They followed the Fairy to the back of the palace where number of greenhouses could be seen nearby, each the length of two buses end to end.
"This way, please," the Fairy instructed and led them down a lightly worn path.
It was peculiar to watch the Fairy walking in front of them, her shimmery wings fluttered in the wind but her feet stayed firmly on the ground. L tried to understand why this bothered her, the Keeper knowledge told of Fairies who liked to walk occasionally. And yet, there was something about it that didn't sit right with her.
L tried to push the feeling away as they were led to the greenhouses, she needed to focus on retrieving the goldenseal. Fairies were tricky but they weren't evil, there was nothing to fear while staying in the court. It was once they were back in their world that L would need to worry.
"Right in here," the Fairy directed them inside one of the greenhouses.
L exhaled at the sudden blast of heat, she knew it was a necessity but the temperature was almost unbearable.
"Oh this is cosy," Robbie remarked, apparently basking in the furnace of the greenhouses.
L couldn't help smiling despite the sweat forming on her brow.
"For you, maybe, the rest of us don't have an oven for a body." L chuckled, pulling at her collar, not that it helped.
There were no abilities in her arsenal that dealt with the cooling of the body. She released some of her heat stores but it didn't lessen the fever she was feeling. Why hadn't she learned a way of cooling her body down from the Reptilians?
"L, are you okay?" Bryce asked, he didn't look any better than she felt.
Sweat was dripping from his brow, his breathing was laboured and his hands were shaky. L shook her head at his question and immediately wished she hadn't- she felt like Ogres were dancing in her brain. She peered at the Fairy who had led them inside. She was smiling sweetly at them; something was definitely off.
"The goldenseal is right over here, please come this way." She was ushering them further inside, and away from their only exit.
Alarm bells were going off in L's head, she reached for Robbie.
"L, what's wrong?" Robbie was finally alerted that this wasn't going the way it was meant to.
L could see two of him now and both faces looked lost.
"Get out... find queen." L's breathing was laboured, it was like trying to breathe thrown.
Robbie pulled L into him and put an arm around Bryce.
"I'm sorry, you can't leave now." The Fairy said, suddenly blocking the way to the door.
Robbie snarled, smoke puffing from his nose. "I don't need a door to leave, you better move if you know what's good for you."
The Fairy's smile was sickly sweet, "If you break the greenhouse, the goldenseal will be useless. I don't think your little Keeper would be too happy about that."
L was panting, her brain too foggy to understand why a Fairy would act like this. Robbie was staring down at her, he looked so torn and L couldn't catch her breath to help him. After a moment of staring between L, Bryce and the Fairy, Robbie shook his head.
"I'm sorry, L."
Before she could ask why he would apologise, he transformed. Holding L in one giant clawed foot and Bryce in the other, he swept his wings around and took flight. L watched black spots dancing in her vision as the ceiling drew closer. Suddenly a screech vibrated L's skull, and Robbie was thrown off course with a loud snarl. L could detect a hint of pain through their connection- something had struck him.
They fell to the ground, L and Bryce cradled carefully as Robbie made the landing on his back legs. L couldn't make sense of the situation, she felt like she was being cooked from the inside out. Robbie lashed out his tail at the wall of the greenhouse, before it could break the glass, they were forcibly turned; L struggled to understand what she saw.
Where the Fairy had been standing, there was now a shapeless mass of shadow with four glowing orbs of red fire in its centre. It had tendrils shooting out towards Robbie, stopping him from breaking the greenhouse. How had a Demon got into the Fairy court? L tried to shake the brain fog, she needed to be able to think straight. She could barely breathe now and she was acutely aware that Bryce was much worse. This was up to Robbie, and time was not on their side.
Robbie growled his frustration at fighting the Demon, L could hear some colourful language spewing through their connection. She felt his struggle, and tried to catch her breath, she needed to help him fight this thing. L braced herself and attempted to summon even the smallest bit of magic, something that might give them control over the situation. The barrier she had in mind however quickly failed, barely a spark reached her hands. Whatever this heat was, it wasn't natural to the greenhouse.
Robbie suddenly made a drastic move, jarring L from her thoughts. Fire erupted from his maw, aimed at the glass walls of the greenhouse. A shadowy tendril shot out to intercept the fire, swallowing it up in darkness. The Demon screeched but was otherwise unaffected. L's focus was shaky at best, a sense of dread fell over her as she watched Robbie. How could this happen? Why was nothing ever simple?
