“Now entering Rangers White and Gothel, envoys from the High Table accompanied by Prince Morpheus of Wonderland,” the guard declared, swinging the throne room door open wide.

  The throne room of Neverland was a sight to behold, and only seen by a select few. It was rather impressive, with its combination of nature and architecture, trees intertwined with gold and other such precious metals. To be allowed into the presence of Lord Peter Pan and his lady was an honor indeed. Morpheus lingered a few paces behind us.

  “Snow, what a pleasant surprise,” Peter said, sounding genuinely pleased. “And you brought friends.”

  He looked very smart in his green and gold embroidered cape, which covered his ever-present tan trousers and green tunic. His golden laurel crown rested on a mop of unruly black hair that hung in his bright blue eyes dancing in the firelight. He stood with his back straight and his head held high, giving an air of someone who was in charge.

  Beside him stood a veiled beauty in a shimmering blue dress, who seemed to flicker and dance like a flame. After years of knowing her, I still could not say for certain if it was a protective action or merely the fabric of her dress. She had told me once it was not an intentional thing, but that did not clear things up. Such was the nature of the Fae.

  They each stood directly in front of their thrones, his made of gold, hers of living trees. Dotted throughout the room were the Lost Boys, Pan’s honor guard, as well as some of the older guards. They were all different shapes and sizes, and they were everywhere. I found myself secretly wishing we were alone, so I could embrace my friends.

  Pan must have been thinking the same thing, but at the moment it appeared as if he were busy listening to the supplications of the young boy before him.

  “Jon, would you please escort our guests to my parlor and make sure they are comfortable? My lady and I will join them shortly,” he said, speaking to the boy standing to his left. Jon stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back.

  “If you will please follow me,” he said stiffly, turning on his heel and marching out of the room.

  Rapunzel and I exchanged looks, and I found myself repressing a snicker. We traveled wordlessly down a long hallway, taking a series of turns before arriving at a sitting room. The halls bore similar decorations to the throne room, if less lavish. The sitting room was more simply decorated, but still well appointed. Here I saw more of the personalities of the court's main occupants.

  Once the door was closed behind us, Jon turned and threw his arms around me. I picked him up and swung him around, nearly taking out a vase in the process.

  “There’s my Jony boy. It’s been far too long. How is Micah?” I asked. He giggled with joy, wrapping his arms tighter around my neck. After one last squeeze, I set him down on the ground, holding his arm until he got his balance back.

  “Micah is learning how to fight so she can become a Lost Boy. Lord Peter promised her she can have whatever position she wants, and he told me once I’m old enough I can train too. Isn’t that exciting? I’m gonna be a Lost Boy!” Jon squealed, his eyes shining with joy.

  My heart ached with a mixture of pride and pain, the latter of which I did my best to hide. He deserved this. I dropped down to one knee so we were eye level and placed my hands on his shoulder.

  “You and Micah are going to make the best pair of Lost Boys there ever was. I know it. No matter what you decide to do, know this. I will support you all the way,” I said firmly, ruffling his hair.

  He threw his arms around my neck for one last hug before he darted out the door. I stood up and turned to Rapunzel, who was looking at me with a question in her eyes. We sat on either side of the small table, arranging ourselves comfortably as another young boy entered with a tray of tea and cakes. He disappeared as silently as he appeared, and we were alone once more. Rapunzel leaned forward and I could tell by the look in her eyes she was bursting with questions.

  “Was that Jon? The Jon?” she asked eagerly. I used the act of pouring us some tea to allow myself a moment to collect my thoughts. It was a simple answer, yet complex.

  “Yes, that is Jon Darling,” I answered simply.

  “Isn’t Micah a girl?”

  “Yes, Micah is a girl. She is three years older than Jon.”

  “Then how could she be a Lost Boy?”

  “Because she is one of Peter Pan’s charges and he can bend whatever rules he wants. Plus, she has earned this. The Darlings have been through a lot. They need new memories to replace those they have lost,” I responded, staring at the cup of tea in my hand. Even though it was warm, fresh, and smelled heavenly I found myself with no desire to drink it.

  Rapunzel and I had become partners after the events pertaining to the Darlings, and I was one of the few who knew the truth of the story. Many did not even know there was a story to tell, much less what it was.

  There were rumors among the Rangers, but most merely dismissed them as legends. Nothing more, nothing less. Rapunzel looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to fill in the rest of the details.

  “I am afraid I am not familiar with this story,” Morpheus admitted, looking equally intrigued.

  Sighing in resignation I set my untouched cup of tea down on the table and leaned back into the chair, wiping my hands on my legs.

