Sickly Sweet
1
They had all resisted the urge to laugh at Killian’s story of the Sugar Plum Faerie – Emma because all she’d ever heard of or seen on television of the Sugar Plum Faerie was of a helpful faerie who was sugar sweet, Mary Margaret because she’d believed the Sugar Plum Faerie to be simply a legend, even in the Enchanted Forest. However, as the tales went on, getting more terrifying and gruesome as they walked, Emma was getting a terrible feeling. Killian wouldn’t lie to her about something, if anything, she was afraid he would – no pun intended – sugar coat it.
“So, you’re saying she’s actually a dark faerie?” she whispered, and he nodded, giving her an apologetic look.
“Afraid so love, but she’s the only one who will be able to return David to his usual self; I have no doubts that the enchantment came from her,” he sighed, before taking her hand in his and giving it a soft squeeze, before kissing her temple and moving ahead of her. They were going to use the magic well in the forest to help take them to the Kingdom of the Dolls, a place that seemed to put a shiver down his spine, while his girlfriend and her mother still seemed skeptical of the entire idea.
Using the light magic Emma has been gaining control of, the well takes them to the kingdom, and Emma finally understands Killian’s fears. This place looked like a young girl’s nightmare, where the dolls had finally come to life but in a terrible way. Disjointed, their features marred and made to show pain or fear instead of any other emotions, and they stared at the three humans as they passed through. Even their surroundings seemed to be made of toys; the trees, the grass, even the path beneath their feet, which seemed to be made of blocks. There were also no animals, making their journey seem eerily quiet. Yet, the feeling of being watched never left them.
It wasn’t until hours later that Killian stopped them, tiptoeing off the path and motioning for Emma and Mary Margaret to follow him. He’d been here once before, as a young boy not long after his father had left, and had narrowly escaped, but Killian had never been able to shake the memories of this place. The Mouse King had been punished terribly for Killian’s escape, and he knew they must be careful, for if he was captured again he wasn’t sure he would be so lucky as to escape a second time.
“This way, we can sneak into the dungeon halls,” he whispered, and Emma set to helping him push aside several large boulders; which for their size, should have been impossible for the two to move. The rocks towered over Killian, yet the two of them didn’t struggle too terribly to make way to the secret entrance. The one upside of everything being doll-like, Emma supposed.
“Should someone stand guard?” Killian asked, and, Emma bit her lip. She didn’t think it was safe for one of their group to be left alone, but it did make sense to have someone guarding their only way out.
“I can stand watch,” he finally decided, and she pulled him in for a soft kiss. After reassuring them he would be fine, he ushered them into the tunnel, giving them the directions toward the Sugar Plum Faerie, before pushing a small object into Emma’s hand.
“You mustn’t look at it, but this will be your bargaining chip. However, if she sees in your mind that you have it, she’ll be able to twist her way into getting it without giving us what we need. She has terrible magic, it gets into your mind and your soul and can make you lose yourself entirely, so please, love, be careful,” he kissed her once more, and Emma knew immediately something was wrong.
“Killian…”
“I’ll tell you the whole story when we’re back in Storybrook, I promise,” he insisted, and sent her and Mary Margaret on her way. There would be trouble, Emma now had the feeling deep in her gut that ninety-nine percent of the time was right.
They got through the castle as Killian had directed, somehow without much difficulty. Mary Margaret hoped it was because she’d ruled so long without any opposition, but Emma couldn’t help but worry over Killian’s warning. This faerie had strong, dark magic at her disposal.
“Come in, my pretties,” the voice was suddenly booming yet non-existent, and it took only seconds for them to realize the voice was in their heads.
“No need to sneak around; I knew the moment you entered my kingdom,” the sickeningly-sweet voice told them, and after sharing a look Emma and Mary Margaret pushed open the doors to the great hall.
She was sitting atop a throne made of Gumdrops and other sweets, her Nutcracker guards standing at attention by her sides. Then, Emma gasped.
