"Wait, so your moms are the Savior, the Evil Queen and Little Red Riding Hood?" Hector said. "That's wild."
"Red Riding Hood is a werewolf?! That's so cool!" Carlos called from below.
Daniel almost laughed at how confused and amazed they were. "You're talking about me?! You have three moms too." He said, looking down at Carlos. "The Sea Witch, the Dragon Queen and Cruella DeVil. How cool is that?! I mean, isn't the Sea Witch a demigod?"
"Yep." Hector grinned proudly.
"Have you met Poseidon?"
"No. Apparently something happened and they don't get along. Last time they talked they almost caused a tsunami."
"Can you turn into a dragon?"
"Yep. Carlos is a water dragon though."
Daniel sighed. "Everyone gets to turn into something cool except me." He looked up at Eliza. "And you're really my cousins?"
Eliza nodded. "Mother said that her mother's name was Cora, the Heart Ripper. She left Mother in the woods to die when she was born and she was picked up by a magical cyclone and taken to Oz. She's been looking for your mom forever."
"Cora was just in Storybrooke. She tried to kill my mom."
"Well, she is called the Heart Ripper." Persephone called. "She left one daughter to die and forced the other to marry an old king. Are you really that surprised?"
"No, I guess not. Why is your mom looking for my mom?"
"I think she just wants to get to know her. Your mom is the only family she has besides us." Eliza answered. "She talks about her a lot and she said she wished she could've been there to help against Cora. Is your mom nice?"
"Yeah." Daniel frowned slightly. "She might be a bit confused though. I don't think she knows she has a sister and she says she doesn't like surprises, but she likes good ones." He didn't think Regina would be too upset about it. Maybe wary of someone claiming to be family and he doubted she would trust Zelena any time soon. His mother may not like surprises, but she was full of them. However, he wasn't entirely sure how she would react to finding out she had a sister she'd never heard of.
"You said your grandparents were Snow White and Prince Charming?" Octavia interrupted.
"They're Emma's parents." Daniel shrugged. "But I don't know them that well. Do they have a history with your family?"
"Yes." Octavia nearly growled. "They stole our mother from our grandmother. They walked into the den of Maleficent and stole her child and they cursed it. They filled her with the darkness taken from their own child and banished our mother to another world."
Daniel shook his head. "I don't believe that."
"It's true." Hector agreed. "Just say their names around Mom or one of the Grandmas and they get so angry they have to leave the room for a few minutes. Once DG put a hole in the wall."
"DG?" Daniel frowned.
"Dragon Grandma. Maleficent."
He couldn't believe it. He'd heard all of the talk of his grandparents by the townspeople and they painted Snow White and Prince Charming as the ultimate heroes, good in every way and always seeking the best solution to the problems that plagued their people. Henry acted like they could do no wrong. Did his mothers know? Was that why they hated each other so fiercely? "Mom would've said something about that."
"I doubt she knows." Octavia whispered. "If Mom ever found them-"
"She'd kill them." Hector scoffed.
Daniel silently agreed. He'd read about dragons in his mother's books and most of them were just facts pulled from Regina's observations or lessons with Maleficent. For dragons, all transgressions were paid in blood. Wronging one of them, especially in such a huge capacity as stealing and cursing their baby, meant your life was forfeit. "At least she found you guys." He offered. "You still got to be a family."
"You don't get it. How old do you think Carlos is?"
"No older than us?"
"Wrong." Hector said. "DG laid his egg years ago, when she had Lily, our mother. They're supposed to be the same age, but when she lost her first egg, DG was heartbroken. She didn't want him to hatch until she felt safe and she didn't even feel safe in her own kingdom anymore. She froze him in time and released him when she built a new den."
"All that because of your grandparents." Octavia added with a glare.
"Hey, don't be mad at me because of what they did. I had nothing to do with it. I don't really have anything to do with them now to be honest, except for archery training." Octavia still looked upset, but Hector seemed to have moved on. Daniel looked around their prison, envisioning ways they could escape. If they could get free, it would be all over. The barrier was the only thing stopping their parents from wreaking havoc on Peter Pan. Removing that obstacle would allow them to come in and kick his ass.
"We've tried everything." Hector said, watching him. "Everything you could think of."
"You're dragons. You can't break us out of here?"
"We've tried that. We've tried breaking the chain, punching holes in the walls, everything." Hector held up his foot, the chain rattling as he did so. "We think this siphons our magic constantly. Every day we get weaker. You just got hooked up, so you're not feeling the effects yet."
"Well, before I start, we should figure out a way to get out of here. Do all of you know magic?"
"Yes."
"We're prodigies." Persephone called. Eliza rolled her eyes at her sister.
Daniel looked around again. Perhaps they could remove the chain. All it would take was for one of them to get out of it and they could free the rest. "Do any of you know any shrinking spells?"
"Using magic causes us pain." Octavia said.
"Maybe, but I'll endure a little pain to get out of here."
"We tried the shrinking spell." Eliza added. "Someone came in and beat us when we couldn't maintain it."
"And we tried shifting into dragon form. Didn't work."
"So they're watching us all the time?"
"No, they react to the chain. Using magic activates it." Hector explained.
Daniel sighed. "Don't suppose you'd be willing to bite your foot off."
There was a gasp from above and all of the children looked up at Persephone's ledge. She strained to look over the edge, an excited grin on her face. "Daniel, you might be a genius. If we can get something sharp enough, like a rock or something, we can have one of the dragons throw it and-"
"Cut off my foot!" Eliza yelled happily.
Daniel exchanged confused looks with Hector. "Um, what?"
"Oh." Eliza giggled. "Mother taught us how to reattach limbs."
"No way! That's so cool." Daniel whispered.
"Wait a minute." Carlos called. "Your mom taught you how to reattach limbs? Why?!"
"We asked her to." Eliza replied. "When it comes to magic, she's willing to teach us everything she knows. It's how she got out of a bear trap once. She just conjured a sword, sliced her foot off, pulled it out of the trap and reattached it. It was disgusting." The red haired girl giggled again. "But as I'm the closest to the dragons, I am willing to make the sacrifice."
Daniel and Hector exchanged looks again. "Why didn't your mom just use magic to open the bear trap?" Daniel asked.
"Really, Cousin? Is that what you like to do, ask really good questions that I can't answer?" Persephone exclaimed. "Wow. Unbelievable. Why didn't your mom just use magic to snap Snow White's neck? Hmm?"
Octavia raised her hand. "I think she wanted Snow White to suffer and snapping her neck is quick and painless."
"Still, there were plenty of other ways she could've gone about it."
"Oh obviously. I'm eleven and I can come up with a better way to-"
"We're trapped." Carlos cut in sharply. "Can we get back on the subject of getting out?"
"I agree." Hector said. "So, Crazies, how do we sharpen a rock?"
"I don't know." Eliza shrugged. "I figured one of you guys could do it. You know…dragons and all that."
Daniel scratched his head as he thought. He racked his brain for anything he'd read that could help them. It had to be a spell that could be performed quickly and wouldn't require a lot of energy. He tried to think of his new prison mates, who their families were and if they might know something to help. He wished Regina was here. She'd have thought of something in no time. Ruby too. He'd seen her get out of some handcuffs before without breaking them by dislocating her thumb. It was both cool and disgusting and Regina was mad about it until it healed up. It made him wonder if it was possible to dislocate someone's foot.
"I know!" Hector suddenly exclaimed. "Carlos." He looked down at the dual haired half dragon.
"Yeah?"
"CG taught you to manipulate water, right?"
"Um, a little bit." He said, sounding uncertain.
"What if we wait until they feed us and bring us water and you use that to cut off Eliza's foot."
"I can't." Carlos sighed. "I just started learning and water is hard enough to manipulate. I wouldn't be able to do it fast enough. I'm sorry."
"That's okay." Daniel said. He sat down and crossed his legs. He needed to think some more. What would Regina do? She was the smartest person he knew and when it came to magic, no one could beat her. They already tried attacking the chains, the walls, everything around them. He knew that dragons, even children, were far stronger than humans, so if they hadn't broken out yet then they couldn't and he wouldn't make much of a difference. Their guards were probably armed so they couldn't take them out, at least, not easily and not without someone getting hurt. If it wasn't for the chain… He thought of everything in his past, everything Regina and Ruby had told them and everything he'd learned since the curse broke and he got an idea. A couple of years ago Ruby helped him build a huge tower in the backyard that Regina let them blow up. After taking a bunch of unnecessary precautions. They built the tower so well that it wouldn't fall when they tried to destroy it because of the support beams. "Eliza and Persephone's plan might work under the right circumstances, but even if they were freed, they might be too weak to free the rest of us." He said, looking up at Hector and Octavia. "You've tried attacking the tower by force and nothing's worked. Maybe we should attack the design…"
"How so?" Carlos asked. Persephone and Eliza looked down at him, their attention also caught by his suggestion.
