Author's note: This might get lost a bit what with the new episode tonight and all, but oh well. I'm posting it anyway. There's a flashback in this one; it's in italics. I hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: To quote Killian Jones: Actually no.
Killian stormed into the sheriff's station, sword on his hip and Henry in tow. Killian didn't know what else to do with him; the responsibilities of a parent still being a foreign concept in his mind. However, with Emma gone, Snow and Prince Charming were the only family Henry had left. And Killian had promised to keep him safe.
"Grandma!" Henry cried when he saw Snow.
"Henry!" Snow wrapped the boy in a bear hug, while nodding gratefully at Killian. She had the anxious look of a mother missing her child and Killian's heart clenched at the sight. It was a look he knew all too well.
"Do you have any idea what the bloody hell happened?" Killian asked.
David shrugged, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Like I said, I was here interrogating Smee. Cora must have done something, rendered me unconscious, then got to Emma somewhere between the apartment and here."
"I already called Red, Killian," Snow cut in before he could argue, "She's looking for Emma right now."
"The wolf?" Killian asked, almost absentmindedly. Poor girl was the closest thing to a bloodhound this realm had, if anyone could find Emma in Storybrooke, it was her. But he couldn't just sit there and wait. He needed to be doing something. He paused, contemplating. He'd promised Emma that he'd keep Henry safe, but he couldn't just wait around to see if the she wolf turned up anything. His instincts were screaming at him to go.
"Sod it," he muttered. Killian turned on his heel and started down the hall.
"Wait!" David called. "Just where do you think you're going?"
"Out to look for Emma, your highness," Killian said, his anxiety causing him to speak more harshly than he'd intended. "If that's alright with you, of course."
David's eyes darted from Killian to Snow and Henry. Clutching Henry closer to her, Snow nodded at her husband. "Go," she said. "Henry and I will hold down the fort here. Be careful. Both of you."
Killian and David didn't talk much as they left. By mutual agreement, they climbed into David's truck and went to double check the road between Emma's apartment and the station. It was the most likely place for Cora to have pounced. But Emma's Bug was nowhere to be seen. Finally, they found it in a place where it shouldn't have been, down by the docks.
"What was she doing here?" David mused.
Killian ignored him as he examined the car thoroughly. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he opened the driver's side door. Magic. There had been magic done near there, he could feel it. The same thing happened the two times Rumplestiltskin had had his hand deep in Killian's chest. His eyes could see nothing amiss though. He got down on his knees and examined the floor. Still seeing nothing, he slid his hook underneath the driver's seat. He stopped when he heard his hook make contact with something metallic. Carefully, he used his hook to slide the mysterious object forward. It was Emma's phone. Killian picked it up in his good hand and called for David.
"What is it?" David asked.
"Emma's phone. I found it under the seat."
David took it and slid his thumb across the screen. To Killian's surprise, he smiled. "That's my girl."
"What?"
"Emma left us a clue," David replied, still grinning. Then his face fell. "She's not in Storybrooke, Killian."
"So where the bleeding hell is she?" Killian asked heatedly, his worry starting to get the better of him.
David held up the phone. There were two words: WHITE RABBIT. "When I was looking for Snow and Emma," David said, "I inquired after Jefferson, known to some as the Mad Hatter. I remembered – or rather David remembered – reading about him as a kid. The story also talked about a white rabbit. Killian, I think Emma's in Wonderland."
Killian suddenly felt like he'd been punched in the gut. He'd been to Wonderland only once in his travels and it was not a place to which he'd ever wished to return. It was there that he'd met Cora in the first place; she was the Queen of Hearts. When she found out what he'd come there to do, she'd nearly taken his own heart, until he'd managed to strike a bargain with her. It was where her powers were strongest. And after their escape from the Enchanted Forest, it made sense that she would go there to recover. But she never forgot a slight or a betrayal. When Killian saved Emma's life that night in the Forest, he'd set all this in motion. This was his fault.
"Killian?" David asked.
"I did this," Killian said. "This is happening because of me."
"Why? Because you defied Cora back in our land? She's deranged, Killian. There is no one to blame for the actions of a power hungry lunatic. Let's just focus on defeating her and bringing Emma home. What I want to know is how she got here and then got back to Wonderland in the first place. Emma said the portal closed behind you."
Killian knew of only two ways to cross worlds. But there were no more magic beans, that why Cora needed the wardrobe ashes and compass. Killian thought of something he'd seen in his forced quality time with the giant. He hadn't thought anything of it then, but if Cora was as desperate as he had been to get to Storybrooke, then he wouldn't put anything past her.
