The first night in the enchanted realm had been beyond interesting, among other things, for Emma. Rumple had forewarned her how time would most certainly move differently in this realm. That, more likely than not, her power would be mostly, if not completely, wiped out from jumping between realms. Especially considering it was her first shot at it. However it had been one of the very few times he had been wrong. The blonde had only felt invigorated, powerful, not to mention invincible as they, crash, landed into the middle of a castle. If her memory of medieval television shows aided her at all they landed in the throne room.
Impressed only began to scratch the surface of how the powerless Dark One felt about the impressive feat alone, it was indeed a vast understatement. Jumping realms was difficult, nearly impossible for even the most skilled of sorcerers and the like. Though he had not voiced it, he had doubted they would land in the right realm on the first try. Hell, he had doubted that they'd manage to land safely. Yet, somehow they had. Sure, they'd basically dropped from the sky, but other than a few bumps and bruises they were fine.
After he was done musing to himself, and was over the initial shock of it all he turned around to look where Emma had walked off to. His eyes locked onto her form, and what he saw nearly made the poor man's heart stop beating and pop right out of his chest. Emma had opened her palms, large flaming balls in each, and with amazing accuracy, and raw ability, she was tossing them one after the other at a very large Ogre who was trying to corner, kill, and eat, two young woman. The amount of power she held had him ready to run scared, Ogre's made him frightened in general. Plus there were not supposed to be living people here.
Pride swelled his chest tenfold, wiping out his fear. Not only was his apprentice utterly unphased by traveling through realms, without any practice, or even being told how to, she had mastered fireballs without even trying. Already in battle with an Ogre three times her size. When his eyes caught her eyes, his pride was once more overshadowed by fear of a different kind. He'd grown close to Emma, loved her even. In her eyes, her very soul, he saw rage. Never before in his life has he seen such rage, not even in his own reflection when he had a millennia of Dark One anger and power. With pride, came the fear. The fear that if not nurtured and controlled Emma might not be the hero that she could be.
Bestowed with the power she was given it was a coins toss on how it would be used. Most would tread the middle line, others would do as he wished Emma to do, save. However. Some went darker then Regina at her lowest point. Some became destroyers. None in any history had been given the amount of power, strength, and raw talent as Emma had been given. With the power to save came the power to destroy. And Emma's powers. She could very well destroy every realm, every planet, everything in existence. He wondered, he feared, what path that Emma would ultimately take. Rumple could only hope that he could keep her on the right path.
It's back scorched, bleeding and in great pain the Ogre changed targets going straight for Emma. Who carefully jumped around to keep from being grabbed by the creatures large swinging fists. The women, and Rumple, looked on at the seen. Amazed by Emma's moves. She dashed forward, falling to her ass, sliding underneath the Ogre's legs like she was sliding into home plate. Slamming a fireball up at his under bits as she went. It was quite the sight to see as she somersaulted to her feet on the other end, slamming her fists, fire dancing up her arm, through the Ogre's back and out the other side. The creature let out a gargled scream before sliding off her arm to the floor with a sickening plop.
"My name is Swan, I will be your new King. And I will wipe every single fucking ugly ass mother fucking Ogre from this world's soil. I will conquer every land, and I will rule this land of which I was bred and born" Growled Emma as if she owned the world. Wiping the greenish-blue blood of the monstrosity she had just killed onto her jeans before walking it over and holding it out to shake those of whom she saved.
"I will bow to no one I do not trust. King, nor Queen. I will, however, help you on your quest to kill that beast that are destroying the lands" Stated the young woman of Asian descent who had grabbed onto Emma's hand first. Shaking it roughly, showing her strength. Emma grinned and squeezed right back. "Mulan is my name" Nodding Emma released her grip on her hand. Their pissing war was over. For now.
"Wouldn't dream of asking you to. No worries, I plan on proving myself, the deed of taking out these gloriously evil bastards. My blood should give me what I need to claim the land as my own" The confident smirk grew in size, one hand going to her hip. "I am the birth-child of Snow White, and her dumb husband Prince charming after all."
This was not the Emma he had grown to know and love. More so than he had loved his own misguided son. He was both happy, and concerned with her fresh self-confidence and powerful outlook. Back home she was also concerning, Rumple truly believed she didn't love herself, in fact many times he felt she might hold some form of hatred for her own being. However, he never pried. He tried to build her up, get her to see just how magnificent she really was. She took what she felt she deserved. Beatings, verbal or otherwise.
