Chapter 57; The Sacrifice

"Stay away from the ones you love too much. Those are the ones who will kill you."

~ Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch

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Felix's P.O.V

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    Peter and I approach the wishing well, the dark scroll in his hand.    "You never cease to amaze me, Peter," I say. "Outwitting the The Evil Queen in less than a day. It's impressive."    "She loves the boy. That makes her weak."    "This is it. This is where we'll cast it," he says, stopping in front of the well. "The ingredients?"

    I pass Cassie to him as I reach for my bag. Peter gladly takes the toddler from me, gently placing him on the soft ground beside us. Cassie yawns, placing his thumb in his mouth. I pass Peter the bag full of ingredients.    "When it's done, will they all be dead?" I ask.    Peter takes a bottle out of the bag. "Worse. They'll be slaves to this new land we're making with no idea who they once were. Death is final, Felix."

    "Their suffering will be eternal."    And with that said, Peter drops the bottle into the well. I rest my arms on the rim of the brick well, watching as he drops the ingredients inside one by one. The bottle hits the water with a plop, turning the water in the well into a light green hue.

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Alice's P.O.V

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    "Another curse?" Mary Margaret asks. "It's happening again?"    "Gold, this curse, is it gonna work like the last one?" Emma asks.    I give Henry a look. "You mean this has happened before?"    "Yes." He nods. "My mom cast it years ago. It's what wiped away everyone's memories and brought the people from The Enchanted forest here."

    "The last one was created to service the Queen's wishes," Gold tells her. "This will be done per Pan's desire. I would count on something hellish."    "He's gonna split us apart," Lewis says, looking from Will to me.    "The curse was built to be unstoppable," Regina states. "There's nothing that can be done."    "Well, it is possible to stop it," Gold says, countering Regina's previous comment.

    The Evil Queen looks at Rumpelstiltskin. "What?"    "By using the scroll itself," Gold says. "It can only be undone by the person who used the scroll. And that's you, Regina."    "What do I have to do?" she asks.    "You must destroy the scroll," Gold replies. "Both your curse and his shall be ended, but know this—there will be a price; a steep one."

    "W- What do you suggest?" Regina asks.    "Instead of going to him, bring him to us with a spell," Gold says.    Regina gives the older man a confused look.     The Dark one continues, seeing that she doesn't understand him. "One that will return Pan and Henry to their own bodies."

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Felix's P.O.V

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    Peter glances at the potion bottle in his hand without a care in the world.    "What she did is child's play compared to what I have in mind," he says, dropping it inside the well. It lands in the water with a splash.    I grin, feeling proud for how far Peter's come since I first met him.    "I knew you'd win," I say out loud. "Peter Pan never fails."

    He grins back at me as he drops another ingredient inside. I glance at the toddler sleeping next to us, then back at Peter. "What's gonna happen to them?"    "My loyal Lost Boys will keep the order in the new land, and I'll punish all the traitors," he replies.    "Starting with Lewis and Ray?" I ask.    "Starting with Lewis and Ray."

    "And what of Alice and Malcolm?"    "I'll get my grandfather back his old, youthful body," Peter says. "I'll be the king of Neverland, and Alice'll rule beside me as Queen."    He picks up another ingredient and tosses it into the well. "But first thing's first, I'll have to erase Lewis and Ray from Alice's life."     "You're gonna make her forget them?" I ask.

    Peter nods. "It'll be as if they never existed."    "What about their friend, Will?"    "Royalty needs advisers," he says, matter-of-factly. "He'll be Alice's."    He looks out into the distance with a look of longing. "I'll give Alice everything she's ever wanted. I'll build a library stocked with books just for her, she'll never be bored." Peter looks down at Cassie.

    "Cassie will be our little prince, and the twins will be his brothers," he says.    My smile broadens at the look of pure euphoria on Peter's face as he talks about his future with Alice. He's been through a lot, the death of his mother, neglect, loneliness, depression. I didn't believe in soul mates until I met Peter.

