Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.

Character playlist: 'Sirius Fire' from 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire OST'

Enchanted Forest

The great brute of a giant had, after some time had passed, released him from the shackles the lovely Swan had clamped on his wrists. While leery of the giant, a feeling the huge creature had obviously reciprocated, the pirate had swiftly made his escape. Climbing down the bean had been harder than the ascent. He found his limbs aching so badly he could barely stand by the time he'd found himself on solid ground.

"My dear Captain." Hook spun around, the motion nearly sending him arse over head. Cor stood several feet away, smiling ever so patiently. "It seems you've been on quite an adventure." She held out a gloved hand daintily. "The compass, please."

"Yes, that. Well… matters grew complicated." He hedged. "It's eluded me for the moment. The details of the affair are a bit of a bore."

A thin brow rose by a fraction. "Really? Stealing my protection spell and climbing the beanstalk without me might seem like a bore to you, but to me, it's a betrayal."

He'd lived long enough, had been around enough magical practitioners, to feel the tingle of magic in the air. "I was going to bring it to you," he retorted, a tad too sharply in her opinion. "Our agreement remains. We are going to Storybrooke, together. I'll get it back."

"I don't have time for your games." She replied flatly, eying him placidly despite the tension in the air. "I've crossed through too many worlds to be brought short at the brink of success. Who was it who bested you?"

"The Swan girl – Emma." He ground out, bristling at the mocking smile she wore. "Rest assured, it won't happen again."

"No, it won't." She had little time for a love-sick fool. "You chose her, and the consequences of that decision."

Hook cocked a brow now. "Oh, are you going to kill me, now?" He spread his arms in a mockery of invitation. "Go ahead. Try."

Cora smiled. "So brave." She praised. "No, I'm not going to kill you. I have something far more satisfying in mind. I'm going to leave you here with your thirst for revenge un-quenched, while I complete our journey without you."

Panic flashed in his eyes. "There's no need to be rash. We can… discuss this."

"Your pretty face buys you a lot, but not my time. It's too valuable."

"I can do this. I can get it back." A hint of desperation leaked into his voice. "You need me."

"No, I don't." She returned, laughter in her voice. "You've had your chance. Now, it's my turn to do this." She could see him tense; he was laughably transparent. "The right way."

The smoke enshrouded her before he even sprang. Hook sailed through the colored smoke and landed roughly on the sandy ground.

Across the land, Cora reappeared in a hut she'd managed to set up as a makeshift vault. Striding to the far wall, she settled on the drawers filled, the faint beating of their contents filling the air. Plucking one at random, she cupped it in her hands and gently blew on it. Within moments, the rest of the hearts in her care had begun to glow.

Heart still in hand, she stepped out of the hut and stared out into the field. Corpses were spread across it, in various states of decay. Smiling placidly once more, she raised the heart to her lips.

"Rise."

The corpses began to shift at first. Then, as if pulled by invisible strings, they began to rise from the ground before beginning their march into the woods.

Emma held up the single picture she had of Henry. It had been taken during Mary Margaret's welcome home party just a few short weeks previously. "The boy you saw in your dream – is that him?"

Aurora barely glanced at it. "Yes." She said, wholly convinced. "That's Henry."

"That's impossible." Emma sputtered in reply. "It was a dream. How could you dream of my son?" She demanded, looking between the other women, growing more frantic with each calm expression that she saw.

"I have no idea."

"Maybe it wasn't a dream."

Emma's head snapped to her mother so quickly there was an audible crack. "What?" A hand went up to rub at her abused neck while she stared incredulously at her mother.

Mary Margaret, hesitated, mindful of Aurora's wide gaze. "That room… I've been there."

"When I told you about it, you didn't say anything." The princess muttered, unable and unwilling to keep the accusation from her words.

"You were terrified." Mary Margaret replied, guilt already settling in at the hurt that glinted in Aurora's eyes. "I didn't want to make things worse by telling you I thought it might be real."

Mulan arched a brow. "A room in a dream is real?"

Lillian and Mary Margaret shared a long look. Despite having never cast a sleeping curse, the sorceress had studied them at depth after Snow had confided in her the lingering effects of it.

"It's from the sleeping curse," Lillian muttered softly, eyes closing to hide the rage she felt. "It has to be - it's exactly what happened when -"

"I went through it," the short-haired woman's eyes swept to Aurora. "And now Aurora's going through it…."

"And now Henry's going through it because I wouldn't believe him." Emma finished, face pale and taut.

"Emma…." The blonde shrugged off her mother's hand, all too aware of where the fault lay. She raised her eyes and winced when they met Lillian's. Clearly, the time away had done little to cool the sorceress' anger.

"What else did you lie about?" Aurora demanded suddenly.

Mary Margaret startled. "I was… I wasn't lying." She breathed at Aurora's unconvinced expression. "I was protecting you."

"What did he say – Henry?" Emma drew the princess' attention back to her. "In the… in the dream?" She asked visibly struggling.

"He just said his name." Aurora said, frowning now. "He… and then, I woke up, and… it was over."

"Emma." Mary Margaret watched as her daughter began to descend into the beginnings of a panic attack. "It's going to be okay."

Emma sent her an unreadable look, panic in her eyes. "We are so far from okay."

"No. We have a way home now."

"We have a compass," Emma shot back. "And the wardrobe ashes are still with Cora -."

"You seem to be forgetting that I have some myself," Lillian spoke up wryly, holding up said vile of ashes.

It took them all a moment to find their voices. When they did, Mulan was the first to speak. "And do you know what to do with those ashes?"

The doubt in her narrowed eyes made Lillian bristle. Gripping the vial, the rage that seemed to always be just beneath the surface rose inside her again. "Yes. I do." She snapped shortly, pocketing the ashes. "You seem to forget, I was the Dark One's student far longer than she was."

"Which means we have a way to stop her." Mary Margaret added, wearing what could almost be classified as a smirk.

"How?"

"I have some ideas, but it's no use if Cora can hitch a ride or duplicate them." the sorceress commented airily. "We need to figure out a way to get rid of her… I know someone who can help." The others all leaned forward eagerly. "Rumple. He'll have a way, I know it."

Emma straightened up, looking far too excited for Aurora's liking. "Henry. We can talk to him." Her eyes fell on Aurora. "Now we can communicate."

Aurora nearly backed away. "Wait, wait," she very nearly held up her hands to ward off the other woman. Emma grimaced at the princess' obvious fear.

"Oh yeah, Princess. You're going back to sleep."

Netherworld

"Henry! Henry!" Aurora cried, shying away from the flames. "Henry! Henry!"

There was a change in the air moments before a high voice called out. "Hello?" She caught sight of a boy between the flickering flames. "Hello?"

"Henry!" She called. "Henry, it is you!"

"Yeah!" He returned, puzzled by the clear relief in her voice. His head tilted curiously. "Who are you?"

Aurora couldn't hold back a smile. "My name is Aurora," she introduced herself quickly. "I'm with your mom and your sister and your grandmother."

Henry felt his heart speed up, beating fiercely against his ribs. "Are they okay?"

"Yes, they're fine." She assured him. "They just want to come home. And they need your help."

"Okay, so what do I need to do?"

Storybrooke

Despite his reservations, David knew when to admit he was out of his depth. He had little experience with children, having only held Emma when she was a newborn, and had only seen Henry in passing when he believed himself to be just 'David Nolan'. So, his invitation to Regina meant he only needed to swallow some of his pride, especially when the woman chose not to gloat. She'd arrived to quickly at his doorstep that he was half-convinced she'd used magic.

They'd spent much of the night sitting beside Henry, watching him sleep and speaking in hushed tones. While the both of them were clearly uncomfortable with their co-parenting, both slipped off to sleep just as sunlight was beginning to creep into the loft. They both were rather rudely jolted awake mere hours later when Henry jolted upright in the bed.