Lived through the motions. One day to the next. On earth it had been clear she had felt unworthy of anything, particularly love. Happiness. She had sacrificed everything to come here, he had planned for her to bring Charlie. For him to grow and train under Emma. However, he was a fussy child. And after learning the truth of his parentage, well, it was clear to Rumple that it came from him trying to reunite both of his parents. It had failed, no doubt he would be powerful too. For now, he would watch over Emma, however, he hoped that one day he could reunite the two. For he was certain that at least part of Emma's anger came from her love for the dark-haired Queen.
"Why, that means you are the Savior!" The blonde woman said as she jumped out from behind her slot cowering behind Mulan. She dashed right on out and grabbed Emma's shoulders and pulled her into an awkward, at least for the Savior, hug. "The Savior of legend! I am Aurora, descendent of the Rose line. Rightful Queen of the upper eastlands"
After a long, too long, awkward hugging session the blonde was finally able to pull the over excited smaller Queen off of her person she immediately grabbed the nearest fallen table and placed it upright. Emma found herself practically being pushed into a beaten up old wooden chair, and before she could open her mouth, or react in anyway stale bread was being shoved halfway down her throat. It was intriguing thing, but Emma did her best to push Aurora away from her.
The newest resident, and self-proclaimed future king, of the Enchanted Realm was, slightly and rightly, amused by the jealousy clearly shining in Mulan's eyes as Aurora fawned over her like a fangirl at a One Direction concert. She wasn't here to steal the young woman from her, obvious, lover. No, she was here because she could no longer stand not being allowed to be in Regina's arms. Because she had failed to care for the child that had, somehow, grown from the combined woman's essences. Because she was unworthy of anything else and perhaps this could be the one good thing she could complete for the people she loved.
Destiny was not a term that Emma liked to think about, something that she had never believed in before she had stepped a single foot into the cursed town her birth-child had dragged her to, against her will mind you. Gold was convinced that her destiny was here. That she could do something worthy here. To become a leader, to take out the hordes of Ogres. If she could, it would be the only damn thing she'd ever done that was a decent damn thing. So she had listened to the convincing man. Rumple had never lied to her, well, other then the dragon fiasco. She trusted him, more than she did her dumb ass so called parents. And, after that incident, with everything they'd gone through together secretly and in the open, the relationship with Rumple had altered.
Their relationship was an odd one to say the least, but she trusted him. With her children, her life, her future, her deepest secrets, hell, she trusted Rumple with the one thing she cared about most – Regina. Emma couldn't place her finger on what their relationship had grown to become quite yet, but she wasn't very worried about its nature. She could sense that it would grow over time, and when she was ready to understand what exactly they were too each other. In fact she trusted Rumple more than she had trusted anyone else – excluding Regina of course.
Even when Rumple had first pulled her aside on the boat. Taking her away from everyone else, and sitting her down in a 'cone of silence'. Whispering to her about her destiny, the horrible D-word she hated above all else. Emma had trusted him that night, had denied it. However, in her very bones she knew that she would end up in the land of her birth, that she would have to fight a war she shouldn't have to be a part of. Inside of herself she had truly, and completely, known that the sad looking man hadn't been lying to her, knew that she trusted him. Even knew when she had shouted at him and stormed away that she was lying to herself to try and make herself feel better, to try and deny a truth. A truth she had denied until that fateful night when she had placed her son in his other mother's arms.
That night she had drank herself into a stupor, and nearly ended up drowning in the ocean. Rumple had hoisted her out of the water alongside Regina. Everyone else had long since gone to their rooms. The so called Evil Queen's lips on hers, giving the breath of life, had ignited a fire inside of the blonde. And not the kind you got from pirate's rum. It had been the very next night when they'd shared a half empty bottle of wine, telling each other secrets that had never before been uttered aloud. The night they had fallen into each other's arms and created the greatest gift Emma had ever received. A gift she had returned. That had been the first, and last time, she had been able to lay with the woman she had loved for so long. Even as it was happening she knew that Regina could never feel for her what she felt for the dark-haired woman.
Fighting against her very destiny had been a losing battle, one can not fight fate. It always wins in the end. Emma had put it off for as long as she possibly could, but, she was destined to save this land. To rule it. Emma hated herself, hated who she was before going to Storybrooke, for who she was in this very moment. And, honestly, what better way was there to let out such hatred and anger than on monsters from a land where you were born? So here she was. Ready to face any monster who came across her path. Ready to kill every and any living creature that stood between her and her goal. To fight them, to destroy them, until one was strong enough to release her from the life she was living.
