A/N: Special thanks to Silvia who helped me out with this chapter! Also thank you for the feedback and hope you guys enjoy this! Don't forget to review!

"You know this is my least favorite type of magic," Ariel told her as she looked at the horse she was controlling.

"It may be your least favorite, but it is the most useful," Regina responded.

"How can it be useful? It destroys."

"It protects. If you know how to properly use it, no one can ever harm you."

Regina gave an Ariel a look, silently telling her to go on. Ariel took a deep breath and reached out for the horse.

"I'm not going to hurt it, am I?" Ariel asked again. Regina fought back rolling her eyes, shaking her head.

"Only if you intend to hurt will harm come," She explained. There were times where she wanted Ariel to just do what she told her to do without complaining or doubting. Then she remembered what happened to her when she learned magic and what it did to her. So she would bite her tongue and let the redhead go at her own pace.

Ariel took another breath and reached out, taking its heart. She held it in her hand, amazed at how it was still beating, still had life.

"Now, control it," Regina encouraged.

Ariel looked at the horse, feeling sorry that it was subject to her training. However, when Regina offered one her guards to be used for training, Ariel immediately went with the horse. The horse lifted its two front legs up in the air, going where she wanted it to go. Her commands were small, but it was a start. At least today she was controlling it. The other day she couldn't even take the heart out.

"That's enough for today," Regina said, sensing she was done. Ariel carefully put the heart back inside the horse and the animal returned to normal. She then caught up with Regina who was walking back towards the castle.

"I don't understand why you're teaching me a form of magic that I don't want to use."

"You have to learn all forms of magic, even the kind you dislike. Once you master all forms, then you'll have true power," Regina explained.

"I don't want power. I want freedom," Ariel reminded her.

"Power and freedom are more or less than the same thing. When you have one, you essentially have the other."

Ariel remained quiet. There was plenty more she wanted to say to the Queen. How she wanted freedom. How she wanted adventure. She was more than grateful for what Regina had done to her in the past year. Offer her a home, teach her not only magic but not to be afraid of it. She was now a lady-in-waiting to Regina, staying in the palace as she taught her.

But as the year had progressed, Regina cut herself off more and more. Ariel knew why the Queen had hardened. Soon after her arrival, one night Ariel explained to her about the prince. In return, Regina had told her about a boy named Daniel and her mother. While Ariel did not necessarily agree with all of Regina's actions, she could understand what had lead her to making it. But each day, she became more focused on getting her 'revenge'- whatever that was. Though she knew what had happened to her before she became the Queen, Ariel was not told much about what happened in Regina's life after she had become the Queen. She knew there was something about her stepdaughter- what was her name? Rain? Something like that. The stepdaughter had ran away before Ariel had met Regina. Regina was certain she was still alive- why it mattered to her, she did not know. She knew why Regina disliked the girl, but Ariel thought that now she was gone, Regina would move on. She was wrong.

Just then, one of the Queen's guard approached the two. Out of all those in Regina's court, this one was Ariel's favorite. He always nice to her and would tell her stories when he had the time. Around Regina he was emotionless, always following her orders and never questioning. But with Ariel, she saw there was still a person there, even though he didn't believe her. He didn't have a name, for he explained that he had never been given one. Ariel thought that was silly, so she decided to give him a name.

Graham.

"Your highness," He said, bowing to Regina, "I've come to inform you that he's been caught. He should be arriving soon."

Regina grinned, "Excellent. I'll get ready for our...guest." And with that she walked away, leaving the two. She knew of their friendship, but was not threatened by it.

"We're having a guest?" Ariel asked, curious.

"Prisoner," He corrected.

"What did he do?" She asked as she began walking, knowing he would follow. He did.

"Has the Queen not told you?"

"She doesn't tell me anything anymore," Ariel responded, letting the anger show.

