A/N: Getting closer to the end, in this, there's the darkness that needs to be sorted out and we're getting closer to the HEA moments.
As always a huge thanks to my wonderful beta, Ultraluckycatnd.
Enjoy
Chapter 11The low hum of urgent whispers pulled her from the blankness surrounding her, her mind fuzzy with the remnants of the Dark One's magic doing its final struggle against her light magic combining with the Olympian Crystal's magic.
Slowly the world returned and she realized that she was still clutching the crystal in her hand. It hummed with ancient magic, and Emma knew that this would have to be kept out of reach from any vile villains that would try and rise as a new Dark One.
"Oh thank the seven moons you're awake," Ruby exclaimed and smoothed Emma's hair out of her face. Blinking, Emma opened her eyes and looked at her friend's worried face.
"Is it over?"
"Oh, you bet your awesome light magic ass it's over!" Ruby proclaimed with no regret for her use of words, the joy shining in the brunette's eyes was enough to tell Emma that they had won.
"Killian?"
"Think he's a bit banged up, he's right over there." Ruby pointed to the left and when Emma turned her head, she saw Killian sitting up against Graham, his face pinched in a painful grimace.
Emma quickly rose to her feet, but the world seemed to suddenly tilt and she was barely able to stand. "Whoa, that was too fast." She tugged the crystal into a hidden pocket of her traveling tunic.
"Let me help," Ruby offered and placed her arm around Emma.
Once they started walking, Emma could see that Liam and Elsa were nearby, where August was assisting Elsa with tending to Liam's wounds. Will was shuffling back and forth between the two groups, trying to help the best he could, fetching bandages or water from their provisions.
Emma slumped down on her knees next to Killian. "Where does it hurt?"
"Bloody hell, it feels as if all my bones are burning." He clutched his hand to his side. "I might have broken a rib or two." He winced when he tried to move.
"I told you to be still," Graham admonished from behind Killian, the elven guard's hands supporting Killian in sitting up.
Killian grumbled something under his breath, but his eyes found Emma. "Are you okay? That was some serious magic you did back there." The proud admiration shining in his eyes had Emma's heart skip a beat. This man was someone very special, someone she wished shared the same feelings for her as she did for him. But after he woke up from recovering from his injuries two days ago, she'd never been alone with him. She had no idea where his mind and heart were regarding her and a possible future.
"I'm fine. I'm just exhausted." Emma reached out and touched his face, small scrapes covering his skin, most likely from his fall when the Dark One had let them drop to the ground. "Now keep still so I can fix that rib for you." Her hand smoothed over his chest and covered the area he'd pointed out that hurt the most.
"You should not be straining yourself trying to heal this ol' pirate, you just conquered the Dark One." Killian tried to pull her hand away, but Emma didn't budge and let her light magic flow from her hand, her sole focus was on mending the broken bones inside him. The smaller scrapes could heal on their own. When her magic pulled the bones together, Killian groaned in pain and she whispered, "Sorry."
"No worries love, this is nothing compared to when that bastard took my hand." Killian grimaced a few more times as the bones healed inside him.
Finally, she saw him relax and she let her hand rest over his chest, her eyes scanning his, trying to gauge what he was feeling right now. Shifting a little closer she gazed into his eyes. "I'm so happy that you're alive." She lifted her hand and smoothed his wayward hair away from his face, her fingers curling around his nape, just below his elven ears. The proof that he was part elven. Although he was an elven with darkness, he was still connected to her kind. Her heart hammered in her chest as he just kept looking at her. They both vaguely noticed Graham clear his throat and proclaim that he would let them have this moment alone.
Killian grinned when he waved off the elven guard, then his eyes returned to Emma. "What happens now?"
"We need to get that darkness out of you and Liam." Emma looked towards the other Jones brother; she could see that Elsa had managed to heal up the cut on his cheek and the couple was now whispering together, their heads pressed together. Their murmurs couldn't be heard but the intensity in her friend's eyes showed that whatever they spoke of was quite huge. Elsa smoothed her hand over Liam's cheek and seconds later they came together in a kiss that had the two come even closer together.
With a gasp, Emma saw a light blue pulse of magic burst around the couple, it was sprinkled with gold and red, a clear sign that they shared true love's kiss. Emma smiled, happy for her friend to have found true love, and trying to suppress the disappointment that such a thing had not happened between her and Killian the day she'd come to his aid in Dorothy's cottage.
