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Astrid tossed and turned in her sleep, the usual nightmares plaguing her mind. She woke up and quickly sat up, her breathing uneven and fast. She glanced over to the side of her bed to find an empty spot next to her. "Peter?"

The said boy looked away from the window and gave a small smile at his love, saying, "Sleep well?"

"Not really," Astrid sighed and stood up from her spot on the bed and moved over to him, Peter immediately taking her into a warm embrace.

"What's on your mind, love?" Peter softly asked.

"Everything," Astrid let out, looking into his green eyes, "This curse, Emma and Henry, being back here, Hook, and so forth..."

"I know, A," Peter murmured, planting a kiss on her forehead before resting his forehead against hers, both closing their eyes.

They pulled apart when they heard two familiar voices approach Astrid's bedroom. Snow started to her husband excitedly, "She's going to love this!"

Astrid sat down in the window seat just as another round of the immense pain washed over her; Peter felt it and sat beside her, taking her hand in his in reassurance. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed.

David and Snow knocked on her door and stepped into the room, both wearing their robes and holding hands. Snow noticed the grimace Astrid gave for a millisecond and furrowed her eyebrows, asking, "What's wrong, Astrid?"

"It's nothing, just this curse," Astrid murmured and then changed the topic while speaking up after clearing her throat, "What's up with you guys?"

"I'm pregnant," Snow grinned and looked from her husband to the two teenagers in front of them.

Astrid forced a smile and replied, "That's great, Mom."

"What's wrong?" Snow repeated to her daughter in concern, narrowing her eyes in slight suspicion.

Astrid sighed somewhat and glanced over at Peter who squeezed her hand in his in assurance. She mumbled, "It's just bloody perfect timing-- You just lost Emma and you guys are about to bloody lose me because I have like a week left-"

David stopped his teenage daughter from finishing that sentence and assured, "You are going to die. We're going to save you."

"You're not gonna let me die in peace, huh?" Astrid meekly replied while standing up with a grunt and carefully moved over to her parents.

"We're not gonna let you die period." Snow added confidently, pulling her into a hug as David joined in.

"And you're glowing, Mom," Astrid smiled, referring to her being pregnant.

Snow grinned, saying, "Thank you, baby."

"So, now that we know who we are dealing with, how do we find the Wicked Witch-- and help Astrid?" David questioned aloud, the group standing around the kitchen island of the Blanchard loft.

"Might I suggest we start by asking if anyone has seen a woman with green skin running around?" Hook remarked, causing Peter to roll his eyes at the obvious answer.

"If it was that obvious, we would've found her by now," Peter let out in slight annoyance, Hook only shrugging in response.

Regina had a similar reaction like Peter and faced Hook, adding, "Not to mention we're cursed in Storybrooke. She'll look like any one of us."

Emma spoke up with a hopeful expression on her face, "Then we start somewhere we know she's been- Regina's office."

The mayor rolled her eyes at the comment and replied, "Pan and I've been over it with a fine-tooth comb. She left no trace— except for the blood from Astrid's hands."

"But you were combing for magic," Emma pointed out, "Maybe there's physical evidence, like Astrid's blood, that you missed."

David nodded in agreement and replied, "Good idea. We'll track her."

"If you want to waste your time by playing Nancy Drew, then be my guest. But we can't let Henry wander around alone with that witch and her flying monkeys around out there." Regina commented.

"Especially since one of them could turn out to be his father," Hook added as Snow sighed and asked, "Still no sign of Neal?"

Emma shook her head, saying, "No."

"Point being, someone needs to protect Henry. He doesn't even know what's going on." Regina reminded them.

Peter lifted an eyebrow and remarked, "I'm guessing you're volunteering?"

Regina nodded and replied, "Call me when you have something-"

Emma cut her off, "Just remember... He thinks we're here because of a case."

"Well, look who's gotten good at lying," Regina smirked and started to walk around the blonde who stopped her and added, "And just don't let anything slip up. As- As far as Henry knows, you're just Madam Mayor and that's it."

