Distant Melody Chapter 15: Lake Nostos, an once upon a time fanfic

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Enchanted Forest - Present

Heavy footsteps sounded through the camp. They shook the earth, and Killian sat up quickly in bed. He moved to the floor, crawling over to the window. The army was back. Just as he suspected they brought someone back with them, but it was only one and it wasn't who he thought it would be. Aurora was unconscious over a slumped shoulder. Killian clenched his jaw. Whatever Cora was up to, it wasn't good. He needed to think quickly. He was always good at that. Thinking on his feet became second nature to him. Sitting against the wall in the shadows, he devised a small plan. Cora must have thought that Aurora was valuable to Emma and Snow. After all his time spent with them, he had to admit that they were loyal to a fault. Yet, they were also resourceful. They were quick on their feet, and they weren't just going to let Cora take Aurora. No, they would find a way to get everything they wanted. With Mulan around, they had a leg up on Cora. However, Cora was probably betting on Mulan insisting they save Aurora above anything else.

Killian counted himself lucky that Cora used the camp as her base of operations. Rather stupid decision on her part, especially since he and Mulan were both very familiar with the camp. Cora may have known the cam well but Killian did too. That meant all he had to do was wait for Cora to be distracted with something else. She was hardly the type to just sit and wait for Emma, Snow, and Mulan to show up. She was going to figure out ways to get the compass from them until they arrived to save fair Aurora. All he had to do was wait. Still, he watched her every so often. The woman was smart. She probably knew he was somewhere lurking around, but if he let his gaze linger just a second longer, she would be able to pinpoint just where he was. One wave of her hand and the hut he called home for the time being would be destroyed with him still inside. He would never see it coming.

His chance arrived when he watched her disappear into the forest. All of her dead soldiers were dead once again, and Killian made sure of it. He stabbed whichever one managed to get in the way of his straight path to the pit. Cora was keeping Aurora there, which he believed was just stupid. It was almost as if she wanted him to do something. He didn't question it. Instead, he went inside to find the girl still unconscious. As he stared down at her, he realized that she wasn't still asleep. She was knocked unconscious, and from the looks of it, it wasn't by some dead man's hand. There was a half-damp spot on the floor that looked like spilt stew. She must have pissed off Cora to the point that the older woman lashed out. Pity such a beautiful girl would have a terrible knot on her head. Then again, her state was probably for the best. With what he had planned, she didn't want to be awake for it. Having someone even grip your heart was painful enough. Killian didn't want to hurt the girl, but he needed to engender some semblance of trust if Cora was going to include him in her plans again. He had already unnerved her enough that she was proceeding without him. He certainly needed to prove himself to her. Killian needed to play her game. She took hearts. He had to take one as a sort of present or tribute to her. If he did so, she may momentarily forgive him for his little betrayal. Not that it was no longer an option for him. If Snow and Emma succeeded, he would side with them. Strategically, it was the best thing to do.

The thought of taking her heart still didn't sit right with him. Having watched one woman he loved die from it and being in the receiving end of it himself, Killian couldn't help but cringe. Even though he had tried to take Cora's, he didn't like the idea of ripping sometimes heart out no matter the gain. Yet he felt he had no choice if it meant getting closer to his revenge. Milah would not approve, and Isabel would have cast him out. Taking a deep breath, Killian silently apologized to the princess. She wouldn't know anything about it until it was too late, but he still quietly apologized before plunging his hand into her chest. She groaned in her sleep but stayed still otherwise. He didn't like how it felt. Warm. Gooey. Squishy. If it were another part of her body, Killian would have enjoyed it immensely. The organ pulsated in his hand, and he felt the bile rising in his throat. He pulled his hand back with it, and Aurora's glowing heart came with it. Killian felt somewhat sick, but he had just one more step to his plan.

After tucking Aurora's heart into his satchel, he began to shake the princess awake. "Wake up. C'mon, sweetheart. Wake up." She stirred a little and he continued on. "Wake up, darling. On your feet. Hurry."

