An Account of the Travelers

"What're we doing here again?" Emma asked.

"There's a very good chance what I'm planning to do could go wrong," D replied, turning to Emma and Dr. Whale. "It's magic," she added for the doctor's benefit.

"You're gonna use the magic from this well, that can return what was lost, to do what?"

"Open a door to the Land Without Color, through which we'll be able to extract the kid and his traveling companions. With any luck, no one will follow them, but right now I honestly have no idea."

"You think this'll work?"

"It's our only option," August said.

"Barring the fact that we're having a conversation with a man-sized puppet," Whale said, holding up his hands and stepping forward, "I assume I'm here for medical reasons?"

"Yep," D said shamelessly. She turned to the well and lowered the bucket. When she pulled the bucket up again, she scooped some of its water into the cap of a thermos. "Okay," she whispered. "Let's see if this'll work." She took a deep breath and stared into the water's depths for a moment. With her as a channel, the ambient magic made the water glow a light blue. She spilled the contents in a circle and watched. The water continued to glow, and the glow intensified and spread until it formed a ring.

Whale stepped forward and watched in perhaps more awe than everyone else when the light from the ring spread inward, forming a sky-blue dot. He wanted one of two things: to throw back one or two or six shots, and to tell Red Lucas as soon as he had the chance. If the rumor mill didn't catch up to her before he did.

The blue light gave way to something Whale instantly recognized: the ceiling of the foyer of Castle Frankenstein. "Someone on the other side is trying to reach us," D said. "Don't disturb the water. If you do, this closes." With that, she stepped into the vortex.

OUAT

The Land Without Color reminded D of movies from her childhood, but what struck her most was the damage done by the curse, made plain on the facade of the building. Stop gawking, she told herself sharply as she hobbled over to the stairs that led to the castle's basement. Two men in Lincoln Green had stumbled out and were babbling incoherently over each other, the end result being that neither of them made sense. Finally they said one word together that she could understand: "Gisborne."

"Get in the portal, now," she said, pointing. They ran and jumped. Two down, D thought, continuing to the stairs.

OUAT

Gerhardt dove and tackled Bae to the ground, snapping the arrow shaft, but through a careful landing, the bow remained intact. Above them, the cell door struck the stone door frame. Gisborne stepped out of the cell and said, "I can't be contained." Gerhardt pushed himself to his feet and stepped between him and Bae. "And you are just a foolish young man. I bet you're too idealistic for your own good."

"You're damn right," said a woman at the top of the steps. She made her way down on crutches, and Gerhardt noted that even in this condition, she was just as tall as Gisborne. "Not that idealism is bad or anything."

"How did you know I was idealistic?" Gerhardt asked her.

She shrugged. "I happened to be listening." She looked back at Gisborne. "And you are...just as I expected you to be."

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Gisborne asked.

"Does it matter?" Gisborne backhanded her. In response, she shoved the points of her crutches into his chest as hard as she could. Then she balanced on her crutches and kicked him in the face with her good leg. He staggered back and stared at her, agog. "Oh, yeah. I went there." She turned to Gerhardt. "Are you with them?" she asked, tilting her head to Bae, Morraine, and John. Gerhardt nodded, not entirely sure exactly which feature of this woman robbed him of his carefully re-cultivated ability to speak.

"We've invited him to come with us," Morraine said.

"In that case, he needs to keep his invitation, and quickly. The longer the trod's open, the more-" The castle was rocked by deep and violent tremors. She lost her balance, and Gerhardt was quick to catch her. "Thanks," she whispered, regaining her footing. "C'mon." She started to ascend the stairs, with Gerhardt, Bae, Morraine, and John immediately following.

OUAT

After what felt like an eternity, the group burst into the foyer. D urged them to the portal and then looked back at the door. The cute dead man in clothes about a size too big for him was making sure that freak didn't have a chance to escape, and once he was sure the door was as secure as when he was once behind it, he turned to the trod. She gave an encouraging nod, and he stepped through. She jumped in after, just as the tremors shook the castle again.

OUAT

Whale watched as a procession of people he didn't recognize stepped out of the portal on the floor. Then the earth shook beneath their feet, and he stumbled and fell to his knees. Out of the portal finally emerged D and, of all people, his brother. "Gerhardt," he whispered, staring.

D kicked the edge of the ring, and lightning shot from the center of the portal into the sky. There was one final violent shake, and then everything stilled.

It was the calm before the storm.

OUAT

Gerhardt rushed over to his brother and started going off in German about the state he'd found himself in, but Victor soon found himself failing to listen. He shut up and turned his gaze skyward, as well. The lightning formed into a ring of light that spiraled back toward the earth. "Oh, I'll never get used to this," Victor said.

"Speak for yourself," Gerhardt replied. The ring touched down, and in a flash, it was replaced by Gisborne.

"At least the witch didn't get out," the woman on crutches said. "We're still screwed, but we're not as screwed as we could be."

"We're still screwed," a blond woman replied.

"Yes, we are. I just said that. It's just that it could be worse."

"As I said," Gisborne said, looking directly at Gerhardt. "I can't be contained." He flicked his wrist, and Gerhardt slammed into a tree. Then he turned to Bae and Morraine.