She had spent her entire childhood imagining what her birth mother was like, the woman that was responsible for her magical abilities. Thinking about her often made the pain of her childhood subside, even if it were only for a moment or two. When she first discovered Cora Mills and all of the things she had accomplished, her initial reaction was a surge of pride- even if she did abandon her, the woman who gave birth to her was fierce and unapologetic, taking what she wanted and never looking back. The more she uncovered about her mother, the more her respect grew. Admiration quickly transformed to hatred in a vicious cycle that kept her moving forward.
All of the familiar feelings from her youth resurfaced as soon as she stepped across the threshold of Cora's chamber. Something within her seemed to spark when she entered the room, an instant acknowledgment of all the important magical items hidden away around her. Zelena could sense the long hours spent learning and perfecting her craft; in that room, she felt closer than ever before to her mother.
"I don't suppose you ever thought this day would come," Zelena muttered, her words fading into the stillness. "Someone really wanted me to find all of your best kept secrets. And now," she couldn't help but chuckle as she sauntered around the room, eagerly awaiting her chance to explore it all- "now the daughter you abandoned and the grandchild you thought you'd never have are both in your house in this very moment."
Gingerly opening the desk drawer, Zelena felt the barrier of blood magic dissolve around her fingertips. A wooden wand lay perfectly placed in the center. She couldn't resist picking it up and examining it through and through, envisioning the long life it once had.
"I spent so many years of my life wanting to be as powerful as you once were," she began, feeling the strong magic radiate from the wand. "but then I realized that I could become far more powerful than you ever dreamed of- you and I never got the chance to meet, but I'm going to make you wish you hadn't left me all those years ago." Her voice carried an icy finish, a threat that begged to be put into action.
With that, Zelena tucked the wand inside her cloak and continued on.
--
Heartbeats drummed against her ears as she walked down the long stretch of hallway. With a wave of her hand, the candles lining both walls burst with light, giving an alluring and welcoming glow. Caroline knew her dad would be cross with her for going on by herself, but she couldn't resist the opportunity to know her mother in a completely different aspect of life. Magic was the one thing that bonded her to the grandmother she had never met, and within that house, the drive towards discovery felt stronger than ever. It fueled the girl's every step forward, one after another until she was met with a large door, signaling the end of the hallway. Stopping abruptly, Caroline stared at the closed door and reveled in the silence for a moment, the pull towards whatever was on the other side of the door practically overwhelming her senses.
Reaching forward, she turned the knob slowly, letting loose an eerie creak as the door opened. Caroline poked her head in, caution taking hold on her. The caution, however, dissipated when she began surveying the scene- she discovered a bedroom, one with a small bed in the corner, a bookshelf brimming with books against the wall, and a desk off to the side. A paned window allowed whatever sunlight remained to give the room a soft hue. Everything appeared immaculate and in its proper place.
Her first steps inside the room were as quiet as possible, every breath she took feeling like a cascade of noise. She found herself drawn to the desk first, especially when a framed picture caught her eye. Although the photograph was faded with age, it caused the girl's eyes to widen like saucers- a little girl was sitting on her father's lap, his arms around her securely. Caroline instantly recognized who the little girl was, even if it was nearly impossible to believe.
"Mom?" She whispered, holding the photograph between her hands. Soon, curiosity was brimming from within her, exiling all of her remaining caution. Taking another glance around the room, Caroline tried imagining her mother living there. She wondered if it was a safe place for her, somewhere away from her mother's grasp.
She then walked over to the bed and laid down, the picture clutched against her chest as she stared up at the ceiling. Dust stirred up in the air as she did so, her feet dangling off the side of the bed. Her thoughts traveled back to the one time she remembered her mother mentioning anything about her grandfather- it had been years back, when the first realization hit her that her mother had absolutely no family. If it weren't for Will, her dad wouldn't any family either. Everyone in her class had grandparents that seemed to shower them with gifts and attention- but not her. She carried the label of being the daughter of an Evil Queen and a notorious thief; any family beyond that was lost in translation.