Robbie fired again and again, the Demon swallowed the fire every single time. They were losing this one, and L hadn't been able to lift a finger. The spots were growing bigger, she was losing consciousness. No, she couldn't go and leave Robbie without help, he wasn't equipped to do this alone.
"Robbie... try... distraction."
L communicated through their link, she could barely form the words but she had to try before she passed out.
"L? Oh crap, I don't know what to do, how could this happen? Jeez... this is so messed up. I'll get you out though, I swear."
Robbie shot ball after ball of fire, aiming every which way he could, while backing up against the side of the greenhouse. Taking the opportunity while the Demon was busy catching the fireballs, he slammed his huge tail against the wall. Unfortunately, the greenhouse glass didn't shatter with the force of the blow. L realised too late, the Fairies must have reinforced them against any accidents. Did they do it on purpose? No, the fog in her brain was stopping her from thinking straight.
She knew she was losing it, Robbie was struggling to fight and protect them, and Bryce was all but unconscious. She tried to hold on with everything she had; they couldn't lose now, not like this, they'd only come here for a silly plant. The Plants. The idea was like a smack in the face, helping her to think straight just long enough to formulate a plan. She squinted, recognising a few things that might be helpful. Communicating the idea to Robbie was much tougher, her thoughts were jumbled and only seemed to make sense to her.
Robbie was busy fighting, and trying to understand through his panic. L sent an image of the plants, and then a memory from a film they'd watched once. It felt like an eternity before Robbie finally clicked on. L could sense his brain calculating a way to carry out her idea, just as her world turned dark.
The sound of buzzing had started from somewhere inside L's head, the darkness was still present but it was different, lighter. Like the flick of a switch, all of her senses returned to her at once and she opened her eyes. Light blinded her at first, and sounds took even longer to penetrate her brain. Everything began flooding back in slow motion, she was sluggish in mind as well as body.
"Keeper, you're awake. Thank the Mother."
A face swam into view, Queen Elisie's apprehensive expression loomed above her. L tried to speak but her throat felt like sand paper, she tried to rasp out words and the queen unexpectedly held out a paper cup of water. L sipped it, attempting to piece together the scene she had woken up to. She was laid on the ground, staring up at the oddly coloured sky of the Fairy court.
Fairies were rushing around them, the chatter was deafening and L realised that's why she couldn't seem to understand the noises. So much was happening and there were so many questions that needed an answer.
"Keeper, I cannot apologise enough for what transpired here today. I am at a loss to explain how that Demon came to be here, however I do have my Fairies investigating as we speak."
L nodded, she croaked out around her sore throat. "It's not your fault." She sipped her water and sucked in a deep breath before speaking again. "I think the Demon was here for me... lying in wait until I came."
The queen's brow furrowed uncharacteristically, "How could it possibly know you were coming here at all? That Fairy-impersonator has been present in my court for several weeks, you think they planned this far ahead?"
L nodded, stopping when her head began to hurt. "I don't know how it knew I was visiting, but there's no other explanation for what happened... where are my friends?"
L hadn't spotted Bryce or Robbie since she'd woken up, she needed to know they were okay.
The queen looked deep in thought, gesturing toward a crowd of Fairies nearby. "They are being cared for, although the Dragon sustained no damage he was extremely distraught. Rest a while and I will take you to them both."
"I'd like to go to them now, please."
The queen looked ready to argue until she saw the resolve on L's face. She inclined her head and gestured for her guards to help L. They walked her over to where a group of Fairies were huddled. They parted when L arrived, she could see Bryce laid on a stretcher and to her relief he appeared to be awake. Robbie was sitting on the ground, eyeing the Fairies cautiously; L made a note to ask about his reaction later. The queen took her leave and flew off, her guards sticking close to her.
"How are you feeling?" Bryce asked, he looked a little stiff but otherwise unharmed, sitting up to face L and check her over.
"My throat hurts but mostly I'm okay, kinda dazed to be honest. How are you two?"
Robbie brushed himself down, a cloud of soot burst from his clothes, "I'm fine, I was more worried about you two."
L turned to Bryce, who looked how she felt.
"I'm alright now, my healing abilities kicked in when I regained consciousness."
