OUAT/VD: The Truth Is Out There [Part 16]

Ch.48: Good Form

Katherine was back in the cave with them. She took a pillow off and was about to take off a makeshift mattress.

“Need a hand, luv?”

She looked at him.

“Is that a joke?”

“No, I was being serious.”

He helped her take it off.

When it was off a piece of rock, she saw markings. He’d marked how long he was on the island. She saw that he’d stopped counting how long though, and realized why.

“He lost hope.”

“You got all that from scribbles?” Regina asked, coming over.

“I got that because I may have never been trapped on this island, but I was trapped inside a tomb once. Plus, I know what it’s like to give up hope.”

“You think the same thing’s happening to Henry,” Charming assumed.

“Pan said it would.”

“Hey. We’re going to rescue him,” Charming assured her.

“Yeah, I know that. And you know that. But Henry doesn’t know that. Pan wants him to lose faith.”

“So, what? You want to send him a message?” Regina asked. “Because I haven’t seen a Neverland post office. What are you suggesting?”

“We take a page from Pan. And we start being clever. We need to send a simple sign. A sign that we’re coming.”

“With Lost Boys running around trying to kill us all?” Regina questioned.

“Yeah, maybe it’s time we used that to our advantage,” Snow agreed.

“How?” Regina asked.

“Follow me. I’ll show you,” Snow said.

Katherine started to follow, but Hook got in her way.

“Pierce.”

“What? We’re wasting time.”

“I just wanted to let you know that I, too, know what it feels like. To lose hope.”

“I know what this is. This. You, you know, trying to bond with me. So, save your breath. I’m not in the mood,” she told him, before walking around him and following Snow out of the cave.

“Let me give you a bit of advice, Hook. She’s never going to like you,” Charming told him.

“Is that so?”

“Well, how could she? You’re nothing but a pirate,” Charming said, before leaving the cave to follow the others out.

While Snow and Katherine made makeshift ropes, Hook sat on a rock, watching, and drinking some rum.

“A trap? That’s your plan?” Regina questioned Snow, as Katherine looked over at Hook.

“The Lost Boys wanna come after us, we need to go after them.”

“You really think a Lost Boy is gonna betray Pan?” Hook asked.

“Thanks for the advice,” Snow said. “David, we need more vine.”

Katherine got up.

“I’ll do it.” As she began to leave, she told Hook to come with her.

“Why’s that?” Hook questioned her, not liking the plan they were creating.

“Because we need more rope,” she replied.

“If the lady insists,” Hook said, and then left with her.

As they walked, Katherine grabbed some more vines for rope, along the way. Despite everything, she’d rather be out here with Hook than anyone else she’d ever known or met in her lifetime. At least he was noble and would never leave her unless she asked him to. Besides, she didn’t want the others to know quite yet that she was dying. Sure, dying sucked, but she’d done it before once as a human. Surely, it wouldn’t be too bad of a death. Plus, she always managed to come back one way or another.

About half way or so away from the camp, Hook saw that she didn’t look well.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, luv, but you’re not looking too good.”

“Well, I am dying,” she replied to him.

Suddenly, everything went black for her.

Hook caught her from hitting the ground and then gently layed her down.

“Katherine. Katherine,” he called. He gently patted her cheek. He pulled out his flask of rum, when she didn’t wake up, and poured some down her throat.

She woke up.

“Thanks. I think I’ll be okay now.”

She began to get up and he helped her.

“No, you’re not going to be okay. I thought you had days left,” Hook said.

She sat against a nearby tree.

“Let me see,” Hook said.

She pulled up her shirt to show him.

“The dreamshade has almost reached your heart,” he informed her. “It’s hours now. You have to tell them.”

“No. Not when I can still help them save Henry,” she stubbornly replied.

“At least take it easy, or what little time you have will be less.”

She saw something on the ground and picked it up.

“What’s that?” Hook asked.

“It’s a military insignia. Jones. You know him?”

She handed it to Hook whom took it.

“Aye. He was my captain. And my brother. We voyaged to the infernal island a long time ago. This was on the strap of his satchel. My brother lost it during a duel with Pan. It must have washed down with the rains from the storm that wrecked the Jolly Roger.”

“From where?” she wanted to know.

“Dead Man’s Peak. I thought it was gone forever.”

“What was gone?”

“It’s too dangerous.”

“What’s too dangerous? If you know something that can help us, don’t hold back.”

“If this insignia survived all these years, then perhaps my brother’s satchel did as well. And inside that satchel is a sextant that can help us decode Neal’s star map that can get us off this island.”

