Disclaimer: I do not own 'Once Upon a Time' or any characters from it.
A/N: Warning: this 'author note' is really long, so you can feel free to skip it. I don't want to bore you to death before the actual story.
Welcome to my new story! Before it begins, I have to say a few words. Or maybe more than a few. I was more than nervous when I started it. 'Once Upon a Time' universe seems so complex and the characters are so difficult to capture for me that I feared I wouldn't be able to show them in a right way. I think I don't have the ability to present the characters' features correctly, but I am gonna try. I also came to a conclusion that writing should be fun, and it is no fun when I stare at a blank page, thinking about how to capture the characters. So, I went with the tide. And had fun with it. You don't like something - write and tell me what bothers you, I will try to change that.
Second thing: I had an involuntary break from reading in English and I feel like my vocabulary is worse than ever. I'll try to improve it at the earliest convenience (summer break is just at its beginning, so I have plenty of time!).
Third thing: my stories have always one thing in common: they are focused mainly on characters' mentality and not action. This story won't be an exception.
About the story itself: the title comes from the song by Poets of the Fall. I discovered that band recently and immediately fell in love with them; I just couldn't resist naming the story with the title of their song. The story takes place after season two finale and will show plots from three worlds (Neverland, Storybrooke, Fairy Tale Land) and many different points of view: meaning no particular main character, although it may change later. I don't have a very good memory, so if I mess up something canon(ish), tell me right away. I intend it to be full of family emotions, but almost every possible ship will be here or just mentioned (without slashes, they will come only in the form of friendships/frenemies/enemies). Also, I think I've never read the original Peter Pan story, so the plot will be strictly my imagination (but it may change later, I've just found some non-original PP story on my bookshelf, so it might be an inspiration for the plot later).
My chapters are always long and I don't think this story will be any difference; proportions between each storyline may vary, depending on the chapter.
This chapter... I love watching and imagining collective scenes and they seem to look good in my head, but writing them is the hardest task of all. So I definitely preferred writing the middle part of this chapter. But I really hope you'd enjoy the whole of it!
1. Worlds apart
Never Ending See, Neverland
Traveling between worlds on a ship wasn't something very pleasant. For the long moment that seemed the whole eternity they felt like 'Jolly Roger' were spinning around its axis, making them unable to see or hear anything. They needed time to realise it wasn't the ship that was spinning around, but their own centers of gravity. Slowly everything started to calm down and those who closed tightly their eyes – meaning Emma, Charming and Snow – could finally open them and see... Practically nothing.
"So that's Neverland?"
There was pitch dark on the other side of the portal. Their eyes needed long adjusting before they could finally see anything around them. And when they could, they still didn't see much except for navy blue sky and navy blue see, which constituted one big navy blue area without a border between two infinite things.
"I thought it would consist of never and not nowhere." Emma was the first to comment their surroundings.
"And what did you expect, Swan? It's an island, and islands usually consist of a small piece of land and the big amount of water around it." Hook's sarcasm was clearly hearable.
"I know, but I didn't expect so much... water." Emma frowned, not knowing what she was really expecting. Maybe some light. The Sun or the Moon. Or at least some stars; on the dark sky there were only few of them. So few that it already made her feel uneasy.
"Tell me about it," David murmured, closing Mary Margaret in a tighter embrace and finally letting go of the rope he was holding.
Emma looked around at her companions. No one seemed to be perfectly calm. There seemed to be something menacing in the air, making them all feel unsure. Regina's breath was shorter than usual; Charming and Snow clearly wanted to warm their hearts up, not parting from their hug; Hook's sour expression spoke for itself; even Gold frowned, looking attentively at the endless surface of see around the ship.
For a moment they seemed to be frozen in time. Emma could no longer stand that state of suspension.
"Okay," she started, clearing her throat. "We need a plan." She tried to make her voice sound firmly, but failed. It clashed like she hadn't used it for a really long time.
Regina opened her mouth to speak, freeing herself from the numbness, but Snow outran her.
"Yes, we definitely need a plan," she said eagerly, just to say something and feel a little bit better and not so helpless. "So..." Her eyes wandered to the 'dark three', as she named them in her mind: Hook, Regina and Gold. She had the strong suspicion that the pirate knew that place; he was also the only one who knew how to sail the ship. His own ship, to be more specific. Regina possessed magic and her own kind of desperation, strong and relentless. Rumpelstiltskin had power, knowledge and cleverness none of them had. To her biggest dismay she had to admit that only these three people were able to find Henry. She, David and Emma where quite helpless, having only their motto – always finding each other – love and kind hearts, and that last thing was more often a burden than a useful tool. She hated that, but it was the truth. They didn't have a chance to find Henry on their own. Not this time.
