《Artemis || OUAT》33. Going Home
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"You never cease to amaze me, Peter. Outwitting the Evil Queen in less than a day? That's impressive." Felix praised as he walked behind Pan- Malcolm- towards the well in the woods.
As the two both stepped onto the ledge to look down inside of the well, Malcolm replied, "I just used the element of surprise." He looked inside of the well before pointing out, "This is it. This is where we'll cast it. The ingredients?"
Felix handed him the bag with the stuff inside of it as Malcolm took it and opened it, Felix asking, "When it's done, will they all be dead?"
"Worse. They'll be slaves to this new land we're making with no idea of who they once were," Malcolm explain while tossing down the first ingredient, "Death is final, Felix. Their suffering will be eternal."
Malcolm tossed another ingredient in the well, adding, "What she did is child's play compared to what I have in mind."
Felix smirked, leaning against the edge of the well, saying, "I knew you'd win. Peter Pan never fails."
Malcolm then smirked, completely convincing him that he was Peter, as he tossed down the last ingredient into the well. Felix noticed that nothing happened and asked, "Are we missing something?"
"Yes."
"What is it?"
Malcolm glanced over at Felix, saying, "The heart of the thing I love most."
"So... You have to get Astrid or your brother Rumplestiltskin?" Felix reluctantly asked.
"I never loved Rumple, and I do love Astrid more than anything." Malcolm began, "But love can be many things, Felix. It doesn't just come from family or romance. Love can also come from loyalty, friendship. Only one person has always believed in Pan."
Felix realized what he meant then and widened his eyes before murmuring, "...That's me."
Malcolm nodded, saying, "Don't be afraid, be flattered." He then shoved his hand through Felix's chest as the Lost Boy yelled, "No, no, no, no, NO!"
Malcolm clenched the glowing heart in his hand tightly and crushed it, turning it into dust as Felix died, thinking, "Bring the old Peter back, A."
Malcolm smirked and dropped the remains of the heart into the well just as the green cloud of smoke begun to rise from it.
***
"Another curse? It's happening again?" Snow questioned as they all stood outside of the crypt now.
"Gold, is this curse-- Is it gonna work like the last one?" Emma cautiously began, standing on one side of her son.
"The last one was created to service the Queen's wishes. This will be done per Malcolm's desire. I would count on something hellish." Gold answered as he stood in front of the whole group, "If you thought Pan on Neverland was hell, then just imagine how bad he is."
Astrid looked down at the burned marking on her right arm again and sighed. Property of Malcolm. She hated having this on her arm and it made her feel just awful.
She suddenly felt a stinging in her heart and knew someone close to her had just died by having their heart ripped out and crushed into dust.
Felix. Astrid sadly thought of her other best friend from that island. I'm so sorry.
Regina looked over at Emma, adding, "The curse was built to be unstoppable. There's nothing that can be done."
"Well, it's possible to stop it," Gold admitted. Regina looked over at him in confusion and replied, "What?"
"By using the scroll itself. Both his curse and yours shall be ended. But know this-- there will be a price," Gold further explained, "A steep one."
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Regina sighed and asked, "What do you suggest?"
"Instead of going to him, bring him to us using Astrid here. She, after all, has been soul marked by him." Gold answered.
Astrid looked away from everyone's glances thrown her way and looked down at the ground, not in the mood to talk right now. But she let out, "What will I bloody have to do?"
"Through this spell, I will be able to enhance the effects of your soul mark, which will allow you to reach him and then you'll meet him wherever," Gold explained, "And if you can get close enough to him, then you can take back the scroll and bring it to us."
"No, that's putting her in a lot of danger. She already got hurt by him the first encounter with him," David objected, his hands on his hips.
"I'll do it," Astrid sighed, stopping her father, "I can do it."
"Astrid, you already got a mild concussion, a black eye, and a cut lip from him. You don't have to do this." Emma pointed out.
"I know I don't have to do this, but I need to do this." Astrid commented, "I may be dying, but I'm not bloody leaving my family like this and- and I'm not going to let Peter be in this bloody alone. He brought me back, so I'm gonna bring him back."
