Ursula looked at him. She stared not knowing that such an expression could show on Pan's face. His green eyes burned, but not with the anger she was expecting. His expression was dark. It twisted with desire of all the darkest parts of him. His smirk sent her heart thundering and crashing inside her chest.
"I thought you said that when you got the chance, you would end me. Where has all that hate for killing your love go?" Ursula slipped Wendy's glamour off. She let herself be seen. Watched his face take in her long, glossy black hair. Pan's eyes traced over her unusually red lips and pale white skin. His perfect green eyes locked with her sea eyes.
"I hate you. More than anything else in all my lifetimes. It makes me remember the time I ruled this island alone. Without Wendy. When I didn't have to care about if my actions were hurting someone else. When I didn't have to hold back any dark emotions. When no one told me how to use my magic." Such words should hurt her, but for some reason her blood sang. Pan took his hands and held her face. They were both at eye level to each other. Ursula realized that she was not like his small Wendy Bird. She was as powerful as him.
His eyes locked on her lips. Ursula looked at him, trying to fight for her composure.
"What are you saying?" Such a dumb and naïve question for the wicked villain she was supposed to be.
"If anything, losing Wendy was the best thing that's ever happened to me. I can be the villain again."
"You're just going to forget about her? Just like that?"
Pan paused, his smile faltered, "I will never forget how weak she made me feel. I'll never feel something that strong for the rest of my lifetime."
Ursula's chest expanded as she took in a gulp of air. Pan leaned closer towards her.
"You make me feel powerful."
"You can't expect me to believe that you suddenly want to be with me." Ursula growled her hands balled in fists against his collarbone.
Pan grabbed a fistful of her hair, "You're right, but I know you don't want love. You just want me, no strings. As do I. Villains don't get happy endings, so fuck it."
With Pan's kiss, with knowing his needs, within that moment Ursula realized:
She had wanted this all along. From the very start.
~~~~~~~~
Even Hook, who constantly relied on his quick reflexes to get out of bad situations, couldn't stop it in time. Wendy was totally possessed. The sweet brown eyes that were at first sweet and innocent when he met her had turned hard and determined with time. Hook knew that. But suddenly there was a look in her eyes that Hook never thought he would see. A look that could kill.
For a moment, as the pirate was beginning to piece together what was about to happen, everything turned slow.
"You left Pan?" Her tone was as cold as ice. Her glare, however, could send the whole island up in flames.
Hook watched in horror as her gaze locked on her bag of weapons that had been knocked off of her shoulders when Tink had ran into her. For a split second he saw her consider going for them. He took a step in the direction of the bag prepared to wrestle her for it, but it was too late. Wendy had already given up on the weapons.
"Yes, but Wendy-"
And then everything was almost too fast for Hook to register.
She leapt forward with a speed that gave the oblivious fairy no time to block or move away. Wendy must have known Hook would grab her before she could get more than one hit in because the one punch she did get was quite effective. She had aimed for Tinkerbell's nose with as much force as she could get in with a three second head start before Hook had grabbed her middle. Tink fell backward, her entire body limp. The fairy hadn't stood a chance.
Although Tink was clearly unconscious and it was clear Wendy had won, Hook was surprised that she was still fighting him. She screamed in frustration straining to get to Tink. She bucked, kicked, and even tried to head-butt. It might have worked if not for such a height difference between them. Wendy was just banging her head uselessly against his collarbone.
Hook hung onto her flailing body as she screamed at him into the jungle night.
"SHE JUST LEFT HIM!"
"SHE JUST LEFT HIM THERE TO DIE!"
"JUST TO SAVE HER OWN SKIN!"
"SO SELFISH!"
"IF IT HAD BEEN FELIX-"
At the thought of Felix, a new spike of energy coursed through her and Hook almost lost his grip on her pinned arms. A new round of hysteria scared the pirate worse than the angry shouts. Suddenly, he wasn't so sure he could calm her down. They were in the pitch black jungle alone. The Lost Boys could be coming at any minute with the sound of Wendy's insane screaming.
With a final huff, he managed to get his arm around her throat in a headlock that soon turned into a choke hold. She coughed and sputtered. She cursed him and tried to fight. As soon as the lack of oxygen caused her knees to wobble, Hook released her letting her fall next to Tinkerbell unconscious as well.
He didn't know how long he stared at them. Everything seemed to be going wrong. Here he was with two unconscious girls and the possibility of Lost Boys probably ordered to kill first, ask questions later. He couldn't carry both of them, although he pictured himself hunched over trying to balance Tinkerbell on his back with Wendy in his arms. This was the first time in Hook's life he actually wished to be cursed with four arms.
"In a bit of a pickle, are we lad?" Rumple appeared leaning against a tree in front of the girls.
Hook laughed dryly, "As always, nothing is going according to the plan."
He looked at Tinkerbell and Wendy. Ursula had damaged them more than he realized. Here, Hook thought she was a coward. Thought she was petty for keeping prisoners and forcing them to come to her. What Hook didn't realize was just how smart she was. She had even the closet of friends turning on each other. She had carefully snatched the most important thing to Wendy, all the while having Pan think that the very person he had been fighting so hard to save was dead. Ursula was more frightening than Pan ever was to him. Ursula didn't simply use magic when she wanted to. At least Pan had been a bit predictable. You knew what made him angry and you knew he would think of a twisted game or deal you had to carry out. With Ursula, she was cold and calculating. No one knew her next move.
"Better than dying," Rumple countered and snapped his fingers.
Suddenly they were on his ship far away from the shore to where Neverland was the size of an ant. Hook stood with his arms holding Tinkerbell up and saw that Rumple held Wendy. He ignored the protective feeling in his gut.
"I'm going to take her below deck. It's best that these two stay separated, and I would like to have a word with Wendy Bird when she wakes." And with that Rumple and Wendy were gone.
Hook didn't know how comfortable the top deck's floor was to unconscious Tinkerbell, but he didn't really have any other options. He inspected where she was hit. Her nose was covered in dry blood, but at least it didn't look broken.
