Everything Has Changed

Chapter 13 - Demons

Down, down, down. It felt like falling, but everything around her was black. A void. Sucking her in and never letting her back out again. At first she fought it, the falling sensation, but in the end she realized it was inevitable, and she gave in.

Color. Bright swashes of red and gold. Memories. Of waltzes and gilded masks. She gave in to falling and suddenly everything was vivid and alive. Scenes from her life played before her, and all she could do was sit there and watch.

Demons. She could see them now, slowly closing in on her from all around. In her memories they were visible, tangible, strong, at the time they had been whispers, shadows, and doubt; all of the things that she ended up shrouding herself in. Demons. They had fed on her, and she had lived off of them.

Suddenly the memory shifted and refocused. She could still see the demons, in plain sight now that she was older, hidden from her past self.

"I'm a goose aren't I?"

"I don't know, let's find out. Can a goose waltz?" He led her to the center of the dance floor and everyone cleared a path for them.

"But I wouldn't want to stand in the way of someone purchasing you."

"Then what, are you doing here?" He bowed and her sharp tongue in return accompanied her curtsey.

"I just came for the free food. Exquisite mutton by the way."

A smile danced on the prince's face under his mask. "Thank you."

Cora watched as the demons in her memory circled even closer to her younger self when the King cut in.

"...There is straw on your dress. You carry the mill with you, miller's daughter."

They stopped dancing in the middle of the party, but no one around them seemed to notice that the King was having a spat with this girl in the center of the dance floor.

"What could you possibly have to offer us?"

She smiled to herself when she saw the demons in her memories slither into her past counterpart. When she watched their shadows blend with hers and their bodies slink into the folds of her blood red ball gown. And then followed the first of her many lies to King Xavier.

"I can turn straw, into gold. And solve all your woes."

And the deal was struck, a tower of straw into gold by morning, either a life with the prince, or a certain death.

That was the night she first let them in, and to this day they were still with her. Circling her, goading her, feeding off of her dark energy and encouraging her to stay her course. They were her friends, her family. Her demons were more a part of her than anything else, and she loved them for it.

The chink of armor, the swish of an arrow, the pull of the magic, she could feel it all. The camp was abuzz with the activities of life during battle. Everyone was practicing, preparing to take the kingdom by force, everyone but her.

Quiet. She wanted to find somewhere quiet to think. That wasn't what she was here to do though, so she gave herself up to the noise, to the pull of her sister's magic, and she joined in the battle planning.

Demons. She had carried her demons with her for all these years. She had killed the man that she loved. She had crushed his heart, in order to stop her sister's happiness, and now here she was fighting right beside her. She was working on vanquishing her demons.

"Zelena!" Regina was calling out to her as she moved across the camp towards the Queen's tent.

She raised a hand in greeting, "I'm coming!" She moved a little faster, closing the distance between them quickly. She felt her little sister wrap an arm around her and guide her inside. There were others in the tent; Belle and Red were there, along with Snow and Robin and even the little cricket. Was Regina really using the bug for guidance? She shook her head, but she didn't make eye contact with anyone as she took her seat.