A/N: I was struggling with the idea to post all these chapters at the same time or not - but they are all the same event, so here goes.

~Before the Ball~

When Emma arrived in her room with her mother, it was already full of women. Aside from the gaggle of maids present to help the ladies get ready, Regina was sitting in the chair in the corner, her hands placed neatly in her lap. She was already dressed, likely from her own magick. She wore a long, silver gown, her hair neatly wrapped in a bun at the top of her head. It almost looked like a crown.

Belle was standing in front of the mirror along the wall, glowing with excitement. She was holding her new gown up to herself to see it in the mirror. Emma smiled at that. The purple in the gown would be exquisite on her. It looked to be an off the shoulder piece. That would suit her well.

She marveled at her mother. Snow always pulled off things like that. Anything she could do to bring joy to another, Snow would always jump at the chance, and she never did anything halfway. She had the biggest heart of anyone Emma had ever met.

Snow also had a dress made for Emma. It was a simple design, red silk, with gold embroidery. She knew Emma would fight against anything too extravagant, and this was right at the top of Emma's limit. It perfectly matched the rubies in the shoes her father had brought her from his journey.

Before getting dressed, Emma spoke to Regina about her back. It didn't take much for the sorceress to examine, then heal her, but the pain hadn't vanished completely. It was a big enough difference, though, and Emma was glad to take it. Though she did wonder why Regina hadn't asked about it. Perhaps she figured it was just another mystery from a lost day to memory.

It didn't take long for the girls to get ready with a room full of ladies maids, each with her own task. Hair, nails, makeup, helping the ladies into the dresses, and shoes. Despite their efficiency, Regina had offered, multiple times, to use magick to get the job done. However, Snow was adamant that the ladies maids often longed for a moment like this, and it would be rude to take it away from them, earning her an eye roll from both Regina, and Emma.

Though after spending time in the kitchen, Emma knew her mother was right. She'd learned just how hard these ladies work, and the little they had to enjoy. She did not envy them. She also learned her family was considered to be good employment, enviable by many not in their employment. But knowing how important it was to so many people could not stop her from just wanting the night to be over.

The ladies maids were excused when their job was over, and Emma made her way to the window, being sure to compliment Belle on her appearance. She stood there, mildly aware of Regina standing and moving around, of Belle giggling at something Snow whispered to her. She was paying more attention to the carriages. Over sixty carriages, over ninety guests, around thirty of those being available sons of royal standing, or simply sons of The Charming's friends.

She moved her eyes to the horizon where she was amazed at the beautiful array of colors against a deep blue sky. The bottom of the clouds were a bright yellow, where the sun could still touch them. The top of the coulds were a deep purple that, had it not reminded her of the bruise, would be a gorgeous color. The entire sky seemed to pulse a bright pink hue. The beauty of nature could always steal her breath away. She began to lean against the window, in a trance from the beauty, but the remaining pain shot through her as she pressed still-sore skin on cold stone.

Quickly straightening, she glanced down as guests started vacating their carriages. Everyone dressed for the occasion, smiles she could make out even from her room. Ladies in fancy dresses, men in fancy suits. The more she was pushed into the life of a princess, the more she felt she didn't belong there. She was absolutely positive this evening would be somewhere between dreadful and hellish.

"Emma, what's this?" Emma turned, seeing Regina holding up her swan necklace that had broken the day everything had changed.

"An old gift from a friend. It was the first sign of trouble the day you arrived. It broke in my hand

when I went to put it on."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "You realize it's your magick that did this?"

Emma's mouth opened. "Are you serious? Can you fix it?"

"Yes. But I'm not going to. However, I will teach you to fix it."

"Regina!" Snow scolded, but it was too late. Emma was moving toward Regina, mind made up. "Emma, you can't be serious." It only took a few tries. Regina had instructed her on intent, and focus, and Emma eventually got it.

"Not bad, padawan."

Emma looked up, confused. "Padawhat?"

Regina sighed. "Forget it."

Emma started getting pricked by something in her shoes, and she groaned. "Mother, I know you mean well, and these are gorgeous shoes, but I cannot possibly wear these for at least thirty dances-"

"Thirty-five, dear. Our new guests, your father, and you can't forget Pinnochio. I'm sure he'll want a dance as well."

Emma attempted not to grit her teeth. "If Chio wants a dance with me in these shoes, I'll turn him back into wood and carve him into a pair I can actually wear." Regina burst out laughing, so hard that she nearly stopped breathing, which Emma ignored. "Mother, I need better shoes than these."

Regina was wiping the tear from her cheek. "You know how to use magick now. Care to try something more practical than fixing a necklace? Perhaps putting an enchantment on the shoes. Try to make them feel as if walking among the clouds."

"Try?" Snow asked tentatively. "Why, what could go wrong?"

"Turning the shoes into actual clouds, for one."

Emma groaned. "Least tell me how to do this enchantment before I muck up these beautiful, uncomfortable, things."

"Emma, if this takes too long, you'll be late to your own ball."

"I doubt Emma has a problem with that." Belle commented with a small smile, shrugging when Snow turned to her. "You know I'm right."

"Relax Snow, there's nothing she can break that I can't fix, and if it takes too long I'll do it for her. But it won't take too long."

Snow grudgingly relented, though that had more to do with her required presence in the ballroom so that guests could be brought in. Regina told Emma how to feel what she wanted to feel from the shoes, and to turn that feeling into an action. Regina had to fix the shoes three times before Emma made progress. She had lost count by the time she got what she wanted out of them.

"This really feels like walking on air. I'll have to do this with all my shoes."

"Can you do that to mine as well?" Belle asked.

"I don't want to be responsible for ruining your new shoes. Regina, would you do it?" Regina complied, and in a snap. The transformation of the shoes was perfect, awarding her a grateful thanks from the brunette.