Hook was beyond pissed off. The Swan wench had left him in the giant's grip for ten hours. Ten bloody hours. He had been fuming as he began his climb back down the beanstalk and the journey had done nothing but intensify his rage. The pirate finally jumped down, expecting at least that Nim was waiting for him, eyebrows raised and foot tapping impatiently.

But she wasn't. Instead Hook was faced with Cora.

He sighed. Of course. Bloody selfish girl.

The five women had found camp for the night in the woods and Nim was sitting on a log, legs stretched out in front of her, as she kept watch. Aurora was sleeping and Emma had left to retrieve Mary Margaret, leaving Nimueh alone with Mulan. The woman seemed to be permanently on edge but her dark eyes were soft as she watched Aurora sleep.

The trees rustled and Nim tensed, one hand flying to Excalibur but dropping when the leaves parted to reveal Mary Margaret and Emma. She nodded in greeting but turned back sharply when she heard Aurora startle awake. The princess gasped, her first words being an alarmed, "Snow! Snow!"

The archer was instantly by her side, "Hey. I'm here. It's okay, it's okay. It was just another nightmare."

Aurora shook her head vehemently. "No. This time was different. There was a little boy. He…he put out the fire. He talked to me."

Mary Margaret frowned and Nim leaned forward, her interest piqued. Aurora had met someone in the Netherworld? That was new.

"A little boy?"

"What'd he say?" Emma chimed in, crouching before her.

Aurora looked at her. "He said…he said his name was Henry."

Emma's eyes widened in shock and Nim remembered the woman mentioning that name before. Was he a relative of hers? A friend?

Emma dug around her pocket for a moment before pulling out a creased piece of paper. "The boy you saw in your dream- is that him?"

Nimueh didn't hear Aurora's reply because she was too busy staring at the likeness of the boy, her stomach growing heavy. She knew that face. She had drawn that face… She had been looking for that face for hundreds of years! And he was Emma's-

"-How could you dream of my son?"

Oh God.

He was Emma's son.

Nim leaned back, barely listening to their conversation as she pressed her palms together and then placed them under her nose. This was too good to be true! Not only was Rumpelstiltskin in Storybrooke but he was too!

…But that meant that somehow she had to get to this land, find her father and enact her revenge and then find the boy, get him away from Emma and convince him to come back with her.

…Great. That wouldn't be hard at all.

"The sleeping curse. It has to be," Mary Margaret was saying and Nimueh looked at her with wide eyes.

Wait. Was Henry the grandson that Mary Margaret was talking about?

Oh.

"I went through it, Aurora went through it…"

"Henry's been through it because I wouldn't believe him," Emma finished bitterly and Nim heard the self-loathing in her voice. That just meant that she would be even more protective of the boy and that made Nim's job even harder. Fantastic.

Mary Margaret's face turned sympathetic. "Emma…"

But Aurora was annoyed. "What else did you lie about?"

"I was…I wasn't lying," Mary Margaret stuttered out. "I was protecting you."

"What did he say? Henry? In the…in the dream?" Emma asked.

"He just said his name. He… And then, I woke up, and…it was over."

"Emma. It's going to be okay," Mary Margaret reassured her daughter.

"We are so far from okay," Emma shot back, rubbing her forehead.

"No. We have a way home now."

"We have a compass and the wardrobe ashes are still with Cora."

"Any attempt to steal from her would be suicide," Mulan put in and Nim couldn't stop herself from nodding in agreement. There was no way she would be able to go up against Cora without her magic…and getting that cuff off was looking less and less likely.

"Not anymore. We can stop her," Mary Margaret disputed and Nim looked at her in exasperation. Was this woman naïve or just plain stupid?

"How?" Mulan seemed to have the same thought.

"I don't know," Mary Margaret admitted and Nim resisted the urge to snort. "But I know someone who does… Rumpelstiltskin. He'll know a way."

Nimueh grit her jaw at the mention of her father and Emma's eyes travelled over her, remembering Hook's words about the Dark One ruining the girl's life. "Henry," she murmured, understanding. "We can talk to him. Now we can communicate…Nim?"

The girl looked up reluctantly.

"You gonna be okay with that?"

Nim was shocked that the woman was actually asking for her opinion but just grimaced. It wasn't as if she could stop them and…well; it was ironic that her father would end up actually helping her with her revenge. She smiled, motioning for them to go ahead.