"I can add the first piece to that puzzle," Hook spoke, regaining his usual vigor. "I shall have a nap and I advise you to do the same." He rubbed his hands viciously.
"What?" Four voices cried in surprise. Gold cast the pirate a strange glance.
"You know what they say: haste makes waste." Hook bared his teeth in a wild grin pointed directly at Emma.
"You offered us your services and a ship," Regina reminded him in a cold voice, standing in front of him. Her stony tone didn't work on the captain.
"I exactly know what I offered you," he said, narrowing his eyes. "Thanks for the concern over my memory, but it's still efficient. I offered you my services and the ship, but I didn't offer you my own death which shall happen the moment you throw yourselves in a hostile world without any proper preparation." With every word he stepped closer to Regina, so when he stopped talking their faces were merely inches apart.
"I'm so sorry, captain," she said mockingly. "But the matter of your survival isn't my concern."
"I'm so sorry, your majesty," he said in the same style. "But none of you know how to sail my ship and magic won't help you much with it. You rely on me."
He straightened and looked around at his crewmates' faces, claiming his victory. When no one protested he smirked and stepped back from the queen, who tried hard to find proper words, apparently to no avail. They really needed that irritating pain in the ass.
"So now, if you excuse me, I will go below and have some sleep," he said slowly, feasting his mind on the situation. Five pairs of eyes were watching his every move, mostly with anger and powerless fury. "That was rather a tough day. In the meantime, you can prepare for Neverland. If, of course, you don't want to die during the first day here." The last wide grin and he was under the deck, his steps echoing through the air.
They stayed in silence for a moment, then Emma snickered.
"He can go to hell," she stated furiously. "We don't need him. You two can magically conjure some map and we will just find the land." She directed her last words to Gold and Regina.
"And what, you shall just jump in a lifeboat and sail to some direction you will regard as correct?" Regina gibed, looking at her contemptuously.
"No, apparently unlike you, I know where west and north is, so I will find a proper way when you give me a map," Emma snapped back, stressing the last words.
"Oh, but you don't know where east and south is, it would be too much for your overworked head?" Regina crossed her arms on her chest, sending Emma hostile glances.
"Can't you just give up already?" Snow finally freed herself from Charming's embrace and stepped between two women. "You two can't fight if we want to find Henry sooner rather than later." She wanted to say 'before it's too late', but those words didn't want to leave her suddenly squeezed throat.
Two mothers exchanged last antagonistic glares, before turning to Snow. They both knew they had to stand each other and cooperate if they wanted to save what they loved much: their son. Prejudices and fights had to wait until they are back in Storybrooke. But they would never say it out loud. The truce could only be unspoken.
"You were partly right: we need a map," Snow slowly said, seeing that she gained the attention. "And the direction. We don't have a compass, but finding the sides of the world won't necessarily be a problem. When we have a map and a destination it shouldn't be difficult to reach it, should it?" She tried to sound convinced, but she wasn't sure of her own words. Her head seemed badly empty.
"And why exactly shouldn't it be difficult?" Regina asked, trying hard to erase the hostility from her voice. "Please, enlighten me."
"Magic shall help us, right?" Snow answered with a question, smiling naively. "And once we are where we should be we will grab Henry and... return to the ship." She didn't say 'return home'. She wasn't sure they would ever return home. But that couldn't be their concern right now, they had bigger worries.
"Listen to yourselves," Regina raised her voice. "You," she pointed at Emma, "think we just need a map and everything will be fine. You," she turned to Snow, "believe magic can do anything and that it shall actually do all the work for us. Do you even know what you are saying?"
"So what are you suggesting?" Emma leant against the mast, looking expectantly at her now ex-enemy.
"I am suggesting a little bit of thinking." The queen drawled the words. "How can we easily find a direction when there seems to be no Sun and practically no stars? How can we just choose a scrap of land and say 'hey, that's surely the place where they took Henry'?" She was in her element, heating herself in her own monologue. "I suggest we shall invade that place courageously and not like some cowards. I suggest we should behave like intruders and not hide in the corners. I suggest we shall burn and kill until we find Henry."
"Are you all insane?" Charming looked at them with unpleasant surprise in his eyes. "Or do you just all have a death wish? We can't put everyone's life at risk, because then Henry would surely be lost with no one to ever find him."
