Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time, The Nightmare Before Christmas, or any recognizable characters.
AN: So this was my first Swan Queen Trick or Treat, and I was granted with this fabulous prompt from Story Collage over on tumblr. The full prompt will be posted at the bottom. I took some liberties with the characters and the lands. I hope you guys enjoy!
Happy Halloween Story Collage!
"Hold on tight, mates!" Hook yelled from the wheel as an unexpected storm took over them.
"Henry!" Regina yelled over the storm as water pelted down on them. She struggled to hold onto a rope that was keeping the mast steady as she reached out a hand for the boy who clung to a pole in the center of the deck. The journey back from Neverland was supposed to be quick and easy, but this unexpected storm was dampening Regina's plans of getting her son home safe and sound.
Releasing the rope, Regina pushed against the winds, grabbing onto any and everything to pull herself closer to her son. His grip on the pole wasn't nearly as secure as she'd like, and Regina could see that he hadn't completed tying his lifeline around his waist. No doubt due to his idiotic blonde mother's incessant need to distract him by showing off her newfound sword fighting skills. She didn't have time to scorn Emma Swan's parenting style for Henry's fingers were slipping across the wood.
"Henry!" She called again just as she reached him. Her body pinned him to the pole, but it wasn't the force of the storm blowing haphazardly across her face that made the wind knock out of her, but rather it was the body pressing against her own, keeping both herself and Henry against the pole that surprised her. Regina was able to turn her head in time to see rain dampened blonde curls slick against Emma's face as the blonde struggled to keep Henry from toppling over.
"Hold on!" Emma yelled over the storm as her arm wrapped around the brunettes. Regina busied herself by tying Henry's lifeline, but Emma swatted her hand away. "You too, Regina."
Regina simply glared but pressed her head on top of Henry's, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as the ship rocked heavily against the waves.
"Oh shit," Emma said pulling her head up.
"Your profanity doesn't help-" Regina cut herself off from reprimanding the blonde before she too looked up to see a giant wave headed right for them. Neither woman allowed Henry to look before they wrapped their bodies around him and tucked his head into their chests, accepting the burden as the wave crashed over the ship.
When Regina woke, she was lying face down on the ground, off the ship, and most certainly out of the sea. She groaned as she pushed herself up on her arms, giving her head a shake to clear the pounding headache forming there as she attempted to process what had happened. They were caught in a storm and Henry-
Henry.
She pushed herself up all the way, scrambling to her feet. Her son's name was on the tip of her tongue when she saw him sitting on the ground, a roughed up Emma making sure he was all right. Regina rushed over to him and kneeled beside the blonde. She cupped his other cheek as her eyes frantically raked over his body. "Are you okay?"
Henry nodded, and though dirt marred his face, and his eyes were wide with shock, he was relatively unharmed much to Regina's relief. Emma leaned back on her knees before giving Henry a squeeze to his hand and stood up, assessing their location, her head tilted to the side to speak with Regina. "How about you? Are you okay?"
"Fine," Regina answered still fretting over Henry. "The ship?"
"Needs repair." Hook's voice came from the woods, and Regina looked up for the first time to realize that this peculiar island they had landed on was more forest than beach with its pencil-thin trees and dark foliage.
"And where is it?" Regina asked looking out to the sea where the Jolly Roger was nowhere in sight.
"Cloaking spell, Your Majesty," Hook answered before turning toward Emma. "And your parents have graciously offered to man the ship. Gives us some alone time, don't you think?"
He winked at her which made Regina groan and roll her eyes. The only saving grace was the fact that Emma had done the same and wandered back over to her and Henry, helping the young boy to his feet. "What supplies do you need?"
"Your really going to rag on me because this isn't enough of a stick for you?" Emma asked exasperatedly at Regina, flailing the broken off branches in her hands.
"That's a twig, Ms. Swan. If you honestly think that will fix the ship then you might as well make yourself comfy here." Regina turned her back to Emma, collecting her own sticks and twine that were to be crafted and weaved into a makeshift cover to board up the damage the ship's hull had taken. Despite her best efforts, the branches Regina had found were the same size as the ones Emma had found, but she didn't need to give the blonde the satisfaction.
"Seriously? Do you see where we are?" Emma waved her arms around her showing the thinness of the forest where they could still see Hook and Henry who had not so subtly moved quite a distance away from the arguing women to collect their findings in peace.
Regina simply huffed to herself and proceeded to pick up haphazard twigs and anything that looked even remotely useful. They had been at this for over an hour, and they were no closer to finding adequate ship-fixing materials than they were actually getting home to Storybrooke.
Eventually the four scavengers regrouped again before walking back to the ship. It was a quiet and tense trip through the forest, only to be broken when Hook examined what they had found and claimed it pathetic. "We may have to make camp for the night. At least we have firewood."
Regina snapped and dropped her sticks to the ground. "Why can't I just fix your boat with magic?"
"Not everything can be solved with magic, Regina," Emma muttered under her breath.
"Just because the Saviour doesn't know how to control hers doesn't mean she should have an inferiority complex."
"With you?" Emma snorted. "Yeah, right."
"Guys," Henry called, squinting his eyes at the funny looking paintings on the trees that circled around them. Hook was solely focused on the two fighting women, and Henry knew his mothers well enough to know that once they got into it everyone else in the room faded away.
"You think you're better than me because you don't use magic?" Regina questioned, stepping into Emma's space.
"I'm saying I have better control than you and would never let it take over my life to the point where it turns me into the Evil Queen." Emma didn't back down and dropped her own sticks, placing her hands on her hips as she stared Regina down.
Regina laughed once. "Don't think so highly of yourself, dear."
"Hey guys," Henry called again, examining a tree with a Christmas tree painted on it. He toyed with the decorations on the tree feeling one in particular stand out.
"If I could just-" Hook began with a pointed finger.
"Stay out of it!" Both women yelled, glaring at the man who raised his eyebrow and stepped back.
