I'm baaaaaack! Before I get into personal messages/thank-you's:
(1) As always, shoutout to Hildebrant for chapter titles. I don't know how you do it. Just keep doing it, because they're awesome. XD (2) Some dialogue from one scene in this chapter is taken from an episode of OUAT (which I will credit at the end, because I don't want to spoil the chapter). The entire scene is not the same, but some of the dialogue is. So scroll to the end for those credits.
Back to your regularly scheduled messages:
Hi guys- as always, you are the most patient, lovely, and wonderful readers ever. Just as a heads up, the reason this chapter took so long is because there were other scenes that were originally in this chapter, but had to be moved to the next one...let's just say certain character's backstories kept getting longer and longer. BUT the exciting part about that is: I'm going to try to have the next chapter up within 3 days, because literally 20 pages of it are already written (including the backstory). Yay!
Also, another reason it takes so long: I'm in grad school and was writing a thesis; now I'm basically doing a medical residency. I have zero life and zero time. I don't like to publish anything until I feel it's absolutely perfect (since you guys are so patient, I don't want to deliver something mediocre), and since I write a lot every chapter...that takes time.
BUT I do want to thank all of you for your reviews! You should have gotten messages (if you have accounts) telling you how amazing you are. If you didn't, message me and I shall properly tell you you're amazing. Literally EVERY review counts and I read every single one and it makes my day when I see them. Among the grad school craziness, I also have epilepsy (which sucks), and to see these reviews make my day even better- especially when I have a bad one (aka, when I have a seizure). I'm not begging for reviews here; I'm just letting you know that even if you think I don't notice or they don't count, THEY COMPLETELY DO. So thank you all. To answer the guest reviews (going in order from most recent, starting on September 8, to earliest):
Guest #1- I promise you, I'm not giving up. I never give up on my stories. They're my passion. So even if it takes me a while, I promise I am still working on them (this goes for people reading TTOTSM too; I promise I still am writing that). I'm so happy to hear that you like "Dark Paradise" and that it's your favorite story! I plan to keep going with it as long as Peter, Wendy, and Co. want to share (which as of right now is a while haha).
Guest #2- I'm not giving up! As I said before, it takes me a while (grad school, epilepsy, etc.), but I'm still writing. :) That's so flattering of you to say there's nothing like it out there and that it's captivating- there are so many amazing authors and stories in the Darling Pandom that to be singled out like that is an amazing compliment. It will be finished! Eventually.
Guest #3- I am continuing! As for who wins...we all know what Peter would say, don't we? ;)
Guest #4-Thank you for the compliment! I'm sorry the update took so long. :( Hopefully you still want to read it anyway!
Guest #5- So happy to hear you like the story! Again, I'm sorry for how long this update took. I think the next one should be up in a few days though (so that's better than months, right? Please say yes)
Lauren- Haha I love Peter too! He's ALWAYS one step ahead of everyone!
Guest #6- Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the update!
Guest #7- omg you spent 2 days reading 9 chapters!? I'm so flattered! I'm also happy to hear you like it and that you find it exhilarating (and all those lovely words). Thank you for the well wishes too!
Guest #8- I updated! And haha I think everyone wants Peter and Co. to win ;) I'm not sure what everyone's favorite ships are (I'm going to go out on a limb here and say most of you are Peter/Wendy shippers, but idk if anyone likes Felix/Tink, Slightly/Gretel, and Nibs/Grace. That would be interesting, actually- let me know who you guys like!). But I also (obviously) adore Peter/Wendy and Tinklix, so I'm happy you like them too! Though both couples definitely have issues and need to address them.
Emalys- you check my fanfiction every day!? That is unbelievably flattering and I am seriously in awe. Happy I could make you happy with that chapter, and hopefully I could do the same with this one and the next one! And I will not give up on it. :)
Beca- I'm so happy that you enjoy the story and can't stop reading! ^_^ That's what every author dreams of hearing. I never thought I'd have a fan (!), but thank you SO very much for that compliment. Idk if I'm worthy of it, but thank you! As for Peter's backstory...it is incredibly sad. But I do subscribe to the philosophy that evil (almost always) doesn't just pop out of nowhere, and I feel like Peter is too complex to just be like, "Eh, I'm a gambler, life sucks, I'm going to run away from it and abandon my son to be a child forever" (can you see why I made this AU? haha). I wanted him to have a genuine reason to hate grown-ups, and I felt the best way to do that was through the grown-ups every child is supposed to be able to trust: their parents. As for Peter and Slightly, while Felix and Peter are best friends, Slightly's and Peter's friendship is older. Consequently, Slightly knows Peter more than Felix does, and can read many of his emotions (not that Felix is oblivious; he just hasn't known Peter for as long. Additionally, he never really knew "Peter"- Felix has always known "Pan," and that definitely affects their friendship). Tbh I'm total trash for Tinklix and I adore them together. They're both very much bada**es separately, but together they kind of fall into a pile of mush and I love it. Glad to hear you like them too! As for Peter and Tink- we will learn more about them in the next chapter (so in 3 days). Peter and Wendy definitely have issues to work out, but they have a very interesting dynamic, and I think ultimately Peter wants her. Whether she trusts him again is another story. Slightly retains some of his smoothness from Eton haha, but he's not just being a stereotypical "guy" who says all the right things- he genuinely means them when he's talking to Gretel. As for Gretel (whose backstory you'll find more about soon), without giving stuff away, she's not used to that, and so having someone honest like Slightly is a new and nice thing for her. She doesn't totally know what to do about it, but it's nice. DO NOT APOLOGIZE FOR WRITING LONG REVIEWS; I adore all reviews, but the longer reviews are even more fantastic to see. I love hearing what you guys like in detail. So no apologies. :) And thank you for understanding about the craziness of my life!
To conclude:
You are all awesome, and without further ado, here is Chapter 23: I hope it was worth the wait and that you enjoy it (and if you did, please let me know)! Enjoy!
~ladykikyo1792
Chapter 23: Time has stopped before us, the sky cannot ignore us- no one can separate us, for we are all that's left.
Nearly a week passed while Regina, Mary Margaret, Emma, Hook, and Neal processed the events that had occurred the night of the dance. They couldn't understand how thoroughly- and how easily -Pan had tricked them. They had thought, briefly, that imprisoning Wendy would not only protect her, but give them the upper hand. Clearly, Pan found the entire situation beneath his notice, as he'd merely smirked with pleasure any time he came in contact with their fractured family.
As for them, they found the situation deadly serious. Consequently, while the Lost Boys (and Pan, shockingly enough) went to school that Monday as if nothing was amiss, their group took the opportunity to meet during the lunch hour (David, much to Henry's chagrin, had been following him around during the day as a bodyguard). They stood in a worried huddle in Mary Margaret's office, with the door shut. Mary Margaret herself bit her lip, unable to hide her worry, while Hook brooded and stared out the window. Emma crossed her arms, resisting the urge to fidget, while Neal said matter-of-factly:
"We need to get Henry out of Storybrooke. I know you don't agree with my plan. I don't want to agree with my plan, but if anything, this just proves how dangerous Pan is. How treacherous he is. We cannot leave Henry in the same world, never mind the same town, as Pan. -"
With a roll of her eyes, Regina disdained, "I'm sure we can think of another way to deal with one smug teenager." She was furious with Pan, it was true, but she did not want to be parted from her son. Additionally, she knew if she let on how she'd started to fear the brat, she knew the rest of the town would take their cue from her and panic. She couldn't allow that to happen.
"All due respect, Your Majesty," Hook replied, with an equal amount of disdain in his voice, "but you're hardly one to talk. If I'm not mistaken, it's your contract that got us into this whole mess."
"And if I'm not mistaken," Regina sneered, instantly defensive, "Your girlfriend wrote our terms for that damn contract!" Emma and Neal both flinched, and looked anywhere but at each other as Regina spat out "girlfriend." Mary Margaret raised an eyebrow, but her daughter also refused to look at her.
Mary Margaret sighed, shook her head, then reached between Regina and the pirate, "All right, back off, both of you! We're here for Henry, remember? Let's focus on what we're going to do, and where Henry's going to go."
"She's right," Neal concurred. Regina was slightly miffed, but she instead took the seat behind Mary Margaret's desk and gestured for them to continue. At that, Mary Margaret almost took offense (Regina had already stolen her throne once; the least she could was leave her principal's chair alone), but Emma stepped in and quipped:
"Well, the Mad Hatter's hat is destroyed, we're all out of magic beans, and Hook's ship can't exactly go back without a Pegasus sail, so how do you suggest we get to another world, Neal?"
Neal paused in thought, then hazarded, "I think flying isn't the only way out. You should probably ask a mermaid."
"A mermaid?" Emma cocked an eyebrow.
"Of course," Regina breathed, "Mermaids can cross realms."
Before she could truly become excited, however, the pirate interjected, "Neverland had lots of mermaids, but they're bloody vicious creatures. And Pan kept them bound to the island, and to him. Even if you could get to them, they'd sooner rip you to shreds than help you."
"I remember exactly how Neverland mermaids are. Thank you, Hook, for that redundant information. Luckily for us, I happen to know one who isn't from Pan's horde." Despite Hook's warning, Regina's eyes gleamed with triumph, and she made as if to leave the office.
"Regina," Snow said warningly, "I won't let you manipulate Ariel again." She stepped in front of Regina, blocking her exit. The former Evil Queen narrowed her eyes.
"I'm not manipulating her," Regina replied instantly "I'm asking her to help my son."
"Maybe I should talk to her," Mary Margaret mused, "I don't think she'd be willing to help you." The words were diplomatic enough, but the harsh insinuation behind them wasn't missed by anyone in the room.
"You really think she would refuse to help a child?" Regina scoffed, but Mary Margaret nodded:
"If you asked, absolutely. As much as you want to be a hero, Regina, the fact is you were a villain once, and people have long memories. Ariel won't forget what you did to her."
Regina frowned, "Of course, you, pure as the driven snow, wouldn't have this problem."
Emma sighed, "Regina, you know she's right."
As the Savior, the pirate, the former Snow White, and the former Baelfire stared at her, Regina bristled under their gaze. Yes, she had been the Evil Queen, and she didn't regret her actions then- if she hadn't made them, she never would have met Henry. But she was trying to change now. Didn't that matter? To anyone? Or were they always going to treat her as a villain, and never even give her a chance to be a hero?
Frustrated, she spat, "Fine. Go be the heroes. Let me know how that works out for you." Then she stomped out of the office, determined to find her own way to save Henry.
A bit stunned by Regina's abrupt departure, the Charmings, Neal, and Hook stared after her. Then, they returned to the discussion:
"Others who travel from world to world include fairies," David interjected, "We could ask the Blue Fairy for her advice as well."
"Then let's do it," Emma said decisively. Feeling secure in at least having one step of a plan, she called both the Mother Superior and Ariel on her phone. Nervously, she paced the office, waiting for the pair. They arrived together, a soft knock indicating their presence. Mary Margaret welcomed them immediately, and Neal rapidly explained their predicament.
The Mother Superior's eyes widened, "You plan to take Henry from this world?"
"We don't know what else to do," Mary Margaret said, desperation in her voice.
"We don't plan on leaving him there forever, if that's what you're worried about," Hook interjected sourly. He'd never been much of a fan of fairies- there were few he even tolerated, and being the presence of their queen was not improving his mood.
The Mother Superior turned her gaze on the pirate, "Traveling from realm to realm is dangerous even under normal circumstances. I thought you would have learned that by now."
"Your kind travel from world to world, fairy," Hook replied, "How is it not dangerous for you, but for everyone else?"
The Mother Superior's lips pursed, "It is dangerous. We can no longer travel either. Perhaps you are unaware of one of Pan's darkest deeds-"
"How many more dark deeds can he have?" Emma wondered, sarcasm dripping from her tone.
"Hundreds," Neal said easily, "and believe me, you don't want to know all of them."
"But you must know this," the fairy replied, "You, Baelfire, and you, pirate, both have touched Neverland's soil. Surely you've heard the souls of my people screaming in the night?"
"There were many souls screaming in Neverland," Hook answered, "'Fraid they all run together, after a while."
"Killian!" Emma gasped at his callousness, but he merely looked at her, sad and tired:
"It's true, love. Children cried in the night, mermaids screeched in the night, souls screamed in the night. Pan's hurt many and killed more."
