Once on Instagram III

Everything is Not Fine

March 29, 2018

It had been just over a week since the SwanQueen breakup, and it was not being handled very well by anyone. Emma, who had been so excitedly planning the last bits of her and Neal's wedding the day before, had stopped wanting to even think about the wedding all together. Regina, who would usually go to council meetings more happily now that she had a mostly new council, had stopped showing up, leaving Robin to attend them alone. Both of them had been silent on Instagram and all other forms of social media, so no one really knew what was going on with them, or how long it would last. But every day without news caused more worry.

~

Zelena was in the throne room of the Underworld (because where else would you be on a Thursday afternoon?) when a hooded figure burst through the doors. Zelena immediately sat up straight, not knowing what to think. She was only there because Arthur was figuring out some other problem and had assured Zelena nothing major would happen while he was gone.

Zelena's fears dissipated as soon as the figure lowered her hood, though. Her light hair and pale face contrasted immensely with the black cloak she was wearing.

"Belle?"

"I need your help."

"What's wrong?" Zelena asked. She stood up and walked over to Belle.

"It's the Darkness. I... I think it's corrupting me."

~

Regina slammed the wooden doors shut behind her after entering the Prophecy Room. She needed somewhere to go where no one would look for her, and what reason would she have for going into a room full of words that no longer held any meaning?

Regina noticed too late that she wasn't in the room alone. The Oracle was laying on the floor, looking up at the ceiling. Her hands were folded on her chest, and she didn't seem surprised when Regina entered.

"Hello, Your Majesty."

"What are you doing here?" Regina demanded. "How did you get in the castle?!"

"That's you big question?" the Oracle asked in a judgmental tone. "Okay. Well," she stood up and turned to face Regina, "I'm the Oracle and I can do what I want. I'm the one who owns this room anyways, and it's not like it's any use to you now, so I don't see what the problem is."

Regina decided it wasn't worth arguing with the Oracle over who the castle belonged to at the moment. "And why are you here?"

"Isn't that the question of the hour?" The Oracle began pacing. "Why am I here? Why am I in this story if everything I worked so hard on was always just going to be thrown away anyways? What purpose do I serve?"

Regina frowned. "I... don't know."

The Oracle stopped. "Exactly. Why would I be in this story if I had no purpose? I'm still relevant, somehow. One of these prophecies is still going to come true, I just don't know which one yet. That's why I'm here. So what are you doing here?"

Regina opened her mouth to respond, but found she didn't like the response in her mind, so she closed it. She hesitated a moment before actually saying anything, "I don't really know. I'm going to leave." Regina turned back towards the door, but the Oracle said something that made her stop.

"It's about Emma Swan, isn't it? And your... how do you say it... 'break up'?"

Regina didn't respond.

"I've been taking that into consideration in my search, and if you want my opinion, you should make up and make out before a bad prophecy ends up coming true. See ya!" With that, the Oracle disappeared.