I apologize for the long wait. But here is the new chapter.
Hope you all enjoy!
"This is it," Snow said, staring at the closed wooden doors that led to Emma's nursery.
Dahlia raised an eyebrow to her sister. "Then what are you waiting for? Just open the goddamn thing so we can get home."
"Is she always like that?" Aurora whispered to Emma.
The teen rolled her eyes and ignored the princess. She was still annoyed about the whole 'Ogre' fiasco that happened back at the camp. If Aurora hadn't attacked her sister, Emma wouldn't have fired the gun. After killing the ogre with her sister, they decided to continue walking to the palace, in case other ogres were around the camp.
"You three can go check it out," Mulan said, gripping her sword as she looked around the halls. "We can keep guard close by."
"Thanks," Snow smiled softly at the female warrior. She turned to stare at the wooden doors again before pushing them open.
Snow, Emma and Dahlia carefully stepped inside the nursery. Snow and Dahlia saddened at the terrible state that it was left. Dahlia put her bow and arrow near the door, along with her sister's. She walked close to the wardrobe and inspected it, with Ike following behind.
"This was my room?" Emma asked almost quietly. Her eyes wandered around the room in amazement. There were plush animals on the floor, along with furniture and books. She stared at the cribs and felt her eyes beginning to water. She quickly whipped her eyes and cleared her throat.
"You never got to spend the night here," Snow said, staring at the stuffed teddy bear in her hands. "Regina casted the curse on the day that you were born. It was in this room, when the curse took us away from this land."
Dahlia cleared her throat, not wanting to think of that day. "I don't it works anymore," she frowned, opening the doors. "The enchantment still remains but it would be weakened."
"Can't you make it work?" Emma asked. "Your mom and grandmother have magic. Don't you have magic?"
"I was never taught," Dahlia shrugged, not taking her eyes from the wardrobe. She ran her fingers through Ike's red fur to keep her nerves calm.
Snow went to stand next to her sister and daughter. "Regina never taught you?"
"Magic always comes with a price," Dahlia stared up at her sister. "Mom told me that when I was young. She was only taught how to use dark magic. She didn't want me to fall in the same path as she did." She turned her attention back at the wardrobe. "Better to be safe than sorry."
"But your good not evil," Snow protested.
"Still. Not that I'm complaining," Dahlia said. "I prefer a simple life without magic. Now, how are we going to make this work?"
"We will need to take it back to the safe haven. Lancelot might know someone that can help us activate it again," Snow frowned in concentration.
"How are we going to carry this thing?" Emma crossed her arms on front of her chest. "It's too heavy for
"With some man power," Lancelot grinned at them as he stepped in the nursery. "I heard about the attack and wanted to see if you were all okay."
Snow smiled at her friend. "We are fine."
Ike bared his teeth at the man and started to growl. His crouched down on the floor, waiting to pounce at Snow's friend anything. Dahlia was a bit surprised to see the red fox in such a state. She didn't take her eyes off Ike.
"Hey, stop that," Snow frowned at the red fox that was still bearing his teeth to Lancelot. "He is a good friend. He means no harm."
Dahlia continued to observe Ike closely. He kept growling and baring his teeth at the man close to them. It looked like at any moment, Ike will launch at Lancelot. Her eyes flicked to her sister's friend and narrowed her eyes. She took a step closer to Ike, not taking her eyes off 'Lancelot'. "Snow, that's not your friend…it's Cora."
At the mention of her name, purple smoke surrounded 'Lancelot before Cora appeared. She smirked at her granddaughter, ignoring the sword that Snow was pointing at her. "You are smarter than I thought."
"Where is Lancelot?" Snow shakily asked the woman.
Cora let out a humorless chuckle. "Dead. I killed him a while back."
Snow let out a frustrated yell and took a swing at the older woman, but was thrown against the wall across from them. Dahlia and Emma went after Cora but they were also thrown across the room. They both hit the ground hard, leaving them dazed for a few seconds.
