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: Scott Adkins

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: Yep, new players in town. I think he will agree to be allies with Merryweather if it means bringing Blue down. Glad you love it. Thanks.

Jennifer Baratta: Yep, all these new players in town make for a lot of uncertainty. Glad you're enjoying it.

Number Ten: Yep, another wolf in town could be bad for Red in that respect. We know at least the Zoso was whispering to Lucien or maybe even guiding him. I won't say much more than that right now. Merryweather is tough. No, Rumple's hatred of fairies becomes very clear in 6zx19, The Black Fairy. Rumple is prophesied to be a Savior by Tiger Lily, a fairy, and will likely die fighting a great evil. Fiona wants to stop that from coming true and reads up on fairy lore, eventually becoming one herself. She even came up with the Dark Curse as a way to banish all children to the land without magic to try and prevent her son's destiny. Long story short, this darkens her and she eventually uses the shears of destiny to cut him from his destiny as a Savior, thinking she is saving him. She's banished then and baby Rumple is returned to Malcolm. Blue is responsible for banishing his mother and returning him to a father that hated him, since he blamed him for the loss of his wife. That's canon anyway. I may or may not keep some of that. I usually end up changing things. 6x19 though is helpful in understanding the whole Black Fairy thing though. Yeah, I don't do horror movies so Once was the first time I heard Zoso. Glad you're enjoying it.

Grace5231973: Yeah, they are definitely creepy. Yep, I want a front row seat to see the blue flea go down. Yep, he is...Emma can be very thick though, lol. Glad you're enjoying it!

Sexystarwarslover: Yep, the Charmings can take them on. Yeah, Merryweather loved Snow from the beginning. Yeah, it's probably good that Merryweather is still a fairy. Yep, Narcissa's mirror drove her to obsessive about beauty. Yeah, they were close to stopping Blue's deception, but didn't make it. Yep, Blue will be getting exposed. She didn't protect Snow the way she should have. Yeah, Emma is a little thick and doesn't realize that Neal is her true love. Yep, the newcomers are trouble. Yep, underestimating Prince Charming is unwise. Glad you're enjoying it!

AnonSnowing: Queen Clarion isn't a canon Once character. She's from the Disney Fairies series, which I've never seen, but read up on to see if there was any fairy lore I wanted to throw into this story. She won't be important, most likely. Yep, Gold is realizing that if Merryweather is against Blue, then she is an ally. Yeah, Blue is the worst. She ruins everything. Yeah, it would be interesting how different things would be if Merryweather protected Snow from Regina instead of Blue. Blue could have done a lot more. Yep, Malachi and Lucien are disgusting and creepy for sure. You'll eventually see about Lucien's brother. It's not Rumple. His brother is a Chief so that's your clue. It was in the chapter where Lucien met Narcissa in the mirror realm. Glad you're enjoying it.

Clarity

Chapter 38: Something Just Like This

After a couple more hours of reading about Narcissa's life and several cups of cocoa later, they decided to call it a night.

"Yeah…I'm tapped out on reading about the Queen of Mirrors tonight," Emma said.

"Us too, I think," David said.

"I never knew any of this. I never knew that she ruled my mother's Kingdom and poorly at that," Snow replied.

"Yeah…it's kind of hard to be a good ruler when you only care about yourself," David said.

"Goodnight Emma," Snow said, as the blonde looked at them both.

"Goodnight," she said, as she paused at the bottom of the stairs, before turning and putting her arms around both of them in a hug. They were stunned for a second, but quickly put their arms around her in a tight hug. David gently cupped the back of her head and a tear slipped down Snow's cheek. The hug ended and Emma retreated without a wood and upstairs to the loft. Snow sniffed and David pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly.

"You were right…I thought she was going to hate us forever. But you said to have faith that she would come around and you were right," Snow said tearfully.

"All I have to do is look at you to give me that faith…our love gives me that faith, even in the darkest times," he replied, as their lips met in a passionate kiss. Snow mewled into his kiss and he swept her into his arms, before carrying her to their bed…

The sedan slowly turned onto Main street and parked outside the Inn. For the first time in over twenty-eight years, he lay eyes on it. As a child, he had tried incessantly to get the authorities to believe him about the mysterious town where his father had disappeared. But it had just vanished, just like his father. The police assumed that his father dumped him and fled, but he had always known the truth.

