Destiny's POV:
"This is the place!" I call to Killian as I stop before the well.
The warm sunlight filters through the trees, its rays highlighting different parts of the woods. I breathe in the fresh air, reminding me of my time in the enchanted forest.
"How can you be sure?" Killian asks, standing beside me. I shrug.
"I just know. I can feel a faint aura deep within it," I reply. I place a hand on my chest and close my eyes. Killian's hand on my shoulder makes me open my eyes.
"Are you sure you're ready? You have been locked up in the tomb for almost the whole of yesterday and-"
"And I'm fine. Yeah, it wasn't a great experience but I don't want to waste time just sitting around. Someone is plotting against us. The sooner I bring magic back to Storybrooke, the better," I say.
Signing, Killian nods with defeat. I pull a reassuring smile before closing my eyes again. I take a deep breath. I place my hand once again on my chest. In my mind, I create a magic orb. Gently, I open my eyes and remove the orb from my chest. I stare at its golden, electric-like form. I hold my hand above the well.
Slowly, I let go of the orb and it stays suspended in air. With two fingers, I lower the orb into the well. Closing my eyes, I concentrate on how deep the orb needs to go. My eyes fly open. It's there. I close my fist and feel the orb fall the rest of the way. I take a couple steps back, pulling Killian along with me.
He looks at the well, then at me. "So how long before..." A light blue mist pops out of the well, sending out a shock wave. The wave throws us to the ground.
I scramble to my feet and watch in amazement as the blue mist starts to form into a bud. Killian's hand slides into mine. I smile at him before turning back to the blue bud. "Open." I whisper.
Obeying my command, the bud starts to blossom. Magic dust flies out of the flower, surrounding us alongside the blissful wind. Its fragrance is overwhelming. Smiling from ear to ear, I lean my head against Killian's chest. He wraps his arms around me and presses his lips on my head.
"Magic is back," I confirm. I feel his cheeks stretch into a smile.
"It is."
The magic dust dies down. A thought comes to mind, making me smile mischievously.
"So. Tell me the truth. Did you actually miss me or were you relieved that I wasn't around, moaning about how useless I felt?" I tease.
Killian chuckles. He pulls out of the hug and turns his back to me.
"Hmm. To be honest, I didn't actually notice you were missing. It was Nova who brought it to my attention," he replies casually.
I let out a gasp. I walk over to him and pull him towards me.
"Really?" He laughs at my reaction. I pretend to attack him, only to have him hold my arms to his chest. My cheeks heat up at how close I am to him. We both stare into each other's eyes. A hint of sadness crosses Killian's eyes.
"Of course I missed you. When we couldn't find you, I felt my heart stop. If anything had happened to you..." I touch his cheek gently.
"Nothing will happen to me. Not now anyway since I've awakened my powers. And I have you. How can anything happen when I have you beside me?" I smile sweetily at him and curve my arms around his neck.
"Nothing will ever happen to you as long as I'm here," Killian whispers. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me in, kissing my lips.
"You did it!" Regina exclaims.
Killian and I just got back into town and was welcomed with a crowd. Emma, Mary Margaret, David, Ruby, Belle, Regina and Nova were all waiting for us. I let go of Killian's hand and walk over to Nova, enveloping her into a hug.
"Now what?" She asks after letting go.
Before I could reply, a voice speaks up. "I want to find the son of a bitch who hurt Rumple." I look up and lock eyes with Belle, determination blazing in her eyes.
"I think everyone is in agreeance with that, right?" I look at everyone and when no one denies it, I continue. "All I'll need is that tea cup, an item of his clothing and some of your hair." Belle nods. Before she could rush off, Nova stops her gently by her arm.
"Are you sure you're ok? I don't want you to feel like you have to..."
Belle smiles sadly.
"I'll never be ok. Not when my heart's broken. But to ease the pain, I can find the one who did this and make them pay," she replies, her tone reflecting her words. She turns and marches off.
