vi. deep breath

━ ❝ take a breath, don't let go ❞

━━━━★✼☆｡━━━━

IT FELT STRANGE: being in the Enchanted Forest again after so many years. And Melody didn't think she'd be tied up in the back of a wagon, kidnapped by none other than Aurora and Mulan. She didn't expect Aurora to be so stuck up and she didn't expect Mulan to be so rude. Neither of the two so-called "Disney Princess" showed her, Emma, or Mary Margaret no kindness whatsoever. To say her kid self-was disappointed was an understatement. As they traveled, Melody made out small huts and people gathered around as they all did their designated jobs.

"What is this place?" Melody asked, letting the question roll off her tongue. She got a roll of an eye from Aurora and a vague answer from Mulan.

"Our home."

People turned their heads their way when they passed by. Some giving them looks of pity and some just simply watching with no expressions. Mulan stopped the wagon and got out along with Aurora. Mulan grabbed them and pulled them off the wagon, pushing them forward. Melody glared fiercely but followed the direction Mulan directed them too. As the three looked around, they noticed the small number of people that were gathered in the small camp.

"It's like they're refugees," Emma commented.

"We're survivors," Mulan disagreed.

Realizing Mulan had let her guard down to counter Emma's comment, Melody took the opportunity to swing around and knee Aurora in the gut, giving her, Emma, and Mary Margaret a head start. But Mulan was quicker and punched Mary Margaret across the face — knocking her unconscious. The two stopped and ran over to the ex-bandit.

"Mary Margaret! Mary Margaret! What did you do?!" Emma demanded.

Mulan glared distastefully at the blonde and the teen girl next to her. "Take them to the pit. All of them," she ordered. Three guards came up to them and one grabbed Emma, the other grabbed Melody, and the other one grabbed the unconscious princess. The two conscious ones struggled against them but were thrown into the dungeon.

"Be careful you idiot. Where are your manners?" Melody snapped.

Emma knelt down by Mary Margaret and shook her gently. "Come on... Wake up. Can you hear me?"

Melody settled down and then got a feeling like they were being watched. She looked over to the shadows where a voice spoke, "Do you need help?"

The brunette tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at the person's dark silhouette. "Who are you?"

"A friend," the person replied. They stepped out into the shadows and Melody saw that it was an older woman. Who — odd enough — looked like Regina in a way. "My name is Cora."

———

The bad feeling the two got in their chest when Cora tended to Mary Margaret was very strong. Neither acted on it.

"You sure she's going to be okay?" Melody asked.

Cora looked up at smiled at the young girl "Don't worry. She'll be fine," she assured. Melody nodded. She still couldn't help but think the resemblance between her mother and this woman was quite surprising. It was possible that she could be Regina's mother, but she doubted it.

"What is this place? Where are we?"Emma questioned.

"It's a little island our captors like to think of as their haven," Cora explained. When Melody asked what they made the so-called "Haven" for, Cora gave her a vague answer: "The world's dangerous. What's left of it, anyway."

Emma sighed. "Well, they can't keep us down here. We didn't do anything wrong," she pointed out.

"Neither did I."

Melody raised an eyebrow, leaning closer to her. "Then why are you here?"

"I'm here because of something my daughter did. The curse that ravaged this land? She cast it."

Her eyes widened. She was right? Regina was Cora's daughter? This much shocked Melody, since Regina had never spoken of her mother. The brunette had just assumed that she had died.

"Regina. You're Regina's mother?" Emma repeated, stunned.

"Yes. But you have nothing to fear from me. The apple fell very far from the tree." She looked curious and attempted to look innocent. "You're both from over there, aren't you? How'd you get back?"

Melody was suspicious of Cora's questions and narrowed her eyes again. But Emma didn't seem to be suspicious at all and was about to speak when Mary Margaret stirred and sat up, holding her head. When her eyes met Cora's, they went wide in horror. "Emma. No..." Mary Margaret trailed off. Melody saw the fear and shock in Mary Margaret's eyes and knew that Cora was not someone they would want to make friends with.

"Oh, Snow, you're awake. I'm so relieved," Cora smiled with fake joy.

Mary Margaret — in her horror — grabbed Emma and Melody, pulling them away. "As bad as you think Regina is, this woman is worse," Mary Margaret told them.