"Well, how do our parents know we're here? They wouldn't just believe Pan unless he proved it."
"The chain." Hector replied. "When we used our magic the first day we got here to try to get out and Octavia screamed. Pan came by later to gloat and said our parents could hear it. That's why they're scared to rescue us."
"It does something to the barrier too." Persephone called. "It makes it appear, like um, solidify."
"You can see outside?" Daniel asked.
"Yeah. There's a window up here with bars on it."
"Her floor is the base floor." Octavia added. "The rest of us are technically underground."
"Okay." Daniel said. "So we're connected to this chain. It siphons our magic daily to power the island. Not the barrier?"
"I don't think so but I'm not sure."
"Your grandma can overpower it, can't she?" Daniel asked. "Maleficent. I know she won't because it will hurt us but what if we tell her to do it anyway?"
"How do you propose we do that?" Hector asked.
"Anyone know morse code?"
"That won't work." Eliza sighed. "Mother wouldn't let them do it."
"But he has a point." Carlos stood up causing his chain to jingle. "All of it is connected, right? So what if we send our parents a message to use something else on the barrier? I mean with the possibilities of magic they could use its connection to send us strength or power."
"Or overcharge it." Octavia added.
"That's still going to hurt us, isn't it?" Eliza whispered. A silence followed her question as the children didn't quite know what to say, but Daniel didn't like the fear in her eyes.
"It'll be okay, Eliza." He said.
"Yeah," Carlos called. He was unable to see her from his position but he looked just as upset as Daniel. "We'll find a way out."
"What's a little pain, Young One?" Persephone peered over the edge at her sister.
That drew a smile from Eliza. "Young One? You're only three minutes older than me."
"We'll get out." Daniel assured her. "But we can't wait for our parents to do it. Their hands are tied so we have to force Peter Pan's. He thinks we're just a bunch of kids who are just going to sit here and wait to be rescued. He made the biggest mistake of his life messing with our families."
"Agreed." Hector growled.
Daniel continued to ponder his new theory of attacking the tower's design. The others added in their own inputs but none of it would work without causing them pain or drawing the attention of their captors. Then he got an idea. One he knew Regina would disapprove of. "I know what to do."
"What?" Hector asked.
"It's a spell I read in one of my mom's books. It's dangerous and we would only have one shot at it. You all need to summon a shield to protect yourselves at the right moment."
"Well, what is it?" Octavia demanded.
"Essentially...I'm going to blow myself up."
"A combustion spell?" Hector said with a mad grin. "That's risky, but I like it."
"What if we all do it at once?" Persephone suggested. "One big boom and this whole tower comes down."
"And possibly half this island." Carlos added.
"Aren't you a water dragon? I don't think you'd drown."
Octavia let out a sharp growl, silencing the others. "This is a legitimate idea and we need to take it seriously. Weigh the risks." She nodded to Daniel.
He found himself a bit nervous to have her attention on him. "Um okay. It is a risky spell because while it may get us out, the force from one of us could hurt another. The blasts will have to be as identical as possible."
"That's impossible to judge." Carlos said, drawing his attention. "You and Hector casting the same spell could yield different results, especially if you put all your power into it. Weakened or not, he's a dragon and that counts."
Again the children went back and forth over the idea. In the end, Carlos made the final decision to try it and the others agreed.
"What if someone gets knocked out or flung somewhere?" Octavia asked.
Daniel pointed at Eliza. "You and Carlos will create shields instead of the combustion spell. That way, you two can help anyone else who might be hurt. Agreed?"
Eliza nodded. "Agreed."
"Agreed." Carlos said.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The Lost Boys were dancing, playing music, feasting, laughing, sparring. One would never have guessed that these boys were kidnappers and pawns of an evil sorcerer. Henry watched the spectacle from the sidelines. He wasn't tied up or restrained and he was allowed to walk around the camp, which was a large clearing dominated by a group of tents and campfires. He glanced up at the treehouse overhead. It was the best looking home he'd seen so far, with rope bridges connecting it to other trees around the camp. Walking along one of these bridges was Felix, a skinny, scruffy boy with dark blonde hair and a face covered in scars. He was the chief lieutenant among the boys. While Henry was free to walk around, he was never far from Felix's sight.
Every so often one of them would approach Henry to ask if he wanted to join one of their games or if he wanted food. Some of them actually seemed friendly and genuine, but he didn't feel like playing games and he had seen too many movies to just accept food from a bunch of crazy people.
"Cold, Little Prince?" Henry turned to find Pan leaning against the tree next to him.
"No. I want to go home."
Pan only rolled his eyes and sat next to him. He conjured an apple and held it out to him.
"You really just offered me an apple? I was raised by the Evil Queen."
"Ah." Pan chuckled. "Sorry, but that's interesting."
"What is?" Henry asked, wrapping his arms around himself.
"Do you still see yourself as Regina's son? Or have you renounced her for Emma, the woman who abandoned you?"
Henry sighed. "Doesn't matter. They'll come and defeat you."
"You think Regina's coming for you?" Pan smirked, biting into the apple with a loud crunch. "Now, Daniel, I could see her and Ruby coming for him. But you? I don't know. And Emma...she can barely use magic. Do you think she and Regina can work together?"
Henry fought the urge to scowl at the manboy. "Where is my brother?" He asked.
"He's fine." Pan shrugged. "This isn't my only camp," He gestured around them and took another bite of the apple. "He's made some new friends since he's been here. Seems quite content." He chuckled softly. "Never asked about you once."
Henry glared at the villain at his side. "I know what you're trying to do."
"Oh? What's that?" Pan gave him another of those irritating smirks. "You know, you're right about one thing. Your family is on their way, but given the nature of your location it could take them a while. Are you really going to sit here and starve and freeze until they arrive? I'd hate for the heroes to think ill of my hospitality."
"What do you want?" Henry hissed.
Pan rolled his eyes and stood up. "You are no fun, Henry Mills. But you'll know the answer to that question soon enough." He turned to leave, still munching on his apple. "Play a quick game, boy." He called over his shoulder. "You shouldn't be bored while you're waiting." Henry continued glaring at him as he joined the rest of the Lost Boys, who cheered as he approached. Henry pulled his knees up to his chin, wrapped his arms around them and closed his eyes, wishing for his family to arrive quickly.
/
Pan did not stay among the Lost Boys long. He had other business to attend to and besides, the seeds had already been sown in Henry Mills. Of course he believed that his family would come swiftly and rescue him. He didn't know that they already had and that Pan's games were keeping them busy. Emma and the Charmings were in the midst of one such game and he knew that they wouldn't be able to win it. They'd already made a fatal mistake that Prince Charming was paying for. One of his boys had nicked him with a poisoned arrow and he wouldn't last much longer. As for Regina and her pet wolf, well, they were a bit of a nuisance. His shadow was keeping him appraised of their location. They were currently eliminating his "allies." Idiots, more like. Fools who thought they could end magic. Regina and Ruby didn't know it, but the only thing they were really doing was wasting time and saving him the trouble of having to kill the fools himself. Time was of the essence for them. The longer children stay in Neverland, the less likely they'll want to leave. Just in case they got to Henry too quickly, it wouldn't even matter. Eventually though, none of it would matter. All of their efforts will be in vain. Soon, he would have no need for any of the children because his power will finally be restored and he wouldn't have to hide behind barriers or use artificial means to power and protect his beloved island. Soon Neverland would have its king at full strength again and the hounds at his gates would perish.
It took no time at all to reach the tower. Only here did he feel his power at its peak. This tower was the only thing keeping Neverland alive and in turn, him. If he could not find a permanent way to restore his power, he would start to age, Neverland would fade away and his perfect world would be gone. He could not allow that to happen.
The armed men on guard nodded to him as he passed, but he didn't even look at them. Fodder was all they were. A short hallway greeted him as he stepped inside and he went down it and through a pair of doors, one made of metal and the other made of stone and both were heavily enchanted. Just in case the dragon children managed to escape. He heard the children talking as he approached the pit where they were chained and their talking ceased when they heard his footsteps.
Pan sat down on the top ledge and dangled his feet over the edge. One of the witch's children was chained on this ledge and she kept her distance from him but her glare spoke volumes. She was a little spitfire and it wasn't that long ago that she would attack him every chance she could. Even now, if she saw a way to kill him, she would do it in a heartbeat.
