How Deep Is Your Love
Chapter Sixteen
Emma looked over at Regina for a moment as she answered her question, then she lowered her eyes to what was once the black cotton shirt in her hands as she stared at the dark red stains now covering what remained of the cloth. Finally, she did as her friend told her to do, smearing Killian's blood across the glass and willed the mirror's magic to help her discover the truth she needed to know. The looking glass before the heroes came to life as it shimmered until an image of Killian appeared in place of the Savior's reflection, an image that showed him running down into an alleyway to help free Leroy from the ice that bound him against a wall behind him when the dwarf called out to him until the Snow Queen suddenly appeared before them.
"I don't remember this," Grumpy stated with confusion as he stared at the scene beginning to play out before them. "How do I not remember any of this? When the hell did this happen?"
"It had to have been yesterday afternoon seeing as Hook was acting strange when I saw him," David replied worryingly, then became silent when they watched the Snow Queen knock the cutlass from Hook's hand with a burst of magic and suddenly rushed him as she forced a kiss against his lips, draining all heat from his body until he finally fell to the ground in unconsciousness. "I have a feeling that it wasn't actually Hook I saw in the woods last night after all. But if it wasn't Hook…"
Emma's eyes became cold when Ingrid turned back to the dwarf again as they listened to her while she spoke up cruelly saying, "I was under the impression that your pirate friend here isn't liked by too many people except maybe by those who matter most in this town. However, if you happen to be one of them who do care for him, try not to worry about him too much. He'll be alright soon enough. I only need him out cold for a little while. Tell the Savior that I'm going to prove to her this man isn't worthy of her love, as he will only break her heart. I cannot and will not allow that to happen. Emma will soon see that I'm right and she'll be grateful. Then you will all see that I'm not as much of a villain as you think I am."
As the Snow Queen disappeared along with Killian within the snow that surrounded them, the images within the mirror faded, then changed to another scene when she appeared once more before Hook while she said again, "Your bravery won't help you now. In fact, neither can Emma. Her test isn't to see if she can save you before I kill you, Killian. But so that she'll learn that loving you isn't worth losing the beautiful woman she's become and most importantly, not what makes her the Savior. She'll soon see that you will only destroy her if she continues to allow you into her heart and then… she will leave you if you somehow do manage to survive the day."
"Only those I consider my friends call me by my real name," Hook responded angrily. "You're certainly no friend of mine, or anyone else's here in this town. It's obvious that you know Elsa quite well and it appears you may know Emma too, but if you think you'll convince her that I will do like you say I will, then you don't know her as well as you believe you do. And you don't know me very well either. I would give my life a hundred times over in order to keep Emma safe. I love her."
"How very noble of you, Captain," Ingrid sneered as she glared at him. "Let's put that to the test, shall we? Just how deep is your love for Emma?"
He answered, "It's certainly stronger than all the magic you possess. As I said, do to me what you will. I won't ever hurt her and you won't convince her that I would. And it will take a lot more than the kiss of death for you to kill me."
She leaned in until her face was inches apart from his and lowered her voice to a whisper as she stated contemptuously, "Because you're a survivor? You're going to have to be if you want to live through what I have in store for you."
"It's time to begin your first test, Captain!" the Snow Queen called out after she stepped back and then turned to walk away from him while she raised her hands again as she conjured some kind of large cat made of snow and ice, just like the giant snow monster they fought on the day the heroes first met Elsa, that suddenly formed several feet in front of them. "It'll be a test of endurance."
"This is ludicrous!" Killian cried in frustration as he struggled to remain on his feet, his cold and shivering continued to grow worse while he glanced between the villainess and the beast she created once it became fully formed. "How the hell does trying to outrun and survive a snow monster of yours meant to prove anything? You have all the power here. You've even taken my cutlass from me. How am I supposed to fight against your magic?"
Ingrid looked back at him as she sneered, "You still have your hook and your wit. You also have your leather duster that should continue to keep you warm enough to get you through this if you don't take too long."
When she swiftly made his blade reappear on the ground at his feet as she blew away the snow that covered it, she added, "And now you have your sword back as well. First I need to see just how strong you are and if you die now, it will prove that Emma doesn't mean as much to you as you claim she does. But if you survive, we'll be able to continue."
"How bloody fantastic for you," Hook retorted coldly, then started to back away as the leopard slowly began to saunter toward him until it stopped and roared at him loudly.
"I suggest you get moving, Captain," the evil woman continued while she watched as the pirate backed away from her. "The snow leopard is a patient creature when it stalks its prey, but if you waste too much time, she will kill you. And it will not be a quick death, or a painless one."
Killian called out to her once more as he asked, "And when will I know that I've beaten your twisted game?"
The Snow Queen replied snidely, "Only when you've found a way to conquer my monster, as you so eloquently call her. I do certainly wish you luck. It appears that you're going to need it."
