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Astrid watched Cora carefully from where she still was outside of their cell. "You sure she's going to be okay?" Emma asked the witch who assured the blonde, "Don't worry. She'll be fine."

"What is this place? Where are we?" Emma questioned as Cora answered her question, "It's a little island our captors like to think of as a haven."

"Haven? For what?" Emma asked.

"The world's dangerous- what's left of it anyway." Cora answered.

"They can't keep us down here. We didn't do anything wrong-" Emma began, glancing over at the still unconscious woman and continued, "Well, not in twenty-eight years anyway."

"Neither did I." Cora replied, "I'm here because of something... my daughter did. The curse that ravaged this land- She cast it." Cora answered.

"Regina? You're Regina's mother?" Emma voiced her thoughts.

"Yes, but you have nothing to fear from me. The apple fell very far from the tree. You two are over there, aren't you? How'd you get back?" Cora commented.

"Emma." Snow spoke up while standing up and holding the back of her head in her hand. She then noticed Cora and muttered, "No..."

"Oh, Snow. You're awake. I'm so relieved." Cora started, "Oh, Snow... Sweet Snow, please. Believe me, whatever she told you isn't true. I just want to help you."

"Let's hear her out." Emma whispered as Snow protectively stood in front of the blonde while the teenager outside of their cell continued to listen to their conversation and continued to sharpen her battle axe.

"Emma." Snow warned.

"Okay, right now we are at the bottom of a hole with no other options, and Henry is back in Storybrooke with Regina." Emma continued to whisper.

"Who's Henry?" Cora inquired.

"My son. I kind of share him with Regina- It's complicated-" Emma immediately said.

"Don't talk to her." Snow replied, turning around to look at her daughter and now held her arms in her hands.

"By the way, Snow... you do know that your daughter, Astrid, is actually here at this camp. In fact, she's actually the one guarding this cell right now. Say hello to her." Cora started again.

Snow and Emma looked over to the cell door just as Astrid stood up from her stool and moved over to the door to look at them fully. They was then able to see the teenager with long, blonde hair and blue eyes.

Astrid wears a tight blue sleeveless shirt, tan cloth bracers on her arms (each bit of the cloth goes between her first and second finger) with arm wrappings above them along with leather kneepads on her leggings, a dark red almost a brown skirt with spikes surrounding it and another red skirt underneath the spiked one, and dark blue leggings; She also wears a belt decorated with silver skulls and shoulder pads with a brown leather holster strap holding them in place.

Instead of a helmet, Astrid wears a kransen which is the headband that wears across her forehead, which is a Viking sign of maidenhood. It does nothing for her hair but represent a symbolic purpose; And then the teenager also wears her black mask that fits across the bottom half of her face; Her blonde hair is kept in a French braid.

"Cora could be lying. She's done it before." Astrid started just as Snow immediately moved over to the bars. Cora looked over at the teenager and shook her head before answering her, "My dear Astrid, I have never lied to you. You know that."

Astrid's jaw flexed underneath her mask as her eyes darted over to the witch as she then removed her mask from her face, continuing to watch Cora. "You've never lied to me? Really? You were the one who had killed the woman who was like a mother to me and lied to me that you had nothing to do with that."

"You know her?" Emma spoke up to the teenager and looked over at Cora and then at Astrid who quietly answered the blonde woman, "To me, Cora was once considered family, not anymore."

Snow looked at her daughter in front of her and glanced over at Emma and back at her. "Astrid, please, you have to believe me, at least. You are my daughter, but you were taken from us by Cora."

"I believe you." Astrid commented, looking the dark haired woman in her eyes, her own eyes watery as she smiled sadly a little, "I have searched endlessly for my birth family, and I just couldn't believe you when you first arrived. I'm sorry."

Snow shook her head slightly, her eyes watery, as she reached outside of the bars and cupped the girl's face in her hands. "It's okay. I understand. You don't have to apologize." She softly assured the teenager, wanting to hug her and never let her go again but couldn't because of the bars in between them.

