Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or Disney. I do, however own my own original characters, one of which will be mentioned in this chapter. Know that I have the rights to this character and will be using this character in a book series I am currently in the process of writing. I will make another claim to it at the end of this chapter, but legally, that character is mine and mine alone.
Enjoy!
In the depths of the Mystic Bayou, the mystery woman was leading Emma and Regina to her home. The whole time they were sloshing through the mud and stepping over the fallen branches, the lady was laughing as if she was continuously being told a funny joke. As she led the younger women, Emma pulled Regina back for a moment to speak to her.
"Regina, I think I know who this lady is." she whispered.
"Robin," Regina muttered, still in shock.
"What?" Emma asked.
"He didn't age. Everyone else here aged. How is that possible?" Regina asked.
"Nothing is real. He's not real. This place was created by a wish." Emma reminded, "Don't get lost in it. When we get home, this'll just be like a dream. But in the meantime, I think I know who that lady is."
"Really?"
"Yeah. And if I'm right, I just might be in heap of trouble with Nicholas when we get home." Emma nodded before speaking up, "Um, excuse me, Ma'am?"
"Yes?" she kindly asked as they kept walking.
"Are you…is your name, by any chance, Madam Odette?" Emma hesitantly asked before the old lady stopped dead in her tracks.
"…Hehe. Now there's a name nobody's called me in a long time. Chitlens just call me 'Mama Odie,' now. How'd y'all know that, child?" Mama Odie asked as she continued walking.
"Well, uh, Regina and I, we, uh, know quite a few people in the League." Emma replied, "Her brother is Nicholas Flamel."
"Who?" Mama Odie asked as they came to the base of her home; a wrecked shrimp boat lodged in the branches of a large tree.
"Um, the Immortal Alchemist?" Emma added, surprised that someone in the League did not know about her lover.
"Never heard of 'em." Mama Odie bluntly replied before shouting, "JUJU!"
Literally a second later, a greenish-yellow boa constrictor dropped from the branches right next to the blind voodoo lady, tickling her ear with its tongue.
"Aw, there you are, you bad boy!" she cooed as it affectionately cuddled up to her, "Give a little suga', now. Mwah!" she said before repeatedly giving the snake sloppy kisses on its mouth, disgusting both the women watching.
But before either of them could say anything, the strange lady yanked on her pet like a bell rope before it yanked her into the tree and into the boat. Still befuddled at what was going on, Emma and Regina relented and used their magic to poof themselves into the boat with Mama Odie.
"As I was saying, he's the fourth seat to Branch Quartermain-"
"Oh, y'all mean he's with lil' Al!" Mama Odie interrupted as she tossed her gourd away, breaking some of her clay pots in the process; not that she seemed to care, "Why didn't y'all say so?"
"You don't know my brother, but you," Regina began as they followed her, only to pause when they saw a pair of jars suspiciously containing a pair of eyes and set of teeth; both of which the LXG founder was lacking. "But you know Quartermain?"
"Sure as sorghum is gonna stick on ya." Mama Odie laughed as she plopped herself on a large, wicker chair and footrest, popping her toes as she clenched them, "Yesum, I was the one what found that boy and brought 'em into the League."
"Really?" Emma asked as she shared a look with her friend, "Well, anyway, Mama Odie, we are grateful for your help, but we really need to-"
"Y'all want some candy?" she kindly interrupted as she offered some old, hairy candy and other random items from her pocket; there was even a dead fly!
"Um, no-no, thank you." Emma politely refused.
"Not really. No." Regina said trying to be polite, even though it grossed her out.
"Well, that's too bad. It's a special candy. Would've given y'all the power to open up a portal." Mama Odie lamented before popping the candy into her mouth.
"No, no, no, wait!" the two women panicked before the old woman started cackling.
"I'm just messing with y'all!" she teased.
"How did you know we're trying to open a-" Emma began to ask, only to stop when the sound of Mama Odie's snoring interrupted her. Sure enough, the two women saw the legendary woman hunched over asleep in the middle of her laughing.
"Um, Mama Odie?" Regina hesitantly asked as she barely touched the woman before she burst from her chair.
"Juju!" she exclaimed as she rushed over to a white basin bathtub over a heated grate like a large pot over a stove, "Why didn't you tell me my gumbo was burning?!"
"I think I'm finally starting to understand the quirky dynamics behind every League agent we've met so far." Regina remarked as they watched the old woman use her gourd to stir the gumbo.
"Can't believe this!" Mama Odie moaned in worry, "Got to do everything around here."
"Mama Odie, this is-" Emma said before the old woman shoved a wrinkly, gumbo-covered finger into her mouth.
"Taste this." she ordered while Emma savored the flavor, "Well?"
"Uh, maybe a little bit of hot sauce?" she suggested.
"Juju!" Mama Odie barked in the opposite direction of where her pet was. Much to Emma and Regina's surprise, the snake actually added the hot sauce for his mama before she tasted it. Obviously pleased with the taste, the founder of the LXG hollered in delight.
"Oooh! That's got some ZING to it! That's just what it needed. Now, y'all figured out what you need?" she asked.
"We need a way to go home!" Regina shouted in frustration, "So instead of interrupting us and wasting our time with your tub of goulash, how's about you-"
Not caring much for the mayor's attitude, Mama Odie tapped her on the head with her magic gourd and turned her into a dog, then a pig, a cow, a goat, then back to normal. This, of course, was plenty enough to shut Regina up. All Emma could do was look at the rapid transformations in shock and consider herself glad she was smart enough not to mouth off to one of the first people to be Extraordinary like her boyfriend. Plus, Emma Swan knew something Regina did not; never insult a southern woman's cooking, especially when you are a guest in her own home. It just might be the last thing you ever do.
"Child, you are much too young, inexperienced, and downright greener than goat poop to make demands of me in my own home. I trust you won't be foolish enough to run your mouth off like that again? Otherwise, I just might turn you into something I could easily step on on accident; I am blind, you know."
"I'm sorry." Regina whimpered.
"Mhmm. I bet you are." Mama Odie noted.
