Meadowpeak

    Levi's eyes slowly opened. He glanced around trying to piece together where he was through his blurred vision. He found himself in a lying position, and tried to push himself upward. Pain shot through his entire body causing him to grimace and moan.

    "He's awake!" A familiar female voice spoke out in the distance.

    Once again he tired pushing himself up, ignoring the pain that coursed through his body. Two hands wrapped around his bicep and gently pulled up allowing him to easily sit up. Whoever it was that had grabbed him, helped him lean against something. Something hard.

    He squinted his eyes as his vision began to clear to see a smiling young girl staring back at him, her sun golden hair glistening. "Elyssa?" His voice sounded hoarse and weak as he tried to speak. "Where am—"

    All of a sudden, he remembered what had happened. He remember Aurora. He remembered her torments, and the attack on the castle. And he remembered how she had tried many times to twist his mind using images of his friend against him.

    Levi squinted his eyes shut, and thrust a hand forward knocking this fake imagery back as he tried scooting away. "No! Leave me be! I've told you before. I won't fall for your tricks!"

    "Levi, calm down! It's me!" A soft hand touched his face pulling his attention back toward Elyssa. She gave another smile. "It's Elyssa. Your best friend." Her smile disappeared into a frown. "I don't know what Queen Aurora did to you back there, but you're safe now. You have to believe me." She paused, and gripped his hand tightly causing him to tense. "You'll always have me."

    Levi's face relaxed. Had she said what he thought she did? Was he hearing her right? That was the phrase that they both had used ever since they had grown close as kids. How would Aurora had known that? Could she have dug into his mind to find the few words that he thought no one could ever steal? Or was this really his friend?

    He pushed himself up straight with his free hand as he stared blankly at his friend, the fuzziness in his vision vanishing. "Elyssa? Is it really you?" 

    Elyssa unexpectedly threw herself around him hugging him tight in an embrace. "Oh, Levi, I'm so sorry! I never should've left you out here alone."

    After what felt like a very long time, a smile crept back onto his face as he gently returned her hug around her waist. "It wasn't your fault. I'm the one who told you to go away." He sighed. "I'm just so thankful you are okay."

    When Elyssa pulled away, another familiar face knelt down beside him. Lancelot smiled as he gently patted Levi on his right shoulder. "Glad to see your okay."    

    Levi smirked. "Well, I do feel a little banged up, but nothing I can't recover from." Lancelot chuckled. Levi glanced between the two. "How long was I gone?"

    Lancelot lowered his head. "Two days."

    Levi furrowed his brow. "It felt longer then that." He looked up to find they were at the place where Maleficent had been training him to unleash his dragon, the waves from the ocean sparkled as the descending sun painted its waters. "What happened while I was gone?"

    Lancelot sighed, and rose to his feet. "Too much I'm afraid." He took a couple steps toward the sea. "They came at night. They were fast, and we were unprepared." He turned back around to face Levi. "I can't tell if Aurora was dumb enough, or brave enough, but she attacked our castle the other night." He lowered his head kicking at dirt and sand that mingled together. "We lost some good dragons in that fight. Aurora burned the castle to the ground. She must've found some way to counter the protection spell over this place because she came in through our secret tunnel." He pointed toward the mountain where the tunnel was once at, but now only rocks stood in that place. "We had lost the fight before we knew it had even begun."

    Levi lowered his head, his heart racing as his chest squeezed. "You don't think..." He trailed off wondering what they would say. "You don't think I'm the one who told them about the entrance, do you?" He shook his head. "I thought I was resisting. Thought I was willing to die before I gave up any information." He looked down at his wrists. They were cut all the way around from the shackles, the skin peeling away from each other. He let out a defeated sigh. "Maybe I wasn't as strong as I thought."

    Elyssa placed a gentle hand on his leg. "Levi, don't—" Before she could finish. The bushes started rustling behind them along with twigs snapping.

    Lancelot yanked out his sword from its scabbard and aimed it high in the air toward the trees.

    Levi inched away as fear gripped him. Was it Aurora's men? He couldn't go back. He just couldn't!

