David tried to focus on that part of him that always felt Snow that knew she was alive.
"When you reach her, you'll feel like you're with her. Inside her mind," Rain instructed.
Inside her mind? "How will I know when I'm inside her mind? Especially when I've never done it before?" David would love to be able to speak with Snow again, while they were in different worlds. But it how was he going to manage it?
"You'll just know," Rain replied, trying to explain. "Like when you knew she was hurt."
David took a deep breath and focused on the part of him that belonged to Snow. Then he tried to imagine himself traveling to where she was, in the Enchanted Forest. He pictured his message going straight to her mind, just like Rain said. Snow? It's me, Charming. He got…nothing. Then again, maybe he got something and he just didn't realize it?
"I really don't know if she got it or not." He sighed. "Feeling her pain was easier. I wasn't trying, so it just happened. Plus, it was so…extreme. I mean when she ate the apple, her heart stopped. I felt like mine had stopped, too for a second."
Ellysetta smiled at him. "I think maybe that's your problem. You're trying too hard. The first time I used my bond with Rain, it was instinct. I was afraid."
David sighed and tried to calm down. He focused on Snow again, naturally this time instead of desperately. He pictured his message traveling to the Enchanted Forest again. Snow? It's Charming. Can you hear me? But he still got nothing. Or at least, he was pretty sure he got nothing.
"I don't know what I'm doing!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "Maybe I should try again later. Wait until it happens 'naturally,' or whatever." He got up and walked away, towards the mountains. What he wouldn't give for a few sheep to take care of right now. They always helped keep him calm.
The rest of the group finished their dinner in silence. David no longer cared about dinner. Not when he was so close…and so far from contacting Snow.
That night, David slept by himself. He did not joke with Tajik or talk to Emma, as he had planned to do. Instead, he focused all of his thoughts on his wife, hoping this "instinct" that would help him contact Snow would happen in his dreams.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Emma woke up the next morning with another sore back. She looked forward to being able to sleep in a bed at the "palace." And separate rooms, she added to herself, noticing Ellysetta and Rain. They were off in a corner, but she could still see them kissing and moaning.
For all the traveling she had done with them, she hadn't really seen them get physical yet. And she preferred to keep it that way, she added to herself, turning around. At least it wasn't her parents this time. That made it slightly less awkward. But she still didn't like watching them. Or thinking about them as a couple, for that matter.
Rain and Ellysetta were just like her parents. She had noticed that since the beginning, but after yesterday's talk about "truemates," it was even more apparent. Everything they did, they did together. Everything they did was because of the other. Emma had thought she was ready for a relationship with Neal. She certainly missed him. She knew she loved him. After all she woke him up with True Love's kiss after all. But after thinking about the epic love her parents had and Ellysetta and Rain apparently had, she wasn't sure.
She picked at some berries that Bel had handed her as she continued to think. Seriously how could she live up to that? She remembered David's "love is sacrifice" speech from a few days ago. She shook her head. She'd never be able to do that. Well, at least she had Henry.
She finished the berries and stretched, wincing as she did so. But Emma's back pain wasn't important right now. They needed to find out more about portals in this world. Hopefully there would be one back to Storybrooke, and not just to the Enchanted Forest.
David walked up to the rest of the group, munching on berries. He looked disappointed. "Well I still can't contact Snow. I really don't know how this works. I tried everything you told me. I focused on her and on that part of me that I know belongs to her. Nothing. I just went to sleep and tired to let it happen without trying. Nothing. Maybe… we aren't truemates after all."
He looked so defeated. Despite the fact that she had always envied her parents relationship, especially since last night, Emma felt sorry for him right now. She went to him and took his hand. "That's okay; we should still be able to find a portal." They'd have to talk about which world to go to when they found a portal, but they could do it later. David gave her a small smile.
As they all began walking, Emma rubbed her back absentmindedly. Ellysetta looked over at Emma, concerned. "Is your back bothering you? You can use your magic to heal yourself, you know. Just like you did with David."