"Mama Odie?" Emma cautiously asked, "We do need a portal. This realm was made from a wish by the Evil Queen. She's been tormenting our town in her pursuit of revenge. We need to get back and stop her once and for all."
"I admire your bravery, Young Savior. But what are you gonna do once you get there? You have a plan?" Mama Odie asked, seemingly dropping her playful nature and acting like the Extraordinary Gentleman she was.
"This." Emma replied as she held the sword.
"This what? Child, I just said I am blind. These glasses ain't a fashion statement." Mama Odie dryly reminded.
"Oh, sorry. This sword." Emma clarified as she passed it to the founder.
"Ah, yes. I know this blade. Its last owner made quite a name for himself when he wielded it. It's fairy made. Hrunting, I recall. It cuts through just about anything. Yes, that should do the trick. That'll put an end to that abomination."
"I don't think I'd go that far." Regina muttered.
"Child, that lookalike of yours is an unnatural being. You should never have split yourself from her." Mama Odie scolded as she jammed her gourd into Regina's stomach, "You violated so many of the divine laws of nature when you done that. If I weren't retired, I would be within the rights of all my occupations to obliterate you from existence; or at least bend you over my knee and give you the paddlin' your mama should've gave you a long time ago."
"Is there any way for us to get back to Storybrooke?" Emma asked as she stepped in between them.
"Hmm, there is one way." Mama Odie replied before stirring the gumbo to show the women images of the past and present, "Since the giants we're wiped out, poor dearies, there's not been any way to grow magic beans in realms not occupied by the League. And since your wishy-boy Henry found out what done happened to his wishy-grandmama and grandpapi, that boy's having all the knights in the kingdom looking for y'all. You got no beans, but you do have trees."
"Trees?" Emma asked.
"Of course. The wardrobe!" Regina realized as the gumbo showed the magic tree Geppetto used to make the wardrobe used to send Emma away as a baby.
"Nope. No wardrobe. Just the tree. For right now." Mama Odie corrected, "Y'all gonna have to find a way to get that tree made into a portal home. Otherwise, y'all gonna be stuck here. And with as crazy as it's getting', I ain't staying neither."
"Wait, what do you mean?" Emma asked as the old woman waddled back to her throne.
"Dearie, there's only one Mystic Bayou just like there's only one Mama Odie. I ain't from this realm, like y'all think I am." Mama Odie clarified, "I felt this place get made, so I decided to hitch a ride over and see what the fuss was. Y'all pretty lucky I did, too. Otherwise, y'all might've been somewhere else, heheh!"
"So, all we need to do is find Geppetto and convince him to make the wardrobe again; for the first time." Regina said.
"Yeah." Emma nodded before her hopeful smile dropped, "Except in this reality, Marco died of old age a few years before Henry was born."
"Well, that's just perfect." Regina sarcastically spat with a fake smile.
"But Pinocchio's still alive. And I know for a fact he stuck around to learn and work with his father." Emma added, regaining her grin.
"Great! Let's go find him." Regina said ready to leave.
"Wait!" Emma interjected before hesitantly looking back at Mama Odie as she had Juju prop her feet up, "Mama Odie, we really appreciate everything you've done for us."
"Aw, now, don't fret yourself, suga. I wasn't gonna let y'all run around all lost and such." Mama Odie waved off with a grandmotherly smile.
"Even so, thank you. But before we go, there's something I have to ask you. Something that might just save my life." Emma said looking nervous.
"Fire away, sweetheart."
"Do you…" Emma hesitated as she took a deep breath and clenched her hands, "Do you know anything about a beast, or creature made of purple fire?"
"Emma," Regina intervened in concern.
"She's a founder of the League. If she doesn't know, who else would?" Emma defended before looking back to the puzzled founder.
"A creature made of purple fire?" Mama Odie pondered as she rubbed her flabby chin and looked up at the ceiling; despite being visually impaired. "Oh! Y'all talking about Algmata Tier! Yeah, I know it."
"Algma-Almaga-" Emma struggled.
"Algmata Tier." Mama Odie slowly repeated. Finally, after months of worrying and curiosity, they had a name to the mysterious creature from her vision.
"Okay. What is it?" Emma asked.
"It's a nature spirit. And a powerful one, too. Very powerful." Mama Odie replied almost in a warning tone, "Think of all the force and energy behind the most fearsome natural disasters you can think of, and that is what Algmata Tier represents. It's the destructive aspect of nature given form."
"So, I've been seeing an evil monster of destruction in my visions charge at me to probably kill me. Great." Emma sarcastically sweated.
"I didn't say it was evil. Or a monster." Mama Odie corrected.
"But you said-" Regina argued.
"I said, it's the destructive aspect of nature." she repeated, "Children, destruction is part of nature. It's just as important and necessary as creation. Sometimes, it comes in large doses like a hurricane, or a wildfire. But it's part of nature, and thus brings about creation to fill the vacancy it left behind. It's the equivalent to death. But that don't make it evil. That being said, the poor thing was hunted for years by people who wanted to use that power for evil things."
"Was? What happened to it?"
"Well, y'all should know. Y'all done told me y'all met 'em, already." Mama Odie replied.
"What?" Emma asked.
"All due respect, Mama Odie," Regina said more courteously than last time she spoke to the Voodoo Queen, "We didn't know what this thing was until you just told us. We don't know what you're talking about."
"But y'all said y'all knew 'em." Mama Odie said as she tilted her head, finding their words strange.
"When?" Regina asked.
"When y'all got here." she responded.
"…I'm lost." Regina said shaking her head in confusion, "We only said we knew my brother, Nicholas Flamel. And then you said you had never heard of him."
"Oh!" Mama Odie said in realization, "I get it, now. You'll find out soon enough."
"Find out what?" Regina asked.
"Never mind. Now run along and go get that wardrobe of yours built." Mama Odie dismissed with a few flicks of her hand. Once outside and back on the ground, the two friends mulled over this new information in confusion.
"I don't get it. We know this thing?" Emma asked rhetorically.
"That's impossible. Surely we would have seen something as deadly as that running around town at some point." Regina remarked.