"Daniel Mills?" He called. None of the children responded and he sighed. "I have a message from your brother."
"Henry?"
Pan leaned over the edge of the pit and conjured a ball of light to throw down and illuminate the children below. Daniel was standing up, anxiously waiting for news of his twin.
"Is Henry okay?"
"Just fine. He told me to tell you that he's having a good time." He grinned. Daniel also glared at him and if looks could kill, he would've burst into flames. "Even making some friends. Pretty soon, he'll be a Lost Boy too."
"You're lying." Daniel said. "You're a villain. Henry has a thing about villains."
"He's got a thing about apples too."
"What?"
"I know, it's weird. Who doesn't like apples?"
One of the children cleared their throats and he leaped off the ledge to float down to the one next to Daniel. It was the boy with the black and white hair. "Hi, I'm Carlos. I just had a question."
"Oh, well ask away." Pan said with a smile.
Carlos returned the smile. "This is another of your games, isn't it?"
"What's that?"
"This." Carlos gestured to the two of them. "This little banter. Trying to turn Daniel against his brother."
"Me?" Pan said. "Nonsense, I was just giving Danny an update on his brother.
"And checking on us?" The golden haired boy asked. "Making sure we're still alive since you're so weak?" Pan teleported straight in front of the boy and grabbed him by his throat.
"Hector." Carlos said just as the boy raised his fist. "Release him, Pan. Please. I wasn't done with our conversation. I have some information you'll want to hear."
Pan released the dragon child, smirking at the rage he could barely contain. Dragons were so temperamental, so predictable. He turned back to Carlos and sat down, neatly crossing his legs. "What information?"
Carlos smirked and leaned forward, as if sharing a secret. "You think this is all a game, but you've already lost."
"Oh have I?"
"Yeah, we've all given it a bit of thought." He said, glancing at the other children. Pan did the same, wondering what the group of them had conspired. He didn't mind it though. It made the game more interesting. Carlos bent down to pick up his chain and held it up. "We've figured out that this siphons out our magical energy. Is that correct?"
"Maybe."
Carlos smirked again. "Well, eventually, there won't be anything to siphon out. Whether that day comes sooner or later, it will come. What happens then?"
"We die." said one of the girls.
"Yep. You know what happens then, Pan?"
"Enlighten me." Pan said.
"Neverland gets destroyed. If we die, there is nothing standing in the way of our moms burning your precious world to the ground. Nothing. You pretty much shot yourself in the foot and do you know why?"
"Why?"
"Because nothing you do now matters. We're children, not idiots." He pointed at Daniel. "His brother is fine because you need him for something. Otherwise you wouldn't have taken him. You're not going to touch us," He said, pointing to himself. "Because you need to power your island. But we know that we can't do that forever. So you have a plan for it but, in your quest to kidnap us you forgot a few important things."
Pan laughed at the absurdity of this boy. The gall of him to think that he'd miscalculated. All of this was decades in the making. Years of searching and plotting and planning. "I have not forgotten anything."
"You forgot who you were dealing with." Carlos replied. "Think about it. One of my mothers is Maleficent, the Dragon Queen, the Great Beast, the Evilest of Them All. A dragon that has enveloped entire kingdoms in flames. The very same who cursed a man and his entire family for past transgressions. That's Mom #1. Mom #2 is the daughter of Poseidon and a sea goddess. You live on an island, sir. How smart was that? Not to mention Mom #3, Cruella DeVil. You may not think she is much of a threat, but I guarantee she'll surprise you. Usually with a sawn off shotgun."
"Don't forget our mother." The dragon girl said. "Lilith may not have as many titles and as much of a reputation as our grandmother, but her temper is much worse, as is her thirst for vengeance. She will destroy Neverland and herself if it means taking you down as well."
"And the Wicked Witch." The green skinned girl added. Pan raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. She looked like an animal, crouched in the shadows and hiding behind her hair. "Mother conquered all of Oz when she was only 18 years old, defeating half a dozen other witches to do so. She even broke a law of magic. She is the definition of a magical prodigy, a master of her craft. You'll wish for death by the time she gets done with you."
Peter Pan only laughed at the little children. He looked at Daniel. "I guess you're going to warn me about your mothers next. Go on. Give it your best shot."
Daniel shrugged. "Not much to tell except Ruby's going to eat you alive and Regina, well...The Evil Queen cast a curse that devastated an entire world to get revenge on one woman. Imagine what she's going to do to you."
"Cute." Pan said. He turned back to Carlos. "But I don't care about your mothers. Once I have what I want-"
"What you want doesn't matter!" Hector suddenly roared, causing everyone to look at him. Even Pan himself was startled by the outburst. "Don't you get it?! Neverland is doomed! It was doomed the moment you decided to kidnap us. Whether our parents rescue us or we die down here, they will destroy you and this place. That is the only way this ends because there will be no forgiveness, no second chances, no escape. Maleficent, Lilith and Ursula are immortals. They can and will dedicate years to vengeance. They have all the time in the world to make you pay. Maleficent alone isn't going to let you live after this. You're done, Peter Pan. You've already failed!" Pan grabbed the boy again and slammed him against the wall. He only rolled his eyes. "Don't waste time on threats you won't follow through with. If you're going to kill me, go ahead and do it. If you do, my family will avenge me and again, you perish. I'm done with your games."
Pan fought to keep his anger in check. That's what these foolish children wanted. He would not let them think they'd won anything. He would be the winner. Once he had his new heart, he would be the one causing the destruction. "The game isn't over, boy." He dropped the young dragon and turned to Daniel. "Your brother is the key. I'm going to rip his heart out and use it for myself. That's why he's here. As for your parents!" He yelled, spinning to make sure every child knew he meant business. "I'll kill them all. Peter Pan doesn't fail." He teleported away and set out to make sure that everything was going according to plan. He would not fail.
As soon as the manboy was gone, the children commended Carlos and Hector on their brave words.
"I'm sick of that guy." Hector growled. "I'm sick of being stuck in this stupid hole!"
"Don't worry." Daniel said, going to the wall and wiping away the dirt they'd packed there to hide the words they'd carved there. "We'll get out soon. He didn't see anything."
"It doesn't take much to make him mad either." Persephone added. "We might be able to use that."
Daniel picked up the rock that he'd been using to scratch the magical symbols into the wall. "Alright. Let's make sure we have this spell in the right order. Then...boom."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ruby pricked her ears and scanned the forest line. Seeing nothing, she looked up at the night sky and scoured the constant darkness for any sign of Pan or his Shadow. For now, all seemed to be quiet. She turned and crept deeper into the woods. She changed directions a few times and doubled back twice to ensure no one was able to follow her back to where Regina waited. It was a large tree with a hollow underneath it. She squeezed beneath the roots and almost stepped on her beloved, who had to cram herself against the back wall to avoid being crushed. Ruby shifted back into human form and sat next to Regina.
"How's it look out there?" Regina whispered.
"Quiet, for now. Our plan seems to be working."
"For now." Regina agreed. "So long as the idiots don't screw it up."
It had been at least a day, maybe two or three, it was impossible to tell, since they got to Neverland and Ruby and Regina had not stopped since. They were constantly on the move, destroying and disrupting Pan's little army. A number of bases and outposts had been obliterated and a good number of people either killed or trapped. Ruby had no problem with killing the bastards who were stupid enough to wage a war on magic and kidnap her children. Her wolf wanted to kill them all. Luckily, Regina's elven symbols kept her from being overwhelmed. While they were dealing with the army, the idiots should be near the Lost Boys' main camp. With the earpiece Regina gave them they were able to communicate, but right now they were playing some stupid game of Pan's. As if they had time to waste.
"What are we going to do when we get to the tower?" Ruby asked.
"Find a way to destroy it." Regina replied. "Getting the children free should come first though. I would prefer we have some information on the tower layout but I guess we have to go in blind."
"Or Pan could use the children against us." Ruby reminded her. "Or send the rest of his forces there to stop us from getting in."
"It won't matter what he sends to stop us." Regina growled. "We'll get them back."
Ruby silently agreed, but she was a bit worried not knowing where her sons were. She hated this feeling, hated everything about the entire situation. She missed her pups. Regina rubbed her back. "Are you tired?"
"Not really. I used a magic symbol on myself and drank a rejuvenation elixir."
"You didn't try to get any sleep, did you?"
"I can't sleep."
Ruby sighed. It was useless to try and get her to do anything so she didn't even try. "Then I don't see a point in waiting around."
"After you."