I squeeze Nova's shoulder before following Belle into Rumple's shop.
Zelena's POV
I scream with rage and slam my hands against Rumple's cage.
"How is that possible?! How is she capable of bringing magic to Storybrooke?!" I mutter through gritted teeth.
Rumple cackles hysterically. I aim my piercing eyes at him. It only makes his laughter worse.
"What is so amusing?" I snap. Rumple wipes away a tear.
"You are always underestimating people, dearie." He chuckles. "You are not the only powerful person in the world." Aggressively, I grab hold of his dagger from one of the crates and bring it close to the cage. Rumple's laughter ceases.
"Why don't you leave me to be the judge of that? Besides, it wasn't my spell that she broke. It was yours. Turns out, you're not as useful as I had hoped," I remark. A sly grin forms on my lips.
"If I'm not useful, why don't you just kill me? You've already faked my death," Rumple counters. Now it's my turn to laugh. I hold onto the bars of the cage, pulling myself against it in an intimidating way.
"Where would be the fun in that? I'd much prefer you locked up in a cage than get my hands dirty with ending your life." I wink at him. Rumple turns away with disgust. I lower the dagger.
"Now I'll take my leave. I have your mess to clean up," I mutter before walking away. I stop and turn back to him. I blow him a kiss mockingly.
"I'll be back." With a hearty laugh, I disappear up the ladder.
I trot along the street, a fake smile plastered to my face as I greet some of the townspeople. Once they're gone, I remove the smile from my face. Smiling at these people is like drinking poison.
Pushing my thoughts to one side, I stop as soon as Rumple's shop comes to sight. I grin. Foolish Snow. She had told me of Destiny's plan, believing that I would help. It's no wonder Regina despises her.
Looking around me, I twirl my hand, forming a tray of coffees in my other hand. I hurry into the shop. I close the door behind me and turn around, greeted by a group of confused faces. I put my hand up in greeting. "Hey guys, I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Nova breaks away from the group, "Of course not!" She smiles and offers a hug. I return the smile and embrace her quickly. I glance around, my eyes meeting Destiny's. I walk up to the counter which she stands behind.
"I'm simply a messenger. Mary Margaret had told me what you all were doing and was about to send these over." I hold out the coffees and place them onto the counter.
"But of course as her midwife, I couldn't let her do that so I thought I'd volunteer. And I wanted to see how Belle is after hearing the news," I quickly add, turning my attention to Belle. She smiles with appreciation.
"I'm fine. Thank you for asking," she replies. I nod. Destiny grabs hold of one of the coffees, her eyes on me.
"Thank you. It's nice to know how well you're taking care of Mary Margaret," Destiny replies, sipping her coffee. I smile widely, enjoying how clueless she is. My eyes fall to a chipped cup near her. I act distracted.
"What's this?" I reach out for it, but Destiny takes hold of it. I look at her with surprise.
"It's just something I'm working on," she adds vaguely. Nova comes up behind me.
"It's the object we're going to use to locate Rumpelstiltskin," Nova replies.
"Ah, I see." They all stare at me, as though waiting for something. I pull a clumsy smile.
"Sorry, I'd best be on my way." As I say my goodbyes, I turn around and grit my teeth. Great. Now how will I stop them? I think to myself. I glance back, seeing the group huddled together at the counter. I have to create a distraction. An idea comes to mind.
As I pull open the door, I stare at the lamp lights lining the road. With a quick flick of my wrist, the lamp lights spark out loudly. One of them falls in my direction. I scream, catching the group's attention. I throw myself away from the falling lamp. As I lay on the ground, I hear the shop door open and feet rush towards me.
"Oh my gosh, Zelena!" Nova crouches beside me, "Are you okay?" She offers her hand and I shakily take it, slowly standing up.
"What happened?" Destiny asks, looking down the street for the culprit.
I take a couple breaths, acting stricken with fear, "I'm not really sure. I walked out of the shop and I heard a loud pop! Next thing I know a huge street light is falling towards me."
