Hey guys! Thank you all again; seriously, you're all amazing! I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)
I do not own OUAT.
"Ah, silence. Not what I was expecting," Cora said, her gaze penetrating. "Very well, then. All I was trying to do was help, dear." Her tone was disgusting; she actually sounded like she believed that her offer was in the best interest for everyone. How the hell did she get off with feeling like that? Snow yearned to smack that smug look off her face. With every passing second and ever growing tension, Snow thought she'd burst; that all of her emotions would just build and build until there was nowhere else for them to go except out. She just needed to get out.
"If you touch one hair on her head I swear I'll kill you!"
"And how exactly would you do that? You're here, in chains, without magic. I would say the odds are against you." Those words shouldn't have stopped her, but they did. Hearing in plain English how hopeless her situation seemed to be was too much.
A million thoughts and images plagued her visions; her husband and their tumultuous yet beautiful life together, Henry, her adorable, clever grandson and all the time they spent at school together, and Emma and all those years she missed with her. So many happy memories superseded by the biggest heartache she had ever experienced – the lost years without her daughter. And now, here she was, held captive by an enemy who has sworn to take the light out of Emma's eyes with no seeming way out, no plan of action, and no idea how she was ever going to move on from this.
She'd never move on. There was nothing – absolutely nothing – that would be able to mend her torn heart and forever she would mourn the loss, suffer the searing pain and hold herself accountable for what was to happen to her daughter. There was no way forward, or at least, there was no way she could see. No route to take. Happily ever after wouldn't exist without all of the members of her family and yet again, her happiness was to be taken away by a member of Regina's family. It was a vicious cycle.
And, much to her own astonishment, Snow did the only thing she could: she pleaded. "Please, Cora. I don't understand why you are doing this. You could just let me go – let us all go; you can disappear and never have to see us again. Please, please don't hurt my daughter." She was exhausted, exasperated, her body numb from the pressure it had been exposed to. "She has nothing to do with this; she has done nothing to you. Whatever problems you have are with me – not my family so please, please leave Emma out of this. She doesn't deserve to die just because I am her mother."
"And I shouldn't be judged for wanting the best for my daughter but look where that got me." She lowered her voice to a hiss, her features intimidating in Snow's eyeline. "We all have things we desire and we all discover ways to get them – this is my way, Snow. No, your sweet Emma frets me not, though her cheek is something she inherited from you it would seem and my qualm is not with her. She is simply an obstacle."
"How dare you!" Snow spat ferociously. "How dare you degrade my daughter into something meaningless!"
Cora's lips curled up into a sly smirk, reeling Snow in. "I shall take my leave. Goodbye, Snow." With a twirl of her fingers, she vanished into thin air and Snow felt her chest tighten, her breath caught in her windpipe.
"Are you sure we're safe? How do we know that she's not following us?" Aurora asked, looking behind her…yet again.
"Because she doesn't know where we are. She doesn't know that we know who she is and where she's hiding," Emma iterated, stepping over a large log and narrowly avoiding falling into a tree.
"Well she certainly is aware now that we are missing and I'm sure it did not take her long to draw up the conclusions."
"Aurora is indeed right; there is no harm in being wary." Of course the one time Emma needed Mulan to be on her side, she aligned with Aurora. Typical. "We can still travel quickly while making sure we cover our tracks."
Something rumbled inside Emma; something she didn't recognise. With a firm clench of the fist she managed to calm it, whatever 'it' was. "But if we spend more of our time covering our tracks, the less time we have to get to the castle and save Mary Margaret and that is exactly what Cora wants. She wants us to slow down because she has a better chance of finding us and getting rid of us once and for all. I have no idea why she hasn't done it yet but we were dealt a hand and we gotta play the game." Her anxiety levels were hitting a new high. Her friends were right; Cora could easily be behind them preparing for the final battle with her well of magical resources and they had to be careful. But Emma knew Mary Margaret was at the castle – she could feel it. No, she never believed in any of that cosmic, telepathy stuff people claimed to have, yet there was no other explanation for what she was sensing. Her mother was still alive - for how long she wasn't sure – and Emma wouldn't let their journey slacken because of fear. Fear was the number one enemy.
"It's a dangerous game," Mulan commented in monotone, her hand lightly on Aurora's shoulders as the princess manoeuvred around the obstructions in their path, the ends of her dress tangling with everything.
"Yes, it is," Emma agreed, refusing to look back at them. "But we have a head-start; we're going to be fine. Nothing is going to stop me from getting there and if she does make an appearance, I'm ready."
