Finding Pan | OUAT Fan-fiction

50: Final Preparations

Elle listened to Arthur's story and learned he was the former king of Camelot. He described his journey through the Underworld with her father to find Hades' weakness. Her heart sank a little when she heard her father moved on to his afterlife. She was happy for him, but wished she was able to see him one last time.

"If you do not mind me asking me, Your Highne ss," Arthur began and Elle cut him off, "Call me Elle."

"Alright... Elle," Arthur nodded, "What occurred above?"

Elle frowned remembering the painful loss of Peter in order to save Storybrooke from Hades. A tear went down her face as she clenched her fists in her lap. When she was up there, she blocked out all her emotions refusing to show any weakness. She tried to keep up the facade down here, but it was growing too much for her. Elle stood, "We can go somewhere private to talk."

Arthur nodded his head and followed Elle down to Hades' lair and into a passage that entered a castle. The inside was rustic and reminded him of the castle in Camelot. Elle led him to a room with a piano and a sofa in front of a grand window. Arthur took a seat by the window along with Elle as she continued speaking, "I apologize back there for my behaviour. A lot occurred and I'm still shaken up."

"Do not fret," Arthur reassured her, "Speak only when you feel okay to do so."

Elle gave him a grateful smile, "Emma managed to get the pages and headed to confront Hades when she was stopped by the Wicked Witch of the West, a former lover of Hades. I managed to slip through with Peter Pan and confront him. He... He killed Peter."

Elle stopped speaking as tears came rushing from her eyes she wiped them away and felt the ice around her heart cracking. She sniffled and then widened her eyes as she felt arms wrap around her in a tight hug. Arthur did not pull away and let his hand run up and down her back calming her down.

"Just let it out," He whispered in her ear and that was what she did.

She cried out in grief for the love she just got back. The one she could not bear to live without. Her happy ending. It was gone within a split second. her mind kept replaying his death like a broken record. He did not remember who she was and yet he still sacrificed himself for her. The Ambrosia drink only did so much.

Elle successfully defeated Hades, but the cost was too great. She had been so stoic, she refused to tell the others that she was ever there at all. What would Henry think?

Then there was her father, Hook. She lost her father and her mother, the two people who gave their lives for her. The two parents she never got to be a family with. This thought caused her to weep even more. She felt broken inside having lost everything.

"I'm sorry, Elle," Persephone's soft voice spoke in her mind, "The pain will go soon."

Elle lifted her head and found herself staring into Arthur's hazel eyes, "Arthur, have you ever lost someone dear to you?"

Arthur looked up at the night sky, "I have. I have a wife whom I let drift away from me due to my obsession in completing Excalibur. I lied to my people and brought darkness to their lives."

Elle listened to the king and asked him softly, "Do you regret what you did?"

Arthur gave a small nod of his head, "I do. However, I made those choices and I must accept them."