"Don't call me Shirley." Emma instantly remarked before realizing what she just said, "Sorry, sorry. That came out before I could stop it. Nicholas and I watched 'Airplane' on our last date-night."
"Of course you did." Regina sighed before they poofed themselves to their destination.
OUaT
Hustling down Main Street, Nicholas and David were keeping their eyes peeled for any sign of the hooded figure. Unfortunately, they were not having much luck.
"Come on. We gotta find this guy before Emma gets back. The only way she's gonna see that hooded figure is behind bars. Or at his funeral." David said.
"Easy, David. You're running on steam as it is. I thought the plan was to get some sleep, kiss Snow and recharge?" Nicholas asked.
"Yeah, well, plans changed now that this guy's in town. He changed the queen into a snake. He's powerful, and he wants to kill my daughter. I'm not gonna let that happen. I'm gonna find this guy."
"And then what?" Nicholas asked as he pulled the co-sheriff to a stop, "David, all those reasons you just listed are why you shouldn't be rushing into things like you are right now. No offense, and I legitimately mean this, but your only skill is fighting with a sword. Let me and the rest of the team find him and take care of him. We stand a much better chance than you do."
"But this is my fault." David interjected, "The wish I made, to give the Evil Queen what she deserves. It brought him here. It's on me. Now, I am not gonna wake Snow until I fix this. If you're not with me-"
"I'm with you." Nicholas replied, "I just hope you know what you're doing."
"You and me both." David nodded before they continued their search. As they did, Gideon, the man in question, was having his first conversation with his parents.
"H-how?" Gold asked, completely stunned, "How is this even possible? How are you here? How are you grown?"
"I've lived a full twenty-eight years." Gideon darkly explained, "I was in a place where time moved differently, where the Black Fairy raised me."
"Did she harm you?" he asked his son.
"Depends what you mean." Gideon responded as he thought of his childhood, "She toughened me up."
"What did she do to you?" Belle asked in concern.
"She did many things, trying to make me evil, but she failed. Because in all those dark years, I always remembered you, Mother. I tried to follow your example." Gideon explained.
"So, you're not here to kill the Savior?" Gold asked.
"No, of course I am." his son coldly acknowledged, "And once she's dead, I will gain her power. I will be the Savior."
"Why would you want to do that?" Gold asked.
"Because there is another land in need of a Savior now. I want to finally free it from the cruel reign of the Black Fairy. And I will need her power in order to stand a chance against something far more powerful afterwards. Once I have the Savior's power, I will bring it to heel."
"Defeating the Savior won't be as easy as you think." Gold warned.
"I've seen it in a vision. I've seen her death at my hand. And when I kill Emma Swan, the beast I am searching for will emerge. And then, I will fulfill my destiny." Gideon declared before poofing away in a cloud of orange smoke.
OUaT
After finding their way to the little cottage, Emma and Regina peered through the trees to see the face of August selling wooden puppets to a pair of happy children.
"Alright, let's go." Regina said as she was ready to approach the former puppet, only to be stopped by the former pathetic princess.
"No, no, no. Stay back. You heard what Mama Odie said, the whole kingdom wants your head on a spike. You'll just be a liability. Stay here." Emma instructed before heading over to see her old friend, "Hey there, Pinocchio."
"Princess Emma." the older version of the puppet-turned-boy jumped in surprise before hugging her tightly, "I-I'd heard terrible rumors you were captured by the Evil Queen and her brother. I cannot tell you how relieved I am to see you."
"Ooh, Nicholas would be so mad if he saw this." Regina thought in amusement at the image of her brother seething in anger and jealousy.
"What are you doing here? What happened?" Pinocchio asked with worry.
Feeling that she could trust him, Emma told Pinocchio everything. About what happened at the castle, the wish, even Storybrooke. To further convince him, she brought Regina inside his cottage to back her story.
"I know this sounds crazy." Emma admitted.
"Long ago, I desperately wanted to become a real boy. And it only took one person, my father, believing in me to make it so. I believe in you, Emma." Pinocchio said sincerely.
"Thank you." Emma exhaled in relief.
"You're welcome. So, why me?" he asked them, "What can a simple wood carver do for you?"
"Carve wood and get us home." Emma answered, "Your father once made a magical wardrobe. It took me between realms. I was hoping you might still have that wardrobe."
"I remember the one you speak about. But I dismantled it years ago. It reminded me of darker times. No offense." he said offhand to Regina.
"None taken. This world became oh-so-much better after I was gone." she dryly remarked.
"Maybe I can help. I know the enchanted grove where my father found the wood for the original wardrobe. Perhaps we can replicate his work. I kept his tools."
"Regina, what do you think?" Emma asked only to see her friend had left the room and a note explaining why.
"Do what you must to get home with Pinocchio. I know you will succeed. But I can't come back until I have a question answered. I know Robin isn't real here, but I need to know if, like everything else in this realm, is he better off without me?"
Hoping to find the alternate version of her soulmate in the same place she first saw him, Regina traveled to the same town, to the same tavern where Tinker Bell first showed her Robin, so many years ago. When she saw his tattoo, she blindly barged in to meet him, only to be recognized by one of the patrons.
"The Evil Queen!" they cried as they scampered out the doors and windows like frightened mice. The only one not running, or even fazed was Robin who just sat there and continued his drink.
"Is it too much to hope you're here to buy me a drink?" he asked as she joined him, "So, you're the Evil Queen. I presume you're here to take back the necklace I stole."
"Um, actually, no." Regina nervously replied, "I'm here to talk to you."
"One doesn't usually come to a tavern for talking." Robin joked.
"Are you happy?" she asked, coming straight to the point.
"You're a strange one." he scoffed in amusement.
"Are you?" she asked again.
"As a matter of fact, my life's great. I have work that I adore, I answer to no man, and I sleep under the stars. Who could ask for more?" Robin replied.
"…So, you were better off." Regina sadly said to herself.
"Pardon?" Robin asked.
"Thanks for telling me." she said as she got up before any tears could fall.
