The atmosphere within the loft apartment was one of tense concern. David and Mary Margret were standing by the metal staircase leading to the upper floor, watching in silence as Regina carefully studied the still unresponsive Henry's wound as he laid atop the quilted bed. Emma was seated in the nearby rocking chair, unable to bring herself to look up from her hands, which were resting on her lap. She didn't even seem to notice Killian's presence as he continued to kneel by her side, occasionally rubbing her arm in comfort.
A short distance away, Elsa, Jefferson, Belle, Grace, Violet, Nick, Ava, Robin and Roland were congregated around the breakfast bar. While they were maintaining a respectful distance from the family, they were unable to bring themselves to leave the small apartment, their intense worry for Henry's wellbeing evident on their faces.
"Fortunately, it doesn't look as if wound was deep," Regina announced, breaking the silence as she brushed some of Henry's hair aside. "I'd say it was just a graze."
"So Henry's going to be okay?" Violet asked, concern filling her voice.
"His forehead might be tender for a few days," Regina replied. "But other than that, I don't think they'll be any lasting damage."
"You hear that?" David soothed, gently addressing Emma. "Henry's going to be okay." However, Emma barely seemed to acknowledge the reassurance, only giving a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
Briefly, Regina glanced over at Emma as well. When she had first heard what had caused Henry's cut, she had been severely temped to explode, especially when she was told who had caused the magical shockwave. But before she could start on her tirade, she'd gotten a good look at Emma's expression and, in light of her tangible distress and shock, she immediately was able to find it in her to rein it in. Letting out a sigh, Regina made a mental note to thank the cricket for allowing her to continue their sessions after the return from Neverland. It appeared that they were proving to be beneficial, after all.
If Regina was going to say anything to help reassure Emma, she never got the chance, as someone started knocking on the door franticly. Since he was the closest to the door, Robin was the one to answer it, revealing Neal standing outside.
"Where's Henry?" he demanded, barging into the apartment without preamble.
"Neal, what are you doing here?" Mary Margret asked.
"I called him," Belle admitted. "I thought he had the right to know what happened."
"Is he okay?" Neal exclaimed, heading right over to the bed where Henry was lying.
"He'll be fine," Regina stated.
"Well, what happened?" Neal questioned, turning to address everyone in the room. "Belle said that Henry got hurt when he ran into someone with the same powers as Elsa, but that's all I know."
For the next few minutes, Ava took it upon herself to relate what had happened, from the moment they started following the trail of ice to the point when Emma's magical surge had driven off the Snow Queen. When she was done, Neal looked stricken.
"Are you saying…Emma was the one who did this?"
"That's not what she said," Killian spoke up, immediately picking up on the tone in Neal's voice. "The Snow Queen was about to attack the children, and Emma stopped her."
"By using magic," Neal countered. "And that's what hurt Henry. The Snow Queen's magic didn't do this, Emma's did! Is that not what happened?"
"It was an accident," Mary Margret replied.
"And that makes it okay?" Neal argued. "Emma, this is exactly what I was talking about when you said you were going to continue learning magic from Regina! This is what magic does! Accident or not, Henry could have died, and it would have been your fault!"
Emma, throughout Neal's tirade, had sat unmoving from her chair. But with his arm still gently wrapped around her, Killian could feel it when she started to shake. In concern, he turned to glance at her face and saw that she looked close to tears. Before he could utter a word, however, Emma had launched herself out of her chair and ran towards the door, managing to pull her wrist out from Killian's grasp as he tried to reach out to stop her. Turning a deaf ear to the sounds of everyone calling after her, Emma threw open the door and ran out of the apartment.
"Well, that was nicely handled," Regina retorted, folding her arms as she directed a scowl at Neal.
"Hey, I was just stating the facts," Neal replied, on the defensive.
"And Emma is upset about it enough," David countered, giving Neal a stern glare. "The last thing she needed was for you to add to her guilt."
"Well, maybe she should feel bad! I told Emma not to mess around with magic. Because this is what magic does. It only hurts people."
