With Pan dead, they were all free to move but none of them knew what to do. Aurelia clasped a hand to her mouth as she tried to choke back the tears that were pooling in her eyes. Seeing someone die right in front of her wasn't easy, no matter who they were.
Belle fell to the floor as sobs wracked her body. "No! Rumple!" she cried. "He's gone!"
Realizing Belle was much more distressed than she was, Aurelia kneeled down, wrapping her in a hug even if she didn't know Belle that well.
Mary Margaret looked at Regina as she grabbed the scroll from the ground. "Regina, are you okay?" she asked.
"I'm fine," Regina said.
"I'm so sorry," Emma said, looking at Neal.
"My father did what he had to do. He saved us" Neal said. "Regina, don't let him die for nothing."
Regina stood there like she was in shock.
"Regina!" Neal called out.
"What?"
"We're here for a reason, love. Pan" Hook said. "He's dead," Regina said.
"His curse remains. Can you stop it? Or should we start preparing our souls? Because mine's gonna take some time" Hook said.
Aurelia turned to him more panicked than she was before. "You think it's going to kill us?!" she asked.
"No. No. It won't" Hook said, trying to comfort her. "We'll be fine."
But the incoming shouts and yell from Leroy, or Grumpy, one of the dwarves didn't ease her nerves.
"It's here!" he shouted. "It's here! The curse is here! The curse is coming from all sides. There's no escape."
Aurelia unconsciously grabbed Hook's hand, fearing the worse. "It's not too late. We can still stop it right?" Aurelia asked. "Yes," Regina mumbled. "Yes."
"But what's the price? Gold said there was a price. What is that price?" Emma asked.
"It's not our price," Regina said. "It's mine."
"What are you talking about?" Emma asked. "It's what I felt when I first held it. I have to say goodbye to the thing I love most" Regina said.
"Henry?"
"I can never see him again. I have no choice. I have to undo what I started" Regina said.
"The curse that brought us to Storybrooke," Mary Margaret said.
"That created Strorybrooke. It doesn't belong here. And neither do any of us" Regina said. "Breaking the curse destroys the town," David said.
"It will wink out of existence as though it were never here. And everyone will go back to where they're from. Prevented from ever returning." Regina said.
"You'll go back to the enchanted forest" Emma realized.
"All of us. Expect Henry. He will stay here because he was born here" Regina said.
"Alone?" Emma asked.
"No. You will take him because you're the savior. You were created to break the curse. And once again, you can escape it" Regina said.
"I...I don't want to. We'll both go back, with everyone" Emma said. "That's not an option. I can't be with him. If I don't pay the price none of this will work" Regina said.
Thunder clapped around them, signaling that the curse was closing in on them. Wind rushed through Aurelia's hair and she could feel the fear closing in on her heart.
"Emma you have to go," Mary Margaret said. "But I just found you," Emma said.
"And now it's time for you to leave us again. For your best chance. For his" Mary Margaret said.
"No. No. I'm...I'm not done. I'm the savior, right? I'm supposed to bring back all the happy endings. That's what Henry always said" she said.
"Happy endings aren't always what we think they will be," Mary Margaret said. "Look around you. You've touched the lives of everyone here."
"But we're a family," Emma said.
"Yes. And we always will be. You gave us that" Mary Margaret said.
"You and Henry can be a family and you will get your wish. You can be like everyone else. You can be happy" David said.
"It's time for you to believe in yourself, Emma. It's time for you to find hope" Mary Margaret said.
"We have no choice," Regina said. "You have to go."
"Okay."
─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Everyone gathered at the town line as Emma, and Henry said their goodbyes. Henry walked over to Aurelia as she pulled him into a hug.
"I wish we could've gotten to know each other more," he said. "Me too. You are the best grand-nephew I could've ever had" Aurelia laughed. "And you and Emma will be fine. I know it. She loves you so much."
Emma walked over with a sad smile on her face. "I'm really gonna miss you. I know we didn't know each other and we only shared a room for one night but-"
Emma cut her off, pulling her into a hug. "In a weird way I think I'm gonna miss the rambling" Emma laughed.
Thunder rumbled behind them as the green smoke from the curse, rushed down the road. Aurelia gave Emma one last smile and Henry her final hug before she stepped back next to David and Mary Margaret.
"I always thought about going back to the enchanted forest, but I didn't think it would be like this," she said to David as Emma and Henry got into her car and began driving over the town line.
Regina ripped up the scroll before she turned to the green smoke, holding up her hands as her own purple magic flowed out and mixed in with the curse.
"I know. But at least we'll be together this time."
─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
。ﾟ☆: * enchanted forest 。ﾟ☆: *
As the curse rolled over them it was like Auerlia's vision went black. She could feel the magic being pushed around, her grip on David's hand tightening. It almost felt like she was standing in the middle of a hurricane.
The change was fast and sudden. It was like as quickly as the smoke came it was gone. Aurelia blinked her eyes adjusting to the new light as she looked around.
