Emma felt as though she missed a lot when she finally arrived on scene. She could almost swear it wasn't her fault. She was almost to the clearing when this giant magical wind threw her back. There was a giant stump in her way. If she wanted to get to the battle on time, she had to jump. Apparently somebody just decided to break a curse at the very unpleasant moment when she was in midair. She was amazed it was the tree that fell instead of her.
"We're almost there, little buddy," Emma told the scarab.
She wasn't quite sure why she was so close to the little bug. It wasn't as though she'd known it for a long time. She just had a feeling it was very important. Of course, it was. Jefferson told her it could change everything. He probably didn't know what she would find when she finally arrived on scene though.
The dragon wasn't exactly hard to find. It was the largest green thing in the forest and the only one that was spitting fire. It's giant wings had holes in it. That was a good thing. It couldn't fly away and get them from the air. That also meant it couldn't see her. She was safe in the trees. That gave her plenty of time to spring the trap on her.
"Okay," she breathed, talking to the bug once again. "I'm sorry but you're going to have to eat a whole bunch of bad magic. Now, I don't know how it's going to affect your little tummy, but what other choice do we have? From what I've learned about Cora, she's way worse than her daughters. That being said Mary-Margaret had nothing but nice things to say about Marian. If she was really all that awesome she would have stopped Regina before this whole curse thing happened. But I don't know her so I'm just going to have to trust my parents instead."
The little scarab clicked its feelers together. It looked very cute for such a big black bug. It's horned top didn't even look intimidating. It just looked like a friendly little fella that was eager to please. It was the magical bug version of a dog.
"So," Emma looked up towards the dragon. Her whole family was battling the monster. Even the strangers she didn't know. They worked as a team to destroy the dragon. Cora had no idea she was even there. "What's the plan?"
She found a tree branch close to the dragon that would do her work. It wasn't very hard for her to get to. She could stay hidden in the brushes. That wasn't going to be the hard part. The hard part involved climbing the tree without being seen. Now that was a talent. She could use the fighting. When she got close enough, David was sure to notice her. He'd signal the others.
"Okay, little buddy," she told the scarab, "It's time to trust my parents to keep us covered. What do you say? Are you in?"
The scarab kindly clicked its pincers in reply.
%%%%%%%%%%
Robin knew they were fighting a losing battle. He could feel it in the very air around him. Regina was almost fully spent in the magical department. She was merely pushing fire and debris out of the way now. Her shields were absolutely useless. It was proof enough that she had stopped using her magic, but it was incredibly unhelpful at the moment.
Snow and Charming did an amazing job of playing distraction. They each took wonderful turns slicing at Cora's feet. She would take the bait too. Every time she tried to take a bite out of one of them, Robin would sneak in an attack on her mouth.
Eliot was a breath of fresh air. His great bowing skills were much appreciated. They reminded Robin of when he was younger. The hitter even flipped off of his horse in the same way. It was an unsettling shadow considering the circumstances. He gave them the reprieve they needed, but nothing more. But they were only buying time. They were all greatly fatigued. Their real weapon was still in progress.
Sophie was doing her best to shield them from harm while she worked on a spell to stop her mother. It wasn't an exact science. Robin was well aware of the fact. Not only was she protecting them from harm, but she was also fighting herself. The magic was itching to take her over. She had to keep it at bay while Parker and Hardison figured out how to work the vase.
He was quite proud of his daughter. She'd become an amazing thief over the past five years. She was using those instincts now. Her mother's magic ran in her veins. She was reading the rules of the vase and feeding them to her mother without pausing. She would ask Sophie questions and nod immediately. She hadn't quite mastered speaking without her voice, but she definitely knew how to listen.
"Watch out!" Robin took the warning without looking. He dived to the side just in time. A giant fireball fell right where he had been before.
"Nate," Parker called, not dad. It created a giant hole in his heart anyway. "Find a way to keep her mouth open after the fireball. Sophie's got an awesome idea to get her down to proper size!"
He nodded his head and dodged yet another fireball. He was once again uncomfortably on top of his sword and reconsidering his career options. He was still relatively young. He had plenty of time to find a new career. He used to catch thieves. He could probably do that again. He had an extra set of knowledge now. He could easily rehabilitate them now. He had a whole team at his disposal.
