Chapter 10: The Battle at Swan Lake

Present Day: Storybrooke

...

Very rarely did Sheriff Emma Swan have to resort to using the sheriff station wagon's siren but this time, with an urgency such as this, she blasted the damn thing as she and her dad sped through town, heading to Swan Lake. She swerved and wound her way through traffic, cursing the sheer volume of people who were out and about gaping at the eclipse. She'd torn through town many times before, chasing Snow Queens, Chernabogs, and gods knew what else. But for some reason this was nothing like it was before. Now, after realizing that the only way to break the spell was going to be ruined if Prince Derek did what he was about to do. She had to stop him.

"Easy there Emma," she heard her father say in her haze of anger and desperation. Instantly, she let up off the gas when she realized how dangerous their speed really was.

"Sorry Dad," she quickly said. "I'm just so worried."

"We'll find him. We'll stop him," her father reassured her.

Emma pounded on the steering wheel with the palm of her hand and could have cursed. "How could I have let this happen? Seriously what kind of a Savior am I?" She heaved a frustrated groan. "I should have had someone follow Derek, kept an eye on him. I should have realized that was not Odette at the wedding and stopped that evil witch from—"

"Hey! Calm down," her father spoke kindly but firmly. "This is not your fault and you know it."

Emma scoffed. "Really? Isn't it?" she swerved the station wagon a bit to avoid the curve on Main Street. "I was itching for another 'Savior' adventure and when this one turned up so far all I have done is being one step behind some rich lawyer and his psychotic daughter! I mean, how could I have been so worthless with this fairytale?" She heaved a frustrated sigh. "It's my job to help people get their happy endings and, maybe it's because I have not done it in such a long time, I just didn't…Oh I don't know! I just really messed up on this one." She groaned as a thought occurred to her. "Odette deserves better."

"Hey I know you've been wanting to be the Savior again," David acknowledged. Emma turned and glanced at him briefly to give a surprised look. Her father smiled. "I know you Emma; that night in the sheriff's station when you made that comment about having things be 'a little more exciting around here', well—" he gestured to the town of Storybrooke as it was flying by "—this is it. This is our existence of sorcerers, spells, magic, and everything that goes with it. It's what we have chosen and you know what, sometimes the fights to keep it are difficult but they are worth it." He smiled proudly at his daughter. "I think you feel the same way. And you know what—" He shook his head in amazement at the wonder that was his first-born "—I am so glad you are the way you are."

Emma managed a small smile for her dad. His words were very comforting and she was very grateful for them. Still, she felt a lingering sense of doubt. "I mean how are we going to do this? We only have—" she glanced up towards the sun, being very careful not to look directly at it despite its faded appearance "—a few minutes or so before the eclipse ends. Is that going to be enough time to break the spell?"

David had to stay positive. "We've been in worse situations before kiddo and if there's one thing that this family believes in it's that—" Emma could not help but join is as she also quoted the family mantra:

"—good always wins."

While the daughter-and-dad sheriff duo were exchanging words of encouragement neither one noticed the 3rd missed call from Hook flashing on Emma's smart phone.

…

"Still no answer?"

Hook grumbled and shoved the older-model flip phone into this pants pocket. "Why do I bother carrying around this ridiculous 'talking-phone' device if she never answers when I use it?" The look he gave his mother-in-law was almost sardonic. "If she does not show up with that swan princess in tow we might have to deal with this Rothbart fellow ourselves and, I don't know about you, but my history with evil wizards has been somewhat scaly."

Snow gave him an equally scornful-look. "She'll be here Hook. Something must have come up, maybe Odette needed some extra attention or they're having trouble moving her. Regardless, she'll get here with Odette."

The Golden Mermaid could not join in on the conversation, having not had a human voice for a while now, but she gave a worried expression to the white wolf as she crouched next to the creature and stroked her head.

Do you smell this 'Emma' woman anywhere? the mermaid asked in mer-tongue.

The wolf's furry head swayed back and forth, her nose twitching, before grunting a negative note.