He was busy looking at the purplish skin of her nose when suddenly the realization hit.
"Damn it!" He whispered under his breath and ran below deck into the bedroom Rumple had Wendy in.
"Don't worry, don't worry. I won't lay a hand on the girl," Rumple chuckled, but continued to watch her sleep. Boy did that creep Hook out.
"It's not that. We have a problem."
Rumple raised an eyebrow.
"We lost Felix."
~~~~~~~~
The jungle seemed to be stirring with bugs and rodents that seemed much too loud in the anxious atmosphere. Felix ran carefully, carrying himself with as little sound as possible. He knew something had gone wrong with Wendy and Hook. Checking back to where he left them a few hours ago, it had been completely abandoned. Felix didn't know if it was a good or bad sign that they were gone. His gut screamed Ursula. It seemed to say Ursula all the time nowadays. But knowing Wendy, he knew if they were caught he would know. He would feel it. She would use her newfound powers to warn him.
As Felix got farther and farther away from the last place he met them, his thoughts began to drift to Tinkerbell. There was an uncomfortable feeling of longing in his chest. It was as strong as the first time she left him. He knew she was in no real danger. They were coming to save her and Pan. Very soon, he would be able to kiss her without a care in the world.
A sudden shock went through him at the thought. After. What would happen when this was all over? Would he be able to leave with Tink now that Pan had his Wendy? What about the Heart Of The Truest Believer? Before he could stop himself, his fantasies painted a painfully beautiful picture:
He was with Tink. She was bathed in fairy dust smiling as she soared above him with her fairy wings. They would live in the Enchanted Forest. No one would bother them. Pan and Wendy would stay on Neverland. Tink wouldn't miss her-
Felix wanted to hit himself. Of course his Tink would miss Wendy Darling. She was her best friend. He had long accepted the reality that Wendy would always be apart of her life. And where Wendy went....Pan was always there.
"Oh, Felix!"
The voice sent a chill down his spine and snapped him cold in the face with reality. He knew its owner, of course. Practically raised the arrogance in his tone.
He suddenly became fully aware of his surroundings. Daydreaming seemed to have led Felix to believe he was alone. The Lost Boys giggled in quite, frightening whispers in the treetops all around him. The boys were different from their usual loud hoots. Suddenly the idea of quiet Lost Boys was surprisingly scary. Felix looked behind him quickly. The relief Wendy was still no where to be seen was so thick he almost smiled.
Rudolph jumped down from his tree and faced him.
Felix couldn't contain his look of shock. Rudolph smirked at the look on his face. Felix had already known that the Lost Boys had been Ursula's puppets all this time, but seeing Rudolph's face made it real for him. The gold eyes he had grown so accustomed to were as black as coal. His usual pale face seemed hollow and empty looking. Under his eyes were dark, unnatural purple bruises. His smile was sinister in a way Felix never would have guessed a smile could appear to look on his face.
"I've been waiting for you." His voice wasn't right either. It was too high, too excited.
"Have you?"
The blow surprised him. Rudolph clocked him in the jaw with such force it sent him backward. He lunged at Felix. Gripping the collar of his jacket, Rudolph threw Felix forward into Victor's waiting attack.
Soon, every Lost Boy was taking their turn with him.
Felix wished he would have blacked out. Much to his disappointment he was kept conscious. The Lost Boys dragged him for miles. Felix was too hurt to do anything but wince when the occasional rock bit into his shoulder.
He wasn't fully aware, but not totally out of it when they pulled him into a dark place. His eyesight was too blurry preventing him from getting a good look at his surroundings. They dropped him with a thud and something cold locked around his ankle.
And finally Felix had gotten what he wished for. Wendy was safe, and he was knocked out cold.
~~~~~~~~
Pan woke to feet shuffling into the cave once more. He made sure the knife Tink had left was hidden behind the large rock just within his chain's reach. Pan sat up wondering why they were here so soon. They had already discovered Tink had escaped. He had already got his beating and interrogation. Were they here to try again?
And then the most dreaded conclusion: Did they find Tinkerbell? Did they kill her?
Pan felt the bile rise up in his throat when he saw Rudolph, Victor, and Thread dragging a body into the cave. The form didn't seem to be moving, but the Lost Boys were blocking his view. They didn't look at him, not even a glare, put Tink's old shackle on the unmoving body, and left without so much as a warning to Pan.
The person was face down, but Pan could tell with much relief that it wasn't Tinkerbell. The figure was wearing black leather, the kind classically used in battles. A black hood was pulled over the person's face. Pan's chains weren't long enough for him to reach over and pull the hood away.
He sat back resting his head on the cave wall. Pan had long stopped trying to figure out what was going on around him. Ever since the news about Wendy hit him, he hadn't cared much about anything.
But what was it Tinkerbell had told him? She said his Wendy was alive. It was beyond the cruelest thing anyone could ever do to him. Tink was clearly lying. She wanted him to go with her. She was scared. Rudolph had intimidated her, well, Ursula had. Pan knew that it was her crippling weakness. She couldn't stand to be anywhere near the person who almost successfully killed her off.
There was, however, the little tiny voice in his head that told him she was telling the truth. He thought about how guilty she looked when she told him Wendy was poisoned. He thought at the time, it was because she had felt bad for him. Because he lost the only thing he truly cared about. But what if...it was because she was telling a lie?
Pan shook his head and mumbled, "Impossible." Even Ursula knew she was dead.
Pan dozed off for a bit thinking about her face like he did every night. He tried to think of what he would have done if he had killed Ursula before she killed Wendy. Wendy was his heart. He remembered the last time he saw her. Their last conversation had been a fight. She wasn't about to let him murder the other heart holder for the sake of them staying together. If she was alive, what could he have done for her? For them? Would he have actually been able to save their doomed relationship?
Pan liked to think he would have. That somehow, there was a loophole and there was some spell or ritual. And just like that they could be together forever. He knew how much she wanted off Neverland. In his make believe future, they would travel far away from the island he called home. He would have done whatever she wanted. Now, knowing how it felt to lose her, he wouldn't let a simple disagreement tear them apart. He wouldn't let anything come between them again.