"Wait, wait," Aurora sputtered.

Emma grinned. "Oh yeah, Princess. You're going back to sleep."

After Aurora awakened with a jolt and confirmed that she had told Henry all that they had agreed, the group decided to move on, determining it would be best to keep moving in case Hook or Cora caught up with them. At present, they were making their way through the forest and Nim was fiddling with the cuff, glaring at the piece of leather as though it had done her a great evil…which it kinda had. Emma noticed the cuff and opened her mouth to enquire about it when she saw Mary Margaret shaking her head out of the corner of her eyes. She frowned but closed her mouth, making a gesture that she would be asking her mother about it later.

"How close are we?" she asked instead, her concern returning to her son. "Henry could already be waiting in that Netherworld."

Aurora shook her head. "No, we planned to meet back there in two hours."

"You're not going to leave him waiting," Mary Margaret placed a gentle hand on Emma's shoulder but the woman wasn't convinced.

"Yeah, but what if he's-"

"He was fine," Aurora cut her off forcefully.

"There," Mary Margaret sounded satisfied. "That looks like relatively safe high ground," she nodded up ahead of them. "We'll set up camp there. Aurora, you'll settle in and find Henry- get the information we need from Rumpelstiltskin. And we do this fast, in and out. It's still dangerous out here."

Nim found herself in the same position she had been in only hours before; Mulan watching Aurora sleep and herself sitting with her chin propped up on her hands and elbows on her thighs as she kept watch. Mary Margaret and Emma were sitting a little way off, murmuring to each other and occasionally shooting looks in her direction. Nimueh rolled her eyes: it was obvious they were talking about her. She leaned back, her head against a tree as she stared off into the dark foliage.

Let them talk.

"So that cuff is the reason she can't talk or use her magic?" Emma's voice was full of doubt as she stared dubiously at her mother.

"I met the Lady of the Lake once as a child," Mary Margaret replied. "And that was definitely her," she nodded in Nim's direction. "She looks exactly the same. And back then, she could talk."

"So Cora did this to her?" Emma asked and Mary Margaret nodded. "But why would she do that?"

"Insurance I guess," the princess sighed. "To make sure Nimueh didn't betray her… and binding her magic certainly stops her from using it against her."

Emma chewed her lip as she thought. "We don't even know why she wants to come back to Storybrooke. If Hook was telling the truth and Nim wants revenge on Gold, we can't take her back with us."

Mary Margaret's eyes drifted over to the girl who was leaning silently against her tree. Her gaze was melancholy, one hand firmly on Excalibur's hilt and the other tapping absentmindedly against her knee. The girl Mary Margaret remembered was not one she thought capable of violence…but was Nimueh that girl?

"Look, I think that we don't know the whole story behind it. Maybe Rumpelstiltskin did something truly horrible to her?" the woman sighed. "And I'm not condoning violence," she added quickly at Emma's raised eyebrow, "but maybe we should hear her out."

"Just one problem with that," Emma quipped and Mary Margaret grimaced, knowing that now was the perfect time to share her thoughts with Emma. She hadn't been able to remove the cuff, but that didn't mean that Emma couldn't. Surely, if anyone could remove it other than Cora, it was the Savior?

Mary Margaret opened her mouth to voice that thought when she was cut off by a twig snapping. Nim was on her feet immediately, drawing Excalibur, with Emma not far behind. "What was that?"

Walking towards them were people. Nim narrowed her eyes: she recognised some of those faces as people from the village… and there was something off in the way they were walking. Their actions were jerky and too forceful, as though they were unused to walking.

That's when it hit her. They were being controlled. By Cora.

Emma ordered Mulan to wake up Aurora as she rushed to Nim's side. "Cora did this didn't she?" the blonde asked her and Nim nodded gravely, bringing Excalibur up defensively as the zombies came closer.

And then they were upon them.

Nim rushed forward, Excalibur slicing through the zombies as she attacked, going straight for their heads.

How do you kill something that's already dead? You chop off its head.

Nimueh kicked one zombie in the shin and the corpse fell to its knees, leaving her free to swing Excalibur at its head. The decapitated orb fell to the floor, rolled once then stopped whilst the headless body uselessly crumpled. Nim looked up to see Emma on the ground, a zombie on top of her, and the compass rolling away from her. Her eyes widened as another zombie picked it up.

"The compass," Emma yelled. "The compass!"