Waverly felt the guard hairs underneath her fingers begin to stiffen, saw that the golden eyes of the wolf started to harden. The wolf was becoming anxious and, frankly, so was she. Something does not feel right. The mermaid glanced around the city lake, it was complete devoid of any human presence and a strange fog had descended upon the water. The mist gave a forbidding atmosphere and added additional worry to the already tense situation. We are all here and this sorcerer said he needed us to break the curse on the princess but what if it's a …

"It's a trap."

At this statement, the eyes of the princess, the mermaid, and the wolf all lit upon the pirate. "What?" Snow asked. "How can you be sure?"

Her son-in-law had been studying the lake as well, noting that fact that there no other people and a complete lack of cover, he turned to her. "Something is not right." His dark eyes roved the lake, seeing the eerie fog and deserted area. "Emma should have been here by now or at least send word that she was coming with the lass. Which means that something has gone wrong and this Swan Princess is in danger." His hand strayed casually to his sword. "I've learned one thing in all my years of dealing with sorcerers and wizards, and that is to never trust them completely."

"Right you are pirate!"

Captain Hook, Princess Snow, Rayne the Wolf, and Waverly the Golden Mermaid all whipped around at the sound of a sinister voice behind them. The evil sorcerer Rothabart had materialized in a puff of maroon smoke, his sinister sorcerer's outfit billowing around him with a dramatic wave.

"Did you honestly think I was going to give up the opportunity to destroy that little brat of a princess' only chance to break her spell?" Rothbart sneered dramatically. "It's true she would need the three of you—" he gestured towards Snow, Rayne, and Waverly "—to help ease it temporarily so that the kiss of her true love would do the trick. And, unfortunately for her, this would have been the only time it would work."

"Then why now?" Snow demanded, trying to stall for time. "Why did you need all of us now?"

As an answer, Rothbart gestured to the shadows of the trees and the odd shapes on the ground. "The eclipse princess!"

A flash of clarity went through Snow's mind. "The moon; Odette is human—"

"What the bloody hell does that mean?" demanded Hook.

Snow shook her head, incredulously, at the realization. "Odette is cursed to spend the day as a swan and the nights as a human but now, with the moon over the sun, —" she turned to Rothbart, her eyes narrowed in anger "—she's human now isn't she?"

"Very clever princess! If you had brought her here my transformation spell might have been lifted temporarily for that stupid prince's kiss to work, but as you can see," he waved his hand and summoned a magic energy ball. "I've changed my mind."

Hook drew his sword and Snow reached for an arrow on her back quiver before she remembered her bow was still at the bottom of the lake. She had been in such a hurry to find the mermaid she failed to grab another weapon. At any rate, what good were their fairytale weapons against his magic? Waverly crouched protectively near the wolf, her teeth bared in a feral hiss.

"Say good-bye to Odette's only chance," Rothbart mocked as he raised his hand ready to let the energy ball go flying.

Out of nowhere a sword crashed into the ball, swinging like a baseball bat and shattering the metal but at least diffusing the magic enough so that it careened worthlessly about until disappearing entirely.

Derek drew his dagger, putting his feet in a fighting stance. "I swore I would find Odette and, after I did, I would kill you 'Great Animal'!"

He lunged to drive the knife home, but not before Hook and Snow shouted, "No!" Their shouts were not necessary, the sorcerer poofed out of the way just before the tip of the weapon struck his side.

"What the hell are you doing mate!" Hook came forward and tried to grab Derek's arm. "If you kill that mad man your princess will remain a swan forever."

Derek glared daggers at the pirate. "Odette is dead. You heard the doctor." He pulled himself free. "I might not have been able to save her, but I will avenge her death."

"There is a chance Derek, there is still a chance!" Snow was now at the prince's side. "We might still be able to save her."

"How? What can we possibly do?"

Snow was about to answer when the sound of a skidding car resounded behind them. The sheriff station wagon had pulled into the lake parking lot, swerving in its haste on the graveled bank a bit, before skidding to a halt. Emma and David leaped out of it, weapons at the ready.

