So I have no excuse on why it took so long for me to update. I've been busy and time seemed to escape me. Also, its hard to say goodbye to these incredible characters. I have two more chapters left so bear with me. it will take some time, but it will come.
Enchanted Forest
Evie felt good as she laid there. She didn't want to wake up. She just wanted to sleep five minutes longer. She wanted to ignore the screeching of the tea, saying it was ready.
Wait. That wasn't right. She wasn't making tea. She didn't remember making it. Then again, she didn't remember being sleepy or even laying in her bed.
Evie's eyes shot open as she sat straight up and grasp her chest in pain. Bandage. Her chest and arms were covered in them. Frantically, she looked around the room, trying to see where she was at. Her breath quicken as she did not know where she was.
She closed her eyes, hoping this was a dream and when she open her eyes, she would be back in her cabin.
Once she opened them, she realized she was not in her cabin, but in another. One that had bed full of quilts, a table that had bread and fruits, another table that had a mix of potions and books, and a fireplace that had a screeching kettle.
A lone tear fell as she recalled her last memory.
Evie's Cabin-Earlier
Her heart quicken as she saw the scaly man appeared from the shadows. She had remembered him. He appeared in Maleficent's castle once with her other friends, Cruella and Ursula. Although she had never talked to this man, Evie knew him. He was the one who taught her mother and grandmother magic. The man than many feared and very few tried to fight. He was-
"Such a pretty home you have here," he walked towards Evie and waved his hand in front of her. She let out a gasp as she fell forward. She didn't trust this man, even though she could move again. "Do you know who I am?" He asked as he looked down at Evie's potion.
"I think… the Dark One" Evie said, not remembering his real name.
"You're correct dearie," he replied with a giggle.
"What are you doing here?" There was no way she could summon him, nor did she want to. She knew he was a man that liked to make deals, but she didn't want anything from him, nor nothing to offer.
"You see dearie, I honestly don't care what you do, except if it affects me. And this does," he waved his hand over the table. "I need your mother to enact the Dark Curse."
"Why?" Evie wasn't sure why he would want that. He would be cursed along with everyone else. Didn't he know that?
"That is no concern of yours," he said in a matter of fact tone. "Now, I have a deal for you," Evie shifted uncomfortably. "Let your mother cast the curse, and I will give you whatever you want. Want comfort in this new land? Done. Want to find true love? Can be done. Want your mother all to yourself? She will be the most doting mother you have ever know. Name your price."
Anything. He could offer her anything. There was only one thing she would ever wish for, her family. That's all she had ever wanted, especially now. Evie knew he was a powerful man, could he be that powerful that he could find her little brother or sister and give them back? Could she have the life she had always wanted? Her mother, grandfather, Mal, and her sibling, safe and together without the memory of her mother's past.
"Can… Can you find someone for me?" She asked hesitantly.
"Of course," he said with a grin and offered her his hand. "So dearie do we have a deal?"
Evie wanted to say yes. If her family was happy and together, wouldn't that be enough? If Maleficent had her child back, wouldn't that fix almost everything? She owed it to Maleficent to get her child back after everything she had done for her.
Evie don't do it. Don't make a deal with the Dark One. She bit her lip as her grandfather's voice ran through her head. As tempting as this deal was, she made a promise to him that she would never make a deal with the Dark One. Her mother and grandmother both did, and it was never enough for either one of them. Evie didn't want to be like them. There had to be another way.
"No!" the Dark One was taken back at her outburst. "No deal Dark One. Me and my mother will not be pawns in your game," Evie would find her sibling and reunite her family, just on her terms. Without the Dark One.
"You shouldn't had said that dearie," the Dark One growled. Before Evie knew what was happening, the Dark One grabbed a piece of the girl's hair, raised his other hand and a force of magic pushed her on the other side of the room, hitting her head against the window. Evie's hands immediately went to the back of her head as she winced in pain. Her eyes shot opened as she heard the Dark One started to chant. She knew this chant. He was enacting the forgetting spell.
Evie sat there, helpless as the Dark One finished the chant and threw in her hair into the mix. She tried to scream, but couldn't manage it as a surge of magic rushed of her and throughout the land.
"No!" Evie screamed in anger. This monster had destroyed everything she had worked for. All her hopes and dreams of a family was gone like that. How dare he take everything she has worked for. Without thinking, the shards of glass around the young witch began to rise. She let out another scream and the glass flew towards the Dark One.
