A few days late, but here it is! I'll try to post 79 tomorrow, but I'm currently also trying to update From Hog's Castle With Love with short-stories concerning connected characters - the ones that aren't properly presented in this story. So if you want go check that out; might give you some answers ;)

"So what exactly are we going to do with the hide?" Jade asked as Maryse spread it out in the parking lot.

"We're going to use it to cast a spell", Rachel replied.

"I doubt a shield charm to help Regina would work at this distance", Ella pointed out.

"Who said anything about a shield charm?" Rachel asked in return, the corner of her mouth tilted upwards. The others frowned.

"Alright, explain yourself", Tessa said.

"It's not a shield charm; it used to be one before Ollivander changed it to match what we need to do."

"What are you talking about?" Rowan asked.

"It does whatever we want it to do in that very moment", Rachel replied. "We wanted it to become a shield back in the Enchanted Forest, so that's what it became."

"And how do you explain the portal?" Filipi asked.

"Me and David had fallen out over something and I had blocked our connection because of that", Rachel explained. "The hide made me re-establish the connection and, to do that, it connected with the séance portal at Regina's."

"So, what are we going to make it do now?" Miranda asked. "You said something about a spell that Ollivander hadn't invented, but that we know about..."

Rachel nodded.

"Everyone's been experimenting with their wands, right? Tried various spells that we've read about and such?"

There were nods and affirmative words all around.

"How many have tried the Patronus Charm?" Rachel asked. There were hesitations and glances all around.

"I think we all have", Catriona eventually said, "but it hasn't worked for me."

"Me neither", Chris agreed. "Hasn't it worked for anyone?"

Everyone shook their heads, then turned and saw Rachel smiling slightly again.

"Wait, you're not saying that Ollivander hasn't created the Patronus Charm?" Arianne gasped.

"Zelena said that she knew every spell that our wands were capable of using", Clarissa said.

"Yes, but if Ollivander never created the Patronus Charm, our wands weren't capable of using it until someone managed to make it work", Toby filled in, "and since Rachel seems so sure of this, I believe she has."

"Only partially", Rachel admitted. "I managed to create the mist, up in the delivery room, after quite a bit of trying."

"Patronuses are light magic, aren't they?" Tessa said. "Then they might work against Zelena!"

"And we're going to try exactly that", Rachel said. "We'll use the hide as a way to unite our wands while concentrating on the Patronus Charm and what we want it to move against. That way we might be able to succeed."

"Let's do it", Wolfgang said and stepped forward, followed by the others. They circled the hide as they had done twice before and, one by one, placed down their wands. Rachel was the last to place hers.

"Everyone, focus", Toby ordered. "The others should already be at the farm by now."

Zelena placed the baby down by the chute pointing west, before walking back to Gold, who stood close to the east corner of the pattern.

"Once I change the past", she said as she walked past, turning north, "you and I shall meet under different circumstances. And Rumple, you will choose me and I will be enough."

Gold grinded his teeth in annoyance, trying to find a way out of the situation.

"No", he said as she stopped close to the centre of the pattern, facing south. "No, you won't. And no matter where you go in time I will find a way to kill you."

Zelena smirked in mock amusement, before tilting her head back and flinging her arms out, palms facing upwards. Gold could feel the magic crackling in the air around them as she activated her spell. Flames of four different colours shot out of the four spell ingredients. White in the west erupting from the Charmings' newborn baby, representing innocence. Dark orange in the north erupting from his brain, representing wisdom. Yellow in the east erupting from David's sword, representing courage. Red in the south erupting from Regina's heart, representing love. The flames stuck to the ground, following the chutes clockwise until meeting their neighbour, after which they started to spin together closer and closer to the middle of the pattern, where a golden sphere appeared and sunk into the ground, creating a swirling portal. Zelena smiled at her creation before looking up at Gold again.

"Don't worry, dearie", she said. "Once all of this is over, you won't remember a thing."

"It isn't over yet."

Zelena spun around. If Gold had not been so strongly under her control right now he would have smirked at the group walking in through the doors of the barn, weapons drawn and ready; Robin Hood, Regina Mills, David Nolan, Emma Swan, and Captain Hook.

