I know, it's been awhile my freedom fighters, but looking back over this story I am immensely unsatisfied with how I've been writing it. I'm trying out a new style of writing, so bear with me here.

I DON'T own OUAT, or OUATIW, never have, never will. Genevieve 'Genny' Hertz belongs to me though, along with any content you don't recognize from the show. I can't take credit for name Mirana however, as that name belongs to the all mighty Lewis Carroll (May he rest in peace.)

Now, before you ream me out on this, let me outline the differences in this universe.

1. Emma is 34, not 28, and thus six years older than in canon. She's a bit more cautious of the world that she was, but she still has the right mind to treat Henry as more of an adult.

2. She still had Henry in prison when she was 18. That means that Henry is 16 instead of 10 and a lot more careful of how he words certain things as well as being smarter about how he hides his cover operations.

3. I always found it curious that there was a Dark One, but there was never any mention of a Light One. After all, magic demands balance and a Dark One's influence would be significantly reduced and balanced out with the existence of a Light One. Therefore, the Light One is on a constant cycle of death and rebirth instead of being tethered to a dagger like the Dark One.

4. Dark Ones and Light Ones cannot directly harm each other. It is strictly forbidden and magically enforced. There have been cases of them harming each other through a proxy, however.

5. Dark Ones and Light Ones don't necessarily have to be enemies. They can be allies, friends, and there has even been one case of them being married. In this instance, they are cautious allies and somewhat friends.

6. Once Upon a Time in Wonderland will eventually be crossing into this universe. It won't happen for a while yet, at least not in the first season, but it will happen eventually. Due to my little OC's interference, it will be happening drastically different.

Fair warning! There will be a lot of OOC things happening. The storyline will remain as similar as I can make it, but some things will change for the better.

Enjoy!

Bold = Enchanted Forest/Flashbacks/Dreams

Bold/Italics: Text Messages

Italics = Writing/Voiceovers

Normal = Normal Time

Chapter One: The Savior Arrives Part 1

Once upon a time, there was an enchanted forest filled with all of the classic characters we know.

Or think we do.

One day they found themselves trapped in a place where all of their happy endings were stolen.

Our world.

This is the story of how it happened and my part in fixing it.

Who am I?

No one you would recognize unless you read on and take a few guesses.

Before, I would have told you I was Genevieve Hertz, the niece of Storybrook's former Town Theif Jack Hertz.

Now I know better, because now...

...I remember.

And I will never forget who I am again

Two horses raced down the dirt road at full gallop, neck, and neck as the larger of the two, a large and proud buckskin stallion strained against its rider to pull ahead of the smaller grey mare.

Their riders, however, couldn't be more different.

Astride the smaller mare was a richly dressed man with dirty blond hair, crystal blue eyes, and lightly tanned skin. His dark red cape waved from the wind behind him, the silver stitching of his shirt gleaming in the sunlight against the bright red of his coat and contrasting with his black riding pants and boots. "We're never going to make it!" He yelled over to his companion.

Contrary to him, bareback and bridleless astride the buckskin was a young girl that looked about ten years old. She had light brown hair, tanned Arabian skin, and striking dark blue eyes. She was wearing a dark purple cape trimmed around the neck with white fur, a loosely fitted creamy white shirt, dark brown riding pants, and sturdy brown boots. A small band of silver held back her hair and glittered in the sunlight as the white crown necklace around her neck gleamed. "Yes we will!" She shouted back fiercely. "Get ready!" The man tensed and scrambled up in his saddle as she balanced herself on the stallion's back. "SWITCH!"

In a move that almost seemed choreographed, the two launched themselves into the air and landed on the opposite horse. "Go Charming, GO!" The girl barked as she settled into the mare's saddle.

Charming looked at her for a moment, before nodding in determination as he twined his hands into the buckskin's long mane. "Alright Arion, let's see how fast you really are." He muttered as he eyed the horizon. Arion let out an eager snort, and with barely a touch of Charming's heels the stallion took off with a sound similar to a cannon shot and turned into a blur that quickly disappeared into the distance.

