2533 Words this chapter. It's long, but the next one is really short for dramatic effect.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Killian, Regina and Robin followed Gilly to the old crypt. Robin had called back to camp for help, and Beau, the Arrows and a few Merry Men met them at the cemetery.
"It is this way," said Gilly. She sighed. "I tell you, he will not be here."
"I do not believe a word from your poisonous lips," spat Killian.
Beau looked at Gilly's horrible, grief-worn face. He smiled softly. "It never hurts to look, child."
She moved forward toward the entrance. As she walked in she was surprised to see the pot still there, the potion inside it bubbling away.
"Hello, Gilly," said Dag.
She looked at him with surprise. "You...remained here?"
He smiled. "Of course, why should I leave? Come in. It will be a tight fit for all of you, I'm afraid." "Evil Queen, Master Locksley," he said, bowing to each of them like he was the host at a party, "and of course, the famous Captain Hook. Welcome."
Killain rushed forward. "You wretched demon from hell!" He aimed his sword at Dag's heart.
The former dagger only laughed. "You seem distressed, pirate."
"Undo the spell."
Dag smiled, a mocking glare to his eyes. "Which one? The spell that links your beloved Emma to your beloved Jolly Roger, or the spell that drains the life from her, her princely father and our good pawn shop owner?"
"Both of them! All of them! Do it!"
Dag laughed loudly. "I don't think so. Sorry. Now, is there anything else I can do for you?"
Killain yelled and drew back, sweeping back his sword for a swift, heavy blow.
"No! Hook, don't!" cried Robin. He jumped on the pirate, grabbing his sword arm. "We need him!"
"Oh, thank you, Sir Robin," said Dag. "It wasn't necessary, but I do appreciate it." He smiled, then gave a high whistle.
A small army of animated skeletons and grave statues burst in, overpowering everyone. Killian growled. Regina however scoffed. "Please. One large pile of bones and marble dust coming up."
Dag scoffed but watched as she blasted his army with magic.
Nothing happened.
Regina's mouth dropped open.
"A simple shield, your majesty, enriched by the sacred ground we stand upon. They're in effect, spell proof."
Regina's eyebrow went up. "Nice work."
"Thank you," Dag said to her, chuckling.
"I doubt it will be as effective off this patch of ground, though," she said.
Dag nodded. "Which is why you won't be leaving it, I'm afraid."
Gilly shook her head. "I do not understand. You told me you were moving. How did you know I would bring them here? I thought it was a waste of time."
Dag shrugged. "I had intended to move. Steel here advised it, but I then I came across some information that told it me it was safe, even advisable to stay."
"Information?" asked Robin.
"Yes! Ooh, would you like to see it?" he asked excitedly. "Come, come!" He moved toward the exit, snapping his fingers to command the mindless army to follow with their prisoners.
They moved behind the crypt. In the midst of old, rotting trees and broken tombstones, Text sat, painting. Several canvases sat around him.
"You do have Text," said Regina.
"Yes," Dag said. "I recognized his talents at prophecy immediately. I intend to put him to good use in my empire."
"Your what?" asked Robin.
Dag smiled widely. "Oh, I have big plans. They start here, in Storybrooke. Ooh, why tell you, when I can show you?"
He walked to the group of paintings and grabbed one. "This one is of special importance," he said with a cackle.
He brought the painting over, showing it off. It showed the inside of the crypt with Killian, Regina, Robin and the others being surrounded by Dag's motley crew.
"It's exactly what just transpired," said Aimee Arrow in amazement.
"I know!" cried Dag happily. "All I had to do was make sure that it did. Substituiary Locomotion did the rest." Dag went to a large angel stone statue. He knocked on its head. It just stood there, holding Aimee in it's stony grip.
"They're dumb as stone," he said, laughing. "That's fine. I don't want anyone else thinking anyway. I call all the shots."
Gilly walked up to a picture of her and Killian in the diner, Ruby behind them. She recognized at once the horrible scene in Granny's.
"You knew," she whispered. She turned to Dag. "You knew he would discover my betrayal. You knew it wouldn't work, that I'd never have him, that he would hate me!"
Dag smiled and shrugged. "Of course I knew. I'm surprised that you thought it would work out in your favor. You aren't very bright, my dear."
"You said nothing! You didn't warn me!" she cried.