With a giggle, the Dark One disappeared. Evie let out a gasp as the shards headed towards her mother. She screamed out no. Never in her life had Evie wanted to hurt her mother, and now because of that imp, that was exactly what she was going to do.
Time seemed to stop as the Evil Queen was able to move. Without a second thought, the queen reflected the shards and they came straight towards the fallen girl. Evie raised her arms to protect her face from being cut from the glass. She winced as it pierced her arms, legs, and torso.
"You pathetic child. You think you can hurt me?" Evie lowered her arms and was face to face with her mother. No, it wasn't her mother. All love from her mother's eyes were gone. All she could see was anger and hate. This woman in front of her wasn't her mother, only a shadow of the woman she loved.
"Mother I'm sorry. I…" Evie suddenly stopped as she felt like she was being choked. She reached up to see what was around her neck, but nothing was there. She looked up to her mother to see that she was using her magic on her. A tear escape, whether it was because she was being choked or that her mother was using magic to hurt her, Evie wasn't sure. Her mother had never used magic on her as punishment before.
If Evie could gasp, she would as her mother started to walk closer to her. Then, without warning, her mother plunged her hand into Evie's chest. Only to pull out her heart. Evie remember what her mother did to her friend, Dominick, all those years ago. How she crushed his heart till the only thing left was ash. Evie knew this was her fate as her mother began to squeeze her heart. She let out a cry in pain as she she squeezed harder.
Then it stopped.
Evie looked up to see that her mother looked conflicted. She prayed that deep down, somewhere, her mother was there, fighting for her. Evie let out a gasp as the heart was returned to her. She took a deep breath as she was able to breathe.
"Guards," Evie looked up to see her mother near the door. She could see it. Her mother wouldn't hurt her. She couldn't hurt her. Her mother's guards quickly came in, weapons pointed towards Evie. Her mother started to walk out the door and stopped just before she reached the outside. "Finish her," she said, not turning back and continued to her carriage.
One of her guards came up to Evie, raised his sword over his head and plunged it into her chest. Evie cried in pain. She didn't know what was worse, the physical pain as the man continued to stab her or the betrayal of the mother who had forgotten. Evie couldn't dwell on this for long as she fell to her side and everything became dark.
Enchanted Forest
She knew that woman was her mom, but wasn't at the same time. Either way, it didn't lessen the pain that her mother ordered her guards to kill her without a second thought, that she used her magic to almost kill her.
The sound of a door creaking open on the other side of the room. Her body went ridged as she saw the old man that sent her sibling to another realm enter the small cabin.
"Ah," their eyes locked, "I see you're awake," he closed the door and wiped his hands on his robes.
"You!" Anger filled the young girl. "What?! Where?" She tried to take deep breaths to calm herself down. Never had she thought she would see this man again, nor did she want to.
"You're in my cabin," he walked towards her and sat on a chair at the end of the bed. "You look better. How are you feeling?"
"How am I? How do you think?" Evie angrily asked. How else would you feel if your little sibling was kidnapped, your mentor wanted nothing to deal with you, everyone who had knew you forgotten you, and oh yeah your mother tried to kill you. Happy?
"I'm so sorry for everything," he looked down in shame, "I had no control over it. I wish I could fix this."
"Take me to my brother or sister," if he was truly sorry, then he would fix it. He would help her wouldn't he?
"I cannot," he shook his head.
"Cant or wont?" She couldn't believe this man. First he said that he was sorry, but refuse to help her and take her to them. Her brother or sister was a baby. At least a few days old she guessed. Evie didn't know how long she was out.
Evie was tired of this man, if she was going to get anywhere, she was going to have to do it alone. She swung her legs out of bed and tried to stand.
"Careful," the old man arm went around her waist as she was about to fall. Why was the room spinning? "You're not fully healed," he sat her back on the bed.
"I don't care. I have to save them," tears threaten to fall. She couldn't face the man and looked down. She couldn't let him see her cry. Her baby brother or sister was the only thing she had left of her old life. She couldn't let them be out there in a cold, unknown world where they would not know their family. She needed to be there for them when their mothers could not. She needed them. "Where's my magic bean?" Evie looked up at him.
"You can't. You can't reach them unless you are part of the curse."
"So you want my mother to cast the curse?" She asked bitterly.