Mary Margaret shot the zombie holding the arrow with the compass, causing the corpse to drop the magical item. Emma and Nim both scrambled to get, Nim diving to the floor with her hands outstretched and pushing Emma out of the way. Emma grabbed Nim's left arm, using it to propel herself forward. Her fingers closed around the compass and she grabbed it triumphantly, not noticing that her other hand had closed around Nim's cuff…

…and was pushing it off of her arm.

Nim stopped as she felt the cuff sliding off of her arm and watched numbly as Emma stood up, one final push sending the piece of leather careening to the ground.

"Oh my God," she breathed and then grabbed her throat elatedly. She could feel her magic's jubilance at finally being free, the power dancing through her and practically singing in joy.

Emma heard the exclamation and looked down to see Nim staring up at her with wide eyes, one hand around her throat.

"Emma, you did it!" Nim jumped up, grabbing the blonde in a bruising hug. Emma froze in shock, staring at the girl as she pulled away.

"I-I- I what?"

Nim didn't get the chance to answer a voice called, "A little help please!"

She looked around to see Mary Margaret struggling to fight off all of the zombies on her own. Nim swore quietly and grabbed Excalibur from where it had fallen when she had dived to get the compass.

"Any idea how to kill these things?" Emma breathed.

"The heads," Nim instructed, raising her voice so that a shocked Mary Margaret could hear too. "Chop off the heads."

They both nodded and the three women got to work beheading the remaining zombies. With all three of them working together, and Nim's added use of her magic, they made quick work of Cora's minions. With one final flick of her wrist, Nim dispatched the last of them, pulling Excalibur out of the chest of another fallen one and beginning to wipe the blood off on the bottom of her corset top. She looked up, feeling there was still something wrong.

"Wait, where are Mulan and Aurora?" Nim noticed that they were two women down. Emma looked round, whilst Mary Margaret called, "Mulan?"

"Where are they?" Emma murmured.

Nim sighed, "Let's go look for them." Before she could move though, her eyes fell on the piece of leather that had previously been sitting on her wrist. "But one more thing before we go."

"What's that?" Emma asked, turning back to look at the girl.

Nim conjured up a ball of fire and threw it at the cuff, watching in satisfaction as it burst into blue flames. She looked up and grinned. "Okay. Now I'm good."

Emma shook her head, a small smile on her face, and watched as the girl strode past her. The three left the camp, ears open to listen for Mulan and Aurora.

Mary Margaret touched Nim's arm gently and the girl turned to look at her. "What happened?"

The corner of Nim's mouth twitched up and she tilted her head in Emma's direction. "Your daughter is very special Snow."

Mary Margaret smiled and was about to answer when she was cut off by a rustling. Excalibur was out immediately, only now Nim had the addition of a fireball in her left hand, and Mary Margaret knocked an arrow.

However it was not a zombie that emerged from the bushes but Mulan. And she was alone.

"They took her," Mulan told them. "Aurora's gone."

Nim sighed and extinguished the ball of fire, ignoring the shocked look she received from the warrior. "Brilliant."

The four continued trekking through the forest, Mulan seeming more and more irritated with every passing second. Nim kept her eyes on the compass which Emma had taken custody of, knowing that Cora would use Aurora as a way to get them to give her the compass. She clenched her jaw: no way in hell did she want to go grovelling back to Cora. But what choice did she have? As if these three- even with Emma's moment of power- could defeat the old hag. She scolded herself for even coming with them in the first place: she should have known that Cora would find a way to emerge victorious.

…She just really didn't want to go back to that woman.

Nim's fears were proven true when a crow suddenly landed on Mary Margaret's shoulder. Mulan and Emma drew their weapons but Nimueh stared at the bird resignedly, knowing that this would be Aurora's ransom note.

"Wait," Mary Margaret held up a hand to stop them and cocked an ear to listen to the crow as it cawed, apparently 'talking' to her. Eventually the bird flew off and Emma rounded on her mother.

"What the hell was that?"

Mary Margaret's face was drawn. "Cora. We have until sundown to bring her the compass. It we don't she'll kill Aurora."

Mulan's response was so predictably immediate that Nimueh rolled her eyes. "Give it to me."

Emma's eyes widened and she pulled out of the woman's reach. "Hold on, Mulan. Just give us a minute to consider."

"There's nothing to consider!" Mulan snapped. "A compass is not worth Aurora's life."

