Author's Note: Yikes. Again. I'd like to apologize once more for how long it took me to put this chapter out. Honestly, this is going to be the last time I apologize. I do feel bad, for sure. I try my best to write as often as I can, but life sometimes gets in the way. I do sincerely hope that future chapters won't take me this long, but I honestly don't know. I did make this chapter extra long for you all! To be honest, I didn't really do it on purpose. It just kinda happened. Hope you don't mind!
Also, I'd like to announce that I am at over 100 followers, and STILL GROWING! Thank you all SOOO much for reading and going on this journey with me, and thank you to all of you who have left reviews. I do read your comments, compliments, and your complaints. I hope that those of you with complaints will still stick with me. Big changes are happening in Shae and Regina's life together in the next couple chapters, I promise.
Anyway... That's enough from me. Enjoy chapter 25!
CHAPTER 25
Shae's heart began to race as she walked side by side with Olaf toward Arendelle castle. She could scarcely believe that she was actually about to see Elsa again. She smiled around at all the villagers milling about the town square, talking and laughing merrily. Suddenly, the smile faded from her face, and her eyes grew wide with shock when she saw a very familiar flash of light. There were two women standing near by, and one of them suddenly shifted into a tiny fairy form. Shae watched with her mouth gaping open as the fairy fluttered away into the air.
"Was… W-Was that… A fairy?" Shae stammered, turning her baffled gaze onto Olaf.
"Uh-huh." Olaf confirmed with a nod. "There's lots of them in Arendelle now."
Shae gasped, and her jaw dropped open even more when she spotted two men by a nearby stall. These weren't just any ordinary men. They were half man, half horse. "T-Those are… Centaurs!" Shae exclaimed.
"Yep." Olaf replied, nodding some more. "They're a little smelly, if you ask me. But they're nice."
Shae slowly shook her head in complete and utter befuddlement. She opened her mouth to speak more, but stopped when a large, green skinned creature lumbered by. "Holy shit!" She shouted, stopping in her tracks. "Olaf, that's… T-That's… An ogre!"
"Oh, don't worry, he's friendly." Olaf told her with a smile. "His names Shrek."
Shae's jaw dropped open all over again. "Shrek? That's Shrek?"
Olaf nodded once again. "Do you know him?"
Shae breathed out an astonished laugh, shaking her head some more. "Um… Sort of." She muttered.
Shae remained where she stood, turning in her spot, finally taking a moment to properly observe her surroundings. The town square seemed to be filled with all kinds of different magical creatures. There were more centaurs trotting about, and fairies flitting around in the air. There was a man selling his wares at a nearby stall, delighting his customers by shooting flames from his hands. There was an old woman sitting in a rickety wheelchair, using a wand to water the flowers that she was selling. A group of dwarves were arguing loudly over something, and a few children that Shae recognized as satyrs chased each other about. Their legs were bowed and covered in thick, curly brown fur, black hooves for feet, and small nubs of antlers protruding from their foreheads. There was even a small group of water nymphs splashing about in the fountain.
"Olaf…" Shae began slowly, her piercing blue eyes gaping wide. "What exactly is going on around here?"
Olaf suddenly gasped, and smacked his stick hand to his snow covered forehead. "Oh, that's right, you don't know!" He exclaimed. "Elsa has sort of turned Arendelle into a… Um… Safe haven! For magical creatures, and people who have magic."
"Seriously?" Asked Shae.
"Uh-huh." Olaf replied with a smile. "It's pretty great, isn't it?"
Shae nodded, smiling an astonished smile herself. "It's… Amazing."
Olaf giggled joyfully, and grabbed on to Shae's hand, pulling her forward again. "Come on, hurry up! I know Elsa is probably dying to see you!"
Shae continued walking toward the castle, staring around at all the magical inhabitants of Arendelle in wonder. She called out to Shrek the ogre, and he gave her a wide, yellow toothed smile, waving back at her as she passed by. Shae laughed loudly, hardly able to believe her eyes. Elsa had, somehow, created a kingdom where magical and non-magical creatures lived in harmony. It was truly amazing to behold.
"Ok, you wait here." Olaf instructed as they finally stepped into the entrance hall of Castle Arendelle. "I'll go get Elsa."
Shae nodded, then winced, clapping her hands over her ears as Olaf began shouting. "ELSA? ELSA!" He paused, frowning as he glanced all around him. "She's probably this way. ELSAAAA!"
Shae laughed, slowly shaking her head as Olaf wandered away from her deeper into the castle, continuing to shout Elsa's name. She waited for a few moments, then slowly began to ascend the steps leading to the palace's second floor. She thought it would likely be easier and faster to go in search of Elsa herself, rather than wait for Olaf to return.
Shae smiled as she walked the halls of Arendelle Castle, reminiscing about times long ago. As she passed by a certain room to her left, she could almost hear the sound of Elsa's servants screaming and yelling at Kristoff as he tried to force Sven's antlers through the doorway. She remembered staying up almost all night one night with Elsa and Kristoff, hanging streamers and flowers along the walls of the castle, in preparation for Anna's birthday. She could almost still hear the sound of Anna's joyful laughter at the sight of all they had done, just for her.
As she approached The Queen's bedchamber, Shae paused for a moment, trying to calm her racing heart. She knocked on the door, and when she was met with no response, she slowly pushed it open. Elsa's room had not changed much at all, and Shae gazed misty eyed all around her. Her smile slowly faded as she remembered the last time she had stepped foot in that room. It had been the night that Ingrid had cast her spell, the one that prevented her from ever returning to Arendelle, to the woman that she loved. Her smile quickly returned in the form of a triumphant grin.
"Suck it, Ingrid!" She snarled into the air.
After finding Elsa's bedroom empty, Shae stepped back out into the hallway, and continued on her search. As she approached the war room at the end of the hall, she could hear voices from within. The voices appeared to be arguing about something.
"Just… Calm down, ok?"
"It's alright. We'll figure it out."
Shae smiled as she recognized the voices of both Kristoff and Anna. The next voice that spoke caused her heart to skip a beat. "No, it's not alright!" Elsa shouted, quite angrily. "This is just… Absurd! The ignorance of some people!"
"I know, I know." Anna muttered sadly. "We just have to keep trying. We have to make them see that-"
Shae slowly and quietly pushed the door to the war room open. Elsa was standing before the table in the center of the room, her back to Shae. Anna and Kristoff were on the other side, and Anna stopped mid sentence when she spotted Shae. Her and Kristoff's eyes grew wide, and their mouths gaped open in shock.
"See what?" Elsa asked of her sister. "What's wrong? What are you two looking-"
Elsa spun around, and she drew in a sharp, startled gasp. She had been holding a scroll in her hand, and it clattered to the floor when she saw Shae smiling at her from the doorway. "Oh my god…" She whispered, her sparkling blue eyes as wide as saucers. "Shae?"
"Elsa." Shae whispered back, her own eyes welling with tears again.
Elsa stood rooted in her spot for a moment, her hand over her mouth in complete and utter shock. Then, she slowly and shakily stepped forward. She reached out with trembling hands, and gripped Shae's arms, then her shoulders, unable to believe that she was actually real. She then placed her hands on either side of Shae's face, and stared deep into her eyes.
"Oh my god…" She whispered again. "Shae!"
Elsa choked out a strangled sob of joy, and threw her arms around Shae. Shae held her tight, grateful and joyous tears streaming out of her own eyes. She had truly never thought she would ever see Elsa again. Now that she actually was, she was overcome with emotion. She breathed in her comforting and familiar scent, unchanged even after their months apart. She was still garbed in the same glittering blue dress, the one that she had magically fashioned for herself all those years ago. Both Shae and Elsa sobbed loudly in each other's arms, both of them grateful to be reunited once again.
Anna and Kristoff both rushed around the table, and they too tightly embraced Shae, their old friend, their Protector. Both of their eyes streamed with grateful tears as well. "I… I-I don't understand." Kristoff stammered, wiping away the moisture from his face. "How are you here? Ingrid's spell, I saw it turn you to ice!"
"Well, um… I-I'm human now." Shae quickly explained, wiping at her own tears. "New body, so… No more spell."
Elsa gasped, her eyes growing wide all over again as she finally took a moment to look Shae up and down. "My god… You are human, aren't you?" She whispered in wonder. "How? How did you do such a thing?"
Shae chuckled, ruffling her messy black hair. "Honestly, I'm not super sure." She slowly replied. "It's, um… A long story."
"Well, that definitely explains why you look so different." Anna said with a chuckle of her own.
"Not, like… Bad, different." Kristoff added hastily.
"Oh, no, of course not!" Said Anna, vigorously shaking her head. "Just, you know… Different."
Shae laughed some more, and was about to reply when Olaf suddenly burst into the room. "Here you all are!" He exclaimed. "Elsa, look! I found Shae! I brought her back with me!"
Elsa laughed too, patting Olaf on his snowy head as he wrapped his stick arms around her legs. "Yes, Olaf, I see that." She said, smiling into Shae's eyes. "Thank you. Well done."
Olaf giggled happily, then stepped back, smiling fondly at them all. "Would you look at that? The whole family is back together again. It's nice, isn't it?"
"Group hug!" Kristoff suddenly exclaimed.
Shae laughed, rolling her bright blue eyes. "Yeah, alright. Bring it in."
The others all laughed too, and they threw their arms around Shae, Olaf's around their legs. Shae smiled as Elsa placed a gentle kiss on her cheek, and her eyes began to well with tears all over again. She was so happy to see her old friends again, to see the woman that she had once loved, the woman that still held a very special place in her heart. She was overjoyed to see all the wonderful things Elsa had done with her kingdom. For a moment, just a moment, her heart was at peace.
"I'm so glad you're here, Shae." Elsa whispered, smiling into her eyes.
Shae nodded, smiling back at her. "Me too, Elsa." She whispered back. "Me too."
XX
After sharing in a joyous and grateful reunion, they all sat down around the table in the war room, and Elsa had her servants bring up some tea. Olaf decided to go pay Sven a visit, and left Shae with the others, to tell them all about what had happened to her since they had been forced to leave her behind in Storybrooke. She kept no details hidden from any of them, she knew she didn't have to. The people sitting around her knew her better than almost anyone, they were her friends, her family. They had never judged her, and they all cared for her very, very much.
Shae started her story with going back to New York after Elsa and the others left for Arendelle. She told them about Gold and The Queens of Darkness, then Dracula, and waking up in the hospital to find that her and Remus were no longer vampires. She told them all the same tale that she told to Regina and the others in Camelot, the tale of her time in Avalon. Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff were all shocked to learn that Shae was not actually human, and that she had magic. They practically begged her to show off some of her powers, but Shae politely refused. She knew that she had already been reckless enough with her magic. Though it had been a long time since she left Avalon, there was still a very real chance that the elves might find her again.
Next, Shae told them about Emma becoming The Dark One, and that Regina and the others had gone to Camelot to free Merlin from his tree, so that he could rid her of the darkness. Then, she told them of her own darkness, of The Hollow. She shared what little knowledge she had about the creature, which she had mostly learned from Belle. They all listened with their mouths gaping open in horror, their eyes filled with concern.
"My god…" Elsa whispered, placing her hand over her mouth. "Emma is The Dark One, and you, you're… The Hollow?"
"Um… No, I don't think so." Shae replied with a slight frown. "I'm still… Me. The Hollow is just… Inside me, or something. I'm not really sure. It said it had been waiting for me, but I don't even know why, or how to even get it out. I don't even know where to start looking, honestly."
"Why don't we go ask Grand Pabbie?" Anna offered with a slight shrug. "You said The Hollow is ancient, and so is he. He might know something about it."
"Grand Pabbie is on his pilgrimage, remember?" Kristoff said with a sigh, placing his hand gently on his wife's arm. When Shae looked confused, he went on to explain. "Every few years, Grand Pabbie goes off… Somewhere. He calls it his pilgrimage. He never says where he goes, though."
"When do you think he'll be back?" Asked Shae.
Kristoff shrugged. "Not sure. Sometimes he's gone for weeks, sometimes months. Once, he was gone for almost a whole year."
"Can you blame him?" Anna said with a snort. "Your family is a little… Much, sometimes. Especially for an old man like him."
Shae breathed out a heavy, frustrated sigh, leaning back in her chair. "Great." She mumbled. "Grand Pabbie is on vacation, and the only other guy that might know anything is stuck in a damn tree."
Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff all exchanged a sad, pitying glance. "I'm so sorry, Shae." Elsa whispered, placing her hand gently on Shae's arm. "You've been through so much. Will you at least stay a while? I'd love to show you everything I've done in Arendelle since you've been gone."
"Oh, I've already seen a whole hell of a lot." Shae replied with a chuckle. "Honestly, it's… Amazing. How did it all start?"
"Well, you know my story better than most." Elsa began to explain. "My parents, they always feared my magic, and magic in itself, it seems. I wanted my time as Arendelle's Queen to be… Different, than it was when they were in charge. I wanted my Arendelle to be something more, something… Better. I wanted to create a place where people and creatures such as myself could have a home, where they would be safe and welcome."
"And you know how Elsa is." Anna cut in, winking at her sister. "So she just kinda, you know… Did!"
Shae laughed again, slowly shaking her head, still in slight shock over everything she had witnessed in the town square. "It's just… So amazing. And everyone seems so… Happy!"
Suddenly, the smiles slowly faded from all of their faces. "Yeah, well… It didn't exactly start out that way." Kristoff admitted sadly. "Honestly, a lot of the people around here didn't take too kindly to living with a bunch of strange creatures. There was a lot of panic, a lot of fighting. Well, until Her Majesty here put them in their place."
"Believe it or not, the magical ones have never caused any trouble." Anna said with a shrug. "I guess they all just want a quiet place to call home."
"Yes, it's been the non magical folk that have caused us the most grief." Elsa agreed in a bitter tone. "The hardest part has been finding other kingdoms that are actually willing to trade with us. I had just received another rejection notice when you arrived."
"Weselton and The Southern Isles are obviously off the table." Said Kristoff. "And Misthaven is a bit empty since the, uh… You know…"
"The curse." Shae finished for him.
"Right." Kristoff said with a nod. "A lot of the other kingdoms around here are still pretty wary of magic and magical creatures, but… We make do."
Elsa sighed heavily, her dazzling blue eyes suddenly very sad. "Yes, we do." She muttered quietly. "The forest nymphs have been a great help. Our farmers report that their crops have never grown better. But, winter is coming, and I fear that our crops alone might not be enough. More and more people and creatures pour in every day."
"And Shrek eats enough for five." Anna said with a laugh.
Shae laughed too. She then reached out, and gently took Elsa's hand in her own. "Don't worry. If anyone can figure all this out, you can." She said, smiling fondly at Arendelle's kind and gentle Queen. "It's really great, everything you've done here. I'm… Really proud of you, Elsa."
Elsa smiled back at her, and gently squeezed her hand. She was about to speak more, when one of her guards entered the war room. "Apologies, Your Majesty." Said the guard, bowing low. "But you told me to send word when the hunting party returned to the castle."
Elsa gasped, and suddenly sprang to her feet. "She's back!" She exclaimed.
"Who's back?" Asked Shae, brow furrowed in confusion.
"You'll see!" Elsa replied excitedly. She then seized both of Shae's hands, and pulled her to her feet. "Come on! There's someone else who's going to be very excited to see you."
XXXXX
Shae sat bolt upright in bed, her chest heaving, her body covered in a cold sweat. She had been having a strange dream, a nightmare. In it, all she could see was a buzzing, swirling black swarm. She could feel it inside her, crawling, writhing beneath her skin. It whispered to her, a deep, dark, guttural whisper. It's words were unintelligible, but still deeply sinister.
Shae buried her face in her hands, taking deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart. She turned her head to the side, and frowned when she found Regina's side of the bed empty. She sighed, lying her head back on her pillow. Regina had barely spoken a word since Granny's. She was deeply troubled by everything Elsa had written about The Hollow. Shae was as well, and she had no comforting words for the woman that she loved. They had gone to bed without speaking, without even touching. Shae had listened, her heart aching as Regina quietly cried herself to sleep.
It was well into the early hours of the morning, and Shae shivered as she crawled out of Regina's bed. Being cold was something that she was still getting used to. She pulled on the fuzzy blue robe that Regina had bought her a just the other day, and stepped out into the hallway. She slowly began to descend the steps, and found Regina sitting on the couch in the living room. There was a very familiar piece of paper sitting in her lap.
"Oh! Shae!" Regina whispered, frantically wiping at the tears on her face as Shae entered the room. "I'm… I-I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have read it, but-"
Shae sighed as she sat down next to Regina. "It's ok." She said with a smile. "I told you, I'm not keeping any more secrets from you."
Regina nodded, glancing back down at the paper in her lap. It was a letter, the one that Elsa had written to Shae. "Elsa… Really loved you." She whispered, wiping away more tears as they trickled down her cheeks. "I'm not sure what happened between you two in Camelot, but maybe… Maybe you should have stayed there with her."
"Regina, no, don't say that." Shae said sternly, vigorously shaking her head. "Don't you ever say that."
"Why not?" Regina exclaimed loudly, angrily. "Shae, I'm the cause of all your heartache. I'm the reason The Hollow was even able to enter your body in the first place."
Regina snatched up another piece of paper from off the coffee table, one with even more of Elsa's handwriting on it. "It says right here that The Hollow takes root within the heart." She read from the paper. "Specifically, hearts that have been broken by love and loss so many times that they've become… Hollow."
"That does explain why it kept calling me, 'Hollow One.'" Shae muttered. She then shook her head some more, and shifted in her seat, to better face her lover. "Regina, listen… My heart wasn't broken by just you. It was broken when I lost Nadia, when I lost Elsa. It even hurts to see Emma how she is now. I felt it when I was talking to her earlier."
Shae sighed as she watched another tear roll down Regina's cheek. "Love comes in all kinds of different forms." She whispered softly, gently brushing Regina's tears away with her thumb. "And so does heartbreak. Remember when we watched Marley and Me that one time? That shit tore my heart to pieces!"
