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heliads · 4 years

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Cedar Trees and Lost Boys

You are a dryad, living on Neverland with your family. Will a friendship with Peter Pan blossom into something more, or is he just using you for information on the other dryads?

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The green of the trees is a dazzling emerald around you. The forest is a beautiful place to live, and the woodlands of Neverland are no exception. As a dryad, you have always loved the sight of the woods, and today is no exception.

Your feet are light on the mossy ground as you stride silently through the forest. Every dryad on Neverland has a species of tree that is unique to them and is the source of their powers. Yours is cedar. You can control their growth, and they help you stay young forever without having to rely on Pan’s magic. You are also connected to each and every cedar tree on the island- you can feel when one is cut down or newly planted.

Once you find a thicket of cedar trees, you walk to the nearest one and place your palm against it, closing your eyes to anchor your magic to it. Once you’re ready, you walk forward through the tree, and end up outside of a different cedar on the other side of the island. Dryads can travel from one tree to another, and you’ve used it to your advantage to save you time otherwise spent walking pointlessly around the island. You’re almost to your destination, and soon the familiar sight of your close friend’s treehouse comes into view.

You barely even have to knock before your best friend comes cheerily to the door. “Oh, Y/N! I’m so glad to see you! Come in, quick, before anyone sees you.” Tinker Bell’s usual bright voice turns anxious in the last sentence, and she peeks her head quickly out the door to make sure no one is around to see you two. Peter Pan is always watching, but you want to make sure he won’t see you.

You sit down in a chair opposite your friend, letting out a long sigh and kicking your feet up. “What’s wrong?” Tink asks, concern lacing her eyes. “Just the usual. The High Council wants me to stay alert because they think another Lost Boy will be coming to the island soon and they want me to follow through with the usual responsibilities.” Every time the council of dryads believes a Lost Boy to be the True Believer, they send you to lure him away from camp and towards the dryad regions of Neverland. The Lost Boys always seem to trust you more than anyone, and once you deliver the potential savior to the elders, they can determine whether or not the boy is really the Truest Believer. This upsets Pan, of course, but seeing as he has no idea who’s drawing away the Lost Boys, he can do nothing but stew over it.

Tinker Bell clucks her tongue sympathetically. “I’m sorry. At least you have something to do, right?” Your mouth stretches into a frown. “I know, but still! It feels like none of the other dryads want anything to do with me until a new Lost Boy shows up, and I’m sick of it. I just wish I could do more than just lure away newcomers, you know-” Your voice drops off as you sense a disturbance in the forest. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps comes from right outside the door. It’s Pan!

“Quick- get up! There’s a window in the back room, you’ll have to leave through there. Hurry!” Tink leaps up, rushing you out before opening the door once you’ve gone. Just as your feet hit the ground, you hear a voice coming from Tink’s treehouse. “Now, who was with you? I know I heard another voice..”

You shiver at the sound of Pan’s voice, and run as fast as you can towards the nearest grove of cedar. There’s an odd sound behind you, kind of like the crack of lightning but more muted. You dare to check over your shoulder, and you see Pan closing the gap behind you! He doesn’t know who you are, and he can’t tell what tree you control, so you sprint with all of your energy to the cedar trees and disappear. Thankfully, you were far enough away from him that he won’t be able to follow you through the tree, but your heart is still pounding in your chest. That was close.

Later that night, the new Lost Boy arrives. He seems innocent enough, with a mess of black hair that’s just long enough to keep falling in his eyes. The other Lost Boys seem delighted to meet him, and they dance around a bonfire that soars high into the sky. Eventually, though, the new Lost Boys looks out into the trees and catches sight of you. His stare is full of curiosity and wonder. You suppose he’s never seen a dryad before, and you can’t help a small smile. You are dressed in flowing green, with a crown of white flowers encircling your hair. His interest in you eventually wins out his desire to stay with the other boys, and he slips away from the camp and into the forest.