Emma shrugged. She supposed that made sense. She had just never thought about using her magic on herself. It seemed almost like a waste of her powers, especially for something as simple as a sore back. Magic still made her feel uncomfortable, but when she needed it to help someone, she was willing to use it. But when it was just to heal herself, especially something that wasn't lethal… she didn't want to. "I'm all set, thanks", she replied to Ellysetta.
"I don't mean to make you more uncomfortable," Ellysetta said to her, trying to sound causal, but actually sounding quite nervous. "But I can tell you're still uncomfortable with magic. I know I was told I would never control my magic until I stopped being afraid of it. I think the same goes for you. You do want to control your magic, don't you?
Yes, of course she did, but what did that have to do with whether she healed her sore back? "I thought was already doing a good job!" Emma replied sharply. "What difference does it make whether I do this one thing?
Ellysetta nodded. "You are doing a good job, Emma. I'm proud of you. But that doesn't mean you have reached your full potential yet. You get there by practicing every chance you get. And by having the courage to accept your magic as a part of you and using it as such. Not by resisting the chance to practice because you're scarred."
"Scarred?" Emma snarled, her temper rising more and more. "You think I'm scarred just because I don't want to take the time to heal my sore back?"
"I think that's the reason why you're resisting so much right now, Emma," Ellysetta said.
"I think maybe I want to get going and it would take too much time!" Emma shouted, her temper boiling over her before she could stop it. "You know, I've had enough of you, trying to be all friendly with me. You don't know what you're talking about!" Emma started to march off. She had enough of that woman.
But she hadn't taken two stepped when Ellysetta grabbed Emma's hands, hissing like a cat as she did so. Power shot through Ellysetta's hands as she scratched Emma. When she was finished, Emma looked at Ellysetta in shock. Was that what magic did? Her magic? Without thinking, Emma ran back toward the mountains.
About five minutes had passed when someone finally caught up to her. Fortunately, it wasn't Ellysetta. For all their recent closeness, Emma wasn't sure she wanted to be around her anymore. It was David's new friend, Tajik. "Emma, I'm sorry that had to happen," he began carefully.
"What was that?" Emma asked horrified. "I thought Ellysetta used good magic, not dark magic! Is all magic dark after all? Will that happen to me someday?"
Tajik sighed. "I'll try to explain it to you the best I can. We really should have explained this earlier but…I guess we didn't want to overwhelm you with everything you already had to face. Especially since you and David just wanted to get home as soon as possible. Ellysetta does have good magic. All magic can be good, if you will it, Emma. It isn't the magic that makes a person evil; it's how they use it. Ellysetta uses here magic for good just like you do."
Emma shook her head. "If that were true, she wouldn't have used her magic to scratch me like that!"
Tajik shook his head. "I was getting to that. The reason Ellysetta did that wasn't because she was using dark magic. It's because she's something called a tairen soul. Tairen Soul are fey that have the capacity to transform into tairen. Tairen are… let me see if I can explain this in a way you would understand… Large magical cats. These tairen are dangerous when you challenge them or defy them. When you were arguing with her, Ellysetta's tairen believed you were defying her, and lashed out. As soon as she realized what she did, Ellysetta regained control of her tairen. She's very upset at what she did. She's afraid she's made you even more afraid of magic than you already were. She's also afraid you won't want to be her friend anymore."
Emma thought about this for a minute. "So, I won't ever lash out like that with my magic and hurt someone by mistake?"
Tajik shook his head. "Although you may very well have fey heritage, Emma, you're not a tairen soul. That won't be a problem for you, especially if you learn to fully control your magic."
Emma understood his implication. Tajik agreed with Ellysetta on one point at least; she needed to stop being afraid of magic and practice more if she wanted have complete control. But Emma didn't want to think about that right now. She was still so…shaken up about what happened. Suddenly she remembered something. "You said Ellysetta can actually transform into a tairen, not just act like one, right?"
Tajik nodded. "And…is Rain a tairen soul, too?"
Tajik nodded again, although he looked confused. "How would you know that?"
"When I first met Ellysetta and Rain, they showed up as these…cat creatures with wings. Those were tairen, weren't they?"
Tajik nodded again. "Yes, that was them in tairen form. But I don't understand…If you've already seen them as tairen, why does this surprise you so much?"
