Once Upon a Time - We're a Long Way From There (Killian/Emma, Canon Divergence) 1/12
Title: We're a Long Way From There 1/12
Author:
batgurl88
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Killian/Emma, Regina/Robin (background), Belle/Gold (background), David/Snow White (background)
Summary: Killian pays the ultimate price for Emma's actions as the Dark One - his life. Now, she and the others must overcome the scars of Camelot to save him, while Killian searches for an escape from the Underworld.
Canon-divergent AU of S5.
A/N: A canon-divergence of S5, taking place mostly during 5B. I started writing this shortly before the S4 finale (back when I thought there was no chance we'd actually get Hades or the Underworld or a quest to rescue Killian from the afterlife on the show). Things start to diverge after 5x03, though there are elements of the rest of S5 scattered throughout. The story is written in its entirety, so updates will be fairly regular.
Also, I adhere to the OUAT school of fairytales and legends, meaning that any familiar new characters/locations are a mix of their traditional selves and the Disney versions, with my own interpretations thrown in.
Finally, a tremendous thank you to love-with-you-i-have-everything for the beta! I really appreciate all of your help!
Prologue
This is a bloody foolish idea, Killian thought to himself as he palmed the keys from the nurse's station. Still, foolish or not, it was the only plan he had.
He kept half an eye on the exit over his shoulder as he crept down the corridor, muffling his footsteps out of habit. The distraction he'd put in place should have been enough to keep the ward's usual sentries occupied for some time. But he hadn't survived as a pirate for the better part of three centuries by allowing overconfidence to cloud his judgement. Especially not when he was dealing with something this important.
He wrinkled his nose as he walked, assaulted by the sharp, sterile stench of the hallway. The Psychiatric Ward of Storybrooke's hospital reminded him all too vividly of the brigs he'd been detained in over the years, dimly lit and somehow perpetually musty in spite of the great care its oversized inhabitant took in mopping it. It was one of his least favourite places in the town, and yet, necessity had forced him to make two visits there in just over as many months.
Thankfully, the windows on all of the cell doors were shut tight. He wasn't sure how he would've explained his presence had any of the ward's residents spotted him. No one would believe he was there on any sort of official business alone.
The door he sought was at the furthest end of the corridor. He slid the key into the lock and paused, listening for any signs of detection, but the ward remained silent as ever. He released the breath he'd been holding, easing the heavy steel door open and slipping inside.
Zelena was reclining gracefully on the hard cot that served as her bed, her legs crossed at the ankles. She remained engrossed in the book on her lap as he entered, steadfastly ignoring him. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes as she lazily flicked through the pages.
He shut the door harder than he needed to, pointedly drawing her attention. She didn't disappoint, her disinterested expression shifting into one of false surprise as she glanced up.
"Captain!" she grinned, a cloying smile with too many teeth. "Come to keep me company? How sweet."
She set her book aside, tenderly rubbing her stomach.
"Or have you come to help me escape again? All of this dank air can't be good for my baby."
He bristled at the reminder, widening his stance in front of the door. The Queen had assured them all that the witch's wrist had been enchanted to prevent her from cutting it or the cuff off, but he didn't plan to make the mistake of underestimating her again.
"If Regina has her way, you'll be down here a long time. I'd get comfortable if I were you, love."
Her smile hardened predictably at her sister's name, though she recovered quickly, her eyes narrowing. She pushed herself off of the cot, closing the distance between them. He quirked an eyebrow, subtly shifting to keep himself between her and the exit.
"So, what is it you want?" she demanded, all former sweetness forgotten. She made a show of glancing around the empty cell. "I notice you didn't bring any of your little band of do-gooders with you. Trouble in paradise?"
He stiffened, cursing himself as her smile immediately sharpened.
"Oh, I see! What's wrong, Captain?" she purred, pouncing on his momentary weakness with obvious glee. "Have the others finally remembered that you're a villain? Or have they realized that without Emma there to justify your existence, there's not much point in keeping you around?"
His temper flared, but he suppressed it. That's just what she wants.
"I didn't come here to trade barbs," he ground out stiffly. The distraction he'd set up would only keep the physicians upstairs occupied for so long.
Her lips twisted into a mocking smile, a glimmer of victory in her eyes.