"I think I know," Killian said, darkly.
"You do?"
"Aye, but it does us no good."
"Why? What is it?"
"The giant had a shriveled, useless bean tied around his neck. I saw it when Emma abandoned me on the beanstalk. But how Cora got it to work is the mystery."
David looked thoughtful. "Shiveled and useless, huh?" Killian nodded. "There was a place in our land that could restore things that were lost. Lake Nostos. I took on a quest there once. After I defeated the siren, it dried up."
"Restoring water to a lake would be nothing for a witch as powerful as Cora."
"I guess we have our answer then. We should get back to Snow and Henry."
Killian blinked. The calmness with which David spoke appalled him. Emma was out there facing down the most dangerous foe he knew of outside of his Crocodile. And this was how her father reacted? "You're just going to leave Emma to Cora's wrath?" he angrily.
David rounded on Killian, stopping an inch from his face. "I'm going to let that go because we are both worried. She's my daughter, Jones. I am not abandoning her. But we have to come up with a way to get to Wonderland first. Do you understand?"
"Aye." It was the first time he'd seen the prince truly angry. Suddenly, he understood why people followed him, looked to him for guidance. Killian saw himself reflected in the prince's eyes. Underneath the calm exterior was a ferocious warrior, who would stop at nothing to accomplish his goal, save the people he loved. It was a trait the prince shared with his daughter.
Twenty minutes later, Killian and David returned to the sheriff's station. They'd had to make a stop at David and Snow's house. Killian raised his eyebrows questioningly when David emerged with a small box, but the prince refused to explain. The station was more crowded than when they had left. Granny, Ruby, Archie, all the dwarves, and to Killian's intense annoyance, Regina and August had gathered there.
"Find anything?" Snow asked, as they came into view.
"We did, or rather Killian did," David said. "Emma isn't in Storybrooke, Snow. Cora took her to Wonderland."
The uproar that announcement caused was deafening. Everyone spoke at once; no one could make themselves heard. Nearly everyone gathered around David intent on voicing their opinion. David's attempts to calm them went unheeded for far too long for Killian's liking. So he did the only thing he could see to get their attention: he smashed a large pane of glass in Emma's office with his hook. The voices abruptly stopped and over a dozen pairs of eyes turned to look at him.
"That's enough," he growled. "The lot of you are no better than a dozen cranky fishwives. While you bicker, Emma is out there with Cora. I've been to Wonderland," he continued, his eyes flickering to Regina. "That place is dangerous enough without Cora and with her?" He paused to let that sink in.
"You don't think Cora's done something to her?" Snow asked.
A vision of Emma lying dead with the ashes of her heart slipping through Cora's fingers flashed in Killian's head. No, he couldn't let himself think that way. If he did, then he wouldn't be able to focus. And Emma was relying on him, in more ways than one.
"My mother has a flair for the dramatic," Regina said quietly. "If she does something to Miss Swan, she'll want an audience. But the Captain is right, there isn't much time."
"But how do we get to Wonderland?" Snow asked. "There's no portal."
David opened the box and pulled out a beaten and broken hat. Killian's eyes widened slightly. It was the same hat Regina used to send him to Wonderland all those years ago. But it looked a bit worse for wear. "I know you said you couldn't," David said to Regina, "but you have to try again."
"I can't," she replied. "I don't have that kind of power."
"Rubbish," Killian scoffed, looking at Regina with hatred. "Emma being out of the way is quite convenient for you, isn't it, your majesty?"
"Are you implying that I had something to do with this?"
"Oh, I'm not just implying. I'm saying it outright." Killian said, forgetting David's edict about blame. "Cora's obsessed with ingratiating herself back in your life. Ever since you cried over her body, it's all she could bloody talk about."
Regina stood and stalked toward him. "If you had killed her as I asked, this wouldn't be happening."
Killian faintly heard the gasp of shock from the others but he ignored it. "It's a might difficult to remove the heart of someone who doesn't have one."
That brought Regina up short. "What? How...how can that be?"
"She removed it before I got to her," Killian said, shaking his hook in Regina's face. "Nearly got my own crushed for my trouble, after finding out you were planning on double crossing me. Once she knew you wanted her dead, she was determined to kill you first. That was the deal; I got her back to you – feigning death – and she would kill you, but then your bloody tears changed the plan. So tell me again how you had nothing to do with this?"
