Chapter Six: Game Changer

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"You'll never catch me Mary!" A small boy giggled, running from the girl with blonde hair. She laughed as well, chasing the small boy. Robin Hood watched from beside little John, and smile on his face. Over the past couple of days, he and his son had grown very close to the girl. All of his men had actually. She had a certain quality to her, something that attracted those around her. She had such a bright personality, even if there was a certain emptiness to the girl.
        Robin could sense the emptiness, for he too had it. He had asked her about it one day while the group was sitting around a fire. She said she had always felt it when she was in Storybrooke. She also told him about her lost memories, and that she doesn't remember who she was before the curse. Robin wondered if the girl could have lost her true love, like he had. It was the only explanation for the resounding sadness that the girls heart had, for he knew that pain well.
        But the girl still walked around with a smile on her face. Being with the boy gave her happiness, something that Robin admired. He liked seeing her happy, he liked seeing his son happy being with her. There was a sort of innocence in watching the two interact, like there wasn't a danger in the world. Robin could forget about all of the bad things, and just see the good in life if only just for a few seconds.
        "I got you!" Mary said, reaching out her arms and grabbing the boy around his middle. He squealed happily as she picked him up, swinging him around in a circle. She turned him around so that he was facing her, and she threw him up in the air. He laughed loudly, making some of the Merry Men around them laugh as well.
        "Again again!" The boy chanted, clapping happily. Robin made his way over to the boy, shaking his head in amusement.
        "Come on Roland, it's time for bed." He told his son. The young boy whined, but the girl reassured him, telling him she'd throw him in the sky again tomorrow. The boy agreed, and kissed the girls cheek before allowing his father to take him to his room. He quickly fell asleep, and Robin made his way back outside. The sky seemed to get darker, but he shook it off at first. He saw Mary on the other side of the camp, looking at his set of bow and arrows.
        Over the past couple of days, she seemed fascinated by them. He had taught her how to shoot, and to his surprise she was a natural. She had better aim then he did. He was going to have her own set made for her, so that she could officially join the Merry Men. Unfortunately, Mary had other plans in store for her.
        A sudden whooshing noise made all of the Merry Men stop what they were doing and look up. Robin looked towards the sky, and he saw glowing eyes looking down at them. It was the Shadow! Robin panicked, thinking it was back for his son. But the Shadow did not head towards the castle. Instead, he turned his head and looked right at the girl. Before anyone could do anything, the Shadow had swooped down and picked the girl up.
        "Mary!" Robin exclaimed, reaching for the girl. But it was too late, the Shadow took off into the night, carrying the girl with him. The shadow flew higher and higher, straight up into the sky. The girl saw the North Star getting closer and closer. She realized with a gasp, the Shadow was heading right towards it.
        The Shadow flew right through the star, and suddenly a new world formed. She saw an island up ahead, dark and dreary. The Shadow headed right for it, and dropped her off once they were close enough. It took off back into the sky, and the girl stood up on her feet, brushing off any dirt. She looked around her in wonder, taking in everything around her.
        "Neverland." The girl spoke quietly, the word instantly coming to her mind. She knew that's where she was. She knew she was on the same Island that Neal was on. But the question was why? Why was she here?
        "Mary?" A voice called from her left, making the girls head snap around. She looked for the source of the voice, and she saw Snow standing there. Both parties stared at the other in shock, before they both ran at each other.
        "Mary Margaret!" The young girl exclaimed, running into the woman's arms. The older woman held the young girl to her tightly. She pulled back and inspected the girl closely, noticing how happy the girl seemed to be on this island. She had never seen her this happy.
        "When did you get here?" Snow asked the girl.
        "Just now! The Shadow came and brought me here." Mary said in excitement. Snow looked at her with wide eyes, why did the shadow bring her here? Was she Pan's next victim?
        "Pan's shadow?" Snow asked the girl.
        "No, mine." Rumple said, stepping up to the two of them. "Hello Mary."
        "Hello Uncle!" Mary exclaimed in happiness, looking all around the forest. "Oh this place is wonderful! Is this Neverland? It is, isn't it? It feels so familiar, like I belong here!" Mary said happily, bouncing on her feet. Gold's eyes widened slightly, but then he recovered. "Why am I here?" She asked, turning her attention back to her uncle. "I thought it was too dangerous?"
