A-N1: Set in the finale of season 1, this story tells the tale of a prophecy and an alternative breaking of the curse. It can be seen as an episode, evolving around Emma and Regina in now-a-day Storybrooke with flashbacks to a pre-curse time (a backstory if you will) in The Enchanted Forest. It will also elaborate on the backstories as we know them so far. Like in the series, every reveal will evoke even more questions (please feel free to ask them!) of which, I hope, most will be answered when we will reach the ending of this story…
A-N2: Don`t forget the alternate title! 11 chapters equal 11 letters, one revealed at each installment. Guess the title, win a story.
A-N I changed the format after a kind reviewer gave me some advice to do so. (And I certainly didn`t want to make believe Emma was yelling all the time, LOL) Please let me know if you think it`s better this way?
Chapter 2: A
Regina:
The mirrors surrounding her were not the enchanted ones she was used to. The ones who used to tell her she was the fairest of them all. The ones who had trapped the genie who had loved her. The mirrors of Storybrooke had only reflected her image, and even though she had had many around the mansion, she had never been able to look herself in the eye.
But there was no escape from these ones. Everywhere she looked, she saw herself, part of herself, her eyes, her lips, her pain, her soul. She ached and swallowed, but even when she closed her eyes, she herself stared back, as if the little reflections were pasted in her eyelids. She thought for a moment one of these mirrors would be a portal -A road to another room, or another world- like the one she had, once, sent her mother through. Although, somewhere deep inside she knew, she would never reach another realm again. She walked around slowly, touching the reflection of her fingertips, searching for a way out of looking at herself.
But not only was there the problem of multiple reflections, which made it impossible for her to keep track on where she had been and which ground –or maybe she should say 'wall' - she yet had to cover, the unyielding mirrors simply seemed to multiply.
The ground under her feel felt warm, and reminded her of the sensation that had rippled through her when she had taken back the Sleeping-curse. The pain she felt now, knowing she would never see her son again, realizing she would probably spend eternity in this room, was oddly physical, and stronger than anything she had allowed herself to feel in years… Decades… Strangely enough it reminded her of her love for Daniel, it reminded her of the nights she had spent crying over him.
It felt as if her heart was ripped out.
That thought entered her mind unexpectedly and suddenly, Regina felt something rumble in her abdomen, something move in her chest. For a moment she pondered the idea that the thought had caused her to reach into her own chest, and squeeze her heart. But, even though it felt as if an invisible hand was doing that, the sensation was not caused by her dying.
She only realized what was happening when she caught sight of herself in the mirror, the laughter the ironic thought had caused brightening up her face, almost transforming it to another.
Joy.
She had seen it in her own eyes, once, many many years ago, before her spirit had been killed. She had seen it in Henry, when he had discovered the world around him. She had started seeing it in Miss Swan, who had slowly let her guard down and let her son –their son- in.
She felt the ground shift beneath her feet, and in the last glimpse she caught of the mirror she thought to see a wisp of blonde hair and turquoise, determent, eyes.
.
.
.
Emma:
' Gold, what the hell just happened?`
She watched him, intently, as he covered the shoulders of a beautiful girl Emma didn`t know with his jacket, almost tenderly. But Emma knew, knew now that he had betrayed her, that Gold
–Rumplestiltskin- had many a trick up his sleeve and she did not trust her eyes. The girl looked terrified, but, in a way, also seemed to trust him. The blonde woman felt a protective instinct kicking in she didn`t know she possessed. For Henry, yes. But now she found out the truth, did she feel responsible for all of Storybrooke?
She had left an objecting Henry with Mary Margaret –his grandmother… Hell, this was annoying-, but she had a bad feeling about this. She looked on as he pressed his long boney finger against his lips and guided the girl –again gently- to a nearby room. She kept an eye on him, just in case he decided to make a run for it, as he had done with the potion.
Emma`s heart jumped. The potion, maybe that could revive Regina? Hadn`t Gold –should she, seriously, start to call him Rumplestiltskin?- said it was the most powerful magic of all? She looked around to see if she could spot the flask, but before she could do so properly, the slender man was in front of her.
`I hear congratulations are in order. Your son awoke, yes?'
'Yes… Regina, she… Yes. He woke up.'
He looked at her, his eyes narrowing in curiosity, as if he was observing a rare object he might want to obtain.
`And how lucky for you, dear, I think his adoptive mother won`t put up much of a fight, now. No court. No battle. All yours.'
His giggle sounded eerie, as if from another world, and for a moment she could swear she saw something gold flicker in eyes, in his skin. But it must have been a trick of the light because when she blinked, it was his voice sounded quasi-normal again, like she was used to from the shop-owner.
'Now what can I help you with?'
' You took my potion! I want it back!'
