Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the characters. I'm new to this particular fandom – CuriousArcher, MadArcher, whatever you want to call it. I mean, how hard was it to not love Robin and Alice? They're totally adorable! Thanks, OUaT!

Chapter 11

When they exited the portal, they were brought up short by the trunk of a massive tree. The circle of fiery sparks snapped closed audibly, making them all jump.

"Whoa." Robin remarked, taking a moment to get her bearings. It wasn't her first trip through a portal, but it was still as unnerving as ever it was. Her head spun just a little and her vision swam. She was glad that she hadn't eaten before they'd done this, because her stomach was clenching hard enough to hurt.

Alice recovered first, of course. She had gone back and forth between realms for years. This was a walk in the park for her. Her warm hand cupped Robin's face and lifted it until they rested their foreheads against each other. Staring into the depths of those summer-sky blue eyes did more to return Robin's equilibrium than anything else.

Zelena put one hand out and leaned against the tree until she got her breath back. She was not the biggest fan of portal travel, even if it was the fastest way to get anywhere between realms. When she was recovered, she stood straight and looked around.

They were clearly in a forest - massive trees rose over their heads, but they were standing in a clearing. It only took her a moment before she saw, only a few yards from where they stood, just beyond the edge of the treeline, a great castle.

A very familiar castle.

The two girls came to join her, having both recovered from the unpleasant trip. "Mom, do you know where we are?" Robin asked her.

Zelena pointed to the castle in the distance. "I have a feeling the ones we're looking for are in there. That's Rumplestiltskin's castle."

"Rumple has a castle?" Alice demanded. When she had known him in the New Enchanted Forest, he'd lived simply in the woods, spinning on his wheel.

"This version does, at least," Zelena replied. "My intuition says that he's more than likely the cause of all of this trouble. Alice, are you able to sense anything?"

Once more, Alice closed her eyes and took several slow, deep breaths. She raised a hand and pointed at the castle. "There. But we need to hurry. Something is very, very wrong."

"Let's go," Robin said, starting forward.

Her mother's hand on her shoulder pulled her to a stop. "Just hang on a minute, darling. Before we go anywhere near that place, I'm going to call for backup." She took the glass bottle out of her pocket. She pulled out the cork, dumped the contents onto the ground in front of her, and held the bottle up to her mouth. "This is Zelena. Henry Mills and his family are in trouble in the Wish Realm. I'm going to do what I can, but I could use some assistance. Snow White, Prince Charming, if you get this and you understand what's happening, it would be nice if you would join me." When she was done speaking, she quickly put the stopper back in the bottle. It glowed in her hand and she dropped it into the small puddle of water. The bottle made a small splash and disappeared. The water dried up almost immediately.

"There. Hopefully, the right version of Snow and Charming will get that message and we'll get some help. If not… I hope you girls are ready for anything. Alice, do you have Maui's Hook?"

Alice had tucked the non-lethal end of the giant fish hook into her pants at the small of her back. She patted it and nodded.

"Really wish I had my bow," Robing muttered as they all started walking forward, towards the massive, imposing castle.

"I could make you one," Alice suggested, helpfully.

Robin smiled at the sweetness of Alice's offer. "Thanks, Tower Girl, but why don't we save your magic - we might need it later. I'm sure we'll be okay. I'm just starting to feel a little naked without it."

The rest of the walk to the edge of the trees was done in solemn silence. As they stood under the cover of the trees, surveying the seemingly empty expanse of ground that led to the entrance to the castle - which stood open and looked more than a little ominous. A light breeze ruffled their hair and caused something on the front of the nearest tree, to fluttering. It was a piece of paper with a hand drawn picture of a very familiar face on it.

COME SEE, it read, followed by a black and white picture of Regina in her Evil Queen persona. Underneath: KING HENRY SERVE JUSTICE TO THE EVIL QUEEN AT DAWN

The three women frowned down at the flyer. "I don't like this at all," Zelena said, looking worried for the first time since they had arrived. She rolled up the paper and closed it in her fist. "Come on, we need to get inside and find our people."