"They're… they're alive!" Henry yelled so loudly that David nearly fell off his chair. "They're alive!" Regina, who showed far more grace, seated herself beside her trembling, beaming son.

"Who?" David panted as he righted himself and joined Regina. "Who's alive?"

Henry gripped hold of both their hands. "Emma and Lillian and Snow."

"I told you, kid." David's grin nearly split his face in half. "I told you!"

Regina stared, her mind racing through the shock settling in her limbs. "Was… was it that woman you saw? Did she tell you this?"

"Her name's Aurora," Henry supplied. "She said they have a way home, but there's someone in their way – someone they need us to help them stop." His eyes focused on his mother, who leaned closer at the serious expression he wore. "Someone only Mr. Gold knows how to defeat."

"Who?"

"Your mother."

Belle smiled radiantly up at Granny when the older woman placed the burger and fries before them. Gold managed something that could theoretically be considered a smile; it was more a twitch in the corners of his mouth. Belle found the sight encouraging.

"They smell delicious, Granny."

Granny grimaced in reply. "They are delicious." She slanted a look at Gold from underneath her glasses. "Didn't take any dark magic, either. Oh, and, uh, I charge extra for the pickles."

Gold barely spared her a glance. "Mhmm," he hummed quietly, making Granny roll her eyes heavenward. With a small smile in Belle's direction, the proprietor turned and stomped toward the register. "I have a complicated relationship with her… as I do with most people." Gold said by way of explaining Granny's less than warm reception of him.

"Well, it, uh… it did take me a little time to get to know you." Belle pointed out, smiling gently. "They will."

Gold smiled in return, more genuinely now. "You know, you should try it with ketchup," he gestured to the glass bottle that held a thick red liquid. "Condiments are this world's most powerful magic."

Neither paid much attention when the bell rang. It was only when the clack of heels rapidly approached their table that Gold glanced away from Belle's smiling face.

"Gold." Regina greeted flatly as she came to a stop before their table. She ignored the blue-eyed woman sitting across from him. "We need to talk."

"Do we?" He asked, unable to keep the scorn from his voice.

Catching sight of the oncoming altercation, Granny quickly intervened to keep the casualties at a minimum. "Folks, I think I may need to close early." She raised her voice, ignoring the scowls and grumbles from her other patrons. "Uh, everybody out."

"No, it's okay." Regina assured the skeptic looking woman, holding up a hand to stall the evacuation. "We're civil."

"Yeah, for now," Gold retorted. He didn't bother to conceal the malice in his words. "Belle," said woman glanced back at him, startled. "You remember the woman who locked you up for twenty-eight years?"

She looked ready to bolt. "Uh, I should probably just- "

"No, no," he softened at her obvious distress. "Please, stay where you are. Whatever she has to say, won't be a secret from you." He leveled a dark look Regina's way, voice lowering. "Whatever she wants, she won't get."

Regina's mouth thinned. "I'm actually coming about the one thing that might unite us."

"And what on earth can that be?"

"Cora." Gold's spitefully expression faltered. "She's coming from our land. I need your help to stop her."

"But she was dead," he said dangerously and she bristled at the silent accusation. "You told me you saw the body."

Regina held back the urge to smirk. "Apparently, you taught her well." She pointed out. "She's not, and she's on her way. And I don't think I need to remind you, how most unpleasant that would be for both of us." She sent a meaningful look in Belle's direction.

"For you. I can handle Cora."

"That's not how she tells the story."

Gold scowled at the silent laughter in Regina's voice. "I won in the end."

"Maybe, but there's a big difference this time." Regina didn't bother to hide her pointed stare at Belle, who was looking between them in confusion. "This time, you have someone you care about. This time, you have a weakness."

"I'm… I'm sorry," said 'weakness' interrupted for the first time, brow creased. "Who… who is this woman?"

"Someone you'll never meet," Gold assured her before turning back to Regina. "So you say she's coming. Where is she now?"

"With them."

Enchanted Forest

"How close are we?" Emma demanded for the eighth time in as many minutes. Lillian sent her a long-suffering stare from her spot beside Aurora, who looked as annoyed as she felt. "Henry could already be waiting in that Netherworld."

"No, we planned to meet back there in two hours." Aurora reminded her tersely.

"You're not going to leave him waiting."

Emma ignored their attempts at placating her. "Yeah, but what if he's- "

"He was fine." Aurora snapped, out of patience and mildly offended that the blonde thought her too simple-minded to tell whether or not her fellow sleeping curse victim was in dire need of help.

"There," Mary Margaret pointed at a relatively safe looking, easily reachable cliff. "That looks like relatively safe high ground, we'll set up camp there." She glanced at the resigned looking princess. "Aurora, you'll settle in and find Henry – get the information we need from Rumpelstiltskin."

"You'll need to do it fast," Lillian muttered, unease prickling within her. While Rumple had never been able to teach her his powers of premonition - he'd been gifted those from a seer, after all - but that didn't mean she couldn't sense when something bad was about to happen. "With Cora out there, it's still too dangerous."

With Mary Margaret in the lead, they began to ascend the small cliff. As they weaved in between a copse of trees, Aurora's shawl became caught on a branch. When she paused to remove it, Mulan and Lillian stopped as well. The sorceress was quicker than the warrior and deftly helped the princess remove the brance.

"Is something wrong?" Mulan asked quietly as Aurora murmured her thanks to Lillian.

Aurora flashed her a smile. "No, just caught on something."

"That doesn't explain that burn on your arm," Lillian said wryly, eyes fixed on the large burn covering Aurora's forearm.

She covered the spot with her shawl defensively. "What about my arm?"

"The burns you're hiding – they're not from the sun." Mulan added with a fierceness rarely heard from the stoic warrior.

"I… brushed against a poison leaf," Aurora replied, avoiding eye contact.

"You said that this Netherworld was full of smoke and flames." Mulan noted just as quietly. She took a step closer, worry leaking into her dark eyes. "Aurora, if that's where you were burned, you should not return."

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

Mulan frowned. "You're choosing to go in deeper, and staying under longer to find this boy. I vowed to Prince Phillip to protect you, not to help some strangers find a portal to another land."

"Mulan, I was cursed to spend eternity in that horrible sleep." Aurora reminded the warrior in clipped tones, her voice growing more passionate with each word. "And, the only reason I'm here, is because you and Phillip risked your lives to save me. Every day since my waking has been a gift, so let me do something with it. It's my turn to help someone else, I'm going to go back in and find that boy."

With that, she slipped past them both. Meeting Mulan's slightly widened eyes, Lillian turned and caught up with the princess as she stormed up the incline. She remained silent for several heartbeats, using her empathy to suss out if Aurora was still in a temper.

"I can heal you," Aurora started at Lilith's words. The sorceress met her eye calmly, looking as close to apologetic as Aurora had ever seen. "It's a gift, not dark magic, I promise."

Searching the other woman's pale eyes, Aurora found herself cautiously nodding. Regarding her with a small half-smile, Lillian raised her hand and began to heal the painful looking burns one at a time.

Neither noticed the speculative look on Mulan's face when she saw the golden glow encompassing Lilith's hand.

Storybrooke

Regina hung in the doorway to the backroom of Gold's shop. She watched her son lie down on the bed, his blanket clutched in her hands. He'd used it since he'd begun to sleep in a bed. As he settled onto the bed, she steeled herself and entered the room.

"I brought your blanket… from your bedroom back home." She offered unnecessarily, gently draping it over him.

As she smoothed down any creases, he caught her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Thanks," he waited until she'd returned the squeeze before continuing. "So, Cora… she's pretty powerful?" Lillian had never mentioned her, though he'd caught the name several times in the book.