"Oh, Snow. Sweet Snow. Please... Believe me. Whatever she told you isn't true. I just want to help you," Cora lied.

The teen felt her magic start to brew in her veins so she stretched her finger - ready to use it at any moment. Cora saw and then — surprisingly — held slight fear in her eyes. She knew what kids with magic could accomplish. They held no control over their powers which was dangerous.

"Let's hear her out," Emma suggested.

"Emma," Melody whispered in a warning tone.

She looked over at her. "Okay. Right now, we are at the bottom of a hole with no other options. And Henry is back in Storybrooke with Regina."

"Who's Henry?" Cora asked.

"None of your-"

Emma interrupted Melody. "My son. I kind of share him with Regina. It's complicated." Melody glared at Emma. She knew that if Mary Margaret was afraid of someone, they were dangerous and that she couldn't trust them. And here Emma was, telling Cora about Henry who happened to be the most important person in her life.

"Don't talk to her," Mary Margaret scolded.

"Enough!" someone called. The four looked up to see a guard. He threw down a rope. "Our leader requests an audience."

———

The teenager did not appreciate the way the guard held her arm in a death grip. She was sure the blood in her arm had stopped flowing. And she knew she was definitely getting a bruise. "Why couldn't you just listen to Snow?" Melody hissed at Emma.

The blonde gave her a look. "Why couldn't you have trusted me? I was just trying to find a way to get us home. I could've handled her."

"Cora?" Mary Margaret questioned. "Don't be so sure. We've lived here, Emma. We know this world and its dangers."

The guard stopped and let go of them. Melody winced and rubbed her bruised arm. "Wait here," the guard instructed. He walked away and Melody made a face at his retreating figure, sticking out her tongue. The unexpected happened when another guard — presumably the leader of the small village — stepped out from a hut.

Mary Margaret smiled and the guard smiled back. "Lancelot?" she said surprised.

"Snow?" the guard said, equally as shocked. The two stepped forward and embraced. Melody raised an eyebrow in confusion and Emma looked just as confused as she did.

"If I had known that you were the prisoners Mulan had brought back, I never would have locked you away. Please — forgive me," Lancelot apologized.

The former bandit nodded. "Of course."

"Lancelot? Really?" Emma sighed with a tired look. All of these fairytale characters were getting a bit much for her. There was too many of them to keep track of. Everyone she met in the town had relations with another fairytale character she had grown up thinking was just like — a fairytale character.

Mary Margaret nodded. "He's an old friend. We can trust him."

Both Melody and Emma did not look convinced. It was a rather odd coincidence that Mary Margaret's old friend just happened to run a village for the remaining people in the Enchanted Forest with Cora as a prisoner.

———

Melody had a lot of different kinds of food in the Enchanted Forest. But the meat Lancelot dropped on the table was something she'd never seen before. Her eyes studied it with complete and utter confusion. What was this thing?

"What the hell is that?" Emma asked.

"That is chimera. An acquired taste, but all our hunting party could bring back. One part lion, one part serpent, one part goat," Lancelot explained.

The teen reached forward and poked it. "So like turducken then?" Melody asked. Lancelot looked confused as to what that was but before he could ask, Mary Margaret asked Lancelot as to how they all escaped the curse.

"It is a mystery. The curse struck and when the smoke cleared, most of us had been torn from this land. But some of us here, in this particular region, were left behind. We don't know how, and we don't know why. Finding this safe haven wasn't easy. Took some spilled blood. But worry not. You're safe here," Lancelot explained with a reassuring smile that wasn't all that reassuring.

Mary Margaret shook her head sadly. "We can't stay. My husband's back there, my grandson, and this young girl's mother. We have to get back to them. Can you help us find a portal?"

"No, leaving is unwise. The Enchanted Forest is not as you remember it. The ogres have returned."

Emma laughed slightly. "Ogres? Like, as in fee-fi-fo-fum?"

"Those are giants," Melody corrected.

Lancelot nodded. "Ogres are far worse. And that's why we live here. On this island, where it's safe." He looked at Mary Margaret. "Please, Snow. Stay here. There are no more portals left"

She made a face and then something dawned on her. "I might know of one." They all looked at her with wide-eyes. All of a sudden now she knew of a portal back?

"You do?" Emma and Melody said simultaneously.

"Where?" Lancelot asked intrigued.

