────── ★★★ ──────

────── ★★★ ──────

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟑𝟓
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐌

────── ★★★ ──────

The floor was the first thing that greeted them after they landed on the other side of the portal. Everly let out a small groan as she slowly pushed herself to her feet. However, she instantly froze when she realized the group was much smaller than before. While Henry, Regina, and Felix were getting to their feet, Sam, Katherine, Austin, Hook, and Rumplestiltskin were nowhere to be found. Confusion flowed through the Thorne woman's veins as she looked around for them, only to be greeted by darkness and an eerie feeling in her gut.

It wasn't long before everyone else began noticing they were missing allies, causing them to copy Everly's actions and look around for them. Henry began calling out to them, hoping that maybe they were somewhere nearby. But all he was greeted by was silence.

"What happened to them?" the Mills man questioned while looking over at his mother.

Regina hesitated for a moment as she continued to look around before finally responding to her son. "I'm not sure. But we've got bigger things to worry about."

"Where are we?" Everly asked while pulling Felix closer to her side after seeing the bones all over the floor.

"Rumple's castle. The Wish Realm edition," the Mills woman responded as she and Henry began exploring the room. Everly and Felix immediately copied their actions and went in the opposite direction right as Regina continued speaking. "Looks a lot darker than the original. By the looks of it, a few things have changed since the last time I was here."

"Yes, they certainly have," a familiar voice called out, causing Everly and Felix to freeze. Neither thought they would ever hear that voice again, and neither wanted to. The couple instantly exchanged a worried look before their attention moved toward the mirror in front of them, only to find Peter Pan staring back at them. But instead of being free and causing mayhem, he was locked in the stocks on what seemed to be a pedestal.

"Pan?" Felix questioned while Regina and Henry walked across the room to stand beside him and Everly, "what happened?"

"My son happened," the boy hissed without even attempting to hide the hatred in his voice, "he never forgives and he never forgets. Guess neither of us grew up."

"Your son took my family. I need to know where they are," Everly responded after drawing as much confidence she could muster as she kept her eyes glued to Pan.

The brunette boy just stared at her for a moment, as if trying to remember how he knew her. It wasn't long after that when he opened his mouth to respond. "Your guess is as good as mine. But I recommend you abandon all hope of finding them and leave. Because all the good things come into my son's castle...they never come out."

Henry couldn't help but scoff in response before walking away from the trapped Lost Boy with Regina right behind him. All he could do was hope that looking in another room would give him a clue as to where his family might be. Felix went to follow, only to stop in his tracks when he realized Everly wasn't following. The Thorne man looked behind him to find his wife in the same place with her eyes still glued to Pan. The Lost Boy was simply staring back at her with an unreadable look in his eyes.

"Hey, Sunshine," Felix called out as he walked back over to her and blocked her view of Pan, forcing Everly to meet his gaze, "we gotta go."

The Thorne woman hesitated for a moment as her thoughts bounced around in her head. Even though she knew that their version of Peter Pan was a villain, there was something about the Wish Realm's version that was different. After staring at her husband for what felt like an eternity, Everly let out a long sigh and began speaking. "We have to help him."

"What? Did you hit your head after we fell through the portal?" Felix questioned as he continued to study every inch of his wife's face.

"I know I sound insane, but there's something about him that's different," Everly responded before looking past the Thorne man to meet Pan's gaze once again, "and if we leave him here, we're no better than our version of him was."

"I don't want your help, Agrona," Pan hissed, drawing the couple's attention toward him.

"What did you just call me?"

"Agrona. After the goddess of strife and slaughter. The name you earned after letting the darkness consume you," the Lost Boy explained, making Everly think back to the little information Hook told her about the Wish Realm version of herself, "I'm surprised you forgot...and that you're both still alive."

"What're you talking about?" Felix questioned while reaching for his wife's hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"A Lost Boy named Griff went rogue and killed Felix long ago. You responded by killing him and the rest of the Lost Boys. I was the only one who survived. The darkness consumed you and you decided to side with the Dark One until Blackbeard managed to kill you," Pan explained, earning shocked looks from both Everly and Felix as the Lost Boy continued to study them. It wasn't long after that when a wave of realization washed over him. "You're not from this realm."

"The portal didn't give that away?" the Thorne man retaliated, earning an eye roll from the Lost Boy.

"A portal could mean you're from the other side of the Enchanted Forest," Pan responded before his attention moved back to Everly, "but I can tell you're different. Your eyes aren't black."

