run together ✦ once upon a time #5 [final book]

chapter 12 ✦ bloody hands

Neverland

The sound of crickets and various creatures echoed throughout the Dark Jungle. Everyone was asleep, except me, of course. I hardly ever slept. If I did, I'd be bombarded with nightmares. I sat at my desk with a spell book in front of me. The images of pain that were inflicted in my mother's eyes as I ripped out her heart still played in my head. It wasn't real though, but Hyde did a hell of a job making it look real. I shook my head and started to read the language that was printed in the book. A dagger was set down on the left side of the book. I felt eyes on me and I knew they were Pan's. He had eyes everywhere, but I knew I was safe because of the barrier I put up. No boy could infiltrate it. I grabbed the dagger and pointed it in the direction of whoever was watching me. A gasp escaped the person's throat and I relaxed when I saw it was Ace who had her hands up in defense. 

"It's only me," She croaked. I nodded for her to come in the tent, putting the dagger down. Ace shuffled in and sat down on my bed. "I wanted to apologize." 

"You've done nothing wrong," I pointed out, turning the page of the spell book. 

"I'm sorry for taking you," She paused. I turned and looked at her. She looked uneasy. "There. To my land. I didn't mean to cause you any trouble." 

"I shouldn't have been so stubborn. I was in over my head," I turned the blame on me. She was surprised. I never showed this sort of compassion. "You obviously know that place better than I do. I should've listened to you. I was just too desperate for whatever I was looking for," It grew silent and I slumped back in my chair. "I have blood on my hands," Ace's expression on her face changed to worry. "We all do. If we want to defeat Pan, I don't think war is going to cut it anymore. There's too many of us dying. Those girls out there came here to escape whatever torturous lives they had back in their lands. I've given them the opposite of escape." 

"What happens now?" Ace asked, softly. I looked down at the ground in shame. 

"I don't know." 

Storybrooke

I knew swords weren't going to work on the Queen. Any weapon for that matter. I needed to trap her and take away her magic. I was determined to prove to Emma that I could be a true hero. I had no idea why that idea was bugging me so much. A villain. Nobody wants to called that. One might think that it'd be a bad idea to walk through the woods at night with a Queen running rampage, but that didn't fathom me. One hand, I had my sword. It was stupid to bring it. Strapped on my back was a shotgun that I had stolen from the Jolly Roger's gun cabinet. Hidden away in my satchel was the one of the only weapons that could trap the Evil Queen. Pandora's Box. People think it had been lost, but in reality, I had it the whole entire time. I marched down the trail that led to Zelena's cottage where I knew the Queen was hiding. So many memories flashed by as I walked in those woods. Memories of me being Zelena's little slave. I remember lying to Peter when he was looking for me. I closed my eyes for a brief second before clearing the memory from my head. I spotted the house and picked up my pace. One lone candle was lit. Two figures were in the space the light occupied. I recognized the room as the kitchen. With a flick of my wrist, I was in the kitchen. Zelena and the Queen turned around and faced me. Zelena held her little girl in her arms. I smirked and waved my hand. The baby disappeared and was soon in my arms. Zelena was surprised and before she could fight back, I knocked her back into the wall. She slammed into the wall and fell to the ground, unconscious. The Queen ignited a fireball in the palm of her hand. 

"Still resorting to fire, I see," I observed, but she said nothing. "This is too easy," The Queen drew her hand back, but stopped when I pulled out a dagger, putting it very close to the baby. "One more move and the baby goes bye-bye," She extinguished it and I smiled. "I don't see why you protect this child," I looked down at the baby. "Here's the deal, Queenie. I have done a lot of thinking and I'm getting tired of people like you who think they can rule this town. I just want things to calm down," I looked down at the baby. "But I see that's not going to happen, so I decided to do something about it." 

"What are you going to do? Team up with those people you call heroes? You know they don't want anything to do with you, right?" The Queen hissed and I smirked. 

"You may be right, but quite frankly, I stopped giving a damn," I casually said. Lie. "Clearly, their strategies aren't working. I thought I'd take things into my own hands and try some different tactics. You have a choice, your Majesty. You either-" I put away the dagger and reached into my pocket. I pulled out a vile and set it on the ground, pushing it so it would roll over to the Queen. I got my dagger back out, just in case she tried anything. "-drink this squid ink, causing you to paralysis so I can keep you somewhere safe or I can take the baby somewhere that Zelena will never find and you'll have some explaining to do to that poor mother," She bent down and picked it up, staring down at it. "Your choice." 

Ohhhh Riley 

I finally updated! More to come in the next couple of weeks! :) 

- head lost girl :)