"Well, firstly, I didn't really care and secondly, when I saw Text's painting I knew you had to lead them into my trap."
"But...I...I did it for nothing," Gilly said. Her eyes let more tears go. "I hurt Emma for nothing."
"From your point of view, I suppose," said Dag. "However, from mine...having the savior out of the way can only be a good thing. It's better that Emma Swan dies and a clueless, love-struck former ship take her place."
Killian growled. "She could never! No one can replace Emma!"
"Settle down pirate," said Dag. He walked to Gilly, setting the painting at her feet. He smiled, rubbing his hand along her face. She turned away. "You know, Captain, she is quite pretty. Why not give this all up, huh? If you do, I'll let you go. Leave me alone and I'll let you and Gilly live together in peace."
Gilly looked at Killian. He didn't look back. He shook his head. "Never."
She hung her head.
Dag laughed. "Oh, come on, who is Emma Swan? Yes, she's pretty and fiesty, but...Gilly adores you, she'll give you anything and everything you could ever need, wouldn't you, dear?"
Gilly kept looking at the ground.
Hook scoffed. "No. I would rather die than betray Emma."
Gilly nodded sadly.
Dag laughed. "Oh, well. I tried Gilly." He picked up the painting and took it over to the others. "That's too bad for you, Pirate," he said. He looked at the other pictures, picking up another one. "You know, Text is really good at this visionary thing. I think you'll find this one particularly interesting, Captain."
He stood in front of Killian, smiling evilly as he showed him the picture.
Killian turned white as he looked at the heartbreaking scene. Dr. Whale was depicted pulling a sheet over Emma Swan's head. Behind them, another covered body lay next to a horribly crying Mary-Margaret, clutching to a shrieking baby Neal. Next to them sat a figure huddled with his head buried in his arms and knees, Henry.
"No," whispered Killian, the energy draining out him.
"This one may have already come to pass," said Dag. He looked to Text. "What do you think?"
The painter shook his head, but kept painting.
"Not yet, huh? Well, soon," said Dag, smiling at Killian. He gloated at the pirate's fallen, shattered expression. He looked to the painting and said cruelly, "I especially like the sallow tone to Emma's face. It's very...deathlike."
Killian howled and threw himself on the small, pasty man. Several skeletons pulled him off.
"Now, now. Don't blame me," Dag said, brushing himself off. "I didn't want the savior around, but I wasn't the real catalyst of her demise." He looked at Gilly.
She was looking up now, staring from painting to painting, a disgusted look on her face. "They're all so...horrible," she said.
"You do not enjoy them?" asked Dag.
She shook her head.
"That is a pity," snapped Killian. "Since you had a hand in them."
She looked at him, then back at the paintings. "Yes," she whispered. "I have, haven't I?" She had no tone of happiness or pride, like Dag. In fact, she sounded haunted by her role.
"Let us move to the other pieces," said Dag. "How about this one?" He moved to another painting.
Regina gasped. "No!" Regina herself was featured in it, in the center of the painting, cradling Henry's motionless body.
"It is unfortunate about the boy," said Dag, "but he is the only life force for my prophet." He sighed. Then the taunting smile came back. "I wasn't sure how to get his hair, but now that I have you...I think we can work out something."
Regina shook her head. "No! I won't let you get Henry!"
He laughed. "You haven't stopped me yet, Evil Queen. Now, let's look at this piece next. It's the star of the group, in my opinion. I'm eager to see what you all think of it."
In the painting, Dag sat in a tall chair like a king, his feet propped up on the back of a kneeling Gold. Not far away stood Belle, her dress torn and tattered as she was held by a headless statue. Belle's face was filled with tears. There was no indication of where they were, but it was a dark, smoky setting, the only light came from scattered fires on the edges of the painting.
"I think Mrs. Gold is especially good, don't you?" asked Dag. "I love how she stares at her husband, it's...what's the word?"
"Heartbreaking."
"Yes, that's it! Thank you, Gilly."
She stared at him, her eyes filling with tears.
"Be sure to notice the backgrounds," he said.
He was referring to the scenes where his skeleton and statue army held chains of shackled prisoners including Leroy, Marian, Granny, and Mary-Margaret, who held onto a crying, dirty Neal.
Regina shook her head. "No, this will not happen."
"I think it will."
"It is a possibility," said Text. "Only that."