She came to, but when she saw it was him, she started to panic. "No! No! Are you going to kill me?"

He rolled his eyes at her question. "If I were here for that, then waking you first might not be the best course of action." He broke her shackles, careful not to hurt her.

"So what? Did Cora send you?" she asked.

"Cora has no idea I'm here," he told her.

"I don't," she hesitated. "I don't understand."

"Look, I know you're sleepy, but isn't it obvious? I'm setting you free." He gestured around.

"What is this? Some sort of pirate's ruse?" she asked.

He was getting sick of her questions. Out of her companions, Aurora was certainly the dimmest. She was also the most gullible, which is why she would buy whatever he had to say next. "Cora's denied me passage to Storybrooke and my vengeance. And now, I'm going to deny her of her wishes, starting with the compass. In pirate terms, you might say I'm firing a shot across my enemy's bow."

"You'd risk your life to break in here all so you could thwart Cora?" She still didn't believe him.

He sighed. "I don't like being double crossed." He nodded towards the door. "Now go." Aurora mumbled her gratitude. As she turned to leave the cave, Killian grabbed her hand. "You can thank me by doing me one favor."

"What?" she asked, obviously confused.

"Give Emma a message for me," he started. He tried to sound as sincere as he could. "Tell her that the deal still stands. If she provides me passage to her realm, I swear I will help her find the dust that opens the portal."

"You really want to assist us?" She gave him another incredulous look.

He nodded. "It hurts Cora and helps me. Of course I do. Now. Go."

Aurora quickly left her cell. Killian couldn't help but feel relieved and accomplished at the same time. Aurora was gullible enough to believe him. Now that she was gone, he had to wait. Cora would come back to the camp eventually. Killian just needed to wait it out. Walking into the darkness of the shadows, he leaned against the wall. After the few hours of rest he awarded himself with, his body wanted more. He found himself fighting to stay awake. Sleep was rare for him to begin with, but he had gotten a taste of it. His body now craved it. He needed to get over that quickly if he was going to join Cora...or Snow and Emma. It felt odd that he actually felt the tiredness, and he felt silly for acknowledging that maybe a few days of sleep wouldn't hurt him. He just didn't have a couple of days. Until he killed the crocodile, he was not going to be getting any sleep. Afterwards, he'd work on getting a little shut eye before trying to figure out what he was going to do with his life.

He didn't think much of the heart in his satchel. He couldn't really. It was bad enough it reminded him of Milah's death. The faint beating of the heart went ignored until he couldn't hear it anymore.

Hours passed and Cora hadn't returned from whatever errand she went on. Killian wasn't the least bit worried about her, but he was getting tired of waiting. Maybe he could go off on his own to find Aurora's group. Since Emma left him at the top of the beanstalk, he doubted she was actually going to let him join them so soon. Not to mention, Aurora probably hadn't reached them yet and his plan to use her as a way to get back in the group was already in effect. He needed patience, but patience was something he was running low on. He needed to get to Storybrooke. He needed to get his revenge. He did not need to dawdle or let anything else get in his way. Killian was going to stay where he was at until Cora returned.

The door to the cell opened, and he perked up. Cora walked in with her head held high as usual. For a moment, he watched confusion spread over her face. He enjoyed how it felt to know that, even for just a moment, he was winning. The time for that ran out quickly. He pushed himself off the wall as she started to roam the cell. "Looking for someone?"

Cora turned quickly. "Oh, don't tell me you were dumb enough to let her go."

"She was never going to give you what you wanted anyway," he shrugged with a smirk.

"So, you freed her. And stuck around for the petty satisfaction of seeing me suffer?" Of course she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of that now.

"Ooh, watching you suffer is a tempting motivation, but it wasn't that." He continued to smirk at her.

"Well, then you must have a death wish." She raised her hands, and before Killian had any time to register just what was going on, she'd thrown him against the wall behind her. Pieces of the wall took on a life of their own and wrapped around his wrists and ankles to hold him there. Walking up to him, she removed his hook. He couldn't help but watch as she scratched it along his chest; careful not to actually cut him. "You know I have to kill you."

