Chapter 8: A White Swan Wedding
Present day: Storybrooke
The wedding was taking place in the back courtyard of Town Hall, a venue only the wealthiest and most influential could afford in the town of Storybrooke. Musicians were tuning their stringed instruments, weddings aides were scurrying about setting up the final chairs, the caterers had set up the tables to parallel the building, and a bridal archway had been constructed at the end of the make-shift walkway complete with rose petals and a red velvet carpet.
It was all very lovely to look at but there had been many whispers about how hastily this event had been put together, how little time but much money was being utilized, and the mysteriousness of the rather-extensive weddings invitations. The listed guests included practically everyone in town.
And the Charming family would not miss a second of it.
Hook, Snow, and David all assembled around Emma at the Sheriff station, poised to receive orders on how to proceed. Baby Neal was being watched by a very-willing Granny and Regina was on call at the Mayor's office should any magical assistance be needed.
"Let's not be noticeable," Emma was saying as she handed out the police walkies. The cell phone coverage in the technology-backwards town Storybrooke was not reliable enough for her. "We do not want to tip off whoever it is that is orchestrating all of this." She tucked her own radio into her belt, making sure her trusty Glock was there as well, before firmly pulling her jacket into place. "Mom, Dad I need you both on the south end. Hook and I will cover the north near the Town Hall. If anything dangerous goes down, you should be prepared to evacuate everyone inside the building and away from harm."
David looked concerned. "Do you think we should expect a chaotic scene?"
Emma glanced at him, her eyes serious. "I hope it does not come to that. But just in case, I want everyone to be ready to evacuate at a second's notice."
Snow hoisted her quiver onto her shoulders and took up her bow in her right hand, expertly testing its pull by giving slight pressure to the string. Meanwhile, David had strapped his sword belt on and slid his weapon into the scabbard. Emma smiled at her parents and their fairytale weapons of choice. Only in a town like Storybrooke, she thought amusingly.
She continued with the debriefing. "We need to keep an eye on Odette. She is the one this whole thing is centered around so if anything happens, it will be focused on her." Her parents and her husband nodded in comprehension. "If anything suspicious is happening, send out a call on the radios. Even if it is just the fairies making sparkling figures in the sky like last month, report it. I already called Regina and she will be on stand-by if the town needs magical protection."
"Well I'm ready love," Hook said as he strapped his own sword to his waist. Despite the ability to carry his own modern-day firearm as a deputy, the pirate always preferred his trusty sea sword, one of the many things Emma loved about him.
"Let's go then."
Everyone walked determinedly out the front doors of the station towards the parking lot. Emma and Hook slid into her yellow bug while David and Snow took the sheriff's station wagon. Just before pulling out of the parking spaces, Emma's parents glanced over towards their daughter, each have that slight apprehension of her safety but knowing deep down that she was more than capable. The feeling every parent has towards their own children when going on an adventure.
"Good luck Emma," David called out from the driver's side.
She leaned over to see him past Hook's head. "You too Dad!"
…
The wedding was schedule for noon, the brightest part of the day, and also the hottest according to some of the grumbling caterers. While the Charmings and Hook had assembled in the sheriff's station, the entire contingents of the local caterers, food co-op employees, and various other workers had made the pilgrimage to the backend of the Storybrooke Town Hall with vans full of tables, chairs, tents, and the typical bric-a-brac associated with weddings. By ten everything was set up and waiting for guests. When Emma and Hook pulled up in her bug at 11:30 there were already a few groups of people mingling and moving among the buffet and wedding arches.
As the sheriff, Emma knew that she and her group would not allay too much suspicion since this was a public affair and the setting was the Town Hall but she elected to stay as inconspicuous as possible. She strolled amongst the crowd, her trusty Glock tucked out of sight under her red leather jacket, and her eyes scanning the mingling people.
"Anything yet?" an accented voice muttered from behind. Emma turned to see Hook standing behind her. She cracked a small grin. "No, but the ceremony does not start until noon." Hook nodded in acknowledgement. "What about you?"
