A/N: Okay, I just want to start by saying this is the angstiest chapter I have written for any of my fics up to this point. Seriously, so many feels, but it had to happen. This is always how I have intended the story to go. For those of you who are like me and hate being left with no happy resolution, I want you to know that I fully understand, and because of that, I am uploading the next chapter (which will end this little bought of suffering) either tomorrow or Saturday. I will not judge you or take offense if you wait to read this chapter until then, but I did want to warn you all, since this is not my usual MO. Whenever you read this, just know the pain will be worth it in the end!

Stirring awake well before dawn, Killian needed a moment to get his bearings. He'd just been in the clutches of a horrible dream in which the Evil Queen managed to take his ship and capture Emma in the process. His return to alertness was harsh, his breathing labored, his veins pulsing with pure adrenaline, but what struck him was the strangeness of his surroundings. Where he'd expected nothing but darkness and perhaps just a sliver of the moon's light through the small window, there was so much more.

His chambers were flooded with a strange sort of silvery mist, and as he rubbed his eyes, the foreign matter didn't disappear. Its source seemed to come from within Emma's bag sitting on a chair across the room, which prompted him to wonder if it stemmed from the crystal ball she'd recovered in Arendelle. The Moirai's Mist, she'd called it. Killian looked at it the swirling pattern a little closer and realized the vapor was moving in his direction. It avoided Emma who slept beside him, and so he had to wonder if the magic wasn't meant for her, but for him.

"Evil is coming. Save the Savior." The whisper sounded through the small space, and though soft it was clear enough to send a chill down Killian's spine. Instincts that he didn't understand prompted him to exit the bed and move towards the source of the mist despite its foreboding presence. Pulling the crystal sphere from Emma's bag, he was temporarily blinded by a flash of white light and then flooded with visions straight out of his nightmare. It was a warning, and it had been sent for him, from where he did not know.

"Killian?!" The brightness of the light roused Emma, who sat up on the bed, staring at him in wonder.

"You have to go, Emma. Now." Emma shook her head, not understanding.

"What do you mean, I can't-" Killian interrupted her, pulling her from the bed and grabbing her things.

"Emma there isn't time. You're in danger. The Queen knows you're here, or she very soon will. You have to leave, we have to get you away from here!" Emma reached her hand out to steady him, for by this point his whole body shook with raw energy.

"The mist told you that?" Killian nodded. "I don't understand, I don't even know how it works, I'm not ready. And I can't just leave you! If she's coming here – I put you at risk, I put everyone at risk!" Her voice cracked with emotion, and her hand reached out, her fingers clutching at the shirt he wore like a vice. All he could think was that they hadn't had nearly enough time, but it didn't matter. The only thing he cared about was getting her off this bloody ship in time.

"Emma I'm not asking your permission. I won't see you captured and facing her before you're ready. I can give you a few minutes more, but she'll be here at first light and it's coming. I need to get my men, I need to find the ones I trust most to see you safe, love."

"It wasn't supposed to happen like this." Tears streamed down Emma's face, and Killian couldn't help but pull her to him, wrapping her up in his embrace. This was the most fear he'd ever felt in his life, and it was attacking him at the very moment that his heart was breaking. Chances were, this was the end, the last time he'd ever hold the woman he loved in his arms. He didn't have the strength to say goodbye, but if he didn't find it she would die.

"I know, love, but you have to keep going. Promise me you'll not give up, no matter what happens." He could feel her sobs against his chest, his hand coming to run through her hair as he held her close. Every wracked breath, every tear drop that stained his chest gutted him, but he held her all the same, trying to give her just this last bit of comfort. Evetually she nodded and whispered that she would keep on fighting. That was enough for him, and it was all the time he could afford them right now.

"Gather all your things, Emma. Time is of the essence." Tearing himself away, Killian felt physical pain in their separation, but was driven primarily by seeing her safe and out of the harm that was no doubt coming. He gathered the men who had proven themselves time and time again in his service (who would be led by Smee), and informed that given their current location, the best chance at Emma's safety was to sail just a little farther north. They were but a few kilometers away from where her parent's naval ships surveyed, and any man in Misthaven colors would see her safe.

Young Pip was also selected for the group so as to spare the boy an audience with the Evil Queen, and to give Emma a person she truly cared for to see her off. Killian gave the lad a serious talking to on the upper decks, as they prepared the dinghy to take her away.

