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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟕
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐌𝐒𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖

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"Wait for me!" Will whisper-shouted at the two girls who left him behind when they reached the Mimsy Meadow before he fell to the earth to lie beside Indigo, "the two of you can't just go running-"

The Knave of Hearts' rant was cut off by Alice shushing him, earning an irritated look from the Scarlet man. It wasn't long after that when their attention returned to the man digging underneath the towering Tum Tum Tree. Silence surrounded them as they watched the raven-haired man on the flying carpet until Will's eyes fell back on the blonde woman. "I'm sorry, Alice. We're too late."

"Actually, we're just in time," the Kingsleigh woman said, causing both Indigo and Will to look over at her with confused looks on their faces.

"What are you talking about? From what I can tell, he's almost finished digging," the Lark girl responded while the man next to her continued to stare at Alice as if she just grew a second head.

"Let him," the curious adventurer muttered just loud enough for her companions to hear before looking over at them with a smile on her face, "the bottle's not here. Never was."

Indigo tried to ignore her twitching eye while she stared at Alice in annoyance. A scoff passed over her lips as she turned away from Alice and placed her head in her hands while muttering curses under her breath. The Ace of Spades' dislike toward the blonde was slowly growing the more time she spent with her. For someone who practically forced Indigo and Will to join her on her journey, the Kingsleigh woman kept a lot of important information to herself, which drove the Lark girl crazy.

Will watched the young girl have her episode for a moment while trying to suppress a smirk. It wasn't until he understood why she was acting that way that he turned his attention back towards Alice.

"Then, um...then, then why are we here?" the Scarlet man asked while Indigo kept her eyes on the grass below her as she listened to their conversation.

"I wanted to know who we're up against, and now I do," the curious adventurer told them as she continued to watch the raven-haired man in the distance.

"So that's why you kept telling everybody where we're headed," Will concluded while the annoyance on his face transformed into a smirk.

"The one thing you can count on in Wonderland is that you can't count on anyone," the blonde woman stated as she looked toward the two people at her side.

The Lark girl slowly lifted her head to look at her two companions when she finally took in everything they were saying. After staring at the Kingsleigh woman for another moment, Indigo cast her gaze back toward the man on the carpet. Her eyes stayed glued to him for a moment before a wave of realization washed over her. She let the silence surround them for another moment before the curly-haired girl found the courage to open her mouth and share her discovery.

"His name is Jafar," Indigo whispered just loud enough for Will and Alice to hear her, causing them to turn their attention away from the man to look at the girl.

"You know him?" the Scarlet man questioned without even attempting to hide the shock in his voice.

"I know of him," the curly-haired girl clarified while keeping her eyes glued to the man on the flying carpet, "the rumors said nothing good about him."

"Wait a second," the Knave of Hearts said after a look of realization appeared on his face before his eyes landed on Alice, "you didn't tell us the bloody truth, either. Does that mean you don't trust us?"

"Well...if it helps, I do now," the Kingsleigh woman told them with a small smile as Indigo and Will looked away from the raven-haired man and at her, "which is why you're both coming with me."

"Where?"

"To where the bottle is really hidden."

Before her companions could respond, Alice pushed off the ground and got to her feet. She didn't wait for her friends before beginning to walk toward their next destination. Will quickly followed after her, only for him to stop after taking a few steps when he realized the Lark girl wasn't following him. When the Knave of Hearts glanced back at Indigo, he found her still lying on the grass without even making an effort to get up.

A small sigh passed over the Scarlet man's lips as he walked back toward the girl and stopped in front of her. Indigo looked up at him with a blank expression on her face and slowly shook her head. Will's face softened when he saw the hint of fear he caught in her eyes before he reached down and helped her to her feet. "What's going through that head of yours, Indie?"

The Knave of Hearts watched her hesitate for a moment before she finally looked up to meet his gaze. Her actions only made the knot in his chest grow due to her unnaturally skittish behavior. The two of them stood there in silence until Indigo was able to build up enough courage to share her thoughts.