"Is everyone okay?" David hastily asked, rushing to his wife's side. Emma likewise did to her husband.

"Yes we're fine," Hook quickly reassured his father-in-law. "But we may have a situation on our hands." He glanced to the spot where Rothbart had disappeared. "It appears the 'good' sorcerer has changed his —"

"Watch out!"

There was a deafening roar and a large plum of magic swirled towards them from across the lake, easily outsizing the puny ball that Rothbart had conjured that Derek had managed to dissipate with his sword. The whole party ducked to the side, scrambling out of the periphery of the heated magic force.

Everybody quickly got to their feet, weapons at the ready, when a figure poofed into view a mere meter in front of them. Just on the edge of the lake stood everyone's worst fears. It was not Rothbart but rather, his daughter. She had fully dropped her guise of Odile Bart in this Land Without Magic; she now stood in front of the Heroes in full-sorceress regal: black billowing cape, black dress with red, wavy trimmings, high-heeled boots that stretch up mid-calf, and a wrathful expression. She was after revenge and they all knew it.

"Now comes that part where the 'big reveal' happens," she jeered. "Where you find out you've been deceived this whole time and my father is not the one you really need to worry about." She dramatically drew herself up. "It's me!"

She swirled her cape in front of her body, temporarily shielding herself from view, but when the cloak was withdrawn she was not as she had been before. A large beast with bat-like wings, fangs, and a roar emerged from the spot and took to the skies.

"The Great Animal!" Derek exclaimed. He reached for the scabbard on his sword belt only to find that it was empty, shattered to a million pieces when he had intercepted Rothbart's magic.

As the Great Animal swooped down onto the group Emma shouted an order. "Split up!"

The whole group scattered, Emma and Hook to one side of the shoreline and David and Snow to the other. The mermaid threw off Hook's jacket, sprinted to the lake and made an elegant leap into the shallows. There was a flash of golden light underneath the surface and a large fish fin ducked into the water. Derek backed up a bit but seemed determined to confront the Animal and would not retreat until the wolf lunged at him, snarling, and he jumped back.

While Emma and Hook ran around the lake they jolted back as a second puff of magic appeared before them.

Great, was all Emma could think, Just what we need!

"You think you can escape you miserable creetins!" shouted Rothbart dramatically. "I'll have you know that I can—"

Emma saw a quick flash of silver metal and heard a large thunk! Rothbart tumbled to the ground, unconscious.

Emma could only stare in admiration of her husband's quick thinking. "I've never seen you use the blunt end of your hook before."

Hook shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. "Well, I did not think he was worth killing if it meant that poor lass would stay the rest of her days as a swan. We still need him alive after all." He glanced down at the knocked-out sorcerer and noticed a glitter of light in the pocket of his sorcerer's cloak. Reaching down with his right hand he plucked out two corked bottles filled to the brims with some sort of glowing semi-solid substance, one blue and the other golden.

"What the bloody hell…?" The pirate studied the bottles before a sudden comprehension hit him.

"Swan," he quickly said. "These are—"

"Mom! Dad!"

Emma had seen the bottles but did not relay as much importance on them as her husband did; she was rather focused on the battle at hand. The Great Animal was rounding on her parents, and they would need her help. Snow had lost her bow in the battle at the wedding party and David only had one sword. As the Animal made a dive at him and he took a large swipe at it with his weapon, forcing it to take to the sky again. It rounded towards them again but this time, did a deceptive jab to the left and managed to knock both David and Snow down using its large wing from the right.

"Get the hell away from them!" Emma shouted. She summoned the magic up and unleashed a powerful torrent of White Magic blast to the creature, but all it did was momentarily distract. The Great Animal barely turned its head to briefly acknowledge her and Hook running towards it. Emma and Hook skidded to a stop when they simultaneously realized her magic had done nothing, not even a scratch, to the Creature.

"Oh shit!" Emma said out loud. By the looks of her husband's face, he shared her sentiments.

