The Gardens are where all of the bodies of dead residents of Neverland are buried. It started as just one garden but this is Neverland where all kinds of crazy dangerous things happen and the bodies started to pile up so we had to make another. Long story short, the Gardens take up a lot of land. The walk to the Gardens was relatively quiet. Until Peter fell into step with me.
"Hey, are you okay?", he asked.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" I replied.
"Wendy, you just cursed Vidia to be a wolf which will lead to her being dominated by her wolf side and being fully consumed by it. That usually takes a toll on someone." Peter said.
"I know. It's strange but, I'm okay." I reassured him.
"Are you sure?"
"Peter, I said goodbye to brothers tonight. I cried, I got angry, but I didn't say goodbye. Not yet. Tonight, I got to tell my brothers goodbye. And I avenged them. Partially. So, when I get my hands on that bitch, the figurative and literal term, I will make a lovely fur coat out of her." I said, not joking at all.
"You've got fire Darling, I like fire." He chuckled. Normally, I would've laughed. But now, hearing him say something like that wasn't all that funny anymore. But it wasn't bad either. It caused a different reaction this time. A very confusing reaction. A confusing reaction that I'm not sure was good or bad yet.
"We're here." Mira announced. She still had that stoic expression on her face.
"Okay, mind telling us why we're here?" Felix asked.
"When I first came to Neverland one hundred years ago, I had something to hide. A medallion. The medallion gave the wearer the ability to control mermaids. Like controlling someone with their heart. Someone close to me got a hold of it and nearly killed my entire family. Those of us who did survive the attack left to different corners of the world. Some of us left the kingdom, while others like me left the realm. I had to keep the medallion safe so I locked it in a chest and chucked it into that pond." Mira pointed to the giant pond in the center of the Garden. The pond went down for miles and was also chucked with bodies. "I asked Bethany to charm it so only my blood could open it. Hence why we're now."
"Why would The Hound want something like that?" I contemplated.
"We can figure that out later." Mira sighed as she took off her shoes. She was about to take off her dress when she looked at the boys funny. "Um, do you mind?" The boys got the hint and turned around. Thankfully, Mira had worn a strapless bra with her dress because I did not want to get an eyeful of her, assets. She took off her bracelet and jumped into the pond. I couldn't help but wonder, what kind of trauma came with this order from The Hound?
Mira's POV
I was hoping I would never have to do this. Retrieving the medallion could have dire consequences. It did the first time. Though it has been well over a hundred years, I still don't forgive myself for what happened that night. It was my fault that he got the medallion in the first place. I submerged the chest here because I thought I would never have to bring it back up again. So why, after over one hundred years, does someone want it now? Hopefully, we'll come up with a diversion in time so that this Hound person won't get her hands on it. Because it's clear as day that she is out of her damn mind and would cause havoc in Neverland if she got possession of the medallion.
I chose the Gardens to hide the medallion because the pond here go deep as hell. This pond alone I think runs deep enough to connect with the ocean. Plus, we've had a lot of dead bodies since then so the chest was buried under them making it very difficult to find. Thus, making it very difficult for me to find it. Which was the point but I'm kicking myself for it now. I barely recognize any of the people buried here. Weston and Destiny had their own private gravesites next to each other since they were very important to their respective factions. Other than them, none of these people are ringing a bell. Most of them are actually Lost Boys because those guys are idiots who are always getting themselves hurt and the especially stupid ones end up here.
After pushing past all of the corpses, I finally spotted the chest. It was red with gold accents. It was still beautiful but had been rusted from the seawater. Now that I'd retrieved it, I had to open it with my blood since it was sealed with a blood lock curtesy of Bethany. I just had to find something to cut my finger with. I noticed a dagger tucked into the belt of one of the deceased Lost Boys. I winced as I pricked my finger with it and then pressed my bleeding fingertip to the lock and it opened instantly. I held the medallion, disregarding the box. It felt uncomfortably heavy in my hand. I felt this uncomfortable pull to it, which scared me. If this fell into the wrong hands again, the person holding it could make me do whatever I wanted. I trust Wendy would never take advantage of me like that but Pan or Felix might do it just get a good laugh out of it.
