A Tale That Could Not Be
Chapter 33: Dancing and Despair

The Red Queen’s reign was ended.

Alice had eventually overpowered the knave, the Hatter and the Hare had subdued the bandersnatches, and Selvina and Rapunzel had defeated Peter Pan. The soldiers and guards, having no real love for their queen in the first place, immediately dropped their weapons when Alice placed a knife to her throat. The battle for Wonderland was over.

“I truly did not think this plan would work,” the Cheshire cat said, cupping his chin in one paw as he floated in midair. “It shows just how surprising Wonderland truly can be.”

“I am flattered by your confidence in our abilities, Chesh,” Selvina said dryly. “But it looks like we won!”

“Aye, that we did,” said the March Hare as he and the Hatter approached them. “But we took an unfortunate casualty.” He then produced his shattered teacup from under his coat and wiped a tear from his eye. “It was my favourite one and Pan broke it! The villain also left a nasty little cut on my chest, damn him.”

“So that’s what I saw dripping down Pan’s arm after he stabbed you?” Selvina asked in confusion. “It was tea and not blood?”

“Blood?” the Hare asked, bewildered. “Blood is red, dear girl, and the tea I drink is more of a delightful golden brown with a hint of green. Perhaps you need an eye test.”

“A fine soldier she would make, eh?” asked the Hatter with a chuckle. “She can’t even tell the difference between red and green.”

“She would make a most disappointing soldier, indeed.”

Selvina rolled her eyes and walked over to the throne, where the Red Queen sat, bound at the wrists and ankles and shouting out curses and injustices and complaints. Alice stood beside her and was speaking to Dodgson for a moment before the large dodo hurried away. The blonde gave Selvina a grin before shoving a rag into the queen’s mouth, silencing her incessant cries.

“I noticed that you and Rapunzel took down Peter Pan,” Alice said after she left the queen to approach Selvina. “That must not have been an easy feat.”

Selvina nodded, feeling proud of Pan’s defeat and yet still harbouring fear, lest he somehow escape. Though he had fallen off the wall and cracked his back on a wooden bench, he was somehow still alive. “The magic allowing him to fly and move faster ran out. It was the only reason Rapunzel and I managed.”

“Nevertheless, it is done. The Red Queen is dethroned and Peter Pan is defeated. It is a time to celebrate! Look happy, Selvina! Smile!”

Selvina managed a weak grin but it soon vanished. She glanced back at Pan, wrapped tightly in ropes, locked in a hanging cage, and guarded by a dozen armoured soldiers with all manner of weapons at their disposal. Arrows, bolts, and spears were pointed up at him and swords, axes, and maces were held at the ready. There would be no mistakes this time. He would not escape unnoticed.

“Dodgson has returned!” Alice exclaimed.

Selvina turned around to witness Dodgson leading dozens of the queen’s workers out into the courtyard. Upon catching sight of their former ruler, many of the servants ran up and spit in her face or called out vile expletives. Selvina would have normally found the treatment rather harsh but the queen had not been a respectable person in any sense and her former subjects were allowed some form of revenge. Among the throng of freed servants was Wendy and she rushed into Selvina’s arms as soon as she saw her. The two women embraced warmly, overjoyed to finally be back together.

“I can’t believe you did this, Selvina,” Wendy said, beaming joyfully. “You’re a savior!”

Selvina blushed and brushed aside Wendy’s comment. “I am not… I didn’t do it on my own, either. I couldn’t have done it without my friends.”

Rapunzel soon joined them after speaking with Alice and gave Wendy a strong hug. “Praise the gods it’s over.”

“We’re still missing Goldilocks,” Selvina muttered concernedly. She, Wendy, and Rapunzel glanced about and scanned the large group of freed servants, all hoping that nothing horrible had happened.

“Serves you bloody right!” cried out a familiar voice.

Selvina couldn’t help but smile as she turned around to see Goldilocks pointing up at Pan in his cage. She was completely bald and hardly recognizable but her voice was unmistakable, as was her attitude.

