Good Form - Chapter 4
—
Cora left the pirates to reunite with her daughter. They watched her out-of-place dress swish around her legs as she left.
The warlock then waved their hand and glamoured the ship, as they were often wont to do when the crew set off to plunder.
"Now, let's skin ourselves a crocodile."
—
It was only the next day as they found their crocodile, though it wasn't as glittery as they had remembered.
They spent that day trying to find out as much as possible about his life in this land.
—
The next morning, after eating some food that Majo magically stole, Killian and Majo went through the little town again, towards the shop where they now knew the crocodile would be.
Walking there, they spotted a library and Majo couldn't help but peek inside.
"What are you doing?" Killian asked.
"Looking at–Hey do you remember that time when you were supposed to break me free but missed the cell and came into the cell of this bookworm?"
"Aye, what about it?" Killian asked, making a hand–or hook–gesture with his left arm.
"Wasn't she the Crocodile's girlfriend?"
—
"I can't even read this language," Killian said, looking through a page with his Hook.
"Doesn't matter, we're just waiting for the belle."
"How do you know her name?"
"I don't. There was this story I knew back when I lived in France called La Belle et la Bête and it's basically a woman falling in love with a beast. Fits if you ask me."
Just then, a woman came walking into the library. She walked towards the back, where the pirates were, with a few books in her hands.
"Uh, sorry. The- the library's not open yet," the woman told them.
Killian looked at her with a raised eyebrow, shutting the book. "Oh, we're...we're not here for the books, luv."
"You. You're the one who broke into my cell at the Queen's palace."
The woman stepped back and tried to run away but as she reached the entrance room, Majo was already waiting for her. She gasped as Majo smirked.
Killian came strolling into the room and the woman looked at him. "You wanted to kill Rumplestiltskin."
"Oh, we still do. But right now, you'll do." Majo told her. She stalked towards the other woman as if to attack but quickly let herself be stopped by a bookshelf that fell on top of her.
The woman ran into the elevator and Killian made to follow her but as he was on the other side of the room, the door was shut and he ran against it.
Majo groaned as she came out from under the shelf. "You think it worked?"
"Pretty sure he'll be here soon."
—
Majo stood behind Killian as he looked at the crocodile's shop through his binoculars.
One of their former crewmen joined them, carrying an old cloth.
"You have it, Mr Smee?" Killian asked without looking at the man in the red hat.
The man nodded a greeting to the lieutenant and then answered, "What is it, Cap'n?"
"It's the end of the crocodile's hope. Now he's trapped here."
Majo smirked, "And easier to kill."
—
Majo and Killian were back on the Jolly Rodger, Majo eating while reading a book and Killian doing who-knows-what.
As Majo was reaching the climax of her book, they heard someone walk around in the room next to the one they were in. She shrugged it off, thinking it was Killian but as she heard his heavy footsteps on the quarterdeck they decided to take a look in the other room.
She went out of her room and saw that Killian was walking down too, the dirty cloth that Smee had stolen for them, hanging on his hook.
She motioned to the open door and he nodded, walking into the room.
"You looking for this?" Killian asked the blue-eyed woman who was currently peering into a treasure chest.
"Uh, that doesn't belong to you," the Crocodile's girlfriend said.
"She does know we're pirates, right?" Majo asked their Captain.
The woman looked to the side and Majo followed her gaze to see a metal object lying on top of a cupboard. It was a pistol, Majo was sure of that although the ones she knew had looked very different.
As the woman lunged for it, Majo quickly made it appear in her hand. Killian laughed as Majo handed the metal object to him.
The Captain inspected it fascinated. "My dear Belle, you should have stayed with your books. Real life can get so..." he pointed the gun at her head, "messy."
"I'm not afraid of you," Belle said, "and I'm not leaving without that," She pointed at the piece of cloth that was still hanging on Killian's hook.
"Well, I admire your loyalty," Killian told her. "But helping Rumplestiltskin? I'm afraid you're fighting a lost cause."
"He needs that shawl to find his son."
Majo scoffed, "What makes you think he wants to be found? Hmm? We're doing him a favour."
"Have you not hurt Rumple enough?" The woman asked.