A moan caused Pan to flinch awake. His eyes fixated immediately to the person in front of him. The man slowly sat up, the hood falling off the top of his head.
"Felix?" Pan asked surprise coating his tone.
Felix looked up, the action looking like it hurt him, "Oh no......" Felix mumbled and moaned again looking even more beat up than Pan. "I should have been more careful."
"Felix, did Tink catch up to you? Is she alright?" Felix froze at Pan's words and scanned the cave.
"She's not here?" His voice sounded deflated. Like all the hope had just drained out of his body. "Of course she's not here, it's you that's not supposed to be here! Why didn't Tink get you out?"
"Maybe because your plan's suicide? Why on earth would just you and Hook try to take on Ursula?! Are you mad?"
Felix's eyes widened in alarm, "Me? Hook and I? You mean Wendy. The plan was for Tink to get you out while Hook, Wendy, and I faced Ursula."
There was the lie again. Wendy's alive. Wendy's alive. Pan almost snapped at Felix when a sudden thought had him gasping for air.
What he said before: impossible. Such a word could accurately describe his Wendy. She was always doing the impossible, always proving him wrong. Pan didn't let the hope crush him. She was dead. Felix was lying.
Pan decided to play along.
"Why would Wendy take Ursula on? Doesn't she know the danger?"
"How can you even ask that?" Felix's tone was sharp. Pan stared into his gray eyes trying to pull the truth out of them.
"Ursula is dangerous, Felix. Haven't you seen what she's done? She's got all of the Lost Boys to be her brainless foot soldiers, she took my magic...Wendy's not ready to face her." Pan tried to make himself sound like he believed what he was saying.
"Wendy has changed, Pan. What Ursula did to her...it's irreversible. The Dreamshade almost killed her," Pan hung on to Felix's every word, "She was tortured. She used magic to lead Tink, Hook, and I to her rescue. She used powers she didn't know she had."
Pan thought back. He had remembered the moment for a different reason entirely. It was their first kiss in the heart of the Dark Jungle. He had told her how he erased her human life. That he had started the Darling family over again. That was how he always remembered it. But something else had happened that day. He took her into the jungle to train her magic. To make sure another camp fire would never happen again. When he couldn't get her to produce enough magical energy to make a flame for him, he thought that was it. That her magic wasn't ready to come out yet.
As it turned out, a near death experience was the trigger.
It was suddenly very hard to think of the Wendy he used to know. She wasn't his little bird needing saving from all the people he had wronged in the past. She was powerful. The character being forced upon him to imagine seemed even more fictional than the thought of her alive.
"What...can she do?" It slipped before he could stop it. He didn't want to know anymore because it wasn't true.
"Well, when she was being poisoned, she showed us through dreams where to find her. It's hard to explain...she talked to Hook and Tinkerbell. She wasn't allowed to come out and say what she wanted to say. She had to give them hints. When we couldn't decide where to take her when she didn't have much time left, she told us. She got into our heads and stopped all of our frantic thoughts and put her sentences in to silence him. It was like she muted everything but her voice."
So the fire was just the start. Most magic users got their first indication of magic through the elements. It was common for most peoples' powers to be totally unrelated to nature when it completely developed.
Pan marveled at the idea of Wendy's magic once more; he couldn't help it. It didn't even sound like she was done developing.
Everything Felix was telling him couldn't be made up. There was too much detail.
Before he knew it, dawn's light had risen through the cave. And with morning, came Rudolph.
"Oh good, you're up. Her majesty would like to speak with you." Rudolph went to unlock Felix's shackles.
"Her majesty?" Pan laughed and finally the glare returned in his direction.
"Is there some sort of problem?" Pan was about to retort back when he remembered what happened the night before to Tinkerbell. Pan realized that with Felix being here with him, he was right back to square one. Be good to Ursula and she won't kill your friends.
"No."
Pan watched silently as Felix was dragged through the opening of the cave. He took the dagger out once again. He thought to himself as he stared at its silver blade.
He would just have to wait patiently.
He smiled knowing that he would get the chance to bury the hilt of the blade in Ursula's chest.
He would kill her if it was the last thing he'd do.
~~~~~~~~
In truth, Wendy had been up for a while before opening her eyes to the troubles laid out in front of her. She did a lot of thinking. There was a great possibility Tinkerbell's escape got Pan killed. The very thought sent a spiral of hatred in Tink's direction. Wendy knew what she did was wrong. Knew that attacking Tinkerbell wasn't going to solve anything. She needed as many people as possible to help her end Ursula, if that was even still possible. Wendy knew what she did was wrong....but she did not regret it in the slightest.
The thought of Pan being gone, ripped away from her forever; it was the darkest scenario possible for Wendy to imagine. There was no way she could believe it. No way she could think about it for long periods of time without breaking down again. So until proof was presented to her, Pan was alive and well.
And then she thought of Felix. She hadn't been too distracted to know that they had separated in the Dark Jungle. She didn't know if he found his way back to the ship. There was no way to know for sure unless she opened her eyes and prompted for information. So Felix's status would have to wait. She was not ready to face the world yet.
No matter how long she laid there thinking, Wendy couldn't find the answer. What was the new plan? She couldn't even think of where to begin. They had lost the element of surprise. It was the only thing going for them and it was lost. No matter what, Ursula was going to have the upper hand. She was going to use Pan against her. Wendy had to be ready. She wished she could train with Rumple. Buy time. Do something in preparation for what was to come.
Every second that ticked by was valuable to her. Wendy knew this had to be all over soon. Something in her gut said it had to be now. The only thing holding her back was fear. The fear of not being strong enough to stop her.
Wendy didn't know how to work her magic. The only thing she had a bit of a handle on was the magical radar she had on her friends. The dreams that she could control were still hard to hang onto. She didn't know how she would go about killing Ursula. It wasn't like she could simply give her a dream that would kill her. And then one word came into her head. Rumple. No matter how unexplainably wrong it felt to her for some reason to ask, she needed his help.
