The feeling of guilt is not one that will lull over in a couple hours. It buries its roots and attacks the body from within. It is a place you can never hide from. It slowly consumes minds and leads them to madness.
It was quiet around Elle as she returned to the Underworld Palace. The vial of her little sister's blood was kept safe in her jacket packet. She had dismissed Cerberus and entered the throne room. Pan had his back to her as he was adjusting something on the table next to the throne.
"Home decorating at a time like this?" Elle taunted wth a raised eyebrow.
"Oh you're back," Pan turned around, "I could use your powers to grow some new flowers."
"Do I look like a florist to you?" Elle asked him annoyed.
"I recall you making a memorable display at the Museum," Pan recalled, "As well as ensnaring those heroes in your brambles."
Elle rolled her eyes at him and waved her hand carelessly. A black rose grew and Pan snorted, "Is this supposed to be a threat to me?"
"I got the vial of blood for the blade," Elle crossed her arms, "Now where is this abyssal shard?"
Pan sat on the throne with his legs draped over the arm of the chair, "The Abyssal Shard I believe was Hades' most prized possession, well one of them anyways."
"Hades got vaporized by the Olympian crystal though," Elle argued, "Doesn't that mean that the abyssal shard got destroyed too?"
Pan chuckled, "I overestimate you sometimes, Elena. Don't you know that gods are immortal? That crystal does indeed obliterates one's existence, but Peter is still here."
Elle process his words, "You don't mean..."
Pan nodded his head, "Hades is still alive. After your little misadventure, Zeus granted his brother a second chance at life as he did your dear Peter. The only difference this time is that Hades is currently spending some time reflecting with their dear old father, Cronus."
"A fate worse than death, huh?" Elle scoffed hearing of the God of Underworld's fate, "That means he's in Tartarus?"
"He's not just in Tartarus," Pan said, and for once, Elle saw the hint of fear in his eyes, "He's in a hell far worse than Tartarus. Past the prison where the Titans are sealed away, located in the deepest pits of Tartarus lies the centre of its domain. The prison on a frozen lake, a place where no life resides, no light magic. All that exists is the bitter cold and two residents trapped in ice yet still forced to live. It is the worse punishment for an immortal. No gods go there, not even Zeus."
The god of the wild then broke out into a grin, "So good luck with that."
"Hold on just a second," Elle hissed and grabbed the collar of his shirt, "I got the blood, I don't see you pulling your weight here. If you aren't going to help out, I might as well surrender your lazy ass to Peter."
Pan wiggled a finger in front of her face, "Ah ah, but what about your oath to help me? Going back on Styx is punishment."
Elle scowled at his words wanting to wipe the smirk off his face. She glanced off to the side, "Well, if I am going down there alone, the least you could do is help me carry some supplies."
Elle summoned a bag containing rope, knives, water and food.
"Do you have the Lantern of Diogenes?"
Pan held it out and Elle smiled, "Perfect, you can carry it for me to the entrance, I wouldn't want to trip while carrying all this important stuff."
Without waiting for a response, she headed towards the pit to Tartarus. Pan's footsteps followed behind her. A devious grin formed on her face at her plan. He didn't suspect a thing.
"Aren't you going to rest?" he asked her, while walking.
Elle flashed a grin, "You said so yourself, the longer we wait here, the more power Hermes will have over us. We can't let him win."
She stopped at the edge remembering her first trip down here after reuniting with Felix in the Underworld. Last time, she was venturing into Tartarus to save Peter. This time was no different. She tied the backpack to her securely and Pan held the lantern out towards her, "Don't forget to take this."
Elle responded by shoving Pan into Tartarus. The god's golden eyes flared in anger as he cursed her name the entire way down. Elle had a smug grin before following after. She landed on the ground and Pan had pinned her agains the wall, "Is this some kind of sick joke to you?"
Elle stared back cockily, "I didn't want you to miss out on all the fun. Since there is no way for you to get out without my help, you might as well help me get the last thing we need for Hope's Quickblade. Do you have the lantern?"
"No, I used it to break my landing," Pan casually replies.
Elle froze and narrowed her gaze on him, "We need that lantern and you broke it?!"
Pan bursted out laughing, "You should have seen your face. No, I have it right here."
He revealed the lantern and smirked, "I just had to get back at you for shoving me into tartarus without my permission."
"Oh I'm sorry, next time I'll send you an invitation," Elle sassed him.
They were greeted with the desert landscape. The blistering heat and razor winds followed by the sea of souls each trapped in a hell of their own. They felt Elle's powers and cowered under her presence. Some were filled with bitter hatred while others were full of fear.
"Where's the quickest way down?" Elle asked Pan.
"Through the Prison of the Titans," Pan said in a deathly quiet, "That in itself is a complex maze of traps and only the Olympians know the way."
He turned his head off into the distance and Elle followed his gaze towards the edge of the horizon where a fortress stood. The pair began their trek and passed the infamous residents of this plane. Their grunts of pain pierced Elle's soul and she reminded herself the crimes they committed to end up down here.