    After another second, men dressed in the same armor as Lancelot stepped through the bushes. Lancelot lowered his weapon, a sadden expression on his face. "Where are the rest of you?"

    One of the six men shook his head. "This is all there is." The man glared at Levi as he balled a hand into a fist. "I hope he was worth it because we lost twenty-seven good men out there." He motioned around them. "We are the last dragons in Moors."

    Levi gulped. This was all there was? Nine of them? And one that couldn't even count as a dragon yet? They had lost so many men, and why? Because of him? They should've left him there. He wasn't worth all those lives.

    "What of Queen Maleficent?" Lancelot asked, his eyes nearly bulging out of his skull. "Where is she?"

    The same man who had spoken before took another step closer, his face soft as a deep frown etched his jaw. "Dead."

    "What?" Levi climbed to his feet at the mans statement. He didn't believe it. "She can't be dead."

    The man turned toward him as he furrowed his brow. "She's dead because of you, boy. She thought you were worth saving, but she was wrong. Her foolishness got herself killed."

    "Don't speak of her in that way!" Lancelot shouted. "She is still your queen, dead or alive, and you will show her respect."    

    "The queen is dead you say?"

    Lancelot and the other men jerked to the side as Levi's eyes ventured forward. His chest squeezed and his heart pounded at the site before him. A woman dressed in a white tunic with a brown vest, gray pants and boots with a hat pinned to the top of her head stood before them. Her raven black, wavy hair danced in the soft breeze.

    "What a pity," she said. "I was looking forward to killing Maleficent myself." She lowered her right hand which had been propped on her hip by her elbow. "I guess the rest of the dragons in Moors will have to do."

    "Snow," Levi whispered. He wasn't honestly sure if he had spoken her name or if it had stayed in his mind.

    Snow White eyed him with her dark brown eyes. "Hello, brother. I thought I'd find you here."

    Levi eyed the knights in black armor around her. How did she find this place? He knew that the protection spell had worn off, but how could she have possibly known he was here? Their castle was days away. Even if Snow White had set out days ago, how did she know the spell was going to be gone when she got here?

    His attention was drawn to a woman who limped up beside Snow. She was bruised and bloodied, her outfit holding various tears. He gulped recognizing his tormentor immediately. How had she escaped? Even with Maleficent dead, surely Aurora had to have been bad injured.

    Had Aurora been planning this attack for a long time, and he just so happened to get in the way of everything? That would explain how Snow would know about the spell.

    Lancelot raised his sword into the air. "If I'm going down, I'm taking some of you with me." He shouted as he charged toward Snow. One of the black knights stepped in front of their queen, blocking Lancelot's swing.

    The other remaining Knights of Moors joined in with Lancelot, charging toward Snow's knights. Within seconds, another battle ragged around them.

    Levi turned around to find Elyssa cowering behind him. "Don't worry. Everything's going to be okay." He shoved her forward toward a boulder and forced her to her knees behind it. "Stay here. Stay hidden."

    As he turned to leave, a hand gripped his. "Wait, what are you going to do?"

    He turned his head down toward her and gave her a wink along with a smile. "I have to settle a score with my sister."

    "Levi, no. You can't! You're still not well!"

    He pulled his hand from hers, and made his way around the fighting knights toward Snow, who stood with two other black knights on both her sides. "There you are," she said.

    Levi balled his hands into fists. "Why are you doing this, Snow? What have these people ever done to you? Are you that worried that one of them will be the Dragon King? Look at them! They've lived her for years without bothering you. Why can't you leave them alone?"

    Snow scoffed. "Oh please. I know that known of them are the Dragon King, but that doesn't mean their offspring can't be. No, they must die."

    Levi narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. What he wouldn't give to have a sword right now. "Why are you so heartless?" he shouted. 

    Unexpectedly, a man fell from the sky in front of his, red wings as red as fire sprouted from his back. He stood tall as the wings disappeared. He rubbed his fingers along his hairy chin as he glanced between Levi and Snow. "This is the boy you want me to kill?" he asked. "He's you're greatest fear?"