The smile that pulled up the corners of his abnormally flexible lips, made Emma shiver. She swallowed, but her anger about his actions mixed with the feeling that filled her ever since she had caught sight of Regina`s sleeping face. A feeling she couldn't quite place and, right now, she wouldn`t have time to analyze even if she had wanted to. –And she wasn`t sure she did-
`It`s lost to me. And just what would you have planned to do with it, Dearie? It's powerful. Magic. And it always comes with a price.'
She lunged for him, grasping the collar of his shirt before pulling his face closer to hers. The counter in between them must have been hurting him, but his face showed no sign of pain. The only emotion visible was a slight amusement.
`How do I break the curse?`
His eyebrows rose, and he gave her that appraising look again.
`Which curse are you referring to, Dear? Currently more than one is lingering in this non-magical world. Isn`t that peculiar?'
His giggle rippled through her hands and, disgusted, she let him go.
'If I break the Dark curse, won`t it also wake Regina?`
He took the time to straighten his clothes, and she noticed, for the first time since she had entered the shop, he seemed to be avoiding eye-contact.
When he caught her glare, he smiled again, sending an unpleasant shiver through her spine.
'I`m not sure if that is what you fear, or what you desire.'
He looked at her, seemingly surprised by this new-found information. She felt, again, like an antique he considered purchasing.
' Just tell me.'
He narrowed his eyes, looking at her as if deciding her worthy of the information.
`You owe me, Gold. I got you that potion.'
He nodded and turned around, looking for something.
`The magic that Regina used to cast the Dark Curse was very powerful. She was, truly, the greatest witch of our time, so much talent, so much magic, so much potential. But, not only does all magic come with a price. All magic also comes with an escape.'
The ruby-hilted dagger Gold placed on the counter seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, and Emma blinked to see if she had seen it right.
`In order to break such an Evil spell, Emma, one must take the heart it lies in.'
He seemed to give her a moment for those words to sink in. But they didn`t. They couldn`t. There was no way to wrap her head around he`d just said.
'You know now... You believe. You have fought a dragon, and lived to tell the tale. You, Emma Swan, are our savior.'
He pushed the dagger in her hand. The handle felt cold but alive, as if a heart was, softly, beating within it. She stared at it for the longest time before the words started to make sense.
She looked up at him, and saw him as through mist. She waited, desperately, for that familiar 'pang' to tell her he was lying. But it never came.
'You want me to kill her?'
'Why, Emma Swan, this is not about what I want. This is about your destiny.`
She wanted to thrust the dagger back in his hands, -through his heart?- she wanted to tell him to go to hell, she wanted a lot of things, but then her eyes caught sight of a mirror, behind Gold. It was just a flash, in which she saw Regina nod, her eyes filled with fear and agony, mouthing -begging- the word she had never actually heard pass those full red lips.
`Please.`
She swiped the dagger from the counter, and, without a word to Gold, turned, walking out of the shop into the world in order to meet her destiny.
…
Once upon a time in The Enchanted Forest:
'Did he agree?'
Cora seemed agitated, and for a moment the Dark One felt a jolt of annoyance for her lack of faith in him.
' He was reluctant at first, but I have a way of persuading people.'
Rumplestiltskin grinned, having said the second to last word with just the intonation he had intended.
It had not been hard to strike a deal with the young man they needed. Overwhelming riches everywhere he went was all the boy had wanted. Well, yeah, there was the tiny matter of a queen of a far away land he longed for. It was nothing. With a flick of his hand, Rumple could make any man into another. He liked to play though, and the plan he had in mind for Daniel already made him gloat inside.
Magic… Especially his magic, always came with a price.
Cora, who knew nothing about the deal he made, nonetheless seemed satisfied with his course of action. It was funny how short-sighted the powerful woman could be, only focused on seizing the power that was so obvious, only focused on making her daughter queen. –And, of course, making her daughter do her bidding.-
Well, in some ways she had outgrown her master. He still could feel his signature on her magic, but she was far from his mirror-image. He had taught her everything she knew, and although she had elaborated on her knowledge the last years, he had also kept some things behind, which, in turn, gave him an advantage.
Actually, if he thought about it, maybe that was one of the things about her that held its appeal. She was the only interesting player on the board, the only challenging competitor in the game…
Until now, that was.
That night, as he stood over the Regina`s sleeping form, muttering the enchantments needed to create what he needed, he caught sight of himself in the mirror and smiled. He was positively glowing. The gold specks in his skin seemed to shine like stars in the dark room. He knew it was excitement. Something he hadn`t felt in a very long time.
Holding onto his own eyes in the mirror, he wrung his hands in anticipation of finding a truly worthy opponent in this sleeping girl, once their plan had been carried out.
.
TBC
A-N: Thank you all so much to your kind responses! Remember, reviews equal pastries (But I still promise to stay away from Apple-Turnovers).