"So... Henry is right?" Ben soon asked after hearing what his father wanted to tell him. "We're all fairy tale characters under a Dark Curse cast by Mayor Mills who was The Evil Queen?"
"Yes, Benjamin," Mr. Gold nodded truthfully. "I know it sounds very absurd and like a fairy tale, but it's all true."
"Does this mean that me, Evie, and everyone else from school and even Henry are from The Fairy Tale World too?" Ben then asked.
"Well, actually, yes and no for you all, except for Henry since he wasn't born in The Enchanted Forest even though Miss Swan is his mother and she is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charmey Warm-Erm... Prince Charming," Mr. Gold clarified. "You were all born before The Dark Curse and were destined to live up to our stories as our descendants and tell your own stories to carry on for generations."
Ben looked a bit thoughtful about that.
"As Hero and Villain Kids, you must follow your own destiny or perhaps write your own story," Mr. Gold continued then. "Though it's best if the descendants of heroes follow those stories and the descendants of villains follow their stories as well. It might be a bit complicated for you however being the son of Rumplestiltskin and you often do good, but I was once good when I was younger with your brother."
"So you turned evil then?" Ben asked.
"Well... More or less, yes, I did," Mr. Gold soon said. "I'll tell you more about that someday, though most people should follow their paths with who their parents are. I'll tell you more about your brother and your mother another day when I get the chance."
"That feels a little unfair," Ben said softly. "What if some kids don't wanna follow their parents' paths?"
"Well, at the moment, I don't really know, Benjamin, but just know that these things take time and we need Miss Swan to help us so we can all go back home to where we belong," Mr. Gold replied. "Perhaps we could reunite with your mother and we could live happily ever after then."
"So... My mother is alive?" Ben asked softly and hopefully.
"Yes... Like your brother, I just can't find her..." Mr. Gold nodded tenderly. "I'll tell you this though. Do you remember that Beauty and the Beast story I used to tell you when you were a little boy?"
"Yes, of course. That was always my favorite story." Ben replied as his hazel eyes lit up slightly.
"I know it was which is why I was often happy to tell you it," Mr. Gold smiled warmly. "Well, that story for the most part is how your mother and I first met back in The Enchanted Forest before you were born. We named you Benjamin because we knew you'd grow up into a very fine and benevolent young man."
"So when you can, you'll tell me more about Mom and my brother?" Ben then asked hopefully and expectingly.
"I'd love to, yes," Mr. Gold nodded. "Only time will tell of course if you can be patient enough."
"Okay, Dad... I'll try to be patient," Ben replied. "But... Thanks."
"Oh, you're welcome," Mr. Gold said softly. "I know how much you wanted to know more and wondered why I was being so secretive lately, but I just wanted to protect you and wait for the right time."
"Thanks, Dad..." Ben replied. "Will I get to know more later then?"
"Yes, you most certainly will," Mr. Gold reassured. "So do you think that all of this information will suffice until later?"
"Sure, Dad," Ben then said. "Thank you for telling me all that you could for now. It's really been bugging me lately."
"I understand," Mr. Gold then said before he soon held out his arms. "How about a hug, son?"
Ben then smiled softly before he stepped over and decided to wrap his arms around his father. Mr. Gold sighed shakily before growing a small smile on his face as he soon hugged his teenage son and gently patted him on the back, glad that they at least had this bond. Ben sniffled a little, though he enjoyed his father's hug as much as he could while it was still there since he and his father hadn't hugged like this in a very long time.
Meanwhile, Mal, Evie, and Emma continued to go down the elevator.
"So... Looks like I have to visit this 'old friend' with this sword while you girls do something with your favorite toys?" Emma soon said to Mal and Evie.
"You are correct, ma'am," Mal replied. "Just don't screw it up since you're supposed to be our Savior."
"Gee, you don't sugarcoat any pressure, do you?" Emma commented slyly then.
"Nope," Mal shook her head. "Just trust me. You don't wanna screw things up around here."
Emma merely nodded in response.
"And you," Mal then added before looking at Evie. "Well, I'll just deal with you after we get this done. Hopefully Emma here doesn't pull a Saint George moment against the belly of the beast if you know what I mean."
"Saint George?" Emma soon asked. "You mean that guy who slayed a dragon to save a girl?"
"He was a knight, but yes," Mal nodded at the blonde woman. "That dragon detail is very correct."
"Well, it's not like I'll be slaying a dragon too, right?" Emma shrugged. "Emma the Dragon Slayer?"
Mal grinned in response. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?" she then teased.
Emma blinked in a bit of concern, stepping back from Mal slightly as that was a bit concerning to her.
