"He's awake."

Emma could barely breathe. The two words echoed discordantly in her head. She tried to make sense of them, at least a sense other than what they truly meant. If she could just breathe she knew she could make the words understandable.

"What do you mean?" She gasped, fighting for breath.

"Do I have to fucking spell it out for you?" Zelena growled. "The Dark One, the demon without a heart, the imp who will be ripping every one of our hearts out of our chests knows exactly who he is and what's been done to him. He has that poor excuse for a thief's son and if he hasn't killed him yet it's because he's planning to do it later. Do you understand now?"

"How?"

"Understand what? Sounds to me like you're talking in bloody tongues."

Emma gave an involuntary laugh that sounded slightly hysterical. She looked back at Killian and found that he was shaking with tension. His eyes flickered to her briefly but fixed malevolently back on Zelena in a heartbeat. For the first time she wished that he wasn't by her side.

"Can't you shut him up?"

"Not bloody likely."

Ignoring them both she dazedly entered the library. She could see Pinocchio hovering at the end of one of the rows of books and walked towards him. He tried to murmur an apology but she kept walking, tuning out the raised voices behind her. Once she reached the table her and Grace had been using for their research she sank into one of the chairs and stared blankly at its surface.

She had never given much thought to what it meant to be the Savior. It had merely been a title, an expectation, thrust upon her when she desperately wanted nothing more than to reunite with her parents and take back their kingdom. When Killian and Misthaven had been taken by Zelena's curse it was just another burden set upon her shoulders. The discovery that an unpredictable and highly dangerous Dark One was only held in check by the curse was a faraway thought, something she believed she'd have time to prepare for. It seemed, however, that her time was up.

Regret coursed through her as she thought of all the times Roland had tried to bring up the prophecy made about her. She only knew what she'd had no choice but to hear that she was the one destined to break the curse when she turned twenty-eight. Roland had always implied that there was more to it but she had refused to acknowledge it, arguing with herself that if she was unaware then whatever it was wouldn't come to pass.

Selfishly she wished she had broken the curse sooner. Her father had heard the full prophecy himself, along with her mother. David would have been able to tell her what to expect, what to prepare for. He also would have been by her side, sword at the ready, and so would Killian.

With a jolt that nearly had her doubling over Emma realized that she'd have to send Killian away. She hated to even think it but without knowing who he was, what they truly faced, he was a liability and a distraction she couldn't afford. Killian would hate her for doing it. She knew she had no other choice.

Blinking rapidly she came back to herself and realized that not only was Killian saying something to her but he was looking at her desperately as he gently cradling her face with hand and arm.

"Emma. Come on, talk to me lass. Emma?"

She placed her hands on his elbows and took a shuddering breath, "I need you to do something for me."

"Anything. Whatever you want, I swear," he breathed in relief. "Jesus, you had me worried there. What's going on? Please tell me you don't believe the bullshit she's spouting-"

"I do," she said sadly, fighting against tears. She squeezed his arms to focus back on her as he began to protest, "I don't trust her but I do believe her and this is something I need to take care of."

"Emma-"

"We did need a distraction," she said as she shrugged helplessly.

"No," he said, horrified, dropping his arms to his side. He shook his head, "You promised you'd stay out of it."

"I promised I wouldn't get arrested," she said softly. "You'll have to keep Walsh busy to prevent that from happening."

"If you think I'm going to let you go off with her-" Killian blew out a breath and scrubbed his hand over his face. "No, I'm going with you."

"Please," she said tremulously, the tears she'd tried to stave off spilling over. "Please do this for me. I can't risk you being there."

"Emma," he whispered sounding torn, his features twisted in indecision.

"You said whatever I want-" she took in a shuddering breath, "This is what I want. I need to know you're safe."

Killian rocked back slightly at her confession. She tried to communicate everything she was feeling with only a look as his eyes danced across her face. His gaze softened and she could see the resignation in it as he gently wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Okay," he said brokenly. "I'll do this but for one thing in return."

"What?"

"To let me stay, for now," he murmured. He gave her a pained half-smile, "You're not the only one gets to be concerned."

Emma wanted to say no, to send him away before anything else came crashing down on her, but she couldn't do it. She would allow herself one last moment of selfishness.

"Just for now. When I say you have to go-"

"I'll go."

"And I'm going to go throw up if I have to listen to this drivel any longer," Zelena snapped. "Might as well just break the-"

"Zelena!" Emma interrupted quickly. She turned to look up to where she was glaring at them from a few steps away, "We don't have time for that. You need to tell me why Marty was helping you and how Gold can be awake when no one else is."

"Fine," Zelena sniffed as she moved to sit across from her. "But this would be easier if we had an army instead of your band of misfits to help us."

"We wouldn't have an army," Emma bit out, aware of Killian and Pinocchio listening closely to their every word. "How did this happen? How long..."

"Until he comes to rip all of our spines out while he laughs?" Zelena asked sardonically. "We have until sundown to give him what he wants. After that Marty is the first to die."

"Why isn't the Sheriff taking care of this?" Pinocchio asked bewildered.

"That idiot would only speed up the process," Zelena huffed, waving him off. She looked at Emma with a raised brow, "Do we have to keep these two around?"

"I'm not going anywhere-"

"This is my library-"

"-wants me here and I'll be damned-"

"-had enough of you walking all over-"

"-talking about murder-"

"As if you two morons could actually do anything-"

"STOP!"

The lights above her flickered wildly as all eyes swivelled to her.

"Tell me what happened," she said with deadly calm.

"I tried to get you to do it-" Zelena sniffed, "When I came to your boat on Founder's Day but you didn't want to hear it."

"I do now," she said as she crossed her arms.

"The Dark One had something of mine-"

"What?"

Zelena's lip curled annoyance, "A pendant that looks like an emerald. It was given to me by a coven a long time ago to harness and enhance my powers. The only drawback was that without it I would be completely powerless. When I woke up in this land I wasn't wearing it and I wrongly assumed it was merely because this is the Land Without Magic. It wasn't until I saw it in Gold's shop that I learned differently."

"Why not buy it from him? Or steal it yourself?" Emma asked, avoiding Killian and Pinocchio's gaping at the mentions of magic she could see out of the corner of her eye.

"Unfortunately his penchant for making deals and coming out ahead wasn't purged from his cursed memory. He sensed that I desperately wanted it and deemed it not for sale. It pissed me off but I convinced myself I had no need of it as long as the curse held. Then you popped up in town."

"Ruining everything. I get it," she sighed.

