A few days have passed, Regina was putting on her earrings in front of a mirror, they heard the doorbell rang and looked to the door, Regina walked over and opened the door, she looked around to see no one there but looked down to see two baskets filled with green apples, she picked them up.
"A gift," Regina glanced behind her to see Zelena behind her, sat on the dining table, "From sister to sister," Zelena said.
Regina picked them up and shut the door behind her as she walked back inside, placing the basket on a side table, "What are you doing here?" Regina asked.
"I saw your tree and I thought you could use something better," Zelena picked up one of Regina's red apples from her fruit basket on the dining table, "Red apples are so sickly sweet, don't you think? People tend to like something... A little sharper," Zelena said as she got off the table.
"And green apples are just... Bitter," Zelena picked up one of Regina's decorations, "That's not yours," Regina said.
"Story of my life," Zelena said as she put the decoration down.
"Why are you here?" Regina asked.
"Oh, sisterly concern, sisterly advice, you know. I wanted to make sure you were alright after our little showdown," Zelena said as she walked over to Regina's living room.
Regina followed her, "I'm fine. Are you?" Regina asked.
"Getting there," Zelena looked around the room and took a seat on Regina's sofa, "This is nice. So luxurious. You really don't appreciate what you have, do you?" Zelena said.
"Right. Because I got everything and you have nothing. If you want your superpower to be envy, go right ahead," Regina said.
"Envy is just another word for ambition," Zelena said.
"Well, that's just..." Regina sighed, "Not true," Regina said.
"You see, I strive for things. I work. You..." Zelena scoffed, "...You cast a curse that was just a fancy form of running away. With every advantage, you still turn your back on every opportunity for happiness. You, Regina... You just don't take risks, you don't live your life! It's such a waste!" Zelena stood up and examined the mantle, "I can see why our mother was so disappointed in you," Zelena said.
"Disappointed in me? She gave you away," Regina said.
"You have no idea what really happened. That's exactly what's going to hurt you," Zelena said.
Regina laughed, "You didn't come here to give me sisterly advice. Why are you really here?" Regina said.
"So perceptive. I'm here, Regina, because I wanted to make sure you weren't someplace else so I can take what I need. Or rather, the stand-in Dark One could. Do you feel it, sis? He's taking your heart," Zelena said.
Regina picked up a knife and threw it at Zelena, only for her to disappear in green smoke.
Elsewhere, in the B&B, Mr Gold was standing in a room and he walked towards a bed when he heard the safety cap removed from a gun and he turned to see Emma, "Stop right there. I know this won't kill you, but it'll stall you," Emma said.
"If I could stand down, I would. Heed me. Give me the heart," Mr Gold said.
There was a knock on the door, "Aunt Em? You in there?" Julia said as she walked in.
"Julia! Run!" Emma yelled.
"Come here, Julia," Mr Gold said.
"Gold, don't do this... She's your granddaughter," Emma said.
"Trust me, dearie, I don't want to. I really don't. Come closer, Julia," Mr Gold said and magically forced Julia forward.
"Aunt Emma!" Julia said.
"And stop," Mr Gold said and used his magic to push the girl to the ground.
"Aunt Em! Help!" Julia yelled.
"I didn't want to do this either," Emma shot her bullet, only for Mr Gold to magically catch it in mid-air then he changed the direction of the bullet to Julia, "No! Don't!" Emma yelled.
"You've always been good with your aim. And I've just changed your target. If I drop my finger..." Mr Gold said.
"No! Wait! Wait," Emma put the gun down and walked over to a loose floorboard, she removed the board and took out a small pouch that contained Regina's heart, "This is what you want isn't it?" Emma said.
"Thank you," He took the pouch, "And I am sorry," Mr Gold said and sent the arrow flying until it was inches from Julia before it dropped then Mr Gold disappeared.
Emma approached Julia who had passed out from the shock, Emma collected the small girl in her arms and Regina ran in, "What happened?" Regina asked.
"I'm sorry, it's gone," Emma said as she laid Julia on her bed.
"Was she hurt?" Regina asked as she walked up.
"Luckily, no. I really am sorry, you trusted me and I let you down... I let both you and Elaine down... Allowed Julia to see magic, to almost get hurt," Emma said.
"No, you didn't. Nothing's worth the loss of a child. But not we have a problem. I'm alive and I can simply make her forget what happened," Regina said and she brushed her hand over Julia's forehead.
"Right?" Emma said.
"She has my heart," She looked at Emma, "Gold's taken it for her, and since she hasn't crushed it and killed me, that means she needs it for something far worse," Regina said.