"Oh, but it's so entertaining," she drawled. Her smile darkened into a bitter scowl. "There's been so little for me to do since Regina locked me down here without so much as a hearing."
He raised his eyebrow again, finding little patience for her petty grudge.
"Do you really think a hearing would've changed things, given everything you've done?"
She laughed, the sound sharp and tinkling like shards of glass.
"That's rich coming from Captain Hook," she retorted. "You may be spending all of your time with heroes these days, but we both know that doesn't make you one of them."
Her posture shifted as she leaned closer, staring up at him through thick eyelashes.
"We're not so different, you and I," she said earnestly, as though confiding a great secret. "No matter what we do, we'll never be trusted, and we'll never belong."
She pulled back slightly, her voice dripping with false pity.
"The only difference is, I'm quite happy not belonging, whereas you've deluded yourself into believing that if you try just a little harder, they'll actually accept you."
He glared, biting back the sharp retort on the tip of his tongue. He refused to give her the satisfaction.
She watched him carefully as she waited, her features slowly bleeding into a pout at his continued silence. A moment later, she huffed, dropping the act and turning back to her cot with a dismissive roll of her eyes.
"Well, if you're not here to let me out, then why are you here?"
His fingers curled into a fist.
"I want to know what Emma's planning."
She glanced back over her shoulder, her face a mask of innocence that was far too perfect to be believed. "How would I know what she's up to?" she said. "Thanks to her, my memories of Camelot are missing the same as the rest of you."
She frowned, turning fully to face him.
"And why not ask your precious Sorcerer what she's up to?" she asked, watching him with mild curiosity. "I heard you finally found him."
Killian repressed a scowl, stamping down the familiar spike of irritation that seemed to arise whenever the Sorcerer was mentioned.
It'd been three days since they'd found the man the Apprentice had promised would be the key to saving Emma. He'd been trapped inside of a large oak tree in the outskirts of Storybrooke's woods, unable to move or talk until Regina's spell had freed him. But for all of the Apprentice's assurances, Merlin had had disappointingly few answers for them following his release, claiming to have been affected by the same memory spell as the rest of them. Despite this, he remained steadfast in his assertions that Emma was the cause of his imprisonment.
Zelena studied him in his silence, tilting her head to the side.
"Ah, you don't trust him, do you?" she surmised with delight.
He inhaled deeply, wondering if there was any point in attempting to deny it.
He wasn't certain what it was about Merlin that put him on edge, but ever since they'd rescued him, Killian's instincts had been on high alert. More than once, he'd caught the Sorcerer quietly watching him, his penetrating stare making Killian uneasy.
Of course, the others hadn't shared his concerns, David going as far as to accuse him of undermining their first real chance at helping Emma. Killian couldn't blame them for their frustration - he shared it himself - but he couldn't bring himself to throw his loyalty blindly behind a man whose story didn't line up. Still, he'd had enough sense to keep his suspicions to himself after that.
He wasn't eager to confide in Zelena of all people, but it wasn't as though she had a multitude of people to share his doubts with down here. She could also be infuriatingly relentless when she wanted something. She would keep digging until he capitulated, which would only waste even more precious time.
He worked his jaw.
"I think he knows more than he's letting on."
His sullen admission made Zelena's smile widen.
"Or, at least, more than he's willing to tell you," she said. "It's hard not being trusted, isn't it? But if I were you, I'd get used to it. Without the Saviour around, the others won't have much need of you anymore."
Killian forced himself to loosen his fist.
"The others are off seeking Merlin's input," he stated, an undercurrent of warning to his words. "But he's a beacon of light magic. I figured if anyone would know what a dark magic user was up to, it would be you. Not to mention, you were the Dark One's apprentice for some time."
A coy look passed over Zelena's features, her gaze darkening appreciatively as she slinked back toward him.
"Even if I did know what your girlfriend was planning, why would I tell you?" she asked huskily, her bright eyes trailing deliberately down to his lips, the act too showy to be believed. Like mother, like daughter.
He tucked his thumb into his belt, feeling more on even footing as he canted his hips in a disaffected stance. This was a game he was well familiar with.
"Well, as you've said, it's Emma's fault you've lost your memories - I doubt you're pleased to know she got the better of you," he reasoned with as much disinterest as he could muster. He pointedly took in her sparse cell. "I'd also wager it's been rather dull for you being trapped down here with only that wretched nurse and the bloke with the mop for company."
