CHAPTER 34

Author's Note: Hello everyone! I just wanted to warn you all that this chapter is LONG, and mostly dialogue. So if anyone reading is looking for action, this isn't the chapter for it. Also I should have mentioned this before, but the Elvish that I'm using is NOT of my own creation. Most of it comes from The Witcher, as well as Dragon Age, two of my favorite video game series'. That is all. Hope you all enjoy! :)

A long time ago, in a realm far, far away, a woman was running through the woods. It was the dead of night, and she wore a long, black hooded cloak. She glanced anxiously over her shoulder, pulling the hood of her cloak further down over her face. Then, she glanced back down at the bundle of blankets she was cradling in her arms. Inside that bundle was a baby, a baby with jet black hair and blue eyes.

When the woman reached a small clearing amongst the trees, she finally stopped running. With trembling hands, she knelt down, and placed her baby gently upon the grass. She removed the silver chain that she was wearing around her neck, which was attached to a silver pendant, and placed it upon the baby's chest.

"I'm sorry, my love…" She whispered softly, her own blue eyes shimmering with tears. "I'm sorry…"

She then held her arms out over the baby, and began muttering a spell in an ancient language. For a moment, the pendant engraved with the likeness of Jormungandr glowed with a bright white light. When the glowing stopped, the woman tucked the pendant safely into the bundle of blankets, and scooped the baby back up in her arms again.

"Titania, Queen of Fairies!" She called out, staring up at the night sky. "Please, hear my call! The time has come!"

Almost immediately, a small, bright golden light appeared in the sky above the woman's head. She watched as the light drew closer and closer until, finally, it hovered just before her. The woman shielded her eyes from the flash of golden light. She smiled at the other woman that was now standing before her.

Titania, Queen of the Fairies, had ebony skin, just as dark as her own. Her equally dark hair was a mane of tight, wild curls, adorned with golden leaves to match the tiara that sat just above her forehead. Her dress was a magnificent shade of glittering gold as well, which stretched down to sit lightly upon her bare feet.

"You came." The woman whispered, breathing out a sigh of relief.

"I did." Titania replied, slowly nodding her head. "As I promised I would. Is this the child?"

The woman nodded, and stepped up to The Queen of the Fairies. Then, with a deep, trembling breath, she handed her the baby. "Please… Take her away from here, far away." She whispered as she fought back tears. "Take her to your realm, and… A-And keep her safe."

Titania nodded once again as she took the small bundle into her arms. "I will, as I promised. For this child has a great destiny ahead of her." She replied, smiling down at the baby now sleeping peacefully in her arms. She then turned her eyes back up onto the baby's mother. "A destiny that you must know that she cannot avoid, no matter where she goes. She will return to Avalon one day, one way or another."

The woman nodded as well. "Yes… I understand. The prophecy, it is… Absolute." She muttered as she gently caressed the top of her baby's head. "I only hope that, by sending her with you, she will one day return to bring peace and prosperity, as the prophecy says, and… A-And not-"

"Doom." Titania finished for her. "As the prophecy also says."

"Yes." The woman whispered. She then breathed out a heavy, shaky sigh, softly stroking her daughter's cheek with a finger. "Oh, my poor child… You will face so many hardships, and for such an uncertain fate. For all their wisdom, the gods are… So cruel."

Suddenly, the sound of men shouting could be heard in the distance. The woman whirled quickly around, and both she and Titania could see torch light through the dense trees. "I must go." Titania said quietly.

The woman turned back around, swiftly nodding her head. For a moment, she simply stared down at her baby nestled in Titania's arms. Painful tears began to stream down her face, and she choked out a strangled sob.

"Goodbye, my love." She whispered, placing a gentle kiss on the baby's forehead. "We will see each other again, in this life, or in the next."

She then took Titania's free hand, and, unable to speak, simply gave it a gentle, grateful squeeze. The Fairy Queen slowly nodded her head, and shifted her shoulders slightly. A magnificent set of golden, glittering wings burst forth from her back. Then, without another word, she took to the air.

The woman stood rooted in her spot for a long while, tears streaming down her face as she watched Titania and her daughter shrinking farther and farther into the night sky. The voices from before were much closer now, and she could see the light from torches all around her. She then drew in a deep, steadying breath, and turned around to face her inevitable fate.

Not a moment later, a score of elven soldiers came bursting through the trees, quickly followed by their king. "You…" Oberon snarled, staring at the woman, eyes wide and wild with rage. "What have you done? Where is my daughter?"

"She's gone, Oberon." The woman replied, smiling serenely through her tears. "She's far away now. Far out of your reach."

King Oberon emitted a furious snarl, and pointed the tip of his sword at her. "SEIZE HER!" He bellowed.

Two of his soldiers marched forward, and the woman remained still and calm as one of them placed a set of shackles on her wrists. She immediately felt all her magic drain away. Then, the soldiers seized her by her arms, and dragged her roughly to their King.