"He's right," Neal swallowed, "Sometimes, to keep our sanity, we had to pretend they weren't there. Don't judge us for that." Emma blinked, but said nothing at her boyfriend's and former lover's admissions.
"Well," the Mother Superior sniffed, "if you ignored their cries for justice, I'll tell you. My sister was Queen Titania-"
"Wait, like 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Queen Titania?" Emma was incredulous.
The Mother Superior rolled her eyes, "Yes, it was a petty fight between my sister and her husband that occurred at a time they were in the Land Without Magic. A human happened to believe in us and witnessed some of the events. He profited off of his elaboration on them, but that is beside the point.
"The point is that my sister, her husband, and her court were in Neverland for many years. Pan welcomed them at first. Then one night, he and his second- Felix -ruthlessly murdered them. He killed them all. Every fairy who was in Neverland that day lost their life to them," the Mother Superior said bitterly, "It was only by sheer luck that I had traveled to the Enchanted Forest the evening before."
"Blue," Mary Margaret said in horror, "I'm so sorry. I had no idea." She reached out to touch the fairy in sympathy, but the Mother Superior flinched and shook her head.
"Before that day, fairies traveled from realm to realm using our own home dimension, Faerie. It worked much like a road does here, lined with houses. If Faerie was the road, other worlds were houses, and we were free to come and go to the as we wished, aiding those who needed us. But the day that Pan slaughtered Titania and the court, I inherited the throne, and it became my responsibility to protect the remaining fairies. I was young, and I had never expected to become queen, let alone in such a horrible manner. I had to make a decision."
The Blue Fairy, newly anointed Queen Mab sat in the crystal palace of Faerie. Normally, it glinted brightly in the realm's sun, but today, its turrets were draped in the black velvet of mourning. She was at the head of her council table, though the chair felt vast and unfamiliar. It belonged to her older sister, not her, and Mab struggled to hold back tears at the thought that she was now placed in it. The chair on her right was empty. Reserved for the husband of the fairy queen, it had belonged to her brother-in-law, Oberon. But he too was dead.
So many were dead.
The remaining seats at the council table were consequently filled by distant relatives and cousins. Like her, they had been abruptly called to titles and power they never expected to wield. None of them were prepared for this, and none had the political training or acumen that the previous holders of their titles did.
Fighting back her confusion and desperation, Mab announced, "We are here under the gravest of circumstances. We have all lost those beloved to us," she paused, letting a moment of silence linger for those who had died, "They died at a traitor's hands, hands that were trusted and nurtured by my late sister and her husband. It is obvious to me that no fairy can travel again to Neverland, lest he or she be murdered as well." The members of the council murmured their agreement.
"What is equally clear to me," Mab continued, then adding uncertainly, "after much thought- is that traveling from realm to realm is no longer safe for us. He can travel from realm to realm, and if we remain nomadic, we will be unprepared for an attack by him. I cannot allow this to happen anywhere else."
"What do you suggest?" Lurline, Mab and Titania's third cousin, inquired. She was the second-eldest of the various nobility assembled, after Mab herself, and was just as eager to protect their race.
Mab sighed, knowing that her declaration would forever change the Fair Folk, "We must establish a permanent court-"
"A permanent court?" protested Gloriana, a fourth cousin who shared Titania's brilliant blonde hair, "We can't do that. Our vows are to protect and help those of all realms. A permanent court, without traveling from realm to realm, leaves many worlds without our aid. That's impossible."
"Let me finish, Gloriana," Mab berated her gently, and Gloriana blushed, contrite:
"My apologies, Your Majesty."
"You are correct in that our vows say we must help those in every world. I am correct in that we cannot protect ourselves from Pan without creating permanent courts with established defenses- such as an army."
"Courts?" inquired a fairy with hair as black as night, "Surely you don't mean-"
"I do," Mab confirmed, "We must create a permanent fairy court in each world, with its own defenses and," she added this part softly, "its own monarchs. All travel between worlds is forbidden. In this way, we can continue to aid and help those of every world, while still protecting ourselves."
"But if travel is forbidden," the dark-haired fairy continued, "many of our people may never see each other again."
"I know," the Blue Fairy nodded, "It is for this reason that I will give each fairy the option of which world he or she will wish to reside in."
"And what of our home world? Our very land gives us the opportunity to go wherever we wish," another fairy, this time a brunette with extraordinary purple eyes, pointed out.
At this, Mab took a deep breath, "Aradia, you have brought me to perhaps the most horrendous part of this decision. I am Queen of Faerie, and in order to prevent such travel, I will seal off our homeland forever. In this way, none may travel through...everyone will stay at their permanent court. Everyone will be safe," she repeated the words to herself like a mantra.
"We must abandon our home forever?" Gloriana said, tears in her eyes, "Are we truly to depart our world, never to return? How can you say that?" she clenched her fists.
"Yes, we are! And I say that because I am Queen of Faerie!" Mab retorted, this time with anger in her tone, "We are to leave Faerie behind. We will also leave another world behind: the only world where we shall be forbidden to have a presence is that of Elphame."
At the gasps of horror around the council table, she continued, "Most people of Elphame no longer believe in us anyway!"
"They still deserve our help!" Aradia nearly shouted.
"They are dangerous," Mab practically snarled, "He came from Elphame! We cannot trust anyone from Elphame!"
"So not only are we abandoning our world," the dark-haired fairly said slowly, "We are abandoning Elphame. We are leaving it as a land without magic."
"Yes, Morgan," Mab declared, "It is my royal order that Faerie be sealed off, and that our people choose new home worlds that they will never depart. They will obey their vows there, helping and aiding the people of their new home as they see fit. It is my royal declaration that none will return to Faerie, and my royal declaration that none return to Elphame, and the land be without magic, forevermore," she bit her lip, "It is also my royal declaration that you shall become the queens of the remaining worlds. You may choose them now, in order of age," Mab nodded, "I will be the Fairy Queen of the Enchanted Forest."
Next to her, Lurline said softly, "I will be the Fairy Queen of Oz."
Next to her, Morgan declared, "I will be the Fairy Queen of Camelot."
Next to her, Aradia announced, "I will be the Fairy Queen of Wonderland."
And next to her, Gloriana stated,"I will be the Fairy Queen of Narnia."
So it went on, until each of the sixteen cousins had staked her claim.
Finally, Mab concluded, her voice weary, "There are countless other worlds. Each requires a monarch. I will let our people choose where they wish to go first, and then elect a monarch from that number. They will have three days to choose, and on the third day, we will depart."
Emma's jaw dropped, "So you're saying it's impossible for fairies to go from world to world now."
"Yes, with our traditional methods. It is also incredibly dangerous with nontraditional means. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but in this, I am afraid I can be of no help," the Mother Superior answered.
"You're never a disappointment, Blue," Mary Margaret attempted to comfort the fairy, "I can't imagine having to make that kind of decision."
The Mother Superior sighed, "I pray you don't."
There was a long silence as they pondered the gravity of that statement. Then, David cleared his throat, trying to bring them all back to their present circumstances. He looked expectantly at Ariel, and the mermaid started, realizing the pressure that was now placed on her.
"I'm afraid that Henry wouldn't survive the journey," Ariel said sadly, "It is possible for mermaids to cross worlds, and we can take some with us, but it does take time, and Henry couldn't hold his breath that long. I understand that it is possible for a human to turn into a mermaid, but I won't trust Regina's magic again." She shook her head vehemently, clearly remembering the negative effects of the last time she'd made that decision.
"There has to be another way," Emma stated firmly, "There just does. I won't let Pan take my-" she glanced at Neal, "our son. Please," she turned to the Blue Fairy again, "Maybe you can't help us in the traditional way, but new inventions are made all the time. You made one for me, a magic wardrobe-"
"I'm afraid there are no enchanted trees here-"
"Think! There has to be something!" Emma pleaded, and the fairy closed her eyes, deep in thought. She was no longer in the Enchanted Forest, but she was the Fairy Queen of the Enchanted Forest. This was the princess of the Enchanted Forest asking for her help. She had to do something, didn't she? She'd given up for far too long, mourning the two worlds she'd lost. Perhaps it was time she reclaimed her crown and fought again- thought as the fairy queen and fairy godmother she had once been. With that resolve in her heart, she had a flash of insight:
"You could use the Well of Wonders. Every world has one, even the Land Without Magic."
"The what?" Emma asked.
"The Well of Wonders," Mother Superior repeated, "You might recognize it as the Wishing Well. It's in the forest," she continued, almost excited with her idea, "When I stripped this world of its magic, it became an ordinary well, but when Regina cast the Dark Curse, it reactivated its power."
"What's it do?" Neal inquired.
"Water runs beneath all the worlds, as stars go above. The Well of Wonders in each world serves as a connecting point," the Mother Superior gestured with her hands.
"How does that work with the mermaids?" David furrowed his brow, confused. He was fairly certain mermaids didn't have to climb into a well every time they traversed the spaces between worlds. From what he knew, they just disappeared into the ocean and did...whatever they did to travel between worlds.
Ariel noted, "We have only to wish to swim in the waters beneath the worlds, and we can."
"The Well makes the waters accessible to everyone, not just mermaids," Mother Superior said, "or at least those deemed worthy by the guardian."
"What guardian?" Emma said, instantly wary. She knew there had to be a catch- there always was.
"Nyx," Mother Superior noted, "One that humans have incorrectly identified as a goddess. In actuality, she is the daughter of a mermaid and a fairy," she frowned, "A mix that has not been allowed since, and for good reason. She is considered an abomin- not ideal by both races, and consequently was given the duty of guarding the waters in order to hide her existence, and protect the worlds. When one tries to take water from the Well, she appears and judges whether the taking of the water is justified."
"If she judges taking the water," Hook said, "it doesn't sound like she lets anyone go through it."
"But if a mermaid asked, she would," Ariel hypothesized, "That's it, isn't it? I ask Nyx to allow Henry to travel with me through the Well, and we go to another world. Using the Well will shorten the journey to a few seconds."
Mother Superior nodded, "I think so."
"That's as good a plan as any," Neal stated, "That's how we get Henry to another world. And if Nyx judges who's worthy to pass through, she'll definitely say no to Pan."
"But how does Pan go from world to world? What's to stop him from finding Henry?" David asked.
"Pan flies; he goes above the worlds using the stars. But there are hundreds of worlds; hundreds of stars. He couldn't possibly guess a world we picked," Neal explained.
"Aye," Hook added, "He'd spend thousands of years searching. I think this is our best chance, love," he looked to Emma for the final decision, and she nodded:
"I'll tell Regina."
Regina hung up the phone, both perturbed and pleased by Emma's plan. On the surface, it was a good one- take Henry away from Storybrooke, show him to Nyx, and ask for passage to another world. But it involved too many variables for her taste- namely, six extra variables. God knew Mary Margaret couldn't keep a secret to save her life, and her husband was just as stupid. Regina cared about as much for the Blue Fairy as the fairy did for her- that is to say, not at all. Then, of course, there was the Savior and her two beaux. Regina remembered the pirate's duplicity in working for both her and her mother- while Emma might be enchanted by his wiles, Regina didn't trust him. Then, of course, there was Neal, formerly known as Baelfire. While Regina didn't have much of an issue with Neal himself, she most certainly had an issue with his father, Rumplestiltskin. She'd learned the hard way not to make deals with Dark One, and she'd also learned the Dark One was obsessed with three things: (1) his power (2) Neal and (3) Belle. If she could keep Rumplestiltskin from any knowledge of where Henry would be, she would- for all Pan had to do was threaten Neal or Belle and she knew he'd give up Henry's location immediately.
Finally, there was the Savior herself. Regina knew if anyone could be trusted to ensure Henry's safety, it was Emma. However, Emma had inherited her parents'- Regina sighed at the appropriateness of the phrase -hero complex. She might do something stupid in an attempt to save Henry, when in the act of doing something so stupid, she actually endangered him. Regina couldn't allow her to be involved, especially if- and at this, Regina swallowed in trepidation- something happened to Regina. Emma had to be around, and had to be safe, to protect Henry if Regina couldn't.
Therefore, none of the Charmings (or the pirate, or the Dark One's spawn) could know of the minor adjustment she was making to their plan.
