As the group followed the trail they were sure was left by Neal, Killian took Katherine's hand. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.
"About what? That no matter what I say or do I will always be the bad guy to them" she said. "That. Or the earth-shattering pain you mentioned" he said.
"No. Besides, it doesn't matter anymore" she said, squeezing his hand. "You're here now and it doesn't hurt anymore. All this did is remind me that you're the only one there for me. The only one I can trust."
Killian bit his tongue at her words, wishing that he'd told her the truth a long time ago. But instead of saying anything now he just squeezed her hand back as they continued walking.
The tracks didn't lead very far and stopped at the entrance of a cave. "This must be where Pan is keeping Neal," Mary Margaret said.
"If the cave is some sort of prison, why aren't there any guards posted to stop us?" David asked.
"Because this prison doesn't require guards," Killian said, filled with a deep sense of dread as he realized where they were. "Echo Cave."
"You know it?" Katherine asked.
"All too well. I lost half my crew inside those rock walls. The only way to rescue someone from inside is to reveal a secret" he said.
"A secret? That's all?" Katherine asked.
"Your darkest secret," he said. "Echo cave derives its name from an old saying. The deeper the lie the more truth in its echo. The cave demands that you reveal a truth about yourself. A secret you would never admit to anyone."
"This is ridiculous" Katherine sighed. "Don't kill the messenger love" he said.
"Even if we spill our guts, how do we know Neal is still alive in there?" Emma asked. "Because that's what Pan wants. He wants us to rescue him" Killian said.
"Why?"
"So that we reveal our secrets" Katherine realized. "It's a game. Like the map."
"Right. Well let's go then" Emma said, as they walked inside. Echo Cave was much bigger than any of the other ones on the island. The entrance opened up into a large cavern, so deep they couldn't see the bottom.
And out in the middle. Too far to reach was a singular rock formation, with a cage seated on top.
"Neal" Emma mumbled as she looked at the man in the cage.
"It must be 100 feet across," Mary Margaret said. "Even if we fashion some sort of rope, there's nothing to attach it to. No way to swing over" David said.
"And if I used magic, this cave would probably find a way to kill him," Katherine said.
"So what do we do?" Emma asked.
"I told you what needs to be done," Killian said. "Consider this the moment of truth. Literally. So who wants to kick things off?"
"So what? Someone tells their secret and they sprout wings?" Emma asked. "I don't know the particulars. Only what I've been told" Killian said.
"Then how do we even know it'll work?" Katherine asked.
Killian turned and looked down at the bottom of the cavern. "There's only one way to find out, I suppose," he said before turning to Katherine.
She looked at him as he took a deep breath and she was scared that her suspicions were correct. He was keeping something from her.
"When we met," he said. "That day in the tavern. I already knew who you were."
"What?"
"I knew you were the dark one's daughter," he said.
"Well yeah. Most people did" she said, not understanding how this was a secret. "I knew because Pan told me about you. The reason he let me off the island the first time. He told me who you were and that I could get information on where the dagger was from you" he said.
"You said you made a deal with him. What were you supposed to do for him?" she asked, scared that she wouldn't like his answer.
"Bring you to him."
While the ground underneath Katherine felt like it was figurately giving out, the cave shook as a small part of a rock bridge started to form, leading to Neil's cage.
When the cave stopped shaking, Katherine hadn't. Everything in her body felt like it was shutting down. Like she was going numb.
"Katherine, I-"
"I don't want to talk to you right now. Someone else please just go next so we can get out of here" she begged, her voice shaking as the tears formed in her eyes.
David stepped up, feeling sorry for her as he prepared to go next. "Mary Margaret-"
"No, no, no." Mary Margaret said, cutting him off. "David. Ever since the curse broke, since we found each other, since we found Emma, in all of that happiness, there's something I haven't wanted to admit. Our daughter is a beautiful, smart, amazing woman whom I love very much and of whom I could not be more proud. But she's all grown up. And as much as I want to pretend I'm okay with that, I'm not. We missed it, David. What we have with her is unique. But it's not what I wanted. We were cheated out of everything. Her first step, her first word, her first smile, we missed it all!"
"What are you saying?" David asked.
"When we get off this island and get back to Storybrooke, I want another go at it. I wanna have another baby."
The cave shook again as a bit more of the bridge was revealed.
