Disclaimer: I don't own 'Once Upon A Time' or any of it's characters, nor am I making any money off this project. However, I do enjoy vacations to Storybrooke, Maine and the Enchanted Forest on occasion. The landscapes are magnificent and it's a joy to play with the natives.
The Heart of the Wolf
May 15
Early afternoon
Maleficent was agitated. Frenzied pacing through her lair was the visible demonstration of the rage coursing through her. She'd lost her lieutenant and she wasn't sure how it had happened. Her hold on him had been slipping but this was different… there was a hole where he'd been.
She'd felt the heart spell break even as she watched her undead army fall around her. There was no spell, no potion or dark magic to reanimate them. Even as a lich she was subject to certain limitations. Now, those limits were increasing due to the queen's use of light magic, a feat that should not have been possible. She never considered factoring that point into her plan as it was something her enemy should not have the capacity to do.
She knew the queen had mellowed over the years and shown great care concerning her son. But Regina was as evil as anyone she had ever known. Yet the sorceress proved capable of wielding light magic, very strong light magic. Magic created by love.
The queen was a known master of dark magic, magic driven by hatred, anger and rage. Regina's undeniable ability to channel both was a stunning paradox. However she was doing it, the result was Maleficent's hold on her unholy existence was diminishing. She was now vulnerable.
She couldn't pin down how Regina had acquired this new found ability, but she was fairly certain it centered around Ruby Lucas. The werewolf had been at Regina's side each time the sorceress unleashed her newfound ability. Maleficent had no prior knowledge the two were friends much less had a relationship that could fuel the power Regina had demonstrated.
Agitation gave way to desperation. She had to act now before she lost the ability to even kill Regina, much less those around her. As she moved back and forth, she felt the eyes of the boy upon her as he sat quietly.
He was a riddle wrapped up in an enigma. He should be petrified in her presence, but he sat serenely, seemingly unafraid. He was supposed to be the lure to draw the queen to her. Theoretically, with the queen would come the ones who were most dear to her, for they would want to help her, keep her safe. The lich wanted to destroy them before Regina's eyes, for surely the sorceress would be unable to protect them all.
That part of her plan could still work, but without her army, she needed to redirect her efforts. If she couldn't get to Regina's wolf, perhaps she could get to her son.
Her reconnaissance of the manor had shown Regina placed protectors around the boy. None were capable of magic, only the protection spell was a hindrance and she should be able to break it, even in her weakened state. Killing her son should serve to break the sorceress. That could help to separate her from the wolf or at least send her into a rage, unable to channel light.
She settled down to await the coming darkness for then she could implement her new scheme. She smiled with that thought allowing her mind to quiet.
Her smile diminished when the boy smiled back. As if it was the most normal action in the world, he reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a bar of chocolate. His gaze never dropped from hers, his smile never wavered as he slowly nibbled on the bar.
As unsettling as Regina's new abilities were proving to be, this boy was markedly more unnerving. A shiver flooded her thin frame as the boy's gaze pierced her being, even as the innocence in his eyes pierced the remains of her soul. Night couldn't come soon enough to rid herself of him and his disconcerting presence… not soon enough at all.
"We're here." Mr. Gold stopped just short of the northern tree line to stand before a weathered mausoleum. There were several scattered along this row of burial sites, but Regina knew he was right. The darkness was most palatable surrounding this particular sepulcher. The others had spread out around them watching for any dangers.
Gold raised his hand over the stone door and made a gesture. The doorframe glowed and sparked, but the seal over the door remained.
"Blood magic… we won't be able to break this."
Robin pushed forward. "Please, Mr. Gold, surely there's something you can do? Regina?"
Robin was pleading with her to rescue his son. She could only shake her head in sorrow as she saw the pain etched across his strong, handsome features.
"He's right. Only someone related to Maleficent by blood can break a spell she cast using blood magic. We need to draw her out, then we can get in and rescue Roland."
