Everything Has Changed

Chapter 1 - At The Beginning

"A Dark Curse?" Zelena looked across the room at Cora. "Is that our only option?"

"Your father has given your sister everything you were meant to have. Yes my dear, it is our only option." Cora smiled at her daughter. Henry had given Regina everything, he had ensured she was crowned Queen, but that didn't mean that Zelena would be left with nothing. No, Cora would make sure that her elder daughter got everything that she deserved. With Rumplestiltskin's help she was in a position to change her daughter's future.

The two women stood in the window of the castle overlooking the courtyard where Prince Henry was conversing with King Leopold's men as they loaded Regina's luggage. Little did she know that she would never get the chance to be a Queen. Zelena turned away from her wretched little sister and back towards the task at hand.

"What do I need to do Mother?"

"I have prepared everything for you. Only one ingredient is left." Cora retreated from the window and moved across the room towards the cauldron.

"What is that?" Zelena could see from her mother's movements that this was crucial. Something important was happening. "Mother, how do I enact the curse?"

"With this..." From the shadows a man appeared as Cora beckoned him forward.

"Daniel?" Zelena moved across the room towards the man that she loved. "Mother, what does Daniel have to do with any of this?"

"My dear girl, he is the key. In order to enact this curse you need one more ingredient." Cora smiled wickedly, getting rid of Daniel was an added bonus for her. Zelena didn't need any distractions in their, her, newfound happiness. "You must crush the heart of the thing you love most."

"No!" Zelena cried out and rushed to Daniel. "I won't do it. Loosing you is not worth it. I love you!"

"Zelena," Daniel took her face in his hands, "Zelena, I love you, and I want nothing more than for you to be happy. If this is your happy ending, then I am more than willing to give my life for it."

"No, Daniel, no. I love you, I don't want a happy ending unless you're there too." Zelena started to cry as she clung to his vest.

"Zelena!" Cora had had enough of her daughter's outburst. Zelena turned to look at her mother. "Zelena, take his heart. Now." The severity in her voice left very little choice in the matter.

"Daniel, I'm so sorry." Zelena gave him one final kiss, and then, before she could really think about what she was doing, Zelena plunged her hand into her lover's chest and took out his heart. With tears streaming down her cheeks Zelena turned away from him and back to her mother. "Now what? What do I do with it?"

"I told you before my dear. You must crush it." She extended her arm towards the cauldron. "Crush it over the cauldron and let the dust fall into the curse."

Zelena moved to the cauldron, but she couldn't bring herself to watch as she crushed Daniel's heart into the curse that her mother was determined would bring about her happy ending. Her dark curse began to take form as an ominous, billowing cloud began to rise from the cauldron.

"You've done it my dear!" Cora smiled at her eldest daughter. "Absolutely nothing can stop us now."

"Hee hee hee, on the contrary," both women spun around at the sound of the all too familiar laughter.

"Rumple! What are you doing here? You told me that this would work! That if Zelena cast this curse she would get her happy ending!"

"You're right, I did say that, but you forgot about the other thing I said. Remember dearie, every curse can be broken."