Once Upon a Time 1. Practice Makes Perfect

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS. THEY BELONG TO THE OUAT (ONCE UPON A TIME) CREATORS. **

**I DO, HOWEVER, OWN SOME OF THE SMALL THINGS, LIKE THE PLOT-LINE OR THE INSPIRED THEORIES/DESIGNS, I INCORPORATED IN HERE :)**

****I did watch the last episode and was blown away by the sheer awesomeness of where they're taking these characters. I was also happy that my ideas (for this tale) weren't used, lol.**

**This is my first Fanfiction! Please be nice, lol! :] Hope you enjoy it!**

**Comments are greatly appreciated!**

**...**

**Chapter One: Practice Makes Perfect**

**...**

"**E**mma, you need to work on your focus and concentration."

"I _am_ concentrating!" Emma snapped at Regina through closed eyes. She had been training the whole day nonstop and wished that she could have some time to herself _or_ to just have a small break from all this magic BUT her "teacher" wouldn't allow that. Something about "evil doesn't sleep" or "the whole world is counting on us" or "taking breaks will make her lazy" and/or her personal favorite: "Rumple would never have (fill in the blank)". The fact of the matter was that Regina was DEFINITELY shredding her patience and working on her already frayed nerves.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to block out her thoughts so that she could regain her posture, which she was sure looked totally ridiculous. She was standing in the middle of the loft's living room with both of her arms outstretched before her, her palms facing the ceiling, and her fingers taking on a slight upwards curve as if she was holding something precious in the middle of them. None of the "magical essences" she was supposed to be sensing would dare approach her with her looking like a complete imbecile.

Shaking her head, she tried to clear the negativity she had been feeling all day so she could accomplish at least one thing correctly and after a few moments, surprisingly, she could actually feel herself starting to relax. Her body was completely still, but at the same time, something began to rise from deep inside of her, making her fingers hum and her heart pump wildly. Trying to expand the sensation, she squeezed her eyes tightly and placed extra tension in her hands and fingers, but instead of enhancing the humming impression, she could feel herself losing the battle as everything inside of her started to wind down. She shook her head fervently, trying to bring it back, but as soon as she started to feel the effects bubbling and growing inside of her once again, she then heard a voice...and it wasn't one of those nice voices one usually hears or _should_ hear during a stressful time such as this. Oh no, this one had a sort of _nagging_ tone to it.

"If you were _concentrating_, you wouldn't have felt the need to talk back to me; hence the _focusing_ part, and you wouldn't have tensed your body just now when you tried to recall back whatever you were feeling…"

"Ugghh!" Emma screamed as she dropped her stance, losing what little of the humming she had left as it suddenly vanished from her every part of her body, making her wonder if it was ever really there. She turned around to face Regina, who was leaning against a faraway wall, twirling a red apple in her fingers as she looked at her student intently, and made a small move towards her. "Well, if you didn't feel the need to talk constantly, I probably would've gotten it by now!"

"Ha!" Regina laughed, a sarcastic smile playing across her lips. "Emma, please, now isn't the time to _joke_. We are supposed to be training you in magic which I know you are fully capable of doing…well, when you are being threatened anyway…"

Emma narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Regina sighed and pushed herself off of the wall, taking a couple of steps towards her but not enough to close the gap between them. "I'm saying that you have all this great power but you lack experience and that's not your fault or your problem. Your _problem_ is that in order for you to tap into it, you need some sort of push. Some sort of drama to get the ball rolling and that has got to stop." Her face got serious as she fully met Emma's challenging gaze. "Magic is about emotion, as I'm sure you've heard Rumple say many times, and that seems to be the main problem for you. You need to sort out your feelings, Emma, in order to connect to the magic that _is_ inside of you before you even think about learning or attempting the physical act of transportation—especially, if you still plan on confronting Zelena." And without another word, Regina gave her a final look before walking past her to the door, the sound of it opening filling every empty corner in the room.

Emma's demeanor immediately changed from anger to somberness as she considered the words that were practically thrown at her. '_Sort out my feelings'? What the hell does that mean? I'm just tired…_

She then rubbed at her temples as if to block out what Regina had said but she ultimately knew that she was right. She knew that she was having trouble connecting to her powers because of what had happened to her in the 29 years she spend on this planet. Being left alone, in another realm, by her family so she could be spared from the effects of the first dark curse had a major impact on her life; the majority of which she considered to be, well, horrible. Growing up in an unforgiving foster system with no steady support, being betrayed by her first love, getting pregnant in jail, being introduced into what was _supposed_ to be a fairy tale lifestyle (by her son) in which she played the part of "the savior" whose job entailed constant fights against villains that were usually stronger than her, etc., etc., etc.…All of that was just a small taste of the inner struggles she has and still _is_ going through, which often made it difficult for her to deal with on a daily basis, especially now since she just got her memories back from a certain pirate-slash-reinvented hero…who, as a matter of fact, happened to also be in _love_ with her.

As if her plate wasn't heavy or full enough.

Exasperated and emotionally drained from the internal movie reel that had just played out her life, she shut her eyes for a brief moment as she turned slowly to face the door, fully intent on exploiting this rare opportunity to, hopefully, take a a nap in her _own_ apartment before her parents got home with Henry, when she was suddenly stunned by the figure of Regina, upon reopening her eyes, still standing inside the loft with one hand resting on the open door's knob. Obviously, she had thought it more interesting to watch her silent struggles instead of leaving, but before Emma could shout out her building frustrations at her, Regina's free hand abruptly reeled back, launching something directly at her, the image blurred by the sheer velocity of the throw.

"Whoa!" Emma cried out as she turned her head away, her hands quickly snapping up to defend her face and neck from the unknown object. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

There was a pause before Regina replied back. "Emma, look at what you're doing."

Confused, Emma slowly turned to look at her teacher, who was smiling at her widely, and noticed that floating midway between the empty spaces of her hands was the red apple Regina was holding and playing with earlier. The fruit was bobbing effortlessly in the soft magic she was exuding and her mouth dropped open.

"I'm...the apple...why did you…? I…"

Regina looked at her pointedly before pushing the door fully open, slipping half of her figure into the hallway. "Clear your mind. Find your control, Emma, and..." she paused with a smirk now plastered on her face before actually leaving the residence. "…enjoy the apple."

**...**

**I**t had been more than a few hours since Regina had left her alone with a floating piece of fruit lodged between her hands, thanks to her own magical abilities, and Emma was still at the loft, bubbling with newfound excitement and happiness. She was fully engrossed in what she was doing and was actually enjoying herself…for once!

Poised with determination and, with a huge smile on her face, she stood once again in the middle of the room, facing a pile of stacked dishes lying on the kitchen island. She exhaled loudly and raised one hand, summoning her powers, armed exclusively with sheer will and complete determination. The familiar humming had been a frequent visitor of her body for the last two hundred minutes or so and they seemed to be growing quite accustomed to one other since it wasn't coming and going as it had been earlier with Regina. _Maybe this was something I had to do on my own. Connect with my magical essences without someone watching over me or telling me what I can or can't do all the_ time, she thought reasonably.

And instantly, as if sparked from her positive thoughts, the top plate then separated from the others and hovered shakily in the air, easily defying the concept of gravity.

"Yes! Score!" she cried out, gleefully. Emma then rotated her hand, the palm now facing her, before sharply outstretching her whole arm out to one side with a pointed finger. The plate immediately obeyed her movements, first flipping over, revealing the bottom half of the two sides, before flying directly into the wall she was indicating, smashing into tiny pieces. She was about to repeat her actions when she heard a soft knock at the door and with an unfamiliar bounce in her step, she hurried over and pulled it open, revealing a sullen looking individual on the other side. "Hook? What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you about something, love. May I come in?"

Some of her happiness dwindled as she looked him over. He looked terrible as if he hadn't slept in a while, the dark circles under his eyes serving as that indicator, and his annoying-slash-charming smile was absent—which has been for a while now…not that she was counting or anything; however, she was definitely becoming worried about him and honestly, that was beginning to scare _her;_ in more ways than one. The simple-yet-complicated fact that his abrupt and strange behavior was affecting her to this extent, absolutely meant that he was becoming an essential part of her life, but she didn't know if she was ready for such a level of commitment, especially since she was aware of how he felt about her. But the question that seemed to be on everybody's mind, including her own, was: how did she feel about _him_?

Before she could mentally compartmentalized their past or present actions towards one another, Hook's voice interrupted her. _Saved by the bell_, she thought, wearily.

"I'm sorry if I am intruding, lass, but I—what the _bloody hell_ happened in here, Swan?!" he bellowed as she continued to close the door behind him. She turned around to see him staring at her in concern and he honestly had a right to be. He was referring to the thousands upon thousands of littered shards that had once belonged to plates, cups, vases, and bowls; along with a small amount of utensils scattered here and there upon the floor. She had willingly subjected them to her violent yet productive practices in order to expand her powers, but from the look on his face, she could tell that he wanted a good explanation for her actions.

Emma shrugged her shoulders and made her way to his side, biting back some of the amusement she felt from his expression. "What do you mean? I'm practicing magic. Oh, watch where you step!"

At the last bit of her words, she instinctively grabbed his arm and pulled him to her, concerned that he would step heavily upon a huge, upright piece of glass that lay out in front of him, inches away from his boot. At the personal contact, Hook swallowed hard and tried to ignore the warm feeling that spread from her hand, up his arm and into his heart. He knew that he had to tell her but her touch was throwing him off balance and he needed to be able to focus. So, he unwillingly brushed her hand away and walked over to the kitchen island, making sure that he didn't step on anything with a quick movement of his foot.

Emma's eyes widened at his sudden gesture and she couldn't help the stab of hurt that radiated from deep within her chest, making her stomach clench together in pain. It took all that she had inside of her _not_ to react back in a series of angry questions or unfounded accusations, like she would do with Regina or even to her parents. He was different and somehow, she didn't want to damage whatever type of relationship they had without any real evidence. Plus, he was the one that wanted to talk to _her_; he came to the loft to see _her_; he was the one having an issue being around _her..._not the other way around, so, she'll leave that touchy subject alone..._for_ now, anyway.

With a raised eyebrow that only Captain Hook could deliver, he turned back to look at her and responded with a sort of flatness to his voice. "Regina has you practicing on the cutlery?"

"No, she doesn't. As you can see, she's actually not here…" she started, trying to regain her former mood before he came by and threatened her emotional state. "This was actually my idea. I'm trying to control my magic and I didn't feel like going anywhere else after Regina left me alone."

"So, you decided to essentially trash your parent's dwelling?"

"…Yes…? Well…I'll clean it up!" Emma said with forced enthusiasm. She had been on a roll and didn't want to stop now, even though this task would be considerably more difficult than the ones she has been doing. So, she once again closed her eyes, not caring about any sort of reaction he might have towards her _lovely_ stance, and thought about the best way to clean it all up. Instantly, two possible scenarios popped into her head. She could either try to piece them back together, which would be the best option to do but would also be the most boring, _or_ she could try the harder option: making them disappear into _thin_ air, which was definitely more advanced than what she was used to.

Welcoming the thought of a new challenge, she decided upon the latter and fluidly got into her stance of raised arms and forward facing palms; her breaths becoming deep and even. She turned the volume down on all of her thoughts, which were mainly consumed with her general duties here in Storybrooke, the memory loss situation, her magic, Henry and a certain individual (namely the other person in the room), and concentrated on what she wanted to happen. Regina's words served as her anchor:

_Clear your mind...Focus…Magic is about emotion…Connect, Emma_…

Within a matter of moments, Emma could feel her magic bubbling and moving deep inside of her, like she had previously, and she tried to suppress a smile as soon as she felt the room around her fill up with a certain level of tension, allowing her magical essences to flow in, out and all around them.

Hook watched her silently, his thoughts consuming him. He really wished he knew how she was going to handle what he planned on telling her, but he didn't. His Swan was a wild card, which slightly intimidated him, but he did know one thing…she wasn't going to be happy with his decision of keeping this bit of important information to himself. He knew that he should've shared it earlier when he came to the loft, after his lips were cursed, but when he saw her practicing her magic with Regina, the words disappeared in his throat and his heart squeezed in agony. She was just starting to come into her own and accept, not to mention _like_, her magical gifts and here he was...about to tell her that she had a choice to make: give them up or suffer another loss.

He scratched his chin and then his neck as if to distract his dark inner thoughts but that wasn't possible. He felt like he was her personal dark reminder that her life was always going to be difficult and he was tired of it.

_Maybe_, he thought, _I should just leave. It would save everybody the trouble and I could go back to how I was before…_He then rolled his eyes. _Right, Killian, as if we didn't do just that during the return to the Enchanted Forest. Plus…there's no way of going back…my ship is—_

Suddenly, the air around him felt different and it pulled him away from his slight reverie. He tore his eyes away from Emma, who he was unconsciously starring at, to speculate this new change but what he found was truly unexpected and he couldn't help the sound of awe that emerged from his throat as all of the broken miscellaneous items on the ground started to slide or shake in different directions. He took a step to the side as if to avoid a possible onslaught of "death by sharp razors" but stopped when he realized that they were everywhere in the room and the slightest of movements, even to seek shelter, could cause him serious harm. He was about to call out to her, to gain her attention, when the second most interesting and amazing thing occurred—topping what had just happened without even trying—the shards started disappearing! One by one, they were shimmering into nothingness as if they had never existed in the first place! He watched with his mouth open as little "pops" filled the air, signaling that another one had obeyed her commandment by simply vanishing.