When Caroline asked her mom about her parents, she received a perplexed look and a limited answer. She was told that her father died a long time ago, and that he was kind and always had good jokes. Looking at him then, Caroline could almost feel the kindness in his eyes. She wished then that she could've met him.
Blowing out air in a long exhale, the girl sat back up and began looking through the array of books lined up on the shelves. Most of them were topics she had never heard of, things she couldn't imagine a child younger than herself ever reading- some of the books weren't even in English. She had no idea how much time went by as she grazed across all of her forgotten items, spending eternities in one area alone. Although the exterior of the bedroom seemed organized, everything beneath the surface was chaotic, haphazardly tossed aside out of the public eye. There were unfinished letters, discarded toys, hairbrushes, corrected exams... everything. Caroline was amazed that Cora had allowed those things to remain in the house, even if it was long forgotten. It was evidence of her mother's existence, pieces of her life uncovered to reveal a more holistic truth.
As she sifted through a basket of toys, taking time to study each one, a scene flashed before her eyes, much like a memory to an event the girl never witnessed herself. Though hazy, the scene began with a young girl asleep in her bed, clutching the same doll Caroline was then holding. Obliterating the comfortable silence, Cora burst into the room, practically boiling over with rage as she yanked the child awake in her arms, carrying her out of the bedroom swiftly. Even though they were out of Caroline's sight, the yelling that had initiated sent a wave of fear through her. She could hear a man's voice trying to reason with her, yet the hostility didn't subside. Cries mixed with the screams from the girl's mother, creating a world of absolute horror. Amidst all of the chaos, Caroline detected footsteps from the other side of the bedroom window. Jumping to her feet, she got to the window just in time to see a hooded figure briskly walking away, a long cape billowing in the wind. When the suspect fully vanished into the darkness, and the yelling behind her came to a sudden stop.
Caroline swept her eyes warily across the room again and again, terrified of whatever events she had witnessed. Her mother's bedroom was no longer a place of interest, but a place of horrors and constant unrest. With a growing tightness in her stomach, she gathered her courage and ran out of the room, wanting to be anywhere but there. She set out down another auspicious stretch of hallway, knowing Zelena had to be somewhere nearby.
--
The spells and incantations discovered in Cora's office were truly unlike anything she had read before- each page was tirelessly written with precise accuracy. Zelena was fascinated with the knowledge her birth mother had, she was a pioneer in the field of magic. She wished she could talk with her, face to face, and uncover all of the other aspects of her life that remained a mystery. If she hadn't been abandoned, learning about magic from the best would've been a part of her life instead of the pathetic tragedy it turned out to be. Everything would have been hers, and the legacy would live on. It could've all been hers- royalty, wealth, status, power-
"Zelena!"
Whipping around, the woman nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound. It took her a moment to break out of the small world she had created.
"Have you had your fill of snooping for the night?" She asked, quickly noticing the frightened look reflecting in the girls eyes.
Caroline struggled to find words, the walls feeling like they were closing in. "I- I don't want to be here anymore. Can we go?"
Setting down the papers she was reading, Zelena beaconed her closer. Caroline obeyed, although she was extremely hesitant about it. "Don't you see all the history around us? The reason this house is even here is because Cora had the fortitude and resilience to do what no one else even dreamt of back then."
Despite Zelena's glowing nature as she talked, the girl only felt more dismal inside. She wanted her father, her mother... she wanted to be home.
"Cora was an awful mom," Caroline replied shakily, the words tasting like poison, "she hit her, and yelled, and- and she was never happy!"
Zelena gave her a surprised look, her mind racing to figure out what exactly to say next. "Sometimes we have to do everything we have to in order to get what we want. Sacrifices must be made-"
"Not like that. She was cruel. Mom never talks about Cora because it makes her too sad- she's the reason why everything bad happened to her."
