White Queen of Storybrooke (Complete)

Connecting the Dots

"Palace Master!"  Queenie rushes to find that her palace is left in ruins, and the little rabbit locked in a cage.  She knelt down to the cage, "Palace Master...What happened?"  Her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh, my dear Queen.  When you were taken from us, the Red Queen of Hearts reigned for about 3 years.  And then she too left somewhere far away, never returning.  But she laid waste to the Northern Kingdom before she left.  Look."  The rabbit pointed towards the windows, Queenie walked over towards the windows and saw the skeletons littering the grounds of the Northern Kingdom.

"NO!"  She ran down the palace corridor and out of the gates into the village outside of the palace.  "No, no, no!"  She ran towards every house, every shop, in every direction...no one was alive.  "I failed them...I am no longer worthy to be a queen...I should be lying here with them."  She began to sob uncontrollably, "My people are dead because of me!  I-"  She could barely breathe, her sobbing was taking over her speech. 

Then, the thud of a large paws were hitting the ground.  A large brown dog came up behind her.  "Not all of us are gone, your Majesty."  The voice boomed like thunder, yet gentle to hear.

Queenie lifts her head out of the dirt to see a sweet dog with another large dog behind him and a litter of pups.  "My Hunter."  Queenie placed her hands on either side of his ears and began scratching them, like every dog loved.  The laid her head on his, " You survived."  Queenie threw her arms around the hound and she wept as she held onto him.  "My good Hunter, tell me...who else is left?"

"Oh, Your Majesty...there are only us creatures left...no humans.  They all went away."

"Yes, I can see that."  Queenie turned to see to the skeletons littering the cobblestone streets.

"No, High Queen, they left the Northern Kingdom.  They were taken to an unknown land...not a part of Northern Wonderland.  The war waged on for weeks, and during that time a great wave of mist covered the kingdom, and then poof!  The people not fighting disappeared, the rest were killed in battle already by the Red Queen, Cora."  The gentle speaking canine rested his head on Queenie's forehead.  "Do not feel blame, Your Highness.  The people lying here fought bravely in the War and they took many of the enemy with them." 

Queenie forced a half smile.  "Tell me, Hunter.  Where did the others go?  The other part of Wonderland?"

"No, Queen.  They vanished...it was only about 2 weeks or so after you were taken from us."

"So, the Red Queen had no one to rule over then?"

"Precisely."  The dog smiled, "The people that perished here were the only ones left.  So she tried to rule over us creatures, but it didn't work.  We simply scattered."

"Come.  You and your family shall stay in my palace."  Queenie led the dog and his family to the palace.  "Forgive me for leaving you in here, Palace Master."  Queenie waved her hand and released the lock on the cage and gave the White Rabbit a blue waistcoat with a brand new pocket watch.  "Listen, I think I know where the others went.  There is a land, a place without Wonder.  An evil queen took them there with her curse.  The Red Queen perished in that world.  So you have no reason to worry about her returning.  I'm going to undo a curse that Rumpelstiltskin forced me to cast over the White Kingdom.  Then, I'm going to give you magic by summoning the Helper."

"Oh not him!  Dear Queen, he's a fool!  He's not going to help!"  The White Rabbit protested, showing his annoyance.

"I hate cats."  The Hunter growled.

"Now, come on!"  Queenie pet the dog on the head soothingly and placed her other hand on the rabbit in comfort.  "He's the only other being with strong magic.  He will protect you, he has a contract with me."  Queenie started towards a large window with crystals in places all throughout the window.  She waved her hand over them and the crystals began to turn and shimmer.  They were calling the Helper.