We had soon made it to Rumpelstiltskin's cell. My friends were helping Mulan and Aurora light the torches around the cave so we could see better. "Rumpelstiltskin's Cell." Mary Margaret muttered, "I haven't been here since before Regina's curse. This is where he told us that we'd be having twins and that you, Emma, would be the saviour." I bit my lip.
"He knew?" Emma asked.
"Oh, it was prophesied."
"Let's go." I interrupted, "We don't want to keep the others waiting." I walked forward, wanting to help the search.
"The Squid Ink isn't here." Ben said sadly,
"It has to be!"
"Gold said we would find it." Mary Margaret announced.
"Was there anyone one else in the cell?" Jay asked.
"If so could they have taken it?" Carlos added.
"No, he was kept alone." Mary Margaret told us, "Visitors were forbidden, he was too dangerous to allow any human contact."
"How did he keep from going crazy?" Emma asked.
"Um...guys…?" Evie called. We turned to her. She had found a scroll and was unrolling it. "He...He was already crazy."
"What is that?" Mal asked with a frown,
"Is it a message?" Mary Margaret questioned,
"Yeah…" Evie trailed off, "H, it's for you and Emma." Evie showed us the scroll.
"Why do you think it's for...us…" I muttered. The parchment had only two things written on it. Mine and Emma's name over and over, one line after the other. I shakily took it from her hands, aware of Emma reading it over my shoulder. Emma pulled the rest of the parchment open. It reached the floor. There was nothing but our names.
TIMESKIP
"What does this even mean?" Emma questioned. The two of us were sitting side by side, still staring at the roll of parchment.
"He was obsessed with you girls, Emma, you were the key to breaking the curse." Mary Margaret told us.
"That's not creepy at all." Carlos muttered.
"We've looked everywhere, there is no ink in this cell." Aurora declared.
"Nothing!" Evie exclaimed.
"There has to be. He told David." Mary Margaret stated.
"Mary Margaret, to be fair you were in the Netherworld, in a room full of fire, something probably got lost in translation." Mal said.
"No." Mulan argued, "She heard right."
"You found it!" Mary Margaret exclaimed. We all gathered around Mulan.
"In a manner of speaking." Mulan opened an ink pot, "There was ink in this cell." The ink pot was empty.
"Son of a bitch…" Emma muttered. I then noticed movement out the corner of my eye. Aurora threw a rock and it hit the lever and dropped the cell bars. "Aurora what are you doing!" Emma yelped. We all ran to the cell bars, pressing our faces through them. I saw who was on the other side. I saw Hook and...Mother.
"Helping me." Mother said, walking forward. My eyes were wide as I stared at her. She used her magic and teleported the compass from Emma's hand to hers.
"No." Emma whimpered, "No!" She tried to break the bars,
"Don't waste your energy dear. Rumpelstiltskin himself couldn't escape from this cell. Thank you Aurora, we couldn't have done this without you."
"How could you do that?" Mal growled, her eyes flashing a dangerous green as her gaze shifted to Aurora.
"Come on Princess!" Jay exclaimed.
"Don't blame her." Mother said. "She was only doing what she was told." Cora bought her other hand from under her cloak to reveal a heart.
"You took her heart…?" I realised.
"Actually, I did." Hook told us, stepping forward. "It was a gift." Mother tightened her hand around Aurora's heart, causing the princess to clutch her chest in pain.
"Forgive us." Mother 'apologised', "We'd love to stay, but Storybrooke awaits." Mother then waved her hand and I was beside her. She gripped my arm and started to pull me back.
"No!" I protested, pulling against her hold, trying to reach my family.
"Hadley!" Ben exclaimed, running up to the bars.
"Ben!"
"No!" Mary Margaret exclaimed, reaching out to me. They were soon out of my sight as Mother pulled me away.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked Mother,
"This is for your own good." Mother said, "Plus, you get to meet your sister." I bit my lip and stopped struggling, knowing that even if I tried to get away, I wouldn't be able to.
TIMESKIP
"Where are we going?" Hook asked as we walked through what seemed to be desert.
"Lake Nostos." Mother replied. "Legend's says it's waters hold the power to restore what was once lost It'll return magic to what remains of the wardrobe. And then we'll be able to cross worlds" I scoffed. "Care so share something Princess?"
