CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
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i. a leap of faith !

the enchanted forest . now .

— CHRISTOPHER TOOK HIS TIME ADMIRING THE FOREST SURROUNDING THEM AS THEY WALKED. The emerald green plants with dotted white flowers creating a delicate and rather beautiful atmosphere.

He'd hardly thought about the Enchanted Forest since the curse had broken... simply by itself, without the danger, it was a rather gorgeous setting.

He couldn't help but remember a time when he called this realm his home.

Somewhere, in the centre of the Hundred Acre Woods, there was a house carved from a felled tree. A house that used to shelter his little family of fluffy paws and warm hearts.

He began to miss it. His home.

But then he looked up at the tall, wonderfully beautiful trees and completely disregarded the idea.

His mama... his brothers... wherever they were- that was his home.

The trees began to thin out as the group moved tirelessly, trailing after Snow as she put her tracking skills to good use once again. The terrain was slowly becoming more and more barren, the ground beneath their feet changing from dirt, grass, and flowers- to packed sand and gravelled textures.

"Christopher, if a fight breaks out, I want you to try and stay out of the way, alright?" Emma muttered, slowing down to walk next to the boy.

Christopher nodded slightly, not intending to throw himself into danger and risk everything when they were oh, so close to their victory.

The boy then imitated a bird whistle, addressing the few birds that still followed them from tree to tree.

Mulan listened intently, vaguely being able to understand what he'd said.

"Thank you, friends."

The birds tweeted back, a mess of noises as they all seemingly spoke over one another- assuring that only Christopher could make out their words.

Christopher responded easily with another whistle or two.

"Now would be the time to leave, for your safety."

Mulan looked up as a couple birds cawed and took flight, leaving the group to their own devices, while a dozen or so stayed, and continued to follow them, twiddling a reply to Christopher's concern.

"You've shown us kindness. Let us finish this journey with you."

Christopher grinned, a little pep in his step as he walked, knowing that if there was any silver lining to be seen in this dark and danger-filled cloud, it was that he had made some very dear friends.

the enchanted forest . now .

— THE JOURNEY BECAME EASIER WHEN SNOW BEGAN TO RECOGNIZE HER SURROUNDINGS, briefly mentioning that she'd been there before. As the land dipped significantly into the earth, she explained that they were beginning to  trek into a dry lake.

"Stay together." Snow warned. "We've gotta be close."

They all agreed, tightening within their group as they heard a swirl of magic nearby and saw distant figures that were somewhat obstructed by stones and mounds of dirt.

Christopher hid slightly behind Emma and Mulan as they walked, but he could still recognize when the two figures were revealed to be Cora and Hook, standing over a portal of water with the compass between them, preparing for their journey to Storybrooke.

Snow quickly drew her bow and fired an arrow at the compass, launching it out of their wicked hands.

"You're not going anywhere." She spoke, "The portal's taking us home. The compass, get it!"

With that, everyone split off from each other, Christopher backing up and moving around the whirlpool-esque portal, trying to move towards the compass as Emma and Killian did the same.

A ball of blistering hot fire traveled past the boy, and he heard it collide with Mulan's sword as Killian beat them to the treasure, swiftly pocketing it within his jacket.

Christopher moved to back away as Emma and Killian began fighting, each drawing a sword and swinging them towards the other with clashes and clangs of metal meeting metal.

He noticed Snow hanging back as well, her bow at the ready as she calculated the best places to shoot an arrow or two. Christopher took a page out of her book, pulling his slingshot from his pocket before realizing...

He'd had no more stones, or small pebbles- his 'weapon' was practically useless without them, and he hadn't noticed his nonexistent supply in time to prepare ahead.

Christopher sighed slightly as he looked at the packed ground, mostly made up of gravel, dust, and a tragic, deathly history that wouldn't be of much use to him now.

Then, a caw came from overhead, and Christopher looked up just in time to dodge a decently sized rock falling from the heavens.

"Not the heavens." Christopher whispered with a grin of realization, picking up the stone and notching it properly in his slingshot just as a thrush landed on his shoulder, spreading its wings and chirping.

Christopher twiddled back, thanking the bird as it took flight once again and allowed him to aim properly, getting Cora's cold downturned lips and tightened cheekbones in his sights.

He fired, and, unsurprisingly, a barrier of magic practically dissolved the stone on impact and a pulsing, purple tide rushed the boy, causing him to spring back further away from the group, his back hitting the ground with a pronounced thud.

"Christopher!" Emma shouted, briefly distracting Killian as they paused in their fighting, "I thought I told you to stay out of the way!"

"I was!" He groaned, shaking the sand out of his hair and struggling to bring himself back to a standing position.

As Christopher was preoccupied with getting himself back into the thick of it, Mulan was determined to get Aurora's heart back, which Cora seemed to have ascertained by Mulan's calculated jabs and lunges.

She spun around in a swirl of dark magic, disappearing and effectively running away from the danger that Snow and Mulan presented— and as the wicked woman did just that, she intentionally flung the satchel that kept Aurora's ruby red heart, towards the centre of the portal.

It fell closer and closer to the pool of magic, threatening to be lost forever in a void of nothingness. Christopher whistled shrilly, hoping one of his bird friends could make it on time- but they were several heartbeats away, having been gathering stones for the boy to use.

Just as Mulan and Christopher readied to cry in despair, the satchel stopped, suspended, just before it could touch the water.

Christopher's eyes followed the material, until his gaze met with a glinting steel hook.

Killian pulled himself, and Aurora's heart, to safety, tossing it to Mulan as she breathed a sigh of relief.

"I may be a pirate," He huffed a breath, "but I bristle at the thought of a woman losing her heart."