"Except when you use it, right?" Killian hissed, his voice menacingly low. Up until now, he had been simply staring at the door Emma had just run out of, his arm partially extended as if to reach out to her. But upon hearing Neal's statement, his mood had shifted from concern and worry to fury.
"What are you talking about?" Neal asked, taken aback by the accusation.
"You're always the one who claims magic is dangerous," Killian snarled. "The one who won't hesitate to object when we turn to magic to get answers, rectify an issue, even restore my hand that your father took from me. But you have no qualms about using magic yourself, do you? That's right, I know about that. Robin told me exactly how you ended up in Neverland. You were willing to resort to any sort of magic necessary to open a portal to Neverland. You didn't have a problem with magic then. So which is it? Is magic dangerous or is it only dangerous when other people use it?"
"Opening a portal to save my son is completely different," Neal muttered. "No one gets hurt when you open a portal."
"Really? Then what about Roland?" Killian accused, storming over towards Neal. "That's right, Robin told me about that part, too. How you used Robin's son as bait to get to Neverland. You clearly weren't concerned with risks or keeping everyone from danger then, were you? You know what I think? I think you're still scared of your father. And you've convinced yourself that the fact that Emma has magic means she will turn out the same way as he did. That's the real reason why you left her back then, wasn't it? You weren't trying to help Emma get home. You found out that she had a magical destiny and decided to run."
In response to that accusation, Neal angrily shoved Killian back, but he didn't say a single word in his defense. All he did was direct an enraged scowl at the pirate.
"She's not your father, Baelfire!" Killian persisted. "She didn't ask for her magic! She never sought it out! This was something she was born with!"
"Stop it!" Mary Margret cried, forcing herself between the two, her voice shaking in desperation. "Please, this isn't the time to fight!"
"She's right," David added. "Save your energy for the Snow Queen."
"Speaking of whom," Regina spoke up, "I would really like to know how she managed to get into town. From what the children said, this woman has been running an ice cream shop here in Storybrooke for years. How could someone like her have been in Storybrooke for so long without my knowledge?"
"Well, your curse managed to bring over a lot of people," Jefferson pointed out. "Perhaps it's possible you don't know everyone in this town."
"Maybe it wouldn't hurt to look over the town census again," Robin suggested. "We might not have found anything on Anna the first time, but maybe we can find information on this woman from the ice cream shop."
"If it's all the same," Mary Margret announced, glancing over at the door. "I think I want to go find Emma, first. I don't want her to think the rest of us blame her for what happened." As she completed that statement, Mary Margret cast a withering glance at Neal, who looked reasonably chastised, but didn't say a word in his defense or atonement.
Emma only stopped running when she'd reached the sheriff's office, but she still felt a ringing in her ears. Once inside, she bent herself over her desk, gripping the sides so tightly, her knuckles turned white. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on slowing her breathing, but her mind kept replaying the scene over and over again: the crippling panic she felt upon seeing the children in danger, Henry lying unconscious on the ground, and finally, Neal's angry retort. It wasn't until the smell of burnt wood reached her nose that she noticed the desk she was leaning over was starting to smoke. Letting out a startled gasp, Emma staggered backward, staring in shock at the burn marks that had been seared into the sides of her desk, in the exact shape of her handprints. Slightly shaking from the surprise, she glanced down at her hands to see they were glowing with a faint golden light, and were generating a few sparks.
"Emma, are you alright?" a concerned voice asked. Immediately, Emma spun around to see the Snow Queen standing there.
"What are you doing here!?" Emma exclaimed, immediately on her guard. Even so, there was a part of her that wondered how the woman managed to walk in without her noticing.
"I was worried about you," the woman stated, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Why should you care about me?" Emma demanded, backing up slightly upon noticing the Snow Queen was taking a few steps forward. "You went after my son and his friends."
"I do regret my actions, but it was necessary."
"Right, because you wanted to frame Elsa. I know; the children told me your plan. What I don't understand is why."