He focused on the question she had asked, not wanting to get into whatever was going on between them, "Well, he was entering Wonderland. Which wasn't what made her curious. What did make her interested, what that he was interacting with the Queen of Hearts-"

"Her mother." He nodded his head. She had heard about Cora- she reminded Ariel of Ursula-only worse. Regina told her that she had pushed Cora into Wonderland and once there, she had made herself the Queen of Hearts- such a fitting title for that woman.

"How do you know it affects her?"

"Well first of all, why would a pirate go to Wonderland and interact with the Queen of Hearts? Then-"

"He's a what?" She asked, her heart stopping for a moment when he said that word.

"He's a pirate. And apparently a very famous one as well. He's incredibly hard to find, some say he goes back and forth between our world and another."

"Do you know his name? The pirate's name?" She knew the chances were small, but she had to know.

"Strange name if you ask me. Calls himself Hook."

Her heart dropped and she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Ariel, are you alright?" He asked, noticing the sudden change in her behavior.

"I'm...I'm fine," She said, playing it off, "I have to go now. Thank you for your time."

She disappeared before he could say any more and landed in a hallway of the castle. She almost lost balance, still getting use to that spell. After regaining her balance she walked towards the end of the hallway, coming to a wall. After making sure no one else was there, Ariel waved her hand and the wall began to turn, leading a pathway.

She should have not cared as much as she did. After all, she had only met this man once and that was almost three years ago. But he was the first human she had ever interacted with. And ironically (him being a pirate after all) he proved that not all humans were as awful as her father had told her. She cared about what happened to him.

She found the small vent at the end of the hall. She looked through it, seeing the throne room. She could only see the back of the throne, which worked in her favor as it meant Regina would not be able to see her. The doors of the throne room opened and Regina walked in with several guards.

She sat down on her throne and ordered, "Bring him in!"

Two guards came in, one on each side of him, pushing him forward. His hands were chained together and Ariel noticed that his hook was missing. They must have taken it. He was still just as handsome as she had remembered. It didn't look like he aged at all. Once facing the throne, the guards pushed him down to his knees. He had a defiant look on his face, as if he was not scared of the Queen at all.

"Captain Hook, how nice it is to meet you," Regina spoke, grinning. Killian continued to glare at her, not saying a thing.

"You know why you're here, so I'll just skip to what I want to know: what is your business with the Queen of Hearts?" She asked.

"Why is it of such importance to you?" He asked.

"Her business tends to affect me," Regina explained.

"Well, I hate to break it to you darling, but this time, it doesn't," He replied.

Ariel rolled her eyes. What Killian was doing wasn't helping him at all. She wished she could walk in and defend him, but she knew Regina wouldn't listen to her. She was also curious to see what he had done to make Regina arrest him. From what Graham had told her, doing business with the Queen of Hearts didn't sound like something that would get one arrested. There had to be more to the story.

Regina got up from her throne and walked to him. She grabbed his chin, forcing him to look her into her eyes.

"Where. Is. He?" She demanded.

"Wonderland." Killian responded. Regina let go and looked away. She then looked back. Ariel didn't have to see in order to know the way Regina was looking at him. That look that screamed 'I'm going to destroy you'.

"Take him away! Lock him up!" She all but screamed. Ariel watched as they dragged him away, taking him to the dungeon. She sunk down to the ground, trying to think of something that could save him. It wasn't helpful that she didn't know what he had done. She could find out though...Would he even recognize her? It had been almost three years, she was sixteen at the time. Now she was almost nineteen.

Well, it was worth a try.

After dinner, she found Graham. He was the only one she trusted; he wouldn't tell Regina about this.

"I want to see the prisoner," She revealed, cornering him so he couldn't escape.

"Why would you want to see him?" He asked, not believing what he was hearing from the small redhead.

She paused and looked around before explaining, "I know him...from my past. I would like to speak to him, alone."

"He's dangerous."

