Samantha Rose

For those I love

"My. My, my my....aren't you clever? Just like you mother," Hades snarked. "Here's what none of you have bothered to think through: you broke the deal. And you, daughter, may have enough power to defeat me, but you don't know how. And when I'm finished with you all, you'll wish you could just forget all this."

Rumple and Belle's faces were etched with worry, but Samantha remained unaffected. 

"Here's what you didn't bother to think through, Hades: my father is the freaking Dark One and his magic is matched only by my mother's intelligence. And I'm their daughter, so I've legitimately got it all. Did you really think I couldn't figure out how to defeat you?"

She took a menacing step towards Hades, causing him to take a step back. He was unnerved by her confidence.

"You wouldn't kill your own dad."

"No, I wouldn't. But I have no problem killing you," she sneered at Hades. Yet again, she flicked her wrist and the four found themselves inside a cave of sorts. It looked to be the inside of a volcano, a river or fire below the cliff they stood on. Belle and Rumple were safely away from the edge. Hades stood about five feet from the edge, with Sam standing between them. With a snap of her fingers, she froze Hades in place and turned to her parents.

"I'm sorry, guys. This...this isn't gonna be pretty." She turned to Hades and released all magical holds on him. Without a moment's hesitation, he blasted magic at Sam, catching her off guard. She was flung back several feet, landing close to where Rumple and Belle still sat huddled together. Belle tried to go to her daughter, but Rumple gently held her back, ensuring she stayed out of harm's way. Shakily, Sam began to stand. She never fully stood before Hades blasted her again, pinning her against the stone wall behind her. Finally, he released her and she crumbled to the ground. The triumphant look at Hades' face disappeared as Sam chuckled, still doubled over on the ground. Her eyes met his.

"You know, for someone fighting for his life, I thought you'd hit harder." Before Belle could blink, Sam was at the edge, Hades' throat in her hand and she held him inches from doom. "Ironic, isn't it? The very measures you took to to inhibit your demise only ensured it."

Finally, Samantha reached under her jacket and withdrew what she had hidden there. Belle's breath caught as the item glinted against the fire. A dagger. This dagger was not like the Dark One's. There were no inscriptions; it was not long or squiggly. It was a simple, straight blade only five inches long. The silver flashed brightly. Sam's hand slid from Hades' throat to the back of his neck, drawing his ear close. She whispered so that not even Rumple could hope to hear. "I want you to remember...you deserve this." 

Swiftly, she buried the knife up to its hilt into Hades' heart. Light filled the cavern

"I would have toppled realms for you, Dad," Sam continued, in a heartbroken whisper. "If the things you told me weren't lies...if there was good in you...  I loved you once." She withdrew the blade fully and thrust it into Hades' chest once more. 

Despite his fast-approaching demise, Hades grinned slightly.

"You know what the price is for this..."

Sam matched his grin, but her eyes were empty. She knew all too well what the price would be.

"For those I love, I will sacrifice."

In a final flash of light, Hades disappeared and the blade clattered to the ground.  Rumple saw his daughter's knees quake and was immediately there to catch her.

"The price? What was the price of your magic?!" Belle demanded of her. When Sam met her mother's gaze, Belle knew something was wrong. The light had gone out of her daughter's eyes.

"The only thing that could defeat him... magic," she said weakly. A clarity came to her eyes as the gears of her mind began to turn the right way again. "We have to go - you need to go! We have to get to the boats, now! Rumple, take us there." 

As Rumple's magic smoke cloud dissipated, they were faced by a large cloaked figure. He stood at the end of a short pier. 

"Wait," Belle said. She turned to Sam, "What did you mean by what you said?"

"I mean that my magic was the only thing powerful enough to defeat Hades. Of all time, and across every realm, only I could do it. Smaller acts of magic had their own price. Some people have magic, but I basically am magic. Light and dark. I was raised to use dark magic, and even if I wasn't, it is easier to hate than to love. Magic, after all, is conjured through emotion. Using dark snuffs out light. Because I am both, I was literally destroying myself whenever I used dark magic. The price of my magic is my own existence. Only a lifetime of the purest light magic could save me. So, I did what I had to do. With great power come great sacrifice."

"What did you do?" Belle asked, barely above a whisper.

"All those nights I spent in the workshop... when Hades told you he couldn't see my magic anymore... It's because I imbued that knife with my magic. All of it," she explained. With a sigh, she finished, "I gave up my power. Sacrificing for those you love is the ultimate light."

"What did you mean when you said he meant to break me?" Rumple chimed in.

"He wanted me to find you and learn the truth. He wanted the deal to be broken so he'd have an excuse to come after you. Hades counted on me hating you as much as he does and Belle hating you probably even more than he did. That would break your spirit. You'd slip up, but less careful, or even confront Hades. He meant to kill you and take your power as the Dark One, Rumplestiltskin. That is why he sent me to Storybrooke. It was never because he loved me..." Sam faced the cloaked figure. "Hades is gone, Leonidas. The Underworld is under my charge now. Take them to Storybrooke. Make sure they get there safely; make no stops for others along the way."

"What - you're not coming?" Belle sounded shocked. "I'm not leaving without you! I just got you back!"

"I know, Belle, I know. I may not be dead, but the Underworld is my unfinished business. All these people are still trapped here because of things Hades did, things I did... now that he's gone, they are my responsibility. I need to stay and help as many move on as I can."

"Then we'll stay with you," Rumplestiltskin suggested. Sam shook her head.

"No," she firmly told them. "Rumple, you're not who I thought you were. And I'm glad. You are not the Dark One to me. You're my father. Belle, you've waited so long for your happy ending, but, in reality, you've had it all along. It's with him. You've found me, you found your answers, and we've defeated Hades! You can start really living now. But that's only possible up there, in the real world. Not down here, with me."

"You're not coming back, are you?" The tears in Belle's blue eyes flowed freely.

"I don't know how long I'm going to be down here, Belle. Even if I finish here, there's a lot of people across the realms I need to make amends with. Maybe one day, I'll finish and come back to Storybrooke...maybe one day we can be a family. But do yourself a favor, and don't wait for me. Live your lives, love each other, and be honest with one another. That's all I ask."

"But without magic, how will you get back?"

"I'll find a way. I may not have magic, but magic itself exists in every realm. I'll find a way, I promise."

Belle pulled the girl into a tight embrace. Sam soon felt Rumplestiltskin wrap his arms around the both of them and plant a kiss on the top of her head. Samantha withdrew first, still a bit uncomfortable. She straightened her clothes and nodded in the direction of the boatman.

"Go on, now. Leonidas will ensure you get back safely," she assured them. Even Samantha could not hide the tear that came to her eye as she watched her parents step into the boat and disappear into the thick fog. She whispered one last goodbye as she watched magic whisk them home.

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Okay guys, just a heads up: the next chapter is the last! Thanks for sticking with me through this whole story. I've already got the last part planned out but I hope it's everything you guys hope for! 

I'm gonna need something new to write once i'm done so feel free to give me prompts, suggestions, whatever!