Happy trails
Storybrooke (the woods)
Ruby didn't waste anytime setting up the date for Mulan and Elsa. The two women found the clearing that Ruby had set up complete with a blanket and picnic basket. There was a big log laying in their way that they needed to step over. Mulan easily stepped over and then turned and extended her hand to help Elsa over.
Elsa clasped Mulan's hand and felt a jolt shoot through the two of them from the contact. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked in Mulan's eyes, the warrior obviously felt the same thing she did. Elsa stepped over the log and allowed Mulan to continue to hold her hand as they walked the last few steps to the blanket. There Mulan helped Elsa to sit on the blanket. The queen was touched by the way that Mulan wanted to take care of her. It gave her a warm feeling of safety around the warrior.
"This is a nice place that Ruby found for us." Elsa said nervously. Mulan looked around them and nodded in agreement. She returned her gaze back to Elsa and her heart skipped a beat. The queen from Arendelle was so beautiful. The long hair that was so white it shone like snow on a mountain top. Her ice blue eyes that just radiated compassion even though she was so guarded to the outside world. Mulan knew that the woman felt things deeply and that her cold exterior was only skin deep. The warrior could empathise with Elsa's emotional armor because she protected herself from being hurt in the exact same way.
Mulan took a deep breath and gathered her courage. "Elsa, I need to talk to you." Elsa stopped emptying the items from the basket and placed her hands in her lap. She cocked her head to the side and gave Mulan her undivided attention. Mulan gulped audibly, she could face a dozen swordsmen but this beautiful woman across from her made her feel skittish. "I have a hard time expressing my feelings to others. I often shut someone out and then lose the chance to get close to them. I have been alone for as long as I can remember and I am tired of living that way. I'm just going to be honest with you and try not to be afraid of the consequences. I like you Elsa. I think you are very pretty and kind. I want to get to know you better. I would like to be friends." Mulan looked down. "Actually, I would like to be more than friends. That is, if you let me."
Elsa's eyes grew larger as Mulan spoke to her. No one had ever said those words to her before. She had grown up alone and isolated. She never had someone feel for her in the way Mulan was describing. Her words touched something inside her and warmed her heart. She looked into the brown eyes of the warrior and the lovely face around them. Elsa felt very attracted to Mulan in a way that she had never felt for anyone before. Mulan's very presence brought up feelings of desire deep inside her that were unknown to Elsa. Her mouth went dry and she licked her lips. "Mulan? May I kiss you?" she said quietly. Mulan nodded yes and they both moved forward as their lips nearly touched. Elsa felt Mulan's warm breath on her skin and Mulan felt the cool breeze coming from Elsa. Their noses touched as their lips slowly made contact. Elsa moaned as she felt how soft Mulan's lips were. This was her very first kiss and it felt better than she had ever imagined when she was alone in that bedroom for all those years. Mulan felt the pleasant chill of Elsa's lips and as she parted her lips she found that the queen had a taste that was similar to ice cream. She smiled as the two moved away from the short kiss they just shared. Mulan laughed softly causing Elsa to smile.
"What is it Mulan?" Elsa asked.
"You taste like ice cream." Mulan felt heat rush to her cheeks. "And I like ice cream." Elsa relaxed visibly as Mulan continued. "Very, very much." The two very shy women moved toward each other to share their second kiss of the date.
Storytown 1867
She was sitting there talking to The Lone Ranger. The Lone fucking Ranger. If the problem with Regina wasn't so serious Emma would be laughing. How did this become her life?
She was listening to him talk as they shared a meal of ham and beans at the saloon. As she had hoped, the owner gave the sheriff a tab which was good because Emma didn't have any 'old west' money. He spoke just like he was on his tv show so much so that Emma thought the guy was putting her on at first. He was just so corny. She could swear that a few times she caught Tonto rolling his eyes at something he said.
