"What the hell is he doing?" Charming shouted as he ran next to Emma.
"I don't know!" She had just jumped onto the dock when she saw Hook wind up his arm and throw something as hard as he could into the main sail.
"Hook! Get off of there!" She screamed, breathing hard as she pushed herself faster.
"Emma!" David shouted from right behind her. "Look!" He pointed up toward the sail, which was shimmering and billowing in the breeze. The air sparkled all around it, streaking down toward the deck.
"Fairy dust!" David said. "He hit the sail with fairy dust!"
The ship began to rock vigorously from side to side, and Hook was holding the wheel, trying his best to keep it steady.
"The curse! Emma screamed. "It's rocking the boat!"
She'd reached the foot of the gangplank, but the ship was pitching so violently she couldn't jump aboard. Just as she was about to attempt it anyway, the bow rose up out of the water, and with an enormous shudder the ship took off, streaking into the sky.
"He's going after her!" David shouted. He turned to Emma. "He's right - she'll never outrun that ship. The Jolly Roger is known for being the fastest thing out there."
Emma dropped down, putting her hands on her knees and breathing hard. "Oh my God. He's such an idiot!"
David put a hand in the middle of her back as he got his own breath back. "He'll come back, Emma."
"Yeah," She said, still panting. "And I'm going to kill him when he does."
###
Hook brought the ship around, scanning the horizon until he finally saw her - she was flying low, just above the rooftops of the village, heading for the mountains in the distance. He pulled the ship sharply to port, feeling the wind catch the sails as he closed on her.
She must've seen his shadow as it streaked across the ground below them because she turned sharply and he lost precious seconds correcting to follow her. She reached into her robes, pulling out the crystal ball. Hook saw the sunlight glinting off of it and he kept his eyes on it as he leaned across, readying the closest harpoon. If he could get her away from that ball, she couldn't regenerate her powers.
He was gaining on her again, and within a matter of seconds he'd be within firing range. He started to pull up beside her when suddenly the air exploded around him in a flurry of beating wings and screeching fur. He kept his hook on the wheel and managed to draw his cutlass even as he chased her back toward the castle, slashing and hacking as the monkeys dove at him again and again, tearing at his clothes and hair. He killed two while the ship dipped and rolled, but he managed to keep ahold of the wheel and stay with her.
Emma and David were watching from the dock, pointing and shouting, even as people from the castle started lining the parapets to watch the battle. The witch streaked back over the wall, dodging two arrows let loose in rapid succession. David thrust a fist in the air.
"Go Snow!"
She was just visible on the parapet, and as the ship passed over, three of the monkeys dropped from the sky - two felled by arrows from her bow and one taken out by Granny with her crossbow.
The witch had the wind at her back now, streaking out past the docks and over the water and Hook was seconds behind her and gaining. He tied the wheel off with the strap of his sword belt, then made his way to the mast, letting out the lashings to give more wind to the sails. He grabbed the harpoon, taking aim and letting it fly.
The point hit the stick of her broom, knocking her badly off balance and putting her into a spin. Hook reeled it in, hoping to pull her off, but the harpoon dislodged as she spun, falling uselessly down against the side of the ship.
The witch was regaining control, slowing herself and trying to correct her course to take her back over the land again. Hook unlatched the wheel, spinning it sharply to starboard and coming up alongside her.
"You'll never win this!" She shrieked. "I'll be back, and I'll tear your happy ending right out of your arms!"
"But that's your grand mistake," He shouted back. "I'm a villain! I don't get a happy ending!"
And with that, he leapt off the side of the ship, slamming into her and throwing her off the broom. The crystal ball hit the water first, and then she went down, clawing and shrieking in agony as the water melted her skin and bones into nothing.
Hook gripped the broom, pulling it around and pushing it back toward the Jolly Roger, but it was dropping without the witch's magic to keep it flying. He threw himself as hard as he could toward the ship, his hook scraping a furrow into the side of it as he slid down, down, down toward the water.
Just as he felt the curve of the keel begin to fall away, his hand found the rope for the harpoon and he grabbed it tight, feeling it burn into the flesh of his palm. He hit the underside of the ship hard, but held fast, slamming his hook into the wood and gouging a hold over and over as he pulled himself painstakingly along the rope. At last, he managed to get his hook over the rail and pulled himself onto the deck, gasping with exertion and cradling his bloody hand.