"Maybe if you had actually given up your precious magic, none of this would have happened in the first place," Emma said.
"Maybe if you had practised yours then we would have been home sooner."
Henry peered closer at the decorative ball on the tree, and upon closer inspection found he could see his reflection in it. So fascinated by the painting, he didn't notice the mixture of purple and white smoke emanating from his mothers. He also didn't notice the way the other pictures around him shook, resisting the force that was coming from the two women. All he noticed was the shaking doorknob beneath his fingers.
"Moms!" Henry yelled, finally gaining their attention.
They both turned, purple and gold in brown and green eyes respectively, but by the time they had looked to their son, lilac smoke gushed out from the surrounding trees around them, and before any of them knew, the doors of the trees had flung open, pulling them into Holiday Worlds.
Emma moaned, a mixture of ash, dirt, and dust collecting in her mouth, but what was most disorienting of all was the atrocious smell of rot, worms, and death. She spat out the dirt from her mouth as she pushed herself up, stretching her back to ease her aching bones.
"Look what your magic did, Regina," Emma muttered, dusting off her jeans and tank top. Instead of some snarky response, all she was met with was a bark. She snapped her head up, her breath catching in her throat when she saw she was no longer in the forest she was once in. Tombstones with demon sculptures menacing over the graves, wrought-iron gates with dismembered heads on the pike, and dead trees with skeletons hanging from the branches, a noose tied around their necks was what greeted the Saviour when she stood. She froze in her spot, her hand coming to her sword instinctively, but the hilt was nowhere to be found.
"Oh fuck," she whispered to herself. The weeks in Neverland had made her an expert in sword fighting, genetics doing its job since she disarmed ehr father once or twice in practice, but the damn thing must have slipped out when she was pulled into whatever portal Regina had conjured. Where the hell was she?
Another bark sounded in the distance followed by a dust cloud as a stick landed at her feet. When she bent to pick it up, a white, transparent animal with a shining jack-o-lantern nose met her hand. She yelled and pulled her hand back, scurrying backwards to get away from the thing.
"Zero!" A voice called. Emma looked up to see a sickly thin figure emerge from the fog behind the decaying tree. He was tall and pale, but as he approached a shiver ran up Emma's spine. He was a freaking skeleton. "Here, boy," he called again.
The animal by her feet gave a gruff whimper before picking up the stick and floating off to his owner. It was then Emma realized it was a ghost dog.
"Have you found a friend, boy?" The skeleton asked as he came closer and closer to Emma.
She stood her ground and kept her head held high. If there was one thing she learned in life it was never to show fear. She surveyed him as he approached and noticed that the skeleton man was impeccably dressed in a pinstriped suit. Despite his obvious skeletal features, his face, or skull rather, held a large smile as he pet his dog.
Zero glided back to Emma, zooming around and between her legs as he yipped happily. Emma backed up as he approached. "Stop right there," she warned, holding out a hand to prevent him from coming any further. "Who are you?"
"Jack," he answered, extending a bony hand. "Jack Skellington."
"Of course Tim Burton movies are real," She mumbled before she shook her head. "You know what? Never mind. Do you know how I can get out of here?"
He circled around her, his long legs bending at obscene angles as he dipped and towered over her. She moved sharply, always facing him, her eyes narrowed and suspicious. "What?" She asked cautiously.
He leaned his torso forward, his bony finger tilting Emma's chin up to face him. The huge black sockets that were meant to be his eyes narrowed in contemplation. "What are you?"
She brushed his finger away. "Emma. And I'm trying to find my kid."
He ignored her answer and lifted her arm before letting it drop down to her side. "I've never seen a witch like you before."
"I'm no witch, buddy," Emma said backing away.
He straightened and crossed his arms. "I know a witch when I see one."
"Who died and made you the expert?" Emma smirked at her own cleverness before Jack answered. "I'm the Pumpkin King."
"Right," Emma said brushing him off. "So is there a tomb or something I can go in and come out in the regular world? Or can you point me in the direction of the forest with the trees and the doors?"
"You know of the trees?"
"Yeah, I sort of got sucked into one."
He smirked amused. "And how did that happen?"
Emma huffed waving her arms for emphasis, her irritation growing. "Look, I'm not a witch!"
Her eyes flashed gold, but only Jack had seen them change before they returned to their normal blue-green. A high pitched giggling sounded just behind Emma, causing her to turn to the faceless sound. "What the hell was that?" A wave of energy skimmed through her veins, causing her skin to prickle at the sensation.
"Most likely Oogie's Boys," Jack answered before whistling. Zero barked and picked up the stick, following Jack back into town.
"Wait," Emma called out racing after him. "I need to find a way home."
The giggling grew louder and closer, but this time it was followed by the pitter-patter of footsteps. Emma ceased chasing after him and turned just in time to see a miniature devil coming at her with a burlap sack. She held her hand up, the energy building inside her expelling out of her fingertips as she controlled the bag making it scoop up its owner, a knot tying neatly to shut the bag as the little devil gnarled and demanded release. A little witch came flying at her with a butterfly net, but with another wave of her hand, the handle coiled itself around the little girl like a snake. The final little mischievous boy jumped out of the tree with a mesh net, but he didn't get very far for Emma waved her hands with a flourish and the limbs of the tree came to life, grabbing the boy's limbs and holding him in the air. The net fell at Emma's feet, dust spewing up from the impact.
Her heart pounded at the unexpected attack, but what made it race even more was how natural the defense came to her. She examined her hands, not for the first time since discovering she possessed magic, and eyed the struggling children she had captured.
"That would be Lock, Shock, and Barrel," Jack said suddenly beside Emma making the blonde jump. He motioned to the devil, witch, and mini skeleton respectively as he spoke their names. He grinned wickedly at their ways of capture, his mouth forming a snarling smile as if he had teeth despite his skeletal nature. "Are you sure you're not a witch?"
