Alpha Cygni
Alpha Cygni (Ao3 and FF and Tumblr) Rated M
When one of the brightest stars in the northern sky suddenly goes missing, Killian Jones is assigned to figure out why.
Written for CSSV 2018 for @shipsxahoy: requested AU with fantasy/sci-fi elements, work rivals, soul mates, and inspired by Stardust with a little angst and smut thrown in. Hope you like it!!!!!
Killian looked into his telescope and swore explosively. Again. Robin, his computer technician, looked up at him reproachfully.
“Swearing at it isn’t going to fix anything, mate.”
“Rob- there is a bloody star vanishing from the sky for weeks at a time… I think swearing at it is exactly what is called for.”
Robin shrugged, “We still haven’t ruled out every explanation for it yet. Although…” Robin petered off as they both did a mental tally of everything they had ruled out. And the list was long. Very long.
The particular star in question was one of the few points within the Cygnus constellation that was actually a local star and not a far off galaxy. Killian had been studying the Cygnus constellation for almost the entirety of his career. It was the constellation that had first interested him in astronomy when he was a boy, listening to his brother weave yarns about how the little points of light got to be where they are.
Liam had always enjoyed telling him stories, and when his brother died, Killian decided to study the stars and learn their true stories to honor his memory. He wanted to know everything he could about the sky, so when he met his brother on the other side, he could tell Liam exactly how wrong he was about the Swan got into the stars.
That was how he had met Robin- they had been in the same undergraduate courses together, and once they’d met, they stayed friends, finally ending up at the research lab on the shores of Maine together.
And it was together that they had discovered, or rather witnessed, the strangest phenomenon that either of them had ever seen.
Killian woke to a searing pain in his chest, right above his heart, that seemed to travel outward all over his body. As the minutes passed, the burning sensation seemed to focus into nine points of fire across his back. Then the pain slowly faded.
Extremely unsettled, he scrambled out of bed to hurry to the bathroom, flipping on the light and squinting at his reflection in the glare. Nothing about his face seemed amiss, so he hastily turned and craned his head over his shoulder to look at his back.
And froze.
A series of golden spots shimmered across his skin. For some reason their randomness felt familiar, but he was too worried about how the bloody hell he had glowing spots on his skin to worry about what those spots might look like.
He had quickly called into work to let them know that he wasn’t going to make it in that day before he went to call his dermatologist, not realizing it was just past six in the morning. Trying to calm himself down, he left a message asking for the first available time that day before he sat himself down at his laptop.
Surprisingly, typing in ‘mysterious golden spots’ revealed results from prestigious scientific journals, and he quickly clicked on a link. It described a phenomenon not understood by science in which people would spontaneously acquire these golden spots, which were formed out of an element unknown to modern day science. These spots usually seemed random at first. But studies showed that people had come to realize the spots formulated some type of image that bore significance to the individual.
But the more pressing matter of interest for him came from the studies that found that these spots did not just appear on random people. They always formed in pairs, at the same moment. The bearers would share either the same configuration of spots, or would have designs that compliment each other. The bearers of these matching or complimentary designs were perfectly compatible. Sometimes it was as a romantic partner, sometimes as the perfect friend, sometimes as the ideal quasi-parent-child relationship.
Killian gathered that it didn’t really matter what the relationship ended up as, it was always the most meaningful relationship of those people’s lives. But Killian also noticed that these people were studied, had their lives scrutinized, and invaded as science tried to understand them.
Killian realized that if he were to report the appearance of his spots to anyone, he would never be able to do what he loved again. And it was perhaps a bit selfish, but he did not want to sacrifice his life to become some kind of lab rat. So he decided to keep his newest physical addition to himself, and hope that there were no other side effects of the ‘soul spots.’
Having decided, he called his dermatologist to cancel. And then informed work that he would still be going in. And his day only got weirder from there.
When he arrived at the office, the whole place was abuzz. People were frantically dashing back and forth, shouting and yelling. Killian had no idea what was going on. He tried to stop a few people, but after the third “ITS MISSING” he gave up and hurried to the office he shared with Robin.
Robin was staring at his already booted up screen, a pile of paper coffee cups littering the area around his desk, shoulders hunched over and tense.
“Rob?” Killian tried carefully.
Robin continued to stare at the screen for several more moments before seeming to register that Killian had spoken.
“I’m glad you’re here mate, now we might be able to figure it out.”
“Rob, Rob. I have no bloody clue what’s going on. Figure what out?”
That seemed to get Robin’s attention. He turned to stare at Killian with wide eyes, “What do you mean you don’t know?”