The girl smirked as she urged the mare faster. "Come on Freya, we don't want to be too far behind him." The mare snorted in agreement and picked her feet to run even faster.

Meanwhile, Airon gradually slowed as he and Charming neared the forest. To their shock, they began riding into what seemed to be a miniature snowstorm as clouds started to gather above them. Arion's ears shot forward as they spotted the seven short men that were gathered around a fallen tree, and his nostrils flared, taking in the scent of dark magic. Airon reared back as Charming held on tightly to his mane and let out a challenging scream. "No." Charming whispered in horror as he slipped off of the stallion's back.

"You're too late." The Dwarf nearest to him lamented mournfully.

"No, NO!" Charming stumbled forward in shock as they stepped aside, revealing the intriguingly carved glass coffin that was set into the tree. Its occupant was a woman in a feathery white dress, with hair as black as night, lips red as the rose, and skin white as snow. "Open it." the prince demanded shortly.

"I'm sorry, she's gone." One of the three dwarves that were arranged along the far side of it apologized.

A tear slipped down Charming's face as he looked at them imploringly. "At least let me say goodbye." He pleaded.

The dwarves looked at each other for a moment, before pulling the lid off and stepping back. None of them noticed the sound of a second horse galloping up as Charming leaned down to kiss the woman. The girl slipped out of the mare's saddle and landed on her feet just as Charming's lips touched the woman's. The girl smiled knowingly as a wave of magic and multi-colored light rippled out from them and covered the entire valley, clearing away the storm clouds in the process.

The woman let out a gasp as their lips parted, and panted as she assessed her surroundings for a moment. "You." She breathed as she lifted up a hand and put it on Charming's cheek. "You found me."

"Did you ever doubt I would?" Charming asked teasingly as he helped her sit up.

"Truthfully," The woman admitted with a laugh as she swung her legs out of the coffin. "The glass coffin gave me pause."

"Well, you never have to worry." Charming declared as he stared deeply into her eyes. "I will always find you."

"Do you promise?" The woman asked, a smile on her face as she returned his gaze.

"I do." Prince Charming promised, a wide smile on his face as he stood hand-in-hand with his bride at the altar in front of a room of their friends and allies. He was in full armor with his sword sheathed at his side, while his soon-to-be wife was wearing a regal, white feathered wedding gown with white flowers braided into her dark hair.

"And do you, Snow White," The bishop inquired as the guests looked on in joy. "Promise to take this man to be your husband, and love him for all eternity?"

"I do." Snow promised, a loving smile on her face as she looked the man she loved in the eyes.

"I now pronounce you Husband and Wife." The Bishop declared as the room burst into loud cheers. Standing just a bit away, and celebrating just as much with the dwarves was the same girl from before. Her light brown hair was held back by the same silver band as before, and she was wearing a white, off the shoulders, dress with faint lavender accents. With a small frown, she elbowed the frowning dwarf next to her and shot him a look. The dwarf rolled his eyes in exasperation before he smirked and started clapping as well.

As Charming and Snow leaned in to share a kiss, the huge double doors of the chapel violently burst open with an echoing crash to reveal a dark cloaked figure. "Sorry, I'm late." The intruder sneered in a mockery of an apology. She quickly strode towards the happy couple, throwing the two guards that tried to stop her out of the way with a mere flick of her wrists.

"It's the queen!" One of the dwarves yelped in panic. "Run!"

Snow's expression turned thunderous as she grabbed the hilt of Charming's sword and drew it in one swift movement. "She's not a queen anymore!" Snow declared as she pointed the sword at the queen threateningly. "She's nothing more than an evil witch!"

"No, no, no, don't stoop to her level. There's no need." Charming soothed as he placed a hand over Snow's and gently pushed the sword down before he addressed the Queen directly. "You're wasting your time. You've already lost," He stepped forward slightly, maneuvering himself so that he was placed between the Queen and Snow. "And I will not let you ruin this wedding." His voice and eyes were icy cold as he stood at the ready.

