The Snow Queen began to walk down Main Street, enjoying the carnage rising up around her. She watched as one of the dwarves chased another with his axe.
"He's coming!" Leroy exclaimed. "He's coming! And I ain't Happy!"
She also noticed an arrow go sailing past her. The Snow Queen turned and watched as Granny walked down the street, firing her crossbow at everyone she came across. This was perfect, the Snow Queen mused. Just what she had always wanted to see.
Hook slipped into the Pawn Shop's back room, where he saw Mr Gold at his desk, packing some bags. He observed him while he stood by the door. So, he was still going through with it, he thought. "Where's the missus?" he asked him. "She turned homicidal on you yet?"
Mr Gold stopped packing and turned to face the pirate. "None of your business. What kept you?"
"Well, it's like swimming with sharks out there. The minute one of them tastes blood, they'll tear each other apart."
"Well, count your blessings you're not one of them," Mr Gold said and continued to pack his carry-on bag again.
"Why was I spared the cloud's curse?"
"Because your heart wasn't in your chest, dearie. It was here in my shop with me." Like the TARDIS. "In protective custody, so to speak. What is it that you need, crocodile?"
"Once I finish packing, I'm going to head to the town line with Belle and the others. I need you to find Henry and do the same thing."
"So you still think you're leaving?"
Mr Gold chuckled. "Oh, ye of little faith. Tomorrow night, when the stars in the sky align with the stars in the hat, I shall finally cleave myself from the dagger." He held up the Dark One dagger and looked at it thoughtfully. "And then I'll be on the other side of that ice wall by dawn."
"Are you saying there's a bloody way out of here?"
"Dark One always finds a way," Mr Gold said rather smugly.
"Well, if the Dark One is so powerful, why doesn't he magic his grandson to his side?"
"Because that would require me knowing where his mothers have locked him away for safe keeping," Mr Gold stated, and he approached where Hook stood. "Now, unless you do not need that tongue, I suggest you slither back outside into the hostile current and find Henry. You'll be needing this." He held up a vial of red powder.
Hook stared at him and took it. "You won't win. Villains never do."
Mr Gold shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous, dearie. When all my friends and family wake up in New York City tomorrow morning, I will tell them the Snow Queen destroyed Storybrooke whilst I saved everyone I could. I won't be a villain. I'll be a hero."
Hook continued staring at Mr Gold before turning to leave.
Mr Gold was going to head back to his back desk to finish packing when he heard something in the shop front. The patter of footsteps. He walked towards the door that separated the back room and shop front and saw a woman dressed in a purple Victorian dress holding the TARDIS's siege mode form. He was surprised as to how she was standing there. The last time he saw her, a Cyberman shot her. "That doesn't bong to you, dearie."
Missy turned her head and looked over at Mr Gold. "And why doesn't it?" She asked. "I mean, it's Gallifreyan, and I'm from Gallifrey. So it seems that it would make me the perfect owner, don't you agree? Now, it appears that this is a TARDIS in siege mode. But who's TARDIS would it be?"
Mr Gold was silent as he approached her.
Missy continued and still played coy with him. "Oh, I know. The TARDIS that belongs to your friend, the Doctor. You know, he was my friend first."
"He's not your friend. You betray him at every turn," Mr Gold stated. "Even tried to kill him."
Missy smiled and performed a small curtsy. "That's what best friends do, of course. You understand, right? I mean, seeing as you have done the same thing."
"It is not the same. We are not the same."
"Oh," Missy said, then tutted. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, dear."
Mr Gold looked at her. "You will give me the TARDIS. Or I'm going to make you," he said and walked back to the counter.
"Really?" Missy chuckled. "I would like to see that."
"Oh, yes. It appears that death cannot hold you and is too good for you. But I know something far worse. Something that you cannot escape. A fate much worse than death," Mr Gold stated, and he poofed up two things in a cloud of purple smoke. One was his dagger. The other was a golden hat box. "Now, you see, dearie, I have been planning something for a long time. And you're going to help me accomplish it." He waved his dagger over the top of the hat box, and the Sorcerer's hat appeared in a starry purple cloud. "You will be exactly where I need you."
And with that, he tipped the hat on its side, and a yellow vortex leapt out towards Missy. Mr Gold then poofed the TARDIS into his hand, watching as the vortex sucked Missy into the hat before there was no one left.
