After the reveal of her big mistake at Granny's, sleep was not in the cards for Emma. Obviously, she didn't regret saving a life, but destroying Regina's happiness was something she'd done one too many times. More importantly, Regina had, against all odds, become one of her closest friends in Storybrooke. Sometimes, it even seemed like she knew her better than anyone, certainly better than her parents, and sometimes even better than Hook. Regina understands not belonging, not having a home.
Emma crawled out of bed quietly, trying not to disturb Henry. Seeing him sleeping made her remember earlier that day, when he read stories to baby Neal in the dinner. The newly revised book lay on the nightstand by his bed. Hoping to lull herself to sleep as well, Emma picked it up, figuring it was about time she read the story of her family all the way through.
She'd lived through parts of so much of it now, most of the stories felt familiar. Her parents' love story, Red's transformation, even Regina's childhood were things she revisited, comforted by the notion that they remained largely unchanged. Tucked in between, however, was a story that she was sure she'd never seen before.
Distraught, Regina stood on the balcony and screamed her frustration. Suddenly, the balcony gave way and Regina tumbled forward. Certain she was headed to her death, Regina plummeted toward the ground until she was halted by a cloud of green pixie dust. Slowly, she was floated up to her room by a green fairy.
"Who are you?"
"Tinkerbell"
"What are you doing here?"
"I help people find what they need."
"Oh? And what do I need?"
"You don't even know? Regina, that's so sad! You need love!"
"I had love. Look where it got me."
"You deserve a second chance. People can find love again."
"Well, if I were interested, how would you find it?"
"Pixie dust can show you the way."
The next night, Tinkerbell returned to Regina's room, pixie dust in hand.
"If your true love is in this realm, we'll find him."
"And if he isn't?"
"Then pixie dust will show the way"
Tinkerbell sprinkled Regina with the dust and she floated into the air. Another burst sent the dust out in an arc, a path for them to follow. It led the pair to King Midas's castle, heading toward a ballroom Regina remembered from a painful court dinner years before.
The ballroom was empty and dusty.
"See, even your pixie dust can't find my happy ending, unless this is where I trap Snow White."
"Wait, Regina, the dust's not done."
Sure enough, it was forming into a sphere, like a giant crystal ball. Regina soon began to see an image inside the ball, the ballroom illuminated as for an event. She saw herself, looking older, capturing Snow White who also appeared older. Regina guessed that this was maybe 10 or 12 years into the future. The image then swirled again, before she saw a gorgeous woman in a red dress, or was it a red leather jacket? The pixie dust seemed to show both at once, the same woman, but wearing both outlandish garb unsuitable for a woman and a ball gown. The dust around the woman gleamed, clearly identifying her as Regina's happy ending.
"What on earth do you think you're doing, Tinkerbell?"
"The dust isn't under my control, Regina. It's your happy ending we're talking about. Might I say, she wears the gown well."
"But what is that other outfit? How is she two at once? And why can't I go to her?"
"The dust has taken you to the right place, but not the right time. Magic can't bring us to other times, only other places. The dust can show you your happy ending, but you must wait for the right time."
Emma moved to slam the book shut, but stopped herself before waking Henry. She, as Princess Leia, was clearly identifiable as Regina's happy ending, which meant first, that this was a new story, and second? Well, what did it mean? Regina hadn't done anything that night, hadn't acted like she'd recognized her…though Emma had also sprung herself before Regina had had a chance to do much. Maybe she hadn't been about to be executed…Emma opened the book again.
"Thanks a lot, Tink. All you've done is tell me that my happy ending, which makes no logical sense, is also a decade away. You aren't even a real fairy. The vengeance on Snow White is a far more satisfying ending, and one I can actually see my way to. I have no more use for you." And Regina flew back to the castle and slammed the door to the balcony shut.
Well, that's an awful ending, Emma thought. Not much of a fairy tale, really. It sort of explained the actions during the ball, though Emma wondered how much of this tale Regina remembered.