Chapter Nine: Memories

6.1K 149 2
                                    

"Amaryllis, my flower. You've come back to me." Peter whispered softly, stunning everyone in the room. Without another word, or any warning, he closed the space between the two and pulled the girl into his arms. She stiffened, not knowing whether to scream or just hug him back. He pulled away and stared down into her eyes, but she stared blankly back.
        "Why does everyone keep calling me Amaryllis? Hook said it first on that damn ship, Devin and Tink said it, and now you. I don't know who it is you think I am, but it's not me. I just want to get Henry, and get off this island." She said desperately, looking anywhere but at the boys eyes. The boys green eyes were piercing into her, giving her goosebumps.
        "You want to leave Neverland?" The green-eyed boy spoke, voice full of sadness and pain.
        "I just want to go home!" She exclaimed in frustration.
        "You are home!" Peter exclaimed back at her, his hurt slipping through his voice. "Why don't you know that? Why could I never find you?" He asked, looking over her head at Rumpelstiltskin. The Dark One sighed, making everyone look at him.
        "I knew you would come looking for her, but I didn't want you to find her. We arrived right before the curse hit the Enchanted Forest, taking us all to Storybrooke. Storybrooke didn't originally have magic, so I knew you couldn't get her there. But I put a trace on her just in case, because I knew your powers would get more powerful once I took her. And they did." Rumple said honestly.
        "But why didn't she remember like everyone else after the curse?" Pan demanded.
        "Because I took her memories before the curse." He explained. Pan looked outraged. "She's a fighter that one, very strong willed. She told me that she'd always fight to get back to you." He continued, making Peter smirk. Of course she was a fighter, that was one of the many things Pan loved about her. "So I did the only thing I could to stop it, I made her forget. If she didn't remember you, she couldn't fight to get back to you. I planted a fake identity, one where she was my niece. She's been with me ever since."
        "I swear to Neverland, if you hurt her at all while she was with you, I'll kill you myself." Pan threatened, eyes wild with anger. "Slow and painful, just like the last fifty years have been for me." His voice was venomous, stance rigid. Rule number three, don't get Pan angry. Peter turned back to look at his girl, holding a hand out to her. "Come on Amaryllis, you're staying with me."
        "No I'm not! I'm not Amaryllis!" The girl yelled, shaking her head and stepping away from Pan. 
        "Yes you are!" Peter shouted, frightening the girl slightly. He sighed, trying to calm himself. "You are Amaryllis. Please, remember." He pleaded. Then he got an idea, and he imagined the old Amaryllis flower crown. Instantly, the crown appeared in his hand. He reached over and placed it gently on the girls head, and instantly it happened.
        Visions assaulted her mind in flashes. Her memory was returning.
~~~~~Flashback~~~~~
        "Higher Felix, higher!" A girl around the age of six squealed, being pushed on the swing by her eight-year old brother. She giggled cheerfully, making her brother laugh as well. He pushed her higher, and she felt like she was soaring towards the sky every time she was pushed forward. She closed her eyes, imagining she could fly. How amazing it would be to fly!
        "Amaryllis! Felix! It's time for dinner! Wash up you two!" The children's mother called out, smiling at them from the back door. Amaryllis jumped off of the swing, landing firmly on her feet.
        "Race ya Felix!" She yelled, running towards the house.
        "Hey! That's cheating!"
~~~~~End of Flashback~~~~~
~~~~~Flashback~~~~~
        "Mom! Felix! Dad!" A fourteen year old girl yelled excitedly, running into her house after a long day of school. She held a paper in her hands, waving it around as she ran. "You'll never believe this! I-" The girl cut off as she rounded, seeing the solemn face of her father and the hidden face of her brother. "What's wrong?" She asked the two, worry filling her voice.
        "Amaryllis-" But her father cut off, voice choking on tears.
        "Why are you crying? Where's mother?" Amaryllis asked, panicking. Felix sobbed slightly, before getting up and walking over to his sister. "Felix, what's going on?"
        ​"I'm so sorry Am, mom... she's-" Felix paused, trying to get the next words out. "She's dead."
~~~~~End of Flashback~~~~~
~~~~~Flashback~~~~~
        "You stupid boy! You're worthless! I wish it was you or your damn sister that died, not your mother!" A man yelled, waking Amaryllis from her sleep. She jumped up in shock, quickly getting out of bed as she heard something crash into the wall next to her room. She ran out of her room, going straight into Felix's. What she saw there horrified her.
        "Dad?!" She exclaimed, watching her father kick her brother repeatedly in the stomach. Felix was curled in a ball on the ground, protecting his head. Amaryllis ran forward, pulling her father back from the boy. "Stop!" She screamed. Her father turned around unsteadily, and she noticed his eyes were unfocused. He was drunk.
