And now for the conclusion of what happened to Storybrooke in the last adventure already in progress. The purple smoke was swirling around the town as David and Ms. Blanchard were still in town together, embracing each other before a miracle in Storybrooke happened once the smoke was slowly clearing up for them once they could see each other again.
"What's happening?" Mary Margaret asked the blonde man.
"Let's find out." David suggested.
Mary Margaret nodded in agreement. Soon, the two held hands before they then began walking down the street, and encountered Ruby, Kiara, and Granny, their memories also regained, embracing each other until they saw that they had company.
"Snow?" Ruby gushed at the short-haired woman.
Mary Margaret beamed and gushed before hugging Ruby instantly. David and Granny then hugged and comforted each other while Kiara and Evie hugged each other while Mal sort of just stood there. Soon, Leroy and the other men who had been The Seven Dwarves soon approached the scene along with Nova and Dee Dee as Leroy was holding the blonde girl's hand.
"Your Highness?" Leroy greeted Mary Margaret who then smiled at the dwarves.
Soon, the dwarves bowed while Nova curtsied since she was with the dwarves. Dee Dee then also decided to curtsy like her new fairy mama before Mary Margaret then smiled and hugged the dwarves in a big group hug.
"The Curse, it's broken?" Nova then asked softly.
"It would appear so." David nodded before clasping hands with Leroy.
"So what do we do now?" Ruby then asked.
"Is there a Step 2 to this plan?" Kiara added.
"Now? Now I find my daughter." Mary Margaret replied.
"So it's true." Emma said as she soon appeared with Mal and Evie at her sides.
Mary Margaret turned around to her grown daughter and apprehensively, she touched Emma's face, then hugged her, tears in her eyes. "You found us." she then whispered tenderly as David hugged her as well.
Henry soon walked over to the adults. "Grandpa?" he then asked.
Mary Margaret laughed a little as that was true.
"Yeah, kid. I suppose so." David smiled, about to hug the boy who was his grandson.
"Henry!" Dee Dee's voice piped up before she suddenly zipped over and pounced on top of the boy to hug him as they both landed in the middle of the ground together.
The adults blinked before laughing a little bit, finding what the little kids were doing to be rather cute.
"Dee Dee..." Henry smiled at his best friend.
"Henry, I knew you'd be okay! I knew it!" Dee Dee beamed while hugging her best friend.
"Yeah... It's okay now, Dee Dee," Henry smiled before he looked up and over before Evie helped the kids back up to their feet. "Evie, Mal, and Emma did it. They saved you." he then told his grandparents.
"They saved all of us." Mary Margaret nodded.
"I... Well..." Emma stammered sheepishly.
"Uh, then why are we still here?" Leroy soon asked out of confusion.
"That, my friend, is an excellent question." David remarked.
Mr. Clark then suddenly sneezed as he was Sneezy the Dwarf. "And what was that smoke?" he then asked.
"Who did this?" Roy Avalon asked.
"And what was that smoke?" Scotty Macario added.
"And why?" Nova then wondered.
"And what was that smoke?" Jerry Coleman then asked.
"Magic," Mother Superior reported as she soon joined the group with Jane and Carlos following her. "It's here. I can feel it."
Mary Margaret then suddenly touched the woman's hands.
"I think I can feel it too." Jane spoke up.
"Oh, trust me, my dear. There is a very special reason for that." Mother Superior told the young girl then.
"Magic? In Storybrooke?" Carlos then asked.
"Yes, it would appear so." Nova told the freckled boy.
"But you're The Blue Fairy," Henry soon told Mother Superior. "Do something magical."
"It's not quite that simple, Henry," Mother Superior told the younger boy. "No wand. No fairy dust. Matters are complicated now."
"What do we do now?" Nova soon wondered.
"The only thing we can do," Leroy told her as he held onto Dee Dee's hand. "Let's go to the person responsible for bringing it. The Queen."
The other dwarves then nodded and voiced agreement.
"No. Wait. It wasn't Regina." Emma protested against them.
"Who then?" Mal then asked before looking around. "And where's my mom?"
Emma looked a bit soft and distant, apprehensive about answering that question right away since she knew very well what had happened to Maleficent.
"Where's my mom, Emma?" Mal demanded urgently.
"She... Uh... She..." Emma said softly as she still hesitated. "...I'll tell you later, okay?"
Mal glanced at Emma before she then nodded, trying to stay patient in finding out as she planned that she and her mother would leave Storybrooke together to live together in harmless mother/daughter bonding for the rest of their days.
"Speaking of Mom, I should probably go and see her." Evie suggested.
"Maybe in a little bit." Emma then told Evie.
"Okay, so if Mayor Mills didn't do all of this, then who did?" Dee Dee soon asked.
"I think I have a pretty good idea of who." Mal remarked as she raised an eyebrow then.
Meanwhile, back at the wishing well, Rumple continued to embrace Belle as she reunited with their son as he got to know the mother he never had time to know better.
"My darling Belle. You have to tell us what happened to you." Rumple said to his long-lost love.
"I was abducted." Belle stated, remembering what Jefferson had told her in the hospital when he helped set her free.
"Regina?" Rumple guessed gently.
"She locked me away until her curse," Belle replied as she nodded. "And I've been in the asylum ever since."
"For 28 years. All these years, you've been here. Alive." Rumple softly replied from shock and heartbreak.
"Is that... Is that why you did this?" Belle then asked him. "Why you wanted magic? For revenge?"
"Oh, no," Rumple replied until an idea was hatched from his brain. "...But it might come in handy."
"Dad..." Ben said in a warning tone of voice.
