Hands of Time
After an hour of wandering through the forest of the once dreaded island, they eventually made it to the village of the Piccaninny tribe, "The Believer, Henry is back!" a young girl with a long braid exclaimed loudly upon seeing the group entering the area.
"Tiger Lilly!" Henry yelled back just as the girl reached them giving him a hug.
"I thought you and your family would have left already." Tiger Lilly stated pulling away from him to give them a smile, but upon seeing their grave faces she stepped away from them just as the Chief came up to them, "What is wrong? What has happened?"
Gold caught the Chief's eyes and said, "There has been some complications I am afraid."
The Chief appraised them for a moment and spoke in a rough voice, "Speak Dark One."
Gold sighed and before he could say anything David intervened, "It is my daughter, Emma."
The Chief raised an eyebrow, "The Hope? The mother of the young Believer?" He motioned to Henry, who nodded, as the Chief asked, "What has happened?"
Hook spoke this time, "We were ambushed by the Shadow creatures in the Neverseas."
The Chief uncrossed his arms and said slowly, "I am sorry to hear that, however what does that have to do-"
"One of the creatures has attached itself to the Savior's soul. We were hoping to speak with Ketata in hopes that he would assist us." Gold explained as he straightened his posture with the use of his cane.
Before the Chief could respond, one of the flaps in the longhouses parted as a deep and raspy voice came to them, "I know what it is you seek of me," their heads turned as a man with long white hair approached them, his expression grave and solemn, "and alas I cannot help you."
"What?!" David, Henry, and Hook yelled. However Gold remained indifferent as he said, "Can't or won't?"
Ketata eyed the Dark One, "This is magic far beyond your understanding Dark One. There are many things involved in your situation that you cannot possibly begin to fathom." He sighed and looked at the Chief, as if asking for permission for something.
The Chief nodded with his arms re-crossed and looked toward his worried daughter, "Come daughter, let us give them some privacy."
Tiger Lilly looked toward her father and then back at Henry, she gave him another hug and said, "It will be ok. Ketata will do all he can."
Henry didn't say anything as she pulled away and gave him a reassuring smile. Once they were out of sight the Shaman led them inside the Longhouse, "Sit." He said motioning to the logs.
They sat as Ketata started a fire in the middle, "In order to fully understand what we are dealing with, we must see into the mind of the Hope."
"We were already in my mom's memories though," Henry explained as Ketata began throwing different handfuls of dust into the fire producing different colors of smoke and chanting.
Finally after several moments he stops and looks at Henry, "I need a drop of you blood Believer."
"NO!" David, Hook, and Gold shouted as Henry was about to hold his hand.
"There is no way you are taking my grandson's blood." David said sternly.
"Then I guess you do not want to help the Hope." Ketata stated.
Hook looked at the man then at the Dark One, "How will this help her mate?" He asked just as sternly.
Ketata sighed, "There are many things in the Shadows that could harm the Hope, but in order to find out, we need to see what it is doing to her mind."
"We know what it is doing. It is showing her worst memories. We just experienced those as well when she pulled us in." David explained.
"Ah yes. I may have felt that happen…however I have a growing suspicion that is the least of your problems, now young Believer," Ketata held out his hand and Henry gulped as hesitantly allowed Ketata to take it and he picked his finger with a small needle, "very good." Ketata said allowing small drops of blood to fall into the flame, "You are the Hope's son, and while you do not possess magic, you possess something important…do you know what that is?" Henry and the others shook their heads, "Innocence." Ketata says, "Pure innocence. Believing like you do is something that could be more magical than the most powerful of sorcerers like your grandfather and mother." No one commented as once again Ketata started to chant.
Then in a puff of black smoke rose suddenly out of the fire and swirled widely above their heads, "What is happening?!" David shouted trying to cover his mouth and eyes. Ketata didn't respond as his eyes was suddenly glowing a dull red and then with a wave of his hand the black smoke began to form an image as it stopped swirling madly about and became a cloud, hovering over the fire.
The scene appeared to be a bridge that was over a busy highway. Henry gasped as he saw his mother standing near the guard rail. Her eyes were dull and lifeless and standing near her was a dark and sinister creature; the voice in which it spoke made Henry's skin crawl, "This is where you could have ended it? Don't you remember my dear Emma?" Emma shook her head as she looked down on the freeway as if trying not to listen.
"End it?" Henry asked aghast, "What does it mean?"
No one answered as the creature began to talk to his mother once more, "Come on Emmy…you could have saved a lot of grief. Graham wouldn't have died…you would have never disappointed you mother or father, Neal would have been better off, and Henry…he would have never been born and set out into this cruel world…"
"Shut up." Emma growled, although her voice was helpless and weak, "Just shut up already. Please."
"Please," the creature purred as it placed a boney claw like hand on her shoulder, "please will get you nowhere this time my pet." Emma tried to shrug the hand off, but it kept a firm grip, "Come on Emma. This is your chance," as the creature spoke the scene shimmered and they no longer saw the bridge on the freeway, but the deck of the Jolly Roger and Emma was leaning over the side, "to do the thing you should have done fourteen years ago…jump."
