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────── ★★★ ──────

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟕
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐄𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘

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It wasn't long before the manor finally came into view. As they walked along the path that would take them to their destination, they noticed the lights pulsing, as if they had a heartbeat. Everly just stared at the large house before chills ran throughout her entire body. Something felt off, and it wasn't just because she knew the Dark One was trying to harm her sister. Everything felt familiar to her somehow and she couldn't explain why. But instead of focusing on the feeling inside her, Everly broke her gaze away from the manor to look up at Killian. "Are we too late?"

"I hope not," Killian muttered under his breath before racing towards the manor. The pirate captain soon pushed the gate open and walked towards the steps of the manor with Everly, Sam, and Katherine right behind him. However, the four of them didn't make it much farther before Rumplestiltskin appeared out of nowhere and blocked their path.

"Watch your step, Captain. The terrain's a little rough around here," the Dark One warned as he stared at Killian before his attention fell on Everly, who was standing a few feet behind the Jones man, "are you here to join your sister?"

His question alone was enough to make Killian take a step in front of Everly before he glanced back at her. "Get out of here. Now!"

That was all it took for Katherine to turn around and make her way back in the direction they came even though she knew deep down that was a horrible choice. But the Dark One's presence terrified her and all she wanted to do was get away from him. Sam soon grabbed Everly's wrist and tried to follow after her, only for the latter to fight every inch of the way. They barely reached the gate a few yards away from where they just were when the Jones boy turned around to face Everly. "What's wrong?"

The Purest Heart hesitated for a moment before finally looking away from Killian and Rumplestiltskin to meet Sam's gaze. "I don't know but something...something's telling me that I can't leave him alone with the Dark One."

Despite knowing he should continue to drag Everly away from the dangerous situation, Sam let out a sigh as he released his grip on her wrist. He just stared at the Jones girl with no emotion on his face before opening his mouth to speak one last time. "You better not make me regret this."

Before Everly could say another word, Sam disappeared around the corner to find Katherine. The Jones girl just stood there for a moment before letting out a long sigh and walking back to where Killian was. She instantly received a glare from the pirate captain, who put himself between his daughter and the Dark One once again.

"I thought I told you to go," Killian whispered just loud enough for her to hear while keeping his eyes glued to Rumplestiltskin.

"I'm not leaving you," Everly responded, earning another annoyed sigh from the pirate captain before he turned his full attention back to the Dark One.

"Get out of our way, crocodile," the pirate captain ordered while simultaneously moving over again to block Rumplestiltskin's view of Everly, "I'll die fighting before you use that bloody hat on Emma!"

It was at that moment when Everly's blood became colder than ice. Killian's words were all it took for her to realize why everything felt so familiar to her. The house, their words, even the fog that floated just above them in the sky. Everything was the same as it was in the vision she had a few days ago. The very same vision she would do anything to stop from happening.

Like how she prophesied, Rumpelstiltskin simply flicked his wrist to throw Killian against the gate behind him. Everly watched in horror as the garden hose seemed to come to life before wrapping around the Jones man's waist and wrists, tying him to the fence. Before the Purest Heart could even think about taking a step forward, the Dark One used his magic to stick Everly's feet to the ground.

Panic coursed through Everly's veins as she slowly looked up from her feet to meet Rumplestiltskin's gaze. The two of them just stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before the Purest Heart opened her mouth to speak. "Please, don't do this."

Despite trying to keep his menacing demeanor, the Jones girl saw the hint of confusion in the Dark One's eyes. "Do what, dearie?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"But I would like to know how you know. At a different time, of course," Rumplestiltskin responded before a sinister smirk appeared on his lips. Before Everly had a chance to respond, he turned his back to her and focused his attention back on Killian. "Death can wait. How about before you depart, I treat you to a front row seat and watch Emma use that hat on herself. Oh and in case you were counting on her getting your message." The Dark One paused for a moment before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the Swan woman's phone. "Don't. I'm not one for loose ends."

Everly could no longer fight all of the emotions building up inside her as she watched Killian struggle to free himself from the hose. It wasn't long after that when he gave up his efforts and looked over at the Jones girl. Her heart sank when she saw how scared and angry he was. She hadn't seen him look this way in a long time. Not since Rumplestiltskin took Milah away from them.

"Don't worry, you'll get over her, just like you got over Milah. How many centuries did that take?" Rumplestiltskin continued, drawing their attention back to him as he began approaching Killian until he stopped a few feet away from him, "oh, it matters not. This might even add a little fuel to your fire. Don't tell me you haven't missed the taste of vengeance."

"She's the mother to your grandson, Gold! Don't do this!" Killian shouted with desperation in his voice, making Everly's heart break even more.

"I wish I didn't have to. But I need Miss Swan. Surely you understand that."

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It had been a few days since they rescued Adam from Pan and his Lost Boys. They decided to stay in the cove until all the commotion died down. That was the only way they would survive to see another day on Neverland. So instead of scouting around the island and getting intel on the Lost Boys, Everly and Sam were trying to figure out the best way to train Adam to live on the dark island.

"So Adam, what can you do?" Sam questioned, only to receive a confused look from the boy in response before the former continued speaking, "I have a sword and Everly has a bow. What can you do?"

While Sam kept talking to Adam, Everly was studying the young boy. He didn't look like someone who could hold their own in a fight. He had a small build and seemed to always be timid. That was all it took for the Jones girl to know he wouldn't have lasted long with Pan and his followers.

"I don't even know how to use those," Adam finally admitted while looking away from the duo in front of him.

Everly couldn't help but smile at his actions. "Would you want to learn?"

"If it means I can stay here instead of with Pan."

"You can stay with us no matter what," Sam reassured him before walking over to a chest near one of the walls of the cove and opening the lid, "bow or sword?"

"How did you get all of these?" Adam questioned as his eyes scanned over all of the items contained in the truck.

"Stole them from Pan," Everly said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world before she handed him a bow, "you look more like an archer."

After Adam took the bow from her, Everly took him to a field just outside the cove to show him how to use it. It didn't take long for him to get the stance down before the Jones girl turned him around to face the tree they carved a target into. Everly then demonstrated to shoot it and, after a while, Adam was starting to get the hang of it. However, all that changed when they heard a rustling in the bushes nearby. That caused the newest Saved One to shoot an arrow into the bush, receiving a shout in response to his actions. Not even a second after that passed when Felix came out stumbling into the clearing with an arrow in his shoulder.

"Sam! Get Adam out of here!" Everly shouted after breaking free of her stunned state. As soon as the two boys were back in the cove, the Jones girl rushed over to Felix right as he collapsed to the ground. Panic coursed through her veins as Everly fell on her knees next to him before her eyes scanned over every inch of the Thorne boy.

Before either of them could say a word, Everly broke the tip of the arrow. A shakey breath passed over her lips as she slowly pulled the arrow out while trying to ignore the painful grunts from Felix. Once the arrow was out, the former Lost Girl placed pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding. Everly tried her best to ignore the queasiness within her as she ripped off a piece of her cloak and wrapped it around his shoulder.

"Get back to Pan as soon as possible. He'll be able to help you a lot better than I can," Everly told him as soon as she finished doing what she could do to help the Lost Boy.

"I'll go back to Pan," Felix responded after slowly sitting up before he placed a hand on Everly's cheek and gently kissed her cheek, "but only to survive to see you another day." 

After Everly carefully helped Felix to his feet, she watched him slowly make his way back in the direction he came. As soon as he was out of sight, a question began to bounce around in the Jones girl's head.

Why was he here?

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"Let him go!" Everly shouted after watching Killian attempt to break free once again, causing Rumpelstiltskin to quickly turn around as if he just remembered she was there.

All the Dark One did was smirk in response to her words before his attention fell back on the pirate captain. Anger began to flow through Everly's veins as she looked back down at her feet. Without thinking twice, she held her hand out towards them before they began to glow. The next thing she knew, a flash of light emitted from her feet before she was able to move them once again. A relieved sigh passed over her lips as she made her way towards Killian, only for her to run into something that wasn't there. An invisible wall.

"No," Rumplestiltskin whispered, causing Everly to look over at the house to find the windows as dark as the night surrounding them.

The Purest Heart's attention was drawn back to the situation at hand when Killian began to laugh. Chills ran throughout her body when she found him staring at the Dark One with a mocking smile on his face. "I'm guessing she didn't go through with it. So sorry. Oh, but I do love the look of loss on your face."

"I may not have the Savior, pirate. But I assure you, today won't be a complete loss," Rumplestiltskin hissed as a look that was too familiar to Everly appeared on his face. It was the same look Pan got when he was about to do something that would only benefit himself. A look that the Jones girl had grown to hate and fear at the same time. "I need to fill that hat with power, yes. But that was only part of the equation. Because I need something else, the secret ingredient. One I didn't know about until an associate clued me in. A heart."

"Well if you need my help procuring it, know the only help I give you is with your demise," Killian retaliated without even attempting to hide the anger and disgust in his voice.

"Oh you're going to help me, alright," Rumplestiltskin declared, only to receive a scoff in response from the pirate captain before the former continued speaking, "you see, this spell? It's gonna finally separate me from the dagger, so it no longer holds power over me. But to cast it, I need the heart of someone special, someone who knew me before the dagger, before I was the Dark One." A wave of realization washed over Everly at the same moment all emotion faded from Killian's face. Both of them kept their eyes glued to Rumplestiltskin as he stepped even closer to the pirate captain. "Unfortunately, everyone who fits that description is already dead. But one still lives. As luck would have it, dearie, you're my oldest friend."

"No!" Everly screamed while banging her glowing fists against the invisible wall in front of her.

"Sorry, dearie. But you can't break out of that spell no matter how hard you try. It's much too powerful," the Dark One said without even looking over at the Purest Heart.

Tears streamed down Everly's cheeks as she watched Rumplestiltskin plunge his hand into Killian's chest and tore his heart out. The pirate captain breathed heavily as he slowly looked up from the ground beneath his feet to meet the Purest Heart's gaze. The look Killian sent her was all it took for her to see how sorry he was before his attention fell back on the Dark One. "Get on with it then. Just do it."

"Now, now. I promised you we'd have some fun first," Rumpelstiltskin announced as his eyes moved away from the heart in his hands to meet Killian's gaze, "you're gonna do everything I say because you're my puppet now. You're gonna find another way to fill that hat with the power it needs. And then...then I'll kill you."

"And what about me?" Everly questioned without thinking, drawing Rumplestilskin's attention to her once again before she continued speaking, "what's stopping me from telling everyone what you've done?"

"I almost forgot about you."

"You don't scare me," the Jones girl declared while the Dark One walked towards her until he stopped a foot in front of her.

"Don't have to," was all Rumplestiltskin said in response before plunging his hand into Everly's chest. She couldn't help but let out a painful gasp while Killian's shouts cut through the air. The Jones girl closed her eyes and waited for the empty feeling in her chest, but it never came. When Everly reopened her eyes, she was greeted by a very confused-looking Dark One. He just stared at her for a moment before he began tugging at her heart again. But instead of her heart getting pulled from her chest, the Jones girl was greeted by agonizing pain. "What's happening? Why can't I take your heart?"

Anger continued to flow through Everly's veins as she continued to stare at the Dark One. "Because you're the Dark One...and I have the Purest Heart."

As soon as the words finished leaving her mouth, a blinding light radiated off Everly's body before a ring of gold sent Rumplestiltskin flying through the air. It wasn't long after that when the invisible wall disappeared, allowing the Jones girl to rush over to Killian.

"Get out of here," the pirate captain whispered just loud enough for her to hear as soon as she was close enough to him, "get help."

"Not so fast, dearie," Rumplestilskin stated, stopping Everly in her tracks after she began walking towards the manor. When she turned around to face the Dark One, she couldn't help but see Peter Pan staring back at her. It was as if she was trapped on Neverland all over again. "If anyone tries to stop me, I will crush his heart faster than help can arrive."

"I'm going to end you," the Jones hissed as her hands began to glow, knowing her magic would do more harm than anything else in the world. After all, her magic only affected those with dark hearts. And Rumplestilskin's was the darkest of them all.

When Everly received a smirk in response to her words, she couldn't help but hesitate. Silence surrounded them for what felt like an eternity before the Dark One broke it. "Are you really willing to pay the price for that one-handed pirate?"

"I would do anything for the man who saved my life."

"Everly," Killian called out, making the light fade from the Jones girl's fists as she turned around to face him, "he's not worth it. Go find Sam."

Despite everything within her telling her not to go, Everly sent him a small nod in response. However, before she walked away from the manor, she turned around to face Rumplestiltskin one last time. She stared at the Dark One for a long moment before opening her mouth to speak. "You really do take after your father. Pan would be proud of you."

Before Rumplestiltksin had a chance to respond, Everly waved her hand through the air, causing a gold cloud of smoke to surround her. When it vanished, she found herself standing in from of Sam and Katherine with tears in her eyes.

"What happened?" Sam questioned as he moved to stand in front of her.

Everly instantly rushed forward and wrapped her arms around the blonde boy. The two of them stayed like that for a moment before the Jones girl found it within herself to answer him. "I wish I was wrong."

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