The Girl With a Rose on Her Forehead -Once Upon a Time Fanfiction-

Season 4: Episode 18: Heart of Gold

-Sister Saints home- 

"August!" Emma said running into the room in the saints home, but stopped suddenly when she saw that Mary and David were with Azelea and August. "How are you?" Emma asked, ignoring Mary and David completely. "I bit tired, but better. Thanks to this one." August said putting a steady hand on Azelea's shoulder. She was sat beside him as he lay in bed, still recovering. He would be for a few more days at least. Even August could tell there was tension in the room. Emma sat down on the bed next to August. "Somethings wrong. How are you?" He asked taking Emma's hand. "I'm fine." Emma said. August frowned. "you forget I know lying." He said. "It's a long story and not really important at the moment, especially when you see this." Emma said holding up the page to the door that the author was trapped in and the small key that he and Azelea had found in the library. "You did it." August said with a grin. "That's right. Now what do you say we let him out - I have some questions." Emma said with determination. "Emma please think about this. This isn't just what Regina wanted. This is what Gold wanted too. He was doing it to turn you dark." Mary said stepping up to stand beside her. Azelea had never seen her parents act so...guilty, and scared. When they had told her what they did to Maleficents baby so long ago she had conflicting feelings. They had been doing what was best for Emma, but they took a child away from it's mother...even with the promise of bringing it back it seemed so out of character for the two. She wanted to speak up, but David's words rang in her ear. "Were trying to fix your problem!" He had shouted at her in the library. "No wonder. We were the people who didn't want to let them in. And now we are having to try and get them out." David had apologized for his words while they were talking, but the teen was still feeling guilt for letting them into town. She felt as if she didn't have the right to say her opinion. "It is my fault after all." So the teen sat back, and let her sister fight it out with their parents. "I'm not worried about turning dark, are you?" Emma asked, looking at Mary for the first time sense entering the room. "Because now I have questions about me too. And he can tell us everything." Emma said with tears in her eyes turning to August. "If he is the one who wrote your story." August said. "What are you talking about?" Emma asked. "There is something you all need to know. He isn't the only Author. There have been many Authors throughout time. It's a job, not a person. And the one who is trapped in here was just the last one tasked with the great responsibility." August explained. "What responsibility?" Emma asked. "To record, to witness the greatest stories of all time and record them for posterity." Azelea chimed in as she gently pushed August back into a laying position. "Don't push yourself too much. You're still in recovery." The teen said to the man as he playfully rolled his eyes. "The job of the Author has gone back Eons. From the man who watched shadows dance across the cave walls, and developed an entire philosophy. to playwrights who tell tales in poetry. To a man named Walt." Azelea continued explaining the author as she forced August to rest. "Many have had this sacred job. Great men and women who have taken on the responsibility - with the gravity that it deserved." the teen said. "How do you know so much about the Author?" Emma asked her, surprised at the amount she knew. "She is a flower enchantress. It's her job to know these things." August said, trying to defend the girl. "But you haven't said anything about the Author up to this point." David said confused. "Because the Author is a complex person to explain. And you didn't need to know any of this information to find him. Knowledge is power, and sometimes it is easy to accidentally put that power in the wrong hands...this isn't the only thing I haven't told you all that I know. And I do that for your protection, and the protection of others. But now that we have this key and can free the author you all need to know this information." Azelea said gently, sensing that they might be upset with her. Emma nodded, understanding what Azelea was saying. "So who his this Author?" she asked. "This Author got trapped because they started to manipulate rather than record. They did something - I don't know exactly what- but something that pushed them over the edge. My mother would tell me stories of this Author when I was a young child. She told me the story of how he got trapped, but even she didn't know where or how. So I never knew until August told us." Azelea said. "I knew because the sorcerer told me. He trapped him in the book after he abused his power too much." August explained. "Makes sense, the sorcerer is the one who chooses who the Author is after all." Azelea said. "So if the author is still in there...he still has the power to alter things in the story right?" Emma asked. "You sure have come a long way from the woman who wouldn't believe." August said with a grin. "Yea, I have." Emma said with a weak voice as she stood up. She put the page on the bed and stood above it with the key. She pushed the key to the page and no one stopped her as she opened the door. A bright light filled the room and everyone had to cover their eyes. And when they were able to see again the Author was laying on the ground. "Oh!" he grunted as he stood up. Everyone looking at him in wonder. "Woo, it was cramped in there." The Author said with a smile as he turned to face us. "I couldn't even reach this." He said pulling out an old time flask from his back pocket. "And I was parched." he said as he took a swig of whatever alcohol was in it. Mary and David looked shocked as they recognized the flask. "Where did you get that?" David asked. "This. I nice young couple I met on the road in the enchanted forest gave it to me." He said with a knowing smirk as Mary and David looked even more shocked. "Want some, it's nice. Nutmeg-y" Mary took a step towards him. "You. You are- are the Author...the peddler?" She asked. "Have you all met before?" Azelea asked, confused. "You could say that." The Author said. "We have a lot of questions for you." Emma said. "I bet you do." the Author said before making a run for it. Emma and David ran after him as Azelea had to push August down. "Don't be stupid August, you couldn't even make it out of this room before collapsing." the teen said as she stopped August from getting out of bed. Mary stood in shock as the room suddenly became silent. "I should go with them." Mary said before running out of the room as well. "Hopefully they are able to catch him. Or we have a big problem." August said.