"You should try thanking me," he told her.

It was her turn to smirk at him. She had the upper hand. She could easily end him, but instead, she played his little game. "Oh, really? Why's that?"

"Because I've brought you a gift. It's in the satchel," he glanced down at the leather satchel hanging at his hip.

Cora's eyes turned down to the satchel, and Killian could tell she wasn't too happy about what surprise he had in store for her. "What is it?"

"Customarily, surprise is part of the fun of gift giving. Open it," he egged her on, realizing that he had won the upper hand back.

"Is that…" she trailed off after opening the satchel. The faint glow of Aurora's heart covered her face, illuminating the slight shock on her face.

She looked up at him for confirmation.

"Indeed, it is," he nodded. "And with it, you'll get everything you want."

Cora took the heart from the satchel, "Do you remember when I told you that holding a heart means you control it? That wasn't just poetic gesture, Captain."

She closed her eyes and held it up to her mouth; lips inches away from it. Killian wanted to cringe, but he held back. Watching Cora use the heart to see Aurora find her group, he was almost mesmerized at Cora's magic. He couldn't see the scene play out, but he could imagine it. Aurora catching up and her companions confused as to how she got there. They would question how she escaped, questioning why he would even let her go in the first place. As he pictured this, he heard Cora speak the words his mind dreamt up as her response.

"Because of you," Cora answered. "He said he wanted to prove to you, that you should've trusted him. That if you had trusted him, you could've defeated Cora together. That the two of you could've gotten the remains of the wardrobe. Without him, you'll have to go up against her all by yourself. He only wants to help. I," she paused, "I think he may care for you."

Amusement covered Killian's face, and he scoffed at the idea. "Nice touch that."

Cora turned to him. "But you know she won't trust you."

"She doesn't have to," he told her with a shrug. "All I need is for her to believe that I was genuine in letting the girl go," he pushed himself off the wall and walked up to Cora, "which I wager she does now." He leaned in closer to her with a smug look on his face. "You're welcome."

"Impressive," she mused. "You took a heart."

"Now you've a princess," he smiled.

She smiled back. "Indeed I do."

"Now we can get on to the business of going to Storybrooke together?" he asked, sounding at least a little hopeful.

"Why not?" she shrugged. "I hate to travel alone. All we need is the compass."

"Which will soon be delivered," he turned to leave the cell.

He went to the hut where he'd been hiding. He'd left his coat in there. Stepping into the hut, he looked around. Twenty-eight years spent in an identical hut, leaving felt bittersweet. Twenty-eight years stood in the way of obtaining his vengeance. He was finally getting away from that place. Finally, his plans were progressing. Picking up his coat, Killian slipped it on. He looked down to find a tattered parchment on the floor. His portrait of Milah. He stared at it for a moment, and a smile grew on his face. "Not long now, love. I will make Rumplestiltskin pay for what he's done." Stuffing the parchment back in his pocket, he left the hut.

"Are we ready?" Cora asked.

"Yes. Where are we heading?" Killian asked, holding his arm out for her.

She looped her arm in his. "Rumplestiltskin's cell."

"What could be there I wonder," he mused.

"No clue, but it will help up trap them so they cannot follow us," she smiled.

"Then let us be on our way," he nodded.

The group was already in the cave when Cora and Killian arrived. The irritation Cora felt emanated off her. Once again, they were ahead of her and her plan was not going as it should have been. They were supposed to surprise the group. They had moved faster than Cora expected. Anger covered the woman's face, and Killian began to worry. An angry Cora was not someone to trifle with. He kept a safe distance from her in case she lashed out. Taking out Aurora's heart, she lifted it as if she were going to throw it across the cave. As she did so, the gate to the cell closed.

"Aurora! What are you doing?!" Emma yelled at the princess.

Cora stepped into the light; Killian following her. "Helping me." She lifted her hand and summoned the compass to her.

"No! Emma tried to lunge at Cora, but the cell door got in the way.

