The Dark Backward
Chapter Four
Within an unknown time later, Emma slowly awakened as she struggled to open her eyes against the agonizing pain in her head, from not only the tragedy which had occurred in the caves, but also in result of unleashing her wrath against Maleficent like the sorceress had done against her too. At first, she couldn't remember what happened to her or how she wound up lying on the ground somewhere within the woods where she discovered she now was in the middle of the night. Nor did she remember in that moment Killian had been killed. Unfortunately, the moment passed and it wasn't long before everything came flooding back to her after she stood again on her feet, as tears fell heavily from her eyes once more.
The Savior fought to maintain her composure despite being unable to hold in her quiet sobs as she remembered Killian's closed eyes and his still form lying on top of her after he had taken the blast of Maleficent's dark power to his back when he protected her even though she couldn't be killed by magic… dark or otherwise. However, Emma didn't have much time to try to let it all sink in, as she was pulled from her despair when her parents suddenly came running up to her.
"The Author… where is he?" David immediately asked her just like he had done earlier that night while they were out there still looking for the man Emma released from the storybook page.
"We… we lost him," she replied as she looked between them with confusion over the strange sense of déjà vu that had fallen over her just then.
Mary Margaret didn't appear to notice her daughter's confusion, as she spoke apprehensively saying, "We know him, Emma."
Emma questioned her when she uttered, "What?"
"We met him a long time ago, before you were born," her mother continued, telling her the same words she had spoken earlier just like her father had seconds ago too. "He, um…"
"Wait!" the Savior finally cut in instead before her father could go on explaining how the Author had manipulated them and that it was because of the peddler who had put them on the path to causing Maleficent to lose her child like Emma suspected he was about to do. "Just… just wait. You told me this already. You said that the Author is who manipulated you into kidnapping Maleficent's child…"
Now it was David and Mary Margaret who were looking at her in confusion as her father asked, "What are you talking about? We never told you this."
Emma stared at them while she curtly retorted, "Yes you did. I know all about what you've done. And now it's also because of you that Killian's dead!"
"What?" David quickly uttered in shock at what she just revealed to them, as he worryingly glanced over at his wife before he turned back to their daughter again with concern in his eyes, just like the concern seen in her mother's eyes as well. "That isn't possible. We've been out here searching the woods for over an hour and just before you visited with August, we saw him saying good night to you. There's been no attack in town. Someone would have called."
"I told you… all of this has happened already," the Savior answered angrily while she glared at them. "We searched these woods for over an hour before I finally called Killian and Henry to ask them to join us. They came, we failed to find the Author, we returned to town as Killian and I talked… He walked me home despite how angry I am with you and we said good night again. But after he left, he was taken by Maleficent so I would come down to the caves to talk to her. I went and it wasn't long before she killed him because he protected me from her anger really geared towards you. The last thing I remember is losing my temper and releasing my magic against her own when she attacked me. Our powers collided. That's it. Do you think I'm making this up? Why would I? What the hell is going on here?"
The Prince reached out to take his daughter by her shoulders in an effort to calm her down while he gently responded, "Everything's going to be okay, Emma. We'll help you figure out what's happened. Just try to calm down. I'm sure Hook… I'm sure he's fine. Whatever you think might have happened…"
Emma interrupted again, "I wasn't imagining Killian dying. I was there. I saw him lying dead on the ground as clear as I can see you standing here in front of me now. I felt him barrel into me, then collapse on top of me as he was killed when he was struck. His face… his body were lifeless. I know it happened. And if you won't believe me, then I don't want your help to fix this."
"Emma, wait!" her mother then cried out when Emma pulled away from them and then suddenly took off in the direction they had come to make her way back into town. "We do believe you!"
"Then help me find Maleficent so I can make her pay for what she's done!" the Savior shouted back at them as her parents struggled to follow and keep up with her.
The Savior, David, and Mary Margaret finally arrived in town, then headed towards the library where Emma expected she would find the sorceress in the cave below, and where she hoped she would find Killian's body as well so she could take care of him the way he deserved to be and not left alone beneath the streets they all walked on.
However, just when she reached out and pulled open the door of the library to walk inside, Emma suddenly heard Killian's voice from behind her and her parents as he came walking towards them from the direction of the harbor while he softly called out, "Emma?"
She immediately turned towards him as she stared at him in shock upon seeing him alive again and whispered, "Killian."
Emma then ran at him and once she reached him, she embraced him out of fear that he was no more than a ghost, only to find he was as real and alive as she was while she held him tightly against her and then began to kiss him tenderly while tears slipped from her eyes like before, this time in relief.
"Swan… what's wrong?" he asked her in confusion once the woman he loved pulled back a little at last so they could talk and look into one another's eyes, though he had seen the looks of relief and concern in her parents' eyes while they looked on and he could feel the worry himself for reasons which he didn't understand. "Did something happen?"
"I don't really know what happened anymore," the Savior worryingly replied to him and squeezed his hand, then she reached up with one hand so she could caress his cheek. "I thought you were… that you were gone. I thought Maleficent killed you when you protected me."
