We are all bad parents. Some of us are just worst.

She was dead.

She put herself in the "circle", she forced her daughter to go out of it, and she saved her.

And now, she is dead.

Where was she ?

She looked at the place, not knowing what it was, learning later that she was in the Olympus, the place where dead people went if they didn't have any unfinished business.

It made sense.

She had no regrets, she succeeded to woke up Anastasia, and yes, this one hated her, but didn't she deserve it ? She still didn't fix her mistakes with Ella, but she did what mattered the most.

She told Drizella how much she loved her, and cared for her. She didn't deserve this one to forgive her, to accept her, not after what she did. Not after all these years of indifference, not after her cruel attitude toward her daughter.

It was the other reason why she sacrificed for her daughter, because this one deserved to be saved, at first, and also because she hurt her so much that she could fix this mess just by dying.

She didn't regret it.

§§§§

The woman's name was Cora, and Rapunzel met her some day after she died. They didn't meet by chance, Cora was looking for someone coming from the world of the living, and who would have died not a long time ago.

And who could have known things about what was happening to her daughters.

After all, after Zelena and Regina left, she had no other news of them, since the moment where she was in the Olympus.

And it was a difficult task, as she found no one since she began it, so, when she heard of Rapunzel, she came to see her.

"Who are you ?

- My name is Cora, and I was looking for you. Are you Rapunzel Tremaine ?

- Yes, it's me. Or it was, I don't know. I just died the other day.

- And I did too... A long time ago. What happened to you ?"

Rapunzel's look became sadder.

"I died so my daughter could live. And so my grand-daughter would be awake. She had a bitter smile. Maybe that I should have listened to Regina.

- So, you know my daughter ?

- Wait... you're Regina Mills' mother ?

- And Zelena' too, of course. Yes.

- She is... well, was... We were enemies. And now, I remember it, I never cast this curse, it was all Drizella's... And it was my fault, it was my fault if my daughter turned her heart black, she added with despair."

Cora smiled with comprehension.

"I know what it is...

- What ?

- To make mistakes with your children. I gave up my first born, Zelena, because I didn't want just to be seen as the miller's daughter. I wanted to be more, and she was just stopping me from this, and I regretted it all my life. Even if I thought I didn't, now I know I do. Then, I ripped out my own heart, so I would feel nothing anymore, because I thought love was weakness. And it had terrible effects on my second daughter, Regina...

- What did you do to her ?

- I destroyed her. I tried to make her become like me, despite what she wanted, and I didn't listen to her. She was someone good, you know ?

- She is now, again, as she used to be."

Cora smiled and nodded.

"That was supposed to be. I acted harshly toward her, I used my magic on her, I... I killed the man she loved, and I forced her to marry someone else. I made her a queen, but I also turned her life into a living Hell.

- How did she react then ?

- She banished me. But the irony is that, she put her hatred on someone else than me, someone who was innocent, someone who didn't deserve it.

- I did the same thing, Rapunzel whispered, realizing it. With Drizella. When Anastasia almost died, I... I was so hurt by this, that I neglected her, I became so cold toward her, as if I thought she was responsible of what happened. Except that, she wasn't ! Gothel was, she did all of this, and I was angry against her, but I was so angry against myself too, that I... that I just denied her everything she should have had."

A silence took place between them, as Rapunzel was realizing how bad she acted, before Cora talked again.

"We are all bad parents. Some of us are just worst. I was. And I still am. Because, you see, I had to wait for my daughter to come into the Underworld to help someone coming back, to finally be able to make her my apologies. To tell her how much I was sorry for what I did. Regina should have waited even longer, hadn't she want to go there.

- I woke up my first daughter, admitted Rapunzel. But, she rapidly added, I did it by almost killing another child. Even if she survived, it doesn't erase what I did to her. My grand-daughter. Well, she is your great-grand-daughter, if I am not wrong."

Cora blinked.

"What ?

- She is Henry Mills' daughter. The only one who know for the curse, with your daughters, of course. They finally woke up.

- Tell me, are they in Storybrooke ?

- No... another curse had been cast, by my daughter. They are in another town. And it happened because of me."

Rapunzel seemed really miserable.

"You see, the other woman told her. I think you were better than me. I mean... I don't think many people did things as terrible as I myself did, so... you know what I mean, it's not really difficult to be better than me. But you clearly are.

- Why ?

- Because you did something I didn't do before I died. You realized who you really were. I died when my daughter put my heart back in my chest, and for some seconds, I felt it. My love for her, my feeling of guilt, my sufferings, all the others things I didn't want to have... But it didn't last. I told her she would have been enough for me, but clearly it wasn't enough. These apologies weren't enough. And regarding to my first daughter, well... it was the same, and even worst. The first day I really saw her, I was dead. And I tried to trap her, by using her feelings, and even though it was true, well... I was a bad mother. I always was. And yes, I still am."

Cora stopped, and started talking again.

"I know they forgave me, but I still don't know if I forgave myself. You, you apologized when you were still alive, and when your daughter needed you to do it. And you died for her. Trust me, despite my bad influence, my daughter became good again, and heroic. I'm sure your own can do the same thing."

Rapunzel smiled.

"Thanks Cora. I think I needed it. And I hope you're right."