7:15 AM AU - Things go a bit differently in the cabin during 7:15 AM. With memories returned, how will this change things?
Face Claim for Narcissa: Eileen Davidson
Face Claims for the three good fairies:
Flora: Maggie Smith
Fauna: Linsey Godfrey
Merryweather: Jackee Harry
New Face Claims:
Lucian Blackwater: Graham Greene
Malachi Wolfe: Jesse Kove
Thanks for the amazing response to this story. It's a lot of fun. I'm glad everyone is enjoying the twists and turns. Season 1 can be very fun to play with. Enjoy this latest and keep reviewing! Here are individual responses to reviews:
Ghostwriter: Thanks, glad you're enjoying it! Yep, Merryweather has revealed that she remembers. Glad you love it. :)
Jennifer Baratta: Yep, Regina and Narcissa will lose...eventually. Glad you're enjoying it!
Grace5231973: Yeah, Narcissa can definitely not be underestimated. Glad you're enjoying it!
TrueLovesTacos: Glad you love it!
Sexystarwarslover: Yep, Merryweather is going to tell them what she knows! Yeah, even Gold will be getting an education. Yep, Merryweather should have been Snow's fairy Godmother. Yeah, Narcissa seems confident. We can only hope that doesn't last. Yep, Narcissa is not an ally to Regina. She will definitely find that out too late. Yep, these allies she has made are no joke. No, he is not good. Yep, sounds like Greg is on his way to town early. Yep, Tamara is going let Greg believe that Regina killed Tamara, because she knows the case against Emma will probably fall apart. Yep, they want the curse to break. Yep, the mirror realm is a nether realm and connected to other nether realms. Yep, Cora caused all that. She should have just married Leopold herself, as bad as that would have been. Yep, Snowing are rebels. Running from the Queen and George and marrying for love. Yep, Merryweather is here! Glad you're enjoying!
AnonSnowing: Yep, Narcissa wants the curse to break. Yep, Lucian used to be the chief of the Neverland tribe and Malachi is a werewolf. Yep, Narcissa wants to be Queen and Mayor. Yep, Narcissa is the perfect name for her. Yep, Snowing are rebels. No, Narcissa is just bad. No sob story. Yeah, I'm excited to bring Merryweather into the fold. Glad you're enjoying!
Clarity
Chapter 37: Truth and Context
While they waited, Snow sat down beside Merryweather and had many questions.
"I knew there were fairies other than Blue…I just never thought much about it I guess," she said.
"Oh yes…and we all have our duties to perform when it comes to mortals. We're not supposed to become attached…but oh, I couldn't help it with you, honey," Merryweather replied.
"She has that effect," David commented, as he placed the tray of cocoas on the coffee table and pecked Snow on the lips, before sliding into the seat next to her. The attention made her flush and Merryweather smiled.
"Okay…so if you're Merryweather, does that mean you had sisters like in the movie?" Emma asked. She nodded.
"Yes…they got that part right. Flora owns the bakery we had coffee in the other day," Merryweather replied.
"That's why you were complaining about all the pink," Snow realized, making the other woman chuckle.
"Even the curse cannot take away everything…case in point," she said, as she pointed to the ring on Snow's finger. The raven haired beauty smiled at her and then her husband.
"You're right," she said.
"And Fauna is Nurse Sarah at the hospital," Merryweather added.
"That explains why she was so kind," Snow replied. The other woman nodded.
"I miss them…but I know they're safe and that does my heart good," she said, as there was a knock at the door. Emma answered and let Neal and his father in.
"Hey…what's going on?" he asked.
"Someone else is awake," Emma replied, as she motioned to the woman that he only knew as Emma's lawyer.
"Merryweather," she introduced.
"So you remember…fairy," Gold hissed.
"Now…I know your disdain for fairies, Dark One, but rest assured, I have no love for Reul Ghorm either. In fact, I would say I loathe her as much as you," Merryweather said.
"Never trust a fairy…" he said, but then relented.
"But she is the worst and the enemy of my enemy is my friend," he added.
"Trust me…you're not the only one that wants to roast Reul Ghorm over an open fire," Merryweather said in a feisty tone.
"What did she do?" Snow asked.
"She wrestled power of the fairies away from Queen Clarion and my sister Flora, who should have been her successor and then she threatened to take my wings if I continued to see you," Merryweather replied.
"In hindsight…I should have let her have them. At least I could have been your nanny and protected you better from everything you went through," she added.
