Okay. Finally, a part with all the blood and gore I promised. I kinda sorta let Siren outta her cage (no, I dunno why...) and she hijacked this chapter. Still following the same three set of characters with a bit of change up in the grouping; plus quite a bit of horror movie worthy memory peppered in. Not much else to say. Other than I wish the episode "Think Lovely Thoughts" could be erased from existence.

But alas, it's now cannon. Dammit...

Thank the universe for FANFICTION! A chance to right a wrong!

Our soundtrack is The Animal by Disturbed. Onward!

"You really should have tried harder."

Annie looked up at the source of that terrifying voice. It sounded so much like her boy's; but it wasn't. No, the demon masquerading as her child stared down at her with eyes as red as hellfire. The creature twisted her child's face, marring it around the eyes with cracks and lines resembling the clay of the fields in summer. Cracks that oozed the same demonic light as it's eyes.

All that work. Those charms and wards had been useless! The family had damn near gone into the poorhouse trying to keep this curse in check. To save her boy was all for nothing!

"Save him? You horrid cow!" She felt the hard kick to her ribs. The sound of several of them shattering as the monster cackled terrified her more. "You beat him. Starved him. Forced him to wear all these enchanted items that were slowly killing him, driving him mad. For all your efforts at 'saving him', you only managed to create me."

"Wh-what? Felix please...I know you're in there." She sobbed. Each breath was murder as the broken bones rattled around in her like gravel. It felt like she was drowning in a warm sea as a volume of wetness began to fill her chest. Trying to crawl away, find something to defend herself, she groped at whatever she could in the dimly lit room. Her fingers only met with a cold puddle. A puddle of something thick that smelled of copper.

"Can't see? Well let me help you then Ma." The last word was said with such disgust. Suddenly the room was as bright as midday instead of midnight. And she dearly wished it wasn't.

"Darius? No..." Her voice was weak and broken. Not only from the pain but from the terrible sight.

Darius was her love, her true love. The son of a farmer who had abandoned his family's tradition of marrying a woman from a farming clan to be with her. The daughter of gypsies that had only a short time earlier decided to stay in one town and make a stable life for themselves. Despite the stigma of their heritage, they fit well into the village. Renouncing their "sinful" ways and even casting out one of their own as proof of their reform.

A Shadow Caster was a dangerous thing. Given power by the darkness they stole souls and manipulated people; and unfortunately ran in families. Her brother had been one of these vile creatures. She believed her parents when they told her it was only a matter of time before sweet, loving Peter became a bloodthirsty hellspawn. That he had to die for the good of the village.

And then Felix made that picture for her out of shadows a decade later. She always knew it was possible, her parents warned her. In preparation, she had obtained a leather strip to secure around his wrist. The witch had told her that it would keep the darkness at bay. The old hag had babble on about their being a price but she's already been paid so she ignored her ravings. Once she put it on him, the shadows stopped obeying the boy...for a while. Then it began to leak out when he was angry or scared. Through it all, Darius had been there supporting her. Looking into her eyes and telling her it would be alright.

Now she looked into those same stormy grey eyes that were missing their trademark sparkle. With the light now shining, she could clearly see the cold puddle to be blood. Blood leaking from the gorey stump that was once her husband's neck. Where she lay was about a foot away, staring at his severed head.

"Oh, don't worry. He died an easy death. Never heard me coming or even saw the blade. A single quick, clean slice and off to heaven he went. However, t0he rest of you lot... will die screaming in agony."

A crushing weight settled on her back just as rough hands grabbed her hair, wrenching her neck back at a brutally uncomfortable angle. A thin blade caressed the her cheek lightly. Suddenly it sliced across the bare flesh harshly, cutting all the way to the bone of her jaw. She was given no chance to scream before the thing that wasn't her son slammed her face into the wooden floor.

"Let's play Ma..."

*OUATE*

"What was that?!" Henry yelled. "This mark hurts you jerk!"

"You already know. Look, I know this is a lot to deal with especially since you're what 10, 11? You mortals age so damn fast! But time isn't exactly on our side. Why did my Evil Angel tell you he needed you?"

"My heart can save magic." The child slowly stood, massaging his chest. It was official in Henry's book-this guy was nuts! Pan had to catch the crazy from somewhere...

"Oi brat, don't call me crazy!" The Moon grumbled. "Pay attention kiddo okay? This place was created by me eons ago in your time to be somewhere for lost children to renew their dreams, find themselves again. It is a way station but for some, it becomes more. Not all who deserve to are able to make it here, something I truly regret. But those who do, belong Henry. My Evil Angel is this land's ruler, but also it's pillar. He himself is sustained by belief and magic...both of which are waning at an alarming rate."

"...Pan needs my heart to save magic...and himself doesn't he?" Henry looked down. For all his carefree mannerisms, his patience in coaxing Henry to his side, Peter was slowly dying. If Pan dies, so does Neverland. What happens to everyone IN Neverland?

"How long? Until it happens?"

"If by it, you mean my angel dying, again, and dragging everything in this realm with him? Can't tell you."

"SERIOUSLY?!" The white void tinted alarm red for a brief moment, flames dancing across the dreamscape only to vanish when Henry panicked. Everything went back to normal in an instant,causing Gabriel to whistle in appreciation. Eleven and already far more powerful than either of his mothers or grandfather could ever hope to be! The dreamscape beyond the doors was the domain of the Lord Moon. To be capable of influencing it no matter how briefly was an extraordinary feat. Too bad the kid likely has no idea what he just did. Or more importantly, how he did it. Oh well.

"Calm down kiddo. I can't tell you anything else. But he can." Gabriel pointed to a door forming in the distance. "If he doesn't wanna talk, tell him you're asking cuz the Moon told you to. Have a nice chat! Later!" Henry's vision was obscured by a flurry of black feathers. After they settled, the Moon was gone.

Another figure came into view, violently expelled from the new door.

"Shit! Does he have to push me back so damn rough?!"

"Felix?"

*OUATE*

"Which hurts worse Rum ol' boy? That daddy dearest was willing to regain his youth at the cost of your otherwise worthless life? Or that in the end, you proved him right? That you truly were the death of him?" Mocking laughter filled the forests of Neverland. It almost drowned out the anguished cry of the only living person there.

16 year old Rumplestiltskin couldn't hold himself up, nor keep his food down. His knees buckled as he collapsed, vomiting and sobbing. He couldn't bear the sight before him. Those accusing, cold, dead eyes bore into his very soul. Malcolm lay on his side, hand outstretched, frozen in the act of clawing at the earth just in front of his son. Scattered around them both, black and dull red ashes. The remains of a crushed heart tainted by the darkness it once held.

"Rumple! You in there?"

Emma's voice snapped the Dark One out of his memory. He came back to himself standing at the entrance to the Echo Caves.

"Ah yes, Miss. Swan, A bit lost in thought. for a moment. Shall we?" He turned to her, walking with purpose towards the caves. He was no longer a boy. No longer bound by the fears of a child.

So why did he still feel so weak and powerless over his own fate?

/Because you are laddie. And you always will be. I promised to destroy EVERYTHING you love. Peter Pan always keeps his promises. Not even distance between realms will stop me./ Was whispered to him on the wind a step before he was to enter. The sad thing is, he couldn't tell if it were truly his nemesis taunting him, or his own warped imagination.

To be fair, did it really matter?

There we go. Yes, I did address Think Lovely Thoughts as pertains to my universe. Oh the cleverness of me!

...

Yeah, ignore that. I'll update when I can. Reviews are like hugs! Sirensoundwave out!