I beg to differ…

"We need a plan to get back Aurora and keep the compass," Mary Margaret stated. Nim pulled a face, knowing that it would never work but not wanting to say anything.

"My vow to Phillip was to protect Aurora," Mulan declared, "That promise is all that is left of him, so it shall be done." With that, she lunged toward Emma and tried to grab the compass.

But it disappeared suddenly in a flash of turquoise smoke…

…only to reappear in Nim's outstretched hand.

Mulan gaped and both she and Emma turned to look at the girl in shock. Nim closed her grip around the object, looking at the women with a smirk.

"How did you…?" Mulan trailed off, her mouth hanging open.

"If you want this compass, you're going to have to fight me for it," Nim smiled, a dangerous glint in her eyes. If Mulan was surprised at her display of magic, she was astounded at the fact that the girl could now speak.

Emma held out her hands warningly to both Mulan and Nim. "Now guys, let's not be too hasty."

Nim rolled her eyes. "This compass is the only chance you have to get home to your son. And you're going to let her ruin that?" She raised her eyebrows at Emma challengingly.

In response she gritted her teeth and opened her mouth but Mary Margaret beat her to it.

"Mulan," she appealed to the warrior, "Mulan, give us a few hours, please. If we haven't defeated Cora by then, you can have the compass."

The woman pursed her lips. "You can't hope to defeat her. We no longer have access to the Dark One's assistance."

For some reason, Mary Margaret's face brightened. "Maybe we don't need it. Nim?" The girl reluctantly took her eyes off of Mulan to give her a questioning look. "You have your magic back. Can you use it against Cora?"

Nim's gaze dropped abruptly and her hands fell to her sides. She muttered something incoherent.

Emma sighed and leaned in closer. "What was that?" she snapped.

"No, I can't," Nim hissed, eyes blazing as she met the blonde's gaze head on.

"What? Why? You seemed perfectly able to use it against the zombies!"

"Yeah, petty spells! My magic has been bound to a leather frigging cuff for weeks. Do you know what happens to magic when it has been contained for that long, Emma?"

The woman rolled her eyes at the patronising tone Nim's voice had taken, but shook her head.

Nim smiled grimly. "It becomes volatile. There's no way I could use any spell bigger than I did on the zombies and, believe me, it takes a helluva lot more than that to destroy Cora."

Emma sucked her teeth and ran a hand through her hair.

"Actually, we do have access to Rumpelstiltskin's power," a voice said.

Three sets of eyes snapped to the hopeful face of Mary Margaret. The woman quickly continued, "Aurora isn't the only one who's been under a sleeping curse. I can go back to that Netherworld."

"You sure you can do that?" Nim sounded sceptical.

"The door to that place is closed," Mulan continued her train of thought. "You said it yourself."

Mary Margaret swallowed. "There may be a way…A way for me to go back into a deep slumber. One that can let me access it again."

"Another sleeping curse?" Emma asked.

"Oh how dramatic," Nim muttered under her breath but was ignored as Mary Margaret said instead, "No, not another curse. I don't need one. I've been under already. I need to go into a sleep where my natural defences slip away- when my mind stops protecting me."

"How?" her daughter frowned.

"Your sleeping powder," Mary Margaret turned to Mulan, causing Nim to mouth the words confusedly. "If I inhale it, I will fall into a deep enough sleep that I should be able to do this."

Mulan winced. "I used the last of it on the giant."

So that was how Emma had gotten away.

"Then make some more," Mary Margaret pressed her.

"The poppy plant is extremely rare in this kingdom, but I know of a place that may grow some more. It's a bit of a journey from here."

"Can we make it by sundown?"

Mulan nodded. Nim took a deep breath, "Well, we best get going then." She made to step forward but was stopped by Emma's hand on her chest. Nim looked at her, an irritated flicker in her eyes. "What now?"

"Give me back the compass." Nim made to protest, perhaps issue another threat but was cut off by Emma. "Look, if your magic is pretty much useless, I'm just as capable of protecting it as you are...Trust me."

Nim rolled her eyes, trust being the last thing she wanted to give but sighed and pressed the object into Emma's outstretched palm. "You better not let me down."

"Once we crest this ridge, we'll be near the woods of the dead," Mulan explained, leading the group as they made their way through the woods.

Nim looked up from where she had been slicing through the foliage and grimaced. "What a lovely name."

