How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Seven

After Killian took off as her snow leopard followed after its prey, Ingrid walked away to return to her cave so that she would be able to keep her eyes on him for as long she wanted through her magic mirror. She watched as Hook stumbled from time to time while he continued to run, but eventually the Snow Queen grew bored and waved her hand over the looking glass to change the images until she saw Emma walking down the street with her son as well as the Mayor of Storybrooke from when she had been in the middle of the woods taunting Hook.

She saw the dwarf she had used as bait to trap her captive run up to Emma, followed closely by her parents and Elsa too, while Leroy started to deliver her message to the Savior as she knew he would until the Sheriff and Emma's father continued with the bad news when the smaller man was unable to relay the worst of it to the woman they all knew cared about the Pirate Captain very deeply even if she herself didn't know how much yet.

Ingrid couldn't help, but smile upon seeing Emma's fear and doubt that they would find Hook like her mother had tried to encourage her they would. However, her smile faded when the Savior's emotional state changed to defiance as she claimed that she would be coming after her for a fight.

It wasn't that she didn't expect Emma to react this way, but seeing her anger and determination to save this man made Ingrid realize it was too soon for the heroes to know that she was involved in Killian's disappearance, and for them even knowing he had been taken would only make Emma more determined to fight for him, rather than turn against him as Ingrid hoped Emma would.

All of a sudden, Mr. Gold appeared within a cloud of red smoke behind the Snow Queen as he called out, "You're looking a bit stressed, dearie. You've already made a mistake, haven't you?"

Without turning around to look at the Dark One, she replied coldly, "You needn't be concerned with my plans. I believe I've already made this very clear to you. Besides, I already know what I need to do. I don't need your help. What is it that you want now?"

"Well, I did come to compliment you on your success in kicking things off so soon, but from the frown on your face, perhaps I was a bit too hasty," he answered, then moved to stand beside her to watch the images before them as the heroes continued to talk until he swiftly waved his hand over the mirror to change the scene back to Hook. "You have succeeded in capturing the Savior's boyfriend and have created quite an interesting scenario to test his limits. Yet as much I would enjoy watching him fall should he do so, you do realize Miss. Swan will save her pirate just in the nick of time don't you? She has a dreadfully annoying habit of that."

"She won't be able to save him if she doesn't remember or believe that Captain Hook is in any danger," Ingrid smugly responded when she finally turned her head to look at him. "And the Captain will remain completely at my mercy."

When Gold realized what she had planned he replied, "You're going to erase the memory of Hook being taken from all of those who know about it. I believe once before I complimented you on how well you've improved with the rock troll's memory magic spells, but how exactly do you plan to wipe the memories you wish to from here?"

The Snow Queen smiled again as she answered, "I've been practicing. My power's improved even more so than it was before. Think about it, Rumple. You didn't remember who I was after I first arrived in this town and not until Emma broke the Evil Queen's curse. The lack of your memory of me from when we met in the Enchanted Forest was obviously not caused because of the curse, so naturally…"

"You erased yourself from my mind," the pawnshop owner interrupted. "I might have been impressed, but I'm afraid your memory spell wasn't as strong as you believed. I remembered you all along, dearie. I simply pretended not to. You cast your magic from within your apartment you lived at in town until you revealed yourself to everyone else and had to come into hiding way out here. And now, you are going to erase Miss. Swan's and the rest of the heroes' memories that you have kidnapped the pirate from here. Do you really have that much strength? It will take much to steal more than one person's memories from this distance."

"Emma has made a date with Killian tonight," Ingrid responded. "I fear Emma will be disappointed that the Captain will be standing her up."

Gold looked at the woman again with confusion as he replied, "You underestimate her feelings for Hook. He has disappointed her in the past and yet she somehow has been able to forgive him time and time again. She will believe something has happened to him, rather than that he's simply… stood her up as you say. Their bond is stronger than even that which I understand."

She pulled out a small round stone hidden within a sleeve of her gown and began the spell to erase the proper memories while she answered, "She won't think so when I've finished formulating the plan to prove to Emma otherwise. I've learned magic from many people in my life Rumpelstiltskin. You've only taught me a tiny fraction of what I know. Trust me, I will destroy this bond between Emma and Hook and then she will be ready for what else I have in store for her. And so long as you don't stand in my way, I will give you something that you will want in return."

"I'm interested to see if you're right," Gold stated and then vanished again.

"I bet you are," she responded to herself, then she continued to steal away the heroes' memories like she began.