Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Once Upon a Time.
Author's Note: Hello! To my loyal Repo! readers, I am not abandoning the story. My muse has been screaming for me to write this, and maybe now she'll shut up. Yes, Armina has returned, but she's not the same as the Underground version. Her husband is different, and so is his title. I mostly used her name and powers and shaped her into a completely different character. Enjoy! R&R
As the wave of magick overtook the previously sleepy town of Storybrooke, the inhabitants began to show their true qualities. The smell of ozone from the sizzle of power covered the town.
Snow White still had her face buried in Prince Charming's chest, tears running freely down her face. Charming murmured comforting words in her ear as the magick engulfed them in a massive wave, similar to that of a sonic boom.
When the wave passed, both of them felt the power of magick coursing through their veins. They felt alive for the first time in too long. It was like a weight had been lifted from their shoulders, and both could see through the haze that had so long clouded their vision. The sun was brighter, the air clearer, and their minds were filled with the knowledge of their past lives.
The citizens of Storybrooke poked their heads out of their homes and businesses, trying to make sense of what had just happened. The confused townspeople began to gather in the town's main intersection, their eyes filled with tears as old friends embraced.
Snow White and her prince walked amongst the happy citizens, hugging and saying words of happiness at receiving their memories again. Emma held Henry's hand as they, too, entered the intersection and earned hugs and pats on the back.
A sudden feeling of magick use distracted them all from what they had been doing. On the outskirts of the intersection, a woman got out of her truck; the passengers in the back of the truck hopped out and flanked her.
The woman was tall, but built like a brick silo. Dark, golden-blonde hair hung around her shoulders in waves. The defined features of royalty were ignored in favor of the striking, constantly-changing eyes. One second they were a liquid bronze, the next blue, then red. Emma held onto Henry's hand a little tighter. The woman was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, but she was obviously more powerful than she let on in her clothing choices.
The man to her right had her arm locked with his, obviously some sort of partner. His hair was dark, ebony black, but his eyes were a more kind-looking blue than hers were. He was dressed in similar attire to the woman, but was wearing a button-down shirt.
Henry tugged on Emma's leather jacket, making her bend down to listen to him. "That's Armina, the Queen of Beasts. It's okay, Emma, she's a friend to your mom and dad."
"See, she was banished to the woods by the Evil Queen, and ruled the beasts of the woods by herself. The Evil Queen never took an interest in the lowly goblins and dwarves, among other things, that lived in the woods of her kingdom. If they didn't have power, they didn't matter. Armina is the last of the shapeshifter race; the Evil Queen killed the rest. Armina is the de facto ruler of the beasts in the forests. She took care of your mom sometimes when she needed a place to stay. She's a friend, Emma, she really is," said Henry enthusiastically.
Emma was still getting used to the idea that Mary Margaret and David might be her parents in a different world, but Henry seemed to be used to the idea. She brought herself back to her full height and watched as Mary and David approached the Queen of Beasts.
Before Mary or David could speak, Armina said, "The curse has been broken, my friends. Let us celebrate our freedom from the oppression of the Regina Mala! Speaking of which, where might I find the woman who took my power away?"
David stepped forward and tipped his head slightly in an abbreviated bow. "We don't know where Regina went."
Armina growled and brandished nasty-looking claws that hadn't been present a second before. She turned to the other men who had come with her in the bed of the truck. "Eam petate!" she snarled in Latin, "Find her!"
The men immediately spread out from the intersection and disappeared into different parts of Storybrooke, searching for the queen who had brought them there. Meanwhile, the queen had calmed herself and put on a façade of celebratory glee. "Let us celebrate the return of our powers, even if we cannot return to our home yet!"
With the flick of her wrist, bottles of wine appeared amongst the people, along with delicate crystal glasses. The people gladly poured glasses for themselves and others, the meeting turning into a party.
Emma watched as the queen used her now-returned magick. Henry tugged on her jacket again, and she looked to him. "Emma, that's her husband, Andrew, King of Beasts. She does all the ruling, though," Henry said with a smile.
I guess I know who wears the pants in that relationship, Emma thought, returning her attention to the unofficial monarchs.