He ricocheted another fireball with his sword. He then quickly stabbed his sword into his mother-in-law's foot. She roared tremendously. She then unleashed several small bundles of flames. He had to race around in circles and perform basic gymnastics just to avoid death. He was very nimble now that he remembered who he was. He wasn't as nimble as he used to be. He could feel the muscles in his body protesting every move. But they still remembered how to properly function.
He used his sword to block a flame from Hardison's head. He loved the hacker dearly, but his future possible son-in-law needed to learn how to fight. That was number one on his list of things to do. Well, that was number two. Number one was currently stepping on top of the prince his step-niece married. Robin quickly fired off a couple of arrows towards Cora's eyes. Eliot ruined her. She had enough sense to blink and move out of the way now.
"Psst," a flash of movement had the King of Thieves looking towards the forest. He saw a tiny blonde frame carefully hiding in the bushes nearby. He could tell there was a plan in the young princess' eye. Emma was very much like her mother. She had that same twinkle every time she was about to cause somebody mischief. She pointed up and symboled climbing. He picked up on her plan and nodded.
Robin raced towards his wife and relayed the message in a soft whisper.
"Emma's got her covered from above," he said, "We'll distract her as best as possible. Wait for my signal should the princess' plan fail."
He fired off an arrow and ruffled Parker's hair. She playfully swatted away at his hand but he was already too far away. He spread the word to Snow and Charming. He even gave a little hint to Eliot. He knocked an arrow and waited for the others to make their move. His peripheral vision was locked solely on the princess climbing the tree.
%%%%%%%%%%%
Eliot unleashed his arrow with tenacity. The dragon thought he missed his target completely. She turned towards him and blew smoke through her nostrils. Her tongue darted out from her teeth. She slowly stepped forward. Her mouth began to gape and open. He had exactly fifteen seconds before the fireball hit him.
He dived to the side and watched as Snow slashed at the tail. He curled in on himself and knocked another arrow. He planted it firmly between the witch's toes. She screamed in torment and he silently congratulated his great shot. Nate nodded at him gently. Now it was time for the real fun to begin.
He spun around and fired off three arrows in quick succession. Cora followed each one closely, carefully. She let out tiny puffs to keep them from getting at her. Snow and charming both used the distraction to cut away at her however they could. They kept the tail away from the tree Emma climbed.
Eliot turned it into a game, just like the old days. He rolled on the ground and slowly moved closer. Robin met him move for move. The goal was the belly. Cora wasn't a normal dragon. She would easily forget the pulse points dragons had. Nate was counting on that. He had his arrow poised to attack the arm so Eliot could get the armpit. Nate would ensure the arrow stuck by striking in the exact same spot. Cora wouldn't die, but it would make her scream.
Someone made a mistake. Cora moved towards Emma before they could stop her. She spouted out a great big stream of fire. The princess had to jump from the tree to avoid being hit. She tucked herself into a little ball and rolled when she hit the ground. Cora pulled her head back and unleashed a giant ball of fire. It missed Emma by feet but she wasn't the target.
"Little buddy!" Emma screamed.
She scrambled towards the burnt ashes and groaned. The scarab was no more. Cora successfully burned it to a crisp.
"Hey!" Nate shouted. He tossed Emma his sword and didn't even look fazed that she caught it. He just turned around and fired an arrow into the dragon's arm.
Eliot didn't think twice. He was well-trained in combat. He remembered how to do this. It never changed no matter what weapons were used. He rolled behind a rock and fired right into Cora's shoulder socket. Her armpit was bleeding within seconds.
"Not bad," Nate congratulated. He then raised his bow and fired off two arrows at once. Each one split Eliot's without pause. "Mine was better."
The hitter ignored his bragging. He ran forward, ready for the rebuttal. He knocked three arrows into his bow and waited. Cora didn't disappoint. Her mouth flew open and unleashed a guttural sound. Flames spouted out. The colors went from gold to blue in no time whatsoever. She kept spraying the flames until they refused to come out any longer.
The dragon's angry eyes turned towards them. She was calculating how many ways to kill them. She opened her mouth, ready to fire off whatever fire she shot off. She pulled her head back, readying to attack. Sophie stopped her before any harm could be done.
