As promised, here it is, the first part of the battle sequence. I hope you enjoy, I'm not going to say anything else, just read and have a good time.

Their plan was simple, but hopefully effective. First of all, they needed to draw the witch out and away from the town, preferably to the woods where no one would be in danger of getting caught in the crosshairs. David and Regina had used their powers as Mayor and Sheriff to announce a town-wide lockdown for the night, citing emergency gasworks. Sections of Main Street and the other large through roads had been barricaded and taped for the sake of appearances, the citizens of Storybrooke grumbling ever so slightly as they were forced behind closed doors on the Friday night.

Robin had managed to round up the last of the Merrymen, his crew answering the call in a heartbeat, determined to try and get their lost members back and reverse the hideous monkey spell that Zelena had cast upon them. Henry had naturally kicked and screamed about being shut away with the rest of the town, almost resorting to biting Killian's hand as he strongarmed him towards Granny's private getaway, an apartment near the docks, that she had somehow managed to keep a secret from everyone, until Emma said it was an emergency. The boy had only stopped, when Killian bent down, taking a firm grip on his shoulder and looking him dead in the eye; "none of us can fight properly if we think you might be in trouble. I know you want to be there, you're a tough kid, just like your mother, but we can't give that witch anymore of an opening than she already has. I promise you, I'll bring them back."
Henry had stared him down, his resolve slowly breaking as he nodded, hugging everyone in quick succession, before going willingly into the apartment. Emma had thought she saw her son whisper something to the pirate, but it was too soft for her to catch. Whatever it was, there had been a momentary look on Killian's face that she hadn't quite recognised, before he reset his mask of cool, collected confidence; she'd have to ask him later.

The group's cover story was that the Sheriff's department was overseeing the work that was meant to be happening, patrolling the streets to keep everyone in their homes; Regina, Robin and Mary-Margaret were only out under the guise of covering the station to field any potential calls. The town would hopefully be none the wiser, until they figured out how to break the curse.

In terms of Zelena, Robin had identified a large clearing in the middle of the woods, one without any trees nearby or overhead so they wouldn't face any surprise attacks from the witch's minions. The Merrymen, Robin and Mary-Margaret (who was adamant that she would succeed) were going to work the perimeter, trying to shoot down as many monkeys as possible, but avoid killing them unless absolutely necessary since there was no way of knowing which were ex-town members and which weren't. David and Regina would be on the ground, using their swords to try and take on any of the second-wave that might make it past the archers, keeping them far enough back from what would be the main action. Emma would be the one to take on Zelena herself, she'd have her cutlass and her magic, whichever came first, doing the majority of the hard-work: Killian would be her backup. He had been resolute on this point, as the one who had shown he was best equipped to handle a sword and thus first choice to defend her, as well as the much deeper emotion behind his eyes that came as he vehemently stressed his promise to Henry, staring Emma down with that same old Captain Hook intensity that was near impossible to refuse.

They had an hour left until the sun began to set by Killian's reckoning, at which point they would make their way out to the chosen battleground, summoning the witch and then, and only then, would the fight commence.

~E&K~

Emma flexed her hand, practising calling her magic directly to her fingertips and then extinguishing it. She was surprised by how much control she had managed to gain without any formal training, her previous experiences of it stuck firmly in bursting out of her in moments of desperation, but with the stakes so high and the emotions she felt, knowing exactly what she was fighting for, her magic appeared to have reigned in, sensing how much she needed it. She looked over to see Killian watching the glow of her fingers in awe, his eyes blown wide as each wave of magic ebbed and flowed, the light rippling over her skin like rays of the sun in a dappled wood. Their gazes met and she was thrown straight back to the night they spent sailing the Jolly through the night sky; he'd looked at her in the exact same way, struck with wonder, enchantment, and, as always, just the tiniest amount of lust. God, she wanted him so badly, wanted to remember what it felt like to be in his arms and know that, somehow, everything was going to be okay. Once Zelena was defeated, she was going to get straight back into figuring out how to break this curse. Maybe, once her parents believed, they could kiss and do it; they were True Love after all. Or maybe, they could get Regina to realise how much she loved Henry, as his second mother, and the two of them would be able to resolve everything. Either way, she was getting them all back, her family would be whole again, and her pirate would love her again.