"I can handle him. And if for some reason I can't, I'll yell out so you'll know. Take me to him," She ordered, her voice rising. He stepped back, amazed by her demand.

"What?" Ariel asked, noticing his reaction.

"You sound more and more like the Queen every day." She frowned. She and Regina may have a similar past, but she knew she was not like her. She always told herself that. And she did not like it when others told her this.

"I'm not like her and I never will be," She said through her teeth, "Now are you going to show me where he is or do I have to find out myself?"

The prison was cold and damp. It reminded him of the sea during the winter, only minus the sound of the waves and the smell of sea salt. Being in the prison didn't worry him. He would find a way out. What worried him was the amount of time he had to figure out an escape plan. The Queen could keep him as her prisoner for the rest of his life- or kill him tomorrow morning.

He heard a door opened and looked to see one of the Queen's guards walking in. A figured followed him inside the room. He couldn't tell who it was, as they were covered by a long black cloak.

"If he tries anything, just shout and we'll take care of him," The guard said to the figure, who nodded their head in response.

The guard unlocked the door to his cell, and gave him a warning look as the figured walked in. Upon a closer look, he realized it was a female, seeing a light blue dress peek out of the cloak. A shadow was cast upon their face, making him unable to see her. The cell door closed and the guard walked out of the room, leaving the two alone. He couldn't walk over to the figure, as the guards had chained him. He sat there as she looked down at him.

"Who are you and what do you want?" He asked, no kindness in his voice.

"What were you doing with the Queen of Hearts?" The figured asked, her voice firm and strong. She was young- how young, he could not tell.

"I'm not answering any questions until you tell me who you are," He responded. The figure stepped into the light and he could see strands of red hair from the hood. She took off the hood, revealing her face and smiled at him.

He stared at her for a while before recognition sunk in. It wasn't just the legs that threw him off. Her red hair had been cut, now a bit past her shoulders. Her features had matured, and she didn't have that naive, scared look on her face she had when she first met him. She was brimming with confidence now. Yet, her green eyes were still glowing with excitement, like they had when she first spoke to him that night. He guessed that some things never change.

"Ariel..."He whispered softly.

"I have to give it to you, I really didn't think that name would have caught on. But it did," She admitted.

"What are you doing up here?" He had so many questions, but that was the one he wanted to know first.

"I'm one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting-"

"No. How did you get," He gestured towards her, "Those."

Ariel looked down, realizing he was talking about her legs. She smiled, wiggling her toes. After almost three years, she still finds herself at times in complete awe of what had replaced her tail.

"I was able to get them in exchange...well it's rather a long story. What's more important is the story that explains how you got here," She said, motioning to the cell.

"Did the Queen send you down here?" He asked, suspicious.

"She doesn't even know I'm here," Ariel revealed.

"So why did you come down here?" She was acting as if they had been long-time friends, not two people who met and conversed for one night that took place almost three years ago. She was just as strange as he had remembered.

"I was curious and I want to help," She admitted, "You keep avoiding the subject."

"Ever heard the phrase, curiosity killed the cat? Or in this case...fish."

She burrowed her brow in confusion, the phrase lost on her, "What does a cat or fish have to do with this? If you want me to help you, you need to tell me what you did!"

He was impressed by her determination. She straighten her posture and crossed her arms, trying to look like the authoritative figure out of the two. He chuckled at her attempt, also still laughing from how she didn't understand the phrase.

"Fine, if you have to know so badly," He paused, still amazed by how much she had grown in a few years, "I've been searching for a potion or spell that can turn any creature mortal. It's hard to find, since there are a lot of people who want to keep it secret."

"But the Queen of Hearts has it?"

"Had it," He corrected, smiling at himself, "It was a fairly simple deal. I had to kidnap her husband who lives here in the castle and in exchange she gave me the recipe for the potion. However, as I was making my way out of Wonderland, I was caught by some guards and a man in a rather strange hat."