A giant blue fireball hit the dragon straight in her mouth. She swallowed it because she had no other choice. The fire began to fall onto her green skin. It swirled and swirled around her. She tried to stop it with her mouth, and failed. Her great muzzle began to shrink. Her tail disappeared. Her horns turned into dark hair. Her green skin was nothing more than a grand dress that had been outdated centuries ago.
"Don't move," Charming threatened. He had the blade of his sword against her throat. Snow had her arrows trained on her. Eliot tried his hardest not to breathe too hard. She was well past dead if he unleashed his weapons.
"Oh please," Cora huffed. She didn't breathe. She didn't even move. But Regina's magically shield glowed bright blue as it stopped the magic from harming anyone. Cora knew she was done. "Well played," she said.
Sophie stepped forward carefully. Each step she took was slow. She looked as if she was still fighting that internal battle magic caused. Regina and Parker followed her lead. The vase was in the tiny thief's hands. She handed it to Regina when they were directly in front of Cora.
"Hello Mother," Sophie said. Her words were filled with venom and hate. "This is your one chance. Surrender willingly and we'll give you a fair trial."
Cora responded the only way she knew how to. She simply laughed and shook her head.
"You won't do this to me," she said, "You're nothing like Regina. You don't have the heart."
"Very well," Sophie replied, "Parker?"
The thief withdrew her dagger. She carefully kissed it and whispered into the blade. She started to handed it to her mother carefully. She just made the mistake of getting far too close to her grandmother.
David flew away without leaving a scratch on the old woman. Snow fired her arrows but they erupted into flames. Even Eliot's steady shots were dissolved into Regina's blue shield. Cora used her daughter's spell against them. The three generations were stuck in a bubble and there was nothing they could do to save them.
"Don't," Cora ordered. She stuck her hand into Parker's chest and squeezed. The thief unleashed an agonized scream. "She'll be dead before you get close enough."
Regina stepped back immediately. She kept her eyes glued on her mother's hand. She was the one who pulled her sister away from danger. Sophie's eyes were stuck on her mother. She didn't even seem to grasp the horrors Parker was going through.
"No!" Nate slammed himself into Regina's shield again and again. Hardison tried to use his sword to get the thing to disappear. Snow was busy trying to wake David up. Emma was torn between the two.
"Let me go," Cora explained, "I will unleash my hold as soon as you let me out of here."
Regina looked towards her sister with worry. Eliot could tell she was seeking an answer of some kind. Even Parker looked towards the grifter for help. But Sophie was an unmoving stone.
"Sophie, don't you dare!" Nate slammed his fist onto the shield, "Stick to the plan!"
Her figure stood straight, unbending to her mother or the helpless looks of her own daughter. Regina made the decision for her. She nodded her head and shield shimmered anew.
"No," Sophie ordered.
Cora laughed and squeezed Parker's heart harder. "It's not like you truly have a choice, dear," she said.
Sophie appeared in front of the woman in the blink of an eye. Her hand found home in her mother's chest. Her mother screamed in agony and released the thief immediately. The grifter turned into a rainbow of power as she absorbed her mother's magic. The thief was free and Cora was drained.
"Now!" Regina screamed.
The blue shield disappeared altogether. She and Parker both grabbed onto the vase that would absorb Cora forever. It turned gold with the power coursing through it. Cora screamed the entire time. Sophie kept glowing as a rainbow. Then everything stopped and Cora was gone.
Parker and Regina fell to their knees in exhaustion. Even Sophie sagged a little at the power they unleashed. David and Snow raced towards them in worry. Hardison, Nate and Emma rushed the trio as well. Eliot merely jogged.
"Did it work?" Emma asked, slightly out of breath from the running and climbing and jumping spree.
"It worked," Regina nodded, "She's in there. Her magic will restore itself. Sophie didn't remove enough to leave her completely drained."
"Just enough to keep her in there for a while," Sophie sighed. "I hope it will be long enough."
"Right," Snow said, "Regina, you and I should probably take that to the Blue Fairy. She'll watch over it while we try to figure out what to do with Cora. Come on, Henry."
The Evil Queen nodded her head. She handed the vase to her stepdaughter and started to follow her away. She then turned towards her sister, her eyes filled with tears. She reached out, attempting to touch her or do something equally awkward. Instead she just shook her head and sighed.
