News about the queen's curse is soaring through the realm like wildfire.

Everyone in the world must known by now about Regina's barge in on Snow White and Charming's wedding, and her "present" she's not only offering, but forcing upon every living soul.

I've been so preoccupied worrying about what curse she might have in store for us, Rumplestilskin barely passes my mind. It's as if my encounter with him never happened.

Jefferson, on the other hand - I can't get him out of my head.

Every night, I replay our kiss in my head, savoring the feel of his lips against mine, his arms caressing me, the sweet thickness of his voice. Will I ever see him again? Will the curse separate us forever? Will the curse even reach Wonderland?

I'm torn apart by these gruesome thoughts, night after night, day after day, till there is no more time to fret over these selfish thoughts. News reaches Snow White's castle - where Aunt Leslie and I are residing, thanks to Red - that the curse is here.

I run through the castle corridors, holding my dress above my clumsy feet, desperately searching for Aunt Leslie. There's no telling when the curse will reach us, and now Snow's baby, who is predicted to save us all, is coming sooner than we thought. There's no telling if Snow will make it to the wardrobe or not, and just the thought terrifies me.

I'm skimming past a semi-closed door when a faintly familiar voice catches my attention. I halt, backtracking a couple of feet and peek through the crack of the open door. The room is pretty wide, flooding with blooming sunlight. A tree stands against the wall opposite of me, a hollow carving with doors as an added edition. I suck in my breath in awe. It's the magical wardrobe the fairies donated.

A balding, elderly man works furiously with the door, a little redheaded boy as his aid. Fluttering around the tree is a chirping, sophisticatedly-dressed cricket. I automatically recognize them as Geppetto, Jiminy Cricket, and Pinocchio. A shimmering blue light indicates the Blue Fairy is present, too.

I crouch by the door, curious.

"The circumstances have changed." The Blue fairy soars forward, hovering over what looks to be a crib. I tilt my head in understanding - this must be the nursery.

Geppetto stands, casting a concerned frown at the fairy. "What do you mean, changed?"

The fairy wastes no time. "Snow White is going to give birth early, the savior will be born at any moment."

The older man rises to his feet, placing a loving hand on Pinocchio.

"Pinocchio can't go." She continues ruefully. "Snow White must accompany her daughter or all will be lost. She must be protected. This is a land with no magic. She will need someone to guide her, someone to make her believe in her destiny. Who better than her mother?"

I sink to the ground, horror-stricken. The wardrobe only takes one... Right?

"But we had a deal." I hear Geppetto backfire. I lean forward again, watching the scene fearfully.

"There's no time to argue, the curse is almost upon us." The Blue Fairy can barely get her words out. "And I must return to the fairies to make final preparations. It is vital that you tell Snow White what I just told you. The child is our only hope. She is the only one who can save us!" She delicately floats backwards, eager to return to her work with her fellow fairies.

"And my boy? What will happen to him?" Geppetto demands.

"All we can do is have faith that one day, the savior will restore all that we have lost." She nods once to Jiminy, seemingly fearful and worried, before she takes off out of the jutted window.

I can't bring myself to rise to my feet and continue my search for my aunt. The Blue Fairy's words are haunting me, keeping me frozen in place. They didn't say it exactly, but it seems to me that the wardrobe accepts two volunteers, not one.

Geppetto sighs, resting his palms on the baby's crib. He doesn't say anything, just gazes into space absently.

"Shall we tell Snow White?" Pinocchio asks bravely.

His father lets the silence stretch on, before uttering a solid, "No."

I gasp quietly, his unexpected answer catching my by surprise.

He whirls around, nodding his head to the tree and issuing to his son, "Get in the wardrobe, my boy."

"Geppetto!" Jiminy's faint plea voices the ramped thoughts crowding my head. "You can't! Things have changed! The savior needs her mother!" He flutters around the branches, desperately trying to get his point across. I silently applaud him for his determination.

"No, she needs someone to protect her." His best friend retorts stubbornly. "To make her believe in her destiny." Switching glances from Jiminy to Pinocchio, he adds proudly, "My boy. He can do that."

I swallow, a pang of hurt stabbing me in the stomach. I don't catch Pinocchio's words over my own mixed feelings. Seeing the love Geppetto has for his son tears me apart. It's obvious to me that he doesn't want to see Pinocchio cursed back into solid, inanimate wood. He's risking the lives of people all across the realm to save his child. And as selfish as it may be, I'm jealous. I'm jealous of the love between a father and child, jealous of the time they get to spend together, jealous of the sacrifice Geppetto is willing to make.

