Paved With Good Intentions (part 5) A CS CYOA by lynyrdwrites and gusenitsaa. Can you make the right choices to bring Emma back to the light, or will the path to angst be paved with good intentions?
This is the Finale of the CYOA (cowritten with lynyrdwrites !) Honestly we intended it to be broken up into several chapters with a couple more decision points with a couple more terrible dead ends... but honestly canon has about angsted us out!
So over and out...Remember this was outlined before the beginning of the season so there is no dark one Killian!
Last time: Snow used the dagger to keep Emma from going after Regina and Emma decided she NEVER wanted to be controlled again. Now she's going to free herself from the dagger as Rumple tried to do, using her mother's heart! Has Killian come up with a way to save the day, or is Emma too far gone? Let's see how Killian's better way turns out for us!
Emma paused, watching Killian as he slowly stepped into the loft. He kept a careful distance between them, his eyes darting rapidly from the heart in her palm to the cold expression on her face.
"I'm listening," she said, not loosening her grip on Snow's heart.
"You don't want to do this, Emma."
Emma rolled her eyes, "Don't you ever get tired of telling me what I want and what I don't. I don't think you know me as well as-"
"We both know that's not true, Swan."
"I don't have a choice. It's the only way. Do you have any idea what horrible things could happen if that dagger falls into the wrong hands?"
"Aye, I do love. But this isn't the way. Not your own mother. And what will become of your father? They share a bloody heart. Are you willing to make your brother an orphan?"
"So what Hook, shall I just go pick off one of the dwarves? They had to know me before and … there's not many who truly knew me before."
"I did."
"What are you talking about?" she asked suspiciously.
"I knew you. I saw past your walls, always did. Of the few people who truly knew you before…" Hook took a tentative step forward and Emma stiffened. He took another step, close enough that he could almost touch her now. Almost. Then she took a step back and he sighed. "I've no one love. No one but you. It should be me."
Her grip loosened slightly, Killian could tell by the way Snow straightened. She looked as though she were about to speak but David put a hand on her shoulder and she stayed quiet. For a moment Killian saw the hesitation in her eyes.
"Will you leave your son without his grandparents?" he insisted.
"I have to do this," she whispered.
"And you can't do it without her?"
"It should be her."
"Why not me? Tell me why you can't crush my heart Emma."
"Shut up," she murmured, but her eyes were unfocused and she looked past him.
"Who are you talking to?"
"I'm not weak!" she spat angrily and he stepped closer while she was distracted by something he couldn't see. Her eyes refocused on him and they were cold again. "You're holding me back now."
"Then give your mother back her heart. If it's a heart you want, you've had mine for some time."
"You think I won't do it?" she accused. "You think you can trick me into letting her go, and that I can't crush yours instead."
"Only one way to find out." There is something almost careless in his words, but then his eyes narrowed and she almost stepped back. "And If you don't take my heart. I will fight the dark one until it is gone, or I am. Look at me, Emma, and know I speak the truth."
She looked at him for a moment and one eyebrow went up. Snow's heart vanished, and Snow gasped, her sigh of relief making it evident that her heart was back where it belonged. She sagged in her husband's arms and he pulled her close. Before they could say another word grey smoke surrounded Killian and Emma and they were back on the deck of the Jolly Roger. Pain exploded through his chest and when his vision cleared his heart was in the dark one's hand.
Crush it. The dark one whispered in the back of her mind. It no longer needed a familiar facade outside her mind. It spoke with her voice now, clear and insistent inside her head. Free yourself.
"I'm sorry," she told him quietly, "I do wish there was another way."
"Then what are you waiting for, dark one?" Killian asked. There was a defiance in his tone and something more.
"Do you have a death wish?" she asked carefully, examining his heart as she circled him.
"I've nothing to fear, Swan. Because if you can crush my heart then there's nothing left for me here anyway. If you don't, it means you still want to defeat that demon inside you."
He faltered, stumbling and falling to his knees as she dug one perfect fingernail into his heart.
"This is who I am now, Hook. Why can't you accept that?"
"I will not stop fighting until that demon is utterly destroyed." Killian spat back, "That is the choice you make now. Kill me, Swan, or kill it. You can't have us both."
"It doesn't have to be like that-"
"It does," he interrupted and Emma's eyes narrowed in frustration. She could see it in his eyes. He believed that. With every fiber of his being.
You have no choice. It's only a matter of time until someone uses you as a weapon again. Against your son perhaps?
Her grip tightened and he saw stars, flashes of light exploded in his eyes and he tried to keep his eyes on her, but his legs gave out and he felt himself hit the hard deck of the Jolly before everything went dark. The last thing he heard was a muttered curse.
"Damn you, Killian Jones."
When his eyes opened he was below deck in his cabin and very much…. not dead. He blinked several times to be sure it wasn't a delusion. His eyes drifted until he saw her, leaning against the table next to the bed. His heart was no longer in her hand and he touched his good hand to his chest with a start. When his eyes finally focused, he saw that hers were bright and red rimmed. He sat up, swinging his legs off the cot to stand shakily in front of her.
