Chapter IX

Years passed. Nobody came or went from the island. Time continued to tick but it didn't really feel like. Bae and I practiced with our swords. I got great with the two swords, and I got good enough with the bow and arrow that I could actually hit the target. We hunted, and fished, traded with Tink. Pan and the lost boys never bothered us again. The tallies on Bae's wall got grew and grew. Nobody came for us.

"If we ever get off of this island, where are you going to go?" I was laying on my bed with my feet up on the wall and my head hanging off the edge.

"A land without magic. I was there before the shadow brought me here."

"Why did the shadow take you?"

He was quiet for a moment.

"I was protecting a friend. Pan ended up getting her anyways. I've tried to find her, but it's impossible."

"You're sure?"

"Yea, I've tried more times than I can count." We both sat quietly for a few minutes. He was cooking a rabbit he had caught earlier that day. The smell of it on the fire filled the small hut, creating a warm comforting feeling. Bae and I had become a family. We both missed our fathers, but we had found each other and learned how to be happy without them.

"Bae? What will you do in this land with no magic? Who will you be?"

He turned away from the fire and stared at me while he thought. His hair was really long now, he asked me to cut it once and a while but he seemed to like it long. His cheeks were red from staring into the fire while he cooked. Neither of us had aged at all since we arrived here.

"I guess I'll have to wait and see what kind of world the land with no magic is. It was much more modern there than it is here, but it's also been decades since I was there. I can only imagine what it's like there now." I pondered for a minute.

"Will you change your name when you get there? Or will you stay Baelfire?"

"I don't know I haven't really thought about it. Why are you asking all of this?"

"I'm just wondering. I don't know. I guess I'm just thinking about getting off of here one day. I don't know where I'll go if I do. I have no idea what's happened to my daddy, if he's okay, if he knows that I'm okay. I was thinking I might go wherever you go."

He smiled as he got up. He took the rabbit off the fire and started preparing our plates.

"I'd be happy if you came with me. We're a family Mar." I smiled and straightened up as he walked over with our food. We ate in silence.

"Neal."

"What?"

"I'd call myself Neal. Wendy had a friend named Neal back in London. I liked the name." I nodded and sucked the last piece of meat off the thighbone I'd be chewing on. "What would you call yourself if we get to go to the land with no magic?"

I thought about his question. I hadn't ever thought about needing a different name.

"I've never actually thought about it before. I guess I'd just go by our mother's name. It seems simple enough."

"No, that's too obvious. What if we end up back in the enchanted forest and Black Beard goes looking for you? Or worse, my father hears about you and decides to look into you?"

"You think he'd hurt me? But my daddy would know it was me, so there's that.

"I don't know, he might not even care. But you should still come up with something a little bit more original."

I thought again, harder and longer this time. Different names drifted through my head, but none of them seemed right. I liked my own name. Daddy had chosen it just for me, why would I ever want to change it?

"Cassidy? That's a pretty name."

"Hm." He pursed his lips as he thought about my suggestion. "I like it. It's a pretty name. It suits you."

I smiled at him, proud of myself for finding a name he liked. I got up, taking his plate as I did, and walked over to the little table at the back of the hut to clean them and put them away. Bae got up and went to stoke the little fire by the door. It was dark but the night was calm. A cool breeze blew through the hut, making me glad for the fire. Days in the jungle were warm and muggy, but the nights were always cool.

I dragged my feet over to my bed. We had had a long day of practicing with our weapons and hunting. My arms ached from wielding my two swords. My body felt heavy and I was excited for sleep. I crawled under my covers and settled in for the night. I knew sleep was going to take me quickly and before I knew it the world faded away into darkness.

"Mara, MARA! Wake up, come on, wake up Mara!" Someone was whispering loudly in my ear and shaking me. I thought maybe it was mummy again, but as I came to I realized it was a boys voice. I slowly opened my eyes to see a boy around Bae's age bending over me. His hair was long and brown; his face seemed familiar but I couldn't seem to place where I'd seen him before.

I shot straight up and yelled, trying to wake up Bae. I stood on my bed with my back against the wall; the stranger was standing between my swords and me so there was no way I could defeat him.

"Mara, it's okay, it's just m-" He fell over with Bae on top of him. The boy tried to roll over so he could face Bae, but he couldn't quite get around. Bae pushed the boys face down into the pallet.

"Who are you!? Why are you here?" We could hear the boy mumble something into the mattress.

