Killian's Inferno

Chapter Three

After what felt like an eternity to the royals, the thief, and the Dark One, Charon guided his boat into a large, dimly lit cavern made of rocks and stones and finally came to a stop as the daemon pulled up to a long dock that led to the land before them. The light came from fire lit torches along the walls and upon closer inspection, everyone could see that they were splattered with blood. It was a frightening sight that made Emma tighten her grip on her son, not simply for his comfort, but for her own as well.

"We're here," Mr. Gold stated smugly, even though he too didn't want to be down in the Underworld any more than the others did, especially after already having been there once and knowing what kind of sacrifice it took to bring him back. "Both the boatman and I did try to warn you. I shall give you all one word of advice. If you do find Hook, know that you will also have to find Hades and strike a deal with the God if you are to have any chance of reviving, lover boy."

"Do you have any idea where we can find this God?" Emma asked coldly as she glanced back at the evil man now standing at the edge of the dock after the rest of them got out of the boat. "Can you take us to him?"

Gold smiled and then responded, "Perhaps, but why would I want to? I fulfilled our agreement. You wanted me to get you here so you can save my greatest enemy and I have. Find Hades yourself, dearies. And good luck."

The sorcerer suddenly vanished, leaving the rest of the travelers alone to fend for themselves, as Emma cried out angrily, "No! Rumpelstiltskin, you traitor!"

"Take it easy, Emma," David quickly said in order to try to calm her down. "Shouting at him isn't going to do you any good and I don't think it'll do us any good either. We need to remain levelheaded while we're here."

"Besides, he may be the Dark One again, but I don't think that even with his newfound powers he'll be able to just whisk himself back home," Snow added as she gripped her daughter's hand. "He'll have to make a deal with Hades."

The Savior looked between her parents as she answered, "Yes, but what if he manages to find Killian before we can and hides him someplace we'll never find him, or worse… he finds Hades and makes a deal to trap us all here?"

Regina looked worried, but without dwelling on it, she turned to her closest friend and replied, "We'll deal with Gold later when the times comes. Did you bring it?"

"Bring what?" Robin asked as he looked between Regina and Emma, who reached into the inside pocket of her leather coat she wore.

"The object that gave our pirate his most famous moniker," Regina responded with a smile as Emma pulled out Killian's hook. "We can use this thing, not only so we can find him, but we can also use it so that anyone who's holding it, will be able to physically grasp onto Hook, seeing as he's no more than a ghost."

The Queen took the hook in her hands and cast the locator spell on it, then Emma took it back and concentrated hard as she thought about the man she loved while her hands began to glow and the second spell was cast. She nodded at Regina, then looked between everyone and took the lead as they all began to walk inward to begin their search.

It wasn't long before they were first interrupted when a swarm of black, winged creatures with red, glowing eyes belonging to the Underworld flew toward them in an attack as Emma cried out, "What the hell are those things? Look out!"

Everyone ran and took cover among the walls as the beasts first flew past, then both Emma and Regina moved out and charged their magic, prepared to fight against them, while David immediately pulled his sword from his scabbard and Robin readied his bow to stand with the women.

Regina made the first blast of her power as one of them charged at her with its long claws ready to strike the Queen down where she stood and as her magic hit the creature, the beast exploded into a burst of fire, just as Zelena's flying monkeys had in Storybrooke during their attacks. Emma cut down two more with her own power, while Robin brought down one with an arrow through its chest and David ran another through with his blade as the beast tried to attack his wife. However, as each one of these creatures were killed, two more would reappear to take their place, making the swarm even bigger than before.

One of them came up from behind David as he cut off the head of another creature trying to attack Robin and dug its claws across the Prince's chest causing him to cry out and drop to his knees as Mary Margaret cried out, "Charming!"

"Moms, use your light magic to make them dissipate!" Henry shouted from his cover against one of the cave's walls. "Killing them will only make them grow faster! You can do this!"

"Regina, now!" Emma called out as she raised her hands high in the air and let off an immense burst of power, followed immediately by the Queen as she too set off her own magic before another of the beasts could kill Snow. "Hold it!"

Henry's solution worked as every one of the winged creatures dissolved and this time didn't return after they were defeated. Once they were clear, Emma quickly ran over to her parents to help her father, as did Henry, while Robin walked over to help Regina up off the ground after she collapsed, having overexerted her power to stop the beasts.

Mary Margaret took her husband's face into her hands as she looked into his eyes and asked worryingly, "Are you alright? How bad is it?"

Emma looked at the deep gash the creature's claw left behind and concentrated on trying to heal it, then when she was done, she looked between her mom and dad as she whispered fearfully, "I'm so sorry. I never should have dragged any of you down here with me. This is all my fault. Dad getting hurt, Gold becoming the Dark One all over again, and Killian…"

"No Emma," Snow answered sincerely as she took her daughter's hand in her own. "You can't blame yourself, not for any of it. Evil is what's done this to us; those things just now, the darkness that used to be inside of you and Hook, and Rumpelstiltskin who betrayed us all again, but it was never you."

"Your mother's right," David continued as he stood with Mary Margaret's and Emma's help. "And we came here with you, not only because we owe it to Hook for saving us all, but because it would be wrong of us to refuse after everything your mother and I have done to save one another since we first met. We have always done whatever it takes for our family and now we're only too happy to help you so that you can be with your true love too."

Regina spoke up again as she added, "And we came because it's the right thing to do. Hook did after all save me and Robin too. Besides, I still owe him for all of the terrible things I forced him to do way back when, such as forcing him to kill his own father. I never did apologize to him."

Robin nodded and then asked, "What exactly were those things?"

"Furies I believe," Regina replied. "I've only heard stories about these magical creatures, but I didn't know they actually existed. It appears they're the Lord of the Underworld's pets. We were lucky this time, but I have a feeling that we'll be seeing them again."

"You can be certain," a man spoke up from behind them, causing everyone to whirl around, ready to fight whoever appeared to attack them next.

Mary Margaret looked at the man nervously as she asked, "Who are you?"

Emma stared at the man as if she recognized him somehow until it donned on her who he was as she gripped the ring hanging on the chain around her neck tightly and stated, "Liam?"