"Oh, I haven't come here to ruin anything." The Queen declared a sugary sweet smile on her face. "On the contrary, dear. I've come to give you a gift."

"We want nothing from you!" Snow snapped angrily.

The Queen's smile melted away at that. "But you shall have it." She turned and stared around the room at all of the happy people. "My gift to you is this happy, happy day." The girl from the forest's eyes darkened in anger as the Queen continued. "For tomorrow my real work begins. You've made your vows, now I make mine. Soon everything you love, everything all of you love, will be taken from you forever." She turned to face the couple again. "And out of your suffering, will rise my victory. I shall destroy your happiness if it is the last thing I do."

The Queen turned, about to storm away, only to come face to face with an arrow made completely out of light, and a young girl staring down it with arctic cold blue eyes. "I must say, Regina, I'm surprised." She drawled almost lazily. "Usually you remember or sense that I'm watching. Or have you gotten just that careless in your mindless pursuit of revenge?"

"Mirana of Marmoreal." The Queen, Regina snarled in disdain. "I should have known you would be here. Long have you been a thorn in my side, Light One."

"And longer still I shall continue to be." Mirana interrupted with a cold smile. "For so long as people like you seek power, there will be people like me to stand in your way."

Regina huffed, before she returned Mirana's frosty smile, only her's was significantly more vicious and steely. "We shall see little sorceress. After all, I have something special in mind for you." She then stepped around Mirana, gingerly avoiding the arrow aimed at her, and continued towards the doors.

Charming and Mirana glared as she didn't even pause. "HEY!" Charming yelled, catching her attention. As she turned, Charming flung his sword at her as hard as he could and Mirana let the arrow she had notched fly. Regina's eyes widened in fear for a moment, but a split second before the sword and the arrow connected with her she vanished in a cloud of dark smoke.

As Snow and Charming held each other tightly to reassure themselves, Mirana venomously glared at the doors.

A teenager smiled and ran his fingers over the elegantly painted pictures in his old storybook as the Greyhound bus he was riding in made its way through downtown Boston.

"That a good book?" An older woman asked from the seat across from him as he closed it up and stuffed it in his backpack.

The teenager smiled knowingly as the bus started slowing down. "This old thing? It's much more than just a book." He corrected.

"Oh." The woman chuckled.

"Boston South Station." The speakers announced. "Thank you for riding Greyhound."

The teenager packed up and started moving towards the front of the bus along with everyone else who was getting off. He looked around for a moment as his feet hit the pavement, taking in his surroundings, before continuing onward towards the street.

He knocked on the window of a parked taxi, getting the attention of the driver. "Hey there." He greeted as the driver rolled down the window. "You take credit cards?"

The driver nodded. "Where to chief?" He asked as he unlocked the doors.

"105 Huntington Avenue." The teenager answered as he slipped into the back seat.

"You sure?" The driver questioned as he glanced that the teen from his rearview mirror. "That place is a hole in the wall."

"I'm sure." The teen assured as he made himself comfortable. Once the car was actually moving he pulled out his cellphone to type out a quick text.

To Princess Leia: Hey, made it in one piece. On my way to the Rebel base now.

He had barely sent it off before his phone pinged with a reply.

From Princess Leia: FYI, The Sith Lady knows you're gone. She's in the middle of a panic attack so she hasn't started the interrogations yet. Denying all involvement if she turns to me with questions.

To Princess Leia: Roger that. I never told you where or when I was going anyway, only that I'd found out who she was. Plausible deniability and all that jazz.

From Princess Leia: Be careful you scoundrel.

Henry Mills smirked as he settled back to enjoy the car ride.

To Princess Leia: You know me Your Worship, I never do anything before assessing the risks.

From Princess Leia: Seems you can learn after all Sky Guy. Hit me up with the coordinates once you have them.

To Princess Leia: Roger that princess.

Emma Swan was a rough and tumble Bailbonds worker, and tonight of all nights, her 34th birthday, she was hunting another criminal.

