Summary: Moments before a curse destroys their kingdom, Snow White and Prince Charming send their daughter through a magic wardrobe to safety. She is found in Prince Henry's garden and raised alongside his daughter, Regina. Emma grows up, having it all, yet she still can't help but feel like something is missing. Everything changes when she meets a boy with a storybook, claiming to know a secret and a former soldier, who isn't afraid to stand up for others. Emma soon embarks on a journey where she'll not only discover her past, but her future which involves an Evil Queen.
This is my first fanfic so please be kind :)
THIS STORY IS NOT GOING TO BE A NOVELIZATION OF THE MOVIE WITH THE ONCE CHARACTERS. The last thing I want to do is disrespect anyone's religion. As such, there will be no religious elements in this story. The title is more of a reference to "When you believe in yourself, anything is possible" which is what Emma's journey in this story. What I'm doing is taking the skeleton of the story and worked around it using the lore from Once. So please no flames.
This will definitely be a CS fic, but I also want to explore the relationship between Emma and Regina here (no this will not turn into SQ).
Snow's lullaby is from Albion: The Enchanted Stallion, which is sung Jennifer Morrison!
Big thank you to seemeeimbeebee for helping me out with this story, as well as countless others on the discord page for your encouraging words :)
I don't know if I'll ever finish this fic but hey, who knows?
xxxXXXxxx
Part 1
Chapter 1:
The glass unicorns tinkled as the castle suddenly shook. The nursery was in disarray; several stuffed animals and dolls had fallen, the rocking chair had toppled over, the unicorn mobile hanging haphazardly over the crib. The only thing that remained untouched was the giant wardrobe in the center of the room, its great height just barely touching the ceiling.
To outsiders, it looked like an ordinary wardrobe; albeit expertly carved by a master wood smith. But only few knew of its true power.
"Shhh. There there little lady. It's alright now." Johanna said as she tried rocking the child in her arms.
The nursery belonged to Princess Emma, daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. She was only a few weeks old and already had both her parents wrapped around her little finger. On the day she was born, they had cried tears of happiness. After months of rumors about a ruthless queen in the south, plans for a possible war, desperate messages between their allies, things had finally seemed to have taken a good turn.
Or so they thought.
That morning, the kingdom was awoken by one of the bells from the guards' tower; enemy troops had been spotted past the border. They were under attack. So instead of her mother's singing, little Emma was awoken to the sounds of servants screaming and soldiers shouting. She immediately began crying but neither of her parents came for her. No one did for at least ten minutes.
Finally her nursemaid, Johanna, did. If Emma had been old enough, she might have noticed how frazzled and afraid the older woman looked. But all she understood was that her mother was not here and cried louder.
"There there, don't cry. It'll be alright." cooed Johanna. Suddenly, there was a harsh rumble in the distance, almost like thunder. The castle vibrated so hard that several paintings and tapestries fell over. Emma wailed harder.
Johanna rushed over to the window. There was something in the distance. She squinted. It looked like some sort of cloud…. She squinted a bit more. And then she gasped.
It wasn't a normal cloud.
For one thing, clouds weren't usually a violet hue. And clouds didn't move against the wind, especially with a speed that could rival a herd of galloping horses.
It was a curse. And it was heading straight towards the castle.
"Let me take her."
Johanna whirled around, clutching Emma to her chest. To her relief, it was not an enemy soldier. It was Snow White.
Even fresh from battle, the queen was still beautiful; despite her clothes slightly torn, her jet black hair in disarray, her bow still in hand and quiver across her back, her face was miraculously untouched.
"Let me take her." She repeated. Johanna started to comply but she noticed Snow's face. There was no sense of urgency or worry. Instead it was blank.
"Your Highness, are you alright?"
"Yes. I'm fine. Please hand me my daughter." She dropped her bow to the floor and held out her trembling arms.
"Perhaps I should-"
"Please Johanna!" Snow exclaimed, suddenly raising her voice. "Please give her to me."
Johanna again hesitated for a moment but then she saw the tears forming in the queen's eyes. Snow White was known as the paragon of hope. No matter how dark the circumstances were, she always saw the light. For her to look as hopeless as she did now could only mean one thing: all hope was lost. Very slowly, transferred the baby to Snow's arms. Emma stopped crying but continued to fuss.
"Your Highness, is there-"
"Thank you, Johanna." Snow muttered, not taking her eyes off of her daughter. She turned towards the upended rocking chair and set it upright. Soon the baby's fussing started to cease as Snow sat, lightly bouncing her and adjusting her white woolen blanket. Within minutes, she was asleep.
This is what Snow usually enjoyed about being a mother. Just being able to hold her daughter and imagine what her future would be like. She'd wonder if Emma would be as skilled an archer as her mother or as fierce with a sword like her father. Would she ever find her true love? Or would she be as free as the wind?
Snow didn't notice Johanna hurriedly leave the room. She didn't feel the castle walls shake again from another explosion. She didn't hear the sound of the servants running in the corridors, desperately seeking shelter. All her attention was on Emma's sleeping face.
When she finally tore her eyes away, her husband Prince Charming was standing in the doorway. He too was fresh from battle, still wearing his breastplate and clutching his broadsword. His expression was one of sympathy and pity.
"She was supposed to grow up in here." Snow whispered. "Her first steps, her first words, her first lost tooth, it was all going to happen in here. I had it all planned out. Her future." Her voice began to waver. "And now it's gone. It's all gone."
Charming was across the room in an instant, gently cupping his wife's face. "No, no it's not," he assured. "The future we imagined for her is gone. But she can still have one. She has a chance. All we can do now is give that to her." He wiped away her tears with his thumb.
