AN : short chapter for now. Lots of things to do. People to say goodbye and hello to. But thank you for all the reveiws, they've encouraged me more than you'll know.
DISCLAIMER : see chapter one.
There are things in this world that are meant to destroy you. whether it be all at once like tornados, or...little by little by micro-fabric piece.
At least that's what Regina always believed. It fluttered away with each warm loving kiss Marian granted her. Then, like glass, it shattered and reverberated around her heart digging deeply and harmfully, the truth of that statement. So as Regina stared at Marian she didn't notice the burst of fire coming towards her until Emma's body slammed into hers.
"Regina!" Marian ran towards her, feet reacting entirely all it's own.
"Ms-" Regina grunted as pain erupted in her side, remembering she had already harmed herself previously.
But she stopped short as her eyes opened and the forest began to set ablaze fast around them creating a chaos of flames turning this way and that.
Then she pushed Emma off her, "Marian?!"
"Regina," Marian knelt besides her helping her up, Regina sighed calmly and grabbed her hand.
Emma grumbled and stood, "what the hell?"
The three looked around as the sound of ice cracking became louder. Ice spiked is way up the flames ; the fire froze. Which shouldn't be possible, Regina thought. Fire does not freeze. Fire melts the ice or ice evaporates the fire.
Regina grimaced as the flames turned to solid ice creating a sculptor surrounding them in twists and turns of high flames.
"I said! You'll never get me!" Someone shouted.
The three looked around.
There was a shuffle in the leaves and loud footfalls, "you'll never get me! Never never NEVER!"
"Hello?!" Of course it was Emma who shouted.
Just as it was evident Emma would shout, it was purely evident Regina would smack her shoulder hissing, "shh!"
"What? Someone may be in trouble. Hello!? Anyone there?!"
Another hit to Emma's side, "or it could be the person who did this." Her arms outstretched as she pointed at the frozen flames.
"It's true," Marian spoke.
"Shut up adulator," Emma spoke.
Regina hit her side harder, "don't make me mussel you again."
"Get away! Help!" The voice sounded desperate now, more scared.
Regina reacted before Emma could take two steps away, she grabbed the saviors hand, "Emma don't, it could be a trap."
"But- she didn't sound-"
"I know, that's how they get you." Regina held tighter.
"Heellpp!" The voice shrieked with horror lacing her throat
"Well how do you know? It could genuinely be someone in trouble."
"Because I used to use that method."
"Oh." Emma had that look on her face again, that sinking look, like Regina betrayed her, "But-"
"No Emma. You can't control your magic well enough if it's someone magical and-"
There was another scream. That determined look appeared once more on Emma's freckled face.
"Then come with me," Emma ran and tugged Regina sharply causing the queen to wince and groan from her injuries.
"Sorry," Emma mumbled quickly practically dragging Regina along.
Regina looked behind to see Marian standing there unsure. So she shouted, "go get the Charmings!"
Marian gave her a small smile before disappearing in a run.
Regina fought everything in her nature not to follow and instead let herself be dragged to the mysterious voice.
"Ahh!" Regina had to admit the voice sounded terrified and further.
Like it was running too.
So she mustered up any magical properties that still lied within her and boosted ahead. Pulling Emma along like she had when finding Marian. Will this day never end?
They heard more shouting.
The closer they came the more Regina noticed the changing temperatures.
Hot.
Cold.
Searing hot.
Searing cold.
Cold.
Cold.
Hot.
Hot.
"Is it just me or-?" Emma breathlessly asked.
"I feel it too, magic involving temperature is magic involving Mother Nature," she took a deep breath, "that's never good. Mother Nature isn't one to be controlled."
Emma squeezed her hand as another scream erupted within the frozen and burned branches they passed.
Then they came to a clearing composed of black burnt ash that was probably grass before. Frost covered a singular path leading to a shivering woman in blue with hair as white as the winter snow sky. She was shivering and muttering incoherently.
Regina stopped them both. They exchanged glances. Regina's spoke a clear warning of no indication to go further. While Emma pleaded to go nearer with just her eyes.
"Look at the grass around her," Regina was quiet as she leaned in to whisper close to Emma's ear.
Regina watched Emma's green eyes grow as she noticed the white frozen grass blades. How the ground was blue and white.
It's suppose to be spring.
"She's crying?" Emma whispered.
"Shush Emma. There's someone else."
Emma looked around, "where?"
"It's whom she was running from."
"What?"
"Someone with fire."
Emma frowned, "how do you know?"
"If she had both fire and ice I don't think she'd be screaming those accusations as before. Besides..." Regina's visage harden, "those flames can't freeze. That was magic covering magic."
Emma let go of Regina's hand, "I'm going to see if she's-"
"No," Regina gripped her elbow tightly.
"Regina we can't just-"
"Never get me! NEVER!" The woman shouted and whimpered.
Emma took a step forward but Regina stopped her, "you're not going near her."
"What?"
