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Astrid spoke up curiously, "So, you're telling me that the Evil Queen wants your heart? Honestly, I'm not even surprised."

David also asked, nodding to the vial in front of them, "And if we don't give in to her, she'll use that on everyone?"

Snow nodded, "Yes."

Regina knelt in front of the table outside of Granny's diner and examined the vial of clear, almost smoky-like, potion, "So, what is it?"

"She told me to figure it out, and that if we didn't give our hearts within twelve hours..." Snow explained, "She would use it on the whole town."

Emma went to reach for the potion but her hand started to shake badly again.

Astrid glanced at her sister, "You okay?"

"No, but I have an excuse. Haven't you heard?" Emma remarked, "The Evil Queen's trying to kill our parents."

"You said we were alive and well in your vision of the future." David began.

"The Oracle said things could, kind of, change as we went along," Emma explained, "But the only thing that was certain was that I died."

Astrid took the vial from Regina and examined it more closely, "Speaking of death, I think I know what this is."

Everyone looked over at the immortal teen as she stepped over to a nearby planted tree and let a drop of the potion fall onto the limb.

The plant instantly died just as quick as the drop landed on it.

"Whoa," Henry let out.

"What kind of potion is that?" David began.

Regina realized what it was as she spoke up, "It's not a potion. It's water."

"Huh. I knew it. Never trusted the stuff. Rum would never do that." Hook remarked.

"What kind of water?" Emma asked as she glanced from Regina to her twin.

"From the River of Lost Souls," Astrid further explained.

"Gold... She's working with Gold. He brought it back from the Underworld." Regina added, "And now, if you don't give her your hearts, she can destroy the whole town."

Astrid sighed, folding her arms lightly across her chest, "But it's not gonna bloody happen. Not as long as I'm around. Trust me."

***

Astrid walked inside of her sister's house beside Mother Superior just as Belle had left out of the home.

"I'm sorry to interrupt. I came as quickly as I could. Astrid came and told me what happened." Mother Superior spoke up.

"Can you help?" Snow suddenly asked.

"Unfortunately, I don't have a way to counteract the Lost Soul's water, but Astrid and I found another way, using her Creator and goddess powers." Blue admitted.

Everyone exchanged a look at that and landed their gaze on Astrid who smirked, saying, "I told you I'd find a way, and I meant it."

"What do you got, Astro?" Emma spoke up curiously from where she sat at the table.

Yet, before Astrid could even say anything, she abruptly vanished in a cloud of white smoke and appeared inside a cabin.

"Where in the devils am I now?" She let out in slight annoyance.

"Just wanted to talk to you, my dear little sister." The Evil Queen spoke up after she appeared in front of her.

"How'd you bring me here?" Astrid wondered aloud, resting her hands on the hilts of her twin swords at her sides.

The Evil Queen smirked, "Everyone knows they can call on a god or goddess just by praying to them... Artemis."

Astrid rolled her eyes, "Oh, great, I get to spend time with you, Queenie."

"Gold, do it," The Evil Queen simply remarked just as the said Dark One appeared behind the blonde.

Astrid lifted an eyebrow at the man in a challenging way, "Do what? You can't trap me. I'll always find a way out of whatever bloody trap you have in store."

Gold smirked and threw his hand up just as a ring of black powder circled around Astrid and landed on the floor in a perfect circle, trapping her.

"I just need you out of my way until I get what I want. Your parents' shared hearts." The Evil Queen commented.

Astrid glared at her as he hands began to glow, "You have no idea of my power and what I'm capable of. This won't hold me long... and you know it, too-- especially you, Stiltskin."

Gold's jaw flexed as he shot up a protection spell around his immortal sister-in law as well, "I'm quite aware, sister."

Astrid's hands stopped glowing for a moment as she looked at him in confusion, "Why are you bloody doing this? What do you have to gain from her plans? You know Belle won't forgive you if you do this."

Gold sarcastically smiled at her and repeated, "I'm quite aware."

Astrid started to raise her hands at the magical barrier trapping her just as her eyes glowed.