She reached out to the distraught man, wrapped her arms around him and turned her head, lips close to his ear. She lowered her voice so only Robin could hear the soft words she uttered, the promise she made. "I'll do whatever it takes to bring him back to you. I have an idea and I'll need your help, but right now I need you to focus."
Staring deep into her eyes, he gently ran his fingers over her cheek and lips, leaving her trembling at his touch. He leaned in and kissed her softly before pulling her into a full embrace.
Emma cleared her throat drawing everyone's attention. "So how do we draw her out?"
Leaving an arm wrapped around Robin's waist, Regina turned to address the group. "We need only dangle the appropriate bait… me."
No one said anything. Robin tightened his arms around her and she saw the tortured expression on his face. To rescue his son, he must allow her to put herself in jeopardy. She could see the war playing across his features.
"I'll be fine, Robin. She'll have to drop the blood seal to leave and according to Neal, her army is gone. She's alone. I'll lead her away so you and Mulan can enter the crypt and get Roland. Apparently, she's vulnerable to light magic. I can keep her at bay while weakening her further."
The instant she mentioned her intention to do this alone, a low simmer of anger, denial and pain surged across her soulbond. Cringing slightly, she looked to her soulmate standing quietly by Graham, his arm around her shoulders. The stormy look on the young wolf's face was nothing compared to the intense energy swirling in her golden-blue eyes. Ruby's turmoil was evident across their link and exhibited in her demeanor.
As wondrous as the sudden deepening of their bond was, it did present its challenges in that neither could hide intense thoughts and feelings from the other. Regina sighed and surrendered to her wolf, flooding the link with her acceptance of knowing her wolf would be at her side through the coming battle. With Regina's unspoken assurances, she felt Ruby's anxiety ease serving to soothe them both.
Obviously unaware of Regina's distraction and the reason for her subsequent silence, Mr. Gold picked up where she left off. "That's not bad. A lich cannot come out in daylight so we have some time. Let's get back to town, compare notes with the others and devise some plans. Regina, you should get what rest you can, while you can… you appear exhausted and you need to recover as much as possible before facing the lich."
Emma spoke up. "He's right, Regina, you look ready to drop. Ruby will take you back to the manor and stay with you while the rest of us work to devise a way to help you when Maleficent makes her appearance."
Regina didn't have the energy to argue. Besides, she had her own ideas and designs that didn't include anyone else except Ruby. She wasn't sure why, but Emma had knowingly set her and Ruby apart giving them the opportunity to enact her plans. It left her wondering what, if anything, Emma suspected about her relationship with her wolf.
"Ok. We'll stay with Henry and send everyone else to the shop. Come Little Wolf, I'm able to teleport us home easily enough." She reached out to Ruby who spoke softly to Graham before she kissed him and walked over to Regina.
Ruby smiled at Robin before taking Regina's outstretched hand. "I'll keep her safe, don't worry."
"I know, Ruby. Thank you."
The former outlaw stepped back as Regina pulled on her magic. The familiar purple cloud whisked them away to the manor for a brief respite before the coming darkness.
Upon arrival at the manor, Regina removed the protection spell and the two entered the house. They hadn't made it to the top of the foyer stairs before a missile named Henry propelled himself into his mother. It was fortunate for them Ruby was coming up behind her and caught them both before they fell.
"Not that I don't appreciate the attention, but you could've killed us, Henry." Regina chuckled as she grinned at her exuberant son.
"You know Ruby would never let us crash. I looked before I leaped… you know, made sure she was behind you first." Henry was looking smug while Ruby was shaking her head. The wolf reached around Regina, pulling both into a hug. As she let go, she playfully popped Henry on the back of his head.
The Charmings and Tink appeared looking expectant so Regina directed traffic toward the aromas wafting in from the kitchen. She wasn't hungry but knew she needed to eat. On the other hand, experience demonstrated Ruby's ability to devour food was seldom slowed by adversity. With the smells coming from her kitchen, she knew Granny had prepared for her granddaughter's voracious appetite in advance.
