I have a rough draft of the next three chapters, and they're looking to be the last of this story, so it won't be long now. Just a small refresher since it's been so long: there was a war in which many travelers were killed and the rest were forced into hiding. I've taken just a few small liberties with the Scheherazade story, but nothing super drastic.
This chapter is rather wordy, but it's what ties everything together. Hopefully it will keep you interested. Reviews are greatly appreciated!
Everyone was now seated comfortably around the table in the Mayor's office. It was still lavishly decorated in Regina's style, despite the fact that she hadn't been back here since the curse had been broken the second time. A permanent mayor was still being decided upon. Most of the townspeople were alright with Regina continuing on after recent events. She had saved the town and kept her promise about making sure the curse was broken again. She'd also shown a change in demeanor ever since returning from Neverland. Besides all of that, she had all of the political knowledge required for the job. In fact, she was really the only one currently qualified.
But that wasn't the reason they were all gathered now. Regina looked down the table at Scheherazade and wondered what exactly it was that had brought the strange group together.
"Not to be rude," Gold placed his hands on the table, "but I have somewhere rather important to be and I was told this was urgent." There was definitely a familiar undertone of impatience when he spoke, but everyone at the table was surprised by the amount of restraint he used when he spoke to Scheherazade. She commanded a level of respect that even the Dark One was mindful of.
Scheherazade nodded at him before looking around at everyone. "You're correct. I've brought you all here because the worlds are in danger."
No one spoke for a minute. It was Emma who finally leaned forward and broke the stunned silence. "I'm sorry…I may have gotten a little water in my ears this morning. Could you repeat that, because what I thought you just said was 'the worlds are in danger'?"
"You heard me correctly, Emma. There is a force that currently threatens the balance of the worlds, and even if it is not dealt with soon, every world you know will change drastically – not for the better. Some will even be destroyed."
Regina turned to look at Daniel, fear in both of their eyes as they turned to look at Annie. Gold was frowning down at the tabletop, as was Sidney, and August was watching Emma, who was looking around incredulously at everyone's reactions – or lack thereof.
"Am I the only one who heard that we all might die?" She shook her head. "I have a hard enough time thinking about the world outside of Storybrooke, forget about other worlds. Hello? I feel like people aren't as concerned about this as they should be."
"We are all concerned, I assure you, Ms. Swan," Gold informed her, finally looking up. "However, I'm sure that Scheherazade would not have brought us all here unless she had a solution to the problem. She did say it was something that needed to be dealt with." He turned to look at Scheherazade. "Did you not?"
"I did."
"Perhaps before you explain the solution," Maleficent spoke from the other end of the table, "you should explain the cause. It would be beneficial for them to understand."
"And what makes you so calm?" Emma asked. "Both you and August look like none of this is news." She narrowed her eyes at August slightly.
"Pinocchio – Mr. Booth – has been an essential part of helping me to stop this threat. Let me explain everything, and you will understand. Maleficent already knows much of what I will tell you. She knows my sister well, and my sister is where this story begins.
My sister and I once ruled harmoniously. It was not simply the world of the damned. My sister saw past and present while I saw present and future. We shared our knowledge to keep the fates of all worlds balanced – much like the travelers. They were our missionaries – sent to keep the peace where we saw discord. We worked together to keep all of the beings of the universe in their proper places. There is a natural order and even beings as horrible as wraiths are an important link. Neverland is a kind of center to all of the worlds - that is why it was the home of my sister and I. We saw to it that life continued on as it should. We sorted which souls were to go back or to move on, which were to become fairies, which were bound for damnation, and so on. It was not always a pleasant job, but it was a necessary one. My sister, however, allowed the darkness to seep into her own soul. She became greedy and power-hungry. She used my knowledge of the future to arrange future events that would upset the fragile balance of the worlds and bring millions of souls for her to damn. She craved to be Queen of the Damned, not only in Neverland, but in all of the other worlds as well.