"No," Cora chuckled at Emma as she backed away from the door. "Don't waste your energy, dear. Rumplestiltskin himself couldn't escape from his cell." She turned to Aurora and smiled. "Thank you, Aurora. We couldn't have done it without you." Snow and Emma turned to the young princess, who looked more confusing than anything. "Don't blame her. She was only doing what she was told." She reached into the satchel and pulled Aurora's heart out to show the imprisoned group

Emma's eyes widened. "You took her heart?"

"Actually, I did," Killian stepped up to the cell. "It was a gift."

Squeezing Aurora's heart, Cora smiled as the girl cried out in pain. She then turned to the group again. "Forgive us. We'd love to stay, but Storybrooke awaits." She motioned for Killian to follow her, turning to leave the cell.

"Hook. Wait." Killian turned to face Emma. He stepped back up to the cell to listen to whatever drivel she had to say to him. "Please don't do this. My son is in Storybrooke. He needs me," Emma pleaded quietly.

"Perhaps you should've considered that before you abandoned me on that beanstalk," he told her.

"You would've done the same," Emma argued.

"Actually, no," Killian countered. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the bean Anton had given him and held it up for Emma. "Do you know what this is, Emma?"

"The bean that the giant kept," Emma answered.

"Yes, indeed. A pirate always keeps a souvenir of his conquest, but this…well, this is much more than a mere trinket," he spoke quietly. "This is a symbol. Something that was once magical, full of hope, possibility. Now look at it. Dried up, dead, useless." He leaned in closer to her. "Much like you. The time for making deals is done, just as I'm done with you." He gave her one last look before turning to join Cora again.

The two of them walked out of the cave and into the sunlight. Killian took a deep breath. Perhaps he was getting a little soft. Leaving those four women in the cave to die almost didn't sit well with him, but he also knew Cora was his best bet to get to Storybrooke at the moment. He didn't really like that she was, but it was his plan to go with her all along. If it hadn't been, he probably would have spent the past twenty-eight years with no memory of why he wanted to seek Rumplestiltskin in the first place. Not to mention, he most likely would need her assistance once they got there. That's how he saw it anyways. She was part of the hope he held onto, even if he much rather would do things on his own.

"What's on your mind, Captain?" Cora asked.

He looked over at her. She did that a lot. She'd always know when he was thinking too much or second guessing. He guessed that was part of her magic. "Nothing."

"You can fool many people, but I am not one of them," she told him. "Now. What is on your mind?"

"Where are we going?" he asked; half to avoid her question and half because he was really wondering.

"Lake Nostos," she answered. "The legend says its waters hold the power to restore what was once lost." She pulled the vial of wardrobe ashes from underneath her cape. "It'll return magic to what remains of this wardrobe. And then, we'll be able to cross worlds."

They approached where the lake once had been. All that was left was dirt and bones. Killian raised his eyebrow. "I may be a simple pirate, but I know one thing – lakes have water." He sighed. She had wasted his time yet again.

Cora lifted her hand, twirling it in a circle. As she does, a small vortex started to appear in the middle of the waterless lake. It eroded the ground until a geyser sprang forth from the ground. She looked over at Killian. "After everything we've been through, why do you still doubt me?"

He watched the water shoot into the sky. Of course she would find a quick way to restore his faith in her. The geyser subsided shortly and in its wake left a lake for them. Cora took out the ashes.

"And now, the ashes." She held them out to him, smiling slightly. "Would you care to do the honors?"

Taking the ashes, Killian popped the cork with him thumb and began sprinkling the ashes into the water. Immediately, a whirlpool formed in the lake, and it grew larger and larger until it consumed the lake.

"Here we go." There was almost an excitement in her voice. "We'll be in Storybrooke soon enough." Killian looked over at her with a smirk. "I really look forward to seeing my daughter."