Goldilocks tossed a rock up at Pan’s cage and laughed as it clanged loudly against the bars. “Like a trapped bird, you are, you damned useless waste of flesh! Were it my way I’d have your despicable hide flogged and flayed!”

Selvina, Wendy, and Rapunzel neared her and she eventually caught sight of them. Her first words to them were, “Why isn’t that bloody villain dead yet?”

Selvina answered, “There has been enough blood by his hands, in my mind. That and I was kind of hoping to let Captain Hook have the privilege of seeing him this way.”

Goldilocks pondered on the answer for a moment before shrugging and nodding. “Fair enough.” She then immediately hugged all three women and burst into tears. The action was contagious and soon the other three young women were all wet in the face and red in the eyes.

“A right blubbering mess we make,” Goldilocks said as she pulled away and wiped her eyes on her ragged sleeve. “I blame you all for these tears.”

Selvina sniffed away the last of her own tears and smiled warmly. “It’s good to have you back, Goldilocks.”

“That reminds me,” uttered Rapunzel. “What do we do now? The only reason we were together was because of Pan. Now that he’s out of our way, what do we do?”

“Well, as much as I enjoy your company,” started Goldilocks, running a hand over her bald head nervously, “I’d much like to return home to Avalon. I miss my country home and its forest trails. You’re all welcome to join me, if you wish.”

“Tortug has always been my home,” said Wendy. “It smells like salt, piss, and the sweat of sailors but it does have its own charm, somewhat. I have my inn to manage, anyhow.”

“I guess I could return to my tower…” Rapunzel muttered. “Mother will be worried sick and probably won’t let me leave for the rest of my life but…that’s always been home for me.”

“You don’t sound all too keen,” Goldilocks said with a raised eyebrow.

Rapunzel shrugged. “I just don’t know where else to go. I’ve only been there, on Pan’s ship, the island, and here.”

“There’s a whole world to explore. Why go back to something that makes you unhappy?”

“I don’t know…”

“Come to Avalon with me!”

“Really?”

“Yes, really! My home gets bloody lonely at times and I’d love to have you as company. I’ll make you some of my special honeyed porridge and maybe you could spare me some of your hair until mine grows back.”

Rapunzel chuckled and then nodded, her face glowing with happiness. “That sounds lovely, Goldilocks.”

Selvina, still smiling at seeing Rapunzel so full of glee, eyed Wendy. “I’ll come with you to Tortug, Wendy. At one point Captain Hook will return there and when he does I can find out if he’ll finally take me to that Ocean of Ice Peaks and, hopefully, home.”

“It’s a plan,” Wendy replied. “I have no doubt that he’d help you, Selvina.”

“So this is the end of our merry band, then?” asked Goldilocks, glancing from Wendy to Selvina. “I have to admit I’ll miss you two. It was a real bloody pleasure being trapped by a homicidal maniac together. If it ever happens again I’ll make sure to ask for your company.”

“I would be honoured,” Wendy replied with a chuckle.

“No rush, though,” Selvina added with a pleasant smile.

“Bullocks, no! I’m already getting sick of your faces.”

The girls laughed heartily for several moments before walking together to speak to Alice. They asked her the way out of Wonderland and she spoke to them of a room with over a dozen doors leading to various places on the island.

“Can you take us there?” asked Wendy.

“I need fairy dust,” Alice answered with a shrug. “The magic of the doors is powered by it.”

Selvina felt for her pouch and pulled it out. It weighed next to nothing but upon loosening the string keeping it closed a blinding light burst forth, forcing Selvina to squint and close it again. “I clearly still have a little bit left.”

“That should do just fine,” Alice said. “Do you all have to leave now, though? Dodgson and I were about to prepare the celebration. Hatter and Hare are already gone to get the refreshments. Stay for the celebration, please. This would have never happened without all of you. I promise that I will take you to the room with the doors tomorrow.”