Mary Margaret leaned closer to them so no one could overhear them. "Cora's near. I don't feel comfortable voicing my plans. She's powerful."

"Not anymore. The curse stripped her of her powers. But, given her reputation, we kept her locked up as a precaution." Melody realized how Lancelot's eyes shined with a glint of anger. But by the way Mary Margaret talked to the knight, she guessed he was rather nice. So her seeing him look rather angry and annoyed made no sense to her.

The mother didn't seem to notice though. "Nevertheless, I'm not taking chances. Just trust me. I may have a way. Let us go?" Her usual warm smile adorned her face and he sighed, nodding.

"I'll allow it. But on one condition — take my bravest warrior with you. Allow Mulan to defend you," Lancelot insisted.

Melody snorted and rolled her eyes. "I don't think so. I'd rather stick my head up my—"

"Deal," Mary Margaret agreed, cutting the teen off. Melody rolled her eyes again, annoyed. "Thank you, Lancelot. For always looking out for me."

———

The teen was annoyed by the fact that Emma would not let her have a weapon. At this point, Melody was getting pissed at everything. Nothing was going right. She just wished she could go back under the curse. Because at least she'd be happy and not have to constantly think about her brother and her father. So what was happening at the moment was that every time she went to reach for one, Emma would slap her hand away. "Absolutely not. You're not getting a weapon."

Melody made a face at her and snatched a bow with a quiver full of arrows. "I'm taking a weapon, whether you like it or not."

Emma sighed and this time, she didn't take the weapon back from the brunette. "Fine. But only for emergencies."

She nodded — much to her disappointment — and said that she would.

"Follow my lead. Step where I step. Do exactly as I say, and you might survive," Mulan instructed.

Melody grinned sarcastically. "I think we're okay, thanks. But you better watch out. I might just trip you." Mulan gave her a look but the girl simply smirked in response.

"Have you ever seen an ogre?" Mary Margaret asked Emma.

Emma scoffed in response. "Pretty sure I've dated a few."

Melody laughed and couldn't help but smile at that one. Mulan didn't even move to smile or show any sign of amusement. "Legend has it, that when they kill you, the last thing you see is yourself dying in the reflection in their eyes.

"How lovely," Melody said response.

"Let's walk. It'll be dark soon," Mulan told them, giving the young teen another scowl.

They began walking and Melody stayed near Emma and Mary Margaret while Mulan kept ahead. "Don't let her rattle you. I won't let anything happen to us. Stick to the plan," Mary Margaret the blonde and the brunette.

"What is the plan? You haven't told us anything. What's going on?" Emma asked.

Mary Margaret looked ahead at Mulan before whispering, "The wardrobe."

"The wardrobe? 'The' wardrobe? Like, the wardrobe that sent little baby me to Maine? You think that can get us back to Storybrooke?"

She shrugged in response. "I don't know. First, we have to see if it survived the curse, then we'll worry about making it work," Mary Margaret admitted.

"Where is it?" Melody asked.

"My place. Want to see where you're from, Emma? That's right. We're going home."

———

Melody and Emma were in charged of guarding the "big huge clearing" while Mary Margaret and Mulan went and collected some wood to start a fire. Emma didn't seem too keen on watching guard, leaving her mother alone with the same person who kidnapped them. Which was why when Emma sprang up and loaded her gun, walking to the forest, going towards where Mary Margaret and Mulan were. Melody stood up and looked around before following. "Emma, what're you doing?"

"I'm not leaving Mary Margaret alone."

She pursed her lip, looking around before saying, "Well, neither am I."

So it was settled. Melody and Emma made their way towards where they were to see Mulan pulling Mary Margaret off of Aurora. Emma got out her gun and shot at the tree beside them. The three wiped around to see the two and their eyes went wide. "Emma, what are you doing?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Protecting you. Drop the weapon."

"Do you have any idea what you've just done?"

Growling sounded around them and they all look in the direction it came from. Melody took a deep breath. "Great! Just great!"

"Ogres?" Emma asked, even if she knew the answer herself. An Ogre appeared in front of them and they all started backing up from it.

"Run!" Mary Margaret yelled. Emma grabbed Melody's hand and they all started running through the forest. The teen had never ran so fast in her entire life. But she couldn't lie, the adrenaline in her veins was strong, and it felt amazing.