The only one who would know was a certain mermaid.
It took Wendy ages- or at least it felt that way -to get over Rufio's death. Or perhaps she wouldn't say get over- perhaps it was more like being able to breathe and not see that horrible image of Hook plunging his sword into Rufio's chest.
Then one day, it was if she finally realized the gravity of her circumstances. Days had passed in Neverland. And every day was a year in her world. How old would her parents be? John and Michael? They would have given up on her, thought she was dead for sure. Could it be possible that they themselves were now dead?
Her heart broke a little at the thought. Shaking her head, she gazed at her reflection in the full-length mirror Peter had placed in her treehouse. Her hair was scraggly, the bow half-hanging off her head. Her gown, oddly, was still a shining white- probably due to Peter's magic -but dirt had found its way onto her knees and under her fingernails, and her red-rimmed eyes showed the damage that was more or less invisible on her appearance.
Swallowing, she said loudly and clearly, "Peter, I need to talk to you." She'd been trying to figure out if the trees of Neverland did carry messages to Pan, and while she'd never gotten a definitive answer, she was unable to deny that Peter almost always came when she called.
Sure enough, she looked away but for a moment. When she sighed and opened her eyes again, she could see Peter's reflection in the mirror. He was leaning, arms crossed, against the wall next to her bed. Her bedside lamp burned low, and the dying embers cast strange shadows on his face.
She whirled around to face him, and he smirked at her.
"Good evening, Bird."
"Peter," Wendy said, "how much time has passed? In our world?"
He cocked an eyebrow and replied, "You know you can always go to Skull Rock and look at the hourglass to tell you how much time has passed in Neverland."
"You know I don't mean Neverland."
"And you know that Neverland is my world- and yours too, now," Pan pointed out.
"Fine," Wendy retorted, deciding she would save that battle for another day, "How much time has passed in the Land Without Magic, since I came here?"
"I'm not sure."
"You're lying."
"Bird, I'm not lying-" he started, but she cut him off, slightly hysterical:
"Yes, you are! You know! Tell me!" Wendy threw herself at him. Surprised at her onslaught, he tripped slightly, so his back was flush against the wall. Wendy had her hands fisted around his sleeves so tightly she had pulled a few leaves off.
The tears in her eyes wiped the smirk off his face. Taken aback, he replied:
"Twenty-one years and six days. Or at least since I last checked the hourglass."
Wendy made a sound somewhere between a hiccup and a sob, and released him. Fighting to keep her breakfast down, she instead focused on why his count didn't make sense- he had said twenty-one years and six days. There was no reason for the "six days" to be mentioned, unless-
"You didn't use the diamond?"
"Not until a week or so ago, no," Peter replied, a bit unsure as to why he was telling her at all.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Using it would change Neverland, and me, for ages. I didn't want to let go of my power," he admitted, and if it had been anyone else, she would have thought there was a touch of vulnerability in his voice.
As it was, Wendy laughed morbidly, "You still have power. If nothing else, that's what never changes. You will always have power."
Despite himself, Peter smiled.
That same afternoon, Wendy was sitting in her jail cell, resisting the urge to claw at the walls in a futile attempt to escape. They didn't realize what being locked up did to her mentally, though they were nice enough with her physical needs. They let her out once a day to shower (with Emma standing outside), and twice to go to the bathroom. They fed her, but they'd taken her phone, hiding it within a desk drawer. Supposedly, it was to keep her from contacting Pan- though if Pan truly wanted to talk to her, he was hardly going to be deterred by her lack of an electronic device. In either case, it kept Wendy away from the reading app Belle had showed her how to download on her phone, and she was consequently bored out of her mind.
"Hey," David looked up from his desk, "You've got a visitor." He quickly frisked the intruder, but seeing all she carried was a bookbag, let her move towards Wendy's cell. Then he returned to examining the map of the forest he'd made this afternoon, trying to determine exactly when would be the best time to spirit Henry away to the Well of Wonders- and what formation would be best for his family, Hook, and Neal to make as guards. As such, he was entirely absorbed in his task, and the girl was allowed to approach Wendy freely.
"Hey," Gretel greeted Wendy with a small smile, "How are you doing?"
Wendy cracked a smile of her own, "As good as can be expected, I suppose."
"Yeah, Grace and I figured, especially when you didn't answer our texts."
Wendy jerked her head towards the desk, "Sorry, they took my phone. I literally don't have anything to keep me in contact with the outside world."
"Well, I brought you your homework, if you want that contact with the outside world," Gretel joked, "Though if I were you, I'd tell the principal there was now way in hell I was doing my homework when she put me in jail for getting kissed at a school dance."
"Gretel," Wendy said, her tone a clear warning, but Gretel went on undeterred:
"Speaking of, how was that, by the way? I didn't see it," she admitted, "I was kind of distracted."
"It was..." Wendy trailed off, "He just sort of came up to me, told me I was pretty, started dancing with me, and kissed me."
Gretel blinked, "Wow. Height of romance, isn't he?"
"Gretel-" Wendy said, tone full of warning again, but the girl said:
"He stalks you obsessively, offs your boyfriend, and then doesn't even say anything before he kisses you? Geez, he needs to talk to Slightly-"
At that comment, the hairs on Wendy's neck stood on end, "What do you mean, 'he needs to talk to Slightly?'"
"Right," Gretel shook her head, "They took your phone. Sorry, you wouldn't know this. Anyway, Jeff ditched me at the dance," she explained, a few tears in her eyes, "but Slightly came up to me, and he asked me to dance, and he told me I looked beautiful and that not everyone could be a queen, and we've kind of been talking since-"
"You've been talking to Slightly," Wendy said carefully, "about what, exactly?"
Ever since the night of the dance, Gretel and Slightly had made it a point to meet and talk, at least once a day, privately. At first, both had tried to make it seem accidental. It was easier on the Lost Boy's part to do this- after all, he'd hunted and tracked prey for hundreds of years, and so doing the same with this strange girl hadn't been particularly difficult -but he had to admit, he'd been amused by her feigning walking into him and knocking his books out of his arms, then deliberately "forgetting" to give him one back so he'd be forced to take it from her after school.
They'd started to chat about the "strangeness" of their lives. She'd told him the story of how she and her brother wanted to find their father, and how the Evil Queen had tricked them into almost being eaten by the Blind Witch. Gretel had been candid with her past, though Slightly was a bit more reluctant. He admitted that he missed his parents, and so he understood her there, and he admitted he'd once gone to school with Peter. Other than that, he preferred to tell her stories about Neverland, as Neverland had been in its golden days:
"You would have loved it, Gretel. There were mermaids and fairies-" he said wistfully.
"I've seen fairies before," Gretel protested. There had been plenty in the Enchanted Forest, though she hadn't interacted with them much.
"Not like this," Slightly insisted, "Only Peter could go to their balls, but every once in a while, they'd let the rest of us watch. They danced in a clearing, surrounded by stones. Flowers were blooming everywhere, even in the middle of the night, from just the slightest touch of their magic. They danced under the stars, the men dressed in their finest doublets, the women in beautiful gowns made of silk they claimed they took from the moon."
"Silk they took from the moon?" Gretel said, incredulous.
"You know how the moon has phases? It changes its shape?"
"Yes."
"According to the fairies, the moon in Neverland isn't a true moon, but made of silk and dreams, and it changes its shape because the fairies fly to the moon to harvest the silk. They unravel it, like a ball," Slightly took Gretel's hand in his to demonstrate, "and the fairy women make their gowns with it. Then the moon grows again, regaining its fullness as new silk grows."
"That sounds impossible," Gretel laughed, "The moon's made of silk and dreams?"
"Peter made all of Neverland," Slightly told her, "The world is constructed from his imagination, and I promise you, he has a great imagination," the Lost Boy grinned, "Neverland's not like this world, not at all." He sounded boastful, but not arrogant- almost like a parent who talked about their child with utmost affection.
Gretel queried, "If the moon was silk, what were the stars? Jewels?"
Slightly replied, "I don't think so, though that's a nice thought. The stars were real. That's how you get to and from Neverland, you see, by using the stars. Each star is a separate world. In fact, you could see the Enchanted Forest from Neverland."
"You could?" Gretel asked.
"Yes. It was the sixth star to the left," he affirmed. The directions were vague to her, but to a Neverlander, it was enough for immediate identification.
"Was it a pretty star?" Gretel asked, and somehow, Slightly sensed she wasn't talking about the star anymore.
He chose his words carefully, "Very pretty. It was so pretty I wished we could see it all the time- not just at night, but during the day, too."
Gretel snuck a glance at him and blushed, then cast her eyes downward.
"If Peter created Neverland- if he made the world by his imagination -couldn't he imagine that? Couldn't he make it so you could see the star all the time?"
Slightly swallowed. In truth, he hadn't allowed himself to think about that. He didn't know what was going on between him and Gretel, but the very idea of Gretel in Neverland...
"He probably could," the Lost Boy admitted at last, "but I don't think- he wouldn't, not yet."
Gretel looked crushed, and he hurriedly tried to remedy the situation, "Pan loved- he loved to imagine things for Wendy. If he was going to imagine new things, it would be for her first." He inwardly berated himself- he was babbling, and he was hardly acting the elegant aristocrat he'd been raised to be. They had taught him how to be a gentleman at Eton, and he was spectacularly failing.
"But if I were in his position," Slightly attempted to regain some eloquence, "I would imagine the star at night, during the day-"
Shyly, Gretel looked up at him again, and he continued:
"-in the morning, and the evening-"
Slightly spoke every word more and more slowly, each syllable drawing out until it was in time with a breath, and it was if each breath pulled him towards her, like some magnetic force. He was distracted by her eyes, by the pink in her cheeks, the curl of her lashes-
"-and the sunrise, and the sunset-"
No one was more surprised than him when their lips met, in a soft, sweet, and chaste kiss.
"Gretel," Wendy trailed off, examining her friend for the first time, "Don't make the mistake of thinking that Neverland is magical and happy. It was once, but it's not anymore, and don't make the mistake of thinking that just because Slightly is nice, Neverland is nice too.
"It changed, Gretel," Wendy whispered, well-aware she'd made that mistake years ago with Peter, "and it changed me. Pan sent me away from Neverland, and he broke my heart. Later, I came back to try to rescue a boy I saw as my brother. Peter tricked me, and I agreed to stay forever to let Baelfire go. I never saw my parents again, and the next time I saw Michael and John, they were grown men, forever changed. Our relationship is broken, and I think now it's beyond repair," she swallowed, "I had one close friend, my best friend in Neverland, after Bae left. His name was Rufio," tears sparkled in her eyes, "and when he died, so did the last part of my innocence. I wasn't a star-eyed little girl anymore. I became hardened-"
"Wendy-"
"-and my heart broke a little more every day. But that's the thing- when your heart's broken every day, you learn to live with it. You learn to survive, whatever your circumstances. I did," her eyes fixed on Gretel's, suddenly filled with an age not reflected by her youth, "and I don't want that for you. It's not a life I'd wish on anyone."
"But Peter cares for you," Gretel said, "Slightly told me."
Wendy flinched, memories tearing at her heart, "Maybe he does, and if that's true, I wouldn't wish that on anyone either. I recently learned more about him than I ever knew before. He started out nobly enough. Now, I even understand why he did what he did at first. But later...his aims became twisted, and his hands are stained with blood, and it's that which drives him. If he cares for you, he'll kill for you, and he'll kill anyone who gets in his way, innocent or not. And that will stay on your conscience for the rest of your life."
"Wendy," Gretel said sadly, "That's not true."
"Yes it is, Gretel," Wendy answered, desperately trying to save the naive reflection of her younger self she saw standing before her, embodied in her friend, "And perhaps the worst part of it at all, is that there is one thing I can say for Peter Pan, and it's more than I can say for anyone else in my life: he's consistent. He's never left me. Bae, my brothers...even Tink abandoned camp. Emma. The Charmings. Several Lost Boys who joined the Charmings. But Peter? Peter has never left me," she bit her lip, "and somehow, despite everything, I find some strange comfort in that."
