A/N (I am so sorry to those of you that got the notification with the wrong chapter I've fixed it now) Here we go, oncers, back on the ride of my own creating. This is turning out to be so much fun to write, and it is growing into a monster of a story. There might even be a couple more books, it depends on how these two lovebirds act. I can hoonestly say, I have been writing whenever I get a second with this one. Thank you all for your reviews on the last book, and I hope you guys enjoy IFIFY as much as you did IHTSYH, and don't forget, the spinoff is also being posted alongside this one, so this will be updated on a biweekly basis. I look forward to seeing your reactions, and I'll see you in two weeks (If we don't all die this Sunday because of a certain wedding) and don't forget, if you want to see original gifwork for this story, I am posting it alongside each chapter on my Tumblr hungrywhovianpotterheadfrom221b under the tag IHTSYH: IFIFY

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Nothing! NOthing! NOThing! NOTHing! NOTHING!

Prologue

He could still feel the echoing pain as the darkness struck, biting and slashing at his skin, worming below the surface, burning as it felt like it replaced every cell in his body, making him grit his teeth, he swore he could still hear Emma's screams for him, but now the silence was almost deafening, until he heard the soft sounds of bird song, and a sharp whistling that pierced his skull.

He spun on the whistler, pulling down the hood, on the cloak he didn't remember donning, an almost inhuman snarl passing his lips as he spotted Rumpelstiltskin lounging against a tree, whistling without a care in the world.

"Crocodile?" He asked, confused, "How are you here?" Killian looked the demon up and down with distrust.

Rumple grinned. "I'm not!" He giggled, "I'm the darkness, dearie. I've come to help ease your transition into the dark one." The imp explained.

Killian raised an eyebrow in question. "Why would I listen to the man that I tried to kill for two centuries? I rather think you've picked the wrong face, mate."

Rumpelstiltskin giggled, and waved a hand, red smoke engulfing him, and suddenly it wasn't him standing there at all, but the Emma from that other place, hair knotted tightly on the back of her skull, skin deathly pale, black dress clinging to her form, and it caused his heart to seize.

"How's this?" She asked in her flat, cold voice, green eyes unexpressive, as her lips turned up in a small smirk. "It seems that this one might do wonders to convince you."

He growled. "You're wrong, because you're not Emma." He turned his back on her, only to find her perched on a fallen tree a little ahead.

"You can't escape me, I'm in your head, silly." She smiled at him, and he thought he might have seen a flicker of Emma there, but he chased it away.

"It's a wonder how easily you might ignore your own mind, darling." He informed her, pushing past her through the trees.

"You never were good at ignoring me, though. Were you, Hook? Not even back then in that bar." She sighed. "You know, almost changed the course of history right there. She never did forget that sexy guy she kissed in a bar."

He shook his head. "Don't take memories from my head to use against me, it won't work."

A high peal of laughter. "These aren't your memories, Hook. I might not have been in this reality, but there was a time, in a separate possible future, where I was the Dark One. These are Emma's memories. I just know exactly which ones to use to torture you. Or convince you you're better off, if you simply give in, and learn how to harness the power you now hold."

He shook his head. "No! I won't give into darkness again. I promised to give up on my revenge, and I damn well intend to keep that promise." He kept walking.

"You can't just walk away, from the voices in your head, Killian." She told him, and in a flash, she was right in front of him, fingers dancing over the front of the robe he wore. "I go, where you go. You can't escape me."

He closed his eyes, willing her away, before he kept walking, "If I'm correct, I'm in the Enchanted Forest now. Which means Merlin can't be far, and the apprentice said that Merlin can destroy the darkness. If I destroy the darkness, I can get back to Emma. So, I'd like to see you try and stop me."

She sighed. "Forget Merlin. You're better off with me. I can show you how to harness that power, so you don't have to lose anyone, ever again."

"I'll never become like them, like Rumpelstiltskin, or any other pitiful souls you've trapped. I'm no longer the man that would hurt the people I love! Or the people who love me." He snarled, as he continued forward, shocked and relieved when she disappeared and the way was finally cleared in front of him. He needed to find Camelot.

~~I'll Fight It for You~~

Emma was in shock, eyes still on the spot that Killian had stood a moment before, the swirling blackness swallowing him whole. She had met his eyes as the darkness took him, his blue eyes wide with fear. She was aware of hearing someone screaming, and only now, was she beginning to realize it was her. She had been so sure that tethering someone to the darkness had been for the best, but now, as she stood, eyes glued to the dagger glinting in the streetlights, did she realize that it was the worst thing she could have ever done. That idea led to Killian throwing himself into the maelstrom, and now he was the dark one. Where was he? Was he even Killian anymore?

Emma shook herself, she couldn't think like that. Wherever the darkness took him, he was still him. Killian would never stop being Killian.

"What the hell was Guyliner thinking?" Regina snapped, breaking the sudden silence that had filled the air.

Emma whipped her head to look at the ex-queen. Who was she, to be angry right now? What had she lost? Killian had saved her life. How dare she be angry with him?

"Regina!" Her father snapped.

"There had to be another way!" Regina cried.

Emma shook her head, still unable to make her vocal cords work.

"There wasn't." Snow informed her, voice thick with emotion. "That thing was going to kill you. He saved your life."

"No." Emma whispered, and everyone turned to look at her. "He was saving mine. I was about to do the same thing. He saved me, by saving her." She moved robotically towards the dagger still lying in the street.

"Emma." David said softly.

"Hook's the dark one?" Henry asked, jogging up.

"Now he's a problem, for all of us." Regina stated as though there was no other option.

Emma spun on her. "He is still Killian!" She shouted.

"I sure hope so, it's not like the one-handed-wonder rode off on a unicorn of rainbows. He was sucked up by a vortex of evil!" Regina shot back.

She was desperate, as she looked back at the dagger, feeling a sense of sinking dread at the sight of it.

"Where did he go? Where did it take him?" Robin asked, and it struck Emma, that Killian is his friend, she couldn't be selfish here. She took a deep breath, she knew there was one way to find him. The dagger. The dagger could summon the dark one. It was right there, she could summon Killian back. She could find him.

"It doesn't matter." She said softly, as she crouched beside the dagger. "If we can't find him, we can summon him." She hefted the dagger before her, swallowing back the grief she felt when she saw his name etched into its surface. "Dark One, I command you, come back." Emma waited, looking around, even looking up, because he might fly down, hell, she doesn't know what to expect. Whatever it was, she didn't expect a perfectly silent night to echo around her, without her pirate appearing before her, to assure her he was still him. "Killian! Come back, as holder of the dagger, I command you! Come back!" she sobbed, shaking the dagger, like that might make it work.

"Emma." She felt strong arms around her, and her father's voice whispered to her, "Come on, give me the dagger, it's okay Emma. I got you, Emma." he gently pried the dagger from her shaking hands. She collapsed back. "It's okay, Emma. It's okay." He promised, as she turned and sobbed into his shoulders.

"Why didn't it work, it was supposed to work." She pleaded with him, shoulders shaking.

He shushed her, smoothing her hair, after passing the dagger off to Snow, so he could hold his daughter closer. "We'll find him. He's not here, but we'll find him."