The smell of chocolate and flowers flooded Regina's senses before she had even fully came to. She mentally cursed Emma for her insistence that her magic was contained. Evidently it was not. There was no denying the smell of vanilla and musk, and something uniquely Emma, as golden eyes flashed before they were engulfed in lilac smoke and ripped apart. Emma was going to get a firm talking to, Regina promised herself that. As she picked herself up off the ground, her ears tuned in to a nearby conversation.
"Do you have to go?" A feminine voice asked.
"There's only six more months until Valentine's Day," a man answered. "Those necklaces aren't going to make themselves."
Regina peaked out from behind the statue she currently found herself behind to see a young couple tangled in each other's arms. The woman pouted, but with a kiss that was much too intimate to be done in public, her pout was immediately gone.
"I'll miss you," he said insistently.
"I'll miss you more," she replied.
"Not as much as I'll miss you."
"Oh, dear god," Regina gagged with an eye roll. They were even worse than Snow and Charming, and that was saying a lot.
"I love you," the woman said.
"I love you."
"Don't go to work."
"I don't want to."
"For the love of god, just go!" Regina snapped, making her presence known from behind the statue. The couple jumped and immediately found solace in each other's arms. It was infuriating really. Regina stepped forward and got a good look at them, and it was then she realized that there was something off about them. Their faces were youthful like a cherub and there was a presence about them that seemed something other than human.
As she approached, the couple relaxed and sported similar smiles. The man stepped forward, dressed in whites and reds matching his female counterpart. "Are you lost?" He asked.
"Where am I?" Regina dismissed his question with one of her own.
Silently they both pointed behind her. Regina turned and got her first look of the statue to see a golden replica of a cherub with a bow and arrow. Cupid.
"He's the King of Valentine's Day," the woman said excitedly. "And it's only six months away!"
"But everyday is like Valentine's Day with you," the man said taking his wife's waist and nuzzling her neck.
Regina felt nauseated at such a display of affection. She crossed her arms and snarled as she looked anywhere but. Her need for a distraction proved useless when all around her were couples in ensembles of red, white, or pink, linked at the hips, through the arms, attached at the lips or any other body part that was close enough. They were exchanging flowers or chocolates or strolling along with their fingers linked. And dear god, one was even serenading his sweetheart. In the midst of red, white, and pink, her royal blue blazer stuck out like a sore thumb, but that was irrelevant at the moment when she realized she was alone.
"Have you seen a little boy?" She asked the couple in front of her. She growled when they continued whispering their love for one another. Regina Mills was never a patient woman, so without a moment's hesitation, she produced a fireball and threw it at the couple's feet. They jumped up and apart. With a smirk, Regina asked again. "A little boy, have you seen him?"
"There's so much anger in your heart." Regina turned at the sound of the voice to see the real life figure of the statue fluttering a foot above his replica, his bow in his hand and his quiver on his back. His blonde curls covered his bright blue eyes, and if it weren't for the way he spoke with such clarity and wisdom, Regina would have pegged him as nothing more than a child.
"Don't tell me about hearts," Regina countered, crossing her arms over her chest. She glared at the couple as they scurried away.
He settled on the base of the statue with his wings curling into his back. Regina took a small victory over the fact that she still towered over him. "It's my job to read the secrets of the heart," he said.
"My mother did the same."
"Your mother must have lied to you."
Regina's eyes flashed and her fingers twitched.
"Who are you denying your love for?" Cupid asked flying around the brunette with curious eyes and a mischievous smile.
"I'm not." She turned sharply keeping him in her sights. "I'm just trying to find my son."
"Is he all you're trying to find?"
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Cupid flew up to her, his nose all but pressing against her own. "You forget. I can read your heart's greatest desire." He flapped away before motioning his head to follow.
Regina remained rooted in her spot, her fingers itching to burn this insufferable happy little town to the ground just for the hell of it. With an aggravated sigh, she stomped a foot before storming after the little king.
Snow. Henry was lying in a pile of snow. It was a stark contrast from the inescapable heat of Neverland, but as he blinked, he couldn't figure out where exactly he was. It wasn't until mini figures all dressed in blue or red with a pointed hat on their heads matching their pointed ears did Henry sit up. They looked like... But it couldn't be. Could it?
It was bright and colourful where he was. There were lights everywhere, the smell of cookies in the air, children running around. The spectacle made Henry's head spin.
The little people pulled Henry to his feet where he looked up to see another swarm of them pulling on another person, this one more distinct it made Henry's jaw drop.
"S-Santa?"
No interworld travelers allowed. Especially those from Halloweentown.
Hook rolled his eyes as he read the sign painted on a multi-coloured egg. The forest he was in was different from the one he had parted. This one was lush, full of vibrant greens, pinks, yellows, blues, and more colours than the rainbow, but not a soul in sight. It was similar to Wonderland but less the concoction of some inebriated mind and more the imagination of a child high on sugar. The sign itself, physically nonthreatening, made him uneasy though. He had been alive long enough to know that trespassers were persecuted upon sight where they weren't welcome, and he certainly was not welcomed. He'd need to find a way out of this place.
He took a step past the sign but didn't get much further when a crack sounded underneath his foot. An egg, painted candy on the outside but a hollow chocolate egg on the inside was broken into pieces under his boot. What caught his attention was the tiny golden scroll hidden inside it. He picked it up and unraveled it, raising a curious eyebrow at the instructions.
Find all the eggs to lead you out safely. Do not wander or else.
He rolled his eyes at the rabbit skull and crossbones beside it.
In our world, the chicken came first.
He looked up to his surroundings hoping and expecting someone or something to pop out, but the forest remained eerily quiet. He looked down to the scroll again. What the bloody hell kind of clue was that?
