Regina's Rose

Rumpelstiltskin's Cell

Rose's POV

I opened my eyes, everything feeling hazy until I saw Emma in front of me and remembered my encounter with my mother in the netherworld. I stood up quickly and jerked my hand away from Emma as I wiped away tears with my back turned to her. A hand was placed on my shoulder and I jumped still slightly on edge from the burning room. Turning around quickly I pulled a dagger from my thigh holster and grasped the unknown persons arm not giving them a chance to run. I let go quickly when my eye met a slightly scared Emma. Returning my dagger to it's holster, I composed my self and let my face settle into a hardened position rather than the fear that was clearly exhibited before.

"Are you o-"

"I'm fine" I said cutting off the Swan who was clearly worried for me. " We need to get to Rumpelstiltskin's cell, he stashed some squid ink in there that we can use to defeat Cora. It's the same ink you used in Cinderella's contract." Snow looked at me shocked.

"Don't tell me you thought it was the quill." I said a look of annoyance on my face. Snow didn't respond she instead looked down.

"Are you sure you're-"

"I told you I'm fine, Swan. Next time be careful, I could have really hurt you." I said coldly before heading in the direction of Rumple's cell. I realized no one was following me so I turned around to see Emma frantically searching her pockets.

"Swan, please tell me you didn't." I said already knowing what she's searching for.

"It's gotta be around here somewhere just help me look." she said while surveying the forest floor.

"What are we looking for?" Snow asked cluelessly.

"The compass, it probably fell out my pocket." Emma said calmly.

I looked around me and my expression changed to one of anger. "It's not here, Swan." I said with a sigh. "And you didn't lose it, someone stole it."

Emma looked at me slightly confused and then the realization hit. "Damn it, where's Mulan." she said as she took off running with Snow and I close behind so she doesn't get lost.

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"Hand over the compass Mulan." I said a dagger floating above my hand with pink tendrils around it.

"How did you find me?" She questioned clearly annoyed.

"Well Snow can track and I have magic so you were out matched." I say already annoyed of this conversation.

"We have a way to defeat Cora, we just need to -"

"We have to what?" Mulan said cutting off Snow. "Go on another journey half way across the forest to find a single item that she'll probably lose?!" She said angrily while gesturing toward Emma.

"Watch it Mulan, you're being a real bitch to Emma and that compass is our only way home. You don't know what I'm capable of." I say through gritted teeth as my magic glows brighter.

"I made a promise to Phillip so unless you're ready to live up to those threats, you can't stop me." She said defiantly, a scowl permanently placed on her face.

My magic softened as well as my face as I weighed my options. I shook the thoughts of Mulan's loyalty to Aurora from my mind and threw my dagger with my magic. As it zoomed through the air I turned away not wanting to see it hit a person I once thought as trustworthy.

"Stop!" I heard a familiar voice say from the background and stopped the dagger with my magic, only an inch from Mulan's head. Her hair blown back slightly from the sudden stop of the dagger.

I looked past Mulan to see Aurora looking slightly frightened and out of breath.

"Drop the dagger" she says quietly but sternly. I don't respond as I'm still trying to wrap my mind around how she's here.

"Drop it!" She says louder, snapping me out of my trance. I clear my throat and regain my composure as I led my dagger back to its holster with my magic.

"Don't take this the wrong way but, how are you here?" Emma says addressing the elephant in the room.

"Hook let me go-" that is all I heard Aurora say before I tuned it all out. She went into some long spill about how trustworthy Hook was and I think she was being his wingman. That was not worth my attention.

Hey guys, sorry I haven't uploaded in forever I had a lot going on in my life. I'll try to update more often to make up for it.