Emma glanced down and she saw that her son was right. She really was a dragon! A bright scarlet dragon, the exact same shade as her leather jacket. It seemed it was more than just her armour; it was her scales. At first, she thought she was only one block colour but upon a closer inspection, she could see a swirl of purple down her sides and that her underbelly was white.
However, despite Emma hearing her son's comforting words that no one was scared of her, she couldn't focus on it. All she could see and feel was that suddenly she was a dragon and everything had been confirmed. She was Maleficent's daughter, it couldn't be denied any longer. Everything she had known since she had entered Storybrooke suddenly appeared to be a lie, or an elaborate fairy-tale. It was just too much in the moment, she felt as if the air was being squeezed out of her dragon-sized lungs.
She felt a rush of emotions hit her all at once. She had known for almost a month that there was a possibility of Snow not being her mother, despite this she felt adrift. Snow may have alienated her, misunderstood her and treated her badly, but she had finally found a family with David and Neal. In spite of everything, she had still believed that she was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Yet as she took in her new body, she realised that wasn't the case. It was official, she was the daughter of the Queen of Darkness, and yes, of Prince Charming also.
Looking around, she could only see the look of surprise on everyone's face, including her father's. However, there was a look in Regina and Henry's eyes that she couldn't read. Frustratingly, she felt like she'd be able to understand if she were human but there seemed to be a block on her readings in her new reptilian form. She took a few steps forwards, hearing the earth shake underneath her newly enlarged feet, but as she got closer to Regina and Henry, hoping they would somehow be able to help her change back, they both automatically took a step back.
Unable to understand their reactions at that time (although later she'd would realise that the most natural reaction when a huge dragon was making their way over would be to step back) she stared to panic. Her blood started to pulse faster and the dragon deep within her psyche and person started to take over as a fail-safe, a defence mechanism of sorts.
In her alarm and fear, she felt her wings flapping of their own accord. Realising their small error, Henry and Regina rushed forward to try to stop her from taking off, but it was to no avail. Emma couldn't control the flight as her wings took her higher than she had ever been before except the odd couple of times she'd been on a plane. Up and up she went and the ground below her became impossible to see. Dimly, she registered the fact that her fear of heights had mysteriously disappeared as she climbed ever higher.
The clouds caressed her wings as she flew, but she couldn't stop from going higher. It was as if her turmoil was carrying her as if on autopilot because she knew she wasn't in control of the flight. All she wanted was to be human again and safely on the ground, but her wings had other ideas.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of another set of wings in front of her and another, slightly smaller dragon joined her, stopping her where she was. The surprise had overcome the panic that was causing her to fly. It was easy to know who the other dragon was as there were no other dragons in Storybrooke, but the fact that the black dragon before her had the matching purple swirls on her side confirmed it. Maleficent had joined her.
With the shock that she was no longer alone, Emma started spiralling, spinning around where she was as she tried with her might to try to control her new body, but she couldn't. She knew if she was still human, she'd have been screaming. However, all she did when she opened her mouth was emit a plume of fire. It was not ideal, but at least she was still able to control something.
Maleficent flew back to avoid the flame but she didn't fly away. She spun so her wings were in front of Emma and she realised that the other dragon was demonstrating how to hover. Slowly, Emma began to concentrate on her wings, willing them to follow the same motion that Maleficent was showing her and quickly, she stopped spinning and settled in the air, no longer rising, but not falling either. She was almost bouncing gently on the spot; it was pleasant.
Looking forward, she saw Maleficent open her mouth and suddenly, Emma heard a voice in her head.
"It's okay," the voice said. It was calming and smooth despite the fact the woman must have been in complete shock too at the fact that she now knew who her daughter was. "The first transformation is always the hardest and the scariest, but I can help you through this, Emma. I'm your mother."
Whenever Emma had heard Snow say that phrase, something felt odd and just plain wrong. She had always felt uneasy about it. She had never felt like Snow was her mother, she had always preferred her friendship with Mary Margaret and now she knew why. It was because it was all a lie. The truth was before her in the shape of two dragons.
