Previously on this fic (or check out the last 5 chapters of Welcome to the Storybrooke for time loop storyline in full)
Emma Swan arrives in Storybrooke at fifteen, not twenty-eight, Principle Mills does her best to get her newest student expelled, but Emma fights to stay. Connecting with a mysterious boy from her school. Who insists everyone in Storybrooke is a fairytale character, including him, Captain Hook. Although she doesn't believe it, Emma is offered a home with her English teacher, Miss Blanchard and finds friendship with Ruby and Elsa.
Captain Hook comes to Storybrooke for revenge, finding redemption instead, to bring Emma home. When the teens share a true love's kiss, the curse is broken.
Then
Our lives are made in these small hours, these little wonders, these twist and turns of fate
Passing around the bottle of rum procured from the bar, left manned by Dopey, Killian, Red, Elsa and Emma all had grins on their faces. The music and chatter from their families echoed down the long halls of the sorcerer's mansion. As the buzz from the alcohol fogged their minds, the noises from the birthday party faded away.
Emma's sweet sixteenth hadn't gone as planned, with a visit from Maleficent, disintegrating Killian to ash before her eyes. Emma had to turn back the clock an hour in order to save him, only for Elsa to meet the same fate, then her parents. Stuck in a time loop, it took working together, finding Lily to stop the horrible cycle of death. But all magic comes with a price. Three hours were traded, moments gone that seem insignificant, but it's the small moments that lead to the big ones, that forge the deep connections to those around us.
Emma smiled wide, standing tall in her red jacket surrounded by her closest friends, convincing herself the price of saving them wasn't too high. Killian's head leant forwards his arm on Red's shoulder, the pair struggled to get their words out through laughter. Watching as Elsa coughed after taking her first sip of rum. To which Emma shook her head, having warned her friend, she wouldn't enjoy the taste. In the middle of the room was a large wooden door marked with symbols from the Kingdom of Arendelle.
This strange doorway to nowhere began to rattle, all four teenagers turned towards the racket, with bemused expressions. Their laughter abruptly stopped just as the dim lit room filled with a bright green light. A gust of wind flung the door open revealing a vortex. Elsa was the closest and first to disappear into the swirling green portal. Ruby, unable to take advantage of her werewolf strength or senses in her inebriated state. Fell onto her back sliding across the floor and through the doorway seconds after.
Emma's face paled, turning to Killian she reached out her hand as did he, their fingertips just grazing each other. Killian fell to the ground, his head slamming onto the floor. He slid across the floorboards to the portal, not a glimmer of fear in his eyes but a fierce determination. He jammed his hook into the hardwood door frame, his bright blue eyes looked over to Emma as she took a step towards him.
"Stay back" Killian bellowed out, trying to pull himself back through the doorway.
Emma let out a gut wrenching cry, seeing his pained expression only able to watch as he struggled against the vortex. Books flew from the shelf at the back of the room, into the portal sweeping Killian up with it, and he was gone. The music from the party suddenly got louder when as two people entered the room, Emma knew who it was before she even turned to face her parents. Since arriving in Storybrooke a year ago, finding them everything had changed, no longer a lost girl Emma relaxed her stance and smiled at them.
"Find us" Emma stated hopeful before purposely stepping forwards, her feet left the ground, she flew into the portal. The door slamming shut behind her with a thud, all the flying debris fell to the ground as the wind came to an abrupt stop, leaving a gut wrenching silence.
Now
Emma's hands covered her ears, as the clock tower above the library struck twelve the thunderous sound began fading like an echo. Moments from Storybrooke were brought to the forefront of Emma's mind. In just over a year, it had become more than just another place she drifted through, but a home. Being torn from it now, from her parents felt like a punch to her gut, that left her winded.
"Find us" Her voice sounded determined, brave when the magical doorway closed with Snow White and the Prince on the other side.
The saviours' eyes sealed tight as if that act could make her forget the look in their eyes as they helplessly watched their daughter get pulled into another world, again. Now flying through a green whirlpool, her stomach dropped and a sickly feeling overwhelmed Emma. A sensation of weightlessness, as if being flung through space with nothing to hold onto.
