(A/N: Thanks for reading thus far! :D Another massive thank you to all who fav'd and followed. Even with a little review or a follow/fav, it just makes me happy that *you* did! I wub you. A lot.)
Warnings: Certain time switches. I am, in fact, aware that some of you *nope* this sort of thing. But you know, I'm doing it and nothing's stopping me. If you are offended by other religion-things, sorry. I'm Catholic, but I put some Ancient Greek stuff in here, for the sake of Percy Jackson. Some may find this ridiculous, but I know people who REALLY don't like the thought of other religion, or religion stuff in general. Seriously. Some swearing and OOC characters sometimes. You'll see what I mean.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, props, places, or the show entirely. I also don't own anything you recognise or see here. I'm merely using them for my story and love, as i'm just a fan of OUAT and don't really know how to 'own' anything at all. Arigato.
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...
No-one had seen Henry for the last four days, and the town was getting worried. Most of the town suspected the Snow Queen for his disappearance but Regina knew it wasn't the case.
The town heroes sent search parties everywhere to wherever they imagined Henry would have gone. The playground, school, park and local shops were searched constantly for the Believer's presence, and the Snow Queen case was dropped for the time being.
After a while, the search parties were deemed unsuccessful.
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...
It had been two weeks since Henry had gone missing now.
Then, the questioning began. The town's residents were asked one by one about Henry's whereabouts. It was strange, Regina realized, that the team of heroes didn't suspect her at of late of the questioning. They probably thought that she was still sad about Robin and his wife's re-unification (sort of, she was still kind of an ice block as of late), or researching about the Snow Queen, since that is what she lied about doing when she declined to participate in defeating the witch.
Laying on her large king-sized bed, she pondered on where the child might've gone to. She chuckled darkly, shaking her head in doubt. No, if the search parties couldn't find him, who could? After all, Miss Swan - his real, biological mother - and, hell, the rest of his family. the people he loves, have searched for the boy and still, nothing.
Regina sighed woefully, curling into herself, shifting the blanket slightly.
What could she possibly do now, after her only ray of happiness was...
...gone?
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...
Dreams are strange things.
After welcoming you into the pitch-black darkness of sleep, there's something there that... isn't real. It ends.
Although, the mayor has to admit, she's glad that nightmares don't last as long as they could've. Waking in a pool of sweat was certainly better than to live in the world that frightens but interests you; your subconcious.
Falling asleep with such love and regret for Henry, it was to be expected that she would find him in her subconcious. As Regina is a strong magic-wielding, her emotions are projected everywhere she sees, in a blaze, or in a small flame of sentiment, it didn't stop. After all, the Rumplestiltskin, the Dark One, had taught her mother, sister, and herself about the key of FEELING, and it seemed that that source of feeling ran in the family. Even if some of the events that toggled their true power and might didn't seem as 'good' as most people thought it to be, like Snow and Charming's perpective.
Pah, they probably don't understand because they have a happy ending, and their fates are intertwined ang all of that shit. If life was hard, it was sure as hell hard for Regina.
Daniel, her mother, Cora, her loving father, the thief, Robin...
Many of the people she cared about were lost to her, or dead.
Who knew which of the two Henry was?
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...
Regina tossed and turned in her deep train of slumber, mussing up her hair and the bedsheets around her. Her eyes squinted harder in sleep, lips moving, opening and closing, but nothing came out.
In the distance was... something.
The soft, comforting crinkle-crackle of a campfiire could be heard in the distance, but the mayor looked around earnestly, trying to see where she was, or what she was doing there.
But no, nothing was found.
All around her were walls and a ceiling of pure white, like a fresh sheet of paper, as if nothing existed but this welcoming fire.
Regina wished to see this blaze of light, attempting to see around her, to find a way to this tender spot in the dream. It seemed so... attractive and stirred a soft spot in her heart.