Regina laughed, placing her hand on top of Shae's. She then leaned forward, and wrapped her arms around Shae's torso. "You always know what to say to make me laugh." She murmured, resting her head against Shae's chest.
"I try my best." Shae replied, kissing the top of Regina's head. "Just, please… Don't blame yourself. None of this is your fault."
"Not all my fault, you mean." Regina grumbled.
Shae sighed once again, and fell silent for a moment as she tried to come up with more words to comfort the woman that she loved. "I'll never understand." Regina suddenly whispered. "I'll never understand why you love me so much."
Shae placed her hand under Regina's chin, and tilted her head up so she could place a gentle kiss on her lips. "You know exactly why I love you." She whispered, smiling into her gorgeous brown eyes. "We've had this conversation a hundred times."
"Make that a hundred and one." Regina replied, smiling back.
Shae chuckled, and sighed contentedly as Regina kissed her again. Suddenly, they heard a quiet shuffling from behind them, and they broke apart. It was Henry, blinking dazedly in the lamp light.
"Mom? Shae?" He muttered as he rubbed sleep from his eyes. "Is everything ok?"
"Yes, Henry." Regina replied, smiling at her son. "I'm sorry if we woke you."
Henry shrugged as he plopped down on the couch next to his mother. "It's ok. I couldn't really sleep anyway."
"You worried about your mom?" Asked Shae.
"Yeah." Henry mumbled sadly. "Both of them. And you."
Shae sighed, and Regina wrapped her arm around Henry's shoulders. "Hey, don't you worry about me." Shae told him with a smile. "I'm always alright."
"I know." Henry replied, smiling a weak smile back. "It's just… This Hollow thing. It's really… Scary."
"Not nearly as scary as that leshen we faced back home."
They all turned toward the sound of Remus's voice, and found him stepping into the living room, yawning and stretching. "Doesn't anyone sleep around here?" Cried Regina.
"Apparently not." Remus replied as he took a seat in the arm chair. "Not when the weight of the world rests so heavily on our shoulders."
"Wow. Way to be extra dramatic." Shae muttered, rolling her eyes at Remus.
"Always." Remus said with a wink.
Regina sighed, giving him an eye roll as well. She then turned to Shae, and placed her hand gently on her shoulder. "Shae, listen…" She slowly began. "I think, for now, it would be best if you… Stay here, away from all the trouble."
Shae's jaw dropped open in indignant shock. "What? No!" She cried. "You can't bench me! I want to help!"
"Shae, please." Regina sighed again. "You said yourself that your heart hurt when you saw Emma. And just look at what happened to you in the forest earlier. We need to keep that heart safe, so it doesn't hollow any more than it already has."
"Yeah, but-" Shae began to protest.
Regina stopped her by placing a finger gently to her lips. "Please, Shae." She begged. "For me."
Shae frowned, and remained silent for a moment. She then breathed out a relenting sigh. She took Regina's hand in her own, and placed a kiss on her knuckles. "For you?" She said with a smile "Anything."
"Of course, Belle and I will help you search through all the books we have at our disposal to find a way to get that wretched thing out of you." Remus said reassuringly.
"I'll help too." Said Henry.
Shae breathed out a sad, heavy sigh, and slowly shook her head. "You guys… I'm pretty sure we've already found a way."
Shae picked up the paper that Elsa had written out information about The Hollow on, and pointed to the last few lines. "No!" Regina exclaimed, snatching the paper away from Shae. "No. There has to be another way."
"What are you talking about?" Asked Remus, brow furrowed in confusion.
Regina bit her lip hesitantly for a moment, then glanced down at the paper. "It says here that… That the only way to actually kill The Hollow and get rid of it for good is… The death of the host." She slowly explained. She then read directly from the page. "'The hollow heart must be pierced by the blade of legend, the darkness rending blade known as… Excalibur.'"
Remus's eyes grew wide with shock. "Oh dear." He muttered. "That… Does present a problem."
"That's putting it lightly." Regina growled, slapping the paper back down onto the coffee table. "It's obviously not an option. We'll find another way."
Silence fell over the living room for a moment as they all pondered Shae's dire situation. Shae herself thought back to the conversation she had with Emma. She had asked her the very question that was on all their minds. Was there another way? Emma hadn't exactly answered, and all she saw was pain in her eyes. Shae thought that, perhaps, that was an answer in itself.
"I don't get it." Henry suddenly muttered, now holding the paper in his hands. "How did Elsa even know all this?"
Shae sighed, and slowly shook her head. "I don't know, Henry." She whispered. "I just… Don't know."
XXXXX
Elsa led the way through the halls of Arendelle castle, pulling Shae along by her hand. "Now, Shae, there's something you should know." She said, slightly slowing her pace. "I have been, er, well… I've been… Seeing someone."
Shae gasped excitedly, and a wide grin stretched across her face. "Really?"
Elsa nodded, her cheeks suddenly a deep shade of red. "It's still a bit, well… New. But she's just… Wonderful."
"She?" Shae asked, her grin growing even wider.
Elsa laughed, and nodded once again. "Much like you, I've never really seen the appeal in the male form. They're a bit… Repulsive, if you ask me. With all the hair, and the way they smell."
Kristoff frowned, and gave his own armpit a careful sniff. "I took a bath today!" He cried.
"She's not talking about you, specifically." Anna said with a reassuring smile. "I think she just means, you know… Men in general."
"Oh." Kristoff replied with a satisfied nod. "Good."
Elsa rolled her eyes at her sister and brother-in-law. She then grabbed on to Shae's arm, smiling excitedly. "Oh, I just can't wait! She's going to be so excited to see you again!"
"Again?" Asked Shae. "We've met?" When Elsa nodded, Shae raised a curious eyebrow at her. "Who exactly is she?"
Elsa paused just before the door to the castle's entrance hall, a wide grin stretching across her face. "You'll see!"
Shae glanced back at Anna and Kristoff. Kristoff was grinning too, but he merely shrugged at her. Anna pretended to zip her mouth shut, lock it, and throw away the key. Shae narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the two of them, then followed Elsa out the door. There was a group of people gathered in the entrance hall. There were men and women both, as well as a few more centaurs, some adult satyrs, and a couple of dwarves. They were obviously the hunting party that Elsa's guard had spoken about, for they were all armed with bows and arrows. One of the human women was wearing a strangely familiar looking red cloak.
"Ruby!"
Shae stopped where she stood in the middle of the staircase, causing Anna to bump right into her, and Kristoff into her. She watched with her mouth gaping open as Elsa raced down the steps, and threw herself into the arms of the woman with the red cloak. It was indeed Ruby, Shae's old friend, and ex-lover.
"Holy shit." Shae whispered, watching with wide, baffled eyes as Elsa and Ruby kissed.
When they broke apart, Elsa said something to Ruby, which Shae couldn't hear, due to the din of lively chatter. Suddenly, Ruby glanced up at the staircase, and her brilliant green eyes grew wide. Shae was still unable to move, still in complete and utter shock.
"Oh my god!" Ruby exclaimed. "Shae? Is that you?"
Shae slowly and bewilderedly nodded her head. Ruby immediately began rushing toward the stairs, and Shae stumbled down the rest. Ruby laughed loudly as she threw her arms around Shae, who continued to remain in stunned silence as she held her tight. She could barely believe her eyes. After she had left for The Enchanted Forest, Shae truly never thought she would see Ruby again.
"I can't believe this! It's really you! You're here!" Ruby cried, her eyes glistening with joyous tears. Suddenly, she frowned as she looked Shae up and down. "Wait a minute… You look… Different."
"She's human now." Kristoff said with a grin. "Well… Sort of."
Ruby's eyes grew wide all over again. "What?"
"Long story." Shae said in a rush, finally finding her voice. "Ruby, oh my god, I… I-I can't believe this either! So… So you and… A-And Elsa are, um…"
Shae trailed off into silence, and Elsa and Ruby exchanged a nervous glance. "Er… Yeah." Mumbled Ruby. "That's probably a little, um… Weird, for you."
"Oh! No! No, of course not!" Shae exclaimed with an anxious laugh. "Do, um… D-Do you guys ever, you know… Talk about me?"
Ruby and Elsa both exchanged another silent glance. "Do you really want either of us to answer that?" Asked Elsa.
Shae blinked several times, then vigorously shook her head. "Nope. Nope, nope. It's good. We're all good."
"Aww, look, she's blushing!" Cried Anna. She then reached out, and pinched both of Shae's now very rosy cheeks. "Look at that! It's so cute!"
They all laughed loudly as Shae swatted Anna's hands away irritably. Shae then turned her attention back to Ruby, and they both smiled at each other for a moment. Ruby threw her arms around Shae once again, and Shae laughed as she squeezed her tight.
"I never thought I'd see you again." Shae whispered to her.
"Me either." Ruby whispered back.
"Your Majesty!"
Ruby and Shae released each other, and found a tiny man with a pointed, upturned nose rushing toward them. At first glance, Shae thought he was a child. But, on further inspection, he was a fully grown, but still relatively young man. He was a few inches shorter than most dwarves, and not nearly as stockily built. He was dressed in fine clothes, in the traditional style of Arendelle nobility.
"There you are!" The tiny man said, bowing low as he approached The Queen. "I have a trade agreement here for you to sign."
Elsa gasped excitedly as she took a scroll out of the tiny man's hands. "Oh, that's wonderful!" She cried.
Ruby smiled as she gently placed her hand on the small of Elsa's back. "See? I told you things were going to work out."
Elsa chuckled, smiling affectionately at Ruby. "Well, that's certainly the last time I don't listen to you." She placed a quick kiss on Ruby's cheek, then turned to Shae. "Shae, this is Boq, my new steward. He comes all the way from a land called Oz. Boq, this is Shae."
The tiny man named Boq, whom Shae suddenly realized was actually a munchkin, gasped, and his eyes grew wide. "My word!" He exclaimed as he shook Shae's outstretched hand. "Oh, it's certainly a pleasure to actually meet the famous Shae of Arendelle!"
Shae's brow furrowed in confusion. "Famous?"
Ruby turned to Elsa, and raised an eyebrow at her, folding her arms across her chest. "You… Haven't shown her yet, have you?"
Elsa bit her lip as she shook her head. Shae glanced around at the others, her brow furrowing even deeper when she saw the grins on all their faces. "Come on!" Said Ruby, smiling excitedly as she took Shae by the hand. "There's something you're going to want to see."
Ruby led the way out of the entrance hall, and hurried through the castle, Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff following close behind. Ruby led them to the garden, where Shae had spent countless days and nights walking hand in hand with Elsa, talking about everything and nothing with the woman that she had loved. It was all just as Shae remembered it, apart from the large, marble statue that now stood in the center.
It was at that very statue where Ruby finally came to a stop. Shae's eyes grew impossibly wide when she realized who exactly the statue was in the form of, and she felt her heart skip a whole beat. It was a statue of herself, garbed in the clothes that she had worn as The Queen's Protector. The statue of Shae was standing proud with one hand on her hip, the other raising her sword called Soul Eater into the air. There was a solid gold plaque on the statue's pedestal, which read;
Shae of Arendelle
Protector of The Queen,
The Royal Family,
And all The Kingdom.
"Do you like it?" Elsa asked quietly.
Shae stood rooted in her spot, unable to move, unable to even speak. She stared up at the polished marble statue of herself, her mouth gaping open. Tears began to flow down her cheeks, and Shae was too shocked, too overwhelmed to even raise her hand to wipe them away.
"Are… You crying?" Ruby asked with concern.
Shae's mouth opened and closed several times as she struggled to find words. "Um… Yeah. Sorry." She mumbled as she slowly shook her head. "It's just… In Camelot, I didn't exactly get a warm welcome. Everywhere I went, I was reminded of my past, of what I used to be. But… This. This is… A different reminder. A much better one."
Silence fell over the group once again as Shae continued to stare up at the monument to the hero that she once was, the hero that she aspired to be again. She thought about Regina, how happy she would be to see her statue. She wished with all her heart that she was with her now.
More and more tears continued to pour out of Shae's eyes, and Elsa gently took her by the hand. Shae smiled at her through her tears. She was so overcome with gratitude, with joy, and she found herself at a loss for words once again as she stared into Elsa's dazzling blue eyes.
"Thank you, Elsa." She whispered, gently squeezing Elsa's hand. "Just… Thank you."
XX
Shae spent the remainder of the evening telling her tale once again to Ruby. The young she-wolf was just as shocked and horrified as the others when she learned about The Hollow. She, as well as Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff, agreed that they would start searching for a way to rid Shae of her curse the next morning. Shae agreed as well, and she sent a quick letter to her friends in Camelot by raven. Though it hurt to be away from Regina, Shae knew that it was better for everyone if she remained in Arendelle, far away from the prying and hateful eyes of King Arthur.
Shae was unable to sleep that night, her dreams plagued by the dark and sinister whispers of The Hollow. She decided to pay Sven a visit herself, and, though the reindeer was a bit irritable after being woken up in the middle of the night, he was still overjoyed to see Shae again. Shae took him out of his stall in the stables, and she walked side by side with him through the garden. She told Sven her story too. She had no idea if the reindeer entirely understood what she was telling him, but it still felt nice to talk about it some more, especially to an impartial and silent party.
The moon was shining bright that night, and it cast a pale, shimmering glow upon the statue of Shae sitting in the center of the garden. Shae was sitting on a bench just before it, Sven lying in the grass beside her, happily munching on a carrot that Shae had given him. Shae turned around in her spot when she heard quiet footsteps from behind her.
"Can't sleep?" Asked Elsa, who was garbed in her nightgown and robe.
Shae shook her head as Elsa sat down beside her. They sat in silence for a few moments, staring up at the polished marble statue before them. It was somehow even more spectacular in the moonlight. Shae's eyes began to well with tears as she continued to gaze upon it. She could still hardly believe that Elsa had done something so grand and wonderful, just for her.
"You… Really loved me, didn't you?" Shae asked her quietly.
Elsa smiled, and placed her hand gently on Shae's cheek. "I don't think I ever stopped." She whispered softly, gently caressing Shae's cheek with her thumb. "And I don't think I ever will. Things are certainly… Different, now that I have Ruby in my life. But I think a part of me will always love you, Shae. You will always be so incredibly dear to my heart."
Shae nodded her head, struggling to find words as she was, once again, overcome with emotion. "Yeah." Was all she managed to say. "Same here."
Elsa smiled as she gently brushed a stray tear away from Shae's cheek, her own eyes glistening as she stared deep into Shae's. "I'm so sorry, Shae. For everything." She whispered, her eyes suddenly filled with sorrow. "As soon as I removed Hans from my throne, I immediately began searching for a way back to Storybrooke, back to you. But, Anna and Kristoff, they convinced me not to. They told me that you would want me to stay, to be the Queen that Arendelle deserves."
"They were right." Shae replied with a gentle smile. "You've done some amazing things here, Elsa. I've never really seen anything like it."
"Thank you." Elsa said with a smile of her own. "It certainly hasn't been easy, but I'm very proud of the kingdom I've created, and I… I knew you would be too. It's what kept me going through all of it, knowing that you would be proud."
Shae wiped away more moisture from her face, and she softly cleared her throat. "I, um… I need to thank you for the letter you wrote me." She said quietly. "Ariel showed up in Storybrooke, and gave me the letter, right in the nick of time, actually. It helped me make a really important decision, one that ultimately led me back to Regina. We're finally together again, for real this time. Things are a bit complicated right now, but, I mean… When aren't they?"
Elsa chuckled lightly. "Well, not every relationship is perfect."
"You and Ruby seem awfully happy."
Elsa's cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. "Well, things are still very new, but… Yes. We are happy."
Shae grinned as Elsa's cheeks grew redder and redder. "How did it all start, anyway?" She asked. "How exactly did she end up in Arendelle?"
Elsa cleared her throat, shifting slightly in her seat. "Well, after she left Storybrooke and came to this land, Ruby set off to find others like her." She began to explain. "She was in the company of a young woman named Mulan when-"
"Woah, wait a minute!" Shae exclaimed, cutting Elsa off. "Mulan? As in… The Mulan?"
Elsa raised a curious eyebrow at Shae. "Yes. Do you know her?"
"Um… Sort of." Shae mumbled, then quickly shook her head. "Just… Continue."
Elsa nodded, and went on. "Well, as I said, Ruby was travelling with Mulan, and both of them were in a very sorry state. They were both exhausted, half starved, and Ruby was injured. Apparently, they were attacked by some men from a small village. They had found out what Ruby was, and she tried to tell them that she meant no harm. It all fell on deaf ears. She and Mulan managed to escape with their lives, but only just."
"Jesus…" Shae muttered, her eyes wide. "So… How did they end up here?"
"A hunting party of mine stumbled upon them in the woods." Elsa explained. "They immediately brought them back to the castle, and my healers tended to Ruby's wounds. After Ruby and Mulan told me their story, I vowed then and there to make Arendelle a place where all would be welcome, no matter who or what they are."
Shae breathed out a small, astonished laugh. "So… All of this… It was for Ruby."
Elsa bit her lip, her cheeks flushing red again. "Well… In part, I suppose." She admitted with a smile. "Things between Ruby and I happened very… Quickly. Almost immediately, in fact. It was all a bit frightening, it still very much is, but-"
"You love her." Shae whispered with a knowing smile. "Don't you?"
"Oh, I don't know." Elsa muttered in reply, trying in vain to hide the grin stretching across her face. "We barely know each other. It's only been a few months."
"You told me you love me after a few days." Shae said with a laugh.
Elsa laughed too as she slowly nodded her head. "Yes, I suppose you're right." She murmured in agreement. She paused for a moment, anxiously biting her lip again. "Honestly, Shae… I haven't felt this way about anyone since… Well, since you." She went on with a smile. "She's so beautiful and kind and smart. In a lot of ways, she reminds me of you. Also, in a lot of ways, she's… Entirely different."