Between two of them, shackles on his wrists, was Killian. He stared at her, his blue eyes expressionless, and she knew. The Sugar Plum Faerie had gotten into his head, somehow. She’d known they were coming and knew Killian was standing watch.
“So, you’re saying she’s actually a dark faerie?” she whispered, and he nodded, giving her an apologetic look.
“Afraid so love, but she’s the only one who will be able to return David to his usual self; I have no doubts that the enchantment came from her,” he sighed, before taking her hand in his and giving it a soft squeeze, before kissing her temple and moving ahead of her. They were going to use the magic well in the forest to help take them to the Kingdom of the Dolls, a place that seemed to put a shiver down his spine, while his girlfriend and her mother still seemed skeptical of the entire idea.
Using the light magic Emma has been gaining control of, the well takes them to the kingdom, and Emma finally understands Killian’s fears. This place looked like a young girl’s nightmare, where the dolls had finally come to life but in a terrible way. Disjointed, their features marred and made to show pain or fear instead of any other emotions, and they stared at the three humans as they passed through. Even their surroundings seemed to be made of toys; the trees, the grass, even the path beneath their feet, which seemed to be made of blocks. There were also no animals, making their journey seem eerily quiet. Yet, the feeling of being watched never left them.
It wasn’t until hours later that Killian stopped them, tiptoeing off the path and motioning for Emma and Mary Margaret to follow him. He’d been here once before, as a young boy not long after his father had left, and had narrowly escaped, but Killian had never been able to shake the memories of this place. The Mouse King had been punished terribly for Killian’s escape, and he knew they must be careful, for if he was captured again he wasn’t sure he would be so lucky as to escape a second time.
“This way, we can sneak into the dungeon halls,” he whispered, and Emma set to helping him push aside several large boulders; which for their size, should have been impossible for the two to move. The rocks towered over Killian, yet the two of them didn’t struggle too terribly to make way to the secret entrance. The one upside of everything being doll-like, Emma supposed.
“Should someone stand guard?” Killian asked, and, Emma bit her lip. She didn’t think it was safe for one of their group to be left alone, but it did make sense to have someone guarding their only way out.
“I can stand watch,” he finally decided, and she pulled him in for a soft kiss. After reassuring them he would be fine, he ushered them into the tunnel, giving them the directions toward the Sugar Plum Faerie, before pushing a small object into Emma’s hand.
“You mustn’t look at it, but this will be your bargaining chip. However, if she sees in your mind that you have it, she’ll be able to twist her way into getting it without giving us what we need. She has terrible magic, it gets into your mind and your soul and can make you lose yourself entirely, so please, love, be careful,” he kissed her once more, and Emma knew immediately something was wrong.
“Killian…”
“I’ll tell you the whole story when we’re back in Storybrook, I promise,” he insisted, and sent her and Mary Margaret on her way. There would be trouble, Emma now had the feeling deep in her gut that ninety-nine percent of the time was right.
They got through the castle as Killian had directed, somehow without much difficulty. Mary Margaret hoped it was because she’d ruled so long without any opposition, but Emma couldn’t help but worry over Killian’s warning. This faerie had strong, dark magic at her disposal.
“Come in, my pretties,” the voice was suddenly booming yet non-existent, and it took only seconds for them to realize the voice was in their heads.
“No need to sneak around; I knew the moment you entered my kingdom,” the sickeningly-sweet voice told them, and after sharing a look Emma and Mary Margaret pushed open the doors to the great hall.
She was sitting atop a throne made of Gumdrops and other sweets, her Nutcracker guards standing at attention by her sides. Then, Emma gasped.
Between two of them, shackles on his wrists, was Killian. He stared at her, his blue eyes expressionless, and she knew. The Sugar Plum Faerie had gotten into his head, somehow. She’d known they were coming and knew Killian was standing watch.