Magic

Hook was amazing, to say the least. He was intent on trying to help Emma. She could tell that he was trying, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to leave anymore. The Enchanted Forest was amazing. In the last month or so that she was living here, she was learning how to ride a horse, willed a sword by both Captain Hook and Mulan, and Robin started teaching her how to shoot a Bow and Arrow. Hook left a few times to try and find answers she occupied herself with babysitting Roland. He was such a sweet boy. She was making friends and finally felt like she belongs somewhere; so when she rides to meet with Hook, she is going to tell him to stop looking.

"I know of a compass that will direct you to any place you can think of, but you need to have a… Swan! Are you listening I might have found a way to get you home!"

"I… You were right when you met me a month ago. I like it here; I have more people who care about me now than I ever have. In Portland, I was Little Orphan, Emma. Here I am just Emma."

"So you are staying?" Hook asked with a look full of hope.

"Yes. I am saying. I am home. Though how I have three in a sense. I have spent time at the Safe Have, then at the Merry Men's camp, and then with you in your cabin. I love it here. This place is just so freeing. I don't have to worry about anything other than getting lost in the forest, but between my travels between my homes, I know this forest pretty well. So yes I am staying. You did it! You helped me find my way home. So I want to thank you."

"That is great lass. But you should look at your hands."

Emma looked down at her hands as Hook said and they were glowing white. Other than the white looking electricity on her hands, her body had a weird warm feeling, something she never experienced before.

"What the hell is that?" The more Emma started to freak out the brighter her hands started to glow. When she moved her hands a tree close to the cliff broke and fell into the ocean.

"Swan. Calm down." Emma listened to his reassuring words, and after a few moments, her hands were no longer glowing. She was extremely confused and looked into his blue eyes. "It appears you have magic. But by the fact that it was glowing white it must be Light Magic."

"How would I have magic? I am not from this world."

"That is an excellent question. One that I don't have an answer to."

"Um… Since I am staying here, I should probably learn how to control it. I went through two people to find you. Is there anyone you could send me to who would know how to help?"

"The only person I know who has magic that is still here uses her magic for evil. Her name is Cora. There is no way I am sending you to her. But I may be able to help." Emma just stared at him. She stayed silent to let him continue. "I have faced many with magic over the years. Mostly all of the encounters were of people who used Dark Magic, but I know how it works. I know it used by emotions. The people I have encountered used anger for their inspiration whereas you can use love and happiness."

"Okay. I want you to help me, but I would like to know what happened here. Everyone says that something happened here, but no one said what it was."

"It was called the Dark Curse. The Evil Queen went after Snow White and Prince Charming for years. She sent a huntsman after Snow, and she put her under a sleeping curse. I was in Neverland for many of those years but when I returned Snow, and her Prince were married. At their wedding, Regina - The Evil Queen- declared she was going to cast a curse to take everyone's happy endings. She didn't want her mother to be brought over with the curse, so she promised me revenge against my Crocodile if I killed her mother." He paused to see her expression. She didn't say anything, so he continued. "She sent me to Wonderland where I met her mother The Queen of Hearts better known as Cora. She told me I wouldn't remember about my revenge during the curse, so I helped Cora. I brought her with me alive. A few months later the curse was cast. Except, this corner of the Enchanted Forest was still intact. Other than all the missing people no one has aged a day since the curse was cast."

"How long ago was this?"

"Not sure. I don't think anyone has kept track of the years."

"So the Evil Queen's mother is the Queen of Hearts?"

"Yes. But keep in mind that Regina nor Cora was evil from the beginning they were both manipulated by the imp of a Crocodile."

"Crocodile. The one that took your hand? How could an animal manipulate two grown women?"

"He isn't a literal Crocodile. His name is Rumplestiklin. I knew him when he was a man. But then he became one of the Dark One, that type of magic made his skin scally like the bloody Crocodile that he is."

"He did more than take your hand," Emma said staring at him. She could tell he was telling her the truth just not the full truth.

"How about this. When you learn how to control your magic, I will tell you why I became a pirate and why I want revenge on the Crocodile."

