Once upon a time, in a faraway place known as The Enchanted Forest, there lived a woodcutter, his wife, and their two daughters.
It was a normal, peaceful day for Moris. His wife Rinalda was in their cottage fixing supper and their two little girls were happily playing with their dolls by his wagon as he loaded it with wood to sell.
"No, don't!"
Moris turned around as his youngest girl accidentally dropped the straw doll that his eldest had been playing with; breaking it in two.
"I didn't mean to. I just wanted to hold it. "The youngest said, her green eyes filling with tears.
"Then tell me..." The eldest picked the other straw doll up off the ground and held it arm's length. "Why shouldn't I break this?"
"No, not my dolly! Don't!" The youngest sobbed, trying to reach her doll.
Before Moris could interfere, Rinalda stormed out of the cottage and yanked the doll from their older daughter's grasp.
"Have you lost your senses? Let your sister have her doll back." Rinalda handed the doll to their youngest. "Here you are, my darling."
"She broke mine!"
"By accident." Rinalda sighed. "You'll just have to share now."
"How is that fair? Why aren't you punishing her?"
"For an accident? My love," Rinalda kneeled in front of their eldest daughter and drew back a strand of her long, brown hair. "She's only five years old. A child. She can't help some of the things she does."
"What am I?"
"You're ten. Which means you are old enough to not sulk and squabble over little things. A broken doll is one thing, a broken sisterhood is another. Now, apologize please."
Their eldest looked at the broken doll. "I still want another doll."
Rinalda pinched the bridge of her nose. "Well, you can't have one."
"Actually, darling, I'm going to market. I could stop by the toy cart and-"
"Moris, any money you make today, it goes to food and clothing. Nothing else."
"It's just a doll."
Rinalda stood and walked over to her husband. "Moris, the important thing is being sure our girls are clothed and fed. Have you seen what the peddler charges for a simple doll? Ten gold pieces."
"Yes, but, she's so unhappy. It will help if both of them have a doll of their own."
"Moris, love, please don't try to fix this. If she doesn't learn to share with her sister now, think of what it could do if she thinks everything could be handed to her."
Moris scoffed. "We've raised our girls to never be selfish. I don't see how a little doll can undo all we've done."
"Moris, I'm begging you. Think of what she needs, not what she wants."
Moris looked over his wife's shoulder. "Don't worry, my love. I'll buy you a new doll today. I'll buy you both one."
Rinalda sighed as Moris walked away. "Oh, Moris. You've no idea what this could do."
Many years later...In The United Realms...
At Storybrooke Hospital, Dr. Whale was finishing his rounds in the emergency room, when a nurse walked up to him and handed him a cup of coffee.
"Long shift, Doctor?" The nurse asked.
Dr. Whale stifled a yawn. "Seven hours. I'm ready for a hot bath, a hot meal-"
"And some good old fashioned sex with your wife?"
"I wish. Elizabeth is taking Gerhardt to visit his Aunt Ruby."
The nurse folded her arms. "I still can't believe you're okay with that."
"Ruby may of been my one nighters, but she was Elizabeth's only friend here for awhile. We wouldn't be together if she hadn't been so persistent."
"Well, either way, go home and get some rest."
At that moment, paramedics wheeled in an injured, unconscious woman on a gurney. Dr. Whale and the nurse quickly rushed over.
"What have we got, fellas?" Dr. Whale asked.
"Jane Doe. Car accident at the border." One of the paramedics explained.
Dr. Whale checked the woman's pupils. "Good. They're constricting." He felt the woman's head. "No bumps. I want a CAT scan just to be sure we aren't missing anything." He gently started to feel her limbs, and the woman moaned as he felt her right arm. "Possible, multiple breaks in right arm. Get an x-ray on that."
"On it." The nurse said, rushing off to order the scans.
"She's been through the wringer, but you boys got to her in time." Dr. Whale touched the woman's shoulder. "Miss? Miss, can you hear me?"
The woman slowly cracked open one of her bruised eyes. "I hear you."
"Can you tell us what happened?" Dr. Whale asked.
"Came to see someone, drove too fast. Veered off road."
"Who did you come to see? Is there someone we can contact for you?"
"No. Please. She doesn't know I'm here. Want to surprise her."
"If you're close to this person, then they wouldn't care if the surprise was ruined, they'd just want to see you. Just tell us who she is."
"Sister...named...O..." The woman's eyes rolled in the back of her head as she slowly lost conscious.
Dr. Whale sighed. "She's fainted. Might be slightly concussed. I have to get that CAT scan."
"Hey doc, if she was coming to town, doesn't that mean-"
"Yes it does." Dr. Whale interrupted the paramedic. "She's an outsider."
In the mental ward of the hospital, the orderlies were all gathered around the small, portable TV watching it intently. Suddenly, there was a loud clanging sound and screaming. Running as fast they could, they stopped outside the room of one of their female patients as she continuously hit her head against the iron railing of her bed.
"They didn't listen! They didn't listen! They didn't listen!" She screamed over and over again as blood seeped down her forehead.