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banalbones · 4 years ago

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The Petite Prince: Chapter 4

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, 7, 8

Chapter 4: The Treasure Hunt, Part 1

Summary: Roman is a child. Virgil and Logan lost him, and are on a quest to find him. Meanwhile, Remus loves his baby bro.

Words: 1920

Ships: Familial prinxiety, logince and Creativitwins. Eventual familial royality, roceit and DRLAMP

Genre: Fluff with a side dose of angst

Warnings: swears, falling, arguing, creepy little gnomes, tell me if there’s any more!

Taglist: @pricklyfish777 @sunflowerblondeuwu @itriedandimtired @draw-your-perfect-world

_____________________________

“Virgil?”

“Yea- oh no…”

“Exactly.”

_____________________________

Logan knew many idiots.

Roman, for one, when he was not a child. Patton, Remus, Thomas and even Virgil, from time to time, were on it.

Logan never knew he could be included on that list, but there he was.

He and Virgil had checked every room in the mindpalace, even Janus’s, but searching for a small child you can’t help but love, whilst simultaneously panicking because you had lost said child, makes you forget certain things.

Remus being certain things.

The pair had somehow managed to forget about the one person (or metaphysical person) who would willingly cause the angelic young prince harm.

The one person!

How does that even happen? How could one overlook something so dire?

Meaning, the resident nerd was in a bad state.

Virgil was in an even worse state.

Logan picked up the small paper crown, being careful not to tear it, and looked to the anxious side.

He really didn’t look great.

_____________________________

He looked horrible, actually.

Hey! It wasn’t that bad!

It was.

_____________________________

Virgil really didn’t look great.

Or feel great, for that matter.

They had lost the bean, which was bad enough, he had already been panicking about that, but, losing the bean to Remus?

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Thoughts were such a beautiful insight to one’s character.

The emo looked to where Logan stood, then to the deep depths of the Dark Imagination.

He had already been to the ‘Light’ Imagination, with its singing birds (annoying) and its lush forestry (also annoying), but the Dark Imagination was still a mystery.

It was comprised of living trees, dead trees, semi-dead trees and any other things that Remus could have thought up.

Meaning, Virgil was terrified to go.

But, he (and Logan) would do what had to be done to save the bean.

_____________________________

Why do you keep calling him ‘the bean’?

‘Cause that’s what I was calling him in my head the whole time.

Aww, cute!

Shut up.

_____________________________

As the left brain boys mentally prepared themselves to go into the hidden depths of the forest of the Dark Imagination, the two brothers (you can’t exactly call them twins at the moment) were having the time of their life.

In Remus’s room, of course.

Remus had seen his fellow sides enter the Imagination, and came up with a brilliant plan.

--------------------------------

“Hey RoRo, do you wanna prank LoLo and Virgey?”

“Wha d’you have in mi- have in min- in mind?”

“How about we make them go on a little treasure hunt?”

“Yeah!”

--------------------------------

The smol one hadn’t been hard to convince. He also didn’t know that he was the treasure, which was kinda funny actually, seeing as he kept asking what it was.

--------------------------------

“Wha’s the trea- the treasure?”

“You’ll have to wait and see.”

“But I don’ wanna…”

--------------------------------

So, while Logan and Virgil panicked about the paper crown, Roman and Remus created a devious little ‘treasure hunt’.

“Can they figh’ a dra- a dragon?” The miniature royal asked.

Remus looked to the map of the Dark Imagination he had laid out on the table.

“Sure.” He grinned. “Armor and weapons or no?”

Roman giggled.

“With!”

Damnit.

Remus suppressed a groan.

“Whatever you say, little prince.”

_____________________________

The forest was dark and creepy and honestly kind of disturbing.

Virgil shuddered as he caught sight of one of the flying eyes that were following them.He tried to keep his eyes in front of him.

He was failing, but it’s the thought that counts.

“There’s a tower, maybe a mile away.” Logan muttered.

“That’s probably where he’s keeping Roman,”

“No shit, Sherlock.”

A pause.

“I though you didn’t have that one.”

“I now do.”

“Yeah, I can see that.”

“No, you can’t, you can hear it.”

“Same difference!”

“That doesn’t even make sen-oh shit!”

Oh shit?

Virgil looked over to Logan.

Wait, where was he?

“Loga-AhHhHhHhHhH!”

_____________________________

Ow. That was unpleasant.

Logan stood up.

Or attempted to stand up.

“Ow!”

Why was this place so small? And dark? He was already blind, for crying out loud. Also, where was Virgil?

…

“AhHhHhHhH!”

…

There, apparently.

“Don’t stand up.”

“What the fu-ow!”

He sighed.

That was what happened when one didn’t follow his instruction.

“I know that sigh. Logan?”

“Yes. It is me, Virgil.”

“You could have warned me about the ceiling.”

“I did.”

“And the hole.”

“I literally fell through it before you. How could I possibly have warned you?”

“By screaming ‘hole’ instead of ‘oh shit’.”

“Well-”

“HeLlO bOyS!” A voice screeched from somewhere in the darkness.

Virgil screamed and grabbed Logan’s arm.

Ow. Why do I keep getting hurt?

“I hAvE a RiDdLe FoR yOu!”

Virgil tightened his grip, causing Logan to wince.

“What is it?” he questioned.

Might as well.

There was a sound of a throat being cleared.

“WhAt Is SmAlL aNd CuTe, LoVeD wHeN yOuNg BuT nOt WhEn OlD? AnSwEr CoRrEcTlY aNd DoN’t GeT eAtEn By GnOmEs!”

The voice then laughed (or screeched, depending on how nice you are) and disappeared.

For a moment there was silence.

Then,

“What?”

_____________________________

Remus and Roman cackled as they viewed what was happening through the fly-eyes. The treasure hunt was going as perfectly as planned.

(Apart from the two getting hurt, Roman had frowned at Remus for that, causing Remus to pout back. The exchange had ended in giggles.)

“Hey ReeRee?”

“Yeah?”

“I wan’ my cro- I wan’ my crown back.”

Remus turned his head to view the three year old.

_____________________________

He actually looked four at this point.

How come?

He was getting happier, so he was getting older.

Oh.

_____________________________

“Do you want a new one?”

“No.”

“Do you want some cuddles instead?”

“Maybe… but my- but my cr- cr-crown…”

Remus saw the smol one’s lip start wobbling, and oh god if it wasn’t the most heartbreaking thing (apart from hammers).

“Do you want Virgey and LoLo to bring it back?”

And then, as if by magic, Roman adorable little grin returned. He lunged forward, hugging Remus’s long, skinny legs.

“Yeah!”

Remus inwardly let out a sigh of relief. He loved his little brother with all of his (admittedly, shrivelled) heart, but he wasn’t prepared to deal with tears.

“Do you still want cuddles?”

“Duuuuh!”

_____________________________

“A toy?”

The screechy laugh returned.

“YoU iDiOtS! tHe AnSwEr WaS rOmAn! GoOd LuCk WiTh ThE gNoMeS!”

Virgil, for a moment just sat there, shocked.

Roman?

The moment lasted for approximately 0.6 seconds as the sound of footsteps filled the hole.

Many, many footsteps.

Virgil swallowed, his breathing quickening, as Logan scooched closer to him.

Then music started playing.

Virgil took a breath.

Do it for the bean.

_____________________________

“Holy mother of hell.”

That had been terrifying. Even for Logic himself.

He had screamed. So had Virgil. And so they decided they would never speak of the incident ever again.

Logan took a few deep breaths as he regarded his and Virgil’s attire.

His tie was ripped, along with his shirt, and Virgil’s jeans were more than a little worse for wear.

Getting away from the gnomes had been easier one would think, simply crawling through the hole they (he shuddered) had come from allowed them to escape.

It had led the pair to a cave in which they were able to stand.

Thank Einstein, I hate crawling.

“So, now what?” Virgil’s voice echoed throughout the cave.

Logan stepped forward.

Do it for the child.

“We walk.”

_____________________________

Roman, after a healthy dose of ReeRee cuddles, started to feel curious.