The magical act continued for a little bit longer before it officially stopped, leaving the remaining pieces lying on the ground motionless and untouched by Emma's magic.

Hook raised his eyebrows, as the air around them began to clear, and he couldn't help the sensation of complete pride sweep over him at the extent of her abilities, especially to accomplish all of this without being mentored or watched over. He could also feel himself falling deeper in love with her—if that was even possible at _this_ stage since he was already too far gone for his own good—and that bonus measure of affection was going to make it even harder for him to tell her his plight. _Damn you,_ _Zelena_, he thought darkly. _You planned this from the very beginning._

"Did it work? Are they gone?" her eager voice called out to him.

He cleared his throat before responding back, his voice cracking with emotion. "Aye, love. It worked. Well, most of it anyway, you still have plenty more leftover."

Emma opened her eyes and looked about her. She had managed to clear some of the space around them but he was right, there was more on the floor than not. She pouted and walked over to him, feeling the need to be near him. "I was hoping for more…"

"You did great, Swan." He said, as he tried to ignore the beating of his heart at her unexpected closeness. "But perhaps a more practical solution is in order."

"Are you suggesting that I just leave it like this?"

"No, I'm suggesting that you either get a cleaning instrument to clear this mess, which could take a while, or you could blame this on a localized earthquake or natural disaster."

Emma couldn't believe her ears, but could tell that he was trying to find some humor in her self-created situation; however, his statement still bothered her. "Are you telling me to give up?"

Hook's eyes widened. A flicker of unhappiness lit her eyes before her usual unreadable façade fell against her beautiful features, making him realize the serious implication of his words, when really, he was just trying to bring some levity to the moment. So, to lessen the blow he had unintentionally created, he responded back to her with a gentleness she hadn't heard from him in a while. "No, love, I just thought that you were tired after that spectacular display of power."

Emma's brows furrowed but she said nothing. She looked at him, analyzing his eyes and mouth to see if he was telling her the truth or simply telling her what she expected or _wanted_ to hear from him. When no signs of deceptions stuck out to her, she cleared her throat and shifting her gaze, now trying to avoid those eyes of his…those beautiful and deep blue eyes that often drew her to him…

Resting her hands against her hips, she bit her bottom lip hard, secretly punishing herself for admitting that small fact before deciding to change the subject. "I could always try something different."

"Such as?"

"I could attempt to put them back together again but that could be a problem since I made some of them disappear…Looking back on it, I probaaaaaably shouldn't have done that."

_"Well…"_ Hook trailed off, glancing up at the clock on the wall. "I would do something, lass. Your _charming_ parents, no pun intended, and the lad are expected to be back in a couple of minutes, aren't they?"

She then followed his gaze, her eyes snapping up to the ticking clock in one swift motion, and as soon as the inevitable realization of the time set in, a soft groan escaped from her lips."Ah, crap. It's that late?!" Her parents had been out babysitting Henry all day, so she could practice, before heading over to Dr. Whale for their appointment (which had been planned beforehand for a considerable amount of weeks) and had told her that they would come back with _her_ son around 6:00 in the evening.

It was now: 5:58 pm. She had TWO minutes left!

"Do you need any assistance with the cleaning, lass?" Hook said with a mischievous look she also hadn't seen in a long time and frankly missed. "I may lack a hand but I could be of some use if it will spare you the shame of facing your parents in this rather…_dirty_ predicament."

"Shut up, Hook!"

He smiled as he went over to the cabinet that held the broom and dustpan, scarily familiar with Mary Margaret's apartment, and as he carefully made sure not to step on anything on his way there, he heard Emma say something that made him freeze inside and out.

"Okay, I have two minutes, no, make that one minute. I don't have enough time to buy _more_ tableware, so, ummmmm, I can piece some of them together with my _magic_ before—"

"Emma…" he started, everything inside of him boiling at her suggestion. He wouldn't be able to handle seeing her practice again. It was getting too much for him, which he knew sounded silly, stupid and strange, but it was true. How was he supposed to tell her what Zelena demanded of him _if_ she kept flaunting them around him?

"I can do it, don't worry—" she started, beginning to get into her now familiar, less imbecilic, stance.

"No, Emma, stop! No more!" he bit out, his insides reeling from the projected force he had just used. His back was still facing her but he could feel the air tense around them…and not with her magic. All of his pent up frustration from the curses (both the recent dark spell and his personal one), not being able to deal with being around the woman he loves or her family (which was extensive), and his general anxiety spilled out from inside of him in spades. He then brought his hook up to his good hand and cradled it, tracing over the haunting steel with the tips of his fingers to serve as a distraction from what had just happened.

He had snapped at her. He had _snapped_ at Emma.

At his tone and force, she had jumped and opened her eyes. She couldn't really explain what she was feeling at that moment since a huge wave of emotions washed over her—shame, fear, sickness, hurt and a need to understand what was going on with him. The humming she had been growing accustomed to, been trying to control and utilize, succumbed to the seriousness of her emotions. which have been affected by his in-and-out coldness towards her.

It was becoming too much and enough was _enough_. It was time for some answers and with all of the memories from their last few encounters flooding back to her, specifically his bizarre and sudden uneasiness around her, she asked him a pointed question.

"Does my magic bother you, Hook?"

**...**

**Ooohhhh, Hook is in for it now! More to come!**

**Comments are much appreciated!**


	2. A Change In Plans

**Here you go! The second chapter to the unfolding drama :]**

**Summary of the Previous Chapter: Emma was just beginning to unlock her magical potential, after her earlier session with Regina, but was interrupted by a guilt-ridden Hook, who—after some unintentional prodding—snapped at her when she tried to fix a mess she had made with her powers so it would be clean when Henry and her parents came to the loft. ****I'm sensing a major confrontation in the near future! ;)**

**Thanks to all of you who have: added, rated and reviewed! I'm so glad that you are liking it so far!**

**More is to follow as soon as I'm able!**

*****Side note: The last episode was totally amazing! But poor Hook…Emma needs to chill, lol.**

**…**

**Chapter Two: A Change In Plans**

**...**

**I**n the comfort of her small home, Zelena looked at the items sprawled out on her dining room table and sighed, her eyes surveying each one carefully. She had the figurative representation of Rumplestiltskin's brain through the use of the straw he had spun into gold earlier; the sword of Prince Charming which represented his courage towards his family; and her sister, Regina's, battered heart which represented her resilience in "the harsh life" she had lived. All she needed now was Snow White's baby and her plan would be perfectly complete, but even now, with being so close to exacting revenge upon the people who had abandoned her…she found herself hesitating.

_Is this really what I want? Will this really make me happy and successful in the future I desire to create?_ She questioned silently to herself, her brows creasing at the swirl of thoughts that suddenly consumed her, filling her now doubtful mind with different conjectures if she should fail at this simple task. _What if it didn't work_? _What if…after everything I have done…nothing good happens for me_?

She began pacing around, her eyes never leaving the three items on the table. Her hands grew fidgety at the unsettling feelings that began to course through her veins, her worried eyes now tracing each object up and down, as if trying to copy them to her memory. _Is this really the best I can do to make my life better_?

Suddenly, Zelena stopped all of her nervous movements and turned towards a lone bookshelf that lay propped up against a wall on her left, an idea stirring about in the dark crevices of her mind. She then looked down at one of the rings she wore, a dark blue one upon her long middle finger, and delicately raised it up till it was perfectly leveled with her chest. After pausing for a brief moment, thinking about what she was about to do, she brought her other hand up and rubbed the top of the jewel with the tip of a finger, summoning the magic that had lay dormant within it for quite some time.

A figure of indistinguishable features then appeared on the surface, appearing pleased to have been called upon by the Wicked Witch of the West. "You called?"

"I'm in," Zelena stated, her voice shaking with anticipation at the possibilities that were sure to come with her new decision.

Her friend smiled and tilted its head to one side. "Then you know what you have to do. Read the book that I had given to you for the instructions are presented within its pages. I hope you succeed, my dear, but remember," the voice paused, dramatically. "…Once you begin this journey…there is no going back and I will not tolerate failure in this arranged partnership."

The ring then darkened, signaling to Zelena that the short conversation had ended. She slightly dropped the hand that she had just used to communicate with to stare at the same bookshelf, a glint of happiness floating about in her eyes as she beckoned the book described to her with a snap of her fingers. The smaller books that had been leaning against the much older, thicker one fell forward as it floated off of the shelf and wobbled magically towards Zelena, who gently caught it and held it in both of her palms. She then balanced it, gracefully, onto one hand as she flipped through the pages, trying to find that indicated passage she would need in order to enact what she had now fully committed herself to.

"There you are," she whispered as she placed the book onto the table with a thud, slightly making the now three useless collected items jump at the additional weight. She had never fully read it so she didn't know what to expect but as her eyes skimmed over the lopsided Elfish words, she gasped out in delight. "This is all you have to do? It's so simple!"

It was truly the most…_wicked_ thing she had ever read and she wished that she had agreed to do it sooner. She read it three more times in order to make sure that she had thoroughly understood the ingredients she would need to prepare and when she was done, she clasped her hands together. "It's just like the dark curse but so much better…" Zelena could barely contain the joy she felt spreading throughout her body as she grinned maliciously, waving a hand towards the other objects atop the table which sent them flying into a nearby wall.

She no longer had any need of them.

She then summoned to her the spare chalice she had often kept in the kitchen, of which she only uses for most powerful types of magic, and placed it in the middle of the table as she then began to call other items necessary to begin this more potent version of Rumplestiltskin's famous curse. Surprisingly enough, she had most of the contents and as unmarked vials and bottles flew every which around her to empty themselves into the chalice, she thought about the two she _didn't_ have.

The book had clearly stated that she would need the: "heart of a newborn" and the "blood of the most powerful love" and she had to obtain it quickly because without those components entered in the next three days, the rest of the contents would become useless and she would have to face the wrath of her new partner.

"It's a good thing that pirate didn't do what he was told…" she drawled, her eyes beaming with cruel intentions. "Emma Swan, you and your _precious_ baby sibling are _mine_."

**…**

**Stay tuned for more!**


	3. A New Arrival

**Watching the final episode of Season Three now! Omg, I can't wait!**

**I'm writing this in a hurry so I can beat the ending, lol :]**

**Summary of the Previous Chapter: Zelena has changed her mind about going back in time to influence her future because she's worried that nothing good would come out of it if she did. So instead, she willingly agreed to a partnership with an unknown individual and immediately began preparing the ingredients for a different, more powerful, kind of dark curse****–two of which includes parts of Emma Swan and her unborn sibling!**

****UPDATE/SPOILER: OMG...It just finished and...that was totally awesome! We (the Creators/Producers/whomever and I) obviously received "Frozen" inspirations for our stories :] I'm so geeking out right now, haha. Well...hopefully, my take isn't the same as their planned one (which it won't be if their Wicked Witch remains dead), but who honestly knows with that show or with my OWN developmental process? Lol -BTW: Wasn't her costume awesome (Elsa)? Wow... *speechless* **

**And I haven't even talked about that total CAPTAIN SWAN make-out in the end! ;} It was beautiful! Can't wait till Season 4! **

**Nevertheless, ENJOY what lies below the first three dotted lines! :]**

**… **

**Chapter Three: A New Arrival**

**…**

"**D**oes my magic bother you, Hook?" she repeated, waiting for him to make some sort of response—a gesture, a grunt, a look…_something_!

She could tell by the stiffness of his shoulders and the warm flush sweeping the back of his neck, through what little she could see over the high collar of his leather jacket, that her question had definitely caught him off guard. Good, that was the point. She needed to know why he had snapped at her, which was totally out of character for him (at least towards _her_), and she wanted to know it _now_—forget about what she had just said about leaving the subject alone till he was ready.

With her patience rapidly expiring at his elected silence, she gritted her teeth. "_Answer_ me, Killian."

At the use of his Christian name, a strangled sigh issued from his lips, a deep guttural sound that resembled one that had just been successfully trapped and cornered; much like the noises a wounded animal or even a tortured soul would make—the latter, however, was more accurate to him in this case. Emotionally crushed, he allowed his hooked appendage to fall away from his good hand, letting it swing down to his side as he shook his head, fearing the worse if he did reveal what he was keeping from her. _Bloody hell_, he thought. _I should've kept my mouth shut and let her perform her magic. _

At his stubbornness and outright refusal to answer her, she could feel herself losing control over her already strained emotional state, and so with narrowed eyes and a stern countenance; she stomped over to him, grabbed one of his shoulders and yanked it towards her, vehemently forcing him to have the decency, not to mention the COURAGE, to at least look at her while he broke her heart—scratch that, her _confidence_.