"Worse than murder? What is she planning for you then?" Emma asked.
"It doesn't matter. Because I'm going to stop her," Regina sat on the bed and brushed her hand over Julia's forehead, "There... Everything that just happened... She won't remember," Regina said.
"Ever?" Emma asked.
"If Henry and Julia remember what I've made them forget she'll remember then, but not before," Regina said.
♥✨♥✨♥✨♥✨♥✨♥
Belle and Callie walked into the front room and saw Regina rummaging through the items, "Hey! Hey! Hey! Stop! Stop it!" Callie said.
"What... What are you looking for?" Belle asked.
"I need to destroy my sister. She has my heart," Belle looked nervous as Callie got ready to use her magic, "Oh, relax. She can't control me with it. I protected it from that," Callie and Belle relaxed a little as they looked at her, "The problem is, I don't know what she's planning on using it for, which is why I need to take her out!" Regina turned to them, "I need your help, what do you two have here?" Regina asked.
"What do we have here? We have self-respect. Why on earth or any realm would We help you? The woman who imprisoned us in a tower in her castle, then put me in an asylum for twenty-eight years, who's done nothing but mentally and physically torture us ever since we've known each other!" Callie said angrily.
"Huh. Bookworm's got teeth," Regina said.
"You think I'm afraid of you? I stood up to Rumpelstiltskin the minute I met him, you are nothing compared to him. So... Get out, Regina," Callie said with a forced smile.
Regina sighed, "Yes. I did all those horrible things... In the past. But right now, I need something to defeat the woman who's puppet-mastering your boyfriend. She has Rumpel and unless one of you help me, you both may never see him again. I'm sorry, Callie, Belle. I really, really am," Regina said.
Callie took a deep breath, "So, I've been trying to match the ingredients that Zelena's been collecting to whatever spell she intends to cast. It would really help if I know what is so special about your heart. Does she just want it because you're sisters, or..." Callie said.
"I have no idea," Regina realised something, "The candle. Where's the candle?" Regina asked.
Belle picked up a candelabra," Here?" Belle said.
"Not that Liberace. The two-sided candle Snow and Priscilla used to kill my mother. Where's that?" Regina asked.
Callie opened a cabinet and held up the Enchanted Candle, "Its power's gone now. It's just a relic," Callie said.
Regina took it, "Yes. That's it. This isn't about how my mother died. This is about how she lived," Regina pointed to Callie, "Come with me," Regina said.
"Excuse me?" Callie said in digust.
"Come with me, I'm gonna need your added help," Regina said and left the pawnshop as Callie rolled her eyes and walked after her.
Flashback
In the Enchanted Forest, years ago, inside a tavern, a young Cora worked as a barmaid. A man handed her a tray containing multiple steins of beer, "Here you go, Cora," He said.
"Cora! There she is!" A customer said.
Young Cora handed the man his beer and gracefully attempted to walk her way past several drunk men to the next customer, "Here you go," One of the drunken men reached for her waist, "Oh! Off with you!" Young Cora said.
Another customer grabbed her, "Give us a dance, lassie!" They said.
"Oh, let go, Charlie," She chuckled as she worked her way from him, she was knocked into a table where another patron was seated, "Oh, I'm so sorry," Young Cora said.
"Sit down, Cora. You've already worked past the end of your shift. I daresay you've earned it," The patron said.
"Thank you," Young Cora said as she sat down across from him.
"You know, I've watched you this whole week that I've been here. You work in a tavern, but you move like a lady," The patron said.
"I'm just a miller's daughter. I earn a little extra here. Someone once told me to act like what you plan to be, so I try to be a little better than what I am," Young Cora said."
"Oh, I wish I could stay. But tomorrow, I must press on. I've already stayed longer than I planned," The patron said.
"Have you? Why?" Young Cora asked.
"I think you know why," He dropped a small cloth adorned with the crest of the royal family in front of her, "Oh, that's..." She picked it up and looked at it, "I didn't want you to..." The patron said.
"It's the royal crest," Young Cora said.
"I wanted you to know me as me, not as 'Prince Jonathan'," Jonathan said.
"Prince Jonathan," Young Cora repeated, amazed to hear that he was a prince.
"With all the noblewomen, I end up feeling like the last kernel of corn in the hen house. But you, you put me in my place when I'm wrong," Jonathan said.
"And you are wrong pretty often," Young Cora said as they laughed.
"This isn't how it's supposed to go, but... I hoped to only ask this question once in my life, but I'm going to ask it twice. Once now with this..." He bent down and picked up a piece of straw and tied it into a makeshift ring, "Ring made of gold, but I will come back in two weeks and turn this ring into gold. Well, I'll bring you a gold one. And I'll whisk you away to the castle Princess Cora," He placed the straw ring on her finger, "Will you marry me?" Jonathan said.
