The Girl With a Rose on Her Forehead -Once Upon a Time Fanfiction-

Season 1: Episode 20: The Stranger

-Unknown location-

Azalea gasped as she woke up, a painful coldness woke her up as she wrapped her arms even tighter around her waist. She felt like there was nothing left inside of her to keep her warm. All she wanted to do was sleep but every time she tried the cold would wake her up, or her nightmares...or what she used to think were nightmares. Now she knew, it was the magic in her heart, giving her memories trying to get her to remember everything before the curse. Now the only help they were giving her was keeping her awake when all she really wanted was rest. "Please help me, please remember, help me...Emma your the savior. Please save me." Azalea had taken to talking to herself the longer she stayed trapped in this room by the evil queen. She heard her stomach growl, trying her best to ignore how hungry she was. And how much everything hurt.

-Enchanted Forest-

"Did you get the tree?" Azalea asked. The blue fairy and Geppetto turned to see the girl running down the palace hallway towards them. Geppetto gave the blue fairy a wary glance, he was worried the flower enchantress would find out his secret deal he made with the blue fairy. The deal to take his son in the wardrobe and tell everyone that it only had enough magic to take one person. "We did get the tree!" The blue fairy said flying over to the girl, so that she couldn't get too close to the room where royal guards were unloading the trunk of the magic tree that they had cut down. "Might I see it? I want to be able to help you all in preparing it for Mary and the baby." Azalea said with a grin. "No! No, I must do this with just my son Pinocchio. The carving that has to be done to make the trunk a magical wardrobe is very detailed..." Geppetto said, looking nervous. "Oh, okay. I understand." Azalea said, trying to hide that she was hurt by Geppetto's words. "Oh don't be disappointed young child. It is not that I doubt your abilities." Geppetto said walking down the hall to comfort her. "It's just that...I have a very particular way of doing my carving, and with this being such an important project -" Azalea nodded, "I understand. Thank you for helping us by making this. Your amazing Geppetto." Azalea said with a grin. "I deserve no thanks. I only wish to help those...closest to me." Geppetto said, taking his sons hand into his own, holding it tightly. "Why don't you go on and see if you can help anyone else?" blue fairy suggested to Azalea. "Okay. I don't want to distract you anymore Geppetto. Good luck." She said before turning and walking back down the hallway, away from the magical tree trunk. "Don't leave the palace without guards!" Blue called out to Azalea, who rolled her eyes as she turned the corner, leaving their sight.

-Emma's Car, Leaving Storybrooke-

"You do know that if my mom catches me out her with you she will be really mad." Henry said as he sat in the yellow car with Emma. "Yea, Henry I need to ask you something really important...do you want to leave Regina, and do you want me to be your mom?" Emma asked. "More than anything." Henry said with a grin. "Than buckle up, were leaving." Emma said as she started the car. Henry got a shocked look on his face, quickly pulling the seat belt on when he felt the car jerk as Emma drove down the road.

-Enchanted Forest-

Azalea held the shining yellow flower in front of her (much like a flashlight) as she walked around the palace walls. She knew that if anyone found her wondering on her own she would get in trouble, but she was just so sick of having to be watched like a child. Rumple had literally ruined most of her life. She wasn't going to let him be in control of everything she did. "This is all I wanted." She though to herself as she tucked the shining flower into her hair, using it as a light in the darkness as she walked around. 'Some fresh air and peace.' The peace of the night was broken when she heard shouting from the front of the gate. It sounded like a fight was breaking out. She quickly hid within some bushes and tucked the shining flower into her jacket, hiding herself in the shadows of the night. "That was easy, now all I have to do is track down my little flower girl." A chill ran down Azalea's spine. Who was after her now? Rumple had been trapped away, so it couldn't be him. Who else would be powerful enough to be able to get past the castle guards "STOP RIGHT THERE!" Azalea felt a rush of relief when she heard Charming's voice. "Why stop now? I already got all the way into the castle grounds. I'm so close to finding the flower enchantress I can almost smell her."  Azalea begged for him to only be kidding about the smelling part, being a flower enchantress did make her smell like flowers...so the person trying to get her probably didn't know just how accurate his statement was. "The person your looking for is safely inside the palace, you will have to get through us to get to her." Grumpy's voice as he said holding up a sword. Azalea dared to peek through the leafs of the bush, fear making her stop when she saw the leg of the person who had broken in to come take her right in front of the bush. Charming and the dwarfs were standing in front of the door to the castle. If the man found her in her hiding place she was doomed. She had to think of something. "I suggest you move out of my way, I am being payed a heavy price to bring the girl back with me." The man said pulling out two swords and pointing them at Charming and the Dwarfs. One of the branches from the bush started to shake and Azalea smiled. She put her hands on the ground below her, she closed her eyes and focused on the branches around her. 'help me my friend.' she though as her hands started to glow, the branches shifting and moving more. Suddenly they all shot out from the bush, wrapping themselves around the intruder until he was trapped, the branches wrapping themselves around his legs and arms. "What's happening?!" Doc shouted from the group. "Don't worry! It's only me." Azalea called as she climbed out of the bush to where everyone could see her. "Azalea! I though you were safe inside." Charming said running over to her. "I came out to take a walk and get some fresh air, then this man showed up and I hid." Azalea explained as the man fought to get out of the twist of the branches, to no avail. "You know that your supposed to stay inside after it gets dark." Charming said, holding the girl in his arms. "I know, and I'm sorry...but I'm trapped in the castle all the time, and I have no freedom...I just wanted to walk around, without an escort and without feeling like a burden." She said, unable to look James in the eye. Charming sighed. "You are the furthest thing from a burden." He said pulling the girl into a hug. "I understand your frustration, and tomorrow we will find a way to maybe help the castle feel less like a prison and more like a home...but you need to understand just how important you are, your the last flower enchantress in the land. Your are the only person with a pure heart. Now that you carry the last inheritance of the powers of a flower enchanter you have a giant target on your back. And I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to you under my watch." James said, Azalea hugged him. "I'm sorry," She said as the Dwarfs worked on moving the new prisoner to the cells down below. "Let's get you back inside, I'm sure Snow is worried to death not knowing where you are." He said before pulling her inside.

-Azalea's Apartment-

Mary walked around Azalea's apartment. Emma told her that she had already looked for clues multiple times, but Mary couldn't just sit around and do nothing while Azalea was missing. Mary was worried to death. There was a vase of roses on Azalea's kitchen table, slowly dying from neglect. Mary frowned as she picked the vase up and took it to her apartment. Mary had never seen Azalea's flowers ever die. It couldn't be a good sign at all.