She shut her eyes and tried to concentrate on how to communicate with the woman before her, but it wasn't coming to her as naturally as she had thought it would. After all, wasn't the dragon a part of her? Shouldn't she be able to control all the abilities that came with it?
"Just think to me," Maleficent murmured softly, sensing Emma's struggle, "and I will hear you."
Emma swallowed and did what she was told. "Help me. I don't know how to become human again."
Maleficent flew towards her and gently rested her forehead against the red dragon's as if trying to pass her serenity to her. "You can do this, Emma, think of the reason you want to be human again. Your son, your father, Regina, your friends. You can do this. You just need to calm yourself down. Your emotions are making it harder for you to control your new flying ability, you will learn to control it once you have calmed down somewhat. For now, we'll take it in steps. Firstly, concentrate on wanting to fly down, rather than up."
At the instruction, Emma took a deep breath and listened to Maleficent's words. Her presence brought a new comfort over Emma that she had never felt and feeling her forehead resting against her mother's was soothing. Even her voice was comforting. As she thought of her family and friends, she felt herself falling gracefully to the ground, her wings gently lowering her back down. She felt she was conquering the flight, but she still had no idea how to become human again.
"That's it," Maleficent encouraged as Emma started slowly flying downwards gracefully and not crash-landing. "Keep concentrating on going down toward the ground. We'll concentrate on how to become human again once you've landed."
It was as if the dragon could read her mind even when she was channelling her thoughts towards her. She didn't know if the two shared a connection already or if it was just obvious what Emma was thinking.
As she descended, she realised that controlling the beast inside her would be magnificent. She wanted to be able to stretch her wings and fly. Perhaps she could take Henry and Regina on flights if she was able to find a way to communicate with them while they flew.
"One thing at a time, Emma," Mal murmured with a small chuckle in her thoughts. "We need you to land and return to your human form before you can take your family on flights."
Emma's head ducked. "How do you know what I'm thinking?"
"You're projecting all your thoughts," Mal revealed. "Don't worry, you'll be able to separate between what you want to keep private and want to say in your dragon form. It will all become easier. I can show you everything."
"Thank god!" Emma muttered.
By now, they weren't too far away from the ground. The clouds had thinned and she could finally see what was happening on the ground but couldn't hear the words.
The dwarves were running in all directions, leaving Snow who was clinging onto Charming desperately, but he was trying to shake her off. He looked angrier than Emma could had ever seen him, his fists were balled up so tightly that Emma's dragon-superior eyesight could see that they had turned white in his fury.
It was only when Regina rushed forward and produced a fireball so large that it could engulf the spoilt princess whole, that Snow shot back, finally releasing Charming's arm but didn't leave. It wasn't until Regina forcefully threw her back with a blast of purple magic, that she did start to retreat, albeit reluctantly. She saw Lily run over to her parents and stood between them, screaming something at Charming, before Snow grabbed her hand and they disappeared in a flash of Lily's flame. Something deep within Emma twinged as Lily disappeared but she ignored it. The dwarves then disbanded and ran off in different directions, unsure what to do (injured Dopey being dragged along by an unhappy Happy). All except Grumpy who started stalking in the direction of Snow's apartment.
By the time Emma landed on the floor, still in her dragon form, only Operation Dots and Charming remained. Henry, Charming and Regina rushed forward this time instead of away. It was Emma who tried to retreat so that she wouldn't hurt her family.
"We're not scared," Henry said strongly. "We know you." He took hold of Charming and Regina's hands. "We love you, Ma."
"You can do this, Emma," Maleficent's voice murmured in her head. "I won't change back until you do. Concentrate on your love and your will to return to human form. It may hurt but it'll get easier, you are both a dragon and a woman; they are both a part of you. Deep breaths but keep your mouth shut so you don't burn anyone."
"Come back to us, Em," Regina pleaded softly as if she could hear what Maleficent had been saying. "You can do this. We believe in you."
