The fun of explaining the confusing and convoluted family tree of Emma and Henry from Once Upon a Time...especially when adding MORE family into the mix. Also, Regina had Vil before she took the potion to basically render herself infertile.
Riddle had thought the year couldn't get any more ridiculous with the presence of the Otherworlder, Henry. That was before he went into Overblot and discovered a power he was unaware he possessed.
Henry called it 'heart magic', and for someone born in a world without magic, he knew a considerable bit about what it could do. The thing that Riddle paid most attention to was the fact that it could compel those who's hearts were taken to follow orders.
Including revealing secrets that they might have taken to their graves.
Riddle had figured out the trick to using heart magic rather quickly...he was always an adept student. However he never expected it to come so easily, or that he would have no remorse for using it on his mother.
He always knew she had been keeping a great and terrible secret from him his entire life. He just never expected it to be this.
His return to Night Raven left him shaken, especially considering what she had told him. Once she let it slip she was not his actual mother, the rest came out of her like a torrent. Almost like she was glad to be rid of this secret and had no remorse for the way it would shake his entire world view.
Henry was the only one who bothered to pull him aside to ask if he was alright.
Something inside Riddle snapped.
"I used heart magic on my mother. She had a great deal to say to me, including the truth about the fact I was adopted," said Riddle.
"You too, huh?" said Henry.
Riddle looked at him.
"My family tree is very confusing, and some would say is more convoluted than the Queen of Heart's long list of rules," said Henry. "To start with, my mother gave me up as an infant, and my adopted mom is actually the step mother of my grandmother...and that's just to start."
Riddle stared at him.
"I...what? How is that possible?"
"It's a really, really long story that I dearly wish I was old enough to get drunk before telling it," said Henry flatly. "But if anyone understands complicated family history, it's me."
Riddle considered his options, before he spoke.
"My birth mother apparently shunted me off to the woman who raised me as her son because she never wanted a boy. The only reason I'm not dead is because she realized I might be useful later as a pawn against my sister, who I've never met. Unfortunately she had no information beyond that," said Riddle bitterly.
Learning you were only alive to be used as a pawn was not a pleasant thing to hear. Especially from someone who you thought was your mother. The worst part, in his opinion, was the fact that she had been so gleefully telling him as much and had no remorse about the fact that his birth mother didn't want him at all because of his gender.
At least telling someone part of what he learned helped ease the burden of it. He was able to get some sleep for the first time in a week.
However when he saw Vil during a housewarden meeting a few days later, an idea occurred to him. Perhaps the older teen would know a bit more about the item she had used to travel between realms. He was Crewel's best student and always in pursuit of new items to enhance his beauty after all.
The real hassle was finding a time in Vil's schedule to have a private discussion.
The second Vil heard the word "magic bean" and "realm travel" in the same sentence, he immediately cast several privacy spells. This was something he absolutely did not want Rook or anyone else to overhear.
"Where did you learn about the magical beans?" he demanded.
"So you do know about them."
"Of course I know of them," said Vil. "The real question is why you want to know of them?"
Riddle debated, but told Vil everything he had learned of his birth mother. How she had given her servant a magical bean to throw them out of her realm so she wouldn't have to worry about having to actually deal with him before she wanted to use him. Vil listened in silence the entire time, and knew Riddle had to be either telling the truth or the truth as he knew of it.
After a long pause, Vil spoke.
"My father, before he became a successful actor, found a magical pathway into the Enchanted Forest. There he met a certain queen, and had me. My mother gave him a special bean to send him back, because she feared her own mother would attempt to use me for her own gain and wanted me safe," said Vil slowly. "He kept the extra, but it's so dried out it's useless."
Riddle understood the sensitivity of this information, and kept silent. Vil waited a bit before speaking again.
"Did your surrogate give you a name?" asked Vil.
"She said my birth mother's name is Cora. She wouldn't say more than that, but she clearly feared her."
Vil's eyebrows shot up in surprise. There was no way it was her.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but would you be opposed to a DNA test?" asked Vil slowly.
"Why?" asked Riddle.
"I'm really hoping I'm wrong about this," said Vil. "But there is only one woman I know named Cora who has a predisposition to heart magic."
Riddle was utterly confused, but agreed to it. After all, it wasn't like it would hurt anything.
A few weeks later...
Vil stared at the results, before he immediately went to find Riddle. Now that he had confirmation of his worst suspicion, they needed this mess sorted out immediately.
Henry wondered how he had become the unofficial therapist of so many people. Still, it was nice to make friends his own age who were just as weird as him.
"So Vil is your nephew?" said Henry, pouring Riddle some much needed tea.
"According to the DNA test, his mother is my older sister," said Riddle. He was rubbing the bridge of his nose in agitation. "I'm not even going to ask how this is possible, to be honest."