Emma shrugged her shoulders. "When I first met them, I thought they were enemies. Shape – shifters, actually. I've met one when I was in the Enchanted Forest before, and she was bad. Worse than Regina or Gold on their most evil day."
Tajik looked surprised at that statement. David must have told him something about their family's history with Regina and Gold.
"So anyway, when I realized Ellysetta had good magic and wanted to help us…I guess I just forgot about the ability to change in cat creatures. I had so much on my mind, you know?"
Tajik nodded. "She still does want to help, you know. Nothing's changed about that. She's going to look in the Hall of Scrolls for you to see if there is a portal, or if magic can create one. She still wants you to stay at the palace in Dharsa."
Emma wasn't sure how she felt about that. She appreciated the gesture, but there was a big part of her that still wanted to run in the other direction from Ellysetta. And Rain, too for that matter, who apparently had the same power she did. Still, how else was she going to get back to Henry? She took a deep breath. For now, she would have to work with these people. "Okay, I'll go back."
She walked slowly back to where the others were. David looked at her, his relief obvious. "I'm glad you're back. Thanks for helping her," he added to Tajik. His friend smiled back at him. It was nice David still had a friend.
Ellysetta, who had been sobbing in Rain's arms, looked up at her approach. Apparently Tajik was right. Ellysetta really did feel bad about what happened. Still, that didn't make Emma feel comfortable around her. "I'm really sorry I couldn't control my tairen," Ellysetta began still in Rain's arms, but looking directly at Emma. "I'm not sorry I am a tairen soul… I've learned to accept that part of myself. But I'm sorry I hurt you with it, especially since you weren't expecting it. When that happens with other fey, it isn't that big of a deal, because they know I have a tairen inside me. They know what happens if they defy me. You didn't. I should have told you about my tairen before I started training you. But you were so…unsure to begin with, I just didn't. It's probably too much to ask to be able to train you now…maybe I can find someone else?"
Emma sighed. "We'll worry about that later. Let's just get a move on. I want to see this Hall of Scrolls." With that they all began walking back to Dharsa. Emma walked as far away from Ellysetta as she could.
After a couple of hours of walking by herself, Emma was beginning to get lonely. It was funny. For the longest time, being alone was normal for Emma. It was how she was most comfortable. But in the past two years, Emma got to know what it was like to have friends to talk to and family to depend on. And despite her best efforts to shield herself, she liked it. But she still wasn't ready to talk to Ellysetta again. Ellysetta may feel bad for hurting Emma, but it still didn't make Emma feel comfortable with her anymore. It was too bad. Before the …incident, Ellysetta had become a good friend. She was easy to talk to and understood a lot of Emma's problems.
She could talk to David, too, she supposed. He would only be too glad if Emma decided to talk to him. But Emma wasn't sure she was ready to talk to David, either. Especially since she was still bothered by the idea of going back to the Enchanted Forest. David was so certain they were going back to the Enchanted Forest when they left. That's the only place he seemed to want to go.
Although Ellysetta had a point, if all of Emma's family were in the Enchanted Forest, she might grow to like it. Still, she was far from ready to run straight to the Enchanted Forest and jump in with both feet. She wished David were willing to talk about going back to Storybrooke. Listening to David talk to Tajik in the distance, though, Emma knew he wouldn't. "…Another thing I'm looking forward to is rebuilding the palace. Once everyone is back where we belong, our whole family can live there again! Emma, Henry, the dwarves, Ruby, and Snow and I, all together again. Just like it was always supposed to be."
They'd all live together under one roof? Emma knew castles were supposed to be big but …just the idea…Mary Margaret had thought the loft was too small for the four of them! "That castle has so many memories for me," David continued, happily. "It's where Snow and I officially defeated King George. It's where we officially got married. It's where we decorated the nursery for Emma….To see it again, once it's repaired… That's my home. My real home." Emma shook her head. He'd never want to discuss returning to Storybrooke.
