Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time is the property of ABC Studios. No Claim to ownership intended. This is an adaptation of The Evil Queen's Brother by 64thVanSul read his story at

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The next day, Elias once again made breakfast for his family with a happy grin on his face. He made Henry his favorite oatmeal with black berries, Regina a cup of coffee with cream and one sugar with cinnamon toast, and a simple black coffee for himself. He then heard the sound of his nephew come down the stairs and watched him come in looking handsome in his school uniform.

"Morning, bed head." Elias teased, it was what he called Henry every morning when he came down to eat even when his hair was neatly combed.

"Morning." Henry replied, though it wasn't as cheerful as it used to be. As he sat down, he looked down at the bowl and looked nervous all of a sudden.

"Better eat that while it's still hot, kiddo." Elias suggested while munching on his toast.

"I don't like apples." Henry muttered as he scooped the oatmeal and let it drop back into the bowl.

"it's honey oat, Henry." Elias sighed as he held up the box, "I bought it for you because you said that you didn't like apples anymore last week. Which is odd considering that your mom and I have been feeding you apples your whole life straight from the tree outside. Then again, most people do grow tired of eating something if they eat a lot of it, so given that you've been eating them just about every other day for a little over nine years I guess you could already be growing tired of them." he mused as he became lost in thought. It was then that his sister came down from her room with Henry's book in her hands.

"The missing pages, where are they?" she asked as she held it in front of her son across the kitchen island.

Henry shrugged and said, "It's an old book, stuff's missing. What do you care?"

"I care because you think I'm some Evil Queen." Regina replied, "And that hurts me, Henry. I'm your mother."

"No, you're not." Henry sneered.

"Well, then, who is?" she asked, "That woman you brought here? I don't like what she or this book are doing to you. Thankfully both are no longer an issue."

But Henry just scoffed and left his chair leaving his uncle and mother to talk. "What are you talking about, both are longer an issue?" Nicholas asked, "what are you planning to do to Ms swan?"

Regina only smirked at the question before she picked up a basket and headed outside.

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"The dark curse." replied the Evil Queen causing Elias to spit and choke on his coffee.

"Are you sure, your Majesty?" Henry asked.

"But you said you'd never use it." the magic mirror reminded in fear.

"You made a deal when you gave away that curse." Henry added.

"You traded it away. Sister She will not be happy to see you." Elias warned.

"Since when do I care about anyone else's happiness but mine?" she asked with venom in her voice, "Prepare the carriage. You're coming with me to the Forbidden Fortress."

"What!?" he asked. "No no no, not after last time"

Later that day, the Evil Queen and Elias arrived at the Forbidden Fortress and sat before a fire as Maleficent spoke with them. "How are you, dears?" she asked.

"We're doing fine." Regina replied trying to sound friendly. Elias just sat there uncomfortably as Maleficent took own seat as she winked at him. This sent disgusted shivers down Elias's spine.

"Are you? If it were me, I'd be simply tortured, watching that flake of snow so happy." Maleficent commented, "Weren't you about the same age when you were to be married before she ruined it all?" she asked, "Yes, you were."

"Yes, it was about the same age you were when that sleeping beauty got the best of you, my dear Maleficent." Regina retorted while Elias stared vacantly.

"I soldiered on, as will you, hopefully."

"Enough games." Regina interrupted, "You know why we're here. I need my curse back."

"It's not yours anymore." Maleficent replied, "A deal's a deal. I gave you my sleeping curse."

"Which failed. Undone by a simple kiss." Regina reminded, "Now please, return what's mine."

"The dark curse? Really?" Maleficent asked.

"Unfortunately so, I tried to talk her out of it but she's set on this curse, so please hand it over" Stated Elias

"The both of you must know that even its unholy power can bring back the one Regina loved from the dead." Maleficent reminded, "Besides, wasn't destroying one kingdom enough for you, Nicholas?"

Elias's head shot up his eyes burning hatred his hands crushing the thick oak table they sat at as his anger began to show itself, "Watch it, fairy. I gave that name up along time ago" he warned with a growl.

"You should consider a pet, Regina." Maleficent suggested smirking as she stroked the mane of the little black unicorn at her side. "They can be quite the comfort."

"The only comfort for me is Snow White's suffering." Regina replied.

"Well, it's her wedding night. I doubt she's suffering right now." remarked Maleficent.

Elias ignored her comment as he pulled out his pipe and lit it.