"Whoa," Archie cut in. "Let's all calm down a bit. Trying to assign blame isn't going to accomplish anything."
"Archie's right," Snow said, stepping between Killian and Regina. Killian saw her eyes dart to Henry and Killian's heart sank. He had completely forgotten the boy. "What's done is done. It's in the past. We have to focus on Emma, on getting her back. Can you two do that?"
Both Killian and Regina nodded. "I meant it though," Regina said. "I don't know how to fix Jefferson's hat."
"Is there another way to get there?" Snow asked.
"Afraid not, dearie."
Killian froze. Rumplestiltskin. White hot anger flashed through him. "And what would you know of it, Crocodile?"
"I wasn't talking to you, pirate."
As if sensing trouble, David got between them. "Gold, can you fix the hat or not?"
Rumplestiltskin leaned heavily on his cane. "Even if I could, why should I? Your daughter tried to kill me. And for what? To save that," he said, gesturing at Killian. "No, I think I like Miss Swan exactly where she is."
"You're still a coward, Crocodile," Killian shouted, as he tried to get to the odious man. He didn't care what happened to himself, he just wanted to wipe that self satisfied smirk off Rumplestiltskin's face.
David grabbed Killian and held him back. The prince was stronger than Killian expected though. "Is this what Emma would want?" David hissed. "She's counting on you." Killian ignored him. They struggled for long seconds, until Killian backed down.
"You may hate me, Rumplestiltskin," Killian said, trying to regain his composure. "Gods know I hate you. But Emma is the mother of your grandson. Surely that counts for something." It was the only card he had left to play. As much as he hated it, Rumplestiltskin was the only one with the power to fix his way to Emma. Cora, Regina, Rumplestiltskin...none of it mattered if he lost Emma. If that meant he had to play nice with his Crocodile, then so be it.
Rumplestiltskin looked unsurprised by Killian's announcement. He must have seen Neal at some point. The younger man was nowhere in sight though. Killian wondered briefly if Neal even knew Emma was missing, but then realized he didn't care. Killian was going to be the one to bring Emma back, consequences be damned.
Rumplestiltskin remained motionless. The only sign he gave that he even acknowledged Killian's words were the brief flicker to where Henry was sitting. The tension in the room was high as everyone stared at Rumplestiltskin. "I'll need a fair amount of pixie dust," he finally said.
"Thank you," David said.
"I'm not doing this for you, dearie," Rumplestiltskin shot back. "Any of you. I'm doing it for Henry."
The dwarves left to gather the town's supply of pixie dust. There wasn't much for any of them to do but wait. Killian shut himself in Emma's office. Since he'd broken the glass, he wasn't truly shutting himself away, but it was the best he could do. He didn't belong with the others. And he couldn't look at Henry. The boy had heard everything; he now knew about some of the things Killian had done in the name of vengeance. What kind of example was that? He'd been a fool to think that he could be any kind of father figure.
Killian looked up when he heard a soft knock on the glass. Henry opened the door and sat in one of the chairs across from Emma's desk. "I want to go with you."
Killian stared at Henry for a long minute. There was nothing in the boy's gaze that indicated he felt any differently than he did before Killian's outburst with Regina. But how could that be? Finally, he said, "Wonderland is dangerous, Henry. Your mum would flay me alive if I let you anywhere near it."
"But I want to help!" Henry cried. "Please, Killian. She's my mom. I have to do something."
That desire to be proactive – to do something – was one Killian understood. But Emma had commissioned him to keep Henry safe. And he would not be safe in Wonderland. Killian may not ever be fatherly material, but he could do this. For Emma and for Henry. Over Henry's shoulder, Killian saw Snow hovering, a look of sadness and concern on her face. Killian got up and knelt in front of Henry. "You know how you can help, Henry? Storybrooke's going to need tending while Emma's away. Let's see if your grandfather can make you an honorary sheriff to watch over this place until Emma gets back, yeah?"
Henry looked thoughtful. "Do you really think I can?"
"Sure, you could. Nothing to it," Killian replied, trying to sound more confident than he felt.
"In that case," Henry said, "you'll need this." The boy reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the compass, the magic compass that Killian and Emma worked so hard to retrieve. Their first adventure together. "In my book, it says that the compass is supposed to lead you to your heart's desire. It brought you and my mom together once, maybe it can do it again."
"The compass was in your book?"
"Yeah. Weird, huh?"
Killian smiled for the first time in what felt like forever. "Where I come from, lad, they call that fate."
