It takes Aurora nearly a full minute to shake off the shocked stupor at the site of the two strangely clothed women laying in the wreckage. Nearly too late to throw herself at Mulan to prevent her from striking the blonde woman down where she lay. They struggle, rolling back until they hit Phillip's new grave in an undignified mess of dress, armor, limbs and hair.
Mulan recovers first and frantically looks Aurora up and down with enough scrutiny to make her blush.
"Are you hurt?"
Shaking her head, Aurora scowls and pushes herself up on an elbow, ignoring Mulan's outstretched hand.
"You can't kill them."
Mulan turns away, shoulders drawn up tight and hands fisting. Aurora sighs, finishes getting to her feet and dusting her dress off. She casts a mournful glance at Phillip, gritting her teeth to keep fresh tears from welling.
"You can't kill them when they're defenseless, Mulan. Let's get them secured and wake them up. Then they can answer for Phillip's death." Mulan stays silent and Aurora waits. Waits until she sees Mulan's boots grinding on the old marble floor, and reaches out to lay a hand on her shoulder.
Mulan startles, it's slight but there, a testament to her rattled nerves. "I don't know you, but if Phillip trusted you, you must be a good person. Do not bring dishonor to yourself over this. Phillip wouldn't want this," says Aurora, her voice trembling as tries to coax Mulan off whatever edge she seems to be staring down.
"Please. For Phillip."
Mulan blows out a long breath through her nose and finally unclenches her hands. She shakes her head once, twice and turns her head to look back at Aurora, tear tracks beginning to dry on her face.
"I will protect you, I am protecting you, for Phillip. I would have given my life for him, for you. Do not ask me to do for him what I cannot give."
And it's there, the look of love Aurora had seen in the forest. True love? Perhaps not. But a powerful enough love that this woman had left behind everything to help a man rescue another woman. It's a rather moot point, now, to be bitter about things. Phillip is dead, cold and breathless on her own former resting place.
She's spent nearly 30 years, asleep and trapped in a land of nightmares. Nightmares that Aurora knows will haunt her for the rest of her life. Yet she carries that burden on her back with the grace and dignity of her title. What's one more nightmare to add to the load? Maleficent thought to break her. Instead she'd been forged and hammered into something far, far stronger.
This load, she would bear. After all, it was her duty. A duty to her people and to her kingdom to rebuild, to reunite and to fix their broken land, or whatever remained of it. Starting with finding out exactly who the two strangers are and what threat they pose.
Reaching out again, Aurora cups the side of Mulan's face, turns her until she is fully facing her. Sees the look of barely restrained fury and answers it with her own power.
"Then do it for me."
Mulan's eyes widen and she makes to look away, but Aurora holds her face firm. "You would protect me for Phillip. I will not ask more of you in his name, but I ask you not to kill them yet, for me."
Several seconds pass and Mulan finally untenses her body. Gently removing Aurora's hand she walks over to her sword and resheathes it.
"Very well. Help me find something to bind them."
As fate would have it, Aurora is very glad she stopped Mulan from killing the two women. Snow White certainly looks different, and it's a very strange thing indeed that she has a daughter that looks exactly the same age. But curses are curses and Aurora has learned firsthand the kind of havoc they can wreak.
"So Regina sent you back, with the wraith?"
Snow smiles as she accepts a drink of water while her daughter, Emma, merely sits and glowers at everyone. "We meant to send the wraith back. We didn't know any part of this world still existed. I don't think even Regina knew."
"And the wraith was meant to kill Regina?" Mulan's question is dangerous, leading, and Aurora doesn't like the path it will lead down. Instead she lays a hand on her companion's shoulder, a silent command to hold. She waits until Mulan's rigid posture deflates and her right hand moves away from her sword hilt.
"Mr. Gold sent it after her," Emma interjects, finally speaking up. "We were trying to save her to help us fight Gold. And for our son."
The name is unfamiliar and both Aurora and Mulan look to Snow for clarification.
"She means Rumplestiltskin. She grew up in that world, she's only ever known most of us by our names over there."
Mulan's hand goes for her sword again and she's standing before Aurora can calm her down. "Did he follow you?"
Snow smiles reassuringly and shakes her head. "Not that we can tell."
"And you. You had a child with Regina? A son?" Mulan's sharp gaze turns to Emma, but the question causes the woman to blush up to the roots of her hair.
"What? No, Henry's my son... and hers..." Emma scowls and pushes to her feet to match Mulan's aggressive posture. Both Aurora and Snow stand and step between the two. "It's complicated. Henry is Emma's son by birth, but Regina raised him." And suddenly the thought hits Aurora and she can't help but laugh.
"You're a grandmother?"
Snow nods ruefully and pulls Emma back to sit with her at the fire. "Like I said, it's complicated."
Mulan walks to the corner of their camp and picks up her bow. "I'm going to find dinner. I'll be back." She's gone before Aurora can even spit out a "be careful" to her retreating back.
"I'm sorry about Phillip. He was a good man."
Aurora turns and looks back to Snow, tears once again in her eyes. She looks at the fire and nods. "Yes, he was." It's going to be a long night.
They eventually find out from Mulan that the only lands left are hers, Neverland and the Isle of Britannia. As it stands, her kingdom is a barren wasteland, empty from people fleeing before the curse. If they're going to start setting things right, both for her kingdom and to help Snow and Emma, their best bet is to move on, ride to the haven Phillip had spoken of.
She should have known that nothing was ever as easy as planned.
Four women, two horses, one sword and one bow puts them at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to defenses. Aurora can barely load the arrow to the bow safely, much less fire it without risking injury to those surrounding her. Emma tries and is rewarded with several cuts to her face from the arrow and bow string before Snow sighs and reaches for the bow and quiver.
Emma is rather useless all around, as far as weapons go. She talks of such things like guns, weapons the like of which they've never seen, much less heard of. In the end, they finally fashion a crude club out of a fallen branch. "At least I played softball," Emma mutters, before taking several practice swings.
Mulan's sword is heavy, meant for two-handed use for which Aurora is not trained for. They wind up traveling with Snow at the front and Mulan at the rear. Emma is right behind her mother and Mulan keeps Aurora close to her. The first day of full travel is uneventful. The second is not.
