S8, E8: Love Isn't Chosen
Next Day At The Rolly Joger...
Her room became her sanctuary ever since the prophesy. Hope stayed there the whole day until she gets bored of staring at Henry's storybook the whole day (or getting scared of the ongoing dark thoughts in her brain, though she won't admit it), and visited her family or friends.
"Are you going to Finn today, love?" Killian asked as he drank from his rum-filled flask. They were sitting at the Jolly Roger, which was returned back to Killian after the United Realms was formed.
"Hmm...why are you asking?" Hope asked suspiciously. She shut Henry's storybook and shot him a look.
Killian gave her the same look he gave her after Finnian's wink at him back at the meeting yesterday. "Did you know what it meant?" He gestured at his look.
Hope raised an eyebrow, "So you're saying that between Will and Finn, I should pick Finn?"
Killian nodded excitedly, "He's perfect for you."
"Perfect, to you, for me means someone that is just like you?"
Killian gave a smile, "Well, he doesn't have my looks." He gave a wink at his daughter. Seeing her struggling at this decision, Killian said, "Look, picking one of your friends as you true love doesn't mean that it is a life or death situation no matter what the prophesy says. I just want you to be happy and free from whatever the bloody hell Rumple says about your true love."
Hope nodded, "Okay, okay, I'll see him. Thanks Dad." Killian gave her a hug and let he out of the boat like the gentleman he is. As soon as Hope's feet touched the wooden planks of the deck, she waved another goodbye and walked to wherever Finnis.
And hopefully wherever Will's not.
Oh, there is the joke again.
At the sea village...
Finnian was still at the same place as he was where Hope left him yesterday, sleeping in his loose shirt and in the sun. He must have slept here through the whole night, Hope thought. She crouched down beside him and yanked his head off the ground, pulling his hair just like she did back at the dandelion garden, but much more softly. Finnian moaned and moved in his sleep. Hope did it again and again until he woke up.
Finn widen his eyes at her. "Did-did I sleep here the whole time?" Hope nodded. He quickly got up next to her, brushing the sand off of him and faced her.
"Wait." Now that the sun wasn't directly behind her, Finn was able to see Hope more clearly. He smiled, "You are here."
"Killian- dad urged me to go too. He didn't even know I promised you myself."
"See, he likes us together, too." Finnian said, flashing his charming smile.
Hope shook her head, "Finn, I don't need to decide until we can defeat Will."
"And," Finnian took both of her hands in his own, "The only way to do so without killing him is true love's kiss, but you don't like him so. Plus, you didn't decide between us."
"Mhm... I knew you were going to say that," Hope brought out the storybook, in Finn's surprise, and flipped through the pages until she finds the time when Belle and Enchanted Forest Rumple give true love's kiss, emiting a golden glow on Rumple's face.
"In this part of the book, the true love's kiss did work, until Rumple stopped it. Belle didn't even love Rumple at that time fully." Then, Hope flipped the pages to where her parents shared true love's kiss when Emma became the Dark Swan. "But here, they shared true love's kiss and it didn't work, even though they love each other more than anything in the world."
Finn looked at Hope carefully, "What are you trying to tell me, Hope?"
Hope looked at Finn, trying to see his reaction, "What I am saying is that Rumple and Belle's kiss might have worked because it was their first kiss of true love. I think true love's kiss will still work on Will because we were destined to be true love as soon as we were born. It doesn't need to be so true from my end. It needs to be true from his end. Then again, love isn't chosen, it's made." Hope shrugged, "It might have been a stupid theory, trying to be desparate."
Finn's eyes widened with hope (no pun intended) as Hope explained her theory, but then darkened with worry as soon as Hope said her defeated last sentence.
"Oh Hope..." Finn gave another fierce hug, "I am sure it will work. You might need to try. Then again..." Finn released her, "You might die trying."
"It's one of my fates." Hope nodded.
"And another thing is..." Finnian gave her a small smile, "the kiss might not mean you love him! I can have hope for us after all!"
"Unless I die, or just see you as a friend."
Finnian's happy expression broke, "You still do...think that I am only a friend..."
"Yes? No? I don't know!" Hope said fearfully, "I don't know my feelings anymore."
"Well..." Finnian leaned in, and in Hope's exploding surprise, kissed her. It was her first kiss from Finn, and her first kiss ever. It felt very warm but unfamiliarly familiar; new. Hope never felt this feeling before to anyone. Was it love? She herself didn't know at all. But the feeling of Finnian's arms around her was strangly comforting, like no prophesy ever existed and threatened both of their lives.
