Hello, Dearies! Welcome back to Song of the Savior! Here we have Chapter 6, named "Realist." And it was pretty fun to write. :) Originally, this was going to take longer because I was going to write the entirety of "Tallahassee" for the chapter, but then I realized it would probably end up being too long. So I'll have the rest ready for next time! Or the time after. I may write a flashback, first. We'll see how I feel, lol. Anywho...

leongvivian70: Thank you! I'm also looking forward to getting into the story between Rumple and Willow more. I have a feeling they won't be reuniting for a little while yet, but they may be showing up together in flashbacks fairly soon ;)

Fairytailfanatic247: Thanks for the review! Yes, I also can't wait. It should be a lot of fun to get into their past.

FutureOlympian: Thank you so much. Your review really made my day :) And I'm so glad you like Willow. I hope you enjoy her in this chapter as well. Personally, I really had fun writing her lines in this chapter. And don't worry, we'll also be seeing more of Willow with Aiden soon enough. You'll just have to wait and see what happens between them!

Thanks everyone, for reviewing and favoriting and following and all of the "ings" as Peanutbuttergamer would say it. Feel free to let me know your thoughts on the current chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time.

Chapter 6: Realist

Hook had dug himself a hole. He found it was what he did best, on most occasions. His philosophy, however, was that he would manage to get himself into just as much trouble if he were an honest man. And with that in mind, he saw no point in taking the path of the righteous to get what he wanted. He didn't have any time for being the good guy, anyway. And he didn't particularly care, two hundred years after losing the only thing that truly mattered to him.

The issue was that things hadn't exactly gone according to plan over the last few hours, and once Cora found out he and Willow were leading the enemy toward their way back to Storybrooke, she would be furious. And Hook couldn't say he relished the thought of that woman's anger.

Willow, on the other hand, didn't look troubled at all as she marched alongside the wench with the bow, humming to herself like the child she was while he was dragged behind them like a dog. He briefly imagined himself cutting out her tongue with his hook—perhaps it would teach her some humility. He wondered how it was possible for her to act so smooth and confident when, for all intents and purposes, she was a prisoner.

Pathetic bunny rabbit… tch… Believe me, fairy princess. After I skin my crocodile, you're next.

Of course, before he could skin his crocodile, he had to make sure he actually got to Storybrooke alive and in one piece.

Finally, the group came along a towering beanstalk that shot far up into the clouds, where Hook knew they would have to venture to retrieve the artifact they needed. He couldn't say he was particularly looking forward to the climb. He considered himself a man with a decent amount of stamina, but this would certainly be a test for him.

"It's a little freakier than I remember from the story," the Swan murmured, squinting her eyes from the sun as she gazed up.

"It reminds me of death," Mulan added.

Snow White then commented, "Encouraging," in a plain tone.

Hook figured there wasn't much point in stalling the inevitable, so he gestured toward the behemoth-like mutated plant. "Well—the compass awaits. Shall we?"

He made his way forward, hands still bound, not listening to whether or not his new companions were following him. But the Swan's voice caught his attention. "Wait—if these beans create—portals—why not just pick one and go home? Why the compass?"

"Why do you think everyone is so competitive to get a portal?" Willow cut in, stretching her leg by pulling it back behind her at an angle that hurt Hook's retinas. "There are no beans. There haven't been for centuries. Everyone knows that."

"Well, what do I know?" the Swan scoffed. "I didn't grow up in this place. All I heard was that there was—a guy named Jack and some cow, and something about evil giants with a treasure and a golden goose. Or harp."

Hook turned toward her with a smile, finding her ignorance ridiculously adorable for some reason despite her harsh tongue and no-nonsense demeanor. She was quite different from other women he'd been acquainted with in the past. "Sounds like a lovely tale," he said. "But the truth is a little bit more gruesome. The giants grew the beans, but rather than use them for good, they used them to plunder all the lands. 'Jack' was a man who fought a terrible war, defeating all but one of the evil giants. The beans were destroyed by the giants as they died. If they couldn't have their magic, then nobody could. It's really very bad form."

"Sounds to me like something a lot of corrupt royal scoundrels made up so the rest of mankind's children would feel warm and fuzzy going to sleep at night," Willow murmured.