“No one has bloody told me anything. Rob.”
“Killian- Alpha Cygni is gone.”
“.................WHAT?”
“Aye, it was all over the news this morning. When Cygnus came above the horizon last night Alpha Cygni was not observable from anywhere in the world. No one is really sure what the hell is going on. Between Australia dropping the constellation and Hawaii picking it up on its scopes, the whole bloody star went missing.”
“How is that possible?”
“That’s what every astronomer on earth is trying to figure out.”
Killian was trying to process that fact that one of the brightest stars in the northern sky had somehow decided to take a vacation.
Two years had passed since that night, during which the world had transformed, both professionally and personally, for Killian. He and Robin had been assigned to watch Alpha Cygni, and figure out why one of the most well known stars in history was gone. He had lost his guiding star in the night sky, and he had somehow been chosen by fate to have a partner out there in the world who was supposed to be his other half, if he could find them.
And so far, he was not making any progress on either. Alpha Cygni remained mysterious, and his soul mate was MIA. And while he could understand not finding his soulmate, there were 7 billion people on Earth after all, he could not understand why the stars had suddenly decided to no longer abide by the universal laws of physics.
Killian had spent the last three weeks staring fruitlessly into his telescope. Taking measurement after measurement, performing calculation after calculation, and nothing- from black holes to the emergence of alternate dimensions- could explain where his star had gone.
And his many sleepless nights were beginning to get to him. He started talking out loud, engaging in conversations when there was no one else in the room. Slowly, his exhausted mutterings began to be addressed to his brother, inquiring Liam’s spirit for the answer, hoping perhaps his long dead brother might be able to provide him the answers he so desperately sought.
Then came the night that unleashed all seven levels of hell- the night Alpha Cygni returned to its designated spot in the sky. He had been feeling awful since sunset so he thought he was hallucinating again, seeing things among the stars he knew better than to think were actually there. But when Robin’s computer program beeped a detection alert, the adrenaline that jolted through his system gave him enough wherewithal to call in Robin.
The two spent the next seventy-two hours in a haze that neither entirely remembers, trying to understand the secrets of the reemerged star. They both ended up passing out on the floor of their office, unable to uncover the mystery. And two days later, when Alpha Cygni disappeared again, Killian couldn’t even find it in himself to be surprised. He could almost hear Liam laughing every time he trained his telescope on the now empty spot in the sky.
And with the star’s second disappearance, the world had decided that a task force needed to be organized to solve the mystery. The leading experts from numerous fields and the best equipment the world over now focused solely on the task of explaining the behavior of Alpha Cygni.
And two years later nothing had changed. Well, nothing except-
“Hey, Jones!”
Killian couldn’t help the fond but exasperated sigh that left him. Emma Swan. As mysterious as the constellation that bore her name. Originally one of Killian’s least favorite people.
The day after Alpha Cygni disappeared, he had been introduced to the newest member of the research lab. She had been dressed formally, and that was about all Killian could remember from that meeting. Well that and-
“Pleasure to meet you, love. I’m Killian Jones, I run the-”
“I know who you are, Jones. And don’t call me love.”
Killian’s brain couldn’t keep up with the conversation after the weird twenty-four hours he had.
“Ok, sorry. Who are you?”
She raised an eyebrow at him, “My name is Emma Swan. I am metaphysicist.”
“Ah a fake scientist then. Wonderful.”
He didn’t realize what words were leaving his mouth until after he had said them. He winced, but the damage was done.
“Ah,” Emma had responded coolly. “An asshole then. Wonderful.” Killian had wanted to apologize, but Emma just had to one-up him. “At least my field is somewhat useful to humanity, and I don’t waste time staring at things that have no effect on humanity. Except wasting money on your salary of course.”
Then she’d turned and marched away, leaving Killian extremely disgruntled in her wake.
Each interaction they had after that was a series of thrown barbs until one hit a little too deeply and the wounded would march off in a huff. Until the day before Alpha Cygni’s first appearance, Killian decided that he needed food at three in the morning and ambled down to the cafeteria. All the while, he was chatting with the hallucination of Liam that he had acquired over the last few days.
“No Liam, I am not going to let this drop. I have to know why it’s doing it so that when I finally die, I can tell you…….. NO-I am not being depressing. We all die, you are proof of that. I just want to do something useful with my life before I go. I want to make sure I don’t leave things behind….. Things like me…..” and he had broken down into sobs, suddenly realizing he was talking to a ghost, haunted by his own mind.
Then he’d heard a quiet, “Jones? Are you alright?” then he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and looked up to see none other than a tired looking Emma Swan.