They were in the enchanted forest. Everyone, including herself, was standing in the middle of a large field back in the clothes they'd the night of Regina's curse.
Aurelia was back in the clothes she was wearing the night the Shadow took her, this time without any of the wear and tear Neverland had on the dress.
"Snow? What happened?" a voice cried out. Aurelia looked up at a man and woman she'd never seen standing across from, obviously shocked to see the group of people standing in front of them.
"We're back" Mary Margaret, or Snow as she was here, sighed, still distraught at the fact that she had lost her daughter again.
Snow motioned for all of them to follow her as she walked closer to the people who were obviously her friends.
"Aurora, Phillip. This is my husband, David. That's Regina and my sister-in-law, Auerlia. You already know Hook" Snow said. Aurelia glanced at Hook wondering how he knew them.
"How have things been since we left? The Ogres?" Snow asked.
"Defeated. We are restoring our kingdom and our lives" Aurora said. "And congratulations" Snow smiled, gesturing toward Aurora's stomach.
"Is it that obvious?" Aurora laughed. "You're glowing" Snow smiled.
"Why is she pregnant and I'm the one who's sick?" Regina mumbled. "Congratulations" Aurelia smiled. "You two must be very excited!"
"Thank you," Philip said. "We have much to celebrate. And know that you and your friends are welcome in our kingdom. If you need anything we are at your service."
"Thank you. But all we need is horses. We have our own kingdom, our own castle-"
Aurelia cut David off as she looked up at him. "You have your own castle?!" she asked, astonished.
"Well, our castle was destroyed in the curse," Snow told her.
"Well played, Your Majesty. You laid waste to everything" Hook said, sarcasm dripping from her tone.
"Not everything," Aurora told them. "Her castle still stands."
"Of course it does. I protected it" Regina said. "Does everyone here have a castle?" Aurelia asked.
"Well, technically, the castle doesn't belong to her. It was Snow's before she took it" David said. "Well, to be fair. I married into it" Regina said.
"That is kind of a good point" Aurelia mumbled. "Well, now we're taking it back. And you are coming with us" Snow said, looking at Regina who scoffed.
"You can't be serious," she said.
"Regina, everyone out there is scared and confused. They need hope. What better way to do that than to return united" Snow said. "You're coming with us. I know you don't like it. You'll learn to. For our good. For yours."
"Thank you again for the hospitality. We should begin preparations" David said. "Good luck to all of you," Phillip said, shaking David's hand.
They all walked off, ready to gather all the supplies they needed to make their way to the Queen's castle.
Aurelia glanced over at Hook, noticing the solemn look on his face. "What's wrong?" she asked, as she walked up to him. "You don't seem too excited about going to the castle."
"I don't think I'll be heading with you all," he told her. Aurelia looked at him, not hiding the disappointed look on her face.
"You're not coming?" she asked.
"The enchanted forest might be your home but mine is-"
"Your ship. The Jolly Roger" she sighed. "Aye. Somewhere out there is my ship. All I have to do is find her" he said.
"But what if you can't? And you're going to go alone? I know they said the Ogres were defeated but what if there's something else out there? Like trolls, or dragons, or...monsters!"
"Monsters?"
"I don't know, I couldn't think of anything else. But my point is, it could be dangerous to go alone. Maybe I should go with you. I mean I can't use a sword, or at least I don't think I can. I've never really tried. But I could heal you if something were to happen!"
"Thank you, Goldie. For the offer but I can't let you come with me. You're right it could be dangerous. And you just found your brother. You can't leave him" he said.
"But what if something happens to you?" she asked.
"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were worried about me" he smirked.
"I am worried about you!" she huffed and Hook's gaze softened, not expecting her or anyone to ever genuinely worry about her. "You're...you're my friend and I don't want anything to happen to you."
"I'll be fine," he told her. "I'm good at surviving."
"Well, I don't want you to just survive. You deserve to actually live. And you can't do that if you hurt while you're out there or eaten by a-"
"Monster?" he teased.
"Hook!"
"I won't get eaten. Or killed or hurt. Or anything else you're thinking of" he said.
"Well, then promise that you'll write to me? Until you find your ship. So I know you're safe" she said.
"Goldie-"
"Promise me! Or I will stand right here in this spot and I won't let you move until you do" she said, stomping her foot.
"You do realize I could easily move you?" he asked.
"Killian Jones. Promise me that you will write to me at least once a week until you find your ship. Please" she said, practically begging him.
Hearing the tone in her voice and the distraught look in her eyes, his demeanor softened as he nodded.
"I promise, love. Once a week" he said.
Aurelia nodded, throwing her arms around him in a hug that caught him off guard. David looked over ready to pry his sister off of him until Snow pulled him back.
"Please stay safe. I'm going to miss you" she mumbled. Hook hugged her back, holding her tightly in his arms.
"I'll miss you too," he said, scaring himself with how much he would actually miss her. Never expecting to care so much for the ball of sunshine he didn't know he'd ever see again.
#1 in the killian jones tag???? thank you all so much for reading!!!