Far too long ago, oncers... Far too long ago. I've been sick and just haven't had the time, but now I'm back again!

I DO NOT own Once upon a time nor the characters. The lyrics is from the song "Broken Crown" by Mumford and sons, which, SURPRISE, I do not own either.

So crawl on my belly 'til the sun goes down

I'll never wear your broken crown

The seven year old Emma watched as that other little girl walked down the street, hand in hand with a big man who appeared to be her father. Emma usually stood next to this house every afternoon to watch the two persons, the little girl and her father, walk along the road. They always seemed to be so happy and Emma always wished she was the one with her hand in her father's hand.

She also wished that one day they would stop and notice her standing there, next to that house and that the father would point at her and tell the little girl with a face full of surprise, that Emma was his lost daughter and that the little girl had a sister.

But this never happened, even if Emma stood next to that house every afternoon until she was 10 years old and the girl finally noticed her, pointed at her and opened her mouth.

"Why is that poor and skinny girl watching us so creepily?"

"Wake up, saviour! We do not have all day."

A strange voice called on her and Emma fell out of her slumber. When she opened her eyes she saw a woman in front of her eyes. It took a while for Emma to understand where she was and who the woman were, but soon it all went clear, or at least clearer. The woman, Cora, had knocked her out and then taken her here. Since nothing moved Emma understood she was still in the Enchanted Forest, but why had Cora called her the Saviou... No, no, no.

Cora was probably going to try to break the curse.

"So, trying to figure out my plan, are you?"

Emma had forgot about Cora for a second and realised that she'd probably let her face speak her thoughts. She opened her mouth slightly, not really sure what to say.

"I'm.. I'm not the saviour," she said tamely.

Cora just chuckled and turned around.

"Up now."

Emma felt a force that made her stand up and she began to walk after Cora. They were no longer in a forest and up ahead Emma could se something that looked an awful lot like a... castle. She felt a bit sick to her stomach, not sure why, but seeing this made her feel a bit uncomfortable. She was just a simple girl who had grown up on the streets and she'd never imagined she would ever se this, even less imagined that someone would believe that she was the saviour that was going to save this land from its current state.

"The only way you're going to get out alive is if you do as I say," Cora said without turning around.

When Emma didn't answer Cora turned around and made the invincible force around Emma's body tighten.

"Understand?"

"Yes," Emma managed to spit out, because right now she actually didn't se another way out of this.

Cora released her grip around Emma again and they went back to walking, now very close to the castle.

"Why are you doing this? What can you gain from it?" Emma asked, thinking she might at least get a little information out of this and she had also noticed that most 'villains' liked to share their grand plans.

"Well, actually, my daughter is in there somewhere and I plan to se her."

That was not what Emma had expected. This whole trip seemed to be people wanting to see their loved ones, both Neal and now this... Cora. Emma wasn't sure what exactly she had been expecting but it surely wasn't some reunion with a daughter.

Emma continued to think about this and trying to figure out how she could use this while they made their way to the gates.

Cora stopped in front of the big gates and turned to Emma with a big smile.

"Now it's your turn, princess."

Both Hook and Baelfire stood there now, looking at the place where the smoke had been and at each other. Either of them was really sure how to act now but Hook was the one to break the silence.

"You know where this castle is, aye?"

Baelfire looked up and nodded.
"Yes... I'm pretty sure."

"You will help me go and get Emma?"

A suspicious look raised upon Bae's face and Hook surely gave him all the rights in the world to give it to him.

"You're just trying to get to my father."

"I won't, Bae. I can only promise that I won't, I wish I could show you that you can trust me but look, I'll be going there either way and I know you will too, so why not trust me?"

Hook was execting some sort of disagreement but to his surprise Baelfire didn't disagree, he just nodded even if it was slightly unwillingly.

"Also, please call me Neal."

That was the least he could do, Hook thought as they started talking about how to get to the castle and freeing both Emma and the citizen of the Enchanted Forest.