"Yeah. She's really something." Shae agreed with a fond smile. "I'm assuming she told me all about, um… Me and her."
Elsa smiled back as she nodded her head. "She told me that you helped her gain control of her transformations. She also said that she finally felt like she belonged when she was with you. You helped her accept who and what she was, just like you did with me. We both owe a lot to you."
"Um… You're welcome?" Shae replied uncertainly.
Elsa laughed, and Shae laughed along with her. "I'm just… Glad Ruby has finally found a place where she belongs." Elsa went on with a smile. "She's finally found a home, her and Mulan."
Shae gasped excitedly. "Mulan's still here?"
"Er… Yes and no." Elsa slowly replied. "She's become my… Ambassador, of sorts. She's been travelling from kingdom to kingdom, trying to broker trade agreements. She's gotten through to one of them, at least. It's not much, but it's a start."
"Oh." Shae muttered with a disappointed frown. "That sucks. I'd really like to meet her."
"Well, you still can, depending on how long you stay." Elsa replied with a reassuring smile. "How long are you planning to stay, exactly?"
Shae sighed, and she slowly shook her head. "I'm… Not sure." She muttered. "Once we get the darkness out of Emma, and out of me, we're all going back to Storybrooke."
Elsa nodded slowly. "I see." She replied, biting her lip once again. "And… You think you and Regina will be happy there?"
Shae nodded as well. "Yeah, I really think so." She said with a wistful smile. "Despite everything that's going on, for the first time in a long time, I really feel like we're on the right path. I think we finally just might… Have a future. Together." She paused for a moment, her eyes beginning to well with tears once again as she fiddled with the ring on her finger. "I just… Can't wait to actually start it."
Elsa nodded back in a satisfied sort of way. "Then I will do whatever I can to help see you to that future." She then reached out and placed both of her hands on either side of Shae's face, staring determinedly into her eyes. "I will do everything in my power to free you from The Hollow, Shae. I promise."
XXXXX
Per Regina's request, Shae spent the next several days holed up inside Regina's house with Remus, sometimes accompanied by Belle and Henry. While the other heroes of Storybrooke spent their time trying to find a way to stop Emma from whatever she was planning, Shae, Remus, Henry, and Belle poured over every book on magic and sorcery they could find. They searched desperately for a way to rid Shae of The Hollow that didn't require her death.
Shae spent her days in a constant state of worry. With every passing day, every book read through that held no answers, she continued to lose hope. Perhaps piercing her heart with the fabled blade Excalibur really was the only answer. She often voiced her concerns to the others, and she was always given an impassioned speech about hope. She knew that her friends and loved ones were only trying to help ease her mind, but it was all starting to drive her insane.
Shae's only solace were her nights spent with Regina, the woman that she loved. Regina would always report to her everything that had happened in town, and, one night, she returned home with some startling news. Mr. Gold had finally been found. He was being held captive by Emma, who used him to pull Excalibur from its stone, which, apparently, had been hidden away in the basement of Emma's new home. She then reunited it with The Dark One dagger immediately after. Excalibur, the fabled blade that could rid Shae of The Hollow, was now whole, and in Emma Swan's hands.
Regina deduced that Emma was going to use Excalibur to destroy all light magic, but Shae, however, wasn't so sure. Though Emma was now The Dark One, she was still Emma, The Savior. Shae wasn't sure exactly what she was up to, but she did know that it somehow involved herself, and Captain Hook. She had told Shae that everything she was doing was for them, to save them. Shae knew that Emma had been talking about The Hollow, but she still had no idea what exactly had happened to her in Camelot, or, what happened to Hook.
The next night, Shae was in the kitchen of Regina's home, staring intently at the pie that was baking in the oven. She stood up when she heard the sound of the front door opening, and she hurried into the living room. She found Regina sitting on the couch with her head in her hands, breathing out a sad, heavy sigh.
"Hey there, gorgeous." Shae said with a grin.
Regina raised her head, and managed a weak, worn out smile. Shae stepped up to the side of the couch, and spun around, spreading her arms wide. Regina laughed as she fell backwards with her head in her lap, and she leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on Shae's lips.
"Well, hello there." Regina said with a smile.
Shae felt her heart flutter inside her chest, just like it always did when she saw that smile that she loved so very much. "How was your day?" She asked of her lover.
Regina sighed again, leaning back heavily into the couch. "Just as fruitless as all the others." She mumbled, running her fingers through Shae's messy black hair. "How was yours?"
"Pretty much the same." Shae replied with a small shrug. "But, I do have good news. Henry is with his grandparents tonight, and Remus is out with Will. That means… We have the house all to ourselves."
Regina smiled as Shae grinned up at her. Suddenly, her brow furrowed. "Wait a minute… You mean Will, as in… Will Scarlet?"
Shae nodded her head. "They had a kind of on-again, off-again… Thing, back when Remus was a part of the Merry Men." She explained. "And it looks like its, uh… Back on again."
Regina breathed out a small, astonished laugh. "So… You're saying Remus is now dating Belle's ex-boyfriend?"
"Well… 'Dating,' is kind of a strong word."
Regina laughed quietly again. "Right, I forgot. Remus doesn't really… Do that."
Shae shook her head in a sad sort of way. "Nope." She mumbled. "Not since Anders, anway."
"Anders?"
Shae nodded again, her piercing blue eyes suddenly filled with sorrow. "He was Remus's first love, back in Avalon. His only love, actually." She quietly replied. "He was a good man. Well… A good elf."
Regina's eyes grew wide with shock. "Remus fell in love with an elf?"
Shae nodded some more. "Yeah. It was pretty scandalous, actually." She said with a sad, wistful smile. She then went on to explain more. "After we were sold as children, we changed hands a bunch of times, bouncing around from job to job. Eventually, we ended up being bought by an elven lord who ran a silver mine. Pretty ironic, actually, since silver would end up being our biggest weakness later."
Regina chuckled, and Shae smiled as she continued to gently run her fingers through her hair. "Anders was the elven lord's son." Shae went on. "He would come through the mine every so often and talk with all us slaves, check and see if we had everything we needed. He was kind to us, a lot more kind than his father, anyway. He and Remus had an instant connection, and, well… It all kind of snowballed from there."
"What happened to him?" Asked Regina.
Shae breathed out another sad, heavy sigh, her eyes filled with sorrow once again. "They tried to keep things between them a secret, and they did, for a long time, actually. But eventually they were caught. Anders' father was furious, and he immediately sent him away. And Remus, he… He was beaten."
"Beaten?" Regina echoed, her mouth gaping open in horror.
Shae nodded grimly. "Fifty lashes, in total." She replied. "And all of us had to watch. It was… Horrible. One of the few times where I actually didn't think Remus was going to make it. But he recovered, physically, anyway. After that, he never really allowed himself to love again."
Regina sat in shocked silence for a moment, slowly shaking her head as she processed Remus's heartbreaking story. "And then… We lost Nadia." Shae quietly went on. "She actually almost ended up at the end of the lash with Remus that day. She went bat shit crazy, screaming and yelling at the guards. Almost knocked one of them out too. I had to stop her before she got herself killed."
Shae paused for a moment, and she breathed out a small laugh. "I did a lot of that back then. Me and Remus both did." She went on with a smile. "Remus was always the calm and collected one, and Nadia, she was… Well, 'hot headed,' is putting it lightly, and stubborn as hell. She hated being a slave, I mean, we all did, but… We didn't really have a choice, and we learned to just live with the hand we'd been dealt. Not Nadia, though. It just never sat right with her, being treated as property. She was always arguing and fighting with the guards. Always getting herself into trouble."
Regina smiled down at the woman she loved, gently tracing her finger along Shae's cheek. "It sounds like she was… Quite a woman."
Shae smiled back at her. "Yeah… She was." She whispered softly. Slowly, her smile began to fade, and she stared up into Regina's eyes. "Do you… D-Do you ever think about what Daniel would say if he saw you now?"
Regina sighed, and slowly nodded her head. "I think about that a lot, actually." She admitted, brushing a lock of Shae's hair gently off her forehead. "I think he would be sad to learn of all the things I did after he was killed, of what I became. But… I think he would be proud of who I am today. He'd be happy to see the woman that I became, and the woman that I fell in love with."
Shae nodded too, and her wistful smile returned. "I think Nadia would be proud too. I mean… She would probably knock me and Remus's heads together for all the terrible things we did after she was… Gone. She was the youngest of the three of us, but she was always trying to make a better life for us. She… She always tried so hard to make sure that we never lost hope."
Regina slowly nodded her head, and was about to reply, when there was a sudden ding from the oven in the kitchen. "My pie!" Shae exclaimed.
Shae scrambled off of the couch, and rushed into the kitchen. "Is that what smells so good?" Regina asked with a laugh.
Shae poked her head back around the corner with a grin. "It's your favorite!"
Regina chuckled some more as she rose from the couch, and followed Shae into the kitchen. She couldn't help but smile as she watched Shae carefully removing her apple pie from the oven, wearing a pair of floral print oven mitts. Suddenly, Regina noticed that every single surface in her kitchen was sparkling clean.
"Did you… Clean in here?" She asked of her lover. When Shae nodded, Regina laughed once again. "Well, well… Look at you. You're turning into a regular house wife."
Shae laughed loudly as she set the pie down on the counter. "Yeah I guess so. Who would have ever thought that someone like me could go domestic?"
Regina chuckled as she stepped up to Shae, and she wrapped her arms around her neck. "Is it weird if I find it all very… Sexy?"
Shae grinned as she curled her arms around Regina's wasit, drawing her in closer. "Maybe later you can watch me as I… Scrub the toilet." She whispered seductively in her ear.
Regina laughed, and so did Shae. They both sighed contentedly as they kissed, holding each other close. "Speaking of domestic…" Shae began, pulling away slightly from Regina's lips. "How do you feel about actually, you know… Getting married?"
Regina's jaw dropped open in shock, and she breathed out a small, bewildered laugh. "You mean… After everything we've been through, everything I've put you through, you… Still want to marry me?"
Shae silently nodded her head. Regina breathed out another laugh, then bit her lip, trying to stop the tears that were welling into her eyes. She made to step out of Shae's arms, but Shae kept her firmly wrapped in her embrace. She placed her hands on either side of Regina's face, smiling lovingly into her eyes.
"How many times do I have to tell you that I love you?" Shae whispered softly.
Regina laughed once more, wiping at a stray tear. "Maybe just… One more time."
Shae chuckled too. "Yeah, I doubt that." She muttered, rolling her eyes. She then smiled again, and gently brushed Regina's tears away with her thumbs. "That's ok. I'll tell you every second of every day until you get it through that thick skull of yours. And when you do, I'll still keep on telling you. I'll never stop. I promise."
Regina stared into Shae's gorgeous, piercing blue eyes, her heart hammering in her chest. She was unable to stop the steady flow of tears that came pouring out of her eyes. She was too overwhelmed with Shae's unyielding love for her, which still remained as strong as ever, despite everything that had happened.
"What did I ever do to deserve you?" Regina whispered in wonder.
"Oh, lots of terrible things." Shae replied.
Regina laughed as Shae grinned at her, one of those quirky and cheeky grins that Regina loved so very much. She then sighed, and took Shae's face in her own hands. "I promise, as soon as we fix all this, and find a way to get rid of The Hollow, we will get married." She smiled through more of her tears, and she placed a gentle kiss on Shae's lips. "One day soon, we'll both have the life that Daniel and Nadia would have wanted for us. I promise."
Shae nodded, her own eyes glistening with tears. She then softly cleared her throat, and suddenly looked quite nervous. "Regina, listen…" She slowly and carefully began. "I think we need to talk about the reality of my situation here. We've looked through countless books already, and haven't found a single thing about The Hollow. Maybe… There isn't a way to get rid of it. At least… Not without Excalibur."
Regina scoffed indignantly, stepping back out of Shae's arms. "What exactly are you saying?" She demanded. "Are you saying that you actually want to die?"
"No! God, just… No." Shae replied in a rush, vigorously shaking her head. "All I'm saying is that maybe this is something I'm going to have to… Learn to live with. I mean, I've been fine so far."
Regina's jaw dropped open in utter disbelief. "Fine?" She exclaimed. "Shae, The Hollow completely took over you just the other day! You almost killed me!"
Shae breathed out a sad, heavy sigh, running a hand through her messy black hair. "Yeah… I know." She mumbled. "Maybe I'll just have to… Be careful, you know? Maybe-"
Shae stopped mid sentence when Regina's cellphone began ringing from inside her pocket. Regina rolled her eyes, and was about to voice her displeasure at being interrupted. She stopped when she saw the caller ID.
"It's… The hospital." She muttered. She then pressed the phone to her ear. "Hello?" She listened for a moment, and Shae watched curiously as her deep brown eyes grew wide. "Oh… Oh my god! I-I'll be right there!"
"What is it?" Shae asked in concern.
"It's Zelena." Regina whispered, staring fearfully into Shae's eyes. "She's… In labor."
Shae's jaw nearly hit the floor. "What? How? She's only three months pregnant!"
"There's only one thing I know of that can speed up a pregnancy like this." Regina muttered, her voice grave. "Dark magic."
"Dark magic?" Shae asked as she followed Regina back into the living room. "Who's dark magic?"
"Well, it's definitely not Gold, and it's most definitely not me." Regina replied as she scooped up her coat from the back of the couch. "That just leaves-"
"Emma." Shae finished for her. She quickly shook her head, trying desperately to make some sense of the situation. "I don't understand… What the hell does Emma want with Zelena's baby?"
Regina sighed heavily as she pulled on her coat. "I'm sorry, Shae, but… It looks like she really is going to destroy light magic after all." When Shae looked confused, she went on to explain. "Belle found a spell to do just that in one of Merlin's books. The only other thing The Dark Swan needs besides Excalibur is… The cries of a newborn."
Shae's jaw dropped open all over again. "Jesus Christ…" She groaned, placing her hands over her face. She then quickly shook herself, and nodded at Regina. "Alright. Come on, lets go."
"No!" Regina exclaimed, placing her hands on Shae's chest as she started toward the door. "No, please, I need you to stay here."
"But-" Shae began to protest.
"Shae, please!" Regina pleaded with her, tightly gripping both her hands. "I'm going to call Henry and tell him to come straight here. I don't know what exactly Emma is planning to do, but it might get messy. I need you to keep Henry safe."
Shae groaned again, running both her hands through her hair. "Fine." She muttered, a bit begrudgingly.
"Thank you." Regina whispered, placing a light kiss on Shae's cheek. "Right. I need to go get Robin."
"Oh, sure." Shae said with a snort. "Take your ex-boyfriend with you, who's only powers are sticky fingers and some decent aim with a bow."
Regina sighed heavily. "Shae, please."
Shae bit her lip, then sighed herself. "Sorry." She mumbled, slightly hanging her head. "You know I get jealous."
Regina chuckled, and placed her hand gently on Shae's cheek. "I know. I think it's awfully sweet." She said with a smile. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you."
"I love you too." Shae replied. "Be safe, ok?"
Regina nodded, and gave her lover a quick kiss on her lips. She then headed toward the door, and rushed off into the night. Shae watched her carefully from the window, and, as soon as her car was lost from sight, she too stepped out of the house. She felt bad about disobeying the woman that she loved, the woman that loved her. But, she needed to know what happened in Camelot, why Elsa somehow knew so much about The Hollow, and why Emma was doing all this. She was going to get the answers she needed, one way or another.
XXXXX
Shae spent the next several weeks in the company of her friends in Arendelle, reading through every book on magic and magical creatures they could find. Elsa and Anna's father had quite an extensive library on the subject, and they ploughed through as many as they could every day, sometimes reading even more in their rooms at night. They were desperate to find some way, any way, to rid Shae of the awful darkness that had taken hold of her.
As the days turned into weeks, Shae began to lose hope. She tried to remain hopeful and positive, but every book cast aside with no answers left her more and more disheartened. Still, though, it was nice to be among friends, nice to know that Elsa was happy now, and Ruby too. She couldn't help but smile every time they stole kisses from each other when they thought no one else was looking. However, seeing them together made her ache with longing for the woman that she loved. Regina would send letters from Camelot every so often, but she said very little, and some of her words were carefully coded. Shae had a feeling that not everything in Camelot was as it seemed, and it left her worried.
One afternoon, Shae's eyes were growing tired, her headache growing worse by the minute. She announced to Elsa and the others that she was taking a break from reading through more dusty old tomes. She decided to go for a walk in the garden, to clear her head. She was joined by Ruby a few moments later.
"Want some company?" Ruby asked her with a smile.
"Sure." Shae replied, smiling back at her. She gestured for Ruby to sit beside her on the bench. "We haven't really had much chance to talk since I got here. Elsa told me how you ended up in Arendelle, but did you ever, you know… Find your pack? Oh! And is Mulan as badass as I think she is?"
Ruby chuckled lightly. "Even more badass, I promise." Slowly, her smile faded, and she looked quite sad. "But, um… No. I never found my pack. We found their trail a few times, and I even caught their scent. But I never actually found them."
"Oh." Shae mumbled with a frown. "I'm… Really sorry, Ruby."
"It's ok." Ruby replied, smiling once again. "I found something… Even better. I'm still the only one of my kind around here, but, still I… I finally feel like I belong."
"Because of Elsa?" Shae said with a knowing grin.
Ruby's cheeks suddenly flushed the same shade of red as her cloak. "Um… Yeah." She mumbled, a bit sheepishly. "She's… Really something. When I met her, it was like getting hit by a freight train, and then… Then everything happened so fast, and… And I… Well-"
"You love her." Shae cut in, stopping Ruby's anxious stammering.
Ruby bit her lip, her cheeks growing even redder. "I…Yeah. I think so." She quietly replied. "Honestly… I'd marry her tomorrow if I could."
"Well, why don't you?"
Ruby barked out a loud, amused laugh. "Yeah. Right." She said, rolling her eyes.
"I'm serious!" Cried Shae, throwing her arms up in the air. "Life is short!"