“I don’t bloody know what I did to help but you’re welcome anyhow,” Goldilocks said with a nonchalant shrug. “I could go for a bit of celebrating, I suppose.”

The other girls all agreed that doing something carefree and fun for once would do them all good. With a final glance at their caged former captor, who sat silently with his head bowed low, the girls offered Alice their aid in setting up.

When evening came to Wonderland, the feast began and everyone that had once been a slave to the tyranny of the Red Queen rejoiced and revelled in their new lives of freedom. Food was plentiful and delicious. The music was bouncy and cheery. There was dance, laughter, stories told and merriment of all kind. Throughout it all, the bound queen and the caged pirate were forced to watch it. Peter Pan appeared lifeless and unperturbed in the slightest but the former queen was furious and struggling viciously, but futilely.

The night came and went and the revelry continued.

It was early morning when Selvina finally decided to find somewhere to sleep. She, Wendy, Rapunzel, and Goldilocks walked into the castle and, after many wrong turns and dead ends, eventually found the queen’s bedchamber. They all climbed atop her massive bed, laid down on it with plenty of room to spare, and immediately fell asleep.

Dreams of home and Jack filled Selvina’s mind and she tossed and turned in her sleep, struggling to separate one from the other.

Meanwhile, there was no grand celebration on the deck of Marjeneh’s Grace. Beast had transformed back into Belle and she was now asleep belowdecks. Sinbad had the wheel and Captain Hook was leaning over the stern, staring down at the dark water below. Red and Cindy were huddled beside a sleeping Bigbad and Jack stood near his captain, sharpening his dagger in silence. None of them, save the wolf, could sleep.

The night sky loomed overhead, blanketed by thick clouds and making it near impossible to sail in a straight line. Occasionally there would be a break in the clouds and Sinbad would get a chance to take his bearings by reading the stars but for the most part he guided the ship by gut instinct. It was risky but he had sailed these seas many times and there was little cause to worry.

Hook watched the caravel’s wake expand outward against the sea’s natural current, as if a knife was cutting through jelly. No matter how hard the wake fought, the ocean always overwhelmed it, returning the water to its relative calmness. Hook felt much the same considering the current events. He had probably turned all of Noyr against him by attacking its empress and battling its navy and all he had wanted to do was sail away.

The gods toy with me, he thought with a deep sigh. Now that the Empire of Noyr no doubt considered him an enemy it was the one place he would have to go to once he retrieved Selvina. After she was rescued—as she was indeed still alive, he was certain of it—her destination was Noyr and specifically the empress. There she would gather information on her quest to subdue The Writer. If the empress did not approve of her company, Selvina’s quest may be hindered, or stopped completely. Hook may have doomed his standing with Noyr but he had no intention of dooming the world.

Yet, had he already done so? Rhiannon would never forgive him for attacking her, despite the fact that he had only been defending himself. That fact alone may want her to ignore Selvina’s request for aid and thus doom her mission.

And then there was Captain John Silver’s death…

Why did you come? he questioned his old friend’s ghost for the umpteenth time. No answer came, as it had been every other time he had asked. Your death is all my fault…

“Captain,” Sinbad said quietly. “The stars are out once again and I believe we are far enough from Sauradian shores. What is our heading?”

Captain Hook wanted to shrug and tell his quartermaster that it didn’t matter but instead he remained silent and still. He stared at the water for several silent minutes until he noticed a small sparkling light flickering over the water in the west. He forgot about Sinbad’s question and stood straight, eyeing the approaching light intently. Jack noticed his change in posture and stood up as well, gazing in the same direction.

“What is that?” the young man asked.

“I haven’t the faintest idea,” Hook replied. “Whatever it is, it’s coming toward us.”

“We are too far for any flying insects to be out here. Do you think we veered off course?”

Sinbad saw the small flickering light as well, glancing at it every now and then as he kept the ship sailing a direct course. “I kept our progress as northward as best as I could. There is nothing but empty sea until we reach Frenis, nearly a week away. Whatever that is I do not believe it to be an insect.”

