Bless you for your reviews; they have kept me going through a bout of writers block. I wrote this chapter twice and was up to 7 pages when I realized I hated it. UGH! So I start again at the point where our intrepid heroes have landed with a thud back at the castle in FTL. Hear me OUAT writers! When they do return by all that is holy and blessed FIX SNOW WHITE's Hair! I'm sure James is going WTF in that last episode.
Now, did you ever consider what they will be wearing when they do finally get tossed back to fairy tale land? Would August end up back in his silly outfit with the hat? Picture a grown man in that outfit and I challenge you not to want a big frosty German beer. And yes, I was inspired a bit by Snow White and the Huntsman, just that one teeny bit. I'm going to try and update every Monday, but it's a super crazy busy week.
Landing on the cold stone floors with a thud James and Snow White slowly opened their eyes. Emma was in shock, but after a moment she reached over and touched her mother's hair. "You're hair," she finally managed to say. Snow's long dark tresses had returned and she was wearing a beautiful white dress. "You're really Snow White," and finally it was tears of joy that fell down her face as the two women held each other.
James, Henry and August rose to their feet and brushed off their clothes. James was in the same outfit he'd left this world in and Henry and August had arrived in something similar. "Thank the maker I didn't end up in that ridiculous Bavarian outfit," muttered August.
"This is so wicked cool," shouted Henry as he started exploring the room.
"Stay with us. We have no idea who else is in the castle," August said sternly.
James grabbed his sword off the floor, and sheepishly looked at August, "Sorry about your face."
August quirked an eyebrow at him, "You have an excellent right hook your highness, besides I deserved it," he deadpanned.
James clapped him on the back earning a wince of pain from August. "We need to find out who else is in the castle and get the villagers behind the gates since we have no idea how soon the Queen will attack."
"They are probably all in the corresponding spot where they were in Storybrooke when the cloud took us," Henry suggested.
"If that's correct it means we have many subjects who just landed in the wrong kingdom," James replied, "and we will need to figure out how to get them back."
"Well hopefully Abigail is in the right one," Snow White added snarkily rising to her feet with Emma.
It was then that Emma took in what she was wearing, "I look…ridiculous." She was in some furry vest number with a green hooded cloak.
"Actually, I think those are my clothes," Snow said observing her daughter. "I wore that when I was on the run from the queen."
"We need to move quickly to secure the castle, follow me," Charming said leading them through the passageways.
It appeared as if time had stopped at the very moment they had left castle. The reminders of the battle that occurred here were still fresh and there were dead soldiers of the Queen's littering the passageways. It was from one of these fallen soldiers that Emma grabbed a sword as they were running past.
"Do you even know how to use that thing?" August was rather skeptical.
"I did kill a dragon yesterday," she replied with a smirk.
August shook his head, but grabbed a dagger. Swords…not so much quite yet and he followed James out into the courtyard to a scene of chaos. The villagers were streaming out of their homes and towards the castle. There was a great deal of shouting, there were crying children and animals were running amok on the dusty streets. Most people had been woken from their beds when they were thrown back into Fairy Tale Land.
"Henry, stay with August." Emma yelled at him as they started alerting the villagers.
"Everyone to the castle," James was yelling. "Bring what provisions you can carry."
"My Lord! What orders?" Came a voice from a group of riders.
James recognized the leader as being one of the castle guards, "Sound the alarm, ride to the nearby villages and direct the peasants to prepare for battle. We don't know when or where the Queen will strike first. All may take refuge behind the castle walls."
Snow came running up beside him, "Ensure that Rumpelstiltskin and his family are escorted safely to the castle."
"Yes, your highnesses." And the rider began shouting orders to his men.
"Snow White!" Her beloved dwarves were running up the dirt road armed with their pickaxes ready for war.
They enveloped her in a giant hug. "We have to hurry and evacuate the villagers. Rumpelstiltskin believes the Queen will strike here first and he is preparing to fight her."
"You can't be serious." grumbled Grumpy. "Didn't he get us all into this mess in the first place?"
"There is no time to argue, you just have to trust me on this," She hastily replied, hugging him one last time and then running off to evacuate more people to the safety of the castle.
The dwarves were given the duty of securing the gates and the portcullis as the Royal family tried to maintain order. James was directing various villagers to store the provisions and where to set up camp within the castle.
August and Emma caught up with James and Emma grabbed her father's arm to stop him for a moment, "What exactly is going on?"
"After you left, Rumpelstiltskin informed us that the Queen would attack here first. We need to hold them off until he returns to fight her himself," James said, his worry and doubt were obvious.
