Chapter 46: Lights in the Dark

ELLE'S POV

Elle was awake. She had energy, nothing hurt, and the hair piled beside her face was glowing into her eyes. She sat up, not even sore or slightly fatigued. Her breathing was normal, her heartbeat calm, as if she had just been sleeping. She felt her magic humming through her, but…it was different. It was heavier, it felt stronger and…older, as if it had been in her body far longer than just over fifty years.

Gasping from beside her made her look, and her grey eyes met Felix's, whose were wide with shock and happiness and disbelief.

"Elle, you're alive?" he breathed, and she nodded. Then, fingers wrapped around her wrist. Her gasp caught in her throat and her gaze darted down, into bright, piercing brown.

Peter stared up at her, skin light but normal, eyes wide and alert. He raised himself slowly onto his elbows, staring into her, and then up until he sat beside her, fingers still clutching her wrist. She didn't want him to let go, one of them would disappear.

Then, blackness crept into her vision and Elle grew dizzy and weak. She felt arms go around her back and smelled the forest and magic. Her memory stopped after that.

PETER PAN'S POV

Sparks and fire raced through Peter's veins, burning and healing at the same time. He felt energy condensing in his muscles, yet he knew he wasn't moving. All he saw was white, blank and blinding.

And then, the white faded, growing paler and thinner and revealing rock…the ceiling. He felt hardness on his back, and dust between his fingers. He turned his head on the ground, and he wasn't dizzy or even remotely tired. He was at Skull Rock, he could see the base of the hourglass, the carved golden bones and skulls. And he saw pale fabric and a thin, pale arm with small hands and thin fingers. White hair fell down to her shoulder, and Peter reached out and gripped her wrist so tightly he was sure he should've snapped it.

His princess looked down at him, wide, silvery eyes clear and sparkling. He pushed himself up slowly, beginning to grow tired now. But he kept going, he had to sit up, he had to keep his hold on her hand, he had to talk to her. If they were dead, what had happened to her, that he was sorry. He was sitting up and staring at her, trying to understand. He watched as her eyes began to dull and her lids slid shut, and she fell forward. Peter couldn't speak, his throat wouldn't push words out, but he caught her and looked down at her.

She was paler than usual, but her hair was glowing faintly and her chest rose and fell steadily.

"What happened?" he breathed.

"I would ask you the same thing," he recognized Felix's low, gravelly voice immediately behind him. Peter twisted, keeping her in his arms against his chest. The two looked at each other for a moment, processing. Peter wasn't dead. He could feel his island, humming alive and strong. He had no idea how. Felix was there, standing normally. His princess was unconscious, yes, but she was far from death. As was he. Peter knew death, he'd died for an instant when he'd transformed back into a boy. But it was not an experience he would forget, and this was not death.

He felt his mouth twitch, and saw Felix's lips begin to slowly twist up into a smirk. Peter matched, and the two boys grinned at each other.

Wordless, Peter stood and picked up their little princess, carrying her out of the cave and across the narrow sand bridge from Skull Rock to the island, Felix following behind him. They were the only two who knew about this, it was more convenient than finding or conjuring a boat.

He wondered how his campsite was, remembering feeling her destroy it. Felix seemed to guess. "It's still up ahead, I would think healed," he spoke up. Peter had a few ideas, but he wanted his right hand's ideas as well. Felix could be uncannily accurate at guessing, and this was new for them both—for once, Peter didn't know exactly what was happening.

"Why would you think that?" he tried to smother the smirk he felt growing. Nevertheless, he was sure Felix at least heard it, seeing as Peter could hear his.

"You should have seen the island when you…died," he hesitated, but Peter kept walking, showing that it was alright. "It was falling to pieces, cracks were appearing and trees were falling and the fairies were scattering. Now, it looks like it did before."

"Before the hourglass was even a concern," Peter finished what he knew Felix was thinking. He'd always known, but he'd had centuries. Only the past few decades or so had the island and himself begun to show the first signs of dying.

Felix was right. Peter and he stepped into the clean, seemingly untouched campsite. Well, as clean and untouched as the group of nine confused, yet hopeful, boys could be as they seemed to search for clues to understand. Peter stayed still, standing just within their lines of sight with his princess still limp. Then, the Savior and her group of grown-ups stepped into the site. The Lost Boys turned in sync to stare at them, most of them tightening their grips on or picking up weapons. Peter felt the tension in the air.

"We don't know what's happened, we just want to know, too," the Savior tried, but Peter could hear her voice waver. He didn't want them to be here. His island was back, and he needed to figure out why and how and what the new conditions were. And he had to make sure their first, and only, Lost Girl was alright. He had work to do.

