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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟗
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋𝐋

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Indigo leaned against the wall near the bars of her cell with her arms crossed over her chest. She was trying her best to keep her emotions contained as she looked over at Will. The Lark girl had never seen the Knave show so much emotion, but that's to be expected when you don't have a heart. The Scarlet man was just leaning against the bars of his cell with his eyes glued to Anastasia's lifeless form. Indigo wished she could do something to make her friend feel better. But she knew there was nothing in the world to change how Will felt. Not after losing the one person you loved more than the world.

"Love makes us do the maddest things, doesn't it? She risked so much to get you back. Pity it didn't work out. She does look beautiful, though. Like she's only asleep," Jafar said as he walked around the Red Queen before stopping near Will's cell, "like you could almost reach out and wake her up."

After watching the vizier reach out to Anastasia, an angry look appeared on Will's face before he slammed his hands against the bars. His sudden outburst caused Indigo to jump while Jafar looked over at the Knave. The sorcerer just stared at the Scarlet man for a long moment before a large grin appeared on his face. "I like you with our heart in your chest. I imagine you must want to kill me for what I did."

"Why don't you open this door and we'll find out?" Will suggested with a darkness in his eyes that Indigo had never seen before.

"Haven't you tortured him enough?" Indigo questioned in a tone just above a whisper, drawing Jafar's attention to her before she continued speaking, "you already took Anastasia from him and are gonna force him to do your bidding. What more do you want from him?"

"Show the boy some mercy!" the man in the cell next to Indigo's shouted, making the vizier let out a scoff as he turned to face him.

"Mercy? And I suppose you'd be the expert on that subject?" Jafar responded without even attempting to hide the venom in his voice.

"I've learned the error of my ways," the man retaliated while Indigo and Will exchanged a confused look, completely unaware of the connection the two men shared, "but I'm waiting for you to learn anything at all!"

"I'm going to give him something better than mercy, Father. I'm going to give him hope," the sorcerer declared, shocking the Lark girl to the core as the former turned back to face the Knave, "if he agrees to one small favor."

Will just stared at the raven-haired man for a long moment before spitting at Jafar's feet. "If you think I'll help you, you're madder than the Hatter."

"You know, when I was a young boy, I lost someone I loved. And I can still remember exactly how it felt. The cold rushing in, like the fabric of the world had ripped in half," the vizier told the Knave as he glanced over at his father before his attention landed back on Will, "what if I told you there was a way to sew it back together again? To bring back Anastasia?"

"I'd say you were a lying b*st*rd," Will responded without an ounce of hesitation, forcing Indigo to hide her laugh with a cough.

Jafar hesitated for a moment as he studied the Knave before letting out a long sigh. "Half right. But ask yourself. What if there is a chance, no matter how small, to see her again? She risked everything for you. Don't you think you owe her the same?"

Now it was Indigo's turn to slam her hands against the cell bars, drawing all attention to her as she glared at Jafar. "Don't listen to him, Will. If he really wanted to be your ally, he wouldn't have killed Anastasia."

"Oh, I think he'll do more than listen," the raven-haired man declared, causing the Lark girl to look over at Will to find him staring down at Anastasia with tears in his eyes, "give a man the proper motivation, there's no telling what he might do."

"Will," Indigo called out, drawing the Scarlet man's attention to her, "don't do this."

The two of them just stared at each other for a long moment, neither of them knowing what to say next. It wasn't long after that when Will finally responded, only for Indigo to wish he hadn't. "I'm sorry, Indie."

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What felt like an eternity passed since Will left to try to retrieve Jafar's staff from Alice and Cyrus. Indigo was left in her cell with no one but the stranger next to her, but he hadn't said a word since Jafar left. As she leaned against the cold stone wall, Indigo's head was telling her to use her magic and get out of there. But her heart kept reminding her of one of the few things she had left to live for. And she wasn't going to leave Kaden behind. She would never do that to him again. So after letting out a long sigh, Indigo managed to silence her thoughts about escaping and focused on how she would rescue the Scarlet boy.

It wasn't long after that when the sound of the main door opening cut through the air followed by approaching footsteps. Indigo didn't move from her spot against the wall as she turned her head toward the noise. She did her best to hide the chills on her spine when Jafar came around the corner with an irritated look on his face. The sorcerer just stood in front of her cell for a long moment before forcing it open and grabbing her wrist. Indigo was then dragged through the halls of the castle until they reached the throne room.

Indigo didn't move from her place in the middle of the room as Jafar continued to walk toward the genie bottles. The sorcerer used his magic to force the crate open before grabbing the bottles and placing them on the table in front of him. It was at that moment that Indigo got a better look at the bottles, something she refused to do when helping Jafar before. Chills ran up and down her spine as she stared at the bottles with a bright blue sapphire on the cap. It was the same bottle that she and her father found on one of their adventures before Jafar took everything from her.