She was all ready for the sleaze too, dressed to impress and fool in her skin-tight red cocktail dress, her black high heels, and her blond hair all made up in loose blond curls. She took in a steadying breath as she stepped out of the elevator and started scoping out the restaurant for her target with her sharp hazel eyes. As she turned a corner, she spotted him and gave him a sweet nervous smile as he rose out of his seat to greet her.

"Emma?" He questioned, holding out a hand.

"Ryan?" She responded, gaining a chuckle from him. "You look relieved." She commented as they sat down at the small table.

"Uh, well, it is the internet." Ryan offered as they settled in. "Pictures can be-"

"Fake?" Emma offered. "Outdated, stolen from a Victoria Secrets catalog." Both of them let out a laugh. "So..."

"So..." Ryan echoed. "Um, tell me something about yourself, Emma."

"Oh," Emma stopped for a moment scrambling for an answer. "Uh, well, today's my birthday."

"And you're spending it with me?" Ryan questioned. "What about your friends?"

"Kind of a loner." Emma shrugged.

"And you don't like your family?" Ryan guessed.

"No family to like." Emma brushed off.

"Oh, come on." Ryan tried to charm. "Everyone has a family."

"Technically, yeah," Emma relented. "But not everyone knows who they are. Ready to run yet?" She asked, gauding his reaction.

Ryan just let out a chuckle. "Oh, not a chance." He gave her a charming smile. "You, Emma, are by far the sexiest friendless orphan I have ever met."

The two of them laughed before Emma continued. "Okay. Your turn." She lightly pushed before taking it back. "No, wait. Let me guess. Um, you are handsome, charming," She trailed off slightly.

"Go on." Ryan prompted.

"The kind of guy who," She stopped slightly. "And now stop me if I get this wrong," Her smile disappeared. "The kind of guy who embezzled from your employer got arrested, and skipped town before they were able to throw your ass in jail."

Ryan gave a nervous chuckle. "What?" He questioned.

"And the worst part of all this is your wife." Emma continued, her eyes flinty. "Your wife loves you so much that she bailed you out, and how do you repay that loyalty? You're on a date."

"Who are you?" Ryan asked.

"The chick who put up the rest of the money." She answered shortly.

"You're a bail bondsman." Ryan realized.

"A bail bonds person." Emma corrected nonchalantly.

She tensed, ready for his next move, and got exactly the reaction she was hoping for.

He flipped the table, sending their wine spraying and took off at a run. Exactly why she had worn the red dress. Emma just walked calmly out the door after him, knowing exactly where he was going. She crossed the street without care, heedless of the cars that screeched to a halt and honked their horns at her.

Meanwhile, Ryan was frantically trying to get his car to move, even after he had gotten it started. A quick frantic glance at his tires, however, graced him with the sight of the dreaded yellow parking boot. He looked back up to see Emma watching him in amusement. "Look, you don't have to do this, okay? I can pay you. I've got money." He tried to bargain.

"No, you don't." Emma corrected with a frosty smirk. "And even if you did, you should give it to your wife to take care of your family."

Ryan just sneered at her. "What the hell do you know about family, huh?"

Emma's smirk fell into a frown. She grabbed the jackass' shoulders and slammed his head into the steering wheel of the car, knocking him out. "Nothing." She replied coldly to his unconscious body as she whipped out her phone and dialed the cops to come and pick him up.

Emma sighed in relief as she walked into her hole-in-the-wall apartment and kicked off her heels. She never did like those deathtraps that were mistakenly called fashionable shoes. As she walked into the kitchen and set down the mail she had gathered from her P.O. box, she spied the lone white pastry box she had picked up earlier that day. With a small smile, she opened it, revealing the plain vanilla cupcake within. One of the few luxuries she allowed herself.

She grabbed her matchbook and struck one to light the blue star-shaped candle she had decorated the cupcake with. With a morose look, she rested her chin on her arms, watching the candle slowly melt from the edge of the counter. "Another banner year." She sighed, before closing her eyes.

'I wish, something good would happen to me for once.' She wished silently, before blowing out the candle.

That was when the doorbell rang.