  “Jon and Micah Darling are the children of Wendy Darling, the first Lost Girl. She got pregnant and gave birth at a very young age, so she did her best to pass them off as her brother and sister. Peter agreed to help her as best as he could." I instinctively picked up my cup of tea again, needing something to fidget with. "For a while the charade worked, but then the rivalry between the Lost Boys and the pirates flared back up. It got brutal, and the Darlings were caught in the middle. Wendy was worried about her children, determined to do whatever it took to protect them." They both seemed surprised by this, and I couldn’t blame them. It was difficult to imagine such a strangely whimsical place at war. " Unbeknownst to Pan and Tinkerbelle, Wendy sought out the pirate camp. She approached Hook attempting to broker peace between the two. The fighting died down, and for months she would sneak out regularly to meet with Hook.”

  Morpheus looked like he wanted to interject, but Rapunzel silenced him with a foot to the shin.

  “Eventually, they fell in love. She convinced Hook and Peter to meet to create a peace treaty that would end the battle forever. But before they could finalize it, Hook was betrayed by his second in command, Smee. Wendy heard of his plan to destroy the treaty before it could be signed and set out to stop him." The words started to catch in my throat. " Hook and Pan arrived minutes after Smee stabbed Wendy, just in time to stop him from burning the treaty." My fist clenched instinctively. " The traitor was executed as a traitor should be, but they were too late to save Wendy." I took a deep breath, trying to push past the ache in my chest. " After she died the fairies decided to step in. The treaty was signed, and each group went to their separate parts of the island. The schism was erected and there has been peace ever since,” I said, breathing past the dull ache in my heart.

  A silence fell over us while my companions tried to find the right words to say. It was not easy for me to share, but part of me wanted them to know.

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  I fiddled with the teacup attempting to distract myself from the memories. It was not a pleasant time for me. I do not know how long we sat there before one of us finally found our voice.

  “You were there, weren’t you?” Rapunzel asked softly.

  Swallowing hard, I nodded. I could not bring myself to look at Morpheus's face. Not directly. I did not need to look to know his heart was breaking, and if I saw that, mine would too.

  “It was my second mission as an initiate. It was more of a watch and learn thing than anything. The Table had a group of Rangers stationed to protect the treaty at all times. Dina pushed to get my mentor Aurora and I stationed there, claiming the experience would be good for me. I had already received much training in Neverland and showed much promise, so the Table accepted." I forced myself to take a drink of tea, if only to buy myself a seconds reprieve from the story.

  "I was there that night,” I continued. " Aurora was hit full force by a sleeping spell and thus relieved of her duty. She was ready to retire anyway, and she has a family of her own now in Encantenlan. I was hit indirectly with a tainted spell and knocked out of the circle of light." Morpheus’ eyes widened as he realized the implications.

  "By the time reinforcements arrived, I had been partially infected by a tantibus. It was months before I woke up, and by then everything had been done. " Out of the corner of my eye I saw Peter approaching, but I continued my explanation. "I was removed from the realm and sent elsewhere to recover. Fortunately for the children, Wendy had seen to it they were given daily doses of aisling. That coupled with the power of Neverland and their young age made it so they remember nothing. As far as they know, Wendy is just another legend.”

  A silence fell over us once more and Peter came to stand between Rapunzel and Morpheus. Gone was his cape and crown, no doubt left behind in the throne room, and gone was his usual sparkle.

  It was one of the rare times where I saw him look tired, his shoulders sagging under the weight of the memories we shared. For once, you could look into his eyes, and see the years he had seen. How easy it was to forget. It took a second, but he managed to recoup some of his spark.

  “Peter, it’s good to see you. You may know of Morpheus. He is a…friend of mine, who has volunteered to help us in this situation,” I said. Peter stepped forward to clasp his hand.

  “If I had known we were having a prince over, I would have cleaned up more.”

  “No you wouldn’t.” Peter shot me a glare of pretend outrage, to which I replied with a wink.

  “I have no need for such formalities but then again, I come from a wild place,” Morpheus admitted, clasping Peter's hand. “Our version of formality varies greatly frommost.”

  “I have heard marvelous things of Wonderland, but I’m sure most of them are untrue.”

  “You really must come and visit sometime, if even for a day. I assure you, it is even stranger than you have heard.”

  “I may have to take you up on that.”

  “As much as I hate to interrupt the start of these diplomatic relations, I believe we have a job to do,” Rapunzel commented and the attention shifted to her.

  “And I take it you are the one and only Rapunzel Gothel,” he held out his hand. "I have been looking forward to meeting you for some time now. The name is Peter, Peter Pan,” he said, holding his hand out and turning on the charm. She reached out and shook it.

  “Pleased to meet you,” she said, glancing at me to get my read on if he was being sincere or trying to butter her up. I shrugged, because it was somewhere in the middle and part of his personality. She shook his hand.

  “The pleasure is mine,” he replied, kissing her hand. She blushed furiously, and I rolled my eyes.

  “Come now Peter, behave yourself. We don’t want to give people the wrong impression,” a rather angelic-like voice chided. We all turned around to see the lady in blue. I stood up immediately and went to her. She held her arms open, and we hugged like sisters as she chuckled softly in my ear.