There was so much stuff in Remus’s room, after all, and though his ankle still kinda hurt, he still reeeeeally wanted to poke it all.

Possibly with a stick.

“BroBro, stick?” he asked, missing the way Remus’s face filled with joy at being called ‘BroBro’.

“On the way, your highness.”

Roman like the nicknames. Big him never really got all these nice ones.

After being handed the stick by a grinning Remus, the petite prince took a stool (Or what seemed most like a stool) and started calmly climbing the shelves, poking at the stuff in the jars if it was colorful enough to catch his eye.

Remus, on the other hand, was laying on the floor, hands on his heart.

BroBro.

It was so. Pure.

The young prince would perhaps heal his blackened soul.

The Duke was so distracted by the purity of his baby brother that he didn’t even try to dodge the glob of purple luminescent slime.

He blinked.

And heard a snort of barely muffled laughter.

“I’ve been betrayed,” the trash man said dramatically, “By my own brother, no less!”

More giggles were escaping.

“And I am now… dead.”

Remus let his head flop, hitting the floor with a small crack.

After a few seconds, he felt a small finger poke at his cheek (How had that kid managed to get down so fast?) and a voice.

“ReeRee?”

“Ahhh!”

Remus jumped up to lift his little prince into the air, spinning him around and around and around.

Roman squealed and laughed, his little legs kicking the air.

The cutest boy, change my mind.

_____________________________

Virgil and Logan walked. And walked. And walked.

“Are we there yet?”

Logan deigned not to respond. Virgil had already asked seven times. In the past five minutes.

“Are we?”

His voice was higher this time.

Logan groaned.

“No.”

_____________________________

“Hey L, I see a light! At the end of the tunnel! Freedom!”

Virgil had been panicking (shocking) for the past twenty five minutes.

Logan had been getting increasingly irritated for the past twenty five minutes.

Virgil didn’t know why.

(He definitely knew why.)

“I see it, Virgil.”

“But do you really?”

“Yes.”

…

“Mind if I join your conversation?”

Virgil jumped at the lilting voice.

“I’ll do it anyway. Hello fellow travellers.”

“Who the heck are you?”

A small flame jumped out of the darkness, illuminating a figure with delicate features and large wings.

Wings?

“Why, I’m the Dragon Witch of course! Care for some bones?”

“I thought Roman killed you.” Logan remarked.

“He did. That’s why I’m here. Who else could sell bones but the dead? Speaking of,” the witch smirked, “You should buy some.”

“Why?”

The smirk grew.

“Why not?”

____________________________

And so, the left brain boys bought a few bones, in exchange for a shoe each, before going on there way.

The Dragon Witch smiled as she slunk back into the shadows.

Remus would be pleased.

____________________________

Remus was most definitely pleased.

Two more shoes for the collection!

“Hey RoBro, look! It’s Virgey’s shoe! And Logan’s!”

“Shoes!”

“Shoes.” He nodded.

Roman was playing with a few birds that had followed him from the Imagination. And the squirrels. And the deer. And all of the other forest creatures.

The smol one truly was a prince.

I wonder if they have names.

_____________________________

Roman was enjoying playing with the creatures, especially Elphaba.

Her emerald green feathers shone brightly in the golden light of… something. He didn’t know what, as Remus’s room didn’t have many lights, lest not gold-ish ones.

Suddenly, a thought popped into his mind.

“Hey ReeRee?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think if I si- you think if I sing, the birdies will- the birdies will too?”

Big him always did that. It seemed fun.

ReeRee looked a bit confused.

“Li-li-li-”

Roman got stuck on the word. They were the worst sometimes!

“Big me!”

Remus seemed to catch on.

“Like big you does?”

Roman nodded aggressively. Yes! Maybe Big Bro would sing with him! That would be so fun!

_____________________________

As Virgil finally stepped out into the light, relishing the sweet, sweet sunlight, a bunch of birds appeared and started tweeting out… a song?

Well that was odd.

“Hey Logan?”

“What.”

“Is that the tower you mentioned seeing earlier?”

Because standing in front of them at fifty feet tall, was a tower.

And on top of that tower, was a dragon.

Fuck.

_____________________________

Thanks for reading this chapter of the Petite Prince!

I’m going to introduce Patton and Janus soon, so which one do you want to see first?

#sanders sides #thomas sanders sides #tss #roman sanders #baby roman #ts roman #remus sanders #virgil sanders #logan sanders #i hc ro as a disney princess #but a prince #feedback is appreciated

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thecurseoflife · 4 years ago

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CHAPTER 16 - Once upon a time, there was Saporia

On their way back to prison, Camalia was ecstatic. She kept jumping everywhere, spinning, dancing, sometime just stopping in her track to enjoy the moment.

Her mind was free from that dark pressure it had been under all those years. She felt finally completely in control, liberated from that thing that had restrained her for so long. She could run, jump, feel the wind in her hair, the grass uner her feet, everything was... brighter. Like an invisible curtain had been lifted.

Behind her, walking at a much more reasonable speed, Varian and Captain were distractly watching her, deep in thoughts. They both realized something during that terrifying episode.

For Captain, it was to fully understand how wrong he had been, and how dismissive of the girl's pain. He felt a big shard of guilt in his heart. He hated how close to death she- they had to be for him to embrace the danger the snakes, her curse, actually was. Cap' was conflicted, and all of his beliefs were shook to the core. He didn't like that.

For Varian, if it was close to Cap's realization, it wasn't the same. He wrapped his mind around what Camalia had been trying to tell him all this time. That she wasn't completely in control of her choices, of anything she had ever done. But he couldn't help but to feel hurt. No matter the girl's excuses, or what happened, or how hurt she was, he had been hurt too. And he shouldn't... No, he couldn't close his eyes on his own pain in order to help her feel better. He had to listen to himself, take care, take more care than he used to. So, he wasn't going to be this... agressive, violent person he had been impersonating for a year, whenever he felt hurt. But it didn't mean he had to forgive her, close his eyes on his own wounds.

And he was damn right, people. You see all the aspects of Camalia, and you know that she doesn't mean anything bad, but she still hurt people in the process. If someone, as nice and good as they might be, hurt you, don't close your eyes. Don't brush it off like something minor. Take care of yourself, 'cuz no one is going to do it for you. You don't have to hurt the person back, actually please don't hurt the person back, but . I know you guys are probably internally being aggressive toward Varian whenever he prioritized himself over Camalia, and told her to stop. I want to set this right and explain once and for all this is no one's fault. It's not Camalia's, and it's not Varian's. But this far, their relationship has been mainly portrayed as toxic, even if there was a few nice moments between them. It's just people, in the wrong situation, at the wrong time. They need time to actually build up a healthy, good friendship, and at their current state, it couldn't be rushed, it couldn't be suddenly besties. Of course they immediatly held to each other, like their lives depended on it, but it doesn't mean it was good.

Life doesn't have bad and good people. Nothing is white and nothing is black. Everything is grey. Sometime lighter, sometime darker, but always grey.

Camalia stopped in her track and yelped. Varian and Cap' immediatly snapped their neck back up, a drop of sweat running down their spines. They looked around, throat tight, expecting to see a giant snake emerge from the bushes and attack them. But the girl, unaware of their fear, ran straight forward, to the horse that fled the scene earlier.

Scared of that hyperactive human rushing at him, the horse back down a little. But the mage slowed down before reaching him and pulled out her guitare, hastily playing the melody of heal, effectively calming down the horse and easing his pain coming from all the tiny wounds he had all over.

Once they got the horse back up and running (literally), it was much easier and faster to go back to the kingdom... and to jail.

Of course, after what he saw, and maybe also to ease his guilt a bit, Captain decided to put them into a cell together, refusing to leave either of them alone.

-Look, he explained to Varian when he started complaining, I'm a grown man, a captain of the royal guards, I have fought and seen many things, but those things ? They terrified me, and for the first time in my life, I realized I had no chance in a battle against them. I only saw them twice, and they're going to haunt my nightmares. Now, imagine you, an already broken, misguided kid, and her, that had to endure this for 10 years, alone in cells at night, the shadows waving, making you believe the curse and the snakes are back. What now, hm ?

