Hey everybody,

a new chapter just for you! Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Once upon a Time, just the crazy ideas in my head that I incorporated into this story!

Chapter 56

Peter's POV:

'Having trouble moving? Not surprised; given where you are. What's hastening your demise is your regret.' The three woman struggled as the vines of my Thinking Tree forcefully held them against its bark.

'What are you talking about?' Emma shot me a questioning look, so I explained simply.

'This tree is the sight of a very important event for me. It was the first thing I saw after abandoning my brother.'

'You have a brother?' The Evil Queen huffed out in surprise.

'You must've regretted losing him, too.'

'But I don't anymore, quite the opposite actually. See, I have him all boxed up, so I don't lose him again.' Picking up Pandora's Box, I turned back to the group of mothers.

'Rumplestiltskin is your brother?'

'How is that possible? You look...' As soon as Snow White voiced out her disbelief, I could see in her eyes she was putting the pieces together.

'Younger that him? Oh, appearances can be deceiving. Just like you and your daughter.'

'You're a fraud; your magic is weakened. You can't even hurt us, let alone Rumplestiltskin,' Regina sneered, a cocky grin tugging at the edges of her lips.

'I chose not to hurt him, but you...that's why I am here. This tree will protect me until my powers are restored, and then...oh, then the fun begins. I will never have to worry about family, something else we'll soon have in common.'

My words caused the reaction I had expected. Luckily, the vines held the angry women captured in its tight embrace.

'There has to be another way.'

'You're not going to get to me. See, this tree attacks the regret inside anyone who comes here; and you...you've got plenty.' Walking over to stand right in front of Emma, I mentally restrained the Thinking Tree from attacking my many regrets. Since I controlled the island and it's weather, flora and fauna, it took a lot of effort to keep my regrets from overcoming me.

'I regret not taking a better shot at you when I had the chance.' It was pathetic how strong she wanted to look, trying to hide the desperation of getting her loved one back; but then again, I most likely would have acted the same way if someone had taken Aura from me.

'That's not all, is it, Saviour? No, I have your son's heart inside me. I can feel just how much you've let him down time and time again.'

'Leave her alone,' Snow White interfered, shifting my attention to her.

'Perhaps I should. After all, what chance did you have a being a good mother? Look at the example you set; abandoning her for 28 years!'

'Are you finished?' Regina asked in annoyance.

'Last words from the Queen. A death-bed confession from the one who has the most to regret from all.'

In truth, I regretted every single horrible thing I had done to my loved ones: leaving my my younger brother behind, using and abandoning Aura…letting both of them down. But I wouldn't be standing there if I hadn't done all those things.

'Yeah, there is one problem with that. I did cast a curse that devastated an entire population. I have tortured and murdered; I have done some terrible things. I should be overflow with regret, but...I'm not.' She broke free to the vines, and made her way to me.

In the distance, I could hear a familiar scream, Emma and Snow White ran towards the direction of the sound.

'Because it got me my son.'

The Evil Queen dug into my chest, and pulling out Henry's heart from inside of me, let me slump to the ground.

'Now, let's go save Henry.' She took both Pandora's Box and the Heart of the Truest Believer, leaving me for dead; my cheated years were already slowly catch up with me. My hands were shaking. It was killing me…

'Peter.' I heard the distressed call, and recognized it as Aura's, who was being restrained by Emma in a snug grip.

Why was she here? She must have followed me! And now I couldn't even protect her. As Emma loosened the grasp slightly, Aura saw her chance and broke free, only to fall unconscious to dirt ground by a sleeping spell.

'We should take her to camp, wouldn't want to leave her with him.' Carrying my True Love away, they took all the things that ever really mattered to me. I was weak.

I tried contacting my shadow, but he seemed unreachable. Had they done something to him? Then it dawned to me. The group was planning on using the shadow to fly off of the island, and most likely they were planning on taking Aura with them. It hurt to think so much; to take so many panicky breaths, but with each second I wasted, I wouldn't see Aura ever again, since I would trapped on the island until I died.

During Aura's struggle with Emma, her bag had fallen to the ground; unnoticed by the group of mothers. The case containing my heart was still in there, so I grabbed the bag as if it were the last thing keeping me alive; which in this situation, it was. Pressing the red glowing organ into my chest, I felt more whole than before.

But standing was so difficult… and so I crawled my way to camp, each movement draining more and more energy…more life from me. When I got there, it was deserted; no sign of a Lost Boy. Not only Aura, but my Lost Ones had they taken from me.

My anger fuelling whatever little amount of magic I had left in me, I transported myself to the Jolly Roger, in the cabin quarters; where an alive Henry was lying.

'I'm sorry it had to come to this.' Pulling out the dagger sheathed into a compartment of my belt, I held it up warningly; showing Henry I wasn't to be messed with. Not when I needed to survive.

'What...what are you doing here?' He scrambled up into a sitting position, fear evident in his voice.

'I needed your heart, Henry; but your mother took it away from me. Left me for dead. Now I must take it.' I was so close...so close to dying; yet so close to living.

Trying to dig my hand into his chest, I snapped back as if I had burned my skin; some kind of protection spell keeping me from his heart. That Evil Queen might've thought she was clever, but I knew how to rip off shadows.

'What are you doing?' He groaned in pain as I began to tear at the darkness that always followed him, enabling me to kill the boy and take his heart without a protection spell in my way.

Suddenly, Rumplestiltskin stood in the room, waving his hand over Pandora's Box and opening it. 'Blood magic works both ways, brother.'

It was now or never. Playing at Regina's own game, I used an ancient spell I had learned when travelling through realms to search for Lost Children. I would live in the boy's body, my mind still mine while I could feed of the heart's powers to keep me alive. The next second, I saw the room through Henry's eyes, breathed through Henry's nose, listened to the Evil Queen frantic cries through his ears. They would never suspect anything if I played the part right.

'It's okay; I'm okay.' I reassured my "mom".

It was later, when handing Felix a bowl of food, I was greeting by a hostile growl. 'Go away, boy. I'm not hungry.'

'But I came to thank you. For staying loyal to me, for taking care of Aura while I wasn't there, I presume.'

'What about you taking about, Henry. I'm on Pan's side.' His eyes squinted in confusion.

'And Pan never fails. He can't be stopped. Even when they think he is defeated. When they think they've won. He always find a way.'

'So you think you aren't safe?'

'Oh no, I am perfectly safe. During our struggle, my fate was sealed. The one who is in trouble...is Henry.'

'But you're Henry.'

'Not anymore.' In a quiet whisper only he could hear, I grinned my signature smirk; albeit in a different body.

Eyes widening in realization, Felix muttered. 'You...you switched.'

'You sure you are not hungry?' I handed him the bowl, this time he accepted.

'Thank you...Pan.'

'Now...let's play.'

With Henry's heart once again in my possession, as well as his body as a camouflage, I was ready to find Aura.

And finally give her the happy ending she deserved.

So...yeah...there will be a short snippet of Peter/Aura next chapter, but after that...*cackles like a demented witch*

Reviews are always appreciated!

Love you all,

aureaborealis