I do not own Once Upon a Time nor any of its characters. Since 2014, I've been writing a rather large fanfic reveling in the ship affectionately referred to by its fans as Captain Swan.
To my favoriters and followers, old and new, I thank you, yet again – deeply and sincerely from the very depths of my heart. Many of you have stuck with this story since I'd began, drawn out over many years and many life altering events in the author's life that delayed things.
So without further ado and for the very last time (…at least..for this story) I will say…
On with the show.
—Y&M—
Bright green, vibrant magic pulsated from with the barn on the outskirts of Storybrooke, Maine. A pillar of the emerald light had sprung forth out of the roof of the barn, entered, and disappeared into the very sky above it that started to gather and swirl clouds around the beam of power. Emma Swan, Killian Jones, and Regina Mills – the three that remained, left outside of the circle of safety that the Dark One had conjured in order to teleport the remaining beloved citizens of Storybrooke out of harm's way – made their way swiftly across the ominous field to the barn that they knew surely held the Wicked Witch of the West, Zelena.
To what ends they would find everything within, they did not know. The three heroes exchanged a look outside the barn door, knowing that they didn't have time to wait, knowing they had no time to plan, and knowing they would be merely acting on instinct and instinct alone once they entered the chaos before them. A nod was exchanged between the three as the pirate captain swiftly unsheathed his sword and cut through the chain that held the door shut tight. The barn doors swung wide with a force, as if wind from within the barn shoved them open once the chain was relinquished. All three of them initially covering their eyes at the stark brightness that the green magic within gave off as their eyes adjusted slowly to its harshness.
As their eyes allowed for the spectacle before them come into view the three saw the floor within the barn had a large, circular, arcane pattern drawn upon it. Regina was the only one of the three to recognize its pattern and meaning and that only two of the four required elements of the spell had so far been placed within its marked corners. She also noted, if her memory was right, that something was off. For any of this to be a success, the elements of the spell should have already been within their respective places on the circle before the spell was even cast. Hope flitted briefly across her mind before the bigger reality of what might happen occurred to her.
Magic is dangerous, Dearie, Regina heard her mentor's voice within her head from long ago. Miss one part of the spell and who knows what might happen, but one thing I can guarantee is that it's always going to be trouble!
The mentor in question that held the small child of Snow White and Prince Charming gingerly within his arms, stopped mid-stride upon noticing the three enter the barn. Mr. Gold's eyes widened, and he glanced briefly in the direction of the back of the barn, enough of a movement that all three of the heroes caught it as they followed his eyes over to find the Witch, herself. Zelena looked surprisingly disheveled in her present state as she attempted to hold the spell conjuring in one hand and the dagger of the Dark One held high within the other. Her wild eyes fell upon Emma and a sneer crept across her features – all of which, they noted, were now covered in green with her envy having eaten her clean through, even within this realm.
"Oh good, you got the invitation," she said with a vicious grin. "Just sit tight and Rumple will be with you shortly."
From behind her, Emma felt a man's arm grab her and something sharp fall across her throat and dig into it, breaking the skin slightly as she gasped loud enough for Killian and Regina to turn to her in unison. Emma watched Killian's face react in surprise and horror as she then felt someone's face from behind slide next to her own, close enough to hear and feel ragged and warm breathing within her ear before he spoke.
"Did you miss me, darling?" a torn and monstrous version of Walsh's voice came from beside her face and she froze.
"Walsh," Emma breathed with wide eyes. "You BASTARD! Let me go! If any part of you ever cared for me or Henry you will let me go this instant so I can save my brother! LET ME G-!"
His claws merely dug deeper into her neck at her last words, blood beginning to run with more earnest down her neck from the wounds as he held her fast. Killian took a step towards them as Walsh merely ticked a strange noise within his throat and shook his head in warning at the man.
"Ah, ah, ah, Captain," he began as Killian took in the appearance of the beast before him. It seemed Walsh was somehow trapped in transformation between man and winged monkey, combining to form a horrifying visage. Walsh made a noise that sounded like a garbled chuckle as he continued, "Any closer and I will not hesitate to wound her further. She doesn't need to be conscious for what my Master requires of the Savior."
Requires of the Savior…
A chill spread down Killian's spine and landed squarely within his heart, "What do you mean requires?"