"Once I was certain it was you, come to be the hero, I knew I needed a bit of insurance," Zelena continued as though Emma hadn't spoken. "Luckily for me someone in your motley crew actually listened when I said I had something we'd need. He was so eager to please, to prove himself it wasn't hard at all to convince him to get my pendant back and he did."

"You have it?" Emma asked surprised.

"Of course I do-" Zelena pulled down the green silk scarf wrapped around her neck to reveal a large emerald gem nestled at the base of her throat, "I knew you'd decide to break the curse and I needed insurance for when you did. My mistake was being greedy."

"Your mistake was attacking my kingdom," Emma growled, too angry to try to watch her words.

"You two are joking right?" Pinocchio broke in, looking disbelievingly between them. "Powers, curses, kingdoms? This is just some kinda prank right? Right?"

"If you got your pendant back how did Marty get caught?" Emma asked over Pinocchio's questions.

"There were silver slippers, capable of travelling realms-"

"You were going to run," Emma snorted in disbelief. "You had your magic back, you knew I had decided to break the curse, and you knew it was only a matter of time before he came for you."

"It's easy to stay alive when you have every advantage at your disposal," Zelena said airily.

"That's why Marty's been sneaking away from Roland and Turner," Emma said, the truth slamming into her. "It's why he's started lashing out, trying to prove himself."

"Men are so easy to manipulate, teenagers even more so," Zelena said with a smile.

"But he got caught and your head is first on the chopping block," Emma snapped. "How is he awake? I haven't broken the curse yet."

"There must have been some trigger, something he weaved into the curse itself to wake him before anyone else."

Killian scoffed in disbelief. Emma was surprised it took him that long to make his sentiments known. She looked at him but he was glaring down at the table, avoiding her gaze.

"But what does he want?" She asked, reluctantly turning back to Zelena.

"This-" Zelena touched the gem at her throat, "and I don't know why so don't even bother asking."

"You can't give it to him," Emma said with a frown.

"I had no intention to," Zelena said, recoiling in horror. "That's as good as suicide."

"And we'll need Regina-"

"Like hell! That second-rate waste of space-"

"Is the only other person who knows magic, has dealt with the Dark One and this curse and is already awake," Emma said, daring Zelena to contradict her. "Like it or not having her on our our side is the best chance we have if we even want a hope of defeating him."

"Unbelievable-" Zelena threw up her arms, "No matter what I do she's always there, like a leech latching on and taking everything I've worked for."

"Believe me when you can take full responsibility for this," Emma muttered, rolling her eyes at Zelena's outburst. She didn't blink at her returning glare, "We have until sundown?"

"Yes," Zelena said, her eyes darting toward the window. When she looked back the fear had returned, "Only eight hours or so until we're all done for."

"Less," Emma said grimly.

"What?" Zelena asked startled.

Emma turned to Pinocchio, "I need you to go Granny's and find the men from my crew. Tell them the Dark One's awake, they'll come right away."

"But none of this makes any sense," Pinocchio sputtered. "Why would they believe me? I haven't even met them."

"They'll come. Go, we don't have much time."

"We have until sundown!" Zelena protested.

"Go," she urged Pinocchio. He gave her a helpless look before sighing in resignation and limping out of the library. She turned to Zelena, "You need to go get Regina. She's staying at that cottage in the woods-"

"Like hell I'm going to get her, you do it."

"I need to get some things from my ship-"

"A sword is useless against the Dark One," Zelena said with a scoffing laugh, "Not to mention he's already dead-"

"How about some of the books I stole from your cellar?" Emma spat out. "Do you think any of those might be useful?"

Zelena sniffed, "Perhaps."

"Then you go get Regina and I'll go get the books. We'll meet back here and prepare to go up against the Dark One before he expects us."

"A sneak attack?" Zelena asked taken aback.

"It's the best bet we have at winning this thing," Emma said confidently, even as she felt the opposite.

"I can't believe it's come to this," Zelena muttered as she stood, "If I had my magic-"

"You don't, so go," Emma said shortly.

Zelena left, not without more muttering following in her wake. Emma sighed in relief but it was short lived. Killian hadn't said a word or even moved once her and Zelena had started talking. She was suddenly afraid that she had pushed him too far and he'd decided to give up on her completely.

"Kieran?"

"We should go, lass, if you intend to meet everyone back here shortly."

He didn't look at her as he stood or when he turned to walk back the way they had come. She stood quickly and trailed helplessly behind him, trying to discern from the set of his shoulders the state of his mind. The only thing she could tell for sure was that he didn't have the right words to say anything to her yet but when he did it wouldn't bode well for either of them.

As they wend their way to the Jewel she tried to think of anything to say to head off what was sure to be a fight to rival their one from Founder's Day. Nothing worth saying was coming to her but she did notice that he wasn't taking care to keep them concealed. They were walking along the main roadways, passing numerous townsfolk who were left gaping in their wake. She realized as they reached the docks that it was as though Killian was hoping someone would alert Walsh to his whereabouts, as though he wanted nothing more than to be arrested instead of dealing with everything that had happened in the library.

Emma quickened her steps as they neared the slip the Jewel was in. She needed to get ahead him, both physically and in preparation for his anger being let loose. It wasn't until she was halfway up the gangplank to the Jewel that she looked back at him, ready for whatever he threw at her.

"Permission to come aboard?" Killian said with a poor attempt at a smile.

"Of course," she said with a brittle smile of her own.

They silently made their way to her cabin through the hatch on deck. She stepped down first, quickly crossing to grab her sword and scabbard from beside the head of her bed as Killian carefully made his way down. Once he stepped off the ladder he moved toward the corner where she had hidden the books from the cellar, as she watched him with trepidation. Her sword nearly slipped through her fingers in shock when he pulled out the story book that was about him instead.

"You told me that everything in this book actually happened," he said softly, even as his knuckles were white with how tightly he was gripping the book. He frowned down at it, "That it's all real. The- the pirates and the princes and- and the magic? How can it be real? None of this is real!"

Emma jumped as he hurled the book across the cabin in his frustration. She slowly set her sword back down before raising her hands in a calming gesture. He was breathing hard, his eyes wide with confusion and anger. With careful steps she moved toward where the book was splayed on the floor.

"It seems like it's impossible but it's not," she said, her voice wavering. She bent down to pick up the book and flipping it over found it had opened to the illustration of Killian professing his love for her before the curse took him away. Tracing his features with her finger she frowned, "I know you don't believe me. I'm sure you think I'm crazy or that Viridans has manipulated me somehow or you're hoping it's a dream but this… this is the truth. This book is what's real."