"Wait," Robin said. She put her hand on Alice's arm. "In light of that," she gestured to vaguely in the direction of her mother. Alice looked inquiringly at her. "I think I'll take you up on your offer. I'd like my bow, please. And some arrows if that's okay."

Captain Hook's daughter just smiled.

There was a powerful enchantment around the castle, good for keeping people out. Unless, it seemed, the door was open. Robin took point, her bow up and at the ready, an arrow nocked. It felt so good to have this bow - her bow - back in her hands. Alice had used her magic and in seconds, she'd had the familiar leather wrapped wooden weapon back in her hand and a quiver full of arrows on her back.

When she had raised the weapon, testing the draw of it, she'd noticed just how well it fit in her hand, how right it felt to draw. Then she noticed a nick in the only wood to be seen, where the bow string was hooked, - a nick that she had accidently caused while carving the weapon - and realised that it wasn't just any bow, it was hers. It was the same one she'd carried since deciding to take up her father's mantle.

"Alice…" she said in an awed whisper. "Thank you. Are you okay? It didn't drain you, did it?"

"I'm fine." The merry twinkle in the blonde's blue eyes told Robin that it was the truth.

"Very nice." Zelena remarked. "You do know how to use that, darling, yes?"

Robin rolled her eyes. "I'm Robin Hood, aren't I, Mom? Yes, I can use this."

"Do you want anything, Zelena?" Alice asked. "A weapon or something, maybe?"

"No, thank you, dear." Zelena bent over and slid a hand down into her boot. When she stood up, she was holding a small, black, wicked little dagger, perfect for throwing. "Regina made this for me a few years ago. I'm quite proficient."

"Right, then." In a single fluid movement, Robin held her bow at the ready, an arrow in her other hand. "Let's go."

According to Zelena, who could still sense magic even when she had none of her own, she could feel a barrier around the wall of the castle that extended about 20 or so feet beyond it. Except where the door stood open, as though it was expecting visitors.

All of Robin's senses were screaming TRAP! but they continued through the huge archway, and into a courtyard. It was sort of a lovely place, on the inside, if a tad dirty and disused looking. Maybe this realm's Rumple wasn't big on cleaning. A dry and dusty fountain was at the centre of the courtyard, and beyond it, another open door.

"I don't like this," Robin said, "it's too easy." Alice, who had her own experience with strange events, made a low noise of agreement. "This place seems deserted." Zelena, who was now the rear guard, was frowning in full. She agreed with her daughter and was once again silently impressed with just how smart and grown up her daughter was. She moved up to stand beside her and surveyed the open expanse of one of Rumplestiltskin's many spinning rooms.

It wasn't until her eyes fell on the tall, narrow cage sitting against the wall farthest from their entry point. She looked down and nearly laughed aloud when she saw who resided in the cage. Without a word to the two younger women, she strode across the room and towered over the caged human, a sneering smirk on her mouth, her eyes hard.

"Well, well, well, how the mighty have fallen." Zelena remarked. "What happened to your hair? Finally admitted that age has defeated you?"

Alice and Robin exchanged confused glances, but soon joined the older woman on that side of the room. Robin trained her bow on the person in the cage. Whoever it was tall and gaunt, scowling ferociously at Zelena. Her hair touched her shoulders and was pure white, but it looked brittle and unhealthy. She was wearing a fur coat that looked like it might be made of real fur.

"Ugh!" The woman groaned as she got to her feet. "This day just gets better and better." Her accent was British, but her tone was so full of ice it made Robin shiver. "First the Evil Queen and her lapdog put me in here, ruin my hair, and now you."

The only betrayal of how Zelena was feeling was the way her hand tightened around the hilt of her dagger. "Well, at least someone finally put you in a kennel where you belong, Cruella." the former witch spat.