        "It seems like we need your help after all." Was his response. The rest of the group walked through the trees, minus Hook and Tinkerbell. The two had stayed by the campsite, too make sure Pan didn't try to mess with anything while the others looked for food and firewood.
        "Mary?" David questioned, confusion in his voice.
        "David!" The girl responded happily, walking over and hugging the man. She then hugged Regina as well, and Regina actually returned it. She had always had a soft spot for the young girl, just like Henry.
        "It's so good to see you kid, though maybe not in these circumstances." Emma said, pulling the girl into a quick hug. Mary pulled away and looked at the last person. Here eyes lit up when she saw it was Neal.
        "Neal.. or Baelfire! Whatever you go by!" The girl said happily, hugging him. He laughed lightly and hugged her back.
        "You can call me either." He told the girl as she pulled away. She looked deep in concentration, before a smile lit up her face.
        "I'll call you Bae!" She exclaimed happily. Neal smiled wider, remembering fondly that she was the one that gave him that nickname in the first place.
        "You two know each other?" Emma asked the two.
        "Yeah, I uh, met her in the Enchanted Forest. She helped me get here." Neal told the group, not entirely lying. They nodded, accepting it.
        "Have you found Henry yet?" She asked Neal, looking around for the boy.
        "Not yet kid, but I promised you that I would." He said, looking at her in determination. She nodded, her own will building up.
        "What can I do to help? What's the plan?" She asked the group. David stepped up and wrapped an arm around the girls shoulders. She smiled up at him, and he returned it. It was Gold that spoke next, holding a sweater with a large hood out to her.
        "Nothing yet dear. But you need to put this on. Keep your face hidden at all times. Neverland still isn't safe for you." He said. The girl nodded, taking the sweater and pulling it onto her body. She pulled the hood up and this time David spoke up.
        "We need to catch a Lost Boy, get him to tell us what is really going on." He said, staring around at the group. They agreed, immediately coming up with a plan. Once they came up with a plan to catch a boy, Neal spoke up.
        "I think we should give the bow and arrows to uh, Mary,  here. We need the three of you focused on catching him. Mary can take the shot." He told the group. No one objected, so Snow handed the bow and arrows over to the girl. Mary smiled at her, rejoicing at the feeling of holding the bow and arrows. The group began setting up the plan, before taking their places and waiting. Soon,  a younger Lost Boy appeared, ready to kill the boar. Mary smiled, taking her aim at the net above the boy. She took her shot, and the net fell right on the boy, trapping him.
~~~~~Flashback~~~~~
Amaryllis watched as Peter showed some of the younger Lost Boys how to shoot an arrow. She had been on the island for about three days now, and she was beyond happy. Everyone was so happy and lively here, and she found herself getting along with all of the boys. There were five other boys on the Island, not including Pan. Her brother was one of them, and she was so happy to be back with him.
        Peter noticed how the girls eyes watched the bow and arrow in wonder, highs alit with longing. He smiled softly, leaving the young boy to practice at the target. He grabbed another set of arrows, and picked up a bow. He walked over to the girl and held them out to her. She looked at them in confusion, before realization lit up her face.
        "Will you teach me?" She asked in excitement. Peter nodded, leading her further into the woods. He made another target appear, and he pulled her so she was about 30 feet from the target. The other Lost Boys gathered around in the woods, watching the girl notch the arrow. Peter came and pivoted her body so that she was in line with the target. He positioned her hands on the bow, and steadied her arms.
        "Just take a deep breath in, and let it out." Peter whispered from behind her, his breath tickling across her neck. She suppressed a shiver and did as he said, instantly feeling herself relax. "Now close your eyes and picture yourself hitting the target." He said. The girl closed her eyes, and visualized the arrow soaring through the air and pinning itself right to the center of the target. "Can you see it?" Peter asked, and the girl nodded. "Good. Now open your eyes." He said. "Take your aim." The girl loosened her elbows, ready to shoot. "Take a breath." In and out. "Believe." He whispered quietly, backing away from the girl. "And fire." The arrow went whizzing though the air, notching right in the center of the target seconds later.        
        ​"You're a natural!" Peter exclaimed as the boys came out of the woods and hooted and hollered. Amaryllis smiled widely, beaming at Peter. "Exhilarating, isn't it?"