"Leave them alone!" Snow choked out. She tried to move her hands but Cora's magic kept her immobilize against the wall.
Ike let out a growl and ran towards Cora. Before he could take a leap at her, the older woman flicked her wrist, and set the red fox flying out to the balcony. He let out a whimper when he hit he marble railing. Dahlia pushed herself off the floor and went after her bow and arrows.
Cora saw her granddaughter going towards the bow. She sighed and again, flicked her wrist. "You must not be too obvious, dear," She lazily said as she walked towards Snow, who was been pinned against the wall.
Dahlia groaned when her back hit one of the furniture in the nursery. She saw Emma charging over Cora but the older woman sighed in annoyance, and made the fallen drapes wrap around Emma's legs. Dahlia felt anger rise again. Her eyes flicked to the book that was near her and threw it at Cora.
She didn't expect the book to hit her grandmother in the shoulder. Cora immediately turned to look at her granddaughter. Her eyes flashed in fury and sent the sixteen year old flying out to the balcony like she did with the fox. Dahlia landed hard on the marble floor that it left her breathless for a moment.
Ike let out a bark and ran towards the woman again. Cora just smirked and levitated the fox before letting him fall over the balcony, to the water below.
"IKE!" Dahlia yelled and her eyes widen in horror. She stared at her grandmother before snarling, "You bitch!"
Cora's eyes turned into fury and she waved her hand towards her granddaughter. She levitated the teenager over the balcony and saw the fear in Dahlia's dark brown eyes. "I should teach you some manners. Something my daughter failed to do."
"At least my mom was a better mother than you have been towards her," Dahlia gritted. Her eyes glanced behind her grandmother and saw Emma pouring out the powder from the gun bullets. She stared back to Cora and frowned. "She never used magic to hurt me like you did to her."
"Neither you or your lovely half-sister are going to stop me from going to where Regina," Cora told her granddaughter. "It's been too long since I have seen my daughter."
"That's your own fault," Dahlia glared at the older woman. "You forced her into a marriage with a man who was twice her age just because he was king."
"She deserved a better life…she became a queen, thanks to me." Cora smirked at the teen. "And I will go through that portal and reunite with her."
"No you won't!" Emma yelled, lightning up the gun powder. She quickly crawled away once the wardrobe started to catch fire.
"NO!" Cora yelled as she watched the flames beginning to rise. She turned to look at her granddaughter one more time before letting her fall to the dark cold water below the castle.
Regina jolted awake in the middle of the night. She felt. She felt anxious and couldn't shake off the feeling why. Her hands tightened on Floppy as she tried to calm her breath. Her mother instinct was telling her to do something but she didn't know what. Henry was with Charming and likely to be asleep. He was safe where he was.
She climbed out of her bed, holding Floppy with one hand, and went to stand to the full length mirror. She waved her hand to it but nothing happened. "Mirror, show me my daughter!" Regina flicked her wrist again. Once again she was disappointed that no imagine appeared on the mirror, only her reflection.
She soon realized that she didn't have enough magic to make it work. She needed to trap Sydney in the mirror so it could work again. But she promised her son that she wouldn't harm anyone with her magic. Regina let out a frustrated growl and sat at the edge of her bed.
The pressure on her chest wasn't going away. She glanced down at the stuffed rabbit in her hand. She cradled it close to her chest and closed her eyes. She just wanted her daughter back. "Please be safe, my little light. I will get you home. No matter what it takes."
Dahlia crawled toward the shore to get away from the water. Her arms and legs were sore from all the swimming. She could hear Ike whining not far from her, as he too crawled out of the big lake. Once she put some distance between the lake and herself, she flopped on her back, and stared up at the night sky.
Small white puffs of breath were coming out of her mouth as she tried to catch her breath. She still couldn't believe her grandmother dropped her to the water…then again she did believe it. After all, the woman had tried to kill her…again.
