Regina’s Introduction to Magic

Regina was hurt.

She had nowhere to go.

All she could think of

Was her revenge on Snow.

She couldn’t stay with her mother

For another day.

She decided then and there

That she would run away.

On her trusty steed,

She galloped down the dirt path

In hopes to escape

Her mother’s wrath.

Then without warning,

Like unexpected mines,

Something reached out and grabbed Regina,

A tangle of mossy vines.

The vines turned her

Around to view

Her mother, Cora,

Who resembled a shrew.

“You cannot leave, Regina.

I’ve cast a barrier spell.

You cannot leave without the king.

He serves our family well.”

Regina saw the magic book in Cora’s hands

And struggled against the spell.

She knew that the strong undergrowth

Had become her prison cell.

“Don’t struggle against the vines, dear.

They’ll only grow tighter.

I knew from the beginning

That you were quite a fighter.”

Cora released her

And the vines fell loose.

If they were holding Regina any longer,

They would have become her noose.

Regina fell upon the ground

With a small bruise on her fore.

The hatred she felt towards Cora

Grew even more.

The next day,

They all rode out to the castle.

With the king, Regina, Cora, and her father,

It was quite the hassle.

Even though Regina

Would’ve liked to detain her,

She had Snow White

Come to her new chamber.

You see, Regina had to keep up

This good reputation

Or surely, the king

Would give her a deadly proclamation.

Snow White and Regina

Were simply bonding.

Something caught Snow White’s eyes

And sent her pondering.

Snow White reached

Towards a box

And opened it

While bouncing her black locks.

She reached in her hand

For she was seeking.

Out she pulled a necklace

With a golden ring.

Then Snow White asked

Without hesitation,

“Where did you get this?

What was the occasion?”

She slipped the necklace

Around her neck

To keep her curiosity

In check.

Regina grasped the back of the chain

And pulled with all her might.

She started to choke

Little Snow White.

“It came from Daniel,

Who, thanks to you, is dead!

You’re very lucky

That you still have your head.

It’s all because

You couldn’t keep your promise, Snow!”

Snow gasped out,

“I didn’t know! I didn’t know!”

But, alas, killing Snow

Was all in Regina’s head.

Here is what

She said instead,

“I don’t remember.”

And she left it at that.

Snow quietly put

The necklace back.

Later, Regina paced in her courtyard.

She thought she was a bother.

But come to give her advice

Was her loyal father.

“I know you want to be rid of Cora.

I’m here to help you out.

The magic book your mother carries

Will surely help without a doubt.”

The book holds the name of the person

Who gave it to your mother.

Perhaps he can help you.

I hear he’s like no other.”

Regina took her father’s advice

And that very night

She took the book from under Cora’s pillow

For she saw it was right.

Back in her chamber, she flipped through the pages

In hopes to find a name.

She found one inside the front cover

And it wasn’t lame.

“R-Rumpelshtilkskin,” pronounced Regina.

“That’s Rumpelstiltskin, dearie.”

A shadowy figure appeared in the chair.

His looks could kill a fairy.

It was Rumpelstiltskin, The Dark One.

He answered to his summons.

He had magical powers

And in deals, he was common.

“Greetings, Regina,” he said.

“How do you know my name?

Do you know my mother?

I’ve been told we look somewhat the same.”

Rumpelstiltskin looked her over.

“No, you look nothing like her.

I met you when you were a baby.

For you, it was a blur.

I know what you want.

You know why I’m here.

I’m going to help rid you

Of your mother, dear.”

“Yes! I want her gone!

I don’t care if it’s tragic.

I just have one condition.

I don’t want to use magic.”

A large, white, wrapped box

Appeared in the center of the room.

It had a certain

Aura of doom.

“You won’t have to use magic.

What’s inside will do it for you.

There’s all but one simple thing

That you’ll have to do.

There’s a portal inside the box,

You see,

That can transport Cora far away.

I’m sure that’ll bring you glee.

If this is a goal

That you really love,

All you have to do

Is give her a little shove.

Can you do it?

I know that you can.

That’s only if you want things

To go according to plan.”

Rumpelstiltskin vanished

And early the next day,

Cora came to Regina’s chamber

A while to stay.

She saw the box

In the middle of the room.

“Ah. A wedding gift,

I presume?”

Cora was standing

Right in front of the box

Which didn’t appear

To have a lock.

A magical force

Uncovered it from the rear

And inside

Was a tall mirror.

Regina was facing towards it

And Cora was facing away.

She decided to get this over

Right away.

