The New Curse || Once Upon a Time

Prologue

This is for the #JustWriteIt Fanfiction thing, so here it goes...
*+*+*
Prologue

"But maybe you've forgot. My shadow isn't with me either. And it will do my bidding." Rumple held up his hand and his shadow dropped Pandora's Box into his hand.

"You don't have magic," Pan pointed out.

"I don't need magic to trap you in here. I only need magic to release you, which I don't plan on doing. Ever." With that, Rumple opened Pandora's Box, trapping his father inside.The nine people Pan had frozen in place unfroze. Belle and Neal both ran over to Rumple and pulled him into a hug.

"We still have this new curse to worry about," Regina reminded everyone. "Unless... Gold?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have control over this curse?"

Rumple nodded. "As I told you, if the person casting the curse dies before it is finished, the person they least want to have control takes control of it. Out of everyone, Pan wanted me to control it the least."

"Well, can't you just make us keep all of our memories?" Belle asked.

"Unfortunately, no. Storybrooke will be restarted, so all of our memories of Storybrooke the first time around will automatically be erased. However, Storybrooke is the only life Henry has known, so unless he and Emma leave, I will have to create new memories for until the curse is broken."

"So either way, it ends in them leaving?" Regina concluded.

"But, he just said he could give all of us new memories," Mary Margaret pointed out. "Then Henry and Emma can stay in Storybrooke. This curse can be broken, can't it?"

Rumple nodded. "With a true love's kiss. I can't tell which true love's kiss will work, though. It could very well be Miss Swan and her son again."

"Doesn't it have to be her?" Regina asked. "I thought Emma was...born to break the curse?"

"Not this curse. But this curse is acting differently. It's not only restarting Storybrooke; it's bringing people from the Enchanted Forest here. Some of those not swept up in the first Dark Curse."

"Like Robin and his merry men?" Neal asked.

"And Mulan and Aurora?" Mary Margaret added.

"Yes."

"Great," Regina said sarcastically, "a band of thieves, a warrior, and a princess. How, exactly, will they help?"

"Well, Phillip is alive, so maybe Aurora and Phillip will break the curse?" Neal suggested.

"Phillip is alive?" Emma and Mary Margaret asked in unison.

"Ah. Yeah, they asked me to tell you two. We were a bit busy with the whole Neverland/Peter Pan thing, though."

"We don't have time to sit around and make speculations," Granny interrupted. "The curse is coming, so what are we going to do?"

"Mr. Gold is going to give us new memories," Henry said it like it was already decided.

Emma nodded in agreement. "I'm not leaving the home I just found, even if I can't remember finding it. The curse will be broken someday; we just have to have hope."

Mary Margaret smiled. "Yes. I agree with Emma on this one."

"Can we really trust the Crocodile to give us good memories?" Hook asked, his distrust towards Rumple very obvious.

"For everyone except you," Rumple replied.

"Rumple..." Belle warned.

"Fine. Yes, everyone including the pirate gets nice memories. I'll put the Charmings together, and Emma with Henry, in case it is them breaking the curse again. Belle and I will be together. Now, Emma?"

"What?"

"Would you like to be with Neal? Or I can make you two...divorced, so Henry can have both of his parents still...?"

Emma looked at Neal. "I..."

Hook looked down. He knew it was coming, but it still hurt.

"Put me with Neal. For Henry's sake."

Rumple nodded. "Very well."

"It's here!" Everyone's attention turned to Leroy, who had just run around the library. "The curse! It's here!"

"Tell everyone to stay calm," David said. "This curse won't bring us harm." He shot a look at Rumple, who nodded.

The green smoke was fast approaching the group.

"I love you," Regina said to Henry. "You won't remember me, but I love you."

"I love you too." Henry hugged Regina.

Emma walked over to her parents, who hugged her.

Neal, Belle, and Rumple stood close together, waiting for the curse to hit. Belle's hand was wrapped around Rumple's.

The curse washed over the group, wiping their memories and giving them new lives.