“Who are you?” His voice, so full of the innocence of young children, is almost washed away by the loud clamor of the Lost Boys’ celebration. “I am a spirit of the forest, my friend. Will you come with me to the land of the dryads?” The boy nods slowly, then takes your hand. The two of you walk back into the dark woods, unnoticed by anyone.

Before long, you reach a tall cedar. “If you come with me through this tree, you can meet all of my friends. Would you like that?” You keep your voice soft and relaxing, and the boy immediately agrees. You place your hand on the tree, opening the doorway between it and the tree at your home where the others are waiting, and usher the boy through. You’re about to step through yourself when a hand closes around your wrist, yanking you back and stopping you from joining the boy.

“And who might you be?” You whirl around at the voice, freezing in place when you see who’s found you. Of course, it’s none other than Peter Pan. You find you can’t say anything. “You must be a dryad, probably the one who ran from me at Tinker Bell’s? The one who keeps stealing away all of my newest Lost Boys? I can’t blame them, of course, who wouldn’t want to go with you, but still. They are my boys that you’re taking.”

You can barely find the courage to open your mouth. “I- I don’t-” Pan just smiles that vicious grin of his. “Don’t worry, love. I won’t hurt you. All I ask is that you visit me tomorrow. Midnight, at the cliff’s edge. I just want to know exactly who else lives on my island.” With that, he releases your wrist and walks away, leaving you staring after him.

The next day passes in a haze, and before you know it, it’s time to meet Pan at the cliff. By the time you get there, a light wind has kicked up, and it toys with the strands of your hair. No one is there waiting for you, and you take the moment alone to stare out over the ocean. Dryads usually stay within their region of Neverland, and seeing as this cliff is in Pan’s domain, you don’t often get to see this particular view. The sight of the crashing waves comforts you, and for a second, you almost forget why you’re there.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” You jump at Pan’s words, spoken from just a few inches away. “Yes, yes it is.” You murmur distractedly, trying to calm your racing heart. You hadn’t realized he was there, but nonetheless he comes to stand beside you. “I’ve always enjoyed this sight.” Pan turns you, staring deep into your eyes. “Tell me, was it your choice to lead away the Lost Boys? Or did the Council ask you to?” Your shoulders stiffen at the mention of the Council. How does he know about that?

“I do what they ask. We all do.” You manage to say, but Pan just clucks his tongue impatiently. “Oh, but where’s the fun in that? Come on, Y/N, haven’t you ever wanted to do something just for yourself?” You look at him, surprised. “How do you know my name?” Pan just chuckles lowly. “I have my ways of finding things out. Are you going to answer my question?’ You look at him skeptically. “Why do you care about whether or not I like what the Council tells me to do? I don’t have a choice, and you don’t even know who I am!” Pan looks at you contemplatively. “I suppose I’m intrigued. I heard you talking about it to Tinker Bell, anyway, so it doesn’t matter that you didn’t answer. I want to give you a chance to be yourself, instead of a pawn of the Council.”

You laugh at that. “Well, I appreciate your offer, but I doubt Peter Pan wants to befriend a dryad just because. What strings have you attached?” Pan pretends to be hurt. “None, actually. I was just going to ask for you, in case you were bored of just doing things for the Council. I can see I was mistaken. Well, I’ll leave you in peace. Goodnight, Y/N.” He turns and starts walking away from you. At first, you hold your tongue, but your curiosity overwhelms you and you call after him. “Fine. What do you want, Pan?” He stops walking, and when he looks back at you, a taunting grin is spread victoriously across his face. “I want you.”

That wouldn’t be your first meeting with Pan. They end up happening every few days, or whenever you can get away from the Council long enough to see him. You find that he actually wants to be close to you, and his reckless, wild friendship is one of the best things you’ve had in a while. You can finally be yourself with him, not just another dryad that the Council can order around.

It’s on a clear night like this, moonlight drenching the island in a mystical silver glow, that you and Peter sit side by side, legs dangling over the cliff’s edge. You always meet here, to talk and laugh like you’ve known each other for your entire lives. You’re pointing out the constellations, or at least the ones you know. He knows some that you don’t, and you’re surprised to find that the dryads have different names for some constellations than the Lost Boys. Just before you can find Perseus, a deep voice behind you makes your heart drop.