Varian closed his mouth and didn't open it again.

And here they were, the mage, the alchemist, and the elephant in the room.

Varian wanted to talk about the Saporians, and the plan, but he feared he would be left alone. Even if he didn't forgive her, he still wished for her support. Camalia wanted to talk about her behavior and the brutal way she handled the situation back in Old Corona, but she feared that it would only make him upset.

So they sat awkwardly on their respectives couches, sparing a quick glance at the other from time to time. Varian felt incredibly alone, and the disapperance of Ruddiger left an empty, dark and cold spot next to him and in his heart. The girl catched the sad look on her friend's (yes, for her they were friends whatever he said) face.

-I'm sure he's okay.

The alchemist sighed and hugged his legs.

-How can you be ?

-Well, I know for a fact that Witheria wouldn't kill anyone or anything out of rage. So he's safe from her. I also know that despite Decaiera's tendencies to torture and slowly murder her victims, she has a soft spot for everything that isn't human. Even if they were angry, I'm sure Ruddiger is fine.

Varian didn't answer, but held on her word with all the despair he felt in his heart and soul. He hesitated, shifted a bit, bit his lips, shifted again, turned to Camalia and put his legs down, hesitated, opened his mouth...

A loud noise under the cell made them both jump. They looked into the well, a bit nervous, but overall curious.

-Once you kids are done whining on that rodent, maybe we could start making the plan.

Varian's eyes widened, while Camalia huffed in shock and annoyance. She didn't know who that man was, but she already knew she didn't like him. But her friend didn't seem bothered by this thug rude manners. He bowed more, trying to decipher the darkness of the cell under them.

-Andrew ?

-Hello, jailmate. How have you been with the cursed girl ?

Varian stood up, blinked once, then twice, and a huge grin spread across his face.

-Heh ! This is great ! It will be so much easier to work on the plan like this ! Right, Camal-

His smile abruptly disappeared as he remembered the cause of their argument back in Old Corona. She wouldn't help him. She didn't agree. She was an obstacle, an ennemy. Unaware of the thoughts crossing the alchemist's brain, Camalia sighed and got up as well.

-Look, Varian. I know the way I acted back in your house was... very violent and... not... What I mean is I shouldn't have done what I did, and I'm really, really sorry about what happened. However... I don't really have any good reason to not help you anymore. I mean, the curse is gone, I don't really WANT to stay in jail for the rest of my life. Plus, you're my friend, and I think... I think friends should support eachother, so I want to help !

She looked more confident than she felt. She was inconfortable with Varian's plan, and didn't really want to participate in that, but maybe it was for the better... He did have more experience of the outside world than her, he knew what he was doing. Right ?

The boy felt guilty. Not to make the girl his accomplice, but to have made the assumption that she was an ennemy, and making a... plan to sort that out. She already helped him so many time, even if she did screw things up, but he was sure that even if she decided to not aid him, she wouldn't have confessed everything to Cap. He just knew that.

Varian hesitated, then looked down the well. He needed a second opinion.

-What do you think, Andrew ?

-I think that we already have a mage.

Camalia squatted down, and when she spoke her voice was cold and harsh.

-I am not just a mage. I am a music mage. Your people slaughtered mine because you were scared of our power. I am not some wand wielding, trick making maniac. I make actual magic, don't compare our art with your pathetic replica.

The alchemist looked at his accomplice in disbelief, surprised that the sweet Camalia would speak like that, then brushed it off. An offended scoff was heard beneath them, then the cells felt silent for a minute. Andrew's voice finally rose.

-It's your friend, kid. If she joins us, you will be responsible of her.

Varian winced. The music mage was way too impredictable to assume responsability for her. For all he knows, maybe tomorrow she would have burned the kingdom to the ground. Who knows ?! Not him. Maybe he had to consider not-

-I can be responsible for myself. I don't need a babysitter, I just got rid of two. You want me in, or out. No inbetween. And why do you want the downfall of Corona so bad ?! I've read nothing about it.

When words rose again, it wasn't Andrew's voice. It was sharp, broken-like, but definitely a woman voice. Camalia concluded there were at least two people under them, probably more.

-Once upon a time, there was Saporia. It was a thriving kingdom, strong and happy. We had our own culture, our own food, legends and magic. We had a festival, each year, that took place in the middle of winter, and it seemed to have been really important to us. But we, the separatists of Saporia, the descendants of those people, we can't remember why. We can't remember what happened at that festival, what people did there, why it was OUR festival.

-Why ?

Another voice took over. It was deeper, a male voice, probably strong judging by the tone. It was different, yet it ringed in the same soft, sad, low pitch.

-One night, in the middle of summer, Corona attacked. That wasn't really important in itself. Saporia was used to attacks of their sworn ennemy. We prepared ourselves for battle, again. None of the proud Saporians would admit it, but they were tired of that war. Tired of fighting, of being half-awake every hour of the night and day. We wished for peace, but were scared of how it would come.

Silence fell again in the prison. Through the tiny windows, the sun was going down, making the shadows longer and the lights warmer. The animosity that was piercing in Camalia's heart was gone, and both her and Varian had sat down around the well, religiously listenning. The music mage heart was drumming in her chest, and she could feel the tightness of her throat. Their story felt familiar. It hit home.

Like they were hesitating, the minute of silence became two, then three. When the story continued it was a woman, pretty young, that told it.

-That night, our queen told the soldiers to stand down. At first, no one understood why. Then, we realized we weren't getting attacked. The coronan army was there to escort someone to us. The king. That night, the war ended, and everyone was happy. Absolutely everyone. We were all thrilled, coronans like saporians ! There was a huge party in Saporia that night, were kingdoms and borders didn't matter. The problem is, they never did anymore.

Another voice took over, with quite a strange pitch, much higher than expected, but definitely male. Still holding that sad tone with every word.

-Not long after that, our queen and your king got married. It was a time of celebration and happiness. We didn't understand at first why it was not right to have taken the borders down. We were simply relieved to be at peace. Then, it started. It was small at first. We took in Corona's festivals and parties, then we moved closer to them, leaving behind our ancestral temples, then we stopped making our food, and made Corona's. At that point, people were noticing how our culture was being wipped out. We spoke out to our queen, that tried to convince the king to make the coronans interested in Saporia's culture. But we don't know how, he convinced HER that Saporia's culture didn't matter.

-And from then, Andrew continued, they destroyed everything, completely eating us without any trace of what we had been left behind. They took our books but never showed them on shelves, broke our temples pretexting to need stones for the new houses, destroyed everything we were, and no one said anything. When most of the saporians realized what was going on, it was too late. They gave up fighting, and today, saporian's descendants have forgotten who they are. But we haven't. Facing that cultural genocide, some of us rose and tried to fight back, but we were painted as the villains, the ones that were against love and union. But we wanted peace and union. Mutual respect, the merging of our cultures, not the downfall of one for the benefit of the other.

Destruction of a culture. Of what it was. Erasure of their past. To nothing but a line in a forgotten history book. Yes, their story ringed home, because it was. It wasn't fair. None of this was fair. Corona was built on lies, pain and suffering. She still didn't agree with their plan but... Maybe she could make a difference. She would try.

-So, music mage, are you in or out ?

A grumble answered, in the same cell as Andrew's.

-I say we left her out... She insulted my magic.

Camalia flinched but knew it was fair. Unlike what their people had been through.

-I'm in.

WHAT’S THIS ?

