Chapter 8

One year from today

Matt drives the truck with the sirens on, while Lilly explains to Emma what had happened at the house.

She told Emma on how they got a tip from Walter. She told Emma on how they got ambushed. Emma skipped the part where Matt lost his pants, but explained on how they got out of their predicament. She also told her what they found in the kitchen trash can.

"Are you kidding me?" said Emma.

"Wish I was."
"OK." Lilly could hear Emma sighing in frustration. "Me and David are finishing up here at the Hat. Couple of guys started a fight. I am betting you that that is not an accident."

"I am betting you that you will get nothing from them." said Lilly.

"You are right. Either it was a coincidental or they got hired to start a fight. Either way, it would be a waste of time to questioned them. Something like this is not something you want to talk about."

"If it works, who knows what people would do to get a hold of it." said Lilly.

"Nothing good. Trust me. I already dealt with it before. Don't want to do it again.." said Emma. "Ok. Here is what is going to happen. I get Dad to put our drunken brawlers in a cell while I get everyone involved. We will start a full blown search on all the abandoned buildings."

"We figured that there might be a test run. Since we got jumped, I am betting money that it is going to happen today." explains Lilly.

"Ok. I will get a list and start looking." said Emma. "I'll get Hook to start the docks. I'll get Regina to pull up the listing of all the vacant buildings and homes."
"Matt said that the homes are off the list unless they have a barn. Making something like this would make some noise."
"That makes sense. The advantage of living in a town: Everyone will know what your business is if you are not careful. So, neighborhoods are out. That will narrow the search down. What are you going to do?" ask Emma.

"Matt said that he got a few places that he wanted to check out." said Lilly.

"Keep me updated. I'll call you when we get the list from Regina." said Emma. She hangs up the phone. Lilly put her cell phone in her pocket.

"Well, that went well." said Lilly.

"Let's just focus on the finding that machine." said Matt.

Lilly simply nods, hoping they were not too late.

Present

"Are you alright?" asks Emma as she rushes over to the fallen women in the field.

Emma got a call from Granny, telling her that Matt went out for a drive. Wondering what he was thinking about the job offer, she decided to press her luck and went out to find him. She also decided to drive out and check on Lilly to be sure that everything was ok. With everything that has been going on, checking on two dragons just seem like a good plan. When she saw Matt's truck parked on the side of the road, Emma pulled her yellow bug in front of the truck. She got out of the bug and started to scan the area. When Emma saw the two women on the ground, she contacted her dad and rushed over to see if they were alright. Luckily, both women was slowly stirring back to conscious. Out of habit, Emma checked on Lilly first.

Lilly opens her eyes. It takes her a moment to realize that she is laying on the ground. She slowly start to get up from the ground.

"Just angry." answers Lilly. She looks for her mother. Maleficent is slowly sitting up. Emma takes Lilly's hand to help her on her feet.
"That is the dragon in you." answers Maleficent. "You will start to take things personal now."

"Seriously?"
"Sorry. The more you embrace the dragon in you, the more you will be a dragon. Even in human form, you will have the strong desire to rip someone's' heart out just for chewing their food loudly." said Maleficent. "Why do you think that dragons live far away from people? We do like our peace and quiet.

"So, I should avoid Emma's parents." said Lilly. Emma did not hide her distaste over the joke.

"If you have lingering resentment, yes." Maleficent did not catch the joke, but took the statement seriously. She simply sit on the ground, trying to shake the after effects of being drugged.

"I would really appreciate it if you don't kill my parents." said Emma as she helps Lilly stable herself on her two feet.

"I am not going to do that." said Lilly. "I just want to know who just drugged us and use their head as a bowling ball."

Emma looks at her friend.

"Dragon is talking." answers Lilly

"I am wondering who can take you two down." ask Emma.

"A Hunter." said Maleficent as she scan the area. She see her hat off to the side. She stretches to grab the hat. She shakes the dirt of the hat.

"Mind explaining why I hear a capital H in that word." said Emma as she let go of Lilly. Lilly slowly walks over to her mother, who places the hat on her head. Lilly extends her hand to her.

