A/N: For her armor, I pictured Snow White's in Snow White and the Huntsman, as portrayed by Kristen Stewart. So if my description sucks and you can't follow, just look up a picture of that to see what I mean. And Emma's hair would be similar to that and when she had it up in the show. The End of the author's note.

Chapter 13:

Emma woke up at dawn from another short restless sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about what was about to transpire. She was going to war. Only just a few months ago she was worrying about how to do her job as Sheriff in the small town of Storybrooke, and now she had to lead her people to war.

Things had really changed.

Emma sat on the edge of her bed, taking deep breaths and trying to steady her nerves. Today was the day, though. To finally put an end to Regina's tyranny and evil schemes. She had to be strong, she had to be ready.

She hung her head for a moment, taking in this one moment of peace, knowing things would never be the same after this. She could feel her power thrumming through her veins, could tell that she was ready physically, but mentally…well she wasn't too sure.

She sighed and lifted herself from the bed. Time to get ready.

Walking outside where everyone was getting ready, Emma felt a little self-conscious in her armor. It was old-fashioned, with a flat chest cover. There was armor over her shoulders and gauntlets on her forearm. Metal also covered the top of her hands, to protect them. She had chainmail underneath, covering her entire arms and falling to her hips. She had a belt around her waist that was waiting for her sheath and sword. Her pants were tight, but not too tight. They allowed for easier and swifter movement. She had tied her golden hair up in a ponytail, to get the strands out of her face.

She was comfortable in the outfit, that was for sure. It felt like she was meant to wear this armor. It was just that she worried the others might not see a warrior when they looked at her. She wanted them to see someone strong, someone who could lead them. Not just a little girl playing dress up.

She stood up straighter and walked with her head high. People turned to look at her as she passed, but she kept her eyes towards the end of the path, where her mother and father stood with Henry. She swallowed when Henry turned her way, worried that he might not like what he saw in his mother.

But all of that flew away when a giant grin split his face and he ran over excitedly. "Emma! Emma! You look so cool!" he exclaimed when her reached her, his young eyes running over her attire. "You look just like a real knight! Like in the storybook!" Emma chuckled and reached her arm out to ruffle his hair.

"Well I'm glad you like it, kid."

His eyes lit up, "Like it? I love it! My mom is a hero!" Emma ignored the dread that curled in her stomach, pushing back her nerves, "Not yet, kid," she reminded him.

Henry conceded her point, "Yea…but you will." He said this with conviction, "I know you will!"

Emma smirked and said nothing. She steered him back over to where her parents stood in their own gear. Her father was wearing his armor, and Emma thought her father looked so strong standing there. The difference between him and his Storybrooke counterpart was so in contrast at that moment, and Emma felt so proud to call him her father. Her mother, though, was not wearing armor. Emma noticed she was wearing a leather outfit, with gloves and a vest and trousers. She had a green cloak over it and Emma had never seen her look so comfortable.

They both looked so fierce and strong and suddenly Emma felt insecure again. What if she wasn't ready? How could she do this? Why not her parents? They'd probably do a better job than she could.

But they looked on her with such pride and warmth that Emma couldn't wallow in her doubts. She took a deep breath and evened herself out. She couldn't psyche herself out like that. These people needed her. She needed to suck it up.

They all continued to get ready, and Emma sat next to Henry for a while just watching the others. Red was adjusting her red cloak and helping August get his armor on. He needed help because his arms wouldn't cooperate properly with him. Despite his father's, and her own, worries, he insisted that he join the fight.

"I won't leave this time," he had said.

Red was laughing at him at the moment as the helmet he put on fell over his face. Emma smiled at the two, glad to see people in happy spirits before everything changed. Granny stood next to them, getting her crossbow together, making sure she had enough arrows. Jefferson was sitting at a table over yonder, meticulously working over some tools. What they were, Emma was not sure, but she could tell it was important. Jefferson had on such a look of concentration. She also noticed that his eyes had bags under his eyes. She supposed that she wasn't the only one who had a bad night.

Jiminy Cricket was flitting about, helping everyone he could. Because of his size, he couldn't fight, but he would give everything else he had. The fairies were preparing as well, all of them flying about getting their magic together and helping everyone else.