Once Liam and Elsa pulled away from each other, Emma could see the astonishment wash over both their faces as Elsa broke into a huge smile. But it was short-lived as Liam's face suddenly contorted in agony and his body twisted away from Elsa while he shouted, "Leave me alone, I'm a despicable man, I'm a monster… I remember it all now… I don't deserve… I can't be loved… " The string of words only got worse and worse until they ended in a wailing low mumble. Liam rocked his body back and forth leaving Elsa stunned at his side when she desperately looked around and found Emma's gaze on her. Emma could see the confusion in her friend's eyes.
In a heartbeat, Emma was by her friend and whispered, "What happened?"
"He was… we kissed, and I'm certain it was true love's kiss, but he seems so distraught?" Elsa's voice broke and tears formed in her eyes.
"He said something about remembering it all," Emma mused and looked at the man now curled up in a tight ball. She noticed that Killian had managed to come over too. He still looked pained, but she was sure it wasn't anything compared to seeing your brother in such a grief-stricken state. Whatever caused this was clearly a result of him regaining his memory.
"Does he have his memory back?" Killian mumbled as he tried to place a hand on his brother's shoulder.
"Leave me the bloody hell alone, I don't deserve love…" Liam's voice was pained and hoarse, a low sob broke over his lips and he kept mumbling about not deserving to be loved.
"We all deserve love," Killian tried but it only resulted in Liam shrugging off Killian's hand, leaving them all with a sense of hopelessness. How could they convince the man that his past was his past?
"I want to help him," Elsa mumbled and crawled around Liam and curled herself close to him, her head held close to his. Then she whispered with surprising urgency, "I love you, Liam. Listen to me, I love you, no matter what man you were before you lost your memories I will always love you. I'm right here by your side, I won't leave you." She sobbed one final "I love you." Then she kissed his temple, running her hand through his hair, and the soothing motion of both her words and hand seemed to calm the man down.
"I feel the love," Liam mumbled, then shook his head. "It's just so hard to believe in love when all your life you've felt as if you missed something vital in your life." He glanced back at Killian. "I had this hole in my life in our years apart. I knew something was missing, but I had no idea what or who it was."
"I'm glad to have you back in my life again brother," Killian proclaimed. "Love you, ol' man." Killian smiled fondly at his brother and Emma placed her hand on Killian's shoulder, letting him know that she was there with him.
Liam nodded and finally turned his focus on Elsa again. "I'm a broken and lost soul, but the love I feel when I'm with you could be enough to help heal my broken heart." Emma could see the uncertainty over his own words flicker in his eyes, but the look he shared with Elsa showed them all that he tried to believe that true love would prevail.
"I love you," Elsa stated and smoothed her hand over the cheek she'd just healed moments before.
"I love you too, my fair elven princess," Liam declared and reached up to wrap his hand around the back of her head. The couple moved closer and sealed their love with a kiss. As the kiss deepened, both Killian and Emma chose to give the couple some privacy.
Emma watched Killian move with caution as he tried to sit down on a smaller boulder, he was still in pain. What would come next would most likely also hurt, unfortunately. She reached inside her traveling tunic and pulled out the Olympian Crystal. She walked over to Killian and shifted nervously on her feet, not sure how this was going to go.
Killian looked up at her and when his eyes landed on the crystal he said, "Help me and my brother get rid of the darkness bestowed upon us by our father's darkness. Brennan Jones was a dark elven, his life's choices fueled by bad mistakes while he let the darkness infest his very soul." Killian's voice was strained and the firmness crossing over his face as he spoke of his father's past showed Emma that he resented the man who'd given life to him and his brother. The only love the two men had had in their life had been from their mother, who died when they had been very young. Since then they'd let their father's darkness take root inside them and it shaped them into the ruthless pirates they both became over the years. Now things would change. Sure their past would still be part of what had shaped them as men, or part-elven. Emma only hoped that whatever Killian chose to do next would include her being part of his life. Her heart dropped to her stomach at the thought of him returning to his pirate life, even if the darkness would be gone.
"It will all be gone once the magic of this crystal has done its thing," Emma assured him and lifted the crystal for him to see.
