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Astrid sat down at the counter of the town's tavern beside Riley, sliding her battle axe back in the case on her back; It had been two weeks since she had left Storybrooke, her home and her family.

"See? You're starting to be yourself again," Riley pointed out in slight amusement and a bit proud-like, "A strong, fearless, brave warrior."

Astrid smiled a little, saying, "I'm not fearless. But that's okay. No one is, not really." Riley nodded and both took a sip of their drinks in front of them.

Astrid stiffened when she noticed a familiar man a few feet from them sitting at a table. She nudged her best friend in her arm and let out, "We have to leave now, Riles."

"What? Why? We just got back from a long war," Riley pointed out, "And we won. Let's stay and celebrate like old times-"

Astrid grabbed her friend's chin in her hand and moved it towards the man, making her see him also. Riley simply shrugged and commented, "No. Absolutely not. You have to face him. You need to confront him. After all, he is your father."

Astrid lifted an eyebrow and scoffed, "He's just someone who abandoned me and my mother. He made his bloody choice. We weren't ever good enough for him for him to stay."

Riley stood up, grabbed her best friend's hand, and started to drag the blonde over to Orvar's table while Astrid protested, "Riley-"

"Hey, Astrid," Orvar began when he then noticed the two teenagers and now watched the blonde haired girl in front of him carefully.

"Hey, Dad," Astrid let out.

The two fell silent for a little bit until Astrid found her voice again and spoke up first, "Do you remember that night the thunder shook our house? I was five and thought the lightning was so bright and thought the world was on fire."

Orvar narrowed his eyes some but held a small trace of an amused smile as he asked, "Why bring this up?"

Astrid continued, "I was all underneath the covers, crying, and you come flying into the room and peeked under the covers and decided to make it a game. We were on an island, looking for gold, and you said the lightning was the Northern lights- The Aurora Borealis..."

"You made that entire night an adventure until the storm passed," Astrid finished, "And I woke up the next morning, and it was a sunny day. Don't you remember that?"

"No, Astrid, I don't," Orvar sighed.

"That's because it never happened," Astrid replied with a slight shake of her head, "The storm happened, but you didn't."

That's when a certain one-handed pirate entered inside of the tavern and spotted the three and made his way over to his adopted daughter who immediately moved over to him and added, "It was him-- Hook was the one who came in. He made it an adventure and I wasn't scared at all."

Astrid hugged the said pirate who returned the hug, his hand on the back of her head as he breathed out in relief, glad that his daughter was okay and still safe.

"I learned something the past two weeks since I left home," Astrid started towards Hook who watched her in slight confusion, "My mother, Freya, took away a decade of mine and your's memories. You never abandoned me, Hook, not really."

Hook started in somewhat confusion, "What about Neverland?"

"You came back for me, didn't you?" Astrid remarked as the pirate chuckled and was then handed a small bottle of a memory potion, "It'll restore your memories... if you want to remember."

Hook didn't hesitate and downed the potion in one gulp, cringing at the taste of the drink; He stepped back some and then remembered everything that was took away from him and Astrid.

While the pirate continued to remember, Orvar stepped forward and made his former daughter face him again and spoke back up, "No matter what I did, I'm still your bloody father, Kid-"

"No. He's more of a father to me than you are," Astrid cut the Viking off, "At least, when Hook left, he always came back for me. And when he bloody left, it was either from our memories being stolen from us or one of us protecting the other."

Orvar scoffed in amusement with a shake of his head before commenting, "Well... I still can't let Mortefera leave - or is it, the Ender now?"

Astrid clenched her fists and lifted an eyebrow as she replied in slight realization, "You know what? I'm not the Ender. My destiny can and will be bloody changed. I know now that it can. And I now know you're not worth my bloody time, Papa..."

She unclenched her fists slowly and continued to watch her first foster father before adding, "I've been angry for so long... I'm not angry anymore."

Orvar then grabbed her wrist tightly in his hand, making her wince some, until Hook swiftly stepped in front of the girl and punched the man hard with his hook, saying, "Touch my daughter again and you won't see another day, mate."

Orvar touched his now bleeding lip with his hand lightly and glared at the pirate in front of him before he replied, "You don't know that girl. She brings death wherever she goes- and will continue to do so... Why do you bloody think I left, Astrid? Hm? It's because of you."

