Cora's Family Reunion, Chapter One: Monkeys and Robins
Author's Note: This is the fourth installment of my Cora Chronicles. If you're not familiar with the premise, in the Cora Chronicles, our favorite Queen of Hearts didn't die in "The Miller's Daughter" and is participating in events taking place in Once Upon A Time canon.
"Cora is Company," the first installment, goes from "In the Name of the Brother" to "The Queen is Dead," and gives a possible look at what the living situation between Cora and Regina could have been.
"Cora is Still Company," the second installment, goes from "The Miller's Daughter" to "And Straight On Till Morning," and it shows Cora adjusting to life with a heart, learning to coexist with Emma Swan, dealing with her feelings for Rumplestiltskin, repenting from her wicked ways, and performing heroic actions in defense of Regina and Henry.
"Cora's Storybrooke," the third installment, goes from "The Heart of the Truest Believer" to "Going Home." In that story, Regina leaves Cora to act as Mayor of Storybrooke while she is in Neverland. She wins the respect of the people, including Belle and Mother Superior (with whom she initially shared a strong, mutual dislike). Peter Pan returns to Storybrooke with the heroes, and Cora and Mother Superior attempt to stop him. This story ended with Emma and Henry going to New York and the Enchanted Forest natives returning home.
"Cora's Family Reunion" will deal with the year in which everyone returned to the Enchanted Forest, where, as the title suggest, Cora will encounter an all-but-forgotten member of her family.
Thank you for your continued support of this series, and I hope you'll follow along in this exciting new chapter for Cora!
Characters:
Cora
Regina
The Blue Fairy
Belle
Baelfire
Snow White
Prince Charming
Hook
Princess Aurora
Prince Philip
Grumpy and Dwarves
Cora felt the cursed cloud dissipating around her. She opened her eyes, taking in the resplendent sunlight and inhaling the rich smell of the vegetation surrounding her. Home, she thought.
She looked over herself quickly. She was no longer in the sensible pantsuit she was wearing at the Storybrooke Town Line. Instead, she was wearing the blue, jeweled gown she had donned when Hook and she had journeyed from the Enchanted Forest on the Jolly Roger.
Next to her, Regina wore a black-and-red feathered gown. Cora chuckled to herself. She thought her daughter looked a bit ridiculous.
Cora looked forward and saw a very familiar face in a stone pavilion: Princess Aurora was standing there with a rugged, young man who could only be Prince Philip. Ah, she took my advice.
Aurora looked highly confused. "Snow, what happened?"
Snow White, whose hair had returned to an obnoxious length, stepped forward. "We're back," she said.
Snow White and Charming stepped towards the pavilion to speak with the younger couple.
"Go with them, Regina," Cora said in her daughter's ear.
"And watch their pathetic lovefest?" Regina snarked sullenly.
Cora smiled and chuckled. "You're still the Queen, my dear. If they're making decisions, you should be part of them."
Regina nodded. "You're right." She gave Cora a sad smile and walked over to join her stepdaughter.
"She misses Henry," came a voice over Cora's shoulder.
Mother Superior was the Blue Fairy again, and Cora was highly amused by her diminutive size.
"I know she does," Cora said. "The trick will be to keep her busy. As long as she has something to do, she won't be consumed by thoughts of Henry. That's why I decided to conquer Wonderland."
The Blue Fairy chuckled and shook her head, wings aflutter. "I hope we can get Regina to do something a bit more constructive than that."
"Aye," Hook said, stepping forward, "But I don't think you have much to worry about with Regina. She's tough. And she's not the only person who just lost someone."
Cora knew that he was referring to his loss of Emma, but she also knew that Hook wasn't the only grieving person. She looked around, seeing Belle, whose eyes were still red from crying, and Baelfire, who seemed to be putting on a brave face in front of so many people.
Cora's heart especially went out to Baelfire. He had lost his father, his son, and his true love all in one day. There can be no pain like the one he must be going through. She remembered Rumple's dying wish, that Cora would look after his loved ones, and she intended to make good on that promise.
