Sound of Surviving

81

"Oh, that knife is not gonna make me remember something that I don't know."

"Wait," Regina said, using her magic to take the knife from Ursula for herself.

"Is there a problem?" Ursula asked.

"I knew she'd never the stomach for this," Cruella stated.

"Please," Regina retorted. "I was torturing people back when you were still playing with puppies. This sorry excuse for a man used to be made of wood. So let's light a fire under him and see what happens." She produced a magic fireball in her hand.

August suddenly looked scared. "Okay. All right. You know something? I actually, uh, do remember something about the Author." Regina threw her fireball into the fireplace, lighting a fire. "Um..."

"Don't hold out on us," Ursula told her.

"W-when I was in Hong Kong, uh, before the curse broke, I met a mystic. His name was The Dragon. I don't know how he knew about the book, but he had been looking for the Author for years." He was looking at Mr Gold as he said this.

"And what did this "dragon" learn?" Mr. Gold questioned.

"He died before I could ask."

"Oh, well, that's something you two are about to have in common." He stood and walked towards August.

"And after he died... I took his research. And I brought it with me to Storybrooke."

"Do you really think this man-child is telling us the truth?" Maleficent asked.

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time he's lied to my face," Mr. Gold said. "I'm afraid I'm gonna have to pay a visit to his trailer to find out." He walked over to coat rack and took his jacket.

"While you're doing that, shall we carry on with the rest of the plan?" Ursula questioned.

Regina looked surprised. "Rest of the plan? What aren't you telling me?"

"You're gonna have to do a lot more than just kidnap a marionette and torch a few logs for us to tell you everything," Mr. Gold told her. "In the meantime, be content that you've finally chosen the winning side."

Regina walked over to the fire and stared at it for a few moments, before smoke quickly began to rise to the top of the chimney.

---

Emma, Hook, David, Never, Scarlet and Mary Margaret were out searching for Regina/August. They were walking in the direction of the cabin, and it was clear that Emma and Nevaeh were wound up, and Mary Margaret sensed it.

"It's okay, Emma, Nevaeh," Mary Margaret said. "As long as he's with Regina, Pinocchio will be all right."

"We don't know that," Emma replied. "Nevaeh and I just wish we hadn't let her ditch us."

"Swan, you and Nevaeh couldn't have known that she'd drop that tracking device," Hook stated.

"Yeah, but we let her talk me into thinking kidnapping him was a good idea. If anything happens to that kid, it's our fault."

David bent down to inspect the tracks they'd been following. "Uh, the tracks end here. Looks like the rain washed them away."

Hook turned to look at Emma. "Oh, would now be an appropriate time for a locator spell?"

Mary Margaret looked into the distance. "We may not need one. Look." They all stopped to look at the smoke traveling towards them. It engulfed Mary Margaret, before disappearing inside of her. The others looked on in concern.

"Mary Margaret."

"What the hell was that? Are you okay?" Emma asked.

Mary Margaret spoke in Regina's voice. "I have to make this quick. We don't have much time."