In the minds of John and Michael Darling, keeping Wendy imprisoned in the Storybrooke jail had one aim: keeping her away from Pan. In the mind of Regina, it had a very different one: keeping Pan away from Henry. For it seemed that while Pan was utterly maniacal, and little could distract him, he had a strange fascination with Wendy Darling. Regina suspected that he would be fixated on that, and try to free her. Presumably, his henchmen would be also focused on that. And hopefully, she could maneuver a small disappearance, and the one or two lookouts he constantly had watching her apartment every night- oh yes, she noticed -wouldn't realize anything was amiss. And in the meantime, she could spirit Henry away to Wonderland.
"Henry," she whispered to her sleeping son, "Time to get up." Still a bit drowsy, he rubbed his eyes:
"Mom?"
"It's time to go," Regina said softly. Henry said nothing for a moment, but then remembering their plan- or what he thought was their plan- he'd called it Operation Rabbit -he swung himself out of bed, throwing his jacket and sneakers on with reckless abandon.
When he was ready, Regina snapped her fingers, and in a swirl of her signature purple smoke, they appeared beside the well, where Ariel waited for them. The mermaid kept her arms crossed in the cold weather, but when she saw them, she waved them over.
"Quickly!" she said, "When Nyx comes, we won't have much time." She bent down over the well, and called out with a crisp, clear voice:
"Secret sister, I summon thee. Come here this night and please aid me. Through waves blue and ocean black, come to me; please come back. From waters which run the worlds betwixt, come to me now, my sister Nyx." Her entreaty, which to Regina sounded suspiciously like a spell, echoed in the walls of the well. Ariel's beautiful voice reverberated against the stones, the words repeating over and over, like a prayer.
Suddenly, there was a ripple of water. It was soft at first, as if someone had dropped a coin in the well. Then it abruptly grew louder, roaring like a storm. Water cycled up through the well like a typhoon. Ariel stood back as the cyclone burst through the top of the well, then fell away, revealing one of the creepiest women Regina had ever seen. Her dark hair was bound in tight braids, from which water dripped. Seaweed was woven into her hair, and also into the white dress that pressed up against her form. She tilted her head angrily. As her gaze burned into Regina, the former Evil Queen shivered, feeling as though Nyx could see every single crime she had ever committed. She gulped, then gathered her courage:
"Nyx, I presume?"
"Yes. I am the Guardian of the Well of Wonders. Who disturbs my slumber?" the guardian replied, her voice deep and almost hateful.
"My name is Queen Regina of the Enchanted Forest-" Regina began, but Nyx cut her off:
"You've drowned many over the years."
The former Evil Queen had no words for that, other than a curl of her lip and a short, "Oh." It was true. Drowning, she had learned, was one of the worst ways to die. For those who trespassed against her, it seemed a fitting punishment at the time. Of course, had she known she would one day require the aid of a water guardian who'd apparently encountered their bodies (and perhaps their souls), she would have just beheaded them instead.
Ariel bit her lip, then inquired, "Sister, I called on you for help." Nyx shifted her gaze to the mermaid, and as their eyes met, the anger in the guardian's eyes dissipated slightly.
"What do you require?"
"Passage to Wonderland," Henry said, quickly adding, "Please," as Nyx stared at him. She tilted her head to the other side, "I know who you are."
"My name's Henry," the boy said, perhaps unnecessarily. He held out his hand to Nyx, who raised an eyebrow, but after what seemed like hours, shook his. Now she appeared amused, and released his hand- which was soaked in water.
"Yes. Henry Mills, the double-prince and Savior-child," Nyx stated, "Why do you need to go to Wonderland?"
"There is a terrible boy here," Ariel explained, "and he wants to take Henry's heart. We fear that he may succeed, if Henry stays in Storybrooke," she smiled, squeezing Henry's hand- though unlike Nyx, she didn't leave his hand coated with sea salt, "if he could go to Wonderland, for only a little while, and seek refuge there while we fight to save him, we would be very grateful."
"You would accompany him?"
"Yes," the mermaid confirmed, "He could hardly find the world alone. And we ask for passage through the well because he can't breathe in the waters between the worlds."
"I understand why you would require the well," Nyx said, and Ariel blushed. The mermaid felt foolish. It was true that Nyx and she were nominally half-sisters- or so said the legends of her race -but Nyx was far older than her. The guardian didn't seem to notice Ariel's embarrassment, however.
Regina interjected, "Good. Then we'd like to use it immediately."
"I said I understand why you would require it," Nyx stared at Regina, the anger returned to her eyes, "not that you could use it."
Ariel was horrified, "But, sister, we need to-"
"You can pass through it," Nyx told Ariel, "as can the boy," she looked at Regina again, "You cannot."
"What!?" the former Evil Queen replied, shocked, "What do you mean I can't go through?"
"You cannot pass through," Nyx repeated, as if Regina were an idiot.
"I have to go through," Regina insisted, "I have to. Wonderland is dangerous. You have to know that! I need to make sure he's protected. I have to speak to the acting monarch; he or she is the only one who would have the resources to stand a chance against Pan. And Henry, yes, he's technically a prince, but he's received no political training. He would have no idea how to talk to a monarch, and the kings and queens of Wonderland can be vicious!" seeing her words were having no effect on Nyx, Regina sighed, closing her eyes. Forcing down her pride, she begged:
"Please. I won't stay, but I need to go through so I can talk to the king or queen and persuade them to protect my son. If he goes alone, I may as well kill him myself, because I will do it more quickly and more mercifully than they will."
Henry's eyes widened, but Regina was undeterred in her plea:
"Please, Nyx. I know I've done horrible things. Terrible things. I wish I could say I regret them, but you and I both know that would be a lie. I don't regret anything I did, because it brought me my son," her voice cracked on the last word, and tears sprang to her eyes, "but my son is all I have. He's asked me to try to be a hero, and I am by no means perfect," a hint of sarcasm snuck into her tone, "but I am trying. This is a step on my path. I know that I will never be able to be a hero if he's unprotected, especially if I know I could have done something more to protect him. This- going to Wonderland -this is something that I can do."
"Very well," Nyx said finally, "but you must return within two hours."
"Cinderella time, right?" Regina bargained, heart in her throat. "Cinderella time" was a special unit of time among advanced magic users. It involved the use of an amulet capable of traveling between dimensions and syncing the time differences between the dimensions for the user so that the user's own timeline was not disrupted by travel to another dimension. Once the agreed upon "time" was up, however, the amulet cracked into shards, worthless.
What it would do for Regina, Henry, and Ariel was allow them to travel to Wonderland while still remaining in the Storybrooke "time zone" and not being pulled in Wonderland's; if they did not use such an amulet and instead fell into Wonderland's time zone, days would pass in Storybrooke before they returned. Regina could not allow such an event to happen, because it would alert Pan to Henry's departure. Consequently, she was adamant that Nyx's stipulations fall within Cinderella time. The last thing she wanted was to be tricked by this guardian. She'd already humiliated herself before her, and she did not want that humiliation to go in vain.
Nyx rolled her eyes, closed her empty fist, then opened it once more to reveal an amulet covered in coral, and proffered it to Regina, "Yes. Take this with you. You have two turns of the dial. Go. Before I change my mind."
"What happens if you do?" Henry asked, unable to hold back his curiosity, "I mean, please don't, but what does happen?"
Nyx smiled, and bared her teeth, "She gets to meet some of those she's drowned. I do not dispense mercy to those who do not deserve it." Without so much as a farewell, she sank into the water again. Regina, Ariel, and Henry watched as her hair disappeared into the blackness.
"Now what?" Regina asked, some of her haughtiness restored with the guardian gone.
"Now," Henry breathed, "I think we jump in," he looked to Ariel for confirmation, "Right?"
"Yes," the mermaid nodded, "Both of you. Legs over the edge, and take my hands." Henry climbed over the edge without question, as did Ariel. Regina took a little longer, but did so.
"I'm not going to like this, am I?" she deadpanned.
Ariel smirked at her, "Definitely not. Now deep breath, both of you! I will swim as fast as I can, but I don't know how long this will take." Then she pulled them over the edge, and they plummeted into the water. Regina didn't have time to close her eyes, and as they descended into the depths, she found she didn't want to. At first, the water was black- still the water of the well -but then, it quickly morphed into a brilliant blue. If she looked upward, she could see light reflected on the water's surface. The light was gathered into a circle, and Regina surmised that each circle must be the entryway into a world. There were hundreds of circles, but Ariel swam to the right, dodging other mermaids who spared them surprised stares. Ariel ignored them all, doggedly heading for a circle that rapidly expanded as they approached.
There was a sudden flash of light, and then everything went black.
Wendy sat on the bed in her cell, with her knees tucked up to her chest. Her eyes were fixed on the brilliant night sky. The moon was full and the night was spangled with stars, but the sheriff's office was silent. David Nolan had gone home to his wife. They'd set one of the dwarves to watch her, and while they hadn't been dumb enough to let it be Sleepy, Grumpy had fallen asleep quickly enough.
The dwarf had been companionable enough while he was awake, but now Wendy was left alone to brood with her thoughts. She couldn't believe that John and Michael had imprisoned her. The brothers she had known would never have done that. Uncomfortably, Wendy was reminded of her nightmares where her brothers barred the window to her, saying she was "his," that she belonged to Pan, and then they shoved her off the sill and she fell to her death. As if she were the threat. And while her now grown-up brothers protested that this was supposed to protect her, somehow it felt like they imprisoned her because they feared her.
Would they ever love her again? Or was she tainted forever?
And if she was, what did she want to do about it?
That was the crux of the matter, Wendy supposed. If her brothers couldn't separate her from Pan, then she truly had no family here. The Charmings had already betrayed her, and while she knew Gretel and Grace cared for her, Pan was getting to them too (Wendy wanted to believe that Slightly's interest in Gretel was genuine, but she couldn't help but fear otherwise). She had no friends in this world (even Tink was tied to Neverland).
Her family, and her friends, the only ones who didn't seem to care about her past, were her past. A tear slipped down her cheek, and she clenched her fists. She closed her eyes, and it was in that instant that she heard the window creak open.
Grumpy instantly rose to his feet, brandishing his axe, "I haven't been able to do much to protect this town lately, but at least I can do this!" He strode towards the window, but a voice said clearly.
"You might want to look behind you."
Making a sound akin to a growl, Grumpy turned around. Slightly grinned, then blew poppy dust in his face. Sputtering, the dwarf was powerless, then collapsed to the floor.
"Well, that was easy," the Lost Boy quipped, "Hello, Wendy!"
"Slightly?" Wendy gasped, "Did Gretel put you up to this?"
"No, I did," a familiar voice said smoothly. Wendy jumped to her feet, wrapping her fingers around the bars of her cell as Peter Pan swung himself smoothly through the window.
"I know how much you hate being in a cage," he said. His face was inscrutable, and had Wendy not been shocked how casual the pair were about being here, she would have been trying to figure out if there was an apology hidden somewhere in that statement.
Peter walked towards the cell, leaning close so his face was inches from hers:
"Would you like to get out of that cage, Bird?"
A bit breathless, she answered, "Yes."
"Good." Peter bent down and slipped the ring of keys out of Grumpy's belt loop. Almost casually, he sorted through them until he arrived at the key he thought would unlock the door. He could have used magic, and it would have been considerably easier to, but he didn't entirely want Wendy knowing he possessed all of his powers just yet. She'd betrayed him once, and he was fairly certain she wouldn't again, but he no longer took chances. The lock clicked, and her cell door swung open.
Wendy stood frozen for a second, unsure of what to do. Had it been anyone else, she probably would have hugged them, but she didn't want to do that with Peter. Now was not the time to let her feelings confuse her.
Peter was silent, and held out his hand to her. She took it, and it was as if time stood still as she stared at him, trying to figure out his motive, what he was feeling. The ethereal green orbs were full of a strange light, but revealed nothing to her.
The moment was broken by a muffled curse from Slightly.
Peter spun around, dropping Wendy's hand, "Slightly, what are you doing?"
"Getting Wendy's purse and the books Gretel dropped off today."
"And why are you doing that?" Peter inquired, a hint of annoyance creeping into his tone.
"Because Wendy would miss them. Even though she's probably not going to go back to school for a while now, she'll want to keep up with her work. Right?" Slightly directed this question to Wendy.
"Yes," she smiled, "I would. Thank you, Slightly."
