THE YOUNG WOMAN RAN through the forest with all her might. He sword was held tightly whilst she jumped a fallen tree. The woman lifted her arm, creating a wall of branches to cover her from the man following her. As she was about to run, she crashed into a strong chest. The woman looked up, at the man who was smirking at her.

"You should stop using that trick." The man said to her, smirking lightly at her. The brunette smiled at the man. "Come on, Mrs. Carter. Are you telling me you didn't expect your own husband to know you so well?" Benjamin Carter told the woman.

The woman let out a soft laugh. "Oh, please. I was just hoping you wouldn't notice that that was my greatest move of all." Bryony told her husband.

Benjamin Carter pulled her closer to him, smiling lightly at the woman he so dearly loved. "I don't think it is." A voice said from behind the couple. The prince took his sword at the speed of light and pointed at the woman who had appeared suddenly. The two of them face the evil woman in front of them.

"Oh, come on Edward. That's not how you would greet an old friend." The woman said with a smirk. Matilda looked at the woman who took joy in people's pain. "I just wanted to have a small chat with your wife." The woman said before forming a giant smirk with her dark red lips. "Now Bryony. Why don't we take a walk?" The woman said before raising her hand, making the sword of Edward Carter disappeared. "You wouldn't be needed it anytime soon." She added.

Bryony sighed shaking her head. "You love to make an entrance. Don't you?" Bryony asked her, before following the woman with the dark black dress. The brunette gave a calming smile to Edward before turning away to the woman who had known the longest.

. . .

Matilda Monroe was a person that was loyal, even if some people in her life never saw it. A few have when they have gotten to know the woman well enough and decided to stay at her side in comparison with other who believed she was not worth of friend material. However, Emma Swan did. The two first met eleven years ago, where both women had totally different paths. One was in jail after she had fallen for the wrong man while the other had a career that was starting to bloom. Either way, it seemed that fate wanted both of them together, or so Matilda always joked about.

Matilda was in jail as a visitor, ready to interview a woman who was being held there. At the time Emma Swan was just five months pregnant. While Matilda was waiting for her interviewee, she had seen the blonde woman sitting by herself. Matilda was not one to just simply start a conversation with a stranger, but for some unknown reason she decided that Emma will be one of the rare occasions she would. The brunette took a seat next to Emma Swan, and congratulated her for the baby that was yet to be born, and so they two of them talked. Matilda then left after the woman she came for ended the interview. Although the following day she had returned and it was not for the interviewee of the previous day, but instead it was for a nice chat with Emma Swan. Matilda used to say that Emma must have had something magical to her since she had this mysterious cool look to her. Then the frequent visits became less frequent, due to Matilda returning to her own home, but did not clear the fact that she had met a blonde woman who had hit some bumps on the road and was ready to clear that path when she got out. Although when Emma Swan got out, she forgot about the kind brunette who seemed to have a smile no matter what. That was until two years later their path will cross again and this time, there would be no separation.

Emma Swan had been on a date when Matilda had spotted the woman. Matilda walked over to her and greeted her. Emma of course knew that Matilda knew about her past in jail and was a little afraid that she will spill the beans to the unknown man; but instead she did not. She kept quiet, smiled and greeted Emma as an old friend. After the date started to go South, Matilda was more than happy to help Emma out of the mess and the two of them decided to hit the bar a couple of blocks away. Matilda kindly paid for the tap and talked to Emma. She told her about how her work had been, and Emma just listened. When the time came for the two to return to their homes, Matilda gave Emma her phone if she needed anything else.

Emma had not exactly had that many people give her a hand, so it took her a while to get to trust Matilda. But the brunette did not give up. She stayed by her side, or if she couldn't physically, she would listen to her to the phone. The two of them ended up making a great bond, one which made Emma feel less alone. It was that same bond that made Emma call Matilda for help when the son she had given up showed up in her home. The brunette came rushing in, and when it was time to return the boy to his home Matilda took the keys to her car and left with Emma.

And it was that same bond that led her stay almost a month in the town Storybrooke while she helped Emma. The blonde was shocked when Matilda was ready to leave everything behind just to help her, but none the less she accepted because deep down she knew that it will be best to have someone by her side even if she was used to being alone.

And it was the same bond that made Emma run out of the hospital, after breaking the curse by saving her son's life. Emma Swan ran like a maniac, trying to make sure that Matilda did not hurt herself. However, when she opened the door to the hospital all she could see was the purple smoke around her.

"Matilda!" Emma yelled, looking around but failed to see anything. "Matilda, god damn it." Emma mumbled, looking around. Then it started to clear and has soon as it came, the purple smoke was completely gone. Emma looked around, seeing the town still intact.

Emma sighed, going back into the hospital. The blonde ran back to her son, whose face was still sickly pale after just waking up from a sleeping curse. "Henry. Stay put. I need to find Matilda. Don't you dare to move." Emma said to him. The blonde took her jacket before running away to find her only friend.

