Regina was hurt.
She had nowhere to go.
All she could think of
Was her revenge on Snow.
She couldn't stay with her mother
For another day.
She decided then and there
That she would run away.
On her trusty steed,
She galloped down the dirt path
In hopes to escape
Her mother's wrath.
Then without warning,
Like unexpected mines,
Something reached out and grabbed Regina,
A tangle of mossy vines.
The vines turned her
Around to view
Her mother, Cora,
Who resembled a shrew.
"You cannot leave, Regina.
I've cast a barrier spell.
You cannot leave without the king.
He serves our family well."
Regina saw the magic book in Cora's hands
And struggled against the spell.
She knew that the strong undergrowth
Had become her prison cell.
"Don't struggle against the vines, dear.
They'll only grow tighter.
I knew from the beginning
That you were quite a fighter."
Cora released her
And the vines fell loose.
If they were holding Regina any longer,
They would have become her noose.
Regina fell upon the ground
With a small bruise on her fore.
The hatred she felt towards Cora
Grew even more.
The next day,
They all rode out to the castle.
With the king, Regina, Cora, and her father,
It was quite the hassle.
Even though Regina
Would've liked to detain her,
She had Snow White
Come to her new chamber.
You see, Regina had to keep up
This good reputation
Or surely, the king
Would give her a deadly proclamation.
Snow White and Regina
Were simply bonding.
Something caught Snow White's eyes
And sent her pondering.
Snow White reached
Towards a box
And opened it
While bouncing her black locks.
She reached in her hand
For she was seeking.
Out she pulled a necklace
With a golden ring.
Then Snow White asked
Without hesitation,
"Where did you get this?
What was the occasion?"
She slipped the necklace
Around her neck
To keep her curiosity
In check.
Regina grasped the back of the chain
And pulled with all her might.
She started to choke
Little Snow White.
"It came from Daniel,
Who, thanks to you, is dead!
You're very lucky
That you still have your head.
It's all because
You couldn't keep your promise, Snow!"
Snow gasped out,
"I didn't know! I didn't know!"
But, alas, killing Snow
Was all in Regina's head.
Here is what
She said instead,
"I don't remember."
And she left it at that.
Snow quietly put
The necklace back.
Later, Regina paced in her courtyard.
She thought she was a bother.
But come to give her advice
Was her loyal father.
"I know you want to be rid of Cora.
I'm here to help you out.
The magic book your mother carries
Will surely help without a doubt."
The book holds the name of the person
Who gave it to your mother.
Perhaps he can help you.
I hear he's like no other."
Regina took her father's advice
And that very night
She took the book from under Cora's pillow
For she saw it was right.
Back in her chamber, she flipped through the pages
In hopes to find a name.
She found one inside the front cover
And it wasn't lame.
"R-Rumpelshtilkskin," pronounced Regina.
"That's Rumpelstiltskin, dearie."
A shadowy figure appeared in the chair.
His looks could kill a fairy.
It was Rumpelstiltskin, The Dark One.
He answered to his summons.
He had magical powers
And in deals, he was common.
"Greetings, Regina," he said.
"How do you know my name?
Do you know my mother?
I've been told we look somewhat the same."
Rumpelstiltskin looked her over.
"No, you look nothing like her.
I met you when you were a baby.
For you, it was a blur.
I know what you want.
You know why I'm here.
I'm going to help rid you
Of your mother, dear."
"Yes! I want her gone!
I don't care if it's tragic.
I just have one condition.
I don't want to use magic."
A large, white, wrapped box
Appeared in the center of the room.
It had a certain
Aura of doom.
"You won't have to use magic.
What's inside will do it for you.
There's all but one simple thing
That you'll have to do.
There's a portal inside the box,
You see,
That can transport Cora far away.
I'm sure that'll bring you glee.
If this is a goal
That you really love,
All you have to do
Is give her a little shove.
Can you do it?
I know that you can.
That's only if you want things
To go according to plan."
Rumpelstiltskin vanished
And early the next day,
Cora came to Regina's chamber
A while to stay.
She saw the box
In the middle of the room.
"Ah. A wedding gift,
I presume?"
Cora was standing
Right in front of the box
Which didn't appear
To have a lock.
A magical force
Uncovered it from the rear
And inside
Was a tall mirror.
Regina was facing towards it
And Cora was facing away.
She decided to get this over
Right away.
Regina lunged forward to push her
Into the mirror's open space
But before she could, Cora used magic
To freeze her in place.
