Hidden Truths

Uh oh, the title of this chapter is the title of the book?! That's not good!! Or is it???

Hope's POV

All of us gathered in the center of town, awaiting, whatever would happen. "Hello, my friends." Faith said, stepping out of the group standing in the middle. "Violet-Marie!" Regina called. "You can still come back from this!" "THAT IS NOT MY NAME!!" Faith yelled. "MY NAME IS FAITH AND THAT IS THE END OF IT." "Calm down," one of the figures muttered. "Mom?!" Henry and I asked at the same time. "What happened to you?" I whispered. Grandma covered her mouth. "Emma, why are you dressed like that?" Grandpa asked. Mom laughed. "Oh, don't you know?" she asked. "This is who I really am." 

The other figure lifted their head. The ground seemed to sway beneath me. "Dad?" I whispered, almost choking on my words. "Hello, Hope." Dad said. Regina closed her eyes. "Oh god," she muttered. "Three Dark Ones." Mom smiled a cruel and cold smile that I have never seen before as she heard what Regina said. "We would be four, if Rumpelstiltskin didn't die." Faith laughed. "Yes, that was quite unfortunate." She looked straight into my eyes. I gasped. Her eyes were a stunning, yet unnatural lavender. "Faith, you have to stop this!" Micah yelled. "Let Emma and Killian go!" Faith just laughed. She shot a blast of magic at Lucy and I, but we jumped out of the way. I noticed Micah and Sera look at each other, a little confused. 

While Regina, Zelena, and Gideon were preparing a blast of magic in return, I crept over to Micah and Sera, gesturing for Lucy to follow. "Why are you confused?" I asked as I reached them. "What do you mean?" Sera asked. I gave her a 'not amused' look. Sera sighed. "Fine, we're confused because if Faith is being full Dark One right now, why isn't her magic stronger? Micah and I have seen her level whole villages with a burst half that powerful." I stared at her. "You mean to tell us that Faith is stronger than that?" Lucy asked, looking over at Mom and Dad beside Faith. "Yes, that is exactly what we are telling you." Micah replied. I waved at Grandma and Grandpa. "Come here!" I called. 

"What is it?" Grandma asked. "Micah and Sera say that Faith is more powerful than she's letting on." Grandma nodded to Grandpa. "Okay, we'll tell Regina, Zelena and Gideon. Can you guys get the town to safety?" I nodded. "Let's go." I said, nodding at Micah, Sera, and Lucy. "We've got this!" 

Regina's POV

"I don't want to hurt you!" I yelled at Emma and Killian. Faith laughed. "Too bad." she responded. I shot a blast at Yzma, but she deflected it with a flick of her wrist. "This isn't you!" I tried again. Emma shot a blast back at me. I jumped out of the way. "Hey sis!" Zelena called from the other end of the town square. "What's the plan?" I looked as Snow and David charged into battle. I noticed the brigade of children running around the square. Micah, Lucy, Sera, Hope, Alice, and Robyn were all trying to get the town/realm to safety. "We have to capture Faith!" I yelled back. "What?!" Snow asked. "What about Emma and Killian?" I looked at the two former-turned-current Dark Ones. "I don't know, but maybe if we can get Faith to talk, we can learn what she did to them, and how to undo it!" 

Faith laughed once again. "You will never get me to tell you what I did!" Yzma smiled. "Besides, you will never be able to undo it!" "Why not?" I asked. "Because, only I have the antidote!" "Ah!" I said. "So it is a curse!" Yzma cursed under her breath. Faith laughed, a real laugh this time. "You walked right into that!" Emma smirked. "Yzma, careful not to spoil anything else!" I nodded to Micah, who was creeping behind Faith. He leaped onto her, wrapping his arms around her in a tight grip. "What are you doing?!" Faith yelled. "LET ME GO!" Yzma looked at Emma. "Go! Run! Stick to the plan!" "You're not just going to leave me here!" Faith yelled. "Aren't you?" 

I looked at Snow and David, almost reluctant to continue. Faith sounded so broken and hopeless. I flicked my wrist and carefully put Faith to sleep. Faith slumped into Micah's arms, giving a small sigh. We all gathered around Micah and Faith. I reached out and touched Faith's forehead. "She's really out." I muttered. Micah sighed. "I can't believe we did just did that." Sera muttered. "Now, we get to figure out what happened to Emma and Killian." Snow said. "We should take this to my vault." I said, looking around the town. "This needs to be private." 

Faith's POV

"LET ME GO!" I yelled, struggling against the peasant's arms. I heard Yzma yell a command to my Aunt. "You're not just going to leave me here!"  I yelled. "Aren't you?" I saw Regina flick her wrist, but then, nothing. I could feel something in my head break free. 

Yzma uncapped a vial in front of my face. "Don't worry, you won't remember this later." 

Micah's POV

I looked down at Faith's sleeping form, she seemed so peaceful, just laying there, asleep. "What went wrong?" I muttered. Sera came and stood next to me. "She'll be alright." Faith began to stir, turning over in her sleep. "We'll give you some time alone." Regina said, ushering everyone else out of the room. Sera thanked her softly and turned back to Faith.

Faith sat up and looked around, her unnatural lavender eyes settling on me. "Ah, the peasant boy." She said, standing up. "What are you up to?" Sera asked, readying her hands. "You won't need those!" Faith said, laughing. Her eyes flicked around the room warily. "What are you afraid of?" I asked. "Why did you not use the most of your magic?" Faith looked at me. "But, I did use my magic to the greatest it could be used." She said, smirking. "Speaking of that, how is my dear cousin?" I stepped up and grabbed Faith's hands, looking straight into her eyes. "Butterfly, what caused you to go down this path? Why now?" I placed my forehead on hers. "Just tell me, there isn't anything you can't come back from." Faith looked down at where our hands were joined, then stepped back, jerking her hands away as if she had been shocked. 

She looked frantically around the room, her lavender eyes fading back to a light chocolate brown. "Where am I?!" She asked, gasping for air. I looked at Sera, alarmed. "You're in Regina's vault?" I said. "I can't be here, I CAN'T BE HERE!" Faith yelled, clutching her head. She looked straight at me. "Help." she said simply. I grabbed her hands. "What do you need help with?!" i said, suddenly worried. "I can't get her out, she's in my head, she's in my head, every second of every hour of every day!" Faith laughed, slightly hysterical. "She's in my head, she's in my head." she singsonged. "I CAN'T GET HER OUT!!" "Who?!" Sera asked, coming up behind me. "Her, I can't get her out of my head." Faith fell to her knees at my feet. "Set me free." she muttered. "Set me free, set me free, set me FREE, set ME FREE, SET ME FREE!!!" she yelled. I grabbed her head in my hands and carefully pressed my face up against hers, hoping to calm her down. "Shh," I whispered. "It's okay, you're safe, we'll help you." 

Faith jerked back from me, standing up. I looked up and saw the lavender tint return to her eyes. "Why would I tell you anything?" she asked, perfectly calm once again. "I went down this path because it is my path, and there is nothing you can do to change that." with that, she snapped her fingers and vanished in a puff of smoke. 

Sera and I looked at each other. "What was that?" she asked. "I don't know, but we have to tell the others." 

Tada!! Another chapter!! What did you think? What's going on with Faith? What happened to Emma and Killian? Stick around and find out! I hope you enjoyed!!

~Val