First / Previous / NEXT

#the curse of life #tangled the series #tangled #disney #fanfiction #chapter 16 #tcol #camalia #oc #ocs #original character #varian #varian the alchemist #saporia #saporians #the separatists of saporia

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spltlippd-blog · 6 years ago

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❝ I’m officially off the rails. You should try it.❞ BENJAMIN WADSWORTH? No, that’s actually MADDOC ‘MADS’ BLENKINSOP. Only NINETEEN years old, this HUFFLEPUFF alumni works as a WILDLIFE + ANTIQUES SMUGGLER and is sided with THE DEATH EATERS. HE identifies as CISMAN and is a PUREBLOOD who is known to be ERRATIC, VIOLENT, and IMPULSIVE but also RESOURCEFUL, BOLD, and PASSIONATE. { EL, 22, EST, SHE+HER }

I. A HISTORY

“DEATHS: Barnabus Blenkinsop, 25. Body missing. Reward for information.” ─ The Daily Prophet, 8th February 1999.

Mr. Blenkinsop's presumed death occurred on November 20, 1998 and his obituary appeared in the Daily Prophet. A reward was offered for information about what happened to his body since all that was found in his bed at St. Mungo's was a tin of anchovies.

The Blenkinsop family made their money through “trade” and “exploration,” which are both just codewords for seizing territories and poaching wildlife.

They’ve comparable to the mafia in the sense that the extensive family operates within itself as an organized crime unit with a tendency for violence; everyone knows what they do, but no one has the concrete evidence (or balls) to do anything about it.

Plus… dragonhide clothing is all the rage, yeah? Who do you think is out there getting the resources? Those pickled hippogriff eggs (found only in the highest society establishments and incredibly illegal for consumption) that you like so much come from somewhere, right?

Also deal with antique looting for private collectors and played a prominent role in the original horcrux hunt as they were able to track down founders memorabilia and get it by any means necessary.

Weren’t originally anti-muggle, but since the establishment of the Statute of Secrecy became very much so.

The Statute both hurt their business and seemed incredibly unfair; wix were continuously pushed into the underbelly of civilization as muggles were continuously and freely expanding and wix are just supposed… to accommodate that? Be alright with living in hiding and bending over for a race that can’t even wipe their arse without using their hands? Bullshit.

The anti-muggle sentiment only grew and festered over time as wix were persecuted by muggles and forced into hiding and culminated in the Blenkinsops becoming one of the most prominent pureblood families that actively and politically opposed muggles altogether.

Blenkinsops were part of the Knights of Walpurgis and continue to be heavily involved with the Death Eaters.

II. OVERVIEW

NAME.

↳ Maddoc Anarawd Blenkinsop. Goes by Mads.

GENDER + ORIENTATION.

↳ Doesn’t think of people like that. But for the purpose of clarity, cisman, biromantic bisexual.

BIRTHDAY + BLOOD STATUS.

↳ ?? / ?? / ???? (currently 19 years old). Pureblood.

OCCUPATION.

↳ Poacher + antiques smuggler.

III. DIGGING DEEPER

↳ “Now this looks like a job for me / so everybody just follow me / 'cause we need a little controversy / 'cause it feels so empty without me.”

What they see: expensive robes, even more expensive cologne worn far too young, five languages, silver gold and glistening rings, never without his wand, unwavering loyalty, straight spine and shoulder back, looks just like his mother, a smile that says: you don’t know me at all and you never will

What you see: tattered shirts, salt and sweat, a vicious tongue, silver gold and blood rusted rings, never without his beast, all-consuming obsession, violence violence violence, looks absolutely insane, laughing at his own traumas

The images co-exist.

He’s so pretty, absolutely lovely at society banquets, trained in wix ballroom dancing that’s essentially spinning on air, but there’s always been a darkness inside of him you might glimpse upon a first meeting

Anyone who was unfortunate enough to attend Hogwarts with him knows all too well exactly why he’s called “Mads” over Maddoc

“i’m officially off the rails. you should try it.”

ERRATIC. his whirlwind of emotions are either charming or terrifying, and switch so suddenly and quickly it can give you whiplash. his behavior more so. he operates by his own moral codes that’s yet to be deciphered and doesn’t seem to follow any pattern of behavior whatsoever. it’s got its benefits, sure, but the downfalls include: unfinished projects, dropped conversations, and general confusion.

VIOLENT. you don’t get it: one second, he’s smiling, laughing with you, and the next you’re dazed and wondering what it was you said that caused that punch. mads is known for sudden and intense violence; his family is much the same, as their enemies are far too aware of, and rumor on the street is that they all beat the shit out of each other daily. it’s mostly true. while in hogwarts, he earned the reputation of the “attack dog,” jumping into physical altercations at the drop of a hat if he felt it justified.

and IMPULSIVE. his line of work kind of depends on split-second decision making and he’s fortunate enough to excel at that. unfortunately, he’s impulsive to a fault and will go with his gut quicker than he can think not to.

but also RESOURCEFUL. not even mads’ worst enemy would deny his intellect. kid’s fucking smart and able to process information and spit back results in a second; he’s already gone through all the possible outcomes of a problem, he’s already thought thirty steps ahead, he’s already more than prepared for every single plan to go to shit. he’s got this.

BOLD. mads was never one to hold back, whether it be his thoughts, opinions, or feelings. he doesn’t second guess himself and he won’t ever hold back. why live life wishing you did instead of doing?

and PASSIONATE. whether it be his unwavering loyalty bordering all-consuming obsession, or the fire he pours into his every action, or his ability to laugh through tear-streaked cheeks, mads has so much ambition within him it’s hard to contain at all.

fluent in English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Persian; currently studying Greek

Blenkinsops (illegally) keep and breed manticores and each have their own; Mads’ is called Bully and he loves him

but at the same time “do animals deserve rights” because he’s really out here poaching wildlife without a care in the world (ask him about pygmy puff kebabs he had at a shady pub in Morocco)

IV. MAGIC SHIT

(former) HOGWARTS HOUSE: Hufflepuff.

WAND: Cedar wood, acromantula web core, 11 ¾ inches, unyielding flexibility

***(Inherited, passed down through generations of Blenkinsop wizards. The wand is incredibly loyal to its original owner─ dead for nearly 500 years now─ and Mads has difficulty using it.)

CEDAR WOOD: “Whenever I meet one who carries a cedar wand, I find strength of character and unusual loyalty. My father, Gervaise Ollivander, used always to say, ‘you will never fool the cedar carrier,’ and I agree: the cedar wand finds its perfect home where there is perspicacity and perception. I would go further than my father, however, in saying that I have never yet met the owner of a cedar wand whom I would care to cross, especially if harm is done to those of whom they are fond. The witch or wizard who is well-matched with cedar carries the potential to be a frightening adversary, which often comes as a shock to those who have thoughtlessly challenged them.”

ACROMANTULA WEB CORE: Those who are determined, stubborn, cold (cool-natured), fearless, and with a mischievous and/or dark disposition would have this wand core. Having such a wand core suggests that you have firm convictions and have a deeply rooted vindictive nature, but this does not at all mean that you are not capable of caring or loving someone or something in your own way. However, your vindictive nature can often lead you towards revenge when something wrong or unjust is done to you. This makes you less likely to forge strong bonds and/or forgive someone easily. This is one of the best cores to use in the darkest of Dark Magic, particularly with The Unforgivable Curses. It is a wand core predominantly found among those of House Slytherin. If one is thinking about having a wand made with an Acromantula Web core, they’re probably a fan of having their wand confiscated by the authorities. Using a wand with this wand core has been illegal in Britain since 1782, after they were discovered that the wielder of a wand with this wand core has particular ability with Dark Magics, especially the Imperius Curse. There are certain diplomatic exceptions, as it is a traditional wand core for Asian wands, but even those are temporary, and many wizard diplomats on long-term assignments find themselves compelled to procure replacement wands during their stay. This was once a common wand core among Dark Healers.

UNYIELDING FLEXIBILITY: A wand of this flexibility finely tunes itself to its original owner’s preferences and doesn’t stray from those preferences, even in the hands of a new owner; the new owner will just have to get used to it. It is particularly good for combative and healing magic. Unyielding wand owners tend to be very confident in themselves and/or in the things they believe in. They tend to be intelligent, somewhat cynical, and usually have well-defined principles that they will not stray from ever. Sometimes, this combination can lead to arrogance because of them insisting on how right they are without considering other points of view or whether or not they might be wrong.

congratulations on making it to the end!!! i would absolutely love some plots for this ferocious little beast so hmu or look out for my plotting call!!!