_Not my heart_, she thought, defensively.

His eyes widened at her aggressive and direct approach but she wasn't going to let _those_ eyes distract her from getting the truth. Whether he liked it or not, he was going to respond to this question and it had better be a damn good answer.

"I mean it, Hook," she bit out, dropping her hand from the shoulder she had just tugged while simultaneously going back to using his notorious moniker. "I want answers and you are going to give them to me. No more games. No more running from _me_. No more excuses."

He swallowed hard at her words and briefly averted his eyes to the floor to lessen the symphony of emotions that were playing inside of him before reconnecting with her beautiful hazel ones, which were brimming with anger and frustration. How could he possibly deny the woman he loves the answers she so passionately wanted and deserved from him? As he cleared his throat, he tentatively brought his good hand up to caress her cheek, which caught her off guard and lowered some of that fire that had been swallowing her up in irritation only a few seconds ago, and as the tips of his fingers made contact with her smooth skin; he decided that the best way to tell her was to just plunge in and do it.

"Emma, love, the truth is that I'm under a—"

The sound of laughter and loud chatter suddenly filled the room as Mary Margaret, David and Henry entered, right on time, huge smiles plastered on the adult's faces and a neutral one on the boy's, who honestly looked semi-bored. While they were still gathered by the door, Emma took the opportunity to take a couple of steps away from Hook, breaking their contact, to place a steady hand over her chest. Her heart was beating wildly and she was trying to convince herself that it had nothing to do with the fact that he had touched her...it had to be the anger she had been feeling…right? _Let's go with that_.

"…David, I can't believe that you made a scene like that at the hospital!" Mary Margaret exclaimed through her giggles as she scooted further into the room, one hand on Henry's shoulder and the other on her growing stomach. She was turned in a way that enabled her to face her husband and walk forward at the same time, in a comfortable manner, which explained how the mess hadn't caught her attention just yet. She then continued on talking to David in the same cheery tone. "I know that you're pleased about the gender of our baby but you didn't have to act like that."

"I was happy!" David proclaimed as he closed the door, a smile clearly written on his face. "Annnnd, I don't think that my dancing ruined anything. Am I right, Henry?" His grandson raised his brow and shook his head but had a bright smirk on his face, suggesting that he secretly agreed with him or at least found something amusing about whatever happened.

"I would hardly call _that_ dancing. It was more like you were having a fit of spasms. I mean, Dr. Whale was very concerned about you."

David rolled his eyes playfully and kissed his wife near her temple before turning his sights to his daughter…and then to the scene that lay out in front of him. His mouth dropped as he surveyed the scattered bits of glass and utensils on the floor and instinctually grabbed his wife's arm, guiding her through what appeared to be a tableware invasion and massacre.

"Emma, what happened in _here_?" Mary Margaret asked with concern as she swiveled her head around to survey every corner of the apartment. She gently pulled Henry to her as she attempted to make her way closer to her daughter but David prevented her with a soft tug; his protective nature rearing its head.

"It looks like a tornado hit this place," Henry said as he too looked about before fixing his gaze onto his mother, who reacted by turning her head away.

Emma didn't respond to either Mary Margaret's question or to her son's descriptive, yet slightly accurate, comment because she honestly didn't know what to say since Henry still didn't have his memories of Storybrooke or of the fairytale creatures who reside there; so, the answer that she had would shock him or worse, _scare_ him. The other half to that was that she also wasn't so sure that she _wanted_ him to know about this place because of the happy times they had experienced in New York. Secretly, she would rather have those times back instead of being the savior, but she didn't know how to explain her feelings to her parents or to anybody else…there never seemed to be enough time or incentive to do so. The fact of the matter was that she wanted a home, always had, and in the time she spent away from here—granted she had her memories wiped—she thought that she had found it.

But, to make matters somewhat even on both sides, she also thought that she had something special with a guy named, "Walsh", but that didn't work out so well, considering that he was a flying monkey charged by Zelena to keep an eye on her. Flattery can only go so far, apparently.

She cleared her throat and gave Mary Margaret a suggestive look, which her mother immediately understood, but not before she had spared a glance over at the stoic expression Hook was wearing. He looked as if he would like to be anywhere else but with them, at the loft, and that didn't make any of sense considering that he had feelings for her daughter, Emma. Curious about what had happened to both the dishware and between the two of them, Mary Margaret gently tapped Henry on his shoulder. "I think that it would be best if you go upstairs till your mother is ready to take you to home—well, to your…temporary home here. We have to talk for a couple of minutes so you will have time to play your game in the spare room."

"But I want to know what happened!"

"Henry…" David started but Henry just shook his head.

"All you guys are gonna do is tell me that 'I wouldn't understand' or that 'you will tell me later' or whatever, but I know that you are all _lying_ and have been ever since I got to this place." He looked at everybody in the room, systematically observing the guilty expressions on all of their faces, but when he got to Hook's, he stopped. "Killian is the only person here who's been honest with me. Will you tell me what they're not, _please_?"

The other three adults shifted their gazes over to him, their body language speaking in volumes, but Hook chose not to address them; he instead met the piercing eyes of the young boy head-on. Henry reminded him so much of a younger Baelfire or Neal, as well as himself, and he could feel the overwhelming amount of pressure begin to increase inside of him, once again, at the confliction of his thoughts. Should he continue to tell him the lies everybody else wanted him to or should he do the _honorable_ thing and inform at least one person in this room the truth? As he contemplated, he started to feel Emma's hot glare boring into the side of his face and knew, regrettably, what he had to do.

He had to respect her wishes.

Steeling himself, he relented. "Sorry, lad, but I agree with Mary Margaret and…your mother on this one."

Henry's face became expressionless and without another word, he immediately stalked past his mother and Hook to climb up the stairs, heading to the one room _everybody_ wanted him to be in, and plugged his ears with his headphones; the music blasting loudly as he concentrated intently on the screen of his handheld device.

"I'm sorry, Emma." David said after he had made sure that Henry had fully gone up the stairs and wasn't lurking about in order to secretly overhear their conversation.

"It's okay, it's for the best," she stated plainly, her words slightly cracking.

"Did Zelena do this?" her dad asked, gesturing to the mess around them. "Or did something else happen?"

Emma thought about lying but knew that she wasn't as good at it as she was _detecting_ it, so she shook her head. "No, nothing evil or anything like that happened in here…" she paused briefly, taking a peek over at Hook, who was staring blankly at the floor, and from his simple demeanor, she could feel her frustration begin to rise all over again. So, with an empty smile, she stood a little bit taller and spoke again, but this time, she aimed to provoke. "…Unless you take _Hook's_ opinions into account."

The obvious jab at him instantly gained his attention. His heart clenched at how she currently saw him but he knew that he had nobody to blame but himself, so as he let her words wash over him, he licked his dry lips and headed towards the door; feeling that he had overstayed his welcome. "I have to go," his voice thick, "…I have other matters that need my attention."

"Umm, okay…" Mary Margaret trailed off as she watched him turn the knob and exit, letting the door close behind him on its own. Still curious, she turned to look at Emma, and judging from her daughter's unreadable expression, the feeling that Mary Margaret had gotten earlier about them interrupting on some sort of moment intensified. "Emma, is something wrong? Hook seemed upset...and what was he doing here anyway?"

Emma's gaze fell upon the door and she nervously brushed a loose piece of hair behind an ear. She would be the first one to admit that what she said was _a little_ bit harsh and could be seen as _a little_ bit out of line; HOWEVER, she wanted to get a reaction out of him instead of…well, nothing, but did her reason justify the hurt she noticeably saw in his features just before he left?

"I, uh, I'll be right back. There's something I have to do."

Shooing away some of the glass that she had missed during her magical practice with the side of a boot, she went to the coat rack, removed her red leather jacket and slipped it on, zipping it up to her neck with a familiar ease. "Don't worry about the glass," she said with a sheepish grin as she opened the door and slipped halfway into the hall. "I'll clean it up when I come back."

The door closed behind Emma softly, leaving the couple alone in the living room with a huge mess around them. Mary Margaret turned towards her husband, an eyebrow raised in puzzlement. "None of them really answered a single question, did they?"

David nodded his head in agreement and let out an exasperated sigh as he carefully headed towards the refrigerator for a glass of water. "No, but I wouldn't worry about that. As long as one of them returns and cleans this mess, I'm not going to stress about it." They shared a smile as Mary Margaret wobbled to a stool near the kitchen island, perfectly avoiding any shards on her way there, to make herself comfortable as her husband miraculously managed to find two whole glasses, in a cupboard, so he could pour them each a cup of water as they waited for their daughter to come back.

**…**

**E**mma had sped down the steps as quickly as she could, her boots hitting the wooden stairs loudly as she did her best to catch up to the surprisingly fast Captain Hook. When she reached the front door that led to the streets of Storybrooke, the cold wind nipped at her nose and cheeks as she looked around, her eyes wandering up and down the sidewalks, but she still couldn't see him or anybody else for that matter. _Wow, he's fast_, she thought as she started jogging down the pavement, to her left, her breath coming out in puffs of wispy smoke.

"This is so stupid!" she ground out, loudly, as she continued surveying her surroundings for the one person who had always managed to get under her skin, whether it was good or bad. "Why can't he just tell me what's bothering him?! What is he so afraid of?

Realizing that she was heading straight for the docks, she picked up speed, knowing that they both had a thing about staring out at the water whenever they were upset or needed a place to get away from it all. It was definitely a calming atmosphere and, she has to admit, that most of her solutions did originate from there.

She was just about to ease into a steady pace when she saw him walking, dead ahead, his shoulders slumped and his head hanging down low. She skidded to a stop and tried to catch her breath as she watched him rub the back of his neck, which unexpectedly made her heart skip a beat. She took a step towards him but then stopped, hesitating at what she was actually going to say to him. What exactly did she expect from him? He obviously didn't feel comfortable enough to talk to her these days so what precisely did she _need_ from him?

"Stop following me, Swan…" his voice called out to her, his detached tone making his words seem harsher than normal.

Her brows furrowed together and she could feel the anger rise up from inside of her again, which only increased when he had the NERVE to continue walking away from her. "Hey!" she called out as she stomped towards him, flashbacks of their previous encounter flashing before her eyes. "I just wanted to say this one thing and then you can go."

He stopped but didn't turn around to look at her. When she was a mere two feet from him, she heard him speak in a kind of soft voice she never heard from him before. "I…I don't think that I can b-be around you anymore, love. It's…too complicated to really explain, but I think it's a necessary decision on my part. I'm sorry, lass…"

Emma flinched at his words, the rejection hitting her hard. "You can't be around me because of something you think is too complicated but you can't find it within yourself to even tell me what it is? Wow…whatever you are keeping from me must be really important for you to throw this—you know what? Never mind…"

He looked over his shoulder at her, quietly urging her to finish what she was going to say, but saw her turn around to head back to the loft. He slowly looked ahead of him, the pain in his heart almost too much to bear as he let a shaky breath out. He was about to head to the one place he could think clearly when he suddenly heard her.

"But let me just say this one thing so that it's even more _clear_ for you. If you can't tell me what it is about my magic that bothers you so much then we're _done_. I don't want to see you again and that includes you staying away from my family, especially Henry."

Hook said nothing as he let her words hang in the air between them before walking away, his strides filled with purpose as he moved closer to the docks, completely disappearing from her view in a matter of minutes. It was only after he knew that he had gone far enough that he whispered what he wished he could tell her, above all else, without her pushing him away. "I love you, Emma. I'm doing this because I love you..."

Emma stood there for a few more moments before she stuffed her hands into her pockets and headed back to her awaiting parents, who were sure to be brimming with questions over what had happened to the inside of their apartment. She really wasn't in the mood now to explain but she figured she owed them at least that much since there probably weren't any usable dishware left. She should make a run to the local store to go get some more, but she was too emotionally drained to do that, so, in reflection, she slowed her walking to a shuffle and watched the cloudy white puffs come out of her mouth whenever she breathed. Struck by how tired she was, she then tilted her head up towards the sky and closed her eyes, sniffing back the unshed tears she didn't want to spill over the weird confrontation she had with Hook. _I guess I won't see him again_.

Were their ties officially severed? Her heart unintentionally squeezed at the idea.

Shaking her head at the struggles she constantly had to deal with in her life, she had just opened her eyes when a loud screeching sound filled the stiff and cold air around her, making her turned towards it immediately; her hands posed out in front of her as if she was preparing for a hand-to-hand fight. It was one of Zelena's cursed monkeys and it was high up in the air, staring down at her with its beady eyes as it circled above her like one would do to its selected prey. As her adrenaline rose, creating the magical humming she needed in order to perform her magic, she raised a hand and flexed her wrist, flinging the supernatural primate into the side of a building. For more room, she ran from the sidewalk to the actual street, and watched as it recovered from her magical attack and flexed its wings. It then lurched forward violently, flying through the air with unmatchable speed towards her, its hairy arms outstretched and ready to grab her.