Astrid looked her mother in the eyes and lightly laughed. "I told myself that I would always find my family and here you are. You found me first."

Snow smiled at that. "Your father always says that. I guess it runs in the family." Astrid smiled also just as the four of them heard, "Enough!" and looked up, noticing a man at the top of the hole they were in; He tossed down a rope and added, "Our leader requests an audience."

Snow glanced back at Astrid who nodded and replied, "It's okay. Our leader is a good man." The teenager slid her mask back over her face and then her hood, picking up her battle axe and left out of the Pit and moved back up.

Astrid felt a hand land on her shoulder as she looked up and over at Mulan who now stood beside her. "You okay?" The woman asked her in concern. The teenager glanced at the two women climb out from the Pit and answered her, "Yeah, I'm fine. How's Aurora holding up?"

"She's adjusting to being here at the camp. Your stuff is still on your horse, by the way." Mulan answered as Astrid nodded, "Do you trust them?" Mulan nodded at Emma and Snow and looked back at Astrid who looked at her and replied, "I do."

Snow and Emma waited for the leader to exit out the hut just as Snow immediately turned around and rushed over to the teenager, pulling her into a tight hug, one hand on the back of her neck; Astrid slowly wrapped her arms around the woman also while Emma and Mulan watched.

Snow slightly parted from the hug, cupped her daughter's face in her hands, and looked at her before hugging her again as if her life depended on it; Astrid looked up at the sky before closing her eyes and smiled underneath her mask. The two of them finally parted from the hug just as Snow noticed a familiar man step out of a little house and inquired, "Lancelot?"

"Snow." Lancelot replied and rushed forward as he and the said woman both hugged. "If I'd known that you were the prisoner that Mulan had brought back, I never would've locked you away. Please, forgive me." Lancelot spoke up after he and Snow had parted from their hug.

"Of course." Snow nodded.

"Lancelot? Really?" Emma repeated.

"He's an old friend. We can trust him."Snow replied while glancing over at the blonde and back at Lancelot. "This is Emma." She introduced her daughter to the man.

"What was that about?" Mulan curiously asked Astrid, glancing over at her once more. Astrid looked over at the warrior beside her and answered, "I found my birth family... Snow is my mother and Emma is my sister, well, twin sister."

Mulan's eyebrows raised at that revelation but then shook her head quickly of the shock and smiled a little. "I am glad that you finally found them. You finally got what you've been searching for this entire time. This is good, Astrid."

Astrid slowly nodded and cleared her throat. "Hey, you want to train now? I just want to practice my fighting even more." Mulan looked at her and laughed a little before replying, "You're already the better fighter here."

Astrid shrugged and looked at her in amusement. "Then it'll benefit you. Come on."

"Hm, it's so ugly you could almost feel sorry for it." Cora stood at the child's bedroom window and watched the little blonde haired, blue eyed baby girl cry in her crib. Freya had stepped out of the cottage for a brief time, leaving her alone.

Astrid noticed the witch watching her and stopped crying, a grin breaking out onto her face.

Cora made a growling noise towards the girl in attempt to scare her as Astrid looked at her, her eyebrows furrowed, but then broke out in a grin again. "I hate you, Princess."

Astrid looked at her innocently as the woman sighed and made a bottle of warm milk appear in her hand magically and moved it over to the baby who took it and began to drink it happily, still watching the woman. Cora didn't even realize the warm feeling she felt when around the baby.

"What the hell is that?" Emma questioned as a giant pile of fried chimera was then set on the table in front of the two women.

Lancelot moved around to sit in his spot and answered, "That is chimera. An acquired taste, but all our hunting party could bring back. One part lion, one part serpent, one part goat."

"Like turducken?" Emma asked while she looked at the food in front of her and slightly poked at it.

"I don't understand. We were told that this land didn't even exist anymore." Snow inquired, "How did you all escape 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 safe haven wasn't easy. It took some spilled blood. But worry not, you're safe here." Lancelot explained.