Gold sighed heavily, deciding that the time of observing that bunch of idiots has just passed and the time of stepping in has just come.
"With deep regrets, I have to concede the point to our dear captain," he said, immediately gaining everyone's attention. "This ship has been specially designed to withstand magical forces that would like to seize it. We need its captain to lead us."
Emma rolled her eyes and Regina sighed heavily. Gold had to hold back his amusement coming from the observation how different and yet so similar those two women were.
"He was also right about being prepared for this journey," he continued.
"I'm afraid it's a little bit too late for that," Regina snorted. Gold didn't comment, endowing her with one single glance.
"Neverland is one of the most dangerous places that exist and we shall not achieve anything walking blindly with no particular destination in mind," he proceeded. This time Emma was the one to cut in his sentence. What an analogy.
"So what, are we going to wait till we miraculously stumble upon Henry by chance?" Her eyes widened with disbelief and growing anger. "That's what you propose?"
"That's not what I propose," he denied, still calm and unmoved, but he wasn't meant to finish what he was about to say.
"Every passing second drifts us apart from Henry," Regina said, not able to say out loud that she agreed with Emma, even though she did.
"I'm more than aware." Gold's impatience started growing. "But we have to keep in mind that this world is ruled by forces so powerful that they could blow us from the surface in the period shorter than it takes to say help."
Gloomy silence fell down on the ship.
"Yes, I can magically conjure a map and yes, we can magically find the right direction to the land, but it would mean a very quick death sentence for the majority of us." He hesitated a little before saying 'us'. Usually he would use the word 'you'. He wasn't accustomed to saying 'us' in regard to someone else than Belle or Bae. But he couldn't think about any of them right now. It was impossible to keep track of the situation with heart hurting so much that he wouldn't be surprise if it would literally start bleeding. He had to focus on the current position. It meant restraining from thoughts about his beloved for long enough to make sure some of his companions wouldn't throw them all for a certain death. "Every magic leaves a trail, easy to track. We would be found in a matter of seconds. And we don't want to be found, trust me."
"Found by who?" Emma frowned.
"You don't want to know, dearie," he smirked, deciding not to share information that definitely wouldn't help them; on the contrary, it could spread panic and make everything look worse than it already did.
"So... what are we doing?" Charming asked. They were all waiting for Gold's instructions. He had even bigger power over them here than in Storybrooke. It wasn't very gratifying in his current state of mind. One word – 'undoing' – and two names starting with 'B' were possessing him to such an extent that power became almost meaningless. He couldn't even draw a satisfaction from having everyone at his command.
"First, we shall find out as much as we can from the only person that has actually been here before."
"Are you sure he has been here?" Charming seemed to take charge of the rest of the group.
"Yes, I am." Gold nodded his head. "Emma," he turned to the youngest woman. Swan looked at him unwillingly. "You shall be the best for this task."
"What? Why me?" Emma gasped in exasperation.
"He seems to like you," Gold said with a cunning smile. "He will tell you everything we need to know."
"He will tell me nothing," she denied passionately.
"With that attitude certainly not."
Emma's eyes widened as the understanding rushed through her mind.
"You want me to flirt with him?!" She felt disgusted. "No way I am doing this!"
"Well, I believe it's a fair price to pay for being one step closer to finding Henry." It was definitely playing on Swan's emotions, but Gold didn't mind that at all.
Emma ground her teeth.
"Fine," she hissed, feeling angry and humiliated. "And what will we do when I magically get the information we need?"
"One step at a time, dearie," Gold answered, turning to the calm and dark see. "One step at a time."
He heard whispers and talking behind him, but he didn't care anymore. Dark waves seemed to remind him about everything and everyone he had lost in such a short period of time, even though he didn't actually need a reminder. They enabled him to get away from the ship, from its crew, from burning problems of Henry and 'undoing' and to drown in every thought he has been shutting down till that moment. Thought of his again lost son, this time lost for good. Thought of the one he had had to leave behind, this time leave for good. Thought about never being able to see her smile, hear her laugh or hold her in his arms again.
One single tear rolled down his cheek and sank into the gloomy, bottomless see.