"You'll pay for this, you witch!" Oberon spat in the woman's face. "I will find her!"

"Yes. You will." The woman replied with the same calm, serene smile. "But, by then, it could be too late."

The King snarled angrily once again, and gestured to his soldiers. They both nodded, and began to march back toward the city, dragging the woman along with them. She turned her tear stained face up to the stars, and smiled.

"Be well my little one, my Shae." She whispered softly. "May Loki watch over you, and cloak you in his shadow."

XXXXX

"I am Oberon, King of Avalon. I am… Your father."

Silence fell over the group gathered in King Oberon's tent, a tense, lingering silence. Shae simply stared into Oberon's golden eyes, her jaw dangling open. Then, suddenly, she started to laugh. It started as a low chuckle, and slowly grew into loud, slightly hysterical guffaws.

Shae's laughter seemed to startle The King, and he rose to his feet, drawing back a step. "What is happening?" He asked of Mr. Gold, who was seated next to Shae. "Why is she laughing at me?"

Gold breathed out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "The real answer to that question is quite complicated, Your Majesty, and would involve delving deep into her character." Gold answered with a grimace. "The short answer is… She simply doesn't believe you."

"Of course I don't fucking believe you!" Shae exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. "There's no possible way that you're my… My father!"

Oberon slowly nodded his head, and sank back down into his chair on the other side of the table. "I understand. Such a revelation after so many years is… Quite a lot to take in." He said, smiling warmly at Shae. "But, I assure you… I am your father. I was there the moment you were born, Shae. I even named you myself! After my father, King Shaeogorath the The Second."

"Oh, bullshit!" Shae replied, rolling her eyes as she laughed some more. "I'm sure lots of people named their children after him."

"Oh, really?" Asked Oberon, raising an eyebrow at Shae. "How many others have you met with such a name, hm? Especially commoners."

Shae opened her mouth to reply, but quickly shut it again. She furrowed her brow as she thought back to all the people she had met growing up in Avalon. Then, she slowly turned her now wide eyes onto Gold.

"It's true, dearie." Gold told her with a small shrug. "This man, The King… He is your father."

"Why the hell should I believe you?" Shae snarled, narrowing her eyes at Gold.

"Why would I lie about such a thing?" Gold replied, shrugging once again. "What purpose would that serve me?"

Shae swallowed the hard, dry lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. Then, she turned her gaze back onto Oberon. For a moment, she simply stared at him, intently studying his face. She couldn't deny that he bore an uncanny resemblance to her own reflection. In fact, the only major differences were his ghostly pale complexion, his blonde hair, and his golden colored eyes.

"Alright… Let's pretend, for a minute, that I do believe you." Shae muttered, still eyeing The King skeptically. "If you really are my father, then why did I spend my childhood in the slums? Why did I grow up in an orphanage? Why was I sold as a fucking slave?"

King Oberon breathed out a sad, heavy sigh as he leaned back in his chair. "As I said before, your mother is the one to blame." He replied, his lips curling into an angry snarl. "She stole you away from me when you were a newborn, and cast a dark spell that kept you hidden from me. I tried to find you, put my best and most powerful mages to the task. But… They failed, obviously. Her black magic was much too strong."

"Why would she do that?" Asked Shae, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at Oberon. "Who is she?"

"I dare not speak her name. It is cursed." Oberon growled, turning his head and spitting upon the ground next to his chair. He then smoothed out his face, and settled back into his chair again with another heavy sigh. "Just days after you were born, a great prophecy was made, of which I know you are aware of. The prophecy spoke of your great destiny, that you would bring peace and prosperity to all the realm. But, your mother… She did not want peace. She tore you away from your destiny. Trust me when I say that she is not worthy of your thoughts or concern. She was a despicable woman, a dark and evil witch."

Oberon paused for a moment, and leaned over the table, reaching out and gripping Shae's hand. "She is the one that abandoned you, Shae." He went on in a whisper, staring desperately into Shae's eyes. "All I wanted was for you to achieve your destiny, to achieve the greatness that the prophecy said you would. Your mother denied you of all that, of everything."

Shae wrenched her hand out of King Oberon's grip. She leaned back in her chair, her wide eyes staring down into her lap, at nothing really in particular. There was a moment of silence, all eyes on Shae, watching her carefully as she processed everything Oberon had told her.

"Shae… W-What… What's going on?" Henry suddenly asked of her.

Shae had almost forgotten that Henry was among them, seated on her other side. She suddenly realized that the poor boy must be completely and utterly lost. The whole time, she, Oberon, and Gold had been speaking in Elvish, a language that she knew Henry did not understand.

"Um… This… T-This is… Oberon, King of Avalon." Shae explained in a quiet, monotone voice. "He's, apparently… My… M-My… Father."