From the corner of her eye, Ike shook himself to get the water out of his fur. She would have let out a chuckle, but she was still trying to calm her breathing. A couple of minutes passed when she heard her sister calling out for her. She was about to answer when Ike let out a bark.
"Thanks Ike," Dahlia said, pushing herself off the pebbles on the shore.
Emma was the first to appear from the tree line. She was followed by Snow, Mulan and then Aurora, who kept glancing behind them.
"Are you okay?!" Snow said. She hugged her sister when she reached her side, not caring that her clothes were getting wet. Snow let go of the teen and her eyes roamed over Dahlia's body, to check for any injuries. She was happy that there was no visible injury. "Are you hurt?"
"Just sore from the swimming," Dahlia said. She glanced down at her injured pinkie. "But my splint fell off my pinkie when I started to swim. It doesn't hurt much."
"We'll get it check out when we get back to home."
"Where's Cora?" Dahlia asked as she glanced around the tree line. With Cora out there in the forest, she felt like the older woman could attack them anytime. She hated that feeling.
"Gone," Emma said. "She just poof out of the nursery when the wardrobe caught on fire."
"So we have no portal and my vengeful grandmother is out there, ready to attack us whenever she feels like it. Awesome," the teen grumbled. She turned to look at her sister. "So, what's the plan now?"
"We should head back to the safe haven," Mulan suggested. "The people need to know what happened to our leader and to find another place to be safe."
"Lead the way," Snow said.
"Here," Emma passed the bow and arrows to the teen. "I'm sure you wanted them back."
"You have no idea."
Regina sighed in irritation as she flipped through the pages. She went to her crypt early in the morning to see if she could find anything that will help bring her daughter back. She brought stacks of book that might give her an answer. So far nothing useful on the book she was reading.
Her attention was diverted when she heard someone knocking on the front door. She hoped that it was Charming coming back from talking to Jefferson about the hat. Maybe there was a way to fix the hat and make it functional again. When she went to the open the door, she was disappointed to see that it was not Charming standing on the porch.
"What do you want?" Regina coldly asked.
Sam narrowed his green eyes at the 'mayor' before he answered her. "Charming told me that he found this Jefferson guy. But that the hat won't work anymore because it's destroyed. Even with magic, the damage has been done to it."
Regina swallowed the lump that was starting to form in her throat. She glanced away from the young man so he wouldn't see the tears that wanted to spill from her eyes. Regina composed herself and turned to look at seventeen year old standing on her porch. "Thank you, Derek. You may leave now."
"It's actually Sam," he corrected her. "I prefer my birth name rather than the one I was given here. Anyway, Charming and my sister informed me that you are trying to bring Dahlia and the others back. Well, I want to help as well."
Regina was slightly surprised at the young man. "You want to help me?"
"I may not trust or even like you much, ma'am. But I also know that it hard to be separated from the ones we love," Sam explained. "I want to help in bringing them back to Storybrooke."
She didn't know what to think of the young man. She didn't like him or trusted him either, but her daughter was friend with him for a reason. After a minute of scrutinizing him, she stepped aside and opened the door wider.
Sam was surprised but he stepped in the house anyway. He stepped into the foyer as he heard Regina close the door behind him. He followed her to the dining room. The brown hair seventeen year old noticed the stack of books on the table.
"If you want to help, start by reading some of these books," Regina clutched the book she was reading before she was interrupted. "See if you can help me find something to bring them back or contact them in some way."
Sam took a seat across from her and grabbed the book that was closer to him. "Yes, ma'am."
"Oh my god," Emma said with horror when they arrived at the safe haven.
Every person that was in the camp was now lying on the ground, dead. Snow and Mulan went to check inside the tents and homemade sleeping huts, to see if anyone survived. Aurora just stood there with Emma in shock, not believing what they were seeing.
"Cora did this," Dahlia said, inspecting one of the bodies. She grimaced when she saw the blood on the chest of an old man. "She ripped their hearts out. She must have done it after the whole wardrobe failure. She took her anger on the people."