Ruby snorted, rolling her eyes once again. "Yeah, sure, coming from the two-hundred year old… Half elf… Thing."
"Halfling." Shae corrected her. "And, yeah, I managed to cheat death for a while, but… Still." She sighed, and shifted in her seat to better face Ruby. "Look, when I first fell in love with Regina, she was already pretty far gone, we both were. But… If I would have told her sooner how I felt, things might have been… Different. We could have been happy. I spent a lot of time being afraid of love. Don't make the same mistake I did. You gotta tell Elsa how you feel."
Ruby bit her lip again as she slowly nodded her head, pondering Shae's words of wisdom. "Well… I mean… You're happy now, right?"
Shae sighed again, running a hand through her messy black hair. "Well… I would definitely love to be with Regina right now," She began with a small chuckle. "But, trust me, Camelot is not the place for me. Arthur's guards were constantly watching me, and Regina's trying to protect Emma by pretending to be The Savior. I think we both know just how hard that job is, what with watching Emma running around these last few years."
Ruby chuckled too, nodding earnestly in agreement. Shae then cleared her throat, and went on. "But, um… Once all this is over, I think Regina and I will finally have a shot. For real this time."
Ruby nodded some more, and gently took Shae's hand in her own. "That's good to hear." She said with a smile. "I'm really glad you're happy now, Shae. I just hope we can actually find a way to get this Hollow thing out of you. Soon."
Shae nodded back at her, and they both fell silent for a few moments, Ruby thinking about Elsa, and Shae thinking about Regina. After all the hardships she had endured in her life, after everything her and Regina had been through, all Shae wanted now was a quiet, happy life with the woman that she loved. However, with the threat of The Hollow looming over her head, she knew that a quiet life just wasn't possible. Not now, and, if they couldn't find a way to get rid of it, not ever.
"Hey!"
Ruby and Shae both gave a start, and glanced round, searching for the source of the sudden shout. They finally spotted Anna, whose head was poking out of the library window. "Come back up!" Anna called out to them. "We found something!"
Both Ruby and Shae's eyes grew wide, and they smiled excitedly at each other. They hurried back into the castle, and Shae took the steps two and three at a time. Her heart raced with excitement. Maybe, just maybe, she was finally going to get the answers she so desperately needed.
"Here! I'm here!" Shae exclaimed as her and Ruby burst back into the library. She doubled over with her hands on her knees, her chest heaving. "Shit… Holy shit… That was a lot of stairs… I really need to start working out."
"Ditto." Ruby rasped, leaning heavily against a bookcase.
"You guys, look at this!" Anna said excitedly, sliding a book across the table toward them. "It's, well… It's not much. But it's something!"
Shae and Ruby both stepped up to the table, and glanced down at the book lying before them. On one side of the page was a drawing of The Hollow, a brief description beside it. "The Hollow, a powerful and ancient evil, it's origins shrouded in mystery." Ruby read out loud. "It took the combined strength of a force of great good, and a force of great evil, to seal it away. Should it ever be freed again, it will surely mean… The end of days."
"That's… Ominous." Shae mumbled, her blue eyes wide. She turned the page, frowning when she found nothing more about The Hollow on the other side. "And… Super unhelpful."
"I mean… I did say it wasn't much." Muttered Anna, giving her a one armed shrug.
Shae groaned in frustration, slowly sinking down into a nearby chair. "Looks like we're back to square one." Kristoff commented with a sigh.
"Well, we have a bit to go on, at least." Elsa said as she pulled the dusty old book closer to her. "It says here a force of great good and a force of great evil sealed The Hollow away. If we can find out who exactly those people were, we might find some more answers."
"Well, since I found The Hollow in The Dark One's vault, I'm guessing The Dark One at the time was the force of great evil." Shae mused with an uncertain shrug. "As for the force of great good… Well, I don't know. Maybe it was Merlin."
"We could always go ask Grand Pabbie." Anna offered with a shrug of her own.
"I thought you said he was on his… Pilgrimage, or whatever." Said Shae, looking to Kristoff.
Kristoff shrugged himself when all eyes turned expectantly onto him. "I dunno… It's been a few weeks. He might be back by now."
"Well, it certainly won't hurt to go and see." Elsa said, determinedly rising to her feet. "Besides, it's not like we have any other options."
Shae chuckled as she also rose from her chair. "You know, Elsa, when you're right, you're right." She then clapped her hands together with a chipper smile. "Come on, everybody! Let's go see the rock trolls!"
XXXXX
Shae pounded on the door of Emma Swan's new home, her heart hammering in her chest. When she was met with no response, she knocked once more. She waited in silence for a moment, the blood pulsing in her ears the only sound to be heard.
"Come on, Emma!" Shae shouted into the night air. "Don't make me summon you!"
When she was met with only more silence, Shae groaned in frustration. "Emma Swan!" She shouted. "Emma Swan, EMMA SWAN!"
A familiar whooshing sound caused Shae to whirl around upon the porch. She found The Dark One herself standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking irritated. "What is it, Shae?" She snapped. "I'm pretty busy at the moment."
"Trying to steal Zelena's baby?" Shae asked, folding her arms across her chest. "What the hell do you want with it?"
Emma crossed her arms as well, narrowing her eyes at Shae. "I don't think that's any of your business."
Shae breathed out a frustrated sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Look, I just came to talk, alright? Can we please just… Go inside?"
Emma raised an eyebrow at Shae. "Are you sure you want to do that?"
When Emma was met with only confused silence, she simply shrugged, and stepped around Shae, opening her front door. Shae followed her inside the house, and gasped in alarm as her chest suddenly began to burn with white hot pain. She groaned, grabbing onto the wall for support as the world spun wildly around her. Suddenly, a terrible fear took hold of her, a fear that was not quite her own.
"T-The Hollow, it's… Scared." Shae muttered, wincing as the pain finally subsided. "Excalibur… It's here, isn't it?"
"Yes." Emma quietly replied. "Don't worry, I won't be stabbing that heart of yours with it."
Shae nodded as she rubbed at her still aching chest. "Ok, well… That's a relief, I guess."
Emma chuckled, and stepped up to Shae, placing a hand gently on her cheek. "I'm actually really glad you're here, Shae." She said with a sad sort of smile. "You saved me a trip."
Shae yanked her face irritably away from Emma's touch. "A trip? A trip where?"
"To find you, of course." Emma replied. "This will all be over soon. I'm going to rid us both of our darkness, once and for all."
"And you're not going to stab me with Excalibur to do it?" Asked Shae. When Emma shook her head, Shae narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her. "So there really is another way."
"More or less."
"Then tell me."
Emma breathed out a sad, heavy sigh, and turned her back on Shae. "No." She whispered softly.
Shae groaned, running her hands through her messy black hair. "Emma, listen." She began, placing her hand on Emma's shoulder. "You once told me that I was your best friend, and that you loved me, in a… Best friend kind of way. If that's all true, if I'm really your best friend, then why the hell won't you tell me why you're doing this? Why won't you tell me what happened in Camelot?"
Emma suddenly whirled back around, and swatted Shae's hand away. "Of course it's true!" She exclaimed. Shae's heart ached when she saw tears in Emma's eyes. "You are my best friend, and I do love you. That's why I'm doing all this. I… I-I can't lose anyone else I love."
Shae's brow furrowed in confusion. "You… You think that if you give me my memories back that you'll lose me?"
"I know I will." Emma whispered, tears now falling freely down her face. "That's why you can't know what happened in Camelot, and you can't know what I'm about to do to save you. You'll just try and stop me."
Shae opened her mouth to question Emma more, but stopped when Emma reached out, and placed her hand on her forehead. "Shhh… It's alright." Emma whispered soothingly. "It'll all be over soon."
Shae opened her mouth to speak once again, but no sound was able to come out as the world began spinning around her again. She grunted as her knees buckled, and she fought with every fiber of her being as her eyelids began to grow very, very heavy.
"Emma…" Shae mumbled, blinking furiously through foggy vision. "W-What… What are you-"
"Shhh…" Emma whispered again. She knelt down in front of Shae, catching her by her arms as she slumped limply forward. "I'm sorry, Shae. It's for your own good."
XXXXX
"Look, Shae, look! I grew a mushroom!"
"I earned my fire crystal!"
"I passed a kidney stone."
Shae chuckled, and smiled around at all her old friends, the rock trolls. The trolls had been positively overjoyed to see Shae again, and they bombarded her with tight, and slightly painful, embraces. They bombarded her with questions as well, and Shae did her best to quickly and kindly answer all of them.
Once all the excitement had died down, Kristoff questioned his family members about Grand Pabbie. Unda confirmed that he was indeed back from his pilgrimage. She quickly left them to go wake the ancient troll from his nap, and they all waited anxiously with the rest of the rock trolls for her to return.
"Shae! Shae! Pick me up!" One of the child trolls cried.
Shae's eyes grew wide with alarm. "Oh, no… I-I can't-"
Shae grunted as the tiny troll suddenly threw herself into her arms. The other child trolls all giggled excitedly, and began throwing themselves upon Shae as well. Shae was quickly overwhelmed, and the others all gasped as she hit the ground, several trolls clinging to her back.
"Easy now, children." A familiar voice spoke quietly. Grand Pabbie had finally made his entrance. "She's not quite as durable as she once was."
The child trolls all scampered off of Shae, who breathed out an immense sigh of relief. She staggered to her feet, and watched with a fond smile as Grand Pabbie embraced both Anna and Kristoff. He did the same with both Elsa and Ruby, and finally turned his attention onto Shae. She experienced a strange sense of dejavu when she saw the immense sorrow in the ancient troll's eyes.
"It's good to see you again, Shae." He said with a smile as he took Shae's hand, patting it gently. "Though I wish it were under better circumstances."
"So… You know?" Asked Shae, eyebrow raised.
Grand Pabbie slowly nodded his head. "A terrible curse has been placed upon you, Shae." He answered quietly, smiling a sad but kind smile. "And you have come to me for the answers that you seek. I promise, I will do everything I can to provide you those answers."
"Good ol' Grand Pabbie." Anna said with a grin. "I knew he could help."
Grand Pabbie's kind smile slowly faded, and he suddenly looked quite grave. "I said I could provide answers. However, I did not say that I would be able to help."
A sudden hush fell over them all, and Shae's heart sank deep into the pit of her stomach. Elsa hastily broke the silence, and she cleared her throat as she handed Grand Pabbie the page about The Hollow that she had torn from the book they had found.
"It says here that The Hollow was sealed away by a force of great good, and a force of great evil." She quickly explained. "I thought that, perhaps, if we could find out who exactly these people were, then we might just find a way to free Shae from it."
Grand Pabbie chuckled as he handed the page back to Elsa. "Well, then, look no further." He said with another smile. "It was I who helped The Dark One to seal The Hollow away."
Everyone's jaws dropped open in shock. "So… You're the force of great good?" Kristoff breathed, staring at Grand Pabbie in awe.
"Indeed." Grand Pabbie affirmed with a nod.
"Woah…" Shae whispered, breathing out an astonished laugh. She then quickly shook herself, and began to question the ancient troll. "So… Belle said that The Hollow was released from Pandora's Box by, you know, Pandora herself. Is that really true?"
"Indeed." Grand Pabbie said again. "It was sealed back in the box by the great goddess Freya. She saw the havok it was wreaking on mankind, and she took pity on them. The Hollow remained inside Pandora's Box for centuries after that, until… Nimue."
"Nimue?" Asked Ruby, brow furrowed in confusion. "Why does that name sound familiar?"
"She's part of the King Arthur legend, from The World Without Magic." Shae quickly explained. "She was some sort of… Sorceress, I think. And Merlin's lover."
"She was Merlin's lover, but she was no sorceress." Said Grand Pabbie, slowly shaking his head. "At least, not until she became the first Dark One."
Everyone's mouths gaped open in shock all over again. "Nimue was… The first Dark One?" Asked Shae.
Grand Pabbie nodded gravely. "As most Dark One's do, she became hungry for more power." He went on, his tone dark and serious. "She released The Hollow once again, and attempted to harness it for herself, to control it. But, as many others did before her, she failed. The Hollow was too strong, too unpredictable, even for one such as her. She attempted to seal it away herself, but found that she could not."
"Really?" Asked Kristoff. "How come?"
"The Hollow's only weakness is light magic." Grand Pabbie explained. "Since The Dark One cannot wield such power, she was forced to call upon me. Together, we used magic from Pandora's Box itself to seal it underground, as well as a bit of our own. Since that day, every Dark One that has ever come to be was forged in that place, a place where only darkness can reside."
"That Dark One's vault." Shae mumbled. "They built it around that door where you sealed The Hollow."
"Indeed." Grand Pabbie said once again. "No one has ever sought to free it since. That is… Until you, Shae."
"I didn't do it on purpose!" Cried Shae. "It… I-It used Emma's voice! It tricked me!"
Grand Pabbie nodded solemnly, patting Shae's hand again. "I know, my child, I know." He whispered softly. He fell silent for a moment, and when he looked into Shae's eyes, Shae saw more deep, immense sorrow in his own. "Shortly after Nimue and I sealed The Hollow away, I had a vision of the future, of your future. This was your destiny, Shae, among other things."
Shae's jaw dropped open in indignant shock. "You knew this would happen?" She exclaimed. The ancient troll nodded, which made Shae even more furious. "Then why the hell didn't you do something? Why didn't you stop it?"
"I could not." Grand Pabbie replied, his tone heavy with grief, with regret. "I once told you that it is my great and terrible burden to know of such things. I also told you that it is my burden to-"
"'To know when such things are better left unsaid.'" Shae finished for him in a bitter tone, using his own words from years earlier. "Yeah, yeah… I get it."
"Shae, it's alright." Elsa said gently, placing her hand on Shae's arm. "In fact, this is wonderful news. Light magic is The Hollow's only weakness."
"Which means we can use light magic to destroy it." Ruby said with a smile. Her smile quickly faded, and she raised an uncertain eyebrow at Grand Pabbie. "Er… Right?"
All eyes turned expectantly to the old troll, who breathed out a heavy sigh. "Yes, and… No."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Shae snarled.
"Shae, please. Calm down." Elsa said in another gentle tone.
Elsa placed her hand on Shae's arm again, but Shae jerked her arm away. "No! I will not calm down!" She shouted, rounding furiously on Elsa. She then turned back to Grand Pabbie, pointing an accusing finger in his round, stony face. "Tell me what you know! NOW!"
Grand Pabbie stared wide eyed at Shae's quivering finger. At the alarmed and frightened look on his face, Shae slowly lowered her arm. The rest of the rock trolls were eyeing her much the same way, as were Elsa and the others. Shae softly cleared her throat, and drew back a step.
"Sorry." She mumbled, rubbing her chest as it gave a painful twinge. "I… Shouldn't have yelled like that."
Grand Pabbie simply smiled another one of his sad but kind smiles. "It's alright, Shae. You carry a dark and heavy burden in your heart." He paused for a moment, then went on to explain more. "That is where The Hollow resides, in fact, within the hearts of man. Specifically, within hearts that have been so broken by love and loss that they themselves have become… Hollow. That is how it gets its name."
Another shocked hush fell over the group of humans and trolls. They all carefully watched Shae, who stood rigid in her spot, her mouth opening and closing several times. "So… S-So that's why it kept calling me, Hollow One." She muttered, staring wide eyed at the ground. "That's why it said it's been… Waiting for me. I thought it was just because I had magic."
"Indeed, The Hollow does seek your power." Grand Pabbie agreed with a solemn nod. "And it also seeks your heart. Your heart has been hollowed just enough to grant it access to your body, but, for now, it is lying dormant. It is… Waiting."
"Waiting?" Asked Anna. "Waiting for what?"
Shae sighed, rubbing her aching forehead. "Let me guess," She began, breathing out a sour laugh. "It's waiting for my heart to be broken even more."
Grand Pabbie nodded once again. "You must guard your heart closely, Shae." He told her quietly. "Otherwise, you yourself will become hollow. You will feel nothing except rage, and you will give in to your deepest and most brutal desires. All capacity for love and compassion will be wiped away by The Hollow, and you and it will become one. You will be driven by nothing but it's lust for power, and you will destroy all in your path to get it, whether they be friend or foe."
Shae placed her hands over her face, breathing out another heavy, shaky sigh. The others all watched her with pity in their eyes. "So… How do we stop it?" Elsa asked, her eyes wide. "Emma is The Dark One now. Can't you and her work together to seal it away again?"
Grand Pabbie slowly and sadly shook his head. "Now that The Hollow resides within a living vessel, there is only one sure way to destroy it for good."
"I don't like the look on your face, Grand Pabbie." Kristoff muttered, eyeing the ancient troll warily. "How exactly do we destroy it for good?"
Grand Pabbie's face was indeed quite grave, and he took a moment to respond. "By using the most powerful light magic in this realm." He answered, his tone dark and solemn. "There is a fabled blade, a darkness rending blade known as… Excalibur."
Shae suddenly gasped, and her face lit up with a grin. "Excalibur?" She exclaimed. "That's… T-That's great! Arthur has it! All I have to do is go back to Camelot and take it from him."
"I'm afraid it's not that simple." Said Grand Pabbie.
The grin faded from Shae's face, as did the excited and hopeful smiles of all the others. "W-What do you mean?" Shae stammered.
"All magic comes with a price, Shae. Even magic such as Excalibur." Grand Pabbie replied, his tone more quiet and dark than ever. "And the price that you must pay is steep, indeed."
Shae swallowed the hard, fearful lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. "What kind of price?" She whispered.
"Your life."
Shae's eyes grew wide with alarm, and everyone else's jaws dropped open in sheer horror. "What?" Elsa exclaimed.
"The only way to destroy The Hollow, is the death of its host." Grand Pabbie slowly explained. "The hollow heart with The Hollow residing within must be pierced by Excalibur. Then, and only then, will The Hollow be rid of this world, and all others that be."
"You can't be serious." Anna whispered, vigorously shaking her head. "There… T-There has to be another way!"
