Chapter Six Tallahassee
Ellie, Mary Margaret, Aurora, Mulan, and Hook approach the base of the beanstalk and look up, seeing that it extends through the clouds. Any other situation, and if she had the right tools, Ellie would plop down and immediately begin sketching it.
Like she said, any other situation and the right tools, it was a beautiful sight. Even though it gave her a bit of a chill.
"It's a little freakier than I remember from the story." Ellie finally said, gripping even tighter onto the strap of her crossbow.
"Reminds me of death." Mulan said and Ellie snorted, she was certainly a cheerful one to be around.
"Encouraging." Mary Margaret sarcastically stated, the female warrior shrugged.
"Well," Hook began and looked at all the women, "your compass awaits. Shall we?" He gestured up the beanstalk, taking a step towards it.
"Wait," Ellie said, making Hook stop and look at her, "If these beans create..." she struggled with this word, "portals, why not just pick one and go home? Why the compass?" Oh, if Emma could hear her now.
"Because there aren't any more beans. Whenever story you think you know, my dear, is most certainly wrong." If this world was going to ruin one more fairytale, her sanctuary as a child, then she was going to scream. These stories that she read over and over again, growing up, were her escapes. They offered her a chance to leave the real world and become someone important.
"There was a guy named Jack, and a cow, and something about an evil giant with a treasure and a golden goose," she frowned, "Or maybe it was a harp. I don't remember."
"Sounds like a lovely tale. But the truths a little 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. They beans were destroyed by the giants as they died. If they couldn't have their magic, then nobody could," Hook explained, "It's really very bad form."
"Evil giants," Ellie began, not really believing this story. It sounded like something that parents told their children so they wouldn't stay out late at night, "who made magic portal beans? Why doesn't anyone just go up and grow some more?" She gestured up towards the clouds.
"Because one giant survived. The strongest and more terrible of them all. And we'll have to get past him to-" Hook explained before Mary Margaret interrupted him.
"The magic compass." She finished with a sigh.
"Indeed," Hook agreed, "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."
"How do we know you're not just using us to get the compass for Cora?" Mulan questioned, bringing up a good point.
"Because you four are far safer company. All I need is a ride back. I'll swear allegiance to whomever gets me there first. " Hook answered. Ellie sighed, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
"Then we'd better start climbing." she said, taking a step towards the beanstalk.
"Right," Ellie paused, "So...I failed to mention that the giant enchanted the beanstalk to repel intruders."
"Course." Ellie sarcastically thought, rolling her eyes, and then said aloud, "Alright, so how do we get up there?"
"I've got a counter spell from Cora. If you'd be so kind." He said and held up his bound wrists. Mary Margaret and Ellie looked at one another, unsure of whether to trust him. Finally, Ellie nodded and Mary Margaret untied him. Hook holds up one of his arms, showing a glowing cuff.
"Thank you, milady. I've got one more of these. Cora was to accompany me. So...which one of you four lovelies shall take her place? Hm? Go on, fight it out. Don't be afraid to, you know, really get into it."
Ellie hated him.
New York, Nine years ago
Nineteen-year-old Ellie was doing quite well for her age. It all just depended on how you decided to look at it.
She wasn't a hooker.
She wasn't working in a bar.
She wasn't homeless.
Money was always a bit tight. But Ellie constantly reminded herself of those three things.
"I'm going off the rails of a crazy train." She sang to herself as she cleaned her brushes in her studio. Ellie couldn't afford one big apartment, a living space and a studio. So she simply had two small ones, only a five minute walk apart. Ellie was trying to save money to get a bigger one, she did whatever (that's not entirely true) she could to make some extra cash.
Course if Emma was around, that would be ten times more helpful.
"Bad Ellie." She chastised herself as she placed her brushes on a cloth, so they could dry overnight. She continued singing to herself, banishing all thoughts of her imprisoned sister, as she finished cleaning. As she was about to put in a cd, to hopefully make the work go faster, someone knocked at the door.
"Just a sec!" she called, placing the cd by the player and walking to the door. She peeped through the peephole.
"Go the hell away Cassidy!" She snarled through the door and then deadlocking it.
"Ellie please! I just want to talk to you!" he pleaded through the door. Ellie ran to the kitchen, picking up the phone.
