Only the Stars Can Tell.

By: Lady Lupa

This is a long novel like story that I am writing. I was inspired so I find myself in the writing seat once again. To my muse and you know who you are. Thank you.

I do not own Once upon a time or any of these characters. I am just borrowing them for my writing pleasure and hopefully your reading pleasure. I will give them back, I swear!

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It had been exactly one year that Regina made the ultimate show of love to the two people that meant the most to her, her one shot of true love. It had been a exactly one year that she showed the ultimate sign of remorse for her past deeds. To save everyone, to save Henry, to save Emma, to ensure others got to keep their happy ending, she gave up hers.

She leaned back against the cold brick of the ruined castle of the home she once called her own and looked up that night sky contemplating just how she got here. The chill of the night went to her bones but she didn't shiver. She was numb, a shell of the queen she once was, with the heart of a mayor that help a community together even though they had one time stood against her. She was missing half of her. She was missing her savior, her son.

Snow sat on the perch of the lookout tower. Her eyes scanned the area looking for even the most subtlest shift of the pirates that were hunting them. So much had happened since they left, veils between the fairy tale kingdoms were now frail, damage that they caused. By doing so they now had fewer allies and more enemies. She looked down at the roaming encampment of her Storybrooke family, currently sleeping except for a few guards. They stayed together finding themselves in this chaos, finding strength in unity and the family of a community. So much had has changed when she said goodbye to her baby girl once again, and to her grandson she was getting to know. She had a hole in her heart but as she watched Regina, she knew that the woman who was once her nemesis was hurting just as bad. She looked down at the sleeping form of Charming and then back at Regina. Snow amended her thoughts. Regina was hurting more. The once fiery, passionate woman that fought more fiercly than anyone met, was just a smoldering ember now. Snow was starting to understand why. She was surprised that fateful day when Regina made the ultimate sacrifice. She just didn't realize how big of one until recently. She saw something that she never thought she would see. The Evil Queen was dead. Not by her hands, but by love, by her daughter, by her grandson and in the queen's place, Regina. Even though Regina was annoying and had a strange and sometimes an immoral way to do things for the greater good, the woman was good. The Evil Queen was vanquished by true love.

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"Henry grab your bags! The bus will be here and if you don't want to miss the weekend at the scouting camp I suggest you get moving!" Emma shouted up the stairs finishing up his bag lunch which was currently two lunchables. She tried to be a good mom, and she was she just sucked at the homemaking stuff.

Henry bound down the stairs two at a time. Smiling at her, his voice held light concern but mainly playfulness "Mom, you sure you will be okay without me for two whole days? What will you eat?" In truth though he held no memory of how, he had a talent with cooking and baking. He even enjoyed it. Something was missing from him, he felt. The counselor said that it was because he was missing a father figure and so Emma had enrolled him in scouts. But Henry didn't think that was it. When he cooked dinner for he and Emma, or even baked his favorite dessert apple pie that missing feeling was filled up a little.

"Har har kid, very funny. Best you go before I change my mind and just decide to ground you" In truth Emma was looking forward to a little me time. She loved Henry but it was hard to do it alone. She had gone on dates but never introduced any to Henry, never brought them home, hell even 95% of them didn't even make it to a good night kiss. They were all just wrong. She might feel initial stirrings but as she started to lean it, they would just leave her body like a bucket of artic ice water was dumped on her and pumped through her veins. So she was going to have a nice quiet weekend to herself and enjoy it.

They gave each other a kiss and a hug as Henry heard the honking of the bus taking them to camp. He didn't want to miss it. "Bye mom" Henry shouted as he raced out the door, his backpack rattling and jangling the whole way.

Emma looked out the window watching him board the bus and then glanced at the sky. Her thoughts on her life and even though she never found herself for wanting anything, there was something important missing. Her heart felt it, her mind new it, her soul craved for it. It was the start of a new day and as her eyes travelled the sky it stopped. In the distance what looked like a cloud shaped like a pirate ship went against the others clouds, much like a cutter breaking through the waves of a storming sea. What a strange cloud. "We are so fucking up the environment."