Ruby exited the hollow first and shifted into wolf form. Regina followed and dusted off her clothes. She climbed onto Ruby's back and Ruby took off. She sped through the forest, bounding as if she had wings. Regina's magic symbols didn't let her tire and gave her speed. Not only that, but it was constantly night in Neverland...as well as a full moon. She could run as long as she needed to, as far as she needed to. Her boys needed her and the people that took them would pay. Rage gave her a sudden burst of speed and she felt Regina's grip on her fur tighten. For a moment she felt like she was running on air rather than dirt. Then everything started to fade...
"Ruby, wrong way." Regina said, ducking her head to avoid being decapitated by passing branches. Ruby didn't respond and she gave the wolf's scruff a tug to get her attention.
Ruby snapped back to the present and slowed down, ducking into a bush on instinct.
"What's going on, Ruby?" Regina asked, knocking a branch out of her face. "Is it your wolf again?"
"I don't know." Ruby stumbled forward and barely managed not to throw her wife off of her back. "I feel a little funny…" The next thing she knew she was on her side, uselessly kicking her legs. Regina pried open one of her eyes, a grin on her face.
"Is being moon drunk a thing werewolves have to watch out for?"
"I-I don't know."
Regina sighed. "Guess we need to take a longer break. Here, get under here." She pushed Ruby under the cover of a low hanging bush and rubbed her behind the ears, using magic to gently ease the effects of the constant full moon. This was the longest she'd ever been in wolf form and it felt like her very sanity was slipping away if she didn't focus on keeping it in check. "Are you okay?"
"I don't think your spell is working for my wolf."
"Why? What's wrong?"
"It feels like...it's trying to slip back into power."
"Perhaps you should turn back into a human, just to be safe. We don't need the wolf taking over again."
"Or just get rid of the damn thing." Ruby growled, feeling a pressure building in the back of her brain. Her wolf was displeased by those words. She felt an anger that wasn't hers and then a stabbing pain that had her raking at her head with her paws. "Regina!" She let out a whimper as she felt the forest growing dark. She could no longer feel Regina's fingers in her fur. What's happening to me? Then she felt a familiar pulling sensation, as if she were pulled out of the driver's seat of a car and pushed into the passenger side. It was a feeling she used to relish when she was fighting in Snow's war. It was always so much easier to just let the wolf free and take control, let it kill her enemies and stain her claws. At the moment its presence was unwelcome and more forceful than usual, just like back in the Charmings apartment when the kids were abducted. "No!"
"Ruby!" She heard Regina's voice far away but she couldn't respond. She couldn't do anything. She was helpless…
/
Regina was beside herself with worry watching Ruby fall into a seizure. She summoned her magic, wrapping Ruby carefully in magical binds so she wouldn't hurt herself. She knew nothing about werewolves so she had no knowledge to draw on as to why this was happening and something told her not to interfere with it. Her heart broke to see her wife in such a state. She stood up, conjuring a sound barrier in case any armed men happened to pass by. They were getting close to the tower. She couldn't wait to knock it down. Pan's pet army was in disarray because of them and the idiots should be almost to the Lost Boys camp by now. Hopefully she and Ruby had done enough damage to help them.
"Intruder." Regina heard Ruby's growl moments before a blade was pressed to her throat.
"Stand up and back away or I'll kill you."
Regina slowly complied. She'd heard that voice before, she was sure of it. Who else could be on Pan's island? She started to back away. Ruby was whimpering and panicking and she tried to stand up but Regina could see that her legs just wouldn't support her. Her wife needed her and she was having to deal with some idiot who thought pissing off the Evil Queen was a fine idea!
She grabbed the arm that held the knife against her throat and lit a fireball. She heard a scream and the knife was whipped away, leaving a scratch on her neck that she quickly covered with a hand. Hot blood trickled through her fingers and she whispered a healing spell just as she felt the ground give way beneath one of her feet. A hand clamped around her ankle and before she could stop it she was pulled down the hole. For a moment, she was weightless, falling through the air and the next moment she hit the ground. The air rushed out of her lungs and pain shot through her back. Her head throbbed so badly that it made her teeth ache, but she willed herself up as fast as she could, searching for the person with the knife. A quick spell alleviated most of her aches and pains and moonlight lit up the small cavern giving her room to see her would-be attacker.
"Tinker Bell?" Regina recognized the blonde almost instantly. The fairy was struggling to pick herself up. Even from a distance Regina could see that her arm was broken. She sent out a healing spell and Tinker Bell let out a deep breath. She scrambled around the dirt before suddenly flying at Regina again with her knife in hand. A shadow passed overhead and Ruby landed in front of her and caught the fairy's arm in her jaws. Regina heard a crunch and Tinker Bell screamed. "Ruby!" She had to use magic to pry the werewolf away. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"She was trying to kill you!" The wolf roared, rounding on her viciously with bared teeth.
Regina searched the werewolf's eyes and found no trace of her wife in them. "Who are you?"
"I am Ruby."
"No, you are not." Regina scowled. "You're her wolf, aren't you?" The wolf let out a growl and turned away. "You pushed her out again." A groan from Tinker Bell drew her attention and she went to the fairy to heal her while the wolf looked on. "What are you doing here?"
"I was sent here. Because of you."
"What did I do to you?" Regina asked.
Tinker Bell looked at her. "Do you see any wings on me, your majesty?" Her shoulder twitched and Regina remembered that that was how she called forth her wings. Tink didn't even realize it but her meaning was clear. "I risked everything to help you. I gave you the path to happiness and you didn't take it. The tavern." She pressed. "The tavern where your soulmate was. You didn't go in, did you?"
"No."
"Why?" Tink whispered.
Regina sighed and glanced at Ruby. They didn't have time for this. She turned back to Tink and received a splash of dust in her face. She shrieked and leaped up to claw the dust from her eyes and in the midst of her panic, Tink slammed her hand into her chest and ripped out her heart. She backed away, holding it up to Ruby, lest she try and attack again. Regina grabbed at her chest, hoping to dull the ache left by the absence of her heart.
"I already know why." Tinker Bell glared at her as she circled the former queen. Regina had to use magic again to clean her eyes. There was no softness to the fairy anymore, just pain, just anger. "Selfishness! You are selfish, Regina, and you've always been. You never cared about anyone or anything and everyone, even those trying to help you, had to pay the price for it."
"Tinker Bell, please. I have to find my sons-"
"I know why you're here." The fairy hissed. "How many people lost their sons because of you? How many families did you destroy? How many lives did you ruin?" She demanded. "They don't matter, do they? Because if you had to do it again, you wouldn't make any changes, save any more lives because-"
"Because if it leads me here then yes!" Regina snapped. "I have a family worth fighting for, worth dying for. So if you're not going to kill me…"
Tink sighed and shook her head. "Still thinking of yourself? What about your soulmate?" Ruby let out a snarl, stalking around the shadows. Tink gave the heart a squeeze, forcing Regina to her knees.
"I'm married." Regina said through a groan of pain. "I found my soulmate."
"I mean the man in the tavern. You ruined his life too."
"Fine!" Regina roared. She wheezed as she struggled back to her feet. "You can keep the heart. Just let me rescue my sons and the other children. Then you can kill me, have your revenge." She looked the fairy right in the eye. "I am sorry for what happened to you. Truly. I know you took a risk to help me but never would I have imagined that the Blue Fairy would take your wings and banish you here."
"If you did, would you have gone into the tavern?" Tink asked.
Regina shrugged. "Then? I don't know what I would've done. As you said, I probably still would've been selfish. I was an angry person back then and that anger was all I had. I could rely on no one and nothing but it, that anger." She let out a sigh and relaxed. "I don't have time for this, Tink. Let me rescue the children. Keep the heart while I do it. And afterwards, if it will make you feel better, if it will make things right...kill me. Right now, I have things to take care of." She turned around to search for a way out and missed the incredulous looks on both Tink and Ruby's faces. She didn't care. The children needed her. Her sons needed her. Arguing with a fairy in a dark hole was not going to help her save them. Not to mention Ruby's problem. She had no idea how she was going to deal with that. Besides, Tink would give her her heart back. The fairy may hate her, but she wouldn't kill.
"Wait!" Tink sighed and held up the heart. "Take it. It wouldn't be worth it to kill you."
Regina returned to take it. She pushed it back into her chest, letting out a sigh at feeling whole again. "When this is over, Blue will give you your wings back." She promised.
"How-"
"Don't worry about it. She will." She turned to Ruby just as the wolf attacked. She sent out a burst of magic that threw Ruby against the wall and held her there. "No! Do not attack her!"
"Thief!" The wolf roared. "Enemy!