"Yes," Gold replied, having caught the tail end of Henry's question. He and David having finished their discussion, entered the back room. "But, uh, not as powerful as I am."

"Debatable," Regina muttered from her spot beside Henry.

Gold almost snarled at her. "Actually, no, it's not."

"You sure you're okay to do this, kid?" David asked, halting the oncoming spat in its tracks.

Henry nodded, far too enthusiastically for Regina's peace of mind. "I was born to do this," he assured his doubtful looking grandfather. "I'm done reading about heroes, I want to be one."

"Well, sometimes being one is knowing when not to run into the fire." David told him, wincing under Regina's glower.

"I'll be okay."

"Look, whatever he faces in there, will be far less dangerous than what he'll face if we fail." Gold pointed out, much to the consternation of the mother and grandfather. "While Lillian is powerful, she's never fought anyone more powerful than you, Regina."

Henry smiled, attempting to calm their worry. "I can do this." He promised as Regina cupped his face with a shaking hand.

"Get on with it," David said finally, searing blue eyes turning toward Gold. "Fast."

Regina drew back, allowing Gold to settle at the side of the bed. "Alright, Henry," the pawnbroker muttered, lowering his voice and calling upon his magic. ""Just relax. And soon, you're going to drift off."

Henry's eyes obediently slipped shut. "What do I tell them?"

"Just listen to my bedtime story, and all will be clear." He sat in Regina's vacated stool and placed his hand on Henry's forehead, gently and carefully channeling his magic. "Once upon a time, Snow White and Prince Charming needed to stun a very powerful magician, long enough to lock him up in a dark dungeon."

"That was you," Henry muttered drowsily, "They used Cinderella to trap you with a magic quill."

Gold smiled faintly despite himself. There were times the young boy in Lilith's care reminded him of Bae. "Yes, indeed a quill." He drew his hand across Henry's face, his magic lulling the boy to sleep. He continued the motion as he finished the story. "And yet, it wasn't the quill itself, but the ink that captured the Dark One – harvested from the rarest species of squid, from the bottom of a bottomless ocean. Impossible to find, unless, you're a mermaid… or me. I happen to have a private supply. In my jail cell… that is where they will find it."

Enchanted Forest

At Mulan's behest, Lillian was seated beside Aurora, watching over her as she slept. While aware that she couldn't do much if the princess was being harmed in her dreams, Lillian humored her. The warrior was already on edge, and Lillian didn't want to see what happened when she eventually went over.

Several feet away, Mary Margaret and Emma sat. The blonde looked despondent, and Lillian wanted to sneer at the emotion. Mary Margaret noticed, and she raised a hand to touch Emma's shoulder. Lillian saw the imperceptible flinch.

"Hey… it'll be okay," she soothed, either blind or willfully ignorant to her daughter's reaction. "You'll see Henry again. This will work."

A noise echoed from the woods and made Lillian's hair stand on end. The sorceress stood, the blue of her eyes giving way to red. Mulan sprang to her side, hand on the pommel of her sword as both searched the woods. Behind them, Emma and Mary Margaret quickly stood.

"What was that?"

Netherworld

As discussed, the two victims of the sleeping curse arrived in the burning room by the two hour mark. Aurora looked around, relief throbbing fiercely within her chest when she saw Henry across the flames.

"Henry!" The relief threatened to choke her. "Henry! Can you help us?"

Henry was beaming. "Yes!" He called in reply, using his amulet to keep the fire at bay. "I know what you have to do to stop Cora! You have to go to- " Despite his efforts, the flames flared out, muffling his voice. Aurora strained to hear, catching only every other word. "- Rumpelstiltskin's cell!"

"Where?!" Aurora called out in reply, hands raised to protect her face from the flames. "We have to go where? Wait, where do we have to go?!"

A note of urgency entered Henry's voice. "Rumpelstiltskin's- " The flames flared once more, cutting him off and muffling the rest of his words.

"Henry!" Aurora jerked farther away from the flames and the boy. "Henry, I…."

"Aurora!"

She looked around, eyes widening at the unknown voice. "Who is that?"

"Did you hear me?" Henry called, drawing back her attention.

Aurora turned back to him, pushing aside the concern that he didn't seem to hear the voice. "No! Henry, say it again! I- "

"Aurora!"

"Did you hear that?" She demanded, looking upwards frantically.

Henry moved to close the gap between them. The flames flared again, and he jerked backwards from the heat. "No! Aurora, what's going on?"

"Aurora!" The voice cried a third time, this time far more urgently.

"Do you hear that?!" Aurora demanded once more before she was violently sucked out of the room, Henry's cry echoing in her ears.

Enchanted Forest

Aurora came awake slowly despite the violence that ripped her from the Netherworld. Mulan was roughly shaking her shoulder while Lilith, Snow and Emma were nowhere to be seen.

"Aurora, wake up! Aurora, wake up!" The warrior repeated, looking around anxiously. Lilith had darted off the moment the first reanimated corpse had come stumbling in. "Wake up!"

Aurora stumbled when Mulan yanked her off the ground. "Henry wasn't finished."

"The time for that is over." Mulan said shortly, drawing her sword and slicing through the corpse that lumbered toward them.

Several feet away, Lillian was ducking and twisting through the bodies. Several were thrown across the forest with a flick of her fingers. With no hearts to crush - apparently they'd all been murdered by Cora already - she was left with fire. While she knew she could control it, she was leery of throwing around her fire while surrounded by very flammable trees.

She brought her hands together, halting the approaching thrall. Curling her fingers into claws, she ripped the body in half. Panting, she turned to see Aurora watching, eyes wide with horror. The sorceress spared little thought to the delicate sensibilities of the princess and ducked back into the fray. Above the seemingly endless horde, she caught sight of Emma being tackled to the ground by a corpse.

Something was flung out of the blonde's pockets, something shiny and golden and Lillian's heart stopped in her chest. She started toward the downed blonde, crying out when a hand grabbed her arm. Spinning her around, the corpse raised its free arm. Eyes flaring, Lillian watched with no small sense of satisfaction when the corpse burned from inside out. She did the same to several of the other bodies before she sprinted toward Emma.

"The compass!" Emma screamed as a corpse picked up the object and began to amble off. "The compass!"

Mary Margaret raised her bow, though lowered it in amused horror when Lillian appeared before the corpse in a swirl of grey smoke. The sorceress froze the body with her hand before she leaned closer, eyes locked with the vacant ones of the corpse. Emma watched, still on the ground, as the corpse offered the compass to Lillian, who took it before her open hand closed into a fist.

The zombie crumpled into a pile of ash at the teen's feet.

"Keep it closer next time!" Lillian snapped, turning and reaching to help Emma to her feet. She was already out of practice, using her magic in combat. She didn't want to have to keep watch over the 'saviour' the entire time.

The blonde barely withheld the urge to recoil, too concerned with the still swarming zombies. "So, I take it you know how to kill these things?"

"Fire seems to do it." Lillian snapped wryly, "Mulan!" The warrior was nowhere in sight, and neither was her charge. "Aurora!" Something dark and heavy twisted in her gut, and she looked around more frantically as the feeling worsened.

"Where is she?!" Emma demanded, torn between the desire to look for them, and the desire to save her skin.

Thankfully, Mary Margaret saved the blonde from making that choice. "Emma, we've got to run for it!"

Mary Margaret turned and sprinted from the campsite, Emma hard on her heels. The corpses, while overwhelming up close, were easier for the sorceress to deal with the farther and faster they got away from the main horde.

Halfway across the forest, Mulan and Aurora were running in the opposite direction. "Come on - hurry!" Mulan pushed Aurora to run ahead of her, safely out of the way. "Aurora, go!"

Mulan spun around to fend off the approaching corpses, only to be tackled to the ground. Thrashing violently, she attempted to wrench free from the creatures hold. Unseen to her, the rest of their pursuers converged on Aurora.