The Snow Queen stood behind the counter of the ice cream shop. For a moment, she relished being back behind the counter. Even though finding Emma and reuniting with Elsa had been a long-term goal when she'd first come to this realm. However, she had found that she enjoyed her life in the small, hidden town. She looked at the ice creams that were on the counter. All but one had scoop marks in them. The Snow Queen waved a hand over the carrot sorbet causing it to disappear. She picked up two purple stones from the empty pot and let them rest in her palm. She looked at them for a few moments before slipping them into her dress's small pocket. Satisfied that she had gotten what she was looking for, the Snow Queen moved out from behind the counter and walked out of the shop.
"Stop!"
The Snow Queen looked up to see Emma and Elsa standing in the middle of the road, looking directly at her.
"This must end, Ingrid."
"Our magic is a part of us now," Emma continued. "We control it, and we control it well."
"I'm so proud of you both," the Snow Queen said calmly and with a smile. "You've finally embraced who you truly are."
Elsa and Emma shared a look before they raised their hands in an attempt to use their magic against her. Then, when nothing happened, they exchanged a worried glance.
"Emma?" Elsa asked.
"Again," Emma said with a nod as they tried to overpower the Snow Queen once again. However, once again, nothing happened.
"The love that flows through our ribbons is without equal," the Snow Queen explained. "Its strength protects the life force that we all now share."
"She's made it impossible for us to hurt her," Elsa sighed, looking at Emma.
"We gotta get these things off," Emma noted.
"There's no need," the Snow Queen smiled. "Soon, you won't want to hurt me. Soon, you will love me. For real."
Elsa and Emma walked hurriedly down the street after leaving the Snow Queen in front of her shop. But, first, they had to find a way to get the ribbons off their wrists, and who better to remove powerful spells and magical items than Mr Gold – the Dark One.
Emma opened the door to the shop and walked inside, followed closely by Elsa. "Gold?" Emma asked as she walked into the shop. "Belle? Professor? You in here?" But there was no answer. The shop was quiet, except for her and Elsa. She turned to her friend. "They're all gone."
Elsa sighed. "Then what do we do?"
Emma looked around the shop until she saw some swords and cutlasses over to the side of the shop. "We do it ourselves," she stated and headed to where she saw them. Picking up a sword, she began to try to cut the ribbon. But it didn't cut. So, she moved on to a few more sharp objects – which didn't work either. Sighing, she looked over at Elsa. "I give up. It's useless. The magic protecting this ribbon is just too powerful."
"I guess the Snow Queen meant what she said about her love," Elsa mused.
"I'm sorry, I was too busy thinking of ways to punch her to retain that."
Elsa sighed and reached over to grab Emma's left wrist to look at the ribbon. "She said the love flowing through our ribbons was without equal."
Emma looked at the ribbon, then up at Elsa. "Maybe without equal, but not without an opposite that's equally strong."
Elsa cocked her head. "What?"
"If her amplified love out these ribbons on our wrists, then maybe what we need is someone's equally amplified hatred to get them off."
"Emma, you're a bit prickly, but you're certainly not hate-able."
"Tell that to Regina," Emma said, then stopped. "Wait … I'm prickly?"
"If you let Regina out under the influence of the Snow Queen's curse, she'll kill you."
"She'll try, but right now, it's…."
"A theory," Elsa finished.
"The best chance we have. If Storybrooke was to survive, Regina must hate me like she's never hated me."
The two left the pawn shop, walked across town to the cemetery, and headed towards Regina's vault. Emma had been trying to figure out a way to get Regina to hate her throughout their journey there. There had been nothing recently that she'd done to annoy Regina lately. In fact, barring a few quips here and there, Regina had been perfectly pleasant. Admittedly, it was a little unsettling. But if this were to work, she'd need to find a way to get that hate simmering again. And she had an inkling of what she should use to get it.
In front of the vault, Emma told Elsa to stand back before picking up a small rock on the ground and throwing it against the building. Unfortunately, the stone bounced off the protection spell, which rippled upon contact with the rock.
"Containment spell," Emma mused, leaning forward with her arms toward the doors. She had seen Mr Gold do this before when he broke a protection spell over the vault. She knew she could do the same. "Okay, here goes," she said, but nothing happened.
Elsa stepped closer to Emma and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You can do it."