They now were directly in front of the creature's line-of-sight, and apparently, completely unarmed. The Creature was about to snap it's powerful jaws on them when a small, furry beast ran past Emma and Hook and leaped dramatically onto the creatures back, sinking it's teeth into one of the wings. With terrible screeching the Great Animal tried to buck Rayne off but the wolf held on tight, whipping back and forth with the momentum.

As it was temporarily distracted Derek drew his knife, leaped past David, ignoring the shouts for caution. He grabbed the Animal and managed to get a chunk of its flesh with his knife. It screeched and tore free, billowing all of them with a torrent as it once again as she took to the sky. At the last second, the wolf let go and jumped down to the ground.

Emma let fly with another magic burst and managed to graze the creature on the injured wing. It gave a screech of fury then retreated to the outline of the lake shore trees, concealing itself from view temporarily.

"This isn't working!" David shouted. He stepped protectively next to his wife, keeping his sword ready for when the Animal would appear again. "Everyone take shelter!"

Meanwhile, in Storybrooke Hospital…

…

Odette lay on the sterile hospital bed, hands spread out in front of her, staring at her fingers as best she could. The sedatives they have given her were doing their part but she fought it as best she could, wanting to savor being human for as long as possible. After arriving at the hospital the doctors had remove the arrow and closed up her wound and now she was hooked up to some sort of device that gave her 'pain-killers' they called it. She still did not fully understand the functions of certain objects in this Land Without Magic, but at the very least the potions and draughts of this realm worked. She felt worlds better than she had before.

"Your Highness? I came to check on you."

Odette looked up and saw the good Dr. Ameyew standing at her doorway. She smiled serenely at him. The veterinarian had insisted on occupying her to the hospital to make sure she was alright. She needed to show her gratitude.

She stretched out a weak hand and he came forward and took it. "Thank you…for helping me," she said in a grateful voice. "You've been so kind."

The veterinarian smiled. Because he doctored animals since he had arrived in Storybrooke with the first Dark Curse had he had never been able to hear one of his patients thanking him with human words. Not even when he had helped Snow White with the injured dove had he ever felt this kind of satisfaction and contentment with his animal patients. It was magical.

"You're more than welcome," he replied sincerely, squeezing her hand a little.

She managed a small squeeze back.

"Now you must rest," the doctor instructed. "Your wound is better now but there is still a chance you could—"

He was interrupted by Odette's sudden fit of coughing.

"Princess?" Dr. Ameyew was immediately filled with concern. "What's wrong?" He checked her monitor and was alarmed to see that her heart rate had spiked.

"No, no ,no!" Odette fought the change, tried to stop it, but it was futile. "This can't be happening!" Glancing out the window next to her hospital bed she saw the cause; the sunlight was oncoming, the eclipse was ending. She bucked in the bed as she felt her spine begin to shrink and her arms turn to wings.

"What's happening?!" The veterinarian had never seen anything like this, even in a magic-ridden town like Storybrooke.

"I'm…changing," Odette managed to get out through gritted teeth and she fought it. She clenched Dr. Ameyew's hand tightly, digging her human nails in, trying to convey her need. "If this is the last time I am human…if I don't make it back—"

"What? What are you saying—?"

"Tell Derek," Odette felt the feathers on her fingers grow,"—I love him too!"

Meanwhile, back at Swan Lake…

…

"Swan!" Hook held out one of the bottles he had taken from Rothbart. "This is mermaid magic!" Hook exclaimed.

"Are you sure?"

Her husband nodded, "I'd recognize it anywhere."

Everyone was crouched behind one of the lake watersheds, trying to conceal themselves as best they could from the Great Animal. The creature had retreated for now but who knew when it would strike again? In the meantime, the Savior was trying to come up with something of a semblance of a plan to save everyone.

"Can we use it?"