"No. No!" Belle cried out in protest.
"I cannot let this stand, Belle, I will not let this stand!" Rumple vowed to both his lover and son.
"Dad, no..." Ben frowned a bit in concern as his father started to sound evil.
"...Look," Belle said to Rumple, taking his hand to help calm him before he would do anything rash. "Promise us. Promise us you won't give in to your hate. Promise us you won't kill her."
Rumple then looked away from both Ben and Belle.
"Please Dad," Ben piped up with a small pout. "I know what Mayor Mills did was bad... But she's the mother of my best friend. Don't hurt her."
"Promise us and we can be together," Belle added tenderly. "All of us. As a family."
"Oh. Sweetheart, I promise." Rumple coaxed as he caressed his missing wife's face.
The two soon kissed and embraced while Ben stood there.
"Dad... Don't make it gross." Ben spoke up playfully.
"Benjamin, you mind your parents now." Rumple tutted and chuckled.
"Yes, maybe someday you'll do this with a special girl you love too." Belle added warmly.
"Well... That does sound nice," Ben replied. "If I ever do find the right girl."
"Well, what about Evie?" Rumple then asked. "You two have been hanging out together since you were in diapers."
"Dad... Evie and I are just friends," Ben insisted before blushing sheepishly at the idea of dating the mayor's daughter. "And... Well... We luckily became best friends again after she decided to stop showing off for The Pinkettes... Especially that girl Magda."
"Magda... Isn't she that girl who often acts like the center of attention?" Rumple then asked his son.
"You have no idea, Dad," Ben rolled his eyes. "I don't know what her deal is, but frankly I don't like it."
"Well, I wouldn't worry about her," Belle spoke up. "Just try to stay focused on the good people in your life... I know I have." she then said with a small smile and reached out to stroke her true love's hair.
"Mm... Indeed, my dear Belle~" Rumple nodded and grinned. "Things are going to be different in Storybrooke from now on. I promise both of you and Benjamin, I won't lose you like I lost my last chance."
Ben looked curious. "...Lost your last chance?" he then asked.
Rumple flinched a little nervously before biting his lip.
"...Is this about my brother you were gonna tell me about once?" Ben then guessed based on how his father reacted to that question.
"...Yes," Rumple admitted as he released a deep sigh. "I should tell you more about him, but later. All right, Benjamin?"
"...Fine, Dad. Just don't forget or act like you forget," Ben then said to his father. "We're family and we should help each other and be open about whatever is on our minds."
"And I thoroughly agree," Rumple nodded. "Eventually though."
"Good..." Ben approved. "I'll just try to be patient."
"Very good." Rumple replied as he kept a hold on Belle as she smiled at the very happy family reunion, especially since she had a son now.
"I've visited you in the hospital every day for as long as before I can even remember," Ben soon told his estranged mother. "I don't know if Gertrude the nurse ever told you, but I'd been leaving roses for you and I wanted to meet you, but I could never know who you were or even see you phsyically since I'm not 18 yet. Who would've guessed it was my mother all this time?"
"It was very sweet of you either way," Belle smiled warmly before she hugged the boy. "Thank you, Benjamin, and I can't wait to get to know you better after being locked up for 28 years."
"I look forward to it too... Mom." Ben smiled back.
Rumple smiled very warmly at the display between his lover and son as he could tell that they were all going to live happily ever after together.
"So, what should we do now?" Ben then asked his parents.
"Oh... Uh... Um... Hmm..." Belle paused thoughtfully, not sure what to say to that question.
"I have an idea," Rumple spoke up. "We'll head back to the shop."
"Shop?" Belle then asked.
"It's a long story." Ben told his mother who then nodded in response.
Soon, the Gold family left the forest and soon headed right for the pawnshop to get settled and comfortable together.
Rumple unlocked the door and let his lover and son inside the shop before he then faced Belle. "You, uh... You wait here, Belle. I'm gonna find you something to wear. You've spent enough time in these rags." he then told the woman kindly.
"Thank you." Belle nodded.
"Benjamin, you wait here too and get to know your mother better." Rumple then told his teenage son.
"That sounds like a good idea." Ben smiled and nodded.
Rumple smiled back at both of them before he soon went to go into the back of his shop. While he was in the back room which he always told Ben to never go into without permission, especially if he was away unless he was told to sweep up in there, he soon brought out a large cabinet and then unlocked it. He then put on a pair of black gloves while opening the cabinet and brought out a certain amulet that came from The Enchanted Forest. "Benjamin, I'll be back later, but you need to learn who your father is," he then whispered to himself. "You need to know your destiny... As the descendant of Rumplestiltskin."
Back on the main street of Storybrooke, Emma and the others continued to walk around together, wondering what to do next after the curse had been broken and people could now adjust to their new fairy tale lives.
"Is there anything that you wanted to ask us?" Mary Margaret soon asked Emma as they walked along together. "I mean, you must have questions."
"Such as where is my mom right now?" Mal added.
"I wasn't talking to you, but I'm sure Emma will tell you soon." Mary Margaret told the purple-haired girl.
"The only questions I have are for Mr. Gold," Emma soon said. "Why did he double-cross me, and what did he do to this town?"
Mary Margaret looked soft. "Uh... Shouldn't we talk about 'it' first?" she then suggested.
"What?" Emma asked her then.
"Us. Your life. Everything?" Mary Margaret clarified then.
"Can we do 'everything' maybe later?" Emma suggested. "Like, with a glass of wine. Or several bottles?"
"Dibs." Mal chuckled eagerly.
"Mal..." Evie sighed and rolled her eyes slightly.
