Cursed Hearts

Hope for the Hopeless

"Now, you're sure you want to do this?"

Will audibly groaned, irritated by the fact that practically everyone was on the fence about them going.

"I've already told ya a thousand times old man, we got this!" He said, reviving a sour look from Rumple in return.

"And I take it you have a way back?"

Ruby held up a small, dark object in the palm of her hand. "We do. I've had it all this time, my mother gave it to me when I was little- now I can finally get a use out of it."

She and Will had spent every night planning on how they would navigate the Enchanted Forest. Then, after Emma told them about her conversation with Robin, they knew that they had to act fast. Every passing day seemed to bring a new wave of stress.

"Are you really going to wear that... to the Enchanted Forest?" Belle asked, gesturing to Will's bright green Toronto University and Ruby's black skinny jeans.

They had all agreed to meet at Gold's pawn shop at eight that morning, and everyone was running late except for Will and Ruby.

"We'll find clothes to fit in when we get there," Ruby assured, "some lucky lady will get a great outfit."

The entire Charming clan then burst through the doors, soon crowding the small shop. "Sorry we're late, Tink and I were up almost all night- I think we're getting somewhere with the Regina situation."

Rumple couldn't help but feel a tinge of happiness. "Glad to hear it. Now, if goodbyes are in order, make them quick. It sounds like Robin and Caroline need all the help they can get."

In typical Charming fashion, hugs were first. Will gave an extra squeeze to his two nephews, promising to do the same with Caroline once they found her.

"Please promise me you won't make any stupid decisions," Snow said to Will, "there's a lot at stake here."

He rolled his eyes, knowing she mean well. "You sound just like Regina. We'll be fine, I spent my entire childhood wandering around that forest. Ruby too. If anything, we're the best people for the job."

She had to give him credit where it was deserved. Will was probably the most resilient one there.

"Just promise me you'll all work as hard as you can to get Regina back." Ruby said, directing her eyes to Emma. "And contact us with the looking glass if anything important happens."

Will took his girlfriend's hand, nodding towards Mr. Gold, who then gingerly picked up the magic bean he had kept stashed away. A tiny voice in the back of his mind still questioned why on earth he was helping these people; it was the selfish anger that left a permanent mark on his soul.

He lead them outside and to the empty street, taking no time in enacting the power of the bean. A swirling green portal soon appeared.

"There's no certainty that you two will end up exactly where you want to," Rumple warned, "it may help to think of where you want to go."

Ruby and Will exchanged one final look before facing the portal and jumping through.

--

It was the longest night either of them had experienced. Even when Robin spent hours trudging through entire wastelands in his past, at least he knew his family was somewhere safe. Now, in the desolate darkness, his daughter suffering beside him and his wife transported to an unknown world, everything seemed bleak.

Robin wasn't sure how long they had been walking for- his thoughts were only focused on getting as far away from Zelena as possible. Still, the knowledge of a powerful Ice Queen out there looking for his daughter was daunting at best. Adrenaline was the thing keeping him going forward; the cold mixed with the darkness to create a never ending world of terror. He and Caroline had kept their conversations to a minimum, mostly because of how tired they were.