"Yes. Yes!" Young Cora said with a smile.
Jonathan kissed her hand, "You've made me so happy. Oh, but these next two weeks are going to be torture. Meet me at the crossroads so we don't waste any time," Jonathan said.
"I'll be there. When do you have to leave?" Young Cora asked.
"Very early tomorrow, I'm afraid," Jonathan said.
"The tavern closes soon," Young Cora said.
"Well, then," Jonathan said.
"But seeing as how we are essentially married perhaps I could keep you company in your room," Young Cora said and took gently took his hand and they both walked upstairs into the inn of the tavern.
End of Flashback
At the mayor's house, Killian, Mary Margaret, Faye and David were in the study. Elaine and Emma walked into a room and found Killian studying a green apple, "I'd watch out for the apples in this house," Elaine said.
"Aye," Killian said.
"It was a joke, where's your sense of humour?" Elaine asked.
"It left when the witch arrived," Killian said.
"Well, we're gonna take care of that. Regina and Callie said they have a plan," Emma said.
"I'm sure they do," Killian said as he stood up.
"What's the matter with you?" Elaine asked.
"Nothing," Killian said.
They made their way over to the table where Faye, David and Mary Margaret were sitting, "Girls, will you please tell Faye that we're not gonna name your brother 'Silas'?" David said and Emma and Elaine looked at each other silently.
They sat around the table with an empty chair for Regina, "Uh, why not? It was my grandfather's name," Faye said.
"People will make fun of him," David said.
"My grandfather was a king," Faye said.
"Which is why nobody made fun of him," David said.
"Okay, what about 'Aria'? My grandmother's name," Faye asked.
"I don't know how well that'll work with a boy," David said.
"It might not be a boy," Faye said as she glanced at Killian who smiled at her.
Callie and Regina walked in with a tea set, "Sorry to keep you waiting. We were finishing up making this special tea," Callie said as she poured the tea into the cups and David picked his up and intended to drink it.
"No!" Regina and Callie yelled causing him to freeze.
"Don't don't drink!" Regina said.
"It's a deadly poison for summoning the Dark Vortex," Callie said.
"I prefer Earl Grey," David said as he put his cup down.
"Well, Earl Grey will just have to wait, my darling," Faye said.
"The dark what?" The Swan twins asked.
"Zelena came by this morning. While the Dark One was stealing my heart, she was here gloating," Emma shifted nervously, "I don't blame you, Emma... She said that my weakness was that I don't know enough about her past," Regina sat in the spare seat, "So, I have decided to summon someone who does. We have to talk to my mother," Regina said.
At the farmhouse, a flying monkey was beside Zelena as she took out Regina's heart from a satchel and the flying monkey screeched, "Yes. I know, it looks battered, but that's the point," She placed the heart inside a wooden box, then she stored the box inside a suitcase while the flying monkey watched her closely. Zelena walked over to a wardrobe, opened it and took out a black coat, "This will do perfectly," The flying monkey screeched angrily, "Oh, don't be jealous," Zelena said.
Zelena made her way out of the farmhouse and into the storm cellar, she opened the cage door and handed him the black coat which Mr Gold eyes suspiciously.
"What do you want me to do with this?" Mr Gold asked.
"What do you think? Wear it. I've got Regina's heart, Charming's courage and right in here, ready to be plucked, your lovely brains," She touched the side of his head and he jerked back as she was about to reach his temple, "We've got everything we need. It's a good time to celebrate, don't you think?" Zelena said.
"You don't have everything," Mr Gold said.
"The baby will come. Now, let's get you dressed," Zelena said.
"I'm not your doll," Mr Gold said.
"Aren't you? I'm not using the dagger, but I could. A certain baby could be here at any minute, so I'm going to give you a choice on how you want to live out the rest of this time. One choice is screaming agony. The other is much more pleasant. Choose well, doll," Zelena said and turned around and left the storm cellar.
Back at the mayor's house, everyone was sitting around the table with the Enchanted Candle in the middle of the table, "It's a fairly simple ritual but not often performed," Regina said.
"If it's easy to talk to the dead, why not do it more?" Elaine asked.
"Well, because to do it, you need the murder weapon," Regina gestured to the candle, "And the murderer... Or in this case murderers," Regina said.
Faye and Mary Margaret looked at each other as Regina lit both sides of the Enchanted Candle, "What do we need to do?" Emma asked.