Walsh's face merely split unnaturally wide in a fanged grin in response. Keeping Emma between himself and the others as a sort of shield, he then began to slowly make his way nearer to Zelena. The witch watched with satisfaction as her guard captain brought the Savior over to her, enough of a distraction for her to lower her arm that held the Dark One's dagger within her hand and unknowingly relinquishing her control on him for the moment. Rumpelstiltskin felt the control wane on him as he came to his senses a bit and found himself right in front of the space where he was to lay the babe within the arcane circle. He froze a bit in his place as his eyes flitted over the area to get a feel for if anyone's eyes were on him. When he realized they were distracted with what was happening with Ms. Swan, he looked down into the child within his arms eyes. For a brief, fleeting moment, Rumpelstiltskin's memory saw his son Baelfire in his arms, his innocence and fragility that Rumple remembered feeling when he was a new father clenching at his heart within his chest.
"Tell your mother and father that I'm so very sorry for all the trouble I've caused over the years, young one," he whispered to the child before flicking his wrist and the child disappeared from within his grasp in a small swirl of smoke.
With another flick of his hand, he quickly conjured an illusion of the babe as if it had been placed within the circle in its respective place. His eyes scanned the room once again as he then slowly began to make his way over to Zelena and the others. Rumple's eyes narrowed at the sight of the Savior, neck bleeding under the filthy claws of the half-monkey, as she was being presented to Zelena. He'd promised his son he would keep Emma and his grandson safe. Henry was far away from here with the rest of the town and his family which only left Emma. He walked calmly over to them, Zelena raising her hand with the dagger up in warning as he neared.
"Whatever are you up to, Zelena?" he asked her as he came over to stand between where Emma was being held and the witch. "First, against my advisement, you start this spell well before it should have been and now…bringing the very woman who could be your undoing closer to you?" He tsked under his breath, "Sloppy, my dear. Sloppy and dangerously reckless, even for someone as impulsive as yourself."
Zelena merely grinned at him slowly, the confidence within her smile unnerving the Dark One, "Oh Rumple, your lack of imagination disappoints me. While yes, I may have gotten a little ahead of myself in getting things started, it doesn't mean I don't have this under control…or that I don't have a reason for bringing the Savior over here to me. If she tried anything right now, with a simple command my captain of the guard would rip her throat out."
"Witch!" Killian spat as Regina ignited a ball of flame within her hand in warning. "You do anything to that woman I will not hesitate to run you through!"
Suddenly, causing the majority of the others within the space to garner him a total look of surprise, Rumpelstiltskin began to laugh. His laughter built and became something manic as he doubled over and gasped for air a bit, wiping tears from his eyes before he turned to Zelena in order to explain his sudden outburst of amusement.
"You have no idea do you? All this time you thought you could use the heart of the Savior for the spot within your spell?" he cackled yet again, somewhat out of breath at as hard as he'd been laughing, enjoying also as he watched the anger build within Zelena's face as he openly mocked her. "You can't take the Savoir's heart, Zelena. No one – not myself or Regina or anyone can take the heart of the Savior from within her chest. It's part of her power. Part of her natural magical defense."
A look of panic crossed Zelena's features as she looked between the group to see if the words the imp had just stated rang true. She watched as both her sister and the pirate grinned back at her knowingly, reiterating the truth in the Dark One's words. Hot anger shot thru her as she lost a bit of control, the pillar of emerald magic that poured from the center of the room tilted a bit on its axis as her control wavered.
"Drop her," Zelena commanded her captain of the guards as Walsh immediately obeyed and Emma was released from within his claws and the witch stormed over to her. "We'll just see about that!"
Emma Swan suddenly felt for the second time in her life the odd sensation of someone shoving their hand into her chest as Zelena forcibly thrust her fist into her core. Just as she was getting ready to sneer back in Zelena's face, she felt another odd sensation…one she'd never felt before. The grin that was beginning to form on Emma's face died as she looked down at the arm that had its hand embedded in her chest. She felt finger like claws of the witch encircle her heart within. Just as quickly as she'd thrust her hand into her chest, Zelena wrenched her arm back free of the Savior.
So that's what it feels like, Emma thought as she stared at her own heart now within Zelena's clutched palm. Gasps poured from every corner of the room as the group stood in shock and disbelief at what they'd just witnessed.