"Yes, we're from a different realm. And I'm not who you call 'Agrona.' Where we're from, I'm known as the Purest Heart," the Thorne woman announced as she let go of Felix's hand and began climbing the steps. Pan's body instantly tensed as she approached him until she was standing in front of him. It wasn't long after that when Everly continued speaking. "And something tells me you aren't dark and cruel...like the Peter Pan from our realm."

"I used to be," the brunette boy confessed while keeping his eyes glued to the woman in front of him, "but I changed the day I met a girl by the name of Wendy Darling. I promised her I'd be good."

"Then help us," Everly said, completely ignoring the concerned look her husband was sending her way, "help us defeat Rumplestiltskin."

"Will you only free me if I agree?" Pan asked, earning a small smile from the Thorne woman.

Before anyone could say another word, Everly waved her hand through the air, causing the lock to fall off the stocks and onto the floor. Shock instantly formed in the Lost Boy's eyes as he pushed the stock off him and stood up to his full height for the first time in a very long time. A grin soon appeared on his face as he stretched out his stiff bones, something he used to take for granted. It wasn't long after that when his attention returned to Everly when she began speaking. "I was gonna free you either way, but we would really appreciate your help."

Pan hesitated as he stared at the smiling Thorne woman. It wasn't long after that when his attention moved to Felix, who looked as though he wanted to be anywhere else but there. Silence surrounded them for a moment longer before the Lost Boy decided to break it. "Alright, I'll help you. But it's not gonna be easy."

Not even a second after that passed when Henry and Regina came running back into the room. The Mills man was about to tell his aunt and uncle what he learned, only for the words to get stuck in his throat when he saw that Pan was free. Henry just stared at the Lost Boy for what felt like an eternity before looking over at Everly. "You freed him?"

The Thorne woman shrugged in response as she walked back down the steps to stand beside Felix. "He agreed to help."

Henry continued to stare at his aunt for another moment before letting out a sigh and opening his mouth to speak. "Alright, I trust you. And I also know where the kids and Ella are being held."

"And how did you get that piece of information?" Felix questioned as he and the rest of his allies began following Henry down the hall.

The Mills man let out a small laugh as he looked over his shoulder at them. "I had a sword fight with Cruella De Vil."

It wasn't long after that when they found themselves walking down a flight of stone stairs. An eerie feeling washed over Everly as she reached for Felix's hand and gave it a tight squeeze. No one said a word as they arrived in the dungeon, which was made up of one large room. They let the silence surround them for a moment longer before muffled screams cut through the air. All of them continued to look around for their missing loved ones until the Mills man's attention landed on something covered on the table. A wave of uncertainty washed over Everly as she exchanged a look with Felix. When they both looked back at the table, their blood ran cold.

Sitting in the center of the table was three snow globes. The middle one contained Lucy and Ella, who were staring at Henry with hope in their eyes. The other two snow globes contained their missing children, all huddled together and scared for what their futures held.

"Yes," a new voice said, causing Everly to jump back into Felix while Pan hid behind him. The next thing any of them knew, Wish Realm Rumplestiltskin stepped out of the shadows. "Well, you wanted a happy ending. Now you can stick yours on a shelf."

"You magicked them in. I can magic them out," Regina retaliated as she raised her hand in the air, only for the Dark One's words to stop her actions.

"Wrong, dearie. These baubles are unbreakable. No one can set them free but me. Which is something I should've done with the monster behind you," Rumplestiltskin announced while glaring daggers at Pan, "and given I don't want to, inside they shall stay."

"They don't deserve this," Henry pleaded with the powerful man in front of him, drawing the latter's gaze toward him.

"You've only got yourself to blame," Rumplestiltskin hissed while Everly's attention moved toward her children, who were staring back at her with fear in their eyes, "I told you you'd get your family back when you brought me the dagger, but you tried to cheat the terms of our deal."

"My grandfather needs that dagger to get back to Belle," the Mills man retaliated without attempting to hide the anger in his voice, "I can't trade my happy ending for his. It's not right."

"Blah, blah, blah. Blathering your misguided nonsense!" the Dark One exclaimed while staring at Henry with no emotion in his eyes, "and you want to trade all of their lives for his happiness and the monster's freedom? And people say I'm crazy."

"We're not trading anything," Everly declared while moving to stand protectively in front of Pan, earning a shocked look from the boy that she didn't see. It wasn't long after that when she looked back down at her children. "We'll figure out another way to get them out."