"You think you're prepared for Cora?" Mulan scoffed incredulously.
Emma's voice cooled, her posture stiffened in assurance. "Oh, I know I am. When it comes to the people that I love, there's nothing I let get in my way. Not even magic."
As the day continued and their pace slowed, Emma found her steel weakening. Earlier she was ready for anything, her anger and despair adding fire to her hyped adrenaline, whereas now she was tiring and anything she feeling was losing its grip and she was left with just her thoughts. Thoughts mainly about Mary Margaret which, in the current situation, weren't unusual. She just wanted to see her again, make sure she was okay. She couldn't lose her, not after realising how much she was loved. No one loved her the way her family did and having that kind of love is something she would never want to live without ever again. She couldn't understand how she did it for so long, for virtually twenty-eight years.
She glanced back at the other two, her impatience creeping in again. They both looked as tired as Emma felt but there would be no rest for them today; today, resting was hazardous. "I thought you said the castle wasn't that long of a journey," Emma breathed, beginning to climb a steep hill.
"It's not," Mulan answered, annoyed at the exasperation colouring the blonde's tone. "In fact, it's very close."
"If it's so close then how come I can't see it? I thought all the castles around here were on cliff edges overlooking the kingdom, or whatever."
"They are. I assure you, it is far closer than you think."
Emma grumbled under her breath. She pushed her hands against her legs in order to build momentum but in truth she was just trying her hardest not to fall over; a much more difficult task than what it looked. Slipping on the mud, she grabbed a hold of a branch to keep her steady and used it to reach the top of the hill…which just so happened to be a cliff edge. "Woah!" Emma yelled, flapping her arms to stop from teetering over and plunging to certain death. She felt a sharp tug and was quickly pulled back into the stronghold of Mulan.
The blonde released a shaky, nervous sigh. "Thank you," she breathed appreciatively.
"You're welcome," Mulan replied, letting her free. "Although, I would suggest keeping your impatience under control; we understand that you want to rescue Snow – we do, too, but rushing and getting flustered nearly killed you. Had you of waited for us instead of dashing ahead, you would have heard me tell you that the castle was just beyond the ridge." She pointed to the massive structure across from them. With its pointy turrets and quite drab colour scheme, Emma found the castle to be fit for an Evil Queen.
"So that's where Regina…ruled from?"
"Yes. It's also where your mother grew up."
Emma crinkled her forehead, her eyes wide as she realized what the warrior said was true. Sometimes it was so easy to forget the history her mother had with Regina; she was her step-mother. A step-mother who tried to put her to sleep for all eternity and destroy any chance she had of living happily ever after. Wow, and Emma thought she had complicated family issues.
But as she examined the building again, she envisioned a young Mary Margaret skipping around her home, growing up in those rooms and becoming the woman she was today. And suddenly, Emma's eyes pooled with tears – without any warning. She was kinda sick of how frequently she was getting emotional lately; it was like her tear ducts were somehow linked with every single feeling she had inside of her. It was quite disconcerting, actually.
"Are you okay?" Aurora timidly said, clearly debating whether to comfort her or not. Emma preferred the 'not' option.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I was just…thinking. Come on, let's go." At least the ability of shrugging off something hadn't left her yet.
The curse had ravaged through Regina's palace and debris of the life before littered every corner. Echoes of the once vibrant halls haunted them at every turn, sending shivers down Emma's spine and the chill of the emptiness lurked around them as if waiting for a moment to strike. The sheer malevolence of Regina – and possibly Cora – ricocheted from the framework and Emma just knew that Mary Margaret was being held there. No longer was it an instinct or an idea; it was the truth.
"This place unnerves me," Aurora whispered, cowering behind Emma. "I feel it holds many horrid memories."
"I feel it lonely," Mulan contributed, inspecting a broken jar on the ground, "like its purpose was never fulfilled."
"What purpose would that be?"
"A palace is where a royal family reside and it is clear that it was not a happy family home."
"No, it wasn't," Emma confirmed, her hands on her hips. "Now," she started, staring right at Aurora who shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny, "where would one find the dungeon here?"
"You're asking me?"
"Yeah, you're a princess aren't you? You lived in a palace?"
"Well, yes I did but that doesn't mean I know where it is here. Every castle is different."
Emma rolled her eyes, that weird feeling in the pit of her stomach returning. "Oh, come on, Aurora. Please at least guess."
