Chapter Seven: Child of the Moon


Previously, on Once Upon a Time Travel:

"I want to help you," Robin told Killian. "Training with magic. Regina has lots of spell book lying around her room."

"I spend a long time trying to bring the dead back and now it just falls into my lap," Regina said. "I'm with Robin now. Daniel is dead and isn't coming back."

"You have a chance at happiness with Robin. Don't take that away from yourself."

"Henry and Lucy are hiding something from us," Killian nodded.

"We know why and how Pan took the stone!" Emma exclaimed.

"But not where it is," Nebula scoffed.

Henry's face was stoic. "Where else could he have taken it? Neverland."

"No one has escaped Neverland. Except for one person."

"There's this memory I have now," Killian said. "I think I met Emma."

"So what? You think there's always been some divine plan for you two?" David asked.

Killian looked David dead in the eye. "That's exactly what I think."


Storybrooke, Present Day

"Due to… extenuating circumstances," David began his announcement to the town, "Myself and Snow as well as Regina, Emma, Robin, Killian, and Henry will be traveling to Neverland."

"For what?" Leroy asked. "The Dwarves will go."

"It's complicated," David admitted. "Thank you, Leroy, but we can't have too many people for this. When we arrive, Pan will know we're there. We have a plan to throw him off, but…" he shook his head and smiled. "Anyway, Belle's in charge until we get back. Gold is going to reinforce the protective shield around the town just in case." He looked around nervously. "Any questions?"

"Why should we trust him?" Ruby called out. "Mr. Gold is Rumplestiltskin. I doubt he changed at all since before the curse."

"While you're lack of faith is probably well deserved," Gold said from behind the crowd of Storybrooke citizens, "I assure you, the well being and safety of this town is my number four priority."

Leroy and the other dwarves looked at Gold and raised their eyebrows.

"That isn't reassuring," Whale mumbled.

"Me, myself, and I," Gold said holding up one finger. "Belle and Dior," he added, holding up a second finger. "My son and my grandson," he said holding up three fingers. "Then the rest of the town," he added sarcastically, holding up a fourth finger.

"What's going on, Charming?" Leroy asked David seriously after the announcement. He and David were standing by David's truck.

David sighed. "Gosh, Leroy. David's fine, and look. I want to tell you, and I know Snow does too, but given the circumstances, I think it would be better if we wait and tell you after we get back."

Leroy looked at David. "What if you don't come back?"

"Then it's irrelevant anyway," David tried to blow off the looming question. "I have to go, Leroy." He pushed past the dwarf to get into his truck and drove off.


Neverland, Present Day

A lifeboat bumped into the sandy beaches of Neverland. David drew his sword warily. Gamora's and Nebula's hands hovered over the hilts of their swords. Snow's hands reached for her bow.

"Something's out there," Nebula whispered to the others. She gripped her sword. "Be ready. They're heading towards us."

The group edged out of the boat and faced the dense forest with their weapons drawn.

Slowly, a group of young boys made their way out of the forest. A blonde with a jagged scar on his face came the closest to them. He was clearly the oldest and the leader.

"What is your business here?" he called to the group.

Gamora lifted her head. "We capsized. Can you tell us where we are?"

The boy smiled falsely. "You're on Neverland of course."


"Hook," Pan said distastefully.

Captain Hook sent Pan a charming poisonous smile. "Peter Pan. I do recall a deal we made a few decades ago? You allow me passage freely in and out of Neverland and in exchange, I will kill your son."

Emma's eyes widened from her spot next to Regina behind Pan.

Pan laughed. "A feat you have yet to manage. No worries. I think a few more decades will be long enough of a wait to try again." His eyes scanned the ship before he turned to face the group behind him. "And this time you brought friends. Who could they be, I wonder?"

Hook brushed past Pan to stand slightly in front of Emma. "No one of concern to you."

"Surely the great Captain Hook hasn't moved on from sweet Milah," Pan goaded.

A muscle in Hook's jaw twitched, but he managed to keep his cool. "Is our deal still on?" Hook demanded.

Pan smirked. "Of course, Captain. I'll be seeing you soon." He lifted off and flew away.

"Bloody devil," Hook grumbled as soon as Pan's silhouette disappeared.

"Now what?" Emma asked.

