A/N: Another one from Midnightsword. "Red tries to find Jiminy as the curse tears the castle apart"

"Torn"

She heard it coming even before Grumpy began to ring the warning bell on the tallest of the castle's towers. The dark magic rushing through the woods and their home made horrible noise and the woods themselves screamed in fear of what was to come. The carriage that led the large purple storm was loud on the dirt and cobblestone roads it raced over. Red stood at one of the open windows as she saw it approach them as Granny settled at her side.

A gentle, yet reassuring hand settled on Red's back, "We have to be brave, Red. If for nothing else… for Snow and James."

"I know," Red said with her chin lifted in defiance of the curse rapidly approaching.

Both of the Lucas women looked up as they heard Grumpy's urgent warning of the coming curse finally ring.

"We need to get to the inner chamber," Granny reminded her and held her arms as she turned them both from the window.

Red let her grandmother lead her until she saw Gepetto running toward them. She looked at the tears in the man's eyes and instant worry bloomed in her heart.

"Where is Pinocchio?" Granny asked instantly.

"He is safe," Gepetto said with a small, sad smile and nodded toward the hallway that would lead them into the inner chamber set up by the royals.

Red looked over Gepetto's shoulder to see if she could see her dear friend, but when she didn't see or hear the fluttering of green wings, her heart jumped in fear. She turned to the man who had always been like family through his friendship with Granny, "Where is Jiminy? Is he with Pinocchio?"

Gepetto shook his head, "He went to help with the others in the castle. To keep them calm during the transition."

"Sounds like something he would do," Red growled and shook her head. She stepped from them as she pushed them both toward the inner chambers, "Go, I need to find him before one of the black knights decide to stomp him once they reach inside the castle."

"Red!" Granny yelled out in a last moment try to keep her granddaughter with her. It was too late, Red had already run from the hallway and toward the hall where most of the staff had decided they would gather. Granny looked out the window and felt the ground shake as the curse began to envelope them.

"Come, she is strong," Gepetto reminded her and pulled at her arm.

"You don't know the half of it," she said with a nod and followed him through the heavy door.

Red ran from one hall to the other, careful not to run into the evil queen's black knights. They had begun to spill into the passageways to take down any who dared to step in their way. She knew herself as a force to be reckoned with, but without help of her wolf half, she would have to defend herself with a sword blade- and she wasn't as skilled on it as she was with her fangs. It was better to just stick to the outlying passageways to find her friend.

"Jiminy," she whispered as she tried to decide between two hallways. She knew that he would stay with those who were too afraid. He would give them comfort and words of strength when the curse would settle over them. She heard the strong gusts of wind beating the outside of the castle, slowly tearing at it, destroying Snow's home. The hall to her left suddenly tore away from the purple vortex and made her decision for her.

The curse had now broken through the castle and was inside. If she was going to find him, she would have to be quick. She looked over her shoulder and saw the purple cloud at first head back along the hallway from where she had come from. Then it turned its attention after her.

"Oh no," she whispered and began to run through the hallways. She had passed a couple of the dark knights and before they were able to chase her down they were covered by the purple cloud. She heard their cries and shook her head. Apparently they faired no better in the curse than the rest of them would. She ducked into one of the lesser used passageways and the cloud didn't seem to follow her immediately. She let out a breath before she continued on toward the Grand Hall.

Red ran through the right hall past kitchens and small dining quarters for servants. She knew that the Grand Hall was just a few doors down now. Many of the others under the Charming's care decided that it would be the place together once the curse took hold. As she grew closer to the large doors she heard yelling from inside. She walked to the doors and peeked in.

There were three of the black knights surrounding the small group of people in the hall. In front of the group, Red could see the small, floating form of her friend. One of the knights kept advancing, but even as a small cricket, Jiminy kept his ground. The people he was meant to comfort were huddled against one another and behind him as if he could do much more than warn them with words of things to come.

"You cannot force us to do anything," he said and held his umbrella in front of him as if to use it in defense, "The curse is upon us. There is nothing you can do worse than that."

"We could just kill you all," one of the faceless knights said and made the group of people cry out in fear. Curse or not, there was no magic that could bring you back from death.