All she had to do was open her eyes and ask.
Although she hated to do things that were out of her control, Wendy opened her eyes.
"Finally awake, dearie? About time." Rumple was right there, sitting on a wooden chair at the foot of her bed. His reptilian eyes fixed on her. Him being so close, Wendy could admit how unsettling it made her feel.
"Sorry, I-" Her eyes locked onto Tinkerbell in the far, dark corner of the room. The farthest part of the room from the bed. She didn't look frightened like she pictured her. Wendy thought her outburst would cause fragile Tinkerbell to run to the hills. Caught up in all the lingering rage she felt towards Tink, she had forgot about how strong she actually was. Tink's face was stone cold. She looked at her like she wanted to hurt her, but was restraining herself.
"Let's cut to the chase, shall we?" Tink asked, her tone bitter.
"New plan. Ursula has Felix. So now instead of a rescue mission for one, it's now turned into one for two," Rumple stopped to flash a dark look in Tink's direction to which was met by Tink's icy glare, "While you slept off the stress that would have made the original plan turn into a disaster, may I add, Tinkerbell has offered up a brilliant idea."
Wendy couldn't help but scoff, "And we should blindly follow her instincts?"
"Felix is on the line," Tink said in a threatening tone, "I'm sorry I let my emotions get to me that time, but he is as important to me as Pan is to you. I will not fail. She'll have to kill me, and make sure I actually die, this time."
"Shall I continue the explanation?" Rumple asked her.
Wendy looked at Tink trying to read the determination in her eyes. She didn't think it was the best idea to put her trust in her again, especially since fate seemed to be against her. But she was all out of ideas. A difficult idea to hear was better than none at all to offer up.
"Fine."
Rumple wasted no time, "Fairy here will go to Ursula. She'll try and get Felix back on her own. When Ursula eventually captures her again," Another glaring moment between the two, "She'll tell her your alive."
"How on earth is that in any way a good idea?!" Wendy all but shrieked, "I need to stay dead! That's the only way I have any edge left at all."
"Well that's not true. If she knows you're alive, she will come looking for you. While she goes on the hunt for you, Hook will go and get Tink, Felix, and Pan. After all, brainless Lost Boys won't be a problem for the bloody pirate." It seemed like it hurt Rumple to give Hook a compliment.
"And how do you know she won't just send Rudolph and Victor after me?" Wendy countered.
"Are you kidding?" Tink laughed, "Learning that your alive will enrage her. She carefully planned out a painfully slow death for you and you managed to escape! Her ego is too big to simply let the Lost Boys do anything to you."
"I was her mentor. Believe me when I tell you: her ego is her biggest weakness. It's why I told her she wasn't worth teaching anymore. It was only a matter of time before something killed her. I'm surprised she's lasted this long." Rumple smirked while Tink and Wendy exchanged a look.
"Well, I guess I'll be heading straight for the belly of the beast," Tink used a mocking tone, but Wendy would know that nervous look in her eyes anywhere.
"This is happening now?" Wendy asked as she watched Tink leave the room.
"This has to end sometime, doesn't it?" Wendy got up from the bed, Rumple looked at her shaking hands.
"What am I going to do when she finds me?"
Rumple chuckled, "I can teach you that." Wendy would have been happy with his guidance a few minutes ago, but his lack in faith for Ursula made her want to seek help elsewhere.
"You know I can help heroes as well as villains," He teased, a wide grin spread across his face, "Such a shame there's no time. You could have been my prodigy."
Wendy grimaced, "I'm positive I wouldn't have enjoyed being your prodigy at all."
"Stop nagging," Rumple stood up from his chair, "Let's begin."
~~~~~~~~
Tink watched the Lost Boys camp from the treetops above. The bonfire was lit, but unlike Pan's time ruling here, the boys were not dancing around the flames. They weren't hooting and laughing like all boys should. The two youngest ones, Clyde and Ash that couldn't be any older than nine, were standing on opposite sides of the fire. Tink's gaze locked on the crossbows they held in their small hands. It was stupid to overlook their skill based on their size. They had been on Neverland even before she was banished here. The place that used to be Pan's hut was guarded by three Lost Boys, James and Thread both of them slightly taller than the nine year olds, and Rudolph. Tink fought back the urge to run away. Since Rudolph was there, Ursula must be taking residence in Pan's space. It was her castle at the moment, but Tink wouldn't stop until it came crumbling down.
And then that left another young one Benji and two of the older ones Victor and Zealand guarding the cave. Tink tried to think of the best way to reveal herself not raising Ursula's suspicions later when she would interrogate her. Given the way she left Pan, Tink guessed that running back towards the caves would be perfect. She could act like she was there to get to Felix and Pan.
She didn't let herself overthink. She carefully swung off the tree and crept silently towards the Lost Boys guarding the cave. The first boy in her line of sight was Zealand. She went for it. Tinkerbell flung herself at him from behind. She climbed on his back like a spider monkey and had a hand over his mouth before he could cry out in alarm. She yanked him backward from the other boys view yards away, climbed off of him to spin them around so she was face to face with him, and swiftly kicked him in the gut to again stop another noise of alarm. Having momentarily knocked the wind out of him, Tink quickly punched him in the jaw causing him to fall backward, out cold. Tink took a moment to admire the combat training Felix taught her in secret lifetimes ago. Being fast was her advantage, like he always reminded her when they used to spar.
Unfortunately, she wasn't allowed any more victory.
"Zealand?" One of the boys asked. The thud Zealand made when he fell must have been louder to them than her hearing ability with all the adrenaline streaming through her veins. Tink quickly pressed herself up against the cave wall as Benji's eyes locked on Zealand's unconscious body. Tink miscalculated his reaction. She thought the kid would immediately turn to her and she would attack.
"Vic-" Was what she didn't expect. She quickly flung herself onto Benji to shut him up, but as she beat up the kid, Victor was already shouting for backup. Soon she was being pried off Benji and quickly brought up a panicky pretend. She flailed and kicked and screamed.