"I'm well aware of how Henry sees me," Regina sadly murmured before walking out of the room.

"Time's wasting," Hook began, "And in the mocking words of Astrid's, tick tock." Snow smiled a little as did Emma while Peter nodded and added, "There's a wicked witch in this town. How about we go find it?"

***

Zelena opened the cellar doors and walked down the stairs, turning on the light to find the two cages with Gold using his spinning wheel in his, and Astrid sitting on the floor in her cage, engraving a symbol into her left palm with a knife, blood droplets dripping onto the floor.

"Enjoying your little toy?" Zelena remarked towards Gold who rhythmically began, "The spinning cleans the mind, soothes the soul. It cleans the mind, it soothes the soul. Cleans the mind, soothes the soul-"

Astrid sarcastically spoke over his muttering while still not looking up from what she was carving into her skin, "How wonderful. You've got him bloody repeating that again... Now, I'll have to hear him say that for the rest of the day."

Zelena quietly laughed and started, "You two look as awful as you sound."

Gold stopped spinning, slamming his hand on the wood while glaring at the woman, breathing slightly uneven.

Zelena smirked, stepping forward, and remarked, "What? You guys not enjoying your cages, hmm? Not appreciating your jailer? Oh no, you look like you want to hurt me. Go on, then. Give it a go." She giggled some.

Zelena unlocked his lock on his cage and continued, "I'd love to see you try. Especially when we both know that you can't, not when I have this." She pulled out the Dark One's dagger after Gold started to lunge at her, "You're a slave to it. And to me. Frustration can be so intoxicating... on others."

Gold stepped back into his cage and moved his hand over his eyes before slowly looking back up at the red haired woman who continued to speak, "The only one that can do the hurting here is me. So why don't you be a good boy and sit back down."

The two adults sat down in front of one another as Gold muttered, "Well, what are you waiting for? Don't let me stop you." He leaned forward and began to speak in a singsong voice, "All the voices in my head... will be quiet when I'm... dead."

Zelena giggled some and replied, "I'm not here to kill you two, Rumple. But you really need to keep up appearances."

Astrid rolled her eyes and tuned them out completely, continuing to finish the carving in her palm with her knife as more blood dropped onto the floor in front of her, herself humming a familiar sounding lullaby.

She jumped, startled, when she heard her cage door unlock and open; Zelena was standing in front of the open doorway and remarked, "Astrid, you're hurting yourself."

"I've already died— or am I still dead? Does this even hurt? Is- Is this even real?" Astrid began to question herself before shrugging and adding, "It's not that bad... It's like fitting pieces to a puzzle... pieces to a puzzle..." She chuckled some, glancing down at her blood- covered dagger.

Zelena moved over to the teenager and bent down to her level, removing the knife from her hand and sighed, "Don't tell me you're going crazy, too."

"If I weren't crazy, I'd be insane," Astrid remarked sarcastically, "Besides, being crazy is better than being stupid, green bean."

The witch rolled her eyes and grabbed a bottle of medical alcohol and bandages while also grabbing a bucket; She opened Astrid's hand that was bleeding furiously and saw that she had carved a drawing of a battle axe into her palm.

Zelena held the bucket under the girl's hand as she poured the alcohol over it, Astrid gritting her teeth at the burning but didn't say anything.

The red haired woman then wrapped Astrid's left palm in the white bandage and stood up, looking down at the teenager. "Don't move."

"Okay..." Astrid let out, glancing from her to the ground while remaining sitting.

Zelena stepped out of the cage and grabbed a small plate of gray-looking mush-like food and a glass of water, bringing it inside of the cage and handed the two things to the girl.

Astrid greedily gulped down the cup of water and kicked the tray of the disgusting food away from her, slinging it against the cage wall.

"Astrid, you need to eat to keep your strength up," Zelena scolded, her hands over her hips.

"I'm good," Astrid muttered before laying down on the blanket on the floor that was used as a bed for her. She now stared at the cage wall that connected hers and Gold's, her arms folded across her chest.