Before another thought could go through the Lark girl's head, Jafar held his hands out in front of the bottles. Not even a second after that passed when smoke emitted from them. Indigo's eyes stayed glued to the smog as it soared through the air before coming together a few feet away from her. The man who appeared was a stranger, but the boy was far too familiar to her. He was the same boy who her parents treated like a son and who was the closest thing she ever had to a brother before arriving in Wonderland. He was someone she never thought she would see again after that catastrophic night.

"Rafi?" Indigo managed to say in a voice just above a whisper.

The boy instantly turned at the sound of his name and made eye contact with the Spade. He just stared at the girl in front of him while trying to figure out where he had seen her before, which didn't surprise Indigo. It had been years since they last saw each other and she looked much different from her younger self. It wasn't long after that when realization flashed across his features. "Kida?"

Just as Indigo was about to open her mouth to respond, Jafar took a step forward and drew the genies' attention to him. Anger instantly replaced the baffled look on Rafi's face as he stared at the sorcerer in front of him. "What do you want?"

"Who says I want anything?" the vizier responded to the raven-haired boy.

"In all these years, you never once let us out of the bottles," the older genie answered without even attempting to hide the skepticism in his eyes.

"That's because I was never interested in you. But I am now," Jafar confessed before crossing his arms over his chest and circling around the genies like a predator with its prey, "I'm curious. There was a woman who first taught me about genies. Her name was Amara. Have you ever heard of her?"

The woman's name instantly made the genies exchange a look, signaling to Indigo that they may know something about this Amara. But if Rafi was anything like he was in Atlantis, he wasn't going to give in that easily. And when the raven-haired boy turned back to face Jafar with defiance in his eyes, Indigo knew she was right.

"Never," was all the boy said while the older genie stared at Jafar in silence.

"Are you sure?" the sorcerer questioned while continuing to study them from a few feet away, "she'd been searching for you for quite some time."

"So have many others," the older genie declared, earning a small nod from the vizier before the latter let out a long sigh.

"Indeed," Jafar responded as his eyes flashed between the genies before walking back toward the genie bottles.

"Wait," Rafi called out, causing Jafar to stop and look back at the young genie, "is that all you wanted?"

"I'm afraid it is," the raven-haired man responded without taking his eyes off the two genies, "I didn't bring you out for your conversation. All I really needed was to get a look at you."

As Jafar turned his attention back to the bottles, Rafi looked over at Indigo. He just stared at her for a long moment before letting one word pass over his lips. "Run."

However, before Indigo could even think about making a move, Jafar stuck his arm out toward her. His actions caused her to fly through the air and slam into the wall behind her. The Spade could just make out the sound of two voices calling out to her before the world around her faded into darkness.

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When Indigo finally came around from her forced slumber, she was shocked by the scene playing out in front of her. Cyrus was standing near the cabinet in the throne room with his arms bound in front of him. And floating next to him, being choked by Jafar's magic, was the one and only Will Scarlet. The Lark girl watched in horror as her friend flailed around in the air, trying desperately to catch his breath. Unknown to all except Kaden, who was staring at her from his station near the entryway, Indigo slowly forced herself to her feet and turned toward Jafar.

Despite wanting to use her magic then and there, the Lark girl's head was still clouded from being knocked out. So instead she continued to take in deep breaths and listened to what was happening around her. At least until her energy returned to her.

"Tell me where my staff is, or I swear I'll make you spend eternity in that box. Watching your precious Anastasia rot until she's nothing but hair and bone," Jafar said, only for Will to remain silent as he continued to take in any sort of air.

Anger began to flow through Indigo's veins as she watched the Scarlet man struggle. It wasn't long after that when she felt all her energy return to her, making her take a small step forward as her fingers began glowing a bright blue. She thought back to the training days she shared with her mother and father and all the things they taught her to protect herself and others. It was at that moment when a small blue light formed just above Will's head. Indigo's hands shined even brighter as the light began to grow bigger and bigger until it surrounded the Knave like a shield. As soon as it closed under his feet, Will dropped to the floor and took in a deep breath.

Jafar let out an angry shout as she turned around to face Indigo. The Lark girl let out a shaky breath as her magic continued to protect Will, who was now staring at Indigo with shock in his eyes. It wasn't long after that when the Spade's anger-filled eyes landed on Jafar. "I'm tired of you hurting me and my family."

After glaring at the girl for a moment longer, the vizier turned his attention back to the Scarlet man. "Where is it?!"

"Right behind you," a new voice said, drawing everyone's attention toward the sound to find a woman standing in the entryway.

Jafar just stared at the woman with shock and irritation in his eyes for a long moment before letting a single word pass over his lips. "Amara."