Regina lunged forward to push her

Into the mirror’s open space

But before she could, Cora used magic

To freeze her in place.

“Do you think you can rid of me that easily?”

Her mother said with a sneer.

“Have you forgotten? I’m your mother

And you don’t need me far, but near.”

Rumpelstiltskin’s image appeared in the mirror

And made a motion to push Cora well.

Regina saw this

And fought fiercely against the spell.

Regina’s face was

Filled with rage

And the unexpected happened

On the next page.

She broke free of the spell

And she reached out her hands.

An invisible force pushed her mother

Into the mirror’s wonderland.

Regina’s face showed shock

And she looked at her hands. Did she use magic

She did not understand?

“Job well done, dearie.

You’ve whisked Cora away.

I’m certain I’ll see you

Another day.”

In fact,

It was the very next day

That Regina, yet again,

Decided to run away.

Miles from the castle,

Though it was still in sight,

Regina was on her horse,

Low with might.

But then

Who should appear

But Rumpelstiltskin,

Who was quite near.

“Dearie,” said Rumpelstiltskin,

“Magic...why do you shun it?”

“I’m never using magic again

Because I loved it!”

A devilish grin spread

Across his face.

“Dearie, I think that

You’ve found your place.

Come and be my apprentice.

I’ll help you reach your full potential.

No need to fret. These lessons

Will be confidential.”

Regina smiled

And without a doubt

Soon she would let

Her true self out.

Into the woods

They did go

To a small clearing

With Regina’s horse in tow.

Her horse stood before her.

It was looking rather swell.

“Now we will begin working

On the immobilization spell.”

The steed reared back.

Regina held out her hand towards the horse.

A shining blue aura trapped it,

Stopping it in its course.

Her mother had used this spell

On her before

And she would remember it

Forevermore.

“Congratulations, dearie.

You’ve passed the simplest test.

In the lessons to come,

I’ll teach you the rest.”

Regina practiced very hard.

Rumpelstiltskin was aware.

Sometimes she would practice

In Rumpelstiltskin’s lair.

Regina became more skilled

As each day passed

Although there was no one

That she had yet harassed.

One day at lessons,

It didn’t seem like the rest.

“Today,” said Rumpelstiltskin,

“You’ll be put to the ultimate test.”

Before Regina

Stood her steed.

She wondered if she had

All the skills she would need.

“Perform the immobilization spell

To make its motion stalled.”

Regina performed it perfectly

With no effort at all.

“Now, dearie,

Comes the tested part.

All you have to do

Is reach in and take its heart.”

Regina hesitated.

This horse was her friend.

She didn’t want today

To be its life’s end.

Regina reached in and took its heart.

She held it glistening in her hand.

“Now you must crush it

And send the horse to no-man’s land.”

Regina looked deeply

Into the horse’s eyes.

Killing it would just be

Something more she would despise.

“I can’t do it!

I can’t even try!

I can’t let my only

Faithful friend die!”

Rumpelstiltskin took the heart

And he actually tried.

The horse collapsed on the ground,

Gave a final whinny, then died.

There were tears in Regina’s eyes.

She had just lost her pal.

She cried tears of sorrow

And had low morale.

Later that afternoon,

They went to Rumpelstiltskin’s lair.

No one else

But a customer was there.

The customer handed Rumpelstiltskin

A white crystal ball.

The man said, “Here it is.

I don’t care what you use it for at all.”

Rumpelstiltskin said, “Excellent!

Over there is your pay.

Take the amount you see fit

Of gold I have spun from hay.”

The man walked over to the loom

And through the gold, he fingered.

A few moments more

He lingered.

Upon the glass windows,

There was some condensation.

Regina and Rumpel

Started a conversation.

“Dearie, do tell. Why did you

Start an apprenticeship with me?”

“I hoped that if I learned magic,

I could bring back someone who’s dear to me.”

“Using magic to

Bring people back from the dead?!

That thought is so ridiculous!

I just might lose my head!

Magic can do

Many things, dearie,

But it can’t revive the dead!

It’s impossible, you see.

I won’t have a student

Whose thoughts are so unrefined.

From now on,

You’re no apprentice of mine!”

Rumpelstiltskin left her

In the room.

The man from earlier

Was still by the loom.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t help

But overhear

That you’re wanting to bring back

A loved one you held near.

I am a hatter.

My name is Jefferson

And I, too, know what it’s like

To lose a loved one.”

“Can you really help me?

Apparently, magic will not do.

Right now, I really

Have no clue.”

“I know a man.

Magic is not of his appliance.

He uses a force not of this world.