"You better leave! Or else I'm going to call the cops!" She threatened, staring at the door.
"Please! I just need to talk to you!" He begged, "I don't have anyone else to talk to about Emma!" Ellie lowered the phone, "Please?"
"What do you want to know?" She finally asked.
Enchanted Forest, Now
"All due respect, I'm the best equipped to go. How many wars have you been through?" Mulan questioned Mary Margaret. Ellie sighed, this petty squabbling was getting nowhere. Though Hook seemed to be enjoying himself, watching the four (really three, Ellie hadn't said much) argue.
"My share." Mary Margaret answered.
"It should be me." Aurora said and Ellie rolled her eyes. She didn't voice this opinion, but she was quite surprised that Aurora had managed to survive this long. Especially with how everything was...then again, according to Mulan, she had been sleeping.
"You?" Mulan scoffed, "You haven't fought in a battle."
"This is about us getting home to our loved ones," Mary Margaret added, agreeing with Mulan, "Why would you-"
"Because I have no loved ones," Ellie was about ready to pull her hair out, she couldn't deal with a suicidal princess right now, "If I fail, you can still go on."
"It's me," Ellie finally said, the other four (Hook with a smirk on his face) looked at her, "I'm going, and I'm not going to fail."
"You're new here." Mary Margaret reminded her daughter.
"It's about getting back to Henry and Emma. I don't care what I have to face," she stated and then looked to her mother, "You're not going to argue with me?"
"Would it do any good?" Mary Margaret asked, already knowing the answer.
"No. Anything in that bag that's going to help me with a giant?" Ellie asked, gesturing to the satchel that she already knew held Hook's hook.
"A hook?" Mulan asked and Ellie sighed, no good.
"Hey!" Hook exclaimed, feeling somewhat offended.
"Come with me." Mulan ordered, pulling Ellie aside. She takes out a cloth satchel and hands it to Ellie. She gives it a whiff.
"This is powder made from poppies. He has to inhale it." Mulan explained as Ellie removes it from her face, a sour look upon it.
"And you sword-how strong is it?" She asked, gesturing to it. Mulan grips onto the hilt.
"The most powerful blade in all the realms." She proudly answered. That was the answer that Ellie wanted to hear.
"Is it strong enough to cut through that beanstalk?" Ellie asked, gesturing to it.
"Indeed."
"Give me ten hours. If I'm not back, you cut it down and keep going." Ellie ordered. She wasn't going to take any chances, this whole situation was much too risky.
"Snow won't like that." Ellie already knew that.
"That's why I'm asking you. If I don't get back, you get her home."
"Ladies," Mulan and Ellie looked over at Hook, "In this world, we are slaves to time. And ours is running out. In other words, tick tock." If Hook wasn't the guide up the beanstalk, Ellie was quite sure that he would be dead by now. She sighed, traded her crossbow for her mother's sword, and went over to Hook.
"I was hoping it'd be you."
"Gag me," Ellie thought and aloud she said, "Just get on with it."
"Put your hand right here." Ellie rolled her eyes but did so, putting her hand on Hook's shoulder. He snaps the second magical cuff to her wrist.
"That's a good girl. This will allow you to climb. There are other dangers. Thankfully, you've got me to protect you. I can't climb one-handed, can I?" Ellie rolled her eyes but handed him his hook.
"Don't think I'm taking my eyes off you for a second." Ellie warned.
"I would despair if you did." Hook answered with a smirk.
"Let's just get climbing."
-OUAT-
Ellie and Hook, have finally managed to reach the upper part of the beanstalk. Ellie was doing everything in her power to not look down, the light air already making her head pound.
"First beanstalk?" Ellie wanted to fall on him, "Well, you never forget your first. You know, most men would take you silence as off-putting, but I love a challenge." Maybe there was some way that she could cut a vine, he wouldn't grab it, ergo he'd fall to his death.
"I'm concentrating." She simply answered.
"No, you're afraid. Afraid to talk-to reveal yourself. Trust me-things will be a lot smoother if you do." Ellie hated the people that could deduce her, she tried her hardest to keep to herself, not wanting to put Emma or Henry in danger.
