CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
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i. promises !

the enchanted forest . now .

— IT TOOK NEARLY AN HOUR FOR EMMA TO SCALE ONE OF THE LARGE STATUES BY THE FRONT ENTRANCE, assuming her position in their dangerous plan. They figured if Emma could be around head-level with the giant, Killian could distract him as Emma threw the poppyseed powder in his face.

Despite knowing they were going to be facing a giant, neither of them were quite prepared for how actually... giant, he was.

The ground rumbled with each step he took, forcing Emma to try and claw into the stone of the statue and not fall to what would likely be her death.

Killian continued to create loud, echoey, metallic noises as he bashed things together— things being a large, clean bone that had been lying around- no doubt belonging to a giant, which he was using to bring down on a large gold plated shield, banging it like a drum.

The giant growled angrily as he appeared from the darkness of the palace.

Emma half expected him to recite some sort of 'fee-fi-fo-fum' line, if only to confirm that maybe some of the fairytale she knew was true.

Of course, she cursed herself for the ridiculousness of it, instead committing herself to figuring out how she was gonna throw the powder that high up, when the giant was still a good few feet taller than they'd expected.

Killian seemed to notice the issue, and jumped into action, beginning to taunt the beast, drawing his attention to him.

"Oi! You big git!" He shouted, running across the stones to try and help Emma find the giant in the right position to knock him out.

Emma tuned out Killian's shouts and prepared herself as the giant turned towards her, leaning down so as to grab the pirate— unknowingly in the perfect line of fire.

The bag of powder, when thrown in the face of the giant, exploded into tiny, wispy particles of a lavender-tinted grey, fluttering about in small, curling tendrils of magic.

Sleep took him quickly, and he collapsed to the ground in a groaning, snoring heap- but there was no telling for how long he would remain that way. They had to act fast.

the enchanted forest . now .

— THE LEGEND THAT KILLIAN HAD TOLD DIDN'T QUITE DO THE FABLED 'TREASURE' JUSTICE. The palace was filled with gold- bars, coins, trinkets- Emma hoped maybe she'd see at least one harp or golden goose.

The harp, she saw within five minutes of searching the golden heaps for the compass they seek— the goose, she figured, was likely one of the stupidest things she has ever hung her hopes on.

Then she caught a glimpse of the pirate she had unfortunately been thrown together with, as he pocketed some coins here and there, and thought— maybe that is the stupidest thing she's ever hung her hopes on.

"So it's just- in here somewhere?" She glanced up at the cage trap they had narrowly avoided, and the skeleton nearby it who's blade was engraved with the name 'Jack'.

This story was so far from what she knew.

"Allegedly." Killian stated as he searched a pile a few feet away, "Give me a boost, would you, love?"

Emma paused for a moment, reminded of her best friend's frequent use of the same pet name, beginning to miss the woman more and more.

"So I can't see what you're pocketing?" Emma brushed past her sad reminiscences, "No way. You give me a boost."

"Try something new, darling. It's called trust." He muttered as she drew nearer.

Emma sighed. Another familiar name.

"We do it side by side, fast. Who knows how long before the-"

A rumble sounded in the distance of the palace, sounding like the giant's thundering footsteps.

"Someone's up." Killian observed, listening to the creaking and rattling of gold.

The palace became more and more unstable as he neared, piles of treasure tumbling and pooling around the floor as Killian urged that they hide, but stopped a few paces away from Emma, as they were already too late.

The giant was awake, and coming right at them.

Unfortunately for both of them, the ceiling broke apart due to the giant's aggressive nature, and it collapsed... right on top of a certain pirate, burying him beneath rubble, and leaving Emma to fend for herself.

Emma wasn't quick enough.

In one hand, the giant grabbed her and sat himself down on a golden throne fit only for someone of his size.

"No! I'm not what you think!" Emma shouted, struggling to break free.

"You're a thief, and you poisoned me so, yeah, I'm pretty sure you're exactly what I think." He squeezed his hand tightly, ensuring that no matter how hard she struggled, Emma couldn't get out of his grip.