Emma nodded and took a deep breath, summoning all the love she felt for the people before her, breathing out through her nose instead of her mouth which usually came naturally. She decided to let her love grow as she concentrated. She started with her friends. Years ago, she never thought she'd have such amazing friends, but they stood there to support her. The amount she loved her friends sometimes baffled her as she'd struggled to make friends and keep the friendships when she had been younger. Lily had been her only friend and such a fine example of friendship that had been.
Her eyes looked over at Ruby and Elsa who were still standing just behind her family and neither of them looked scared. Zelena and Belle were standing to the side of Regina, the former looked amused as if she had an inkling something like this would happen eventually. But none looked scared, they accepted her before all of this and they remained standing there to prove that they would always accept her.
Her family came next. Now she was no longer panicking, she could understand their emotions better, the block seemed to have shattered with Maleficent's help. Henry looked almost excited at the fact that his mother was a dragon. Well, he had said he wanted a pet dragon and what was better than that? A dragon for a mother it seemed.
To his side, Regina had her eyes directly on Emma. They were full of love and admiration and passion. It baffled Emma how she had never realised that woman loved her sooner because she'd seen that expression on her beautiful features but had never been able to read them. Now they had been unlocked, she couldn't not see them and felt her heart burst with how much she loved and adored her.
She then looked at her father. Charming seemed to be lost, looking between the dragons. As he looked at Emma, he looked proud but as he looked at Maleficent, he looked as if he was a young boy, in love for the first time. Knowing that Maleficent wouldn't change until she did, she knew she was keeping them apart for longer which was unfair. Maleficent looked just as lost as Charming, torn between wanting to be reunited with her love but wanting to stay strong and help her daughter who she was meeting properly for the first time.
Finally, Emma shut her eyes and concentrated on the love she had for her friends and family. Slowly, but surely, she felt herself shift and become smaller. Her wings reduced and disappeared, her claws retracted and her skin turned from red scales to pale human skin once more. When she opened her eyes, she was back to her human form, the same height as her father again. He rushed forward and hugged her tightly before she was passed around the group. Everyone hugged her in turn and murmured how thankful they were that she was okay.
"That was awesome," Ruby said as she pulled back from their hug. "Now I'm not the only beast in the group."
Emma was too in shock to speak, let alone to laugh. She had no idea what to say. What could she possibly say in reaction that that?
As usual, it was Henry who broke the silence. He turned to his adoptive mother with a huge grin. "I told you I bet good money that Ma was Maleficent's. I'd be rich if you'd let me make that bet, Mom!"
Regina rolled her eyes before it was her turn to hug Emma closely. As she pulled back, she pressed a soft kiss to her lips and Emma closed her eyes at the sensation. She would never grow tired of feeling of Regina's lips on hers. It was bliss. Even when Henry mocked being sick, it didn't stop it. Instead, she looped her arm around her girlfriend's back, stealing another kiss or two.
"Are you alright?" Regina asked.
Emma nodded. "I'm good." She stole another kiss, unable to help herself. "I don't know what I'd have done if Maleficent hadn't come up after me."
"At least we were still able to find out the answer after Snow stupidly ruined that potion," Regina muttered frustratedly. "Silly bitch…sorry Henry," she added when her son raised his eyebrow at her in a move eerily similar to one of her own trademarks. Regina rarely swore but it seemed Snow was an exception.
The group chuckled apart from Charming who was staring past his daughter now that he knew she was okay. Turning, Emma saw Maleficent and Ursula talking quietly before the blonde sensed the eyes on her.
Slowly, Maleficent turned and faced Charming. She looked at him as if she hadn't seen the sunlight before. Her eyes were wide and her breathing was erratic. They seemed to unfreeze at the same time and rushed towards each other, embracing each other tightly.
"David," she whispered into his ear.
"Mal," he replied, just as breathlessly before lifting her into the air as she caressed his cheeks. He looked at her just like she did him, as if she was the sun and he a star, pulled into her gravitational orbit. He gently let her down before pulling her in for a deep kiss. "My darling Mally, I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to sort myself out. I shouldn't have taken so long."