#iidyintro

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vagantum-custos · 7 years ago

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Aeona’s Powers

{ Under a read more bc it’s so freaking long, but feel free if you want the whole, entire rundown of each of her magical abilities }

She has an amazing adaptability that allows her to travel the multiverse and adapt to the different energy frequencies that would give anyone else a deadly fever on a spiritual level. Along with that, she can adapt to a universe’s environment and gain an ability similar to what already exists in that world. Basically, she goes to another universe, doesn’t die and once in a while gets a new power if she’s around long enough. Long enough as in ranging anywhere from several months to years and if she’s around specific things the majority of the time. Most of the little things she had gained over time, she let them slip away because she has no use for it, and she’s not one to go around using them unnecessarily.

The powers she has gained due to her passive ability are very useful, but have their various drawbacks since they can be considered secondhand. And if she goes for long periods of time without using them she may eventually lose them. The powers she has are the Five Flames, Water manipulation, NewTech, and the Purity Flame. I shall explain each.

~The Five Flames comes in different colours; Blue, Green, Orange, Purple, and Black, each having a different purpose. Orange is regular fire of which she is able to control what it burns, so she could engulf herself in flames and it wouldn’t burn her. She doesn’t do this much. Blue fire is a healing flame, but she is only able to heal wounds if she knows how the body works to heal it, then she simply accelerates the process, regenerating cells and erasing scars. Aeona still doesn’t quite understand how to heal sickness though. Green fire is able to burn away weak spells and illusions. She does not practice this ability as she uses it mostly for revealing the Smekla. Purple fire creates portals or gateways between two flames. It is the most energy consuming flame and it’s use is limited to places she has seen or been to. So she cannot simply use the portal to sneak into a guarded city if she has never seen the interior of it. But it’s an easy enough task to get to the other side of the wall. Black fire is also known as Hellfire, her most terrifying power as it is able to burn pretty much anything, even the air if it is thick enough with smoke or dust. This flame does not take much energy, but it takes much more mental focus in order to control it. If she were to lose control of this flame, it would not simply disappear as the other flames would, it would spread and quite possibly become too large for her to control. This ability is the most dangerous out of all her abilities.

~Water Manipulation is just as it is named, the ability to control water. Mind you she is limited in that respect, only able to control a set amount of water at a time, about enough water to fill three large bathtubs actually. She does not use this power in combat, usually only using this ability for fun, and this is a power she could potentially lose.

~NewTech. This piece takes the shape of a small jewel in the shape of a sharp diamond centred in her forehead. The jewel glows faintly of a blue colour and thin blue lines like circuitry would appear beneath her skin, pulsating at intervals like clockwork. When activated it changes her clothing and some physical aspects of her body, blue lines appeared on her arms, legs, chest, and face.

NewTech is a technology based power which allows her to create grids out of blue lines, 2D or 3D. It also enables her to throw red spinning blades called ‘viruses’ to follow the lines and destroy whatever is trapped. Alongside this is flight and incredible speed. This ability is very powerful, but it has a major drawback. Aeona is only able to hold her activated form for about five minutes, ten if she really forced herself. Afterwards she will involuntarily pass out for a few hours until her body recovers the extreme amount of energy consumed when using this ability. Because of this, Aeona keeps it deactivated and only uses it as a last resort. This ability is the most energy consuming of all her abilities.

As this piece was not just something she had developed, it was created from a broken shard of a bigger thing and her own adaptive energy, it is not a power she will lose to time. However, if it was torn out of her head, you’ll find little tentacly/tendrilly type things wriggling trying to get back to her before it loses all energy.

~Purity Flame is the ability where she uses her own pure spirit in the shape of fire, often used to drive away darkness and/or corruption within a person or being or land. There is a difference between physical energy and spiritual energy when it comes to her, her other abilities use the former while the Purity Flame consumes the latter. The major difference between the two energies is that spiritual energy does not replenish as the physical energy does. There is a set amount and once it is gone, it is gone, along with all hopes of rebirth or reincarnation.

Her spirit requires it’s strength in order for her to continually exist in another universe, basically, her adaptability and survival in another universe depends on the strength of her spirit and the amount of spiritual energy she has. By using the Purity Flame, she weakens herself and may be prone to disappearing/fading. Her other abilities such as NewTech would react violently and cause her to ‘glitch’, causing her damage as she may pass into limbo due to lack of strength in her presence. Aeona has been advised against the use of this power. This ability is the most self-harming of all her abilities.

For the first part, it would be used outwardly as white fire, but taken further it would change her being to something akin to a celestial, able to channel the energies of the universes she visits. However, doing so would cause her own energy to disperse and spread throughout the multiverse at the end of it, essentially destroy her, soul and all.

~ Some pictures bc heck yeah ~ and it’ll show each power in turn

#;Canon #;About the Muse #;long post #;my art #Canon

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jarienn972 · 8 years ago

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The Recreant - Part Seven

While we wait for the mid-season premier to air tonight, I figured now was as good of a time as any to post the next installment. As I noted at the end of the previous chapter, the plot does head into some controversial territory here as things come together.

From the beginning on Tumblr:

One Two Three Four Five Six

Also on AO3 and FF.net

2:48pm

Once she'd dropped Henry off at Regina's house, Emma headed directly to the Sheriff station where David was already awaiting her arrival, standing in front of her office door pacing and wearing the same puzzled look on his face that she'd been sporting all afternoon. What had started out as a straight forward assault case had become a convoluted mystery with a bizarre list of suspects and an even stranger suspected objective. Trying to connect all of the players was becoming as challenging as a shell game, with something new that kept popping up at each turn.

"I'm so confused with all of this," David mumbled as Emma made her way past him and into the office, dropping into her chair and allowing it to spin around to face him as he took a seat on the corner of her desk.

"You and me both," she sighed. "None of this makes a bit of sense. Killian gets attacked by his friend who may or may not be working for Gold. Smee goes running to Gold when he thinks we might be on to him. We find an old Greek coin inside a pocket watch that I bought for Killian weeks ago – a coin that he said looks like one that Hades tossed at him while he was being tortured in the Underworld. Everything points to that coin being the motive behind the attack and the break in of our house, but we didn't even know it existed until today! This is just exhausting…"

"So, the coin is Greek? I gather Hook got his sight back so he was able to identify it?"

"Yes. Thankfully, Whale was correct and the blindness was just a temporary inconvenience."

"And he thinks this coin was somehow tied to Hades? How is that possible?"

"I've no idea. He told me that the coin was a drachma and he had the strangest reaction to it. He'd barely touched it and suddenly he was talking about things that Hades did to him in the Underworld – things he hadn't talked about since he returned. It was like touching it awakened something in his memory that terrifies him, but he doesn't know exactly what that is."

"I've seen objects have strange effects on people before," David reminded her. "Enchanted objects. Cursed objects. They can have a powerful impression on people…"

"But there's nothing about this coin or the watch for that matter that would lead you to believe they were enchanted or cursed. They're just really ordinary. I would have been able to tell if there were any magic attached to them, wouldn't I? I don't even know anymore…"

"Is it possible that you'd only be able to sense the magic if you were the one who put it there – or the one it was intended for?" he suggested.

"What do you mean?" she wondered, intrigued by the probability of his suggestion.

"From what you described, it almost sounds as if the coin seemed to release some of Hook's memories. What if the enchantment or curse on the coin was only meant to affect him?"

"An enchanted coin meant for Killian that was found inside a pocket watch that I decided to purchase on a whim?"

"Stranger things have happened," David smirked with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Here in Storybrooke, I shouldn't be surprised by anything that happens anymore, but if that's the case, what are the odds that I'd find that exact watch and it would end up in Killian's hand?"

"Depends on if you believe in coincidence."

"You know me better than that," she replied snidely.

"Then you have to believe that it was always intended to end up in his hand."

"So I was drawn to the watch to make sure it made its way to Killian? Okay – let's say that's true. Why would it show up now – nearly two years after he…" She couldn't bring herself to utter the words came back from the dead, but David knew exactly what she meant.