She took the compass and held it out for Killian to hold as well. Lifting his hand, he held onto the compass. The cold metal in his hand filled him with excitement. They were finally leaving. It wasn't just a plan anymore. He was going to finally be in a place where he would get him revenge. He would make Rumplestiltskin pay for what he had done to Milah. Cora really had done as she promised. Not Emma and her mother. They were going to make it to Storybrooke, but he and Cora were going to get there first. By the time they arrived there, the crocodile would be dead. Cora would be reunited with her daughter. It would be much too late for them to stop any of it, and they would try to stop it. They followed their own moral code. There was no way they were going to let him go through with his plan of vengeance. They would not let anyone die even if they agreed Rumplestiltskin deserved it.

"I told you I'd deliver you to Rumpelstiltskin. Now don't let go. Unless, you want to end up someplace that isn't Storybrooke." They start to jump into the portal, but before Killian could even register what was happening, the compass flew out of their hands. Looking up, they see Snow holding her bow up with Mulan and Emma standing at her side.

"You're not going anywhere!" Emma yelled over at them. "This portal's taking us home!"

Snow looked between Emma and Mulan. "The compass. Get it." The two women headed towards them.

Cora looked at Killian. "Find it first. I'll take care of them."

A ball of fire began the battle. Killian spotted the compass laying in the silt, but Emma drew her sword, going after Killian. She swung her sword wildly at him, which he blocked with ease. The blonde was not about to get in his way again. She'd already delayed his journey to Storybrooke once, and she was not going to do it again. He knew deep down neither Milah nor Isabel would be proud of him for fighting a woman, but he'd stopped thinking about that centuries before. Now he was more than slightly desperate to leave the realm he was trapped in. He needed to leave or he didn't know what he would do. Emma kicked him in the stomach away from the compass, and she swung at him again. This time he managed to get her sword away from her, flinging it to the side just out of her reach. He grinned at her, but it was wiped off his face when she lunged at him with her arms stretched out for his neck. Catching her, he threw her to the ground and stabbed his sword into the ground. Emma kicked at him, but he caught her around the ankle. He pulled her further away from her sword as she reached for it.

Off to the side, he watched Snow fire another arrow at Cora while Mulan attacked her. Cora managed to whisk herself away into a cloud of purple haze, but the satchel containing Aurora's heart was left behind. Mulan's blade struck the bag. It flew over to the side where Emma and Killian were, and as it sailed over the lake, Killian reached out and caught the leather strap on his hook. He tossed the bag back over to Mulan, who stared at it in confusion.

"I may be a pirate, but I bristle at the thought of a woman losing her heart. Unless it's over me," he told her, pulling his sword from the ground.

Mulan looked over at Emma, obviously torn as to what she should do. Killian knew this much. If it had been him, he would have run off immediately. Mulan owed no allegiance to Emma and Snow as far as he could see. She was only helping them because of Lancelot, and since he was long dead, she had no orders to stick around and help them. Emma nodded over at Mulan before running back to resume her fight with Killian. She raised her sword at him, but Killian still managed to watch Mulan run off with Snow's permission. Killian remembered Mulan's stories of taking matters into her own hands to save her village. She was a maverick so to speak, yet it seemed more like she was a perpetual soldier; always fighting other people's battles rather than her own. She had awaited Snow's blessing instead of running into action like she should have. He almost rolled his eyes except Emma was still walking towards him.

"I had no idea you had such a soft side." There was a hint of mocking in her voice that Killian didn't quite care for.

"I don't. I just like a fair fight." And with that, they were fighting again. It would seem their little reprieve gave Emma time to collect herself. Instead of fighting desperately, she started fighting smartly. She was a little more difficult to fight. However, it was not enough to keep Killian from overtaking her. He caught her ankle again; this time with his hook. "Good form. But not good enough." He flipped her onto back. She raised her sword, but he trapped it between his sword and his hook. He started to slide his hook down the sword slowly. It made an awful noise as the metal of his hook and her sword scraped along one another. "Normally, I prefer to do other more enjoyable activities with a woman on her back." He pinned her to the ground, smirking as he spoke. "With my life on the line, you've left me no choice. Bit of advice. When I jab you with my sword, you'll feel it. You might want to quit."

"Why would I do that when I'm winning?" As if she performed some cheap magic trick of her own, Emma pulled the compass out of nowhere.