“Then let’s go see if it survived.”

“You’ll die before you can get back,” Hook told her.

“Then come with me and make sure the sextant makes it back to them. Be a hero, for once.”

After agreeing with her, they went back to camp and told them that they were going to go find the sextant and the others could deliver the message.

After leaving, Hook and Katherine had a chat.

“At least you got to say goodbye. Most people don’t get that luxury,” Hook stated to her.

“You lost someone, didn’t you?”

“This is where we ascend,” Hook said, as if she hadn’t asked him a question. “I’ll climb ahead and throw down the rope.”

“It was your brother, right?” Katherine questioned. “I never had a brother, but I know what it’s like to lose someone more than you know.”

Soon enough, they were both on the top, but Pan beat them to the satchel.

When they weren’t far from the dreamshade plant, she collapsed again, though. This time the dreamshade had traveled all the way up to the side of her face.

“Bloody hell.”

Hook went over and, without getting cut by the plant, used his sword to cut through it. He then used his canteen to put the water in it that was special. It was the water that could heal any illness. Once the water was in the canteen, he went over and knelt by her.

“Katherine, wake up,” he called to her.

When she woke up, she saw Hook with a canteen.

“In this canteen is the water that will stop the dreamshade that will save your life.”

“That’s why you brought me up here,” she realized.

“Yes. There’s something you need to know first. Because its power comes from the island, once you drink this water, you can never leave Neverland.”

“Then I don’t want it. I’m not spending my life on this island. I’d rather die,” she replied. “Let’s just get back to the others, rescue Henry, and then we’ll find a way to save my life or we won’t.”

She used the nearby rock to help herself up. Then she used magic to conceal the dreamshade that was on her face and they headed back to the others.

Once they were with the others, they informed them that Pan got it first.

When they were alone, Hook said, “Perhaps gratitude is in order now,” and gave her a look.

“Okay. Thanks for everything that you’ve done so far and for attempting to save me.”

“Is that all your life is worth?” he asked, wanting more of a thanks from her.

“You couldn’t handle it.”

“Perhaps you’re the one who couldn’t handle it,” he replied.

Since she knew what he was wanting, she went for it and they kissed.

When she pulled away, Hook said, “That was…”

She stepped away.

“A one-time thing.”

Ch.49: Ariel

They were back at camp, Regina trying to teach Katherine how to magically make a fire.

“Focus,” Regina instructed. She stood up. “Concentrate.”

“It’s kind of hard when you’re talking in my ear.”

“And when the wind blows, or it’s raining, or someone’s shooting arrows at you. Yes, concentration’s hard. That’s the point. Find your anger and use it to focus.”

“No. There has to be a way without needing magic,” she replied.

“You’re such a pathetic waste of ability.”

“And you’re a terrible teacher,” Katherine replied to her.

“Do you smell that?” Regina asked her.

Katherine looked back at the logs to see a fire. She hadn’t known that she’d found her anger enough to light a fire.

“Smoke,” Regina added, walking away.

Charming sighed, where he sat by Snow by a tree on a log.

“This is a bad idea.”

“She has it in her. She should learn to use it. We just have to trust her,” Snow replied.

“Yeah. It’s not Katherine I don’t trust,” Charming informed her.

Rumple was in a different part of the island, when Pan appeared in the middle of Rumple, trying to see if he could see the future or not.

“You can’t see the future here. You can’t see the future in a place where time stands still.”

“I may not be able to see the future, but I can make one happen,” Rumple replied.

“Was that a threat? And here I made you your favorite breakfast. Eggs in a basket. I thought you could use it. You look a little down in the dumps.”

“I’m fine.”

“Sure, you are, Rumple. You’ve lost your son, Neal.”

“What do you want?”

“Well, if you won’t eat, then I will. I’m just trying to point out the silver lining in your cloudy life.”

“That by killing you, all our troubles end?”

“We both know that’s not going to happen. Because the only way to do that is for you to die, too. You can go. Leave the island.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Even if you succeed, he’ll never forgive you.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Have you forgotten your father? You see my point? Back to that silver lining then. You have a nice girl waiting for you back in Storybrooke. Belle, is it? Stop this foolishness and go back to her. Make a new start. She looks fertile, maybe a new child? You and I both know the only future for you. Assuming you want to live.”

After the speech, he left.

After Regina got tired of waiting around with everyone, she went to go find Rumple. When she did, he was talking to someone that looked like Belle, but the Belle that they’d known before Storybrooke.