"You'd be surprised," said Henry idly. "From what I understand, time flows weird between worlds."
Riddle paused and looked at him.
"Why do you sound like you have experience in this?"
"Again, long story and not nearly enough booze or headache medication to get through it," said Henry. "So what exactly happened after he got the results?"
"His father is filing for custody on the grounds that Vil is directly related, though they aren't going to specify how," said Riddle. "However both are in agreement that I stay firmly away from my birth mother. Apparently Vil's father had a run-in with her and she made a rather bad impression overall, which is why he hasn't tried to reconnect with the queen he was dating."
"You never did mention their names," said Henry, taking a sip of his soda. Grim was busy eating him out of house and home, again.
"My mother's name is Cora, and my sister's name, according to Vil, is Regina."
Riddle was completely taken aback by the sudden spittake Henry did. To be fair, no one would like being abruptly soaked in soda.
"What was that for?!" demanded Riddle.
"Vil's related to Regina?" said Henry, staring at him in shock.
Riddle would have chastised the younger boy if not for the expression on his face.
"You know my sister," guessed Riddle. That was the only explanation for his shock.
"Can you get Vil to come here? Like as soon as he can?"
Riddle was already texting him...though not before wiping off the worst of the soda. It took Vil a few hours to return to Night Raven, and he looked highly unamused by the fact they were meeting in Ramshackle.
"What is this about?" he demanded.
Henry looked at him, and wondered how he had missed this.
"Your mother is Regina, the Evil Queen? As in the same woman who poisoned Snow White?" he asked.
Vil almost gaped unattractively in shock.
"How could you possibly know that?" he demanded.
Henry looked like he had a migraine.
"Because your birth mother is my step mother," said Henry. "In fact, Snow White is my grandmother!"
Riddle and Vil stared at him.
"I told you my family tree is confusing," said Henry.
"...Start at the beginning, if you can," said Vil. This was going to take a while.
What followed was a very confusing and rather long tale of hatred, betrayal, curses, and the most confusing family tree any of them had ever heard of.
Vil looked like he wanted to drink himself by the end of it.
"So let me get this straight. Your birth mother is the daughter of Snow White and Charming. She had you after ending up in a realm without magic, where your adopted mother ended up taking you in and raising you. This was after she cursed an entire realm to a new world where she reigned supreme, and you dragged your birth mother back to where her real family was waiting," said Vil slowly. "I'd say it sounds ridiculous..."
"But...?" said Riddle.
"Except that sounds exactly like something mother would have done from the limited stories I've heard of her from both the few inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest I've found and what my father has told me of her," admitted Vil. "And a curse would definitely explain why she hasn't aged this long."
"I'm still confused as to how I ended up in Night Raven, though mom would probably be thrilled," supplied Henry. "Emma, not so much because she's never really felt comfortable around her magic."
"What about Cora?" asked Riddle.
"Cora is my step grandmother, and from what I remember of her, she wasn't a nice person. The fact she abandoned you does fit her personality, considering she did the same to her first born," said Henry. "From what I remember, Mom tricked her into Wonderland just to get rid of her."
Riddle had a sudden suspicion about Cora.
"Henry...is there another name she's known by?"
"Cora is the Queen of Hearts, which is rather ironic considering you're practically the king of Heartsabyl," said Henry dryly. "Actually, mom would be thrilled to meet you Vil. You'd get along great with her."
"What can you tell me about her?" asked Vil, curious. Riddle looked equally interested, for the same reason.
"Well most of what I know about her is from after she cast the curse on the entire forest," started Henry.
On the plus side, Henry was now considered an unofficial member of Pomefiore.
"So our housewarden and the housewarden of Pomefiore are your brothers?" said Deuce in surprise.
"Weird, I know but it fits with how confusing my family tree already is," said Henry shrugging.
"That explains why he's been acting so weird around you," said Ace.
"How confusing is your family tree for you to take this in stride?" asked Deuce.
Henry massaged the bridge of his nose.
"Where do you want me to start?" he said.
"Oh this I have to hear," said Ace.
"My adopted mother is also the step mother of my biological grandmother," said Henry flatly. That had them pause in disbelief. "And if that isn't enough, Riddle's actual mother is my step grandmother. It's just easier to explain that we're brothers."
Ace and Deuce gaped at him in absolute disbelief.
"I told you my family tree is confusing as hell," said Henry flatly.
"Too bad you're not old enough to drink...just explaining that much makes my head hurt," said Ace with a whine.
"You think that's bad? My mom, that is my adopted mom, is overprotective and I lived in a small town. I couldn't go anywhere or do anything without her knowing about it. And it later turned out my favorite teacher was really my biological grandmother!" said Henry.
"Please, stop talking. My brain is dribbling out the sides of my ears trying to understand that," complained Ace.