"I would think you of all people would understand. People like us will always be seen as monsters. When you have magic, nobody will ever accept you. It will only be a matter of time before they turn on you. It happened to me, and Elsa. And in time, even you will be cast aside. Your friends and family will eventually come to see you as a monster."
"You don't know them, or me," Emma retorted, a definite fire in her eyes.
"I don't have to know you, Emma. I've been you. Different, misunderstood, alone. People like us; you, me, and Elsa? We will always be cast out, even from those who claim to love us. Because in time, they will always grow to fear us."
"You're wrong," Emma snarled.
"Am I?" the Snow Queen persisted, a smugly confident smile on her face. "Look at what happened to you today. Surely you know that those people you call family and friends are looking at you differently, now that they've seen what your magic can do. You must have seen the fear and mistrust in their eyes."
"They've never had a problem with my magic," Emma argued. "They accept it as a part of me."
"I thought the same thing, too, once. But that changed when my family saw exactly what my magic could do. In an instant, they no longer saw me as someone worthy of their love and acceptance. Instead, they viewed me as a monster."
"Look, I'm sorry that happened to you, but that doesn't mean..."
"That what I'm saying won't apply to you? Because it's not just me. The same thing happened to Elsa."
"What are you talking about?" Emma asked, curious in spite of herself.
"How do you think she got into that urn?" the Snow Queen challenged. "It wasn't an accident that she ended up in there. It was her sister, Anna. She's the one who put Elsa into that urn."
Emma was momentarily too taken aback to speak. This woman's words were a serious accusation. Especially after what she'd already learned about Anna from Elsa and her father. But at the same time, she could tell that the Snow Queen wasn't necessarily lying. So there had to be a missing piece of the puzzle. But before she could try and figure out what that was, the Snow Queen took the chance to continue.
"Believe me, Emma. It's only a matter of time before you'll end up the same way Elsa and I did. You don't think that the others won't turn on you, now that they've seen exactly how dangerous your magic is? If your own son isn't safe, then…"
"SHUT UP!" Emma shouted, the reminder of what happened to Henry forcing her rage to return in force. As she said those words, she slammed her fist down on the nearby desk. The moment her fist made contact with the wood, a magical shockwave erupted from her hand, resulting in the glass partitions around her private office to shatter, along with the nearby windows. As the multitude of glass shards flew through the air, Emma instinctively raised her arms to shield her face. She only looked up when the sounds of shattered glass hitting the floor died down. Upon doing so, she noticed two things at once. First, the Snow Queen was gone, having used the commotion to escape again. Second, her hands were once again glowing with an almost blinding golden color. Try as she might, she couldn't make the glowing stop.
For the longest time, Emma could only stare at her hands in fearful shock. It was only the sound of her ringing phone that snapped her out of it. But when she pulled it out of her pocket, she only had the time to glance at the ID screen and see it was her mother calling before the phone exploded in her hand, unleashing a cloud of smoke and the putrid smell of melted plastic. In response, Emma dropped the destroyed phone, staggering backwards. Briefly, she stared at the charred remains of her phone until the high pitched ringing in her ears began again. Overcome by everything, Emma gave into her instinct and started to run.