She tried to fling it away like she did the last time but her mind was too cluttered to concentrate on what needed to be done, and as it got closer, the energy within her began to dwindle down again. In pure fear, she turned around and tried to run back to the safety of the apartment but she wasn't moving fast enough as a strong pair of feet grabbed ahold of her shoulders and lifted her into the air, her legs dangling in the empty space between her and the ground. She tried to pry its toes off of her with her frozen, cold fingers, and when that didn't work, she tried flinging herself around, particularly her arms and legs, but her struggling seemed to have no effect on the determined monkey as it howled at her and lifted her up higher in the sky.

"EMMA!" a cry rang out in the empty streets, causing her to shift her panic gaze downward to the voice, slight relief flooding her at the prospect of being saved from her precarious situation. It was Hook! Having heard the commotion from where he was, he ran back as quick as he could to assist whoever was in trouble but then discovered that it was Emma who needed help. He shouted her name again and pulled out his carefully concealed gun to try and shoot it down, but it dove, making a huge effort to avoid any harm. Emma's stomach rolled at the sudden drop and as the monkey outstretched its hands to grab at Hook, sharp talons protruding from the tips of its fingers, she screamed at him to run, but he didn't. He stood his ground and took aim, his finger gently pressed against the trigger as he waited for the perfect moment to strike; not wanting accidently hit Emma, who was still dangling dangerously above the ground.

"Hook, move!" Emma shouted again as the monkey closed in on him.

The monkey let out a horrible screech as it lowered its position in the air again, narrowing all of its focus on either capturing, injuring or disarming Hook. The dive unintentionally caused one of Emma's feet to make an abrupt contact with the ground, a silent gasp coming out of her mouth because of the forceful jolt that was now traveling throughout her body, but before she could recover, a piercing shot echoed out in the streets. Hook cursed as the bullet barely grazed the weaving flying animal and as he prepared for another shot, it lunged at him, knocking the gun right out of his hand before returning to a comfortable height in the sky behind him; Emma hanging helpless underneath its body. Hook grunted in dread as he watched her fly away from him but as he looked about for the gun he lost, a streak of pink light blasted past him, hitting the monkey in one of the legs holding Emma.

It cried out in pain and instinctually released its captive to fly off into the growing night, leaving Emma to plummet to the ground at a deadly speed. She prepared for the pain that was sure to come by closing her eyes and tensing up her limbs but surprisingly nothing happened…she took a peek with one eye and found herself hovering inches above the cement, effortlessly.

"What the…?" She stammered as she was delicately lowered upon the main street, her knees and the palms of her hands eventually touching the gravel, signaling her safety. She sighed in relief when she registered that she was indeed okay and NOT being taken off to God knows where, but she was also aware that it wasn't her magic that had saved her, something or someone else had intervened before she could instinctually. Her hair fell forward, covering her shoulders and the majority of her forehead as she attempted to stand, but her legs were unable to take the pressure, so they buckled beneath of the weight—the hit she took, when the monkey dove, had seriously injured one of her ankles. When she moved, she couldn't help but to flinch as the sharp pain radiated from the sore spot, up her leg, past her thigh, and into the pit of her stomach, dulling her senses and making her a bit groggy. Electing to stop moving altogether to curb the ache, she stayed on all fours and breathed deeply, praying that she would somehow get through this.

Noticing that she wasn't getting up, Hook ran to her, not bothering to find out who or what had just saved them and whether or not the monkey was going to attack them again. He just cared about her. He knelt down in front of her and offered her his hand. "Emma?! Are you okay?!"

"Don't touch me…" she barked out, the pain in both her leg and heart overwhelming her to the point of not wanting to deal with anything or anybody around her. Hook opened his mouth to say something but didn't get the opportunity to as he saw somebody approaching them from the corner of his eye. He stood up and took a protective step in front of her.

"You both should be more careful," the person said, making her way to the two she had just saved. "Her monkeys are not to be trifled with."

"Who are you? I haven't seen you around here before." Hook said with an edge in his voice, remembering how Zelena was unknown to them the first time they had all met. Intrigued from the possible reply, Emma managed to brush her blonde locks back to look at the approaching individual, her mouth in a straight line from the agony she was now in.

"My name is Glinda and I'm looking for the savior," the woman said seriously as she looked anxiously between Hook and Emma, who shared a brief glance at the familiarity of the name.

"Why do you need the savior?" Emma said with a raised eyebrow, a hint of worry and interest in her tone as she once again tried to stand up but failed.

Without any hesitation, Glinda replied, looking Emma straight in her eyes as she moved closer to the injured blonde. "The savior could be the hope I need, in not only saving my own homeland, but the rest of the realm's as well. We're all in danger of a new enemy, a terrible witch known simple as…the 'Ice Queen' and she is brewing up something that will not only cause devastation, but the unthinkable... an end to free will as we know it."

**…**

**Hope you liked it! Stay tuned for more! **


	4. Discoveries

**I miss OUAT so much it hurts…but I will survive! **

**Sorry that I haven't posted anything in the last week, I've been busy with homework and what not. I plan on overdosing you with 2-3 more chapters very soon, at least that's the plan, but if I don't…well, it's a good thing that you don't know where I live…hopefully ;] #HashtagIJest…**

**Summary of the Previous Chapter: Emma decided to chase after Hook to find out what he was going to say to her back at the loft, but after a short exchange between them, she ended up severing ties with him—which even extended to her family! On her way back, Emma's attacked by one of Zelena's flying monkey and even though Hook tried to save her, she ended up being rescued by the one and only: Glinda, who, after doing so, asked for the savior's help. A new enemy has emerged and is planning something awful: world enslavement!**

**Hope you like! Review if you can!**

**…**

**Chapter Four: Discoveries**

**…**

**T**he sky was beginning to darken around the three individuals still positioned in the middle of the street, their hair and their clothes swaying in the now freezing cold wind, but none of them seemed to notice, especially Hook and Emma who were more concerned about the person that had just saved their lives…well, Hook was more concerned. Emma was more curious and not to mention interested in whether or not she'll ever be able to stand up again without the all-consuming pain engulfing her left foot.

Glinda's eyes moved between the pair and she couldn't help but feel a little nervous under the man's harsh glare as he scrutinized her, his eyes seemingly fixed permanently upon her face. Most people would've shown some gratitude after being saved, but for those who lived in this particular little town, she understood why they would be a little bit suspicious towards any motives she might have. From reading and catching up with her scroll, she knew that they had been brought here because of a curse many years ago and are currently enduring the wrath of the Wicked Witch, who was an old unforgettable acquaintance of hers, but for them, Zelena was just the current villain in their long history of events. She would just have to convince them that she's on their side and in desperate need of their help, mostly the savior's.

Pushing back her thoughts, she directed her focus to the injured blonde, who was still on the floor, and moved closer with the intention of giving her a hand but before she could; the dark cladded individual quickly blocked her view. His eyes were narrowed and his mouth was in a severe distrusting thin line as he looked at her, judgment and suspicion clearly written on his face. "How do we know that what you're saying isn't a lie?" he grounded out with a scowl, pointing his legendary hook in her direction, the action sparking a memory in Glinda's mind as to who this man in front of her was.

"How do we know that this isn't a trap created by Zelena and that you aren't one of her minions sent out to gain our trust?"

"I can assure you that I'm not, Killian Jones," Glinda said, calmly, but the use of his real name immediately caught both the inhabitant's attentions. Hook took a step closer to Glinda and fully pointed his portable weapon at her but she didn't even flinch at his blatant and threatening gesture. She instead raised a hand to settle him down. "I mean no harm, to any of you. I'm just looking for the savior…"

"Aye, so you've already said, but what you haven't given us is a reason to believe you."

Blinking back her frustrations, Glinda opened her mouth to respond but the woman on the floor beat her to it, rolling her eyes as she did so—from what little of her face Glinda could see.

Emma was now sitting down on her rear with one leg stretched out in front of her and the other, the injured one, bent inward at the knee. Both of her arms were at her sides, propped and ready to go should she attempt to regain her footing anytime soon, but gathered from her tone, she was already bothered at the fact that she has already been so unsuccessful. Her voice was sharp and filled with pain and sarcasm as she raised her eyes to Hook's back. "Yes, of course she's one of Zelena's minions because that makes _perfect_ sense! Her name is _Glinda_ as in the 'Good Witch of the South'…" Emma paused as she blew a piece of hair out of her face in annoyance. "That means that she's on _our_ side."

"How can you possibly be sure about that, Swan?" He questioned in disbelief, looking at her from over his shoulder, debating inwardly about whether or not he should offer her his assistance again as he observed another one of her tiresome attempts to get up. "I think that we've proven to you, on more than one occasion, that the characters you've read in books or seen in moving pictures aren't like their live counterparts. For all we know, lass, Zelena could've sent her here to save us so she could gain our trust and then one day, when we're all at our weakest or most vulnerable point, she would betray or worse…_kill_ us."

"Okay, for one, those are all speculations based off of…_similar_ situations we've had," she said, pointing a finger up at him as if to emphasize her first rather lame and obvious point. Hook raised an eyebrow at the factual information she had just shared, an "_aha"_ look coming to existence in his eyes, but she wasn't finished. "For _two_, I know for a fact that she's not a minion because from what I've seen of her, before you obstructed her from my view, she hasn't told _one_ lie since she got here, which isn't something I can say on your behalf, _Hook_…"

He went rigid at her statement but that was all she allowed herself to see as Emma took a deep breath, looked down, and put all of her might into her arms and feet; forcing and commanding herself to stand up. Her calves wobbled as she finally found balance and steadiness in her uninjured foot and with her arms outstretched to her sides, preparing to catch her should she fall, she released the breath slowly. Emma, her hands now posed out in front of her, then hobbled around the protective pirate, who she refused to look at, so she could get a better glimpse at the woman who had just saved them from one of Zelena's flying terrorists.

Glinda had long wavy strawberry blonde hair that appeared to go down to her mid-back, complimenting both her high cheekbones and her perfectly arched eyebrows. Her eyes were an unusual shade of lavender but were filled with a kindest that she never had really seen before (minus her mother's) and were impeccably placed against her light, delicate skin. Her outerwear was relatively normal for someone who had apparently just arrived from another realm: she had on a pair of dark jeans, black boots, a white tunic and a brown leather jacket—all of which were relatively similar to the clothes Emma wears on a daily basis; earning Glinda a well-placed nod of approval. The only thing that looked out of sorts was what she was holding in her left hand—it looked like a long metal stick in the dimming light, but when she noticed that the handle bared a fancy design in the middle and around the edges, Emma knew that it was something more important.

"You've heard of me?" Glinda inquired, her eyebrows raised in awe at the thought of being known in an unfamiliar place, though it was a high probability given her position and authority.

"It's a long story, but it doesn't matter because I believe you." Emma said with a shoulder raise, consciously standing and leaning on her right foot so she wouldn't disturb the other. Glinda smiled at her and bowed her head slightly, showing her degree of appreciation, and suddenly, without any prompting; she raised the object in her hand and pointed it at Emma's left ankle. Seeing this as some sort of threat, Hook lunged forward and grabbed one of Emma's arms, the closest one to him, and tried to move her out of the way, her face wide with surprise at his sudden touch, but he was too late. A soft tuft of pink light had already emanated from the tip of the rod and glided its way over to Emma. The energy then swooped down, gently making its way to her wounded ankle, weaving and circling about the injury several times before blending past her clothes and into her skin. Emma gasped as a burst of warmth spread throughout the strained ligament, relaxing and ultimately taking away the intense pain she had been experiencing moments before.

When it all but disappeared, Emma tentatively flexed her foot, testing its strength by moving it from side-to-side. She looked up at Glinda with a lively smile and pulled herself out of the stunned Hook's grip, closing the gap between herself and the other woman. "That was amazing! You healed me! Regina had told me that it was a hard thing to accomplish."

"You have to be of a pure heart, mind and spirit in order to do so," Glinda responded as she returned the smile.

Truly impressed by the level of magic demonstrated and feeling like she owed her something, Emma decided to give her the information she had been asking for since she had saved them. "You said that you're looking for the savior? Well, my name is Emma Swan and…it's me. I'm who you're looking for." She could hear Hook mumbling in the background but she ignored him as she watched Glinda's reaction. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise and her face took on an expression of true amazement before melting into profound relief.

"You are?! Oh thank goodness!" she exclaimed, reaching out to grab Emma's hands. "We need to talk. Do you have someplace we can go?"

Glinda's happiness was infectious as Emma could feel herself still smiling back at her brightly. She knew that she had made the right decision in trusting her, the woman seemed incapable of being dishonest because not only had she _not_ shown any signs of a distrusting nature, which is rarely seen in people today, she also seemed to be a genuine and cheerful person. "Yeah, my parent's apartment is close by, we can go there. I hope that it's okay if we do this in a public setting." Glinda told her that it was fine and that it would be easier to do it like that as she, simultaneously, looked in the direction Emma had waved in when she spoke.