“Oh look, brother, it's the mean nasty swan. Just like our star.” He couldn't help the slightly hysterical giggle that dissolved into a fresh wave of tears. “I’m sorry, brother. I miss you….I’ll stop bothering you.”
“Jones? …. Killian?” he felt the hand on his shoulder slide down to rub his back, and for some reason, he thought that he felt his newly acquired spots tingle and warm under the touch. But his brain really wasn’t letting him think more than one line of thought at a time. And his brain seemed to have returned to its reason for leaving his office in the first place...
“Hungry,” he mumbled.
He heard her let out a soft chuckle. “Ok Jones, let’s get you something a little better than vending machine food. Come on up you, get.”
Then he felt hands pulling him up and supporting him.He had no energy left in him to fight as Swan guided him into another part of the building. He wasn’t sure how long he managed to put one foot in front of the other, but the next thing his brain was actively aware of was Swan lowering him onto a couch. She whispered something but he couldn’t say what it was.
When he woke the next morning, sprawled out across Swan’s couch, he felt refreshed in a way that only deep sleep after being awake too long could provide. He noticed a plate with a sandwich on it and a hastily scribbled message on a torn piece of notebook paper.
Morning Jones, Hope you are feeling better now that you’ve slept like a normal person. Have the sandwich before you go back to whatever weird thing you have going on. I’ll be out of town for the next few days, so don’t lose it while I’m away. I am going on a research trip and had to finish some stuff off, that’s why I was here last night. Make sure you lock my door when you leave- the spare key is stuck behind the top of the whiteboard. And don’t fuck with my stuff Jones.
And it was that night that changed things between them. She never brought up what she had heard him say that night, and he never asked where she had gone. She became his sounding board. Listening to his theories and making sure that he didn’t spiral into the hole he had found that first ‘cycle,’ as he’d taken to calling them. Rob called it “his time of the month” because whenever Alpha Cygni reappeared in the sky, Killian always felt horrible, slept poorly, and as a result, was always irritable.
And in return, he helped her with her equations when he could. After he’d woken, he’d looked around her office and realized that, far from trying to prove some weird theory about higher sentience, she was using the theories presented by metaphysics as a basis in her alternate approach to the unification of quantum string theory and the general theory of relativity.
In short, Swan was trying to find the God Complex. The unifying theory of everything that would, according to the mathematical hypothesis, allow the equation to predict every event, every action, and every outcome everywhere in the universe.
And he realized that not only was Emma Swan a marvel, but she was probably smarter than the whole rest of the institute put together if her seamless equations were anything to go by. But he couldn’t resist a little ribbing- it was Emma Swan after all.
So he circled a small part of the equation she had on the whiteboard that was discussing the transverse properties of mirror Boson particles and told her she was taking the idea of mirroring too literally. There was no perfect reflection in the universe.
The morning after Alpha Cygni vanished again, Swan marched into his office with a scowl on her face. He swallowed nervously and Robin sat in his chair munching on tortilla chips like he was watching some kind of soap opera.
“Jones, what the hell?”
“It was just a joke Swan that’s all, honestly, I didn’t-”
“You found the piece I was missing you asshole! Now the equation works with the uncertainty variable I added and I’m so fucking pissed. How did you think of it?”
And there began the oddest friendship that Killian had ever had. They were always shoving each other forward but trying to trip each other at the same time.
And Killian loved it. And the night she had made a breakthrough, a year and a half after they had met, and convinced him to come and drink rum with her, he listened to her describe the dance of the universe. How perfectly everything fit together, and he realized that despite being destined to meet someone who had spots on them, he might have fallen a little bit in love with the tempestuous Emma Swan.
“Whatever can I do for you Swan?” he said, turning to smile at her as she walked into his office. She gave him an answering smile.
“I’m off until next week ok?” she said, running a hand through her hair. She looked exhausted. She always did before she left.
“Aye, Swan I remember. Stay safe, don’t waste too much time.”
She rolled her eyes at his comment but dipped her head then hurried off. Killian swallowed again, this time feeling butterflies settle in his stomach.
“You sure you still want to do this?” asked Robin, quietly. “The cycle is gonna start any day now.”
Killian nodded, “I know. But I have to know.”
He wasn’t sure what prompted him to do it. She had never done anything to make him suspicious. Never seemed to have any malintent. But for some reason, Killian couldn’t shake the feeling that Emma was hiding something from him.
So one late night after a shot of rum too many, he had used his clearance to access a multitude of national databases. And what he found scared him.
