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Astrid stood in the clock tower with Snow, David, Regina, Emma, Henry, Hook, Leroy, and Elsa who looked through a pair of binoculars and anxiously spoke up, "Belle was right. My aunt is actually doing this."

Snow took the binoculars and looked through them to see the purple cloud with pieces of mirror flying towards them. "The Spell of Shattered Sight."

David took the binoculars from his wife and looked through them also before suggesting, "We open the mines and the Vault. We take shelter there."

"This is magic. It doesn't care about ceilings," Astrid sighed as Regina nodded in agreement who added, "It's started."

"How long?" Hook spoke up.

Regina glanced through the pair of binoculars also and watched the spell approach them as she answered, "By sundown. By sundown, everyone in this town will start... tearing each other apart."

"Okay." Emma began, "The answer is simple. Let's not be in town."

***

The nine of them now stood at the town line in front of the huge ice wall as Regina remarked, "Hardly an elegant solution."

"Nothing wrong with brute force if it works," Emma started as Leroy nodded and added, "If we can get over, we can build a frame, take people over one at a time.

Astrid slid a thing of rope over her shoulder and kept her focus on the huge ice wall as both David and Snow told her, "Astrid, be careful."

The said teenager nodded and marched up to the wall, taking out her battle axe and slammed it into the icy barrier; She was suddenly thrown back by a strong force while the ground rumbled and more ice spikes grew into the air.

"Astrid!" "AJ!" The group exclaimed as they rushed over to the girl who groaned and was already standing back up.

"You okay?" Emma asked as she and David moved her back over to the group with Astrid nodding and letting out, "Aye."

"Looks like that wall doesn't care much for your brute force," Regina remarked.

Astrid clutched the straps of her backpack that was still on her back, it containing the box that held Merlin's hat inside of it.

Elsa bent down near a crack in the icy ground and picked up something as Astrid rushed over to her and guided her back to the group, "Elsa, stop. This thing could blow up again."

"I found Anna's necklace," Elsa grinned in relief as the teenager nodded and replied, "I'm glad you found it, but sentimentality's not worth risking your life over."

"It's a sign, Astrid-- a sign we're gonna win," Elsa assured, causing Regina to sigh and remark, "Is everyone into this hope thing now?"

"If we're gonna win, we need to stop wasting time," Emma spoke up, "Mom, Dad, Leroy, go tell everyone what's going on. When this goes down, everyone needs to be separated from their loved ones if they don't want to hurt each other."

"Dad," Astrid also spoke up, making both Hook and David look over at her, as she gestured to the pirate in front of her, "Go to the waterfront. See if we can use boats to get some people out."

Hook nodded, "Aye."

Astrid turned to Regina and added, "And Regina? Will you go warn Robin? His camp's not too far from here."

"I was already planning on it," Regina confirmed in agreement. Astrid nodded in slight thanks.

Emma commented, "Okay, go. Elsa, Astrid, and I are gonna talk to Gold, see if he has any idea. Henry, you come with us-"

Regina shook her head and cut her off, saying, "No. He's with me. I'm his best chance."

Elsa then spoke up, "That night not be true. Emma and I ? I think we're immune."

"What?" Regina started in slight disbelief.

Both Emma and Regina held up their wrists to show yellow ribbons tied on them, Elsa continuing, "These ribbons. If the Snow Queen wants us to be her sisters, then the curse won't affect us."

Emma nodded, adding, "So I should definitely watch Henry."

"No," Regina disagreed, "You're part of this nut job's plan. I want Henry near me as long as it's safe for him."

Henry nodded at Emma and assured, "It's okay, Mom. I'll be fine with her." He glanced over at his aunt and added, "Plus, no magic can harm me now because Astrid protected me."

Emma and Regina short puzzled glanced over at Astrid who stood in between Hook and Emma as Regina let out first, "What do you mean?"

"Like Peter did for me." Astrid shrugged, adding, "If Henry gets attacked by magic again, he'll be healed immediately and it'll just be deflected from him. What? I care about the kid."

