Regina's Rose

Curtains on Fire

Rose's POV

As we walked through the woods I started thinking of the netherworld and how I only visit the week of my birthday. Terrible nightmares every night keeping me awake. Wait, those things are terrifying the curtains, no way out. Being alone.

"Dani, you okay?" Emma said in a worried tone.

"What?" I was to busy in my own thoughts to here her.

"Are you okay?" she said again.

"Of course I'm okay. Why are you asking me stupid questions." I said harsher than I wanted to.

"It's hard to lie with a temper and powers like that." Emma said with a chuckle as she pointed to my head.

I looked at my compact mirror and saw my pink ring floating around my head. I snapped the compact closed and let out a sigh before putting on the magic cuff my mother made for me on.

"Now, I'm fine." I said and tried to continue walking but Emma grabbed my arm.

" Putting on something that hides your feelings does not make them go away." Emma said looking at me sternly.

"Oh yeah, what does that jacket do for you than." I said as I turned around with a sly smirk and tugged playfully on her leather jacket.

"It's not magic." she replied calmly.

"Doesn't mean you don't use it to hide your feelings." I said as I continued walking. "And don't make me seem stupid, I'm fully aware that you have no magical objects from Boston."

"Hey, can we talk." Snow said as she slowed down to walk with me.

"Sorry, I'm in another conversation." I say stopping to look at Emma who is still behind me.

"No she's not." Emma said with a smirk as she passed us.

Traitor. I said telepathically as she passed.

Emma turned around and stuck her tongue out at me like a kid.

"Are you sure you want to go?" Snow said while looking at me worriedly. "We both know what it's like. I can go if you don't want to."

"Snow, I'm not gonna force you to go in there. I said with a sigh. "You may be the hero but I'm not evil enough to make you suffer through that all over again. Plus, my birthday isn't for months, I have plenty of time to recover from this netherworld encounter before my next." I said with a soft smile trying to get the princess off my back.

"Okay, it's your decision. Say hi to Henry for me." She said as she caught up with the group leaving me alone with my thoughts.

________________

Mulan finished making the powder.

"How long will it last." I asked trying not to seem worried that I might be in there way longer than I want to be.

"Probably an hour at most." Mulan said calmly but clearly still irritated that we are straying from rescuing Aurora.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding in. "Okay" I said as nonchalantly as possible.

I sat down my back resting against a tree and Emma sat down next to me.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I can go, really." Snow said looking at me with worried eyes.

"I'm fine, Snow, it's not even that bad." I said trying to convince myself of that last part.

"I'll be right here." Emma said as she put out her hand for me to hold.

"Thanks, Swan. But I'm a big girl, I don't need you to hold my hand through a nightmare." I said trying to put on a brave face.

Mulan walked up to me with the dust in her hand and in that moment the whole situation became more real. Right before she blew the powder, I reached out and grabbed Emma's hand. She looked at me with a knowing smirk and squeezed it and then everything went dark.
____________

The flames were all around me and I was starting to panic. It didn't look like Henry was here.

"Dani?" I began to panic
"Dani?!" I said louder hoping anyone could here me over the flames.
"Henry!" Still no answer.
"No, no, no, no, no" I whispered to myself my breathing becoming uneven.
"I'm stuck here for an hour, on my own." I said with tears welling up in my eyes as I stared at the ground not caring if the flames burned me. Suddenly, a thud came from the other side of the room.

"What the literal hell?" I heard a familiar voice say but, it couldn't be her could it.

"Mother?!" I said trying to see through the flames.

"Rose?! What are you doing here, Snow is supposed to be here." She said in a worried tone.

I ran toward her but right before I reached her the flames got bigger.

"How are you here?" I said with a sad smile now on my face.

"I could ask you the same thing." She said with her stern motherly demeanor returning.

"I've kinda had dreams of the netherworld every week of my birthday... probably since I was born." I said closing my eyes waiting to here her rant for my safety. I felt arms wrap around me, apparently she made it past the flames some how. "You're not mad?" I said surprised at my mother's reaction.

"Oh no, dear, I'm pissed that you didn't tell me but I have you infront of me right now and I've missed you in this week. Alot has happened." my Mother said sighing out the last part.

"Now," she said as she pulled away from me, "You need to go to Rumpelstiltskin cell and find the jar of squid ink-"

"He had squid ink in there?! He could have just broken out." I said totally shocked by the new information. "Wait how did he get it?" I realized in that moment of me firing off questions that my mom never answered mine. "Mother...how are you here?" I said worried that she put herself in a sleeping curse.

"Relax, your Aunt Maleficent taught me a wonderful remedy that involved a diluted sleeping curse. Takes the edge off and it never sent me here." my mother said with a soft chuckle.

"Oh okay." I said with a sigh of relief. "Right, get the squid ink defeat Cora." I said with a now nervous sigh." Easy peasy." Each word laced in sarcasm.

" When you get back, we will discuss the whole wearing your cuff and the netherworld thing." She said looking at the charm bracelet on my wrist.

"Well, it's been an on and off kinda thing with the cuff not a hiding my powers thing." I said hoping to get out of another long conversation with my mom.

"Again, we'll talk about it later." she said as she reached out to hug me again but her hands went right through me.

" No, I don't want to leave you." I said tears now welling in my eyes.

"You'll see me again." she said and I noticed her own body starting to fade. "Hey, put my mother through hell." she said with a soft smile.

"Oh absolutely." I said with a sad smile on my face as I disappeared and the room went dark.