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There was a rustling in the forest of from the west pulling Snow's attention from Regina and toward the direction noise. The treetops swayed yet no sound. Something was coming. She rose and drew her bow, sailing down a warning shot to one of the guards to alert everyone of something incoming.

The guard ran to the Prince and woke him "Your highness, something is coming." Ruby who had been sleeping in the bedroll with her arm draped over Belle woke, growling softly. Granny rose too grabbing her crossbow. Belle grabbed a sword. Regina pulled herself from her area going to the group too a fireball growing in one hand a ball of light almost as bright as the sun in the other. They all listened. Whatever was coming was getting closer.

Whatever they were expecting they weren't expecting this. Aurora came bursting into the encampment with her husband Phillip and a very bleeding Mulan. Aurora was panicked. "HELP US! HELP HER!" As they laid down Mulan who was gasping for air Aurora went down with her. She was speaking to her crying, her voice pleading "please! Please Mulan! You can't leave me twice! I just got you back!"

Regina went down to the ground ripping off the armor, already starting to gather magic to focus it on healing. "Get her armor off now." Her voice held command but was calm as she silently vowed to save Mulan. She knew who the warrior was. She knew what she did for Henry, for Emma, for her family. Ruby went to help, and Belle went to help Regina.

Belle had actually grew to admire the woman's strength, power, wisdom and skill. She had somewhat volunteered herself to be the woman's apprentice and when needed the woman's protector for she lost count how many times Regina kept putting her life on the line, so willing to give it up for everyone. It was like the woman had a death wish. Dangerous missions, Regina was there. Missions that were suppose to be a suicide mission, Regina went alone and everytime found a way to succeed often coming back with a look of tired disappointment before it was masked over by the powerful woman. She looked to Regina "what do you need"

Regina spoke to Belle, her hands tracing the wounds. It looked like deep cuts by three, inside them though magic burned and roared causing more damage to the warrior's body. "In my bag there is enchanted flower called Marys kiss." Regina's brown eyes met Aurora's "What attacked her? I need to know where this magic came from."

Aurora in between feather light kisses on the woman's forehead she loved so dear spoke as she clinged to her champion like it was her only life line. "The Cheshire King. Mulan and her army had rode all day and night to our castle when she had gotten word that we were under attack. It was a trap. They were met at the pass not even a mile from our castle by an ambush. They were slaughtered. The pirates ripped through them, the red knights beat them down. Mulan escaped his grasp but not before the damage was done. She rode the rest of the way bleeding out because she wanted to protect me." Aurora's tears dropped onto the blood caked skin of her champion, her friend, her. "I thought I had more time" was the most quiet whisper but most truest statement that escaped her heart, soul and lips.

Regina gritted her teeth pulling out the magic from Mulan into her. She was evil. She could take the poison. "Not if I can help it"

Phillip, David, Snow, Ruby, the small army that was facing a massive one surrounded the four looking at the sky, praying for a shooting star, a wish to share, praying to anything good in this world they found themselves in. Their hearts breaking mirroring the women's pain.

Belle watched Regina pulling the dark magic into her, well trying to. For the first time she saw Regina failing and not for lack of trying. She helped pack the ground up pulp of the flower into the wounds but it's healing powers were not done.

Aurora continued to whisper beg to Mulan "Please..please, I need you" She felt a hand though the movement lacked it's usual strength it found the princess's cheek and softly traced it.

Mulan stilled Regina's hands with one, while the other went to her love's cheek. She never stopped loving this woman. She couldn't. Her words were soft and rasped out as she spoke to Aurora "I found you. You're safe"

Aurora grabbed the hand and kissed it her tears falling onto the face of Mulan's as she leaned down to listen and speak to her. "I am safe but I need you here. You left me once and I never got to say don't go. I am saying don't go."

Mulan's eyes looked over Aurora's face hungrily mapping out her features, committing it to her soul "I never left, I never w" The chill in the air caught the last breath from the woman warrior that gave so much.

"NOOOOOO! MULAN! NO! YOU CAN'T!" Aurora pleaded and then was pushed out of the way of Regina who sent currents of power into the woman warrior's chest. Aurora fought to get close, wanting to shake the woman to wake, bring her back, do anything. She felt the strong arms of Phillip and Ruby go around her pulling her away as Belle went to the other side to help.

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TBC….