"No," Killian breathed, terrified, as he saw the heart of the woman he loved in the hands of the witch. Flashes of memories of Milah and what happened unable to be held back within his mind as his own heart raced in fear as to what was to happen next.
"It's—It's not possible," Regina breathed in disbelief.
Emma's mind reeled as she stared a bit at her heart in Zelena's hand. It didn't look as the others she'd seen before. While those who were purest of heart glowed a fierce red, others she'd know to have bits of darkness that floated within their crimson depths. Emma's heart, the heart of the Savior; however, glowed an almost white-hot, golden hue, looking foreign to those to stared upon it.
Magic always comes with a price!
Emma's eyes slowly tore themselves away from the heart and found the eyes of Rumpelstiltskin upon her. An idea came into her mind in that moment and a silent understanding, or so she'd hoped, passed between herself and the Dark One as he grimly nodded the smallest of nods to her.
It was then that everything happened all at once.
First, Emma lunged at Zelena, knocking the witch off her feet. Zelena, having to make the choice between holding her heart, keeping up the spell, or holding the Dark One's dagger – kept the spell running and held tightly to the Savior's heart as the dagger went clanking to the ground. Walsh then lunged at Emma, only to be caught with a hook to the chest by Kilian who lodged his hook so deeply into the chest of the half-monkey that he was then able to pick him up by it and hurl his form harshly to the ground.
"I warned you once, bastard, that I'd end you," Captain Hook warned in a dark growl into the face of Walsh who let out an angry scream that gurgled slightly within his throat. "And I am a man who keeps my word."
In one, swift motion, Killian Jones arced his sword high over his head only to bring it down across Walsh's previously cut throat. This time, after a few seconds of a slow hiss that came from the monkey's mouth, Walsh's head slid off to one side – now, detached entirely from his neck as his lifeless eyes stared up into nothingness.
The Dark One and Regina went for the dagger at the same time as it fell from Zelena's hand and ran into each other as they fought a bit for its ownership on the ground.
"You can't be trusted with this, Gold!" she pleaded with him as he fought against her.
"I PROMISED my son I'd save them! Regina, give me the dagger!" he pleaded as they then both froze a bit as she searched his face for something to indicate his truthfulness.
"Why should I believe any of that?" she asked him, still not releasing her grip.
"Regina," he began, his voice wavering with emotion, "you know me. I swear on the memory of my son. I swear on my love for Belle. I swear to you as a father to a mother, Regina, that I will protect them both with my very life. Please."
Regina Mills, the once Evil Queen, stared for a long moment into the eyes of Rumpelstiltskin. After a moment, when he'd thought she wasn't going to change her mind, she then surprised him by suddenly letting go and standing up, offering a hand to him.
"I'm holding you to that, Gold," she said as he accepted her hand and stood.
Meanwhile, Emma had thrown herself straight at the emerald stone that sat within the necklace around Zelena's neck when she lunged at her. Clamping her hand down around it, she then closed her eyes and started to attempt to conjure a spell that would hopefully destroy the necklace. Completely mixing and matching the spells that Regina had taught her in her head, she focused on the destruction of the gem as white-hot light began to emanate from beneath her palm that surrounded the necklace. As a warning, Zelena squeezed Emma's heart within her palm as Emma winced in pain but kept her concentration on the spell and her hold around the necklace around her neck.
"You know this ends badly for you any way you look at it, Savior. Might as well just give in now," Zelena seethed under her breathe, only for Emma's ears to hear.
With the other threats out of the way the others descended upon Zelena and Emma. Killian and Regina fought to pry her heart out of Zelena's hands as Rumpelstiltskin used magic on her to hold her down while they did so. Now free of her heart being crushed, Emma pushed Zelena further backwards and straddled her as she concentrated on the destruction of the gem.
"Emma," she heard Killian say in an odd emotion she couldn't label. "Emma, wait."
Perhaps it was the uncharacteristic tone to his voice that seemed to hold concern, but Emma paused her efforts and looked to Killian who was holding her heart within his hand. The light that had shined so brightly when it was originally pulled from within her chest seemed to be dimming and the edges of the heart seemed to also be…disintegrating. Regina swiftly and with no amount of ceremony snatched the heart from within the pirate's grasp and slammed it back into Emma's chest as Emma let out a loud gasp.
"Damn, you could have at least warned me. Ouch, Regina," Emma said as she rubbed at her chest a bit.
