Summary:Emma awakens in a strange place alone, she must escape - Meanwhile Killian, Elsa and Red awaken to find a desperate Snow wanting to find her daughter.
Laying on a cold stone floor caused a radiating pain up her back but Emma smiled as she recalled her last moments before losing consciousness. Her father's comforting arms around her, somehow, he had found her. This thought filled her with joy and anticipation. She sat up eager, only to find herself restrained with metal chains around her legs and arms. The air was cold and stale with only one small flicker of light coming from a single torch above her, in a damp cell.
"What, Dad.. where are you?"
Her voice echoed around the stones but there was no response, her heart began to race, wondering if she imagined him saving her. As that thought sunk in, she gasped out in pain, curling her legs inward and wrapping her arms around them.
"Is anyone there"!
It was then he made himself known, crunching on a green apple just outside the door, he stepped closer, but she could only see his silhouette.
"Who is that?"
There was no answer, just rattling of keys in the lock before it swung open to reveal, a perfect replica of her father. Now without poison running through her veins, it was obvious that it wasn't him, his eyes gave it away, that and the way he stood. With too much confidence, a petty grin on his face. Black leather pants and a silk shirt he strutted into the cell, locking the door behind him. Without even a word he sauntered over, unlocking the chains around Emma's ankles and wrists.
"Sorry about this, so embarrassed, not a great first impression of your uncle"
"James, it was you… I thought"
"Your father hasn't found you; he sure takes his time"
"What do you want?"
Emma recoiled away from him as he smirked at her, looking into the eyes of this stranger with her father's face, felt like a punch to the gut. Her back now against the cold stone wall tears welling in her eyes, there was nowhere to escape.
"Ah, so he told you about me?"
"He told me you died, how are you here"?
"Dr Frankenstein before he got taken in the queens curse, my father was able to convince him to help get his kingdom back, of course there both gone now, in your realm"
Emma was silent looking closer, she noticed his complexion was a little off, his face paler then any living person. This realization only reinforced her anxiety, her thoughts back to the maze, wondering if her friends where still alive.
"Did you see anyone else, in the maze?"
"You were alone, when I found you"
"I have to find my friends, they were poisoned too"
As sense of urgency overcame her and she began to walked towards the locked cell door, picturing Killian, believing he would have survived, that he was still out there. She just needed to find him.
"Uh, unfortunately, I do need you here"
"You can't stop me"
"You think, I can't take on a kid"
Emma smiled as she focused on the lock and hinges keeping her here, her hands glowing as she aimed them at the steel door. The white light flew out and blasted against it with a loud bang, but it barely budged.
"Impressive"
He stepped closer to her, and her shield appeared like a reflex, and he observed closely in awe, like he was viewing an animal at the zoo. Emma's eyes were on the keys attached to his pant buckle.
"You want them, gonna have to fight me"
"Just let me go, please, I don't know what will happen, if I strike you"
"Only one way to find out, niece"
Emma stood up her hands shaking, still the light burst out directionless he didn't even have to move, in order to avoid being hit.
"David didn't teach you, how to hit a target"?
Frowning she clenched her fist, trying again this time with better aim, but he still managed to duck and roll out of the way.
"Getting better, maybe you just need more practice"
"This isn't a game"
"I know, this is life and death, afterlife in fact, that's why I need you here"
"What do you want from me?"
"Not you exactly, your just the bait"
"For who?"
"I had hoped we could get on, but I can tell, your too much like your father."
"You never even knew him".
"Do you? Didn't he send you away, 'to give you your best chance'... I'm sure my parents thought the same, when they sold me off" He said with a chuckle "Funny, how history repeats itself.
"Hilarious" Emma said through gritted teeth.
"Look at you, on your own again... your parents like to say they will always find each other, maybe you should ask yourself, why they lose each other".
"You don't know them, it's people like you that pull them apart, but there like magnets, this energy pulling, pushing them together, their love so powerful, that I can do this".
Emma bawled her hand into a fist punching the air, forcing a ball of light flying towards a surprised James's chest, sending him clear across the cell and into the stone wall with a thud. Now unconscious on the floor, Emma carefully stepped forward making sure her uncle was unconscious, before reaching down and taking the keys from his belt.
"Didn't need that much practice after all".
"I know you… no, Mulan" Elsa gasped out in her sleep as she tossed in her sheets.
"Emma"!
Killian called out sitting up abruptly, disoriented he found himself swinging in a hammock, hanging above another, were Red slept still deep in a dream. The room was large with another seven little beds, where Elsa lay across three. Killian frowned confused, looking himself over, his legs clear of any cuts or marks, as if he was never attacked. None of this was important, as his heart raced, and eyes darted around the room searching. Emma was nowhere to be seen and he quickly, slipped out of the hammock, landing on the wooden floor with a thud.
"Smells like cocoa" Red said, grunting as the sound woke her.
"You, ok?"
"Headache otherwise fine, um where are we?"
"I don't know, the last thing I remember...". Killian started to say, but he couldn't find the words.