Regina did some magic and it was revealed to be Pan’s shadow.

“Did you really think that was Belle?”

“What do you care?” Rumple questioned.

“I care, because I’ve been camping with the Charmings for a week,” Regina replied.

Ch.50: Dark Hollow

Because Regina had changed his mind in dying to defeat Pan, he and Regina went to the ocean and Regina used a seashell to call upon an old acquaintance. A mermaid named Ariel. She gave Ariel her voice back and they asked her to go to Storybrooke to get something to help defeat Pan. Ariel agreed and Rumple told her that since they couldn’t tell her what the object was because Pan had eyes everywhere, he told her to find Belle and give her the enchanted flat seashell. She took it and left to go to Storybrooke and get what was needed, once Regina promised that she could let her have control of her legs whenever she wanted, and she could see Eric in Storybrooke.

Hook and Katherine were alone in the jungle, talking, now that they had the plan to get Pan’s shadow at a cave where Pan’s shadow’s victims were forced to stay surrounded by the darkness in there. They were talking about the kiss.

“When I win your heart, Katherine, and I will win it, it won’t be because of some trickery. It’ll be because you want me.”

She looked at him, being quiet about that. He didn’t have to win it. She was already falling for him, but she didn’t want to, so she didn’t say anything. She just kept on walking to the cave.

When they were inside the cave, the lanterns burnt out and then a couple shadows appeared, trying to get at them.

A shadow grabbed Hook whom was against a bark of a tree.

“Hook!”

She grabbed the star candle Neal had made years ago, that they’d brought with them and succeeded in magically lighting it. Pan’s shadow then got suck into it and she closed it, which made the other shadow disappear.

Hook fell to the ground, but he was okay.

When Ariel returned, Rumple took Pandora’s box from her and Ariel headed back to Storybrooke to find Eric.

Charming and Snow found Tinkerbell.

“I was wondering when I’d see you again,” she greeted them, a bag of food in hand. “But if you’ve come to talk me into helping you before you found a way off this island, I still…”

Charming stepped towards her.

“We found one. Or we’re about to.”

“I’m not sure I like the sound of this about to.”

“Pan’s shadow,” Snow said, going to stand by Charming. “Katherine went with Hook to capture it. That’s our way off the island.”

“Capture Pan’s shadow? Yeah, I’m not lifting a finger until I see some proof you’ve actually succeeded.”

Katherine and Hook found them.

“We did it. Are you finally ready to do your part, Tink?” Hook said.

“Yes. Yes, I am.”

Ch.51: Think Lovely Thoughts/Save Henry

Regina and Rumple soon rejoined the others and they made a plan to destroy Peter Pan.

After Rumple trapped Pan in Pandora’s box, they all went home to the Jolly Roger, including the Lost Boys and Wendy whom wanted to have a home. Katherine had offered them a home back in Storybrooke, and they’d been willing. Henry was there too, safe.

As the Jolly Roger flew, heading back home, Regina and Tinkerbell were talking, when the pixie dust Wend had given her, began to glow.

“Apparently, you still have some magic in you,” Regina commented.

“What happened?”

“If I had to guess, I’d say for a moment there, you believed,” Regina replied.

Ch.52: The New Neverland

It was a beautiful day in Storybrooke. Belle was helping Ariel find her true love, Eric.

“So, if Rumple gave you the right name, he works here,” Belle said, once they’d reached the docks where the guy who worked there chopped up fish. “Is that him? Is that Eric?”

“Yes,” Ariel replied with a smile. She looked at the way he was chopping up the fish. “Wow. He must really hate me.”

“Go on. Go talk to him,” she encouraged her.

She approached and he looked and saw her.

“Ariel.”

“Eric.”

He stopped what he was doing, and they kissed.

They stopped, when there was a sound.

“What’s that?” Ariel asked.

“He’s back,” Belle said.

The Jolly Roger landed and when they all left the ship, there was a crowd of people ready to greet them with a welcome home.

Belle hugged Rumple and then pulled away.

“I told you I’d see you again.”

“That’s the last time I don’t listen to you,” Rumple replied.

By now, Katherine had already told them about the dreamshade.

Later, everyone was celebrating at Granny’s.

Once it got late, Regina took Henry home and put him in bed.

The next day, Katherine was eating at Granny’s, when Rumple came up and told her that he’d made a cure for the dreamshade, and gave her a vial that had a potion.

Katherine thanked him and then drank it, while Rumple went over to where Belle was sitting on a bar stool.