Emma ran back outside, screaming Matilda's name. "Matilda! Matilda!" Emma yelled as she walked frantically down the street. She stopped when she saw a brunette hair a couple of meters away from her. Emma called her out once more, and the brunette turned around. Emma sighed, being a little bit calmer now that she saw that Matilda was alright.

The brunette on the other hand was just looking at the town in confusion. "The town is still intact." Matilda said to her, looking at Emma.

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked her.

Matilda turned around to look at her more clearly. "The smoke." Matilda said to her. "If it wasn't another curse, then what was it?" Matilda asked Emma. Emma shrugged at her. "Why are you out of breath?" She asked the blonde.

"Because I have been screaming your name for the last five minutes while running looking for you." Emma said to her. "Why didn't you stay inside?" Emma asked her.

However, before Matilda could answer Emma, somebody yelled her name. The duo turned around, looking at Mary Margaret and David. The couple whose past fairy tale lives where Snow White and Prince Charming. The biological parents of Emma Swan. Mary Margaret ran to Emma, pulling her into a tight hug. "Emma." She whispered, hugging her very own daughter. David soon followed, hugging the two women.

"Mom, dad." Emma mumbled, not believing the reunion that she once so dearie hoped for. Matilda smiled happily, seeing how Emma got the ending she once dream off. David looked up to meet Matilda's eyes.

The man pulled away, his memories of the woman who tried to cheer him up when things with Mary Margaret did not work out. David, pulled away from the hug keeping his eyes on Matilda who was standing on the side. Although the name that came out of his mouth was one that shocked both Emma and Matilda herself. "Bryony?" The man asked looking at her with utter surprise.

Mary Margaret looked up at the mention of the name, following David's eyes to Matilda. The young brunette frowned at the name. Emma pulled away from the hug, turning to Matilda. Matilda let go quickly of the frown and gave a small smile to David, thinking that the man had forgotten her name entirely.

"Her name is Matilda." Emma said, looking at Matilda. Matilda waved at Snow and David. "You don't remember?" Emma asked her father.

"I....Yeah....I do." David said to Emma, shaking his head. David gave a weak smile to Matilda, trying to ignore the mistake he had made. "I must have confused by somebody else." David told Matilda.

Matilda walked closer to David and Mary Margaret with hesitation seeing them hold back a comment. She was unaware that it was not because of bitterness but out a sadness due to one of their memories. A memory that seemed like it was a long time ago.

. . .

Bryony looked the woman with the black dress with a small smile. "I forgot how much you loved to weak black. It's been a while." Bryony told the woman.

"It sure has. Especially that you have refused to have or usual evening teas together." The woman replied, shaking her head.

"Well...I was getting tired of seeing you tear other people's heart's away from them when you grew annoyed at them. You have to conceal your anger a little more. That tends to scare people off." Bryony said to her, jumping over a log. The woman jumped too high and was about to fall badly when smoke consumed her and then she was standing neatly by herself a couple of steps away from where she previously was.

"I haven't scare you away just yet." The woman replied to Bryony.

"Well, that's because I know that behind all your actions there is a reason." Bryony said to her. "If you are here to ask me where Snow White and Charming are, then you are wasting your time, Queen." Bryony told her.

"I'm not here for that." The woman said to her. She fake tiredness. "I'm here to warn you." The woman said to her.

"About what?" Bryony asked her.

"About a curse that will set itself soon upon this land." The woman said to her.

"Why are you warning me about that?" Bryony asked her.

The woman shrugged, taking a few steps away from the woman. She looked down at the hems of her dress. "Because we both know about the creature growing inside your belly will be right before we know it." The woman said to her.

Bryony frowned, looking at the woman. "How did you know? Edward has not a single idea about it yet. How do you know?" Bryony asked her. The woman smiled briefly. So brief that it appeared in a flash and left as soon as it came.

"You were running slower than usual." The woman said to her.

"The last time you saw me run was when we were both very young." Bryony. "How could you possible remember that?" The brunette asked her.

The woman remained quiet and walked closer to Bryony. "I just came to warn you." The woman said to her. "And don't worry, that little baby will hear from me soon enough. Last time I checked your kingdom was the only one I have yet to be banished from." The woman said to her. "Bye, Bryony." The woman said, before clicking her fingers. Black smoke surrounded Bryony, consuming her entirely.

When Bryony opened her eyes back once more, she was standing next to her husband, and there was not a single view of the woman dressed in black.

. . .

Mary Margaret gave a giant smile to Matilda before pulling her into a tight hug. The brunette did not expect this at all, but none the less she hugged her back. "So, it's true. Henry was right." Matilda whispered in shock. Mary Margaret pulled away, smiling at her.

Matilda looked at David with a giant smile. "You two are Snow White and Prince Charming. I mean the actual fairy tale characters." Matilda said to them. "Oh my god, I was leaving with Snow White all along. Oh my god! You saw my Snow-White socks, this is so embarrassing." Matilda said, processing everything. David chuckled, looking at Matilda.

