Honestly, I wasn't really sure what made me write this One-Shot.
I think it was because of the new OUAT book coming out (Reawakening), and I was so mad it came from Snow and Emma's p.o.v., as if we didn't already get that from the show, and I made a comment about how cool would it be from Red's P.O.V., so voila.
Be aware, it might seem a little OCC at the end, but I was sort of in a rush to get more stories published because I felt under accomplished, so consider this a trial at a one-shot. I guess.
PLEASE DO NOT KILL ME!
It's really weird at the end, but at the beginning Red was pretty sarcastic, I liked that.
Anyways, yep
~Lilies
White Wedding
It was the most beautiful day of the year.
The Castle was decorated splendidly for the special occasion, as I weaved in and out of the crowd, and searched for my best friend to congratulate her. Of course we all have seen this date coming, but when it was finally here, it was a little overwhelming. I mean, Snow White, the future queen of the kingdom and the fairest girl I've ever met, was getting married. It cause for a huge celebration and easily took up most of the budget of the year. Later, when we looked upon the event, we'll spend days trying to cover the cost of every single little thing: orchestra, decorations, and the twenty pound lobster we've imported from a sea kingdom. But today, today was for celebration.
"Lady Red." A maid looked at me with worried eyes, "You should be getting prepared, the wedding is about to start at any moment."
And by any moment, she meant two hours later when the full orchestra, every single string player, had arrived and settled in with full stomach (they were so high maintenance), and Snow had somehow fitted into her dress. It wasn't overly tight, or that Snow was super obese or something, but I knew a few secret, being her best friends and all.
"I'll be down soon." I said sweetly, and swept past the little maid and down the grand hall. It was sort of exhilarating, since I came from a small village that was constantly terrorized by monsters (me), and had never seen as much as a fancy bar of soap until Snow took back the kingdom. Now I lived here full time with Granny, plus the dwarfs, and walked past magnificent hallway with golden columns and sparkling wall murals every day. It was beautiful.
Too bad it wasn't going to last.
I was never a true girly girl, to tell the truth, I did have crushes and boyfriends (cough), but I wasn't really into clothes like some other village girls. But my best friend was getting married, so I granted myself to squeal a bit when I saw her in her wedding dress.
"Red!" a smile broke on Snow's face. She'd been quite solemn of late, ever since Regina's exile. I knew she had the biggest heart of everyone I knew, but the banishment was still quite kind considering what Regina did.
And what she was about to do.
"Snow!" I squealed back, "You look amazing!"
We couldn't hug because of all the pins and needles stuck in her hair, and her maids quickly formatting last minute adjustments to the dress, but we shared a smile across the room. I was happy, exhilaratingly happy, for her. She deserves her happy ending.
"Snow White in white." I teased, "Pretty good poetic justice."
She shrugged back at me, "All the royal brides have to wear white." And broke out in a smile, "When you get married though, we'll have you all dolled up in so much red that you'll blind everyone within a mile."
I smiled back at her, that's what best friend's do. Talk about weddings and dresses and boys, but my heart wasn't in it. How was I supposed to find anyone to love me? My curse made it impossible to step out in the moonlight without a stupid hood. Even though my mo-Anita had taught me the ways to control it, there still has been time I was a little afraid of what I could do, what I did do.
"See you at the reception then." I grinned earnestly; at least there was something I didn't have to pretend to be happy about. My best friend's wedding, I repeated inside my head for the two billionth times today, "Charming will love it."
She beamed at me as I skipped out the door. The next time I saw her was at the altar, with her fancy hair-do and even fancier dress. Fanned out underneath her like a pastry cake, but she didn't make it look snobby or high classed, Snow did what Snow did best, simplicity. Natural flowers sticking out of her hair and natural make-up, I was glad that her maids didn't go overboard, like they did once at Snow's first ball. No, not her first ball, but her first one after her own exile.
"And do you, Snow White, take this man as your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do." She smiled like it was the most obvious thing in the world. It was natural, they were true loves; something I never will have.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife."
They made their way to kiss, and everyone clapped joyously, even Grumpy, whom I'm sure never looked happier.