Storybrooke, Maine
Dark waves were folding the ideal surface of the see, moved by powerful blows of wind. It was cold and unpleasant at the docks, but Belle didn't mind. She was standing in the harbor, her hands hidden in the pockets of a blue coat, her eyes lingering on the endless amount of water ahead of her. The freezing wind penetrated every inch of her body, making her shiver, but it couldn't force her to flee. She needed time for herself, to properly digest every event from that day. And not only from that day, also from all those days when she hadn't been herself. Was there a better location to do that than a place where her heart had broken again, strangely in more painful way than all those other times?
After the departure of Henry's future-to-be Saviors, she had unfolded the instructions she had been given and discovered a really long spell written inside. She had had no idea if it had been designed so that she herself could cast it, so she had decided to direct her steps to Mother Superior. Blue Fairy had been more than reluctant to use Rumpelstiltskin's spell, but, after Belle had initiated her in the events of that crazy day, she had agreed to take advantage of it and make the city magically invisible for the strangers. The spell had been cast on the border of the town and had encased Storybrooke in the transparent bulb that had been visible only for few seconds, after which it had disappeared from the sight. The city had been protected from then on.
Coming back from the border Belle had stumbled upon Leroy, who, after expressing his joy from her regained memory, not very patiently had demanded information. She had repeated the whole story of the day, making Grumpy's eyes widen with surprise. He had promised her to take charge of the city with her and then had run away to his companions to share the events. She was sure the whole Storybrooke would know everything in the matter of minutes.
Taking charge of the city... That was ridiculous. She had barely been able to take care of Dark Castle all those years ago. And now she was just about to switch from looking after the library to being responsible for the whole town? She was no hero to protect all those people. Inhabitants of Storybrooke had faith in Snow White and Prince Charming; they would never have faith in her, the caretaker, the librarian, the bookworm, and no one more. No hero.
Her previous experiences from trying to be a hero weren't reassuring at all: if it hadn't been for Mulan, she would have been dead almost thirty years ago. Heroes were brave, strong, relentless. She may have been courageous and kind-hearted, but that was all. How could she be strong when she felt so deeply shattered? Her life, her heart, her thoughts seemed to be chopped in so many little pieces that it was almost impossible to put them back together. Not when she was all by herself. Not when the only thing that kept her unbroken was hope to see him again. Hope that their last meeting wasn't the ultimate one. Hope was all that she was left with. It wasn't enough to find her lost strength.
She sniffled and decided it was enough time for her to return home. What home she had in mind, she had no idea; there couldn't possibly be any place that would fit to that description. She let her legs lead her out of the docks; on the main road again, she suddenly knew where she was going.
His shop was protected from entering, but with her exception. She was able to come into, take anything and leave. Or stay. No one else could do any of those things.
She slowly entered the shop and heard the familiar sound of the bell. The atmosphere of that place, so well-known, wrapped her up tightly, making her feel better and worse in the same time. She went on the back and stopped in front of the table. Everything was there in the same place that they had abandoned it, leaving few hours before. And among other stuff there was a thing she came for.
Belle reached her hand and slowly caressed the chipped cup. She remembered breaking it in the hospital. He had had to come back and gather the pieces when she had been sleeping. The only souvenir of their relationship was alive again. Just as she was. Alive and back with her memories, but feeling worse than ever.
For nearly thirty years the cup has been his reminder of her. Now the roles had to change. The cup will be her reminder of him. It was their thing, apparently. She would give up everything just to change 'their thing' for a little bit of happiness together. Was that so much to ask for?
Apparently, it was.
She took the cup and pressed it to her lips, closing her eyes. She would cherish it the same way he had always done it. She and the cup will wait for him to get back. And they will reunite again. She was sure of that. And, who knows, maybe then happiness would become 'their thing'. She had to believe that. She just had to.
It was already dark outside when Belle left the shop and started walking slowly down the street. Life had strangely changed since the time she had got shot. She had two identities now: one of her own and second of some different, unfamiliar person. She hated the memories from her 'Lacey life'. She had no idea how her curse self could be so distinct, so awful. She didn't recognize herself in that other person. So reckless, cruel, dark, unthoughtful, almost inhuman. And what Lacey did to Rumple... With Lacey he was no longer creating 'beauty and the beast' couple; there had been a transformation for 'beast and the beast' couple. Lacey had brought out everything bad that ever existed in him. The cruelty, toughness, pure evil; he had stopped caring about anything and anyone, even Bae. But Belle had already forgiven him. She knew why he had changed his behaviour. He had been trying to stand up to Lacey's expectations, so that he would be able to find her, Belle, somewhere underneath that shallow cover of a superficial heavy drinker. He hadn't told her exactly that, but she didn't need his words; she knew. He had been looking for her. For the woman he loved. Lacey wasn't that woman.