Emma couldn't find Rumplestiltskin nor Belle. She chewed on her lip, worrying the flesh. She needed to focus, she couldn't worry about them now. Turning to Henry, she forced the tension out of her body. Her boy smiled at her, and she felt the weight get easier.

She sighed, "This is it, kid."

"Are you ready, Emma?"

Emma shook her head, "We'll see, I suppose," she smiled weakly at him. He reached over and grasped her hand, "You will win, Emma. I know you will. Good always triumphs." Emma squeezed his hand back.

"I hope you're right, kid."

He smirked, "Of course I am." Emma rolled her eyes, 'He gets the cockiness from his father.' She paused for a moment, thinking over something.

"Henry," she started. He looked over at her curiously, "I want you to stay here, at the castle. I don't want you to fight." The kid's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to protest. She quickly overrode him, "I can't fight if I think you're in danger." He quieted and she stared into his eyes imploringly, "I need you to be safe," she paused, "Please."

Henry didn't look like he agreed, but he nodded sullenly nonetheless. Emma let out a great sigh, "Thank you, Henry." She reached an arm around him, at first a bit awkwardly, but when her arm rested on him she relaxed, the movement seeming to be natural now. He fit perfectly in her arm, and Emma brought him closer to her, laying her head atop of his. He wrapped his own tiny arms around her and buried his face in her armor.

"Be careful," he whispered.

Emma was silent for a few beats, and then: "I'll try."

That was all she could assure. She didn't know how this would end. But it was ending today one way or the other.

They were all ready. Ready to fight. She was standing in the crowd, waiting for something she wasn't sure of. It wasn't till something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye that she realized what.

She saw him appear in her peripheral, and he beckoned her over when she looked. She glanced around real quick before walking over to the small semi-secluded spot. She tried not to let her emotions overtake her, remembering everything from the night before in perfect detail. She wished she wasn't so close to him, she wished she didn't want to be close to him. His presence still made her heart warm, still made her skin tingle.

But he didn't love her. And it didn't matter. She had to be a big girl and get over it. He wasn't hers, and she would just have to accept that.

Looking into his mischievous eyes, though, she couldn't hold back a smile. And silently, she bid her sanity a farewell. She wasn't getting over this that easily.

"Hello, dearie," he greeted her, "And how does this fine evening find you?"

She smirked, "Just peachy." She hoped he didn't bring up the previous evening. She could see it in his eyes that he wanted to, but wasn't sure if he should. He stared at her for a few heartbeats, but thankfully he didn't mention it. They stood in silence, and Emma felt her nervousness for what was to come churning in her gut. She wasn't sure she could do this.

He seemed to read it on her face, "What's wrong, love?" he asked gently. Emma was surprised at just how softly his voice went. She didn't answer, looking subtly around at everyone, at how close they were. They could easily overhear their conversation, something she didn't want if they were going to continue.

He understood without her saying it, and he led her over to a secluded spot, Emma's back still to the group.

"What is it?" he repeated, his voice still a low murmur, his accent still quite clear.

Emma drew in a shuddering breath. She couldn't talk for a moment, and her mouth opened and closed with no sound. She hated how tears built in the corners of her eyes and was quick to try to push them back. He kept watching her with eyes that she knew were full of concern.

She tried once more when she felt a semblance of stability, "What if I can't?" her eyes darted to his, "What if I fail-?" her voice, to her horror, cracked near the end.

He didn't answer.

She bit her lip and swallowed, trying again, "What if I fail?" her shoulders halfheartedly shrugged.

He came closer, she let him. He wrapped his hand around hers, and she let him. His thumb soothed her skin. He looked up at her, sincerity shining through.

"You won't."

She shot him a dubious look, narrowing her eyes, "How do you know that?"

He smiled at her, "Because you haven't yet. It's not in you to fail, love."

She stared at him in awe. "H-how do you know that? How can you possibly-?"

His smile twitched into a smirk, "I know a lot, dearie. I'm a very...intuitive man." he moved away and she missed the warmth of his hand when it slipped away.

"You were born to do great things. You may not accept this now, but deep down you know I am right. You were ingrained with the need to protect and save, don't deny it."

She looked down and away, knowing he was probably right.