Her smile took on a harder edge once more, anger simmering beneath her fixed expression.
He smirked, laying it on even thicker, leaning into her space.
"But most importantly," he murmured, his face close to hers, "Regina's been wracking her brain for weeks trying to figure out what Emma's up to, and she has nary a clue. I suspect you wouldn't pass up the chance to show off how superior your knowledge of magic is compared to hers."
His reply startled a small laugh out of her, her eyes lighting up with the first spark of genuine interest since he'd arrived.
"Oh, well played, Captain," she praised, observing him with new appreciation. "Very well, I may have figured a few things out."
She returned to her meager cot, sitting primly on the edge.
"What is it you want to know?"
There were dozens of responses to that question, all ranging in importance. But in his heart, there was only one question he could voice - the question he'd asked himself a hundred times since he'd watched the woman he loved pick up that cursed blade and become a stranger.
"What does Emma want?"
"Why, what every Dark One wants, of course," Zelena replied with no small measure of condescension. "To cut out the light."
He shook his head impatiently. He'd had enough infuriatingly vague responses from Merlin over the past two days to last him a lifetime. "What does that mean?" he demanded.
She smiled, clearly enjoying his frustration. "It means that your precious Emma is going to reset the balance of magic in her favour. And, once she does, there'll be no going back - she'll be unstoppable."
Killian froze, pain lancing his chest. No. He couldn't lose Emma to the Darkness for good - not when he'd promised to save her.
He pushed his guilt aside, willing his voice to remain steady.
"How?"
She huffed, rolling her eyes with an air of vague irritation. "You people really have no idea how Dark Ones work, do you? What have you been researching all this time, exactly? Increasingly ludicrous leather combinations?"
"I don't have time for games," he growled. His hook twitched, his nerves vibrating. It was taking all of his restraint not to throttle her and demand the answers he sought.
She met his gaze without flinching, unimpressed by the implied threat.
"Careful, Captain," she replied. "The only reason I'm telling you anything at all is because I think it will irritate the Dark One." She sighed, pouting. "I have so few pleasures left in life, after all."
She smoothed her hospital gown across her legs like the finest of silk dresses.
"You do know there's a former Dark One in this very town who could give you the answers you seek?"
Killian made a face.
"No one's seen Rumpelstiltskin in weeks - he disappeared not long after we returned from Camelot. Not that he was doing much talking the last I saw him - as far as I know, he still hasn't awoken from whatever the Apprentice did to him."
Killian doubted that his presence would have made much difference, either way - the Rumpelstiltskin he knew would never have offered his assistance, at least, not without a considerable price. He couldn't quite bring himself to summon any sympathy for the man's condition, though he felt sorry for Belle, who'd been beside herself with worry throughout his infirmity.
He shifted his stance, a pang of guilt running through him at the reminder.
"Belle's missing as well," he added softly, though Zelena seemed not to hear.
Truthfully, Belle had been his first choice for answers. If anyone were to have an understanding of what made a Dark One tick, it would be her. But he'd found the pawnshop in disarray when he'd arrived earlier that day, the front window smashed in and signs of a struggle inside. Worse, the mess looked to have been several days old at least. With both sheriffs otherwise occupied, apparently none of the town's usual busybodies had even bothered to report the disturbance.
He should have checked on her sooner. Belle had been a constant companion by his side since their return from Camelot six weeks ago, offering him words of wisdom and comfort that he truly did not deserve. He'd foolishly assumed her absence of late was linked to her quest for her missing husband, consumed as she'd been with the task in between helping him research ways to save Emma.
He swallowed harshly. There was no way to know what fate had befallen Belle or her husband, but he knew with certainty that Emma was involved, the thought making him physically ill.
Zelena raised a thin eyebrow in interest.
"She's even further along than I thought," she murmured to herself.
Killian's attention snapped back to the witch.
"What do you mean?"
"It's not important," she dismissed, waving her hand. "But I think congratulations are in order - it sounds like your girlfriend is very close to making herself the most powerful Dark One who ever lived."
"Emma doesn't care about power," he denied stiffly, his nails digging into his palm.
"No," Zelena agreed with a disappointed sigh. "She's dreadfully boring that way. But she does care about what the power can give her."