Killian nodded and shifted up in his seat as if getting ready for the inevitable. He wanted the darkness gone, but Emma knew it would be a struggle. Just as it had been when she tried to remove the flying monkey poison from him.
"Ready?" she asked and stepped between his legs, placing a calming hand on his shoulder. "This might hurt." Looking over her shoulder she noticed that Graham and August kept a close eye on what was happening. She nodded and said, "Come over and assist me, just in case."
"In case what?" Killian asked wearily, his eyes flickering between the two tall elves now striding over to them while Emma kept her hand firmly on his shoulder. She felt the tension in him grow as the two elves came near.
"This will be a battle of wills, the darkness inside you has been there all your life," Emma tried to explain. She could see the weariness flickering in his eyes. "It won't give up on your soul that easily." Her voice broke and she tried to keep her emotions at bay; this was going to be hard.
Killian nodded mutely then gritted his teeth. "Let's get this over with." He cast a glance at the two elven men beside them. "Make sure I don't hurt Emma." Both elves nodded with a grimness etched over their features. Emma could feel her heart hammer in her throat, his main concern was for her safety, not caring what pain he would endure in the next few minutes. The love she carried for this man mixed with her light magic and she felt it surge forward, connecting with the crystal in her hand. The blue light intensified as it got closer to Killian.
Killian followed her every move with his eyes, and when the crystal touched his shoulder he flinched in pain. "Bloody buggering hell that hurts." Emma could see the darkness in his eyes as he bared his teeth in a struggle to keep his body still as Emma worked on pulling out the darkness. When Emma dragged the crystal over his chest and finally hovered over his heart, she focused all her light magic on the darkness she could feel residing inside him. The crystal reacted to the darkness, it began vibrating in her hand and when she opened her eyes she saw the visible sign of the darkness slowly seeping out of him.
"You're doing great," Emma mumbled, focusing her magic to get it all out, and the groans coming from Killian indicated that there was a battle going on inside him. He reached up and clutched at his heart, his nails digging into the fabric of his shirt. When a part of the darkness seemed reluctant to let go, Emma pushed even harder with her magic, and his fingers dug deeper and ripped the fabric away from his body.
"I can't…" Killian panted. "This is too much pain." He gasped for breath. "Stop."
"I won't stop, you stupid stubborn man. I won't let you live with such darkness," Emma proclaimed. "I won't let you suffer anymore, I love you."
Killian's eyes blew wide at her words as if this was the first time he heard them. Could he have forgotten her declaration of love when she healed him from the flying monkey poison?
"I don't deserve your love," Killian mumbled.
"Bullshit," Emma gave back, ignoring the small indignant gasp coming from Graham beside her; it was rarely heard of that the princess would swear in such a way. "You deserve love just as much as your brother deserves the love of Elsa. I love you, don't you get it?" Emma could feel tears streaming down her face now. She loved this old stubborn pirate to her very core. She pushed forward with her light magic and let it mix with the love she carried. The combination seemed to tug even harder at the remaining darkness.
Killian gasped and locked his eyes with Emma. "I feel your love, I never dared believe I should ever be loved by anyone." He paused as another stab of pain flashed through him. "I love you too Emma Swan, highborn elven princess of Misthaven. I've loved you since the day you healed my injured arm, and in the process, you've managed to heal my broken soul too." He heaved in a deep breath. As the darkness lurched from somewhere deep within him, he gritted his teeth in stubbornness. "Bloody hell, I love you. I refuse to live in darkness anymore. I love you!" The last three words were shouted to the now almost purple sky above them, the sun had almost set behind the treeline.
The moment the last of the darkness let go of him, Emma felt it seep into the crystal where she assumed it would be evaporated, consumed by the light magic the crystal contained. This was a powerful relic that needed to be kept safe from anyone wanting to take advantage of its powerful magic.
Killian slumped over and slipped down to the ground on his hand and knees, gasping for breath. Emma fell to her knees as she tugged the crystal safely into her tunic, her hands trembling when she reached for his shoulder.
"Killian?"
He lifted his head and his ocean blue eyes shimmered in surprising tears, a smile starting to form over his lips as they kept staring into each other's eyes.
"Emma," his voice a low whisper of wonder, "you did it. I'm free." He touched his chest with his hooked arm. "I feel it in here, I'm free."