"If Jafar is working with the Red Queen, then...then they're planning something terrible, Willie," the curly-haired girl told him while trying to hide her shaking hands by crossing her arms over her chest, "I don't know if I wanna get more involved than I already am. I already have a huge target on my back."

"You need to relax," Will said in a tone that surprised both of them as he rested his hands on her shoulders, "Alice and I will watch your back. Nothing's gonna happen, alright? I promise."

A small smile slowly formed on Indigo's face after listening to his words. The Lark girl let another moment pass between them before giving him a small nod in response. Will instantly returned her grin as he slung his arm around her shoulders before the two of them followed the Kingsleigh woman.

"When did you learn to be so considerate?" the Lark girl joked, earning a light elbow to her side before she let out a small laugh.

"There was a girl back in Storybrooke who taught me a thing or two about putting others first," the Knave of Hearts responded while thinking back to the short time he spent with Everly Jones. The smile on his face did nothing but grow as he looked back down at Indigo. "She was almost as annoying as you."

They continued to follow Alice for what felt like forever until they finally ended up at another meadow. The Ace of Spades looked around in awe at the place she never knew existed while the woman kept walking at her speedy pace. The curious adventurer muttered all the landmarks under her breath as they walked past them while Will and Indigo stayed a few feet behind her.

A small smile formed on the Lark girl's face when the Knave of Hearts offered her one of the beans that hung from the arch above them. After muttering a small "thank you" to the man, she popped the plant into her mouth and instantly fell in love with the taste. She continued to savor the flavor as she picked a few more and shoved them into her bag before rushing to catch up with her companions. However, Indigo's smile slowly fell when she caught up to them and found them staring down into a shallow hole. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was once in there.

"It's impossible. The bottle, it's gone," Alice muttered just loud enough for her allies to hear while keeping her eyes glued to the hole. The three of them just stood there for a moment in silence then the blonde woman slowly looked up. "What you said before...maybe you were right. Maybe he's moved on."

The three of them stayed in that meadow until nightfall and none of them had said a word since Alice's declaration. Will and Indigo moved a good distance away from the blonde woman a few hours ago to give her some space. She hadn't moved an inch away from the hole in the ground since their discovery. The Ace of Spades stole a few looks in the Knave of Hearts' direction. The only thing she found was a guilty look that appeared as soon as his ally said those four words early. There were a few times when Indigo wanted to tell him that it wasn't his fault for the way she was feeling, but she knew words wouldn't help the man.

Another hour passed before the silence was finally broken. Indigo and Will barely heard her words but they knew they were spoken. And what the woman said only made the knot in the Lark girl's chest tighten.

"He's moved on. It's the only thing that makes sense," Alice muttered, making her two traveling companions glance up at her before she started pacing in front of them, "Cyrus and I were the only two people in the world that knew where that bottle was."

"Or you weren't," Will argued while Indigo continued to watch them in silence, "are you positive that you never mentioned-"

"Yes!" the Kingsleigh woman interrupted with a glare, silencing the Scarlet man before she looked back down at the hole, "maybe this whole thing was a fool's errand, and I'm the fool."

Before anyone could say another word, a faint growling came from somewhere in the distance. The Knave of Hearts and the Ace of Spades exchanged another look once it faded before they turned their attention back to the blonde woman.

"Alice, we should get some shelter. It's not safe here," Indigo said in a calm tone, only to receive a from the curious adventurer.

"Who cares?" was all she said before she walked past her two traveling companions while ignoring Will as he called out to her.

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After running through the tunnels and following the Mad Hatter's directions for days, Indigo finally stopped in what looked like a disaster bunker. There was a small cot in the corner of the area along with shelves stocked with dried food and a few canteens of water. Her eyes continued to study her new surroundings before her eyes landed on a familiar hat sitting on a small wooden table. The Ace of Spades became as still as a statue as she stared at the piece of clothing for a moment. What felt like an eternity passed when she finally approached it. Once she was close enough, she took the hat into her hands and carefully ran her fingers along the brim before her eyes landed on the small spade symbol sewn into it.