"I swear to you sheriff, we will find this dastardly villain and bring her to justice. Now if you'll excuse me I need to take care of something." He stood and tipped his hat to Emma before walking outside. She looked at Tonto and he shook his head.
"He's going to piss so we have time to talk." He said it so bluntly and easily that Emma's mouth gaped. He hardly spoke during the conversation and when he did it was in broken english. Now he spoke it like it was his native language. "I have to apologize for my friend. He means well, but he's a little crazy."
"You can talk." Emma said slowly and then looked ashamed that she blurted that out.
"Yeah, it's complicated between the two of us." Tonto began. "You see I found him on the prairie about a year ago. He had been shot and he was going to die. It took a long time but I managed to nurse him back to health. But I think being so close to death did something to him. He thinks he's some kind of hero or something. I've been riding with the man ever since to make sure he doesn't hurt himself or someone else." Emma looked at Tonto and had a feeling that his compassion for The Lone Ranger went deeper than just concern for his wellbeing, but she kept it to herself. "This is your town and I don't want us to get in the way of you doing your job. I will try to keep him from doing anything silly but you have to take charge and not let him run roughshod over you. He has a tendency to do that. You handle this situation anyway you want to."
"Well thank you, uh, Tonto." Emma had a hard time accepting what she just heard but it did explain the eyerolls during dinner. They reminded her of the way Regina would do the same thing when Emma talked. "I appreciate it because this is a very delicate situation. You see I need to find Regina but I absolutely can not let her get hurt in any way. I can't explain it, but I need her safe and will do anything to protect her. Do we understand each other?"
Tonto looked at her for a long time and then gave her a wry smile. "Well, it seems I'm dealing with two crazy people now." He said in a joking manner. "Don't worry sheriff, I'll make sure we find your Regina and she will come to no harm. You have my word." Emma's superpower told her that Tonto was telling her the truth and she smiled. At least one thing was going her way here.
Storybrooke (Zelena's house)
Zelena was feeling useless sitting on the sidelines like this. Her sister and the Savior were missing and she couldn't do anything about it. The knock on her front door brought her out of her despondency and she went to answer the door. She was surprised to see that insufferable Doctor Whale and some funny looking old man standing on her porch. The old man was carrying some kind of urn that Zelena could feel radiating dark magic.
"Whale? What do you want?" she said not at all politely. The doctor smirked at her.
"Good to see you too Zelena. Can we come in?" He moved to step in without invitation but Zelena put her arm up and held onto the doorframe, barring his way.
"Not until you tell me why, and why you brought this thing that is obviously evil to my house." She said sternly. The little old man cleared his throat and spoke up.
"I am so sorry for the intrusion my dear. My name is Abraham Van Helsing and the reason for our visit is of dire importance to this entire realm. We really need to speak with you and ask your help." His earnestness was genuine and Zelena grudgingly lowered her arm allowing them inside.
"Fine but keep your voices down." she looked pointedly at Whale. "Robyn's sleeping."
Van Helsing entered along with Whale who was giving Zelena a slightly irritated look. Zelena ignored the doctor.
"Thank you my dear. May we sit?" Zelena motioned to the kitchen table and they sat. Van Helsing put the urn on the kitchen table top and Zelena frowned at having this source of evil placed where she ate but said nothing. "May I call you Zelena?" She nodded as she grew impatient with the man's impeccable manners, she just wanted him to get to the point.
"Yes, now would you kindly tell me what this is about?" she asked trying to mask her irritation.
"Of course." Van Helsing then launched into the story of Dracula and vampires. He told her about his homeland and the vampire war that was waging. He explained how he escaped here to Storybrooke during the merging and why he brought the remains of the count with him. Finally he explained the story about Gold's return and what he planned to accomplish. Zelena took it all in and at last she spoke.
"Alright, but what does any of this have to do with me?"
Whale smirked and responded sarcastically. "You mean besides your safety and the safety of your child? Not to mention the apocalypse that is about to take place on this world?"