"Can at least one of us go with you when you meet up with him?" Hook began, "I'd feel better, knowing that at least one of us are with you."
"No. I have to do that part alone. He won't show if I'm with my family." Astrid answered.
"She's right." Gold agreed with the girl with a nod to her.
"Even you aren't powerful enough to cast such a spell," Regina spoke up towards Gold who simply said, "Well, given the proper tool, I could be."
Tinkerbell immediately spoke up, "The Black Fairy's wand; One of the most powerful fairies that ever existed. Well versed in dark magic, the Blue Fairy exiled her, but before she did, she took her wand."
"I assume our dearly departed Mother Superior had it hidden at her residence," Gold added.
"Well then, what are we waiting for?" David said, "We don't have time to waste. Let's hit the Convent."
Before anyone could go or say anything, Tinkerbell asked, "Can I come? I should pay my respects to Blue, after all."
"Then it's settled. The rest of us shall head back to my shop, and prepare Astrid for the spell." Gold said as everyone nodded.
Hook looked over at Astrid who now showed a slightly worried/concerned look as he moved over to her and reassured, "It's going to be okay, Kiddo. Don't lose your faith now. Now, with that said, I want you to come back, even if you can't get the scroll because something unplanned happened... just come back. Understand me, AJ?"
Astrid didn't say anything but immediately hugged him tightly, her arms wrapped around his waist; He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "Same to you, Hook." She whispered and stepped back as he nodded.
With that said, they walked in different paths and went towards their current objectives.
***
"She's back. The Blue Fairy. And she gave us the wand." David announced as he, Neal, and Hook walked into the back of Gold's shop.
"Do we need anything else?" Emma asked.
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"I think we're all set for your journey now, Astrid," Gold confirmed as the said teenager asked, "So, what happens now?"
"I enact the spell, you'll start feeling even more connected to Malcolm, and when you 'wake up', you'll be able to track him and meet up with him." Gold explained.
Regina then looked over at the girl and added, "And you get that scroll from him, and you come and find us as fast as you can."
"And if it gets to be too much dangerous around him and you cannot get that scroll, then come back as quick as you can." Snow also added, holding her husband's hand tightly.
Astrid nodded and laid down on the couch as Gold began, the Black Fairy's wand in his hand, "Keep your eye on the wand."
Astrid did as told and her eyes slowly shut after a minute. Then Gold tapped the wand to her head, and there was a white light before Astrid gasped out in pain and the mark on her arm burned even more and started glowing.
"What's happening?" Hook asked in concern.
"The connection's growing between the two," Gold briefly explained, and the group continued to watched anxiously.
Then the mark stopped glowing and her blue eyes shot open as she sat up quickly. "I got him, but he's also got me now..." Astrid began while standing up, "Now, I just go and bloody meet up with him."
"Be careful, Astrid." Henry was the first one to say.
"Yeah." She murmured and fixed her swords on her hips and double checked to make for sure she had her bow and arrows on her back, along with her thirteen daggers hidden on her.
Astrid stopped at the doorway and glanced back at her parents and sister as they gave her a 'good luck' and 'be safe' kind of smile. She nodded and ran out of the store and didn't stop running until she found herself running into the woods and came to be face to face with Malcolm in Peter's body.
"Hello, darling," Malcolm remarked, "Can't stay away, hmm?" He slowly moved forward, drawing everything out.
Astrid's mouth twitched upwards some as she pulled out one of her swords and twirled it around once, saying, "Let Peter go. Leave him."
Malcolm smirked before making a sword appear in his hand out of thin air with his magic before replying, "Come over here and make me."
Astrid felt a twinge of pain run through her body from the curse as she ignored it like usual and charged towards him, swinging her sword in his direction as Malcolm blocked it with his own sword.
Malcolm kicked her in the gut, making her stumble backwards; She quickly regained her footing and swung her sword his way again but was blocked by his again. Malcolm commented, "I know all of your moves because Peter knows you so well."
Astrid ignored his comments and pushed his sword away with hers and brought her sword upwards and then down to him as he blocked it again, forming a cross.