~E&K~

The shadows moved across the ground of David and Mary-Margaret's apartment, their time slowly ticking away. Killian hadn't taken his eyes off Emma for a second, and he had absolutely no intention of ever doing so. Seeing the power inside of her only made his wonderment grow; there were so many things about this woman that he didn't know, so many truths to uncover, and layers to peel away until there was nothing left but Emma Swan. He still couldn't really comprehend how it had happened, slowly and then all at once, but christ he thought to himself for the dozenth time, he had found himself head over heels in love with her. From the instant they had collided in the hallway of the station, and then every moment since, even when he was questioning her sanity, there was always that voice in his head telling him otherwise, that tiny spark of attraction that had turned into a raging wildfire at the merest touch. Killian didn't think she realised how beautiful she was, nor how incredible, but he was determined to show her.

He could always sense that same something between them, something that still made him wonder hopelessly about the relationship they had shared before he lost his memory, getting slightly jealous at his other self when he thought about how many times that version of him had kissed and held Emma Swan. Were they together? Were they in love? Part of him couldn't bear to find out, because there was always the other option, that they weren't anything, that there was someone else that Swan was fighting so hard to get back. Still, every moment that they had shared together so far, with him being Deputy Jones, not Captain Hook, didn't seem like the sort of interactions one had with their friends or close acquaintances. The way she had kissed him in his house, how she had held his hand at the hospital, always searching for him in a crowded room, always checking that he was beside her: no, he was quite sure that this woman was his destiny so, no matter what it may cost him, he was damn well going to try and get her back everything she was missing.

~E&K~

The sun had just started to sink, they would need the last few hours of its feeble beams, to light the battlefield.

As one, the group rose, gathering their weapons and strapping them into position: swords, and bows, and handguns alike, all loaded and ready to do what had to be done. Robin and his men led them out, Regina tucked securely into their ranks in case the witch had someone trying to snatch her off of the street, Mary-Margaret and David followed suit, their hands gripping one another tightly. Emma heaved a heavy sigh, ready to make after them, when she felt Killian softly hook her arm, turning until they were facing each other, far closer than either had intended.

"Swan-" he mumbled, her name catching slightly in his throat, heavy with the emotion that he couldn't express, doing his best to convey it through the grip he had taken up on her hip.

Emma raised her hand, cupping his cheek gently. "I know," is all she said, shuffling closer so that their foreheads were resting against each other.
He breathed her in like a drowning man sucks in air, desperate to cling to the moment for as long as possible, her reluctance to move away showing that she felt the same. But time is cruel and it waits for no one. Despite how much they both may have wanted to close that last tiny gap that existed between them, it wasn't the moment to do so. The stroking of their hands would have to be enough, the hitch in both of their breath saying everything that they couldn't, or what they didn't even know the other was saying.

Stepping away, Killian gave himself one last moment to take her all in, every inch of Emma Swan; committing to memory exactly what it was he was going to be fighting for, before nodding once, dropping his hand, and following her out of the door and into the unknown.

~E&K~

It was eerily quiet in the woods, not even a gust of wind disturbing the branches. Robin had been right, the spot was perfect; not too exposed, but not covered enough to hide a sabotage.
They were already in position, partnered off as best they could, with vows to watch each other's backs; David imploring Robin to take care of his wife, as she asked the same of Regina, tears clouding her eyes, but the woman refused to let them fall.

Emma stood in the centre of the clearing, Killian a couple of metres back, his eyes flicking around every inch of the space, hand flexing on the hilt of his sword. There was a twisted anticipation to it all, the build-up to the madness of the fight, adrenaline coursing through their veins and fuelling every movement, hearts pounding, limbs aching, but unstoppable. It was the way that it had been in Neverland.