Emma and Regina smiled slightly and nodded as Emma then hugged her son who hugged her back, the woman murmuring, "Be careful, Kid."

Regina glanced behind her and at the intimidating storm cloud coming towards them as she replied, "We gotta go. This is happening now."

Astrid stood back and watched Regina leave with Henry into the woods while Emma and Elsa began to walk towards the yellow bug.

The teenager looked over at her father figure and noticed the reluctant look on his face; She took out the magical item from her bag then as he eyed it carefully.

"Have a little faith, Dad," Astrid reassured as she still held the magical, circular box that contains Merlin's hat inside of it in her hands; She took a deep breath and looked over at Hook before adding, "I have a plan, too."

"I won't be able to stop myself if he sends me after you, Kid. He has my heart, after all," Hook reminded her.

"I know, but you taught me too well... just go and meet up with him and tell him that I have his precious hat." Astrid sighed, "And then I'll take care of the rest. I'm gonna get your heart back. You're not dying. No one is. Trust me."

"It's not you that I don't bloody trust, lass," Hook muttered as the girl placed the item back inside of her backpack and zipped it up again, now shouldering the bag on her back once more.

Astrid kissed the pirate on his cheek and then stepped over to where her sister and Elsa waited in their car. "You coming, Astro?"

Astrid rolled her eyes but smirked a little and shook her head. "No. I may have a lead on the Snow Queen, so I'm gonna go follow it. I'll call you when I know more."

"Okay. Be careful." Emma nodded.

Astrid inhaled sharply and also nodded, murmuring, "You too, Em. Meet you guys at the library in a little while, alright?"

Emma replied, "Sounds like a plan to me. Don't die again." She was half kidding on the last part but was, in a way, serious also.

Astrid laughed, "Goes for you, too, Sister." She then disappeared in a cloud of green smoke and hid near the dock, waiting now for Hook and the Dark One to show up.

After twenty minutes, Hook stopped at the edge of the dock and looked out at the sea through his telescope, seeing an ice wall break through the water and into the air.

The pirate sighed, "No fleeing by boat then."

That's when Gold appeared on the bench next to him and announced himself, "This Snow Queen is good, isn't she?" He noticed the pirate glare some as the Dark One patted a spot next to him. "Sit, lad. Don't forget where your heart lies." He patted the black bag beside him as Hook reluctantly sat next to him on the bench.

"Where is my hat?" Rumplestiltskin inquired in slight annoyance, "I simply asked you to retrieve it."

Hook swallowed, his jaw flexing, before he let out, "Astrid has it. She knows that you've got my heart because she caught me going after the hat and put two and two together."

Gold glared at the man, peeved at that set of news. "That's unfortunate. I can't touch her because of my brother's last act, but I can hurt you. Get that hat from her with force if necessary."

Astrid sneakily and quietly approached behind the bench, her eyes fixated on the bag on the ground next to Gold's feet and knew Hook's heart was inside of it.

She began to reach for it until Gold snatched up the bag and spotted her, Astrid quickly straightening up and innocently smiled at him. "Gold."

"Astrid." Gold also started, now standing up and facing the girl, "You have something of mine."

"And what is that?" Astrid simply played dumb for now.

"It's a certain magical hat of a wizard," Gold answered, his hand gripping the black bag in his tight grip.

"Ohhhh, you mean that ancient thing," Astrid remarked, "Haven't seen it... Wait. Did it belong to that really powerful old guy, um, Merlin I believe his name was...?"

Gold nodded impatiently as Astrid clicked her tongue before adding, "Right, right. It would be a bloody shame if it was lost forever. Now, wouldn't it be? Tell you what. I'll make a deal with you if you're interested."

Gold slightly glared at her before glancing over at Hook who still remained sitting on the bench behind him, watching the two, with Gold looking back at her.

"No. You want his heart, but I can't allow that, dearie," Gold simply shrugged yet smirked.

"Ooh, then no hat for you," Astrid also shrugged before turning around and started to walk away but stopped and faced them again. "Besides, you've got nothing I want because I have both his heart and the hat."

Gold's smirk fell as he opened his bag to find that Hook's heart was indeed gone and out of his grasp. "What? How?"