"Reminds me someone," Aurora glared at Dahlia.
The teen glared back. "Don't talk about my mom!"
"Your mom was just as twisted and cruel as Cora!" Aurora yelled at Dahlia. "She killed innocent villagers because she couldn't find Snow White. If your mother hadn't activated the curse, none of this would have happened!"
Dahlia flinched at the accusation.
"That's enough!" Emma walked towards Aurora. "Fighting against each other won't help us in defeating Cora."
Ike bumped his head against Dahlia's hand. He could feel the anguish rolling out of waves from her body. He licked her hand to reassure her and it actually helped.
"Thanks Ike," Dahlia smiled sadly at him, scratching behind one of his ears.
"Nothing," Snow said, emerging from one of the huts. Seconds later, Mulan also stepped out of the same hut.
They heard someone choking and Emma saw a person trying to raise their hand.
"We have a survivor!" The blonde rushed to the man in the dirt and helped him stand up.
The man backed away from them once he was on his feet. "Stay back!"
"It's okay," Snow tried to reassure the guy. "We are not going to hurt you. You are safe with us."
He walking backwards and stared at Snow. "You are not working with the woman who slaughtered everyone here?"
"We are trying to defeat Cora," Emma said. "Do you know what happened?"
The man nodded and he started to tell them what Cora did. Dahlia noticed the frown that Emma was giving the man while he told the story. She had a feeling that Emma wasn't buying his story either. The teen glanced at the man and saw his attire. His clothing didn't seem dirty or worn out as the others. She noticed that he kept his left hand hidden most of the time.
"…and now I'm glad that all of you are here," he smiled at Snow.
"You don't need to be scare of Cora anymore," Snow softly smiled at him. "We can help you."
Dahlia took a step closer to the man. "Why are you hiding your left hand? Are you holding something?"
"Excuse me?" The survivor asked perplexed.
"The whole time that you have been talking, your left hand has been hidden by our view," Dahlia raised an eyebrow. "Your clothing looks nothing a blacksmith would wear. And by the look that Emma has been giving you, she doesn't believe your sob story either."
"I don't know what you are talking about."
Emma took the dagger from her belt and pressed it close to the man's throat. "She's right. You have been lying to us from the very beginning. Tell us who you are."
"I told you, I am just a blacksmith!"
Dahlia took the opportunity to yank the pouch that was tied around his waist.
"Hey! Give that back!" The man shouted. He tried to grab at the teen but felt the dagger pressing down on his throat. It made him consider his position for the time been.
Dahlia quickly undid the knots and peaked what was inside. "Oh shit."
"What?" Mulan asked, gripping the handle of her sword and glaring at the man. "What's inside?"
The teen pulled out the item from the pouch. "You're Hook."
"What about the magic mirror?" Sam glanced up from the book he was reading. "I remember Dahlia telling me that is how you would search for Snow White."
"I don't have it anymore," Regina waved her hand dismissively; not taking her eyes from what she was reading. "And even if I, it won't work. They need to be in the same land in order for me to see where they are."
He ran his fingers through his already disheveled brown hair in angst. He wondered how the girls were holding up in the Enchanted Forest. The land could be different from the last time they were there. They need to get them back soon before something could happen to them.
"How did you meet my daughter?" Regina stared at the young man across from her. It was something that has been in her mind for a long time. Her eyes narrowed as she continued to observe the seventeen year old. "Were you the reason why she should sneak out of the castle from time to time?"
Sam chuckled before answering the woman sitting across from him. "We met when she would help Snow during her bandit years. She would bring news and some food from the palace for me to deliver to her sister whenever Snow couldn't meet."
Regina was about to reply when a knock was heard from the front door. She was going to stand and get it but Sam told her he will. When he opened the door, she was joyful when she saw Henry walking in the house. She stood from the chair and smiled at her son, "Henry, you came back."