He shook his head. "Nothing out of the ordinary. I asked the cricket to keep an eye out for trouble before he performs the vows, but the whole town is here. It's a lot of ground to cover."
Emma sighed. "I know, I know." She squeezed his right hand in her own and tried to smile. "I really hope this hunch of mine is right."
Hook stepped towards her and wound his arm into her own. "Well your instincts have not been wrong in the past love. I'd wager the Jolly Roger herself on them anytime."
This time, Emma broke into a genuine smile, recalling the time that Hook had indeed traded his ship for her well-being, to bring her home to Storybrooke. "Thanks," she whispered. Her pirate always knew what to say to bring her hopes up.
By 11:50, the wedding party was dying down and settling into final places. Kids that had been running around in an elaborate game of tag that involved dodging in and out of the lawn chairs were settled into said chairs at the insistence of their parents. A stringed quartet had set itself up near the bridal gazebo and was warming up their strings, ready to play the famous bridal march when the clock struck noon. Guests were sitting down, their conversations now muted. But as Emma and Hook made their way around the area, the feeling of apprehension in the Savior's stomach intensified. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Had she been wrong? Did the person who was after Odette not intend to strike at the wedding?
Lost in thought, Emma barely registered Hook's sudden grab of her right forearm and intense squeeze.
"Swan!" His face was serious as it gazed towards the seated crowds.
Emma was instantly alert and her hand strayed casually towards her Glock. "What is it?"
"Look," he nodded his head towards the backend of the final lines of white lawn chairs.
Emma looked in the direction he was indicated with his eyes where a distinguished-looking gentleman in an expensive suit had just seated himself. Other onlookers barely gave the man a glance, he was one amongst many attending the wedding, but the sight of the cold, hard eyes of the sorcerer Rothbart sent a flash of fury through Emma's spine.
"What is he doing here!?" she growled. "I specifically told him to stay away from Odette." She started forward, determined to grab the guy and haul his ass to jail. On what charges she did not know yet, but hell, she would think of something!
"Swan no!" Hook grabbed her arm again. "We cannot cause a scene here."
"But he's…"
"As far as anyone else is concerned, he is another guest at this…rather extensive wedding, and he has not done anything to warrant such treatment as being arrested from the sheriff," he said to her under his breath, "We need to wait to make our move." It was just like his Swan to want action first, then think later but the cool-headed pirate would have none of that. Not only as the deputy but as her husband. It would needlessly endanger her life and he was not about to let that happen.
But all of the waiting had made Emma grown impatient and even a little bit reckless. "At the very least, I should escort him out of here." She surveyed the crowd, her dread tripling at the sheer number of people that might be hurt if a magical show-down between her and the sorcerer were to take place. "Him being here can only mean that—"
Suddenly the stringed quartet had broken into song, the famous wedding march soared in volume, and the entire assembly stood in unison. From their position in the back, the sheriff and the deputy could see the whole of the wedding party turn in unison to glance in their direction. They were surprised and a bit startled because it appeared that everyone was looking right at them. Hot prickles of anxiety tingled under Emma's skin before she realized that they were not watching her and Hook; she also turned her head and watched a couple emerge from the back doors of the Storybrooke Town Hall.
Prince Derek of Chamberg and a woman who appeared to be Princess Odette of Schawnense emerged from the open doors, arm in arm, gracefully descending the steps onto the lawn and its red velvet carpet studded with rose petals. A collective sigh went up through the audience; no one had seen a lovelier couple. The princess so beautiful in her white gown fringed with golden lace and the prince in a smart tux with golden trimmings. Emma and Hook stepped aside to allow the couple to pass. As the wedding couple passed, the bride turned her head and Emma caught a flash of intense hatred and loathing in those cold grey eyes. She was so shocked she froze, her mouth slightly ajar; a very intense second later, the couple was heading down the aisle.
"You alright there Swan?" asked Hook, looking expectantly at her.