"You kidnapped Henry?" She said, her eyes widen. Everything made so much sense now. While Regina's emotions and motives weren't always clear, what was clear was her love for her father.

"If she has a way to Wonderland she'll find him. Queen didn't do the best job of hiding him if you ask me," He admitted, shrugging.

"Do you think you'll be able to escape?" She asked.

He laughed, "It's not a matter of thinking. I know I'll escape. I just need to find a way, which, I will."

Ariel stared at him, her mind racing. If he did escape, he would go back to ship and travel who knows where? Somewhere with adventure, somewhere with freedom. He could be the key.

"When do you escape, where will you go?" She asked, walking over to him.

"Back to Neverland. I have a potion to make and let's just say it requires not your average ingredients," He told her, not revealing too much of his plan. Even if she said she wasn't going to tell the Queen, that didn't mean that others listening would do the same.

"What if I knew of a way for you to escape?" She suggested, her eyes glowing with excitement over her plan.

"And it's fool-proof?"

"I've lived here for almost a year. I know every nook and cranny, every secret hallway and room of this place. I know the Queen's schedule, where all the guards are stationed and when. It's going to work," She said, proud of herself.

"And why do I get the feeling that you're only going to help me if I give you something in return?" He said. He knew how these deals worked, how they started off. It was just a matter of time before she gave him her price.

"I'll help you escape-"

Here we go, he thought, wondering what a girl living in a castle could possibly want.

"If you take me with you," She finished, crossing her arms. He was taken back. It seemed so obvious now (because what else would she have wanted?) but he was still surprise. She had seemed to enjoy her power and her position. Why would she want to give it all up?

"You want to go with me? Go back to my ship and do what? Be a pirate?" The thought of her on the Jolly Roger was laughable.

"I can be useful," She defended, "I still have some of my mermaid abilities."

His ears perked up when she mentioned that, "You can do what now?"

Her heart started racing. Why did she say that? Yes, it was true but her most vaulable ability she had was magic. And she was not going to tell him that now. Very few people knew of her abilities and she wanted to keep it that way. She didn't want to risk someone trying to take advantage of her.

"Well...like my voice and my strength and I can withstand the most treacherous seas," She said. Although this was true, it was all minor compared to the magic she could do.

He took her in, recounting in his head all the ingredients the potion required. Perhaps she could be of some use.

"Alright fish, you got yourself a deal," He said, after thinking it over.

"Really?" She said, surprised. She had the biggest smile on her face and spun around, giggling. When she stopped spinning, she still couldn't contain her excitement, bouncing up and down. Killian really hoped she didn't do that often.

"Excited to leave the castle?" He said. She stopped, her expression now serious.

"I appreciate everything Regina has done for me but...it's time for me to leave," She explained to him.

"And you can't do that on your own?"

"I wouldn't know where to go. I don't know much about this land. But, I do know that I want to avoid kingdoms for a while. It would be nice to live somewhere else besides a castle."

"So you want to live in a pirate's ship instead?" He said, raising an eyebrow. She blushed, looking away.

"I'm up for an adventure," She responded, looking back at him.

"We'll see. So what does this plan of yours involve?" He asked, leaning back against the wall.

"You'll see. Soon," She said, heading towards the door.

"What? Ariel!" He said, standing up but not able to move.

"Yes Killian?" She said, her voice sweet and a mischievous smile on her face.

"What are you planning?" He asked, no hint of teasing or playfulness in his voice. This fish-girl-whatever she considered herself, was his key to escaping. He had no times for games.

"It's better if you don't know. Besides, it's too risky to tell you know. People may be listening," Her face grew soft and her voice serious, "Look, I know what I'm doing. If all goes well-which it should- we'll be out of her by tomorrow night. Just...trust me."

And with that she left. He stood there, processing what had just occurred. The last couples of days had been a whirlwind for him. He knew going into this there was a chance he could get caught, but he never though he would be entrusting his life to a former fish.