Saving a Savior

Chapter One: A Warning

      Ever since Jasmine had entered Storybrooke and observed the heroes, she had tried to get Killian on his own for her to talk to him. Emma noticed, and wrote it off as a crush. After all, Aladdin was nowhere to be seen and no one knew better than she how handsome her pirate was. But Killian knew this was not the case- he could tell in the way she approached them and felt a sense that something important was inside that girl's head. Something about her told him that she was not there just to hang around, but for a specific purpose. What purpose, he did not know.

      So it happened that one cloudy day when Killian was taking a walk, pleasuring in the sight of an oncoming storm, he was not surprised to see Jasmine walking determinedly toward him. Once she caught up she kept stride with him, eyeing him and taking a breathe as if she was uncomfortable speaking. "I'm sure you know who I am," she said. She was not the kind of lass to beat about the bush, and this was something that predisposed her in Killian's favor. "Yes," he answered. She nodded grimly and spoke again. "I'm afraid the reason I have stuck around so long is to give you a warning. One I feel I owe you in a way." Killian took his eyes from the clouds to her face, curious. She stopped where she was on the beach and so did Killian, waiting 7for her to finish. "You see, Aladdin was a savior," she said. She did not want to talk about this one bit. She did not want to see the pain she would cause, but she was a strong person and she had to. "Was?" Killian said. Jasmine nodded grimly and looked down. "I know what it's like to be in love with a Savior, and I hope your story doesn't end like mine did." Jasmine fiddled uncomfortably with her hair. "There's something you have never considered, perhaps never had time to consider lately. Emma's sickness isn't just a cold. It's about magic," Jasmine said. Now Killian was really confused. For the last week or so Emma had not been herself, but he and everyone had just thought it was the flu. It being about magic? That sounded unlikely. Jasmine saw that thought in his face and she shook her head. "No, you haven't seen it like I have. Emma's hands shake. That isn't a normal thing with a cold or something, it's a specific thing that doesn't make sense. She hides it from you but I see it. I think she knows it is not normal. Her magic, all the stress it is going through and has always gone through trying to save Storybrooke, it's finally getting to her."

      For some reason this conversation annoyed Killian, probably because it spoke to his fears. He tried to walk away but Jasmine just walked alongside him, determined as ever. "You have to listen to me," she said, anger and spirit consuming her face. "Jafar told Aladdin he couldn't have a happy ending because he was a Savior, but I'm not sure if that is totally true. We may be able to save her, you and I just have to think!" Killian stopped suddenly so that Jasmine had to slow herself down and walk back to him. "Save her from what exactly?" He said. Jasmin's face suddenly became gentle. She lost all her anger as sadness drifted into her eyes. "The...well, what happens at a certain point in a Savior's life is that their efforts start to ware on them. You have to understand, they have so much magic inside them that is constantly put to use. They are always giving and giving and giving, more than anyone could possibly comprehend. No one gives them a happy ending, so none of them have had a happy ending. Instead their magic, both their best friend and worst enemy, starts to take the energy and life from them and give it to other people—that's how strongly the magic wants to give others happy endings." Jasmine paused, trying to breathe correctly again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breathe, tears sliding down her face. "When it gets to that point, they start to die without ever having found a happy ending of their own. No Savior, that I know of at least, has. That's what happened to Aladdin. I watched him grow his magic, and live almost happily, and I saw his magic grow so that it was too much for him. I saw him die." Her face looked so old with sadness it was remarkable. She was looking at the waves, but just now looked at Killian's face, which was stricken. "I know the signs when I see them," she said. "And I see that it will begin with Emma. So I want to warn you, but also to help you. I know that you are her true love. I've been thinking about how I could have helped Aladdin if I had known all the things I know now. So I have to try to help you help Emma before it is too late." Jasmine's noble, beautiful spirit showed in her eyes, which were glowing with emotion. "Maybe you can be the first person to save a Savior," she said.