    "And he should be yours too, Rokoda," Sow replied. "This boy has caused me too much pain."

    "Rokoda?" Levi asked, his eyes growing wide as he backed away.

    Rokoda turned toward him and gave a dramatic bow. "The Dragon King, at your service."

    Levi balled his hands into fists. "No. You're not him. You're the one who's proclaiming to be him, and if the dragons don't submit to you then you kill them."

    Rokoda smiled revealing jagged teeth. "Very good. So, which are you?" He slowly stalked closer, one hand behind his back.

    Snow snorted. "He's not a dragon, Rokoda, he's just a boy who has interfered for too long."

    Rokoda turned his head to eye Snow. "Oh, I don't think so."

    Levi watched as Snow's eyes went big.

    "You see," Rokoda continued. "I can sniff out a dragon from miles away." He inched closer his normal blue eyes changing to the lizard green with a blink of his eye. "This boy, right here, is half dragon." He took a whiff of the air. "A special dragon, indeed." He turned back around to face Snow. "You're right about one thing." He twirled back toward Levi, his eyes narrowed. "This boy needs gone."

    Snow White huffed as she turned to her right. "Bring her out!"

    Levi's eyes opened even wider, and his jaw dropped as one of Snow's Knight's dragged a woman by her jet black hair. He shoved the woman to her face beside Snow. The woman slowly lifted her head revealing bruises and blood along with a swollen eye. "Mother?"

    Levi was ready to pounce of Snow White. Even if he couldn't kill her, maybe he could land a few punches before he, himself, was killed. It would be worth it seeing what Snow had done to her.

    Snow White knelt down, gripped his mother's hair yanking her head back. "How could you not tell me he was a dragon?" she shouted. Mother said nothing. Snow pulled back her hand, and faster then Levi could blink, she slapped Mother across the cheek sending her back to the ground on her face.

      Levi gritted his teeth, and took a step forward ready to advance when a pair of hands help him back.

    "Levi, no. It's not worth it." He turned around to find Elyssa holding him back. "This is what Snow wants."

    Rokoda glanced around Levi at Elyssa. His expression, unexpectedly, changed into a soft look. "Elyssa, is that you?"

    Elyssa let go of Levi's arm. "How do you know my name?"

    Snow took a couple steps forward toward him. "Now is not the time for a father/daughter reunion. I have bigger problems."

    Levi swiftly glanced between Elyssa and Rokoda. What? Was what Snow was saying true? Was Rokoda Elyssa's father? But how could that be? He had watched her parents be murdered back in their village. This didn't make any sense.

    "What?" Elyssa shouted. "No. No I refuse to believe it!"

    "Shut up!" Snow shouted. She marched up toward Levi until she stood a few inches from him, giving him a wicked grin. She raised her hand as a purple vortex swirled around her hand. In seconds, it disappeared, and in its place sat a bright red apple. She extended her hand toward Levi. "You look hungry. Want a bite?"

    Levi gulped as he stared down at the fruit. He knew what she was doing. Apples were Snow's favorite, and they were what had been used in her demise all those years ago. No doubt, she was seeking revenge. He eyed her sternly. "You can't force me." 

    Snow's smiled widened. "Oh, can't I?" She made a quick glance behind her, and at the same moment, one of her knights kicked Mother in the stomach sending her curling into a ball with pain.

    "No, stop!" He reached out with his hand as the knight reared back his foot once more. "Stop! I'll do it!" The knight stopped and returned to his normal stance.

    Levi lowered his gaze to the ground along with his hand before he slowly looked back up at the apple. He had to. It wasn't worth the life of his mother. Besides, at least he wouldn't be dead, right? Just asleep. He raised his hand as he slowly reached up to grab the apple.

    "Levi, no!" He turned his head to see Lancelot trying to get to him, but Snow's knights were too strong.

    He had to. He had no choice. It was to save his mother. His fingers brushed up against the apple as his mother's voice rang out.     "Stop!"

    Snow turned around, and he watched as Mother staggered to her feet. The Knight raised a fist, but Snow raised a hand telling him to stop before he could do anything to her.