So where did that leave her? Emma looked at the ground. With no one to talk to and no one on her side, that's where. The story of her life, she supposed. Why should she be surprised? As she continued to walk, staring at the ground, she noticed the same thing she had noticed the last time she was in this "Fading Lands." There was next to no vegetation. A few blades of grass were scattered in small patches surrounded by dirt, instead of covering the area like it did in Storybrooke, or even in the Enchanted Forest. There were no trees, or bushes. The berry bush that had been at the foot of the mountains had long since disappeared, and Emma hadn't seen any since. The only thing that seemed to be growing in this area were some six – pedaled white flowers with pink centers. It was odd. Wasn't this land supposed to be magic? Why could they just use magic to grow some grass, at least? She shrugged and continued walking.
Suddenly Emma noticed Ellysetta and Rain had stopped moving. Why? They needed to get to this Hall of Scrolls soon! She had to get back to Henry! She brushed some of the hair out of her eyes and looked again. They were talking to someone. Two people, in fact. Actually, they looked like the same people that they first met in this land; the ones who hadn't spoken English, or Celierian or whatever they called it here. They continued to talk to Ellysetta and Rain for another few minutes before they approached David, who was still walking with Tajik.
"I understand your name is David," the woman said to him. "My name is Marissya. This is my truemate, Dax." She patted the chest of the man standing next to her. So this was another couple that had that epic, all – consuming love. Why did these couples have to be all around her?
Marissya continued talking to David, "I think we've seen you before, when you first arrived." David nodded. "Sorry I didn't introduce myself then but…you just suddenly appeared. I was afraid you might be a threat. That's why we told Rain and Ellysetta." David nodded in understanding.
"It wouldn't have really made a difference if you had", David replied reasonably. "You didn't speak our language back then… or know you should speak English, anyway."
Marissya looked confused for a second, then nodded. "Right. You call Celierian English." The woman spoke with the same accent all the fey did, although hers was must less noticeable. "So, you're going to stay with Ellysetta and Rain while you look for a portal or a spell that can send you back to your home?" David nodded.
Then Marissya walked toward Emma. The woman had dark hair and pale skin and was wearing leather "traveling clothes." The man, Dax, as he was called, also had dark hair and pale skin. He too also wore leather traveling clothes. "And you must be Emma. I hear you are a shei'dalin in need of some training."
Emma shrugged. She had accepted her magic, but she was still uncomfortable with the label. "I guess."
"I'm sorry about what happened with Ellysetta. She feels terrible. She tells me you might need a new instructor."
Emma wasn't sure about that. A big part of her would like a new instructor, and yet…accepting a new instructor would mean starting all over again in some ways. She'd rather just not think about magic or training for a while. "Maybe," she replied to the woman. Was the woman offering? Should she accept?
"I'd train you myself, because I'm not a tairen soul, so you wouldn't have to worry about that, but I'm not available to teach right now. I'm sowing Amarynth for the Fading Lands because I'm pregnant."
She patted her slightly rounded stomach. The woman must not be too far along, since Emma had never noticed it before.
"Congratulations," Emma replied politely. "But if I may ask what is Amarynth and what does it have to do with being pregnant?"
Marissya chuckled. "I forget sometimes not everyone knows these things. Of course, you wouldn't know, if you're from another world. Amarynth are the white flowers you see occasionally on the ground now in the Fading Lands. They bloom when a fey woman is pregnant."
Emma nodded, understanding a little more. "Okay, that makes sense. But why…" Emma's voice trailed off, not sure she could put the rest of her questions into words.
"…Do we need to walk all over the Fading Lands to plant them?" Marissya finished.
Emma nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. You really need to walk all over the Fading Lands? I'd have second thoughts about having a kid if I had to do that."
Marissya smiled at her. "Yes, actually we do. You see fey woman haven't been able to get pregnant in a long time until recently. It was Ellysetta who brought fertility back to us. You notice there isn't much growing in the Fading Lands except some white flowers, right?"
Emma nodded. She had just been thinking about that before Marissya showed up. "Yeah, I noticed. What does that have to do with anything?"
"The Amarynth, the white flowers, is where all the rest of plant life is grown. So in order to bring back the grass, and the trees, and the bushes that the Fading Lands once had, we have to walk all over the Fading Lands as long as we're pregnant." Marissya explained.
