Now, we go wayyy off the storyline in this chapter. Enjoy!


Rumplestiltskin's prison was very prison-looking. Nothing special about it, except for the fact that it had housed the Dark One and kept him from escaping. Emma had to say, she was impressed.

"Has anyone found the ink yet?" Snow asked, upturning every rock in the cell. Aurora was examining the wall, along with Mulan. Emma was looking everywhere else.

"Not exactly," Aurora said, unrolling a piece of parchment she had found in the wall. Emma drew closer to her.

"What is that?" she asked.

"Snow, was anyone allowed to see him?" she asked, not answering Emma's question. Snow shook her head.

"He was too dangerous to be allowed human contact. We're surprised he didn't go mad," Snow replied, confused.

"He definitely went mad alright," Aurora whispered, showing Emma the parchment. It was her name, written over and over again, nothing else. It made her feel weird. Creeped out. Scared her.

"What does this even mean?" she asked, eyes scouring the page.

"He was obsessed with you, Emma, you were the key to breaking the curse," Snow sighed, leaning on a rock outcropping.

"I'm sorry to interupt, but if there was ink here, it's not here now," Mulan said, tipping over an ink bottle. Nothing came out except some dust.

"Son of a bitch," Emma swore, kicking the ground. "What game is that bastard playing?"

Aurora suddenly grabbed a rock from along the ground and threw it against lever just outside the cell, trapping them inside. "Aurora, what are you doing?" Mulan asked, panicked.

"Helping me," Cora said, emerging from the shadows. The compass flew from around Emma's next into Cora's waiting hand. Emma reached for it but couldn't quite get it.

Snow pressed Aurora against a wall, a fierce look on her face. "Have you been working for her the whole time?" Snow shouted. Mulan pulled Snow away from Aurora, or tried to. Nothing worse than an angry Snow, except a down-right pissed off Emma.

"Don't blame her, she was just doing as she was told," Cora said, holding Aurora's heart.

"You took her heart?" Emma said, astonished. She knew that a lot of people took other people's hearts, but why Aurora's?

"Actually," Killian's deep voice began, "I did." Emma froze, not realizing he was there until now. "It was a gift."

"You scheming, cruel, evil, backstabbing pirate!" Emma shouted. Killian's eyes flashed with fury.

"You have the nerve to call me backstabbing when you're the one who left me up on that beanstalk!" Hook shouted back, fury in his eyes. Cora squeezed Aurora's heart, causing her to shout out in pain. It also made Killian and Emma stop yelling at each other.

"Well, sorry to leave you at the best part, but we must be going. Storybrooke awaits," Cora taunted, turning around and starting to leave. Hook turned around to leave too, but before Emma lost her name, she shouted out to him.

"Hook, wait," she started. Killian turned around and went to the bars of the cage. Emma swallowed her pride. "Please don't do this. My son is in Storybrooke, he needs me," she begged. Emma thought she saw something flash in his eyes, but as quickly as it appeared it vanished.

"You should've thought of that when you abandoned my on that beanstalk," he said cooly, voice sharp as a blade.

"You would have done the same in my position," Emma tried, meeting his eyes.

"Actually, no," Killian corrected, not breaking his gaze. Sadness. That was what was in his eyes. He was sad. Upset. But she also saw unbelievable anger. Pure forms of anger and sadness. "Emma, do you know what this is?" he asked, reaching into a small bag and pulling out a chain.

Her eyes widened. "The beanstalk bean!" she said. Emma remembered she gave it to him before she chained him up. A peace offering of sorts, something her subconscious did, she guessed. Emma reached for it, but Hook pulled his hand away. He then tossed it to Cora.

"Yes, indeed. A pirate always keeps a treasure from every conquer on his. From a small dagger on the ship to a ring on the captain's finger. But this, this is much more than a mere souvenir. This is a symbol, something that once magical, full of hope, possibility. Now look at it, dried up, dead, useless. Just like you. The time for making deals is done, just as I'm done... with you," he said softly, walking away. After Cora.