"Get your dragon ready," Mal then told Evie before she took out her blue bird toy. "It's about showtime for all of us. This town is counting on us."
"Sometimes I wonder what would've happened if I hadn't opened the door to find you and Henry on my birthday." Emma said to Evie in concern.
"Your life would probably be a little boring if you never came to Storybrooke, Emma," Evie said as she brought out her purple dragon toy. "Let's just get this show on the road."
"Right." Mal nodded before looking over at the purple dragon toy.
The elevator then came to a stop as the two teenage girls soon nodded at each other and it was time to head out and get to work. Emma then followed behind the two teenage girls as she looked around while holding onto the sword as bravely as she could. In a far corner, as they walked into the room, there appeared to be a pile of books that were in the shape of a bed with a couple of pillows and a blanket among the abandoned library's catacombs.
"You sleep on a bunch of books?" Evie asked as she noticed the book bed in the corner.
"Not everybody has a parent with a stable job who can afford a proper bed from Peabody Mattresses, Princess Blueberry." Mal defended with a slight huff.
"Stop calling me that!" Evie complained.
"Blueberry, Blueberry, Blueberry, a thousand times Blueberry!" Mal retorted with a sneer.
"Guys, guys, this is no time for teenage girl fighting," Emma said as she tried to stop the two girls. "Let's just focus on the task at hand. We both have a very important job to do down here."
"Fine..." Mal and Evie firmly pouted as they crossed their arms and just stared daggers at each other.
"All right then, Mal. Lead the way," Emma soon said to the dark blonde-haired girl. "Where is your mother?"
"She should be down through there," Mal said as she pointed out to a dark corner in the room. "She's probably resting right now. She has a very exhausting life down here."
"All right then," Emma nodded as she walked off that way. "Good luck on your mission."
"Thank you, Emma," Evie replied. "You too."
"You'll definitely need it." Mal added.
And at that, the adult woman and the two teenagers split up so that they could do what had to be done to save Henry and Storybrooke. Emma wandered into the darkness and looked around before finding something very interesting and walked out and touched it. It appeared to be a glass coffin, just like the one Snow White was in before she was woken up by true love's kiss from Prince Charming AKA her long-lost birth parents. She then stepped back from the shock and leaned against a wall. However, it was no ordinary wall... That wall had a scaly body and opened a green eye once its slumber was disturbed.
Mal and Evie soon walked off together before they saw a light shining down from glass coffin shards to show a stand that had three spaces in it.
"So... Is this where we have to go?" Evie soon asked.
"Well, obviously," Mal replied before she found a scroll on the stand and picked it up. "There's also this."
"It must be a clue." Evie guessed.
Mal smirked at what Evie just said as she opened up the scroll that was there in very fancy handwriting that she didn't recognize.
"What's it say, Mal?" Evie then asked the girl.
"'Two uncommon things need to work together to protect the innocent'." Mal then read aloud from the scroll.
"Well... That's a pretty interesting way to list instructions," Evie replied. "What could it mean?"
"I have no idea..." Mal said thoughtfully before shrugging as this was going to take longer than they both thought.
"It needs three items... But we only have our two things... What could be the third item?" Evie then wondered.
Mal paused thoughtfully before she then nodded. "I think that I might have an idea." she then said after a few moments of deep thinking.
"Oh?" Evie asked.
"My mother has something," Mal explained. "Emma has to fight her for it, but we need an egg that she has."
"An egg?" Evie blinked.
"Yes, and before you think about scrambling it, you should know that it holds something very important and vital to our survival in this world," Mal replied. "Especially when my mom breaks free."
"Breaks free?" Evie soon asked. "Wait... That dragon down here... Is the dragon holding your mother hostage?"
"No, Evie. The dragon is my mother," Mal revealed, leaving Evie to be rather wide-eyed and startled. "I was put under a special magic spell after I was born to protect me from Rumplestiltskin's Dark Curse when your mother The Evil Queen was going to send all of us away from Misthaven which is The Enchanted Forest. She said I would be part of the team to help The Savior break the spell and free us all from the curse."
"Whoa..." Evie whispered with wide eyes. "I had no idea... You don't seem so bad now by the way," she then added. "Especially on the first day of school and that girl Yula Keith said that I was sitting in your chair and I had to move, then Jane Felton said that I had to watch out for you because you do things. Horrible things." she then added.
"Ugh... Keith..." Mal groaned and rolled her eyes. "Don't get me started on that family."
"...Do I wanna know?" Evie then asked.
"Not that it's none of your business, but whatever," Mal shrugged as she put her blue raven on the stand, then took Evie's purple dragon to pit with the bird toy. "Let's just say I have a bit of a history with Yula's brother, Zevon."