Red and Cindy were up and eyeing the light as well, disturbed by the commotion.

“Could it be one of Rhiannon’s tricks?” Red asked as she loaded her crossbows.

“A magical spy, perhaps?” Cindy offered.

“Captain,” Jack started as he leaned over the edge of the gunwale for a closer look. “Do you remember the dull pixies in Tortug, the ones that had lost all magic?”

“They would dance for coins,” Hook replied. “It was a sad sight. Why do you ask?”

“I spoke to one once as I had assumed it was a fairy and asked if that’s what it was. It was insulted by the question and told me that fairies were much smaller and that, as they flew, they oftentimes sparkled or glowed.”

“What would a fairy be doing all the way out here?”

The flickering light soon reached the ship’s hull and shot up the side. Red readied her crossbows, Jack gripped his dagger, and Hook placed one hand over his pistol. It crested the gunwale and immediately landed on it, its glowing light diminishing slightly as it did so. The tiny, winged, feminine figure appeared to be catching its breath.

“It’s so cute!” Cindy exclaimed, approaching it without caution.

“Careful!” Hook called out, reaching out and pushing her back. “This may be an agent of Rhiannon. She is known to employ mystical creatures in her ranks and this could be one of them.”

The tiny fairy, no bigger than a thumb, stood up on her legs and crossed her arms over her chest, as if insulted. She wore a dress made of leaves and her head was crowned with golden hair. Her large, angular eyes glanced at the four figures looking down at her before finally settling on Hook. She pointed at him, her eyes widening, before leaping up into the air and fluttering to his left ear. Hook instinctively tried swatting her away but the agile fairy avoided his hand and landed on his shoulder.

“Do not attack!” she yelled into his ear, her voice little more than a squeak.

Though she was difficult to hear, Hook listened intently anyhow. He gestured for the others to remain quiet and waited for the fairy to continue. He assumed that if she had come to the ship for nefarious reasons that she would have acted already.

“You are Captain Hook, am I correct?” she asked him, her small face nearly brushing against the side of his ear.

Hook nodded. “Yes, I am he.”

“Excellent! I was looking all over for you! Tell me, are these people Jack, Red, Cindy, and Sinbad?”

Hook furrowed his brow in confusion. How did she know these things? “Yes…” he reluctantly replied.

“That large beast must be none other than Bigbad, yes?”

Hook spun aside, forcing the fairy to take wing, and eyed her directly, his face frowning. “How do you know all of this? Speak now!”

The fairy gestured quickly and moved her mouth but no one could hear her words. With an exasperated sigh, she fluttered once more to Hook’s ear and said, “My name is Tinkerbelle, and I’m here to take you to Selvina!”

Hook’s frown vanished and was immediately replaced by bulging eyes. He glanced at the fairy sidelong, gulped down his shock, and asked her, “How do you know her?”

“She was taken by Peter Pan to Wonderland—where I am from—and I have ventured far and wide to search for you. She urgently requests your aid.”

“Wonderland? I’ve never been to such a place.”

“I will take you there. Follow me with your vessel and I will guide you to your destination. She will be so pleased to see you all!”

Tinkerbelle then left Hook’s shoulder and flew across the ship’s deck to land at the very tip of the bowsprit. Captain Hook took the wheel from Sinbad and watched as the fairy flew off the bowsprit in a westerly direction, where she had come. Hook spun the wheel rapidly, turning the swift ship toward the west.

“Captain, what is our heading?” asked Sinbad for a second time.

Hook beamed, his hopes raised high and his spirits soaring. “We head west, quartermaster. We follow this fairy as she will take us to the one we seek; she will take us to Selvina!”

Sinbad had no words, his mouth agape in shock and his eyes wide. Jack, Red, and Cindy were much the same.

At last, they would all be reunited.

At last, their group would be whole again.

At last, good fortune had come.

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