~ Davina
Every day we get closer to finding some way to get me back to Neverland, and every night, my dreams twist and turn into horrifying images. Nightmares, of Pan's shadow swooping through Storybrooke, taking innocent and helpless children by manipulating their sleeping state. It's always the same. Pan's voice is clear, his orders bellowing across Storybrooke as his Shadows swoop over the town, the children held firmly in their clutches and disappearing into the sky. And I am always stuck, frozen in place, my arms and legs bound by chains or vines or rope, I can never tell, to the ground beneath. Pan smiles his twisted smirk, and then grabs me, pulling me through an abyss of stars and lights, until we arrive on Neverland and I am trapped there, forever.
Over and over again I wake up with a trace of sweat on my hairline and I'm panting, my heart racing. When I can no longer return to sleep, I study at the map of realms. I may have announced that I was sent to retrieve the map, but I never revealed that it's in my possession. It's easier to see the glittering borders in the dead of night, how they glow and shimmer. What could Pan want with it? Has he just become geographically challenged and needs help orienting himself in the world? Or is there something more that I just can't see?
As I sit and study the map, the moon high and shining through the gap between the curtains, I notice that the border of Neverland suddenly dims dramatically. Instead, Storybrooke's border grows brighter.
And with every night I sit and learn the map, the details of every outline of the realms, where rivers flow and land ends, Neverland's border only becomes duller. But, no matter how much stronger the magic in Storybrooke grows, or how much closer I get to finally getting rid of Pan...I can't shake the pit in my stomach that is telling me something unexpected, something awful, is coming to Storybrooke.
- - -
Regina and I have been researching different ways to get me back to Neverland in one piece but the most successful ways are by the Mad Hatter's hat, or by a magic bean. Magic that we don't have access to. The other problem is, the hat is damaged beyond repair and the magic beans are a whole different issue. When we are at our wits end with the research, I look after Henry until Emma takes over, and then I go to work. The same thing every day, if we're not interrupted by something or someone appearing out of nowhere and disrupting the peace.
Today is one of those oddly quiet days. I arrive at the shop on the docks, the summer sun shining through the windows, illuminating all of the fishing equipment. After placing my personal belongings in the staff room, I tie my hair up and change into my wetsuit, pulling it up to my waist. I have to clean the engines of the boats today and take them out of the bay. I find one of the other staff members who will make sure the engine is switched off under the water while I clean it. I check my schedule to see which boats I have to maintain today, only to discover that it's almost all of them. I sigh. Well, there's no point in standing around and only prolonging the process.
I meet my colleague at the first boat on the dock, and he helps me into the rest of the gear. I drop down into the water, get acclimatised with breathing through the snorkel. I see the bag with all of my cleaning gear lowered into the water, which I take before swimming forward to clean the propeller and underside of the boat. Between each boat, I indicate to my colleague that I'm moving on so he can keep me safe. While the flippers make this easier, being under a boat with such a powerful mechanism is terrifying. I cautiously move around each propeller and each blade and each hull, and sooner than I think, I'm finished. I climb up onto the deck of the final boat, remove my diving gear, and the staff member, whose name has completely left my memory, helps me take off the oxygen tanks.
"Thank you..." I begin, pausing for him to fill in.
"Eric," he answers, suppressing a laugh as I fail to hide my forgetfulness.
"...Eric. It means a lot for you to help me with this job - it's a lot more intimidating than it seems," I say. "And from me, that...is a big statement..."
"You're welcome. I know what you're trying to protect the town from, so this is the least I can do," he says, placing the tanks down.
I pull the hood of the wetsuit off, releasing some of the pressure around my face and head, "No one deserves to have Pan steal their children. Even if they're awful parents."
"I agree. So, anyway, who were you in the other...worlds?" He asks.
I shrug, "No one, other than myself," I say and go on to explain how I was never meant to be there, "What about you?"
"The same as you. I found myself around boats and ships both here in Storybrooke and back at home, but I haven't found who I was... who I am...looking for..." he says.