"You should be used to people not trusting you." Ellie finally answered, after thinking of the appropriate thing to say.
"Ah, the pirate thing. Well, I don't need you to share. You're something of an open book." Ellie's foot searched for a steady ground and then continued climbing.
"Am I?"
"Quite. Let's see-you volunteered to come up here because you were the most motivated. You need to get back to a child."
"That's not perception. That's eavesdropping and besides, you're not a very good eavesdropper if you don't know all the facts." She stated.
"Ah, but you don't want to abandon him the way you were abandoned."
"If I don't make it back he still has Emma," Ellie thought and then aloud asked, "Was I?"
"Like I said, an open book." Hook replied.
"How would you know that?" Ellie asked, breathing slowly as she pulled herself up. As long as she didn't look down, she was quite sure that she would be fine and not have a panic attack.
"I spent many years in Neverland-home of the Lost Boys," 'duh' Ellie thought, "They all share the same look in their eyes...the look you get when you've been left alone."
"Yeah, well, my world ain't Neverland." She answered.
"But an orphan's an orphan. Love has been all too rare in your life, hasn't it? You ever been in love?"
"No, but I know someone who has."
New York, Nine years ago
"He's paying. He's paying." Ellie repeated in her head as she sat across from Neal at a diner, only a block away from her studio. She folded her napkin into different designs, making herself completely focused on anything but the traitor sitting across from him.
"How is she?" Neal finally asked.
"Fine, considering that she's in prison for something you did." Ellie spat. The waitress came by, adding some more coffee to both Neal and Ellie's drinks.
"Can I get you both anything else?"
"A man with dignity. But I doubt you serve that, so I'll just have a slice of chocolate pie." Ellie answered. Neal flinched at the insult, making the waitress look at him with a raise eyebrow, but she walked off. Not bothering to question it.
"Really?" Neal questioned, Ellie shrugged.
"Who am I to say lies?"
"Would you please just tell me how she is?" Ellie remained quiet, picking up a spoon and absent-mindly stirring her coffee. The waitress came, set down the pie, and walked off again. The diner was practically empty, seeing how it was eleven on a Wednesday night. She took a few bites of the pie, but found the usual sweet taste bitter and salty.
Ellie decided that Neal didn't deserve to know about the son that Emma had, how she immediately gave him up for adoption. Ellie wasn't even sure if Neal knew that Emma was pregnant when she went to jail.
"She's heartbroken." She answered, though Neal didn't know that the answer she gave had two different meanings to it. She stood up, threw a five on the table and walked out, unable to be around him anymore. She wiped away the tears falling down her face as she walked as quickly as she could to her apartment.
Thankfully, Neal didn't call after her.
Enchanted Forest, Now
"What happened here?" Ellie asked as she and Hook reached the top of the beanstalk, seeing a destitute looking castle. Ellie imagined that it was once a joyful place, music pouring out of the windows, never a dark corner. She tried to imagine it like that, however, all that she could see was destruction.
"It's where the final battle was. Give me your hand." Hook ordered.
"What?"
"Your hand-it's cut," she looked down to see that it indeed was, "Let me help you."
"No, no. It's fine." Ellie insisted, not trusting any sort of 'medical' equipment the pirate might have.
"No, it's not." Hook insisted.
"So, now you're going to be a gentleman?" Ellie sarcastically asked
"Giants can smell blood," He explained and pulled a bottle out of his pocket, "And I'm always a gentleman." He uncorks the bottle and pours it over Ellie's bloody hand. Ellie's hisses at the sting and cringes.
"Ah! Ow! What the hell was that?!" Ellie snapped, clutching her now wet and bloody hand.
"It's rum. A bloody waste of it," he ties a piece of fabric around Ellie's injury, "Now here's the plan-we wait for the giant to fall asleep. And when he does, we'll sneak past him into his cave. It's where the treasures are-where the compass lies."
Ellie didn't like the sound of the plan, a thousand different things could go wrong.
"And then?" She asked.
"And then we run like hell." Hook answered, confirming her suspicions of how idiotic this plan sounded.
"I don't have time to wait for a giant to fall asleep. The powder Mulan gave us-we need to use it. We got to knock him out." Ellie insisted.