"Emma, with your being the Savior, it should have never been able to be separated from you to begin with. We don't know what we're dealing with here. Maybe it just couldn't exist well outside of you. Or maybe...," Regina trailed off, not really wanting to think about the other idea that might be happening to her.
The magic of the spell of Zelena's that was growing more and more out of control though, pulled the group back to the issues at hand. The vibrant green column once again warped and tilted, destroying more of the barn and hurling in uncontrolled directions into the sky.
"If I destroy this, will it stop the spell?" Emma asked Rumpelstiltskin as he shrugged.
"I believe it will at least weaken it. Regina and I can attempt to control it in the meantime to keep it from destroying us or the town, for that matter."
"I still need one of you to keep her from moving so I can finish this," Emma stated as Zelena's eyes darted around in her head between them, still unable to move.
"I'll grab sis," Regina stated with a certain level of satisfaction. "The spell may be too much for me to handle but I'm sure the Dark One can."
Mr. Gold nodded to them both and switched his control over Zelena over to controlling the time spell while Regina slid in to hold her sister down. Emma started up her spell again as Killian came over to kneel beside them to keep an eye on her as it commenced. He'd seen the look Regina had on her face with what may be really happening here. The fright he had in seeing his beloved's heart start to deteriorate within his very hands was still in the back of his mind as well as just Emma's overall condition since returning to Storybrooke. Something wasn't right with her and the fear he had for her was mounting.
"Are you sure about this, love?" he asked softly as she cast him a sideways glance, slightly annoyed as she continued the spell.
"Yes, of course I'm sure, Killian," she said through gritted teeth. "We both know it's the only way."
"You must hurry!" they overheard Gold as the winds within the room and the wild of the magic of Zelena's spell continues to cascade slowly out of control. "I cannot hold it for long!"
Emma intensified the amount of magic she poured into destroying the necklace as Zelena sat wide-eyed and helpless beneath her. She felt the emerald gem begin to crack beneath her palm and Emma smiled over to Killian, "Its working! I can feel it starting to—"
Suddenly, Emma screamed at the top of her lungs, her hand still firmly attached to the gemstone as it was indeed cracking, but her magic use in doing so also seemed to begin to gain momentum and fall out of control. Her hand felt as if it was on fire and the burn of it was creeping up her arm and deep into her frame. Frantically, Killian tried to pry her free and felt himself be scorched upon initially touching his beloved.
"Regina! What the bloody hell is happening?!" he hollered over the increasing howl of the swirling winds as the barn continued to be pulled apart around them with the spell out of control.
Regina knelt beside Emma and attempted to pry her hand away from the gem and also found herself to be burned upon touching her. She watched in horror as cracks began to form across her sister's body beneath Emma and Zelena screamed as the white magic of Emma's began to shine through the cracks within the witch's body. Emma felt as though everything in this moment was spiraling out of control and she looked over to Killian and smiled a small smile.
"Never forget I love you," she said as the pain and the burn within her intensified and tears burned down her face.
"NO! Not like this!" Killian screamed over the roar of the room and once again wrapped his arms around her, attempting to pry her away, even as it singed and burned every inch of him that touched hers. He refused to let go.
"Take care of Henry," she said to Regina who also shook her head but then swallowed down tears.
"I will. I promise," Regina swore to her.
Emma Swan, daughter of Prince Charming and Snow White, Savior of two realms, mother to Henry Mills, and love of Captain Hook let go of the power she had been attempting to control and let it destroy the necklace she held within her hands with a fantastic shatter of emerald and golden light. The bright, burning light of her white magic intensified to where nothing else within the room could be seen for several minutes. All the occupants of the area could hear was the deafening roar of the winds of the chaos of the spell's storm as it spun further out of control before they heard for one last time the terrified scream of the Wicked Witch of the West in her final moments as the cracks within her broke her physical being entirely apart in an explosion of white light.
And then…
Everything stopped.
For several moments, those left standing just remained rooted to the spot, hearing only each other's heavy breathing and bits of the roof of the barn falling to the floor below.
"Emma?" Regina and Mr. Gold heard Kilian's voice break as they looked over to the heartbreaking scene unfold before them. He held her to his chest, trying to get her to awaken. Emma's eyes were closed and her pallor held a color of lifelessness to it. "Emma? Emma – please, love. Emma, open your eyes. Emma! Say something to me. Please, please, please. No, no, no, no!"