"And who's here to stop me?" Zelena asked. "Certainly not the Saviour."

David glared at her, before turning his eyes towards his newborn son.

"Go", Emma said to his left, "get him. We've got your back."

"And I've got your heart", Robin told Regina, before following David in the direction of the baby. Emma and Hook walked the other way around, leaving Regina alone by the barn door.

"Zelena, stop now", she ordered, using her Queen persona to look confident. "We're not going to let you succeed."

Zelena smiled, then turned to Gold.

"Rid me of those pests", she said, indicating towards Emma and Hook. She then turned her attention towards Robin and David, pushing them back against a pile of hay.

"Please", Hook said with a smirk towards Gold, "no more water."

"Get the Dagger", Gold ordered, his voice strained as he made Emma's gun sail through the air. "Then the Dark One will be on your side."

"That's easier said than done", Emma said.

"Do as I say", Gold said through gritted teeth, "or I will destroy you both. I have no choice."

With those words he pushed them back against the wall, hearing the old planks crack as they landed. Not hard enough to break through, but hard enough to knock them out.

"Hey!"

He looked up and saw the group that had suddenly appeared outside the doors. Some were on their knees, struggling as if due to an unknown weight.

"Your spells cannot affect all of us, I'm afraid", Chris continued.

"How did you all get here so fast?" Regina asked as Arianne came up next to her.

"Doesn't matter", the girl answered. "Point is we're able to help. At least some of us."

Zelena laughed.

"Really? Haven't you all learned your lesson? Your magic is useless against me."

"Correction", Toby said and stepped forward. "You can only block the spells that these wands were designed to use. The one we have prepared for you now isn't one of those."

"You're the one who's going to have to fight her, Regina", Arianne explained, "but we can help. We can boost your magic."

"The emerald", Toby's voice said inside Regina's head. "Get the jewel."

"How did you do that?" Regina asked and turned towards him.

"Huh, so now it decides to work again", he simply replied. Regina groaned, then stepped forward and summoned her magic. It felt a bit different from how it used to feel; hopefully that was due to some light magic interfering with her usual dark one.

"Come for another beating, sis?" Zelena asked.

"No", Regina said with a smirk, "I came for some jewellery."

With that she reached forward and tried to grab the emerald, currently used as a broche.

"Bad idea", Toby's voice said just as Zelena used her magic to push Regina away.

"Yeah, thanks for that", she growled at him as she got up on her feet again. To her right David and Robin got back up as well and continued their way towards the baby. However, without cover or distractions Zelena had no trouble spotting them.

"Beautiful one", she said, gesturing towards the roof. "If you would?"

Shrieks were heard from above and a monkey swooped down towards them. David pushed Robin back, intending to fight the beast with his sword, but was blocked by a white shield of magic.

"Good shot, Maryse!" Rowan shouted.

"What the hell is that?" David asked as the monkey was enclosed in a sphere of white.

"A Patronus Charm", Rachel said as she came up next to him. "Slightly different from what I expected it to look like, but it works perfectly."

"Like a charm", Tessa said with a grin. The next moment also Gold was enclosed in a sphere, powered by Indira and Chris.

"Sorry about that", Indira said, "but it does make things a bit easier for us."

"Get the Dagger", Gold growled as he struck against the sphere.

"Regina?" Chris called. "Might want to do something about that; holding a monkey seems far easier than holding back the Dark One."

Regina gritted her teeth and prepared a spell against her sister, who had just placed out shields around her spell ingredients. Before she was able to launch anything, however, she felt as if a large, strong hand had gripped her throat and now hoisted her into the air. Zelena grinned.

"Only pure light magic can harm me", she said. "Your friends' magic is mixed and yours, Regina, yours is as dark as they come. It was your destiny to be this way and it will also be your undoing!"

"Don't listen to her!" Arianne managed to squeak. She was clutching her throat as well, causing Zelena to grin.

"I thought there might be something about these connections of yours", she said. "This is very, very interesting. I wonder what happens if I do it the other way round?"

"Don't hurt them", Regina said through gritted teeth, "and don't tell me what I can't be!"

Zelena chuckled.

"I tried to be good once", she pointed out, "but it wasn't in the cards. This is who I am, and this is who you are!"