Finn kissed her for a while until Hope gently pushed away. He looked sad at first but happy that she didn't leave. So, Finn caressed her cheek, "Either way, if you choose me or not, I'll always fight for us. Always."
"Glad to know that." Hope said calmly, even though her heart was thumping inside. She was afraid, that Finn was going to kiss her again. So, Hope told Finn thay she was going home. Finn offered to walk her there, which to Finn's surprise, she agreed to.
While they talk, acting like nothing ever happened at the beach, they never thought to check behind them.
And to see a 16 year old boy carving sculptures with the Dark One's dagger.
Back to the beach at night...
Finn's home was the village near the sea all his life. He never had an actual house himself, just a little bed in a makeshift tent. Finn is the only friend of Hope's that is an orphan, making him a bit left out from the group and unknown to all Hope's friends.
Well, everyone except Will, who met Finnian while Hope gave him a small tour of the places in the United Realms. They were once excellent friends until Will turned 16 and shed away from him unknowingly. Alice only knew Finnian during the trip to Rumple's castle
Did Will become the Dark One when he turned 16?, Finn thought. Was it because of his crush on Hope? Finnian didn't care; he was trying to focus on the screams he was hearing in his head. They calmed down and almost disappeared during Finnian's kiss, which was the first he had at age 21. However, they came back when Hope said goodbye and walk inside her home.
And became more louder right that minute at his tent.
Then he became to realize why as soon as Will appeared in his tent.
He, thankfully, had his good looks, though he was more paler than he usually was. He, of course, was wearing a black hoodie and matching pants. His eyes, usually brown, was dark as coal.
"Wilbur "The Dark One" Booth! Very lovely to see you." Finnian said, his eyes trained on Will's every movement.
"Asher "Finnian" and "Hope's Apparent Lover" Whatever-Your-Last-Name-Is! Very not lovely to see you!" Will narrowed his eyes on Finn. "How does Hope like you, a drunken fool who is an adult and can marry a woman of his age!"
"Wait," Finnian gave a taunting but charming smile, "Hope likes me."
"Forget I said that"
"No, Dark One. You are going to use Hope and I will never give her to you."
Will smiled, looking at his nails, "I am not expecting you to. She will fall for me even with your pleas."
Finn suddenly remembered what Hope told him about true love's kiss and kept quiet.
"Anyways." Will took a step toward Finn, their faces mere inches away from each other, "I am just here to say that we shall make a deal. If Hope picks me, you'll hear her screams for all eternity until you die. If Hope picks you, I'll back away, since I became good, aka dead."
Oh, he doesn't know about Hope's theory, surprisingly!, Finn thought. Instead, he said, "This isn't a deal, those are pure facts. That will happen either way, if I accept the deal or not. Then again, maybe you will have more pain happen than you realize."
Will gave a smile, hiding away his inner insecurities about the consequences of Hope's true love being Finn. "Maybe I was just telling you that you will lose and those were your ugly consequences. Your side of winning is too low compared to me. With the powers of the Dark and later It's Hope in my side, anything will be possible!"
"Wait a minute," a slow smile formed on Finnian's face, "Now I know what are you going to use Hope for!"
"No! I-I was kidding!" Will stuttered, but Finnian became packing everything he owns into one satchel. He became to run toward Hope's home.
"Argh!" Will disappeared and reappeared at the entrance to her home, but Finn was already at the door. The guards, recognizing Finn but not recognizing Will, became alarmed. He gave a sad smile to Will, "What happened to us, our friendship?"
Will said angrily, "I loved her more years than you did, and because of it, we became tied in the game."
Finn shook his head, "In the prophesy's game, Will. As Hope said to me, love isn't chosen, it's made."
Finnian yelled at the guards to seize Will. As the Dark One turned around, Finnian opened the door and sped through the corridors, never to be seen again. When Will tried to open the door, suddenly a blast of magic from the door got him and the guards to the floor. In anger, Will disappeared never to be seen again.
Finn watched what happened through the windows of the castle. For a Dark One, he is pretty stupid, Finn thought. Maybe he is not fit to capture all the Darkness in him. Luckily, Regina cast the protection spell using Hope's magic, which left remains around Hope's room.
Now, he had a mission to go wake up the crew of heroes.
They have a Dark One to defeat.