Mulan frowned at the comment and continued her directions. "The last poppies in this realm have taken seed there."

The two resumed their hacking at the undergrowth, with Emma and Mary Margaret suddenly lagging behind. Mulan glanced over her shoulder to see the two women muttering between themselves and then looked back at Nimueh.

"What exactly do you want in Storybrooke?" The warrior asked.

Nim barely looked at her. "Hook already told you. I want revenge."

"…For what?"

"Rumpelstiltskin killed my mother," Nimueh replied shortly, still not looking at the woman.

"And you want to kill him?"

Nimueh finally turned to look at her and grinned wolfishly. "Oh, I never said that."

"Then what do you want?"

Nim's grin died away and she merely stared stonily at Mulan. "I hardly think that it's any concern of yours."

Mulan's eyes narrowed but she turned away, choosing not to pursue that line of questioning further. "Just because they trust you, doesn't mean that I do."

Nim nearly laughed out loud but resisted so that she only released a snort. "Is that supposed to hurt me?"

Mulan refused to rise to the bait, instead hissing, "No. It's supposed to tell you that I'm going to be keeping an eye on you from now on."

This time Nim did laugh, but it was a laugh without humor. "Relax okay? I'm not going to hurt your precious Aurora." Mulan stiffened at the comment but Nim ignored her. "In fact, I'm perfectly happy to get her back to you but only as long as I get what I want too."

Mulan considered what she said for a moment, before finally nodding shortly.

"Good," Nim nodded in return and the two turned back to their task.

Nimueh stared down at the red flower, uninterested, as Mary Margaret commented, "It's beautiful."

"Well, as long as it does its job, it could be sludge brown and stink of ogre farts for all I care," Nim commented wryly, prompting Mary Margaret to pull a disgusted looking face.

Mulan shook her head exasperatedly and withdrew her dagger. "I'll use my dagger to crush the seeds. We're doing this the old-fashioned way."

"You sure?" Nim waggled her fingers at Mulan, raising her eyebrows. "Don't want a little magical assistance?"

Mulan blinked. "I think I'll pass."

Nimueh shrugged. "Probably for the best." Suddenly she jumped as a burst of magic shot out of her hand and hit a nearby log, causing the wood to burst into flames. Nim looked up sheepishly but pointed at the log, before looking pointedly at Emma. "See? Volatile."

Emma sighed. "You just- just stay away from anything flammable."

"That might be a little difficult," the teenager replied, waving her hand around at the forest with its many, many trees.

The blonde rubbed her forehead. "Just sit. And shush."

Nim mock-saluted and then parked herself next to Mulan, watching as the woman ground the poppy into powder. Mary Margaret sat beside her, twiddling her thumbs nervously.

It didn't take too long before Mulan announced, "The powder's nearly ready."

"How long will the effects last?" Mary Margaret asked, moving to make herself comfortable against a fallen trunk.

"It's difficult to say. Maybe an hour, or much less."

Nim swallowed. "Will that be enough?" She directed her question to Mary Margaret, who shrugged. "As long as Henry's in there when I am, I shouldn't need much time."

Emma crouched by her mother's side. "I'll be right here. Say hi to my son for me."

Mulan grabbed a handful of the powder and bent down beside Mary Margaret before blowing the powder gently into Mary Margaret's face. The woman inhaled the cloud of red powder and promptly passed out. Mulan straightened up and looked at both Emma and Nimueh in turn. "Let's just hope this works."

Nim crossed her arms over her chest, glancing nervously around their makeshift camp and her eyes settling on one tree in particular. "I'll keep watch for a bit," she offered. Emma and Mulan barely had the chance to nod before Nimueh was gone; climbing the tree with such ease that Emma wondered whether the girl was some sort of gymnast. Nimueh settled herself on a sturdy looking branch and unclipped the flask from her belt, taking a hearty swig from its contents and sighing lightly.

"Any other surprise talents you haven't told us about?" Emma called up to her.

Nim shrugged. "I can make a mean egg in baskets?"

"Of course you can."