"Sorry, yes," she whispered, shaking off her inhibitions. "Let's get a little closer."
The sheriff and the deputy walked towards the outside of the rows of chairs, just out of the peripheral view of the couple making their way slowly up the aisle. The sheriff fought the urge to demand this whole farce cease and demand what was going on. She was interrupted in her irritated musings by her husband.
"Swan," Hook whispered next to here. "Something is up over on the lake."
Emma turned in the direction her husband was looking and immediately sucked in her breath in a small gasp. "What the hell is that?"
At first she thought it was yet another Dark Curse heading over the town but then the sound effects coming with the approaching airborne mass corrected her. It was a flock of birds, a variety of species of smaller birds to be specific, with a large white mass flying in front of them. Whatever this avian group was, they were heading straight towards the wedding party. The bird in lead seemed to be making loud honking noises, determined to drown out the wedding march melody.
Hook was just as surprised as she was. "Should we do something?"
She gripped her husband's hand and almost smiled, she felt like she knew what was going to happen. "No, just brace yourself."
The romantic wedding proceedings suddenly turned to pure chaos…
A group of blue birds dove right into the wedding arch, forcing the bride to duck least she lost her head, and then circled right around again to continue to bombard her. Sparrows and robins swooped in and out amongst the shouting, panicking the wedding guests; out of the bordering trees swarms of dogs suddenly emerged, being led by a larger white furry beast. The creatures scurried between and over people's ankles, and, as if on command, the dogs started tearing apart the wedding banquet at their leisure. Snow and David were herding people away and into the Town Hall when a particularly piercing scream came from the bridal arch. Emma looked up to see the white bird leading the flying flock of animal wedding-crashers to swoop out of the general chaos, and charge right into the bride.
She was not surprised at all to see that it was a white swan.
There was a shimmer of magic and an instant change to the woman standing underneath the bridal arch. Odile Bart had dropped her guise; in that moment everyone could see that she was not Odette, her disguise simply faded away as her magic became concentrated on staying out of the way of the charging animal. The unsymmetrical face, the drooping lips, and the large blotch down the side of her cheek were now completely visible. She was now a screaming fury, unleashing balls of magic wildly and trying to obliterate the attacking bluebirds. The swan circled around and flew right into her face, honking as loudly as it possibly could. Odile put up her hands in an effort to keep the snapping beak away from her face but it was a losing battle.
"My love I'm coming!" Derek was shouting as he tried to bat away the blue birds with his own fists. Snow and David ran up to try and stop him, and it was then that Snow recognized the red haze of the magical blinders in the prince's eyes.
"David!" she grabbed her husband's arm. "Look!"
She pointed to the necklace dangling from Odile's neck; it had a faint magical red glow to it that matched the light reflecting out of Derek's eyes. David understood instantly.
"Emma!" David shouted into the walkie. "Get that necklace off of her! She's controlling Derek with it!"
Hook heard the command as well and leapt into action, drawing his sword he started to round towards Odile when Derek moved before the pirate could react. He crouched and drove his shoulder into the pirate, knocking him down. With Hook out of the way, he pulled his own sword from beneath his wedding tux and stalked towards Emma. She quickly reached over and helped her husband to his feet.
"How dare you threaten my bride!" he shouted, his rage fueled by the magic from Odile's spell. He pointed his sword at Emma and Hook's faces. "You started this! Somehow you did this!"
Hook raised his own pirate scimitar. "You don't want to do this mate," he shouted. "She has you under a spell."
Derek either did not hear or did not care, he let out a guttural shout and charged Hook; at that point the pirate needed all of his concentration just to stay alive. Derek lunged again, Hook knocked it aside but Derek easily twirled his blade below, ducking underneath Hook's sword to jab him in the shoulder. Hook growled and started to not hold back his parries as much. The two men engaged in a series of sword pars and attacks, neither one gaining much advantage. David drew his own sword and was about to join in when Emma grabbed his arm.
