Gold

{32}

I groaned as I opened my eyes to see an Asian woman in armor and a woman dressed in royal attire standing over me. I looked beside me to see Snow and Emma were still passed out. I felt pressure on my hands and looked down to see they'd been bound.

I immediately reached over and saw that Snow and Emma's hands had also been bound. What the hell was going on here? As I thought this, Snow groaned and she too, opened her eyes. Emma did the same.

They both glanced around and saw me, then their tied hands. The two women realized we were all awake and roughly snatched me up. I stumbled and nearly tripped but caught myself just in time.

"What are you doing?" Snow said as she was pulled upwards too. Emma shoved herself up before the woman could do it.

I looked over and met my sister's eye. She looked confused and worried. Emma just looked angry at being kidnapped.

"You three are responsible for the death of our friend, Phillip. And you're going to pay for it." The woman in the armor said and I stared at her in shock. Who in the hell was Phillip?

"I have no idea what you think we did, but I promise you we're innocent." I said quickly, trying to maybe talk us out of this mess. The girl in royal attire scoffed at me. "Innocent? That Wraith came from the same place you did, and now my fiance is dead."

I glanced at Emma and Snow, to see they looked concerned about our current situation. I had to admit it, I was too. It didn't look like these women were letting us go anytime soon.

I winced as the armored woman snatched me forward and tied my hands to a larger rope, she also tied Emma and Snows the same way. I winced as they climbed onto their horses and began to force us to follow them.

"I hope Henry is okay." Emma piped up, saying her first words since she got here. I winced, hoping he was okay too. "He will be. David will take care of him." I reassured her, but she didn't look too comforted.

"So this is your land? Doesn't look too enchanted to me." Emma said and I looked around. Her words were true. The once luscious forests were now bare and it seemed as if we were traveling over a wasteland. So Regina lied when she said there was nothing left. There was, but it wasn't much to come back to.

"It didn't always look like this, Emma." Snow told her. I sighed and glanced at Snow. "I never thought we'd be back here. It feels so strange." I remarked and she nodded. "It does. Now that we have our memories back, it feels like yesterday I was here."

The rest of the journey we spent in silence. I was thinking through our situation, trying to figure out how we made it back to Storybrooke. I also thought of Rumple. The last thing I'd said to him was to choose me or his magic. I hadn't realized I would be sent here. Now I might never see him again.

~~~

A few hours later, we finally reached our so-called destination. I craned my neck to see what looked like a run-down village in the distance.

"What is that place?" Emma asked, stumbling a little as we were dragged along. I immediately reached a hand to right her, then let go as she steadied herself.

I didn't know if it was because I now had my memories, and I felt that Emma was my niece, but I felt very protective of her now.

"That's our home." The woman in armor told us then.

Emma, Snow and I shared a look.

A few minutes later, we arrived into the town or village. I could see there were about fifty or so people there. There was also a lookout tower of sorts.

"They're like refugees." Emma stated in surprise, and the woman in armor scoffed at that. "We're survivors."

I rolled my eyes at that, though I admired the place they'd built for themselves in the aftermath of the curse.

I heard a groan and swivelled around to see Snow knee the royal looking girl in the stomach. "Emma run!" Snow said and  Emma and I didn't hesitate. I glanced behind me to see Snow right behind us.

For a moment I had hope we'd get away, before I heard Snow gasp and saw her hit the ground. I gasped as I stopped running, and Emma did too. She'd been knocked out.

"Snow! Snow!" I said worriedly, seeing that she wasn't moving. "Mary Margaret! What did you do to her?" Emma asked angrily.

"Throw them into the pit!" The woman in armor said and I was grabbed roughly and shoved into a literal pit. It was about a five foot drop and my ankles hurt from the impact.

"Hey! Be careful!" Emma scolded as they carelessly tossed Snow in.

Emma looked extremely worried as she looked over Snow. "Come on. Wake up. Can you hear me?" Emma pleaded with Snow, but there was no answer.

"Do you need help?"

At this voice, I immediately stiffened and stood up, placing myself in front of Emma. I knew that voice. It was a voice I'd heard in my childhood, a voice that had always made me uneasy. "Who are you?" Emma asked cautiously.

"A friend."

I shuddered as Cora stepped out from the shadows and stood in front of me.