"NO!" With a hold tight enough to bruise, Aurora was dragged away from Mulan.

Finally able to free her sword, Mulan sliced neatly at the corpse and grimaced when it fell to pieces. She staggered to her feet, blood running cold when the silence settled heavily.

"Aurora!" Mulan turned on her heel and rushed back toward where they'd been camped. Following the trail, she raced toward the voices of Snow and Emma.

"You still in one piece?" Emma breathed raggedly. They'd managed to evade the corpses, though Lillian didn't look too certain.

Mary Margaret bent over, rubbing at the stitch in her side. "Yeah, pretty much."

Lillian swung around when a rustling began in the bushes behind them. A fireball emerged in her hand, and Mary Margaret had an arrow drawn, when Mulan emerged from the greenery. Lillian blew out the fireball and Mary Margaret lowered the arrow.

"They took her." The warrior gasped out, eyes wide with panic. "Aurora's gone."

Storybrooke

"Henry!" David ran to his grandson's side the moment the boy jerked awake. "Are you alright?" He settled beside Regina, who reached out to stroke her son's ashen features.

Gold was on his heels. "Did you see her? Did you tell her?" He asked rapidly.

Henry shook his head. "No. I… I didn't get the chance," he glanced at the adults gathered around his bedside. "Something… something happened. She… she got sucked out of there."

"Henry?" Regina whispered, stiffening at the sight of her son's features twisted into a pained grimace.

"Some… something's wrong." He hissed out, bringing his arm to cradle it against his chest.

Regina reached down and gently drew back his sleeve. Her eyes widened at the sight of a long, shiny burn along his forearm. She glanced back to see David and Gold staring at hit, horror in the former's blue eyes.

"Henry…."

Enchanted Forest

Aurora paced the pit, skin crawling. She'd been at Haven for several hours at best, and had never seen the inside of where they sent their prisoners. She whirled around when the door creaked open, revealing Cora with a tray of food.

"I thought you might be hungry," the older woman smiled. "I hope you enjoy stew." She carefully placed the tray on the ground before the scowling princess.

"I enjoy anything that masks the bitter aftertaste of poison." Aurora snapped in reply. She sent the tray a disdainful sneer while she was at it.

"Plucky." Cora observed with a patient smile. "I like that."

Aurora narrowed her eyes. "You might as well go. I'm not going to tell you anything."

"Oh, I know. That's alright" Cora brushed off easily, making Aurora's eyes widen. "You've nothing to tell. You weren't my target."

"The compass – sad you lost it?"

Cora ignored the mocking tone. "I suppose. But now, I have something to trade for it."

"They'll never trade me for that."

"You might be more valuable than you know."

"To who?" Aurora demanded, unable to hold back a scoff. "They just met me, and they're trying to get back to their families. Do you really think they'll sacrifice that for a stranger?"

"Your newfound companions? You may not know them, but I do." A smile once more grew on her painted lips. "Snow and her daughter just can't help themselves. No matter the personal stakes, they won't let an innocent die."

Aurora leveled her with a haughty stare. "We shall see."

Cora stepped closer. "And what stakes do you have in their cause, Princess?" She queried, head tilted. "It's not as though you'd travel back with them." Aurora bit her lip and looked away. "Oh… what a sweet, misguided notion. Did you really think you could have a life there? Find another prince? You've forgotten Phillip already."

Aurora snapped her head around and snarled, "Phillip is in my heart every moment of every day." Pain flashed across her features, but she refused to give in. "If there was anything I could do to bring him back, I would."

"Is that so?" Aurora stiffened at the sudden interest in Cora's eyes. "What if I told you that when a wraith consumes a soul, it merely travels to another realm? But that soul could be brought back to this world?" She smiled invitingly. "Show me a little courtesy, and I may explain how."

Instead of responding verbally, Aurora violently kicked the tray. The bowl of stew tipped, the contents flying toward Cora and splattering on her dress. The former queen of hearts stumbled back several steps.

"Oh!" Cora snapped her head up to glare at the stony-eyed princess. "You stupid, ungrateful girl!"

"I'm not as stupid as you think, nor my loyalty so easily bought." Aurora retorted flatly. "You can bring me a hundred meals, and make me a hundred promises, but I will never help you!"

The last thing she saw was Cora's hand raising to fling her against the far walls. Her head smacked against the stone, and darkness overtook her. Cora smiled grimly at the unconscious body of the princess.

"Plucky…." Cora muttered before she turned and stalked toward the caged bird on the other side of the pit. She opened the cage and gently stroked its black chest. "Tell them." She ordered, smiling when it flew, out of the cage and out of the pit.

Still grouped together in the forest, Lillian's head snapped up at the sound of wings. The crow fluttered down to land on Mary Margaret's shoulder. Emma and Mulan both drew their weapons, halting when Mary Margaret held up a hand.

"Wait," she muttered, listening intently when the crow began to caw softly in her ear. Lillian watched, unable to understand the animal, but she'd seen Snow's particular talent enough to stay out of it.

"What the hell was that?" Emma demanded once the crow had finished 'talking' to her mother and flown off.

Mary Margaret's expression was grim. "Cora," she answered sharply. She met Lillian's eye. "We have until sundown to bring her the compass. If we don't, she'll kill Aurora."

Mulan held out her hand expectantly. "Give it to me," she ordered, unwilling to accept anything else.

"Hold on, Mulan," Emma snapped, taking a step back. "Just give us a minute to consider."

"There's nothing to consider." Mulan retorted, her hand beginning to drift to the handle of her sword. "A compass is not worth Aurora's life."

"We need a plan to get back Aurora and keep the compass." Mary Margaret offered patiently, ignoring Lillian's low scoff.

"My vow to Phillip was to protect Aurora. That promise is all that is left of him, so it shall be done." That said, Mulan reached over to yank the compass out of Emma's hand.

The blonde jerked her hand back, clutching the compass protectively. "Hey, hey!" She ducked away when Mulan repeatedly tried to grab it. "I climbed a beanstalk for this. You go get your own."

"Give it to me!"

Before the two could come to blows, Lillian held out her hand. The compass disappeared from Emma's hand and reappeared in Lillian's in a swirl of black smoke.

"Play nice, kiddies," the brunette said lowly. She wasn't going to let some honor-driven warrior just give away her chance to return to Henry. She also had no intention of giving Cora the means to get any closer to Henry than she already was.

Mulan started toward the sorceress, stopping only when Snow jumped in front of her. "Mulan, Mulan. Give us a few hours, please." She bargained, fully aware of Lillian and Emma's disbelieving stares. "If we haven't defeated Cora by then, you can have the compass."

"You can't hope to defeat her." Mulan retorted, unable to keep the desperation from her voice. "We no longer have access to the Dark One's assistance."

"Yes, actually, we do." Lillian glanced at Mary Margaret, who inhaled deeply before she nodded.

"She's right."

"How?" Mulan demanded. "Aurora's gone."

"Aurora isn't the only one who's been under a sleeping curse." Snow informed her quietly. "I can go back to that Netherworld."

"The door to that place is closed," a puzzled expression flitted across Mulan's features before they hardened once more. "You said it yourself."

Mary Margaret looked at Lillian once more. "There may be a way… a way for me to go back into a deep slumber." She began cautiously, only continuing when the younger woman nodded shortly. "One that can let me access it again."

Emma blinked and looked between them in disbelief. "Another sleeping curse?"

It was Lillian who answered. "No, not another curse, she's already been under it, she doesn't need one."

"I need to go into a sleep where my natural defenses slip away – where my mind stops protecting me." The short-haired woman finished.

"How?"

Snow looked at Mulan. "Your sleeping powder… if I inhale it, I will fall into a deep enough sleep that I should be able to do this."