This man uses science.”

“Where is this man?

I must know.

If not,

I will regret it so.”

“Like I said,

He is not of this world.

His world is grey.

Color is not hurled.

To bring him here,

We’ll need to use my hat.

It has traveling properties,

To put it at that.”

“But to do that,

Wouldn’t you need permission?

After all, it’s a

Very complex mission.”

“Well, aren’t you

The Queen, ma’am?”

Regina realized her newfound power.

“Yes. Yes, I am.”

Later that night in the castle

In Regina’s courtyard,

Jefferson stood with the other man.

“The journey wasn’t hard.

This man is

A good friend of mine.

His name is

Doctor Victor Frankenstein.”

Frankenstein was dressed

In a white lab coat.

From his appearance,

It seemed that he liked to gloat.

Regina asked, “Can you really bring people

Back from the dead?”

“Yes. My abilities are something

That you should not dread.

Now, where is the body?

You must show it to me.

I must determine if it

Can be raised easily.”

Regina led them

To her vault.

Whatever happens

Would not be her fault.

Daniel’s body was encased

In a glass casket,

Which is definitely better

Than a woven basket.

“I’ve kept Daniel here

And I’ve cared for him well.

I’ve kept him with

A preservation spell.”

Frankenstein opened the lid

And slit Daniel’s hand.

Fresh blood fell

On the Doc’s finger, it did land.

“Simply astounding!” said Frankenstein.

“You’ve done much effort in his stead.

His condition is that

Of the recently dead.

To raise him, however,

I’ll need a powerful sacrifice.

A magical heart of this world

Would surely suffice.”

“I know where we can get one,” said Regina.

“We’ll need to go to my old home.

It is there that an abundance of hearts

Do roam.”

They traveled to Regina’s old home

And entered the hearth.

Not far beyond the fireplace

Was Cora’s turf.

“Be silent.

Do you hear the beating?”

It was quiet, then loud

Like one thousand goats bleating.

They all looked towards

The fireplace wall.

Regina said, “Her vault is right through there.

It’s not far at all.”

Regina used magic

To open the wall.

The wall had a slow

And quiet fall.

Down the stairs into the vault

There were thousands of beating hearts.

Each one was held in a box.

It was hard to tell them apart.

Frankenstein went over to a box

And held up his hand.

The box, in reply, came out of the wall

Like it could understand.

He reached in the box and held the heart.

“Extraordinary!” he said.

“This should be a powerful enough component

In raising the dead.”

Then, they all went to a field

A little distance out.

This is so they would not be

Discovered or found if they were to shout.

The night was young

And black clouds started to form.

In a few minutes,

There would be a horrific storm.

Frankenstein set up a tent

With all of his equipment inside.

He draped a sheet over the open end

For his process was a secret that must hide.

Regina and Jefferson stood outside the tent.

They could see Frankenstein’s silhouette.

He got his equipment running.

Regina hoped she would not be upset.

Electricity started to build

Up in the air.

Regina didn’t want this night

To end in despair.

Frankenstein took the heart

And held it up high.

As he shoved it into Daniel’s body,

A bolt of lightning came down from the sky.

The body jolted on the table.

The wind was raging wildly.

Nature wasn’t taking its toll

On the experiment mildly.

The storm stopped

And the wind died down.

Frankenstein came out of the tent slowly

Wearing a frown.

The little light that was left

Came to a dim.

The news Frankenstein gave

Would surely be grim.

“I’m afraid to report

That the experiment was a failure.”

Regina was distraught

And in tears, for sure.

Frankenstein returned to his land

After the tragic incident.

Regina had nothing left.

In magic, she became persistent.

Many days passed.

The kingdom became dark.

Regina decided to visit Rumpelstiltskin

In the field where she first made her mark.

She was sure Rumpelstiltskin would be there.

That much, she did know.

He seemed to follow her around

Wherever she did go.

Regina arrived at the field

All dressed in black.

“My, my, dearie! You’ve taken on a new appearance.

You look as sharp as a tack!

If you’ve come for an apprenticeship again,

I cannot be of help.

I’ve found a new apprentice here

Who is stronger than a miniscule whelp.”

To the left of Rumpelstiltskin

Stood a beautiful girl.

Her blonde hair was held back

All in curls.

And as if

Rewinding the clock,

She was where Regina had been at the start of training,

Levitating rocks.

“This young girl

Actually has dedication,

Which is one of willpower’ s

Strongest sensations.”

Regina walked over to the girl,

And without hesitation,

She took the girl’s heart and crushed it.

“How’s that for dedication?”