Chapter 11: Betrayal

Claire

The darkness of the cave grew heavier by the moment and Claire glanced towards Pan irritably. "I guess it'd be too much to ask for a light?"

He chuckled softly as she began to slow her pace, wary of falling or colliding with something. "I can see in the dark," Pan said decisively. Claire could only manage a few more steps before it became impossible for her to see at all and she stopped.

"Well I can't," she pointed out, stretching her arms out in front of her to feel for obstacles. A strong hand came up to grasp hers and before she knew it Pan was pulling her along beside him.

"I'll hold your hand then," he purred, keeping a strong grip on her wrist in case she decided to be stubborn. They continued on in silence for a while with Pan guiding her but she grew impatient when his thumb started stroking small circles against the inside of her palm.

"How much further?" she complained after a few more minutes, tensing slightly when Pan's hand slipped from her grasp.

"We're here," he answered and Claire blinked suddenly against the harsh light that momentarily blinded her. When she dared to open her eyes again, they were standing in the middle of a well lit cavern with flaming torches adorning the walls and ceiling.

"What happened?" she blinked in astonishment as her eyes adjusted to the brightness. "Why is it so light all of a sudden?"

"Congratulations," Pan smirked at her. "You just passed the first stage of the Nightmare Cave; the darkness." He gestured behind her and Claire followed his gaze to a marked archway, leading back the way they had come.

"You can't see this room from the tunnel," she realized as her gaze roved over the cavern. "Why?"

Pan shrugged. "Some people are scared of the dark. This place was intended to play upon a person's worst fears."

A thought occurred to her and Claire turned, raising an eyebrow at him. "You can't really see in the dark, can you?"

He sniggered. "Guilty."

She scoffed, returning her attention to the cavern which was largely empty despite the torches. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the only other thing in the room; an odd painting of a doorway on the far wall. She moved closer to it, her fingers brushing against the rocky surface but there was nothing extraordinary about it. Despite the unusual patterns and symbols outlining the frame, it was still just a painting.

She glanced back at Pan to see that he was watching her, gauging her reaction. "There's no other way out," she said, indicating the useless doorway. "This isn't a real door."

"Drats," he said sarcastically. "I guess we had better head back."

She knew he was teasing her so she returned her eyes to the painting of the doorway. "The boys came through here, so there must be a way through."

"There must be," he agreed playfully.

Claire ignored his mocking tone as she studied the symbols decorating the doorway. "What nightmare is this?"

"You tell me."

She spun to face him again but froze when she was met with an empty cavern. Her eyes scanned the room frantically and she realized with horror that the tunnel leading back out of the cave had also disappeared. She was trapped.

"Pan?" she called, tensing as her timid voice bounced off the cavern walls and echoed back at her. "Where did you go?"

She received no answer and the feeling of horror increased to one of sheer panic. She did not think of herself as someone who suffered from claustrophobia but the idea that she might never be able to escape this place suddenly became very real to her. "Pan!"

She whirled back towards the painted doorway, her fingers fumbling over its surface as she tried to push against it, hoping for some secret panel. "Come on," she breathed when her fingers scraped uselessly over the rock and she began to pound against it. "Damn it!"

She turned away, moving to every corner of the room as she searched for some hidden way out, running her fingers over every crevice and every surface. When she found none, she let out a soft cry of frustration, moving back toward the centre of the cavern. She tried to keep calm, knowing that this was a test but somehow that made it seem worse. If this was a test then why couldn't she get out?

She ran back towards the doorway, attempting to calm her breathing as she pushed against it again. "Think the Matrix," she told herself. "It's not about trying to open the door; it's about realising that the door isn't really there." She tried again to gently push against the painted doorway but her fingers only met with rock once more.

"Think Divergent," she told herself, her voice becoming more shrill. "This isn't real." Again her fingers met with stone.

With a cry she tore herself away from the wall and backed up a few steps. "Think Harry Potter," she said, her voice growing louder. Platform nine and three quarters here I come! She ran full pelt towards the wall and let out a cry of indignation as she collided with the solid stone. She heard the sickening crack of her shoulder as it broke upon impact and she fell back against the rocky floor, breathing heavily from the realization that she really was trapped.

"No," she whispered to herself. "No, no, no there has to be a way out." She glanced at her shoulder briefly, unable to feel the pain but imagining the predicament she would be in if she was without her healing power. She sunk into a weary heap on the floor and her gaze drifted momentarily to her blood which now decorated the stone symbols. She sat there for what seemed like hours, staring at the doorway and silently cursing Pan for bringing her into this Hell.