And soon, she phased out of the magical barrier just as a wave of magic ran throughout the room.

"I was hoping that would give us at least three hours, honestly," The Evil Queen replied towards the Dark One next to her.

"You vastly underestimated me," Astrid remarked, "Again."

She sent them across the room and pinned them against the wall behind them, half closing her fist which slowly cut off their airway.

Astrid quickly stopped, thinking of Regina and how her double is connected with her for now.

"That's right. You can't kill me, either." The Evil Queen confidently said, "Without killing your dear friend, Regina."

Astrid kept her smirk on her face and nodded, "Oh, I know. But you forget that I now have the power to trap you until we find a way to rid ourselves of you."

The Evil Queen widened her eyes as she let out, "What? What're you talking about?"

Astrid held up her hand just as a red crystal necklace suddenly appeared in it, "Gold. Care to elaborate on what this is?"

Gold lifted a curious eyebrow at the necklace in her grasp and replied, "Where on earth did you get that?"

"Oh, a girl has her ways,"Astrid shrugged cheekily.

The Evil Queen looked back and forth at the two, "What is that?"

Astrid looked at the crystal and explained, "It'll trap a magical being inside of this gem. Kinda like the Pandora's box. Only this one... is mine."

"Those are soul crystals and are very rare..." Gold added, repeating his question from before, "Where did you get it, dearie?"

Astrid showed them her pan flute necklace around her neck, saying, "My late husband always seems to look out for me. He hid it inside of this necklace he gave me."

Gold quickly disappeared in a cloud of crimson smoke as the Evil Queen also disappeared in a purple smoke.

Astrid smirked and vanished in a cloud of white smoke, following after the Evil Queen which led underground.

"So true. Time flies." The Evil remarked towards Snow, Robin, David, and Regina and made the magical sapling appear in her hand.

"You've won nothing." Snow told her, "That sapling is made of pure love. It won't work for you."

"Oh, won't it?" The Evil Queen chuckled, "Hmm, well, maybe it just-" She broke the sapling in half, "-needs a firm hand." She gasped, "Oh, dear!" She pretenses to fix it, "Well, maybe it can be repaired." The plant turned to dust, "Ooh, maybe not."

"Hey!" Astrid now called from behind her after she had appeared in the same underground room, gaining their attentions, "It's time for some solitary confinement, don't you think?"

Astrid then held up the crystal as it began to glow brightly until it pulled the Evil Queen inside and now trapped her.

Snow, David, Robin, and Regina looked over at her impressed.

Regina commented, moving a hand over the girl's arm, "I knew you had a plan, A."

"This we've always known," Astrid nodded before she moved the crystal around her neck.

"What happened to the Evil Queen anyway?" Robin then spoke up in confusion.

"She's now trapped in this crystal until I let her out," Astrid explained, "Only until we can find another way."

David grinned and moved his daughter into a tight hug, one hand on the back of her head, "Thank you."

Snow also joined in the hug and added, "Seriously, for everything, A. You're amazing."

Astrid fondly smiled in her parents' embrace and let out, "It's my job... No, it's kinda who I am."

They stepped back from the hug as Robin replied, "We're very lucky, Kid. So... what do we do now?"

Astrid grinned, "Take the day off, and then find a better solution for the Evil Queen-- and also Gold. He was working with her."

Regina nodded in agreement, adding, "She's right. But that can wait just for now. Celebrate, you didn't have to give up your heart and the town is safe for now."

Snow grinned and kissed her husband as Astrid nodded at that and followed them out of the cave.

The former Viking then stopped at the pile of dust on the ground and knelt beside it.

She hovered her hand over it as both her palm and the dust began to glow.

Soon, the sapling was whole again and alive once more.

Astrid softly chuckled and picked it up, feeling the pure magic radiating from it.

She straightened up and placed it inside of her leather jacket just as Robin called, "A, you coming?"

"Yeah," Astrid replied and caught up to her family, "I'm coming. You don't have to tell me twice."

David smiled at her and threw a fatherly arm around her shoulders as they walked to their home, happy now.

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