Once Upon A Time: Goldilocks comes to Storybrooke

Chapter 2 (flashback)

Regina waited patiently, sitting in her bedroom, her book in her lap, as she stared out of the window.

She was waiting for her best friend, Goldilocks, to arrive.

Regina was 15 years old, and the princess of one of the realms of The Enchanted Forest. She lived in a huge castle with her mother, Cora, and her father, Henry. Her mother had magical powers, but Henry didn't.

However, Regina didn't like the powers her mother possessed, as Cora was a huge fan of Dark Magic, and everything Cora did either hurt Regina, made her uncomfortable, or scared her. Cora often tried to teach Regina dark magic, but Regina often refused, or purposely made mistakes to irritate her mother and make her end the lesson sooner.

That day Cora had dressed her daughter in a jet black dress with dark heavy jewellery and shoes that were spiked at the toes.

When Regina has looked in the mirror she hardly recognised herself! It was like she was looking at a stranger: the person who her mother wanted her to be...

But as soon as her mother had left to go to the neighbouring kingdom, Regina had swapped into a purple dress, one silver chained necklace and golden shoes. Then she had grabbed a book, sat by her window and waited.

Finally, after an hour, Goldilocks arrived, dressed in her usual green dress patterned with flowers, her hair in several golden ringlets.

Goldilocks looked up at the window, saw Regina and waved. Regina smiled back, jumped out of the chair and ran out of her room, along millions of corridors, down three flights of stairs until she made it outside in the back garden. Goldilocks was waiting by the metal fence.

Regina rushed over, looked around to make sure no guards were watching, and pushed the loose part of fence up, and Goldilocks climbed into the royal garden.

"Hi," Goldilocks smiled, pushing a ringlet out of her face.

"Hello," Regina smiled as she fastened the fence back into place. "Come on!" She grabbed Goldilocks's hand and pulled her along. They ran behind the huge oak tree and sat on the bench that was placed there several years before.

"So," Goldilocks pushed the same ringlet out of her eyes, as it had fallen back. "What did she do today then?"

"My mother?" Regina asked. "Well, she actually set off for her journey, so nothing... Yet..."

"And she won't be back for a whole week?" Goldilocks remembered, raising one eyebrow.

Regina grinned. "Correct."

"So, she won't know if I do this?" Goldilocks lifted her hand up and created a bright green light, and let it shine as bright as she could. It was so bright Regina has to shield her eyes. Goldilocks used her magic and allowed the bright ball of light to fly around her and Regina.

"Goldilocks, what are you doing!?" Regina staged whispered.

"I'm practising my magic," Goldilocks grinned.

"But-"

"But your mother isn't in the castle, she's probably not even in this kingdom right now, she has no control over you!" Goldilocks stood up. "Do you want me to teach you some magic?"

Regina sighed. "I think I've had enough magic lessons to last a life time, thank you!"

Goldilocks smiled. "I don't mean dark magic. I have good magic, light magic. And I can teach you!"

"What type of magic?" Regina stood up.

"All sorts, transforming, healing, light, fire, growth, anything you like!"

"How can you teach me magic?"

"I don't know if you remember or not, but I'm on my way to being the most powerful sorceress in the whole of The Enchanted Forest! One of the many reasons your mother hates me!"

"But my mother -"

"Your mother had dark magic," Goldilocks took Regina's hands in her own. "Dark magic won't get you anywhere. Is always the good magic, and the good side, that wins. What do you say? Do you want to learn good magic?"

Regina grinned, and nodded.

The two best friends spent the next hour or two in the garden, Goldilocks teaching Regina magic, and Regina learning and trying the best the could. The best thing was the fact the Goldilocks was very patient, and chose the easiest spell to begin with, unlike Cora, who expected too much from her daughter.

Not long has passed, and Regina has actually learnt how to levitate objects! Well, it was only a stick, and only for five seconds, but Goldilocks acted like it was a huge deal, like Regina has just battled the Dark One and succeeded! Of course, both girls being fifteen, they had never met the Dark One, and they didn't really want too.

"I think I'll have to be getting home," Goldilocks finally said.

Regina nodded, waved her hand and the stick she had been practising on fell to the ground at her feet.

"See!? You're getting better!" Goldilocks pointed at the stick. "Did you see what you just did!?"

Regina felt her cheeks turn red. "I barely did anything compared to the magic you have. When you were nine you managed to save a whole town of people from a bear attack with your magic!"

"I did have help, and bears aren't all that bad!" Goldilocks said. "They're just misunderstood. If you ever met one and had a conversation with one, you'd see that!"

"But, coming back onto the subject that I can't do magic -" Regina said.

"You will be able to do magic," Goldilocks confirmed.

"I don't know -" Regina began.

"Regina, listen to me. You are an amazing person, and you have power inside you, and with the right help, you will be able to discover your magical talents and use it to help so many people. You could change so many peoples lives if you set your mind to it. Forget about your mother, and all the pain you are going through, because you are much more then what she tells you." Goldilocks took a step closer to Regina. "I'll come back in about two days time, and we'll practice more magic then. Okay?"

Regina looked down and nodded. Goldilocks hugged Regina. Normally Regina didn't like hugs, but that day she really needed one, just to help her calm down and get through everything that was happening with her mother, so Regina hugged Goldilocks back.

Goldilocks pulled away from the hug and placed her finger under Regina's chin, and gently lifted her face up. "Stay strong. I'll see you soon okay?"

"Thank you," Regina whispered.

Goldilocks smiled. "Isn't that what friends are for?"