Killian's guard went down, and Emma took her chance. She pushed him off of her, kicking him back again. She was calm and confident as she attacked him. Killian found it even more difficult to fight her. Then she gained the upper hand from him, and he knew he truly had lost his chance to get to Storybrooke with her. She pinned his sword to the ground, cockily thanking him before punching him. The weight of the compass inside her fist was enough to knock him to the ground. The force of the blow shocked him. As he lay there, he thought about how he may have ruined his chance. Cora was still fighting, but magic had to give out like people did. There wasn't an endless supply. At least, that's what he had seen through the years. People used magic until they were spent. He turned to his side, watching Emma and Snow struggle against Cora. She managed to get Snow alone, and before she could reach into Snow's chest, Emma pushed her mother out of the way. Killian winced as he watched Cora's hand disappear. Even if he didn't care for Emma much, he hated the sight. He looked away, not wanting to see yet another heart ripped from someone, but he never heard Emma groan in pain. Instead, a gust of wind emanated from her direction and he looked back in time to see Cora fly back. The two women wasted no time in grabbing the compass. Before he knew it, they were jumping into the portal. They were going to make it home, and he and Cora would probably never get to Storybrooke. His vengeance would go unsated. Whatever Cora had planned for Regina would never come to fruition. They were stuck yet again with very little hope.

Yet something dawned on him that he hadn't thought of. Even with the portal closing in after Snow and Emma jumped in, the water of the lake remained. And he had something that could open a portal. It was a long shot, but maybe, just maybe, it would work. Pulling himself to his feet, he joined Cora who had gathered herself enough to go stand by the lake to watch the swirling vortex disappear. He walked up to her, staggering just a bit. No doubt about it, he would be sore.

"We failed," she told him as he reached her.

"Really, Cora," he sighed. "After all this time, why do you still doubt me?" He pulled the bean from his pocket, holding in front of her.

Confusion covered Cora's face for once. "But that bean's petrified. It's useless."

Killian's eyebrows raised and pointed to the lake. "But these waters have regenerative properties. Perhaps, it's time to do some gardening." He held the bean in his hand and looked over at the lake. "If this lake does as legend mandates, then it should open a portal. If it opens a portal, then we should be back in Storybrooke soon enough. All I need is to prepare my ship and you need to gather your things from the camp."

"No need for that," Cora told him. "Let's go stand on the shore. If I'm to summon your ship and all of my things, then we will need something much bigger than this puddle."

They walked over to what used to be considered the shore. Killian raised an eyebrow at Cora as she raised her hands. A glowing light sprang from them, and the already sizeable lake she'd created grew and grew until it was back to its original form. He didn't like her messing with his ship, yet he didn't have time to even think about it. She had already made it appear in the lake. He guessed her things were already packed. Then she transported them onto the ship. Killian really didn't like the way he felt as his boots knocked on the deck. His stomach felt as if it were in a hundred knots, and he felt almost like his skin were about to melt off his body. The sensation subsided after a few minutes. He watched as Cora went below deck. He followed her closely, unsure of what she had awaiting him. Then again, it might have been her plan to get him down to the brig so she could dispose of him and go to Storybrooke on her own. He refused to even think about that, though. They had already gotten so far. Maybe she wouldn't betray him after all. He hoped not. Going into the cargo hold, she checked her things. A large wooden cage stood in the middle, and Killian held back the gasp. Inside was Anton, unconscious and small. He looked over at Cora, but she held up her hand to stop him from speaking. Motioning for him to follow her out of the room, she led him up to the deck again.

"We should go now," she told him.

He couldn't agree more. "Everything in order?"

She nodded. "Yes. Now the bean. Throw it in, and let's get going. We don't have much time to waste. Snow White and her daughter are probably already there and celebrating their victory. No doubt leaving my daughter out."

Killian nodded. "Aye." He walked over to the side of the ship, tossing the bean into the water. "Hold on to something tight! We've bumpy seas ahead! These sort of portals are not for the faint of heart!"