"Oh…but if you didn't have your powers, you wouldn't have been able to protect yourself. Trust me, if you were an ally to me, Regina would have seen to your demise. Or Cora," Snow reasoned.
"But how did you know me? Or my mother?" she asked.
"We met your mother after we thwarted your Aunt…from killing you," she revealed.
"Is this about her mirror?" Emma asked.
"Mmmhmm…that Enchanted Mirror consumed her from the moment she received it as a gift when she was a girl. For years, it told her she was the fairest in all the lands and she grew very vain," Merryweather replied.
"Then it stopped telling her that?" David asked. She nodded.
"The moment Queen Eva became pregnant with Snow, the mirror's message changed and Narcissa became enraged that someone would usurp her of that title," Merryweather replied.
"So the whole mirror thing was never Regina. It was Narcissa?" Emma asked, trying to understand.
"Yes…and we stopped her from poisoning Eva's tea when she was pregnant with the intent of killing Snow before she was even born," she replied.
"Because of a damned talking mirror?" David asked sternly.
"I'm afraid so honey…we warned her and gave her a chance to change, or rather Flora gave her a chance. I wanted to turn her to dust on the spot," Merryweather replied.
"Sounds like we'd all agree on that," Neal said. She nodded.
"So she tried again?" Snow asked. Merryweather nodded.
"She put poison in the wine at your christening. We stepped in and exposed her plot that time. Your parents banished her to the mirror realm, thinking she could never cause you harm again and for the most part, they were right," she replied.
"Until the curse?" Emma asked. She nodded.
"Somehow…it must have freed her from the mirror realm and released her into the Land Without Magic. Not even I know how though," she replied.
"What about the history books?" Neal asked.
"Mmmhmm…that was Flora too. She was training to become head fairy, until Reul Ghorm got Clarion to agree that she should be head fairy. Flora had already agreed that I would get to be your fairy Godmother and Eva was very happy about that," Merryweather replied, with a smile.
"Then Blue made us leave…for Queen Briar Rose's Kingdom," she said sadly.
"I should have defied her then, but I didn't," she added. Snow squeezed her hands.
"I looked on though…from afar. I was always watching, even when it broke my heart and you went through so much when the Queen was hunting you. Blue did a poor job helping you," she said.
"I always thought she did what she could, but was unable to do more," Snow replied.
"Oh no honey…she could have done much more. The three of us had to hide Aurora from Maleficent for a time and I assure you, Aurora was not running for her life in the woods. Blue could have done more, but she always has an agenda," Merryweather explained.
"When I found out she lied about that wardrobe…that was the last straw. We were on our way to your castle to expose her, but it was too late and the curse hit. Had we made it in time, we hoped to reveal their lie so you and Charming could go through the wardrobe before Emma was born and before Geppetto put Pinocchio through. Then we were going to reveal Blue's treachery to Queen Clarion and have her wings clipped. But we didn't make it," she continued.
"You obviously care…and believe me, after what I've learned about some of the people that we called friends, it doesn't surprise me," David mentioned.
"That's three of our friends now…who's next, the dwarves?" Snow wondered sadly. He gently put his hands on her shoulders.
"Power can do that. When you have it…you don't really know who is friend or foe until you lose that power," Rumple warned.
"Is that your way of saying that we might see people's true colors once the curse breaks and they realize we're not royalty anymore?" David asked.
"More or less…" he replied.
"We've never sought power though…it never mattered to us," Snow said.
"Unfortunately, not everyone is as good as you and David, honey," Merryweather replied. Snow lowered her head. She knew she was naïve about people sometimes. David trusted who she trusted and it was easier for him to be reluctant to trust people…much like their daughter.
"And you are always going to be a true Princess," she added. David looked thoughtful at that.
"And don't even think it, honey…you're a true Prince too. I've never seen a truer one and you're Snow's beloved," she said, as she stood up.
"And Storybrooke is a level playing ground now. No magic…and no fairy hierarchy to follow, lest I wish to lose my wings. The minute Blue remembers, we're exposing her to everyone," Merryweather replied.
"Well…I'll look forward to that," Gold commented.
"If it ever breaks…" Emma muttered.
"Oh honey…you'll figure this out," Merryweather assured her.
"How? I believe…but it hasn't broken yet. What's holding it back?" Emma asked, as they naturally all looked to Gold.
"I don't know the answer…I only know that you break it. I didn't see how," he replied.
"Well…that's maddeningly unhelpful," Emma said.
"Oh you have no idea, dearie. Being a seer is sometimes more of a curse than a blessing. I can see the outcome, but never the means or consequences of getting to that outcome," he explained.