"Pip, while the others are tasked with getting Princess Emma back into her kingdom's keep, you play the most important role. Keep her from coming back. She –" Killian's voice cracked a bit but he shook it off, looking the young boy dead on and trying to convey his sincerity. "She's not going to seem the strong Princess you know, she'll feel guilty and like she's to blame. You must convince her that no one resents helping her, and that what she is going to do to stop the Queen matters more than anything."

"Yes, Captain I will." Killian patted the boy on the shoulder turning to leave and finding Emma now above decks once more. She'd stopped crying, but tears still gathered in those beautiful green eyes and the sorrow he felt was mirrored in her expression.

"I don't know if I can do this," she whispered as he came to hold her once more. Pushing away a strand of her golden hair that was fluttering in the wind, trying to memorize just how silky it felt between his fingertips, he shook his head.

"None of that, Emma. You can and you will defeat the Queen. It's your destiny, and furthermore you promised." The smallest of smiles toyed at her lips, and its appearance struck Killian to the core. Emma deserved to know only happiness, but he could do nothing to grant her any, at least not now.

"You need to promise me something too." Emma said, running her hand across his chest.

"Anything, love."

"No dying. This can't be goodbye forever, because if it is-" her voice cracked, the tears streaming once more, and rather than let them fall, he kissed her lips, reveling in the feel of her flush against him one last time.

"I'm a survivor and I will see you again." She nodded, but at the point on his chest where her hand lay, a bright white light glowed, the magic seeping into him.

"Just to be safe. The Queen has a fondness for stealing people's hearts, and we need to protect yours." She placed a kiss over the spot where her magic had manifested when she was done with her spell, and she seemed to resign herself in that moment to the truth. She had to go, and every second she stayed longer put her at risk. All of this would be for nothing if the Queen caught her now.

"Remember that I love you, Emma. No matter what happens, no matter what comes next, you have my heart and you always will."

"You have me forever, Killian." These were their final words, and though they hung there in the air long after the small boat that held her sailed away, Killian felt like millions of things were left unsaid. He should have said he loved her more, and that he believed in nothing as strongly as he did her. He hoped she comprehended what she meant to him, and all the good he'd brought into her life.

Killian knew there wasn't much time left, the Queen was coming, and she'd be loathed to discover that Emma had evaded her. Killian intended to spare the sailors who had trusted him all these years the pain of her wrath when she found out that Emma was gone. Whatever it took he would protect them and the secret that Emma had been here and was only just gone, Killian would do it. Until then though, his mind had other ideas of what his last remaining minutes should be spent doing, and a memory he'd long tried to forget washed over him as he stared into the darkness of the water on which Emma's boat was floating away.

…

Never in the whole course of Killian's life, had returning to the sea been this hard. Usually the adventure that called on the open waters was more than enough to console whatever lingering fondness he had for a place on shore, but there was no denying that meeting Emma had changed all that. Today would have been her birthday, and he longed to see her happy and content on such a day, but he had no means to do so. Looking down in the dark water off the side of the boat, he was lost in a daydream whilst praying for a sign that she was okay. He was consumed with the trickling of regret for having left her, but he'd never have forsaken his duty or his brother to do so.

Where would his place in her life even be if he had stayed? His only use was in his sailing, and as a man of common birth, he was no suitable match for a princess, despite how much he'd already grown to love her. He needed to bolster himself in what was real, and to leave the memory of the woman and the life he wanted most behind him, but he knew it would never happen. Such a profound change brought on by such a remarkable person could never be washed away, not even by the rolling, salty tides of his beloved ocean.

"I'll not have you mourning something that that was never meant to be, brother." Liam's words stung, but their truth resounded through Killian's person. Part of him knew Liam was only trying to help, but his brother had never known a love that mattered more to him than sailing. "You've had your dalliance with another life, but I'll be needing my lieutenant on this journey once more."

Killian silently nodded, knowing that even if it felt like a lie, he needed to keep going. That chapter of his life, the one that read with the most passion and zeal since he'd been in the presence of Emma, was now behind him. He would always have the memories, but he couldn't let them devour him. Emma would be with him as long as he lived in his heart, there could be no doubting that, but from here on out he must try and reign in his thinking of her, and so he decided in that moment, that this would forever be her day. On all others, he must be what he was meant to be, a humble sailor in the service of another king, but forever more this would be his outlet for loving her.