He took the compass from Henry and placed in his pocket. Then Henry hugged him tight. Killian wasn't quite prepared for the boy's affection; he swayed slightly on the balls of his feet, but quickly recovered. "You'll find her," Henry whispered. "I have faith." Bizarrely, Killian felt tears pricking the back of his eyelids, but he blinked them away. He couldn't afford to show weakness, both for Henry and for himself. The faith that both Emma and her son had in him was extraordinary; Killian just prayed he was worthy of it.
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The first thing Emma noticed when she woke up was the dampness in the air. The air felt heavy, almost like she was underground. She blinked away her sleepiness to try and figure out where she was. It looked like a cave, but in the dim light she couldn't be sure. When she sat up, she heard the faint clanging of chains. Great. She was chained to the wall of a cave in god knows where land. But that wasn't right. Something niggled in the back of her mind; Emma fought through the haze trying to focus. Cora. Whatever the witch had done to her, it was powerful. The last thing she remembered clearly was getting in her Bug to drive to the station. Emma searched her jacket and pockets for any kind of clue. Physically, she appeared to be fine. Nothing broken. Her gun and badge were missing and...yep, her phone. Not that it would do her any good, she highly doubted Cora would take her somewhere with cell service. That's when she remembered.
Emma was halfway to the sheriff's station when her trusty Bug refused to obey her. She thought was just something wonky with the steering column – she made a mental note to have Gus the mechanic have a look at it – when she tried to pull over. She was close enough to the station that she could walk. But again, the car wouldn't obey her. Emma took her foot off the gas and her hands off the wheel. The car didn't slow down or stop.
"Impressive, isn't it?"
Emma nearly jumped out of her skin. She looked in the rearview mirror and Smee was staring back at her. Her eyes went wide as a frission of terror and worry rolled down her spine. If Smee was here, then David...
"Your father is fine," Smee said conversationally, "if that's what your worried about. The Queen has not quarrel with him...yet."
Emma stamped down her fear and forced herself to remain calm. This was no different than any other sticky situation she'd found herself in. Keeping eye contact with Smee, Emma reached for the door handle. The car wasn't going that fast, she should have no trouble diving out the door as long as she remembered to roll with her momentum. But in an awareness that Emma hadn't know he possessed, Smee covered her hand with his and put a knife to her throat.
"I wouldn't do that, princess," he said calmly. "The Queen would hate to lose her prize so soon."
Emma recoiled in disgust, both at the nickname (Killian was the only one who could get away with calling her that) and the idea that she was someone's prize. Changing her tack, she looked at Smee. "The Queen? What does Regina have to do with this?"
Smee chuckled, pulling the knife back."Oh no, not the Evil Queen. Although it is interesting that your first instinct is to think of her. No, I'm acquiring you for the Queen of Hearts."
That couldn't be good. There was more than one queen? Then something clicked her head. Admittedly, Emma's French was rusty (she'd barely passed it in high school) but she was pretty sure that Cora was French for heart. Of course."The Queen of Hearts?" she asked. "You mean like Alice in Wonderland?"
"I do believe that is this realm's reference for it, yes. I've heard it's a lovely place, although I haven't been myself. The Queen has promised me that will change."
Cora was actually taking her to Wonderland? What on earth could Cora do in Wonderland that she couldn't do here? Unless that was it. The fight in the Forest had weakened her. Maybe Wonderland was the source of her power or something. Emma was still fuzzy on all the ins and outs of this magic crap. Carefully, Emma reached into her pocket. She'd have to do it without looking, but fortunately she was a champion texter. Emma had no intention of allowing Cora to take her anywhere without a fight, but just in case she wanted to leave a clue for her loved ones to follow. She was so distracted that she didn't notice the car come to a stop. When she did, she looked up and saw the docks.
"Time to greet Her Majesty."
Emma rolled her eyes and got out of the car. As she did, she dropped her phone on the floor of the Bug and casually kicked it under the seat. She let out a breath when it appeared that Smee hadn't noticed. But Cora was nowhere in sight. Emma saw her chance and took it. She took off running in the opposite direction, but the pavement was uneven and she went sprawling. She rolled, reaching for her gun. Smee was right there and Emma – still on her back – took her shot. It was nearly point blank range, there was no way she could miss. But when the report from her pistol faded, Smee was still standing there unscratched.
"Such pitiful replacements for magic in this realm," said a voice Emma never wanted to hear again.
Cora stood there, her closed hand outstretched. When the witch opened her fist, all six bullets dropped harmlessly to the ground. "Hello, dear."