"Do you think you can rid of me that easily?"
Her mother said with a sneer.
"Have you forgotten? I'm your mother
And you don't need me far, but near."
Rumpelstiltskin's image appeared in the mirror
And made a motion to push Cora well.
Regina saw this
And fought fiercely against the spell.
Regina's face was
Filled with rage
And the unexpected happened
On the next page.
She broke free of the spell
And she reached out her hands.
An invisible force pushed her mother
Into the mirror's wonderland.
Regina's face showed shock
And she looked at her hands.
Did she use magic
She did not understand?
"Job well done, dearie.
You've whisked Cora away.
I'm certain I'll see you
Another day."
In fact,
It was the very next day
That Regina, yet again,
Decided to run away.
Miles from the castle,
Though it was still in sight,
Regina was on her horse,
Low with might.
But then
Who should appear
But Rumpelstiltskin,
Who was quite near.
"Dearie," said Rumpelstiltskin,
"Magic...why do you shun it?"
"I'm never using magic again
Because I loved it!"
A devilish grin spread
Across his face.
"Dearie, I think that
You've found your place.
Come and be my apprentice.
I'll help you reach your full potential.
No need to fret. These lessons
Will be confidential."
Regina smiled
And without a doubt
Soon she would let
Her true self out.
Into the woods
They did go
To a small clearing
With Regina's horse in tow.
Her horse stood before her.
It was looking rather swell.
"Now we will begin working
On the immobilization spell."
The steed reared back.
Regina held out her hand towards the horse.
A shining blue aura trapped it,
Stopping it in its course.
Her mother had used this spell
On her before
And she would remember it
Forevermore.
"Congratulations, dearie.
You've passed the simplest test.
In the lessons to come,
I'll teach you the rest."
Regina practiced very hard.
Rumpelstiltskin was aware.
Sometimes she would practice
In Rumpelstiltskin's lair.
Regina became more skilled
As each day passed
Although there was no one
That she had yet harassed.
One day at lessons,
It didn't seem like the rest.
"Today," said Rumpelstiltskin,
"You'll be put to the ultimate test."
Before Regina
Stood her steed.
She wondered if she had
All the skills she would need.
"Perform the immobilization spell
To make its motion stalled."
Regina performed it perfectly
With no effort at all.
"Now, dearie,
Comes the tested part.
All you have to do
Is reach in and take its heart."
Regina hesitated.
This horse was her friend.
She didn't want today
To be its life's end.
Regina reached in and took its heart.
She held it glistening in her hand.
"Now you must crush it
And send the horse to no-man's land."
Regina looked deeply
Into the horse's eyes.
Killing it would just be
Something more she would despise.
"I can't do it!
I can't even try!
I can't let my only
Faithful friend die!"
Rumpelstiltskin took the heart
And he actually tried.
The horse collapsed on the ground,
Gave a final whinny, then died.
There were tears in Regina's eyes.
She had just lost her pal.
She cried tears of sorrow
And had low morale.
Later that afternoon,
They went to Rumpelstiltskin's lair.
No one else
But a customer was there.
The customer handed Rumpelstiltskin
A white crystal ball.
The man said, "Here it is.
I don't care what you use it for at all."
Rumpelstiltskin said, "Excellent!
Over there is your pay.
Take the amount you see fit
Of gold I have spun from hay."
The man walked over to the loom
And through the gold, he fingered.
A few moments more
He lingered.
Upon the glass windows,
There was some condensation.
Regina and Rumpel
Started a conversation.
"Dearie, do tell. Why did you
Start an apprenticeship with me?"
"I hoped that if I learned magic,
I could bring back someone who's dear to me."
"Using magic to
Bring people back from the dead?!
That thought is so ridiculous!
I just might lose my head!
Magic can do
Many things, dearie,
But it can't revive the dead!
It's impossible, you see.
I won't have a student
Whose thoughts are so unrefined.
From now on,
You're no apprentice of mine!"
Rumpelstiltskin left her
In the room.
The man from earlier
Was still by the loom.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't help
But overhear
That you're wanting to bring back
A loved one you held near.
I am a hatter.
My name is Jefferson
And I, too, know what it's like
To lose a loved one."
"Can you really help me?
Apparently, magic will not do.
Right now, I really
Have no clue."
"I know a man.
Magic is not of his appliance.
He uses a force not of this world.
This man uses science."
