A/N: Happy Sunday! I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Disclaimer: If I owned anything from OUAT, I would own every colored leather jacket that's been made.
Chapter 5
Compared to its normally energetic and friendly atmosphere, today the town of Storybrooke lies somber and quiet, too quiet for David Nolan. After spending 28 years in a coma, being in the quiet irritates him to no end. Perhaps it is why he enjoys being a deputy at the Sheriff's station. Even though Storybrooke is a small and quaint town, something always happens.
For now, the only noise registering in his ears is the sound of flipping pages. For the past couple of hours, David and Mary Margaret help their daughter by continuing her research about Merlin and the Dark One. Having any form of an advantage over Hook and his dark powers may prove vital in protecting the people of Storybrooke and all the other realms.
From the moment Captain Hook landed in Storybrooke, David stayed cautious about the pirate. Who could blame him? After all of the shenanigans Hook pulled like aligning with Cora, helping Greg and Tamara, and stealing the beans, David wondered if anyone could ever find any admirable and selfless qualities within the pirate. If given the choice to choose a man for his daughter to love, Captain Hook would be at the bottom of Prince Charming's list.
Yet, in the last couple of months he witnessed his preconceived notions about the pirate change. Unlike her father, Emma saw beyond Hook's facade. David watches his attentive daughter everyday falling harder for the rugged scoundrel, prompting him to slowly trust the pirate again.
He knows the love Hook has for his daughter. The pirate saved his own life in Neverland, he brought Emma back to Storybrooke, and even traded his ship for her. But all of Hook's good deeds pale in comparison when they compare to his sacrifice for them all. David knows that Hook saved Emma from the greatest evil the realms have ever known. The only way for David to repay him is to help his daughter save the man that she loves.
So far, they find little after Belle's departure. For such a powerful sorcerer, only a meager amount of information seems to be recorded in the library's texts. Nevertheless, David and Mary Margaret are the last people on earth to give up hope.
"Well, we've got one last section of shelves left," Mary Margaret notes. "Then I suppose we'll have to trust that Regina and Emma can find a way to stop him on their own."
"It's just not fair," David mumbles, slamming his book shut.
"David, what's wrong?"
Mary Margaret saunters over to her husband and takes a seat next to him. She notices the hurt in his eyes and the grimace on his face. To comfort him, she wraps her arms around his shoulder.
"I've been asking myself, why didn't I do something?"
"What are you talking about?" Mary Margaret asks, confusion painting her features.
"Last night—when we were all standing there as Regina was being—consumed by the vortex. Why didn't I stop Emma?"
"David—"
"No!" he shouts. "You don't understand! I was about to let the darkness take our daughter! I didn't stop her. Why?"
"I think we were all in shock," Mary Margaret consoles. "Everything happened so fast."
"No—that's not it," David responds as he shakes his head. "I—I guess I was so scared. I let my fear hold me back from protecting Emma."
"David, you can't think like that. No matter what we wish we would've done, we can't go back."
"But I'm her father," the Prince exclaims, tears swelling up in his eyes. "I'm a hero, but my greatest job is to keep you, Emma, and Neal safe. I was supposed to protect her. I made a promise to myself when she found us that I would never let anything happen to her."
Mary Margaret's features soften as her heart shatters. She wishes that she could remove the pain and guilt her husband feels. Every parent aspires to never let their child get hurt. During the time Emma held a grudge against them, there were nights when Mary Margaret lay awake and wondered if she did the right thing.
To comfort her husband, Mary Margaret finds her husband's lips and plants a soft kiss onto them.
"Listen to me, David," she whispers. "We all make mistakes. But we cannot go through life carrying our regrets. If we do, we won't be there for Emma and Neal when they need us most. For now, let's be thankful that she found someone who was able to step in and be there for her when we couldn't be."
"But because of us, Emma may lose him forever."
"She's not going to lose him."
"How can you be so sure?" the prince asks. "We have no idea how to free Merlin or how to remove the darkness within Hook."
"I have faith," she tells him. "Besides, our daughter is just like her father. They always find the people they love and never give up on them."
The ballistic ringtone of David's cell phone interrupts the rest of their conversation. As he answers it, Mary Margaret hears Leroy yelling on the other end.
"Leroy! Slow down! Now tell me what's going on."