It all came to a sudden and painful stop as she landed on her back, on the cobblestone streets of a grand kingdom. Not a single lamp lining the streets had been lit, her surroundings nothing but empty dark buildings on a narrow path. Looking up she frowned, the stars twinkled brighter, the full moon was glowing with magic, this beauty and wonder only elicited a gasp from her.
"Emma!" Killian said relieved, covering the stars was his beautiful face.
"Killian, you're ok" Emma smiled wide.
"Here" Killian held out his hook which Emma clung to, and he pulled her up from the ground in one swift movement "we need to run"
Killian took off with Emma closely behind; they ran around a corner, into a small courtyard. The stone fountain in the middle only had a trickle of water running down it, this absence of life was eerie.
"Where are we?" Emma gasped out breathless, unable to clearly see anything in the dark.
"Far from home" Killian's voice wavered heartbroken.
In the darkness running through the unfamiliar streets, both found themselves disorientated, all the shopfronts and homes identical.
"What are we running from?" Emma tone fearful, looking around trying to spot any immediate threat.
"I saw a group of knights beating up a man, and I seemed to set off some sort of alarm with my presence, that's when they saw me…" he paused for a moment to catch his breath "they had this look in their eyes, they hunger for the kill" Killian turned back looking Emma in the eyes she could see his fear.
"We can't run forever" Emma gasped out terrified.
"We need to find Red and Elsa," Killian said breathlessly.
"You didn't see them come through?" Emma picked up the pace now right beside Killian.
"No, but they can't be far" Killian tried to reassure Emma, his eyes revealing the fear he had for their lives.
"We can't run forever" Emma stated breathless "In here" she instructed now pulling Killian in another direction.
A small restaurant in front of them had a smashed in window, creating a quick entrance for the couple.
Climbing into the small corner store, they heard footsteps rushing towards them in the darkness. Killian panicked, sliding into the gap and onto the floor abruptly. putting his arm around Emma as they hid under the windowsill, they held their breaths waiting for whoever it was to move along.
"What if that was Elsa, or Red?" Emma said, her hand gripping onto Killians sleeve anxiously.
"I don't know, this doesn't make sense, how did a portal open?" Killian frowned trying to understand it.
"Elsa was just showing me the door before you and Ruby came in… but we barely touched it" Emma went over the events, her eyes wide, darting around playing the last few minutes of her life over in her mind.
"Liam, I've left him again" Killian sighed leaning his head back against the wall, he closed his eyes.
"I'm so sorry Killian" Emma had tears trickling down her cheeks, leaning her head on his chest.
The faces of those they left behind in the forefront of her mind, David and Mary Margaret's agonised expressions watching helplessly, as Emma got ripped from their lives once again. The saviour began to sob, the party, dancing with her parents, exploring the mansion with her friends. The life she had in Storybrooke had already become a part of her history, after she just started to open her heart to it.
"Hey, hey it's ok, it's ok, I'm here" Quickly Killian wrapped his arms around her as she let herself cry for a while. The saviour found herself not able to catch her breath crying into her boyfriend's leather jacket, her hands gripping tight as if it could ease her pain.
"Killian... I" Just as Emma began to speak, a high-pitched ear-splitting squealing sound erupted in the room they were in, and they covered their ears.
"We got to move" Killian sighed exasperated.
"To where?" Emma scoffed, eyes wide.
"Anywhere" Killian tone was hopeless, all their earlier content felt like arrogance now they were a world away from their home.
They held hands tightly over their ears, before barging through a door into a large storeroom with rows and rows of dust covered shelves of expired goods. It was an overwhelming waft of foulness, both scrunched up their nose at the smell as they ran past and out the back exit to the street once more.
"There, I see them" an older man yelled, waving his fist as he charged towards them.
"Grab those kids" Another ordered.
Two large men with swords stood in front of them with more approaching, Emma and Killian quickly turned around to run the other way. However, there were even more knights coming from the other direction, surrounding them.
"It's ok, we can fight them" Emma lifted her hands, her palms glowing with a white light.
"Not alone" Killian's eyes darting around counting about ten figures emerging from the shadows.
Behind them a loud growl and a large wolf ran towards the group of knights leaping over and latching onto one, its sharp teeth piercing the armour. Then from there left a burst of white, as icicles flew through the air knocking some knights to the ground. Emma remained by Killians side protectively, knocking a man to the ground with a blast of white light as he charged them.
