Enchanted Forest, many years ago:
Snow had been woken up by Charming from the Sleeping Curse and they were now fighting to take back the kingdom from King George.
As they were on a journey through the kingdoms they came upon the tower but no one was there. Snow frowned. "Alex must have succeeded in freeing Rapunzel." She said softly and hoped it was true and Rapunzel was really save. However as they continued their journey they found Alexis in the woods by himself. He was weak and disoriented.
"What happened? Where is Rapunzel?" David asked Alex as they sat down with him to eat something. He was worried for Snow's sister and his adoptive cousin.
Alex sighed. He drank some water and took a bite of bread that they offered him. "I don't know. The queen found out about us and send Rapunzel away. She cut her hair off and blinded me. I've been searching for weeks but being blind makes it hard to find her." He explained to them and sighed. Alexis hoped Rapunzel and their child would be save.
Shaking her head, Snow gasped as she heard what happened. She couldn't believe Regina had done this to Rapunzel. After all, Rapunzel was the only thing Regina truly loved. "We'll find her. I'm sure of it. You are coming with us." She told him and gave his hand a comforting squeeze.
Alex was glad they found him. He was sure with their help he could find Rapunzel.
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Rapunzel had been wandering around the same part of the woods for weeks. Everytime she thought she had found a way out she was back where she began again. The infinite forest was really infinite. There was no way out for her.
She was weak and hungry but tried to stay strong for her baby. The young blonde found a well in the woods and went there everyday to drink water. It had been weeks and she was slowly going crazy.
After a while she began to lose hope that she would ever be able to escape or be found by Alex. For all she knew he might be dead. Who knew what her mother had done to him. However, she couldn't give up yet. She needed to stay sane and healthy for their child but it was getting more and more difficult for her.
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Alex felt better after eating and drinking a bit but still he didn't know how they would be able to find Rapunzel. "We need to come up with a plan. Wherever Regina took her, I'm sure it's not going to be easily found. Can we get help from the Dark One? He helped you find Snow." He asked David and sighed. He didn't want to associate himself with the Dark One but it might be the only way to find his fiancèe.
"No. You can't ask him. He'll want to make a deal with you and it's not one you'll like. But we can ask the blue fairy for help." David told him and sighed. The Blue Fairy was their only option right now as they needed magical help.
Sighing Alex nodded though he wasn't so sure the Blue Fairy would be able to help them. Regina had very powerful magic and therefore they needed someone more powerful. But right now he was only grasping at straws. He only wanted to find Rapunzel as quick as possible and make sure she and their child were alright. Without Snow and David he was completely helpless though. "Alright. We'll ask her for help. But what about George and Regina. They are still after you. And my parents are probably searching for me as well." He reminded them frustrated. The situation was bad but they needed to make sure Rapunzel was alright first.
Snow nodded and sighed. She knew they had to get the danger out of the way but right now she only cared about getting her sister back. "We'll figure it out. Don't worry." She told him reassuringly and glanced at David slightly.
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Three months later, Rapunzel still hadn't been found. They had managed to take over King George's kingdom but they still hadn't defeated Regina.
Rapunzel was still wandering the woods every day but it was to no avail. She couldn't escape the woods on her own. The blonde had tried to stay strong but she was growing weaker with each day that past. She was losing hope that she would be found.
As she stood by the well to drink like she did a few times each day she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her baby bump. She held onto her bump and groaned in pain. "Please, little one, stay in there." She said softly but the pain didn't stop. The young princess leaned against a tree and slowly sat on the ground as the pain got worse. She began to scream and cry as she noticed blood trickling down her legs. This couldn't happen now. She couldn't lose her baby.
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"Come on, Snow. It can't be very far now." David said as they rode through the infinite forest with Alex and the Blue Fairy led the way.
Snow continued to follow them as they reached a well. She stopped to drink and then noticed a figure laying against a tree near the well. She went over to her and gasped as she saw that it was her little sister. "Alex! David! I found her." She called out to them and checked her sister's breathing. She was alive but unconscious. Then the brunette noticed the blood.
Alex jumped off his horse and rushed over to Snow. "What is it, Snow? Is she alright?" He asked worriedly. Rapunzel and the baby needed to be alright. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to them.
The princess sighed deeply. "She is alive, but barely. She lost a lot of blood by the looks of it. We need to bring her to the castle quickly." She explained and looked at David and Blue.
The blue fairy brought them all to the castle and Doc examined Rapunzel right away, Alex stayed by her side the whole time.
"Is she going to be alright?" He asked the dwarf and held onto Rapunzel's hand.
