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INDIANA JONES
lxxii. SOULS OF THE DEPARTED

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HEAD TILTED EVER-SO SLIGHTLY, Peter Pan found himself drifting to sleep as he and his friends from Storybrooke sailed along the Rivers Styx. Part of him was utterly unable to believe he was truly sitting in the ferryboat of the dead, the ferryman Charon sailing them to the land of the unliving. However, the other part of him knew he had seen and experienced stranger, more peculiar things. Peter wouldn't have been here if it weren't for the ever-so uncharming Charming family--excluding Henry, who seemed to be the only one of the family Peter genuinely liked to spend time with.

It all started when Peter's girlfriend's love-struck brother's girlfriend, Emma Swan became the Dark One a few months or so ago. Being the Savior, Emma felt the need to sacrifice herself so that Regina didn't become overtaken by darkness, considering she had been working so hard to become good again. The result of this caused Emma to become the Dark One and--as Peter once put it--"lose her shit." Long story short, they all went to Camelot where Emma had been sent to try and bring her back to Storybrooke. During their expedition, Killian seemed to have found himself injured by Excalibur ("some fancy sword" as Peter called it). The thing was that anyone who was injured by Excalibur was sentenced to death, but Emma just couldn't part from her love. As a result, she used her Savior magic to save Killian, who somehow became the Dark One during this.

Another long story short, Killian also seemed to have gone bonkers and attempted to return life back to all of the Dark Ones before him. Suddenly seeing the error in his ways, Killian sacrificed himself. Now, Peter and the gang were on their way to the Underworld to try and bring him back by splitting Emma's heart in two and giving him one half--similar to how Snow and Charming were able to enact the curse that occurred shortly after Indiana's death.

The whole idea of it was absolutely insane to someone who didn't understand the idea of strange things always occurring in Storybrooke. From the Wicked Witch of the West to Ice Queens, things couldn't get any crazier as Peter had thought.

Killian's last words before death seemed to have shaken up everyone. "Let me die a hero," he had said, similar to the beloved Indiana Jones. It seemed as though just when everyone was finally begin to move on and accept the adventurer's death, something had to happen that reminded everyone of the pain they got after her death. No one said actually anything about it, but everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"Hey... Wake up..."

The brown-haired boy scrunched up his nose in annoyance. "5 more minutes," Peter mumbled, squeezing his eyes tightly in hopes of being able to fall asleep again.

A sigh was heard. "I don't have 5 minutes, Pan."

That caused Peter to furrow his eyebrows together. See, not too long after Indiana died, Peter had insisted everyone to address him by his first name. He wanted to start over; therefore, when this person had called him Pan, Peter grew puzzled. Opening his green eyes to the light, Peter glanced around with a sudden sense of alarm. He wasn't on the boat anymore. He was in a forest of some sort.

No... Peter knew this land... How was he in Neverland—the one place he refused to think of? A chuckling brought Peter out of his thoughts. "It's about time, Pan," the voice continued. Looking over, Peter's eyes widened to see Felix.

"Felix?" Peter realized, making it sound more like a question than a statement or greeting.

"Yeah," the boy with the scar running over his face confirmed, smiling happily at Peter. "It's really great to see you."

"What... What the hell...?" Peter mumbled. Then, it hit him. "Oh, I see. You've crossed over, haven't you?" Felix nodded with confirmation while Peter pressed his pale, pink lips together. "Look... mate, I'm really sorry about what happened all those years ago. I'm different now, I—"

"I know," Felix interrupted. "You've changed. I can see it in your eyes. There once was an empty darkness that filled them, but now, you seem... happier. These people... you care for them, don't you?" Peter scoffed. "Don't try to deny it, Peter. I can tell."

"Peter..." he repeated. "It's weird hearing that come from you." The two chuckled at this.

"I can sense there's still some of that emptiness within you," Felix mentioned.