Regina let out a heavy sigh as she made her way through the lobby of the hospital, rubbing her temples in the hopes that doing so would help get rid of the migraine she felt forming. It had truly been a very long night. While Henry had woken up again a few hours after that disastrous argument that had occurred when Neal had barged into the loft apartment, he still admitted to feeling a bit dizzy. As such, he was strictly confined to bed for the time being. However, it seemed like the more pressing concern was Emma, who had seemingly vanished into thin air. When David and Mary Margret had gone looking for her, they had come back with no luck. All they found was the sheriff's office in a state of serious disarray. There had been broken glass everywhere, along with a cellphone that had been charred and melted. At first, they had tried to recruit Ruby to help find her, thinking she could use her Wolf Senses to track her scent. But right before they could put that plan into action, a large rainstorm had arrived. Thanks to the heavy rains and winds, any scent trails that Emma might have left had been disrupted, making it impossible for Ruby to sniff her out. While it was a reassurance to know that Emma had to be somewhere in town, considering the ice wall was still surrounding the town, everyone was still concerned for her wellbeing. When Emma still hadn't returned home after midnight and everyone had to call off their search until morning in order to get some rest, the mounting tensions had escalated to the point when David had even rounded on Neal. While Regina had elected to not stick around to observe that particular fight play out, she had caught a glimpse of Neal earlier, when she passed by his art dealership on the way to the hospital. Right away, she'd noticed that he was sporting a sizable black eye. While a part of her felt unperturbed by the sight of Neal's shiner, she still made a mental note to approach him later and offer to make him a salve to help treat the bruising. Even though she still didn't think much for the man, she knew that Henry wanted him around. So she might as well try to listen to Mary Margret and maintain a certain level of civility with him.
Right now, however, she had a more important matter to deal with. Her day had started with two early morning phone calls. The first had come from a frantic Mary Margret, who was growing even more concerned that Emma still hadn't come home yet and was begging Regina to produce a locator potion to help find her. The second phone call had come less than five minutes later. This one had come from an irritated Nurse Ratched. From the sound of it, everything electrical in the hospital's psychiatric ward, which now doubled as a long-term prison wing, was going haywire. The lights were blinking on and off, the small coffee maker was brewing on its own and even the intercom system was constantly crackling. The thing that had particularly placed Regina on the alert was that the activity seemed strongest around Zelena's cell. The problem was that Zelena was supposed to have lost her powers ever since her defeat a few months ago. Regina had even sealed away the emerald broach in her vault, using blood magic to ensure it was secure. Did this mean that Zelena had somehow managed to regain her magic? If so, how was that possible?
Those thoughts and questions weighed on Regina's mind as she punched in the code into the door lock that led down to the basement floor. The instant she set foot into the stairwell, she saw the problem right away as the overhead lights kept flickering in rapid succession. It was almost as if the light fixtures had been replaced with strobe lights. Gripping the bannister to keep herself from getting disoriented, Regina slowly made her way down the stairs. At Nurse Ratched had stated, things were not much better when she reached the hallway of the psychiatric ward. But it was abundantly clear that the light outside Zelena's cell was glowing the brightest.
Without hesitation, Regina approached Zelena's cell and magically unlocked the door to face her sister, who was lying on her cot with an arm over her eyes.
"What's going on, Zelena?" Regina grilled, cutting right to the chase. "What are you doing?"
"Oh, that's right," Zelena huffed, not even bothering to move her arm to glance at Regina. "Go ahead and blame me for this. I don't have my magic, remember? Even if I did, do you really think I'd purposely do something that would keep me up? Have you ever tried to get back to sleep when the lights are acting up like this?"
"So you're saying you're not causing this?" Regian asked, skepticism in her voice.
"She's not," Emma whispered, suddenly stepping out of the shadows. "I…I think I am."
"Miss Swan!" Regina started, eyes widening at the sight of her. "Where have you been? Everyone has been looking for you all night!"
Emma didn't reply to Regina's question right away. Instead, she looked away self-consciously. After a pause, she glanced down at her hands, which were once again glowing.
"I…I can't stop it," Emma whispered, fear in her voice. "I've tried everything I could think of, but…. nothing is working."
"It's because you're panicking," Regina stated, looking between Emma and the flickering lights. "You need to stay calm and focus."
"I'm trying!" Emma insisted, now shaking in visible fear and stress. "But it won't stop!"
"Emma, listen to me!" Regina instructed. "You're upset, and that's what's causing your magic to go haywire. But the only one who can help you regain control of yourself is you."
"There has to be something you can do!" Emma persisted. "There has to be a potion you can brew. Or a charm. Something to help nullify my magic."
"You can't be serious," Regina muttered, taken aback. "Is this about what Neal said? Why are you listening to that person? What happened to Henry was not your fault. Even I can admit that."