The years after that were rough, as he spent them in a group home. He was older and troubled, thus not adoptable. Then he met Tamara and finally someone believed him about magic and the mysterious town that had stolen everything from him.

Somehow, now it was back and nothing had changed. And with it, the anger in him returned. This place had ruined his life and not being able to find it for years left him with no absolution. Until now.

He walked into the Inn and saw an elderly woman behind the counter. Flashing back, he remembered the same woman running the diner where he had eaten breakfast with his father. She had been the same then, probably in her fifties or sixties at the time. And here she was now, exactly the same. Not a day older than she was in 1983. It was baffling, but he was determined to get to the bottom of what happened to his father and what exactly was going on in this warped town.

"Can I get a room?" he asked. Granny was a little surprised. She hadn't had a guest since Emma Swan came to town.

"Of course…how long will you be staying?" Granny asked.

"Not sure…I'm on a bit of an extended sabbatical," the man replied.

"Okay…well, I'll just book you for a week and if you need more time, I'm sure that won't be a problem. Name?" she asked.

"Greg Mendell," he answered. He had been Greg so long that it was natural to give this name and not his real one; the one he had dropped when he met Tamara and they began their quest. Granny took care of the transaction and then handed him the room key.

"Thanks," he replied, as he went upstairs and put his suitcase down on the floor, before going to the window to gaze out at the seemingly sleepy little town. But he knew better. He knew there was something evil here…someone evil and he was going to find out what she had done to his father. He would make her pay…and he would burn the whole town if he had to in order to make it happen…

The candles glowed gently, casting the shadows of two entwined bodies that danced in a dance of love. The sounds were that of impassioned cries and gasps of pleasure, as well as the bed gently rocking with their movements. Sometime later, David sat propped up against the headboard, while Snow straddled his lap, both of them still bare and their skin still slick from perspiration.

"So beautiful…" he rasped, as he kissed her neck and chest.

"Charming…" she breathed and trembled, as he kissed her all over. Slowly, their breathing calmed and they came down from the high they had induced together. She rested atop him, with her head nestled against his chest and he kissed her hair.

"You okay?" he whispered, as he pressed his forehead against hers.

"Yeah…I'm mean, I'm great. Our daughter is finally coming around and I have the most amazing, wonderful husband in the world," she gushed.

"But?" he asked.

"It's just…I know why Regina hates me and for a long time, I did blame myself for Daniel's death. Sometimes I still do," she confessed.

"You were just a little girl and you know that Cora manipulated you. You didn't understand and if she can't see that and blame the real culprit, then that's on her," he argued.

"I know…I know you're right and I agree, even if I still feel guilty about it," she said.

"I guess…it's just knowing that someone hated me so much, even before I was born, that she was willing to kill me and tried multiple times. And why? Because some mirror told her that I would be prettier than her?" she vented. He kissed her forehead.

"Well…you are," he said and she gave him a look. He smirked.

"You're my wife and I obviously think you're the most beautiful woman in the world, but it's more than just outer beauty," he replied.

"You have an inner beauty that's unmatched, Snow…so the fact that you are referred to as the fairest in all the realm is not surprising and only someone with severe mental illness would try to kill you over it," he added. She nodded, knowing he was right. Her Aunt was mentally ill…but if Merryweather was right, then beyond help.

"I thought she might have a tragic past and that's why she's like this, but she doesn't," Snow said.

"I know that usually evil is made, but I think in this case, that's not true. Nothing tragic, other than her own vanity, made her this way," he replied.

"I do wonder about this mirror entity. I wish we knew more…it obviously contributed to Narcissa's obsession with her looks," she said.

"Well…I'm not really concerned with her well being. Just yours, but maybe Merryweather knows something about this mirror entity. Sounds like something a fairy might at least be aware of," he replied. She nodded and pecked him on the lips, as they settled down on their pillows.

"Guess we better go to sleep…I have patrol in the morning," he said.

"Yes…and I have another fun filled day of mind numbing filing ahead at the hospital," she replied. He kissed her forehead.