"Wait, what's this about?" Robin asked in confusion as he got up, "Why would you care about my happiness? You can tell me."
"There!" a newcomer shouted as black-clad men entered the tavern and quickly placed a magic-binding cuff on Regina's wrist.
"Nottingham." Robin noted, "Always good to see you."
"Well, the pleasure is all mine." the dastardly sheriff quipped as he held a blade at the thief's throat, "At last, the most wanted man in all the land is as he should be; mine. And I see that we have a little bonus. Oh, I'm sorry, milady, but here in Sherwood Forest, we're prepared for the likes of you. Off with them!"
Back with Emma and Pinocchio, they had made their way to the enchanted grove in search of another tree they could use.
"Is your friend gonna be okay?" Pinocchio asked in concern.
"Regina can take care of herself. We just need to do our part." Emma assured.
"Speaking of which, here we are." he said as the came to the tree.
"It's beautiful."
"It survived the Evil Queen's reign. It's magic flourished."
"And this will get us home?" Emma asked.
"We'll see. Ordinary tools are no good on enchanted wood. Luckily, my father's chisel is exactly what we need. It was special to him. I just hope I can live up to him. He said a true woodcarver must always be in conversation with his tool and his materials." Pinocchio explained as Emma looked to the sword she had been lugging around, "A sword, Princess? The Emma I knew was far more interested in fancy dresses and high tea."
"Where I come from, I'm not a princess. I'm…a Savior." Emma corrected.
"Interesting jobs in your world." he remarked.
"Yeah." Emma scoffed, "I spend a lot more time around guns and swords than dresses and tea. Although, there are some people I know with a much more stressful job than I have."
"What exactly does a Savior do?" he asked.
"A lot of things. I protect people. That's the gist of it, I guess."
"So why so glum? Seems like a good thing."
"Because the job comes with a destiny. I'm supposed to protect my home and family, but I die doing it. Then a beast of destruction shows up and destroys everything. This sword I'm holding, this is what will finish me. As soon as it pierces me, that monster will undo everything I've done."
"Wow." he said, "I have to say, if I were in your shoes, I don't know if I could be brave enough to keep going. I probably would look for a way out. But something tells me you aren't running away from this. Am I right?"
"I thought about it. Believe me, I did. But then I remembered who I was, what it is I'm meant to do. Even if it means my death, I'm going to do my part to save the people I love." Emma firmly swore.
"Well then, Savior, allow me to do my part." Pinocchio kindly smiled before taking his chisel and scrapping off a piece of the enchanted bark.
OUaT
Sitting by himself by Storybrooke's pond, the black-clad, would-be-Savior was brooding in silence as tried to think of a plan to kill Emma. As he did, his estranged father approached from behind.
"Lonely here, isn't it?" Rumple asked trying to break the ice.
"If you're here to talk me off my path, you can't. This is my fate." Gideon coldly dismissed.
"Well, fate's a tricky business. It still requires work. And planning." Rumple lectured in his usual dark tone. Gideon, however, did not appreciate his condescension.
"I see what this is. You don't think I'm strong enough." he accused before attempting to storm off, only to be firmly stopped by his father.
"Don't walk away from your father." Rumple warned as he pushed his son back to his original spot, "You've been alive twenty-eight years? I've been alive hundreds. There are things a man learns."
"…Take your hand off me." Gideon demanded. Rumple did no such thing.
"You know, I waited years for a moment like this; when I could finally tell my own father that I was better than him, stronger than him, so you go ahead. You show me." he challenged.
"You think you know all about me. You have no idea." Gideon shot back through his teeth.
"I know your childhood was full of pain, just like mine. You want someone to pay for that? Make me pay. It is my fault, after all, is it not? I let the Black Fairy take you. I couldn't protect you. So you go ahead. Do it. Hit me." Rumple taunted before slapping his son's face to fire him up, "Hit me."
Wanting to give into his desires, Gideon channeled his magic into his fist, ready to take a swing at his old man.
"Hit me!" Rumple shouted, "If you can't hit me, how do you expect to kill the Savior? Huh? How do you expect to get past her allies, those Extraordinary Gentlemen that will not hesitate to kill you if you go anywhere near her? I can help you, son."
"I don't need your help." Gideon hissed before poofing away.
OUaT
Back in the wish realm, Regina and that realm's Robin were thrown into a prison cart while Nottingham had his men watch them while he took a piss. Obviously, it wasn't the outcome Regina was hoping for when she decided to confront the alternate version of her late soulmate.
"I am so sorry about all this." she said to the thief, "I never meant for you to get hurt."
"Yes, well, then you failed with flying colors." he snapped bitterly, "Now I'm going to die for nothing, having accomplished nothing."
"Not true. You're Robin Hood." Regina defended, "Think of all the people you've helped."
"Robin Hood?" he asked, clearly baffled, "No, I am Robin of Locksley, and I'm a thief."
"A thief who steals from the rich and gives to the poor." Regina added.
"Gives to the poor? Why the hell would I do that?" he asked even more baffled.
"Wait. So you're telling me you're just a common thief?" Regina asked.
"I am not a 'common' anything. I steal from the rich to make myself rich." Robin corrected defensively.
"And that makes you happy?" she asked, "No, I don't believe it. It must be Marian."
"What do you know of Marian?" Robin asked.
"Your wife."
"No. She was never my wife. She died before we could marry." he somberly replied.
"I'm so sorry. So, there's no one?" she asked.
"No. Never." he said curtly.
"And even so, your life, it makes you happy?"
"…That's not exactly what I said. That's what you said." Robin clarified, "If you want the truth, Your Majesty, I haven't been happy for a very long time."
"You never had love." Regina said understanding his pain. However, the sounds of terrified screaming in the distance gained the pair's attention.
"What was that?" Robin asked as the horses started acting afraid before running off without their riders.
"Please!" Nottingham pleaded as he startled them when he grabbed the cage in desperation, "Help me!"
Before either of them could react, a large hand made from the ground erupted behind him, tightly clutched him and threw him high into the air, resulting in falling to his death against the ground he would land on.