When she couldn't take it anymore, she moved to stand up but fell down again when her arm collapsed from underneath her. She frowned, staring at her shoulder in alarm as she noticed that the bones and tendons had yet to knit themselves back together. Her arm dangled at her side, the bones splintered and though she still couldn't feel the pain, her shoulder and collarbone remained very much broken. She attempted to process this new development, trying to understand why she had suddenly lost her ability to heal. An idea occurred to her and she looked back towards the doorway as hope rekindled within her.

"Think like Peter Pan," she said softly. "Use your imagination."

Aside from the fact that the door in front of her was not three dimensional, there was something else very obvious that was also missing. She struggled to her feet with one arm and moved toward the doorway again as her mind envisioned what the door was lacking. She concentrated all of her efforts on that one thought as she raised her good hand towards the surface again, praying that this would work. She saw it in her mind's eye, as her fingers shook with uncertainty and after a moment of hesitation, her vision at last materialised in front of her.

A doorhandle.

Pan and Claire

With a sigh of sheer relief, Claire's good hand grasped the handle firmly and she pulled, throwing open the now corporeal door and feeling an odd sensation as she was sucked through it. She landed in a heap upon the ground, but the relief of finally being out of that room far outweighed the indignity of her landing on her backside. She could feel the grass beneath her which only added to her joy as she saw that she was back outside in a small forest clearing. She turned over onto her back, her eyes cast towards the sky as she let out a laugh of giddiness.

"I see you're very pleased with yourself."

Her eyes rolled back as she tilted her head to be greeted with the upside down image of Pan standing a few feet from her. She sat up, her fingers skimming over her newly healed arm as she slowly got to her feet.

"Yeah," she said slowly. "Turns out I just had to think a little more like you. Makes sense, I guess. This is Neverland after all."

As she stared at him, an odd feeling came over her. She felt like she should be angrier with Pan than she was, after all he had led her into that cave. But there was something odd in his expression that caused her to falter, something that made her not be angry with him.

"So I guess you were facing your worst nightmare whilst I was facing mine?" she guessed, mistaking his strange look for fear of what he had faced.

He turned away from her as he kicked the dirt at his shoes, refusing to meet her gaze directly. "Once you've faced your worst fears in that cave, it can't hurt you again. I've been in that cave plenty of times."

Claire frowned in confusion. "But I didn't face my worst fear. That... that was just a nightmare wasn't it?" She replayed her fear of being trapped inside the room over in her mind, shaking her head as she thought of all the other awful things that could have happened. "No there are worse things."

Pan snorted suddenly, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. "Of course you would think that wouldn't you? Everyone thinks that their worst fear is some noble idea; like seeing all of their loved ones dead, or watching the world burn away into nothing." He turned and Claire was taken aback by that strange look in his eyes again. It was beginning to scare her.

"No, Claire," he said, startling her by addressing her by her name. "Most people's fears are far simpler than that. The fear that we'll die slowly and painfully. The fear that we'll be buried alive, over and over again." His gaze slid to hers. "The fear of being trapped alone and forgotten in a room forever... and no one ever knowing what happened to you."

Claire blinked. "You saw? You saw all of it and you did nothing?" She couldn't help the feeling of betrayal that crept over her as he remained impassive before her. But the look in his eyes said it all. He had seen every moment. He had seen her beating her fists bloody against the stone, he had even seen her run headlong into the wall and yet he had not come to her aid.

A muscle ticked in his jaw and he briefly clenched his fist. "I couldn't," he said stiffly.

"Bull," she said acidly as she crossed her arms. "I guess you should be proud. You finally managed to scare me after all. And for what?" She threw her hands up, indicating the forest clearing. "We're back outside. I didn't even get the clue!"

"Forget about the clue," he growled, moving closer to her.

She took a step back as he advanced on her and he paused, gauging her furious expression. "You were going to help me get that mirror," she said, her eyes narrowing. "You were going to help me see my family again."

"Claire," he warned.

"No," she cut across him, hating the sound of her voice cracking. "I got past your stupid nightmare test. I faced my worst fear, or so you say. So why didn't I get the clue?"

"Because I took you out of there," he interrupted, closing his eyes in resignation.

Claire faltered for a moment. "What?"

"I took you out of there before you could reach the final stage of the test," he muttered, as though ashamed of himself.

"There was more?" she asked, horrified.

"Yes." Pan was avoiding her direct gaze and Claire suddenly fed up stepped forward, trying to read his expression. She studied him for a moment as he stared determinedly at a spot over her shoulder and her eyes widened in realization. She was right; it was fear she saw reflected in his eyes. But it wasn't fear for himself.

"You were afraid," she murmured.

His eyes flicked to her and she saw the anger simmering beneath the surface; but the fear was undeniable now. "And you're a fool," he hissed, his hands coming up to grasp her shoulders, not harshly but just to keep her in place.

