Hope.

1

The woods were dark and quiet. In the evening haze, there were few people to be seen, and even fewer had any business being out under the trees. The shadows loomed over the paths, the light from houses and roads receding more and more with every step into the unknown.

Yet there was one figure in the woods, more determined than scared. This girl, young though she was, knew what she was doing, where she was going.

The girl's pace was steady, unhurried yet unhesitant. She never broke stride or veered off course, even when sounds came from the dark paths and bushes around her. And there were plenty, in the depths of the woods at night. Rustling branches. Snaps, as if something had been caught or stepped on. The occasional hoot or howl, from an animal or something else entirely.

Yet the girl did not appear to stop or slow, even for a moment. Each time, she only walked faster.

She knew where she was going, that was all that mattered. The noise around her simply reinforced what she already knew: that time was of the essence. Each moment she didn't reach her destination was another moment more wasted, and every second wasted was one less in the limited time they had left.

And despite her determined step, even despite the haste that kept her moving, she knew exactly where to go. Each path was familiar, each bend of the twisted trees and roots alike. The branches of the trees were like fingers of darkness above her.

Her steps were light, but they picked up their pace as she drew near to her destination. Each step brought a sound: a crunch of dirt underfoot, a squelch as her shoes scraped through mud and water. Yet none of that was enough to bring her any pause.

A clearing opened up ahead, the shape of a building in the gloom. Despite her haste, the girl's steps were even as she approached the door, the handle firmly gripped in her grip.The girl took a deep breath, and then, she knocked on the door.Her grip on the handle was firm, but her hand was still shaking. She knew that she had to wait for an answer. She knew that the wait would be unbearable. But that was necessary. It was as though everything, the whole world and its existence, all hung in the balance.

The door swung open slowly, and there was a pause. The girl didn't know what to expect with the door opening, but it was clear what her presence had caused. She held her breath in anticipation as she saw a figure fill the doorway to the dimly-lit apartment.

It was a woman, middle-aged and tired. Her face was lined and haggard, though her eyes were warm despite it all. She looked at the girl for a long moment, studying her face before she spoke.

Her name was Emma, Emma Swan

The woman tilted her head, seemingly taking her in one more time. Something flickered in the woman's eyes, and then, she spoke, in a soft voice.

"Are you... do I know you?"

The girl tensed up slightly, caught off-guard by the question. She had not expected the first words spoken to be such an inquisition. Her heart pounded and her stomach twisted a little, but she managed to hold her composure, keeping a tight grip on her emotions.

"My name is..." The girl started to speak, but the woman cut her off, her voice a bit harsher.

"That's not what I asked. I don't care what your name is, I asked if I know who you are."

"I'm... I--" started the girl again, but the woman cut her off again.

"Look, I don't know where you've come from or why you're here. But you can't possibly expect me to just let some kid I've never seen before just walk up and knock on my door. Who are you?"

She had been interrupted constantly since she arrived, and she was getting tired of it. She kept a stiff upper lip and took a deep breath before responding again.

"My name is Hope," she said, "and I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you at all. I just-- I just..."

Hope took another deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She knew she had to convince the woman in front of her, and fast. The fate of the world relied on this meeting going well. She needed Emma to believe her, to understand who she was.

"Please," she continued, now using a softer and more pleading tone, "just listen to me. I need you to listen. I am your daughter, and I need your help."

A long pause followed the girl's words. If Hope had been expecting a simple reaction, she would have been sorely mistaken. Emma, in front of her, remained silent, looking at her for another moment. Her eyes were studying, considering. The girl wasn't sure if Emma had fully taken in the things she was saying, but she was hopeful.

Finally, the woman spoke again. Her voice was measured, and she spoke softly. But despite her even tone, Hope could see a hint of something else in her eyes. A flicker of understanding, a slight softening of the woman's expression.

"What makes you say that?"

The woman's words caught Hope a bit off-guard. She had expected a lot of things when she came to this apartment. Hostility, suspicion, maybe even some anger. But not confusion. Not this.

"I- well, I came here to tell you..." She stuttered, suddenly unsure how to continue. She hadn't really thought through exactly what she would say after this point, and now she was scrambling to think of what to say next.

"Look, I know I can't just show up at your door out of nowhere, and start telling you that I'm your daughter. But I came all this way to see you, I had to find you. And you have to believe me. I'm telling the truth."

Hope hoped that her passion and desperation could make up for the lack of proof she had. She needed to convince the woman in front of her quickly, before she started to doubt her again.

The tension in the air was building up as the woman just stood silent. Hope looked at her, and prayed that she was still listening.

Hope took one last deep breath, and then continued, putting more emotion into her voice.

"Please, just listen for a moment. I know that this sounds crazy, and I know that we don't know each other, but I- I'm trying to tell you the truth. The reason that you don't remember me, Emma, is because of a curse. The curse that brought us all here, the one that brought you here years ago. I remember, because I escaped through the portal. The curse wiped everyone's memories of me."

Emma rolls her eyes in disbelief.

"Please, you have to listen to me!" Hope pleaded, her voice breaking a little bit now. "You're married to Captain Hook, and Snow White and Prince Charming are your parents. I know that you don't remember right now, but I need you to trust me!"

The woman continued to be silent. She was listening, at least. But her expression was hard to read, as if she was still skeptical despite everything Hope said.

Hope pressed on, trying to find any way to convince the woman in front of her. Despite the awkward silence, she had to believe that she could get through to her.

"Do you remember the curse? The one from the Mother Gothel? It wiped away your memories of family and life. It's why you are living alone in Boston! But I came to remind you, because I found you. For years, I've known who you were, and finally I can tell you the truth!"

The woman was still silent. She didn't look like she was convinced, but she wasn't shutting down Hope's attempts to convince her either. Hope took it as a sign of progress. That the woman just needed more time, and possibly more convincing.

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