Mulan sighed silently and raised her open palm in front of Nim's sleeping face. The girl had just lost herself to unconsciousness and Mulan had immediately sprang into action. The compass was clipped onto her belt and she had shimmied up the trunk- admittedly with less agility than that possessed by the teenager- until she came face to face with Nimueh. After their talk, Mulan knew that Nim was too big a threat to leave it simply to chance that she wouldn't awake and so the warrior had withheld a small portion of the powder. Now, she blew the red powder gently into Nimueh's face. The girl started, startling Mulan into nearly losing her grip on the tree, but settled almost immediately. The warrior let out a sigh of relief. Now all she had to do was get the damn thing to Cora.

Nim's eyes fluttered open and she instantly frowned, scolding herself for falling asleep. She sat up and leaned back against the trunk of the tree, glancing down at what looked like three sleeping figures below her. She sighed, wondering why on earth she had allowed herself to get involved with them. Her hollow chest thrummed slightly as she took in their peaceful faces but it stopped when the image of her mother's face flashed before her eyes. Milah's eyes had haunted Nimueh's sleep for the past two hundred years…at least. For so long she had made herself forget about the events of the day, had hidden away on that island and refused to leave. Unlike Killian, her every waking thought had not been of killing Rumpelstiltskin. She couldn't let herself think like that because it hurt too much; making herself remember how easily her father had crushed her mother's heart was too much. So instead she had left her rage simmering beneath the surface and hadn't allowed herself to grieve…It was unhealthy, she knew, and sooner or later she was going to explode…But what better idea was there than channelling all of that negative energy at the man who had been responsible for it in the first place?

She was knocked out of her thoughts suddenly by Mary Margaret jolting violently awake. Immediately Emma was by her side and Nimueh scuttled back down the tree to join the two women.

"Hey," Emma caught her attention. "Hey, you okay?"

Mary Margaret jumped to her feet, jerking away from her daughter. Her eyes roved over their belongings, as though she was looking for something.

"What happened?" Nim frowned. "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for more powder," Mary Margaret replied absentmindedly, not pausing in her search.

"Well, I'm pretty sure we're out of that," Emma informed her. "What happened?"

"No. I have to go back in. He's all alone," Mary Margaret's voice leaked desperation and this prompted Nimueh to grab her wrists gently, forcing the woman to stop her frantic search.

"Henry?" Emma gasped. "What? Is he okay?"

Mary Margaret shook her head and she started struggling against Nim's hold. "No. David."

Nim let go of Mary Margaret's wrist and turned to Emma. "Who's David?"

Emma's reply was distracted. "Mary Margaret's husband. He's also my dad…It's complicated." She turned back to her mother. "What was David doing there?"

Nim blinked at the answer but pushed away the confusion as she heard Mary Margaret's yelled reply from where she was scavenging, "He went under a sleeping spell so that he could see me. He thought that my kiss would wake him, but it didn't. And now he's trapped."

"Okay, slow down," Emma commanded and Nimueh followed Mary Margaret, crouching by her side and touching her arm gently. The woman stopped her actions at Nim's touch. "David is trapped in there?"

"I have to get back," Mary Margaret declared softly. "There's only one way to help him."

"True Love's Kiss," Nimueh breathed.

"Yes, but…it won't work in there. We have to get back. If we don't-"

Emma cut her off with a forceful, "We will. We will."

"Now you're so sure?" Mary Margaret scoffed.

"Yes. You told me to have faith, and now I'm telling you. We will make it back. Okay? Did you get the information?"

Mary Margaret nodded. "It's Rumpelstiltskin. He said the key to stopping her is in his jail cell."

"Jail cell?" Nim repeated and the two women nodded. She blinked. "Well done."

Mary Margaret frowned but, after a moment, smiled. Emma rolled her eyes. "Okay. Then let's go get it. Come on- get your stuff. Come on."

Nimueh straightened up, offering a hand to Mary Margaret and helping her up. The raven-haired women left to retrieve her belongings, leaving the brunette to watch Emma check her pockets. The blonde's search became frantic and Nim's eyes grew wide as she realised what had happened.

"Emma?" she breathed uncertainly. Emma met her eye, her own panicked eyes confirming Nim's fears. "No…"

"What?" Mary Margaret was back by their side.

"The compass is gone," Emma told her. Nim looked around, suddenly realising their missing companion.

"And so is Mulan."

Nimueh sprinted through the forest like a bloodhound after a fox with Mary Margaret and Emma not too far behind her, all the while berating herself for falling asleep and allowing Mulan to escape with the bloody compass. She knew that she shouldn't have given into Emma: even with her erratic magic, she would have been a far better keeper of it. Or at least it would have given her the chance to put something she could use to trace the damn thing. As it was, they had to rely on Mary Margaret's tracking skills.