"I think I know who did that. And he is not on our side." Regina said in panic.
"How right you are." Flamel said in his raspy voice as he limped over to them with his weapon in hand, "You know, after all those years locked up, it's certainly nice to stretch one's legs again. And kill a few people here and there along the way."
"I'm sorry. Who is this?" Robin asked, slightly afraid.
"A twisted, darker version of my little brother." Regina gulped.
"I'm shocked that you would think I wouldn't come looking for you, sister dear." he grinned maliciously as he paced in front of the cage, "It didn't take long for me to get free, and when I did, I made my way to the Mystic Bayou. But, lo and behold, when I arrived, I found my cache dug up, and my bean missing. So, where is it?"
"…I wasted it." Regina admitted, seeing no point in lying.
"You-you wasted-" Flamel struggled to say past his anger and he pressed his fist to his mouth and let out an aggravated sigh, "You wasted, quite possibly the last bean in this entire realm? Oh, Regina. Even after all these years, you are still such an idiot. Is that why you got yourself arrested and thrown in a cart with…whoever the hell this is?"
"Leave him out of this. He's done nothing to you." Regina snapped.
"Maybe not. But I am very angry right now and could use someone to take my rage out on." he shrugged, "By the way, where's the princess? Send her back home with her parents' heads?"
"Like I would tell you." Regina scoffed.
"…No, you wouldn't. At least not without a little incentive." Flamel acknowledged, "But since you aren't parading around like the Evil Queen anymore, I take it you either succeeded or failed in waking her up. I'm guessing it's the former. You split up after wasting my bean, and then…oh, I get it. You found another way to open a portal, didn't you? Don't deny it. I can see it all over your face."
"Of course you can." Regina sighed in annoyance, "Well, it doesn't matter. Emma's awake and the portal will be ready soon. I succeeded in what I set out to do. And you, little brother, won't be seeing Storybrooke anytime soon."
"Is that so?" he smiled as though he had won and not Regina, "Because, based on what you just said, I've still got time to find your Savior and hitch a ride on her portal."
"You don't even know where to look. Or even what kind of portal it is." Regina retorted.
"True. But you do. And you're going to take me there. Now." Flamel replied.
"And why the hell would I do a stupid thing like that?" she scoffed.
"Because if you don't, he dies." Flamel grinned as he pointed his pale, scarred finger at Robin.
Before either of them could say anything, Robin jolted as he felt something slither up his shirt and down his left sleeve. Swiftly pulling up his sleeve, Robin looked in fear at the small, white snake tightly wrapped around his wrist, ready to inject its venom into his vein.
"What the hell is this?!" Robin panicked.
"Just a little incentive for my big sister." the former immortal smirked, "You didn't really think alchemy was all I had to offer, did you, Regina?"
"So, what? I don't lead you to Emma and the portal and you tell your little friend to bite Robin?" she snapped.
"I guess even you have your moments." he mocked, "That's exactly right. And it's a painful death. That little one's venom puts the venom you used on Leopold to shame. So then, shall we be off?"
OUaT
Having found no trace of Gideon at all, David decided to take on Nicholas' advice and call in the team for help. Skinner, Sawyer and Mina came over to the loft to look over the spots David and Nicholas checked the previous night. Nemo, Gilles and Jekyll were keeping watch on the scanners for any more portal activity, while Quartermain was off doing his own thing. Naturally, Killian and Ariel came over to help, as well. In the meantime, David was looking down at his slumbering wife with guilt.
"I'm sorry. I can't wake you." he softly said to her, "Not until I find the person who wants to harm our daughter. And, Snow, I promise you, I will find him and I will stop him and bring Emma home where she belongs, and we can fix this…all of this."
Sealing his promise with a kiss to her forehead, David steeled himself and joined the others in the kitchen. As he did, Killian answered his phone while his wife addressed the acting sheriff.
"We still haven't found where the Evil Queen's wish sent Emma and Regina." Ariel said, "And I've swam to every realm with an ocean in search of any sign of either of them. All the sea creatures in each of them said the same thing: no one matching either of their descriptions were there."
"Well, wherever they are, Nemo and the others will be able to pinpoint their previous location as soon as they get back." Skinner added.
"The dwarves have searched the entire northern woods. There's no sign of our guy, or anyone else for that matter." the pirate informed after he hung up.
"Well, he couldn't have just vanished. We must have missed something."
"This would be so much easier if we knew who the hell this guy is." Nicholas hissed in frustration.
"His name's Gideon." Belle said as she made her presence known, "He's my son."
"Your son is an infant." Killian remarked as they all looked at her as if she had antlers.
"He was. Then he grew up in another realm, without his parents, and that experience affected him." Belle explained.
"Affected him?" David asked, "He's trying to kill Emma."
"And as far as we know, him doing that is going to unleash some kind of monster on the town." Nicholas threw in.
"I-I know. Look, it's not his fault, okay?" Belle defended, "He's confused and Rumple's out there looking for him right now."
"To stop him or help him out?" Sawyer asked.
"…I don't know." she confessed, "But I do know that I can stop him. If I can just talk to him, reason with him, as his mother."
"His mother?" Nicholas asked, "Belle, if I understand this correctly, he doesn't even know you. Your basing this on…what? Your maternal instincts?"
"I don't know, Belle. If he's really planning to kill Emma-" David began.
"We will stop him." Nicholas finished.
"But that doesn't mean he has to be hurt." Belle reasoned, "Neither one of our children needs to be harmed. Look, David, I came to you for help because I trust you. Can you trust me?"
"…Let's just find him." David replied, "The sooner we do, the better. Then take your shot, but if it doesn't work."
"Thank you." she said. Off to the side, the four agents muttered to themselves.
"You going to kill him?" Mina softly asked Nicholas so that Belle could not hear.
"Only if I have to." he replied.
OUaT
As Flamel was hauling Regina and Robin to their destination, Pinocchio was putting the final touches on the wardrobe. To save time and effort, the wood carver did not uproot the tree or saw off its branches. Instead, he simply hallowed it out and made the doors. In Emma's opinion, it looked better this way than the rushed job she once saw in the ruins of her parents' old castle.
