The dark Lilith [OUAT Peter Pan X oc]

Chapter six: beanstalk

"It's a little freakier than I remember from the story," Emma said, eyeing the towering beanstalk that spiraled upward, its twisted vines resembling skeletal fingers reaching toward the overcast sky.

"Reminds me of death," Lilith replied, her voice low and ominous as she stared at the top, where the clouds seemed to shroud any semblance of sunlight.

"Encouraging," Snow commented dryly, glancing back at Lillian, who stood resolutely next to Hook, both of them gazing intently at the beanstalk as if it held the answers to their survival.

"Well, your compass awaits," Hook said, turning to Lily with a soft, inviting smile that momentarily broke the tension. "Shall we?"

Lily hesitated, her brow furrowing in thought. "Wait. If these beans create portals..." She turned to Snow, who nodded encouragingly, understanding the gears turning in her cousin's mind. "Why not just pick one and go home? Why do we need the compass?"

"Because there aren't any more beans," Hook replied, his tone becoming grave. "Whatever story you know, my dear, is most certainly wrong."

Emma crossed her arms defiantly. "There was a guy named Jack and a cow, and something about an evil giant with a treasure and a golden goose... or a harp."

"Sounds like a lovely tale," Hook said with a sardonic smirk, his eyes scanning the group of women before him. "But the truth's a bit more gruesome. The giants grew the beans, but instead of using them for good, they used them to plunder all the lands."

He paused, allowing the weight of his words to sink in before Lillian took over. "Jack was a man who fought a terrible war, defeating all but one of the evil giants. The beans were destroyed as the giants fell; they were spiteful creatures. If they couldn't have their magic, then nobody could." The somber atmosphere thickened as all eyes turned to Lillian. "What? I was there," she said defensively, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Evil giants who made magic portal beans?" Emma queried, her tone skeptical. She looked to Lily and Hook, who nodded in confirmation, their expressions serious. "Why doesn't anyone just go up and grow some more?" Emma smirked, tilting her head at Hook, a glimmer of hope in her eyes as if she had figured out the riddle.

"Because one giant survived—the strongest and most terrible of them all. And we'll have to get past him to—"

"The magic compass," Emma finished, her excitement faltering as the reality of the situation set in.

"Indeed," Hook affirmed, a hint of determination in his voice. "The treasure remains, and among it is the compass. It will guide us to your land. Cora has the means to open a portal with the wardrobe ashes, but she can't find your land without the compass. Once we retrieve it and steal the ashes from her, we're on our way."

The gravity of the task hung in the air as Lillian, Emma, and Mary Margaret exchanged apprehensive glances. Finally, Mulan spoke up, her brow furrowed with suspicion. "How do we know you're not just using us to get the compass for Cora?"

"Because you five are far safer company," Lilith interjected with a small, ironic laugh, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Are you sure about that?" Lily shot back, her eyes set in anger as she looked at her cousin. "All I need is a ride back," Hook insisted, his tone turning earnest. "I'll swear allegiance to whomever gets me there first."

"Then we'd better start climbing," Snow turned to her daughter shaking her head at her as Lillian took a step forward, her expression shifting as she knelt beside Hook, untying his hands. Their eyes locked, and a charged silence fell between them, the air thick with unspoken words. As her fingers brushed against his skin, a flicker of uncertainty crossed her features, but she steeled herself.