It takes a moment for everyone to realize what's happened. The clearing is deadly silent as everyone's eyesight returns.
"Evie?!" Mal asks. She cautiously steps forward to where her best friend had been standing. There's no trace of her.
"Where is she?" Doug asks. "What happened?"
"She's completely gone!" Dizzy squeaks in panic.
"She disintegrated!" another voice calls out.
Of course, the son of Cinderella and Prince Charming has to turn the drama up to 11. "I knew it! I knew magic was a bad idea. Jane your mother was right to banish it! It's too dangerous. We all just witnessed Evie disintegrate before our very eyes... now who's going to tailor my suits."
"Is that all you care about?" Ben says, more concerned for his friend's well-being than... fashion of all things.
"Well, it's an obvious indication that magic is dangerous."
"Oh, shut up Chad," Jay moans in annoyance. "She didn't disintegrate..." he then pauses. He turns to Regina for reassurance. "Did she?"
"Of course not," the Evil Queen says with confidence. "That's not even possible."
"Well..." Rumple begins.
"Dad shut up!" Crystal snaps quickly, cutting her father off before he causes the tense atmosphere to bubble into full-blown panic. Why must he insist on being an agent of chaos? "She didn't disintegrate. My guess is she jumped and mastered a future lesson, the lesson of teleportation."
"Wait, we can do that?" Jay asks.
"Depends on your powers," Emma says. "Like the fairies can shrink and travel by wings. No doubt Mal can fly in dragon form... the Uma chick can probably do the mermaid teleport thing. Magic never leaves you without a way to travel."
"Wicked," Jay smirks.
"But we need to find Evie," Doug says. "Where could she have gone?"
"Hard to say," Regina says. "If she didn't know that she could teleport nor know where she was going..."
"She could be anywhere," Crystal finishes.
"Anywhere?" Dizzy asks in alarm. "You mean she could be at the North Pole?"
"No, no, nothing like that Dizzy," Emma says. "There's no way Evie would be able to teleport that far. We just mean anywhere in Storybrooke."
"Oh," the young VK says.
"We should split up and start searching for her," David says, taking charge. "I wish Red was here, she'd be able to track her down no problem."
Carlos looks down at Dude. "You think you can pick up the scent?"
"I can try," the loyal canine says, standing tall, ready for his assignment.
"We need something with her scent on it," Snow says.
"There's bound to be something back at the mansion," Regina says.
The Queen gets ready to poof away.
"I'm coming with you," Doug says, stepping forward.
It surprises her. "Okay, as long as you don't mind teleporting."
"I don't care, I'll do anything to find Evie," the son of Dopey says, a brave look across his face and a fierceness in his green eyes. It's a comfort to Regina that her alternate daughter had such a devoted partner.
"Bring an article of clothing back for a locator potion too," Rumple says, the imp already planning to go back to his shop to make it. "We'll use it to broaden our chances of finding her."
"Everyone else spread out," David orders. "Stay in pairs and don't go off alone."
"Carlos, you and Dude can stay with me until Regina gets back with the sample of her scent," Snow says. She then takes her phone out. "Let's get the dwarves out in the mines too."
"I'll call Granny to organize the town," Belle says. With a flick of his wrist, Rumple teleports them away.
Snow organizes Simon and Whitney to go with David, while the fairies offer aerial support.
"No way those puny fairies are going to be able to see everything," Mal mutters to herself. "We need more in the air."
While Mal had intended to take off with Jay and Ben on foot, her eyes glow green. The daughter of Maleficent gives herself some space and in a puff of purple, she takes flight in dragon form.
The Mistress of all Evil is absolutely stunned by the transformation, but very impressed. The girl had more of a purple hue to her scales but showed much dignity and grace in this form.
Unable to resist, in a flash, Maleficent turns into a dragon as well and joins her daughter in the air.
"Be careful and watch where you fly," Emma warns up at them. One dragon was a lot, but two... it would be difficult for them not to accidentally crossover the town line and for someone to see them.
She and Killian head for the bug, bringing Harry and Audrey with them. The pirate is going to search the docks and if necessary, take the Jolly Roger around the shoreline.
Crystal... is with Jane, Dizzy and... Chad, much to her annoyance.
"Let's go," the daughter of the Dark One says, heading off in a random direction.
The parties disperse and the hunt for Evie begins.
...