Regina tugged on her red locks in irritation. "Now we wait."


Enchanted Forest, Many Years into the Future's Past

Belle watched Charming as Regina, Emma, Lucy, and Henry entered the room with Robin. Lucy was ignoring Henry, and Emma was smiling tiredly.

"Emma!" Hook called. He smiled as she made her way over. "Everything went fine?"

Emma nodded. "Better than fine. We were hardly there for a day before we found Robin. Henry gets the credit, of course. We spilled some water earlier, and Henry thought he might have seen a stream. Anyway, we went to the stream, but found Robin instead. Incredible, right?"

"Amazing," Hook agreed. He looked over at Robin. "Good to have you back, mate."

Robin managed a smile. "Hardly feels like I was ever gone. One minute I was dying, the next I'm in a forest and those guys are heading for me." He squeezed Regina's hand. "I still don't know what happened, but I'm grateful you guys didn't give up on me."

"We'd never give up on you," Regina said softly.

Belle saw Charming's jaw clench and followed his eyesight to Henry and Lucy. The former of who was unsuccessfully trying to speak with the latter off to the side.

Lucy slapped Henry's hand away and crossed her arms, turning so her back was to him.

Belle's eyes narrowed. Suspicious indeed.


Neverland, Present Day

"You're welcome to stay as long as you need," the boy continued. His grin turned feral. "Just don't overstay your welcome. Pan doesn't like trespassers. Luckily, he's feeling generous recently." He turned to leave. "If Pan ever asks why you are here, you can tell him Felix deemed you no threat."

No one relaxed until Felix and the other Lost Boys had long since disappeared.

"They're going to be watching us closely," Gamora said lowly. "It's what I would do. We can't make a move for a few more days. I suggest we explore the island and find somewhere to camp the night. Two of us stand watch for a few hours. Nebula and I can take first watch."

"No offense, but we don't know you well enough to sleep with you two keeping watch," Robin said.

Nebula smirked. "He's smart. That's good. This island gives me the creeps. I think we're all going to need our wits."


Netherworld, Present Day

Henry looked down the dark hallway and pressed his hand to the wall. He quickly pulled away, feeling the scorching heat from the other side of the wall. He looked around nervously and waited for Snow or David to appear.

"This is the Netherworld, but it is also my dream world," Henry said out loud. "How long has it been?"

As if in response to his question, a fiery colored text appeared on the wall next to him. The text read 1 Year, 10 Months, 14 Days.

Henry swallowed. "I'll find a way," he said to himself. "I promise I'll find a way."


Neverland, Present Day

"Nothing," Henry said the next morning. "None of them showed. I suppose they could have been in the fire room, but…"

Emma nodded. "Yeah, I'd rather not risk that until we have to."

"Speaking of risks," Regina began, "I've spell proofed the ship. We can freely practice magic here without worry of burning a hole in the side of the ship."

Hook nodded slowly. "Right. Is that really necessary though? Rumplestiltskin and yourselves should be enough, right?"

"In case you've forgotten," Lucy snapped, "the last time we were up against Jadis, the three you mentioned were the only ones with powers plus Zelena at the end. It was not enough."

"Sorry, I did actually forget," Hook said in irritation. "Or did you forget? You took our memories!"

"WE HAD TO!" Lucy screamed. She breathed heavily. "Sorry," she said harshly. "Just… please trust us. I know what I'm doing with this time travel thing. It's complicated at best for most people, but if you plan it down to the t, everything will work out." She blew out a breath. "Henry and I had been planning this for months. It's been about a year and a half since we started. Everything we did was to make sure nothing could go wrong. We didn't want to chance Emma…" she trailed off.

"Right," Emma nodded. "Relapse or whatever, right?"

"Lu? Can I talk to you?" Henry said quietly. "In private?"


Snow finished tying branches and vines together to make the shelter for the night. Gamora and Nebula were out setting traps for intruders and Robin was setting traps for animals. David had set to work making a fire pit and lighting the fire.

"You can't think we can carry that through these woods," Nebula said flatly when she saw Snow's shelter.

Snow shrugged. "I think for the first few days we can search around nearby and then return to the shelter when it gets darker. From then we'll start carrying the shelter. It's light. I know how to live off the land." Her eyes darkened. "My stepmother blamed me for the death of her fiance, so she put a price on my head. I lived on the run for a few years." She shook her head. "Anyway, I can always make another one if need be."

