Chapter 13

The Chernabog

For the last six weeks things had been peaceful Hook was helping Belle figure out a way to free the fairies feeling partial responsible for trapping them under Mr Gold's orders. Mary-Margaret had gone back to work as a teacher so Regina retook the position of Mayor. With Mary-Margaret back at work Granny babysat baby Neal. Grown Neal was working at his father's pawn shop organizing the cataloguing so everyone knew where everything came from. Finally Belle had gotten a reply from a professor she'd reached out to so he could translate the Snow Queens scroll and there was indeed a spell to release the fairies.

They gathered everyone and went to the woods. Regina used Mr Gold's dagger to enact the spell and then they celebrated at Granny's. Regina asked Mother Superior "I was hoping the author could write me a happy ending, do you know who he is"?

Unfortunately Mother Superior replied "sorry I don't know who he is, or if it's even a he, I've never seen him or her. No one has, not seen for many years".

Neal asked "so any idea of how to find the author or...anything about the author".

"I know that he exists," replied Mother Superior "I know he wrote Henry's book. And I heard he left clues in some of his work".

Emma mentioned "works, his books, Henry's book".

Suddenly they heard a roar and Tally screamed and grabbed Neal's legs. Emma asked "what was that"?

Regina said "I guess we should go see what's damaging property value this time".

Neal added "and hope it's full, sounds like a lion, a big one".

When everything had gone quiet Neal dared to step outside "so what was it"?

Regina replied "that is an excellent question"?

Emma asked "remember the giant beast with glowing eyes, horns and bat wings from Fantasia? That. We think it came from the box, it must have gotten out somehow when we freed the fairies".

Neal asked "then can't you put it back"?

Belle replied "once something has been freed from the box you can't put it back".

Emma said "okay here's the plan Neal..."

Neal said "look after the kids".

"Right" replied Emma "Belle..."

She said "I'll see if I can find anything about thing in the library".

"And Mary-Margaret"...

She said "get everyone to safety".

Killian mentioned "this isn't our first monster battle".

Emma and Neal thought the safest place for the kids would be Regina's office. They had just gotten there when Regina's phone rang "it's Gold".

Neal said "tell him we're not interested".

Tally suggested "it would be rude to ignore him. Maybe he's calling to apologize and find edention".

Emma said "sweetie, it's redemption" she faced Regina and said "and she's right, we should at least see what he wants. Maybe at least he has some information on this...thing".

Realising she was right that he might know what this was she answered the call. After a pause she removed the phone from her ear "it's not Gold".

Henry asked "who is it"?

Regina said "the squid".

Neal asked "Ursula"? And Regina nodded.

After putting the phone back to her ear to hear Ursula the next thing she said "mostly wondering how you ended up with the dark one's phone".

Emma asked Regina to put it on speaker phone as Ursula said "I stole it from him".

"And where is he now"?

"If we're lucky passed out at the dive bar where Cruella and I left him".

As Regina asked "Cruella" Tally gasped at hearing Cruella's name.

Emma asked "what's wrong"?

Tally asked in a whisper "isn't Cruella a furry woman and doesn't Ursula have octopus tentacles"?

Neal said "the dream of five things that could hurt Emma. The box can turn into a hat which we avoided and the Snow Queens yellow ribbon is gone. After six months of peace I thought the next three were nothing to worry about".

Ursula asked "is a little girl there? Rumplstiltskin mentioned an exceptionally loyal little granddaughter".

Regina turned to Tally "I think they want to speak to you".

Tally nervously said "hello".

Ursula said "hello, Tally isn't it? Listen your grandpa found me and Cruella in New York, said he needed some old friends. Told a tearful tale about how he was living in a quaint little town until he ruined everything. But he said it was a special place where villains can find redemption".

Neal asked "and we're to trust you won't hurt us how"?

Ursula replied "and you must be Baelfire. We've changed and we would love the chance to prove it...to everyone. Please, let us in".

Neal said "it's Neal, and how do we know you're not working with my dad"?

"Simple" Ursula replied "he's not here".

Regina said "sorry, but we have enough problems without invi..."

She was cut off by another roar and the sound of people screaming. Ursula asked "is one of those problems a hell bat with red beady eyes and devil horns".

"How did you know"?

"That's the sound it made right before it tried to kill me"?

"So you've faced it".

Neal said "how, it didn't strike me as the swimming type"?

Ursula said "your dad tried using me, Cruella and Maleficent to help him get this dark curse, then he left us to face the Chernabog. And I know what it's after"?

Regina asked "what is it after"?

Ursula said "and then you'll let us in".

Neal said "in the words of the three little pigs not by the hairs of my chinny chin-chin".

Regina added "and even if we wanted to we're having trouble letting people in at the moment"

Ursula replied "then you're on your own".

Regina was about to end the call when Emma stopped her "what about the Snow Queens scroll, it let her in maybe it will work for then"?

Neal asked "and when they come after us"?

Emma answered "our present problem is the Chernabog and it's a 'what if' not a 'when'".

After giving it a thought Regina said "alright, if your information proves useful I'll consider letting you in".

Ursula said "you have a deal, it devours the heart with the greatest potential for darkness".

The call ended and Regina went pale, Emma said "Regina, we're not sure it's after you".

Regina replied "Of course it's after me. Ursula said it devours the heart with the greatest potential for darkness. Now that Gold's gone who else could it be? Is there a dwarf called Evilly I don't know about".

Henry asked "how do we know it's not after them"?

Neal said "because they're on the other side of the town line, in a land without magic."

That gave Emma an idea "hey, that thing's magic right"?

Regina replied "that's a pretty good assumption"?

If we got it over the town line wouldn't that destroy it"?

"Yes, no magic, no beast, but even if I poof myself to the town line the moment I'm out in the open it will crush me"

"Not if you have help".

They'd made a plan for Emma to take Regina to the town line in the car. It had been a close call even when Regina poofed herself out of the car but in the end when Emma sped towards the town line and when she suddenly stopped the beast got thrown off and over the town line where it disappeared. Now the Swan-Cassidy family were having dinner at Granny's. Henry and Tally was scouring the book looking for the author. Emma said "if anyone can get the author out it's them".

Neal smiled at Emma and when she asked what he was smiling at he answered "about five years ago you were the most cynical person I knew. Now look at you and your optimism".

Emma said "it's about time, hopefully it will stay".

I received a request to keep Marian Marian and not turn her into Zelena. I'm not too sure about it so I put it to you my dear readers what do you want?

Marian stays Marian - 1

Marian becomes Zelena - 0