"No, I need you to get everyone out of here and away from harm," Emma looked intently into his eyes. "I think we might have that magical showdown after all."
David glanced up and saw that she was right; there were still too many people in harm's way and as co-sheriff he needed to insure their safety. He replaced his sword and started to assist with herding everyone away from the wedding party, into Town Hall for safety.
While Hook was sparing with Derek, and her husband was taking care of the crowd, Snow had positioned herself onto small rise and was aiming her arrow right at Odile. She had no intention of killing the woman, but every time the sorceress raised her arm to let another magical ball fly the necklace chain was lifted enough to allow for a clean shot to sever it. It would be a million-to-one shot that Robin Hood himself would be proud of, but Snow was aware of her skills and knew she could do it. The only problem was that every time she thought she had a shot, the swan's wings or long white neck got in the way and Snow was not about to shoot her friend. Odile held the creature by its long neck, struggling to redirect the snapping black beak away from her own throat. The huge, 8-feet long white wings beat a torrent around the struggling couple and feathers and debris flew everywhere. Finally, the swan hooked its black beak onto the silver chain of the necklace, pulling it taunt in its dire efforts to yank the thing off.
Snow saw her chance and drew back. Hold it right there, she thought confidently. Smooth as silk, with every confidence of her shot, she allowed her fingers to withdraw their hold on the string.
And then she froze…the arrow freezing with her before it even left the bow.
Rothbart had raised his hand and directed a freezing spell right onto Snow, his face the very picture of intense fury.
Emma saw immediately what he did to her mother and exploded with rage. "You let her go, right now!" She rounded on Rothbart, her gun drawn.
He simply laughed. "You think that puny thing can stop me little girl?"
Emma cocked her head, and smirked. "Maybe not"—she holstered her weapon—"but this can." She thrust her right hand forward, calling the magic to her as effortlessly as if she was throwing a ball, and was immensely satisfied to see the conceded bastard fall head-over-heels onto the grass lawn from the huge blast of white magic she had just given him.
The swan and the bride were still struggling underneath the bridal cover. The bird was now using her black feet to desperately kick herself out of the choking hold of the mad woman. A feral roar resounded from behind the bride's enormous white dress, and a small wolf with furious golden eyes charged into the two struggling creatures. Rayne opened her pink mouth wide and snapped her jaws over the buttocks sections of the puffy wedding dress. The sheer volume of the article was what probably saved the woman's life; the wolf's bite force was not enough to rip out a chuck of flesh but it was enough for an intense, painful shock to be delivered which caused her to screech her loudest yet and release the swan's neck. Just as the bird got her neck free she gave one final yank and the chain holding the necklace finally snapped; the swan pendant gleamed in the sun as it made a graceful arch in the air before landing on the ground at the feet of Emma.
A thin, wisp of red-colored air slithered from the pendant and Emma caught the scent of something acrid and horrible before it evaporated into the air.
"What the..? What is going on here?"
Emma turned and saw that Derek had stopped mid-par with Hook. He was now standing, holding his head and shaking it as if shaking off a dream he had been having. His dark brown eyes were completely dazed, his vision no longer red with fury, and his sword was lowered.
Hook immediately understood and came forward, his hand now extended in friendship. "You were under a spell mate. Just take a moment."
"A spell?" stammered Derek, apparently very confused and not having a single clue as to what had just happened between him and the pirate, "but how…" Then he saw the white swan underneath the bridal cover. "Odette?" His sword clattered as he dropped it on the pavement.
The bird gave a squawk that sounded delighted and flapped her wings excitedly. Emma could almost hear her saying Yes! Yes it's me Derek. The moment was the very essence of romance as the two lovers started to make their way towards one another; it did not matter that one was a bird and the other was about the marry someone else. They were not going to let anyone or anything stand in their way of rushing into each other's arms and wings.
Unfortunately, someone else had other plans.
"Stupid prince," Rothbart muttered. He had recovered from Emma's initial blow and was now standing up, watching the exchange. "You will not have her." He raised a hand and directed it towards Snow, still standing frozen with an arrow about to be released from her bow.