"You have very strong magics, and you perform them so effortlessly. How long have you been training? Are you as skilled with sword and bow?" Emma was pulled from her own musings as Aurora bombarded her with questions. She had at least waited until the food she'd put before the Savior and Rumple were gone. "You must be even more powerful, especially to control one such as the infamous Dark One"
"I do not control Rumple." Emma said stiffly. "On a mission to Neverland I was forced to destroy the dagger, with it's destruction he became powerless. He can perform very little magic. He is, however, a trusted friend. Someone I trust fully. Someone to aid me during my time here. Before this day I never used much magic. Only doing such things as lighting candles, or moving the tiniest of objects. The land where I come from the only weapons are guns. You don't have those here, so Rumple is going to teach me the art of sword-fighting. Though, I will probably rely on my magic. Once before I had to use a sword, against a dragon, I lasted about twenty seconds with it before I defaulted to a gun. Which, in the end, worked just as well" This was all true, she hadn't done well with a sword.
Dragon slaying was traditionally done with a sword and a knight. Emma had the sword, but she had been no knight. However she had tried her best, but she had been uncomfortable with the heavy weapon, and it had fallen from Emma's hands, which had shook as the Dragon swooped down at her. Only stopping their shaking motion when she had whipped out two guns. The familiar weapons giving her the confidence she had needed. With skill and a need to kill she aimed for the soft underbelly of the giant ass creature where Gold had told her to slice the beast. Which she did, in her own way. Forty bullets had lodged themselves in her belly. Falling dead at her feet.
Blue eyes as deep and clear as the ocean widened, brightening dramatically. Horror, and annoyance, filled Emma's eyes and mind as Aurora began to squeal. Much like those poor misguided idiots who screamed and nearly had an orgasm whenever Edward Cullen was so much as mentioned. Suddenly the urge to run from this young lady was pounding within her system. She didn't know what was wrong with this young queen, but her squeals were hurting the poor Savior's ears. Thus far she hadn't done much but annoy her, Emma began to start planning on how to get as far from this chick as humanly possible.
"My Mulan is the best swordsman in over a thousand years! She is born from a long line of warriors! The best line, ever! She would be most honored to teach you in the way of her sword" Aurora turned to look at the disinterested, but slightly pleased, woman of Asian descent. "Wouldn't you?" Shrugging halfheartedly Mulan sighed. At least Aurora was raving about her instead of the new blonde woman.
Drilling her eyes in both women Emma contemplated her next actions. Weighing the pros, and cons, of the situation. Her plan had been to learn what she had needed, and to do what had to be done. Originally it had been a her and Rumple against the Enchanted World plan. However, she supposed, having others that could fight alongside her would help in the ultimate goal at stake. Plus if Mulan really was such a great swordsman then she would be more help than Gold who himself had admitted having only basic knowledge on the subject. Really, the only con Emma could see that was a problem was Aurora's presence itself. She was nice. But. She was. Well, she was annoying as fuck.
Every King in history had needed an army. The goal was to take over the entire world and become its King. So, she supposed she could always start building her army now. Then she could defeat the monsters quicker than just her and Gold. What better way into the hearts of the people than to gain the truth, and skill, of the best known swordsmen, and what was most likely one of the last royals on the planet? She would be an excellent leader in her army. Because, while she had to be unhappy, she was determined to leave behind a damn good legacy for her heirs. To do something good to leave something for the woman she loved. An empire to hand her on a golden platter.
"Truthfully, it would be my honor to learn from such a famed swordsman" Emma said slowly, it was a stretch of the truth. However, she needed to win Mulan over. She paused, allowing her statement to sink into the surprised dark-haired sword master. "I was told that there were not many, if any, people here. Why are you not grouped with the others? Or, are you the last?" She queried.
"Aurora is one of the last remaining people of royal blood" Was growled out between clenched teeth. "Men continually try to capture her, to force her to become their bride. So that they can hold claim over the people, she is but twenty this year. My family has protected her bloodline for three generations before myself. We stay here because Ogre's don't usually roam this far, and the men are too scared of the traps I've set around her castle" The words were harsh, angry. Mulan was clearly enraged with the way things were.
"We all know I'm new to this joint." Was spoken as she leaned forward. Intrigued. "But why don't she just marry you, I mean won't this other so called suitors get the idea and leave you all be?" She was indeed curious to this, as it was clear as day that they were in love with each other. "It's obvious to any that you care deeply for one another" Mulan was once again surprised by this new blonde.