Determined not to waste any more time, they both started making their way to the loft, Glinda holding the rod firmly in one of her hands as they did so.

Hook looked at them as they walked away from him, a jumble of emotions swirling around in his belly. He didn't know if he should silently follow or if he should go about his business because of the ban Emma had recently placed on him. He scratched his chin and waited for some sort of invitation but when it didn't come, he swallowed hard and turned around, sauntering away in the opposite direction with a heavy heart. The sting of his self-created rejection was hard to swallow and just when he could feel his stomach drop in convoluted agony, he heard a female voice call out to him from behind.

"Don't you wish to attend? What I have to say does concern everybody here and even though my main question is for the savior, the more people I talk to, the more beneficial it will be for us all…"

Hook stopped walking and halfway turned back towards them, seeing the two women looking at him from afar. Glinda was the one who had spoken out to him, puzzlement and real innocence were visible in her features at his decision not to come with them, whereas Emma, who stood directly beside her, reflected nothing back at him; her face was drained of all emotions.

"No, lass. I don't think that I'll be welcomed there," he called back, his voice thick as he caught the coldness of Emma's eyes. Her stare shattered his already broken heart but he told himself that it was for the best. She was in danger with him around and he wouldn't allow any harm to come to her because of his presence. _It's for the best_, he bitterly kept repeating to himself, as he waited for a reply.

"It won't matter to you anyway since you have _other matters_ that require your attention," Emma suddenly cried out, venomously spitting his words back at him. His face darkened but he chose not to answer as he deliberately took a couple of steps backwards, slightly disappearing into the casted shadows of both a nearby building and the creeping darkness of the night, before turning his back to her and walking away—for good this time.

Glinda looked at Emma, who couldn't seem to meet her gaze, before allowing a small sympathetic smile to grace her lips. Their situation was a hard one, she had gleaned as much from the past events of the scroll, but she had a feeling that they would work out their differences. After all, _true love_ was hard to find these days.

She then wished the man well before her and Emma continued walking to the loft, the latter nervously rubbing her arms and clearing her throat.

"I wonder why he thought that he wouldn't be welcomed…" Glinda mused out loud, her words catching Emma slightly off guard but she simply shook her head and stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jacket, biting back the tears she so desperately wanted to cry.

"It doesn't matter. He made his choice." She said softly as they continued silently to the front door to head deeper into the building.

**…**

**I**t was bleak and dark in the newly redecorated throne-room as a lone figure stood in the middle of it, her eyes fixed on a large orb-like object secured there, its glow an eerie dark blue. The dim light from the candles flickered and crackled in the cold silence as the person tapped her chin with long fingers before stretching them out and over the item below, which swirled to life at the silent magical command. Images of the different realms appeared and floated on its surface in a series of pictures, spanning from Wonderland to the Enchanted Forest to the elusive Neverland—there wasn't a place that was off limits to the globe.

"Let's see how things are faring in the land of Storybrooke," the figure drawled out, slightly leaning over to get a clearer picture as the object obeyed, first glowing then shimmering into what was desired. Instantly, pictures of buildings, cars and streetlights were produced before it suddenly shifted to a section of the main street where three individuals were seen conversing, two of whom were blonde females while the other was a dark haired male. Intrigued by the apparent seriousness of their conversation, the orb was then instructed to zoom and focus in on what they were saying and when it did, the woman watching gasped out in recognition.

"Glinda?! What is she _doing_ there?! She's supposed to be imprisoned in another realm!" Anger sparked each word as the figure then knelt down, practically hunching over the image as she observed and listened raptly to what was being said:

"_You have to be of a pure heart, mind and spirit in order to do so_"…

"… _the savior_? _Well, my name is Emma Swan and... it's me. I'm who you're looking for_"…

"NO!" The woman shrieked as she stood up to her full height, her cry echoing out in the empty area. With one hand, she released a powerful shot of bluish red ice across the room in a blind fury and as it flew through the air, it produced a loud screeching sound that vibrated off the walls till it collided with the floor, replacing that spot with a thin layer of clear white frost. Loud knocks were then heard at one of the side doors as voices cried out to her from the other side.

"Her majesty is in trouble!"

"Your majesty, are you alright?!"

"I'm fine, you fools!" was the response they received and immediately the noises they were making stopped. She then ordered them to go back to their posts which they instantly obeyed, making creaking sounds as they backed away from the door; unwilling to face her wrath.

Fuming at the now complicated turn of events, the woman started pacing around the orb, glaring at it with an unmatched intensity. Trying to regain both her wits and her composure, she brushed back a couple of loose strands that had fallen into her face from its confinement, bending the light pieces of blonde hair behind her ear, and breathed deeply. Her powers were thrumming through her veins and she could feel the familiar buildup of energy forming at the base of her fingers. When it then increased to the point of ice crystals encasing themselves around the tips, she exhaled, releasing all of her emotions and fears out in a cloud of pure coldness.

"Damn…" she let out, acknowledging that she had almost lost control of her feelings again but she shook it off. _It doesn't bother me anymore_, she thought with a spiteful smile. She then turned her attention back to the globe and shot a hand out over it, summoning its powers once more.

"Bring me Zelena," the woman stated and watched as it instantly repeated its earlier process but instead of presenting her with the witch's image, nothing happened, which meant that the connection either didn't work or she was being disregarded. Feeling herself getting irritated, she closed her eyes and raised one of her hands. A small ball of mist began forming in the center of her palm, crackling like electricity as it brightened the room like a thunderstorm would the night. She began rolling it over and under her fingers, keeping herself occupied as she observed the hues of red streaks delicately weaving itself with the blue—her anger once again getting the best of her. _She wouldn't dare ignore me,_ she thought straightforwardly. _The consequences would be most severe if she did… _

Then, as if by coincidence, the surface cleared and within seconds, the face of the Wicked Witch appeared, an eyebrow raised in surprise as she spoke with a hint of mockery, "Yes, your iciness?"

The woman smiled. "I'm just checking in on you, my dear. I do hope that all is going well and that you're successfully harvesting the ingredients needed to perform the curse."

"Everything is going smoothly," Zelena replied with an easy smile. "I just need to obtain the blood and the heart."

"Excellent, be sure to let me know when you make progress. All my hopes depend on your success, dear and if you fail; your dreams and my wishes go with it."

Zelena rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You know, for someone who calls herself the 'Ice Queen', you sure do lack a cool temperament."

The woman let out a chilly laugh but it didn't reach her eyes. Zelena cleared her throat and asked if there was anything else she wanted to discuss with her and as the image of Glinda came into her mind, the Ice Queen paused and thought about her answer. Should she tell her that the Good Witch of the South was there in Storybrooke or should she let this be an opportunity for Zelena to prove her self-worth to her? _If she succeeds, she's passes the test but if she fails…all that I've hoped for would go to waste...Unless, there's another way…_she thought, a sudden idea forming in her mind.

"No," she replied with a two-faced smile, making the mist in her hand disappear at her new decision. "There's nothing else. Do you have any questions for me before we part?"

"Well, I do actually have a concern," Zelena began, wiping a bead of sweat off of her forehead. "It concerns the baby." The Ice Queen raised a brow, silently permitting her to continue.

"Snow White isn't due for at least a week and I've already started, how am I to proceed if the baby doesn't come in the next three days?"

The other woman stared at her as if she was joking. "You just need the heart, am I correct?" Zelena nodded in regards to the question. "Then take it. A heart is a heart no matter how small and since our plan is already in motion, you need to do whatever it takes to complete it."

"Are you saying that I can take it from the womb?"

The Ice Queen paused briefly before flatly responding, "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying." Her answer caused Zelena to swallow hard, not even _she_ had enacted a cruel act upon another person during a pregnancy, but she wasn't willing to ruin both their chances at a fresh start. Licking her dry and cracked lips, a question formed in her mind but before she could share it, the other woman interjected pointedly.

"You're curious as to how you can do it. Well, I thought that the answer would've be quite obvious, you're going to have to use _her_ of course."

Zelena tilted her head slightly as if she didn't understand but when the Ice Queen further explained her point, her expression changed from puzzlement to a sly, malevolent smile. "That's a brilliant idea. It's a wonder that I didn't come up with it myself…"

"Yes, we all have our little talents, don't we, dear?" She responded with a chuckle before dismissing their conversation, leaving Zelena alone with her new task and thoughts. By herself once again in her throne-room, the Ice Queen looked at the spot where she had created a thin layer of ice in her moment of frustration and smiled, unevenly. "Oh, _this_ is going to be fun…"

**…**

**The story is beginning to pick up! Stay tuned for more, as the Ice Queen would say, "fun"! ;D**


	5. The History Of Oz (Part One)

**Thanks for all the reviewing, following and favoring of my story! I really appreciate it :]**

**The overdosing of chapters is sure to come! I feel it in my bones...**

**Summary of the Previous Chapter: When Glinda arrived, Hook was highly suspicious of her whereas Emma believed her, almost automatically, because of her lie detecting ability. Emma then confessed to being the savior and together, her and Glinda, began walking to the loft so they could talk about a few things as Hook headed in the opposite direction. Meanwhile, in another realm, the Ice Queen found out that Glinda was now in Storybrooke so she immediately contacted Zelena for a progress report. She was about to tell her about the Good Witch, but then suddenly chose not to, opting to make it into some form of a "worthy" test; however, the Ice Queen may have a backup plan should her elected decision fail her...**

**Things also just got more interesting for both the Ice Queen and the Wicked Witch when they decided upon how to handle the situation of Mary Margaret's (Snow White) and David's (Prince Charming) unborn baby! **

**I hope that you will enjoy this, it is a semi-long and detailed chapter...I just wanted to get out as much information as I possibly could without really boring you, lol. Review if you can!**

**…**

**Chapter Five: The History Of Oz—Part One**

**…**

**E**mma turned the handle to the front door and pushed it open, the familiar space beckoning to her tired joints and muscles as she pocketed the set of keys she was holding into her leather jacket; the door, apparently, had been locked after she left, making her do more work than usual to get inside. She was completely exhausted but no matter how much she loved the idea of taking Henry back to their _temporary_ home so she could throw herself upon her bed and fall into a deep sleep, she knew that it wouldn't work. The idea of truly resting was like a distant dream, a foreign concept, which had been evading her ever since Hook had found his way to New York and gave her back her memories.

From the moment she had returned to Storybrooke, she had been weighed down by her savior responsibilities and even though she knew that they _needed_ her and that she should just accept it, she wished that there could've been some other way, some other option they could've taken so that she wouldn't have to deal with _this_ anymore. Being around all these fairytale creatures with their constant need for violent domination was having an emotional toll on her, with or without her magical abilities, but regardless of her complaints; she knew that she was going to help them because she did care about the people who lived here.

This situation, when compared to past ones, was a complicated mess and she'll do whatever she had to do to stop it but that was it. After this little adventure of catching and stopping Zelena, they would just have to come up with other ways of saving themselves because she was done for _good_. She had decided this on her way back to the loft with Glinda, and there was no changing her mind. She had always wanted a home, a place that she could call her own without it being taken away, and it was time that she had found it. Henry not having his memories of Storybrooke, or magic in general, could very well be a blessing in disguise and even though she knew it was going to be difficult, she felt like she couldn't stay here any longer. She then sighed as she stared passively at the door, but until that day, she would just have to deal with the sleepless nights, the constant worrying over who's going to be harmed or killed next, and whether or not she's even able of defeating the never-ending line of villains that always seemed to be stronger than she was. _If only they had their memories of the last year_, she thought, _I probably would've been gone by now…_

Sighing again at her inner exasperations, she turned her head to look at Glinda, who was curiously peeking into the room from her position in the hallway. She then addressed her with half a smile. "Here we are. My parents are probably upstairs with my son, but you're welcomed to sit down and get comfortable. Just watch out for the glass…"

Emma had said the last part with a wince as she remembered that she had some explaining to do, as well as some massive cleaning, but as Glinda moved inside to further explore the new area, Emma heard her speak as she was closing the door behind them.

"What glass? It looks perfectly fine in here…"

Confused because her warning should've been obvious, Emma turned around and instantly noticed that she was right, the floor was completely spotless! There wasn't a piece of glass or a utensil in sight. "What the…?" She started as she walked about the room, feeling slightly guilty at the thought that they had cleaned up after her. Wondering how long she had been gone, she looked at the clock and noticed that nearly forty-five minutes had passed by since she was last there. Groaning out her shame, she wandered back over to where Glinda was and opened her mouth to call out to them, a thousand different apologizes bumping around in her head, but her mom beat her to it.

"Oh, Emma, you're home!"

Emma then looked up to see her parents coming down the stairs, David was gently making sure that his wife didn't stumble by having a supervisory hand stretched out near her back, and once they were at ground level, Mary Margaret made her way over to her daughter while David leaned against the kitchen island; both of whom, apparently, unaware of the other person in the room.