With another flick of her wrist, Armina was now sitting on a plush black leather chair, a black velvet cloak resting on her shoulders. Her husband sat quietly by her side in his own luxurious chair. He held her hand as some of the townspeople greeted her. She beckoned Snow White and Prince James closer, summoning seats for them so they could talk.
"It's been a while, my dear," said Armina, reaching out to grasp David's hand in a sure handshake, much unlike the dainty princesses he was used to greeting. "Snow, I have a proposition for you."
"You do? What do you mean?" Snow asked, sitting down in one of the chairs.
"Do you realize that, when I kill Regina, the kingdom she held will be yours?" Armina asked, taking a sip from her glass.
"I didn't really think about it," Snow replied, looking to James for support. She paused and looked back at the Queen of Beasts. "Wait, you're going to kill Regina?"
Armina laughed, showing the rounded points of her teeth. "Of course I am! You expect me to just ignore the fact that she robbed me of my power and my memory for all these years? Oh no, she's not getting away with it."
"I don't want her murdered! She's just hurt and she can't let go of a grudge. Please, just spare her life long enough for a trial. I can't imagine killing her for this," Snow pleaded.
"My, my, you are fairest of them all, aren't you, Snow? That's always been the one problem betwixt us, hasn't it? I can be fair, but life isn't fair, and our lovely Regina Mala needs to realize this."
"Please give her a chance, Armina. I know she seems evil now, but she wasn't way back when."
Armina sat back in her chair, seemingly mulling over the options. "Scire debet gloriis quod cineri datiis, seram est," the queen said quietly. Her Latin seriously confused those who weren't as fluent as she.
Her husband, who was sitting beside her, nodded in agreement. He observed Snow's look of confusion and his mouth curved up in a glorious smile. "She said, 'She ought to know that glory given to ashes is too late.' She's talking about how our lovely Evil Queen is trying to make up for her loss of a loved one by making everyone miserable like her."
Snow nodded, but was still upset that the supposed just Queen of Beasts planned to kill her stepmother. "What were you going to say before we went off on this tangent?"
"I was going to say that, in the event Regina becomes unable to rule, the kingdom is yours. It would be my pleasure to become the catalyst for the creation of a new world for all of us," she said, casting a hand out over the crowd. "What I want is your word that you will make a treaty with my kind, and that we might mix with the citizens freely. We have been cut off for far too long."
Snow considered the queen's offer, her brow furrowing in concentration. Armina watched Snow's expression like an animal waiting to strike. Her stare was piercing, like she was seeing into Snow White's soul. Emma shuddered at the thought. The woman was scary enough as it was.
"It sounds good, but will you promise to give Regina a chance? Will you give her a fair trial for what she's done?" Snow asked.
"Yes! Alright, that's fine. Deal?" Armina released Andrew's hand and offered it to Snow White. Snow hesitated to take her hand. "You could be great, you know. Having me as an ally affords you power beyond your wildest dreams, my dear."
Snow looked to James. He smiled, nodded and said, "It's your decision; do what you want. I think it would bring peace to our kingdoms."
Reassured by James's words, she reached out and took Armina's hand. The queen grinned, again showing her beastly smile. "The deal is struck. Thank you, my dear. Now, introduce me to your lovely daughter." Armina reached out and beckoned Emma and Henry closer.
Emma grabbed Henry's hand and led him in front of the queen and king. "Hi, I'm Emma and this is my son, Henry."
"Snow White, you didn't say you were a grandmother!" said the queen with a laugh.
Snow grinned and said, "Yes, this is my daughter, though I can't say I've been much of a mother to her. I can't believe it was twenty-eight years that Regina had us in her curse. Speaking of which, why aren't we back home?"
Armina's look of contentment suddenly faded. "There wasn't one curse, Snow White," she said quietly. "The curse you refer to was actually a combination of two. The Dark Curse, which is the most obvious, took away our magick and our memories. The curse that brought us here was a different one, a more draining one. The power involved is much greater. The Dark Curse is weak and its hold can be broken by true love, but the other curse is strong, and will take more to break. For something like that spell, the caster must be involved with breaking it."
"I thought love could break any curse," said James, holding Snow's hand tighter.
"So did I, James, so did I," Armina said contemplating something.
After an hour, the intersection began to clear, and the residents of Storybrooke went to their homes and businesses once more. Armina had since gotten up and talked with the citizens, remembering the life that was so cruelly taken away from them.