Killian's Inferno
Chapter Thirteen
"Ever since I died and was sent down here, I've had to work for that infuriating God, Hades, especially since he stripped me of my powers and threatened to make me a part of his rock wall décor," Cora continued as she stood amongst the heroes, all of whom were prepared to strike at her should she attempt to hurt any of them. "I always did look good in paintings, but I really didn't care to spend eternity living as one."
"So naturally, you teamed up with the most powerful being so long as you get to have some of your power back in exchange for your loyalty," Regina said coldly. "Always looking for an angle for yourself, aren't you, mother?"
Cora looked over at her daughter as if she were hurt and answered, "It's a shame that you have come to think so little of me again, Regina. And I thought we had reconciled before I died, or least put aside our differences so that we could make your enemies pay, together. However, it appears as though you've realigned yourself with them, even consider them your friends. Oh, and you've found yourself another love too. How wonderful."
Regina moved closer to the woman as she replied in anger, "If you even think so much as to hurt him…"
"Enough, both of you!" Emma shouted with frustration at their bickering. "I want to know what you know about Hook. Where is he?"
"Now that isn't very nice, requesting my help without offering me something for it in return?" the Evil Queen responded smugly.
Her daughter glared at Cora as she asked, "And what is it that you want from us? It's not like we can help you regain the rest of your power a God stole from you."
Cora smiled as she looked between Regina and Emma, then answered, "Actually, you can do just that, if you bring me back up to the land of the living with you. Do that, and I will help you save your pirate boyfriend too. If you don't, you'll never find him."
"No," the Savior replied steadfastly as she raised her hands to prepare for an attack by the woman standing before them. "We're already breaking all kinds of mortal laws by coming down to the Underworld for Hook. I will not risk anything getting in my way to save him, especially you."
"Now see, that's really too bad because… if you really wanted to save that gorgeous, yet murderous one handed scoundrel, then I would think you would do whatever it takes, including performing the lesser evil to do so," she responded cruelly as she suddenly shot out a burst of magic that forced everyone, but Regina and Emma, down to the ground hard, then raises them both off of their feet as she began to choke them. "If you're not going to help me, then I will finish you both off like I should have done when I was still alive, including you, daughter."
Robin cried out, "Regina!"
He struggled to stand to help her, as did David and Mary Margaret to help Emma, but the force that took them down knocked the air out of their lungs, as there was a pressure in their chests that wasn't letting up. Cora began to laugh upon seeing her daughter and the Savior fight against the invisible power around their throats until all of a sudden that force faded away as Cora screamed when she burst into flames and vanished.
Mary Margaret immediately raced to Emma's side, followed quickly by her father, while Robin ran to Regina, but before any of them could ask if the women were alright, Emma stared at her son, who was standing where Cora was moments before, then asked, "Hey kid, what did you just do?"
"I used salt," he answered simply.
"You used salt?" Regina asked as everyone continued to look at him quizzically. "You mean, as in ordinary table salt?"
As he held up a canister of salt that he found in his grandparents' kitchen cupboards, Henry replied, "I uh… I think there's something in the salt, something about it makes it pure, which is why ghosts can't stand it. It doesn't kill them, but it sure hurts them. I read up on ghosts and monsters that we might find down here before we left home. I thought it could help. I didn't really think it would work, but…"
Emma pulled him into a hug as she finished for him, "Yeah, I guess it does. Thank you, Henry. I hate that we dragged you into all this, but I am glad you're here."
"Me too," the young man responded with a smile. "And I would have been angry with you if you didn't let me come."
"I'm so proud that we managed to raise such a clever boy despite all of our differences over the years," Regina spoke up as she hugged her son as well.
Henry looked at her as he scoffed, "No offense, Mom, but I'm no longer a child. I'm a man now. I've seen and done too much in my life to be anything, but a man now."
David smiled as he looked between his grandson's two mothers, then answered, "I hate to admit it, but Henry's right. After everything… he is a man."
"Emma, what's wrong?" Snow asked as she looked back at her daughter and found that she was staring off in the distance looking angry.
"It's nothing," she replied sternly. "I'm just frustrated. I know we didn't need Cora's help, but I'm angry. The more we keep running into trouble, the longer we all take to rest, the longer it will be before we find Killian."
Mary Margaret shook her head as she responded sadly, "I know, sweetheart, but if we don't rest, even you, then none of us will be in any condition to fight against the monsters that we all know will keep coming. I know you're afraid that you'll fail."
Emma interrupted, "You're right, I am afraid of failing him, but I'm also afraid that the longer it takes for us to get to him, the less he will be him, the less he'll be Killian Jones, the smug, full of life swashbuckler who once again found his good heart despite the centuries of hate and villainy he suffered through. What if, when we all get back home, Killian is nothing more than a shadow of who he really is, or worse… an empty shell?"
"What is the one thing, Hook always reminded you of?" David asked as he walked over to stand with his wife and daughter. "What is one of the things your mother and I know that you love most about him?"
"That he's a survivor," the Savior stated with a smile, almost being able to see the man she loved standing there before her with that cheeky grin of his on his face and a single eyebrow risen above the other just before he leaned in to kiss her. "You're right, we're going to get him back, and he's going to be fine."