        "Shut up bitch!" He roared. The next thing she felt was a stinging on her face, and she landed on the ground harshly.
        "Hey! Don't touch her!" She heard Felix shout. Her father growled, walking from the room and slamming the door. Immediately, Felix was on his knees and cradling the girl. "God, Amaryllis. Are you ok?" Felix asked worriedly, staring down at the mark on his little sisters face. She sat up slightly, crawling his lap and hugging him close.
        "I'll be fine as long as you never leave me."
~~~~~End of Flashback~~~~~
~~~~~Flashback~~~~~
        "Felix, breakfast is ready." A now fifteen year old girl said, knocking on her brothers door. When he didn't answer, she shrugged and went back down to the kitchen. She ate her breakfast alone, her father was gone at work. She loved saturday's, because she never had to worry about her father. She also got to spend the entire day with Felix, and she loved spending time with her brother.
        Amaryllis finished her breakfast fifteen minutes later, and Felix still hadn't come downstairs. She sighed, rolling her eyes at the seventeen-year olds laziness. She stomped up the stairs, making as much noise as possible.
        "Wake up lazy bones! Time to start another day!" She exclaimed, pushing open the boys door. She walked over to the bed and pushed the sheets off the bed. But her brother wasn't there. The bed was empty. "Felix?" She asked, turning around. But then she saw something that made her chest constrict.
        The window was open. Felix was gone.
~~~~~End of Flashback~~~~~
~~~~~Flashback~~~~~
        A young girl stared up at the stars from her window sill with a look of sadness on her face. Her one leg dangled over the side of her house, the cool air chilling her skin and leaving goosebumps. But she didn't care, this was her favorite part of her days. She didn't have a family anymore, not really. She had a father, or what people would call a father, but he wasn't really. After the girls mother died, the father became an alcoholic. He stopped caring about his children, and instead took to beating them. The girls older brother had always taken the brunt of it willingly, hoping to spare his younger sister. But the boy was now gone, vanished in the middle of the night without a trace left of him.
        The girl had locked herself in her room and cried for days when her brother left her, only bothering to come out when she could no longer stand the thirst and hunger. She began sneaking out of her room in the middle of the night, avoiding her fathers wrath. He pounded on the door during the days, but she was always to afraid to answer. So instead she stayed hidden. Instead she was lonely.
        "Happy birthday to me." The girl said sadly, staring up at the brightest star in the sky. "How I wished I could leave here. Maybe I could find Felix." She whispered sadly, a tear falling from her eye and trailing down her cheek.
        "Girl, why are you sad?" A voice asked from outside her window, startling her so much that she jumped and lost her balance on the window sill. She began falling from her room on the second story, bracing herself for the fall. She did not scream, she did not cry, she didn't feel anything at all. When she felt like she had been falling for too long, her eyes snapped open. She gasped when her eyes met those of a green-eyed boy.
        The newly sixteen year old girl stared up at the boy holding her in shock. She then looked over her shoulder, and noticed that they were both floating in the air. She gasped and threw her arms around the boys neck, holding him tightly. The boy chuckled, flying back to the house and landing in her room. He set her down gently, and she just looked at him in shock.
        "Who are you?" She inquired, head tilted to the side in curiosity. She was not afraid of the boy, she could tell he wouldn't harm her. In fact, he watched her with adoration in his eyes.
        "I'm Peter, Peter Pan." He replied, taking one of her hands and lifting it to his lips, kissing her knuckles gently. The girl felt a blush rush to her face, and the boy found himself loving the newfound color on her cheeks.
        "Well Peter, why are you here?" She asked him.
        "How would you like to go on an adventure with me?" He asked, excitement shining in his eyes. "I can take you to see your brother." He continued on, smiling down at the beauty in front of him.
        "You know Felix?" She asked, eyes lighting up.
        "Of course, he came with me two weeks ago. He misses you. He wants you to come with me." The boy spoke, sparking the hope in the girls heart. "Will you come with me?" Peter asked, holding a hand out to her.
        "Where are we going?" She asked, placing her hand in his. Peter smiled widely, happiness shining in his eyes.
        "Second star to the right, and straight on till morning."
~~~~~End of Flashback~~~~~
~~~~~Flashback~~~~~
        "Just take a deep breath in, and let it out." Peter whispered from behind Amaryllis, his breath tickling across her neck. He was currently teaching the girl how to shoot a bow and arrow after he had noticed her interest during target practice. He felt the girls muscles relaxing, and he smiled to himself. "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?" He asked her as Felix ran over, spinning the girl in his arms. "Boys!" He called to the boys, causing their attention to switch to him. Felix set down the girl and they both looked at Peter curiously. "Let's welcome our new Lost Girl."