Grand Pabbie pursed his stony lips, and they all watched him anxiously as he took another moment to respond. "I cannot say for sure." He muttered quietly. "That is the only way I myself know of. However, there is another man that might have more answers. An ancient and powerful sorcerer, much more powerful than I."
"Merlin?" Asked Shae. When Grand Pabbie nodded, she breathed out a frustrated groan. "Great. Last time I checked, he's still a tree."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Grand Pabbie said with a knowing smile. When Shae and the others looked to him in expectant silence, he went on. "It seems that your friends in Camelot have succeeded in their task. Merlin is now free from his bondage, as is Excalibur. In fact, the fabled blade is in the hands of The Dark One as we speak."
Shae's piercing blue eyes grew wide with shock. "Emma has Excalibur?" She whispered. Grand Pabbie nodded once more, to which Shae nodded back. "Right. Ok. I need to get back to Camelot. I need to find Emma, find Merlin, and… A-And hope that he has answers. I may be over two-hundred years old, but I still think I'm too young to die just yet."
The others all chuckled at Shae's cheeky and quirky grin. However, as she watched everyone else saying their goodbyes to Grand Pabbie and the other trolls, the grin faded from her face. She tried to quell the terror that was bubbling in her stomach. She wasn't afraid of death, but she certainly wasn't ready for it, especially since her and Regina were finally on the path toward their happy ending. She hoped against hope that Merlin, the fabled sorcerer, would have another way to rid her of The Hollow, a better way.
Elsa, Ruby, Anna, and Kristoff began to make their way out of the home of the rock trolls, but Shae remained behind with Grand Pabbie for a moment. "Can I ask you something?" She asked of him. When he nodded, she knelt down in front of him, to better see into his ancient, stony eyes. "You know things, Grand Pabbie. Lots of things. I'm sure you know that, I… I-I've done a lot of terrible things in my life, things that I regret, things that I've paid dearly for."
Shae paused, biting back the tears that were welling into her eyes. "I've worked really hard to put all that behind me." She went on in a whisper. "I've worked so, so hard to change, to be better, to be… A hero."
"What exactly is your question, child?" Grand Pabbie asked her.
Shae breathed out a shaky sigh, running a hand through her messy black hair. "My question is… After all that I've done, after all that I've been through, is it all… Pointless? Am I just… Just… Doomed, or something? Doomed to suffer, doomed to always be… A villain?"
Grand Pabbie didn't respond right away. He stared deep into Shae's eyes, his own filled with immeasurable sorrow. It was the same kind of sorrow that she had seen in his eyes before, all those years ago, when he had spoken about her destiny. It still chilled her right to the bone.
"I'm afraid I can't answer that question, Shae." He whispered with a sad smile. "Only you can. You must hold on to hope."
Shae breathed out a sour laugh, wiping a few stray tears from her face. "Yeah… Snow and Charming are always saying stuff like that."
"Then you would be wise to listen to them." Grand Pabbie said with another smile. He then reached out, and took Shae's hand in both of his own. "Keep your friends and loved ones close. And always remember, whenever you feel lost, whenever you feel hopeless and weak, know that visions and prophecy are never completely absolute. Not much in this life truly is."
Grand Pabbie released Shae's hand, and placed both of his own on either side of her face. "Your life, your fate, they're in your hands, Shae." He whispered with a smile. "You control your own destiny. You always have."
XX
Night had fallen by the time Shae was packed and ready for her trip back to Camelot. She shared misty eyed embraces with Ruby, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven as they stood in Arendelle Castle's entrance hall. Finally, she turned to Elsa, the woman that she had once loved, the woman that was still very dear to her heart.
Before saying her goodbyes, Elsa handed Shae two pieces of paper. One of them was the page about The Hollow she had torn from the book, and the other she had written on herself. In her infinite wisdom, she decided to record everything Grand Pabbie had told them, just in case Shae might need it.
"I'm sorry your visit to Arendelle was for nothing." Elsa said, trying her best to smile through the tears welling into her eyes.
"Nothing?" Shae echoed, breathing out a surprised laugh. "It wasn't for nothing, Elsa. I learned a lot, and I got to see all of you again." She paused for a moment, smiling around at everyone's teary eyed faces. Then, she turned her gaze back to Elsa, her own eyes welling with tears. "And, I… I finally feel like I got some closure over everything that happened between us. I never really got to say goodbye, and now I can. It's easier, knowing how happy you are now. You and Ruby are… Perfect for each other."
Elsa and Ruby both smiled at each other, their eyes streaming with tears. Elsa then stepped up to Shae, and wrapped her arms around her neck. Shae held her tight, tears beginning to leak from her own eyes.
"Will we ever see you again?" Elsa whispered, her voice quavering with emotion.
Shae sighed as Elsa released her, and she held both of her hands in her own. "I… Don't know." She muttered, smiling a sad smile. "But I really hope so."
Elsa nodded, and Shae watched her curiously as she removed the necklace with the snowflake pendant that she always wore from around her neck. It was the necklace that had been given to her by her sister, the one that held the now inactive wishing star inside.
"Then I want you to have this." She said as she pressed the necklace into Shae's hand. "Just a little something to remember me by."
Shae opened and closed her mouth several times, struggling to find words as she stared down at the necklace in her hand. "Elsa… You know I'll never forget you." She whispered softly.
Elsa nodded some more as more and more tears poured from her eyes. "Then let it serve as a different reminder." She said, smiling through her tears. "A reminder of who you once were, who you really are." She paused for a moment, and took Shae's face in her hands, staring deep into her eyes. "I want you to know just how dear you are to me, Shae, to all of us. I hope you never forget it."
"Good luck, Shae." Kristoff said with a misty eyed smile.
"You'll always be our Protector." Said Anna.
Olaf opened his mouth to speak as well, but all that came out was a strangled, miserable cry. Shae chuckled as he began to sob loudly, wrapping his stick arms around Kristoff's legs. Shae then turned back to Elsa and Ruby, who both embraced her again, and pressed a kiss on both of her cheeks.
"Are you sure you don't want to come see Granny?" Shae asked of Ruby.
Ruby bit her lip, and slowly shook her head. "If I do, I'll only feel even worse than I already do for leaving her." She replied. "Just… Tell her that I'm happy, ok?"
Shae nodded in silent agreement. She remained where she stood for a moment, smiling around at all her friends and loved ones from Arendelle. It pained her to leave them all again, but she was content knowing that Elsa was finally happy. They all were.
Shae stepped toward the door, but paused, biting her lip with her hand on the handle. "By the way," She slowly began as she turned back around. She cleared her throat, and turned her attention back onto Elsa and Ruby. "Ruby, Elsa loves you. Elsa, Ruby loves you too."
Both Elsa and Ruby's eyes grew wide, and Anna stifled a giggle from behind them. "There." Shae went on with a satisfied grin. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" She cleared her throat again, and gave them all a wave. "Anyway… See ya!"
With that, Shae disappeared in a gust of swirling wind. Elsa and Ruby both stood rigidly still, and the others all watched them with bated breath. Slowly, they turned to face each other, and they both started to laugh. With tears streaming from her eyes, Elsa cupped Ruby's face in her hands, and placed a deep, passionate kiss on her lips.
"I love you, Ruby."
"I love you too, Elsa."
XXXXX
Shae slowly began to wake. She kept her eyes shut tight as she felt her head spinning. Slowly, carefully, she peeled her eyes open, and found herself staring up at a rocky ceiling. She groaned as she sat forward, and her brow furrowed when she realized she was lying on the pebble strewn ground. What was most confusing, and alarming, was the shackle and chain that were attached to her ankle.
"Well, well… Look who's finally awake."
Shae nearly leapt right out of her skin. She turned her torso around, and her lips curled into a snarl when she found Zelena sitting on the ground behind her. She was dressed in a hospital gown, but was clearly no longer pregnant.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Shae grumbled.
"Oh, you know, I just thought I'd spend a little quality time with my favorite almost sister-in-law." Zelena replied chipperly, her tone heavy with sarcasm. "As well as Captain Guy-Liner over here."
Shae's eyes grew wide with shock when she realized that Captain Hook was also sitting on the ground, looking glum. He and Zelena both had shackles similar to Shae's strapped to their ankles.
"Dammit, Emma." Shae muttered. She then turned her attention on her own shackle, and waved her hand over it in attempt to magically remove it. "Why the hell can't I use my magic?"
"It looks like Dark Swan put a magic dampening spell on that shackle." Zelena spat bitterly. "Don't worry, I've got one of my own."
Zelena raised her arm, which had a very familiar black leather cuff attached to it. "Why is Emma doing this?" Asked Shae, raising her eyebrows in alarm. "What the hell is going on?"
"The Dark One sped up my pregnancy, and kidnapped me, so she can use me to get rid of her darkness, as well as yours." Zelena replied, narrowing her eyes irritably at Shae. "She's going to put all of it into me, then strike me down with that damned sword."
Shae's eyes grew wide with shock, and she slowly turned them onto Hook. "Seriously?"
"Aye." Hook muttered grimly. "It appears that she's lost all reason."
Shae breathed out a bemused laugh, and she leaned her back against the rocky wall of Emma's basement. "Well, I don't know about that. It is a pretty solid plan."
"Right. Thanks for that." Grumbled Zelena.
"Oh, sorry, am I supposed to shed a tear over you or something?" Snapped Shae.
Hook suddenly emitted a frustrated snarl, and he slammed his fist into the ground. "Dammit, will you just listen to yourself!" He shouted, glaring at Shae. "We're talking about cold blooded murder!"
"Cold blooded? Seriously?" Shae demanded, throwing her arms up in the air. "She killed Neal, she killed Marian! And, most importantly, she almost killed me!"
"Right, right… And how many people have you killed?" Zelena snarled, narrowing her eyes at Shae once again. "Hundreds? Maybe more?"
"Shut up!" Shae shouted.
"Both of you shut up!" Bellowed Hook. When Zelena and Shae both silently glared at each other, he turned his attention back onto Shae. "You can't seriously be considering sitting back and doing nothing!"
"Yeah, maybe I am." Shae replied with an unconcerned shrug. "Why the hell do you care, anyway?"
"BECAUSE I SEE MYSELF IN YOU!"
Shae blinked several times in surprise at Hook's sudden, furious outburst. "What?" She whispered.
Hook breathed out a heavy sigh, leaning back against the wall. "I've seen how much you've changed, how hard you've worked to become a hero." He quietly replied, his eyes glistening with tears. "When I see how far you and your Queen have both come, it… Gives me hope, hope that Emma and I can win the battle against our own darkness."
Shae watched with a heavy heart as Hook wiped furiously at a few stray tears. "If you can so easily slip right back into that darkness," He went on in a bitter tone. "Then… Then what hope is there for me, for Emma?"
Shae bit her lip, rubbing at the brand on her chest as it gave a painful twinge. She then breathed out a sad, heavy sigh. "You're right. I'm sorry." She muttered quietly. "I guess… Old habits die hard, you know?"
Hook chuckled, and managed a weak smile. "Aye. That they do."
"As touching as this all is," Zelena began to say, dramatically rolling her eyes. "Can we please focus on finding a way out of this mess?"
Shae sighed, gesturing to the shackles attached to all their ankles. "Well, without magic, I don't think we're going anywhere."
"Wait a moment…" Hook suddenly muttered, his eyes wide. "You two may not have magic, but I do."
Zelena and Shae both exchanged a shocked glance. "You have magic?" Zelena asked with a snort.
"Not me, no. But my hook does." Hook replied with a grin. "As you recall, I imbued it with magic to rip out your heart."
"And you didn't use it… Why?" Asked Shae. When Hook raised a knowing eyebrow at her, she breathed out a heavy sigh. "Right, right. 'Murder bad.' I get it."
Hook rolled his eyes at Shae, then turned his attention back to Zelena. "Now, I can't be completely certain, but perhaps I can use my hook to remove your cuff. Then, you can set us all free."
The three of them all nodded their heads, and scrambled up onto their feet. Zelena held out her arm to Hook, frowning when the pirate remained where he stood. "Well, go on!" She cried. "What the hell are you waiting for?"
Hook was suddenly eyeing Zelena very warily, and he silently fiddled with his hook for a moment. "Last time I tried helping you, you betrayed me. And you did rip out our friend's heart, here." He replied, exchanging a quick glance with Shae. "How do we know we can trust you?"
"You don't." Zelena replied with a shrug. "But, the beauty of it all is… You don't have a choice."
Hook looked to Shae again, who also shrugged. "She's got a point." Shae mumbled.
Hook breathed out a begrudging sigh, then nodded. "Right, then. Here's to trust."
Zelena held out her arm once again, and Hook stepped forward as far as he could. He reached out with his hook, and there was a flash of bright white light as he undid the cuff on Zelena's arm. The cuff fell to the ground at Zelena's feet, and she sighed contentedly, rubbing her wrist. She then magically undid her own shackle, and drew her arms up, engulfing herself in a cloud of bright green smoke. When the smoke cleared, she was no longer wearing a hospital gown. She was now garbed in an elegant green dress, a black wool shawl, and a black hat to match.
"Mommy's back." She said with a grin. She then turned her attention onto Hook and Shae. "Now then. About that deal we made."
Zelena paused for dramatic effect, staring between the two of them. Shae and Hook waited with bated breath, their hearts hammering. Zelena then waved her hand, and the shackles on their feet fell away.
"Wow." Shae said, chuckling as she kicked her shackle away from her. "I'm… Pleasantly surprised."
Zelena laughed loudly, and wrapped her arm around Shae's shoulders. "Oh, don't worry, darling." She said, lightly pinching Shae's cheek, ignoring her grimace of disgust. "You can trust me."
XXXXX
Leaves and twigs crunched under Shae's boots as she walked toward Granny's Diner. It was still sitting deep in the woods just outside of Camelot, where it had first landed upon arrival in the realm of The Enchanted Forest. It was dark inside, but Shae could make out distinct shadows of people milling about within. Her heart began to race as she grew closer and closer. She couldn't wait to see Regina again. She had found Arthur's castle empty of all Storybrooke residents, so she hoped that the woman she loved would be inside the diner. She couldn't wait to see those beautiful brown eyes again, and that smile that she loved so very much.
The bell over the diner's door tinkled as Shae stepped through the door. She found Mary Margaret, David, and Henry within, along with a tall, dark skinned man in flowing robes that Shae didn't recognize. Her heart soared when she spotted her best friend Remus sitting at the counter, Regina, the woman that she loved, sitting beside him.
"Shae!" Henry exclaimed.
"You're back!" Said Mary Margaret.
Everyone immediately leapt up from the various places they had been sitting, and rushed over to Shae. She exchanged quick embraces with Henry, David, and Mary Margaret, and, finally, she turned to Regina. She found herself overwhelmed with emotion as she stared into those deep brown eyes, and her own eyes swam with tears as she swept Regina into her arms.
"You came back." Regina whispered as she held Shae tight.
"Always." Shae whispered back.
Regina laughed, her eyes glistening with tears as well. She cupped Shae's face in her hands, and placed a deep, passionate kiss on her lips. It was the kind of kiss that would make even the most stoic of people blush. Shae suddenly felt her head spinning, and her heart began to race as her lips parted against Regina's.
"God, I missed you." Shae murmured, pressing her forehead against Regina's.
Regina smiled through her joyful tears, gently caressing Shae's face. "I missed you too."
"Alright, that's quite enough of that." Remus muttered, dramatically rolling his eyes. "Out of the way, now. Best friend, coming through."
Remus shoved Regina, a bit roughly, out of his way, and threw his arms around his best friend. "Thank god you're back." He said as he held Shae tight. He then released her, and held her out at arm's length. "Don't you dare leave me alone with these people again."
"Remus, we have all been perfectly pleasant to you." Mary Margaret said scoldingly, folding her arms across her chest.
"Oh, yes, you have." Remus replied, eyebrows raised. "But all the trouble you all seem to get yourselves into is utterly maddening."
"Yeah, uh… What exactly is going on?" Asked Shae, glancing around at them all. "I went looking for you guys at Arthur's castle, and, well… Let's just say that everyone in that place was even more unhappy to see me than usual."
The others all exchanged dark and knowing glances. "A lot has happened since you've been gone, Shae." Said David, his tone grave. "Come and sit down. We'll tell you all about it."
Shae nodded her head, and they all sat around at a table together. Before they began to recount events in Camelot the last few weeks, they quickly introduced Shae to the dark skinned man that had been standing quietly off to the side. He was none other than Merlin, the fabled sorcerer. Shae was positively bursting with questions for him, but she held her tongue as Regina and the others told her about everything that had happened since she had been in Arendelle.
The people of Storybrooke were now at all out war with Camelot. The great King Arthur had proved himself to be a cunning villain, and he had been secretly thwarting everyone's attempts to free Merlin from his tree. They were able to succeed regardless, and Arthur quickly aligned himself with Zelena, who had managed to free herself from her magical bondage. The two of them cast a dark spell, which bound Merlin to Excalibur. Arthur attempted to use him to get The Promethean Flame from Emma, which could finally reunite Excalibur with The Dark One's dagger.
Emma, with Hook's help, managed to free Merlin from Arthur's control. Hook was injured during the scuffle, and suffered a gash on his neck from Excalibur. Emma healed his wound, but only temporarily. As she was about to use The Promethean Flame to make Excalibur whole again, Hook's wound suddenly reopened. He had been bleeding to death upon the ground when Emma suddenly realized that she could use her own dark magic to bind Hook to Excalibur. It would save his life, but it would mean that Hook would also become a Dark One.
Emma's friends and family had all protested, as did Hook. He begged Emma to stop, to just let him go. He feared that he would be too weak to fight the darkness, that it would only consume him. But Emma was desperate to save the man she loved. She disappeared with Hook in tow, and the others immediately rushed off in search of them. When they arrived at The Dark One's vault, they found that it was too late. Merlin told them that Captain Hook had already been forged as the new Dark One.