"What the hell is that?" Emma jumped as a clown with a tear away face waddled by her. He pulled his face off in greeting, and Emma found herself fascinated by the black void that was his face. Just a few feet ahead of her gathered a creature with sharp teeth and glowing red eyes. She could have sworn she saw him several times before as a child. Trying to place his face caused her to bump into someone who immediately had a frown but as soon as he saw Jack, his head spun one-eighty and his sad disposition was replaced with a wide grin. He pushed past her and slapped Jack on the back.
"We're almost ready for Halloween, Jack," he said leading him to the center of the town where the tree from the graveyard had relocated itself. The skeletons dangling from its branches turned their heads to watch their King and Mayor.
"It'll be the best one yet," Jack promised, leaning his not so surprisingly light frame on Emma. "I have a surprise."
"Is it goblins?"
"Is it beasts?"
"How about ghosts?"
"Leaches?"
"No, no," Jack waved off their guesses.
"Then what is it?" One of the spawn children, Lock if Emma remembered correctly, asked from his place in a claw foot bathtub.
"Not what, but who." With a flourish of his hand he presented Emma.
"Me," Emma asked wide eyed, her lips parted in disbelief.
"You," Jack confirmed.
"Her?" Barrel asked before bursting out into laughter.
Shock smacked him with her hat. "She captured you!"
"She caught you too!"
"What do you want with me?" Emma asked uncertainly.
"Imagine all we can do with your magic," Jack explained. "All tricks and no treats. Monsters in the sewers. Trees coming to life as children run through the streets. It'll be delightful!"
Emma stared at him skeptically, mentally preparing her escape.
"Go on," he said giving her a nudge. "Show them what you can do."
"What? I can't do that whenever, it just-" she flexed her fingers out like a bomb exploding. "-comes out."
"You're a powerful witch, Emma," Jack encouraged.
"A witch?" A trio of vampires carrying umbrellas asked with a titter.
"She doesn't look like a witch." Both Big and Little Witch made their way over to Emma with Little standing on her older sister's shoulder to get a good look at Emma.
"I'm not," Emma said offended. "I've just got magic."
"Magic?" The Mayor grinned wider.
"Told you!" Lock said smacking his friends.
"You said she was pretty," Barrel jumped on his back but miscalculated his leap and ended up tumbling out of the tub.
"Here's the thing, I don't really have a handle on all this magic stuff, so I really don't think I can help you," Emma said with a shake of her head, slowly backing away from the crowd as they crowded around her.
"You can," Jack insisted.
"I can't."
"I saw you."
"That was once and a fluke."
"Concentrate."
"It's not that simple," Emma said through clenched teeth. He wasn't this annoying in the movie, Emma thought to herself.
"Because you're fighting it."
Big Witch cackled. "And she calls herself a witch."
"I didn't." Emma clenched her fists as the crowd started chuckling at her.
"Sorceress then," Little Witch added.
"A pathetic one at that."
Emma's eyes flashed at the comment from some faceless heckler. It really had come from a faceless character since it was the clown who had spoken the words, but the laughter she had gotten had made her blood boil. Her fingertips itched with energy, but this time when her eyes flashed, they were purple instead of their usual gold. The vein in her neck throbbed as she reached her hand out suddenly, lifting the clown into the air before using her free hand to magic the branches as she had done before and wrapped them around the clown.
The crowd silenced, their laughter died almost immediately as the purple dissipated from Emma's eyes. Her lips curled into a smirk at the struggling clown before eyeing the citizens. "Anyone else?"
They closed in around her in excitement.
Cupid plucked a rose from a passing garden, sniffed it, then handed it to Regina. Regina laughed out loud at the gesture. "Does that actually work with your consorts?"
"A token of your beauty."
Regina rolled her eyes, but there wasn't as much malice in it as she reluctantly accepted the rose, twiddling the stem between her fingers. She waited until he turned his back before bringing the rose to her nose and inhaling deeply. Her eyes fluttered shut as a scent filled her nose unlike any rose she had ever smelled. Vanilla and cinnamon and something else entirely flooded her senses.
Cupid turned with a knowing grin. "Delightful, isn't it?"
"Unusual." Her fingers brushed the petals of the other roses before she leaned down and sniffed. "They all smell that way."
He shook his head. "They smell like who you love the most."
Regina snapped to attention and straightened. "I don't love anyone other than my son."
"And what is it did you smell?"
Regina crossed her arms over her chest but kept her lips shut tightly.
"I remember every arrow I ever released," he said floating through the garden, the flowers blooming as he passed. He plucked two arrows from his quiver and placed them in his bow, turning sharply and aiming them at Regina's heart. She stared at the end of the tips, one gold and one lead, daring him to release them. "Gold allows your heart to let love in. Lead hardens it helping you turn away from those you are not meant to be with. Neither arrow will work unless you feel something for that person, so don't think I can make love happen out of thin air. But I've never used one on you."
"Because of my angry heart?" Regina asked defensively with disdain.
"Because you have no problem wanting to love. In fact your heart is so full of it, it's overwhelming," he said with glee. He lowered the bow and slid the arrows back into its home. "But I have no control over your mind and the wall it's put up."
"Maybe you've used one of your leaden arrows on those meant to be with me."
"I've made errors in my work before and opened the doors for unpredictable couples, but even I'm not that cruel, Regina."
The brunette glowered before tossing the rose in her hand into the garden.
He grinned boyishly, shrugging a lock of hair out of his eyes. "You needed assistance on returning home?"
With a snap of his finger, tall, dark, handsome walked by the garden and immediately stopped as soon as he spotted Regina. "The gods must have taken their precious time when they made you."
"Excuse me?" Regina gawked.
"Shall I compare the to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate," he fawned over her.
Regina narrowed her eyes at him then glared at Cupid. "Is he reciting poetry?"
The winged deity grinned mischievously. "Valentino must be smitten."
"I want a new guide," Regina demanded.
"Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May," Valentino continued, gently taking Regina's hand and kissing her knuckles. "And summer's lease hath all too short a date."