"Emma, Killian you're here" Elsa gasped relieved.
"Let's show these guys who we are," Emma grinned, raising her eyebrows.
Hook grabbed an unconscious knight's weapon, a broadsword grunting as he lifted the heavy blade, with one hand. Elsa assisted by creating a layer of ice on the ground beneath their attacker's feet causing them to slip and fall.
"Are you two, ok?" Elsa called out her voice wheezed out of breath a far reach from the hopeful excited girl, she was just minutes ago in Storybrooke.
"No, but I'm glad to see you," Emma said, letting out a relieved sigh.
The three of them stood beside each other, before Red jumped in front growling at the approaching knights. One woman shot an arrow heading right towards them, instinctively a magical glowing white barrier of light expanded out of Emma. Causing the wooden arrow to snap upon hitting it. The dome shaped barrier was translucent and radiant, powered by the magic true love. Killian Elsa and Red were used to seeing this and barely flinched, relaxing their stances, now protected by the saviours shield, while their attackers stopped in their tracks.
"Screw this, I'm out of here" One whimpered out before retreating back into the darkness.
The light of the magic lit their faces, it was only now they could see their attackers' tired desperate expressions. Faces coated in dirt, their armour tattered and blood stained their bodies worn. This standoff didn't last long as the rest slowly disappeared back into the streets, leaving them alone in the courtyard.
"There running" Emma sighed with relief, her shield dissipated.
"Who were they?" Elsa asked, her mind racing.
"Good question" Killian replied as he patted Red's head, happy to see her.
"They were in knight's uniform, but not from here, there invaders," Elsa explained, kneeling down her eyes wide with recognition. Stroking her hand along the cobblestones with familiar patterns she gasped.
"You know where we are?" Killian asked, squinting in the darkness.
"Home" Elsa stood up, lifting her hands over her head, bright glowing snowflakes began fluttering around them. Revealing the statue of her parents at the centre of the courtyard surrounded by quaint houses.
"Arendale," Emma said in awe.
"Not what I imagined," Killian added, his eyes scanning the empty streets.
"They've closed the gates, the alarms aren't set by those who attacked us, but whoever is in the castle, they're trying to protect themselves, from something" Elsa explained, beginning the walk up the hill towards the castle entrance.
"Elsa are you ok?" Emma asked her friend to take her hand.
"I'm fine, I just never imagined finding my home like this, with scavengers running through the streets, homes abandoned, it's as if". Elsa's voice trailed off.
"The curse left a toll on this world" Emma frowned, her eyes distant.
Emma took Elsa's hand walking towards the castle, creating a light source with her magic to guide their way through the darkened streets.
"Their Queens, been missing for sixteen years" Killian sighed offering Elsa a pitying look.
"I was never their Queen, never had a chance to attend my coronation because of the curse, others they helped, made the decisions, they should be here" Elsa explained with a guilty expression.
"It's ok, we'll find out what's going on" Emma gave her a reassuring nod, but her smile didn't reach her eyes, in reality all she could focus on was getting home.
"What about us? Why did the portal suddenly open?" Killian's voice strained, waving his hand about in frustration.
"That door was just an entry point, it shouldn't have pulled us in not without some powerful magic, someone wanted to bring us here desperately" Elsa looked up to the castle "They need help"
Looking at the surroundings, Emma could see the beautiful, stained glass windows on every shop and house, the Arendale crest on many. Almost every building had been broken into and trashed with barely anything left to scavenge, even bodies were left decaying in the streets.
"We should just be able to go back through the door, right?" Emma asked, her voice shaking, suddenly she felt like a helpless child, looking back over her shoulder for her parents but no one was there.
"It's gone, disappeared after we came through" Killian stated solemnly as he saw the despair in Emma's eyes.
"How will we get home?" Emma asked, her voice breaking as she choked out the words.
But no one had the answers, and an eerie silence set in, while the four teenagers slowly made their way through the deserted streets that were once a bustling vibrant city. Emma's mind wondered, as the cold crept in she pictured her parents. If she were home right now, they would be there together, drinking hot cocoa. With Emma lost she feared the depths they would steep to, in order to find her.