"I say we fight." Prince Charming's voice boomed through the hall as he slammed his hand on the table, in regards to the plan against the Evil Queen.
"Fighting is a bad idea," Jiminy Cricket responded, in hopes to get his friend to calm himself, "Giving in to one's dark side never accomplishes anything."
Charming glances down at him still frustrated, "And how many wars has a clear conscience won?"
"From the looks of it all a clear conscience does is turn you into a cricket." The petite, young brunette across the table voices.
Ignoring her Charming continues his tirade, "We need to take the Queen out before she can inflict her curse."
All around the table are the faces of friends who are afraid. Red grips Granny's shoulders lightly as this conversation goes on knowing that no matter what decision is made they will follow the Charming's. Snow White looks everywhere but at her husband, because deep down she agrees with him, and that plagues her heart. Snow's sister, the brunette that spoke up earlier, just to Snow's left her hand protecting her sister's pregnant stomach.
"Can we even trust Rumplestiltskin?" Doc questions, voicing the concern of many at the table.
"I've sent my men into the forest. The animals are abuzz with the Queen's plan," the prince glances at his friends around the table before leaning down, "This is going to happen, unless we do something."
Snow grips her sister's hand as she speaks for the first time since entering the hall, "There's no point. The future is written."
"Well aren't you the pessimistic one. Normally that's me." I smirk from beside her, earning me a look of malice from the prince.
"No. I refuse to believe that." He shakes his head, as if that will change the fate of the kingdom. "Good can't just lose."
A sigh rises from beside him, quickly followed by the hushed words, "Maybe it can."
Kneeling beside his wife, Charming grasps her hand in his trying to get her to look at him. "No. No. Not as long as we have each other." As Snow turns her head to look at him he continues, "If you believe him about the curse, then you must believe him about our child." The smile growing on his face causing me to groan.
"Yes because Rumplestiltskin is such a trustworthy man. Have you forgotten why you locked him up to begin with Charming?" I lean forward slightly in my chair out of frustration.
"She WILL be the Savior." He forces out just barely glancing at me.
That wasn't an answer Charming. I think as I relax back into my previous position as the door crashes open. Without thinking I place myself between Snow and the guards coming through the door.
"What the hell is this?" Charming demands looking at the guards dragging a….. wait, is that…. Why are they bringing a tree stump into the castle? I glance at Charming, who is avoiding looking at me, then down at Snow White, who just shrugs in response.
From above the guards we all see the Blue Fairy float in, the sound of her wings like tinkling bells. "Our only hope of saving that child." She responds to the prince's question.
"A tree? Our fate rests on a tree?" Grumpy snarks from somewhere beside Red and Granny. Looking at Charming he continues, "Let's get back to the fighting thing."
I snicker as I retake my seat, realizing that there was no danger, "I knew I liked you for a reason Grumpy."
"The tree is enchanted." The blue fairy says rolling her eyes at the two of us. "If fashioned into a vessel, it can ward off any curse."
"Oh really? We'll take…." I look around the room then at Snow and whisper, "How many people are in the kingdom?" This gains me nothing more than a slight smile from my sister, who is leaning forward with her eyes on the fairy, hope gleaming in her eyes.
"Geppetto, can you build such a thing?" Blue asks, ignoring me as everyone else in the room tends to.
"Me and my boy—we can do it." Geppetto smiles widely first at the fluttering blue pixie then at the Prince, while patting his son, Pinnochio, who is seated under the table, on the head.
Nodding slightly at his words, Blue turns towards the prince, "This will work. We all must have faith."
Snow smiles for what seems like the first time in forever while grasping Charming's hand. "There is, however, a catch." The fairy says downtroddingly. "The enchantment is indeed powerful, but all power has its limits," She smiles sadly at the three of us, " and this tree can protect only one."
The smiles that had been forming on all our faces suddenly dropped. Only one…. I thought slowly rising from my chair. Grimacing slightly as I realized what this meant for my sister I left the room without another word.
A day after the meeting, I stand in Snow's room as she speaks to her prince. "I don't want to do this." Snow drifts past me as she enters the room by way of the balcony door.
"It has to be you." Charming stands from where he had been leaning on the chair at his desk.
"I'm not leaving you." She storms over to him her voice cracking slightly as she tries to hold in tears. I stand up knowing that this conversation will not end pleasantly.
"It's the only way." Charming wraps his arms around her, while attempting to sooth her. The door behind them opens causing all of us to jump slightly.
