Kyla heard the sheath of David's sword and stepped back from the window.
"Has she ever come back?" She asked, breathless.
"Not in the year I've been here," he answered quickly.
Kyla looked up at Flynn, an ache replacing the fear she was feeling for David.
"What is it?" He asked.
"I have to go," she said in a small voice.
"You do," he said. He saw the look in her eyes and grabbed her hands. "I feel it too, Kyla," he said, not meeting her eyes. "I don't know what this is, but I feel it. And in my heart, I know you will come back for me."
Her heart beat faster and faster. She looked up, finally able to meet his eyes. They showed he was sincere. He raised one of his hands and gently touched her cheek.
It was as if a million butterflies were released into her stomach all at once and she wondered if this was the feeling of love that everyone was talking about. Could it happen so soon?
Suddenly, she felt a shock rush through the hand that was held by his. She jumped back, noticing him doing the same.
"What was that?" He asked, not in a fearful tone, more curious.
"Magic," was all she could whisper, staring at her hands.
"I thought you said you didn't have any."
She looked up at him again, searching his eyes. Then, she grabbed his hands once more, feeling the electricity fill her body and welcoming it.
"It seems that with you, I do," she said, a smile appearing on her face.
"Will it stay long enough to fight her off?" He asked, releasing her hands. Kyla followed him to the window.
"No," she answered. "I can already feel it fading."
They looked at each other once more, knowing they had to separate.
She took in a deep breath, jumped up to the ledge and pulled her hair into her hands, twirling it like a lasso. She caught the rope that lowered the bucket and was able to create her pulley down. She turned to him and with a smile, said, "I'll be back soon."
She didn't wait for a reply. As fast as she could, she swung through the air, lowering herself to the ground. As soon as she was down, she pulled her clip into her hair and allowed it to re-wrap itself. With another deep breath, she concentrated on David's heartbeat, her eyes searching aimlessly in the dark.
She heard David's sword moving through the air and ran toward the sound. Flynn was watching from the window, but she refused to look up, afraid to feel anymore heartbreak than she had in the last few weeks.
Kyla ran as fast as she could until she could see David. The witch was moving toward him, but stopped once Kyla approached. She looked a phantom with a black robe and hood covering her entire body. A bad feeling rushed through Kyla and immediately she knew it wasn't the witch.
The being turned, its ghostly face staring into Kyla's eyes. She was taken back, her heart beating faster and faster. Its eyes were blue, its body long and lean, and it held some sort of smirk on its faint face.
"Run," Kyla said in a low voice. David was breathing heavily and she could feel his fear turn to confusion.
"What?" He asked, not understanding.
Kyla took in a deep breath and made a choice.
She allowed her magic to fade and instead of fighting, she bolted toward David, screaming at him to run.
They both made their way through the wooded forest, as far away from the garden as they could get. But they realized, as soon as they had left the perimeter, it had stopped chasing them.
They slowed, attempting with all of their might to catch their breath.
"What was that?!" David exclaimed. He was doubled over with his hands gripped to his knees.
Kyla stared into the darkness, attempting to keep her cool.
"It wasn't the witch. I'm not sure what it was," she said. Then, she looked at David who looked defeated. "You didn't get it," she stated rather than asking as she already knew the answer.
"No," he said, not meeting her eyes.
"David," she said, reaching her hand to his arm as a moment of comfort, "you don't need the root."
"I can't get over this," he said, frustration replacing his other emotions. "I don't think I can do this. I'm terrified."
Kyla sighed. "I hate to be a woman of cliches, but I think being terrified is what is going to make you a great dad."
"How so?"
"You're afraid to fail," she said. His face didn't change. "Which means you'll do everything in your power to not fail."
"But what happens when I do?"
She shrugged. "You try again. I mean, I don't have a lot to go off of. I don't know my real father and my only father figure was the Dark One and he is now dead...so..."
David was silent for a minute as he watched Kyla. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.
"Do you want to talk about your stuff?" She asked. He subtly shook his head. "Just trust that everything is going to work out, okay?"
"Okay," he said, releasing a sigh of relief. "Thank you for coming to save me, by the way."
Kyla gave him a small, sad smile. "I wasn't going to let you die," she said, turning to walk back to their kingdom.
"You feel something for that man, don't you?" He asked, keeping up with her.
"I don't know," she answered awkwardly.
"Compare your feelings toward Pan," he said. She could hear the smile on his face. She hit him in the arm and he laughed. "Okay, okay, too soon."
