Set Your Sails...to Atlantis || Peter Pan, OUAT

Prologue

~ Davina

Leaving Neverland is no easy feat. The Boys already miss it more than they care to articulate, and Peter, well, getting anything out of him is about as easy as getting a cork out of an aged rum cask. Usually, with force. And we're barely out of reach of the island, it's not even a speck on the horizon.

It isn't long before the mermaids start chasing the ship, begging Peter to stay and threatening to let the Shadows loose. When that doesn't work, they send the Sirens after us. Just like the storm that Snow and Emma and Killian had to fight off during their rescue of Henry. Luckily, Peter and I know how to get around them, and display an almost picture-perfect scene of harmony on board. As soon as the Sirens realise their efforts are being wasted, Peter and I use as much of our magic as we can, with a little boost from some pixie dust, and get the ship soaring through the second star to the right. And it is a slice of divinity that no being could craft themselves.

We sail on the waves of the galaxy, traverse through constellations and iridescent light. Here, the sun and moon have neither set nor risen, suspended halfway between, casting opposing glows across the field of stars. Their lights mix and intertwine with one another, weaving into a complicated tapestry of solar and lunar energy, constructing walls of auroras around us.

I have never sailed through such beauty, and it is an indescribable sight. It's almost impossible to believe that an island such as Neverland, with all its shadows and darkness could be hidden on one side of it. My heart swells with joy and excitement as I think about the journey ahead. I have waited so long to complete the adventure so many have struggled with, to find the lost city that has alluded countless others. And to do just one more thing for my parents, to complete a goal they waited to start before retiring from piracy. I feel, in the pit of my stomach and with every fibre of my being, that finding Atlantis will be monumental, more than I can comprehend.

I watch Peter as I guide the ship through the pocket of magic, hues of purple, yellow, blue, and pink cascading over him. He leans on the edge of the ship, watching the lights flicker past us. I find it hard to believe that this is the same person who was ready to trap me with his Shadow, keep me imprisoned on the island and maybe even kill me. Instead, he tried to find anything else that could help me and stop the Black Spot from tracking my every move. Anything other than the water that could have taken away my free will to come and go as I please. He seemed excited to embark on this journey, to discover a long lost land. But now, he seems sullen, and withdrawn. He looks over to me, and I give him a small smile across the deck, my position at the helm holding firm as we soar. It doesn't last long, he returns his gaze back to the expanse surrounding us, and his brow furrows. Not the annoying, smug frown that he usually wears, but one of concern that bothers me.

Suddenly, we begin our descent. Luckily, I don't have to rely on my inexperienced crew to manage the sails. I can only feel my magic getting stronger, and use it to direct the ship as gently as possible as we land on a stretch of ocean. The hull still dips almost under the water, and drenches the deck, seawater pouring out of the gun ports.

"Felix, hold her steady," I order, and he hurries over to take up my position. "Boys, drop anchor."

I begin climbing the mast, my muscles relishing the memory of a habit that has gone unused for a too long. Finally, I reach and jump into the crow's nest with ease, scanning the surrounding area for clues as to where we might have landed, but all I can see is miles and miles of ocean. Usually, I would be able to tell where we are, but travelling out of Neverland means we could have landed anywhere, on the fringes of any realm.

It's a good thing I'm always at least one step ahead.

Grabbing one of the ropes, I swing myself down to the deck and make my way into the charter room. Hidden away from any potential unwanted guests, I retrieve a replica of the map I had stolen from Regina all that time ago. While I highly doubt that the magical properties, although still unknown to me, are imbued within this copy, the detailed illustration of every realm and land proves useful to my needs. I cast my hand over it, letting the blue waves of my magic settle and come to a pinpoint on the map.