The mirror genie traveled through as many reflections as he could, trying to find his queen, wanting to find out if she was still alive. His love, his queen. Her name had not been uttered by one person in all the mirrors he ventured in. He refused to believe that she had been wiped clean off the realm, she must exist somewhere. He explored Rumpelstiltskin's castle but didn't find a trace of her. Sensing a great power coming from a castle far, far away, he went to see who it belonged to. Maybe it was his queen.
He emerged from one of the mirrors in the castle and wandered around. He thought maybe he could do reconnaissance to learn more about the inhabitants of the castle before he made his move. Merging with a puddle in the middle of a hall, he heard footsteps coming around the corner. A witch with green skin walked by him. The power emanating from her was great. He decided to follow her. She made her way to the dungeons while he hopped out of the puddle and followed her. He looked around for other reflections he could make a fast getaway in case he was spotted. He saw some metal in a bowl where he dropped in to spy on what the witch was doing in the room. On a raised dais, he saw her. His queen! She was lying on a bed sleeping while the green witch spoke to her. He couldn't hear what she said but he instinctively knew it wasn't good. Once she left, he came out of his hiding place.
He walked towards the dais and gazed with love upon her face. He could tell she was in a sleeping curse. All she needed was a kiss from her true love to wake her up and they would be together. Who truly loved his queen more than he did, he thought? He bent down to place a kiss on her lips. Nothing happened. He placed another kiss on her lips. No burst of magic. She didn't even twitch a muscle.
Regina couldn't help but think, "Ugh. I hope he gets the message and stops kissing me. I could never love him, the little beggar."
His heart dropped into his stomach. His love for her was not enough to overcome the curse.
"My queen, I will find your true love and get you out of this," he swore to her. Turning toward the door, he strode out forming a plan to find her true love. A pixie could help him find her true love along with her pixie dust. Then once the genie permanently got rid of Regina's true love, he and his queen could be together.
Emma turned the ring on her finger that Milah used to switch them. She hated that ring and wanted to throw it far away from her but she figured the ring could be used to switch them back if she could figure out how. It just seemed so impossible.
The ring she was used to wearing was the engagement ring that Killian gave her. She wondered if Milah in Emma's body was still wearing that ring and is currently enjoying being a princess with her prince. Emma wondered if Killian knew there was something wrong or just figured he had a new, improved Emma with him. Milah was his mistress after all. There had to be something that drew him to her. She chastised herself, telling herself not to worry until the time came to worry. But there was still that powerful voice that told her to prepare herself for the worst and that her heart might get broken.
Snow and David, her parents, wanted to set out for Alleland in the morning, to find their daughter. They started making preparations for the journey. Snow knew where the secret stash of weapons was so she found her bow and a supply of arrows. David found a sword he could use and some knives that could come in handy.
Emma couldn't help but stare at her parents. She started getting memories of her mother and father when she was a toddler, how they played with her, read her stories, tucked her into bed. They were kind, caring parents. They deserved to know who their daughter was.
"Can I speak to both of you in private?" Emma asked Snow and David.
Snow looked around for Walsh but he was off getting firewood for the night. They were alone and secure.
"Sure, Emma," Snow responded. David nodded his head to show she had his attention.
"A spell was cast on me and I switched bodies with another woman," Emma tentatively spoke waiting for their reaction before she went on.
"That's terrible, Emma," David consoled. "Who would do such a thing?"
"Most likely that magical creature with scaly, green skin that wanted to make a deal with me," Emma supposed.
Snow and David both said in unison, "Rumpelstiltskin!"
"I didn't catch his name and he giggled a lot," Emma uttered. "And I don't know what favor he wanted. I just told him no."
"Smart girl. Who did he switch you with?" Snow asked.
"A woman named Milah who was my fiancé's ex-mistress," Emma responded painfully.
"That seems kind of awkward," David empathized with her.
"You must be someone important enough for Rumple to cast such an awful spell," Snow speculated. "If you don't mind my asking, who is your fiancé?"
"This is why I asked to speak to you," Emma expressed. "My fiancé is Prince Killian of Alleland and I am Princess Emma, your daughter."
She paused to see their reaction and they looked stunned.
Emma continued, "I didn't tell you right away because it's not really me, or at least I'm not in my own body. To sum it up, I don't feel like myself."
Emma made a small nervous smile with tears shining in her eyes. It was tough to get that confession out.
Snow came towards her and cupped Emma's face in her hand.
"It doesn't matter what you look like, you're still our daughter," Snow said smiling at her.