Emma nodded, understanding finally. That's why the Fading Lands looked so…empty while Celieria and Elvia were full of vegetation. "It still must be hard, walking all over the place like that."
Marissya shook her head. "Not really. A fey woman has more energy than ever when she's pregnant. And I'm so happy to be finally having a child…"
Emma smiled and nodded again. "That makes sense. I'm happy for you." She didn't add that she was also envious. She loved Henry and she was overjoyed that she finally had a chance to be his mother. But talking to this woman made Emma realize she would never have another baby. Henry would never be a big brother. She would never be able to go shopping for baby stuff with her mother, like all young mothers are supposed to. She would never have her significant other holding her hand as she gave birth. How could she? She'd never have a real relationship with Neal. They weren't capable of this epic truemate love everyone else around her seemed to be capable of.
The man, Dax, interrupted Emma's thoughts. "I'm the one who gets tired of all the walking! I have to go wherever she goes, and I don't get any extra energy." He laughed.
Emma laughed, too, inwardly thanking the man for lightening her mood.
"Well, I think we must keep walking. And you do too, don't you? Aren't you planning on reaching Dharsa tonight?"
Emma nodded. "It was nice to meet you."
"You too," Marissya agreed as she and the man walked away. "Ah, the perils of fatherhood!" you could hear the man complain, but he didn't sound that upset. He sounded excited. Of course he would be. He was having a baby with his truemate.
Emma sighed. This only made clear what she already knew. She would always be alone. At least she had Henry. Or she would when she got back home, anyway. Wherever that was.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
OOOOOOOOOOO
They finally arrived at Ellysetta and Rain's palace that night. David and Emma were each given their own rooms this time, thank goodness. There were benefits to people knowing what their real relationship was, he supposed. He was glad for Emma that they had real beds. But in many ways, he'd rather be outside. Being in a bed, especially a double bed in a palace…it only reminded him of how much he missed Snow.
David's mind flashbacked to a time when they were in a bed and a palace like this one, together. He woke up with Snow's beautiful hair surrounding him on the bed and the light coming in through the window. This was perfect, David thought to himself. They had all their friends living with him in the palace, and they didn't need to worry about Regina anymore. Best of all, Snow was right here with him. He leaned over and kissed her check. She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "I love you," she murmured. She rubbed his chest, and he ran his fingers through her hair. They were both completely relaxed. Maybe he could do something to stimulate her, he thought mischievously as he began to rub her breasts with one hand and reach lower with the other. "Ooooh!" Snow squealed…. Yes, the morning after their official wedding was definitely one of the best in his life. Thinking about it now only made him want to go home more. Then he could see Snow again and rebuild their palace.
For now, he had to find away to go to sleep without Snow in his bed. Tomorrow he and Emma could go to the Hall of Scrolls to look for more information on portals. He'd need to be alert. He tossed and turned again. An hour later he got out of the bed. He really, really appreciated they had beds for Emma's sake. Emma hated sleeping on the ground. But David just couldn't do it. Not in a bed in a palace that reminded him so much of theirs. Not without his wife. He picked up a pillow and a few blankets and made a bed on the floor. There was one benefit to being in this palace, he thought to himself as he lay down. He didn't have to see another couple in their camp cuddle up to each other the way he and Snow always did. Ellysetta and Rain had their own room in their palace, of course.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
The next morning came quicker than David expected. Apparently once he'd decided to sleep on the floor, he'd fallen asleep pretty quickly. To his delight, he realized he didn't even end up in the burning room. Maybe the after affects of the sleeping curse were finally behind him. He picked up the blanket and pillow off the floor and put them back on the bed. He'd have to keep the room tidy. After all, he was a guest.
After they ate breakfast, Ellysetta took David and Emma to the Hall of Scrolls, as she had promised.
It was a short walk from the palace, on a white cobblestone road. The building itself was supported by many columns and was also made with white cement or stone of some kind. "It reminds me of the White House," Emma muttered. Thinking of pictures he had seen of the White House from his fake memories, David could see why she would say that. But personally, he thought it looked more like something from the Enchanted Forest, especially the way it glowed. It looked so…lovely and magical.
