Hit there! If you were reading my other OUAT story that i'm currently working on, then you know that this is the story I'm working on! I was watching my brother play Batman Arkham Asylum and i couldn't help think, 'What if Emma didn't get bounced around in foster homes but places she called homes for 'special' people with 'special' powers? So, it wouldn't go away... and now this is what i have.
Also- Emma may seem a bit different in this chapter- that's because she's upset at the thought of having to call her friends. Mostly because Emma likes to run from her past, not that i blame her I've created a very nasty past. Very nasty indeed...
Asylum
Chapter 1- Some Old Friends
"Emma!" Charming yelled as I darted away from him and lured the wraith away from them. Somehow, a portal had been opened and wraiths were streaming in through it and attacking the Storybrookers. We needed to get out now.
The wraith lunged for me and I torched it with my makeshift flamethrower (pack of matched and gasoline). It let out a horrifying screech and it burned to a crisp, flying away and setting over wraiths on fire as it bumped into them. Henry and Snow were waiting for me as I raced towards the barrier that Gold and Regina had put up. I let out a relieved sigh as the wraiths that were chasing me bounced back against the invisible wall.
"How do we get rid of them?" Snow wailed. There were at least three hundred of the soul-sucking wraiths flying around. I sighed and closed my eyes and grudgingly spoke up,
"I have some old friends who could help us out."
I pulled out my cell phone and dialed in the number, ignoring the looks everyone was giving me. I held it to my ear and waited patiently, then put it on speakerphone for everyone. I smiled faintly when he picked up.
"Hello? Who is this?" a cautious voice filtered out of the phone.
"It's Emma- and before you say anything- obviously, I'm not dead, I'll explain later and I have a fantastic reason about why I haven't come back but your on speakerphone and the town I'm in is currently being attacked by wraiths."
"Holy hell, is that Emma? Didn't you die?" another voice asked, sounding surprised.
"Sander, I'm talking to Adam and you over the phone, its kind of obvious that I'm not dead." I said, exasperated.
"Well now that cats out of the bag." She said with a snort.
"Can you please help? Now? We're in Storybrooke, Maine."
"Be there in a bit!" Sander chirped cheerfully before Adam hung up.
"Emma." Regina grinded out in a monotone.
"Yeah, Regina?"
"You didn't tell her where Storybrooke is!" she shouted.
I blinked. "I don't need to…"
"Yes! You do!"
"Regina-" I started but was interrupted by awful shriek filled the air, a mix between a car being ripped apart and nails on a chalkboard. Not at all pleasant. A plume of fiery smoke flew past our barrier, causing it to momentarily ripple and shine with a yellow glow.
"They're here." I said quietly. More trails of inky colors appeared, either white, grey, or black with streaks of color like coal black, mantis green, ice blue, violet, rose pink, school bus yellow, grassy green, bloody red, beach sand yellow, sunset orange, ebony, fire smoke, and orchid.
A girl ran up through the mist, her long stride pulling her out of the mist to reveal gorgeous girl with a light purple long sleeved shirt with grey spider webbing across the hem, neckline, and shoulders. The sleeves covered her hands and flared out the tiniest bit, so you could only see the tips of the lavender gloves she was wearing. She dipped her head to me, her black sunglasses miraculously staying put though her straight raven locks shifted like water. She turned and firmly planted her black booted feet in the ground, making it clear she intended to guard us.
She flicked her arms as a few wraiths approached and two thin swords whipped out. She grasped the handle and when the wraiths charged, she sliced ones head off, using the momentum of her swing to lift up her leg and her foot connected with the second wraiths head, promptly kicking it straight off its body. Suddenly, there were only three of the five left in only one fluid move. She dispatched the other three in a blur of whirling silver and lavender.
A roar sounded to our left as a shining serpent reared out of the ocean, water streaming off its back. We could faintly make of the silhouette of a man sitting on its shaking head with what I presumed was a firm grip of its long, ropelike whiskers. He yanked up on one and its head swung across the docks and shot roughly fifty of the gathered wraiths out of the air with a stream of powerful water.
More and more people kept showing up and beating back the wraiths until the last one was chased down and killed by a golden blond girl. They all immediately approached us in a condensed group. They all wore big, smug grins. At the head of the group was a tall boy with light coppery brown hair with streaks of blond, and at his side a taller white haired boy with a staff made of ice.
"Adam," I pointed to the head of the group, Adam, "that's Connie," Connie waved happily, her sunny locks shifting as she moved her arm, "this is Lee and Lane, but none of us really know which is which," I pointed to the twins who had dark black, almost blue, hair that covered their eyes and straight postures, "that's Colin," I pointed to the light brown haired boy with saluted the crowd with a crooked smirk, "this is Audreana," I tapped the russet haired girl and she smiled softly at everyone, "this is Isadora," Isadora stuck her tongue out and crossed her eyes at everyone, then pulled back her chocolate brown hair in a ponytail, "there's Sander," Sander looked around wildly, trying to locate my voice, and sent her sand colored hair flying in all directions. Lee (or maybe Lane) grabbed her shoulders and turned her towards me and she waved at me, "Sander is blind though so make sure to make a ton of noise going up to her. Um, there's Marshall." Marshall's black hair and grey skin brought a lot of attention on him.
