HEART OF GOLD | ONCE UPON A TIME, PETER PAN
"The boy never cried again, and he never forgot what he'd learned: that to love is to destroy, and that to be loved, is to be the one destroyed."
PROLOGUE: ALL MAGIC COMES WITH A PRICE
THE ENCHANTED FOREST, 347 YEARS AGO
Peter pushed a low slung tree branch out of his way in annoyance as he trekked through the forest, his patience beginning to wear thin of this game the universe was playing with him.
He had wanted immortality, to never age beyond eighteen, to be the powerful king of his very own land. He'd received all of those things, but he'd been foolish to believe there wouldn't be a catch to those gifts. After all, the most important lesson he had learned as a child was that all magic came with a price. He just didn't think the price would be his life, and he'd spend the years he did have waiting on something as simple and mundane as a heart.
"Remind me again why you dragged me across two realms at the crack of dawn to this Enchanted Fairyland place," Felix said from behind him, sounding altogether bored of their excursion.
Pan couldn't blame him, they'd been walking through the woods for hours, and so far, the closest they'd come to a magical creature was a talking squirrel. His shadow had given him instructions, told him where to go to find the woman he was seeking, but he hadn't been here in years, and while he was here, he hadn't spent much time in the forest. A sprawling forest that stretched on for miles in every direction, each tree practically identical to the next. There was no way to distinguish where they'd already been from where they were meant to be headed.
But Peter had never been one to give up so easily.
"Forest, Felix," he corrected his oldest companion as he ducked beneath a fallen tree trunk, his lips twitching in faint amusement. "And I told you, we're here to find the antidote to my . . . life-threatening disease."
Felix snorted at his choice of words. "That's certainly an interesting way of saying—"
"Peter Pan," a voice as smooth as silk said from somewhere behind them. "I've been expecting you."
Both he and Felix turned just in time to see a middle-aged woman float down to the ground. She had long brunette hair that cascaded past her waist in waves and she wore a royal blue gown. Her eyes were blue, Peter could tell, but they were clouded over. It was like looking at something through fog.
"You know why we've come?" Peter asked, stepping forward while Felix stayed back, knowing Pan didn't need him for this part.
"I do," the Seer said. She stood with her hands clasped together in front of her, the epitome of a poised and wise woman.
"So, what do I need to do to save my life?" Peter arched an inquisitive brow, never the type to beat around the bush.
"Give me your hand," she instructed, and Peter didn't hesitate to offer it to her. She grasped his in both of hers and closed her eyes. "I see . . . a boy."
"I know, the Heart of the Truest Believer," Pan cut in impatiently. "My shadow told me about him, but there's something more I need, isn't there?"
"Indeed," the Seer said, her lips curling to a wry smile. "Something so pure in nature, it goes beyond the comprehension of a floating demon."
Peter stepped closer to her, eager to hear what she'd seen. "Tell me."
"This one heart alone will not ensure your success," she explained. "Your salvation will be a girl. A girl who will hold your life in the palm of her hand."
"A girl?" Peter smirked, quirking a disbelieving eyebrow. "Who?"
"A girl with the purest soul to ever exist in all the realms," she answered. "The girl with a Heart of Gold."
Peter sighed irritably. Now he'd be searching for not one, but two people. He didn't realize trying to achieve immortality would involve so much work. "Where can I find her?" he demanded.
"She will be born here, in the Enchanted Forest, after three centuries have passed," the Seer told him. She opened her eyes, letting go of his hand. "That's as far as I can see. It will be up to you to find her."
She turned abruptly, ready to disappear into the forest once more.
"Wait!" Peter called after her. "Children are born in this forest every day. How will I possibly be able to decipher which girl possesses the heart I need?"
The Seer paused, turning slightly to look over her shoulder at him. She smiled. "Allow your music to be a guiding hand, Peter. She will be the only girl to hear its melody."
And then she was gone, leaving Peter Pan with more questions than answers.
A/N: So, I've done it. I've hopped on the Once Upon a Time bandwagon. I never really had an interest in this show until I saw gifs of Peter Pan on Tumblr and then I basically skipped to season three just to watch his storyline. However, I fell in love with all the characters so I've started watching it from the beginning. I'm halfway through the first season, yay!
Anyway, I'm me, so of course I can't help but turn everything into a romance. As a result, this story was born and I'm going to have so much fun with it because of all the background stories (yes, I'm changing Pan's for the sake of this story) and I just can't wait to share it with my fellow ouat fans!
Let me know what you think! The girl with the "heart of gold" will make her debut in the next chapter :)
Also, this story will eventually follow the season three storyline.