Once Upon A Time: The Devil In Neverland, Part Two

By Rebekkalee Mouri-Hibiki

(Our motley crew lands in Neverland... And loses a member right away. Mostly show with my tweaks to fit it into my universe.)

The ship lurched up from the portal, flopping down onto the water. Instantly, it stopped shaking though it kept rocking violently. Emma took a deep breath and let it out, looking around. After her vision, she had kept her eyes either closed or focused on the boards beneath her feet so she was surprised to see Mary-Margret had somehow ended up clinging to David.

She hadn't been that far from him to begin with but it made Emma feel sick to her stomach, wondering how close they had come to losing her in the dimensional rift. The ship seemed to be gaining its place in the water, the rocking becoming less violent. She heard Hook let out a grunt, turning to find him clinging to the wheel like he was using most of his strength to keep the ship steady. When it finally calmed down, she looked around the boat.

Regina and Mr. Gold were releasing the ropes they held, David releasing his but still holding Mary-Margret. She then looked ahead, her mind shifting to Henry. There was a large island just on the horizon. " Is that it? " She called to Hook.

" Aye, " He replied. " Neverland. "

Emma stared at it, unable to believe her eyes. As a child, she had heard many stories about Neverland. It was supposed to be a happy place where children had nothing to do all day but play. It didn't look like much fun to her though... It looked scary and foreboding. Even the way Hook had said the name sent chills through her.

" There's work to be done if we wish to reach the island, " Hook said, bringing Emma's attention back to him.

She turned, " Work? "

" On the ship, " He nodded. " It doesn't take care of itself, Swan. "

Emma's jaw dropped open as she looked around, " But there's only six of us... "

" Not including the captain, " Hook said. " But I've sailed with less. Everyone will have to pitch in. "

" But I don't know anything about boats, " Emma took a step towards him but stopped when David touched her shoulder. He had approached her without her noticing. She turned her face to him, " David... I... "

" Let Mary-Margret and I take care of it, " David said. " It shouldn't be that hard. "

Emma nodded, " Okay. "

" I suppose we can make do, " Hook snorted. " Wouldn't want your little princess to get rope burn on her hands now would we? "

Emma and David both looked at him but said nothing. He couldn't know the real reason why she wasn't able to help. She was still kind of doubtful that he had abandoned his bid to kill Mr. Gold and didn't want to give him any more reason to do so than he had. David stepped ahead of Emma, " She's probably still weak from saving Storybrooke. "

" Understandably, " Hook said as he turned the wheel and put the ship on a more even course with the island. It was still far away and made Emma wonder how long it would take to get to.

" Shouldn't we be going faster? " Regina voiced Emma's thought from where she stood a few feet away.

Hook rolled his eyes at her, " Yes, we should... The sails will help us gain the speed we need. "

Regina scoffed and motioned to the helm, " This is supposed to be the fastest ship in all the realms. "

Hook narrowed his eyes, " It is but the portal seems to have drained the magic for now. "

Regina lifted her hand and created a small fireball, " My magic is fine. "

" Yes but the ship absorbs the magic it uses from the surrounding environment, " Hook said. " You, on the other hand, have it inside of you already. "

" But I can absorb magic if I need to, " Regina countered.

" At will, " Hook said firmly. " The ship has no will therefore it is a passive absorption. Swan? "

Emma blinked, " What? "

" Tell me, " Hook looked down at her. " When you stole my ship to get Rumplestiltskin back to Storybrooke, how fast did it go? "

Emma blinked as she tried to remember the voyage back home. " Uh... The first half took a couple of hours but once we crossed into Storybrooke waters, we picked up a lot of speed and were home in no time at all. "

Hook lifted his hook into the air, " My point exactly. "

Suddenly, the ship lurched forward then slowed. " What the Hell was that? " Emma said as she regained her footing.

" The ship trying to gain speed, " Hook said. He then motioned to the sails, " Which will happen A LOT faster once those are down. "

David nudged Emma, " I got this. Let me go get Mary-Margret. "

Emma nodded, " Okay. "

Hook looked at Regina, " I think they might need a hand. "

Regina narrowed her eyes but said nothing as she walked down from the bridge. She gave Emma a semi-dirty look as she passed her on her way to the mast David and Mary-Margret walked to. As they started to work, she turned her attention back to the island ahead...

Henry tumbled forward out of the portal, landing on his side in what appeared to be sand though it was black. He looked up to see Greg and Tamara had landed just behind him. He decided to try to make a break for it and get his bearings later. He got to his feet, trying to run but Greg caught up to him.