I made my way back to the surface but just as I was about come up, I felt it again. That awful pain in my stomach that gradually spread throughout my entire body. I had already experienced twice, but neither of those times was it ever as bad as this. It was starting to become unbearable. I couldn't move, it was too painful. The medallion slipped from my weakening grip and I went limp, slowly sinking to the bottom of the lake.
Wendy's POV
It's happening again. And it's even worse this time. I crumbled to the floor as my body was paralyzed with pain, that's how strong it was. Peter gathered my suffering form. Tears formed in the corners of my eyes, it was so painful. I so badly just wanted it to end. Peter shook me as he noticed my eyes starting to close.
"Hey, look at me. It'll be over soon." He tried reassuring me but it didn't do me much good. I just whimpered in response. The poison had only been circulating in my system for a little over an hour now and we still had a long night ahead of us. I don't how much more of this I can take.
Thankfully, Peter was right. It didn't last much longer but it did take me a minute to recover. It was once I was okay enough to stand (though it had to be with Peter's help) that I noticed that Mira still wasn't back yet. Surely, it shouldn't have taken this long to retrieve a medallion. Unless... Oh no.
"Mira must've felt it too. I would've passed out if Peter hadn't prevented me from doing so. But Mira's alone down there all alone which means..."
"Mira's fallen asleep." Felix finished my sentence for me. And without another word, he tore off his tail coat and jumped into the lake. Peter and I sat in a tense silence.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"I don't know how much more of this I can take. This time felt difference from the others. While it was still painful, it bearable. But this time, it felt like I was dying." I answered honestly. I saw what I'm pretty sure was sympathy in his eyes. That sympathy turned into determination as he looked me dead in the eye.
"I swear Wendy, once this is all over I will find a cure for you and Mira. You are not dying tonight or anytime soon for that matter. That is a promise." He declared. I had never seen Peter like this, so passionate about something that was for his own benefit. It was admirable and had me baffled by his change in attitude. Stunned, I nodded in understanding.
Just then, Felix came back up, gasping for air with an unconscious Mira in his arms. Peter and I rushed to their side. Peter helped Felix cough up some of the water that he had inevitably ingested from staying down there for so long. In his hand was the medallion Mira was told to find. I tried waking Mira up but she was unresponsive. I even tried slapping her awake the same way she had to me quite a few times over the month but still nothing. I suddenly had an idea but it was definitely a long shot.
"Mira said that the medallion gave anyone who possessed it with the ability to control mermaids right?" I recalled. Peter and Felix nodded in confirmation. "What if we commanded her to wake up?"
"Would that work?" Felix wondered.
"It's worth a try." I shrugged uncertainly. Felix handed the medallion and I clasped it in my hands and held it over Mira's heart. Please work.
"Wake up." I spoke in a monotonous tone. A minute passed and just as we were about to give up, Mira sat up perfectly straight, gasping for air.
"What'd I miss?" She asked, slightly frazzled.
"You mean besides you almost dying? Nothing at all." Peter deadpanned. But Mira didn't find nearly as funny.
"How'd I get here? I was going further down. I was paralyzed."
"Felix pulled you back up." I answered.
"Did he?" Mira's amused demeanor returned. "You developing a soft spot for me Felix?"
"You wish." He scoffed, but I could tell he was just putting up a front. They were starting to take a liking to each other. They definitely compliment each other. Mira was talkative, extroverted, and very expressive while Felix was more quiet, reserved, and much more cryptic. While Mira would verbally tell you if she liked you or not, Felix would just give you a look that would tell you all you needed to know. They're starting to become fast friends. But that best friend slot is mine and I don't share.
