Chapter 25: Child of the moon
Everyone was celebrating at Granny's that they had found diamonds to make fairy dust, when Billy approached Ruby telling her who he was in the Enchanted Forest. He wanted to take her out for a drink to get to know each other better, but Ruby seemed uncomfortable. Belle saw it and made an excuse for Ruby to decline.
Ruby thanked her and Belle dismissed her. Ruby had helped her before, this was something very small to do in exchange. Belle asked her about Billy, but Ruby just looked at the clock, said that it was complicated and left.
David was talking with Henry about his nightmares. The boy was still unsure about them and David promised to be there for him. He convinced Henry to forget the coffee and grab some chocolate. Once he left, George sat at the booth in front of David.
"Congratulations, Sheriff. Quite a celebration."
They exchanged some words. George threatened to overthrow David, make everyone see that he wasn't really a prince and that he wasn't fit to rule. David was not going to back down.
"The people of this town know who I really am. And they've seen me defeat you before. So, if you want to try to take me down, they'll see it again." He told him grabbing his mug and turning to leave.
"Let's see how you do, without the meddling princess here to protect you." George said with a sneer.
"What?" Said David turning to look at him with narrowed eyes.
"Oh, back in our world, after Regina threatened you with her curse, I tried to overthrow you and take back my kingdom. But every time she was there to stop me. Now, she and her annoying powers are not here."
"Rose might not be here." Said David, realizing who George was talking about. "But I can handle you myself."
He went to the kitchen and saw Granny and Ruby doing something to the freezer. They told him that they were building a cage, because it was the first full moon since the curse broke and Ruby didn't want to take any chances. David asked about her hood, but Ruby said that she couldn't find it.
"Ruby, I know you. I trust you. Snow trusted you. Rose believed in you. Wolfstime or not, you won't hurt anyone tonight." Said David in confidence.
Ruby still wasn't convinced and locked herself in the freezer.
Snow, Red and Rose were running through the forest. The Queen's men were upon them. One of them caught up and Rose pounced on him. She took him down, Snow kicked him in the gut and Red struck him on the head with a branch. They kept running, but Snow stopped seeing a wanted poster with her name and portrait. She ripped it off and followed the others.
Once they managed to escape them, Snow looked at her wanted poster, while Red looked at her torn hood in panic. She told Snow and Rose to get as far away from her as they could. She didn't want to hurt them. Snow tried to calm her down and tell her that it was just a rip, that it may still work.
"What if it doesn't? You saw what I did to Peter. This thing, the wolf… When it takes over me, I can't control it. Please, Snow. Find shelter. I'll go further into the woods and find a place to hide. For your own sake, we have to split up." She said with fear.
Snow was about to argue, but Rose put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head.
"Alright. But just for tonight. Let's meet up in the morning by the stream. And then we'll find a safe place for all of us. Maybe a nice cabin in the woods." Snow said not pushing the issue further.
Red asked them why they were helping her, being kind to her, even though she was a killer wolf. Snow looked at her sister and squeezed her hand.
"I know that's not who you really are. We're in this together, Red." Said Snow with a kind smile.
"Yes. Now that you know what you are, you can learn to control it. And be the amazing person that we know you are." Said Rose with a grin. "Besides, I always wanted a dog."
Snow frowned at her sister, but Red let out a small laugh.
"As if I would ever be someone's pet." She said pushing Rose slightly.
Snow helped Red put her hood up, and the two sisters watched her leave. Once she was far enough, Rose looked around with a frown. Snow saw it and asked her what was wrong.
"I don't know. I thought I was hearing Red louder because of the full moon, but it seems that there is someone else like her around." Snow looked at her sister with wide eyes, and Rose shook her head. "They just left. I hope that they will help Red, and not confuse her even more."
Granny went to let Ruby out the next morning, and found the freezer torn apart and Ruby gone. She called David and both went to find her. They found Ruby in the woods and after calming her down, David got a call about a double-parked car. Ruby and Granny went with him to check it, and found Billy's truck. Ruby could smell blood, and they found Billy's body torn in half. Ruby panicked.
"It was the wolf! It was me!"
David was trying to convince Ruby that she didn't do it. That this incident had to be like the one with Snow. Someone was framing her. But Ruby was having none of it. Not for the first time, David wished that Snow and Rose were there. They had been with Ruby in the Enchanted Forest, they could have helped her realize who she truly was.
Back at the girls' apartment, Mr. Gold was looking at Henry's burn. He knew exactly what had happened to him, and a sense of dread started to build up in him. He told Henry that what he was experiencing was not a dream. Regina asked what it was and Gold just looked at her pointedly.
"A side effect. You know, it's remarkable you'd cast a curse you know so little about."
Regina said that her victims were not supposed to wake up and that she didn't' care what happened to them, but this was Henry. Mr. Gold ignored her and started to work on making a potion and putting it in a pendant.