"You said he seemed to be remembering a lot of things about the Underworld. Maybe it has to do with something that happened down there that he's trying now to recall?"

"Can't imagine it would be anything good," she lamented. "What could he possibly need to remember about that awful place? Being tortured? Betrayed? Abandoned?"

"I don't know," David admitted with a frustrated groan. "Just like everything else, it doesn't make a lot of sense, but I know we'll figure it all out and we'll get to the bottom of this."

She slumped over her desk, resting her head on her forearms, weary both from too little sleep and too much on her mind. Less than 24 hours ago, she'd learned that Killian had nearly been beaten to death in an alleyway. He was a skilled fighter and yet he'd been caught off guard by a friendly predator who knew him too well. Knew how to approach without garnering attention. Knew how Killian would react – which way he'd likely turn so as to catch his blind side. Smee had served him for centuries and would have known all of those things – maybe better than she did – and he'd managed to surprise his Captain. His strikes had nearly been fatal and had it not been for Dr. Hopper walking his dog, her husband might not have been found in time. Even now, while she'd healed most of his wounds, he was still critical. He couldn't move his head without agonizing pain and it would likely be days before he could. He certainly wasn't in any position to defend himself at the moment and she gave herself chills at the unnerving possibility that Gold might be behind all of this. There wasn't much that happened in this town that didn't stem from Rumplestiltskin's handiwork, but how exactly did he fit in? What was he after? If they were to assume that the coin was the same one that Hades had taunted Killian with – however farfetched that idea might be – what would the Dark One want with it? Did Hades tell him something about it? Why did Hades feel the need to taunt Killian with an old coin anyway?

She kept rehashing that thought. Why did Hades toss an old possibly enchanted copper coin at Killian while in the midst of torturing him? The gesture made no sense – unless Hades was the one who enchanted the coin in the first place? But again – WHY? What purpose did it serve? It had to be more than just a means of mocking him…

And then the answer hit her.

"Oh my god, Dad…I think I know what this is about!" She bolted upright with a renewed vigor that caught David by surprise.

"Okay…I'm listening…"

"A moment ago you were talking about how objects could be used to influence and affect people. I've done it myself. In Camelot, I used dreamcatchers to steal everyone's memories. What if Hades used that coin to do something similar to Killian?"

"You think something happened in the Underworld that Hades wanted him to forget?"

"Partially," she said, standing up as she prepared to explain her theory. "I think he wanted to make sure that Killian never remembered something that happened just before he died. Something he likely would have discovered when he arrived in the Underworld if Hades hadn't intervened…"

"Not sure I'm following you yet, but keep going," he encouraged, realizing that parts of this were not going to be pleasant for her to relive.

"When I stabbed him with Excalibur, it broke the curse and released me from the Darkness. We didn't yet know that Gold had tricked us and used a potion to funnel all of the dark magic back to him and we also didn't realize at the time that his trickery had pulled all of the Darkness out of Killian too. The wound that would have killed him in Camelot – it reappeared because he died mortal."

"But Gold told us when we got to the Underworld that Hook died as a Dark One," David recalled.

"Gold lied. He lied about almost everything. Killian didn't have any dark magic left in him when he died so how could he have died a Dark One? If he had, the wound from Excalibur shouldn't have come back. I was simply too distraught at the time to realize that and after he returned, it didn't matter anymore. At least not until now…"

"So if Hook did die mortal, not as a Dark One, why would he think he did? And still – what does that have to do with the coin?"

"I'm getting to that," she smiled. "We know that Gold took all of the dark magic back – took back the Dark curse and tethered himself to the newly formed dagger after Excalibur disintegrated, but I don't think he took all of the magic. My savior magic was left untouched because Gold wasn't interested in light magic."

"He's never been interested in the light side of magic because he believes that his dark magic is more powerful," David said. "I'm just not sure what this has to do with your husband. Hook doesn't have any magic."

"Oh, it has everything to do with Killian, Dad. When we first got to the Underworld, Regina's magic didn't work like she'd thought it would and Zelena completely lost control of hers. Only mine never faltered. Dark magic was definitely affected by something down there, but it had no effect on light magic. I think this is especially significant because Hades seemed to be highly affected by light magic. He'd told Killian that he'd beaten and terrorized him because he'd brought hope to his Underworld, but I don't think that was entirely true. I think he targeted Killian because he'd unknowingly brought light magic to his domain."

"But Hook doesn't have any magic," David repeated.

"What if he does and just had no way to remember that he did?" she theorized. "I tethered Killian's life to Excalibur when I couldn't let him go in Camelot, pulling all of Merlin's power and magic with it – both light and dark. No one except Merlin and Killian had been tethered to the sword so it still possessed both types of magic when I joined it with the dagger. When Gold stole back the Darkness, the light magic didn't just vanish. I was left with part of it and I'll bet Killian was too. He just died before he could harness it. We all know that it obviously took me a while to figure it out…"

"That's one hell of a theory," he said, shaking his head at the reality that every single word she'd said was entirely probable, yet they lacked proof of any of it. "If you're correct, the injuries that Killian suffered at Hades' hand were meant to keep him from finding out he still had magic?"

"It sorta makes sense," she stated, picking up on her father's use of her husband's given name. "He told me that Hades and his goons worked him over on a nearly constant basis from the moment he arrived in the Underworld. I think it was all meant as a distraction at first, but you know how stubborn my husband can be. Hades must have used the coin to suppress the memory entirely – with Hades assuming that the coin would never make its way back to Killian."

"But as far as we know, he didn't lose any other memories, right?"

"It might have been used to take away just that single memory – or potential memory. The fact is, he's suddenly having all of these flashbacks so it stands to reason that the memories were suppressed before he learned that secret and now, with things already jumbled in his injured brain, he still hasn't completely figured it out but the pieces of the puzzle are dropping into place."

"Okay then – back to Gold. What's his angle in this?"

"My guess would be that he somehow sensed the magic in the coin, but there must have been some reason that he couldn't go after it himself, so he had to send Smee instead. Maybe he couldn't touch it himself?"

"If you did give Hook all of Merlin's magic and he does still have some of it, we're talking ancient, Holy Grail magic. Nothing would ruin Gold's day more than the possibility that the pirate he's been at odds with for centuries might find a way to harness that kind of magic. That would upset the balance of power for sure."

"My point exactly," she stated. "I'd never even considered the possibility that Killian could still have magic because until now, we didn't have a reason to. He's never shown any signs of it or expressed that he missed it. If that coin unlocked his magic or memories that he has magical powers, we're looking at a huge shift in the town's dynamics."

"I think you need to go have a talk with your husband," David insisted. "Unless you think talking to him about possibly having light magic might be too much for him to deal with right now?"

"It might be, but somehow, we have to figure out if magic is the actual catalyst behind this. Plus, if Gold did actually hire or blackmail Mr. Smee into stealing the watch, he can't be too pleased that he failed."

"Do you think that Gold would have the audacity to confront Hook himself?" David wondered, worried that this might be the start of a full scale attack against his family.

"This is Gold we're talking about. It'll likely depend on whether or not he views Killian as a threat."

"What do you think?" he asked her point blank.

"I honestly think it will depend on what Killian remembers. He may have residual magic left from Excalibur, but that doesn't mean he knows how to access it or control it. And remember, this is all still speculation," she reiterated. "Just because my instincts are telling me one thing doesn't necessarily mean that it's true. We still need a lot more evidence than we have." She paced about her office for a moment, silently contemplating her next move. Should they drag Smee back in and push him for more information? Should she go straight to Killian and do whatever she could to jog his memory? And worst of all – what should they do about Gold? The last thing she wanted to do was to confront him because she knew he'd only deny involvement, but he'd definitely spent more time around Hades than anyone other than Zelena while they were stuck in the Underworld. Had Hades mentioned messing with Killian's memories? Or maybe Gold just figured it out from something else that was said. Either way, it was highly probable that the Lord of the Underworld and the Dark One had a conversation at some point that referenced Hades' actions toward Killian. She couldn't imagine Hades not taking a moment to gloat about nearly breaking the pirate that Rumplestiltskin couldn't. Hades was far too smug for that and she could definitely see Gold getting just a tiny bit jealous.

