Let's see if someone can spot a reference I made in this ep! (It's out of a book and TV show)

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Hugs,

M.


Emma's POV

I was exhausted, I could feel every inch of my muscles crying for some rest. I had walked at least 4 miles, but I finally reached the road. To be honest, I thought it would take longer to get to the track. But I was still long way from home, and I didn't think someone would ride until after dawn. I sat and flexed my elbows on my knees, then I rested my face on the palm of my hands.

The exhaustion was nothing compared to the heartache. It hurt, like hell. It hurt in a different way than when John died, because he had died, Regina had decided to leave me. She chose her magic over me.

I closed my eyes.

"Are you lost, deary?" A voice made me open my eyes and stand up in defending position. I was ready for attack.

Then I saw man that had the skin of a crocodile. A man I had only heard from in many of my mother's stories: Rumpelstiltskin

"Nothing I can't handle." I replied dryly. I had heard of types of stories about this man, none of them were good stories so it was understandable to admit that being around him didn't make me feel comfortable.

His green skin shined, as if it'd have glitter all over it; but it didn't look like the cute type of glitter that Eva had on her dresses and tiaras, it looked creepy. Like if someone had rubbed him with faulty fairy dust.

Rumpelstiltskin was laying against a tree. He looked completely calmed, despite the fact that we were in one of the wildest habitat on the enchanted forrest. Of course he was calmed, he was the dark one, he was invincible and, rumor had it, immortal.

"I beg to differ." He smirked and walked towards me. "How about a deal?" He asked.

I instinctively reached for my sword. "How about no?" I said. A smile uncovered his dirty teeth.

"You haven't heard my proposition, deary."

"My father taught me to never be in debt with you." I remembered clearly all the times my dad had warned me about this man, how many times he had repeated to not deal with him.

"Wise man, your dad." Rumpelstiltskin grinned. "But," he raised a finger to the air. "I think you'll like this deal."

He made a sound out that sounded like a giggle, a giggle that a possessed goat would make.

"I'll give you a horse," he said. "If you give me a hair."

"You want my hair?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"A single hair will do."

Rumpelstiltskin was even more weird than what my parents had told me. Not only his jerky movements were odd, but the way he spoke and laughed. Everything about him, actually, was a little bit eerie.

"Why would you want my hair?"

"Maybe, because you are the result of true love," Rumpelstiltskin said in a cheerful voice tone. "Maybe it's because you are the savior,"

"Savior?"

"Yes, yes, a new hope," He made a manner with his hand, showing he was in a hurry. "Regina's undoing."

"Regina's undoing?"

I could see that Rumpelstiltskin was losing his patience, I was good at reading people, but he still explained me what I wanted to know, in that annoying tone of his.

"You see, deary" He looked at me. "Evil is not born, is created." I nodded, I had heard Regina say that once. "And all that is created, can be destroyed."

"I don't want to destroy Regina." I knew Rumpelstiltskin would never try to help me, there was always a hidden agenda with him. But did he actually think I'd allow him to do harm to Regina? Well, he was wrong.

"Not Regina, but the evil in her,"

"And why would you want me to destroy the evil in her?"

"Less competition." He said not giving it importance.

I still didn't buy it. "I'm sorry, but I think I'll walk home." It was my final answer.

Even after what Regina had done to me, I would not let this creep kill her. If Regina was to die, it would be me strangling her for leaving me alone in the woods.

"Very well, deary," Rumpelstiltskin replied, he didn't sound disappointed. "Hope you get home, alive."

His last words scared me a little bit. I had blown up pretty much the only chance of getting a ride, just to save Regina, the woman who had left me in the woods to start with.

The problem with this world is that people took you for granted, you would give your life for them, and they couldn't care less about you. Whatever happened to Loyalty? Loyalty, what does it bring you at the end? Pain and loneliness, only that. I was loyal to John and I ended up alone and in pain. Then Regina came, at first I thought I despised her, but eventually I learned how to love her, God knows I did, and I ended up just as I ended the first time I gave my heart to someone.

Loyalty. You only owned loyalty to your realm. Because your realm would never leave you, your realm would never make you feel bad. It was your home, the place where you grew up, where you felt free, where you cried and laughed, a place no one could take away from you. Then something froze my soul, and I don't know if it was the chilly breeze or the following realization: Regina still wanted to take away the crown from us. She wanted to kill my parents in order to satisfy that hunger for revenge she had. She wanted my realm. She wanted to steal the only thing I had left, the only thing I could give to Henry.

I would no allow it. I would defend what is ours, until my last breath.

And just like that, out of nowhere my muscles got the strength to start running. To get home, to rest and prepare for battle.

I would not allow someone taking what's mine. I'd protect it, with fire and blood.