Emma Swan did not exist anywhere. There were no birth records, college admittances, even parking tickets. Up until she arrived at their research center two years ago, Emma Swan did not exist. But the most disturbing was there were no flight records anywhere in the last two years. When Emma Swan left to do “research,” she wasn’t going anywhere.
And he had to know.
Five minutes after Emma left, he gathered his things to leave as well, shooting Robin a significant look, and he nodded solemnly in return. As Killian got into his car, Robin sent him the GPS signal they had planted on Emma’s car, and the chase was on.
She drove for miles without stopping, straight into the heart of the empty woods. Killian tailed about five miles behind her, making sure to keep the distance broad enough to not attract her attention. Once he saw that she had stopped, he got as close as he dared before leaving his car to follow her through the woods on foot.
When her signal indicated that she was only a few hundred feet away, he silenced his phone and continued forward quietly. Until he heard a god awful scream rend the forest air.
Throwing aside all pretenses, he made a mad dash to where Swan was. And pulled up just short of the tree line in a clearing to watch the scene unfold.
A crooked looking man with scaly skin laughed maniacally, “You broke our deal, dearie. You said that if I brought you down, you’d marry my son.”
“Your son left. I did nothing.”
The creature snarled, “No! Bae will come back. You made him want to leave.”
Emma laughed, but it was a cruel sound Killian had never heard before, “I did no such thing. And he will never come back, Dark One. You may have influence over all of the dark matter and energy in the universe, but even you cannot force someone to love another.”
But the demon’s cackle was even more alarming. “But that’s where you’re wrong dearie.”
Killian could tell that Emma was not expecting that answer. Killian didn’t understand what was being said. Dark One? Dark Energy?
“You see dearie, when a star falls to earth, they require an anchor of sorts to keep them here. Up until recently, when stars fell, no one noticed, they had always been too faint in the night sky to alarm the rest of the pathetic population of this planet. So no one ever cared. No one ever did the math.” He noticed Emma stiffen. Killian felt his heart speed up. Fallen stars?
“You see dearie, your adventures on earth haven’t only affected you. No- somewhere out there is a poor lonely soul embedded with the matter at the heart of all you stars, just wondering who their lifetime partner is.” The demon gestured grandly. “And their link to you is stronger than any other ever made because they have anchored you to earth even when you had to withdraw back to your place to keep your light. I can only imagine how excruciating it was, to have you leaving the planet every month.”
Suddenly, everything fell into place. The mysterious spots, the odd patterns of Alpha Cygni, the way he was always feeling sick when it was back in the sky. The nine dots on his back. The ten points of the Cygnus Constellation, minus one- the largest and brightest. Alpha Cygni.
Emma Swan was his soul mate. And the same Emma Swan was also the star of his life, the heart of the constellation that he had been in love with since he was a child. It was no wonder he had fallen in love with the woman.
He snapped back to the present when Emma spoke again, “That is all well and good, but what does that have to do with Bae?”
Killian felt the chill of creature’s smile even from where he was concealed.
“So if your soulmate is tied to you, all I have to do is rip that mark off of its preexisting host and bestow it on Bae, and then you will have to love him.”
“That would never work. You would kill the host if you even tried.”
“And then you wouldn’t have a soulmate anymore. And you would no longer be bound to this world, and you would be forced to return to the heavens, your parents still trapped. Your child still missing.”
Even from the distance, he could see Emma curl in on herself as each word the demon said hit home.
And the demon knew it, “You will never answer the unanswerable question. You may as well just give up and learn to love my boy. You’ll be happier.”
The clearing was silent.
“And if I refuse?” Her voice was no more than a trembling whisper.
“I leave here without allowing you back, you sicken and die, your soul mate along with you, and your family remains trapped forever in the nether.”
Killian could only watch as Emma fell to her knees, itching with the need to go to her, to protect her. But he was afraid if he made his presence known, it would only make things worse for her.
“I don’t understand,” she sobbed, “what do you get out of this, torturing people and forcing their hand? Why?”
The demon was silent for a moment before, “You see, you are a very special case, Emma of the Swan. You hold the light of hope for mankind. And if the bloodlines of darkness and light were to mix, and raise that progeny together, the power that newly created from would have would be incomparable. The entirety of the universe embodied. It would be the creation of a god, the likes of which the universe has never witnessed. And I want that power. With it, I could grant Bae the life he always wanted, with the one he once loved so dearly before you betrayed him. I will make you regret chasing my son away.”
Somewhere in the middle of his tirade, Killian noticed Emma go still. And it was as if she started to shine slightly. He watched as she slowly got to her feet, standing tall before the demon.
