Chapter 2

Snow ran through the corridors of the North Tower, trying to find someway to escape. Dashing down and through corridors, she heard Finn and the guards chasing after her. Turning this way and that, she finally found a gated door leading to the outside world.

Praying that it would open, Snow pushed on it and the door opened slowly. Peering out, she caught sight of the guards keeping watch and she tried to creep out

"STOP HER!"

One had caught sight of her and the princess ran as the guards were after her. Into the palace grounds, she looked around desperately when the chirping of birds caught her attention.

Glancing over, she saw not one but two black and white birds twittering over a hole in the wall, an opening and escape.

Running over, she slid on the water and into the hole; down into water which she realized was the sewers. Gasping and gagging, Snow White stood up and began wading through the sewerage water, heading toward where she thought she saw it leading out

'Well its better than death' she thought.

Coming to the end, she stopped when she saw that the sewer emptied out into the ocean. Rocks below and the roaring sea made her pause. She could die down there, bloodied and bruised amongst the rocks. Or perhaps she might survive, be able to escape and get as far away from the palace as she could.

Stepping over the edge, she stepped into a little pool on the ledge and took a deep breath before leaping off and felt herself going down, down, down until she splashed into the ocean.

The water rushed up to greet her and she could feel the current dragging her down.

She had to get to the surface, away from edge. Snow kicked with her might, trying to move amongst the current as she neared the rocks toward where she knew the beach to be.

Her lungs burned and she knew she had to resurface. Kicking her legs, she swam to the surface and burst through with a gasp.

Seeing the rocks near her, she reached for them and hauled herself up against them to lean out of the water.

The sound of twittering caught her attention and she looked up, the birds flying around what looked like a cave.

Hauling herself up and out of the water, she scrambled onto the rocks and to her feet. Snow stumbled after them, still panting from the burning in her lungs as she greedily sucked in the air.

She followed them over the rocks, picking her way quickly, yet carefully so as not to hurt herself. As she exited the cave, she gasped in surprise when she found a white horse sitting on the beach, as if it had been waiting for her. Cautiously she approached it but the tittering birds swooped over it eagerly, as if to tell her that this horse was meant for her.

Coming around to its side, she placed her hand on it before slowly swinging her leg over the other side. The horse stood up and she gripped the hair, holding on as it began along the beach before breaking into a canter.

The exhilarating feel of the wind whipping through her hair and the sun on her face, filled Snow White with feelings she couldn't describe. She was free at last, galloping away on a horse with the palace guards chasing her.

She was free but at what cost?

They continued to canter along the path until they entered a village, slowly as people came out and caused them to stop. The people had pitchforks and weapons, some missing limbs and Snow sat there, staring at them before urging the horse on as the familiar sound of hoof beats followed her.

The horse galloped as fast as it could, keeping ahead of the guards that followed, along the road and heading through a forest. The chase escalated and Snow urged the horse to go faster, feeling sorry for the poor thing but wishing to escape. Faster they rode; she glanced behind and urged it on.

Coming out of the forest, they continued until they came across the Dark Forest. The horse whinnied and whined, making it harder for Snow to steer before the horse stepped into mud and got stuck throwing her off. Snow landed in the mud and looked back, urging the horse on.

It continued to struggle and she glanced past it to see the guards stopping at the edge. Still she knew they would come in after her. Glancing back at the horse she realized it wasn't going to make it and so, with an apologetic look at the whinnying animal, she shot to her feet and stumbled out of the mud hole into the forest.

Snow ran through the forest, hearing the voices and horses behind her never slowing. She tripped and stumbled, falling to the ground as a black mist whirled around and she suddenly felt strange; dizzy and disoriented.

She stumbled around, trying to focus on where she was going, she heard voices, saw things. She tripped again at one point and saw dead birds on the ground with their hearts ripped out.

Freaking out, she stood and stumbled, trying to navigate her way through the haze. She heard a screech, saw shapes looming all around and whimpered just wanting to get out of the forest.

Turning upon hearing a noise, she looked up to see a large Wraith and then bats burst out of the trees. Trying to fend them off, Snow lost her balance and fell to the ground, hitting her head and not moving, her eyes shutting as she blacked out.

oOo

"How is it that an innocent young girl makes a fool of my brother?!" Ravenna shrieked "and with only a nail. If she'd had a sword, she'd have taken my kingdom! And you let her slip right through your tiny fingers. You swore to protect me; swore! And now there's no one I can trust. No loyalty whatsoever, not even from you! WHERE IS SHE?"

Finn swallowed

"She was... she was chased into the Dark Forest. The men lost her there."

Ravenna smacked him across the face, knocking him over

"She is of no use to me lost in the Dark Forest. I. Need. Her. Heart! You failed me, Finn. Failed me!"