"FELIX! PAN! FELIX! PAN!"
"So you thought you could come back to rescue them, did you?" Rudolph appeared before her. His black eyes sent chills down her spine. She had to remind herself to be scared. In reality she wanted to hurt Rudolph, wishing he could have been the one that she attacked instead of Zealand.
"Give me back my friends." Tink let her voice quiver at the end.
Rudolph grinned and made Victor and Benji hand her over to him. "I think I'll take you to see the Queen instead," He whispered in her ear and led her back to Pan's hut. Tink was marched to the doorstep. This time, she wasn't faking the nerves. The last encounter she had had with the real Ursula got her shoulder shredded by an arrow. This time, she really was facing her fears.
Do it for Wendy, she thought as they shoved her inside the hut.
"Hello, Tinkerbell." Felix's voice made Tink jump. Ursula was right there in front of her alright, but in her Felix's form. What made it worse was the fact his face was glowing. The scar on his face was gone.
"Ursula."
"I didn't realize at first how much he meant to you. I was so caught up in Wendy and Pan, I didn't notice how I could have made this much easier for myself." Felix's voice was so cold it killed her. Soon the nightmare would be over, she just had to hang in there.
"I want my friends back." Tink repeated.
"Why, I wonder, are you not as scared of me as you used to be? Should I change forms?" And suddenly she was the hooded figure in her nightmares. The one that attacked her with the arrow in the Dark Jungle. The one that left her for dead.
"Give them back to me," Tink backed into the door as she approached her.
"Now, I can see why you would want your Felix. But why Pan? You should be on my side. He forced you and your love apart. You should be absolutely enjoying his suffering. Not trying to escape with him. Not trying to get him back as well as Felix. Why do you care?"
And then suddenly the realization Tink knew would come came. The hooded figure grabbed her by the collar of her leather jacket till they were inches apart. The figure faded into Wendy. They stared at each other. Tink glaring back into Wendy's brown eyes.
"You don't flinch at the sight of her like Pan does when he sees me as her."
Tink looked away acting as if she had made a horrible mistake.
"Rudolph!" She shouted. He opened the door as Ursula pushed her away from it.
"Yes, my Queen?"
"Bring Felix to me."
"NO." Tink jerked towards the door, but Ursula's grip on her was too rough. Ursula took her to stand in front of the bonfire as Felix was brought out to them. His face was bruised badly. His left eye was swollen almost completely swollen shut. His skin was paler than what was normal for him.
"Tink, are you okay?" He asked looking her up and down
"Fel-" Ursula turned her around so her back was to him. The hooded figure with no face gripped her collar.
"Tell me where she is, or I will tell Rudolph to kill Felix."
When Tink didn't say anything, Ursula turned her back to Felix. Rudolph had a thick silver blade to his throat.
"Rudolph," She murmured.
"Wait!" Tink watched as a thin stream of blood dripped down his collarbone.
"Where?" Ursula reminded her.
"...the meadow by Mermaid Lagoon. She's set up camp there." Tink sighed acting as if all hope was lost. Felix looked at her confused, but Tink begged with her eyes for him not to ask her the question that he surely wanted to ask.
"Rudolph," Ursula said again. Tink screamed as Rudolph took the hilt of the sword and brought it down on Felix's head knocking him out.
"Watch her," Rudolph grabbed ahold of her, while she caught her breath. For a moment she thought Ursula was going to kill him anyway.
"If I'm not back by midnight, kill them both." Ursula ordered before taking off into the jungle.
Tink waited until she was sure Ursula was gone before closing her eyes and thinking as loudly as possible.
GO!
~~~~~~~~
Hook's stomach twisted as he got the rowboat ready to depart the ship. He closed his eyes for a moment and focused on his goal. He had always wanted to beat up those rotten Lost Boys anyway. Back when he wasn't saving Pan's ass, he hated the kids for always spying on him for Pan. It was the only highlight to this day Hook could think of, and even then beating up the Lost Boys when they weren't in control of their mind seemed extremely unfair. Wendy, however, didn't look as nervous as she was that night when Felix, Wendy, and himself ran into the jungle heading for Ursula the first time. Actually, up until an hour ago, she had been nothing but nerves. Now, it seemed like she had never been nervous in the first place. While he rowed them to Neverland's shores, he wondered what kind of defensive move Rumple taught her to completely change her outlook so drastically.
"I'm sorry about last night," She murmured looking ahead at the island.
Hook looked at her carefully, "No worries."
"No, really. I don't know what came over me. If you hadn't been there...I wonder what would have happened," She closed her eyes looking as if she was picturing the worst case scenario.
"You wouldn't have killed her, Wendy." Hook said in a hard resolved voice that made her meet his eyes.
"I know that...just...thank you." The atmosphere around them suddenly got very intense. They didn't look at each other, but Hook could feel the silent goodbyes pass between them.
When Wendy climbed out of the boat after it touched the sand, he was sure she had started heading out toward the meadow. He grabbed the boat's edge and dragged it up further onto the sand. But when he turned, he didn't expect her to be standing there with such a sad expression on her face. No, Wendy wasn't scared of playing her part. But she was human. There was doubt that she would succeed. This could be the last time they see each other. Hook, not one for anything emotional, couldn't just let her stand there like that. He walked over to her and pulled her into a tight hug resting his chin on the top of her head.
"Bye, Darling."
He felt her take a deep breath.
"Bye, Killian."
He watched as she slowly disappeared into the jungle going south before he took off running north. He slowed as he reached about halfway to unsheathe his sword. This wasn't a rescue mission for one person, not even two. In order to get Pan, Felix, and Tinkerbell safely away from the Lost Boys, Hook had to be fierce. He had to be efficient in his fighting. He couldn't afford to let Wendy down. None of them could. He could not fail Wendy and she could not fail all of them. If she dies they all die.