"Emma used the last of it on the giant."

"Then make some more."

"The poppy plant is extremely rare in this kingdom, but I know of a place that may grow some more." Resignation crossed the warrior's expression. Alone, she might have been able to overpower both Emma and Snow, but with Lilith there, it would be next to impossible. "It's a bit of a journey from here."

"Can we make it by sundown?"

Mulan merely nodded. "We have to hurry."

Storybrooke

While a part of him mildly respected the former Queen for sticking to her promise, Gold was under no such restrictions. So, after watching Regina tend to the newest burn on Henry's forearm the old fashioned way, he quietly offered his assistance.

"Here," both Regina and Henry looked up, the former far more suspicious than the latter. The burn, while far less angry looking than it had been earlier, was still a bright red color. "Let me take care of this." A twist of his hand and the burn healed instantly.

"What caused this?" Regina ventured to ask as the magenta light faded from Gold's hand.

"When you venture deeper into the Netherworld instead of away, there are risks." Gold explained quietly as he withdrew his hand. "Someone woke Aurora before her soul was ready to return. The violence of that act tore her away and injured Henry. We're lucky it wasn't worse." His voice softened ever so slightly. "He's going to need some time to recover before he can be sent back."

"Out of the question." Regina snapped the same time David snarled, "Not a chance in hell."

"We'd be monsters to even consider risking his life again," the acting sheriff added, eyes glinting fiercely.

"Careful with your tone, Charming." Gold warned softy, dangerously. "I understand your concern for the boy, but I know Cora. Without our help, Snow, Lilith and Emma will soon be dead." The warning in his voice changed. "And then… a true monster will be on her way to Storybrooke."

"Aurora is gone." Regina said, frowning. "Why do we need to send Henry back to that fiery inferno with no one there to receive our message?"

"Because someone will be there."

Regina raised a brow and turned to the former prince. "Who?"

"Snow."

Regina blinked, taken aback. "Well, that's an awfully big assumption."

David smiled faintly. "No, no, it's not." He explained. "She was there once before, she can go back." He remembered all too well the terror in his wife's features when she awoke from a nightmare after he'd freed her from the sleeping curse. Until Lilith had appeared, the dreams had hounded Snow. "She can find a way. She will – I know it. And I'll be waiting."

"You're going to this Netherworld?" Regina couldn't keep the doubt from her voice.

"I faced you," David retorted. "How bad could it be?"

"It's not as simple as that," Gold said, looking mildly amused. "You can't get there. You haven't been under a sleeping curse."

"Well, then put me under one."

Gold shared an incredulous look with Regina. Henry was staring at his grandfather like the man had lost his marbles.

"If we do that, there's a chance you might never waken up." Gold explained quietly, unwilling to allow the blond man to do this without all the facts.

"Sure I will," David smiled despite the disbelieving expressions on Gold and Regina's faces. "When I see her, she'll kiss me, and I'll be fine." Despite the doubt on their faces, David refused to let them stop him. "Now, put me under." He ordered resolutely. "I've spent far too much time looking for my wife. It is time to bring her home."

Enchanted Forest

Sneaking into the pit, Hook knelt beside the still unconscious princess. He reached behind her head, frowning at the lump her felt there. Cora clearly hadn't bothered to heal the poor girl after knocking her out. Hoping that she wasn't too far gone, he began to gently shake the girl's shoulders.

"Wake up, wake up," he muttered urgently, all too aware of what Cora would do if she found them. "Come on, sweetheart. Wake up, wake up," the girls eyes began to flutter weakly. "Wake up. On your feet, hurry."

Aurora's dazed eyes opened, narrowing to slits. They widened once more when she realized who was above her. "No! No!" She scrambled away from the pirate, fear in her eyes. "Are you going to kill me?" She demanded.

While she didn't know what had transpired between him and Emma on the beanstalk, it couldn't bode well for her. Lilith hadn't been too pleased when she heard that Emma had abandoned Hook to the giant's mercy, but they'd had other problems. She didn't even want to know how displeased the pirate in question was.

Hook merely spared her an impatient smile. "If I were here for that, then waking you first might not be the best course of action." Without another word, he calmly broke the shackles that bound the girl's wrists.

"So what?" Aurora demanded, rubbing her sore wrists. "Did Cora send you?"

"Cora has no idea I'm here."

Aurora blinked at him. "I don't… I don't understand."

Hook sighed deeply. "Look, I know you're sleepy… isn't it obvious?" He asked, smiling hesitantly now. Aurora stared at the expression. "I'm setting you free."

"What is this? Some sort of pirate's ruse?" She demanded, unwilling to believe anything he said.

"Cora's denied me passage to Storybrooke, and my vengeance." He explained, looking around warily. "And now, I'm going to deny her her wishes, starting with the compass. In pirate terms, you might say I'm firing a shot across my enemy's bow."

Aurora eyed him doubtfully. "You'd risk your life to break in here, all so you could thwart Cora?"

He smirked. "I don't like being double-crossed. Now, go."

She took several steps away. "Thank you."

Before she managed to reach the doorway, Hook reached out to stop her. "You can thank me by doing me one favour."

"What?" She asked tersely, too wary of being double-crossed.

Hook's smile was soft. Almost fond. "Give Emma a message. Tell her, that the deal still stands," he elaborated at Aurora's confused expression. "If she provides me passage back to her realm, I swear I will help her find that dust that opens the portal."

"You really want to assist us?"

"It hurts Cora and helps me." He replied, sounding almost offended at her doubt. "Of course I do." His expression turned urgent once more. "Now, go."

Aurora needed little more prompting and turned, running out of the pit.

"You know I could just use magic to take us there." Lillian muttered after hours of travel. She'd tried, unsuccessfully at first, to convince them to let her get them to the poppy plants her way.

Mulan ignored her. "Once we crest this ridge, we'll be near the woods of the dead." While not happy with the plan Snow had enforced upon her, she would go along with it. "The last poppies in this realm have taken seed there."

Emma looked away from the warrior guiltily. They were putting Aurora's life at risk all for a gamble. She glanced at her mother instead, frowning at the sight of the scowl on the other woman's face. "You okay?"

Mary Margaret didn't even glance at her. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Emma reached out to halt her. "Hey, wait, wait." Mary Margaret made to move past her, only for Emma to grip her arm. "No, no, no. You look nervous. This Netherworld… how bad is it? What's it like?"

"It's like you're, um… lost, drifting in the dark." The teacher began to explain, barely aware that Mulan was also listening intently. "No one to talk to, nothing to do. Except think of all the people that you love, and how you'll never see them again."

"Henry was lost in that dark too because of me."

The desolate tone in her daughter's voice drew Mary Margaret from her own dark musings. "What are you talking about?"

"He tried so hard to convince me I was the saviour.

Mary Margaret drew her daughter to a stop. "Stop it." She said sternly. "Nobody would've believed Henry's stories."

"But his mother should have."

"Yes." Lillian hissed from ahead of them. "She should have."

Emma looked up and recoiled from the burning anger in Lillian's red eyes. "What the hell's your problem with me, Lillian? I know I screwed up, I know Henry got hurt because of me -"

"You think this is all because of Henry?" Something inside Lillian snapped. ""I don't like you because you're an ungrateful brat! I know what I am, but at least I own up to it! You finally have the chance to meet your parents, and all you've done is resent them and push them away. I would gladly blacken what was left of my soul for that chance, but I know I will never see my parents again!"

As if she's just realized what she'd done, Lillian's face whitened. Breath coming in low, harsh pants, she wrenched her gaze away from Emma. Lillian couldn't even look at Mary Margaret. Emma stared, horror-struck at the dark-haired teen. Her chest ached suddenly, and she dared a glance at her mother to see tears in the dark-haired woman's eyes. Mulan watched the scene, solemn and grave, as Lillian exhaled once.