Ellysetta led them inside the huge building. Emma, David noticed, was still walking as far away from Ellysetta as she could. Just like she had yesterday after the …incident. David wasn't sure how he felt about that. One hand, despite Emma's resentment on him being overprotective, especially when she could take care of herself, David couldn't help being concerned when Emma was near Ellysetta. She had hurt Emma with her magic, after all, even if it was accidental. Still, David had also seen Ellysetta's reaction to Emma being hurt and scarred. She'd looked so horrified. Then she'd crumpled in Rain's arms sobbing her heart out. Ellysetta cried and cried that she had lost a good friend and possibly ruined Emma's chances to learn to control her magic. Plus, David also knew that although Ellysetta scarred her, she didn't really hurt Emma that much. Ad he noticed how much more closed – off Emma seemed since her problems with Ellysetta. Although they were eager to get home to their families, it was nice to have friends. It was nice he had Tajik to talk to. He had been happy Emma had Ellysetta, too. Now she had no one. If she and Ellysetta could work things out….
"Hello Telah," Ellysetta to a woman standing inside the building with blue –green eyes, long dark hair, and the same pale skin all fey apparently had. She wore a bright blue gown that covered her feet. David tried not to stare at the woman. Except for the color of the gown, she looked remarkably like Snow did, right after they took back the kingdom. The woman's black hair and skin color were identical to his wife's. And after they took back the kingdom, Snow liked to brush her hair so it flowed all down her back, just like this woman. Gosh he needed to get home!
The woman said something in a language they didn't understand. It was the same language the couple they met yesterday, Marissya and Dax, had spoken when they first met.
"These are our visitors, Emma and David," Ellysetta said in English. "They came here from another world by mistake. They are looking for portals or spells that will take them back to their world. I told them they could look here. They speak Celierian, or English, I guess they call it. I would like you to do so as well when you're talking to them or about them."
Telah nodded slowly. "Of course, I'm happy to help you and anyone you wish me to serve", the woman replied in a thick accent. It was hard to understand her, but David managed. She led them to achieves. "Although, I have to say I've never heard anything about portals or different worlds. Are you sure we can help them?" the woman asked, cautiously.
Ellysetta smiled and chuckled. "Don't worry about it; I had the same concern for a while. But the stories that the told, stories of their lives are stories that I know from this world. Besides that, we've concluded that they are at least partially fey, even though they don't look it. There must have been a portal or a spell that would bring people to their land at one time." She smiled at Emma and David confidently. Emma even managed a small smile back. Maybe they would become friends again, after all.
Talah nodded. "Okay, I don't understand how that could happen, but they can look. This is the Hall of Scrolls." As they walked in David remembered Ellysetta's comment that they were partially fey. He was surprised that she still believed that. It was true that Emma still had all of the powers of a fey shei'dalin. Still, their fey companions didn't believe he and Emma were partially fey until they believed David and Snow were truemates. Since he still couldn't communicate with her through this "bond," it was obvious they weren't. So how could he and Emma still be partially fey? It didn't matter thought, as long as they could find a way home.
Talah opened the doors of the main room. Inside was a huge room with shelves and shelves of books as high as the eye could see. Several flights of stairs existed of to the side, so one could obtain the books that were too high for a person to reach. On the fifth floor, one could see desks for research in addition to more books. There were more books here than in the royal library that he and Snow had in the palace. "There are also three times more volumes in the storage underground," Tealal added.
David nodded, a little overwhelmed. Where did they start?
"Is there a card catalogue of some sort for all this material?" Emma asked from the background. "Because I'm eager to go home and see Henry again, and I don't have any idea which books would help us."
Ellysetta laughed. "I had the same question the first time I looked for something myself. Let me show you the answer." Ellysetta led them down a staircase in the middle of the main room. In the center was a mirror on a pedestal. Okay, David said to himself. Now what?
"Mirror," Ellysetta greeted it as she appeared directly in front of it. A face of a man suddenly appeared in it. "Ask it to find the books and scrolls you are looking for and it will do so for you." David nodded. That was handy.