"I have a quest of my own to embark on," the Blue Fairy remarked. "Pan did destroy my wand, which means I'll have to craft a new one."
"I'll never understand why you fairies waste your time with wands," Cora shook her head. "They seem terribly inconvenient. I mean, who in their right mind concentrates their magical power outside of their own body?"
"Obviously, we fairies do," Blue answered academically. "I've heard that people in other lands do so as well. Magic can be concentrated into wands, jewelry, staves… It's not as uncommon as you might think."
The discussion was interrupted when Snow, Charming and Regina stepped down from the pavilion. Aurora and Philip remained within, presumably chatting about their impending parenthood.
"We have a plan," Snow declared. Everyone ceased their talking to listen. "Regina, Charming and I have decided that we're all returning to the Queen's Castle together."
Cora caught her daughter's eye. Regina shrugged almost imperceptibly at her mother.
"Let's prepare to move out," Charming added.
Several minutes later, after the dwarves had prepared everything for the journey (prattling about being returned to their normal sizes). Charming conversed with Grumpy.
Cora was helping Hook load supplies onto a horse.
"I really can do this myself," Hook insisted.
"Really, Hook, don't treat me like an old woman," Cora said bemusedly. "I have a soft spot in my heart for the Jolly Roger too. It brought me to Regina, so I wish to do whatever I can, even if that means I get to send you off."
Hook sighed, smiling at his friend. "I won't lie, Cora. I do wish you were coming with me."
Cora placed her hand on the pirate's shoulder. "Oh, Captain, you know I'd love to go with you. Regina is going to need me, and I must fulfill Rumple's dying wish."
"Fair enough," Hook smiled mischievously. "And with the crocodile dead, I guess that makes you the closest thing to the Dark One that there is."
Cora pursed her lips at Hook, but her eyes were filled with laughter. "I think the Prince is coming this way, dearie."
"That's a lot of supplies you have there, Hook," Charming observed.
"It's important to be prepared," Cora responded.
"True," Charming nodded at Cora, "But the Queen's Castle is less than a day's ride from here. We'll have everything we need once we get there."
"Aye, that would be lovely if I were coming to the Queen's Castle," Hook said.
"You're not coming with us?" Charming's mouth hung open in shock.
"Hook's home is the Jolly Roger," Cora explained. "Regina's curse definitely brought it back here, and it's out there waiting for him somewhere. We shouldn't stop him from going home."
Snow had paced up to the three of them, and was frowning. "So you're going back to being a pirate?"
"Back, my lady? I've always been a pirate." Hook nodded to the Prince and Princess, winked at Cora, and, mounting his horse, rode towards the sea.
Not wanting to listen to the inevitable whining, Cora walked over to where Baelfire was standing.
"What's troubling you, dear?" she asked.
"Regina's curse brought everything back, right?" he asked her.
"Yes, it did," Cora said.
"I still believe my father can help us get back to Emma," Neal said. "I know he's dead," he continued, "but somehow, I know that he can reunite us with Emma."
"Dear, dear, Baelfire, you know that the Charmings aren't going to take well to that. They want us all to go back to the castle together like a big, happy family. Plus, Regina's curse reset the boundaries between lands. No one can travel between them right now."
The son of Rumplestiltskin huffed and began to stomp away, but Cora grabbed his arm. "Don't despair, Baelfire. I'm going to look after you. And once we get settled into the castle, we'll go have a look at the Dark One's castle."
Neal looked searchingly at Cora. "I really am grateful for your help, Cora, but I don't need to be looked after." He walked away.
The group proceeded towards the Queen's Castle. Cora and Belle were walking together, and seemed to have been struck by an idea. They approached Neal.
"Neal," Belle began. "Has it occurred to you that we didn't see Rumple's dagger when he died?"
Neal looked from Belle to Cora. "No, it hasn't. But if the dagger is still around, we could try to get him back…"
Snow White approached them with some urgency.