"You can complain all you want about Snow and Charming giving you up," she hissed, almost to herself. "You can moan about how unfair it was. But there are things you don't understand. Things you obviously will never understand." Lillian looked up, and Emma flinched at the heartbroken expression the younger woman wore. "If you'd come over with the rest of us, you'd be dead. Regina would have smothered you the first chance she got."

Without looking away from Emma, Lillian vanished in a cloud of black smoke. Emma watched, stricken by what the sorceress had revealed. While aware that Lillian was an empath, she hadn't fully realized that the younger woman could sense everything that she had felt ever since magic had returned. She didn't even look at her mother, too ashamed of the truth to do so.

Mary Margaret stared at where Lillian had vanished before shutting her eyes. She'd known, instinctively, that Emma still harbored some resentment, some anger, over what had happened at her birth. But they couldn't change anything, she'd accepted that long ago. She couldn't say that she was surprised that Lillian felt the way she did; the teen had always been that way. She'd bottle up all her feelings and then explode when it all became too much. Mary Margaret had long assumed it was a byproduct of the time Lillian had spent without her humanity, without the ability to feel emotions, it had left the younger woman emotionally stunted in a way.

Resolved to speak about this whole situation later, when they had the time, Mary Margaret turned to her daughter. "I know we have to talk about this, but now is not the time." Her voice softened. "But, you wanna play the blame game? If I hadn't told Cora about Regina's true love, Cora never would've killed him. Regina wouldn't want revenge. The curse? Never would have happened. We could spend all day trying to figure out why each of us should feel guilty, but it will not help us get home."

Emma stared at her, blinking past the sudden tears that welled in her eyes. "You really think we're going to make it back?" She whispered, sounding so distraught that her mother felt a physical ache settle inside her.

Mary Margaret forced a smile. "If there's one thing your father's taught me, it's not to give up." The expression became slightly more earnest. "Now, it's time for me to go back to sleep."

Mary Margaret turned and resumed walking, allowing Mulan to take the lead once more. As they continued up the ridge, Emma spoke, so quietly and suddenly that it took a moment to realize she'd even spoken.

"It's Regina."

"What?"

"Regina," Emma whispered again, unable to stop the anger from leaking into her words. "That's who we should blame."

Storybrooke

Henry avidly watched his mother work. Her lips were twisted into a slight frown as she carefully prepared the potion for the sleeping curse. Quietly, he moved further into the back room, stopping once he reached his mother's side.

"It smells funny." He observed softly, still watching intently.

Regina managed a faint smile. "I know, sweetheart. It's a curse," she reminded him gently. "It's not meant to be pleasant."

"So the potion's finished?" He asked as she placed a last ingredient in, watching the potion turn another color. "Mr. Gold had everything you needed in his shop?"

"Yes. We're almost ready."

Henry stared pensively at her for several heartbeats. "So this is how you do it – Magic." Lillian hadn't explained much to him, and the book he'd pilfered from Gold's store was about spells instead of potions.

Regina nodded. "There are many ways." She sighed heavily. "It's never easy."

"And… have you been using magic?"

She finally looked away from the potion. Setting it down, she looked her son squarely in the eye. "Henry, I told you I wouldn't, and I haven't." Her expression faltered. "Except for… with Daniel." She paused, lips pursed. "…And now. I've really been trying."

"It's okay," he assured her, easily believing her. Ruby had told him she'd seen his mother go into Archie's office several times in the past few weeks. "At least you're using it to help people now."

Regina nodded, encouraged by his faith in her. "I'm trying. And after this, I won't."

"I know." He smiled widely at her before his expression sobered. "Will David be okay?"

Regina chose her words carefully, mindful of what could happen if David's plan didn't work out. "He'll be… asleep," she answered honestly. "And in there, he won't die. Gold's explaining everything to him right now."

Henry glanced behind them to see his grandpa where he'd left him. He and Gold were still deep in conversation, the latter looking far more serious than Henry had ever seen. "It should be me." He groused once more, mildly put out that the adults had overruled him. "I can go in there without a curse and still come back."

His mother lightly touched his hand. "Henry," she waited until he'd turned back to her. "David and I have many differences, but, on this, we agree. We won't let you risk your safety. It's just not worth it."

"It is to me. He won't wake up."

Regina held back a smile at the pout her son wore. "Unless, he succeeds," she gently reminded him. "And if there's one thing I know about your grandparents, they always find each other."

Enchanted Forest

"It's beautiful," was all Mary Margaret could say about the last poppy flower. It had taken hours to simply find it, and they were all too aware of what limited time they had. Emma hadn't so much as glanced in her direction since her quiet declaration that Regina was at fault for everything.

Mulan looked up from the flower, her face set in a black scowl. "I'll use my dagger to crush the seeds." She replied, unwilling to waste anymore time than they already had. Not when Aurora's life was on the line. "We're doing this the old-fashioned way."

The bodies of the dead were still strewn about Haven. Lillian sidestepped another heartless corpse before movement caught her eye. Several yards away, exiting where Lillian assumed was the pit, was Hook. He stilled when he caught sight of her, charcoaled eyes narrowing suspiciously. Lillian swallowed back the hollow feeling in her chest.

Hook didn't respond when she took a step forward, either to retreat or advance. Unsure what the young woman wanted of him, Hook waited patiently for her to come to a stop close enough that he could reach out and touch her. Her eyes were stormy when they met his own, and something within him shifted at the sight of the tears that gleamed on her lashes.

Lillian opened her mouth, unable to force the words past her lips. "I…." She didn't know what to say. She wanted to apologize, for letting Emma trick him and trap him, for not going after him when she found out. But she couldn't.

"Lass," Hook sighed finally, shoulders slumped. "Why are you here?"

"I don't know." Lillian whispered, looking as lost as she had the day he met her. The day he found out that there was a heart somewhere, deep down, in Peter Pan. "I… it can never be the same, can it."

He didn't need to ask what she was referring to. Their camaraderie on Neverland, their closeness and the easy affection he'd felt for her, as he would a sister or, perhaps a daughter. It was gone.

"I don't know, lass," he answered honestly. A lump formed in his throat when her lips twisted into a sad attempt at a smile. He reached up with his good hand, a small part of his grateful when she didn't flinch. She'd done it too often on the island, even as the years slipped by them without their notice. If he recalled correctly, the first time she hadn't instinctively shied away from touch, was the last night he'd been on the island.

"I don't know."

Storybrooke

David eyed the spinning wheel that Gold had brought in like it was diseased. "What do you mean, the old-fashioned way?" He asked warily.

"You're about to join a quite distinguished club, Mr. Nolan." Gold began, looking faintly amused. "Before such innovations as the apple, back when the sleeping curse first came to be, a more direct method was required… through blood." He reached out and gently spun the wheel. "By pricking one's finger on the needle of a spinning wheel, one falls under the spell." He glanced up when Regina and Henry entered the front of the store, both looking distinctly unhappy. "Your Majesty, you did his wife. I'm sure you'd like the honours."

Sending him a dirty look, Regina removed the needle from the spinning wheel. Carefully, she dipped the needle into the potion before replacing it on the wheel. Grimacing, she gestured for David to do his part. "It's all yours."

"Good luck."

David stilled at the sight of Henry's unhappy scowl. "It's going to be alright."

His promise only served to deepen Henry's frown. "How do you know?"

"Well… how did you know Emma would save you after you ate the turnover?"

"I… I believed in her."

David smiled. "The way Snow and I believed she'd come back to break the curse. That's the kind of faith that runs in our family."

Henry reached up and removed the pendant Gold had given him. Solemnly, he handed it to his grandpa, who took it with a faint smile. "This helps control the flames in the room. It'll keep you safe."

"I will guard it with my life."