"We'll get your old job back somehow," he promised. She smiled and kissed him again, before they went to sleep, thoroughly snuggled together.

Henry stared straight ahead, ignoring her question, as they pulled up to the school.

"Henry…" Regina said again.

"What?" he finally answered.

"I asked you if you'd like to do pizza and video games tonight, like old times?" she asked.

"No…what I really want is to see Emma and Neal. And David and Mary Margaret. What I really want is for Mary Margaret to be teaching my class again instead of the stupid substitute. And what I really want is for the curse to be broken," he answered. She sighed and pursed her lips.

"Henry…" she started to say, but he got out of the car with his backpack.

"I gotta go," he said glumly, as he trekked toward the school and Regina drove off once he was within the school grounds.

"Wow…school must really suck if you're that pissed before it even starts," Neal joked, as he leaned against a tree. He had been perfectly concealed from Regina's view and Henry gasped, as he ran to give him a hug.

"What are you doing here?" Henry asked.

"Just thought I'd pop by to see you before school," Neal replied.

"I hate school now…it's not the same without Mary Margaret as my teacher," he said.

"I know buddy and we're going to figure out a way to get the school to give her her job back," Neal promised.

"But if we could just figure out how to break the curse, everything would be better, right?" he asked.

"Yeah…I think so, pal and we're trying. Emma believes and that's huge. We have to be close," Neal replied, as he ruffled his hair.

"Mom has a meeting after work. Wanna hang out after school? It will be our secret," he said. Neal smiled.

"Sure…I'll meet you at the arcade after school," he said, as he watched him go inside.

Regina walked along Main Street that morning, on her way to her office, as she did on most mornings. She used to enjoy this. It was always the same. Marco fixing a fallen sign, Dr. Hopper walking Pongo, Granny putting out the specials board, and a timid, lonely Mary Margaret rushing from the diner to make it to the school on time, barely able to look her in the eye when they ran into each other. But everything was different now. Everything was changing and no day was the same any longer. She had lost almost complete control and it made her simmer with anger. She had to do something, but she had no idea what. Even if Emma Swan was convicted, she faced a fight getting rid of her.

That morning though, she was about to see more changes and these would chill her to her bone. She looked ahead and saw that there was a sign being fixed, but it wasn't a repair at the hardware store. It was a complete change, just like the dress store.

She had been okay with changes at the dress store once she learned that she had a common ally in Narcissa Blake and their shared hatred of Snow White. But more outsiders could mean disaster.

"What the hell is this?" Regina demanded to know, as a tall man with an imposing demeanor looked down on her from the ladder and an older gentleman turned and extended his hand.

"Well, Madam Mayor, it's kind to meet your acquaintance," he said, but she refused to shake his hand.

"Who the hell are you and what happened to the Rabbit Hole?" she demanded to know.

"A new tenant. I am Lucian Blackwater and this is Malachi Wolfe, my business associate. Mr. Wolfe has a very successful bar upstate and we have decided to expand our operation by purchasing the Rabbit Hole and giving it a new lease on life," Lucian explained, as workers filed in and out of the bar, completely remodeling it.

"The Wolf's Den?" she asked skeptically.

"Better than naming a bar after some dumb rodent," Malachi commented. Lucian chuckled.

"And what business are you in, Mr. Blackwater?" she questioned skeptically.

"A very lucrative one, Madam Mayor…imagine the tourist options with a magnificent hotel and casino," he replied. She smirked.

"No one is building a Casino in my town and this is not a tourist attraction and since I'm the Mayor, there's no way you'll get approved for the building permit," she said. He smirked back, unnerving her.

"Very true…I do need that building permit from the Mayor, but perhaps the next Mayor will grant me what I need," he said. She frowned and then noticed the flier taped to the window of the newly revamped bar.

"Narcissa Blake for Mayor…" she read through clenched teeth. The two men watched in amusement, as Regina ripped the flier down and stormed off toward the dress shop. Malachi scoffed at the foolish woman and then looked at his boss.

"So what now?" he asked. Lucian smirked and looked at the pawnshop.

"The next phase of our plan," he replied vaguely.