At that moment, one of the fluorescent tubes overhead shattered, causing both woman to jump in shock. Letting out a terrified whimper, Emma pressed her back against the wall, tucking her hands into her armpits.
"Please, Regina," Emma pleaded, looking close to tears. "There has to be something you can do. I…I can't risk hurting Henry again!"
For a moment, Regina was silent, simply studying Emma's face. It was clear that Emma was not emotionally prepared to listen to reason. And if she didn't get her emotions under control, then she really would continue to be a danger to herself and others.
"Well," Regina sighed, shaking her head. "I suppose we could utilize my mother's old wrist cuffs. The ones that that Greg and Tamara tamped with to nullify magic. Would that be acceptable?"
"I'm willing to try anything," Emma stated.
"Okay then," Regina said, shaking her head. "Meet me at my vault in one hour." With that, Regina left the ward, after making sure Zelena's door was closed once again.
Once she was alone again, Emma closed her eyes, trying to focus on slowing her breathing. While she knew the wrist cuffs were only a temporary answer, hopefully they would do until a more long-term solution presented itself. Against her will, Neal's angry retort echoed through her mind, causing Emma to bite her lip in consternation.
"So, it sounds like you're having a spot of trouble with your magic," Zelena commented. Emma jumped slightly, having completely forgotten that the woman was even there. Glancing over, she saw Zelena was looking at her through the eye slot on her door.
"It's none of your business," Emma stated, turning away.
"If you didn't want me overhearing, you shouldn't have had your little meeting outside my cell," Zelena pointed out. "Besides, I might have a way to help you."
"I'm not interested in your help," Emma retorted.
"You didn't even hear what I had to say," Zelena countered. "You said you were worried about your magic. You said you're afraid it will end up hurting your child again. It so happens I might have a way to help."
"How could you help me?" Emma asked, curious in spite of herself.
"Well, have you ever heard of something called the Crimson Heart?" Zelena probed, smiling widely.
Killian stood silently along the Storybrooke beach, staring out at the horizon. In the past, being near the sea managed to calm him. But it wasn't working now, his mind plagued by concern for Emma. He had barely slept that night, knowing that she was out there somewhere, probably blaming herself for what happened yesterday. The fact that her yellow driving machine was still parked in its usual spot outside the police station suggested that she had spent the night outside. And that only added to his mental torment. It had been particularly cold and wet that night, so he prayed to every god he knew that she managed to find a way to stay warm and dry.
For not the first time, his mind went back to that terrible moment when he'd seen her lying unresponsive in that bloody ice cave. He would not soon forget how cold she had been that night, or the terrifyingly blue tint of her skin. What if she hadn't fully recovered from that ordeal? What if they found her in a similar state and this time weren't able to help her? He couldn't lose her. Not like he lost Liam. And Milah. And…. Out of nowhere, a distant memory surfaced. A beautiful but emaciated woman lying in a bed, a faded and worn quilt draped over her body. Her eyes were open but lifeless, staring up at him but without seeing him.
Letting out a strangled gasp, Killian shoved that mental image aside, unwilling to revisit that particular memory. However, it did spurn him into action, as he started to stride off, heading away from the coastline to resume the search for Emma. Before he managed to take five steps, however, he noticed a figure with blonde hair out of the corner of his eye. Instantly, he snapped his head around to get a better look, a wave of hope washing over him. When he saw it wasn't Emma, his shoulders slumped in disappointment, but that was quickly replaced with concern when he recognized the woman as Elsa. He was under the impression that David and Mary Margret had taken it upon themselves to act as her personal hosts while they worked on figuring out how to help her regain her missing memories and reunite with her lost sister. So why was Elsa roaming around by herself?
Before he realized he even made the decision, Killian found himself heading over to her side.
"I confess I'm surprised to see you roaming about without your coterie," he commented, cutting right to the chase. "Does Dave and Mary Margret know you're taking a constitutional?"