The Pirates exchanged a look.
"Oh," Killian said. "I've hurt him?" he held up his hook, to make a point.
"You stole his wife."
Realization hit Killian and his face turned from mocking to sad. "Tell me something, luv. If a woman comes to you and..." he stepped closer to her, not looking up, "begs you to take her away," he was now so close that their noses were almost brushing, "is that theft?"
"Why would she leave him?"
"Because he was a coward," he said, now looking her in the eyes, "and because she loved me." He walked to the shawl. "I should have burned this the moment I acquired it."
"Why didn't you?"
Majo stepped over to him sadly. "Because she made it."
"I'm sorry she died, but...vengeance?" The woman said. "Vengeance won't bring her back."
Killian looked almost amused but there was a bitterness in his smirk as he pointed the gun in her direction again (although Majo doubted that he knew how to use it). "Died? Like it was some kind of accident. Is that what he told you?"
"He- Well, yeah, he didn't say."
Majo scoffed unamused. "No, of course not."
Killian continued, once again standing close to the belle, "Of course, he'd leave out the important detail of her passing."
"And, uh...what would that be?"
Killian whispered, "He killed her." He pointed the gun at the woman's chest, "He ripped out her heart, and he crushed it right in front of me."
The belle was now frantically shaking her head, "No."
"Oh, yes," Majo told her.
"No!"
"Yes," Killian said. "He will do anything..." he lifted her chin with the gun, "anything...to hold on to his power. Why do you think anyone who's ever gotten close to him," he let go of her and walked to the side, "has either run away or been killed?" He cocked the gun and was now standing where she had been while she was standing next to Majo. "Now what makes you think you're any different? Tell me something, darling, why would you want to fight for a man like that?"
"Because I still see good in him. Because I believe he's changed. Because his heart is true. And yours?" Killian's eyebrow lifted as the belle continued, "Yours is rotten." She put her hand up and shoved a paddle on the ceiling backwards, which knocked Killian down. Before Majo knew what was happening, the woman grabbed the shawl and was off.
She ran out and up onto the quarterdeck but Majo took a shortcut which lead straight onto the main deck and cut her off.
"How the hell did you..."
At this point, Killian came to them. "Oh, we know this ship like the back of our...well, you know." he held up his hook. "I'd suggest you give that back to me now," he added referring to the shawl.
"Or what?" came a sudden unfamiliar voice.
The pirates turned around to see the Crocodile board the ship only his voice was a little deeper in his non-glittery form.
"Ah," Killian said. "You look different in this world, Crocodile. Like the cowards we met so long ago, limp and all."
"And yet," Rumplestiltskin spoke, "you still can't kill me."
"Let's have it, Dark One," Majo said and walked towards him with a blue flame in her hand, their cat-like eyes flashing.
They were promptly thrown overboard.
Killian stepped forward a bit. "Majo?" he could faintly hear an "I'm fine!" before his face met the Crocodile's cane.
Majo looked around in the water. She could swim, yes, but they hated to land in the murky liquid without her free will, even over 400 years had not changed that. The water was freezing and her limbs only moved a little so they had to concentrate on not drowning as she willed herself to poof back on the deck surrounded by blue smoke.
"Let's go," the woman told her 'Rumple'.
"No, not yet, Belle."
Majo quickly walked towards Killian as Rumplestiltskin was about to hit him with his cane again.
"This..." Belle said holding the rags out to her boyfriend, "This is what you came for. This is what's gonna get you back to Bae."
"Ah, you're wasting your breath, luv. He can't resist. He has to prove that he's not a coward," Killian said, his mouth full of blood.
The Crocodile was about to kit her Captain again, so Majo interfered by stealing his cane. Rumplestiltskin turned around.
"Do you really think this is going to stop me, dearie?"
The Crocodile raised his hand and conjured his stick back, which Majo had thrown overboard.
"Oh yeah, should probably have destroyed that. Old men and their sticks, you know," they crossed her arms over each other with her palms towards Gold, as he was called here, and spread her arms out again, making a transparent force field appear.
Gold hit his cane against the protective shield and instantly fell back. As he stood up again, he looked at Killian but Majo quickly put a shield around him too and teleported to Belle.