"I need that curse." Regina stressed, "We know you keep it hidden in the orb above your staff."

"Hidden for the good of all, old friend." she replied playfully, "Whoever created that monstrosity makes the three of us look positively…moral. Who did give it to you?"

"Where I got it is none of your concern." Regina responded as she rose from her seat. The wind began to whip and the furniture began to shake. "Hand it back!" she demanded as Elias stood by her side.

"Must we do this?" Maleficent asked.

"Alas, we must." Elias replied as he tucked away his pipe. Regina made the first move by throwing a ball of fire at Maleficent who easily deflected it. Although, Elias wanted to assist his sister, he couldn't bring himself to harm an old friend, noticing this Regina scowled and used magic to pick up a rack filled with weapons, and tossed all the razor sharp blades at Maleficent's pet.

"No!" Maleficent cried as she defended both herself and it. Taking the chance, Regina used her magic to trap the fallen fairy with an iron chandelier above her and tightened it around her with the weapons pointed within an inch of her face.

Elias then picked up her staff, smashed the orb and took the scroll which held the dark curse. "If you two are going to kill me, kill me." Maleficent spat.

"Why would I do that?" asked Regina, "You're my only friend."

"Don't do this." she pleaded, "This curse-there are lines even we shouldn't cross. All power comes with a price. Enacting it will take a terrible toll. It will leave an emptiness inside you-both of you. A void you will never be able to fill."

"So be it." Regina said flatly as she transported herself and Elias back to their castle in a cloud of smoke. It took nearly eight months to gather the necessary ingredients for the curse. On the night Regina decided to cast it, she summoned a group of the foulest creatures she knew of so they may fulfil their purpose for the curse. Both Henry and Elias stood at her sides as she gave her speech.

"Who among us is tired of losing? That's why I called you here, to put an end to our misery." Regina informed as her father handed her each of the ingredients which tossed into the fire before them all. "Today we claim victory and move to a new, better realm. A place where we can finally win. But first, I need something from you; a lock of hair from those with the darkest souls. You must trust me, because if you don't, there are other ways." she warned.

As soon as she said this, she used her magic to make the branches of the surrounding trees come closer and closer to her guests' necks. Needless to say, they quickly tossed pieces of their hair into the fire.

"A wise decision. All that remains is the final ingredient: a prized heart," Regina said as Henry presented her with the heart, "From my childhood steed. The glorious beast whose passing will fuel our victory. Let my wrath be unleashed."

As the heart was tossed into the fire, the curse was activated and let loose a cyclone of purple smoke from the fire pit. However, it didn't last more than a few seconds leaving everyone confused as to why it didn't work. After that, a little gnome began to laugh at Regina; her response was turning him into stone.

"Why didn't it work?" the Evil Queen asked herself.

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Coming out of Granny's Dinner in Storybrooke, Emma listened to Henry as he explained to her what exactly the curse was. "So what's the deal with you, your mom and your uncle?" she asked as they walked to Henry's school.

"It's not about us. It's about their curse." Henry replied.

"Their curse?" Emma asked, "I thought it was the Evil Queen who cast the curse."

"Well, Elias didn't cast it exactly, but he did help her do it." Henry clarified, "Anyway, we have to break it. Luckily, I have a plan. Step one-identification. I call it Operation Cobra."

"Cobra?" asked Emma, "That has nothing to do with fairytales."

"Exactly. It's a code name to throw the queen and her brother off the trail." he explained.

"So everyone here is a fairytale character, they just don't know it?" she asked.

"That's the curse. Time's been frozen, until you got here." Henry said before noticing that Emma was about to take a bite out of an apple, "Hey! Where'd you get that?"

"Your mom." Emma answered in confusion at his outburst.

"Don't eat that!" he exclaimed as he took it and tossed it behind.

"Uh, alright, what about their pasts?"

"They don't know. It's a haze to them. Ask anyone anything, and you'll see."

"So for decades, people have been walking around in a haze, not aging, with screwed-up memories, stuck in a cursed town that kept them oblivious." Emma deduced even though she didn't believe a word of it.

"I knew you'd get it." Henry said cheerfully, "That's why we need you. You're the only one who can stop their curse."

"Because I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming?"