Regina glanced at Tink. "You should get out of here." She said, "Find the Charmings if you want to get off this island or even better, head to the pirate ship in the cove to the south. Wait for us there. As soon as the tower comes down you'll be safe. Just try not to get caught in the crossfire." She turned back to the wolf struggling against her magic. "Ruby! I know you're in there. Come back to me."
"She is asleep right now." The wolf growled. "She always goes to sleep when we need to fight."
"We're not fighting right now." Regina snapped. "And we weren't twenty minutes ago when you took over her body. I don't know what all of this is, but I need my wife back." The wolf threw her head to the side, growling and grumbling. Regina scowled and waved her hand. The ground rippled as the earth rose to encase the wolf into a solid prison. "Bring her back or I promise you I will leave you here until I find my sons."
"You need me." Came the reply. "You need us. They are our children too."
Regina stepped forward, looking up at the wolf and meeting its eyes. "Incorrect. Bring Ruby back or so help me, when this is done, I will devote every ounce of my power to ripping you out of her! And if you don't believe me, just wait until I get back." The wolf continued glaring at her, daring to do it. "Alright then." She turned around to leave and the wolf roared and threw itself against the walls of its new prison. Regina placed a spell around the room to protect it and teleported herself back above ground. She was behind schedule now and she needed to catch up. She took two steps forward and found herself being teleported. She reappeared in another part of the forest and before she could assess her surroundings, heavy green tentacles wrapped around her and dragged her backwards until her back was pressed against a tree.
"What the hell?"
"Welcome to the club." She looked to her right at Emma and rolled her eyes.
"You've got to be kidding me. How long have you two idiots been here?" She looked to her left and found Snow in the same predicament. What she thought were tentacles turned out to be vines and she realized that there was something off about them...beyond the fact that they moved.
"Probably half an hour." Emma said.
"Did you make it to the camp? Did you see Henry?"
"No, David got hurt and we got sidetracked." Snow answered.
"We also found Neal." Emma added. "You'd know all this if you didn't give us a fake earpiece."
"It wasn't fake, I turned it off. You were annoying me." Regina scoffed. "Playing some stupid game with Pan when we already had a plan. All he's doing is delaying you."
"I didn't have a choice."
Regina rolled her eyes. "What is this thing anyway?"
Peter Pan appeared in front of her. "This is a dear friend of mine." He said. "It attacks regret in people. Thank you for joining us, your majesty."
"You're welcome." Regina replied. He opened his mouth to speak again, talking about this and that but she hardly paid attention. She was already tired of the villainous monologues and his crap. They didn't have time for this. Her sons needed her and once again some people thought it was smart to try and stop her from doing that.
"He hates you." Pan was saying, getting right up into Emma's face. "You abandoned him and he hates you for it. I have your son's heart inside of me and I can feel that hatred throughout my entire being."
Heart? He had Henry's heart? Was that what this was about? If Pan was losing control of Neverland and he needed Henry's heart, then it was more than just about his island. That would mean he wouldn't be able to sustain the magic on himself. He was going to start aging again, probably go back to the way he was before he even got here. This was about preservation. When Pan stepped towards Snow, Regina did the same, the vines snapping away in an instant. Pan was too shocked to react as she slammed her hand into his chest and ripped out his heart. He crumbled to his hands and knees, gasping and coughing.
"That's not possible." He wheezed.
"I have done a lot of things to be regretful for, Peter Pan, but in the end, it was worth it. It got me my sons. Now, for the last time, get out of my way." She looked at the heart, glowing gold in the palm of her hand. She felt it beating, felt her son's heart beating. She snapped her fingers, teleporting herself and the idiots a good distance from the manboy, before casting a spell on the precious organ. Once it was put back in Henry's chest, no one would be able to take it out again. "Go." She commanded, handing the heart to Emma. "Get to him and put this back in his chest."
"But I don't know how. Why don't you come with us?" Emma said, almost panicking at the thought of putting the heart back.
"You have magic, Emma. Use it. Just push it in. It's easier than it looks. I have to go."
"Why are you in such a rush?"
"There are lives at stake! There are children that could be in pain right now." Regina hissed. "Besides, the quicker we get the children free, the faster Mal can burn this place to the ground. I want this to be over." She looked up at seeing a shadow pass overhead.
"Get down!" Snow yelled, firing an arrow up at a flying Peter Pan.
Regina ignored the warning and snapped her fingers, teleporting the idiots away to another part of the forest that was hopefully close to the Lost Boys camp. Pan slammed into her, smashing her against a tree. Both of his hands clamped around her throat as he lifted her off of her feet.
"Where did you send them?!" He hissed, leaning forward to lend his weight to the pressure on her neck. She raked at his arms, desperate for air. "Where did you send them?" He demanded again.
"Go to hell."
Pan's eyes bored holes into her own. He was furious, but there was something else in them. Fear. He was terrified of losing his power. Without it, he would be nothing more than dust. His precious island would fade away and she didn't even know what would happen to the Lost Boys or the rest of the idiots. Pan had doomed them all.
/
Where the hell am I?
Ruby looked around, taking in the strange forest. For a moment, she thought she was still in Neverland, in a forest clearing, but she quickly realized that she was wrong. There was only a full moon in a starless black sky and she couldn't see anything through the trees around her, as if this clearing had a black curtain surrounding it. There was no sign of Regina either. "Hello?!" She yelled. Did her wolf push her out again? It was never like this before. In the Enchanted Forest, it was so much easier, more peaceful, like falling asleep. She would just close her eyes and let someone else take the reins. This felt like she'd been pushed off the wagon. AGAIN! Yet again she had to fight her own wolf for control over her fucking body and it put her wife and children in danger! "Hey! You stupid dog-" Footsteps behind her had her spinning and she instantly dropped into a defensive stance, ready to fight, but she wasn't prepared for the sight of the giant wolf towering over her. She stepped back and bared her teeth. "Let me out."
"Why?" The wolf growled. "I am protecting us. I am protecting our mate. If you would stop fighting us-"
"Of course I'm fighting you!" Ruby snapped. "You keep taking over my body when I need to be conscious. Regina could be captured right now and our kids are in danger every moment you keep me here."
"You don't understand-"
"No! You don't understand. You-" Ruby paused as her mind blanked for a moment. "You can fucking talk?! WHAT THE FUCK?! Since when?" She'd never been able to actually speak to her wolf before. Or at least it never responded to her, not like this. Usually it was just flashes of emotions or feelings that weren't hers, never a full blown conversation.
"I have always been able to speak. You did not want to listen!" The wolf said, angrily throwing its head. "You want to call me when we need to fight and then push me back down when the battle is over-"
"That's more than enough!" Ruby hissed. "And I don't have time for this!"
"You locked me away for 28 years!" The wolf suddenly roared. Ruby tilted her head as she detected…sadness in the wolf's voice. "28 years of nothing and I awaken to find us with a mate and children that I am not allowed to see because you keep locking me away!"
"There is no 'us'." Ruby replied. "There never has been. Right now, my children need me. My mate and my wife need me. You are standing in the way of that. If they get hurt because I wasn't there it'll be because of you. We can discuss all of this later if you want, but right now I need my body back. So will you work with me? Until our sons are safe…truce?"
"Do not let Regina rip me away. Please."
Ruby nodded. "Sure. Just-" Being thrown back into the driver's seat of her own body was like being doused in cold water. It took a few minutes for Ruby to settle back into place. She moved her arms and legs and wiggled her fingers and toes, ensuring that everything worked properly. She took in her surroundings and growled when she saw that Regina had locked her in a cage. "Please tell me you left a way out, Regina." She whispered, searching the cage for anything strange or out of place. A hole caught her eye. It was too small for one of her paws, but her hand slid into it smoothly. The cage crumbled instantly and she took off to find Regina. She searched the area for any sign or scent of her wife and she was able to find a scent trail but she wasn't surprised when she saw that it ended abruptly. "Fucking teleportation." She let out another growl and kicked the nearest rock, struggling to remember their original plan. Before her unfortunate bout of moon drunkenness, they were heading to another soldier camp. However, there was no way she could take on one of those camps without Regina. She looked around again at the forest around her and made the decision to get to higher ground. She needed to get her bearings and figure out her next move. She turned to the tallest tree she could see and started to climb, only stopping when she reached the upper branches that bent a little too much under her weight. From this vantage point, she could see for miles in every direction. She felt a sadness that wasn't quite her own as she took in the forest.