I find the strength to stumble to my feet, and I rest my hand against the wall to hold my balance. There is one thing I should do right now, for the sake of humanity: Tell Snow White and her husband what I just overheard. But there is something completely irrelevant I want to do: Find Rumplestilskin before the curse rips us apart.

I can barely keep my balance. I slightly tip to the left, keeping my hand against the limestone walls. The hall seems to be spinning, the realization of this curse's consequences making a final impact on my mind. I don't have much time left, but I now know what I must do.

I take off running to the nearest flight of stairs. Guards and servants are rushing all over the castle, fanatically preparing themselves for what's to come. I bolt past them, flying from one floor to the next, till I reach the darkened courtyard.

The twilight sunset washes over the outside, foreshadowing the torment we're about to endure. The guards never bothered to close the castle gates, probably assuming it was useless work. No one is around as I dart past them, exiting the kingdom and spinning wildly, trying to remember where Aunt Leah said they were keeping Rumplestilskin.

A noisy bell chimes from somewhere in the castle, possibly the roof from the nearness of it. A deep voice screams over the frantic noise of the castle: "The curse! It's here!"

I whip around, gazing past the lush mountains. More terror than I've ever felt in my life passes through me.

Dark clouds, far more powerful than anyone has seen, are billowing hurriedly our way. There is a large hint of green in them, and even flashes of green lightning and pounding thunder add to the sight. They overtake the mountains quickly, swallowing up anything in their path in mere seconds.

I find myself rooted in place. Nothing could have prepared me for this moment. I never would have imagined the curse being this... Horrific-looking.

Over the sound of the coursing thunder, hoofbeats penetrate the air from the woods. Black shapes ride into view: Men in dark armor steering black steeds and mares toward the castle, leading a dark and sinister looking carriage. I instinctively know exactly who it is.

Regina.

I push myself to run, out of the way and out of sight. I tumble over a knot of twisted branches, feeling my feet torn apart by the leafless plants. A long, sharp thorn tears across my skin, and blood instantly wells up along the scratch, but I ignore it. My number one priority right now is to keep Regina from seeing me and find Rumplestilskin.

I lay low behind the branches of a bush, my eyes following Regina's carriage as it pulls past the gates. Armies of guards follow obediently.

They seem so intent on their mission, I doubt any will notice a young woman sneaking away. I stand up, keeping an eye on them while I take a step backwards.

But the ground isn't there.

I can't help but cry out in alarm as I feel myself crash down a hidden ravine, rolling into a leafy valley. Green enters my vision, and immediately my allergies kick in, causing me to sneeze. But I waste no time, and jump back to my feet.

Before I can take another step, a hand clasps around my ankle, yanking me backwards. I scream as I meet the ground again, whipping my head around in shock. One of the queen's guards looms over me, his face veiled from sight. He reaches down to grab me again, but I use my free foot to kick him in the stomach.

He grunts, but my move hardly has an impact on him. The second I'm upright again, he winds his strong arms around my stomach.

"Let me go!" I scream, struggling to break free of his iron grip.

He doesn't respond, just removes one arm to fidget with his helmet. I continue to struggle, with no avail to break free. He's too strong.

I hear the shifting of armor, and he slowly removes his helmet, revealing the face beneath. He's got bushy brown hair, shaping around his face in a slight beard and mustache. His wide eyes spark nothing but innocence. When he speaks, his voice sports a thick accent I don't recognize.

"You cannot outrun the curse. It will affect everybody." He drawls, misreading my escape. He unwinds his arm from around my waist, and I trip forward, catching myself before I can fall a third time.

Finding my balance, I glare at him mistrustingly. I don't bother trying to run away; he'd probably catch me anyway. "I'm not trying to outrun the curse." I mumble.

The guard watches me closely, showing no signs of wanting to hurt me. "Where are you going?" He presses.

I don't answer, just continue to glare. He works for the queen. He might as well be as sinister as her.

He sighs, muttering calmly, "I am not the enemy. I am a friend of Snow White's."

I don't want to believe him. He could be trying to trick me so he can kill me himself as a way to get on Regina's good side. I wouldn't put it past her men. But the warm look in his eyes throws me off. He doesn't have that permanent scowl, or death hungry gleam in his eyes. He radiates more care and compassion, his face betraying pity and regret. It's almost as if he's more of a slave than a loyal guard.

After a slight moment's hesitation, I bite my lip and mutter, "I'm trying to find the dwarf mines to say goodbye to somebody."

