Title: The Grimm Paradox
Summary: Now that magic is real, why not alternate realities? Emma Swan is about to face some aspects of herself that may be a little hard to tolerate. And believe.
Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time. That goes to the creators of Lost, and even though I hated that bloody show, I'm absolutely loving this idea of theirs.
Chapter One - The Princess
The two figures observed the small town with identical, sharp green eyes, cloaked by the darkness of the night.
"Do you think this will work?", the voice of the younger was skeptical but with a note of hope. The older one only inclined her head.
"Even if it doesn't, it's not as if we have much choice."
The younger snorted.
"Damned witch. This is all her fault. You can not play with magic in this manner. It's dangerous, and stupid."
"Many sorceres and sorceresses sprout teachings of how magic always comes at a price, but most do not understand just how hard we all have to pay for their mishaps."
Clad in a midnight, floor length blue dress, the younger one shot an incredulous look at the other.
"Mishaps? You call all the insanity happening mishaps? Just think about it; without all of these mishaps, we would never have met."
The older one, clad in what appeared to be a designer dress and coat, gave her a small smile.
"And just think if it hadn't? How boring your life would be?", then she got serious again "Come on, let's put you into position."
Emma Swan is usually not prone to waking up in the middle of the night. Once she is out, the only thing capable of waking her is the screeching sound of her phone's alarm or Mary Margaret-sorry, Snow White, shaking her.
No, she knows exactly why she woke.
Along the years, Emma had developed an instinct. Formed by paranoia and too many crazy families she had to stay with, Emma knew, felt, an invasion of her home.
There was someone downstairs.
Grabbing her gun from the bedside table, she rose from the bed, almost tiptoeing across the wooden floors of her bedroom. Luckily, there was almost no creaking on the floor of Mary- Snow White's house.
She went down the stairs with quick, swift steps. Henry was, thankfully, spending the weekend with her parents, so she did not have to worry about him. A part of her, no small part at that, was hoping it was Hook, invading her house and privacy again. But she knew when it was him (something she really didn't want to dwell on right now), and the person, who she could see, was sitting on the kitchen, felt entirely...wrong.
And at the same time strangely familiar.
Pointing the gun at whoever had invaded her house, she switched the lights on.
...
...
...
And saw herself.
...
...
...
Emma faltered, but the gun did not went down.
The woman sitting at the counter did not react at the weapon, seriousness written all over her face. Her only movement was a slight tilt of her blonde head, curiosity burning in the familiar green eyes.
"Who are you?"
She had been told of Cora's shape shifting abilities by Regina, something that still made her stomach churn with nausea. And it was only her years as a bounty hunter that managed to keep her terror at bay.
It was becoming far too easy for people to invade her apartment.
At the question, her-the other woman's eyebrows raised.
"Isn't it obvious?"
Her tone was sort of haughty, maybe even teasing.
It was exactly the tone she, herself, used when joking.
Now, Emma was not blind to the fact that she was incredibly distrustful as a rule, but something, probably her gut (and it has rarely been wrong in all these years) was telling her that this woman, whoever she was, could be trusted.
Maybe her internal bullshit detector was out of whack.
Interrogation time then.
"Who are you?"
The woman, who, she now noticed, looked a few years younger than her, rolled her eyes.
"My name is Emma Charming, heiress to King James and Queen Snow White, next in the line of succession to the throne, Wielder of Magik", she recited the 'titles' in a flat voice, typical of someone who had heard and said it several times over her life. "Happy now?"
Emma's arms were tiring but the gun was kept up, pointing at the girl (because she was a girl; she still looked to be in her early twenties).
"Basically, I'm you", then she frowned. "Or at least a version of you. Tell me, how much do you know of alternative realities?"
A/N: I know the first chapter is dreadfully short. I did cut a lot out of the original. Should I continue?
A/N²: Also, I need a beta. Help?