"Split up!" Melody yelled.

"Come on!" Mulan called to Aurora.

The two of them went the one way while Mary Margaret, Emma, and Melody ran the other way. "Over there," Mary Margaret directed, pointing to a tree they could climb up. The three follow her but Emma tripped on a branch.

"Emma!" Melody yelled. Emma turned around just in time to see the ogre run toward her.

She got out her gun and tried to shoot but it grabbed her gun and crushed it in its hands. "Seriously?" she said in disbelief. The brunette didn't know what to do. Emma had no weapon and she was determined to act fast. So she did the first thing that came to mind. Melody grabbed an arrow from the quiver on her shoulder and grabbed her bow. It had been ages since she had shot an arrow, so the teen could only hope she didn't miss.

"Back away from my best friend!"

The ogre turned to Melody and Emma turned to look at the teen with fearful eyes. "Melody..."

Melody didn't listen and pulled the bow back. It aimed up with its eye and she took a deep breath.

"Just take a deep breath," Malcolm instructed. Melody held the tiny bow in her hands as she aimed at the small target attached to a nearby tree.

Melody took a deep breath.

"Don't think too hard. Imagine it. Imagine the arrow flying toward the target. After a while it becomes a reflex," Malcolm told her. Melody did as told and then she closed her eyes for a second, and then opened them, letting the arrow go. The arrow tickled her cheek and then flew toward the target — hitting it dead center.

The arrow hit the ogre's eye and then it fell to the ground. Melody put the bow down and helped Emma up from the dirt floor. "You have to shoot them in the eye," Melody explained.

"When was the last time you shot an arrow?" Emma asked.

She shrugged. "Twenty-eight years ago. I used to practice all the time."

"Yeah, but how did you know you could hit that?"

Melody formed into an 'o' shape and she threw her one hand up. "I didn't. I just prayed for the best and let the arrow go." Emma gave her a fearful look. If the teen hadn't trained so much the bow, she would've been killed.

"We should get going," Mary Margaret said.

———

Seeing Mary Margaret's castle, all destroyed and in ruins, was a shock. It was odd to see the once beautiful castle now all in rubbles. Melody picked up a teddy bear that was missing an eye and smiled sadly at it. It was destroyed — much like everything else. Emma looked around in wonder as her mouth opened in shock. "Oh my god... I recognize this from Henry's book," Emma said. Mulan and Aurora left the room to go stand guard by the gate while the other three looked for a way to start the portal.

"I never thought I'd see this place again. This room... It was your nursery," Mary Margaret told her quietly.

"I lived here?"

She shook her head, sighing. "You never even got to spend a night. This is the life I wanted you to have. I was going to teach you how to walk in here. How to talk, how to dress for your first ball... You never got to do any of it. We never got to be a family."

Melody walked over to the wardrobe a ran her hand across it. "How are we going to get this to work?" she asked gesturing to the wardrobe.

"Where's the 'on' switch?" Emma questioned as they examined it.

The brunette took a step back. "It's going to be more complicated than that. We'll have to get it back to the island. Hopefully, someone there could help to teach me how to activate it. Since I have magic."

"How are we going to carry this thing?"

"With the help of an old friend," someone spoke up from behind them. They all turned to see Lancelot with a smile as he entered the room.

They all watched cautiously. "Lancelot. What are you doing here?" Mary Margaret asked confused. Melody stretched her fingers again when she felt her magic brew in her veins. It seemed as though whenever something was wrong, her magic told her.

"We heard about the ogre attack, and I had to make sure you were alright," Lancelot explained.

Melody narrowed her eyes, glancing at the entrace. "Where are Mulan and Aurora?"

"I sent them to find food. Tonight we'll make camp and then, in the morning, we'll head back. So, this is it — the portal you were after."

"The same one Emma went through. That's how she skipped the curse," Mary Margaret revealed, eyeing Lancelot with suspicion.

He ran his hand over the carvings. "Remarkable..."

"Geppetto carved it from an enchanted tree, but there's no magic left."

"Well, a portal this powerful... There must be another way to recharge it."

Melody couldn't help but scoff. "Why are you so interested in the wardrobe?" She pouted fakely. "What? Do you need to send one of your stuffies through to keep them safe?"