"Oh?" Evie asked as she looked at the stand with Mal as the other girl tried to arrange it the proper way.
"Yeah... We sorta dated once when we were kids, but then I got tired of him after a while," Mal replied. "Though I guess it could've been worse. He could've that snot-nosed tattletale: Simon Monocolao."
"Ugh... That boy..." Evie rolled his eyes. "I understand following the rules, especially for Principal Hoffman, but he really gets under my skin too."
"What's this?" Mal smirked a bit at Evie's annoyance. "Princess Blueberry has her limits on people even though she spreads cheerfulness and friendship all around to other people?"
"Hey, now... I might spread positive mental attitudes among other students, but I'm not a sap like that as you would probably put it," Evie defended. "But at least I don't go around scaring the crap out of people."
"Yeah, but I'm straight with people... Especially when it comes to having parties and inviting people to them, not to mention when some people are left out while everybody in the whole wide world gets invited... To a stupid princess's birthday party." Mal soon said with a bit of a forced smile.
"Can't you just take a cue from Elwin and let that go?" Evie frowned as she looked at Mal. "Mal, look. I'm sorry you weren't invited to my 6th birthday party. My mother did the invitations, so if you wanna be mad at someone for that, be mad at her and not me."
"That's just it, Evie!" Mal said as she faced the black-haired girl. "It's all because of her! Your mother!"
"What?" Evie asked with wide eyes. "What do you mean?"
"It's because of our destinies in this world, especially with the stories that your brother talks about," Mal then explained. "My grandmother Caraboss was excluded from Queen Briar Rose's christening, so she cursed her with a sleeping curse and terrible nightmares. My mother Maleficent was left out with what happened when Briar Rose's daughter and now I was left out at the party of the century all the way back in 1st grade."
"Maleficent? I thought some adults said your mother's name was Millicent?" Evie replied out of confusion.
"You just don't get it, do you?" Mal glared with glowing green eyes. "I was destined to be left out of a birthday party just because I was born and raised to be evil like my mother. I tried to be mad, bad, and dangerous... It was a lot of fun at first. I felt like I was on top of the world and that I knew what I wanted to do in Storybrooke to be just like my mother, grandmother, and any other ancestors that came before us since I'm the descendant. We as the descendants of fairy tales all have jobs, just like you're destined to go after the descendant of Snow White who happens to be Emma Swan... But you don't want to follow your mother's path, do you?" she then asked.
Evie looked very shocked before she then closed her mouth and nodded as that was very true for her.
"Just as I suspected," Mal then said. "So you see, Evie, it was never about you... I just wanted to break out of my path and I wanted to be evil just like my mother... She even once said 'Who wants an Evil Queen without a sack of sin?' We're just doomed as Villain Kids to become rotten to the core just like our parents, but now I see and realize that being bad isn't as fun as it looks or sounds from what my mother made it sound."
"M-Mal... I had no idea..." Evie said softly.
"Of course you didn't... No one really did," Mal replied. "And now, my mother will be freed because YOUR mother trapped her down here once Emma gets what she wants from here and then a new chapter will be told in the storybook of life. Life is not a storybook, but it unfolds in chapters, so I'm going to turn the page and make things right. I was getting help too from Jay and Carlos who are the sons of an evil sorcerer from Agrabah and a Devil Woman who has a literal way with animals if you know what I mean."
"What the-?" Evie gasped. "...Do they know about this?"
"No, of course not, we were all given different lives in this world after your mother cast The Dark Curse and the adults were given new memories only to be frozen in time for 28 years," Mal then said. "Your mother got what she wanted and you're destined to go through the same experience when her time sets as Queen... Or rather, Mayor of Storybrooke."
"Mal... I'm so sorry... I know I can't change the past... But we can probably make a better and brighter future... For you... For me... For the descendants, no... For all of us," Evie soon said as strongly as she could. "We can work together and then we can all probably live happily ever after. Only if you'll trust me."
Mal looked soft as she looked Evie into the eyes. She didn't answer right away, but Evie could actually tell that deep down that Mal was thinking about what was just said to her, so Evie decided not to pry. "...I guess I could give it a shot... But you just better not stab me in the back like your mother does to people." she then suggested before her bird toy began to glow bright blue.
"I would never do that, whether if my mother would or would not," Evie promised truthfully as she put her hand on Mal's shoulder before her dragon began to glow bright violet. "We don't have to become friends, but right now we're on the same side until the night falls. We should stick together until the battle is done."
"...You're right," Mal soon said softly. "I got your back."
"And I got yours," Evie nodded before looking down. "H-Hey! Our toys... They're glowing." she then noticed.