"Focus on Cora," Regina said as she held her hands out to David and Emma who took hold of them. Faye held David's and Mary Margaret's hand, Callie held Mary Margaret and Killian's hand and Elaine held Emma's hand and placed her hand on Killian's wrist and they looked at each other.
Killian cleared his throat and looked at Regina, "Welcoming thoughts?" Killian asked.
"Whatever you've got," Regina said.
"Is it-," Emma began to say.
"Shh," Regina said.
As everyone thought of Cora, the candle started flickering and the wind picked up in the room causing the fire to be blown out from the fireplace and a blue tornado opened up on the ceiling.
They looked up at it, "We did it," Mary Margaret said.
"Cora? Mother, can you hear us? Cora, give us a sign... Do not ignore me now, mother... Please. You owe me this," Regina said.
The table jerked for a second causing most to flinch and let go of peoples hands, "Oh!" Faye said as she jumped from fright and the blue tornado disappeared.
"Sorry, love. That was me. I crossed my legs and bumped the table," Killian said.
"Regina?" Emma said and Regina sighed before blowing out the Enchanted Candle.
"Do we try it again?" Mary Margaret asked.
"No... There's no point. It worked. The portal opened, but nothing came from it. She doesn't want to talk to me," David, Faye and Mary Margaret sighed, "Guess whatever secrets lie in her past, she wants to keep buried there," Regina said.
Flashback
Two weeks later, young Cora was standing under an umbrella as a cart passed by, she looked down the road waiting for Jonathan to show up as he promised her. She waited on the side of the road but he never showed up.
Two months later, Cora was walking in the forest after not seeing Jonathan since the night at the tavern, she spotted him standing under a gazebo, "Jonathan..." She ran over to him, "Jonathan! Jonathan!" She stood slightly behind him, "It's me... What happened? It's been two months. My friends said it was a trick, but I said, 'no, it must be an accident or a misunderstanding, that I'd find out at the castle,' and here you are," Young Cora said.
"You are stubborn on," He turned to her, "Aren't you?" Jonathan said.
Cora looked down to see mud on his boots and a pitch fork near him, "Are you... The gardener?" Young Cora asked.
"Well, I'm not Prince Jonathan... Of course, there is no Prince Jonathan," Jonathan said.
"You lied to me. You took my heart, my virtue, my... My good name," Young Cora said.
"I took?" He laughed, "You practically forced it into my hands when you thought that I was a prince... A harlot is a harlot," Jonathan said and he started to walk away with the pitcher fork.
"I'm with child," He froze, "I'm going to have a baby. There may be no Prince Jonathan, but there is a prince, and how will he feel when I tell him what you've done? Give me enough to support this child. You stole before. Do it again," Young Cora said.
He looked at her, "Yeah, go ahead and tell him. Good luck finding me," Jonathan said as he started to walk away again.
Young Cora grabbed him, "Guards! Guards! There's a scoundrel in the garden! Guards, help me!" She yelled as she and Jonathan struggled against each other then he finally shoved her to the ground and took off running.
A man walked up to her, "Are you alright? What happened to you? You were calling for help," The man said.
"He got away... Just a bandit on the road. He took everything I had," Young Cora said defeatedly.
"I'm so sorry to hear that... Come with me. We'll do everything we can for you," The man said and held out his hand to her.
"There's nothing you can do for me," Young Cora said.
"Allow me to try. I'm Prince Leopold," Prince Leopold said.
Young Cora turned to see a younger Leopold and she took hold of his hand, "Thank you, your highness," Young Cora said.
End of Flashback
At the mayor's house, everyone was leaving the study and heading towards the door, "Maybe Belle will have more luck. There has to be something that can help us," David said.
"I'll work with Belle, to see if there is anything new," Callie said and walked out.
"Right. Our magic gets more powerful every day. By the time this all goes down, we'll be ready," Elaine said.
"Mhm," Emma said with a nod.
"Make sure you both are," Regina said.
"Come on, let's go," David said and Mary Margaret, Elaine, Emma and Killian left the house.
David turned to help Faye down the steps to the door but she didn't move, "You know what? Go ahead. I'm gonna stay and talk to Regina," David nodded and walked out of the house as Faye turned to Regina, "I'll help you clean up," Faye said.
"I'm not in the mood for a heart-to-heart," Regina said.
"I'm not sure that's physically possible right now..." Regina chuckled softly, "Besides, I'd pick hanging out with you than arguing over baby names or being called a homewrecker by nearly everyone," Faye said.
Regina smiled at her slightly, "You can help with the teacups," Regina said and they walked back into the study, the doorway leading to the front door, glowed before it disappeared in blue light.