My babies 🥺

Whenever I rewatch Once Upon a Time, my heart always aches for Regina and Zelena. It's truly a testament to the show's writing that even years later, I find myself thinking about how much these two sisters truly deserved better, especially given the monumental impact of their mother, Cora. Users searching for "once upon a time cora" and "regina and zelena once upon a time" are likely grappling with these same complex emotions and histories. Let's start with Zelena, often portrayed as the Wicked Witch. Her backstory is, in my opinion, one of the most heartbreaking. Cora's decision to abandon her newborn daughter in the woods, purely for the sake of maintaining her social standing and ascending to royalty, set Zelena on a path of bitterness and envy. Imagine being left by your own mother, then later discovering you have a sister who was raised in the very comfort and privilege you were denied. This abandonment, a core aspect of Cora's "controlling and abandoning nature" evident in her villainous portrayal, poisoned Zelena's spirit from the start. That innocent young girl, perhaps once dressed in a "pink feathery boa and a sparkling crown" in her dreams, grew up feeling utterly unwanted and unloved. Her later actions, while villainous, stemmed from a deep-seated wound of rejection and a desperate need for what she felt was stolen from her. She yearned for love and a place to belong, but her early trauma led her to seek it in destructive ways. Then there's Regina, the Evil Queen, whose story is equally tragic. Cora’s control over Regina’s life was suffocating. From forcing her into a loveless marriage with King Leopold to murdering Daniel, the stable boy who was Regina's true love, Cora systematically dismantled Regina's happiness and agency. Cora, often depicted in a "regal red and white gown" yet with "serious expressions" reflecting her calculating mind, saw Regina not as a daughter to nurture, but as a pawn to elevate her own status. Snow White's accidental revelation to Cora about Daniel cemented Regina's turn to darkness, but it was Cora's ambition and cruelty that truly pulled the trigger. Regina was constantly under her mother's thumb, unable to make her own choices, living a life designed by someone else. She was groomed for power, but at the cost of her heart and soul. Cora, the ultimate puppet master, played a villainous role in both her daughters' lives. Her "controlling and abandoning nature" wasn't just a plot device; it was the catalyst for nearly all the pain Regina and Zelena experienced. She fostered a rivalry between them, stoked their insecurities, and denied them true love and happiness. It’s hard to watch her manipulate them, always prioritizing her own twisted version of success over their well-being. Her character, often seen in striking yet dark attire, truly embodied the cold, calculating villain who shaped so much of the magical world's sorrow. Ultimately, both Regina and Zelena were victims of Cora's relentless pursuit of power and her inability to love genuinely. Their journeys towards finding redemption and forming a sisterly bond were incredibly hard-won, a testament to their resilience despite their horrific upbringings. They both deserved a mother who cherished them, who allowed them to love and be loved, and who empowered them to forge their own paths, free from manipulation and betrayal. Thinking about it, their stories serve as powerful reminders of how parental actions can echo through generations, shaping destinies in profound and often tragic ways.