"Well, that's riskier."
"Then waiting for a giant to fall asleep when we need him to?" Ellie countered.
"Point taken. Oo, you're a tough lass. You'd make a hell of a pirate." Ellie didn't want to be a pirate, she wanted to find this magical compass and get the hell out of here. She sighed, not answering him until she noticed the name Milah tattooed on his arm. Though she already knew his story, she wanted to hear it from him.
"Who's Milah?" Hook looked over at her, "The name tattooed on your arm."
"Someone from long ago." Basically, code for either dead or a bad breakup.
"Where is she?" Ellie wanted to slap herself, she hated that sometimes her mouth just ran off without thinking about it.
"She's gone."
"Gold," Hook looked confused, "Rumpelstiltskin. He took more than your hand from you, didn't he? That's why you're so hell bent on killing him?"
"For someone's who's never been in love, you're quite perceptive, aren't you?" Ellie sighed.
"Like I said, I knew somebody."
-OUAT-
As Ellie stood on top of the statue near the entrance of the castle, she was realizing how horrible of an idea this was. She tightened her grip on the poppy powder and looked down at Hook, ignoring the throbbing pain in her head.
"You ready?" Hook yelled up to her. Ellie swallowed some bile and nodded.
"Yeah." Hook picks up a bone and bangs a metal shield with it, the noise echoing into the castle. The giant comes out, looking a bit disheveled, and Ellie curses at how tall the giant is. Unfortunatley, he's much taller than the statue she's on.
"Oh, damn it." She curses, quickly looking around for some other way to reach up to the giant's height.
"Hey! You big git!" Hook begins taunting, slowly leading the giant to the direction of Ellie, "Yeah, you. Huh? You want to kill a human? Well, I'm the worst human around. Come on. Come on, then! Come on, then!"
The giant leans over to grab Hook and Ellie quickly took the opportunity to throw the poppy powder in his face. The giant teeters to the left and right and then falls to the ground, unconscious. However, Ellie couldn't see Hook anywhere.
"Hook?" no response, "Hook!" Ellie lets out a thankful breath when Hook appears from behind the giant.
"He's out cold. I don't mean to upset you, Ellie, but I think we make quite the team." Ellie rolled her eyes.
"Help me down. Let's go steal a compass." Hook comes over, holding his arms out.
"Come on then." He says, gesturing for her to come down.
"What," he gestures again, "Oh, hell no! I am not jumping!"
"Do you see any other way down?" Hook asked. Ellie whimpered, looking around and finding that he was sadly telling the truth.
"Oh Jesus," she muttered and braced herself, "You better catch me Hook!" And with that, she threw herself off, eyes screwed shut, and (hopefully) into the waiting arms of Hook. She ignored the pounding in her head and let out a gasp once she felt Hook's arms around her body.
"Told ya luv." Hook smirked as Ellie opened her eyes. She smacked him, agitated that he was being as cocky as he was.
"Let me down," Hook's smirk grew wider, "Please." He did so and Ellie stormed into the giant castle, begging her face to go back to its original color. Especially before Hook saw the redness in her cheeks. Finally, the two of them entered a room filled with treasures.
"They hoarded all of their greatest stolen treasures in here. Piles of jewels, and every room filled with coins." Ellie immediatly went to work, looking under every piece of treasure for said compass. Hook remained where he was.
"Let's get to it," she insisted, gesturing for him to hurry, "The compass."
"What's your rush?" Hook asked as he went over, slowly beginning his own search.
"How long do you think magic knockout powder lasts?"
"I have no clue." Hook answers, still slowly searching.
"That's my rush." Ellie said, resuming her search.
"Too right, lass. Come. Everything we need is right in front of us." The two of them continued their work in silence, digging in all the gold and jewels, looking for said compass.
"They kill all the giant housekeepers, too? How are we going to find a compass in this mess?" Ellie complained, pausing and crossing her arms, and looking over at Hook.
"By look. Start searching," Ellie wanted to smack him, "I wonder how much treasure we could carry down the beanstalk," Ellie glared at him, "In addition to the compass, of course." Ellie let out a little scream when they came across a skeleton holding a sword with the name 'Jack' etched into the blade.
"What the hell?" Ellie gasped, clutching her chest.