Although, the spot light was quick reviled by Henry who had quietly walked up to the group. He of course had gone against what his mother had said, just because he wanted to make sure as well that Matilda was alright. "You doubted me." A voice said behind Matilda. Matilda turned around to face Henry. "You should be in the hospital." Matilda said at the same time as Emma.

The two women briefly look at each other. Henry smiled, walking to David and Mary Margaret.

Henry ignored Matilda's and Emma's words and instead he reunited himself with his mother's parents. "Grandpa? Grandma?" Henry asked before hugging David's legs.

David smiled at his grandson, smiling brightly at Emma's child. "I suppose so." He said, hugging him back.

Henry smiled brightly. "She did it. She saved you." Henry said, moving away to hug Mary Margaret. When he pulled away, he turned to Matilda. "Both of them did." He added, looking at Matilda. Matilda smiled, kneeling down to fix Henry's shirt.

"She saved all of us." Mary Margaret said, looking at Emma with pride. Matilda smiled brightly while pulling the hems of her sleeves tighter to her hands as she stood awakrdly behind Emma.

Matilda stood up and put a supporting over Emma's shoulder. "See, and you doubted yourself." Matilda joked to Emma. The blonde just smiled at her before pulling her into a hug. Matilda hugged back before pulling her away. "I'm not regretting coming here. Now I got to meet Snow White. I am wondering if Belle will be around. After all, she has always been my favorite princess." Matilda said with slight excitement in her voice. Emma let out a small laugh, knowing that Matilda childness was just proudly radiating from her. "You are alright?" Matilda asked Emma.

"It's a lot to take in." Emma whispered to her. Matilda put a supporting hand over Emma's shoulder, silently telling her that she was there for her just like she had been all those past years. 

Despite the happy reunion, some others still had question. Just like the men who served Snow White with great loyalty: The seven dwarfs "If she saved us, then why are we still here?" Grumpy asked. Just as Grumpy finished the question the rest of the dwarfs talked over each other while addressing Mary Margaret and David.

Matilda turned to look at Henry who was smiling at David and Margaret. The brunette took out her jacket and gave it to Henry so he would not be cold. Henry gave her a kind smile back and stood next to the woman as Mary Margaret and David calmed the seven dwarfs.

One they were able to calm them, Grumpy was quick to ask what everyone in the town was questioning. "What was that smoke?" Grumpy asked them.

A woman with tightly held hair and bright blue coat walked to the club having the answer that they were looking for. "Magic. It's here. I can feel it." Mother Superior said to them.

"How can you feel it?" Matilda asked her, standing right next to Henry.

"She is the Blue Fairy." Henry answered, looking up to the tall woman. Matilda's look then turned into one of shock. "I thought you said you believed in fairies." He added.

"I do. It's just that I was expecting them to be a little bit smaller." Matilda added, looking at Mother Superior. "No offense." She quickly added.

"None taken." The woman said. She turned to David and Mary Margaret.

Henry walked up to her quickly. "Magic? In Storybrooke? You are the Blue Fairy. Do something magical." He asked her.

The woman gave him a sad smile. "It's not quite that simple Henry. I have no wand, no fairy dust." She told him.

Matilda looked at Henry before looking at Mother superior. "Then, why don't you ask Tinker Bell for it? Or grow one of those magical trees like in the films." Matilda asked her. "Or do they only grow in Neverland?" She asked.

Mother superior looked at her strangely. "Or not." Matilda quickly added before looking down at the floor.

"I haven't seen the wand since I arrived. So, there is no way of us to be able to do magic." Mother Superior explained to them.

"Then why bring magic back? Who could have done it?" David asked. Matilda shrugged in response.

Grumpy frowned deeply, looking ahead as if there were somebody he would tried to remove from this earth with just his eyes. "I know somebody, Regina." Grumpy said, looking at the group.

"Of course." Mary Margaret said, nodding along.

"Let's go and get her." Grumpy said before starting to walk away from them.

Matilda looked down at Henry who was quietly listening. Matilda raised her hand peacefully. "Well, I think....we should first check it was her. I mean...maybe it was not her. She had been in the hospital all the time when Henry almost dies. She couldn't have done such thing. We shouldn't jump into conclusions just yet." Matilda said to them.

Emma looked up. "I agree." Emma said to her.

Grumpy looked at Matilda. "You are just saying that because she treats you well. Well that is until she tries to poison you just like she did to Snow." Grumpy said, pointing at Matilda.

The dwarfs started to walk away when Emma stopped them. "No, wait. It wasn't Regina." Emma said to them. "I know who it was." Emma said, now understanding why Rumpelstiltskin wanted the magic potion he told her to get to safe her son. 

. . . 

A/N: I have finally uploaded the first chapter of Once Upon a Tale. I'm so excited to show you more about Matilda's past, and her friendship with characters in Storybrooke. I hope you enjoy this story.