𝔬𝔫𝔠𝔢 𝔲𝔭𝔬𝔫 𝔞 𝔱𝔦𝔪𝔢...

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Prince Charming rode on a horse along a long stretch of land towards a forest. In the forest, he meets several dwarves and two teenage girls gathered around a glass coffin.

"You're too late, David." Fleur told him softly, as she gazed at Snow White lying in the coffin, "I'm sorry."

"No. No! Open it." Prince Charming demanded.

"I'm sorry, she's gone." Grumpy solemnly told him.

"At least let me say goodbye." Charming begged.

Elara looked over at the dwarves, who were looking at her for confirmation. She nodded, "Open it."

The men complied, removing the lid of the coffin. Prince Charming stared down at the woman he loved, gently caressing her hair before he leant down and placed a light, loving kiss on Snow White's lips, causing a pulse of magic to spread throughout the land, the princess waking up with a gasp.

Fleur let out a sigh of relief and grabbed Elara's arm - who nudged her lightly, winking with a grin.

"You... You found me." Snow smiled at the love of her life.

"Did you ever doubt I would?" Prince Charming grinned lovingly.

"Truthfully, the glass coffin gave me pause." Snow White told the man, making chuckle softly.

"Well, you never have to worry. I will always find you." He told her.

"Do you promise?" The woman asked.

―

"I do." Prince Charming smiled down at Snow White, as the pair stood in front of the kingdom.

"I hate this thing." Elara muttered, adjusting the uncomfortable dress that clung to her body.

"It's only for a little longer." Fleur whispered back to her, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

The priest then turned to Snow, "And do you, Snow White, promise to take this man to be your husband, and love him for all eternity?"

"I do."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." The man declared, round of applause following, as the newlyweds leaned in for a kiss, but the doors to the giant ballroom flung open, interrupting them.

"Sorry I'm late." The Evil Queen smirked, before walking further into the venue, as two guards tried to stop her, but she pushed them out of the way with magic.

"It's the Queen. Run!" Doc cried.

Snow White drew Prince Charming's sword from his sheath, pointing it at the Evil Queen.

Elara worriedly lurched forward, but Artemis reach out and grabbed her wrist to hold her back, "Don't rush in. If she was going to hurt anyone here, she would've done it already."

"She's not the Queen anymore." Snow announced, "She's nothing more than an evil witch."

"No, no, no. Don't stoop to her level. There's no need." Charming told his wife, gently and calmly taking the sword form her, before addressing Regina, "You're wasting your time. You've already lost. And I will not let you ruin this wedding."

The Evil Queen chuckled, "Oh, I haven't come here to ruin anything. On the contrary, dear, I've come to give you a gift."

Snow White glared at the woman, "We want nothing from you."

"But you shall have it! My gift to you is this happy, happy day. But tomorrow, my real work begins. You've made your vows, now I make mine. Soon, everything you love, everything all of you love, will be taken from you. Forever. And out of your suffering, will rise my victory. I shall destroy your happiness, if it is the last thing I do." Regina seethed, before turning around and heading for the door.

Prince Charming yelled after her, "Hey!"

The Queen turned around and Prince Charming threw his sword at her, but she dissipated before it hit her. The remaining people at the wedding nervously talked amongst themselves, and Prince Charming encased Snow in a comforting hug. Charming locked eyes with Elara over his new bride's shoulder. The girl could only shake her head, eyebrows scrunched up in worry as the kingdom panicked around them.

―

A few months after the Queen's warning, Elara, Snow White and Prince Charming followed a guard through a tunnel leading to a dungeon.

"When we reach the cell, stay out of the light." The guard instructed them. 

"And whatever you do, do not let him know your name. If he knows your name, he will have power over you." Elara added.

"Rumpelstiltskin" The guard called out to the darkness of the cell, "Rumpelstiltskin! I have a question for you."

A deep chuckle came from the shadows and Rumpelstiltskin crawled forwards, pressing himself up against the bars of his cell, "No, you don't. They do. Snow White and Prince Charming. And Elara, of course... You insult me. Step into the light and take off those ridiculous robes," He told them, the trio complying. Rumpelstiltskin grinned, "That's much better."