"Legends has it that a Hunter can kill anything. Gods, dragons, witch. They are meant to be the answer to stopping monsters. The problem was that they are not like knights. They owe their loyalty to no one and had no honor. They tend to be very dangerous. They also have everything they need to stop anything. Only they would have the tranquilizers to put down a dragon." Maleficent take her daughter's hand and slowly got up to her feet.

"Not liking where this is heading." said Lilly.

"It was a legend. No one has seen one in hundred of years. Ever since the appearance of the Dark one….." said Maleficent as she start to wonder about this new train of thought.

"Let me guess, that is when everyone stop hearing about the Hunter." said Emma.

"Yes. I believe so." Maleficent slowly just dusting off the dirt from her clothes. Emma looks up at the sky. It did not surprise her that the Dark Ones keeps coming up in different situations. Her memories from being the Dark One had not completely fade away from her mind. But it was not complete. After all, there were numerous Dark Ones before Rumpelstiltskin. She could not hope to remember it all.

"Worry about that later. Question is why are you not dead?" ask Emma.
"Good point. According to legends, Hunters would go for the kill. He only used tranquilizer to knock us out." said Maleficent.

"Where is Matt?" ask Lilly as she start to scan for Matt Donovan.

All three women start to look around in the area for an unconscious Matt.

"Matt's the target." said Emma. "You two was simply in the way."

"I am pretty sure that it can't be good." points out Lilly. Emma start to walk away from Lilly and back to her yellow bug. Lilly couldn't help herself. She starts to follow. Maleficent start to walk away from them and toward a lone tree in the field.

"No, it is not. Hyde tried to kill Matt, yesterday. I doubt that it is a coincidental that Matt got kidnapped today. I already call David. He is on his way. I'll text Regina. We are going to need all the help we can get." explains Emma.

"How are you going to find him?" ask Lilly.

"I'll figure something out." said Emma as she opens the door to her yellow bug. She grabs her cell phone that is sitting on the passenger seat.

Maleficent grabs something by the tree and walk toward the women.

"Seriously?" said Lilly. "How are you still the sheriff?"

"Lilly." said Emma as she looks straight at her. "Not now."
"Here is something that could help." said Maleficent. Both women look at her. Maleficent extends her hand that had a cellphone.

"OK. I'll bite. Why do you have a cellphone?" ask Emma as she start to text to Regina on what has happened.

"Why wouldn't I?"
"Magical being." reply Emma.

"Magic will not give you video or pictures of your loved one." answers Maleficent. "It can freeze them but that defeat the purpose."

"Are you taking my pictures?" asks Lilly.

"Videos of our training sessions." answers Maleficent.
"Why?"
"I missed your first step and your first words. I am not going to miss your first steps of becoming something better." said Maleficent.

Lilly simply stare at her mother, lost for words.

Emma nods. She can understand that.

She missed all the important moments in Henry's life. When Emma got a second chance with him, she made sure that she took a lot of pictures. Even with the memory changes, somehow she knew that she did not want to miss any of his moments. For that one year of normality, Emma made sure that she did not miss a moment. Henry does not know that there is a book filled with pictures of him hidden underneath the back seat of the yellow bug.

"It was recording today."

"Ok. That is good. We can at least have a picture of who we are looking for." said Emma as she takes the phone from Maleficent.

All three start to look at the phone as Emma pulls up the video and start playing it.

"Fast forward a little bit. Matt does not come into the picture until after Lilly has flown away." said Maleficent.

Emma moves the video forward until she see Matt walking up to Maleficent.

"Wow." said Emma.

"Are you checking him out?" said Lilly.

"NO!" said Emma.

"Focus." said Maleficent. The two women alway seems to go backward in maturity when they were within proximity from each other.

They watch as Lilly in dragon form appears.

"Holy crap!" said Emma. "You landed in front of him."
"I know. It is weird that he did not leave screaming." said Lilly.

"Here it comes." said Maleficent.

All three ladies watch as the video shows the women collapsing on the ground. Matt then collapse on the ground. The old man approach the unconscious individuals.

"Hello, Mystery man." said Emma.

"I never seen him before." comments Maleficent.

"He must have come over from the Land of Untold Stories." said Emma.

They watches as the older man picked up Matt and place him over his shoulder.

"He's strong." said Lilly.

The older man turns away from the camera. What appear in front of him is a portal.