"No! You have a compass. I need it!" She gasped, her lungs fighting for air.

"I don't care what you need!"

"No- for my son! To save my son! Don't you have a family?" Emma tried.

"No, because humans killed them all."

With that, Emma knew there was no reasoning to be made, and threw her attempts to a last resort, biting down harshly on the giants finger- causing him to drop her in surprise and pain.

As soon as she hit the ground, she made a run for it, dodging piles of gold as a plan formed in her mind.

She hopped a tripwire trap as the giant turned the corner, chasing after her. Emma then spotted Jack's blade, and scrambled to grab it as the giant got closer.

Just as he was in the right position, Emma looked back up at that cage suspended in the air, and heaved the sword down on the tripwire, snapping it and causing the cage to fall on top of the giant, forcing him to the ground.

Emma was impressed that the cage was large enough for him in the first place.

"Nice security system. Efficient." She heaved a breath, her lungs fighting for air.

The giant pleaded as she held the blade to point directly at his eye, keeping it steady there in a threatening manner.

"I can tell by your face, you know what this is. Let me guess, it's dipped in some sort of poison." Emma breathed, "You have a compass. I need it."

"You're gonna kill me either way. Go ahead. Kill me." He stated defiantly.

"You don't know me."

"I know your kind. They massacred us and destroyed our beans."

"I heard it the other way."

"That's because the victors get to tell the story." The giant uttered.

Emma brandished the sword, acting as if she would slice him with it.

"Okay! Stop!" The giant pleaded, maneuvering his hand to give her the compass she needed. "Here." It slid across the ground to reach the outside of the cage.

"See?" He said as she picked it up, "I'm not the bad guy."

"Maybe you are telling the truth..." Emma observed, looking at the beautiful compass now in her possession, "It doesn't matter, I have to go- are there any more of you?"

"No... I'm alone." The giant replied.

Emma was about to walk away, before she noticed what it was the giant wore around his neck, "Is that a bean? Can it make a portal?"

"Not anymore. It was destroyed like the rest of them." He stated, "I wear it as a reminder. A reminder that you're all killers."

Emma let the sword hang at her side, "You're wrong."

It was when she began to walk away, that the giant finally broke through the cage- metal and wood flying off in every direction as he pushed it apart.

Emma turned back, holding up the sword, worried that he'd attempt to grab her again.

Instead, she was surprised as he leaned down and grabbed a large brick of rubble, tossing it away to reveal a small hole at the base of a wall, big enough for Emma to escape through.

"Go." The giant insisted.

Emma paused, looking at the exit, and then back up at the giant, "Why?" She asked.

"Because you could have killed me... and you didn't." He uttered. "You get one favour. Now go before I change my mind."

Emma would have. In fact, she was about to, walking toward the exit with only a single conflicting thought in her mind.

She was leaving a certain pirate beneath a pile of rubble.

Emma cursed herself as she stopped, and turned back, "Actually, I got two favours."

"What?" The giant asked confusedly.

"Well, the way I see it I could have killed you twice. The poison and when you were knocked out. I didn't!"

"What do you want."

He expected her to ask for treasure— for riches and gems that could set her up for life. It's what he expected out of every human.

What Emma had in mind was much different to what he expected.

the enchanted forest . now .

— THE PIRATE GROANED AS EMMA GRABBED HIS GOOD HAND AND HELPED HIM OUT FROM UNDER A PILE OF BRICKS, laughing in spite of his predicament. He was out of breath as he stood, still chuckling away, knowing Emma had somehow gotten herself in a position where she could come back for him without worry of being attacked yet again.

"You are bloody brilliant." He praised, "Amazing."

It was rather admirable for someone who didn't fully understand the way this world worked.

"May I see it? The compass?" Killian asked.

Emma pulled it from her jacket pocket, holding it tightly in her hand and keeping her eye on the man before her, half expecting him to reach out and grab it.

"It's more beautiful than legend."

She allowed about five seconds of viewing the treasure, before stuffing it away again.

Killian didn't seem all that bothered- not even the slightest bit surprised as he laughed again, "Come on. Let's go get that boy back to his mother."