"Nothing in this world would make me happier," David said. "And I know with all my heart, that you would make an amazing mother. But it can never happen. At least not with me."
"What do you mean?" Mary Margeret asked.
"When Hook and I went to search for the sextant, he was really taking me to find a cure," David said. "A cure for what?" she asked.
"Dreamshade. When I didn't listen to him, when we didn't take the other route, I was scratched. He was able to find a cure but it comes at a price. I can't leave Neverland. If I do, I'll die."
Again the cave shook, as more of the bridge was formed.
Everyone looked at Emma and Katherine to go next.
"Katherine, I can-"
"No, it's fine," Katherine said. "I'l go."
Killian tried to take her hand but she pulled away. "You know you can tell me anything, love," he said.
"And I have. I have never lied to you. In the entire time that we've known each other, not once have I ever kept something from you" she said. "I don't have any secrets from you."
"Katherine, you have to say something," Emma said.
Katherine turned to her and sighed.
"I knew about the dark curse. When I was a little girl I overheard my parents talking about it. I never knew exactly what it would do, or when they would enact it. But I knew what it would cost. The heart of the thing my mother loved most, yet...I'm still here. My mother has always tried to love me but she's never been capable. Her heart is so full of vengeance for you" she said looking at Mary Margaret "that she has no room for me. But it never mattered because I love her. I've always loved her enough for the both of us. And my father would always talk about his son, Baelfire. About how much he missed him and loved him and wanted him back. It used to make me so angry because I was right there! I was his daughter and I was right there and I loved him but it didn't matter. Then after the curse, my mother adopted Henry and she loved him so much. She cared for him and treated him in ways she never did me"
Katherine paused, wiping her tears away trying to control how shaky and broken her voice sounded.
"I know why. When I heard them talk about the curse they talked about me. And they talked about you, the Savior. With my father's foresight, they knew you'd be strong enough to break the curse. So they made me. My parents don't love me because I was never really theirs. I wasn't born, I was created. With magic. My sole purpose was to be able to defeat you. But you did it. You broke the curse which means I failed. And all the loneliness and emptiness I felt my entire life was for nothing because I couldn't even do the one thing I was made for! But then it didn't matter because I thought I found someone who truly loved me. And cared about me and would never lie to me and I just found out it was all built on a lie. Just to use me."
"Katherine-"
"My secret, my deepest darkest secret, is that now I understand the dark in Dark Princess. Because that emptiness and loneliness I felt wasn't empty at all. It was just filled with a cold dark void that I can't get rid of it. That I don't want to get rid of. I'm the Dark Princess because I represent the absence of everything. Light. Happiness. Family...love."
Suddenly the ground shook from under this again, the bridge that formed finally reaching them and providing a path to get to Neil.
Killian looked at Katherine, grabbing her arms. "Katherine, love, I need you to listen to me," he said. Katherine shook her head, moving her arms from his grip as she looked at Emma. "Go," she said, gesturing toward Neil. "It's your turn."
Emma looked at her and didn't say anything as she nodded and started walking along the bridge toward Neil.
"I'm going to wait outside," Katherine said. "I need some air."
Killian followed her out, his own heart heavy in his chest as he watched the woman he loved completely fall apart in front of him. And he felt as though it was all his fault.
"Katherine," he said, as she slumped down in front of a tree, sobs wracking her body. "Please just leave me alone" she cried, barely choking out the words.
"No, I won't," he said squatting in front of her. "I won't leave you alone. Not now or ever. You don't have to say anything. I just need you to listen to me. I do not want you to doubt for even a second that I love you. The moment I walked into that tavern, that I saw you, and I looked into your eyes I knew. I knew that from that moment on no one would ever have as much of a hold on my heart as you do."
"What about Milah? I know that you had a life before me and I get that. But if it wasn't for who my father is you would've never come looking for me. You would've never found me and she would still be the only person you've ever loved" she said.
"I know a thing or two about fate, love. And I know that you are mine. Yes, Milah was someone I'd never thought I'd get over. Someone who I spent half my life seeking revenge for. She was my first love. But you are my last. You're the one who gave my life purpose. With you, I don't want revenge I want happiness. I want everything that makes life meaningful with you."
"Even if that's true. There's so much darkness in me and I don't want you to get caught in it" she said.
"I would rather swim in stormy seas with you than sail in calm waters with anybody else."