Hands of Time
(Moments before Regina and Snow get the distress call)-
Snow looks at Regina with her mouth open and her mind blank. Regina's gaze is still out toward the open ocean in the direction that the guys and Henry had traveled. She had just told her step-daughter everything that Gold told her, "So you are saying that unless Emma fights this…thing that is inside of her, she is going to be trapped-"
"Yes," Regina confirmed before Snow could finish the question, "from what I understand, that is what is going to happen."
Snow started to pace violently as the information continued to swirl around in her head. She could not believe the situation that her daughter is in. Of course seeing the memories that her daughter harbored all of these years, she was not aware of the fact that Emma still had dark emotions regarding these…and that was only a preview, Snow assumed internally, who knows what else Emma has, "So what are we supposed to do?" Snow asked turning to her step-mother.
Regina now chanced a look at Snow. She could see the little girl that always looked up to her to be her mother. She could see a look of devastation and almost hopelessness in the other woman's eyes that regarded her in such a pleading manner. It was a look that Regina longed to see ever since Daniel's death, however now Regina couldn't stand to see that look. She actually wanted light to be in those eyes: the innocence, the hope, and the love. Before she would give anything (which she had) to see Snow suffer and lose all the pride and be broken forever, now she really did want to fix this, to do anything to fix this…not just for Henry, and now that she thought about it for Snow or David, but as she was discovering for herself as well.
Taking a deep breath Regina was about to speak when they suddenly heard Gold's frantic voice, "Regina! Regina!"
Then they heard David's frantic yell, "Snow?!"
They both dove for the mirror exclaiming, "What?!"
"It's Emma. You have to go to her and stop her!" David yelled frantically.
What the hell? Snow and Regina both thought, Emma is 'sleeping' in Hook's cabin. Snow voices her confusion, "David what are you-"
"She is at the stern!" They heard Hook call out urgently and in almost fear.
Regina looked over passed Snow to see the door to the Captain's cabin open, "Snow," Regina whispered and then motioned to the door.
Snow's stomach began to sink dramatically just as they heard Henry exclaim, "Quickly, she is going to jump!"
At that Snow threw the mirror down as it shattered and they ran to the stern of the ship at full speed. It was then that they heard Emma's dead voice that they paused, "I am nothing."
Regina winced at her step-granddaughter's voice. However they were more aware of how close Emma was leaning over the side. She had both her feet on the rungs of the ship's protective side barrier. Regina heard Snow's gasp and she silently pointed to Emma's side and that was when Regina saw it. There was a ghostly shadow like presence standing next to Emma. It was starting to fade, however it was there just enough to see a faint outline of a ghastly figure that made Regina feel sick to her stomach. Before either of them could move, Emma spoke again her voice if possible was even more dead as the shadowy figure disappeared, "I was born alone. I will remain alone. I will die alone. I am a curse…" Emma lifted her head to the sky as if to say a silent prayer, "Forgive me…Henry."
Knowing what was going to happen next, Snow and Regina started to move just as Emma was going to fling her-self overboard. Then for Snow everything was in slow motion as her and Regina tackled Emma to the ground.
Emma started putting up a fight, "Let me go!" Emma yelled, "I need to do this!"
"Emma! Look at me!" Snow yelled trying to get Emma to calm down, "Emma please!"
"NO!" Emma yelled fighting against Snow and Regina's hold, "Let me go!" Just then there was a brilliant flash of bright light.
In the boat sat a disgruntled Henry, David, and Hook. Gold however was more puzzled than anything else and it was uncommon for him to feel puzzled. He was not entirely sure what this power that he had acquired would do or how he would summon it, but something was telling him that he would have to use it. Thoughts that were swirling in his head stopped when Henry's frantic voice reached his ears, "What is that?!" the boy was pointing to the ship as a bolt of lightning struck the ship.
Gold's eyes widened as he felt a dark presence starting to descend upon the Jolly Roger. Everyone was looking at him as David's voice reached his ears, "Rumpelstiltskin." He looked to see David staring right at him and judging by his tone, it was like he was trying to get his attention, "What is it?"
Gold swallowed and tried to regain some composure as the darkness in the magic shifted greatly, "I believe we better make haste." Hook and David shared a look that spoke many volumes. They were unaccustomed to see the Dark One looking so uneasy…not since they confronted Peter Pan.