"Nobody messes with my family and gets away with it," Astrid remarked as she now held up a pouch containing a glowing heart inside of it. "Hey, I may be a Viking and a pirate, but I'm also a thief."

Gold scowled as Hook stood up then and stepped over to his adopted daughter, speaking up, "Nice work, AJ."

"Yes, very impressive," Gold nodded before adding, "I can actually see what Pan saw in you-- why he was so taken up with you."

Astrid glared at the man, saying, "Shut up. Don't talk about him."

"He was my big brother, you know. I do have a right to talk about him if I want to," Gold remarked in amusement, "Like how you got him killed."

Astrid began to launch herself angrily at the man until Hook wrapped a protective arm around her waist and held her back, the pirate starting, "He's only trying to get to you, Kid, because he knows you won this time."

Astrid sighed, irritated, as Gold smirked and added, "I'm just speaking the truth. You got him killed, and right after we were just starting to be brothers again."

Astrid glared even harder at the Dark One who simply remarked, "Pity. Come to think of it, you two didn't get that much time together, either-- with you dying and coming back to life and being under Zelena's thumb and Peter being controlled by Malcolm and everything else in between..."

Astrid bit down on her tongue while Hook still held her back as Gold added in somewhat amusement, "What was your family's little motto? 'I will always find you' or something like that... Now, if that were true, wouldn't you two find a way to be together?"

Astrid yelled out angrily and took out her sword and swung it towards the Dark One who blocked it with his own sword that appeared out of thin air.

"It wasn't my fault!" Astrid exclaimed, admitting that to herself for the first time since Peter's death. She moved her sword as did Gold, the two now fluidly deflecting each other's movements.

Gold then slapped her sword out of her hand and moved his blade against her neck, saying, "Didn't Orval and even Hook here teach you that emotions cloud judgment, dearie? See, I have the hat now."

Astrid widened her eyes slightly once he held up the circular box as she let out, "You'll have to do your own bidding, though."

"Perhaps," Gold nodded and waved his hand, making himself disappear in a cloud of crimson smoke.

Astrid groaned aloud and sat down on the bench, muttering, "I bloody failed."

"Kid, you've still got my heart back," Hook reminded her while holding the pouch that contained his heart in it. "I say that's a win for today."

Astrid looked up at the one handed man and replied, "True... but now, he's going to become more powerful, and it'll be all my fault."

"No, Astrid," Hook commented with a shake of his head, placing a hand over hers in assurance, "We can still stop him. Have a little faith, Kiddo."

Astrid smiled a little and glanced down at the pouch that held his heart and pointed out, "Now, let's put your heart back where it belongs."

She took out the glowing heart and moved it over to his chest as Hook started, "Can you make it where only certain people can remove it?"

"Like who?" The teenager wondered aloud.

"Cast a spell where only you and I can remove my heart. I trust you completely, AJ." Hook replied confidently.

Astrid's hand glowed as she hovered it over the heart in her other hand, making the glowing heart begin to glow a golden color, and then shoved the beating heart back inside of his chest.

Hook sighed in relief and hugged his daughter in thanks, the two now getting back up and heading to where the others was at.

***

The two entered inside of the Sheriff Station to find David and Snow in front of each of the cells just as David noticed the two new people Elsa and Emma brought with them as he began, "Kristoff?"

"David?" The said man grinned at David as the hugged with David smiling and commenting, "You cut your hair!" Kristoff nodded and remarked, "You too."

"I see you brought your lovely fiancé, Joan," David remarked, making Kristoff look over at his soon to be wife in confusion and repeated, "Joan?"

"It was a code name." Anna shrugged and added to David, "David, I love your short hair-- not that I didn't like it long or that I thought it was... It's good to see you."

She then hugged him as David chuckled and hugged her back, saying, "Likewise." He then let go and introduced his family to them, "And this is my wife, Snow, and our son, Neal, and our twin daughters Emma and Astrid."

Astrid waved slightly as she stood in between both Snow and David, saying, "Hey."

