I don't own OUAT or any of the characters I use. All spelling and grammar errors are of my own doing.
Maleficent, the dragon sorceress who protects the lands of the Forbidden Forest, has been watching Regina, the Evil Queen, pace back and forth in front of her fireplace. Today was the day Regina faced trail for her crimes and treason against the White Kingdom. All because the day before Regina was to be wed to the White Kingdom's heir, Queen Snow and King David's son Leopold II, was found killed by Regina. For the past three years the Dark Kingdom and White Kingdom were in war, as Queen Snow demanded justice for the death of her beloved son. So, then it was ordered she was sentence to a public execution, to be burned at the stake, for they believe she should suffer and die a slow and agony death for all the pain she cause the White Kingdom. when they finally captured Regina.
Though it came to a surprise when Regina appeared to in her fortress, Maleficent is still thankful to the gods her dear friend is still in one piece. Quickly to question what is going on, Regina explains how a mystery green hooded figure stopped the executor from placing the fire on the stakes and along with another red hooded figure they helped her escaped. Not wanting to beat the horse in the mouth when they reached outside the White Kingdom's borders, and her magic returned to her, she thanked them and teleported here.
Once Regina reassured the wellbeing of her daughter she began to pace back and forth in front of her fireplace, not speaking another word as she is in deep thought. Maleficent can see the wheels spinning in Regina's head, plotting her next move of action, going over all possibilities what she can do.
Maleficent sighs and finally breaks the silence. "How are you, dear?"
"I'm doing fine," Regina answers sharply, but does not stop pacing.
"Yeah, I can see that," Maleficent rolls her eyes. "I would be fine too if I had almost died today," she says sarcastically.
The day before Regina was captured by the White Kingdom's army, as they been at war for almost three years now. Like always before Regina joined her army on the battle ground Regina had come to her to ask if she would protect her daughter, but this time was different. Regina explained how she had a feeling and something about this attack was different.
When news of the Evil Queen has been captured by Queen Snow, Maleficent was confused. There is a reason why outside of the Dark Kingdom Regina's army was feared as they were almost undefeatable. Not only Regina utilize the physical geography that surrounds her kingdom, making it hard for any enemy army to cross but her army is quick to defeat any threat that does pass through. Though Maleficent was no fool, having lived as long as she has and witness so much history, for a group coming victorious beside the odds wasn't unheard of. Everyone knew the White Kingdom was running out of resources to keep fighting, going on three-years, war against the Dark Kingdom, who was enriched with resource.
Her gut tells her a certain person had a hand in it. That damn bastard of a sister of hers. When will she ever give up on her quest for power, Maleficent isn't sure yet. Just when she thought her sister can't get any desperate for power she is proved wrong.
"So, what are we going to do?" Maleficent asks.
"There is nothing we can do," Regina says as she comes to a stop. "There is no ending to Snow's thirst to see my head on a silver platter," Regina stare blankly at the roaring fire. "I don't know how long I can keep this up," sounding more tired and defeated Maleficent has ever heard from her. "And this isn't the life I want to continue to raise my daughter in."
"Hide here in the Forbidden Forest," Maleficent offers. "They will never find you here." There is a reason why she made this fortress her home. Surrounded by the Forbidden Forest, the home of the Moors, magical creatures that are near extinction reside, has a spell that anyone who dares enters with a distrust heart will be forever lost. Very few can make the trip across, and why the southern kingdoms don't have contact with the northern kingdoms.
Regina shakes her head. "They won't quit until they do. I will be forever looking over my shoulder waiting until the other shoe drops. There is only one way."
Maleficent didn't need for Regina to tell her what that one way is and is quick to disagree. "No."
"I need my curse back, Maleficent."
"You know that not even its unholy power can't bring your loved one back from the dead," Maleficent reminds the young brunette woman.
Regina jaw clench as her eyes harden at being reminded of her beloved. How she wasted time and effort trying to bring her back alive to no avail. She's not as stupid and naive Rumpelstiltskin wanted her to think, she knew the curse won't bring her back. When she looks over to the sleeping toddler she thinks how the curse can give her a fresh new start.
"She deserves a better life," Regina points at her innocent daughter. "And that curse can give me that."
Maleficent knew there was no changing Regina's mind and magically procure the veil that holds the scroll. "All power comes with a price. Enacting it will leave a void, Regina," Maleficent warns as the brunette takes the scroll.
Regina shrugs. "There is already a void inside of me, what will one more do?"
Maleficent could argue but she knew it would land on deaf ears. Instead she watches the brunette pull the scroll free from the glass vail. "So how are you going to cast it?"
"By sacrificing something I treasure," Regina says.
"That list is small," Maleficent tries to make light of the dark serious situation.
Regina nods, agreeing with Maleficent fail attempt of humor. She has very few friends she made throughout these three years, but she couldn't ask this from them. It will have to be someone in her family and sacrificing her daughter was out of the question. "Yes, but only one I can sacrifice," Regina response before look straight into the dragon witch's eyes, "my father."