"We were driving into town and we just saw a twister!"
"A twister?" David questions in disbelief.
"Yes, a big, black cloud that rotates—that kind of twister! Do you think I'm joking?!"
Afraid that the twister is on its way to destroy the town or that the darkness returns, David springs up from his seat and bolts out the door. Mary Margaret follows close behind. Stopping in the middle of the street, David peers up and finds though threatening clouds riddle the sky, there is no cyclone.
"Leroy, where is it?"
"It was on the edge of town."
"Was?"
"Yes," Leroy answers. "It disappeared about twenty seconds ago."
"Alright, hold on." David throws the phone to his hip as he stares at his wife. "Leroy said the twister disappeared twenty seconds ago."
"David, in that short amount of time there is no way the weather caused it."
They pause for a millisecond before realizing what happened.
"It has to be magic," David realizes. "The cyclone came from someone's magic."
"But David, Regina's vault is on the opposite end of town. It couldn't have been coming from her or her vault. So who caused it?"
David only knows four people in Storybrooke who have magical powers that could produce a cyclone. If one remains locked up in the asylum, one lies unconscious, and the other is on the opposite end of town, there is only one person who could've possibly created the monstrous twister.
"Emma," David states. "It was Emma."
"Emma, what the heck is going on?!" Lily demands.
After landing unexpectedly in the Enchanted Forest, Emma treats Lily's wounds while they sit on the porch. The panic churns in her chest with each passing moment. She couldn't be here, not yet. She needs more time for research and to organize a plan. But most importantly, the Savior needs her family. She doesn't even know exactly where Merlin is, and even if she did, Emma has no idea how to free him from his magical prison. Without Regina, her parents, or Henry, the Savior is on her own—with Lily.
"It's a long story," Emma replies to her oldest friend's question.
"Well, please, enlighten me," Lily scoffs. "Because we sure have got all of the time in the world!"
"Hey! Can you please just calm down?"
"Fine," Lily sighs, crossing her arms. "But I think that since I've been dragged into all of—whatever this is, I deserve to know why we were sucked up into the sky and landed here."
Lily is right. When Emma stepped inside the Apprentice's house, she never intended to wind up in the Enchanted Forest. But now that she is here, Emma knows she must get right to work.
She is Killian's best chance of being rescued from the darkness. But with no allies or friends to come to her aid, the only person she knows that might possibly be willing to help is Lily, who is the last person she wants to work with. Despite her reservations, the Savior knows that if she wants any chance of reaching Merlin in time, she must place her trust in Maleficent's daughter.
"Last night, we failed to contain the darkness that was living inside of Rumpelstiltskin," Emma explains. "In a last ditch effort to save everyone, I was going to absorb the darkness."
"You were going to become the Dark One?" Lily reacts. "You're even dumber than I remember."
"I thought that since I was the Savior, I could fight the darkness," Emma continues. "But Killian stopped me and sacrificed himself to the darkness instead."
"Your boyfriend?"
"Yeah," Emma replies.
"I still can't get over the fact you're actually dating a pirate."
"Can I finish?" Emma scowls before Lily nods. "Ever since he became the Dark One, I've been trying to find a way to rescue him. I know that the sorcerer is the only person who battled the darkness and managed to contain it. I'm hoping to find Merlin, the sorcerer, and free him so that way he can get rid of the darkness in Killian once and for all."
"Well—that's a lot of pressure."
"You have no idea."
"So then, how did we get here?" Lily asks, motioning to their surroundings.
"I think I know," her friend answers, before explaining. "Just before he died, the Apprentice gave me the wand and said the words, 'light and dark'. I think he meant that it takes both of those forces to power the wand. I'm guessing you're the dark force, because you absorbed all of my potential for darkness as a baby. I'm supposed to be the light force because I'm the Savior. Together, we powered the wand when I handed it over to you."
"So how did we get to the Enchanted Forest? I mean, why not somewhere like Arizona or Neverland?"
"I'm not sure," Emma replies. "I guess the wand takes you to the place you want to be."
"And you want to be with Hook," Lily mumbles with slight disappointment.
"I have to find him, Lily. I have to stop him before he hurts anyone. And I need your help."