Emma drew away from the bars of the cage. She then grabbed her sword, held it like a baseball bat, and began swinging at the bars, a loud clang after each hit. Aurora, Snow, and Mulan covered their ears, the noise so loud.

Her anger got the best of her, making her hit the bars with everything she had. Emma barely made a dent in the bars, which drove her to hack harder.

"Emma, it's no use, this cell was enchanted to hold Rumplestiltskin, there's no way out," Snow explained. Emma re-sheathed her sword, angry.

"This is all my fault, if I had fought those things or Hook, maybe they wouldn't have my heart and we wouldn't be stuck here," Aurora apologized. Mulan sighed, then sat down next to her.

"No, it's my fault. It's my job to protect you, and I failed. End of story," Mulan contradicted. Emma sighed.

"It's neither of your faults!" Snow said, angered slightly.

"She's right," Emma agreed. "It's neither of your faults. It's my fault, and my fault alone."

"How is it your fault, Emma?" Aurora asked, not letting her off easy.

"I'm the savior, apparently, and I'm not doing much saving," Emma began.

"That you can't help," Mulan pointed out.

"You didn't let me finish," Emma said. "If I hadn't left Killian up there, he wouldn't have done any of this. Cora wouldn't have your heart, Aurora, we probably wouldn't here, we might have even been back in Storybrooke. This. Is. My. Fault."

"Emma, it doesn't matter whose fault it is, even though you're not to blame. The important thing to remember is that good always beats evil," Snow comforted, giving Emma a gentle squeeze.

"You sound like Henry when you say that," she mumbled.

"Optimism runs in the family," Snow answered simply.

"I think it skipped a generation," Emma said.

"Emma, why do you call Hook Killian?" Aurora asked, confused. Everyone looked at her.

"Yeah, I noticed that," Mulan said, raising an eyebrow.

"It's his name. He told me to call him that on the beanstalk," Emma explained, not meeting her eyes.

"Oh," Aurora replied, not fully understanding. Suddenly, Snow's eyes brightened.

"Mulan, hand me the sheet," she directed, determination in her voice. Mulan gave it to her, along with a questioning look, but didn't say anything. "We're going to get out of here."

"How? I'm pretty positive a sheet of paper that has my name written over and over on it doesn't hold the magic key to getting us out of here," Emma said, bitter.

"Yes, it is," Snow insisted. "When I was younger, I would watch Cora practice magic. She had a spell book, and the spells were in it."

"I'm pretty positive that's what a spell book is," Emma clarified.

"Just, watch," Snow said, standing up. She gently blew up the paper, and as she did the ink lifted off the pages and towards the bars. As it touched, the bars dissolved.

"Squid ink," Mulan realized.

"Told you. Good always wins," Snow smirked, helping Emma up. "Come on, we have a portal to catch."

"You have to leave me here and tie me up," Aurora said.

"But Aurora-" Mulan started.

"No buts. I'm not going to jeopardize the mission, okay? Doing it once was bad enough," Aurora said. Mulan nodded.

"I'm going to get your heart back, I promise," Mulan swore, tying her up. With a final wave of her hand, Mulan, Snow, and Emma ran out of the tunnels.

"They left tracks," Snow noted. "We have to follow them." Emma nodded, running ahead and tracking them.

Her hand was on her sword, preparing for the fight. She would face Hook, it was the only thing she would allow. Mulan and Snow could handle Cora, she hoped. Emma had her own devil to deal with. Her own fight.

Mulan and Snow caught up to here, and soon after they did they spotted Hook and Cora, standing in front of what must have been the portal. They were on the opposite side of the lake as they were. Just as the two were about to jump, Snow shot and arrow, knocking the compass out of Cora's hands.

"You're not going anywhere, we're using that portal to go home," she said. "Emma, go get the compass. Mulan and I have Cora." Emma nodded, unsheathed her sword, and started running for the compass. Unfortunately, Cora sent Killian to retrieve to compass also. Emma's grip tightened around the sword.