Emma is finishing up cleaning up the stable for the day before she can lock up and go home. It was a slow day on account its been raining all day, but Emma was more than happy to close the stable up early, seeing it was her birthday.
She was sweeping the floor when she heard another pair of footsteps entering the stables, looking up she finds a young teenage girl, blonde hair and hazel eyes, soaked from the pouring rain outside.
Emma waited for the girl to speak but she stood there with wide eyes staring at her. Lifting an eyebrow, "Can I help you?"
"Are you Emma Swan?" the girl asks, looking a little nervous.
"Yeah, and you are?"
Emma watches the girl fidgets a bit and swallow thickly as if she was nerves of something before saying shyly, "I'm Robin… I'm your daughter."
Emma blinks a few times as she tries to wrap her mind around what the teen just told her. "I'm sorry, wait what?"
Standing taller, and surer of herself the teen repeats herself. "I'm your daughter."
She goes to open her mouth to say something but finds herself flabbergasted. She complains her life could get a bit more interesting, as life as a stable girl can get very dull but this was a step towards insanity. Shaking her head "I don't have a daughter," Emma tells her.
"Yes, you do," the girl tells her.
"Listen, kid, I don't know what you are playing at, but I assure you I don't have a daughter," Emma states. She's positive she would remember pushing a baby out of her body.
The girl sighs and rolls her eyes. "You don't remember because the Evil Queen cursed everyone, but I assure you I'm your daughter."
"Did you just say Evil Queen?" Emma question.
"Yes," Robin nods. "She is the reason why we are all stuck in this town and why you don't remember me. She cast the curse to take away everyone's happy endings but what she doesn't know that I know the truth and together we are going to break the curse."
"Right," Emma says slowly as she tries to process what is going on. "Cause fairy tales are real."
"They are," Robin shots her a glare, "and I can prove it." She takes the backpack off her shoulders and pulls out a book.
Emma watches the girl flip through the pages until she finds the page she was looking for. Turning the book to face her, revealing the picture of a regal queen.
"Does she look familiar?" Robin question her.
Emma squints at the picture. "Isn't that the mayor?"
"Yes," Robin nods. "And she's the Evil Queen."
Personally, Emma has never meet the mayor face to face and though she heard the mayor can be cold and a bitch, Emma isn't one to judge by hearsay. Plus, the mayor has always been very generous when give funds to the stables.
"This doesn't prove anything, kid," Emma points out. "As far as I know this book was illustrated by someone in town."
Robin's eyes harden with determination. "I'll find a way to prove it to you."
Emma sighs, becoming tired of this insane conversation. "You do that but in the meantime, I'm taking you home."
"I don't want to go home," Robin snarls, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I'm sure your parents are worried sick," Emma tries to reason with the teen.
"She doesn't care," Robin points out, angerly. "She only pretends to love me."
Emma wanted to argue but she hears a vehicle comes to a screeching stop outside of the stables, followed by slamming of doors and footsteps running towards them. Looking up the first thing Emma sees is a well-dressed brunette woman comes sprinting towards them, soaked from the rain and with a look of worry.
"Oh my god, Robin!" the said woman wraps her arms around the teen, pulling the girl into a tight hug. Emma watches after a moment the brunette pulls away to get a better look, checking the teen for any injuries and shot a list of questions. "Are you alright? Are you hurt? What were you thinking running away in this storm?"
As the brunette woman is about to touch the girl's face, Robin harshly pulls away and shots the older woman a glare. "Why do you care?"
A flash of hurt appeared on the brunette's face. "I'm your mother of course I care."
"You're not my real mother, she is," Robin points at the other blonde woman.
As if realizing there was another person with them, the brunette finally looks her way. The blonde woman isn't sure why, but she felt her mouth go dry and her heart pulse quickening.
"You're Robin's birth mother?" the brunette question, eyeing her with wary.
E mma shakes her head. "There is a misunderstanding, I'm nobody's mother."
Robin shots her a hurt look before storming past the adults back into the storm.
"Graham, can you make sure Robin doesn't go miss again?" the brunette asks the man who had entered with her over her shoulder without taking her eyes off the blonde.
"Of course," the man nods before quickly following the young teenage girl.
Once the man was out of sight Emma is quick to defend herself. "Listen I don't know where she got the idea I'm her birth mother, but she's mistaken. Not once in my life have I gotten pregnant."
The other woman stays silent, brown eyes studying the blonde before sighing. "It's alright, I believe you. I'm sure she's just rebelling after she found out she is adopted. I'm sorry she dragged you into this mess. She is a really good kid."
"I'm sure she is," Emma smiles.
The brunette smiles back before saying goodbye.
Emma watches the brunette walk out of the stable into her car before driving off. Once the car is out of sight, Emma softly chuckles at how her day turned out. More than ever she wants to rush home because Marian will not believe what just inspired and looks forward going home telling her.
Turns out she got her birthday wish after all.
