Once We are Descendants

Chapter 35: Family Feud

"I figured if they were going to fight, let them do it in the proper place," Crystal explains.

Emma smacks her friend on the shoulder in anger and Regina does not look particularly happy either.

"My husband's issues with his alternate son is not for your own personal entertainment."

"Oh, come on Emma, you have to admit, this is exciting."

"I swear, you're becoming more and more like your father every day," the blonde snarls. "Enjoying watching other people fight and hurt each other."

Crystal grinds her teeth at the remark. She loved Emma and Killian, a lot, they were her family; Emma was her surrogate sister and Killian was one of her most trusted friends, but every once and a while, she would get angry with them as they got angry with her. They always tended to exploit the one thing she hated about herself the most; that she was the daughter of the most hated and demonic man in all the realms. And she knew why they did this...

Everyone in Storybrooke knew that she loathed the fact that her father's darkness ran through her veins; in fact, she'd snap at anyone who mistakenly called her Crystal Gold instead of Crystal Miller. She hated that she was associated with such an evil man and how this relation him made her the person that she was; it was what defined the first sixteen years of her life and cost Lillian Miller, her life in the process. Her actions against her mother were the biggest regrets Crystal had and everyone knew that she fought every single day to control and suppress the evil inside her. It was never a pleasant experience when Crystal's soul leaned back into the darkness. It was a delicate balancing act for her; the power of her father's darkness and the intensity of her mother's love and light. It was also extremely painful, often causing physical strain on her body and when she couldn't hold it back any longer, it often expelled outwards in a destructive shockwave that was extremely powerful, but also very dangerous. She had no control over this ability and it often endangered the people she cared about most.

The daughter of Rumpelstiltskin understood why her friends and loved ones brought this up, it was meant to remind her of who she should be and that she needs to come back to the side of good again. She will admit that she had inherited her father's mischievous tendencies and sometimes impish nature, but most of the time, it was harmless fun. Except maybe this time.

"So, what should I do then?" Crystal asks. "Take the swords away or freeze them in their places?"

...

When Killian had leapt up and drawn his sword to protect Mal, he'd expected that he may end up duelling this boy, which was not something he wanted to do to his own son. Back when he was his old villainous self, sword-fighting would have been his solution to everything. He'd even challenged Rumpelstiltskin to duel back when the imp had been human and he begged for Killian to release his wife, whom he thought had been captured by pirates. The pirate thought that it was honourable for a man to fight for what he wanted. Anyone who refused, like the peasant Rumple had, would be labelled a coward, but he knew better now. With Emma's help, he'd learned that there were other ways to solve problems than just fighting, especially after she'd bested him when they fought for the compass by a dried-up lake. Not everything had to end in violence and now he only ever fought someone when he or she or it became a deadly threat to those he loved.

As he and Harry began to fight in the hospital, the pirate captain knew that they had to find a better place to do this, knowing about the people who were now in harm's way. Dr. Whale nearly had his head taken off when Harry swung his cutlass at a wide angle. Fortunately, either Regina or Crystal had understood the concern for those around the duelling pair because purple smoke soon engulfed the both of them and they reappeared on The Jolly Roger, his precious ship. Harry had been more disoriented than his father had been, considering Killian was used to teleportation by now. The pirate captain had stopped, hoping that the relative moment of quiet would cause the teenager to rethink his actions. However, once Harry noticed that his opponent was still there, he leapt forward to attack again. With a heavy sigh, Killian engaged once again.