"I couldn't just sit around any longer," Elsa stated. "Not while knowing Emma is out there somewhere, punishing herself for what happened yesterday. And the longer she isolates herself, the worse it'll get. Her magic will just keep spiraling."
"You say that as if you know what she's going through," Killian commented.
"I've been where Emma is now. I once tried to isolate myself from others because of my magic, believing that it would only be a danger to everyone around me. I even pushed away my sister in an effort to keep her from getting hurt. But that was until I finally realized you can't run away from the people who love you. Because, in the end, they're the only ones who can help you."
"Well then," Killian said with a nod. "Let's not waste any more time then."
With that, the two set off together to try to find Emma. After they had walked for a while, Elsa turned to look at Killian.
"I forgot to tell you," she began. "I appreciated what you said yesterday. About Emma and her magic."
"What exactly did I say?" Killian asked, feeling bemused by Elsa's words. He hadn't realized he said anything of merit.
"You stood up for her, and her magic. Henry told me about your story. It seems that you'd have a legitimate reason to hate magic, considering how much you lost because of it. But Emma has magic, and you clearly aren't bothered by that. You even support her powers."
"Aye, it's true I have no love of magic," Killian allowed. "But if there's anyone who can be trusted with it, then it would be Emma. She's strong and capable enough to not let it take her over."
"It's good that Emma has people like you in her life. She needs people who truly accept and love her and her magic. Especially now."
"To be honest, I think she'd benefit more from having you as a friend," Killian replied, ducking his head in an attempt to deflect the praise. "You said yourself that you've been through what Emma is experiencing."
"That's true. But I only got through it because I had Anna, and because she refused to give up on me. It was her love that made it possible for me to fully control my magic. That's what Emma really needs right now."
Killian was opening his mouth to respond when a distinct melody started to emit from the pocket of Killian's duster. Frowning slightly in confusion, Killian slipped his hand into the pocket and unearthed the phone Emma had gifted him shortly after they'd defeated Zelena.
"What is that?" Elsa asked, staring at the phone mystification.
"It's a… device for….talking," Killian replied, trying to recall how Emma had worded it. "I don't bloody know. I press the Emma Button, and I can talk to her over long distances. It doesn't often get messages from other people."
Glancing back at the screen, his brow furrowed at the caller identity screen. When Emma had shown him how to use these phones, there had always been a person's name on display. This time, there was simply a seven-digit number in place of a name. However, he still pressed the green circle that Emma had said enabled him to talk.
"Who is this?" Killian asked, speaking into the phone.
"Captain!" a familiar voice replied. "Oh, good. I was hoping I got the right number."
"Starkey?" Killian blinked, surprised at the sound of his former crewman's voice.
"Yes, it's Starkey," Starkey confirmed. "I'm so glad I managed to reach you. I had to call Belle in the hopes that she had your number. Beverly is a regular patron of hers at the library."
"What is it?" Killian asked, detecting a tone of urgency in Starkey's voice.
"Well, it's about your lady, the sheriff,"
"You saw Emma?" Killian exclaimed, instantly on the alert. "Where?"
"Well, you know Beverly lives in a small house near the woods," Starkey explained. "This morning, I was standing by the window of her kitchen, just drinking some coffee. I noticed Sheriff Swan through the window. I don't think she knew I was watching, but she was heading into the woods. She looked troubled, but…."
"Thank you, Starkey," Killian announced, cutting him off in mid-sentence. "Thank you for telling me. You have no idea how grateful I am." Without further preamble, Killian ended the call and, after exchanging a glance with Elsa, they both hurried off towards Starkey and Beverly's place.
Emma made her way through the woods, trying to put as much distance between her and the town as possible. Even now, she wasn't sure that listening to Zelena was the best idea, but she could tell that she was being sincere about the nature of this Crimson Heart. Occasionally, she glanced down at the small bean she'd managed to smuggle out from under Anton's nose, feeling guilty over taking advantage of her friend like that. When this was over, she fully intended to make it up to him.