She used her darkness to temporarily cloud my vision of the future so that I wouldn't see what she was planning. She very nearly succeeded. Though I was too late to stop her from setting her plan into motion, I was able to see what would come to pass. My sister banished me from Neverland, and without our combined powers, I could no longer use my power to fix the damage she had caused. I had no choice but to wait in the shadows until I had regained some of my strength and do something to change the destiny she had planned.
While I was in hiding, I was captured by an evil Sultan who collected wives. He would take a new wife each day and kill her when she failed to entertain him with stories. I managed to survive several years on the stories I'd gathered from my time watching over Neverland, but I was growing tired, and I needed to escape so that I could stop my sister's destruction. I'd developed a friendship with one of the Sultan's guards and he agreed to help me escape."
Everyone noticed how she smiled across the table at the ever-silent Sidney, who blushed and looked down at his hands in his lap. They turned back to Scheherazade in confusion as she continued her story.
"It took several weeks of planning, but I was finally able to escape. The guard, however, was caught, and as punishment, the Sultan turned the guard into a genie; cursed to live out an eternity in a lamp."
Regina looked in amazement at Sidney. "You were the guard who saved Scheherazade from the Sultan?"
Sidney nodded. "And I was the genie for hundreds of years before I was freed by King Leopold."
Emma watched them curiously. She was not completely unfamiliar with the tale 'One Thousand and One Nights', though this one, like most of the others, was quite different from the one she'd known. But that Sidney had ever been anything aside from the mayor's sniveling errand boy was intriguing. She'd never given him much thought, but she suddenly found herself wanting to know his story. Obviously, at some point, his path had crossed with Leopold and Regina, and she wondered what had set him on the path that had bound him to Regina's side. Now was not the time, she knew, so she turned back to Scheherazade.
"Your...Sidney, as you call him now, was a very brave man. He saved me and made it possible for me to continue my important work. My sister had sent a message to Rumpelstiltskin through a young seer who would lead him to the darkness that consumed his soul."
Regina turned to Rumpelstiltskin to see him watching Scheherazade. This part of the story didn't seem to come as a surprise to him.
Scheherazade's eyes came to rest on Regina.
"That is where you enter the story, my dear."
Regina's wide eyes turned to meet Scheherazade's.
"It may have been Rumpelstiltskin who manipulated you into the use of dark magic and casting the curse, but it was my sister who orchestrated the entire idea." She looked at her sadly. "I only wish I could have prevented all of your pain, but it was not meant to be." Smiling slightly, she added, "You reminded me so much of myself; young, vibrant, happy, in love." She saddened again immediately. "I, too, had lost love. I knew what it meant to be tricked into using my power for something evil. To lose everything I'd known and be trapped in a loveless marriage with nothing but loss and despair to keep me company.
My sister had seen the whole thing as well and she made sure to use your pain to her advantage. It would be you to cast the Dark Curse that would destroy your world. That would be the catalyst to the destruction of the entire system. Without your world, the fragile balance would be crippled."
Everyone in the room was now watching Regina as she absorbed the news that she'd been the weapon in this whole grand plan.
"But that world wasn't destroyed with the curse," Annie suddenly said, sitting up straight. "Regina and I went back there for Graham. Everything was just as it had been – the only things missing were the people."
"Yes," Scheherazade smiled. "I was able to circumvent my sister's original plan. I'd come to this world many, many years before, spreading the stories I knew would come to pass as a way to establish a strong sense of hope in the people inhabiting this place. It would be crucial to the persistence of everyone in overcoming the curse and remembering their true lives. I was able to use the same seer my sister had to find Rumpelstiltskin and give him the message of hope; a baby girl born of true love who would have the ability to break the Dark Curse. It is what kept your world from being destroyed.
When the curse was cast, however, the tales I'd told years before had been twisted and warped almost beyond recognition. The hope had remained, but the guiding path to breaking the curse no longer existed. I was fortunate to find Pinocchio; a boy who, though young, still held memories of his old world. I helped him to create the story book that held the tales that would help Emma find a way to believe and stop the darkness that my sister had started. He was able to ensure that the book would land in the hands of someone who could help guide Emma to break the curse. August had to take some regrettable steps in order to keep you on your path," she told Emma sadly. "But I assure you that everything he did was necessary for the safety of the worlds. He cares deeply for you and it pained him greatly to do anything that would cause you to be unhappy. I take full responsibility for everything that occurred, as it was I who asked these things of him."