Hook sighed. Insufferable girl. "Excuse me, did I leave something out that you'd like to share?" he asked with mock politeness.

But Willow simply shrugged in response. "I only mean that to assume any war would play out in such a black and white fashion is folly at best. Typical human—always believes the humans' side."

"What have you got against humans?" the Swan asked, staring at Willow like she had three heads.

"I have nothing against humans. I'm just pointing out that they are easily corrupted by magic and—gasp—not always right."

Snow White shook head. "Okay—you know—can we just get back to the present issue, please?"

Willow threw up a hand and started walking off to the side. "Apologies, please continue!" Although Hook was fairly certain she was subtly mocking him. She would do something like that, even though they were supposed to be pretending they didn't know one another.

"Right, so evil giants who made magic portal beans?" the Swan recapped swiftly. "Why doesn't anyone just go up and grow some more?"

And this was where the fun part came in. "Because one giant survived. The strongest and most terrible of them all. And we'll have to get past him to—"

"The magic compass," Mary Margaret finished with a tired sigh.

Hook nodded, pleased that she caught on quickly. "Indeed. The treasure remains, and amongst it is the compass. Now it will guide us to your land. Cora has the means to open a portal with the wardrobe ashes, but she can't find your land without the compass. Once we get it, steal the ashes from her and we're on our way."

Mulan turned his way with a pointed look that frightened even him just slightly. "How do we know you're not just using us to get the compass for Cora?" Valid question, and not one that would be easy to answer truthfully.

Don't hesitate… don't hesitate. "Because you four are safer company," rolled off his tongue. "All I need is a ride back. I'll swear allegiance to whomever gets me there first." Then again, perhaps tagging along with these four wasn't such a bad idea after all. At least he didn't constantly have to worry about having his heart torn out if he stepped in the wrong direction.

"Then we'd better start climbing." The Swan started forward, as ready for action as any woman he'd ever seen, perhaps more. It impressed him so much that he almost let her walk right up to that beanstalk without telling her the most important part.

Hook came to his sense and then laughed. "Right, so… I failed to mention that the giant enchanted the beanstalk to repel intruders."

Swan obviously wasn't pleased by the setback and pressed her lips together as she stopped in her tracks. "All right, so how do we get up there?"

"I've got a counter spell from Cora." Then, turning toward the group and holding out his bound wrists, he murmured, "If you'd be so kind."

It was the lovely Snow White who approached him, daggers pointing straight at him through her eyes. Unlike her daughter who was a bit rough around the edges, however, Snow looked a bit like an angry kitten as she begrudgingly untied his hands. Seeing her displeasure gave him the urge to make her as uncomfortable as possible, so before moving on to his explanation, he leaned in a few inches and winked. "Thank you, milady."

Then, holding up his wrist, he pointed to the magic cuff he had wrapped around it. "I've got two more of these." Of course, it didn't occur to him until right after he said it that he probably should have avoided telling them that he had three cuffs. Perhaps if he played it off easily, they wouldn't notice. Assuming, that is, that they didn't catch on as a result of Willow's subsequent obvious death stare. "Cora was to accompany me," he continued, pretending not to pay attention. "So… Which two of you five lovelies shall take her place? Hm? Go on, fight it out. Don't be afraid to, you know, really get into it."

"Only two of us can go?" Snow White said, glancing back and forth between members of the group. "Well—then it should be me and Emma."

"Now, hang on," Swan interrupted. "I have a question, first." Then, turning to Hook, she asked, "Why would you and Cora need three cuffs if there are only two of you?"

Damn it, she was sharp. It was a mistake for him to tell them about the third cuff meant for Willow. That's what he got for letting words fly out of his mouth without thinking. "What can I say? Cora's a cautious woman." Then, in an intentional attempt to throw her off, he amended, "Actually, that's a lie. We had another companion we were carting along, but he couldn't follow directions so she killed him." He cleared his throat. "I imagine you can understand why I'm starting to favor the lot of you in comparison."

It wasn't as if his story wasn't plausible. Cora would thoughtlessly kill a comrade or worse, and they all knew it. He tried to sound as convincing as possible, but it was difficult to tell whether or not the Swan was buying it. But even if she didn't, she relented for now and turned back to the group. "Okay. Fine… so… Mary Margaret?"

