Chapter 13: Who Could Ever Bare Such Darkness?
~ The Real World ~
Rodgers saw Emily safely back to her apartment and smiled,
"Thank you for a lovely night, Detective Rodgers" Emily said gently and Rodgers' scratched the back of his neck in a bashful manner,
"It's no problem, love and... You can call me, Liam" he offered and Emily couldn't help but smile,
"No surprise there" she murmured more to herself and the detective looked curious,
"What?" he pressed but Emily simply shrugged her shoulders, brushing it off as nothing,
"Oh nothing I just meant that the name suits you" she told him and he smiled; Neither of them noticed how they were leaning into each other but they pulled apart quickly when a door down the corridor opened and a grumpy old man came out,
"RODGERS! YOU'RE LATE ON YOUR RENT AGAIN" the man yelled and the detective glared at him,
"YOU'LL HAVE IT FRIDAY AS I TELL YOU EVERY DAMN WEEK" he yelled back and the old man just grumbled before going back into his apartment, slamming the door behind him and Emily could only giggle before leaning up and pressed a kiss to the detective's stubble cheek and he looked at her surprised as she unlocked and slipped into her apartment,
"Goodnight... Liam" she bid before closing the door and didn't hear him whisper,
"Goodnight... Eloise" he whispered before heading towards his own apartment and did a victory leap, punching the air as he did so.
Emily leaned against her door with a content smile on her face before moving further into the apartment but jumped when a light in the corner suddenly turned on,
"Where the hell have you been?" Rumple demanded from the chair in the corner which sat next to the now illuminated lamp and Emily sighed in relief,
"You know where I was. At Roni's. I tried to find out who and where the guardian might be as well as the location of your dagger but even Henry doesn't know" she explained and Rumple stood with an expression of frustration,
"How could Henry not know? He's the author" he reasoned as Emily began making them both some tea and he sat down at the kitchen table,
"He may be the author but obviously the curse is preventing him from remembering that" she responded and couldn't help but feel sorry for Rumple as she gave him his mug and sat down next to him,
"What... What if you never find the guardian?" she asked and he looked at her firmly,
"I will... I have too... If I don't then... I'll never be reunited with Belle" he murmured sadly,
"I just don't understand why a powerful being such as the guardian would be in a realm without magic" she said, taking a sip of her tea and Rumple's neck went stiff,
"What did you say?" he asked and Emily sighed,
"I know I'm sorry. I should be supporting you. not putting you down" she apologized but Rumple stood quickly with a look of excitement on his face as he moved into the living area of the apartment,
"No, Emily don't you see?... You're right. I don't need the guardian to set me free" Rumple proclaimed and Emily suddenly felt uneasy as she stood from her own chair and faced him,
"What do you mean?" she pressed,
"We're in a realm without magic. The only realm in which I am mortal... The only realm where I can die" he explained before removing his hand gun from its holster and Emily panicked,
"No, Rumple. That's not how your curse ends" she told him desperately but he only looked determined,
"Why not?... Just one bullet. That's all it will take and I'll finally be at peace... I'll finally be reunited with Belle" he said certainly but Emily shook her head,
"No, Rumple. When The Dark One Finds Eternal Love. At The Sun's Brightest Set. Where Time Stands Still. The Path Shall Reveal Itself To The Place Where The Darkness Shall At Last Rest" she reminded him gently a she moved closer to him and slowly made him lower the gun,
"If we do the brave thing then bravery shall follow" she told him and Rumple looked at her stunned as a tear fell down his cheek,
"Who... Who told you that?" he asked,
"You told me that. The day the curse was cast... Belle taught you the same thing" she told him as she carefully removed the gun from his hand and placed it on the side as Rumple weakly fell to his knees,
"How... How could I not remember telling you that?" he asked in a whisper and Emily knelt down with him,
"I don't know" she said with a sorry expression and another tear fell down Rumple's cheek,
"I'm so tired, Emily... I don't know what to do anymore" he whispered, looking at the ground hopelessly and it was after a moment that Emily placed a comforting hand on his shoulder causing him to look at her and she offered him a gentle smile,
"Then let me be your crutch... Rumplestiltskin" she told him,
"This is just your limp holding you back so let me help you... We will find the guardian, Your curse will be broken and you will be reunited with Belle... I give you my word" she vowed and was surprised when the broken man before her rested his forehead against her shoulder and she slowly hugged him as a mother would hold an infant child.
