Once Upon a Second Chance

(36) - The Price of Magic

"Benjamin has had his potential for darkness banished from his body."

"I-I'm sorry, I've had my what banished from my body?" Ben asked in extreme confusion.

Gold sighed as he proceeded to explain. "We are all born into this world as empty canvases, blank slates if you will, possessing the the capacity for both good and evil and over time, with the knowledge of both, the ability to choose between the two at any given time. Back when Benjamin was a blank slate, an unborn child, his potential for committing any evil acts was removed from him. Mr. and Mrs. Nolan, would you care to explain from here? After all, you two have more experience with this sort of thing." He looked to the royal couple.

Snow and David were standing stiff with their heads down and squeezing each others' hands. They would really rather not reveal the darkest parts of their past in front of this many people. Then Snow looked on Ben's face, and saw the shock and his obvious distress at what Rumple had just revealed. If it would provide him some, any peace of mind...

"Back in the Enchanted Forest," Snow began. "When I realized I was pregnant with Emma, we were frightened by the idea of her growing up to be... a villain," she shook her head.

His wife's bravery to open up about the ordeal only made it fair to say his part as well. "We sought out a unicorn to show us the future of our child."

"The future—Emma's future that it showed me was... terrifying," Snow shivered at the memory.

"So, with manipulation from the previous author, Isaac, we stumbled upon the Apprentice's cottage, where he explained to us the nature of good and evil. As well as offered us a way... to banish the evil from Emma's soul." David closed his eyes, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible.

"And to do that, they needed another unborn child," Maleficent chimed in. "Mine."

"They took me from my mother when I was still an unhatched egg," Lily said emotionlessly.

"And they took my darkness," Emma said. "And put it on her."

"And that's when they sent her away to this world through a portal, Cruella and I falling in as well." Ursula was leveling a small glare at the Charmings.

"Making me think she was dead all these years," Maleficent finished, yearning to turn back time and be able to hold her daughter as the small, innocent baby she had never had the chance to.

When all the parties involved were finished with the story, the alternate children looked on in horror.

"B-But you're the heroes," Mal said, baffled. "Heroes don't curse babies!"

"Or allegedly kill them," Harry said and his alternate grandparents felt their hearts break as he looked at them with what could only be described as disgust.

"People back in our world have gotten sent to the Isle of the Lost for far less," Evie shook her head.

Emma decided it was time to cut off all the ragging on her parents as they had already suffered and been punished enough for their poor life choice. "Okay, guys, while all the criticism is in all honesty, well-deserved, let's get back to the immediate matter at hand."

"...This happened to me?" said matter asked in a small voice. Ben looked up, feeling his world being knocked out of proportions as he heard Emma's parents tale and looked at them. "You think my parents could've done what you did? They wouldn't- They couldn't have. This makes no sense! I understand nothing!"