"All due respect," Mulan cut in. "I think I'm best equipped to go. How many wars have you been through?"

"My share," Snow White said, sounding offended.

"Mulan and I have seen the most dangerous this land has to offer," Willow told them. "We work well together as a team. Together, we have the highest chance of success. Especially if that pirate does something stupid."

"I think it should be me," Aurora said.

Hook had to hold his breath to keep from laughing at Willow's squinted eyes and creased forehead. "That's a terrible idea."

"You haven't fought in battle," Mulan said.

Snow White turned to her. "This is about us getting back to our loved ones. Why would you—"

"Because I have no loved ones. If I fail, you can still go on."

"And yet, still a terrible idea," Willow said.

"One way or another, it's me," the Swan finally joined in. "I'm going, and I'm not going to fail."

"Okay, then I'll go with you," Snow White told her with a nod.

However, before the Swan had a chance to reply, Willow stepped in. "Actually—I think I should go with Emma."

Willow wasn't the type of woman to act on impulse. And of course, this wasn't one of those times. She knew the perilous territory she was getting herself into by asserting her opinion under these circumstances, especially knowing that Emma already had some suspicions about her. To top it off, she felt fairly certain that Killian hadn't helped their chances by running his mouth about the third cuff.

But then, it also granted her an opportunity she wasn't sure she would get. An opportunity to personally make sure they got their hands on the compass.

"I think I should go with Emma."

"Why?" Emma asked, staring at her pointedly.

"This isn't a debate," Snow White said, shaking her head. "I'm going with my daughter."

"Then you'll be subjecting yourself to unnecessary danger," Willow told her. "Emma wouldn't be my first choice to go either, but I can tell you won't be flinching any time soon." She glanced at Swan through narrow eyes and continued. "The more of us who go, the more dangerous this will be. That means you and the pirate need someone light on their feet if something goes wrong. And I'd wager I'm the fastest of the lot 'a you."

After she was finished, there was a short pause and then Emma said, "Can I talk to you for a minute—over here?" She stepped backwards and retreated a few yards from the group, prompting Willow to follow her.

"Emma?" Snow White asked, worry plain in her eyes.

"Just give us a sec," Emma responded, turning to Willow after she made her way over.

Willow then folded her arms and looked up so she could meet Emma's slightly higher gaze. She smiled a little, pressing her lips into a thin line. "Is there a problem?"

"I wanna know what game you're playing."

"Game?" Willow raised an eyebrow. Was it over? Was her plan up in flames?

"You're hiding something. I don't know if you're working for Cora or if you've got some other agenda, but I'm not buying this innocent face of yours. So I'll ask again—what game are you playing? Who are you, really?"

Such a flurry of emotions in those eyes. After nearly 200 years, Willow was no longer easily impressed. But Emma had a certain complexity that she couldn't help but admire. Brave and unwavering in the face of adversity—and yet, still vulnerable and struggling with her own self-doubts. And it was doubt that Willow could use to her advantage. Emma could see through lies? Well—then she'd simply have to tell only the truth.

"My given name is Willow, as I told you," she said, keeping her composure. "And I'm playing no games. All I want is to help find the compass."

"Why? Why would you care about helping us?"

She opened her mouth, but then closed it again for a few seconds to demonstrate some hesitance. "All right," she said, a little shyly. "You caught me. I was hoping you and your mother would take me back to Storybrooke with you."

Emma's expression didn't change, but Willow noticed the shift in tension. She had her where she wanted her—at least for the moment. "You want to go to Storybrooke, too?"

"I have people I care about who were taken by the curse," she replied. "I want to get back to them. And—if I have to climb a beanstalk and fool a giant to do that, so be it."

Emma's eyes flickered back and forth for a few seconds as she searched Willow for traces of dishonesty. But Willow kept eye-contact, unwilling to be outdone by the intuition of one woman. If she got her hands on this compass, she was a step closer to defeating Cora, and she wasn't about to let anything stand in her way. Leaning back a few inches and shoving her hands into her back pockets, Emma gave Willow one last glare. "All I can say is, you'd sure as hell better not make me regret this."