Then Regina felt it, a warm feeling in her chest spreading like a wildfire through her veins, igniting hope and happiness and... love. Robin. She looked past Zelena's shoulder and saw how the archer had sneaked behind the Witch's back. The shield placed around her heart had weakened, enough for Robin to reach out and pluck it from the stone plate it had rested on. She could feel it, beating in his hand, safe and secure once again.

The wildfire inside of her pulsed down into her hands, giving off magic energy, but not the one she was used to. This one was light and pure. Light magic. It made her smile.

"You're wrong, sis."

She opened her hands and gazed down, seeing two pulsing white orbs of light. She then felt Zelena's grip on her throat lessen.

"What are you doing?" the former green Witch demanded to know. Regina stared at her hands and felt like laughing and crying all at once, before looking up at Zelena with a triumphant smile.

"Changing", she replied. She then pushed the magic out against the Witch and knocked her back to the ground. Regina landed on her feet and quickly marched towards her, Robin already pointing his loaded crossbow at the defeated Witch.

"How?" Zelena asked. Regina bent over her with a grin.

"I make my own destiny."

With that she ripped the emerald from Zelena's coat and, to her surprise, saw green, magic energy seep out of her sister and into the gem. Zelena gasped for air as she fell back to the ground again. Regina turned and saw how the spells around them broke; the shields around the remaining ingredients, the time travelling spell, and inside the other orb of white magic the flying monkey transformed into Little John.

"Little John, you're back!" Robin called in greeting. The large man looked around in confusion, before accepting David's sword as the man rushed over to his now crying son.

"Is he okay?" Emma asked from the opposite side of the pattern. David lifted his son into his arms and smiled in relief.

"Yeah", he said, "he can handle anything."

"Sounds like something that runs in the family", Rachel said with a smile and squeezed his arm as he rose. Together they walked back towards the entrance of the barn, where the others met them. Indira and Chris released Gold from their spell and hurried over as well.

The moment they turned their back, Gold spun around and reached out with his magic, grabbing onto Zelena with it and pulling her towards him. She screamed in terror.

"I'm going to make you pay for everything you've done to me!" he growled as he let her go. Regina quickly looked around and noticed that Zelena had dropped the Dagger when she was thrown back. She immediately picked it up, feeling darkness seep from it and tempting her.

"What are you waiting for?" Zelena asked her former prisoner, sounding like she was close to tears. "Just do it!"

"With pleasure", Gold said and raised his hand.

"No!" Regina ordered. Gold was immediately flung back a few steps and turned to stare at her.

"Enough", Regina continued and walked closer. "This ends now."

"After everything this Witch has done", Gold said, "you're going to protect her?"

"Good magic stopped her", Regina replied, "and good magic doesn't extract vengeance."

"She killed my son!" Gold shouted.

"How many lives have we taken trying to get what we want?" Regina calmly asked. Gold looked taken aback by her question and averted his eyes. It was a strange feeling to see him to that, but his brain was still outside his body. Perhaps that was the reason for it.

"You can't be serious", he eventually said.

"I am", Regina responded. She noticed that the crew by the door stared at her in wonder, which made her feel stronger in a different way than she had felt when she was the Queen. This was a good feeling. A very good feeling.

"Heroes don't kill", she then added, something that Henry had once told her. Zelena scoffed from the ground.

"So now you're a hero."

Regina looked down at her and smiled slightly, not a triumphant smile this time but a happy smile.

"Today I am."

She then turned back towards Gold.

"I won't order you to do anything else", she said, "except for not getting anywhere near her."

Gold gritted his teeth.

"Rumplestiltskin", said a soft voice behind his back, causing him to turn. His expression softened almost at once.

"Indira", he said and embraced her. "Oh thank God, you're safe."

"I'm going to demand answers to some things later, alright?" the Indian girl said as she pulled back. "But for now, let's get you back to where you belong."

With that they all started to move out of the barn. Little John took care of Zelena, easily bringing her along down the hill. As they walked, Toby turned towards Rachel.

"We're going to pay a price for using the hide like we did", he said. She nodded.

"I know. But we agreed back at the castle that when the time came we'd pay it."

"Yes, but for some reason I now have a really bad feeling about it."