"Well, if you're done grabbing everything, you might want to hurry up," Felix's own voice came from the hallway, "That poppy dust won't last forever, and Storybrooke might be ours at night, but none of us want to be found here."
"All right, Felix, I'm done," Slightly snapped. Wendy only got a quick glance of him throwing her books into a satchel, as Peter grabbed her hand and strode own the hallway with her in tow. Felix went first as a scout, with Slightly following them as a rear guard. Both Lost Boys held their switchblades out. Pan used one of his hands to hold Wendy's firmly in his own while his other gripped his dagger.
They found a different window, this one also open. Felix confirmed that they were still unseen as he dropped through it to the ground. Pan went next, landing catlike on his feet. Wendy looked out the window doubtfully:
"I really don't know if I should-"
"Bird, we have to hurry. And I told you I would always catch you."
Well, Wendy thought, I suppose that's true. Taking a deep breath, she climbed atop the sill, closed her eyes, then stepped forward, praying to whoever was listening that she hadn't lost her mind and was imagining this.
Peter grunted softly as he caught her, but his hands were firmly around her waist as she landed neatly in his arms. Wendy blinked and looked at him.
Nope, definitely not a dream.
Seemingly oblivious to her inner turmoil, Pan let her down, then waited for Slightly to jump as well. Once all three were safely on the ground, the four ran straight for the woods.
"But- it's pitch black!" Wendy protested.
"You've never been in dark forests before," Felix commented, the words dripping with sarcasm, "If you want to go back, no one's stopping you."
Just then, a soft light lit up a corner of the woods. Instinctively, they all- even Wendy -curled into the shadows. The shadows were safety- Neverland had taught them that being part of the shadows meant the danger couldn't see you.
"Felix, Slightly," Pan commanded, "Take Wendy home. I'm going to look at that."
"Pan-" Felix started, but Peter cut him off.
"That's not a normal light, and while I would let you escort Wendy alone, that dwarf will wake up soon and sound the alarm. Go. I'll see you soon."
With that, he melted into the shadows, but if you looked just so, you could see him moving, slowly and carefully, towards where the light had shown just moments before.
The Neverland night was dark, as it always seemed to be after all these years, with no inclination that tonight would be different from any others. Wendy was standing at her treehouse window, watching and waiting. Normally she would be in bed by now, normally Peter would be embracing her, but tonight was different. He had disappeared earlier in the day and she hadn't seen him since. The Lost Boys were tense, and no one would tell her why. All she could see was them keeping their eyes on the horizon, as if they expected something to appear. What it was, she had no idea. Pan had long since locked the borders of Neverland since the...incident with Hook. When he himself left Neverland in search of Lost Boys, it was rare that any returned with him. Wendy wondered if he had taken some of her words about how the island was cursed to heart. She also wondered if he had any heart left.
Before Wendy could muse more on the infernal boy, there was a massive boom. She stumbled, almost falling over, only saving herself from tumbling to the floor by fixing her grip on the windowsill. Wendy was used to storms in Neverland. She knew what thunder sounded like. That was most certainly not the sound of thunder. This was...something else. Now, she too kept her gaze on the horizon, trying to figure out what had been so powerful as to burst through Peter's borders.
For what else could explain what had just happened? Or...was that a ship?
Wendy gasped. She knew that ship. She recognized that ship. Why in God's name would he choose to come back?
Why would Hook return?
Pan was evidently displeased by this development, because now thunder, lightning, and rain raged across the sky. Alarmed, she slammed her window shut. This kind of storm only meant death for Hook, and whatever unfortunate souls he'd convinced to come back with him. The ship plunged into the waves, which suddenly grew so high she was certain it would capsize. When she heard the shrieking, she clapped her hands over her ears. Those were the cries of mermaids out for blood; she hated it, she hated it. Yet when she looked out her window once more, she knew she had to do something. Shadows darted amongst the trees almost imperceptibly, Lost Boys heading towards some critical location. Instantly, Wendy descended from her treehouse and followed. What was both interesting to her and somewhat alarming was that none tried to stop her. The Lost Boys were totally unfocused on her, single-mindedly heading towards their goal...and Wendy pitied whatever goal it was. Then she realized the goal had to be important- and Peter had to be involved. Where else would he be? Something was going on here, something greater than she knew- and something that had been deliberately kept from her, she realized. Simultaneously wary, furious, and terrified, she ran after the Lost Boys. They eventually came upon a clearing, where a feeble fire sent a trail of smoke towards the raging sky. A woman dressed in a tan coat stood over the fire, letting the rain pelt her back, struggling to keep it lit. Before Wendy could call out to the strange woman- she found a hand over her mouth.
"Say nothing," Nibs warned her, "or you might get hurt." Although the words sounded like a threat, she knew inherently that Nibs was warning her against the couple in the clearing- not him. She nodded, and he released her, hissing "Stay here, and do not move," before leaving her huddled into the underbrush.
"We makin' smores?" an unknown voice asked, and Wendy held back the gasp that threatened to escape her throat. There, standing in the clearing with the couple, was a boy- not just any boy, but the boy, the boy Peter had been seeking for years.
The man, balding and dressed in a dark coat said, derisively, "No. Building a signal. Help me gather some dry leaves. We need to let the Home Office know that we're here."
The Home Office? Wendy thought, What are they talking about? She glanced in Nibs' direction, but he ignored her.
"And what if that's not enough?" the woman in the tan coat snapped.
Just then, a group of twelve Lost Boys swept into the clearing, leaves rustling as they arrived. Nibs was among them. Wendy continued to peer through the leaves.
"Oh, it's enough," Felix drawled, "We're the Home Office. Welcome to Neverland." He smirked, and Wendy cringed at the sheer enjoyment in Felix's tone. She knew that tone. He planned on killing something, and he was looking forward to it.
"The Home Office," the woman said slowly, "is a bunch of teenagers?" She looked both stunned and somewhat disappointed, though what she'd expected, Wendy had no idea.
"They're not teenagers," the young boy- the boy with the Heart of the Truest Believer -said with trepidation, "They're the Lost Boys."
"Look at that," Felix said, almost whistling with appreciation. He was pleased, apparently, that one of the foreign trio had a brain.
"Why do the Lost Boys want to destroy magic?" the young boy queried.
"Who said we wanna destroy magic?" Felix drawled, still smiling darkly.
"That was our mission," the man interrupted, holding a hand to his heart.
Felix raised one eyebrow, amused by the man's density, "So you were told, yes," the amusement in his voice evaporated as he turned his attention to the young boy, "Now, the boy. Hand him over."
Sassily- and stupidly, Wendy thought -the woman in the tan coat retorted, "Not until you tell us the plan- for magic! For getting home!" She moved to stand in front of the young boy, making it obvious that she wouldn't let the Lost Boys near the couple's bargaining chip.
"You're not getting home," Felix said simply.
"Then you're not getting the boy," the man replied.
Felix smiled then, and Wendy knew it was over long before he said:
"Of course we are."
Still, she couldn't help but shudder when Pan's Shadow roared down from the sky. Lightning flashed in time with its descent, making its appearance even eerier. As thunder clapped, the Shadow ripped the man's shadow out of his body harshly and without care. Then it held the man's shadow over the fire, letting the flames lick at it. The man himself began to yell as if he himself were the one getting burned alive- and with a start, Wendy realized he was. As smoke spiraled off his shadow, so did it spiral off his skin, and the stench of burning flesh threatened to make her vomit. As it was, she let out a small cry. While it went unheard by the woman in the tan coat, the young boy, and the man whose shadow had been torn from him, the Lost Boys all twitched, having become attuned to the sounds of Neverland and recognizing her. Pan's Shadow almost seemed to look at her quickly, its eyes meeting hers in the underbrush before it reached for the top of the man's shadow's head. It yanked the shadow's neck back sharply, and the real man's neck snapped with a sickening crunch. Then his body fell to the ground, still burning, while Pan's Shadow flew to the sky, its smoking, broken prize in hand.
Utterly horrified, the woman in the tan coat shouted, "Run!" She and the young boy sprinted away.
Felix commanded, "Get the boy."
Instantly, the Lost Boys sent arrows outward, and three found their mark in the woman's back. She gasped and fell to the ground, and Wendy knew it was only a matter of time before she was dead- Dreamshade would have coated the Boys' arrows tonight. The remaining Lost Boys all gave chase to the young boy, though something seemed off to Wendy. They were almost- clumsy? But they were seasoned and experienced hunters. They should have brought him down in seconds, and yet- they didn't.
Puzzled, Wendy followed after them, running through the underbrush. Leaves whipped in her face, and she had started to slip in the mud, but she kept her eyes fixed forward, following the Lost Boys that she could see through the storm. They turned left, but then she could see the young boy himself. He wore a red scarf, and it was this garment that kept getting lit up by the lightning, and this that she kept using as a guide to run after him.
Suddenly, he tripped- and Wendy actually saw the tree root raise off the ground to trip him. She gasped, worried that a root would reach for her as well, but nothing came for her. Instead, she almost called out as she saw a familiar arm- an arm that held her every night -reach out of the bush and grab the young boy into the bushes with a commanding:
"Come on!"
"P-" before she could finish the rest of the word, someone else's hand went out and grabbed her:
"Come on, Wendy," Nibs held his hand over her mouth again, "I said not to say anything!"
With that, he guided her back to her treehouse, the storm covering their tracks, Wendy wondering all the while what game Pan was up to now.
"Mom!" Regina heard Henry's voice calling her from the distance. Part of her wanted to sleep, but another insistent part of her demanded she wake up, and wake up now. Henry needed her. She couldn't sleep, there was something important-
Then something was shaking her, and Regina coughed as light returned. She saw a soaking-wet Henry kneeling at her side, a nervous Ariel pacing back and forth. Groaning, she felt her own clothes stick to her skin, and snapped her fingers. The water disappeared, and she sighed in contentment as she was no longer wet and cold. The sun felt so nice here-
Wait, sun?
Abruptly, Regina sat up, "Did we make it?" Blinking, she smiled. This world was most definitely not the Storybrooke they had left behind. Green grass practically shimmered around them, flowers bloomed everywhere, and mushrooms that were seven feet tall surrounded the glade. Regina cast a glance backwards, spotting Wonderland's Well of Wonders against the backdrop of a magnificent sunset.
More like a Pool of Wonders, she thought, raising an eyebrow. It was at least twelve feet around on every side, and covered by a beautiful marble pavilion.
"Regina," Ariel said, "I know we don't get along, but I have to tell you we've already wasted time."
"How much?" Regina demanded.
"Ten minutes, I think," the mermaid replied anxiously, gesturing to the amulet Regina clutched in her hand, "and I'm guessing you want to go to the palace. That palace." She pointed to a white structure in the distance that appeared to be made of many turrets.
Regina jumped to her feet and narrowed her eyes, "Yes. The Chessboard Palace. Home of the Red Royals."
"The Red Royals?" Henry asked.
"Yes. Henry, I'm going to give you a quick history lesson on Wonderland," Regina said, standing up and perfunctorily educating her son as she attempted to make herself look presentable for an audience, "Unlike most worlds, Wonderland has rarely known peace. There are many rulers. A long time ago there were three sisters, the Queen of Spades, the Queen of Diamonds, and the Queen of Clubs. They were despots, but they were heiresses to a dynasty that had ruled Wonderland, or parts of it, since ancient times: the Lewyssian Dynasty. As such, they had some followers, many as insane as they. But others were not, and they flocked to the sides of other rulers: the Red King and Queen, and the Queen of Hearts."
"Grandma?" Henry gasped.
"Yes," Regina replied, fixing her hair, "She was quite the annoyance to the three Lewyssian Queens. I believe she may have eventually overthrown them, though it's been a while since I've been here. The other family vying for power was the Red Royals. As your grandmother no longer rules in this world, we're going to visit them. They reside in that palace. That palace. Now," she stared at her son, "You are going to say absolutely nothing. I will speak to them alone."
Henry nodded, and once again, Regina whisked them away with a snap of a finger.
They appeared in the apartments of the Red Royals. To Regina's surprise, there were no petitioners present. Instead, only a stunningly beautiful blonde woman was cutting roses- red, of course -and placing them in a vase on the table.