"They are..." Mal realized before looking down. "Maybe they'll work now."
The two girls then wasted no time and put the dragon and raven together to properly unite them. They just sat there and glowed, but there was still something missing between The Union of The Purple Dragon and The Blue Raven.
"Still something missing..." Evie noted thoughtfully.
"Right... The egg..." Mal nodded. "Let's just hope Emma is going easy on my mom."
"Hopefully," Evie replied before the two girls decided to bond together a bit more since they seemed to slowly but surely become friends. "...So your mother's a dragon? No offense, but do you know anything about your father?" she then asked, hoping that wasn't too personal of a question to ask.
"I just know that he was a human Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named," Mal said mysteriously. "And before you try to make a joke, no, it's not Voldemort." she then added sharply.
"Right... Got it..." Evie nodded. "I wasn't going to say that though."
"Good," Mal replied. "So, is it true that your father was a stable boy even though your mother was arranged to marry Snow White's father?"
"Well... I suppose in a way, it is," Evie replied. "I'm slowly learning more about him though after I had those weird visions that I thought were probably dreams until I thought that they were memories like what Graham saw when he talked to Henry about it."
"Oh?" Mal asked.
"Well, yeah..." Evie said before they sat together and started to hang out. "...So, what do you call your bird toy?"
Mal gave a small smile as this girl talk was very nice so far. "Diaval," she then said. "My mother used to call him 'Diablo', but I couldn't say that name, so... Yeah. Diaval."
"That's an interesting name," Evie replied. "My dragon's name is Penelope. You know, like in Barbie as Rapunzel?"
"I don't think I ever actually saw that." Mal said.
"What?! What girl hasn't grown up with a Barbie movie or two?" Evie gasped in shock.
"Someone who isn't a pretty pink princess maybe?" Mal smirked slightly.
"Heh... I guess that's a good point..." Evie chuckled sheepishly as they continued to talk.
Eventually, a certain item rolled over and came between the girls.
"What was that?" Evie wondered.
"It's the egg," Mal realized as she went over to the egg before she picked it up. "We'll take it for a minute since we clearly need it for something else too."
"That sounds like a good idea, Mal." Evie agreed.
"That's because it came from my head." Mal smirked, playfully boastful as she picked up the egg and stepped over.
Evie rolled her eyes and shook her head. "All right... Let's put it in the middle so it looks like Diaval and Penelope are holding it." she then suggested.
"Sounds good." Mal nodded as she walked over and put the egg in place.
"Wait!" Evie then said before she stood next to Mal. "Let's push it in together like the riddle says."
Mal thought about it before nodding. "That does make pretty good sense," she then admitted. "On three. Okay?"
"Okay." Evie nodded.
"1... 2... 3!" The two girls soon counted together before they both pushed the egg suddenly.
Once the egg was pushed, it glowed into a golden aura around the glowing blue raven and purple dragon. Suddenly, the whole room glowed in those three auras before hitting Mal and Evie suddenly, making the girls cry out and get pushed back and there was a very large and thick cloud of colorful smoke that filled the room before the girls coughed and grunted after the deep magical impact.
"You okay, Mal?" Evie asked wearily.
"Yeah... I think so..." Mal said as the smoke slowly began to clear before she looked at Evie with wide eyes. "Whoa."
"W-W-What?" Evie asked nervously before she rubbed her face. "Do I have something on my face?"
"N-No... But... Y-Your hair..." Mal pointed out with wide eyes and shook nervously.
"What about it?" Evie asked before she reached into her pocket and took out her pocket-sized mirror that looked like her very own magic mirror to see that her hair had drastically changed from ebony black to midnight blue. "Whoa! ...I'm a bluenette!" she then cried out.
"You sure are... That's strange," Mal nodded before looking curious. "I wonder how that happened?"
"The magic must've changed my hair... But it didn't just stop there." Evie then said before holding her mirror out to the other girl.
"Whatya mean by-ZOINKS!" Mal replied before her eyes widened in surprise that her hair had changed from dark blonde to purple. "...Huh. Well, I've always wanted to dye my hair. Blonde never really suited me, ya know?" she then remarked rather calmly.
"...I guess that's a good point," Evie said as she looked very surprised. "This is really weird though. What do we do now?"
"Now, we should get out of here," Mal replied. "My mom's probably waiting for us out there right now with Emma."
"All right then. Let's go." Evie nodded before sh walked away with Mal.
As they left, the dragon and raven toys seemed to be muted in color as their color seemed to be switched onto the girls' heads as they went to find Emma again.