It was beautiful, it was romantic, and it was perfect. I dreamt myself up there one day, except maybe not in front of so many people. But then I pictured the man that will be standing next to me, and the imagery faded.
I didn't think I'd ever get married.
Suddenly, a slam by the door ripped me from my day dream, and dramatically, a figure in black smirked at the wedding party. She was beautiful, but cruel, with her hair pinned up and her make-up dark, reflecting her personality.
"Sorry I'm late."
The Evil Queen.
She strides across the room confidently, like she hasn't just lost to the Kingdom. Regina was banished, far, far, and far away, that she wasn't even allowed a mile radius of the castle. Her presence here was pointless.
"It's the Queen! RUN!" Doc squeaked, and then retreated behind the other dwarfs as Regina shot him a nasty look.
"She's not a queen anymore!" Snow said fiercely. I watched in horror as she drew a sword from James' belt. Is she really going to kill Regina? Of course not, it was just a threat, and judging by the Queen's smug face, she knew it too. Snow was too pure to murder. "She's nothing more than an evil witch." True that.
"No, no, don't stoop to her level, there's no need." James said hurry, and took the sword from his new wife (for all about two seconds), and then to the wicked queen, "You're wasting your time, you've already lost. And I will not let you ruin this wedding."
The entire castle was hanging in silence now, as all the eyes, mine included, shifted between the newlyweds and the Queen. She seemed oddly confident of this encounter, so confident that I felt an ominous feeling in my stomach, something bad was about to happen.
"Oh, I haven't come here to ruin anything." Right; and I was a dwarf, "On the contrary, dear, I've come to give you a gift." Uh-oh.
"We want nothing from you." Snow said, her eyes shooting daggers and standing close to James. They looked like they were trying to protect each other, which must be nice.
"But you shall have it." The Queen replied, "My gift to you is this, happy, happy day." She spat, as if the wedding was a sin, "For tomorrow, my real work begins. You've made your vows, now I make mine."
The room was dead silent, as fear crossed room. Regina's vows never end well for the Kingdom. I was never really sure what went down between Snow and her, but whatever it was, the grudge the Queen made lasted at least a decade.
"Soon, everything you love, everything all." She pointed at us, her eyes sweeping over my section for a second, making me shiver in fear, "will be taken from you. Forever."
How? I thought, how did she create such a dark and vile curse, what had she been through that was so, so, traumatizing? I knew my own pain, but I wanted to know hers.
"Out of your suffering will rise my victory." She sneered at the royals, "I shall destroy your happiness, if it is the last thing I do."
She flipped her dress and hair after than dramatic threat, and headed out the door. Silence still head in the palace as everyone glanced at each other in fear. I was immobile. It couldn't be true. The Queen simply could not just take away everything. That was…impossible.
"HEY!" James said, angrily, and threw his sword across the room. So much for no needing to swoop down to her level. The Queen simply vanished, along with the sword, and that's when all chaos ran loose.
Blue's Idea
The curse was happening.
I've been hearing voices inside my head for days now. Every trip I make to the forest was the same. The animals are buzzing, trying to warn the royal guards. I was the only one that could understand them, of course, and I passed on my information to Snow and James.
They were anxious, as they should be, and I was too. I mean, the curse would rip be from Granny, the dwarfs, and everyone I loved. I should be anxious, right?
Right.
A few days ago Snow had also confronted an evil man. Rumpelstiltskin, whom I've never met personally, but the tales of him made me glad I didn't. Snow had guts to face him so many times, and so much bravery and smarts of making it out alive, and have a relatively sane life. She had done it once more, for the small price of her daughter's name (Emma). Apparently Rumpelstiltskin had a power with names, but I didn't know what. In exchange, he gave us information regarding the curse. Snow had called upon all her most trusted advisors, me, Grumpy and Doc, a couple of the knights, Jiminy, Granny, Gepetto and his boy, Pinocchio.
"I say we fight!" James said dramatically. He slammed his fist on the table and dared anyone to oppose him. Of course, the cricket spoke.
"Fighting is a bad idea. Giving in to one's dark side never accomplishes anything." Very true Jiminy, but Regina was about to unleash the curse to end all curses, sending us to a new land without magic and without our love ones.