"That is different." said Lilly as she watches the man walk in the portal and disappear.

"Great." said Emma in annoyances. "Instead of looking for Matt in town, now we have to find him in a different dimension."

"What happened?" said a voice. All three women turns to see Regina standing behind.

"Your guy got kidnapped by a Hunter." said Emma. "He somehow open up a portal and took Matt away."

Regina starts to rub her head like she is developing a headache.

"If I was evil, none of this would matter." said Regina.

"You know as a ruler that if there is a problem and you don't solve it now, it will just come back again. You know like Snow White." said Maleficent to illustrates that it did not matter if Regina was good or evil. A problem is still a problem.

"I know." said Regina. "Where did the portal appear?"
Emma looks at the phone to replay the video. She looks at the phone and then looks at the spot. She starts to walk toward the spot. After a few step, Emma stops.

"It might be right in front of me." said Emma. Regina extend her hand and a wand appear. She walks over to Emma.

"You have the Apprentice's wand?" ask Emma.

"Zelena gave it to me last night. Her daughter was crying and she was driving her up the wall." said Regina. "She didn't want to zap her little daughter into Oz."

What Regina did not know was how Zelena got the wand back. It was something that Regina was trying to figured out today. Snow White told her how Zelena lost the wand at the Land of Untold Stories. When Zelena called Regina last night for help in calming down her daughter, the wand was there on a small coffee table. Regina did not press the issue and played dumb. It did helped that Zelena simply handed the wand to Regina and told her to keep it away for a few days. Regina decided to ask about this morning when she got Emma's text.

Can you use it to open the portal back up?" ask Emma while the two female dragon steps back.

"Of course."

Regina concentrates her focus on the spot where the portal open up. The wand is generating heat in her hand. She feels the energy coursing in the wand. She wait for the right moment for the wand to ignite the process. She then wave the wand. Power flow out of the wand and open up the portal.

Without warning, Regina collapse on her knees. She looks and saw that the power is still flowing out of the wand. The portal is taking more magic like it was a leech.

"Regina!" said Emma as she runs up her side. Emma can see the sweat starting to form on the normally cool person. She can see that Regina is now straining herself in keeping the portal open.

"I'm fine." said Regina. "Something is wrong with the portal. I can't keep it open for long."

On instinct, Emma places her hand on Regina's shoulder. Emma could feel her power flowing through Regina and onto the wand. A relief look on Regina's face slowly forms.

"Thanks. I have no idea what is happening but don't let go." said Regina. She slowly get up on her feet. "Looks like your power is keeping whatever powers that portal is on from kicking me in the face."

"We still need to find Matt." said Emma.

"Well, I am open for suggestion." said Regina. "If you let go, I am pretty sure that I am going to be drained of all of my magic or I will have to close it."

"Screw it." said Lilly. Not waiting for a debate from anyone, Lilly runs into the portal and disappears.

"LILLY!" yell out Emma.

Matt is on his hands and knees. He spits the blood out of his mouth. Matt closes his eyes and catches his breath. Matt knows that it is not a good sign if it hurts when he breathes. He open his eyes back and slowly get back on his feet.

The old man is a liar.

The man did look old. In fact, Matt thought for a moment that he might hurt the old man.

That moment did not last when Matt got hit.

Of course, the kick to the face, the hit against his stomach simply reinforce the fact that Matt is simply outmatch.

Again.

Matt stares at the old man, who is tossing a knife between his two hand like it was a football. He got lucky in the fact that the old man had not used the knife.

"Are you alright?" ask Abraham.
"I am fine." answers Matt as he stare at the man preventing from crossing the narrow rope bridge.

"I am sure that you are." said the Old Hunter.

"Why are you doing all of this?"
"I need someone to take my place."

"Yeah. You keep saying that. It really does not mean anything."
"You seen what it is like out there."
Matt keep his eyes on the Old Hunter.

"The strong will survive and the weak will die. That is how it has been for eons. That will never changes. What has changed is the ruthlessness of the strong. They look at the weak like cattle. The weak is only there to sustain the strong. And it is only getting worse.

"Love and hope is only there to keep the weak in line. The hope that a better tomorrow is coming. All of that sentiments makes the strong laugh.