"Hmm, technically, I suppose," said Dag, "But seeing how many of the players in this painting are here in the clutches of my army..."
Gilly, who was not held by one of Dag's inhuman soldiers, walked closer to the painting.
"Yes, dear, get a good look," said Dag. "Some of the best bits are rather small."
She moved in to inspect it. Her eye had caught something. It terrified her and she needed to see. She hoped that she was wrong, but she felt a creeping sense of dread. As she got closer she was flooded with horror. "No!"
Dag laughed. "I think she's just found your dead body, Captain."
Gilly quivered. She had. Around the edges were several bodies, all of them were clearly dead. Killian lay impaled by his own hook. Regina was crushed by large pieces of statues, only her face visible. Beside her, lying as if he had been running for her, lay Robin, his busted bow and arrows all around him. In another corner, Ruby, her face and chest human, the rest of her in wolf form, stretched out unnaturally, blood pooled beneath her.
"It's horrible," she whispered, "truly horrible. I did not want this."
She heard Killian snarl, "You only wished for Emma's death."
"No! I didn't want her to die, I just..." She hung her head. "I suppose I wanted her...out of the way."
Killian growled.
Dag walked to Beau. "Tell me something, old man. Why are you trying to stop me? If you do not want your own life, fine, but why deny me mine?"
Beau leveled a steady gaze at him. "Being such as you are never happy. You will not live a calm, peaceful life, not with evil inside you." He looked at Robin. "Not only will our master never be safe, no one will. You will cause much grief, much evil. How many innocent lives will you cruelly end?"
Gilly nodded, glancing back to the awful paintings. "Yes, how many?"
"It does not matter," said Dag. He smiled. "Life in Storybrooke is about to change...forever.
"Which is why we must stop you!" yelled Bull's Eye.
"You cannot, Arrow," sneered Dag. He pointed to the image of Robin, lying bloody in the pile of broken arrows and a snapped bow. "What do you think those are? You get turned back to your rightful forms, boys and girls! I may even snap your wooden pieces myself." He laughed.
Robin pulled, but could not break free of the skeleton that held him.
Gilly looked at the depiction of Henry. Then she looked at the former dagger. "You knew all along that you would kill Henry."
Regina fought with an angel statue. "He won't!"
"I'm not going to kill him," said Dag. "He must sacrifice his life. Just as Emma must give up hers."
Killian fought with two skeletons trying to contain him. "That will not come to be!"
Gilly glared at Dag. "You have no conscience, no...morality."
He sneered at her. "Of course not."
"You'd stoop to killing an innocent boy!"
Dag scoffed. "It's amazing how perspective changes morality. Emma was OK, but..."
"No, it was never OK to kill Emma!" cried Gilly. "I lied to myself!" She looked at Killian. "I was selfish and...blinded by desire."
He looked at her.
"But I'm not him!" she cried, pointing to Dag. "He is a monster!" She turned on the former dagger. "You will burn an entire town! You'll orphan children, even kill them. You'll turn on everyone! You don't care for anyone but yourself!"
Dag laughed. "Do you? Really, Gilly, you're as selfish as I am."
She stared at him, then at Beau and the others, finally she looked at Killian. She nodded. "Yes, I convinced myself that Emma's death was a small price to pay," she said. He continued to keep her gaze.
Then she looked away and at the paintings. "Now I see that it is too great."
"Oh, one death was fine, but kill a few more..." sneered Dag.
"A few?" asked Robin in outrage.
Dag laughed.
"No," said Gilly. "One human was too much. I knew it. I could...feel...that it was." She looked at Steel. "I wished that I could be cold like you. I should not have. I should have listened to my emotions."
Dag scoffed.
Gilly turned back to the paintings. "One death is too much," she said, looking at all the paintings, then at Killian. "One leads to this. Beau is right. You'll never stop, Dag. Once this curse is cast, no one will ever be free from you! Those you don't kill, you'll..."
"Enslave? Abuse? Cage?" Dag asked, his eyes dancing with delight. "Why not? I will wield great power, alone, without another weaker being tethered to me. Why shouldn't I use anyone in any way that I see fit?"
"You're evil," spat Aimee Arrow.
He burst out with derisive, mocking laughter. "I embody the spirit of the Dark One, of course I'm evil!" He sighed happily. "Enough of this. It's time to get the future going. Bring them inside," he ordered his troops.
End of Chapter Twenty-Eight