"This is where I used to hide out when the Queen of Hearts was looking for me," Jefferson told her while her eyes stayed glued to the handmade object, "it's probably the best place for you to stay until the portal opens again. The Red Queen shouldn't be able to find you here."

"I'm not going anywhere without Kaden. I'm not gonna leave him like his brother did," Indigo responded before her eyes left the hat and traveled around the room once again, "he doesn't deserve to be that woman's puppet."

"I thought you might say that," the Mad Hatter sighed while the Ace of Spades pictured the annoyed look on his face, "there should be enough food and water to last you a few months. Maybe more. Also, I made that hat for you a long time ago. I just hope it fits over that hair of yours. But I need you to promise me something, Iggie."

"And what's that?"

"We both know the portal only has a few more years before its magic runs out. If you can't save that boy before that time, you need to save yourself. Can you promise me that?"

Indigo hesitated as her eyes returned to the hat in her hands. A million thoughts ran through her head while her fingers ran over the smooth material. Silence surrounded her for a moment longer before a long breath passed over her lips as she placed the hat on her head.

"I promise."

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On the other side of Wonderland, Kaden stood near the entrance of the Red Queen's throne room. On the outside, the Red Knight wore a stone-cold expression on his face that made it seem like he cared for nothing. However, on the inside, his subconscious was trying to claw its way out of its prison. The Scarlet boy wanted nothing more than to find Indigo and Will to stop the queen and the vizier from completing their plans. But the only way for him to do that was to get his heart back and only a miracle could make that happen.

His eyes stayed glued to the White Rabbit as he paced around the center of the room while the two of them waited for Anastasia's return. Irritation flooded through his veins due to Percy's footsteps echoing through the otherwise silent room. Just as Kaden was about to open his mouth to tell the rabbit to stop, the sound of heels clicking against the tiles met his ears.

"Everything went well, then?" the White Rabbit asked the Red Queen as soon as she entered her throne room.

"Very well, thank you," Anastasia responded while she continued to make her way toward her shining chair.

"So, then..." Percy hesitated after the blonde woman turned around to face him.

"Yes?"

"All due respect, Your Majesty, I...I fulfilled my obligations. I...I went above and beyond the call of duty."

A somewhat irritated smile appeared on the Red Queen's face as she continued to stare down at the White Rabbit. "It's true. Indeed you did.

If Kaden was in control of his own actions, he would've swooped in and stopped Percy from speaking. But to his dismay, there was nothing he could do to stop the pink-eyed rabbit from digging an even deeper hole than he was already in.

"And you promised me that if I, uh..."

"Promises were made to be broken. As are the bones of little bunnies who forget what they have at stake," Anastasia snapped, causing the Red Knight's blood to run cold after he took in her words before he noticed the fake smile on her face vanish, "now, for the last time, when I get what I want, you will get what you want."

Once she finished threatening Percy, the Red Queen's eyes flashed toward Kaden before she let out an irritated sigh. "Why is it such a difficult concept for everyone?"

The Scarlet boy simply responded with a shrug, knowing that if he said anything to upset the woman in red it would end badly for him. Anastasia just stared at her knight for a moment longer before looking back down at the overly-dressed rabbit in front of her. "Now tell me...how did you really know where the bottle was hidden? You never did say."

"I...I saw them...back when they first buried it."

A sinister smile formed on the Red Queen's face before she dismissed the White Rabbit, who ran out of the room faster than Kaden thought possible. As soon as he was gone, Anastasia walked over to where the Scarlet boy was stationed. She stood in front of him for a moment with the grin still glued to her face before she let out a small laugh.

"It's time to finish what you started, knight," she whispered just loud enough for him to hear while his thoughts were still searching for a way to break free, "go and find them. And when you do, remove the Ace of Spades from the deck."

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Indigo and Will were lying side by side next to the fire that they made a few moments ago. On the other side of the clearing, Alice leaned against a tree stump with a blank expression on her face. The Lark girl stared up at the starry night sky as her mind raced with thoughts of Kaden. She desperately wanted to know what the Red Queen was putting him through or even if he was still alive. She hadn't seen any sign of him since their last encounter all those years ago.