Reaching into his pocket, Killian felt the petals of the rose he'd taken a few nights before from the castle gardens. It was already starting to wilt, but after tonight, he'd hide it somewhere safe, a place where he could return to it when the rest of his duties had been fulfilled. It might be the simplest of symbols, but it was enough for Killian, for his remembrances of Emma would never fade, even if he tried to push them to the side.

…

Not much could be done in terms of preparation for the arrival of the Evil Queen. All Killian could really do was speak to his men one last time. Every soul on that ship had come to love Emma in some way, and all of them over the course of their knowing her had fallen behind her crusade to make the world a better place. None of these were men predisposed to evil, and Emma's light had diluted some of their malice and propensity for bad away. It was for this reason, Killian believed that none of his men would willingly give away Emma, and nobody knew precisely where her boat was going aside from Killian himself.

"Is there anything we can do, Captain? To stop the Queen - maybe weaken her a bit to help the Princess with her quest?" Killian shook his head.

"No, and don't any of you be getting any ideas. She's a force much stronger than any of us, and I'll not have you risking your lives any more than you already have. Is that understood?" His crew agreed to follow his orders and Killian knew that they would to the best of their ability, but the moment of truth was coming, and there'd be no certainty until it did.

Just as the mist had shown him, the chill of evil hovered above the ship at the moment that the morning light spilled over the horizon. The arrival of her majesty came swiftly, as she rode in over the water in a puff of dark purple smoke, the magic that lingered from her travels leaving the normally crisp and clean air feeling stifled. Killian's already frayed emotions were sent into more of a frenzy with her presence, and the wicked sort of grin she had for him after looking around with general distaste at his ship. It took all his strength to keep himself composed in that moment.

"Well if it isn't the notorious Captain Jones. One hears such varied accounts of your misdeeds on the high seas. I must say your reputation truly proceeds you." Killian hated that the Queen seemed impressed with actions he now saw as dishonorable. He was more than the pirate he'd become, but to her Killian's darkness would be his only admirable trait.

"As does yours, Your Majesty. Might I ask what's prompted our paths to finally cross?" The grin she wore turned more sneer-like than any smile had a right to, but Killian continued to look her in the eyes, unwilling to cower in the face of her anger. His resilience to her silent form of intimidation had her features turning stony, her look cold and almost dead, like there had never been a shred of goodness in the woman all the days of her life.

"There have been whispers, Captain, of a guest aboard this vessel whose demise I've been looking forward to for decades. A Princess Emma of Misthaven." Killian put on the best bit of playacting he could as he looked about the ship.

"I can assure you that there is no such lady on the Jolly Roger. All you'll find is me and my crew." Regina's eyes darted across the ship at the men, no doubt looking to instill fear, but as Killian glanced around, none of them averted their gaze from the Queen. They were of brave stock, and they were proving it now. A cruel chuckle came from the Queen's chest and sounded throughout the ship, falling harshly on Killian's ears. She moved about, her overly grand black dress moving with her and creating a strange spectacle of sorts.

"Perhaps a story is in order then, for I know how fond you seafaring folks are to tall tales and legends. Once upon a time there was a girl whose reckless actions caused the death of thousands of innocent people." The mention of death had Killian's hair standing on end, and he bristled at the thought that she was speaking of Emma. He was biting down so hard, he imagined his jaw had a tick, but he remained silent as the Queen pressed on. "I am speaking of course of Snow White, the bandit and fugitive who now lives behind weakened stone walls playing at her own sort of royalty. All of the lives of these innocent people might have gone untouched by pain and suffering had it not been for her cowardice. Had the girl surrendered herself, the world might have been spared everything that followed."

"This story sounds like many about war, but they're not usually the kinds of tales we occupy ourselves with as pirates." His censure was wrapped in faux-civility that incited rage in the Queen.

"Silence!" Regina screeched, anger lacing every ounce of her projected voice before she returned to the barely restrained level of politeness she'd had before. "I realize good manners might not be needed given your occupation, but surely you know never to interrupt a Queen." Killian gave a jerked nod, as Regina continued.

"Snow White went on to marry her Prince Charming, and eventually a child was born, a child who inherited her mother's naïve belief that good could defeat evil. Her name was Emma, and she was said to be the light that the world needed to rid itself of darkness once and for all. People all around the realm cited a prophecy, a magical foretelling of an Evil Queen's demise. But the truth, is that the mythos surrounding Princess Emma's worth and her purpose is a lie, a story concocted by Snow White and her supporters so that they build up their reserves of a weapon their so fond of. Can you guess what that substance might be, Captain?"