Emma was standing facing Snow and Regina with a sword in her hand. Her mind was completely shrouded in darkness. All she knew was that she wanted everything to end: the pain, the anger, the suffering, the sadness, everything. All she sees is two people standing in her way. She had a way out and they are blocking it, "Emma-" Snow started to say slowly getting to her feet.
"Shut up." Emma stated slowly pointing the sword at her mother, "Just shut up."
She could hear the voice that has been taunting her. It is whispering things…dark things: telling her that she is nothing. She is worthless. She is pathetic. She tears her eyes away from her mother and Regina and takes the one hand that is not holding the sword and covers her eyes, "I said shut up!" She yells as the sky darkens and the oceans start to become rough.
"What is happening?" Snow asked frantically to Regina as a wave crashes into the ship and they are nearly caught off balance. Regina doesn't answer, but starts to summon a fireball, "Regina!" Snow exclaims surprised.
"I have to protect us somehow!" Regina yells over now storming the wind.
"She is not going to attack us," Snow states firmly.
"ENOUGH TALKING!" Emma yelled and she leaps forward slashing the sword.
Regina pushes Snow aside as Emma's sword gets lodged in the mast, "You were saying?" Regina asked looking at Snow. Snow looks at her and then at her daughter whose eyes suddenly flashed red.
Snow's heart ached at the sight of her daughter trying to get the sword out of the wood. She was panicking and her facial expression was one of pain and suffering, "Here," Regina said holding out a bow and a few arrows, "take them."
"I will not fight my daughter." Snow stated firmly.
Regina glared at Snow, "I do not think she is giving us much of a choice."
By this point Emma managed to get her sword out of the mast and turned to Regina and Snow. Snow hesitantly took the weapon and turned to her daughter, "Emma please; this is not like you. Please talk-"
"No," Emma stated darkly, "I am done talking. I am done with everything." The internal voice comes back to her and Emma hears it speak, "You are nothing. They are blocking your salvation. You want to end it. You want to make them suffer. They are the cause of all of this-" Just then different images flash through her mind once more as she starts to realize what the voice is saying. Emma puts her guard up and looks at them, "You did this." Her voice is low and threatening.
Snow didn't know what else to do. Regina was right to some extent…she had to protect herself against her daughter's wrath. So she loaded the bow with an arrow and took aim at Emma. Regina looked at Snow and then summoned another fireball then back at Emma, "Emma, we really do not-" Regina was cut off.
"Do not speak a word. No more words…" Emma states as the voice comes to her again, "They say they love you…yet how many have said that? You are nothing to them…nothing more than a charity case."
"We love you Emma. Please-" Snow tried once more.
"NO! What did I just get done saying?!" She yelled, "I am not some goddamned charity case! That is all I ever was to you!"
"Mom?!" Heads turned to see Henry, David, Gold, and Hook approaching them. Their mouths were hanging open as they stood next to Regina and Snow, "What is going on?" Henry asked noticing Emma's stance and the red tint in her eyes.
"Get him out-" Regina and Snow were about to say when Henry tried to push passed them
"No I am staying here!" Henry stated firmly.
David and Hook were watching Emma as she suddenly shook her head as if trying to clear it. They then looked at each other, a moment of understanding passed between them. Hook and David drew their swords. Regina saw this and the fireball disappeared as she tried to now push Henry back behind her, "Lass," Emma's head snapped toward Hook who continued, "we just want to help." He said easily.
Emma's eyes darkened, "I am not one of your charity cases pirate."
"Never said you were love." Hook said approaching her.
Emma looked between Hook and her father as they continued to walk toward her, "Stop where you are. Do not come any closer." She threatened.
"Alright," David stated stopping. Being a Sheppard he knew when to back off; giving Hook a look, the pirate stopped too as David said, "How about we make a deal?"
Emma eyed her father, "What kind of deal?"
"This is not going to work." Gold whispered.
Henry, Regina, and Snow who still had her arrow trained on her daughter looked at him, "Why not?" Regina asked.
"Because this is not really Emma," seeing their confusion he elaborated, "Pan is inside her. He is the one that is controlling her and putting these dark thoughts in her head."
"What?!" Snow and Regina exclaimed as Henry nodded his head.
"It is true. The Shaman told us." He stated sadly as he watched Hook and her grandfather negotiate with his mother, "He told us that he wouldn't be able to help…only mom could help herself." Although his faith was slipping as he watched Emma's eyes become a darker red.