"You got a problem with that, Princess Blueberry?" Mal teased.
"Hmph... I'm not sure about you sometimes..." Evie firmly pouted.
"Believe me, neither are we half the time." Carlos added, referring to himself and Jay.
"I know it's a lot to take in," David replied. "For all of us and probably the descendants too."
"Yeah... Like is my name even really 'Jayden Shahryār'?" Jay spoke up.
"And is my name even really 'Carlos Hellman'?" Carlos soon added. "I feel like there's more to our lives and we were just given different or new lives compared to other descendants."
"How do you think I feel?" Doug remarked as he followed his parents. "I'm the son of a dwarf and a literal cat lady... No offense, Mom."
"None taken, Kitten," Ebony smiled as she purred a little. "I'm just glad to be back in you and your father's lives again."
Dopey also smiled as he had to agree with that, even if he couldn't vocally agree but his face said it all.
"And we don't want to push, but we've waited for this moment for so long..." Mary Margaret soon said to Emma warmly.
"Yeah, so have I! I've thought about this moment my entire life. I've imagined who you might be, but of all the scenarios that I concocted, my parents being..." Emma replied before she looked back at her parents, still taken aback that she was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming before she sighed and decided not to say that. "I-I just need a little time. Th-That's all." she then added.
The two looked soft before everyone then jolted as a commotion was then heard.
"Snow?" David asked his wife in concern.
"Look!" Evie cried out and pointed out to see what the commotion was all about.
Many townspeople, including Dr. Whale, were running through the streets as Archie approached the group.
"There you are. Come with me, I need your help," Archie alerted the adults. "Dr. Whale's whipped everyone into a frenzy. They're going to Regina's house. They're gonna kill her!"
"Great. Let's watch." Leroy replied flatly.
"Leroy!" Nova pouted.
Leroy just shrugged in response as Dee Dee firmly pouted at him, so he sighed and gave in. "Sorry~" he then said so that the two women he deeply cared about wouldn't both be angry with him.
Mal looked like she was about to say something as she smirked a little before Evie put her hand on the other girl's shoulder and shook her head, knowing the purple-haired girl would say something very grim and dark.
"No. No, we cannot stoop to her level," Archie retorted. "No matter who she is or what she's done, killing her is wrong."
"He does have a point," Evie spoke up before looking at Emma. "You have to save my mother."
"Yeah. Please," Henry then added. "She's still my mom too."
Emma looked at Henry and Evie before she then looked at Mary Margaret. "We have to stop them." she then said urgently.
Mary Margaret then looked around before looking at David as he spoke to her next.
"If The Blue Fairy is right and magic is here, Regina could have her powers back," David warned Mary Margaret. "They could be marching into a slaughter."
The two then shared a glance before nodding at each other. And soon, the group took off down the street. Leroy ran so fast with Dee Dee that her feet barely touched the ground and her pigtails even flew with the wind.
Meanwhile, at the Mills' house, the mob of townspeople shouted outside as Dr. Whale banged on her front door.
"Open up! Open up or we're coming in!" Dr. Whale called out as he banged on the door a couple of times.
Regina then opened the door with an innocent smirk at the crowd in front of her. "Can I help you?" she then asked peacefully.
"That smirk isn't gonna last forever, Regina," Dr. Whale glared. "You took everything from us. And now-"
"What? Now you're gonna kill me?" Regina interrupted as she continued to smirk.
"Eventually, but first, you need to suffer." Dr. Whale retorted.
Regina soon stepped outside and shoved Dr. Whale. "Listening to you has been enough suffering for all of us," she then told the doctor before addressing the crowd. "That's right. You wanted to see your Queen? Well, my dears," she then taunted before slowly raising her arms and enunciating. "Here... She... Is!" she then flung her hands forward and the crowd cowered and ducked, all clearly expecting magic. However, nothing happened as she looked shocked and the crowd recovered.
"She's powerless!" Chad called out from the crowd, standing with Sean and Ashley who had Alexandra in a baby pink stroller.
"What...?" Regina muttered in concern.
"Get her!" Zevon yelled out, standing with his sister Yzla.
Dr. Whale and the crowd then moved toward Regina, shoving her up against a column. "Now, where were we?" he then asked, raising his hands towards Regina's throat.
However, luckily for Regina, Emma and the others soon arrived.
"Let her go! Let her go! Let her go!" Emma demanded as she grabbed Dr. Whale's arm.
"Why should I listen to you?" Dr. Whale glared at the blonde woman.
"Because I am still the Sheriff." Emma glared back.
"Because she saved you. All of you!" David added as he looked at the crowd.
"And because no matter what Regina did, it does not justify this!" Mary Margaret soon added.
"We are not murderers here." Evie then concluded.
"Well, we're not from this world." Dr. Whale scoffed at all of them, even to Evie.
"Yeah, well, you're in it now," Mal spoke up. "Even if Regina is responsible for my mother being trapped under this town for the past 10 years."
Regina then looked over and looked wide-eyed at Mal.
"Okay, Whale. We're done." David then decided, coming to stand between Emma and Regina.
"Back off! You're not my prince." Dr. Whale huffed.
David glared before he began to wonder where Dr. Whale probably came from back in The Enchanted Forest. "Who are you, Whale?" he then asked.
"That's my business." Dr. Whale defended.
"Well, my business is making sure this town doesn't go to Hell, so whether or not I'm your prince isn't the issue," David then said. "We have a lot to figure out. And this isn't the way to do it."
"And Regina's death won't provide any answers," Mary Margaret then added as she came to stand beside Regina. "She needs to be locked up. For her safety, and more importantly, for ours."