    Mother stood up, still hunched as she clenched at her stomach, and took a shuffling step forward. "Snow, don't do this."

    Snow White lowered the apple as she jabbed a finger at Mother. "You put me in a sleeping curse when I was a little girl. Now, I'm going to make you suffer waiting for your son to wake up knowing that he never will, just as my father had done to me."

    Mother took another step. "I did it to protect you, Snow. You were becoming violent. The death of your Mother was too much for you to handle. I didn't want you hurting yourself." She paused. "I love you, Snow. I'm your Mother. I could never—"

    "Don't call me that!" Snow shouted. "You are not my mother! My mother died a long time ago. You're just the Evil Queen who locked me in that spell all those years ago, and if you weren't so bad at magic, I'd still be there today." 

    Mother lowered her hand that was around her stomach. "Then let me eat it." Her voice came out soft as she extended her hand. "It was my fault. My magic. Not my son's. Put me under the curse." She paused. "But let him live."   

    "Mother, no!" Levi shouted. He tried once more to race to her, but Rokoda tackled him to the ground, placing a knee in his back as Rokoda held his arm extended behind him higher then it could go.

    Snow White smirked. "Why should I give it to you? You'd be asleep and wouldn't know suffering the way you would if I forced Levi to take a bite."

    Mother lowered her gaze down to meet Levi's. He stared into her brown eyes as a tear slipped past her lashes. What was she doing? She was the rightful queen of this place. If anyone could stop Snow, it would be her. She has magic. She could save them all. Why would she give herself up? He wasn't worth anything. He couldn't get his dragon to free itself, he didn't have any magic, nor could he use a sword good enough in a fight. They would lose nothing by him falling under this curse.

    "Because I'm the one who killed your mother," Mother responded, lowering her head.

    Levi's eyes grew wide in puzzlement. What was she talking about? No she didn't. Did she? How? He had been told Snow's mother had died from a mysterious disease that their physicians couldn't cure. What was Mother doing? Why was she lying? To trick Snow? To get her to give Mother the apple?

    He tried pushing against the ground as he shouted, "Don't listen to her!" Rokoda jammed his face back into the dirt. "She's lying!"

    Snow never turned around to acknowledge him. Instead, she took slow steps toward Mother, her hand extending with the ruby apple in her palm. She stepped up inches away from Mother's face, her own face twisted in anger. She leaned in close to Mother's ear and spoke forcefully, placing the apple in front of Mother's face. "Take it," she spat with a low tone.

    Mother slowly reached up and grabbed the apple with both of her frail hands. Snow White backed away as Mother brought the apple closer to her mouth.

    "No!" Levi tried shouting.

    Mother gave him once last glimpse along with the mouthed words, "I love you," as she took a big bite from the apple, another tear rolled down her cheek as she shut her eyes.

    "No!" he screamed once more as he tried desperately to get out from under Rokoda. He watched, water filling his eyes, as Mother toppled to the ground. The apple rolled from her palm and sat beside her hand, the bite mark facing him. He shut his eyes unable to bear the sight.

    As he balled his free hand into a fist and pounded it against the ground, someone tackled Rokoda from off his back, his suspended arm dropping beside him.

    Levi quickly jumped to his feet, and turned to see Lancelot wrestling Rokoda. "Levi, go!" Lancelot shouted. "Get out of here!"

    Levi turned his head back toward Snow, anger boiling in his blood. He balled his hands and gritted his teeth as he stared at his step-sister. "Not until I'm finished," he whispered so no one could here.

    He took a couple stomps toward Snow when two of her men quickly stepped in front of her both holding swords. Snow White laughed. "It's over, Levi! You've lost! Say goodbye to Mother!"

    As she laughed, she threw her hand downward toward his sleeping mother. A vortex of green, purple, blue, and multiple other colors started opening underneath Mother's form. In a blink, the vortex swallowed Mother and closed once more.

    Levi stood there staring at the ground in disbelief. "No!" He sprinted toward where she lay and sank to his knees. She was gone. Mother was gone. He flung his head back up toward Snow. "What did you do with her?"

