Darkness is a Funny Thing... It Creeps Up in You
Chapter Twenty-One
Down inside one of the crypts within Regina's vault…
After she left her friends from the alley, Regina walked down to where she kept Zelena's pendant locked up within a strongbox that was now protected by magic she made sure her sister couldn't break through like she had been able to get through her protection spells conjured with blood magic in the past, then she carefully studied the green magic swirling around within the pendant's crystal once she pulled it out from the box and held it in her hands. A pendant Regina since has learned was given to Zelena by Glinda, the Good Witch of the South.
Regina started to leave the room again as she began to walk past her multitudes of potions, scrolls, and trinkets stored within the window shaped crevasses within the room's stone walls, until her eye suddenly caught on one potion in particular, then she quickly turned to the wall and pulled the bottle out while she thought on its contents. It was a potion she learned upon Cora's death, that her mother had once used to capture the Blue Fairy for a time, long enough to be able to impersonate the fairy in order to trick young Snow into using the very candle she had given to her to corrupt her heart, that wound up killing Cora years later.
The former Evil Queen pulled out the bottle's stopper and looked at the liquid inside the bottle, until she was immediately overwhelmed by the potion's sickening stench. Regina quickly sealed the bottle once again, then she took a few moments to think on whether or not she should use the potion on her sister in case she attempted to escape once they freed her from the hat, or if the magic dampening cuff would be enough to keep her from being able to do so. Regina wasn't willing to take any chances.
However, before she could make up her mind, she was interrupted as her phone buzzed upon receiving a text and when she looked at the screen to read the message she saw was from Emma, she read that they were on their way to her vault to meet up with her there instead because their plans had changed. Finally, Regina let out a sigh and returned the potion back to its space within the crevasse in the wall upon deciding against it, then she began to rummage through a number of other items within her trunks while she waited for her friends to arrive.
At last, the Savior, her parents, Robin, Tinker Bell, and Blue, who had returned with her sister to their friends so they could join with them in their efforts, all walked down the stairs leading into the Queen's vault and then entered the room where Regina was still waiting for them.
Regina spoke out first once the others arrived, as she questioned, "Okay… so why did you want to meet here, instead of at the old man's house like we discussed? I mean… it's fine of course. Did something happen?"
Emma looked at her friend while she answered, "Gold has the dagger. The reason why he locked Killian inside that car trunk was so that he could disguise himself to look like Killian in order to trick Belle into returning it to him. Which he did."
"With the dagger, Gold's even more dangerous, so we need to try to come up with a way to figure out what they're planning," Robin continued to explain. "And we think the best way of doing that, is to separate one of the villainesses from the rest, then find a way to trick her into telling us what we need to know."
"That's not actually a bad idea," Regina replied with a raise of her brows that showed her surprise in liking the idea. "The question is, which of these witches would be stupid enough to fall for any kind of plan we might conjure up? My bet would be on Cruella, but then she's survived this long. And out there in the real world no less, for who knows how long. She might not seem all that clever, but then I've underestimated her before. We all have. She and Ursula both managed to trick us into believing they actually wanted to find redemption. And we all fell for it. And because we did, Gold has returned an even bigger threat to us than ever before."
Emma let out a worried sigh, before she grumbled sternly, "Killian didn't fall for it. He tried to warn us and we didn't listen to him."
When Regina looked around the room and realized Hook wasn't among the others, she looked at Emma again as she asked, "Speaking of the one handed wonder… Where is Hook?"
"He left Gold's shop to try to clear his head," the Savior sadly responded. "After learning that not only is Gold back, but that he's also managed to steal back the one thing we had as leverage over him… It all became too much for him. Killian understood before the rest of us that we need to make finding out these villains' plans more the priority before the rest of us did. But he needed some space."
"I'm sorry," Regina remorsefully answered her with sincerity, in seeing the pained look and concern for the pirate in Emma's eyes.
And then, upon suddenly remembering something Emma had told her and David, Mary Margaret immediately turned to her daughter as she asked anxiously, "Wait a minute… didn't you tell us that Hook has a past with Ursula? What kind of past? Maybe we could use it to draw her out."
David added out of agreement, "Mary Margaret's right. Whatever happened between them, perhaps Ursula will take the chance to come after him if Hook were to appear…"
"We're not gonna use Killian as bait to lure that Sea Witch into a trap!" the Savior brusquely retorted before her father could say the word, 'vulnerable' like she knew he was thinking of, as she glared at her parents coldly for thinking about using the man she loved in such a way. "After everything he's been through… If something were to go wrong…"
"You're right," her father quickly replied to her. "You're right. It would be wrong of us to even ask him to take such a risk after everything."