Evie frowned as she looked concerned for her mother. Mal appeared to look indifferent about the situation.
Soon, the main group of Emma, David, Mary Margaret, Dee Dee, Doug, Evie, and Mal met up at the Storybrooke Sheriff Department as David locked Regina in a cell.
"So, I'm a prisoner now?" Regina asked in a huff.
"If the curse is broken, why didn't we go back?" David retorted.
"Because there's nothing to go back to," Regina simply explained. "That land is gone."
Mary Margaret soon had an idea. "We should get to Gold." she then suggested.
The others nodded as they decided to get going.
"Wait." Evie said as she still wanted a little bit more time.
"You wanna say goodbye?" Doug guessed to Evie.
"Yes, I do," Evie nodded. "I'll try to make this quick."
The others then looked at each other before looking back at the now blue-haired girl.
"See that you do." David then told Evie.
"Yes, sir," Evie replied. "Can I have a little bit of privacy with my mother?"
"You want me to go too then?" Henry asked his big sister.
"Yes, if you don't mind," Evie said to Henry. "I'll to you again a little bit later, Henry."
Henry then nodded before he went with the others to go ahead and wait outside, but they would wait for Evie before they would do anything else like talk to Mr. Gold.
"Hey, Mom," Evie softly said as she walked over to the couch beside the cell and sat down. "How are you?"
"I'm away from home and locked up in a cell... How do you think I feel?" Regina firmly pouted before she took a second look at her daughter. "...Evie. You hair..."
"I know, it's different like Mal's," Evie nodded. "I guess that's just our magic being unleashed and returned to us somehow. Did we always have magic?" she then asked. "Me and the other descendants I mean?"
"Yes... You did..." Regina explained delicately. "It was locked away and hidden from you all to protect you from the curse in the new world when I cast that curse when you were all just babies and you grew up in Storybrooke along with Henry."
"I thought so... I even had to sacrifice my Penelope Dragon toy," Evie then concluded. "I'm not mad at you, Mom, just so you know."
"I didn't think you would be, my little princess," Regina replied softly. "These things just, unfortunately, happen even if I had been winning for the past 28 years after I vowed to destroy Snow White and Prince Charming's happiness if it was the last thing I'd do. These are just the cards we were dealt with in life... My mother was a Queen, I became one, and soon you will too as the next mayor of Storybrooke if we continue these stories in the chapter book we all call life."
"Grandma was a Queen?" Evie asked softly.
"Yes... I'll tell you more about her someday," Regina nodded. "But she was a queen, then you know I obviously became queen, and then someday, you will write your own story to become the next queen."
Evie looked soft as she looked like she wanted to tell her mother something about that with the idea of becoming the next Mayor of Storybrooke. It was her destiny and she was the daughter of The Evil Queen after all, but she really didn't want to do that with her life and had other things in mind even though she wasn't fully sure what she wanted just yet.
"Isn't that right, Evie?" Regina then continued since she expected a response from what she just said.
"Erm... Y-Yes... That sounds great..." Evie replied in a bit of a shaky and shallow voice as she tried to cover up her true feelings.
Regina seemed to frown slightly. "...Evie, is there something you're not telling me?" she then asked. "You do want to follow your destiny as my descendant to become the next Evil Queen, don't you?"
"I... Uh... Well... I..." Evie stammered.
Regina raised an eyebrow as she could tell that Evie had something on her mind that she was clearly trying to hide.
"Perhaps your princess realizes that magic is different here, dearie." Rumple's voice suddenly said, startling both Regina and Evie since they didn't know that he was there before they looked over at him.
"I noticed," Regina glared. "I assume this is all your doing."
"Most things are," Rumple replied darkly before facing Evie. "Young Miss Mills, while I'm glad to see you, I'm afraid your mother and I have some private business to discuss between we grown-ups. You understand, right?"
"That's quite all right, Mr. Gold," Regina spoke up. "Whatever you have to tell me, you can say right in front of both of us: me and Evie. Right, dear?" she then asked her daughter.
"I... Uh... I think I should go now actually..." Evie replied as she stood up. "You can talk to her, Mr. Gold. Just go easy on her, okay?"
"No promises~" Rumple grinned before he nodded his head at her. "You have a nice day now, dearie."
"Yes, sir. Thank you," Evie replied before looking at her mother. "We'll talk later, okay?"
"Okay," Regina said, trying to be understanding. "Take care of yourself and your brother then."
"Yes, ma'am. Goodbye." Evie nodded before she then stood up and left the station to go and meet the others back outside to discuss a plan together.
"Such a lovely young lady you have, Mayor Mills..." Rumple grinned as he watched Evie go before looking back at the cell. "They grow up so fast, don't they?"
"Get to it, Rumple. What do you want?" Regina demanded impatiently. "You here to finish the job?"
"No, no, no. You're safe from me." Rumple reassured.
"I feel so relieved." Regina replied rather sarcastically.
"I made a promise to someone that I won't kill you." Rumple then added.
"Who could elicit that from you?" Regina then asked.
"My son Benjamin's mother... Perhaps you've heard of her," Rumple replied. "Belle."
"She's alive?" Regina asked as her eyes slowly widened in response.
"You are a dreadful liar." Rumple replied with a dark grin on his face.
"I could have killed her... But I didn't." Regina defended.
"Yeah, you did much worse than that. You kept her alive, so you could kill her when it suited you," Rumple retorted. "A fate worse than death. Which, incidentally, is exactly what I've got in store for you." he then suddenly reached through the bars of the cell, grabbing Regina's hand and pulling it to him before producing the amulet from his shop and pressing it against her open palm instantly.
