Cyrus jerked awake and pulled the blanket off his face. He rubbed his eyes and looked around blearily. Why was he in what looked like the back room of an antiques shop? Where was Alice?

A lean figure with thinning, limp hair entered the room.

"Ah," said Gold, "you're awake."

Cyrus wagged his head. "To be honest I am not really sure when it was that I fell asleep." There had been something important keeping his attention—what was it?

"It's done," said Gold, and gestured to the doorway.

Cyrus jumped to his feet. A woman stood there, her dark hair falling over her shoulders and framing a face whose features he never thought he would see again.

"Mamman!" He crossed the room and threw his arms around her.

"Cyrus!" She whispered in his ear as her tears ran down his neck.

He pulled back to look at her again. She did not seem a day older than the last time he saw her, that fateful day when he became a genie.

"Mamman," he murmured tenderly, "is it really you?"

Amara smiled at him. "Yes, Cyrus; the wizard freed me," she nodded toward Mr. Gold. She shifted to face him, but kept her hand clasped around Cyrus' as if she never wanted to let go again. She gave it a squeeze. "How I longed to see you, to feel you, my son!"

Cyrus fought back the lump forming in his throat. "I never thought I would see you again, Mamman."

Amara smiled. "Now that I am free, we may seek your brothers and once we are together, nothing will separate us ever again!"

Cyrus winced at the declaration, and her quick maternal eyes caught the movement.

Amara's smile dimmed. "What is it?"

Cyrus sighed deeply to force the words out. "Jafar, he—"

Her hands flew to her mouth. "No! He found them both already? Taj? Rafi?" She peered closely at her middle son. "He must never find you!"

Cyrus shook his head, dreading the moment to come. He extended his arm to show Amara his bare wrist. "I am free now, Mamman," he said. "Jafar wouldn't want me, anyway."

She pulled away with a frown. "But if your brothers are not likewise, then you have not lifted the curse."

Cyrus shook his head. "A man made the wish that freed me—but as the price, he took my place as a genie. There is only one way to lift the curse, I'm afraid," he sighed. "And at this point it seems to be our only chance of stopping Jafar once and for all."

Amara leaned forward hungrily. "Well? What is it?" She asked. "Let us do it at once, before Jafar can acquire this third genie!"

Cyrus grimaced again. "There is little danger of that, as I don't think Jafar knows where he is at this time—but Mamman, the only way to lift the curse is to return the enchanted water I stole to revive you!"

Amara placed a hand over her heart. "I know what this means," she said soberly. "Oh Cyrus!" she looked up at Mr. Gold, "Is there no other way?"

"I am afraid you will find that this world is much different than the one you are accustomed to," answered the antiques dealer.

Amara frowned. "What do you mean?" She asked. "Is this not Agrabah or some other nearby kingdom?" She tipped her head to peek out the door.

"Mamman," Cyrus took her hands and led her forward, "it is a part of Alice's world, a strange and beautiful town of other enchanted people like ourselves. It is called Storybrooke."

"Storybrooke?" Amara repeated the strange name. "Who is Alice?"

At the mention of the name, a smile spread over Cyrus' face. Amara knew that look. "Do you mean to tell me at least one of my sons has found true love?" She gasped.

"Yes," Cyrus answered, pulling open the door of the antiques shop. "Let me bring you to her, so that I may introduce you."

Amara followed Gold and Cyrus out onto the sidewalk. She gasped in amazement as the cars rumbled down the street.

"In all my life," she gasped, "I had hoped to travel outside of Agrabah, but I never quite managed it. I did not dream the world beyond would look like this!" She squinted at the vehicles rolling slowly to a stop, until a green lamp shone from the pole extending over the street. "Why, there are people inside!" She cried. Grinning like a little girl, she asked her son, "Are the wagons here piloted by magic?"

Cyrus gently guided his mother toward the library. "Try not do draw too much attention to yourself, Mamman," he counseled. "If Jafar finds out you are free, there is no telling what he might attempt."