"Hello, Jafar. It's been a long time," Amara responded while glaring at the man in front of her. It wasn't long after that when the woman's attention landed on Indigo before sending the girl a small nod. That was all it took for the Lark girl to drop the shield that surrounded Will. The Spade didn't move from her spot as she watched Amara look back over at the evil sorcerer. "This is between you and I, Jafar. Let's leave the others out of it."

"As you wish," was all Jafar said in response before waving his hand through the air. His actions caused Will to turn into a puff of orange smoke before he was sent back into his bottle.

The two sorcerers continued their conversation while Indigo looked over at Cyrus, only to find him already staring straight back at her. Not even a second after that passed when the former genie used his head to gesture toward something near Indigo. The Lark girl instantly turned her attention in the direction he was gesturing in to find a familiar bag sitting on the chair next to her. A wave of hope washed over Indigo when she spotted Kaden's heart peeking out of the top.

While Cyrus stood off to the side and tried to untie the ropes around his wrists, Indigo slowly inched closer to the bag. A small smile formed on her face after she grabbed Kaden's heart out of the bag and carefully placed it in her cloak pocket. After letting out a small laugh, Indigo looked over at the Scarlet boy to find him smiling right back at her. However, just as she was about to walk toward him to return his heart, the sound of Amara screaming Cyrus' name cut through the air.

When Indigo turned her attention back to the scene playing out in the middle of the throne room, she found Amara kneeling over Cyrus while Jafar watched with a smile on his face. But what made the Spade's body tense was the bright red spot of blood on Cyrus' shirt.

"You were never after the bottles. You were after the people inside them," Jafar declared as he stared down at the woman in red, who was trying her best to save the former genie, "your son is dying, Amara. And the only way you'll be able to save him when he does is to do what we set out to do in the beginning. Complete the spell and change the laws of magic." The sorcerer hesitated for a moment as he took a small step toward the mother-and-son duo. The mischief never left his eyes as he walked. "What was it you asked me all those years ago? Ah, yes. 'Are you willing to do what's necessary to get what you want?'"

Before Indigo could wrap her head around what was happening, her body moved without being told until she was standing next to the table where the bottles were. Confusion flowed through the girl's veins as her hands shot out in front of her before her attention moved back to Amara. A wave of shock replaced the confusion within her when she saw Amara on her feet with her hands out in Indigo's direction.

"What are you doing?" the Lark girl questioned as Amara and Jafar walked toward the table. She just stared at the two of them for a long moment before her attention landed solely on Amara. "Please don't do this."

"I'm sorry. But I must do what needs to be done to save my son," the raven-haired woman responded right as Indigo felt magic surging through her veins.

The next thing Indigo knew, her hands were glowing bright blue to match the aura around the bottles. It wasn't long after that when lightning emitted from the sorcerers' hands and hit the three bottles. The energy within the Spade's body seemed to slowly fade away as her magic continued to be forced out of her. All Indigo could think about was her family, who was about to suffer due to her lack of control over her abilities. If it wasn't for her untamed magic, Jafar would've failed a very long time ago.

The lightning that began to surround them continued to grow bigger and bigger. It wasn't long before the ball of light was too large to contain over the table. As soon as the sorcerers moved to the center of the room, Indigo's hands stopped glowing. Despite wanting to know if her magic was still there, the Spade pushed that feeling away and rushed toward Kaden. The second she reached him Indigo pulled his heart out of her pocket and plunged it back into his chest. The Scarlet boy let out a sharp gasp before letting out a relieved sigh. Kaden's worried eyes soon fell on Indigo as he took her hands into his.

"Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" the Red Knight asked while tightening his grip around Indigo's hands.

"I think I should be the one asking you those questions," the Spade responded before pulling Kaden into a tight hug.

As soon as they ended their moment, the two teens turned their attention back to the situation at hand, only to find the lightning long gone. While Amara rushed back to her son's side, Jafar remained where he stood, blankly staring at the wall in front of him. It wasn't long before Indigo heard him mutter three words that sent chills throughout her entire body.

"It is done."

Before the sorcerer had a chance to take out the only players who could stop him, the sound of footsteps cut through the air. It wasn't long after that when he spun around to find his father walking into the throne room. While Jafar was distracted, Indigo and Kaden rushed over to where Alice and Amara knelt beside Cyrus. The Scarlet boy didn't hesitate to help the blonde woman lift the former genie from the ground. As soon as they had him standing upright, they slung his arms over their shoulders before the four of them snuck out of the room. They picked up their pace when they reached the corridor, not wanting to face the sorcerer now that his magic had grown even more powerful.

"Jafar will be after us," Alice announced before they gently placed Cyrus down on the tiled floor, "we still have a long way to go. We can't possibly carry him there."

"We're not," Amara responded as she held her arm out in front of her, causing the carpet on the floor to spring to life and sail toward them, "we're going to fly him there. Hold on tight."

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