"Just for the record- I'm not a vampire, but I'm getting bloody close, no thanks to Emma." He shot me a playful glare.
"It was an accident! They shouldn't have left the supplies or chair there! And you shouldn't have been asleep!" I defended. "Annnnnyways, that's Finn. He's has hyper sensitivity, so whatever you do don't blow any dog whistles or anything like that."
Finn shrugged.
"This is Reece," I pointed to the tall brunette, "That's Ivy," a girl with dark scarlet ringlets smiled dazzlingly at everyone, "That's Jack,"
"Jack Frost. It's a bit of a joke, really." Jack sneered at them, "They're so… boring. How can you possibly stand them?" Jack turned to me, his lip curling in disgust. I rolled my eyes.
"Quiet, you. Last but not least, Genevieve." Genevieve nodded in acknowledgement.
Regina scoffed, "All of your other… friends… appear to be quite special. I don't see anything special about you, except wearing sunglasses in the middle-"
"Regina!" I snapped. I gave Genevieve a apologetic look, "Sorry Genie. You don't need to show them if you don't want to, I know how much you hate it." Genevieve nodded but still faced Regina.
She spoke with a ghost of a British accent, "My family was cursed long ago- the firstborn child is to be half human, half dragon." Genevieve slipped off her gloves to reveal small dragons talons where her fingers should be. She took off her sunglasses and showed vivid green and sea blue dragon eyes surrounded by round, shimmering, turquoise scales, which were also on the skin from her elbows down, hence the long sleeves. "We can shift into dragons, though only the best of us can control. I had only gotten a grip on it with Emma's help, but even now I am easily swayed by my emotions." Genevieve's voice held a thinly veiled warning.
I cleared my throat, interrupting the glaring battle between Regina and Genevieve's covered eyes.
"We should probably get going. I'll introduce the Storybrookers later." I told Adam and he nodded and led the group through the town. When we were nearing the border, I stopped walking.
Everyone else did too.
"Wait…" I murmured. My other friends shifted and pulled out their weapons and formed a protective circle around the Storybrookers.
We waited for a little while. Snow sighed, "Emma, this is-"
"Don't speak!" I hissed, but the wraiths had already picked up on the sound. "Shit!" I cussed before shouting out orders.
"Adam, Reece, Lee, Lane, Marshall, Colin, and Isadora take everyone to the place you came through. Ivy, Audreana, Connie, Jack and I will hold them off. Now!" everyone did exactly as I commanded. When Gold passed me, I grabbed his cane,
"Hope you don't mind Gold." He paused, about to say something. I swung at him. Belle screamed… and I hit the wraith that suddenly appeared behind Gold.
"Go!" I hollered at him and Reece huffed when they didn't move and grabbed Belle and Gold and dragged them along.
I kicked a wraith in the stomach and Jack frost-blasted three more away from me. Somehow, we ended up fighting back to back, "I need my swords." I grunted as Gold's cane snapped from the force of my blow. I punched another wraith out of the air, laughing softly as it knocked into another and brought that one down with it. I glanced at the sky and cursed loudly.
I looked at Sander and Audreana fighting together and Connie watching Ivy's back. I scanned the sky full of incoming wraiths and screamed, "Retreat!" they obeyed immediately and we raced back to were Adam was pushing reluctant Storybrookers through the portal back home with the wraiths hot on our heels.
No one's POV
"Hurry!" Emma shrieked, narrowly missing a wraith intent on clawing off her face. Once everyone realized Emma and company had survived and had brought back loads of wraiths eagerly hopped in, namely Snow, Charming, and Henry. Emma, Ivy, Jack, Audreana, Connie and Sander all jumped in, but not quite quick enough for one of the wraiths to rip it's claws into Sander's shoulder.
On the other side of the portal…
"Is she alright? What's taking her so long?" Snow fretted over the portal as no one came out. They waited, and waited, and waited, waited with baited breath as Connie and Ivy shot out, then Audreana was tossed out, then Adam and Jack, but there was no sign of Sander or Emma.
Finally- finally!- Emma and Sander were thrown out… Emma holding onto Sander's unconscious body for dear life and both covered in scrapes and scratches.
"Sander was- attacked- fell in portal- blood- accidentally took us to- old home- Fatals weren't happy- 'territory intrusion'- attacked- got through portal- I think- think- nightshade- poisons- need Juliana now." Emma gasped out. She hauled herself to her feet, waving off anyone's attempts to help or carry Sander for her. She refused to let anyone touch Sander, instead brushing off everyone, including Henry, with a cool disinterest.
Henry watched as his mother walked into the dilapidated castle. The large, twenty-five feet tall oaken doors opened and a girl with ruler straight coal black hair ran out and grabbed Emma's arm, giving her a hug then gesturing for a boy with the same hair color and features to come. He took Sander from Emma carefully and Emma looked over her shoulder at us, huddled together, and motioned for them to follow her.