Enchanted Forest

Crushing the seeds and grinding them into a powder seemed to take the longest. As she worked, Mulan glanced up to see Snow readying herself. The other woman settled against the trunk of a tree, shifting around to get comfortable.

"The powder's nearly ready."

Snow glanced over at her. "How long will the effects last?"

"It's difficult to say," Mulan replied, pressing down with the flat of her dagger. "Maybe an hour, or much less."

"Well, I shouldn't need much time." Snow said, looking far more sure about their plan than Mulan felt. "As long as Henry's in there when I am."

No one felt brave enough to mention how unlikely that actually was.

Emma sent her mother a strained smile. It came out as more of a grimace. "I'll be right here," she promised, settling down to stay beside Mary Margaret. "Say hi to my son for me."

Mary Margaret forced herself to smile in response. The tension between them was worse than ever, though they hadn't had any time to discuss it at all. And even though Mary Margaret wanted their whole family together when they did, she was realistic enough to know it would most likely just be her and Emma hashing it out.

Mulan shifted, setting down her dagger and holding up a cupped hand. Snow's eyes fixed on her as the warrior shifted closer and brought her hand level with the princess' face. Gently, Mulan blew the powder toward Snow's expectant face, watching grimly as she deeply inhaled it.

Her eyes slid shut and her head lulled back mere heartbeats later. Emma watched intently, unconsciously reaching out to grip Mary Margaret's limp hand.

All they could do now was wait.

Storybrooke

Staring grimly at the needle, David tore his eyes away to look at Gold. The older man was calmly spinning the wheel, unbothered by the other man's gaze.

"When I wake up," David began, swallowing thickly. "I'll be in that fiery room?"

"Not exactly." Gold informed him, pausing in his spinning. "That room is where those who've already awoken from the Curse return to. You, however, are being put under for the first time."

Scowling, David narrowed his eyes at Gold's words. "Then how will I know where to go? How the hell am I supposed to find a room with no door?"

Lips twisting, inwardly asking for the patience necessary to deal with Prince Charming, Gold gave his full attention to said man. "That, dearie, is the conundrum we're all depending on you solving." Expression sobering, he added. "Now, I say this with the utmost sincerity... Good luck."

Returning his attention to the spinning wheel, he began to spin the wheel once more. He waited, watching intently as the blond man steeled his nerves before reaching out with his index finger. The moment his finger was pricked by the needle, the Curse took affect. Eyes rolling into the back of his head, David fell to the floor.

Netherworld

As Gold had warned him, he didn't arrive in the flaming room. Instead, he found himself in a dark room lit only by a single torch. Cautiously, David pulled the torch from the sconce and began to wander. As he went further, he became aware that the walls around him were mirrors.

"Snow!" He called loudly, heart beating loudly in his chest.

Arriving in the flaming room, the sight that had once tormented her nightly, jarred her. It took several seconds, but Mary Margaret managed to push down the rising fear, stopping it from choking her, to call out for her grandson.

"Henry? Henry? Henry? Henry?!" Her cries of his name became increasingly desperate. She didn't have much time. "Where are you?"

The room seemed endless. As he wandered farther down the hallway-like structure and turned, David caught sight of himself in the mirrored wall. Henry's necklace glowed a pale blue against his chest. Reaching up to remove it, his eyes widened as the glow brightened with every forward step he took. As he walked several more paces forward, the glow grew, and suddenly the pendant burned his hand. He dropped it, hissing slightly.

Kneeling down, he reached to grab it, drawing his hand back when his fingertips touched the floor. Like the pendant, the floor was hot enough to burn his flesh.

"The room… " David whispered, his grip tightening on the torch.

Without a thought, he drew back the torch and slammed it against the floor. It gave way beneath the blow, shattering like glass, and plunging him into the burning room Henry had spoken of. Across the flames, Mary Margaret whirled around at the sound.

"Charming?" She called in shock, which soon gave away to disbelief. "Charming?!"

David's grin split his face. "Snow!"

"I don't understand. I… Henry should be here."

"I wouldn't let him come back. This is… this is too dangerous." He instinctively shied away from the flames.

Despite wanting to smack him, Mary Margaret smiled fondly at him. "You found me."

David returned the expression. "You found me. I knew you'd be here."

"I don't know how much time we have." Mary Margaret explained, aware that time passed differently in dreams than in real life. For all she knew, the hour Mulan had guessed at was almost up.

David nodded. "Gold… he says there's a way to stop Cora," he explained rapidly. "We have to stun her like we did with him."

"The quill."

"It wasn't the quill, it was the ink. There's a jar of it in his cell where we kept him." Get it. Get it, stop her, and come home.

Mary Margaret was watching him, brow creased and expression distinctly unsettled. "Charming, how are you here?" She asked slowly, coming to the realization herself before the rest of the words even left her lips. "There's no way for you to be here, unless… "

"I had to see you."

"You're in a sleeping curse."

"It was worth it."

"Now you're cursed." She looked stricken.

"A curse you're going to break with true love's kiss." David replied confidently before he vaulted over the wall of flames that separated them. She stared up at him, a smile curling the corners of her lips. "Now… "

The leaned into one another, half-closed eyes flaring open wide when they passed through each other.

"No!" Mary Margaret reached for him, only for her hands to pass through his body.

"It's a Netherworld," he whispered brokenly. "We're not really here."

As he spoke, her body began to fade. She looked down at herself, and there was panic in her eyes when she glanced back up. "I'm waking up."

David forced a smile. "It's okay. You'll get back, and then you'll wake me as I woke you." He half-reached for her, before he remembered. His hands fell to his sides and formed into fists. "You will always find me, and I will always find you."

Mary Margaret nodded, eyes shining brightly in the firelight. "Yes," she agreed shortly. "Will we always lose each other, too? Is that our fate?"

"No. I refuse to believe that." He retorted, unable to even consider such a thing. "You need to have faith… in us."

"I'm waking up." She repeated faintly.

"It's okay, you can do this."

"Charming… "

David forced himself to smile for her. "I love you."

"I love y- " Was all she managed before she disappeared completely. David stared at the spot she'd stood, closing his eyes as the flames flickered around him.

Storybrooke

The optimism Regina had allowed herself to feel faded after the first five minutes. Now, fifteen minutes in, even Henry was beginning to doubt. Three pairs of eyes stared hard at David, who, other than his chest rising and falling faintly with each breath, had yet to move.

"Come on… come back," Henry whispered, repeating the words like a prayer. When David didn't do as he asked, he turned to his mother, who quickly schooled her features into an encouraging expression. "Should he be in there so long?"

Regina forced herself to smiled. "I'm sure it's fine," she assured him, squeezing his hand lightly. "I imagine they're just catching up."

When Henry turned back to his grandfather, Regina twisted her head around to meet Gold's solemn stare. When the pawnbroker shook his head once, Regina felt her heart sink somewhere around her toes.

Enchanted Forest

While she hadn't meant for it to happen, the sleepless nights and the stress had finally taken their toll. While watching Mary Margaret, Emma had slipped into slumber, and was rudely awakened when Mary Margaret violently woke up herself.

"Hey, hey," Emma reached out to steady her mother, the both blinking sleep from their eyes. "You okay?" Without replying, Mary Margaret lurched to her feet. Startled, Emma nearly fell back as her mother frantically looked around. "What… what happened? What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for more powder."

Emma blinked slowly. "Well, I'm pretty sure we're out of that. What happened?" She asked again, more firmly this time.

Mary Margaret didn't answer her. "No. I have to go back in." She said as Emma stare,d uncomprehendingly. "He's all alone."

"Henry? What? Is he okay?"

Mary Margaret shook her head. "No, David. He went under a sleeping spell so he could see me." She explained at Emma's dumbfounded expression. "He thought that my kiss would wake him, but it didn't. And now he's trapped."