"Royals cannot marry someone of the same gender unless they are wed by a person of Royal blood. Generally, they would be bound. But with this world in chaos many men would likely still try to claim her, rape her and force her to bare him a son. A rightful heir of the bloodline" Gold said thoughtfully. "No matter, how many people are there that you know of?"
Like a sponge the self-proclaimed King soaked up the information provided to her, her brain loading it all and processing it. Then she sat up straighter, a determined look crossing her features. It seemed to her like she was destined for just a bit more then defeating the Ogre and becoming the King. As much as she'd be thrilled to deny it, Royal blood ran through her veins. And while she was positive that she could never have her own happy ending she was most definitely going to make sure these two women got theirs, she stood up abruptly. Placing her palms flat against the table, her eyes dark, and a self-confident smile on her face.
"Last I checked I had Royal blood galore pumping through these veins. So you all tell me what I gotta do to make this happen. You love one another, even I can see it. Rumple can see it. So, you are meant to be. So shall you be" Emma said forcefully, her attitude and eyes daring any to speak against her.
This was the deed that won over the reluctant swords master who had been annoyed by her presence since her lover had been quite near worshiping the new blonde upon sight. With new light she looked at her. Without even knowing them, not even two hours after they met. Emma was willing to save them. To give them that what they so desperately wanted for three long, hard years. Something that most would deny them, simply due to the fact that Mulan was not of Royal blood. The fact that there was no guarantee that they were true loves, even if they themselves knew it in their hearts. No guarantee that even if they were that they could create life together. Emma didn't care about that. Mulan decided she liked her, that she was the kind of woman that she could follow into battle with no regrets.
Rough, tough, quick to distrust, but not heartless. That was Mulan. A tough cookie to crack for anyone but her beloved Aurora. But, this one woman not only shared the same goal she had, to ride the world of Ogre, she had bound her and her true love together. Eternally. Her deeds thus far was enough for Mulan to stand by her side, for her love, and for her people. Enough that when the time came Mulan would gladly pledge her allegiance to Emma as her one, and only King. She couldn't help but trust, respect, and like the woman that had saved them on so many counts in less than a night of knowing they existed.
A life filled with learning how to protect yourself from handsy foster dads and brothers, learning how to run away when you couldn't fight, a decade of bounty hunting and the simple fact that for the majority of her life after sixteen she had nothing better to do than hit the gym meant that Emma was a natural at everything Mulan taught her over the next few weeks, as it certainly did not come from her genetic make-up. She did so well that she could hold her own against Mulan in hand to hand combat, sword, staff, and axe. Although Emma preferred the staff to the other hand-held weapons. Her body above that. Even Rumple was impressed that anyone could learn that quickly.
After little more than two weeks she was more than ready to hit the ground running, to slaughter any enemy. So, with great reluctance, Emma sent her preferred mentor back to Storybrooke. She knew that Rumple needed to be there, when he wasn't the time difference was roughly eight years in the enchanted realm to each one year on earth. The difference cut itself in half when he was on earth. All three women found themselves missing the man the moment he was gone from their presence. However, they could only bring him back when absolutely needed.
Before he had left he had helped them freeze themselves in time. They had a mission, and no matter how long it would take, none would be able to age until Emma removed the spell, or died. Emma had even made sure that Gold would not age anymore. They needed him alive, and in the best condition possible. If for some reason this mission took thirty years Emma could not see herself being in good enough condition to fight, same for her allies. They needed to stay in prime condition. Young. Slaughtering the monsters roaming the land was the priority, not failure thanks to old age. With him gone they climbed onto the horses, and rode hard. Seeking the first battle of the war they were starting. Ready to fight to the death to save the realm.
Rage was the emotion that Emma centered around, that fueled her in battle after battle. Saving small villages, horses, streams, it didn't matter what she was saving. It could be a fucking fly for all Emma cared, as long as something's blood was staining her clothes, her swords, her magic. As long as there were Ogre's or bad humans to meet their makers at Emma's hand she had a purpose. A reason to continue on. The goal was eradication, and Emma was the weapon to make that happen.
With rage came ruthlessness. Even when Mulan, or even Rumple would hold back she would barrel forward. Many times alone. Riding into groups of five or more. Ruthless, reckless, and simple not caring if she lived caused the blonde many injuries, one after another. If Aurora, being the healer of the trio, could not fix a wound Emma would just pop through the realms to see Gold. She would return as quickly as possible, usually only being gone a few hours. Sometimes returning with an annoyed, but mostly worried, Rumple at her side. Other not. But, even if she were not fully healed, as long as she could walk and conjure a fireball she'd be out in the midst of a battle, ready to slaughter her enemies.