"My apologies. I happened to overhear." The blue fairy floats in before magically transforming into her human sized self. "I may have a solution to your problem."
"I thought you weren't supposed to do that…. Against the fairy way." I said nodding at her as she transformed.
"It is necessary." She explains curtsying slightly.
"You said you may have a solution." Snow whispers from Charming's shirt where she had buried her face to hide the tears that were forming.
"Yes. Though it would depend on your sister." Blue glances at me.
"I'd do anything for Snow, she knows this." I growl getting less amused by the second. "What is your idea?"
"I know of a spell that can transfer the baby magically between you two. It only works on siblings, and your baby would be safe. You wouldn't have to leave Charming, your majesty." Blue calmly replies.
"You want to take my baby from me?" Snow steps back from her husband. I take a step forward, reaching for something that can be used as a weapon if need be.
"You misunderstand. I do not want to take her away from you." Blue catches my movements and attempts to explain. "If you remain here and your child is born, she will not be able to fulfill her destiny in the future. I merely assumed you would not want your daughter to be alone, which is why I suggested this."
I look at Snow. "I think what she's trying to say is that your daughter would be safe, and you'd be able to remain here with Charming."
Snow shakes her head lightly, "Blue, may I have some time to think about this. To talk it over?"
"Of course. If you decide that you do wish to go through with this spell, you know how to call me here." Blue flashes us a dazzling smile before popping back into her fairy self and flitting off.
"What do you want to do Snow?" Charming glances up from the floor, which is where his eyes had become fixed as soon as the fairy brought up her idea.
"I don't want our daughter to be alone." Snow walks over to him. "We have to give her her best chance."
"At least she would be safe from the curse." I voice from the chair that I'd rested in once the fairy left.
"You would be willing to do this for us?" Charming fixes his eyes on me.
"I'd be willing to do it for Snow." I snap back, as Snow grips her stomach in pain. I jump up and rush to her side. "Snow what's wrong?" We both ask at the same time.
"The baby. She's coming." Snow grits out between her teeth.
I look up at Charming, "You need to decide now, because once this baby is born there is no second chance." Grabbing Snow's arm I lead her to bed in hopes of relieving the pain. "Should I go fetch the fairy?" I ask once my sister is resting on the bed.
Charming looks between the two of us, reading the pain on Snow's face and the fear on mine, "Go! If you hurry she may still be on castle grounds." He says taking my place at Snow's side.
I nod as I race down the stairs to catch the fairy.
"The curse! It's here!" One of the dwarves yells from the battlements while ringing the warning bell. I am panting as I follow the fairy back up to Snow's room. For such a little thing she's speedy.
"Anaise, finally you're here. Did you find the fairy?" Snow smiles painfully at me as I enter the door. I just point at the floating blue speck next to Charming's head.
"You'll need to take a step back, sire." Blue states after she transforms once more.
"Thank you, Anaise. You didn't have to do this." Charming kisses Snow's hand while smiling slightly at me.
"What's a little magical pregnancy swap between sisters?" I lightly set myself down on the bed next to Snow. "She would do the same for me." Charming just nods as he stands nervously by the balcony doors, glaring at the curse in the distance.
"We haven't much time to do this spell." Blue rushes over to Snow's other side grasping my hand and placing it on her stomach. "Your majesty if you could place your hand on Anaise's stomach as well."
I grin down at my sister who is sweating profusely from trying to hold off giving birth. Hopefully I can make it to the wardrobe before the baby decides she wants to escape.
"I am changing the spell slightly so that you will have a bit of extra time to make it to the wardrobe." Blue glances at me from her frantic herb mixing.
"How did you know I was thinking about that?"
"What else would you be thinking about at a time like this?" She laughs slightly, adding the last of the herbs to the mixture.
Snow grips my free hand silently thanking me for doing this for her. We never really discuss it but she knows that I would protect her through everything, even if I don't agree with her. Blue begins chanting in a vaguely familiar language, Elvish, I think not taking my eyes off of Snow's stomach. After a minute of I begin to feel tingling radiating from Snow's hand resting on my side. No turning back now, I squeeze my eyes shut as the tingling turns to pain and my belly expands to the size of a dragon's egg. Opening my eyes I see Snow's body has returned to the same petite frame it had been before she and Charming had met. Snow frowns at me as Charming steps away from the window.
"The curse is getting close." He stalks over to Snow's side.
"Did anyone think to ask the wood carver if the wardrobe was ready?" I grit through my teeth as my stomach feels like it is being ripped to shreds. "Because all of this," I gesture at my now pregnant self, "is for nothing if that wardrobe is not done."