They find themselves surrounded by a group of ten or more bandits, all men. It's not a hard guess as to what they have in mind. Mulan throws Aurora behind her and attacks first, running the bandit nearest to her through with her sword. She hears the soft "thwip" of a bow being fired and sees another bandit fall. Emma joins the fight, ducking a mace swinging at her head and countering with a blow of her own. The man drops to the ground, his skull crushed.
Aurora ducks out of the way, avoiding and dodging blows aimed at various parts of her body. Then she sees them. Or rather the bandit holding them.
"Mulan!"
Mulan turns and dodges a blow, parrying as she wildly locks eyes with her. Aurora points to the bandit she's spied and gets an acknowledgement in return. Mulan fights her way over and clashes with the man, kicking him in the stomach and then running him through. Aurora's eyes are alight with excitement as his body falls and the two smaller, one-handed swords drop.
This? This she's trained for.
Extensively.
Seizing the swords, she and Mulan turn into a whirling blur of steel and death, easily mowing down several of the remaining bandits and reaching Snow and Emma. Once the four of them reunite, the battle is shortly over. They're left standing, somewhat bruised and breathing hard.
"Search the bodies for whatever we can use," orders Mulan, bending down to clean her blade. They spend the next 15 minutes looting through a haphazard camp, grabbing arrows, an extra bow and quiver, the two scabbards for Aurora's new swords, a mace for Emma, two horses, water, three fire flints and leftover bread.
It's a mark's ride later that they find the ogres.
Snow's scream of "RUN!" motivates all of them to sprint out of the forest and into the closest field, two 15 foot ogres hot on their tail. Mulan looks over to Snow and they nod, signaling to Aurora and Emma to split up on signal. Snow counts to three and she and Emma veer sharp right, while Mulan and Aurora angle left.
It works, the ogres split up to follow and Aurora throws a quick thought of safety to their companions. She catches up to Mulan and shouts over the thundering den, "What's the plan?"
Mulan scans their surroundings before looking back at the ogre. She looks back and Aurora can already tell she's not going to like what she hears.
"See the group of trees to the right?" shouts Mulan.
"Yes!"
"Go run up them!"
The jump over a fallen log and continue to sprint.
"Are you crazy?! I'm not letting you fight this thing by yourself! You'll be killed!"
Mulan grins and they turn sharp left, running a zig-zag pattern to gain precious seconds of time as the ogre stumbles to keep up.
"Climb the tree! I'll hobble it and lure it over, then you jump down and finish it!" Aurora looks behind her, sizing the ogre up.
"Aim for the base of the skull!" Mulan shouts again, before shoving Aurora in the direction of the trees before doubling back. Aurora turns to watch her companion draw her sword before angling toward the trees, praying Mulan isn't killed trying to get the ogre close enough.
She reaches the trees and takes a running leap, wrapping herself around the tree trunk and clinging on, mindless of the bark shredding the sleep-softened tender skin on her palms. She shuffles up the tree, quickly, sap coating her dress. When Aurora reaches the branches, she swings up and turns around just in time to hear a giant roar. Mulan's sword slices through the tendons at the back of the ogre's right knee and she rolls away to safety.
Aurora climbs to a perch and draws her swords, crouching, waiting for Mulan to lure the ogre closer. The ogre roars once again, raising its meaty fists and slamming them into the earth with enough force to rattle the tree she's hiding in, enough force to knock Mulan off her feet.
"Mulan!"
Her companion rolls out of the way of a crushing fist just in time and hurries back to her feet, but without her sword. Defenseless, she still starts a run towards the trees, the enraged ogre ambling behind her. It takes only moments for them to reach Aurora, but the ogre, in pain and tired from moving brings its fists down again.
Aurora is knocked from her perch, falling. She grabs madly for the first branch she can find and arrests her fall, halfway from the top of the tree and right in the ogre's line of site. Frantically kicking her feet in the air, she tries to swing up and wrap her legs around the branch to pull herself up. The ogre takes a swing and misses her by mere inches.
It swings again and takes out the branch, sending it crashing to the ground, Aurora just having jumped to the safety of a high branch. She watches, eyes wide, as the ogre reaches for her and suddenly it stops. It screams and turns it's head, Mulan is at its feet, slashing away at it's leg with a jagged piece of broken wood. The ogre fully turns and Aurora watches as it grabs Mulan in it's hand, lifts her in the air and begins to squeeze.
Mulan's cry of pain is enough to make Aurora jump. Her two swords embed in the fleshy parts of the ogre's shoulders and it roars again. Flailing wildly, it releases Mulan as she's flung into the trees at a speed that terrifies Aurora for her safety. Gritting her teeth, Aurora holds on and pulls the left sword free. As hands begin to reach for her, she spies her target and thrusts with all her might.
A final, blood-curdling cry fills the air and Aurora jumps to the nearest tree branch as the monster goes limp and crashes, face first, into the earth. The trees rumble for a final time before going silent. Aurora takes several breaths and then swings to another branch, finding a perch.
"Mulan!"
Silence.
"Mulan!" she yells, louder.
Aurora hears a grunt to her right and races through thick clusters of branches before spying Mulan, dangling from a low branch. "Hold on, I'll get you down!" Mulan grunts again and then goes limp.
It takes far longer than Aurora wants to get them both down from the trees, but she finally lowers Mulan down to gently lay in the grass and hops down next to her. They're both bloody, scratched and bruised, but the way Mulan is wheezing has Aurora on edge.
"Where are you hurt?"
Mulan tries to shrug her off, attempts to roll over while croaking out an "M'fine," before grimacing in pain and flopping back into Aurora's waiting arms.
"I think I cracked a rib... or three."
Gentle fingers prod at Mulan's rib cage, finding the spongy area where ribs are not only cracked, but broken. Thankfully, Aurora can't find any evidence that they pierced anything vital. "I need you to try and sit up," she says.
Mulan grits her teeth and complies as Aurora rips off parts of her now ruined and tattered dress and uses the fabric to bind Mulan's chest as best she can. She lays Mulan back to the grass gently, and goes to retrieve her swords.
"Wait here, I'm going to go find Snow and Emma."
A cry of pain halts Aurora in her tracks and she whirls back around to find Mulan climbing to her feet. "I told you to wait!"
"I'm going with you."
"You're hurt, you need to rest."
"And what if another one comes back while you're gone?"
Aurora scowls, but has to concede Mulan's point. Doesn't make her happy in the slightest, but she can't leave Mulan alone.
"Fine. Wait for me to get your sword and then we'll both go."