Amara frowned and nodded soberly. "Unfortunately, I know the man better than you ever could," she muttered, taking her skirts in her hands. She shook them twice, and instantly, she wore black slacks and a billowy blouse such as would become a woman of the 21st century. She smiled at Cyrus' stunned expression. "There; he needn't recognize me, now would he?"

Cyrus shrugged as Gold pushed open the doors of the library.

Alice met them before they reached the first bank of bookshelves. She threw her arms around Cyrus' neck.

"Cyrus, you're here!" Her eye fell upon Amara and she pulled back. "That's..." Her chin trembled. "That's your mother," she guessed.

Amara smiled and took the girl's hands in her own. "And you must be Alice, whom my son spoke of. I am delighted to meet the one who has so merited my son's love."

Alice blushed brightly. "I do believe he won my heart long before he could ever have hoped to belong in mine," she said.

"Indeed?" Asked Amara. "Well, you both will need to tell me all about it when this is over."

"Alice?" Called another young woman with pretty auburn hair. "You'll want to see this!"

Alice dashed back to the Reading Nook where she had been sitting before a large mirror. One glance proved that the scene reflected on its surface was some place other than Storybrooke.

"What is this?" Asked Gold.

Alice watched the Knave and Anastasia, along with a young couple she did not recognize, burst into the room in front of the mirror connected to this one.

"This mirror belonged to Ashley," Alice answered. "When I confronted her about the Knave's heart, she confessed that she had stolen it for her stepsister, who lived in the Enchanted Forest. She had no idea why Drizella would want the heart, but when I told her, she immediately agreed to give up this mirror, which serves as a portal between the two worlds." She gasped and clutched Cyrus' hand as Drizella squeezed the heart again and again, causing Will to writhe in pain. Abruptly she stopped, and Alice watched the unknown girl offer Drizella her three red wishes.

"That is the other genie?" Amara whispered, "the man who set you free?"

Cyrus remained riveted as he recognized Will's movements as those of a genie granting wishes. "Yes, it is," he said.

"She's made her wishes awfully fast, Alice noted, and suddenly Drizella clapped her hands to her face and groped at thin air as one struck blind. Instantly, Will vanished, only to reappear once Anastasia rubbed the bottle and claimed him.

"Oh, well done!" Cyrus cheered as Anastasia returned Will's heart to his chest and he and Anastasia shared their true love's kiss.

"Ashley told me that if they use the mirror portal, they should come out right here," said Alice as they watched expectantly.

But not one of them ever glanced toward the mirror. The other couple dashed out of the room and Will and Anastasia embraced each other. Anastasia held up a wish and shouted something they could not hear, but her mouth clearly formed the word "Storybrooke." Instantly, the couple disappeared in a bright-orange cloud as pirates overwhelmed the room.

"Enough!" Gold snapped, waving his hand toward the mirror. Instantly the image vanished, and it was a plain looking-glass once more.

Alice stared numbly at her lap. "She used a wish," she muttered. "There's no telling where they will show up now."

"What about the place where we first arrived?" Cyrus suggested. "The placement of the wish could be connected with the memories of the person wishing, so if Anastasia was thinking of that place when she said Storybrooke, it is highly possible that they will appear there." He glanced at the other sorcerers for confirmation.

Gold shrugged, "I don't know much about wish-making, I am more in the business of bargains," he mused. "There are any number of likely places around Storybrooke they might appear, but your theory does bear credibility."

Alice jumped to her feet. "Well then," she said, "what are we waiting for? Let us get there and meet our friends before Jafar knows they have returned!"

"What would Jafar want with a genie, anyway?" Asked Belle. "One would think wishes would mean nothing to a powerful sorcerer," she looked to Gold for confirmation.

"I can answer that," Amara finally spoke up. "The only thing a powerful sorcerer could ever want would be the chance for more power. There are things no magic could ever do, rules even powerful sorcerers must follow—" she sighed, "but Jafar has never liked any kind of rules or restraint on his desires. There is a spell he wishes to perform, which requires the power of three genies, which will give him the power to change the very laws of magic."

"Three genies?" Belle gasped.