"And how many wars had a clear conscience won?" James demanded, "We need to take the Queen out before she can inflict her curse."
Doc quipped, "Can we even trust Rumpelstiltskin?"
"I've sent my men into the forest. The animals are abuzz with the Queen's plan." Uh, James? That was me. Before I could even protest, he continued, "This is going to happen unless we do something."
Snow, the optimistic one, spoke up. I had been hoping for an inspiration speech to the armies, but what my best friend said had seriously scared me, "There's not point. The future is written." That seems stupidly unfair.
"No." Something I agree with James! "I refuse to believe that. Good can't just lose!"
"Maybe they can."
I love that Snow is so positive, one of the traits that make a divine ruler. In case you didn't catch that, it was sarcasm.
"No, not as long as we have each other." James said with so much love that even I almost believed him. I was with Snow here, the curse will happen. Regina was not a force to be easily reckoned with. She was wicked and evil, and to fight her at a time like this, impossible! "If you believe him about the curse then you must believe him about our child. She will be the savior."
All the hope of the Enchanted Forest rested on an infant, little Emma; I wonder if the kid knew what was coming for her…
Then, the door clattered, I clutched onto Granny thinking it was the Queen again (I will never be able to hear a door opening the same way again), "What the hell is this?" James demanded. It did look weird, as the Blue Fairy floated in with a tree in tow.
"Our only hope of saving that child."
Very nice Blue, very nice.
"A tree?" Grumpy said grumpily, "Our fate rests on a tree? Let's get back to the fighting thing."
"The tree is enchanted!" Blue almost seemed a little offended at that point, but she strained to put on her mystical voice, "If fashioned into a vessel it can ward off any curse. Gepetto." She turned to the carpenter, "Can you build such thing?"
"Me and my boy. We can do it!" Gepetto looked lovingly at Pinocchio and ruffled the little boy's hair. I didn't even remember my father's face, let alone trying to have him look at me like that. Granny was stern, and hardly soft love, and Anita, mum, was dead. I didn't think I'd be so affected by one phrase, but I was. I never had a true parental figure other than Granny, who was more of a grand-parental figure, and I never, never, loved anyone. Except for the boyfriend that I ate.
"This will work." Blue said optimistically, and now Snow perked up, sitting upright and grabbing James' hand in delight. As weird as it is to call Snow and James innocence, they did look it, like little kids that found the cookie jars. I don't ever remember feeling like that in a long, long time. Lately, for the past few years, all I felt was guilt, for what the monster did.
"We all must have faith." Blue smiled. For a second, everything seemed to be happy. Snow and Charming could raise their little girl, and save us all!
"There is, however, a catch." Blue said hesitantly, something was off, "The enchantment s indeed powerful, but all power has its limits."
I did not like the sound of this.
"And this tree can protect only one."
Which means, for the first time in a long while, Snow White and Prince Charming will be separated? The horror on their face was great, as if they couldn't even bear being apart for two seconds. What's 28 years when they'll be both alive? At least they have each other for now. They acted like it was a big deal, but it wasn't. They both loved each other and had relatively sane lives. Sometimes I feel like they act like they're the most tragic love story in the world.
It was stupid, but I sort of hated them for it.
Seeing Red
I ran.
Ran as far as I can and as fast as I can. It was a full moon and I ran, ran, and ran.
The wood critters are buzzing. I heard their voices in my head as they hurried, one of the perks of being a werewolf I guess, you can talk to animals.
The Queen!
She's coming this way!
Is it too late for the Saviour?
Help us!
But I couldn't, there was nothing I could do to sooth the creatures of the forest, in human or wolf. They were hurrying their way to prepare everything they can before the curse hit, but what's there to prepare? The Queen will strip us of everything and left us with no past memories, nothing to linger and nothing to regret.
I cursed myself as I growled. I shouldn't be grateful of the Queen. She was evil, manipulative, and dark, but I couldn't help but feel a bit happy of the curse. In the new land, I could have a chance at a new start. No Peter, no Quinn, no Anita, and no village that is hanging over my head, making my every step painful and every breath hurtful. No regret and no need for redemption. And maybe, my new persona will find love.
