The Life We Left Behind

Reunion with old friends

He pulled a disgusted face when she drank the purple, shimmery potion from its vial.

„Does that taste as horrible as what it smells like?"

„Not quite... certainly not the sweetest potion I've ever drunk. But not the worst either. Let's just say, over time, I've got practice and the stomach for it."

He took a look around her vault, it looked slightly less bone chilling than the last time he had been here, with a few candles giving off a nice warm light, reflecting off the stone walls, and her cauldron bubbling almost invitingly, as if it was just about to serve them a nice cup of tea instead of a potion that did God knows what.

„Remind me again, love, what's that potion for?"

„To amplify my magic! Now, with all the realms united, I can poof us wherever we want to go. But in order to go that far, my magic alone won't be enough."

„So we're going to another realm then?"

„What used to be... yes."

„But you're not going to tell me where?"

„Nope! It's a surprise!", she replied, pouring the last few drops of the potion over a small piece of stone, broken off of one of the walls of her vault.

„And what's that for?"

She picked up the rock, then put it in her pocket, smiling. „Help to find our way when we're ready to go back. Just in case."

Then she walked over to her suitcase that was waiting for her, packed for the weekend, and grabbed it.

„You ready?", she held out her hand for him.

He nodded with a smile, reached for his own suitcase with his hook and took her hand. „Aye! I trust you, love!"

„Alright then... just hold on to me as tight as you can, okay? I never poofed across such a long distance."

„Are you sure it's safe?"

„I am! Well... sure enough, I think."

She closed her eyes, clearly envisioning the place she wanted to go, took a deep breath and whispered: „Here we go..."

And with a swift move of her hand the couple and their luggage disappeared in a purple cloud.

He opened his eyes and instantly had to shield them from the sun rays falling through the treetops above their heads, it was a striking difference to the twilight in her vault.

„Where the bloody hell are we?"

He looked at her and saw her beaming smile, her eyes fixated on a point in the distance. He followed her gaze and saw a strange looking structure, some sort of castle made from shards of glass or ice or steel, or that's at least what it looked like from a distance, enthroned behind a lake laying still to their feet.

„Home!", she said.

„This is the Enchanted Forest? Your Enchanted Forest, I mean?"

„Indeed it is", she took his hand and pulled him along with her.

The sight of her old palace filled her with almost childlike joy and excitement, despite all the pain, despair and loneliness that she had constantly endured within those walls for years and years. But this time it would all be different! She wasn't alone anymore, she had a family, she had finally found love, she was happy. And she couldn't wait to show him the place she used to call home for such a significant part of her life.

„And are you sure it's abandoned?"

„Why wouldn't it be? Who should live there, we're all in Storybrooke? There is no king or queen other than me who rules these lands. Plus, even though the people know I've changed... I think still, no one would dare. So don't worry! We're finally going to be alone with each other. No interruptions or surprise visits by anybody."