From behind them Emma gasped and took a few steps backward. "That's slightly uncomfortable idea... Talking to a mirror, I mean. Especially one with a face." She sounded very disturbed.
Emma smiled at Ellysetta from a distance. "I know this is weird for you. But don't worry about it. You don't even have to use magic to use the mirror. Just tell it what you want."
But Emma shook her head. "No that's not it…I mean it's not the only problem. Being surrounded by things that are obviously magical…yeah it's uncomfortable for me, but I'm working on it. I just mean talking to a mirror...it kind of reminds me too much of Regina." She looked at David for confirmation.
But Charming didn't have any idea what Emma was talking about. "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean, Emma. I know Regina has magic…but other than that…" he trailed off.
Emma shook her head at him in disbelief. "The evil queen talking to her mirror? 'Mirror, mirror on the wall'? Seriously, it's one of the most famous parts of the story of Snow White!"
Charming nodded finally understanding. "Okay, I get it now. I didn't see much of Regina in her castle back in the Enchanted Forest, so I never saw her with the mirror, but I think Snow mentioned she had one once. But Emma, this isn't Regina's mirror. It's a tool that's here to help us find the resources we need."
Emma nodded reluctantly. "Okay, I know that. It's just...unsettling, that's all. But let's get this over with."
Ellysetta was already doing it for them, actually. "Mirror, find records of spells or stories about portals or opening portals, and bring it to the reading table." Within seconds scrolls and books from all over the building appeared in a flash of light. There was way too many to read in a day, even if they divided it up between the two of them.
"You can ask the mirror to set aside material you're not done with at the end of the day," Ellysetta reassured them.''
They both nodded. "Let's get to work," Emma said, pulling up a chair beside David. She was still sitting as far away from Ellysetta as possible, but at least she seemed to be smiling.
As soon as they opened the books, however, David and Emma realized they had a problem. Every single one of them was written in a foreign language. How were they going to find portals or spells to open portals if they couldn't read any of the resources? Help!
They both immediately got up from the table and headed back to the main room in search of Ellysetta or Tealah. Tealah was sitting at one of the tables, reading some scrolls herself. "Hello, visitors", she greeted them, with her thick accent again. She was hard to understand, but Charming, at least, was managing.
"We have a problem," David began. "The books are all in a different language."
"How can we research portals if we can't read any of it?" Emma added.
Tealah's eyes widened. "Of course, all of our texts are in feyan! Obviously, Ellysetta didn't think about that when she offered you the use of the Hall of Scrolls. I don't know what she wants me to do about that. I could translate the ones you wanted to read, I suppose, but it would take so much time…I have so many other responsibilities…" She paused for a minute, seeming to be deep in thought. David hoped there was a way around this problem. They had to find a way home! They were desperate to get back to their families. Then Tealah looked back up at them, smiling. "The Feyreisa has an answer to your problem. She will meet you back at your table."
David and Emma nodded and headed back to the table where their books and scrolls were. He had no idea how Tealah knew Ellysetta already had an answer to their problem, but it didn't matter right now. What mattered was finding a way to read the texts so they could find a way home.
Ellysetta was waiting for them when they reached the table. "I'm sorry I didn't think of this beforehand," she apologized. "I was so glad I had a way to help you it never occurred to me that of course you wouldn't be able to read the texts! But I have an idea." She paused for a few minutes and then suddenly blank pieces of paper and empty books appeared next to the ones with full text. Then she paused again, this time for at least ten or fifteen minutes. Suddenly words appeared on the blank pieces of paper and empty books. David glanced at them and realized these were in English.
"I have translated them for you by weaving Earth and Spirit," she explained. She looked as if she wanted to ask Emma something, but thought better of it. Given how far Emma was standing from Ellysetta, David had to admit it was probably best. "Okay, you should be all set now." Then she left the room again.
David and Emma each picked up books and began reading. Deep in Boura Fell, at the bottom of all the caverns, there is said to be a portal that will lead to a different location. The High Mage may use it if he is under attack and has no other options… Well, that was a possibility, Charming supposed. Where in the Enchanted Forest, or where in the Fading Lands, he supposed he should be saying now, was this "Boura Fell"? Who was the High Mage? If he remembered correctly, Rain and described the mages as villains before. That could make things more complicated. But if it was their only way home, David would do anything. Although "different location" didn't necessarily mean a new world. It could mean a different place in this world. He put the text aside as a "possibility" and kept reading.