  “Tinkerbelle, it’s so good to see you,” I said, hugging her tight. She held me at shoulder length, looking me up and down.

  “You look wonderful Snow. It has been far too long since the last time we met. You have been through much and grown much, yet I have a feeling there is more to come for you,” she said, her voice like silk.

  Her words were cryptic as usual, but they filled me with a strange sense of hope. I took her hand and reached out to take Rapunzel’s, linking them together.

  “Rapunzel, this is the Lady Tinkerbelle, sometimes known as the lady in blue, Queen of the Faeries of Neverland. Belle, this is my partner Rapunzel Gothel.”

  “It is a pleasure to meet you, Rapunzel. Welcome to Neverland,” Tinkerbelle said, curtsying briefly.

  I heard a click as the doors locked and we all sat down as one. Reflexively I reached forward and fixed a cup of tea for Peter and Belle. They accepted it graciously, and we all took a drink together. I grimaced at first, forgetting the tea was cold. With a wave of my hand, I evaporated the concoction and quickly poured myself a fresh cup. Belle chuckled.

  “Couldn’t you have just reheated it?” Rapunzel asked, her eyebrow raised. I took a satisfying sip of my tea.

  “It tastes better this way,” I explained defensively. They both laughed, as I took another drink, ignoring them. Morpheus stifled a laugh. Peter leaned forward and set his cup on the table.

  “We got your letter about an hour before the shadows told me you were on your way. I double-checked with my Lost Boys and sent Micah to ask the pirates. As far as I can tell, nothing like that has happened here yet. We will be keeping an eye out, though.”

  “That’s good at least. It seems to be contained within our realm,” Rapunzel sighed.

  “For now,” I corrected. “I don’t think whoever is behind this plans to keep it to just one realm. Not after the last story.”

  Morpheus cleared his throat.

  “Perhaps it would be best to start from the beginning so everyone is on the same page. This is a thing that requires a…detailed understanding where possible.” Again Morpheus had the tone of saying something else without saying it.

  “Yes, it is. The whole thing is a bit of a long story, and we don’t have all the pieces yet, but we have a general idea of what is going on…” Peter sat and listened patiently as I gave him an overview of the situation with the stories.

  Rapunzel helped me fill in some of the gaps, especially when we got to the last one. The attention in the room became more focused when we got to that part. Morpheus' face grew more shocked as I detailed the various ways I stepped in to save the king's life, only to watch him die at the coronation. Then the Table inquiries leading to our potential lockdown before Dina gave us a reason to slip out and come visit, and Morpheus’ pursuit.

  Peter was amused by the resolution of that particular situation. He started to ask questions about our past, but Tinkerbelle swatted him before he could get the words out. We also shared our theory that someone was behind this. That hit everyone particularly hard.

  “You don't have enough pieces to put the puzzle together yet,” Morpheus mused. “But you said he, and if you ask me, you are on the right trail to find the rest of those pieces.”

  I did not know how to respond to that.

  Rapunzel glanced from Peter to Tinkerbelle, trying to get a read on them. Tink’s face appeared impassive, but I noted her stiff posture and the faraway look in her eyes. She recognized the situation could easily get problematic, but I could not gauge what had her the most worried.

  While Peter’s thoughts were written across his face. There was something about the situation that reminded him of something, and he was trying to puzzle out the possibilities. It was likely similar to the inner monologue I had been having for months now.

  I saw the moment when the final pieces fell into place. His eyes flashed to mine with a single question. It was a question I did not know how to answer. A question I was afraid to answer.

  “You figured something out, didn’t you?” Rapunzel asked, looking between Peter and me.

  Morpheus perked up at this. His face said he wanted to say something, yet I could feel in the air around him there was nothing he could say until someone else said it. Old magic. Backwards logic. Wonderland.

  The words caught in my throat as the memories clawed at the back of my mind.

  “Are you all familiar with the story of the old king?” Peter asked, a ragged edge to his voice. I flinched at the mention.

  “I have heard pieces of it, but I never paid it much mind,” Rapunzel admitted.

  “That may be a good starting point,” Tinkerbelle commented, her voice gentle. Her eyes were locked on mine, and I knew she was reading something into me.

  I chose to let it happen and felt the faint touch of Fae at the edge of my consciousness. She was gentle and did not dig deep. After a few seconds, she broke eye contact, ending the connection.

  I slowly reached into my cloak and pulled out the key. The one Dina had given me years ago, after my initiation ceremony. The one that had been haunting me for so long as I waited for the time to be right to understand what it meant.

  I traced my finger tenderly over the rough edge. I could trace it in my sleep, I had studied it so often. Not for the first time, I found myself wondering what it contained.

  The time was still not right for me to open it. I knew that. Belle knew that.

  When Tinkerbelle leaned forward, all eyes were drawn towards her.

  “I think it’s time I told a story.”