Chapter 2

I walked out of the town square, feeling dizzy and rather heartbroken. Things were even worse here than I expected; Snow White was no longer a woman of virtue and morality, Emma was a cold-hearted, who knows what else could have been happening? I sat myself down in the first tavern I could find, hoping that a bottle of rum could soften my emotions. As I waited for some service, I couldn't help but overhear a conversation between two women by the bar.

"Have you heard of what… she did yesterday, and why that girl was killed earlier?"

"Who's 'she'?"

"The first woman leaned in and whispered, "Emma Swan, of course. She managed to stop a royal carriage, kill everyone inside of it and all of the guards, and take a pouch filled with gold and jewellery."

"Ugh, she is so horrible. Who could kill so many people and be able to live with themselves?"

"I'm terrified now of travelling anywhere outside of town, I'm scared that she will… get me too."

I struggled to believe that their exchanged words could have possibly been about the woman I love, and that she would just kill. I couldn't imagine what the royals could have done to her to make her do this, since Pan said she never knew who abandoned her as a new born

I decided against the rum and went outside into the cool night for some air, and a chance to think about the crippling unhappiness that is the rest of my life in the New Enchanted Forest. I walked through the now quiet town, to the outskirts of a forest. I could have left the town and my ship just then, but I couldn't risk the chance of being caught by any of the numerous outlaws and bandits that it harboured.

I fell down to the soft grassy ground, suddenly becoming overwhelmed by what my new reality was. I looked up to the stars for guidance and reassurance, like I did at sea, reminding myself of how Emma was under the very same stars.

"Don't move, otherwise I will slit your throat before you can say a word." A disturbingly familiar, yet unrecognisable voice said as I felt the cold touch of metal against my neck. "Good, good. Now, what is your business here, pirate?" Darkness shrouded the figure holding the sword to my neck, but his tall stature and voice told me who he was.

"I see my reputation precedes me, thief." I replied as he pressed the sword against my neck slightly, creating a small cut.

"What do you know of me?" I stood up slowly, holding up my arms to show I wasn't holding any weapons.

"I know an awful lot more than you think I do,"

"Like what?" He scoffed.

"Your wife, Marian, died recently and you are dealing with her loss by stealing from travellers and killing Black Knights which Regina sends after you, Robin Hood." He stepped into the moonlight, confirming my suspicions of his identity.

"What kind of sorcerer are you?" He asked incredulously.

"I am not; it is a long story and one which you will surely not believe, but if you want to ever have true love again, you will let me go."

He smiled sadly, "I'm sorry, Captain Hook, but I don't think I will ever have true love again."

"You have my word that you will one day, because I have seen it with my own eyes." He cautiously lowered his sword and I thanked heaven above that his honour at least remained through the curse.

"I can see the loss of your true love in your eyes too, Captain. Since you know so much about me, why don't you tell your story?"

"Aye, you are right. The love of my life has slipped from my grasp just recently. She isn't dead, but she might as well be, as we have been separated through magic. If you really want to know of my story, why don't we do it over a drink?"

He nodded, "But is there is any funny business, pirate, you will have hell to pay."

As we began walking back into the town, I murmured beneath my breath, "I believe I already have paid enough."

We were sitting in the same tavern I had been in but an hour ago, except it was now noticeably louder and more bustling as the night went on. "So you are telling me," he said, "that we have all been cursed here by something called a Dark One, and have had our true memories replaced by fake ones, except you have been punished to remember everything."

"Aye. I know I sound like a madman but…"

"But I know honesty when I see it, and you are telling the truth. One thing though, you haven't told me the name of your true love, who now doesn't even know you."

I gulped and whispered the words, "Emma Swan."

His eyebrows shot up with shock, "You... you mean the Emma Swan?"

"Yes, indeed. You may know her as a murderous thief, but that's not who she truly is. She is what we called the saviour; she is the product of true love who saved our town multiple times over."

""Look, I am one of the few who have met Emma Swan and still live to see the light of day, but if you chased after her, you certainly wouldn't be so lucky. You will get killed trying to chase after that woman, and she is no saviour, I'll tell you that. Emma Swan is one nasty piece of work that you do not want to have the misfortune of meeting."

"Please, you know I'm telling the truth. Don't you feel anything when I am talking about our past, don't feel as if all of this is just... wrong?" I appealed.

He was silent for a moment, as if thinking, "You are right," hope surged through my body at those three words. "You are right that you are a madman and I have no business with you." He marched out of the tavern right then, leaving me, once again, alone with only my thoughts.

What if that is exactly what I have to do?I thought to myself. What if I go and find Emma? If all goes to plan, we share true love's kiss and break this curse. If not, she kills me. But either way is better than what i have now; a miserable half-existence. If I can't break the curse, I would be far happier dead.

I walked out of the tavern too, now set on my quest to find Emma Swan, and with any luck, make her remember who she is.