Ruby nearly tripped over her to grab the plate her grandmother handed over and began to fill it with chicken spaghetti, homemade yeast rolls and fresh salad. Granny shook her head at Ruby's antics, but the young wolf merely shrugged her shoulders and affectionately kissed the older woman's cheek.
Over lunch, Ruby described the morning's events to the group with Regina adding small comments. Snow reported they hadn't come up with anything on their search. With so little information on Liches and their power, hunting down facts proved fruitless. Nor could they determine what Maleficent might have chosen as her phylactery. Regina remained quiet as she had her suspicions in that regard.
After lunch, Snow and Charming left for Gold's shop while Granny returned to the diner for the afternoon shift, promising to return when she was needed.
Tink had remained quiet through lunch simply watching the two friends, Regina in particular. Regina had been aware of her scrutiny, but decided to wait before engaging with the former fairy. Henry had parked under her elbow seemingly reluctant to let her out of his sight. In contrast to everything falling apart around her, Henry's support and affection were welcome. The weight on her shoulders was eased considerably in his presence. Regardless of the outcome of this nightmare, her heart was overjoyed knowing her son loved her.
After a few more minutes of virtual silence, Regina addressed Tink. "Are you going to comment on how I look as well? I know, I know and yes, I'm exhausted. I'm not used to …" She trailed off, not sure how to complete the sentence.
"Being a hero? You are you know." Henry's tone was filled with conviction. She knew he believed what he was saying even as she was conflicted.
"As much as I would like to believe that, Maleficent wouldn't be terrorizing Storybrooke if not for me and what I did to her." With her elbows resting on the kitchen island, Regina dropped her head in her hands, unable to hold it up any longer. The weight of responsibility and guilt was crushing. She was too tired to fight against it.
She heard someone move behind her before Ruby's strong arms encased her from behind even as she felt Henry lean into her, his arms around her waist, his forehead touching the side of hers.
"Regina, hasn't Maleficent caused you pain as well? Didn't she terrorize the Enchanted Forest? If you question what I'm saying we could always ask Aurora for her opinion on the woman. She's driven by hatred and vengeance." Tink's voice floated from across the island but did nothing to ease her guilt. Regina's psyche was broken in so many ways it was hard for her to let Tink's words seep into the cracks left behind.
"What makes us different? I've wiped out villages, imprisoned and murdered countless people... all in the name of hatred and vengeance."
Ruby's grip tightened as did Henry's though neither said anything.
Tink spoke again in a softer tone. "To cast the dark curse you had to offer up the heart of the thing you loved most… the difference is that you, Regina… you were still capable of love. Despite being full of rage... you loved."
She peeked out to see Tink was now standing beside her. Regina was almost to the point of emotional overload when her new friend spoke again. "Besides power, what has Maleficent loved? Do we even know? Look at what she's done to herself to gain the power to destroy you… that's madness. She's insane. You've never succumbed to either or you wouldn't be beating yourself up right now."
Regina lifted her head and looked at the fairy for several long seconds. She saw the sincerity of her words reflected in Tink's eyes. With a flood of emotion she fought to tamp down, she aimed for levity to break the moment before she lost her grasp on those feelings.
"It's all Ruby's fault you know."
Tink's expression changed to one of confusion as she heard Henry gasp.
In contrast to their reactions, she felt Ruby's laughter in her bones as her wolf tightened her grip before releasing her though she remained standing at her back.
Looking over her shoulder, she saw mirth in her wolf's warm expression.
"She's right, Tink. Even back then, despite the upheaval around us, I would try and reason with her. Remember the fights we got into, Regina? How many times did I tell you 'No' with you screaming 'But I want to!' ?"
Tink blinked, wide-eyed, before breaking out into a huge smile as she laughed. "A self-loathing werewolf holding the Evil Queen accountable… with no compulsion or fear. The irony of it all. In the end, you probably saved each other… and Ruby's continued existence supports my whole argument."
