The Lost Princess - A Once Upon A Time Fanfic

Let The Games Begin // The Underworld

Kyla took in a deep breath as she sat on the couch. She counted the seconds in her inhales and exhales, trying to calm her heart. If she were to panic, it wouldn't help Rider. She needed to stay calm. 

"What can we do?" Snow asked, sitting next to her. 

"You said Pan is at Gold's shop, right?" David asked. "Let's go there." 

"No," Kyla said. As thankful as she was that everyone was willing to help this time around, she knew they needed to be smart about this. "That's exactly what Pan wants."

"Shouldn't we give Pan exactly what he wants?" Snow asked. "Rider-"

"Is fine," Kyla said. "At least for now. I just need a minute to think."

"If Pan took Rider, then that means Hades must know of your plan," Hook said, his voice meek. Kyla looked up at him, anger consuming her. 

"You don't think I'm aware of that?" She asked, standing to her feet. Snow tried to grab her arm to gently pull her back down, but Kyla got away from her, walking toward Hook. "This wouldn't be happening if we hadn't come down here to save you."

"Kyla," Emma started, her instinct to protect Hook overcoming her. 

"She's right," Hook said. "But what was I supposed to do, Kyla?" 

"It wasn't his choice to become a Dark One," Emma reminded her. 

"But it was his choice to hurt us," Kyla said, her voice suddenly quiet. "If you think for a minute that I feel sorry for you - sorry that you died, sorry that you became the Dark One, sorry that Hades hurt you - you must be insane." 

"I'm not asking you to feel sorry for me!" Hook exclaimed. "Can't you sense how guilt-ridden I am?" 

Kyla shook her head. "It doesn't make a difference to me. The clear fact is we're here because of you, we're stuck because of you, and Rider has been kidnapped again-"

"Because of you," Emma said to Kyla. "This was Pan's doing, not Killian's."

Kyla looked up at Hook, who hung his head. 

"No," Hook said. "It is because of me." 

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked. Snow immediately stood up from the couch, slowly walking over to Kyla's side. Kyla stayed silent, knowing where he was going with his thought. 

"Neverland," he started, "it was my idea to take out Pan. I wanted the island for myself. I was going to lure the Dark One with the death of his mortal enemy and kill him. If I hadn't come up with that plan, Pan wouldn't be obsessed with Kyla."

"But it's not your fault that Pan fell in love with Kyla," Snow said.

"My power," Kyla corrected her. "He's in love with my power." Then she looked back at Hook. "That man hasn't felt true love since becoming Peter Pan."

"Yeah, but you're the closest thing he has to it," David said. "There's got to be some way to use it against him."

Kyla rolled her eyes. "If it were just Pan, it would be simple. He can't see straight when he thinks he's going to win. Because we're here and not on Neverland, it's an even playing field. Except for the fact that we're here. And Hades knows."

"You're sure that he knows?" Snow asked. 

"He was talking like Pan," she explained. "He knows. But he's not what I'm the most concerned with."

"Gold," Regina said, her arms crossed against her chest. 

"I can't trick Gold," Kyla said. "So, we have to work around him."