Chapter 10.

Emma stood at the cell's entrance continuously swinging her sword at the cell's door trying to open it or break it in any way.

"Emma stop, please. Not even Rumplestiltskin could open this cell." Snow said to her daughter whilst cradling her sister's head in her lap. Emma sighed frustrated turning to Snow.

"How is she?" Emma asked looking down at Rose.

"The bleeding has pretty much stopped, I just wish she would wake up, Stephen too." Snow worriedly said looking across to the young soldier Mulan was tending to. Emma turned again to her cells entrance and began striking it again. "Emma please." Snow pleaded.

"We have to get out of here, we have to stop Cora from getting to Henry." Emma grunted as she swung the sword again.

"And we will but striking the cell won't help." Snow tried to explain again.

"And you're only adding to your aunts already pounding headache." Rose groggily said as she began to wake up, slowly opening her eyes her hand reaching for her forehead. "I hate that witch." Rose said as she tried to sit up but stopped when everything began to spin. Snow held her sister stopping her from moving any further or faster.

"Easy now, lay back down." Snow ordered gently pulling Rose back down again. "You're not moving for a little while." Suddenly Rose's eyes went wide with panic; she was about to rise quickly again when Snow stopped her pinning her shoulders down. "Stephen's alright, he hasn't quite come round yet but he's alive." Rose relieved by this information relaxed again resting against her younger sister's lap. "How do you feel?" Snow asked as she looked down at Rose concern plastered across her face. Rose smiled to Snow lifting her left arm so to wrap her hand around the back of Snow's shoulder, squeezing it gently.

"I feel like I was slammed in to a wall, but I'll be alright." Rose smiled then winced slightly as her head throbbed. "Just as soon as this headache passes."

"That might take some time Rose." Snow smiled gently stroking Rose's hair away from her forehead. "Still proved that you are indeed hard headed." Snow teased chuckling slightly as she did, Rose smirked as she chuckled lightly herself.

"This is all my fault." Aurora said sitting away from the group.

"No it's mine." Mulan said stepping away from Stephen. "I failed at protecting you."

"Actually it's my fault. Some Saviour I am." Emma said as she slumped down beside Snow.

"It's not your fault Emma." Rose replied. "It's Cora's."

"We will win this fight Emma. Good always defeats evil." Snow said gently running her hand down the side of Emma's face.

"Now you sound like Henry." Emma smirked looking to Snow.

"I guess optimism runs in the family." Snow smiled back.

"Then I guess it skipped a generation." Emma said disheartened.

"No it didn't." Rose said sitting up, Snow helping her as she sat back against the wall like Snow and Emma. "You broke the curse Emma, you should know better than anyone."

"And what have I done since? Burned down the wardrobe, lost the compass and now here we are trapped in a cell with no way out of it." Emma complained completely deflated by their current situation.

"Emma." Snow said softly.

"Gold had the whole prophecy that I was meant to be the Saviour, bring back magic, save everyone and I've failed just about all of that."

"Please stop whining, you're making my headache worse." Rose grumbled.

"Excuse me?" Emma snapped back.

"Not helping Rose." Snow said to her sister.

"So we're stuck here for the moment, we'll find a way out, we normally do." Rose explained as she began to try and stand up. "That…witch has knocked me out twice now with the simple wave of her hand, she's doing such wonderful things for my warrior queen reputation." Rose said now standing and steadying herself by keeping a hand pressed again the wall.

"This is about your ego now?" Emma said sarcastically.

"Emma!" Snow snapped at her daughter.

"Because it wasn't all about yours just now?" Rose retorted. "You think that I like being stuck here and failing to protect you two again? It's not one of my best moments." Rose explained as she pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and middle finger pushing back the thumping headache she currently had.

"It's not your fault either Rose." Snow said standing beside her older sister.

"It's no ones fault but that old witch out there." Rose snapped frustrated and pointing to where Cora had previously been stood.

"That witch does pack a punch." Stephen muttered as he came round.

"It's good to have you back with us old friend." Rose said from where she stood as Mulan and Aurora helped him sit up slowly. Stephen gently nodded his head in agreement.

"We are going to get out of here." Snow said after things had gone quiet for a little while in the cell.

"How, by looking at that scroll?" Emma scoffed.

"What is that any way?" Rose asked looking over her sister's shoulder and the handwritten parchment.

"It's our way out of here." Snow said her eyes starting to shine again with bright hope as she smiled broadly.