"Is that...?" Regina began nervously.
"Yes, dearie. The one thing no one can escape. Destiny. And I promise, yours is particularly unpleasant," Rumple grinned fiendishly before releasing Regina as she pulled back her hand and glared at him as he quietly and sinisterly chuckled at her misfortune. "Oh~"
Regina looked very unfortunate as she was now trapped, especially with the mark of a certain beast as the one who had marked her left to go back to his shop.
As Rumple went back into his shop, he went to get a certain other item and then hid it in his suit pocket before it could b seen.
"Dad?" Ben called as he stepped over into the back room. "Whatcha doing?"
"I have to run out for a quick errand," Rumple replied before he faced his son with a grin. "Why don't you accompany me? ...Where is your mother?" he then asked.
"She wanted to explore, I wasn't sure whether to go with her or not because she's a grown woman... I just hope she'll be okay on her own." Ben shrugged bashfully.
"That's quite all right, Benjamin," Rumple then said before grinning at his son. "Get your coat and shoes on. You can join me on this little errand."
"Oh... Uh... All right..." Ben said nervously. "I suppose I should be able to do that."
"Yes... Just come along and it will be just fine." Rumple insisted to his teenage son.
Ben then walked over to the coat rack and put his jacket on before he then followed his father out of the shop to see what would happen. "Where are we going, Dad?" he then asked.
"Oh, we're going to do something very important that a certain someone shan't forget." Rumple replied with a smirk.
"...Dad, did you hurt Evie's mother?" Ben asked cautiously. "You promised-"
"You and your mother that I wouldn't hurt her, yes. I won't," Rumple interrupted before nodding. "But this is important for you to see so you know who your father is. You're my descendant after all and this is what your story will be in the future."
Ben frowned as he looked unsure about that, feeling bad as his father was said to be a villain and he was destined to become one too. Or he could be a hero like his mother in a literal sense. He started to get an idea based on one forming before as he continued to follow his father into the woods of Storybrooke.
Rumple soon took out the amulet he brought from his shop and dropped it on the ground in a small clearing, his dagger in hand.
"Dad...?" Ben called warily.
"Please, Benjamin, don't interrupt," Rumple told his son before he held his dagger aloft. "The Dark One summons thee!" he then announced before stabbing the dagger into the ground which would affect Regina since she had the mark of the beast.
"Dad... What's that?" Ben asked out of fear once he saw a spooky and ominous being emerge from the amulet before it rose above with the amulet around its neck.
"That is known as The Wraith, my dear boy," Rumple concluded with a dark grin on his face. "Don't worry though. It won't hurt us."
"Hmm..." Ben paused thoughtfully as he looked unsure about that, but he was definitely shaken up from the experience.
"Hmm..." Rumple frowned and checked his teenage son's forehead. "You look a little pale, Benjamin. Maybe we should head back to the shop and get you some tea."
Ben just glanced over with very wide hazel eyes as he felt like it should've been obvious why he looked shook up all of a sudden. Soon, they went back to the shop as it was almost getting dark as The Wraith was unleashed into Storybrooke and the Gold father and son were going to let nature run its course. Henry and Dee Dee were soon taken away by Ruby and Kiara to keep them safe while the adults would try to figure out what to do now after the curse was broken and the teenagers would also try to make their own plans. Once the younger kids were safe and taken care of properly, the adults decided to go to the pawnshop for some answers as Rumple brewed tea for himself and his family as Ben was trying not to be traumatized by seeing what his father just do just as Evie, Mal, Emma, Mary Margaret, and David arrived into the shop.
"What can I do for you?" Rumple asked once he saw that he had company before Ben looked up and over.
"What you can do is tell us what you did." Emma demanded with a glare.
"I'm sorry, you're gonna have to be more specific." Rumple retorted.
"You know damn well what we're talking about." David replied sternly.
"You double-crossed Emma, you, uh, took your—uh—potion from her." Mary Margaret added.
"And did who-knows-what to this town." Mal soon added.
"And worst of all you risked Henry's life," Evie said with a firm pout. "You were always like an uncle to me, Mr. Gold."
"Well, that is quite a litany of grievances, now, isn't it?" Rumple retorted a bit coldly to his company.
"Maybe I don't need answers. Maybe I just need to punch you in the face." Emma challenged.
"Oh. Really, dearie?" Rumple replied, laughing from the threat before he then came from behind the counter to approach the group at his door. "Allow me to answer your questions with some of my own, all right? Did your dear boy, Henry, survive?" he then asked the blonde woman and now blue-haired girl.
"Yeah." Emma added quietly.
"That doesn't change that you nearly got my little brother killed though." Evie piped up then.
"Yes, young Evie, but is the curse broken?" Rumple then asked her.
Evie opened her mouth for a moment before she then decided to close it and then looked down with a pout, then nodded as he had pretty good points right there.
"And let's see here, Miss Swan, how long have you been searching for your parents and how long has young Miss Draconis been looking to free her mother?" Rumple then continued rather slyly. "Looks like you're reunited and that young Miss Draconis has freed her mother."
Emma winced a bit nervously because she still hadn't told Mal about what really happened to her mother.
"Seems like rather a punch in the face, I deserve a thank you." Rumple then concluded.
"Twist my words all you want," Emma huffed at the man before she decided to change the subject. "What was the purple haze that you brought?" she then asked.
"You know. Magic." Rumple stated and added with a flourish.
"Why?" Mary Margaret then asked.