"Wait a minute…" Shae muttered, bewilderedly shaking her head. "So, not only is Emma The Dark One, but Hook is too now?"
The others all nodded gravely. "Everyone else is still out looking for them as we speak." Said Regina. "The rest of us decided to wait here, in case they come back." Regina then shifted in her seat to better face Shae, and she stared mournfully into her lover's eyes. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you more in my letters. I couldn't risk Arthur finding out what we were doing."
Shae smiled, and placed a light kiss on Regina's lips. "It's alright, I'm here now. I'll do whatever I can to help."
"Well, I'm afraid there's little else to do at the moment except wait for the new Dark Ones to return." Remus said, leaning back in his chair.
"Tell us all about Arendelle!" Henry said excitedly. "Did you get to see Elsa again? Is she ok?"
"Yeah, I did." Shae replied with a smile. "She's, uh… Really great. Her kingdom is better than ever, and she's already found someone else."
"Really?" Asked Regina, raising her eyebrows in surprise. "Who?"
"Ruby."
Everyone's eyes grew wide with shock. "Wait a minute…" Henry muttered, his jaw dangling open. "Ruby is in Arendelle, and with… Elsa?"
Shae smiled some more as she nodded her head. "They're crazy in love, and just… Really happy."
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Mary Margaret exclaimed, her eyes shining with joyous tears. "We'll have to tell Granny as soon as she gets back."
"What about The Hollow?" Asked David. "Did you learn anything about it while you were there?"
Shae bit her lip, hesitating in silence for a moment as she stared around and everyone's expectant faces. She then removed the papers that Elsa had given her from inside her vest, and began to tell them everything she had learned about The Hollow from Grand Pabbie.
They were all shocked and horrified by this new and startling information, and Regina was especially distraught. She blamed herself for all of Shae's heartbreak, which had allowed The Hollow to take up residence inside her heart. Shae did her best to console the woman she loved, but it had little effect.
"No, there… T-There must be another way to free her from The Hollow that doesn't require her death." Remus snarled, looking to Merlin with wide, fearful eyes. "There just has to be!"
Merlin glanced around at all of them in silence for a moment, then turned his gaze back onto Shae. "Shae…" He slowly began. "Perhaps we should speak in private."
"No." Shae replied, vigorously shaking her head. "Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of them."
Merlin hesitated in silence for another moment. He then breathed out a sad, heavy sigh. Shae already knew what he was about to say just by the look on his face. She tried desperately to stop her hands from shaking underneath the table.
"I am truly sorry, Shae." The great sorcerer finally replied. "Piercing your heart with Excalibur is the only way to free yourself from The Hollow."
"And what kind of freedom is that, exactly?" Regina snarled furiously. "She'll die!"
"Yes." Merlin sadly agreed. "But it would be one of the greatest and most noble sacrifices. You will be ridding this world and all those that be of one of the most terrifying and powerful evils, for good."
"She's not sacrificing a goddamn thing!" Shouted Remus, angrily rising to his feet. "We'll find another way!"
"Wait, can't she just, you know… Learn to live with it?" Mary Margaret asked of Merlin. "The Hollow has been inside her for weeks now. She's been just fine!"
"No." Merlin whispered, his eyes suddenly filled with fear. He turned his wide eyed gaze onto Shae, who was staring quietly down at the table. "You musn't let thoughts like that tempt you, Shae. I saw many possibilities for your future, but this, by far, is the darkest. It may be lying dormant now, but it will consume you."
"Like hell it will!" Regina growled, her clenched fists trembling. "She can fight it! I know she can!"
Merlin slowly and gravely shook his head. "It's just not possible. The Hollow is much too strong. No one can fight off such dark power."
"You fought off Excalibur's control." Said David, raising an eyebrow at the sorcerer.
"It's not the same." Replied Merlin.
"LIKE HELL IT ISN'T!" Roared Regina.
Regina too leapt furiously to her feet, and chaos erupted in the once quiet diner as she and Remus continued shouting at Merlin. Shae slowly turned her gaze up from the table, staring around at all her friends and loved ones, all of them desperate to save her life. Regina and Remus screamed at Merlin, and Mary Margaret and David attempted to calm them both down. Henry simply stared at Shae with tears in his eyes.
Shae's heart began to pound in her chest, her throat suddenly very dry, her ears filled with a deafening ringing. She stared up at Regina, the woman that she loved so very deeply. She tried to burn her image into her mind, to memorize her face, right down to the very last gorgeous detail. She reached out toward Regina's arm, but stopped as her hand began to tremble violently. She bit back a terrified sob, and buried her face in her quivering hands. Only one thought kept turning around and around in her mind; I'm not ready, I'm not ready.
Suddenly, all the shouting stopped. Shae glanced back up at Regina, who was standing rigidly still, her finger pointed in Merlin's face. "Regina?" Shae asked. She looked around at the others, who were also holding unnaturally still. "Um… Guys?"
Shae jumped when she felt a sudden tingling sensation on her arm. She glanced down, her eyes growing wide when she saw a black leather cuff strapped to her wrist. "What?" She exclaimed, leaping to her feet. "NO!"
"Oh, yes!"
Shae whirled around, her lips curling into a snarl when she found Zelena, The Wicked Witch of the West, standing by the diner's door. Beside her was none other than Robin Hood, his hands bound together with rope, a white cloth tied around his mouth. He emitted a muffled cry from around the cloth, his eyes gaping wide, and filled with fear.
"What the hell are you doing?" Shae bellowed, pointing a furious finger at Robin. "Let him go!"
Zelena casually draped her arm around Robin's shoulders, tapping a finger against her chin. "Hmm… Sorry. No." She replied, giving Shae a one armed shrug. "You see, I've been waiting ever so patiently for you to return. Now that you have, I can finally put my plan into motion."
"Plan? What plan?" Shae snarled, tugging furiously at the cuff on her wrist. She glanced back at Regina and the others, who were all still frozen in place, then turned back to Zelena. "What the hell do you want, Zelena?"
"Oh, to destroy my little sister's happiness, of course." Zelena replied with a devilish grin. "I think I'll start with her true loves."
Shae opened her mouth to retort, but all that came out was a strangled groan as Zelena waved her hand in her direction. Shae's world was suddenly a spinning, chaotic blur. Her legs gave out from beneath her, and she hit the floor face first. Zelena's dark and maniacal laughter rang in her ears as she lost consciousness.
XXXXX
Hook, Shae, and Zelena made a hasty escape from Emma's basement. Hook decided to remain behind to try and talk some sense into Emma, but Zelena was all too eager to get as far away from The Dark One as she could. Shae was hesitant at first, for she too wanted to try and talk to the woman that had once been her friend. In the end, she decided to leave things to Hook. She needed to find Regina, and tell her of Emma's plan.
Upon arriving back at Regina's house, Shae found only Henry waiting inside. She was about to leave again in search of Regina, but Henry begged her to stay. The poor boy was frightened and confused, destitute over the fact that his mother, The Savior, was now a villain. The brand over Shae's heart ached as Henry broke down into tears. She hadn't realized how much of a toll everything had taken on him.
Despite the urgency of the situation with Emma and Zelena, Shae knew that Henry needed her most at the moment. She agreed to stay with him, and they both fell asleep on the couch watching their favorite Star Wars movie. They awoke to the sound of the front door bursting open. They both blinked dazedly in the bright sunlight flooding the room. They had slept through the night, and the sun had risen over Storybrooke once again.
"Mom!" Henry suddenly exclaimed.
Shae turned herself around on the couch, and saw Regina stepping into the living room. She immediately knew something was wrong. Her lover's face was white as a sheet, and she had tears in her gorgeous brown eyes.
"What happened?" Henry asked as he threw his arms around his mother. "Are you ok?"
"Fine, Henry. I'm fine." Regina muttered in reply.
"Are you sure?" Shae asked, eyeing Regina with concern. "You look… Upset."
Regina stared deep into Shae's eyes, opening and closing her mouth several times, her bottom lip trembling. Shae watched in shock and confusion as tears began to stream from her eyes. Regina then choked out a strangled sob, and she pulled Shae into her arms. She held Shae tighter than she possibly ever had before, and she pressed gentle but desperate kisses on her cheek, and on the side of her head.
"Regina… You're shaking." Shae muttered. She then pushed Regina back, and held her out at arms length, searching her eyes in concern. "What the hell is going on?"
Regina breathed out a shaky sigh, and slowly shook her head. "I… I-I need to sit down." She mumbled, tightly gripping both of Shae's hands. "It's been a long night."
Shae exchanged an anxious glance with Henry, then nodded. She held on to Regina's arm as she led her over to the couch. Once they had all sat down, Regina began to explain to Shae and Henry what had happened while she had been gone.
Unsurprisingly, Zelena had not exactly been truthful in her plan to get far away from Emma. After Shae had left, Zelena decided to go exploring in the new Dark One's home. She had found dozens of dream catchers in Emma's garage, dream catchers that held the lost memories of all those that had been in Camelot. She returned to Hook, who had been in mid argument with Emma, and used her magic to return his memories to him, which was not at all a good thing.
Shae and Henry sat with their mouths gaping open as Regina explained to them that Hook had become a Dark One back in Camelot. Now, with his memories returned, the darkness had entered him all over again. Unable to fight against the darkness within him, Hook returned to the path of his centuries old quest for revenge against Rumplestiltskin. Hook had already gone to Gold, and proposed a duel on his ship at noon, to which Gold agreed. Gold was not expected to survive.
Regina also said that Emma had finally given up on her plans, but was still not to be fully trusted. At the moment, she was under the careful watch of Merida, the young woman from DunBroch, whom Emma had brought with her to Storybrooke. In attempt to help, and make amends for all she had done, Emma allowed Regina to use more of the dream catchers. Regina now had her memories back, as did David and Mary Margaret.
"Wait, so… You remember everything now?" Asked Shae. When Regina nodded, Shae's brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't understand… Why didn't you give me my memories back?"
Regina bit her lip hesitantly, and slowly shook her head. "I can't." She whispered, staring mournfully into her lover's eyes. "You can't remember, Shae. Not ever."
"Why?" Shae asked, her eyes wide with concern. "What the hell happened, Regina?"
Regina shook her head even more, more tears welling into her eyes. Shae opened her mouth with more questions, but Regina stopped her by placing a finger to her lips. For a moment, she simply stared into Shae's eyes, as if she were trying to burn the image of her face into her mind, to memorize every last detail.
"Please…" Regina whispered shakily, tears now pouring from her eyes. "Please, Shae. You have to trust me."
Shae stared back into the eyes of the woman that she loved, and she saw nothing but fear and sorrow in those deep, gorgeous brown eyes. "Of course." She whispered, gently squeezing Regina's hand. "Of course, I trust you."
Regina nodded, and she leaned forward, placing a tender kiss on Shae's lips. "Thank you." She whispered back. She paused for a moment, continuing to stare deep into Shae's piercing blue eyes, her own still streaming with tears. "I love you, Shae. With my whole heart."
"I love you too." Shae whispered in return.
Regina nodded some more, and placed another kiss on Shae's lips. "I will find a way to save you." She murmured as she held Shae's face in her hands. "I promise, I will."
Shae exchanged another worried glance with Henry as Regina suddenly rose to her feet. "W-Where are you going?" Asked Henry.
"Emma and the others, they need my help to stop Hook." Regina quietly explained.
"I'll come with you." Said Shae, also leaping to her feet.
Regina shook her head, and placed her hand gently on Shae's shoulder. "Shae, no." She muttered, staring mournfully into her lover's eyes again. "I need you to stay here with Henry."
Shae's mouth gaped open as she stared back into Regina's eyes. Suddenly, a deep, seething rage took hold of her, and her lips curled into a snarl. "No!" She shouted, swatting Regina's hand away. "No, I will not sit on the sidelines anymore!"
"Shae, please." Regina pleaded with her. "Please, I told you, I-"
"I don't give a shit what you told me!" Shae continued to shout, pointing a furious finger in Regina's face. "I'm not your puppet anymore, Regina! I'm not some stupid little pet that you can keep locked up all day. You gave me my heart back. You don't control me ANYMORE!"
"Shae, please!"
"FUCK YOU!"
Suddenly, Shae let out a strangled cry. She clutched at her chest as it burned with a stinging, white hot pain. Regina and Henry both gasped in alarm as she collapsed to her knees upon the floor. Regina dropped down in front of her, and Henry too rushed to her side in concern.
"No, no, no…" Regina muttered as Shae doubled over, one hand on the floor, the other clutching her aching chest. "No, Shae, no… Please… Not now. Not again!"
Shae squeezed her eyes shut, her head spinning, her ears ringing. She took deep, ragged breaths, her whole body trembling. Through the deafening ringing in her ears, she heard a voice whispering to her, a dark, sinister voice, a voice that was all to familiar.
It hurts. Make them HURT.
Shae groaned, her hands shaking violently as she clutched at her head. "Shut up…" She growled.
"Shae?" She heard Regina shouting. "Shae, can you hear me?"
Kill them. Kill them all.
"Stop it…" Shae whispered.
"Who's she talking to?" Henry asked.
Kill… Kill… KILL.
"Shae?" Regina continued shouting, grabbing Shae by her shoulders. "SHAE!"
"GET AWAY FROM ME!"
A blast of magic in the form of a violent gust of wind knocked both Henry and Regina back. Henry barreled right into the couch, and it toppled over from the momentum of his body. Regina was blasted into the wall, and her head smacked painfully against it. She slumped down onto the floor, her head spinning, aching. She peered through foggy vision at Shae, who was still hunched over on the floor, her body trembling violently.
Regina scrambled to her feet, and staggered over to her son, who was freeing himself from the couch cushions that had fallen on top of him. "Henry!" Regina exclaimed. "Henry, are you alright?"
Henry nodded as his mother helped him to his feet. They both then glanced over at Shae, just in time to see her collapse face first onto the floor. Regina and her son both rushed over to Shae, and they quickly rolled her over. Shae's eyes were closed, her body completely still. She was totally unconscious.
"W-What do we do?" Henry asked of his mother, his eyes wide with fear.
Regina sighed, placing her quivering hand on Shae's sweat covered forehead. "Henry, I need you to go find David and Mary Margaret." She told her son in an urgent whisper. "I'll take Shae to my vault. She'll be safe there."
Henry didn't even bother to argue with his mother. He simply nodded his head, and hurried toward the door. Once Henry was gone, Regina swept her hand over Shae's body, and they were both engulfed in a cloud of purple smoke.
Regina appeared with Shae in tow inside the magical safe room within her vault. She stood with her eyes closed for a moment, trying to stop her head spinning, and her limbs from trembling. She breathed out a shaky sigh as she sat down on the edge of the bed, where Shae was now lying. As she stared down at the peaceful, unconscious face of the woman that she loved, her heart ached with sorrow, with regret, regret over all the heartache she had caused her.
"Shae, I know you can't hear me." Regina whispered softly, brushing back a stray lock of Shae's hair. "But, I promise you, I will spend every minute of every day trying to find some way to make up for everything I've done to you. I will use every breath I have to tell you exactly how much I love you."
With tears rushing down her face, Regina leaned forward, and kissed the lips that she loved so very much. "I will find a way to stop all this. I will find a way to save you." She whispered. Then, her lips curled into a furious snarl, and she balled her hands into fists. "And my sister… She will pay for what she's done to you."
XXXXX
Shae groaned as she slowly began to wake. The last thing she remembered was Zelena appearing in Granny's Diner with Robin Hood, then not much after that. She peeled her eyes open, and found herself staring up at stars in the night sky, slightly obscured by the tops of trees. She sat forward, and gritted her teeth when she heard a very familiar voice from behind her.
"Well, well… Look who's finally awake."
Shae scrambled up onto her feet, and whirled around to find Zelena sitting on a tree stump, a wide grin stretching across her face. "Dammit, Zelena." Shae snarled, glancing quickly all around her. "Where's Robin? What the hell did you do to him?"
"Oh, don't you worry about old Robby." Zelena replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "He's safe and sound. For now."
"'For now?'" Shae echoed, narrowing her eyes at Zelena. "What's going on? What the hell are you scheming?"
Zelena breathed out a low, dark chuckle, and rose from her stump. "Oh, something very, very… Wicked." She slowly began to saunter toward Shae, grinning deviously all the while. "You see, I've given my darling little sister a choice; She has till sunrise to decide whether she wants to save her thief, or you."
Shae chuckled too, and she ran a hand through her messy black hair as she slowly shook her head. "You are just… Seriously fucked up."
"Sticks and stones, darling, sticks and stones." Zelena replied, waving her hand idly once again.
"You're insane if you think Regina is actually going to play your stupid game." Shae snarled. "She'll find another way to stop you, or I will."
"And how exactly are you planning to do that?" Asked Zelena, gesturing to the cuff that was still clamped to Shae's wrist. "Are you going to babble me to death?"
Shae gritted her teeth, keeping a careful eye on Zelena as she began to walk circles around her. "Tell me… Who do you think Regina will choose, hm?" Asked Zelena, still grinning in a way that made Shae want to punch her right in her face. "Do you really think she'll choose you over dear Robin? He does have a son after all, and another baby on the way."
Shae gave Zelena a disgusted grimace as she ran a hand over the small bump in her stomach. "She won't have to choose." Growled Shae. "She'll find another way."
Zelena barked out a disbelieving laugh. "And if she doesn't? What then? She's chosen Robin over you before. What makes you think she won't do it again?"
Shae winced, and rubbed at the brand over her chest as it gave a painful twinge. "Just look at how much Regina has changed, how hard she's tried to become a… Hero." Zelena drolled on, grimacing slightly herself. "Robin may be a thief, but the man doesn't have an evil bone in his body. But you… I think you might just be even more wicked than I am."
"Shut up." Shae snarled through gritted teeth, her chest aching even more. "I'm not listening to you."
"Why not? Because you know I speak the truth?" Asked Zelena. "Do you really think Regina needs someone like you by her side? All you are is a grim reminder of her past."