"It's a magic ticket?" Emma said rolling her eyes.

"Something like that." Snow began. "When I was younger I used to sneak into Cora's room and watch her practice her spells with her spell book."

"And?" Emma asked not understanding. Rose looked as baffled as her niece as to what Snow was getting at.

"The spells in her spell book Emma." Snow said looking to her daughter with glee. Emma simply shrugged her shoulders not understanding. "Watch." Snow said as she raised the parchment to her mouth and gently blew on the handwritten words. The words began to drift from the parchment sailing to the bars, which once it struck them magically made a doorway for them. Snow turned to her daughter who quickly scrabbled to her feet. "You see, good always wins." Snow smiled.

"He wrote the scroll in squid ink!" Emma exclaimed.

"Why that annoying trickster of an imp." Rose said as she looked closely at their new exit stepping through it followed by Snow and Emma. Mulan and Stephen made a move to leave next; Stephen held his hand out to Aurora to help her up.

"No, I can't go with you." Aurora said recoiling from Stephen.

"What?! You must come." Mulan said surprised by the princess's sudden desire to stay put.

"Cora still has my heart, I'm a danger to you all, she can make me do anything she wants!" Aurora pleaded.

"Then I will get it back for you." Mulan decided.

"Mulan, we have to go." Emma said desperate to get after Cora and Hook and stop them.

"You should tie me up before you go, so that I don't come after you on Cora's bidding." Aurora explained.

"Do it." Snow said handing Mulan pieces of rope.

"Good luck." Aurora said smiling towards Emma and Snow.

"Thank you, good luck to you to." Snow replied smiling sadly to the princess. With that they left the tunnels and rushed after Cora and Hook.


At Lake Nostos Cora and Hook had already created a whirlpool awaiting them to jump in to take them to Storybrooke.

"I promised I would take you to Rumplestiltskin and I shall see my daughter. Now, hold on or be thrown into who knows what world." Cora explained as she held out the compass for Hook to also grab on to. As the pair prepared to jump an arrow soared through the air snatching the compass from their hands.

"You're not going anywhere!" Snow shouted as she set another arrow to her bow. "That portal is taking us home!" Snow fired another arrow towards the villainous pair as Emma, Rose, Mulan and Stephen rushed towards the pair weapons at the ready. Cora un-amused by the interruption started to form fireballs in her hands throwing them at the group who dispersed, dodging the attacks, Mulan deflecting the fireballs with her sword. Snow continued firing arrows from a distance as Emma ran to confront Hook. Rose and Stephen moved in to attack Cora with Mulan not far behind. As Rose and Stephen moved to strike Cora she disappeared in a cloud of grey smoke causing the pouch which held Aurora's heart to fly through the air towards the portal.

"No!" Mulan called out as she rushed to try to get to it. Hook seeing what was happening bent over backwards, his hook stretched out as far he could catching the bags strap stopping it from disappearing for ever through the portal.

"I may be a pirate but no woman should be without a heart." He said tossing the bag to Mulan. Mulan caught the bag shocked by the pirate's actions as he continued his fight with Emma.

"Mulan, go!" Snow shouted to her as she fired more arrows at Cora.

"But you need me here." Mulan explained obviously caught by her own honour.

"And Aurora needs her heart. Go!" Snow explained.

"Then here, take my sword, it will deflect her magic." Mulan explained handing over her sword. Snow accepted the weapon with thanks.

"Stephen, go with Mulan protect her and the princesses heart at all cost!" Rose ordered as she blocked another of Cora's fireballs with her sword.

"But your majesty."

"I said go!" Rose ordered again. Stephen nodded as he spun on his heel sprinting after Mulan.

"And then there was one." Cora sneered as she and Rose circled one another.

"One? Do you not see my niece and sister, witch?" Rose snapped.

"I do, but you won't for much longer your majesty." Cora said as she raised her hands aiming more magic at Rose. Bolts of magic fired towards Rose who used her sword to deflect some and then jumped and somersaulted through the air away from the rest landing clear from Cora's magic and closer to Snow.

Meanwhile Emma was winning her battle with Hook, knocking him out with a fast hard to punch to the side of his face. Hook crumpled to the ground.

"Now let's go home." Emma called to her mother; Snow nodded heading over to join her.

"I'll hold her back, you'd best move quickly." Rose said over her shoulder to her younger sister.

"Rose…" Snow began to speak, worried for Rose.

"I'll be alright, go!" Rose called out keeping Cora busy.