"Okay," Emma muttered, taking a deep breath before placing herself in position again. Her hands glowed brightly as the protection spell around the vault shimmered and then disappeared in its entirety. "Well, I'm still getting the hang of controlling the magic thing," Emma replied before taking a breath of relief. "But lucky for us, the next part should be easy for me." She approached the doors.
"What's that?" Elsa asked as she followed her.
"Being prickly," Emma commented with a small smile as they opened the doors and walked inside. They pushed aside the coffin covering the entrance before they hurried down the stone steps. As they reached the bottom, they caught sight of Regina, who had spun around to greet them. "Whoa! A little late for Halloween," Emma stated as she caught sight of Regina dressed in the apparel of the Evil Queen.
"You!" Regina glared.
"How do you walk in that thing?" she asked as she looked at Regina's entire ensemble. She had gotten a glimpse of the Evil Queen weeks ago when she and Hook had gone back in time. But this was on a whole different level.
"With the poise and composure of a queen," Regina snarled. "Perfect timing Miss Swan. I was just reading up on how to turn you into a garden topiary," she added, her eyes flicking to Elsa. "What's she doing here?"
"I wanted to see your face," Elsa replied, "when you learned the truth."
"The truth about what?" Regina asked, looking back at Emma.
"I lied to you, Regina, about Marian," Emma answered. "I knew all along. I brought her here on purpose."
"Tell me something I don't know," Regina said.
"What you don't know is why. I did not want to break your heart, but I also wanted you to see me and Hook together. See the happiness you could never have and ruin it again just like my mother did."
"I've been waiting a long time for this," Regina growled before she conjured a fireball to her palm and sent it in the direction of the two women.
Emma and Elsa ducked at the last moment, ensuring the fireball hit the ribbons. They watched as the ribbons burnt away, leaving no trace. When they stood up, Emma summoned her strength and fired her magic in Regina's direction. The action caught Regina off guard, and she fell backwards.
"Let's go!" Emma said as she and Elsa swiftly exited the vault while Regina struggled to her feet.
"Swan!" Regina growled.
Emma couldn't help but laugh as they ran out of the vault. Their gamble had paid off. She only hoped Regina didn't question her once they'd broken the spell.
Emma had poofed her and Elsa to the cave that the Snow Queen had been using for a hideout. They stepped forward into the hollow interior, where they saw the Snow Queen standing in the middle. "You two have no idea how long I've waited for this moment," she said, then saw that they were no longer wearing the ribbons around their wrists. "Your ribbons? What have you done?"
"I'm not much for accessories," Emma answered.
"Those ribbons joined us together."
"Get it through your head, lady, we're not your sisters, and we're never gonna love you."
"Oh, Emma," the Snow Queen said with a sigh as she sat on a chair close by. "I know you actually believe that, and that makes me sad. But I know that sadness won't last. Because soon you'll see you're wrong." She reached beside her to grab something.
Emma watched and brought her hands up in case she needed to protect herself with her magic. Elsa did the same."Don't do it!" Emma told her, then watched as the Snow Queen held up two purple rocks. "What the hell are those?"
"They're memories I took from the two of you," the Snow Queen answered. "And now it's time to give them back."
"Why?" Emma asked. "So we can remember just how badly you treated us?"
"The funny thing about time is we romanticise the good and forget the bad. That's exactly what's in these crystals. These are the good memories and nothing else. Lovely moments the two of you shared with me, which I'll cherish forever and now so will you."
"I hate to break it to you, but magic can't make someone love you."
"You're right, Emma. Magic can't create love. But if someone loved you in the past, it can make them love you again. And I know you've forgotten, Emma, but you did love me. You both did." The Snow Queen got up from her seat and approached both Emma and Elsa. "That's why, right now, you're not doing anything. We all know the only way to stop me is to kill me, and you're both hesitating. You don't have it in you." She held out her hands for Emma and Elsa to take. "It's okay. Come. Be my sisters."
Elsa turned to Emma before dropping her arms. "I can't do it, Emma. I can't hurt her.
Emma looked at the Snow Queen and then stepped closer as if she was going to throw a beam of magic toward the Snow Queen. "Yeah, well, I can." But she wasn't able to do it.
Behind them, they heard someone call out into the cave—a woman's voice. "Wait! Stop!" it called out.
