Storm Song || OUAT x GoT [ON HOLD]

𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔢𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔢𝔢𝔫

broken trust and memories

the dark sea, the enchanted forest

– THE STORMS WERE BAD, BUT THE ATTACKING SHIPS WERE FAR WORSE. The Jolly Roger had almost made it across the Dark Sea, despite the gale-winds and flashes of eclectic light all around, but as they neared port, a pursuer had been revealed. Killian hadn't the faintest idea how the other ship had tracked them through that, but a ballista had blown a hole in his own ship, and now they were taking on water. Not enough to sink them, but it might be if they were delayed longer or damaged further.

The opposing ship closed in, not realising what they were really up against until a thunderous screech echoed across the sky. Great wings cast the Jolly Roger in shadow before passing to take on their pursuers. Rhaenyra gripped Drogon's spikes tightly, her sharp reflexes and his excellent manoeuvring keeping them clear of any scorpions fired their way as they circled. Finally, they found their position, and the dragon hovered for only a second as the sailors rushed about the deck in terror. "Dracarys." Drogon's mouth hinged open, and flames consumed the ship with a blast so powerful it snapped right through the centre. The crew of the Jolly Roger cheered victoriously. They would reach the land safely.

As soon as the ship was docked and tied, the captain was the first one off. His pace was somewhere between speed-walking and jogging as he approached the landing dragon. After nearly a century on Neverland, plus a few years outside of the magical-age-freezing realm, he had no reason to fear the beast any more than Rhaenyra did. She was stepping down from Drogon's spikes just as he reached them, and had only a second to turn around before his hands were grasping her shoulders, his eyes scanning her for any sign of harm. "Are you alright? They didn't get you?"

She grinned, nudging him with her elbow as if to silently say, calm down. "I'm fine. Not a scratch." She appeared to be around thirteen now, and though she was, in fact, much older, she carried mostly the disposition and attitude of a young teenager as well. He looked relieved, and she gestured to where the rest of the crew was heading for a tavern. "Shall we?"

He laughed. "I suppose we shall." Drogon shrunk down to sit upon her back, and the little pirate family marched off to find something to drink.

storybrooke, maine

– THE GOOD NEWS WAS THAT THANKS TO HENRY'S NIGHTMARES, THEY KNEW THE OTHERS WERE ALIVE. They also knew that Emma and Snow had a way home. So the bad news? Cora stood in their way. Rhaenyra was no fool. She remembered Cora well. Killian had worked with him on occasion, and though he kept the princess as far from the witch as possible at all times, there were times when total separation was not an option. It was thanks to these few less-than-pleasant encounters that Rhaenyra knew they were up against something really nasty if Cora wanted to get to Storybrooke.

She wasn't looking forward to going to Rumplestiltskin for help either, but she couldn't exactly take on Cora with some fire and a sword. She was impulsive, not stupid. She knew well enough that brute force couldn't defeat every enemy. She couldn't halt her pacing through the back of the Dark One's shop, to the point that she had to step out into the display area when it was time for Henry to go to sleep. There was no sense getting him all tense too. Then he'd never fall asleep, and this would never work. Not ideal.

She left the shop altogether when David put himself under the curse. She'd never felt more alone than she did in this world, and now she was cut off from one of the few friends she had left. A beautiful new bond, now frozen solid until Snow White returned. If she returned. With their messenger out cold, they had no way of knowing if their message had gotten through, so it was entirely possible that the other heroes were about to face Cora empty handed and fail gloriously.

Her eyes followed Drogon as he glided over the water, careful to avoid the town's limit so as to not spontaneously return to dog form and take a little dive. Day turned to night, and she did not move from her place on the sand, though Drogon curled his warm body around her, laying his head in her lap for scratches.

It was strange for her to love the water, she sometimes thought. Her mother's family came from the fiery holdfast of Old Valyria, the greatest empire ever known, but Rhaenyra was more than just the Blood of Old Valyria. She was also Dothraki, a people who feared any water their horses could not drink for generations until Daenerys led them across the Narrow Sea that they believed to be the end of the world. The truth of it was, Rhaenyra never knew her father, nor was she old enough to know much about her mother, and when she was at her very lowest, it was a pirate of the great seas that took her hand and led her up from the dust, who raised her to be who she was now. Every time she watched the water she missed him, she missed the Jolly Roger. That was home. And yet the memory of them both brought her just enough warmth to hold on. She had spent more than half a decade searching for a way back to Westeros and Essos. There was no way she would give up on seeing Hook again after a few bad weeks.

the enchanted forest, presently

– A CLANG, AND THE METAL BARS FELL INTO PLACE, TRAPPING THE HEROES IN RUMPLESTILTSKIN'S CELL. They rushed forward, grasping them too late. And yet, it was one of them who was responsible.

"Aurora, what are you doing??"

"Helping me." Three sets of shocked eyes snapped up to find Cora and Hook standing on the other side of bars. With a wave of her hand and a gasp from Emma, the compass they'd fought so hard for disappeared from the saviour's hand, reappearing into the evil sorceress'.

"No, no, no." Emma tugged furiously at the unwavering metal spikes.

"Don't waste your energy, dear." Cora smirked. "Rumplestiltskin himself couldn't escape from this cell. Thank you, Aurora. We couldn't have done it without you."

"Why would you do this?" Emma gasped.

"How could you?" Snow demanded at the same time.

"Oh, don't blame her." Cora spoke, as if they were silly little children arguing over a game of make-believe. "She was only doing what she was told." She withdrew a beating red heart that must have belonged to the princess from a satchel.

Emma's eyes widened, fixated on it. "You took her heart."

"Actually," Hook finally spoke up. "I did. It was a gift."

Cora gave the heart a squeeze, making Aurora cry out in pain. "Forgive us. We'd love to stay, but Storybrooke awaits."

The pair of them were leaving when the Saviour made her last attempt. "Hook, wait. Please don't do this. My son is in Storybrooke. He needs me, just like your daughter needs you."

"It's a wonder you have the nerve to talk about my daughter like you care after you stranded me up on that beanstalk." He bit back, tone accusatory and warning.

"You would have done the same."

He stepped closer. "Actually, no. As you said, we both have children to return to. We had an understanding – or rather, we should have. The time for making deals is done, just as I'm done with you." as he turned and left, his mind was flooded with thoughts of that terrible day. The day the curse had come. The day he hadn't realised just how far out Drogon had flown with Rhaenyra – too far – until it was too late. The twenty-eight years might have passed easily for those frozen by the Dark Curse, but the idea of being separate still gnawed at his mind all the same. Would she feel abandoned? Or would she miss him? He didn't know which was worse. He would have spared her from either pain, given the choice. But that was not a gift he would get. Now, though, his chances were looking brighter and brighter. I'm coming, little dragon. I'll find you.