Lily glances up at Emma's emerald eyes. Given the fact that Emma always seems to shut her out, it stuns Lily that the Savior, the perfect child and daughter of light, would admit that she needed help. To her, it proves that Emma is trying to rebuild their relationship.
"Fine," Maleficent's daughter nods. "I will help you save your boyfriend, but you have to promise me something."
"What?"
"When we get back—if we get back, you have to help me find my father. Emma, I've lived my entire life wondering who he is. And for the first time, I feel like I am so close to finding him.
"You have my word," the Savior promises.
The former friends end their conversation when Emma retreats back into the house to wash the rag Lily glued to her forehead. As she rinses the cloth in some stagnant water from the kitchen sink, the Savior wonders where her pirate is. The next moment she feels something pulsing in her jacket's pocket.
The Dagger
With it, Emma realizes that it is her key to find Killian. Its power allows her to control him and assure that he never hurts another living soul. But the Savior hesitates summoning the Dark One. She knows that if their places were reversed, Emma would never want her fate in the hands of another person.
No, there must be a way to save him without using the dagger. She knows that the Dark One lurks close by, because the wand directed her to his location, so there is no reason to use it to call him. All of this power shifting with wands and daggers leaves Emma's head spinning.
"What's wrong with you?" Lily asks when Emma returns to the front porch.
"I have a way to find Hook," she answers, tossing the rag to Lily.
"Great! What is it?"
"It's this," Emma replies, unveiling the dagger from her jacket. "With it, I control the Dark One."
"Then let's use it."
"No."
"No?"
"No," Emma responds. "I think we can find him without it."
"Emma, he could be anywhere."
"He's nearby."
"How do you know?" Lily asks.
"Because we weren't dropped right next to an Enchanted Forest resort and spa. We're close to where Killian is. I feel it."
"Emma, what if he hurt people? We can't let him free the sorcerer before we get there and we can't let him take out half of the Enchanted Forest as he does it."
"Killian would never hurt innocent people!" Emma says with a hint of anger. "I know he's the Dark One, but I also know he would do everything to resist its temptation."
"I hope you're right, Emma. But trust me, take it from someone who battles a lot of darkness in their life. I know that the darkness affects people differently. It is almost impossible to resist its call."
"Gold seemed to handle it fairly well."
"But he was the Dark One for hundreds of years," Lily reminds her. "How Mr. Gold battled the darkness will be different than how Hook does."
"If anyone can fight the darkness, Killian can," Emma declares. "He knows what loving darkness and vengeance feels like, and he hates it. He told me that he never wants to go back. Besides, if I was the Dark One, I wouldn't want or need someone to control me."
"But you're not the Dark One, Emma."
"Let's make one thing clear," the Savior finally says, getting agitated. "I am not going to use this dagger unless it is absolutely necessary."
"Fine," Lily acknowledges with disapproval in her tone. "We'll try things your way. But if that doesn't work, I say we try my idea. Agreed?"
"Agreed."
When Emma shakes Lily's hand, a torturous pain overcomes her. As it slices through her torso, the Savior tumbles down the stairs and collapses onto the ground, beginning to seize.
"Emma?! Emma!" Lily shouts, rushing to her side.
The pain increases to the point where Emma no longer breathes. The labor pains she experienced while giving birth to Henry feel like a walk in the park compared to this. Terrifying screams echo in the chasms of her mind. Right now, Killian does something. Her body shakes violently and throbs as pain shoots through her veins. The feeling of anguish is all Emma comprehends. She gasps for air knowing that the darkness fights to triumph over the light. Its every strike feels like a stab to Emma's heart.
"Emma, hang on!" Lily screams. Acting quickly, she rolls Emma onto her side to prevent her from injuring herself. As Maleficent's daughter cradles the Savior's frame in her arms, she feels absolutely powerless.
Moments later, Emma's trembling ceases and she goes limp. Her rosy cheeks are flushed and she looks deathly pale. For a second, Lily wonders if Emma is actually dead. Relief washes over her when the Savior coughs and gasps for air only a moment later.
"Emma!" Lily exclaims as she hugs her. "Are you okay? You scared me half to death!"
"I—I'll be fine," Emma replies, clearly weakened from the ordeal.
"What was that?"
"I don't know. I had a similar episode in my bed before I went to the Apprentice's house. I think it might have to do with the darkness."
