3rd POV

Silently, Nova takes slow steps outside of the castle. With each step, a thought rushes through her mind. Silence fills her ears, causing her to switch her attention from the ground to the people staring at her. She registers the exhausted looks across their faces, surprised at how normal they look. Their looks of ignorance triggers a memory in Nova's mind...

Nova rushed over to Destiny. She stood over her, hesitant at first before she gently shook her shoulder. "Destiny... Destiny! Wake up! Come on, you have to help Hook!"

As if called by that name, Destiny's eyes flew open. Her body lurched forward and she took a deep breath. Her breathing was shallow. Nova stumbled back, startled. Destiny searched around her before resting her eyes on Nova. A faint smile touched her lips.

"Nova... What the hell happened here?" She asked weakly, gesturing around the room. Nova stared at her, her eyebrows knitted together with caution. Finally, she replied,

"You don't remember anything?"

Destiny massaged her temples.

"I remember being in this room. I... I was talking to you and Regina and..." She paused. Destiny stared up at Nova, the guilt visible in her eyes.

"I tried to kill you, didn't I?"

Nova didn't know what to say so she just nodded. Destiny put her head in her hands and moaned, "I'm so sorry, Nova!"

Nova placed a hand on her shoulder, "It's okay. You didn't hurt me." She paused and looked over at where Hook was lying, blood pooling around him. "But there is someone who really needs your help."

Destiny looked up and her eyes focused on something over Nova's shoulder. Her expression goes through multiple reactions before resting on despair. "I-I… Killian?"

Nova reached up, trying to console Destiny but she shouldered past, running to Killian. "Killian!" She screamed as she collapsed to her knees beside him. Her hands started fluttering over his body, trying to find a way to help. "No, no, no!" Her scream shook the room, causing several frames to fly.

Nova ducked as a picture was flung at her, "Destiny?"

Destiny glanced up, her eyes raging. "What happened?" She stared back down at Killian and brushed his hair away from his face.

"Well…" Nova started.

"Tell me!" Destiny screamed, wind burst in, swirling around Nova.

"Okay! You knocked out Regina," She pointed over to where Regina was still lying, "You had Hook trapped in some weird vines, and you were about to kill me." Nova's voice started to shake as she relived the moments. "I had closed my eyes, thinking you were going to stab me, but I heard a slice and I knew it wasn't me."

Destiny shook her head, "No.."

"When I opened my eyes, Hook was falling to the floor. Your sword was covered in blood. The only reason I could think of is that he sacrificed himself. He knew you'd never forgive yourself if you killed me. I guess he felt my life was more important to you than his." A mixture of sympathy and regret washed over Nova's face.

Destiny burst into tears, her sobs rattling her body. Nova reached her hand out to Destiny, but she withdrew it, unsure. Destiny's sobs came to a sudden halt. She roughly wiped her tears and placed her hands onto Hook's wound.

"Come back to me," Destiny whispered. She closed her eyes. A bright light slowly appeared beneath her hands. Destiny's hair danced as a powerful wind surrounded her. The light grew brighter and shone upwards through the gaps of Destiny's fingers. Nova moved back, shielding herself from the harsh wind and the blinding light.

A small explosion of wind spreads across the room, ending with complete silence. Nova glanced at Destiny. Destiny removed her hands from Hook's chest and waited for a sign, any sign that he was alive.

Hook stirred slowly. His fingertips twitched. A relieved smile reached Destiny's lips as Hook weakly opened his eyes. He smiled up at Destiny with sleepy eyes.

"Destiny..." Hook started. Nova rushed beside Hook and helped Destiny bring him to his feet. He groaned, his hand flying to his healed wound. He stared into her eyes, seeing the truth in them. He pulled Destiny into a half hug.

"You're ok!" He whispered into her ear. Destiny pulled out of the hug.

"Killian. I'm so sorry. I never meant to..." Hook stopped her.

"You don't have to apologise. You were under the curse's control. You didn't know what you were doing." Destiny nodded slightly, not entirely convinced. Hook planted a tender kiss on her forehead. He pulled a defiant smile.

"Though I must say, you do look hot when you're angry." Grinning, Destiny punched his shoulder playfully.

"We better get to the others. Regina's been badly injured," Nova interrupted. Nodding, they all made their way to the door. Suddenly, Destiny stopped, holding her head.

"Destiny, are you ok?" Hook asked. Destiny's eyes struggled to stay open. The ground started to give way beneath her. Hook tried to hold her up.

"Destiny!" He yelled. But Destiny had lost consciousness. Kneeling slightly, Hook laid Destiny close to the ground, tapping her face anxiously. Hook stared up at Nova.

