The Enchanted Forest

"The fuck?" Henry's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Is that…?"

Emma smiled as she struggled against the tree branches holding her arms. "...The Lone Ranger!" Off in the distance Emma watched as The Lone Ranger and Tonto galloped towards them firing their revolvers at the tree creatures. A sword sliced the branch that was holding her right arm, freeing her. Emma saw her father with sword in hand smiling at her.

"Hey sweetie, need a hand?" He cut the other branch and then plunged his sword into the tree, causing it to crumble into dust. She embraced her father and then let him go with a grin on her face.

"You came to rescue us!" She said as he handed her a sword of her own. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"Did you think we wouldn't?" He smirked then turned around and sliced another tree with his sword. "Your mother thought you could use some help." Behind Emma a tree creature was struck by an arrow and Emma looked in the direction the shot had come from. Her mother was holding a bow and gave Emma a thumbs up. The tree behind her crumbled like the others.

Regina watched with relief as the Charmings helped Emma. A familiar voice came from her left.

"Hey sis, you've looked better." Zelena said with a chuckle as she waved her hands causing the tree holding Regina to glow green and disintegrate. Regina smirked at her sister.

"Well look who decided to show up." Regina said. As a purple aura flew from her hand and destroyed another tree creature.

Zelena smiled. "Good to see you too."

"Henry." Regina said to her sister as she moved past her. She watched as a purple wand touched the tree holding Henry and destroyed the wooden creature, freeing him.

"Violet!" Henry exclaimed.

She smiled at him. "I always wanted to be part of one of your operations!" A loud roar overhead drew Henry's attention skyward and he saw the two dragons circling above raining down fire on the tree creatures.

A hand on his shoulder made Henry turn and come face to face with Rumplestiltskin. "Henry my boy, come with me." Rumple's face was grim. "We have work to do."

Regina made her way to Emma and the blonde gave her a grateful glance. Soon they were fighting back to back. Regina began throwing purple blasts at the creatures while Emma swung away at them with her sword. A growl behind them caused them to jump but then they saw a giant wolf leap over their heads and tear into a group of the tree creatures.

"Go get 'em Ruby!" Emma yelled in delight as she continued to chop away. A crossbow bolt from Granny alerted them to the older woman's presence nearby.

Emma began to see that all around them were their friends fighting together against the army of trees. Elsa froze a few trees as Mulan hacked them apart with her katana. Tinkerbell was in a pitched battle with a few trees as her wand was busy blasting away. She was soon assisted by her apprentice Violet and the two fairies fought together, evening the odds against them. Dorothy blasted a tree with a shotgun while Grumpy and the other dwarves swung their pick axes.

"Regina!" Emma called over her shoulder as she fought off the tree closest to her. "Do you see Henry?" Regina continued to blast away with her magic as she scanned the area for their son.

"There he is!" Regina pointed to the August Tree. "He's with Gold!" Emma spotted her son and Gold.

"Let's get over there." Emma said through gritted teeth as she dispatched the tree creature.

Regina nodded to her. "Okay Savior, you take the lead and I'll try to watch our backs."

Babe, what's wrong? Emma moved forward slowly, carving a path to their son.

Emma? Regina kept her back pressed to Emma's as she backed up along with her. Our connection is back.

Yeah, I guess old August is a little preoccupied at the moment to keep blocking us.

But what's going on babe? I can feel your magic fading.

It's the tree, August is draining my magic and the closer I get to him the faster it goes.

Damn. Ok, go back. I'll keep going.

Regina stopped and spun Emma around, her eyes blazing. "No! You are not going without me! Never again! We do this together, understand?" Emma stopped short and looked into determined brown eyes. She gave her a quick peck on the lips and grabbed her hand.

Alright. Together babe. From now on.

Always my love.

Near the tree Henry and Gold began to unpack a bag that Gold brought with him.

Gold handed Henry a small vial of black liquid while he took out a larger bottle filled with the same. "Here you are Henry, squid ink. I think you should start writing." Gold said.

