Seasons of the Witch

Winter

Zelena knew it was winter and she had heard, from the nurses, orderlies and staff that it was cold outside. Maine was cold every winter, according to everyone who bothered to speak to her. A blizzard in the form of the Snow Queen and her niece had put the tiny town of Storybrooke on ice. Zelena had never seen ice or snow. Though she'd been the Witch of the West she had grown up in Quadling Country in the South. Winters there had been chilly and wet, but with rain and never snow. As the old saying went, if you didn't like the rain, get out of Quadling Country. So she had, she'd jumped through two different realms chasing her revenge. Where had it gotten her? In a padded cell, locked away with no magic and no hope. She didn't even have a window to see the snow. That little fact was salt in an open wound.

She'd had a backup plan, a somewhat complicated one but it, too, had failed. Well, Zelena wrapped her arms around her knees, it had never had a chance. Her dear sister had not fallen for the archer at all. Regina had been too wrapped up in the Savior and their shared son to care about the man with the lion tattoo. Which had made impersonating his wife pointless. Even seeing the Evil Queen at the height of her dark reign hadn't turned Emma Swan's opinion of her damned sister. True Love had saved the day again, huzzah.

Zelena let her head fall back against the padded wall. Her wonderfully wicked plans had turned to dust. She was all alone, again. Regina was alone too. Which should be some sort of consultation, but that little victory was bitter, like ashes in her mouth.

She could almost hear Glinda's condescending "I told you so". She could, if she let her mind wander, smell the wood smoke, straw and ale. The loneliness had been overwhelming then, the first few days after her mother's death and burial. Her adoptive father had disappeared to a pub for almost a full fortnight. She'd been alone. She'd been a terrified child left alone with nothing but magic and tears.

She didn't like being alone. She didn't like being helpless and she loathed crying. Put on your best face and all that.

Zelena was a social creature. She always preferred to have someone, even one of the apes, around her. She'd always had some goal, some scheme, some plan. Anything to keep her mind occupied. Now she was alone and she had far too much time to think, to reflect, to remember all the things she wanted to forget. She didn't even have her magic,the only constant in her life, to keep herself distracted. She needed distraction , now more than ever.

She had lost her parents, both biological and those who had raised her and her magic. They had taken her home and her freedom. She could blame Regina, and some days she did. Zelena knew very well that she had done as much to get herself in the situation as anyone else. She was not a self-aggrandizing hero caught up in faux righteousness. She was no saint and didn't claim to be. She was not innocent. She was wicked.

She would still take her frustrations out on Regina, though. What was the purpose of having a younger sister if she didn't make her life an absolute living hell?

Of course she would have to get out of her damn cell to do that. Zelena huffed and ran her fingers through her hair. It wasn't as if she had any other family. No friends, or allies, not even enemies. She was alone, completely alone, and she hated it.

Sleep helped, but only a little. She could escape into unconscious for hours but when she woke, nothing had changed. She was still stuck and alone. Her sister had, for some unknown reason, given her an iPad. Which, Zelena had found, was an incredible piece of technology. It was thin and made of glass and something called plastic. It contained all the knowledge in the world.

There were books, the moving pictures called movies, and even odd little games on the screen. It also allowed her to access the most powerful magic Storybrooke had to offer, the internet. Learning about the new realm that she had stranded herself in took up a great deal of time. She had always liked to read and learn. When she was reading she could almost forget that she was alone.

She had finished The Illustrated Man. Now she was reading a tale about a man who had become who had become unstuck in time. As caught up as she was, she jerked in surprise when someone knocked on her cell door. It was such an odd thing, the knock. Her jailors: an odd mix of Charmings, dwarves, and white clad nurses, never knocked. They barged into her tiny padded prison and did whatever business they felt they needed to.

"Um." She adjusted her drab prison gown and the blanket she kept wrapped around her as a cloak. She looked unkempt, but didn't have many options for grooming. She tucked the ipad under her thin pillow. "Come in?"

Ruby Lucas, one of the Diner's waitresses, stood in the doorway. She was dressed in several layers of clothing, including a scarlet red cloak. Zelena fell in love with the cloak. She appreciated it for both it's beauty and the fact that it was something that she recognized. Modern clothes were nice, but the cloak was beautiful and nostalgic. It also reeked of magic, wild and powerful.