"Tell me," he insisted. She looked away but he moved in front of her again. "Tell me why."
"I can't."
"You can, Swan. Tell me why."
"Because I still love you, damn it!"
He released the breath he'd been holding, letting it out in a low huff. She refused to look at him, focusing her gaze at the wall.
She didn't want to see what was in his eyes now, because it would be soft and warm and hopeful. But she had held his heart in her hand. She had hurt him and it made her own heart pang sharply. He reached for her hand and she didn't pull away. Instead, she let him pull her closer until she was in his arms again. The demon in her head was screaming but she just needed to feel his heart beating.
She rested her hand over his chest for a brief second, but when the darkness demanded she take his heart again, she instead replaced her hand with her head, resting her ear over his heart.
The steady thrum of its beat silenced the insidious voice that wanted her to clutch the darkness and never let go.
"How did we got back to Storybrooke?" he asked carefully. She was quiet for a moment and he thought she wouldn't answer. Finally she let out a sigh and pulled away.
"The wand. Light and darkness in one… all I had to do was accept the darkness. It seemed a small price to get … home. But Arthur would have killed me, Killian. I couldn't let him keep the knowledge he had gained. So I used the darkness. I let it take everyone's memories. I just wanted my dagger back, I wanted people to stop telling me what to do…"
"You could have told us," Killian murmurred. "Your family… You could have given us back our memories. Why didn't you?"
She looked away; "So you couldn't take it from me."
"You wanted to keep the power. So you lied to us."
"You don't remember Killian but Robin almost died in camelot. The darkness saved him. Regina still has the man she loves because the darkness saved him. I only ever wanted to protect you, all of you."
"Protect us?" Killian repeated, dumbfounded, staring at her as though she spoke another language. "You tried to kill your mother today, Swan. Tried to crush her heart and mine."
"Don't you understand? As long as I am tied to the dagger anyone can use me. The wrong person gets ahold of it and they could make me do anything. They could make me hurt my son. Once we're all safe, and I'm free of the dagger, I won't have to use this power for evil anymore. I just need to use it one last time."
"Aye, one last time," he chuckled. "Tell me, Swan, how many last times have there been?"
She hesitated for a moment and a knowing smirk crossed his lips. Enraged, her hand flew and before she knew it Killian had slammed backwards through the ladder and into the wall behind it.
"Oh God-"
She reappeared at his side in a moment. Broken wood lay splintered around him and the copper tang of blood assaulted her senses.
"Killian?" She rested shaking hands on either side of his face but his eyes remained closed. "I'm sorry, I didn't… " Her hands began to glow and she focused her power on his injuries, as she had with Robin, knitting together broken skin and stopping the flow of blood. His eyes flicked open as she worked and he jolted pushing her hands away from him.
"Bloody hell are you doing?"
"I'm sorry, but I can fix this-"
"STOP BLOODY TRYING TO FIX THIS!" She clenched her fingers back and her mouth dropped open as he pushed himself away from the wall.
"I didn't mean to hurt you I just-"
"Let the darkness win? Gave into anger? Didn't control your rage? Do you think I don't understand? Swan don't you see, if you don't give up the darkness you'll have no one left to protect."
She crossed her arms in front of her defensively and Killian sighed shaking the splinters of wood from his jacket and glancing at his ruined ladder. "I guess I'll be taking the other door then."
He turned to leave and Emma bit her lip, Emma Swan raging against the dark ones as she watched him walk away.
"I need your help," she blurted out finally and Killian froze.
"What do you need."
"Excalibur can destroy the darkness, once and for all but I can't… I can't reach it anymore. Only a hero can remove the sword from the stone.
"But that's not what you wanted it for? That's not why you wanted a hero to remove it from the stone."
She shook her head. "That's not… all excalibur can do."
"You and I together. We could do it, couldn't we?" he asked, watching her face carefully.
"And what makes you think I won't steal that sword the moment you pull it from the stone?" she asked.
"You won't." Her eyebrows went up in surprise.
"I might," she retorted.
Are you trying to convince me not to trust you Emma?" He asked, his lip curving in a half smile.
"Or perhaps I'm trying to make this seem like it was all your idea."
"You're still an open book to me, Swan. Tell me love, would you like to take us there?"
"I'd rather walk. Can you… walk. I can still… I can fix it if you want?"
"I've had worse," he replied, taking her hand. They walked hand in hand until they reached Emma's new home and she opened the door leading him silently towards the basement. She moved stiffly and he squeezed her fingers reassuringly.
"Killian this is what he wanted, he wanted me to free the sword, what if I can't-"
"You can do this, Emma."
"I don't know if I can," she admitted quietly as the door to the basement swung open. He squeezed her hand once more, and led the way down into the basement. They both halted at the stone, the sword handle gleaming temptingly. His fingers itched to take the blade but he held back.
"How does this work?" he asked her tersely.
"Once whole, excalibur has the power to destroy the darkness. Or the light, depending on its wielder's… inclinations."
