Okay, here's what some have been waiting for, Henry finally getting some actual answers. This chapter also alludes to the philosophy of my Chaos Mage characters and how their world really functions. Like most writings, it's a not so thinly veiled expression of my own personal view of the world and how it works on a macro and micro scale. Fair warning, rapid fire rant ahoy.

We see more of what made Neal/Baelfire who he grew up to be and how he relates to this overall scenario beyond just being the necessary male half of Henry's conception. After analyzing his character, I determined that something more than just realizing his father was an ass created the con artist we know and love (which has been more or less validated by the show itself). But, just as I reject the idea of Pan being Rumple's father, I also have a hard time believing their ultimate family legacy is 'sucks hard at being responsible adult to the detriment of every person they EVER encounter'.

There is also no logical reason for August to break Emma and Neal up other than to show his own self serving agenda. He just as easily could have lead them both to Storybrooke or similar scenario where they still drift apart because of their own issues, Henry is still given up and oh look: the same goddamned story happens. Given their age when they met and their serious psychological scars, it is entirely plausible the two of them would have lasted all of three months in Tallahassee. It could be argued that the close proximity of Boston to Storybrooke is necessary to the adoption of Henry by Regina but that falls apart when you consider the two main characters who still have their memories. Especially the fact that Regina had the ability to LEAVE TOWN in order to get him. The fact that Rumple pulled the strings to make sure it was the savior's son means he knew all along where Emma would be in order for this to occur. Given how often long distance adoptions occur our lovebirds totally could have made it to Florida but their child ends up in Maine. Hell, they could have left the country and the baby still end up right where he needed to be. Emma would still be an emotionally guarded woman, Neal would still have had to reexamine his life choices (exactly how this changes him is still debatable even in the series), Regina has the chance to find something she loved too much to sacrifice that conflicts with her own inner demons, Rumple still gets the curse he groomed her to cast broken so he can find his boy.

Other than somehow working in one of Disney's most popular features and providing a way for an infant to survive being shoved in a cabinet then tossed into the middle of 'we haven't got a fucking clue where this portal leads' long enough to be found by adults, his character is utterly useless. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy: his response of "fuck this I'm out" when it came down to being the guardian of a baby when you're only 7 (not real sure) yourself in some strange place is completely natural no matter what you promised your father. Period.

As is standard with most opinions formed by living breathing humans, I do reserve the right to be totally wrong n_n

Rant over. Staind's Fade is out intro. The previous chapter meanings are:

No More Sorrow: Being fed up with bullshit from those "in charge" ; also realizing things aren't quite what you thought and doing something about it.

Bad Blood: Things we regret and would rather forget often shape our lives in ways we could never imagine at the time.

Trade Yourself In: Confronting our inner pain and/or mistakes by choice or by force is a necessary part of moving on. And just because you have changed doesn't mean others are able to see it. but that's okay.

What A Shame: Similar message; being on the outside looking in doesn't mean you really know what's going on

*OUATE*

"What am I supposed to do?!" Henry cried. He tried to hold it together but that wasn't working out too well. All he could see was red; oozing out of the blonde's mouth and nose, being absorbed by his own pants as he sat beside him. Everytime Felix tried to breathe, a horrid gurgling noise could be heard and he coughed up what seem to Henry like geysers of blood.

"You're not 'supposed' to do anything and you don't have to." Gabriel spoke though he could not be seen. "Still, you must understand something. The soul can only be marred so many times before the body finally follows suit. As sure as Felix's spirit is with you suffocating in his own blood, Seether and their body lies in my Evil Angel's arms dying at the same time. I cannot tell you what you must do, only make sure you understand the consequences of your choices. The nature of my being can only bend the rules so much."

"What consequences?! What can I possibly do about this?!"

"If you let him die, Pan's rage and anguish will consume him...and this island. They will self destruct and taking everything and everyone you love with them. The domino effect will in turn wipe every facet of this reality clean, everything will reset to when nothing existed and time will begin again." The moon sighed. Henry's breathing evened out a little at that revelation. A numb dread washing over him.

"But-"

"If you save him, you will become forever linked to Pan. The both of you will share a heart as the two of them have for centuries. However, there will be more trials to come than you know. Something else looms on the horizon but you can only ever truly deal with one catastrophe at a time. But overcoming this obstacle will allow me to actively help with the next. Choose quickly Henry, time is not your friend right now."

The lives of countless people in his hands. His decision would save or condemn them, simple as that. Not really considering the very real chance of something much worse happening even if he saves everyone now.

But no pressure right?

When trying to get him to remember the past, the moon had told him he knew what to do all along. That the answers had always been apart of him.

/Kiddo, you're overanalyzing things. You've been thinking too much about the more nefarious way to possess another's heart. For such a strong believer, I'm a bit surprised, but you live what you learn I suppose. For what must be done, it need never leave your lovely little body. And your dying is certainly NOT essential./ That's exactly what he had said.

Well, his initial hypothesis was correct. Except it involved the wrong person. At least directly.

Having finally realized what he must do, the child clutched the dagger hilt and leaned forward.

*OUATE*

Team Good n Evil sat in silence trying to process this new side of the Evil Queen. They knew something had happened in her life to make her the way she is but none really knew what except for Rumple and Snow. Still, they only knew part of the story. How would you feel if even after the trials you'd gone through, karma still decided to bitch slap you with the same betrayal you did to another when you were too young to understand the consequences? Denying that hurtful connection until you had no choice but to accept it. Only Rumple had any idea what she might be feeling. Even then it wasn't the same.