"I don't have a quill, I need a magic quill." Henry said as he scrambled to open the book to a blank page. Gold gave him a wink.

"Well lucky for you that we are close to an enchanted tree." He handed Henry a hammer and chisel, both carved with ornate engravings on the handles. "These tools are from Geppetto's workshop, they will allow you to carve enchanted wood." Henry nodded and began to carve away at the tree.

"Argggh!" August's pained wail came from inside the tree as Henry pounded with the tools.

Henry grimaced. "Hurts huh? Good." At the same time Gold began to pour the black liquid into a bellows pump.

"By injecting the roots of the tree with the same squid ink you are writing with, the effects will be carried out through the tree." Gold looked Henry in the eye. "Do you understand Henry?"

He nodded. "I think I do."

Gold grinned. "Good lad."

"Henry! You okay?" Emma rushed over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder with Regina right behind her.

"I'm good ma. Just keep those things away from me and grandpa while we do this." Henry said as he crafted a quill out of the chunk of wood he removed from the tree.

"On it kid!" Emma nodded and planted herself in front of them with her sword at the ready. Seated next to him, Henry could see Gold inject the tree with the squid ink. This brought another bellow of pain from the tree that shook the ground around them. With one last look at the carnage around him, Henry readed the quill and began to write.

The heroes waged a pitched battle against the tree soldiers of August's army. Their combined might and excellent teamwork tipped the scales in their favor despite being vastly outnumbered. While Rumplestiltskin poisoned the tree, Henry's parents kept him safe as he wrote the ending to their struggle.

Realizing that his end was rapidly approaching, August created another avatar of himself in an attempt to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. A crack appeared in the massive tree and through the large opening crept a wooden Pinocchio that was nearly ten feet tall.

"You might believe that you have beaten me, but I will not die alone!" The marionette shrieked through the jointed wooden jaw that moved up and down in a disturbing manner. "I will have my revenge by throwing all of existence into the void starting with the two of you!" Pinocchio lunged towards Emma and Regina as black strings, thick like ropes, extended from his limbs and wrapped around them.

"It's draining what's left of my magic!" Regina called out to Emma as the black ropes began to crackle with dark energy. "I can't break free!"

"I can't either Regina!" Emma responded. "But maybe together we can!" Their eyes met as they fought against the pain coursing through their bodies. Both women strained to extend their arms while they were being crushed. With their last ounce of strength they clasped their hands together. A boom as loud as a thunderclap was heard and they were both enveloped in a glowing white aura.

"No! You can't win!" Pinocchio wailed in agony. The white aura from the Savior and the Queen began to travel up the black ropes burning away the darkness. As the light reached the puppet a flash of light snapped the restraints and sent him falling backwards to the ground. Behind him the tree began to shimmer as a white fire rose from the roots and started to burn.

The puppet was sprawled before the two and tried to crawl away while they advanced upon him. "Shows over puppet! Your strings have been cut!" Regina taunted the weakening Pinocchio.

"Time to end this." Emma raised her sword and turned to Regina. "Light me up babe." With a wave of her hand Regina ignited Emma's sword until it to burned with white flames. She raised the sword high and with all her might shoved it through the body of the marionette. A dying scream escaped from its mouth right before the jaw went slack and the life drained out of the wooden body for good.

Then a rainbow colored burst of light shot out in every direction and knocked everyone to their knees. The remaining wooden soldiers all dissolved where they stood into little piles of sawdust. As they all began to gather themselves to their feet they watched as the white flames engulfed the tree and burned it completely until there was nothing left.

For a moment all was silent. Then they all broke into cheers and embraced each other happily as they realized they had vanquished the threat and survived. The Author's scheme had been defeated and he had been destroyed once and for all.

As the celebration continued around him Henry scribbled a few more lines and then closed the book. Rising to his feet he felt the book tingle and he saw it begin to fade in his hands then finally disappear. With a satisfied grin he rushed over to his mothers who were hugging each other and wrapped both of them in his arms.