Kyla stayed silent. She pictured Rider's face in her head and desperately wished she could turn and run back to him. She wanted him out of that tower.
"Kyla," David said, grabbing her arm and stopping her. "We'll get him out."
"How?" She asked, hearing more desperation in her voice than she thought was there.
"We always find a way. Maybe we should start with Regina?" He said. Kyla nodded and they continued on back to the castle.
"I'd have to get into my vault, but I'm sure I can find the spell that released you," Regina had said when Kyla approached her with the idea. Her voice sounded hopeful.
"Really?" She said, trying not to sound too excited.
"Are you going to tell me about him?" She asked as they walked through the castle halls together.
"I just felt a connection with him, that's all."
"Ah, love at first sight," she said with a smile.
"I don't know if it was love," Kyla said. "Is it possible to feel that way at first sight? I mean, it took Snow and David forever until they finally 'found' each other," she said using air quotations. Regina laughed.
"Yes, but I know your sister felt something the moment she met David. They were always meant to be. And maybe that's how it will be with you and this...Rider?"
"Flynn Rider," she said, chuckling at the ridiculousness of his name. "It sounds made up, doesn't it."
"Yes, well, remember, we are all fairytale characters," Regina teased.
"I've missed this," Kyla said after a moment of silence. "Or...I guess we never really had this, but I've missed being your friend."
"Me too, Kyla," Regina answered.
They walked down a few flights of stairs before reaching the dungeon entrance inside the castle.
"This is where you keep all of your stuff?" She asked.
"It's hidden away. I've had this vault since I had taken up dark magic. The only person that knew existed was Rumplestiltskin," she explained.
"And apparently your sister," Kyla pointed out.
"And now you," Regina said with a smile.
It was a stone walled room with shelving from top to bottom. Any ingredient you could think of, she had. There were also dozens of rows of boxes pushed into the wall.
"What are these?" Kyla asked, running her hand over it.
"Hearts," Regina said. Kyla turned and looked at her. "Hey, I was a different person back then," she defended.
"Weren't we all," Kyla agreed, turning back to the wall. "I'm surprised you never took my heart."
"I didn't need to," Regina said. "You were way too willing to help my cause."
Kyla laughed. "It was never really about you. I had my own reasons."
"Which you're over now," Regina said.
"As are you," Kyla smirked.
Regina was looking at the boxes below the shelving. It felt like an eternity to Kyla, until she heard Regina gasp and lift up a lone piece of paper.
"Got it," she said, reading through the spell.
"You do?" Kyla said, running over to her. "What do we need?"
Regina's eyes darted across the paper a few times, looking distressed.
"There are a few ingredients that I need that Zelena is protecting," she said, defeated.
"You've got to be kidding me," Kyla said.
"There's no way she'll let me get near it," Regina said, mostly to herself.
"Let me do it," Kyla said after a pause.
"No," Regina said, folding the piece of paper and walking away from the box.
"Why not?"
"It's too dangerous. She is too dangerous," Regina said.
"Oh, come on. You're not seriously worried about me," Kyla laughed.
"Of course I am!" Regina exclaimed, spinning around. "Look, I may not be your step-mother, but that doesn't mean I don't see you like a daughter. Zelena is nothing to mess around with and if you get hurt-"
"I won't get hurt. I can handle myself."
Regina stared at her for a moment, then sighed.
"Fine." She conceded. "Just do not give into her. It's what she'll want," she warned.
"Do we know why she's so angry?"
"Our mother. She gave Zelena away to get herself her best chance," Regina said. Kyla couldn't help but laugh.
"Sounds familiar. But it'll give us some common ground. I can relate to being unwanted," she said. Regina looked at Kyla with concern and immediately, Kyla knew what she was thinking. "Don't worry, we're not going to bond over it. But, I can use it to my advantage."
"Maybe you could use your power to deceive her," Regina said quietly.
"That's what I was thinking," Kyla said with a smile.
For a few weeks, Zelena had stayed away from the kingdom, allowing the patrons to live in peace. It was unfortunate for Kyla because she knew she needed Zelena to free Flynn Rider. She feared that Zelena was aware of that.
One morning, before the sun rose, Kyla quietly let herself into their castle they had called home since the curse. Men were guarding the doors, but they let her in without questioning where she had been.
She tiptoed through the grand hall, careful not to make any sudden noise.
