Quick AN: Re-posting due to technical problems!
It's the middle of a soulless Storybrook main street, nobody but a worried blonde in leather jacket could be sighted from any spot. Her eyes wandered through the surroundings attentively, she turned to face behind making few steps backwards before stopping dead in her pacing with the sound of a small crash. Her eyes immediately turned to her right side and she reached her gun and pointed in the direction of a fully damaged old car.
"Regina?" She, unsure, called.
The loud but still slightly trembling voice of Emma Swan echoed throughout the street's corners where the library, the beginning of the residential area, an old shop and an empty lot met. For a matter of seconds everything went back to the quietest of silences until a breeze came and she saw the cause of the small crash when a tiny cat ran away from bellow the car making the small sound of a metallic fragment ruin against the floor again. With a sigh she placed her gun back to the holster and resumed her path.
"Watch where you're going!"
The irritated grumpy voice made her jump. Even though she knew that the owner didn't represent a threat to her, or anyone she cared for the matter, still hearing it so unexpectedly would have taken her heart to the accelerated state it went no matter who it turn out to be.
"You scared me, Regina." She said recovering still, taking the hand away from her gun.
Regina didn't seem to mind her sudden approach and its effects, she simply smiled in recognition of the ability to still surprise the other woman. Never underestimate the power of a well made entrance.
"So?" Her smile dies through the question.
Emma didn't need words to answer, it was all written over her face, Regina could read it in her eyes. It was done. But even so she saw the other woman make the smallest movement with her head up and down confirming it.
"They got away, it's just us, wicked bitch and her flying beasts." Emma wrinkled her nose at the end.
"Don't forget you've dated one of them, dear." Regina finished her sentence with an evil smirk. Ever since Henry shared that piece of information about his mother nearly engagement and Emma summed the flying monkey piece to it there was an usual reaction with witch Emma tried to add excuses whenever the subject came up for nearly two weeks until she just accepted that nothing she said or did would make Regina stop throwing it to her face, but couldn't keep herself from responding as a reflex.
"As if you'd let me forget it." She matched the other's smirk and topped it with a cynical smile. "So?"
Regina rose an eyebrow in one of her majestic gestures and before she even proceeded with any other action Emma knew she had made it. Her huge pride and inflated ego couldn't possibly pass unnoticed. She just reached into one of her coat's lateral pockets for a small flask.
"That's it?!" Emma pointed out unsure of its effectiveness, perhaps because of how tiny the recipient seemed.
It was filled with a liquid brightly green, surely it had much more of magic than its small form suggested. Regina didn't doubt its capacity for a second - as much as it hurt her to admit, Greenie was actually very talented with using her abundant source of magic.
The silence remained with them looking at the glass and the bright light coming from it. For two days it was just them, Zelena, Hook and Henry - besides the flying monkeys, of course. And for two days they were making their best to bring everyone back on their own. Now Hook and Henry both escaped only leaving one last step to make, the largest ever since this new curse stroke in. They were going to say goodbye to Storybrook and go find their- Emma's family and rescue the people of the Enchanted Forest in hopes that they'd be able to find a home after all.
"That's it." Regina confirmed giving the flask to Emma before reaching her other pocked for an identical one for her own use. "All we need to take us to wherever she sent them."
"You know you don't have to come with me, right?" Emma stated, just to make sure, attempting to remain fair with her words. Regina was still not well wanted by the people even after proven innocent of this curse and keeping herself in her best behavior. They couldn't blame anyone for that actually, they both knew. Regina knew it so well she was taking amends to rebuilt her life without trying too hard to fall back into the good graces of them - if she ever was, that is, - but still she couldn't leave it. She had to go. And besides, Emma wouldn't make it on her own in case of Zelena breaking from the spell she'd cast only minutes earlier to keep her unconscious while they completed the journey. Even the savior having extraordinary magic, it was no use if Emma couldn't control it. Truth she had learned a few tricks but those alone wouldn't do. Besides, Zelena had Rumple on her team, which made things a whole more difficult.
"I do." She spoke in a serious intonation Emma wasn't used hearing and wouldn't take for granted couple of years ago, but now she was just grateful to have someone to count on.
No farther words were shared and they popped the top off of each flask and before drinking from them, they locked eyes one last time and Emma pulled out a thankful half smile.