"All right men," Leroy barks, having all 7 dwarves and their sons, with the exception of Doug, line up like an army. His best mining boots punish the ground outside the mine and his trusty pickaxe hangs over his shoulder. "We have a job to do. We need to find Queenie's daughter and she could be anywhere in town. We're doing the underground. Now for the runts... stick with your..."
There's a pause.
"Fathers and do not, I repeat do NOT wander away. Mining is a dangerous profession, and the tunnels are not a playground. This kind of job is hard and backbreaking work, something you kids nowadays know nothing about."
"And for good reason," Gordon retorts. "So, we don't accidentally die."
The dwarf growls and attempts to ignore his "alternate" son.
"All right Germy," he refers to Sneezy. "Hand out the lanterns."
Dopey signs to Leroy to ask a question while Sneezy prepares the equipment.
"No, he's with Regina. Since Evie's his girlfriend, he's going to be a big help with the ground search. Plus, if she's upset, he can be there to comfort her."
"Who's there to comfort me when I suffocate down there?" Gordon asks. "And why can't we use flashlights? Or even headlamps? Especially if there are poisonous gases down there."
"Because it's all we have right now!" Leroy barks. This kid would be the death of him, he was sure of it. "Besides, I bet you haven't seen a speck of dirt in your cushy preppy life have you?"
However, the other dwarf sons and even some of the fathers prefer the suggestion of handheld lights. Even with lights in the mines, it never hurt to have backup case the power went out.
"I can get a few flashlights from the hardware store," Happy says. "It won't take more than a few minutes."
"We're using lanterns!" Grumpy snaps, taking the ancient relics from Sneezy and practically throwing one at each set of father and son.
"Yeah, I'm not going in there unless we have something less flammable," Gordon says smarmily.
Leroy has had it. He slams his axe into the ground to the point that it's heavily wedged in there.
"If you want to stay out here and wait while that girl could be lost in the mines, be my guest, but I'm getting the job done regardless."
He grabs a lantern and disappears inside.
"You really take after your old man," Double D snickers at Gordon. "Though you've never been given a lethal weapon."
The son of Grumpy shrugs and nods. "Probably for the best."
...
Regina and Doug appear in the mansion. They immediately spread out, going from room to room in case Evie had teleported herself back home to soothe her anxiety.
"Evie!" Doug calls.
"Evie are you here?" Regina asks.
"Evie it's us," the son of Dopey says.
Eventually, they converge in the living room, Doug's face becoming more and more worried. He adjusts his glasses nervously and fidgets.
"Guess we're going to have to track her another way," Regina says. "I need you to go upstairs and grab three things that belong to Evie."
Doug nods and disappears upstairs, leaving the former Evil Queen to pace and nibble on her thumbnail, able to express her anxiety and worry in private.
She worries that Evie is somehow out in the woods with no way of getting home or hell she ended up near the cliffs. She won't show it, but she's terrified of losing the girl. She's been feeling the bond that they've been forming, one of trust and kinship and there's no way to describe the feeling. One of care, concern, and even love for the daughter she never had. Spending time with the blue-haired girl made her regret her decision to drink the infertility potion long ago. To never have children... The thought makes the wound even deeper. Of course, she never regretted adopting Henry, he saved her, but she would have loved for her son to have a sibling... a little girl with Robin's blue eyes and her hair colour...
Regina bites her lip, fighting the tears. What had happened, had happened and there was no changing it, but she could still have something with Evie... even if it's temporary.
Her stomach churns again at the thought, but just then, Doug comes racing down the stairs, except he trips and is about to face plant.
Using her magic, Regina saves him. His body floats in mid-air before she lowers him to the ground.
The dwarf son gasps, his eyes wide with the realization that he could have been seriously hurt, but the Queen's magic had saved him.
He'd blamed magic for making Evie disappear like that and making her lose all confidence in herself, but maybe it could help...
"T-Thank you," Doug manages to say. His arms are full of Evie's things.
Regina simply nods and flicks her wrist.
...
Belle races out of the shop, phone in hand talking to Granny. She and the old woman would rally the townsfolk in a search party through the area.
Meanwhile, Rumple uses his magic to get one of his small cauldrons on a nearby desk boiling, with enchanted fire (meaning nothing else would go up in flames). It floats in mid-air while he rummages around in his cabinets, looking for the proper ingredients to make locator potions.