"And just where have you been?" A voice echoed through the hall. Kyla jumped as she spun around to find her brother-in-law standing at the doors she had just entered through. She threw her hand to her chest, trying to catch her breath.
David.
"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" She asked.
David walked to her, arms crossed in front of his chest. "Were you out all night?"
Kyla made a face. "You're not my dad," she said.
"Well, I am the prince," his voice was cocky, but he had a smile on his face.
"Ah, so I have to tell you where I am every second of the day?" She asked. David shook his head, chuckling.
"Really, though, everything alright?"
Kyla nodded quickly, her head bouncing up and down and her heart pounding in her chest. "Just went for a walk."
"A walk to see Flynn Rider?" He asked. Her eyes opened wide.
"How did you know that?"
"You're not the only person who's good at reading people, Kyla," he said. "But, also, the look on your face is the same one you had after meeting him. How often do you go to see him?"
She shrugged. "As often as I can. I hate that he's trapped there and there's nothing I can do about it."
David placed his hand on her shoulder and sighed. "I know. But we will find a way."
"What? Because you always do?"
David nodded. "Our track record is pretty good," he said with a smile.
"I just feel so powerless. If I had my active magic-"
"There's still no breaking that witch's curse on your own," David assured her. "This isn't about how magical you are. You are strong, Rapunzel. We're going to figure something out."
"And you're really going to help me?"
"I haven't let you down yet, have I?" He asked.
"I guess not," she said, then laughed.
"What is it?"
She shook her head. "I just never thought that you would be the one I was coming to for help."
He smiled at her comment. "Well, I guess the family bonding thing is happening whether you like it or not. Now, do me a favor, go get some rest."
"I can't. I have to find Zelena. I have to fix this."
"You can after you sleep some. That's a command." He said, his voice more authoritative. She rolled her eyes and began to walk away, but not before turning.
"Thank you." She said.
David nodded and pointed at the door. She whipped herself around and continued to walk.
Kyla had no intention of going to sleep. Instead, she found herself walking to Regina's secret vault. She knew there had to be something to conjure Zelena and get her to talk to her. After rummaging through her potions and spells, she found one to call a witch. Regina had it kept away at the bottom of a big chest, and she knew why. In order to cast the spell, magic had to be used by the purveyor of neutral magic. Regina had most likely never heard of neutral magic, so she stashed it away and forgot about it.
All that was needed was a lock of Kyla's hair.
Quickly, Kyla ran through the castle to the garden where Regina had her last encounter with Zelena. The sun still had not come up, to which she was thankful. She was going to play the witch like she would Rumplestiltskin. She was going to make a deal.
She cut a small clump of her hair and watched it glow, staying a bright blonde instead of turning brown. She folded the piece of paper over it and squeezed it shut, letting the hair's magic do the work. After closing her eyes for a moment, she felt the wind rush and could sense the dark magic coming in. When she opened them, Zelena was in the air, flying on her broomstick.
"Ah, Rapunzel," she said, her voice as sinister as ever. "To what do I owe the pleasure."
"It's been a while since you've been around the kingdom." She said.
"And yet, you've brought me here."
"I know you're plotting and scheming your next moves. I don't know what you're after, but I know this isn't over."
"Does that frighten you, princess?" She asked. Kyla smirked.
"Not in the slightest. But, I do have a proposal for you."
"What's that?"
"I can get Regina off your back, for a small price."
"You want to make a deal? What do I look like, the Dark One?"
"Oh, please. We both know how you brought him back. I'm sure he's trapped in a cage somewhere out of his mind, which means that right now, in this realm, you hold the darkest magic there is. So...in a sense, yes, you do look like the Dark One."
"And why would I agree to anything?"
"Because we both know Regina can and will find a way to destroy you," Kyla explained.
"Really? You think I'm afraid of that?"
"I know you are. See, you may hold dark magic, but I hold neutral magic. I can feel everything that you feel, and right now, I can feel the fear coursing through you. Let me help with that."
Zelena stayed silent for a moment. Kyla lowered her voice and continued speaking.
"I know what it's like to be abandoned. My mother abandoned me for the same reasons yours did. Except, I was trapped in a tower, doomed from learning a bit of magic. 16 years they kept me there until the Dark One helped me escape. He taught me to control my magic and I've been free ever since. I know the revenge you seek, and you won't be able to get it unless Regina is out of the way."
"You'll kill her?" Zelena asked immediately.
"What?" Kyla asked. "No, of course not. But distractions help. She misses Henry. That's plenty."