"My Father killed the spirit that inhabited the waters." I stated, "And as such, dried the lake. How are we able to use water that isn't here." Mother looked down at me and lifted her hand, making a swirling motion with her wrist, causing a whirlpool to arise from under the dirt.
"Princess, from the stories you've read about me in that book I gave you, you doubt my powers." I glared up at my mother Mother. The water soon receded that made about a twenty-foot wide pool. "And now, the ashes." Mother turned to Hook, "Would you care to do the honours?" Hook took the ashes from her and uncorked the bottle, spilling the ashes into the water. A whirlpool formed in the water, the portal opening. "Here we go. We'll be in Srorybrooke soon enough. I really look forward to seeing my daughter." Mother gripped my upper arm with one hand, holding the compass between Hook and herself with the other. "I told you I'd deliver you to Rumpelstiltskin." Hook placed his hand on the compass, "Now don't let go. Unless you want to end up someplace that isn't Storybrooke." Suddenly, an arrow ct through the air and knocked the compass out of Mother's hand. I turned to where the arrow came from and saw Emma, Mary Margaret, Mulan, Ben and my friends. I smiled in relief.
"You're not going anywhere!" Mary Margaret declared, "This portal's taking us home."
"Find it first, I'll take care of them." Mother ordered. She shoved me back and waved her hand, causing vives to erupt from the earth and encircle my wrists, rendering me unable to fight. I struggled against my bonds, tears falling down my cheeks as I helplessly watching the fight happen. Mulan, Mary Margaret, Evie and Mal were trying to fend off Cora, while Carlos, Jay and Emma tried to disarm Hook. Ben raced up to me and started to work at the vives holding me down.
"Thank the Gods your here." I sobbed,
"I'll always come for you." Ben whispered. I smiled through my tears. Just as Ben had cut me free, a small bag flew over the portal. Hook leaned back and stretched over the portal, catching it before it fell in the portal. He tossed it to Mulan.
"I may be a pirate, but I dislike the thought of a woman losing her heart...unless it's over me." Killian told us. I flexed my fingers when I was free. "Let me get her." I growled, glaring over at Mother.
"No!" Ben protested, grabbing my arm, "She's too powerful."
"Now let's go home!" Emma shouted. I nodded as Ben let me go. Everyone raced to Mary Margaret. Emma ran at Mother and swung her sword, causing her to disappear in a puff of purple smoke.
"Let's go!" Jay shouted. We all started to run towards the portal, but Mother appeared in our way. She lifted her hands and we all flew back. I landed on my back with a groan. Mary Margaret got up first. I started to get up, but Mother waved her hand and knocked me down again. I growled, shakily getting to my feet,
"Don't do it!" Evie hissed. I glared at Mother as I stood, shoving Mary Margaret out of the way, and getting Mother's hand shoved in my chest. I let out a choked gasp.
"Hadley!" Mother gasped.
"Hadley!" Emma shouted, running up to me. Mother turned just as Emma approached and shoved her other hand into Emma's chest.
"Oh, you foolish girls." Mother laughed, "Don't you know? Love is weakness."
"If that's the case then you are weak." I rasped. Mother then tried to rip mine and Emma's hearts out, but her hand got stuck.
"No…It's strength." Emma realised. A burst of Magic shone from Emma and caused Mother to fly back. Mary Margaret rushed to me and Emma, her hands frantically rubbing against out chests, feeling for our hearts. "What was that?" I stared wide-eyed up at Emma. Mary Margaret cupped our cheeks,
"That is a great subject for discussion, for when we get home." Mary Margaret said. Everyone then gathered together. Emma held the compass in front of her. I placed my hand on top of the compass as everyone else held tightly onto the chain.
"Let's go home." I said with a smile. The eight of us then jumped into the portal. My world went black.
STORYBROOKE FOREST
My hand reached up and grasped the edge of a well. I started to pull myself up and noticed that there were people I didn't know. One was a man in a suit walking away using a cane, the other was a woman with dark hair and eyes. Both looked very familiar. I pulled myself out of the well, everyone else following behind. I ended up on my knees, worn. "Henry!" Emma gasped as she caught sight of a little boy.
