Hook… I Will Always Find You
Chapter Nine
When Charon guided the boat up to the boardwalk and at last brought it to a stop so the heroes could get out, it finally sank for each of them that there was truly no turning back now that they've arrived within the Underworld. Emma led them as they all began to walk inward just like she had led them in Neverland when they looked to her to be their leader then too. They walked onward without knowing what to expect or without knowing where it was they were heading, though they hoped they'd find someplace where they could ask the realm's residents how they might find the man they had come down to rescue. Much to everyone's surprise, once the fog and darkness lifted, the Underworld suddenly opened up to a town identical to that of Storybrooke.
Everyone looked around them in shock as they walked past each of the shops including Gold's pawnshop, amazed that aside from the eeriness of this version of their hometown and the sight of those standing within the streets stopping whatever they had been doing before in order to stare at the newcomers as they passed by them, everything appeared to be exactly the same.
At last, Regina curtly uttered, "Just what the hell is this place? How… Why is it designed to look like Storybrooke? It's creepy."
Emma nodded in agreement as she responded quietly, "I don't like this place any more than you. A part of me wishes Gold were here so he could explain this to us."
"Everything's here, just like it is up in our world," David replied when he thought of the similarities between this place and theirs, until an idea suddenly dawned on him, especially after everyone froze where they stood while Cruella's car was suddenly spotted ahead of them as the dog hater drove past them. "Of course she's going to be here. Look… maybe we don't know why this place looks like home, but it's possible that everything we have in Storybrooke, also has a counterpart down here too. Except for the people, of course."
"That would make perfect sense," Regina answered once they all continued walking ahead of them. "Gold's shop and the rest of the businesses are all here it seems, as is Cruella's roadster. And it looks like Granny's is here too. Perhaps we'll find someone in there who might be willing to help us find Hook. Or at least help us to know where we might be able to begin our search for him."
Emma let out a sigh of frustration when they came to the gate in front of the diner and then she responded, "It's worth a shot. We should stay together. Normally I would say we should split up, but seeing as there are people here like Cruella and several others who will want to try to kill us for sending them all here, we need to stick together if only to keep each other safe. We learned that the hard way in Neverland."
Tinker Bell shrugged, then replied, "Speaking of Neverland… Pan will no doubt be here too. He isn't going to be happy to see any of us. Let's hope we don't run into him or any of the Lost Boys who've been killed over the years. I don't mean to worry you, but Hook did kill a number of them himself, including Rufio who was Pan's number one just like Felix was until they were both killed."
"I'm hoping we can avoid a lot of the villains we might have sent down here," the Savior answered worryingly, then walked into Granny's followed closely by her father and the rest of their friends, as they turned to the bar to see who might be running the diner since it wasn't going to be Granny herself.
"Who's that?" Emma questioned upon seeing someone she didn't recognize standing behind the bar as she served a few of her patrons the meals they had asked for, especially upon recognizing the woman was blind.
Regina glared at the woman with wild hair coldly while she responded, "It just so happens, she's one of the people I happened to have killed some time ago. Actually, I kind of forced Hansel and Gretel to kill her for me, but it was my fireball that did the trick. The Blind Witch. Suffice it to say, she really doesn't like me much. But despite her blindness, she does somehow see everyone. She can help us if we can convince her to. I suggest you let me do the talking here."
Once Regina, Emma, David, and Robin stepped up to the counter while the others stayed back, the witch lifted her head and sniffed the air in front of her upon sensing them walk up to her and breathed in deeply, then she spoke up first much their surprise saying, "Well… if it isn't the Evil Queen. Hello again, Regina. This is a surprise. Especially since you don't smell like the rest of the dead down here do."
"That's because my friends and I are very much alive," the Queen smugly replied, then took a seat on one of the barstools in front of her old enemy. "How've you been doing, child muncher? Business doesn't appear to be too bad surprisingly. I'm guessing children aren't on the menu here?"
"Unfortunately, no… but I do make some good gingerbread," she answered with disappointment in her voice. "Would you and your friends care for some?"
Regina made a disgusted face at the thought of eating anything this witch might serve and then she responded, "Not a chance. Listen closely, witchy. We're here to find a friend. He would have arrived here very recently. He has dark hair, a thick accent, and has a hook for a hand."
She suddenly gasped in excitement, then uttered, "Captain Hook!"
"Do you know him?" Emma quickly asked with renewed hope upon the woman's recognition upon hearing Killian's description. "Do you know where I can find him?"
"No," the Blind Witch replied. "I mean… your description is pretty obvious as to who it is you're talking about. The hook for a hand part that is. I do know of him of course, but he's never actually stepped foot in here at all. I'm sorry."
Regina glared at her while she retorted, "Save your apologies. Who can we talk to so we can find him?"