"For Charming and I…it's always been true love's kiss," Snow mentioned, as she looked at her daughter and then her eyes flicked to Neal.
"Well…that's not helpful either, because I don't have a true love," Emma replied. Snow bit her bottom lip and David clenched her hand. She knew she couldn't point it out and that Emma and Neal needed to figure it out on their own, but she wanted to shake her daughter at that moment and tell her that she had already found it. She realized then that she was just like Emma. She denied her feelings for David for a long time, because she didn't think it was possible for them to be together. Of all the things Emma had inherited from her, it had to be her irrational denial.
"All curses are meant to be broken…you'll do it honey, but don't stress over it. That might make it worse. In the meantime, we'll work on your defense," Merryweather said.
"Except that breaking the curse would make the whole trial moot," Emma replied and no one could deny that.
"But we know who Narcissa is now and we still have a lot of information to go through from her computer. We'll prove that you didn't do this," David promised.
"He's right honey…but I better go for now," Merryweather said, as she stood up. Snow smiled and surprised her with a hug.
"Thank you…for everything," she said. Merryweather smiled.
"I only wish I could have been there when you were growing up, but I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere. Narcissa and Regina had better watch themselves now," she warned, as they saw her out for the evening, along with Neal and Gold. David closed the door and locked it.
"Should we try to get through a little more of this?" Emma asked. They nodded.
"Yeah…let's keep reading for a couple hours if we can," Snow agreed, as they sat back down and went back to reading.
Malachi looked around the Rabbit Hole, after it had been emptied and purchased. The owner hadn't blinked an eye at the sale once he saw the amount of zeros on the check that Lucian had written to him for the place.
"This place is aptly named. It's a hole…and needs a lot of work," he mentioned, as he looked at the décor.
"Not to mention a new name…none of this rabbit crap," he added gruffly. Lucian smiled.
"That's a not problem…I've already hired the local crew that transformed Ms. Blake's store overnight. By tomorrow, we'll be in business and this place will be hopping. Just out of curiosity, the townspeople will flock here," he mentioned.
"Fine…but what exactly is our plan? You were running west coast operations out of Wyoming and I was running the east coast operation out of Portland just fine. What do we even need this town for?" Malachi questioned.
"You know why…" Lucian answered. Malachi rolled his eyes.
"Look…you may need revenge on your brother and have made the necessary deals to get it, but I don't. I've moved on," he said. Lucian smirked.
"Really? Then you don't want revenge on the three fairies that banished you? You don't want to taste the delicacy of sweet human blood again?" he tempted him.
"I haven't phased in almost thirty years…and can't without magic. Plus…this world has many drugs that give me the high that human blood does and thanks to my physiology, my body metabolizes the drugs before they do harm. It's a short, quick high…but it satisfies," Malachi replied. Lucian chuckled.
"That's a load of bull and you know it…nothing tastes and gives you a high like adrenaline filled blood or sinking your teeth into some frightened damsel. The fear in the eyes alone is like nothing else," he said.
"And even if you have staved off human blood forever, there is still much interest here in Storybrooke. No pesky feds poking their noses into my finances and regulating the living daylights out of my business," Lucian said. Malachi smirked.
"You mean it will be easier to launder money and traffic drugs out of a hub like this," he replied.
"Exactly," Lucian said.
"They do have a Sheriff," Malachi reminded. Lucian smirked.
"Who is under investigation for murder and the acting Sheriff is much too busy trying to save his baby girl to be bothered with us," Malachi said.
"The acting Sheriff's reputation precedes him…I think underestimating a dragon slayer is a mistake," he warned.
"Who says I am underestimating the Prince? I just intend to make sure he will be busy keeping this town from burning with everything else while I run it all in the background," Lucian said, as he looked at the ring on his third finger. It twinkled and something could be seen inside the small gemstone.
"Soon…my brother will pay for his insolence and I will reclaim my glory," Lucian said.
"And how do we accomplish that without magic?" Malachi asked.
"That's the beauty in my plan…we don't need magic for this. It's always about loopholes. I learned them well from the Dark One…not this current Dark One, but the one before," he said.
"Zoso may not have been as skilled in magic as Rumpelstiltskin or even as cunning or wise. But he was a master manipulator in his own right…and truly heartless. Rumpelstiltskin still has his humanity intact through those he loves. Zoso had no such flaw…and I learned well," he added, as he looked out at their new home. It would soon all be his…and have some new tenants.