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The crying had been soft at first, barely even there and so quiet that nobody was sure if they actually heard it or not. As Killian’s ship moved closer to the unknown island, the cries were getting louder until the pirates could hardly stand it. There was echoing cries and pleading, it sounded like children. Hurt or frightened children too. Baelfire and Killian both had always had a soft spot for children. It seemed to be an unspoken agreement to follow the cries that were so loud it seemed to be right next to them. Killian had his eyes fixed on the shores, watching intently as they approached it at a steady pace. The cries were getting impossibly louder and louder as they got closer and closer to those foggy shores. It didn’t take long for the pirates to dock their ship on the sandy shores. Killian abandoned the ship first, looking around for any sign of the source of the sobbing. His eyes fell to movement near the edge of the tree line. A flash of blonde hair was visible through the dim light of dusk. He moved for a moment before disappearing back into the woods. “Follow that boy.” Killian told his crew gently, not wanting to scare the boy even more than he already was. Though he was just a boy, the pirates found it difficult to keep up with the child as he ran, dodging and jumping over various obstacles expertly. Every now and then, Baelfire himself would trip over some roots and brush on the ground, but he was relieved when the boy eventually broke into a clearing. He spun around quickly to face the pirates and the crew all stepped into the clearing after him. All the men were shocked when they saw what else was in the clearing. Around a small bonfire, at least half a dozen children were standing spread out. Young faces, none looking any older than fifteen stared back at them. “Welcome back to Neverland.” A soft voice welcomed and a mousy young man with messy brown hair stepped in front of Killian, smirking up at him.
