Dreams Come True:

Page 35: The Fight to Go Home:

"Where are we going?" Hook asked as he walked with Cora while Dream was being forced to follow behind them. 

"Lake Nostos. The legend says its waters hold the power to restore what was once lost. It will return magic to what remains of this wardrobe." Cora said, holding up the vile, before looking back to Dream, who was forced to trail along. "Keep up, child..." Cora demanded as Dream winced as she picked up the pace. "And then we'll be able to cross worlds," Cora said as they came to a stop, seeing where the lake once was.

"I may be a simple pirate, but I know one thing, lakes have water." Hook sighed when he looked at Cora, then at Dream, who moved to the other side of her grandmother.

Without saying another word, Cora waved her hand, creating a hole where water spits up out of the ground. "After everything we've been through, why do you still doubt me?" Cora asked Hook while Dream raised her brow. After a minute or two, Cora, Hook, and Dream stood at the end while the water stopped spitting out, leaving a small pool of it. "And now, the ashes. Would you care to do the honors?" Cora smiled, handing the magical vile of pink dust to Hook. 

Hook opened it, dumping it in to create a whirlpool portal. 

"Here we go... We'll be in Storybrooke soon enough. I really look forward to seeing my daughter." Cora smiled when Dream looked nervous.

"I told you I'd deliver you to Rumpelstiltskin," Cora said to Hook before moving Dream in between them so that the three of them held onto the compass. "Now, don't let go. Unless you want to end up someplace, that isn't Storybrooke." Cora warned, looking at Dream. 

They started to jump when the compass flew out of their hands, in between Dream and Cora. Hook moved quickly, bringing Dream close to him as the arrow flew by her head.

"You're not going anywhere." 

The three of them looked over to see Mulan, Mary Margaret, and Emma. 

"The portal's taking us home," Emma yelled to them when Mary Margaret looked at the compass behind Dream. 

"The compass, get it." Mary Margaret said as Hook moved Dream behind him.

"Find it first. I'll take care of them." Cora said to Hook while she threw a fireball over to Mulan, but Mulan used her sword to deflect it. 

Emma ran by, rushing to get the compass from Hook, while Mary Margaret aimed her arrows at Cora. Dream stood back, looking around the sand for the compass, while she watched Emma and Hook's sword fight. Cora used her magic to disappear when Mulan went to strike at her, causing the satchel with Dream's heart to fly over the portal. Hook leaned back, stopping his fight with Emma when he reached his hook to grab the satchel. Emma got up from the ground as Hook was distracted by grabbing her sword when Hook tossed the satchel to Dream. 

"I may be a pirate, but I bristle at the thought of a woman losing her heart. Unless it's over me." Hook smirked when Dream looked at the satchel, finally not being under Cora's control anymore.

"Go." Mary Margaret said, rushing over to Mulan. 

"No, but you need the compass." Mulan fought when Mary Margaret sighed. 

"Dream's got her heart back. She isn't under Cora's control. You can get back to Aurora." Mary Margaret said as Mulan looked over to Dream, who was backing up, looking for the compass.

"Take it," Mulan said, tossing the sword to Dream. "It deflects her magic," Mulan said when Dream thanked her before Mulan ran back to find Aurora again. 

This was not her fight.

"I had no idea you had such a soft side," Emma said to Hook, who scoffed at her comment. 

"I don't. I just like a fair fight." Hook said before sword-fighting Emma again. Dream moved to join, making Hook stop her. "Good form. But not good enough." Hook said, holding his sword when Emma moved to help her mother.

Once Emma left, Hook knocked Dream onto her back, while Mary Margaret held her bow out, while Emma moved, holding her sword out. Cora whistled, reappearing, making Mary Margaret and Emma look at her. Cora chuckled when the mother-daughter duo flinched at her pretending to throw a fireball.

Hook slid his hook and sword down while Dream held her sword up. "Normally, I prefer to do other, more enjoyable activities with a woman on her back." Hook said while he moved the sword, getting close and personal to Dream. "But with my life on the line, you've left me no choice... Bit of advice. When I jab you with my sword, you'll feel it..." Hook continued to say when Dream felt something under her back, she slowly moved her hand, feeling the compass. "You might want to quit." He said when she grabbed it.

"Why would I do that? When I'm winning." Dream asked when she raised it up, showing him. 

He paused, looking at her in disbelief, before pushing him off of her. They both stood back up when Hook tried to block Dream's sword. 

"This might hurt..." Dream said, making him furrow his brows before she hit him with the compass, knocking him out cold.

"Now, let's go home!" Emma said, looking over to Dream, who held up the compass. Emma went to charge her sword at Cora, who disappeared. 

"Emma, Dream, run." Mary Margaret said when they dropped their weapons to take off running into the portal. 

Cora appeared by the outer rim first. Cora used her magic, slinging the girls back into the sand. She started to stalk toward the girls when Mary Margaret stood up in front of the girls. Emma tried to get up while Dream held the compass, wincing from the pain in her side. Cora used her magic, not letting Emma get up as Mary Margaret sighed, looking at Cora.

"Why do you want to go to Storybrooke?" Mary Margaret asked her when Cora did not hesitate. 

"Because my daughter needs me... And now I'm going to give her the one thing she's always wanted. Your heart. Goodbye, Snow." Cora said, raising her hand, but Emma stood up, jumping in the way.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret yelled when Emma pushed her out of the way.

"Oh, you foolish girl." Cora chuckled when Dream stood up, standing with Mary Margaret. "Don't you know? Love is weakness." Cora said, going to pull out Emma's heart, but she could not rip it out.

"No..." Emma said, looking at Cora, who looked just as confused as she did. "...It's strength," Emma said, thinking of what Henry always said. 

There was a sudden blast, slinging Cora back when Mary Margaret rushed over to her shocked daughter. 

"What was that?" Emma asked as she looked at her mother. 

"That is a great subject for discussion when we get home." Mary Margaret smiled, looking at her daughter when Dream noticed that there was still a pain in her side.

"Um... guys." Dream said when she moved her shirt to show that she had a big scratch that was bleeding through her shirt. 

Mary Margaret rushed over when she ripped the hem of her pink sweater before wrapping it around Dream's side. "Come on... We can doctor it up when we get home." Mary Margaret said when they moved to the edge of the water pool. "Ready?" She asked as the three of them held onto the compass. 

"Yeah, let's go," Emma said as they jumped.

~season 2, episode 9: "Queen of Hearts"~

~1259 words~