Again, Hook used his memories to relax himself as he travelled through the jungle. The first place his mind took him to, surprisingly, was of his brother. How he used to long for the day he could be captain and fight his own battles. The day he could be just as important as his older brother. Would Liam be proud of him now?
And then his mind was consumed with Pan laughing over his dead brother's body. How overtime, his wickedness slowly receded out of his eyes. He saw it first when Hook had hid Wendy from him after her just arriving to Neverland. The desperation in his eyes, Hook had thought, was probably from losing her in the first place. That someone actually got away from him and he was nervous he was losing his edge. That's what he thought. The second time though, he noticed the way he looked at her. Pan was about to kill him, thinking Wendy escaped to his ship for the second time. When she appeared before him, in the heat of battle with the Lost Boys, Hook saw. He looked at her like he was seeing the sun for the first time. It reminded him of how he used to look at Milah.
And now he was saving him. If it wasn't Wendy, if he hadn't got so accustomed to saving her, would he still help Pan if it had been another girl? Hook knew the answer to that. No, of course not.
Hook looked carefully up at the trees checking for Lost Boys as he began to make out the outline of the camp through the trees. Before he had the chance to figure out where any of his friends were, something as fast as a bullet slammed into his thigh. The searing pain started as soon as his knees buckled and hit the floor. He stood up with great effort looking for his attacker. The boy was just yards in front of him, his height being so short Hook didn't even notice him.
The tiny kid just shot him in the thigh with a crossbow. Hook became angry at his own stupidity by getting hit by someone who hadn't even been through puberty. Hook limped towards him and the boy's eyes widened, surely thinking he had taken Hook out with one shot. His tiny, bony little arms weren't fast enough. By the time he reloaded, Hook slammed the hilt of his sword into the pressure point in the boy's shoulder.
One down, seven to go. Hook looked at the crossbow in amusement. This could be fun. He grabbed the three remaining arrows the kid had on him and scaled a tree. He ignored the throbbing of his leg and loading the bow. Here he had a good look over the camp. He found the cave that Tink had told him about. It seemed all too easy, which was why he hesitated. Only two Lost Boys stood guarding it. Hook's eyes swept the camp for the others when he spotted Tinkerbell and Felix near the bonfire. They were both tied to the wooden posts Pan's hut was being supported on. Rudolph, and three other Lost Boys stood guard. Hook took his aim.
When he shot the first one, he made sure not to aim anywhere that could kill, just immobilize. He reloaded and got another kid. He saw Rudolph tell something to the boy next to him and ran into what Hook assumed was Felix's hut. Hook chuckled and took his time reloading, only to look up just in time to see the boy had taken aim with his bow pointed directly at him. Hook flung himself out of the tree just as the arrow nicked his jacket and hit the ground hard. He let out a quiet moan of pain, clutching his thigh. When he heard the running footsteps from the archer, Hook took aim laying on his stomach. The kid didn't even have his crossbow anymore, but Hook didn't blame him. He made quite a show pretending the arrow had hit him.
Hook limped quickly to Felix, who was the closet to him, "How've you been lad?"
Felix looked at him surprised, "What's going on?"
"No time to explain," Tink said quickly, "Untie him, please."
"Watch my back," He knelt down and began to undue the tricky knotting around Felix's wrists.
"Where's Wendy?" Felix asked anxiously.
"Ready to face off Ursula as we speak." Hook said grimly getting slightly frustrated that he was having a hard time with the rope.
"Can she do it?" He asked right as Hook freed him.
"Of course she can."
"Hook!" Tink whispered urgently looking past him.
"Felix do me a favor and pull that out will you?" Hook grunted loudly as Felix ripped the arrow out of his thigh in a quick painful motion and quickly loaded the bloody arrow. He spun around and shot Rudolph in the leg just before he could bring down the sword that's blade would have sliced him if he had been a second too late.
"Bloody hell!" Rudolph screamedwhile Felix ran over to untie Tink. Hook kicked Rudolph's sword far enough away from his body so he couldn't be a danger any longer. When Tink was free, she did the unexpected. She used all her strength and kicked Rudolph in the gut with a small grunt escaping her lips. Rudolph moaned loudly clutching his stomach.
"What the hell?" Hook asked looking from Tink to Felix, who looked like he wanted to do much worse to Rudolph than simply kicking him in the gut.
"I know he's not himself, but believe me, he deserved that." Hook nodded and handed Felix the spare sword that hung from his belt nodding for them to follow him towards the caves.
Tink hung back as Felix and Hook charged the two Lost Boys standing by the cave entrance. The older one went after Hook with his own sword. He had to admit, he was pretty good. Hook noticed the similar technique Victor was using. Felix, just a few feet away, was using the same moves. Hook had forgotten he practically raised them all. Hook easily dodged his sword's lunges and managed to rid him of it. Hook hit Victor in the head with the hilt, doing it so often it seemed routine, just as Felix knocked the other boy out. Hook rushed into the cave. It was cold and dark, for the moonlight was his only source of light to feel his way through the cave.
"Hook?" Pan's scratchy voice echoed ahead of him. When Hook's eyes did adjust, he was shocked at Pan's condition. It looked like even breathing for him hurt.
"How in the hell am I supposed to get you out of these?" Hook pulled at the chains bolted into the rocky wall. Pan reached behind him and pulled out a dagger. He jammed the blade into the keyhole and the metal around his ankle popped open.
"Where is she?"
"You had a dagger this whole time? Why didn't you just save yourself?" Hook yelled incredulously.
Pan grabbed the collar of his jacket and made him look into his desperate eyes, "I don't have time to explain myself to you. Where's Wendy?"
Hook took a beat of silence to answer. I guess you couldn't fool Pan for long. Wendy was in for a surprise.
"The meadow by the Lagoon, but Ursula might already be there and-"
"Even better." Hook followed him out of the cave. Pan brushed past Felix and Tinkerbell, who were in a tight embrace.
"Pan-" Felix began but looking at face made his arms around Tinkerbell tighten.
Pan took off into the air toward Wendy.