She sensed him step forward again, and felt fingers lifting her chin, and then once she was looking at him they slid to cradle the side of her face, brushing a strand of hair away.

"I wouldn't lie to you about this." Rumplestiltskin stared deeply into her eyes. He smiled softly, "I have absolute faith in you," he grinned, "And I never back a loser."

That tricked a smile out of her. She ducked her eyes and his hand slid into her hair to the back of her head. She sat still for a moment, feeling herself calm down. She took a deep breath, a smile spreading slowly as peace overcame her. She looked up at him.

She searched his eyes, "Thank you." a smile still gracing her lips.

He smiled back.

It was when they were walking back that he suddenly gasped and came to a standstill. Emma, who was planning on walking right to her family, turned on her heel to look at him, startled. Everyone else seemed to tune in to what was happening.

He clapped his hands together, "I just remembered!" he pointed his two index fingers at her, palms still joined together, "I have a gift for you, dearie!"

Emma cocked her head. A gift?

"This will help you in the battle to come. It will protect you when you need a shield." He reached behind him and pulled a cape out of thin air. Quite dramatically if she did say so.

She quirked a brow, "A cape? That's supposed to help me? Regina will probably try to strangle me with it."

Rumplestiltskin tsked her, "No, dearie, trust me," he wrapped the cloak around her, and she was surprised at how light it was. And so soft, she grabbed one of the edges and subtly brought it near her face.

James roused from his position behind her, "Hey, wait a minute…that's my cloak! The one you traded from me for Snow's whereabouts." He came up next to her and put a hand on her shoulder, "Is this why you kept it?" he asked Rumplestiltskin, turning to look at the man.

Rumplestiltskin giggled, "Now, dearie," he danced a few steps away, "That's for me to know, and for you to find out."

She could tell that her father wanted to go after him, but she put a hand on his arm. He stopped short and looked down at her. "Is this okay?" she asked him. She didn't want to take his cloak if he wanted it back.

Before Rumplestiltskin could object to her offering it back, James answered with a small smile, "Yes, its fine." He cast a dark glance at Rumplestiltskin, "Just wish the imp would actually tell me things once in a while." Emma smirked at his irate expression. Rumplestiltskin just chuckled, "Trust me, my liege, its better if it's a surprise," he spread his hands out theatrically.

James snorted next to her, and rolling his eyes he began walking away. Emma watched him and everyone else leave to get on their means of transportation (meaning horses for the majority) before turning back to Rumplestiltskin.

He wasn't there.

Emma frowned, her heart sinking. Where did he go? Before she could begin searching for him though, her parents called her name, forcing her to forget about him and get going.

The location at which the fairies, as well as Rumplestiltskin, saw the battle happening was on a large battlefield. Emma was struck with how much it looked like the fight scene in that Narnia movie. On either side of a large grassy canyon were large rock formations. On one is where her army stood now, looking out across the landscape. It would have been beautiful had it not been a place for bloodshed. Emma shuddered.

The other side of the field was empty at the moment, but Emma could feel them getting closer. The ground trembled at first, and then began to shake. Her and her friends held firm, not moving from formation, but she could feel the air change. A darkness began to creep over them, the bright sunshine beginning to vanish. It seemed as though the world were desaturating, the colors draining from every surface.

But Emma knew they had to stay strong. They couldn't let it overcome them. They had to stay strong, she repeated to herself. They had to stay strong, they had to stay strong, they had to..stay…

She could see them now.

Regina was at the front, her outfit very dark and very fitting. Her lips were pulled back into a smug sneer, as though she felt she had already won. It wasn't her though that put Emma and the rest of the crew on edge.

It was the Others.

Emma could only recognize them because of her readings of stories as a child. Not to mention the fact that her foster homes would play Disney movies all the time. It had been her only salvation, she remembers, watching those movies over and over. She didn't understand then why they meant so much to her, but now she did. Not only was it a connection to her parents, but it turns out that there was truth to all of them.

