¥ - Lost and Found - Peter Pan (Robbie Kay) - ¥

¥ 14 - Once Upon A Time ¥

Aria's mind was blown as her brain combusted at the revelation.

Heart.

The Heart.

Neverland's Heart.

It was her? Or it was inside her? No, it was hers, she remembered the heart's memories. The island wasn't protecting her, she was protecting herself unknowingly. She was the heart of Neverland. Aria had the heart of Neverland inside her and Pan didn't know. He thought the Darlings stole it, that he had lost it forever. Aria had found her home, and what had been lost to Neverland forever was found and returned.

With one last unsure breath, Aria passed out, her audience being utterly confused.

As Aria remained unconscious her captors left her be, bound her to a tree and moved onwards to save Henry. They didn't have time to save Aria, who had tricked them in the first place.

Meanwhile as Aria slept, her mind wandered into the memory of her heart, the memories it held of Peter Pan.

Neverland's Lost Boy.

Her Lost Boy.

Once upon a time, many years prior, when the heart of Neverland and its power remained secret to only one.

Neverland had made its promise with the man that wanted to be a boy. It exposed its power to the human and allowed for the creation of its first boy of Neverland. Peter Pan.

Neverland hid its heart deep within the forest, caring for it and defending it with layers of dreamshade and poisonous creatures and the boy had not questioned its reason of doing so. Instead the boy had learnt well, adapted quickly to the island's environment and began living happily. On Neverland as long as you dreamt it, believed you had it, then it would be yours. The boy's imagination knew no bounds and the island was amazed and delighted to keep up with such a bright and interesting child.

It helped sometimes, when the boy needed aid, Neverland would hear him sweetly ask for something and gladly give it to him. In return, when the island suffered from forest fires or treasure hunters, pirates and the likes, the boy would defend it, even soothing it with the subtle tones of wooden panpipes to calm the screeching creatures of the forests. Despite being unable to speak directly to the smiling boy, Neverland showed its appreciation in other ways, glistening food, fresh springs, even sprouting flowers for him. Roses for love, daffodils for his sunshine, daisies for his innocence. It always made sure to lead him on paths cleared of dreamshade and ensure his safe return to his created home. The child was intriguing to Neverland and the island had even began to love the boy filled with dreams and imagination.

The island's favourite golden boy remained that way, until his loneliness was no longer comforted by the gifts of nature around him. One day he brought boys back, only boys, and entreated them to join him on the island, that it was a sanctuary for them. Hoping the boy was saving the other children, (it refused to believe he was stealing them from their homes), the island helped them too, caring for these Lost Boys as it had helped the original. However, when Peter Pan's sunny eyed smile turned fierce and sharp it felt used and forgotten. Peter Pan had stopped loving it back in return. Had stopped loving altogether.

Neverland stopped assisting the Lost Boys he brought back, would refuse to encourage these games that he put on. No matter how hard the island tried to prevent the violence and angered nature of the boys, they remained the same under Pan's iron grasp. It wondered what had happened to the child it loved, the boy with a heart of dreams and wishes. It tried time and time again to find that boy, to search for him within this new boy, but he was lost now too.

Betrayed by its only love the island revealed itself to the visitors which seemed to disrupt Pan, to disobey his cruel words and encourage kindness. One exception had been the day where Peter had finally realised the island's defiance against him. In his evil mind he decided to burn a part of the forest and in trying to heal itself the island left its heart unprotected. A pirate, a familiar and reoccurring face to Neverland, snuck its way inside and took the heart.

With the heart removed the immediate area began to wilt and the heart glowed as it stayed in the pouch of the crook. It could still feel the connection between heart and body, even when taken aboard the waters of its shore. But as it grew further away it's grasp weakened along with its power. Only then did Pan realise his mistake, when his youth flickered his mistake of hurting Neverland reminded him it would cost him his life. So Pan had found the heart and recovered it, taking it to its rightful home.

The boy took his time placing the heart in its position, thoughtful eyes watching as the forest of Neverland struggled without its source. The island wanted to believe that their boy with the sun for a smile had returned, realising his mistake and the great things the island had truly done for him. It reached desperately for a way to find him, but failed. Instead Pan wanted more. To find a way to bind the heart with his, to be immortal forever.

That is why when the three Darling siblings had found the heart, planned to steal it away forever, the island had allowed them to do so. Pan had been caught off guard, reawakened to love by the sister whilst the brothers searched for the heart. Once found they ran, but Wendy was kept by Peter, ensnaring the girl he loved because she betrayed him. The Darling boys escaped to a world beyond. The heart of Neverland was lost for the time being and the island was happy, would treasure its last days afloat in paradise knowing it had saved the world. Peter Pan was not their child anymore. He was a creature unknown and it had to find a way to remove it from its paradise.