"But why?" Lily questions. "You said Hook is tethered to it."
"But it attacked the Apprentice first. I managed to force it out, but not before it mortally wounded the Apprentice and I guess—injured me."
"So—what are you saying?"
"Both times I've had these episodes, I hear people screaming. The first time, I thought it was maybe because I had had a bad dream. But now I think—those screams are real."
The quiet street of the neighborhood grows to a frenzy by the time Regina pulls up in her car. She sees the Charmings' truck, Leroy's truck, and Emma's bug parked on the corner. As she steps out, she greets confusion and concerned patrons, including Snow, David, Henry, and Leroy.
"What happened?"
"That's what I was going to ask you, your Majesty," Leroy jeers.
"Leroy—" Mary Margaret scowls.
"Well it was her magical vortex that tried to kill us!"
"You think I did this?!" Regina responds.
"I always knew you didn't like me."
"Leroy!" Mary Margaret shouts. "Now, everyone needs to calm down. We're all fine. Nobody was hurt and the cyclone only destroyed this house. Nothing else was damaged.
"But her vortex could've killed us!"
"Oh, there are plenty of more painful ways I could kill you if I wanted to, dwarf."
"Regina, not helping," David says.
"Now, Leroy, we know Regina didn't cause this because she was in her vault."
"On the other side of town," Regina adds.
"So who caused it then?" he demands.
"We think it was my Mom," Henry answers. "My other Mom."
"Are you sure?" Leroy questions. "Have you tried calling her?"
"We're fairly certain," Mary Margaret assures him. "She hasn't answered any of our calls."
"Well, I guess that answers the question of whether or not Emma got the wand to work," Regina remarks. "But why just this house?"
"Because it was the Apprentice's house," Henry says. "I guess she was here to see if she could interpret what he told her and find a way to get the wand to start."
"Well then where did she go?"
"Probably to the Enchanted Forest, maybe even Camelot," David guesses.
"But why would she leave now? She doesn't know where Merlin is or how to get him out of the tree."
"It was probably an accident," Henry says. "She left the loft saying she was going to find a way to power the wand. I don't think she meant to leave."
"Did she take anything with her?" Regina inquires.
"Yeah—she took the wand and the dagger," Henry replies before Regina throws her hands in the air.
"Great, so not only does she have our way to get to Merlin, we now have no way to protect ourselves from the Dark One!"
"We'll find another way, Regina," Mary Margaret reassures her.
"You better not give me another 'hope speech'," Regina responds, rolling her eyes. "Because if you do, I'm going to throw up."
Everyone's attention diverts to the sound of screeching tires pulling up to the now empty lot. When the car door opens, the Charmings stand face to face with Maleficent. Though dressed in a heather-colored coat, purple hat and scarf, Maleficent wears her fury for all to see.
"Hello, Snow," she sarcastically greets. "David."
"What do want Maleficent?" Regina asks.
"I want to know what you've done with my daughter."
"I haven't seen her, not since last night."
"Well that's funny, because I haven't seen her since then either. I've tried calling her, but I'm getting no answer."
"I'm sure she's around," Mary Margaret says, only to be met with a look of disapproval across Maleficent's face.
"Ma'am? Does your daughter have brown hair?" a bystander asks.
"Why yes," Maleficent answers. "Tell me, have you seen her?"
"I saw her sneaking into the old man's house, about 10 minutes ago."
Maleficent looks in the direction the bystander points, but only finds the empty lot.
"What house?"
"The one that just got swallowed up by the cyclone," Mary Margaret mumbles, keeping her focus on the ground.
Maleficent gasps. "What?"
"Apparently Emma Swan was also in the house," Regina explains. "Somehow, she got the Apprentice's wand to work and it sent them to another realm."
"So where are they? Where is my daughter?!"
"We're not exactly sure," the Queen answers. "We think they're in the Enchanted Forest."
"Well then, what is your plan of getting them back?—Anyone?"
"Let's just say," Regina responds. "It's complicated."
The screams and terrifying looks on the villagers' faces bring more pleasure to Hook than he admits. The power surges through his veins. As he travels to Camelot and the field where the magical tree stands, he decided to stop at a nearby settlement and collect the items he enjoys, rum specifically. When the patrons refused to give The Dark One what he wanted or cooperate, he ended their lives quicker than wind blows through the trees.