A purple cloud appears in his small hunting cabinet, hidden deep in the Enchanted Forest, where the former King Henry of the Dark Kingdom now lives. He had just finished preparing supper and was about to eat when his darling daughter appeared. Right before the war broke out again, Regina had arranged for him to hide, taking precaution in fear if she were to be captured he would be safe. Word had gotten to him that the Queen of the Dark Kingdom has been captured by Queen Snow and was to be sentence to death.
"Hello daddy," Regina greets her father with sorrow eyes when the smoke disappears, revealing her.
Happy to see his daughter alive, he rushes to her and pulls her into a hug. "My dear, Regina. I am so glad you're alright."
Regina returns the tight hug with one of her own. What she is about to do, it will be for the last time.
Henry pulls away after a short moment and directs his daughter to take a seat at the table. "You came right in time, I just had finished supper."
Not able to ruin his happiness just yet, takes a seat. They sat together and ate the supper Henry had prepared in silence. Henry had turned a blind eye to many things when it concerns his daughter, but he knew something was wrong.
"Regina, what's wrong?" Henry asks.
Regina closes her eyes with dread for what she is about to say to her father. "I have to cast the curse."
Eyes wide, "I thought you said the price is too great."
Regina opens her eyes and forces herself to lock eyes with her father. "It is, but I find myself out of options."
"We can hide," Henry tells his daughter. "I still have some connections, we can go far from here and start a new life."
Eyes blazing, she stands up, slamming her hands on the wood table. "You think I didn't think of that? Snow White will stop at nothing to find me, and I can't keep living like this," Regina growls at her father. If it were that easy she would have damn the Dark Kingdom and taken her child far away from here where nobody would find them. If it wasn't for having been captured by Snow, she would've packed up and fled if it meant her child is safe. "I can't keep looking over my shoulder wondering when, I will not allow my child live in fear."
Henry didn't want to believe it has come to the curse, a dark curse that will farther darken his little girl's heart. "There has to be another way."
Regina shakes her head. "I wish there were but there isn't."
Swallowing thickly, Henry nods sadly and stands in front of his daughter. "Alright."
Tearing falling down her face, her heart clench in pain for what she is about to do. "Please forgive me, father."
Reaching a hand out to her face, Henry wipes the tears away. He knows this wasn't an easy decision for Regina to make. He had vowed to protect and do whatever it takes to protect his daughter when she was put into his arms on the day she was born. Though he had failed many times, allowing Cora to coward him, he won't back down now. "Always."
She takes his hand and kisses his palm. "I love you, daddy," she says one last time with teary eyes.
"I love you too," Henry says back before Regina plunges her hand into his chest and rips out his heart.
Not able hold his dead weight, she slowly eases his body down to the floor. "Daddy I'm so sorry," Regina sobs into his chest and can't help thinking she's a monster. Time goes by and Henry's body becomes cold when Regina pulls herself together to put her plan in motion. She walks over to the fire place and conjure a fire, whispering the ancient words of the curse, casing the red yellowy fire to turn into a sickly green and throws the heart. The cabinet shakes as thunder roars dangerously in the sky above, and the dark sickly green clouds produce quickly over the Enchanted Forest.
Flickering her wrist towards her father, he disappears in a cloud of purple smoke. He shall rest in peace back at the family estate, along with the rest of her family bloodline. Waving her hand once more Regina is once again in Maleficent's Forbidden Fortress.
"It is chaos out there," Maleficent comments, eyeing the abnormal storm that is brewing and heading their way, from the balcony. Have lived so long, there is not much that surprises the old dragon, having seen it all, but this storm was something new. Just the look of it spoke volume how dark and dangerous it was.
Regina doesn't say anything and goes where her daughter is crying for comfort by the fire. Picking up the infant, she holds the baby girl tightly to her chest she whispers soothing words. "Don't cry little one," she gently rubs the infant's back, shaking up and down. "Everything is alright. I won't let anything happen to you, little one."
"Curse is almost upon us," Maleficent states as the curse clouds get closer, reminding everyone in the room their time in these lands are coming to an end.
"You don't have to stay," Regina points out.
"I ran away once, and I regret it every day, I won't do it again," Maleficent tells her. "I will face this curse head on."
"Perhaps you should visit her one last time," Regina softly suggests, knowing what the dragon shifter speaks about. "It might be your last chance."
Sighing, Maleficent looks back at the storm and grows silent in thought. She watches as the storm destroy everything it touches, ripping everyone from their homes into another world. She's not sure what this curse has instore but she won't be able to live with herself if she didn't see her one last time.
"It was a pleasure knowing you, Regina," Maleficent says before shifting to her dragon scales before taking off to the sky.
Once alone, Regina continues to cuddle the infant in her arms, holding her daughter protectively as the windows shatter and the curse takes her away.
Regina is woken by her newly adopted infant crying, she quickly gets up and walks to the nursery room. "Its okay, little one. It's okay, I'm here," Regina says soothingly, as she lifts the infant to cradle in her arms. Bouncing her in arms, she checks if the infant needed changing then makes her way down to the kitchen. "Lets get you feed, Robin."
Tell me what you thought.