The gates were huge and made of a dark, rich wood. Cora stood there for a second, only watching them with a face that made it clear she was trying to open them with her mind, but they acted just like everything else here; they didn't move, they were as frozen as ever. Emma stood behind Cora, watching her. She wasn't sure what to do, but her head was trying to find a solution to this puzzle. She was pretty sure Cora was aware of her every move so she just stood still, sure that if Cora knew she was trying something, Emma would be stuck in her magic and that would really turn her chances of escaping to zero.

Cora turned around again, trying to hide her annoyance but Emma noticed a small change in the way she held her eyebrows. Then she looked like she got an idea and she started smiling again.

"Of course, the saviour needs to do this," she said and waved Emma towards her, making the magic push Emma forward.

It was so strange, being pushed by magic and Emma hated the feeling of being so vulnerable and helpless.

Cora made Emma touch the gates, push them and she even made Emma say weird words at them but nothing worked. Emma felt a bit content at this fact, she knew she wasn't this saviour. But, a part of her wished she could be it, not only because it was probably the only way she'd may have a way out of this, but also that if she was the saviour, that meant that she had parents. The thought of parents made her fingers twitch and a strange sensation of hope swirl around in her head.

But, the gates didn't move.

"Are we there soon?"

Neal looked over his shoulder once again, now giving Hook a really annoying look.

"Look, Killian, I know you want to get there, but asking every five minutes won't make the time pass faster."

It was such a strange feeling, Ba... Neal treating him as a kid, but Hook didn't really care. He really wanted them to move faster, he couldn't really think. His lips were still aching after the kiss and he didn't want to know what Cora was doing to Emma.

After Cora just staring into the air for nearly two minutes she suddenly jumped.

"Of course, dear god, I'm stupid." A purple smoke of magic later, Cora was gone. Emma looked around swiftly before tensely starting the search for something that could act as a weapon. She wondered where Neal and Hook where, maybe they were making their way here? She hoped so.

Ten seconds after Cora had strangely disappeared Emma found what she was looking for. A big branch, heavy at one side, was thrown at the side. Emma picked it up and felt the short branch's weight in her hand before Cora showed up again. She was carrying something but let go of it when Emma started rush towards her with the branch in her hands. The adrenaline came shooting through her body as soon as she started to move, but fighting against a witch who had worked with magic nearly her whole life wasn't easy and Cora simply moved her hand.

Emma was stuck in a thick cloud of magic again, Cora didn't let her move. The only thing Emma could do was to stay still, hell, she couldn't move if she wanted to. All her plans of knocking Cora out had turned to dust when Cora just lightly had made a small move with her hand capturing Emma in the thick cloud. The branch now laid on the ground, Emma unable to reach for it.

Cora had moved out of Emma's sight a moment ago and now she returned, carrying that thing again. When Cora came closer Emma could se that what Cora was carrying was a big, goldish- looking... crown. With a content smile Cora strode towards Emma and placed it upon Emma's head.

First, nothing happened other than Emma just really wanted to kick the heavy crown off her head but just two seconds after the crown being placed upon her head the gates started to squeak and slowly they began to move, revealing a big street with lots of small houses all made of a grey, beautiful stone.

A sudden wind started to play in Emma's hair when Cora started to move through the city, full of people whom all had started to move.

It all looked so natural and as if no time had passed at all even if Emma was pretty sure it had been 28 years.

Cora turned towards Emma, smiled dangerously and moved her hand again.

"No more need of you, princess."

Emma felt the magic loosening its grip of her and she fell to the ground, causing the heavy crown to fall off. The second it hit the ground the people stopped again and the small, playful wind stopped playing with Emma's hair.

But this time, not only did the people stopped, but also Cora. She stood there and started angrily at Emma.

Surprised at this new information Emma tried touching the crown but nothing happened. She had no idea what to do now. It all had happened so fast and she hadn't had any time to think everything through and actually understanding that she was the saviour. And if she was the saviour, that meant that her parents where here, frozen in time. Emma jumped to her feat with the crown stuffed under her arm. She ran past Cora and into the city.

The thought felt very strange in her head, but she had to save her... family.