"Let his head go, I can't hear what he's saying." Bae looked at me suspiciously and slowly moved his hand off the stranger's head. The boy turned his head to the side and sucked in air.

"Mara, it's me, Louis! I came back for you!" Bae and I looked up at each other and just stared for a moment. That's why he'd seemed so familiar. His father was the one who had kidnapped me; I had slept in his bed because he didn't want me to freeze on deck.

"What do you mean you came back for me? It's been years. Almost fifteen. Where have you been?"

"I know, I'm sorry. I wasn't exactly able to leave my father's ship to come find you. Something's happened in the Enchanted Forest, I didn't know if it had affected you here and I wanted to make sure you were okay. It's taken me a while to get here."

"How long is a while?" Bae asked as he climbed off of Louis. "What happened?"

"The Evil Queen. She cast a curse. Everyone in the Enchanted Forest is gone. It's been 5 years since everyone disappeared. There's one place that wasn't touched, and those of us out at sea were spared. We don't know where they went."

"What about my daddy? What happened to him? He was one of the one's who was spared?" My heart started pounding, I didn't dare think that daddy had been ripped away from the Enchanted Forest. There was no way I'd be able to find him if he had.

"He's still around. He's working with the Evil Queen's mother now though, and she's scarier than her daughter ever was." I sighed with relief. There was still hope that I'd find him.

"Why did the Evil Queen do this? I didn't think she was that powerful." Bae sat on the floor. His head was cocked to the side, thinking.

"She shouldn't be, but she was trained by the Dark One. She hates Snow White, her stepdaughter. No one really knows why. Rumor has it, she has a magic mirror who told her than Snow White was prettier than her, but who knows for sure. Women are crazy." I turned and gave him the dirtiest look I could muster.

"The Dark One would be able to cast a curse that strong." Bae picked at something on the ground as he spoke. He knew first hand the strength of the Dark One.

"So, are you just here to see if I'm okay, or are you going to help us get off this stupid island?" I put my hands on my hips as I asked. I wouldn't have been surprised if he just came to make sure his father's treasure was still safe, but I was hoping he was there for me.

"Well, I came to get you, I didn't anticipate having to take anyone else with me." He looked shyly at Bae.

"Well you're going to have to. I'm not leaving without Bae."

"Mar, it's okay. If he can't take me then that's fine. I've gotten used to being here." Bae got up and started leaving the room. I got up and followed him, grabbing his arm to stop him.

"No, if he can't take both of us he's not taking either of us." I turned to Louis as I talked. I wasn't leaving Bae here for who knows how long, we'd both been here long enough.

"Are you almost done Lou? I'm hungry." A whiny boy about my size walked into the hut. He looked just like Louis; he had long sandy brown hair and big dark brown eyes. He was tall and thin.

"Isaac, I said stay outside, I'd only be a little while. We'll get something to eat when we get back." Louis pushed passed Bae and I to get to the new boy.

"Who's this?" I gestured to the boy. He had to be my age, give or take a year. Louis got up and ran to the door where the boy stood.

"My brother. He was born just before the curse. We've been on at sea since, so it hasn't affected us like others. Where the Evil Queen's mother is, time has stood still. That's where your father is most of the time. I can take you back to him Mara."

I turned to Bae. I wanted to go with him, but I wanted to see my daddy again. I didn't expect he would want to come back to the Enchanted Forest with me. He seemed to have the same thought as me.

"Is the Dark One still in the Enchanted Forest?"

"No, he left with the curse."

I stared at Bae, pleading that he come with me.

"How are we getting off? Pan is probably already on his way."

"We're getting off with this." Louis pulled a clear bean out of his pocket.

"Is that a magic bean?" Bae rushed over to Louis to examine the bean. Bae had told me that it was a magic bean that had gotten him to the land with no magic years earlier.

"Can we all go through?" I walked over to where the three boys were standing. They were all examining the bean together.

"Yea, of course. You just have to think of a place when you jump into the portal and you'll go there." Louis spoke up before Bae had a chance to.

"What about a person? What if I thought about my daddy when we jumped in, would it take me to my daddy?" Bae spoke up this time.

"I don't think it works that way. I'm pretty sure it's just a place. That's what the Blue Faerie told me anyways." I nodded my head sadly.

"But if we jump in we can get to the safe haven, if your daddy isn't there the people who are will know where he is. We'll be able to find him Mara."