"I cannot, Your Highness."

"Hope. Terribly inconvenient, and of course entirely ineffective, but it is a nuisance for me. See, I've been dealing with an infestation of it for years now, and as long as Snow White's daughter lives, as long as the savior breathes, the people believe that she may win." Regina in that moment came to stand just before Killian, invading his space to a degree that made his skin itch in revulsion. Every part of him wanted to retreat, but doing so would give too much away. "The real beauty of the story now, though, is that she never will defeat me, Captain, and that is entirely thanks to you."

"What role can I have played in this?" Killian's cool was starting to slip, worry clinging to him in the face of Regina's words and the Evil Queen grinned again.

"Why you love her, and it would appear she loves you too." Before Killian could dispute the fact, Regina waved her hand and a puff of magic moved to seal his mouth, keeping him from speaking. "There's no sense in denying it, pirate, I can smell the stench of it and her magic on you. You love her and that love is returned, and for that reason and that reason alone, you will live. But soon enough she'll come to fight against me, and I can cause her that much more anguish by killing you in front of her. It will truly be the sweetest victory for me, watching the girl's world shatter into a million pieces in the face of lost love. It might even be better than taking back her mother's kingdom and winning this war once and for all."

Killian was so angry he tried to lunge at her, but with another burst of magic he was paralyzed in place and her cackle sounded her victory. The laughter died though when she moved to rip his heart from his chest and was unable too. Pride flooded Killian's body that Emma's magic had been strong enough, but it lasted only a moment before the Queen reclaimed his focus.

"I see the savior has a few tricks up her sleeve after all. No matter, for I have you, and love shall be her weakness, just as it was her mother's." With a flick of her wrist, Killian was hit over the head magically and everything faded to black.

…..

Emma never imagined she'd face this kind of grief twice in her life as she sat in the small dinghy just before dawn in the middle of the ocean. She'd been no stranger to missing Killian Jones, for years ago, after their first meeting, she'd fallen in love with him only to see him leave. He had a duty to his Kingdom and his men, and she had a life of expectations that she wanted no part of. At that age, Emma had so much less understanding of why things didn't work the way she wanted. All she'd known was that she wanted Killian back and that she missed him so fiercely, she'd barely eaten or slept for weeks. She wandered through life heartbroken, and only time could mend the fragmented heart that had come from their separation.

Now she knew that wound had never fully healed, for her heart was ripping at the seams with each stroke of the oars in the water. Every movement that propelled them farter from Killian made her whole body ache, and her mind was consumed with thoughts of him. This was what she'd feared by admitting to her love, but Emma knew there was no stopping it. She was always going to love Killian, no matter how hard she tried not to, and as she closed her eyes, hearing nothing but the repetition of the oars breaking through the surf and waves lapping at the boat, she prayed she'd have the chance to see him again. She would do anything for more time by his side and for the chance to make him see how much she truly did love him.

A low hum began to emit from the confines of her bag and when Emma's eyes opened once more, the mist she'd seen this morning was collecting again. Where Killian's message had been delivered in silver, Emma's mist returned to the gold she'd seen with Elsa and Anna. The visions that greeted her when her fingers touched the crystal of the orb clutched her so forcefully that for a time she believed herself to be with Killian once more on the Jolly Roger, in the middle of the Evil Queen's attack. She heard the Queen's vile story and watched, helplessly as she took Killian to use him against her.

"No!" Emma screamed as the last of the golden mist receded into the crystal orb once, more. Every fiber of her being was screaming out that she couldn't waste another minute and her only thought was getting back to Killian before Regina reached him. She had to save him no matter what the cost.

"Princess, no!" Pip's voice kept Emma from using her magic to return to the ship. "Captain Jones knew something like this could happen, but he also knew that you could only save him and finish your mission if you did it the right way."

Pip's words made sense but Emma didn't know how to use them. She had sought Killian out in the first place because approaching Regina by sea was the safest bet. If she used magic to enter the Queen's fortress, she could set off any number of traps, leaving herself at the mercy of Regina, but she didn't know how long it would take to find another viable ship and if she waited, Killian would suffer that much longer. Her hands were tied and yet she was desperate.