"He is my best vizier and will get you home safely," Cupid promised.
She wrenched her hand away not before Cupid waved his fingers in goodbye then flying off leaving Regina alone with the amorous helper. She scowled as Valentino took a strand of her hair between his fingers. "You are the rarest of treasures. What's your name, beautiful?"
She rolled her eyes. "Regina."
"A fitting name for a woman who is the queen of my heart."
"Save it." She strolled past him before inclining her head and waiting for him to follow. "Well?"
"I would follow you to the ends of the earth."
"Would you jump off them?" She asked dryly.
"If my love for you were ever questioned, the lightness of my heart from your sheer presence would give me wings and make me fly," he professed, clinging desperately to her side.
She squirmed away from him, clutching her midsection to prevent herself from causing him bodily harm. He was the only person who could help her at the moment, and she'd be at a loss if she killed him. She could always wait until the very last moment...
But then suddenly he was at her side again, his mouth pressed against her ear as he whispered. "License my roving hands and let me go/Behind, between, above, below."
This time she couldn't help herself and with a shock to his chest nearly charring off the tight salmon coloured shirt he was wearing, Regina blasted him away a good fifteen feet ahead of her. She strolled past him as he lay groaning on the ground. "Do not touch me again."
"As my lady wishes," he coughed still struggling to stand.
Hook fell down a cliff, grabbing roots and branches on his way down and using his hook to dig into the earth to slow him down. All was useless when he realized this damn world was made entirely out of sweets and sunshine. The compacted cookie crumbs and brown sugar that composed of the earth easily gave way, and all Hook could do was brace himself as he slipped into a multi-coloured river.
His years as a pirate prepared him for any and all strange waters, but they did not prepare him for the dye that was in it. As soon as he surfaced, he brought his hand to his face to clear it of the water only to find that his hand was painted the same as the river.
"What the hell kind of holiday is this?!" He yelled and splashed the surface in anger. Making it to the shore, he dug into his rucksack pulling out another painted egg clue that was protected by one of the fiercest creatures he had ever seen.
A giant chicken.
He had barely made it out of her nest, but he had managed to succeed in capturing the egg. Adjusting himself on the shore, he cursed finding chicken feathers in places they ought not be before cracking open the next egg.
There was a glint in Emma's eye, her pupils dilated so that the usual blue-green haze was nearly black. The town had congratulated her on an impressive display of magic and had swarmed her, asking for requests and giving tips. It was a different feeling after being in Neverland for so long and being looked at as a leader or the Saviour. She was something more than that here, and she loved it. It was want. It was need. It was power.
She remembered long nights on the island when Regina had insisted on teaching her how to control her magic, but it was more than a little bit difficult to concentrate when the brunette insisted on unbuttoning her shirt, because of the heat she always claimed. It also didn't help during the times when Regina would press against her back and guide her hand, controlling the ferocity of Emma's magic.
But this, being in Halloweentown where accidental (or purpose) destruction meant praise, Emma was right in her element. As a teen she had been a bit of a pyromaniac, stealing her foster families' matches to set off cherry bombs or bags of dog shit and leaving them on the porches of the mean girls at school in some vigilante attempt at justice. As an adult, Emma had learned to take her revenge with her fists, sometimes with careful cunning added to the mix.
Now she could watch the world burn and no one could say anything.
She summoned a fireball in her hand, a move that had come easier and easier as she continued practising with Oogie's Boys who threw dolls and toys into the air (leftovers from the Christmas fiasco a few years back) while Emma would light them on fire where it would burn into its skeletal form before disintegrating into ash.
Emma focused on the toy car in the air, remembering her own vehicle and how it had turned out to be a guilty parting gift from Neal. The plastic of the car melted as soon as the fireball neared. A rag doll was next, and all Emma could see was one of her foster sisters who was the apple of her mother's eye and would yell and scream every time Emma touched one of her barbies. She saw the inside of a stuffy dark closet more often than she ever slept in the cot she called a bed. The doll withered at the seams, its hair lighting up a brilliant orange.
The last thing in the air was a worn out teddy bear, a button eye already missing, and from Emma's position she could see the stuffing was loose and there were stitches all over its body. The bear reached its maximum height, but Emma didn't throw fire at it. Instead, she watched it fall into the pile of ash below it.
"You missed," Barrel accused.
"Like you could do better," Lock said with a shove.
The darkness surrounding Emma's eyes faded as she walked to the valley of disintegrated lost toys and picked up the mangled bear. She swallowed hard and shut her eyes. A year after Henry was born, mere months after she had been released from jail, she was stumbling in some thrift shop hoping to find something nice to wear for an interview she would be having the following week. Instead of coming out with some discounted blouses and slacks, she had purchased a stuffed bear with a missing eye and an arm completely void of stuffing. She wasn't a mother then, and even now there were times when she questioned herself, but she was a mother now, and right now her son was in some sort of Holiday World that was not this one.
She felt a tugging on her free hand to see Lock, Shock, and Barrel all pulling on her arm. "Come on, you can stay in Oogie's lair and practise there," Lock said.
"We'll take you," Shock added.
Barrel whistled and their animated bathtub sprung to life and sped to them.
"I can't," Emma insisted, weaving the bear into the strap of her sheath. "I need to find my kid and his mom. And Hook, I guess."
"You can't leave," Shock insisted.
"Yeah, Halloween is only two months away," Lock reminded. "Not every kid is scared of fire and moving trees."
Unbeknownst to Emma, Barrel had crawled behind her legs, crouching on all fours. As she turned to go, Lock and Shock had pushed her, making her tumble over the crouched child and falling squarely in the tub. They all clambered on top of her, sitting on her sternum and arms to prevent her from moving before cackling and singing at the top of their lungs.
"-then their magic came out and all the doors on the tree blew open, and then I woke up and I was here," Henry recalled biting into a gingerbread cookie. He wiped off the crumbs before looking up at the jolly man worriedly. "They're okay, right?"