"That...would be Jack." Hook answered.
"As in Jack..."
"The giant killer." Hook confirmed.
"With that toothpick?" Ellie clarified, pointing to the sword in the skeleton's body.
"Well, it packs quite a wallop. You'd be surprised." Hook explained, walking off. Ellie noticed a trip wire, only a few steps away from Hook. She quickly ran to him, pulling him into her arms.
"Whoa! Watch it!" She warned.
"It's about bloody time." Hook teased and Ellie rolled her eyes. She pulled Hook away and pointed to the trip wire.
"It's a trip wire. Quite a security system." She points up to the cage.
"Well, that's a plausible excuse for grabbing me, but next time don't stand on ceremony." Ellie really wanted to punch him.
"Let's find the compass and go home," She gestures for Hook to walk in front of her, "After you."
-OUAT-
"So it's just...in here somewhere?" Ellie asked, gently kicking a crown to side.
"Allegedly. Give me a boost would you, luv?" Ellie rolled her eyes, there was no way in hell that she was trusting him.
"So I can't see what you're pocketing?" Ellie shook her head, "No way. You give me a boost." Unfortunately, Ellie didn't think about what she was wearing until she realized it.
"Try something new, darling. It's called trust." Ellie was almost thankful that he didn't say some disgusting comment. Ellie finally came to a compromise.
"We do it side by side and fast. Who knows how long before the-" The giant's footsteps make the two realize that he's up and angry.
"Someone's up," he looks over at Ellie, "Quickly. Get under something." The giant charges into the treasure room, his stomping causing part of the ceiling to cave in. Ellie stumbles backwards, throwing her arms over her head. She quickly glances over at Hook, where debris falls onto where Hook is standing.
"Hook?"Ellie questioned, removing her arms from her head. She immediately knew that she shouldn't have said that because the giant came charging at her, reaching down to grab her. The giant wrapped his hand around Ellie and Ellie began squirming around. Pounding her fists and kicking her feet around.
"I'm not what you think!" Ellie argued.
"You're a thief, and you poisoned me. So yeah, I'm pretty sure you're exactly what I think." Ellie knew that he had reason to be angry with humans...she just didn't want to be killed.
"No." Ellie argued, still kicking and pounding, "Look, you have a compass. I need it."
"I don't care what you need." The giant spat. The giant tightens his grip, making it difficult for Ellie to breathe and fight back.
"No," she coughed, "For my sister and my nephew! To save them both! Don't you have a family?"
"No. Because humans killed them all." The giant sneered as Ellie's vision begins to fade, so she leans down and bites the giant's hand. He lets out a yell and drops Ellie. She runs over to Jack's skeleton, jumping over the trip wire and pulls Jack's sword out of himself. Ellie uses it to set off the trap and the cage falls on the giant, which falls onto the giant, trapping him.
"Nice security system," She commented, pointing the sword towards the giant's face, "Efficient."
"No. No! No! No! No!" Ellie gripped tighter on the sword, jabbing the sword close to the giant's face. He immediately jerks back, confirming Ellie's suspicion.
"I can tell by your face you know what this is. Let me guess-it's dipped in some sort of poison. You have a compass. I need it." Ellie wanted to add a please at the end, mostly because she didn't like how much she sounded like her sister.
"You're going to kill me either way. Go ahead. Kill me." Ellie couldn't even kill the spiders that snuck into her and Emma's apartment, she made Emma do that.
"You don't know me." Ellie insisted.
"I know your kind. They massacred us, and destroyed our beans." Ellie frowned, he didn't make the story sound like the Boogeyman story that Hook told before they climbed the beanstalk together.
"I heard it the other way." Ellie stated with a frown.
"That's because the victors get to tell the story." Ellie pokes the sword closer again, wanting some actual answers.
Okay! Stop. Here" He slides the compass across the floor and Ellie quickly picks it up, gripping it tight in her hand.
"See? I'm not the bad guy."
"Thank, I truly thank you," the giant looked shocked at Ellie's thank you, "But I have to know if there are any more of you because I have to go."
"No. I'm alone." Ellie looked down, seeing the shriveled bean attached to the giant's necklace.