Lancelot glared. "Well, I just want you to get home to your mother... And brother. Henry. They must miss you and your friends."

Melody drew her bow instantly, Mary Margaret drawing her sword. "Stay away from him, Emma. He is not who he says he is," Mary Margaret told her, glaring harshly.

"What are you talking about? Who the hell is he?" Emma asked.

"There's only one person you told Henry's name."

"Cora," Emma realized. Then in a puff of purple smoke, Lancelot turned into Cora. Melody aimed her arrow at her with a sharp glare.

The older woman laughed. "Clever girl," Cora commented.

"Where's Lancelot?" Melody snapped.

"He's dead. I killed him a long time ago."

Mary Margaret looked disgusted. "And you've been posing as him ever since?"

Cora waved it off, not looking at all affected by what she had done. "Well, they'd never listen to me. And besides... Every kingdom needs a hero, don't you think?"

Mary Margaret lunged for Cora and Cora used her magic to pin her against the wall. Emma then did the same and met the same fate, leaving Melody to fend for herself. The girl grew nervous and let the arrow go, allowing Cora to stop it with her magic with ease. Then the older woman grabbed her.

"Melody!" Emma and Mary Margaret yelled. Melody struggled and then felt her magic burn in her veins, causing her to burn Cora. Cora yelled in pain and held her hand.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" Melody asked.

"I want to see my daughter. It's been too long. And you know, I would love to meet my grandson, Henry. And I'm sure Regina would like to see you again."

In that moment she made a choice. It would ruin their chance of returning home but she couldn't think of anything else. Cora was not getting to StoryBrooke. "No, you won't."

Cora looked at her amused but then Melody turned and threw her hand up — letting her magic go. The wardrobe caught on fire and Melody smirked as Cora yelled in horror, "No!"

In her rage, Cora used her one hand to put out the fire and make a fireball. She threw it at Emma but Mulan ran in and blocked it with her sword. The older woman clenched her jaw in anger. "We're not done," she growled, then apparated out of the room, but not before grabbing Melody's arm, bring the teen with her.

"Melody!" Emma yelled. But the teen didn't hear her before she was zapped away.

———

She would've fought back if she could. But Melody struggled as Cora reappeared in the nursery once Emma and the other left, using her magic to keep Melody from escaping. Cora took a vial of ashes from the wardrobe and put it in her pocket.

The teen flinched when Cora put a piece of Melody's hair behind her ear. "Don't worry Melody, I promise I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going to get you back to your mom and your brother, Henry. You will learn how to control your magic. I could teach you. You'll be strong and powerful. You will be happy."

"I'm not happy unless I have Emma and Mary Margaret with me," Melody replied coldly.

Cora shook her head and sighed lightly. "Well, I'm afraid I can't do that."

Melody pushed her hand away and Cora apparated them away.

———

Neverland

Things were boring in Neverland. At least for Pan, they were. He just wanted to get the heart of the truest believer and get his daughter back. However, he couldn't do that until Greg and Tamara got to town. Which meant Emma and Gold had to go and sought Neal out. But that couldn't happen until Cora was taken care of.

The shadow flew into the tree house hovered, staring directly at the immortal boy. "Is there something you need shadow?" Pan asked with an annoyed glare.

"I just figured you'd want to know that your daughter is showing signs of magic. And Cora has taken her."

Pan's jaw clenched and his eyes filled with anger. "What do you mean she's showing signs of magic? This early? And how exactly did Cora take her?"

"Her magic is strong. It's hard for her to control, but her magic is guiding her, letting her know of dangers. She nearly defeated Cora but since Cora is experienced, she took Melody."

Pan turned and started to pace back and forth. How could she be showing signs of magic this early? It was too early. He knew she'd be powerful, but he'd expect it to come when she grew old enough. And now she was untrained and unprotected in the Enchanted Forest. With someone who could use her magic to their advantage. The immortal boy turned and pointed at the shadow.

"Do not let her out of your sight. Not even for a second. And if Cora so much as moves or thinks to hurt my daughter, you make sure Melody is safe and you bring Cora to me, you understand?"

The shadow nodded. "We made a deal. Your daughter returns to Neverland. Safe," it reminded.

Pan looked over at his table that had all of his potions and spell books. "If she comes to any harm. I want you to bring me every last person who hurt her. And they will meet a horrible and painful death."

———

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