"Your Majesty," Regina said. She didn't curtsy to the Red Queen- for this to work, the woman had to see her as an equal -but she nodded politely to her. For her part, the woman noticed this reaction, and raised an elegant eyebrow. Regina couldn't help but think she had never seen so beautiful a woman. Her thick golden hair was piled up into an elegant chignon, where a clearly priceless crown studded with at least twenty rubies was neatly set into it. Her eyes were of an unusual gray-blue color, and her lips were full and pink. Her clothing spoke volumes as to her wealth: she wore a red gown with a tight, fitted red and gold bodice, the skirt flowing out in a lovely bell-shape. Ropes of rubies matched her crown and dangling drop earrings, and the feathered sleeves of the gown served as a perfect framework to set off her many necklaces.
"Who are you? And I must remind you that it is common protocol to curtsy to Wonderland's queen," the Red Queen's voice dripped with haughtiness, but Regina raised her chin and responded with a haughty tone of her own:
"I'm not a citizen of Wonderland. I'm Queen Regina of the Enchanted Forest, and I would like to speak to you alone."
The Red Queen appraised Regina's outfit of suit jacket and pants, clearly skeptical. Realizing her error, Regina snapped her fingers, replacing her plain (or at least it would look that way to the Red Queen) mayor's outfit with one of her more conservative gowns from her days as the Evil Queen. It was a long-sleeved, deep purple creation with embroidery of sparkly black. She wore no crown, knowing that the Red Queen would find this disrespectful, but did wear glorious jewels. Beside her, a nervous Ariel wore a plain black handmaiden's dress, embroidered with Regina's personal crest. Henry fought the urge to spin around as he wore a black, miniature version of one of his grandfather's princely outfits, complete with cape and shortsword.
The Red Queen's eyes widened briefly at the display of magic, but she quickly schooled her face into an impassive stare, "The Enchanted Forest? I thought the ruler of that land was King Leopold."
Regina narrowed her eyes, "Yes, well, I married him, and he's dead."
The Red Queen laughed slightly, the sound like twinkling bells, "Is he? How...convenient for you, darling."
Darling? Regina thought, Are we friends now? I guess I must have passed the Queen's Test.
"Yes," Regina admitted, though it seemed like like a lifetime ago, "My mother certainly seemed to think so. In fact, I think you know her."
The Red Queen cocked her head, "I'm sure I don't, darling."
"I'm sure you do. In this land, she called herself the Queen of Hearts, but her first name was Cora."
"I don't understand."
"What do you mean?" Regina said.
"The Queen of Hearts is...she's like a mother to me," the Red Queen admitted, a hint of vulnerability shining through her practiced facade, "She told me her own daughter was a disappointment to her-"
"That's Mother," Regina muttered under her breath.
"-but I don't understand how that could be if you're truly Queen of the Enchanted Forest. Or how you're speaking of her as if she's dead."
Regina's lips set in a thin line, "Of that, I wish to speak with you alone. Is there a place where my companions may wait?" The Red Queen nodded:
"Tweedles!" She clapped her hands, and two identically dressed men practically ran into the room. They both had white wigs tied back in ponytails, along with white and red doublets. Red lightning marks adorned their faces, completely covering one eye.
"Take them into my sitting room and entertain them," she pointed an elegant finger at Henry and Ariel, and the two men bounded over. One took Ariel's hand, the other Henry's, and swiftly escorted them through a side door. Ariel gave Regina a panicked look, but the woman ignored it, keeping all her focus on the Red Queen.
When they were alone, Regina sighed. She stared at the Red Queen, who inquired:
"She's still alive, isn't she?" at Regina's silence, the queen added, this time softly, "Isn't she?"
Regina bit her lip. She wasn't sure how to say this. While Cora and Regina had, in their own way, loved each other, their relationship had been rocky and complicated. Apparently, Cora and the Red Queen's relationship did not share the same strain. The Red Queen clearly viewed Cora as a surrogate mother- which meant Regina had to imagine that she was telling someone else of the death of their mother. Finally, she settled on:
"I'm sorry."
The Red Queen's pretty face twisted with rage, "No! No! How can this be?" She collapsed onto a nearby duvet, tears shimmering in her eyes. Her voice vicious, she asked:
"Did you do it?"
"No. She was murdered by Snow White," Regina said flatly, "Don't seek revenge for it. Too much time has passed, and it won't get you what you want."
"How do you know what I want?" the Red Queen demanded.
"Because you're like me," Regina answered, "Just- just you did what my mother wanted," she shook her head, "But you want love. You want freedom. You want those things, and you also want power. Mother understood the importance of power. You have power right now, though you appear to be having some difficulty with the love and freedom department."
The Red Queen's brow furrowed, but then she asked, "What do you mean, 'too much time has passed?' She only left Wonderland two weeks ago."
Regina almost swayed on her feet at the thought of her mother being alive only so short a time ago. She had known time ran differently between the worlds- the amulet in her hand was proof enough of that -and that Wonderland was far slower, but she hadn't realized how much slower it was here.
"Darling, what is it?" the Red Queen had apparently noticed Regina's dead white face, which had stopped her disbelief.
Regina gave a brief lesson in the time differences in dimensions to the Red Queen, who was shocked.
"So if I were to go to Sherwood, back in the Enchanted Forest...much time would have passed."
"'Go back?'" Regina repeated, "So you're originally one of my subjects? Then you should be bowing to me."
This comment seemed to snap the Red Queen back into reality, as she laughed, "No, I don't think so, darling. You didn't rule when I was there, and the kingdom I came from neighbored yours. Besides, I'm a queen now. You and I are equals."
"Except my mother was actually proud of you," Regina said, unable to hold back a trace of bitterness.
There was a long pause, and the Red Queen answered, "I'm not so sure that's true, darling. She…often expressed her feelings about my marriage to the Red King. She felt that I would be a better ruler without him, one who was free to use magic without his disapproval."
"I know that my mother's probably also suggested you kill him to make your life easier, and you don't have the stomach for it yet, no matter what he's done," Regina said flatly.
"He's become unfaithful to me," the Red Queen whispered, looking away, "Not that I care, of course. We consummated our marriage, but I have no desire to sleep with him again."
"Not even for an heir?" Regina inquired, "Or is that not part of your duty?" at the Red Queen's silence, Regina pressed, "I have a solution to your problem."
"You do?"
"Yes. My son," the Red Queen blanched, but Regina continued unabashed, "In my world, there is a powerful, immortal being trying to kill my son. I need to keep him safe. I was hoping to leave him here with you," she took a deep breath, and added, "I'm like you. I know when you're in a loveless marriage. I'm giving you a built-in solution. Protect my son, and he can serve as your heir, and you won't need to sleep with your husband ever again."
"The king won't agree to another's son succeeding him," the Red Queen protested.
"But that doesn't matter, does it?" Regina riposted, "If you're going to kill him anyway, which I'm guessing you'll end up doing, he won't exactly be around to object."
"I don't know if I can kill him," the Red Queen said. She looked a bit perturbed by the prospect.
Regina laughed at that, "Of course you can, if my mother viewed you as a daughter. You must have done something to give her that confidence in you. Has she given you perfumes?"
"Perfumes?"
"Or perhaps a comb?"
"Yes, she did give me a comb," the Red Queen was blatantly suspicious, "Why?"
"Can I see it?" Regina pressed.
"I suppose, but you should be forewarned that it has very…sharp spikes."
Regina laughed, "Is that what she told you?"
"She also said that sometimes a queen requires a smaller weapon," the Red Queen admitted, gingerly unwrapping a red velvet cloth and passing it to Regina. Inside, nestled in the very center, was a comb made of solid gold, with the top lined in white pearls.
"White pearls," Regina observed, "Discreet. This comb could belong to any noblewoman- certainly not the Red Queen, who is known for her rubies. It's far too simple for you."
The Red Queen inclined her head, "Perhaps, but she gave it to me anyway."
Regina said, "And she did so knowing that you would never wear it, ensuring that the poison coating its tips didn't kill her adopted daughter."
The Red Queen gasped, "How did you know about the poison?"
Regina smiled darkly, "My mother had many secrets, but she taught me this one. A poison-tipped comb," she trailed off, "One that could kill with barely a scratch. Pearls, designed for someone with what others might say 'simple and elegant' taste. She gave me one too, and I used it to try to kill Snow White."
"Try to kill?"
Regina snorted, "Long story. Point being, my mother gave you the perfect murder weapon. Your king's unfaithful to you and has been sleeping with different noblewomen, more than one of which probably has a comb just like this. She probably takes out the comb before bed, of course, leaving it on the bedside table. But what if your husband and this woman get into a lover's spat? What if she takes the comb and scratches him with it? The poison would kill him, of course, and she would deny it, but how could anyone believe her? The comb, after all, was right there."
The Red Queen was deep in thought, "And how would we place this comb?"
"Well, where does he conduct his trysts? And when?"
The Red Queen took Regina's hand in her own, "Come with me."
Regina did her best not to gape as the Red Queen led her past the throne room, into her bedroom, and walked towards a massive mirror inlaid in the wall next to her bed. The floor was made to resemble- what else? -a chessboard, numerous black and white tiles covering the space. The queen stepped from one tile to the next, her heels clacking on the ground as she carefully executed a specific pattern. Regina realized with a jolt that the pattern was some type of password, because as the Red Queen finished, stepping on the last black tile with a final flourish, the mirror extended outwards and slid to the left, revealing a great staircase lit only by torches.
"After you, darling," the Red Queen jerked her head to the opening, and Regina swallowed her trepidation and walked into the darkness.
This is for Henry, she reminded herself, All for Henry. Besides, my own fortresses had enough evil things in them. What can possibly be here that I haven't already seen?
Still, Regina trusted no one anymore, and so she grabbed the other woman's elbow and pulled her in the tunnel with her, "We go together. I'll help you, but I won't do your dirty work for you." The Red Queen frowned, but said nothing. Instead, the two women descended into the tunnel in silence, the only noise around them the flicker of flames and the clattering of their heels. They took a few turns, with what appeared to be a glass window occasionally cut into the stone walls. The windows allowed them to view different rooms in the palace otherwise unseen- they were one-way mirrors. Regina smiled bitterly- this had to be her mother's influence.
At last, the Red Queen stopped before a mirror. She let her hand rest on it, her bright red nails a massive contrast against the glass. Regina walked beside her and gazed into the room, her nose wrinkling in distaste.
On the other side of the mirror was a rather plain bedroom. The walls were painted red, but the furnishings were sparse- a large bed, a bedside table, and two doors. If Regina had to guess, one would lead to an en suite bathroom, and the other to another set of tunnels that led to the king's apartments. Clothes were tossed on the floor, and on the bed a man with gray hair was obviously enjoying himself- if his groans were any indication -with a brunette woman, who squeaked every so often.
"She sounds like a mouse," Regina observed.
The Red Queen replied, "She looks like one too. Her name is Lady Dorothea Galumph," she smiled sadly at Regina, trying to mask her hurt, "Perhaps that's what I should start calling her. 'Lady Dormouse.'"
Regina shook her head, "You're not going to be calling her anything except a murderess, and then you're going to be calling her dead."
At the Red Queen's startled glance, Regina raised her eyebrows, "You didn't think she was just going to walk away, did you? Or did my mother not get to that part in your education before she left Wonderland?
"If you want to maintain power, you cannot let it be known that you are the one who killed the Red King. You need a scapegoat, and that's her. Lady Dormouse here could discover a love letter the Red King has written to another one of his lovers- one she didn't know about -and fly into a jealous rage. She could scratch the king, and then she could smash the bathroom mirror, taking the shards and stabbing him to death. In the meantime, you hear the shrieks from the king's apartments, command the guards to open his secret door, and send them down to discover Lady Dormouse with the corpse of the king.
"Obviously, Lady Dormouse will protest her innocence, but how can she? The guards found her at the scene of the crime. You can't allow such a murder to go unpunished," Regina was somewhat breathless as she described the plan, unable to deny that the part of her that was still the Evil Queen was enjoying this, "You'll execute her, and bring my son out of the shadows as your heir. He was the son of you and the Red King, spirited away to the Enchanted Forest to keep him safe until the rival royal families were disposed of."
"But anyone could tell he's not our son!" the Red Queen protested, "He looks nothing like us, and the Lewyssians have been dead for years. The Queen of Hearts left only two weeks ago; her followers would not come to my side."