He nods in understand, casting a glance over his shoulder at the curse. "I have a friend who can show you the way." Without waiting for a reply, he whistles loudly into the forest. His whistle echoes past the trees, disappearing into oblivion.

I turn to where he is gazing, half expecting an army of more dark soldiers to crash through the trees. Instead, a furry, gray animal emerges from the line of trees.

I gasp, instinctively taking a step backwards. The wolf trots to it's master's side, facing me with a blank look. I stare into it's eyes, awestruck by their beauty.

One is red as blood, the other black as night.

The man smiles at me, resting his hand on the wolf's head. "You need not worry. This is a friend. He will show you the way."

Wind whips across the landscape, ruffing the wolf's dark fur. His tongue hangs out as he pants. I stare at him wondrously, curious as to how this guard has tamed a wolf like this. My only explanation is that he used to be a huntsman.

"Why can't you show me the way?" I ask as politely as I can, but it still comes out as slightly harsh.

The huntsman paces, frowning regretfully into the distance. "I made a sacrifice for Snow White. The queen took my heart. I am forever under her power." He runs his fingers through his wolf's mangled fur, not allowing me to ask any questions as the wolf pads towards me. "Follow him: He will lead you to the mines." He nods once at me before pulling the black helmet back over his head.

I face the wolf, who is already heading south. It twists its gray head to look over it's shoulder, and once I pick up the hems of my dress and follow, it breaks into a run.

I huff, trailing after it as it leads me behind the castle grounds.

We run for what seems like miles, the curse threateningly booming behind us. I occasionally cast a fearful glance behind me, as a reminder of the time I'm limited too. I almost trip over my feet as Snow White's castle is soon engulfed in the dank, green smoke. I'm barely able to labor my breath before I can choke on my own wolf carries on, unaffected by the dark cloud.

We dash past numerous trees, grassland, and a drying lake. I ignore the aching pain in my muscles, the determination to reach Rumplestilskin in time the only thing that's pushing me forward. The wolf is fast, but he keeps at a pace I'm able to keep up with.

Just when I think my lungs are about to explode, the wolf slows his pace. He trots around a tunnel training into a mountain that isn't very visible in the night darkness. I take a second to rest against it, catching my breath and listening to the frantic beating of my heart. Once the wolf sees I'm capable of carrying on myself, he bolts back into the woods, disappearing from sight.

I watch him go, gazing over the landscape we just covered. My eyes widen in horror as I notice how near the curse is, how fast it's enveloping everything as it storms my way. It hits me just how little time I have left.

I push off the mountainside and bolt into the tunnel, my sides instantly screaming in protest. I can hear the mutantous thunder of the curse behind me, which propels me to run faster and faster.

I tear through the tunnels, thankful for the burning torchlights that light up my path. But my thankfulness is cut short when a cold, dreadful wind blows into the tunnel, the fire automatically extinguishing, engulfing me in darkness.

I halt, unable to see a thing. I back up against one of the mine walls. I listen to the rumbling of the curse as it makes it way around the mines. And over the sounds of the curse, I hear giggling. A hauntingly familiar giggle, one that has scarred me for weeks without end. Startled, I trail down the blackened tunnel, desperately following the sound.

The mines suddenly light up, green light gifting me with the gruesome line of sight. I cry out in surprise, twisting around and gasping in horror. The curse flows through the tunnels, melting past me and climbing up the walls. I fall to my knees, breathes turning into horrified sobs. The laughing grows louder and darker, bouncing off the mine walls.

I savor the sound of it, calling out to it without thinking first.

"Father!"

I clap my hand over my mouth, panic snaking through my blood. The laughing stops instantly, and I hear a shifting from somewhere near.

Lightning flashes again, illuminating the mines once more. I pull my knees up to my chest, eyes glued on the walls as the green magic seems to rip them away, layer after layer. I watch horrifically, regrets pouring into my head.

I regret not telling Snow White about the conversation between Geppetto and the Blue Fairy I heard.

I regret not finding Aunt Leslie or Jefferson in time, not knowing whether I will see either of them again.

But mostly, I regret not telling Rumplestilskin - my father - the truth. He may never know now. And I might not ever remember.

As the curse folds over me, I squeeze my eyes shut, famous words passing through my head, words known by all in Snow White's kingdom. I picture my father in my head, regretting pitifully how horribly our first and last meeting ended. I whisper the popular words to myself, "I will find you." Coldness wraps around me, and I feel myself slipping away into this new world. "I will always find you."

The curse finishes it's duty, erasing the Enchanted Forest from existence, and sends Rumplestilskin and I into our new lives.