"What do you want, Cora?" Emma spat. Her eyes darted around searching for some opening she could exploit.
"Isn't it obvious, dear?"
"About clear as mud from I'm sitting."
"You and your beloved captain did me a great disservice in the Enchanted Forest," Cora said. "You must be dealt with before I can reunite with my daughter. She'll thank me."
"I hate to burst your bubble, lady, but Killian's not here."
Cora smiled. "All in due time, my dear. He needs to be – what is it you say – properly motivated."
"Motivated for what?"
"To rescue you, of course. And when he fails...he'll beg for death. A death that I will not grant him. No, better he live with the knowledge that he could not save you as he had before. The Savior dead and her paramour emotionally crippled, Henry will have no choice but to return to Regina."
The last time Killian couldn't save someone he went on a three hundred year long quest for vengeance. It blackened his soul and nearly destroyed him. The emotional baggage of that was something she had struggled with the entire time she'd known him; it was at the heart of what kept them apart for so long. She couldn't bear it if he lost himself to the darkness again. So she had to live. She had to find a way out of this and live. For Killian. For Henry. But before she had a chance to even attempt to make a run for it, Cora was bending down, palm outstretched.
"Sleep now, dear. It'll all be over soon," Cora said, then blew powder in her face.
So Cora was luring Killian into a trap. With Emma as bait. And Emma had no doubt that he would come for her. Just as she had gone after him when he'd taken on Gold. They'd gotten lucky with Rumplestiltskin's cowardice. But now Cora was taking no chances; she was rigging the game firmly in her favor. Thankfully, Emma refused to play by Cora's rules. She started tugging on the chains that held her to the wall. Emma pulled every way she could think of as hard as she could but they wouldn't budge. When she examined them closer, she could see the rust fusing the links together. She picked at it, hoping to shake enough of it loose to make another go possible. Every time she heard the smallest sound, she froze. But there was nothing. Either Emma was hearing things or Cora's guards were grossly incompetent. Finally, Emma felt like she'd made enough progress to try again. The pin holding the chains to the wall was loose. Emma braced her right leg against the wall and pulled with all her strength. The chain came free and Emma's momentum set her on her ass. Grumbling, she stood.
Emma examined the cuffs on her wrists for some kind of lock, but there was none. They must have been closed with magic. Fantastic, Emma thought. But she could work with it. All she really needed was to get of that godforsaken cell. She crept up to the bars and peered around. There didn't seem to be anybody around. Strange. Or maybe Cora was just that overconfident. Either way, she still had to pick the lock. Unlike her cuffs, this seemed to be a simple lock with a keyhole. Emma ran back to grab the pin from her chains and returned to the bars. The pin just fit inside. Using a skill she hadn't needed in more time than she cared to remember, Emma worked the tumbler in the lock, hearing a satisfying click when it came free. Slowly, she pushed the door open; when it made no sound, Emma exhaled in relief. She slid the pin in her pocket just in case and moved down the corridor. The makeshift jail was a series of caves that seemed to go on forever; Emma had no idea where she was going. After getting the distinct impression that she was going in circles, Emma found some masonry above her. The foundation of...something. Knowing Cora and remembering the pictures from a battered copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland she'd had as a child, it most likely the Queen's castle. That meant she had to be close, right?
It was worrying that she still hadn't come across anyone. Surely Cora had more minions than just Smee wandering around? Unless they'd all been taken by the curse. Hadn't Jefferson said something about being in Wonderland? And he'd ended up in Storybrooke. But Emma remained on alert all the same. Knowing her luck, Cora had some magical watchdog or something.
Emma rounded a corner and found a staircase. Warily, she started to climb, the color of the masonry getting brighter as she did. Once she was at the top, the floor spread out before in a black and white checkerboard pattern. She looked around and still saw no one. Emma starting crossing the enormous room; there was a door on the other side. She didn't know where it led, but as long it was away she was fine with that. She'd only been in Wonderland for a little while and it was already giving her the creeps. The door opened easily and Emma found herself in another corridor. She hugged the chains close to her body to muffle the sound and made a dash for it. The black and white motif whizzed past her vision as she ran. Out of the corner of her eye, Emma saw a splash of red. She skidded to a stop several feet past it and contemplated. It was probably nothing and her need to get out of Cora's castle was high. But what good would that do her if she couldn't figure out how to return home? There had to be a way. Cora didn't just appear in Storybrooke unaided, even she wasn't that powerful.