She had never directly interacted with the woman and was at a loss for words.

"Um hey." The brunette pushed her hood back and white flecks of what Zelena knew had to be snow fell on the floor. "It's getting cold out there."

Zelena had noticed the chill but what could she do about that? She spread her hands out in front of her, "This time I can very honestly say it's not my fault."

The brunette, her dark hair fell across her shoulders, chuckled. Her hair was long and disheveled from the storm. She grinned as she attempted to arrange it. "Oh trust me, we know. It was the woman from the ice cream parlor, if you can believe that."

Zelena raised a brow but didn't comment.

"Anyway, I figured that this place hasn't gotten the furnace up and running at dead-of-winter levels yet." Ruby looked around around her spartan accommodations and frowned a little. "So I brought you some extra blankets and stuff."

The woman was strangely nonchalant. She wasn't staring at her like she was scum or a dangerous wild animal ready to pounce. She seemed almost friendly.

"Thank you."

Ruby stepped inside the small cell. She'd brought an armful of blankets and, to Zelena's delight, what looked to be another pillow.

"So how's the iPad working for you?"

Zelena's first reaction was fear. Was she not supposed to have it? Was Ruby there to take it away? After a moment Zelena decided that Ruby was actually being kind.

"It is enlightening."

Ruby put the blankets on the foot of her small bed. "Yeah. No one was sure what you would like and if we left it up to Regina you'd be stuck with budget reports and Shakespeare. Well Henry wanted to put a bunch of comics on it. I had no idea how many imaginary green people there are."

Ruby shook her head and leaned against the padded wall. "Archie put a bunch of self-help links onto the browser so you can heal." She rolled her eyes and used air quotes for heal. Zelena appreciated her sarcasm. "So I put some actual readable books on there and my Netflix account so you have something to watch too."

"What books did you add?" Zelena was curious.

"Some Bradbury, some Vonnegut. Kooky stuff. Thought you'd like some escapism."

She did, she did very much. Though she knew it was silly of her, she smiled. "I did, actually. I finished The Illustrated Man and started on Slaughterhouse 5." She tilted her head, as she realized the joke. "He became unstuck in time. Cheeky."

Ruby tossed her hair over her shoulder and grinned, "Yeah I kind of thought you'd like that."

"Okay, well, I gotta go. I don't want to drop all this snow on your floor."

Damn, and so soon. Ruby was the first visitor who Zelena had actually enjoyed talking to.

"What is the weather like out there? Not too treacherous I hope."

Ruby pulled her hood back up, "A little but I'm used to it. One year I swear I had snow up to my shoulders for half the winter."

Zelena tried to imagine such a thing but failed. "I've never seen snow."

Ruby gaped at her, mouth wide open, as if she'd said something absolutely unbelievable. "Really? I mean is Oz like Florida or something?"

No one had asked her about Oz, not a single person. It was like her identity as an Ozian had ceased to exist when she came to Storybrooke. That made her uncomfortable.

Ruby came closer, "I mean, I saw the movie, but it isn't right. What is Oz like?"

Zelena's jaw dropped a little. "I-"

Ruby blushed a little. "Shit, sorry! That was rude. Sometimes I'm all wolf-all bark with no thought."

Zelena sat up straighter at that, "You're a wolf? Like a Child of the Moon? I thought those were only myths!"

Ruby walked into the cell and sat on the edge of the stainless steel toilet across from her. "Well you were myth-taken."

It was silly, so cheesy and bad, she couldn't help but laugh. It was the first time she had laughed in a very long time.

"So c'mon, quid pro quo, Clarice."

Zelena blinked, "Who's Clarice?"

Ruby grinned. "Okay, first we're gonna talk werewolves and the Emerald City. Then we're going to introduce you to the finer points of classic cinema."

They talked for hours. Until one of the white-clad harpies, who called themselves nurses, brought dinner. She fussed at Ruby and threatened to call the Charmings, her sister, Ruby's grandmother. It was as if talking to her had been a capital crime. Ruby left, hands held up in surrender. "That dinner looks, um" She twisted her face in disgust, "somewhat edible." She pulled her hood back up, "but when you get sprung" Ruby continued, "I'll treat you to some real food again."