"I'm… truly sorry," she said, "for everything I've done to you."
"I know," Sophie replied. She didn't look her sister in the eyes but that was enough. Regina got the message. There would be no forgiveness. But the thirst for blood had passed. They were sisters no longer. Regina accepted this with a curt nod and followed Snow White out of the forest. Henry regretfully followed.
"So this is what it feels like?" Hardison asked, "to be in a fairytale? You fight off a giant dragon and then you're left with a whole bunch of crap to think over."
"yeah," Nate slapped the hacker on the back, "You get used to it after a while."
Hardison looked horrified. "You guys used to do this every day?"
"No," Charming replied, "Sometimes we don't succeed on the first day."
"Most of the time it's not for a couple of weeks," Nate agreed.
"It used to be worse," Eliot laughed, "They used to get so desperate that they let children fight in the Troll War."
"Troll War?" Hardison was definitely not a fan of the Enchanted Forest. Eliot thought that was good. Parker didn't deserve to live in a world of constant fear. She got enough of that on a daily basis.
"That's it, right?" Emma asked, "We're not going to have to do that one again for a while, right? Because I cannot handle another big battle. I've already fought three since I got here."
"It was kind of fun though," Parker smiled, "It reminded me of home."
Eliot rolled his eyes. That was a typical Parker thing to say. The thief was still weird. The fact that she came from Nate and Sophie only made her weirder. Although, it was now more understandable. She was a great combination between both of her parents. Though he did feel she leaned more towards Sophie's side of the weird scale.
"Now," David sighed. His eyes turned towards the grifter with worry and apology. "How do we get rid of all that excess magic?"
"We don't have very long," Sophie nodded, "I can feel it boiling towards the surface. I'm doing everything I can to push it down."
"Do you think we can make it to the Blue Fairy?" Nate asked. His concern was obvious to everyone. After all, he was the one who begged her not to imbibe her mother's powers.
"No," Sophie shook her head. Tears were already developing in her eyes. The stress and strain slowly became apparent. Her hands even started shaking. "I'm sorry. I should go before I-"
The grifter fell towards the ground suddenly. Nate barely even had time to catch her. He pulled her into his grasp, fear in his heart. He pushed back some of her hair to measure her pulse. A tiny scarab was slowly growing in weight. It was rhythmically tapping a beat as it happily consumed the magic within. The mastermind breathed a sigh of relief.
"A scarab," he sighed, "Thank God."
"Aren't scarabs dangerous?" Hardison asked. He looked absolutely horrified by the presence of the tiny little bug. Nate understood. The movies didn't paint a picture of the tiny creature. "They're what killed Imhotep in the Mummy movies, you know!"
"She's fine, Hardison," Nate laughed, "It's just taking away the magic. It will stop when it's supposed to. It's a good thing."
"So she's not going to die?" Parker demanded eagerly. She wasn't quite interested in losing either of her parents after she just discovered them. That wasn't fair. She paid her dues several times over already. She deserved a break.
"Hey," Emma frowned, "Cora killed my little buddy. Who is this?"
"He's a friend of a friend," Eliot replied.
Everybody turned towards the hitter in surprise. He shyly flipped his singed hair, grimacing at the burn marks. It was time for him to finally get that haircut. He was okay with that. His enemies weren't going to come after him anymore. He had no other excuse. He just hoped Nate would understand.
The mastermind gave him a special kind of look. It was one filled with multiple emotions. None of them were apparent but his scrutiny forced the hitter to remember himself. He pulled his hands behind his back and nodded. Robin was a King now. He deserved to be paid with proper respect.
"Why?" Nate asked. There was no anger in his voice, only acceptance.
Eliot bowed his head anyway. Shame was the only thing he could register. He'd done so many terrible things in his past. The excuses filed through his head in quick succession. He was angry. He felt abandoned. He didn't know what else to do. Moreau tricked him. His other parents taught him the direction he needed. None of them really measured up to the truth though.
"I didn't…" he swallowed back the horror and kneeled by the grifter's side, "I wanted you to be proud of me."
Nate's face broke out into the very smile he'd always hoped to see again. His hand found its way to his shoulder and squeezed gently. It was all Eliot needed to know.
"You have no idea how proud of you I am," his father said.