"Fine. You have yourself a deal. When do we get started?" She said with a smile on her face that clearly brought Hook out of his dark thoughts. The Evil Queen got her revenge on Snow White. That was different from Walt Disney's version, but the way Hook talked about made it sound like Snow did a lot more than just clean the seven dwarfs house. The stories in this land were more intriguing than the ones she grew up with, but they were also more complicated. She was still slightly nervous about why she had magic, but Hook seemed like it was a good thing, so she figured she should let him help.

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It has been two weeks since Hook offered to help Emma with her magic. After the first day she freaked. Emma was afraid she might hurt someone. So she ran, not far since Hook found her within the hour and told her not to be afraid and accept it as apart of her, and she did. After that, she was able to conjure the feeling of the magic and then started to light candles.

Her current challenge was to transport objects. She was getting good at that. One day, for fun she transported his hook to a nearby tree. He played it off as if he was annoyed but she could tell he was proud of her. It was hard, but she was getting the hang of it.

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Soon after almost seven months in the Enchanted forest, six of which she was learning magic was the best months of her life. Only Hook and Robin knew about her magic. She didn't feel the need to tell Mulan. Emma never really went to the Safe Haven much in the last few months. Emma had a real soft spot for Roland, so she divided her time between the Merry Men's camp and Hook's Cabin. The travel between the two locations became easier once she learned how to ride a horse but when she learned how to transport herself places it was much quicker. That was how Robin found out about her magic. It was three months after she started her training.

Hook wanted her to transport herself from inside the cabin to outside it. She tried. It took a week to get in the right head space for it. A week or two after she got the hang of it, it became second nature similarly with other things she was learning. She wanted to go father than the cliffs, so she grabbed Hook's good hand and pictured the Merry Men's camp. When the cloud of smoke disappeared, she saw a mixture of excitement, shock, and disbelief.

"Hey. Look who I found in the woods." Emma said trying to break the tension and shock of her magic.

"Emma. You have magic?" Robin looked at her amazed.

"Yes. I found out about it a few months ago. Hook said he would help me. I know what happened here. I know that for some magic is evil, but I have light magic. In most of the spell books, I have acquired, light magic is very rare and extremely hard to turn dark. But regardless, I wanted to let you know about it in case you don't wish to see me." Emma said. Robin was a good friend and the thought of him not wanting her around made her feel small, just like she did when she lived in all those different foster homes. But after a long moment, he smiled and then spoke.

"This is amazing. I think it will be easier for you to visit now."

Emma smiled. "Yea, I guess so."

She has excelled at her magic and even in her belief. She heard stories from Mulan and Phillip on how they spent time trying to wake up Aurora with the help of a woman named Belle. Phillip was trapped by Maleficent as a Yaoguai. Belle and Mulan tracked it down but when Mulan got hurt Belle had to go after the beast herself. That was when she used fairy dust on the creature reveling Prince Philip. Who apparently had just recently found Aurora and woke her up with True Love's Kiss. She heard a few stories from Robin about how his wanted posters graced the same trees as Snow White's because apparently, she became a bandit after the Huntsman went after her.

Emma made the right choice in staying in the Enchanted Forest. She found a sense of belonging, and she felt powerful. So that is why while she was in the Merry Men's camp and heard the panicked voices she was ready to help defend what was left of the land.

"Robin? You sounded worried. Is everything okay?"

"No. Cora. She was in the Safe Haven. She didn't do anything but her presence is worrisome since her magic is almost as dark as Regina's. No one wants this land to be cursed again."

"No of course not. You know I think I can help. I will be back, I just need to get Hook, and I can tell you my plan." With that, she disappeared in a cloud of white smoke just to return a few moments later with Hook.

Once Hook and Robin were both at the camp, she took them into the tent that was hers when she stayed with the men and went over her idea on how to stop Cora by neutralizing her magic. She was put up with protest by both men, but she reasoned with them. They came up with a plan to stop Cora. And hopefully, in the coming few weeks, the Safe Haven would be safe from Cora.