xi. potion of truth

━ ❝ the truth is the key to
everything. ❞

━━━━━ ✦ ✧ ━━━━━

TERESA SPENT THE entire day just waiting to see Henry so they could plan their first date. However, her charming boyfriend never once entered the threshold of Granny's Diner through the duration of her shift. Not even to study after school like he always does. At first she was worried, but when Killian walked in to pick up his and Emma's lunch, she was told that Henry was working on 'Operation: First Date'.

"Operation: First Date?" She had said while blushing furiously and grinning like a mad woman.

The former pirate had smirked. "Aye, but you didn't hear it from me." He left not long after that, leaving her a pondering and grinning mess.

What was Henry planning?

She couldn't seem to stop thinking of the endless possibilities of what he was putting together for her. Would it be another candlelit dinner? Or something else? She found herself unable to stop smiling since she found out, glad that they were finally taking the next step in their relationship. It was long overdue, but she didn't care, just as long as she didn't lose him.

As she was walking home, she was too happy to even realize that someone was running just around the corner. Due to the pace of Teresa's walk, they were in a perfect path to collide. And just as Teresa turned the corner, they did just that. Grunting, the pair fell to the ground.

Teresa sat up, only to be met with a pair of terrified blue eyes. The person she had collided with was just a girl, not yet an adult but surely not under the age of fifteen. Her hair was such a dark brown colour that at first Teresa thought it was black. Her attire was strange, something Teresa hasn't seen on anyone in Storybrooke before. Her torso was covered in a navy blue cardigan with a buttoned white shirt thst was tucked securely inot her skirt. Atop her head, rested a chimney sweep hat and her feet were tucked into a pair of navy blue flats. And on the ground a few feet away from them, laid an umbrella. Teresa didn't recognize her from around town.

The archer jumped to her feet, and the girls' eyes widened as Teresa's hands began to cover with frost, the archer forcing her magic to show to scare the possible threat before her.

"Who are you?" Teresa demanded.

"Please don't hurt me," the girl nearly cried.

"Then answer the question," Teresa snapped with a threatening tone. She wasn't about to let one of Hyde's minions ─ if this girl ever was one ─ fool her. Teresa has harmed many people in her life before and she wasn't afraid to do it again if it came down to it.

"M-My name is Mary. Mary Poppins. I mean you no harm." The girl shakily rose to her feet, brushing off the dirt from her navy blue skirt. "Can you please help me?"

"Where'd you come from? I've never seen you in Storybrooke before, and with this being such a small town, practically everyone knows everyone."

"Hyde," is what the girl said, causing Teresa's eyes to widen slightly. "He brought me here from the Land of Untold Stories to help him."

The frost built up to Teresa's elbows and her eyes narrowed into slits. This girl may appear harmless, sweet and terrified, but the archer wasn't taking any chances. "Why?"

"He wants me to forge a potion for him. It's a complicated potion that'll require a lot of work, a lot of time," the girl hurriedly responded.

"Why were you running away?"

"Because I refuse to be his personal potion maker anymore. I won't ─ can't watch him use my magic for evil." The girl stumbled forward and placed her hands on Teresa's shoulders and stared pleadingly into her eyes. "Please. You must help me. I'm a good person, I'm a good person."

Teresa hesitated. She stared into the pair of blue eyes for a long time, then the frost absorbed back into her skin and she sighed. "Fine, but we do this on my terms. I don't trust easily, especially when it comes to the villians in this town. And Hyde? Well he's proving to be the worst one so far."

Mary nodded in understanding, "Fair enough."

Teresa pulled out her cell phone from her back pocket and put it to her ear, and Marry Poppins simply watched her. Finally the ringing stopped and Teresa heard her voice flow through.

"Hello?"

"Regina," Teresa began, eyes piercing into Mary's, "we've got a problem."

"What happened?"

"Are you alone?"

"Well, I'm fixing a snack for myself and Henry, but yes I'm alone," the former Evil Queen replied, "Teresa, what's going on?"

