Hey guys, sorry I'm a couple days late, once again the damn thing wouldn't load! You have no idea how frustrating that is.
Also, I want to thank Laura and LilyCaroline17 for reviewing in the past, those reviews really mean a lot to me! Enjoy the new Chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Once upon a time.
Chapter 7: Skull Rock
"Is my fate…something more than death?"
Ven gazed at the bright moon, the words she'd said over a century ago fresh in her mind.
"I want your heart."
"The heart of the truest believer."
"I'm only here to die!"
"Right, just my heart. How could I forget. I'm the only one who can prevent your 'inevitable death'."
It was impossible. She was worthless for all but her heart. Her mother had abandoned her, the streets of London had raised her, and Peter Pan had changed her. The only thing he wanted from her was her heart right? He'd told her that the entire time she'd lived on Neverland except…except that night.
"This really is a horrible, terrible idea."
"Shall we do it and see what happens?"… "We'll figure it out eventually."
What did he mean? Did he…did he think she wouldn't die…No! Stop it. You're going to die. You've had a long time to accept that. She was going to die the moment she was born, that was all there was to it. She was fated to die and nothing more. Her mother had forgotten her, Henry was proof of that. All that was left for her was death. Right?
"Something more than death," she murmured. She sighed and lowered her eyes back to earth. "No." The loyalty that had rooted itself in her on that night so many years ago was still there and strong. She'd known it for a long time and she also knew that it would never ever change.
A flood of unease rushed over her the moment Ven stepped foot on Skull Rock, the cursed island was a better name. She breathed deeply. This was it. The end was approaching unbelievably fast.
As she was expecting, Peter and Henry were waiting for her at the island.
"I was wondering if you would come," Peter said with a cheeky smile. She rolled her eyes.
"As if I would miss this." She turned to Henry. "Henry." He looked up. "Don't be afraid."
"I'm not," he said immediately, then paused. "Well maybe a little."
She smiled. "Well, don't be. You'll be safe, well as safe as we can possibly make you." He would be anything but safe. Come to think of it…Henry is…my adopted brother. She stepped forward, Henry looked at her but didn't pull away which she was thankful for. She leaned over and planted a kiss on his forehead. My quarrel does not lie with you.
"See you in a bit m'dear," Peter said. "You know what to do." She nodded. Then he waved his hand, forming the shadow barrier. Then the two of them disappeared up the passage, leaving Ven alone to wait for the Charmings, Hook, Rumplestiltskin and…her mother.
"Hello big brother."
Rumplestiltskin snapped up at the sound of Peter's voice, then he grimaced when their eyes met.
"Peter Pan."
"What a terrible greeting for your own brother," he said, feigning annoyance.
"You're not my brother," Rumple said. "Not anymore."
He smirked wolfishly. "Is the cowardly Dark One feeling guilty?"
"Of course not," Rumple snapped. "Now where is Henry? I'm here to bring him home."
"Are you still trying to convince yourself that you're here to save him? Forget it Rumple, you should know by now that you're a coward, you always have been and you always will be. You'll do anything to save your own skin."
"No! That's not true! I've chan-"
"Can a leopard change his spots?" he shot back. "This is coming from the man that sold his fourteen year old brother with a limp to a demon so that he wouldn't have to go to war," he snarled. "You are a coward! And you haven't changed! I thought maybe after you had Baelfire you would let that go but no, no you abandoned your son just as you abandoned me."
"Is that what this is all about?" Rumple asked incredulously. "Revenge for what I did to you?"
Peter inhaled deeply. "No, I hated you for a long time but I've let it go. I don't want revenge, I want you to join me, I want us to be brothers again."
Rumplestiltskin stared at him for a moment. "Sorry Pan, but we can never be brothers again, I have to save Henry." He waved his hand and the Pandora's Box appeared. "Goodbye brother." He waved his hand over the top, preparing to suck him in, but nothing happened. "What?" He did it again, still nothing. "Why…?"
"Because you don't have it," he sneered. The real Pandora's Box appeared in his own hand and Rumple's disappeared. "Don't you know? In Neverland you can gain anything you want, you wish for it and it appears." Rumple's eyes widened. "Oh yes dear brother…into the box you go." He waved his hand, Rumple reaching out, his eyes still wide with panic…then he disappeared into the box and the harmless-looking thing snapped closed.
He sighed. "Alright…that's done. On to stage two."
Ven waited patiently for the ill-fated 'heroes' to come to the rock and once they were there she let Rumplestiltskin pass by, shielding her magic signature. Peter had unfinished business with his brother. The others, however, were unable to step past the shadow barrier. She had to admit, she was impressed by their ingenuity in covering the moon with clouds so they could get past the barrier, but they wouldn't get past her.
So just as they were about to step over the no-longer-present barrier, she teleported down to block their way.
"Ven," Hook snarled. She spared him nary a glance, focusing on Regina, she was the most dangerous, especially with her son's life on the line. On the contrary, only Hook, Neal and Regina knew exactly just how dangerous she was.
"Hello darlings, come to retrieve your darling little brat," she said condescendingly. Emma, Hook, Neal and David all drew their swords and Snow White drew back an arrow while a ball of fire appeared in Regina's hand. She smirked. Perfect.
"We don't want to hurt you but we will if you don't get out of here," Snow said.
She tilted her head. "Ahh…no. No no that simply won't do."