Meanwhile, Ms. Blanchard had come over and was reading from Henry's storybook like she had done for David back when he was an unknown John Doe. "'And yes, she was beyond hope, beyond saving. This was her end. When Prince Charming saw his beloved Snow White in her glass coffin, he knew that all that was left was to say goodbye. He had to give her one last kiss, and when he did, true love proved more powerful than any curse. A pulse of pure love shuttered out and engulfed the land, waking up Snow White and bringing light to the darkness'," she then stopped before sighing as she looked at the unresponsive boy. "Henry, when I gave you this book it was because I knew... I know life doesn't always have a happy end, but I thought-"
However, before she could finish, the machines around Henry soon suddenly started beeping rapidly.
"What is it? Dr. Whale?!" Ms. Blanchard gasped as that concerned her before she cried out for the doctor who rushed inside with his nurse. "Dr. Whale, what is that? What... What is wrong?"
"Nurse, get her out of here. NOW!" Dr. Whale soon commanded.
"What's going on?" Ms. Blanchard asked in concern as a nurse escorted her out of the room as another nurse was giving Henry CPR.
"His heart rate's falling," Dr. Whale explained before calling out to the boy. "Come on, Henry!"
"Nurse to ICU, STAT. Nurse to ICU, STAT," An announcer began to alert the hospital's employees. "Defibrillator team to ICU, defibrillator team to ICU."
"Ms. Blanchard," Dee Dee cried out as she stood up and rushed to the woman. "Ms. Blanchard, what's going on?"
"Oh, sweetie... We might lose Henry..." Ms. Blanchard frowned as she gently took the girl's hand.
"How can you lose him? He's right there!" Dee Dee said before pointing out into the room as she didn't understand what her teacher meant by that.
"Oh... Dee Dee..." Ms. Blanchard frowned as she carefully moved the girl back into the waiting room to sit with Leroy and Astrid again.
"Ms. Blanchard...?" Dee Dee called softly before she was moved back over to sit in between her new parental figures.
"Pigtails... I think Ms. Blanchard needs to relax for a few minutes..." Leroy softly said to Dee Dee as even he could sense trouble. "We'll talk about it later, okay?"
"Aww... I never get to know anything..." Dee Dee pouted as she began to feel snubbed.
"Relax, dear... Just keep calm..." Astrid said softly as she gently rubbed Dee Dee's back to soothe her from the wait.
Dee Dee just firmly pouted and looked around impatiently, blissfully unaware of what was currently going on with her best friend.
Meanwhile, in ICU, someone could be seen in scrubs as they opened the 'Exit' door that led to the psychiatric ward. "Your tea." he then told the nurse there as he gave her a drink.
"Thank you," The nurse replied as she accepted the tea. "What's the commotion upstairs?" she then wondered.
"There's a sick boy, he took a bad turn." The man there explained.
"How tragic. Is there any hope for a-" The nurse said in concern before she then suddenly slumped over, unconscious.
"Recovery?" The man chuckled before he was revealed man to be Jefferson. "Doubtful," he then took the keys and coat before walking down the hallway to a certain room before he unlocked a door and extended his hand to the patient inside the room. "Come with me." he then told the patient who was a brown-haired woman with blue eyes in a yellow gown.
"Who are you?" The woman soon asked urgently. "Why are you doing this?"
"My name is Jefferson, and I need your help to do something that I can't," Jefferson explained patiently as he understood the confusion and the madness. "There are a man and his boy. Their names are Benjamin and his father, Mr. Gold. Find them. All you have to do is tell them where you've been, and that Regina locked you up."
The woman began to look confused and concerned. "Wait a minute, what?" she then asked.
"It's very important. Mr. Gold's gonna protect you, but you have to tell him Regina locked you up," Jefferson told the woman. "He's gonna know what to do. You understand?"
"...Yes, I-I have to find Benjamin and Mr. Gold." Belle nodded before she suddenly left the hospital while there was still time.
Jefferson nodded as Belle soon got away since everyone else in the hospital was too busy to notice or pay attention.
However, as she was escaping, so was Ebony. "Freedom!" she then called out and laughed rather maniacally. "Off I go to my dear Dopey and my wonderful son, Doug!"
"That woman is very odd..." Jefferson whispered to himself about Ebony.
Meanwhile, Mal, Evie, and Emma were riding up the elevator together.
"You know, those hair colors work for you two somehow." Emma said about Mal's purple hair and Evie's blue hair. "I think that you two could make it work."
"Thanks." Mal and Evie replied softly.
However, the elevator suddenly stopped, startling them all instantly.
"Regina! What the hell was that?!" Emma cried out. "Regina!"
"Mom! Are you still there?!" Evie added urgently.
