Remembrance
Alright guys, FYI this is where my ideas run out! So please please PLEASE leave me your ideas and what you would like to see in the future in the reviews below. I love you all for reading this far and I hope you enjoy.
Barely speaking a word that night Anya locked herself in her room that night, leaving Regina to believe she'd gone to bed. With the moon's guidance she pulled the locket from under her pillow, staring intently at what she had believed was her long lost treasure. Why would her queen lie to her? It just didn't make any sense. She stared at it for a while, its odd gear like design seemed familiar...but how? Glancing up her gaze landed on her jewelry box. A long time gift from the queen after getting the lesser side of a deal with Rumpelstiltskin. It didn't even open so Anya had just tossed it to the corner of the dresser leaving her other items to build around it...now it was as if it was calling her name.
Digging out the gift she could make out a small hole just below the lid...the necklace fit perfectly, and with a swift twist the lock became undone, the lid rising gently, a dancing glass couple spinning as they rose with a steady lullaby...a music box?
Memories began flooding back.
Her mother, her father and the beautiful ballroom. Hundreds of people filled the extravagant palace, dancing, delighted for their guest of honor. Snow white.
"Anastasia!" The child turned, racing back to her grandmother's throne, sitting with her and watching the people dance...surprise taking her as her mother...no queen Regina entered and though she searched for Snow white, the bandit was too well hidden, Anastasia's father pleading their innocence and that no such guest was harbored in his palace. It wasn't long after that man showed up...Rasputin.
He was ugly, appearing almost half dead in appearance...but there was something odd that stood out to Anya as she reviewed her memories, playing in her mind like a recording. The way he moved the way he spoke...there was something familiar about the way he carried himself as her father cast him away...but he didn't leave. There was a heated conversation, words that the child couldn't quite remember, a single phrase standing out to her.
"You should have just handed over Snow White." The line caught Anya off guard, to distracted to think about it as seeing that the man still didn't leave and with a snap of his fingers the chandelier came crashing down atop her father, crushing him under the sharp diamond shards. Panic broke out in the palace, the ball's guests turning to flee. With a simple twist of his wrist the walls caught fire, the flames quickly moving along the curtains and blocking the exits.
Screams filled the air and the young Anastasia could do nothing but stare tears filling her young innocent eyes.
"Mom! Mother!" she cried out, glimpsing her mother's familiar hair in the crowd and racing after her. Unfortunately, just when she thought she could reach out to her, her mother was swept away by the crowd, letting out a scream of terror as she was trampled by the frolicking crowd.
"Well, well what do we have here?" Rasputin asked, closing in on Anastasia. He'd barely lifted his wrist when a new magic flooded the area, forcing the magician to fall back on the defensive as a shimmering golden orb of light stabbed at him, another striking the entrance, evaporating the flames and clearing a path as many of the survivors made a frantic run for the exit. Anastasia could do nothing as a hand grabbed her firmly from behind, tossing her back. Looking up she could make out the frail outline of her grandmother, her royal scepter firmly in hand a serious look like nothing Anya had ever seen like cement on her face.
"Rasputin..." She growled, tapping the staff to the ground and throwing the magician several feet back. Anastasia was caught completely off guard...she'd never seen her grandma do anything like this...was this magic? "Anastasia." She ordered, looking back and smiling softly at the child. "Run my darling...out the servants quarters...go!" she pressed when the girl remained frozen, another tap of her staff sending the child stumbling across the room. If nothing else...her granddaughter could survive. This time the terror took to her feet, the child flying as fast as her little legs could carry her through the halls of the palace. There was a back door somewhere...if she could just reach the end of the hall...she trailed off, slowing to a stop before flinging herself into her play room. Retrieving a small music box from her dollhouse. A glance outside revealing an angry mob of adults. Footsteps echoing closer from the halls.
She remained frozen with fear for a moment before her gaze landed on the little hallways and shortcuts the servants used to bring her, her lunch. Without much hesitation she flung herself inside, crawling despite her tears she found herself outside, scrambling across the snow and ice. Where was her family? Her friends? A sinking feeling dropped her heart to her stomach. What about her? What should she do?
"Back again." a voice laughed from behind her, and she spun around, finding herself facing the infamous Rasputin. She struggled for words, unable to find her voice to plead for her life. Rasputin hesitated a moment, his eyes glazed as if seeing right through her, lost in momentary thought before smiling, his rotting and missing teeth granting a nightmare only seen before in nightmares. "My my...it seems you have quite a role ahead of you dearie."
Anya was shocked, his words echoing in her mind. The connection snapping her mind.
Rumpelstiltskin.
Of course the Anastasia in her memories didn't know any better, unable even to find her voice to question his words. and despite the joy and malice in his eyes Rumple made no move to kill her, instead a swift twist of his wrist knocked the child out, collapsing into his arms, another swift movement pulling a string of memories from her brain, embedding them into the nearest vessel...her music box. He pocketed the object for safe kingdom before making the child vanish in a cloud of smoke, where she would soon awaken in a forest near a road where soon, the evil queen would soon pass.
