Penance is a Sacrifice
Chapter Eleven
Meanwhile…
Emma and Snow immediately began to search the town for Killian, starting where they suspected he might go once he returned from the town line… aboard the Jolly Roger and in the harbor. The Savior knew there could be a perfectly logical reason for why her husband hadn't called to check in with her yet and that he could simply be aboard his ship checking it over, or somewhere in the harbor looking for signs of trouble as well. But in her heart, she truly knew Killian was out there somewhere… hurt, unconscious, and possibly Rumplestiltskin's prisoner.
On their way to the harbor, the Princesses ran into Zelena by accident when the former Wicked Witch walked out of the ice cream parlor while she carried her daughter in one arm and a cone with pistachio flavored ice cream in her free hand, then she was followed closely by Regina, Henry, and Violet.
Emma apologized to Zelena for bumping into her and while she did, Henry saw the worry in his mother's eyes first and right away he asked, "Is everything all right, Mom? What's wrong?"
Emma shook her head worryingly, then replied, "Actually… Killian's missing. He went out on patrol this morning after we first came into town for work. He awoke with a headache, but he insisted on going out anyways. He hasn't checked in with me for awhile. I've even tried calling him, but he's not answered his phone. Have any of you seen him?"
"He called me earlier this morning to ask if I wanted to go out on his ship tonight," the teenager responded in concern for his new stepfather. "I told him I'd love to. But that was a while ago. Did something happen to him? Something that's caused you to be worried about him other than him having gone missing for a few hours?"
"Last night, King George was set free from his prison cell and he attacked David," Snow reluctantly answered while she looked between Emma and the others around her. "He's fine, but it's because Killian saved him, thankfully before George could hurt him. Only… he managed to stab Killian instead. Emma healed him, but we've since learned the dagger used to do so was enchanted."
Regina looked between Snow and the Savior with concern and then asked, "Do you know who was responsible for setting George free and giving him the dagger?"
Emma nodded as she looked towards Regina, then she replied, "Gold came down to the beach just after the incident happened and told us that Rumplestiltskin from the Wish Realm made an appearance to him and Belle. He's here in Storybrooke and he's waged war against us starting with Dad. Most likely because last night was his birthday. He wants to make sure none of us can stand in his way of getting whatever it is he's after."
"That's not possible," the Queen responded worryingly as she looked at the Savior in disbelief. "The Wish Realm is a fake world created from a wish. It isn't a real place. That monster wasn't real."
"Unfortunately, he's very real and he's become a real threat to us," the Savior retorted curtly. "We know that from when Robin from that world followed us here. I realize we needed that bean at the time to try to get back home, but Regina… you never should have made that deal with him."
Regina stared at her until she thought back to her visit with the Dark One from the Wish Realm, being unable to stop herself from hearing his voice in her head as he goaded her towards him in his cell when he giggled, then spoke eerily saying, "There you are. Come to see old Rumple, have you? Who are you? Come closer."
He immediately rattled the bars as he stepped into the light so she could see him too, then excitedly cried out, "You! The Queen! The apprentice is back! Back to see the old master! Back again, back again!"
"Please…" she stated nervously while she approached him cautiously, as he continued to rattle the bars. "I need your help."
"Why would I help you, my greatest student… and failure?" Rumplestiltskin then asked her darkly and sat down within the middle of his prison. "My dark curse. My most precious of curses. You failed me."
Regina shook her head as she answered, "That wasn't me. You see, I'm… I'm not the Evil Queen in this reality…"
He scoffed as she callously continued, "…which isn't even a reality. It's all… Well, it's all fake. You're fake."
"Now I'm intrigued," this version of the Dark One replied coolly, as he looked up at the Queen while he made his way back over to the bars again, then tapped on them to indicate for her go on.
"This world was created by a wish to trap Emma," she carefully responded while she bent down so that she could be eye level with the monster.