Snow joined them, "Frederick, Philip and Thomas are supposed to send reinforcements as much of our army was entrapped by the Queen."
"Is it safe to trust him?" August asked.
"We really have no choice," Snow replied.
"So what did we give up in return?" Now it was Emma's turn to be worried, Henry had warned her that any deal, no matter how sincere Rumpelstiltskin appeared, was a terrible idea. There was always a price.
Snow and James exchanged a look that scared August and Emma to the core. "What…did we agree to?" Emma asked again. Snow couldn't bear to look at her own daughter. "Tell them," she said quietly to James.
"Marriages," he began. "Each kingdom had to agree to a series of arranged marriages for their children. Henry will marry his daughter; Thomas' daughter is betrothed to his son Balefire. Our son is to marry Abigail and Frederick's daughter." Snow rolled her eyes at this. "And," he said with a sigh, "your daughter is to marry Philip and Aurora's son. His legacy is to have children and grandchildren on the thrones of each kingdom. In exchange, he will defeat the Queen, Ensuring Belle and Balefire's future."
August was irate, "I'll be dammed if he thinks he is dictating Henry's future and since I don't have a daughter, and unless you've hidden another child somewhere, I'm pretty sure you don't have a son. So what the hell is he talking about?"
"I think the point is, that Charming and I are going to have a son," and Snow said slowly shaking her head at August as if he'd gone daft. "So that means that you and Emma are…going to…" and she started gesturing with her hand trying to coax it out of him, but August just looked alarmed and turned to Emma to try and interpret Snow White and Charming's words because clearly they had both lost their minds.
Emma knew Rumpelstiltskin was right, she had already seen both children in the future and consciously had made the choice down that path. Somehow Mr. Gold had also known. Now she slightly regretted not letting August in on that secret as he was near hysterics yelling at James and Snow. She reached out and grabbed one of his flailing hands.
"The deal is already done. It's all right, we'll figure it out when we need to," and she leaned up and kissed his cheek. Earning her another exasperated look. "We need to find Henry and keep him hidden from Regina…please," she added. He nodded and with a worried look at the Royal family, ran off to find his son.
Snow considered her daughter as she watched August run off. "You don't seem surprised."
Taking a deep breath, she turned to Snow and James, "That's because I'm not. I already saw both children in a dream," and Emma gave Snow the happiest smile she'd ever seen on her daughter's face and they both started laughing.
Now it was Charming's turn to roll his eyes and he crossed his arms. "You do realize you have to marry him. Or…I have to kill him."
"Considering he is Henry's father wasn't that already our only option?" Emma asked James.
James pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "You know what. I'm not going to deal with this right now. There are just some things that I don't need or want to know." Turning to his wife, "I am going to check on the armaments." And he kissed his wife, "I love you both," and retreated as fast as he could.
It had taken August a while to find Henry. He had searched the groups of children in the castle assuming he would have been with his old classmates. He should have known better, when he finally found Henry, he was up above the castle gate with the dwarves manning the portcullis.
Henry was deadly calm watching the horizon for any signs of his adoptive mother. He looked up at August as he approached. "She's coming, isn't she?"
"Yes," he replied placing a hand on the boys shoulder. "We need to get you safely hidden in the castle, before that."
"But I want to help, they are my family too," Henry was angrier than August had ever seen him.
"I know you do. But if the Queen were to get to you, your grandparents would give up the kingdom to ensure your safety. You don't want that do you?"
"No, but it isn't fair. I have a right to fight also."
August smiled at the boy. "Someday you will have that chance, but today I need you to be safe. Promise me that you will stay away from the fighting today. If anything happened to you…" August was overcome and hugged his son fiercely.
"Can't breathe dad." Henry pleaded.
August smiled, "I'll never get over you saying that kid."
A gruff throat cleared next to them, "Hate to break up the touching moment, but I believe your father just arrived. We got this kid, go get your granddad." Grumpy said winking at Henry.
Henry and August looked down to the drawbridge and saw a very human Jiminy Cricket and Gepetto coming through to the courtyard.
"Father!" August yelled. "Wait there."
Jiminy and Gepetto looked up and waived at August, but by the time August turned around Henry was halfway down the stairs.
"Henry, wait! He doesn't know." August tried to slow him down for fear Gepetto would have a heart attack. But it was too late Henry practically bounded into the old man's arms and looked up and smiled at him.
"My my…what's this, I believe we have found a young Prince Jiminy." Jiminy saw August approaching.
"What is it Pinocchio?" Jiminy asked.
"August please, I prefer August," and with his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face August said, "Father, Jiminy, I want to introduce you to my son."