"Um, I'm actually here to pick some of my clothes," he mumbled as he stood close to Sam. He saw the books on the table and curiously asked his mother, "What are you reading?"
"We are trying to find a way to bring the girls back," Sam explained. "So far we have found nothing."
"You are?" Henry walked to the table. He picked one of the books and flipped through the pages. He glanced at his mother. "Are you going to use magic?"
"Not unless I have to and it's not dark magic," Regina softly told him. "I am keeping my promise, Henry. I'm trying my best."
The young boy smiled faintly at his mother before turning his attention back to the books. "May I help? David has been busy with Red trying to make people stay and fixing the town. I want to help bring them back as well."
"Of course you can help," Regina smiled at her son.
Sam grinned at Henry and ruffled his hair, much to the dismay of the young boy. "Pick a book up, little buddy."
"Maybe I have something that might be able to help us," Henry said, dropping his backpack on the table. He ignored the scowl that his mother sent his way and pulled out his book from his backpack. He pushed everything away, minus the brown leather book. "This might have the answers that we need."
"Why did Cora took the ashes?" Emma glared at Hook, who was tied to the tree by Mulan and Dahlia.
He has told them why Cora went back to the palace after they left and that he was working with her to get to Storybrooke. But he kept mum on why did Cora had the ashes. He just let out a chuckle at the question the blonde asked him.
"How do you know Cora?" Dahlia narrowed her eyes at the man. "Did she promise you something?"
The pirate just smirked at the sixteen year old. "That is something you will have to ask your grandmother when you see her."
"What does Cora want with the ashes?" Emma interrupted before they had a row. "Dahlia mentioned something of the enchantment still remaining on wardrobe. Can Cora open another portal with them?"
"I'm not going to tell you ladies anything," Hook continued to smirk.
Emma shrugged. "Suit yourself." She glanced up at the trees and placed her thumb and forefinger on her mouth. She let out a loud whistle. Soon they heard a growl and the pounding of loud feet hitting the forest ground.
"Ogres," Snow mumbled, staring at the direction where the footsteps and roar were coming from.
Ike let out a cry and his body tensed as the Ogres came near.
"Maybe you will want to have a chat with the Ogres about it then," Emma said to him before she started to walk away.
Hook looked up at the trees, terrified at the sound of the Ogres approaching. "Untie me first! I will tell you what you need but please don't leave me here."
"Answer the question about the ashes," Emma growled.
"Fine!" Hook yelled, trying to get out of the ropes. "You are right. She is trying to open a portal with them but it's not enough. She needs something else in order for the portal to work," he glanced up when another roar was heard. But this time, it was closer than before. "She wants a compass that will help her open a portal."
"Go on," Snow said.
"I was supposed to gain your trust and lead you to the compass. Once I had the compass in my hand…I were to deliver you all to her."
"So she could kill us," Dahlia gritted.
"Either that or to control your hearts," Hook said. "She didn't say. I have the transportation that she needs in order to get to Storybrooke."
"What do you get out of it? A pirate doesn't do any favors unless there is something for them on the table," Snow narrowed her eyes. "Why do you want to go to Storybrooke?"
"To get my revenge on the man that took my hand," Hook growled. "Rumpelstiltskin."
"Take us to the compass before Cora does," Emma said, "And we can take you with us to Storybrooke."
Hook smirk at the blonde. "First cut me loose from the tree."
Emma stared at him for another moment before setting him free. "On one condition," Emma grabbed a piece of rope and raised an eyebrow at him. "Your wrists have to be tied together."
Hook sighed in irritation and placed his wrists together. "Fine. Just hurry before the Ogres get here."
Mulan took the rope from Emma and hastily tied his wrists together. She took out her sword and pointed it at him, "Lead the way."
I will try to update the next chapter in the weekend if not sooner. Thanks to all reviews and to the new readers that put this story in their alerts/favorite.
Don't forget to leave a review! (: