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Summary of the Previous Chapter: After finding Anna and Kristoff, Elsa and the pair decide to go home. When they leave, Emma and Regina then head over to her vault, to do some research, but they quickly discover that the urn was stolen.
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Chapter Twenty-Eight: Unmasked
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Everybody's confusion grew after Regina made her declaration, inciting them all to ask her questions, but when she told them about the urn and reminded them how her vault was protected, they all started to agree with her logic.
"But, why would she take Gold?" Belle asked, unable to stop the frightened cracks in her voice.
"My family and that imp have a complicated history," Regina answered, her emotions still high. "She could either be helping him or planning on killing him..."
Mary Margaret then stepped forward. "Are we absolutely sure that it's Zelena?" she asked, the memory of the woman kidnapping her baby prevalent in her mind. "What if Gold had escaped from the urn or—"
"No," Regina interrupted. "My feelings about this are strong. Zelena is back. The only other person it could be is my mother but we both know how that ended," she added, giving Mary Margaret a pointed look that made the other woman turn away.
"That or you have another sister or an aunt wandering about," Killian mumbled but only for Emma's ears. She responded by giving him a whack on the shoulder.
"In any case," Regina continued as she moved towards her desk. "I have a way of finding out if it's her or not." Remembering that she had saved some of her sister's hair in one of her drawers, she grabbed it before plucking a small vial from another. Holding them up for the others to see, she wiggled them in the air before announcing her plan. "Our old friend: the tracking potion. Again, thank Gold that I made extras."
"And you stashed them in your office drawers?" David asked with a raised brow.
"Due to recent events, I like being prepared."
As she popped the cork off and reached for a tiny dropper, the others either watched in silence or gazed about the quiet room, but in any case, they were still prepared to dash out of the office at the slightest provocation. Leaning supportively into Emma, Killian felt her trembling and made eye contact with her, silently telling her that everything would be okay.
"There it goes!" Regina's voice cut in, snapping their attention upwards when the strand of hair—that was now heavily surrounded by a visible, magical aura—flew past them. As the group quickly followed after it, they soon found themselves being led back into the forest, but into an entirely different direction.
Leading them to a familiar encampment, they soon spotted the form of Roland, who had run behind a bush before peeking out, trying to see if he'd been spotted by some unknown figure.
"There you are!" came a voice, making the boy squeal in delight when the person approached him.
Stopping dead in her tracks, Regina stared at the scene.
"What's wrong?" asked a panting Belle, who was the first to pause alongside her before she was quickly joined by the others.
Regina didn't respond but she did flick her gaze up at the illuminated strand of hair that continued forward without them. Watching as it floated, then hovered, above the person with Roland, Regina narrowed her eyes, her mind putting everything together.
In her anger, she didn't even glimpse over at her office's couch and the others wouldn't have noticed her missing since they didn't know anything about the recent development...
That means, Regina thought, her eyes blazing. Zelena has been disguised as Marian this entire time...
Ignoring her company's surprised outbursts at the tracking potion's indication, Regina moved forward, her gaze never leaving the unsuspecting woman. When she got closer, she spotted Robin off to one of her sides but did nothing. She was intent on having a confrontation rather than speaking to him; however, Robin spotted her and ran over to greet her.
"Regina," he said once he fell into step beside her, a light in his eyes. "I was just about to come see you. I wanted to—"
"Robin," she interrupted, her focus still pinned elsewhere. "How is Marian up and moving about?"
Face falling, he blinked at her in confusion. "You healed her..."
"No, I didn't."
Taking a giant forward step, Robin slid in front of her to make her stop and look at him. "She told me that you figured out how to heal her and," he paused, observing her stern features. "Was she mistaken?"
"Very mistaken," Regina sneered. Moving around him, she aggressively closed in on Marian. Grabbing Roland away from her, she turned around and directed the boy over to his puzzled father, who scooped him up instantly. "Robin, keep him away," she said before returning her attention back to the other woman. "We need to have some girl talk..."
"Regina?" Marian asked, her eyes widening in confusion. "What's happening? Give me back my—"
"Actually," Regina interrupted with a smirk. "Let me correct myself, it's not just 'girl talk', is it? It's more like sister talk."
Marian stared at her for a moment, as if hesitating on what next to say.
Then, her face went blank before a wide grin suddenly parted her lips; a sinister motion that twisted her normally delicate features. Raising a hand, she snapped a finger, instantly morphing into a taller, paler woman with blue eyes and fiery red hair.
Those who saw in the camp were stunned while Regina's and her slowly arriving company's magical opinion were confirmed, at last.
"Well, well, well," Zelena began after her reveal, the smile still on her face. "This is a surprising turn of events. My baby sister finally caught on."
"If you didn't want me to, you should've just remained in my office."
Zelena shrugged. "I was bored and decided to stretch my legs in the forest, but unfortunately, I was spotted and had to play along. I planned on enchanting them before Robin could go running back into your awaiting arms with the news, but it'd be pointless to do so now..."
When Regina just continued to glare at her, Zelena continued with a hand gesture. "If you haven't figured it out by now, the whole residual-frozen-magic-thing was a ruse. I was just faking it so I could hurt you more..."
"Obviously," Regina replied, her eyes flashing. "But you're not as clever as you think you are. Not only did you get caught now but you first gave yourself away when you entered my vault and took my urn, which I want back."
"No," Zelena instantly refused, clasping her hands behind her. "I have plans for it and since it was last seen on my property, it technically belongs to me."
Regina's eyes furrowed. How the hell does she know that?
"Oh, it looks like a story is in order," Zelena said when she noticed her sister's confusion. "It was well past midnight and I was moments away from unfreezing when you entered your office, unable to sleep because of that rousing bit of fighting you went through. Robin, my dutiful mate was beside me," she then shot the man she was talking about a look. "But then, I soon overheard the two of you bouncing ideas off of each other about what had happened on your little adventure as well as what the Snow Queen had called the 'town's magic'..."
Regina growled while Emma, Belle and Killian took a step forward.
"You guys were completely unaware that though I was physically impaired, I wasn't hearing impared—not that the two of you knew who I truly was, but still. It pays now to be in the know, doesn't it?" Zelena finished, mischievously staring at the lot. "No matter. It was then that I figured that me and the Dark One could come to a certain arrangement..."
Shooting her hands up, Regina threatened to fight her. "The hell you will. I defeated you once, I can do it again."
Dismissing her by rolling her eyes, Zelena wasn't at all intimidated by her sister. "If I were you, I would chalk that up to a one time thing. I'm still way more powerful." Slightly giggling, she then noticed a watchful Mary Margaret standing to Regina's far left, her gaze harsh. "Ahh, it's my favorite new mummy. How's the little one doing?" she asked, giving her a big knowing smile.
Both Mary Margaret and David reacted by lunging forward but they were immediately stopped and held back by the quick reactions of Emma and Killian.
"She's trying to get a rise out of you," Emma whispered to her mom, her grip firm on her arms.
"Oh, it's working," Mary Margaret angrily retorted, her gaze never moving from the Wicked Witch's gleeful face.
Turning her attention upwards, Zelena then grabbed at the floating strand of hair. Summoning green fire into her hands, she immediately burned it, destroying the company's tracking piece by turning it into fizzling wisps before glimpsing up at a now angry looking Robin, who was still holding his son. Blowing them a kiss, she gave them all one more look before waving a hand, disappearing in a puff of emerald smoke to an unknown location.
Breathing deeply, Regina tried to mentally regroup. Knowing that she would need another tracking item to find her sister, she quickly spun around and teleported her group back to her office, leaving a now unreadable Robin and his son behind. Not wasting any time, Regina silently scoured her office to find another strand of hair—or anything—before managing to find a smaller piece in the same drawer.
Whipping out her potion making kit, she quickly began brewing two different ones while the others gathered around her.
"I can't believe it," Emma said, saying what they were all thinking. "Zelena's back..."
"It certainly is crazy," Belle responded, folding her hands over her chest. "And she has Rumple...this can't be good."
Moving behind the desk, Killian stared at the ingredients Regina had laid out. "What are you making?"
"An immobilization potion and a truth serum," Regina responded before leaning over to grab some herbs and pointy leaves.
"What's the plan?"
"Emma and I are going to go after her," she said, furiously mixing one batch before silently telling Killian to do the same thing, for the other potion, which he obliged with a sigh. "My bet is that she's somewhere in the forest. The rest of you are going to stay here. If she releases Gold, which I have a feeling she may, then I don't want any liabilities or, more importantly, casualties. I need people with magic for this one. So, that's automatically me and Emma."
"Great," Emma muttered at the thought of being drafted. Mary Margaret responded by rubbing her back.
Finishing them up, Regina then pulled out extra vials, as well as another tracking potion, and poured one of each into a bottle. "If you need us," she began, dripping some elixir onto another strand of Zelena's hair. "Use the rings. They're more effective than cell phones, which reminds me..."
Holding tightly onto the twitching item, she magically called a wooden box to her and opened it. Pulling out a signet ring, she held it out for David to take. "Give this to Henry. We can never be too careful now that Zelena's out and about."
Accepting it, David nodded. "I will. Mary Margaret and I also have to make sure that Granny and Neal are doing okay..."
"Sounds like a plan," Regina said before looking over at Emma. "I'll explain what we're going to do with these potions on the way there. Are you ready?"
"As ready as I normally am," she responded seconds before Regina let the thrashing tracker go.
"Be careful, Swan!" Killian called out when she began following Regina out of the door.
Emma looked over her shoulder and gave him a nod before turning the corner and disappearing from everybody's sight, leaving the others behind in silence.
…
Reappearing beside the forest's well, Zelena waited a moment before magically summoning the urn into her hands.
After her fingers thoughtfully caressed it, she slowly moved a hand to the lid before lowering herself to the ground and opening it. Carefully observing the liquid that poured out, she straightened her form and patiently waited for the substance to gather then solidify, soon revealing the familiar figure of Gold.
Disoriented, he stumbled for a moment before he regained his footing. Turning around, he stopped when he noticed her, surprise noticeable in his gaze before it immediately shifted to one of distrust.
"Yes, I'm back and yes...I'm the one who set you free," Zelena said, a smile on her face. Looking him up and down, she then leaned against the well. "And yes...I want to make a deal..."
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