Killian remained silent. After counting to five she took a steadying breath and looked up at him. He was frowning, his eyes guiltily looking from her to the book and back. It was clear that he truly didn't believe her and it broke her heart.

"It's okay, Jones," she said with a small nod. He looked at her, stricken, and she gave him a tremulous smile, "You should go. We didn't exactly conceal ourselves on our way here, Walsh will be looking for you."

"Lass…"

"You promised. I let you stay and now I'm asking you to go," she said firmly, an ache yawning in her chest.

"Emma-"

He stepped towards her, his hand stretched towards her and she stepped to the side, "Please, just go."

"Alright," he sighed. He moved towards the ladder but paused with one foot on the bottom rung, "I may not believe in that bloody book but I believe in you. Whatever it is you're facing you'll come out the victor and I'll be waiting for you."

Emma choked back a sob as he began to climb. Before she knew what she was doing she dropped the book to the floor and was grabbing his ankle to tug him back down. He jumped down with a bewildered but hopeful look that turned to shock as she dragged the chain with his ring on it over her head.

"Take this-"

"No, Emma, I can't," he protested, holding his hand and arm up as though to push it away. "It means too much to you."

"Less than what it used to. Less than what you mean to me now," she said vehemently. She held it out to him, the ring swinging gently on the chain, "You can give it back to me after. I promise."

Killian looked at her with awe and with something Emma refused to acknowledge, even if it made her heart jump into her throat. Slowly he nodded and flipped his hand so his palm was up and positioned under the ring. She let the chain go, feeling as though she was letting her heart go with it, and watched as Killian's fingers wrapped around the ring as soon as it hit his palm.

The moment it was firmly in his grasp his head bowed over as though someone was pushing against the back of it. His hand was shaking and the knuckles were white. With a strangled gasp his head snapped back, his eyes wide and unseeing as the tendons in his neck stood out with the strain of a silent scream. Emma rocked forward helplessly, her hands stretched out to help him when just as suddenly he collapsed to the floor, as though he were a puppet and his strings had been cut.

"Killian!"

Emma dropped to her knees at Killian's side, her hands fluttering uselessly over him. He gave a deep groan and she nearly sobbed in relief. Instead she bit her lip and gently placed her hand on his back, needing to feel his heartbeat under her palm.

He groaned again, "'M alright, love, 'm alright."

She froze at the achingly familiar endearment. In all the time since she'd found him he'd only ever called her 'lass' never 'love'. She made to pull her hand away when Killian quickly lifted himself up and grasped it, the ring dangling on its chain between them.

"Don't," he looked at her with tears brimming in his eyes, his smile wobbly and bright.

"Killian?"

"Swan… love... Emma, I remember."

Emma felt as if all the air in her lungs had been replaced with molasses. As she fought for a single breath she realized she was shaking uncontrollably. Her vision blurred and she suddenly began crying in high pitched, gasping sobs. They only increased when she felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her into his embrace.

Slowly her sobs calmed down to a mere steady stream of tears. She became aware of the fierce grip she had on his coat, her arms aching from how tightly she was holding onto him. Killian seemed no better, she could feel a wet warmth at the curve of her neck where his head was cradled and he was trembling almost as much as she was. He was murmuring gently and it took a moment before she understood what he was saying.

"You found me. You did it. I knew you'd do it, love. I knew you'd find me."

"I missed you," she whispered in his ear once she felt she could speak without her words breaking apart on every syllable.

He pulled back, barely far enough away for her to focus on the red rimming his eyes or the tears clinging to his lashes.

"And I you, Swan, even if I didn't know it."

She gave a watery laugh, one that sounded closer to her sobs than an expression of joy. He moved, seemingly to gather her back in his arms but she stopped him with a hand over his heart.

"You left before I could tell you."

"Tell me what, love?" He asked with a slight furrow to his brow.

"That I love you too," she said, flexing her fingers on his chest as she let her lips lift in a smile.

"You're impossible," he breathed out with a chuckle, his hand cupping her cheek as his thumb traced her bottom lip.

"You love me for it," she teased, even as he brushed away fresh tears.

"Aye, I do."

Emma closed what little distance there was between them to capture his lips with hers. She felt as though the light of a thousand suns was pouring out of her and that even the air around them couldn't remain still in their utter happiness and love. With a slight tilt of his head he deepened the kiss seemingly eager to both devour and cherish her. His hand lightly travelled down her neck as his arm pulled her impossibly closer, a slight whimper leaving one or both of their throats. It was only when she began to cry again that they reluctantly parted.

Killian pressed his forehead to hers as he once more wiped away her tears.

"I'm so sorry, love."

"No, I'm sorry," she said with a tiny shake of her head, not willing to fully break any point of contact they had. "I don't even know why I'm crying."

"You never need apologize for crying in front of me, Swan," he assured her as his nose gently brushed hers. "I meant I'm sorry for everything else."

"What do you mean?" She asked, her hands tracing along his features, the lines of his shoulders and arms, all the things she hadn't been able to touch since she'd found him.

"That I sent you away, that you've had to do this on your own, how terribly I've treated you these past weeks. Everything," he whispered brokenly.

He began to pull away from her but she held him in place.

"I won't lie and say it was easy," she began shakily, "There were a lot of times I just wanted to give up or take something that made me forget how much I missed you but then I would remember your smile or how much you believed in me and I kept going. You kept me going."

"How long?" He asked. She shook her head at him, confused, and he clarified, "I have all these memories, a whole lifetime of them, but it also feels like only yesterday that we were separated. How long have we been apart?"

Emma hesitated, not sure how he would react to the truth. Killian noticed and winced, giving her all the incentive she needed to tell him.

"It's been over a year since Zelena cast the curse."

"Shit, Emma," he breathed. "Over a year? And then you got here and I treated you like… like a piece of meat! Jesus, Swan, how can you even stand the sight of me?"

He did pull away from her then with a look of self loathing twisting his features. She didn't let him get far, grasping his hand tight enough that it had to be painful for him.

"If you think a little flirting and a leer or two is all it takes to offend me then you'll be shocked to hear that I've had much worse-" she let her lips curl into a wicked grin, "or that I kinda liked it."

"God, I love you," Killian sighed as he tugged her back to him.

Before she could completely lose herself in him again the sound of someone running across the deck over their heads interrupted them. Hearing someone frantically calling out her name had her jumping to her feet and rushing up the ladder with Killian close behind.