She felt her muscles unfreeze and then her eyes focused on where her arrow was now aimed at… Derek's heart!
"No!" she shouted desperately, for she could not stop the arrow from flying.
Time seemed to slow as the entire party watched as the arrow burst forward, spinning gracefully towards Derek's unprotected chest. He had turned at Snow's shout but was not fast enough to react to a flying arrow; just when it seemed he would be pierced, a blur swiftly bounded in front of him, taking the full force of the arrow in the torso.
The white swan crashed to the ground, an arrow sticking straight out of her chest.
Emma was so shocked she could not breath for a second, she could not believe her eyes and she could not think of what to do. There was her friend, shot by her mother, and she could not do a damn thing about it.
"Odette!" Derek screamed, leaning over the wounded bird and taking its wings in his hands. "No no no no no! Please no!"
"Father!" Odile shrieked. "You were trying to kill him!"
Rothbart rounded towards his daughter. "Of course I was you stupid girl! And now look what you made me do…I never meant to hurt—" he was looking desperately down at the wounded bird.
"You are pathetic! You and your worthless spells that you learned out of an old book; unlike me who was born with real magic," Odile was ranting, "I was finally going to get my happy ending, what I have always wanted, and you…you…ruined it! Just like you ruin everything!"
She brought up her hands in a slashing motion, the bow still clutched in Snow's hands suddenly flew over their heads and careened into the middle of the town lake; there was a puff of red smoke and suddenly Odile was gone. Rothbart gave one last string of grating curses and likewise disappeared in a puff of maroon smoke.
The wedding arch was now silent, all of the guests had been evacuated leaving only the Charmings, Hook, and Rayne standing around Derek and Odette; the prince was leaning over the swan weeping.
Emma was the first to react. She quickly knelt down next to Derek, her hands cupped over the wounded bird in an attempt to use her magic to heal the princess. She felt the warmth of her magic coming out and a soft white glow emanated from her hands over the bird but nothing was happening.
Derek watched intently. "Why isn't it working?" he demanded. "WHY ISN'T IT WORKING?"
Emma struggled so hard that sweat started to trickle down her forehead. This was not the first time her magic had not been easy to control and she would be damned if it let her beat her this time. She had struggled to heal Ella once but had somehow overcome it then. But apparently something was not allowing it for the glowing faded from her hands and she panted with the exhaustion of using her magic; the swan was still injured. "I'm…I'm so sorry," she managed to gasp out, it was all she could accomplish through her fatigue.
Snow came forward gently, ever the voice of reason as she crouched next to Derek. "We need to get her to the hospital." He nodded and took off his tuxedo jacket, wrapping it around the wounded bird ever so carefully. Hook stepped forward and helped him to gently lift the injured bird, both being careful not to touch the arrow. Together they made their way to the parking lot and laid her in the back of the sheriff station wagon.
"The vet clinic is closer," Emma said as she strapped into her seat belt. "We're going there now!"
Ten minutes later, the entire Charming family plus Derek and Rayne, was waiting in the lobby of the Storybrooke Animal Shelter. Rayne stalked the lobby floors, growling restlessly and refusing to be touched by anyone. Derek simply sat as if in shock, staring at nothing.
"I was about to marry that monster," he finally croaked out.
Emma glanced over at him. "Hey, you were under a spell and the whole shape-shifting thing kind of threw us all off."
"But I should have known…she has done this before…why has she always wanted me" he was interrupted by the footsteps of Dr. Ameyew resounding. Everyone rose to their feet and came forward.
"Well?" Derek asked.
Dr. Amyew face was tight. "I'm sorry Your Highness, but it is not good. It would kill her to remove the arrow." Derek gulped and his hand clamped over his mouth. "If she were a human she would stand more of a chance but—," he did not need to finish.
Emma was grave. "She won't turn human unless the moon is up." She glanced outside at the shining afternoon-time sun. "That won't be for a few hours."