Emma knew it wasn't right to be angry with this woman, but she couldn't help it. It seemed like her entire existence up 'til now had been mapped out for her before she was even born. Though, the same could be said of Regina, and she'd been dealt a much worse hand. If Regina wasn't angry with Scheherazade, Emma certainly shouldn't be.
"But I don't understand," she said. "The curse is broken now. Their world – my world – whatever, is intact, so the threat is gone, isn't it? Her plan failed."
"Yes, but as I said, this was only her initial plan. Though it will be much harder now, she still has a chance of ruining the natural balance."
"How?"
"That half of Neverland must be sealed from all but the souls who are ferried in and the Travelers. Though no normal human can escape, my sister has the ability to send people out temporarily. In exchange for their limited freedom, they do her bidding in whichever world she sends them to. They still have the ability to unravel everything I've worked to achieve. The only way to make sure the balance is maintained is to stop those who may leave Neverland, and in doing so, finally bring about the peace that is necessary for the travelers to continue their work. It has been many years since they have left their world. My sister saw to that. With them back in their positions, proper order would be restored, the worlds would be safe, and we could all live in harmony once again."
"But how will we be able to do that?" Daniel asked. "Anyone who enters the world of the damned is trapped. The only person who's been able to find a way out is Annie and it nearly killed her."
"That is the case now, but it won't remain that way for long. Hook has the ability to take his ship across the borders of Neverland. He can ferry your sister through undetected and she'll be able to create the proper barriers from within." She smiled warmly at Annie and her eyes sparkled. "Your parents gave you a very special gift, Annie. They knew how important you were. They loved you very much, and that love is what will help you seal off Neverland for good."
"But she'll be trapped!" Daniel protested. "I'm not losing my sister again, even if it means the end of the worlds."
"Daniel," Annie said softly.
"You don't have to worry," Scheherazade told them both. "I wouldn't send her in if I didn't have a way of bringing her back out. The travelers will be able to re-establish their connection with the world and open the door for her."
"But they haven't left our world for years, as you said. How can we be sure they would know to come? How do we know if they would even be willing?"
"Trust me when I say they will be more than willing. The elders have known since your sister was very young that she was destined for greatness. When the wars came, they also knew that it was she who could bring peace once again."
"Then why didn't they tell us? Why didn't they tell our parents?"
"Daniel, your parents knew her destiny."
"Then why did they have to die?"
"Because they knew theirs as well. Your sister would never have gained the powers she did if your parents had not sacrificed their own to her through their love and desire to keep her alive. You never would have met Regina, and she would have joined with dark forces much earlier than she did. The roads we travel are often difficult and full of pain, but everything happens for a reason. It is not always clear, but you must trust that it will work out. You must work to make it better."
Daniel nodded. "So how do we reach the elders? Will Annie take us there?"
"No. She must go to Neverland as soon as I've talked with Hook."
"Then how will we reach them? I'm still recovering from my time in the world of the damned, and even if I had my ability back, I never learned where the door to this world was."
It was Maleficent who answered him. "Jefferson will take you. It's time for you to return to your world and unite your people so they can rejoin the rest of the worlds. They'll be waiting for you."
"Will this really work?" Annie asked quietly. "I don't even know how to create the barriers."
"You have to trust in yourself. The knowledge is there. It will work. Now," Scheherazade stood from the table, "I suggest everyone prepare themselves. We won't have much time."
Everyone joined her in standing. Gold and Sidney both hurried to the door, eager to leave for different reasons. Emma wasn't far behind; August on her heels, trying to catch up with her to talk.
"Daniel."
Daniel turned to look at his old friend Jefferson.
"I'll be ready whenever you want to leave. I imagine you'll want to see Annie off safely before we go?"