"Should we check in with Henry tonight?" David asked from the fire. He tossed a log into the flames. "I don't know if he went to the room last night, so maybe just in case?"

Robin nodded slowly. "That would probably be best. They need to know we're safe for now. Gives you privacy to figure out a plan too."


Lucy raised an eyebrow at Henry. "What?" she asked.

"I forgot to tell you something," Henry whispered. "When I was in the Netherworld last night, a thought occurred to me. It's my dream world, right? So I should be able to control some aspect of it. I asked how much longer we have. It's been a year, ten months, and now fifteen days. We only have about two months left."

"Emma and Killian are getting married in two months," Lucy pointed out. She gasped and covered her mouth. "Henry, if it happens before the wedding… Emma will be crushed!"

"It won't," Henry insisted. "Luce, you don't know my family. When we face the impossible, we figure out a way to stop it."

"Problem is, you aren't getting help from your family," Lucy said sadly. "It's just you and me."


Netherworld, Present Day

David cast his vision around the dark hallway. He didn't see anyone else.

"Henry?" his voice cut into the silence. It seemed to echo eerily.

David held his hand up to the wall and immediately pulled back. The wall was so hot from the flaming inferno on the other side.

"Henry?" David called again. His echo seemed to mock him, the sound getting more sinister sounding each time.

David finally sighed and took to observing his surroundings. Not long after, he heard his name.

"David?" a boy's voice called out. "Grandpa? Snow? Grandma?"

"Henry!" David called in relief.

Henry's face loomed out of the darkness. His face lit up with a smile. "You found it? Where was it? I'll send Lucy right away-"

"Hang on," David interrupted. "No one found anything. We just wanted to check up on you. Also, you and Lucy seem to know a lot about the stones. Where would Pan hid the Soul Stone?"

"Somewhere where the power would be overlooked in case someone with magic came looking for him," Henry mused. "Probably not on the edges of the island, too easy to escape from. I doubt he put in near the center, that's too obvious." His face froze. "Obvious," he murmured.

"What?" David asked in confusion. "What did you realize?"

Henry grinned. "The stone glows, right? Orange to be exact. A bright orange aura in the middle of a green forest is too easy to locate. I think I know where it's at. The Skull Rock. Where his hour glass is. It's obvious. The stone is in the hour glass to give off the glow and remind him of his time left."

David laughed. "That's perfect. Can Lucy get you guys up there?"

"Not without alerting Pan instantly," Henry said shaking his head. "We don't know where exactly, so we need to keep Pan away. I think if you could get Gamora in, she could find it. She knows the power those stones give off. It might be a needle in a haystack for us, but for her its a needle in a haystack and she has a super powered magnet." Henry frowned. "If she can get onto the Skull Rock, Lucy can give her a half hour to find the stone. Anything more and Pan could probably find out."

"Okay," David said nodding. "You know how to tell time from the sun?" At Henry's negative reply, David added, "That's okay, Hook should know. Tomorrow at three we meet back here to confirm the plan."

"See you then," Henry said cheerfully.


Neverland, Present Day

"This is a horrible idea," Nebula said as soon as David informed the group of the plan.

Gamora held up her hand. "No, he's right. Pan can't sense me by magic because I have none. A half hour will be tight though." She frowned. "If it takes me some time to get onto this Skull Rock, I might not be able to find it before Lucy shows. That will instantly alert Pan, won't it?"

"Not if he's distracted by the heart of the truest believer," Robin said slyly. "When Lucy goes to get Gamora, we can have Henry appear near us as we distract Pan."

"We can't sacrifice Henry!" Snow protested.

"He's protected from Pan's possession thing," David mused. "Theoretically it could work. I'll tell Henry at three." He glanced at the sun. "Five hours. We should show Gamora Skull Rock. Start heading there now, you know?"


Netherworld, Present Day

Henry was the first to arrive. He waited patiently for David.

"Good, you're here," Henry said briskly. He smile at David. "We're all set. Are you guys good?"

David nodded. "When Lucy goes to get Gamora, we need you to arrive on the shores. Pan knows you have the heart of the truest believer. If Lucy needs to help Gamora search for the stone, this will buy us time."

