Back again.

Sorry it has been slightly late. I hardly ever get a chance to update anymore so I am forced to keep awake at nights to try and catch up, so if this is not up to standards or indeed has mistakes then I'm sorry.

I would like to thank everyone that commented on the last chapter, glad you liked it I was trying to capture what their moment's might have been like as I can picture Maleficent trying to keep a child Regina from misbehaving and failing, badly, so I am pleased to know I got it right.

Hope you enjoy reading this next chapter, and as always if it's not to much trouble - spare a few seconds to tell me what you thought.

I shall leave it here but happy reading. :)


"Thought I would find you here"

Regina lifted her head from where it had been resting on her hands to find the blonde standing behind her. She shrugged and went back to staring at the lake where she had lain along the shallow bank. The blonde looked down to where the young girl had casually brushed her off. Normally she would have strung a person up for such a blatant dismissal and with Regina she wouldn't have taken it lightly, but given the circumstances she harboured a guess at – she would allow a bit of leeway.

But only a little

Regina was nine now and for the past few weeks had been nothing but a pain in the Faeries arse. She was moody, disrespectful, sarcastic – more so than normal and seemed a little angry at everything. The blonde had no idea what was causing it and as she stated before wasn't a people person, had dealt with it the only way she knew how, which was why Ingrid entered the great hall one morning to find them embroiled in a yelling match.

Regina had once again been answering back and questioning why things went the way they did, meaning why was Maleficent always in charge – why did she get first option of everything and so on, it had grated on her nerves and seeing as she had woken with a headache the younger girl wasn't making it any better, and so with that and the slight unsettling feeling she had been having, the dark witch fell back on old habits that she had enjoyed long before the arrival of the raven haired girl.

She snapped.

Hence why the older server had to wait hesitantly for only a few seconds before intervening, she saw the twitch on the Faeries face and knew she was close to lashing out. And if she did then it wasn't a server she would strike like before it would have been Regina so quickly she moved to step in between the warring pair and very gently laid and hand on the girl's shoulder.

"The weather is wonderful outside. Why don't you go for a walk around the lake?" She suggested looking down to the stony faced girl, Regina was mad… she had no idea where it came from but the red-hot anger just boiled inside and she felt her ire going towards the other witch. She aimed it at her - wanting a fight. She had seen the blonde's normally calm exterior crack just a little with her goading and though she wasn't stupid enough to think she could have taken her on and won, she just felt she had to.

She looked to Ingrid whose face was still a picture of calm but the hand on her shoulder that was tense and squeezing slightly told her different. It told her to follow her advice and so with a small look to the dark Faerie who had been facing the other way but could tell by her posture and deep breathing, she was struggling to rein her temper, she nodded her acquiescence before turning and leaving.

Once she had left Ingrid turned to the still stiff women next to her, "Are you ok Mistress?"

Maleficent had tried to hold in her vexation for as long as the argument had been going on, her mood and the fire that had fueled it only growing. She had tried so hard not to retaliate to the younger girls taunts but it had been hard, she was thankful for the older server to have arrived when she had otherwise she didn't quite know what she would have done, but the repercussions for Regina wouldn't have been good.

So with calm and labored breaths she didn't reply for a few more seconds before nodding. She turned to face the other woman who was watching her with concern and nodded once more.

"I am fine – just Regina being a brat as usual," Ingrid nodded once more a thoughtful look on her face.

"Mistress – if I may, Regina is nine now isn't she?"

The blonde nodded though if she were honest. She hadn't really been paying all that close attention to age. Having been well into the triple digits with her own… time has a way of just melding, but she just went with it as Ingrid continued.

"Well children at this age normally tend to be moody." Maleficent raised a brow

"Oh?"

The other woman nodded. "Yes – I have been around children near enough my whole life. I have seen them at all ages and this is nothing to worry about."

Her words caused the Faerie to snort unladylike earning a curious look from Ingrid as she shook her head, "It's not me that has to worry." She faced the door where Regina had slammed it on her way out as a dark look crossed her face.

"If she carries on like this then she will soon learn her folly."

"Do not be harsh on her, life is – as it always has been – a difficult road to travel, and certain aspects change. Surely you can remember how you were like at that age?"

She couldn't actually, all she could remember about her younger years was being surrounded by the other faeries as they learnt their magic together; it had been a good point in her life right up until the betrayal, then after it was rage – anger, pain and a hell of a lot of hurt. She cleared her throat and nodded a little.

"Of course"

"Although…" It was said under her breath and more to herself but she heard it as she looked back to see another thoughtful look on her face.