"No, but it is written so it will be," he said forlornly. What did he mean? So it was written so it will be? Who wrote it? And why?
"It can't be. I don't believe you. There has to be another way. I don't want to forget..."
"There is another way."
Storybrooke
As her lips touched Regina's, all she could feel was magic. Her magic, Regina's magic, forming into one. Time seemed to stop as their magic became one. Then like a bomb exploding, their magic touched everything and everyone. Quickly, Maleficent sat up, looking down at her beloved, praying that something would happen.
And as if someone had heard her prays, something did. Regina opened her eyes as she gasped for air. Regina took a couple of deep breaths until her eyes landed on Maleficent. Then, Regina said something she had wanted to say for a long time. "I love you too."
Tears of joy threaten to fall as Maleficent heard those four words out of Regina's lips. Without a second thought, Maleficent captured her lips with her own. So this is what true love kiss feels like, Maleficent thought as Regina's arms wrapped around her neck.
Maleficent knew she could keep going, but stop so Regina could breath. The two rest on each other's forehead. For the first time in her life, Maleficent felt whole.
The sound of someone clearing their throat made the two look over their shoulders, forcing them to remember they had company. Maleficent wasn't ashamed, she had her family back.
"Regina I'm so glad that you're okay. You are Regina aren't you?"
"Yes Mary Margaret it's me," Regina rolled her eyes as she got up. Maleficent didn't need Regina to tell her that she wasn't the Evil Queen. She could feel it in her soul. Regina offered her hand to Maleficent, which she accepted.
"Mom," Maleficent turned to see her children standing beside each other. Lily looked a little too pale for Maleficent's liking. But with the help of Morgan, at least she was able to stand. Maleficent walked over to her children and hugged them tightly, overjoy that they were all right.
"Regina," Lily looked nervously. "I'm-"
"It's okay. I know, it wasn't your fault," and it was true. It wasn't Lily's fault. The Evil Queen was manipulative. She knew what their daughter wanted and played off of it. Lily didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve any of this.
"It's just that she promised to get this darkness out of me," Lily tried to explain herself.
"Is that what you really want?" Lily didn't have to say anything for Maleficent to know the answer was yes. Regina walked over to Lily, placing her hand on both of her shoulders. "I know that I haven't been the best mother," she gave a sad smile at this statement, "But I can give you this," Regina closed her eyes and felt a wave of magic pouring out of her and into Lily. She quickly let go of Lily's hands once she felt the darkness trying to creep back into her daughter. Regina refused her daughter to endure the darkness. Never again.
"Regina," Maleficent was the one who broke the silence. Regina turned around to see that Maleficent was shocked at what she had done.
"It's my curse to bear," Regina said without a second thought.
"Ours," Maleficent's hands interlocked with hers. Regina wanted to say know, but looking at Maleficent, she knew that she wouldn't back down. Lily was their daughter. If Regina was going to carry her darkness, so would Maleficent. They had failed to protect their daughter before, Maleficent would be damned if she were to do that again. And if it meant that she and Regina would bear Lily's darkness so she would have a better life, then so be it. It was the least they could do.
Regina gave Maleficent a look, asking her if she was sure about this. Instead of letting her hand go, Maleficent smiled, know that together the two were unlimited. With a sigh of defeat, Regina let the darkness flow from her hand and into Maleficent's. Maleficent embraced the darkness for her daughter, for her Regina. Besides, she didn't mind a little darkness.
Regina let go of Maleficent's hand once she knew she could handle the darkness. A smile crept onto her face as Regina looked better as their share the darkness. She would never let Regina fight the darkness alone ever again. "I don't know what to say," Lily said, still surprised what her mothers did for her.
"Lily," Regina started, "I know that when it comes to being a parent, I'm not the best. Trust me. But I want to try," Regina gave her a genuine smile. "I know that you're all grown up, but can you give me a chance to be your mother. I understand if you don't want me," Maleficent was touched at Regina's words. She knew that she would had been a good mother to Lily, she prayed that Lily would give her a chance like she did with her.
"I already have a mother," Maleficent held her breath as she knew what was going to happen. "But... I can try," that caught Regina by surprise.
"Thank you," Regina looked at Maleficent and saw that this was enough for her.
Enchanted forest
Evie was skeptical of this plan, more so of the man. "So you are telling me that once I go through this door, I cannot come back. I have to wait for you to open the door," she looked at the door that magically appeared in front of her. The old man had told her of this land where she could go and not be affected by the curse. She didn't like this plan, she wanted to go to the land without magic, not a land with untold stories.