    Snow smiled. "I sent her to a place without magic. A place you'll never find, and where she will never be woken."

    He sprang to his feet. "No! You're wrong! I will find her! I will break her curse! And we will defeat you and regain our throne!"

    Snow smirked. "Good luck with that." She waved a hand in the air. "Guards, kill him."

    His blood drained from his face as he backed away. What was he going to do? He had to get out of here. He had to find Mother. He turned around to run, knocking into Elyssa as he did so. He steadied his feet, and caught her before either one could hit the ground.

    "Levi, we have to get out here or else they'll be no future for our kingdom," Elyssa said, tugging on his arm.

    He nodded. "I know, I know! We have to find Mother!" He turned around and watched the knights advancing toward him. "But first we have to survive this."

    In a quick flash that caused him to advert his gaze, the two knights disappeared leaving behind a pile of clothes and smoke.

    Levi stared down dumbfounded. What had just happened?

    "There you are, my boy!" He turned to his right to see Rumplestiltskin stalking out of the woods.

    He balled his hands. "You!" He began stomping toward Rumple. "This is all your fault! If you had just left me alone in the first place we never would've been here!"

    "And you would've ended up dead when your mother was kidnapped," Rumple argued. "But you want to get to her, don't you?"

    Levi stopped in his tracks, his fists loosening. "What do you mean? You know where she went? You can send us there?"

    Rumplestiltskin giggled in that annoying high pitched tone. "Indeed I can. Although, not necessarily me who can send you to your mother, but she who can." Levi turned to notice him pointing at Elyssa.

    Elyssa pointed to herself in shock. "Me?" She chuckled. "I don't have magic."

    Rumple raised a finger and shook it. "Not entirely true. No, you don't have magic. But your dragon does."

    Elyssa looked down at her chest before she shook her head. "No, I made a promise never to let her out again."

    Rumplestiltskin huffed. "You don't have to let the darn beast out. You saw very plainly how Lancelot used Tathuna's magic without Tathuna coming out."

    "How would you know that?" she asked.

    Rumple winked. "Because I know all," he said softly.

    Levi glanced around at the battle raging behind him. Just being here made him uncomfortable, and by the looks of Lancelot, he wasn't winning his fight. Rokoda could be on them in a matter of seconds. "Yeah, okay that's great," he hurried, "can we move along? What does she need to do?"

    Rumple raised his hands to shoulder length as he backed away. "Just ask." In a blink, he vanished.

    Levi sighed and turned toward Elyssa. "Okay, come on, Elyssa. You can do this. We need to find my mother."

    Elyssa sighed and nodded. "Okay. Let me see what I can do." She closed her eyes and stretched a hand forward, palm facing down over the sand. "I've never done this before. It could take some time."

    "Rokoda! Don't let them escape!" Snow White shouted from the tree line as knights wouldn't let her pass into the danger surrounding them.

    His eyes grew wide as Rokoda sprouted wings and lifted into the air, the whole time his lizard green eyes staring directly at Levi. He gulped. "We don't have time, Elyssa."

    Lancelot leaped into the air, grabbed ahold of Rokoda's legs, and yanked him back down the earth. "Hurry!" he shouted.

    Levi glanced from Elyssa to Lancelot. Elyssa's fingertips started glowing purple as purple speckles danced to the ground. His heart was beating faster then it had before with anticipation.

    "Almost... there..." A couple seconds later, another vortex just like the one Snow had opened. Elyssa sucked in breaths of air as she lowered her hand. Her legs buckled, and he reached out swiftly to catch her.

    A smile spread across his face as he shook her arm with excitement. "You did it, Elyssa! You did it!"

    "Levi, go!"

    He looked up as Rokoda broke free from Lancelot's grip once more. Without a second thought, he picked up Elyssa in his arms, and leaped through the vortex, diving out of the way of Rokoda's claws. The sound of Snow White's screams filled his ears like an echo, and died just as quickly as the bright colors surrounding them faded into black.