They spend half the night looking for the two before they're found. Found in a cheerful camp with all of their belongings and a knight.
Mulan is instantly on guard and tries to position herself in front of Aurora, her hand coming up to rest on the hilt of her sword. Aurora allows it, but only to help salvage Mulan's pride after having to lean on her for much of the evening.
"Who are you?"
Snow stands and comes next to the knight, smiling in relief. "This is Lancelot, he helped us kill the ogre." Snow pauses as she takes in the state of both women. "You're hurt."
"I'm fine, it's only scratches. Mulan has broken ribs, help her sit down, please." Lancelot immediately moves to help Mulan to the fire and Snow goes to one of the scavenged packs from the day before. Aurora watches the knight and tries to ignore an uncomfortable twinge as he helps Mulan sit down.
Aurora has taken to doubling her turn on night watch, while the others sleep. The fact that it bleeds over and passes Mulan's turn is a source of consternation for her companion, but Aurora holds firm, she's not the one with broken bones that needs rest to properly heal. Besides, she's had her fill of sleeping, the less she has to do of it for now, the better. It still doesn't stop Mulan from arranging for Lancelot to be up to join Aurora on her second watch shift.
"We'll find them."
Looking up from the fire, Aurora glances at Lancelot and goes back to her sewing. With any luck, she'll have the leg finished tonight and she'll be that much closer to having a pair of pants to wear, crude though they may be.
"I suppose we will," she answers.
"We've had many refugees at Camelot. Some of them must be yours."
Aurora shrugs her shoulders and continues with her sewing.
"They may well be, but Camelot is not a barren wasteland they have to look forward to returning to."
Lancelot is quiet for a moment, before he begins to sharpen his blade. Silence settles over them for several moments and the sounds of the forest at night begin to bleed in and form a natural symphony to accompany the crackling of their fire.
"Regina's curse has broken. Anything is possible now. If we deliver Snow and her daughter to Merlin, I am certain things will be put right again."
Aurora studies him for a moment, his dark skin glowing in the light from the fire. His face bears a look she's seen before, all too recently.
"Tell me, Sir Lancelot, why is the King's favored knight ambling around two whole kingdoms away instead of riding with Arthur?"
Lancelot's jaw clenches and he refocuses his efforts into sharpening his sword. He doesn't speak again for the remainder of Aurora's watch, but she recognizes what his secret is all the same. He, like Mulan, carries a forbidden love.
She doesn't sleep that night, after her turn at the watch. Instead, she spends the time studying Mulan's sleeping face and thinking of Philip.
Three weeks into their journey and Mulan puts her foot down.
"I am well. It is my turn to take the night watch. You should rest."
When her companion grips her sword hilt, Aurora sighs and retreats back to her blanket. It would be much easier to get to sleep if Emma did not snore with enough ferocity to wake half the forest. Emma claims something called allergies, Snow merely smiles apologetically and goes back to cooking their dinner.
Sleeping is easier said than done, and Aurora wakes several times during the night, lingering ghosts of previous nightmares tainting her slumber. She wonders if sleeping is something she'll ever be able to enjoy again.
She lays on her blanket in the quiet, letting the sounds of the forest lull her back into a light doze. If she can't sleep, rest is better than nothing. Movement snaps her out of her reverie and she turns in time to see Mulan rousing Snow to hand off turns for the night watch. Better Snow than Lancelot in Aurora's mind. While Lancelot is a good man, she still doesn't like the idea of Mulan spending much time with him outside of sparring practice. Perhaps a tiny part of her is more worried about the possibility of would be lovers finding solace together.
Aurora has already lost Philip, she doesn't want to lose anyone else. Not yet. Not when there is still so much left to do.
"You are still awake."
Looking up, Aurora smiles slightly at the sight of Mulan's hands on her hips and the disapproving gaze that crosses her features.
"Sleep is not something I look forward to, you'll have to forgive me," she responds.
Mulan sighs and lays her sword down by her blanket, and gingerly sits down. While she might claim to be healed, Aurora knows that she is pained by still healing bones. Reaching out her hand, Aurora gently touches them, running her fingers over the protective outer layer of leather armor. Mulan grants the touch, stays still for it.
"You push yourself too hard."
Shaking her head, Mulan takes Aurora's hand in her own and draws it away, cradling it. "There is nothing to be done about it, Princess. Besides, I've had worse."
Aurora pulls her hand back and gives a small, barely there smile. "Wait a moment, I'll be back."
Mulan stands as Aurora crawls out of their sleeping enclave and goes to the fire with Snow. She's back minutes later, two cups of tea in hand.
"Drink this," says Aurora, offering one cup to Mulan.
Mulan recognizes the strong, bitter taste of willow bark, and the hint of mint leaf Aurora used to try and take some of the acridness out.
"I told you, I am fine." But she still continues to drink the tea.
Nodding Aurora sips her own tea, mint only. "Will you tell me about your time in the army?" she asks.
Mulan is silent, still drinking her tea and trying not to grimace from the taste. She at least knows better than to argue with Aurora over drinking it.
"I miss it," she finally offers.
"Why did you leave?"
Mulan finishes her tea and studies Aurora's face, curiosity practically radiating from it.
"It was fine and well to let me save our land from the invaders, but after the dust had settled, they had little use for me beyond dressing me up and touring me around the kingdom like a pageantry horse."
She sets the cup on the ground and lays back down onto her blanket, the willow bark already starting to take effect and soothe the persistent aching in her ribs. "The men were granted titles, lands. I was no more than a pretty living statue for them to show off."
Aurora reaches her hand out again, feather light, she removes a tendril of hair from Mulan's face and tucks it behind her ear. "I'm sorry," she says.
Mulan exhales heavily and doesn't say anything as gentle fingers begin to run through her hair. "Me too. But your prince came, he needed help. He asked me. Me, not the men... I never looked back."
Still stroking Mulan's hair, Aurora swallows heavily, a better understanding of Mulan and Philip's relationship blooming in her heart. "Thank you for staying with me," she whispers. She watches as Mulan's eyes grow heavy, even as she murmurs out a "Where else would I be?"
Eyes squint and Mulan looks up at Aurora suspiciously. "You put something else in my tea," she accuses. Aurora merely smiles and continues combing her fingers through black hair, deciding she rather likes the feel of it running over her skin. "Lavender."
Looking as though she wants to argue, Mulan opens her mouth to be met with Aurora shushing her. "Sleep. We can talk more later." She falls asleep in moments, never knowing that Aurora will still continue to gently comb her hair until close to dawn.