"You'll feel my wrath later," she teased before stealing another few kisses. They held each other as if they were embracing the most precious items in the world in their arms. "But on a more serious note, I'm upset that you didn't think to come find me sooner." She then caught Emma's eye. "Then again, our daughter did mention you're a typical man."
As Emma watched on, she felt a new sense of happiness. It was a reunion she hadn't known she'd needed to witness but now, as she looked between where her parents were standing and back at Regina who was still beside her with Henry who'd moved to stand beside his blonde mother, she'd never felt so complete.
She chuckled when she heard what Maleficent said. "I did tell you as much."
Charming sighed as he, Maleficent and Ursula joined where everyone else were gathered around Emma and her family.
"Well this is it for me," he murmured as he held Maleficent's hand tightly. "I'm divorcing Snow as soon as I can. I've already got the papers but just been waiting for the right moment. I almost served them yesterday but…" He trailed off, unsure of his reasoning because he hadn't thought them all through. He just knew that he wanted Maleficent.
"It's okay," Mal replied softly, squeezing Charming's hand. "We'll figure this out together but yes, divorcing that brat is a start."
Charming chuckled and kissed Mal's cheek. "I've missed you so much, Mally. I love you."
The smile on Maleficent's face was pure bliss as she heard the words come out of his mouth. "I love you too and I've missed you." She held onto him tightly. "Now I say we should take this somewhere more private and have a family reunion. I want to know everything that's happened and I want to get to know my daughter. Our Emma. What do you say?"
She looked at Emma and back to Charming, hoping he would say something to convince their daughter. Emma was holding onto Regina's hip tightly with nerves. She wanted to run to her parents but there was a tiny part of her pulling her back, saying that this bliss wouldn't last for ever.
"I'd love to," Charming replied before looking to Emma. "What do you say, Em?"
Emma hesitated.
"You can do it," she heard Regina murmur so quietly she thought she'd put the thought into her head. "It's time."
Slightly, Emma glanced to the left and saw that Regina was staring forward, not looking like she'd spoken and Emma released that the mayor actually had placed the thought in her head without speaking. It seemed that her powers truly had been released after dragoning out, they had never managed telepathy before.
Emma took a deep breath and nodded. "I agree."
She then nervously walked over to her parents. Maleficent released Charming's hand and reached out to take Emma's right hand just as Charming took her left. As she accepted their hands, Emma felt a sense of calm that you could only get when you were with your parents. It was a foreign feeling, but it didn't panic her half as much as she thought it would. She wasn't sure if it was because she already had such a tight bond with her father. However, as soon as the feeling swept through her, she felt a burn on her wrist that was holding onto Maleficent's hand.
Quickly, she released their hands, not seeing the flash of worry in Maleficent's eyes as she presumed it was rejection, and turned over her wrist to see a small, red welt in the shape of a star form. Looking up, she caught Ursula's eye. "Is this what you were looking for? When you were looking for the birthmark on my wrist?"
Both Ursula and Regina rushed over to look at the new mark on her wrist which was fading to a small mark as quickly as it had appeared.
"I don't understand how it disappeared in the first place," Ursula murmured. She looked up at Maleficent who realised that Emma hadn't let go because she was rejecting their fledgling relationship, but it was genuinely because she had been in pain. "She definitely had it when we took her to the Apprentice, and the baby I brought back to you definitely had a star too. I don't understand what happened?"
"Perhaps I could answer that," said a low voice from behind them.
Everyone turned to see the Apprentice making his way over to them. He was dressed all in black which made his grey beard stand out with flecks of white. He looked serious and a sense of panic ran down Emma's spine. She'd not had many encounters with him and the ones she had had always had a solemn meaning to them. She had a feeling this would be the same.
"But we need to get off the street for this conversation," he continued. "Come."
Without waiting for anyone to agree, he waved his hand and everyone transported from the middle of Main Street into the Apprentice's Mansion, his dining room more specifically. He sat at the head of the table with Emma to his left and Charming and Maleficent to his right. Emma was relieved that Regina had landed next to her.
