This is an AU story, in which Emma grew up in FairyTaleLand. Most everything else will be explained below. If not, feel free to message me, or ask questions in the reviews! Enjoy :)


A crash in the darkness, a scream in the night. Emma peered out the window into the torch-lit courtyard below, trying to make out the horrific battle that was taking place in the castle. Her castle. Her first and only home, her birthplace, her parents' seat for their thrones. Another shout traveled up the walls, and she ducked her head back inside, barely dodging a flaming arrow that had been shot at her.

"Emma!" The princess sighed, turning to the voice calling to her from the doorway. "Emma, stay away from that window!" Her mother nearly screeched, rushing to the frame to draw the curtains close together, blocking the outside from view. Snow White was dressed in her specially-prepared armor, light and agile plates clanking together as she pulled an arrow from her quiver and strung her bow. "What are you thinking, sweetheart? You could have been shot! Stay put, I need to find your father."

"But Mom-" Emma barely had time to get a word in.

"No buts! Stay here, or so help me you'll be grounded until kingdom come. The other girls will be safe, don't worry." Snow was gone before she had finished her sentence, and Emma was dutifully ignoring her request, like any Charming daughter. She bent next to her bed and slid out a long, intricately-carved wooden case. She unclasped the buckles on the sides of the case familiarly, but spent less than a second retrieving her prize. She hadn't spent the last ten years of her twenty-two year old life studying swordplay for nothing. It was time to finally put Dragon's Tooth to battle.


Kara Charming sat huddled in her covers, listening disgustedly to the carnage sounding around her. Her mother had come by once, to see that Kara was coping, and had disappeared into the battle. Sometimes she wished that she had been born brave, like her parents or even her older sister, but she just couldn't do it. Be brave, that was. She could barely stand being in the presence of weapons, they horrified her. She preferred to socialize, or read, or even embroider. Something ladylike and refined suited her tastes nicely. Some days she just liked to visit Johanna in the kitchens and listen to her stories. They were wonderful stories, and they helped Kara realize that even though she could never be brave, she could admire those that were.

The knock on her door startled her, and she nearly cried out as she saw the handle turn and the door slowly creak open, a gleaming blade held in front of the knocker. The long blonde hair, however, gave the perpetrator away.

"Emma, what are you doing here?" the little sister asked irritably, upset that she had been startled by such a trivial matter.

Emma shrugged, smiling as she twirled the blade skillfully in front of her, scaring Kara back into the sheets. "Relax! I was just wondering if you were alright. I figured that with the battle going on-"

"I would be much better if you put that infernal… thing away. You could poke someone's eye out!"

Emma chuckled, sliding her sword into the sheath at her hips. "Better?"

A head of jet black hair slowly peered over its hiding place, then the delicate hands holding it released the covers. "Much. Now, what's going on?"

"I'm still not sure. Mom came by, but I haven't heard-" There was another shout, much closer than the previous ones.

Kara's and Emma's eyes met, both wide and the former's slightly more horrified.

"They're inside the castle," the sisters said in unison.

Emma flung open the door, then turned back to her sister. "Throw on some traveling clothes, but wait here. I need to warn the others. Do you have your dagger?"

Kara nodded, biting her lip as she pulled a small ornamented box from beneath her pillow. For a princess who detested violence, she had always known that a day like this could come.

"Good," Emma said, her voice evident with relief. "Be ready to go, I'll be back with the others. Lock the door, and don't be afraid to use that if it isn't us that comes through the door next."

Kara nodded once again, and as Emma shut the door behind her, she rushed to it and quickly locked it behind her. This day really couldn't get any worse.


"Red?" Emma whispered, peering into the room that her three closest friends had shared on their visit to the Charmings' castle. It was supposed to be a rather uneventful visit… until they had been put under siege, that was. The last Emma had heard from them was when they had retired to the room, not expecting to get much shut eye, but going to attempt so anyway. "Alex? Tam?" Where were they?

"Not so far as you would expect, Princess," a man's voice answered her silent question in the darkness, and she whirled around, her sword slicing through the hair before it met metal with a clash!A chuckle filled the air, and Emma struggled to hold her ground. Her opponent was strong, but Emma was smarter. She kicked outward, and felt her leg connect with someone's knee. Gasping in pain, her opponent collapsed to the ground, and she felt her blade press into his neck. She grabbed the man's relatively short hair and yanked back, procuring another protest and she drew the blade closer.

"Who are you?" she snarled, but lamps were suddenly lit in all corners of the room, and Emma nearly drew back. There wasn't just one man in the room, but four: the one at her knees and three others, each holding one of her friends at blade-point. Red and Tamara were both gagged, and they had obviously put up a fight. Their attackers, a man with curly blonde hair and dark circles under his eyes and a cocky-looking man with a shifty look, respectively, looked as disheveled as their prisoners. Alex, neither bound nor gagged but still held at knife-point, seemed to be too shocked to even move under her captor's hold, a tall man with a rather-large top hat.

The man at Emma's knees grinned cheekily, his brilliant eyes not matching the smile beneath them. "I'd suggest that you let release me, lass, unless you'd like your friends to be shark food."

Emma breathed out slowly, liberating her attacker as roughly as she could, nearly pushing him to the ground once again, then dropping her sword to the ground. He grinned and rose to his full height, looking up and down Emma none too subtlety.

"My, aren't you a prize? What do you say lass, up for an adventure? It won't take too long, I'm afraid. I'm supposed to deliver you to the Queen as quickly as possible, but I don't see how we can't have a little fun before it's over."

Emma exhaled again, wishing that she had cut his throat while she'd had the chance. She glanced down at her sword, wanting no more than to pick it up and run him through, but the man saw her momentary look. He clucked his tongue together like a reprimanding parent. "Oh no, Princess. No more playthings for you, I'm afraid. Besides, I think one more incentive should convince you to see the hopelessness in trifling with me.

As if on cue, the doors of the room flung open, and Emma's heart dropped. She heard one wretched sob and watched appallingly as her little sister was dragged into the room by a fifth man, a lean, hungry-looking man with the darkest eyes that she had ever seen.

"Emma, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-" Kara's heartbroken apologies were cut off as she continued to sob, and Emma could not bear it.

"Please! Just leave her be! I'll go with you, just leave Kara alone!" Stubbornness was always one of her strongest traits, but threatening her sister meant that anything could be forgotten.

Emma's attacker licked his lips, taking in the scene between the sisters as if it were just the beginning of the entertainment. "Sorry lass, but you're all coming with us. A deal's a deal, and the one the Queen struck was irresistible. I'm sure you'll come to see the reasoning behind it, and if not, you're in for an unforgettable experience." He glanced up at his colleagues, motioning them to get moving. Alex left first, then Tam, Red, and finally Kara. It left Emma alone with her attacker for barely a minute, but it was just enough time for Emma to feel a cold, metal instrument brush across her neck as her captor led her from behind out of the room.

"By the way love," he whispered into her ear. "Call me Hook. Captain Hook."


Enjoy dearies? This is my first attempt at a ONCE UPON A TIME fanfic, I really do hope that you like!

For those who wish to know what ships will take place (as of now):

This story will have a bit (OK, a lot) of Captain Swan, Frankenwolf, Tameal, Mad Alex (In my headcannon "Alex", daughter of Thomas & Ella, is "Alice". See what I did there? :P) and perhaps some OC/Graham, if it is encouraged.

My tumblr is captainlegolas, for those who wish to know. I'm a pretty much diehard CSer, but I wanted to add more to a story than just Emma and Hook. Hence this little story showed up!

Please let me know if you enjoyed! (Remember, the review button below is both of our friends!)