Neverlander: Epilogue

Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time.
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Violent Magic

Bae sat cross-legged in the clearing, listening and reaching out as far as his sensitivity could allow him. He felt only the magic his father brought to that world. Finally, he opened his eyes. "That's it, Bae," Morraine said from her place at the edge of the clearing. "We're going back."

"What about the woman in the car?" he asked. "She hasn't moved since we got here, and there's no way of knowing what she wants."

"Can you feel her?"

"I can feel whatever's swirling around. If she's cloaking herself, she's doing a good job of it."

"Either way, is he here or not?"

"No."

"Then we're going back."

He strapped his quiver to his back and picked up his bow. "Ladies first," he said, gesturing to the forest. She smiled and walked down the path he indicated.

He started after her when he felt his heart literally stop. He sank to his knees and let out a cry. Morraine stopped and turned toward him, nearly dropping her bow in the process. "What is it?" she asked, pressing his shoulders back to get a better look at his face. "What's happening?"

Bae gasped. "Go...back," he said. "Tell...tell Papa...tell Papa that...that something's happening here...something...something bad...the magic...compromised."

"Bae? Bae, what do you feel?"

"Something...breaking...like...like an...earthquake." She pulled him to his feet and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "What are you doing?"

"I'll tell you what I'm not doing: leaving you here. Come on."

He stumbled along beside her down the path back into Storybrooke. He managed to recover a regularity in his breathing, even though the very act started to burn and his limbs started to shake. "Oh, gods," she whispered. "It's getting worse. Hold on, Bae. Just hold on." They crossed the bridge and made their way to the square, but the woman from the car was standing between them and their destination. "No," Morraine whispered, already sensing what this brown-haired woman was about to do.

She released him and stood between them, ready to square off against this crazy woman she didn't know for the sake of her Robin Hood. He straightened and began to work out a path around them to the square, but instinctively he sensed that the closer he got to the woman, the more he would burn inside. It was almost like she was...destroying him.

"You're right," the woman said, looking squarely at Bae. "Now, you've got two options: you can stay here, or you can die."

"Who are you and what do you want?" Morraine asked.

"Standing up for your love, here, are you? How sweet." She flicked her wrist and sent them both flying down the street. They tumbled over the pavement. Bae coughed and struggled to his feet.

"Stay down," Morraine said, and she looked over her shoulder at the woman. She stood and faced her again, and once the woman was close enough, she moved to punch her. The woman blocked, but Morraine pulled back and made a second move toward her. Again, the woman saw this coming and dodged.

"You think you're special, don't you? Well, guess what, you're not. You can barely save him." This earned the woman a kick in the stomach and a punch to the face. Then Morraine grabbed the vial, turned to Bae, pulled him to his feet again, and ran off with him.

"Where're we going?" Bae asked.

"Shh, trust me, Bae, please."

She pulled him into the pawn shop and bolted the door behind them. She leaned against it, panting, and Bae sank to the floor. His breathing was extremely labored, and he was coughing severley. "It's okay now," she said.

"No, her magic..." His words were lost to another coughing fit.

"We're going to solve this. We're going to get to your father and it's going to be okay, I promise. Everything's going to be okay." He nodded.

OUAT

Michael walked into the main hall. "There's news," he called. All eyes now fell to him. "Magic across the bridge is being actively worked against, some would say destroyed, albeit slowly."

"Bae?" Belle asked. "Is he safe?"

"So far as I can tell. I feel no death. But...since he's a sensitive, that boy's in big trouble."

"Can you feel who's causing all this?" Hook asked.

Michael nodded, gulped, and said, "But you're not gonna like it."