"There!" he exhaled with a smile, "Finished."
"I gotta hand it to you, Pinocchio, you're a chip of the old block. Your father would be proud." Emma praised.
"Well, it's a little rough around the edges, but I think it'll do." he said bashfully.
"Oh, yes! It'll do just fine." Flamel hollered at them from behind.
Swiftly turning around, Emma gasped at what she saw. With his executioner's blade pressing against Regina's back, the Mortal Alchemist urged her and Robin to walk forward with their hands raised.
"Regina?" Emma asked.
"Sorry, Emma." her friend sighed.
"No, don't be sorry. It's what brought us all together again!" Flamel mocked from behind her, "So, this is my portal, huh? I've seen better."
"Okay, that was uncalled for." Pinocchio muttered.
"What do you want?" Emma asked causing the scarred man to laugh.
"Is everyone from your realm so stupid?" he asked, "I want MY STONE! And this shoddy piece of craftsmanship, is going to get me one step closer to getting my immortality back."
"That's it?" Emma scoffed, "You just want to be immortal, again?"
"I want what's rightfully mine!" he hissed.
"You're not even real!" Emma shouted back, "The real Nicholas would never needlessly murder people without reason. And he wouldn't be threatening to kill his own sister over his stone, either."
"Well, I guess that Nicholas hasn't learned the truth, yet." Flamel retorted with an insane smile, "Right, sister dear? You haven't told him, have you?"
"…I don't know what you're talking about." Regina denied.
"Ha! You haven't told him! You're still playing him for a fool! Just like you did me!" Flamel shouted, "No matter. I'll be sure to tell him after I've ripped the Philosopher's Stone out from his chest cavity. That'll be a nice little parting gift from me to me. Now, if you could be so kind as to get out of my way, Princess, I have an appointment with my other self."
"No," Emma denied as she unsheathed her sword, "You won't."
Snarling into action, Flamel pushed his captives aside as he charged towards the blonde Savior. Obviously, this version was not nearly as fast or strong as the other Nicholas, but his skills were still honed enough to keep Emma on her toes. As the fight went on, Regina hurried over to Pinocchio's tools and used his chisel to take off her cuff. Once she did, she got rid of Robin's snake and summoned a fireball, ready to throw it at the unfortunate alchemist.
"What are you waiting for?" Robin asked, "Kill him!"
"I can't." Regina confessed.
"Well, I can." he spat as he quickly drew an arrow and sent it flying into Flamel's shoulder.
"Gah!" the alchemist cried out as he dropped his weapon. Emma looked down at her lover's lookalike in shock. Out of instinct, she was about to check if he was seriously injured. But then, two more arrows impaled him; one in the leg, the other through his knee, leaving him immobile on the ground in pain.
"There." Robin sighed in satisfaction, "They won't kill him, but he's not going to keep fighting anytime soon. Best you ladies get out of here now, just in case."
"Thank you." Regina said sincerely.
"No, thank you. This turned out to be quite the little adventure." Robin replied before pulling out a feather from his arrow, "Here, take this. So a piece of Robin is with you always. I may not be this other Robin you were so found of, but at least you have something to remember us by."
"…When Robin, my Robin died, there was a feather that got lost on its way to me from him. But despite everything, I chose to believe and hope that he was in a good place. I think, somehow…he lives in you."
"Regina, why don't you bring him?" Emma asked.
"He's not real." Regina reminded as Robin kept another arrow ready for Flamel, "Emma, you said it yourself. This place was created by a wish. How could a wish become real?"
"Maybe it can." she reasoned, "The feather. Robin's soul had to go somewhere. Maybe that's why he hasn't aged, why he's different. If you believe any part of him is in there, why walk away?"
"Because, Emma, it's me. And I'm afraid at tempting fate."
"No." Emma denied, "We make our own fate. I did it, and now it's your turn."
"I'm in." Robin said as he rejoined them.
"You are?" Regina asked, "It might not work."
"Then again, it might."
"You'd take the risk?" she asked as Pinocchio open the portal.
"Agh, you people are so pathetic!" Flamel groaned in pain from the ground.
"Fancy another one, mate?" Robin asked as he cocked back his bow.
"No, wait, don't." Regina pleaded as she stopped him, "He's down. He's not going to hurt us."
"Oh, but how I want to." he said in pain, "After what you did to me, all I want is to make you suffer as I did before killing you."
"Regina, what is he talking about?" Emma asked.
"It's her fault, you know. It's because of her that I'm like this." Flamel said.
"It wasn't her that failed to cast the curse. That Regina doesn't even exist." Emma defended.
"Emma," Regina tried to interrupt.
"I'm not talking about that." he groaned, "It's because of her, what she did to me all those years ago, that I became Nicholas Flamel. Go on, Regina, tell her the truth. Tell her how you ruined my life. Tell her what happened that day when we were children. How it was your fault I became this monstrosity. How you-gah!"
Gasping in horror, Emma saw Regina use her magic to send Robin's arrow into Flamel's thigh, in an attempt to keep him from spilling the truth.
"Get through the portal, now!" Regina ordered as she tried to push the two through the veil of magic. However, Flamel was not down just yet.
"You pushed me, Regina!" he shouted causing her to stop dead in her tracks, "You pushed me down that hill! You're the reason I became a slave! You ruined my life! And there is nothing you can do to rid yourself of that! Nothing will ever wipe your hands clean of Abba's blood! You hear me?! Nothing!"
"Go!" Regina urged as she pushed them through the portal, leaving the shell of her brother behind.
Once they made it through, with Emma back in the clothes she was wearing before being wished away, she looked at her friend with her mouth agape in horror.
"It was you?" she asked as Regina refused to make eye contact, "You pushed him?"
"N-no, it wasn't like that at all." Regina denied, "We-we were playing."
OUaT
"You can't catch me!" eight-year-old Regina said playfully to her little brother.
"No fair! Gina, wait for me!" Abba yelled back as they ran into the nearby woods.
