The Heart Of The Truest Believer (OUAT fan-fic)

8 ~ I meet Peter Pan. What the heck?

Not again. I think. Oh, yes. Yes again. Once again the world turns, faster and faster, quicker than before. I feel that same, sickening feeling in my stomach. Then, the Queen's castle is replaced by a forest, and once again I thump to the ground, hard.

"Ooowww." I really have to learn how to land when I'm travelling places so fast.

I take a good look around when the spinning feeling finally stops, and I feel kind of normal again. Something about this place seems familiar. I put my hand on a tree and realize what tree it is. With a happy smile, I realize it's the tree in my dreams, the tree which has pixie dust.

Is this my dream land? Why would Cora send me here? Where is everyone? I try to stop my brain from overreacting, but it already is. Whirling. Imagine if I could... imagine something and it would be here.

I close my eyes and picture myself sitting on the top branch of the tree. When I open them, I'm perched on the very top branch itself.

"This is awesome!" I forget the fact that I'm still bruised and battered and imagine myself once again on the ground. I keep them closed and think about the cold brook in my dreams. Sure enough, when I open them, there it is, bubbling merrily at my feet. I bend down to taste the waters, which are crystal clear.

The brook fades away and I smile, pleased with myself. And then, there's the zing of something flying through the air. Seconds after that, something peirces my arm, and as pain flashes through my mind, I fall towards the sweet earth.

***********

The worst headache imaginable when my brain wakes me up. Throbbing. My head is throbbing. With each thought that goes through it it feels like a knife is jabbing it. My eyes don't want to open. "Who... whe..." My mouth works before my brain does, before I pry my eyes open to find a curious face staring at me.

"Pan," the voice says rigidly.

Another face takes its place - one that almost makes me laugh. "Pan.." I mumble. "Curious. As in... like.. Peter Pan?"

"The one and only." The brown haired boy is now staring at me with a hideously amused expression on his face. "Welcome to Neverland."

Yeah, OK great. actually, fantastic. This day couldn't get any better.

He smirks again, crossing his arms. "Do you believe me?"

""It's hard to say." I close my eyes. "I've seen a LOT of weird stuff today. I don't know what to believe.

When i go to move, I find my hands tightly restrained behind my back. Seriously? "Are the ropes really neccessary? I mean... It's not like I'm going to attack you."

"Believe me, you can get out of them any time you want to." He says carelessly, resting against the tree in front of me.

I wrack my brains for an explanation to what this means. Oh right, because I'm in Neverland now, right? I close my eyes, feel my hands free, willing the ropes to snap. Shocker, when I open my eyes, no more ropes.

I pull the left over rope off my hands in disgust and rub my numb hands.

"Well." Peter Pan looks around. "I hope you don't find me rude as to enquire why you're here?"

"Oh... uh... long story. Someone named... Hang on." My eyes narrow. "You're Peter Pan, right? That means you know Tinkerbell." It's more of a statement than a question. He stops leaning, suddenly interested.

"Tink? You met her?"

"Yes. She sent me to the Enchanted Forest and I met Robin Hood... and the evil Queen there, who sent me here."

"Queen, you say?" He asks.

I nod. "An evil one. Cora, her name was."

"Cora?" He laughs maliciously. "She survived, then. That's a surprise. She gave you that?"

He points to the long cut on my arm. I nod, rolling my eyes. "She said something... about me... having the heart of the truest believer... I don't know what it all means. In fact, I'd like to stop dreaming now, and go back home."

In a flash, Peter Pan is right in front of me. His face is shocked. I jump at how close he is, and how suddenly he appeared. I didn't know Peter Pan could do that. I try to rack my brains for memories about the stories I've read.

"You? There was another!" He looks excited. "I knew I wasn't wrong. Hold out your hand."

As about as confused as I can be, I hold out my right hand.

He waves his hand around my arm, and the cut vanishes. I watch it mend in morbid fascination as the tingling sensation grows around it. And now... apparently he has healing powers too. As curious as I am I'm more thankful that the pain is gone. Maybe Peter Pan isn't as bad after all. "Thanks." I run my hand over the place where the cut used to be.

"You're welcome." He grins. "There's far worse to come... when I get my hands on that conniving little fairy. Keep Henry company for me." He nods over to a little boy resting near the fire, then simply vanishes. I sit there, for perhaps 10 seconds, just gathering what I've seen. Not only did I just witness magic, I also met the real life Peter Pan...

Neverland? Peter Pan? I really am going insane.