She could hear the sound of her breathing in and out, the only evidence that she was still alive. The first thing the girl noticed was how hot it was- sunlight was quickly seeping through her skin, a feeling that had almost been forgotten throughout the long winter months. Slowly opening her eyes, Caroline was met with a canopy of trees enveloping a cloud covered sky. Then, like a bolt of lightning, all the memories of what they had just been through came flooding back, causing her to shoot up from the forest floor.
Will, Ruby, and her father were all sprawled around a few feet apart, beginning to show small, gradual movements. Then she noticed Zelena- she was still knocked out cold, showing no signs of waking up. Although she could hear her dad calling her name, she found herself standing on her feet and walking towards the woman, feeling for a pulse or... something. Glancing down at her, Caroline was taken aback at how non-threatening she looked. With her fire colored hair coming loose from a tight bun, red marks already beginning to show on her neck and face, as well as blood smeared in various places against her porcelain skin, Zelena didn't seem to carry an ounce of evil within her. Of course Caroline knew this wasn't true, yet she still felt a rush of relief when she felt a slight pulse to her wrist. Locking eyes with her father, she gave him a hopeful look as his only grew more uncertain.
"What the hell are we supposed to do with her?" Ruby asked, wincing slightly as she stood up.
Robin followed her, looking Zelena over and reaching down to take the necklace off from around her neck once again. After tucking it away in his pocket, he wrapped his arms around his daughter and pulled her close. No words were exchanged between them; somehow, they all made it out alive. The Ice Queen was no longer a threat.
"We're definitely still in the Enchanted Forest," Will remarked, taking off his jacket, "but why is it so damn hot?"
Everyone was thinking it, yet none of them were brave enough to ask the question out loud. Not where the hell were they, but when the hell were they?
Just then, voices were heard from somewhere in the near distance. Before they could all figure out a proper plan, a handcart came into view from up the road, followed by a villager. Robin quickly glanced back down at Zelena, knowing their current situation looked suspicious.
"Everything okay?" The villager called towards them, causing Robin to swear inwardly. He was coming closer, abandoning the handcart he was pushing.
"Oh she's... fine," Will said feebly when the man drew closer, "just fainted- happens all the time really."
"Where did you guys come from?" The villager asked, noticing how battered the group appeared. "You don't look like you're from around here."
Nobody knew what answer to give. They all stood there, too tired to really care about the situation. "We're from... the other end of the Forest," Will eventually admitted, "how far away is the village?"
The man continued to eye them apprehensively, like they were invaders from another planet- they practically were. "Not far. I'm headed back there now... are you sure she's okay?" He glanced back down at Zelena, who did admittedly look on the lower side of decent. "I have my handcart- it's full of vegetables, but I'm sure we could fit her in so you don't have to carry her all the way into town."
Robin glanced at his family, who all gave shrugs in response. Will and Robin both got Zelena hoisted up and into the wooden cart- Robin let his end slip slightly, causing her body to abruptly fall on top of sacks of onions and asparagus.
"Sister in-law," Robin remarked, giving the man an awkward half smile.
The six of them slowly began down the path that lead towards the village. Caroline was excited to see what the village looked like, wherever and whenever they were. From the bits and pieces of information she had gotten from her family, it seemed like the both the best and worst place to live.
She had only been to one village in the Enchanted Forest, and because of the high stress, she never got the chance to really take it all in. The clothes were one thing, but there were so many other strange elements that separated the realm from Storybrooke.
Whatever village they wound up in was teaming with life the instant they entered. It was a drastic difference from their experience a few days prior, where everyone remained hidden in their homes away from the Ice Queen.
People cluttered the cobblestone streets, loud and full of energy. Multiple smells filled the air; it felt like summer in all possible ways.
"There's an Inn here just up the road," the man said, "there should be an room available, we don't get too many visitors."