There were a few times when she thought about telling the Scarlet man about what really happened to his brother. Jefferson mentioned it a couple of times too, but she only ignored his words. Even though she knew it would be better for her to tell him rather than for him to find out for himself, Indigo couldn't bring herself to tell Will that Anastasia was the one who ripped Kaden's heart from his chest.

"Please go to sleep," the Knave of Hearts begged the blonde woman while keeping his eyes sealed shut.

"I can't. You sleep."

"How can I sleep if you insist on thinking so loudly?" Will argued, only to receive an elbow in the side from Indigo while Alice continued to stare at her necklace in silence. After the Ace of Spades sent him a hard glare, the Scarlet man let out a quiet sigh before he looked up at the woman. "I'm sorry, Alice. I put that terrible idea in your head. Don't listen to me. Love. I don't know nothing about it."

"I think you do," the Kingsleigh woman muttered just loud enough for them to hear before she turned her head to look at her allies, "who's Anastasia?"

A small sigh passed over Will's lips while Indigo stared at Alice as she tried to figure out why the woman roped her into the conversation. She was about to open her mouth to speak, but the Scarlet man beat her to it. "That is a tale of heartbreak."

"Yours or hers?" Alice questioned, completely unaware of the look she was receiving from the curly-haired girl.

"Either way, does it matter?" Will continued as he kept his eyes glued to the stars above, "so there. You got me. I do know something about love. But that doesn't mean I'm right about you and Cyrus. Do you believe that he truly loves you?"

"I did."

"Well, that's good then. Because when somebody truly loves you, they can never move on," the Knave of Hearts stated as if it was a well-known fact, causing Indigo to become as still as a statue before her hand went into her pocket to clutch the chess piece.

"My father did," Alice sighed, which slightly drew the Ace of Spades' attention back to the blonde woman, "he loved me, and he moved on. And now it's happening again."

"I understand," Indigo whispered just loud enough for them to hear, making both her allies gaze over at her. When she looked up to meet their eyes, they were greeted by tear-stained cheeks. That was enough for Will to sit up so fast that he almost hit the fire. The three of them just stared at each other for a long moment before the curly-haired girl swallowed the lump in her throat and continued speaking. "Everyone who ever loved me left me without a second thought. Including my parents. They abandoned me when I was ten years old. And now the one I truly loved is working against us."

Before Will or Alice could respond to the girl, Indigo got to her feet and walked away from them. She didn't make it very far before she sat down in the grass and brought her legs up to her chest. The Lark girl kept her back toward her companions while she rested her head on her knees as tears streamed down her cheeks. The Ace of Spades listened to their voices in the distance but didn't even try to make out what they were saying. Instead, she pulled out the red knight from her pocket and just stared at it.

"I never wanted to leave you behind, Iggie," Jefferson's voice rang through her ears as she ran her finger over the chess piece.

"I know, Jay, and I'm not mad at you for escaping this place. You needed to go," the curly-haired girl muttered before letting out a sigh, "but I still miss you."

"I miss you too. Hopefully, we'll see each other again soon."

A small laugh passed over the girl's lips as her thumb ran over the red knight once again, except this time something happened. The bottom of the chess piece shifted slightly to the left before a wave of realization washed over Indigo. She didn't waste any time as she wrapped her fingers around the stand and unscrewed it. When it finally popped off, a rolled-up piece of paper came tumbling out into her lap.

Indigo just stared at the small scroll for a moment before she reached down and brought it into her shaky grasp. As soon as she was able to smooth it out, she was met with familiar handwriting that brought the tiniest of smiles to her lips.

Didi,

I'm so sorry for the way things have turned out and I wish I was by your side again. I know right now we're enemies due to forces out of our control but this last piece of information I have for you should help you defeat the Red Queen. You have magic. I'm not sure how powerful or what it can do. Anastasia doesn't seem too worried about it, but Jafar fears it. Use this to your advantage.

Find Will and Alice. Join them on their journey. And get my heart back.

I love you more than you'll ever know,
Kay

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