Emma smelled her drink and then took a sip of it, slurping, and placed her cup back down. Snow replied, "We can't stay. My husband's back there, Emma's son, my grandson- we have to get back to them. Can you help us find a portal?"

"Leaving is unwise. The Enchanted Forest is not as you remember it. The ogres have returned." Lancelot answered.

"Ogres?" Emma repeated, "Like fee-fi-fo-fum?" She looked over at Snow.

"That's why we live here on this island, where it's safe. Please, Snow, stay here. There are no more portals left." Lancelot commented.

Astrid tuned out the rest of the conversation and focused on fighting as she swung her sword vertically towards Mulan who blocked it with her own. "You're getting better." The teenager remarked, pushing her back and flipped backwards, kicking Mulan's sword out of her hand and then landed back on her feet gracefully. "But, you're right, I am better."

She then heard Lancelot comment, "-But leave on one condition. Take one of my bravest warriors with you and allow Mulan to defend you."

"We can defend ourselves-" Emma started.

Mulan picked up her sword and resheathed it in her case and stepped over to them as Snow then spoke up, "And Astrid if you don't mind, then it'll be a deal."

"Astrid is a very excellent warrior, the bravest also, but she's still just a teenager. I don't want her to be put into harm's way. She is like a daughter to me." Lancelot started, his hands clasped in front of him as they now watched the teenager a few feet from them twirl her twin swords in her hands impressively.

"I think she can handle herself very well." Snow commented just as Astrid resheathed her swords and flipped over, performing a handstand and then began to do pushups while still doing a handstand. Emma watched impressed as the other three also watched her.

"Very well then." Lancelot sighed. "Astrid, come." Astrid dropped back onto her feet gracefully and looked over at them while fixing her swords on her sides.

"Thank you, Lancelot. You are always looking out for me." Snow added just as the teenager moved over to them and looked at them curiously.

Lancelot stepped towards Astrid, laying a hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eyes, and commented, "You are to accompany Mulan to help defend Snow and her daughter Emma, but come back alive. Do you understand?"

Astrid nodded and replied, "Yes, Sir." She left to go over to the weapons area and sat down on top of a barrel, sharpening her battle axe again. The two women followed Mulan over to a medium sized box a few feet from her then.

Astrid hopped off of the barrel and moved over to the three women, stepping beside Mulan and spoke up towards the Chinese woman, "I'm coming with you."

Mulan looked at her, shook her head, and shot her down, "No, absolutely not. It is far too dangerous."

The teenager smirked and pointed out, "Wasn't a question. Besides, Lancelot gave me the order to go as well." Mulan gave her a look before turning back to the weapons chest as Astrid noticed Emma slightly smirking at her.

Mulan opened the medium sized box a few feet from them as she looked at them. "Choose wisely. We must be vigilant if we hope to survive the journey."

"Wow, such optimism, M." Astrid remarked sarcastically.

"I thought I told you not to call me that. How many times have I reminded you of this now?" Mulan commented towards the teen who looked up in thought before looking at the Chinese woman beside her and replied, "Remind me again."

Mulan simply glared at the girl as Astrid smiled innocently at her.

Snow buckled a sword to her waist as Emma looked at Mulan questioningly. "Where's my gun? I want it back."

Mulan pulled Emma's pistol out from her belt and handed it back to the blonde. "Is it magic?" Mulan asked her.

Emma answered the Chinese woman with a small smirk, "Depends on who's pulling the trigger."

Snow found a quiver of arrows and a bow from the box and looked over at Astrid who was watching her in amusement. "What?" She asked curiously as Astrid stepped over to her, shrugged, and answered, "So, that's where I get my superb archery skills at." Snow proudly grinned at the girl.

"Follow my lead, step where I step, do exactly as I say, and we might survive." Mulan started just as Astrid smirked at her lack of optimism and looked over at the teenager with a pointed look, "Don't say it."

Astrid laughed, bouncing a little on her feet, and grabbed her own quiver of arrows and strung it around her back along with her bow, her battle axe already strapped on her back also.