When Emma stepped on deck she saw it was David, standing beside the door leading down into the hold. He was half turned toward them and his fist was raised as though he was moments away from banging it heavily against the door. When he turned to face them fully she was shocked to see tears streaking down his cheeks.

"David? What's wro-"

She was cut off by his crossing to her in three large strides and dragging her into his chest, wrapping her in arms that were still strong after too many years in a prison. He held onto her so tightly that she could hardly breathe. She was able to move her hand enough to awkwardly pat his side in an attempt at comfort as his hand came up to cradle the back of her head, fighting against even more tears at the old familiarity of the gesture.

"Er, Nolan?"

David released her with a shaky laugh but kept a light grip on her upper arms. His eyes danced across her face greedily. Emma suddenly found herself filled with a cautious hope.

"Dad?"

"I always knew you could do it," David murmured, a smile curling his lips. "My swan princess. Your mother would be so proud."

It was all Emma could do to throw herself back into David's arms, clinging to him just as hard as he had her moments before. She had thought that she had no tears left but she felt them coursing down her cheeks nonetheless. David was once more crushing her to his chest, lifting her up onto her toes, but she only tightened her own grip, sobbing into his shoulder.

When he finally lowered her back down to the flats of her feet she immediately reached her hand behind her. Killian grasped her hand quickly and she stepped back to tuck herself into his side. David watched them with a look that she was dismayed to realize was one of disapproval.

"Dad, this is Killian-"

"Heir presumptive to the crown of Balliolshire and notorious rake if I'm to believe what I've been told," David said with a frown. "He wasn't a much better man as Kieran Jones either."

"Dad," Emma warned, ready to defend Killian wholeheartedly. "If you really knew him you'd know that stuff isn't true."

David ignored her and focused his glare on Killian who tightened his grip on her hand and stood slightly taller under the scrutiny.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, I-"

"I have never trusted Balliolshire and the same undoubtedly goes for its princes-"

"Dad!"

"-but knowing that you share True Love with my daughter might be enough to change my mind."

"What?"

"But how?"

Emma's thoughts were reeling. She had all but given up hope of breaking the curse with True Love's kiss, especially with Killian stubbornly choosing to not believe in who he really was. With a small gasp she realized that Killian's memories had returned before they had shared a rather passionate kiss. She had dismissed the sunshine and light wind she'd felt at the time as nothing more than her elated imagination running away with itself. Killian gently tugged on her hand and she turned to face him, still reeling from the revelation.

"Were you not sure?" He asked, trepidation swimming in his blue eyes

"I was," she assured him quickly. His worry melted into awe and she gave him a shy smile, "I was. It's just… it doesn't work when one person doesn't remember the other and you were so damn stubborn about believing but I knew you still cared about me? Then you remembered and I was so happy to have you back I didn't even think about what kissing you would do."

"And what a kiss it was," he teased, his eyebrows wiggling suggestively.

"It was bad enough watching you two before," David groaned but when Emma looked back at him he was smiling widely. It dimmed a little as he looked between them, "I've missed so much."

"Yeah," she said sadly. "But you're here now."

"Your mother?" He asked suddenly, eyes wide. "What about your mother?"

"She's fine or, er, she was when I left," Emma said hesitantly. When David made a distressed sound in his throat she hurried to continue, "I got her back from where Zelena had kept her and we went home but King George had decided to attack while Misthaven was vulnerable. Other kingdoms were on their way to help but Mom and Liam insisted I come here."

"Liam?" Killian whispered in surprise.

"It's why I'm sailing the Jewel," she said with a smile. "And why Turner is here too."

"I did wonder about that-" he smirked.

"But Snow she's- she's okay?" David interrupted.

"She misses you and she loves you-" Emma reached towards him with her free hand and he gripped it tightly in his own. Suddenly remembering what else Snow had told her she smirked, "She also said that when you get home you'll have to finally decide what to do about George."

"Of course she did," he sighed good naturedly with a wide grin. "Where was she-"

David was cut off by the sound of a high pitched screeching and the slamming of doors. Emma could hear two voices arguing with each other as feet pounded down the dock towards them. She moved quickly to the rail and saw Regina and Zelena practically running towards the Jewel.

"I can't believe you thought now was a great time to break the curse!" Regina yelled up at her as she reached the gangplank.

"And I can't believe that I'm going to say this but I agree with her," Zelena scoffed, half a step behind Regina. She sneered at them as she stepped on board, "Now that you've broken the curse the Dark One won't wait until sundown. We'll be lucky if he gives us an hour."

"The Dark One?" David asked, alarmed.

"Aye," Killian answered. "Seems he was somehow awoken before the rest of us and is holding a lad hostage."

"That's not the worst part," Emma growled.

"What could possibly be worse?" Killian asked, bewildered.

"To cast the curse she-" Emma pointed accusingly at Zelena, "decided that crushing the Dark One's heart was the way to do it."

"How is he still alive and who is he here?" David looked between them all, his nostrils flaring as his gaze slid over Regina and Zelena. His jaw was ticking when he looked back at her, "Why are they here?"

"Because this town is full of imbeciles and have never had to contend with the Dark One before," Zelena sneered.

"He taught us both how to use our magic," Regina huffed with a roll of her eyes. "Together we might be able to come up with a plan to stop him. It helps that he doesn't have magic but with no heart he's capable of doing whatever it takes to get what he wants."

"But who is he?" David snapped.

"It's the man who runs that shop filled with bits of everything, Gold," Emma cut in before Zelena or Regina could antagonize him further. "And we don't know how he's still alive either."

"You know, when I left to go get my dear sister I thought you were coming here for those books you stole from me," Zelena said pointedly. "Perhaps the answer is in one of those but if it's not a priority…"

"Oh, shut up Inept Witch of the West," Regina sniped. "You've caused enough problems."

"As if you're any better," Zelena scoffed. "If you'd had any backbone you would have cast this curse as soon as Rumple gave it to you. Instead you've spent the last decade locked up in a tower because you're weak. I should have killed you when I had the chance."

Regina's eyes narrowed to slits as her hand flexed at her side. Emma was infinitely glad that there was no magic in Storybrooke but her patience was wearing thin with the two women. She was about to say as much when she heard someone calling out her name from a distance.

Looking towards the shore she saw Turner running full tilt towards them. Killian gave a small sound of recognition beside her but she couldn't acknowledge it. Whatever it was that had Turner racing to the Jewel was bound to leave no time for joyful reunions.

"He has him! Dark One has Marty!" Turner yelled as he tore down the dock. "He's waiting! Clocktower! At the Clocktower!"