Rumpelstiltskin came over to kneel beside the pirate and the princess with an uncharacteristic look of sympathy across his features. He waved his hand across them and while he was able to heal the burns across Killian Jones that he absorbed when unwilling to release his hold on his love, he wasn't able to heal the Savior whose heart no longer beat within her chest.
"Please," Killian's voice pleaded with the man. "Help her."
"I'm sorry, Captain. She—she's gone," he said quietly as the knowledge of his failing to keep his promise in keeping Emma safe to his son tore at him.
Killian's breath caught several times in his throat as he shook his head in denial before pulling her against his chest, arms wrapped tightly around her, and buried his face in her hair. A guttural cry escaped him with a scream of denial as he clutched her to his chest and rocked her back and forth within his arms. He felt Regina's hand on his shoulder, an act of comfort as she felt for the man who was just robbed of the love of his life, a pain she knew all too well as thoughts of Daniel echoed in her heart.
"I'm so sorry, Killian," Regina began as tears fell from her own eyes. "She saved us all."
A shattered breath left his lips as he looked up to her, anger simmering beneath his gaze, "This isn't supposed to be how it ends. After everything she's fought for, everything she's suffered through, this cannot be it, Regina."
"Maybe its not," Mr. Gold stated as he felt Killian and Regina's eyes immediately turn to him.
"Explain," Killian demanded as Gold knelt on one knee in front of them.
"Tell me, Regina, how is it that you cast the spell that brought us all back here without anyone dying?" he asked in an almost sing-song tone.
"I mean, technically David died, but—" she said as her eyes widened, realizing where his mind was going with this. "We don't know if this will work like that though. Emma didn't have her heart crushed like that and she's the Savior."
"True," Gold said as he stood. "We are in uncharted territory here, but we have to try, Regina. I promised Bae to keep her and my grandson safe. I do not want to fail him again."
Killian lay Emma's lifeless body gently on the ground with a kiss to her forehead before he stood. "Do it," he commanded.
"It might kill you, Killian," Regina warned softly. "We just don't know if this will even work."
"She wasn't supposed to be able to remember me either and yet," Killian began as he looked down into Emma's face. "I love her more than anything in all the realms. She loved me enough to remember me through a magical curse that no one before was able to break thru in that manner. If Emma Swan has taught all of us anything its not to give up and I'm not about to start that today. Besides," he grinned as he placed his hand on his chest, "my heart has been hers for a long time now."
"Okay," Regina stated with a level of conviction as she moved to stand before the pirate captain who threw his arms wide awaiting his fate.
Regina shoved her hand into his chest and quickly retrieved his heart that beat within her palm. The group gazed in slight surprise that his heart no longer was merely the vibrant red that it used to be, nor did it contain any flecks of darkness as he'd known it to hold ages ago. His heart, while red and gleaming on one side, also shined the bright, golden shimmer on the other, not unlike what Emma's looked to be when it was out of her chest.
At the same time, Mr. Gold went to retrieve Emma's now silent heart from within her chest, only to find it missing, having been destroyed by her own magic. "It's gone!" he stated with a bit of surprise and wonder as he pulled his empty hand out.
"Well that just makes my job easier," Regina said with a confident smile as she cleaved the bi-colored heart of the captain's in two.
Quickly, she shoved the crimson side of Killian's heart into his chest, a gasp of uncomfortable pain escaped his lips as they all waited to see if he would react poorly to having only half his heart. Killian waited a few moments and just breathed to see if he felt differently.
Once upon a time…
"I think it worked," he said as he knelt to Emma's side and pulled her into his lap. "Now, Emma, if you please, your Majesty."
There was a princess from a faraway land who'd thought she was abandoned, an orphan, alone…
Regina held her breath as she shoved the shimmering white-gold heart half into Emma's chest.
She never believed there could be anything like True Love to exist.
The group watched anxiously to see if there was any sign that it brought her back to life. After several minutes without any response, Killian brought her up into his arms so he could look into her face.
She found it once with her own son, also one thought lost.
She found it twice with a pirate, actually a hero, who once thought he wasn't worthy of love.
"Please," was all he said before he kissed her.
…and they lived…
Emma Swan inhaled deeply, her eyes flying open as she gasped her first breath back to life.
Happily, ever after.