"If you want to keep your girlfriend alive, I suggest you get your arse off our ship." Rumplestiltskin heard the warlock say and saw them holding a dagger to Belle's throat. He stepped forward but there was still a forcefield around her, which had now also expanded around Belle. "We both know that your magic isn't powerful enough over here to destroy my shields."
The man slowly walked off the ship, keeping his eyes on the woman he loved.
As he was standing on the docks again, Majo pushed Belle off-board and in the split second, as the Crocodile caught his girlfriend, Majo surrounded the ship with a shield.
—
Majo went to sleep, exhausted from the day's events. They hadn't used their powers in 28 years and now she's been using them a lot in a few days.
As soon as thier head hit her pillow, she was out like a light.
That night, her dreams were plagued with memories of the past.
—
Majo had left Benjamin and was now on their way back to the Jolly Roger.
Upon arriving on the ship, she noticed a woman on deck. She was looking around curiously and looked like a common villager.
They raised their sword to the woman's neck. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" they asked in a deadly calm voice.
"I-I'm here with the Captain of this vessel, Killian Jones."
"And why would I believe that?"
Before the woman could say anything else, Killian came over deck again, "Milah I found- Majo, put your sword away."
Majo looked at their Captain, who held a necklace with red and silver beads and a big red stone on his hook. "Majo, this is Milah. The woman I was telling you about."
Milah had a small smile on her face.
"Doesn't ring a bell," Majo said, putting their sword back in its sheath.
Killian gave them a look.
"Oh, that Milah."
Killian walked to the woman and put the necklace around her neck. "Milah, this is Majo Bane. My leftenant. They can be very difficult at times but when you're on her good side, they're harmless."
Majo glared at Killian, lifting the glamour of their eyes. She had hidden her cat-like feature during her time with the soldier.
The woman seemed shocked and Majo smirked, walking towards her quarter.
"Don't worry," they could hear Killian say, "they'll warm up to you. Just give her time."
—
Milah had now made herself comfortable aboard the ship but although Killian told her that they just needed time, Majo had yet to warm up to her.
Now, they were about to sail out of the port again, loading the last barrels of supplies. Milah was underdeck and Killian overlooking the crew, his lieutenant at his side, as a man stumbled on board with a walking cane in hand.
He fell to the floor in front of Killian, clearly not used to the ship's movement. The crew laughed.
"On your feet for the Captain," Majo told him and two men picked him up by his arms, setting him onto his feet and giving him his cane to stand.
The man looked around fearfully until his eyes landed on Killian. "I-I remember you," he said pointing at him. "F-From the bar."
"It's always nice to make an impression," the crew laughed again, "Where are my manners? We haven't been formally introduced. Killian Jones. Now, what are you doing aboard my ship?"
"W-Well...You have my wife."
Majo laughed, "We've had many a man's wife." The crew laughed with them.
The man looked around unconfidently, "No, you-you see, we-we have a son, and he needs his mother."
The warlock's smile fell for a moment before they covered it up and they knew that Killian also knew more than enough about being abandoned, but he had a reputation to uphold.
"And see, I have a ship full of men who need...companionship."
The crew laughed, although they knew Milah was off-limits. The woman herself had made sure of that.
"I-I'm begging you. Please let her go."
"I'm not much for bartering. That said," he turned away, "I do consider myself an honourable man, a man with a code. So..." he turned around again, now standing on the quarterdeck, "If you truly want your wife back..." Majo summoned a sword in front of the man who gasped. Killian pulled his own sword, "All you have to do is take her." The man was shaking now as Killian pointed his sword at his chest, "Never been in a duel before, I take it?"
Majo looked at the shaking man, "You know, it's pretty simple, actually. The pointy end goes in the other guy." Once again, the crew laughed. "Whoever wins, gets the woman."
(Of course, no one could make Milah go or stay if she didn't want to, but the stranger didn't need to know this.)
"Go on. Pick it up," Killian taunted. His sword was now on the man's neck. "A man unwilling to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets."
The man cried softly, "Please, sir." he said, his voice breaking, "What am I gonna tell my boy?"
"How about the truth," Majo sneered, "That his father is a coward."