Killian looked down at her hand still within his own when the confusion and fear he felt deepened, then he answered gravely, "Well… it appears I'm still alive, only… I don't… I feel something's not right. Like I'm in some kind of dream. Like there's a dark shroud surrounding me and I can't break free. I can sense something tragic has happened, but I can't seem to remember how or… or when. All I do remember is waking up, lying on the deck aboard the Jolly Roger."
Emma glanced over again at her parents in concern, then she turned back to Killian and leaned in closer to him once more when he laid his forehead against hers as she responded gently, "It's gonna be okay. You're here… with me. You are alive. Whatever's happened, we'll figure it out together just like we've always done."
"Why don't we head back to our place, and we can continue to talk about what's happened inside where it's warmer?" Mary Margaret said nervously while she shivered from the cold.
"No," her daughter curtly replied when she and Killian turned around to face her parents again. "No… why don't you and Dad go back home where it's warmer. I really would rather not talk to you anymore tonight. Killian and I need to try to figure out what's going on, and I don't need my anger distracting me anymore. We're going to head to Granny's to talk. Please… just leave me alone."
Mary Margaret attempted to go after her when Emma and Killian walked away from them and headed towards the diner down the street, but David tenderly reached out to take her arm to hold her back, then pulled her into his arms. They stood there on the sidewalk outside of the library for a few more minutes as the Prince watched their daughter and friend disappear inside while he comforted his wife, then together they finally walked away themselves.
When Emma and Killian walked inside Granny's Diner, they were surprised to find that most of the booths and tables were full, especially since it was after midnight, but the lateness of the hour didn't appear to faze anyone else, least of all Granny, who stepped out from behind her bar and came over to the new arrivals as she stated in her usual stern manner, "Unless you're up to joining with some of the others in here, it might be awhile before a table opens up. So what can I get for you tonight?"
Belle looked up from the table where she was sitting with Will, Tinker Bell, and Leroy as she smiled and waved at her friends, then the Savior turned back to the owner of the diner while she declined Granny's offer when she answered, "Nothing for me tonight, Granny. Thanks. But Killian might want something."
"No… thank you, love," Hook responded while he looked at Granny as well. "I'm not very hungry."
"How about I at least get you a couple of hot cocoas with cinnamon to help warm you both up?" the old woman replied despite what either of them told her. "It's getting colder out there. Winter's coming. And maybe a little rum too."
Emma nodded and then she answered, "Actually, that sounds pretty good right now. We appreciate that, Granny. Thank you."
Granny nodded and walked away after she responded, "Sure thing."
Emma continued looking around the room as she also saw Phillip sitting with Aurora and their son, Henry sitting with Archie, Marco, and Dr. Whale, as well as Kathryn who was sitting with her husband, Jim, and Ashley with Sean who was holding their daughter too. It seemed like almost everyone she knew living in Storybrooke was there despite there still being several people missing.
The Savior kept looking around the room when Smee entered the diner and started talking with his Captain. She was about to join in their conversation, until Emma strangely caught a glimpse of someone she didn't recognize, as the outsider walked through a crowd of people standing in the back of the room by the jukebox while he kept his eyes trained solely on her. However, when Killian turned her attention as he asked Emma if she was alright and she quickly nodded her head assuredly, she then turned back towards where she saw the stranger only to find he was gone like he had vanished into thin air.
"I'm fine," Emma quietly replied when she looked over at Killian again, shaking off the outsider she had seen as nothing more than her mind playing tricks with her. "Why don't we head out to your ship so we can talk in private once Granny returns with our drinks? Granny was right… it doesn't look like a table's going to be opening up any time soon."
"I'd like that," the Captain answered. "It won't be quite as warm, but certainly more cozy."
She smiled at him and was about to lean in to kiss him, until a shot suddenly rang out from out of nowhere. Emma carefully looked around the room again in order to seek out whoever fired it, as did everyone else when they all stood once their conversations were interrupted by the shock upon hearing the gunshot.
However, she immediately turned back to Killian again when she heard him gasp out in pain while he stared down at his hand now resting over his stomach, as blood began to seep through the fabric of his shirt from an open wound he was struggling to cover up to stifle the flow. The Savior released a sob once she saw Killian was wounded, then she whispered his name out of fear as she swiftly caught him before he could fall the rest of the way to the floor and pulled him into her arms when he collapsed to his knees. Everyone surrounding them simply stared down at them in shock.
Emma fought to keep him alive, keeping her eyes on his through her tears as she wept until she turned her head towards the others standing over them and shouted, "Somebody help me! What are you waiting for? Call for an ambulance… please! Killian… hang on. I'm here. I'm not letting go, but you need to hold on. You're going to be alright."
She then laid one of her hands over his to help him stifle his blood while Emma struggled to summon her magic within her in hope she could heal him. Her hand began to glow as her healing power finally ignited. Tragically, Killian's eyes closed while she heard him whisper an apology for leaving her, until his life left his body once again before her power could save him.
The Savior could no longer hold back her tears or cries as she screamed, "No! No… I can't… I can't lose you again. Killian? Killian!"
Killian now laid dead in her arms while she was weeping over him like she had when she held him tightly against him before down in the cave after she had confronted Maleficent. Only this time, Emma and Killian suddenly became engulfed by a strange bright light and then… there was nothing but darkness.