Destiny and Regina share a worried look. "What?" I ask, a confused look on my face.
"We think someone in Storybrooke has magic," Regina finally admits.
I look at Nova in confusion before turning back to Regina. "Don't you all have magic now?"
Destiny looks at me suspiciously, "How did you know magic was back?"
I smile sheepishly, "Mary Margaret."
Destiny's face softens and she rolls her eyes. "That woman. I don't care if she's pregnant, she needs to keep some things secret."
I laugh lightly before getting back on subject. "Do you know who it is?" I ask, feigning worry.
Nova sighs, "No. That's the problem."
While they talk about the culprit, I glance at the other lamp lights, commanding them to fall. Instantly, the others start to creak. Destiny stares at the lights with dread. The other townspeople start to run from the falling lights.
"Quick, get the people out of the way! Regina, help me get them back up," Destiny yells as she and the group run ahead. Taking my chance, I sneak back into the shop.
Glancing behind me, I rush to the counter and grab hold of the cup. I smile slyly at it. I tut.
"Poor Belle. Looks like she won't be finding out how Rumple died after all." I grin with satisfaction. Keeping an eye on the door, I slip the cup into my bag and reproduce a fake one.
"Now that's more like it," I say to myself. Pulling my frightened face back on, I rush out of the shop with it. I gasp with surprise as I meet Destiny and the others right outside the shop. I look around. Regina is refitting the lamps with her magic while Emma comforts the shaken people.
"Zelena! There you are. I got worried," Nova bursts, walking up to me. I smile shakily. I turn to Nova, feeling Destiny staring intently at me.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you all. Seeing the situation out here scared me so I hid in the shop," I explain.
"Is that the cup in your hand?" Destiny asks. I nod at her.
"It is. While I was in the shop, I realised that maybe this all was a distraction to get this." I wave the cup at them, "So, I thought I'd keep it safe."
I hand the cup over to Destiny. My hand touches hers. Destiny suddenly tenses, her mind elsewhere as she takes the cup. I frown for a brief moment before smiling.
"I'd better head off now before any other lamp crushes me," I laugh lightly as I walk away.
"Thanks!" Nova calls behind me. I sneer.
"You're very welcome," I whisper to myself as I stroll away.
Destiny's POV
"Stern? What do you mean I was 'stern' towards her?" I ask Nova. After casting the locator spell on the cup, it had lead us here, in the middle of the woods. Emma, Regina and Belle trudge behind Nova and I, occupied in their own conversation. Nova sighs.
"Come on. Admit it. You weren't exactly friendly to Zelena back there," Nova replies, her tone growing serious. I stare at Nova.
"Can you blame me? Regina and I were sealed tight in her tomb. The last thing I want to do is blindly trust someone I don't know so well." I glance down at the cup, its faint glow still visible. Nova moves a branch out of the way.
"I guess. But I'm sure she can be trusted. She is looking after Mary Margaret."
"I wouldn't go fighting her corner yet," I warn.
Suddenly, the glow on the cup intensifies, irritating my eyes. "Regina!" I call out. The trio catches up and watches the cup glow.
"We must be close," Regina says, looking around the empty forest.
"I don't see anything." Belle looks hopelessly out into the forest. "Just trees and more trees."
"Well it's glowing for a reason," Emma reminds her, "So I say we keep walking."
And that's what we do. After about ten more minutes of walking, the cup glows so bright, it's almost hot. "We're here," I decide, looking around for anything that could be useful.
"Where exactly is here?" Nova asks.
I shake my head, "I don't know..." I turn in a circle, when something catches my eye. "The well!" I exclaim, pointing in the distance. Without waiting for the others, I take off in the direction of the well.
The blossom tree still stands tall, the wind blowing away its magic dust. I walk around the well, my eyes searching for any clues.
"Find anything?" Nova calls as her and the group catch up. I shake my head.
"No."
