Starlight

32

"Did you try and get rid of the cat?" Neal asked pointing to the slightly blurred image on the wall. "I kept telling you, cats don't have that many legs, did you listen?" Neal laughed, he remembered full well sitting in here when he was younger, chalk in hand trying to draw alongside Aoife. She didn't take direction well, especially when he tried to correct her drawings.

"No."

"No," Neal pottered around the old cave which he used to call home. Aoife pouted and shuffled around too. He didn't believe her, and he just smirked her way because she knew he knew she was lying. Who else would do such a thing?

"I'm not sure you'll find anything of use here." Hook said while side stepping Aoife who was just seemingly absentmindedly shuffling around without a destination.

"I'm looking for something," Neal looked up from throwing things around. "Made out of a coconut."

"The star map? We hid it," Emma said while rushing off to go to the hiding place of the map.

"Aoife?"

"What?" She replied bluntly to Hook which caused Neal to look between the two confused. He had sensed that something was not right there, but her tone was incredibly cutting.

"I think I just saw some movement outside."

"Go have a look then." Aoife turned and looked at him. "What? Am I now your security system as well as your guide?" She muttered angrily while turning and walking out. "Actually scratch that, I'd be more than grateful. Need to relieve stress on something." She stalked out while unsheathing both swords.

Narrowing his eyes, Hook looked over the totally black blade in her hands before turning to Neal. "You're being very understanding on the matter." Hook said, Neal looked up at him confused. "Emma and I shared a kiss." Hook commented quietly.

"Oh," Neal said confused. Frowning lightly he looked up at him.

"You didn't know." Hook stated obviously. "I thought Emma had told you."

"No, it just slipped her mind, I mean, her focus is all on finding Henry at the moment." Neal said while nodding slowly. "Would explain why Aoife hates your guts right now though." He said offhandedly while turning and looking at Emma who held the star map in her hands. She looked awkwardly between the two males.

"Are you all right?"

"Everything's fine," Neal said while taking the map from her hands. Opening it up, he whistled sharply, Aoife reappeared. She shuffled over and looked at the map in his hands. Nodding slowly he was pleased to see everything was all right with it, shoving it into his bag he looked to the three of them. "It's not a map, but it's what we'll use to trap the Shadow in."

"How can that work?" Hook asked while frowning lightly.

Neal turned and looked to him. "I remember a certain pirate once left Neverland on a ship through a portal, which isn't that much different than driving out on a magic coconut." Neal said simply. Easily cutting and shooting Hook's scepticism down, Aoife just raised an eyebrow, she was curious to see this work out.

Hook smirked and inclined his head slowly, leaving it at that. "Where to next?"

Aoife hung her head, "You remember me telling you I got dropped into the deepest darkest part of the Dark Jungle?" Looking up she saw Hook slowly nod.

"We're heading to Dark Hollow." Neal said, furthering on from her words. Aoife inhaled sharply, Neal didn't blame her, it was a dismal place.

"Well that's not morbid at all for a name." Emma commented while looking around.

Hook frowned. "I remember it, any light which is made is easily snuffed out by the shadows which call that place home." Pausing he looked to Neal and Aoife, "I've never been."

"Prepare for an experience." Aoife said dimly while moving away. She looked over her shoulder to see Neal say that Dark Hollow will be the only way they can ever get back to Storybrooke.

----

"Your sword."

"Which one, I have two, remember?" Aoife countered while pushing some leaves out of the way.

"The black one. What did you do?"

Aoife frowned. "You make it seem like I did a bad deed which was transfigured to my blade, and it turned black from this evil deed." Aoife rolled her eyes. "It's not the sword. It's the sheath. The inside of it is lined with dreamshade."

Hook looked at her interestedly. "How'd you manage that?"

"With great difficulty."

"Why?" He asked curiously.

Aoife frowned. "Why the hell do you care about my weapon?"

"Because it seems like a drastic move to make." Hook reasoned, something must've happened for her to carry such a thing around. That sword was able to kill in matters of seconds, or drag it out. "To create something which can take a life in one slash."

Aoife let out an awkward laugh. "Once you've been to Dark Hollow, then you'll know why I created such a weapon." There was no humour in her laugh, just a cold cynicism which caused Hook to look around at the path before them, before looking at her curiously. Aoife's shoulders were still tense as she continued onwards, quite happy to be silent it seemed.

"Dreamshade hurts the Shadow?" Hook frowned, that was what he surmised from her words.

"No, but it slows it down." She looked up at him. "It doesn't have a body, so it can't be hurt." She nodded and was silent then.

"Aoife-"

"Ah, don't go there." She cut in, she watched Neal and Emma talk quietly ahead of them.

"I think I need to." Hook said while gently reaching out to hold onto Aoife's arm. This time she didn't go to attack him. "I never thought I'd be back here."

"Killian, I already said you should be happy. If she makes you happy, great. But me pretending all this time to not care that you've returned..." Aoife looked to the side with a frown. "Just, forget it." She nodded with a smile. "It's fine." She shook her arm free from his grasp and ventured on.

Stepping after her he fell back in line beside her. "I'm going to go out on a whim and say you care for me."

"You really want to bring this up, now?" Aoife looked at him. "Really can you be any more egotistical?" She frowned at him. It was silent between the two. "This is awkward."

"Oh, I know." Hook answered. "You don't need to remind me."

"You told him?"

"I did."

"And?" Aoife looked around when she heard an odd animal call.

"He thinks she forgot to inform him."

"Yikes," Aoife scratched her head. "That surely means she didn't wish to tell him." Sighing she shrugged. "And yes, to answer your earlier question, I do, and I never really stopped. Much like Baelfire when he was younger wished for someone to come and get him, so did I, and it never happened. Oh well, life goes on...or not, life doesn't seem to go anywhere here." Aoife trailed off on a strange tangent. "Be careful," she looked at him. "You have a caring heart really, Killian, despite all the front you give, as a friend – don't look at me like that – I mean a friend only right now, I don't wish to see you hurt."

He smiled. "That's very big of you."

Aoife smiled. "I may be bitter, and hurting, but I am not going to stop someone from being happy." Aoife looked at him and back to the path ahead.

——

(Edited: 24/August/2020)