    Granted, we aren't lovers, but we still love each other in a way words can't describe. He's my other half, my parabatai as Alice would say. And I agree with her.    Where thou goest, I will go. Where thou diest, I will die and there I will be buried. The angel do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.    Yes, I did memorize the oath.

    We are parabatai. We'd fight for each other and die for each other. I put my trust in him when he saved me the day he found me on the streets and our bond with each other has only grown since that day.    Wait. Something's not right.    I pause, straining my ears. Something's missing. Oh, that's it. Peter's stopped dropping ingredients into the well.

    I peer into the well. Nothing's happened. It still looks the same. I look back at Peter with that thought in mind.    "Are we missing something?" I ask, confused.    "Yes," he replies.     I was sure I brought everything that he asked me to bring. "What is it?"    "The heart of the thing I love most," Peter answers, ruefully.

    "You mean Alice's heart?"    "No." He shakes his head. "Not her. I refuse to give her up."     I look down at the sleeping boy next to us. "Cassie? You're going to take Cassie's heart?"    This day is just getting stranger and stranger. First Peter says that he loves Alice then he says that he's going to kill Cassie for this curse. Doesn't he know that it'll destroy her?

    "Wrong again," Peter says. "I'd never do that to Alice. She'd never forgive me."    "Well, then, whose heart do you need?" I ask, perplexed. "Who do you love?"    "Love can be many things, Felix," Peter says, matter-of-factly. "It doesn't just come from romance or family. It can also come from loyalty; friendship."

    Wait. There's only-    "Only one person has always believed in Pan," he says, taking taking the words right out of my mouth.    I swallow nervously. "That's me."    I look around anxiously, my anxiety growing bigger by the second.    "Don't be afraid," Peter says, inching closer to me. "Be flattered."    I remain still, too stunned to move.

    I shake my head. "No, no, no, no no!"    I cry out in pain as Peter reaches into my chest, ripping my heart out. A huge wave of excruciating pain washes over me as he proceeds to crush my heart. The pain is too much for me, causing my knees to give way. I fall on the ground, landing next to Cassie. The poor boy is oblivious to what's happening around him.

    I look up at my best friend who's always been their for me in the past few centuries that we've known each other. It's true what they say about your life flashing before you when you're about to die. Because in that brief moment, I begin recalling all the times that Peter and I promised each other that we'd take care of one another, how we said that we'd never let anything happen to each other.

    I silently pray that he'll gain a grasp of his sanity and change his mind. But I know he won't. The look on his face says it all.    Please, Peter, please, I beg.    I'm so sorry, Felix, Peter's eyes cry. I have to do this.    In that moment, I know that he's made up his mind. And that I'm going to die by the hand of the very person who promised me that he wouldn't hurt me.

    My eyes are cloudy with tears as I look at my best friend. I always thought that Peter was the last person I'd see before I died, but I had never imagined that he'd be the one to kill me.    Take care of him for me, Alice. I won't be around to watch over him anymore.    I look him one last time as he crushes what's left of my heart, dropping the ashes into the well.

    I smile sadly as the veil of pain lifts and my body starts to feel numb as my soul leaves it. I'm finally at peace knowing that Peter will finally have his happy ending, but I mourn over the knowledge that I wouldn't be there to see it. At least my death would mean that Peter will be happy, even if it's not with me.

    Here I come, Emily...    -

Peter's P.O.V

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    I watch as the light leaves Felix's eyes. He slumps on the ground next to Cassie, not moving. My vision is blurry with tears as I drop his ashes into the seemingly-bottomless well. I drop to the ground, cradling my best friend's body. I cry out in agony, rocking back and forth, Felix's dead body in my arms. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. God, I'm so sorry."

    Tears stream down my face as I look upon Felix's lifeless body.    I'm doing this for Alice, I remind myself. For Alice, and for Cassie.    Cassie.    I glance at my baby boy. How he managed to sleep though all of this is beyond me. I'm glad that he didn't see me kill Felix. It would scar him for life.    Oh, God. I killed my best friend.