Shae opened her mouth to retort, but shut it again as she heard a strange sound. It was a whisper, and, for a moment, she glanced all around her, searching for its source. It was a deep, dark, guttural whisper. Suddenly, she realized that it was coming from her own mind.
She doesn't love you…
Shae squeezed her eyes shut, clenching her fists tight. "Shut up." She growled at the voice in her head.
None of them do. They're just using you, toying with you, lying, always lying. Aren't you tired of it?
Shae's hands began to tremble, and she placed them on either side of her head. "Stop it." She whispered shakily.
Everything you do is for her, and what have you gotten in return? NOTHING!
"SHUT UP!"
Shae snapped her eyes open, and she found Zelena standing before her, still grinning wickedly. She took a step back, her chest heaving, the brand in her flesh burning. "Let's take a look at what dear Regina is up to right now, shall we?" Asked Zelena.
The Wicked Witch of the West held out her hand, which was momentarily engulfed in a cloud of bright green smoke. When the smoke dissipated, there was a small but ornate hand mirror sitting in her open palm. The mirror had a crack in the glass.
"That's… T-That's the mirror I gave to Regina!" Shae stammered as she tried to calm her racing heart.
"Indeed it is." Zelena replied, still grinning.
Zelena waved her hand over the mirror, then handed it over to Shae. Zelena stepped behind Shae as she took the mirror in her trembling hands. With Zelena watching over her shoulder, Shae stared down into the mirror's glass, which was swirling with bright green smoke. When the smoke cleared, she saw Regina rushing through the forest, Mary Margaret and Remus right beside her. She smiled as she watched the image of the woman that she loved. As quickly as it came, her smile faded, and she watched in horror as Robin of Locksley appeared in the mirror. Regina smiled with she saw him, the smile that Shae loved so very much.
Shae watched as Regina threw her arms around Robin. She squeezed his arms, his shoulders, his face, smiling all the while. With The Wicked Witch behind her, Shae failed to notice Zelena waving her hand in the air. Her jaw dropped open as Regina pulled Robin Hood into her arms, and kissed him.
"Oh, would you look at that." Zelena whispered in Shae's ear. "Looks like my sister has made her choice."
The mirror slipped from Shae's hands, and fell into the grass at her feet. Her whole body began to tremble violently, and a deafening ringing filled her ears. Her chest burned with a white hot pain, and she heard the voice of The Hollow whispering to her once again.
She doesn't love you.
"No." Shae whispered, tears beginning to stream from her eyes.
It hurts. All she's ever done is make you hurt. I can make it stop.
Shae's knees buckled, and she clamped her hands on either side of her head again. Images began to flash before her mind; Regina ripping out her heart, Regina attacking her in the Storybrooke cemetery, Regina standing on her front porch, telling her that she loved Robin.
I can set you free, Shae. I can make it all go away. You just have to give in.
Shae choked out a strangled sob, digging her fingers into her own scalp. "It hurts…" She whispered.
I know. Now make her hurt. Make them all hurt. Make them hurt like they hurt you.
More images flashed before Shae's eyes; Getting captured by Snow White and Prince Charming, being tortured in their dungeon, being locked in a cell within the Storybrooke Sheriff's Station, David and Mary Margaret banishing her from Storybrooke.
Shae shifted her eyes over to the mirror lying in the grass next to her. She watched Regina holding Robin Hood in her arms, smiling that smile that she loved so very much. Suddenly, a vicious, white hot rage began to boil deep within her. Her knuckles cracked as she balled her hands into fists. She raised one fist into the air, and brought it down onto the mirror, shattering the glass to pieces.
"I WILL MAKE THEM HURT!"
Zelena, who had been watching with bated breath, was suddenly blasted back by a pulsewave of magic. She hit the ground hard, and watched in awe as a swarm of dark magic burst forth from Shae's body. Shae screamed as the swarm poured from her gaping mouth. The earth quaked, the very air trembled, and Zelena was forced to clamp her hands over her ears from the deafening ringing. She watched as the swarm circled above Shae, her eyes wide and wild with a morbid sense of glee.
Suddenly, the black swarm was sucked back into Shae's body. The ground stopped trembling, and the forest was quiet once again. Zelena remained where she sat on the ground, watching Shae, who was hunched over on her hands and knees. After a few long, silent moments, Shae sat back, breathing out a dark, devious chuckle. Zelena watched with wide, baffled eyes as Shae effortlessly removed the magical cuff from her wrist, and tossed it aside.
"Oh, yes…" Shae whispered, staring down at her own hands. "Finally… After all this time."
Zelena pushed herself up onto her feet, another devious grin stretching across her face. "Welcome back, Hollow." She said quietly. "Tell me… How do you feel?"
Shae slowly lifted her head, and grinned back at Zelena, the entirety of her eyes completely black. "I feel positively… Wicked."
XXXXX
Shae woke alone within the safe room inside Regina's vault, and she began to panic as she remembered what she had done to the woman that she loved, and to her son. The Hollow had taken hold of her all over again, and had forced her to harm the people that she cared for.
She immediately made a call to Regina, and was relieved to hear that her and Henry were both safe and unharmed. However, Regina did give Shae some alarming news. While Shae had been unconscious, Captain Hook, now a Dark One all over again, had finally put his plan into motion. He had summoned all of the Dark Ones of the past from The Underworld, who were laying siege to Storybrooke.
The long dead Dark Ones hunted down residents of the town, and placed magical brands on their flesh. The brands would allow them to trade places with the living souls, so they could return to the land of the living, and plunge the world into darkness. Regina had been among those that had already been branded, as well as Henry, David, Mary Margaret, Robin Hood, and Remus.
While her friends and loved ones raced to find a way to stop Hook, Shae was left feeling frightened, helpless, and weak. She wanted to help, but Regina had refused to let her out of her safe room, which was sealed with blood magic. With The Hollow inside her, Regina was worried what Hook and The Dark Ones might do to the woman that she loved.
Shae wildly paced the length of the small room, glancing down at her phone every few moments. She waited anxiously for a call from Regina, waited, hoped, and prayed that she would tell her she was safe. Suddenly, Shae stopped in her tracks when the mirror that served as a door to the safe room suddenly swung open.
"Regina!" Shae called out. "What's going on? Are you-"
Shae stopped mid sentence, and narrowed her eyes at Zelena, who was stepping through the gap. "You." She snarled. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Oh, I've just brought some friends over for a little visit." Zelena replied with a grin. "They're just dying to see you."
Shae's eyes grew wide with alarm, and she drew back a step as Captain Hook climbed through the gap. He was closely followed by a woman dressed in a long black robe. Her skin was a dark shade of teal, and it glittered softly in the light. This woman was strangely familiar to Shae. Suddenly she realized that this Dark One wasn't actually familiar to her. She was familiar to The Hollow.
"You." Shae breathed, pointing a shaky finger at the woman. "You're… Nimue."
"That's right." Nimue replied, grinning at Shae. "And I know exactly who you are, Hollow One."
Zelena suddenly, and loudly, cleared her throat, causing Nimue to raise an irritated eyebrow at her. "Right, then. About our deal…" Said Zelena.
"Yes, yes, you've done as we asked." Replied Hook, waving his hand dismissively at Zelena. "You and your baby will be safe from us."
"Excellent." Zelena said with a satisfied nod. "Do have fun, darlings. Ta-ta!"
With that, Zelena disappeared in a cloud of bright green smoke. Shae turned her attention back onto the two Dark Ones. As she stared at Nimue's grinning face, a vicious rage began to boil within her chest. The rage was not quite her own.
"W-What… What do you want?" Asked Shae, eyeing Hook and Nimue warily.
"Don't worry, love." Hook replied with a grin. "We've simply brought you a gift."
Hook held out his hand, and a small dream catcher appeared in his open palm. "Your memories from Camelot." He explained, holding the dream catcher out to Shae. "The ones that Swan took from you."
Shae stared wide eyed at the dream catcher in Hook's hand. For a moment, she was tempted. She desperately wanted to know what had happened to her, what had happened to Elsa. Then, she remembered the warnings that both Regina and Emma had given her, remembered the fear that she had seen in both their eyes.
"No thanks."
Hook blinked several times in surprise, and exchanged a quick glance with Nimue. "Really?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at Shae. "Don't you want to know what happened?"
Shae breathed out a bitter, sour laugh. "Look, I'm not stupid, ok? I'm pretty sure I already know what happened." She replied, running a hand through her messy black hair. "The Hollow somehow… Took over me, and I'm pretty sure if I remember everything, it'll just happen all over again. So… Yeah. I'm good."
Hook chuckled, slowly sauntering toward Shae. "Perceptive as always, love." He said with a wink. "But aren't you curious to find out what exactly happened to make that heart of yours go hollow? Don't you want to know who exactly it was that betrayed you, who's always betrayed you?"
Shae gritted her teeth as Hook stopped just before her, and she glared into his eyes. "No." She snarled. "Regina wouldn't. Not again, not after all we've been through."
Hook laughed once again, and he leaned in close to Shae. "Are you sure about that?" He whispered.
Shae was met with even more laughter as she glared at Hook in silent defiance. "Well then…" Said Hook, taking a step back and spreading his arms wide. "I suppose you'll have to just see for yourself."
"NO!" Shae shouted.
Hook thrust the dream catcher toward Shae, and Shae raised her hand to stop him, but was just a moment too late. The dream catcher began to glow with a bright white light, and Shae stood rigid in her spot, hand raised as she stared into it. Suddenly, all her memories rushed back to her.
XXXXX
Regina rushed through the forest outside Camelot, following closely behind Remus, who was leading the way. David had remained behind with Henry, while Regina, Remus, and Mary Margaret raced off to find Robin and Shae, as well as Zelena. Remus was using his ring to track Shae down. He held it out in his open palm, following in the direction where the stardust glowed brightest.
Remus stopped for a moment, turning in his spot, staring intently down at his ring. "This way!" He commanded, pointing forward.
Regina nodded, and she and Remus made to race off again, but stopped at Mary Margaret's sudden shout. "Wait!" She said. "Do you hear that?"
They all held rigidly still, listening hard to the quiet of the forest. Through the breeze rustling through the trees, they heard the faint sound of rushing footsteps. They turned toward the sound, and Remus drew the sword at his belt, Mary Margaret her bow. Regina was about to summon a fireball into her hand, but stopped as a man suddenly burst through the trees.
"Robin!"
It was indeed Robin Hood, looking panicked and confused, but otherwise unharmed. "Regina!" He exclaimed.
Regina rushed forward, and threw her arms around him. She squeezed his arms, his shoulders, breathing out a sigh of relief. "Are you alright?"
"Fine. I'm fine." Robin replied with a smile.
"Where's the witch?" Growled Remus. "Where's Shae?"
"I'm… Not sure." Answered Robin, slowly shaking his head. "After the diner, I was left out here. I've been trying to find my way back ever since."
"I don't understand." Mary Margaret muttered, her eyes wide. "Why would Zelena just leave him out here and take Shae?"
They all fell silent for a moment, brows furrowed in confusion. Suddenly, Regina felt a shiver run up her spine. She got the strange feeling that they were being watched. Her eyes suddenly grew wide, and she emitted a startled gasp.
"We have to hurry." She whispered, tightly gripping Remus's arm. "We have to get to Shae."
Remus nodded, and turned his attention back onto his ring. He rushed back off into the forest, Regina, Mary Margaret, and Robin following hot on his heels. Regina's heart raced as she followed Remus's pounding footsteps. She knew exactly what her sister was up to. She only hoped that they could reach Shae in time, before it was too late.
Suddenly, they all stopped in their tracks at the sound of voices. "You should be thanking me!" One of them shouted.
"Thanking you?" Came another. "For what, exactly?"
Regina and the others all exchanged wide eyed glances. The voices they were hearing were those of Zelena and Shae. "I'm the one that set you free!" Zelena continued shouting.
"And you expect thanks? A reward? Please."
"AAH!"
The others all gasped in alarm at Zelena's sudden, strangled cry of pain. They raced off in the direction of the voices, and found Zelena and Shae standing in a small clearing. Shae had her arm outstretched toward Zelena, whose body was glowing with a sinister red light. An equally red tendril of magic was shooting out of her body, straight into Shae's arm.
"SHAE!" Regina shouted.
Shae turned her head toward the sound of Regina's voice, and Regina's heart stopped dead in her chest. Shae's eyes were completely black. "No." Regina whispered.
Zelena took Shae's moment of distraction to disappear in a cloud of bright green smoke. Shae, however, seemed unconcerned. "Well, well, well…" She muttered, grinning deviously at Regina and the others. "I thought I was going to have to hunt you all down. But here you are, like lambs to slaughter."
"Shae?" Asked Remus, his mouth gaping open in horror. "What the bloody hell is going on?"
"That's not Shae." Regina whispered, her eyes welling with tears as she looked upon the woman that she loved, now consumed by The Hollow. "Not anymore."
Shae threw her head back, and laughed loudly, mockingly. "See, that's where you're wrong." She said, grinning even more. "The Hollow and I are one now. It's finally set me free."
"Set you free?" Asked Regina, her voice quavering with emotion. "Free from what?"
Shae laughed even more, a deranged, maniacal sort of laugh. She slowly began to saunter toward Regina, and stopped right in front of her. She reached out, and gently cupped Regina's face in her hands. Regina stared into her lover's black eyes, her own streaming with tears.
"Why, you… Regina."
Suddenly, a circle of flames erupted around both Shae and Regina. Mary Margaret, Remus, and Robin all called out in alarm, but their voices were drowned out by the roaring fire. All Regina could hear was Shae's soft, sinister voice, all she could see was the empty black void of her eyes.
"I'm free from you now, Regina." Shae whispered as she leaned in close, gently tracing her finger down the side of Regina's face. "I'm not your lovesick puppy dog any longer. I'm finally free to do as I please, without all those pesky feelings like love and compassion getting in the way."
Regina choked out a frightened, miserable sob. "Shae, please!" She whispered, tightly gripping the front of Shae's vest. "Please, you can fight this! I know you can!"
Shae laughed mockingly once again. "Fight it? Why would I want to fight it? I've finally embraced the darkness, just like I should have a long, long time ago. It's finally set me free."
Regina sobbed once again, and she jerked Shae in close, placing a deep, desperate kiss on her lips. Regina's body trembled as her lips parted against Shae's, just like they'd done so many times before. However, this kiss felt wrong. She pulled away from Shae's lips, and her heart sunk as she stared into Shae's black eyes.
"Did you really think that would work this time?" Shae asked her quietly. "You're nothing to me anymore, Regina. Soon, that's all you'll be. NOTHING!"
Regina gasped in alarm as Shae suddenly grabbed her by her throat. As Shae's fingers squeezed around her windpipe, Regina attempted to use her magic to blast Shae back. But nothing happened. She watched in horror as her hands that were gripping Shae's began to glow with a bright red light. Suddenly, she felt extremely weak, and she could feel her magic draining away.
"Shae, I… Love you." Regina rasped.
Shae emitted a dark, devious chuckle, her black eyes wide as she wrapped her other hand around Regina's throat. "I know. That's what makes this so easy."
Regina squeezed her eyes shut, tears streaming down her face. She could hear the faint cries of the others around her, but they were quickly drowned out by the ringing in her ears. She felt herself growing weaker and weaker as she gasped desperately for air. This was it, this was how she was going to die, at the hands of the woman that she loved. She took solace in the fact that she at least got to tell Shae, one last time.
"STOP!"
Suddenly, Shae's hands were wrenched away from Regina's throat. Regina immediately fell to her knees, coughing and sputtering, drawing in deep lungfuls of air. She felt hands supporting her arms, and she was pulled her to her feet. Once her foggy vision cleared, and the world stopped spinning, she noticed that the circle of flames was gone. Remus and Robin were gripping both her arms, and she spotted Emma standing a few feet to her right, Shae lying on the ground a few feet to her left.
"Well, well, well…" Shae muttered as she staggered back up to her feet. "If it isn't The Savior. I'm actually glad you're here."
"Is that right?" Asked Emma, raising an eyebrow at Shae.
"Of course." Shae replied, another devious grin stretching across her face. "Your power is the greatest of all, and it's going to be all mine."
Shae threw her arm out toward Emma, her black eyes wide and wild once again. When nothing seemed to happen, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What?" She whispered, staring down at her own hand. "What is this? Why can't I take your power?"
"Because, I'm The Dark One." Emma quietly replied. "My power is what helped to seal you away."
For a moment, Shae merely glared furiously at Emma. Then, she breathed out another low chuckle, dropping her arm back to her side. "No matter." She said with an unconcerned shrug. "I can still kill you."
"Yes… You can." Emma replied, her hazel green eyes filled with sorrow. "But I won't let you. I'm going to save you. I'm going to save all of you."
Emma waved her hand in the air, and her mother, Regina, Remus, Robin, and Shae too all instantly collapsed to the ground. She waved her hand once again, and they were all engulfed in clouds of black smoke. They appeared back at Granny's Diner, with the rest of the group from Storybrooke, all lying unconscious on the floor.
More black smoke was billowing out of a cauldron in the back of the diner, and Emma watched it sadly for a moment. She then stepped over to Shae, who was lying on the ground near the booth at the back. She knelt down beside her, her eyes welling with tears as she ran her fingers through Shae's messy black hair.
"Don't worry, Shae." She whispered softly. "When you wake up, you'll be the person you once were. You'll be my friend again."
Emma leaned forward, and placed a gentle kiss on Shae's forehead. She then stood up, and knelt down beside Killian Jones, the man she loved. "And you will be too." She whispered to him. "When you wake up, you'll be the man I love, the man who loves me."
The black clouds of the dark curse Hook had cast to take them all back to Storybrooke loomed ever closer. Emma gently lifted Hook into her arms, holding him close as tears streamed down her face. She took a deep, steadying breath, and placed a kiss on his lips as she was engulfed by smoke.