Killian's jaw ached from how tightly he was clenching it, his frustration mounting with each of her half-answers.
"And what is that?"
"Why, insurance, of course. You forget, Captain, I had my spies watching Emma for some time - poor Walsh got particularly close to her as you might recall." His nostrils flared and she grinned, pretending to inspect her long, piercing nails. "I learned all about her weaknesses, what makes her tick. And the one thing that drives her above all else is her fear of losing the people she cares about."
His eyes narrowed. He hardly needed relationship advice from the witch.
"Aye, what of it?"
She shook her head, apparently exasperated by his lack of magical knowledge. "Well, isn't it obvious? Most people want power to make themselves invincible in some way, and for Emma, that means protecting herself from heartache. With all of that power, she can stop the people closest to her from being hurt or killed. She could stop her loved ones from ever leaving her, even voluntarily."
He swallowed, his ears ringing.
Emma's walls had always been high, always reluctant to let anyone close for fear of the pain they could cause her. As hard as she'd worked to tear them down bit by bit, to let herself believe that the people who loved her wouldn't abandon her, the orphan in him knew how tempting the promise of a guarantee would be.
Even voluntarily. The witch's words echoed in his mind, the phantom grip of a hand tightening around his heart.
No. The Emma he knew wouldn't do that, wouldn't take the choice away from those she loved, no matter how badly she wanted them to stay.
But is she the Emma you knew? an insidious voice whispered, his chest tightening. He wished he had a better answer to that question.
His internal debate had gone largely unnoticed, Zelena continuing to admire her nails.
"Of course, what she's failed to realize is that the more darkness there is inside of her, the less she'll actually care about her loved ones," she continued idly. "Soon enough, you'll all be little more than possessions to her - pretty playthings she can use as she wishes until she forgets why she ever wanted you around in the first place." Her smiled sharpened once more, her eyes locking on his. "A bit ironic, isn't it? Her son's going to grow up with a ruthless Dark One for a parent, just like his father did."
Pain pierced his chest like a knife, and he growled, his hook at her throat before he'd even realized he'd moved. "That's not going to happen."
She didn't so much as blink, her eyebrow rising in silent challenge as her hand slid pointedly to her rounded stomach. He grimaced, the tension seeping out of him at the reminder of her current condition.
She smiled sweetly, pushing his hook away with her finger. "Oh, I wouldn't fret over it, Captain. She may not love you anymore, but I'm sure the Dark One will find some use for you. Perhaps she needs a new pet?" Her lips curled as her eyes slid to the expanse of skin where his shirt buttoned, the lazy appraisal setting his teeth on edge. "You always did make such a good lapdog."
He stiffened at the taunt, vividly reminded of the agony of Cora's hand plunging into his chest, of fighting desperately against the commands Rumpelstiltskin whispered with obvious satisfaction.
He forced the memories down, his patience wearing thin. He had no interest in continuing to play her games.
"What's Emma planning?" he demanded.
"Oooh, right back to business," Zelena purred, tilting her head up at him. "What's wrong, Captain? Did I hit a nerve?"
He knew better than to answer. He'd already given her far more ammunition than he'd intended, his emotions too raw to hide behind his usual facade. Instead, he held her gaze in tense silence, waiting.
Eventually, she relented with a small sigh.
"It's quite simple, really. Merlin is the guardian of light magic throughout the realms," she said matter-of-factly. "If she's like every Dark One who came before her, she's planning to kill him with Excalibur and take his magic for herself, tipping the balance of magic in her favour." She paused, her words taking on a sanctimonious edge. "Not a bad plan, I suppose, but a bit shortsighted. Even dark magic comes with a price."
Killian shook his head, her words not making sense.
"Merlin's been trapped in Storybrooke since we returned from Camelot. Why wouldn't she have done something before now?"
She rolled her eyes.
"If it were that easy, any one of the dozens of previous Dark Ones would have succeeded. She needed to pull Excalibur from the stone - a task which no Dark One was ever meant to do. And she also would have needed to wait until the time was right to perform the spell."
He frowned, mulling over her words. He and the others had struggled to find some pattern to Emma's actions, some hint of what she was plotting. She'd been fairly busy the first week or so after Camelot, cursing several of the dwarves and taking great pains to taunt them all regarding their missing memories, but they'd seen less and less of her as time passed. He'd assumed she was still angry with him after the confrontation aboard his ship, but if Zelena's words were true, perhaps she had just been biding her time, waiting for the perfect moment to put her plan into action.