The witch turned away from her enemy to pull out a bottle of rum from under the bar and poured a glass, then set it down in front of Emma while she said, "I believe rum is a pirate's favorite drink. And perhaps one you might have developed a liking for too? I don't doubt you could use a drink to help soothe your fear for the man you love."
"How'd… How did you know about that without being able to see anything?" the Savior asked her warily, without picking up the glass to drink even though the blind woman was right about her.
"I could hear your desperation to find him in the sound of your voice," she answered as she reached out to lay her hand down on top of Emma's, until Emma immediately pulled her hand back. "Love is really the only reason why you would sound so desperate to find Hook. Not to mention the fact that you've come all the way down into the depths of the Underworld to do so when each of you are all very much alive. I won't help Regina, on account of her having been the one who killed me."
The former Evil Queen curtly responded again, "Hansel and Gretel killed you, witch. Not me. Though to be fair, it was done on my behest. You never should have taken what didn't belong to you."
The Blind Witch turned her head towards Regina as she had spoken, but then turned back to Emma again and continued, "As I was saying… I will help you though with the little information I can give you. Only because you seem so sad. But you ought to know first that if you want to hear what I have to say, you will have to give me a favor in return."
"Of course," Leroy scoffed grumpily. "She sounds just like Gold. All villains are alike."
"What do you want?" David asked when he reached up to lay a hand down on his daughter's shoulder to keep her calm when he sensed her becoming agitated. "We didn't exactly bring much of anything with us when we came down here."
The witch smiled as she replied, "Don't worry… it won't be any of your worldly possessions. It's only a tiny favor that I'll ask you for, seeing as what information I have is little as well. But it's helpful, I assure you. If you walk into the cemetery here, which you'll find just where it is in your own world above, you can search the graves for Hook's. Everyone when they die, receive a grave down here. The important thing you'll want to know is the way the graves appear. If the Captain's headstone is upright… it means he will definitely still be down here somewhere. If it's tipped over… it means that he's moved on by now to a better place and seeing as he was a villain in life no matter what he might have been to you, sweetheart… I doubt that's the setting you'll find. And finally, if his headstone is cracked…"
August spoke up despondently saying, "If it's cracked then it means he's moved on to whatever place is worse than this one here, I'm guessing."
"Well, aren't you a clever one," the Blind Witch answered when she turned towards the man now standing beside his childhood friend and started to reach up to feel his face so she could get an idea what he looked like, until August pulled away. "Relax… I was just trying to see what you looked like. You sound very handsome."
"You can forget whatever favor you were seeking from us, child muncher," Regina said to her again crossly. "While your information is good to know for something, it doesn't help us in finding our friend."
David glanced over at the Mayor while he responded, "Actually, it might."
When he turned to Emma again, David continued, "Emma… did you happen to bring with you the magical ale we gave to you from Merida?"
"I never took it out of my jacket pocket since you gave it to me," the Savior replied in confusion as she turned to face her father. "Why?"
"The witch who gave it to Merida in DunBroch explained a little to her how it worked when she came to her coronation and Merida told us a little more before she even gave some of it to us," the Prince answered when Emma pulled the flask from her pocket inside her coat just where she said she's been keeping it. "I think we can use it down here too."
Regina then understood what he was saying as she finished for him, "If we poured a little of that ale over Hook's grave, the magic should allow for Hook's soul… or spirit… to appear before us and we can actually talk to him. We can ask him where he's being held. That's brilliant, David."
Emma smiled despite her worry over how the man she loved would appear to them and in what condition he'll be in, then began to follow her father and Regina out the door, as did the others until the Blind Witch obnoxiously cleared her throat to regain their attentions, then called out, "I believe you owe me that favor then? If you wish, you can owe me, but don't think I won't collect."
"What do you want?" the Queen question her crossly.
"How about a few apples from your tree just outside of your office window at the town hall here in this world," she responded with a smug smile. "I'm not actually able to steal one thanks to a protection spell over it which only you can break. Part of Hades' rules I guess. Seeing as I was killed by you for stealing one, Regina… it's only fair that you should have to give me at least a dozen in return. I'm thinking about baking some pies and adding them to the menu here."
Regina glared at her, then she replied, "Fine. A dozen apples it is. After we do what we have to do to try to find Hook. Next time I walk back in here, I'll bring a whole basket full."
The blind woman smiled as she answered coolly, "Much appreciated. I'll be seeing you soon. At least… well, you know what I mean. Good luck in finding that pirate of yours."
The heroes finally left the diner as they followed Emma to the cemetery, with hope that the magical ale will help them to communicate with Hook so he'll be able to help them to find him. Unfortunately, they all failed to notice Hades, who had been sitting in one of the booths closest to the back entrance, as he sat there without making himself known to anyone so he could listen in on the heroes' conversation. The God walked over to the bar and picked up the drink the Blind Witch had poured for Emma, then drank it down himself just before vanishing within his blue flames without so much as word.