Nodding, Daniel gave him a small smile. "Thank you. It really is good to see you again, Jefferson."
The odd pair left the room, Maleficent glancing over her shoulder to give a small smile and nod in Scheherazade's direction.
Regina, Daniel and Annie remained behind, getting the sense that Scheherazade wanted to speak with them alone. Regina actually had a question of her own that she'd been waiting to ask.
"The souls that your sister sent out in her place…are they the reason the curse had to break?"
Scheherazade nodded. "The people of Storybrooke would be vulnerable to an attack of any kind if they didn't have their memories of magic and your world. It would make it that much easier for my sister to find a way to destroy your world, even after I managed to save it. The curse needed to break anyway; for you and Annie, for Daniel, for Henry. There were many reasons this was the right thing."
Regina smiled, pulling Annie into her side. "I know that now. Thank you."
Scheherazade reached a hand out and placed it gently against Regina's cheek. "It is I who should be thanking you."
Regina shook her head. "I was the cause of all of this."
"No. You were a pawn that my sister used cruelly, but you still had the strength to overcome it, as I knew you would. You suffered greatly to get to this point, but your recent actions have given us our best chance to put the threat to rest once and for all."
"Because of you."
"I provided the stories that Henry read, but everything that you did was you. After the curse was broken, you made the decision to redeem yourself and you stayed on that path. It was nothing to do with me, but I knew that you could do it." Taking Regina by surprise, Scheherazade leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Regina. "You are the strongest person I've ever known. You reminded me long ago why what I do is so important and why I should never give up. Thank you. You deserve the happiness that will come to you."
Regina returned the hug, completely at a loss for words. When they pulled apart, she offered a watery smile. "Thank you." She looked at Annie, caressing her face lightly before turning to Daniel. "But my happiness is already here."
Less than an hour later, the trio was standing on the docks with Hook and Scheherazade, Hook's crew preparing the ship behind them.
Daniel wrapped his arms around his sister. "I wish I could come with you," he whispered fiercely into her ear.
"Me, too." Annie had a hard time keeping the tears in.
"Be careful. I expect to see you later today, safe and sound."
"I will."
Regina looked at Hook. "And I expect you to protect her with your life," she told him. "I'll hold you responsible if anything happens to her."
"I'll take care of her, Regina. I promise."
"You'd better."
"I'm scared," Annie told Daniel, finally pulling away. "What if I can't do it?"
"You can," Daniel reassured. "Use our parents love to guide you. It was their gift – to save you and prepare you for this."
"I feel like Harry Potter," Annie choked out, a mix of laughter and fear in her shaky voice.
Regina smiled – the only one to understand the reference in the group – and stepped forward, pulling Annie into her arms. "You're stronger. I know you can do this Annie. You don't have to be afraid."
Annie nodded into her shoulder and a tear slipped out. "How were you not afraid?"
"I just thought of you and Daniel and the fear faded away. It saved me and it will keep you safe. Just focus on your love."
Annie gripped the back of Regina's jacket tightly, not wanting to let go, but she knew they were running out of time. Pulling back, she looked at her and Daniel. "I love you."
"And I love you," Regina told her, kissing her forehead.
"I love you, too," Daniel told her, giving her one last quick hug.
As Hook helped Annie onto the ship, Regina moved into Daniel's side, leaning into him and wrapping her arms around his waist. He hugged her back tightly. They both felt they were on the verge of breaking down, but knew it was important to keep it together for Annie.
Finally, the ships anchor was raised and Annie leaned over the side. They watched each other and waved until they were too far away to see.
Regina finally let a sob escape as she buried her head into Daniel's chest. "She shouldn't have to do this alone," she said. "It isn't fair."
"It isn't," Daniel agreed, resting his head on top of hers and closing his eyes to keep his own tears in. "But she can do this. We'll see her again soon."
"I know," Regina whispered. "I just want this to be over."
"Soon," he told her, placing a kiss to the top of her head before resting it against hers again. "Soon."
