Once on Instagram III

The Truth

June 13, 2018

"Where are we going?" Grace asked as soon as she sat down in Emma's car.

"I can't say," Emma responded through gritted teeth.

"Does it have something to do with Ella?"

"I-I can't say."

Grace bit her lips and buckled her seat belt. She and Henry shared a nervous glance as Emma began driving.

~

Regina was still trying to figure out the best way to break the news about Ella to Henry and Grace when they followed Emma into the hospital, both teenagers trying to get Emma to tell them why they were there. Despite their pleas, Emma remained silent.

"Here they are," Emma said as she approached Regina. "I'm gonna go grab some food. Or maybe just some chocolate milk. I hope they have that in the cafeteria." Emma walked off before Regina could even respond.

"What's going on?" Henry and Grace asked in unison. They both had concerned expressions on their faces. "Is something wrong with Ella?"

"About a week ago, the Black Fairy and the Dark Fairy kidnapped Ella and Violet and took them to the Other Enchanted Forest. I was able to rescue them without much trouble, but, um... I wasn't quite fast enough. Violet's fine, she wasn't who they really wanted. But Ella..."

"Is she hurt? Is she going to be okay? She's not going to die, is she?"

"No. Physically, she's fine, but..." Regina took a deep breath. "The Black Fairy erased all of her memories from the Land of Untold Stories."

"What?" Grace's voice cracked. "No..."

"Grace--"

"That's not fair!" She shouted before she turned and ran off.

~

"Hey," Henry said softly as he sat down next to Grace. Grace just turned her head away from him.

"Go away," she mumbled.

Henry sighed. "It's not over, you know."

"Just leave," Grace said. "I don't want to talk to you right now."

Henry pursed his lips and closed his eyes. Slowly, he stood up and walked back to Regina. When he arrived, Emma had returned and she was holding a carton of chocolate milk. "Where's Ella's room?" he asked.

"I'll take you there," Emma replied. She placed a hand on Henry's shoulder and led him to the room where Ella was.

~

"Do you have it?"

The Dark Lady nodded and opened the box so the Black Fairy could look inside. Lying in the box was the Dark One dagger which currently had the name Ruby Lucas engraved on it.

"You were right. The dagger didn't register my touch since I'm already the Dark One of another realm. Now... where did you say you wanted me to deliver this?"

"The Jolly Roger."

"To... Captain Hook? Not to doubt your plan, but that sounds like a risk. We can't count on getting the dagger back once he becomes the Dark One."

"We won't need to. And he won't be the Dark One. He won't need to be. With the Darkness this untameable, the dagger just needs to be on the ship with him and he will act as if he is the Dark One. The actual Dark One will be Milah. It's time those two paid for what they did. When their friends see how Hook acts without even being the Dark One, Milah will surely side with him and they will become outcasts. Also, with the Jolly Roger out of the picture, secret cross-realm travel becomes much harder for the so-called 'heroes' of the Land of Untold Stories."