Zelena slightly smirked and stepped out of the cage, shutting the door and locking it before turning and walking out of the cellar.

Astrid glanced down at her bandaged hand and lifted the bandage up slightly to peek at the drawn axe and began to calm herself down by softly singing a lullaby to herself,

"Hush, lille barn, vær ikke bange.

Alt skal nok gå.

Du skal ikke bekymre dig nu, barn.

Du behøver ikke længere være bange..."

She closed her eyes and reopened them, murmuring, "I'm not afraid."

Astrid found her father loading his saddle on his horse along with some supplies for a journey. "Where do you think going, Dad?" She questioned in slight amusement, her hands over her hilts of her swords.

"Don't tell your mother, but I have to go search for this mystical herb known as nightroot-" David began.

"Nightroot? The herb that calms your fears down? Did Robin tell you about this?" Astrid cut him off in slight suspicion, folding her arms across her chest, "What are you so worried about?"

"A, I'm a father and fixing to be a father to another baby and a husband and leader to the people," David reminded her, "I always worry about something."

"No, you're not telling me something," Astrid let out, "I'm coming with you, Dad."

"No, absolutely not-" He started.

"I'm already dying, so I can't hurt anymore. Plus, I can fight better than you and can help if you run into any danger," Astrid cut him off, now saddling her own horse that was next to his.

"Which is why you need to stay here and protect your mother," David commented as Astrid reminded him, "She's Snow White and can handle anything."

David chuckled and finally agreed, "Okay, but stay close to me. Alright?"

The teenager smiled and nodded before saying, "And Peter will look out for Mom while we're away."

"That's not that comforting, A," David remarked lightly as she laughed some and shrugged, both hopping on their horses and rode into the forest.

***

It was nighttime when they reached the designated spot as David hopped off of his horse first and knelt beside a plant, cutting a root.

Astrid hopped off of her horse then and looked around the place carefully, watching out for any danger.

"Just like stars." David murmured after looking at the bottom of the root in his gloved hand, "Nightroot."

"Help! Please help me!" The two of them heard nearby, both of them sharing a look and withdrawing their swords and running to where they heard the screaming.

Astrid was ahead of her father and stopped when she came to a large tower, David now standing beside her and also looking up at it. "Up here! Help me!"

David sighed and told his daughter, "Stay here. I'll go up and check it out." Astrid reluctantly nodded as he ran and climbed up the tower while Astrid remained on the ground, looking out for any signs of danger.

The teenager wouldn't have been able to make that climb anyway if the curse hits her worse, she'd surely fall.

After five minutes, a wind blew Astrid back a foot or two as she shivered and breathed out, "Okay, now it feels creepy being here..." She pulled her twin swords out and spun them around in her hands once.

She then slightly widened her eyes when a black cloaked figure emerged from the woods and began to approach her and the tower.

"Astrid, look out!" David yelled from above where he was inside of the tower.

"Yeah, I see it!" Astrid yelled back, swinging her swords towards the cloaked figure who simply waved its hand and slung the teenager away and making her crash into a tree hard.

"Ow..." Astrid groaned out, rubbing her now throbbing head after hitting the ground with a painful thud.

She noticed the cloaked figure swiftly climb up the tower towards her father and whoever was up there with him. Astrid blinked away the grogginess that she felt and numbly stood up, immense pain overwhelming her as she stiffened and froze.

Peter scowled as he watched Hook use his silver hook to pull the berries off of a bush, saying, "You'll look for any excuse to use that, won't you?"

Hook shot him a glare and stood beside him and replied, "At least we know we're in the right place. What now?"

"Now we start searching," Emma spoke up and started walking up the hill. Peter walked ahead of the two and ignored their conversation entirely, keeping his thoughts to himself.

He wanted Astrid to be with him again and safe in his arms. He wanted so badly to have his love alive and her normal self again.

Peter sighed and stopped on top of the hill, seeing snow coating the ground and a farmhouse. He stood there for a few minutes just as Emma and Hook stopped on either side of him.