He tripped up the gangplank, breathing hard as he stumbled on deck. Killian quickly moved to steady him. Seeing the normally composed Turner so distressed had Emma feeling as though she also needed Killian's help to remain upright.

"Turner, take a breath," she said brusquely, slipping into the tone she used as captain. "I know about Marty but tell me what's happened. Quickly please."

Turner sucked in a deep breath, "We were just heading to Granny's when the curse broke. There was a lot of confusion as people took to the streets to try and find their loved ones. Roland and I were looking for Robin when Pinocchio came up and told us about the Dark One. Not a moment later he walked out of his shop with a knife at Marty's throat, demanding that someone bring Zelena to him."

"Well, you can be certain that I'm not going," Zelena scoffed.

"Yes you are," Emma commanded. She nodded at Turner who grabbed onto her wrists. Ignoring her squawks of protest Emma turned to her father, "Down in the hold is the weapons cache, there should be enough swords for you, Killian and Turner. We should be able to convince him to let Marty go by merely outnumbering him but we can't take any chances."

"Emma…" David started forward with a frown.

"Please, Dad, we don't have time."

David gave her a tight nod, frown still in place. He quickly disappeared below deck and she turned to Regina.

"Regina can you operate Zelena's car?"

"Of course," Regina said with a tilt of her head. "Why?"

"You'll take Zelena and Turner back into town but keep out of sight of the Dark One. Wait until we approach him to show yourselves. Then we can work on negotiating a trade for-"

"You bitch! Giving him this pendant is just as good as driving a sword through me yourself! Some Savior you are," Zelena snarled, her face red with rage.

"I wasn't going to actually give it to him if I can help it," Emma said calmly even as she balled her hands into fists against the trembling that had started in them. "But just know that if it comes down to your precious magic emerald or Marty's life I won't hesitate for a second."

"You know I had trouble believing you, daughter of the insipidly perfect Snow and noble to a fault David, had turned to piracy but I can see it now," Regina said with a glint of something like triumph in her eyes. "I bet you've seen your own fair share of darkness, perhaps even in the mirror."

"After my dad brings up the swords get them to town," Emma said shortly in response. "We'll be right behind you."

Regina nodded in acquiescence but there was a troubling edge to her small smile. With no further instructions to give and barely able to keep herself together she moved quickly to the hatch leading to her quarters. She knew Killian would follow her without hesitation and quickly realized that it was no longer a question that he would, nearly causing her to break down in tears once more.

The moment she stepped off the ladder she immediately began pacing the length of the cabin. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably and her mind was a near paralyzing mixture of anger and fear. She didn't want Killian to see her falling apart but she was loathe to send him away. As she went to stalk past him a third time he grabbed her elbow and pulled her into him.

"I can't do this," she whispered into his chest, gripping the back of his shirt as best she could with her still trembling hands.

"Of course you can, love," he reassured her as his hand moved soothingly up and down her back.

"How? It's the Dark One-" she shuddered. "The last time he was defeated it took tricking him with squid ink and then a magically enforced cell to hold him. We don't have either of those here and with no heart he's even more dangerous and unpredictable than before. I can't go up against that and expect to win."

"Then don't," he murmured into her temple. She pulled away from him but he didn't let her get far. He brushed a few strands of hair out of her face as his left arm kept her close, "Am I right in thinking that there's no magic at all here?"

She shook her head slowly, "Both Regina and Zelena have called this realm the Land Without Magic. I couldn't even do a simple cloaking spell when we first got here."

"Then the Dark One is just a man, one that by all rights shouldn't be alive, but still a man. Your plan to have us outnumber him will work because of that," he said, nodding his head in encouragement.

"As simple as that?" She asked disbelievingly.

"Of course not," he scoffed. "I'm sure there will be threats issued, Zelena will no doubt try to escape or throw one of us under the bus, a drop or two of blood might be shed but we'll prevail in the end."

"I don't remember you being this optimistic," she said with a wry chuckle.

"Swan, when you've been living as a jaded asshole hell-bent on revenge it's a welcome respite to actually see a bright side to things," he said before tilted his head to gaze at her with a soft smile, "It could also be because I'm damn happy to have my memories back and with them the knowledge that you can do anything."

"Yeah? Well, I still have trouble poofing myself exactly to where I want to go," she scoffed.

"Stop the Dark One and I'm sure you'll find time to work on it."

Emma huffed out a laugh causing Killian's smile to widen. She shook her head at him, knowing that he was both trying to distract her and bolster her confidence. When he gently squeezed her shoulder to emphasize his attempts she knew it was working.

"First thing I'm going to do is poof us somewhere no one will ever find us," she sighed, pulling out of his arms to retrieve her sword.

"I look forward to it, love," Killian said, his voice dropping so it seemed to rumble out of him. He chuckled humorlessly and sighed, "We can't seem to catch a break can we?"

She paused in adjusting her sword and scabbard at her waist, turning to look at him. He wasn't looking at her, fiddling with the chain on his ring that was still in his grasp. With a small sigh of her own she moved to him and placed her hand gently over his.

"No, but I kinda like what we have over never meeting you at all-" she ducked her head so he had no choice but to look at her, "or having to deal with the stupid courting rituals we'd have had to endure if we'd we'd met as Princess Emma and Prince Killian."

Killian snorted, his eyes crinkling with a smile, "I think your father and Liam would have preferred it that way."

"Emma?" David called down from above deck, as if on cue.

"We should go," she said, straightening and giving Killian's hand a squeeze.

"Aye, but before we do-" Killian twisted their hands around so that her palm was facing up and dangled the chain over her hand, holding onto the ring, "If you'd give me a hand, love."

"Already with the jokes," she muttered, smiling as she undid the clasp and slid the chain away.

"You've been deprived of them for over a year, Swan, can't have you feeling too left out."

"I'm honored," she quipped as he deftly maneuvered the ring with his fingers onto his thumb.

"As you should be," he said with a smirk. "Shall we?"

When they emerged on deck only David remained. He already had a sword at his hip, holding another in his hand for Killian.

"I, uh, assume your sword arm wasn't your left?" David asked, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot.

"You've seen me sign my release papers," Killian said dryly, then seemed to remember himself, "Er, you assume correctly, Your Majesty."

"Jesus, Jones" David said with a shake of his head. "We can hold off on the formalities until we're back home. Here-"

He held out the sword for Killian as Emma stifled a laugh behind her hand. Her father had never been one to stand on formalities with family or close friends before. That David was already doing the same for Killian despite having just learned of his place in her life said more about his acceptance of him than anything else. The thought of the two of them getting along had her smiling and feeling marginally more hopeful about their odds.

