authors note: I wrote this for fun as I have this whole idea about how I'd like the Neverland arc to end on OUAT (It'd never likely happen on the show but that's cool xD). I'm an avid role player but I've never written actual stories on my own before this so, please, if you have any advice then feel free to message me. I had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you get as much enjoyment from reading it.

The sun hung low in the horizon as a boy with feathery light brown hair stood on the edge of a cliff, his leaf green eyes scanning the vast expansion of trees and mountains below. He could hardly believe he was there in the place he had dreamed of for so long, a magical place that had returned to him his youth and quenched his thirst for fun and adventure, a place that was now his kingdom to rule. It had come with a great sacrifice, one that he was more than happy to forget about as it brought a sharp sting of pain to his little heart every time he thought about it. He had done the right thing, he had tried to convince himself over and over again and after awhile, he even began to believe his own lie.

"What will you do now, Peter Pan?" a deep voice asked from behind him.

Glancing away from the glorious view of his new playground, Peter looked over his shoulder to the shadow like creature who hovered off the ground just behind him, it's glowing eyes peering at him with such an intensity it was as if the strange being was looking into his very soul. Grinning, Peter merely shrugged his shoulders before he looked back to the horizon where the sun was about to set.

"Whatever I want." he simply replied as a matter of factly, his grin widening.

"Neverland is mine to do as I please. Although, an idea does come to mind."

Titling it's head, the shadow peered over at Peter before it floated over to the boy's side. "And what idea is that?" it asked as it peered over the edge of the cliff as well. Still grinning from ear to ear, Peter bent over to pick up a rock by his feet before he tossed it over the edge, watching it fall down to the foggy depths below.

"Tell me shadow, have you ever heard of a wishing well?" he then asked, finally gazing back at his mysterious companion again. Turning it's head slowly, the shadow peered back at the boy, meeting his icy gaze with it's own.

"Haven't I already given you what you wished for?"

"I'm human, laddie, an immortal one but a human nonetheless and I have many needs. Alas, there is one desire I have that even you can not grant me."

The shadow contemplated the boy's words in silent consideration for moments before tilting his head curiously once again. "And this wishing well can?" Smirking over at the shadow once again, Peter picked up another rock and tossed it but didn't watch it fall like had with the first one, choosing to turn on his heel instead and began walking away.

"Yes, and I know just where to find one..." he replied over his shoulder, the mischievous grin never once fading. Staring after the boy, the shadow watched as Peter disappeared behind a thicket of vines and turned it's attention back to the setting sun one last time before obediently following after him...

"Henry!"

Their pleas were pointless, unheard words cried out to a corpse as the ever gullible Henry had offered his heart up already to help aid in a cause that never existed in the first place. The blonde one, Emma whom he has become so fond of as it was so amusing to watch her struggle, dropped her blade and raced forward to the limp body of her son with Neal and Regina in tow. He watched them all from a distance as he hovered above them with a large grin on his face, having never felt so alive since he had traded his own son To regain his youth. He had done the impossible. With the heart of the truest believer given to him willingly, he would be able to stay young forever. He'd never have to grow up and face the harsh reality and responsibilities that came with being an adult ever again.

"Give. It. Back." the words were uttered menacingly through clenched teeth, interrupting him from his gleeful thoughts to see the dark haired enchantress glaring up at him, tears streaking down her face. "Henry's heart...give it back." she insisted as she slowly got back up to her feet, her fists clenched down at her sides. Still hovering several yards above them, the boy only grinned smugly down at the pitiful creature pleading with him.

"Sorry lass, no take backs."

His reply didn't seem to sit well with Regina as she let out a frustrated yell, her hands suddenly lighting up with bright orange flames before she began hurling fireballs at him. It was no use though as the boy easily dodged each attack, gracefully gliding through the air.

"I said, give it back!" she continued to scream as she fired one last fireball at the boy only to have her arms held down at her sides by Emma.

"Regina, stop it! If Pan dies, Henry dies with him." the blonde pleaded, trying so desperately to calm the other woman down. Though she was still shaking with rage, Regina gazed back at Emma, her teeth still clenched painfully, but extinguished her flames as she knew Snow's darling little girl was right. The enchantress didn't like it, she never did, but dammit, Emma was right. If she killed Peter Pan, there was no way of getting Henry his heart back after. After dodging the last last fireball, Peter laughed, drawing the attention of the group of adults below.

"Is that the best you've got?" he asked tauntingly with an arched brow. "Well, since you've showed me yours, I guess it's only polite if I show you mine." he then added as he raised his arms. Suddenly the whole cave began to shake, causing Emma and Regina to nearly lose their balance. Cracks in the cave's ceiling began to form and large chunks of rocks began falling though the air.

"W-What's happening?" Emma shouted as she tried to regain her footing while Neal held onto Henry and Regina continued to glare up at Pan. Still grinning, Peter relished the surge of power coursing through his veins as he continued to make the very ground shake beneath him. Once his spell was finished casting, he turned his gaze back down to the adults and lowered his arms.

"So...bad news is this island is sinking and you're all going down with it." he explained, much to everyone else's horror. "But at least you'll have each other in your watery grave." he added with one final salute before he quickly flew out of the cave, leaving everyone else behind in the wake of his destruction.

"Pan. Get back here!" Regina shouted after him, though it was no use. Pan was gone, the island was sinking, and she was helpless to stop it.

"We need to get out of here." Neal stated over the noise of the crumbling cave, picking up Henry's limp body and held it protectively close to his chest before he began sprinting for the cave's exit as well. Emma followed in suit with Regina and soon the three of them were back on the sandy banks of Skull Island, the ground still shaking beneath their feet. Looking around however, the boat they had used to arrive to the island was no where in sight.

"Where's our boat?" Emma asked, frantically scanning the shore. Regina, having been the first to spot it, finally pointed to a spot in the distance where their boat was just before it disappeared under the water.

"That little bastard sank it."

"Great. What are we supposed to do now?" Emma asked as she stared at the distance between them and safe land that wasn't about to sink into the sea. It was too far to swim and who knew what was lurking in the water.

"Regina!" It was then that someone shouted at them from the distance and their gazes quickly fell in the direction of the sound.

A woman with vibrant red hair waved at them from the water, frantically trying to get their attention. Squinting her eyes, Regina could barely believe what she was seeing. Or rather, who.

"Ariel?"

Ariel swam a little closer to the shore and nodded her head in confirmation to her identity. "I thought you had left already." Regina shouted back to the mermaid in surprise.

"You know her?" Neal cut in, staring over at the stranger in the water with an expression of confusion.

Looking back over at him, Regina let out a soft sigh. "Yes. It's...kind of a long story."

"Of Course it is." Emma rolled her eyes as she knew that anything involving Regina Mills was long and complicated.

"You need to jump into the water!" Ariel instructed, earning her the attention of the two other women once again.

"What, are you crazy? In case you haven't noticed, we don't all have fish tails like you do." Regina shouted back in reply as she pointed down at her legs. Then, three more mermaids suddenly popped up out of the water beside Ariel and the red headed mermaid smirked over at the group on the still sinking island.

"No, but we do."

"Can we trust them?" Neal asked, shifting Henry in his arms.

"They tried to kill us." Emma pointed out.

Regina shook her head. "This one's good. Annoyingly so, actually. Trust me." she sighed once again before she began wading into the water. Emma looked over to Neal who merely shrugged his shoulders before he began wading into the cold water after Regina, Emma reluctantly following suit. Once he was in the water, Neal handed Henry over to Ariel before he placed an arm around one of the other mermaid's shoulders and they all began to swim away from Skull Island as it sank beneath the sea's murky surface...