Immediately, she reached out and took hold of the brunette's hand, as a way to ground herself to the moment. Regina squeezed her hand gently as if proving that she was still there.
"I must confess that it is my fault that the babies were switched at birth," the Apprentice revealed. "I did not want to reveal which baby would be pure and which was dark, but I felt that I had no other legitimate choices. When I made my decision, I decided to make things more difficult which is why I changed baby Emma's snowflake into a star and removed baby Lilith's mark altogether. Of course, this led to the confusion where Lilith grew up to be Emma and vice versa. Emma's mark returned as she has now been reunited with her mother. Lilith's mark will have also changed back into the snowflake now that she is with her mother."
"But why did you do it?" Henry asked. "You could have just refused Grandpa's request. You're definitely more powerful. No offence, Grandpa," Henry added to his grandfather who blushed at the comment. "That was your choice."
The Apprentice turned to where Henry was sitting beside his brunette mother. He didn't look apprehensive at what the Apprentice was saying and Emma was proud of how he was holding his own.
"It was my choice," the Apprentice agreed. "However, while I say it is my fault that the babies were switched, it is not in guilt. I stand by that choice because it was what was needed. Rumpelstiltskin spoke of a child named Emma who would break the curse and it needed to be the pure child to break the curse otherwise this world would have been torn to shreds. That is the reason I swapped the babies so that Emma," he nodded to the blonde, "would be the one to break the curse. On the outside, Lilith may seem to have calmed down but now she is where she is meant to be, back with the darkened soul of Snow White, she will fall quickly. I hear that that has already begun after the brutal murder of Cruella De Vil and Killian Jones."
"So, there is no stopping her or reasoning with her?" Charming asked, hoping the Apprentice would reveal a way for him to save his other daughter. "Am I to blame for this?"
The Apprentice cocked his head to the side on contemplation before sighing. "I don't believe so. I mean, if you and Maleficent hadn't done what you did," the implication was there without him needing to specify what was meant, "the woman known now as Lilith would still have been born as yours and Snow White's first born. Lilith would still have been born the daughter of the woman with the darkened soul."
Emma listened to the Apprentice's words and felt a nagging to ask the question Lily had accused her of. "So, I'm not to blame for how her life turned out either?"
"No," the Apprentice confirmed quickly, almost surprised to hear the question. "You're not responsible at all. Lily's life was written out for her the moment she was conceived. Your birth saved the people of the Enchanted Forest. You're the child of True Love."
Charming and Maleficent looked at each other, their eyes wide with shock. They knew that they loved each other powerfully, but it had never occurred to them that they were True Loves. They had believed they were the other's second chance at love.
"I thought Snow White was Grandpa's True Love," Henry piped up. "It's written everywhere."
"All stories can be twisted," the Apprentice murmured, "and for some reason, the Author was fond of the pairing though I am unsure why. He has been stripped of his title for it anyway."
"The Author?" Henry repeated. "Who's the Author?"
The Apprentice smiled knowingly. "Who do you think wrote your storybook and why do you think the pages are suddenly blank? I told him to rewrite the tale correctly or else. He wrote a few pages before refusing to write anymore. He was disposed of."
Henry shivered at the phrase, everyone could tell what the Apprentice mean by that. "Oh. Well, if you ever want anyone to finish the story with the truth, let me know."
He said it as a joke, an offhand comment, but as the Apprentice looked at him speculatively. The older man considered the implications of giving the Truest Believer the Author's role, but his thoughts were interrupted before he could comment on it.
"What happens with the prophecy?" Regina asked. "We know who Emma's mother is now, but the prophecy hasn't been fulfilled yet and we don't know what happens next."
"I don't want to fight Lily if I can help it," Emma added. "Not because I'm scared of her or of what could happen, I just don't want the confrontation."
"I know you don't," he said as if he was sorry that the situation was going to happen. He then looked at Emma as if she were the only one in the room. "All I can say to you in regard to the prophecy, is that it will come into play within the week. You should prepare for the fight; for someone will not survive."