"And who might that be?" I ask.
"Her name is Ariel. I lost where she was a long time ago...I'm not even sure she came here. She was the most beautiful girl I'd ever met. Inside and out. We were meant to travel the world together."
My eyes widen as I hear the familiar name. Eric looks at me and frowns. "What?" He asks.
"I met Ariel. I can't tell you how long ago, but I know her."
"What? When?"
"In Neverland. But, I think you might be mistaken in thinking that she's 'just a girl'..." I begin and his frown deepens, "This isn't really my place to say, but-"
"She's a mermaid?" He interrupts.
"How did you..."
"I asked the Mayor's son...Henry? He told me, and then I came across the stories written in this world about 'The Little Mermaid'. It wasn't hard to put it together."
"Well, I suppose that saves an interesting conversation," I joke. "But she wanted to help me, back on the island. She told me a lot..." I say, recalling our conversation. Then I realise "...and one of them was that mermaids can travel through worlds."
"How is that relevant?"
"Eric...you've already helped me so much. You can help me even more now, whilst also helping yourself. If you help me find the ship I arrived on, I have a way to get back to Neverland, which means I can contact Ariel and tell her to come here. She can break through the seals of each land. You can be together."
He pauses, no words. He continues to frown at me, searching my pleading eyes. Eventually, he nods.
"Okay. As soon as I have a rough idea of where the ship may be, I'll let you know." I say.
He nods again, before leaving to attend to his other duties, so I can continue with mine.
- - -
That evening, when I'm tidying up the docks, I feel a shift in the energy of the air. I hear the all-too-familiar sound of a ship coming into dock. It's late and all the boats that should be in the harbour, are. And docking at night is usually avoided by anyone who knows their way around a vessel. Something isn't right. I sneak around to another boat, hiding where I can see who and what is coming into the empty dock.
A ship.
It's old. A real ship. Made of wood. With sails and a mast and canons and a crow's nest and painted yellow and-
The Jolly Roger.
I know those colours from anywhere.
My heart is racing. Someone I know. Someone I love. My family.
I hear voices and I lean forward a little to get a glimpse. I identify one of the voices as Hook's, but the other is...a woman's? They're talking about Regina, and Rumplestiltskin. Eventually, they leave the ship, and it vanishes. Why does he need a cloaking spell?
They walk around until they're stood outside the shop; I squint to look at the woman closer, her features extremely familiar - then I hear "Regina" and "daughter" in one sentence. Her mother. I've heard of her. The Queen of Hearts and whatnot. I anticipate it, and jump into the water before they see me.
I can't let him know that I'm trying to go back to Neverland. He'll try to stop me.
I pull myself up using the edge of the dock, peering over the edge to see Hook and Regina's mother looking in my direction - they heard the splash - I lower myself down slightly and pray that they haven't seen me. I never thought that I would hide from the very man that inspired me to be a good pirate - well, as good as pirates get. I slide back down into the water, swimming around to the other side of the boat to use the steps on it so I can get back up. I pull myself up until I'm high enough to step onto the dock. Things in Storybrooke just got even more complicated than they already are.
- - -
Another day with Regina, researching again. Storybrooke's library section on the history of the town is scattered out on the long tables. We have paper and books and notes and all kinds of things everywhere. Belle - who, I found out, was prisoner zero-zero-one when Regina had me in the underground prison, or psychiatric unit, under the hospital, satisfying my curiosity as to who the first prisoner was when I was the second - has left us alone in the library with access to everything. But I'm losing hope.
"Regina...I can't do this anymore," I say, finally giving up and slumping in my chair.
"What?..." Regina says, looking at me in disbelief.
"We aren't making any progress. None! I just can't help thinking...we're never going to find anything," I say, shaking my head.
"No, Davina, no. You can't give up. None of us can. The town and its children are in danger, including Henry. You said so yourself. I'm not going to let you give up. Neither is Emma, though I hate to say it. You can do this. You have to do it," Regina says.