"Right… my idiot wolf took advantage of the fact I couldn't kill her. How is that fair?" Regina responded playfully, chuckling at her wolf's feigned chagrin. "To top it off, I taught her how to control her wolf and this is the thanks I get?"
"What are you talking about? What do you mean you couldn't kill her? I thought you became friends here in Storybrooke, not before… I don't understand." Henry's voice cracked as it wavered between the deep tone he was growing into and the higher pitch he was fast outgrowing.
Regina sucked in a deep breath, realizing she was so caught up in their repartee she forgot Henry was unaware of certain facts concerning her association with her best friend.
Ruby must have sensed her dismay at their slip. "It's okay to tell him, Regina. He loves you and I don't believe he will hold the truth against us."
Her wolf rocked forward and back on her heels, looking rather... sheepish at their lapse.
Regina could feel exasperation spreading over her face. She made no attempt to keep it from rolling through their link. "Given how you just… put that out there, you haven't left me much choice now have you, Little Wolf?"
"Nope." Ruby's full grin finally pulled a similar one out of Regina.
"Well, Henry, this is going to take a little time to explain so let's all go get comfortable. I'm supposed to be resting as it is." With some trepidation as to how he would react, Regina climbed down from the stool. Making her way into the living room, she settled on the couch with Henry taking up his self-appointed position beside her. Ruby and Tink made themselves comfortable in the adjacent chairs.
As she related an edited version of their history, Henry listened with rapt attention never once interrupting with a question. Regina discovered she was feeling more at ease as she explained her true connection to Ruby. When she finished, she sat stoically watching him.
It was interesting his expression didn't change through her recitation. It wasn't changing much now as the room remained quiet. Finally he blinked and looked over to Ruby who wore a relaxed smile. Glancing between the two of them, he was finally able to speak.
"Wow… this is just … wow. Soooo... what does all this mean? How does it work?"
Ruby was pleased Henry didn't seem upset by their revelation. Instead he seem excited. She could feel Regina's apprehension but it lessened the more Henry responded positively.
"You're not upset?" Ruby asked. "I'm supposed to be your grandmother's best friend and now you find out I'm soulbound to her mortal enemy… well... when they were still mortal enemies that is..."
"No, it's cool. You've always been great to me, how can I be upset? I knew you and mom were close, now I know why… I mean, thanks for telling me."
He seemed comfortable with what he was learning, but after a moment, his brow furrowed. "Wait a minute, I'm confused. I thought soulmates were like True Loves… or something."
"Tink… you're up." Ruby smirked at the former fairy who rolled her eyes back at the wolf.
"What makes you think I'm the expert? I blew it with Regina the first time." Tink was looking at Ruby incredulously.
"No, I don't think you did. I think at the time, Robin was her destined soulmate, but she changed..." Ruby trailed off as she saw the curiosity playing across Tink's face. "Anyway, ... ignoring true love for the moment, what do you know about soulmates and soulbonds?"
"Not as much as I thought. I never would have guessed about you two before Regina told me."
Ruby nodded, struggling slightly with how to put into words what was subconsciously troubling her. "The reason I asked is because I've noticed a difference lately. Our bond is strengthening, becoming… more… much deeper. I didn't think too much of it at first but it's changing and now it's changing rapidly. I've always been able to sense her presence if not her moods. But last night it was almost as if I could read her mind and that has never happened."
"Ok, Little Wolf. You neglected to mention that to me." Ruby could see in Regina's demeanor she wasn't angry even as the set of her body shifted attentively.
"The images Maleficent put in your mind? I felt a surge of anger when she did that, but not from you. I saw the images you mentioned to the others, but as a blur. I couldn't make sense of them as I had no context to understand… but I saw them." To emphasize her point, she forcefully sent an image of sickly, yellow eyes hovering in darkness through their link. Regina gasped in recognition… they were dragon eyes.
"You felt her anger and saw the images?" Regina eyes widened before she wilted back into the sofa. "So why now... after all this time, would our bond be strengthening?"
