Chapter seven
Emma and Esmerelda are hauled out of the prison carriage before the guards strip Emma of her boots and jacket. Their manacles are secured over their heads to large wooden posts and then left as a spectacle for the crowd.
Emma looks around at the gathering crowd and then at Esmerelda, just a few feet away from her.
"If this is what your people do for entertainment, I think I'll stick with the xbox." She mumbles to herself while yanking futilely at her chains.
Esmerelda is also pulling at her restraints when Emma addresses her.
"So. Any ideas on how to get outta this one?"
Esmerelda's eyes dart around frantically as she answers.
"No. Not yet. You?"
Emma is wincing in pain as she draws blood trying to pull her hands out of the manacles.
"If these were handcuffs, We would be halfway across town, eating baguettes by now. How long does this show usually last?"
Esmerelda glances up at Notre Dame cathedral and says,
"The bells of Notre Dame will ring at noon. Frolo waits for the bells, to light the pyres. [she squints at the sun] So, my guess is that we have about two hours."
Emma gives up on the manacles and sighs.
"Great."
After a few moments of reflection, Emma catches and holds Esmerelda's eyes.
"I'm sorry."
The young girl's response is confused.
"What ever for?"
Emma gets emotional and looks away.
"Your people brought me here to save them and I've only been here for a day and I've already failed."
Esmerelda studies Emma closely.
"Who are you, exactly?"
"I'm a saviour from a different land. Your Gypsy Elder brought me here with magic because the saviour you had, traded his destiny to be an average joe."
"What?" Esmerelda asks, with an expression of confused alarm.
"My people brought you here, into this fate? [she pauses to think] We should apologize to you. This is not your fight and we took you from your world to die for us. I am truly sorry, Emma."
She says with tears in her eyes.
Emma looks at Esmerelda and puts on a brave smile for her benefit.
"I'm not dead yet."
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Still shaking off the disorientation of traveling across realms, the motley crew of the Jolly Roger sail down the Seine towards the Paris docks.
"So where do we start looking for Emma?"
Snow asks as Killian starts pulling the ship closer to the dock.
Regina answers her.
"Well, we're looking for the hunchback, aren't we? So, wouldn't the logical place to start be Notre Dame catherdral?
No one could dispute her argument or come up with a better plan.
"As good a place to start as any." Killian says as he rolls out the gangplank.
Zelena calls to the four heroes as they disembark.
"Don't worry about us. We'll just guard the ship until you return. And if you're not back in a day or so, I suggest you learn French." She says with a smile and a wave.
Regina, Killian, Snow and David all turn to glare at her.
"Zelena…"
Regina says as a warning.
Zelena rolls her eyes at her sister.
"I would come back for you in a few days. But I only have enough bottles to last Robin for a day. Honestly, your sense of humour was so much better when you were evil." She finishes disgustedly before turning away to take Robin below deck.
The heroes turn towards the city and after getting muttled directions to Notre Dame in French; consisting mostly of pointing, Killian, Regina, Snow and David begin hurrying towards the catherdral.
Upon arriving on the crowded front steps of Notre Dame, Killian stops the others with a problem that is bothering him.
"How are we supposed to find this 'hunchback' lad if he doesn't look like a hunchback anymore?"
The group pauses to think, but are interrupted by a boy, who was weeping on the cathedral steps.
"I think you must be looking for me."
Q says, standing. He regards their unusual clothing and harried expressions and adds,
"and Emma."
Killian seizes Q by the front of his shirt.
"Are you the one who took, Emma?"
Q sags in Killian's grasp.
"Yes."
"Where is she?" Killian demands as he roughly shakes the boy.
David and Snow take a step towards Killian, ready to intervene on the boy's behalf.
Q's eyes fill with tears and he points to the far square where the crowd has gathered to listen to Frolo's speech, condemning the women of witchcraft.
Killian eyes widen as he just makes out Emma's figure, strung up on the pyre. He pulls Q in close to threaten him.
"If anything happens to her, you best pray you never see me again, boy." And with that, Killian releases Q and begins sprinting down the church steps.
Just outside the square, David catches up to Killian, grabs him by the shoulder, and slams him up against the closest wall, saying,
"Wait!"
Killian shoves David back, ready for a fight.
"Emma is there! I can see her! What are you doing?" he yells in David's face.
David takes a step back, holding out his hands, as Regina and Snow catch up to them.
"We need to be smart about this." David rationalizes.
Regina, studying the crowd, says to the rest,
"Something isn't right."
David and Snow give her a questioning look as Killian attempts to calm his anger.
Regina expounds.
"Why hasn't Emma jut magicked her way out of this?"
Snow offers a suggestion after a moment of thought.
"Maybe she got caught on purpose? I mean Gold had said that Emma is supposed to take over the job of saviour here…?"
David glances warily at Killian.
"In that case, I think a little forethought is needed before we go charging in there."
Killian is barely containing his urgency to rescue the woman he loves, but he manages to ask,
"What do you suggest?"