“Y/N. What is this?”

You turn to see none other than your father, glaring at you from the entrance to the forest. Behind him stand a number of other dryads, including a few members of the council. You stand up quickly, trying your best to come up with excuses but only able to stammer out a few syllables. Your father takes a step towards you. “This is forbidden! You are not to speak with Pan, and you knew that! What are you doing?” He squints his eyes suspiciously. “Are you under a spell?

Peter speaks from beside you, his voice cool in contrast to yours. “What else would it be, dryad? You know, it’s taken you so long to find out. Just think, all this time she’s been walking around your home with my spell on her heart. Who knows what she would have done if I asked?”

Your father glares at Peter, and you turn to the boy beside you. “What are you talking about?” You hiss, your voice barely a whisper. “Look, she doesn’t even know. Why else would I want her near me, for company? Please. I just needed to make sure the spell still held. That’s what I said when I first met her, actually. I just want to know exactly who else lives on my island.” Peter turns to face you now, emboldened by his cocky confidence. “She was just doing your dirty work, and I had my chance. What a shame.” Your heart feels like it’s about to shatter. It was all a fake. You can see right through him now, and you know he’s not lying. Why would he want to stay with you? Why would he want you around? It was just so he could get inside your head. He’s telling the truth.

You collect the last scraps of your confidence, then walk briskly away from Peter and towards the other dryads. “I’m so sorry, Father. I didn’t know.” Your father shakes his head understandingly. “It’s alright, Y/N. There was no way you could have known.” No, there wasn’t. You leave with the rest of the dryads, and you can’t even bear to look back at Peter. You know the pain will overwhelm you if you see his face once more.

And so you don’t return to the cliffs. It hurts to be without him, even knowing what he’s done. You miss his late-night conversations, and the sound of his voice by your side. The days go by, night after night where you stare up at the unforgiving moon and wonder about Peter. Is he at the cliff, waiting for you? Is he laughing at you now, from the camp of the Lost Boys? Is he wishing for your company like you’re wishing for his?

Eventually, you can’t take it and slip out of your bed and into the night air. You’re still firmly on dryad territory, and that’s where you stay. There’s a small creek a short ways away from your home, and you let your feet lead you there. You crouch down beside it, watching the silvery clear water burble over small rocks in its path.

“You haven’t come to the cliffs in a while.”

Your eyes go wide as you recognize the voice. Sure enough, it’s Peter. “What are you doing here? This is the middle of dryad land!” You hiss at Peter, trying your best to cover up for the jump in your heart when you saw him. He just tilts his head to the side, dismissing your worries. “I wanted to see you. Why have you been avoiding me? I know you can go wherever you want in the forest and not be caught by them.” You let out a sardonic laugh. “Of course I’d go find you. You know, when we were found out by the other dryads, I realized something. You weren’t lying about why you were with me.”

Peter raises his eyebrows. “Trust me, there was no spell. I just needed to get them to believe in you.” You shake your head. “Not the spell, but the reason. You used me to get to the other dryads. You know it’s true! Why else would you want to be with me? I’m just some dryad, and you could have chosen anyone.” Your voice drops off until it can barely be heard. “I was the easiest target because you knew I’d trust you. You knew you could trick me into believing you, and you used that to your advantage.” Peter’s usually confident smirk has slipped from his cheeks. “That’s not true. That’s not true at all.” You look at him desperately. “Then what else would it be?” Peter says only one word: “This.”

Before you know it, he’s kissing you. The sudden touch of his lips on yours is enough to bring everything to a standstill. When he finally breaks away, you feel like you could get lost forever in the emerald of his eyes. You don’t think any forest in the world could hope to have that shade of green.

“This is why. Because I knew, even then, that I never wanted to be without you. I love you, Y/N.” Your breath comes shallowly. “I love you too, Peter.” He smiles at that, and leans over to kiss you once more.

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