The Lost Princess - A Once Upon A Time Fanfic

Soulmates // Neverland

*past*

Rapunzel sat in her treehouse. It was her safe haven, a place where she could be alone, away from the Lost Boys. She looked up at the stars, wondering what was going on with Rumplestiltskin and her sister, but not missing them. 

For the first time, she felt at peace. And she didn't feel alone. 

She heard rustling below and stood up quickly, her hands sparking. That's when Pan popped his head through the hole in the ground. She relaxed. 

"May I come up?" He asked. Rapunzel nodded her head. The rest of her was frozen. 

He lifted himself up with ease, smiling at her. She tried to focus on his emotions, but couldn't quite concentrate with the Lost Boys' emotions running high. He chuckled as he could tell she was struggling. 

"It's nice and cozy up here," he said, moving about the treehouse. Rapunzel looked around. 

"There's nothing to it," she said. 

He shrugged. "I guess you weren't able to bring anything from home."

"I know you're teasing. If I had a home, I wouldn't be here."

"But you've trapped yourself up in a tower. Again."

She cocked her head to the side. "How do you know about that?"

"I know more than you think. And I think you find comfort in the loneliness," he moved toward her, gently grabbing her shoulders. "You don't need to be alone anymore."

She shrugged him off of her. "I'm better alone." 

"I don't think that's true. You're a fighter. You may not know it yet, but you are. You've definitely got the personality of one," he said with a chuckle. "I believe that if you really felt that way, you'd be figuring your way out of here." 

"What's the point?" She asked. "My birth mother didn't want me, Rumplestiltskin literally threw me away-"

"He didn't have much of a choice," Pan stated. 

"Because you wanted me here," she finished. 

He shrugged. "A temporary fix," he muttered. Rapunzel rolled her eyes. "But the island has already taken a liking to you."

"The island? It's sentient?" 

He laughed. "Kind of. But I don't want to talk about your magic right now," he said, taking her hands. "I want to talk about you."

"Why?"

"You don't feel like you have a sense of belonging anywhere, right? That where you were, it wasn't giving you the full satisfaction that you so crave?" He asked. 

She nodded. 

"I know that feeling, Rapunzel. This is a place where you can be you. I want you to be you."

Again, she asked, "Why?" 

He looked down at their hands. He was holding onto hers so tightly, but couldn't let go. 

"There are a ton of folklore, passed down from generation to generation. Magic is one of them. Most people don't believe in it, even though we live in a magical world. There is one story though that I've held onto. Something that I didn't believe could be real until I looked into your eyes." 

"What is it?" She asked, her breath catching. 

"True love." 

She immediately backed away, able to release her hands from his grasp. 

"You think you love me?" 

"You don't feel it?" He asked, moving closer to her once again. "You didn't feel that spark?" 

She looked down at her hands. "I feel sparks everyday," she joked, but didn't acknowledge. 

"No, I know you felt it." He insisted. 

She shook her head in confusion. "I...we...I mean, we're just kids," she stammered. 

"Exactly. We have a greater capacity for love than anyone else. You feel emotions intensely, correct? Yours and others?" 

She nodded. "I feel too much," she admitted. 

"I'm going to prove that we are, in fact, soulmates."

"You believe in soulmates? You run an island full of magic with an army of your own, and you believe in soulmates?" 

"That's so hard to believe?" He retorted. 

"Why are you so passionate about this?" She asked, trying to get a read on him. His heart was silent. 

"Because this is something I've never felt before. This is something I can't explain."

She sat down on the stool beneath her and put her head in her hands. 

Soulmates, she thought. She barely knew him. She had never even had the luxury of thinking about love. She was locked away for all of those years, she didn't know what love was. Rumplestiltskin sure never gave her a lesson in it. 

But as she looked at Peter Pan, seeing the glow in his eyes, the smile on his face and hearing the words coming from him, she thought that maybe he was right. Maybe there was something there. She had just been too closed off her entire life to be able to recognize it. 

She was, after all, the Queen of Neverland. Maybe he really was her true king. 

Soulmates. 

"How are you going to prove it to me?" She asked in a childish tone. The smile on his face grew wider. 

"I already promised this, but I'm going to teach you how to control your empathy." 

"I thought that was just to get me to stay on the island," she admitted. "But you can really do that?" 

He laughed. "I'm all-knowing when it comes to this island. I've had to block a lot of noise out from the Lost Boys. This will be the perfect place to practice that power. It truly is a gift." Then he bent down to her level. His eyes pierced hers and it took her breath away for a moment. "You will be the most powerful being out there. If you follow me, we will rule far more than just Neverland. All you have to do is trust me." 

She didn't know if it was her immaturity speaking, or if she really believed him, but she couldn't say no. 

"Okay," she answered, a sheepish smile coming to her face. 

Very gently, he kissed the top of her forehead and smiled at her. 

"We'll take it slow. Whatever comes, just allow it. But for now, my Queen," he said, slowly rising and taking her hand, "shall we?" 

She accepted his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. 

"And what will we be doing?" She asked, still holding onto his hand. 

"Well, finding the Lost Boys, of course. They are our first stop in teaching you how to control your magic. Plus, they haven't seen their Queen in a bit, and they need some discipline," he winked. 

Hand and hand and with smiles on both of their faces, they emerged from the treehouse, starting their journey together. 

But just how long could it last?