Innocence (OUAT/Peter Pan)

Chapter 6: Magic Lessons

PS from about a year after this was done...hahah...THANK YOU teacupwishes for the cover featured on the side!!!!:)

She next morning, she stepped out of the tent hesitantly, nervous to see the damage she'd done and how angry the boys-or worse, Pan-would be. She grimaced when she looked around. Besides branches and leaves scattered everywhere, the tents were all ripped and the boys' weapons were thrown every which way. It was a mess, and it was her fault. At last no one had gotten hurt, she grimaced as she eyed the poison-coated, lethal weapons. She crouched and began to drag branches off the ground, swinging them to the edges of the site; at least she could help clean up.

"Oh perfect, you want to help," Pan appeared behind her, smirking in amusement. She straightened and nodded. Her face plain and her eyes wide and honest, she looked into his face.

"I made this mess, the least I can do is help sort it," she stated simply. He chuckled when she turned to resume working. She stopped, huffed out a breath, and turned back to him. She grabbed a fistful of her hair and threw it over her head and out of her face. She really needed to find something to tie it back with; she'd never needed to in the tower since she didn't really do much, but here in the forest, her long, silky hair had become a mass of tangles, twigs, dirt, and leaves. She raised her eyebrows at Pan, waiting for him to explain the apparent joke.

"You're going to clean it all up," he declared smugly. She grit her teeth. She didn't have the energy to argue and she wasn't such a princess-despite their ideas-as to complain about a little work. In fact, it might be good. Surviving in the forest would require physical strength, she didn't want to rely on magic she couldn't control to help her. She again turned to drag a branch away. Again he chuckled. This time she ignored him.

"Not like that. This is lesson number one," he materialized beside her, his shoulder touching hers. She was getting used to it, but she still stumbled a step away at his proximity. And in confusion.

"What lesson?" she looked around, part of her expecting the other boys to come harass her. Any lesson he was teaching would probably be more like a punishment.

"Your magic, of course," his tone was as if he were talking to a child. She was too surprised to tell him she wasn't one.

"You're serious? You're really going to...teach...me...how to...how to," she stuttered, her eyes wide. Someone was really going to let her have control over it? No one had ever given her that, everyone wanted it for themselves. Her eyes narrowed. Everyone wanted it for themselves. "But only enough to give control to you, right?" she growled.

"I will require your power at times, most likely. And that will be the price-I will teach you to use your own power, and, in return, you will obey me when I ask you to use it for my purposes," he said easily, leaning back slightly and crossing his arms.

"I already know how to give someone else control, thanks," she muttered. "I can will it to someone."

"Oh I'd assume that. But you see, love, I do genuinely want to help you," he nodded enthusiastically. Mocking, always mocking. No one simply gave her her magic, they always wanted something from it. But he made a tempting offer.

"You'll teach me how to use it, to have complete control over it. And in return, if you call upon it, I use it as you wish?" she reiterated. He nodded. And smirked.

"When. When I call upon it."

"But besides those times, I have complete control, and can do whatever I wish with it?"

"Fine by me. So long as you don't get any cute ideas of attacking me. You'll never win those. You may be strong love, but I'm not one to be trifled with," he narrowed his eyes at the end, a dark grin at what he could do. She didn't doubt him. He stuck out his hand, and she shook it, staring him straight in the eye as she did.