Emma recalled the fight they'd had with the Lost Boys, Neal rushing off into the fray and leaving her exposed and at the mercy of Felix, until Killian had swooped in to save her. When they had been fighting back to back, she had felt that same rush, the thrill of it all as they had worked in tandem to get her son back. Killian had made it all look so easy then, every cut of his sword accurate and deadly when needs be, every twist of his hook deliberate and defensive; she prayed to god that those century-old instincts of his would kick in, worrying her ever so slightly, but still, overriding it all was the blood pounding anticipation. No matter what happened here tonight, there was one thing of which she was absolutely certain; Killian Jones had made a promise to her son to get as many of his people back to him as possible, and she knew he damn well intended to keep it.

She could feel them all starting to get antsy. The waning light would soon make way for darkness, and they weren't prepared for what to do if that happened.
Zelena was toying with them. She must know they were there, waiting the heroes out, testing their limits and defences, watching to find the one small chink in the armour, ready to exploit that momentary show of weakness.

"Hold your positions," Killian's voice suddenly rang out through the clearing, everyone immediately stopping their shuffling and fidgeting, standing almost perfectly still, if it weren't for the readjustments to their grips on weapons.
Very slowly, Emma watched as he reached for his own sword, almost imperceptibly beginning to draw it from its sheath, with a subtle glance at everybody, directing their gazes to the Western edge of their perimeter, where something could only just be heard, rustling through the trees.
The group turned, weapons still at their sides, but fingers twitching on the hilt, ready to strike. Whatever it was went suddenly silent, the sound seeming to be sucked out of the air like a vacuum, leaving them once more in that unsettling quiet.

Emma couldn't hear anything but the sound of her own heart in her ears, flicking her eyes left and right, trying to pinpoint which way the witch would be coming from.
She felt a chill run along her spine, spinning quickly and levelling her cutlass with Zelena, who had appeared a couple of feet behind them, laughing with manic glee as the rest of them hurried to follow suit, turning their now loaded weapons on the green woman.

"Well would you look at this, such a lovely showing of Storybrooke's finest," the witch sneered, her skin seeming to glow more menacingly in the fading light of the day. "You know, I really didn't think you had it in you, Saviour, to convince them all to come out here to their inevitable deaths."
Her words were clearly intended to scare them, throw them off balance, but everyone here knew the risks, knew the price that they may have to pay to protect their town and family. So, they stood, unperturbed and resolute, staring their shared enemy down, until the sinister smile began to slowly leave her face, replaced by something far more unhinged.
"Do you really think you can defeat me, Saviour?" she spat, the words glancing off of Emma, who refused to react, "Do you really think this pitiful display strikes fear into me? I'll blow through the lot of you in a matter of seconds before I raize this town to the ground. These people will regret ever harbouring the Evil Queen and Rumplestiltskin. Those innocents will pay for their crimes."

She was growing wilder, near shrieking in rage, but still, they refused to flinch, to bat an eyelid, to look away, only infuriating the witch more. She stomped her foot letting out a scream of aggravation, the noise echoed through the trees, picked up and repeated by her hidden armies, their wings heard beating furiously above.
"How about this then, Emma Swan," Zelena tried again, her voice suddenly unnervingly calm, "I'll kill your parents, this inadequate group of men who tried to stop me in the Enchanted Forest, and then my sister, all of them dead before dawn, but you...I think I'll keep you alive, just conscious enough to watch as I torture the life out of your pathetic excuse for a pirate, and your even more pathetic son. How will you fair then, Saviour? How will you feel, watching as the light leaves their eyes, as they writhe in agony, begging for you to help them, as you lie immobile, worthless, unable to do anything to-"

An arrow suddenly whistled through the air, embedding itself in the witch's shoulder.

For a moment they all looked dumbstruck, before turning to Mary-Margaret who was looking at her own bow in shock, before glancing at Emma with a kind of confused shrug.
Whatever temporary shock had settled over them was quickly replaced, as Zelena screamed in rage, pulling the arrow from her body, blood dripping down from its tip, and sizzling against the ground.
"You'll pay for that!" she shrieked, "You'll all pay! Attack!"
In the same instant that she vanished into thin air, her cries of anger were replaced by that of her minions, who swooped down, surging upon the group in wave after wave of black and grey.