Henry reached over and took the sorceress's hand obviously wanting to comfort her. Tink looked thoughtful but a bit hesitant as she glanced between the two women. "I told you before I wouldn't pry into specifics, but I have a few questions. You can answer or not but I need a bit to go on before I can make any reasonable guesses."
Ruby held Regina's gaze as they each silently checked their comfort level with Tink's possible queries. Ruby nodded her acceptance as Regina responded. "Ask away, we'll do our best."
"Hmm, ok, let's start at the beginning then. How long have you been soulbound? Do you even know?"
Ruby sent an affectionate glance of support toward Regina, waiting for the queen to answer for both of them.
"A very long time. Many years before the first curse actually… evil drawn to evil. No one understood me like Ruby did. I suppose that's what formed the bond in the first place. After a time, I suggested using magic to solidify the connection, I believed it could benefit both of us. It's why I stopped trying to kill Snow White... doing so would hurt Ruby."
Tink's expression was passive as she took in the information. "So it was a natural connection to start? No magic?"
Ruby nodded. "That's right. The magic came later and before you ask, I agreed to its use of my own free will."
Tink nodded before directing her next question to Regina. "Did you use a spell or potion?"
"Potion. I didn't want to risk it being broken." Regina hesitated a moment then looked over to Henry, seeking his understanding. "I wasn't trying to create a soulbond, it just happened. The potion merely insured it couldn't be severed when we decided we didn't want it to be. I needed her and she needed me. I can't explain it. I've never been able to explain it."
Tink responded after a moment. "I understand. I believe it has benefited you both in ways you don't even think about. Anyway… maybe because the first curse locked everyone in a time loop, the normal growth of the bond was prevented."
Ruby could sense the apprehension building in Regina as her sorceress sought to protect yet another secret. In a shared moment of clarity, they both understood it no longer mattered. They needed to trust Tink to help them. They needed Henry who possessed the heart of the truest believer to simply believe in them. Regina took a deep breath and visibly relaxed.
"I didn't curse Ruby. She retained full knowledge of who she was, who we were and of our bond."
Tink's eyes opened wide as her eyebrows disappeared under the swath of hair that had fallen across her forehead. "Oh! ... I don't know why that surprised me... after what you've told me it shouldn't have. Well, that wouldn't be it then."
Tink looked at Regina for a long moment, then settled her gaze on Ruby. For what seemed like an eternity she sat staring at the young wolf when her eyes lit up and her countenance shifted in pure excitement. "I have another idea. Ruby, your perception of the change would have occurred first... if I'm right that is. With your heightened senses, you should have noticed the shift. I'm guessing it was right after Regina defeated Zelena, correct or no?"
Ruby let her gaze fall on her sorceress as she thought on Tink's question. "It was after that I began to sense it, yes, but I don't know if something happened at that specific moment to trigger it."
"Yes, something did." Tink grinned as she looked back to Regina. "It was the first time you let love control your magic, the first time you channeled light. Maybe it grows stronger and deeper the more you use the bond to focus... the more you use light magic."
Regina looked confused. "But I wasn't concentrating on the bond at the time, just that I couldn't let Zelena win. I thought about the consequences of not stopping her spell, not just for me, but for everyone."
Tink's eyes twinkled as she leaned forward and put her hand on Regina's arm. "I think you draw on it without awareness, it's so much a part of you... of both of you, after so long. I believe you depend on the love of your soulmate without question, without fail, without conscious thought." Tink looked over to Ruby. "I believe you both do."
Ruby chuckled at the look of wonder spread across the former fairy's face before looking back to Regina, then Henry. "Can we keep this information among the four of us? It may put people close to us in danger if it became known but more important to me is Maleficent can use me to get to Regina."
She wasn't sure Tink heard a word because she appeared lost in her own mind.
"I wonder… Regina, this is going to sound... well weird, but … have you had the chance to look at your heart recently?"