Gold saw this too as Emma shook her head and while they could not hear the conversation between the trio because of their side conversation Emma yelled, "Lies!"
Then before anyone could react Emma once again swung the blade. Snow, acting on instinct, immediately shot the arrow, but missed and David deafened himself just in time as Hook rolled to the side. Regina quickly put up a shield as Henry shouted, "NO!"
David was dodging as fast as he could as Emma lunged forward so fast that he barely saw it happening. He jumps up to dodge the attack. Hook then joins in and blocks the oncoming assault. Emma then raises her hand causing a wave to splash on to the deck causing the two men to lose their balance.
David shakes himself out of the daze and stands up to get his guard up just as Emma comes at him with another assault, but before he had a chance to dodge again he feels the blade strike his side, "David!" He hears as he feels another strike in the head and he hits the main mast.
Hook watches as Snow goes to her husband and he takes Emma on now, "Come on lass! Snap out of it!" He says as their blades connect in a deft defying clang.
Emma doesn't respond to him as she continues to fight him. He starts to lose energy as Emma is coming at him with assault after assault after assault. Then he quickly sees an opening and takes it. Her sword it sent flying and he throws her backwards on her back. Hook is panting as everyone remains in a silent awe. Emma staggers to her feet and she is panting heavily. Her eyes are closed as she takes a deep breath, "Emma?" Hook asks slowly, "Are you ok love?"
"How many times must I say it?" her voice is slow and deliberate, "I am not you love." Her eyes open and her glare is murderous that is takes everyone by surprise. She waves her hand and suddenly her sword is back in her possession as she lunges at Hook once more.
"She cannot keep doing this." Gold states as he tries and heals David who is unconscious, "She is going to kill either the pirate or herself."
Snow looks at her husband then at her daughter and Hook. She could see he is becoming exhausted at Emma's merciless attacks, "What can we do though?"
"I have an idea." Regina said, "We use magic."
"No!" Henry said firmly tearing his gaze from his mother to look at them, "Magic got us into this. Magic always comes with a price. There has to be some other way to resolve this that does not involve magic."
Regina looked at him and gulped as she knelt down before him, "If there was another way we would do it in a heartbeat, but I am afraid that-"
"There is no other way. If there is a price to this then so be it. I will pay it." Gold stated firmly getting up.
"I thought you said that Emma has to help herself…what are you hiding?" Snow asked seeing Gold's determined face.
Gold sighed as he moved around the barrier, "That is for me to know dearie, but you will find out soon. I just need you to do one thing."
"What is that?" She asked looking at the man as David starts to stir.
"Trust me." He states.
Snow swallows and looks at her husband who just heard the last part about the trust. David nods as Snow helps him to his feet. Snow sighs, "Alright."
Regina looks at her former mentor as he says, "Whatever you do, no matter what happens, do NOT drop this shield."
Regina nods and just as Emma is about to finish Hook off Gold waves his hand and Hook vanishes in a puff of purple smoke and he is behind the barrier. Emma turns her gaze on Gold who says, "Ms. Swan, I do not want to have to do this. However if you do not start taking control I will have to resort to other measures."
"Screw you!" Emma yelled and Henry flinched at her tone, "I have had enough of you taking control of my life! Everything I have done…everything I went through was what you wanted to happen."
Gold waved his hand again and Emma's sword disappeared just as she was about to ready herself for another attack, "I have told you once already Ms. Swan, everything you have done was on your own accord," his tone was light and conversational, although he could see that Emma was not amused, "and I would like to point out that I did not mean for all those horrible things to happen to you."
Emma stood routed to the spot. She did not know why she was even talking to this man. She had enough of everything…however what he said, she did not see any lies in his words, "Now Emma, you must take control. Release these dark feelings."
"Why? Just so he could take advantage of you again? Leave you weak and vulnerable so he could have you be the almighty Savior of some other curse?" The voice came back said to her.
Emma shook her head, "No! Enough of your lies! I will not listen to anymore of this!" She raised her hand and something burst inside of her as she yelled, "Darkness Mirage!"
A smoky haze engulfed Gold. For a minute he was disoriented as he heard voices and saw the destruction of his deal that he had made. Then he felt a blow to his stomach as he felt himself go flying then he heard Emma yell, "Chaos Lightening Strike!"