"Miss Swan? You've got it?" Mr. Gold's voice asked.
"Mr. Gold? What's he doing here?" Evie wondered.
"Nothing good I bet." Mal replied rather cynically.
"Mr. Gold? What are you doing here?" Emma asked the man suddenly.
"I've come to check on you. I'm glad I did," Mr. Gold replied. "Regina abandoned you and sabotaged the elevator."
"NO! She promised that she would get us back up!" Evie cried out.
"I'm afraid your mother had to change her plans, dearie~" Mr. Gold replied mysteriously.
"What? We're coming up!" Emma replied.
"No there's... There's no time for this," Mr. Gold said to her since she had the egg. "You can't possibly scale the wall and carry that."
"Don't listen to him, you guys." Mal told Evie and Emma.
"I sort of trust Mr. Gold more than I trust you now, Mal," Evie retorted as she looked back at the other girl. "I grew up with him after all."
"Yes, but haven't we discussed whose fault that was?" Mal retorted.
"Yeah? Well, I can try." Emma soon told Mr. Gold.
"No you can't, just toss it up. Your boy's gonna be fine," Mr. Gold insisted. "I promise. We're running out of time, toss it up."
"Okay. You hold on to it, I'll be right up." Emma then sighed before she tossed the egg up then.
Mr. Gold soon caught the egg in his hands and suddenly walked aay once he got what he wanted.
"Mr. Gold? Gold!" Emma then called for help.
"See? What'd I tell ya?" Mal retorted to Evie.
"I-I can't believe it! He ditched us!" Evie gasped and struggled.
"Now just relax, Evie," Emma soon told the girl. "We'll just calmly and carefully all climb up together. We'll go one at a time though."
"Aww... I hate climbing, especially the rope in Gym Class..." Evie then groaned and sighed.
"Suck it up, Princess. It's our only way out." Mal then told the other girl.
Evie sighed and rolled her eyes slightly. Emma soon climbed up and out of the shaft first before Evie and Mal then followed after her. Once they got out, they looked around and they found a certain someone who didn't abandon them after all and was currently tied up.
"He tricked you!" Regina complained. "How could you give him that?"
"Someone thought that he seemed trustworthy." Mal smirked and crossed her arms as Evie began to look and feel guilty.
"Where is he?" Emma soon asked before she began to untie Regina.
"Gone. Gold," Regina sighed. "He manipulated all of this. My daughter and his son used to be best friends."
"I know, Mom. This is a little hard on me too." Evie said softly as she looked at her mother in distress.
"Come on, he can't be that far!" Emma retorted before she checked her cell phone as it started to ring along with Regina's as they then checked them. "It's the hospital."
"Henry..." Evie whispered with wide eyes. "Who knows what could be happening to him right now?"
"Well, come on," Mal soon said. "We better get to the hospital then."
"We?" Evie asked as she looked at Mal. "You mean, you're coming too?"
"Well, I have nowhere else to go right now, now do I?" Mal shrugged. "Beats hanging around here and doing nothing."
"I guess that's a good point," Evie said before looking over. "All right, guys. Let's get to the hospital and fast!"
"Come on then!" Regina said before they began to rush out of the library. "Who knows how much time we could possibly have left?"
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Dee Dee's cries could be heard from the other room as Regina, Emma, Mal, and Evie rushed off. No one seemed to notice a tiny dragon and a tiny raven flying off outside the window as some sort of rainbow aura filled the air in Storybrooke, sprinkling and raining down on the younger inhabitants of the Fairy Tale Town that came along with Mal and Evie's new hair colors. The four soon arrived just as Mother Superior and Dr. Whale left the room while Dee Dee was in there crying as Leroy and Astrid were standing beside her, though they gave her some space as they could tell that this was very hard on the young girl.
"We did everything we could." Dr. Whale said regretfully.
"I'm sorry. You're too late." Mother Superior added gravely.
Emma soon entered the room, where the nurse was unhooking the machines from Henry as Dee Dee continued to cry.
"Aw, kid..." Leroy sighed and frowned, hating to see Dee Dee like this even if she wasn't his blood daughter.
Astrid sniffled and nodded before she hugged Leroy suddenly. Leroy blinked in the hug before he gently patted Astrid on the back in the best comfort he could give someone while Dee Dee knelt by Henry's bed, crying deeply against the covers in heartbreak. She didn't just look and sound like someone who lost her best friend, she was indeed someone who had lost her best friend that led to a grave consequence.
In the back room of his shop, Mr. Gold was unlocking the egg container. He then took out the vial of "true love" and pocketed it. He then heard the bell ring at the front of his shop and quickly hid the egg. "Benjamin?" he then called, thinking maybe it was his son who had been allowed to take a break not too long ago.
