Hell Hath No Fury Like the Devil Scorned
Chapter Eight
While Henry and the women waited for their men to return to the loft, Emma became more and more nervous as she kept getting up and down from where she sat beside her son on the couch, pacing back and forth. She didn't express her concerns out loud to anyone, but they understood her anxiousness. They were all feeling it. They were all trapped within the Underworld and it was as terrifying as Gold had told them it would be the night they were afraid they would all be dragged there by all the Dark Ones before Gold, Emma, and Hook upon their arrival.
What they didn't know was that Emma wasn't just feeling the strain of being down there. She felt the same kind of fear she last felt whenever she was near Killian after Gold had ripped out his heart during the time when the Snow Queen had cast her own curse. The Savior had known something was wrong with Killian then, yet she ignored her instincts because she allowed herself to focus too much on trying to help Elsa and everyone else. She had nearly lost Killian then because she wasn't there for him when he needed her to be, even when he broke through the Dark One's control over him momentarily by grabbing her arm. Now, she was feeling there was something was wrong again and yet all she could do was wait for them to return. Her instincts screamed at her that Killian was in trouble, but there was nothing she could do until they came back.
Much to everyone's surprise, a bright light suddenly flooded the living room within the Charmings' apartment as the heroes waiting for the others to return immediately shielded their eyes. When it faded away again, they all turned to find David and Robin standing before them in the center of the room, as well as Ursula and the God they remembered was her father from when he had arrived in Storybrooke with help from Killian and Ariel some time ago. Unfortunately, Killian wasn't among them.
"Where's Killian?" the Savior questioned curtly while she looked between her father and the archer, as Regina rushed over to the man she loved upon seeing that his arm was bleeding. "Where is he?"
"What the hell happened out there?" Regina quickly asked before either of the men could answer when she pulled back Robin's sleeve to get a look at the gashes on his arm, then slowly waved her hand over them to heal him before glancing over at Poseidon and Ursula. "And what are they doing here?"
David walked over to his daughter and gently laid his hand over her left arm, ignoring the powerful beings standing among them, as he responded to Emma sadly, "Hades… he set a trap for us when we found the Jolly Roger. He was expecting us to go there eventually. More of his creatures swooped in and took Hook, then flew off with him. He said something about warning Hook he would make him pay for helping Liam and the other men of his crew to move on. I'm so sorry, Emma."
She shook her head in disbelief while she uttered, "No… no. We just found him. I can't…"
"We will find him again," her father steadfastly replied as he grabbed her by both of her arms and pulled his daughter into a hug, while Snow came up behind her and did the same. "We've come too far to go home without him."
"We're sorry about Hook," Ursula finally said quietly when no one else spoke, then began to explain how she and Poseidon had come to be there like Regina had inquired. "We were in our own realm when we learned about his passing and then discovered that the rest of you have come down here into the Underworld to try to save him from my uncle. It's crazy and I can't believe you would all risk your own lives like this to save one man, but… It's clear that you all care for Hook very much."
The God of the Seas continued, "Unfortunately, we couldn't step in to help save the Captain. We have no real power here. But when we realized just how much Hades has done to bring souls down here to this hell, and upon learning how many of those souls you heroes have already helped move on from here, we knew we couldn't remain in our own realm without coming here to offer what little assistance we can offer, without breaking any of our laws."
Emma pulled free from her parents as she turned around glaring at them and retorted angrily, "Your laws? You're saying you could save my father and Robin, but you couldn't save Killian because he's dead?! You're Gods! Hades does whatever he wants and you've done nothing to stop him and now, Killian is about to pay for fixing what you all should have prevented! When I found him the first time, he was bleeding and broken as he was strung up over the River of Lost Souls. I barely saved him in time. Killian hated himself because of what I did to him and because Hades tormented him for days. Forgive me, if I don't care about whatever laws you Gods might have to uphold. Hades sure as hell doesn't care about keeping them, so why the hell do you?"
"Because like I told your father and the archer, there are consequences even for us if we break them," Poseidon answered more sternly as he slowly walked towards the Savior until he stopped when she scoffed and walked away to collapse onto the couch. "I know it's wrong, but all of you are still alive and while you're not a part of our realm, my daughter was once a part of yours. Though we hope you do succeed in saving him, Captain Hook belongs here as a part of this realm now."
"You're wrong," the Savior responded with a stronger conviction when she looked back up at him through the tears in her eyes. "Killian belongs with me, with us. He doesn't deserve to suffer an eternal hell that Hades will force upon him if we don't save him. He's a good man who has sacrificed everything, for me. He gave up his lust for vengeance against the Dark One after centuries. Even while still a villain, he fought alongside us to help us save my son from Pan in Neverland. And after people finally started seeing him as a hero… he traded his ship, the only home he's ever known until now so he could come to New York to bring me and Henry back home. And on top of all that, Killian sacrificed his life to save us all from the darkness that consumed him. He died trying to rid the world of the darkness. Surely that ought to be deserving of a little help from someone who can actually help us all leave this hell, with him."
The God shook his head sadly and then he replied, "All of what you said is correct and your anger is justified. I am truly sorry, Savior. But I fear all we could do, was prevent Hades and the souls about to attack David and Robin from killing them. My two brothers and I have never been close. Yet I hoped I could talk some sense into Hades by standing up to him at last. I was wrong. Saving Hook is up to you. But I warn you to leave the Underworld as soon as you are able, whether you are able to save him or not. There will be a price you won't wish to pay should you remain here much longer."
Snow moved to sit beside her daughter as she laid her hand over her back, then she turned her head to look up at Poseidon as well and answered, "We can't just leave without him. Emma's right. Killian has done too much for us to give up on him now just because we're in the fight of our lives."