"Henry is still upstairs but has fallen asleep," David informed her as if reading one of her thoughts. "That kid tuckered himself out by playing that game of his…"

"Okay, that's fine. Look, guys, I'm sorry that I've been gone longer than expected but I do have something to say…" Emma responded with a nod, her fingers flexing nervously.

"Does it concern the walk you had to take so you could clear your head?" Mary Margaret asked. She had a mischievous glint in her eyes that was pointed directly at Emma, making her feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Knowing that she was most likely referring to the situation between her and Hook, since she abruptly left right after he did and they were in the middle of a heated conversation when they arrived home, she thought it best to change topics. She wasn't in the mood to talk about him anyway, especially having just banned him from her and her family's lives, the details of which could definitely be saved for another day. "Umm, _yes_, it does because while doing so, I bumped into somebody." She gestured a hand off to one side, as if displaying whatever it was she had brought home for them to see.

Mary Margaret's brow furrowed as she tilted a head to see around Emma, who was involuntarily blocking Glinda from her. Noticing this, Emma took a large cross step to her right so they could have a better view of the strawberry blonde who offered them a warm and patient smile when finally seen.

"Oh," Mary Margaret said, stroking her stomach as she shared a side glance with Emma before looking back at Glinda. "Hello, my name is Mary Margaret and…um…welcome to our home."

Glinda visibly blinked when she had said her name, as if processing what she had just heard, before silently making a connection between Mary Margaret and her counterpart in the Enchanted Forest. Then without warning, she bowed at the waist, formally putting a leg behind her, while properly placing her hands off to her sides, fingers curved at an upwards angle. When she resumed her upright position, she noticed the surprise looks on their faces and thought it best to explain. "I know who you are, Snow White and Prince Charming, I have known of your kindness for many years but never got an opportunity to introduce myself before my banishment."

David moved closer to his wife with an eyebrow raised in curiosity. "You were banished? Where were you sent to?"

"I was banished to another realm _within_ the Enchanted Forest. It was designed so I wouldn't be able to get out without using an excessive amount of magic, which I must admit, drained the majority of my powers." She stopped to glance down at the metal rod she had been holding ever since her arrival; a protective gleam in her eyes. "It took some time, approximately ten years to both cultivate and accumulate the amount necessary to do so, but when I did; I made my way back to my homeland, back to Oz."

"What's your name?" Mary Margaret asked sympathetically, obviously touched by her story.

"My name is Glinda, but I'm also known by other titles throughout the different realms. Some might know me as the 'Good Witch of the South', the 'Southern Witch of Oz', the 'Royal Sorceress of Oz' or the 'Good Fairy'. All of which are true, but my position is much more than being a witch, a sorceress or a fairy…I'm one of the Guardians and Protectors of Pure Magic."

Her response had an immediate effect on them, especially from the moment they had learned her name, since they had all heard about her at one point or another in their lives, but when a sort of stunned silence started to envelope around them, Emma cleared her throat, trying to avoid the possibility of an awkward moment. Wanting to know the reason for her being here, Emma glanced about the room before offering her a seat, taking her fatigue into account, but Glinda respectively declined for she wanted to tell her story standing up. She was about to plunge right in when she was then interrupted by an unexpected person.

"Did I just hear somebody talk about 'Oz'?"

Everybody turned around to find Regina coming down the stairs. Emma's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open a bit. "What are _you_ doing here?"

With an attitude that only Regina could deliver, she climbed down the rest of the steps and turned her full her attention to her protégé. "I had originally come here to check in on you so we could perhaps continue where we had left off but instead, I had to clean up what appeared to be a practicing session, at your parent's request." Emma rolled her eyes, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Apparently, I had missed you by mere minutes since you ran off to have a conversation with your _boyfriend_, the pirate, and to make up for the free time I had, I decided to see how Henry was doing."

At the description of Hook, Emma felt her heart jump and her stomach clench. A painful expression clouded her face as she looked down and tried to block out the many different images that were spiraling inside of her head, especially the ones that included his smile and his eyes that—_stop it_! She screamed inwardly, mentally clamping her hands over her ears. _I don't LIKE HIM like THAT_.

"Hmm," was all she said as she glanced up and gave her parents a look that questioned why they didn't tell her that Regina had stopped by and was checking in on their shared son. She was about to say more when she stopped, reminding herself that Regina was in a tough position where Henry was concerned and how hard it must be for her to see him so unresponsive towards her. She had to admit that that was one of the reasons that would make leaving _with_ him difficult because Regina would definitely try to find a way to get him back—and by any means necessary.

Deciding to deflect away from her thoughts, she crossed her arms over her chest and gave her a steely gaze. "Perhaps you would like to join us. We were in the middle of something before you popped out of nowhere."

Regina scoffed and looked like she was about to reply when she caught Glinda's form in her peripheral vision. "Who is _this_?" she asked, looking at everybody incredulously, shocked that they would allow a complete stranger into their house with everything that has been going on around them.

"My name is Glinda and _I_ was the one who mentioned Oz, Regina." Glinda answered, her hands clasped out in front of her, the rod firmly fixed in-between her fingers.

At the mention of her name, Regina's eyes narrowed, but they quickly widened when she filtered what else had been said. "Wait, did you say that your name is '_Glinda_'? That's impossible; you were banished to another realm."

"Do you know each other?" David asked, moving his eyes between the two women.

"Not personally," Regina stated slowly as she continued to stare at the witch. "But as the Evil Queen, I was once determined to wipe out all the good magic I could find as some sort of an insurance policy. I wanted to face as little resistance in my reign as possible but Glinda, when she was still in Oz doing whatever her job entailed, made sure that that idea didn't happen…"

"I was doing my duty and I would do it again," Glinda said, plainly but unrepentantly. As she watched the exchange, Emma couldn't help but to smile at the pricelessness of the situation. This sweet woman was going toe-to-toe with her magical mentor and was holding her own, which isn't something one sees on a daily basis, so when those moments happen, it was something to pay attention to, not ignore. But when Emma shifted her eyes to observe Regina, who appeared more annoyed than angry, she noticed that she looked…different. There was a slight tinge of grey to her normally flawless skin as well as some dark circles starting to flourish underneath her eyes, making Emma's smile disappear in concern.

"Regina," Emma suddenly said, causing the person she was calling out for to shift their focus over to her. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine…" she answered, but unconvincingly.

"Are you sure? You don't look so 'fine'…"

"Now that you mention it," Mary Margaret chimed in. "You do look pale. Do you need to sit down?" She gave a look over to her husband, who was about to get a chair, but Regina shook her head, bringing a hand up to rub at one of her temples.

"I wasn't going to _say_ anything but…it's…it's my heart," Regina began, closing her eyes briefly. "I don't know how to really explain it but it feels like she isn't interested in keeping it safe anymore, like it's not a part of her plan. It's either that, which is a dangerous thought, or she's _playing_ with it, reminding me that she has some control over me." At everybody's alarmed faces, she then added to her statement: "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Zelena just wants to have the satisfaction in thinking that she can best me, but she won't, I'll ultimately win the war."

As a way to turn the conversation back to the newcomer and away from herself, Regina then crossed her arms. "So, how did you manage to find your way to Storybrooke? I'm sure that traveling through realms would take a lot of strength and magical ability."

"She was just about to tell us that when you interrupted," Emma said, coming to Glinda's defense. She didn't expect flowers or a parade from Regina but enough was enough. At her tone, Regina turned back towards her, but this time, she wore a glare so intense that it could've rivaled the sun; however, Emma didn't budge or flinch under it. She resolutely held her ground.

"Okay, stop it," David announced, sternly. His arms and hands stretched out, one pointed at each of them, "Let's give Glinda the chance to finish talking. She's come a long way and is obviously in need of our help. So, I would appreciate it if you two would stop bickering and start acting like grownups."

When neither said anything back, probably too stunned to do so, David took it as a silent agreement on their behalf. He then looked at Glinda, who was (once again) patiently waiting, and politely asked her to continue.

"I shall give you all the facts," she said, looking at each individual with her lavender eyes, imploring them to listen to her story. "…And I will do so by starting from the beginning." When there were no objections of any kind, she took a deep breath and began talking about the history of Oz.

"In the olden days, the Land of Oz was inhabited only by a group of people called 'munchkins', small structured individuals who possessed no magical abilities themselves but _knew_ how to care for the place that did. Everything changed when a large population of witches and wizards came, their reasons for leaving their own worlds has varied over the years, but they managed to prove themselves worthy to the natives who eventually granted them access. Soon, a council was born and there, it was decided that those same strangers would govern over the most supernatural realm of all time, by a majorities vote. It wasn't said _how_ this came about, for there are no specific records concerning this matter, but the munchkins were reported to have approved of the said notion. As time passed, everything was fine till they discovered a major flaw…their high levels of magic were conflicting with the lands', causing high spikes of instability. They found a solution…one that should've created a form of balance in Oz…they _had_ to equally distribute their magic across the lands by dividing up the council members into four even categories, each one representing a cardinal direction: _north_, _south_, _east_ and _west_. Once established, it appeared to have worked. There were no outrageous problems in the forty year reign of the council, who had begun to cover the land in colorful buildings and roads, particularly the Emerald City, but once again, they were mistaken. Sudden and strange disasters began to occur, natural to other worlds but not to Oz: earthquakes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions and constant thunderstorms laid waste to the lands, devastating lives and tearing apart the very core of its foundation. The surviving witches and wizards knew that they had to do something, something more permanent and drastic, so they sought out a young prodigy with prominent skills and intellect who had the means to help them."

"When the young man heard of their troubles, he made his way over to Oz, where he performed a series of serious and complicated experiments till he came to a realization: the large amounts of concentrated energy had pushed the land to its limit, further damaging the already strained environment, even though it had managed to sustain them for a little while. He then told the council to disperse for having too many people with extraordinary magical abilities was problematic and with heavy hearts, they did as he asked, but as the years went by, the land was _still_ unsettled. The wizard was then summoned again and it was at this period in time that he gave them a more practical solution to their problems through another series of tests. He discovered that for more promising results, they needed only _four_ individuals of immense skill, heart, talent and intellect to represent each of their directorial points. Hungry with desperation, they agreed and with the prodigy's help, they crafted four distinct and mysterious crystals that were, and still are, capable of selecting a wielder by using a powerful, as well as an unusual, detecting spell for it can choose a person based on their: worthiness, personality, power or _all three._ And those who are chosen would be known henceforth as the 'Sacred Four', the 'Guardians and Protectors of Pure Magic' in the 'Order of Merlin'—the latter named after the prodigy who had assisted them."

"Wait, _Merlin_ was the one who helped established Oz?" Regina asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Glinda replied, her eyes beaming. "As I understood it from the scroll, he became a legend in his own right and fashioned a new style of magic that is still practiced to this day: potions and spells. He also helped an Arthur into establishing his _own_ kingdom, creating what you have called the 'Arthurian Legend'…"

"Wow," David said, resting a hand on one of Mary Margaret's shoulders.

"…Isn't being a _Guardian_ and a _Protector_ the same thing?" Emma interjected, bringing them back to what she believed were the more important factors in Glinda's tale.

"No, surprisingly it's not. A _Guardian_ is more of a selected category you're placed into based on what either effects your powers _or_ what you stand for, whereas, being a _Protector_ is something that you'll ultimately represent based on your character or personality—usually, anyway. As I have said, the crystals are mysterious objects…but I shall provide you with an example nonetheless," she explained, as she raised the rod slightly in her hands. "I'm the Southern Witch of the Highest Order of Merlin, the Guardian of Knowledge and Wisdom and the Protector of the Sky's, an 'arena that is both open to new possibilities and brimming with hopeful opportunities'…it was my job to watch over the Quadling Country, one section of the split lands, and I plan on doing so again, once everything is completed in my mission…at least I hope to."

She then cleared her throat before continuing with her anecdote. "That has been the way of Oz for many years…the crystals would choose their heirs during a ceremonial event, once the previous wielders had passed on, but if it doesn't, it'll lie dormant. For one cannot be appointed based on human choices. It was designed that way so that the future line wouldn't be skewed or twisted based on greedy influences and intentions, keeping the magic being guarded untainted…_pure_."

"How did you become the Southern Witch of this _Order_?" Regina asked with a tilt of her head, she appeared to be genuinely interested in what was being said.

"By the process used at the ceremony after the previous holder dies, if the person of its choosing is in the same area _it_ is in, then it'll glow a color that best illustrates them. When I was selected, mine radiated the color _pink_, which means unconditional love, understanding and nurturing..."

"So...that's why when you healed me, the light was a pinkish color?" Emma asked, referring to the monkey incident.

"Yes."

"Wow," Mary Margaret stated, completely in awe—unintentionally bypassing what her daughter had just said about being wounded. "It must be fascinating to be the most powerful witch of Oz."

"Oh, I'm not the most powerful, I am considered to be the second. It goes in order of how people typically say the cardinal directions."

"So…'_north_' is the most powerful?" Emma thought out loud, nodding her head in understanding.

