The Prophecy of Cassandra (A Once Upon A Time Fanfiction)

Chapter Eighteen: No Need to Say Goodbye

I only own Cassandra.

All too quickly, the party ended. The sun lingered on the horizon, as if contemplating whether or not to fade from the sky when it just returned. The Queen glanced out of the large windows. The sun seemed to blink at her before deciding to lower behind the trees and allowing the moon to shine again.

As the song reached its conclusion, the Queen nodded at the musicians to cease playing for a moment.

“I’m afraid that it is getting late,” she spoke, gathering everyone’s attention. “It is time for my guests to return back home.”

“Do we have to go?” Henry asked. He looked up with pleading eyes to his friend. “Are you sure you can’t come with us?”

The Queen chuckled softly. “I have to stay. But I promise, I will visit. And I’ll always be watching over you.”

…

Cassandra guided her friends out of the back of the castle, to a small inlet at the back of the island. There lay Hook’s ship, lined with fairy lights and Neverflowers.

They all stopped before the ocean water. Cassandra waved her arms to construct a walkway of vines. They too, were lined with Neverflowers. Tinkerbell moved to stand beside of the right of the new walkway leading to the ship. She had already made the decision to stay—she didn’t believe she belonged in Storybrooke. So why would she leave?

Everyone came to say their goodbyes to the Queen, to which she responded, "It's not goodbye. There's no need for them. I will see all of you again."

Henry was near-crying when he wrapped his arms around the girl.

“Don’t let too much time pass before you see me,” he said. “I know how easy it is to lose track of time in Neverland.”

“I won’t. I’ll be there for your next birthday,” she promised. "I'll come back." He gave her a small smile before taking Emma’s hand and walking on the vines.

When Blue, the last person to leave, began heading towards the ship as well, the vines began to vanish behind her. In no time, everyone was on board the giant ship. Cassandra raised her hand to wave. Henry leaned over the side of the ship, returning the gesture. But as the ship began to rise out of the water, the Queen turned to walk back to the castle.

…

Her bedroom was the same. Except for one thing she hardly paid any attention to—the wall of leaves. Occasionally she would wave the leaves aside to look out over her island, but not often. She felt like she should tonight. So her hand twisted to exert a little of magic. The leaves shifted to reveal the open wall. The Queen slowly moved to sit on the floor, her legs hanging out of the window and on the stone wall below her.

This was her home. Her real home—where she was born, and where she would stay. The stars and moon had finally reached their peak, despite the early hours of the night. Tinkerbell had just passed the Queen’s room. Her eyes had seen, through the small crack of the door, her friend at peace. Everything was peaceful now.