Rose Red

Prologue

Rose Red was a very curious child from the day she was born. Six years younger than her sister, Snow White. In her first four years of life, she lived within the palace walls, never having the desire to venture out among the forests and terrains of the fantastical Enchanted Forest, but, when she reached the age of five, her longing for exploration grew. All she ever seemed to want to do was to be outside, discovering new things and furthering her knowledge of the outside world. Much unlike her sister, Snow, who would much prefer to stay inside with a book or helping her mother in a much more timid manner.

One day, Snow's and Rose's mother became very ill and died. Afterwards, Rose began taking magic lessons from the infamous Rumplestiltskin. He taught her all the basic spells and curses, and even some extraordinarily complicated enchantments. For every lesson, Rumplestiltskin asked for a price; a secret, and every lesson, Rose gave him one. It continued like this for exactly one month, until Rumplestiltskin asked for a different price that Rose couldn't bear to pay: the sacrifice of not going to the places she wanted to venture to.

Afraid that she had brought misery upon her family because she denied Rumplestiltskin's request, she set a curse on the entire kingdom, decieving them to believe that she had been killed by the wolf that lurked around the Enchanted Forest every full moon. They all have believed since, except Regina and Rumplestiltskin, of course.

Afterwards, Rose explored the kingdom for the years until Regina cast the curse that took all the citizens of the Enchanted Forest to the real world, so she could get her happy ending. Because Rose was in a different portion of the kingdom that everyone else was in when the curse struck, she was not taken to Storybrooke. She arrived in New York, and she rememered everything. She soon understood what had occured, and set up her own life in New York, disguising herself and promising never to go back to the pain of her past life. She created a new name for herself along with a new personality and living space. Rose Red was now Ash Beureguard. She got a job, and practically lived a normal life, that is, until the son of Rumplestiltskin, Baelfire, arrived in New York and settled in the apartment next to Rose's. They soon met, and revealed themselves.

When Baelfire, now Niel, told Rose, now Ash, of the girl he had met while in the crime business, she knew, deep down inside, that Emma Swan was the daughter of her sister. And now that she knew that Emma and Niel had gotten into a relationship, a child would be coming. Her great nephew and the beloved grandson of Snow White and Prince Charming, Henry. Emma was the savior, and her son would also be capable of great, but also dark, things. She had promised herself that when Emma was transported to the real world, she would find the child and care for her, then when the time was right, find Snow and train Emma to save them all. Now, that Emma had grown up and would soon be having a child of her own, Rose was full of determination to keep that child, Henry, safe, even if it meant giving her life.

Niel and Ash discussed more about their times adventuring in the realms. Niel told her about a terrible and wondrous place: Neverland. Rose had already ventured to Wonderland, and after living a normal life for even just a while, she longed for more traveling. Niel told her how to get to Neverland, but he did warn her of the dangers there.

The next night, she stepped in her window, and whispered the words, "I believe." The Shadow came and "off to Neverland" they were!

This is the untold story of Rose Red, and how she had to chose her family over true love, but because family is love, she found that true love again.