"When people fall under a sleeping curse, the soul travels to a Netherworld, where it resides until awoken. Now, this world is between life and death, and it's very real. However, even when the curse is broken, sometimes, in sleep, the victims find their way back to that world. Victims like you." He explained.
Regina demanded that he give them something that would stop this dreams but Mr. Gold shook his head.
"Well, I'm afraid that's not possible. I can, however, provide you with something that will allow him to control his actions whilst in that world. And once one controls something, one no longer need fear it." He said handing Henry the pendant. "You wear this while you're sleeping. Once you control the journey, fear will stop. And then, you can come and go as you please."
Henry was about to grab it, but Regina stopped him. She asked what would be the price and Gold smirked.
"For a house call? You couldn't afford it. But this is for Henry. This one's on me." He winked at Henry. "And Rose would have my head if I didn't help her nephew."
"Rose!" Henry gasped. "She was under the curse too. Is she going to have the nightmares too?"
Regina squeezed Henry's shoulders trying to calm him, but she had a frown on her face. Mr. Gold frowned too and looked at Henry seriously.
"I don't know. Magic has always acted different with her. She might not have any side effects, she might suffer them but in a less harming way or…" He didn't dare finish the sentence.
Henry looked at Mr. Golds, he had a feeling of how the sentence continued and Regina confirmed it.
"Or it could be even worse."
David brought Ruby to the sheriff station and locked her up in a cell. He promised Ruby that he would find the one that killed Billy, but then they heard a voice from the entrance.
"You already have. That thing. That she-wolf." Said George.
David told him to leave and not involve Ruby in their business, but George kept taunting and pushing David. He said how he was not doing a good job protecting the town. He wanted David to hand over Ruby, but he refused. George said that he would get everyone against him and left.
George had indeed rallied a big part of the town at the station's door. They entered, intending on taking Ruby, but found the cell empty.
David knew that George would go to the station to try to get Ruby, so he asked Belle if they could hide her in the library, and she accepted.
"Of course. It's, it's not every day you find out your friend's" Ruby interrupted saying that she was a monster. "Hunted. I was going to say hunted."
Granny said that the mob was six blocks away, surprising Belle. Granny confirmed that she still had wolf hearing and how it was a real burden managing a hotel with it. David said that they had to prove Ruby's innocence to get the mob to disperse. He and Granny left to try to find the real culprit.
It had been a few days since Snow and Rose split up with Red. They had gone to the stream, but she wasn't there. After waiting for a while, they decided to go look for her. They found some tracks and followed the trail. Rose was concentrating on finding her sound. Once she heard it, they followed it to a hidden door. They entered and someone grabbed Snow by the throat and slammed her against the wall. Rose took out her daggers and put them at the man's neck.
"I would let her go if I were you." She said with venom in her voice.
"No! Don't! They are not here to hurt us!" Said Red coming out and putting a hand on the man's arm.
The man made a comment about humans and tighten his grip on Snow's neck slightly. Rose glared at him and pressed her dagger deeper on the man's neck. Drawing some blood.
"They are my friends. Who stood by me after they learned the truth, after I killed. Without them, I never would've escaped my village alive!" She pleaded with him and turned to look at Rose. "Please, Rose. Let him go."
Rose gave Red a quick glance and took her dagger back slowly, not taking her eyes from the man for a moment. Until another voice spoke up.
"Let her go." The woman said.
The man let go Snow and Rose and Red were at her side making sure she was okay. Snow told Red how they were worried about her when she wasn't at the stream, and Rose asked about the other people now staring at them.
"Who are your friends? It seems that you found yourself a pack." She said observing everyone.
The others were shocked at the redhead's words. How did she know what they all were? Red just grinned and nodded.
"Yes. They're like me. But you don't have to fear them."
Anita asked how they had found them, and Snow said that they followed the tracks. She chose to leave her sister's powers out of it, until they knew if they could trust them. Snow and Rose turned to leave, but Red wasn't following them. Then they knew that she wanted to stay.
"I don't have to be ashamed of who I am here. I found my home. I found my mother." At Snow and Rose's confused faces she explained. "Granny lied. I'm sorry, Snow, Rose. I know you risked your lives to come back here for me."
They shook their head. They understood her need to be with her mother. They would do anything to have their parents back. Red felt bad because she promised to flee the kingdom with Snow.
"I'll be alright. You've taught me enough already. I'll manage." Said Snow with a soft smile.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure she is okay the rest of the way." Said Rose with another smile.
Snow said goodbye to Red and the two hugged. Then it came Rose's turn.
"If you ever need help, just whistle." Said Rose taking a step back and putting her hands on Red's shoulders. "After all, Reds stick together."
Red laughed and nodded. The two sister were about to leave, when Rose heard something.
"Watch out!" She yelled throwing one of her daggers towards the entrance.