"I'm certain they are, Henry," Santa nodded, patting the boy on his back. The elves nodded in agreement.
"Do you think they'll find me?"
Santa stroked his beard in thought. "You've been on the Nice List every year since you were born. I'll do you one better, Henry. We'll look for them ourselves."
"Really?" His face lit up.
"Elves!" They stood to attention. "Ready my sleigh."
Regina was humming. She did not hum. All through the walk out of the gardens and through the town square, Valentino had been singing love songs. Train. The Beatles. Houston. Presley. Now Regina had that damn Fools Rush In song stuck in her head and the only way to get it out was to succumb. Still, she fought the urge when Valentino grinned at her, catching her in the act, so she bit her tongue and kept trekking forward.
Regina pushed through heart shaped hedges and carefully avoided a low hanging branch that enticed her with a piece of chocolate. She was hoping to find the some semblance of normalcy on the other side of the foliage, but all she saw was a meadow filled with couples. Everywhere she turned there were people holding hands. Out in the open field was a man picking flowers for a woman. Lying in the sunlight were two men cuddled up against each other, finding shapes in the clouds. Under by the trees were two women feeding each other chocolate-covered strawberry. Couples were everywhere, mocking her with their couple ways.
A piece of chocolate was lifted under her nose, and Regina glared to see Valentino offering her a piece from the tree. She didn't bother taking it and kept walking through the meadow, purposely stomping and scowling. Anything to disrupt the couples' good time. "Are you the only person in this town who is alone?" She asked aggravated by the over cheerfulness when all she wanted was to find Henry. A thought occurred that perhaps Emma, Henry, and even Hook were together in the same world simply trying to get back to the ship. They wouldn't do that, would they? Hook, she could believe would save himself over others, and Henry, though she was thrilled to have found him, still had his ups and downs with her. But Emma was too good to let that happen. At least she hoped.
"No," he answered jarring her thoughts as he popped the discarded chocolate into his mouth. "We only hope to find the person we can spend not only Valentine's Day with but the rest of our lives."
"That seems like a long shot."
"You don't need to be in a relationship to express your care and affection for another person," he pointed out, placing a hand on her lower back to help her duck under a branch as they entered a lush forest. "Are you telling me you've never loved another person in your life aside from your son?"
Her eyes flashed.
"Who was he?" He asked quietly.
Regina kept her head forward and made no motion to answer his question.
"Or perhaps I should say 'she'?"
She whipped her head to him completely taken aback.
"Does she know?" He asked ignoring her gaping expression.
"There is no she," Regina insisted. "And I had a love once, but he passed away."
"I wasn't aware the heart holds vacancies." Regina bit her lip as he spoke, praying that this trip would be over as soon as possible. He was making her think about her non-existent love life which constantly depressed her, especially since she had been forced to watch Snow and Charming cuddle up against one another and Hook constantly hit on Emma on the ship. The latter made her the most irritated though she couldn't pin why. "Your child, what's his name?" He questioned interrupting her thoughts.
"Henry."
"If you had another wouldn't you love them just the same?"
"Of course," Regina answered obviously, stopping in the forest to lean against a tree as the tanned man eyed her curiously.
"How many children would you have before you stop loving all of them?"
She scoffed. "That wouldn't happen, I would love them all."
He grinned. "That's the problem with love nowadays. It's why people have such foolish hearts. We all say we have our hearts opened to any amount of love, but as soon as it gets broken we feel as if only one person can fill that void. Anyone can, really. Just as long as you let it." He continued walking, holding back leaves to clear her path. "It's just this way."
The rest of their walk was quiet, and though Regina could blame it on the fact that her mind was filled with questioning thoughts and her nerves and frustration were on edge being surrounded by idiotic fools who could give Snow and Charming a run for their money, she didn't realize when the forest stopped becoming so lush and housed pencil thin trees. Up ahead was a thin layer of lilac smoke that smelt like lavender and vanilla, her and Emma's magic combined. She ran to it, relieved to find the circle of trees with the painted doors.
"Which one did they go through?" Regina questioned, circling the trees trying to figure out which door she should open first.
Valentino smiled softly. "Listen to your heart."
She caught his eye, holding it fiercely but itching to yell at him for his unnerving optimism. She sighed dejectedly knowing that her inability to listen got their little group in trouble just as much as Emma's wayward magic. Walking slowly this time, she pressed her palm against the wood of the doors trying to feel something.
Her eyes narrowed as she felt a tingle upon touching the Christmas tree, but when she pressed her hand against the jack-o-lantern, her heart thudded rapidly. She turned to look back to Valentino who closed the distance between them, taking her hand and pressing a parting kiss to her knuckles. He turned and left without another word leaving Regina alone standing in the middle of the forest with her palm on the door on the pumpkin.
She turned the knob and stepped inside.
Emma was going to kill them. The annoying little demon children had dropped her down some pipe and pinned her to a spinning roulette table, her hands and legs bound with some wrought iron metal. Emma had tried tapping into her magic, but panic had set in and she had been unable to produce even the smallest of sparks. "Let me go!" She yelled.
They cackled and spun her faster making her head spin. "Jack will be pleased!"
The table slowed its course, but the room kept spinning. The spiders that descended down from the ceiling hovered over Emma's head, and she craned her neck to avoid them. God, she hated spiders. She blew desperately in their direction, finally realizing that her spinning head produced more creatures than there actually was, and focused on the single spider before blowing it out of her face. She growled as she craned her neck to spot the kids laughing with glee. "When I get out of here-"
"Jack wants you here for Halloween," Lock reminded her.
"I don't give a damn what Jack wants," Emma growled, clenching her fists willing her magic to come, but all the kids did was cackle and disappear back up the pipe.