Then I ran faster, desperate to get the thought out of my head. What about the people you love here Red? I scolded myself. Granny, Snow, the dwarfs, James, and all the good things in my life would be gone, and trust me when I say that there are only a few good things. I wouldn't remember them in the new land, I wouldn't remember myself. Who knows who I'll be in the new life? It could get a lot worse. I could be poor and have nothing to live on. I could be locked up in a cage and forced to be trapped for an eternity. I could watch all my loved ones suffer, and do nothing about it. Well, if what Rumpelstiltskin said was true, I wouldn't remember my love ones.
Honestly, I don't see how anything could get worse from here.
I stopped by the river to take a sip of the water. The reflection of a grey wolf stared up at me; the vicious golden eyes, baring and sharp teeth, and rough fur, beyond her, a watery full moon. It was me. A monster. A despicable being that I once swore to kill.
The golden eyes softened a bit, just like my own. I had been under control of the wolf form for a long time, but there was still small incidents, small slip-ups, where I felt too monstrous to carry on, and then-nothing, a huge black space in my memory. It was scary, to have part of your life unaccounted for, knowing you could've injured, or worse, killed someone. They told me I was not to blame if this happened, the monster wasn't me, and yet, when I blink, the golden eyes did as well. The monster was me, and no amount of training or running is going to take it away from me.
Except for the curse.
The curse would get rid of my curse, I knew, a land without magic would mean a land without the wolf, a land without the darkest part of myself.
I felt a wave of guilt washing over me once more, for thinking of the curse again. I told Snow I was going for a run, with my cheeriest voice, making her think I just needed to clear my head. I arrived at the border of the castle, beyond the fences, and then, making sure I was in range of no human that could be hurt, I took off my cloak.
The transformation was instant, and not at all painful like it should've been. Changing a monster should hurt, right? Being this dark and vicious had to come with a price, right? Instead of the grudging pain I expected every time, I felt as if a bowl of cold water had run down my body, but not in the bad way. Just a small shiver and I changed. Hands and feet into claws, eyes turned from brown to yellow, teeth growling involuntarily, and I was soon standing on four legs. My vision was black and white, unable to recognize the red color of my cloak, which was scattered in front of me. It would've looked like a pool of blood if I had my color vision, but instead it just looked like a big black spot. I dragged it over to a hallowed tree, and took off.
Now, now I was staring at my reflection, studying it. I raised my hand, the monster raised its paw, I parted my lips, a mouthful of teeth blared at me, I crooked my head, and the monster did as well. I sighed, which came out as a soft growl, and dipped my face into the water. I wasn't drowning myself, but a refreshing bath would be good. I rolled around in the muddy river for a while until I was tired, and began my journey back to the hallowed tree.
I did this every full moon, without interruption. No one really understood why, even me. Why do I enjoy turning into the wolf and running through the forest at hyper speed, when I could've been sleeping sounding in a royal chamber. It was a great mysterious. I guess the cold air helped me think, even though my wolf brain didn't have quite as big of a capacity.
I thought to myself as I pulled the red hood over my body, maybe I would felt better on a walk, as a person. I'd never thought to do that, worry that I might rip my cloak or something, but with the curse and everything…might as well seize the opportunity when it was possible.
The red hood was long and dangly, but I managed to scoop it up. I've tested the capacity of the cloak, and as long as it was wrapped around my shoulder blades, that should've been enough to stop me from transforming. I didn't know how it worked, I didn't know how lots of stuff worked, like where did my clothes go when I transform, but I didn't really think I wanted to know. Granny had said that she had gotten the magical cloak from a magician, and I don't really want to know who it might be. All magic came with a price, and less I know, the less I'm hurt.
Right, like you haven't been hurt already.
I didn't remember killing Peter, but I remembered the bloody taste in my mouth right after. The horror of what I had done, what I was, and there was never a lot of time to process it. Snow and I had to run, run, and run, until we got far from the villagers, then I stumbled across Quinn by the lake, then Anita, then Snow and I stayed at this little cabin for a while until we went our separate ways. I back to Granny after the incident with the wolf had died down, and Snow robbing the Queen, trying to get away from the kingdom. There was little time to mourn over Peter, or think about my actions. These thoughts consumed me for a lot of full moons, filling me with guilt, and letting it all go like a flowing river by daylight, to repeat once more when my guilt builds up again like a beaver dam.