Mira put her bracelet back on, regaining her legs and quickly got dressed as she did not want Peter and Felix seeing all of her. Before we left, Felix held up an envelope. It had Beastly written on it this time. It was Felix's alias, so it must've been for him.
"Let's get this over with." He sighed heavily and ripped open the envelope. It had four written on it and it made all of the color disappear from Felix's face. Like father, like son.
***
Felix led the way this time, somehow knowing where to go next. He seemed really tense, like more than usual. Which was understandable to a point. Up to this point, all of these tasks made us confront our past. And from my experience, that can be very hard to do. But what aspect of Felix's past was The Hound forcing him to confront?
Felix stopped abruptly. "We're here." He announced.
"Where exactly is here?" Mira asked.
"My father's final resting place." Felix stood before a gravestone with the name Fredrick Beastly.
"So, why are we here?" I queried.
"Father was buried with a skeleton key. It was said to have been able to open any door and take you to any place you can imagine. However, my father could never get it to work. He devoted his life to trying to figure it, driving him mad as he continued to fail. After years and years of trying and failing, he ultimately died a mad man." He said. The way he spoke of his father, it was like a person talking about the person they hated the most. He most likely didn't have a good relationship with his father as only kids that feel unloved come to Neverland.
"So, what? You have to dig up your father's body and snatch his key?" Mira furrowed her brow. "That seems way too easy."
"Because it is-" Peter's statement was cut off by the sounds of thunder. Which is odd because it never rains here. Then, three holes appear in the ground. And in them, three coffins. Peter, Mira, and I are suddenly swept off our feet, into the air, and then pulled in the coffins. Which then slam shut. Now, I'm starting to see the hard part of this task. Peter, Mira, and I banged on our chests, trying to break them open, but they wouldn't budge. Instead, dirt started piling in from the corners and crevices of the chests. Oh God, we were being buried alive.
Felix's POV
When I heard the panicked screams of Peter, Wendy, and Mira, I knew I had to act fast. I quickly started digging up my father's grave with my bare hands, which wasn't an easy task as he was buried six feet under. But my adrenaline from the fear of my friends being buried alive was enough for me to get a move on and dig up my crazy father's grave. Finally, I hit the skull of my deranged daddy's skeleton. I immediately recognized the crimson key hanging from his neck on a silver string. I went to yank the damn thing off his neck but when I did, it disappeared from my hand. Suddenly, my father's corpse began to deteriorate. The dust that was left behind turned into keys. Now, there were dozens of keys where my father's body used to be. All of these keys looked exactly the same! How the hell was I supposed to find the Skeleton Key amongst all of these decoys in time to save Peter, Wendy, and Mira?
I began sorting through the keys. They all looked the same to me. Crimson and rusted. I paused for a moment. I remembered something from what my father had written in his journal on the Skeleton Key. 'The Skeleton Key is alive. A living, breathing entity with the power to travel between worlds. An entity that has taken the form of a crimson key. This key goes against the laws of physics. As it does not have a single imperfection on its frame. Not a single scratch and not even a hint of rust. It most likely that it will remain shiny and new for the rest of eternity.' The Skeleton Key wouldn't rust. It can't rust! It's a magical artifact immune to the test of time. So, if what my father wrote was true, then that must mean that the Key I'm looking for must not have any rust on it.
I instantly noticed the gleaming of a crimson key with skeleton for a bow. Not a single scratch or a hint of rust, shiny and new. The only useful thing I ever got from that man. I immediately recognized it as the infamous Skeleton Key that had inevitably tore my family apart.
I ran over to the chests that trapped my friends inside and with shaking hands, unlocked them. I pulled them all out one by one before the chests sank into the soil, being swallowed by earth completely.
"I am getting sick and tired of these damn games." Mira growled.
"You and me both." I said through gritted teeth.
"Alright, let's just find the next envelope and get out of here." Wendy grumbled as she brushed the dirt off of her dress. She was never one for mess. Neat freak.