"Cora," she said. "Regina has disappeared!"
Regina stalked stealthily through the woods, hoping none would deter her from her task.
"Going somewhere?"
Regina spun to see Cora standing behind her.
"Mother!"
"What are you doing?" Cora asked, tilting her head to one side.
"None of your business," Regina stated flatly, turning to continue walking in the other direction.
Cora materialized in front of her in a cloud of purple smoke. "Don't lie to your mother," she warned. "What are you doing out here?"
"What do you think?" Regina asked angrily.
"Oh, I have an idea, but I hope you're not foolish enough to go through with it."
Regina sighed and revealed her own heart in her right hand.
"Regina, you must be out of your mind," Cora cried. "You tore your heart out?! Have you learned nothing from what happened to me?"
"I'm sorry, Mother," Regina said, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "I can't deal with the pain of losing Henry."
"It was painful when I couldn't accompany you to Neverland," Cora said. "I didn't rip my heart out then."
"With respect, Mother, you're not one to talk when it comes to this issue."
"I disagree with you," Cora frowned. "Few people lived without a heart as long as I did, and I've learned a lot since I had it back. And Henry isn't the only person you have."
"Ha!" Regina laughed. "If you mean Snow-"
"I mean me!" Cora exclaimed. "You still have your mother!"
Regina rushed forward to embrace her mother. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'm happy that I have you, but you're the only person I have left to love."
"Maybe right now," Cora said. "Look at me! I was the most feared woman in town, and now I have some of the best friends I've ever had."
Regina frowned. "But Mother, you didn't curse them all for twenty-eight years."
"We're back in the Enchanted Forest now," Cora pointed out. "And thanks to my efforts, you didn't succeed in cursing everyone. You'll have other people to love, I promise."
"None of them will be Henry," Regina said.
"No, they won't," Cora embraced her daughter tightly. "But Henry wouldn't want you to be miserable. Now put that thing back in your chest!"
Regina did as she was told.
"Now let's get back to the others!" Cora said.
As the two women walked, a winged shape flew overhead. They stopped, instinctively guarding each other's backs.
"Mother, what was that?"
"I don't know?" Cora said nervously. "But we'll see it off, whatever it is."
The shape revealed itself to be a flying monkey which dived at Regina, lifting her off of the ground.
"Regina!" Cora cried, conjuring a fireball. She hesitated, as she didn't want to burn Regina, who was struggling with the creature. She managed to get free, the monkey tearing her sleeve and leaving a small cut.
"Get down!" cried a man's voice.
The enchantresses ducked as an arrow pierced the flying monkey. The primate shrieked and flew away.
"Milady," said the man. "You're injured."
Cora saw that he was tall, bearded, and cloaked in green. He bore a well strung bow and a quiver full of arrows.
Regina scowled at her rescuer. "It's 'Your Majesty,' and I'm fine."
"A simple thank you would have sufficed," the man quipped.
Cora chuckled inwardly. He doesn't know what he's getting himself into.
"I didn't ask for your help!" Regina snarled.
"I, for one, am grateful for your help," Cora said graciously, shooting her daughter a look.
"I'm Robin of Locksley," the man introduced himself. He signaled for his hidden comrades to join him. "And these are a few of my Merry Men."
Cora smiled. "I am Cora. I'm sure you've heard of my daughter, Queen Regina."
Robin leaned down to kiss Cora's hand. "Yes, we're familiar with the Queen. We spent many days running from her Black Knights."
"I'm sure you deserved it," Regina said, nose in the air. "What was that thing?"
"I have no idea," Robin said gravely. "I've never encountered the likes of it before."
"Whatever it was, we need to get back to our traveling party," Cora said. "Robin of Locksley, you and your men are welcome to join us."
"Thank you, Cora," Robin bowed, pausing to wink at Regina.
Regina pursed her lips and strode towards the forest road.
Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of "Cora's Family Reunion." Please review, follow, and favorite, if you feel so led!