At last they stood at the gates and Elle frowned, "It's locked."
Pan stayed silent and grabbed her hand.
"Now's not the time to hold hands," Elle told Pan.
Pan rolled his eyes and Elle gritted her teeth as he sliced the palm of her hand. Her blood came to the surface as he guided her hand to a bowl on the pedestal. Dried blood coated the bowl and Pan spoke in a quiet tone, "Only the blood of the Underworld will open the seal created by the Twelve Olympians and allow us through. Behind these doors the wicked reside. Despite any misgivings we may have towards each other, we have to remain a unified force if we hope to escape unscathed and keep the evil trapped here. If it gets out, it goes beyond our little situation."
Elle sensed the seriousness in his tone and realized in the span of a few seconds, the light hearted, slightly annoying god had been replaced by a deadly immortal. His gold eyes flickered with powers and his influence could be felt throughout the Underworld. Despite being not a full immortal, he was just as powerful as any Olympian. Maybe that tied him and Elle together.
The pair entered and the door closed behind them with an echoing boom. It was pitch black as Pan lit up the Lantern of Diogenes.
"Its light will continue to burn," Pan informed her, "It will ward the insanity within this prison from affecting our psyche."
They passed the cells and Elle could not help but be curious. behind the bars, she saw figures lumped over, monstrous beings not of this world. Age etched on their faces, but their strength immeasurable. She had read legends of the Titanomachy. It took the power of the Twelve Olympians to defeat them. With just Pan and herself, if any of them were to break free, it would be a close fight.
"I wasn't around during the war," Pan told her, "I only heard accounts from them at gatherings. Their leader Atlas was condemned and cursed to hold the world on his shoulders for all eternity."
"I met the guy," Elle snorted, "Deserved the punishment."
Pan had the faintest of grins on his face, "I would expect no less from you."
They reached the end of the seemingly endless corridor. There was a chasm with a spiralling staircase that descended several levels down. Elle exhaled and noticed her chilled breath, "What we are searching for is down here."
Pan nodded his head, "It is too late to turn back. But this is only the beginning of our fight. If we make one wrong move, we're both dead. It will be game over and there will be no rematch. We have to stay together."
The ground beneath them shook and cracked beneath their feet. Elle pushed Pan to the side as his gold eyes filled with worry as the ground beneath the blonde crumbled beneath her feet. Her body fell deeper into the prison as Pan shouted her name.
Elle landed on the ground in an icy cavern. She shivered from the sheer cold and glanced around for Pan. To her horror, whatever hole had swallowed her up sealed itself. The dark magic, the evil, did not want them together. It feared them. Pan had the lantern leaving Elle alone to navigate the darkness.
She ignored the pain of the fall as she rose to her feet. Her hands bracing against the rock wall. She felt around for the path. Her hand trembled as it tried to summon some magic that was frozen over as it was summoned.
"You have to keep moving, Elle," Persephone's voice instructed her, "Or you will freeze here."
"But where do I go?" Elle replied in her mind.
Persephone was not one of the twelve Olympians who knew the way through and neither was Pan. Elle tripped on a rock and fell forward. Her hazel eyes widening in fear at the skull trapped in ice staring back at her lifelessly. She covered her mouth holding back her screams. She was hyperventilating as it became clear that there were more skulls in a similar predicament. If no one came down here, where did these skulls come from?
Left to her own instincts, Elle walked forward and felt her way through a small tunnel. It opened up at the end and Elle knew she couldn't keep walking aimlessly like this. She opened her backpack and pulled out a glow stick. If magic was bared down here, mortal made objects were immune to its effects.
The bluish glow illuminated the cavern. While dim, it was better than nothing. Elle took a step forward and stopped when she hear a deep rumbling of laughter. Her breath hitched as she forced herself to keep walking. As she got deeper, the sound got louder until she felt it surrounding her. The laughter bounced off the cave walls and Elle clenched her jaw, "Show yourself, I know you are out here."
She was met with silence and she unsheathed her dagger. Elle held it in front of her face prepared to strike whoever was stalking her. If it were Pan, she made a mental note to punch him when they got back to the Underworld.
"Persephone," Elle asked the goddess, "Can you sense anyone?"
The goddess was silent as Elle could feel her presence make itself more known. Persephone responded in a frantic tone, "Elle, look out it's-"
The connection between the goddess and pirate were cut off abruptly and Elle felt a figure appear behind her. They restrained her wrists and the sound of the dagger hitting the ice floor broke the silence. Elle's fear had spike as she recognized the tremendous power coming from behind her. Lips made their way to her ear as a velvety voice said, "It's been a while, Elena Weston."
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Hey everyone,
Finding Pan has been featured on WattNeverland's reading list which is super cool (Thank you again). There are also other cool OUAT stories there you definitely want to check out. The cover of Finding Pan now has a new sticker. It is the first one I've ever gotten which is totally cool. Also, sorry for the late upload, slowly approaching finals season so things are picking up.
Thanks for reading this chapter, you guys are awesome.
Eden
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