The Demon Archer - OUAT Meripan Fanfic

My Darkest Desire

I'll carry you,
My darkest desire.
When life sings to you,
Through devil's choirs.
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Merida groaned, her chest heaving as she tried to drag air into her lungs. She'd been here for what seemed like an eternity. Time didn't exist in this place. Everything just went on and on and on. She couldn't remember what had happened, and the more she tried to dig into her mind to find out what had went wrong, the more her mind clouded over. She could remember a boy...she thought maybe his name was Skillet or something like that. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember the significance of him. But it was no matter. She was here, and by now she knew there was no escaping. People came in, but no one ever got out. Another groan left her lips as she tried to breathe again, the hot smoky air pressing down on her. Her hands were bound in front of her with thick rope and no matter how much she had tried to struggle she could never loosen them. The truth was, Merida had given up long ago. She couldn't remember anything, and no one was coming to save her. This was to be her fate. Her eyes closed again as she slipped back into unconsciousness, the pain from the hooks sunk into her back to much for her.

Pan stepped off the boat onto the dock, glancing back at the hooded figure. But it had already gone. There was only one way to go now, and that was forwards. A river snaked along the path, filled with bits and pieces of people's broken dreams that had somehow landed here; he spotted wedding rings, an unused pair of baby shoes, and something that seemed very familiar to him. Frowning, he leaned down and fished the item out of the inky water. It was the carving of the bear that he'd thrown away over the cliff. He stared at it for a moment before slipping it in his pocket and continuing on his way.

Hades watched him as he neared the fortress, a cruel smile spreading over his features. "He's come for her. The idiot. But now he will finally be mine. And this time Peter Pan shall not escape me," he growled.
Pan glanced up at the foreboding tower in front of him, a look of determination coming over his face. He transported inside, but his magic was weakened here. He gasped for air for a moment, the strain being almost too much on him. When he looked back up, a man was standing in front of him.
"Peter Pan. How nice of you to finally come for your little pet." He paused and smirked slightly. "Although by now I'm sure she doesn't even know who you are."
"What did you do to her." Pan grated out, still struggling to breathe.
"See for yourself." Hades backed out of the way, showing Pan a mirror that melted into a picture of Merida.
She was laying on her side, her hands roughly bound in front of her. The back of her dress was ripped and bloody, large hooks being sank into her back and attached to the wall by chains. Her face was pale and streaked with crimson blood.
Pan's blood ran cold as he stared at the image. "Is she..."
"Dead? No. But no telling what will happen if you try to take her back to your world. The demon that possessed her body was powerful, and banished her here. Of course I'm just the hotel manager, if you will. I've no responsibility for the people that creatures drag in here. But Merida is the exception, because I knew you'd come after her."

Pan glanced at the ruler of the Underworld, his face darkening. "What do you want me for?"
"You've escaped death far too many times. I want reassurance that once you die, you'll be dead. None of this world-hopping that you do." Hades grinned slightly. "I want you to give your magic to me. Of course Neverland will still be there. But you won't be immortal any longer."
"And Merida?" Pan questioned.
Hades rolled his eyes. "Merida will be released. Now. The magic."
Pan hesitated. Everything he'd worked for. Everything he'd ever wanted had been right under his fingertips. He shouldn't be doing any of this for her. He tried to tell himself he never truly loved her. But then his mind flashed back to the way her eyes sparkled when she would beat him at archery games, and the way she would dive off the cliffs like a bird until she'd reach the waves far below. He remembered her hair gleaming in the sun, and the way her accent would get stronger when she challenged him.

His hand shaking slightly, he extended it over the bottle that Hades held out to him, willing his power to leave him. A dark red smoke started streaming out of him and into the bottle, filling it until Pan stumbled and collapsed to the floor, feeling empty and cold. Hades smiled slightly and capped the bottle, slipping it into his suit pocket as he walked towards the door. "Nice doing business with you." A horrible feeling hit Pan. "Wait! We had a deal!" The ruler of the Underworld grinned and didn't turn around. "You should have thought of how you were going to get out of here before you surrendered your magic."

Merida's eyes opened slowly as she realized the pain from her back was gone. The hooks had disappeared, the wounds on her back partially healed. Her hands were free, and yet she still didn't move. She didn't have the energy, and there was no reason for her to move. She had convinced herself this was what she deserved. Staring up into black nothingness, she started singing quietly a song that always seemed to be just hovering on the edges of her consciousness.

Pan dragged himself to his feet, his magic gone and along with it, his hope that he or Merida would ever get out of here alive. He could have wandered for hours, or it could have been days. Time didn't seem to exist here. Things just went on for eternity. Tortured souls surrounded him, screaming and clawing at him, but he just brushed them away. They weren't real. But really, what was real here. Surely not Merida's voice that reached his ears. Merida. Suddenly everything came flooding back, and he turned around, searching for her. "Merida!"

Her name cut through her heart like a knife, and she slowly turned her head to see a boy stumbling towards her out of the smoke. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking as he sank down next to her. "I failed you."
She looked at him with a puzzled expression. "I know you. Who are you?" He paused for a moment. "Peter. Peter Pan."