When the remaining villagers flee for their lives into the forest, Hook decides the settlement is too lonely for him to linger. With the snap of his fingers, a small flame turns into a roaring blaze. Smoke fills the forest as Hook tramples away, holding a bottle of rum in his hand.
"A wonderful job Captain, if I do say so, myself," the demon praises.
"Indeed," Hook agrees. "The ashes will bring a—darker aura to this forest. It's much too dense and cheery for my taste."
"Your reputation is growing," the demon notes. "No doubt, the survivors will spread the word that the Dark One returns. After you kill Merlin, we will plunder all of the lands and you will have riches beyond compare. Kings and Queens will bow before you and kiss your boot."
"Aye, I look forward to that," Hook snickers.
The darkness consumes the pirate's soul. If Hook were to pull out his heart, black is the only color he would find. Gone are his feelings of weakness and powerlessness. When he finally gets his revenge on Rumplestiltskin, the old man will know his pain. He took Milah's life and now Hook will return the favor.
Though to accomplish his mission, Hook must escape the Enchanted Forest. The demon tells him that the former Dark One is not in this realm. Instead, he resides in the Land Without Magic. After he kills Merlin, the demon promises to show him the way to find Rumplestiltskin.
As Hook prances down the hill, he notices that he no longer hears the haunting voice of the woman. The quiet voice no longer whispers pleas into his heart. Despite his hatred for the woman, he misses hearing her amidst the voices that plague his mind. She was a breath of fresh air or a spring of water. Though he never admits it to the demon, Hook actually wishes the voice would remain in his heart.
"We are almost there," the demon hisses. "The field is just above the ridge."
He is close, so close to having everything he desires. All the Dark One wants to do is revel in the sound of his hook sinking into Rumplestiltskin's chest. Milah will finally rest in peace and know that though her lover failed her once, he refuses to let it happen ever again.
The voices in his head tell him that if he kills the old wizard, gets his revenge, and embraces the darkness, he will learn to have the power that resurrects the dead. Oh how Hook wishes it to be true. If he could, he would bring Milah back and would take her to any corner of the world that she wants. That would be the day he would finally have it all—his happy ending.
But Hook's hopes become momentarily dashed when he discovers that the Knights of Camelot surround the secluded field. Apparently, the word of his presence spreads quickly throughout the land. This is not the easy, quick process Hook longs for. Nevertheless, he grasps at his revenge and will not delay in achieving it. The pirate creeps down the hill, ready to pounce and attack any of the guards who stand in his way.
The tree, covered in golden leaves that sparkle in the sunlight, is only meters away from him. Everything is within his grasp. Hook just wants to finish this quickly. He refuses to hear pitiful pleas or meet any resistance. He sneaks up behind one of the guards, ready to rip out and crush his heart and continue to the tree. Finally, the moment has come. As he lunges for the knight, something unexpected happens.
A force pulls him away from the knight. No! What is this?! Hook wonders. Despite using all of his powers to resist, the force compels him to teleport, but to where?
When the Dark One lands at his new destination, it only takes a moment for him to notice that the tree and field are nowhere in sight. Instead, he stands in front of a worn down and shabby structure. Obviously, the house comes from another realm. But why?
Hook's eyes dart in every direction. What called him here? Who called him here? Out of the corner of his eye, he sees a figure staring at him. Thinking it could be the demon, he shifts his gaze and surprisingly finds a brown-haired female with her eyes locked on him. A shiny object in her hand momentarily blinds him.
His dagger
He should've known. During his quest for revenge and thirst for power, Hook previously neglected to remember the fact that the dagger is the one thing that subdues him. As long as someone retains power or control over him, Hook will never complete his mission and never enact his revenge. Unless the dagger returns to his possession, his happy ending remains in jeopardy. Though the woman's face looks as solid as a stone, Hook intimidates her to steal back the weapon.
"Hand it over, love," the Dark One demands.
"Not a chance," Lily answers.
Hook takes a step towards her. "The asking was me being a gentleman. Now, my dagger, if you please."
"Don't come any closer!" she warns.