" No, ah-ah, " Greg said as he grabbed the back of his jacket. He turned him to face him, " Slow down, pal. You got nowhere to go. "

Henry stumbled forward as Greg shoved him. " Huh. We made it, " Tamara said as he regained his balance. He turned to face them as Tamara looked at Greg, " Mission accomplished. "

" Are you sure about that? " Henry asked. " I'm sure my mom's coming to get me. Both of them. "

" You might want to take a look around kid," Greg walked towards him slowly. He turned and pointed in no direction in particular. " Do you see any clock towers? You're a long way from Storybrooke. "

" It doesn't matter, " Henry said. It was obvious that Greg and Tamara didn't know everything. " My family's been to The Enchanted Forest before and they can get here again. "

Tamara raised her eyebrows like she was going to speak but got cut off by the howling of what sounded like a wolf. Once it was quiet again, she said, " Well, we're not in The Enchanted Forest. We're in Neverland. "

Henry was startled by the news. He had thought they were trying to get to The Enchanted Forest to get rid of magic there. It had made sense since the magic in Storybrooke had come from there or at least he had always assumed it had. This, however, was a surprise. " Neverland? You're here to destroy Neverland? "

" It's the mother lode of magic, " Tamara replied. She turned to Greg as he rummaged through a backpack he had brought with them. " Where's the communicator? We need to signal the home office. "

Greg handed her a walkie-talkie as he tried to process their words. " Here you go, T, " He said as he repacked the backpack.

" An office in the jungle? Huh... " Henry thought that sounded strange. " Who works there? "

" Who we work for, " Greg replied as he put the backpack on his back. He then walked toward Henry, crouching down slightly as he looked into his eyes as he said. " It's not your concern, kid. Just know that they take care of us. "

" Do they? " Henry asked. " Can they tell you how to get back home AFTER you destroy magic? "

" We don't ask questions, " Greg said. Tamara stayed back, keeping quiet. Henry could tell she was thinking just by the look on her face. She then busied herself with the walkie-talkie as Greg said, " We just believe in our cause. "

" Greg? " Tamara called him and he looked at her. She was pushing buttons on the walkie-talkie but it stayed silent.

" Yeah? " He said.

Tamara sighed and walked over to him, holding out the radio. " I'm not getting a status light on this thing. "

Greg took it and turned it over in his hands, " Did you check the battery? "

Henry watched as he removed the battery cover to find the compartment full of sand. Tamara walked over and looked at it. She looked shocked, " What the Hell is this? A toy? "

" It's a good thing you guys don't ask any questions, " Henry said.

Greg frowned and looked at Tamara before he said, " Let's go. Walk. "

Henry stumbled as Greg grabbed him and forced him forward. He regained his footing, moving forward as he entertained thoughts of the things Emma and Regina would do to Greg once they found them...

The Jolly Roger had been sailing along at a steady speed for quite some time when a loud bang made Emma jump as the ship slowed. She turned to see Regina at the helm with Hook. She had been there since helping lower the sails. David and Mary-Margret had been tweaking the sails, getting them just right.

At some point during the work, David had shed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. The weather in Neverland was warm, almost like the perfect time in summer where it wasn't too cold or too hot. Of course the air was humid because of the sea, the moisture making her hair curl slightly at the ends.

She was starting to get hot as well and slipped out of her jacket though she kept her back to the helm. She rolled up her sleeves and went back to leaning on the rail. As she continued to stare at the island ahead of them, she heard Regina speak to Hook. " Why are you slowing down? In case you didn't know, my son's life is in danger. "

" Oh I know, my hot-headed queen, " Hook replied. " My plan is to bring us to the far side of the island... Link up with the widest part of the river and we sail right through... Take them by surprise. "

He sighed then added, " The irony. "

" What irony? " Regina asked.

" Um, " Hook said. " I spent more time than I care to remember to leave this place and to kill Rumplestiltskin... And here I am, sailing right back into its heart with him as my guest of honor. It's not quite the happy ending I was hoping for. "

Emma held her breath at his words. To her, it sounded like he really did still want to kill Mr. Gold. Her mind jumped to him, wondering if he was hearing any of what Hook was saying. Privacy was not a luxury on the deck but a quick look around told her he was not there.

She wondered where he could have gone and why but she wasn't ready to move yet, still not used to the swaying of the boat. She was scared she would fall if she dared to take a step. She closed her eyes, concentrating her energy as she reached out to him. ~Gold? Where are you? ~

Long moments passed as she waited for a reply. She frowned, ~GOLD! ~

~No need to yell, my darling. I heard you the first time, ~ He said. ~What is it? ~

~Where are you? ~ Emma queried.