Belle sighed, stopped and promised herself that she would remember that experience, so something like that would never happen again. Despite the obvious nonsense of such a vow, it made her feel a little bit better. She suddenly lifted her head and discovered with surprise where she was.
She was standing in front of his house. Her legs knew where to lead her.
She hesitated a little before entering, but finally came into the house. She still had a key. The house was empty, dark and silent, but in that moment it was the most familiar thing she could have access to, even more than her own librarian apartment. Every single object that was located here reminded her of him. She wasn't sure if, long-termly, it would help her survive the time of separation or, on the contrary, would make her feel worse than ever, but she decided to give the house a try. She needed to feel his presence.
She wandered into the bedroom. Where were those times when she had been lying down in the bed? It was merely few months ago, but it seemed like the whole eternity. When he is back, she will never let him let go of her ever again.
She slowly lay down on the bed and buried her head in the pillow, breathing in his scent. She desperately needed him to hold her...
Hot tears slowly started wetting the material of the pillow. They hadn't even had a chance to spend at least a little time together after her memories had come back. She really wished they had, because she already missed him. He had to return to her sooner rather than later. He had to, there was no other option. Because without him... she would never be herself again.
The Enchanted Forest
"Carefully!"
Aurora watched as Mulan and Philip dragged the body of the stranger to the forest border and as they placed him neatly in the middle of the nearest glade, where they had been camping the night before. She scrutinized the man's outfit from the distance. The strange clothes he was wearing resembled those of Emma and Snow; maybe he had come from there...
"Can we help him?" She heard Philip's voice. Her prince lifted his head and looked at Mulan concernedly.
The stranger's right side was covered with blood. His clothes there were discolored, but still a little bit flashing, which indicated the fact the wound was fresh.
Mulan lifted his shirt slowly only to discover a severe, deep injury that was still heavily bleeding. She pressed her fingers to the wound to check if it would slow a blood loss. The shape of the injury was strange; none of them knew the weapon that would make something like this.
"I'm not sure," Mulan answered, looking worriedly at her fingers, already covered with dark blood. The intensity of its color made Aurora shiver: she still wasn't used to harsh realities of warriors' lives. "I'm afraid herbs and poppies won't be sufficient this time."
Philip sighed and occupied himself in creating a bandage out of a piece of their own clothing.
"So what shall be sufficient?" Aurora asked, feeling strangely uninitiated.
"Magic," Mulan answered, looking at her anxiously. Aurora felt strange cold on the sound of that word. She had to rub her arms to warm herself up, but that didn't really help. Their recent adventures with magic made her shiver on the single thought of being forced to resort to it again.
"What kind of magic?" She whispered under her breath.
"Good magic, don't worry." Philip immediately appeared next to her and seeing her insecure look he hugged her tightly. She needed to feel his warmth after all that time when she had thought she had lost him forever. She definitely didn't want to lose him again and that was the risk coming with magic.
"There is no such thing in this world," she said slowly, moving back from her beloved. "Every magic comes with a price."
"What are you saying?" Mulan frowned and stood up, joining them. "That we shouldn't save him?"
Aurora looked at the man lying on the ground. His skin was white as a sheet, his breath was shallow and unsteady; he didn't have much time left. Ground beneath him was absorbing his blood, darkening immediately. Grass seemed to like that new kind of water.
"I don't know," she whispered, almost out of breath.
"We can't just let him die," Mulan protested, searching help in Philip.
"She's right," he said, smiling weakly at Aurora and squeezing her hand lightly. "He can be someone's son, husband or father. Someone may miss him to the same extent as you missed me. We can't let him die, my love."
She looked at her companions hesitantly, then sighed and nodded her head.
"Where do you want to find this good magic?" She asked, sounding defeated. She didn't want to be responsible for that man's death, but she was afraid saving him would bring consequences. Consequences far grater than anyone of them could have ever imagined. If there was a thing she had learned from the events of the last few months, it was the knowledge that everything came with a price. And she has always feared that dreadful, terrible cost.
"We don't have fairy dust, there are no fairies here and generally speaking no one at all," Mulan started, searching for the solution in her head. "But..."
"But what?" Philip immediately sensed the change in his friend's voice.
"There can be some not-dried out lake..."
Aurora sighed, knowing what Mulan was talking about. Deep in her mind she knew that there was only one word written in their future: trouble.
But she didn't realise how deeply right she was.