He looked into the Queen's eyes for any sign of deception and then grew excited once more after he uttered, "Emma? Emma… The Savior! Oh, perhaps I can help you, after all! For a price."
Regina laughed herself just as he did, then she skeptically retorted, "A deal? You're not even real."
"Well, no one knows more about Saviors than I," Rumplestiltskin answered smugly. "All I need in return is one teeny, tiny, little thing… my freedom."
"No," she replied, after she had taken a few seconds to think his request over. "It's not worth it. The world is better off with you behind bars."
When the Queen turned and started to walk away, he quickly responded, "But you said this world isn't real. What's the harm of letting a not real me, out of a not real prison, into a not real world, hmm?"
She stopped and turned around to face him again while she answered, "You actually have a point, but I know better than to take one of your deals in any realm."
"Do you know why Emma became the Savior in the first place?" the Dark One called out again when she started walking away once more, until he eerily continued and laughed like he had done before. "You. Yes! You. Every Savior needs a villain. The Evil Queen. But the real Queen, not this sniveling, pathetic, diluted creature I see before me. A real Queen of power and purpose… one that I knew… one that can remind Emma that the world needs a Savior."
"Oh, I'm right," he then added upon seeing the look on the Queen's face which confirmed what he was saying to her was true. "Show her your inner darkness, and the Savior will be reborn!"
He chuckled mischievously and rattled the bars again, then questioned, "About these bars? No?"
This time, Regina chuckled, then replied, "Sorry. We're just old friends talking. We haven't made a deal. Remember?"
"Oh… I'm well aware, old friend," Rumplestiltskin responded to her darkly and cruelly laughed. "Um, but you… you… you may know a way to wake Emma up, but you don't know a way back to… what do you call it… uh, Storybrooke."
"How do you know that name?" the Queen then asked worryingly when she faced him once again.
He laughed impishly, then sneered, "That matters not. What does matter is… I can find you a magic bean."
She skeptically asked, "Where?"
"That will cost you," the Dark One answered and Regina rolled her eyes out of frustration, until she finally gave into his demands and used her magic to set him free, then stepped back as he walked out to stand before her. "At last!"
"It smells just as dank outside," he mocked after he breathed in deeply to smell the air around them. "I think I need some fresh air."
When he started to walk past her to leave without keeping up his end of their deal, the Queen uttered coldly, "Uh… the bean."
He faced her once again while he replied, "Yes… yes… right… right… Meet me tomorrow at noon down by the lake."
"Tomorrow at noon it is," Regina responded softly as she looked into his eyes for deception as well, then continued walking past him to leave the caves at last despite his laughter she could here from behind her.
"I don't know what happened to you, but you don't exactly inspire fear anymore," the Dark One goaded her. "If you're going to play the part of Evil Queen, you should look like one as well."
She turned to him again, then suddenly changed her clothes into one of her black gowns so that she truly did look like her old self as she asked, "How's that?"
They both smiled, then Rumplestiltskin chuckled on and on while he answered, "Much better! Much, much, much better! Now go on! Be evil!"
"Regina?" She suddenly heard Snow call out to her in concern when her mind came back to the present, then realized she had drifted off when she remembered back to that day some time ago. "Hey… you okay?"
"Yeah," she quickly said while she stared at the Princess and then cleared her throat. "I was only thinking back to my time spent in the Wish Realm. You're right, Miss. Swan. I was wrong."
Emma somberly replied, "I'm not trying to blame you, Regina. I'm just saying we both made a mistake in believing Rumplestiltskin from that world wasn't real… that he wasn't a threat. Now he's here and he's done something to Killian. I have to find him."
Regina nodded, then responded, "I'm so sorry, Emma. And Snow too. I'll help you find Hook. Whatever you need…"
"What is it?" Snow asked nervously when her daughter then received a message on her phone, as she pulled it out to read it. "Is it Killian?"
"It's dad," the Savior answered fearfully. "We need to get to the hospital."