They both grimaced when the funny flavor reached their tongues and closed their eyes waiting for something to happen. Nothing came. Emma slowly reopened her eyes one after the other and was ready to question why the hell were they still in the same place, however, as she looked to face Regina she saw a smile of satisfaction dancing on the red lips. Emma knew it was working. But how?
Before she could even think of any sentence to formulate she was screaming at the sudden movement. The ground wasn't there anymore, as if she was sucked into it and was being pushed by Jupiter's gravity instead of Earth's. Only then the wind started to blow faster and faster, she felt being shaken from side to side by it and the darkness came but was quickly replaced with the brightness that faded in. She was obligated to close her eyes at the small amount of dust that molested her vision, she tried to talk but she opened her mouth only to have it invade by a mix of strong wind and dust that led to an incessant urge to caught.
Just as sudden as it started, it stopped. They felt being pulled down by the same strong hold, only now they felt landing to the ground.
Emma hesitated before opening her eyes only doing it when an annoyed Regina assured her it was safe. She opened it to a deserted landscape and a bright sun shining on top of the sky, which her eyes were fast to complain about. She tried to control the heavy breathing and take a step but none of those were successfully accomplished.
"The savior, slayer of dragons, breaker of dark curses, gifted with the most powerful magic, daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, product of true love, shaking like a horse on its first steps. All over a little land-traveling. I expected more." Regina just wanted to enjoy this moment, laughing of Emma was the only sort of light activity she was granted within the last weeks, and the image of their former sheriff right on that moment was the top of entertainment since getting back to Storybrook. Which, about being brought to different lands, brought her to examine where exactly had they landed, because wherever it was she was sure it escaped her knowledge. At least per view alone.
Only when the woman spoke up to make fun of her, Emma cared to check Regina out, and she hated to admit, but truth being that she was pretty astounding for someone who'd been pulled from one land to another. Specially after experiencing such intense travel.
The unusual silence from the blonde didn't go unnoticed by Regina, she always refuted her jokes. But the woman was just too busy with her inspection on a specific direction hoping that she'd find anything other than sand, rocks and dry trees. Regina watered her lips aware of how thirsty the view alone made her feel.
Emma rose an arm up to her front to guard her eyes from the sunbeams while she fixated her sight some point opposite to where Regina was looking at, the weather was so intensely hot and dry. She had just as lack of idea to where they were as Regina.
Not more than few minute afterwards Regina noticed that fortunately the point she was looking at was not just another sight onto nothingness, but a temporary fill of lifted dust blocking any chance at further sight. On a first moment she thought to be an effect of strong flow, but she didn't feel any kind of drift since landing. Only paying more attention she saw far away the horse riders in a group heading away of what seemed a piece of civilization, a town perhaps.
With hopes that this wouldn't turn out a mirage trick by her already damaged by high temperature neurons, Regina thought she'd communicate with the probably still troubled Emma. To her surprise, though, she discovered her companion in a worse state than the one she had left her just few minutes ago. Emma was stuck in place with a blank face, only moving her muscles through breathing, she had a slight of a panicked expression. Didn't matter how much Regina joked in the first moment after their arrival, this was something she wasn't ready to deal with.
"Miss Swan?" Regina called a first time, and others afterwards. It was to no point. So she reached the woman's face and made her turn it into her direction, even so her green eyes were still fixed into the same position only following slowly seconds after. "What?" The question came cautiously.
Emma rose an arm to point the direction she had her eyes solely on, Regina smiled lifting a hand to make magic end the small problem - as she classified it. But when it failed her, she understood why all the fuss, why the fearless character of the savior was fully gone. The land had no magic, they had a problem. About seven deathly problems, that Emma's revolver lacked on ammunition to solve.
"Come on... Come on..." She murmured trying to make it work, but it was pointless.
About twenty feet away from them a full coyote family made a banquet out of a dead body. When Regina faced them she was able to see as two of the wild animals pushed each a leg of the lifeless body that hung in a tree secured by a rope. Probably hanged to death. Regina looked back to the now nearly completely clear vision of the city behind them and reached Emma's fist while the still petrified woman glared at the animals.
"They've already made a pray," Trying to ease the other's fears she started with as smoothing of a voice as she could reach at the moment, which wasn't much. "They're only coming after us if we make ourselves a threat to them," She tried to believe in that herself, but there was no way she could. "We only need to walk away slowly until we're in a safe distance." Emma waited for Regina's voice to proceed but it never came.