Aurora really shouldn't be surprised when Mulan turns the tables on her, spiking her tea. During dinner no less.
As their trek toward Neverland and then Camelot continues, they fall into a routine, both drinking tea before bed, sharing stories of fighting and castles.
After her third nightmare in one mark's time, Mulan rolls over and loops an arm protectively around Aurora's waist, drawing her near.
Somehow this becomes natural for them as well. Blankets are moved closer together, none of their other companions comment.
They almost don't recognize that they've crossed over into Neverland. Not until Emma turns into a whirling dirvish and nearly squashes Tinkerbell. Then they find themselves held at knife point by a gang of little boys.
Emma's language, Aurora has learned, is quite colorful. Still, she agrees with her when she says that Peter Pan is "an annoying little shit."
Mulan, on the other hand, seems to bond with him instantly.
"I thought you had a son," says Mulan, as they walk with the group of Lost Boys toward their main camp.
"I do. But Henry is Henry. He's my kid, I have to love him."
"Emma," scolds Snow, her voice soft to take the sting out of the reproach.
Scowling, Emma huffs, readjusts her pack on her shoulder and stares ahead.
"He is much more... capricious, than when I last met him," says Aurora, diplomatically offering her support to Emma. Emma smiles at her, then laughs as a Lost Boy launches a wad of mashed berries, hitting Aurora in the face. The gooey mess slides off skin and splats onto her handmade shirt, the juice already beginning to set in and stain.
Peter roars his approval and launches one of his own, triggering a chain reaction as the entire band of Lost Boys race to mash together berries and launch the fruity missiles at the group of adults.
Once the bombardment is over, Aurora begins the process of brushing the sticky remnants off her clothing. "I take it back. I fully agree with Emma, he is a little shit."
Snow looks scandalized, Emma tries to teach her a "high five" and Lancelot busies himself with frantically trying to dig bits of berry out of his chain mail. She is the only one that notices Mulan laughing along with Peter and discretely handing a slingshot back to him.
Aurora gets her revenge that night, giggling quietly as Mulan's startled screech fills the night air.
They reach the Lost Boy's camp in the afternoon. They're nestled in a series of connecting burrows running from the tops of nearby trees all the way into a cave entrance on the side of a skull shaped mountain.
"Yeah... no. If it's all the same, I'm staying outside," says Emma, eyeing the cave entrance with distaste. Mulan pauses in her conversation with Peter to turn around. "The cave offers better protection at night, it is prudent for us to sleep inside."
Emma shakes her head, tosses her pack down and starts to pace around the encampment, looking at the tree dwellings above.
"About that, I've been there, done a cave in, don't need to do it again," she pauses at the base of a tree and looks at a nearby boy. "Is there a ladder up this thing or what?"
The boy flips a hidden latch and a rope ladder tumbles down. "Fantastic," says Emma, and she begins to climb. Snow leans over and touches Aurora's shoulder, smiling apologetically. "Henry was trapped in an abandoned mine a little while ago. She went down to get him and they barely made it out before the entire thing collapsed."
Aurora nods her head in understanding, finding herself agreeing with Emma's idea of going up instead of under.
"Then I am certain you will both understand that I would rather not find myself up a tree," Mulan interrupts. Aurora remembers the ogre, Mulan's limp form flying through the tree branches and how long it took to get them both down. She makes up her mind and steps toward her companion. "Snow, you can stay up with Emma, Mulan and I will stay with Peter tonight. Lancelot may decide for himself."
Though she freely gives him the choice, Aurora finds herself subtly stepping between Lancelot and Mulan. She's not sure where the newly found possessiveness is coming from, but regardless, if he is staying in the cave he will not be staying near them tonight.
Lancelot takes the hint and nods respectfully. "I shall stay with Lady Snow and her daughter then. Have a good evening." Aurora nods in return and she and Mulan follow Peter inside.
When the strange face appears over the small pool of cave water Aurora is using to wash her face, she screams. Mulan is by her side in a matter of moments, sword drawn and ready to attack.
"What is it?"
Aurora points to the water, now more bewildered than frightened as the initial shock wears off. The strange face speaks and Mulan immediately steps between the body of water and Aurora.
"Hello? Can you answer? Hello?"
Mulan looks back to Aurora as the water continues to talk. Her eyebrow raises in silent question of what Aurora wishes to do.
"Hello? Don't tell me I found a group of mutes, for crying out loud."
Aurora clears her voice and creeps back up to the face in the water.
"Who is this?"
"Thank goodness! It took you long enough to answer, I've been trying to get a lock on someone for weeks! Who is this?"
Mulan growls low in her throat, but remains still as Aurora leans farther over the water to get a good look at the face shimmering beneath the surface. "I am Aurora, who am I speaking to?"
The face begins to answer and then there is a slight scuffle. Voices are heard arguing and then the face is gone to be replaced by another, familiar one.
"Aurora! This is James! You're alive! And awake!"
Aurora grins and nods, then turns to Mulan. "Go and fetch Snow and Emma, hurry!"
"Snow is with you?" asks James, a hopeful smile stretching his face. A child's voice cries out "Mom and grandma are okay?" and then James is sharing the water with a boy that Aurora can only assume is Henry.
"Yes, they're here. They're safe. How are you talking to us?"
James motions over his shoulder with his head. "Regina. She's been using her Magic Mirror to try and track them. Where are you?"
Aurora shifts her position so the hard rock isn't grinding into her knees, looking up as she hears footsteps headed her way. "We're in Neverland right now. We met up with Sir Lancelot and we decided to journey to Camelot. He thinks Merlin might be able to help Snow and Emma return."
"James!"
"Snow!"
Aurora finds herself bowled over as an overly eager Snow White shoves her out of the way and leans over the water. A pair of strong hands prevents her from rolling too far and Aurora looks up to see Mulan glaring at Snow, a rebuke ready to leave her mouth.
"Leave her be, it's alright."
Mulan glances down, frowns, but nods her consent. With Mulan's assistance, Aurora climbs to her feet and then gently pulls her companion around the corner. "Give them some privacy."
Nodding, Mulan follows along and Aurora catches her up on the conversation. When she's finished, the frown is back.
"How can we trust anything powered by Queen Regina's magic?" she demands. "We have to trust Snow and James. Right now this is still our best option of fixing the damage this curse has caused." Mulan is still unhappy, but Aurora places a hand her shoulder and squeezes.