As they walked through the large out doors, they couldn't help but notice the children and teens that walked the halls- some had smiles on their faces, some were laughing, others had haunted looks in their eyes but the reaction to the new people was always the same- cool disinterest with veiled anger and even fear, and my, was that jealousy? The teens grabbed children that were around them and hustled them inside, or formed a rough circle around them with curious kids sneaking peeks from around their legs.
Every person, animal, or incredibly lifelike statue seemed to watch the grim procession, happiness at seeing Emma alive and well, happiness that was quickly squashed by the intruders.
After what seemed to be hours, they finally reached what was being called the medical ward. It was just as broken as the rest of the building, though the windows were covered were tape and wooden planks and there was no broken glass on the floor, it was hard not to notice the vines the crept up the wall, pulling chunks of it out. It was hard not to notice the ceiling that was caving in, dipping in slowly at the center. It was hard not to notice how the people who were there were all made of stone and frozen in various stages of fear- a girl who's hair fanned out in the air as she looked behind her, her sword raised high or the boy who's hand was in the air above his face as though he intended to block a blow. It was even harder to notice the defeated look that occupied the (living) people in here.
"We've got s'more Jess, Swan and Justice." The girl with the straight black hair said.
"Oh, gee. More injur- Did you say Swan?!" A boy with untamed chestnut brown hair whipped around, grinning wildly when he saw Emma.
"Em! Where the hell have you been? And what's wrong with Sander? Don't tell me you beat up my cellmate! For shame, Emma!"
"You got any honeysuckle?" Emma wheezed. Jess's eyes bugged out.
"Seriously?! Sander's been gone for less than an hour and you've already gotten her poisoned by nightshade?"
"Calm down, Jess. She got scratched by a wraith right when we fell in the portal, I grabbed her, thought of how… one of my old friends was attacked by a wraith, we ended up in their territory, we hopped through another portal after being attacked, and here we are. She's only unconscious." Emma managed to say miraculously, what with her fits of coughing in between every few words.
"Let's interrogate them after we heal them, yeah?" Juliana interjected irritably. Jess nodded and Juliana took Emma and Jess's hands and Jess grabbed onto Sander's limp hand with his free one. Juliana's hands began to glow golden and the light skipped up her arms, over her shoulders, and into Jess and Emma, then to Sander. It created a bouncing gold ring and the Storybrookers watched, transfixed, as Emma and Sander's injuries closed up and faded immediately, though the crusted blood stayed behind.
Jess turned to them. "Anyone here need healing?"
No one stepped forwards, despite the obvious blood staining their features. Juliana pursed her lips and whispered something to Sander. Emma sighed,
"If you guys aren't going to play nice, my friends here will kick you out. Evidently, this place has fallen apart without me. Not surprising, most of the people who came were dead, dying, injured, or…" Emma gaze wandered to the statues.
Something clicked inside Snow's head, "The statues…"
Sander carefully stood up, testing her weight on her injured foot before stepping on it fully with a wince, "I wouldn't mention that to anyone else here. Genevieve'll probably tell the people here that you aren't threats, but they certainly aren't going to warm up to you anytime soon if you persist in dredging up the past."
Emma's POV
I nodded to Sander in approval, "Dinner is in 3 hours, I would advise staying here and letting Jess and Juliana heal you as you are not, under any circumstances, allowed to use magic. We don't like magic much here. The price is far too high for people like us." I finished talking to them and addressed Sander, "I'll be up in my room if I'm needed, could you have Kaitlin and Sarabella take them to the fifth floor? There should be enough room for them there if it's still empty." Sander nodded.
"Regina, Astrid, Gold, and, um, Mother Superior, could I talk to you for a minute?" I asked. They nodded and followed me into the hall. I led them down a stairwell into a deserted corridor.
"I know I said this already, but I swear to God if you even think of using magic you will be killed on the spot. People here have special abilities, if you would please call them. Some of us have different types of kinetic abilities, others can control plant growth, there are mermaids, sirens, werewolves, dragons, and there are quite a few who can do magic too. But none of us do because, as I said earlier, the price is too high for us. So if you so much as think about or talk about magic, they will rip you limb from limb and to be honest- magic won't stop them. Not the powerful ones." I held each of their gazes.
"What about you, Miss Swan? What was your price? You speak of magic as if you've used it before." Regina asked uncaringly. I closed my eyes, the image of a girl with wildflowers woven in her hair and a little boy clinging onto her hand every hour of the day flashed to the front of my mind.
"Let me put it this way- the price was high enough that I would rather have all of you from the Enchanted Forest to be without your precious happy ending than use magic and watch your happy ending go sour and bite you in the ass." I shot back heatedly, "Trust me, I've had experience. Honestly- I'm waiting for Belle or Henry or Charming or someone to simply drop dead and leave someone broken. It happens every time if magic involves."
I was already twenty yards away when I warned them again, "Don't even think about using it."
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