“I will never let you do that. If it mean I have to die in order to save the world and your son from you, I will.”
He could actually hear as the demon hissed. “So be it, dearie.”
And then the creature was gone.
As soon as Killian saw she was alone, he rushed out to her, catching her as she swayed. His touch caused her to jump, but his quick reassurance, “It’s just me Swan. It’s just me,” had her relaxing into his arms as he carefully lowered them both to the ground.
Her body was shaking and Killian felt his heart clench as he pulled her closer, as is he could hold her together with his body alone.
After some time, she began to settle, “Killian, what are you doing here?”
He could tell she was angry, but too tired to get it across properly.
“I’ll explain after. Are you alright? Do you need help?”
He heard her scoff quietly, “That’s what you want to know? Not ‘who was that man?’ and ‘Are you human?’”
Killian chuckled quietly, “Give a man some credit Swan, I knew you were a freak of nature when I met you.”
He heard a watery chuckle, before she gripped his sleeve tightly, “I’m scared Killian. My family is trapped, and I will die if I don’t return. But if I give in, it could spell destruction for the whole universe. I don’t know what to do.”
“First, Swan, let’s get you somewhere warmer. I’m going to go out on a limb and assume you don’t actually have a home to go to within human travelling distance.”
She gave another watery laugh as she shook her head.
“Alright then, let’s get you to mine, and we can sort things from there, ok?”
She gave a small nod. And then asked in a tiny voice, “You aren’t afraid of me?”
Killian felt his gut wrench with emotion as he heard the fear and pain in her voice. He careful maneuvered her so that he could look her in the eye, “Swan, what you are does not change who you are. You’ve never given me cause to be afraid, so I have no reason to be.”
More tears poured down her cheeks as she buried face into his shirt, “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Once she had calmed down, he helped her to her car, and drove the both of them to where he had parked. After making sure that she was alright to drive, Killian got into his own vehicle and led her to his apartment.
Once they arrived, Killian guided her to his couch, not bothering with the lights in his haste. So when he returned from grabbing a blanket from the closet, he was struck dumb when his living room was bathed in a soft light. Starlight.
And Emma, curled up in the corned of the couch, had never looked more beautiful than she did in that moment.
Shaking his head to clear it, he quietly made his way back to her, draping the blanket over her trembling form. The he sat down as close to her as he dared, before asking quietly, “How can I help you Emma?”
“I don’t know.” She whispered. “I wouldn’t know where to start to ask for your help.”
“Can you start at the beginning?”
He watched as she took a deep breathed, pulling on the ends of her hair, before she looked up at him with new resolve in her eyes.
“Ok- this is how it all began…..
When the universe was made, thousands of dimensions were constantly in flux, intertwining and separating, dragging matter. Gravity. And the very fabric of the universe between then, creating a net that slowly tightened, holding the universe together.
And billions of years later, the collection of matter and the endless possibilities entwined together creating a perfect storm for sentience. The universe itself was the womb for life for beings made of ether, and matter, and mind.
The intelligence of these creatures was beyond comprehension- even the creatures themselves did not know how deep their knowledge stretched into the infinity of spacetime. They could understood all. In later eons, creatures using the best terms they could, called them immortals, creators, gods.
But they were none of these. Rather, these creatures were the silent and perfect observers of the universe, ever watching as creation unfolded. Observation bled into interference, and so they grasped that their wisdom glowed in observing eyes. All across the universe, in every dimension, these creatures emitted light.
But existence is balanced. And where the creatures of light were content with non-interference, creatures of darkness sought to destroy it. These creatures had no purpose but to undo that which created them. They were simply the voids within the net. Black holes that sought to eat creation back into non existence.
The first victims of these pitiless devourers were the brightest of lights, drawing the darkness to them. And once those few vanished, the other lights were suddenly faced with war for not only their own existence, but that of the universe.
The threat mushroomed for as the darkness devoured, it consumed the sentience of its victims. The darkness acquired a will. It learned itself, its deepest desires.
Rather than destroy the universe, it would control it.
And so as billions of years passed a war waged across dimensions, light against dark. But both sides were still bound by the unbreakable laws of the universe. And both sides grew tired, withdrawing into themselves and only engaging when they drew too close to one another.
And on a backwater planet, an intelligent species developed. These beings had the ability to reason, and they did something new. They asked why. They asked how.
And all of creation marveled.The darkness coveted such answers and the light were curious if there were any. Mankind served as a quasi battlefield, each side choosing warriors to fight. People, enlightened by this proxy war made great leaps forward. But the process was stalked by death. If one side appeared close, the other would stop at nothing to thwart them.