"Need help, Your Highness?" Emma teased as se watched Killian try to fasten the scabbard at his waist.

"Ha, bloody, ha Swan," he grumbled. Then with a teasing grin of his own, "You know I'd always thought you'd be trying to remove my belt, not get it secured further."

"I can hear you," David grumbled.

Emma sniggered as she fastened the belt around his waist, careful to keep her hands and eyes from drifting from her task. Killian's hand twitched at his side and the sight of it had her smile widening. David cleared his throat and she stepped back, rolling her eyes at his over protectiveness.

"The others are on their way?" She asked, moving toward the gangplank.

"Zelena tried to put up a fight but, uh, Turner?" David asked in confirmation. She nodded as they disembarked one after the other, "He ended up gagging her. Regina was pleased about that."

"I'm sure she was," she muttered.

As they made their way up the dock David took the lead. Killian's hand slipped into hers as David directed them toward his large, open backed car. She twined their fingers together, tugging him to her side.

"We won't have enough room in the cab for us and our swords," David explained as he unlocked the door of the helm side.

"I'll ride in the back then," Killian offered, pulling away from her to walk towards the back. She stopped him with a tug on his hand. He turned with a quizzical look that softened as he seemed to realize that she was hesitant to let him go, "It's only a short trip, love, and I've had my time to reunite with you. Go on, it's been a much longer stretch since you've seen him compared to me."

"Yeah, okay."

With far less reluctance she let him go and joined her father in the front of the car. As soon as he determined that Killian was seated he started it up and began their trek into town.

"I'm glad you kept up with the sword," David said conversationally after a few silent moments.

"It was easier than trying to shoot a bow and arrow, especially on a ship," she said as she ran her fingers over the hilt. "I was always better with a blade anyway. Mom knew that no matter how many times she forced me on the archery range."

"We both knew it, but she always held out hope you'd at least pretend to enjoy it," he paused. "You, uh, you took to the seas… after?"

"We tried banditry but like archery Mom was much better at it," she said dropping her gaze to her lap. "Sailing away seemed to be our only option and I realized that I liked it. Once we started going after Zelena's ships it became my way of fighting back. Until Killian came along, that is."

"The Prince of Balliolshire," David hummed, shaking his head. "How did you come across him?"

"He was looking for me, actually," she said glancing back at Killian, "I found him first. Knocked him out and tied him to a tree for his trouble."

David barked out a surprised laugh, "That's my girl."

"Were you-" Emma broke off, afraid to ask the question that plagued her but needing to know the answer. "Were you ever hurt? In the castle's cells, did Zelena tor- torture you?"

"Not physically, no," David said, frowning. He glanced at her and sighed, "Zelena is much better at messing with a person's mind. It wasn't easy to stomach but I knew if she was doing nothing more than taunting me with images of you or your mother then there was still hope."

"What do you mean?"

"I was kept alive because I was still useful and I was only useful if you were still alive. I knew that every day that ended with me still breathing it was another day that you had survived. I could have withstood any kind of torture as long as I held onto that."

"Daddy-" Emma whispered, the tears she thought she was done shedding pooling once again in her eyes, "I'm sorry I didn't come for you sooner."

"Hey, hey-" David chided gently. He reached out and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her across to the seat into his side, "Don't beat yourself up over something you had no control over. If you had tried who knows what Zelena would have done to you or any of us. Everything happens for a reason and in its own time."

"Fate," she said almost dejectedly, the word 'savior' ringing in her head.

"Yes, it can be cruel but-" he glanced in the mirror attached to the front glass, no doubt looking at the reflection of the back of Killian's head, "it can also put us on the path for greater things. At least that's how it felt when I met your mother."

"I'll get you back to her," Emma promised.

"I know you will," he said confidently, squeezing her shoulder gently.

It was a quiet ride for the last stretch into town. Emma tried her best to keep her thoughts solely on how she would get Marty out of the Dark One's grasp alive. However when they made the final turn onto the main roadway and saw the crowd gathered in front of the library dread settled in her stomach and her mind was filled with what seemed like the sound of a thousand bees.

David rolled to a stop far enough away from the library that they drew no attention. She let herself out of his car and on unsteady legs. When Killian swung over the side of the car's bed she immediately reached out for him, barely able to grasp his hand with how badly her hands were shaking.

"Swan?"

"Killian- I ca- how am I supposed to- what if- Marty-"

"Emma, calm down, love," Killian murmured, looking over her head for a moment but focusing back on her quickly. He placed his forehead on hers, "Breathe. Come on, deep breath for me."

Pulling in an unsteady breath she kept her eyes on Killian as his hand went to her cheek and his left arm to her shoulder. She felt a third point of pressure between her shoulder blades and was able to breathe a little deeper knowing that her dad was behind her, supporting her as well. With another shuddering breath she placed her hand over Killian's heart and finally began to settle herself in time with the steady beat.

"There we go, Swan, breathe nice and easy-" his blue eyes flicked between hers, full of concern, "We just need to free Marty. That's all. The Dark One has no magic. Remember that, he has no magic."

"He's just a man," Emma assured herself.

"That's right," Killian said with an encouraging nod. "You're Captain Swan, scourge of the seas. You've outsmarted me more times than I'd like to admit in front of your father. You've stormed two palaces more than ready to go up against Zelena. You came here, you broke the curse, this right now? It's nothing more than a walk in the park for you, love."

"You have always been able to accomplish what you put your mind to," David contributed, coming around to her side. "You kept sparring until you could finally disarm Lancelot, you convinced Red to take you to the taverns far earlier than I liked, and you were the one to show both Anton and I that a peace between him and our kingdom would benefit us all. You did that all of that and so much more."

Emma gave a wan smile, bolstered by both of their encouragements. She tipped her forehead to meet Killian's, closing her eyes, "An island."

"What?"

"When this is over and we've won I'm poofing us to a deserted island with enough provisions to last us for months-" she pulled back, opening her eyes and giving him a stern look. "Got it?"

"As you wish, Swan," he replied with a gentle smile, his thumb brushing her cheek.

"Okay-" she took a deep breath and turned to look down the roadway, "Let's go."

At first, when they reached the edges of the crowd, no one took notice as they moved through them towards the center of the gathering. Then, as Emma began to recognize the faces around her they started murmuring her name causing it to ripple outward. Soon enough the crowd parted, leaving a clear path to where the Dark One was standing in the middle of the roadway with Marty next to him, a gold hilted dagger pressed to his side.