"Yes," he handed her a small cup with a mint color liquid. Evie gave him a suspicious look.
"How can I trust you?" She looked down at the drink. She knew this recipe, Evie would use it a few times back at Maleficent's castle. It was to accelerate the healing process.
"I wish I could say you could, but you need to," she nod her head and drank the potion. She felt the affects of the potion immediately and was no longer in pain.
" I will remember?"
"You will not age. You will be frozen in time, but you will remember."
"You sure you will let me out… in twenty eight years. When the curse is broken."
"I promise you will be released when the time is right," Evie walked up to the door and felt her sibling's egg shell in her pocket. She remembered that she was doing this for them. She had to.
"Okay," Evie nodded her head and her hand reached out towards the knob. I promise I will find you. I will bring you home. Just hold on a little longer, Evie made a silent pray to her little brother or sister. It might had not been the best plan, but it was the best one she had. Evie held the shell for dear life and opened the door. The room was filled with a bright light. She stopped for a second, reminding herself that this was for her sibling and that one day everything would be okay.
With that, Evie stepped through the door and entered the Land of Untold Stories.
There was so much Evie didn't know that day. She didn't know that she would not see her family again for another thirty years instead of twenty-eight. She didn't know what adventures lied beyond that door. She didn't know that earlier that day before the old man came back, he confronted the author. She certainly didn't know what the author wrote before he disappeared into the book was that the apprentice had took Evie's magic bean. The author did not want the child to be found and made it so that the apprentice would never be the one to release her from that world. He had trapped the young witch there, no one would ever look for her. No one would miss her.
So it is written, so it will be done.
The Black Cauldron
Evie stood over her cauldron in the back room. She knew what the Evil Queen had done to Emma and knew the potion to counteract it. It was a potion to renter it's victims powerless. She had twenty four hours before the potion would be permanent and Emma would lose her powers. Lucky for her, Evie had most of the ingredients ready in the store. The other few she knew she had, but were in her unpacked boxes and would require some time to find them.
This potion needed sage and Evie knew she had put some out earlier that week. Before she had a chance to walk to the front of the store, the bell over the door rang, signaling that someone was in her shop. Evie took a deep breath, she wasn't in the mood for customers. Besides, the store wasn't open to the public yet.
Once Evie entered the front of the store, her heart stopped. There she stood face to face with her mother. Now she could truly admire how much she had changed, but yet at the same time she was the same person. Evie understood that time had not effect the residents of the Enchanted Forest in this new land. Nevertheless, it was still strange knowing that her mother looked liked she was still in her thirties, but was not.
Even though her mother hadn't changed physically, there was something different about her from the last time she had seen her in the Enchanted Forest. Hope. Love. It took a moment for Evie to realize what it was. Her mother recognized her. She knew who she was.
"Evie," Regina may had said her name in a whisper, but Evie heard it loud and clear. Her mother knew the truth. A part of her wanted to run into her mother's arms like she had done so many times as a child. But something stopped her.
"Sorry I left without saying anything," she apologized. Whether it was that she left after her mother when she awoke or that she left the Enchanted Forest, she wasn't sure. She was just sorry. When did everything started to get confusing? Evie wanted to disappear and think. "I'm almost done with the potion," she said, breaking their awkward silence.
She grabbed a bundle of the sage and started to head back. "Evie," the sound of her mother's voice made her stop. No longer it held the anger and malice it once did in the Enchanted Forest. It was her mother. The same person who would hold her tight in thunderstorms when she was a child. The same person who gave her her favorite blue necklace she had never took off till she had given it to Maleficent. The same person who had promised her that she would never forget her because they would be in each other's heart. She was here begging her to stay. Yes, Evie knew it was her fault that her mother forgot about her, but it didn't make it hurt less. "Please," her mother pleaded for her to turn around.
"I'm almost done," Evie looked over her shoulder and walked away into her back room. She could only imagine what her mother was feeling, because Evie knew that her own heart was breaking. She was conflicted.
Regina's Castle
Maleficent sat there helplessly. True it would had been easy for her to break out of these chains, but where would she go? Regina didn't want her. Her child was gone. Evie was… Maleficent couldn't bear to think about it. It was so surreal. Evie was dead.