"Ah, but Henry has her blood, and yours, and the Red King's. Or he will, anyway," Regina answered, "Another reason we need Lady Dormouse to stab the king: we need some of his blood. You and I will have to provide some too, though it will hurt much less for us-"
"You want to do blood magic?" the Red Queen's eyes widened.
"I want to give him his birthright, and give you the chance I didn't have. Now," Regina said calmly, "will you go first, or will I?"
When they reached the foot of her treehouse, Wendy threw Nibs' hands off her.
"Tell me," she whispered, "Tell me what is going on." The Lost Boy looked at her like she'd lost her mind:
"Wendy, you know what's going on. He's here. The Boy with the Heart of the Truest Believer is here, at last." Nibs pulled his hood back, staring at her earnestly. His eyes were hopeful and resigned- hopeful that things could finally go back to normal, things could change, but resigned that there would be blood needed to do it.
"He can't be," Wendy gasped, "After all this time?" Somehow, she'd thought nothing would ever change. Her old life was gone forever; she'd realized that long ago. But she supposed she'd come to the conclusion that The Boy would never come. She would spend eternity living on a cursed island with only an insane boy-king and his loyal followers for company. It would always be cruel and terrible and anyone who defied Pan would die, gruesomely, miserably, and she would watch. She was a witness to hell, and if one day God asked her to testify to it, she would say yes, she was there. She stood by while fallen angels ran roughshod over an entire world; she cried as they worshipped a demon for their king; she slept in the devil's arms every night. That was her past, her present, and her future, eternal and immutable.
Yet someone had disrupted that. Someone new had fallen into hell, quite by accident, a human child who had no idea what he'd just stumbled into.
"The Boy. He doesn't know, does he? That's why you didn't want me to say anything. Pan's testing him, and if The Boy heard me, it would have ruined the test," Wendy postulated, "Though why he needs a test, I don't know. Pan knows it's him. He knows…" she trailed off, sliding to her knees. She knelt at the base of the tree, the storm soaking her nightgown straight through. Her wet hair was strung around her face, and she wasn't sure whether she wanted to burst into sobs or break into laughter.
"Wendy," Nibs sighed. He removed his own cloak, wrapping it around her as he sat next to her. The warmth it provided was hollow, as his cloak was soaked too, but she appreciated the gesture.
"Tell me something else, Nibs," Wendy demanded, "Tell me: is it worth it? Is spilling that Boy's blood worth this?" she gestured to the island around them, which was still being pelted by the thunderstorm. The ground was slick with mud, and the few remaining animals on the island let out eerie calls in response to the thunderclaps.
"Yes," the Lost Boy answered immediately, then added under his breath, "It has to be."
"And what if it isn't?" Wendy asked, "What if it's not worth it, Nibs? Then what are we? Murderers?" Tears were falling down her cheeks, but she was oblivious to them. She was becoming desensitized to her own weeping, much like she was getting desensitized to the constant deaths.
"It is worth it," Nibs insisted, "and we're not murderers. We're just- we're doing what we need to survive-"
"We could survive just fine if we went home!" Wendy hiccuped, "Then we wouldn't need to survive. We could just live."
"Wendy," Nibs said seriously, "This is home. Neverland is home," he shook his head, then spread his own arms wide to show her his cloak and various weapons, "What else can we be? What else could the world do for us? What could any world do for us? I'm not a schoolboy. You're not the girl who waited at the window. I could no more sit at a desk and write an essay than you could play pirates with your brothers! I'm a Lost Boy, and you're-"
"What, Nibs? I'm what?" Wendy prompted. Nibs opened his mouth, but was spared having to answer her question by two green streaks- they could only be Peter and Henry -flying across the sky. The pair looked up to watch them pass, zigzagging lightning bolts and whooping with joy.
After the streaks had disappeared, descending towards a patch of forest near the old Indian encampment, Nibs stood and gently took his cloak from Wendy, "I have to go, and so do you." He swung it over his shoulders, even though it could hardly be helpful against the storm. It was mostly symbolic, Wendy knew; a sign of his allegiance. She was silent as he held out a hand to help her to her feet, silent as he escorted her inside her treehouse, and silent as- for the first time in years -her treehouse door locked behind him.
In the end, at Regina's nod, the Red Queen held out her hand. A blast of wind- interestingly, her magic appeared to be colorless, which Regina found intriguing, as the color of magic often reflected traits of its user -came forward and smashed the mirror. Hundreds of shards flew all over the bedroom, and as the queens stepped in, glass cracked beneath their feet. The Red King stared in them at shock, pulling himself off the terrified noblewoman, who drew the sheets around her.
"Anastasia? What are you doing here?"
"I should be asking you the same question, Redmond," the Red Queen said sharply, "though I can see exactly what is going on. I have for quite some time." She walked around the bed, gazing at her unfaithful husband, "Though I must admit, I wonder why you asked me to marry you at all when you were going to be sleeping with half the court." She cast a disdainful glance at Dorothea, who had the grace to look ashamed.
"I told you that I wanted a queen who had a drive to be more than she was. That is what you are. I also told you that sometimes, love is not enough. Is it so outlandish that I would want a queen for something other than love, and look for love elsewhere?" the Red King inquired. Regina raised an eyebrow. She would never have guessed she would meet a man who managed to be both an urbane and eloquent debater while naked.
"A drive to be more than I am," the Red Queen murmured, "I remember." She turned away from the Red King for a moment, then spun back around to face him, "I still have that drive, you know. I want to be more than a woman with an adulterous husband, who is routinely betrayed by someone who simpers and calls herself her friend." Dorothea's cheeks reddened.
The Red King rolled his eyes, "You are queen, Anastasia. What more do you want?"
At that comment, it seemed as though something in the Red Queen snapped. She whirled around, ripping the pearl comb out of its cloth, and stalked towards her husband:
"I want to be a queen who has loyalty. I want to be a queen who has love. I want Will!" she shrieked, "and I can't have him with you alive!" With that, she took the comb and raked it down the Red King's cheek. Raised cuts appeared, and he touched his fingers to them in disbelief. He stared at his fingers, then back at his wife. Then he crumpled over, dead, his body collapsing over his lover's.
The woman started to scream when Regina held up a hand, silencing and freezing her with magic, "Enough. None of that from you, Dormouse." She nodded to the Red Queen, who seemed to be in a state of shock that she had actually killed her husband. Nonetheless, the Red Queen opened the door to adjoining bathroom, then waved her hand. Shards of glass flew into the main bedroom, with the larger ones embedding themselves in the Red King's body. Each shard was accompanied by a sickening squishing noise and a burst of blood.
Seeing the Red Queen was still stunned, and that according to her amulet, they needed to get this over with fast, Regina jumped in, "All right, turn him over." The two queens rolled his body over, and the Red Queen added some more shards into his chest for good measure.
"Now for Dormouse," Regina pointed at the frozen noblewoman, and blood spatters painted her body. Cuts littered Dorothea's hands, with a large shard finding its way into her right fist. In her left, a love letter materialized.
"Quickly, quickly!" Regina urged the Red Queen, "We don't have much time to make this believable. We're going to go upstairs now, conduct the spell, and I'm going to unfreeze her. We'll go to the king's apartments, she'll scream, and the guards will down the passage and find her like this. Do you understand me?" The Red Queen, for someone who was still in a state of abject horror, also seemed to have a remarkable sense of self-preservation kick in:
"Yes, darling. I understand perfectly." Almost robotically, she took some of her husband's blood, conjuring it into a glass vial. Then Regina snapped her fingers, sending them back into the queen's apartments. The Red Queen managed to close the mirror behind them, but otherwise moved slowly, trying to process the ramifications of what she had just done on the advice of a woman she'd never met.
Regina, meanwhile, was frantic to finish the spell. They only had a half hour left. Just a half hour. The Red Queen- or Anastasia, was that her name? -appeared incapable of conducting complex magic right now. Gritting her teeth, Regina made her way over to a large cabinet that could only hold her magical supplies. She threw open the doors, grabbing vials with abandon. Then she took a knife and haphazardly sliced her hand open, squeezing the wound until several drops entered one vial.
"You- Anastasia- come here!" she commanded. The Red Queen obeyed, and Regina cut her hand too, drawing the Wonderland monarch's blood into a second vial. Without much thought, she took the vial of the Red King's blood from the Red Queen's other hand, and mixed the vials together with recklessly.
"I killed him," the Red Queen said. Regina ignored her.
"I killed him," the queen repeated, as if she thought Regina hadn't heard her, and that by repeating her words, she would somehow summon Regina's condemnation. However, the condemnation never came. Instead, Regina summarized the details of her plan:
"This is how this is going to work. We are going to mix this blood with Henry's. He has your blood, and the Red King's, so he's a valid heir for you. He'll also have mine, and that makes him heir to the Queen of Hearts. Her followers will come to you. But you need to remember a story, and this is important, Anastasia, and if you want your precious Will, you need to remember this: you are the illegitimate daughter of the Queen of Hearts. That's why you were common and poor when you came here from Sherwood, because she gave you up. But when she came here, she helped you, and she taught you magic, and you married the Red King, finally fulfilling the future she'd always wanted for you.
"You had Henry with the king years ago, but sent him away to the Enchanted Forest to live with me since you were still fighting with the Lewyssian dynasty. You and the king hoped to have another heir in the meantime, but since he's now dead, along with the Queen of Hearts, you've summoned your only son and heir back to Wonderland to claim the titles of Red Prince and Prince of Hearts. Henry will represent a united Wonderland, people will support him, and you will take care of him!" Regina's face was inches from the Red Queen's.
"But no one will remember Redmond and I having a child," the Red Queen protested, "No one will remember us being married for that long. Married only two years, and I killed him-"
"Pull yourself together!" Regina snapped, "My mother liked you, so you've got to have some spine in you. Look at it positively: he was a cheater, he kept you from your true love, and now he's dead. We killed him," she smashed her hand against the Red Queen's bleeding one, "and now we are sisters- magically, anyway -and that is why I, Henry's dear aunt, raised him in the Enchanted Forest for you. That is why you will save him for me. And that is how you now have an open path to get your true love back."
"You're saying I should be thanking you," the Red Queen noted, her head cocked to the side. The pain of the cut- and Regina's tirade -seemed to have stemmed her hysteria.
"I did you a favor, and my mother would agree," Regina retorted, "My mother would also agree that loose ends need to be tied up. Pour this into the main waterways of Wonderland," she pressed a large crystal flask into the Red Queen's uninjured hand, "it's a false memory. Put in into the waters, the populace will drink it, and they won't know the difference."
"But how will it work? It's just one bottle!" the Red Queen asked, then folded her arms, "Besides, how will I remember?"
"Let's just say I'm a bit of an expert at memory spells," Regina muttered, checking her amulet- twenty minutes left, "Henry!"
"Tweedles," the Red Queen clapped, wincing at the pain in her hand. She put a practiced, beatific smile on her face, unwilling to let her unexpected guests see her nerves, and only her trembling left hand revealed a hint of any emotions brewing beneath the surface.
"Mom?" Henry entered the room alone (Ariel was apparently determined to spend as little time in Regina's presence as possible, and the Tweedles had elected to stay behind to see if she needed anything).
Regina stared at him, trying to memorize every detail of her son. He stood tall and proud in his black attire, which set off his black hair- though his hair wasn't neat. It was always, always, scruffy, no matter what she did to it. His blue eyes were bright with concern, and she smiled. He always wanted others to be happy. He gave of himself first. It was one of the reasons she loved him so much.
He was so much better than her.
He deserved so much better than her.
And she would make sure he was safe. She might never have the chance to be a hero in his eyes- she very well might never see him again -but she would ensure he was safe.
"Mom?" Henry queried, eyebrows furrowed.
"I love you, Henry," Regina said, to which the puzzled boy replied, "I love you too, Mom. What's going on?"
"I love you, Henry," tears filled Regina's eyes, "I love you. I'm sorry I couldn't be a hero for you, but please know I tried. And even if you don't remember…and you won't remember…I hope some part of you knows how much I love you." Before he had a chance to protest, she summoned him to her with a flick of her hand, forced some of the liquid from the flask down his throat, cut his hand, and poured the vial of blood into the open wound.
