now. She plays games, tricks you." Killian tells him. "So, you're telling me the girl who didn't want to shoot a dear, is now as dangerous as Pan is? How is that possible?" Neal asked him. "I don't know. I believe Pan has done something to get her this way. And I don't think it was true love's kiss." The pirate replied. "Do you think Pan hurt her?" Neal asked. Killian sighed. "He might have. You know what he's like. What do you think he will do when the only thing he cares about wants to leave?" He asks. "He will take back what's his and never let it go," Neal answered. The man sighed loudly. "So, what do we do?" Neal asked. "I want to save her," Killian answered. "How are you going to do that? Pan won't let her out of his reach." Neal reminds him. "I will do anything to get her out of there," Killian assures him. "That's all we need for now," Neal replied. 

A while later, Y/n was being tucked into bed by Pan as Henry watched. Pan brushed some hair out of Y/n's face. Her eyes were closed, pretending to be asleep. Pan sighed and holds her hand. "How is she?" Henry asked. Pan rubs his thumb over her knuckles. "I fear she's getting worse." He replied. His voice sounded weak and broken. Henry had never seen him like this. He seemed vulnerable, weak, exposed. "But if I save magic...she'll live?" Henry asked. Pan glanced over his shoulder. "Yes. But more than that, Henry. If you save magic, you will save us all." Pan tells him. Y/n groans in her 'sleep' and coughs. Pan snaps his head towards her. He puts his hand on her forehead. She continues to cough. Henry felt the urge to save her. He had to. Pan feared for her life, he could see it in his eyes. Pan kissed her knuckles. "You'll be okay, love. I promise." He whispered to her. "To do it, you have to truly believe," Pan tells Henry. "I do," Henry replied. Pan stood up. "Good, because we don't have much time." He reminds the boy. They walked off to the camp, leaving Y/n behind. Pan stood on top of a rock. Henry joined him. "My brothers! Tonight, the dream of Neverland will awaken from its slumber. Tonight, the heart of the truest believer shall fulfill its destiny, and with it our destiny. Tonight, Henry saves magic!" Pan exclaimed. All the lost boys started to shout and cheer. Pan glanced over at Felix standing by a faraway tree. He gave him a nod. Felix replied with a nod and walked off into the jungle. Pan turned back to Henry. He grabbed his shoulder. "Follow me." He tells the boy. Henry nodded in response and followed Pan through the jungle. Meanwhile, Felix appeared behind Y/n on the bed. "They're gone." He informs her. The lost girl opened her eyes and looked up at Felix. "Took them long enough." She said. She pushed the covers off her body. She jumped off the bed and walked to the camp with Felix. Y/n stood on top of the rock Pan just stood on. All the boys started to cheer and shout again. Y/n holds up her hands, telling them to stop their cheering. There was a small moment of silence until Y/n opened her mouth. "Who wants to go hunting?" She asked. Everyone raised their hands. "Let's go, let's go, let's go!" She exclaimed. Felix tossed Y/n her bow and arrows and her dagger. "Glad to have you back." He tells her. "Glad to be back. Couldn't let my best friend do anything stupid until I got back." She shrugged. "How could I? You took all the stupid with you." Felix joked. 

A while later, the adults arrived at the camp. The lost boys and girl had returned and sat around the campfires. They were laughing and chatting with each other as they ate. "Can I at least use magic on these boys?" Gold asked his son. "No," Neal tells him. Both Killian and Neal searched for Y/n. But they couldn't find her. "I'll do it" Regina replied. She holds up her hand. "Do you remember the spell?" Mr. Gold asked her. Regina rolls her eyes at the man and spells the children in front of them. As soon as they were all out, the adults stormed into camp. "Where's Pan?" Neal questioned. "I don't know." Emma answered as she looked around, "Henry!" She called. "He's gotta be somewhere," David tells them. "Where?" Snow replied. Someone then walked towards them from the jungle. "So, my welcome home gift is cooking for you all. That is so unfair!" Y/n exclaimed. Her eyes fell on the adults who stood in the camp. She dropped the wooden tray with meat on it. She ran back into the jungle. "Grab her!" Snow called out. Emma was about to run after her when Regina used her magic to stop the girl. The lost girl groaned as her feet were glued to the ground. Regina used her magic to pull the girl back to them. "Well played," Y/n said. Regina forced her to sit down. "Where's Henry?" Emma asked her. "If you think I'm intimidated by your magic-" She started. "We're not trying to scare you. We just need your help." Neal stepped up. Y/n looked at her. "Do I know you?" She asked him. Neal smiled at her. "It's Baelfire." He tells her. Y/n furrowed her eyebrows. "Bae?" She whispered. Neal stepped towards her. He crouched in front of her. "Y/n, we need your help. Pan has my son. Do you know where he is?" Neal asked the girl. "You have a son?" Y/n asked him. "She's playing tricks on you, mate," Killian spoke up. Neal looks into Y/n's eyes. "Is that true?" He asked her. She sighs and rolls her eyes. "You didn't even give me a chance, captain." She complained. "Y/n-" Neal started. 

"You don't understand, Bae. You could never understand." She tells him. "What did he do to you?" Emma asked her. Y/n didn't open her mouth. Neal crouched in front of her again. "Y/n?" He said. She made eye contact with Killian. The pirate noticed a little glimpse of light in her eyes. That little glimpse was enough to understand what Pan did to her. "I'm done waiting," Regina spoke up. She used her magic to strangle her. Y/n gasped for air. She grabbed her neck. "Enough...that's enough!" Killian shouted at her. Regina glanced over her shoulder. "Are you really going to fall for this?!" She asked him, "She can't be trusted!" She added. Killian drew his sword and holds it at her neck. "Enough." He tells her. Regina lowers her hand, letting go of the girl. She gasped for air. Neal puts his hand on her back. "Are you okay?" He asked her. She nodded and looked at him. "Y/n, we really need your help. We can get you out of here." He tells her, "You can get away from him." He whispered. "I don't want to get away from him. He's my happy ending." Y/n tells him. "He's not," Emma tells her. "How could you know? All of this is for us. For our happy ending. My happy ending." Y/n tells them. "Trust me, whatever he's promised, he will go back on his word." Gold tells her. "You don't know him. Pan only wants what's best for us. With Henry's heart, he will be immortal, and powerful." She snaps at him. She looked at the pirate. "He promised me." She whispered. Killian walked towards her. "You know better than this, Y/n. I would never lie to you. Tell us where the boy is so we can save him. Once we get the boy, we can get you off this island." He assures her. "I'm not telling you where he is, Killian. I am loyal to Pan." She whispered. He sighed and turned to Regina. "Do it." He tells her. "With pleasure." She replied. She raised her hand again and used her magic to choke her again.