Robin and his men got straight to work with the help of Mary-Margaret, knocking as many monkeys from the sky as they could; but the torrents just kept coming. In a matter of seconds, they were on the ground facing Regina and David who were swinging their swords in wide arcs, trying to keep as much distance as possible, sending a few of their opponents reeling back, licking their wounds, but they too were replaced by the next onslaught. Emma slashed with her cutlass, using her other hand to punch, hit, or blast the creatures away with beams of white magic that caused them to cover their eyes and fly for cover, only to be picked off by the archers. Glancing over her shoulder, she found Killian, sword flashing through the air in the way which she had always remembered; his old flair seeming to come out as they had hoped, going from one opponent to the next, like a never-ending cyclone of black leather and silver metal.
Returning her attention to the matter at hand, Emma engaged her next target, batting it away easily and thinking to herself, 'maybe this won't be that bad.'

~E&K~

Half an hour later and she was eating her words. There had been no sign of the witch since she first disappeared from the fight, presumably away licking her wounds, but there was no end to her army, which just kept on coming back.
She could see Robin and her mother occasionally running from one side of the field to the next, snatching up any arrows that they could find to replenish their near-empty quivers, most of the Merrymen choosing to take up the battle with their own swords and axes, hacking at the monkeys as they tried to land. David was doing his best to hold his own, her father fighting hard but sloppily, the few scratches on his arms and face evidence of just how close some of them had got. Regina wasn't fairing much better, the Mayor's arms trembling as she tried to continue to hold her sword up, wielding it messily but effectively enough that she too was mostly unharmed.

Emma remained in the thick of it all. She could hear nothing but the animalistic cries of the monkeys as they came at her again and again, the shouts of her companions occasionally filtering through the madness, but otherwise, she was alone, hitting again and again with the cutlass, relying less and less on her magic, the earlier use having almost exhausted her.
She knew Killian was still nearby, could hear his grunts of exertion and the occasional taunt as he goaded one of their enemies into coming within range of his sword or hook, knocking them back just as quickly. Emma also knew that he wasn't completely unscathed, a momentary flood of ice-cold dread overwhelming her as one of the larger monkeys had seemed to have taken him down, only for the beast to be thrown off of him a moment later, a large gash opened up across its face and Killian's hook dripping with fresh blood.

The distraction had almost thrown her off balance, a large group had suddenly converged on her, but a quick pulse of magic had seen them quickly retreating to the safety of the trees. Still, she hadn't been able to get the image out of her mind. Every stroke of her sword was followed by a flash of Killian falling to the ground and rising again with more scratches of his own, where the beast had apparently tried to claw his throat out. The little cutlass would collide with a wing or a limb and she was struck by the sound of the small cry of pain he had let fall out as the talons connected with his skin. Every hit and miss, her head was filled with the sounds of Zelena's haunting final words, the truth of what was held in store if she failed.

Feeling someone approach behind her, Emma turned to strike.
Instead of the usual monkey's cry, she heard the ringing of metal meeting metal, coming face to face with Killian, his sword raised high, obviously having thought that he too was about to meet a new attacker, surprised instead to see Emma.
Something brief but powerful flitted across his face, as he reached his hook up, pushing her sword arm down and simultaneously hauling her against his body, their lips meeting in a fiery clash.

The sounds of the battle seemed to die away, leaving them completely isolated even as the fight continued to rage on around them, time standing still once more.

Emma poured everything into the kiss, every fear, frustration and worry, every ounce of her being, and every bit of the love that she held for this man; and he gave back just as good as he got.

She could feel something building in her chest, something burning hot with intensity.
She didn't care, refusing to stop kissing him no matter what happened, until that feeling came bursting out of her like a tsunami, pushing everything away from them in a blinding wave of light.
Emma felt the breeze push through her hair, pausing momentarily to pull back as Killian suddenly froze.

He was breathing heavily, chest heaving, and looking far more mussed than he had a moment ago; but there was something more relaxed about the set of his shoulder, something more familiar in the way his back straightened out, pulling him to his full height.
He opened his eyes, and Emma gasped, the last piece of the puzzle falling into place.

"Hello, love. Did you miss me?"

There you have it. I couldn't refuse the opportunity at a Pirates of the Caribbean, Will and Elizabeth style kiss. It was right there people! Anyway, part 1 of the battle is done and I will get straight to work on part 2 and then the finale of the story.