"She is very weak and lost a lot of blood but she will live. She just needs to regain her strength. However, I'm sorry to say this but she lost the baby. I'm so sorry." He explained to the blind prince. He felt so bad for both of them.
Alexis couldn't believe this had happened. They should have found Rapunzel sooner. It was all his fault. He never should have taken so long to get her out of the tower. He got her in this situation in the first place. The young prince began to cry as he continued to watch over Rapunzel. She needed to be okay. He couldn't lose her too.
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A few days later, Rapunzel was finally awake and feeling better but the loss of their child ate at her. She couldn't take this. It was all too much. She was crying in Alex's arms as he held her. She looked at him and noticed that his eyes where blurry, almost white and unfocused. He was blind. "What happened to you?" She asked as she cupped his cheek.
Alex held her close and stroked her hair, which had grown back to the middle of her back over the last few months. He sighed deeply. "Your mother blinded me. She said I would never see you again and she was right but I'll always remember your face, my love." He told her and kept holding her.
More tears gathered in Rapunzel's eyes. She couldn't believe how cruel and ruthless her mother was. "I'm so sorry." She sobbed and cried. As she got closer to him, a few of her tears landed in his eyes.
Blinking, Alex was shocked as he began to see some blurry shadows again. His vision got clearer and clearer as he looked at Rapunzel and smiled as he could see her clearly once again. "I see you, Rapunzel. I can see again!" He said happily. He had no idea how it was possible though.
Rapunzel gasped. "Really?" She questioned and wiped her tears away. She was so happy he got his sight back but was a bit embarrassed about her look right now. She had lost her beauty when her mother chopped her hair off. She looked down a bit.
"Hey, don't do that. You are beautiful no matter what. Your hair will grow back." He told her as he knew what was bothering her right now. The prince stroked her hair carefully and kissed her cheek lovingly. "I love you." He whispered and hugged her.
"I love you too." She answered and hugged him tightly. She was so glad they found each other again.
Alexis held her in his arms and sighed again as he looked at her. "Regina has been captured. They want to execute her." He explained to her, trying to be careful and gentle with his words as he knew it would hurt her. Even after everything that had happened, Regina was still Rapunzel's mother and he knew she loved her dearly.
"Execute her? They can't do that. Snow surely wouldn't do that." She said as tears began to flood her vision. She knew her mother had done unspeakable things and it surely was fitting for her crimes but she was still her mother and Rapunzel didn't want to lose her, even after everything her mother had done to her and Alex.
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When she was able to leave the bed again, Rapunzel went to speak to her sister. "You want to execute her?" She asked right away as she entered the study where Snow was.
Snow looked at Rapunzel and sighed sadly. She knew what her sister was thinking and she didn't like this either. "I don't agree with David on this but Regina is a danger to everyone if we don't stop her." She told her little sister and looked down. She was conflicted about all of this. She wanted to believe that the Regina she knew and loved was still in there somehow, under all that anger and she knew Rapunzel was feeling the same.
"Then stop this. Don't kill her. It won't give you closure. Please, Snow. I know she is still in there. The mother I grew up with is still there, she just needs a chance to change. Let me talk to her. I'm sure she'll listen to me." The blonde pleaded. She couldn't let her mother get killed.
Snow shoke her head at her sister's words. "No, Rapunzel. You can't go to her. Remember what she did to you the last time you saw her. She is not in a good mental state right now and therefore you shouldn't see her. It would only hurt you more. Henry has been to see her and I believe that is all she can handle right now." She told her and walked over to her to give her a hug. This was for the best right now. She needed to protect Rapunzel.
The young girl sighed frustrated. She didn't like this but Snow was right. Who knew what Regina would do if she came to see her. For now it was good that her grandpa got to see her. "Fine. But please, think about the execution. It's just not right." She told her older sister and hugged her carefully before going back to her chambers. She tried hard to hold back tears.
Snow was also fighting back tears. She knew the execution wasn't right and she wanted to believe that Regina could change but everyone else thought this was for the best. She was very conflicted.
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Regina looked at the people that had gathered to witness her execution. She saw Rapunzel in the crowd, sitting next to Snow and sighed. She never wanted her daughter to see her at her worst but she couldn't appear weak now. She wouldn't go down without a fight, no matter how bad this situation was. She couldn't do what her father told her. She wouldn't appear weak.
"I want you to know that what I feel right now is regret." She said and looked down to gather her thoughts. "Regret that I was not able to cause more pain. Inflict more misery. And bring about more death." She continued, her voice getting harsh again. She wouldn't show weakness in her final moments.
Rapunzel watched her mother and shoke her head. She wanted to believe that there was still good in her and that she was only putting on a mask.