"It will be okay, I promise."
Both women are silent as the sounds of Emma, now talking to Henry, drift up to them. Mulan finally relaxes and leans her body against the cave wall. "Very well."
Aurora smiles at her in return.
"Thank you."
It is near the end of the conversation that Aurora thinks to kneel over the water and ask James about her parents, the King and Queen. The look of regret that washes over his face and is mirrored on Snow's is answer enough.
"I'm so sorry, Aurora. Maleficent, after you were cursed... she...," James trailed off, unable to finish. Aurora took a deep breath to steady herself and forced down the tears that wanted to escape.
"And what of Maleficent?"
Regina shoved James out of the way and smirked. "I know every one of you hate me, but I can at least assure you that Maleficent is... shall we say... taken care of."
Aurora studies Regina's face, grim gratitude extending toward her.
"Then I am in your debt for that. Pardon me, I must go."
With that, Aurora leaves Snow, Emma and Mulan behind and rushes out of the cave. She runs through the trees, chest heaving at the sorrow that wants to overwhelm her. She had already lost Philip, now her parents. She had been holding out hope, and it was all for naught.
She pauses at the base of a large tree, the encampment now only a glow in the distance, falls to her knees and begins to retch. As her stomach empties, she is vaguely aware of footsteps getting closer. Finishing, Aurora kneels, heaving and gasping for breath. A hand holding a scrap of cloth appears in front of her face and Aurora knows immediately that Mulan has found her. The tears finally overwhelm her and she leans into Mulan's legs, sobbing.
Mulan kneels down and uses the cloth to gently wipe Aurora's mouth and face clean. Then she gathers her into strong arms and holds her tight, letting her cry.
Later, as the glow of their encampment dims, a sign that everyone is retiring for the night, Aurora hiccups and finally pulls away, rubbing at wet, red eyes. Stiffly, she pulls away and stands, turning to where Mulan can't see her face. A thin "thank you" is murmured and Mulan rises to join her, placing a hand at the small of her back.
"Princess?"
Another hiccup, then Aurora breathes deeply and squares her shoulders. "I had hoped that they had been taken to Storybrooke like the others," she admits. "I should have known better."
They stand in silence, Aurora in her misery and Mulan desperately trying to think of something to say to make it better.
"When I joined the army..." she starts, waiting for Aurora's attention. A turned head tells her she has it. "When I joined the army... I did it to protect my father. He was older, his leg injured from the last war. He would have died and I... I could not let that happen. I could not bear to lose him, to see my mother become a widow. I waited until they were asleep, then I stole his armor and ran off to join in his place as his son."
"You don't know what happened to them, do you?" asks Aurora. Mulan's eyes close and she shakes her head no. She is surprised when Aurora hugs her close. They embrace for a moment and then Aurora steps away and clears her throat.
"With my parents gone, I am the only one left."
"We will talk to Merlin, surely he will be able to help rebuild your kingdom."
Aurora shakes her head in frustration. "I am the only one left. They are all gone. All of my people have left. And I am somehow supposed to unite them, bring them back under my rule? I have nothing to offer them, no protection. Philip was supposed to rule as king beside me, lead our army... I cannot offer them anything."
Aurora buries her head in her hands as the magnitude of her situation finally sinks in. Maleficent did not break her, no. She stole her entire future instead. Behind her, Mulan draws out her sword and Aurora turns around, already looking for an incoming threat. Instead, Mulan drives her blade into the ground and kneels on one knee in front of Aurora.
"Mulan..."
"If you will accept it, I pledge my sword and my life to your service." Mulan lowers her head, waiting for an answer as Aurora tries to choke down a fresh sob. Soft fingers rest under Mulan's chin and raise her head up to look into Aurora's gaze.
"Do not offer me this as a tribute to Philip. Please."
Mulan shakes her head, tears pricking at her eyes. "It is not offered in anyone's name but my own." She grabs at Aurora's fingers and holds them in both her hands. "If you will take a runaway daughter and former soldier, I promise you my life and my service. I will not leave you."
Feeling overcome with an emotion she can't quite put a name to, Aurora nods several times, crying. "Yes, yes. I accept. I accept." She pulls Mulan to her feet and embraces her, and Mulan returns it with strong arms, buries her face in Aurora's hair and murmurs "My queen, my queen," over and over.
Aurora finally understands what a gun is the next day after they capture a pirate scout. Emma is ecstatic.
"Finally! Something I can use!"
Snow reaches out cautiously as Emma's smile grows wider. "Emma, that's not quite the same as the one you're used to handling."
"Same principle. Load, point and shoot. I got this."
She tries to teach Mulan how to use it, but when Mulan points the loaded weapon to her face to better examine it, Emma hastily snatches it from her hands. "Nevermind! I think it's best I hold onto this. We don't want any accidents." Snow and Lancelot nod their agreement and Aurora grins and moves closer to assuage Mulan's now wounded pride.
"That is not possible, Captain Hook is dead."
Aurora keeps a careful eye on Mulan as she grows decidedly more agitated at their new prisoner. Peter is hovering near Mulan's side, looking as concerned as an eternal boy could be.
"Believe me or not, wench, the Captain be coming for ye."
Before they can react, Mulan has drawn her sword and embedded it in the dirt between their captive's legs with an enraged roar. Snow rushes to pull her away and Emma takes her mother's distraction as an opportunity to backhand the man. Aurora rushes to aid Snow and can hear another crack of flesh upon flesh.
"Emma, stop beating the man, we will not stoop to his level!" Snow shouts. Aurora takes over for Snow and pulls Mulan the final distance away. "What are you doing?" Mulan rakes an agitated gloved hand over her face and lets loose a frustrated grunt. Behind them, Aurora can hear Snow scolding both Emma and Peter on their behavior.
"My Queen, Captain Hook cannot be alive. I saw him die with my own eyes." Aurora's mouth drops open in shock and Mulan seizes both of her shoulders.
"Prince Philip and I fought him before we reached your kingdom. He was selling children as slaves. Philip killed him, ran him through the chest with his sword. I saw him die."
Aurora clutches the leather pouch at her belt containing the amulet that summons the wraith and wonders what other vile magic has been loosed in the kingdoms.
"So the Lost Boys..." she hedges. Mulan nods, "Are children Peter has rescued from Hook."
