"Why are we here?" Maryse asked. "What even is this place?"
"This place is your command central, as you so cleverly called it", Ollivander said and walked towards them.
"A command central for what?" Toby questioned.
"To keep track of your friends while they try to restore time", Ollivander responded.
"Wait, restore it?" Chris asked. "What do you mean; what..."
"Oh God, please don't tell me someone walked into the portal", Rachel groaned.
"Not willingly, or partially willingly", Ollivander replied and sat down on one of the chairs. "Your two missing friends accompanied Killian Jones and Emma Swan as they ran to investigate it and, unfortunately, they were then sucked into the portal. While trapped in the past they also happened to change history somewhat."
"How much?" Catriona asked. Ollivander did not answer; instead he looked behind them. Two soft pops were heard as Wolfgang and Clarissa materialized out of nowhere.
"...if they didn't meet then... where are we?" Clarissa asked and frowned as she looked around.
"Oh thank God, you're alive!" Miranda exclaimed and ran over to embrace the Australian girl.
"I'm getting quite annoyed with those transports of yours", Wolfgang muttered at Ollivander. The old man simply nodded in acknowledgement.
"What happened to you?" Tessa asked. "Ollivander said you went through the time portal and changed history."
"Yeah", Wolfgang said with a grimace. "Apparently Emma kept her parents from meeting."
"It was an accident", Clarissa clarified.
"A very serious accident!" Rachel said. "If they don't meet then everything after that has changed; the Evil Queen might have caught and killed Snow White, meaning she would not have had to enact the Dark Curse, and then Rumplestiltskin never found his son, and..."
"But if all of that happens", Clarissa interrupted, "then Emma should never have been born."
"Exactly", Ella agreed.
"Let me finish", Clarissa sighed. "Emma would never have been born, but when me and Wolf were pulled away from there, she was still present – and that was a while after she had changed history."
"Good deduction", Ollivander said. "There is still a chance for them to right history. They'll change the way Prince Charming and Snow White meet, of course, but the rest of their story can be restored."
"How?" Arianne asked. "How do we do that?"
"Unfortunately, it's the two of them who have to restore it", Ollivande replied, "because that's how destiny wants it. However you are all also destined to assist them."
He rose and leaned against his cane.
"Sending all of you that far into the past would attract too much attention", he said, "but you are all destined to go."
"Stop with the riddles; they make my head hurt", Jade muttered. Ollivander simply smiled.
"How can you send us into the past?" Toby questioned. "How did you do it the first time? Time travel is not possible, yet you've managed to do it."
"I haven't yet", Ollivander replied.
"Yes, you have", Filipi protested. "You sent us..."
"I haven't yet, but I shall", Ollivander clarified. "What you remember as your first meeting with me as not yet happened to me. After this is all sorted again, that is when I shall go to this place that you call Orlando and meet with your past selves."
"But that still doesn't explain how you will manage to do it", Ella protested.
"By harvesting some of the energy left by Zelena's time portal", Ollivander replied. "Just enough to send you all to the past to restore time and then back to where you first came from."
"You're sending us back to Orlando, then?" Chris asked.
"Yes. Your work here is done; it's time for you to return to your normal lives."
"I doubt we'll be able to do that", Clarissa said. "I mean, we'll have magic."
"And we'll have aged a year", Catriona filled in. "It won't be hard for people to realize that something has happened."
Ollivander sighed heavily.
"I'm afraid you won't remember any of this."
"What?" Rowan asked. "Why not?"
"That's the price we have to pay?" Rachel asked. Ollivander nodded.
"Yes. Once time is restored, you will return to your normal lives. You will arrive back in Orlando a few hours after you left and no one will have noticed your absence. I will also make sure to remove any scars or signs of aging."
"So we'll just... forget about all of this?" Jade asked. "Everything?"
"Yes."
"What about everyone in Storybrooke?" Tessa asked. "Will they forget about us as well?"
"No", Ollivander replied, "there is nothing I can do to keep them from remembering you."
When no one said anything he turned and gestured towards the doors behind the screens.
"Those doors will lead you to your connections", he explained. "All of you will venture into the past, but it's your choice if you want to do it now or later."
"What do you..." Maryse begun, but before she could finish Ollivander vanished in a puff of white smoke.
"Typical", Wolfgang said. "Right when we need help and answers, he gives us some riddles and disappears."
Toby walked over to the screens and studied them intently. After a while he pressed an almost invisible button on one of them. A forest road came into view.
"Hey, that's where we left Emma and Hook", Clarissa said. "How did you do that?"
"I think these screens help whoever is left here see where everyone else is at", Toby replied. He pressed the buttons on the other screens as well, then stepped back to study them.
"Ollivander said that some did not have to go to the past right now", he said, "which means that those that aren't interested in seeing what their connections are up to right now can stay here. And..."
He pressed the button on one of the screens once again, turning it off. It had earlier displayed a strange-looking room decorated in green and gold.
"I think I'm meant to stay here", he finished.
"Is that just a feeling or some kind of strange logic?" Filipi asked.
"Both", Toby replied. "I think there's a reason why my telepathic powers showed up again right before this happened; maybe I can act as some sort of telepathic connection between all of us."
"It's a longshot", Ella pointed out. "A very long longshot."
"Who's that woman?" Indira asked and pointed at a blonde wearing a blue gown.
"Princess Abigail", Rachel replied. "That must be what David's seeing right now."
She walked around the screens and stood in front of the door marked with a rearing horse.
"Someone's got to try it", she pointed out to the others.
"Please don't tell me your will to sacrifice yourself for foolish reasons is back", Miranda groaned.
"It's either stay here or test Toby's theory", Rachel answered, "and Ollivander seemed pretty confident that we would get back to Orlando later, so..."
She turned around with a small smile.
"Group hug?"
"Definitely", Tessa said. The fifteen of them huddled together, silently expressing their love and friendship for one another. Eventually they reluctantly let go. Rachel drew a deep breath and faced her door again.
"Here we go", she said and opened it. It seemed to lead to more whiteness, but the moment she crossed the threshold she vanished. The rest of the group quickly ran back to the screens. Prince Charming's screen looked just like it had before.
"Toby, try your telepathy-thing", Maryse urged.
"Guys?"
Several of them screamed in surprise as the familiar voice sounded through some hidden speakers.
"Wow, this is weird", Rachel continued. "I hear you all just as clearly as before."
"Where are you?" Arianne asked.
"I think I'm inside David's mind."
Dun-dun-dun!