Emma started panting heavily, pulling at her arms to free herself but all it did was make the iron dig into her wrists. She hissed at the pain, cursing this damn town, and those damn kids, and fuck magic all together. If they wanted her to give them a Halloween, she was gonna scare those annoying little brats until they couldn't see straight. Her eyes glowed purple at her anger, and as if it were nothing more than simple scotch tape, the iron around her ankles split. When she felt her legs kick free, Emma let out a sigh of relief, but the moment was gone when she realized she was still bound by her wrists.
"Damn it," she cursed herself. Her body flailed as she tried to right herself, but all she proved to do was put strain on her shoulders. "Come on, magic. Do your thing."
Nothing.
Emma slammed her boot down on the roulette table in frustration until she felt the familiar tingle course through her again. She snapped her eyes open at just how easily her magic came to her in moments of anger. Okay, she thought resignedly. If she had to hulk it up then she would. She screwed her eyes tight. Get angry. Mad. Pissed off.
Peaking an eye open she found herself still strapped to the table. That clearly did not work. Just thinking about being angry wasn't cutting it. People, she thought suddenly. Think of people. Lots of people sucked.
Neal abandoning her. Oh yeah, that was working. The familiar tingles were working its way through her fingers, but there wasn't enough juice. What else?
Her parents abandoning her. That spurred her on even more. Those nights she spent crying over parents who didn't love her only to realize that her parents loved their country and people more than their baby girl. Her fists clenched, and the iron loosened its grip on her but not enough for her to slip through.
Having so much control over her magic made Emma pant and sweat with exertion, her chest rising and falling with each bitter thought, her nails digging into flesh as her whole being was encapsulated on the forgotten and unforgivable memories. But she needed more. She needed more reasons not only to be mad but to stay vengeful.
Regina. Regina making her life a living hell when she first came to Storybrooke. Regina framing Mary Margaret for Kathryn's death. Regina poisoning Henry.
Emma snapped her purple eyes open, grounding out her teeth as her magic nearly surfaced. She smirked. If only Regina could see her now, conquering her magic. She wouldn't have to take lessons from her again. She wouldn't have to sit there as Regina lectured her about safety and how uncontrolled magic could do unprecedented damage. There would be no more of Regina rolling her eyes and scoffing at Emma's idiocy before offering her a break from their training. Regina wouldn't have to stomp her feet as she crossed the ground to her and take Emma's arm from behind to guide her hand movements.
The fizzle in Emma's fists dwindled significantly and for a moment, Emma couldn't remember what she was supposed to be doing. All she could think of was the smell of lavender and coconut. It was distinctly Regina, and Emma couldn't place whether it was the woman herself who smelled so intoxicating or her magic.
No. No. She needed to focus. What else did Regina do that pissed her off?
The nights spent in Neverland taught her that Regina was an early riser. The act alone would have angered Emma who hated being up before noon, but it was never like that with Regina. Despite her impatience and need to kill nearly every moving thing that crossed her path, Regina made it a point to rise with the intent to find some figs or berries. She always argued they were hers alone, but every morning the brunette would come back to camp with more than enough to share.
Regina did have a tendency to fight with Tinkerbell just as much as she fought with Emma, but more often than not Regina's plans with the blonde fairy led to their success. Another emotion welled up inside Emma at the thought of Regina and Tink, but the sting of the iron against her wrists had her remembering her task.
It was useless though since she couldn't focus on a good enough reason to access her magic. She huffed out frustrated, letting her head drop back onto the table.
"Emma?"
She snapped her head up when she heard a voice that sent shivers down her spine. "Regina?"
The brunette came stumbling out of the pipe, coughing at the dust and dirt that accumulated there.
"How did you find me?" Emma asked, straining her neck to catch Regina's eye.
There was a flush to the brunette's cheeks before she cleared her throat and shooed away cobwebs. She yelped as a worm slithered out of the ground and immediately zapped it with a burst of electricity. "I guessed."
Regina closed the distance, reaching Emma's bound arms within a few strides. "If you had practised your magic you would have been able to release yourself," Regina muttered.
"I got my feet loose," Emma reasoned.
With a wave of her hand, Regina released Emma's bonds. The blonde sat up, rubbing her sore wrists and smiled softly at Regina. "Thanks."
"You're welcome." Regina placed a hand on Emma's shoulder, helping her to her feet and off the table. As they both were back on equal ground, Emma couldn't help but notice Regina was actively avoiding Emma's gaze, her hands fidgeting with the ring on her finger.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"Nothing," Regina answered hastily. "We need to find Henry."
Emma nodded quickly and stepped away. Just as she had turned, Oogie's Boys had come back.
"Another witch!" Barrel exclaimed. The other two had scurried in opposite directions as if that were their cue to move. Moving swiftly, Lock and Shock circled around Emma and Regina, both of them grabbing a cloth and heading straight for Regina. Without even thinking, Emma raised her hands and simply lifted the two children in the air, halting their actions. She moved her free hand to lift Barrel before he could think of anything, and with a faint white cloud around the children, their antics were stopped.
Regina turned in her spot to raise a curious eyebrow to Emma. "You've been practicing."
"Yeah," Emma nodded sheepishly. "Kind of."
"Dare I say, I'm impressed." Regina tilted her head as if in mockery, but Emma could see the glint to brown eyes.
The blonde grinned, her cheeks heating up at the compliment. Before she could respond, the sound of heels clicking against the concrete broke the silence. Emma turned to see a woman, stitches everywhere along her body, her eyes wide and innocent.
"Jack, what did I tell you about taking people from other worlds?" Sally asked, crossing her arms over her chest and demanding an explanation.
"I didn't take her, she was in our world," Jack reasoned, his arms waving animatedly. He did a double take as he finally realized Regina's presence. His eyes narrowed before widening, his body craned forward as if Regina were some space oddity. "What are you?"
Regina swatted his hand away before he could touch her.
"Jack," Sally warned. "You're the King of Halloween. You don't need to do this again."
