Chapter 7

(Enchanted Forest; several months ago)

He woke up slowly. He looked around. He was in the forest, and for the life of him, he couldn't understand why his wolf brother wasn't there with him.

"So you're awake," a voice said.

He looked over and saw a man and a woman sitting on the ground staring at him. "What happened?" he asked them.

"That's what I'd like to know," he said. "I'm Prince Philip, and my companion's name is Mulan."

"Huntsman," he said understanding what Prince Philip was wanting to know. Though he felt like he was called by another name.

"Well, Huntsman, how did you get here?" Prince Philip asked.

Huntsman sat up slowly because it was evident to him he had a major headache, but then he laid his hand on his heart. He couldn't explain it, but his heart was beating inside his chest. His heart was his own again. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Most everyone from the Enchanted Forest is gone," Mulan told him and when he looked confused, she continued, "Don't tell me you didn't know this."

Huntsman shook his head. "The last thing I remember was was riding to the palace that belonged to Snow White and her husband, James, or Charming as I've heard some snicker at his nickname, with Queen Regina," he told them.

Prince Philip and Mulan exchanged a look. "Why were you with Regina?" Mulan asked.

"She had taken my heart, and she could do whatever she pleased with it," Huntsman replied. "I was powerless to do anything but to follow her lead."

Prince Philip and Mulan exchanged yet another look. "Queen Regina's been gone for the best part of twenty-eight years," Prince Philip told him.

"So has Snow White and James," Mulan added. "Most everyone has disappeared."

"Then if everyone has disappeared then why didn't you guys go as well?" Huntsman asked looking from Prince Philip to Mulan.

"That's something we would like to know," Mulan replied. "For the last twenty-eight years, time has been frozen."

"How do you know that it's been twenty-eight years?" Huntsman asked.

"Long story," Prince Philip replied, "but about two months ago, time unfroze."

"In the back of my mind, I feel like I should know why," Huntsman replied. "I know it's there in my head, and my heart is my own." He laid a hand on his heart. "It beats right here." He looked at Mulan and Prince Philip. "How do I know that?"

"Magic," Prince Philip answered. "You know this land; this land is full of magic."

"Tell us everything," Mulan replied. "Everything you remember."

Huntsman looked at Mulan and Prince Philip. He started his tale with the fact that he was raised by wolves. He also mentioned meeting Queen Regina and her telling him he needs to kill Snow White, and he couldn't do it and letting her go resulted in the fact that he was the Queen's puppet. He also mentioned meeting James, helping him escape from Queen Regina's palace, and telling the Prince not to let his sacrifice go in vein. He also mentioned again going to Snow White and James's palace to see the destruction and intended to help them win against the Regina, but he knew it didn't work that way because he was sucked into a vortex.

When he ended his tale, Mulan stared at him. "You should've gone to whatever place Regina wanted you to go," she replied.

Huntsman tried to think and tried to remember, but he started getting a really severe headache instead.

Mulan noticed that Huntsman was straining himself. "Stop," she told him. "Either it's going to come back to you or it's not. There's no reason why you should make you head hurt."

"If you do remember," Prince Philip replied. "We would like to know where everyone else is."

Huntsman nodded. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"To find Princess Aurora," Mulan answered knowing Prince Philip couldn't answer that question himself.

"Who's Princess Aurora?" Huntsman asked.

"My true love," Prince Philip answered and walked away.

Huntsman and Mulan watched him walk away.

"It's hard for him," Mulan told him as she stared after her friend and companion. "Not aging and not finding Princess Aurora."

"I want to say that I know what a one true love is like," Huntsman replied, "but I don't know for sure."

"Don't strain yourself," Mulan reminded him. "It'll come to you."

"Was it because time froze that you couldn't find Princess Aurora?" Huntsman asked.

"You pick things up quickly," Mulan said with amazement. "We've known where she's at, but for the first time in twenty-eight years, for the last two months, we haven't had any problems and hadn't run into any trouble in finding her."

"I guess that's good then," Huntsman replied. "You think you can add one more companion to your journey? I need to find my wolf brother."

"I don't see a problem with that," Philip said from behind him.

"I feel like that there's also something else-someone else-I should be looking for," Huntsman replied.

"Maybe you'll find it or them when we rescue Princess Aurora," Mulan said.

"Maybe," Huntsman replied.