Glinda smiled. "Yes, for whatever reason, _that_ particular crystal is the strongest and most believe that that is the case because that's how a leader should be; sturdy and dependable. It has grown so potent that over time, it has been able to endow the wielder with the ability of foreseeing a new holder…it's as if it matures with every new experience…"

"Sounds like a ton of responsibility…" Emma breathed out, shaking her head as she imaged how insignificant her savior duties must be when compared to the Northern Witch's.

"Exactly," Glinda said with a brighter smile, her eyes happily fixed on Emma. "It's truly a spectacular thing when it happens because not only does it transform your destiny, it also physically transforms _itself_. This," she paused as she finally addressed the mystery object she had been so carefully protecting by raising it up, the length of it vertically extending past the top of her head. "Is _my_ crystal in its second stage…of which there are three: the dormant or 'the sleeping crystal', the wand and then the staff…I prefer mine to be like this for it's easier for me to flow my powers through it and…it's also perfect for traveling in concealment. There's nothing more obvious than having a floating object hovering beside you while you walk around..."

The now revealed-to-be wand glistened in the artificial lighting, catching everybody's eyes, but after a moment, she brought it back down, so she could hold it in both of her hands. She stroked it with her thumbs before she spoke again. "As you can see, my wand is a sort of silver, metallic color and that's _not_ how it's supposed to look. It's supposed to glow, but due to my lack of energy, it has considerably dulled, for my weakness has been projected onto it since it has the remarkable ability of following my emotions…"

Looking up, she made eye contact with each person in the room. "The beginning of the end started when a self-proclaimed wizard found his way into Oz from a place called 'Kansas' and gained the civilians trust over our own due to a rebellious streak against authority. His appearance casted the scale off balance and I was sent out by the Northern Witch to try and reason with him, to explain that he needed to leave for the good of Oz, but the people prevented me, so I unwillingly allowed the foolishness to continue. Soon, the Wizard grew greedy and when my meetings did little to sway him, he banned my appearance in the Capital, as well as my fellow practitioners..._but_ it was when the Western Witch died that that's when everything got worse...for you see, afterwards was the birth and dawn of the Wicked Witch's reign of power…"

**…**

**Stay tuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuneeeeeeedddddd :] Things are about to get real.**


	6. The History Of Oz (Part Two)

**I loved writing this one!**

**Summary of the Previous Chapter: After Emma brought Glinda to the loft and introduced her to her parents and Regina; the Good Witch started telling them all about the history of Oz, including her own personal position there. She was last seen explaining the downfall of her homeland.**

**Please, enjoy! **

**…**

**Chapter Six: The History Of Oz—Part Two **

**…**

**I**n a clearing in the woods, a monkey landed with a thud, whimpering a bit as it tried to stay off of its injured limb. Smacking its lips together, it gently brought a lumpy finger down to its wound but when it made contact, it cried out in pain, the new throbbing sensation radiating a fresh wave of discomfort throughout its entire body. Leaning forward a bit, it looked up and gently flapped its wings in the soft even breeze, thinking about taking off so it could find a safe haven before going back to its mistress with news of a newcomer.

…A woman who had the ability to shoot out pink bursts of magic…

Shaking its head as it tried to ignore the damage to its leg, it took a couple of tentative steps forward, noticeably limping when it did so, and as its eyes started to adjust to the blackened sky…it abruptly heard an unsettling piercing snapping sound to its left.

Now on high alert, the monkey peered into the direction it came from, folding its wings back into its sides as if trying to appear small to the possible predator. Its ears were high in vigilance as it waited for something to happen, but when nothing did, the monkey slowly turned away, its tense body starting to relax as it cautiously extended its giant wings back into the air. Suddenly, the wind shifted in its direction, picking up in speed as it swept through the clearing and enveloped the creature, making the long hairs on its back sway in the chilly breeze, but as it continued to brush pass, a familiar smell circled around its nostrils, immediately catching its attention.

It was a _human_ scent…

Suddenly a sharp object shot out from behind a bush, aiming for the backside of the monkey but missed due to the shifting of the wind. It screeched out at the ambush and turned around to confront its attacker, its mouth now open and its claws starting to emerge from the tips of its fingers in a blind fury.

"Come on, men!" the leader yelled as he held his crossbow up properly, a practiced finger on the trigger. "Aim for something tender…Dr. Whale and Mother Superior want to study one of these things with the hope of finding a cure for the transformed."

"Then why don't you shoot this…_tranquilizer gun_ instead of us?" One of the men responded, holding up the weapon with one hand, awkwardly.

"I work better with an arrow," the first man replied, his eyes trained on the furious animal in front of him. "And I'm more of a precautionary for _you_, should something go wrong. Plus…I'm not the one who volunteered us for this type of mission…"

"Leave the lad alone, Robin, you're just mad because you're not spending time with that lady friend of yours," said a third person in a teasing tone.

The man identified as Robin couldn't help but to smile at the thought of Regina, the lady who has been repairing his guilt-ridden and broken heart with but her company. They have been spending a lot of time together and not being with her right now was creating a dull ache in his chest. The sooner this was over, the sooner he could go find her and end his suffering. "True," he admitted, still pointing his crossbow at the creature. "Now, let's finish this."

As if on cue, the monkey let out a horrible roaring sound as it lunged at them, the limp in its movements less noticeable in its anger, but just when the one holding the tranquilizer gun raised it and pointed at it with the intent to shoot, the monkey was already upon them. Smacking the weapon away with the ease of one of its long arms, it then flourished a wing and pulled it inwards, slightly enfolding the frontal part of its body, before releasing it with a pulverizing backhanded force; knocking the men down in one fell swoop. As the other men tried to recover, Robin, who had managed to hold onto his crossbow on the way down, got to his knees and lifted his weapon up at the now retreating animal, which was moving away in great strides. Remembering that it had to be taken in alive, he quickly grabbed the tranquilizer gun from the unconscious man beside him and took aim.

The monkey was running at top speed, power and energy flexing the muscles in its legs and wings as it tried to fly away, but confident in his ability to capture it, Robin—though unpracticed with a gun—leveled it, judging the distance required before he gently squeezed the trigger, the force of the gun pushing his body back. The dart instantly shot out of the muzzle and flew through the air, nearing the behind of the desperate beast, but as close as it was to piercing the tender flesh of a cheek, it unfortunately fell short as the monkey's wings filled up with air and took off in the night sky; ruining their chances of bringing something back with them to Storybrooke.

"Dammit," Robin breathed out as he stood to his full stature, angrily holding the gun in his fingers as he watched it disappear from his view. The other men followed his lead by getting to their feet, a few of them propping up the injured parties as they turned to leave, but as they started to make their way back into the town, they heard a faint whooshing and snapping sound behind them. Thinking that it was unimportant to investigate, they ignored it and continued on their way home, a mixture of emotions bombarding them and tugging at their focus, which ultimately prevented them from hearing a loud thumping sound, in the distance.

**…**

**B**ack at the loft, the other's ears perked up when Zelena's infamous nickname was mentioned and as Glinda continued, they're interests peaked, hoping that she would share some sort of insight towards what possibly happened in the year they had lost—especially where the Wicked Witch was concerned.

"Oz's downfall was all my doing," she said, lowering the wand she cradled till the back of her hands bumped against her thighs. "A few months after our exile from the Emerald City, the Wizard suddenly disappeared, including any writings about him in the scroll, leading us to believe that something terrible had happened to him—though recently, I've discovered otherwise—but in the past, I was confused as to the meaning of this new dilemma. It was then that the pages began to document warnings about a woman named 'Zelena', who had bestowed upon herself a title, the 'Wicked Witch', and soon afterwards, her misdeeds began to spread; covering the entire realm in her infamy. It was then decided that _I_ would seek a consultation with her, which was easy to do now since our banishment was under the former leader's decree, thus making it void, but when I was able to locate her, I, as if coincidentally, stumbled in on her using her powers. Her gifts were _incredible_; she was far more experienced than specified, which easily swayed me into accepting a surprising notion: what if _she_ was the successor to the previous Western Witch? Zelena definitely appeared to be a decent candidate, minus her extensive faults, and despite it not being my place to make such assumptions, for the crystal alone can determine its own successor, I thought it best to persuade her to come back with me so I could find out for sure."

"It should've been my first indication when she showed a disinterest at the thought of joining us since she was more occupied with her thirst of revenge, which had literally turned her _green_ with envy, but I refused to quit. The feeling I had about her being a part of the Sacred Four lingered in my mind and only grew when I consulted with the records, which gave me a positive outcome as to her future _should_ she fully commit to our cause...but, if she continued down her current path, Oz would face a subjugation unlike anything it had ever seen."

"And you know about this because of a _scroll_?" Regina questioned, an eyebrow raised in suspicion and doubt.

Glinda glanced at her and gave her a subtle nod. "Yes, I forgot to say that since I'm the Southern Witch, my duties extend to being the Scroll Keeper, which entails me guarding over a booklet as it records the past, present and perceivable future on a sheet of parchment. The warnings that I had mentioned earlier in regards to Zelena had come from those pages, as well as all of the background information I have been telling you. It is an ancient instrument of magic and the only one of its kind throughout all the realms—Merlin apparently didn't feel the need to create another."

"Despite this supposedly 'powerful' scroll having the gift of prediction; it couldn't tell you that all of _this_, like your banishment to the Enchanted Forest, was going to happen?" Regina continued with a mocking tone in her voice.

Glinda paused as she tried to figure out an easy way to explain the complicated object she was entrusted with. "It _did_, but only after a specific point had already occurred. Since it can only perceive what's going to occur in the future, its insight concerning impending events is somewhat limited because of our ability to change. We're constantly adapting to new situations or altering our minds based on our ability to process the different paths we can take in life; causing the scroll to rewrite itself, _constantly_. The only portions that seem to be certain are the prophesizes, such as Emma being the savior of Storybrooke."

Emma winced inwardly at the reference but chose not to address it. All this information about Oz, a place that was obviously different from the things she was raised with, was getting very interesting; however, she could feel her mind starting to shut down due to her ongoing fatigue and decided to speed the process along so she could go home and try to get an hour of rest before her insomnia kicked in. "Sooo, it predicts the likelihood of what's to come based on the decision a person makes?"

"Precisely," Glinda stated, happy that somebody was able to understand what she was trying to say. "It's hard to read at first but with practice and time, it becomes easier..."

Registering her words, Emma then prodded her to finish her story. "What happened next?"

"The scroll, more or less, gave me a positive confirmation about my inklings towards her, which pushed me into having more meetings with her, some with permission from the Northern Witch, some without, and after weeks of coaxing on my part…I finally managed to convince her that her revenge wouldn't give her the satisfaction she was looking for and that it wouldn't make up for the years she had lost. At those particular realizations, her skin returned to its natural pigmentation, making me believe that her miraculous rehabilitation was _real_. What I did next would change things forever…after much consideration, I decided to bring her back to our Hallowed House, which can be found a little ways outside of the Emerald City..."

"I'm sorry, the 'Hallowed House'?" Emma asked, curiously.

"It's the place where the Sacred Four convene and store our magical properties. It's like our other home when we're away from our given Countries," she responded, a reminiscent twinkle in her eyes. "It's protected by all kinds of good magic which has made it a safe place to stay in troubled times, a fortress, if you will; especially since no evil can pass through its doors."

"We could definitely use some of that here…" Emma commented as she made a fleeting glance towards the stairs, her thoughts wandering over to her son, who, she hoped, was still asleep and not poking around.

"Perhaps," Glinda whispered in agreement. "Well, in doing so, I had broken an important rule…no one is allowed to bring a stranger into the House without getting permission from the other members, but I felt that my situation was a just cause to ignore it. She showed great interest in the place upon arrival, which I took as a genuine show of emotion, and when I noticed that the others were gone, I took her to the room where we kept the crystals to either confirm or reduce my confidence. Knowing that we were still out of favor with the civilians of Oz, the ceremonial event wasn't an option to use, so I took it upon myself to perform the added duties. I gave a speech and handed her the only available crystal there, which she gladly accepted, but to my amazement and shock, it responded to her presence almost immediately. She didn't even have to touch it for it to glow, which ultimately proved that what I had been sensing was the absolute truth. She _was_ the new holder of the Western Crystal."

"So, that's how Zelena got her name? That explains a lot," David breathed out, piecing the dots together aloud.

"Why were _you_ able to predict her as the Western Witch?" Mary Margaret then asked; her brows furrowed together in confusion as she rubbed her stomach absentmindedly.

Glinda thought about it for a minute but then shook her head. "I honestly don't know. No one has ever been able to predict a wielder, it's too complicated to do, and it was never in our responsibility to do so. My guess is as good as yours…" she cleared her throat for a moment before she looked at David. "But _yes_, she ended up symbolizing the West and still claims to, to this day, even though she no longer has her crystal—the location of it remains unknown to the scroll and therefore to myself—however, my concern lies with more pressing matters. But first," she paused. "I must confess my frustration to you aloud. It was supposed to be her _fresh_ start at a new life but as old feelings of abandonment began to stir once again inside of her, she lost control and allowed it to consume her. She soon reverted back to her old ways, her skin revealing the true colors she was underneath, and when I tried to assist her, she responded by sealing me away in another dimension with the assistance of her crystal, where I stayed for a total of thirty one years. I couldn't imagine what she was doing in Oz while I was gone, but I knew that it wasn't good."

