A/N: Need to stop writing directly onto FF... Finished the chapter, saved it, and lost 1000 words or so. Not good, but it had been so long since I updated this I felt I should suck it up and rework it. It's just a pain, haha. Hopefully, version 2.0 reads ok too. Enjoy, and please review :)
Panting as she tails the blonde across the open planes of the coral gardens, Regina grumbles irritably to herself about the lack of grace their pounding feet lend them. She tries to recall if she has ever run in such a way before, and can't think of any instance other than when doing so willingly as a girl and while chasing one of her horses.
Chasing Emma is something else entirely.
For one, the Sheriff isn't teasing her while frolicking about some beautiful valley. For another, the younger woman is hellishly fast and is 'tame' by no stretch of the imagination.
The brunette sighs- difficult with her lungs burning the way that they are- but manages to keep up well enough until the dark column of the tower casts them into shadow. Pressing herself against the wall beside the blonde and swallowing several desperate gulps of air, she gasps irritably.
"That was ludicrously idiotic! We didn't even formulate any sort of plan, you just threw all caution to the wind and ran off like a mad woman!"
"And you followed."
Emma grins; the bloodiness to her gaze all but disappeared, but her eyes still bright with an exhilarated breed of fury. Rolling her own eyes, Regina beckons over to where she knows the entrance to the tower to be and grumbles
"Yes, like a mad woman."
Holding out her hand to stop the Sheriff in her tracks, she glances over her shoulder with a frown.
"There should be guards out here flanking the doorway..."
Emma opens her mouth to respond, but is interrupted by the deafening crash of fractured glass. Turning towards the castle in unison; the women watch as a snarl of bloodied orange flickers damningly from within a slow-climbing turret of dank black smoke. No sooner has the fire escaped the confines of the building, and the air is suddenly thick with the cloying sense of danger, yet, despite their urgency to escape their formidable fate, both women- one dark, one fair- stand silently for just a moment and do nothing but watch.
The blonde takes the Queen's hand and squeezes it briefly, before a second crash of indescernible cause shakes them from their trance-like state.
"I think... I think maybe they might have bigger fish to fry..."
Emma suggests quietly, without any sign of her favoured sarcasm or irritability. If anything, her tone speaks simply of awe, and Regina responds in kind; simply nodding slowly.
This has all escalated beyond a point I think either of us could have sanely fathomed only a couple of days ago... And I don't think we've even reached the climax yet...
The feverish energy that dances back at her from within the blonde's gaze suggests Emma understands much the same.
"Then let's take advantage of that fact."
"Couldn't agree with you more."
The younger woman nods, although she enters the spiral stairwell with her hands at the ready, and Regina follows directly behind with her sword raised.
When the two women enter the bisected cavern of the cell, Snow already stands with her hands wrapped in a white-knuckled grip around the curious stalactites that hold her captive. There are no windows in her little holding chamber, but the stench of smoke sits thick in the air, and the first cries of panic have begun sounding below.
She had caught the sound of footsteps ascending over the chaos- two pairs, if she should be so bold as to make a guess- but she had in no way suspected- dared to hope!- that those pattering feet might belong to the two women that spill out across the threshold now.
That said, she has to blink several times to be sure she recognises either of them.
The Queen's ruined dress has yet to really dry, and hangs off of her svelte frame in a dishevelled fashion that is distressingly unfamiliar. Dark locks frame shock-ravaged features in a thick mess of untamed wisps, and the right side of her face sports a deep gash at the cheek; blood smeared in a drying stain down to her jaw and speckling her chest in a series of grotesque freckles.
Her hand curls tightly around the hilt of a sword.
The woman beside her comes as an even greater shock; mostly due to the notable loss of weight that exaggerates her features cruelly. Whatever flesh is visible on the blonde- which is a fair amount as she seems to be wearing a most bizarre form of hewn fabric, reminiscent of a burlap sack- appears dirt streaked and bruised, her hair tumbling chaotically and matted with what also appears to be blood.
Yes.
Blood.
It dapples her shoulders- though the Fair Queen can make out no discernible injury that might play the cause- and paints her arms. Here, the cause is hatefully obvious; twin slashes opening up the flesh of her forearms a little below the wrists.
"Emma?!"
The younger woman cries out in response, and runs to her; throwing her arms between the gaps of the cell and embracing her awkwardly.
"What on earth's going on down there?!"
The schoolteacher enquires shakily as she clutches the skinny blonde to her as best she can through the bars. Tightening her grip for a second, Emma closes her eyes and breathes in the inexplicably soothing lingering hint of the paler woman's natural scent- tainted sourly by lack of bathing, but the heart is a curiously unfussy thing- before taking a step back and sharing a look with the brunette behind her.
"That's kind of a long story..."
She confides, laughing a little shrilly. Regina nods in exhausted agreement and runs a harried hand through the mess of her hair; dark eyes flickering nervously back to the stairwell.