He held out his hand, hoping she would finally show some trust in him and take it in her own.

She did. He smiled.

Then, just as quickly as he believed her heart had changed, she used her unoccupied hand to pull out a shackle and cuff him, before pulling herself a few feet away.

"What are you doing?" Killian asked, looking down at what she'd done as he repeated his question in surprise, "What are you doing?"

"Hook, I... I can't-"

"Emma. Look at me- have I told you a lie? I brought you here, I risked my own safety to help you... The compass is in your hand, why do this to me now?" His throat tightened as he felt the heavy weight of the shackle on his wrist. "I promised that boy, I promised Christopher I'd get him to his mother-"

"No." Emma stated.

"What?"

"His mother." She said. "You will never meet his mother on my watch. I'm sorry, Hook, I can't take the chance that I'm wrong about you."

"You're betraying me because of her? Because of that boy's mother?" He muttered, "Why?"

"Because the moment she looks in your eyes, she's gonna forgive you for every terrible thing you've ever done," Emma sighed, as if speaking from experience. "You're gonna start to believe that it wasn't that terrible to begin with."

"I can't protect Winnie from people like you, but I can damn well make sure you stay away from her, and her son." She stated, turning her back on him.

"I got you here, I got you the compass!"

Emma turned back, "I got the compass." She corrected.

"You're just gonna leave me here to die? Have that beast eat me, to crush my bones?"

"He's not a beast. And you are not gonna die." Emma turned away from him again, going towards her exit, "I just need a head start, that's all."

"Swan. I promised him." Killian called out after her, raising his voice when she didn't respond, "Swan! I promised him! I promised him!"

Emma tried her best to tune it out.

the enchanted forest . now .

— WHEN EMMA FELL FROM THE FINAL STRETCH FROM THE BEANSTALK, she interrupted a fight that had broken out on the ground between her mother and Mulan. Snow was infuriated that Mulan had tried to cut down the beanstalk, despite it having been what Emma asked her to do if she didn't return in a certain window of time.

"Stop!" Emma groaned.

"Emma!" Snow stood and rushed towards her daughter. "Are you okay?"

"Two earthquakes and a jump from a beanstalk, I think my brain is still rattling around a little."

Mulan stepped forward, "I did what you ordered. Nothing more than that."

Emma nodded and glanced around, "Where's Christopher?"

She dreaded telling him about having left the pirate behind, but she figured it was better to do so now rather than later.

Mulan pointed to the boy a few paces away, near the edge of the trees, who was partly covering his ears and speaking to a small, from what Emma could gather, squirrel.

The group made their way over to him, and Mulan gently tapped one of his hands as a small sign that there was no more fighting going on, he was fine to uncover his ears.

"Did you get it?" Christopher stood excitedly, the squirrel running off back into the woods.

Emma revealed the compass, and Christopher grinned, but it fell when he realized, "Where's Mr Hook?"

"He's... detained." Emma explained. "I struck a deal with the giant, we've got ten hours before he's released."

"But... why?" Christopher asked, glancing up at the beanstalk.

"I couldn't trust him, kid." Emma sighed, knowing she'd have to make Killian out to be the villain of her story in order for Christopher to believe her, "As soon as I got it, he asked to see the compass. I was lucky to cuff him before he could take it."

It wasn't entirely a lie- but it definitely wasn't the truth.

Thankfully for her, Christopher believed it. Unthankfully, he was also angry, and upset. Even somewhat heartbroken.

"But... he promised." Christopher whispered, looking up at the clouds where the beanstalk disappeared into the sky. "He promised..."

author's note

*laughs nervously* so yeah there's a bit of tragedy going on but it's for the ✨ plot 🌈

omg I'm updating at 2:30pm my time are we proud 😌✨

also I have new question I think people are really gonna have fun with, I wanna see what songs people would suggest for an ELT playlist 👀 drop the ideas yall I know you got good ones

anyway ily all so much 😭 thank you for all the support it's fr crazy how amazing you guys are, i can't wait to chat with y'all again 😭💕