"Pan is lying to you," Emma tried. "He's not trying to save Neverland he's trying to—"
"Save himself?" she finished, the blond's surprised expression sending a small thrill into her.
"You know?" David asked in surprise.
She nodded. "Oh yes, I know everything. Peter might lie to you but he has never lied to me and I…believe, that he never will," she said, smiling at her own joke.
"Why are you helping him?" Regina asked. Her mismatched eyes drifted lazily over to her mother.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she said softly. "I scarcely believe it myself."
"Enough of this," Neal snapped. "Step aside or we'll make you."
She laughed. "Oo, how threatening." She snapped her fingers and Neal's sword swung around at Emma, Hook and David began fighting and Snow slammed up against the wall.
"What the-"
"It's her spell!"
"Try to resist."
She laughed at their pathetic attempts to resist her spell. A burning ball shot towards her but she just held up her hand and caught it.
"Did you know that genetically passed fire magic is four times as strong as magically acquired abilities?" she asked nonchalantly.
"Let me pass Ven!" Regina shouted. "I don't want to hurt you but I will!"
"To get to your son?" she asked, appearing behind Regina. "My replacement," she whispered. "The one you gained when you forgot about me!"
Regina tried to strike out but she dodged.
"Do you know how painful that was?!" she exclaimed. "I grew up without a family! I didn't even know my mother's name because you let me go!" Her nonchalance was fading, slowly being replaced by years and years of anger.
"I didn't let you go!" Regina denied. "Cora-"
"Screw Cora! Screw Cora and Rumplestiltskin and Henry and all of them, you let me go! You didn't protect me!" she shouted. Her spell had all but disappeared but no one was attacking, all of their attention was focused on the two magic users.
"What is she talking about?" Snow asked. "Regina do you know her?"
Regina didn't speak. "Go on," she said. "Go on and tell them. Tell them who I am." Still nothing. She let out a sharp laugh that vocalized her disbelief. "Don't you dare keep silent! Don't disown me or ignore me! Tell them who I am! Tell th-"
"Alright!" Regina shouted. "Ven…Ven is…she's my daughter."
Every set of eyes grew wide as saucers.
"Wait, Regina that means…Daniel…and you? Ven is…?" Snow stuttered. Daniel? Is that my father's name?
"How come we don't know this?" Emma exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"Because I didn't know she was alive until we first met her in the cave," Regina replied.
"That pendant…" David trailed off.
"Why don't I know this?" Neal asked.
"Because I didn't know either," Ven answered. "I grew up in the pit of London's back allies in the early eighteen hundreds until the Shadow brought me to Neverland. I grew up thinking that I was abandoned and unwanted by my parents, hell, I was found in one of the unused rooms in a bloody brothel."
It didn't make sense. She knew it. She knew it didn't make sense that she was transported to Earth and back in time…unless you knew about the magic storms.
"All of this is about a personal grudge?" Hook asked suddenly.
Get ahold of yourself Ven. Though my unintentional outburst did have a desired effect. Now the rest of the group is confused and split, they don't know what's going on with Regina and they're not sure what to think.
"It is," she replied.
"So she really is your daughter?" David asked.
Regina's eyes flicked back and forth in agitation. "We're wasting time! Henry still needs us."
"But Regina your daughter-"
"Is right here," she interrupted Snow. "You imbeciles really don't get it. This isn't just about you and your brat, this concerns much more. Do you even realize how powerful the Heart of Truest Belief is?" she asked incredulously. She'd thought they'd try and find out at least a little bit more before charging in.
"But your daughter?!" Emma exclaimed. They really don't get it.
"We have to rescue Henry!" Regina said, almost desperately.
"Are you avoiding the subject mother?" she taunted. That's it. I won't let you forget me. Not again.
Surprisingly it was Hook that brought them back on point, he stepped forward and pointed his sword at her. "Step aside witch, you're out numbered."
She laughed. "You idiot. I'm as powerful as Regina and have had two centuries to harness my abilities in addition to being trained by Peter Pan."
"And I'm the product of true love," Emma said, stepping forward, her chin up and eyes focused.
Regina's eyes widened. "Emma don't-"
"Too late." She snapped her fingers, fire shot towards the foolish girl but Regina dove forward and caught it.
"Stop Ven! Please we just want Henry!" she pleaded. "Please! Please just let him go and you can do whatever you want with me. Don't take your hate out on him."
She slowed. Hate? Do I hate her? Do I hate my mother? "I…don't hate you," she said slowly. "Not completely."
"Then why are you doing this?" Regina asked.
She cocked her head. "For Peter…it's all for him." A lie. It was for her too, finding her mother, trying to gain closure. But what is closure? I can't get that…not with Regina as my mother. Not with how broken I am. I talk and I talk…I wish to find peace, to have what? Revenge? Closure? Love? A mother? No. It's to late for me, I can't get those, I'm too broken. Even revenge would be empty.
"That isn't true," Snow said, stepping forward. "Who exactly are you? You say you're Regina's daughter and that may be true…but who do you see yourself as?" She started. Who am I…? Ah…yes I know. I know exactly who I am.
She took a deep breath. "I am the Lost Girl of Neverland, daughter of the Evil Queen Regina, granddaughter of Cora and possessor of the Heart of Truest Belief."
Ven has finally decided. Next chapter next week! Please review!