Emma forced herself to her feet. "Okay, slow down," she held her hands out to halt Mary Margaret's frantic attempts at finding more poppy. "David is trapped in there?"

"I have to get back. There's only one way to help him."

Emma nodded, comprehension dawning. "True love's kiss."

"Yes, but… it won't work in there. We have to get back." A lump formed in Mary Margaret's throat. "If we don't- "

"We will." Emma assured her. "We will."

Mary Margaret sent her an incredulous look. "Now you're so sure?"

"Yes. You told me to have faith, and now I'm telling you." Emma touched her mother's arms lightly. "We will make it back. Okay? Did you get the information?"

The dark-haired woman nodded. "It's Rumpelstiltskin. He said the key to stopping her is in his jail cell."

Emma nodded despite having no idea where said cell was. "Okay. Then let's go get it. Come on – get your stuff," she let go of her mother's arms. "Come on." As Mary Margaret went to gather her weapon and bag, Emma stiffened as she checked her pockets. "No… " her frantic whisper, along with the rapid movements of her hands, caught Mary Margaret's attention.

"What?"

Emma's face was stark white. "The compass is gone," she whispered, looking around and feeling her heart sink. "And so is Mulan."

"Looking for someone?" Hook drawled when Cora entered the pit. His gamble could play out either way, and there was no telling how Cora would react to his ace in the hole.

She didn't even bother looking around for her captive. "Oh, don't tell me you were dumb enough to let her go." She shook her head, as if mourning his usefulness.

"She was never going to give you what you wanted anyway." Hook retorted, confident

"So, you freed her," Cora observed, lips pursed. "And stuck around for the petty satisfaction of seeing me suffer?"

Hook ignored the unspoken insult to his intelligence. "Oh, watching you suffer is a tempting motivation, but it wasn't that."

"Well, then you must have a death wish." Was all she said before she threw him at the wall. The stone beneath his back extended from the wall, binding him to it. Cora approached calmly, smiling now. She removed his hook and traced along the exposed skin of his chest, pressing the tip of his hook where his heart frantically beat. "You know I have to kill you." She said it as if it was truly a waste.

"You should try thanking me." He wheezed out.

Cora tilted her head. "Oh, really? Why's that?"

"Perhaps, before you make any hasty decisions," A voice spoke up from behind them. Cora turned her head, scowling now at the sight of Lilith. The younger woman stood, eyes red and expression blank, clutching a satchel in her hands. "You should at least see what he's offering."

"What is it?"

Hook piped up. "Customarily, surprise is part of the fun of gift giving," he jerked his chin toward the satchel. "Open it."

Warily, Cora approached Lilith. The teen held out the satchel, making no move to attack the older sorceress. Emboldened, Cora took the offered satchel and peered into it.

Her eyes widened marginally. "Is that… " She stole a glance to see Lilith still staring at her, as emotionless as the stories said.

Hook was smirking when she glanced at him. "Indeed, it is," he drawled, still bound to the wall. "And with it, you'll get everything you want."

Despite the head start she had, Emma and Mary Margaret easily caught up to Mulan. The warrior stumbled back when an arrow shot past, inches from her head, and landed in a tree.

"That was a warning shot," Snow commented dryly as she and Emma appeared, an arrow already notched and pointed at Mulan. "Try to run, and I promise the next one won't be."

Mulan felt the urge to crumple to the ground. "How did you find me?"

Snow shrugged. "I know a thing or two about tracking."

"All we want is the compass." Emma tried to placate as they stepped closer, surrounding her.

"Very well," Mulan uttered tiredly, hand going to her sword.

Before she could draw it, Snow tackled her, sending them both to the ground. They grappled briefly before Snow gained the upper hand and pinned Mulan down.

"Give me the compass." She demanded flatly.

Mulan glared up at her fiercely. "And seal Aurora's fate?"

"We learned how to overpower Cora," Snow explained quickly. "Once we get what we need, we will defeat her, and Aurora will be free."

Mulan sneered up at her. "Another journey – just as I predicted there would be. Our best chance to save Aurora, is to make that trade now."

Snow shook her head. "Not going to happen." She refused flatly. "Without that compass, we can't get home."

"Then I hope you're prepared to use that arrow."

Frowning, Snow didn't hesitate. She drew back enough to notch another arrow, aiming it directly at Mulan's heart. Before she could loose it, or flinch, Aurora's voice cried out from behind her.

"Stop!" The princess stumbled out from the trees, ragged and out of breath.

Emma stared at her, mystified. "Okay, don't take this the wrong way, but how the hell did you get here?"

Aurora ignored her. "Let Mulan go," she commanded Snow, who was staring at her in shock. "I said, let her go!"

Without a word of protest, Mary Margaret obligingly got off the warrior. Aurora stepped forward and reached down to help her friend and protector off the ground.

"Were you followed?" Mulan asked, looking in the direction Aurora had come from.

"I… I don't think so." Aurora managed, suddenly looking confused. "Cora may know I'm gone, but she didn't see me escape."

Emma was still watching her as if she couldn't believe she was there. "How did you escape?"

"It was Hook. He let me go."

Emma started. "Why?"

Aurora's lips twitched into a small smile. "Because of you," she replied, watching Emma's face go slack in surprise. "He said he wanted to prove to you, that you should've trusted him. That if you had trusted him… "

"… you could've defeated Cora together." Cora said into Aurora's heart. Hook and Lilith watched the display, the former mildly disturbed by the sight. "That the two of you could've gotten the remains of the wardrobe. Without him, you'll have to go up against her all by yourself. He only wants to help. I… I think he may care for you."

Hook smirked at Cora's manipulations. "Nice touch, that."

Cora spared him a patronizing smile. "But you know she won't trust you."

"Ah, she doesn't have to," Hook said easily, tamping down the voice that whispered otherwise. "All I need, is for her to believe that I was genuine in letting the girl go, which I wager she does now." He threw Cora a pointed stare. "You're welcome."

Cora conceded to him with a nod of her head. "Impressive. You took a heart." She glanced at Lilith, whose expression had yet to change. "And gained a powerful ally."

"I merely reminded Lilith of our shared interests," he said, to answer the unspoken question. "Now you've a princess, and a sorceress."

"Indeed, I do."

"Now, can we get on with the business of going to Storybrooke… together?"

Cora smirked. "Why not? I hate to travel alone." She glanced at their newest addition. "All we need is the compass."

Hook returned the expression. "Which will soon be delivered."

Lillian watched them scheme, offering no input unless directly asked. in her mind, she replayed the conversation with Mary Margaret before her abrupt departure from their group.

"You need to find Hook, find him and make him trust you." Lillian raised a brow at the frantic tone Mary Margaret took. As they stalked through the forest, looking for a safe place for Aurora to re-enter the Netherworld, Mary Margaret had pulled the teen aside. "We need to know what they're planning. Do you remember the code from the war?"

Lillian nodded, meeting the older woman's burning stare unflinchingly. "I can do that."

Mary Margaret's expression softened momentarily. "Thank you, Lillian."

"Lass," Hook called, snapping Lillian from her musings. "Time to snatch us a compass."

"Perfect."

"Did you find a way to stop Cora?" Aurora asked Emma as they all readied themselves for travel. Lilith had yet to return, though Snow didn't seem unduly troubled by the sorceress' absence. Mulan had alluded to a scuffle involving Emma and Lilith, so Aurora didn't pry.

Emma nodded. "Yes."

"Where are we going?"

"Rumpelstiltskin's cell," the blonde answered, untroubled by Aurora's questions.

"Great," Aurora smiled, gesturing for Snow to take the lead. Miles away, Cora held the heart to her lips, answering for Aurora. "Then lead the way."

Both groups set off, neither aware that they had a traitor in the midst.

Thoughts? Comments? Questions?