Arms aching, her hands shaking, barley holding onto the soft grey fur of the fierce werewolf she clung to, as her mind faded. Anita slowed her pace, feeling Emma's grip on her loosen, but she didn't give up lifting her head once more.

"Keep going, we can't be too far now, I can feel it, I just need to hold on a little longer".

Anita let out a sigh but continued, running through the forest over rocks, dodging trees and jumping across small streams, hoping that she too was heading towards her family. Emma could only see a blur of green, her mind unable to focus, as her breathing slowed.

"I feel cold".

Emma's heart rate slowed, and she let out a dry cough, her grip loosened once more, and she fell from the wolfs back into the dirt. Anita let out a sorrowful growl, her eyes wide she stopped, putting her nose to Emma's cheek trying to feel her breath.

"No, get away from her"

Snow White yelled appearing just metres away, Anita ducked behind a tree as a fireball flew towards her and she quickly changed form. Emma opened her eyes, staring up at the bright blue sky, she couldn't see Anita but her footsteps approach, sensing danger Emma raised her shield.

"Anita, what happened?" Emma

"The dark one is attacking…. ugh". Anita

Anita fell to her knees her throat strained she could no longer talk or breathe, strangled by a telekinetic force. A figure step forwards, and Emma frowned the silhouette slightly taller than Rumpelstiltskin, still seeing the fear in Anita she struck, sending a guiding bolt towards their attacker. The white blast hitting the cloaked figure in the chest, but they continued forwards.

"Emma!"

Killian yelled from a distance, running headlong from the house, closely followed by Elsa and Red, who leaped through the air morphing into her wolf form, running ahead of the others.

"Killian, stay back, the Dark Ones here" Emma

Adrenaline surging through her now, she was able to stand up, Emma looked ahead once more as the dark figure had stepped closer and she instinctively, stepped backwards.

"Stay back, I'll strike you again".

Stepping through the shield's barrier with ease, into the light Emma could finally see their attackers pale face, a hood over her long black hair, lips as red as blood, her eyes desperate searching.

"Mom?"

"You found me".

Emma continued to retreat terrified and confused, she lost her footing falling back to the ground.

"The Dark One, is your mother"? Anita asked confused.

Red appeared out of breath from the left, heading straight to Emma, almost slamming into her side, unable to stop in time.

"You're here" Anita gasped at the sight of her daughter.

Emma felt woozy squinting her eyes she reached outward, pale and sweety as infection from her wounds, along with lack of sleep and sustenance overcame her. Her body was weary, every muscled ached her eyes red and sore, but now even her heart wavered she did not want to fight in that moment.

"Emma, it's ok, everything is going to be ok now". Snow White

Snow White stepped closer while Red moved aside, she kneeled down beside Emma her hand glowing with a warm golden light. The wound on Emma's arm healed, in fact all her injuries resolved as the magic surged through her. It wasn't the same as Emma's healing magic, it felt dull and cold, sending a shiver up her spine as her energy was restored her fear became anger.

"How can this be ok, what happened to you"?

Emma got up from the ground her eyes wide backing away from her mother's embrace, Snow White's lip trembled. Before turning to Anita curiously, seeing her stroke her hand through Red's fur as more footsteps approached.

"Emma, you're ok, I felt… I thought"

Killian's voice wavered as he spoke, running towards them, he paid no attention to the conflicted expressions of those around him. Pushing his way through to Emma he wrapped his arms around her, before they shared a quick kiss. Elsa wasn't far behind barley waiting for the couple to let go before embracing in a hug, with Emma herself.

"Your all here, what's happened"?

Emma asked, after Elsa while relucted to let go, resulting in Killian wrapping his arms around them both, for a moment.

"How did you get out of the maze?" Emma

"Could we start with an easier question first". Killian

"We should head back to house". Snow white.

Elsa and Killian finally let go of Emma as Snow stepped closer, taking Emma's hand in hers, leading them back towards the house. There was a tense silence as they emerged from the trees, walking across the fields of grass to the house heading inside. Snow White paused when they reached the door, watching everyone else walk in, she turned to Emma, as she was about to follow.

"Emma just wait, talk to me"

Shaking her head Emma looked away, unwilling to face what was right in front of her, Snow White reached her hand out to Emma's cheek.