Hook didn't know if letting him go was a horrible mistake, or if he was sending Wendy backup.
Either way, it was out of his hands now.
It was all up to Wendy.
~~~~~~~~
Wendy had been sitting in her tree for hours. All the waiting around was making her anxious. She took to fueling her magic, or at least what she thought was helping her save her energy. She pictured each and everyone of the faces she cared about. She memorized their face and began listing reasons in her head of why they didn't deserve to die today. Ursula couldn't kill them.
She was well aware of everyone's undying faith in her. If she failed, she knew her friends' end would come shortly after hers. Wendy closed her eyes and went back over what Rumple had explained to her just hours ago.
"Read the situation. Ursula wants you dead, she will kill you slowly and painfully if you let her. There will be no charging straight into battle. She will talk. She will want to know exactly what part of her Dreamshade plan went wrong. She will read your energy level, when she does that, thing of the things that make you vulnerable. When you do this your energy will decrease to the point she will let her guard down. Don't let raw emotions take over you, not even if it's sheer hatred towards her. You must always be in control. When you lose control, you're leaving a wide spot open. You'll be so caught up in whatever emotion you're carrying out, you won't notice the details you normally do."
Wendy tried to summarize that: Act weak. Stay focused no matter what.
"Right before she hits you with whatever spell she chooses, think of the reasons you're fighting. Hit her with everything you have. I can't tell you exactly what to do, but I can show you a couple of moves..."
She was about to review over what Rumple taught her when a sudden movement caught her eye. She saw the frilly white of her nightgown being thrown into high into the air. Saw a boy flying in the air, soaring downward after the girl. Wendy stood up balancing on the tree branch straining to get a closer look. Before the girl could land fatally to the ground, she disappeared in a cloud of black mist only to reappear on the total opposite side of the meadow, behind the boy who had landed. He whipped around to face her.
Now, finally holding still, Wendy could see who the figures belonged to.
Wendy stared at the scene before her, so still she felt as if part of the very tree she stood upon. She was staring at the back of her own head in front of Pan's face. For a moment, Wendy didn't even register it being Ursula. She was just staring at Pan. Not Pan the powerful, yet warm and comforting. Not her Pan. This was a broken Pan, a creature Wendy had never seen before. His face was purple with fresh and old bruises from his time in captivity. His green eyes looked lost. Wendy missed him more than she had realized. She wanted to run into his arms and never let anything hurt him again.
"I thought you said that when you got the chance, you would end me. Where has all that hate for killing your love go?"
That was when Ursula's presence sunk in. One minute she could only see Pan and the whole world was out of focus, then Ursula's transformation was all she was seeing. Wendy's golden hair was now completely straight and jet back. The Wendy in front of her grew six inches taller. Ursula had taken off her glamour. Wendy looked back at Pan, but he didn't look even the slightest bit phased. In fact, despite the broken look in his eyes, his lips were pulled into a smug smile. It all puzzled her. Wendy realized that was what had stopped her. His expression didn't look sad or angry. Didn't look murderous or calculating.
Wendy's breathing accelerated as the look Pan was giving Ursula was starting to look all too familiar.
"I hate you. More than anything else in all my lifetimes. It makes me remember the time I ruled this island alone. Without Wendy. When I didn't have to care about if my actions were hurting someone else. When I didn't have to hold back any dark emotions. When no one told me how to use my magic."
Pan took a step forward never breaking eye contact with Ursula and brought his hands to her face. He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs and his eyes brightened slightly. Wendy felt her stomach lurch violently. The way he touched her....
Had she pushed him to do this? Was this part of her way of controlling Wendy? But Ursula had given no indication she had even spotted Wendy.
"What are you saying?"
Wendy didn't miss the way Ursula's voice shook.
"If anything, losing Wendy was the best thing that's ever happened to me. I can be the villain again."
His words took her breath away. There was no hint of a lie in his tone. His eyes drank Ursula in. Wendy pressed herself against the tree for support. What was happening?
He said her death was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
No matter how outrageous the statement was and how she knew Pan would never say something like that, there was a feeling of dread sinking deep within her bones. He wouldn't do it. He wouldn't go to join Ursula. Ursula's vision suddenly filled her head once more. Pan had said he loved her. Even though he didn't know he was holding Ursula, that he wasn't kissing Wendy, the moment still scarred her deeply.
"You're just going to forget about her? Just like that?"
No. Whatever was about to happen, Wendy knew deep in her bones she couldn't let it. Wendy focused on a spot a few yards away from them. She closed her eyes and concentrated, focusing on Pan. Her figure disappeared into blue mist only to reappear about a yard behind Ursula.
"I will never forget how weak she made me feel. I'll never feel something that strong for the rest of my lifetime. You make me feel powerful."
"You can't expect me to believe that you suddenly want to be with me."
"You're right, but I know you don't want love."
"You just want me, no strings."
Wendy stopped breathing. His gaze locked on hers for a moment before flicking back to Ursula. He didn't push Ursula away. He didn't even acknowledge Wendy.
"Villains don't get happy endings, so fuck it."
He was kissing Ursula. There was no trick, no nightmare or vision. Wendy took a step back, unable to look away.
But then Pan's closed eyes opened and locked on hers again. His gaze kept her from retreating back into the jungle the way she wanted to go. He kept her frozen in agony. Keeping Ursula secure with one hand still on her face he carefully removed his other hand, deepening their kiss. He reached behind him and pulled out something that made her breath catch.
A dagger. He gripped it by the point, the hilt being held out in her direction.
Wendy looked up to his eyes once more searching for answers. His eyes were now consumed in the murderous gaze that appeared last in her nightmares of him killing her long ago.
Pan wanted her to do it. He was giving her the opportunity to protect him herself. For once not just throwing himself to her rescue. They were actually fighting together.
She took a step forward and took the dagger from him.
The way Pan looked at her, he seemed to understand her slight hesitation. His eyes softened and Wendy knew he would be nodding if he could. Wendy fixated on everything Ursula had done to him. To her friends. To herself.