"What?"

Ingrid looked; startled at not having realized she had been heard as the blonde waited. "It's nothing really mistress… just a little puzzling that's all."

"I repeat - what?"

"It's just… well – I know that being a child, a girl – especially, they do tend to act out for reasons I am sure you know." Maleficent nodded.

"But from what I have seen with some of the children from my village… it shouldn't be for another three or so more years."

The blonde lifted her head a little at this. "So what your saying is – that it's too young for Regina to be acting out like she is?" Ingrid paused at her question before nodding, more certain of her answer

"Yes."

The witch looked down in thought at her words. So if age wasn't a reason in why Regina was acting out then something else must have been the cause. And she had a pretty good idea as to what that was. As if thinking along the same lines Ingrid faced her Mistress once more.

"Do you think?"

Maleficent lifted her eyes back to her, "Do you think that possibly her… uniqueness might be what's causing her behavior."

Of course by now everyone in the castle had come to learn about Regina's special gift. At least one point or another they had found out the hard way when she had been in one of her moods and she had growled at them… lately though she seemed to have taken that to a whole new level which was why the blonde felt she might have had a point.

Which was why she found herself out by the lake later that day, she had decided to allow the younger girl time to cool off… as well as her own anger needing to die down if she were to engage in conversation. She idly looked about before waving her hand as a chair appeared before sitting down. She might have been willing to sit outside but no way in hell was she sitting in dirt, she would leave that to the girl who seemed to have no issue with it.

"Feeling better"

Her response was a shrug of indifference causing the blonde to grit her teeth. By now she would have just gone back to the castle and be done with this as she knew it was going to be a tiresome effort but the words of Ingrid stuck in her head and knowing this a situation only she could see to, had to stick it out.

"I know that… things must be strange."

Regina, still lying on the ground, twisted her head a little to face the blonde who was staring out over the calm waters. "You feel… weird, out of sorts… like nothing is ever fair."

Now having turned more fully to face her, the younger girl watches her face intently as Maleficent went on to describe how she felt exactly, never realizing that she was revealing a little about her own feelings once upon a time.

"According to Ingrid it's to be expected of young girls…" She didn't tell her that it wasn't for another three years that was as the younger girl sat up on her knees. "So if you feel the need to talk to anyone… go to Ingrid."

There she had finished what she could only have called it to be the worst conversation of her very long life. She fidgeted in her seat and looked to the younger girl who was a picture of confusion, but nodded anyway.

Sniffing lightly Maleficent turned back to face the front and stared out over the peacefulness of the waters. It was a few minutes later that she vaguely became aware of a pair of eye looking at her and so turned back.

"What"

Regina bit her lip. Now that the first half of what she had felt had, well… not really been sorted out but had more of an explanation them, she felt slightly better inside which could not be said for how her body felt.

It ached. Her entire body felt like it was conspiring against her, as her bones and muscles felt like they had been set alight. She had woken up like that and had done for the past few days, she had thought it because she had been running about everywhere and fallen a few times… once down a steep slope so just blamed that…

But it didn't feel like that any longer.

It had gotten worse and at one point she had actually taken a running jump into the lake to try to cool down her heat riddled body, she had then thought it be an illness or some sort. And that she would just let it pass, but knew that if she was feeling sick then she had to tell someone and now the older witch was looking at her and waiting for her to speak.

"I don't know what it is. But I ache."

"Ache" Regina nodded.

"Ache like how? Stomach aches because like I said see Ingrid for that-" She stopped on seeing her shake her head. "No, it's more… my whole body,"

Turning in her seat the blonde looks more closely as Regina speaks. This was what the other server had hinted at and now as she spoke about what she was feeling it seemed that she was right.

"My body feels like it's on fire it hurts and feels like my bones are trying to break free." She sighs heavily and looks downwards to the ground. She doesn't see Maleficent looking at her; she doesn't see the thoughtful pondering on her face or the calculating look as she narrows her eyes. As Ingrid was saying Regina was coming up to her preteen years, and so along with any changes that brought, it also meant given her current situation – it also brought about more symptoms.

She had changed forms fully for the first time when she had been… well if she could remember right. Around the same age as the younger girl had been now - maybe a little younger but that was because unlike Regina – she had been born like that and not the result of a curse.

She could remember the same feelings very well and so knew that if her Dragon was anything like the blondes then it was only a matter of time before it made more of an appearance. She eyed the smaller girl who had lain back on the ground and shuffled a little. Her mind working on how to help her, to alleviate her pain… it wasn't everyday she thought about others or was in the habit of starting, but she could sympathize with her in this and so wanted to.

