Helpless

33-Unspeakable Power

  Bae and I roam the island, looking for Emma and the others, and exchanging stories as we go. He tells me everything about him and Emma, and I tell him all about my life as an orphan.
  "I can't believe you recognized me so easily. You haven't seen me since I was just a kid," Baelfire, or Neal as he told me he goes by now, explains. I laugh lightly.
  "Oh, please. You were my first, and only, friend. I'd recognize those eyes anywhere." I nudge his arm. "You actually gave me my memories back. They'd all been erased from before I was nine, but I have them all back now. There's still a hole in them though..." I trail off.
  "What is it?" Neal asks out of curiosity.
  "Well, right before I got my memories back I ran into Regina and Rumplestiltskin. Well, they didn't see me, but I heard the conversation. They were talking about me, and Rumple said he knew I was here because he can sense people with magical abilities. I don't have magical abilities. I've never encountered any, anyways," I explain.
  "Wait... you heard from Rumple and Regina? Did they say anything about Henry?" I can hear the hope in his voice. I shake my head solemnly.
  "I'm sorry Bae- I mean, Neal. Sorry, it'll take some time-"
  "It's okay. You seem like you need some comfort in your life right now, maybe some positivity from your past will help," He offers sweetly. "Sorry I interrupted though. Being the daughter of the Evil Queen, there's no way you're powerless."
  I think it over in my head. "But wouldn't I have learned something by now?" I ask him.
  "Well, Emma didn't learn her powers until she was in her twenties. It's quite possible." We turn another corner, and I hear voices. I put out my hand to stop Baelfire. "You hear it too?" He whispers to me. I nod. We hide behind a tree and eavesdrop to identify the visitors.
  "If we're going to turn her into a dark one, we've got to act soon, Regina. Pan's attraction to her is only growing." It's Rumple. Neal wraps a strong arm around my shoulder as if to tell me he won't let that happen. I give a small smile at the feeling of protection I thought I'd lost.
  "I don't want to turn my daughter dark-"
  "Then she stays."
  "If Pan loves her, wouldn't he let her go where she'd be happy? What if we get her to want to come with us?" I have to hold back from laughing. Or crying. I won't be happy anywhere.
  "You think Pan will give up something that easily? He'll manipulate her into wanting to stay." That's not true. He would've done that by now.
  "There has to be another way-"
  "Well there isn't. You either get a dark powerful daughter or no daughter at all." Rumple's statement shuts them both up.
  "Why do you care?" Regina asks after an eternity.
  "Let me simplify it for you. There's never been more than one dark one. If we make your daughter a dark one, she'll bring unspeakable power."
  And with that, I feel my feet knocked out from under me, and my body slams to the ground.