He was then suddenly hit with a bolt of lightning then he crashed back to the ground. Gold, for the first time was thankful that he was Dark One and was able to somewhat handle the attacks subconsciously with his magic as he looked out of the corner of his eye to see everyone with their mouths open in shock. He stood up a bit shakily as Emma backed off, "Had enough Dark One?"
He allowed himself to laugh, "Not even close. Although I am rather impressed with the use of your magic; I did teach you something it seems. But now it is my turn…"
He waves his hand as flames erupted out of the floor and a tidal wave of fire started coming toward Emma. Hook wants to yell something about his ship, but he sees Henry gripping on to Regina and Snow for dear life. Hook watches in amazement as Emma stood her ground and summons the water from the sea make a wall that blocks the tidal wave of fire, "What the hell is he doing?!" David yells as more spells and magic fireballs blast through the area, "Is he trying to kill Emma?!"
"No," Regina states as she tries to concentrate on her shield around the group, "he is trying to wear her out so she could see the truth. If Pan really is controlling her, then if she runs out of energy, he will too."
"But won't that do more harm than good?" Snow asks, "Doesn't she need energy to fight him?"
Hook's eyes widen as he understands, "Not if he also runs out of energy too; because he is the one that is feeding off her like a parasite."
"That is what I just said," Regina barks out.
Henry is not paying attention as he watches his mother and Gold slowly start to become weary. He is worried for Gold seeing as his mother almost harmed Hook and his grandfather, however he is also watching his mother becoming very tired; Gold shoot a dark energy bolt at her and he watches as it strikes her in the stomach. She staggers and is panting, "Had enough Emma?" Gold asks as he too is out of breath.
Emma starts to hear the voice again telling her she is weak. She then sees images of her foster 'family' and each one is saying that she is worthless. She sees the abuse and suddenly a new force of energy is being pumped through her, "I will not give up! I am so sick of this nonsense! I am ending this now you hear me?!" Emma yells as now the sky is a swirling mass of darkness. Lightning strikes and thunder rages on as winds pick up. The scene is like it was earlier as everyone, but Gold and Emma cover their mouths as the wind hurls up debris from the ship. More power radiates off of Emma as she lifts her hands to the sky, "Raging Darkness-"
"NO! I am ending this now!" Gold calls out sensing that the moment has arrived. He raises his hand causing a rock to appear behind Emma.
"What the-" Emma was cut off she looks behind her and then gold energy chains appear around her wrists and feet, effectively hold her in place, "Let me go!"
Gold limps toward her, "No. It is time to face your darkest fears and memories. It is time you put the past behind you. I told you when we started that if you would not do this willingly then I will force it out of you."
Everyone hold's their breath as Emma is struggling against her bindings as she states, "The hell you-"
Gold holds his hand up to Emma's chest, who now looks frightened, "This is going to hurt you more than it is going to hurt me."
"Wait what is he doing?" Hook asks darkly as he sees the loss of Milah in that almost same position…Rumeplstilskin with his hand over her chest.
"He had better not-" David and Snow began to threaten as Henry's eyes widened. Regina looked at him and held him close as he griped on to her.
"Forgive me." Gold says sincerely looking at Emma softly so she knew that he was not lying to her.
"No please…don't…" Emma now begs.
"I am sorry," Gold repeats. Then somehow he hears the Shaman's voice in his head giving him the words to summon the magic that he was given, "Raging Heart of Darkness!" Gold yells.
And as soon as the magic is released, Gold feels it leaving his body as Emma screams in pain as a dark mass of energy is forced out of her. Then before anyone could yell or say anything the Jolly Roger starts shaking madly and there were more gusts of winds that picked up in a rage that was almost tornado like swirled around them, "What is happening?!" Snow cried out gripping onto David.
"I don't know!" David yelled, "Regina?!"
"Don't look at me!" Regina yells back gripping on to Henry as her protective shield drops.
Hook was in shock as he is standing calmly looking right at Gold who was on the ground looking like he was in pain. They share an understanding as Emma is still screaming in terror as the dark energy is swirling around them. Gold nods and tries to stand up against the prevailing winds, "I believe we are going to the Shadow Realm."
"Wait what?!" The spectators asked as a dark black fog descended around them. Hook did not respond as they heard an ear piercing crack of thunder. Then the black fog engulfed them.