Willow smiled through closed lips and stepped past Emma back toward the group. "Don't worry, Emma. As long as we're up there, you'll be safe with me." Trust me, you won't regret this nearly as much as you would being left alone all day with Killian.

"I'm taking Willow with me," Emma declared from behind Willow as she followed her, loud enough for the rest of the group to hear.

But as expected, Snow White wasn't a fan of this development. "Emma, no," she said, approaching her and catching her arms. "We do this together. I'm not letting you go without me."

"Yes, you are," Emma said. "Listen, this is about getting back to Henry. I don't care what I have to face. I don't trust Willow. And I definitely don't trust Hook. But they both—I think they're our best chance for success." Snow White let out a small sigh, still holding onto Emma, but she didn't say anything else. Willow almost felt sorry for her defeated expression. "What, you're not gonna argue with me?"

Snow White's voice was soft. "Would it do any good?"

"No," Emma replied simply. Then, pulling away from her mother and heading past her toward Mulan, she asked, "Anything in that bag that's going to help me with a giant?"

"A hook?" Mulan said, casting Killian a dark glare.

Willow, in turn, fought off a smile as he shouted back an offended, "Hey!" while throwing out his arms. As Emma and Mulan stepped off to the side to talk, Willow plopped herself down on the ground so she could finally pull off her wretched shoes and toss them to the side. The climb would be harsh, but she was used to climbing trees and her bare feet would be safer than clacking around with shoes in the giant's domain.

All the while, she could still hear the conversation between her cohorts. "Powder made from poppies," Mulan said, pulling out the poppy dust Willow helped her make a while back and handing it to Emma. "He has to inhale it."

Emma nodded. "And your sword. How strong is it?"

"The most powerful blade in all the realms."

"Is it strong enough to cut through that beanstalk?"

A short pause fell between them before Mulan answered. "Indeed."

Willow, knowing where this conversation was going, stood up and walked over to them, bare feet not giving away her presence to Emma, who had her back turned. "How much time do we have?" Willow asked, causing Emma to flinch and turn abruptly. Having had her fun at startling her, Willow moved up and halted at Emma's side. "Planned on destroying our only way back without telling me?" She smirked, and Emma leaned away, showing some discomfort.

"That's not—"

"Relax, I'm only joking," Willow said, glancing at Mulan. "So, by all means."

It took Emma a few seconds to recover, but then she nodded and said, "Ten hours. That should be enough. If we aren't back yet, cut down the beanstalk and keep going."

"Snow won't like that," Mulan said, shaking her head.

"That's why I'm asking you," Emma said, her voice not wavering an inch. "If I don't get back, you get her home."

Mulan's eyebrows creased slightly and then she turned her attention back to Willow, still seeming conflicted despite being the best of all of them at getting done what needed to be done. Willow felt her own mood soften a little when Mulan asked her, "Are you sure?"

But with a nod, Willow replied, "I'm positive. With Cora out there it's too dangerous for the three of you to stay in one place for long. If we don't return, someone will need to carry on. It's better this way." Then, reaching for the small bag at her hips, she pulled it free and fished through it, taking out a sealed flask filled with one of her healing remedies. After tucking it into one of her belt compartments, she held out the bag to Mulan. "The giant will be able to pick up the scent of most of my potions and salves. And I imagine my ogre whistle will be more helpful for you down here than it would be up there. So if you don't mind…"

Mulan didn't look pleased, but grabbed the strap of the bag anyway and then reached out with her other hand to grasp Willow's own. "Don't you be late. Got that?"

Willow smiled and squeezed her hand, shaking it firmly. "You know me. I'm never late."

And so, Emma said her goodbyes to her mother and Killian graced the two women with their magical cuffs so that they could prepare to make the treacherous climb into the unknown above them. Willow could tell from where she stood that it was about to be a long day. But truthfully, all she really wanted was to get it over with so that she didn't have to worry about Mulan cutting down the beanstalk. Despite her noble claims, she would have sooner left both Emma and Killian to the giant before getting stuck up there for the rest of her life. Then again, perhaps a giant would be easier to deal with than Cora.

In any case, Willow wasn't planning on returning without either of her companions. Letting Killian die would no doubt be a deadly mistake, and letting Emma die—well, she had a feeling that fate wasn't about to let that women go just yet. The Savior had barely begun to realize her full potential yet.

