THE ENCHANTED FOREST, 2012.

In the middle of a large forest clearing on a breezy day fresh after a storm, large, purple thunderclouds cascade from the sky, surrounding the trees and the grassy land underfoot. The magic swirls across the forest, settling into each crevice and suffocating the air--and then it's suddenly evaporated, with only popping sparks in its absence. That, and the large group of former townsfolk littering the ground.

Coughing and scuffling noises are heard as the assortment of people stumble to their feet, and within seconds, David's voice sounds across the clearing. "Is everyone alright?"

Various grunts and a half-hearted "yes" from a couple people answer him, but most are more occupied with what they're wearing. Ruby finds her enchanted cloak covering her dark brown waves, Snow's vision is partially obscured from her once-again long, thick, black hair, and David's loose-fitting, white fabric covering his upper-half has angry, red, blood splatters staining the areas where he was stabbed thirty years ago.

Snow looks him over in shock. "Oh, my god! Did that happen to you during the trip here?" She moves over to him, moving fretting hands around him without touching.

David puts a hand out in front of him and fully stands. "No, this happened when I was getting Emma to the wardrobe before the dark curse," He glances at Regina, who is fully decked out in black queenly garb, with feathers adorning her shoulders and red decorative feathers scattered in her long, teased braid. "Regina's knights made sure of this." He gestures to his now fully healed torso.

Regina holds her hands out in front of her, unsuccessfully keeping herself from rolling her still tear-filled eyes. "Do I really have to apologize for that?"

David sighs. "No."

Snow grabs two fistfuls of her white robes, hiking them up from the dirty forest floor as she strides to the front of the group with the grace of a princess who looks nothing like she'd been out of practice for a time-frozen twenty-eight years. "Well, let's get started then," she says in a resigned tone, willing herself not to think of Emma or Henry.

No one moves to follow her as they stand rooted to the spot, looking from one person to the next, wordlessly conveying that they no longer have no idea what to do, or how to resume their lives here.

Ruby says it first. "Um, to where?" Two or three of the dwarves behind her nod their heads at her question.

Snow turns around slowly, a small smile gracing her lips. "Home."

--

After the group had been parading across their long-forsaken homeland for quite some time, Regina quickens her pace and joins Snow at the front. "'Home'? Really? And where's that?--my castle?" She snorts a little as she says this, looking over at her stepdaughter only slightly haughtily, which is now only for show. 

"Technically, Regina, it's mine." Snow sighs slightly, then winces when she realizes what she'd just said. She's more than a little surprised when she sees Regina's red lips twitch upwards.

"I suppose now is the time where I turn your ridiculous hair into a bonfire with one of my fireballs, for the mere suggestion of you taking my throne." It's meant to be sarcastic, maybe even slightly humorous, but a dejected sigh follows, and Snow's heart lurches for Regina. She knows that her bite is now extinguished; gone with the absence of Henry.

She would never mention such a thing to Regina, though, so she gives her what she wants: mindless banter. "I suppose it is. Should we spend the rest of our fairytale lives here chasing down each other for the crown, just to make things interesting?"

Regina snorts softly and shakes her head a little. "Careful, or I might agree to that proposal." They share a half-hearted chuckle before Regina sobers. "Well, then. Where am I to stay?"

Snow can hardly believe her ears; the woman who would devastate nations and burn villages to the ground to keep her throne and to win her vengeance was resigning her home to her without a second thought. She really had changed in the considerable time spent in Storybrooke, but Snow also knows that she can resemble this defeat and the depression cloud practically hanging over her companion to the loss of her beautiful son. But she's also shocked that Regina had assumed that Snow would kick her out of her own damn castle. "Regina," she begins, stopping walking to completely face her. "You'll be living with us! We would never tell you to stay anywhere else. We're family." The last part isn't a reprimand; rather, it's a reminder, and one that Snow is highly aware Regina needs.

Regina opens her mouth to reply, then closes it again. She opens it once more. "Oh." She clears her throat. "Of course." She does her absolute best not to let on how touched she is by the statement, and chews the inside of her cheek as she looks out down the path in front of them. Finally, she looks over and voices what she's unable to stop thinking. "Even after everything I....." She trails off, not sure how to continue. Standing in the Enchanted Forest once more, draped in the traditional clothing as though they were just here yesterday, it is extremely easy to feel as though no time has passed.

Snow shakes her head fiercely at the comment. "Regina, you preformed the most selfless act I've ever seen today. Because of you, because of what you did, we're here and not victim to Pan's curse." She pauses to look at Regina's contorted expression before continuing. "I get that it doesn't feel like it, but thirty years did pass, and you're a good person."

Regina emits a dark chuckle. "Let me guess: I'm a 'hero.'"

Snow scoffs. "Being a hero isn't all as bad as you make it out to be."

"All I'm saying is that it's not all black and white."

"Of course not, Regina; but you did a heroic thing. It's okay to accept that." She tells her earnestly, hoping that the knowledge of the good in her would help ease the gash in her heart from what had just happened at the town line.

"I--" Regina begins, ready with a counterattack, but Snow cuts her off before she can continue.

"Henry was very proud of you." She knows it's possibly a low blow to the other woman, it's almost certainly too soon, but she still hopes the reminder will help her the slightest bit.

Regina spins her. "Because of me, Henry doesn't even remember me." She snaps, her lower lip quivering in spite of herself as she struggles to picture the rest of her life without her precious little boy. She tries to imagine her son looking at her and not knowing her, and is nearly physically crushed by the image conjured by her mind's eye.

Snow exhales softly and sends her a pitying glance before reminding her, "Because of you, he has good memories. He's safe, Regina; it's all you've ever wanted for him."

Regina purses her stained lips and takes a sharp intake of air. "Of course it is. It's just...without me." The last part is uttered so quietly that Snow strains to hear it, but once she does she sighs once more in sympathy.

"I know." She pauses, then offers up the only last help she has. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm going through essentially the same thing."

Regina drops her previously tensed shoulders and turns to face her. "You're right. I'm sorry," she says, with almost unrecognizable sincerity.

Snow sniffs to clear her nose and swallows past the formed lump of emotion blocking her throat. She lifts her gaze up to the black castle and the kingdom surrounding that is looming into view. "Well, what better way to deal with grief than taking back a kingdom?" She asks, gesturing to the magnificent, tall spires stretching up into the blue sky.

This time, Regina finds it in her to scoff. "There's not much 'taking back' to do, dear. I'm afraid it's quite empty."

Snow gives her the least menacing glare imaginable, and crosses her arms. "There you go, taking the fun out of it."

Regina ignores her and lifts her chin to admire her old castle in all its dark glory. A part of her feels a sense of accomplishment of seeing it again, and some distant section of her mind is satisfied from its slight homesickness, but most of her just sees her castle as a reminder of her empty vengeance-filled life, and above all, the reminder that Henry is long, long gone and Storybrooke is now just a distant memory.

Seeming to sense her mood beside her, David steps up with a hand on the hilt of his sword on his hip and says in a decidedly disheartened tone, "Well, welcome back, everyone."

AN: yes, I am aware that this chapter is horrifyingly short, but I felt the need to end it here and to dedicate a whole chapter to this. This again is paving the backstory, and we are now waiting on time skips to get on with the actual story. I hope you still enjoyed this chapter, even considering the length.

Please let me know if you enjoyed by leaving a vote or comment! Questions or suggestions are also always welcome.