I stopped, having only a sense of the distance and direction of the castle. Even in my human form, a few wolf traits still remained, including somehow an acute sense of direction. I was just a few miles into the forest, and should be coming up to a cliff, looking over a river. I loved looking out that view, which is one of the only things that could calm me. Some people say the sunset is the most beautiful time of the day, but I disagree. It was the darkest of night, with the stars twinkling above, and the moon shining brighter than the most brilliant jewel, that the real beauty was brought out. Now I can see it in color, I thought wryly.
I've made a small fire at the cliff, giving off a little warmth as it flicked red. I brooded into the fire, not aware of the outside world until I heard its cry.
Help!
Who was that?
The poor stray probably didn't even realize that someone could hear it, and definitely not a human. It had come from down the cliff, I think, as I approached the sound.
HELP!
It was getting louder as I walked towards the tip of the cliff, which I took as a sign that I was getting closer.
CAN ANYONE HELP ME?
"I'M HERE!" I called, speaking another language without realizing too, or maybe I was just speaking English and they could understand me. I never got the whole 'talking-to-dogs-thing'.
It was a puppy, hanging on to the rocks of the cliff, a few more seconds and she would've been slipping down and falling into the foaming white river. I breathe a sigh of relief that I wasn't too late.
"It's alright." I told it, "I'll get you out."
It seemed to trust me as it tried to jump into my outreaching hands. He was small, brown with white spots, and fluffy, unlike any pure-bred dog I've seen in the castle. Must be a mutt, probably doesn't have a family by the looks of it, maybe it was casted off for its bad lineage. I knew that feeling.
"You're okay." I yelled as I lowered myself down the cliff. Even though most of my exercise was as wolf form, I still had pretty good strength and agility. I carefully found stepping holes and tree roots to step on and lowered myself to the height of the puppy, looking at me with despair in its beautiful big brown eyes, "I've got you." I hugged it into my arm and made my way back up. I was strong enough to climb with one hand, with the other holding the little dog.
Thank you.
I smiled a little despite myself; it was nice saving things instead of destroying them for once.
I picked up the pup and rose myself out of the cliff. Setting it down next to the fire, "You're adorable." I decided, "I'll call you Poppy."
Poppy wagged its tail and sat down by the warmth of the fire. By now the dawn was catching, but my eye lids were heavy. I'd run for most of the night, and then climbed down and up a cliff, in my human form never the less. Before I knew it, I was asleep.
I woke up to the smell of burning.
The fire had caught on my cloak, and it was probably mid-morning by now. I guess Poppy had tried to extinguish it or something, because he was waving around the cloak like a mad dog and shaking the fire out. My eyes in fear were reflected in the flames as my brain went wild. This hood was the only thing stopping me from turning into a monster. I could still save it, and try to repair it.
Until the tree got caught on fire.
Poppy yelped and let go of the hood, which landed with a thump on the ground. The trees surrounding the tip of the cliff ignited, and soon enough I was in the middle of a full on forest fire. Red flames swirled around me, mocking me with its smoke and heat.
"Poppy?" I called. It seemed that I lost the pup in the flames. I choked at the smoke, soon enough it will be enough to kill us. And where is my cloak?
Tears were swimming in my eyes as I tried to blink them out; it was not an easy feat. Finally, finally, I spotted the red hood sat on a small, untouched piece of Earth. Thankfully it had not been reduced to smoke, but it was very close. I could step over the flames and reach for it.
HELP!
Poppy's voice rang out from the midst of the smoke, and I turned to find him engulfed in flames. I had only seconds to rescue either of them from the redness.
So save the puppy, or the hood.
The choice was obvious, staring at me in the face. I could be a hero and save the creature, then worry about the hood later, but would there be a later for the cloak? I tried to think as dark red spots danced around my eyes, and in a few seconds, it would've even matter if I made a choice, because we'd both be dead.
Save Poppy, that's what I should do, what I could do, what I would do, but it wasn't what I did.
A few minutes later I down the road, past the fire I would call upon guards from the castle to take out as fast as I could ran. Cloak was in my hand, and Poppy? Probably reduced to ashes. I panted, instantly regretted my actions.