"Well, I found a possibility," he commented to Emma. "I don't know how likely it will take us home but, we could look in to it. We'll have to talk to the others some more."
Emma nodded, bristling at the word, "home." "Okay," she said, taking a deep breath. "Now we just have to decide where 'home' is."
Charming looked at her blankly. What was she talking about? "What do you mean, Emma? I thought you wanted to get back to Henry and the rest of the family?"
Emma sighed. "I do, David. Desperately. And I'll do whatever I need to do to get back to him. But David…you seem to believe we'll all just go back to the Enchanted Forest. That's 'home' for you isn't, it?"
Charming nodded, confused. "Of course. We'll all go home, just like we planned before." Where was Emma going with this?
Emma shook her head. "Like you planned before. You and Mary Margaret. David, I tried to tell you when you first brought it up. I don't want to go back to the Enchanted Forest. It's not my home. Storybrooke is. It took me so long to have a place to call home…I'm not ready to give that up."
Charming crumpled as he realized what Emma was saying. He suddenly felt incredibly guilty for trying to force his plans on her without really listening to her. "I'm sorry, Emma. You're right. You did try to tell us, and I didn't listen. It's just…being back in this world reminds me so much of my home. It only makes me want to return to the Enchanted Forest more."
Emma nodded. "I understand. I can't say I agree. This world only makes me more uncomfortable and more eager to back to Storybrooke, but I get that it would seem familiar to you."
"But what about our family?" Charming asked her. "Don't you want to get back to them no matter where they are?"
Emma nodded again. "Yes, I do. Henry is the important thing here. And seeing Mary Margaret, too. Ellysetta mentioned the same thing the other night. She said if our family was in the Enchanted Forest, I might be willing to see it as home, after all. She's right. I might."
Charming's heart soared. Maybe they would be able to go back to the Enchanted Forest, after all. Emma could learn to like it there if her family was there.
But Emma's eyes widened as if she was realizing something important. "But first we need to figure out where they are! David we've been so focused getting back to where we want to go home to, whether it's Storybrooke or the Enchanted Forest, I don't think it occurred to either of us we don't know where that portal sent them! It could have sent them to the Enchanted Forest, or Storybrooke, or Wonderland for all we know! We were sent to a world neither of us had ever heard of; who knows where they went!"
Charming's mouth dropped open as he realized Emma was right. As soon as he realized Henry and Snow weren't in this world and there were portals that probably went to the Enchanted Forest, he had been ecstatic. So ecstatic that he had forgotten all about the apparent unpredictability of the beans. Besides that, it was Neal that opened the portal the others went through. Who knows where that man wanted to go? "You're right Emma. I didn't think of that at all." He shook his head, beaming with pride. "You're really smart, you know that?"
Emma shook her head. "I didn't think of it any more than you did. I was so focused on going back to Storybrooke, it didn't occur to me until now."
He grinned at her. "Okay, but you still figured it out faster than I did." Emma smiled at him, acknowledging that, at least. "So, how are we going to find out where they are?"
Emma shrugged. "I have no idea. Why is it that when we solve one problem we only end up with a bigger one?"
Charming grinned at her. "Because we're meant to solve them, Emma. We'll find them. Always." Emma rolled her eyes at him, but she still smiled. He thought about it for a few minutes. Then he remembered how he and Snow communicated the last time they were in different worlds. "The burning room!"
Emma nodded. "That makes sense. Are you still going there on a regular basis?"
Charming shook his head. "I was so relieved that I wasn't there the least few nights. But maybe there's another way. Snow said she used sleeping power to enter the burning room before, right?"
Emma nodded.
"So maybe we can find some of that in this world! Snow will realize we need to talk. She'll find a way to go there, too. And then we can find out where they are."
Emma nodded. "In the mean time, let's figure out what else we can learn about portals." They both picked up new books.