Secrets Stolen From Deep Inside
A/N - Was going to be a one-shot but I've split it as it's taking me too long to write.
Thanks to Calliope-Plantain for the idea, being my soundboard and for Beta-ing.
It has been over two months since Emma came back from her unintentional trip to the past in the Enchanted Forest. So far as she could tell, her trip to the past hadn't changed anything significant in the present. Regina was still with Robin, Marian had still died, Snow and Charming were still alive and doting over their newborn Neal. Hook was still giving her love sick puppy eyes and trying to woo her. No-one seemed to have any memories of seeing her in the past. Which was exactly like it was meant to be. It was good, she kept telling herself. She had brought everyone in Storybrooke their happy endings. Just like she had promised. So why was she so upset and disappointed? She could just blame it on the hormones like everyone else believed. But Emma was finding it harder with each passing day to believe and accept her own lies.
She hated it. The lying. The remembering. The having to pretend. She wished that she could just forget like everyone else had. That's why she was currently hiding away in Regina's vault going through the brunette's magic books. Regina would probably kill her if she found out, or give her a long, angry speech about how stupid she was to trifle through random magical objects she knew nothing about. But Emma wasn't touching the magical objects, not yet anyway. She was looking for a spell or potion to help her forget about her trip to the past or at least change some of the memories so she didn't feel so trapped and alone.
The only problem with Emma's plan was her lack of knowledge in magic and its consequences. If there was one thing she remembered from Regina's magic lessons it was that all magic came with a price. And Emma wasn't sure she was able to pay it right now. That wasn't going to stop her from researching it though so she could have everything prepared for when she was able and willing to pay its price. She would be a lot happier if she knew what that price may be though.
Emma was losing her patience with reading, as she could only understand half of the writings and so far she had found nothing in regards to changing her memories. She let out a frustrated groan and was just about to start looking through Regina's bottles and objects that lay around the vault when she heard someone walking down the stone stairs. Thinking it could be Regina, she quickly looks around to find somewhere to hide.
"Mom! Are you... Oh, Ma. What you doing here? Does mom know your here?" Henry asks with a raised eyebrow that could nearly rival his other mother's.
Emma breathes a sigh of relief at Henry being her intruder. "I was just doing some reading Henry. I'm sure your mom wouldn't mind but let's still keep it between us yeah?" She answers vaguely as she starts tidying up the books she had been looking through.
Henry watches her suspiciously for a while and then notices a scrap piece of paper fall from where Emma is stacking books. He quickly picks it up before Emma notices and frowns at what he reads.
"Why you looking in to memory spells and potions, ma?" Henry asks warily.
Emma freezes at his question and slowly turns round to see him holding her notes. She knew it was careless to take notes but she didn't want to take anything out of Regina's vault and make her suspicious. "Oh, um... Well." Emma stumbles over her words as she tries to think of a valid reason but the way Henry is looking at her makes her heart ache. He wouldn't understand. "Well, this town seems to always get hit by some magical mayhem and that regularly includes memory loss so I thought... being the saviour and all... that I should probably start reading up on it. Otherwise what sort of saviour would I be hmmm"
"But I thought mom gave you an antidote? Isn't that what that vial is in your drawer? The one that had my storybook in it?" Henry asks with a raised eyebrow, just like Regina, and takes the storybook out of his backpack.
"Wha... What are you talking about Henry? I didn't hide your book in my drawer"
"I never said you did ma. But, why did you?"
Henry sits down on the vault floor next to where Emma is still stood in shock and fear of what Henry knows and the questions he is going to throw at her any second. With one last glance between Henry and the exit, Emma takes a deep breath and sits on the chest next to Henry and is ready to face the music.
When Emma finally got comfortable, Henry decided to get straight to the point. "So I re-read the stories, and I think I found your story. But I don't understand why you kept quiet about it. Do you want to talk about it? It might help to talk to me, if you can't talk to mom or Granma about it yet."
"Ok Henry. I'll tell you. But that book doesn't give an accurate tale. It's very biased. And you got to promise me that you won't tell anyone else about this. Especially your mom" Emma glares at Henry till he gives a nod in confirmation. "Well here's the thing, I was actually in the Enchanted Forest for around 2 months. Not the couple of days I'd gone missing here."
And then she starts her tale...
Enchanted Forest - 4 months ago.
Emma didn't know how she got here, what was going on, or if this was actually real, but seen as she hadn't woken up yet she thought it was safer to assume it was real and she had to figure out a plan to not only get back home to Storybrooke, but to also keep herself alive. She took in her current surroundings, or what she could see of them. Small damp cell, with a rusty metal cold cot to sleep on. The only light was from a small slit high in the wall. The only way in or out was the iron bars that served as a door. Up until this point she never really believed all the stories people told of their past lives in The Enchanted Forest, but now she had not only seen it, she was living it. Thinking over the last few hours, Emma tries to figure out what she did that got her here and how she could escape.