If not for her own experiences but also for the comtinuation of peace in the castle

"How are you feeling now?"

She refrained from rolling her eyes again and tried hard to keep her annoyance off her face seeing as the blonde had asked nicely, given she was at her near limit a mere hour ago, and looked back at her.

"Ok"

"Just ok" She turned her head a little to see the dubious look the older woman was giving her. "Yeah"

"So… everything's fine… your bones no longer feeling like breaking free of your body." Regina shrugged a little and mumbled under her breath. "Well yeah… there's that."

As if to further extenuate her point she lifted her hand and rubbed her throbbing shoulder before turning back to the water silently wondering if that would help once more as Maleficent studied her for a few more seconds before standing.

"I'll be back later"

The younger girl looked back to her as she brushed a spec of imaginary dust from her robe. "Something I have to find." Before she disappeared in a flash of blue surrounding her leaving the girl by herself. Seeing the last of the blue fog clear she turned back to the lake and settled down once more as she let out a small wistful sigh as the sun shone brightly overhead.

It wasn't that she loved the grounds surrounding the castle. In fact in the summer they were one of her all-time favourite places to be. Exploring the forest and being by the waters seemed to soothe her more rasher tendencies according to the blonde and she was inclined to agree as even now she felt a lot more mellowed. Come winter it was a hazardous death trap, snow covering every inch of the ground and Rocky Mountains behind them.

But even then she found herself enjoying the scenery. The frozen lake and the frosted covered trees, it was all still amazing to her no matter the seasons.

But lately it wasn't enough. Lately she had found herself wanting to go beyond what she had already known. She had explored the grounds to the point of knowing which tree she had climbed and consequently fallen from down to how many scratches the bark had. She wanted to go further and see what was out there.

But she didn't know how that would go with the blonde. She had noticed the Faerie never left her castle. And if she did it was with great reluctance. It seemed she had closed herself off permanently from the outside world, and apart from those who lived in or near the castle she was content to keep it that way.

But she couldn't really expect her to do the same could she? Stick in one place… it wasn't like she had any plans on leaving, she was nine after all. No all she wanted to do was just go and see what was out there.

Surely the older witch could see the logic in that.

"Absolutely not"

Regina opened her mouth to protest but stopped as she grimaced slightly as another flash of heat ran across her body as Maleficent glanced at her; before she knew it Regina had a small bottle almost shoved into her face.

"Drink this."

She took the bottle gingerly and held it up trying to inspect its contents. "What is it?"

"Nothing to mess about with. Just drink it and stop fussing." She looked back to the older woman who had with a wave of her hand cleared the potions she had concocted before turning back to her. She arched a brow in her direction as Regina saw the expectant look before sighing and undid the top before sniffing the insides and shuddering.

"Just drink it."

"But it's so"

"JUST DRINK IT!"

She threw it back as she swallowed the lot and nearly gagged as she let it slide down her throat. Maleficent smiled in satisfaction both in getting her to drink it and seeing her squirm.

'Teach her to shout at me next time'

"What the hell was that?" She spat and tried to take the vile taste away by wiping her tongue on her shirt much to the distaste of the blonde next to her, she turned around and motioned for her to follow as they left her small potions room and back down the hall.

"Just a little something to take the pain away."

She had expected the small snort of disbelief and so didn't say anything in reply merely kept her brisk pace as Regina jogged to keep up. "Can I still go out?"

"No"

"But why" They stop at the end of the hall as the blonde turns to her. A little surprised at hearing the slightly petulant whine coming from the younger girl; in all her years here it really did feel like she had been talking to an adult… a tiny one but still an adult. Now looking upon the pouting face it hits her at just how still childlike she is.

"Because I said" She is about to turn but a muttering has her looking back. "Why, you're not my mother."

"Your right." Regina looked back to her "I'm not… just a person who had looked after you all these years and has finally gotten used to you being around."

"Really? After all this time." The blonde nods.

"Yes, at first I thought you a pet or something amusing to look at." Regina rolls her eyes. "But now that you've been here longer then what any animal normally would do here… I will be dammed if I let you go out there now only to get hurt."

The younger girl's brow crinkled slightly in confusion at her words as she turns and makes her way back down the hall and she runs after her once more.

"Why? What's out there?"

They come to a stop at the large staircase as the other woman looks back down to her. "Just… bad things. Do well to remember this, not everyone is as nice and gracious as the people in here. Man would kill another man for the things they covet… women overcome by silly emotions such as envy and pettiness, willing to shame another just for the satisfaction at seeing them suffer."