Some time later, Willow came to a painful awareness. Ultimately, the most frustrating part of the climb was not the climb itself. Rather, it was the fact that Willow was faster than both Killian and Emma put together and would have been twice as far along an hour in had it not been for the two of them slowing her down.

"At this rate, winter will be here before we reach the top," she hissed, latching onto a vine and hoisting herself up. Then, more sarcastically she added, "Oh, I actually forgot we don't have that long. By then our bones will be slowly turning to dust under the remnants of the fallen beanstalk."

"Well, then maybe you should go get the compass by yourself," Killian said in a nasty tone.

She let out a frustrated sigh. I would… but then if either of you fell and died, it would be my fault.

Unfortunately, after that Killian didn't shut up. "Personally, I wouldn't mind it if you did. Then at least Miss Swan and I would get some time alone." He smiled flirtatiously at the woman below them who was currently ignoring him, and suddenly Willow had the urge to gag.

"First beanstalk?" he continued, apparently determined to get her talking. "Well, you never forget your first. You know, most men would take your silence as off-putting, but I love a challenge."

"I'm concentrating," Emma said plainly.

"Yes, clearly," Willow said, glaring down at him. "So if you wanted to stop jabbering, that would be most appreciated."

Killian returned her glare with a tiny smirk of his own and then went on, "Actually, I think she's just afraid." Then, looking back to Emma, "Afraid to talk. To reveal yourself. Trust me—things will be a lot smoother if you do."

"You should be used to people not trusting you," Emma said breathlessly, pulling herself up.

"Ah, the pirate thing. Well, I don't need you to share. You're something of an open book."

Self-absorbed bastard…

Emma didn't sound impressed. "Am I?"

"Quite," Killian said, sounding one hundred percent sure of his outstanding perceptive skills. "Let's see—you volunteered to come up here because you were the most motivated. You need to get back to a child."

With a scoff, Emma replied, "That's not perception. That's eavesdropping."

"But you don't want to abandon him like you were abandoned," he said.

"Was I?"

"Like I said," he murmured. "An open book."

Willow let out another sigh and stopped when she looked down to see them idling on some vines, wasting their time away. "How would you know that?" Emma asked, now sounding curious for the first time during this entire escapade.

"I spent many years in Neverland, home of the lost boys," he told her. "They all share the same look in their eyes. The look you get when you've been left alone. In fact, Willow shares a similar look."

Gritting her teeth, Willow said, "Could you please leave me out of your pointless discussion?"

"Oh come on, don't be afraid of a little friendly bonding," he said.

"I would be happier if the two of you could move upward while enjoying your friendly bonding."

Killian laughed and glanced at Emma. "Ah, well, I do believe we've just been scolded."

Emma grunted and shifted her legs, trying to get the right footing. "Sorry, I was just a little winded. I'm good."

Finally, Willow started up again with the two of them behind her, going at a snail's pace but moving nonetheless. She was hoping Killian's half-witted monologue was over, but he still hadn't had enough, apparently. "Seems to me love has been all too rare in both your lives from what I can tell. Have you ever even been in love, Swan?"

There was a pause. But then, Emma said definitively, "No. I have never been in love."

At that point, Willow finally laughed. "Ha. I find that hard to believe."

"'Xcuse me?" asked, looking up through squinted eyes as Willow looked down at her.

Willow smiled, although she didn't feel particularly friendly at the moment. "Let's just say I have a sense about people. I don't blame you for denying it, though. Truth be told, you're probably better off without it."

"Speaking from experience, madam?" Killian asked, almost taunting her.

Willow chose not to answer that question and instead concluded with, "Love weakens us. And it's killed far more often than it's saved anyone."

"You sure have some grim perceptions," Emma commented.

With a bitter laugh, Willow replied, "Actually, I consider myself a realist."

And we have chapter 6. I called it "Realist" because I thought in a way this whole chapter really tied into her attitude, and I decided to name the chapter according to how she sees herself. Now, is she a realist? I don't know. That's something you'll have to decide on for yourself, I suppose. Emma called her perceptions "grim," but... depending on your own perceptions there could be some truth to them. :)