~Preparing, ~ Mr. Gold said simply. ~ We are in dangerous territory and we must do everything we can to overwhelm our enemy. ~

~So you're drawing up some sort of battle plan? ~ Emma was confused by the secrecy. ~Hook's making his own plan. You should be up here, working... ~

~Together? ~ Mr. Gold cut her off. ~Hardly. He knows very little of war compared to what I know. We'd only bicker and accomplish nothing. I prefer to make my own plan and present it when I'm finished. ~

~Can you at least tell me what you have in mind? ~ Emma said. She was getting nervous, not sure what they were up against or even if they would get Henry back.

~You'll know soon enough, ~ Mr. Gold said. ~ But... There is something I must warn you about. ~

~What? ~ The words sent a chill down Emma's spine.

~ There's something I'm going to do here in a few moments but I want you to keep in mind, it's purely for show, ~ Mr. Gold said. ~ I know I don't have to tell you the importance of keeping Hook ignorant of our relationship. ~

~No, you don't, ~ Emma replied. ~What are you going to do? ~

~In due time, my darling. In due time, ~ Mr. Gold said. ~Now, please leave me to my work. ~

~GOLD! Wait! ~ Emma called but he closed the connection.

" Hey, " Mary-Margret said quietly, startling her.

Emma didn't respond as she opened her eyes. She had to get her mind back in order after the communication. The act always left her mind scrambled, even more so when the connection was closed abruptly. Mary-Margret paused for a moment before speaking again.

" What happened to Neal, Baelfire and Henry... " Mary-Margret said. " It's not your fault. You can't blame yourself. "

" I don't, " Emma said. She couldn't believe they thought she would when she knew who was really to blame. Just like always, she had listened to someone else besides herself and it had blown up in her face. She tried to have faith like that wanted her to and now, she was facing an unknown danger she wasn't sure she could fight.

She turned to look at them, " I blame you. "

Mary-Margret and David were surprised by the words. It was their turn to be silent, looking bewildered as she continued, " All this happened because I listened to you. You say good always wins? It doesn't. I didn't grow up in some fairy tale land. My experience is different... That's all I can go on. "

Mary-Margret looked at her, taking a trembling breath before she said, " And all we have to go on is ours... So if you would just let us share our wisdom... "

" I appreciate you trying to be parents, " Emma cut Mary-Margret off. She felt a lump rise up in her throat as she continued, " But we're the same age. We have equal amounts of wisdom... And all I want is Henry back. "

Mary-Margret and David stared back at her before David turned his gaze back down to the water. Mary-Margret still stared at her though. " I should have never broken the curse... I should have just taken Henry... "

" You're right. Then you'd be together... All of you, " Mary-Margret said then leaned closer. " It wouldn't have just been you and Henry though. "

" Mary-Margret... " Her voice trailed off as she thought about the girls. She was already pregnant with them when she had tried to runaway with Henry. She didn't know what she would have done but then she would have never found out that their father was Rumplestiltskin either. It overwhelmed her mind every time she thought about it, trying to only think of him as Mr. Gold.

Her mind went to everything she had been through with him, good and bad, that would have never happened if she had left. " You forgot about that, didn't you? " Mary-Margret added.

" But at least I would have been there for them, " Emma clenched her teeth as she whispered. " Unlike you. "

" We missed you growing up, Emma," Mary-Margret's voice was tight like she was trying not to cry. " And it haunts us every day. "

" Yeah and that's why we're here now, " David looked at her. " We don't want you to have to go through the same thing too... And you won't. We are going to get out family back. "

Emma had enough. She didn't even know how she was going to get through the night much less get Henry back. The way her parents looked at everything like it could be solved. " How can you two be so infuriatingly optimistic? " She shouted at them.

Mary-Margret tried to answer but could just make a little noise that told Emma she was speechless. David wasn't though. He stood up straight, looking her in the eye as he said, " It's who we are. "

" Why? " Emma asked him. They had all the reasons in the world not to be optimistic but they still were. " Ever since you got your memories back... Ever since you remembered you were Snow White and Prince Charming, your lives... They've... We'll they've sucked! "

" No, " David said calmly. " No. We found you. "

" And LOST Henry, " Emma said sharply. " And Neal... And Baelfire... And countless other people! "

" Emma, " Mary-Margret was finally able to speak. " The minute I let go of the belief things will get better is the minute I know they won't. "

David reached up and put his right hand on Mary-Margret's right shoulder as she continued, " We'll find him. "

Before Emma could say anything, Mr. Gold's voice came from behind her. " No, you won't. "

Emma turned around, looking up to the helm to find Mr. Gold standing there but he was no longer in his flannel suit. He had changed and now wore a black leather ensemble. " Oh that's a great use of our time... A wardrobe change, " Hook said a bit sarcastically.