How did things suddenly get so complicated? Well, more complicated than usual…

"Emma? You okay? You seem lost in thought?" David asked, snapping her back to reality.

"Sorry, I guess I was," she replied in a low, almost forlorn tone. This entire case was taking a huge physical and emotional toll on her and it was beginning to show through the cracks in her typically steadfast façade. "I guess I really need to go have a long talk with Killian…"

"Do you want me to keep watching Smee?" he wondered.

"Maybe not as closely, but don't let him get too far out of your sight," she replied as she stepped out of her office and started toward the front door, stopping just short as she turned back to face David. "And let me know if Gold does anything to raise your suspicions too."

"You want me to spy on Gold?" he asked incredulously.

"Not really spy – observe. Wouldn't be the first time you've done that though, right?"

"No, not hardly," he laughed. Guess it was time to head back out on patrol.

4:10pm

Of course, as soon as she'd left the station, the earlier sunshine and blue skies had given way to late afternoon drizzle so by the time Emma arrived back to the hospital and stepped out of the elevator, her unkempt blonde locks and caramel colored leather jacket were both speckled with raindrops. It wasn't really enough to feel the dampness, but she still had an urge to go find a towel so she could dry off a bit, not that she was going to get the chance. No sooner had the doors opened when she found herself making eye contact with Dr. Whale who swiftly intercepted her before she could reach the nurse's station.

"Emma – just the person I was looking for," he said as he positioned himself between the sheriff and her intended destination. "May I have a moment to talk with you?" He gestured off to his left to the little closet of a waiting room, exactly as he had nearly twenty four hours earlier.

"Is something wrong?" she wondered, unable to disguise the hint of panic in her question. Whale picked up on her uncertain tone immediately and reassured her.

"No, no. Nothing's wrong," he stated as she entered the tiny room and tentatively took a seat on the battered sofa. "I just wanted to give you some updates and have a quick conversation, that's all." Relieved that she wasn't being cornered with anything serious, she allowed some of the tension to drain away. Instead of sitting opposite her, this time the doctor sat down on the sofa beside her to give the appearance of a friendly chat instead of a clinical lecture.

"I was worried you had more bad news for me," she said solemnly as she smoothed out her rain-slicked hair and turned slightly to her right to face him. "Everything is still okay with Killian?"

"Aside from a sudden plague of nightmares, he's still doing far better than my expectations. I did finally convince him to take a mild sedative so he could get some rest because those intense dreams have been having a negative effect on his blood pressure. He's still at risk for the bleeding to return so for his own good, I had to override his protests against the sedative and additional pain medication."

"He didn't want to have to rely on more drugs," she explained. "He's trying to uphold the whole dread pirate image."

"Which is partially why I only gave him a very mild dose," Whale laughed, knowing full well how awful a patient the pirate was being. "It's not something I would normally do for someone with such a severe concussion, but he needs the rest. It'll enable him to get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep, and we're obviously monitoring him closely. If we can get him to 48 hours post-op with no residual complications, we'll plan to move him out of intensive care and start a rehab regime. If all goes well, you can have him home in a few days." Whale then slyly shifted the topic of conversation to a very different, yet equally as important subject. "So…have you told him?"

"Yes," she responded, letting a smile stretch across her face as the earlier trepidation subsided. "Earlier today when he was awake and able to talk a bit longer. I don't think that the news has completely sunk in, but it definitely made him very happy."

"As I thought it might. It's a great motivator for his recovery, but while we're on this subject, I want to ask a few questions about you. The past few hours have obviously been extremely stressful. I'm just a little concerned that it could be affecting the baby."

"I think we're handling it fairly well, as well as can be expected at least, all things considered. Although today all I seem to want to do is eat everything in sight! Thankfully, everything is staying down – well, so far at least."

"So, no major problems with nausea or morning sickness?"

"Nothing drastic. It's been manageable so far, but I'm sure that will change."

"Well, I'd like to do a quick ultrasound so we can make sure everything is okay with your pregnancy since the only thing we've done so far is a blood test? I'd like to establish how far along you are…"

"Fine…," she said, with a deep sigh. "It's probably a good idea since I haven't exactly been able to schedule that follow-up appointment yet…"

"You certainly don't seem to have a lot of enthusiasm about this," he replied, noting her frustration and obvious hesitation.

"I was hoping that the first ultrasound would be something I'd have Killian at my side for… None of this is what I'd envisioned…"

"I do understand that things aren't going according to plan, but they rarely do. The most important thing is that you and the baby are healthy. I'm sure your husband would believe that as well, so let's go see how the littlest Jones patient is developing, alright?"

"Fine," she agreed, repeating her earlier response, but in a cheerier tone this time.

Nearly forty minutes later, Emma was finally able to wander into Killian's room again, clutching tightly to the black and white print out from the ultrasound – one that had not only verified that Baby Jones was thriving and had a strong, steady heartbeat, but also provided a small surprise when the baby's measurements put her a little further along in the pregnancy than she'd thought. Almost a month further along, to be exact. When she'd gotten the positive blood test last week, it had been her own estimate that she'd been around eight weeks along – partially due to her own procrastination with getting the test done after a home test had displayed a little blue plus sign two weeks ago. She'd only had the confirmation test done, just to identify if she was actually pregnant. She was supposed to go back for a quantative blood test to determine the actual levels of the pregnancy hormone in her system, but she hadn't gotten around to it before leaving for Boston, but now she had that more definitive answer – somewhere between eleven and twelve weeks. Almost through the first trimester and she'd had nothing that would have led her to believe she was this far along - which of course meant less time to prepare. Less time to put together a nursery and come up with baby names…

This was beginning to get all too real all too quickly, but instead of being able to celebrate and prepare for their new addition, she was reminded of having to deal with the reality of a critically injured husband whose condition could change in an instant. She needed him to be by her side for this upcoming journey and as she approached him, she felt a mix of excitement and anxiety as she waited to share the first image of their child, but thanks to the sedative, he was still sound asleep. She hovered above him for a moment staring down at the image in her hand – a bright little blob against a dark background that was clear enough to distinguish the oversized head, round little body and teeny arm and leg buds. She couldn't help but start wondering if this itty bitty child would have Killian's brilliant blue eyes or would they be a deep, smoky olivine like her own? Would they have a daughter with dark curls or a tow-headed son? Or would it be the other way around with this child being a miniature version of one of them? That seemed an almost sobering thought…

She lingered at his side for a few more minutes, waiting to see if he'd respond to her presence, but after another ten minutes, he hadn't even stirred slightly so she'd finally folded the ultrasound image and tucked it safely away into the back pocket of her jeans as she leaned over to tenderly kiss his forehead. "I'll be back later tonight," she promised. "I'll bring Henry by for a little while – maybe more than just ten minutes this time if you're up to it… I love you." She thought she saw a faint smile forming on his lips, but he remained asleep – at least she was fairly certain he was still sleeping, unless the pirate was doing an excellent job of faking it. Either way, she was ready to head home for a shower, a change of clothes and definitely some dinner to appease baby's appetite. "See you later, pirate," she grinned, giving him one last little smooch on the cheek before departing.

5:19pm

The truth of the matter was that Killian hadn't been pretending at all. He'd simply been dreaming – the first pleasant one he'd had during this ordeal, even if he couldn't recall the details as he woke. It was surprisingly quiet this early evening – no nurses pestering him and Dr. Whale hadn't returned since convincing him to accept the sedative. Just the now familiar humming and beeping of monitors and machines – not that he knew what any of them were actually for. He did find himself struck with a slight pang of disappointment as he forced his eyelids open and failed to see his wife by his side, but he remembered that it would be selfish of him to assume that she wouldn't take advantage of his slumber to take care of her own necessities. Perhaps she'd needed to get some work finished or, considering the hour, she may have simply headed home to grab a change of clothing and something for dinner. After all, she was eating for two now – assuming he hadn't dreamt that entire conversation.