"You won't even look at me?"

Emma couldn't speak her head full of images, as the pieces of this horrible puzzle came together, her aching heart back in Arendale, the many arrows imbedded in the shopkeeper. How close they where to each other for days, only to be pulled in another direction.

"You, killed that man from the market, tortured him"

"Emma, I thought… I was just trying to find you".

Emma's face became pale as she shook her head still standing a distance away, unable to believe, the person in front of her was the same one, she'd been missing.

"I felt something a few days ago, a sorrow like never before, I thought you'd been hurt or Dad, but now I know".

As Emma explained Snows face wavered, her sad eyes welling with tears, as she realised her daughter had felt her pain. Wondering around for the last few days, knowing something was wrong but with no indication of how bad, she was lost.

"Where ok, he's fine, in Storybrooke waiting for us".

"Good, the sooner we return, the sooner he can break this curse, with true loves kiss".

"Until then, I can show you where I used to live".

"You lived her"? Emma said, confused for a moment until she noticed the seven coat hangers on the wall and seven chairs around the table.

"This was my first place I felt at home, after my Mom died".

"It's nice... come on, we should go inside".

Emma and Snow walked into the house to find Killian pacing, Elsa laying in one of the dwarfs' beds, her legs dangling over the end of it. Starring at the ceiling coordinating the snowflakes to form a picture, a face of someone she used to know. Red and Anita were deep in conversation, both smiling, sitting closely together on the long bench by the table.

"How did you find Emma?"

Red frowned a little confused as to how this all unfolded, her eyes distant as she tried to put the pieces together.
"I never left, followed you through the forest at a distance, but then I lost you in the mist"

"That place was horrible" Red
"I had the strangest visions" Elsa

A longing expression Elsa got up and walked back into the kitchen, to see her friends faced the same questions, confused about their visions in the maze.
"I was about to run in there, then I saw a man carrying Emma out, so I followed, hoping it would lead me back to you" Anita
"Who was it, this man"? Snow White
"It was James, I don't know what he wants, said I was bait, I escaped before I could find out what for, had to fight through a hoard of knights that's when Anita appeared." Emma

"When you freed the wolves, I knew I'd made a terrible mistake, forcing you all here, it was selfish, I'm sorry" Anita.

"What do you mean, forcing who here"? Snow White

She had not taken her eyes off Emma, but now they focused on Anita, her stance stiffened, and her fists clenched.

"I was the one responsible, for pulling the kids through the portal to this world, I was trying to find Red, they were just in the wrong place, at the wrong time".

"You... you did this" Snow White said her tone venomous, stepping forwards her anger taking over she punched Anita in the face.
"What are you doing, she was apologising?" Emma

Everyone in the room looked towards Snow White, their faces not appalled but surprised knowing the princess to have unwavering empathy. Suddenly her demeanour changed, as she saw Emma's scared and disappointed expression.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, you just wanted to see your daughter again, I would have done the same, we do anything to find our family".

"To much" Emma

There was silence after that Emma' s pointed words resulting in different reactions in the room, Elsa and Red confused. While Emma frowned her eyes sad, she walked away towards the windowsill sitting down she starred off into the distance.

"What's going on?" Elsa

Everyone's eyes went to Snow to answer, who had hoped to not lay all the cards out straight away, but with all these suspicious eyes on her, the truth was hard to bare.

"Well Elsa, you're probably wondering, how I got to the enchanted forest, the truth is… I'm the Dark One now"

"What'! Elsa

Laying across three of the dwarfs' beds, their names carved into the wood, Happy, Dopey, and Grumpy. Making it just long enough for Emma to fit, while Killian lay in a hammock above her.

"Emma are you awake?"
"Never went to sleep, I'm exhausted, but I can't even close my eyes"
"I'm sorry, I wish... I don't know, I could go back, change it"
"No trust me, you don't want to mess with time, there's a high price"
Killian looked away, before slowly and quietly getting out of the hammock, lifting up a lose floorboard pulling the Dark One dagger out from underneath.
"You have it"?
"Found it in the maze, couldn't believe my eyes, didn't want to"
"I just, it hurts so much, a day ago all I could think about was seeing them again, to know they were ok, then James and now this I…"
Emma couldn't finish her thought, her mouth dry, her body and mind so tired she couldn't rest. The world was upside down, sending her mind spiralling into a dark abyss.
"You should hold onto it"
"What no way, I'll definitely lose it, how many times have we had to climb the fire escape and come in through the window, to get into the loft, when I've lost my keys."