"What?!" They all exclaimed.
"This is happening now?! In real time?!" David exclaimed looking at the Shaman.
The Shaman did not answer. It was as if he was trapped in a trance, but he didn't need to as Gold already took out the mirror, "Regina! Regina!" Gold shouted as the mirror was swiped out of his hand and David took hold of it, "Snow?!"
"What?!" Came two voices.
"It's Emma. You have to go to her and stop her!" David yelled frantically as he watched Emma stepping on to the wooden rung.
Snow's face in the mirror showed confusion, "David what are you-"
"She is at the stern!" Hook called out as Emma was leaning over the edge as the shadow figure kept urging her on.
"Quickly, she is going to jump!" Henry called out as he clung on to the nearest person next to him which was Hook.
Just then David took his eyes off the mirror as it went completely black and watched as the cloud of smoke showed Emma. She had tears in her eyes as the Shadow spoke softly, "That is a good girl Emma. Face it. You are nothing. Nothing but roadside trash," it leaned in closer, "you are damaged goods and let's face it. No one wants something that is too damaged to fix. You are no Savior. You are the curse. You just bring more trouble and can we be honest my dear? You were born alone," the voice got softer, yet fiercer, "you will remain alone, and you will die alone. You will be doing everyone a favor…all you have to do is jump."
"I am nothing." Emma responded her voice dead as the Shadow disappeared, "I was born alone. I will remain alone. I will die alone. I am a curse…" Emma lifted her head to the sky as if to say a silent prayer, "Forgive me…Henry." She spoke softly and then just as she was about to fling herself overboard they watched as Snow and Regina tackled her to the ground and the cloud dissipated.
Everyone released the breath that they were holding and David immediately took charge, "We have to get back to the ship," turning to Ketata he said, "You are coming with us."
"I cannot. My magic does not work if I leave the island." He stated solemnly.
"What?!" David roared, "You are telling me there is nothing you can do to save my daughter?!"
"The person that can save the Hope is the Hope. She can only save herself. Neverland's darkness has awoken darkness inside of her that she has long buried. That creature is not just an ordinary Shadow…it is the fragment of the plague that has been on this island for many moons…Peter Pan." Ketata explained.
"We destroyed him." Hook stated his eyes glaring menacingly, "Emma destroyed him."
Ketata shook his head, "Pan's powers were of pure darkness and the Hope's is purely light. The darkness cannot exist in light, alas she just had enough darkness at the time were he attached a fragment of himself into her. If she should scrum to this darkness, he will send her soul to the Shadow Realm, and he will rise again."
David through his hands in the air, "So you are telling me there is nothing we can do?!"
"Unless the Hope finds the strength within herself, then I am afraid not. I am truly sorry." Ketata said bowing his head.
David let out a curse as he stormed out of the Longhouse, followed by Hook and Henry. Gold bowed his head to the Shaman and was about to leave when Ketata grabbed his arm, "What are you-" Gold was about to ask when he felt his head about to split open. He wanted to clutch his head in pain, but found that he was immobilized. Once Ketata removed his hand from Gold's, Gold immediately fell to his knees and started to breath heavily, "What the hell was that?" He gasped out.
"I gave you one of my powers. It should be exactly what you need to help the Hope." Ketata responded. If he was feeling anything, he hid his pain well, Gold noted as he struggled to get up to his feet as Ketata continued to talk, "Mind you though it is best if you get her to face her problems by choice rather by force. It will hurt her more than you can possibly know and you all might not be ready to face her darkest fears despite having faced a few of her worse memories."
"Gold!" David's voice came to them, "Let's go!"
Gold eyed the man in front of him, "How do you-?"
"You are not the only one who can see the outcomes that have yet to come," Ketata stated, "another warning Dark One: my power is not yours to keep. Once you use it, it shall be returned to me."
"How do I know when to use it? What will it do?" Gold asked taking one hand off the cane and looking at it.
"You will know," Ketata answered as he led Gold to the group, "and remember what I said: it is best to leave the choice to her rather than forcing her. And one more thing," Ketata looked at Gold very seriously as he said, "many things can be deceiving when it comes to darkness. You may think it is over…however it may just be beginning."
Gold stood by the group as Ketata went back inside, "What was taking you so long?" Hook demanded.
"He wanted to apologize some more." Gold answered slowly mulling over the Shaman's words, "Come we have to get back to the ship."
"Can you use your magic to get us back?" Henry asked anxiously as they started to quickly walk back, "Surely it has been long enough that you must have recovered by now."
Gold wanted to say yes, however when Ketata transferred his power to him it drained whatever energy he had accumulated from the recovery and knowing what he may have to do, he shook his head, "Sorry dearie, but no. I cannot use my magic." His tone suggested no more talking as they made their way back to the ship.