The room seemed to be growing smaller and smaller to Snow. There was a weight on her chest and a lump in her throat. Instinctively, she tightened her arms around Emma. She was afraid that the slightest word would break the emotional wall she was trying to build in her mind. Yet she couldn't help croaking out, "I never thought we'd say goodbye to her so soon." And immediately her face wrinkled with grief. Charming could only sadly smile. "I know." he nodded. He rested her forehead against his, their sleeping daughter between their chests.
For a few moments, neither parent moved. They sat in silence, trying to savor every second they could. Snow took a few shuddering breaths then sadly nodded. "You're right. We have to give her her best chance." Charming stood and began to empty the giant wardrobe. Snow stared at the assortment of toys, stuffed animals, and baby dresses cluttered on the floor. Emma never got the chance to play with them.
Shakily, she rose to her feet. This new movement slightly jostled Emma and she began to stir. Snow gently shushed her and bounced her a few times. Quietly, she sang a lullaby. It was an old one that had been passed through her family for years. Her mother had sung it to her when she was small and her mother before her had as well.
"Hush now,
Don't be scared
Through this tide of darkness
Shadows may march
Thunder may roar
But peace will soon prevail.
Through our land
This sacred land
Nightmares spread confusion
But stand your ground
Until you've found
The strength to light your way."
Soothed by her mother's voice, Emma drifted back to sleep. A few more tears fell from Snow's eyes. She stared at her daughter's sleeping face, trying to memorize every little detail.
"Snow? We have to hurry."
Nodding, Snow approached the wardrobe. She pressed her lips against Emma's forehead.
"Goodbye Emma. Your mother and father love you very much." Her voice wavered. With one last look, she handed the baby to Charming. His eyes were full of tears as well. Like his wife, Charming took a long look at Emma's face and kissed her forehead. But he couldn't say goodbye; the lump in his throat was too great. When he finally found his voice, he managed to choke out two words:
"Remember us."
Gently, he laid Emma down on the floor of wardrobe and began to close its great doors. Snow immediately turned away. She couldn't bear the sight of her daughter being shut away in a wooden box, never to see her again. That tight feeling in her chest returned.
She heard the lock click and instantly all the emotions she had been holding at bay broke through. Her knees gave out and she collapsed to the floor, loudly howling in grief. Her cries echoed down the halls. She didn't care if the enemy knew where they were now, nothing could stop her screams. Charming could only helplessly hold her against his chest, stroking her hair. He was crying as well.
The nursery door suddenly swung open and a great wind blew into the walls began to shake as if they were about to come apart.
The curse was upon them.
Charming gently, but hurriedly helped Snow to her feet and turned her towards him. He held her face in his hands. "Snow, look at me. Please look at me."
She did, dazedly. And despite the wind whipping her hair into her face, she held his gaze.
"Charming…." She whimpered.
"I know," He crushed her against his chest. Her arms squeezed him back. They held each other as the winds picked up. Stone by stone, the walls began to fly away. Furniture danced around the room. Snow tightened her grip around her husband.
"I'll find you, Snow!" Charming shouted over the roar of the curse. "No matter what happens! I will always find you!"
And then everything went dark.
xxxXXXxxx
In another kingdom, Prince Henry sat in his garden. It was a beautiful day and he enjoyed sitting among the flowers. Here he could be alone with his thoughts, without facing scrutiny from his wife.
Henry had married at a young age. His betrothed, Cora, was a mysterious woman who arrived at court suddenly one day. No one knew where she had come from or who her family was. All they knew was that she was beautiful and she knew magic, which was not a common skill in the land. . She dazzled everyone in court with her talents, particularly her ability to spin straw into gold. Henry's father, the King, would've married Cora if it weren't for his current queen.
And so Henry found himself engaged.
And then things changed.
A few days later his father took ill. Cora did her best to heal him but her efforts were fruitless. The King died soon after and the kingdom was bereaved. But their time for mourning was interrupted by shocking news. Before his death, the King named Cora as his successor instead of Henry. Henry was puzzled by this change at first, but it ultimately didn't matter to him. He wanted to give his new wife a chance and hopefully start a loving relationship with her. But almost immediately after Cora was crowned Queen, she cast him aside as if he were a toy she had grown bored with.
Regina, his two year daughter, waddled over to him, holding up a flower she had just picked. Like her mother, she had big brown eyes and dark hair, yet her laugh was music and her smile was radiant. Everyone adored her; but none as much as her father.
Henry absolutely doted on Regina. Despite her age, she was very bright. But he could also see that she was becoming lonely. He had approached Cora about the idea of giving Regina a younger sibling but his wife merely raised an eyebrow and asked why on earth would he want more children. According to her, one was enough.
Suddenly there was a loud crack and the tree across from them exploded. Splinters of wood showered down on them. Henry instantly jumped off the bench and shielded Regina with his body.
What happened? Were they under attack?
Several guards and servants were rushing into the garden. Some had already drawn their swords.
"I'm alright!" Henry said, a little too loudly. His ears were ringing but he could faintly hear what sounded like a child crying. "I'm alright. Just please see to my daughter!"
But to his surprise, Regina wasn't the one crying. In fact, despite the small cut on her upper lip, she seemed all right.
He also noticed that the tree hadn't been completely destroyed. Rather it appeared to have been hollowed out, creating a small hole in the trunk. And there was someone crying, but it was coming from inside the tree.
Henry slowly rose and began to approach. A few soldiers protested, but he gently waved them back. Peeking inside, he almost stumbled back in shock.
Inside the tree, wrapped in a white woolen blanket, was a baby.
And embroidered on the blanket in purple thread was a name: Emma.