She turned to face her fully, leaning on her staff as she makes sure she had Regina's full attention. "The people out there are cruel and frankly you'd be better off not setting foot where they dwell, little rats squandering their lives – many of which have tried to come and kill me."

She sees the shocked look on her face and knew that she should have worded it better but why should she? She wasn't in the mood nor had the patience of making things sweet and nice in order to appease others. It was how she was and always will be. Besides Regina would soon come to learn as she grew older just how easy betrayal comes on the outside world should she choose to ignore her advice.

"Really?" The Faerie nods

"Oh yes, many have tried with the intention of slaying the beast that resides here… all in the name of glory or greed that has taken hold, so that they could be called a hero for killing something that had no inclination of ever bothering with them just so they could be looked upon with revere and awe."

She eyes her for a few seconds longer. "I, as you know, have zero fondness for any… present company excluded." She muttered much to Regina's glee.

"I only tell you this because it seems that you like the company of others… and so would most likely talk to anyone of hopes of making friends with them. I warn you against that dear, you may think me heartless but you have no idea just what that means if people knew who you really were."

She moves down the stairs leaving the younger girl to look on after her. She waits as the blonde disappeared and continues long after she had gone before turning and making her way back to her room. Clearly something had happened in her life. Something bad to have made her sneer at humanity the way she did.

She didn't know a lot about the blonde. Only what the Faerie deigned to tell her when the mood struck and she was feeling nostalgic. But soon after a dark look always crossed her face and quickly any and all conversation about her life before Regina had entered soon shut down leaving no room for argument.

To be honest she didn't want to know. At first she did, call it natural curiosity but soon that faded when she realized the other witch wasn't susceptible to her nagging as the others were and so her interest soon waned in favor of play, she made it to her room and pushed open her door letting it bang back on the wall as she waved her hand as an afterthought, moving to the window as the door behind her shut.

She lent on her elbows and rested her head on her arms as she looked out the window, letting out a small sigh of contemplation. She trusted Maleficent she really did, and wouldn't go against anything she advised. But she so wanted to go out there – to see what it was like.

To play.

She was to have a tutoring lesson later to try to control her magic since it was getting to out of hand thereby prompting the dark witch to all but force her to attend. But what she really wanted was to leave.

She was feeling… how could she put it? Restless – on edge… even more so than normal, and added to her already pressing issue with how her body was it was beginning to weigh on her, she had seen the irony in that… not even ten and she had one hell of a problem that no adult would ever know. Turning she left the window and threw herself on her bed, maybe a nap would help.

"Regina"

She scrunched her face but didn't open her eyes as she turned over.

"Regina"

She lifted her hand lazily and batted at the air as if hoping her non-existent hit would drive the voice away.

"REGINA!"

The sudden change in pitch had her opening her eyes immediately. She shot up from her spot on the bed, not realizing in her sleep she had turned over and shrieked when she lost her balance and went tumbling to the stone floor. She groaned as her back hit the cold concrete and lay there for a few seconds. She lifted her head a few seconds later to see the culprit and glared at the amused smirk looking down at her.

"Sorry dear, couldn't help it – you looked so peaceful."

The younger girl growled before huffily clambering to her feet and faced the pleased woman. "Happy?"

The older witch tilted her head a little. "For now"

The smaller girl brushed down her clothes in a manner mimicking the blonde. "What"

"You're late for your lesson. I got worried." She stopped her brushing and lifted her head, her face a little scrunched at her words.

"You – worried."

They faced off until the blonde smirked letting the pretense fall. "You were late. You kept me waiting. You know I hate to be kept waiting."

"Of course… " She hefted herself to her feet seeing as the older woman wouldn't dare lend a hand and followed her out the door.

"Focus Regina"

Maleficent stood at the other side of the clearing and watched as the younger girl grit her teeth but refocused her efforts and magic on the task she had been set. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them and with a deep breath. Directed her magic at the fallen tree as she felt it leave her and like a cat - slink its way over to the downed trunk as it wrapped its tendrils around the large object before gripping it tight within its grasp.

"Good, now lift it up."

Pulling as much as she could to the forefront of her body. She pushed it out and allowed it to roam as the magical energy swept over the clearing, engulfing all in its path including the blonde who had to brace herself slightly as it washed over her on its way to its target. She smiled a few seconds later when the tree – now completely overcome by the younger girl's magic, lifted from the ground.

Regina smiled widely as they both watched the tree hover from the floor. She instructed her to keep it above her knee for as long as she could and was pleased to see that she could now keep it up for more than 90 seconds before she dropped it.