She watched as Zelena's blue eyes grew cold.
"You have no idea what you're talking about- you weren't there. The world isn't black and white, the sooner you learn that the better."
"I've been... seeing things, visions I guess. There's so much sadness in this house, I don't know how you can't see that."
A few months ago, Caroline would never have thought she would carry the bravery needed to say such a thing to an adult, much less one as intimidating as the Wicked Witch of the West.
"I know you feel like that life should've been yours, but you didn't want Cora as your mom. Whatever life you had growing up can't be changed, it is what it is. The future is up for grabs, though."
As Zelena withheld a response, her niece grew wary, feeling more and more out of place in that room. The woman seemed lost in thought, neither angry nor sad- caught in a haze, her intensity ebbing.
"I never wanted to accept that I've been a failure from the beginning," Zelena eventually spoke, her voice hollow. "I guess putting all my energy in changing the past helped me to forget."
Caroline was at a loss for words, not expecting such unflinching honesty. She was aware of her smallness in that moment.
"Well... I don't think you're a failure," she began, waiting for her eyes to meet with hers before continuing. "Ever since we first met, I thought there was something about you that I've never seen in Storybrooke before. Everything you did with my mom is still hard to get over, but other than that, I think you're cool."
Zelena appeared stunned, the silence feeling comforting to her. That validation was something she yearned for more than anything- she searched for it in the ambition shining in her eyes, the spring in her step as she walked by her side. Hearing those words made her heart practically swell within her.
"Zelena, what's that?" Caroline asked, disrupting the quietness and pointing to an object behind the woman.
Turning around, Zelena was met with a pair of red slippers auspiciously placed atop all the papers. To the girl's surprise, Zelena let out a smile, one that was genuine on all accounts.
"That, my dear girl, is how we're getting out of here."
Grabbing hold of the shoes, she gave Cora's office chamber one final sweep. "Let's go find everyone else."
Although Caroline was confused over how a pair of dress shoes were going to help them, the conviction in her voice was undeniable. She followed Zelena out of the room, catching the last glimpses of the life her mother once lived before exiting for good.
The nighttime air felt cool against her skin, all of the light having faded away while they were searching inside the mansion.
"Caroline, my god! What were you doing in there for so long?" Her father voiced, pulling her into a tight hug.
"You took a souvenir?" Ruby asked, sounding unimpressed with her taste in fashion.
"This is our ticket back to the present," Zelena announced, quickly earning everyone's attention. "I received these shoes from the Wizard of Oz himself- their magical properties allow whoever wields them to travel wherever they please."
"If they're yours, why'd they turn up in there?" Will asked, folding his arms skeptically.
"I have no idea- but we can leave now, if you'll allow me."
The proposal hung eerily in the air.
"Zelena, we're not going through this again-"
"Caroline will be the one to direct the location," she intervened, "we'll need to combine our magic in order to generate the power needed to get all five of us there safely. I promise I have no motive here, Robin- this is our one chance to get back to the present day."
He knew she was right. His family was there waiting for them to return. Still, the unpredictability of it all couldn't be shaken, stirring up madness inside.
"And what will you do once we're back in Storybrooke? Regina won't want to see you."
"Whatever you want, I suppose," she answered, "I just hope that in time you'll trust that I won't cause your family any harm."
Will, Ruby, and Robin exchanged looks, all feeling the same way- after so much time away, home was where they needed to be.
The five of them took one another's hands, looking towards Zelena for what was to come next.
"Just think of Storybrooke and how you last remember it," she instructed, "that goes for all of you. We'll need all the energy we can get. Leave the rest to me."
Bringing up memories from Storybrooke was easy- the girl had never left before her current endeavor, that town was all she knew. The warmness of its residents, the stories they all could tell... it was definitely something that was missed.
Looking in front of them, the mansion of many secrets reflected moonlight, the last image of the Enchanted Forest they beheld.
There was a single click of heels, then two, then three.
There's no place like home.