~~~~~End of Flashback~~~~~
        Emma, Snow and Regina instantly ran forward to the boy as the rest of the group stayed hidden in the trees.
        "What are you doing? Are you trying to start a war with Pan?" The boy exclaimed, getting himself out of the net and into a sitting position. His hair was wild and he stared at the group in disbelief.
        "Pan started the war when he kidnapped my son." Emma exclaimed angrily.
        "But that doesn't make you our enemy." Regina said in a mock sweet tone. She made a candy bar appear, and held it out to the boy. He stood up and looked at it in confusion.
        "What's that?" He asked.
        "Chocolate." She said innocently. "I thought you might like the taste of something sweet." Regina sent the boy a big smile.
        "We don't want to hurt you. We just want to get information on what Pan intends to do with Henry." Emma said. The boy snapped his attention to her, mentally rolling his eyes.
        "Why should I help you?" He said sarcastically, staring the blonde women down.
        "Because you had a family once and you stopped believing that you could get back to them. Now we're here, we can help. Not just Henry, all of you. We can get you home." Emma told the boy desperately. Regina gestured the chocolate to the boy, and he hesitantly took it. He brought it to his nose and sniffed it, before he whipped around and threw it though the trees. He looked back to the group with a sarcastic smile.
        "Don't you get it? I'm here because I don't want to go home! None of us do." The boy said.
        "Pan's a monster." Emma replied in disbelief. "Look what he did to you." She said, noticing the cut on the boys cheek. Little did she know, her son had done that early during one of Pan's tests.
        "Pan didn't do that." The boy said with a smile. "Henry did." He said, and the women all looked at him in shock. Regina rolled her eyes, realizing that the boy wouldn't willingly cooperate. So she summoned ropes and tied the boy to the tree behind him. He struggled, but Emma wasn't having that. She stalked forward and pushed him against the tree, knife to his neck just like she had done to Pan a few days earlier.
        "It's too late! Henry is a Lost Boy now! You're boy is one of the most vicious recruits we have had in ages." The boy spat viciously at Emma. Snow came over to Emma and pulled her away from the boy. Emma screamed in frustration and desperation, turning her back to the boy.
        "Don't let him get to you, ok?" Mary Margaret tried to sooth Emma.
        "Step aside." Regina moved forward, but Mary Margaret stopped her.
        "Why?" Snow asked.
        "So I can rip his heart out! Then he'll tell us anything we want to know." Regina replied, smiling tauntingly at the Lost Boy.
        "This is not how we do things. Emma, we can find another way to find Henry."
        "Really?" Regina said sarcastically, before looking at Emma. "What do you think Emma?" The two other women looked at Emma, and she thought quickly.
        "I think we need to talk to our son." Emma spoke sternly. Mary Margaret instantly protested, trying to talk some sense into the two. Emma held her back as Regina walked towards the boy. Mary had enough though, and she ran from her spot behind the tree. Gold tried to stop her, but she was too fast.
        "STOP!" Mary yelled, just as Regina was about to rip the boys heart out. Everyone's attention snapped to her. "Stop, please! There has to be another way! You can't hurt him." She said, walking over to the Lost Boy and standing protectively in front of him.
        "Mary, this monster-"
        "He's just a boy! We can't do this." Mary said adamantly, holding her ground. Regina sighed, pulling the girl away from the boy. Mary struggled back, fighting with all she could. Her hood fell down over her head, revealing her face to the boy. The boy froze and audibly gasped. Regina stopped, looking over at the wide-eyed boy. The boy stared at Mary, and she stared back.
        "Lis?" The boy spoke quietly, making everyone around him confused.
        "I'm sorry?" Mary said, stepping closer to the boy. He stared into her eyes, blue on blue. The boy would know those eyes anywhere. His eyes widened in happiness, a grin lighting up his face.
        "It is you!" He exclaimed, trying to fight through the ropes.
        "Stop fighting!" Regina snapped, but the boy didn't listen. Neal realized what was going on, so he stepped forward and cut the ropes, much to the protest of Emma and Regina. The Lost Boy instantly sprang forward, hugging the girl around her waist. She stiffened, remaining still. The boy pulled back and smiled a happy grin, full of wonder and excitement. His demeanor was completely the opposite of what it had been just seconds earlier.
        "Welcome back to Neverland, Amaryllis."

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