After each other deflecting one another's moves for a few minutes, Malcolm managed to make her drop her sword as he stabbed her in her left side with his, withdrawing the weapon and dropping it.
Astrid gasped some as she held her side now; Malcolm smirked and held her in place with his magic and started to choke the life out of her, adding, "You pulled back on your moves. You weren't fighting at your full potential. Shame."
"I- I'm not going- going to bloody fight you. Peter, it's okay." Astrid started desperately, her eyes watery.
Malcolm's fists now collided into her face repeatedly, her nose bleeding, left eye swollen shut and bruised, and lip halfway swollen, along with her cheek bruised.
"It's okay, it's okay. I'm not gonna fight you. I bloody know— I know you're still in there..." Astrid breathed out after spitting up blood, "You're my safe place, my home, my best friend... Y-You're the one that I love... Peter, I— I need you... Don't bloody leave me."
Just as Malcolm was about to hit her again, his fist raised in the air towards her and was about to strike, his hand stopped shakily as his green eyes changed to a kind of a softer green.
"I'll never leave you, love," Peter breathed out, kneeling next to her on the ground and hugging her tightly. "Ever."
"Pe-Peter?" Astrid let out in relief, looking into his eyes, knowing that it was her Peter indeed.
"I'm here. I've got him for now." Peter assured, "I'm sorry he did that-"
"Hey, it's okay, it's over," Astrid also assured before the two kissed for a few seconds and then parted.
"You did it. You brought me back." Peter commented as Astrid smiled and replied, "Did you ever doubt I would?"
"Honestly, Malcolm controlling me like that gave me pause." Peter chuckled, hugging his girl again while also helping her to her feet. "Here, let me heal your bruises."
He was fixing to heal the bruises on her face until Astrid pulled back and said, "That's okay. I'm fine. But we need to get that scroll to Regina and quick."
"Right. The curse." Peter then realized and took her hand in his and teleported the two to where her family was waiting.
Snow and David was the first ones to hug her tightly as Snow looked her daughter over in concern before hugging her again.
Astrid smiled lightly, saying, "Mom, Dad, I just saw you guys. You guys just saw me."
"Yeah, but you're all bruised up even more now and we're just glad that you're okay," David pointed out as he looked down at the girl with a small smile.
"I believe this is what you guys are looking for," Astrid spoke up after pulling out the scroll and handing it to Emma.
Emma looked at Regina and handed the scroll to her, saying, "It's up to you now." But a second later after touching the scroll, Regina fell to the ground as a flash of purple light blinded them briefly.
Everyone looked down at the dark haired woman in shock and concern. "Regina? Regina!" Emma started in worry, her and Henry both knelt beside the unconscious woman.
Suddenly, Regina gasped and opened her eyes as she called out, "Emma."
Astrid looked up from the scene and searched for Peter but didn't see him around them. And she felt something off again, so she snuck away from the group and ran to Gold's shop.
Astrid entered the shop and stopped in her tracks when she saw Gold and Peter both on the floor with an older man standing above them. She got a sick feeling and knew that it was Malcolm.
Malcolm continued and knelt beside Gold, saying, "But unlike the rest of this town, I'm not just going to take their memories away... No. Because of their special meaning to you, I'm going to take their lives. And you won't do a thing to stop me. You know why? Because without magic, you are right back to where you started... the village coward," He looked over at Peter and added, "And the family runt."
Malcolm stood up and turned as the three of them noticed the teenage girl standing in the doorway slightly breathless. "Ah, my dear, sweet Astrid, I'm so glad you decided to drop by and join us. Ready for another beating?"
Astrid glanced over at Peter and Gold both struggling to remove their cuffs off of their wrists and failing as she looked back over at the older man in front of her. "You can certainly try."
Malcolm smirked with a small chuckle before picking up the sword Gold had dropped and swung it towards the girl who immediately pulled one of her swords out and blocked the blow.
Astrid ducked and rolled to the side, slashing at the man's ankles with her sword as he fell to the floor. She stood back up and twirled her sword around in her hand effortlessly as Malcolm stood back up, saying, "Adorable move, darling, but you're going to have to try harder than that."
