Chapter 6: Remembrance
In which doubts grow rampant and memories hurt
"Emma, Emma, are you even listening to me?" Mary Margaret is trying to get her daughter's attention. "You seem so distracted today…" Emma is silent for a while. She starts sentences but doesn't finish them. "It's very complicated," she finally says. "Just tell me, maybe I can help?" "You won't believe me, I think," Emma replies sullen. "Try me!" Her mother answers defiantly. "Okay, you asked for it." The whole story flows out of her. How the book makes all these accusations about the Blue Star being in control of many things. Even being responsible for the escalation of darkness. Mary Margaret finds it very hard to believe. "That's not how I know her at all," she says. "We've always relied heavily on her and she has always come through. Emma, you yourself were saved because she ordered the magic wardrobe to be built." "I know, I know, but still… You're saying this book is all lies?" "What book are you talking about? Where did you get it?" Emma reluctantly takes the book out of her bag. "Why don't you read it and tell me what you think. You should really read the fifth chapter. That's mainly about her."
Mother Superior remembers the fifth chapter very clearly herself. It described the biggest mistake of her life. Her long and prosperous life. From the beginning she had ruled the fairies. She tried to be compassionate but had to be stern at times as well. All those petty jealousies she had to deal with. But since she was not really one of them, being their leader, she had been lonely at times. So very, very lonely. That was when he came along. Bringing her such joy, such happiness. But their union was doomed. He got wounded so soon after they had first met and she would have done anything to keep him safe, to keep him alive. And so she had…
Mary Margaret is staring out of her classroom window. She is not paying any attention to her students. Trying to connect what she has just read to her own experiences is virtually impossible. Although, not entirely. She had never spoken about the secret she promised to keep, but now she becomes hesitant about keeping it. It is the only thing she can think of that shows a dark side to Blue. Giving a very young heartbroken girl a dark solution to keep her mother alive, a life for a life, doesn't seem so benevolent and wise. Perhaps there is something to this book…
Fooling around with magic had a price. She knew that now, she had learnt it soon after she had healed him. She had used methods that she wouldn't have otherwise, but she had been dealing with death, death and mortality. So she had found out a way to trick death. He had brought the blade that had stung him and she bound the two together. His life and the blade. The blade was strong, made of the finest metal. She had healed his wound and he had lived, for many years to come. But soon, he changed. At first, she chose not to notice it.
When Emma went into work that morning, she had received an anonymous phone call. Apparently the group of teenagers wasn't responsible for all the vandalism, but one man was. She found it hard to believe. One man, a mysterious man at that, because the caller hadn't left any further clues or leads that could uncover this man's identity, could not be responsible for all that mess. Emma needed to investigate the damage of that night and decided to make up her own mind about this new possibility once she had witnessed last night's wreckage.
When she eventually couldn't pretend that everything was fine anymore, she tried to solve the problem. His character seemed to have altered. He became power hungry and very evil, almost twisted. It was then that she discovered that the blade that had stung him wasn't an ordinary weapon. She had noticed the deadly poison in his wounds, but in those anxious minutes, she hadn't realized the magical abilities of the dagger. She tried to break the curses and spells that were connected to the blade, but she couldn't. Not without harming him as well, and that she simply could not do. In time, his power and malice grew and when she was finally ready to destroy the blade, and him with it, forever, her abilities were no longer sufficient.
AN: The idea of the Blue Fairy inadvertently being responsible for the creation of the Dark One because she loved a mortal, I've read online; that particular bit belongs to an anonymous poster on Tumblr. I like it especially because it gives her a valid reason for believing that fairies and love do not mix well.