"It is a shame, isn't it?" Neverland was actually beautiful, perfect for a good Run, and yet it had to be the home of a maniac that liked to steal children. She let out a sigh and took in her surroundings. She was closer to the tower than she expected and as much as she wanted to run there and break her son free, she and Regina also agreed to wait and scout it out before launching an attack. There was a lot of smoke in the distance. There were several plumes of black smoke from where she and Regina had blown up the army campsites, but the one closest to her had regular smoke. That was probably the Lost Boys camp and if it was, she could see if Henry was there. The idiots were supposed to have gotten him by now, but she didn't have an earpiece to confirm it. She needed to find Regina.
"Keep him moving! We don't have all night!"
Ruby tilted her head as she looked down. The voices of a group of boys drew her attention. They seemed to be Lost Boys, but they were practically dragging a bound boy behind them. She carefully moved lower to get a better look.
Almost all of the Lost Boys were rather pale and skinny. She wasn't even sure what they ate but it was certainly not enough. The boy that was tied up was in even worse shape than the others. There were cuts and bruises along his back and arms, old and new, and she could count every one of his ribs. As she drew closer she was met with a horrible stench and she could smell that he had an infected wound.
"You've been here for as long as I have, Rufio, and you and your little friends still haven't learned." The boy leading them had a face covered in old scars. He turned around to grab the bound boy by the throat. "You could've been my second, ruled the island with me and yet, you scurry through tunnels in the dirt and betray the man who brought you everlasting life." The scarred boy stepped back, watching with a small smirk as the other boy coughed and wheezed. "Where is the recruit you stole from us? Tell me and we might spare you. Otherwise, I will make good on my promise to you."
The boy who was tied up stood up straight and rolled his bony shoulders. "You are the second, you fucking idiot. Does Pan know that you're pretending to lead the group of murderous dogs you call the Lost Boys? What would he do if he found out? As for Pan giving me 'everlasting life', he ripped me away from my family. I can't even remember them. Can you remember yours, Felix?" A fist to the gut was all he got for his efforts. It was followed by a lot of kicks and Ruby fought off a growl at the display. She didn't know the Lost Boys, didn't like them and wasn't interested in doing so, but this was barbaric.
Stop them.
"I know. Shut up." She hissed softly, carefully climbing down. Felix mentioned a recruit. Maybe that was Henry? Perhaps Rufio had helped him escape? Even if that was true, Rufio had clearly been on the receiving end of this treatment for a long time, even before Henry was brought here. She fought off another growl when one of the boys pulled Rufio up and held him while another punched him in the stomach. She hated unfair fights like this and she wanted to dropkick all of these kids, but she had to remind herself that these were indeed kids. They'd deserve it, but still… "Fuck it." She took a deep breath and let herself drop to the forest floor. The boys whipped around to face her, but she ignored those closest and aimed straight for Felix, knocking him out with a hard strike to his face that he was too slow to stop or dodge. The nearest boy received a punch to the gut and another attempted to pull out his bow, but he wasn't quick enough to get an arrow in place and a dropkick sent him flying into a tree. The rest scurried away like roaches and Ruby bent down to help Rufio.
"Stop!" He tried to roll away from her. "I don't have anything you want-"
"Relax, kid." She grabbed his arm and pulled him back with ease so she could undo the binds around his wrist. "Your name is Rufio, right?"
"I am. Who are you? Are you one of the heroes that came to rescue one of their kids?"
"Well, yes, but actually, I came to rescue all of the kids. Felix said you stole a recruit. Was it a little boy named Henry? He's eleven, has brown hair-"
"No." Rufio let out a groan as she helped him up. "The kid I took has black hair. Said his name was Roland."
"Why'd you take him?" Ruby asked. She turned around when she heard footsteps and saw Felix disappear into the bushes. "I thought he was out."
"High pain tolerance. All Lost Boys have it. You have to if you want to survive here." Rufio replied, bending to take the bows and quivers from the other Lost Boys who were still unconscious. "Mind carrying these?"
"Uh, sure. Where are we going?"
"I have to get back to my friends-" He paused and Ruby tilted her head at hearing his heartbeat speed up. "My friend. He has the other boy and he probably thinks I'm dead. So I have to go."
"We can help you, you know." Ruby said. "My wife, Regina, has healing magic-" A huge explosion suddenly rocked the forest and Ruby took off towards it before her legs could stop herself. She heard yelling and cursing and her wolf burst free, carrying her towards the sounds of Regina as fast as it could. She found her wife in a losing battle with Pan as she was held to the ground by her throat. The area around them was scorched and black and ugly burns covered the right side of Pan's face. Ruby leaped forward, her teeth closing around Pan's shoulder. She bit straight down to the bone and felt the bone snap in her jaws. Pan howled in pain and released Regina as the wolf dragged him away from its mate, growling with glee at the blood seeping through its teeth. Pain suddenly exploded in the side of Ruby's face and she dropped the manboy to rake at her face with a paw.
"Stupid dog!" Pan hissed, summoning a spell in his good hand. He raised it to fire and an arrow suddenly appeared, sticking through his palm. Pan screamed and took off into the air, flying away to heal and regroup. Ruby turned to Regina to see her pulling a vial from her blazer pocket. She drank it and let out a sigh before coming to heal Ruby's face.
"You okay now?" Regina asked. "I don't need to get a leash, do I?"
"I'm fine. I guess the wolf and I came to an agreement." Ruby replied, changing back into a human. "What happened when we were separated?"
"You don't remember?"
Ruby shrugged. "I often don't remember what the wolf does, you know that."
Regina nodded and looked up. Ruby followed her eyes to Rufio as he limped into the clearing. "Who are you?"
"He's good." Ruby assured her. "This is Rufio."
"Hello, Rufio." Regina looked at Ruby. "Should you really trust the Lost Boy that turned on his own leader?"
"Yeah, I found him being beaten to death by some other Lost Boys. Apparently they have their own little civil war or something going on. Rufio might not be completely good, but I'll take him over the others. Besides, he might have information we could use to rescue the kids." Regina didn't look convinced at her reasoning, but nodded.
"We should move." Rufio said, already turning to leave. "He'll be back as soon as he's healed and he might send the Shadow before that."
Ruby moved to follow and Regina did the same. They didn't have far to go. After a couple minutes of walking, Rufio turned to a tree and moved the plants around the base to reveal a hidden tunnel. He entered first and Regina followed him. Ruby had to clasp her hands together to keep from smacking Regina's ass as she climbed in. Now wasn't the time. She followed Regina into the hole and carefully moved the plants back into place. The tunnel was completely devoid of light and she couldn't even see Regina standing in front of her. She instinctively reached for her to keep her close as they walked down the tunnel. She wasn't sure how long they walked, but eventually they saw light up ahead and Rufio let out a whistle. It was answered by another.
"It's safe." Rufio said. He led them forward into the large cavern that was lit with torches with a pool of water in the middle that was fed from a small river. Ruby smelled salt in the water and figured this fed into the sea. If that was true, they were probably close to the beach that was hopefully near the tower.
"Rufio!" A little boy appeared around a pile of rocks and slammed into Rufio. "I knew those sons of bitches couldn't kill you."
"Damn right." Rufio smiled as the boy helped him to take a seat. He couldn't have been older than Daniel and Henry and he too was smaller and skinnier than he should've been. He had long, messy blonde hair, pale blue eyes and a face covered in freckles. He was dressed similarly to the other Lost Boys, in faded browns and greens with a cloak, but he wasn't wearing any shoes. "Ladies, this is Flynn." Flynn turned around and his jaw dropped.
"Hi." Ruby gave a little wave. "I'm Ruby. This is Regina." Regina waved as well. "It's nice to meet you." Flynn just stared at them like they were unicorns or something.
Rufio picked up a rock and threw it at him. The rock bouncing off the back of his head broke his spell and he instantly whipped around and glared at the older boy.
"Ow, you bit-"
"Language, man. I know you haven't seen a woman in a hundred years, but you're not supposed to swear in front of them."
"Why not?"
"Because you're not."
Ruby smirked and watched as Regina stepped towards Rufio and touched his shoulder, her fingertips glowing purple where they touched his skin. "You have internal bleeding and an infected wound on your leg. Not to mention a dozen others and malnutrition."
Flynn looked concerned for the other boy's injuries. "What'd they do to you?"
"Doesn't matter. I'm alive, aren't I?" Rufio waved him away. "Go get the kid." Flynn glared at him momentarily, but he turned away as Regina began healing the worst of Rufio's wounds. He disappeared around the rocks nearby and returned with a small boy with curly black hair. He was even younger than the others, but he looked cleaner and his clothes weren't as dirty.
"That's Roland." Rufio said. "He was the newest addition to the island before Pan found your sons."