Emma froze momentarily, debating with herself about answering before she got up and walked to the door.

When she opened it, she came face to face with a teenager that was heartbreakingly familiar.

He had her hazel eyes and his dark brown hair. He was wearing a nondescript grey hoodie sweater over a red flannel shirt and plain blue jeans with a pair of comfortable sneakers. A grey and red scarf wrapped around his neck, and a worn backpack on his back. Sensible in this cold weather, and unnoticeable enough that he would pass any inspections under the radar as a simple teenager going home for the night.

"Can I help you?" She asked, praying, and somewhat hoping, that she was right.

"That depends." The teenager answered. "Are you Emma Swan?"

"Yes, I am," Emma affirmed. "And who are you?"

He gave her a somewhat shy smile, the corner of his mouth twitching up in that familiar way, and his next words confirmed everything for her.

"My name is Henry, and I think I'm your son."

They were silent for a few moments, just regarding each other before Emma cleared her throat. "Do you wanna come in for a coffee? We can talk about how you found me." She invited.

Henry's smile grew slightly as the exhaustion in his eyes became clear. "I prefer hot chocolate, but coffee would be nice. I've been traveling for a few days, and Greyhound buses aren't exactly the Ritz Hotel."

Ten minutes later, the two of them where sitting at the counter of her kitchen and drinking coffee. "It was a school genealogy project I was involved in." Henry started after they took their first sip of the heavenly liquid. "I had to research my family tree back as far as I could, so I went looking for my birth certificate. I found the adoption papers with it." He took another sip of his coffee. "After that, I sent away a sample of my DNA to one of those ancestry sites and your name popped up on it."

Emma squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, before deciding that he was old enough to know. "Your father was a bastard that just up and disappeared one day not long after I found out about you, leaving me to take the fall for crimes he committed." She explained, not lifting her eyes to meet his. "I had you in prison near the end of my sentence. I had no job, no support system, and the prison psychologist convinced me that giving you up would be giving you the best chance in life." Her hazel eyes met those that were so similar to her own. "I have regretted it ever since."

"I had my adoption records unsealed," Henry admitted sheepishly. "The town lawyer is a family friend."

"You expected home any time soon?" Emma inquired.

"My adoptive mother is probably panicking as we speak." He informed her with a slight smirk. "So it's probably for the best that I get back to Maine before she sends a S.W.A.T. team after me."

"So where's home?" Emma questioned as she grabbed both of their empty coffee cups and carried them over to the sink.

"Storybrook, Maine," Henry answered promptly. "A tiny, rural, one-stoplight town in the middle of nowhere that no one has ever heard of, and was somehow missed by the survey teams when they came through to update the maps." He sighed and grimaced slightly. "My adoptive mother is a bit, controlling though, so you might get a frosty reception from her."

"Anything else I should know?" She questioned as she grabbed her go bag and keys.

"She's the Mayor."

"Well, this is gonna be fun."

Snow sighed in worry as she watched the little bluebird fly away from her hand, and dropped a hand down to rub her heavily pregnant belly.

Mirana stood just inside the room, offering her silent support as Charming moved closer.

"What's wrong?" Charming asked.

"Nothing." Snow sighed.

"You're thinking what the queen said again aren't you?" He inquired. Mirana nodded in conformation as Snow kept her eyes on her baby bump. "Snow, Please, I can't keep having this conversation. You have to let it go! We're about to have a baby!" He tried to persuade, looking over towards the cradle for their soon-to-be-born child.

"I haven't had a restful night since our wedding." Snow admitted, her voice exhausted as she walked to stand beside the cradle.

"That's what she wants!" He protested, jogging a little to catch up with her. "To get in your head! But they're only words. She can't hurt us."

Snow looked at him, disbelieving. "She poisoned an apple because she thought I was prettier than her." She said, her tone slightly condescending. "You have no idea of what she's capable of."