His expression softened a bit. "You're indestructible, Angel," he murmured. "Why would you have a fear like that?"

"Because," she replied honestly. "It's just about the only thing that can hurt me."

"You could have been stuck in there you know," he said, gritting his teeth. "If you hadn't figured it out, you could have been banging your fists against those walls for eternity."

"Why would you lead me into a place like that then?" she asked, appalled at the idea that such a place could even exist.

"Because," he said in exasperation, whirling away from her. "Because I didn't think... I didn't know that you were..." His arms came up to wrap around his head as he inwardly groaned. "I thought that you weren't afraid."

"Seriously?" Claire stared at him incredulously.

"You jumped in front of an arrow to save a mermaid!"

"I can't die! That doesn't mean I'm fearless! For God's sake, everyone is afraid of something!" She could hardly believe that she had to explain this to him of all people.

"I know that," he shot back. "I just didn't think that yours would be so... Look I didn't think it would put you in danger, alright?"

"So you pulled me out," she finished for him.

He gave one firm nod as he avoided her gaze again. "As soon as you finished your test my magic pulled you out, yes."

He paced beside her, his eyes shifting briefly to the shoulder that she had previously broken. "It was hard to watch," he admitted finally, his hand moving to run through his hair regretfully. "I truly thought you were going to go mad at one point. And I couldn't help you. I couldn't do anything until you passed the test. And then you ran into that wall..." He trailed off as he bit his tongue at the awful memory.

"You wanted to know what it was I feared, didn't you?" she gasped and the realisation slammed into her like a tonne of bricks. "This was never about a treasure hunt. You wanted to get me into that cave." Claire knew she had hit the home when his face crumpled with guilt.

"You thought that by learning my worst fear that you would gain some advantage over me?" she accused. "It's all a game to you isn't it?"

Pan flinched but he was in front of her in an instant. "I would never have put you in danger intentionally," he reassured her, bringing his hands up to cradle her face. "No matter what the game, I never would have hurt you."

Her hands came up slowly to grasp his own and his face fell as she forcefully extricated herself from his grip. "You tricked me," she stated hurtfully.

"I got you out," he said, hurrying to reassure her. "And you won't have to worry about the clue. You can have the stupid mirror. I hid it in your room." He searched her face, trying to determine if he had been forgiven but Claire remained unmoved by his promises.

Her eyes turned glassy then and he recoiled slightly when she levelled him with a look of pity. "You want to know the sad thing?" she asked him softly. "I was beginning to think that maybe there was more to you. But I realise now that you're always going to need this. You keep playing these games because you need the victory to feel something; to feel anything. You can't even see that you've already lost."

"You don't know what you're talking about," he said in a harsh whisper as his expression hardened. "You have no idea."

"This thing between us," she continued, gesturing to both herself and Pan. "It's just another game. But what you don't realise is that you're playing alone."

She took a step back, ignoring the hand that Pan suddenly held out to her beseechingly. "Angel," he said in a low tone. "Enough of this." He widened the fingers of his outstretched hand in invitation. "Let's go home."

Claire gazed at his outstretched palm before her eyes flicked back to his face. "You know where I'll be," she said meaningfully, moving past him now and ignoring the pained look on his face. "And if you truly mean what you said before about not hurting me- then don't follow me."

She left without another word, leaving Pan alone with his fury as another odd feeling crept into his gut; a feeling he had not felt in centuries. Regret.

Claire

"Sienna!" Claire tore through the underbrush as she stumbled towards the Lagoon, desperate to reach the mermaid before Pan could change his mind and come after her. "Sienna!"

"Claire!" A dark head of curls appeared at the water's edge as the mermaid breached the surface, her eyes filled with worry. "I wasn't sure you'd be back," she said, biting her lip as Claire waded into the water knee deep.

"I saw it," Claire gasped. "I saw..." She tried to think of the word as she attempted to explain what had happened between her and Pan. "Something." She glanced around then, frowning as she noticed that someone else was decidedly absent. "Where's Wendy?"

"Dreaming," Sienna responded gently. "She asked me to put her to sleep for a while. She hasn't had a decent dream or a good night's sleep since she got here."

"That was a century ago," Claire said, her eyes widening.

"So you can imagine how tired she is," Sienna said dejectedly. "What did you see?"

"I think it was guilt. Pan actually felt regret," Claire said as she recalled the image of Pan as she left him alone in the woods. "He took me into the cave of Nightmares and somehow, his plan to discover my worst fear backfired. He ended up having to pull me out of there himself."

"And he felt guilt over this?" Sienna asked, her expression curious and hopeful.