~~~~~End of Flashback~~~~~
~~~~~Flashback~~~~~
        "I have a surprise for you." Peter had said one morning, waking the girl up from her sleep. She groggily looked up at him, and he couldn't help but laugh. "Come on Lis!" Peter said excitedly, urging the girl to get up. She groaned, laying back down and pulling the blanket over her head. Peter smiled in amusement, before throwing the blanket off and throwing the girl over his shoulders effortlessly.
        "Peter!" The girl exclaimed in shock, beating her hand on his back. He chuckled, but ignored her. She groaned and rested her head against her arms. She was drifting out of consciousness, when she felt herself moved. Peter gently set her on her feet, holding her waist as she stumbled. She blinked a few times, and then her eyes came in to focus. "Oh my." She gasped, taking in the sight around her. There was a huge field of Amaryllis flowers planted, fiery red against the green grass. "Is it for me?" She asked, eyes sparkling in the sun. Peter nodded and she looked back at the flowers, taking in the beauty of them.
        "Do you like it?" Peter asked nervously, watching the girl stare at the flowers in silence. She turned to him with a smile building on her face. She then flung herself at him, enveloping the boy in a hug.
        "I love it!" She exclaimed, pulling back from the hug. "Thank you Peter." She said, kissing his cheek gently. Then she jumped away from him and ran towards a spot in the middle of the flowers and laid down. "This is the most beautiful sight I've ever seen in my life." She told him, closing her eyes in content. Her smile never left her face. Peter looked at her, and he felt a warm feeling in his chest.
        "The second most beautiful."
~~~~~End of Flashback~~~~~
~~~~~Flashback~~~~~
        "Amaryllis? What is love?" Peter asked the girl one night as they looked up at the stars together. Stars in Neverland were different then back in the Enchanted Forest. They bounced off of each other and shot across the show, creating a show. It was like they were dancing together in their own language.
        "What?" The girl asked, confusion in her voice.
        "What is love? You tell Felix you love him every day. You say it to the Lost Boys sometimes too. What is it?" The boy asked, looking over at her in curiosity. The girl thought about it before answering.
        "There are all forms of love Peter. There's love between friends, love for a child, love for a sibling, and there's romantic love. You can also love an object. Like I love my books and the flowers and the stars." She said, a faraway look in her eyes.
        "What's love like?" Peter asked her, never taking his eyes off of her.
        "It's, well it's kind of hard to explain." She said, scrunching her eyebrows in concentration. "Love is gentle and kind. It's that happiness in your heart when you see someone you care about. It's the sadness you feel when that person is gone. It's protective and strong and powerful. Loving someone means you would do anything for them, be anything for them. It's unbowing and unbreaking. It's forgiving and healing. It's hurt and pain. But it's the most wonderful thing in existence. It's always around you, even when you think you're alone."
        "What's romantic love then?" Peter wondered out loud.
        "Romantic love is a bond shared between two people. That person becomes your life, the thing you think about constantly. You fall asleep dreaming of them, and wake up longing for them. It's burning and passion, loyal and brave. You'd go to the end of the earth for the person you love, just to see them smile. They say true love is the most powerful weapon in the world. It can cure any sickness, heal any broken heart, fight any war." Peter nodded, letting the conversation settle into silence. The girl found herself falling asleep, but before she could fall to the darkness completely  a voice brought her back.
        "Amaryllis?" Peter asked softly, making the girls eyes flutter open. "I love you." He said, barely a whisper. But Amaryllis heard it, and she smiled a warm smile.
        "I love you too Peter.
~~~~~End of Flashback~~~~~
~~~~~Flashback~~~~~
        ​"Tink! Slow down!" The girl panted, trying to follow behind her friend. Tink had come and got her from the lake, telling her she had to be somewhere. Then she just pulled her along and ran through the trees. For a small girl, she was quite fast.
        "Oh stop complaining Lis! We're almost there." The fairy laughed, glancing over her shoulder at the girl. The girl stuck her tongue out in return and they both laughed. Tink sprinted forward, disappearing into the darkness.
        "Tink? Tink? Where did you go?" Amaryllis exclaimed, running into a deserted meadow. It was dark and quiet, until lights popped up from the trees. Amaryllis looked up in surprise, before realizing that they weren't lights. They were fireflies. Hundreds and hundreds of fireflies. They were beautiful. "Incredible." She breathed out, afraid speaking too loudly would scare them away.
        "They only come out every six months." A voice spoke behind her, making her spin around. She saw Peter walking towards her, a smile on his face. The fireflies cast lights around, lighting up his face. He looked like a painting that was brought to life. There was a raw sort of beauty to it, and the girl loved it. "I thought you might like to see them." He spoke, stopping in front of her.