Regina glared and stepped pasted her, "you can't control your magic."
"Hey that-" Emma's lips were sealed with a flick of Regina's wrist.
Emma made a sound in the small of her esophagus that sounded like, "hey!"
Regina shushed her as she brushed past her and bent down. Feeling degrees cooler just by kneeling. In fact, it felt like she was kneeling in ice water. Regina took a deep breath, letting her magic surround her in warmth. Then she reached out a hand.
"Don't." She spoke so quietly Regina almost didn't hear her.
She looked to Emma who stood a few feet away having an expression of concern and readiness.
"Why?" Regina looked back to her, questioning the woman.
"Because you can't touch me." Regina still couldn't see her face, she lay on her side burying her face within her long light blue sleeves.
"You don't have to be afraid of me," Regina used her mom voice.
Emma tilted her head.
"It's-it's-it's not..."
"Shh..." Regina decided to be...motherly, she didn't want to scare her.
Half the clearing was either covered in burnt wood and ashes probably meant to be leaves, or ice clasping leaves so tightly it turned to glass. She hasn't studied much on people who can control the weather but she does know that frightening them never lead to any good. She pondered on the many stories of wizards and witches who could. All ultimately drowned in their own power. No one is meant to control Mother Nature.
"Take a deep breath, and speak." Regina could feel her magic draining to keep her warm, she could see Emma beginning to notice to dramatic change in the weather.
"Nothing good ever comes of someone touching me."
"Well nothing good ever comes when someone touches me without my permission either." Regina began to feel sleepy.
"Just don't." She sounded young.
"Trust me," was she, Regina Mills really saying this?
Regina decided, yes, she was. She may have lost Marian but damn it, she was good now. And this is how the good people speak. Full of false hope gumption and idiotic mantras.
"The last time I trusted someone I ended up in chains."
Regina winced, knowing how that feels from her own mother, "then..."
"I don't know who you are but I know good intentions when I see it-" she spoke stone-like by sounding almost emotionless.
It was the shivering and the slight intake of breaths that let Regina know she's not.
"But you can't see me." Regina spoke.
"I know. Now take your friend and leave. It's not safe. She's going to come back."
"Who?"
"Her."
Regina frowned, "listen-"
"No."
Regina wanted to stomp.
Instead she huffed and mustered up all her courage. She looked once to Emma, who's eyes widen as realization dawned on her features. The blonde started forward but not fast enough. The former evil queen was not afraid. So that's why she placed her hand atop this shivering woman's back.
Emma stopped.
Regina stopped.
Even the mysterious girl stopped her movements. Maybe even her breathing because then she shot up.
Oh, she's pretty.
No, Regina. That seemed to be Marian's voice in her head.
Her face was like porcelain. Pale with bright blue eyes that shown like ice in the setting sun.
"You're..." This mysterious girl now sounded breathless.
Regina's hand had accidentally moved to the woman's lap when she shot up.
"You're touching me..."
Emma raised an eyebrow.
Regina's mouth was open slightly then she cleared it, moving her hand away, "yes. It seems I did. Told you to trust me." She offered a smile.
"Do it again."
"What?" Regina spoke but she was sure Emma also shouted it in a simple sound at the base of her throat.
Instead she grabbed, almost gluttonously, at Regina's hand. Regina flinched, barely jumping back, but the other woman didn't notice. The evil queen watched as this woman marveled at a simple touch. Her face fell and rebuilt itself as she gave a half sob and half laugh. And perhaps that's why the women who doesn't allow much contact from strangers, allowed this. The wonder in this woman's eyes spoke of loneliness, and Regina understood.
"You're...I can..." Regina laced her hands with hers as she spoke, still watching the amazement pass her visage.
"I can feel you." She said it so breathlessly with such wonder gracing her slightly pink lips Regina didn't rebel as she grabbed her other hand.
"Uhh.." Regina looked to Emma, who gave her a confused expression, "yes. Yes you can."
Both women watched then as her hands ran up Regina's arms. Regina did her best not to flinch visibly. But she had a realization that if she did, this girl wouldn't even notice. Her pale hands ran up Regina's shoulder and she grasped the sides of her cheeks laughing.
"Hello." She said and Regina fumbled to say something back.
"Hi." Hi? Really?
"Um, I mean," Regina grabbed her hands lowered them away from her face laying them in her lap, "hello, I'm Regina Mills, mayor of Storybrooke," the girl tilted her head in confusion, "welcome."
###
Emma didn't quite know how to react when the girl grabbed Regina's hands. Nor did she know what to do once she began feeling her friends...
The thought halted her...friends? Are they friends?
Emma frowned.
She watched nonetheless. If Regina wanted help she would say. But even as she watched the girl feel the brunettes shoulders and gradually make her way to her face, Emma took baby steps closer. She noticed the sudden drop of air and the sucking feeling of warmth. She wondered how Regina remained claim. It wasn't until she said hi, then Emma noticed Regina fumbling. Something she hasn't seen since...well... Never.