"Emma, run!" Snow called out as Rose charged Cora. In an instant Emma and Snow headed for the portal as Cora vanished in smoke and reappeared in front of Emma and Snow, using her magic to throw them both to the ground. Cora began to stalk after Snow. Emma picks herself up trying to stop her but Cora pushes her away again with her magic.

"Why do you want to go to Storybrooke?" Snow asked unable to get away from the powerful witch.

"Because my daughter needs me and I'm going to give her the one thing she's always wanted. Your heart." Cora smiled her twisted smile as she lunged for Snow's chest.

"No!" Rose called out rushing towards them when Emma pushed Snow aside just in time for Cora's hand to plunge into her chest and around her heart.

"Emma!" Snow and Rose called out together.

"You foolish girl. Don't you know love is weakness?" Cora laughed as she attempted to pull Emma's heart from her. As hard as she pulled upon Emma's heart Cora could not remove it. Dumbfounded the witch looked to Emma in disbelief.

"No," Emma said suddenly realising "love is strength." Suddenly a blast of white light emanated from Emma's body throwing Cora aside. Snow was by Emma's side in an instant her hand covering where Cora's had been ensuring her daughter was safe.

"What the hell was that?" Emma asked bewildered and out of breath. Rose joined them as Snow found no harm had come to her daughter. Looking to them Snow smiled as she answered Emma.

"That is a great topic for discussion. When we get home!" Snow grabbed Emma pulling her as they rushed towards the portal. Rose followed after them protecting their backs as they went.

"You'd better get going." Rose called over the noise of the portal as she watched Cora intently. Snow turned to her older sister.

"Rose." Snow called her sister. Rose turned to her niece and sister and smiled.

"I will see you again little sister, I promise. Now jump before that witch attacks again." Rose ordered facing back to Cora who had begun to stir. Snow turned back to Emma and the portal, her eyes glistening.

"Ready?" She asked her daughter smiling.

"Ready." Emma replied. As they were about to jump Cora attacked again throwing bolts of magic toward them. Rose raised her sword deflecting the magic from her family's backs doing her best to protect them. Blocking nearly all of Cora's magic until a bolt hit her. The force of Cora's magic blasted Rose's side throwing her through her sister and niece into the portal.

"Rose!" Snow screamed for her sister jumping with Emma holding on to her, Snow grabbed her sister's arm as they disappeared in to the heart of the portal with it closing behind them.


"Regina." Gold called after his former student who approached the well in the woods of Storybrooke which currently was swarmed with magic he and Regina had placed upon the well stopping anyone or thing from coming through.

Regina stood in from of the well holding her ands above it as she then called upon her magic to absorb the curse into herself clearing it from the well. After several moments the magic that was once hovering over the well had disappeared. The force of the magic clearing knocked Regina to the ground, she grabbed a tree for support as she fell. Silence fell upon the forest with no one coming through the well.

"No!" Henry cried out, so desperate for the return of Emma and Mary Margaret.

"I'm sorry Henry." Regina choked out as she regained control of herself again.

Suddenly a hand slapped upon the top of the well. Henry looked to it confused, as did Gold. The hand was followed by another as Emma pulled herself from out of the well closely followed by Mary Margaret and then finally Rose.

"Mom!" Henry excitedly called out rushing to Emma.

"Henry!" Emma held her arms open for Henry holding him tightly as he crashed in to her. Mary Margaret throwing her arms around the pair of them so happy to be back again. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." Henry replied not letting go of Emma.

"What's going on? What happened?" Mary Margaret asked as she stepped back from her family looking at Mr Gold and Regina. Rose stood behind her looking at them all.

"She saved you." Henry explained looking to Regina who was using the trunk of the tree to support her. "She saved both of you." Emma and Mary Margaret both looked to Regina.

"Thank you." Emma said still holding Henry.

"You're welcome." Regina smiled to them.

"Are you OK?" Ruby asked as she ran in to her friend arms flung round her.

"Where's my husband? I need to find him." Mary Margaret said as she hugged Ruby. Taking her hand Ruby pulled Mary Margaret after her.

"Come on." Ruby smiled. Emma turned to Regina as Ruby, Mary Margaret and Mr Gold all left.

"So your mom, she's a real piece of work, you know?" Emma said, Regina looked to Emma smiling knowingly.

"That I do." Regina agreed. "Welcome home."

"Thanks." Emma smiled with relief, tightly holding on to Henry.