A/N - Hello all and welcome to this, my very first OUaT fic. (I own nothing but the new characters) With this fic I have played with an idea I have had running around my brain for a while and so started to type it out. I hope you enjoy. While I will be using a lot of what happened in season 2, I may not use the exact dialogue from the scenes I use from the show. Only because this is my attempt at writing an alternative version of events. Enjoy dears...
Chapter 1.
"Emma, run!" Snow yelled as she spun on her heel sprinting away from the heavy footfalls of the ogre that had started to run after them. Emma ran for the trees, Mulan and Aurora not far in front or behind her.
"Quickly, up here!" Mulan called out clambering up a tree.
"A tree, really?" Emma scoffed. "The dude is a giant; he'll find us straight away."
"Trust me." Mulan sternly said as she helped the princess Aurora up into the safety of the large tree. "And it's an ogre, not a giant." Mulan corrected following after Emma in to the safety of the tree.
"There's a difference?" Emma grumbled. Mulan ignored her. Just then the ogre stomped passed their hiding place unable to see them, covered by the foliage of the trees. Emma craned her neck as best she could to try and spot Snow White; her mother was yet to have joined them. They could hear the ogre sniffing the air trying to catch their scent, so far they were lucky, he couldn't trace them. Then a twig snapped Mulan and Emma looked to Aurora who had unfortunately snapped the noisy piece of wood.
The ogre flicked his head round to the tree about to reach for its braches when Snow called out to him whilst firing an arrow into his shoulder. Crying out in pain the ogre turned his attention back to the bandit. Snow stood her ground baiting the grotesque creature.
"Well, come on then you ugly beast!" She hollered at him. The ogre roared and gave chase again. Snow, being quicker on foot than the ogre, sprinted away deeper into the woodlands. Taking a chance look behind her, to see how far away the ogre was, she didn't spot the root in front of her. Snow's foot caught under the root sending her flying. Landing on her front Snow shook her head to regain her senses, hearing the ogre getting closer. Snow stood looking around the area she was now in as the ogre crashed ever closer.
"Up here." A voice called to her as a gloved hand appeared from above. Snow hesitated, uncertain of this new ally. "Quickly!" the voice called again with urgency, the hand outstretched only magnifying the urgency of the matter. Snow slapped her hand in to the one offered which helped pull her up in to the darkness of the branches and leaves. Snow sat upon a branch hidden as she watched the ogre continue to run through the woodland after her, or so he thought.
Snow and her rescuer stayed quiet and unmoving in the tree making sure the ogre was not returning.
"I would say it is safe to leave our sanctuary here."
"Mary Margaret!" Emma called out from somewhere below them.
"It would seem your companions feel the same." Snow could hear the smirk in her rescuers voice.
"Who are you?" Snow asked.
"Snow White!?" Aurora called the worry evident in her voice.
"Your friends are getting concerned, you should probably join them, let them know you're safe." Snow could tell she wasn't going to get very far and she did want Emma and the others to stop worrying and shouting, the last thing they needed was for the ogre to come back. Nodding towards the stranger Snow began to climb down from her hiding place.
"Emma! Here!" Snow called out as she reached the bottom of the tree. Emma turned spotting her mother and started to run towards her. Snow moved to meet her, as she moved her mysterious rescuer jumped down behind her. Seeing this Emma picked up speed, noticing the weapons the stranger had attached to their belt.
"Mary Margaret, behind you! Look out!" Emma called. Before Snow White could stop her, Emma grabbed the stranger rushing them against the trunk of the tree that had once protected Snow and the stranger. "Who are you?"
"Emma stop!" Snow called grabbing her daughter's shoulders pulling her back. She admired her daughter's protectiveness over her safety but her bull headedness; she got that from her father. "This stranger here helped pull me up in to the tree, away from the ogre." Snow explained as she managed to pull Emma away from the stranger. Throughout the attack the stranger kept their arms and hands raised, never once attempting to pull their sword.
Suddenly arrows appeared, shot between Emma, Snow and the stranger. Snow quickly pulled Emma back putting herself in front of her daughter.
"Move away from the queen!" A soldier's voice shouted to Emma and Snow.
"The who now?" Emma asked confused, what queen? She thought, the stranger before them didn't look like royalty in the leather and small amount of armour, that she could see the stranger was wearing. The strangers face practically a covered by a hood and scarf covering their mouth and nose.
"Stand back I said!" The soldier was practically barking at Emma and Snow as he came closer to them.
"It's all right Stephen. They mean me and all of us no harm." The stranger stepped forward in front of the mother and daughter. Her back to them the stranger lowered her hood and scarf. Long red hair flowed down to the middle of the woman's back. She held her hands up to her men as she spoke. "Lower your weapons!" She ordered, the men obeyed lowering all weapons, standing and waiting for further orders. "Stand down all of you I am quite safe."
"Ogres my queen." Stephen quietly spoke.
"Yes Stephen, ogres. I'm fine." The queen reassured her captain as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Is everyone safe?"
"Yes your majesty all are safe and well. The villagers await your return." Stephen said looking over to the strangers who were standing still, listening as best they could.
"We'll return home soon Stephen but in the morning. It'll be dark soon, we'd best make camp. Make sure my new friends here are looked after. Give them food and drink, a place by the fire side at camp." The queen ordered as she walked away from Snow and her companions.
"Hey! What about us? Who are you?" Emma shouted out after the red headed woman. Emma turned to Snow. "Any thoughts on who that 'queen' was?" Snow didn't answer lost in her thoughts. "Mary Margaret?" Emma nudged her mother.
"What? Oh no, at least I don't think so" Snow replied a familiarity about the woman surrounded Snow but she couldn't lay her finger on why.
"Please follow me." Stephen said calmly and politely to the group of women. Mulan looked to Snow who nodded back to the warrior, trusting the new friends they had found in the forest, if only for now. The queen had mentioned food, drink and the warmth of a fire. Snow welcomed that for her and her friends.