Malcolm sensed someone fixing to break his curse with that scroll as he sighed and threw his hand out, making Astrid crash into the wall behind her and onto the floor painfully. "We'll finish this up later." He remarked and walked out of the shop.
Astrid groaned and threw up more black blood before shaking it off and standing back up a little wobbly at first. She wiped her mouth and rushed over to her boyfriend and his brother. "You guys alright?"
"Take these cuffs off and we will be," Gold replied as Astrid nodded and removed the leather cuffs off of their wrists. "Thanks."
"No problem," Astrid replied as Gold quickly walked out of his shop to stop Malcolm. She hid a slightly scared look as Peter noticed and asked her, "What is it, love?"
Before Astrid could answer him, she let out a sharp gasp as the veins on her neck turned black, her fists clenched tightly while the immense pain throughout her body tripled.
Peter held her in his arms reassuringly, saying, "Just hold on, A. I will find that cure for you if it's the last thing that I do and you're going to be okay."
She now had her face buried on his chest as she sighed softly, catching her breath. He kissed the top of her head and held her hand, making her look at him. "Let's go see if my brother needs help."
"Yeah." Astrid agreed and the two of them rushed out of the store and stopped in their tracks when they saw Gold's shadow swoop down and drop his dagger into his hand before becoming adjoined with him once more.
Before anything else could happen, Gold suddenly wrapped his arms around Malcolm's, keeping him firmly in place with his body pressed against his own.
"What are you doing!?" Malcolm exclaimed, struggling to move.
"You see, the only way for you to die is if we both die." Gold explained before raising his dagger in the air, "And now... Now, I'm ready." Finally, he angled the dagger towards their bodies before stabbing them both, earning a loud cry from Malcolm.
Peter widened his eyes at the sight of his little brother and his father as Astrid squeezed his hand as a sign of comfort.
After a moment longer, a wave of magic suddenly washed through the air but covering only the two men before revealing them once again. "Papa." Peter and Gold both murmured.
Their father wheezed in pain, desperately starting, "Rumple, please. You can stop this." Malcolm glanced over at Peter and then Gold before adding, "Remove the dagger. We can start over. We can have a happy ending." He laughed, despite his current situation.
Gold lifted his brow at what he said, replying in slight amusement, "Oh, but I'm a villain! And villains don't get happy endings." He then twisted the dagger deeper into them both, causing Malcolm to gasp in pain.
Light began to spew from the wound as they slowly began to die; Gold looked at his father as light continued to grow around the two before he suddenly kissed the man's cheek.
Gold glanced over at Peter and gave him a small, sad smile as Peter returned it. "Farewell, big brother..." He let out as the light encased the two men completely, making the two disappear and leaving nothing but the scroll in their place.
The spell on the group lifted then as Belle suddenly collapsed onto the ground in sobs, "No... Rumple! He's- He's gone!"
Astrid looked over at Peter who glanced down at the ground in grief for his brother. He looked over at his girl and wrapped his arms around her for comfort, trying not to cry.
"Regina? Are you okay?" Snow suddenly inquired as she noticed the said woman's sorrowful look on her face. Regina only knelt down and grabbed the scroll as she answered, "I'm fine."
Emma walked over towards Neal, placing her hand on his shoulder with an expression that mirrored his own, saying, "I'm sorry."
Neal sighed and looked to where Gold once stood and replied, "My father did what he had to do. He saved us." He smiled a little as he thought proudly of his father before turning to the dark haired woman, "Regina, don't let him die for nothing."
"Regina?" The said woman was unresponsive, causing worried looks to be thrown in her direction.
"What?" Regina demanded.
"We're here for a reason, love. Malcolm." Hook spoke up as Astrid shared a look with him from where she stood a few feet from the pirate.
"He's dead," Regina argued.
"We still have the Dark Curse headed our way," Astrid reminded her.
"Can you stop it or shall we all start preparing our souls?" Hook added with a chuckle, "Cause mine is gonna take some time."
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