"We've come to ask you about the-"

Rumpelstiltskin cut Prince Charming off with a wave of his hand, "Yes! Yes! I know why you're here! You want to know about the Queen's threat."

"Tell us what you know." Snow White ordered him.

"And no games." Elara sternly added.

The creature smirked, "Ooh, tense, aren't we? Fear not! For I can ease your mind. But... It's going to cost you something in return."

"No!" Charming exclaimed, "He's just a waste of time."

His wife ignored him, "What do you want?"

"Oh..." Rumpelstiltskin grinned manically, "The name of your unborn child?" He asked, pointing towards Snow's visibly pregnant stomach.

"Absolutely not!" Charming scoffed.

Snow nodded quickly, "Deal! What do you know?"

"The Queen has created a powerful curse." Rumpelstiltskin told them, "And it's coming. Soon, you'll all be in a prison. Just like me, only worse." He grinned, "Your prison, all of our prisons, will be time. Time will stop, and we will be trapped. Someplace horrible, where everything we hold dear, everything we love, will be ripped from us while we suffer for all eternity. While the Queen celebrates, victorious at last. No more happy endings."

"What can we do?" Snow White asked him.

"We can't do anything."

Elara took a small step forwards, "Who can?"

"That little thing, growing inside her belly," Rumpelstiltskin smiled, his hand reaching out to Snow White's pregnant stomach.

The prince quickly unsheathed his hand slashed near the prisoner's hand, making Rumpelstiltskin retreat, "Next time, I cut it off."

Rumpelstiltskin tutted, his face pressed between the cell's bars, "The infant is our only hope. Get the child to safety. Get the child to safety and on its twenty-eighth birthday, the child will return. The child will find you and a final battle will begin."

Elara's eyebrows furrowed, "

"We heard enough," Charming decided, "We're leaving."

Elara and Snow White followed Prince Charming's lead and turned to walk away from Rumpelstiltskin. 

The creature's face darkened, hands clenching around the bars. Then he went feral.

"Hey! No! We made a deal! I want her name! We had a deal! I need her name! I want her name!"

Prince Charming turned around, "Her? It's a boy."

Rumpelstiltskin pointed at the pregnant woman, "Missy- Missy- You know I'm right. Tell me, what's her name?"

Snow looked over at the girl next to her.

"You made the deal." Elara said.

Snow nodded and turned back to the prison cell, "Emma. Her name is Emma."

Rumpelstiltskin grinned, "Emma."

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Lydia let out a heavy sigh, watching the rock she had just kicked skid across the empty street, her hands stuffed in her pockets as she walked home from work.

"Hello, Lydia." A voice said, walking next to her.

Lydia sent the man a tight smile, "Hey, Archie." She looked down at the dog walking next to the shrink, "Pongo."

Looking down the street, Archie's eyebrows creased in confusion, "Is that Henry?"

Lydia followed his gaze to see the child standing with a blonde woman next to a beat up, old, yellow VW Beetle, "Yeah." She nodded, confused, "Who's the woman he's with? I've never seen her before."

The pair shared a quizzical look, "Me neither." Archie commented before they approached the pair.

"Henry!" Archie called out, gaining their attention, "What are you doing here? Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine, Archie." Henry nodded.

"Who's this?" Lydia asked, gesturing towards the blonde.

"Just someone trying to give him a ride home." The woman said with a tight smile.

"She's my mom, Archie." Henry grinned.

Archie's eyes widened as he nodded, "Oh. I see."

Lydia raised an eyebrow, "You were serious about finding her? Henry, I thought it was all talk."

"You know where he lives?" The woman asked.

"Yeah, sure. Just, ah, right up on Mifflin street." Archie pointed, giving her the directions.

"Yeah. You can't miss it." Lydia nodded, "The Mayor's house is the biggest one on the block."

The blonde stared at Henry in shock, "You're the Mayor's kid?" She exclaimed.

