"We're trapped, Hook."
Emma and Killian stood inside of Rumpelstiltskin's vault. Just minutes before, Emma had realized her magic had returned as the wand she held tightly in her right hand began to glow the brightest white she had ever seen, but upon trying to use the wand to create another portal to return to Storybrooke, nothing happened. The wand, albeit continuing to glow, sat lifeless in her sweaty palm.
"What are we going to do? Why isn't this working?" She asked as her voice shook, knowing he had about as many answers as she did.
"I don't know, Swan, but panicking right now won't do any good. We need to think." Killian rubbed his temple with his fingers, suddenly very aware of the sharp ache that he had failed to notice before. "Do you think the dark one could help?"
Emma didn't bother replying and instead screamed Rumpelstiltskin's name as loud as she could. When no response came, she tried again, and again until she was completely out of breath.
"It's no good, love," He said in the most comforting tone he could muster. "He whisked us away here for a reason: nothing gets in unless he wants it to and nothing get's out."
"Thats it!" Emma exclaimed, almost jumping in the air as she turned towards Killian. "Nothing get's in or out unless he wants it to. He didn't expect me to have magic! I may not be able to make this wand work for whatever reason, but I do have magic. Maybe I can whisk us back into the Enchanted Forest just like he whisked us in here. His magic is dark, after all, and mine is light. Maybe we have a chance."
"Aye, good thinking, Swan. Let me grab the girl and let's get out of here."
"Here," She said, handing the wand to Killian. "Put this in your satchel too, maybe we can get it to work eventually or find someone who knows why it isn't."
After tucking the wand away next to the book, he hoisted the woman they had saved from certain death in Regina's castle over his shoulder and smiled at Emma. "Ready when you are, love."
Emma took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She cleared her mind of all of the worry she had had and instead filled it with the memories of the forest she had taken in when she landed there with Killian. She smelled the ferns and moss, felt the wet dew of the forest floor on her hands, felt the cool breeze on her face as it blew her golden hair; the picture in her mind was a complete replica of when they had fallen through the portal and Emma felt her magic respond by burning deep inside of her. With a swipe of her hand through the air, pirate and savior disappeared in a puff of white smoke leaving the vault of Rumpelstiltskin's empty once again.
Emma broke her fall by clutching the moss underneath her as she fell to the ground, landing on her side. The familiar smell of the forest intoxicated her mind as she breathed in deeply, relieved to be out of the vault and able to breathe fresh air.
Killian mumbled something incoherent next to her on the ground as he rolled over, caught his footing and stood. "I'm impressed, though we need to work on your landing, love." He said with a wink as he held out his good hand to help her stand.
"At least we're out of the vault," She quipped. "That's one problem solved. Now all we need to figure out is how to get the wand to work so we can go back home."
"I think that's the least of our problems, Swan."
"The least of our problems?" Emma asked as she turned her head sharply towards him, thoroughly confused.
"Aye." He frowned. "The girl is missing. She wasn't with us when we landed here again."
Emma looked around the forest, peering as far as her eyes could see but found nothing; they were alone. "How could that be? You had her with you!"
"You pose quite the question, Lass, but I fear I'm as lost as you."
Emma sighed as the worry she had previously forgotten about began to fester in her stomach again. "We have to find her, Killian. We let her live, we are responsible for that. If she sees someone she knows when she is supposed to be dead, it will mess everything up."
Killian nodded as he thumbed his goatee. "Aye, I agree. Have any idea's on how to find her?"
"No," Emma replied. "But I know someone who might."
"You cannot be serious, Swan!" Killian groaned. "We just escaped from his prison and you want to go back so he can throw us back in there again?"
"Do you have a better idea?" She mused. When he didn't reply, she smirked and held out her hand in front of her. "Lead the way."
Emma began walking first despite her gesture, unwilling to wait for the pirate in front of her to move. She took one step, then another, and groaned loudly when she had a hard time walking through the mud that seemed to have accumulated on the forest floor.
"What I wouldn't give to be on pavement right about now."
"Swan." Emma turned her head back as he said her name, curious as to why it sounded as if he were laughing.
"What?" She asked, her eyebrows lifting in annoyance.
"I think we need to do something about your attire."
She looked down. "Seriously?" Emma's arms fell to her waist in defeat. "Again?"
Killian smirked. "Unless you want to give yourself away, by all means."
Emma sighed, closed her eyes one more time and pictured the dress and cloak they had 'borrowed' when they first arrived in the enchanted forest. With another quick motion she lifted her hand and for a brief second was engulfed in her white smoke. When everything around her cleared, Emma looked down and found herself smiling. Everything she had worn before now clung to her body, her normal present day leather coat and accompanied clothes gone.
Emma beamed as her eyes lifted and met Killian's, whose mouth now wore his signature mischievous smile. "I could get used to this dressing myself with magic thing."
"Aye, me too love."
Emma shook her head, still smiling. "Well, which way?"
Killian pointed in the direction of Rumpelstiltskin's castle and began walking. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"I'm not sure we really have another choice. It's a chance we have to take to keep the future from being changed too drastically."
"After you." He said, smiling, as he held out his hand this time.
Emma returned the smile, feeling her cheeks flush as his ocean blue eyes flickered with delight as she walked past him and into the forest beyond.
"You think he'll help us again? He didn't seem to keen on it the first time." Killian asked, falling in step beside her.
Emma shrugged. "I figured we mention we may have drastically altered the future again and may have ruined his chance at his curse and he'll listen."
"You really would make one hell of a pirate, Swan."