A long moment passed. Henry's eyes flickered with confusion, but then he smiled. He looked at Regina and said:
"Thank you for taking such good care of me, Aunt Regina."
Regina covered her sob by squeezing his hand, "Of course, Henry. I would do anything for you," wiping a tear from her eyes, she shouted, "Ariel! It's time to go. We have fifteen minutes."
By the time the mermaid walked into the room, the Red Queen had fully collected herself. She smiled at Henry, and said:
"Come along, darling. We should see your father." She led their group down a hallway, turned left, then entered the king's apartments. They were a match for the queen's, with a throne room, bedroom, and sitting room situated around a chessboard floor. His room, however, lacked the mirror for his secret passageway. Regina supposed it must have been located elsewhere, and flicked her eyes around the chamber, wondering where it could be.
"How strange," the Red Queen cast a glance at Regina, "He seems to be gone." Regina subtly flicked her wrist, and screams suddenly filled the air, though they were muffled by the doors in front of a glass display case, with dozens of jewels contained inside.
"Guards!" the Red Queen commanded. Obediently, they rushed into the king's chamber.
"Knock open the passage."
The men looked at each other uneasily, perturbed that the queen not only knew of the passage, but also that she was demanding they enter it. They were well-aware of what the king used it for, and hardly wanted to turn his wrath upon them- or worse, spoil the queen's reputation as an utterly innocent wife.
Seeing their reluctance, the queen narrowed her eyes, "Now. Don't you hear the screaming?"
The guards evidently decided the king's safety was more important than the queen's reputation, and they pushed against the display case until it shattered, jewels falling to the floor, and the stone behind the case gave way. Boots thundered down the steps, with cries of dismay filling the air.
"The king!"
"The king is dead!"
"She killed him! The queen killed him!"
The guards were dragging a blubbering Lady Dormouse up the stairs. As she emerged from the staircase, she cast wild eyes at Regina and the Red Queen. Regina gestured for the Tweedles to take Henry outside the room, and though they normally only answered the Red Queen, they obeyed immediately. Ariel clapped her hands over mouth, watching the drama unfold.
"They murdered him!" Lady Dormouse shrieked at the top of her lungs, "They murdered him! Why aren't you listening to me?"
"Don't be silly, darling," the Red Queen answered, "I was with my sister in my rooms. We just came to visit the king, and heard you screaming. Though I must ask, darling, what are you doing wrapped in a sheet?"
"You are a liar!" Lady Dormouse insisted, her voice full of venom.
"And you just accused an anointed queen of murder," Regina riposted, "That's a massive accusation." She raised her eyebrows, disapproval emanating from her in waves.
"Guards? What is going on?" the Red Queen inquired, hands clasped before her waist, as if she had no idea whatsoever. Regina had to admit she was impressed by the Red Queen's acting skills.
The captain of the guard took a knee before her, "Your Majesty…the king is dead." He hung his head in dismay, unable to meet his queen's eyes.
The Red Queen gasped, "No!" A hand flew to her heart, and Regina reached out to "steady" her (the Red Queen gave an excellent imitation of a person about to faint). The guards were puzzled by the presence of the foreign queen, but were too distracted by the king's demise to wonder at her presence and the Red Queen's referring to the woman as her sister.
"Forgive us, Majesty, but we found him…there's a room, in the passageways, a secret room, and the king- we found him there with Lady Dorothea. It appears she killed him with pieces of a mirror."
"With what motive?" the Red Queen shook off Regina's hand, recovered from her "dizziness."
The guard grimaced, "She saw a letter he wrote to another woman. Forgive us, Majesty-"
"It's all right; I don't blame you, of course. You weren't the ones in bed with another woman," the Red Queen shook her head, somehow managing to look devastated at her husband's betrayal, furious someone had killed him, and determined to obtain vengeance with a disturbing sort of calm all at once, "Now, please. Put some clothes on the murderer and take her to the dungeon."
"YOU are the murderer!" Lady Dormouse insisted. She spat at the Red Queen's feet.
The Red Queen stared at Lady Dormouse for a long moment, then abruptly backhanded her across the face, "How dare you! You betray me, sleep with my husband, then accuse me of murdering him? When I was reuniting with my family, no less? Take her away! I want her to rot in the dungeons and never to see her face again."
The guards began to drag a shouting Lady Dormouse of the room, when Regina laid a hand on the Red Queen's arm.
"She can't stay alive. No loose ends, remember?" Regina whispered. The Red Queen swallowed, then inquired, her mask now fully back in place:
"I suppose you're right, darling. What would the Queen of Hearts suggest?"
"Mother would say a liar doesn't deserve her tongue, and a traitor doesn't deserve her head," Regina said decisively.
"Guards!" the Red Queen called, "I changed my mind. I do want to see her face. One more time." She strode over to the sobbing noblewoman and stared at her again, then spoke to the assembled guards:
"You found her next to the king's body. You heard the things she said against me. The horrible, untruthful, vile things. She is a liar, a traitor, and a murderer who doesn't deserve to breathe," the Red Queen paused, then stated:
"Off with her head."
Regina didn't stay for the execution. Although she would have liked to- she hadn't been sure the Red Queen would go through it -there simply wasn't enough time. Regina merely hugged Henry goodbye, ignoring her heartbreak as he made her promise to visit, kissed the Red Queen on both cheeks, then snapped her fingers, transporting Ariel and her to Wonderland' s Well of Wonders. It was peaceful as ever, the water shimmering against the sunlight.
"Let's go, mermaid," Regina grabbed Ariel's hand, pulling her towards the Well, but Ariel threw it off:
"You're just going to let that innocent woman die?" her eyes were wide with disbelief, though Regina thought Ariel really should have known better at this point. Consequently, she snorted:
"She wasn't exactly innocent."
"That's not the point, Regina!" Ariel insisted, "She doesn't deserve to die! You heard her! She was in love with the king! And that other woman…the Red Queen…you've ruined her, too."
Regina pursed her lips, "I haven't ruined anyone. The Red Queen always had that inside her. She was always going to get her hands dirty. I just made it happen a little faster. And who knows?" she shrugged, "Maybe she'll find her true love. Isn't that what you always wanted, Ariel? Your true love? Would you begrudge her finding that?"
"I never killed anyone to do it!" the mermaid said. Her face was full of righteous fury, and her complexion was almost as red as her hair. If they were anywhere else, Regina probably would have laughed.
"Not all of us are so fortunate," the Evil Queen replied, "That's the real difference between heroes, and villains. Heroes have what they want handed to them. Villains fight to get it. But the thing about fights, mermaid, is that they get messy, and blood gets spilled. You heroes wouldn't know about that," she smiled faintly, then shook her head, her expression growing dark, "but that doesn't matter. All that matters…all that mattered…was Henry. You knew that going in. Now, you promised to get me home."
"Regina," Ariel started, and this time she sounded almost pitying, but Regina cut her off:
"We have two minutes. Pool. Now."
Without further ado, she grabbed Ariel's hand and jumped into the water.
This time, Regina didn't stare at the bright circles. She didn't care to ponder which world lay beyond each circle. Rather, she clutched Ariel's hand in one hand, Nyx's amulet in the other, struggling not to sob. The tears themselves didn't bother her- Ariel was swimming tenaciously toward the circle that led to Storybrooke, and her tears would be unnoticed -but if she openly cried, she'd lose her breath, her lungs would fill with water, and she'd drown. Then she definitely would never see Henry again, and that was something she couldn't allow.
Even if Regina knew she most likely would never see him again, she wanted the possibility to exist, however slim.
When they broke the surface, they were still inside the Well. The waters were black, and it reeked of something dank rotten. Idly, Regina wondered if there were dead animals in the Well. She'd never thought to check.
She was startled out of her reverie by Nyx, who rose out of the water without Ariel's summons. Her face- which was as unsettling as Regina remembered it -was now only a foot away from her own. Nyx's black hair stretched out through the water, rippling in time with the seaweed wrapped within it as if it was almost alive- and itching to wrap itself around Regina's throat.
"You've made it back with only seconds left," Nyx nodded to the amulet, and it ticked twice before cracking into a hundred pieces.
"Yes," the former Evil Queen acknowledged, "We were able to save my son," she swallowed, forcing down her tears, "Thank you, Nyx." It was hard for her to thank anyone, but she hoped that the guardian would sense how difficult this was for her. She didn't exactly expect pity from Nyx, but she thought the guardian might understand how hard it was for Regina to bow before anyone who had helped her.
"I didn't do it for you," Nyx said.
"I know that. I'm thanking you anyway."
The guardian was utterly unmoved by Regina's tone. She merely waved her hand, and the cyclone that had originally brought her to them two hours before lifted Regina and Ariel up and out of the Well. The former Evil Queen and the mermaid climbed onto dry land. Both were soaking wet, and their clothes clung to them. The night was cold already, and the water was only making it worse. If they weren't careful, they would get sick- though Regina found it hard to be sicker than she already felt.
Nyx nodded to Ariel, who smiled, "Thank you, sister." Then the guardian's gaze turned to Regina:
"Don't ask for my help again."
With that, she disappeared in a swirl of water.
Regina sighed. As much as she hated interacting with Nyx, at least she had served her purpose. Henry was safe in Wonderland. He would have a good life. While she hoped she could get back to him, if she didn't…at least she had ensured his safety, and his happiness. Pan would never find him. Pan never could, especially not after she did what she felt was the worst part of her plan:
"Ariel. I appreciate your assistance tonight," Regina slipped one hand into her pocket and stepped towards the mermaid, who warily took a step back. Leaves cracked beneath her feet, and an owl hooted in the background.
Nevertheless, Ariel said, "You're welcome, Regina." Regina smiled at her, and it caught the mermaid off-guard. This time, when Regina came towards her, Ariel let the former Evil Queen embrace her- a tiny vial gripped uncapped and unseen in her hand.
"I really mean it. Thank you for all your help," Regina gripped Ariel tighter, "but sadly for you, you can't remember it."
"What are you- Regina- Stop!" Ariel's cries were cut off as the other woman shoved the vial into her mouth, plugged her nose, and covered her mouth. Ariel struggled, but eventually, her need to breathe outweighed her resistance to swallowing the contents of the vial. Unwillingly, she gulped down the liquid, then gasped for air as Regina removed her hand. Satisfied, Regina then snapped her fingers before the mermaid could open her eyes, transporting her to her beloved Prince Eric.
All Ariel would remember was a really bad hangover.
Now…as for her own memories…
Regina uncorked the last vial in her pocket, staring at the blue liquid within.
This was it. This would take away her knowledge of where Henry was, who he was with, how to get to him. Everything. If she drank this, she might never get to her son again. But did that matter? Did any of it matter, if only he was safe?
Villains fight to get what they want. I'm sorry, Henry, but I want your safety more than anything else.
Regina took a deep breath.
And downed the vial.
Okay. So, first thing's first, I want to give dialogue credit:
Some dialogue from the scene where the Lost Boys kill Greg and Tamara is taken from Season 3, Episode 1: "The Heart of the Truest Believer," written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.
Second thing, to address the Wonderland characters:
I made up the Lewyssian dynasty. They are my own creation (as is Lady Dormouse). Obviously the Queen of Hearts/Cora is part of the main OUAT verse. The Red Queen (Anastasia), whom you may not be familiar with, is a featured character in "Once Upon a Time in Wonderland." Yes, the first two eps of OUATIW drag, but the rest of the series is surprisingly good (if you haven't watched it, stick through the first 2 eps and then give the rest a shot). The Red Queen/Ana is a fascinating character and I loved including her in my AU.
Third thing, to clarify Cinderella time:
It is only known to very advanced magic users (we're talking Regina, Cora, and maybe Rumple), and is very hard to utiize. As the fairies and Ariel state, it is very difficult to travel between dimensions, but as OUAT canon states, it can be done. However, in my canon, all the worlds run on different timelines. This is fine, except if someone DOES travel from dimension to dimension (and only very advanced magic users OR mythological creatures might be capable of doing this), how do they keep themselves in the time zone of their home world (if they want to return there)? Thus, magic users invented amulets to do this, and dubbed the practice using "Cinderella time," because once the clock/amulet runs out, the magic is gone.
Any other questions, let me know. :) I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I would love to hear what you think!
Thanks for reading!
~ladykikyo1792