The Light One (OUAT) (2)

Capture the Compass

--[Fairy Tale World—Present]--

"What do you mean Henry was in her dream?" Emma asked me loudly as she stood to look at me.

"Yeah in a manner of speaking," I told her as I stood up. My sister stood as well to face me.

"That's impossible. It was a dream. How could she dream of my son?" Emma was getting annoyed with the situation.

"Because he's in a Netherworld. Like Aurora, he was under the sleeping curse so the after effect is being sent to the same Netherworld as he was when under the curse. It is just a different room, a more dangerous one," I told her simply as I walked over to the fire.

"So you're saying you knew my dreams weren't just dreams this whole time?" Aurora asked as she stood up as well.

"Yeah," I squeaked out sheepishly. "But in my defense I didn't want to worry you with the details. I have been doing my best to keep you safe in there with my magic. I just didn't know how to even tell you in a way that wouldn't scare you."

"Did you know this whole time Henry was in there too?" Emma asked me as she stared me down.

I glanced at her and everyone else who was staring me down. "I didn't realize until she told us someone was in there with her while you were up the beanstalk."

"How could you not tell me this?" Emma asked outraged by my actions.

"Because Emma. What was the point of telling you? You would have just been nervous for Henrys safety in there instead of focused on the task at hand."

"What else did you lie about?" Aurora accused me.

"I didn't lie I just withheld the truth to protect you. It's my job to make the tough calls sometimes in order to protect others," I told her.

Emma then turned to Aurora, "What did he say – Henry? In the... In the dream?"

Aurora hesitantly answered, "He just said his name. He... And then, I woke up, and... It was over."

"Emma. It's going to be okay," my sister assured her.

"We are so far from okay," Emma told her.

"No. We have a way home now."

"We have a compass, and the wardrobe ashes are still with Cora," Emma argued back, fed up with her mother's optimism.

"Any attempt to steal from her would be suicide," Mulan added.

"Not anymore. We can stop her," my sister told her.

"How?"

"I don't know. But I know someone who does... Rumpelstiltskin. He'll know a way."

"Henry. We can talk to him. Now we can communicate," Emma said in realization.

"Wait, wait," Aurora tried arguing.

Emma looked back at her, determined, "Oh yeah, Princess. You're going back to sleep."

I stepped forward a bit, "I must warm you all of the risks of doing this."

"What risks?" my sister asked me cautiously.

"There is the fact that trying to talk to him through the Netherworld could potentially harm him and Aurora. Just because the fires are only in their dreams doesn't mean that they will not hurt them in real life. I can imagine though that Rumpels has already given Henry something to keep him relatively safe. I can also use my magic to protect Aurora a bit. But the magic is not full proof."

"Can you keep her protected long enough?" Emma asked me.

I looked over at Aurora, "I will do my best to protect you from the flames but like I said it's not full proof. In the end it is your life on the line so it is your call."