Robin thanked the man for his help and began towards the quaint but old looking structure. The Inn was certainly incomparable to Granny's bed and breakfast, but for Enchanted Forest standards, the group knew it was the best they were going to find. Everyone was slightly surprised to witness Will pull out a couple of coins from his pocket when the person working at the Inn announced how much it was, seeing how none of them came into the realm with any of the proper currency. In a matter of minutes they were sent up to their room- it only had one bed, and a small couch placed underneath a window that let some light break through the darkness.
"How about Ruby and I go get us some food?" Will proposed, breaking the silence. "I saw at least seven different street vendors on the way here- this place could be New York City for all we know."
The two of them slipped out the door before Robin or Caroline could say anything in return. Hunger had been the last thing on the girl's mind- she was still perplexed about the unconscious witch that was lying right before her eyes. Her breath was shallow, but still constant. Seeing her in that state seemed wrong, something so opposed to the other versions of Zelena the girl had experienced. The woman had started out as her friend, turned into her enemy, and then evolved into something new and unrecognizable. One thing kept running through her mind, the thought both alluring and terrifying- they shared the same blood.
"I really wish we knew where in time we ended up," her father mentioned, pulling her gaze away from Zelena. "Maybe Will and Ruby will get an answer while they're out. Things kind of look like how things were when I was a teenager... but that was so long ago I'm not sure what I remember."
Caroline couldn't picture her dad as a teenager, with this realm being the only home he ever knew. She turned back to Zelena. "When do you think she'll wake up?"
He had avoided even looking at her since they arrived at the room- she was a whole slough of problems that he didn't want to deal with. "I have no idea... hopefully in not too long. Those wounds look pretty bad."
Concern shone through her eyes as she reached forward and took her hand. "Do you think she's in pain?"
He hated how much she cared about the woman- the same woman who took the love of his life away from him. She had such a vile look in her eyes that night, one that could only belong to a true monster. "Once she wakes up she will be. We... we don't know how she'll be once she does wake up, though. Just because she helped us out back there doesn't mean she isn't still a threat to us."
There was another wave of silence as Caroline promptly let go of her hand. It was hard to believe that such good and evil existed in one person.
"I wish I could've went with Will and Ruby. I want to explore this place, not stuck here in this old-timey hotel."
Robin managed a slight smile. "Hopefully they're back soon- I'm starving. If she weren't laying there I'd be asleep right now. Fighting for my life really takes it outta me."
"How many times have you done that?" Caroline asked, her tone lighter than it had been in a long time. Sitting down next to her on the edge of the bed, Robin playfully nudged her shoulder with his.
"Us Merry Men used to go on adventures like that all the time," he mused, "I suppose that means you're an honorary member."
She gave her dad a incredulous look. "Didn't your... gang or whatever break up when all the bad things happened in the Enchanted Forest?"
Averting his gaze, the man fell silent for the moment. He remembered Little John perfectly; their friendship had pulled him from some very dark times in his life. "I wish you could've seen my life in the Enchanted Forest. Your mom and I were so, so happy for the few months we were here together."
That statement was starting to get on her nerves- she couldn't help when she was born. Growing up in a small cottage on a hilltop sounded like a dream whenever her parents brought it up, but it wasn't the reality she knew.
"Maybe we could find your old perfect house," Caroline eventually replied, her eyes quickly widening, "does that mean there's another version of you walking around here? You know, since we're somewhere in the past?"
Her comment just about made him laugh. "I sure hope not! We really need to find out where and when we are. I know for a fact that I've never been to this part of the Enchanted Forest before."
A strained groan then came from behind them. The two whipped around, surprised looks on their faces. Zelena had opened her eyes; she glanced around the room, a distasteful expression already apparent her face. "Don't tell me we're in some dingy hotel room."
Her voice was frail, despite the words she used. Still, Robin and Caroline quickly rose to their feet, somewhere between curious and terrified when it came to reacting to her. There were so many questions to be asked, neither of them knew where to start.
