Again In Neverland

Chapter 43: Lily-of-the-Valley

I fell to my knees, warm tears already spilling from my eyes, and held the jar in front of my face.

"Alina!" I said frantically, "Alina?"

The jar didn't make a sound, and the dim light inside grew fainter.
My heartbeat pounded in my head, loud and fast.

"Alina." I said, softly, my vision blurring with tears.

Suddenly, the light in the jar grew brighter, and I heard a distinct jingle. That was all I needed as a sign.

I placed the jar on the rocky ground and began desperately clawing at the lid. It was rusted shut from it's time underwater, and I was struggling to get it off. At one point I felt my fingers slice open from the sharp edges, but I hardly felt the pain, and my blood mixed with the red of the rust already on my fingers.

Peter bent in front of me, and I looked at him for a panicked moment.
"It won't come off!" I cried.

Peter snapped his fingers, and reached into his tunic. He handed me his dagger and I quickly took it.
"Thanks." I cry-laughed as I began prying open the rusty lid.

I tried to calm my frantic breathing, but to no avail. I was practically hyperventilating, and I started to see stars dance in the corners of my eyes. Also, conveniently at that most crucial moment and the literal point of this whole battle, my body began to ache all over. It felt like someone had broken, and then poorly fixed, every bone in my body. It felt terrible.

I concentrated on that stupid lid. Excruciatingly slow, the rusty thing began to come off. As I dropped the dagger and used my cut fingers to rip off the last of it, I felt like I was going to be sick.

What if this was another trick? Some cruel prank Smee planned, and Alina was still suffering somewhere. What if she was really in this jar, but it was too late? What if she was already dead?

All these thoughts rushed around my already scrambled brain, making me loose connection with what my hands were doing. The lid slipped out of my fingers and went sliding across the rocks.

I held my breath and leaned over the dripping wet jar.
"Alina?"

A force collided into my chest so strong that it knocked me onto my back. I hit the rocks hard and had the wind knocked out of me. I was extremely confused, and about to ask Peter what the hell happened, when I saw a bright light floating above my face.

My eyes focused on it and I nearly screamed.
"Alina!"

She beamed down at me, "You have no idea how happy I am to see your face."
"No," I laughed as I sat up, "I think I do. I'm thrilled to see you, Alina!"
She looked around, seeing the hoards of people and the pirates on the ground, then back to me.
"You rescued me," She smiled and gestured around, "And you brought an army?"
I chuckled, happy tears drying on my cheeks, "Of course I did."
I saw her start to cry as well, "Oh, Lil!"

She fluttered all around me, poking and tickling until I was reduced to hysterics on the floor again. At one point she accidentally touched my wound, and instead of laughing I winced.

Alina stopped.
"What's the matter?" She asked, concerned.
I waved my hand and bit my tongue, "Nothing. Just landed on a sharp rock, that's all."

Peter gave me a look that he knew I was lying. But how could I make this about me? That would be so selfish! This mission was for Alina, and worrying about me was not what I wanted. So, I figured keeping how terrible I felt a secret was the best idea. We could figure it out later.

"Princess." A small voice said.

Alina looked over and saw Aeden Greydust with his flying group of fairy guards. Her face softened.