Shaking her head, Aurora begins to pace in a circle. "He must have survived, somehow. Maybe there is yet some dark sorcery we have not discovered." Snow, Emma and Peter come to join them as Lancelot takes over questioning the pirate.
"We have to assume for now that Hook is still alive and on his way here," says Mulan. Aurora nods and turns to Peter. "We have to get the children out of here."
"How much time to we have?" asks Emma.
The chilling laugh of the pirate cuts through their conversation. They all turn to look as he laughs maniacally, laughs until white foam begins to show at his mouth. Laughs until it runs out and turns pink. Laughs until he finally chokes and his head falls limply forward.
Lancelot leans down and presses two fingers to the pirate's neck. His mouth forms a grim line as he stands and faces them.
"Dead. He must have ingested some sort of poison when we caught him."
Emma touches the two pistols at her waist and looks at Snow. Then she places her thumb and forefinger to her mouth and whistles loudly.
"Okay, listen up everyone. We've sorta gotta change of plans, and we need to hurry. Lancelot, you round up as many of the Lost Boys as you can."
Lancelot nods and sheathes his sword.
"Peter? What's the quickest way to get them out of here?"
"There's a hidden path through the forest, it leads to a safe house. Hook doesn't know the location."
Emma nods. "Okay, good. Here's the plan. Peter, you and Lancelot get the children out of here. Get them to the safehouse and stay there. If we don't return by evening, help Lancelot get them all to Camelot."
"The Queen should join them," says Mulan. Aurora grits her teeth and pulls Mulan back to stand behind her.
"The Queen is making her own decisions and staying to fight."
Looking between the two of them, Emma rolls her eyes. "The Queen and tall, dark and broody can decide between themselves. Snow, you and I need to fortify the beach. Whatever you two decide, we'll be at the Cove."
She leaves no room for argument, even from her mother, as she turns and sprints toward the cove. Snow runs after her, yelling for her to wait. Aurora spins and fixes her eyes on Mulan, glaring.
"What was that?"
"This is too dangerous, you need to be safe!"
"Three women against a band of blood-thirsty pirates? That's your answer?"
"All the more reason why you should leave with Peter and Lancelot."
Aurora scowls and reaches out, grabbing Mulan's sword by the scabbard and pulling the other woman flush against herself. "Did you, or did you not swear allegiance to me as queen?"
Mulan matches her scowl but swallows down her first response before gritting out a "Yes, my queen."
"Then you will respect my decision on this. I am staying to fight."
Mulan looks like she is readying to argue again, so Aurora jerks the scabbard. "This should be accepted, or I will order you to join Lancelot and Peter, understood?" Reluctantly, Mulan nods and Aurora releases her hold.
"Then let's go and find Emma and Snow."
If she knew then what she knows now, she would have ordered all of them to retreat to the safehouse. But, with all the knowledge Aurora has been taught, she does not have the gift of prophecy.
By the time they reach the Cove, Captain Hook's ship is running alongside the makeshift dock and Emma is already firing at pirates on the beach. Snow is by her side, firing off arrow after arrow while dodging the musket fire. Mulan pulls her sword and rushes the ship. Aurora can only stand dumbfounded at the chaos. A bullet whizzing past her head jolts her mind back to the present and she pulls both her swords and runs after Mulan.
More muskets fire and Aurora hears Emma shout for Snow to run. In front of her, Mulan takes out one pirate after another until she's at the ships hull and grabbing at a rope to crawl up and board. Snow runs up behind Aurora and shouts for her daughter, not seeing the pirate that jumps out in front of her. Aurora lunges, impaling him from behind as Snow turns around. "Make for the ship!" she shouts. "Try and cut the anchor to send it adrift!"
Snow nods and runs in front of her as Aurora engages another pirate. She parries a blow and brings her second blade around for a killing thrust. As the body drops to the dock, Emma runs up to meet her and rips the flintlock pistol from the dead pirate's belt. They rush up to the hull in time to see Snow board the ship and then they both jump for the rope.
Halfway up, a pirate leans over the side snarling at them and begins to slice through the rope with his cutlass. Emma shouts for Aurora to hurry and they race up the rope as it begins to give way. The pirate starts hacking at the rope and she and Emma swing dangerously. Aurora tenses to try and jump for the side railing when an arrow bursts out of the side of the pirate's neck and he falls over the railing, splashing into the water. They hurry up the rope and nod their thanks to Snow before joining the fight.
Aurora realizes that there is much to be said about Mulan's bravery, but a lot lacking in her common sense. A quick count has them hopelessly outnumbered four to one and Mulan is nowhere in sight.
To her right, Emma discharges both pistols in her hands and ducks under a swinging sword, rolling through and snagging the pistols from the freshly dead pirates before jumping up, spinning around and firing again. Snow is in front of her, dodging blows and firing as fast as she can. Even with her aim, Aurora can see that Snow's quiver is fast running out of arrows.
She turns to confront the three pirates on her left and engages them in battle. All around her the sounds of battle permeate the air, from gunshot, to shouts and clanging of swords. Aurora blocks a blade and twirls her second sword and spears it behind her, catching the pirate that was trying to sneak up on her in the gut. She pulls the sword loose and spins around, parrying again and exchanging blows.
Two more pirates fall and Aurora can barely catch her breath as more surge to take their place. She hears a voice shout "Duck!" and she falls to her knees, using the sudden movement to stab one pirate in the thigh, hitting the place she know will result in death shortly, from blood loss. Two objects thunk to the deck next to her and Aurora has to bite her tongue to keep from retching as she realizes the two objects are pirate heads.
A hand seizes the back of her shirt and hauls her to her feet. Mulan stands before her, bleeding from a cut to the head, and yells for her meet her back. Recognizing it as the same strategy they used against the bandits, Aurora sets her back to Mulan's as they whirl to face a growing throng of pirates.
Across the deck, Aurora sees that Snow has run out of arrows and is now fighting with a cutlass, next to Emma. Captain Hook laughs from the ship's wheel, looking as though the fighting is nothing more than a staged play for his amusement.
Mulan moves and Aurora follows as they once again engage in fighting. Pirates press in on them from all sides and it's all she and Mulan can do to fend them off. She desperately blocks a sword thrust intent on slicing her throat and shoves back. Then a blur of gold dust flies past her face and a bell somewhere on the ship starts ringing wildly.