"It took me a decade to get out, but when I did, the portal I had created was strong enough to transport me to the place I desired to go to the most. As soon as I got to my homeland, however, I knew that I had failed…" A tear sprung from one of her eyes and rolled down the soft curve of her cheek, trailing past her chin before descending to the floor. Feeling the weight of her emotions, Mary Margaret got up from her seat and pulled Glinda in for a tight hug. She understood the pain she was going through, from her living in exile to the thought of being a complete failure, but as she leaned back to peer at the witch's face, she got the feeling that there was more to her depressing story.

Glinda thanked Mary Margaret for her kindness but felt that she didn't deserve it. "If I had done my job properly, it wouldn't have escalated this far…"

"You did what you thought was right!" Mary Margaret told her, wiping away the tear stains, her motherly tendencies showing through her kindness. "She's the one who didn't listen, who didn't heed your words! A person can only go so far to help someone, especially if they're unwilling to accept it."

Gently pushing herself away from the loving embrace Emma's mother was giving her, Glinda used the back of a hand to wipe away the remaining wetness under an eye, her wand glistening in the artificial light. "But it was my _job_ to know…instead of doing what I should have, I _aided_ her. I shaped her into who she is now."

"But didn't you say that the crystal is the one that chooses its holder?" David asked as he took a couple steps closer so he could stand near his wife. "If that's the case, then it's not your fault at all."

"I did and that is true, but if I had shown some restraint and waited to give it to her, things could've turned out differently. I was so excited at the thought of finding a potential sister of the Order that I acted irrationally. If I had…if I had held back till she had proven herself _worthy_ of the crystal, she permanently could've been purged of her fears and revengeful nature."

"Are you saying that if you had waited till she wasn't so full of hatred," Emma began, the realization hitting her. "Then she possibly could've been a good witch in the Sacred Four?"

Glinda nodded silently, her eyes cast down to the floor. Emma brought her hands to her face and rubbed at her cheeks, all of this information was really starting to overload her senses. The room fell into a discerning silence as they processed the new information concerning their foe.

"Am I to understand," Regina then said, bravely speaking up, "that these crystals are powerful enough to influence a _person_?" Her hands were now resting upon her hips as her eyes flashed dangerously at Glinda.

"As I have said, they can transform your destiny."

"Then…you _are_ to blame for everything that has happened here. If you had shown some common sense back in Oz, we wouldn't be in this situation now." Regina spat, her pent up frustration spewing out of her in vehemence spades. It was because of _her_ actions that Zelena had apparently gotten stronger and it was time that somebody held this "Good Witch" accountable. "All the deaths Zelena has caused, all the bad things she has done is because of you."

"I know that you don't have your heart right now, but that's no way to talk to somebody who's trying to help us." Emma stated, taking a challenging step forward in Glinda's defense.

"And _why_ don't I have my heart? Oh, I know, because of my revenge seeking sister who is bent on destroying all of us, no thanks to _her_!" Regina responded as she thrust a finger in Glinda's direction, indicating the person she was describing.

"If I remember correctly, that theme or…_apple_ doesn't fall far from your family tree," Emma retorted; her attention and tiredness now being projected onto her mentor. "In fact, I'm pretty sure that if you didn't cast the first curse, then none of this would be happening right now."

"Okay, stop it you two—" Mary Margaret said, trying her best to end the verbal feud but her voice wasn't loud enough to compete with them, so, David then tried to intervene, like he did the last time, but he too was ignored.

"Oh please, don't try to justify Zelena's _and_ Glinda's actions by comparing them to my _own_. They aren't the same and you know it!"

"How are they NOT the same? You—"

"Enough!" Glinda shouted, a harmless pink spark erupting from the tip of her wand when she raised it at arm's length. Everybody else's eyes widened as they complied with her order, both Emma and Regina relenting in their stance against one another. The vulnerable and sweet façade they've been seeing in Glinda was gone as she adopted a new and fearsome expression. "There isn't enough time for pointless bickering or dramatics over the past. What's done is done...plus, we don't want to wake up the boy who's upstairs."

She then turned to look at Regina, who tried to conceal the nervous tick her eyebrow made at the sudden movement. "I understand your position and what you say is true, but that's exactly the reason why I decided to act. I went back to Oz not only because I missed my homeland, but to confront _her_. To save what it was that I helped destroyed. But when I got there, it was desolate, blood-soaked and filled with wretched souls who looked desperate enough to wish for death! Knowing that I had to find my sisters, I went to our House where I saw their remains _strewn_ out on the lawn, unprotected and unloved, the Eastern Crystal also gone—the whereabouts also in a place unknown…They had to have been drawn out of our magically protected haven for the purpose of being murdered, so, fearful for the first time in my life at Oz, I swiftly headed inside where I, thankfully, found the scroll. I opened it and watched as decades of information flooded its pages, filling them up to the brim, where I indeed learned of my sister's demise, plus surprising plot twists along the way. As I skimmed the sheets, trying my best to memorize each important event, each _death_, each vital piece of information, each _creation_ Zelena had designed in my absence—I happened upon the mysterious town of Storybrooke…and its savior."

Glinda then glanced in Emma's direction. "Apparently, there had been a prophesy about one who would be able to save her people from a dark curse after twenty eight years had passed and when I read that the result had concluded successfully, I found myself beginning to _hope_; something I hadn't done in a long time. As I continued browsing, determined to find some more information about _you_, Emma, I discovered that you were listed as one 'destined for great things' and I became convinced that you would be able to assist me in what I have to do."

She then made her way over to a stunned Emma, who was shell-shocked by Glinda's passionate speech. She took a step back from the imposing witch and pointed at herself. "_Me_? How could I possibly help you in _this_?"

"When we first met in the street, after I saved you from one of Zelena's monkeys, I told you that you could be my only hope and I meant that. There's an evil coming that will destroy all the realms if we don't act quickly."

"The Ice Queen," Emma whispered softly, vaguely remembering what she had told her after she had been attacked. From her peripheral vision, she noticed that her parents were giving her a look that expressed their concern as Glinda's words began to sink in; they were beginning to understand how the two of them had met before she had brought her into their house. Emma exhaled, she had no plans of telling them about that but now _that_ cat was out of the bag... "Do you know what she's planning?"

"The writings mentioned something about a 'black cloud' being powerful enough to do her bidding. She just needs a few potent ingredients to do this which were, unfortunately, not elaborated on from my perspective. The Ice Queen, however, did manage to achieve some form of alliance with one we're both acquainted with…"

"Zelena," David answered, moving closer to his family who had again, through the midst of the conversation, migrated away from him. Glinda gave him a quick empty half smile, soundlessly informing him that he had guessed correctly. Looking about the room, she took in their somber features. She knew that she had just hit them with some heavy information…but she wasn't through yet. Glinda had just one more thing to tell them and if they thought that what they had just heard was difficult then what she was about to say next was going to be a doozy.

Glinda took a breath before speaking again."When I was able, I summoned another portal. It was a weaker design because of how much magic I had used to create the first, but it suited my purposes. I hastily made my way here, to Storybrooke, with the intention of finding that _hope_ I so longed for." The strawberry blonde's lavender eyes fixed upon Emma's hazel ones and took a step closer, standing only a foot away. "…You."

When Emma couldn't find any words to express what she was feeling, Glinda held out her right hand, shifting the wand over to her left, and waved it; her wrist rolling round in a circular motion. The air sizzled and burst in her palm as something began materializing; a collection of light was pulling at a stream of magic in an upwards motion before it revealed a chunky, diamond-shaped object.

"What is that?" Emma questioned as she staggered a couple paces backwards; her eyes wide. Regina had moved over to them so she get a better look while Mary Margaret grabbed at her daughter's shoulder in a protective way.

"This," Glinda began as she looked at the item, "is the last one, besides my own, that seems to be in existence but is the greatest of them all…the Northern Crystal. I found it inside our House at the same time I had found the scroll. The previous holder must've thought it wise to leave it behind and she was right. If this fell into the wrong hands, who knows what could happen to it…but," she then looked at Emma, lowering the object to see her better. "With the rest of my sisters gone, it'll be difficult for Oz to get back on its feet and restoring order would be harder if not impossible to do, but it doesn't end there; the other realms would suffer as well. So, I need to find the next Northern Witch before this black cloud happens for he or _she_ is the only person who can locate the other two and I think that I may have found the best candidate to do so or at least start with…"

"Who?" Mary Margaret asked when nobody else dared to, her eyes moving rapidly between Glinda and the sleeping crystal she was showing them.

She hesitated before boldly stating what she had been leading up to the entire time she had been telling her story. "…Who but the Savior of Storybrooke and the product of the greatest True Love there is? _Emma Swan_, the daughter of Snow White and her Prince Charming."

**…**

**S**itting languidly in her throne chair, legs crossed and head propped up by the back of her knuckles, the Ice Queen watched in intrigue as large images flashed across her self-made mirror,which stood only a few feet away.

"How interesting…" she drawled out as she observed Glinda explaining to Regina, David, Mary Margaret and Emma about the Land of Oz before summoning the Northern Crystal, a coveted item in any named realm. Upon seeing it, she leaned forward, biting her lip as she did so.

"So it was _in_ the Hallowed House? No wonder _they_ couldn't find it."

She then waved a finger which changed the picture from the loft to the different areas within the same town. It soon guided her to a clearing in the woods where a group of armed individuals had surrounded a flying monkey. Noting that it was one of her partner's creations, she raised an eyebrow, wondering what could possibly be interesting about capturing one of those creatures, but when she heard the words "cure" and "tranquilizer gun", she realized that they were planning to transform the beast back to its normal self, if it still had one.

"They'll have a tough time in doing so…that bit of magic is hard to undo," she mocked as she watched what happened next. As the creature ran to attack the men, she saw that it was injured and without hesitating, she commanded the mirror to zoom in on the wound. It was a fresh injury and judging from what she had overheard in Glinda's conversation, this could be the very same monkey they had warded off.

"That must've been the bit of information I had missed," she said as she remembered her discovery of the Southern Witch's new location, but since that _unfortunate_ happenstance, she has been keeping a close eye on her, suspicious as to her motives, and it was a good thing that she did so; otherwise, she wouldn't have learned a few things that Glinda had spoken to the others in total confidence.

As she continued to look at the creature, she soon found what she had been looking for: there was a small puff of residual pink magic gliding around the gapping flesh wound, which could've only been done by one individual—the dear, innocent and sweet Glinda.

Breathing deeply, trying to control her emotions, she watched as the creature got away from its attackers by taking off into the night sky. Her eyes still focused on the mirror, she twirled a loose strand of her hair nervously. "If that beast makes it back to Zelena, then my test would be ruined…"

Knowing her options, she raised a hand and steadily flicked a finger, the practiced motion summoning out a pale blue light, which then glided deliberately over to the mirror. Using her extensive knowledge of transporting through realms, she guided it effortlessly through the surface while simultaneously creating a small portal right in front of the monkey that lived in Storybrooke. The creature stopped, its wings flapping wildly behind it, but before it could react in anyway, the magical wisp lunged forward suddenly and struck it square in the chest, over its heart. Its mouth dropped open in shock as a stinging pain racked its body, causing its tail to vibrate unnaturally, and as soon as its wings started to slow down; a thick formation of ice began to encase it. A hiss of air escaped from its mouth as it breathed its last, and once its entire body was covered in it, the monkey's body hung in the air only for a moment before it plummeted back down towards the ground at a high speed.

It broke through a couple of branches before it crashed with a loud thud, causing it to shatter into hundreds of pieces, which exploded into different areas, in the forest, upon impact.

"It's always better to keep things on _ice_…" the Ice Queen narrated with a wide smile as she watched how her deadly decision went unnoticed by the group of men who had started to leave the clearing in obvious disappointment. Then, with a lazy hand wave, she closed the portal in Storybrooke and then turned off the mirror; leaning back into her throne chair as she stared off into the dimly light room.

"Zelena," she whispered, a cold glint now taking shape in her eyes as her mood sobered, her thoughts wandering back to her present concerns. "You better not fail me…or I might do the same thing to you."

**…**

**I hope that you liked it. The next chapter will be here soon!**


	7. Author's Note

**Sorry that I haven't written anything for a while (20 days exactly)! It feels like I haven't been on here for ages, but I've been busy with school—finals have literally just ended. I'm on the quarter system…**

**I plan on writing something very soon, least within this coming week—I feel bad that you haven't had anything new to read, especially since I promised to give you an "overdose" of chapters a while back, so, please stick around as I get my things together :] You are in for a treat!**

**Also please continue to (re)read, follow, favorite and/or comment in regards to this story! I value both your input and support :] **

**Much love!**


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