L nodded, she'd felt the same effects taking over while she walked to meet the two of them.
"I'm guessing the plan worked?"
L directed her question to Robbie, who grimaced unexpectedly.
"Yeah it worked, a bit too well, the Fairies are pretty pissed off."
L frowned, "Why would they be? You destroyed a Demon who infiltrated the court, they should be glad."
Bryce snorted and L turned to him in surprise.
"L, Robbie didn't just get the Demon, he blew up the whole greenhouse, there's nothing left of it. The Fairies had a lot growing in there- they've lost it all."
L's brows raised, she leaned around them both to try and get a glimpse of the wreckage but there were too many Fairies in the way.
"It shouldn't have blown up the whole thing, it would have been a minor explosion. I calculated it before I passed out..." L was starting to wonder if she'd been lucid enough to make that decision.
"You showed me the plants to set on fire, but I didn't see the fertiliser or the oil drum behind them. The place went up so fast I barely had chance to shield you both, I think you might have some singed hair."
L didn't care about her hair, she couldn't stop thinking about the explosion. In her muddled state she hadn't accounted for anything else in the greenhouse, it could have been a catastrophic disaster.
"Hey, it was just a mistake, you were oxygen deprived, and still trying to save our lives." Bryce reassured her, apparently knowing what she was thinking.
"And nobody got hurt... and the Demon is dead. It's a win if you ask me." Robbie added.
"I guess that's true, but I should help them rebuild the greenhouse, I owe them that much. I'll volunteer our help once we return..."
L trailed off at the look on both their faces.
"L, we won't be returning to anything... because we won't be going anywhere." Bryce's voice was low, apologetic.
"What do you mean?"
Robbie inched forward, placing his hand on L's shoulder. He glanced to Bryce who nodded his encouragement. L was too caught up in their exchange, she couldn't fathom where he was about to go next.
"L... that greenhouse had the goldenseal in, remember? I had to make a choice, your life or the plant, I chose you, I'm sorry."
The memory and realisation took a moment to sink in. L couldn't make herself believe what he was saying.
"It can't all be gone? Surely they have more in another greenhouse, did anyone ask?"
"We asked," Bryce admitted, his eyes met L's and she could see what was coming. "It was the only store of goldenseal they have, that's it, L."
L felt a pit in her stomach, this couldn't be happening.
"But... but that means, I can't go to Paguea. My parents? No, this can't be the end. I need to speak with the queen, Emrik, somebody."
L stood up straight, ignoring the wobble she felt and shook off Bryce and Robbie's hands. She wasn't willing to accept a plant was the thing stopping her from getting to her parents. She ambled over to the queen and crowded Fairies.
"Your Majesty, I'm sorry to interrupt but I must speak with you, urgently."
The queen dismissed the other Fairies but not her guards, and turned to L.
"Yes, how may I help?"
"I've just been told there's no more goldenseal left, not a single plant at all, is that correct?"
The queen peered to Bryce and Robbie, before casting her eyes back to L. "As I told your friends, that greenhouse held our entire crop. Due to the nature of the plant and its uses in spells, it has strict conditions and so, we keep it all in one place. We do not expect our greenhouses to be blown up, so we did not assume it should be kept separate to ensure its survival."
L did hear a tinge of annoyance when she mentioned the greenhouse being blown up. But she couldn't accept this was all there was.
"So now what? There will never be another goldenseal plant?"
"No, we have seeds to replant our stores, however they will take several weeks to germinate to the growth you require. I'm sorry, Keeper."
And at that she did sound genuinely sorry. L couldn't accept it however, she wracked her knowledge for something that might help.
"Can the Nature Sprites not help with germination, make it grow faster?"
The queen raised her brow, "Even with their help weeks would be faster. Naturally we would leave them for a year, I'm sorry, Keeper but several weeks is the best I can do. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get my court in order."
L nodded, though she barely registered the queen rushing away. Her mind was racing to figure out a way around this. There had to be something they could do, it couldn't be over.
"L, are you okay?" Robbie sidled around to look at her.
L shook her head, "No I'm not, I'm sick of this. Sick of the constant hurdles, it's just one thing after another. For once, I just wish things would go smoothly. Now I have to figure out another way to get to Paguea, and it's pissing me off."