"There are worse things than death," Jiminy said sadly and looked down at his umbrella and then his hand, "Like knowing love, but never able to act on it because of a wish turned curse…"

Red heard the sadness in his voice and the forlorn look in his eyes, "Oh, poor Jiminy…"

Jiminy looked up from the umbrella and pointed at the man in front of him, "I will not let you hurt these people."

"What is a cricket to do?" the knight chuckled and plucked Jiminy quickly out of the air, "Sing a song?"

There was a loud noise and suddenly the two fellow knights that were with him fell to the floor on either of his sides. He turned, Jiminy still in his grasp. There stood Red with the short sword in her hand with the knight's blood on the blade. She shoved the blade at the man's throat and growled, the golden flash of the wolf crossed her eyes.

"Would you be so kind as to drop my friend?" she growled out.

The man put up his hands and let Jiminy drop from his hand. Jiminy regained his flight abilities and flew over to land on Red's shoulder.

"Thank you," she said in a short tone and circled the man so that he was now between her and door, "I think it would be a good idea to leave us for our last moments before this curse takes us all."

The man hesitated and looked at her confused.

Red frowned and stepped forward with a bark, "GO!"

The man took the message and ran out of the hall. Red sighed and tried to clean the blade on her skirts before she put it back in the scabbard. She looked at the group of people first and made sure that there weren't any injuries. Most of the group were women and children. How dare those cowards try to terrorize them- they were all scared enough as it was.

"Thank you, Miss Red," one of the women she remembered had been a server at the royal table called out to her.

"You're welcome," Red nodded to her and let them comfort one another as another tremor shot through the castle from the curse raging outside.

"Red."

She turned her attention to the cricket on her shoulder. Jiminy jumped from her shoulder to fly in front of her face. If she didn't know any better, she would think that he was frowning at her. She held out her hands under him so he could take a break from flying. He landed and crossed his arms after he placed his umbrella on his back. So he was cross with her.

"Why aren't you in the inner chambers?" he asked as he looked up at her.

"I could ask you the same," she threw back and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I can't do much, but my words have given comfort to those in the past. If it could do the same now, I wasn't going to let people sit in fear if I can do what I can to relieve some of that fear," he explained.

"What about my own fear?" she asked and immediately regretted it, "I'm sorry that sounds selfish- but I was afraid for you. Jiminy, those men could have killed you."

"They could have killed them all," Jiminy shook his head, "If I could distract them until the cloud fell on us completely, it would have been worth it."

"Not worth your life," she whispered harshly to him.

A large crash and screams echoed from outside the large hall doors. She kept Jiminy in her hands as she looked through the doors and down the hall. There, the purple cloud was rushing toward them. Red gasped loudly and shut the large doors and locked them as if it would keep them safe. She stepped away from the doors as they began to shake. The people behind her cringed with fear and she walked to them to stand between them and the threat.

"We knew that this curse was coming," Jiminy started and flew from Red's hands to try and calm the small group with them, "Hold one another and be thankful that we are at least together. We will be together still whatever may happen. She can't take all our happiness- our savior is saved and she will return for us."

This seemed to calm some of the adults and hope shone through the eyes of the children. Mothers coddled their children and friends clasped hands with one another. Jiminy flew back over to Red and she held out her hand for him again. He landed and she sat to the side of the room, still between the curse raging at the door and the people. She held her hands in her lap and looked down at Jiminy.

"Red…" he started and she leaned over him.

"Jiminy," she said back.

"If this curse is the end of us-"

"It isn't," she shook her head immediately, "The savior will set us all free."

"But if it is," Jiminy patted her thumb to his side to focus her attention to him, "I just wanted to say… you- you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. Inside and out… and I want you to know that my last happy moments were my happiest because they were spent with you."

"Jiminy," she smiled as a single tear fell down her face. She pulled her hands put toward her face to look at him face to face, "You are the best man I have ever known. I could not- and would not ask for anyone else to spend these moments with."

The doors to the hall burst inward and the thick, purple cloud filled the hall in one rush.

Red pulled Jiminy to her chest, closed her eyes against the curse they now faced and whispered down to him, "Please, don't let me go."

"Never, Red," he promised.

Everything after that was purple mist and a rush of memories not their own.

END