"She has a point Charming." Mirana interrupted, her brow creased in worry as the couple turned to her. "If Regina is anywhere close to as vicious and vengeful as Cora, or as sly and cunning as Anastasia, then we should be thanking our lucky stars she hasn't enacted the curse already!" Her eyes glazed as she slipped into old memories. "We made the mistake of underestimating them once, and Uncle Will paid the price. If it wasn't for Cora's disappearance and Anastasia's rise to power, he would still be under Cora's thumb as her unwilling puppet, and I would be missing my head."

Charming looked slightly disbelieving. "What can I do to ease your mind?" He asked snow.

"Let me talk, to him." Her voice hitched on the last word, her dark brown eyes meeting his pleadingly.

"Him?" Charming asked, uncertainly. "You don't mean?

"I do." Snow said her voice certain.

"No, no, no. It's too dangerous!" Charming protested immediately.

"He can see the future!" Snow tried to argue.

"There's a reason he's locked up." Charming pressed.

"Can you promise me that our child will be safe?!" Snow asked him, her voice filled with fear. "Can you guarantee it? Because he can!" Charming refused to meet her eyes as she argued.

"Alright," He relented sadly, admitting defeat. "For our child."

The two of them turned to look at Mirana, only to see her glaring at them determinedly.

"That is a conversation you are not leaving me out of." Mirana interrupted before they could even start. "There are greater forces at work here, and I need to speak to him as well to confirm suspicions that I have."

Henry was looking through his old storybook again, trying to kill time as they drove through the crowded Boston highways.

"Good book?" Emma asked as she glanced at him.

"It was a gift from a teacher back in Elementry School," Henry explained as he ran a fond hand over it's worn cover. "I was in a bit of a dark place then. Fortunately, that was around the same time I met my best friend and eventual girlfriend."

"Why don't you tell me a bit more about Storybrook?" Emma inquired. "It sounds like a pretty tight-knit community."

"It is." Henry relented. "It's a pretty quiet place, so any newcomers would be big news. You should have seen the stir it caused when Jack Hertz moved there with his niece Genevieve six years ago. They were a hot topic of gossip for nearly an entire year before it finally died down."

Mirana strode forward with purpose, confidence oozing from her form as she paid little attention to the guard in front of her. Her usual ensemble of royal purple and darker colors had been exchanged for a dress that was such a light shade of lavender it was almost white, and a deep black mantle that was trimmed with arctic fox fur sat cozily on her shoulders. Her hair was down in its natural curls, the silver band that usually held the light brown locks away from her deep blue eyes was missing, allowing them to fall freely. In fact, the only jewelry she bore was the necklace around her neck.

Silently, they moved through the bowels of the castle, heading for the deepest dungeons.

"And whatever you do, do not let him know your name." The Guardsman cautioned as he walked before them.

"He already knows mine Guardsman." Mirana promptly informed, stepping ahead of him before he could shout out the name of the prisoner. "This will be a matter of mutual respect." She informed the two cloaked figures behind her. "Whatever you do, let me speak first. Do not utter a word until he addresses you directly, and avoid giving him any information that he does not specifically ask for." With that final warning, Mirana spun on her heel to walk down the corridor towards the crude cell.

"A Light One greets the Dark One." She called into the darkness of the cell.

There was silence for all of a second before HE dropped down from the ceiling and into the light.

He was monstrous in appearance to Mirana's eyes, with skin that seemed to sparkle and shimmer in the low light, greasy brown hair that was scraggly and unkempt, fingernails that were blackened and claw-like, and dressed completely in crocodile-skin and leather. He gave her an insane parody of a smile that revealed his yellowed and crooked teeth. "The Dark One greets a Light One." He tilted his head to the side. "What business do you have with me Mirana?"

"They asked me to lead them to you Rumplestiltskin. They want to know about the Dark Curse to keep those they protect safe." She answered back promptly, not even flinching as his glittering amber eyes focused on her. "They're offering an exchange."

"For this, a name is needed." Rumple shot back, his eyes glittering dangerously as his smile turned into a snarl. "A name is needed to determine who I'll be giving the information to. The asker is the key, the one they carry is the key. You know magic as well as I do! You know there's a loophole Mirana!"