XXXXX
Regina slowly descended the steps down into her vault, her deep brown eyes filled with tears. She and the others had done all they could to stop Hook and his army of Dark Ones, but came up empty. With time running out, all they could do now was spend what little time they had left with their friends and loved ones. Soon, they would all be dragged down into The Underworld. Regina had no idea what exactly was in store for her there, but she had a feeling it was nothing pleasant, not after all the things she had done.
As she approached the mirror that lead into her safe room, Regina tried to come up with a way to tell Shae the news. Once again, she came up empty, and her heart ached with sorrow as she waved her hand in front of the mirror, which slowly swung open. When she stepped through the gap, she found Shae sitting in a chair at the far end of the room, her back turned. Regina opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when Shae spoke first.
"Hello, Regina."
Regina furrowed her brow at the back of Shae's head. There was something strange about her voice. It was flat and devoid of emotion. It sounded almost… Hollow.
Shae rose to her feet, and turned to around to face her lover. Regina's heart stopped dead in her chest when she saw Shae's black eyes. "No." She whispered, her mouth gaping open in horror. "Shae, no… What's happened to you?"
"Oh, I think you know exactly what's happened to me." Shae whispered back, a devious grin stretching across her face. "What you did to me."
Regina bit back a sob, her clenched fists trembling. "Hook. He gave you back your memories, didn't he?"
"Indeed." Shae replied, grinning even more. "My new friends The Dark Ones have made me such a tantalizing offer. Once they take this world, and the next, and the next… All the power will be mine to take. It will be a feast for the ages." Shae paused for a moment, and frowned, tapping a finger against her chin as she thought. "I dunno, I still might kill them all. Especially that damned witch Nimue. I suppose I'll have to see where my mood takes me."
Regina let out a shaky breath, fighting to stop the trembling in her limbs. "Shae, please. I know you're still in there. You have to fight this."
Shae threw back her head, and laughed mockingly. "I've already explained this to you once, Regina." She replied, her dark and twisted grin returning. "I don't want to fight it. The darkness has finally set me free. I am free of that cursed thing called love." Shae slowly began to saunter toward Regina, and she stopped just before her, leaning in close. "I feel nothing anymore, and I've never felt more alive!"
Regina stared helplessly into the empty black void of her lover's eyes, her own streaming with tears. "I'm sorry, Shae." She whispered, her voice quavering with emotion. "I'm so, so sorry."
Shae emitted a deep, dark chuckle, and she gently cupped Regina's face in her hands. "Oh, you haven't even begun to be sorry."
Suddenly, Regina's vision was engulfed in a cloud of black smoke. When the smoke cleared, she found herself no longer standing in her magical safe room. She was deep in the Storybrooke forest, standing beside the wishing well.
"This is where I woke up, after you cast your curse." Shae explained, before Regina could even ask. "Back then, I was weak, pathetic. I was hurt and frightened, so I ran. That was a mistake." She paused, her devious grin falling into a menacing, vengeful glare. "I should have hunted you down, and slit your throat while you slept."
Regina stared silently into her lover's black eyes, at a loss for words as her heart ached with misery. "This…" Shae went on, placing her hands gently onto the wishing well. "This is where it all began. And this is where it will end. This is where you will end."
"Not if I can help it!"
Regina and Shae both turned toward the sound of the sudden shout, and found Remus stepping through the trees, sword in hand. "You." Shae snarled, turning her menacing glare onto her best friend. "What power do you have to stop me?"
"None, I suppose." Remus replied with a shrug. "All I have is a sword, a stubborn determination, and an undying love for my friend." He pointed the tip of his sword at Shae, matching her dangerous glare. "My friend that you took away from me!"
Shae barked out another loud, mocking laugh. "Nothing has been taken from you, Remus." She replied, grinning wickedly once again. "The Hollow and I are one now. I am the truest version of myself that I have ever been!"
"LIES!" Remus snarled, taking an angry step forward. "The Shae I know cares nothing for vengeance anymore, or power!"
Shae breathed out a low, dark chuckle. "Well, you obviously don't know me very well, do you?" She muttered, still grinning. "All I care for is vengeance, for power. I may have denied it for a long time, but, deep down, It's all I've ever cared for. The Hollow has helped me see that. It's going to help me make all my wildest dreams come true."
"NO!" Remus bellowed. "Shae, if you're still in there, you have to stop this! You have to fight it!"
Shae chuckled once again, turning her black eyes back onto Regina. "When will you idiots ever learn?"
Shae suddenly reached out, and seized Regina by her throat. Her grip was so strong that Regina's knees immediately buckled. Shae's fingers squeezed harder around her windpipe, and her black eyes grew wide and wild with glee as she watched Regina gasping desperately for air. Regina's body began to glow with a bright red light, and she felt her power draining away, all over again.
"STOP!"
Once again, Emma Swan had come to Regina's rescue. She blasted Shae back as she crashed through the trees, and Shae was sent spiraling through the air. Remus immediately rushed to Regina's side, and quickly pulled her to her feet. Emma planted herself firmly between them and Shae, Excalibur clutched firmly in her fist.
"You." Shae snarled, glaring at Emma as she pushed herself up onto her elbows. "Even as The Dark One, you are somehow still determined to protect these loathsome people. I thought you'd embraced the darkness as I have."
"Never." Emma snarled back.
Shae chuckled once again as she slowly rose to her feet. "Well… Good for you." She spat irritably. "Now, hush. I'm busy."
Shae raised her fist, and punched it straight into the ground. Regina, Remus, and Emma all stumbled on their feet as the ground began to quake beneath them. A pulsewave of energy broke through the ground around Shae's fist, and it shot straight toward Emma. It's speed was so lightning quick, that Emma didn't even have time to react. She cried out in alarm as the very earth beneath her feet began to consume her. It crept up her legs, swallowed her arms, her torso, her neck. Thick, green vines shot forth from the ground as well, and they wrapped themselves tightly around her, covering her mouth.
"EMMA!" Regina shouted.
Emma emitted a muffled cry, casting her eyes down to Excalibur, which was lying at her feet. Shae rushed toward it, but Remus was closer. He quickly scooped it up, and brandished it at Shae. Shae stopped in her tracks, and a low hiss escaped her lips, like a frightened snake.
"Find a way to free Emma." Remus commanded to Regina. "I'll hold Shae off."
Whatever fear Shae felt at the sight of Excalibur quickly dissipated, and her twisted grin returned. "You can certainly try." She snarled.
"Come on, then! Arm yourself!" Remus shouted at her, brandishing Excalibur once again. "Let's make this a fair fight!"
Shae emitted another dark and devious chuckle. "Oh, I'll do just that." She whispered. She then held out her hand, and a sword appeared in it with a puff of black smoke. "But I doubt it'll be fair."
Remus bellowed out a fearsome war cry, and charged at Shae, Excalibur in the air. Regina stood and watched them for a moment, sounds of steel striking steel echoing out through the trees as their swords clashed together again and again. She then turned toward Emma, who was still trapped in the earth.
"Emma! What do I do?" Regina asked frantically.
Emma emitted a weak, unintelligible cry from around the vine at her mouth. Regina bit her lip, her heart racing as she glanced back at Shae and Remus, locked in furious battle. She then turned back to Emma, and outstretched her hands down toward her feet. A stream of roaring fire erupted from Regina's hands. After a few seconds, Emma cried out in alarm, and began to squirm violently, vigorously shaking her head.
"Well, I don't know what else to do!" Cried Regina.
Suddenly, a strangled shout from Remus caused Regina to turn her head. Remus fell flat on his back, Excalibur shooting from his hand. He rolled himself onto his belly, and began to crawl toward the sword. He stopped, grunting in pain as Shae pressed her foot onto his wrist. He, Regina, and Emma all watched in silent horror as Shae scooped up the fabled blade.
"Oh, yes." Shae whispered, grinning once again as she stared up and down the length of Excalibur's blade. She then turned her malicious gaze back onto Remus, and pointed Excalibur straight at his throat. "Oh, I am going to enjoy this."
Shae raised Excalibur into the air as she stood over Remus, and Regina threw her hand out toward her. She had made to blast Shae back, but Shae merely stumbled. Shae emitted an enraged snarl, and she took an angry step toward Regina. Remus quickly scrambled up onto his feet, and threw himself upon her.
As Shae and Remus wrestled around on the ground, Regina turned her attention back onto Emma. She threw her arm out toward the vines and the earth that had consumed The Savior's body, frowning when her magic seemed to have no affect. She glanced back at Remus and Shae, just in time to see Shae strike Remus in the side of the head with her fist.
Excalibur had fallen from Shae's hand, but Shae didn't even seem to care. She climbed on top of Remus, her black eyes wide and wild with rage. "Oh, this has been a long time coming, my friend." She whispered.
Remus groaned in pain. "Shae, please…" He whispered shakily. "Stop."
"Why should I? It's your fault she's dead!" Shae shouted, hitting him in the face once more. "You could have saved her, but you failed! You were WEAK!"
"Shae, I… I-I tried." Remus stammered through a mouthful of blood. "I'm… Sorry."
"SORRY?" Shae bellowed, striking her best friend with her fist again. "Sorry didn't save her! Sorry won't bring her back!"
Regina watched in silent, helpless horror as Shae continued to hit Remus in the face again, and again, and again. "And then… You were GONE!" Shae continued to shout, as Remus coughed up a wad of blood. "You said you would be right behind me, but you WEREN'T! For years, you left me alone! For twenty-eight years you were gone!"
Shae struck Remus several more times, and Remus groaned weakly, coughing up more blood. "Shae, I… I looked for you." He rasped. "I… I-I tried. I swear, I… I did."
"Tried? TRIED?" Shae screamed, hitting Remus again. "That means nothing to me! You are nothing! NOTHING!"
Shae continued to strike her oldest and dearest friend in the face, her black eyes wide and wild, filled with rage. Unable to watch anymore, Regina mustered up all the power she could, and threw both her hands out at Shae. Shae was thrown off of Remus, and Remus simply emitted a feeble groan. He turned on his side, and coughed violently, blood spattering onto the grass below his lips. Both of his eyes were already black and swollen, his face covered with blood.
Shae staggered up onto her feet, turning her black eyes onto Regina once again. She took several, furious steps toward her, and Regina gasped as she hit the ground face first. Remus had wrapped her arms around Shae's legs, causing her to lose her balance.
Shae rolled onto her back, letting out another enraged snarl. Remus coughed up more blood, groaning feebly. Shae pushed herself back onto her feet, and grinned deviously down at Remus as she held out her hand. It was momentarily engulfed in a cloud of black smoke. When the smoke dissipated, Regina's eyes grew wide with horror. Shae was now holding a long, black whip in her hand.
"Remember this?" She sneered down at Remus. "It was fifty lashes last time. I think that will more than suffice now."
Shae raised the whip into the air, and brought it down upon Remus. Regina ran a few steps forward, but stopped as Remus raised his hand into the air. He clenched his hand around the end up the whip as it wrapped around his arm.
"Just what in the hell do you think you're doing?" Shae asked with an amused laugh.
Remus staggered shakily to his feet, holding on firmly to the whip in Shae's hand. "Showing you that I'm your friend." He whispered as he spat more blood onto the ground, his chest heaving. "Showing you that I'm not going anywhere. Not again. Not ever."
Shae continued laughing mockingly as Remus stumbled toward her. She stopped, emitting a startled gasp when Remus finally reached her. With his whole body trembling, his face swollen and spattered with blood, he threw his arms around his best friend.
"I love you, Shae." He whispered in Shae's ear. "I will always love you."
Shae stood rigid in her spot, her arms spread wide, her mouth gaping open. Remus placed a kiss on the side of her head, and Regina emitted a startled gasp. A pulsewave of magic burst forth from around Remus's lips. Regina gasped again as she heard a strange sound from beside her. She watched with wide, baffled eyes as the earth and the vines that had taken hold of Emma Swan suddenly fell away.
Emma fell to her knees, drawing in a deep, shuddering breath. Regina turned her eyes back onto Shae and Remus, who were both standing rigidly still. The blackness of Shae's eyes faded away, turning back to their normal shade of piercing blue. Remus then fell to his knees in front of his oldest and dearest friend, the friend that he loved so very dearly, and he slumped sideways onto the ground.
"What the hell just happened?" Emma rasped.
A wide, joyous smile stretched across Regina's lips. "True love's kiss!"
Regina raced forward, and made it to Shae just in time to catch her by her shoulders. She dropped down to her knees with Shae, her eyes streaming with grateful tears. "Shae…" She whispered. "Shae, are you alright?"
Shae blinked dazedly several times, her chest heaving, her whole body trembling. "I… I-I think so." She muttered. She then gazed down at Remus, lying bloody and unconscious on the ground, and her now blue eyes grew wide. "Oh my god… Remus!" She exclaimed. She then turned her panicked eyes back onto Regina. "Regina… I… I-I'm so sorry. I could see what I was doing, but I couldn't-"
"Shh, it's alright." Regina whispered with a smile, pressing a finger gently to her lover's lips. "You're free now. Remus set you free."
Suddenly, Shae's eyes grew even wider, and she vigorously shook her head. "No… Not free." She murmured. "I can feel it… Inside me… The Hollow."
"It's alright." Regina said again, lovingly caressing Shae's face. "You can fight it now. I know you can."
Shae continued to shake her head, her body trembling even more. "No. I'm not strong enough." She whispered. She placed her hands on Regina's arms, staring desperately into her eyes. "You… You have to stop it. You have to use Excalibur."
Regina's jaw dropped open in horror, and she shifted her eyes over to the sword, which was lying beside Shae. "No." She breathed.
"We'll find another way." Emma whispered, now standing beside Regina.
Shae shook her head even more. "It's the only way. Please."
"No!" Emma shouted, her hazel green eyes welling with tears. "I didn't do all this just to lose you! We can find another way to save you!"
Shae suddenly cried out in pain, clutching at her chest. She continued to shake violently, Regina and Emma watching helplessly. "No. You can't." Shae whispered. She then took Regina's face in her hands, staring deep into her eyes, her own streaming with tears. "Please, Regina. Please, you… You have to help me. I don't want to be this."
Regina shook her own head, cupping her lover's face in her own hands. "No. No, I won't. I can't!"
"You have to!" Shae cried, choking out another strangled sob. "Please! You have to!"
"It's alright, Shae." Emma muttered, kneeling down beside Shae, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We'll find another way."
Shae grunted, doubling over with her hands on her head. She could hear the faint cries of both Emma and Regina, but they were drowned out by the ringing in her ears. She heard the dark whispers of The Hollow inside her head, and she slammed her fist into the ground.
"NO!"
Regina and Emma were suddenly blasted back by a violent force of magical energy. The ground began to quake beneath their feet, and they both pushed themselves up. They watched in horror as Shae seized Excalibur, her fist quivering around the pommel.
"Shae, NO!" Regina shouted. "What are you doing?"
Shae stared up and down the length of Excalibur's blade for a moment. Both Emma and Regina expected her eyes to turn black again, but they didn't. Shae turned her still blue eyes onto the two of them, eyes that were filled with sorrow.
"Taking my destiny into my own hands." Shae whispered.
Before either Regina or Emma could do anything, Shae took Excalibur in both her hands, and plunged it straight into her heart. They both screamed, but their cries of horror were drowned out by the force of the black swarm that suddenly burst forth from Shae's body.
Shae's arms spread wide, Excalibur falling from her hands. Her mouth gaped open in a silent scream as the dark swarm that was The Hollow poured forth from her lips. Emma and Regina watched as the swarm began to burst into flames as it streamed from Shae's open mouth. The ground quaked violently beneath them, and the very air trembled. They stared helplessly at Shae's quivering body, which was finally being released from The Hollow.
The last of the dark swarm dissipated with glowing embers into the air. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Shae continued to stand rooted in her spot, her arms still spread wide, her piercing blue eyes gaping wide. She then slowly collapsed to her knees, staring down at the wound in her chest.
Regina quickly scrambled up onto her feet, catching Shae just as she was about to fall backwards onto the ground. Regina sunk down onto her knees, sobbing in sheer horror as the woman that she loved slumped limply into her arms.
"No…" Regina whispered, frightened tears streaming from her eyes. "Shae, no… NO!"
Shae reached out a trembling hand, and placed it gently on Regina's cheek. "It's… Alright." She rasped. Her face was calm, serene, even. "Just… Let me go."
Regina sobbed loudly, caressing Shae's face with an equally trembling hand. "Shae, no… I… I-I can't!"
Shae drew in a deep, shuddering gasp, and she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. When she opened them again, she stared deep into Regina's eyes. She smiled, a single tear trickling down her cheek.
"I love you." She whispered. "I will always love you."
"I love you too." Regina whispered back.
Regina leaned forward, and pressed a gentle kiss onto Shae's lips. She held that kiss for a desperate moment. She then pulled away from Shae's lips, and began to sob violently. Shae's eyes were closed, and no more breath escaped her lips. She was gone.
XX
Shae slowly opened her eyes, and she blinked dazedly for a moment. She felt strange, as if her body was somehow lighter than it used to be. She slowly turned around, frowning when she saw the wishing well. The well was strange too, as it seemed to be glowing with a faint, red light. Shae turned her eyes up onto the sky, her eyes growing wide when she realized the red light on the wishing well was being cast by the deep red sky.
"Where the hell-"
"'Where the hell am I?'"
Shae whirled back around, and was startled to find a man dressed in a fine black suit behind her. "That's always their first question." The man went on with a grin.
"Who the hell are you?" Shae asked, eyeing the strange man warily.
The man chuckled, slowly shaking his head. "That's always their second question." He replied, still grinning. He then bowed low, spreading his arms wide. "I am Hades. Welcome to my realm."
Shae gasped in fright, and stumbled back a step, knocking into the wishing well. As the man, who was the dark lord Hades himself, straightened up again, his hair suddenly burst into glowing blue flames. Shae stood with her mouth gaping open in sheer horror.
"I've been waiting a long time for you, Shae." Hades went on in a sinister whisper, his lips curling into a dark and dangerous grin. "We're going to have so much fun together."
XX