But her warning had been too late. An arrow had struck Quinn. The dagger Rose had thrown had killed the one that shot the arrow, but more knights came in. Rose fought alongside the wolfs, while Snow and Red stayed with Quinn. Once the fighting was over. Red confirmed that Quinn had died.
Ruby came out of the bathroom and saw that Belle was still there. She told her to leave as the moon was going to come out soon. Belle refused, saying that if the chains would hold then she was going to stay there with her. They were going to have a different kind of girls' night.
"Why are you helping me? I know we formed a friendship, but we barely know each other." Asked Ruby.
"Because Rose is not here." Belle said with a smile. "If she was here, she would have already hit you for talking like that. I'm going to take her place and be here for you. I won't actually hit you, because I'm against violence. But I won't leave you alone."
She approached her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"No matter what you might've done in your past, David, Rose and everyone else sees the good in you. And that tells me one thing." Ruby asked what and Belle smiled. "That it's in there. So if we can all see it, why can't you?"
But even that didn't make Ruby feel better. She chained Belle and told her that she was going to give herself up to the mob. She was a monster, and she had to paid for everything she had done.
"Red, I'm so sorry." Said Snow sadly.
"I'm sorry too. I was so focused on finding you that I didn't pay attention to the Queen's men. I should have been more careful." Said Rose with a frown.
Anita, hearing their words, blamed them for Quinn's death and ordered the rest of the pack to grab them and tie them up. They were going to eat them that night. Red was arguing with her mother, saying that they were innocent and that they couldn't kill them. Snow was already tied up, but the others were having a hard time restraining Rose. It took four of them to grab her arms and legs and another one to tie them up, so she couldn't move.
Anita told Red that she had chosen to be a wolf, and therefore she had to follow their rules. In her mind, humans and wolfs could not live in peace with one another. When she heard Red say that she wouldn't kill them, Anita decided to take matters into her own hands. She transformed into a wolf, but before she could attack the sisters, a black wolf pushed her out of the way.
Snow managed to free herself and got the hood over Red. Then she went to untie Rose, while Red approached her mother that was dying. Red said that she was choosing herself, that she was not a killer.
The mob had found Ruby in her wolf form. George had a gun and was about to shoot her, when Granny shot an arrow that deviated the bullet. She told everyone that the next arrow would be between their eyes, while David made his way through the crowd. Once he reached the front, he turned to the mob and explained what really happened.
He convinced them to let him approach Ruby. He did so, trying to calm her down, telling her that she hadn't killed Billy. He approached her slowly and when he was close enough, he kneeled in front of her and managed to put the hood over her. Ruby thanked him.
"You saved yourself. I just reminded you of what you already knew." Said David with a smile. "Rosie would be proud of you."
She smiled at him. They heard a commotion and saw Granny on the ground. She told them that George had escaped, and they went after him. They found him on the beach in front of a fire. He told them that he wasn't interested in making a deal. He didn't care what would happen to him.
"I just want to see the look on your face when you realize something." David and Ruby were confused. "You're never going to see your wife, your daughter, or sister again."
He told David that he had to be more careful, while taking Jefferson's hat out of his coat. He threw it at the fire and taunted him. He told him that it didn't matter if he had fairy dust, or if he had the towns support. They were gone. David punched him and pulled his gun on him, but Ruby told him to stop.
Ruby and David looked at the fire with sad looks. Was everything lost?
Snow and Rose helped Red bury her mother. The sisters hugged her and apologized again. They still felt responsible for what had happened. Red shook her head and smiled softly.
"I didn't lose my family today. I protected it." They hugged more tightly. "My mother wanted me to choose between being a wolf and being a human. Granny did, too. You are the only people who ever thought it was okay for me to be both."
"Cause that's who you are." Said Rose putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Let's go find that cabin." Said Snow with a smile.
The three friends left. They might not be related by blood, but the bond they had now made them sisters. While looking for a cabin to spend the night and think about their next step, Rose stopped and a grin appeared on her face. Snow and Red looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"We outnumber you now White. There are two against one."
"She is right." Said Red with a matching grin. "After all, Reds stick together."
Snow scoffed and crossed her arms, ignoring the other two that were laughing at her. Yes she had gained a new sister. One that was a little too much like Rose. She smiled and turned to them.
"It doesn't matter. I'm still the oldest, and that means that I'm in charge."
They spent the rest of the way arguing playfully, just like a family.
In the Enchanted Forest, Mulan, Mary-Margaret, Emma and Rose were discussing where Cora could be hiding, while Aurora was resting. They heard Aurora scream for Snow and when they reached her she had just woken up from another nightmare.
She told them that this time it was different. There was someone else in the flaming room with her, a boy. This boy told her that his name was Henry.
Mary-Margaret, Emma and Rose looked at each other. Could it be their Henry?