Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You
Chapter Ten
Once Emma and Killian finished talking, they left Regina's office as they walked downstairs to where they planned to meet up again with Regina, who stood waiting for them to join with her just outside of the building's main doors. When they walked out, the Mayor was on her phone again, so they stood back and waited patiently for her to hang up. From the cold tone in her voice, as well as the coldness in her eyes, Emma and Killian could tell that she was talking with Ursula again, or possibly even Cruella.
"That's just great," Regina grumbled out of frustration after she finally hung up, then turned to face her friends once she put her phone back into her coat pocket.
"Is something wrong?" the Savior asked her. "I mean… more so than just that winged beast attacking everyone and two villainesses looking to come into Storybrooke so they can possibly cause trouble for all of us, that is?"
The dark haired woman looked between her and Hook as she replied brusquely, "Of course something's wrong aside from the obvious. That was Ursula again. She and Cruella had to talk a few things through themselves, which is why they hung up on me earlier. But they just called back to keep up their end of our deal. They say this beast is known as a Chernabog, and it appears that this demon, or winged bat… whatever it is, is looking for the evilest among us. The Sea Witch says that it feeds on evil, which is why it attacked us earlier. Or me, rather. It's clearly after me. I am the Evil Queen after all."
Emma thought for a moment and then she answered fretfully, "Regina, I'm not sure it's after you."
"Of course it's after me," the former Evil Queen curtly retorted. "Ursula said it devours the heart with the darkest potential. And now that Gold's gone… Well, who else could that be? I mean… is there a dwarf named evil-y? It's me."
"You're not exactly the only villain around here, and you weren't the only villain standing on the street earlier when this hell beast attacked us all," Hook apprehensively responded. "I was there too, remember? It could have been after either one of us."
Emma immediately replied to the both of them steadfastly, "We're not gonna just sacrifice you. Either of you."
However, Regina snapped again crossly, "I'm not sure we have much of a choice."
"That thing's magical, right?" the Savior then answered back, once a notion she should have thought of sooner suddenly dawned on her.
"I would say 'magical' is a pretty good guess," the Mayor responded out of frustration.
Emma nodded and continued, "So if it's magic... what happens if it leaves town for a world with no magic?"
When she realized what her friend was saying, Regina stated firmly, "No magic… no beast."
"So all we have to do is lead it over the town line," the Savior replied again, sounding more hopeful than she did moments before.
"The Chernabog withstood both of our powers combined," the former Evil Queen retorted once more, as she felt far less confident in Emma's plan. "Even if I poof myself to the town line, the second I'm out in the open, it'll crush me like a bug."
However, Emma assured her, "Not if you've got some help. Trust me."
Regina sighed out of worry, just as David and Mary Margaret walked up on them and then upon overhearing their daughter asking Regina to trust her with something, Emma's mother asked her daughter curiously, "Trust you with what? Is this about that beast that attacked earlier?"
"I take it you've come up with a plan then," David said to them strongly. "What can we do to help?"
"Nothing actually," Emma anxiously answered him, knowing that her parents weren't gonna be so okay with her plan. "Regina and me are gonna lure it away from town once we find it again, then force it across the town line where it can't exist without magic."
The Mayor finished for her friend, "Since we suspect this winged creature is after me, I get to be the bait and if I'm right… and I really think I am, then it will chase after me."
Mary Margaret looked at Emma and her friend in confusion and with worry as she questioned, "What makes you think this thing is after you?"
"Because Ursula and Cruella told us so," the Savior sternly responded once more, as both David's and Mary Margaret's eyes immediately grew cold at the mention of the villainesses' names. "They're here. At the town line, seeking entrance into Storybrooke with hope of finding redemption. We don't know whether or not we can trust them, but they wouldn't tell us how to defeat the Chernabog without our consideration at the very least. If their information actually pans out…"
"Emma… you can't let them in," her mother brusquely interrupted her before she could finish. "Those women… they're evil and I can promise you that they're not really here for redemption."
Killian looked between the Princess and her Prince as he spoke again in agreement saying apprehensively, "I said the same thing. I don't want them here anymore than you do, because I don't believe they're here for anything good. But Emma's right. If allowing them passage is the price we must pay to rid the town of this monster that will surely destroy us if we don't agree to their terms, then… so be it."
Emma smiled at him lovingly when he turned his head to look over at the woman he loved as well, then she turned back to her parents again, as well as Regina and replied, "If they are lying and they're here for trouble, then we'll deal with them when the time comes. But first things first. It's time to go."
"Since he and his men are out searching for this monster, I'll call Robin and let him know we're ready as we'll ever be to try to defeat it," Regina said again as she stepped away from the others to make her call.
"Please… please be careful, Emma," Killian then whispered to her once he moved around to stand in front of the woman he loved, as he took her hand into his own and looked at her with worry. "You're the strongest and bravest woman I know, but… you're not invincible."
The Savior smiled up at him as she reached out to lay her free hand over his right cheek and answered soothingly, "I know I'm not. Try not to worry. I'll be all right. Regina and I know what we're doing and exactly what we're up against now. I'll be back before you know it. And when I am, we will deal with Ursula and Cruella, then you and I can have that talk. Trust me."
Her pirate leaned in to kiss her cheek and then he looked into her eyes once more as he responded gently, "Always."
With that said, Hook backed away from her and together, Emma and Regina ran off towards the Savior's yellow bug so that they could drive to where the archer had told the former villainess he had last seen the Chernabog flying around in wait, as both women hoped to be able to draw its attention onto them once again.