Emma moved closer, grabbing one of the lanterns that hung from the railing and holding it up to get a better look at the outfit. The collar, cuffs and lapels of the jacket were made from what looked like crocodile skin, the rest of the body made of black leather. Beneath that, he had on a black polished silk shirt, black leather pants and knee-high black boots. She wondered if he had raided Hook's closet or conjured up the outfit with his own magic.

The sight of him dressed so made her catch her breath. She was so used to seeing him in his suits and ties, it was quite shocking. She then recalled the way he had been dressed in her dreamworld, closely resembling what stood before her at that moment. He looked down at her, " I'm going to get Henry. "

Emma looked him over again, still unable to speak. He had said he was coming up with a plan but she thought it included everyone, just not him. "

" We agreed to do this together, " Regina said flatly.

" Actually, " Mr. Gold said without looking at her. " We made no such agreements. "

" Why are you doing this? " Emma asked as she let the lantern fall to her side. Now she knew why he had been making plans alone. He planned to carry them out that way.

Mr. Gold looked down at her, " Because I want to succeed. "

" What makes you think I'm going to fail? " Emma wondered if he was to the part he had warned her about. The part that was merely theater for everyone else and to keep Hook from catching on about them.

" Well, how can you not after that argument I just heard? " Mr. Gold replied. " You don't believe in your parents... Or in magic... Or even yourself. "

" I slayed a dragon... I think I believe, " Emma said. Even if he was only acting, his words still hurt her... Mostly because they were true. It wasn't the first time he had been so blunt with her but it still stung.

" Only what was shown to you, " He pointed out as he moved a little closer. " When have you ever taken a real leap of faith? You know, the kind where there's absolutely no proof? "

He had her there. She never liked flying blind into something. It was what had kept her from believing the curse was real until Henry was unconscious on the kitchen floor. " I've known you some time, Miss Swan... And, sadly, in spite of everything you've been through... You're still that bail bondsperson... Looking for evidence. "

Emma didn't know what upset her more, hearing him call her 'Miss Swan' again or the slightly mocking tone he used when saying 'bail bondsperson'. Again, she tried to remind herself that he said he was going to put on an act but his words still hit too close to her heart, hurting her. She felt like he was tearing her down on purpose, not to hide what they had from Hook. She was so taken aback, she couldn't even think of a way to defend herself.

" Well, dearie... That's not going to work in Neverland, " He said.

" I'll do whatever it takes, " Emma said firmly.

Mr. Gold leaned closer to her for a moment, " Well, you just need someone to tell you what that is. Sorry, dearie, our foe is too fearsome for hand-holding. Neverland is a place where imagination runs wild. And, sadly, yours doesn't. "

He straightened up, giving his cane a spin. Emma watched it as it turned a few times and fell to the deck. When she looked back to where he was standing, he was gone. She looked behind her to see her parents were just as shocked as she was. The silence was broken when Hook snorted, " Well... We should have seen that coming. "

Emma cut her eyes towards him before walking to the door that led below decks. Mary-Margret reached for her but she pulled away. " Emma... " Mary-Margret started.

" Leave me alone, " Emma put her hand up. " I need... I need some time alone. "

Mary-Margret reached for her again but David stopped her. He gave her a deeply sad look, " We'll come get you if anything happens. "

" I think I'll know, " Emma muttered and headed to the door. She opened it, slipped into the corridor and closed it behind her. She walked down the narrow staircase and headed into the crew's quarters. She frowned, remembering how she had told Mr. Gold they were family as he lay dying from Hook's poison.

Though he had warned her, she still felt like she had been given a razor-laced tongue lashing... One she really had no ability to defend herself against. If they had argued, it would have revealed too much and they couldn't afford that. Too much depended on the secret being kept. Besides that most of what Mr. Gold has said was true.

She had made so little progress since unlocking her magic. It was all she could do to connect with his mind and had yet to learn how to cast a simple spell unless he was guiding her through it. It felt like she had been plunged into darkness, her only guiding light snuffed out. She couldn't understand why he would leave her on her own in such a place though.

