Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time
AN: Thank you to GranddaughterOfCaskettAndTivia for all her hard work on this story! We have 2 more chapters left after this one. We're almost done! So, enjoy the end of it and be on the look out for our next story. Also, there should be an update for The Beauty of the Rain this week, so sit tight readers of that story! Sorry things have been so crazy and haven't been updated. I was out of town for the majority of last week on vacation, but I'm back now, so enjoy! ~ XOXO MAS
Chapter Fourteen
Oz
They approached the gates of the Emerald City quietly. Even Roland and Henry knew they needed to be extremely careful as they moved through the gates and to the front doors of the castle that was the prison of the witches of Oz. Regina stopped her horse just in front of the gates. "There's powerful magic here," she murmured, studying the castle. Dismounting, she stood in front of the large green doors and raised her hands. The building seemed to pulse and Regina staggered back. "Very powerful," she muttered.
Scarlett dismounted, dropping Roland to the ground by his feet. "Well, has anyone tried the bloody door?" He asked impatiently, pushing around them all to open the door. Everyone else took a careful and instinctive step backwards.
"I would be careful if I were you," Regina warned as the Merry Man moved to the open the door. "I really wouldn't though," she continued. The moment Scarlett touched the door, he was blasted back, landing against a tree. "Told you so."
"Aye, I bloody well hear ya," Scarlett muttered, rubbing the back of his head with a grimace.
Roland tottered over to him, a frown of concern on his little face. "Are you okay, Will?" He asked, kneeling down next to him, his own little hand smoothing over the bump forming on the back of Will's head from knocking against the tree. Will nodded with a grumble of assent to the kid. Roland just shook his head and stated, very matter-of-factly, "You should always listen to Regina. She's always right."
Tink let out a groan. "You already brainwashed the kid?" She snapped.
Regina sent them a smug grin. "What can I say, I have a gift."
Dropping down to the ground, Emma sighed. "Okay, okay, mother of the year, how about we figure out how to open the doors. Or get a message inside so we can maybe figure out at least how to stop Zelena." She paced the front doors of the building. She closed her eyes and stood still for a moment.
Killian came up behind her, his arms slipping around her waist. "What are you thinking, Swan?"
She leaned back into him. "Can you feel it, Killian?" She whispered. "The building is positively thrumming."
His eyes bore into her head, watching as she seemed to take in the magic around her. "No, love, I don't."
"It's magic. And it's everywhere," she whispered. Pulling away, she turned to Regina. "Can we break it? We're strong, Regina. What we did with that eclipse, can we do something like that here?" She asked.
Regina's head fell to the side. "We can certainly try. If she was smart, as she appears to be, then she protected it with blood magic, so it won't do us any good." She took a breath and raised her hands. "You ready?" She asked Emma.
Emma stepped towards Regina and nodded. "Let's do it." She turned to Tink. "Get the boys back into the woods. And the horses."
Tink nudged Will. "Come on, Scarlett. Robin," she glanced at the thief, "you're going to guard the woods. Killian will have their back," she ordered, grabbing Roland's hand. "Come on Henry."
"But-" Henry started to protest.
"No buts, you're coming with us," Tink ordered, tugging on the sleeve of his jacket.
When they were safely in the woods, Emma and Regina shared a look, raising their hands and facing the doors of the palace.
OUAT
The Enchanted Forest
David let out a loud yell and rattled the bars of the jail cell. Snow sighed and leaned back. "David, that won't do anything. We made the wrong decision. You know it and I know it, and now instead of screaming we should be thinking of a way to turn our friends back into humans, well, or wolves or whatever and how to stop Zelena before she finds Emma and Regina and..." She stopped talking. "And I am a complete idiot."
"Snow?" David asked. "You're not an idiot. What are you thinking?"
Snow moved to the window and whistled. A moment later a bird landed on the window sill. "That's why." She murmured softly to the bird and the next second, the bird was gone. "Now at least Emma will know what's going on."
Reaching through the bars separating their cells, he took her hand. "Good thinking, darling," he murmured.
OUAT
Shang and Mulan came to a stop just outside of the palace. "Something's not right," Mulan murmured. "There should be guards out here."
They both nearly fell off their horses when something swooped down out of the sky. "What was that?" Shang asked, drawing his sword.
Mulan also drew her weapon, taking a swing at another creature. "It looks like a monkey." She nicked one of them in the wing.
"A flying monkey?" Shang asked skeptically. He rolled as one came down on him, his sword raised that pierced the monkey, bringing it down wounded instantly. "It is a flying monkey!" He cried out.
Mulan hovered over the shrieking creature. "We need to find shelter," she stated, sheathing her sword and moving to the woods where their horses had scattered to. "Quickly," she muttered.
OUAT
Oz
Emma stumbled backwards with the force of the magic surrounding the castle. "Damn it!" She muttered, landing on her rear.
"Swan!" Killian was by her side in an instant. "Are you alright?" He asked.