"Can't you hurry up and leave? Or did you enjoy my games so much you'd like to play another?" Peter barked, earning everyone's attention. He heard Felix snicker at his dramatic entrance. The boys' expressions melted into ones of excitement and relief and triumph, while the grown-ups looked further confused—and a tad nervous. Peter liked that.

"We just wanted to know…" Emma started, hesitating. Not so confident now.

"And make sure she's okay," Baelfire spoke up firmly, looking straight at Peter and motioning to the girl in his arms. Peter's stomach instantly clenched and he tightened his grip on her, sneering. He walked right in front of them, passed them, and into his tent, leaving the boys to deal with them for the moment. He laid their princess down on his cot gently, waving his glowing hand over her. Satisfied that there were no serious injuries, he walked back out after a minute and stood in front of the semicircle of boys and crossed his arms casually. It felt good.

Felix stood next to him, but spoke first. Somewhat surprising. "We don't really know what happened to her," he said simply, shrugging slightly. Peter understood. Who cared what happened, she was safe now, they all were.

The Dark One stepped forward, and the boys rippled behind Peter as they ducked into fighting stances. On his other side, Daniel practically growled. The dark One just smirked slightly. If he was going to gloat that he was out of his little prison, Peter thought with annoyance.

"I have a theory," he began, eyeing Peter. The leader of the Lost Boys shrugged slightly. "I believe she restored Neverland for you." He began pacing loosely, of course with his usual impish flourishes. "Her own magic was oh-so-great, natural and powerful. But no one person's magic can save a whole magical realm, not even Henry's, ha!

No, no. She saved you alone, Pan, with her magic. But you two are lovers, true?" Peter could see the taunting, smirking glint in his eyes even from ten steps away. He ground his teeth, but nodded. Lovers wasn't quite the word he would use. It was such a grown-up term. "True love, however, is enough for nearly anything even alone. Her magic, combined with the magic of true love, is how she saved, and still is sustaining, Neverland. The island has its own natural magic, very powerful, enough to have sustained you, and the Shadow, and the mermaids, and the fairies, and the Lost Boys, and all other creatures for all this time. But the mermaids sustain themselves, and were here since the beginning and thus their magic is woven into Neverland's. It's a balance. And now, Rapunzel has woven herself in, to save all of you."

"Shadow did say her heart would work," Peter murmured aloud, mostly to himself. Much as he hated to admit it, the Dark One's theory was highly plausible. All beings became connected to Neverland, as part of the price of immortality. The more magical the being naturally is, the more deeply they became a part of the island. Thus, Peter Pan's death caused the death of the island directly, and vice versa. He'd known this from the beginning, when the Shadow had shown him the hourglass.

"All the more reason," he nodded and waved his hand.

"Wait, her heart worked? Instead of Henry's? Why didn't they just do that in the first place?" the Evil Queen stepped forward, harsh and scowling. The boys behind Peter stepped forward, readying their weapons. Even Harry had an arrow notched as he glared. Peter himself tightened his hands into fists and glared. She fell quiet and stepped back, still scowling.

"You ought to leave now, before I change my mind and let the boys' first game be a hunting one," Peter growled, voice low but clearly heard. The boys rustled with energy, while the grown-ups stiffened. The Dark One just smirked while Hook, the Savior, the Evil Queen, and the Charming pair rolled their eyes in relief and began to leave. Baelfire just sighed and looked around the camp. Still, he and his father followed the rest of the grown-ups.

Peter waited with the boys, ignoring their questions until he felt them disappear, out of Neverland. Then he grinned at them all, who grinned back. Felix stepped up, and the boys began playing, as if nothing had happened. Peter wanted to join them, but he wanted to see his princess wake up first.

This mindset, this behavior, was different. But he didn't mind particularly. Neverland was safe now, they were going to live forever, as he'd planned. Plus, something about dying, then waking up and watching someone come back from death beside him, changes perspectives.

He walked into his tent and stopped, unable to breathe or move as those grey eyes held him in place. Her face was neutral—and covered in dirt—and her hair was tangled and caked in dirt as well. She just watched him as he took a deep breath and forced his wooden legs to move and sit next to her. His princess tilted her head, curious, waiting for him to speak.

"You saved Neverland," he started. She nodded, but her eyes didn't look sure. "You saved us, all of us. Thank you." She nodded again.

"How?" she asked quietly, leaning forward slightly. Peter opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Air wasn't getting into his lungs and his throat felt dry. Yet, he didn't feel nervous. He felt…anxious, energetic.

He had eternity to explain it to her, and to figure it out himself. They had eternity to play games on the island. The grown-ups had gone, leaving a far better resolution than Peter would have thought. He leaned forward and kissed his princess' lips, keeping his eyes open just enough to see hers close. Peter felt her grin into it, and he chuckled, before tilting his head and wrapping his arms around her back.

*Fin*