        "It's amazing." She told him, looking up into his eyes. He smiled and held a hand out to her.
        "Would you like to dance, lady Amaryllis?" He asked her, grinning boyishly. She smiled widely, taking his hand. He pulled her close, holding her tightly. Then they were flying, spinning around in the sky. Amaryllis laughed whole heartedly, a huge smile on her face. Peter watched her look around the meadow. Her eyes were shining brightly, twinkling in content. Peter decided that he would never see a more wonderful sight then her face in that moment, no matter where he searched.
        "What?" Amaryllis asked shyly, snapping Peter out of his thoughts. She had caught him staring at her with a gentle smile on his face, and it had made her cheeks blush with crimson.
        "Nothing love." He spoke, staring down at the girl in his arms. He remembered back to the conversation they had had about romantic love four months ago, and he knew. He knew that that was how he felt about her. "I just, I-" He hesitated, but she urged him to continue. "I love you." He told the girl.
        "I love you too." She said, laughing slightly.
        "No. I love you Lis. I'm-" He paused, licking his lips in nervousness. "I'm in love with you." He whispered out. Amaryllis gasped in surprise, but before she could say a thing, Peter's lips were on hers.
        And she kissed him back.
~~~~~End of Flashback~~~~~
~~~~~Flashback~~~~~
        "I'll never understand how you can read so much." Peter spoke as he walked into his and Amaryllis's tree house. She had been lying in there all day, reading some book called 'Bridge to Terabithia.'
        "Oh, but books are so amazing Peter. So full of adventure and magic. You'd love them. I'd bet you'd make a great book." She said, eyes lighting up in animation as she spoke. "Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up." She giggled, smiling at him. He shook his head, chuckling.
        "How lucky am I to have found you?" He asked, walking over and pulling the girl in his arms. She smiled, cuddling into his chest, book held firmly in her hands. "Read to me?" He asked, playing with her hair. She smiled, but obliged.
        "This is my favorite part in the whole book." She told the boy, before reading off the end of the book. ""It's a secret, May Belle." "Tell me." "When I finish, OK?" "I swear on the Bible I won't tell nobody. Not Billy Jean, not Joyce Ann, not Momma -" She was jerking her head back and forth in solemn emphasis. "Oh, l don't know about Joyce Ann. You might want to tell Joyce Ann sometime." "Tell Joyce Ann something that's a secret between you and me?" The idea seemed to horrify her. "Yeah, I was just thinking about it." Her face sagged. "Joyce Ann ain't nothing but a baby." "Well, she wouldn't likely be a Queen first off. You'd have to train her and stuff." "Queen? Who gets to be Queen?" "I'll explain it when I finish, OK?" And when he finished, he put a flower crown in her hair and led her across the bridge - the great bridge into Terabithia - which might look to someone with no magic in him like a few planks across a nearly dry gully. "Shhh," he said. "Look." "Where?" "Can't you see 'em?" he whispered. "All the Terabithians standing on tiptoe to see you." "Me?" "Shhh, yes. There's a rumor going around that the beautiful girl arriving today might be
the queen they've been waiting for."" Amaryllis finished, closing the book. Peter suddenly got an idea, a smile forming on his face.
        Peter summoned a few of the Amaryllis flowers, waving his hand and making something out of them. The girl watched him in confusion, yet curious as to what he was doing. Once he was finished, he turned to the girl with a smile. He held out a circular object, full of the Amaryllis flowers. He walked towards her and placed it on the girls head.
        "There, a crown for the Queen of Neverland. Maybe you're the one we've been waiting for."
~~~~~End of Flashback~~~~~
~~~~~Flashback~~~~~
        "Amaryllis? AMARYLLIS!" Peter exclaimed, running through the forest in search of the girl. He was panicking, air chocking in his throat. He sprinted to her garden, looking around frantically. "LIS!"
        "Peter?" Amaryllis asked, hoping out of a tree. Peter spun around, and he exhaled deeply when he saw her. He rushed to her and pulled her into a tight hug, squeezing the air out of her. "Peter, what's wrong?" She asked in confusion, coughing slightly. Peter pulled away, but he held her close.
        ​"I felt someone leave the island. The only two people missing were you and Baelfire. I couldn't find you love. I was so scared." Peter said, relief clear in his voice.
        "Peter, I'm not going to leave you." She said, rolling her eyes. She reached up and cupped his face in her hands. She pulled his face to hers, softly kissing him. "I love you." She whispered against his lips.
        "Stay with me always?"
        "Forever and a day."
~~~~~End of Flashback~~~~~

where darkness goes, light follows | PETER PAN ✔️Where stories live. Discover now