But things could never really stay so balanced. Especially when their thirteenth year arrived. Changes were beginning.
That was the year that their birthday week celebrations were put on hold for the week after and on a full moon night, roaring and howling were heard. On two sides of the kingdom, the newly transformed wolves had their first pack run and in the skies, newly morphed dragons flew. Both including Emma and Mal, forming their individual packs.
Regina sat at her balcony, watching both her best friends go through their family traditions. Her family had already gone through theirs. Nothing but another birthday. She wouldn't get her seventh sense until later around her eighteenth year. And the only change with her was her magic coming in. All in all, it just meant that they would have to take separate classes for their kind. They had been spending all day, every day together. A best friend's dream. But now the blondes would have their missions to go on. Their parents had wanted to wait until they could defend themselves in their forms, should anything happen. Soon Emma would be off with her father and Mal with her uncle. She could feel the change in the air. More than just what they knew what was to come. Something more than they thought.
She sighed as she looked out to the hills, seeing a black wolf standing in the moonlight, looking towards her. She knew it was Emma. As the wolf howled, she felt her chest swell and tug towards the wolf. Yes, change was already here.
The next year, that realization came to all the girls. Even though they were different in what they were, their mothers insisted on having the same biology class. Which included telling the girls what they should expect in the next few years in becoming women.
"Now I know you girls don't want to talk about this, given you are still young. But it is better to know now than to be surprised." Cora stated, earning a groan from all three girls
She went on telling them the whole biology of women. Trying not to laugh at the different facial expressions from each girl. Then she went on to their specific biology and mates.
"Now when it comes to mating. Hush-hush with that groaning, after today, since we've covered everything with womanhood, you just suffer today and don't have to speak of it again until you teach your own. Now let's start with dragons. You mate like humans. You can feel who your mate is supposed to be from your magical pull. But your claim on your mate is jewelry or a blood bond. You don't have the claim like a wolf or a witch. Yes, it is magical, but you have to have a blood oath to tie you with your mate. The reason a witch is different, our very souls magically tie us to our beloved. We mate for life. Our very souls reach out towards our person. Our magic reaches out towards them. It happens when we lock eyes with someone. It isn't just random, our soul already knows who we are destined to, so we see them and lock eyes, we are stuck. And this can actually drive a witch crazy if we are not with that person. We get antsy, lash out. Our magic goes haywire and only calms when we are touching them or near them, but once they are yours, you actually claim them, all that will stop and you can feel them within you, their emotions and all. You can hear them, talk to each other from distances." Cora smiles
"Is that why here, no one cares who you love as other kingdoms do?" Emma asked
"Yes. Being magical beings, we can't help who our soul is connected to. But wolves, you, my dear are the romantics." Cora pointed to her
Mal and Regina giggled at Emmas blush
"Wolves are like witches, but amplified. By the time you are born, your soul already knows who you belong to. Even as a young child, you are already loyal to that person. Because you have something called imprinting. I believe your father said it was like your mother became his focus. He wanted nothing but to protect her and also serve her. To make sure nothing ever hurt her, but to also make sure she wanted for nothing." Cora explained
"How would a wolf know?" Emma swallowed.
"Oooh does Emma think she is imprinted?" Mal teased
"I uh…" She blushed
"Mal leave her alone." Regina scolded,
"Well, imprinting can happen at an early age if you are around your soulmate at the time. Six years old I believe is the earliest because that's usually when children start actually noticing each other. Having what human children call crushes. Some describe it as they looked at their mate and something just flashed. They became light-headed because it was like gravity moved, just to focus on that person. Your mother and I go on about which of our kind really is known for the soulmate because of this. Well. Don't ever tell I said this, but I believe it was your kind. Not only being completely loyal at such a young age but as you age, no one else can compare. You can try to be with someone else if your love is already taken, but it won't feel right. A wolf won't go crazy like a witch because they are known to wait forever for their mate if they have to. You even stop aging if your mate happens to be younger just so you can be with them. But they become depressed and miserable if their mate refuses them. Some have died from broken hearts because the one they imprinted one denied them, it's not really a broken heart, it's a broken soul. Although once together, you can hear and feel each other. Wolves are more solid however because of the mating bite. Not only does it seal your soul bond, making your soul one, but it is more than a marriage. It is a known law among magical beings if a mating mark is made, that person is off-limits. And even if an imprint is known, then beware. Whoever tries will have whatever consequences come to them should they try anything with that mate. And just as witches, should a mate die, you die with them from a broken heart and soul." Cora explains solemnly, obviously having seen this happen.
