"Emma! Please! Don't do this!" Killian pleaded, his voice breaking.
Emma met his gaze, saw the unshed tears behind his eyes. Killian's hand came up and cupped her cheek. She leant into his touch. Her heart aching as she knew that what she was about to do next would haunt him for the rest of eternity.
"I have no choice. It's the only way we-you… can control the darkness." Emma's tears fell down her face.
"There's got to be another way?" his voice broke and a single tear fell down his face.
Emma moved his hand from her cheek, and placed it over her heart, interlacing their fingers.
"You told me once that you'd win my heart, not by any trickery, but because I'd want you." she struggled to keep her voice even.
Killian closed his eyes and nodded, "Aye, I did."
"It's yours, Killian." Emma stuttered between light sobs.
Killian opened his eyes and gazed into hers, his mouth open slightly in shock.
"I love you." she said and rest her forehead against his.
"I love you." he said before pressing his lips to hers fiercely.
She didn't hold back, Emma grabbed onto the front of Killian's jacket and pressed herself against him, leaning up on tiptoes to kiss him desperately.
She pulled back too soon and pushed him back before turning and pouting the dagger into the darkness which surrounded Regina.
"NO!" Emma heard Killian yell in the distance.
She could barely hear him, the searing pain of the darkness was piercing her skin. She watched in horror as the darkness wrapped itself around her forearms and slid closer to her neck and chest. The feeling of almost being burnt was what it felt like. As the darkness enveloped her, she struggled to see through the shadows cast by the darkness surrounding her.
Emma spun slowly around, she could see Robin holding Regina back from one side, she could see Charming holding Snow back from the other, but her gaze was locked on Killian.
His face distraught, his eyes were on her. Tears fell from her face as she watched Killian drop to his knees. 'I love you, Emma Swan.' he mouthed and looked away, covering his face with his arm. He couldn't bare to see her this way.
Emma closed her eyes, took a deep breath in. She sighed heavily and surrendered to the darkness, throwing her head back and her arms out.
'The purest of evil' she remembered the Apprentice saying, as she was lifted into the air.
An overwhelming heat radiated from her chest, she felt her veins on fire. The nerve endings in her body were electric. The darkness was suffocating and destroying the light within her.
Killian heard Snow hit the ground, her shrieking echoed throughout main street. He didn't dare look up. He could see Regina in the corner of his eye, she was in complete shock. Robin's arms were around her, holding her back. Her face was furious with emotion. The conflicted anger and pain on her face. The tears streamed down her face and she looked over at Killian. Her face apologetic.
Killian closed his eyes, a pain grew in his chest. He took a sharp breath in and it grew worse.
Regina watched on in horror as the pirate collapsed face-first to the concrete road.
Charming held onto Snow tightly, but his agonised gaze never left his daughter. He looked up and watched as the sparks of light left her body, turning grey and then jet black. The lump in his throat was prevented him from breathing. He sucked in a short breath, letting his tears fall willingly.
Just then the darkness faded and a loud shattering sound echoed in the street. Silence followed shortly after and Snow looked up slowly.
The dagger lay glistening in the street lamp's light.
She crawled over to it but stopped just in front. Her eyes wide and her voice a shrill scream as she read her daughters name on the cursed blade which lay before her.
Charming didn't move. He was in shock. His muscles still as he watched his wife buckle over on the ground, grieving.
Regina shook free of Robin's grasp on her, she ran to Killian.
"Somebody help me!" she cried angrily, "Don't do this to me pirate!" she turned him over, so she could see his face. Robin was on the other side of him, knelt at his side. He pressed an ear to Killian's lips and heard nothing. Regina slapped Killian's face. "Wake up!" she cried.
He lay face up, his pulse slowed entirely.
Robin looked over at Charming who was still in shock. "We need to get him to the hospital!" he shouted.
"DAVID!" Robin pushed Charming over and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.
"We need to get Hook to a hospital." he said sternly dragging him over to the pirates body.
"Right." Charming mumbled, not able to shake himself out of the trance his was in.
Regina's arms came around Snow then, she helped her up and they sobbed into each other's shoulders.
"Let's go." Robin ordered and Regina pulled Snow along at her side. Both uncontrollably sobbing. Charming had hold of Killian's legs and Robin had hold of his upper torso. They reached Granny's and got into Charming's pick up. Robin sat in the truck bed with Killian whilst Regina drove. Snow went into Granny's and Charming followed her. Henry had found them at the door and brought them into the diner nodding at Regina and Robin to go.
Regina put her foot down, glancing back in panic every few minutes. Killian's head was on Robin's lap, he could see the pirates chest lifting and dropping ever so slightly. His breathing was shallow. Robin smacked his hand on the window. "HURRY! HE DOESN'T HAVE MUCH TIME!" he shouted to Regina.
She turned around fully, her iron grip on the steering wheel making her knuckles go white. She was positive she was breaking the speed limit, but she didn't care at all. She'd just lost one friend, she wasn't about to lose another.