The others search the area around the well but they couldn't find anything. I stare at the cup with confusion.
"This was supposed to lead us to Rumple's last whereabouts. There should be something here," I say. Belle's eyes narrow.
"Wait a minute." She walks up to me, her eyes fixed on the cup. I let her take it from me. After examining it, her eyes widen as though she had discovered something. Before I could ask her what's wrong, she smashes the cup against the well, shattering it into pieces.
We all gasp.
"This isn't it," Belle whispers. I stare at her.
"Are you sure or where you just releasing your frustration on it?" I ask, annoyed. Belle looks at me with tearful eyes.
"This isn't the chipped cup I gave you. When we came here, I asked Rumple if he could enchant the cup so that it was unbreakable. As you can see, the original cup shouldn't have shattered." I stare down at the fragments of the cup. It turns into a powdery smoke and dissolves into the tree.
"Then where was the cup leading us to?" Emma asks. My eyes rest on the tree.
"It was taking us to its source," I answer.
Belle collapses to the ground on her knees, leaning her head against the well. Tears start to form in her eyes, "I thought we were so close."
My vision blurs between color and black and white. Before I could say anything, I'm swept away into a memory.
"You thought you were so close!" A cloaked woman sneers, her hands blazing with magical fire.
I fling my own fire ball at her, "Where is it?" I yell, advancing with each throw.
"Like brute force will help you," She cackles, "Is this really the powerful daughter your mother went on about?"
"How do you know my mother?" I growl, dying for answers.
Zelena smirks. With a swish of a hand, a scroll materializes in her hand.
"Not only do I know your mother, but I have her last message to you in my hand," she says proudly. My eyes widen.
"Last message? Give that to me!" I run towards her only to be thrown back by an invisible force.
I blink my eyes and I'm back in the forest. Looking around, no one noticed my, well, I don't know what you'd call it. When did that happen? I ponder some more when Nova calls my name.
"What do we do now?" She asks, pulling Belle up off the ground.
"I'm not sure." My mind wonders back to the cloaked woman. Did that really happen?
Belle rushes to me and grasps hold of my hands.
"Please, please find the one responsible for Rumple's death. I may have failed him but I know you will do everything you can to make the culprit pay." Belle squeezes my hands tightly, her eyes desperate. Silently, I nod. Satisfied, Belle walks away, with Nova following behind.
Regina and Emma trudges up to me.
"What are you going to do?" Regina questions. I stare at her.
"Time for plan B."
3rd POV
"Hey Belle we should stop and get something to eat," Nova suggests.
Belle nods unenthusiastically. "Okay."
Nova frowns, worried for her friend. I hope Destiny finds the person that hurt Belle or she'll never be able to go back to a somewhat normal life.
They enter the Diner, greeted by curious gazes. Belle ignores the gazes and seats herself down at the far corner table. Nova walks up to the counter and orders two meals. As she takes them to the table, she glances towards the middle table where Mary Margaret and David sit. They pull sympathetic looks. Nova smiles shortly before joining Belle at the table.
They sit silently, waiting for the other to break the silence. Nova rests a comforting hand on Belle's. Belle looks up.
"We will find the one responsible. They can't hide forever," Nova reassures. Belle snorts.
"That's if the culprit isn't always a step ahead of us," she argues, pushing her plate away. Nova shakes her head.
"You can't think like that. You have to stay positive."
"How can I? We had one chance of catching this person and it's all gone downhill!" Belle snaps. Nova retreats her hand. Guilt is written all over Belle's face.
"I'm sorry, Nova. I didn't mean to-"
Nova stops her.
"It's ok. You don't have to apologise. But I meant what I said. We will find them," Nova adds, smiling. Belle smiles in return. They both eat their meals in silence.
A couple tables over, Mary Margaret's phone goes off. Nova subconsciously looks up. Mary Margaret smiles, grabs David's hand and speaks into the phone. After a few seconds, Mary Margaret ends the call. She glances at Nova and nods.