Before long, she managed to reach a break in the trees, stepping out into a large, empty clearing. Cautiously, she looked around to make sure the coast was clear. When she was sure there was nobody around, she closed her eyes, trying to focus her thoughts on Oz, hoping that the mental picture she'd gotten through second-hand accounts were good enough to ensure her destination. But as she started to lift up her hand to toss the bean so it would activate a portal, the sound of a twig snapping behind her broke her concentration. Instantly on the alert, she spun around, just in time to see a solitary figure emerge from the woodlands. Right away, she noted that he looked familiar. But it took her a moment or two to place him.
"I know you," she muttered, staring at the old man. "You're that old man who helped us during that terrible snowstorm around Christmas. The night Roland went missing."
"I'm glad to see that you made a full recovery from that night," the old man replied with a kind smile. "I was concerned about that bump. But this is a rather strange place for you to end up. Especially this early in the morning."
"Well, you're out here," Emma pointed out.
"That's true," the old man chuckled. "I sometimes come out here to observe the native wildlife. A lot of creatures frequent this meadow. Is that why you're out here, too?"
"No," Emma admitted. "I'm out here because….there's something I have to do."
"From your expression, it seems to be something particularly serious," the old man noted. Emma was about to nod in confirmation, but she started when she noticed the old man walking towards her.
"No, stay back!" she cried in alarm, holding up a hand to stop him. But when her hand was fully extended, she accidentally let out a magical blast, one that missed the old man by inches. Gasping in shock and alarm, Emma grabbed onto the offending hand in an effort to block any further accidental discharges. To her surprise, the old man seemed to be completely unperturbed by what just happened.
"Hmm," he mused, "it appears you're having a spot of trouble controlling your magical impulses."
"Please," Emma pleaded, looking away in shame. "I don't want to hurt you."
"I'm relieved that your intention is to not cause me harm. I assume you have some plan in mind to regain your control. Surely it doesn't involve spending the rest of your life in isolation. You don't seem like the type of person who would be content with that."
"No, you're right. I…I was told of a way to permanently remove my magic. Someone told me about something called the Crimson Heart, which is somewhere in Oz. It can absorb my magic, and once it does, I won't have to worry about hurting anyone again."
"Oh, is that your intention?' the old man questioned. "That sounds like quite the extreme measure. Not exactly one to make rashly, or in the heat of the moment. Because if this Crimson Heart does what you say it will, this won't be a decision you can take back. Clearly, this is a decision you've thought long and hard about. And are absolutely sure you won't eventually regret it."
"If it will mean Henry and the people I care about won't be in danger from my magic again, I can live with it." Emma insisted.
When the old man didn't say anything further, Emma once again turned to activate the magic bean portal to Oz. But to her surprise, when she was preparing to throw the magic bean, she found that her body wouldn't cooperate.
"Why are you hesitating?" the old man asked.
"I…I don't know," Emma admitted, her voice shaking slightly.
"Perhaps you do have doubts, after all?" the old man suggested. After a pause, Emma looked back to face the old man. As she did so, a slight commotion caught both their attentions. Turning in unison, they both were greeted by the sight of Elsa and Killian arriving on the scene.
"Swan," Killian breathed in relief, his expression lightning as if a heavy weight had just been lifted from his shoulders. "We've been looking everywhere for you!"
"Killian? Elsa?" Emma gaped. However, she managed to school her expression an instant later. "I'm sorry, the both of you need to leave. This is…this is something I have to do."
"What are you talking about?" Elsa asked.
"From the sound of it," the old man stated, stepping into the conversation, "she is planning to try and locate an object that will permanently remove her magic."
"What?" Killian exclaimed, looking between Emma and the old man, visibly aghast.
"Emma, no!" Elsa cried. "I won't let you do this!"
"There's no other way," Emma insited. "My powers are out of control. And I can't risk hurting anyone ever again. Plese, just…let me do this."
"No!" Elsa insisted, striding forward. "Emma, you didn't give up on me even when you nearly froze to death in that ice cave, so I'm not giving up on you now. Believe me, I know how scary it is, hurting someone you love. I've lived in fear of that my entire life. But giving up your magic is not the answer. There is another way."