Emma and Elsa turned to see Anna running into the cave, a piece of parchment clutched tightly in her hands. They weren't entirely sure how she had gotten from the Sheriff's station, but they were glad to see that nothing terrible had happened to her in the time since they'd left her there.
"Anna! No," Elsa said, stopping Anna from approaching the Snow Queen any further. "She's dangerous."
"You should listen to my sister and go," the Snow Queen told Anna.
"Your sister?" Anna asked. "She's mine. And whatever you're going to do, well... don't," she added. She turned to Elsa. "Elsa, I found this on the beach," she said, holding up the parchment. "It's from our mother. She must have thrown it into the ocean before their ship sank. It came over in the portal with us," she said as she turned around and looked over at the Snow Queen.
"Oh, just be careful," Emma said.
"No, I'm not going to be careful. She needs to hear this," Anna said. "You all do," she added as she looked down at the writing. 'Elsa, Anna, I don't know if your father and I will ever get back to you. But I need you to know we were wrong to tell Elsa to conceal her powers.'"
"How fitting that you, who are so much like your mother," the Snow Queen said. "Should share her last words." She rose her arm up as to flick Anna away, but Anna continued reading.
"'I feel terrible that it happened before, and I can't let it happen again.'"
Again? What did the letter say about again? "What?" the Snow Queen asked.
"'My sister, Ingrid, like you, also had ice powers. I never told you about her or my other sister Helga, but I should have. They were beautiful and kind and wonderful, and I was fearful. And I let that fear guide me. I let Ingrid hide when I should have celebrated her for the person she was. I loved her so much.'"
"You're lying!" the Snow Queen yelled, even as tears rose in her eyes. "My sister hated me. She called me a monster! She put me in that urn as you did to Elsa!"
Anna glared up at the Snow Queen but didn't flinch at her words. Instead, she lowered her eyes to the paper again and continued reading. "'In this crystal are the memories of my sisters, which I stole from the people of Arendelle. Please return them. My sisters deserve to be known. In a cave in the north valley, you'll find an urn that contains Ingrid. Please do what I should have done long ago and release her. When you see her, please tell her I love her and am sorry. I'd give anything to take back what I did, to hold her hands one more time'." Anna looked up at her aunt and smiled. She hoped this would change her mind and reverse what she had done to the town.
The Snow Queen looked over at Anna, meeting her gaze, before raising a hand and putting Anna in a magical choke. She watched as Emma and Elsa looked on, horrified, but she did nothing to break her spell.
"Ingrid!" Elsa yelled.
"Let her go!" Emma called.
The Snow Queen didn't listen to their pleas and used her other hand to push them away magically.
"I understand, Aunt Ingrid," Anna choked out. "I understand now why you cast this curse. But you can come back from it."
"Understand me?" the Snow Queen spat. "How could you? You're nothing like me! You understand nothing!"
"You're right. I'm not like you," Anna replied in a strained voice. "My mother wasn't like you. But if she was able to love you for who you are, so can I," she added. "You're a part of our family no matter what. And family never gives up on each other."
"You lie!" the Snow Queen exclaimed, dropping the magical choke hold and letting Anna fall to the ground. Anna gasped for air, and she started to get up.
The Snow Queen then picked up the letter that Anna had dropped to the ground and looked over at the words Anna had just read out, written in Gerda's elegant handwriting. Unable to believe that the words were actually true. She dropped to her knees and clutched the letter from her sister close to her heart. "Oh, Gerda," she sobbed. "What have I done?" She could feel the guilt creep in at her recent actions. "I need to reverse this." She got up, and she approached the mirror on the far wall.
"You can't," Anna said, looking over at her. "The only way is if you..."
"I know, I have to destroy myself," the Snow Queen finished as she looked over at her niece.
"No, Ingrid. Wait." Elsa said.
"There's no other way. I am a monster," the Snow Queen replied, tears finally falling. She began to pull some of the mirror shards from the curse clouds throughout the town and set them swirling around her. "Not because of my powers," she added. "But because of what I let them turn me into. I have to undo this."
"No, Ingrid," Elsa said, "You'll die."
"I know, it's okay," the Snow Queen said and looked at Elsa and Anna. "Elsa, Anna, you found each other. And Emma, you found your family. Even if it wasn't with me," she added, raising the hand with the purple rocks. She pulled the memories out of the stones and sent them toward Emma and Elsa. "You, you deserve your memories," she said with a weak smile, watching as the looks on their faces softened. "You three are so special. Never forget that," she added as the silver shards of the spell wound higher and tighter around her.