This reminded her of a long-ago time of herself and her mother, the once-miller Cora. She remember her telling her of an Ancient Greek - whatever thing that was, Regina was a mere child at the time - legend, of a goddess with the name of Hestia.
With the crackling fire, much like the one she heard now, deep in the Enchanted Forest's woods was Cora and Regina.
Young Regina listened intently, watching her mother wave her hands around the fire dramatically, assuming the tale of the brave Lady Hestia into her mind.
"Hestia was the eldest and youngest Olympian of the rest, goddess of comfort, of the hearth, and of home." Cora flicked her wrist, emitting a dark purple smoke, magic, into a shape of a mirror. In the mirror showed Hestia's doing in carved stone. The raven-haired girl had no idea where the place with the stone carving were, but she looked excitedly into it. The mother smiled fondly at the little girl's interest, but continued.
"She was also one guide of family, and was independent, caused no conflict, and was very generous. Like you, my child!" With her free hand, Regina's mother poked her nose lovingly, to which she laughed, curling into herself. Shy, but loving she was.
"Lady Hestia is a wonderful example of a strong, beautiful queen, of which you will become. Our family is everyone, our kingdom's, and we should love one another so they will love us in return." She said sternly, evaporating the magical mirror away from her steady hand.
"Be a strong queen, to make sure that no harm comes to anyone, and invite everyone to your heart. But there will be a time for sacrifice for you. Hestia herself gave up her spot of being one of the head gods in Olympus to prevent any wars between one of the leaders to the grape-obsessed Dionysus. Honestly, she should've fought for what she wanted, but she did so anyway."
"That is how you have to act, okay, my little queen?"
"Yes, mother." The child had smiled innocently. "Shall we head back to the horses? I've always enjoyed your stories!"
That was the last time she could remember Cora acting somewhat of a good mother and leader.
Her love was overrun by power-hunger, but she loved and desperately cared her daughter in the end.
Regina knew that.
The memory was interuppted by a small flicker of light, that didn't appear to be the fire she had hear moments ago, in the distance, spotted a half-second ago.
What the hell could that be? She wondered. This was a dream, right?
For once, her subconcious allowed her to approach this strange light. Slowly but surely, she found that it was a golden locket - the one Henry had bought from the antique shop five years ago, before he'd met Miss Swan, for a Mother's Day gift. When recieving it, she recognised that it was the same one that Cora had given her when she was a teenager for her 14th birthday.
Still angry and sad about her mother, she had flung it away somewhere in the dresser at the time. After all, twenty-something years it was before the Savior arrived in the cursed Storybrooke, and was still the unemotional Evil Queen.
Picking up the locket, she cranked it open with her dream-fingernails (it felt so REAL), and inside was a small photo of Henry inside.
But that wasn't just any photo in the world.
It was a photo, that was moving. As strange as it seems, it moved, but the smiling face of the child she loved the most turned into a hollow, tired frown.
What could this possibly mean?
Regina peered into the background of the photo.
No, it...
...It couldn't be!
It was of the abandoned ice-cream shop the Snow Queen had before she'd revealed her true self. If Henry was really there, then that would mean he'd still have a food source (the Snow Queen had a microwave and a food freezer other than ice cream in that shop. She practically lived in there), meaning he had something to live off of, even without a proper place to sleep.
When Regina woke, she knew exactly what she would do.
She was going to find her son.
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(A/N: I honestly forgot to mention that the first 'chapter' was more of a prologue :S It was really so short it was basically a summary of what made Henry run away, and how Regina felt the other residents of Storybrooke felt about her. So this is actually the real Chapter 1, so i'm sorry if i confused you, but this is still a two-shot.
Did that last part count as a cliffhanger? I dunno.
If you haven't already, support my poor unfortunate soul by following and faving this piece (and moi, as an author, if you love me that much) for the final chapter. I would really appreciate your love!
Review for a cookie!)
I'll see you later for the final entry/chapter of...
~ Happy Endings ~