As he's mixing, he ponders the girl's power and unintentional teleportation. It's clear she took after her mother in terms of magic, but what interested him was the dragon girl Mallory, her magic was something else entirely... more energy than he assumed the daughter of Maleficent would have. It was certainly special and he felt like he'd encountered her magical fingerprint before... but he's not 100% sure when... Who was the girl's father? Was he magical as well?
He ponders this as he creates the potions.
...
"No luck on the docks," Emma says. She had the dockmaster check the cannery and anywhere else Evie might have ended up.
"We're going to have to take to the water then," Killian mutters.
He and Harry approach The Jolly Roger, the crew from the Isle are doing random things on deck such as sleeping, sword fighting, terrorizing seagulls and overall, just causing chaos as only teenagers can. The captain was thankful that Emma had cast a protection spell over his beloved ship to protect her from further vandalism.
"All right mates listen up!" Killian barks. His authoritative voice catches all the teen pirates by surprise. "I'm your captain and I want you all to make this ship seaworthy!"
The War Frats are confused and stare at Harry. They have the instinct to take off or rush the adult in this situation, but in order to get food, they had to give up their weapons (they'd found a few extra below deck, but not enough for all of them) and one look at the hook... it's enough to keep them in line. They also don't understand why Harry is still with this so-called hero... even if he was the kid's father. It didn't make any sense that he was suddenly disloyal to them.
He barks orders, pointing to groups and giving them commands.
When he's done, they continue to stare, completely dumbfounded.
"Are you deaf? Did you not hear me?" Killian shouts.
Gil is especially confused and even shoots a glare at Harry.
Killian is about to yell at them again when he decides to try something different. He leans over and nudges Harry.
"Go on Mate..."
At first, the son is lost at what he meant or what to do, but he realizes what the man is asking.
"Didn't you hear him?" he asks, at a volume that could hardly be considered powerful or show leadership.
Killian gives the kid a gentle nudge. "Little more."
He sucks in a deep breath.
"OY DIDN'T YOU HEAR 'IM?! LET'S GO!"
When the last word exits his mouth, Harry is surprised about how powerful he sounded... like a real...
The teen pirates take a step back in shock. Even Gil, one of his best friends is stunned. He never knew his friend could sound so intimidating or act like a leader.
"Aye, when you're staying on MY ship, which I could have you thrown off of if I so desired, you are MY crew and therefore obey MY orders!" the hook-handed pirate adds.
"GO!" Harry yells.
This seems to snap the Frats into action, they immediately get to work, preparing to set sail, even if they'd only done this once before when they escaped the Isle.
Both Killian and Harry point out errors when needed and even help make corrections when they use the wrong knot for the sail or don't properly adjust the tiller. Even when Gil struggles, Killian corrects him in a firm but calm voice, betraying his previous performance.
Emma and Audrey stand on the shore, knowing it was better to let the more experienced pirates deal with them. The blonde smiles proudly at her husband and even feels a little turned on by his authority.
"I can't believe that's your husband," Audrey comments in a low whisper. "He usually seems so quiet."
"Yes, always a pirate at heart. You make him mad... you'd better watch out."
Audrey says nothing else and just stares up at the mighty ship. She'd never really seen one up close before, really only in books and movies.
Eventually, The Jolly Roger is ready to go.
"Well done!" he says. "You have all earned another night in the barracks. Now hoist the mainsail, we're on our way!"
The dark-haired man then leans over the side to speak to his wife.
"Are you coming, Swan and Miss Beauty?"
"We'll go through town with the bug," Emma says. "And help Belle with the ground search. You two do what you do best."
Audrey secretly sighs with relief that she won't be trapped on a ship with a bunch of VKs, many of whom probably hated her or found her attractive... she's not sure which would be worse.
Killian smiles. "I love you, Emma."
"I love you, Killian."
The man with the hook then moves to the wheel, ready for his favourite part. The wind against his skin, the flapping as the sails catch the breeze and the smell of the seawater. Part of who he was and who he will always be.
"Over here Mate," he calls to Harry.
With some reluctance, the teen goes to join him. He swallows, afraid that he's going to be punished for something that he did wrong.
As his "alternate" father turns the wheel, Killian instead smiles at the boy.
"A good captain is firm and sometimes strict to root out the unsavoury and the doubts. But he always lives up to his end of the bargain and gives praise when it is earned. He must be ready to lead the charge... but also gain the respect of his crew..."