Since Regina was older and stronger than her four-year-old brother, she was able to hide and climb much better than he could. Not caring that her dress was getting dirty or torn from the branches, young Regina sat on a sturdy branch just above her unsuspecting little brother. Her plan was to jump down and surprise him, a game they both enjoyed playing. However, when she did, what happened next never crossed her mind.
As soon as she jumped down behind him, the action startled little Abba so much, he swung his body around to see what made the noise, only for his foot to get caught on an arched tree root. This caused the boy to lose his balance and tumble backwards and roll down the steep hill they were playing near. Unbeknownst to either sibling, it would be the last game they would ever play together and they would not see each other for ten years.
OUaT
"Regina," Emma gasped after her friend finished telling the truth.
"He can never know." Regina stressed as tears of shame threatened to spill from her eyes. Despite the tension that had been going on between them lately, Regina could not bring herself to hate her brother. Especially since it was because of her his life had turned out as it had.
"All these years, after everything…why haven't you told him?" Emma asked.
"Because I'm terrified of him." Regina confessed as the tears finally spilled, "Ever since he killed Tucker and Nina, I have been terrified of that side of him. I'm the cause of all his suffering. All the pain he's endured, all the loss he's faced. It's because of me! The moment he learns the truth behind it all, it just might be what finally sends him over the edge and causes him to do the one thing everyone fears that he will do; destroy the word and everything in it. You cannot tell him, Emma. He must never know. As far as both of you are concerned, he tripped and fell purely by accident."
"Wow!" Robin exclaimed after he erupted from a tree, "Talk about making an entrance. So, where exactly are we?"
Over at the mansion, in the surveillance room, the members of Nemo's crew immediately noticed the three portal signatures.
"Captain!" one shouted to Nemo, "We've picked up portal activity."
"Finally." Nemo sighed in relief, "Where?"
"They appear to have opened near the cliff area of the woods, sir." the sailor responded.
"Good. Send a retrieval party to pick them up and-wait. Did you say they? How many were there?" Nemo asked.
"Three, Captain."
"Who is the third?" Nemo asked himself before shaking his head, "Contact the others and alert them of this activity. We may yet have another uninvited guest roaming this town."
In the dark of the night on Main Street, Emma was taking in the brisk weather of her town as she walked the road, sword in hand. As she did, her vision of the sword fight flashed through her mind.
"Savior." Gideon greeted from behind with his hood raised, "I've been waiting."
"Who are you?" she asked.
"My name is Gideon." he replied with a dark smile.
"I only know one Gideon. He looks a lot younger than you do. What do you want?" she asked.
Instead of using words, Gideon summoned a sword of his own and swung it at the Savior's neck. Since her own weapon was already drawn, she was able to save herself and parry his strikes, despite how fast and strong they were. He quickly kicked her to the ground and managed to take her sword with a quick twirl of his own. So she would not do the same, he dismissed his original blade and prepared his final strike. As he did, everyone Emma knew and loved ran towards them while Belle and Rumple rushed to their son.
"Mom!" Henry yelled.
"Emma!" Nicholas shouted as the other caught up.
"Stay back!" she warned them.
"Gideon! Wait!" Rumple called to his son.
"You don't have to do this." Belle stressed.
"It's okay. I'm not gonna let him hurt anyone." Emma assured before Gideon used his magic to freeze them all in place.
"I'm not going to hurt them; just you." Gideon corrected darkly as Emma's hand began to shake, "Ready to die, Savior?"
"I am fated to die, and I will die." Emma admitted before she willed her magic to return, "But not today!"
With a powerful blast of magic, Emma sent Gideon flying yards back. As he laid on his back, Emma grabbed the sword and pressed it against his neck, ready to eliminate the threat against her life and home.
"I'm still going to kill you." Gideon promised.
"Please." Rumple begged as he and Emma locked eyes, "He's my son."
"Like Neal." she thought as she hesitated.
"I don't need your help!" Gideon shouted as he kicked Emma off and grabbed the sword from her.
As she laid on the ground, Gideon raised the blade, ready to fulfill his destiny and kill her, but before he could, the unexpected happened. Similar to what Emma saw when she met Sweeny Todd in Shamballa, a bullet of purple energy shot over her and shattered the sword on impact.
"That was just like…" Emma thought before jerking her head back to see where the energy could have come from. Based on its angle, she deduced it came from the clock tower. She looked back, ready to continue the fight, but Gideon did not look as ready.
Rather than looking furious, or malicious, as he had been during his entire time in Storybrooke, the son of the Dark One looked giddy. Like what just happened was the best thing he could have asked for. Even with the sword reduced to shards of enchanted steel, he was so happy, it was downright frightening.
"It's here." Emma heard him whisper as he madly smiled at the hand that once held the sword before looking at the clock tower, "It's here!"
Not saying another word, the mysterious man poofed away in a cloud of orange smoke, leaving Emma confused on so many levels. Once he was gone, his spell was released and everyone was freed.
"Mom! You did it!" Henry cheered as they all rushed up to her. However, Nicholas beat them all to the first hug.
"You're amazing, Em." he praised with love.
"Thank God you're alive." David exhaled as he snatched his baby girl into his arms.
"You, too, Dad. You, too." Emma said as she hugged him back, beyond happy that her real dad still had his head, "Really. Thank you."
"Good work, sheriff." Sawyer praised with a tip of his hat.
"What happened here?" Emma asked, "Was that really Gold and Belle's baby?"
"We'll filly you in later." Nicholas promised, "Hopefully, he won't be back for a while."
"Nicholas Flamel?" Robin asked, making his presence finally known to everyone, "Well, you were certainly a little more well-kept and courteous in your younger days."
"Robin?" he asked as he and his fellow agents gawked at the face of their fallen comrade.
"Well, not really Robin. Sort of." Emma corrected.
"It's an alternate reality." Regina clarified, "Copies of everyone. I brought him back."
"Alternate reality?" Nicholas asked, "Wait. Not-not well-kept? What happened to you? What happened to me?"
"It's okay. It's all gonna be fine." Emma assured as she tried to push the memories of the Mortal Alchemist out of her mind. All she wanted to do was take in the warmth of the man she loved and her son.