Henry cringed, "Uh, maybe."

"Hey, where were you today, Henry?" Archie wondered, "Because you missed your session."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I went on a field trip." Henry shrugged.

"And you brought back a souvenir." Lydia commented, looking Henry's birth mother up and down.

"Henry." Archie sighed, "What did I tell you about lying? Giving into one's dark side never accomplishes anything."

"Oookay." The woman said, "Well, I really should be getting him home."

"Yeah, sure." Archie nodded, "Well, listen. Um. Have a good night and, uh, you be good, Henry." He said, before walking away.

Lydia turned to the pair, "I'm Lydia."

The blonde nodded at her, "Emma."

"Get him home safe, Emma," The teenager said, "See ya, Hen."

"Bye, Lyds." Henry smiled, as Lydia continued her walk back home, going in the opposite direction that Archie had gone.

"Jesus Christ." The girl muttered, kicking another stone, sending it to the other side of the street.

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Voices overlapped as everyone surrounding the round table of Snow White and Prince Charming's castle fought to make their opinions heard.

"I say we fight!" Charming exclaimed.

Jiminy sighed, "Fighting is a bad idea. Giving into one's dark side never accomplishes anything."

"Then how many wars has a clear conscience won?" Charming countered, "We need to take the Queen out before she can inflict her curse."

"Can we even trust Rumpelstiltskin?" Doc asked.

All eyes turned to Elara, who let out a sigh.

"I don't know." She shook her head, "And I won't know until I find out his motive and his intentions."

"I've sent my men into the forest. The animals are abuzz with the Queen's plan. This is going to happen unless we do something." Charming said.

Snow White frowned, "There's no point. The future is written."

Prince Charming shook his head, "No. I refuse to believe that. Good can't just lose."

Snow White shrugged, "Maybe it can."

"No. No, not as long as we have each other. If you believe him about the curse, then you must believe him about our child. She will be the saviour." Charming determinedly told his wife.

A noise was heard and guards entered, dragging behind them a piece of a tree, The Blue Fairy  accompanying them.

"What the hell is this?" Charming asked.

"Our only hope of saving that child." The Blue Fairy told the Prince.

Grumpy scoffed, rolling his eyes, "A tree? Our fate rests on a tree? Let's get back to the fighting thing."

"The tree is enchanted," Blue explained, "If fashioned into a vessel, it can ward off any curse. Geppetto, can you build such a thing?"

"Me and my boy, we can do it." Geppetto nodded, patting Pinocchio's head.

"I'll help." Artemis spoke up, her and Geppetto sharing a smile and a nod.

"This will work. We all must have faith," Blue said, sending out hope, before her grin faltered, "There is, however, a catch. The enchantment is, indeed, powerful, but all power has its limits. And this tree can protect only one."

―

Elara and Fleur stood, watching the castle with the dwarves and the rest of the guards.

"Elara," Aquila whispered, making the shorter girl look up at her, "I'm scared."

Elara sent her a sad smile and gently took her hand in hers, "I am too." She admitted.

Grumpy narrowed his eyes at something in the distance, making him nudge Sleepy - who was sleeping next to him.

"Get up! Get up! Look."

Everyone followed his gaze, seeing a dark smoke ominously roll toward the castle, consuming the the world the new as it rapidly approached.

Grumpy frantically rings a bell.

"The curse! It's here!"

Elara and Fleur grabbed onto each other.

"Stay with me." Fleur said.

Elara nodded, "Always."

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Walking through the hallways of the elementary school, Lydia balanced a pile of books in her arms on her way to deliver them to Miss Blanchard's classroom. The blonde entered the classroom, which was full of younger kids. They were in the middle of what appeared to be an art class and they were making bird houses.

Putting the books down on a table at the back of the classroom, Lydia looked up, locking eyes with Valeria Sanchez - another student helper - the brunette looking Lydia up and down with disdain. The blonde rolled her eyes at the other girl, before moving her attention to where Miss Blanchard was holding a bluebird.