Mirana gasped softly as understanding dawned upon her. "This Light One thanks the Dark One for his help." She then turned towards the figures behind her and nodded.

"This Dark One accepts a Light One's gratitude." The glittering man nodded as he turned his attention to the cloaked figures behind her. "Your Majesties." He greeted, a more courtly smile on his face. "My colleague tells me that you have a question for me?"

Snow took a step forward and flipped down the hood of her cloak. "Ah, Snow White and Prince Charming. I've been expecting you for a while now dearies." He started to move along the bars of his cell, keeping them in eyesight at all times. "You want to know about the Queen's Curse, how to counter it, I assume?"

"Yes." Snow answered immediately. "We need to know."

"And as I told my colleague," He countered, pointing down at Snow's belly. "I need her name in return."

Charming started to protest, but Snow cut him off. "Deal. What do you know?"

Rumple smiled. "The Queen has gotten her hands on a powerful curse, and it's coming for us. Soon we'll all be in a prison, just like I am now, only worse, for our prison, all of our prisons, will be time." He sang mockingly. "For time will stop, and we will be trapped someplace horrible, where everything we hold dear, everything we hold dear will be ripped from us while we suffer for all eternity. While the Queen celebrates, victorious at last." His face fell into a devastated look. "No more happy endings." He breathed in horror.

"What can we do to stop her?" Snow pressed.

"We can't do anything," Rumple emphasized. "But every curse has a loophole that can be exploited."

"Then who can?" Snow demanded.

"The little one growing in your belly," Rumple stated, pointing a finger at Snow's heavily pregnant stomach, but taking care not to touch her as he knew what Charming's reaction would be. "That infant is our only hope." He stated as he drew back slightly. "Get the child to safety." He snarled. "Get that child to safety and on its 34th birthday, they will return. They will find you, and the final battle will begin." His eyes softened as the insanity drained out of them. "The Evil Queen and I are at odds in one aspect your Highness, I REFUSE to harm a child after I lost my own to my own cowardness." He shook his head. "I owe Mirana too much to even consider it."

"Her name is Emma." Snow answered after a moment of consideration.

"Emma." Rumple breathed, turning the name over in his mind as the two royals and his light counterpart began to walk away. "Mirana," He called out just before the younger girl disappeared. She turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow in askance. "Come talk to me again Light One, it is so dreadfully boring in here."

Mirana gave him a small smile. "I'll see what I can do Rumple."

A girl with curly brown hair pulled into a pony-tail looked up from her journal, her blue eyes focusing on her phone as it buzzed with a message alert.

From Han Solo: Hey, we just hit the edge of the system. Should be popping up on your scanners any minute now. I've got Padme in tow, and she's none the wiser about her fate.

To Han Solo: Good to know Sky Guy, I'll meet you in the hanger at our earliest convenience. We'll talk about the next move in Operation: Nickelback there.

From Han Solo: Understood your Worship. See you soon.

She smiled at the texts, before setting her pen to paper again for another few moments before standing up, slipping the journal into it's hiding place, and shrugging on her jacket. A few good tugs from her window allowed her to slip out into the stormy night.

Excerpt from the journal of MGK:

It's hard to believe it's been nearly six years since the Knave brought me to this strange land and six years since he gave up the majority of his memories to blend in with the populous and protect me in the place of my parents. The magic of this place has affected me as well, though not nearly as drastically as the others I half recognize. I no longer remember or recognize my true name, and the connection to my magic fades with every instance I use it.

My handsome prince has found the secrets that were hidden from him and, based on our book, has determined it is time for the curse to broken. Thinking back on it, I believe that only one person other than I and my Uncle has the majority of our memories. Tomorrow, I go down to the DO's place to confirm my suspicions.

In the meantime, the Savior has finally arrived. I can feel it in the air, and my prince has confirmed it through his messages. Time is ready to move forward, but she needs to make the decision to stay for the curse to react completely. I'm tempted to employ the skills that Uncle has taught me to steal the spark plugs from her car. I really don't want to sink to that level however, so I pray that my prince will be able to convince her.