He nodded and reached for the blade. With one smooth movement he pulled on the sword until it slid from the stone and revealed it's broken edge. Emma's eyes widened slightly as Killian examined it. The light reflected off the blade and to his amazement the design on the blade shifted before his eyes until the etching read clearly as Emma's dagger. Killian Jones.
"What does that mean?" he asked, eyes flicking rapidly to hers.
"It can destroy the darkness, or the light," she repeated. I think this means you can destroy the darkness as I could have destroyed the light. Two sides of a coin. " Emma waved her fingers and her dagger appeared in her palm. The blades were pulled together like poles of a magnet, dragging both Killian and Emma a step toward each other.. A bright light obscured their view for a moment and then excalibur was whole, one blade, bearing both their names on the ground between them.
He'll destroy you the dark one whispered and Emma shut her eyes against the steadilly amplifying cries of the dark ones. How did you think this was going to work Emma. He can't destroy me without destroying you.
"Emma?"
She jumped, one hand coming up defensively, magic at the ready.
You can't let him take it. It's too much power. It will destroy him. And you. It will take you both.
"This was a mistake," she said quickly, fear rising in her voice. "it's too much power. It will destroy you."
It should be yours. Your power.
"It has to be me. I have to destroy the darkness. It should be mine-"
He hesitated just a moment and the dark one roared in anger in her mind.
He's going to end you. We told you he couldn't be trusted. She picked up the sword and the dark one giggled. Kill him. Before he can kill you.
She dropped the sword as quickly as she had raised it and took a step back.
"Killian do it quickly."
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
She flicked her fingers and Killian felt cool metal in his hand. Excalibur shone in his grip. Emma stepped forward and brushed her fingers along his cheek "You of all people, Killian. How did you think you were going to destroy the dark one? The same way you always intended to. But this time you'll destroy the darkness for good. Just as you always meant to." Her hand slipped from his cheek. A tiny flick of her fingers and the sword came up, its point hovering just above her heart. "It's your name on the blade. You have to be the one to do it…" She insisted. "Be quick Killian, please," her voice wavered for just a moment. A flicker of fear that she couldn't quite hide.
He hesitated and suddenly her appearance melted away, shifting until the crocodile stood before him. "Is this easier?" Her voice was gone now, replaced by the voice of the one he had tried to kill for so long. He shook his head, horror in his eyes.
"No, Swan. Don't lie to me. Not now."
He blinked and Emma was back. "Killian, please," her voice was near desperate now, and he recognized the look in her eyes, the look of control… slipping.
"I can't-" he stuttered. The blade fell, its tip hitting the floor with a graceless clatter as he dove forward. His lips met hers with a violent crash and her arms dragged him closer. One last kiss, she thought, just one last-
A surge of power shot through them both and Emma gasped, shuddering in his arms as the darkness was ripped from her; an inky presence seeping from her like water dripping from her clothes.
A smile grew on Killian's face as he watched the darkness grow before him and his grip on excalibur tightened.
"That's more like it," he murmured. Now free of Emma the dark column swirled in on itself, reforming and pulling away, trying to escape the presence of the sword. But without a vessel it wasn't strong enough. The inky darkness began to shrink, being pulled into excalibur, filling in the blank parts of the blade with more dark etching until all of the swirling darkness was gone, leaving a black blade where there had been two names.
The sword was warm to the touch, near buzzing with the power it had absorbed, and he wasn't sure what made him so confident, but somehow he knew what to do. He raised the blade and plunged it back into the stone. The stone shifted under the blade like mud, and then resolidified, locking the darkness away.
"Oh God," Her whisper came out breathy and he turned just in time to catch Emma as she fell into him. He couldn't see her face but he could smell the salt of her tears, feel the wetness on his shirt. He pressed her close, rubbing his fingers along her back until the shaking calmed.
"It's over now," he whispered.
She shook her head into his chest, refusing to pull away from the warmth of his embrace.
He pushed her away so he could look at her,"Are you hurt, Emma?"
"I hurt you. My parents… Henry"
"-will forgive you," he said quietly, brushing the tears from her cheek. "They love you, and your parents understand darkness. We all do" - he cupped her cheeks and looked into her eyes - "did you think yourself the one person that could never be tempted, Swan?"
"I'm supposed to be the Savior-"
"And lo and behold, the Savior turned out to be human," he hugged her close, and Emma once more rested her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. "You're allowed to be human on occasion, Emma."
When he held her, she thought that she could maybe believe that everyone could forgive her, that, in the end, good would prevail. After so many weeks spent listening to the insidious words of the darkness, hope was a gift.
"We should go and find your family," Killian began, but Emma clung tighter and shook her head.
"We will. In a while. For now… just stay like this?"
So he held her a little tighter, and Emma clung to him and let him be her strength for a little while. The Darkness was gone, left only in the memories of those it had haunted, and she would face her family, and make her apologies.
But for the moment, she would just embrace him and the hope he had helped her to find once more.
Hope you enjoyed the somewhat rocky road and good luck surviving next week! Don't forget to drop us a note!