Her husband nodded. "Aye! If you can manipulate it to amplify one of our weapons we might be able to strike down the beast." He shoot his eyes upward, watching the Great Animal start to fly in circles around the lake, obviously searching for them. "If we can get close enough that is. We need a weapon that does not need to get close something like—"

"Mom!" The solution had clicked in Emma's head faster than she would have thought possible. "Mom!"

"What is it Emma?" Snow quickly replied.

"Where's your bow?"

"Uh…Odile threw it into the lake," Snow was completely confused as to why her daughter was asking this of her now of all times.

"We need it—now!"

Rayne was already on the move. Running out into the open, the wolf made a mad dash for the lake shore and jumped in, dog-paddling further into the water as fast as she could. Luckily, the Great Animal did not try to attack her. The wolf had no disillusions that she would be able to find a bow in the huge lake, but she knew someone who could…

Meanwhile, back behind the supposed-protection of the lake shed, the Heroes were temporarily distracted when Rayne made her dash into the open and were not watching the skies. Snow's shout came too late. "Watch out!"

The Great Animal suddenly appeared over them, swooped down, and managed to grab David by the shoulders, taking to the sky before anyone could react.

"David!"

"Dad!"

Emma and Snow ran out from their cover and could only watch in horror as the Animal soared up and down, dropping then catching David deliberately in her talons. Torturously playing with him.

Rayne was still in the water, swimming as best she could while snarling and growling with anxiety. Finally, she found what she sought—a wet human head appeared on the lake's surface just in front of her.

The bow! She was not using human words anymore but the meaning was clear to the mermaid. Snow White's bow! She snapped her jaw. Swim to the bottom of the lake, and get the bow!

The mermaid immediately ducked down and disappeared into the water. The wolf turned her head and saw that the Heroes were out of their covered area, watching helplessly as David was being taking further and further up.

"Emma!" Snow shouted, "Can you get them with your magic?"

Emma raised her hands but even she, with her limited knowledge of magic, knew it was futile. "They're too far away!"

The Great Animal screeched a high-pitched note and looked as if it was going to arch down and slam David into the ground when it suddenly stopped and jerked sideways instead. Some other flying creature, too far away for the Heroes to see clearly, had flown up from the far shoreline and winged directly into the Great Animal's face, distracting it by swooping in and out. The small flying creature let out a honk and then Emma knew.

"It's Odette!" she shouted. Even though she knew it would hurt her eyes she quickly glanced at the sun and her suspicions were confirmed; the eclipse was fading and the magic that allowed Odette to be human was gone. The sunlight was coming back and the power of the moon receded.

What are we going to do about that now? Odette needs the curse to be lifted temporarily for True Love's Kiss to work. But right now they had bigger issues, namely her Dad still being carried around like a damn mouse in the clutches of a hawk.

Still in the talons of the Great Animal, David saw his chance. Because of the distraction from the swan the Creature had lowered its altitude in the sky and they were now located at a relatively safe height above the lake where he felt a jump was reasonable. He twisted in the claws and swiped at the talons with his sword, slicing open a large cut. The thing that held him screeched it's loudest yet and, as he had hoped, released him.

"David!" Snow shouted from the shoreline, her chest feeling like it was having a heart attack as she saw her husband plunge downward. Emma was likewise shocked to see her father disappear briefly in the water before exhaling with relief when his head broke the surface.

"He's okay Mom!" she quickly grabbed her Mom's hands. "He's okay!"

David, veteran of the Enchanted Forest that he was, immediately began stroking towards the shoreline with urgency. He had to get back to his wife. As he was pulling himself forward he suddenly felt small but strong arms encircle his torso. He turned and glanced sideways at the face of the Golden Mermaid, her expression determined as she helped propel him to shore where his wife was waiting. As they got to the shallows and he was able to put his legs down and feel the ground, the mermaid quickly let go of him and then bobbed her head up.

He was about to open his mouth and thank her when she shook her head urgently. Her eyes and very expression conveyed to him her message: There is no time! From under the water she brought something up and held it out to him.

He accepted his wife's bow with shaking hands.

