Once Upon A Time
There was a man and woman, they had a love that was true.
The man was a normal mine worker, but the woman came from a long family line of magical people who called themselves "Flower Enchanters" . The man embraced his loves magic and abilities to harness natures magic. It was a love so rare that when they married they ran away from everyone they knew so that no one would come after them to try and take the magical power or their love away from them. You see the Flower Enchanters held one of the strongest sources of magic in their hearts because they use the magic from nature. In order to be a Flower Enchanter one must have a pure heart, or else the natures magic will not work. The man and wife also had the magic of true love. When they married they had a magic so rare and powerful that many people wanted to use it for selfish purposes. So the two ran and made a home in the forest, making a new life for the both of them. After a few years they made their family bigger with twin children. A boy and girl. Their names were Azalea and Alexander. Together the four lived peacefully in the forest. Growing flowers and selling them to people in need of their magic for spells. Their daughter Azalea was born with the magic of a Flower Enchantress like her mother, and once the word got out that a young Flower Enchantress held magical powers of both pure love and nature, she was wanted by many who wanted to use the magic for evil purposes. She was the only of her kind, a magic so rare that her parents feared for her safety often. The family would travel often to help those in need with their magic, but they kept their home a secret place, so that no one could try to steal the couples precious child. Azalea's brother, Alex, was appointed to be her protector as they grew older. He was born without magic, but he and Azalea were connected by blood. So Alex was to act as her guardian, to make sure she was protected at all times.
The family was able to live a wonderful life, helping people from many different places. But one day that would all change.
"Mom, what magic does this flower hold?" the excited six year old Azalea asked pointing to a white flowers in front her as her mother sat behind her in their flower garden in their back yard. Her mother looked to the flower that her daughter was pointing at, then looking to the Flower Book that she used to keep track of her spells, plants magical properties, and everything a Flower Enchantress needed to know. "That flower holds the magic of sleep, it can make anyone fall into a deep sleep instantly with one little touch of this flowers crushed powder." She said, watching as her daughter examined the flower in childlike wonder. Azalea soaked in all the information of the flowers with eagerness, training to be just like her mother when she grew up. The two continued their lessons on the flowers until a powerful gust of wind blew by them, knocking some of Azalea's flowers from her flower crown that her mother had braided in earlier that morning. "Seems as if we have a visitor." Her mother said nervously standing up and taking her daughters hand, walking into the back door of their house. She could sense a powerful dark magic in the air, and from the way that her daughter was gripping her hand she could tell that Azalea felt it as well. "Go get your father and brother from the common room." Azalea nodded and ran to do as her mother told. While the mother went to the front door and looked through the peaking hole. She gasped and stepped back, fear pumping through her veins at who was visiting them. She jumped again when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned ready to attack, but sighed in relief when she saw it was her husband "Who is it?" The husband asked as the two children stood behind them, suddenly wary of who was visiting them from their mothers fearful eyes. "It's Rumple." She whispered to her husband, but not loudly enough for the children to hear. "Okay kids, go to the shed in the backyard and don't come out till we get you." Their father said guiding them to the back door. "Wait, who is at the door? Why do we have to hide?" Alex asked, watching as their mother quickly grabbed a magical flower crown and placed it on her sons head. She also grabbed her Flower Book and placed it in her daughters arms. "It matters not who it is. We will explain later, for now be a good brother and protect your sister. Don't take the flower crown off. It has a protection spell on it that nothing can penetrate." the kids mother said, putting on a brave face for her kids. The two twins looked at each other before doing as their father said.
As the kids walked out of the back door the front door banged open loudly. "Why hello, long time no see." Rumpelstiltskin said skipping through the now broken doorway. "My how you have grown, you were but a child the last time I saw you dearie." Rumple said looking to the mother. "What do you want Rumple?" She asked as her husband put a protective arm around her waist, pulling her behind him. "Ohhhh is our relationship that dry, can't I come to say hi, maybe see the kids you have been hiding from me?" The husband stepped up to Rumple, not scared to get in the evil creatures personal space. "How do you know about them?" He asked with a growl as Rumples grin only grew, not intimidated by the man standing over him at all. "Oh I know everything dearie! You two were foolish to think that you could get away from the deal that you made with me- "We made no such deal! That was my mother not me." The mother said. "Oh but a deal is a deal....and no one breaks deals with me!" The parents looked to each other hopelessly. "We can just give you whatever you need! No charge of anything, just leave our kids alone." The husband pleaded. "I'm afraid that wont do. You see along with the flowers you grow, the potion also calls for the hearts of twins, a boy and girl. It is sad that it has come to this but years before you two were even born your mother made the deal that I could have her grandchildren for exchange of her husbands sick free lungs. Not really fair for you but I guess the world isn't fair. Your mother made a deal that I could have her grandchildren, unfortunately their your children...but what can you do? Oh yes! Nothing!" The husband growled as he pushed Rumple back, the green man stumbled a few steps before gathering his footing. "The only way you are getting my children is if you pry them from my dead hands." The father said. "If you insists!" Rumple said, smiling. A morbid grin, as he reached into the mans chest.
"AHHHHHH!"