L ignored the surprised looks on their faces, and the smoke coming from her nostrils. She trudged back towards the greenhouses.
"L, where are you going?"
Bryce and Robbie rushed to keep up.
"I'm going to assess the damage, maybe there's something there that I can save."
She knew they both thought she was clutching at straws, and maybe she was but she had to try.
She stopped at the line of greenhouses, staring at the black smudge that was the greenhouse they'd been in. The guys were right, there was nothing but soot and pools of melted glass that had solidified. L kicked her boot through the mess as she walked, there wasn't a hint of green anywhere.
"I don't understand how the explosion was this bad. The greenhouses were protected, an explosion was obviously possible but it shouldn't have accelerated to the point it disintegrated everything."
L was talking more to herself than anyone else, but the guys had answers.
"The queen said that the items in the greenhouse mixing with Dragon fire was something their protections couldn't account for."
"It was a terrible accident."
L sighed, something still didn't seem right to her, her mind was spinning in its attempts to figure out what that could be. What was bugging her right at this moment? Why didn't the damage add up?
"Both of you just look around at where we're standing," she stated to the two of them. "Look at the degree of damage, did you shoot fire around the whole greenhouse?" L asked Robbie.
He shook his head, staring around at the smudge they stood in.
"L, are you sure this isn't just the result of the explosion, what makes you think it's something more?"
"I trust my instincts and they tell me something doesn't make sense about this, can't you feel it?"
Bryce pursed his lips, looking out over the destruction, "I don't see anything but soot and glass, what am I missing?"
L blinked rapidly, glancing up and down the expanse. "Robbie, where were you standing when you set it off? When you shielded Bryce and I?"
Robbie glanced around and stepped over to where they'd been, "Here I think, yeah 'cause the door faced that greenhouse door and I had my back to it when I fired at the plants. Why?"
L stood in the same spot, she dusted the soot away with her hands and punched the ground in frustration, sending up a cloud of ash.
"Because this whole area is burnt to the ground, not a patch of trampled grass has been spared."
"Why is that relevant?" Bryce asked, peering from L to Robbie, whose jaw had dropped.
"'Cause wherever I was standing should have been protected." Robbie seemed to be putting the pieces together as well. "I'm immune to fire remember? So there should be some patches of healthy grass that were saved under my feet."
Bryce still didn't seem convinced, "The fire probably burned it away after you moved."
Robbie shook his head, "When I flew you two out, the Fairies had arrived and were putting out the fire with magic." Robbie's eyes grew wide and he turned to L. "L, I was so distracted and worried about you at the time, I didn't even think about it til now but the greenhouse didn't look half as bad as this. Some of it was still standing as the fire was going out..."
Robbie trailed off as they all came to the same conclusion.
"The Fairies did this? They lied?"
Bryce rubbed his jaw, "I knew they were tricky but why would they do this?"
L scowled, "I think I know, but we'll have to be careful how we go about getting them to confess."
L already had a ruse in mind and quickly explained her idea. They were on board, if a little sceptical about tricking a queen, but L didn't care; these royals were getting on her last nerve. She led the way back towards the palace, the door opened for them and they were greeted by another Fairy.
"I'm sorry, the queen is indisposed at the moment. She asked that you be entertained in the guest room until she's available."
L furrowed her brow, they couldn't force a meeting with the queen without revealing their agenda. They accepted the invitation and were led to the same room they'd sat in to eat who knew how long ago.
The Fairy left them alone, and the three of them sat around the table. They didn't speak at all, just in case anyone were listening. After some time, food appeared on the table, instead of fish they'd been given sweet treats; cakes, pastries, and desserts L had only seen in her head. L snorted despite the hospitality, it was a clever plot to try and appease her after what they thought would be a tragedy. They likely thought it would help her to feel better, some sugar and a nice chat, then she would go on her way.
L struggled to contain her anger, she'd have expected something like this from the Elves, but not the Fairies. She had a feeling she knew why they were doing it, but it didn't make it any easier to swallow.
After what felt like hours, the door opened and the queen fluttered inside. Her guards waited by the door and L stood to greet her.
"Keeper, you wished to speak with me?"
L nodded, keeping her expression neutral. "I did, I wanted to thank you for your hospitality and apologise for the damage done to your greenhouse."
The queen's expression softened, "Thank you for the sentiment, I only wish your visit had been more successful."