"I didn't do anything," Astrid argued, "I was just a kid. And because of your decision to fake your death and abandoning us, I had to be a mother and a father to my mother... and I couldn't do it. She was killed, and pushed me away and began to hate me, believing that I killed her husband..."

Astrid stepped a little bit towards him but was held slightly back by Hook protectively as she added, "And for that, I hate you, but also I love you, Papa."

Orvar smiled a little and commented, "And I you, Kiddo. You really are still considered a daughter to me, but I do also hate you. You coming into our lives, it ended our marriage."

"I don't see how, considering you and Mama were never truly around," Astrid pointed out, "I mean, Cora and Hook were more bloody around than you two were."

"You're right," Orvar admitted and outstretched his arms, "I'm sorry. I have missed you, Astrid." Astrid slowly moved into his arms and was hugged by the said man.

She suddenly let out a pained gasp when she felt something sharp pierce right below her heart; Astrid glanced down at the knife with tears in her eyes while Orvar held her slightly in his arms.

"That's your bloody problem, A. You always see the best in people. You hope for these things. Haven't you learned by now, Kiddo? You hope for things, you get disappointed," Orvar commented.

Hook shoved the man back and punched him again in the face and now held his daughter in his arms as both fell to the floor; Astrid breathlessly let out, "Wh-Why?"

"It's in the prophecy," Orvar simply explained, "The first father figure to take you in would have to kill you. See? Your fate was sealed the moment we took you in as a part of our family. I'm sorry, Astrid."

"I-I- You're not-" Astrid gasped, tears falling down her face as she continued losing more blood. She wasn't healing, either, and she knew this was it— again.

"But I am. This wouldn't work if I didn't still love you, Kiddo," Orvar explained while gesturing to the glowing symbols now appearing on Astrid's skin as she whimpered in pain, truly scared of what's to come.

Hook tightened his hold on the girl in concern and sadness, hating feeling this powerless to stop this from happening and seeing her like this.

"D-Dad- Daddy? I-- I'm so sorry..." Astrid weakly let out as she stared up at the pirate holding her in his arms.

"It's not your fault, Kid. None of this is. You're gonna be okay, AJ. Just hold on. Okay?" Hook began in a pleading way, in desperation, "Your fight's not over yet, Kid..."

Astrid's lip trembled, realizing that she wasn't going to get to see her family or Peter again-- She wasn't able to tell them she loves them, and that she was dying- for the second time.

"Tell- Tell them..." Astrid sobbed softly but wasn't able to finish as she gave her final breath, her blue eyes now distant.

Everyone who had ever formed a deep connection or bond with the girl now felt a massive, complete hole in their hearts, an emptiness that couldn't be filled.

Peter rushed into the tavern followed by Snow, David, Emma, Henry, Robin, Regina, and Gold; They had followed Hook to Berk through a portal after Stormfly flew to them and gave them two magical beans.

Peter knelt beside Hook holding his love as he stared down at Astrid with watery eyes, starting, "What happened? Who bloody did this?"

"He did." Hook muttered while glaring up at Orvar who had his arms folded across his chest proudly and smirked at her family.

David was the first to get to Orvar as he shoved him against a wall and held him there, demanding, "Why!?"

"It had to be done," Orvar let out with a grunt after David had punched him. The Viking nodded over at the lifeless girl and pointed out the glowing symbols glowing even brighter now, "Look."

"No. You put her destiny into motion." Peter realized sadly, taking his fiancé's lifeless hand in his, "What did you do!?"

Hook kissed the top of his daughter's head and hoped that True Love's Kiss would work. But it didn't.

He murmured to the lifeless girl as more tears came to his eyes, "I will do right by you, AJ."

Orvar's eyes then glowed red after he revealed two more above his first two eyes, all four glowing red; He sneered, saying, "It has begun. Welcome to the End."

Snow, Emma, and Henry knelt beside the dead Astrid still in Hook's arms; Astrid glowed radiantly now, blinding everyone as they squeezed their eyes shut while Hook's grip on his daughter tightened.

Astrid's eyes shot open, letting out a fit of weak coughs before gasping very quietly, "No..."

That's when everything suddenly changed...

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