"I'll explain later. Meet me at your crypt." After she hung up, Teresa tucked her phone back into her pants and crossed her arms. She stared into the blue eyes of the still-frightened girl, and pursed her lips. "What sort of potion are you here to make?"

─────

It hadn't taken them long to get to the cemetary, and when there, Teresa stood pacing as they waited for Regina to show up. She was chewing on her finger nails, her thoughts going a mile a minute. Eventually, and much to Teresa's relief, the formed mayor pulled up in her maroon coloured car. As soon as she stepped out, she tucked her short hair ─ which she cut not long ago ─ behind her ear and folded her hands into her long black coat.

"What's the problem?"

Teresa avoided the question as she glanced over Regina's shoulder. "Did you bring anyone else with you?"

"No I came alone," Regina replied, "just like you said. Henry was suspicious, but I told him that Emma wanted to talk girl to girl so he wouldn't follow. Teresa, what's going on?" She furrowed her brows in concern. This was strange, even for Teresa.

"You can come out now," Teresa called out, confusing Regina even more than she already was. From the side of the crypt, came walking Mary Poppins.

The brunette walked in her navy blue flats with her umbrella clutched nervously in her hands. "Hello," she greeted.

"Who is this?" Regina demanded, flicking her gaze from the brunette to Teresa.

"This is Mary Poppins. I ran into her on the street, quite literally," Teresa explained. "She was brought here by Hyde. He wants her took make a potion for him."

"What sort of potion?" the former Evil Queen inquired as she stepped closer.

Mary hesitated, glancing toward Teresa, who gave her an encouraging nod. Beforehand, Teresa had been told everything about the option and had explained who Regina was to Henry, making this rather difficult for Mary to explain. "It's a complicated potion, you see," Mary began. "It requires a lot of brewing time."

"What sort of potion?" Regina repeated.

"A potion, that if consumed, will sever any bond. Including that of the soulmates. And without the soulmates magic..." Mary nervously shifted her on her feet. "Let's just say, that if the first prophecy is severed, there will be a terrible outcome."

Just like Teresa's had before when she found out, Regina's eyes widened.

"What will happen to my son?" she asked, her eyes displaying concern and fear for Henry's life. And Teresa's.

"If you destroy the prophecy, you destroy them."

Regina's eyes softened as her gaze shifted to Teresa. Why would Hyde want to destroy them? "Is that why you wanted me to come alone?"

Teresa nodded. "No matter your emotions you always have a control over yourself. I knew that if I evolved everyone, this wouldn't end well. They would act rationally. Regina..." Teresa stepped closer. "We can't tell anyone this about this. We need to keep this between the three of us."

Regina nodded in understanding. "Alright." She then motioned with her head towards her crypt. "Come on, let's ensure Mary Poppins here is telling the truth. And what's with the umbrella, anyway?"

"It's my source of magic," Mary replied, "but you have nothing to fear from me, I assure you."

Regina hesitated, then nodded. "Fine."

They followed the former Evil Queen down into the crypt, where they watched as she began to rummage through some draws for a certain potion. Then, finally, she straightened her spine and turned to them with a small vial of clear liquid in her hand.

Regina stepped forward and handed it to Mary. "Bottoms up."

"What is it?" Mary asked, popping out the cork. She sniffed once, only to cringe afterwards from the awful smell wafting from the tiny bottle.

"Truth potion," Regina smirked. "Just to make sure you aren't playing us. Drink it."

Mary nodded, gulping down the entire vial. Her nose wrinkled in disgust as she passed the empty vial off to Teresa and wiped at her lips with her gloved hand. "That was awful!"

Regina rolled her eyes. "It's not supposed to taste good, it's a potion."

"Mary," Teresa said, drawing her attention towards her. "Have you been telling us the truth this entire time? Are you really here because of Hyde? Is Mary Poppins even your name?"

"Yes," Mary answered truthfully, "Everything I said had been the honest truth. I was brought here to destroy the prophecy of the soulmates."

─────

Dun, dun, dun!

Thoughts?