Alex and Azelea both froze from inside the shed, hearing their father's scream. Their blood running cold with fear. "Whoever is out there is hurting our father!" Alex said with anger, ready to leave the shed. But Azalea grabbed his hand. "He told us not to leave till they came back for us." Azalea warned her brother. "But that thing is hurting our parents!" Alex cried out. Suddenly more banging was heard and the twins ran to the shed window, peaking out to see the creature that had entered their home walking out of the back door. They both watched as the creature calmly walked around the garden, with a grin on his face as he ran a towel over his hands. "What is he doing?" Alex asked watching as he bent down and picked a dark green flower. "Those are locator flowers, they are used in potions to find lost people" Azalea said remembering the lessons her mother taught her. Alex gasped in shock looking closer to the towel in the mans hands. "There is blood on his hands....we need to find mother and father!" Alex said jumping down from the window with Azelea following him to the door of the shed. Alex threw the door open and started running to the house. "There you are! about time you came from your hiding place kiddos." The scary creature said waving his hand up in the air sending a gust of wind at Alex so strong that the flowers in his hair all blew out from the force of it. Azalea hid by the shed door as she watched in fear, holding her flower crown on her head. "Now that those pesky protection spell flowers are out of your hair I can get what I need." The creature said walking over to Alex. He grabbed the child by his clothing and pushed him onto the ground and pressing his foot on the boys chest, pinning him down to where he couldn't move. "ALEX!" Azalea shouted as the boy screamed, the creature pushing his hand into her brothers chest and coming back with his heart. Alalea was frozen in horror, watching her brothers heart beat in the monsters hand. "Now, it's your turn." The monster said looking up at Azalea. She screamed again and shut the door to the shed, locking it and hiding in the corner. Azalea's hands shook in fear as she tried to think of a way to get away from the monster, but she was trapped. "Come out dearie!" The creature, shouted from outside the shed. Azalea's mind was racing, trying to think of a way to escape, suddenly she though of something and got up, running over to the desk and picking up her mothers Flower Book . She opened it and flipped through until she found what she was looking for. "Little piggy little piggy let me in!" The man sang as the front door it started to shake violently. Azalea quickly found the spell she was looking for and took a few flowers from her own hair and crushed them together into a powder using the crusher in the shed. The door opened with a loud bang that made Azalea jump from fear. Rumple smiled down to the child. "I win. My name is Rumpelstiltskin...and I always win." He smirked walking closer to her. Azalea took the powder from the crusher and threw it on Rumple who seemed surprised, if not annoyed as the powder covered him. "What is this you pest?!" He yelled at her before he started disappearing with the dust in the air. Azalea sighed with relief, the spell had worked. Rumple was furious as he went away with the powder in the air. "Don't think this is over dearie! I will find you!" He shouted before he completely disappeared. Azelea leaned against the desk, exhaustion washed over her as her heart raced in her chest. She felt a pit in her chest as she looked out the door, the relief washed away by a wave of panic and worry. "Alex..." She whispered before running out into the back yard and collapsing on her knees beside his body. "Don't be dead - please don't be dead!" She cried laying her head on his chest, but he laid unmoved on the ground. Azalea sobbed, struggling to breath as she stood on shaken legs. "MOM! DAD! Alex is hurt! HELP!" She shouted running into the house, stopping in her tracks when she saw blood on the floor. The room had a heavy dark magic in it that weighed the young girl down, and her parents laying in the middle of the room...lifeless. Azalea held onto the side of the wall, feeling like she was going to throw up as she looked at her parents bodies, mutilated and cold, covered in their own blood. Her legs failed her and she felt herself falling, her eyes fluttered as she felt the hole in her chest grow bigger, darkness taking over her vision. Praying for this all to be some kind of nightmare, she hoped that she would wake up to her mother's comforting smile, her dads strong arms wrapped around her, or even her brother teasing her screaming in her sleep. But she would never feel any of those things, ever again.
- Years later, in Storybrooke-
(Azalea's outfit ^^^)
Azalea closed the door to her flower shop and sighed, pulling her backpack up on her back before beginning her walk home. She pulled the sleeves of her sweater over her cold fingers and held them to her mouth, blowing hot air on them, watching as her breath turned white in the cold air. She looked up to the stars that were shining on Storybrooke below and she couldn't help but let her thoughts wonder as they usually tended to do. She pulled the flower crown on her head up a bit as she looked at the stars. Her thoughts stopped when she looked at the clock tower and noticed the hands were moving, she pasued and looked at her phone for the time. 'I guess someone finally fixed the clock tower' she though to herself before continuing her walk back to her apartment. She lived by herself, no one knew what happened to her family including her, but she lived beside Mary Margret who insisted on checking up on the fifteen year old girl a few times a week, making her a few meals a week, and just keeping the quiet teen company. In turn Azalea helped the teacher, Ms. Blanchard, take care of the flowers in her classroom and apartment. She also helped Granny with her garden in front of Granny's diner, and Dr.Hopper with is flowers in his office that he used to help some of his patients feel more comfortable... Basically anyone who owned a garden or flowers in Storybrooke would ask the girl for help, and she enjoyed helping others with their gardening needs. She loved flowers! She couldn't quite place why she loved them so much, but it was like the flowers were apart of her soul in a way. Anytime she saw a healthy beautiful flower her heart would glow with pride and joy. Azalea climbed up the steps to her apartment room, walking by Mary Margret's, and pulled out the key, opening her door and shutting it behind her. She put her school bag on the table and started to make a warm cup of tea to accompany her with her homework for the night. She looked out the window one last time at the clock tower as the hands continued to move and she wondered what had made it start working after all this time.