Killians mouth suddenly dry, as he recalled the dagger and the name engraved on it, the Dark one was now Snow White. Just as he gasped recalling seeing her name on the blade, Snow White entered from the kitchen a black cloak over her head.
"Good, your awake"
Her tone was cold and gruff as she struggled to stand still, growing inpatient as they sluggishly woke.
"Snow, you're here!"
Red bounding out of her hammock running over and wrapping her arms around Snow White, this hug wasn't the warm comforting one she was used to. Snow White was stiff, hesitant to wrap her arms around Red and letting go quickly.
"How did you find us, did anyone else come with you, where's Gran?"
"You have a lot of questions, I'll explain everything… later, first you need to tell me, what happened to Emma?"
"You didn't find her?" Killian
"No, she wasn't with you". Snow
"We lost her, in the maze" Killian
"Well, she's not there now, you need to tell me what happened?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, we don't really know". Red's voice croaked, feeling a tension in the air.
"What do you mean, you were with her, you should know something".
Snow's eyes narrowed her tone beyond anxiety or frustration but a hatred, towards their inability to provide answers.
"Oh, just before we got trapped, we called for the dark one" Red explained.
"What"? Snow gasped confused, wondering how much they knew.
"Rumpelstiltskin, but he never showed". Red finished.
"Right of course" Snow
"What, where am I?"
Elsa gasped sitting up in the bed, her hand went to her head, feeling disorientated even with the poison out of her system. She still felt the trauma of the maze a vision from another life, clouded her head she didn't know what was real.
"You going to feel dizzy, this will help".
Snow White stepped forward making her way to Elsa with a cup in her hand, she handed it to her with a smile, before offering the same to Red and Killian.
"What is this"? Killian
"Hot chocolate, with cinnamon of course, the poison you were exposed to, can bring up some traumatic memories, chocolate helps trust me".
Handing them each a warm cup they smiled sipping away, but it didn't taste right, sweeter than usual. Any relief was not long lasting as the three teens made their way to the table, they felt glum, knowing they left one behind.
"Maybe she got out, on her own, used her shield". Red suggested.
"Either way, we need to find her, she's all alone". Killian said, standing up and storming off outside.
Elsa and Red immediately moved to follow Killians example, but Snow White gestured for them to stay, and she followed him.
"Killian, you've been awake for a few minutes and you're already taking off".
"Emma is sick, injured... we don't have time for cocoa".
"Don't you think I know that, if you knew what I sacrificed, just to be here".
"Oh, I know, I found the dagger, I called for you, for the Dark One" Killian replied angry.
"Where is it now, the dagger?"
"Lost my grip on it, in the vines."
Killians tone changed and there was silence for a moment as they glared at each other, before their eyes softened.
"There is a spell I found, it requires true love, it should lead Emma to you".
"A spell, you can't be seriously thinking of using magic, dark magic no matter your intent, it will destroy you, all of us".
"We have to risk it, you just said Emma is injured, out there alone, I won't fail her, I will find her, if it's the last thing I do".
"No there's another way, there's always another way, Emma wouldn't want this".
"If there is, it will require time, sacrifice, when we've already lost so much".
Killian was speechless in only a few days of the daggers power taking hold, Snow White had lost her way, and he couldn't argue further simply nodding his head. She smiled and with a wave of her hand, one of the many rings he wore, appeared in her palm.
"What are you doing?"
"The spell requires a personal affect, I will enchant it, to guide Emma to us".
"Ok, that might be a good idea".
Killian quickly changed his mind on that thought, as Snow White sliced her palm letting the blood trickle out onto his ring, before closing her fist tight. Staring blankly ahead, she muttered a spell while the blood seeped out of her hand dripping onto the dirt, when she opened it again, the ring glowed of white light.
"Blood to blood, I summon thee".
Staring out at the sunrise through a small window in the tallest tower, a knight sat still on a wooden stool yawning as he watched a flock of bird's sore through the sky. Abruptly intruding on this peaceful moment, Emma ran past down the spiralling staircase, coated in dried blood and dirt, surrounded by a glowing aurora of magic.
"What the..."! The disorientated guard gasped.
So bewildered by what he had just seen, he took a minute to sound the alarm. Eventually the bell did ring and within seconds, she was facing a hall full of knights armed with swords and bow's.
"These guys again" Emma moaned.
Acting as a battering ram, she charged through the line of knights, but with each hit to the shield, she felt it weaken. However her plan worked as the men and women swung their swords at the white light, it pushed them backwards onto the ground. Making a clear path forwards, Emma was able to reach the courtyard, only to find she had much further to go before she was free, as about a hundred arrows flew towards her.
"Crap"
The onslaught of arrows pelted her shield, and it eventually dissipated, just as she found refuge behind a cart. Now unable to raise it again weakened from days of fighting; she gasped out feeling hopeless with nowhere left to turn.
"Don't kill her, just capture"
James yelled out from the tower above, his tone bitter and frustrated as he continued, down towards the courtyard.
