Identity- Once Upon A Time

The Moon Rises

"Oh my god! Henry! Lily!" The town began to shake off their time curses and ran toward the pair. Emma sprinted at them with hot tears streaking down from her eyes. "I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry..." She held the two of them close to her as she whispered these words.

"Mom, it's alright. There's nothing to worry about." Henry laughed. "We're both alive aren't we?"

Emma let the two of them go and revealed a joyous tear soaked face. "I'm so glad the two of you are okay."

Mary Margaret and David were the next two to make it to where Henry and Lily stood. Hugs and laughs of joy were exchanged between them. Next was Regina to greet them. Regina looked just as full of blithe as Emma was, perhaps more so. One by one did their family come and greet them with cheer and adoration. The lightly snow-dusted streets now rung with happiness rather than violence and anger.

"Thank you all..." Lily began to weep uncontrollably and fell to her knees. 

"Lily, what's the matter?" Henry sat down next to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. 

She removed her face from her hands and looked up at Henry then everyone else who had stopped to see her reaction. "It's just that..." She cried as she spoke. "You've finally given me the one thing I've wanted, a family." She wiped the tears from her eyes with her sleeve. "Thank you..."

"Awww," sounded the crowd.

"You know what Lily," Emma sat down on the opposite side of her. "We couldn't imagine our family without you." The residents of Storybrooke cheered in the twilight. 

"Who's up for Granny's?" Yelled Grumpy. The crowd cheered once again and filtered into or around the restaurant just a few blocks down.

"Victory is sweet, isn't it?" David asked Henry and Lily.

"I suppose," Henry laughed with glee. It seemed as if all was back to normal, people were talking and playing in the streets; children ran about and reenacted the fight in their games.

"Hey Henry," Lily pulled him off to the side. 

"Yeah, what's up?" 

"I can't stay." She said with a grim expression.

"You shouldn't be embarrassed, it wasn't you attacking the town, it was her."

"I can't stay." She repeated. "Come with me," Lily began to run off main street and through the alleyways.

"Wait, where are you going this time?" Henry followed her every step of the way until they reached the wishing well. "Lily, where are we?"

"Henry, I-" Lily's voice trailed off. "I can't stay."

"Stop repeating that! What do you mean 'I can't stay'?"

"Henry, do you know why that battle just occurred?" Lily's eyes glittered in the moonlight.

"...to protect the story?" Henry quizzed.

"You know who I am now and-" She looked toward the wishing well.

"No! You will not!" Henry started to fill with rage. "I just got you back, I'm not losing you again!"

"Henry, I have no choice!" Her eyes again filled with tears. "It is my destiny!"

"No! I will change it, I will..." Lily cupped Henry's face in her hands.

"It's okay."

Henry started to weep. "But-but I'll miss you!"

"I'll always be there." She chuckled with a slight melancholy. "I will literally always be there." Lily looked back at the wishing well once again. "Henry, do you still have the locket?"