Stumbling back Anya collapsed onto her bed, taking a moment to absorb the information. Gasping for breath as if she'd just run a marathon. She was...She was the grand duchess Anastasia...she remembered everything. She paused, staring down at the music box and necklace in hand. Rumpelstiltskin had killed her parents...and what he said...
"You should have just handed over Snow White."
The infamous dealmaker's words rang through her head. The only person who would go to such lengths for the bandit was...was...
Tears filled the princess's eyes as she rose quickly to her feet, flinging herself from her room and racing to her mother's quarters, appearing to the surprised woman in the doorway.
"Anya...what's wrong? Why are you out of breath...?" The queen trailed off, paling as she saw the necklace and music box in hand.
"I remember everything." Anya told her desperately.
"Rumple..." Regina cursed under her breath. He'd given her that necklace...why? He knew this would happen...That bastard was going to pay for ruining her family.
"You killed them didn't you?" Anya asked, her eyes searching the queen's desperately. "You made a deal with Rumpelstiltskin to kill my family because they didn't give you snow white...Answer me!" The frantic child demanded. Silence hung heavy in the air, tension so thick that they could cut it with a knife.
"No." The queen lied, her voice steady and posture unyielding.
"Tell me the truth." the apprentice demanded, tears threatening to overflow. Deep down she was waiting for the queen to deny it...for her to tell her this was all a bad dream and to take her into her arms and make it all go away...but that didn't happen.
"Fine." Regina said uncertainly. "It's true...I ordered the attack...I ordered Rumpelstiltskin to kill everybody in the palace." The Queen's confession caught Anya off guard, the world seeming to slow as she replayed the words over and over in her mind. Regina, her mother was the source of all her suffering...and to think she'd loved her...done her best to be the daughter she wanted so desperately.
"You...you..." Anya stuttered, her body trembling in rage and fear. A mixture of emotions rising up inside her gut.
"Anya I'm sorry." Regina began, as if saying it would make everything okay. "I had no idea that this would happen. I didn't think-"
"That's right you didn't think." Anya growled rising her voice to scream. "You never think of anybody but yourself! You didn't think of the people at the ball, or my family or even me! Did you know when you took me in who I was? Was I just one of your pawns!?" she cried out, hurt by the mention. That must have been it...something this big couldn't be coincidence.
"No, No Anya never, I had no idea who you were when I took you in." Regina pleaded, attempting to fix things. They'd spent years growing closer...Anya was her daughter...it wasn't like that would vanish it wasn't like that would end in just a few minutes. With the proper words and sympathetic gaze Anya would calm down and forgive her and the two of them could go about living their life together.
"But you did know." She added, her emotions seeming to rise. "And you lied you told me this was destroyed...you never told me!" As much as Anya hated to admit it as she clutched her necklace, maybe, just maybe if Regina had told her before she had remembered maybe she could have forgiven her since without her memories she wouldn't have felt so closely tied to the incident...but that wasn't the case. The mother that she had known and love had betrayed her.
Stiffening Regina could see Anya's mind was made up, the pain in her eyes fading to a cruel indifference she was so used to wearing.
"Yes I did." The queen told her, stating each word clearly. "What are you going to do about it Anya? No amount of magic can raise the dead...or have you forgotten that already?" Anya's blood boiled, dropping the music box to the ground she raced forward, attacking the queen in an act of blind rage. A hurricane-like wind ripping all around them, sending items scattering across the room as the typhoon pinned the stubborn Regina to the wall, remaining emotionless despite the betrayal of her daughter.
"Heartless!" Anya shrieked. "You heartless, blind, arrogant, bitch!" the redhead shrieked orange magic bubbleing around the younger witch, as if charging for an attack. Regina struggled only once, her arms flinging back against the wall, staring uncaring as Anya chanted her distaste.
"Are you done?" the queen asked simply, gritting her teeth as with a solid movement she brought her hands together against the force of wind, fire erupting from the clap sending Anya flying back, sprawling on all fours. The queen staring down at her as if she were merely throwing a tantrum. She was no match for her teacher.
"You..." Anya hissed defeated. "They're right." she said finally raising her gaze to meet her mother's. "You really are the evil queen." Regina's resolve faltered at the words. She'd heard them before, but never from Anya's lips.
"Well then..." she trailed off. "I suppose you're just going to have to get used to it." she said, as if gently scalding her, no longer sure how to deal with the situation at hand as guards filled her doorway, halting in confusion, nervous to assault the former princess. "Cease your attack now."
"Yes, your majesty." Anya snarled sarcastically, fire swirling in her eyes as she rose to her feet. Again Regina was unsure how to reply, the familiar words cutting deeply into her as Anya rose for another attack, a swift twist of her hand suppressing her apprentice's attack even before she could make a move, once again sending her tumbling backwards. To powerful, The Queen was too powerful. With a final glare Anya shrouded herself in orange smoke, the girl vanishing without a trace.
Regina didn't move for a moment, staring blankly at where her apprentice had just been, collapsing onto her bed in despair. Within five minutes she had lost everything she'd built over the past several years. A daughter, an apprentice and a friend all gone, once again leaving her with nothing. It always happened to her. Glancing at the curse on the wall however she couldn't help but find comfort in the fact that soon...the only one happy would be her.