Zelena bristled at his attitude but Van Helsing quickly moved to defuse the situation. "Victor informs me that besides your sister and this Swan woman, who are both unavailable at the moment, you are the most powerful person in Storybrooke." Zelena nodded in agreement. "We need these remains protected from Mr. Gold and we believe that they would be safest kept with you."
Zelena laughed at the two of them. "I'm not keeping that thing with me! Do I look like a fool?"
Van Helsing looked defeated. "If you don't help us then all is lost."
Zelena sighed. "I didn't say I wouldn't help you. I'm just not keeping that thing in my house. I know the perfect place to keep it that Gold will never be able to get to. My sister's vault."
Storytown 1867
Emma didn't sleep well last night, the jail cell cot was far from comfortable but that wasn't the only reason she couldn't rest. She missed Regina. She missed falling asleep next to her lover, the way Regina slid her leg up and down Emma's body as they slept. She missed how Regina would hug her a little more during the night every time she would stir in her sleep. She missed hearing her soft even breaths in the silent bedroom, knowing that for that moment they were the only two people in the world.
So being tired didn't help her mood in the morning. Just like being on a horse, riding through the prairie and being jostled in the saddle every minute. She wasn't like Regina, the mayor loved horses and was an expert rider. Regina was at home in the saddle and when she rode there was a bond with horse and rider that made them seem as one. Emma was the exact opposite, she didn't like horses and horses didn't like her. She had no balance in the saddle and constantly felt like her life was in danger with every step the horse took.
Here she was in the old west following the damned Lone Ranger to find her lover who wanted to kill her. At least Tonto was leading the party and appeared to be a pretty good tracker.
He was following a trail and he said there were signs that someone had ridden it recently. It was in the direction that Regina went so it was as good a lead as any.
"Whoa Silver." The Lone Ranger pulled up and got off his horse. Tonto stopped and looked back, his face made an expression like he didn't know what his partner was doing. "Look Tonto. Leavings." The Lone Ranger knelt down to examine the pile. Tonto rode over to Emma and she looked at him, about to ask what was going on.
"Shit." Tonto whispered as he leaned into Emma's ear. "Watch this." She did. The Lone Ranger picked up the pile in his hand and sniffed it. Emma gagged and Tonto grinned.
"Fresh. Still warm." He crumbled it in his hand and then stood. Emma choked back the bile in her throat.
"Yes kimosabi, but droppings from buffalo over there not horse." Tonto was back to the broken english as he pointed to a few buffalo a mile off. The Lone Ranger looked off in the distance and then back. He wiped off his hands without a hint of self consciousness and climbed back on his horse.
"Right you are Tonto. Let's ride. Hi ho Silver away!" He rode off as Tonto rolled his eyes and Emma had to stifle a laugh. They continued on all day following the trail to Regina. Emma wished she could feel their baby inside her. Since arriving in the past she couldn't feel her magic or the baby. It had only been a week since she got pregnant but Emma missed the feeling of the baby. She just wanted to get back home and be with Regina again.
It was getting dark and Tonto said they should stop for the night. The Lone Ranger made it sound like it was his idea though. He had been blabbing non stop about all his adventures and Emma started to tune him out. She felt sorry for Tonto, he must really love him to put up with all his craziness. She couldn't help but notice the way he looked at The Lone Ranger when he thought no one was looking. Could a delusional narcissist like that love somebody besides himself, she wondered.
They shared a couple rabbits that Tonto caught and then turned in for the night. Emma nodded off as she gazed at the stars thinking about Regina. She didn't know how long she had been sleeping before she felt the cold metal press against her temple. She woke up and felt a finger pressing against her lips.
"Be quiet sheriff. You're coming with me." she heard the whispered voice of her true love and her heart beat faster. Then when she looked into the dark brown eyes of her lover she only saw the Evil Queen. There was no love in her voice, just hate. "Tonight you die sheriff."