"There is no one out there to watch over them. No one is looking out for the weak. That is where we come in." explains Abraham.

Abraham put the knife inside the belt. Matt could see the knife from where he is at.

"I don't have that much time left. I am old and I need someone to watch out for them. You can be that someone. You can be the one that keep the Upcoming BloodStorm from happening. Because when it arrives, no one is safe." said Abraham as he stretches his arms.

"All you have to do is prove that you can cross this bridge." said the Old Hunter. "Unless you want to see people die like your sister."

Matt rushes onto the rope bridge toward the Old Hunter in anger. Matt does not know how the old man knows about his sister and did not care. The Old Hunter laughs as Matt try to tackle the Old Hunter. What happen is something else. Matt hits the old man only to realize that it felt like he is hitting a brick wall. The Old Hunter grabs Matt by the neck and toss him back on the plateau.

"You really got to do better than that."

Matt lay there for a minute. He stands up and and looks at the Old Hunter.

"Tell me about your sister." Abraham can tell that it will not be long. Matt is slowly walking. There is no power behind the stride. Abraham could hear the bones in the man's body making noise. Every hit that he delivered had a purpose.

Matt may not realize that he has been losing blood since the first hit. Matt is dying and it is just a matter of time.

"Why?" ask Matt as he slowly walk onto the rope bridge.

"I would like to know something about your sister."

"She is dead."

"Maybe…. But you have not let her go."

Matt stops and leans on the rope attach to the post that held up the rope bridge. The Old Hunter can hear the heavy breathing from Matt. Matt looks like a boxer leaning on the ropes, struggling to keep fighting. He ended up looking down the canyon. Abraham is pretty sure that the height is inspiring some fear in the man's heart. It will not be long now.

"Mom took me and my sister to some music festival in North Dakota." said Matt as he starts to tell the old man what popped into his mind. "The problem was the fact that she was not completely sober and we were too young to be there. We thought it might be fun. I changed my mind when we got there. Imagine being a kid at a festival that had too many people and loud noises. Imagine losing your own mom in crowd. Screaming for her and her forgetting about you. That was the worst part. Her forgetting that I was there.

"I hated that day. One minute, I was holding her hand and the next, she was nowhere to be found. I started to cry. My sister grabbed me and took me out of there. I was like eight and my sister who I always thought was so flaky took me out of there. For that one day, she was the big sister that I alway hoped for." Matt struggles off the rope, only fling the body on the other rope holding the bridge. Abraham keeps his eyes on Matt.

"Sound like you were was a crybaby." tease the old man as he watch Matt leaning his whole body like he was a rag doll.
"I was. The funny thing is that for the next few days, we had to rely on each other to get home. I mean, we were in the middle of nowhere and we did not want to wait for my mom. We were hundred miles away from home and we had no money."

The Old Hunter watches as Matt struggle to stay on his feet. It did not help that the bridge is wobbly.

"So, for the next few days, me and my sister start to find ways to get back home. For those few days, nothing else matter other than each other and home. Believe it or not, we did get back home. No one was the wiser. We learned something." said Matt as he struggle to stand on his two feet. He stare at the old man.
"That love conquers all?" jokes Abraham, hoping to get a reaction to the man that he had hoped would be his replacement.
"No….My sister and I learned how to pickpocket."

The Old Hunter looks at Matt with some confusion. Matt show Abraham that he is holding a knife. Abraham look down at his belt and realize that he is missing his knife.

He looks at Matt, who cut one rope that was attached to the post. The Old Hunter rush to grab a rope as one side of the bridge start to let go. Abraham could see the bridge is no longer horizontal and trying to make itself vertical.

Abraham looks back at Matt, who is already holding on the only rope keeping the bridge from letting go of the plateau. Abraham's eyes widen as he watches Matt cut the last rope of the bridge.

As the bridge let go of the plateau, Abraham realize that the story was a distraction as Matt start to cut the ropes. If he had realize what Matt was doing, he would have stop him with ease.

Abraham know that it did not matter what happens now. The rope bridge is now swinging toward the other side of the cliff. The impact of the bridge hitting the other end will knock him unconscious, meaning he will let go and fall toward his death.

Matt knew he was not going to win but he was not going to let the old man wins.

Abraham smiles. Matt would have been a good hunter.