"How exactly were you planning on stopping her, anyway?" Zelena's voice interrupted his thoughts. "I don't think batting those pretty eyelashes at her will be enough. But then, you already knew that, didn't you? I heard you tried True Love's Kiss and the curse never even wavered." She pouted at him, the effect ruined by the obvious amusement in her eyes. "Guess your love wasn't as strong as you thought."
He inhaled sharply at the reminder, making a mental note to find whoever had been passing local gossip along to the witch and threaten them mercilessly.
"I'll figure something out," he deflected gruffly. "When's the spell meant to take place?"
She glanced up at the cell's tiny barred window.
"Well, it's a full moon tonight, which means she's probably out searching for him right now. I'd hurry, if I were you - you wouldn't want to miss the show."
His breath caught as he followed her gaze to the darkening sky outside.
Gods. What if he was already too late?
He wrenched the door open, slamming it closed behind him, caring little now for the noise it made. He raced for the stairs, ignoring the sound of Zelena's laughter echoing behind him as he tossed the keys at the nurse's desk.
His boots squeaked on the floor as he ran, his heart pounding.
He couldn't fail her. Not again.
* * *
It's time. Emma stood a little taller, her magic sending a small thrill down her spine. Her fingers wrapped gracefully around the grip of the sword.
The Sorcerer - she sneered at the title, the voices in her head hissing at the self-righteous moniker he'd given himself - was staring out at the pond, apparently lost in thought.
He should have known better than to be out there all alone. Then again, he had always underestimated the Dark One. She smirked to herself, hefting the long blade in her hand. He'd regret his arrogance soon enough.
She stepped out of the shadows of the trees.
"Did you think you could hide from me?" she called, her dainty voice belying the anger beneath.
It had been three days since the others had freed Merlin from the tree - poetic justice, in her mind, caging him inside the very tree she'd freed him from in Camelot. She much preferred the silent, arboreal version of the Sorcerer - unable to spread further lies, helpless to do anything but watch the pieces of her victory fall into place.
The others had been overjoyed to find him, convinced he was the key to removing the Darkness from her. No doubt he'd spent the last three days filling their heads with his prophecies and warnings just as he had before, convincing his captive audience that he knew best. It was almost pathetic how eagerly they clung to his every word, believing they finally had an advantage over her - but if they thought anything happened in this town without her knowing, they were sorely mistaken. True, she hadn't expected them to find Merlin so quickly, but their releasing him a few days early had proven to be only a minor inconvenience.
Storybrooke wasn't a big town. Even without her powers, there was nowhere she wouldn't find him.
Merlin slowly turned his attention from the pond.
"I'm not hiding, Emma."
His gaze fell to Excalibur, the heavy sword glimmering in the moonlight. She smirked, letting the light catch the blade, its power humming against her skin.
"So, you pulled the sword from the stone."
Her skin prickled. He was too measured, too calm. She bristled, overcome with the urge to knock that patronizing look right off his face. She wasn't the same scared little girl he'd cornered at that movie theatre all those years ago.
She stood proudly, lifting the blade higher.
"You didn't think I could do it." He'd underestimated her, just like the others. He'd thought her too weak to do what needed to be done, to overcome the spell he'd placed on the stone that housed Excalibur, but she'd succeeded in the end. The only Dark One to ever accomplish it. The only Dark One destined for more.
Merlin shook his head. "I warned you a long time ago, Emma," he said, his heavy green and gold robes rustling in the night wind. The effect made him look even more pretentious, if such a feat were even possible.
"This power you seek - you think you can use it to hold on to what's closest to you, but it comes at a heavy price."
She straightened, a smirk playing at her lips once more.
"What, being a Dark One?" she taunted, cocking her head. "If it means getting what I want, I can deal with a small makeover."
"The price you pay will be higher than that," he warned. "And in the end, it won't get you want you want."
Her red lips curled into a sardonic smile, wondering how the others had ever fallen for his lies. She gave the sword a lazy twirl. "Maybe the other Dark Ones had to pay, but I'm the most powerful Dark One who ever lived. It's different for me."