"Why? I need to, yes, but I don't necessarily have to. It would be easier for him to send whoever or whatever and for me to go with...It."
"You're right, you need to, and you do have to. For the town, for Henry, and for yourself. If you don't, you will have a burden and an anchor that will hold you back for the rest of your life. I know what it's like to have something hold you back for years," she says, and I know she's truly right.
"How do you know I can do it?"
"Because you managed to get away from him in the first place," Regina says, placing her hand on mine for reassurance, only to instantly retract it.
"What?" I ask.
"I felt it."
"What? What did you feel?"
"You have it."
"Have what?"
"Magic."
I raise my eyebrows, "Have we been in here too long? Do you need some fresh air?"
"No, I'm sure of it. When I touched Emma, I felt it, she has magic. So do you. And it is on the border of your very being ready to break out," Regina stresses.
"On the border..." I say to myself, scoffing. Then an idea comes to mind, "Border...border border border..." I mumble to myself. I stand and began sifting through the paper on the table.
"What are you doing?" Regina asks.
"Borders."
"What about them?"
"Every place has them. Every country, county, city...every town. Every realm. It's a bit...out there...but the Enchanted Forest was, is, it's own place, right? People and animals travelled to and from it, which means it has a border. Even though it was another world. Now, when you cast the curse, you destroyed the Enchanted Forest and brought everyone here. But, you couldn't have just simply lifted everyone out of somewhere, and drop them in a town that didn't even exist to start with. You must have taken something, other than people and things from the Enchanted Forest. The curse must have had to take the place it's destroying and place it in the new land. Storybrooke couldn't have just been...formed...it had to have a base. So, what I'm saying is...is that the shape and the border of the Enchanted Forest would be Storybrooke. We just need to find out how the Forest has been placed. We need a map of the Forest and a map of Storybrooke, and we need to place one over the other. If we identify where I left the ship, then I can find the shipwreck," I explain, "Do you understand?"
"Yes, yes of course. It makes perfect sense. I have maps of the Forest in my office. I'll go and get them, you find a map of the town and trace the border," Regina decides and instructs, and disappears in a swirl of purple smoke.
I look at the spot where she had been a second before. Do I really have magic? I look down at my open palms, imagining a ball of fire emanating from them, like they do from Regina's. Or controlling something. It's impossibly possible. I look around, spotting a candle on a shelf. I walk over to it, and as I imagine a flame appearing, I wave my hand over it. And sure enough, it does.
I blow it out and put it back in its place.
I've seen magic and what it can do. I've experienced the abuse of magic. A memory triggers, and I feel one of the many scars on my back tingle and instinctively, I touch it, remembering the pain I had to endure when I gained this mark. I shake my head, returning to the table and continuing with the job I had to do. I find the map, trace the border and just as I finish, Regina returns with a map of the Forest. She hastily unrolls it, holding down the parchment that is in surprisingly good condition. I place the tracing over the top, rotating and flipping the tracing until finally, I have a match.
"Right, so where was your palace?" I ask.
"Here," Regina says, placing a tiny pencil cross on the place she points to.
"Okay...so I came in from here, coming from this direction which means that..." I say, following the journey Snow, Charming and I had made to get into the Dark Palace, and where I made camp, and where I'd run from Regina's knights, "Here. The ship was here," I say and feel a spark of joy as my muscle memory ignites as I draw on the map.
Regina peels back the corner of the tracing paper, so I can see clearer where the ship should be. I place an 'x' on the spot, and then unfold the map of shipwrecks and match the place.
"I've got it. Regina...we found it. I'm going to save this town," I say, grinning.
She smiles, and I know there's another message behind her it - it's not real - but I'm too relieved to ask her what's wrong. This is the breakthrough we have been looking for.
I'm going to save Henry and every other child in this town.
I'm going to save myself.
A/N
This chapter is so bad omg I'm so sorry