Time Will Tell

Chapter One

The Past: The Enchanted Forest

"Please stop crying, Regina, I promise you, in the end everything will work out," Tinkerbell implores, holding the hysterical, young woman firmly against her sparkling green dress while the tears of betrayal and heartache continue to stream viciously down Regina's cheeks.

"No! It's not!" Regina screams, like she's hopelessly choking on her last breath, as she jerks away from the fairy's embrace, so she can glare at her, square in the eyes. "I watched my mother kill Daniel. Daniel. The love of my life. We were going to run away together," she sobs the mantra over again that her mouth has been repeatedly spewing since the tragedy occurred.

She has lost all hope, because now, she has been crying for an entire week straight and the stubborn tears refuse to slow down the least bit. She examines the way Tinkerbell takes a deep breath, her face expressing how she's internally struggling with something unknown, but Regina is skeptical. The fairy nibbles on her lower lip while she tentatively places a hand upon Regina's trembling fists.

"I know this is wrong...and I shouldn't show you this, but...come on," Tink sadly urges, dragging a defeated heap of mess from the bed, a bed Regina has refused to leave for seven whole days.

Regina's frantic, agitated and reluctant to follow her new friend anywhere, but the fairy distracts her by sprinkling a dash of glowing, green pixie dust on top of her head. Regina watches in awe, through her burry vision of tears as her entire body radiates and shines an emerald hue. And she's too distracted at the moment to truly comprehend when Tinkerbell takes her hand and pulls her toward the starry night sky and away from her prison.

"Where are you taking me?" She innocently asks, assessing how the world is slowly slipping away beneath her feet and god does she wish that life were just that simple.

"That I can't tell you. It's a secret, but I promise you, you will feel so much better," Tink confesses with a sincere smile and hope dancing around her words that somehow convinces Regina to trust in the fairy.

Neither one says another word. Maybe Tinkerbell is too focused on settling the debate screaming through her mind of right and wrong, to actually strike up a conversation. And as for Regina, well, she's transfixed on the tiny world disappearing beneath her bare feet to engage with the blonde, because for once in her life, she's free. She's not trapped beneath her mother's wicked thumb, the pressure always so unbearable that her lungs cannot possibly take a breath without her mother's permission. And in this moment, she feels like a caged animal, finally escaping her prison to roam wild, free and just be...her.

Flying through the night is actually settling her nerves. The air is warm, wrapping around the muscles in her body that have been involuntarily spasming for days now, like a gentle hug. The stars dance and sparkle all around them, lighting up a path to guide their way to the unknown destination. The world is eerily quiet that high in the sky, the only sound coming from Tink's flapping wings, in tempo with Regina's fluttering heart. A calming sensation washes over her, forcing her to inhale sharply and relax, so she can enjoy the moment. And it's the first time in a week that she actually feels content.

They arrive, where Regina can only assume is the fairy's home. There's an assortment of vibrant, colorful flowers as far as her eyes can see, with an old tree, rooted in the middle with pixie dust flowing so freely from it. This place, whenever she may be, is like a dreamland she never wants to leave, it's everything her mundane, black and white world isn't and everything she longs for.

Tink waves her wand and unexpectedly, Regina shrinks down to the fairy's dainty size. The blonde holds out her hand and Regina is all too thrilled of what's to come, not to accept and be lead to a blue flower that is tucked away in the shadows, unlike the rest. She furrows her brows, the true meaning behind the flower's neglect piques her interest, but before she can ask a simple question, she notices a mirror in the middle of the flower, stealing her full attention and captivating her.