He pulled himself to his knees, then to his feet, making his way to the wheel deck and wiping the perspiration from his eyes.
"It's a bloody good thing I'm not a villain anymore." He muttered. He looked out over the water, and turned the ship to port.
###
Emma watched in agony, falling to her knees as Hook dove off the ship, her hands clapped over her mouth as she watched him battle his way back aboard, rocking back and forth with relief when she saw him finally stand, taking the wheel.
David sank down to the dock next to her, holding her tight.
"He's all right, Emma. He's all right." He rubbed her back repeating it over and over for her.
"Oh God," She sobbed. "He could have been killed. I almost lost him!"
David gripped her upper arms, turning her to face him. "But you didn't, Emma." He put his hand on the back of her head. "And don't you think it's time you let him know what he means to you?"
Emma couldn't speak. She settled for a nod, instead. David was right. It was time to say the words. She took his hand as he helped her to her feet, walking down the dock to wait for Hook. She put a hand over her eyes to get a better look at the ship as it made its way in, but in a heartbeat her relief turned cold, like a frozen hand gripping her belly.
"He's too low," She whispered. She turned her panicked eyes to David. "He's too low!"
David looked up in alarm and saw that Emma was right. The fairy dust was wearing off, and the ship was dropping. At this rate, he'd be landing a few hundred yards from the dock. He'd be on the water.
"No!" Emma's voice was muffled by the splash the ship made when it hit, and she screamed again as Hook lost his footing, slamming into the railing and nearly going over. He managed to hold on, but within seconds the water around the ship turned rough, pitching and rolling the ship as he was thrown from side to side.
Dozens of tails appeared in the water, slapping and churning it all around as the ship began to spin. Hook grabbed onto one of the lashings, wrapping his arm around it, fighting to stay with it even as giant waves began to swamp the deck, trying to pull him over the rail.
Emma didn't think, she just ran, and with one huge leap, she landed in the water and started to swim as hard as she could, straight for the maelstrom, ignoring David as he screamed her name and started after her.
She dove under as a giant wave crashed toward her, her eyes adjusting to the dimness of the water. She could see the mermaids - and there were hundreds of them. She surfaced again, taking in a great gulp of air as she swam with everything she had, getting pushed sideways by the current and fighting to get closer. She'd almost made the edge of the vortex surrounding the ship when the waves escalated, slamming her, bringing her to the surface coughing and choking and gasping for air. She heard him shout her name and a few moments later, she felt his arm go around her as he dragged her toward the ship.
"You've got to get on board!" He screamed, coughing as the waves slammed into them both. "It's me they want!"
"No!"
"Yes!" They both went under again, and she felt him beneath her, pushing her toward the surface. She reached down, grabbing him by the hair and bringing him up with her.
"Get to the ship!" He coughed, gasping. He pushed her toward it as hard as he could, but she refused to let go of her grip on his hair. She pulled him in close, screaming in his face.
"You listen to me! I'm saving your life!"
"No!"
"You damn, stupid pirate! I love you!" She threw her arms around him and kissed him, hard.
It was like someone flipped a switch. The sea calmed instantly, and they clung to each other, still gasping, still bringing up water. They finally managed to kick back over toward the ship, only to find David there already, lowering a rope for them and hoisting them up. When he finally pulled them over the rail, all three of them laid on the deck, coughing and choking the last of the seawater from their lungs.
David rolled over, clapping Emma on the back as she dragged herself to her knees. "You did it, Emma! You broke the curse!" He got to his feet, extending a hand to Hook and helping him up.
"You okay?" David asked.
Hook nodded, still catching his breath. He reached down and pulled Emma up into his arms, holding her tightly, his hand tangled in her wet hair.
"I guess I'll wait till later to ask you if you're glad to be back on the water again," David said wryly.
"Right now, I'd be happy with some dry clothing," Hook replied, burying his face in Emma's neck.
Emma held him tight, refusing to let go. Finally, she pulled back, pushing a wet strand of hair off his forehead.
She gave him a smile full of promise. "I could go for a nice soft bed."