Potential for Darkness (Peter Pan)//(Robbie Kay)

18 ~ Fairyland

<<<Day 23>>>

Pan blinked into existence inside a forest, this one more welcoming and cheery than the one in Neverland, everything dotted with flowers and more pretty, useless things. Birds sang in the trees, butterflies fluttered in the light, warm air. Everything was so much more - Pan scrunched up his nose with contempt - fairyish.

"Ah - Peter Pan. We've been expecting you." A male fairy dressed entirely in cobalt blue made his appearance from behind the trees.

Pan had felt the presence, lingering in the shadows, but he'd been hoping for a lady to be waiting for him. It would've at least made the journey worthwhile.

Had he been able to, Pan wouldn't even had bothered to walk all the way to the palace, but the fairies had put up wards long ago around this city, powerful ones, that made it impossible to enter their grounds by magic. It irritated him, having to do as commoners did, to incline himself to the same rules. Then again, he flashed a self contented smirk, it was because of him those wards had been put in the first place.

"Well, I do hope you've been expecting me, since I alerted you of my arrival," he replied testily, cocking his head ever so slightly to the side.

The fairy's elvish features pinched up in dislike for only a moment before they relaxed into a mellow smile. "Of course, how foolish of me," he conceded. "Now if you would just state the reason for your visit - your message wasn't very precise."

Pan narrowed his eyes at him, and the fairy had the decency to look afraid. "This is a matter of importance that I am only willing to discuss with your king and queen. Not some doorman, or whatever you are," he added disdainfully.

The fairy nodded quickly, not daring to speak out of turn in Pan's presence. "Very well, sir, if you would just follow me, I shall lead you to Their Majesties." He indicated with his hand for Pan to follow him down a path. The fairy's pointed ears trembled slightly in fear as he turned his back to Neverland's king.

Pan smirked upon seeing this. He had always found it gratifying to see people he hadn't previously met tremble in his very presence. His reputation preceded him, making the ones he had to deal with, much more inclined to do as he wished.

The fairy, a slight quiver in his step, led Pan through their forest. The narrow, unused path merged with other ones until they were walking on the main route, smooth, worn paving stones under their feet.

The transition was so faint and subtle that Pan didn't immediately notice.

At first, there were only small huts, fitting inside the trunks of regular sized trees. But as Pan and his faerie guide proceeded onwards, the trunks became of larger scale, until they could contain a full size house of a couple of stories. Wooden doors and windows revealed which trees were hollowed out and inhabited which, as they had now completely entered the city, was every tree. Despite Pan's dislike for fairies and their vow to preserve nature, he had to give it to them, nature was beautiful.

But what he found odd, was that there was not a soul in sight. At some point in the past, he'd come here quite often, and the capital of Faery Hollow had always been alive and busy. Yet now, no one dared venture in the streets.

Pan could feel them, all of their presences, hidden safely inside their homes. He spared a glance inside one of them, spotting a woman looking at him through the window, terror etched on her features, holding behind her two children, as if she could somehow protect them of him. In another tree, home, whatever the fey called them, a man stood behind a half opened door, a hand resting on the pommel of his sword, fear and anger battling in his eyes. Pan smirked, satisfied, looking back in front of him.