"There she is," Nim breathed, pointing up ahead and gesturing to Mary Margaret to do her thing. The princess pulled out an arrow and shot it so that it hit a tree next to Mulan's head. Immediately the woman stopped, allowing the other three to catch up to her. Nim pulled out Excalibur and pointed it threateningly at Mulan.

"That was a warning shot," Mary Margaret warned.

"I wouldn't try anything stupid if I were you," Nimueh added.

"How did you find me?" Mulan sighed, raising her hands slowly.

"I know a thing or two about tracking," Mary Margaret replied.

Emma stepped next to her mother. "All we want is the compass."

"Very well," Mulan nodded. Nim's eyes narrowed as she saw the woman's hand drift to her sword and immediately Excalibur was at Mulan's throat.

"What did I say about doing anything stupid?" she sighed in mock-disappointment. Mulan grit her teeth and glared back at her but said nothing. "Now how about you give me that compass? Do you really want to fight me?"

"I won't seal Aurora's fate," Mulan stated forcefully and this time Nim really did sigh.

Mary Margaret gently pulled Nim's arm down so that Excalibur was no longer threatening Mulan. "We learned how to overpower Cora. Once we get what we need, we will defeat her, and Aurora will free."

Mulan shook her head. "Another journey- just as I predicted there would be. Our best chance to save Aurora is to make that trade now."

Nim cut her off, "I thought I made it clear that that isn't going to happen?"

"Then I hope you're prepared to use that sword."

Nimueh twirled Excalibur and smirked. "Oh you have no idea." Mulan drew back her sword and two were about to clash when a voice yelled, "STOP!"

Nim dropped her arm and sighed. It was Aurora.

"Okay, don't take this the wrong way, but how the hell did you get here?" Emma stuttered, eyes wide in shock. All four women stared at her, two in shock, one with happiness, and Nimueh with a growing sense of suspicion. Yes, how had she escaped?

Nim moved away from Mulan so that she stood between Mary Margaret and Emma and frowned at the escapee princess.

"Were you followed?" Mulan asked her frantically, striding towards Aurora and grabbing her arms as she checked her over.

"I…I don't think so," Aurora answered, her gaze on Nim. The girl's frown deepened and she crossed her arms over her chest, hiding her now empty left arm from Aurora's view. There was no way that she had escaped. None at all. "Cora may know I'm gone, but she didn't see me escape."

Nim withheld a snort. Yeah right.

"How did you escape?" Emma asked suspiciously and Nim was grateful that at least one of them still had a brain.

"It was Hook. He let me go."

I highly doubt that.

"Why?"

"Because of you," Aurora turned to Emma, missing Nim's rolled eyes. That cemented her suspicions: she knew Hook far too well to know that he would never have risked his vengeance for a woman he barely knew. No way. Still, Aurora continued, "He said he wanted to prove to you that you should've trusted him. That if you had trusted him you could've defeated Cora together." No they couldn't. "That the two of you could've gotten the remains of the wardrobe. Without him, you'll have to go up against her all by yourself. He only wants to help. I…I think he may care for you."

Emma glanced at Nim, noticing that the girl had fallen strangely silent. Ever since the return of her voice and magic, the girl had barely shut up. But she hadn't spoken since Aurora's appearance. What did she know?

"Did you find a way to stop Cora?" Aurora's voice brought her attention back and Emma nodded. "Yes."

"Where are we going?"

"Rumpelstiltskin's cell." Emma chose not to tell Aurora anything of Nim's possible magic, not until she had spoken to the girl first. Aurora nodded, "Great. Then lead the way."

Emma motioned for Aurora to go in front of her, with Mulan by her side and Mary Margaret directly behind. She walked next to Nimueh and, as soon as Aurora was out of earshot, she muttered, "What is it?"

Nim looked up at her and bit her lip. "She wasn't let go. There's no way. Hook wouldn't do that unless there was something in it for him and I'm sorry Blondie, but I don't think you're gonna cut it."

Emma rolled her eyes but motioned for the girl to continue. "Just don't let her know about my magic so then we have an advantage."

Emma nodded. "It might be a little difficult to get Mulan to go along with that."

"Don't worry. If she causes trouble, I'll deal with her."

Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far and don't forget to leave one for this chapter. xx