(Fanfics10: sorry for the little spoiler, i didn't even remember some people haven't started season 7
i'm glad you guys are enjoying the story. I just want to let you know that it won't be long till it's done. I did the math and will have around 30 chapters, maybe a couple more, we'll see. And when it ends, only one team will be standing.
This is a bit of a shorter chapter when comparing to others, but hopefully you'll realize why in the end of it: I simply want to leave the next part of yhe story only to the next one. Hope you enjoy it.)
When Emma opened her eyes, coming back from her little slumber, she found herself surrounded by Henry, David, Hook and Robin. All four of them were almost desperately waiting for her to wake up. Zelena had said she would, eventually, since she was just weak, but they needed to be sure. And turned out the green witch was right.
She got up and sat on the table she was just lying on, looking back at them. She wasn't sure what had happened. The last thing she remembered was waking up Hook. "What happened? Why was I sleeping?"
Hook smiled sweetly at her and took another step towards the table, starting to be only a few inches away from his wife. "Its Adda, love. Apparently he took some of our essence. I don't have magic, so it doesn't affect me as much, but it's clearly doing quite a number to you. You passed out."
Emma nodded softly and started to look around for the others. Adda was only in Storybrooke for a couple of days and he seemed to have taken plenty from her already: her mother, her soul to another realm, then her husband, and now her essence? She knew they had to do something about it. But there was no one else at the cellar. She was just about to ask where the others had gone to, when she started hearing steps going down the stares. Then one by one, they all came back.
Just like Emma, Henry also heard people going down to the cellar. He ran to the stairs and the first person be saw was Regina, which was already a relief. He was worried something would happen to her, since Adda almost killed her the last time she faced him. "How was it? Did you get grandpa back?"
With a smile of victory on her lips right after that question, Regina nodded to Henry, glad to be back in her son's arms. "Yes Henry, Rumple is back with us." She walked to Robin and hugged him as well. It was still hard to believe how he was there again. How he died and then came back to her. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say she went back to him, since Adda made it seem he didnt want anything to do with her anymore.
"I knew you could do this, Regina. I never doubted you for a second." Robin took Regina in his arms and kissed the top of her head. It seemed that Regina never stopped amazing him when it came to bravery. No matter how risky, she was always willing to help.
"Actually, this time I wasn't the one saving the day. This was all Belle." Right behind Zelena, Belle entered the cellar as Regina said that. "She was the one who saved us all. She actually proved that love really is the most powerful magic of all."
As Regina started explaining what had happened, Rumple entered the cellar, followed by Elsa. He was much better then, and he was also the one who had a passed out Cruella in his arms. He put her on the floor, not too gently of course and smiled at Belle. He could still hardly believe she had actually made him strong enough to fight the dagger. That really was something he never thought was possible. All that time trying to find an answer to getting rid of it, when it seemed to be right under his nose the whole time.
Seeing Emma was awake, Elsa ran to her and hugged her. She was glad her best friend from that world was safe again. Or almost, since she still wasn't like when they met: she was weaker. And Adda was to blame for that.
"Elsa!" Emma wasn't sure if she had seen Elsa before she passed out. She couldn't really remember it, but she was glad she was there. She really missed her friend. "What are you doing here?"
Emma laughed and looked straight at Emma. "Well, isn't it obvious? I'm here to help!" When she decided to go back to Storybrooke for one more adventure, Elsa knew what the risks were. She knew Emma and the others risked their lives everyday fighting bad guys and keeping the world safe. And she wanted to be a part of it. But because she knew the risks, she didn't allow her sister to follow her. Arendelle couldn't be without a ruler, and she would never forgive herself if her sister died and she could have prevented it.
Looking at all that, David was glad everything turned out okay. Of course he cared for Rumple and of course he wanted him to be safe, but in that moment the Dark One's return meant more than safety. It meant they were ready to bring Snow back. And David knew they had to act immediately, before something else happened to prevent it. Before Adda found them. He walked slowly to Zelena and simply gave her a nod. Zelena smiled softly and nodded back. "Okay, we're ready. We need to do this now while we still can."
Regina got away from Robin and walked to Zelena. She knew her sister was right. They had an opportunity and they couldn't waste it. As they were walking to the cellar, Regina had told Rumple what they had planned. Truth be told, Rumple didn't think it was a bad one. It could work. But he still wasn't 100% convinced.
Out of everyone in the cellar, Emma was the only one who had no idea what they were trying to do. But one thing they could all agree with: they couldn't let her help. She was already very weak, and that spell would simply take the rest of her energy away.
Making sure she stayed out, Rumple cut his hand and let some blood fall in a little bowl. He healed himself when he thought that was enough, and Regina, Zelena, Elsa and himself started the spell.
The plan they once had to bring back Hook was much more complicated, because they didn't really have one when they went there. All they knew was that Emma was willing to give half her heart, but no one really knew if that would work. They had all realized that had to be a much longer trip. But the one David was about to make wasn't as long. It couldn't be, since that plan had much more odds in its favor. They all knew that trading Cruella's life for Snow's would work. And that meant David didn't have to stay there for long.
"The spell I used to put Cruella to sleep will last for another hour. Maybe two. But you can't take that long because we won't be able to hold the portal for all that time. You need to be much faster than that. Just in and out." The part of the plan Rumple thought bad more holes was the fact the portal to the Underworld would stay open for the whole time Charming was there. And what scared him wasn't the fact he would take a long time finding her, that probably wouldn't happen with the locater spell they were going to give him. What scared Rumple was how someone else could come through while they didn't get there. Cruella and David would enter the land of the dead, meaning another two could come out. But those could be literally anyone. And Rumple was sure the dead wouldn't pull back any punches when it meant going back to being alive.
"And also, we're not as powerful as Adda, so we can't open a portal right to Snow's location. We'll be lucky if we even manage to open it." Zelena knew she was selling herself short by saying that, since she really believed they could do it, but she didn't really care. "That's why Regina made this." She handed David with a locater potion she had previously made.
David nodded and grabbed, putting it in his pocket. He already had Snow's ring as well. He was ready. All he was waiting for was getting to the Underworld to use the potion, since it would take him to Snow's body if he sprinkled the ring while still in Storybrooke.
With magic from all four of them, it didn't take long to open the portal, revealing the exact same thing in the other side. The Underworld was just a twisted version of Storybrooke, and that portal would lead David to that same exact location: Zelena's cellar. "Good luck!", David heard someone say to him, just as he entered the land of the dead, with Cruella's unconscious body in his arms.