He hung his head with a dejected sigh. "All right. That's enough, kids."
They pouted, kicking the air as they continued to hang limp from Emma's magic. Hesitantly, she released them, a foot or two above the air so they landed with a thud, but released them all the same. They scurried out of the lair with Jack not far behind.
"He's trying to make this year the best Halloween yet," Sally explained.
"Just let those kids run wild. You'll have a hit," Emma said dryly.
The sound of bells and a deep laughter sounded from above them. Sally looked up and shook her head. "Not again."
It took less than a minute for the three women to escape the dungeon and gather outside where Oogie's Boys had their treehouse. As soon as Sally was out and spotted Jack, she marched over to him.
"You're not supposed to interfere with Christmas anymore, Jack," Sally said.
"I didn't." He pointed to the sleigh where Santa and a little brunette boy sat.
"Henry!" Regina and Emma exclaimed happily and ran over to the sleigh. They immediately wrapped him up in their arms, kissing the top of his head and making sure he wasn't injured. Regina did more of the inspection for Emma had become paralyzed when she saw just who her son was sitting beside.
"I knew I would find his mothers here, Jack Skellington," Santa said disapprovingly.
"I have kept my word, Mr. Claws." Jack bowed his head in salutation.
"Make sure it stays that way," Santa conceded before motioning to Emma and Regina to get in. With a whip of his reigns, Santa and his passengers were off, disappearing into the black sky.
Henry waved as Santa departed from them, disappearing into the Christmas tree portal of the circle of trees where their unlikely adventure had originally started.
"That was Santa," Emma spoke for the first time since meeting the man. Her face was impassive but her eyes were wide as if she had just met her favourite celebrity. "I rode in Santa's sleigh."
"And your mother and father are Snow White and Prince Charming, and your boyfriend is Captain Hook," Regina added dryly.
Emma whipped her head to Regina. "My what?"
"Where is Hook anyway?" Henry asked.
As of on cue, the Easter egg door whipped open, and a multicoloured Hook, painted in pastel pinks, blues, and yellows, covered in a thin layer of chicken feathers, and smelling vaguely of carrots, popped out of the tree with a disgruntled face.
"What happened to you?" Emma refrained from laughing.
He raised his hook and shut his eyes, shuddering at memories. "Don't ask."
Without waiting, he trudged through the forest back in the direction of his ship with Henry following suit. Emma and Regina lingered in the circle of trees, shifting from one foot to the other before Emma held out her hand allowing Regina to go first. They fell into stride a few paces behind Hook and Henry, both consumed in their own thoughts.
It wasn't until they saw the edge of the water where the Jolly Roger was still in incognito mode did Emma decide to speak. "The magic thing," Emma said clearing her throat, "I get it."
"Well you are the product of True Love."
"No," she shook her head. "I mean, why it's hard to stop. How it's easy to just flick your wrist and the world bends to your will."
Regina slowed her steps, eyeing Emma carefully before nodding tersely. "It's addictive."
"Yeah," Emma whispered, her eyes going foggy at remembering all the anger she had to harbour in order to use her magic. And how much she loved it. "I know."
Regina pressed a palm to Emma's wrist, though in sympathy or simply to get Emma's attention the blonde wasn't sure. "I think perhaps you're much more adept with your magic when you're protecting your family versus than feeling powerful."
They had stopped walking, and Emma wasn't quite sure when that had happened. Henry and Hook were further down the shore looking for the invisible ship, but she and Regina were still at the edge of the forest, with Regina's very warm hand on Emma's wrist. "What makes you think that?" Emma asked curiously.
Regina released her hand and held herself around her waist. "I've seen your magic at work." Emma waited as Regina looked as if she wanted to say more but couldn't formulate her thoughts into words. Her brown eyes whirled with confusion and contemplation before the brunette finally made eye contact with Emma and rolled her shoulders resignedly. "When you're protecting someone, you focus more, you're more determined and precise. Let that be the fuel to your magic."
Emma nodded as Regina stepped past her and walked briskly to where Hook and Henry had disappeared onto the still cloaked ship. She caught up to the brunette easily enough, but when she glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, she tilted her head questioning. "Where did you end up?"
Regina rolled her eyes. "Valentine's Day town."
Emma snorted with laughter. "And I thought I had it bad."
"Not as bad as Hook's land." Regina and Emma grinned, sharing a laugh over the colourful pirate.
"How did you get out of there? How did you know to come to Halloweentown?"
Regina didn't answer right away, but she pulled her blazer firmly around her middle and held it shut. She stopped walking when they got to the opening of the cloak, but neither made a move to board the ship.
"I followed my heart," Regina finally answered, turning abruptly and disappearing on board.
Emma was left standing on the shore, her brows furrowed at Regina's departing words. What did she mean by that? Emma looked down to her palm and was surprised to see it lighting up with white magic. Emma hadn't even been thinking of much really, just of Regina and how not every instance she had used magic was to protect. Just then when she held Oogie's Boys at bay before they could attack Regina, Emma hadn't been trying to protect her. Well, she had, but she was more focused on giving those kids a taste of their own medicine. It didn't hurt keeping Regina safe. She was Henry's other mom after all. That was it.
The magic dwindled but it still remained just beneath Emma's flesh, ready for the blonde's disposable. It had never done that before. A sudden light feeling overcame her, and with a grin Emma rushed on board the Jolly Roger, eager to reunite with Henry and to further tease Regina about her adventures in Valentine's Day town.
Somewhere off to the distance, a winged deity was a golden arrow short.
Full prompt: A wrong turn on their way back from Neverland scatters everyone in the different Holiday Worlds of The Nightmare Before Christmas. Emma struggles to come to terms with her fascination with the dark side in Halloween Town, while Regina languishes away in Valentine Town, surrounded by idiots.
Poems quoted are Sonnet 18 by Shakespeare and To His Mistress by John Donne.