Emma shifted uncomfortably. Slight anger at her inability to talk and slight concern for this foreign entity...and especially the look Regina was giving this woman.
So Emma cleared her throat.
"Oh," Regina looked to her, "right. Sorry," a flick of her wrist and Emma sighed.
The woman seemed to just notice Emma and her smile faded, "Oh-I didn't-"
"No it's okay," Emma ignored her own shivering.
It was freezing.
"Is it too cold? I'm sorry I can't-"
"No, no. It's fine, I'm fine. See?" Emma shook her body.
That seemed to calm her.
"What are you doing here?" Regina asked.
She looked to Regina and Emma didn't miss the slight fear that decorated her eyes, "I-I don't... Know. Not exactly. I was trapped and I got out then I tried finding my sister Ana, and..." Her eyes grew wide and her breathing became heavy, "then she came and I-"
"Hush," Regina's thumb rubbed the back of her hands, "take another deep breath and tell us."
She obeyed Regina sucking a lung full of air, then looked at Emma, "are you sure you're okay?"
Emma was really beginning to freeze but nodded anyway, "of course!"
"Emma take a few steps back." Regina's voice was stern.
The savior frowned, "but-"
"Please"
She took the few steps back feeling the heat of spring hug her once more.
"I don't get it."
"I'm sorry, I can't control my powers. I don't-"
"It's okay, not many can," Regina's eyes flickered to Emma who felt insulted, "What's," Regina seem to ponder her next question, "what's your name? How about we start with that instead?"
She nodded, "Elsa, my name is Elsa."
Emma wondered now, for a moment if perhaps, she was the reason for the monster they battled not too long ago. And judging from the look on Regina's face and her sudden ridged posture, the queen wondered the same.
The question now was; was it intensional?
###
Marian ran as fast her legs would allow, feeling far too dizzy and faint. Storybrooke was too far. She ran to Robins' camp. She thanked whatever god there was that there he was. Putting on his shoes in a hurry, no doubt to see her.
"Robin!"
He looked up at her hurried state, "Marian? I'm sorry I'm late, Little John found a pasture with the most lovely-"
"Regina's in trouble." She stopped short in front of him and watched as his face fell.
She felt that familiar green pass through her at his concern. It wasn't for the fact of his love for her. It was for the fact that he found the queen first.
"Regina?"
"There, there was a giant ice monster and-"
"Ice monster?" He practically laughed it out, raising a brow.
"Yes, I know it's hard to believe but please, something's happen and Emma's in danger too-"
"Ms. Swan?"
"Yes! We need to get the Charmings an-"
He then stepped to hug her tightly, "are you okay?"
Oh. That's what guilt felt like again. She's felt this more than she'd like to admit. Like a weight grasped her heart and pulled. It pulls until she's on her knees metaphorically and it hurts to even breathe.
"Yes," she struggles to breathe in his quotidian wooden leaf scent.
She misses the lavender apple scent. The pure magical woman.
"Then-" he holds her at arms length, "I need you to go get the Charmings," he grasps at her head and sighs.
Then his visage grows dark.
"Robin?"
"You're bleeding." His hand comes away from her hair and there, blotching his leather brown gloves, dark red.
"I didn't notice..." She unconsciously felt the side of her head, nearer to the back.
She must've hit the tree harder than she thought. The pain then erupted into her head like it was just waiting for the moment to be noticed so it's show can be performed.
"Sir," the Merry Men's stomps came as they arrived.
"Take Marian to the-" his face scrunched, "hos-popsicle."
Pleased he said it "right," he looked at Marian while he spoke to his men, "then tell the Charmings their daughter and Regina are in trouble-"
As if finally noticing the obvious question he asked, "where do they reside?"
Marian thought, "um-" she pulled her eyes away from her bloodied hand, "near the hollow trees you marked, far far into the woods by the barn. There was a scream and fire... Near the um...chasm that holds the River."
"Right." Just as she finished he began running the way she came.
Little Johns hand rested on her shoulder startling her, "ready?"
"Yes. We need to hurry, can four of you quickly tell Mary Margaret and David. Little John and I are capable of going to the healing center ourselves. The rest of you, I want you to go after Robin. Help. Him."
They nodded, there was only perhaps ten, those loyal enough to stay and not be pulled into the extravagant life of the modern world. Each sprung into action five running off after Robin, four sprinting to the town, and Little John offered his arm. Which she took silently, she was beginning to know why she felt so dizzy.
"You're looking really pale m'lady," Johns' gruff voice spoke.
"That's what lose of blood does."
"Then perhaps you should let me carry you."
She patted his shoulder, "that won't be necessary my friend."
"If you're feeling dizzier tell me okay?"
"Promise."
"I made sure he was late today." Little Johns deep voice said rather sadly.
"Thank you." Marian said almost sincerely.
"The quee- I mean, Regina," he patted her arm, "she'll be okay."
"I hope so."