Anna gave David a puzzled look and inquired about Emma first and then the teenager in between them, "How can she be your daughter? I mean, Astrid I get because she's just a teenager-- and how can they be twins...?"

Astrid and Emma shared a look before simultaneously answering her, "Long story." Emma also added, "Once we survive this curse, we'll be happy to tell you all about it. The plan, what's the plan?"

Snow walked over to the cells again with the keys and simply answered, "This is the plan."

"What?" Emma let out.

Astrid nodded in agreement and explained for their mother, "You, Anna, and Elsa are the only ones immune— So, the rest of us need to protect ourselves..."

David stepped into the cell next to his wife's and added towards Kristoff, saying, "Hey, you might wanna try that desk, old friend. It's sturdy. Cuff keys are in the top drawer... A, Kid, there's another pair, too."

Astrid opened the drawer to reveal two sets of cuffs and grabbed a pair for herself but held them up to show her father, starting, "Yeah, I'll need something bloody stronger..."

David and Snow shared a concerned look while Emma spoke up sadly, "I'm not locking you in there."

Snow insisted, "Yes, you have to."

David also added, "We won't be able to hurt anyone from in here."

Snow held out the keys to Emma and pleaded, "Take the keys, Emma." Elsa handcuffed Kristoff to the desk also.

Emma shook her head, her eyes watery, as she began, "I don't know what's gonna happen. I don't know how long it's gonna last... I don't know what's gonna happen to me-- I mean, what if you starve to death in there..."

Hook had found some strong rope and had started tying Astrid's wrists behind her back along with tying her arms to her torso and tying it to a sturdy pipe on the other side of the cells while also handcuffing her wrists.

Astrid spoke up towards her sister, her blue eyes watery as well, "No, Em. You're gonna fix this thing. And then- And then, you're gonna come back and save us."

Emma looked over at her twin and softly let out, "You think?"

David nodded and murmured, "We believe in you."

Snow then added in a pleading way, "Please." Emma took the keys from their mother reluctantly. "Now, you know Henry's in a safe place, and Regina and the others can take care of themselves."

Emma locked David's door shut and questioned, "What about the baby?"

David assured, "Don't worry. Neal won't be with us."

Emma furrowed her eyebrows and asked, "Who's gonna take him?"

Snow smiled a little, saying, "You." She carefully handed her baby over to Emma who took him in her arms and then shut Snow's cell door, locking it as well. "We don't fear your magic, Emma, and even you, Astrid. It's what's going to allow you to take on this Snow Queen and win."

David adding, "And when you do, you'll be right back here unlocking these doors."

Astrid nodded while Hook tightened the knots of rope around her, saying, "We trust you-- I always have. You're special, and you're going to use that specialness and save us. Both of you." She added the last part towards Elsa.

Elsa smiled a little and spoke up, "You have wonderful parents and twin, Emma."

Emma teared up at that and nodded in agreement, letting out, "I know."

Astrid looked over at Hook and spoke towards him, "You have to go, Dad, and... be safe."

Hook nodded, murmuring, "Aye. I was about to leave to go chain myself to the dock for the protection of all. I needed to make sure that you'd be careful and protected as well."

Astrid nodded with teary eyes, adding as her voice cracked, "I'll see you again soon when this is all over... Don't die out there. Promise?"

Hook smiled a little, his eyes starting to water some also, as he assured his daughter, "I promise, AJ." The pirate then kissed the top of her head and moved over to Emma, also saying a goodbye and getting a tearful goodbye kiss from the woman.

The thunder outside suddenly got louder as Hook then left out of the station while Astrid pulled at the restraints on her some, testing out the strength of the rope and cuffs.

Kristoff sighed and muttered towards the group, "Not long now."

After a few more minutes and Astrid now sitting with her back against the pipes that she was tied to and her legs folded Indian-style, they noticed shards of glass pour in the room through the vent on the ceiling and move towards them.

Emma covered her baby brother in her arms protectively while everyone else, except Emma, Elsa, and Anna, was affected by the spell.

Their eyes now holding a shattered glass look in them as they now looked at one another with such hatred and anger.

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