"Um, excuse me?" A different voice spoke up. "Are you Mr. Gold?"
"Yes, I am, but I'm afraid the shop's closed..." Mr. Gold replied before he looked over and looked surprised to see who was there.
"I was, uh... I was told to... To find you and... Tell you that Regina locked me up," The woman from the hospital spoke as she approached the man, looking a bit feral since she had been locked up for a rather long time. "Does... Does that mean anything to you?"
"You're real. You're alive," Mr. Gold whispered in shock. "...She did this to you?"
"I was told you'd protect me." The woman replied as she approached the man.
"Oh, yes. Yes, I'll protect you." Mr. Gold told her before hugging her instantly.
"Um, I'm sorry. Do... Do I know you?" The woman asked out of confusion from the hug.
"...No. But you will." Mr. Gold replied, embracing her with a slight sob as the door rang open yet again.
This made both of the adults look over then.
"Dad... What's going on?" Ben asked as he stepped inside. "I have the strangest feeling?" he then saw the woman with his father. "And who's that?"
"I'll tell you soon, Benjamin," Mr. Gold told his son with a small smile. "I think you both should come with me right now."
Ben and the woman looked very curious before they soon left the shop to follow the man outside and deep into the woods.
Emma, Regina, Dr. Whale, Mal, Evie, and Mother Superior were gathered in Henry's room at the hospital as Dee Dee continued to cry her icy blue eyes out.
"No... No..." Regina whispered before burying her face in Dr. Whale's shoulder as tears formed in her eyes.
Evie looked very heartbroken as she shut her eyes as tears rolled down the sides of her face. Mal looked over and wasn't sure what else to do or even how to be empathetic, so she just gently patted Evie on the back as best as she could. Evie then looked over before hugging Mal as she continued to cry for her little brother.
Emma soon crossed over and soon hugged the boy as she also started to cry. "I love you, Henry." she then whispered before she kissed the boy on his forehead instantly.
However, this caused something very unexpected to happen. A pulse of magic soon spread throughout Storybrooke, waking the boy up with a gasp.
"H-Henry...?" Dee Dee called before rubbing her eyes wearily.
"I love you, too. You saved me." Henry told Emma softly once he woke up from a very deep sleep like Snow White being saved by Prince Charming's kiss of true love.
Regina looked stunned at what had happened. "You did it." she then said to Emma out of amazement.
"It worked..." Dee Dee whispered in shock.
"We're free... We're all finally free." Mal then said.
Evie then beamed before hugging Mal instantly as she laughed and cried in relief.
"...Okay, let's try not to ruin a good moment..." Mal said, flinching in the hug as she just glanced at the blue-haired girl.
"He's alive!" Dee Dee cheered before she hopped back over to hug Leroy and Astrid instantly.
Leroy and Astrid looked down, smiling a bit at the girl before they then looked back up and then at each other.
"...Nova." Leroy then whispered to Astrid.
"Dreamy..." Astrid replied, about to hug him until she stopped. "Or... Uh... Is it 'Grumpy' now?" she then asked as she suddenly remembered something else after being restored along with everyone else in Storybrooke.
"...It's Leroy now," Leroy soon decided with a nod. "Should I still call you Astrid?"
Astrid looked thoughtful before she shook her head. "No... Please. Call me Nova." she then decided.
"Nova suits you better anyways." Leroy said before smiling.
"Papa Leroy and Mama Nova." Dee Dee then giggled and smiled at the two.
Leroy and Nova smiled back as they agreed happily and eagerly to that sentiment.
The pulse of magic soon woke up everybody in the town and their descendants began to feel magic flow through them as well and they all felt something they never felt before, unlike their predecessors. Soon, a crowd began to gather in Henry's room.
"Evie..." Henry said to his sister. "...What's going on with your hair? And are you hanging out with Mal now?"
"It's a bit of a long story, Henry." Evie said with a sheepish smile.
Mal nodded before she looked around, expecting for someone else to return, though she was sort of alone right now.
"Henry... What's going on?" Emma asked the boy then.
"No..." Regina whispered as she began to look defeated.
"The curse. I think you broke it." Henry explained to his birth mother.
"That was true love's kiss." Mother Superior concluded.
"No, no..." Regina said wearily in defeat.
"If I were you, Your Majesty, I'd find a place to hide." Mother Superior suggested to the black-haired woman.
Evie then looked over in slight concern. "Mom...?" she then asked softly.
"I have to go right now... If you're smart, you'll follow me," Regina told Evie before she looked over to her younger adoptive child. "Henry... No matter what you think, no matter what anyone tells you, I do love you." she then whispered before she then suddenly fled the room.
