Day 1: Bed Sharing
"What the Hell was that" Emma asks with frustration. Honestly I haven't been thrown through portals enough but I know for damn sure we aren't in Storybrooke anymore.
"I believe Miss Swan that we just went through a portal." I look around and see that we are stuck in some unfamiliar forest. Great, where do we go now? Arms wrap around my middle as her hands pull on my arms that I didn't notice I had crossed.
"Regina, we'll get back before you know it." Her voice coming into my ear in a soothing way how is it she can calm me before I even realize I am upset? She turns me in her arms and looks right into my eyes, "We can get through this together have faith."
"How can I when we don't even know where we are?" It seems I got through to her when she pulls away and starts to look around. She makes an unreadable face but then it looks like she might know where we are. She looks up and she looks shocked so I look too but I see nothing out of the ordinary.
"The sun will set soon we should find some shelter" she looks spooked but I just follow the direction she's walking in, sometimes observing is the best course of action. After walking for about an hour we end up at an entrance to a cave she sends a fireball through first, no sound was heard so she deemed it clear for us to go inside.
"So how did you know this cave was here?" she kept walking ahead cautiously until we came to a fork in the cave.
"It was just instinct. But it does feel like I've been here before." She sends me a reassuring smile that does the exact opposite. I mean how the hell did she end up here before and how did she get back? We take the left path deeper into the cave then continues at a quicker speed.
"What do you mean you've been here before" her evasiveness is starting to annoy me. She stops suddenly and I walk right into her. "Why would you-" she put her hand around my mouth to stop my protest when the sound of footsteps against stone coming toward us is heard.
"Who goes there?" The sound of an old woman comes from around the bend in the path. An ambient glow starts to show from where the voice is. Footsteps come closer as Emma pushes me behind her towards a compartment hidden in the wall only big enough for one person. Seriously it's only an old woman we can take her but her insistent shoving is telling me I should perhaps do as she wishes. So I get into the hole in the wall with a roll of my eyes. Once in place the glow spreads throughout the rest of the cave and I realized it was the stone that the cave was made out of. Emma stepped onto the path to face the old woman who has just turned onto the path. "Young traveller should wonder not into places unseen nor should young apprentices hide amongst shadows very unbecoming of young Ladies as yourselves." She looks straight at Emma as Emma looks straight at me. "The Princess has returned to her kingdom I see. At last she has returned" what the hell does that mean? I go over to Emma as she looks afraid and in shock. My magic bubbles as I feel the need to protect her overwhelm me. "Worry not young apprentice the Princess is safe here as are you."
"Your alive" I heard Emma whisper from beside me. I look over to see here in tears.
"Of course little one, the gift bestowed upon me allowed me to live here in safety. The entire village is safe from those that have taken your throne and threaten war upon this land."
"The guardian beasts have turned against us haven't they? I could feel it when I looked to the heavens" Why is she talking like that all of a sudden? And where the hell are we?
"I am afraid so Princess"
"Miss Swan, what is the meaning of this?! What the hell is going on?!" I want answers and I want them now!
"Regina I will gladly explain it to you later when we find a place for the night, I promise." Promises mean nothing to me, I need an explanation. The magic in me was feeding off of my irritation and anxiety, it was crawling underneath my skin wanting to be released. Emma grabbed my hand and the magic began to recede back into that dark place in my mind. The irritation began to cool to slight annoyance and the anxiety settled into simple nervousness of being in a new land.
"Fine" I stated with feigned anger, now that she calmed me.
"Princess your welcome to the cottage at the village entrance it is small but will surely due for the night.
"That would be wonderful, and could you not call me princess, I don't want anyone knowing I'm here."
"Of course little one your secrete is safe here just as your lives are." We were lead to this little shack they called a cottage. My stables were bigger than this place. "Have a wondrous night little ones." And what's with that woman treating us like children!
"Goodnight Sena" the old woman left us and Emma began getting ready for bed. I crossed my arms in annoyance and huffed at being ignored. She is so not going to sleep until I get the truth!
"Well Miss Swan are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?" She finishes making the bed and strips off her pants. She gets settled in the only bed and pats the space next to her.
"Regina sit please" she seems vulnerable and anxious but determined in her command. So to get answers without making her feel worse I sit next to her. "When I was young before running away from the system, when I could believe in fairytales and magic, before my life became screwed up I would escape into this world. A world I thought I made up in my mind… but it's real."
"So you have been here before, what is this place?"
"It doesn't have a name at least not that I know of."
"Tell me about this place" knowledge is power and power is strength. She motions for me to get ready for bed, so I do. We lie next to each other in silence for a while then she starts her tale.