She had promise Regina that she would protect the girl, and she had failed. Maleficent could no longer cry since she had no more tears to shed. How long had she been down here? It was more than a week. A month? Certainly it wasn't a year. Maleficent lost count. It didn't help that her prison held no sunlight. She didn't know when the guards would come and give her food as she was asleep when they did so. Probably they didn't want to face a dragon. Even if she was imprisoned.
"So you are awake," Maleficent could hear Regina walk down to her cell, she just refused to look up at her, even when she was a few feet away from her. "Now the question is what to do with you?"
"Do your worse, I have nothing left," Maleficent wrapped her arms around her now empty stomach. Even though time has passed, it still pained her that her child was not there. Her body stiffen as Regina's eyes bored into her.
"What happened to you old friend?" Maleficent cast her eyes away as Regina kneeled down eye level to the fallen dragon. Maleficent want to tell Regina the truth it hurt her. She knew Regina wouldn't believe her. How could she? To tell the person you love that they had two children and one was missing while the other was dead, by her own hands nonetheless. That was beyond cruel. It was worse than the Dark Curse. Maleficent knew that she would never tell Regina the truth. She loved her too much to do that.
"I won't kill you," Regina stood up, know that she would not get anything out from Maleficent.
"How merciful," Maleficent spat. Regina was taken back only for a moment. But what she did next surprised Maleficent even more.
With the wave of her hand, Regina opened up the cell door and walked up to Maleficent. Gently, Regina took Maleficent's chin and lift it so that Maleficent's lips were inches away from Regina's. "No a majestic creature like you should never lose her power." But it was too late. Maleficent was under Regina's spell the moment she first laid eyes on her. As their lips touched, she closed her eyes as memories of the two of them flooded Maleficent. From the moment Regina came into her life to all those secret visits to her castle. Maleficent didn't want this to end. She didn't want to let go.
But like all good this, their kiss did end. As she opened her eyes, Regina was stoic. As if the kiss meant nothing to her. So much for wishful thinking, of course Regina wasn't her true love. With that, Regina stood up. "Never again," with that Regina turned and started to walk away.
"What are you going to do?" Regina used her magic to shut the door and didn't look back. "Regina! Regina!" Maleficent yelled as she crawled to the door. Maleficent's heart broke as another person she loved walked out of her life. All hope was lost, for the woman she loved was gone.
By nightfall, Maleficent felt a surge of dark magic coming for her. Not long after, a black cloud enveloped everything around her. Her blond locks flew everywhere as the wind picked up. She shut her eyes as the cloud surrounded her her. All she could think about was her child, Evie, and Regina.
When she opened her eyes once more, Maleficent was in a dark cave. She couldn't understand why Regina would send her here. She tried to move and quickly realized that she wasn't in her human form, but in her dragon one instead.
She closed her eyes, waiting for her magic to come forth and transform her back into her human self.
Nothing happened.
She tried again, but with no avail.
She desperately tried again, with no luck.
Maleficent let out a roar as she realized that the person she loved the most trapped her in her dragon form in this cave. She could never escape.
Days turned into weeks. Weeks into months. Months into years. Maleficent lost count. All she could do was recount the past and where she went wrong. How she could had prevented this or how she could had saved someone she cared for. How she hated herself for still loving Regina even after she had trapped her.
Regina would visit her everyday and tried to talk to her. Maleficent would look away, couldn't bear at what they had done to each other. There were times she would want to comfort her queen when she grew tired of the curse, but she couldn't. She could only hear her beloved, but never speak. It tore Maleficent that she could be so close to her, but yet could not help her. She could see the regret in Regina's eyes for doing this to her.
Regina's visits lessen once she had told Maleficent that she had adopted a child. Maleficent couldn't bear to look at her when she had heard the news. She knew it wasn't Regina's fault, but all she could think about was their child and Evie.
If neither one of them were stubborn, then they would be a happy family with their children. Evie, more likely, would have a family of her own and their child would be soaring through the sky, happy and free. Maleficent couldn't hate the child, she just wished it was theirs.
It wasn't until many years later where another woman would come to see her. That woman fought Maleficent valiantly. That woman killed Maleficent. With her dying breath, she prayed that her child was safe and happy, wherever they may be.
So... What did you guys think? Tell me in the box below and I will try to update as soon as possible. And yes, I realize this is a very long chapter. You guys deserve it for waiting this long.