The pirates turn as one to look and she and Mulan take advantage of their distraction, slicing and stabbing a path out of the crowd. Captain Hook turns frantic and yells wildly for his crew to man the cannons.
"What's the bell for?"
Mulan smiles grimly and points out to the water, at the ripples headed toward the boat.
"Bashe."
Aurora doesn't get the chance to ask what "bashe" is because a massive set of jaws open up out of the water and take a huge bite out of the hull. The ship tilts dangerously and begins to take on water. Pirates begin to run away from the ship's prow and dive for the deck.
The gold dust flitters in front of her face again and Aurora looks up to see Tinkerbell saluting her. Peter flies in close behind.
"You're supposed to be with Lancelot!" she shouts at him. Peter salutes her and shouts back. "I brought some reinforcements!" Then he draws his sword and divebombs Hook.
Chaos breaks out over the ship as bodies rush to flee from the gargantuan snapping set of jaws. Some rally and start to fight again with Emma and Mulan, while Snow trips, nearly falls, and steadies herself as the ship tilts even further.
Tinkerbell flits in and out of the fight, distracting pirates long enough for Aurora to deal a fatal blow and move onto the next one.
A pistol shot cuts through the air and Tinkerbell is suddenly gone, blown up in a cloud of golden dust.
Peter howls from across the ship, turning from his battle with Hook and screams.
"TINK!"
Aurora watches as time seems to slow down. Peter screams for his fairy as Hook reaches in his overcoat and withdraws a pistol. She screams a warning.
"PETER!"
Peter turns back to Hook and a second pistol fires. Emma and Snow yell as the bullet enters right between Peter's eyes and leaves through the back of his head. He falls lifeless to the deck to Hook's shout of triumph.
A spine-tingling yell of rage overpowers every other sound and Aurora spins to see Mulan charging Hook, sword raised. She jumps over a group of pirates and Hook just gets a sword up to block her blow. The momentum carries them both back several paces and they fall below deck.
Aurora runs to follow them when the boat rocks again and she's thrown off her feet. The ship tilts even further up in the air and she grabs onto a rope to keep her from falling down.
"EMMA!"
Aurora turns to see Emma hurtle past her towards the jaws of what she can now see as a crocodile as wide as two fully grown elephants. Snow lunges and grabs Emma, halting her descent toward being an early dinner for the animal.
"Whoa! I did not sign up for this! No where did any of you tell me Fairytale Land had giant alligators!" shouts Emma, dangling from her mother's grasp and looking into the jaws of the beast.
"Well, technically," says Snow, "This isn't Fairytale Land and that isn't an alligator." She holds still as Emma climbs up her body and grabs onto a section of the ships railing.
"Now? You're choosing now to give me an educational lecture now?!"
Snow shrugs and secures herself to the railing with her daughter. "I was cursed to be a teacher for 28 years, what do you expect?"
Another bite and the conversation is halted as all three women cling to their perch. Some hapless pirates are knocked loose and fall into the monster's waiting jaws. A hatch leading below deck explodes open above their heads and Aurora turns to it, expecting the worst.
To her relief, Mulan crawls out.
They watch as Mulan manages to stand and screams out "BASHE!" The giant crocodile pauses and moves back from the ship, its gaze looking up to Mulan. Aurora hears Emma shouting to Snow, "Oh, that's a great idea! Let it know that dinner's further up the deck!"
Aurora watches and her mouth falls open in shock as Mulan brings her other hand up and they can all see what she's holding. Captain Hook's severed head.
They hear a loud growl as the beast does a roll in the water and flips back onto it's hind legs, raising its massive body out of the water and opening its jaws. "Even better, let's bring death right up to us!" Emma shouts.
Mulan looks the creature in the eye for several seconds and then nods. Drawing the arm holding Hook's head back, she brings it forward and hurls it into the awaiting mouth. Another deep growl and the monster flips backward into the water, rolls onto its stomach and starts to swim away, but not without first eating an entire lifeboat of escaping pirates.
The ship tilts again, turning so it's completely vertical in the air and Mulan tips forward and starts to fall. Aurora catches her under the arms and holds her close, fighting to maintain her grip on the wet rope.
"I think," shouts Snow, "that this would be a good time to abandon ship!"
Emma maneuvers around the railing reaching for a rope that's still attached to the dock. "I agree with Captain Obvious, we need to move."
"Watch your tone with me, young lady!"
"Not the time, MOM!"
Aurora watches the two squabble as they reach the rope. Emma sends Snow over first and then anchors herself against the railing and reaches out her hand. "Try to use the rope to run the deck over to me!"
"Mulan, we'll go on the count of three, okay?"
"Right."
"One. Two. Three"
The two women use the rope to rappel themselves across the deck to Aurora shoves Mulan into Emma's arms. She uses the rope the run back across the deck, and then pushes off with her legs, swinging wildly back across again, knocking all three of them off the railing and into the water below.
They kick to the surface, spitting out water and Emma whirls around to glare. "Not what I meant, Sleeping Beauty." Another splash sounds beside them and they turn to see Snow resurfacing.
"Enough squabbling, get to the dock."
As they swim, Aurora notices Mulan faltering. She falls back to her companion's pace, concerned. "Are you hurt?"
Mulan kicks in the water to stay afloat and pulls her arm away from her side. Aurora can already see the blood staining the water. "The hook is sharper than it looks," offers Mulan. Threading an arm over Mulan's chest, Aurora turns them over and swims them both to the dock.
Snow and Emma are waiting to help pull Mulan out and Aurora hurriedly climbs out after them. They lay Mulan back on the planks and Aurora is alarmed at how pale she is. Frantic hands unbuckle leather and turn Mulan onto her uninjured side to asses the damage.
"Shit."
Not for the first time, Aurora agrees with Emma.
"She's losing too much blood!"
Snow strips of her outer shirt and presses it again the jagged, horrifically deep laceration running just under Mulan's ribcage. It stains and blood starts to seep out of it in spite of the pressure applied.
"It's too deep!"
Aurora wrings her hands, grabs Mulan's face and slaps her cheek to try and keep her awake. Emma looks around and runs off. She rips something off the belt of a dead pirate and hurries back over.
"Aurora, can you get me a light?"
Nonplussed, Aurora looks to Snow in confusion. "She means get her a flame, quickly!"
She gives a final stroke to Mulan's face and races back to shore to grab one of the remaining lit torches. When she reaches them again, Snow has ripped her ruined shirt into rags and has them layered carefully around the edges of Mulan's life-threatening wound. In the wound itself, Emma has poured a fine black powder.