The door bursts open and Geppetto races in, "It's ready."
"Oh good." I try to stand up but not being familiar with my now more rotund body I end up just rocking in place. "You two will have 28 years to hug each other, Charming get over here and help me get to the damned wardrobe." I glare at my sister.
Snow cries softly and pushes me from behind as Charming lifts me from the bed. "Go! Take care of our Emma. Anaise, I believe in you."
"No funny business prince. There isn't any time for it." I place my hand on his shoulder as pain racks my body.
"Still funny as ever." He drily says racing down the hall towards the nursery where the wardrobe is waiting, Snow's sobs following us like a ghost's call.
"You'd think something was wrong with me if I didn't tease." He comes to a stop at a large door. "We really don't have time for you to admire the castle." I look into the hallway to see what had caught his eye. Two of the queen's guards waited brandishing swords.
Charming sets my feet on the ground and unsheathes his sword. (dirty I know but I couldn't think of how to phrase it.) I grab the wall as another contraction runs through me. "Wait here." He surges forward into the hallway slicing the first guard's leg with ease.
"Are you telling me or the baby?" I groan out under my breath. "Because I don't think she's listening."
My gaze flickers up just in time to see Charming's sword catching the guards right before my face. "Get to the wardrobe. I'll hold them here." He growls before kicking the guard back leaving me an opening to make for the nursery door. As my hand grasps the door latch I glance back to see one of the guards slicing the prince from shoulder to mid torso. I pull the door as a grunt and the chink of steel rings out behind me. I teeter into the nursery, knowing there is no time to spare. A hand grasps my arm and leads me to the wardrobe, I glance up to see Charming grimacing as he swings open the doors.
"You take care of her. And make sure she finds us." He holds his hand out to help me into the wardrobe, and a tear escapes and rolls down his cheeks. "Please, Anaise, bring her back to us." I seat myself as comfortably as I can and blink back tears, whether from the pain or because of his request I'm not sure.
"Goodbye." Charming starts to close the wardrobe doors as more tears fall from his eyes. As the latch clicks into place I get the sensation of falling.
Two guards burst into the nursery behind Charming, both intent on getting to the woman he had just secured in the wardrobe behind him. Quickly weakening from the wound he received earlier the prince parries one guard's sword while the other guard stabs him in the abdomen. As he falls to the floor, the guard closest to the wardrobe begins to use the pommel of his sword to break the lock of the offending wardrobe. Charming lifts his head from the floor long enough to see the guard open an empty wardrobe, before welcoming the darkness that was creeping into his vision with a smile.
Snow stumbles down the hall, seeing bodies lying everywhere from the fight, praying that Charming had succeeded in getting her sister to the wardrobe. Rounding the corner into the nursery Snow sees her husband lying on the floor, crying out she topples onto the floor next to him. "No. No. No. No. No. No. Please come back to me" She whispers gripping his face. Silently hoping that she can bring him back as he had brought her back, she presses a kiss to his lips a couple of times. "What?" She squeaks out as the kiss doesn't work.
"Oh, don't worry, dear. In a few moments, you won't remember you knew him," The Queen's raspy voice came from the doorway, as her heels clicked on the hard floor and she swept a hood down from her black hair adorned with red feathers. "Let alone loved him." Her mouth curled into a wicked grin.
"Why did you do this?" Snow asks in a defeated voice.
"Because this is MY happy ending." The Queen snapped out bending over to look Snow in the eye, baring her teeth as a wolf would looking at their prey. "The child?" She says to her approaching guards.
"Gone. Someone was in the wardrobe, and then they were gone." The guard quickly responds bowing low for his Queen. "It's nowhere to be found."
Snarling slightly at the answer the Queen turns to Snow, "Where is she?" Voice breaking from anger.
"She got away." Snow smiles running a hand down Charming's face. "You're going to lose. I know that now. Good will always win"
"We'll see about that." The Evil Queen cackled and looks to the ceiling of the nursery, which the curse was slowly tearing away.
Her sister had escaped, and her daughter wouldn't be alone, Snow turned her face towards the curse, knowing deep in her heart that Emma would save them all one day.
"Where are we going?" Snow yells out to be heard over the groaning of the coming curse.
"Somewhere horrible." The Queen smiles into the distance as glass shatters all around them allowing the curse entrance. "Absolutely horrible. A place where the only happy ending will be MINE!" She screeches out as the grey cloud washes over them, green flickering lightning moving through it, as only a curses would.