Growing interactions between the celestials and humanity spread the contagion of human culture, warping both sides. A new hierarchy was formed, castes defined. Increasingly the creatures found a way to anchor themselves to Earth. Their very essence, the heart of their knowledge would mark those who shared their atoms at creation, and they would be free to live and die with those atoms, reuniting with the ether of the universe after their consciousness left their mortal bodies.
In short- they learned love.
And from this concept, reproduction was introduced to their culture. But it appeared as if the only way to do so was to be bound to a human. Until the king and queen begot a child, a blazing entity.
“Swan, Swan,” Killian interrupted her, trying to pull her back from the memories that had her trembling again. She blinked as she came back to the present. “If it’s bothering you, please don’t feel that you have to tell me.”
She took a shuddering breath, “But don’t you want to know?”
He took the risk and slid forward, close enough that their legs were brushing. “Aye, I’d like to know everything about you Swan. But we’ve the rest of our lives for that. Why don’t we try to solve the problem you’re facing now, and the rest can wait.”
Emma stared at him blankly for a moment.
“What?” Killian asked.
“You are a scientist, and you don’t want to know the answers to everything? How the universe was made?”
Killian felt his brows furrow, “Aye Swan, I am a scientist. But I am also your friend. And right now, that’s the only thing that matters.”
Emma’s lower lip started to tremble before she dove forward to bury her face back in his chest, and Killian quickly wrapped his arms around her, hoping that she would never pull away.
“So, stars and black holes have sentience, they are the culmination of all the past knowledge of the universe, and despite of that, you are still the miracle child. Stars can come to earth, but have to be bonded to a soul mate. Let’s start there- what happens if you find your soulmate?” Killian winced internally at his oh so smooth change of topic.
Emma didn’t pull back as she mumbled into his shirt, “It would solve half my problem actually. But it won’t ever happen.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“I don’t have a mark. Anywhere. To match with your soul mate, you need the mark. So whoever they are probably doesn’t even know, and if they did, they’d never be able to find me.”
Killian swallowed hard, biting his tongue, before moving on, “But why would that solve your problem?”
“If the bond were completed- that means that each person has to be fully aware and accepting of the other, then I wouldn’t have to return to the sky to keep from getting sick. My light would be bound between my soul mate and I. And because of that, I wouldn’t have to rely on the Dark One any longer.”
“I see. And the Dark One is one of the black hole entities?”
“Yes, one of the most powerful. He had no need to return to his heart, his black hole, because those entities devour energy, as opposed to burning it, so he never has to worry about running out of power.”
“Aye, ok I see. And what was it he said about your parents?”
Emma stiffened, before pulling back. Killian instantly missed her warmth. She looked away, “One of the most ancient dark entities, one who proclaimed itself as a ruler of their kind, an evil queen over the universe, has managed to capture my parents in her grasp. And I sought out help from all the powers I could find. And after decades of searching I managed to commune with- well you would probably call it God.”
“Wait,” Killian leaned forward, “You spoke to God?”
Emma turned back to look at him, “In your understanding of it, I guess. Its gone by many names over the course of your history, Ra, Odin, The Daga, Zeus, Brahma, Tian, Merlin. There are many more.”
“Wait, wait…. Every religion was right?”
Emma gave a small smile at his question, “Actually, it’s more like every religion was wrong in the same way. The concept of a consciousness the size and breadth of the universe itself, spanning every dimension and understanding the fabric of spacetime and the fundamental laws of the universe is a bit much for the human mind to grasp. So in every permutation of its human identity, the most important aspect of it for that particular society was used, which is why they are all basically the same, but vary by morality depending on the culture that created them.”
Killian sat back at to process the impact of what Emma had just told him, forgetting the situation for one moment while his mind tried to reconcile these new pieces of information with the world and universe he knew. But once he realized Emma was watching him with concern, he put aside the reality-altering implications to focus on her once more.
“Ok so you talked to.. Go- Merlin?” he choked out.
Emma actually laughed lightly, “Would you believe that the entity actually kinda liked that name? Imagine being the person who decided on a name so awesome that the universal power actually liked it.”
That got Killian to smile as well, “Sounds like he-she-it-they?”
“Doesn’t matter, gender isn’t really important to Merlin.”
“Ok Merlin. Sounds like Merlin has a good sense of humor.”
That got a full out laugh from Emma, despite her still red-rimmed eyes, “Yeah, who do you think inspired humanity to create dad jokes?”