Amara nodded, "He has already collected two, if memory serves. He needs only one more." She gazed at Cyrus as the whole group moved to the door of the library. "But even with the three genies, there is still one more requirement for the spell: a second sorcerer, one of equal or greater prowess, to support the influx of power."

They crossed the street and made their way down the road to the edge of town.

"Jafar doesn't strike me as the sort of person willing to share with another," Alice noted.

"True," Amara agreed with a smirk. "He probably intended to leave me trapped inside the staff and use my abilities without fear of my being able to resist him."

"But now that he has nether his staff, nor you," Cyrus wondered as they neared the spot, "what else could he use?"

At the back of the group, Gold pressed his lips in silent frustration; he knew exactly who Jafar's helper would be.

Not far away, though he did not know it, Jafar paced around the edge of a magic barrier. Everything was prepared exactly as he wanted it—

Jafar glanced at the two bottles in their glass case.

Well, almost everything. If his source proved correct, he would have the three genies within minutes; however, without his staff, he lacked the second sorcerer. How could a wizard like Rumplestiltskin be so foolish as to think that Jafar's staff was the essence of his magic, or that stealing it as if it were some sort of antique would be enough to stop him? Surely he could not know about the sorceress he had imprisoned there.

"Fool," Jafar mused to himself. "You can't stop me. And soon, no one will be able to stop me."

A footstep crunched behind him. Jafar smiled and turned.

"Ah, you got my message," he said. "I was beginning to think your timing was off. Thank you for joining me... Madam Mayor."

Regina smirked as she stood by his side. "None of that Mayor stuff; 'Your Majesty' will do."

Jafar remained impassive as they carefully watched the trap.

"I take it you stopped by the wizard's shop to retrieve my staff?"

Regina pulled the serpent staff out from under her coat. "Of course I did. No one was there."

Jafar grasped it and waited for the eyes to glow, but they remained dark. If Amara was still inside, it meant she was either dead or still trying to rebel against him even now. Jafar scowled and tossed the staff aside. "Well, so much for that." He turned to Regina. "I still require the aid of a second sorcerer. Are you willing to help me? I can offer you a share in the power that it will have."

Regina smiled. "I have only ever wanted to be on the winning side," she said warmly.

"When we are finished," said Jafar, "There will be only one side: ours."

They waited for a few minutes more.

Jafar began to fidget. "Are you sure—"

"Hush!" Regina snapped. She had been in Storybrooke long enough that she could detect even the tiniest shift in magic. An orange cloud of smoke billowed from the ground right around one border of the trap, and when it settled, there was Anastasia on the outside, and Will at the center.

Anastasia jumped to her feet when she saw the trap surrounding Will.

"No!" She shrieked, looking at the two sorcerers standing behind her.

Regina took advantage of her confusion to snatch the ornate bottle from her.

"I'll take that!" she snarled.

Anastasia ignored the bottle and raced toward Will. He had locked eyes with Jafar.

"So, you've got me," he scoffed with barely-concealed malice, "your third genie. Fan-bloody-tastic." Secretly he wondered if Anastasia could hold on to her wishes like Alice did. "Ana!" He turned to her, "A wish is the most powerful magic!"

Ana turned and pulled out her second wish. "I wish we—"

Before she got any further, Jafar snapped his fingers, and her voice stopped.

"Ana, run!" Will cried, but Regina waved her hands and roots sprang from the ground and caught her ankles. Two more grabbed her wrists, and Ana felt them pulling her almost apart. She opened her mouth to scream at the pain, but no sound came.

Regina tilted her head with a cold smile. "So this is the stepsister that disappeared all those years ago," she mused. "At least Ella had the decency to do whatever it took to win a prince," Regina taunted her. "What did you manage to bring into your family?" She sneered at Will, "An outlaw!"

"Seems like you would know how fetching we can be, Regina," Will shot back.

She blasted him with magic so hard that he reeled back right into the magic barrier. It burned his skin on contact.