"Where is this man?
I must know.
If not,
I will regret it so."
"Like I said,
He is not of this world.
His world is grey.
Color is not hurled.
To bring him here,
We'll need to use my hat.
It has traveling properties,
To put it at that."
"But to do that,
Wouldn't you need permission?
After all, it's a
Very complex mission."
"Well, aren't you
The Queen, ma'am?"
Regina realized her newfound power.
"Yes. Yes, I am."
Later that night in the castle
In Regina's courtyard,
Jefferson stood with the other man.
"The journey wasn't hard.
This man is
A good friend of mine.
His name is
Doctor Victor Frankenstein."
Frankenstein was dressed
In a white lab coat.
From his appearance,
It seemed that he liked to gloat.
Regina asked, "Can you really bring people
Back from the dead?"
"Yes. My abilities are something
That you should not dread.
Now, where is the body?
You must show it to me.
I must determine if it
Can be raised easily."
Regina led them
To her vault.
Whatever happens
Would not be her fault.
Daniel's body was encased
In a glass casket,
Which is definitely better
Than a woven basket.
"I've kept Daniel here
And I've cared for him well.
I've kept him with
A preservation spell."
Frankenstein opened the lid
And slit Daniel's hand.
Fresh blood fell
On the Doc's finger, it did land.
"Simply astounding!" said Frankenstein.
"You've done much effort in his stead.
His condition is that
Of the recently dead.
To raise him, however,
I'll need a powerful sacrifice.
A magical heart of this world
Would surely suffice."
"I know where we can get one," said Regina.
"We'll need to go to my old home.
It is there that an abundance of hearts
Do roam."
They traveled to Regina's old home
And entered the hearth.
Not far beyond the fireplace
Was Cora's turf.
"Be silent.
Do you hear the beating?"
It was quiet, then loud
Like one thousand goats bleating.
They all looked towards
The fireplace wall.
Regina said, "Her vault is right through there.
It's not far at all."
Regina used magic
To open the wall.
The wall had a slow
And quiet fall.
Down the stairs into the vault
There were thousands of beating hearts.
Each one was held in a box.
It was hard to tell them apart.
Frankenstein went over to a box
And held up his hand.
The box, in reply, came out of the wall
Like it could understand.
He reached in the box and held the heart.
"Extraordinary!" he said.
"This should be a powerful enough component
In raising the dead."
Then, they all went to a field
A little distance out.
This is so they would not be
Discovered or found if they were to shout.
The night was young
And black clouds started to form.
In a few minutes,
There would be a horrific storm.
Frankenstein set up a tent
With all of his equipment inside.
He draped a sheet over the open end
For his process was a secret that must hide.
Regina and Jefferson stood outside the tent.
They could see Frankenstein's silhouette.
He got his equipment running.
Regina hoped she would not be upset.
Electricity started to build
Up in the air.
Regina didn't want this night
To end in despair.
Frankenstein took the heart
And held it up high.
As he shoved it into Daniel's body,
A bolt of lightning came down from the sky.
The body jolted on the table.
The wind was raging wildly.
Nature wasn't taking its toll
On the experiment mildly.
The storm stopped
And the wind died down.
Frankenstein came out of the tent slowly
Wearing a frown.
The little light that was left
Came to a dim.
The news Frankenstein gave
Would surely be grim.
"I'm afraid to report
That the experiment was a failure."
Regina was distraught
And in tears, for sure.
Frankenstein returned to his land
After the tragic incident.
Regina had nothing left.
In magic, she became persistent.
Many days passed.
The kingdom became dark.
Regina decided to visit Rumpelstiltskin
In the field where she first made her mark.
She was sure Rumpelstiltskin would be there.
That much, she did know.
He seemed to follow her around
Wherever she did go.
Regina arrived at the field
All dressed in black.
"My, my, dearie! You've taken on a new appearance.
You look as sharp as a tack!
If you've come for an apprenticeship again,
I cannot be of help.
I've found a new apprentice here
Who is stronger than a miniscule whelp."
To the left of Rumpelstiltskin
Stood a beautiful girl.
Her blonde hair was held back
All in curls.
And as if
Rewinding the clock,
She was where Regina had been at the start of training,
Levitating rocks.
"This young girl
Actually has dedication,
Which is one of willpower' s
Strongest sensations."
Regina walked over to the girl,
And without hesitation,
She took the girl's heart and crushed it.
"How's that for dedication?"