You could've saved Poppy
I could've, I should've tried. There had to be a way.
You saved yourself.
The curse, I thought as I banged myself on the head, the curse would've ripped everything away, there was no reason to keep the cloak, but Poppy could've lived for another day, or at least not be dead at the hands of her saviour.
The cloak wasn't worth an innocent creature's life. He didn't deserve that cruel fate. The big brown eyes would haunt me as far as I will live, except…
Except for the curse.
There wasn't any denying it now, I was grateful for Regina's plan. I was grateful that I would've have to remember Peter, Quinn, Anita, and Poppy. I was grateful that I would no longer be a monster. I was guilt to be grateful.
I numbly walked back to the castle, not even aware of the scratches around my arms and legs, and the rips across the cloak. Sunlight was shining through the trees, the wolf was over, and I was Red now.
But Red wasn't really better than the wolf, I thought bitterly, she had let an innocent being die, and in her good conscious as well. There was no mask of monster I could hide behind. No one to blame but myself for the ashes burn at the tip of the cliff
"Miss Red." The castle guard nodded, noting my scruffy appearance, "Are you alright? Do you need to go to the infirmary or…?"
"I'm fine." I snapped. I wasn't feeling the mood to talk to anyone, not even Snow, or Granny, or any of the dwarfs. I just wanted to be alone. "There's a forest fire, get on it!"
Clouds rumbled in the background as I stepped into my chamber. It was almost striped empty now, part of the preparation of the curse. There wasn't anything to prepare for really, the curse was coming any day, and the only plan we've made was for Snow. The rest of us will be swished away from 28 years.
Fine by me, I sighed. I never wanted to remember this day ever again, for the rest of my life. I never wanted to be the monster, but it was always there.
I was the monster.
There was no denying anything; I sat, crying, on my chamber floor. The world was spinning and the storm was brewing louder. I looked up at my vanity and saw my dishevelled features. I haven't looked this way since that night that I found out that I was me, not Peter, who was the wolf, the night I killed my own boyfriend. Smash, went the mirror, as I collapsed on the shattered glass, not even bothering with the blood pouring from the cuts it made.
Let it bleed.
I sobbed into my hand gravely. The thunder and lightning was clashing in the background, as conflicted and wild as I was right now. It suddenly clicked, the curse was happening, now.
But even the curse couldn't have save me, Snow would be getting ready to go into the wardrobe right now, and in 28 years, too short of a time, little Emma would save the day. She would remember everything too fast and too suddenly, and who knows what she'll be like then?
I should've died.
I should've let the villagers killed me when I had the chance. I should've saved all my friends, and myself from the monster, from myself. I pushed myself up, as more blood spilled when my palm made contact with the sharp edge of the glass. I cried out, the sound so distressed it scared even me. It was agonizing, the pain, but I deserved it.
I deserved everything that will happen to me. I waddled to the window barefooted. The pain was at such a great capacity that I didn't even feel it, just mind-numbing pain that shook my entire being. Afar, the green-purple swirl engulfed the land, I saw some animals running out of the forest towards the castle, but it won't be a safe haven for long.
There was nothing to do except to wait. There was only a few seconds before the smoke covers the entire castle, before I would be gone, before the monster would be gone. I smiled despite of everything. While the curse to end all curses was a terrible fate, I was grateful. Guiltily, stupidly, grateful. A fresh new start, which I wanted for so long, was about to come in the cruelest fate. I shouldn't be happy, but I was.
5.
Any minute now, the smoke was swirling around the base of the castle.
4.
It travels up the walls. A few birds floated around my window, but their struggle was useless as they got sucked into its power.
3.
It was closer to my window; I could feel it wash over me.
2.
I closed my eyes.
1.
Goodbye Red.
Bye!
Weird, ya, I don't-even.
Anyways, just putting that out there, it's not really for any purpose and hardly has any new plot points, but here you go! It's a lot about Red bashing herself for being such a monster, and stuff. It was sad how she let the puppy die and was probably out of character, but I had to put something in there.
Ya, she was weird towards the end.
SCREW IT ALL!
~Lilies