I couldn't take my eyes off of Bae. I wanted him to come with me. To come find my daddy with me so the three of us could be a family. I just wanted to be a family so bad. He stared back. I could tell he knew what I was thinking and trying to make up his mind as to if he would come with me. Finally he looked down at his feet. He'd made up his mind.

"Does everyone have to go to the same place?"

"I don't really know why?" Louis seemed really confused at Bae's question. Bae turned back to me, his eyes were sad.

"Bae please. Please come with me. I thought we were a family." He walked over to me and grabbed my arm, pulling me away from Louis and his brother.

"Mar, I promised myself I wouldn't go back there. We are family, so come with me. It's been years since you've seen your papa, come with me and we can be a family." I couldn't believe my ears. How could he be trying to talk me out of finding my daddy?

"No, I have to find my daddy. If you want to go to your land with no magic then go. But I'm going with Louis. He'll help me find my daddy." I pulled my arm out of his hand and went back over to the other boys. "Let's get going. Pan will probably be here anytime."

Bae pushed passed me and grabbed Louis, dragging him out of the hut. I followed them to the door but stayed inside, eavesdropping on them.

"You have to take care of her. If you don't I'm holding you responsible and if I ever come back here and find out that you haven't taken care of her, I will take care of you." Louis puffed his chest out. I rolled my eyes at the silly display of manliness.

"I'll take care of her. I promise. I may have only known her for a few days, but I do care about her. I wouldn't have come back for her if I didn't."

"Yea, well you didn't exactly rush back here." Bae turned to come back into the hut but Louis caught his arm and held him back.

"I came as soon as I could. I've regretted letting my father hand her over to Pan since I lost sight of her that day. I'm here now, and I'm going to take the best care of her I can. I promise you."

Bae stood there, staring at Louis for a moment before sighing and nodding his head. Louis released him and they came back into the hut. Bae didn't say a word; he just grabbed me and hugged me. I wanted to cry. I didn't want another goodbye, I wanted him to come with me.

"Take your swords, keep practicing. We'll see each other again. I can feel it."

"How? You're going to the land with no magic!"

"Just trust me okay? I have a feeling. You know my feelings." I squeezed him harder. I wasn't going to cry. I refused.

He finally let go of me and rubbed his eyes. I didn't want to let the tears fall, but I did. He hugged me again when he saw me crying.

"It's going to be okay Mar. Louis is going to take care of you for me. And I know we'll see each other again. I just know it. Now go and find your dad." He let me go and ruffled my hair. I went over to the table where I had left my swords the night before. I tied my scabbards around my waist and turned around the hut. I didn't want to leave anything important behind.

"We have to go Mara, we've been here too long already. We can't risk any more time." Louis urged me. I turned to face them; they were standing together waiting for me. Bae's eyes were watery and he was staring at me sadly.

"Okay, I'm ready." I walked over and hugged Bae again. I held on to him as we walked out of the hut. The jungle was empty of Lost boys and oddly quiet. Louis squeezed the bean and tossed it ahead of us.

"I'm going to wait and jump in after you three, that way we don't all get mixed up, okay? Don't think about your daddy, think about the safe haven. You don't know what might happen if you think of your daddy." I nodded and he let me go. "I'll miss you Mar. You're the best little sister I could have asked for."

He smiled as I took Louis hand and jumped into the portal. I thought hard about the safe haven. We spun and spun and spun until I thought my head was going to snap off my neck we were spinning so hard. I screamed as I lost my grip on Louis' hand I didn't want to lose them, I didn't want to be alone. I closed my eyes and tried to stay calm. The portal pushed and pulled me and I didn't know if I would even survive this.

Just when I thought it was never going to end, I landed flat on my stomach in some grass.

"MARA! MARA! Oh my god I thought I'd lost you! Baelfire would have killed me." Louis grabbed me and helped me up. We'd landed on a beach, just feet from a wooded area. Isaac was on his knees panting not far from me on my right. "Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?"

"No, no. I'm fine. Just a little bit out of breath, that's all. I'll be fine."

"Well, who do we have here? I don't believe I've ever seen you three before."

At the foot of the woods a woman stood, examining us. She was dressed regally and had dark brown hair.

"Who are you?" Louis inquired as he helped his brother up. "Is this the safe haven?"

She looked at us curiously, deciding what to tell us.

"Yes, this is the safe haven, and you can call me Cora."