"Thanks for the pep talk, but I think we're okay. I just killed a dragon last week." Emma replied.

"Really? You deal with dragons too? I love dragons. I even have my own. She's named Stormfly." Astrid said after she finished laughing. Emma and Snow looked at the girl beside them in amusement, now wondering what her past was like.

"Have you ever seen an ogre?" Mulan asked Emma while stepping forward.

"Pretty sure I dated a few." Emma answered.

"Legend has it that when they kill you, the last thing you see-" Mulan started as Astrid rolled her eyes in boredom and cut the Chinese woman off, "-Is yourself dying in the reflection in their eyes. Everyone knows that story. Quit trying to scare them, that's my job. So, can we go now? Please?"

"Alright, alright. Let's walk, it'll be dark soon." Mulan said and started to head in the direction toward the Enchanted Forest as Astrid smirked and followed behind the woman in amusement. Emma and Snow then followed after the two women also.

Three year old Astrid was playing outside of the cottage, chasing butterflies, as she noticed a familiar brown eyed woman watching from a distance and moved over to her. Cora turned around and noticed the girl now behind her as Astrid smiled and spoke up, "Hello."

Cora watched her carefully and replied, "Go away. I don't like children."

Astrid ignored her and continued to step over to her and then hugged her and replied, "Up, up." Cora rolled her eyes and picked the girl up in her arms as Astrid noticed her small ruby gem necklace and held it in her small hands now.

Cora placed her back on the ground, removed the necklace, and placed it around the girl's neck. "Now, run along, go." She told the girl who smiled at her and ran back over to her home while Cora watched her, a small smile on her face.

A week passed then as three year old Astrid was chasing a butterfly across the field as Cora noticed a cliff up ahead and pointed it out to herself, "Oh, look, Princess is fixing to fall off of the cliff."

Astrid stumbled over the edge and started to fall just as Cora made a tree in the shape of a hand catch the child and bring her back up onto the field. Astrid clapped her hands and ran back towards the cottage.

"This will do. We'll make camp here for the night. We just need to find water, collect some firewood." Mulan spoke up towards the other three women behind her once they approached a clearing.

"If we're hiding from ogres, shouldn't we maybe, I don't know, not start a fire." Emma spoke up.

"Em, ogres are blind, they hunt by sound." Astrid pointed out as if it was obvious.

"Right. Because that's something everyone would know about ogres." Emma replied.

Snow stepped over to the twenty eight year old blonde and murmured, "Look, I know you're out of your element-"

"I'm fine-" Emma cut her off as Snow continued, "I know, but maybe you should just stay here while we get wood and water, guard the campsite."

"You mean the big, empty clearing?"

"It's the safest place. We'll be right back." Snow commented and nodded over at the teenager and Mulan who nodded once and headed a different direction than her and Astrid. Snow caught up to Astrid who had started walking without her and was now walking alongside her. "So... you've been here this entire time?"

"No." Astrid replied, "I've travelled many lands, but I didn't grow up here in this specific land my whole life." She stopped a little but continued to walk, glancing at her mother. "Were you telling the truth about Cora? Was she one who had took me from you and my father?"

"Yes. I'm sorry. How did you know her if you didn't know about that?" Snow answered and then asked her own curious question.

"We have an odd relationship..." Astrid slowly began, "We don't hate each other, yet, I don't know. Cora always looked out for me, protected me, acted like a mother in a way. I somehow managed to worm my way into her heart. I was one of the reasons why Cora removed her heart from herself because she couldn't let herself love. She always said that love is weakness... Then she killed my mother, foster mother, I suppose."

"Astrid, I'm sorry-" Snow began, stopping them from continuing to move forward through the woods.

Astrid looked at her mother and stopped her from finishing that sentence, "I'm not. I may not like Cora now, but I don't want her to die. She still cares about me, I can tell, but without her heart... Cora doesn't feel that love, not really. She remembers the thought of it, which is why she never physically hurts me because she can't bring herself to do it. In a way, I think maybe I even care about the woman."