Harry's stomach drops in surprise at these words. He's shocked that this man is giving him advice on how to be a captain... Why would he do that when he'd always just been the first mate... even in birth order. Second best and never had the chance to take charge of a ship. He wasn't a leader, more of a follower and enforcer... it's what his father had told him and it's what Uma had shown since they'd met (whether intentional or not). He was never worthy of such a thing, even now.
He swallows any emotion he's feeling and looks out at the beautiful blue horizon. On the Isle, he could always see it and imagined taking on the seas with Uma and the crew. Battling Krakens, looting for treasure, seeing the world... it had all been a dream that he wanted. While they weren't going very far from shore and it's only to find Evie, not treasure, this was still an adventure and he hoped to remember it.
...
Doug and Regina appear back in the clearing, where Snow, Carlos, Ben, and Jay are waiting.
"We got it!" Doug shouts, nearly stumbling all over his feet to get there.
He hands over one of Evie's scarves to Carlos, who holds it to Dude's nose.
"Take a good whiff buddy," the son of Cruella orders.
Dude inhales the scent of the fabric deeply and then turns away to the air. He wanders back and forth, trying to pick up something. He has to come back to the scarf a few times.
"It's hard," the dog admits.
There's a pause before Dude takes off in a direction. "I think I have it!" he calls.
"Let's go," Jay says. He and Carlos go, with Ben bringing up the rear.
Snow exchanges a few words with Regina before, much to the boys' surprise, she follows them.
Jay stops and turns to the princess.
"You can stay and help Regina. We'll be fine."
"Absolutely not. That is not going to happen. These woods are thick, and you can easily get lost in them. You need someone who knows the area and how to navigate. Remember what we said before? No one goes anywhere alone."
"It's really not a big deal, I mean we're just following Dude," the son of Jafar argues.
Sadly, the young teen had not experienced what it was like to disagree with Snow White.
She looks at him sternly. "And I know better than anyone how tracking someone can be difficult and scent trails can always be wrong. One of my best friends is a werewolf. You need an adult and a person who can find a way back."
Jay simply nods and continues, with Snow White following and protecting them as a mother would.
Regina watches the group go off and waits for the Dark One to return, able to express her worries once more in complete privacy.
...
"How can you be sure which way to go?" Chad whines. "I mean, it is the woods."
Crystal rolls her eyes and tries to ignore his complaints, leading the charge.
While Jane and Dizzy are actually trying to help, calling Evie's name and looking around without wandering off, the son of Cinderella is doing neither and will not shut up.
"We don't, which is why we're trying to search," the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin groans, trying to keep her temper in check.
"EVIE!" Dizzy screams out. "EVIE WHERE ARE YOU?"
The young VK is yelling to the point where her voice sounds raw from screaming.
"Evie!" Jane shouts.
"Evie!" Crystal hollers.
Sadly, the only thing they hear is their own echoes.
"Maybe she ended up back in town. If I had magic powers, that's where I'd go."
The trio of girls roll their eyes.
"Do you want me to send you back to town?" Crystal asks, raising her hand to teleport him.
"God no! I never want to be near magic. It's nothing but trouble."
"According to who?" the eldest girl snaps, stopping in her tracks and confronting the spoiled team.
"Uh... this whole situation is. All of this happened because of magic. The reason we're in this tiny town, away from our real families and homes. It's you and your weirdo family who insisted on training them and now Evie's gone, possibly forever. This is why magic is not used in Auradon anymore, so freaks like you guys can't cause more problems."
Crystal is ready to explode at this kid and make him feel her wrath, but that would just prove him right. She needed to take a different approach and pauses to curb her anger and magic.
"Is that right? So, you're calling your friend Jane here a freak?"
Chad's eyes go wide, and he looks over at Jane, who is now angry but only to mask the hurt she felt by the remark.
"No, no I'm not saying she's a freak. It's just better that she doesn't use her fairy magic."
"The same fairy magic, done by MY mother that gave YOUR mother the ability to go to ball and fall in love with the prince!" Jane snarls.
"That's right, if Jane's mother hadn't used her magic, your mother may have been a scullery maid forever and then where would you get the fancy polo shirts and cashmere sweaters huh?" Crystal says, smiling in satisfaction.
"You owe your entire existence to magic!" Dizzy adds. The youngest doesn't mention that without the magic, her life could have been a lot better if the prince fell in love with her mother instead of Cinderella.
"Well... well... yeah, but that magic was also used to lock your mother on the Isle," Chad says, hoping to get Dizzy on his side. "And it made it impossible for you to visit her."
