Isaac catches Mim before she can hit the ground. The energy is absorbed by the glyph. Rumple holds Emma back when the glyph dims. Then everyone is blinded again.
"Oh, come on!" Kristoff cries out, rubbing his eyes.
Someone is lying in the third piece of the "pie"; a woman with long wavy hair in a glowing, translucent bodysuit. A dark blob flies around the glyph, slamming into the barrier frantically.
"Morgan." Emma clarifies. "But what's wrong with Dani?"
"MIM!" Rumple shouts, appearing next to her; Belle, Baelfire and Snow follow.
"Emma!" David says, embracing her.
"We've gotta get Morgan." Emma declares when David lets go.
"Not with Dani going haywire." Regina exclaims, but Emma charges in. "EMMA!"
"Are you okay?" Emma asks, turning Morgan onto her back.
"Dani's lost their memories." Morgan states, holding out a hand. "Help me up."
"What?" –Emma pulls Morgan to her feet– "How?"
"For centuries, Dani's psyche and mind have been bound to others." –Morgan leans on Emma for support– "To suddenly be split, twice, caused a memory wipe." –they look back when they hear a crash; Dani had slammed into the barrier again– "I was protected by the light suit." –Ingrid runs over and supports Morgan on the other side– "Dani is just as scared and confused as they were when they were first born."
"What can we do?" Emma asks as Dani slams into the other side of the barrier.
"Help her remember."
"I've got her." Elsa says to Emma. "Go help Dani."
"Dani!" Emma calls and the blob stops in mid-air.
"Emma!" Snow rushes towards her.
"Do you remember why your name is Dani?" Emma asks, slowly approaching, Snow stopping next to Emma.
"Because," a child's voice responds, bringing everyone but Emma to a halt, "Dani works for a boy and a girl."
"Blue needs to see this." Morgan says to Anna.
"Why am I stuck in here?" Dani asks.
"Because we were bound," –Emma moves forward, slowly– "and you and your aunt were bound." –Dani stops moving– "This glyph separated us."
"Why is everyone scared of me."
"Because, prior to me, everyone you were bound to used your power to do horrible things," –Dani begins to whimper– "but it wasn't your fault."
"I don't remember."
"It's lying!" Blue declares, making everyone, but those who saw her exit the vase, jump.
"YOU!" –Dani appears behind Emma and Snow and slams into the barrier, trying to get to Blue– "You were always mean to me!" –Blue stands firm, glaring– "I never did anything and you were cruel!"
"You are darkness!" Blue snaps. "You can't be trusted!"
"Dani saved my life!" Snow scowls, standing between them. "Multiple times!" –she looks down at Rumple over her shoulder, him kneeling next to Mim– "You never knew."
Snow ran through the forest, leapt over fallen logs, climbed trees and swung on vines to get away from the Evil Queen's guards. They had been chasing her for a while, but Mim's training was working. She was beginning to lose them. Snow climbed as high as she could into one of the tallest trees and hid in the branches, putting the camouflage cloak Mim had given her to good use. The guards galloped away. Snow had to stifle a laugh. She waited fifteen minutes before jumping into the tree next to her. To think, travelling via tree tops used to be difficult! She ran out of tree when she arrived by the side of a river. She, slowly, descended the tree as she looked through the trees. Snow stops, then barrel rolls, dodging a fire ball.
"Why, hello!" Snow looked across the river to see Regina, donning her usual, scary looking black gowns.
Guards jumped in out of nowhere, but Snow heard them coming. She punched one in the throat, ducked, then low kicked another. Regina was stunned.
"Well, well!" Regina exclaimed, laughing when Snow threw a guard into the river. "Someone's learned some new tricks!" –Snow ran back into the woods– "That's not going to work!" –she appeared in a puff of purple smoke and blocked her path; Snow drew her sword– "And what makes you think that's going to help you?"
"It summoned me." –Rumple left hooked Regina in the face as the sword in Snow's hand turned to ash– "Forget" –Regina's memories are gathered into a small, purple marble– "We don't need you knowing we were here."
"Dani?" Snow asked and Rumple/Dani smiled at her. "How?"
"Not a good place to explain." –they find themselves in an open field– "That's better!"
"Is Rumpelstiltskin still… there?"
"Why wouldn't he be?" Dani laughed, walking towards the closest patch of woods.
"How did you know where I was?" Snow asked, following.
"The sword mother gave you."
"Why did it turn to ash?"
"Because it served its purpose."
"Mim is definitely your mother." –Dani laughed– "PLEASE start making sense!"
"That was a sword of light you were holding designed to summon me when I was needed the most."
"It was linked to the bit of light inside you that you absorbed when you were created!"
"Exactly!"
"So," –she jumped over a fallen tree right after Dani– "she gave me the sword, knowing Regina would find me eventually, in the hopes the sword would cause the two of you to disconnect!"
"Now you're catching on!"
"A reason behind the reason and a backup plan for the backup plan."
"Yeah… the disconnect won't last much longer, however."
"Why?"
"Not my body." Dani answered, matter-of-factly as they stopped walking to look at her. "I can't take control of him forever."
"Technically, you're sharing the body."
"Eeeeeh…"
"What's the catch?"
"When he's in control, my aunt and I can see and hear everything. When I'M in control, he's locked away. He will have NO memory of this. I won't do that to him more often than I need to."
"Why didn't Blue trust you again?" Snow asked and Dani's demeanor completely shifts to sadness. "I'm sorry." –she gave Dani a hug– "You and I both know Mim will find a way to help you when she's strong enough."
"And, unfortunately, Rumple can't know THAT either." Dani stated, "He's grown quite addicted to my power."
"Mim was afraid of that."
"Yeah." –Dani pointed down a path– "That way will take you to a small village. Nice people. They'll help."
"Thank you, Dani."
"No." –Dani grinned– "Thank you."
This story has been discontinued. For further insight into Mim, please read Untold Foundations. Thank you for your support!