She paced in front of the bunks, replaying his words in her mind. Each time, she became more infuriated and felt more frustrated. She wanted to break or throw something but the sparsely furnished bunk provided her with little fodder for such an endeavor. As she continued to pace, she started to get hot and decided to take off her black turtleneck sweater.

She pulled it off and flung it aside. She then smoothed down her gray undershirt and continued to pace as the tears she had been fighting started to flow...

Henry watched as Greg struck a match to light the pile of firewood he had gathered. After walking into the jungle a bit, he and Tamara had decided to make camp. " We making s'mores? " He asked, getting a dirty look in response.

The light from the fire distorted Greg's features, making him look rather sinister as he frowned deeply and replied, " No. Building a signal. "

Greg then looked at Tamara, " Help me gather some dry leaves. We need to let The Home Office know that we're here. "

" What if that is not enough? " Tamara asked. " What if the empty communicator wasn't an accident? "

Henry looked at Tamara. He could tell she was starting to doubt what she was doing just by the way she spoke. He wondered if she was reconsidering things after what he had said on the beach. If she was, he could try to convince her to help him instead of the unseen powers she worked for.

Greg looked at her, " Don't let the kid get in your head. "

There was a silence before some rustling in the foliage next to the camp site caught Greg and Tamara's attention. A tall boy in a brown cloak, brown leather boots, brown pants and a grimy shirt emerged from the greenery. Henry could barely see his face because he had the hood of his cloak pulled up. Almost instantly, he was joined by several other boys... All of them armed with crude weapons.

" Who are you? " Greg took a step back.

" We're The Home Office, " The first boy put his hands up. Henry could see his face better and saw he was blonde and maybe sixteen. " Welcome to Neverland. "

" The Home Office... Is a bunch of teenagers? " Tamara scoffed.

Henry looked at them, knowing what he was looking at. " They aren't teenagers. They're The Lost Boys. "

" Look at that, " The first boy, probably their leader, said.

Something wasn't making sense to Henry. Greg and Tamara said The Home Office wanted to destroy magic but if that happened, The Lost Boys would all die. " Why do The Lost Boys want to destroy magic? "

" Who said we want to destroy magic? " The leader scoffed. A chill ran down Henry's spine, knowing his hunch that Greg and Tamara had been tricked was right.

" That was our mission, " Greg moved towards the leader.

" So you were told, yes, " The leader replied. He then looked at Henry, " Now... The boy... Hand him over. "

Henry cocked his head to the side slightly. He had no idea why The Lost Boys would want him. Tamara moved in front of him like she was going to protect him, " Not until you tell us the plan... For magic... For getting home. "

The leader chuckled lowly and Greg stiffened like he finally realized he had been tricked. He then became serious as he inched closer to Greg, " You're not getting home. "

Greg squared his shoulders, " Then you're not getting the boy. "

The leader looked Greg over and chuckled again, " Of course we are. "

Suddenly, there was a whooshing sucking sound that Henry had never heard in his life before. In an instant, a shadow... A LIVING shadow swooped down and seized Greg. Greg cried out as the shadow grabbed Greg's shadow and ripped it from his body. He screamed, falling to the ground once it was completely removed.

The signal fire flared, making the shadow take to the sky again. " Run! " Tamara shouted at Henry and that was what he did. He could hear the Lost Boys chasing him as he took beaten paths through the thick overgrowth. He didn't know where he was going, only that he wanted to keep plenty of distance between them and him.

He tripped over a root, falling to the ground. Before he knew what was happening, he felt someone grab his bound hands and jerk him into a concealed place covered with leaves. He heard The Lost Boys run past, one of them shouting, " Where he'd go? "

Another answered, " This way! "

Henry heard the pounding footfalls fade into the distance before he looked at the person who had saved him. " Thanks, " He said as the boy removed the hood he had over his head.

The boy looked to be a little older than Henry, had wavy brown hair and sharp features. He looked up to the path over then at him, " Pan and his forces are in tune with every grain of sand on the island. We must be careful, " He sounded panicked as he warned Henry.

" Are... Are you a Lost Boy? " Henry asked the first thing that came to his mind. He had always thought only Lost Boys lived in Neverland.

The boy grabbed a rock and used it to cut the rope from Henry's wrists. He then said, " I was but I escaped. Now, they're after me too. "

" How? " Henry asked. " What happened? "

" There's no time for questions, " The boy replied hurriedly. He grabbed him, " We must keep moving. Come on. "

Henry followed the boy, hoping he could keep him safe...