Once Upon A Curse

chapter 9

Days had passed since Ciara saw Henry. She left him in David's protection so she could find a way to get the enchanted forest or bring them here.

She was looking through old spell books when her phone buzzed. she checked her messages and saw a text from her mother telling her to come to the woods. Sighing, she reluctantly teleported to the meeting point.

"Alright, mother, what is it?" Ciara asked and stopped in her tracks when she saw her father and stopped walking towards the well. "And what's he doing here?" She snapped.

"Don't question it. Do you want your pirate back or not, dearie?" Gold replied before Regina could. He turns around before taking out a fairy wand and holds it up towards the sky and summons a thunderstorm. A clash of green lightning strikes the well, which creates an electric barrier.

"What are you doing? How will this get him back?" Ciara asked as she stepped closer to the dark one. "Sorry, Dearie." He said before Ciara's vision went black.

Mr. Gold and Regina watch the storm brew inside the well. Henry and Ruby arrive. Henry sees his sister unconscious and looks at his mom.

"Mom? You're not helping Emma and Mary Margaret, are you?" Henry said, hurt.

"I'm helping you, Henry." Regina pleaded with her son silently.

"What are you talking about? and whys Ciara knocked out?"

"You're going to kill them." Ruby butted in.

Mr. Gold magically shot Ruby back with the wand, knocking her out. "Sorry, dearie." He said sarcastically.

"Mom, answer me . What are you doing?" Henry screamed at his mother.

"Your sister will be fine. We just need to harness some of her magic, We can't let Cora come through the portal. You have no idea what she would do to us." Regina argued, acting as if she was in the right.

"Emma and Mary Margaret are going to defeat her. They're the ones that are going to come through, " Henry yelled at his mother, becoming angry.

"Henry, your mothers right. It's going to be Cora." Mr. Gold said before he was knocked unconscious by magic.

"No. It won't. Good always defeats evil. You should know that more than anyone." Ciara stated from behind her mother, due to all the arguing no one had noticed she had woken up.

"What I know is my mother will destroy everything I love – and that means you. And I can't let that happen." Regina said. Henry tried to run towards the well, but Regina stopped him. "Henry, what are you doing?"

"Emma and Mary Margaret are going to come through. I know it. You said you wanted to change – to be better. This is how. You want me to have faith in you? Have faith in me." Henry yelled, causing Regina to soften her grip of the boy.

"Come on, mom," Ciara says softly.

Regina approaches the well and extends her arms over the electrical barrier. She uses her magic to absorb the storm into her body, effectively removing the barrier to the portal. The power of the magic throws her back. Despite the threat being removed, no one appears to be coming through the portal.

"No!" Henry said, and Ciara felt her heart become numb.

"Im sorry, Henry. Im sorry." Regina says, walking towards her children.

Suddenly, a hand comes out of the well and grabs the edge. Emma pulls herself out, followed by Mary Margaret.

"Mom?"

"Henry!" Emma yelled as she climbed out of the well, Mary Margaret following behind her.

"Mom!" Henry rushes to Emma and the two of them hug. Mary Margaret joins in.

"I missed you!" Emma says happily.

"I hate to interrupt the reunion, but ermm, you didn't happen to run into a one-handed pirate, did you?" Ciara asked, slowly scared to know the answer.

Emma hesitated for responding, "No, sorry, Ciara, we looked for him, but I don't think he's alive."

Ciara's heart skipped a beat as she looked to the ground, feeling a tear roll down her cheek. She quickly wiped it a way and looked at the saviour.

"Ciara, I'm so sorry." Regina said, stepping forward, trying to comfort her daughter, but was pushed back by magic. "Don't touch me! This is all your fault, you are not my mother, I hate you, " Ciara said and watched at Regina's heart, broke at her words. Ciara glared at her mother once more before disappearing in a cloud of red smoke.

Ciara reappeared on the docs staring out at the water before breaking down into tears. He was gone.

*The enchanted forest past*

Ciara had snuck out of the castle to get away from her mother and the guards who were constantly in her way. She made her way into the town near the docks, exploring the streets of where she's never been allowed to go before.

She made her way inside the tavern and examined the crowd of pirates and villagers who were all drinking.

She kept her cloak over her head, hiding her face from the others, and made her way to the back of the tavern. She sat down at an empty table and grabbed a drink from a tray that was shoved in front of her face.

She sat quietly until she was interrupted by a presence next to her.

"And what's a fair maiden doing drinking all alone?" The person asked, causing Ciara to lock eyes with the mystery man, her breath hitched as she saw him. He was breathtakingly handsome.

"Who wants to know?" Ciara replied, taking a sip of her drink.

"Hook, Captain Hook," the man replied, "And you would be?"

"Princess, princess Ciara to you." She stated bluntly, and she watched his eyes darken at her words.

Ciara broke out of her trance, clutching her necklace that Hook had given to her as she continued to allow the tears to fall. She sat on a bench looking out at the water the sun had gone, and she was left with only the streetlights to light up the docs. Her eyes were dry as she had no tears left to cry, her thoughts clouded by the memories of her and Killian.

Ciara knew she had to leave, and so she walked away from the sea and walked towards the woods, unaware of the ship pulling into the docs and the one-handed pirate watching her from a distance.