"Oh, Emma!" Snow cried as she gave her a hug. Emma was overwhelmed with the physical affection as she started to remember her mother's scent.
David gave Emma a kiss on the side of her forehead and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
"We'll find a way to switch you back," David assured her. "Don't you worry."
The royal family finally found their way back to each other and it was a joyous occasion. They sat and talked about what happened in their lives. Emma gave them an abridged version leaving out the bad things and focused on the good things that happened to her like her adopted mother. Snow feeling sad that she wasn't there for her and another woman took her place was still relieved that Emma had someone good in her life to care for her. Snow and David told her stories of where they had been all this time and how they got there, what the Evil Queen did to them. It was a long time since the family had stayed under the same roof together and it was quite fitting that their reunion was in the castle of the Enchanted Forest.
Killian stopped by a small stream to let his horse take a drink and rest. If he could, he would still be on the road towards the Enchanted Forest, but it wouldn't help if his horse gave out on him. The only way he could get rid of this constant anxiety that was plaguing him was to get Emma into his arms and never let go. There were so many dangers that could threaten her. He felt a modicum of relief that she was with her parents. She would be protected if they knew who she was.
He heard riders coming up the road, but he was already hidden from view where he was. When they came into view, he recognized the riders as his friends, Will and Robin. He let out a sharp whistle to alert them of his presence. They stopped and road their horses back to where he was. Killian emerged from the bushes and greeted his friends.
"Well, look who we have here, Robin, a prince that thinks he could just leave his friends behind without so much as a by-your-leave," Will teased.
Killian smiled at his friends. "I didn't think a prince needed his friends' permission to leave, mate," Killian joked back.
"We could have gone with you, old chap," Robin rebuked him.
"I needed to see Rumpelstiltskin on my own," Killian answered. "I couldn't risk anyone else's life."
"Did you get any information?" Robin inquired.
"Not from Rumple but from the Good Witch of the North," Killian replied. "I saw Emma was in the Enchanted Forest at her parents' castle in a magic mirror and…you're not going to believe this..with her parents."
"Snow White and Prince Charming?" Will said wanting to make sure that he heard correctly. "They're back?"
"Yeah, mate," Killian responded. "Somehow, they're back."
"Well, they might make their way back to Alleland since there is nothing left of the castle and your father is their neighbor, friend and ally," Robin concluded. "We need to make sure we don't miss them."
"Which means splitting up," Killian deduced. There were three paths they could take from the Enchanted Forest to Alleland, two bridges or a ferry. Kilian didn't want to take the risk they took the wrong path while Emma and her parents took a different path.
Robin said, "I'll take the farthest path since my family's hunting lodge is nearest there."
"Okay, then Will, you take the ferry and I'll take the middle bridge," Killian figured they would most likely take the middle bridge if Emma and her parents made their way to Alleland and he would be there to meet them.
"I've waited far too long," Killian solemnly uttered. "I want Emma back."
The trio of friends rode for a few miles.
Killian told them, "Princess Belle made a deal with Rumpelstiltskin to be his servant in exchange for his help to defeat the ogres."
"Belle is with the Dark One?" Will inquired. He had danced with her a few times at some royal balls they attended. Will remembered her as sweet, smart and pretty lass.
"Yes, and she is staying with him willingly," Killian informed them.
"She always was an honorable princess," Robin said feeling downcast. It was never good to make a deal with the Dark One and even worse to break a deal with the Dark One.
"It was Belle that told me to go to the Good Witch," Killian told them.
They rode together until Will took a different path to the ferry and they wished him well telling him if he finds Emma to take her straightaway to Alleland's castle and send a messenger.
Robin and Killian conversed as they made their way.
"So, you've seen the Good Witch," Robin commented.
"Aye, I have and promised I would deliver news of my reunion with Emma," Killian announced.
"Was she attractive?" Robin asked with a glint of mischief in his eyes.
"She was blonde," Killian answered with a grin. He knew his friend Robin had a thing for dark-haired women.
"Oh, pity," Robin said mildly disappointed.
They continued on their journey until it was time for Killian to depart his company down another road that led him to the bridge. Robin wished him luck finding Emma and Killian told him to stay safe.
Robin continued his journey to the other bridge thinking about how his friend finally found someone to love. He was happy for Killian and he sensed how great his anxiety was when Emma went missing. He wondered if he could ever be as in love as Killian was with Emma. A jaded aristocrat was what he knew he was and it would be hard to sway him from being anything else especially since he was having so much fun.