As she watched the scene unfold, Snow knew that Regina was only putting up an act so she wouldn't appear weak in her final moments.
"And with every ounce of my being I regret that I was not able to kill Snow White." Regina shouted and looked at Snow with a dangerous smirk. She knew she disappointed her father and Rapunzel but right now she didn't care.
Snow sighed. She knew it was an act. She glanced at Rapunzel before David gave the command to shoot. She couldn't let Regina get killed. Rapunzel was right, this wasn't the answer. "Stop!" She commanded before the arrows could hit Regina. The blue fairy had stopped the arrows. "This isn't the way." The young queen said as she looked at her husband before leaving the scene. She just couldn't kill Regina.
Rapunzel was glad her sister spared her mother's life and she really hoped her mother could change for good.
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With some help from Rumple, Snow managed to test Regina and she sadly failed so they decided to banish her now she couldn't hurt them anymore. They were preparing their wedding while Alexis and Rapunzel planned a small ceremony for their own wedding.
Alexis and Rapunzel wanted something private for their wedding with everything that happened and so they got married with only Snow White and David present. They didn't want to raise attention so Regina wouldn't ruin their special moment.
However, Snow and David had an official royal wedding with lots of guests to celebrate their love and their victory over Regina. It was a happy day until the door burst open and Regina stormed in.
Rapunzel was shocked to see her mother. She hid behind Alex as the former queen walked up to them. She was scared.
"My gift to you is this happy, happy day. For tomorrow my real work begins. Everything you love, everything all of you love, will be taken from you. I shall destroy your happiness, if it is the last thing I'll do." She announced to them and disappeared to the her palace again. She would win this time. She was sure of it. She would get a second chance with Rapunzel and live happily while everyone else would suffer.
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The months past and nothing had happened yet but Snow and David had gone to see Rumple and found out that Regina was planning to take them to a land without magic where everyone would be seperated from their loved ones and only Snow's unborn child could save them.
Rapunzel was so scared. She didn't want to lose Alexis but there was no way they could stop the curse.
"Hey, it will be alright. We'll always love each other. Love always finds a way. She won't seperate us for long." Alexis tried to reassure Rapunzel and held her close, rubbing soothing circles over her back carefully. He wouldn't lose her. He was sure of it.
"How can you be so sure? Who knows what this curse will do to us? What if it kills you? She surely wouldn't hesitate to kill you." She asked him and looked up at him with her big brown eyes. She couldn't take this. Not knowing what was going to happen drove her crazy.
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In the dungeons, Regina appeared to talk to Rumple. "The curse you gave me isn't working." She told him and walked over to his cell.
"Well, deary, the curse of all curses isn't so easily cast. With great power comes great sacrifice. You need to sacrifice the thing you love most." He told her and smirked.
"I already sacrificed my beloved steed." She told him and gulped when he suddenly grabbed her jaw.
"A horse?! You think that is enough? You need the heart of the thing you love most! Not a horse." He shouted at her and kept holding her jaw. He needed the curse to be cast.
The former queen didn't like this. She couldn't sacrifice Rapunzel. She was doing all of this just to get her back. "I can't kill her. This curse was supposed to give me a second chance with her. I can't do it." She told him and sighed frustrated. She needed this curse but she couldn't lose Rapunzel.
"Isn't there anything else you love? You know what you love. Go and kill it." He told her knowingly.
Regina knew what she needed to do but she didn't like it one bit. She disappeared back in her castle and walked to her chambers. She was conflicted.
"Did Rumple tell you what you need to do?" Henry Sr asked as he offered his daughter a drink. He didn't like her plans to cast this curse but he knew he couldn't stop his daughter. She was too far gone.
Regina sipped her drink and let out a deep sigh. "Yes. But I'm not sure I can say it." She told him and looked at him. "I need to kill what I love the most." She added as tears gathered in her eyes.
Henry gulped. Surely she couldn't mean killing Rapunzel. "Me?" He said unsure. He knew he was the only beside Rapunzel that Regina truly loved.
"Oh daddy, I don't know what to do." She told him and hugged him tightly as she cried. She couldn't do it but she knew she had to.
"It's alright. You don't have to do this. You could be again if you reconcile with Rapunzel and stop this vendetta against Snow White. There is still hope." He replied to his daughter and held her close. He really hoped Regina would change her mind and stop this madness. He only wanted her and Rapunzel to be happy.
The brunette looked at her father. She had made her decision. "You are right, I can be happy again." She said softly and gave him a soft smile but then her smile quickly faded away again. "Just not here." She added before grabbing into his chest and squeezing his heart to dust. "Goodbye, Father." She said softly and wiped her tears away. Now she would be able to finally cast her curse and get her happy ending.