He was moderately surprised to realize that he was actually hungry himself. Food hadn't even been on his mind until now, but was that a good sign? He'd figured out that the narrow plastic tubing that attached to the annoying needle protruding from the back of his hand was there to provide basic nourishment as well as medication, but if he was going to get any strength back, this clear liquid couldn't possibly be enough. He wondered if the doctor would allow him to eat anything that could be considered sustenance – reminded of the foreign blue blob that had been left for him some years back in this same place, but he doubted that thought. He probably wouldn't be allowed anything until he could at least hold his head up under his own accord, but the pain was still excruciating. Each time he woke, he hoped that the pain would lessen, but rather it seemed to be getting worse. Perhaps it was due to his own stubborn refusal of the desensitizing drugs, but it was becoming increasingly apparent that he may have to relent soon.

Earlier that afternoon, one of the nurses had assisted him with adjusting the bed, surprising him a bit when he discovered that it could be raised further so that his head was now high enough to see out toward the corridor and the nurses' desk without having to strain and move his aching cranium too much. At least being able to view the activity outside of the tiny room's four walls assuaged the loneliness when Emma wasn't here to keep him company. And now, from his vantage point, he had a direct line of sight to the desk where a blonde nurse stood with her back to him, staring intently at something in her left hand.

Only something didn't look quite right with the scene. He was fully aware that while he was just awakening from a drug induced slumber, but to his bleary eyes, it almost appeared that the lass was frozen in place. Were his eyes deceiving him? Was he even actually awake or was this merely a figment of a dream? A somewhat ill-advised attempt to lift his head from the pillow confirmed with little doubt that this definitely wasn't a dream as a flash of pain thundered through his skull, radiating down his neck and into his shoulders. He was nearly convinced that he was hallucinating when a soft chuckle off to his left alerted him to the disturbing fact that he wasn't alone…

"I'll have to give our friend, Mr. Smee quite a bit of credit for this one," a gravelly voice spoke up from the far corner of the room – a spot that Killian wasn't able to see without turning his head further than he was currently capable of doing. "He truly outdid himself…"

Killian squeezed his eyelids closed tightly, his hand curling into a fist as tried to suppress his ire and even his fear as he had no need to see his visitor to know precisely who was present – and it was the last person he wanted to encounter in this condition. "Bloody crocodile…," he hissed. "What the hell do you want?"

"Is it such a crime to pay a visit to an ailing old friend?" Gold asked with a wicked sneer, taking a step away from the wall to bring himself into the pirate's view.

"It is if you're the one who blackmailed my first mate into doing your dirty deeds," Killian snapped back knowing that words were his only defense.

"I have to say that I didn't think the little rat had it in him. I only asked him to procure a certain watch for me, but this – this far exceeded my expectations." The sickening smile on his face riled Killian's stomach nearly to the verge of vomiting.

"Afraid to come and get it yourself? Still a coward after all of these centuries…"

"Oh, I would have done it if needed, but this was so much more satisfying – the sheer delight of watching your weasel of a first mate betray you – which of course left nothing that ties directly back to me."

"Except Mr. Smee. What exactly did you threaten him with?"

"Nothing you need to worry yourself over and please - don't think that I'm even the least bit concerned about Smee running to your wife and the prince. Even if he talks, it's his word against mine and all of the physical evidence points solely at him. But I'm not at all worried that Smee will say anything about my involvement. He's too frightened that I'll turn him back into a rat."

"What do you need with a pocket watch anyway? I'm certain you have dozens in your vast collection of trinkets. What's so valuable about this one?"

"Oh, it wasn't the watch I was interested in," Gold admitted. "It's what's inside – a very special object that just recently found its way here to Storybrooke."

For a moment, Killian recognized that he had a slight tactical advantage. Gold was assuming that he didn't know anything about the coin, but they'd already found it. He had already held it in his hand and through a series of haunting nightmares, had stumbled onto its purpose.

"You mean that old, patina crusted coin that Hades enchanted to bind certain memories of mine?"

The incredulous look on the Dark One's face was all he needed to see to verify he'd come to the correct conclusion.

"So you've found it?" It was clear that the crocodile was none too pleased with this development.

"Aye," Killian replied with a smirk, trying to cover his apprehension with a veil of overconfidence. "'Fraid we discovered it before you had the opportunity to intercept it. My memories are already returning and if I'm correct – this is all about Excalibur's light magic that you failed to take from me when you stole the dark powers back."

"You do surprise me at times, pirate, but you're hardly in a position to challenge me. I took the liberty of glancing over your chart while you were asleep," he paused for a moment as the clipboard with Dr. Whale's notes and all of the nurses' documentation of everything from the medication they'd administered to the hourly record of his vital signs materialized in Gold's hand. "This was quite the interesting read and it would appear that your wife spared you a great deal of discomfort by healing your broken ribs and punctured lung – even your fractured stub of an arm…" Killian self-consciously shifted his maimed arm beneath the blanket. "The fearsome Captain Hook simply isn't so intimidating without his hook and even less intimidating with your damaged head swathed in bandages."

"If you're here to finish me off, you know that Emma will figure out that you're behind this."

"Behind what?" Gold chuckled. "I'm not the one who split your head open and I've no intention of laying a finger on you, but at the same time, I just can't have you figuring out how to harness all of those powers."

Killian stared up at the ceiling, focusing on the rectangular panels and florescent lights above him as he contemplated what Gold could possibly have in mind for him. Hades had tortured him for days – maybe longer - and purloined his memories to prevent him from discovering that the crocodile had only taken back the dark magic. He'd seen with his own eyes the effects that light magic had on the Underworld. Hades had clearly viewed it as a threat and had no intention of allowing Killian a moment's peace until those memories were safely suppressed. Of course, condemning him to the River of Lost Souls would have taken care of that permanently had Emma not rescued him. And now, here he was, returned face to face with a familiar foe and even if he did possess magical powers, he had no idea how to channel them. When Emma had turned him into a Dark One, the magic – the dark energy – had just been there. He didn't have to think about what to do. He just willed it to happen, and it did. This was different - a lot different. He hadn't experienced any physical changes and felt nothing coursing through his veins like the Darkness once had.

But if it was there somewhere…

"We both know that I'm too much of a threat for you," Killian stated, fully convinced that Rumplestiltskin wasn't going to allow him to live long enough to learn the truth. "If I do possess all of the Sorcerer's light magic, I know you'd never pass up the opportunity to kill me, but everyone will know that it was your doing…"

"Who says I intend to pass it up though?" Gold laughed again, a sound so sinister that it had sent Killian's heart racing, and with the monitor in clear view, there was no way to disguise it. "I don't even need to touch you. Those tiny broken blood vessels inside your skull will take care of that for me. All I have to do is open them back up again and ensure that no one gets to you before you slip back into a coma again…or worse…" He scarcely needed to raise a hand to set his plan into action, watching with gleeful delight as his long-time nemesis' face drained of color.

While horrified at the probability that aid wouldn't reach him in time, the pirate was still determined not to go out with a whimper as he mustered every remaining bit of strength he could to lunge toward the Dark One's throat, but the crocodile vanished in a puff of smoke as Killian collapsed against the bed's rigid plastic safety railing – it alone preventing him from falling all the way to the tiled floor. Alarms began to sound on the machines in the room as well as at the receiving monitors at the nurse's station, yet she remained immobilized under Gold's spell.

But the louder the alarms became, the less he heard them as he fought the torrential waves of sheer agony that bombarded his head incessantly. He felt a faint trickle of blood flowing from one nostril as he struggled to force himself back up, but his fortitude was failing him. He finally just rested his weary head against the railing and let himself yield to the pull of the darkness…

Author’s Note: The subject of Killian possessing magic is definitely a controversial one, but for the purpose of this story - and to answer one of the biggest unanswered questions from last season - was one I chose to approach because it fit and an additional revelation will be coming in future installments that will bring everything full circle.

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