Killian came closer as Emma sitting up on the bed, looking at the dagger conflicted before extending his hand out, offering it to her.
"I can't keep it Emma"
"We should just tell my Mom, we have it, before things get worse"
"No, Emma I know what this curse does, she can't trust herself right now, we can't either"
"It's better than someone taking it from us, I got us robbed our second day in the enchanted forest remember"
"Emma please, you're the only one that can be trusted with it"

"Right, it's my responsibility".

Emma took it in her hands, it felt heavy and cold, her fingers grazed over the indented black letters, letting herself feel it, knowing it was real and her heart sunk further. The black engraved letters perfectly centred on the sharp blade, filled her with fear and she dropped it onto the bed.

"I don't even know, where she is right now"

"I thought, she was just outside". Killian said scooting closer he peered over the bedframe, out the window.

"Please if my mom was here, she would have definitely warned us about the separate beds rule by now".

"Well, seen as she's not".

"I can't remember the last time we were alone like this, but she could be back in a blink".

"We better be quick".

Killian leaned over kissing her mouth and moving down her neck, before placing his hand on her shoulder, she giggled slightly, rubbing her hand along his back.

James flicked through the pages of an old journal filled with Dr Frankenstein's notes, his face coated in sweet with bags under his desperate eyes, reading over the same pages, hoping for an answer. Frustrated with the lack of results he smacked his fist down onto the table, knocking over a glass of wine, that quickly soaked the book and his last remaining chance.

"No, dammit"

"Need some help?"

"Who's there?"

"My name is Snow White, you died before we could meet".

"Oh, the sister-in-law, I've been studying, I met your daughter earlier, she ran off with some werewolves, if you were wondering".

"She's fine, safely tucked away in her bed, no thanks to you".

"Well, that's unfortunate, what brings you here then, want to know if we really are identical". He said with a wink.

"You do very closely resemble my husband" she moved in closer, placing her hand on his cheek, inspecting the Prince, but his eyes were cold his expression smug. "Can't help but see, that your dying… again".

"I need a stronger heart, the ones I have, they don't last long, even with the Dr's unusual methods".

"That's why you took Emma, you wanted her to lead you to David, use his heart".

"Your smarter than I thought, and nothing like I imagined".

"I've changed"

"For the better"

James smirked raising his chalice, as if he was toasting to this new and improved version, completely oblivious to the danger he was in.

"I'm glad you think so".

"Why this change?"

"It wasn't by choice, a curse, I'm sure you know of the Dark One".

"What… you"? he stuttered.

She smiled seeing the fear in his eyes, knowing the terror she could inflict on him, and now he knew it too, his demeanour quickly changing from flirtatious, to angry.

"Get out of here"

"Take this as your final warning, stay away from my family,

"You think you scare me" he chuckled "When your daughter was here, begging me to let her go, she could barely bring herself to attack me, afraid of her own power".

"Still managed to escape from you and your knights".

"But that's the thing about you hero types, never able to make the kill, I will never stop, without David's heart I will die... again, I have nothing left to lose".

"You make a good point; I've fought so many battles, but I've found the war never ends".

Arrows appeared from nowhere flying across the room going through his silk shirt, pinning James to the table he stood in front of, he struggled unable to free himself.

"What are you doing"?

His voice changed all sense of confidence eradicated, replaced with a pure desperation to live, as the end of his life drew near.

"I told you I've changed, I've learned what makes a hero or a villain, it's all about how you tell the story, take this situation, how can I kill a man, that's already dead?"

Snow did not waver or hesitate gently placing her hand on his chest as he struggled, attempting pull himself free.

"No wait, I'm sorry".

His bravado faded and for a moment as their eyes met, he did look exactly like David, still she reached her hand into his chest ripping out the glowing red heart. As soon as the enhanced heart left his body, he slumped down to the ground lifeless and the Dark One disappeared.