Chapter 21: Removing Power

The idea of having to take over a Gods powers was rather unsettling, but they didnt' see that they had any other choice. If they were going to make sure that Gold couldn't hurt anyone they had to take this chance. It was obvious that Killian was rather uncomfortable with the situation. Though Emma didn't know all the details about what had happened to him when it came to Gold, she had a feeling that it had fueled him not being so comfortable with magic. Still, her and Killian had already started the process apparently. They had already accepted that the gods were like them and it was only a matter of time before they disappeared.

"You are going to have to do this if you want to rid the others of the power as well," Came Hera's voice in her head. "It is a big responsiblity and I know it is a lot to take, but there is no other way. The longer you resist it. . . the more time your enemy has to accept his."

Emma knew that it was true and something told her that it wouldn't take Gold much to be willing to accept the powers of the God of the Underworld. And she really didn't want to find out what he would be able to do then.

She looked up at Killian who appeared to be talking to Zues, perhaps trying to figure out any other way that they could do this. It was already too much to deal with and she had felt like so much was always weighing on her. Though the positive thing now was that this wasn't something that she would have to do alone. She would have Killian and they would be able to figure this out together.

Finally when she looked up Killian seemed to be focused on her. Whatever they had to do. . . they were going to have to do it quickly. The more time they wasted the more likely they would lose the chance to remove the gods power from Gold. "Ready, love?" he asked, a small smile appearing on his lips as if he was trying to reassure her.

Emma nodded before moving over to him and wrapping her arms around him. "We can do this," she stated, her voice more firm than she thought it would be. Already since coming to the town she had gone through so much. She had been able to handle things she never thought she would have been able to. And now she had a family to be there and support her in her choices. And she had Killian.

"Good luck, dear, you are stronger than you know," Hera's voice came softer than before.

The goddess was already disappear and she knew it. Though there was a part of her that wanted to fight it, she did her best to focus on the man in her arms and doing whatever she had to in order to protect her family.

It was unclear if the goddess had fully disappeared or not, but her voice was no longer echoing in her head which made Emma think that she was gone. Killian appeared to relax a little in her arms and she thought perhaps Zues was gone as well.

"We are gonig to need that golden apple if we are going to do this," he finally said looking up at her and giving her a more reassuring smile. It helped knowing that she was going to have him by her side and she wished she hadn't fought her feelings for him for so long. Perhaps they could have dealt with all of this better if they had attempted to be honest with each other.

"Do you still have it? You had kept it with you after the town meeting right?" It was true that she had it and she was glad she decided to keep it instead of tossing it out somewhere. She moved over to one of the drawers in the kitchen and pulled it out, showing it to everyone in the room.

"So if the gods had been trapped in this before all we have to do is have the powers be put back inside it. . . then there is no way that Gold will be able to keep Hades power. . . . I dont' know how we are supposed to do that."

This kind of thing didn't exactly come with an instruction manual. Considering that she had barely had any idea how to use her magic before, this wasn't going to be so easy. "Perhaps it is as simple as just . . . focusing?" Killian offered givnig a small shrug. It wasn't a bad idea. Considering that the gods managed to find themselves to people who were not near the apple before she figured that they didn't need to find Gold to do this.

"Okay so. . . we both hold the apple and . . . think about pulling everyones power inside it then?" Emma asked as she moved over to Killian with the apple in hand. Somehow she felt that it couldn't be that simple and yet it wasn't as if they had even thought to try such a thing before.

The two simply looked at each other before Emma held the apple out and Killian placed his on top of it. They both closed their eyes and tried to focus on brining all of the gods powers inside the object. At first nothing happened and Emma wondered if perhaps this wasn't going to work after all. Instead she tried focusing on Hera and the powers that she had. The apple had been glowing and warm when she found it so she tried to remember that and make it happen again.

She heard a gasp and she opened her eyes to see that the apple was glowing as it had when they first found it and it was starting to become warm in their hands. "Focus on your powers and then try to use them to pull the other gods powers inside the apple." It was the best chance they had and it seemed to be working so far. She closed her eyes again and she could feel something being pulled towards the apple. This time she didn't look when she heard the gasp come from nearby.

The powers were taken from Snow first and then Charming. And soon they could see the powers of the other gods starting to come inside the apartment and make its way into the apple. Emma focused specificly on Gold and his powers. Both the powers of Hades and the powers of the Dark One. If they could rid the town of the darkness he had then they woudln't have to worry about him in the future. She had a feeling that Killian would be thinking the same thing.

As the powers built up in the apple the apple grew brighter and they both opened their eyes to see the rest of the gods powers being pulled into the apple. Last. . . . they could tell it was Golds. The blue light of Hades magic was pulled into the apple followed by a dark mass that they only assumed to be the powers of the dark one. As soon as the dark ones magic was pulled into the apple the apple stopped glowing and turned from the vibrant gold, to pitch black.

And with that Killian removed his hand from the apple and it was done. Something told her that Gold was not going to be happy to learn that all of his power had been taken away, but he was better off without them anyway. The man wouldn't be able to use his magic to hurt anyone again. "We did it," Killian spoke up first a bright smile forming on his lips.

Emma nodded before pulling him into a hug. "It's over then. . . the gods and the dark power is inside the apple. . . . but now. . . what are we going to do with it?" she asked, tilting her head to the side as she looked at the now black apple in her hand.

"Lock it up and hide it?" Killian offered. It didn't mean that someone wouldn't find it one day, but perhaps they were able to lock the powers in it for good. Still, she figured that it wouldn't hurt to be safe and do what they could to make sure that nobody ever found the object again.

END