Enchanted Forest 28 years ago...
Prince Charming held his hand to his wife's growing belly. He felt their child kick at him. "Are you sure about Emma? My grandmother's name was Myfanwy. I always thought I'd call my daughter that." He mused.
"Myfanwy?" She asked. Her voice pitched higher with her dislike. "I like Emma."
He smiled and pressed a kiss to his wife's head. "It's a beautiful name."
There was another kick. Somehow he didn't think his baby - any baby - could move like that or twist so. And Snow seemed...fuller than he'd expected so early after finding out they were expecting. Not that he'd ever say so in his wife's hearing. She was beautiful and glowing, but the baby seemed larger than he thought possible. Something tickled the back of his head as the tiny foot kicked again.
The threat of Regina seemed to bog them down more each day. Threats of a dark curse loomed over the entire kingdom causing more unrest than ever. Reports of ogres returning to their lands floated from villages near the borders. He wasn't certain they could ward off Regina and a renewed ogre w
Geppetto and his son continued to work on the wardrobe. The Blue Fairy promised the enchanted wood would take Snow and their child to a realm outside their own where Regina's curse couldn't touch them. He worried that the longer it took, the closer Snow got to giving birth. A chill ran down his spine thinking of what could happen if Emma came sooner. Could he really send his daughter away, alone?
Charming was less surprised than Snow when she demanded Doc come to her side as the baby decided to come. He was tempted to push both mother and child through the wardrobe as soon as she spoke, but he knew that wouldn't do either of them any good. So he held her hand as she brought their daughter into the world. For a breath, they were happy parents holding their daughter. Until Snow screamed in pain once more.
"Oh." Doc looked up alarmed. "There's another, Your Highness."
"David." He looked down at the panic in her face. "David, take her to the wardrobe. You have to save Emma. We have to believe she'll find us." Snow told him sounding far too tired.
"No, no no no there has to be another way." He looked at the child in his arms. His precious Emma.
Snow cried harder and kissed Emma on the head. "I have to give you your best chance."
Charming ran down the hall with Emma tucked into his arm, fighting any who stood between him and the wardrobe. He didn't want to think about what the black knights would do if he failed. "Find us." He whispered to her as the blood loss turned his vision dark at the edges. He thought of her twin sister he didn't get to meet yet. Myfanwy.
A dark cape billowed through the halls of the castle as the dark curse began swallowing everything in its path. Power crackled through the air scorching the stone walls. The wand glistened in the torch lights as it raised against the storm. No sense in wasting so much power. It was time to make sure the balance of power was back where it should be.
The Evil Queen and the Dark One needed to remember who they served
Rumplestiltskin created a minor hindrance when he added true love as a exit strategy. He would be dealt with easily enough. So long as the royals remained separated, the Dark Curse was inconsequential.