The brunette took a deep breath, acknowledging the woman's wish. "Usually they are hidden. My father lived by impressions and he believed that anything contrary to what we lived by had to be locked away for the sake of pride so entrances to dungeons and the like were always covered. My guess is down the hall; possibly on the right."
"What exactly are we looking for?"
"An unassuming door that leads to a staircase."
"An unassuming door, really? Wouldn't it be better to have it hidden behind a fireplace or have a concealed trap door somewhere?"
"Sometimes the obvious choice is the right answer," she smiled.
"Yeah and sometimes it's not," Emma retorted. She meant for it to sound playful but it came out much harsher than she imagined. And Aurora's flinch away pretty much confirmed that. "Sorry," she apologised instantly. "We better start looking."
Mulan took the lead and the three of them travelled down the hallway. The only sounds to be heard were the subtle whooshes of breath and their shoes as they impacted with the stone floors. Every door they crossed they opened and studied carefully just in case there was a secret passage or something along those lines and secretly, Emma hoped that they would stumble across a magic corridor. She couldn't help it; her inner child that longed to fall through a trap door to escape whatever was going on in her life had resurfaced. However, with every wrong door, her heart quickened and she struggled to rein it all in.
Aurora, from the back of the pack, shuffled over to press her ear against the wall. "Here," she beckoned to the others, "I think I hear something." Without a shred of hesitation, Emma hurried over to get a closer listen.
"What are we listening for?"
"Quiet," the girl shushed.
Emma listened intently, closing her eyes so she wouldn't be distracted by anything.
And then she heard it.
Though it initially sounded like faint murmurs of an old building, once Emma focused, she realized that there were voices. Two, maybe three; she wasn't sure. But they were there and that only meant one thing: Mary Margaret was here. She placed her palms onto the brick wall, her fingertips searching for a latch or a hole – anything that would guarantee a way to get to wherever the voices were originating from. "Come on," she begged, "come on!"
"What are you doing?" Mulan flashed Emma a bewildered look.
"Trying to find a way down there, what does it look like?"
"Relax," Aurora commanded quietly yet forcefully. With a nod, she ordered both Mulan and Emma to follow her. The princess moved with more fluidity and poise than Emma had ever seen and her assurance was contagious. Emma trusted Aurora's instincts and went willingly and wordlessly. The girl led them down the hall, around a corner and down a few steps to which they arrived at another long corridor but before Emma could conjure up an impatient complaint, Aurora strode ahead, stopping a set of wooden, monstrous double-doors that were decorated with haunting black swirls. "Huh, we've the same doors," she mused with a smirk.
"Is that…does that…" Emma couldn't form the words, an uneasiness overcoming her as she worried about what she would see down there.
"Yes, it leads to the dungeon. I told you it would just be down the hall."
"Okay," the blonde breathed, "so are you guys ready?"
"We are; are you?" Mulan posed with a hint of compassion. Emma was certain Mulan didn't express that very often.
Rather than answer, Emma stepped up the door and inhaled deeply. She cautiously unbolted the doors and softly gave them a push open. Exchanging glances with her comrades, she passed through and started down the stairs, descending into the darkness.
Snow's strength had gone. She couldn't even hold her head up anymore and the more she tried to fight it, the more she felt broken. She wasn't sure, but it felt like she was dying. Sounds and smells no longer registered and her memory was one massive jumbled mess. She had a vague recollection of Cora appearing again, spouting something about…something. From what she gathered it wasn't good but any attempt to concentrate fell flat.
Her eyes drooped heavily and her body ached for her to succumb to the darkness, to rest, to make the pain go away and she couldn't fight it anymore. As she gave in, a noise sounded from far in the distance but Snow was sure that it sounded just like Emma…
They followed the tunnel, using the walls as their guide. Finally they reached a turn and in a second, Emma felt her heart burst.
She had found Mary Margaret.
Chained to a wall.
Not moving.
She sprinted over and grabbed a hold on the bars of her mother's prison and shook them ferociously. "Mary Margaret!" Emma screamed, tears rolling down her face. "Mary Margaret! Look at me! Please, open your eyes and look at me!" She pounded and kicked the metal, trying anything to unlock the gate, her panic in a frenzy. The brunette wasn't moving and from where she stood, she didn't appear to be breathing either.
"Mom, please wake up!" she pleaded again, her throat raw from her screech. From behind her, she could applause and she whipped around, sobbing, and watched as her enemy came into full view.
What did you think? I tried to pick up the pace on this one, especially toward the end because it felt it was the right time. Now I just have to figure out how to handle the next chapter! Ha I really do hope you liked it and please, please review and let me know what you thought