"Are you in pain?" Caroline stupidly asked, regretting her words immediately.
Rolling her eyes, Zelena answered by taking twenty painstakingly long seconds to sit up. "You took my necklace," she muttered, "I could heal myself if I had my magic. But, of course, you still don't trust me."
She shot Robin a dark look. "...Which is ironic, considering the fact that I just saved your lives."
"You know we can't trust you," he told her. He hesitated for a moment, feeling the weight of the necklace in his pocket. "I, uh- wanted to thank you for everything that happened back there. If it weren't for you, who knows where we would be."
Caroline's eyes widened as soon as she heard those words. Zelena seemed to be surprised too- for a moment, the three of them were silent.
"I did what I could," she said, brushing it off in an unusual bought of modesty and turning her attention to the girl. "Caroline, you think you could use your magic to make this pain go away? It hurts to breathe, I think I've got some broken ribs."
With the spotlight suddenly shining down on her, the ten year old didn't know what to say. "I... I don't know if I can do that-"
"-I saw you out there, with the golden light surrounding you," Zelena said, managing a smile, "you have something so special. Even without magic. That's the difference between you and I- without my magic, I'm nothing."
Caroline knew what she was trying to do, make her feel good so she would do what she wanted. Still, her last words hung eerily in the air.
"You just have to... figure out who you really are without it, I guess." She replied, looking back at her dad for permission before stepping forward and taking Zelena's hand in hers. Everything was uncertain, but she figured it didn't hurt to try.
She concentrated hard on funneling her magic, the tingling feeling becoming more and more familiar. Gradually her wounds began to fade, as if they never existed at all. Zelena took in a deep breath, a sigh of relief.
"Thank you," she said, squeezing the girl's hand, "you're a good person, Caroline."
Though her smile seemed genuine, there was still a hint of terror that lay behind her eyes, a darkness that created an invisible barrier between them. Caroline wished she could see her completely, without any wariness of her true nature.
"Why did you decide not to kill me or go through with your plan?" She asked abruptly, honing in on Emma's lie detecting superpower. "It would've been easy to stay on the Ice Queen's side instead of going against her."
Zelena took another breath. "You're right, it would've been easier. But I couldn't let her do that to you... I guess I figured that starting over could still happen even if I didn't change history."
The girl fell silent for a moment. She could feel how tense her father was next to her.
"You still have a vendetta against Regina, though," he said, choosing his words carefully, "that isn't something that changes overnight."
Although she continued to hold his gaze, a flare of compulsion danced across her eyes. "I suppose meeting her wouldn't be the worst thing in the world- before you ask, I have no idea how to bring her back while we're stuck here."
"I don't think she'll want to see you again after what you did to her," Caroline told her, "you spent years wishing her life was yours... that's kind of messed up."
The air only seemed to thicken between them; their conversation doomed from the start. Zelena only seemed to grow stronger in the environment.
"Envy is just another word for ambition," she replied smoothly, as if it were so obviously matter of fact. "I don't expect you to understand. The world isn't black and white."
To prove her point, the redhead rose to her feet and went for the small and only window in the room, opening it from the bottom up and letting the outside world in. There was a clamor of noise from the crowds, instantly drawing the attention of Robin and Caroline. Unlike the summertime festivities that had first welcomed them, the villagers cluttered the streets, some shouting in protest. A few seconds later, Caroline noticed what all the unrest was aimed towards- a carriage was traveling down the cobblestone street, flanked by guards on horseback dressed in jet black uniforms. The carriage came to a halt; amidst the shouts of protest, the guards made space and opened the carriage door, revealing a dark haired woman wearing a deep red gown.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you her royal highness, Queen Regina!"
Villagers continued their uproar as she stepped fully into view. A sinister expression devoid of any human emotion could be seen from their window, sending chills down the ten year old's spine.
She couldn't believe her eyes.