"There has to be another way," Emma cried. "You deserve your happy ending too."
"Long ago," the Snow Queen said, and she dropped to her knees as the mirror shards wrapped around most of her body, "a prophecy told me that you would lead me to just that," she said with a smile. "And this is it. All I wanted was to have my sister's love, and now I have it," she added. "Now...I get to join them," she finished giving the three of them one last smile before the silver shards covered her and she disappeared into nothing.
Emma, Anna and Elsa looked around as little snowflakes began to fall all around the cave. "She sacrificed herself for us," Emma said. "For all of us."
"Anna." Elsa smiled, looking over at her sister, before picking up the discarded letter and holding it close. "We must follow through on our mother's last wish. We must bring back the memory of Ingrid and Helga to the people of Arendelle," she added.
"We will." Anna smiled as she wrapped Elsa up in a hug. Emma looked on with a smile. She was glad that Elsa had been reunited with her sister.
As the snow fell over Storybrooke, everyone immediately stopped fighting and started looking around sheepishly at each other. Leroy climbed off of Sneezy and lay in the middle of the road, both staring up at the sky. Dopey ran around trying to catch snowflakes on his tongue while Doc hugged Granny, who embraced the dwarf back.
David's eyes brightened from his seat in the cells as Mary Margaret approached Regina from behind and gripped her tightly. He could tell it would soon be over for one of them. Almost immediately, he stumbled backwards and felt the resentment drip away. He looked up and saw Mary Margaret slip back in much the same way as he had done, while Regina looked slightly dazed as she turned around to face her. Regina frowned as she noticed the amusement sparking in the other woman's eyes. Finally, she looked down and realised why.
"What am I wearing?" Regina asked as Mary Margaret and David both burst out laughing. Then, almost immediately, she started laughing as well. After that, all three were unable to stop laughing.
Before too long, Regina – now changed back into her usual clothing, Mary Margaret, and David left the Sheriff's station and made their way towards Main Street, hoping they'd encounter Emma and Henry. But instead, as they turned the corner by the animal shelter, they saw everyone reuniting.
"Sorry I tried to kill you," Happy said as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepishly at Leroy.
"With a crossbow," Leroy added as he remembered what had occurred while they were both under the spell. "Yeah, you tried to kill me with a crossbow."
"Emma!" Mary Margaret exclaimed as she caught sight of her daughter standing with Elsa and Anna.
"Mum!" Emma exclaimed as she ran over and hugged her mother, glad to see that she was back to her usual self.
"Mum!"
Regina spun around to see Henry running towards her. "Henry," she smiled as he threw his arms around her. Both were glad to know that they were both still in one piece.
"And Mum!" Henry exclaimed when they broke apart and saw Emma standing beside him. He turned around and hugged her tight.
"And he's finally waking," David smiled as he looked down into the stroller to see Neal slowly opening his eyes. He couldn't help but wonder why it was only during the curse that he'd slept soundly and not during the night.
"Look, I know we were under the Snow Queen's curse, but..." Mary Margaret began, looking up at her husband apologetically.
"We were under a curse," David smiled. "It's okay," he whispered as he leaned down and kissed her. She responded to him almost immediately, pulling him tighter.
Mr Gold pushed the door to the pawn shop, where he saw Hook standing by the counter. He approached the pirate with caution.
"Henry got away," Hook told Mr Gold by way of explanation.
"So you failed," Mr Gold replied. "At kidnapping a child."
"Well, perhaps you could say my heart wasn't in it." Hook replied with a slight glare.
"The Snow Queen's plan also failed," Mr Gold commented conversationally. "But mine won't. So enjoy this snowfall, dearie. It'll be your last."
"Then grant me one dying wish," Hook said.
"I'm not in the business of making deals with you anymore."
"Leave Emma and the rest of Storybrooke be," he said. "There's no need to harm them."
"When I step over that town line with my magic intact," Mr Gold replied. "Emma and Storybrooke have nothing to fear from me," he added. "As long as they don't get in my way." He turned to leave the store again. "Now, if you excuse me, I have business to attend to."
"And what business is that?" Hook asked.
"The matter that is my business."