"Wait… before you go, is there any way you could go before Hades again to try to talk to him?" David quickly asked when Poseidon and Ursula turned to leave. "I know it probably won't do you or us any good. He is most likely beyond help, but surely you can try. At least… distract him for a little while so that we can search for Hook without his interference."
"I will talk to him again," he responded finally as he looked back at the Prince. "You're right. My brother has become misguided. But I might be able to give you a little time to find Hook. Talking isn't against our laws."
It was then that Ursula spoke up again saying, "While you're doing that, I'm staying here."
Poseidon turned to his daughter as he objected, "Ursula… you can't. The laws apply to you too."
"But they didn't while I was living among these mortals all those years, or after I turned myself into the Sea Witch?" she replied, looking back at him sternly. "I've already suffered the consequences for going against our laws. It's wrong to just leave. I won't stay long. But I will try to help them in any way I can to save Hook from Hades. Not to help them escape the Underworld or to restore his life, but from his prison now. Hook brought us back together after all these years, father. And he helped to restore my voice. Helping him in return is the least I can do."
"Thank you, Ursula," Emma answered sincerely as she stood again with her mother's help. "Killian would say you owe him nothing."
Poseidon nodded and responded, "I know he would. It took courage for Hook to stand against me all those years ago when I forced him to betray my daughter's trust. And even more courage when he stood before me to apologize when I first arrived in the land Hook has come to call home after all these years."
Some time ago in Storybrooke…
Killian stood alone upon the deck of his ship while he waited for Ariel to return from her search to find the Sea King he needed to confront again since the night he stole Ursula's voice to make her father suffer for his own transgression against him. When he couldn't just stand by any longer, he turned back to the Jolly Roger and walked throughout the vessel in search for any damage that Black Beard might have done to her while she was in his possession. There were definitely some repairs, but he didn't have much time to focus on them when Poseidon finally appeared once again on deck with two of his soldiers as Killian walked up from his quarters.
The God glared at the pirate coldly while Killian walked over to the ship's starboard side and looked down into the waters below, where Ariel remained behind, then waved goodbye to him without another word before leaving to return to her Prince, who was still waiting for her on Hangman's Island since she had disappeared upon becoming caught up in Elsa's magic over the Jolly Roger. Once she was gone, Hook turned back to finally face Poseidon.
He cleared his throat and then stated quietly, "Your Majesty… I'm glad you came. I can only imagine what you might have thought when Ariel came to you with my message."
"You have some nerve to seek my help after what you've done," the Sea King gruffly replied while holding firmly to his trident. "The only reason why I came was because that mermaid told me Ursula was in danger. But her powers have returned to her since she came to this magical land within a non-magical world. She's even more powerful than I am and I know she can take care of herself against vile men like you, pirate. So why am I really here?"
"I wasn't lying to get you here," Killian answered, still remaining calm despite the anger being projected at him. "She is in danger. But not from me and not in the physical sense. She's being consumed by the same darkness that plagues both you and I. The Dark One is exploiting her pain and using her to get him his happy ending, that will end with us all paying the price including your daughter."
Poseidon glared at the man before him as he shouted, "You have the gall to tell me you only wish to help Ursula, when this is really about you still getting your revenge on Rumplestiltskin?!"
Hook's demeanor changed when his eyes became filled with despair as he desperately cried, "This is about trying to save the woman I love and her family, as well as this entire town, including your daughter. I am not the same, vile pirate I was when you knew me then. I still have much to atone for and I don't see myself as some hero like everyone else who lives here are, but I have changed for the better because of them. I speak the truth when I tell you now that I do wish to save your daughter from falling into a darkness she won't be able to crawl back out of. I thought I was too far gone. Until another woman saved me, when the one I loved before couldn't. My Savior has helped me find peace of mind despite my sins. If the Dark One does succeed in his plans whatever they are, my love and your daughter will be destroyed. Please, set aside your hate for me and help me to stop her before it's too late. Show her you're sorry for your own sins. Give yourself the peace you've been longing for since the moment you and I met. For what little it's worth to you, I'm sorry for what I did to Ursula that night. But now you have a chance to return her happy ending that I stole from her without there being a consequence attached. Perhaps there's a chance for you to make up with her."
Present, in the Underworld…
"I realize now I never have apologized to him for my own role in the events that took place the night my daughter became lost to me," the God continued again when he finished sharing the moment between him and Killian that afternoon he and his daughter were reunited, then pulled out a mollusk shell from beneath the cape he wore before turning his eyes solely on Emma. "I cannot help you to find him in a way as simple as a locator spell. My powers don't work down here in the Underworld as they do in the oceans and even in your world above. But I can give you something that will make finding him a little easier for the rest of you."
"A pearl?" she questioned strangely when Poseidon opened the shell to reveal the precious, smooth gem sitting within its center and used his trident to pour his magic inside of it, then handed the shell over to the Savior.
He nodded and then responded, "Yes. A pearl that is now enchanted to allow you to see him like through a one way mirror, and hopefully his surroundings, no matter where Hades has imprisoned him. Perhaps it will allow you find him faster than you would without it. All you need to do is think of him or whatever else you wish to see."
Emma took it in her hands carefully as she quietly replied, "Thank you."
"He's about to be tortured again," Robin whispered in worry for his friend when an image formed within the surface of the pearl as they all saw Killian on his knees with his arms stretched out at his sides by shackles.
"Not just by Hades, but by Pan and Cruella too," Emma answered coldly upon seeing these two villains they've all faced come into focus in front of their prisoner.
