Once Upon A Time

by hara-leah

Once Upon a Time, they were beautiful and strong. Once Upon a Time, they were the evil-doers, the malicious ones. Once upon a time, they were magnificent. Once Upon a Time, they didn't need their children to be beautiful and cunning and powerful for them. Once Upon a Time, they didn't need to send their kids to rule the world for them, because they were already doing it themselves.

13. Her Beauty Was Immortal

Once Upon a Time (Her Beauty was Immortal)

Darling Rapunzel had her own song the song of immortality. Miranda Gothel had a different song. Mother Gothel had believed that songs had healing powers, and above that, she believed that raising a child would redeem her of her sins. Miranda's song was from old folklore- a song about sins being forgiven.

Her mama would sing it every night as she brushed her hair uncut hair out. Mother Gothel took no chances. If her daughter, her baby held the power to immortality, she'd be rich. Of course, it wasn't like you could die, or even age on the Isle. But still.

Their nightly song was much more intimidating than Rapunzel's. A song about bathing in the blood of angels and redemption of the damned. A perfect song for the Isle of the Lost.

'There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.

When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.
Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I'll sing, Thy power to save,
I'll sing Thy power to save, I'll sing, Thy power to save,
Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I'll sing Thy power to save.'

Miranda knew, she'd known her whole life, that she was the lamb. She was the blood her mother would use to wash her sins away. She didn't like it (everyone wanted to live) but she'd come to accept it. She knew, in her darkest heart, that she, the innocent of the Isle, the girl locked away for as long as she'd been born (a copy of Rapunzel) was doomed from the day she was born.

When she reached the age of majority (13 on the Isle) her mama would kill her. Bathe herself in her daughter's blood.

Carlos rescued her. They'd often been locked together in their youth. She was two days away from thirteen, and Carlos rescued her. He carried her away and kept her in the palace because her feet got cuts from the grass and her skin tore up in the sun. She was the purest thing the Isle had ever created, and he wanted to keep it that way.

Her mama was slaughtered by order of the King. No one contested the movement. Carlos had a special place in his heart for her (a stone cold, broken heart that only held place for four).

Mother Gothel had treated her as a delicate flower, and it had permanently altered her state of being. She was softer, more fragile than all of the Isle, a piece of the finest art that would live forever for all the potions gently spooned into her mouth as a child. She was beauty and grace and kindness and honesty, a shock for any Isle raised child (she would've been a hero, but Carlos was her saviour and she was taught to never betray those who save you).

Mother Gothel didn't live forever as she wished. Her life was long, but no one can live forever.

(Except her daughter.)