"Oh, Mom..." Evie whispered in concern.
"Well, things are really gonna change in Storybrooke from now on, huh, guys?" Dee Dee asked hopefully and excitedly.
"Yep... There goes the neighborhood..." Mal nodded with a small shrug and smirk.
Meanwhile, into the woods, Ben was following his father and the mysterious woman as they were going to a certain stop together.
"Wait." The woman suddenly said.
"No, no. We've very close." Mr. Gold reassured her.
"Rumplestiltskin, wait," The woman then said before he stopped and turned to her as she began to catch up. "I-I remember. I-I love you." she then said before they then hugged each other.
"Yes, yes. And I love you, too, but hey, there'll be time for that." Mr. Gold reassured.
"Okay, please, what's going on here?" Ben spoke up. "Dad, who is this lady? She looks like she escaped from a rehab center," he then looked at the woman. "No offense."
"Erm... None taken, I suppose." The woman replied with a shrug.
"There'll be time for everything, though I suppose I'll just make this quick," Mr. Gold replied. "Benjamin, this is Belle... She's... Your mother." he then revealed, sounding very quiet as he added that last part.
"My... WHAT?!" Ben asked with wide eyes.
"I have a son?!" The woman, named Belle, added in equal shock.
"Yes, yes, we'll all talk about that later, but first, there's something I must do." Mr. Gold told them as they came up to the wishing well that was in the woods.
"What is this?" Belle then asked.
"We are standing by a wishing well." Ben added.
"This is a very special place, my family," Mr. Gold replied before he explained a bit further. "The waters that run below are said to have the power to return that which one has lost." he then dropped the potion he retrieved earlier right into the well.
This then made purple smoke rise out and spread onward.
Meanwhile, back in the hospital, Evie began to look confused as well as a few others. "Henry, what's going on here? If the curse is broken, why didn't they go back?" she then asked.
"Took the words right out of my mouth." Emma added as she was going to say the same thing.
"I... I don't know." Henry said, feeling just as confused as they did.
"Mal, is this supposed to happen?" Evie asked the purple-haired girl.
"I was supposed to escape with my mother," Mal replied. "I don't get what's going on either."
"Escape with your mother?" Evie then asked. "Where is your mother anyway?"
Emma began to look guilty suddenly until a nurse dropped something on the floor, so she decided to tend to that distraction. "You okay?" she then asked before looking toward the window in shock.
"I do not have a good feeling about this." Mal said as they continued to look out the window.
"You are not alone." Evie added.
"Henry, what is that?" Dee Dee asked with a pout.
"Something bad." Henry told her in regret.
Back at the wishing well, the purple smoke continued to flow.
"Dad... What are you doing?" Ben asked. "This is like something out of a Disney movie or whatever."
"We're in a land without magic, Benjamin, and I'm bringing it," Mr. Gold simply told his son. "Magic... Is coming."
"Why?" Belle then asked suddenly.
"Why? Because magic... Is power." Mr. Gold replied, mysterious as always.
The people outside in Storybrooke noted of the purple smoke wafting around before many others held onto each other, bracing for impact, especially David and Ms. Blanchard.
Doug could even be shown as he was reunited with his parents after his mother suddenly grew cat ears that seemed to come with the spread of magic. "Uh... Mom...? You kinda got something on your head?" he then spoke up.
"Don't worry about it, Dougie," Ebony reassured with a grin. "This just proves that I'm not crazy and that Dr. Whale owes me a huge apology!"
"Uh... Okay... If you say so..." Doug replied with a gulp as the smoke made him feel very nervous."
The students who remained in Storybrooke High even stepped out to see what was going on, including Jay and Carlos who began to have very strange feelings along with other students as Jordan and Jane joined them. As the smoke engulfed the town, the clock could be shown striking 8:15, leaving everyone to wonder what would happen after the smoke would pass.
END OF PART 1
A/N: Yep! That's the end of the road for this storyline, hope you guys enjoyed Part 1 because I'm not continuing this ever again! ...Okay, I'll do the other seasons/story arcs whenever I can, but I hope you enjoyed the first of these crossovers. If you don't, you don't gotta tell me, I know that my stories aren't the best out there even if a lot of people enjoy my work. Anyway, yeah, I feel funny about ending stories with an odd number of chapters, but I guess this kinda fits since I had a prologue in Chapter 1 and this is technically Chapter 28. So yeah, that'll do it for this part and you'll just have to wait and see for more which might be pretty soon since I have a lot of ideas for this series, so until next time, see ya! PerkyGoth14 signing off.