"Are you surprised?" Peter queried, leaning forward and resting his arms on his legs as they sat on a pair of logs together. "The love of my life is gone." He shook his head. Peter didn't like to talk about Indiana. Despite the fact that there wasn't a day she didn't enter his thoughts, her name hardly left his lips nowadays. "This isn't the Underworld, is it? That's where I was headed."

With a simple nod, Felix said, "Yeah, I'm aware that's where you're headed. That's why I'm here. Don't go, Peter. Once you get there, it is not an easy place to get out of. In fact, I'm not even sure how I got out of there."

He paused.

"I know you're trying to save Hook, but trust me on this. This won't end the way you think it will. You're going to face things and people you haven't seen in a long time," continued Felix. "The Underworld is for people with unfinished business, and that isn't me, not anymore."

Eyebrows furrowed in the slightest, Peter questioned, "Where are you?"

Felix gave him a bittersweet smile, looking up at the night sky. "Someplace," was all he answered. "Someplace where I'm happy with my sister."

"You found your sister? Annie?" Peter asked.

Felix nodded once again. "Thanks to an old friend, yes," he confirmed before continued. "I only came here because I care about you, Peter, like a brother. Stop what you're doing before it's too late, before the Underworld sucks you in and you end up like..." Felix paused, thinking of all the terrible things that have happened to the people there.

"If you hadn't noticed, Killian and I have grown close. He even stays at my place from time to time," Peter admitted. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... I can't, not after experiencing the kindness these people have been toward me."

Felix chuckled. "I figured, but I had to try," he commented. Felix offered a smile. "Thanks for being the best mate I could have. I won't forget about you. I only hope you return the favor."

And then, Peter woke up with a sharp gasp on the ferryboat.

Henry Mills glanced over at Peter, a look of concern on his face. "Are you alright?" Henry wondered. All Peter could do was nod as he took in what just happened to him. "Good because I think we're here."

Once they stepped off the ferryboat, a temperate breeze fluffed the tall boy's hair. Decayed leaves danced around his feet, scraping against one another as he and his friends strolled into a town that reminded them too much of home. Instead of blue skies and sunshine, the world he found himself existing in had a red-hue to everything, including himself.

"How is this possible? How does the Underworld look like Storybrooke?" Emma demanded quietly as she glanced at the people quietly walking down the sidewalks and the torn apart clock tower.

"Your questions are pointless," Rumplestiltskin informatively told her. Peter and Rumplestiltskin had a complicated relationship. Still, they managed to come to an agreement in which they would try to not bite each other's heads off anymore. That seemed to be enough for everyone. "All that matters is, all these people in this Underworld are dead and trapped because they have unfinished business."

An engine revving pulled Peter's attention away from his half-brother as he spotted an all too familiar car. "Cruella," Emma realized.

"That's right," Rumplestiltskin confirmed. "And she's here because of you. And I imagine there are many here because of us." He motioned for them to follow him. "Let's not lollygag."

"Split up," Emma offered. "We'll cover more ground."

"Agreed," Peter added. "The sooner we get out of here, the better."

Regina chuckled. "Is the Peter Pan afraid?" she teased.

The boy shook his head. "Of the Underworld? No, of course not. Of your face? Hm, maybe," he childishly joked. Regina just rolled her eyes. She and Peter had a habit of exchanging extremely childish banter. It gave light to serious situations at times.

Upon walking away from the group, Peter Pan stuck his hands in his pockets—a strange invention that Peter was happy existed in Storybrooke and saddened that it didn't exist in the Enchanted Forest.

Peter couldn't help but wonder.

If Peter was surprised that Felix was in the Underworld, was it possible that people he knew from his past were down here, as well? Sure, he loved his Lost Boys, but there was only one person that Peter could think about. He knew it was long shot, but Peter just had to see if she was here, if she had unfinished business, if she really was trapped here.

And so, as he walked to the first place he thought of, Peter Pan did so with a faint smile as he thought about the deceased Indiana Jones.

By the time Peter Pan had arrived at his dead girlfriend's apartment complex and knocked on her door, his heart was pounding against his chest so harshly that he was fearful that it was going to pop right out of his body.