"I don't know how anyone ever lived here, haunted mazes, killer knights and undead uncles"
Ten more knights ran down the stairwell from the left and right of Emma, backing her into the corner by the stables.
"You can't fight us kid, not alone"
A tall knight said, twirling his sword tauntingly as he stepped closer, Emma had witnessed scenes like this before, on the pages of the storybook. She never imagined it like this, facing it alone and wounded, but then again, she'd always been alone. Getting up from the ground fists clenched, Emma smirked at the knight readying to fight.
"You have no idea what I'm capable of"
Emma leaped over a barrier while blasting a large stack of hay with a guiding bolt, the dried straw flying in every direction providing her cover. She ran headlong through the stable, but there were to many knights. Looping around they blocked her at the exit, the sudden stop, causing Emma to fall to the ground, banging her head against something metal. A zap of magic went up her spine when she struck steel bars behind her that buzzed with energy, she turned to see a large wolf in a cage. The steel frame barely fitting around the creature, it looked at her with hatred in its eyes, its fur coated in scars some fresh others, years old.
"What have they done to you?"
Emma could only gasp, never having seen a creature in such poor condition, she turned to see a further six or seven more caged wolves in the barn.
"Scared of the big bad wolf, girl"
A knight swung his sword forward and Emma quickly stepped back, but it still managed to slice her thigh and blood drained out.
"No, but I bet you are"
Emma held her hand up revealing she still had the keys, and quickly unlocked the cage setting the wolf free, before she ducked and rolled out of the way.
"Wait no"!
Knights scrambled running in every direction and slamming into each other, creating an echo of clanging in the courtyard. Emma went to work freeing the rest of the wolves, that quickly made lunch of their captors, looking around horrified as more blood spilled, Emma hobbled away her leg still bleeding.
"Damm,"
Emma gasped out in pain, not able to bear any weight after only a few steps, however she persisted, hobbling to a large wooden gate. That opened with help of a pulley system using weights and counters, it was complicated. Emma was running out of time choosing to simply brute strength this, she swung her fists forward striking the mechanism with her magic.
"She won't make it far out there, she's alone". James
"Not alone" Anita
Pushing the gate open Anita whistled sharply, calling the wolves to her side, they complied running over quickly leaving the knights stunned.
"The girl is leaving and so are we". Anita
Emma sighed the tension in her body eased slightly, but there was a numbness to her relief, as she followed the wolves out of the courtyard and across the drawbridge, to the safety of the forest.
"Thank you"
"I heard you, freeing the wolves, I had to help".
"I wouldn't just leave them there".
"What if they had attacked you".
"I guess, I didn't think of that".
"You're a strange girl".
Emma didn't have an answer, too tired to engage further discussion she simply shrugged as they walked, but every step was painful, and she couldn't help but wince. After another mile of this Anita pursed her lips unable to let this go on.
"Let's me take a look at that leg".
"I'm fine"
"You're not, let me help, you're stuck here because of me... I just wanted to see my daughter again".
"How did you find me?"
"I never left, just kept my distance, but in that maze, I couldn't hear Red or smell her, I had no idea what happened, then I saw that man carrying you out, so I followed..."
"I don't know, where Red is?"
"I know, I don't either she could be dead... it's all my fault, I was such a fool, now the Dark one is back in this realm".
"You can't blame yourself, all you wanted was to find your family, I can understand that".
"Good intentions don't make for good deeds, some would kill for their family, cross realms, you can romanticise it, but there is a cost".
Anita looked sorrowful watching as Emma limped up the dirt path beside her, Anita sighed reaching for Emma's hand, taking it gently coaxing her over to a nearby rock to sit. Quickly she tore of part of her dress wrapping it tightly around the cut on Emma's leg.
"Arrgh" Emma cried out in pain.
"Sorry but we need to wrap this, it will help"
Anita also looked at her arm which still had a small amount of blood seeping out, Killian had bandaged it up well enough, but she was in desperate need of a refresh.
"Thank you, you don't have to"
"I need to, I really am sorry"
Anita's hand now went through Emma's hair pulling it away from her face behind her ear gently, now she could see her exhausted eyes. Suddenly Emma heard a ringing in her ears overwhelming her for a moment, she clasped her hands over them. Before she felt a warmth throughout her body, she could smell him feel him, as if his arms where around her and she smiled.
"What's happening?"
"Killian, I know where he is"
"How?"
"I just do, right over those hills, by a large house in a meadow, his with someone, I think he needs help?"
"I have an idea; I don't think you'll like it".
"I'll try anything, to get back to him"
Running with the wind they almost soared across the grasslands heading back into the now deserted kingdom Regina once ruled. Emma felt better with every step in the right direction, holding on tight to Anita's fur, it was long and soft, and she found herself needing to close her eyes as she sat on the back of the large wolf.
Notes: Let me know if you liked this chapter - next time Emma and the dark Snow reunite but this only devastates Emma further