The doctor shook his head. "She won't make it that long." He came forward and spoke quietly to Derek. "I'm so sorry."
Derek shook his head. His eyes were filling with unshed tears as he glanced up at the doctor. "May I see her?"
The kind man nodded his head. "Of course."
Derek disappeared in the back, the veterinarian following closely at his heels.
Emma sank back into a chair in the waiting room, overwhelmed by all of this. This could not be it. She would not let good lose like this. It was her job, dammit, to ensure that others got their happy endings. And this was the freakin' Swan Princess! If anyone deserved a happy ending it was Princess Odette.
She felt a light hand on her shoulder and looked over to see her mother sitting next to her, gently stroking her comfortably. "Hey, you did all that you could."
Emma could have snorted but she did not, out of respect for her mother. "I wish that had been enough, but it wasn't." She rubbed her face with both hands in frustration. "Now what do we do? I have two super-villains on the loose, a dying swan, and a prince who is about to lose his True Love, again." She could have sworn. "What am I supposed to do now? I'm the Savior…I have to save them."
"Well one thing you could do, you could stop that whining. It's pathetic."
A voice resounded from the entrance of the veterinarian hospital as the glass door swung open and Rothbart entered, his black cloak billowing around him and his dark, leather boots resounding. The civilian clothes he had worn at the weeding seemed a very distant memory as they took in his sorcerers outfit.
Instantly, the Heroes were all on their feet, Emma with her Glock aimed, Hook and David pulled out their swords, and Snow stepped protectively in front of the entrance to the back of the Animal Shelter. Rayne snarled and almost hurled herself at the evil sorcerer before Snow threw her arm around her neck and stopped her.
"Very smart princess," Rothbart sneered. "Would not want me dead before you hear what I have to say."
"Then make it fast or it will be very painful for you," Emma snapped. "You tried to murder Odette!"
At those words, the hard-lines of the sorcerers face seemed to soften, if only for an instant, then they resume their hard, cold stare at the Savior. "I had no intention of hurting the princess," he growled. "I was merely trying to kill that stupid prince, not her!"
Emma cocked her head. "Why do you care? Wasn't the whole point of this wedding sham you and your daughter came up with to ruin her life?"
Rothbart stalked onto the Savior until Hook grabbed his arm. "I would not get any closer if I were you mate!" he said loudly.
Rothbart looked straight into Emma's eyes. "I did not want to kill Odette. How could I when I—" he shook his head as if clearly his thoughts, "—never mind that!"
But Snow had caught it, and it shocked her to no end. "My gods, you're in love with her?!"
The sorcerer rounded on Snow, raising a hand as if to deal her a magical blow, but stopped at the sight of Hook, David, and Emma and their weapons. He did not answer but glared at Snow and her incredulous face. Then, he spoke, addressing all of them. "The swan curse I placed on Odette cannot be lifted with True Love's Kiss nor by the Savior's magic. My daughter's…involvement, that night at the castle when your friend's curse was fully enacted made sure of that." He turned towards Emma. "If you want to save her you're going to need my help."
"Oh yeah?" Emma cocked her head, not believing a word he said.
"Yes, yeah!" Rothbart sneered, "Honestly the vernacular of commoners in this disgusting world!"
"Just make your point," Emma demanded impatiently.
"My point! My point is that firstly you need me to make this work and secondly, we need a special ingredient to lift the curse once just long enough for…True Love's Kiss to work," he spat out. The words seemed to make acid build in his mouth for his expression was one of utmost contempt.
"And what is this special ingredient?" David probed severely. "What are you asking us to do?"
Instead of answering right away, Rothbart turned towards Snow and Rayne, looking straight at the princess and the wolf. Snow glared right at him as the white wolf snarled loudly.
"Why you two, my darlings. You were both there that night at the ball so you both saw the princess before the curse was fully enacted. You and a certain…mermaid."
…
Sorry this took much longer, it was a very intense chapter! What did you think?