Their swords clashed, each one countering the other's move perfectly. It was as if they were reading each other's minds, knowing their next move. Emma fell for a moment, her back hitting the sand hard. Cora had just disappeared, and the satchel holding Aurora's heart was about to fall into the portal.

"NO!" Mulan cried, reaching for it but by the time she got there it would be too late. Killian caught it with his hook, then tossed it over to Mulan.

"I may be a pirate, but I bristle at the thought of a woman losing her heart - unless it's over me," he smirked. Emma got up and brushed herself off, but both her's and Killian's attention were on Mulan and Snow.

"Go, Mulan, get Aurora her heart back," Snow ushered her. Mulan nodded, tossing Snow her sword.

"It deflects Cora's magic. Good luck," she said, running back the ways they came. And then Cora appeared again, and then fighting re-started.

"I had no idea you had such a soft side," Emma taunted as their swords clashed over and over again.

"I don't. I just like a fair fight," he said. "Good form, but not quite good enough," he said, grabbing her leg and flipping Emma over.

Emma tried pushing him off, but she was stuck. Not only was he on top of her, he was sliding his hook down her sword, making it impossible for her to use. She shifted her back. There was something hard, round, and cold under her. The compass? She tried to reach for it as his hook started the descent.

"Normally, I prefer to do more enjoyable things with a woman on her back. With my life on the line, you've left me no choice. A bit of advice? When I jab you with my sword, you'll feel it," Hook said, eyebrows bouncing up and down. Emma grabbed the compass. "You might want to quit now."

"Why would I do that when I'm winning?" Emma asked, showing him the compass. In his moment of surprise, Emma kicked Hook off of her and tried to see how Snow was doing. She was facing it off with Cora.

Suddenly, Hook grabbed her by the waist, walking over towards the portal. Emma clutched onto the compass, determined not to let go. But Hook wasn't planning on taking the compass.

"Get ready to jump, darling," he said as they neared the portal. Emma realized what he was about to do a second too late.

"MOM!" she shrieked, kicking. Snow looked over at her. Her eyes widened as she she realized what was happening.

"Emma!" Snow cried, but she had to focus on distracting Cora. Something in Snow's eyes changed then. "Tell David and Henry I love them!"

"Snow, don't give up," Emma replied, kicking and punching the one handed pirate. She had no effect on him. That she could see, anyways. They were at the edge, and he was just standing there. Letting her say good bye.

"Goodbye, Emma," Snow said sadly, then returned on focusing on beating Cora. That's when Hook jumped into the portal.

"Don't let go," he whispered. "To Storybrooke we go."

"Snow," Emma whimpered. Emma was terrified for her.

"Will be fine. Cora won't kill her, she needs another way to get back first," he confirmed. Emma fell limp, letting the portal swirl them around.

"To Storybrooke we go," she whispered.

"Mom, Emma and Mary Margaret are going to come through, not Cora! You have to believe me. Please, no!" Henry screamed. Regina held onto him tightly, not letting him go.

"Henry, I can't let Cora hurt you," she said, trying to calm the boy down.

"You can't let Emma and Mary Margaret die! You said you wanted to change - for the better. This is how. You want me to have faith in you? Have faith in me," Henry begged. Regina sighed, let Henry go and walked up to the well.

"Regina," Rumplestiltskin called, but she didn't respond. She put her hands over the well and sucked the green light from it. It shook her, causing great amounts of pain. After it was all gone, Regina fell to the side, hitting a tree.

"NO!" Henry screamed, rushing forwards.

"I'm so sorry, Henry. I really tried," Regina apologized. Tears cascaded down his cheeks, clutching onto Regina. Rumplestiltskin quietly walked away, not wanting to interrupt. He'd talk to Regina later.

And then a hand peeked out of the well.


Question of the chapter (Which I am now doing): What is your favorite chapter in this story?