It is a command, but for some reason, the force that compels him to obey no longer affects Hook. He guesses that as he closes in on the weapon, his power overcomes its effects. A large grin adorns the pirate's features. Hook takes a giant leap forward, ready to delight in squeezing and crushing the girl's heart.
"I said stay back!"
The fear that lurks beneath her orbs causes the Dark One to laugh mercilessly. "It seems to me, love, that your weapon is useless against me and my powers."
"That—that can't be."
"Oh but it is! And now—I'm going to make you pay for trying to overpower me."
But before the Dark One gets his chance to rip the woman's heart out, the maiden kicks him in the face and knocks him to the ground. He groans in pain and his rage ignites. When he regains his senses, he sees the woman running away.
"Oh no you don't!" he bellows.
With the whip of his hand, he hurls the woman backward and watches her crash to the ground with a sickening thud. The maiden screams in pain and though she tries, she cannot escape his grasp. In her daze of confusion, the Dark One gains the upper hand and pounces on top of the weakling.
"I'll take that!" Hook smiles, snatching the dagger from her hand and tossing it out of her reach. He watches the fear grow in her eyes. "Normally—I do more enjoyable activities with a woman on her back, but because you stopped me and deterred me from my quest, you've left me no choice but to kill you."
"Let me go!"
"Let me go!" Hook mocks her. "Please let me go, oh great and mighty Dark One!" Following his taunting with anger, he leans down and whispers, "Not in a million years."
This weakling amuses Hook with her silly game. He thinks of how stupid she is to believe that she had the power to control him. Perhaps Killian Jones would've obeyed the dagger, but not he, not the Dark One. No one will ever overpower him or take away his revenge. As his power grows, he will see to that. As Hook maliciously laughs, he meets the woman's saliva that she flings onto his face. Her sticky fluid ignites his anger.
"That's it!" he yells.
With one fell swoop, Hook tears the woman's heart out of her chest as she shrieks in pain. Oh how he revels in the joy that her scream gives him. He knows her death will send a message to all of the realms that no one, no one will ever stop the Dark One. With all of his strength, Hook grits his teeth and squeezes the heart as tight as possible. It should take only a second, just like the rest of them. But to his surprise, he does not crush it. No matter how much power he puts into it, the heart never turns to dust in his fingers.
"What is happening?!" he screams, turning to the weakling. "Why won't you die?! Why can't I kill you?!"
"Because I commanded you not to!"
Hook's head pivots to see another woman emerge from the house. He sits frozen in shock. It is the voice, her voice. In horror, he watches as the blond-haired woman inches down the stairs, holding the real dagger. Her features stay stone cold, but they cannot hide the emotion hiding behind the brim of her eyes.
"Give me the heart," she orders. Despite Hook's wishes to resist, he places the heart into the woman's hand. "Now let her go."
Crestfallen, the Dark One stands up and endures the pain of watching his prey squirm away. The weakling quickly finds her footing and rushes to the woman's side.
"You will not hurt or kill either one of us."
The woman lowers the dagger and pushes the scarlet heart back into the weakling's chest. To see her still alive leaves the pirate in anguish. How dare the two of them withhold him from enacting his revenge! Nonetheless, his heart stays set on his quest, and no matter how long it takes, he will finish it.
"You may be able to control me now, Witch, but just you wait," Hook sneers. "Cause when I get my hands on that dagger, the moment it leaves your sight, I will crush your heart faster than you can say 'aye'."
He sees the poker face on the woman's features threatening to crumble. She shakes her head with disbelief. "Killian, what's happened to you?"
Killian
It is that name, that wretched name that belongs to a weak and powerless man. It is the only thing Hook possesses of the man he used to be. But that man is someone he never wants to go back to. That man tried to be the hero and save the people that he loved, but he received nothing but ridicule and heartache in return.
Yet, he knows he rarely used that name. He only ever gave a handful of people permission to use it. But not one of those people stands before him.
"How dare you use that name!" he shouts. "Who are you to think you can call me by that wretched name?"
Unexpectedly, Hook finds the woman's facade shatter in front of him. She stares at him, with a single tear slipping down her cheek.
"Don't you know Killian? It's me—Emma."
A/N: Dun dun dah! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please don't forget to favorite and/or follow this story to be alerted about updates! Any reviews or critique are welcomed and appreciated. Until next time!
-C.M. Singer:)