Set Your Sails...to Neverland || Peter Pan, OUAT

Chapter 27 - Game Changer

"You heard Pan. You know what to do with him," Felix orders.

~ Davina

When I go down to the camp the next morning, one of the Lost Boys — Devin, I think — is pushing Henry around. Trying to make him fight. He pushes him, lightly once, and then harder the second time and Henry stumbles. There's a stick on the ground, and Devin urges him to pick it up and he does. They go into a play fight. I watch, seeing that Henry's practice with Charming is paying off. I smile, and I'm enjoying watching a good sword fight, even if they're just sticks. Then Pan walks over, and my smile falls.

"Wouldn't it be more fun if you had real swords?" Pan asks.

"I've never used a real sword," Henry replies, slightly panicked.

"This is Neverland and you have the heart of the truest believer. You can use whatever you want." Pan places a hand on Henry's shoulder, "You just need to believe, Henry. Close your eyes and believe you're holding a real sword,"

Henry closes his eyes and when he opens them again he's holding a blade in his hand.

"What are you waiting for? Go on!" Pan urges.

Henry charges Devin, and the Lost Boys cheer.

"Go on! Go for it! Keep going! Come on!" Pan shouts, with one stroke of his sword, Henry cuts Devin's stick in a half. "Come on, Henry!" Henry charges and hits Devin, drawing blood.

"I'm sorry. It was an accident!" Henry blurts out, shocked at himself.

"Henry. Don't you know the best thing about being a Lost Boy?" Pan hands Henry his sword back, "you never apologise," he turns to the Lost Boys. "Come on!" and the Lost Boys cheer loudly. Pan encourages Henry to raise his arm in victory, and he obliges.

"Yeah!" Henry shouts triumphantly.

I shake my head, "Pan, what have you done?" I whisper to myself, pushing myself to stand from leaning against the treehouse. "That was fun to watch. But, I would love another chance to fight one of these idiots," I say as I walk down, gesturing to the Lost Boys.

"Why?" Pan asks.

I shrug, "Why not? It's been a while,"

"Okay, fair enough. Who wants a go?" Pan asks, turning to the Lost Boys.

No one volunteers for a while and I'm feeling a little smug.

"What? Are you all too chicken to fight a girl?" I taunt, sticking my bottom lip out to mock them even more.

"I'll do it!"

Ricky.

He steps forward, "I've been waiting a while to do this,"

"So have I," I say.

He takes Henry's sword and I pull mine out of my scabbard. We take our positions facing each other. I bring up my left hand to show him that it's empty and then place it behind my back, and Ricky follows.

"Don't feel bad when I beat you," I say.

"You'll be the one feeling bad when I beat you," he counters.

"Whatever you want to believe," I reply.

Ricky suddenly swipes for me, but I step out of the way. Each of his moves, I block. His footwork isn't too bad, which suggests that he's been practising since that first lesson when I knocked Felix on his backside. My confidence pays off because Ricky begins to tire. Even when my focus diverts to something else, Ricky takes the opportunity to strike at me, but I knock the sword out of his hand without looking at him. I see movement in a wooden cage in the opposite corner. I walk over to that corner, and just as I see that it's Neal inside the cage, Pan appears in front of me. Henry is nowhere to be seen.