She used that strength to thrust the blade forward.
As soon as she had jerked her arm forward - no when she moved it just a fraction of an inch - Ursula's black smoke returned and instead of hearing Ursula's shrill scream, she heard a low, familiar cry of pain. Pan was centimeters away from her. Ursula had flitted away. Wendy looked down at her right hand in horror.
The dagger was buried into Pan's stomach, all the way to the hilt. Ursula has switched places with him.
His jaw clenched and unclenched, trying not to make another sound for her benefit. She could see the terrified look in her eyes through the reflection in his agonized ones. The wind picked up, it was howling now. Snow stuck in her hair. She watched the tears spill down his face.
"Pan?"
"Ya?"
"Why does it get cold when you're around?"
"As long as I'm alive, the island still grows. It tries to mimic my personality and emotions."
Frost coated her lips, she felt like she would freeze right there.
"Chilly? Maybe I should have brought a jacket for you?" Ursula's smile gleamed, her eyes bright and excited.
"Don't...l-l-l-listen t-t-to her-r," Pan was shivering. When he started to sway Wendy laid him down into the slow. She was a mermaid, she couldn't cry. She wasn't Pan who could control the weather. But if she could cry, and if she could control Neverland's climate, a tsunami would have engulfed the island by now killing everyone in its wake.
"I'm so sorry," Her voice broke into a low sob.
"D-d-don't-t-t be-e sorry-y." He reached his hand up to trace her features.
"This is getting boring, where's all of the revenge? Where's Wendy the survivor?" Nothing Ursula could say right now would ever force her to tear he gaze away from Pan.
"I love you." It took him so much effort to say the words without chattering. He looked into her eyes.
"I-" She couldn't finish. His wound was soaking her clothes in sticky warm blood, "I did this. I hurt you."
"N-n-no."
"I'm sorry." She whispered, bowing her head to kiss his forehead.
"Not sorry enough," Ursula snickered, and suddenly Wendy's body felt stiff. The grip she had on the dagger's handle tightened.
"No, please." Ursula's smile widened, if even possible.
"PLEASE! I'll do anything, just please make me stop." Wendy wailed breaking her eye contact with Pan to look into those cruel sea colored eyes.
"Now, why would I show you any mercy?" Rumple had warned her. He told her that Ursula would kill her painfully. Mercy wasn't in her vocabulary.
Wendy dug the blade deeper into Pan's abdomen causing him to scream in a way that sent the blood in her body turn to ice, or was that the weather. Wendy hadn't thought the weather could possibly get any colder. Ursula had her jerk the blade free of him, although she still had her holding it. The snow around her and Pan's body was stained red.
"I'll let you watch him bleed out before I kill you. Seems like the only torture suitable for you."
Wendy couldn't do anything but watch as Pan shuddered, cried, and stared at her pleading. She couldn't move. She couldn't kiss his blood stained lips or run her fingers through his brown hair. Worse of all she couldn't tell him she loved him. Couldn't tell him goodbye.
Her devastating sorrow abruptly turned into something else. A rage that made her vision turn redder than the blood that seemed to cling to everything around her. Something burned hot in her stomach, causing the hand holding the knife to shake.
"What are you-" Ursula's eyes widened as Wendy dropped the dagger into the crimson pool of Peter Pan's blood.
Ursula's control over her was ripped away immediately. She looked at her frightened; perhaps her energy was rising sky high like Rumple told her it would if she lost control. She heard two voices in her head as she slowly rose from her knees.
"Welcome back, love." Pan's voice from what seemed like so long ago echoed through her head.
"Focus on your hand. Let your magic shock your fingertips." Rumples voice demanded.
Wendy felt the little shocks of electricity in her palms. She had done what she was about to do before, but unlike the last time, Wendy had no doubts about her ability to carry through with it now.
"Don't be afraid to control her anyway your powers allow."
"Pain." Ursula's knees buckled as Wendy sent every painful thought her entire life put her through. The thousands of different people, places, and times swirling around in Ursula's head caused her to shut her eyes tightly trying to sort the all out. Wendy could feel her fighting her back.
"Peter Pan never fails."
"Drive her mad."
"You've got fire, I like fire."
Wendy stalked towards Ursula. She grabbed her by the throat, loving the thrill it gave her when Ursula gasped for breath.
"You...won't kill...me." Ursula choked, causing Wendy to pause thoughtfully.
"Now why should I show you any mercy?" Wendy repeated her words.
"You don't.....have it in you," She coughed.
A new sharp memory hit her hard, like she had gotten the wind knocked out of her. Her breath made white swirls in the ice cold air as she remembered.
"Just because you haven't done anything to me yet, doesn't mean you won't do it later." The old Wendy had spoken. The Wendy that hadn't known trusting Pan would be the smartest thing she would ever do.
"That is terrible logic to have Ms. Darling," Pan had retorted back to her with that goofy and sarcastic smile that filled up every corner of her mind. She hadn't seen that smile in a long time, "How would you ever experience adventure if you are too afraid?"
"I'm not afraid." Wendy whispered back to her memory of him.
Ursula laughed thinking Wendy was speaking to her, "You will always be a Wendy Bird. Nothing more."
Wendy narrowed her eyes.
"Would a Wendy Bird do this?" She asked and then plunged her hand into Ursula's chest.
Ursula stopped breathing. The smile was gone.
Wendy's hand rapped around the Sea Witch's heart and with a sharp tug, she pulled it free from her body. Ursula wailed, tears dripping down her face. Ursula's heart only had a speck of red left. Everything was black.
Wendy smiled sweetly at Ursula before crushing the black object into sand.
As soon as the power seeped from her bones, Wendy crawled back to Pan. She expected his eyes to still be in pain. To be open. To be green.
But they were closed.
Pan looked to be in eternal slumber.
He was not longer breathing as Wendy knelt above him hugging his face into her chest.
She sobbed waterless tears as the love of her life drifted farther and farther away from her.
~~~~~~~~3 hChapters Left
(Word count: 10,236) I cried while typing this.