"As we build our bird houses, remember – what you're making is a home, not a cage. The bird is free and will do what it will. This is for them, not us. They're loyal creatures. If you love them and they love you, they will always find you." She explained to the class as she let the bird fly out of the window.

The bell rang.

"We'll pick this up after recess," Miss Blanchard said, "No running!"

Lydia grinned, walking over to the woman, "I put the books on the desk." She said.

Miss Blanchard smiled softly at the girl, "Thank you, Lydia."

Valeria rolled her eyes as the exchange as the kids filed out of the classroom, Regina shoving through them, Emma trails behind her.

"Emma." Lydia nodded at the older blonde.

"Lydia." Emma gave the teenager a tight smile.

Valeria scoffed quietly, as she and Lydia stood aside so that the adults could talk, "Of course you know the jailbird."

"I gave her directions last night." Lydia told her through gritted teeth, "And what do you mean 'jailbird'."

"She totalled the town sign last night," Valeria smirked, crossing her arms, "Apparently she saw a wolf."

Lydia looked at her confused, "There are no wolves here."

"Congratulations, Einstein." The brunette rolled her eyes, before Regina turned to leave, knocking over the stack of books that Lydia had brought in.

"Have a nice trip back to Boston." She told Emma, before storming out.

Valeria followed her, "Mayor Mills!"

Lydia rolled her eyes as the suck up left, picking up the books that Regina had knocked over.

"Sorry to bother you." Emma told Miss Blanchard.

"No it's- It's okay." Mary Margaret shook her head, "I hear this is partially my fault."

Lydia's eyebrows furrowed as she looked over at her teacher, "Wait, you gave him the book?"

"How's the book supposed to help?" Emma asked.

"What do you think stories are for?" Mary Margaret asked with a grin as the three of them left the classroom, making their way through the hallway, "These stories are classics. There's a reason we all know them. They're a way for us to deal with our world. A world that doesn't always make sense. See, Henry hasn't had the easiest life."

"Yeah, she's kind of a hard ass." Emma nodded.

Lydia chuckled, "Just a bit."

"No, it's more than her. He's like any adopted child. He wrestles with that most basic question they all inevitably face – why would anyone give me away?" 

Lydia cleared her throat, sending Mary Margaret a look from the other side of Emma.

The teacher's face dropped, "I am so sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean in any way to judge you."

"It's okay." Emma told her.

"Look, I gave the book to him because I wanted Henry to have the most important thing anyone can have. Hope. Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing." Mary Margaret said, sharing a look with Lydia.

Emma looked between the two of them, "You know where he is, don't you?"

Lydia and Mary Margaret sighed.

"You might want to check his castle." The blonde told her.

―

Granny looked across the front desk of her inn as she was checking Emma into a room, "What's the name?" She asked,

"Swan. Emma Swan."

"Emma." A voice said, making the blonde woman turn around to see Mr Gold and Lydia standing behind her, "What a lovely name."

"Thanks." Emma said.

"You're everywhere." Lydia told the woman with a chuckle.

"Yeah." Emma nodded, "So are you."

Granny passed Mr Gold a roll of bills, "It's all here."

"Yes, yes, of course it is, dear. Thank you." Gold nodded, taking the money before he turned to Emma, "You enjoy your stay... Emma."

Lydia sent her a grin, "See ya." She said, before she and Mr Gold exited the inn.

"Who's that guy?" Emma asked.

"Mr. Gold," Ruby said, "He owns this place."

"The inn?"

"No, the town." Granny told us.

"What's Lydia got to do with him?"

"She's kind of like his sidekick," Ruby told the woman, "There's this sort of protective bubble around here because of him."

Outside, Mr Gold turned to Lydia as the girl pulled the heavy door to the inn closed, "You know that woman?" He asked.

"Uh, yeah." Lydia nodded, "She arrived in town last night. She was the person who wrecked the town sign - supposedly because of a wolf."

"Interesting." Gold hummed.

"Oh, and here's the kicker." Lydia added, "She's Henry's birth mother."

Mr Gold smirked slightly, "Interesting."