"Already have." Pan held up another black envelope that had his alias "Laddy" written in gold cursive letters. When we are all getting dressed earlier tonight he cornered me and outright asked me if I had told anyone about his family. Of course I said no because he isn't just my first in command, he's also my friend and I would never betray his trust like that. And, a secret like that getting out would cause havoc in both Neverland and that little cursed town of Storybrooke. And more havoc is the last thing that any of us needed right now.
Pan ripped the envelope open and read what was on the card. "Think lovely thoughts," it said.
"I know where we have to go." Pan sighed heavily. He and I shared a look of unwanted knowing. There wasn't going to be anything "lovely" about this next challenge.
Pan's POV
I was dreading going back to that place. I thought I would never have to go back ever again. That place held so many rotten memories that even after one hundred years, I have failed to forget no matter how hard I've tried. So having to return back to the place that ultimately ended my childhood definitely put a damper on my already gloomy mood.
We all looked up at my Thinking Tree, which stood tall and proud like it was mocking me. I glared up at its lush green leaves, strong and broad branches, and the vibrant, colorful blossoms that bloomed on the branches. I already knew what I was required to do and I was not looking forward to doing it. Just as I was about climbing, Mira piped up.
"Uh, guys." She looked down and the roots of the tree started to wrap around her, Wendy's, and Felix's legs.
"Well, that's just perfect." Wendy scoffed. The roots yanked on their ankles, pulling their feet into the ground. "Start climbing." Taking note of the bite in her voice, I listen to her.
The pixie dust blossom only grows on the highest branches of the tallest trees and even then, there is a limited amount of blossoms still growing and there are very hard to find and even harder to reach. I don't fly much anymore. I don't have much time to with taming the fairies and protecting my Lost Boys from becoming dog food. And it isn't as fun anymore. Climbing the long branches brought back a lot of memories. Some good, some bad. After a lot of climbing, my hand touched a pink blossom and pixie dust stained my hand. I saw a few more on nearby branches and plucked them before climbing back down.
Wendy, Mira, and Felix seemed to be having a rougher time than I was as they were standing knee deep in soil, trying to remain as still as possible as that seemed to trigger the roots to yank them into the ground. Wendy especially seemed to be fuming about the entire situation. She hated being dirty. Which never made much sense to me since she wore so much white.
"Please tell me you got it." Wendy grumbled. I held up the blooms. Gathering a pinch of dust in my hand, I sprinkled it over the dirt around them. The dust caused the roots to relax and ease back into the ground, releasing Wendy, Mira, and Felix. This stuff is really weird.
They climbed out of the dirt and dusted themselves off, Wendy more fervently then the others.
"Now do you regret wearing white?" Mira joked.
"Shut up." Wendy growled. She stared up at the sky and confusion washed over her face. "Peter, did you spill some of that dust while you were up there?" I shook my head no.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because the sky looks like the aurora borealis on crack." Mira chimed in, pointing up at the sky. Mira's unusual definition was extremely accurate. The pixie dust's natural shade was a light fuchsia however, it changed from purple to blue to green as the light shifted. It truly did look like a more extraordinary version of the aurora borealis. And as beautiful as it was, it shouldn't be here. The aurora borealis only occurs in Neverland at high tide which always happens at midnight and there's still about an hour until midnight. Why was it happening now?
"Now, I'm not an expert on 'fairyology' but I'm pretty sure pixie dust is supposed to float back down to the ground. Not just, float. Something isn't right here." Mira contemplated.
The confusion on Wendy's face become more prominent as she began to climb the tree. What was she up to?
"Hey, I think I know where we have to go next." She called us all up into the tree and we that there was a long line of pixie dust the floated above the trees.
"It appears to lead to the Echo Caves." Felix analyzed.
"That's all the way on the other side of the island. It'll take forever to get there." Mira groaned.
"Not forever." I chimed, getting an idea. I plucked another blossom from a nearby branch.
"You wanna learn how to fly?"