"What's that? What are you doing?"
Emma looks up and grabs the torch from Aurora's hands. "We have to cauterize the wound and stop the bleeding, otherwise she'll die."
Aurora grimaces as Emma carefully plucks a burning piece of straw from the torch. "Grab her shoulders and head and hold her still," she orders. "This is going to hurt."
Complying, Aurora cradles Mulan's body to hers and whispers apologies. She sees Emma bringing the flame to the black powder and screws her eyes shut.
Mulan's blood-curdling scream can be heard all throughout the Cove.
Aurora holds Mulan in her arms as Snow and Emma take turns trying to salvage anything they can from the remnants of Hook's wrecked ship. After they lit the powder, Mulan promptly passed out completely and they were thankfully able to stop the bleeding. Now they're scavenging for anything useful before they have to leave to rendezvous with Lancelot and the Lost Boys at the safe house.
Snow resurfaces and holds out a medium-sized wet bag for Aurora to lay on the dock. "Gold pieces," says Snow. "It can't hurt to have it in case we need it." Emma murmurs an affirmative, then takes a deep breath and sinks below the water for her turn to look around.
"It's so quiet," says Aurora.
Turning her head to look up, Snow pauses for a moment to take in the silence. She nods, her eyes solemn. "I don't know what will happen to Neverland without Peter."
"He should have stayed with Lancelot, he should never have come back."
Shaking her head, Snow reaches up to touch Aurora's hand. "It was his choice. We have to respect it, just like Mulan had to respect you boarding a pirate ship to fight." Emma bobs back up, sputtering. She wipes some of the water away from her eyes and pushes wet hair away from her face. "Hey, I need both of you to help me get this on the beach." Aurora gently lays Mulan down on the dock and jumps back into the water.
"Rum? You nearly brought the side of the ship down on us in the water for a barrel of rum?"
Emma ignores Aurora's incredulous outburst and turns around, putting her back up against the large barrel to finish rolling it onto the beach.
"It's alcohol..." she pants. "Which means, we can use it on Mulan..." Emma pauses to catch her breath and puts her weight into the barrel again. "To try and keep that wound from getting infected."
"Oh." Aurora looks down at her feet, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. "Of course."
Emma rolls her eyes and continues to push. "Just try and find some empty water skins."
They leave the Cove near sunset. Snow carrying the bag of gold and four water skins filled with the strong rum they pulled from the ship, Emma with a torch and four cutlasses they took from dead pirates after being unable to locate their original weapons, and Aurora carrying Mulan on her back.
"Let me know if she gets too heavy and we can switch off," says Emma. Aurora bears the weight silently though, as they walk deeper down path to the safe house where Lancelot is still hopefully waiting.
It's a somber evening, the safe house filled with the hushed sounds of mourning for Peter and Tinkerbell. Lancelot helps Aurora set up an adult sized cot to lay Mulan down on and they redress her wound after pouring a little of the rum on it. Mulan comes around long enough for Aurora to brew her some willow bark tea to drink, but soon falls asleep again when Aurora commands her to rest.
Several of the older Lost Boys have left to go back to the Cove and hold a funeral for Peter. Snow tries to comfort some of the younger ones as best she can and Emma isolates herself in a corner, drinking one of the skins of rum in silence after having demanded space from her mother.
None of them sleep well that night.
The next morning, Emma has a thick head from the amount of alcohol she drank and Aurora can't help but smile softly as Snow starts to say "I told you so" only to be interrupted by Emma's angry ranting. Snow stays silent but still hands Emma a piece of wet cloth to wipe her mouth with and water to rinse after her stomach empties itself.
Lancelot leaves to ready their horses as the oldest Lost Boy, Ruben, comes to talk to them.
"We will stay here," he says.
"Are you out of your mind?" asks Emma, before she doubles over once again to retch. Ruben turns to look at Aurora, giving Emma a sliver of privacy.
"We will stay. Hook was not the first pirate, nor will he be the last to come through here. We were saved because of Peter. If we leave, there will be no one to save the rest of the children."
Snow tries to reason with him. "But Peter was different. How will you defend yourselves?"
"Peter was a boy. He was always a boy. I will not always be a boy, I will become a man. We will all become men, and we will be waiting when more pirates come."
"Jesus Christ, it's like Lord of the Flies," says Emma, muttering under breath and obviously recovered from her last bout of sickness.
"Who is the Lord of the Flies?" asks Aurora. She can't remember anyone with such a title associated with Neverland. Snow intercedes and shoots Emma a look to be quiet. "It's a book from the world we came from. That's not important though. Ruben, if we send someone back to you from Camelot, to help you grow into men, would you welcome them?"
Ruben turns to look at the group of older boys behind him. They nod their heads and he looks back to Snow. "We will."
They've just secured Mulan to her horse and are readying to leave when Ruben comes running out of the safe house, a large bundle tucked into his arms.
"Queen!"
Aurora takes her foot out of the stirrup and places both on the ground to turn to him. "What is it?"
He holds the bundle out to her, lowering his head. "Peter had meant to give you this," he says. Aurora takes the bundle from him murmuring her thanks and begins to open it. Metal catches the sun and gleams brightly and Aurora nearly drops it. Tears spring to her eyes and she covers her mouth with one hand.
"What is it?" asks Snow, eyes looking on in concern. Aurora drops the cloth covering off the bundle to reveal an exceptionally made rapier and dagger, with matching scabbards. She holds them up, eyes wide and fits her hand onto the hilt of the blade.
"They were my mother's," she finally says.
"She left them with Peter after you were cursed," says Ruben. Then he walks over to Emma and reaches up to give her a smaller item. Emma turns it over in her hands and realizes it as a small, tennis ball sized piece of highly polished copper.
"It belonged to Tink," he says. "We thought you might have a better use for it than us." Realizing that this will give them a link to talk to James and Henry, Emma carefully pockets it and thanks him.
Aurora finishes buckling her mother's weapons to herself and mounts her horse. She squeezes her thighs into its sides and steers over to Mulan's horse so she can lead it as they ride. They wave goodbye to the Lost Boys and set off down the forest path, to Camelot and to Merlin.
In front of her, Emma gripes about riding, saying that if she's going to be bow-legged, she'd at least like to enjoy the act leading up to it.
End Part One: Neverland