Decision made, Emma went back. The red that she'd seen was the Queen's throne room. A gilded throne sat up high on a dais, the back of it in the shape of a heart. The full length windows had heavy red drapes embossed with more hearts. It didn't look like there was anyone around, least of all Cora. There were statues in the shape of gigantic playing cards on either side of the throne and at all the windows. It was creepy, especially the spears they carried. And statue or not, those spears looked sharp. Emma backed away and turned to go. But when she got to the door, her way was blocked by the spears of two of the statues. They moved.
"You just couldn't help yourself, could you, dear?"
Emma closed her eyes. Cora. She'd lingered just a hair too long. Damn it.
"I've never really been one for following the rules," Emma said, turning to face the witch. "Must be genetic."
"You truly are the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Although if there was any justice, you wouldn't even exist."
Emma frowned, then it dawned on her. "Oh. Regina. Lady, if that's your idea of justice then you are well and truly cracked. Didn't you kill Regina's true love?"
"I was merely doing what was best for her," Cora said, calmly. "That boy would have ruined her; she had a much more brilliant future."
"Shouldn't that be her decision?"
"Regina was hardly more than a child. She was in no state to be deciding things like that!"
"Well yeah, not after you murdered her boyfriend!"
Cora looked confused at the unfamiliar word, but brushed it aside. She advanced toward Emma slowly. "Regina needed me then and she needs me now. She needs her son and I'm going to make sure she gets him back."
"I will not allow you near my son!"
"I'm afraid you won't have a choice, my dear," Cora said softly. She was inches from Emma now. "I had preferred to wait until your lover arrived, but your obstinacy has left me with no choice." With a maniacal grin, Cora plunged her hand into Emma's chest. The pain was excruciating. Was this what Killian had felt?
Killian. Henry. Mary Margaret. David. She was never going to see them again. Never be able to hold them again; tell them how much she loved them. She had just gotten her family back and now she was going to lose them. Emma closed her eyes; the image of her loved ones seared into her eyelids. She refused to give Cora the satisfaction of being the last thing she saw in this world.
Emma felt Cora's fingers wrap around her heart. She waited for it to be ripped from her chest, but all she felt was a tug. Then another. And another. Her chest jerked several more times with increasing pressure. Curious, Emma opened her eyes. Cora's hand was still in her chest, but so was Emma's heart.
"What?" Cora said, bewildered.
"Trouble, your majesty?" Emma gritted out, her hands on Cora's trying to get the witch to release her.
"But how can this be?" Cora cried, still tugging.
"I guess you don't know everything about magic," Emma said. As she said the word magic, a pulse emanated from the center of her chest. It forcefully threw Cora across the room; the witch's hand still empty. Cora hit one of the large statutes with a thud and fell limply to the floor.
Emma stood there, breathing heavily and completely dumbstruck. She put her right hand over her heart; it beat loudly under her fingers. What the hell was that? Had that really come from her? It looked like the same kind of pulse that washed over Storybrooke when she'd broken the curse. But it couldn't be, right? It made no sense. Unless she...no way. There was no way Emma had magic. It was impossible. She was just a normal girl. OK, a normal girl whose parents hailed from Fairy Tale Land, but still.
Emma didn't really have time to linger. When Cora came to – and Emma was certain she would – the witch would be pissed. It was best to put as much distance between her and Cora as possible. With that in mind, Emma ducked under the crossed spears that still blocked the door and ran for it. As she got out into the open air, Emma realized that her chains were no longer clanging. When she looked at her wrists, the cuffs were gone. Thoroughly freaked, Emma skidded to a stop. She examined her wrists carefully, but there was nothing. Her eyes weren't playing tricks on her; the cuffs really were gone.
Emma pushed her confusion about that development aside. She still needed to get the hell out of there. Emma looked up trying to get her bearings. There was another throne off to her left, clearly this was some outside pavilion. A long path stretched out in front of her, leading to something...green? She couldn't be sure but it looked like gigantic hedges from where she stood. It didn't look like a place she wanted to be but what choice did she have? If she stayed, Cora would find her sooner rather than later. She needed to find a way out.
Emma saw more of the statues on either side of the throne. These were armed with swords, however. Emma went over to the one closest to her and tugged on the hilt of the sword. It came free easily. The sword made her feel slightly less exposed. After a deep breath, Emma headed down the path toward the hedges. She just hoped she could find something in there that could help her get home to Henry and Killian. Otherwise, she was screwed.