The Life We Will Fight For

Homecoming

„I'm sorry", the queen said, slowly but surely giving up on struggling to free herself and accepting her fate, „Can you lot be any more pathetic? And can we please move this along? I'm meeting my fairy godmother for tea in half an hour."

„What's with the snarky comments, huh?", asked Snow, „Save them! There's no need... I know you only use them to protect yourself. You're scared, and that's okay!"

The queen just scoffed and looked off to the side.

„But you know what I think? I think it was your destiny that you met us. I think we were meant to come here and help you."

Now, the queen looked back at this woman, who looked so nauseatingly similar to her stepdaughter and arch nemesis, and frowned. „What the hell are you babbling on about?"

„It's true love you seek", said Killian now, „Isn't it? You told me, us, when you held us captive."

„And so what? What are you going to do about it?"

Tinkerbell took one step towards her. „Pixie dust! It can help everyone find their true love, who they're destined to be with."

„You're insane, all of you...", she sighed, „Do with me however you please, just spare me the second act of this farce, please."

„It's the truth! I've done it before... I've seen it happen. With another one Regina Mills, in fact, back in another realm. And it worked! The pixie dust led her to the man she was destined to be with, but back then she chose not to act on it and not to pursue her true love. And guess what! Many, many years later, their paths crossed once more, and they fell in love. It was inevitable, because it was their destiny. I can give the same to you! Don't you want to know? Aren't you at least a little bit curious who is out there for you? You can be happy, finally!"

„Ha! As if... you don't seem to know me very well, you winged freak! There's no one out there for me, no one and nothing... least of all happiness... or true love."

„Just give her a chance!", Henry chimed in, trying to break through to her as if she, too, was somehow his mother, „Give it a try! If you're so sure that it won't work anyway, then what have you got to lose?"

She frowned. „Will you stop annoying me if I agree? And more importantly: will you release me?"

„That, Your Majesty, is entirely up to you", said David, „But probably not... So you might as well let her try the pixie dust, will at least make for a few more moments of amusement before we lock you away."

„Well then, if that's so", she rolled her eyes, „By all means, fairy, have at it..."

„Okay great", Tink took the fairy dust from Killian.

„But wait! What's gonna happen? Pixie dust is some mighty powerful thing... what's it gonna do to me?"

„Nothing. It will pick up on your energy..."

„... and it'll lead me to the man I'm destined to be with?"

„Yes! Or, well... woman. I mean, doesn't have to be a man, right?"

The queen scoffed. „Yeah, right... Well then, let's see what you've got!"

„Alright then, here we go!", Tinkerbell blew the pixie dust onto the Evil Queen who closed her eyes and seemed to hold her breath.

Right away, a green shimmer appeared all around her, not so easy to spot in the twilight of dusk that had started to set on them, and yet, everyone held their breaths in fuzzy anticipation just like the queen herself. Only, the green shimmer didn't seem to want to go anywhere.