"Rest for a moment"

Regina nodded breathlessly and was grateful for the water the blonde conjured as she took a seat next to her, "You're getting better"

The younger girl smiled silently before swallowing the water she had in her mouth. "Thank you."

"If only your fire work was as good." She threw in and laughed at the sideways dark look she got in response. "… It's getting better"

"It is" She concedes as they allow the silence to wash over them. Once Regina has finished her water it's not long before the Faerie has them back working on her magic once more. This time on her immobilization techniques and nothing worked better than scaring the hell out of her, which was why she took great enjoyment in waving her hand and tossing the recently abandoned tree at the unsuspecting girl and watching her stumble back before her magic reacted.

Raised fear levels really were an excellent teacher and motivator.

They kept up the lesson a little while longer, going over all that she had taught her before calling it a day. She had been impressed with the level of skill she had. Of course she always had the power in her, it had been a nuisance at first… so much damage, but once she had gotten it under control she found the younger girl really was a remarkably capable and very powerful witch.

Maybe an even greater sorceress.

They made their way back up to the castle. Not bothering to use magic to transport back. The last of the hot weather was making itself known and so they chose not to waste it as they walked by the waters. They moved through the halls as Maleficent talked a little about what magic they would be learning next as she wanted her to try to work on her elemental side some more as Regina nodded.

They parted ways at the end of the corridor as the younger girl ran back to her room. No matter how many lessons she had she always felt tired at the end of them as she rushed into her room to wash and change. But she guessed it was how the Faerie did things – didn't teach by half... especially not when it came to magic.

She changed her clothes before running back out the door taking care to shut it properly as she noticed the slight indent at the back of the door and hoped that no one would notice before taking off back down the hall.

There was only one thing that could make her run around at a time when all she felt like doing was going to sleep.

Dinnertime.

She avoided running into a few people along the way as she made her descend downwards until at last she came to the great hall. She smiled and pushed on the large wooden doors before sneaking inside and taking her seat next to the blonde who had already gotten there before her. She smiled out of courtesy as they waited for the servers who came in minutes later.

Regina waited expectantly for them to leave as Maleficent served first once more. She looked down to her plate and her nose wrinkled at the food which wasn't the deer like she were accustomed to.

"What's this?"

The older woman looked to her as she watched her poke at the new meat and rolled her eyes before replying. "I thought we might try something new."

Regina lifted her eyes from the table. "Why"

"Because."

"Why"

"I said so."

"Yeah, but why?"

"Because if I have to keep feeding you, then I have to find an alternative." She looked back to her own plate.

"Only knows how much deer you've eaten… almost ran the population extinct." She stopped listening to her complaints and looked back to the pink colored meat and gave it another poke.

"So what is it."

"Pork"

"What now" That earned another sigh.

"It's a pig dear, it comes from a pig… so shut up and just eat it."

She frowned but did as she were told as she picked up her fork and very gently poked it some more before scooping some up and nibbling at the sides.

'Better save a few pigs'

She chuckled as the younger girl found another new favorite as she dove on the pork. Dinner finished a lot quicker than normal as the raven haired girl cleaned her plate resisting the urge to lick it clean as she waited for Maleficent, who was a lot more controlled when it came to eating to finish hers off before she could leave the table.

Eventually the servers came back and took away the used dishes as the blonde stood from her seat replacing it with that her throne like chair across the other side as Regina to stood. She watched as the other woman took her seat and conjured the book she had been reading before settling back and carried on from her page.

"I'm going to go back to my room now."

The older woman gifted her with a partial glance before humming her reply. It was good enough for the younger girl as she turned and made her way out of the room. It was evening now and so she usually ended up staying in her rooms until bed. She took her time on the journey back. She learnt her lesson the first time of rushing around straight after eating and nearly threw up much the Faeries horror as her screams nearly tore the castle down.

It was a good day.

She pushed on her door and closed it behind her locking it as she made her way to her bed. She changed into her night-clothes before moving back to the window. The sun had gone completely now as it turned from light to dark, the moon hadn't come up just yet and so she sat on the ledge looking out to the calm waters.

Tomorrow, she decided, would be the day she went out and explored the outside fully. If she were careful and went in the morning then the blonde would never know she went against her wishes. She smiled happy with her plan before sliding off and over to her bed as she burrowed under the cover and picked up her book she had swiped from the older woman.

As she settled down she couldn't help the small smile that crossed over her face.

She had a feeling that the next day would be a good one.

When was she ever wrong?