Finn sat up, enraged

"Have I not given you all?!"

Ravenna was taken aback by his sudden outburst; she lowered herself into a crouch

"And have I not given you all?"

"Yes sister" he whimpered.

Ravenna healed the slash mark

"Shhhh-shhhhh-shhhh. I have no powers in the Dark Forest" she began in a soothing voice, so different from her screeching not moments ago "I need you to find me someone who knows it; someone who can hunt her down."

oOo

He walked into the village with guards in tow. He knew of someone who could be of assistance to the queen. There was a huntsman, widowed and now a drunkard, who had been in the forest before and was definitely the man for the task.

He approached the usual haunt of the huntsman as a man stepped out

"Excuse me."

The man glanced his way

"What?"

"I seek the Huntsman. You may know him; he is a drunkard, widowed-'

"You speak of Eric?"

"That is his name?"

"Aye, but he is incapacitated."

Finn frowned, this was troubling. Eric was the only one who knew how to navigate the Dark Forest. Ravenna was not going to like this.

oOo

"What do you mean incapacitated?" Ravenna asked from her seat on her throne as her brother stood before her

"That was what was told to me by a man at the local haunt."

The queen fumed, with the only known Huntsman out of commission, was there no one who would be able to find Snow White.

An evil smile spread across Ravenna's face.

Oh, yes there was.

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Hellsing Manor, English Countryside, Outskirts of London, 2012

Deep in the sub-basements of the Hellsing Manor, resided the pet and servant to the Hellsing family. Once an infamous prince, now a monstrous nightmare.

The vampire, Alucard sat in his high backed chair like it was a throne, a table beside him which had a bottle of wine sitting on it. In his hand sat a glass of wine which if one saw, would not know it was mixed with blood.

Familiar stirrings of magic made the No-Life King smirk when a portal appeared and out a figure stepped, one he hadn't seen in years

"Ravenna" the vampire greeted, slightly surprised "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

The queen approached him, unafraid

"I need you particular skills."

Alucard grinned up at the queen, his eyes flashing dangerously

"Oh? And how exactly will my skills help you?"

"Snow White has escaped, and the only huntsman who has travelled the Dark Forest is currently incapacitated. You being what you are, it will come in useful for tracking her down."

The vampire laughed

"The Dark Forest, it is ironic she seeks refuge in the place you have no power over. Little Snow has come of age at last. I best inform my master before I go."

Setting down his glass, Alucard phased up through the floors arriving in his master's office. He found her at her desk, immersed in paperwork as usual

"I am needed elsewhere" he informed her.

Integra Hellsing glanced up at her vampire pet, her icy gaze locking with his crimson

"You have no mission" she reminded him

"Not here I don't. Snow White has escaped."

The director blinked at him, a dumbfound look on her face

"What?" she asked, barely containing her surprise

"Ravenna has requested my services. I am to hunt her down."

Integra's mind was spinning

"Did you say Snow White?"

Alucard was enjoying the look on Integra's face, she was so confused and surprised though she tried to hide it

"Yes"

"That's a fairytale"

"Is it?"

And with that, he sank back through the floors of the mansion and into his room where Ravenna was waiting

"This ought to be fun."

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Stepping out of the portal back into the palace, Ravenna moved to her throne and up to sit on it. Turning, she found Alucard coming to a stop in front of her

"I want you to take Finn and some guards with you" she said

"You know that won't be necessary" the vampire rolled his eyes

"Don't argue with me, vampire."

Alucard gave a mocking bow before turning and leaving the room.

oOo

Feeling warmth on her, Snow White opened her eyes finding herself on the floor of the Dark Forest. Realizing she had fallen asleep, she sat up abruptly and glanced around. There were no signs of the Wraith, the bats, the dead birds or any of it.

It must have been an illusion of the Dark Forest. Getting up quickly and needing to get moving again, she began to hurry through the forest.

Snow had no idea how big the forest was but she knew, it would take sometime before she reached the end of it.

She'd been going for sometime, a couple of hours when she heard movement and stopped for a moment.

Footsteps.

Several sets.

They were hunting her.

Run.

Picking up the pace, she began to run again, trying to go faster and distance herself from whoever was hunting her.

Stumbling through the forest and almost face planting on the ground several times, Snow prayed that she lost whoever it was coming for her and most possibly taking her back to Ravenna.

A large tree came into view and the bottom was hollowed out, the perfect hiding spot. Diving down into it, she panted a little before holding her breath as a figure stopped just in front of the tree.

She heard them sniff and her brow creased

'This person is sniffing me out? Oh god please let them not find me.'

Watching as the person walked past the tree, she exhaled slowly when something caught her by the bicep and yanked her out

"No" she cried looking at her captor and felt herself freeze.

Green eyes locking on to those of Crimson.

TBC