Back at the lake shore, Emma and Hook could only watch as the swan that was Odette bravely battled the Great Animal, swooping in and out of its face in attempts to distract it, pecking at its eyes when she could.

"She can't keep that thing busy for long," Hook commented. "She's still injured."

Emma nodded urgently. "I know. What we need now is—"

"Emma!"

The Savior turned and saw her mother and father running towards her, David dripping wet and Snow waving a wooden object gleefully about.

Emma could not believe it. "You got the bow Dad!"

"Actually, the mermaid did," her father quickly corrected, never one to take credit when other's had done something brilliant. "Now, where is that bottled magic?"

"Oh right!" Emma quickly took the bottle from her husband while her mother drew one of her arrows out of her quiver. Emma exhaled, feeling oddly inadequate for the task she was about to do. "Here goes nothing." She poured the liquid-like substance over the arrow and then hovered her hands over it, closing her eyes in concentration. You need to be strong enough and fast enough to pierce the heart of the…um, Great Animal. She frowned, concentrating with every fiber of her being. You need to help Odette. You need to amplify your strength.

The arrow started vibrating in Snow's hand, not so much that she dropped it but enough for her to be startled. Then, glancing up at her daughter's concentrated face, she felt a surge of pride swept through her. This was her little girl at her best, helping people find their happy endings, being the Savior. She's so wonderful, was the maternal-pride thought in her mind.

The arrow glowed a golden hue and then it was done. Snow now held a magical-infused arrow in her hand.

There was not a moment to lose. The Great Animal managed to swipe at the swooping and dodging swan, knocking the poor bird down so that she plummeted into the lake.

"NNOOOOO!" Derek was about to jump in to save her when Hook grabbed his arm.

"Steady mate, I think you're going to be the next target," he explained.

The pirate's instincts were right. The Animal rounded once in the sky and then started to plummet towards the group on the lake shore, its evil eyes glaring with contempt at the Prince and a murderous intention in its expression.

"Mom!" Emma shouted. "Do it now!"

Snow quickly knocked the arrow and drew back. She exhaled, trying to force her heart to slow down and her concentration to increase. If she missed this shot, they had no chance against the Great Animal. Emma might have her magic and Derek his lust for revenge but those would be inadequate. It was up to her.

I promised you Odette that I would help you. The thoughts raced in her head as the Animal got closer and closer. And now…with my daughter's help…I will! She let out an intense yell and released her hold on the arrow.

The magical weapon soared…bursting forth in a blaze of golden light...right before lodging in the upper chest of the Great Animal. The guttural screech of the dying beast was followed by a scream of rage that sounded oddly feminine. The Charming family and the wolf and the prince all watched as the winged beast tumbled in the sky, did a full-circle backwards with the force of the arrow, and then nose-dived downward. As the body hit the waters of the lake a huge explosion resonated with a burst of lights and smoke, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. When they finally looked again, the Great Animal had disappeared. Odile Bart was no more.

Emma was the first to recover from the shock and, as the Savior, made sure that everyone was safe and relatively unscathed. She glanced around. "Is everyone alright?"

All around there were nods of confirmation; everyone was still a little shaken by what they had just witnessed, but able to show that they were alright.

Derek was the first one to move to the lake. He abruptly stopped just at the shore and seemed to be staring at something in the water.

Emma joined him and saw what he did, causing her mouth to drop open.

A woman—No, a mermaid, she quickly corrected herself—was swimming gently towards them. She appeared to be holding a large bundle of blood-stained feathers over the water but as she came closer, everyone saw the horrible truth. The swan that was Odette was injured and barely breathing.

"No, please no!" Derek splashed into the water, gently taking the bird from the mermaid's arms.

Everyone gathered around the grieving prince at a respectful distance. Snow clasped a hand over her mouth, her eyes brimming with unshed tears as she looked at her dying friend. Emma could scarcely believe it; they had won the battle but if Odette was still to die as a swan then she had failed as the Savior.

…

Sorry to leave a cliff hanger but I wanted to keep the chapter lengths relatively similar! What did you think?