Nova's POV

I shake my head, clearing my thoughts and look behind me. I watch as Hook carries Destiny through the doors, Regina exiting behind them. Regina had gained consciousness before we left. She pulls a look of hatred at the unconscious Destiny.

"What happened!" I turn around and am greeted by a very worried Mary Margaret.

"We'll explain everything later. Right now, we need to get to Annora's camp." I spot Jefferson pushing his way through the crowd.

I smile in relief and run to him. He wraps his arms around my waist and spins me around. "I'm so glad you're okay," I murmur against his neck.

He holds me at arm's length. "Are you okay?"

I nod. "Just shaken." He wraps me into another hug.

"Destiny's curse is broken."

I explain to him what had happened; our battle with Destiny, Destiny stabbing Hook... After I'm done, Mary Margaret glances at Destiny with a concerned look.

"We've got to get her to Rumple. Where is he anyway?" She asks.

"He had to get back to the camp. He said Destiny had sent some of the townspeople there and that Belle was in danger. I hope she's ok," I reply, feeling guilty that I had forgotten about her. Mary Margaret nods in agreement.

"Out of my way!" A voice roars from the people. We shift our gazes to find Leroy rushing towards us, grabbing a sword lying on the ground. I widen my eyes in fear.

Sensing his intentions, Mary Margaret blocks his path with her bow. Leroy stops, his eyes burning with rage.

"Snow, please get out of my way! No one is going to stop me from killing that woman!" He points angrily at Destiny. Mary Margaret shakes her head at him.

"What are you doing? You know none of this is Destiny's fault. She was under a curse!" Leroy snorts.

"So what, we should just slap her on the hand and forgive her? She could have killed us, Snow! You have no idea how we were treated in her castle. And besides, after what she's done, what makes you think we'd all trust her?" Leroy protests, his cheeks growing a crimson red. The other townspeople gather around him, yelling in agreement.

David, Emma and Annora rush over, ushering the people away.

I stand where I am, frozen to the spot. I stay silent, unable to argue against Leroy. Unable to do though Destiny was back to normal, a part of me still couldn't take that in.

Growing more angry by the minute, Hook bursts out, "That's enough! If any of you dare to come anywhere near Destiny, I will do far worse than what she has done to you. Now back off!" He growls. The people silence down and surprisingly step back. Leroy stays where he is. David clears his throat.

"Look. I know you all are angry about what Destiny has done. And what she has done to you all is unacceptable. But Destiny was under a curse. A curse she couldn't fight against. We've all made mistakes, haven't we?" David leaves the question hanging. Everyone remains silent. Leroy lowers his eyes.

"And her curse is broken now. She is no longer a threat. So let's move past this and act like the community we are. We move back to the camp!" David ends. We all nod at him. Holding on tight to Jefferson, we follow the disappearing crowd.

As we enter the camp, a line of guards greet us. "Stand down!" A voice yells from behind them. The guards break apart and Rumple and Belle emerge. I sigh with relief when I see them unharmed. Annora squeezes in front of us.

"Are you both alright?" She asks. Belle smiles weakly. Rumple simply nods.

"I tried my best not to kill them. But I did get a bit carried away," Rumple gazes past us. I follow his gaze and find a group of people scattered around the camp. Their bodies are marked with deep, red scratches. I hold my breath. Did he kill them? I release my breath as their bodies all start to make movement.

Annora signals her men to attend to them. She turns to us. Her eyes hover to Hook.

"Take Destiny to that tent over there." She jerks her head to her left. Annora glances over her shoulder at Rumple.

"I'll need you to have a look at her. After her curse broke, she lost consciousness." Rumple nods. Kissing Belle on the head, he follows Hook. Without being told, Henry guides Regina to another tent. Annora glances at me before walking to her tent.

Understanding the gesture, I start to follow her when Jefferson grabs my hand. I look back at him, confused. He smiles at me and kisses the top of my hand, "Be careful."

I smile at him and pull him close, kissing his cheek. "Of course." He lets go of my hand and I jog over to Annora's tent.

As I enter, everyone is gathered around the table; Mary Margaret, David, Annora and Emma. Annora smiles at me as I stand beside her.

"So what do we plan on doing now?" I ask. Everyone exchanges glances with each other. David speaks up.

"Well. Now that Destiny's curse is broken, I guess now we need to find a way to get back to Storybrooke. Which is weird, considering that we are actually home." Emma crosses her arms.

"Except, my actual home is Storybrooke. I know this place is where you guys were born but I'm not used to a place like this," Emma replies as she glances at both her parents. I glance at Mary Margaret. Her eyes are clouded with sudden sadness, disappearing as soon as it came.