"Not telling." Rumple grinned in response.
There was then a rumbling which then shook the store suddenly and car horns could be heard from outside. Evie and Mal gasped before they held onto each other as that startled both of them, even the purple-haired girl.
"What the hell was that?" Mal groaned a bit.
"Language, dearie." Rumple tutted as Mal was a teenager after all and he wasn't fond of those younger than him using salty language in his shop.
Soon, David and Mary Margaret looked out the door window and heard The Wraith wailing and a strong wind was blowing along the main street. Streetlights flickered and sparks flew into the night.
"That is my gift to you," Rumple then told them all. "That is gonna take care of Regina."
"Emma, come on!" Mary Margaret soon cried out.
"We need to go take care of this." David added.
"We're not done." Emma firmly told Rumple then.
"Oh, I know. You still owe me a favor." Rumple nodded as Ben came out from the back to see Mal and Evie.
"What can we do to help?" Evie then asked, referring to Mal and herself.
"You two should go back home," David told the teenage girls. "We know you're capable, but you're both still only 16."
"Psh... The Boogeyman checks me for under his bed." Mal scoffed and rolled her emerald eyes.
"Regardless, my point still stands," David defended. "I'm the adult and you are both still children."
Mal scoffed and rolled her eyes in response.
"Come on, Mal. We should go check on my mom." Evie then suggested.
"Oh, yes. We wouldn't want anything to happen to precious Queen Mommy, now would we?" Mal replied before shrugging. "Well, seeing as I have no other choice..."
"That's the spirit," Evie nodded with a small smile. "Mal, I think in honor of the curse breaking in Storybrooke that we should start over or at least attempt to start over and maybe even become friends. Maybe you could also introduce me to Jay and Carlos better since I share a class with Carlos and maybe I could help you get to know Ben better."
"I think that starting over is a good idea." Ben spoke up as he stepped over from behind his father's work counter.
Mal and Evie then looked over as Ben walked between them.
"If you don't mind that is," Ben then said before he held out his hand to shake hands with Mal in an attempt to become friends. "It's so good to finally meet you. I'm Ben."
Mal shrugged before she just decided to fist bump him instead of shaking his hand.
Ben then took both of their hands with his free hand and shook them up and down a couple of times before letting go and dropping both of his hands to his sides. "This is a momentous occasion, and one that I hope will go down in history" he then said, starting to think of something new to do for Storybrooke after things were already going to change for all of them with the curse broken and the descendants learning more about their fairy tale heritage.
"Or the day you decided to get moving with us to stop this beast with Emma Swan and her parents before it eats everybody we all know and love in our town!" Mal then retorted, imitating his tone of voice as he tried to sound brave and mature as time was on the essence right now with the Wraith loose.
"I think Mal has a point," Emma replied. "We better get going. Like, right now."
David and Mary Margaret agreed as they didn't have much time left.
"We'll go home with you to help stop this Wraith," Evie soon told the three adults. "Teenage meddling or not."
"Fine. Let's just go right now before it's way too late." David then said.
"Right." Mal nodded.
And so, they then left the shop to get started on a brand new adventure.
"A little bit over the top?" Ben then asked as they left the shop together.
"A little more than a little bit." Mal smirked slyly.
"Well, so much for my second first impression." Ben then said bashfully.
Mal left a little bit as Rumple continued to make tea until he was given more company who was already in the shop earlier that day and hadn't left.
"Hey." Rumple greeted Belle once he saw her.
"You lied to me and Benjamin." Belle frowned firmly as she looked troubled.
"No, I-I kept my word," Rumple defended calmly. "I will not kill her."
"You toy with words like you do people," Belle retorted. "You're still a man who makes wrong choices. I thought you'd changed." she then added as he looked down before looking back again.
"What, in the hour you've known me?" Rumple scoffed in response.
Belle looked visibly hurt at that response before she decided to head for the door.
"Belle, I-I-I'm sorry. Belle, I'm sorry," Rumple then said, trying to stop her as she opened the door, pausing to look back at him. "I am."
Belle decided not to listen to another word and just exited the shop, slamming the door behind her. Rumple sighed as he was now all alone in his shop with his lover and son both gone, but he just hoped that he wouldn't lose them like he did his last lover and son, but we would find out more about those two later.
Mal and Evie were at the mansion together, watching some TV until they saw that the adults were up to something. The girls looked curious before they decided to see what was going on even though they were told to stay out of this.
"Did Henry and Evie really ask you to protect me?" Regina asked Emma as she brought out a certain box on her desk.
"Yes." Emma nodded.
Regina smiled slightly at that and took the hat out of its box.
Emma flinched as though she had recognized that hat. "The hat. You had it all along." she then said softly.
"What do you mean?" Regina asked then.
"That's Jefferson's hat." Emma replied.
Regina paused as that name seemed to mean something to her, but she of course chose to ignore it. "Who's Jefferson?" she then asked.
David soon came into the room with Mary Margaret, carrying brooms. "Torches. For when it comes back. I know it's old-fashioned, but so am I." he then said as he walked in.
"Funny. Those look more like brooms to me." Mal spoke up.
David and Mary Margaret then looked over.
"I thought we told you girls to stay out of sight." David said to the two teenagers once they all saw Mal and Evie.
"Uh, well, you technically said we should've gone home and in a way, this place IS Evie's home." Mal retorted a bit snarkily.
David narrowed his eyes in response.
"Well... You might as well stay, but stay out of trouble and danger," Regina replied. "I almost lost my soul just recently."
"Oh... Mom... Are you okay?" Evie asked out of concern.
