I awoke slowly and groggily. There was no light, or at least it seemed like it. There was a harsh, metallic taste in my mouth. Was it blood? No, it didn't taste right. Wait...where was I? Suddenly I remembered everything that happened. My eyes shot open and I sat up, looking around me. I was in my vault, sitting on one of my wooden chests. Across from me, sitting in my chair, was Spencer.

"What the hell..."

"Hello, Madam Mayor," said Spencer. "I was wondering how long it would take."

"How long what..." I asked. Then I saw an empty vial on the dresser next to Spencer. I recognized that vial: it had come from my vault. It was a revival potion, used to wake someone up, particularly if the person was forcefully knocked out. "You knocked me out to take me here, then woke me back up? Why?"

"You'll see in a moment," Spencer said. "Right now I think you have more important things to worry about."

I don't know what he was taking about, but in that moment I didn't care. I wanted to give Spencer what he deserved. I tried to stand up and attack him, but my hand didn't follow the rest of my body. I was jolted back into my seat. When I looked down I saw that one of my hands was cuffed to a pipe next to the wall. More than that, however, I saw the black cuff that blocked my magic. "Damn."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Spencer chuckled.

"But you don't have magic. How did you..." Then I recalled the red dust, and its faint floral scent. "Poppies," I concluded.

"Correct," Spencer confirmed.

"But why? Why would you be helping Cora? And why did she inlist your help?"

"Well, Cora heard that I had already tried to stop this...realationship, if you can even call it that, and came to see me. Also, I'm just about the only sane person left in this town who hasn't been swayed by the Charmings to accept this abomination, so she didn't have much choice in who to turn to. As to my motivation, David still hasn't paid for how he betrayed me after refusing King Midas's daughter, and running off with that bandit, Snow White. So now, since he still refuses to pay for what he did, his debt falls on his daughter." Spencer laughed cruelly. "Oh, and what a sweet payment it will be."

"Aaaaggggh!" I cried out as I lept up and reached out to scratch his face or rip out his heart. I'd forgotten about my cuffed hand, however, and felt a sharp pain in my shoulder as I was, once again, jerked back roughly. I groaned in frustration and pain, glaring at my captor.

"It's no use. Without your magic, you won't be able to get free." He sat back in the chair, getting comfortable. "Why don't you relax, Regina? I'm under strict instructions not to hurt you. There's some water there for you." Hr gestured to my right, where a glass was sitting well within my reach. "I would get up and serve it myself, but I imagine it would not be wise to get within your reach."

I laughed without humor. "You'd be right." I resisted the temptation to drink-I didn't want anything from Spencer or my mother-but the metallic taste in my mouth was only getting worse, and after a minute I couldn't take it. I took the goblet and took a couple of grateful gulps. Compared to my previous condition, the water tasted delicious. The uncomfortable taste all but disappeared.

Spencer looked at his watch. "It's just about time..." Spencer turned around. "Ah, here we are." Then he turned back to me and grinned maliciously.

"What are you talking about?"

Spencer didn't answer. Instead he stepped aside to reveal a mirror, my mirror. It showed the well, surrounded by trees, and my mother standing next to it. What the hell could this be? Why was I watching this?

Cora waited by the well, the same place where Regina had tricked her in order to trap her. She seemed impatient, pacing back and forth across the grass. Then there was a noise from the woods. Cora turned to see what caused it.

Emma walked into the clearing, her face hardened with determination. She slipped a hand into her pocket and took out a small slip of paper. "I got your message," she said as she approached.

"So you can read," Cora said coolly. "But did you follow the instructions?"

Emma nodded. "I'm alone."

Cora smiled. "Good. Well, then, let's get started." Cora took a couple of steps forward, getting just a bit too. close to Emma. Emma fidgeted uncomfortably. "Tell me," she whispered, "why are you so determined to ruin my daughter?"

"I don't want to risk her," said Emma. "I love her."

"No!" Cora yelled. "It's not true! It's not even possible!" She sighed. "But you at least have her convinced of it. No matter. It won't be a problem for very much longer."

Emma took a step back, eyeing Cora warily. "You do know the rules of a parlay, do you not?" Emma questioned.

"Oh, yes, I'm quite familiar," Cora answered. "It's the only reason why you're still alive." Cora reached into her sleeve.

"What the hell are you doing?" Said Emma, dropping into a defensive stance. "What is that?"

"Nothing much," Cora reassured her. "Just a little needle."

Realization dawned on Emma's face. "You want to put me under a sleeping curse."

"That's right. Nothing much: just a little prick, and then you go to sleep. Not a bad way to go, I'd say."

"You're crazy if you think you're going to stick me with that."

"Oh, I'm not going to. I can't, anyways. This must be a voluntary act. You have to choose this for yourself."

"And why on earth would I choose to curse myself?"

"Because it's the only way you're going to be able to save your parents."

The color drained out of Emma's face. "You wouldn't."

Cora laughed. "Oh, you silly girl. You know I would in a heartbeat. Snow and I still have some unfinished business...but I would be willing to look past that for my daughter's sake."

Emma's face hardened. She took the needle from Cora's outstretched hand.

"No! Emma, don't!" I shouted at the mirror, willing my voice to carry through the glass. Of course, she couldn't hear me. And I watched in horror as the exchange unfolded in front of me.

Emma examined the needle intently. "So if I do this, everyone lives?"

"Yes," Cora answered. "Everyone."

Emma nodded. "Well, I guess I have no choice, then. But you won't be winning for long. Regina will find me, and true love's kiss will break this curse. If I believe in anything in this world, I believe in her." Then she stuck the needle in her finger, a tiny drop of blood oozing out from the wound.

"No! EMMA!" I started struggling with the cuff around my wrist, but of course it was no use. The entire time my eyes were still glued to the mirror.

Immediately Emma collapsed to the ground. Just before Emma's eyes closed, Cora leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Really? How can she love you if she doesn't remember you?" Emma's eyes closed.

Wait, what? How could I not remember her? She was my true love! My Emma, with her emerald green eyes, beautiful blonde hair, and her...her jacket. Her favorite jacket that was...a color? It was a very distinct color. Why couldn't I remember? And her...her smile...her car...

Suddenly it hit me. I looked down at the goblet by my side in horror. "No," I whispered. Then I stared to feel dizzy. I fought against it, but I couldn't stop myself from falling off the chest and onto the cold, hard ground. Then everything went black.

I heard a voice off in the distance. It seemed rather familiar. Slowly the voice came closer, more in focus. I could almost hear...

"Regina! Regina! Wake up! Come on, Regina, you need to wake up!"

My eyes opened reluctantly, and I saw a very familiar face hovering above me.

"Mary Margaret?"

"Oh, thank God, you're okay," she said with a sigh of relief. "Can you walk?"

"Of course I can walk! Why would you ask that?" David reached down to help me up. When I stood, I looked around at my surroundings. "What the hell am I doing here?" Somehow I'd made it into my vault, but I didn't recall ever going there...

"I don't know," said Mary Margaret, "but we'll figure that out later. We have to go right now. Emma's in trouble, and we need you to help her. Now."

I looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Emma? Who's Emma?"