Part 15 : Victory.
As they were sure that the fairy couldn't act any more, the other organized themselves to realize the rest of their plan. The ghosts, knowing that they were useless now, decided to go. Zelena came to see her daughter, a thing she did since almost six years.
David and Snow were now with Ruby ; she couldn't see them, of course, and they were looking at her as she was with Dorothy.
Regina and Emma were with Henry, as he seemed to get better, drawing and writing.
Hook was the only one who stayed, as Gold was ready to cast the spell on the wand ; once it was done, the sorcerer decided to go.
"Be careful Neal, he said, despite it.
- Is it dark magic ?
- Yes."
Neal nodded his head. He could accept it.
Even he hated magic, this time, he had no choice.
And his father cast the spell.
Not him.
And if he had to do it, right. Destroy evil by using evil ways.
Neal was waiting, with the sword in his hand, waiting for the fairy to come.
When the door opened, he expected everything.
Except what happened next.
§§§§
"I am sorry I came without calling, but..."
The young woman immediately stopped, by seeing what Neal was handing, and the position in which he was. Defensive, ready to attack.
With a sword.
Belle gave him a look both interrogative and scared. She didn't understand.
In fact, she was afraid to understand this.
But she wanted to be sure.
"Neal… can I know what you're doing ?"
Bloody hell.
Explain all this story was impossible.
Because she wouldn't believe it, and even if the curse was weaker, it would change nothing. Belle was too rational to believe in magic.
Clearly, he was in a bad situation, and according to the closed and inquisitor face of his step-mother, he knew he would live a bad moment, if he didn't explain himself, right now.
He rolled his eyes by seeing that Hook stopped himself with difficulty, despite what was happening, from bursting into laughter.
"Deserter, he muttered."
It just made the hysterical laughter of the pirate be louder.
The librarian crossed her arms.
"Explain me what you're doing here, with a sword in your hand, looking as someone who is going to fight."
Neal smiled to him, and both blessed and cursed Belle's ignorance.
"I can't tell you."
Belle started and raised a suspicious eyebrow.
"You can't tell me the truth ?"
Neal sighed. What could he say ?
There is a curse, Belle.
If everything is wrong in town, it's because of it.
There is a curse, and people died because of it.
Emma died.
Regina.
Snow.
David.
Zelena (even if I don't really miss her).
Hook.
There is a curse, and people died, trying to destroy it.
There is a curse, and me and papa, we are trying to fix things.
"Belle… do you trust me ?"
Did she trust him ? She thought.
Of course.
"Obviously.
- Then, I will ask you not to ask me any question. And to leave, and let me.
- I..."
She hesitated. During more than a second, she did hesitate. And then she saw the young man's look, and knew she couldn't do that to him. She trusted him.
So, she decided to shut up, understanding that maybe, the situation was more worrying that it seemed to be.
She left.
§§§§
"Well played, said the pirate, with an admiring look.
- Thanks. I would want you to leave.
The pirate had a movement of recoil.
- Why ?
Neal himself didn't know it.
- I need to be alone, facing her.
This asking was absurd, and he knew it ; he didn't know why, but he just needed it. As if he was afraid that the fairy could see the ghost.
Which did no sense.
(Or he was just afraid to be distracted by his presence.)
The ghost left, and, some minutes after, Fiona entered.
Neal smiled.
"Madam Mayor..."
She didn't return him his smile.
§§§§
The fairy immediately felt the use of magic, and she became pale when it happened, understanding what it meant. She wasn't invulnerable. Someone knew how do magic.
And she would soon figure out who.
By seeing her grand-son in front of her, with a sword, she almost burst into laughter. Not by humour, or in order to answer to his ironic salutation.
Because she already won. She defeated Gold, the Dark One ; the immortal was able to do nothing. How could he defeat her ?
She was confident.
Everything would be okay.
But there was something she didn't understand before, and she didn't see coming it.
Neal remembered.
It was the only explanation.
"So, you know ?
- It doesn't seem to surprise you.
She smiled. Right. The masks just fell, and they stopped playing games. Serious things could begin.
She wouldn't talk a lot. The only thing she had to say, is that this fight was pointless. The fairy wasn't stupid, she took a weapon with her. A sword, like him, as she didn't want to use a modern weapon.
It didn't interest her.
"You know that this sword can do nothing against me ? I mean… I am immortal, and as your father, there is one thing that can kill me, and that is certainly not this thing."
Neal shook his head. His grand-mother was so arrogant ! She couldn't imagine one second that her son could have betrayed her, nor that he could be stronger than her.
He didn't answer, and decided to attack her, without telling her, and she immediately blocked, and a ferocious fight began between the two of them. And it lasted some minutes.
Neal knew perfectly how to fight, and Fiona learned it too during centuries, and knowing that none of them could use magic, they were equal. Occupied to fight, Neal didn't see that Hook came back to see him fight, afraid about what would happen next.
Finally, he succeeded to disarm her, and he had a sight of relief.
It was over. Everything was over. In her same arrogant smile, Fiona looked at him, not understanding that the true end would be her death.
"Tell me… you didn't ask to yourself what kind of magic had been used there ? Nor what this sword could have been before ?"
A light appeared in the fairy's look, and she understood. Her look changed, full of fear and she tried to run.
Too late. Neal just attacked her again, and he skewered her with the sword right in the heart.
The fairy fell on the ground, dead.
Atrociously relieved and exhausted, Neal fell on the knees.
It was over.
Finally.