Maybe this was a bad idea. After all, how could Peter be sure that Indiana Jones was here anyway? Maybe he should just turn around and find the others... Yeah. That's what he was going to do. How could Peter be such an idiot as to think—?

Then, there it was.

The voice of an angel. Well, maybe she wasn't the angel most people thought of, but to Peter, she was perfect.

"How many times do I have to threaten you before you realize—?" Indiana's voice came from the other side of the door as she swung it open. Peter was sure his heart had stopped once he saw her. It was her. It was really her. "Oh... my God..."

"I always knew I could leave you speechless," Peter declared with a smirk on his face.

The words had left his mouth before he could even process them. What he would've said was something completely sappy and loving, and just completely out of character. If anything, Peter wasn't surprised he even said that.

However, rather than rolling her eyes or doing something he would have expected, rage filled up Indiana. He could practically see her blood boiling. "Are you... dead...?" wondered Indiana. "How the hell did this happen!? Who killed you!? I can't believe this! I—!"

Peter interrupted her, declaring, "I'm not dead! Love, I'm not dead!" He placed his hands on her shoulders, practically shaking her. "It's a long story, but I can assure you I'm the complete opposite of dead."

Indiana paused, looking up at him. "The complete opposite of death is birth," Indiana mentioned. "You don't look like a woman giving birth or a baby, but that second one's up for interpretation." The two let out a small laugh before Indiana reached up and hugged the boy tightly. She felt his arms snake around her waist.

He pulled away from the hug, pressing his lips against her's. Just as any other time they'd kissed, Peter could feel the electricity coursing through his veins. The hunger of not having her lips on his for so long was practically eternal damnation.

But there she was. There he was. There they were, together just as they belonged.

➖➖➖

The sun had set by the time Indiana and Peter had left the apartment complex to locate the others. Hand in hand, Indiana suddenly grew nervous. Was this really happening? Was this all just a dream? Was this just a mirage Hades had created?

Feeling Peter squeeze her hand, Indiana looked over at him, confused. "Don't be nervous," he told her, surprising Indiana. "What? Do you really think that after all these years I can't tell when you're nervous?"

Indiana shrugged. "I don't know. I've been going through a lot lately," was all she admitted, intriguing Peter. Now, he desired to know of what she'd been through. Could the God of the Underworld really break Indiana Jones?

Before Peter could even open his mouth to ask her what she meant, Indiana shouting, "Snow!" at the top of her lungs echoed in his ears.

She let go of Peter's hand to sprint in Snow White's direction, who turned around at the abrupt yelling of her name. Moreover, when Snow comprehended who was bolting toward her, the archer gasped and embraced Indiana Jones in the tightest hug she could muster up.

"Indiana!?" Emma exclaimed. "Oh, my God! How are you here? Wait—don't answer that." Indiana laughed, making her way toward the blonde to hug her. "Surprisingly enough, I missed you."

"Right back at you, Savior," Indiana joked before glancing over at Rumplestiltskin, horrible memories instantaneously playing in her head, specifically of the man brutally killing her. Indiana forced a fake smile at him. "Rumple... I see you're sporting your Alligator skin again." She paused, leaning forward and squinting. "Oh, wait. That's just your regular skin, isn't it?"

Rumplestiltskin merely stared back at her and half-heartedly said, "Good to see you again."

"Hm, yeah," Indiana responded passively. "That's one-sided."

Then, she looked back at David. The two of them seemed startled by each other's presence, Indiana forgetting that he wasn't James while David just took in the fact that she was standing in front of her. "Oh, come here," David told her, opening his arms.

Once Indiana hugged him, she took a step back and looked up at him. "You'll have to forgive me," Indiana told him. "You and your brother really do look exactly the same, and I'm a bit pissed at him right now. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if I accidentally hit you or something..."

"Nothing you haven't done to me before," David joked, brushing it off with a grin. This caused everyone to laugh.