"Well, well, dearie," the Dark One said with a mirth filled trill, "I see you've heeded my summons, although you took plenty of time to get here and without what I want. Seems as though this young thief's life isn't as precious as a reunion with your lover or your father."

Emma didn't rise to the taunt, pressing her lips together as she scanned the crowd. She could see Red standing beside Granny, wide smiles on both their faces despite the worry in their eyes. Charlotte and Pinocchio were standing near them, with grim smiles of their own. A fleeting sense of relief swooped through her as her gaze passed over Grace with her arms around her children. Her stomach twisted itself back up at the sight of Roland, Robin Hood and Little John standing slightly in front of the rest, tension in their shoulders and their eyes trained on the Dark One.

"How did you wake up before the curse was broken?" She asked, eyes still flicking across the crowd looking for Turner and the others.

"Stalling for time? How trite," the Dark One said with a sneer. He lazily adjusted the tie of his dark, fitted suit, "But I'll indulge you seeing as you clearly have no better plan.

"I couldn't cast the curse myself, due to-" he twirled his wrist over Marty's head, a wicked gleam in his eye, "extenuating circumstances but I couldn't allow myself to be fully at the whim of whomever did cast it. I weaved a trigger into the curse, one that would wake me up when the time was right. Of course you flitting about town under a fake name delayed it somewhat."

"What does my name have to do with it?" She asked in surprise.

"Didn't those flittering imbeciles teach you anything?" He sneered. "Names have power, dearie, and yours held the key to my release. You have the boy here to thank for that."

"I'm sorry, Emma!" Marty cried out, wincing when the Dark One pressed the dagger deeper into his side.

"It's alright, Marty," she reassured him. She caught a glimpse of Turner making his way towards her and quickly focused on the Dark One to keep him from noticing him as well, "Why do you need that pendant? It can't do you any good here."

"Oh, but it can," the Dark One hissed. "And if you don't bring it to me, well, I can't be blamed for my actions."

Marty winced again and she stepped forward, Killian, Roland, Robin and Little John doing the same. Emma could see Zelena, still gagged, being pushed hurriedly through the front of the crowd by Turner, Regina following in their wake. The Dark One giggled as he stepped backward, keeping himself and Marty equidistant from the three small groups that had formed against him.

"You're outnumbered, Dark One. You have no magic. So let Marty go and there'll be no need for you to try and fight a battle you won't win," Emma said, her voice steady despite the continued trembling of her hands.

"And why would I do that? Hmmm?" The Dark one hummed, his grin fixed in place. "A mere twist of my wrist and you've lost the first in a long line of deaths until I get what I want. Just hand over the bauble and I won't kill him. Simple as that."

She unsheathed her weapon, grinning in satisfaction as Killian, David, and Turner did the same while Robin pulled a small, black pistol from the holster at his side. The crowd moved quickly to get out of their way, clearing the space behind the Dark One completely. He merely smiled wider and moved the dagger to Marty's neck.

"Intimidation tactics only work if the person feels intimidated," he tsked. "I assure you I do not. Give me the jewel."

"No," she said resolutely, stepping forward.

"Pity," he said with a frown, "I'd hate to get blood all over my nice suit."

Marty hissed in pain and Emma watched in shock as blood began to trickle down his neck. She quickly held up her hands in supplication.

"Don't give it to him!" Marty gritted out, his face ashen.

"I…"

She looked to the others and saw the same helplessness she felt mirrored back at her. Only Zelena and Regina looked resolute about their decisions and it made her feel all the more conflicted as to what she should do. Adjusting her grip on her sword she turned to the Dark One.

"How do I know you won't kill us all once you have it?"

"You don't," the Dark One said with a shrug, moving the tip of the dagger back to Marty's side. "But I'm more than willing to strike a deal for it or perhaps I'll just call in that favor you owe me. I'll have that jewel either way."

"Why do you need it so badly? What good is it to you?" Emma asked, desperate to try and figure a way to keep Marty alive and the emerald out of the Dark One's hands.

"Your ignorance of magic is truly starting to bore me," he sighed, his eyes flashing with impatience. His grip on the dagger adjusted enough for her to know what was coming, "Say your goodbyes."

"No!"

Her desperate yell was echoed by others. She stepped forward, focused on the Dark One as she raised her sword to stop him. It was another volley of shouting that had her stumbling to a halt.

"Roland!"

"I won't let him die!"

"No!"

Time seemed to slow as she watched helplessly as Roland ripped the emerald from Zelena's neck. The Dark One giggled delightedly as he stretched out his free hand for it. Roland shot her a look filled with determination and sorrow as he placed the emerald in the Dark One's hand. As his fingers wrapped around it he turned to look at her with a vicious grin of victory.

"The human heart, so predictable."

That was the only warning they had before the Dark One buried the dagger into Marty's side. Emma felt rooted to the spot as she watched Marty fall and the Dark One disappear in a cloud of steel grey smoke.

Panic erupted amongst the crowd, scattering them in every direction of the compass. She sprinted to where Marty had fallen, her crew and friends quickly following suit. When she reached him she immediately dropped to her knees and went to remove the blade.

"Don't!" Robin yelled. "You'll only make it worse!"

"Try and heal him," Grace encouraged, her voice wavering. "If he has his magic back maybe you do too."

"Okay, okay," she murmured, holding her hands over Marty's wound. She closed her eyes and concentrated, only to feel nothing, "I can't. It's not there."

"How did he do it? Was it the emerald?"

"Of course it was. I told you it was a death sentence!"

"Give me something to staunch the wound," she pleaded, holding out one hand as she grasped the hilt of the dagger with the other. "I'm sorry Robin but we need to take it out."

"Here, love," Killian said as he pressed a thick scarf into her hand.

She didn't stop to contemplate who's it was as she pulled the dagger out of Marty's side and immediately put pressure on the wound. Marty groaned, his breathing shallow. Roland knelt down beside her.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't- he's like a brother. I'm sorry."

"What's done is done," she said dispassionately. She took a steadying breath and nodded down at her hands, "Keep the pressure on this."

Roland quickly did as she asked. Once his hands replaced hers she stood, ignoring the dampness on her palms that wasn't from sweat. The others were watching her with stricken faces as she turned to Zelena.

"How do we save Marty and stop the Dark One?"

"We can't. I've been trying to tell you that," Zelena snapped. "He has his magic and we don't. Nothing in this world will stop him from destroying everything in his path."