Meanwhile, having snuck away from the happy reunion, Belle and Rumple found themselves at the wishing well, mulling over the day's events.
"Making a wish?" Rumple asked as he joined his wife.
"I better not." Belle scoffed, "My hopes and plans don't turn out like I want them to. No matter what I do, who I trust."
"I understand the feeling." Rumple acknowledged.
"Do you?" Belle asked, "Cause, I mean, clearly you wanted to keep him tied to this horrible fate, and you succeeded."
"I wanted his life to take its natural course." Rumple corrected, "He still has the power to change his choices, like the Savior's doing. But using the shears would have robbed him of that. And, yes, I was gonna use them on him before, but I was wrong."
"And you think he'll make the right choices now?" Belle asked.
"No. But I hope he still may." he said, "I know you don't believe that's what I want, Belle, but it's true. When Baelfire rejected my magic, I respected it. I just wasn't brave enough to follow it. My whole dark life, I've sought out those who are light; like you."
"So, what, you don't want him to kill Emma?" she asked.
"No, I don't." Rumple said sincerely, "That would be an irrational act of someone so blind with pain they think they're reaching for the cure when, in fact, it's just more poison. I know. I've done it myself. Frankly, I suppose I'm addicted to it, but I don't want it for my son."
"I protected him, even knowing what he wanted to do." Belle admitted, "It can be easy to rationalize doing the wrong thing, can't it?"
"Indeed it can." he nodded as he thought of the thousands of times he, himself, did just that.
"Is it too late for us to help him?" she asked, "You must have some plan, some trick."
"I'm sorry." he said shaking his head, "But if there is anything we can do to help him, perhaps that's something we should do together. Not just for us, but for everyone. You heard our son. I fear if we fail war will come to Storybrooke yet again."
"…What do you think he meant when he said it's here?" Belle asked as she thought back to Gideon's last words, "Do you think it has anything to do with what he said he was going to bring to heel?"
"I don't know." Rumple confessed, "But whatever it is, he was expecting it to make an appearance tonight. We might yet see it by the end of it all. But one thing I can say is this; whatever it is, it might just be too powerful for him even with the Savior's magic. Whatever it is, it might be our doom."
"What could possibly have that much power?" Belle asked in fear.
As they had this conversation, Gideon climbed the steps of the inner part of the clock tower with his insane grin. When he reached the face of the clock, he used his magic to reveal traces of powerful, purple magic left behind. This was all the confirmation he needed for his true target. The beast he would bring to heel.
"Algmata Tier." he whispered with glee.
So...thoughts?
Starting at the beginning, let's talk about Mama Odie.
First off, she is played by Cassi Davis a.k.a. Aunt Bam Murphy from the Madea movies. I think she's the only actress who could be the live action version of Mama Odie. You can't change my mind. She looks and sounds just like her. I still have a hard time believing that's not Mama Odie's voice actress.
Fair warning, it is going to be a very long time before we see her in the present again. She'll make another appearance in flashback scenes, but it's gonna be years before we see her in the present again.
As you can imagine, Algmata Tier is the character I was talking about. Again, it's mine and as of today, February 2, 2020, I am making it know that it is my own property and I have all rights and ownership of it. Like I said at the top, I am going to use it in a book series I am working on. This story is becoming the inspiration behind it, so NO TOUCHY. I don't mean to sound like a territorial ass, but I am very protective of my characters. And when you guys see what I'm gonna do with this behemoth, hoho! You are gonna get chills!
But moving on from that, I'd like to get into that little bit I made wish Nicholas reveal.
Yes, Regina is responsible for Abba falling down that hill and becoming Slave #23 and later Nicholas Flamel. Nicholas has no idea of this. His mind is the most delicate part of him and is basically the only part of him that can never fully heal. So, if he did know the truth, he most likely blocked that part and concluded he must have tripped on accident, without Regina's surprise.
It's a cruel thing to do to him, I know, but it's part of his character development. I debated for quite some time on whether or not I was going to include that little detail. In fact, there was one idea I briefly considered that would have made things even worse for Nicholas.
Just for shits and giggles, I considered making Rumple Nicholas' biological father. Yep. It was gonna be the Evil Queen's move to destroy both Rumple and Nicholas in a sick, twisted game of "Who's Your Daddy?" It would have been the only mentioning of it in the entire story. I was gonna make them both drink a memory potion to make them forget and go back to hating each other. But I decided not to. It's unnecessary, and for what I have planned for him after season 6, it'd just be overkill.
Now, besides this, let's go over my changes to the episode.
Fat, old Hook did not make an appearance for these reasons. 1. It'd be pointless since he's not Emma's love interest in this version. 2. I put enough comedic relief in all my other chapters so his wasn't needed. And 3. I won't be following the plot line of season 7, so his intro was unwarranted.
Also, I skipped Regina telling Robin the truth because I wanted to get through this chapter as soon as possible. Plus, let's just go with they had their conversation in the cart as Wish Nicholas was taking them to the tree. Cool? Cool.
Oh, and before we end this, don't get the wrong idea about what happened with the clock tower. If you remember the party at Shamballa, you might think you know who fired that bullet. It could have been our missing agent, or Algmata Tier. It was one of the two, but they are not the same. If you have any ideas, KEEP THEM TO YOURSELF. Just for the time being. We're halfway done with this season, so everything will be revealed. Okay?
I would like to tell you to just PM me if you have any thoughts on this subject, but I think my alert system for PMs is jacked up. I found six unread PMs before I uploaded this chapter and I know for a fact I had not received any emails about them. So, I suggest you all check your own if you don't check them regularly. The site may be having some technical difficulties.
Well, long story short, this is where things get interesting. Twists and turns are gonna be coming by the bucket loads from this point on. Especially in the next chapter~
I've made up for killing George back in season 2 like you wouldn't believe! I won't give much spoilers, but I will say this. In this version, Hook does NOT kill David's father. Neither does Nicholas. It's someone else entirely.
Stay tuned for more! Hope y'all liked this! Bye!