The small girl's face falls and she tries to battle the tears.
Crystal reaches over and wraps her arm around the girl to comfort her. She could understand what life can be like for having a villain as a parent and to be separated from them by circumstance... or choice.
"Watch it Blondie," she warns. "My need to send you back to town is growing every time you open your mouth."
"And magic ruined Ben's coronation with Maleficent. Then it's because of the magic wand that he was taken prisoner on the Isle and that he almost fell in love with Uma at the Cotillion."
Jane opens her mouth but couldn't argue with that.
The daughter of Rumpelstiltskin inhales and prepares for this:
"Fine...Yes, magic is not always a great thing. I know that better than anyone Sweater Head. It can be dangerous when in the wrong hands and when it's not used properly. WHICH is why it's so important to train and gain control of it. Magic is not something to be afraid of... it's what makes our world stand out from the others out there. It brings hope when a battle seems unwinnable, it protects others when they are vulnerable, it can heal someone when they are hurt or even dying, it can create something beautiful like fireworks or glass slippers, it can grant a person's wishes and make their dreams come true. It can break curses and bring peace to a land. Like anything, it has its darkness and bad parts. The same thing can be said for cell phones or hell even science. It's all about how you use it and who values it. Magic is a part of who we are... who Jane is, who Mal is, who Evie is, even who you are. It's touched each one of your lives, hero and villain alike and whether that's good or not can be argued, but it's what makes us unique and helps us appreciate where we come from. It's fine if you don't like it or trust it, but don't you dare judge or make fun of someone for something that is what makes them special!"
Chad is completely taken aback by the speech. His blue eyes are wide, and a little fearful that the daughter of Rumpelstiltskin is going to attack him, but his mouth is also agape, unable to speak or retort back. Dizzy and Jane share similar expressions and their minds ponder what was said to them.
Crystal folds her arms in a justified manner and then walks off to continue searching for Evie with her magic.
...
Mal is searching everywhere for her friend. She hopes that she's okay and not hurt.
The daughter of Maleficent wishes that she'd been there to comfort Evie more after her other freak out yesterday. She knew that her best friend was afraid of her magic, but at the time, Mal couldn't grasp how scary it was for the daughter of the Evil Queen. Magic had always been Mal's thing, not Evie's, even with the magic mirror. She hadn't thought about how confusing and weird it would be to suddenly have magic; all the purple-haired teen had cared about was actually being trained and being encouraged to embrace what made her special. She was excited and she couldn't see that another was suffering.
Guilt filled her dragon body as she continued looking for any signs of her best friend... her sister.
Flying with her alternate mother was a little weird, but something that she'd never done before. It was comforting to know that there was someone else who could fly with her and who actually cared that she could turn into a dragon. Her real mother wouldn't have cared and even if she did, she'd criticize how her daughter's wings weren't wide enough or that her fireballs were too small.
Occasionally, Maleficent gives a small roar, signalling to Mal to fly with her and away from a certain area. Mal assumes it's so that they don't fly over the town line and expose the existence of dragons to the rest of the world. While she didn't fully grasp this town line idea or how the town was concealed, she obeyed and kept flying.
Maleficent, on the other hand, is ecstatic to be flying with one of her daughters. Mal was rather quick and agile, being able to navigate with ease... likely due to her youth. The girl also took to flying and her dragon form well, while Lily preferred to avoid this part of her heritage. It only ever came out when Lilith was angry... like that Hulk character. While the Queen of Darkness was weary of the edge of town considering she would turn to ash if she crossed it, she was more interested in flying with this girl than looking for Regina's daughter. She knew that the young one was fine, probably hiding in plain sight, but this was a bonding moment with her daughter.
Far below, Lily walks out of Granny's with a cup of coffee and a sullen expression, having just refused to join the search for a missing outsider. However, the hot beverage falls from her hand when she looks up and sees not one... but two dragons soaring in the sky and instantly she knows who they are.
A raging fire erupts inside her body and causes her eyes to glow gold. She drops onto her hands and knees and lets her nature take over. In a cloud of purple smoke, her other form appears.
Once she's in dragon mode, Lily takes off and charges up toward the other two dragons, intent on taking out the little purple twerp.
A/N: As a way to apologize for taking so long to update, here is an extra-long chapter. A lot to unpack here. I love Crystal's mic drop moment, along with some dwarf scenes and a little bit more bonding with Doug and Regina, who both care for Evie deeply. Please follow and review.