Emma glanced up as Regina held her ground. "I'm fine, I need to help Regina and-"
"Stay back, Emma," Regina murmured. "I have this." She pushed back at the magic until she stepped back. "I believe that should take care of it." She wiped her hands off on her pants legs. "Shall we?"
The group stared at her. "You are bloody incredible!" Robin praised, Roland in his arms as he approached.
Regina grinned. "Yes, I know. Now, Mr. Scarlett, would you like to test the door now?"
He glared at it, his hands on Henry's shoulders. "Not bloody likely," he snapped.
Tink snorted. "I would be happy to now that Regina has disarmed it." She approached the door, only hesitating for half a second before closing her eyes and placing her hand on the large brass handle. When nothing happened, she opened her eyes and smirked at Scarlett before pulling the door open.
Emma chuckled. "Well, great job, Regina." She placed a hand on Henry's shoulder. "You are staying with us. Understood?" She asked.
Henry nodded. "Yes, ma'am, now, we're off to see the Wizard the-"
"Oh, not this shoddy song again," Scarlett muttered, pushing around them and entering the palace.
Tink chuckled. "Not a fan, Scarlett?" She teased.
"I heard people. And it sounded like the door opened?" A female voice sounded through the long hallway.
"Glinda, that's impossible, we all know that Zelena has this place locked up tight and-"
"And nothing, Elena, someone is here and-"
"Yes, there are people here!" Regina called out. "And we need help." She paused as the three women approached them. "I'm Regina Mills. This is Emma Swan, our son Henry. This is Killian Jones, Robin Hood, his son, Roland, Tinkerbell and Will Scarlett
The group stared at each other for a moment before Emma stepped forward. "Hi." She kept her hands placed on Henry's shoulders. "We do need your help, though, it's why we're here."
The brunette stepped forward. "I am Elena, the Good Witch of the East. I'm afraid we may or may not be able to help you. We've been trapped in here for some time."
"I take it Zelena was responsible," Killian commented. "And now we have a problem with the witch and we need help in defeating her."
The blond stepped forward. "I'm Glenda, the Good Witch of the South. I believe I can give you what you need to defeat her. And I do believe I know what she is after."
"What she's after is impossible," Elena snapped. "No one can do it."
Regina held up a hand. "What exactly is she trying to do?"
"She's trying to go back in time. You're Regina?" Glenda asked. "You're the reason why."
"Me?" Regina asked. "What on earth did I do? I've never met the woman."
"You're her half-sister," Glenda informed her. "Your mother had another daughter, a very powerful one. Zelena was supposed to help revitalize the West. Her envy of you got in the way," she explained. "Now she wants to go back in time and change history so that you were never born."
Regina scoffed. "I don't have a sister and-"
"You do." The third woman stepped forward. "Pardon me, I'm Anna, the Good Witch of the North," she introduced herself. "And while her motives are important, disarming her is more important. Her pendant." She fingered a pendant around her neck. "It harnesses her power, holds it all. If you destroyed it, she wouldn't have her magic." The witch paused. "Eventually, she'd be able to regain her power, it would be restored and not tethered to the pendant, but if you could disable her now, perhaps you could figure out a way to-"
"We have a way," Regina cut in. All eyes turned to her and Killian raised a dark brow in question. "My mother's cuff." She stared pointedly at Hook. "I'm sure you remember it, Captain."
"Be nice, Regina," Emma murmured. "With the doors open are you-"
"I believe so, which is good. Our territories need us I'm sure." Glenda stepped forward. "Emma, if you need anything," she reached in her dress and pulled out a compact mirror, separating it, "please contact us." She turned back to the other witches. "We have work to do, ladies. And thank you very much for freeing us." She paused. "She used blood magic to lock us in, which was why you could break it," she murmured to Regina.
Regina pursed her lips, but didn't respond. It was Robin who stepped forward. "Good luck, and if you all need anything, that goes both ways." He motioned to the mirror in Emma's hand.
The moment the group stepped outside, a bird landed on Emma's shoulder. "Holy… what the hell?" She asked slowly. "Get it off." She tried to shake her arm, but the bird's claws tightened. "Killian, get it off now."
Killian held up a hand. "Easy, Swan, it's probably got a message."
Emma gave him a skeptical look. "A message? What on earth does that..." she stopped speaking. "My mother. Who speaks bird?" She asked quickly.
Tink stepped forward. "Just hold still, Emma," she murmured, her eyes focusing in on the bird. She nodded along, before frowning and looking up. "Zelena has taken over the kingdom. She wants your parents' baby. Did you know Snow was pregnant?" She asked confused. "She's turned the entire castle into flying monkeys. Shang and Mulan are nowhere to be found," she rambled
Emma's face hardened. "She wants their baby?" She asked. "A baby?" She took a steadying breath. "It's time to go back to the Enchanted Forest."
OUAT
XOXO
MAS