────── ★★★ ──────

────── ★★★ ──────

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟏
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐒𝐖𝐀𝐍

────── ★★★ ──────

Everly woke up with a start before quickly sitting up and getting to her feet. Katherine and Pierce were lying unconscious on the ground next to her while her parents were in the same state in the living room. But to the Jones girl's dismay, Killian and Sam were nowhere to be found. Panic began coursing through her veins as everyone began slowly waking up and getting to their feet. It wasn't long after that when Emma burst through the front door.

"Where is he? Where's Hook?"

"Uh, he was there," David said while pointing toward the kitchen counter, where the storybook along with other objects lay on the floor, "right before we got dragged away."

"Everyone reappeared where they were before this whole mess started," Emma announced as she walked toward the pile near the counter with sadness in her eyes.

It didn't take long for a wave of realization to wash over Everly before looking over at Katherine. She wasn't surprised to find the Scott girl staring straight back at her with tears in her eyes. They both knew what Emma was implying and it broke their hearts, but neither of them wanted to say their thoughts aloud.

"Yeah, sorry about the mess," a voice called out, causing everyone to look up to find Killian and Sam smiling down at them from upstairs, "we really needed to find that book and we're usually a bit tidier."

Relief replaced all of the other emotions Everly was feeling as she stared up at the two pirates. It wasn't long after that when Emma sprinted up the stairs to Killian while Sam ran down. The Jones girl didn't waste a second as she raced toward her brother before pulling him into one of the tightest hugs she'd ever given.

Tears streamed down her cheeks and landed on his shoulder as she felt his arms wrap around her. They stayed like that for another moment before Everly broke the silence surrounding them. "I thought I lost you."

"It's going to take more than that to get rid of me," Sam whispered just loud enough for only his sister to hear.

Another eternity passed before they ended their reunion, allowing him to walk over to Katherine. The Jones girl watched as they had an inaudible conversation that ended with the Scott girl pulling Sam in for a kiss. A smile soon made its way onto Everly's face before she turned her attention toward Pierce. She was surprised to find the usually confident boy standing awkwardly by the front door. It was as if he didn't know what to do for the first time in his life. But Everly knew that wasn't true.

It didn't take long for him to notice the Jones girl's eyes on him, causing him to send her a small smile. "I think it's time for me to head back to my family. After everything that happened, I need a break from this town."

The smile on Everly's face did nothing but grow as she opened her mouth to respond. "I understand. If my family wasn't here, I'd want to leave too."

They instantly shared a laugh then Everly, Sam, and Katherine said their goodbyes to Pierce. The Kai boy sent them one last smile before disappearing into a cloud of purple. Once the smoke cleared, the Jones girl looked upstairs as the smile on her face turned into a playful smirk. "When you two lovebirds are done, I would like to say 'hi' to Killian as well."

Everly was immediately greeted by laughter before she heard the bed squeak. It wasn't long after that when they both walked downstairs. As soon as his feet hit the main floor, the Jones girl rushed toward Killian and pulled him in for a tight hug. He didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her and place a kiss on the top of her head.

"I get that you're a survivor," Everly said as she looked up to meet his gaze while keeping her arms around him, "but can you stop putting yourself in life-threatening situations?"

Killian couldn't help but laugh before placing another kiss on the top of his daughter's head. "I'll try my best."

It wasn't long after that when David and Mary Margaret left to look for Isaac. Emma and Killian soon went to have a hushed conversation in the kitchen while the teens took over the couches in the living room. No one said a word for the longest time, taking in the first peaceful moment they had in a very long time. But that only lasted for another moment when Everly remembered the person who helped her remain who she was in Isaac's world.

"I need to make a phone call," Everly announced, earning nods in response from her friends before heading into the hall.

As soon as the door closed behind her, the Jones girl pulled out her phone to call Will. She listened to the ringing and waited for him to answer, only to receive his voicemail. A small wave of annoyance washed over her as she rolled her eyes at the Scarlet man, fully knowing that he couldn't see her. As soon as the recording finished, Everly began leaving her message. "Hey, Will. I just wanted to thank you for what you did back there. You helped me stay true to myself. We're all at the loft if you want to join us. If not, then we'll have to go for a hike soon. Thank you again."

A small sigh passed over her lips as she ended the call and placed her phone back in her pocket. Everly was just about to reach for the knob to go back inside when she noticed a playing card wedged in the door. A wave of confusion washed over her as she pulled out the card, only to find the Knave of Hearts staring straight back at her. Her puzzlement did nothing but grow as she flipped the card over to find a note taped to it.

Everly,

Thank you for showing me what a true hero looks like. I hope to use what I learned on my journey. I have gone with the White Rabbit to save Alice and hopefully Wonderland. I also hope to make amends with someone I left behind a long time ago. Once it's safe here, you need to visit. For now, I leave you knowing that I'll try to do what all heroes do and save the day. You have changed me for the better and I'll never forget you. See you soon.

Will

P.S. I hope you enjoy your gift.

Before Everly had a chance to think, the card in her hand began shirking. She watched it with wide eyes as it got smaller and smaller until it transformed into a charm. The Jones girl's smile soon returned to her lips as she attached it to her necklace and put the letter in her pocket.

"Good luck, Will. I know you can do it," Everly whispered to herself before entering the loft, only to find everyone staring at her.

────── ★★★ ──────

Later that night, everyone found themselves at Granny's to celebrate their freedom. Laughter and various voices cut through the air as they talked and enjoyed each other's company. Everly was sitting in a booth with Katherine and Sam as they discussed the fake world they had lived through. All three of them were disgusted by the lives they were forced to live, but they also couldn't help but laugh at everything they went through.

"I still can't believe Isaac called me 'Shooter,'" Katherine said before letting out a long sigh and slouching in the booth, "for a guy known as 'the Author' he came up with a lousy nickname."

Everly and Sam couldn't help but laugh, earning a playful glare from their redheaded friend. It wasn't long after that when Sam noticed the new charm on his sister's necklace. "When did you get that card charm?"

"Oh, Will gave it to me," the Jones girl answered while wrapping her hand around her necklace without thinking.

"Speaking of the thief, where is he?" Katherine asked after sitting back up in the booth, "he's never one to turn down free food."

The smile on Everly's face did nothing but grow before she said one single word. "Wonderland."

Uncertain looks instantly appeared on Sam and Katherine's faces before the Jones girl handed them Will's letter. Her brother carefully took it from her before he and the girl sitting next to him read it over. Everly simply watched them read it multiple times before they finally looked back up at her with excitement in their eyes.

"I've always wanted to see Wonderland," Katherine announced as the smile on her face grew, "I hear they have mushrooms that make you shrink to like three inches."

"Or grow to a hundred times your size," Sam added with a childish look in his eyes that Everly hadn't seen in a very long time.

However, before they could discuss Wonderland any further, Belle sprinted into the diner. Silence instantly filled the room as everyone turned their attention toward the French woman, only to find her staring back at them with a worried look on her face.

"Rumple, his heart, he said it's almost gone," the brunette woman announced, causing Everly to share a concerned look with Sam and Katherine before their attention went back to Belle, "and, uh, he said we're in danger."

"Do we ever get a break?" Everly muttered under her breath before she, Sam, and Katherine followed their family out of Granny's and toward Gold's shop.

When they arrived at their destination, they found Rumplestiltskin lying unconscious on the ground. They all just stared at him for what felt like an eternity before the Apprentice entered the ship with the Sorcerer's Hat in his hands. No one said a word as they watched him place the magical object neck to the Dark One and take a step away.

"He tried to use that hat to free himself of the Dagger," Killian explained after watching what the Apprentice was doing.

"This is not unlike that," the Apprentice explained without taking his eyes off Rumplestiltskin, "we're pulling the darkness from him and containing it."

"Does that mean that his heart will be healed?" Belle asked while trying her best to control all the emotions bouncing around inside her.

"Perhaps, if the strength is there," the gray-haired man answered before looking away from the princess and back to the Dark One, "this is more dark power than the Hat's ever been asked to contain."

"Do what you need to do," Emma told him with determination in her voice, wanting nothing more than to get rid of the magic that created the Dark One.

It wasn't long after that when the Apprentice placed his hand on the Dark One's chest and closed his eyes. Silence surrounded them for what felt like an eternity before he began reciting a spell. "'Purest evil, blackest bloom. Darkness, too, can find its doom.'"

The next thing anyone knew, the Apprentice pulled Rumplestiltskin's heart from his chest. Everyone stared at the gray-haired man with shock in their eyes as he waved his hand over the Hat, creating its true form. He then picked up the Hat in his other hand before getting to his feet. "'Never dying, but contained. Bound inside the falcon's chamber. Shorn of anger, thornless danger. There forever to remain.'"

The Hat began to brightly glow as soon as the Apprentice finished speaking. Not even a second after that passed when the darkness from Rumplestiltskin's heart started getting sucked in. It wasn't long before the Dagger on the ground began to glow the same bright yellow as the Hat. That lasted for what felt like an eternity before both the Hat and Dagger stopped glowing, leaving no name on the Dark One's most prized possession.

To Everly's surprise, Rumplestiltskin's heart was no longer a deep black color. Instead, it was as white as snow. The Apprentice just stared at it for a moment before kneeling on the ground and placing the heart back into Rumplestiltskin's chest.

"He's barely breathing," Belle announced without even attempting to hide the panic in her voice.

"Rumpelstiltskin was the Dark One for centuries. His return to the man he used to be will not be easy," the Apprentice announced before waving his hand through the air, making the former Dark One's body shimmer, "this will preserve him until we discern if we can help him."

Belle's entire body stiffened as she looked away from her husband and up at the gray-haired man. "If?"

Before anyone had a chance to respond, the Sorcerer's hat began flowing again. The next thing anyone knew, what seemed to be a dark liquid took its place. It flew straight toward the Apprentice and went inside him, making his eyes turn black. Emma didn't hesitate to shoot a beam of light magic at him, causing the gray-haired man to fall to the floor. It wasn't long after that when the dark magic left his body before fleeing out the door and out onto the streets of Storybrooke.

"Mom, Dad, Everly, go after it! Go! I'll be right there."

As soon as Emma finished speaking, the three of them rushed out the door and into the night. They barely made it into the middle of the street when they stopped and looked around. It didn't take them long to realize that everything seemed normal. That would usually bring Everly a sense of happiness, but in that moment all she felt was fear.

"Where could it have gone?" the Jones girl muttered under her breath while continuing to look around at the world surrounding them.

Neither David nor Mary Margaret responded as they continued to look around at the night sky. It wasn't long after that when they heard footsteps approaching them, causing them to look back to find Emma, Killian, Sam, and Katherine else racing toward them.

"Where is it?" Emma questioned after stopping next to Everly and looking out into the distance.

"We don't know," David answered while trying his best to hide the fear in his voice.

"It just disappeared into the night," Mary Margaret added without taking her eyes off the night sky.

"Hey, what's going on?" a new voice asked, causing everyone to turn around to find Regina and Robin walking toward them.

"The Dark One, it's no longer tethered to the Crocodile," Killian explained without even bothering to hide the hatred in his voice.

"What?!" Regina exclaimed after all the color faded from her face before looking around at the world surrounding them, "where is it?"

Silence settled around them before Everly heard a faint hissing sound coming from somewhere nearby. That caused her to spin around in the opposite direction her friends and family were facing. Her eyes scanned the night sky until she got a feeling in the pit of her stomach. It felt as though they were being watched. "It didn't go anywhere. I can feel it. It's surrounding us."

Not even a second after those words left the Jones girl's mouth passed when the stream of dark magic appeared out of nowhere. Before anyone had a chance to react, it began to surround Regina, creating a vortex of darkness.

"Regina!" Robin shouted with panic in his voice, "what's it doing?!"

"What darkness does," Emma responded without taking her eyes off the Mills woman, "it's snuffing out the light."

"I'm not going to let it," the Hood man declared as he raced toward Regina. However, just as he got a foot away from the vortex, he was pushed back. The force sent him tumbling to the ground before Everly rushed to his side and helped him to his feet.

"That's not going to work on this thing!" Emma declared while thinking back to the information she just received from the gray-haired man, "the Apprentice told me we have to do what the Sorcerer did! We have to tether it to a person who can contain it!"

Before anyone had a chance to fully register what she was saying, a determined look appeared in the Swan woman's eyes. The next thing anyone knew, Emma began walking toward the darkness.

"No!" Regina shouted, making the Savior stop in her tracks a few feet away from the vortex, "there has to be another way!"

"There isn't," Emma told Regina while doing her best to fight the tears forming in her eyes, "you've worked too hard to have your happiness destroyed."

The next thing anyone knew, the Swan woman started to move the Dagger closer to the darkness, only for David shouting her name to stop her. Emma just stared at the vortex for a moment before forcing herself to look back at her family. She just stared at her parents for a long moment before opening her mouth to speak. "You figured out how to get the darkness out of me once. You need to do it again. As heroes."

"Emma," Everly managed to say as tears continued to stream down her cheeks, drawing her sister's attention toward her, "please. Don't do this."

"I need to," the Swan woman responded before forcing a small smile on her face, "you need to stay strong, Everly. Like you always are. I know you can figure out a way to save me."

It wasn't long after that when Killian rushed toward Emma. He placed his hand over her heart before her hand was on top of his. The two of them had an inaudible conversation that lasted for what felt like an eternity. It wasn't long after that when the Swan woman used her magic to force him away before she turned and drove the dagger into the darkness. Not even a second after that passed when the darkness stopped surrounding Regina and moved to Emma. The Mills woman instantly ran over to Robin before everyone watched as the darkness began surrounding Emma. It soon began lifting her into the air before they both disappeared in a flash of blue light.

All that was left in Emma's place was the Dagger. And written neatly on it was a name everyone knew all too well. Emma Swan.

────── ★★★ ──────

────── ★★★ ──────