Winter's Fate

Chapter 7

"I'm getting there." Winter laughed.

"The squid ink.. It's not here." Aurora stated.

"Gold said we would find it." Mary Margaret said.

"Well, was there anyone else in here with him? Could they have taken the ink?" Mulan asked.

"No, he was kept alone. Visitors were forbidden. He was too dangerous to allow any human contact."

"How'd he keep from going crazy?" Emma asked.

"He didn't." Aurora said while holding up a scroll.

"What is it?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Is that a message?" Emma asked.

"Yes and I think it's for you." Aurora stated.

"Why would you think that?" Emma asked. Aurora gave her the scroll with Emma's name written all over it.

"That's a little creepy." Winter said while looking at the scroll.

"What does this even mean?" Emma asked.

"He was obsessed with you, Emma. You were the key to breaking the curse." Mary Margaret said.

"Damn." Winter stated. "He went crazy."

"We've looked everywhere. There's no ink in this cell." Aurora said.

"Well, it has to be. He told David." Mary Margaret said.

"You were in a Netherworld. Maybe something got lost in translation." Emma said.

"No. She heard right." Mulan stated as she pulled out a bottle from the wall.

"You found it?" Mary Margaret asked.

"In a manner of speaking. There was ink in the cell."

"It's not true." Emma said. Aurora threw a rock at a wheel that closed the cell. "Son of a bitch. Aurora what are you doing?"

"Helping me." Cora stated. Her and Hook entered the room. She teleported the compass into her hand. Winter looked at Killian and glared.

"No!" Emma screamed.

"Called it." Winter whispered.

"No. Don't waste your energy, dear. Rumplestiltskin himself couldn't escape from this cell." Cora said. "Thank you, Aurora. We couldn't have done it without you."

"Why would you do this?" Emma asked.

"She didn't." Winter stated. "I knew something wasn't right with Aurora. She doesn't haveher heart."

"You're correct Winter." Cora said as she pulled out Aurora's heart.

"You took her heart?" Emma asked.

"Actually I did. It was a gift." Killian said.

"Forgive us. We'd love to stay, but Storybrooke awaits." Cora stated.

"Hook. Wait. Please don't do this. My son is in Storybrooke. He needs me." Emma said.

"Perhaps you should've considered that before you abandoned me on that beanstalk."

"You would've done the same."

"Actually, no. Do you know what this is, Emma?" Killian asked as he held out a bean.

"The bean that the giant kept."

"Yes, indeed. A pirate always keeps a souvenir of his conquest, but this...well, this is much more than a mere trinket. This is a symbol something that was once magical, full of hope, possibility. Mm. Now look at it. Dried up, dead, useless. Much like you. The time for making deals is done, just as I'm done with you." Killian said. He looked over at Winter who was sitting in a corner, "I wish I could take you with me love."