The mental image of a nebulous entity of infinite wisdom responding to someone’s prayer with “Hi Lost, I’m Dad” presented itself to him and he realized his life would never be the same again.
But Emma calmed and continued, “I communed with Merlin, and asked if there was anyway to save my parents from their fate. If there was a way to save all life. Merlin said there was- it was the answer to the unanswerable question: How do you find the end of everything? So I made a deal with the Dark One to descend to the place best suited to find the answer. He brought me here, to your lab. Said it was how the threads of the universe wished. I figured that if I could find the God Complex, I would have the answer and I could save them. But it’s become clear to me. I’ll never find it in time.”
But Killian was considering the everything that Emma had told him, about Merlin, her parents, and the Dark One. And it was as if he was looking at his brother, that stupid smirk on his face right before he gave a horrible punch line to a joke and a thought so absurd occurred to him that he actually giggled a bit.
Emma scowled at him, “This isn’t a laughing matter Killian!”
He instantly explained himself, “No, no Swan, that wasn’t it at all. I was just thinking. You said Merlin had a good sense of humor right? That he-it-whatever, was the origin of dad jokes?”
She nodded, clearly confused. Killian couldn’t help the stupid smile on his face.
“Ok well, hear me out- what if this is the same thing. Because my brother once told me a joke like that. ‘Hey little brother,’ ‘it’s younger brother, Liam,’ ‘whatever. Just listen- what’s the best way to find the end of anything?’ ‘I don’t know Liam, what is the best way to find the end of anything?’ ‘YOU LEARN HOW TO SPELL IT!’”
As he recited the joke, Emma went very still. “Do you really think it could be that simple?”
Killian shrugged, “I have often found that sometimes the simplest answer is the right one.”
He watched as hope kindled in her eyes, before it went out just as quickly, “Well it doesn’t matter anyway.”
“Why?”
“I don’t have enough strength to return to the sky. I wouldn’t be able to commune with Merlin otherwise.”
Killian paused, considering. “You said that if you found your soulmate, that you would be unbound from the sky. Does that mean if you found them, you would have the strength to commune with Merlin?”
Emma scoffed, “Yeah, in theory. But the likelihood of finding them, coming to a mutual understanding, and performing a sacred act that would invoke Merlin’s presence all happening before I die in three day’s time is highly unlikely.”
Killian felt his stomach clench, before he stood up from the couch.
“Killian?” he heard Emma ask, concerned. But he did not answer, instead turning his back to her and pulling his shirt off.
“What are you do- OH!” she gasped.
Knowing that what he had to say would be easier if he wasn’t looking at her, he said quietly, “I got these the day Alpha Cygni disappeared from the sky. I never understood what they were supposed to be until today. It’s funny, Liam told me once, when we were both just lads, that the Swan would always guide me to my home. I wasn’t really sure what he meant. But I think I know now.”
Emma didn’t answer him, but he jumped when he felt her fingers brushing over his back, tracing the path between each mark. The spots tingled, sending a shiver down his spine as warmth seemed to spread throughout his body.
“This is-” Emma whispered.
“Aye, its how Cygnus appears in the sky, well almost. The most important star is missing.”
He wasn’t sure what he expected, but having Emma burst into renewed sobs, smashing herself to his back, hugging him from behind was certainly not it.
“Swan?” Killian managed to get out.
“I thought it would be impossible to find my soul mate because no one could mean more to me than you. I didn’t want to find them because what if it was the person I was supposed to love? How could I give up my best friend for a stranger?”
Killian felt his whole body warm and relax at her words. He pried her hands apart enough to turn around, looking down on her tear streaked face, gently wiping the remaining few drops away.
“Emma Swan, I have loved you a long time. I accept you as you are, star, human, I don’t care. I would like to know if you if you feel the same.”
He cupped her face, the smile she gave him as radiant as the star he know knew her to be, “Yes Killian. I do.”
With a smile that matched hers, he bent his head to press his lips to hers.
He was unprepared for the inferno that suddenly kindled within him, setting fire to every nerve ending. As Emma pulled away to gasp, he figured she must be experiencing something similar, but that was about all the thought he could spare before he had to press his lips back to hers.
He had to be closer. And she seemed to be on the same page because her hands were frantically pulling him towards her. He fumbled, trying to find the edge of her shirt, before she pushed away, drawing a whine out of him, to pull it off herself.
The hot feel of her skin was the most beautiful thing Killian had ever experienced, and he wanted more.
“Bed?” he gasped out. Emma just nodded in response.
He managed to guide them down the hallway to his room, each divesting themselves of their remaining clothes as they went.