Ruby felt Regina's surprise and shock at that question. "Well, no... it's discouraging for one thing, not to mention removing it hurts… the last time was when I tried to bury it in the Enchanted Forest after I broke the first curse."
"I was curious as to whether it's changed. We know evil darkens a heart, maybe doing good lightens one. Would it be too much to ask to have a look?"
Regina's expression was flat, showing no reaction whatsoever, but Ruby felt her hesitation. Without a word, Regina reached down and pushed her right hand into her chest, removing the organ as she groaned.
Ruby gasped as she felt intense discomfort in her own chest. This physical manifestation was apparently yet another new aspect to their bond. Instinctively, she reached for Regina. Stepping over the coffee table, she wrapped both hands around the hand that held her sorceress's heart as she tried to breathe.
Immediately, the tightness subsided and she sighed in relief. She noticed Regina staring in awe at the fragile organ in their hands.
"It's brighter, Little Wolf, do you see?" Regina was smiling, almost childlike in her amazement as she brought her other hand up to cradle the organ. Ruby gently moved her hands to either side of Regina's. She extended her thumbs and index fingers to lightly brush the pulsating representation of her friend's soul. Their gazes locked with the intensity of the moment when Regina suddenly shifted to place her heart solely in the hands of her soulmate before she pulled her own away.
Ruby's eyes could no longer hold the tears as they slid down her face. She knew how much Regina trusted her, but the demonstration of that trust in combination with the rapid changes in their bond overwhelmed her.
Through the tears, she understood why Regina was happily surprised. The blackened swirls were still present as they swam through the brilliant red of the organ's true color. What stood out was the presence of golden and silver streaks that surrounded and spread through and around the whole of the sorceress's heart. The more dominate silver moved in stark relief against the blackness with the gold pulsing in a life of its own as the strands wove around, seemingly trapping the darkness in an ever shrinking area. Woven through the darkness was a single thread of bright purple. Regina would never be totally free of the darkness, but balance was returning, giving the former queen the ability to more easily fight the darkness that had consumed her for so long.
Ruby looked up from the miracle resting in her hands to gaze at her soulmate, the question in her heart apparently clear to Regina. Wordlessly, her best friend extended her right hand, gently pushing into Ruby's chest. She winced as Regina carefully drew out her heart, bringing her other hand up to cradle it.
What was predominantly clear were the parallels in the colors of both organs. The biggest difference was the darkness in her heart was more muted than in Regina's but it was still weighed down by the evil in her past. Interwoven around the darkness, silver and gold strands swam through the heart with more vigor than in her soulmate's. There weren't any corresponding purple strands but the dominant silver pulsed strongly as the less present gold wove around the darkness.
When Regina moved her hands closer to Ruby's, both organs began to radiate and glow in a faint silver hue that grew and surrounded them, imbuing her with a welcome tranquility. She couldn't help but notice their hearts' true red brightened as the air itself shimmered around their hands and arms.
Sensing movement, Ruby glanced over and remained quiet as Henry leaned slowly towards them, his gaze drawn to the glow surrounding their hands. Ruby watched as the young man's eyes teared up, his eyes gleaming in amazement.
"They're beautiful, even with the darkness." Henry spoke softly, his gaze never leaving the sight before him. "What does it mean?"
There was no anger in his voice. Tink spoke up quietly, her tone expressing her own amazement. "I have no idea, but Henry, one thing is very apparent… the darkness in your mother's heart is diminishing."
Henry's smile warmed the room. Regina broke the reverie when she leaned forward and gently slid Ruby's heart back into the confines of her chest. Ruby felt the flutter until it settled to beat in time with the heart she held in her hands. She gently placed the precious organ into its owner's hand as her sorceress eased it back into place.
The sense of contentment quickly passed as Ruby's mind processed what she had seen… the aberrant purple strand. A sick feeling washed through her as she reached out to her soulmate. Sadness and acceptance from Regina confirmed her flash of revelation. Ruby knew what Maleficent had used as her anchor… the dark heart of her sorceress.
{End of Chapter}