Emma pushed forward and wrapped her arms around him, her mouth seeking his in a passionate kiss that probably shouldn't have happened in front of her friends. But right now she didn't care, all she cared about was the half-elven man she was currently kissing. He was her love and she knew that things would finally look far more bright now that Killian was free of the darkness. He was no longer the Dark Elven, he was a free half-elven, free to accept the love he shared with the elven princess of Misthaven.
Emma had no idea for how long she stayed in Killian's arms, he'd managed to rise on his knees as his arms circled her waist, holding her close. It was only when someone nearby cleared their throat loudly that they pulled apart and Emma realized that everyone had waited for them to finish kissing.
Killian chuckled when he too noticed their audience. "Well I do hope your royal guard back there won't skin me alive after this display of affection." Killian flipped his thumb towards Graham who did look rather stern with his arms crossed over his chest. August stood by his side but the elven craftsman wore a huge knowing grin and nodded in greeting towards Killian when he saw they looked their way.
Once they both got up on their feet Emma looked around. Feeling Killian slip his hand to rest on her waist, she looked up at him with a smile; it seemed he didn't want to leave her side. She quite liked that thought. Her eyes sought out Elsa and Liam who were still seated where Liam had laid while Elsa healed him. Emma could see that the older Jones brother looked at his younger brother in bewilderment.
"Is it gone?" Liam whispered.
Killian nodded and tugged Emma along with him as he walked to his brother. "The crystal got the darkness out." He placed his hooked arm over his chest, close to his heart. "Oh brother, just wait until you feel the same sort of freedom as I do now. It's like hundreds of large boulders have been lifted off my soul." Emma could hear the elation in his voice as he spoke with his brother.
Liam looked over at Emma and asked nervously, "Do you have enough strength in you to help me too?"
Emma nodded and found the crystal in her tunic "I let the crystal do most of the work, my light magic is only the final power it needs to do this sort of spell."
"Sounds tiring if you ask me," Liam mused. "I don't want you to strain yourself on my behalf."
"I won't, I promise." Emma crouched down in front of him and glanced at Elsa still at Liam's side. "Help me out here, hold his hand." When Elsa looked at her puzzled Emma explained. "It seems as if love, true love, is a catalyst for pushing out the darkness that holds on to the center of their souls. It was a struggle but when Killian finally professed his love for me and let himself feel the love I have, the darkness finally let go." Emma looked between her friends. "You two already shared a true love's kiss, it restored Liam's memory. That love will also help me remove that darkness inside Liam."
Both Liam and Elsa nodded in understanding and Emma got ready to use the crystal one more time. She felt Killian gently rest his hand on her lower back, giving her his silent support. This was his brother and Emma knew it had to be hard knowing that his brother would be encountering the same kind of pain he had just gone through.
Emma moved the crystal over Liam's chest in the same way she'd done with Killian and she could feel the moment the darkness began stirring inside Liam's body. A groan fell over his lips, his eyes shut close as his hands clutched at the grass and dirt beside him. Every muscle tensed up inside his body, and Emma could see the agony the man was in. It was nothing compared to the pain she saw reflected in her friend Elsa's eyes. She had to witness the man she loved going through this horrible pain. Emma whispered, "It's going to be okay, I can feel how much easier it is this time. It won't be long now." Her words were a reassurance to herself too; this whole ordeal had been straining on them all.
It took a few more minutes to pull out the darkness inside Liam, it seemed as if it infested his body a bit more than Killian's in some way. But having lived 30 years with no memory of why his soul was so haunted had to have done something to anchor it more firmly to his soul.
Finally, the last of the darkness slipped into the Olympian Crystal and Emma dropped back and slumped to the ground, feeling Killian's arms wrap around her. Elsa let herself be wrapped up in Liam's arms as he took several moments to compose himself.
Emma looked down at the crystal in her hands, this had been a legend, a myth really, she couldn't comprehend that the crystal was real. But it had been the single thing that had helped her conquer the Dark One and finally help two men to be able to live free of the darkness that had infested their lives since the day they'd been born. Being part elven was rare, but having had a father who'd given his soul to darkness was a whole other matter. Now both brothers would be able to live in peace, knowing that they had love, a love they shared with their own kind. The elves of Misthaven.
A/N: I do hope that all the parts regarding the crystal actually make sense :P LOL. And is somewhat believable to how it works with elven light magic and true love etc etc.