"Found?" Regina asked, showing Roland a bright smile. He returned it as he quietly sat down on the ground. Ruby paced next to him.
"Pan's always been crazy, but he started becoming obsessed with finding your sons. He sent the Lost Boys all over the worlds to collect as many boys as possible, hoping your sons would be one of them, but when that failed, he built the Home Office and he sent them where we couldn't go. I think he found them at one point, when they were born."
"There were others in line to adopt Henry and Daniel." Regina said thoughtfully. "Is this about Henry's heart?"
"Yeah. I don't know who told him that this heart would help him, but that's all he's thought about since his power started slipping. He's gone mental and since he isn't around as much, Felix's taken over."
"Felix?"
"He was the one who attacked Rufio." Ruby supplied. "What's this about Henry's heart?"
"He stole Henry's heart. Apparently, there's some magic related to it." Regina stated matter of factly. Ruby whipped around but Regina was quick to assure her that she'd taken it back. "Pan was chasing me so I gave it to Emma and teleported her away."
"You gave our son's heart to the savior who can't do magic?" Ruby demanded.
"It's quite easy to push a heart back in and as I said," Regina retorted. "Pan was after me. It was either that or risk losing it in a fight."
Ruby let out a growl as she turned away and resumed pacing. "Why Henry then? What's so special about his heart?"
"Pan called it the Heart of the Truest Believer." Flynn said.
"Henry was the first to believe in magic." Regina amended softly. "He was the one who brought Emma to Storybrooke and got her to believe in magic and she kissed his forehead to break the curse. I don't know anything about it specifically though. No legends, no prophecies, no warnings, no nothing." She let out a sigh as she stepped away from Rufio. "I healed the infected wound and your internal bleeding but you really need a doctor or more experienced healer. I'm sure Mal can take care of it but we have to take care of the tower. First though, who is Felix?"
"Pan is obsessive, Felix is batshit crazy." Flynn answered. "A complete psychopath. Once he took over, that's when the Lost Boys started killing. There used to be hundreds of us and now there's barely thirty, but the ones who are left are the worst ones. They're monsters."
"So why are you here?" Regina asked, gesturing around them.
"We didn't want to be like them." Rufio replied. "We didn't want to forget our homes and lives and families. So we left."
"Left? You're on an island."
"The Lost Boys split, so to speak. Curly and Benny were our leaders. There are tunnels and underground caverns everywhere. We hid as best as we could and we went back when they brought in new boys to save them. Some like it here, but the ones that don't are beaten until they can't fight anymore or are killed or they just give up and do whatever the others want them to. The longer you stay in Neverland, the less you'll want to leave, but that only works if you forget what you left behind. Since we stay here forever, eventually we'll forget, but we tried to remember."
"There were a lot more of us." Flynn added, going to grab a torch. He walked over to a wall and held the flames to the stone, highlighting the carvings and drawings scratched into the rock. "Curly made this. He made us draw pictures and write and tell stories about us, about our lives. He thought it would help us to remember them." Ruby stood up to examine all of the pictures and writings covering the cave walls. Most were etchings or carvings but some were writings made with what seemed to be charcoal. She smiled as she read a passage from a boy named Max, who wrote a small list of his family members with descriptions of them.
Laura Michaels- Mom. Smart and kind. Likes sweets. Gives the best hugs and has the best smile.
George Michaels- Dad. Not as funny as he thinks. Stupid jokes but crazy laugh.
Chris Michaels- Big brother. Annoying. Scared of horses.
Lidia Michaels- Little Sister. Irritating. Possible assassin.
"Max was really nice." Flynn whispered. "He taught me to climb." Ruby glanced down at the little boy when she heard sniffles and he angrily wiped his eyes. He reached out to touch a little carving of a bird. It was surprisingly well done. Beneath it was only a few words.
"It's the little things?" Ruby said.
"Benny wrote that. It was something his mom used to say. Something about little things keep the darkness at bay. I don't really remember. They caught him not too long ago."
Ruby turned around to look at Regina. They had to get these kids out of here. Her wife gave her a little nod, as if reading her thoughts. "Alright then, how far away is the tower?" She asked, turning to Rufio.
"There's a tunnel that leads to the beach near it. Should only take a couple minutes." He replied. "Why?"
"Because our son is being kept there. We're going to go there and free him and the rest of the children locked up there. We take down the tower and the mothers of the other children will come and rip this island apart." Regina answered as she reached into her jacket and pulled out another potion and drank it, wrinkling her nose at the taste. Ruby almost rolled her eyes at how adorable she was. "Lead us to the tower and then you three head south as fast as you can. There's a pirate ship in a cove there. Do you know Tinker Bell?"
"Blonde lady with a knife who lives in a tree. Yes."
Ruby felt her eyes glow bright gold and had to stifle the growl bubbling in her throat amidst the rush of rage that her wolf sent forth at the mere mention of Tinker Bell's name. It drew the attention of everyone in the cave and she silently cursed her wolf's temperament. "Ignore that. The wolf and Tinker Bell have a bit of a history."
"Wolf?" Flynn walked around to look up at her. "What wolf?"
"I'm a werewolf."
"No fucking way! Can you turn into a wolf then? Can you show me? Can you turn me into one?"
Regina burst out laughing when Ruby growled again. "What is with you children and turning into animals? I swear, Daniel has asked me to make him a werewolf half a dozen times."
"Who is Daniel?" Flynn asked.
"My son. He's the one locked in the tower. We're going to rescue him and the other children. Meanwhile, you all should go to the ship. It's called the Jolly Roger. Tinker Bell may be there too. You can tell her Regina sent you."
"You want us to cross this whole island with all those crazy bastards out there?" Flynn exclaimed.
"I do." Regina replied, walking away from Rufio to examine the walls. "And language."
"The soldiers are mostly gone." Ruby explained. "We're been destroying their weapons and bases for the last few days. Once we take out the tower, everyone should be drawn to our location anyway. It should be safe as long as you guys move quickly."
"Then what?" Rufio asked.
Ruby didn't really have an answer for that. There was no telling how long the kids had been here, but she did remember Felix mentioning that Rufio was one of the first. That could've been who knows how many years ago and he and Flynn might not have a home to go back to. They didn't even know what world they were from and unless they'd written their personal information down somewhere, they most likely forgot. However, Roland had just gotten here and his family could still be out there looking for him. She wasn't sure what they would do for Rufio and Flynn but anything was better than this. They could also be lying to get off the island, but she didn't believe that was the case. Regina could search their memories later when they had time to confirm their intentions anyway. And if they saved these Lost Boys, they would have save the rest as well-
No. Killers stay. Her wolf's growl drowned everything else out.
"We'll discuss this later." She said softly before turning to Flynn, who was still staring at her. "If you guys have anything you want to take with you, go get it."
Flynn snorted. "No offense, Lady, but what would we have? The reeds we made shoes out of? The dirt we use as a bed?" He crouched to pick up a stone and held it up to her. "Maybe I'll take this rock with me. It's a nice one, isn't it?" Ruby flicked him on the forehead. "Ow!"
Regina chuckled softly as she made her way back over. She waved her hand and smoke covered all three of the boys for a few moments. When it cleared, they were cleaner and their clothes had been repaired, or in Rufio's case, his torn pants were replaced with sweatpants and he was now wearing a black shirt. She conjured two pairs of running shoes and socks for the older boys.
"We can get you all new wardrobes back in Storybrooke." She paused to ruffle Roland's fluffy hair. "And we'll find your family. Right now, this is the best I can do with the time we have, so let's move."
Flynn held the shoes like he'd been given a bar of gold. Ruby growled softly. They were just a pair of shoes! Children shouldn't have to suffer like this because a stupid manboy with magic wanted to be a god to someone. She wanted to rip Pan's head off even more for what he'd done to these kids. Her wolf was of the same mind and it took everything she had not to change forms in that moment. She didn't want to scare the kids right now.
"Uh, you okay?" She reined in her emotions just enough to address Flynn, who was looking at her funny.
"I'm fine. What's wrong?" She glanced around when she noticed that Regina was gone. "Where's Regina?"
"She went into that cave." Flynn pointed out the tunnel before holding up the shoes. "Can you help me with these?"
"Of course." She crouched down to help him put on the socks and shoes and tied them for him. "Comfortable?" She asked, going to help Rufio.
"Weird." Flynn replied, staring at his feet as he walked in a circle.
She glanced up when Regina returned carrying a weird cylindrical contraption that was dripping wet. It was pulsing with a pale blue light. It was about the size of a football and she held it by wrapping a leaf around it "What the hell is that thing?"