The trend continued month after month, to a year, to two years. Until she was wounded rather badly, so mortally wounded that it had taken just about all of her strength to transport herself back to Rumple's realm. It was then that she had learned that while she had been in the enchanted realm for two years, it had been barely four months in Rumple's realm. She had landed just before Christmas. So, once she was able to walk, which took three days even with the advanced potions at Gold's disposal, she had gone to Regina's. Spoken to her as she had slept, and she had hidden an assortment of gifts for her sons as everyone slept, though, she could not bare to see them.
Once back in the realm of her birth she had jumped a horse, and rode off. Mulan and Aurora chasing after her. Emma led them straight into a Ogre dwelling. One Emma herself has thought better of entering. Well over seventy dwelled there, many larger than your average Ogre. Pain, sorrow, rage, love and hatred battled within her and she slaughtered them two at a time, three at a time. Killing without mercy or care.
Finally when there was nothing left to slaughter she had collapsed in a sea of their bodies. Blood dripping from a variety of wounds, tears streaming down her cheeks, mingling with blood and sweat that had collected there. The first time she had allowed someone to see her cry in more years then she could remember, the first time since she had left Charlie with his other mother for his own well being that she had cried. The first time she was crying over the loss she felt, the pain she had carried inside of her and denied for so long.
Loud sobs wracked her body, tears never ending. Sorrowful tears for not being able to be happy. For never being allowed to have Regina at her side, for not being able to get her to love her, for having to give up her sons. For the life that destiny had saddled her with. Her friends flanked her, grabbing onto her, holding her tightly between them. Her arms wrapping around them as she became the center of a rounded triangle. The only three besides Regina and her sons she could consider family.
When her voice came back to her she whispered the secrets that only Rumple knew, and secrets he had not. Her deepest, darkest secrets. The truths that lived so deep inside of herself that she never spoke to even herself. She told them all to the man who was becoming the first father she had ever had. To the sister she would die for. To them she divulged how she was irreversibly in love with Regina, how she was the father of her second son. Of every bad thing she'd ever done, of every suicidal thought she'd ever had, everything. Not one secret was left when Emma finally cried herself to sleep, safely tucked between her family. Her blood-soaked, sweat covered family.
Her secret wish for death died on that day, her self-hatred lessened, as did her rage. By telling the people who mattered most to her the truths that had weighed down on her soul for so very long it had freed her in a way. It was as if an Ogre himself had been lifted from her chest, her heart, her very essence. With new vigor she had stood the next morning. Staring out into the rising sun. She was a new person.
Raising her sword high in the air, the light of the sun glinting from its polished surface she made a silent vow. One she had made before, but this time. She meant it as more than just a destined action she must take. Emma vowed that all of the lands. The southlands, eastlands, northlands, midlands, both upper and lower, she would rule them all. She would destroy the evil, monster or not, and make the land safe. For her child, for the woman she loved, for her sisters, for her father, and for herself.
That wasn't to say that she still didn't believe, to the deepest extent of her person, that she could never find true happiness. There was no beating that for Emma. However, while she knew she could never be happy, she could be content. With people she loved who loved her by her side she could be content. To watch them grow, to watch them be happy, that Emma could live for. That was something she would live for, just because happiness was beyond her reach did not mean that she wouldn't do her best to be as happy as she could be allowed.
Where once she had fought with complete reckless abandon for her own life she now fought with intelligence, strength, and determination. Not longer was she just fighting to meet that one fateful Ogre that would take her down, away from her misery. Now she had more than just a destiny she had no control over. Now Emma had a real, true, honest purpose. Rather than just a destiny and a pile of shit that she was trying to live up to while also wishing for someone to end her life. No, as she continued her journey she knew what she was fighting for, and why.
Love, life, happiness, even if they were not her own that was what she was fighting for. What she truly believed these people deserved, what they could have if she succeeded with her mission. Even if she believed in her hearts of hearts that she would never have any of those things for herself, but now, now was not the time to pity herself, to hate herself. To claim one thing, but secretly want another within her soul. No. Now she would do what she had promised, and she wouldn't dare die until she was good and ready. She would secure the change of life, love, and happiness for her family, for those she loved. Adopted or otherwise.