"I realise I'm speaking to the Charmings here, but we might want to hurry this reunion up a bit."
Emma clearly agrees, as she takes several further steps back to comply.
Requesting her mother move to the side, she raises her hands in a way that causes Snow to frown.
The Fair Queen is given little chance to query her purpose however, before the blonde sends out a strong blast of power towards the clever pattern of rock that separates them, but, rather than the shattering blow the younger woman had been expecting, her power simply resonates back at her causing her to yelp.
The organic bars remain smoothly intact.
"What the hell?!"
The Sheriff gasps, looking down at her hands mutinously, and Snow glares at the Mayor as the latter chuckles darkly. It is a curious sound however, and if she didn't know any better- which of course she does- she would say that Regina's amusement was just that; simple good humour.
Speaking up when the blonde turns to her irritably, the brunette sighs, and addresses the matter as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"If mastering magic simply meant blasting away any small matter of annoyance, I would not have spent the time I did studying the subject, Miss Swan... You can't simply throw your hands out and hope for the best from the power you feel waiting inside you. You may have given Ursula an unpleasant surprise back in the castle, but such things are unlikely to work here. This is a holding cell, dear, and as such, will have been protected against the possibility of 'surprises'."
"So, what now?!"
Emma snaps, but the brunette doesn't miss the flash of childish fear that crosses her features.
"Concentrate. Do it slowly... Logically."
"Logically?!"
The Sheriff cries, and the Queen speaks quietly; holding her gaze.
"Think."
Looking back to the narrow, organic cylinders that block her way, the Sheriff frowns as the schoolteacher raises her voice nervously.
"Why is Emma-"
"Shh..."
Regina admonishes softly; watching as the blonde extends a wary hand and runs it over the rough, pitted surface of the pillar closest to her with the pink tip of her tongue just visible; nipped between her teeth. Doing so instigates a dull pain from where the Witch had sunken her teeth cruelly into soft velvet, but she doesn't seem to care.
She doesn't seem to even notice.
"Logical..."
She breathes quietly, before shooting an apprehensive glance behind her towards the Queen. The darker woman nods encouragingly, watching as Emma extends both hands, before looking back at her once more with a nervous frown.
"Go on... You know you can do it..."
Regina urges gently, and the blonde bites her lip before turning back to the rock sliver closest to her and closing her eyes after offering it a dubious frown.
At first, nothing seems to be happening, but then the brunette lets out a quiet gasp as she watches a tiny, budding green tendril bloom into existence at the top of the pillar. Before her eyes, it grows; flourishing out into a thickening vine, along which a series of leaves spring sporadically into place. About halfway down the column, a small, white flower blossoms in stark relief, and the darker woman grins.
Watching, Snow White shakes her head in disbelief; her eyes wide and her breath coming in short, quick pants.
Watching, the Queen smiles.
The vine grows and twists and snares; winding over itself and becoming thick with a rough husk that would cause any with green fingers to shudder.
Once the entirety of the rock stalactite- for, really, that is all that it is: protected from power, from mortals, from magic, but rock just the same- has become cocooned within the merciless snarls of thick greenery, the Sheriff closes both of her hands into tight fists.
The vines constrict.
And the pillar of stone comes crumbling down.
"Very nicely done, dear..."
The brunette offers from behind; her tone entirely genuine. Opening her eyes, Emma surveys the damage, before turning to the darker woman and offering her a small smile that has Regina laughing quietly; the blonde's expression wrought with surprise and childish glee.
Shrugging nonchalantly, the Sheriff confides
"Well... It was logical... I've moved around a hell of a lot, and the older and sturdier a building appears to be, the more likely you're going to find some kind of weed that's managed to force its way in and threaten the structure... It just needs roots."
At this, the brunette raises an eyebrow and adopts a knowing smile, as Emma turns back to the gap in the bars and addresses the schoolteacher.
"Do you think you can squeeze through?"
"What...?"
Mary Margaret croaks as she stares down at the mess of dying greenery and shattered rock at her feet.
Sighing, Emma kicks some of the rubble aside and reaches through to take a hold of the shock-struck paler woman's hand before pulling her through gently.
Once outside the cell, Snow throws her arms around the blonde once more; hugging her tightly when Emma reciprocates.
Peering over her daughter's shoulder at the Queen who remains stood in the doorway, she speaks quietly.
"What's going on down there? And what's happened to you two!?"
Sighing, and tightening her grip on her blade, Regina shakes her head
"We appear to have overstayed our welcome somewhat... That little trick you just saw wasn't your daughter's first, and while Ursula most certainly had what she received coming to her- and plenty more besides- I fear she may now be out for a rather gritty form of revenge... We need to get out of here. Now."
"...How?"
"... We think Ursula may have completed- or at least started- working on a way to get us home... It's a long shot... But for lack a better option, we're seeking out the porthole... As for where it is though- if it even exists- I'm afraid we don't know anything more than you do."
"Well... In that case... You might be in luck."