"I'll be fine, dear. Now that I have this." Regina replied as she showed the hat.
"A hat?" Mal asked.
"Believe me, Mal. This is no ordinary hat." Regina reassured.
"We also found out The Wraith's weakness," Emma told the two teenage girls. "Fire."
"Well, that should at least give us all an advantage, right?" Mal replied with a shrug.
"Hopefully it does," Mary Margaret nodded before looking over at Regina. "So, how does it work?"
Regina then went to take them into the main hall of Town Hall as Ben walked out of the bathroom after flushing and drying his hands with a towel.
"Your soap smells like apple cinnamon," Ben then said before looking over. "Say... What's going on here?"
David sighed and shook his head. "Teenagers... They just always gotta get involved somehow, don't they?" he then remarked.
"...Did I do something wrong?" Ben asked.
"No, Ben, it's not your fault," Evie reassured. "Come on. You might as well join us too."
Ben looked over before shrugging as he came to follow them into Town Hall as Regina took the hat she needed.
"It will open a portal to our land," Regina soon told the others about the hat. "All we have to do is send the Wraith in there."
"Oh, yeah, just that." David scoffed before he began to light up the brooms to scare away the monster in town.
"But Mom, I thought that you said that the old land was gone?" Evie piped up.
"It is, but sending it to a place that no longer exists... Well, that's banishing it to oblivion." Regina replied as she soon began to attempt to spin the hat as David gave extra brooms to the teenagers, reminding them to be very careful with their new torches.
"Goodness..." Evie whispered.
"Pretty dark..." Mal commented. "I think I kinda like that."
"Of course she does." Ben whispered to Evie with a smirk.
Evie shushed and nudged his arm before smirking back a little bit. Mal then flashed Ben and Evie a look as she looked curious before they then started to look innocent.
"Regina..." Emma called as the lights flickered and the Wraith's wailing could be heard as Regina was trying to spin the hat with all of her might.
"I'm trying." Regina said, still attempting to spin the hat even if nothing was happening while the wailing continued.
The doors to the main hall soon blew open as the wailing was getting closer and closer.
David then readied himself to fight the Wraith with a torch on one side of a railing as Regina continued to attempt to spin the hat with Emma and Mary Margaret on the other side as Ben, Mal, and Evie were on another, trying to defend themselves.
"Mom!" Evie yelped as she and the others tried to swat away at the Wraith while Regina was with the hat.
"I know." Regina replied, trying to remain calm.
Mary Margaret was soon pouring alcohol along the railing to set it on fire. "David!" she then called out.
David then closed the gate of the railing and set it alight with his torch. "Hurry!" he then told Regina.
"It's not working." Regina grunted in frustration.
David then continued to slash at the Wraith with his torch while the teenagers tried to help out.
"Mom!" Evie cried out nervously as she tried to use her own torch.
"Mommy's trying, Evie!" Regina called back as she was still failing and getting more and more frustrated the more times it didn't work. "It's not working!"
"Mayor Mills, what's going on?!" Ben cried out urgently.
"Magic. It's different here." Regina said softly.
"Now would be the time!" David soon cried out.
Evie soon went to try to help her mother by touching her arm. Suddenly, bright blue magic that made Evie's hair glow began to surge from her body suddenly before making Regina glow too and this soon caused the hat to spin, opening a portal. David and Ben were then knocked back, and the Wraith headed for Regina and Evie, standing between it and the portal with Emma.
"It's coming!" Mal called out suddenly.
"Regina! Evie!" Emma cried out, pushing Regina and Evie out of the way.
The Wraith was soon sucked into the portal, but as it disappeared, it grabbed Emma's ankle and pulled her in too. Evie took Emma's hands to try to pull her back and help her, though she was slowly being sucked in after Emma right into the hat's portal.
"EVIE!" Regina screamed with tears in her eyes for her daughter.
"Whoa..." Mal whispered with wide eyes.
"No... Evie..." Ben frowned a bit.
"NOOOO!" David and Mary Margaret cried out for their daughter.
"I'm not losing her again!" Mary Margaret yelled out before jumping into the portal after Emma.
"Neither am I!" David added as he attempted to follow, but the portal closed so he simply landed on top of the hat.
Ben and Mal winced as David crashed onto the floor before they looked at each other as they were all now alone in the darkness.
"Evie..." Regina whispered fearfully for her daughter, looking very sad and scared about the situation.
However, no one was as devastated about what just happened as probably David. "No..." he then said before getting up off of the floor and then approaching Regina with tears in his eyes as he looked very sad and angry about the situation. "Where are they?!"
"I have no idea." Regina replied softly.
"Are they dead?" David demanded.
"The curse, it destroyed all the lands-" Regina tried to explain to him.
"ARE THEY DEAD?!" David repeated, practically roaring like a wild beast.
"I don't know!" Regina told him, a bit louder.
"I should've killed you myself!" David glared as he stepped closer.
"Well, then, what's stopping you?" Regina huffed before she shoved him back, using magic to slam him against the wall as vines from the wallpaper hold him in place just off the ground, choking him.
"Mayor Mills!" Ben cried out then.
"You think you're some heroic prince? Please. You're nothing but the son of a shepherd," Regina scoffed at David, ignoring Ben. "I should've killed you when I could. And now... Now I can."
Then suddenly... "Mom?"
Ben and Mal then looked over and saw that Henry was there now with Ruby who was dropping him off.
"Henry, what are you doing here?" Regina asked the boy softly.
"What are you doing?" Henry asked once he saw what was going on with David.
Regina then walked over to the boy, trying to soothe him about the situation. "It's okay. You're safe now." she then said before using the vines to release David as he then fell to the floor.