The door clanged shut, leaving Zelena alone again. "I look forward to it." She did, more than anything.

Later she had learned that while Ruby's reading preferences were wonderful, her cinematic ones were not. She did not like Mr Hannibal Lecter or Clarice. The entire film was appalling. She had almost vomited.

Now curled up, snug as a bug, in the extra blankets Ruby had brought her, she rested. The blankets smelled of lavender and fresh sweet sunshine. It was a touch of summer in the dead of a winter night.

It was nearly two am and though she was comfortable, warm and it was late, she could not sleep. If she slept would she hear her own lambs screaming? She did not know.

Her door creaked and she jerked up, tangled in her blankets. It was too late for Charmings or Nurses. This was something else and without her magic, she was defenceless. She stood up anyway. She would die on her feet.

"Hey!"

The door opened a bit and a familiar face poked through.

Ruby smiled at her. "I know it's after visiting hours, but I thought you might like to take a late night walk." She held up a thick coat and a large pair of galoshes.

Zelena grabbed the boots from her hands and almost fell down trying to pull them on. She might have been a little excited. Instead of taunting her about it, though, Ruby held out her hand to help her balance. Even after she tugged them on, Ruby kept holding her hand. Her hand was warm and it sent little shocks up and down her arm, like a magic all it's own.

Ruby lead her through the Labyrinth that was the asylum. "Back in '97 the Asylum's kitchen went out, like all the stoves went kaput." Ruby lead her by the hand, whispering as they went. "So Granny and I brought in meals, twice a day, for three weeks. So I know my way around this place pretty well. I even know." She pushed open one of the doors marked emergency exit, "Which backdoor isn't wired to an alarm." The door opened to reveal an entirely different world.

"Oh." Zelena couldn't believe her eyes. The pictures she'd looked at on the internet hadn't prepared her for the sheer beauty around her. The all but empty hospital parking lot was unrecognizable. It was like a glittering white blanket coated the ground. Large white flakes floated through the air. It was like rain, but soft and serene. She wished her mother, her adopted mother, were here to see it.

"I-" Her breath puffed out of her mouth in a cloud of white. "It's-" She whirled around, arms out. She bent down and ran her fingers through the thick piles on the ground. It was cold and wet, the chill cut through to her bones. It was wonderful! She scooped up a handful and threw it into the air. Then she remembered that Ruby was standing there, watching her act like a child.

Ruby was watching her with a small grin on her face.

Zelena pushed a lock of damp hair out of her face. "Thank you, Ruby. It's beautiful."

"It really is."

The woman knelt down and scooped up a handful of snow. "But it can also be-" She threw the ball quicker then Zelena could blink. It burst into wet slush on her stomach. "fun."

"Oh!"

She scooped up her own snow and they started a battle. They went back and forth, playing and laughing. They might have stayed out all night but the flash of red and blue lights brought their fun to an abrupt halt.

"Hey."

Emma Swan, wearing a parka over pajamas, was staring at them from her police vehicle. She leaned on the car, "So I got a call about some juvenile delinquents fighting in the parking lot." She smirked a little. "You two are a little old for juveniles."

A swirl of violet smoke appeared beside her. "Oh for pity's sake." Regina, dressed in pajamas and a robe, threw her hands up. "Your mother." She twisted her head to glare at Emma. "Woke me up screaming that there was some sort of apocalyptic battle that you needed backup for. All I see here." Regina turned her glare to herself and Ruby. "Are two overgrown teenagers courting hypothermia."

Ruby raised her arms in the air, but turned to look at her and winked, "Totally worth it." Zelena raised her hands too, and though her fingers and toes felt frozen, there was a warmth in her heart.

"So-" Emma chuckled, "How about I give you two ride home? Should we call the nurses or whoever for Twisted Sister over there?"

Regina tilted her head, "No, she can fit in your atrocious excuse for a vehicle too."

It was a tight, but they did all fit inside of the yellow car, and Zelena never went back for the iPad.