Snow answers him quickly.
"We blend in. If we can get close to the front of the crowd, maybe we can signal Emma."
Regina and David nod in agreement but Killian glares at them
"What, you think your stylish pant suit and blue jeans are not going to stand out in this crowd?" he asks, gesturing to Regina and then Snow.
As the ladies look down at their outfits with matching frowns, Killian continues.
"I look the least strange in this world. I will get close to Emma and you three create a diversion at the back of the crowd."
Before any of them could argue with him, Killian slips by David and disappears into the crowd.
Frolo is wrapping up his horrible speech of condemnation as Killian slowly makes his way towards the front.
The bells of Notre Dame begin to ring the hour and Frolo gives an ugly smile.
Just as Killian gets halfway to Emma, he hears Frolo shout out,
"The time has come to purge or city of these demons. GUARDS, LIGHT THE FIRES!"
Killian is struck frozen in terror.
"NO!" he roars.
Emma's head snaps up at the sound of his voice.
"KILLIAN!" she screams to him.
Just then, there is a deafening 'CRACK' and everyone cowers and turns to see Regina, backed by Snow and Charming; bow and sword at the ready. Regina grins widely and raises her hands to the sky to slam another lightning bolt to the ground, with another great 'CRACK'. She laughs gleefully and Frolo's guards tentatively try to close in on them.
Frolo shrieks with spittle flying from his mouth.
"ANOTHER WITCH! SEIZE HER AND HER ACCOMPLICES!"
Killian takes advantage of the misdirection to push his way to the front of the crowd and climb up on the Pyre with Emma, sword drawn.
"Swan." He breathes out when he is close enough to touch her. Tears are falling down her face as Emma gazes at Killian with love.
"You found me."
"You came to hell for me; you didn't think I would follow you to Paris, love?" he says with adoration in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Regina, Snow and David are holding their own against Frolo's guards.
A guard runs at Regina, yelling,
"WITCH!"
Regina laughs at him as she forms a fireball.
"Sorry. Wrong sister."
She quips as she launches the fireball at him. Amidst the chaos, a white powder begins to flutter down from above. Regina clutches her chest and starts coughing uncontrollably.
"Regina! Are you alright?" Snow yells, between arrows.
Regina tries to throw another fireball and takes a hit to her shoulder instead.
"My magic is gone!" she says between coughs, as she backs away from the guard advancing on her.
David overhears Regina's predicament and executes an impressive move, disarming his opponent and sending the guards' sword sliding across the stone cobbles to Regina's feet. Regina grabs the sword and blocks another blow from a guard.
Up on the Pyre, Killian is trying in vain to break the iron manacles around Emma's bruised wrists.
Frolo suddenly comes at them, throwing a torch at Emma's feet before lunging at Killian, taking them both to the ground in front of the pyre. Emma yells after him.
"Killian!"
Frolo is on his feet before Killian, and blocks him from getting back to save Emma.
A deadly glint enters Killian's eyes as he looks at the only obstacle between him and Emma: Frolo. He swings his sword and starts savagely duelling with Frolo.
The fire is building at Emma's feet and she is starting to panic. She sees a blur out of the corner of her eye and turns to see Q jumping up onto Esmerelda's pyre. With inhuman strength, he rips her manacles from the pole, cradles Esmerelda in his arms and leaps away from the fire.
Killian has almost bested Frolo; pinning him to the ground.
Emma screams in pain and Killian goes into a panicked rage, slashing his hook across Frolo's throat without another thought, before he jumps up to brave the flames and climb up onto the pyre again. Q gets to Emma at the same time as Killian. He tears the manacles above her head from the pole and shoves Emma forward into Killian's arms. Killian uses the momentum to jump over the flames and onto the cobblestones.
Most of the crowd has dispersed and Regina, Snow and David fight their way to Killian and Emma. Snow falls to her knees beside Killian who is cradling an unconscious Emma in his lap and murmuring softly in her ear.
"Is she alright?"
Killian looks up at Snow with a helpless, lost expression.
"She won't wake. "
He looks back to Emma in despair.
"Am I too late?"
Snow looks from Killian to Emma and then springs into action.
"No. She probably just inhaled too much smoke. She needs oxygen."
Snow pulls Emma off Killian's lap and onto the cobbles before she grabs his arm tightly, to get his attention.
"She needs mouth-to-mouth." Snow says to Killian's blank expression.
"You need to push air from your lungs into hers." She clarifies.
Killian immediately does as Snow instructs. He holds Emma's nose closed and presses his lips to hers, gently pushing air into her lungs.
Emma and Killian are surrounded by Regina, David, Snow, Q and Esmerelda, all watching silently as Killian tries breathing life back into Emma.
After a few more breaths, Emma jerks up and starts coughing raggedly. Killian sits back to hold her head in his lap as she coughs and hacks, his relief almost palpable.
A collective sigh of relief goes through everyone, while Frolo's forgotten corpse dribbles blood onto the stones of the square.