"This is one of the reasons Pan is losing his power." Regina looked at the boys. "Did one of your friends know how to use magic?"
"Ben did, but he could barely use it. It took him years to make that." Rufio shrugged. "He put that back there and told us not to touch it. Why? What is it?"
"It's ingenious is what it is." Regina laid the weird object on a rock. "Essentially, what this does is siphons the magic from the island and stores it here to be used however you want. There were runes carved into the rock around it. In layman's terms, Ben was using Pan's own magic to hide your cave and in doing so, it was weakening him even faster. Did he have more of these?"
"I think so." Rufio shrugged again. "Does having these help us?"
"Yes, you can take this with you and it should hide you from Pan and his shadow." She conjured a backpack to put it in and handed it to Flynn. "It won't hide you from the other Lost Boys but they should be drawn to our location anyway." As she helped him put on the backpack and tighten the straps, she glanced at Rufio. "What happened to Ben?"
"We assume the others killed him. He never came back."
Regina gave them a smile. "He's not." Flynn instantly whipped around to look at her and she nodded. "The runes were still glowing. He's still alive."
"W-what? Where? How do we find him? If he's alive then maybe the others could be too?"
"I don't know, but if he is, if they are, we'll find them once we take down the tower. I promise." Regina said. She let out a soft grunt when Flynn suddenly hugged her. She squeezed him back and stood up. "Alright, let's move." Ruby helped Rufio to his feet. Flynn took her place, letting him lean on his shoulder when he needed to as they started off down one of the tunnels. Roland trailed behind them.
Regina grabbed Ruby's hand and started to drag her down one of the tunnels. "Are you here or am I talking to the wolf?"
"I'm me. Just pissed." Ruby hissed, following Regina into the dark tunnel. "Pan ruined the lives of hundreds of boys. Many of whom were brought to this island to die. It's fucked up!"
"Agreed, but stay in control please."
"I'm fine." Ruby said.
As Rufio said, it only took a couple minutes of walking before the tunnel ended and the pair came out onto the beach. The tower was right next to them but there was a short cliff protecting it from the waves. It took no time at all for Ruby to climb it and once at the top she grinned at seeing the tower door. She turned around and leaned down to take Regina's hand and pulled her up. The tower was a massive structure crafted from metal and stone. Unlike any other part of Neverland, it was untouched by the forest around it and seemed relatively new. There was only one door and there were no guards stationed at it. The area around the tower was bare, devoid of trees and grass and the dirt had been packed flat. She felt it was a little suspicious. Pan hadn't done this to any other part of the island. Perhaps it was to remove any cover that could hide invaders?
Do not move.
Ruby froze and grabbed Regina's hand. "What is it?"
You do not feel it? Pathetic. This whole area is booby trapped.
Regina was already crouching to examine the dirt when Ruby relayed the information to her. She didn't feel anything weird about the place other than the fact that there was no vegetation.
"What is it?" She asked.
"I can feel a lot of magic here." Regina answered.
"Could it be the kids?"
Regina shook her head. "I would recognize Daniel's magic if he had cast the spells. This is Pan's doing." She made a hand motion and Ruby braced herself against the sudden gust of wind that blew past them, lifting the dirt from around the exposed area and unveiling the dozens upon dozens of magic symbols scrawled in the earth. "Shit. That's not good."
"How do we get past this?" Ruby asked. They were so close! She glared over the door. Just behind that was their child and she couldn't get to him.
Flying? There are too many and she is too weak to lift them one by one.
"Regina? Weak?" Ruby scoffed at the notion. Regina glanced at her, one eyebrow cocked.
She has not slept in days and is running purely on anger and the energy of a rejuvenation elixir. She has no more. She is at her limit.
"You're really fucking talkative all of a sudden."
Then I will be quiet and watch you fail to save Daniel.
Ruby rolled her eyes and the wolf did go silent. She looked at Regina who seemed to be quietly contemplating a way forward. "The wolf suggested flying. Can you levitate us across these things to the door?"
"I could, but there isn't enough room in front of it. Most of these symbols are trap runes and sealing spells. Touching them will activate them. Essentially, it'll be like being locked in a closet and no one can hear you scream. Pan's had time to reinforce them so it will take an immense amount of magical energy to lift just one. More than I have right now."
"Is the tower protected?" Ruby asked.
"I don't see any runes on it. Why?"
"What if you blow a hole in it and carry us over there? What if you cause an earthquake or something to destroy this area around the tower? Push it off the fucking cliff." Ruby said, letting out any idea she could come up with that would get them across to the door.
"We don't know if Daniel and the children are in the tower or underground. If they are underground, disrupting the earth could cause a collapse. I could try to open a hole in the side, but if there are runes I can't see, it would be a waste of energy."
"So we go back down the cliff and around it."
Regina rolled her eyes. "Excellent idea. Except for the fucking ocean in the way."
"Are you telling me you can't-"
No, you moron! The wolf's roar drowned out anything Regina was about to say and left Ruby's head ringing. She grabbed at the sides of her head as the wolf started growling. She does not have the energy for anything you're thinking of.
"She can use my energy then." Ruby snarled. "And shut up! For fuck's sake. Never talked for years and now you won't shut the fuck up!" Regina looked at her and she shook her head. "It's just the wolf. Is there a way for you to use my energy?"
"It won't be enough, I'm afraid." Regina said. "We need another idea."
Behind you!
Ruby turned just in time for the Shadow to slam into her chest. Regina tried to catch her and the Shadow flew down to grab her. Ruby instantly locked an arm around the creature before he could take off with Regina. Flames flashed in Regina's hand and the Shadow let out a high pitched squeal before it dropped them and darted off into the darkness. Ruby wrapped her arms around Regina, taking the brunt of their fall. Air rushed out of her lungs and she wheezed as Regina scrambled to her feet, cursing up a storm. Ruby slowly rolled over and looked down at the glowing symbol beneath her.
"No!" Regina yelled, beating against the walls of their prison. Four walls of magic had appeared around them. They were transparent, like glass, and through it the pair could see Pan laughing as he floated down to stand in front of them.
"So close." He smirked.
Regina roared at him and crouched to try and lift the rune. Entrapment runes were difficult to break. Even Gold was wary of them. Once activated, they could only be removed by the castor. Breaking it would take more than she had and undoing the runes would take too much time. Still, she tried anyway. She closed her eyes and reached out for the massive amount of magic sitting beneath her. She knew the magic symbol and a possible way to at least alter it. As soon as she cast the spell to do so everything went black. She wasn't sure how long she was out but the next thing she knew, Ruby was furiously shaking her. She opened her eyes and Ruby let out a sigh of relief.
"Whatever you just did, don't fucking do it again!" Her wife growled, barely restraining herself from panicking. "You stopped breathing, Regina. You-you-"
"I'm okay." Regina groaned. She tried to move and found that her entire body was as heavy as lead.
Pan crouched down to look her in the eye. "Desperate, are we?" He stood back up and clasped his arms behind his back. "I've made a decision. You two have ruined plans that I've spent years cultivating. You cannot imagine the time and energy it has taken to find worthy vessels to power my island and then find the Savior's sons who you hid for 10 years with your curse. It's been a mess. And now that you've come to my island, you've destroyed my allies and made my home dangerous for my boys." Ruby growled at him, pulling Regina close as she helped her sit up. Pan only shook his head. "Because of you, your sons will suffer. Because of you two, I will break them."
Ruby shifted and threw herself at the walls of their prison, tearing out a couple claws in doing so. She roared and screamed curses at the bastard threatening her children.
"Oh shut up!" Pan hissed, glaring at Ruby. He waved his hand. "No one out here can hear you. They can't see you. They can walk right by you and never know you're there. Only I can." He said. "This is where I'm going to give you a front row seat as I destroy the very thing you came to save."
"Don't you touch our sons!" Ruby roared.
Pan only scowled. "I will do whatever I want! This is my island! My world!" Spittle flew from his lips at his roar and he seemed almost mad with rage. He stepped close to the barrier of magic and looked at Regina, a sinister smile creeping across his lips. "Let's play a game, your majesty."
"Don't do this, Pan. Take me if you-"
"Ha!" Pan scoffed. "You've already pissed me off enough. No one is leaving this island. Do you know why? Because Peter Pan never f-"
The base of the tower suddenly exploded, blasting steel, stone and dirt in all directions and sending great plumes of fire and smoke into the air. All of Neverland shook from the explosion. It sent Pan flying but the sealing spell protected the women. Regina's heart dropped as the tower collapsed and fell, crushing parts of the forest in its descent while other parts of it fell into the sea. The only thing Regina could think of was her son. "DANIEL!"
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