"Everything ok, Nova?" Startled, Nova turns back to Belle. She quickly glances back to find Mary Margaret and David disappearing out the door. Slowly,Nova shifts her attention to Belle, a smile creeping onto her face. Nova rises from her chair.
"There's something I have to show you," she replies excitedly. She grabs hold of Belle's hand and ignoring Belle's protests, leads her outside.
"Nova? What's going on? Where are you-" Belle cuts off, her eyes taking in the sight at her far left.
Outside the library, stands a crowd of people, positioned in a circle. Their faces glow with the light of the candles on the ground. Beside the candles, lay flowers before a picture frame. Belle stares at Nova, confused. Simply smiling, Nova pulls Belle closer to the library.
Nova could tell the pieces were coming together in Belle's mind as tears start forming in her eyes. "What...?" Belle whispers, taking in the envelopes, pictures and other memorabilia.
"We thought Rumple deserved a memorial. Do you like it?" She watches Belle's face for a sign.
With teary eyes, Belle smiles. "It's perfect!" She throws her arms around Nova.
The two let go of each other when Mary Margaret speaks up, "Now we ask everyone to step up one at a time and share a memory you have with Mr. Gold."
As people start telling their stories, Destiny walks up to Nova. "You did a good job," Destiny whispers.
Nova smiles, "Thank you. I think she needed this," She replies, watching Belle smile at David's story.
"I think we all needed this," Destiny admits.
Unbeknownst by the crowd, Rumpelstiltskin himself stands at a distance, cloaked by magic. Tears slide down his face as he watches his own memorial take place. His eyes fall on Belle. He smiles affectionately. He looks around until his eyes meet Zelena's.
She pulls a scowling look at him before turning back as though nothing had happened.
Back at the memorial, Destiny pulls Nova to the side, away from the crowd.
"To catch the culprit, we have a plan B," Destiny whispers. Nova's eyes light up.
"What is it?"
"I'm going to bring our memories back." Nova stares at Destiny in confusion.
"Bring them back? How?"
"Since the cup didn't work, I knew we'd need a Plan B. So I talked with Regina and Mother superior to see if there was a spell or potion that could bring back lost memories." Destiny pauses.
"And?"
"There is one. It just requires some interesting ingredients," Destiny admits.
"Interesting as in unattainable or just odd?" Nova asks, looking back to the crowd. She catches Belle's eyes. She smiles before turning back to Destiny.
"Hopefully the later. I haven't really researched it that much. I was going to wait until the service was over so I could ask for Belle's help."
"That's probably a good idea. It wouldn't be right if we drag her away from the memorial now," Nova replies, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Anyway, I've got to get back to Regina. When the service is over, send Belle over to Regina's office. That's where we'll be making it." With a quick bye, Destiny walks off, her eyes meeting Zelena's briefly. Zelena's smile widens wickedly at Destiny's back.
Destiny's POV:
"Do you think she bought it?" I ask Regina as we stand beside the window. Behind us, Mother superior is busy preparing the memory potion.
"I'm sure she must have. If she's the one who sabotaged the cup we had, then what's stopping her from sabotaging our potion?" Regina argues. I take a quick survey of the street and look back at Regina.
"She is the one who sabotaged it. You saw her. She had the cup in her hand. She must have swapped them. I knew something wasn't right with that Zelena woman," I reply, clenching my fists. Regina touches my shoulder.
"We can't be sure it's her. What would her motive be of killing Gold?" She asks. I shrug.
"I don't know. To gain more power, I guess?"
"Whatever it is, you two should be careful," Mother Superior advises, tapping the end of a glass rod against the bottle. "That should be it."
Regina picks up the vial and twirls it, "That's it?"
"For now." Mother Superior clears the work table. "We just need you to light it up with your power and Destiny's blood."
Regina puts the vial down, "Sounds easy enough!"
Someone knocks on the door. We all turn to it. A faint outline of the figure could be seen.