~ The Wish Realm ~
Elfame Academy was a castle carved from stunning stone and its towers were decorated with magnificent stone dragons. It took Emily a long time but eventually a student told her that she could find Gideon Stiltskin in the library... It then took her another five hours to find the library due to the size of the castle,
"Gideon Stiltskin?" she inquired after approaching a young man whom was surrounded by various piles of books on one of the studying tables,
"I'm really sorry but I can't help you right now. I have a big exam coming up" he told her as he went back to reading but stopped when Emily pulled the dagger from her bag and placed it on the table,
"I was told to find you" she explained and Gideon slowly closed his book and Emily sat down,
"I have no idea what exactly has set me on this path but... I'm trying to return to the man I love and I believe he may be travelling with your father... I need your help" she explained and Gideon nodded in understanding.
~ Meanwhile In Another Part Of The Realm ~
Alice and Rumple where securing rooms at the inn whilst Hook purchased a silver locket from the local jewelers before going and sitting on the edge of a fountain where he took a fresh petal from the forget me not flower that Emily had given him when he left the tower and he placed a kiss to the delicate petal before placing it safely in the locket, closed it and then used his hook to etch "K & E" on the back,
"You ok?" a voice asked causing Hook to look up and discovered Rumple standing there,
"Yeah" Hook responded grimly as he placed the locket within the inside pocket of his leather coat and Rumple sat beside him,
"You know. Strangely enough, I believe that in another life you and I could have been good friends" Rumple reasoned causing Hook to scoff humorlessly,
"I stole your wife and humiliated you. You took my hand and killed Milah right in front of me" he reminded him and Rumple nodded,
"Yes... I've never actually had the chance before... I'm sorry for your hand and... For killing Milah" he bid and Hook sighed, shaking his head,
"It wasn't your fault. It was mine. My brother taught me of honor and doing the right thing but... I stole another man's wife and took a mother away from her son... I deserved to lose my hand" Hook admitted,
"You didn't make Milah leave, Bae. She just happened to leave with you. She was a woman who made her own choices. No one could make her do anything" Rumple reasoned before offering his hand to shake,
"What say you captain?... Forgive the past and Allow the present?" he proposed and Hook smiled before shaking his hand,
"Sounds good to me... Mate" he replied and they both stood before going off to find Alice.
~ Elfame Academy ~
Emily rubbed her temples with the tips of her fingers as she took in everything that Gideon had told her,
"Ok so let me get this straight... This dagger is the ultimate artifact of pure darkness and is the only thing that can both control, harm and kill your father?" she repeated for nearly the hundredth time and Gideon nodded,
"Indeed but he plans to return the dagger to the guardian whom is the only person who holds the power to free my father from his curse so that he can finally be reunited with my mother" Gideon confirmed and Emily sighed as she sat in her chair,
"So... How do I find your father?" she asked,
"You hold the dagger in your hand and speak the words: 'Dark One, I Summon Thee'" Gideon told as he gestured to the dagger which Emily took in her hand after a moment,
"So... You said that this dagger controls him... If I call him then... He has no choice but to come" she murmured,
"Yes" Gideon confirmed sadly but looked surprised when she placed it back down on the table and shook her head,
"I don't want that power... If I'm going to find your father then I'm going to do it myself. Not use some dagger that he has no choice but to answer too" she said and Gideon smiled, putting his hand over hers,
"Thank you" he told her and she nodded gently, returning his smile and Gideon pulled a book from his pile,
"I actually found something regarding the guardian of the dagger. Could you show this to my father?" he asked as he showed her the page and she looked at it curiously,
"Look To The Dagger And The Guardian Shall Be Revealed" Emily read before frowning,
"What does that mean? It doesn't make any sense" she pointed out and Gideon could only shrug his shoulders,
"I can't decipher it either but when my mother translated the prophecy regarding the dark one's happy ending. It was my father that knew the prophecy referred to the edge of realms. If anyone can understand this clue then it's him" Gideon said certainly and Emily nodded before putting the dagger safely back in her belt before reaching into her satchel,
"I found this in the house at the cliff side. I think you should have it" she said before removing the picture frame that held the photo of Rumple standing beside Belle with baby Gideon in her arms and it didn't take long for tears to fill the young scholar's eyes,
"Thank you" he whispered and Emily nodded gently before standing and left to find both Rumplestiltskin and the the man she loved.
WILL THE GUARDIAN EVER BE FOUND?! REVIEW FOR CHAPTER 14!
Kind Regards,
TheAuthor1996