"That's the Darkness talking," he replied harshly, "telling you that you can bend the rules - every Dark One before you has thought the same at their peril." He shook his head again. "The Darkness doesn't care about you, Emma. It only cares what you can do for it. It's using you for its own goals, but in the end, you'll be the one who pays."
"He's lying," Rumpelstiltskin hissed over her shoulder, a familiar giggle accompanying his words. "He wants you to doubt yourself, to make you the way you were before." She felt his presence at her back, his certainty making her thoughts clear and sharp. "Why not show him what real power can do?"
She lifted her chin.
"You're wrong," she said, her steady voice echoing over the water. "I listened to your lies back in Camelot because I thought you knew best, but now I see your words for what they really are: fear. Fear that I would fulfill the destiny you tried to hide from me. Fear that I would surpass you." Her expression hardened. "That's what you prophesied, isn't it? That's why you turned them against me?"
"They didn't turn against you, Emma," Merlin assured her in that same condescending tone, his warm voice like nails on her skin. "Your family has always loved you, but the Darkness is warping you. You can't see the way it's twisted everything."
"You're wrong," she repeated, snarling. She didn't need him to tell her what she'd seen with her own eyes.
"Enough chit-chat, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin urged eagerly. "Finish this and take what's rightfully yours."
She glanced up at the moon, feeling Excalibur's magic ignite in her grip. She widened her stance, preparing to attack.
Finally, it was her time to win.
"Emma, stop!"
She turned to see Killian running toward them from the direction of the town. Her parents and son trailed just behind him, Regina and Robin bringing up the rear. She felt a surge of irritation. Of course, they would choose this moment to stick their noses where they didn't belong - now, when she was so close to succeeding.
"Swan," Killian panted as he came to a stop just short of where Merlin still stood silently, his hand raised as if to halt the blade. "Please, don't do this. It's not too late. We can still defeat the Darkness."
His words were laced with desperation, his eyes pleading as his chest heaved from what must have been a long, hard race to stop her. The others spread out beside him, their expressions far warier.
"He's right," Mary Margaret said, her voice pitched in the same kind and familiar tone that Emma had once thought of as her 'princess voice' - the one she used on small animals and other creatures she wished to gain the trust of. Emma wondered if she even realized that she and David had stepped in front of Henry, subtly blocking her from him. "Please, Emma, we care about you."
Emma arched a thin eyebrow.
"Really? Is that why you brought your weapons with you?" she asked, eyeing the bow in her hands. Her mother had the good grace to look contrite, shifting the bow behind her leg slightly to hide it from view.
Regina, on the other hand, showed no such shame. She raised her arm, a fireball bursting to life in her palm.
"If you think we're going to stand by and let you turn yourself into the uber-Dark One, you've got another thing coming," she said haughtily. David stepped between them, gesturing for Regina to back down.
"We don't want to fight you," he assured Emma, lowering his sword. "We know this isn't you. You don't want to do this," he said sensibly.
"They still want to control you," Rumpelstiltskin warned, appearing behind her father. "They still don't trust you to know what's best. They want to keep you weak."
She watched the imp circle her family, pausing next to Killian. He was the only one besides Henry who hadn't drawn a weapon, his hook still at his side as his deep blue eyes bore a hole in her head. She felt a small twinge of uncertainty at the heartache she saw there.
Rumpelstiltskin cackled, waving his hand in front of an oblivious Killian's face.
"They don't want you for your true self, dearie, which means it's only a matter of time before they decide you're not good enough." He turned his focus back to her, his former amusement vanishing. "Unless you stop that from happening."
"Mom..." Henry's small voice brought her attention back to the others, but apparently, he could think of nothing else to say.
"Please, Swan, don't do this," Killian urged, his voice cracking, still unaware of his invisible shadow. "You can still come back from this."
He sounded so broken, so worried. A part of her longed to run to him, but she pushed the feeling aside. She couldn't let her resolve weaken. She was doing this for him - for all of them. She couldn't let anyone stand in her way. They would understand once it was over.
Mary Margaret edged toward her, mistaking her silence for hesitation. Hope blossomed across her mother's features, her bow hanging in a loose grip. "Emma, please, we don't want to hurt you."
Emma narrowed her eyes, feeling her resolve slip back into place.
"Nothing can hurt a Dark One."