"Har har. Witty as always, Zelena." Her eyes fell on Robin and Alice and widened, but not in shock. "And who are these two? A fan club of the formerly wicked? Or did Regina just ask you to babysit while she tangled with the Dark One? She does like to play the hero, doesn't she?" The woman smirked. "It's a good thing she left you behind. When the Dark One is done with her and her little posse…"

Robin raised her bow, an arrow at the ready, aimed right at this 'Cruella's' heart. Wait a minute… "Cruella? As in Deville?" Robin didn't lower her weapon, but she did look to her mother for confirmation.

"Unfortunately," Zelena answered at the same time Cruella smiled toothily, giving an awkward bow, and saying, "The one and only."

Robin's lip curled. She'd heard tell of Cruella, of course, from her mother's not so glorious past. She'd also seen 101 Dalmatians at a young, impressionable age. Alice, however, looked curiously at the woman, the way she did anything she found the least bit interesting.

Seeing her daughter's reaction, Zelena's smirk deepened, bringing to Robin's mind the image of what her mother must've looked like as the Wicked Witch of Oz. It was sort of chilling.

"And who might you be," Cruella practically cooed at Robin and Alice. Alice started to answer, but Robin stopped her.

"Nobody. We're just here to rescue Regina and the others." Later, she would explain to Alice why Cruella was untrustworthy. Luckily for them, Alice was quick and clever and she closed her mouth, trying her best to glare at the woman in the cage, too.

Cruella laughed spitefully. "Well, I'd hurry if I were you. The Dark One of this realm is in tight with King Henry." She laughed. "The king is not someone I'd want as my enemy, and the word is, Regina is his very least favourite person. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, I saw some of his Black Guards - the elite - escorting someone out of here, not long ago." Her voice was smug, full of bite, and made Robin want to bleach her ears. Disgust etched its way into Alice's features. Robin has only seen that expression once - when she'd told Alice about the time she'd gotten caught eating mud pies.

"Where?" Zelena demanded.

"Where what?"

"Don't toy with me, Cruella. I may not have magic, but that doesn't mean I can't hurt you." Zelena growled. Robin drew back her arrow in a fluid, practiced move. She sighted down the arrow, just like she'd been taught. Without warning, she let the arrow fly. It shot through the bars of the cage, grazed the tip of the evil old woman's nose, and then embedded itself in the wall behind her.

It was all done so fast that Cruella didn't have time enough to process what was happening until she clapped her hand over now bleeding nose. She cried out in dismay, pulled a somewhat grimy handkerchief out of the inside of her fur coat, and pressed it to the injury. If looks could have killed, Robin would have withered under the fury in Cruella's beady eyes. Instead, she was met with a cool green gaze, and another arrow aimed at her, this time, at her chest.

Zelena stared at Robin in open mouthed shock for a moment. And then she turned back to Cruella. She calmly said, "You know what I want to know. Tell me and I won't have my daughter put an arrow through your cold, black heart."

"She shot me!" Cruella objected, her voice a little nasally.

"Oh, do stop winging, dear, it's unbecoming." Zelena ordered, merciless laughter in her merry voice.

"Oh, all right! The last time I saw anyone, they were headed to the Dark One's study. Only the guards and Regina came out." Her last statement was not as revealing as she thought it would be.

"I know where that's at. You can stand down, darling." She told Robin. Shooting one more glare of her own at the woman in the cage, the archer lowered her bow and slid the arrow back into her quiver. Cruella took the handkerchief off of her nose, looking apprehensively at the amount of blood on it. There wasn't much - Robin had barely nicked the skin. The shot had done what it was meant to do - show their enemy just how outmatched she was.

Before she turned away, though, Zelena took the dagger in her hand. She brought the hilt down hard on the lock to the cage. It took a couple of times, but eventually the lock opened.

"You're letting me go?" Cruella asked, not bothering to hide her surprise.

"It's probably a mistake," Zelena agreed, amiably, "but you're as powerless as I am, right now. Just… Go away, Cruella." She made a dismissive gesture with her hand. And then, just like that, she turned her back to the cage. "This way." She said as she strode off towards the far end of the room.

Alice and Robin hurried after her.

Author's Note: Surprise! I've been a busy little beaver.