Cruel Princess (No. 20)

Chapter Ten - Hurts like Betrayal

Chapter Ten - The Doctor

Season 2 - Episode 5

There was an Enchanted forest filled with all the classic characters we know.

Or think we know.

One day, they found themselves trapped in a place where all their happy endings were stolen.

Our World.

This is how it happened...

Emma, Mary Margaret, Octavia, Mulan, and Aurora walk back to the haven after their failed attempt to get the others home. "I don't know if I can do this. I'm not a very good liar," Aurora argues.

"Oh, it's not really a lie, Aurora," Mary Margaret assures her. "Lancelot did die an honourable death, and Cora did escape. All true. Just leave the particulars to us. There's no reason to cause unnecessary panic amongst your people."

"I'm not so sure it's unnecessary," she replies, and Mulan notices the guard towers are empty.

"Wait. The tower—we always have sentries guarding the entrance. Stay close," Mulan warns them. The women enter the area below the guard tower, where they find piles of corpses strewn across the field.

"Oh my God..." Emma gasps.

"This can't be... Our land... We were protected here – hidden. How did the ogres find us?" She wonders, and Octavia notices the bodies have bloody chests.

"Ogres didn't do this," Octavia states, thinking of her mother and Regina's fondness for ripping out hearts.

"What?" The warrior asks, turning to her.

"Cora did," Mary Margaret agrees. "Their hearts... They were ripped out. This is her magic, twisted and evil. We have to stop her."

"Too late. She killed them. She killed them all," Mulan sighs, looking around.

"Well, we have to stop her before she hurts anyone else!" Octavia snaps, not wanting her mum to win.

"Hey! Hey! Look!" Emma shouts, rushing towards a stack of bodies and debris, under which she sees someone waving their hand.

"There's someone under there," Aurora announces, helping Emma free the person, who turns out to be Killian. "He's alive."

"Please," Killian says, gasping for breath.

"It's okay," Mary Margaret assures him.

"Please, help me," He pleads as they free him from the bodies.

"It's okay. You're safe now. We won't hurt you," Octavia promises, looking at him as she walks over to join the others.

"Thank you. Thank you..." Hook replies, looking at her and slowly admiring her.

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Outside Granny's Diner, Dr Whale approaches David, needing to talk to him. "You - we need to talk," Dr Whale states, and David punches him. "Ow! What the hell was that for?"

"Sleeping with my wife," David snaps.

"Kathryn?" He questions.

"Snow," Charming corrects him.