Emma remarked on his left side, "A farmhouse... You've got to appreciate the irony." Peter rolled his eyes and began walking towards the farmhouse as the two shared a look and followed after him.

***

Dark Astrid fixed her hood over her head even more and curiously watch David attempt to fight the cloaked figure; David was then knocked out briefly while the mysterious witch hovered over him.

He woke up and grabbed the handle of his sword, quickly stood up, and moved the sword into the chest of the cloaked person which didn't affect it at all.

The figure grabbed his neck and lifted him off of the ground, choking David who removed his hood to reveal himself. David widened his eyes and let out, "What are you?"

"I'm you," The man said deeply with a laugh and released him while both faced each other with their swords, "You can't defeat me. I can smell your fear. It's like a stench-- The stench of a scared shepherd boy who strayed too far from his farm."

"I'm not scared of anything," David replied and swung his sword at him, the man blocking the hit.

Dark Astrid continued to stay back as she watched David fight him and then admit his fear and finally defeat the creature.

Emma, Regina, Peter, and Hook pulled up in her yellow bug and ran over to David who sat back on his knees breathless. "David, are you okay?" Emma asked in worry as he nodded and caught his breath.

"Well, where is she?" Regina inquired as David stood up and admitted, "It wasn't her."

"Then who was it? You look whiter than a fresh sail," Hook pointed out.

"Myself," David sighed.

"Come again?" Hook and Peter both replied in confusion.

"It's the witch. She's toying with us." Regina commented.

"Did you guys find where she might be hiding?" David asked.

"A farmhouse. And we think it's her," Peter revealed as David said, "Then let's end this. Let's send that witch back to Oz."

"You can't," A familiar voice spoke up from behind them as she stepped out from behind a tree, her blue hood on her cloak concealing her identity.

"You," Emma let out, "You are Astrid, though you probably don't remember that you are, but-"

"Shut up," Dark Astrid cut her off before taking a step forward, "I am not that Astrid, not your sister, friend, or daughter-"

"Then who are you?" Regina inquired.

"And what did you mean when you said 'you can't'?" David also questioned the mystery girl.

"The Wicked Witch-" The girl began but was electrocuted which made her wince and step back, breathless now as it stopped. "I'm sorry, I wish I can tell you."

"Why? Why are you trying to help us?" Emma spoke up in confusion and suspicion.

"Because I don't like that witch," Dark Astrid muttered, "Please just- I don't know..." She moved her hands to her hood, fixing to take it off, "Be the heroes she knows you are."

"She? Which one are we talking about now? The witch or-?" Hook began.

"No, not the Wicked Witch," Dark Astrid murmured, "No, this one believes in all of you and you all once shared a strong connection with her-"

"Astrid," Peter let out as the blue hooded girl nodded slowly, "Where is she?"

"I don't know," Dark Astrid admitted with furrowed eyebrows as she looked away for a second, "Lost..."

She looked back at the five of them in front of her before saying, "Do you know that feeling where you just want to say 'I don't know what to do' over and over again? Because you literally don't have an idea what to do anymore and you feel like you're trapped in this black void of mess you can't seem to get out of no matter how fast you tried to run?"

Emma stepped forward and softly replied, "What are you getting at?"

"I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do... I don't know what to do anymore..." Dark Astrid finished, "She's lost her mind... alone... broken... She's gone mad-- But that's okay. No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness."

"What are you saying? That Astrid is here but lost?" Hook asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"Madness as you know is like... gravity. All it takes is a little push," Dark Astrid shrugged, her hood still covering her identity, "So when you find yourself locked onto an unpleasant train of thought, heading for places in your past where the screaming is unbearable, remember there's always madness..."

"Madness is the emergency exit. You can just step outside, and close the door on all those dreadful things that happened," Dark Astrid finished with a growing smirk, "You can lock them away... forever."

"Enough with riddles, are you Astrid or not? If not, then where is she?" Regina spoke up in impatience.