"Well since no one else is going I guess it's my go." Neal tried to quell the nervousness brewing in his stomach. "I sort of lied when I told you August is the reason I never showed Emma. The thing is, I was already iffy on running away with you. I loved...love you but I didn't think I could deal with putting my heart out there, making myself that open. As upset as I was in to learn Henry grew up without me, ten years is enough time for a person to change. If I had known before he was born, I probably would have bailed. All meeting August did was give me a way to justify leaving you before I got hurt again."

"..." Emma just stared.

"Honey, are you okay?" Snow touched her daughter's arm.

Right before it reared back and cold cocked Baelfire with enough force to probably break his nose.

"You BASTARD! I was almost relieved when I thought Tamara killed you! I went to jail for you. I was too afraid to hold on to Henry because I was scared I'd screw him up. Or he'd just leave me like everyone else in my life ever did. That there was something wrong with me! You staying would have made all the difference..." She screamed. "We could have been a family, had what neither of us ever did and you threw it away because you were scared!?"

"Damn right! Every person I have EVER trusted has fucked me over!" No one expected the anger that flared in his eyes. it was a little disconcerting considering his now bloody nose. "Would you like a list? My mother decided she only cared about her happiness. My father let me go ALONE to god knows where because he was too afraid to loose the magical crutch he'd found. I didn't leave the home I found in London just to protect Wendy's brothers, I overheard her parents talking about how having me around wasn't 'proper'. They were concerned the street rat might steal their possessions or worse their daughter's virginity. It was either leave or be thrown into an orphanage. A British orphanage in the 1800s Emma. Oh and the person who saved me from drowning when the shadow dropped me? Same asshole that ran away with my mother helping drive my father further off the deep end. Wait, it gets better! Took me meeting a seer but I figured out the reason the Blue Fairy tried to help me. If my father went with me the Dark One would no longer exist! Getting my papa back was FUCKING INCIDENTAL! She all but told me that when she gave me the damn bean but I chose not to hear it!"

He threw down the cane in disgust before rounding on Regina of all people.

"And the seer who cleared it all up for me? She wouldn't have been where I ended up once I finally left this hellhole if not for you. Scheherazade told me she forgives you even if her sister doesn't. Right before she used a wish that could have saved her life to send me where fate wanted me. I got to watch a total stranger die for me when her brother in law ripped her soul out. Never made the connection until you spilled your guts just now. Thanks for that your majesty."

Silence.

By the end of their tirades, both were huffing and puffing; having turned an interesting shade of red with clenched fists. Neither had any idea the other (much less they themselves) had so much pent up. The other four people in the cave could only stare. And feel guilty.

Yes, even the Dark One and the Evil Queen felt the weight of their actions.

*OUATE*

Seether stilled in Peter's arms. Pulse fading by the second, eyes falling shut. Unable to pull the dagger out, all he could do was cry and kiss him for the last time.

Pan didn't see the moon above shift from new to full. Nor did he notice how the air around him began to hum with restored power. How the boys at camp were instantly awake, filled with such energy but having no idea what to do about it. All he could feel was that void in his fill with something he could barely remember.

A beating heart.

In a rhythm synced with two others.

*OUATE*

Tada, I finally established the key difference between my mages. In The Road to Hell fic, Sylphine manipulates events in the Danny Phantom world to insure it's own Chaos Mages would meet and ultimately be unsealed. Because she is not apart of that reality her options for doing this are rather limited as well as impeded by a native force that opposes her and caused the initial issue. Despite her main motivation being to get home, she actually acknowledges in her own inner thoughts that it really doesn't matter if she keeps their world from imploding or not: she still gets to go back to her world because a cosmic reset puts everything where it came from. Even so she tries to prevent it when she could have tried to speed it up and still be kind to her cousins while doing it; causing herself great pain in the process. Eventually, like most thinking beings, she reached the breaking point and resorts to making their lives hell in order for them to get strong enough to wake up and fix things. If that didn't work, the screw it. Hence the title.

Gabriel on the other hand does what he does namely because he has no idea what will happen if he allows the reset; one of the balancing elements of their world is MIA and his mother The Guardian Lady Aurii, is incapacitated. As far as he can tell, the higher powers must all be present. Once he realizes what's happening, he knows he has to stabilize their reality before he can set about actually repairing it. Even still, he is bound by the same rule as his sister: even though he can manipulate situations and people(though indirectly) he cannot tell anyone but his servants what to do, only give them the options. Even his Evil Angel had to join him by choice. Free will ultimately decides fate.

For anyone not reading Parallels, this is that plot hole I had to deal with. Why Gabriel is such a dick; how come Sylphine seems more aggressive and less passive than in her previous appearance and why either of them give a shit about the YJverse collapsing even though it's guardian and mages are all there. Since both OUATE and TRTH take place at the same time but before Parallels, the siblings have obviously compared notes about their experiences before the trip to visit their lovers they knew would eventually devolves into a vacation from hell.

Anyway it's still 4 down 2 to go in the caves. Are those left still the same as cannon?

Next up a connection is found in all the secrets exposed, residents of Storybrooke decide what to do about Jasmine and any threat she may pose while the Sultana enlightens the Hatter as to exactly what is going on and why Henry's abduction is probably the best thing that could have happened.

Until then, reviews are like hugs; seriously lemee know what you guys think. Sirensoundwave out.