"To be honest, I actually miss baking my cupcakes," I joke. Everyone's faces remain neutral. Clearing my throat to mask my awkwardness, I turn to Annora.

"Do you know how we can get back to Storybrooke? Is there anything we can use like magic beans?"

Annora sighs. "I think all the beans have been used and I am not aware of anything that could take you back."

Just then, Regina enters through the tent, Rumple not far behind. "I found it!"

I glance at Emma, then back at Regina, "Found what?"

"A spell. It has a list of ingredients and step by step instructions. The only problem is that we'll need a lot of power for it to work." Regina attempts to walk further into the tent until she stumbles. I rush to her.

"You should be resting, Regina. You are badly injured," I advise, my eyes shifting to her abdominal wound. Regina grins.

"You don't need to worry, Nova. I'm a tough girl." Carefully, I guide Regina to a chair beside the opening of the tent. Annora leans her back against the table and folds her arms. Her eyes fill with curiosity.

"What does this spell require?"

Regina looks towards Rumple. From the click of his fingertips, Regina's book materialises in his hand. He hands it to Regina. Regina flicks through the pages impatiently until she stops at the right page.

"We will need a lock of hair from a child born in the human realm, a drop of blood from the darkest soul, a couple of herbs that won't be a problem to find, and it needs to be cast with the help of the whitest power."

Everyone sits in silence, absorbing the new information. David is the first to speak, "Okay. So where are we going to find all of this?"

"That's the-" Regina breaks off into a coughing fit. I put a hand on her shoulder, and Rumple takes off where she finished.

"It seems that everything that we need is here in this camp." He pauses, waiting for someone to figure it out. When no one speaks up, he continues, "Henry, of course, is the only one of us born on Earth. His hair is the first part." Regaining her voice, Regina interrupts.

"The darkest soul would've been either me or Rumple but because of our…" She looks at Rumple, "Change of heart, we no longer fit into that category."

I open my mouth in realization, "Destiny."

Rumple nods but Emma speaks before him, "But you said the curse was broken." She points at me.

"Even though the curse is broken, her blood is still tainted. Whether she likes it or not, her heart will always be stained with darkness. But until what ever was in her is completely gone, her soul is still the darkest." Rumple explains.

"Then me."

Everyone turns to Emma. "What?" Mary Margaret asks.

"I'm supposed to be the Savior right? So that means I have the whitest magic."

"Can you even do magic?" Regina asks.

"Yes, I've been practicing!" She pauses for a moment before adding, "Kind of." Regina rolls her eyes. Rumple, however, looks like he's considering the idea.

"You are right. You are the savior. Therefore, you can assist in casting the spell." Regina's eyes shoot at Rumple with disbelief.

"I can't believe this. You do realise that Emma has never used magic. And you of all people, know how long it takes to master magic." Rumple stares at her.

"I'm sure you heard Emma. She's been practising. And who better to teach her how to harness her power than someone who once was in a similar position?" Regina grumbles and Annora pulls a satisfied smile.

"Well. Looks like you're all set. Now, I'd suggest you all rest. It has been an exhausting couple of days. We will handle this spell tomorrow," she finalises. Obediently, we all make our way out of the tent.

As everyone parted ways, disappearing into their tents, Destiny comes to mind. And then I realise I didn't ask Rumple how Destiny was. I spot Rumple and I call out to him but he had already entered his tent. I sigh. Pushing the dread down, I force myself to move towards her tent.

I push aside the fabric door and enter the tent. My eyes take a minute to adjust but when they do, I notice Killian with his head on Destiny's bed. I walk over to him and place a hand on his shoulder. The contact causes him to jump. "Sorry." I whisper.

He rubs his eyes, "It's fine. I was just resting."

"You don't have to explain yourself to me." It hasn't even been a full day and I can already see dark circles under his eyes. If he looks this bad, I can't imagine how I must look. I nod to the door, "You need to eat, Killian."

He looks up from Destiny, a small smirk on his lips. "You said Killian."

I smile a bit before covering it up with a fake scowl, "Slip of the tongue, pirate." He laughs as I wink at him. "But you really do need to eat. I'll watch over her for a bit."

He stands up and stretches. "Okay. I'll be back in ten minutes."

"Make that twenty." I give him a look as he opens his mouth to argue.

He rolls his eyes, "Fine, twenty."

I take his spot as he leaves, lacing my fingers through Destiny's. After a couple minutes of sitting, her hand starts to twitch. "Destiny?"