"Then what?" She asked as nervous as she seemed, not at all like herself. Regina stopped their small pace to look at the green orbs.
"We run." She answered and resumed the walk.
Emma agreed with the plan and after what seemed an eternity slug-walking she found voice to question, "Can we start running?"
The response didn't come through words. Unexpectedly, Emma was being pushed by her fist to fasten her pace until they broke into a race as fast as high heels allowed them to.
Emma and Regina were both still having trouble keeping their breathing handled after running, walking and being close to lugging their selves into the welcome plaque of the town.
Emma practically threw herself to the heated floor retreating it immediately but far too tired to stand again. She lied back relying on her forearms, not carrying for the sand at all. She felt her body aching, and even though the bad smell wasn't bordering her nose anymore she sure felt the dirtiest she ever had. Swallowing her almost nonexistent saliva and trying to water her lips while calming her breath she opened her eyes to the sun on top.
Regina didn't seem as exhausted, but she wasn't able to continue her walk into the city because Emma was fast to grab her ankle.
"Wait!"
As far as her eyes were allowed to see she let them wander amazed with every piece they were offered to contemplate, every person walking down the large and extensive street. Every carriage that crossed the street. Every rider perfectly managing their horses. Every worker covered by sweat. Every child running from the annoyed dogs or ever drunken beggars. She noticed the lack of any modernities, and how nobody seemed to care and be well adjusted to this kind of life.
The ground was still the same she experienced in the nowhere desert they ran behind, only now it looked more firm to walk through and had steps and wheels marking the agitated days of the small town.
Even with the different shapes and sizes every building had a fairly big plaque equally made of wood informing what it served to hanging right on top.
Saloon, Sheriff's Station, Bank, Doctor's Office, Blacksmith, Gunsmith Store... She read the plaques of the few buildings her tired and itchy eyes allowed. Her smile grew by each name until it turned into a quite laugh.
Not really understanding why Emma would be laughing Regina only turned with her frowned eyes waiting for her companion to calm from her strange reaction, just as it seemed to take forever to happen she spoke putting an end to any kind of fun thinking of how the moment didn't allow them that much and how it irritated her to see such behavior coming from the other woman.
"Care to explain, Miss Swan?"
"What is it with your sister and western stuff?" Emma asked still checking the surroundings.
"I don't know if you've noticed but she has a few slightly worse points to her psychotic mind."
"This will be soooo fun..." Emma said with feigned enthusiasm while she thought about the western movies, mainly the spaghetti western ones and linked it to how Regina would react to this experience if everything she saw turn out actually true.
"Get to your feet, will you!"
While Emma spotted every building she could, Regina made herself aware of the familiar faces of the residents. Which was the only thing she could recognize from the piece of land. Only then she noticed the old styled way the wooden structures were placed one after the other leaving small spaces in between the ending and beginning of a new one. Farther into the path there was a fountain with a human chapped sculpture in a royal mannered gesture that consisted in an arm crossing through hip and the other standing in the air, from which the water slipped falling to the fount.
The few people that crossed their way close enough didn't say a word only passed looking judgmentally at Emma and avoiding eye contact with Regina at all costs. Some things never changed. But for her amusement at the same time they avoided looking at her the men did a small reverence taking of their hats and the women with a slight nod of head.
"DUEEEEEEL" A boy passed screaming multiple times in a desperate warning.
Soon there was nothing to be done, every task was abandoned immediately and everyone started running inside the closest doors leaving as if their lives depended solely on this accomplishment. Regina made halfway to the blacksmith trying not to succumb into everyone else's panic, but seeing as Emma wasn't moving she rolled her eyes going back and pulling her into where she considered safe.
"How in hell did you get so out of shape?" Regina inquired in a quiet whisper.
"I am not out sha-" Emma started her loud complain but was shut by Regina's hand. "-pe." She completed lowering her voice once freed from the other's reach.
"Please, Miss Swan, I have been pushing you all the way."
"I'm just not used to heat and sand and running on heat and sand."
Regina refused to contradict this time only huffing away the discussion and positioned herself to spy on the main street from the side wall letting the other be with her lousy act sitting on the ground.
In a matter of seconds the town was invaded by the sound of several doors being violently closed and the horses neighed. On top of the buildings few windows were open and the audience found a place to watch as safe as possible whatever went on the large street. Not a minute after everything was quite.