She flicked her wrist, sending everyone but Merlin flying through the air. She didn't spare them another glance as a barrier shimmered to life, blocking them off from her and her prey. Her magic would keep them at bay while she completed her task.
She gripped Excalibur's hilt with both hands and lunged. She swung at the Sorcerer, the blade missing by mere inches as he leaned back infinitesimally. The momentum sent her stumbling.
"You won't win, Emma," Merlin said, his face as impassive as ever. "The Darkness won't give you what you want."
She re-centered herself, adjusting her grip on the sword.
Merlin watched her with obvious pity, seemingly unconcerned by her attack. "And the cost will be a steep one."
"Finish it, dearie."
With a shout, she raced forward, swinging again and again. The heavy blade sang as it sliced through the air, always falling just short of its target. Merlin moved by bare inches, avoiding each strike with little effort.
He was toying with her, she realized with a spike of anger. He wasn't even trying.
"He doesn't believe you can do it," Rumpelstiltskin taunted, his voice now overlapping with the whispers of the Darkness. "He's underestimating you, just like they did."
Emma growled, swiping the blade in a wide arc. She would show him. She would show all of them what she was capable of.
A high-pitched shriek pierced the air, but she paid it no mind, all of her attention focused on Merlin. She could hear the others shouting as she struck at the sorcerer again and again, her frustration mounting with each near-miss. Instead of fear in Merlin's eyes, there was sorrow, which only fanned her anger.
His mouth twisted downward as he at last raised a hand against her, his magic blasting her back several yards.
She hit the ground hard, the sword falling from her grip as she rolled along the cool grass.
Another screech echoed across the pond, louder this time.
"Look out, lad!"
She turned just in time to see Killian shoving Henry aside as a dark, swooping figure flew out of the sky toward them. Henry landed on the ground, safe, just as the fury hit Killian full force with its magic.
His shout of pain echoed across the suddenly quiet park as the fury pulled a glowing purple light from his chest, gathering its bounty into its outstretched arms. A split second later, Killian collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
Emma froze, her eyes widening in realization.
"No."
Her hesitation was short-lived. Magic exploded from palms as she pushed herself to her knees, hurling two fireballs at the creature. But the fury was already flying over the pond to a shadowy figure that stood waiting on the water, its claws greedily clutching its spoils. A second later, they were both gone, vanished into the fog that had risen out of nowhere.
Numbly, her eyes traced the fury's path back to the slumped figure on the ground.
She scrambled to her feet, the magical barrier disintegrating as she raced across the grass to where he lay, the sword forgotten behind her. No.
"I'm sorry, Emma."
Merlin's words barely registered as she dropped to her knees. Hook's eyes were closed, his dark eyelashes fanned out over his cheekbones, his skin far too pale.
Killian, no, she pleaded inwardly, her throat tight.
Her hands shook as she ran them over his chest, his neck, searching for any signs of life. A tear, warm and wet, slid down her cheek. She felt something crack inside of her, her breathing growing more and more laboured.
"I warned you there would be a price for removing Excalibur."
She felt more tears building as she continued searching in vain for a pulse, the rise of his chest, anything to prove to herself she hadn't lost him. Killian's face remained still, his head lolling to the side as she desperately pawed at him.
Her breath caught in her throat as the Sorcerer's words sunk in.
It wasn't worth it.
She choked out a sob, pressing her mouth against Killian's. His lips were limp and unmoving beneath hers.
She hardly noticed the pulse of magic that followed, tears pouring more steadily down her cheeks, her lips slick against Killian's unnaturally still ones. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not to him.
She pulled back slowly, her vision blurry with tears. Distantly, she noticed that the colour had returned to the hand resting on Killian's chest, but there was still no heartbeat against her skin. No gentle rise and fall beneath her palm. Her mind was quieter - the endless whispers that had been her constant companions for weeks falling silent at long last, making the absence of Killian's steady breaths all the more deafening.
"Emma."
The gasp of surprise was just enough to cut through the fog of anguish that had engulfed her.
She turned back to Mary Margaret, whose forehead was creased in dazed confusion. David stood beside her, a comforting arm around her shoulders. There was a wash of despair behind his expression that hadn't been there before, and in that instant, Emma knew. The curse of the Dark One had been broken, and along with it, her spell. Their memories of Camelot had returned, as had the knowledge of everything that had transpired between them.