"Yeah, maybe you will, maybe you won't. But the real question is, will you do so in time?" Rumplestiltskin responded before shooting his hand out toward the globes, causing snow to begin to fall within them.

Felix's eyes instantly widened in shock as he watched the Dark One's captives start to shiver. He studied the objects in front of him for a moment longer before his attention returned to Rumplestiltskin. "What've you done?"

"Added some incentive," the Dark One answered with a large smirk plastered onto his face, "the globes will be filled with snow by midnight. And in this fairy tale, Cinderella won't lose a coach or a dress. She and all of these children will lose...their lives."

────── ★★★ ──────

About an hour had passed of Regina and Everly trying to break through the snow globes. Pan offered to help but they thought that his magic might make it worse due to his son being the one who created the globes. Felix and Henry stood on the other side of the table as they watched the two women work, neither of them liking the outcome so far. Another few minutes passed before the Mills man finally broke the silence surrounding them.

"Mom, Ev, stop. You're making it worse," Henry said while keeping his eyes glued to his wife and daughter, "they're freezing in there."

"It's going to be fine, Henry," Regina announced as she sent another blast of magic at the snow globe in front of her, "we'll find a way to get them out."

It wasn't long after that when the sound of approaching footsteps cut through the air. Everyone instantly looked up to find the missing half of their allies walking toward them. A wave of relief washed over Everly as she ran around the table before pulling Sam, Katherine, and Austin in for a tight hug. They stayed like that for a long moment before the Thorne woman felt her brother tense. When she looked up at Sam, she found him staring at something behind her with a hint of fear in his eyes. Confusion flowed through Everly's veins as she followed his gaze to find Pan hiding in the shadows.

"What's he doing here?" Sam questioned without taking his eyes off the boy who went unseen by every other new arrival.

"He's helping us," Everly responded, earning an unconvinced look from the Jones man before she let out a long sigh, "it's a long story, but I need you to trust me. And if he betrays us, you can decide what to do."

The blonde man just stared at his sister for another moment before sending her a small nod in response. It wasn't long after that when they walked over to the table to join in the conversation that was currently happening.

"Breaking them out of there may not be quite as simple as that," Rumplestiltskin announced after watching Regina try to break the snow globes with her magic again, "the magic that created this prison cannot be undone like that. The only way to free them...is by going after Rumplestiltskin himself."

"No. No, he'll just make it worse for them," Henry declared while Felix wrapped his arms around Everly's shoulders and pulled her closer to his side.

"You don't wanna use your mother's and aunt's magic, or your grandfather's plan. What do you suggest, mate?" Hook asked without even attempting to hide the annoyance in his voice.

"I suggest that we consider the one sure way to save them," the Mills man announced before his attention moved toward Rumplestiltskin. The powerful man instantly shook his head in response to what his grandson was implying, causing the panic and annoyance within Henry to grow. "We give up the dagger if it's the only way to save all of them."

"It's not an option," the Dark One stated in a surprisingly calm tone.

"Why not?" Henry countered, earning concerned looks from everyone around him that he chose to ignore, "because I seem to remember that you were willing to cast a curse when it came to taking care of your own son."

"Henry, you're better than that," Regina told her son while continuing to stare at him with uncertainty in her eyes.

"Maybe," Henry sighed before looking back over at Rumplestiltskin, "or maybe it's time that we all ask ourselves who really deserves their happy ending."

Everyone cringed at Henry's words while Everly stared at him with shock in her eyes. It only took a moment for her initial feelings to fade before she found the courage inside herself to speak. "That's not up for us to decide, Hen, and you know that. I understand how you feel, but you're letting your emotions cloud your judgment."

"Everly's right. And the Captain and I have already found a way to gain the upper hand," the Dark One announced while pulling something out of his pocket before holding it up to reveal a small clam shell. However, it only took Everly a second to figure out what it really was. Squid Ink. "So you stay here and I'll deal with him."

Before anyone had a chance to argue, Rumplestiltskin turned around and walked out of the dungeon. Everyone kept their eyes glued to him for a moment before Henry broke through the silence. "We're just letting him go? What if he's really going to cut his own deal with Rumple?"

"I'll go with him. Make sure he stays honest," Hook announced while moving to follow the Dark One, only for Regina to stop him.

"You don't have any magic. I'll go," the Mills woman declared before walking around the table and stopping right in front of Austin, "care to join me?"

"Glad to," the Nova man responded with a large grin on his face.

"There's a library in this castle," Regina told the rest of them, "find a spell that'll work on those snow globes...before it's too late."

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────── ★★★ ──────