"What of a pairing between our kinds? We are all around each other, could it happen?" Mal asked
"Well yes, it is not unheard of." Cora shrugged
"How would we know?" Regina asked
"Well, as I said, a dragon is like a human when it comes to mating, they just feel that tug within them but if a witch or wolf has them as their soulmate, their senses, the imprint would go onto them as regular. But if a witch and a wolf pair. Well, that is an ultimate pairing. That's a dynamic duo. More powerful than the individual kinds pairing. That's ferocious passion, unmeasurable love. That is true love right there. The loyalty and love of a wolf, mixed in with the passion and the magic of two soul bonds. The pair would know because just the touch of the other would calm the senses of a wolf and the magic of the witch. But the witch would experience the imprint as well, not until their fifteenth birthday, however, but you'd be able to feel the magical pull when an imprint is made. If you are a soulmate with a wolf, your gravity will pull towards them."
Cora looked at the girls and smiled internally. "Now all of our womanly things are covered, now onto changes of the body, starting with Emma's rank and how that might change her and then we will discuss you two changing…"
Regina shook herself out of thought and paid attention to her mother. Mal just focused on getting done with their classes.
But next to the window, Emma calmed herself by looking out to the forest, not paying attention to the things her parents already taught her. Because she had just found out why the tugging of her body had been there since she felt that change in tackling Regina that day all those years ago. She had imprinted on her best friend.
"Come on Mal, Higher!" The girls laughed as they soared through the sky.
As they reached the clouds Mal leveled out and had the wind carry her.
Regina laid back and lifted her hand so her fingertips could run through the clouds
"I am so glad we won't have that biology class anymore. Those were not subjects I wanted to talk about with my mother." she sighed
Mal and Emma giggled
" Can't be as bad when she talked about reproduction. I am not sure if I should be happy about mine or not." Emma shivered
"So what? You can change your anatomy. I think that's amazing. Get little Emmas running around." Regina smiled
Just as Emma was going to say more, Mal huffed to signal them and nodded her head downwards. Down below was a bowl-like area. The water so clear, they could see its bottom from the sky. Grass greener than they had ever seen.
"Oh wow." Regina gasped
"Mal go down there." Emma and Regina adjusted themselves for a landing, Regina holding on tight to the wolf, trusting her strength and grip on their dragon. Once Mal felt Emma's go ahead, she dove.
"Oh, I love that feeling. The wind in my face and the speed!" Emma laughed as they landed, helping Regina off by her hands on her hips.
Regina stumbled, causing Emma to wrap her arms fully around her to keep her steady as she fell into her chest.
"I got you," she whispered, their faces inches apart
The witch blushed and pulled back, "Thank you."
Emma cleared her throat and nodded.
"I swear you two act so weird around each other." Mal laughed
"I'll go scope out the area, make sure we're not trespassing on someone's land. This place can be our little paradise if no one is here" Emma put her head down and ran behind a rock, a few seconds later a wolf came out and ran around the perimeter.
"She's so serious with that. We're fourteen and yet she acts like we're adults. She already acts like a knight. What happened to enjoy our youth?" Mal scoffed
"Mal, she cares about our safety. And she's right, this place is beautiful. If no one lives here, then this can be our escape from our duties." Regina defended
"Okay but she even got undressed behind a rock. We all used to bathe together, we've seen each other naked. Hell, we all still share the same bed most of the time. We're all women. What's to hide that we haven't already seen?"
"We're growing. Things change." Regina shrugged
"Whatever, I wouldn't hide. I know we're beautiful." she jested and nudged the girl with her shoulder, causing a small smile to erupt.
The black wolf came up and nodded to them, and went behind the rock.
Emma came out, pulling the rest of her shirt down, but the other girls caught the hint of abs at the bottom before it was covered.
"Is that why you hide Swan? You have abs like a man?" Mal giggled
"I've seen women have abs Mal. Most of my wolf sisters have them." Emma furrowed her eyebrows
Regina elbowed the dragon, scolding her
"Awe is Mal jealous. She doesn't have muscles?" Emma teased
"I have muscles." Mal shot her a glare
"So hows this place? Ours?" Regina questioned the wolf. Getting another competition put at bay
"All clear. All ours." Emma smiled
"Well, let us check this place out. And make it ours. I can put a spell on it so no one can see it and no one can enter but us." Regina smiled back.
Giving them their paradise.