Her gaze fell to her hand again, the pink of her skin a sharp contrast to the black of Killian's shirt. Her eyes blurred with tears again. For the first time in weeks, hers was the only voice in her head. Too little, too late.
Her parents were watching her silently, and Emma felt a distant stab of pain through her heart. Before Camelot, they wouldn't have hesitated, wouldn't have let anything prevent them from consoling her, but things were different now. She pulled at the lapels of Killian's jacket, the leather creaking in her grip as tears landed on his chest.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Regina pulling a shell-shocked Henry into her arms, disbelieving.
"How?" She didn't elaborate, but her meaning was clear.
"True Love's Kiss," Merlin answered somberly.
Robin shook his head, his eyes darting uncomfortably to Emma and Killian. "Hook tried True Love's Kiss with Emma weeks ago," he argued. "It didn't work."
"The curse of the Dark One could not be broken as long as Emma clung to the power," Merlin explained. "It was only after she let it go - after she chose love over what the Darkness had promised - that their love for one another was able to break the curse."
She breathed in unsteadily, her lungs feeling too tight. Her gaze drifted over Killian's face, his eyes closed as if in sleep. Anger surged within her and she rounded on Merlin, her hands shaking.
"Then why didn't it save him?" she demanded, tears burning her eyes. "Why didn't the magic bring him back?"
"True Love's Kiss can break dark curses, but Hook is not under any curse," he said. "You were fortunate that his soul had not passed completely to the Underworld when you kissed him, or even your curse would not have been broken. His life was the price for the dark magic you performed." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Emma."
There was compassion in his eyes, but Emma didn't want it. She was vaguely aware of her parents holding each other close, of Henry crying where he was sandwiched between Regina and Robin, but their grief felt like a distant thing in the face of her own. With the Darkness gone, she could feel everything again, all of the love she'd been suppressing for those around her, but she wished suddenly for the numbness the power had provided. She couldn't think about their pain. She didn't want to. It was too much.
Anger and sorrow coursed through her, Merlin's words echoing in her head. It was all her fault. If she'd let go of the power sooner, Killian wouldn't be-
She swallowed, laying her head on his chest. Killian's necklaces dug creases into her cheek as a new wave of tears formed in her eyes.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
* * *
Killian woke slowly, his palm scraping across ashy gravel. The ground beneath him was dry and uneven, tiny bits of dark gray stone and grit lodging beneath his fingernails.
He groaned, his eyes focusing slowly on the unfamiliar terrain. It was a cavern of some sort, lined in dark rock as far as he could see. The deep gray and black stone reminded him of the cliffs near Dead Man's Peak though, unlike Neverland, there was no sky overhead to light his path. Instead, the space around him was lit with a sickly green hue that brought back memories of too many stormy nights at sea. He twisted his head, but he could find no source for the light. It was as if the air itself was glowing.
What-
He struggled to recall how he had gotten there, his memories cloudy. There had been something important he'd been after, something he'd been trying to stop-
Swan. The witch's words echoed in his head, dire prophecies of what would befall her if they failed to reach her in time. He'd rallied the others to his cause quickly enough, but his mind was slow in putting together the pieces of what had transpired thereafter. He scanned the area again, but there was no sign of Emma, making him fear the worst. Had she sent him away from the fight? Had they already lost?
He got his arms beneath himself, pushing his chest off the ground as he tried again to discern his location. It didn't look like any part of the Enchanted Forest he'd ever seen, and the tunnels in Storybrooke were not this grand.
He let out an unsteady breath, worry filling him. "Where the bloody hell am I?" he muttered.
"Funny you should ask that."
His head snapped around to the source of the voice, his eyes catching on the peculiar sight of flowing black robes that inexplicably curled where they met the ground, rather reminiscent of the thick smoke of a fire. He raised his eyes and found himself staring up at a very tall man with a long, narrow face and dark black hair. His fingers were long and spindly, his hands nearly twice the size of Killian's.
Even from his position on the ground, Killian could tell the man would tower over him. But his unusual size was less unnerving than the man's sharp black eyes, keenly focused on his every move.
The man gave an oily smile, his lips stretching wide in either direction, nearly splitting his face in two.
"The name's Hades. Welcome to the afterlife."
To be continued.