"But I already did hurt someone!" Emma insisted. "I hurt Henry."
"And I know what that's like, too. I actually hurt Anna once. There was a time when I lost control of my powers, just like you. And Anna nearly died because of it. I know exactly what you're going through right now. And that's how I know that there's another way to get through this."
"How?" Emma asked, desperation filling her voice.
"At first," Elsa stated, "I thought that it was just Anna's love that saved me. But I think I'm starting to realize that it's more than that. When I landed in this strange town, I was certain that without Anna, I was doomed. But I got control over my powers again without her. It wasn't until I saw the same thing happen to you that I finally understood. It wasn't just Anna's love that saved me. Because that alone is not enough. You have to love yourself, too. The good and the bad. The only way to ever truly be in control of your powers is to embrace them. Because it's who you are. It's who we are.
"That's what you have to do now, Emma," Elsa continued, holding out a hand to Emma. "Because like Anna with me, you have people who accept you for who you are. But you have to love yourself, too."
"What are you doing?" Emma asked, looking at Elsa's offered hand in worry. "I could kill you!"
"I'll take that risk if you will," Elsa commented with a gentle smile. "It's time to stop being afraid, Emma."
For a long moment, Emma didn't move, simply staring at the proffered hand in tangible fear. But then, ever so slowly, she reached out and took Elsa's hand. To her surprise, the moment she took Elsa's hand, she felt suddenly at peace. All at once, the crackling sensation she'd been feeling beneath her very skin all morning seemed to just melt away completely. Blinking in wonderment, Emma tore her eyes away from their hands to glance up at Elsa, who was now beaming with relief and pride. In the blink of an eye, Elsa had pulled Emma into a hug, which Emma returned after a brief hesitation.
"Thank you," Emma muttered.
"No, Emma," Elsa chuckled stepping back to smile at her friend. "This was all you."
"Swan?" Killian spoke up, hesitantly stepping over to the pair. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I think so," Emma nodded, turning to lean into his side and allowing him to wrap an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry if I worried you."
"There's no need to be sorry. I'm just relieved you're safe. Though we should probably head back into town, if you're ready. There are people back there who are worried about you. And Henry will want to see you, too."
"Henry? He's okay?"
"Yes. He's going to be just fine."
Emma let out a strangled laugh of relief. But then she remembered the old man and glanced over her shoulder back at him.
"Thanks for being here," she said, casting him a grateful smile. "You were right. I was being rash."
"Glad I could be of service," the old man chuckled. "Though, that was quite an impressive display of magic. It does make me wonder if perhaps your sporadic bursts of magic were an indication that your powers are becoming more refined. Perhaps this was a sign that your magic is undergoing a type of metamorphous. If that is the case, it might be prudent to consider advancing to a higher level of study. That is, if you do plan on continuing utilizing your magical skills."
"Don't know if Regina would agree to that," Emma commented. "But I'll mention it to her."
After thanking the old man once again, Emma allowed Elsa and Killian to escort her back towards town. As they made their way through the woodland path, Emma instinctively reached out take hold of Killian's hand. But her brow furrowed when her hand failed to come into contact with flesh. Glancing down, she noticed that Killian was wearing a thick leather glove on his left hand.
"Since when do you wear gloves?" Emma asked, eyeing him in confusion.
"Oh," Killian replied with a casual jerk of the head. "I guess….I still haven't gotten used to having that hand back yet. It's more susceptible to the colder weather without the glove."
In response to that statement, Emma simply nodded, seemingly accepting that explanation. However, she couldn't shake the feeling deep in her gut that there was something Killian wasn't telling her. But in light of what had happened the past 24 hours, she decided to not push the matter further. At least, not today.
AN:This chapter was really hard to get through. It's actually quite difficult to covering canon events while still putting a fresh spin on them. Though I'm crossing my fingers that the remaining chapters will be much easier to write.
Reviews keep me motivated.