Ruby then rushed over to David to aid him.
"Wh-Where's my mom?" Henry soon asked weakly. "Where's-"
"They're gone." Mal spoke up as she stepped by.
"Yeah. They fell through a portal." Ben added.
Regina sighed sharply before she looked at Henry, trying to be calm and soothing as any mother should. "They're... Henry, I'm sorry." she then said.
"No, you're not. You really are The Evil Queen," Henry frowned tearfully. "I don't wanna see you again."
"No, don't say that," Regina told Henry. "I love you and Evie."
"Then, prove it," Henry retorted, both sad and angry. "Get Emma, Evie, and Mary Margaret back. And until then, leave me, leave everyone alone."
Regina frowned. "Where will you go?" she then asked.
"With me." David then spoke up before he walked over to Henry to leave with him as Ruby followed by closely, leaving Regina alone.
"I should probably go home." Ben then said softly.
Mal looked over before shrugging at Ben.
"...Do you at least wanna come spend the night?" Ben then asked Mal. "We have a guest room if you want."
"I don't know if I'd be intruding or not," Mal said before shrugging. "Especially with that disaster date night we both tried out and you went all 'Beast' on me."
"...Yes, I was a bit frustrated about that," Ben said softly before nodding, then thought about it a little. "But I'm going to try to give you a second chance and we're starting over, remember? So that night never happened."
"So... We can try again?" Mal then asked.
"That's what a second chance is for, Mal," Ben said with a small smile. "I wanna give you another chance... And the villain kids in Storybrooke too."
"What do you mean by that?" Mal asked.
"I don't fully know yet, but... Mal, in every friendship, you get one chance to say: I need you to do this with me," Ben said before he held out his hand to Mal. "And there's only one answer when somebody says that."
Mal then looked over at his hand before she then shrugged and then took his hand in her hand. "Okay, Ben. I'm with you," she then said softly, still unsure, but looked a little more motivated in helping him help her out for a brighter future in Storybrooke. "Erm... Good night Mayor Mills."
Regina merely nodded in silence as there wasn't really anything she could do right now about this situation. Ben and Mal then smiled at each other before they then left the mansion, leaving Regina all on her own since Evie was sent away elsewhere and Henry would be staying with David. It was definitely going to be a lonely night in the mansion that night. The two teenagers then went off to the pawnshop to go to Ben's parents right away.
Back at the shop, Rumple was shown to be smiling as he had been talking to Belle as they held onto a certain item from the shop.
"Mom? Dad?" Ben called before going into the shop with the purple-haired girl.
"Benjamin?" Rumple asked as he poked his head out before he then looked over. "Oh. There you are, my boy."
"Hey, Dad," Ben replied. "Is this a bad time? It sounded like you were talking to Mom from the outside."
"It's all right, Benjamin," Rumple said with a small smile. "I see that you have a friend of yours with you too."
"Yeah... This is Mal," Ben nodded as he glanced at the purple-haired girl. "Can she stay for the night or for a while? Apparently, her mother went missing when the curse broke and I don't want her to be all alone. Not that this town is dangerous or has a lot of crime, but... She's my friend."
"I see..." Rumple nodded as Belle stepped out to see the two, holding onto a certain item in her hands.
"Oh, dear... I think you should stay, dear..." Belle said softly before nodding. "Is that all right with you too, Rumple?"
"Well... Okay... But she has to stay in the guest bed tonight," Rumple then said. "I know you used to sleep in the same room with Evie when you were children, Benjamin, but it's different for teenagers."
"I know, Dad. I already told her about the guest room," Ben replied with a nod. "Thank you."
"Of course." Rumple smiled and nodded.
"Thank you... Uh... Mr. and Mrs. Gold." Mal then said.
"It's our pleasure, dear." Belle replied.
Ben then looked over, seeing a chipped teacup in his mother's hands. "Chip." he then whispered softly.
"Huh?" Mal then asked.
"Right... Chip..." Rumple chuckled. "I remember that you used to name that cup that when you saw that when you were a little boy."
"Oh... The cup... What a... What an interesting name for a teacup." Mal then said with a shrug, not sure what else to do or say to that.
"Now we all had a long day, so I suggest we all head home with Mal here and get ready for some rest," Rumple soon suggested. "Come along, Mal. We'll help you get settled."
"Thanks, Mr. Gold. This should be interesting." Mal replied.
"Glad that you think so." Rumple replied to her.
And so, Rumple closed his shop, turning the lights out, locking the doors, and then switched his sign to take his family and their guest to his black Cadaliac to turn in for the night.
Meanwhile, in a very different location far away from Storybrooke...
"What did it bring? What is it? What do you see?" Aurora urgently asked the warrior woman as she stood with Audrey and Lonnie.
Mulan soon left up a piece of the rubble. The two women and two teenage girls and Lonnie's pet lizard who was sitting on her shoulder then stared at what was lying beneath.
"Mulan, what is that?" Audrey asked.
"That? That is what brought the Wraith here," Mulan replied as she began to show them what she saw. "That's what killed our Prince."
In the ground, they all looked down to find an unconscious Emma, Evie, and Mary Margaret lying in the rubble. Emma was shown to be moving as if to awaken while Mulan and Aurora would later decide what to do with the three of the intruders as Lonnie and Audrey looked curious while Mushu quickly slithered from her shoulder to hide in her pocket.
"Some dragon..." Audrey huffed and crossed her arms at how Mushu reacted.
Lonnie firmly pouted at Audrey before she then looked over at the fallen three very curiously.