"Is that a bean?" She pointed at it with her sword, "Does it still work? Can it make a portal?"
"Not anymore. It was destroyed like the rest of them. I wear it as a reminder...a reminder that you're all killers." Ellie simply lowered her sword.
"You're wrong." She stated and starts to walk away. Ellie smiled to herself, proud of her actions, though the smile quickly faded when a boulder flew across the room, revealing an exit for Ellie. She turned around, seeing the giant free from the cage.
"Go." The giant ordered, gesturing to the outside world.
"Why?" Ellie questioned.
"Because you could've killed me, and you didn't. You get one favor. Now go, before I change my mind." Ellie was content with that answer until she thought of something else. She turned back around, facing the giant again.
"Actually...I get two favors." She corrected, looking up with a small smile.
"What?"
"Well," She placed the tip of the sword in the ground, leaning against it like a cane, "The way I see it," she picked it up and spun it around, pointing at the giant, "I could've killed you twice-the poison and when you were knocked out. I didn't." She leaned against the sword again, smirking up at the giant.
"What do you want?" And with that, Ellie told him what she had planned.
-OUAT-
With a grunt, Ellie pulled Hook out from under the debris.
"You are bloody brilliant. Amazing," Hook complimented as Ellie helped him up, "May I see it? The compass?" Ellie holds out the compass for Hook to see, wary of what he might do.
"It's more beautiful than legend," Hook says, reaching out for it and Ellie withdraws it, placing it back in the bag that she found, "Come. Let's go." Hook extends his hand to Ellie, who momentarily questions the plan she and Anton had until Emma and Henry's face pops up in her head, instead of taking it, she grabs a nearby shackle and chains Hook to the wall.
"What are you doing?" He looks at his chained hand and then back at Ellie, "What are you doing?"
"Hook, I..I'm sorry but...I can't." Ellie took a step back, looking down at Hook's chained hand.
"Ellie, look at me," She did, "Have I told you a lie? I brought you here. I risked my own safety to help you. The compass is in your hand. Why do this to me now?"
"I can't take a chance that I'm wrong about you. I truly am sorry Hook." Ellie was, but she couldn't risk taking any chances.
"You're sorry!?" Hook snapped, "You're sorry!? I got you here! I got the compass!"
"I got the compass." Ellie calmly corrected.
"Well, you just going to leave me here to die? Have that beast to eat me, to crush my bones?" Hook asked.
"He's not a beast. And you're not going to dies. I just need a head start," She turns around, walking off, "That's all."
"Swan. Swan! Swan!"
-OUAT-
"Would you all stop that!?" Ellie snapped, jumping down from the beanstalk. Mary Margaret and Mulan stop their fighting, looking over at the copper-haired twin.
"Ellie!" Mary Margaret exclaimed, rushing over to her daughter and hugging her tight, "You okay?" She pulled away, looking at her daughter.
"Two earthquakes and a jump from a beanstalk. I think my brain still isn't in its proper place yet."
"I did what she ordered, nothing more than that," Mulan explained to Mary Margaret, and Ellie gave her a thankful nod, "Did you get it?"
"Yep." She answered, patting the bag.
"W-Where's Hook?" Aurora asked, speaking up for the first time.
"He's...detained," Ellie answered, finding a good enough word, "Let's go. Get your stuff. We got ten hours before he follows us."
"What? How?" Mary Margaret asked as Ellie shouldered her crossbow, thankful for the familiar feeling.
"I've got a friend of mine looking after him till then." Ellie explained as Mulan and Aurora began to get their stuff together.
"You told her to cut it down?" Mary Margaret asked, gesturing to the beanstalk. Ellie sighed, she knew that Mary Margaret would be upset about it.
"Yes," She began, "I couldn't risk-"
"We go back together," Mary Margaret interrupted with a smile, "That is the only way. Do you understand?" The two of them hug, Ellie slowly smiling and being thankful that she understood.
"Yeah..." the two pull apart.
"Good. Now, let's go get that dust from Cora."
"And go home." Ellie finished with a smile.
Note-
I am so sorry that this is late! Our computer got a virus and we've been spending the past two weeks trying to fix it. I would like to try and get my Doctor Who chapter up before I leave for the Fourth. I'm so sorry!