L smiled a little too widely, "It was nice to visit regardless. We should be going now, I just didn't want to leave without speaking with you."
"When you return to Emrik, please pass along my greetings, and my apologies that we couldn't save the goldenseal."
L resisted the outburst that was bubbling within. "Oh it's fine, we're not going back yet anyway. We have a lead on a different plant that should do the same job." She tapped her temple, "being a Keeper has many advantages. I'm not giving up on going to Paguea."
The queen looked dumb struck, the facade had dropped away and L knew her instincts had been spot on.
"Do you think that's wise, travelling somewhere else with the Demon attacks of late?" The queen stumbled for an excuse to stop them.
L nodded, "We can handle ourselves, we need that plant and I'll do anything to get it. Anything."
"You almost died today because of a Demon, would it not be best to return to the Elf Kingdom and rest? Rethink your plans, perhaps wait until the goldenseal has regrown. You cannot be sure that this other plant will suffice."
The queen was almost frantic in her suggestions, a hint of fear in her eyes.
"I'm not waiting weeks when I have the chance to go now, why does it feel as if you're trying to stop me from going at every turn?"
L didn't hide her accusatory tone, it was clear now the queen was trying everything to keep her from Paguea.
The queen stood straighter, as though she could intimidate L into thinking otherwise.
"I am doing no such thing, I find it insulting you would-"
"And I find it insulting you would think you could trick and control me." L stood from her seat, standing at the same height as the queen. "I'm sick and tired of being treat like a child. I will not be manipulated because others think they know better. Nobody would tell you, or Vadim, or Edra where you could or couldn't go and I'm done having others dictate my life. I suggest you start telling the truth before I investigate for myself. And trust me, you don't want that."
The queen held L's steely gaze for barely a minute before she crumbled. She lowered her face in a saddened expression and dropped to the floor, her wings stopped beating.
"I will not apologise for trying to keep you safe, Keeper. You don't understand how truly dangerous Paguea is, our world cannot afford to lose the last of your kind. I- I thought I was doing it for the right reasons, we need you, the world needs you. It seems a fools errand to go when you do not know what awaits you, or if your parents are still... present."
The queen looked up and seemed genuinely concerned. L could see where she was coming from, Bryce and his parents had basically said the same thing, but that was no excuse for what she'd done.
"Be that as it may, you don't get to decide what I do with my life, nobody does. I accept my responsibility as the last Keeper and I will do everything in my power to make sure I return from Paguea, even if that means leaving without my parents."
She watched the surprised look on the queen's face, she hadn't expected L to consider leaving without them. It dawned on L that everyone assumed it was all or nothing for her, but she wasn't stupid, she wouldn't keep searching if it was hopeless.
"But there's more to it, if I do manage to find them, then there will be three Keepers in the world and everyone can just chill. By the way, you should know that tricking me, trying to hold me back so I won't go after my parents, will only make me more determined to go."
The queen nodded, "I understand and I shall apologise for my methods, but not my intentions. I thought it would be in everyone's best interests, including yours."
L frowned, she didn't know whether to be angry or sympathetic. This was the third Supernatural being to try and persuade her not to go, maybe some of it was selfish on their part but she did understand the greater need for her to stay alive.
"I understand, I don't forgive your actions but I see why you did it. Was the Demon also your doing, to try and scare me off the idea of going anywhere?"
The queen looked appalled, "Absolutely not, that thing found its way in somehow and was among us for some time. I hate to think what it might have done if you hadn't destroyed it."
"Seems like it helped your cause though, destroying all of the goldenseal in the explosion. Did you have your own plan before the Demon came along?" Bryce sounded angry.
He personally knew what it felt like to be manipulated and was again witnessing someone else doing it to L.
"We did, yes," the queen admitted. "I'm sorry, I suppose I should admit the truth. Nothing is going to stop you from going to Paguea, I see that now. And it is only right we help you in getting there and back safely."
She stole herself a moment and sighed as if she was giving away top secret information.
"We concealed the goldenseal before you arrived, it has never been grown in that greenhouse, we just used it as cover. We were going to inform you of the disappearance and mount a search that would fail before Emrik's allocated time frame."
L felt a storm of emotions run through her, "You mean to tell me, the goldenseal is still here? You have more?"
"Yes we do, and this time I will take you there personally."