    I look down at my shaking hands as my mind processes what I'd just done.    I killed him.    The words chant over and over and over in my head.    I killed him. My best friend.    I wipe the tears from my face as light green smoke rises out from the well, engulfing the three of us in the thick fog.

    My hand has a mind of its own as it moves to tuck a strand of Felix's sandy blonde hair behind his ear.    I'll commemorate this day for you, I silently promise him. In honor of your sacrifice. I love you, Felix.    "Atque in pepetuum frater ave atque vale," I whisper, shutting my parabatai's eyes with my forefinger and thumb. "Forever and ever, my brother, hail and farewell..."

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Malcolm's P.O.V

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    "If I'm back in my own body, that means I'll have the scroll. I can bring it to you guys," Henry says.    I hover over the building, making sure that I can't be seen. I'm only here because I promised Peter that I'd watch over Alice while he cast the curse, and because I was curious to see why she was my beloved grandson's soul mate.

    "Exactly right, Henry," Rumple replies.    "Even you aren't powerful enough to cast such a spell," The Evil Queen says.    "Well, given the proper tool, I could be," my son replies.    "The Black Fairy's wand," Tinkerbell suggests.

    "One of the most powerful fairies that ever existed," she continues. "Well-versed in dark magic. The Blue Fairy exiled her, but before she did, she took her wand."    "I assume our dearly departed Mother Superior has it hidden in her residence," Rumple says.    "Well, what are we waiting for?" Prince Charming asks. "Let's hit the convent."

    "Can I come?" Tinkerbell asks. "I should pay my respects to Blue, after all."    David nods in agreement.    "Then it's settled," Rumple announces. "The rest of us should get back to my shop and prepare Henry for the spell."

    Having eavesdropped on their plan, I proceed to fly to the convent to stop them from acting it out and ruining my grandson's hard work. I feel a wave of torment wash over me, stopping me from moving. The pain leaves me faster than it hit me, allowing me to move again. Because Peter is bound to Neverland with me, I am able to feel his emotions when they are at its strongest and vice versa.

    And from the immense wave of despair I just felt, I think it's safe to assume that my grandson had just killed Felix. It was a shame that the spell required Peter to sacrifice the heart of the thing that he loved the most, I was quite fond of Felix if I were honest, he was like a second grandson to me. My heart goes out to the two of them.

    I suppose it's only a matter of time until the curse reaches the rest of Storybrooke. But in order for that to happen, I'll have to make sure that my grandson's enemies are dealt with, and that their plan to thwart Peter fails. Because if anyone deserves to get their happy ending, it's Peter. He's been through enough suffering to last many lifetimes and lost enough of his loved ones to earn it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QWNTcsDR-Y

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Do you guys hear that sound? It's the sound of hearts breaking and knives being sharpened. I have to admit, I teared up a bit when I wrote this chapter. I apologize if you listened/have been listening to the songs that I add in my chapters because they just make the feels hit you harder than if you don't listen to them.

Here's a "fun" fact, the last and second last chapters will be (roughly) ten times worse. So grab your tissues and/or pitchforks and prepare yourselves for it  *sigh*  I'm gonna cry my eyes out while writing those chapters so I guess we'll suffer together  *chuckles nervously while scratching the back of my neck*  please don't hurt me.

Just out of curiosity, how many of you thought that I'd sacrifice Cassie instead of Felix? I was actually planning on doing that tbh, but I knew that you guys (and Alice ofc) would never forgive me if I did that. I'll try to update the next chapter by Sunday, but no promises. FYI, I wrote this entire chapter in approximately  *checks imaginary watch*  two or three hours.

Well, I'm gonna catch up on my much needed rest-  *laughs like a maniac*  Oh, who am I kidding? I'm gonna catch up on watching Criminal Minds, I just discovered it three months ago and I'm still at season 5  ;_;  Don't judge me.

~ Alice xx

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Cassie or Felix?

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*Hides behind bookshelf* Please don't kill me for this edit

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Vote, comment, rate, do whatever you want <3

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