Henry thought slowly. "Okay," he said cautiously, "but won't Pan try to possess me again?"

"Regina protected you against that," David pointed out. "And the rest of us for that matter. You'll be safe. If not, we can always get Lucy to come back for you."

Henry was silent for a moment. "Nah. If… if you have to leave without me… don't send Lucy back for me. Time works differently in each realm and each system. It won't be worth it." He sighed. "Lucy will explain it to you if it comes to that, promise. Just… don't look back if you have to leave me." He stood and walked away, down the dark hallway.


Neverland, Present Day

Regina found herself staring at her ring finger lately. Though she had stopped wearing the ring Daniel had given her a long time ago, she couldn't help but feel like it should still be on her finger. She sighed and shook her head.

"You love Robin," she whispered to herself.

"You know talking to yourself is the first sign of madness," an amused voice cut in.

Regina turned to glare at Hook. "Pirate."

Hook walked over to stand next to her. His face showed not humor, but empathy. He gave her a wry smile.

"What?" Regina demanded.

Hook shrugged. "Nothing. I just know what you're feeling now. Confused, pain, angry, love, scared." He shook his head. "When I first went after Emma, it was about the conquest. She was so hard to get out on a date. But after a while, when I started to fall in love with her, I was terrified of what that meant. I was moving on from Milah. It felt like a betrayal to her memory to fall in love with another woman."

Regina looked away. "I've been through this before, Hook. I was happy with Robin in our past, future, whatever." She bit her lip. "I don't know why things have changed."

"Time travel is possible," Hook said as if that explained everything. He rolled his eyes. "You feel like you should travel back in time to when your mother killed Daniel. You could save him. But then you'll never get Robin because Marian wouldn't die by the Evil Queen's hand because there would be no Evil Queen. Snow and David might not even meet, and Emma wouldn't be born. Due to that, she would never meet Neal and have Henry." He smiled sadly. "You'd fix a lot of people's lives, save a few even, but you'd also make it so some never existed. That part terrifies you, but you feel like it might be worth it just be be with Daniel again."

Regina opened and closed her mouth a few times. "How do you know that?" she whispered.

"Because that's exactly how I feel," Hook said. He swallowed. "The only thing holding me back is my daughter really." His face fell. "Emma deserves much better than a pirate like me."

"And Robin deserves much more than a villain like me," Regina agreed. "Aren't we an strange pair."


Gamora waded into the calm water facing Skull Rock. Once she was about chest deep, the assassin ducked underwater and swam swiftly towards the rock. Upon reaching the rock, she turned to stare across the water at the pirate ship sailing towards shore. Seconds later she cursed under her breath. She had spent precious seconds she couldn't afford to lose.

The glow was getting brighter and more orange as Gamora neared the top of the stairs inside the rock. She could feel the raw power of the infinity stone getting stronger.

Inside the eyes of the Skull, the giant hourglass caught her attention. But the power was strongest elsewhere. Gamora scanned the room until her eyes fell on a single lantern. The lantern cage was coated in dust, but the glow it emitted was too bright for the lantern's condition.

"What the-?" Gamora muttered, slowly walking over. She reached up and pulled the cover off to reveal a glowing orange stone rather than a flame. Her hand paused as she felt a pulsating aura radiate off the stone. "Oh my god," Gamora whispered.


A/N: What a cliffhanger! Haha. Anyway, Gamora has found the soul stone! And we are winding down until the midseason finale when they will defeat Jadis and the Captain Swan wedding happens.

At this point, I am going back and forth between an omniscient audience in regards to Henry's secret and keeping the audience in the dark as long as I keep the characters in the dark about it.

I realize that they aren't spending a lot of time on Neverland or searching for the stone, but you have to remember that unlike the last time they were on the island, the heroes know Pan a little better and therefore could reasonably predict the location he'd hide the stone in. Also, Neverland isn't the main focus of the storyline. Been there, done that. I might decided to revisit Neverland, but right now I don't see that happening in the next arc except in flashbacks.

Chapter Eight: Into the Deep; retrieving the stone, Pan attempts to use a bargaining chip, and getting back to Storybrooke

Also I'm sorry this was so late! Promise, next chapter will be up on Sunday again as usual! Happy reading everyone!