Destiny's POV

` "Destiny?" I hear a voice call out from the darkness. I can't tell where I am but I know it's cold. I notice a twitching light to the left of me. I walk closer and recognize it as a campfire. The flame is slowly dying down. As I approach the flame, my surroundings start to change. The earthy, soft ground grows harder, forming a solid tarmac road.

My eyes wander around me, taking in the houses and shops reforming. I am back in Storybrooke. The sky remains masked in its darkness. The lamp lights start to flicker.

The eerie sound of heels reaches my ears. I narrow my eyes in front of me as the sound grows louder. And louder. The light flashes on the figure, revealing a sinister smile I didn't expect to see.

"Hello, dear." Cora pauses a few steps away from me, her eyes glinting with an evil spark. I hold my breath. How was Cora alive? As if stealing the thought from my mind, Cora's lips curve up.

"Did you really think you could get rid of me that easily?" I harden my face to stone. Cora takes a playful step forward.

"My curse still runs through your veins. So as long as that curse is inside you, I am still here," she waves her hands around her.

"Inside your mind." Grinning, I pretend to pull a look of realisation.

"No wonder I was cracking in some parts. I hate to break it to you, Cora, but seriously, you're getting old." Cora's smug face starts to crack. She outstretched her right hand, the movement causing a fireball to form within her palm.

"I had hoped that I could trap you in your own body and control you but I had anticipated that somehow, you would be able to fight back. So as sad as it is, I'm going to have to destroy you." She thrusts the ball at me.

I fall into a somersault, dodging the flaming orb. I jump up and fling a wall of air at her, causing her to fly back. She stumbles back to her feet, her face wearing a scowl. Cora brushes a curl away from her face. I pull my lips into a smile.

"I'm sorry, did I hit you too hard?" Screaming in frustration, Cora stomps towards me, outstretching her hand. An invisible force rushes at me. I flatten out my palm vertically. A purple, glass-like shield crystallises around my hand, protecting my whole body. The force bumps into my shield. The impact causes my hair to fly away from my face.

Cora throws a range of orbs at me but they are all deflected by my shield. Finding an opening in her attacks, I throw one of my own at her. After several attempts, Cora stops, panting. I wave my hand, making my shield disappear. She glares at me before her lips suspiciously curve up into a smile.

I furrow my brow.

She straightens up. And then everything starts to grow fuzzy. The buildings stretch out into weird shapes. I stare around me, my gut tightening with fear. "CORA!" I yell into the wind that suddenly engulfs me.

With my vision fading, I hear Cora's voice somewhere behind me, "Nighty Night Destiny!" Then everything goes black.

Nova's POV:

Destiny's body starts to shake vigorously. I step away from her, my heart pounding with every shake.

"Destiny? Destiny!" I scream, my voice on the verge of panic. Blindly, I run out of the tent. My eyes dart everywhere until they land on Killian. He sits near the campfire, hunched over his food.

"Killian!" I call out. His head snaps toward me, his face wearing a frown. I pause, feeling breathless. I take in a quick breath.

"Something's wrong with Destiny!"

Discarding his food, Killian sprints towards me. At that moment, Rumple emerges from his tent. As Killian disappear into the tent, I rush to Rumple and tell him about Destiny. Hurriedly, we run into the tent.

Rumple and Killian stand on either side of Destiny's bed. Destiny's body continues to shake. Rumple examines Destiny's eyes.

"Is she ok? What's going on?" Killian and I ask anxiously. Ignoring our questions, Rumple hovers his hand gently over her body. Destiny's body slowly calms down until she lay motionlessly. Rumple looks at me.

"No need to worry. Her body is recovering from the curse so you'll have to be prepared for more moments like this."

"There are going to be more?!" Killian shouts. I grab his arm to calm him but he had said exactly what I was thinking.

"This is her body's way of getting rid of the curse. So yes, she'll have quick seizures but nothing to worry about." He nods at me before exiting the tent.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "At least it means she's getting better, right?"

I look up at Killian but his eyes are glazed over. I know I should leave him alone so I squeeze his arm once more before leaving the tent. As I step out, the camp looks almost empty. Everyone must be resting. I glance up at the open sky, taking in the array of sunset colours.

I walk over and sit by the fireplace. I notice killian's plate of food, feeling my stomach growl at the sight of it. I pick it up. After an inspection, I decide it's safe to eat. After a couple minutes, I feel him sit down beside me. I offer him the plate and we eat in silence, staring into the flicker light of the fire.

Watching the two eat away with interest, a mysteriously cloaked figure stands in the distance, disguised by the darkness of the woods. The figure's eyes pass over to Destiny's tent.

Meanwhile in the tent, Destiny's body twitches, recognizing dark power close by. Rumple is still with Belle halfway across the camp… So who is it?