Once that was said, Regina Mills, Robin Hood, and Henry Mills went walking toward them. Henry was the first of the trio to notice Indiana, for the frown on his face was flipped upside down once he spotted her. He raced toward her as Indiana squealed excitedly. Normally when Indiana went to hug him, she had to kneel a bit, but now, Henry was a bit shorter than her now.

"Oh, Hen," Indiana whispered, a wide smile stretched across her face. She pressed a kiss on the top of his head. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too," Henry shamelessly admitted while pulling away from the hug. "I pulled so many pranks on Peter and everyone. You would've been so proud."

"Who says I'm not?" Indiana told him, ruffling his hair. "And I always will be, you loser."

Henry laughed before making his way toward Emma Swan. Meanwhile, once Regina and Indiana briskly greeted each other and hugged, Robin Hood approached her. m

"Indiana Jones," Robin greeted. "It is an honor. You know, there once was a time our Wanted posters graced the Enchanted Forest side by side."

Indiana laughed, shaking his hand. "It's an honor to meet you, too, Robin Hood," Indiana responded.

The mood in the atmosphere suddenly became more serious once Snow turned to Regina and said, "Tell me your father's okay."

"He's better than okay," Regina told her, eyes glassy. "He's in a better place now."

"Wait," Emma suddenly declared, "that means everyone here... can be saved."

"Well, yeah, obviously," Indiana piped up, folding her arms over her chest as Peter joined her side, placing his arm around her. "Every soul in this town has unfinished business. And chances are, for a lot of them, we're that business. I can't tell you how many people have tried to fight me for sending them here."

"You've all deluded yourselves if you think these people are worth your time," Rumplestiltskin mentioned, causing everyone to turn to face him. "They are not the dearly departed. They are dead, wretched souls, and I want no part of it."

"Gee, thanks," Indiana sarcastically told him. "I love my endearing fans."

"What you want doesn't matter," Emma stated while getting in Rumplestiltskin's face. "I wasn't bluffing—I'm happy to tell Belle about your return to Dark One-ness."

"Our agreement was to find your pirate and get the hell out of here," Rumplestiltskin snapped. "If you want to distract yourself with this other asinine pursuit, be my guest. I'm out."

With that, Rumplestiltskin walked away as a new thought entered Indiana's mind. "Uh, speaking of pirate," she started, everyone turning back to him. "Where's my idiot of a brother?"

Silence fell amongst everyone as they all exchanged facial expressions. It seemed as though everyone had looked to Peter. The brunette sighed, turning Indiana to face him. "Look, love," Peter began, taking her hands, "I'm afraid Killian is dead. It's a long story, but—"

Indiana immediately tensed as she stared at him with widened eyes. "I'm sorry," Indiana apologized, laughing manically. "I could've sworn you just said... but that can't be... because if he were dead, I know for a damn fact he would be down here with Liam and I. Yet I haven't heard of any leather-wearing pirates prancing around here, have you?"

Once Peter quickly explained the situation to Indiana, she let out a sigh. How could it be that Killian actually got himself killed, especially under these circumstances? It was enough to make her want to bring him back to life just to kill him again. All Indiana could do was lean into Peter's hold, tears threatening to spill out.

"So..." Henry trailed off while stepping forward. "Who's ready for Operation Firebird?"

Regina let out a short laugh as Indiana snorted. "Is that what we're calling it?" Regina queried.

"I kinda like it," Indiana admitted. "It flows nicely."

"You referring to the mythological bird or the muscle car?" Emma added in amusement.

And so, as everyone proceeded to walk throughout the dark streets of the Underworld, Regina stopped in her tracks and glanced back at the fallen apart Clock Tower on the ground.

Then, just like it did when the Savior first came to Storybrooke, the hands on the clock moved.

Tick.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

i'm pretty happy with how this chapter came out :) what do you guys think? did i live up to your expectations or whatever?

anyways here's a fun fact i haven't told you guys yet.

robbie kay (aka the wonderful man that plays peter pan on ouat) went to high school in my area/school district. like i could transfer there if i really wanted to haha