"I think maybe you're right," Claire said quietly. "I think maybe there is something good in him. However small it may be."

"Then why are you here?" Sienna asked, tilting her head puzzlement.

"He needs to know that he hurt me," Claire said decidedly. "He needs that regret to eat away at him, so he can feel something besides the thrill of the game."

"But the longer he's away from you, the worse the darkness gets," Sienna reminded her.

"I'm going back," Claire said, surprised to find that she meant it. "I just need some time." Her hands pushed her hair away from her face, a habit she had become accustomed to when she was trying to reach a decision. "I need to think this through."

Sienna seemed to understand. "You want to be sure."

Claire's gaze dropped to hers. "I want to be right," she admitted softly. She thought about the mirror Pan had mentioned earlier, about how it could see into other worlds and she looked at Sienna with newfound hope. "Pan talked about a mirror earlier. A mirror that could see into other worlds."

Claire saw the spark of recognition within Sienna's eyes. "I have heard of such an artefact," Sienna confessed. "Legend says that it will reveal the reflection of anything that its bearer wishes to see."

"Including other worlds?" Claire clarified.

Sienna nodded. "Or so says the legend. I have never encountered such an artefact."

"Is it possible," Claire said thoughtfully. "I mean, could it potentially be used to see something within this world? Something hidden in Neverland?"

Sienna blinked. "Of course."

"Then there's only one way to be sure," Claire decided, her gaze now fixed upon the dark forest of Neverland. "There's only one way to prove if there is anything remotely redeemable left within Pan or if he really has given himself over to the darkness. He's fond of playing games; this could all just be an act."

It took Sienna a moment to understand what Claire was referring to. "His heart," Sienna gasped in realisation. "You want to see what's inside his heart."

"What's left of it," Claire agreed. "If the Shadow really has taken it, then it must be hidden somewhere within Neverland."

"How will you find the mirror?" Sienna asked doubtfully.

Claire smiled triumphantly. "For once, something seems to be working out for us. It's hidden in my room. I guess its Pan's version of an apology."

"He can't know that you're looking for his heart," Sienna warned. "The darkness in him is still strong and it will react to any threat against it."

"I'll be careful," Claire promised. "In the meantime, look after Wendy. I may have made a deal with Pan to keep you both safe but I don't expect the Lost Boys to hold to that promise."

Sienna gave an indignant flick of her tail. "I'm not scared of the Lost Boys," she huffed. "Besides, I've brought reinforcements this time." She tilted her head out towards the sea and Claire heard a resounding siren's call.

"Your sisters?" Claire guessed. "They've returned?"

"For the first time in a very long time," Sienna said. She looked at Claire very seriously then. "They have faith in you Claire. They really believe you might be the one to bring an end to Peter Pan's reign."

"Won't Pan sense that they're here?" Claire asked nervously. "Won't he come after you?"

"Let him," Sienna smiled. "It'll distract him from your primary goal; finding his heart. Even if that mirror does show you where it is, I doubt it will be easy to reach. You may have to soldier through several obstacles to get it. And it'll be dangerous. Even for you."

Claire gave a determined nod, turning to wade back towards the shore so that she could return to Pan before he came in search of her. "Claire?"

She turned back when Sienna voiced her name again. "There's something else you should know," she said, her eyes trailing towards the dark wood. "I felt a shift before in the water and the ground trembled slightly."

"What does that mean?"

"Usually it signals the arrival of a new soul," Sienna explained.

Claire considered Sienna's words. "So Pan brought someone new to the island? Or the Shadow did?"

Sienna shook her head. "Normally I would have thought so too. But Pan was with you and I saw the Shadow as soon as the tremors settled. It didn't bring anyone. And judging by the number of tremors, I'd say it was more than one person who arrived."

Claire froze. "My family?" she whispered. "Peter..."

"Peter?" Sienna frowned in confusion.

"Not Pan," Claire said with a slight shake of her head. "My uncle, Peter. Is it possible for someone else to make it through?"

"You did," Sienna said, lifting one shoulder slightly in contemplation.

"I'm not sure he'd know where to find me," Claire admitted to herself even though she wished with all her heart for it to true. "In my world... Neverland isn't real."

"Yes it is," Sienna affirmed. "You just didn't know it then."

"It doesn't matter," Claire said, her hope fading. "Neverland would be the last place that my family would think to look. In fact, they wouldn't even consider it." She glanced down at her dark reflection in the water. "Besides, this was what I wanted. To disappear somewhere I could never be found."

"Why?" Sienna asked, not understanding. "How can you protect your family if you're not with them?"

"Save the cheerleader," Claire recited. "Save the world." Then she sighed. "Sometimes I really hate my ability."