Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time
AN: This is a super short chapter. I know and I'm sorry, but I wanted to cut it where I cut it. The next chapter will come shortly! ~ XOXO MAS
Chapter Twenty-Five
Emma wrapped her arms around Killian, leaning close to him while holding onto Elsa's free hand as Regina held out the scroll to Zelena. There was still the chance that she refused to destroy it. She could feel the tension in Killian's body, the stiffness as he held her. She could also feel how scared Elsa really was. The grip the beautiful queen had on her hand was enough to break it. She squeezed back reassuringly. There was not much they could do if Zelena wouldn't tear the scroll. And if she did, there was even less they could do.
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David gathered up Mary Margaret, Ruby, Scarlett, Leroy, Victor, Blue and Jiminy. "Do you think this will work?" Victor asked.
"I have no idea how they were planning on getting her to cooperate. Killian didn't seem to know. I just know that I want us all to land together when we do." He drew Snow into his side. "I only hope we land in the same place as the kids and Killian and Emma."
Snow shut her eyes, "We have to have hope. That's all we've got when wading through uncharted territory." She admitted, her hand reaching out to clasp Ruby's. "Hope that we'll be together."
"Even if we're not," Ruby squeezed her hand gently, "we'll find each other. We always find each other." She echoed the family's favorite phrase.
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As Little John settled into a chair next to Granny, he eyed the nervous children. "It should be fine, kids." He told them. At their skeptical looks, he stood and scooped up Skylar. "Just to be sure, though, I'm going to hang onto her."
"Good idea." Henry agreed, wrapped his arms around Roland and Ava. "We'll be together."
"That's right, we will be." Granny told him confidently. "This is nothing to worry about, nothing at all." She adjusted her grip on her crossbow, determined to take it with her come hell or high water. There was no telling what they would face when they landed. Or even where in the Enchanted Forest they would land.
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Regina's hand never wavered as she held out the scroll. Almost without thinking, Zelena plucked it up and tore it in half.
Nothing happened.
Emma's body slouched against Killian's, "It didn't work." She felt defeated. She'd hoped that the minute that scroll was torn she'd be standing on the Jolly or in the castle gardens. Just somewhere.
Regina scowled, her eyes narrowing on Zelena. She must've had a failsafe installed. Something that didn't allow the curse to be broken that easily, "It appears it didn't."
Regina moved to put Zelena's heart back in her chest, when Lancelot muttered, "Actually, I think it did something."
"Why?" Elsa asked, following his line of vision.
The group watched as a cloud of green smoke slowly rolled towards the town. "That's it." Regina murmured, cradling the heart to her chest as she stood in front of Zelena.
"Don't give her the heart back." Emma spit out suddenly. "If we can have total control over her when we land, it will help us."
"Emma," Killian started to object.
"No, Killian, we have no idea what we're walking into and we have all our powerful women here. I don't want Zelena able to wander when my parents and the kids have no one with magic around to stop her." Emma argued.
"Okay, okay," Killian agreed, holding up a hand, "I guess we're about to find out what happens next." The group faced the window as the green cloud slowly moved towards town.
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"We're all going to die!" Leroy screamed.
"Do you have to scream that every time something happens?" Victor complained as he bandaged the arm of a man who'd been trampled when everyone stormed the hospital. There had been a few minor injuries. "And we're not all going to die." He assured the man.
"Then what is that big green cloud that's coming into town!" The dwarf cried out.
Scarlett followed his gaze out the window, "I don't particularly like agreeing with Leroy, but we all may die." He agreed.
"Would you stop using the 'd' word!" Snow asked tersely, "We do not want a riot in here. Now, Emma and Regina are handling it."
"You really think Regina is handling it?" Leroy asked, "You really don't think maybe she's up to something as well?"
"We don't have a choice, Leroy. We have to trust her." Snow sighed. "Believe me, if we did, I probably wouldn't. There's a reason we put her in that lamp to begin with, but she's the best equipped to handle this."
"Particularly with Gold on the loose." David agreed. "Now, let's not cause a panic. Okay?" He glanced out the window. "Whatever it is, it's fast approaching. I want to lock down the building. I don't want people wandering. Make sure all the doors are secure." He instructed, turning to go break up a small tussle happening between two of the townspeople.
"You heard, David, let's make sure all of the doors are secure. That way we should definitely land together." Snow clapped her hands, "This could be our ride home."
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Little John hung up his cell phone, "That was Robin, he said there's some cloud of green smoke approaching."
"A cloud of purple smoke?" Henry asked worriedly.
"Don't worry, Henry, we'll be okay. We'll be together and we'll find your parents when we land. We shouldn't be wandering the streets though. We're safest down here. Your parents all agree. Regina promised that the vault was secure. I'm going to call the guards in though." He rose and opened the door to go wrangle in the Merry Men and dwarves so they were safe from whatever was coming.
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As the green formation rolled slowly like a wave over Main Street. The group in the station gathered at the window, hoping to see through the cloud. They wanted to know if what had been encompassed was even left behind or if it disappeared for good.
"This reminds me of when we were on the Jolly." Emma said suddenly, "I'd forgotten all about it in the chaos of finding out how to get home."
"What?" Regina asked, "What are you talking about?"
"When the curse came, Killian and I were trying to get to Oz. I remember it so clearly now. We were on the ship and this huge cloud was coming towards us. A cloud of green smoke was coming towards us. That's the last thing I remember." She blinked a few times, "Then it was like I was always here. Like I'd come to work and find you with your feet propped up on my desk and a hot cocoa in hand for me."
Killian's brow furrowed, "I remember that. I remember holding you and promising that we would be together. We'd always find each other." He glanced down at her, "And then we weren't together anymore. We were in the same town, but it wasn't the same."
"And there was that draw, but we couldn't seem to find our way to each other really." Emma finished.
"You two danced around each other forever." Robin acknowledged. "We all thought either something happened years ago that we didn't know about or that it would eventually."
"It wasn't supposed to." Regina observed.
"What?" Killian and Emma asked together.
"You two were supposed to stay apart. That was part of her plan. You were supposed to stay apart because if you were together, there was a chance of the curse breaking. Emma was supposed to be separated from everyone she loved. You may be in the same town, you may feel that magnetism of true love, but you couldn't have it."
"Then what changed? Why did I agree to let him come over? How did we fall into bed together?" Emma asked quickly.
"It was Henry and Ava." Regina surmised, "When they found you for real, they set something into motion. The walls around the curse slowly started to crumble. People may not have remembered, but they started to act like their old selves and"
"They remembered." Killian murmured, "We started to remember, flashes of memories. Just barely there. David and Snow, Emma and myself, we had these moments of clarity, but we thought we were crazy. Or spending too much time with the kids."
Regina nodded in understanding, "Well, I guess we're about to find out if this green smoke is the same as the one that brought you here." She motioned towards the window. With a shaking voice, she replied, "It's here."
Robin slipped his hand into hers, "It's going to be okay, we'll land together and we'll find everyone." He promised.
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XOXO
MAS