"That must be Belle," I say as I walk to the door. I open it and find a too-happy Belle.
"Hi, I thought you'd wait till the service was over."
"It's fine really. I got excited once I heard you were going to bring our memories back," Belle replies, a huge smile on her face. A weird feeling seeps inside me. She walks past me.
"I see you've already started making it," she observes, checking out the equipment on the table. I glance at Regina, a suspicious look on her face. She grabs hold of the vial and keeps it close. I stand beside Belle.
"Yeah. The quicker we make it, the quicker we can get our memories back and find out who the culprit really is," I explain.
Belle nods, "The sooner the better, right?" Belle's eyes fall on Regina. Her face lights up.
"Is that the potion?" Belle asks eagerly. Before Regina could reply, Belle takes it from her hand. She smiles, twirling the potion.
Regina and I share another look. "Okay, so I'm going to go get a knife." I walk to the door.
"A knife?" Belle asks.
I turn around, "Yeah. The potion requires my blood, because…" I drift off, not sure if I should tell Belle. She's been acting odd and I just don't feel right around her. She looks at me expectantly and I shrug. "My blood is special? I'm not really sure. As long as it works right?" I smile and turn around when Belle calls again.
"Nova said there might be blood for an ingredient so I brought a knife just in case." She smiles sweetly as she produces a innocent enough knife from her bag. Smiling awkwardly, I take the knife from her.
Carefully, I pierce my finger. As Belle opens the vial, I let three drops of my blood fall into it. The liquid glows, changing into a dark blue colour.
"There. All done," I say, passing Mother superior the knife. I reach out to take the vial from Belle when my phone rings. I turn my back to Belle and scramble into my pocket. It's Nova calling. I answer the call.
"Hey Nova. Everything ok?" I say, watching my finger heal.
"Yeah. The service is over now so I've sent Belle on her way to you."
"Don't worry, Belle's already here with us."
"How can that be? I can see her making her way." I crease my forehead. Making her way? Then... My eyes widen. I spin around. Belle isn't behind me. I turn to Regina and Mother superior.
"Where's Belle?" I ask. They both exchanged shocked glances. Registering their looks, I sprint out of Regina's office. I reach the street and catch a glimpse of the fake Belle rushing off.
"Hey!" I yell. She stops. She twirls around, a sinister smile on her face. Just as I'm about to reach her, she disappears into a thick, green smoke. The familiar smoke triggers a scene in my mind...
I stagger back up on my feet, glaring at the cloaked woman.
"Give that scroll to me, Zelena!" At the mention of her name, she throws her hood back, a sinister face across her green face. She waves the scroll in a taunting way.
"You mean this? Well I'm afraid I can't give it to you, dear. Not unless you step aside and let me cast the curse," Zelena adds. In her other hand, she reproduces Prince charming's heart. I shake my head.
"Why are you so obsessed with casting curses?" Zelena pulls a dark glare.
"Isn't it obvious to you? All my life, I have never been able to control anything. Not even my fate. But not anymore. I will cast that curse. I will get power and control my own fate!" Zelena shouts. My eyes catch a glimpse of Regina sneaking behind. A smirk touches my lips.
"You can never change your fate, Zelena. No matter how much you try to change, you'll always be green with envy," I remark. At that moment, Regina snatches the scroll from Zelena's grasp. I strike Zelena with my magic, making her fall to the ground. The heart flies in the air.
I catch the heart, careful not to squeeze it. I turn behind me where Snow stands beside an unconscious Prince charming. I throw the heart to her.
"Cast the curse!" I yell. With a painful look on her face, she crushes prince charming's heart into the mix. Our surroundings start to shake.
"No!" Zelena screams. She disappears into a green smoke. Suddenly, everything goes white.
"Destiny! Destiny, what happened?" Regina asks, shaking my shoulder. I stare at her with surprise. I look back at the spot where the fake Belle had vanished.
"I know who the culprit is," I gasp.