"I could easily kill you right here and now, Captain," the heroes heard the villain say when the scene changed once more. "However, doing so would defeat my purpose in choosing you to help me win Emma over. It's your task to survive my snow leopard, not me."
"Then let your beast attack me already and get this bloody test of yours be over with," Hook responded while he glared back at her. "I'm more than ready."
Ingrid answered, "Not yet you aren't. By the way, I thought you might like to know that Emma was terribly disappointed when you failed to show up for your date. But try not to worry, I made sure that she received your message. She didn't take it well, and neither did the Savior's father for that matter, but that's what happens to a man who pretends to be a hero."
While he leaned against the tree behind him for support, he asked worryingly, "What have you done?"
"I made it so that all your good work has been undone," she replied with a smile. "They all believe you failed to show last night because you got yourself drunk upon realizing that you made a mistake to give your long life as a pirate up. They already see you as the selfish man you truly are and Emma will come to hate you by the time I'm through. You should have seen her last night. She was devastated and you're responsible."
"Some bloody hero I turned out to be," he whispered to himself sadly as he bowed his head, while Ingrid disappeared within the snow that suddenly surrounded her once more.
The images changed for one last time as they watched Hook fight against the snow beast when the leopard finally attacked him after it had stalked him through the night and well into the next morning. It ripped his sword from his hand when he thrust his blade into the creature while the beast clawed deep into his chest, but it was easily able to pull the weapon free. The snow leopard charged him once more when Killian swiftly thrust his hook through its chest, causing the predator to disperse into snow just as its claws became embedded into Killian's stomach and leg.
Emma couldn't watch anymore as she suddenly waved her hand over the magic mirror to shut off Hook's memories and buried her face in her hands, then the Savior said angrily, "I was right. I failed him and because of that ice witch, Killian knows it. But he didn't blame me, he blames himself. I need to get back to the clinic. She's going to try coming after him again in order to continue whatever twisted plans she has for him, but…"
Mary Margaret knew what her daughter was thinking and quickly interrupted, "Don't do that, Emma. You need to go see him. You can't let the fear that you messed up push him away just to try to protect yourself from the pain and anger you're feeling towards yourself right now."
"I'm not pushing Killian away!" the Savior retorted curtly. "But he doesn't need me there with him. At least not until I can figure out what I can possibly say to him to make this right, if I even can make this mess right."
"He's still out from being wounded and nearly frozen to death," David responded sadly. "He won't be awake for some time. You don't have to say anything to him, but surely having you close by will be of some comfort. And just in case you don't realize it, you're not the only one who messed up. I believed the Snow Queen's lies the same as you did. We all did."
Grumpy added, "I'm just surprised by the fact that Hook risked his life trying to help me. I never really did like him much. Whatever you guys need from me… to try to help him and to help defeat that ice witch that is… you've got it. I want to help him. The rest of us dwarfs will be ready too."
Mary Margaret smiled at the dwarf as she answered, "Thank you, Leroy. We'll call on you when we need you. And I have no doubt that we will."
"It's great that we've got plenty of warriors to stand against the Snow Queen, but we still don't know where she's hiding and she's only attacked us when we're alone, or too few to fight against her magic," Emma replied in frustration. "We don't even know her name."
"Hook might know more than what my mirror revealed," Regina stated after she thought for a few moments. "Perhaps we can get someone to read his mind. Someone like Blue, or Gold…"
Emma immediately responded curtly, "No. Not anyone, especially not Rumpelstiltskin. He's been hurt enough. There's no way in hell that I'll let the object of his hate and fear for centuries enter inside his head."
Regina turned back to the Savior again as she questioned bitterly, "Not even if it could actually help us to get ahead of this villain? No offense, Miss. Swan, but exactly what did seeing his memories actually teach us, other than all the ways she taunted and humiliated Captain Guyliner? My mirror can only do so much and I don't have the ability to read minds. And I'm not exactly sure how much of an ability the fairy has to do so. I don't mean to be harsh, but Hook probably does have the answers we need and as the Dark One, Gold may be the only one who can tell us what we want to know."
"That's not true," Snow answered. "We know she plans to tear us all apart so that she can get to our daughter and Elsa. We also know that she isn't through with hurting Killian, which is why we need to get back to Whale's clinic."
"Maybe this witch is looking to tear us all apart, but we don't know how else she plans to do it," the former Evil Queen replied more sternly.
The Savior glared at Regina, but she knew the dark haired woman was right and so she responded, "Then if anyone's going to enter Killian's mind it's me. I've never used my magic to do so before, so I don't know if I can. But let me try."
David looked at his daughter with pride until he turned to Regina and answered, "Emma can do this. We're going to let her help Hook how she sees fit."