Tink then responded, "It's not such a bad idea, if one of us were to disguise themselves as Hook instead. That is… if we know what sort of past Hook had with Ursula. We would have to be careful with what we said to her."
She then looked at the Savior again as she questioned, "Did Killian tell you about their past together?"
"Yes, but we don't know if she would fall for such a ruse," Emma answered with reluctance. "Even if she did… how are we supposed to draw her away from the others long enough so we can talk with her?"
"That's gonna require a little more thought, but we have the start of a good plan," the former Evil Queen replied. "Just who among us gets to play the brooding pirate?"
Charming then spoke again steadfastly saying, "I'll do it. Just put whatever magic you have to turn someone into Hook over me. It'll work. And I can take care of myself should something go wrong, but it won't."
Regina then nodded her head and turned towards the strongboxes so she could look for something that could help them again, while Emma muttered worryingly, "I still don't think this is a good idea."
"If you can come up with a better idea, then we'll do it, but for now… Emma, this is the only plan we've got and we don't have much time to waste," Mary Margaret apprehensively responded.
"You're right," her daughter finally conceded at last in agreement with everyone else ready to move forward with their plan.
Then, when Regina found what she was looking for, she turned around as she held out the six leaf clover pendant Zelena had used to disguise herself as Marian to show it to the others and stated, "Found it. This is how Charming can disguise himself to look like Hook. It's what Zelena used to appear as Marian for so long. All you have to do is think about who you want to disguise yourself as when you put it on, and you'll be all set."
David reached out to take the clover from her as he answered skeptically, "Sounds easy enough."
"Don't worry… you're gonna be just fine," the Mayor replied to him once he began to examine the stone a little more closely. "Not only will this change your look, but your voice as well. You will sound just like the pirate."
"That's not exactly what's worrying me," the Prince quickly responded. "It's my acting skills I'm more worried about. I don't know how to be a pirate. We may have known Hook for a few years now, but that doesn't mean I know how to be him. Well enough to fool Ursula?"
Regina glared at David as she retorted crossly, "Please don't ask me to try to be him? I may have been a villain like Hook was, but that doesn't mean I can be him anymore than you can. Besides… asking me to try to be Hook would be insulting. I detest the pirate's choice in clothing, and I certainly don't do rum. I believe I made that clear."
Charming was about to say something more, until all of a sudden, Archie entered the room swiftly along with Pongo at his side and then upon seeing that he had found the rest of his friends where Killian said he would, the doctor urgently said, "You're all here. Hook said I would probably find you here. I think Geppetto and Pinocchio are in danger. They're both missing. They didn't come to meet me like they were going to and it's not like Geppetto not to meet up with me, without calling to let me know he had to cancel. Killian didn't say it, but I could tell he was thinking these villains new to town might have something to do with why they're missing. He was clearly upset about something."
"Why would Gold, or the witches want to kidnap Geppetto and Pinocchio?" Blue asked out of worry for their friends.
"Gold?" Archie questioned with surprise. "You mean… he's back? How's that possible?"
Emma looked at the man of conscience nervously as she answered, "That's… a long story. You said that you spoke to Killian?"
The doctor nodded and replied, "Not more than fifteen minutes ago. In town. He looked like he was heading towards the harbor, until I interrupted him. I told him everything I just told you, and he told me to come find you either here or inside Gold's shop. Belle said you had just left and were on your way here."
"And he seemed upset with you?" the Savior more worryingly asked him. "Did he say anything else?"
"I could tell he was about to do something," Archie responded in his own concern for the man he has recently come to call friend. "When I asked him what, he said he was going to do something he should have done when Ursula first arrived in Storybrooke. Something about trying to right a wrong. But he ran off before I could get any more out of him. Is something wrong?"
Emma looked at him worryingly as she whispered fearfully, "Killian's going to confront Ursula on his own to do what we were about to do. We have to find him. We have to stop him."
David quickly asked the doctor, "Did you see which direction Hook took off in?"
"He ran into Granny's," the former cricket answered him.
"I doubt he's still there, but that's where we'll look for him first," Emma finally replied with determination, as she headed towards the stairs to leave Regina's vault, while everyone followed behind her. "From there… Tink, do you think you can find him again like you did earlier this morning?"
The Green Fairy responded from behind her friend, "Of course I can."
The Savior then stated again, "Good. Because I'm not going to let Ursula hurt him. And once he's safe, I swear I'm gonna lock his ass up for going back on his promise not to put himself in danger."