She had run from the diner back in Storybrooke after a confrontation with Regina and her family about leaving to go back to New York with Henry. She remembers seeing something strange up at the barn where they defeated Zelena and went to investigate. As she got closer she could see a vortex and before she could question what was happening, she was pulled into it. The next thing Emma knew she was in the middle of the woods.
"Oh no." Emma groaned as she slowly stood taking in her surroundings. "Please no. Please don't be where I think I am" She then had spotted a poster stuck to a tree. She had to blink a few times to try and refocus her eyes, when everything has been spinning less she had noted that the poster had said 'WANTED! Snow White. For crimes against the Queen.' "I think I must have banged my head. There's no way I could be here" she had murmured to herself.
Before Emma could process the sudden change in events, there had been a commotion coming from behind her. Hiding behind a tree she watched as black knights angrily manhandled villagers into a line as a black carriage pulled up in front of them.
The villagers had started to cower as a dark haired woman in tight black leather trousers, a dark red waist length jacket and black heels descended from the carriage. She seems familiar to Emma but facing her back she hadn't place why, if she had had to guess she assumed the woman was a royal of some sort. Emma hadn't heard what the woman had said but she could tell that she was angry and demanding from the woman's rigid posture, and how the villagers had flinch at the woman's words and avoided eye contact.
Emma had looked for a closer place to hide with the hope of being able to hear what was being said. As she had got closer she saw an elderly man, who she had quickly identified as Marco, stepped forward to speak. "Please your Majesty. We're a peaceful village. What is it you want from us?"
The regal woman had quickly spun to face Marco and Emma held back a gasp as she finally recognised Regina. "She's even worse without the sensible pantsuits!" Emma mumbled quietly to herself.
"Justice" Regina replied to Marco's question. "If I find out, anyone in this village has helped the bandit Snow White, they will suffer dearly. Here's what helping Snow White looks like."
Everyone shuffled backwards and a small murmuring made its way through the villagers as another person, with a cloth bag over their head, was brought forward, by what appears to be Regina's guards, and held before the Queen and her audience. The cloth was taken off the prisoners head to reveal a young, dark haired woman who began to shout out "Help me! She's gunna kill me!"
"Who wants to be next?" The Queen had taunted, arms spread wide, a challenging glint in her eyes and an evil smirk on her face as she gave a deep throaty laugh at the struggling prisoner and terrified villagers.
"Please" The prisoner had begged as she was dragged in front of the Queen and harshly pushed to the ground.
Emma has seen enough and couldn't believe how cruel Regina was being. She had quickly ran out from her hiding space and in between Regina and her prisoner.
"Regina wait!" Emma shouted, standing to face the brunette with hands rose to prevent Regina from coming any closer to the prisoner. Regina had just stood there, eyebrow raised, eyes narrowed at Emma and a snarl on her lips as more guards had quickly appeared and took Emma by the arms.
"A bit informal wouldn't you say?" Regina had sneered at the intrusion. "Show some respect. It's your Majesty" Slowly her eyes had raked over Emma, she was intrigued by the weird assortment of clothes the blonde wore and the lack of fear she seems to express towards her. Finally coming to a decision, Regina had ordered her guards to tie the girls' hands and take both prisoners back to the castle for further questioning.
Emma still couldn't get her head around the fact that that had been Regina. Or the Evil Queen as she was known in this land...time... whatever. Emma's head was starting to ache with all this new information. She just wanted to sleep and hopefully wake up in her warm, comfy bed in Storybrooke. But she couldn't.
Not when she didn't know what was happening right now.
Not when Regina was questioning the woman Emma had saved earlier, somewhere in the castle.
Not when Emma was next to be questioned.
She had to know that the other woman was alright. She hoped she hadn't saved her only to prolong her torment under Regina's wrath.
Regina's wrath... Emma was starting to realise that she maybe didn't know what Regina was capable of. She just hoped that the stories her parents and the rest of Storybrooke had told her about the Evil Queen were exaggerated. Otherwise she didn't think she would last an hour with the Queen, never mind day, or week.
Emma was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of guards bringing back (more like dragging) the other prisoner back to her cell next to Emma's. The woman looked unconscious as she was thrown back into her cell and the door locked. Emma was glad to see that the woman was still breathing, and that there appeared to be minimal damage to her, physically at least, with only a few bruises on her wrists and a bust lip.
Emma was too preoccupied with taking in the other woman's condition that she didn't hear her cell open or the guard calling for her to get up until she was being roughly dragged out of her cell.
"Hey! Watch it." Emma bellowed at the guard as she tried to twist out of the man's grip, but to no avail. He led her up the stone steps out of the dungeon and along a sparsely decorated corridor. "Where you taking me?" She knew it was a stupid question but she just had to ask.
"To the Queen, of course girl." He replied in gruff voice. "And you best be on your best behaviour, cause Her Majesty ain't in the best of moods with you, and your little stunt in the village." He finished as they came to a stop outside a large ornate door with two guards posted outside. One of the guards knocked on the door and all Emma had a chance to think before the door was opened, was Oh shit!.
Thanks for reading. Constructive criticism welcome.
Hopefully won't take me long to get the next part up :)