Kyla remembered a time where she would've betrayed everyone around her. Now, she felt guilty using Regina's weaknesses against her, but she knew it was the only way.
Zelena bought every word Kyla said. She straightened on her broom. "What is it you want?"
"You are keeping Regina's potions under lock and key. I need ingredients to free someone from a tower that I was trapped in years ago."
"That's all?" She asked. "I can just free them for you."
"You would do that?" Kyla asked, surprised.
Zelena chuckled. "Well, for a different price, that is."
Kyla could see she was eyeing her hair. Instinctively, she grabbed at it.
"You want my hair?"
"Just a lock, sweetheart."
"Why?" She asked.
"Do you want to save your man or not?"
"I didn't say who it was," Kyla said. Zelena smiled.
"You can always tell when it's someone you love. And I'm suspecting you'll do anything to free him."
Kyla thought about it. She knew that in someone else's hands, her hair was useless. But if Zelena didn't know that, she found the loophole she needed. She looked up at the witch.
"Deal," she said, taking the lock from the page and holding it out to her. Zelena magicked it into her hands and smiled.
"Where is your prince located?"
"He's not a prince," Kyla said, "but in the witch's tower at the edge of Sherwood Forest."
"Ah, yes, that witch," Zelena said. She took a deep breath in, snapped her fingers and smiled. "There. He's able to leave now."
"That's it?"
"How did you escape, dear?" She asked.
"Regina cast a spell," she answered.
"Well, it just goes to show," she said, flying her broom closer to Kyla, "I must be more powerful than your dear Queen."
Kyla tried to control her breathing. Up close, Zelena was horrifying to look at.
"Go to him. He'll be happy to see you."
Then, she flew away, cackling in the distance.
Immediately, Kyla felt a bit of regret making that deal with Zelena, but in the moment, all she cared about was freeing Rider.
She ran through the castle as fast as she could and grabbed the first horse she found outside. She rode all the way through the forest until she found the all too familiar tower. Rider was looking out the window, it seemed as though he hadn't moved since she left. His eyes widened as he saw her ride up.
"What are you doing back?" He asked. She jumped off the horse, unclipped her hair and threw it as far as she could up to him.
"You're free!" She called up. He took a step back.
"What?"
"Reach your hand out. See for yourself!"
As he did, she could almost see tears forming in his eyes when the magical barricade that had kept him in there was suddenly gone. Without another word, he grabbed onto her hair and climbed down the tower, feeling the grass on the ground for the first time in forever.
His eyes met Kyla's, big and blue, and they stood, watching each other for a moment. Then, without hesitation, he ran to her, swooping her up in his arms and kissing her while they spun around.
He set her down, refusing to release his grasp on her.
"How did you do it?"
She looked down, refusing to meet his eyes. "I made a deal."
"With the Wicked Witch?" He asked, knowing her from the stories Kyla had told him. She nodded.
"She just wanted a lock of my hair. There's nothing she can do with it. Plus, I don't care. You're here, you're free," she said with the biggest smile on her face.
"What are we going to do now?" He asked her.
"You're coming home with me. I want you to meet my family."
"That's a big step," he chuckled.
"It's the Charming way," she teased. "But this is it. We can live happily ever after now."
They kissed once more before mounting the horse and heading back to the castle.
When they entered, hand in hand, they were met by David, Snow and Regina at the round table.
"Who is this?" Snow White asked. She was sitting in the chair, but slowly stood up.
"Snow, this is Flynn Rider," Kyla said as Flynn held out his hand to shake Snow's.
"I've heard so much about you, Your Highness."
"You're free," David breathed as he looked Rider up and down.
"It appears so."
"How did you do it?" Regina asked.
Kyla looked at Flynn, silently begging him not to say a word about Zelena. He caught her cue.
"She just believed," he lied for her.
"Light magic?" Regina asked.
Kyla shrugged. "In a sense." She could feel the discomfort in the room. Just by looking at their faces, she could tell something was wrong. "What's happened?" She asked, letting Rider's hand go and walking to the table.
"It's Zelena. We figured out what she's after," David said.
"You did? What is it?"
David and Snow shared a concerned look with each other and looked back at Kyla.
"She wants our baby."
Kyla took a step back, grabbing at her hair. She was worried that the cost of their deal had put their baby in harm's way. But then she looked at Rider, knowing she couldn't be happier without him. She had made the right choice in the moment.
But at what cost?