Christopher finally pulled himself up, ignoring his conflicting feelings on the pirate and instead focusing on his friends.

"Mulan, go!" He shouted, dusting off his sleeve.

"No, you still need the compass." She argued, ready to continue fighting to fulfill her vow to Christopher.

Snow stepped in, "And Aurora needs her heart." She insisted.

Mulan glanced down at the sword in her hand, before offering it to the woman beside her, "Take it, it deflects her magic." She stated as Christopher came up at her side.

Christopher tugged Mulan into a close hug, as far up as his arms could reach. The woman noticed he was slowly getting taller, having remembered the day they first met, as clear as crystal skies in her mind.

"Stay safe." Christopher smiled, squeezing the woman quickly before pulling away.

Mulan put a hand on his shoulder, "It's been an honour." She returned, pausing to assess the rest of the fight before reluctantly darting off in another direction, away from the danger.

Christopher whistled out to the birds still circling the area.

"Follow her. Protect her."

A couple of magpies tweeted and dived after Mulan, disappearing with her into the distant trees.

As Cora rematerialized a few paces away, both Emma and Snow moved towards her, leaving Christopher without much to defend himself with, and very little space between him and a certain pirate.

He caught a stone from above and drew back his slingshot, aiming at Killian's cheek as the man got closer, his sharpened hook gleaming at his side.

Christopher missed by mere inches, and worryingly glanced up at the sky as Killian reached out and grabbed his arm.

The boy fought against him, kicking at the pirate's leg, feeling slight remorse as the man hissed in pain.

This didn't deter Killian, who took off his jacket and wrapped it around Christopher, gripping at one lapel and finding a place to notch his hook into the other side, effectively trapping the boy between a dangerous pirate and a large cut of rough leather.

"Get away from me!" Christopher shouted defiantly, pushing at Killian's chest and face.

"Christopher!" Killian yelled, tugging at his own jacket around the boy's shoulders and trying to avoid getting pecked at by a particularly brave bird.

"Get away!" Christopher exclaimed, closing his eyes and pushing Killian as far away he could.

Killian ducked his face into the corner of his arm to avoid another swooping beak, "Christopher, look at me." His voice softened.

Still, Christopher refused.

Finally, the boy could sense when smoothened, cold metal met his cheek- and he paused when he realized how close the pirate's sharp hook was to his face.

He froze entirely, not wanting to accidentally scrape himself by continuing to struggle.

"Christopher." Killian tried again, glad to have finally gotten the boy to calm down, though not all that proud of how he'd achieved such a thing, "Look at me."

Christopher reluctantly opened his eyes, a soft honey-covered brown staring directly into the stormy blue sea.

For a moment, Christopher saw through the windows of Killian's soul- which the boy now realized was Killian's intention all along.

Christopher's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Not a hint of malice or betrayal was to be found in the man's eyes.

"Before, back in Mr Gold's cell.... You wouldn't let me see your eyes." Christopher whispered in realization.

"Couldn't let you give me away, now, could I?" Killian grinned, removing his hook from the boy's cheek, still continuing to lean down to meet his height.

Christopher returned the smile, full force, when he realized what that phrase meant...

Killian hadn't been on Cora's side for a single second since the beanstalk- nor had he been on Emma's...

The pirate was on Christopher's side. Him, alone... No one else.

"Keep low and out of the way, understand?" Killian asked, glancing up at the women a few paces away, who were still fighting, magic to sword.

The boy nodded as Killian backed up slightly, though he didn't mean to return to the battle, "Good luck."

Christopher, clever as he was, let his hand travel to one of the jacket pockets, wherein resided a certain golden compass.

The pirate kept his promise after all.

With that, Killian winked and turned his back just as Christopher caught a particularly large stone from the sky and drew back his slingshot, firing it directly into Killian's spine.

The pirate groaned as he keeled over, internally smirking with awe-struck pride over the boy's good aim.

Christopher shed the jacket and tucked the compass in the sleeve of his sweater, "Thank you, Mr Hook."

"Anytime, lad. Now go, before they notice our fake out. My acting is terrible." Killian joked quietly, as dignified as one could be when facedown in the dirt.

Christopher grinned as he turned back to Snow and Emma just as a pure wave of light burst from Emma's  chest, banishing Cora to somewhere unknown.

"What was that?" Emma asked fearfully as Christopher joined them.

"That," Snow smiled as she noticed the compass that slid from Christopher's sleeve and into his hand, "is a great subject for discussion, when we get home."

Christopher giggled and grabbed Emma's hand, dragging her over to the still active portal.

The three stood there, together, pure goodness within their hearts, having defeated a wretched evil, and now being quite ready to return to their own realm.

Christopher held up the compass for them to hold. They were a mess of mud, and filth, and happiness- tired laughter bursting through their lips.

Together, they jumped, and suddenly- they were going home.

author's note

omg hello my darlings I'm sorry I disappeared, I had a mini vacay with some fam and I am slightly regretting it, I got aggressively sunburnt lol

anyway I am back and hopefully I'll be getting into a good updating 'schedule' again I'm super excited for more omG you have no idea

omg question time, this one has no ulterior motive other than I missed u guys and I wanna chat with u so: what is your favourite book/movie/tv show/fictional character— you can answer as many of those as you'd like I just wanna chat with y'all ☺️💕

Anyway I should probably get some sleep lol it's not like it's 7 am or anything ahahha

But I'll respond to comments later (: I'm excitedddd ahhhhh i love you all so much thank you for sticking with me- also I know some of you saw it already but I'm so proud of us for getting #1 in the killianjones tag, congrats everyone- it was alll you ☺️💕