"Nothing in this world," Emma repeated slowly. She felt her heart beat impossibly faster, "What about ours?"

"What?" Regina croaked, pulling her gaze away from the fleeing townspeople.

"We'll have our magic, the cell he was kept in, and that… that," Emma grit her teeth in frustration before suddenly remembering as Zelena's eyes widened, "Dagger! The one she said could control him or kill him. If we can get back to our land I can heal Marty and we can stop the Dark One."

"And how would we get back, Emma?" Roland asked miserably, tears dripping from his chin. "We only have the one bean left and not a lot of time. It'll take ages to find the Dark One, even if he didn't have magic."

"Don' worry 'bout me Rol," Marty said weakly. He coughed and a splatter of blood landed on his lips, "Get that Dark One for me, yeah?"

"Marty, you're going to be fine," Emma reassured him as much as herself as she kneeled next to him once more. She gripped his hand in hers, "You just need to hold on. Can you do that?"

"I'm so sorry Emma," he whispered, his lower lip trembling. "I just wanted to help."

"I think I know a way," Regina said hesitantly.

"How?" She asked, looking up at her and squeezing Marty's hand.

"We destroy the curse."

"Emma already broke it and we're still here," David growled.

"She broke part of it," Regina said with a forced calm. "It's called the Dark Curse for a reason and breaking it completely takes more than a True Love's Kiss."

"Are you mad?" Zelena asked shrilly. "You know the price-"

"It's your fault we're in this godforsaken mess," Regina snapped.

"I won't do it," Zelena said stubbornly.

Emma grabbed the dagger from where she had dropped it beside Marty and sprung to her feet. The blade was still wet with his blood and it drew a gruesome line as she held the tip against Zelena's throat.

"Do it or when the Dark One comes for your heart I'll hold you down myself."

The gasps and exclamations at her statement came as no surprise to her. What did was the feel of Killian's arm at her lower back as he stepped up beside her.

"I'll gladly assist you with that, love. After all, she does owe me a hand."

Zelena glared at them with pure fury. She looked to the others standing there but seemed to find no sympathy. With a snarl of frustration she dug her hand into her pocket and produced a small innocuous scroll encased in a velvet lined sheath.

"You had it with you the whole time?" Regina asked in shock.

"After she-" Zelena pointed angrily at Emma, "broke into my cellar I needed to keep it safe. I had no intention of actually-"

Marty groaned deeply, mercifully cutting off Zelena's tirade. Emma p;aced more pressure on the blade at Zelena's throat.

"Do it."

"This won't solve everything, princess. You're just giving him access to his full powers, which is exactly what he wants."

"Then I'll defeat him with my own magic. Do it."

With a pointed glare at the dagger from Zelena Emma pulled it back just enough so it wasn't against her skin. Zelena huffed in annoyance but focused on the scroll in her hands. As she unrolled it Emma could sense hesitation in her movements but made no move to hurry her along. She didn't want to push the woman into some sort of quick retaliation they couldn't stop.

For all of Zelena's dramatics the destruction of the curse was nothing more than ripping the scroll in two. Emma wondered at the banality of it and the absence of any tangible results for nearly a half a minute before the ground rocked under their feet and a plume of purple and green smoke erupted from roof of the library, causing debris to rain down along the roadway.

They deftly dodged the falling pieces of wood, Roland shielding Marty as best he could. Once it was only torn book pages haphazardly seesawing to the ground they all turned and stared wide eyed at the column of smoke that had also begun pouring out of the library's windows and doors.

"There, happy now?" Zelena asked spitefully, tossing away the two halves of the scroll with disgust.

"Not at all, dearie."

The Dark One had appeared suddenly behind Zelena, without a sound or a cloud of smoke to herald his arrival. Quick as a snake and snarling like a mad dog he reached out and snapped her neck as though it were nothing more than than a brittle twig. As Zelena's body collapsed at his feet the Dark One turned and focused enraged yellow eyes on Emma while weapons around her were once more raised against him.

"You may have clipped my wings here, Savior, but mark my words the moment we return is the moment you feel my wrath. Starting with the death of your True Love."

"I'd like to see you try."

The smoke began curling around their ankles and knees as Emma faced off against the Dark One. She felt Killian's hand slip into hers, holding onto her almost to the point of pain. The last thing she saw before the smoke obscured her vision completely were the Dark One's eyes fixed on her, burning with malevolence. Then she saw no more.

He sat, silently fuming as he tapped the wavy edged blade against the top of his thigh. He had searched for it for nearly a year, combing through every conceivable hiding place the Dark One could have used. When he had finally found it a thrill had run through him that had shaken him to his core. It was only when he tried and failed to summon the Dark One that his elation had waned. He had been so close to getting what he had been promised and it had been snatched away from him without his knowing by a green hag that was mad with jealousy.

There was still the prophecy and it gave him hope that not all was lost. He was all but certain that everything would work out in his favor. If not he was more than willing to nudge things in his favor. It wouldn't be the first time.

Suddenly the blade seemed to grow heavier in his hand, a weight seeping into it that practically hummed with power. He carefully set it on the table in front of him, a hair's breadth away from the broken sword that matched its appearance in every way that was at his right. The etchings on both weapons gleamed dully in the candlelight but he didn't need the light to read the name scrawled across the shorter of the two.

Quickly snatching the blade back up he held it reverently in front of him. He was unaware of the wild smile he wore or the maniacal gleam in his eyes as he took a deep, fortifying breath.

"Dark One, I summon thee."

End part 2

A.N.: First things first: yes this is the end of this "book". I've had it planned to end this way since even before I finished Crown and Captain. Don't worry the third and final part is already in the early planning stages.

Couple things I wanted to mention: I made the return of Killian's memories a little more dramatic than the show, mostly because how it was done on the show is really boring to write and read. Also, the extra evil Dark One was already set to happen way way before that season 7 wish!realm Dark One nonsense took place and as you saw mine will be a lot less concerned with convoluted plans...

I'll be taking a bit of a break to rest my writer's brain a little and flesh out my plans for the next installment. I promise I will be back towards the end of summer ready and raring to go. In the meantime you can find me over on tumblr (username: terreisa) and perhaps even wrangle a one shot or two out of me.

Finally I want to thank all of you lovely readers that have come with me on this journey so far. I very seriously wouldn't have kept going if I didn't know that there were people out there wanting to know what happens next. The show may be over but the encouragement and joy you have reading these fics have kept my Captain Swan muse alive. Thank you.

Next: The final battle begins.