"Mum!" He exclaimed, running up to my older twin. The two shared a tight hug. A hand appeared in my field of vision. I followed the arm up to see Ben. I smiled as I took it gratefully, letting Ben pull me up. Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos were looking around in awe.
"I missed you." Emma sobbed. Mary Margaret joined Emma and the boy, who I assume is Henry, in the hug. She reached out and snatched me away from Ben, roping me into the group hug. I tensed, hesitantly wrapping my arms around Emma and Henry. We all then separated.
"What's going on?" Mary Margaret asked, "What happened?"
"She saved you." Henry stated, "She saved well...all of you." Henry looked around, realising that there were six more people than he anticipated.
"Thank you." Emma said gratefully.
"You're welcome." The woman said.
"Are you ok?" Another woman gasped, running up to Mary Margaret and throwing her arms around the shorter woman. The two pulled away.
"Where's my husband?" Mary Margaret asked frantically, "I need to find him!" Mary Margaret and the other woman then ran off. The dark-haired woman looked at me and my friends.
"Really, Miss Swan?" She scoffed, "Six teenagers? Who are they, anyway?"
"Oh, um…" Emma trailed off, "This is Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos, Ben…" Emma pointed at each of my friends respectively. She then let go of her son with one arm and placed her hand on my shoulder, "And this is Hadley. Everyone, this is Regina."
"You all go on ahead, I want to talk to Regina about something." I said.
"Are you sure?" Ben asked, stepping forward,
"Yeah." I placed my hand on his cheek, "You go. I'll be with you soon." Ben nodded reluctantly as he left with everyone else. I stepped up to Regina, "I know what you did." I said softly, "When I was a baby." Regina looked guilty, "It's ok. A couple of months ago I would have done the same thing." I sighed and slung my bag in front of me, pulling out a worn book, "I'm sure you know what this is?" I handed the book to Regina, "I noticed that it wasn't complete and...I'm sure Mother gave you the other half."
"Who are you?" Regina whispered.
"I'm Hadley Regina Hearts, adopted daughter of the Queen of Hearts of Auradon...well...Cora."
"So we're...sisters?"
"We don't have to be, but...Mother did love you. Why do you think I have your name?" Regina nodded slowly.
"Well...I'm trying to change so...we can be...sisters." I smiled softly, "Does...Mary Margaret know about who your adoptive mother is?"
"No. And I prefer to keep it that way."
"Hadley!" A voice called. I looked over to see Ben, "David's awake!" I walked over to him with Regina trailing behind.
"Well...let's go meet my father." I said tensely. Ben led me to a store called 'Mr Gold's Pawn Shop'. I timidly walked into the Pawn Shop with Ben beside me. I averted my eyes as I saw Mary Margaret kissing a man who I assumed to be my father. They broke from the kiss and the man looked over to me. "Who are they?" He asked.
"David, this is Hadley." Mary Margaret introduced. I gave a shy wave.
"What happened to the Hadley that's not scared of everything?" Mal asked from behind me.
"She's still back in the Enchanted Forest." I muttered. "That Hadley never had a father." David stood and walked over to me. He shakily cupped my cheeks.
"You found us." David whispered. He pulled me close and hugged me, pressing a kiss to my hair. I hesitantly hugged him back. I then stepped back, moving closer to Ben.
"I'm happy that your awake." I said softly. Ben wrapped his arm around me. I reached up and held his hand in my own.
"Emma!" Mary Margaret gasped, reaching forward and pulling her towards her.
"Looks like we have some catching up to do." David said. Mary Margaret pressed into his side.
"You have no idea." Emma agreed.
"How about dinner at Granny's, on me." The other woman said.
"As long as it's not Chimera, I'm in." Everyone shared a laugh. "Hey Kid, you hungry?" Emma asked. Henry stepped back from hugging Regina.
"Yeah." He said. Henry then walked up to Emma, "See you later!" He said to Regina before Emma lead her out. Ben and I followed behind the others. I paused, causing Ben to as well. I turned back to Regina,
"Come to this...Granny's." I said softly, "Gina, you saved us, you deserve to celebrate with us." I gave Regina a smile before Ben and I left. Everyone walked in a huge group together down the street, Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos joined us. I was...home...