In front of her, flanking both sides of Regina, stood all the villains of her childhood. Maleficent in her human form stood tall with her horns, Cruella de Vil cackling maniacally in her Dalmatian-fur coat, Jafar with his snake scepter, and Scar was slinking over the side, with Shere Khan and Kaa slithering on the ground. Even the historical Disney villains were there. Shan Yu and Hades were standing with their backups, the Huns and the dogs of the Underworld were seething behind them. Many more stood behind her, ready to tear them apart. The body of water nearby started to bubble and Emma glanced over to suddenly see a ship break the surface. A pirate flag flew overhead and Emma knew it was the Jolly Roger. A man with a hook walked to the side of the ship and Emma was sure of it. There was another body of water on the other side of the field, and Emma looked that way only to see what seemed like a giant octopus rear out of the water. White hair stood up and her purple skin shined in the light. Ursula had joined in as well.

Emma felt her whole body break in a cold sweat. This was a nightmare. A complete and total nightmare. Emma could feel the tension begin rolling off the people behind her in waves. They were moving around, getting antsy and discouraged from the numbers the enemy showed up in. Emma knew that she would have to say something, get them to settle. Regina smirked at her from across the field and Emma took in a deep breath, trying to reign in her anger and emotions. She turned around.

And immediately found herself looking at Rumplestiltskin. He gave her an encouraging look, as if he knew that she would need it. She took another breath and turned to look at her friends, her family. The majority had brave faces on, but she could see the fear in their eyes. These were bad people to her, for sure. But these weren't her villains. These were theirs. They had to fight them off before, and now every evil thing that kept them from their happiness was back. She was just leading them.

She was just leading them.

With one last look at Rumplestiltskin, she stood up on a boulder next to her, and got everyone's attention. Suddenly, with everyone's eyes on her, she didn't feel so confident anymore. Words seem to escape her. This wasn't like the movies where words just flowed into an inspirational speech. This isn't actually a fairytale, ironically.

She got a hold of herself and took one more deep breath.

"Look," she started, "I'm not very good with these things, so bear with me." She paused and licked her lips, 'Great way to start', she thought. She continued, "I know things look bad. In fact, it really sucks right now."

Everyone looked up at her with wide eyes, people started moving around even more, in a panic. Rumplestiltskin leaned near her and whispered, "Uh, dearie? That might not be the way to go."

Emma glanced at him, but she didn't stop, she kept going. "So, that's why we need to remember what we're fighting for." They all quieted then, waiting for what she would say next. "Our family, our friends." Emma tried to look at them all, tried to give them a brave face. "Because if we don't, we will lose them. Regina," she pointed behind her in the direction of the Evil Queen, "she will take your happiness away, all of your happy endings. And she will laugh and smile and enjoy herself while she does it." She swallowed, taking a breath, "We aren't fighting for ourselves. We're fighting for our loved ones, our home." She felt herself really working up, "And we won't let anyone take that from us. Least of all her." She wondered if she was talking for all of them or just for herself.

She looked out and could see the determination overtake them. She squared her shoulders. "These monsters think that they can destroy us. That they can roll right over us and take the things we love most in this world." Emma searched the faces, seeing the anger and ferocity grow. "Are we going to let them? Are we going to let them take everything we hold dear?"

The crowd rustled, but no one spoke. Emma repeated herself, "Are we?!"

"NO!"

Emma pulled her sword out then, "Then you need to fight! Sacrifice everything for what you love! Don't let any of them through. Be strong! Be brave! Have heart!" Emma took a breath, lowering her voice, "because that's all we'll have left in the end," she glanced at Rumplestiltskin who looked back with admiration. That gave her the push, adrenaline rushing through her veins. She looked at her parents, who had proud looks on their faces.

She could do this. She knew she could.

She lifted her sword, "Who's with me?!" Everyone lifted their weapon, "Aye!" Emma swung her sword around to point at Regina, "Then let's go!" And she turned and began to run, hearing the thunder of a thousand footsteps following her.

Time to meet her destiny. She just hoped she makes it out alive.

Kay, I lied. No battle yet. But this is a lot of stuff anyway xD Please forgive me for the long absence, but it gets difficult to write sometimes. I know this is kind of corny, but think about the show it's based on. And the fact that it's also based on fairytales.

Hope you liked it regardless :) Please review and let me know. Battle is definitely next.

(*btw, this isn't really edited, so I'll probably go back and do that later. But I wanted to get this up now xD)