"We've got a ship approaching!" Smee said as he looked through his telescope at the horizon. "Misthaven sails." This was the answer to her prayers and her incredible want to save the man she loved and end Regina's reign once and for all. It wouldn't be pleasant to commandeer the boat, and it would put her at risk for her parents chasing after her, but it was her only shot. With a burst of power she manifested easily, Emma transported the entire boat and the men who were helping her to just beside the Misthaven vessel.

"Stay as close as you all can to the ship, and I'll have the ladders lowered for you as soon as possible. Then I can send you to any port you like."

"That's not necessary Princess, as we'll be accompanying you to save our Captain." Smee's words were final, and Emma dared not deny him his request, for she'd rather hoped he would extend it. With a subtle motion of her hand, she whisked herself to the decks of the larger ship and was greeted by the gasps of the crew.

"Princess Emma!" Emma recognized the Captain of the ship as one of her parents most trusted military advisors, and she almost groaned. Convincing him to help would be damn near impossible.

"Captain Oliver. You will excuse the inconvenience but whatever mission this ship has been sent on has ended." Her tone was so authoritative, it sounded like Killian's when he instructed his men and the thought made Emma's heart leap.

"Our voyage was for the purpose of retrieving you." Emma nodded, believing that to be a likely scenario. It was rather unusual for her parents' ships to have ventured so close to the Evil Queen's castle, but in the end it was a stroke of luck.

"And so you have, but if the second part of that mission was to take me home, then I regret to inform you that cannot happen until I finish my quest." Captain Oliver immediately shook his head.

"Princess, I have these orders from –" Emma interrupted him, feeling there was no time for the back and forth. She would speak her peace and try to make him understand her, but one way or another this boat was going after Regina.

"The King and Queen I know, but Captain, if you don't give me command over this boat, if you don't let me face the Evil Queen once and for all, then all the men, women, and children who have died in these wars will have died for nothing. I know you have seen what these battles look like in the flesh, and that you've watched the people in this Kingdom suffering. All this loss and grief has been in the pursuit of a losing war. I'm the only one who can help them and this is my only chance, I have to act now. It's my destiny as the…" Emma trailed off, not because she didn't believe she was the savior, but because for the first time in a long time she had real and genuine hope that the prophecies were right. This was something she had been lacking and it was here because Killian loved her enough to know that she could do this. Her hand came up to clutch the pendant around her neck as she returned her gaze to the man in charge.

"The Savior," Captain Oliver said quietly before pausing for some time. "Alright your highness, this crew stands with you at your service." Emma sighed with relief that at least this takeover would not be a hostile one.

"Thank you, Captain. I have a few of my own men waiting down below, please have one of your men extend the ladder." The surprise on Captain Oliver's face did not escape her notice but he ordered it done all the same. With more speed than she could have ever dared to dream of, Pip and the others were retrieved and the ship began heading towards the Queen's stronghold. It would be hours yet before they arrived, but Emma grew stronger with every passing second, fully ready to face her foe once and for all.

…

Pulling back from the swirls of time that moved with fluidity through their system of caves, the fated sister tasked with the future of this realm and all those throughout the cosmos smiled. It was not a frequent occurrence for her to feel so strongly that good was on the way, but thanks to Emma Swan, the tides were turning in the favor of light once more.

"The future is as bright as ever I've seen it. The time is coming, very soon." One of her sisters pulled back, a smile on her face as well, for the past was starting to find its resolution, and such a gift was not always the way of the world.

"She learned that love is not the weakness, but the source of all true power. Only with that love and with her certainty of what is right and what is wrong, will she overcome a darkness her parents could not overthrow."

Their third sister, the guardian and warden of the present, still stayed at the water's edge, consumed by the visions before her. Her eyes glazed over in the haze of what she saw, but down her cheek spilled a single tear, dropping into the pool and creating a rippling rainbow effect in the water. When she finally returned to herself once more, she shared in her sisters' delight.

"Today darkness falls, once and for all." And it would all be because of a kind-hearted Princess brave enough to risk everything for the people and the kingdom that she loved. Emma's destiny was secured, written in the stars and blessed by the fates. Now all she had to do was live up to it.

Post-Note: Okay, so you've now read the chapter and I would love to know what you all think. Was it actually as emotional as I built it up to be? Or were we still so engrained in fluff and the promise of more cuteness that it was relatively painless? I'm kind of curious because it's been interesting to flex some non-fluff writing muscles. Thank you either way for reading, and I do hope you enjoyed, even if it's not the usual update today.