Once he had Emma laid back on his bed, Killian managed to reign himself in, and he sat back to marvel at her radiance. Because she was literally glowing, an ethereal glow pouring from her skin.
And of course the first thought to cross his mind was wondering if the intensity of her light was tied to her pleasure. So he crawled down the bed, ignoring her protests, and began to kiss his way up her thigh. Her protests died out quickly, changing into moans as he mouthed at her center.
And sure enough, as he felt her muscles begin to tighten and her moans increased in volume, her light became ever more brilliant.
“Let go, Swan, I’ve got you.”
With a final cry, he felt her release hit her. At the same moment, the light coming from her reached such a blinding intensity that he had to shut his eyes.
When the light faded, he opened his eyes to see Emma relaxed back, an easy smile on her face, her skin still alight.
She crooked her finger at him, and he willing climbed back up the bed to settled above her. She pulled his head down to press a soft kiss to his lips before shifting her hips. They both sighed as he slid into her warmth.
They set a slow and easy rhythm, never taking their eyes off the other, until Killian’s control finally snapped.
“Swan,” he grasped, shifting his hips.
“Right there.”
They both spiraled ever higher, Killian keeping his eyes trained on Emma’s until the last possible moment, before his release hit him, forcing his eyes shut in pleasure. At the same moment, he felt Emma clench around him, her light blinding even through his closed lids. He felt her light shine not just on him, but through him, reaching the very depths of his soul, heightening his pleasure.
When his mind finally faded back into awareness, he opened his eyes to see Emma’s flushed and smiling face. He collapsed to the side, keeping her close.
No words were needed between them. A bond stronger than any force in the universe tied them together, and Killian could feel it in his bones. He could have been content to bask in the radiance of that moment forever, but they were both brought abruptly back to reality by the sound of clapping.
“What the bloody fuck?” Killian shifted, trying to conceal Emma as he turned to face the intruder.
A young black man, mid thirties, stood in what Killian could only describe as a warlock’s coat, hands clasped in front of him, positively beaming at them.
“Who the bloody hell are you? What the bloody fuck are you doing in here?”
“Now, now Killian, that’s no way to talk to God now is it.”
“What?” Killian’s voice came out on a squeak.
The man somehow smiled even more widely, “Indeed. I am the he-she-it-whatever that Emma was telling you about a bit earlier.”
It suddenly occurred to Killian that he was butt naked while speaking with the most powerful entity in creation. He felt a flush run up his cheeks, but the being was quick to offer what it probably considered comfort.
“Your skin is not offensive to me, I can see your molecules, so please don’t worry about it. I just wanted to pop by and tell you first off what a spectacular couple you two make, and that I am very impressed with you Killian, that you were able to answer my riddle so quickly. Your brother told me that you would, but I must admit, I had doubts. I thought all the science might have gone to your head. But an-”
“Wait!” Killian sprang out of bed, grabbing his sleeping pants from the floor and stuffing his legs into them before continuing, “Wait, you’ve spoken with my brother?”
The man’s eyes went soft as his smile gentled, “Indeed I have Killian. He asked me to keep an eye on you. He asked that if I ever had the opportunity to talk to you that I tell you how proud he is of you, not to rush, he’s happy waiting, that he has always been there, listening and supporting you as much as he can, and you owe him twenty bucks for being right about the stars being alive.”
Tears were pouring down Killian’s face even as he laughed. His brother was watching over him. He would see him again.
“And Emma,” the man’s words had him looking over his shoulder at her sitting up in bed, a sheet pulled up to cover herself, “your parents are safe. As a matter of fact, this whole event has really brought some things to my attention, and I’ve decided it would be best if all stars were to inhabit Earth from now on, just to make things a bit simpler. So they’ll be calling you soon, once they’ve adjusted to cell phones.”
Emma brough her hand to her mouth to cover her sob of relief.
“There was something else…..,” the man mumbled. He stared down at his hands, moving them like he was counting on his fingers. “Oh yes!” His head popped up, snapping as he remembered. “Bae found a charming young woman in New York, so he’s all settled. The Dark One will be sent back to his hole, literally, so he won’t be bothering you anymore. Oh and your son- I want him to be called Henry.”
The words took a moment to register, and when they did, he grabbed the man’s shoulders, giving them a shake.
“What do you mean, our son?”
Merlin gave him a knowing smile,”You will have at least one son, and I want him to be called Henry. I just feel like that’s the perfect name for your son. Almost like it was written, don’t you think?”
“Our son?”
“Yep. I saw him coming about slightly differently, but hey, as long as there is a happily ever after right?”
The man gave a wink, and then vanished.