On the ground, the roots still pulled on Ana. Regina peered down at her. "Did you really think that bringing him back here was the best idea?" She scorned. "You should have left his heart out of it, at least. But no," she sighed. "The Tremaine family can be absolutely trusted to play whatever trump card they have, anything to end up on top—isn't that right?" She gloated over her victim. "Who is on top now?"

Ana knew she could make it stop. She called up her magic powers and fried the roots binding her limbs. Scrambling to her feet, she thrust her hands to send Regina flying—

But the queen seemed to anticipate her move and pushed back, diverting the blast downward into the ground, where it exploded into a crater.

Regina scowled. "I see my mother taught you a thing or two," she snarled. "But I've learned a few new tricks over the years!" She cast a spell over Ana, freezing her in her tracks.

"Now behave yourself," Regina commanded, as Jafar looked on. "Give us what we want, and you can go free."

Jafar fidgeted impatiently. "Enough of this!" He snapped. "Stop toying with her and just get her to make her wishes!" He snapped his fingers, and Ana gasped as her voice returned.

"Never!" She seethed as tears ran down her cheeks.

Regina stalked closer, and ever so slowly laid a hand on Ana's chest. "Did my mother ever teach you how to remove someone's heart?" She asked.

Ana stared into her eyes as the power of suggestion made her own heart beat wildly.

"No," she whispered.

The hand pressed deeper, but Ana could not escape.

"But you know how it works, don't you?"

Her chin trembled and she felt the tears coming. "Yes."

"Here's how it's going to be," murmured Regina. "You make your wishes—and please, nothing like wishing is dead or wishing you away from here—and you can keep your heart. Or I can take it and force you to give them up anyway."

Ana sobbed now. She could not fight two sorcerers alone. If only—

She sucked in a breath. "I wish our friends were here to rescue us!"

Instantly, Alice and Cyrus burst into the clearing, followed closely by Mr. Gold and a woman Anastasia did not recognize.

Before anyone could make a sound, Jafar waved his hands and froze everyone just like Ana was. He approached the woman.

"Amara," he identified her. "I had wondered if you had managed to escape." He glanced at Mr. Gold, "I suppose he helped you. Well, I know how powerful you are, so I will only say this once: if either of you try to stop me, I will just kill everyone." He looked from Amara to Regina. "Look at her, my love," he murmured, and Cyrus felt a shiver run down his spine; his mother and Jafar?

The sorcerer taunted her, "This woman could have been you—it would have—if you had not sided with these renegades. It should have been you with me: after all," he reached out and caressed her cheek, "were you not the one to teach me of the spell to change the laws of magic?" He stepped back and took Regina's arm. "Now you will have to watch as another claims your place at my side."

Regina's own heart revolted at the boldness of such a claim, but she reminded herself of the power that could be her own and did not let it show on her face. Instead, she turned to Anastasia.

"You have one last wish to make, my dear," she gloated. "May I suggest one?" She leaned in and whispered into the young queen's ear.

Anastasia trembled from head to toe, but there was nothing she could do.

"Say it," Regina commanded.

Anastasia repeated her words: "I wish... That you would let me and my friends go free."

"NO!" Will cried, but the wish, once granted, dissolved his body into the cloud of smoke that vanished into the bottle in Jafar's hand. Immediately, he placed the stopper and slipped the bottle into the glass case. The rug he had been standing on levitated a few inches. He extended his hand toward Regina.

"Shall we?" He invited her.

She took his hand and stepped onto the magic carpet, which took them up above the trees.

Anastasia collapsed onto the ground, crying bitterly. Alice crouched next to her and wrapped her arms around her. Any enmity between them was gone.

Gold nailed Amara with a hard stare. "So apparently we have you to thank for the impending disaster?" He accused her.

"Mother," Cyrus cried, "how could you?"

"I am sorry, Cyrus; please believe me!" Amara begged. "I only ever wanted to find my three sons; I did not anticipate that Jafar would snare my essence and go after the genies himself!"

"What do we do now?" Asked Ana weakly, as Alice helped her to her feet.

"There is still one way to stop them," said Alice, "and right now it might be our only chance." She looked at Cyrus.

He nodded. "We must go to the Enchanted Well and summon Nyx to end the genie curse."