"Yes, and right now we have the advantage. My mom and uncle don't know that. I took out the end, the part with you in it." Henry informed as he gave her the missing pages, "I know the hero never believes at first. If they did, it wouldn't be a very good story. If you need proof, take them, read them, but whatever you do, don't let them see these pages. They're dangerous. If either of them finds out who you are…it would be bad." he said as they arrived at the school.

"I gotta go, but I'll find you later and we can get started. I knew you'd believe me!" he called as he went in.

"I never said I did!" Emma argued with a grin.

"Why else would you be here?" he countered as he ran past Mary Margaret.

"It's good to see his smile back." she said kindly as she walked up to Emma.

"I didn't do anything."

"You stayed." Mary Margaret countered, "So does the mayor know you're still here?"

"Oh, she knows." Emma nodded, "What is her deal? She is not a great people person. I could understand her brother but how did she get elected and not him?"

"Elias isn't really into politics and she's been the mayor as long as I can remember. No one's ever been brave enough to run against her. Fact of the matter is he's the only one not intimidated by her. She inspires quite a bit of…well, fear. I'm afraid I only made that worse by giving Henry that book. Now he thinks she's the Evil Queen."

"I meant to ask him, but who does he think Elias is?" Emma asked.

"After he told me who he thought everyone else was I asked him the same question." Mary Margaret explained before taking a deep breath and exhale from her worry, "And then he told me that the Evil Queen's brother was a terrible monster capable of wiping out an entire kingdom in just a single night."

"Wow." was all Emma said while Mary Margaret just nodded, "I guess Disney forgot about him and that little detail when he made that movie." she joked causing both of them to laugh. "But seriously, Nicholas a monster? The guy's a complete 180 of his sister. He's actually friendly, nice and a people person."

"I know, I know. But nowadays, Henry can't even look at him without looking a little scared. He's been like the father he never had for Henry. Ever since Regina brought him here, he's helped her raise him. All because of what he read in that book."

"Who does he think you are?" Emma asked.

"Oh, it's silly." chuckled the teacher.

"I just got five minutes of silly. Lay it on me." Emma smirked.

"Snow White." she replied, "Who does think you are?"

Emma paused for a moment before telling her that she wasn't in the book.

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Soon after the dark creatures left, Henry and his son consoled Regina as she stared at the extinguished fire pit. "Maybe it's for the best. The forces you're summoning are darker than we can conceive."offered Elias

"Oh, now you're trying to protect me?" Regina asked hotly.

"It's what we do." he replied with love.

"I know. You're the only ones who do."

"Helping you is my life." Henry added.

"Well, then help me understand why this curse isn't working."

"Sadly, If you want to know that,you have to go back to the person who gave it to you in the first place." Elias provided, "Revenge is a dark and lonely road. Once you go down it there is no turning back."

"What is there for me to head back to, Elias?" Regina asked softly.

In Storybrooke, Elias walked up to his sister on the ground picking up apples next to a severed branch from her tree. "what happened to your tree?" he asked as he smoked.

"Three guesses who." Regina bluntly replied.

"we'll saying as you framed Emma this morning I'd say that it was probably that." Elias stated as he blew a puff of smoke.

"Are you just going to stand there and watch the clouds go by or you going to help me?" his sister asked harshly.

"After that stunt you pulled with Emma at your office earlier your lucky I'm even talking to you." Elias retorted as he examined the tree.

"It was for his own good. Now Henry knows what that woman really thinks of him."

"Goddammit, Regina!" he snapped gaining her attention, "This is exactly what I was talking about. You're letting your personal issues with this woman cloud your view on how you should actually be handling the situation. And in case you have your head stuck too far up your ass to not know what that is, allow me to clarify: stop making it look like you're mistreating Henry."

"How am I mistreating him?"

"Well, for one thing, you went as far as to break his little heart by tricking Emma into saying this whole fairytale thing of his is crazy right in front of him." he snapped, "Sometimes I think you forget that while you may have your hands in everything in this town, there's only one person that has your back; me. And if you pull another stunt that hurts Henry like that again, I'll go over to Team Swan in a heartbeat."

"Is that so?" Regina asked as she stood up.

"You may be my sister, Regina. But Henry is my nephew and a child. He's not as hardened as we are. You might want to remember that before you do something that'll break his spirit again." Elias warned as he stomped off.

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In the Enchanted Forest, Elias watched his sister through the magic mirror as she placed a black rose on their father's grave after she enacted the dark curse. Tears streamed down his face over the death of his father and of what his sister had become as the smoke of the curse enveloped him.
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