Henry's eyes grew wide as saucers. "Seriously?" He asked. When both Shae and Gold nodded at him, his eyes somehow grew even wider. "Woah… No way…"

"Ah, my apologies for my rudeness, my dear boy." King Oberon said, smiling warmly at Henry. He spoke to him in slow and careful English, with a thick and heavy accent. "I am Oberon, King of Avalon. And… You are?"

Shae desperately tried to catch Henry's eye, and squeezed her own shut when she failed. "I'm Henry, Henry Mills." Henry proudly announced. "I'm Shae's step-son."

"Step… Son…" Oberon muttered quietly, furrowing his brow. "Forgive me, I am still learning this strange language that you all speak. Step… Son… Step-son…"

Suddenly, Oberon gasped as he clapped his hands together. "Ah! Yes! I understand! This means that… You are married!" He exclaimed, smiling excitedly at Shae, still speaking in English. "That is… Wonderful news! I would be most honored to meet your husband!"

Shae opened her eyes again, and breathed out a heavy sigh of her own. "I don't have a husband." She replied in a low, even tone. "I… Have a wife."

King Oberon furrowed his brow once again. "A wife… Wife…" He mumbled, slowly rubbing his chin. After a few moments, his eyes shone with a sudden realization. "This… This means that you are… Married to another woman… Yes?"

"Yes." Shae replied with an angry snarl, garling furiously into The King's eyes. "Which is something that I know is outlawed in Avalon, punishable by whipping, or worse."

"Wait… Seriously?" Henry asked of Shae.

Shae nodded, keeping her angry glare fixed on Oberon. The King simply stared back at her in silence, his expression difficult to read. It was most certainly one of shock, but there were other emotions mixed in as well. After a few moments, he quickly smoothed out his face, and cleared his throat.

"Yes, a most… Unfortunate law." He muttered with a frown. "Barbaric, really. I have tried for years to have it abolished, but have had no such luck."

"Bullshit!" Growled Shae. "You're The King! If you really wanted it abolished, you would have done it years ago!"

King Oberon heaved another sad, heavy sigh, slowly shaking his head. "If only it were that simple, my child. I am King, yes, but that does not mean I can simply do whatever it is I want. I cannot simply make or unmake laws whenever I please. I have a council to answer to, Lords and Ladies of my court. Unfortunately, my crown is weighed down by many, many shackles."

He paused for a moment to lean forward in his chair, staring desperately into Shae's eyes. "I know I don't exactly have the greatest reputation amongst the common folk in my kingdom. But, I assure you, I am not the monster that some would make me out to be. There are many, many things that I want for my Kingdom and all its people, but such change is a… Painstakingly slow process."

"What exactly is it that you want from me?" Shae asked in a voice barely above a whisper, her hands clenched into fists upon her knees. "Why are you here, now, after all this time?"

"Why, to reconnect with my long lost daughter, of course! To finally have a relationship with my darling girl!" Oberon answered with a misty eyed smile. "Shae, all I want is-"

"Bullshit!" Shae snarled once again, pointing a trembling finger in The King's face. "If that was really all you wanted, then you would have found me a long ass time ago!"

King Oberon blinked several times in surprise, clearly not used to being spoken to in such a manner. Then, he let out a loud, amused laugh. "Ah, I see! You are very clever, Shae, and slow to trust. Two things that you have taken from your father." He said with a wink. "You are correct to suspect an… Ulterior motive. The truth is… I am dying."

This time, Shae was the one to simply blink in surprise. "I… What?"

Oberon heaved another sad, heavy sigh as he leaned back in his chair again. "It is a rare illness only found in those of pure elven blood." He explained with a small, bitter smile. "There are remedies to keep it at bay for a time, but, sadly, no cure. So, all that being said… I have come to take you back to Avalon, and crown you as Queen. I will spend what remaining time I have left to… Groom you, and prepare you for your responsibilities as monarch."

A sudden silence fell over the tent as, once again, Shae simply stared at The King with her mouth gaping open. She glanced over at Gold for a moment, then Henry, then back at Oberon, her father. After another few moments, she started to laugh. Just like before, it started small, then grew louder and louder and more hysterical. The King didn't bother to ask anything of Gold this time. He simply sat and waited patiently for it to stop.

"Seriously? Are… A-Are you really serious?" Shae finally replied between fits of laughter. "No. No way. Absolutely not. I don't care who I am, or who you are. I'm not going back to Avalon. Not ever."

Oberon exchanged a quick glance with Gold, who simply shrugged at him. "But… B-But… You must!" He exclaimed, his eyes wide with alarm. "You are the sole heir to the throne! If my crown is not passed down to you then it will simply go to… The highest bidder! I do not trust anyone in my court with it. The entire kingdom will crumble!"

"I DON'T CARE!" Shae shouted, lurching violently from her seat. For a moment, she simply stood glaring at The King, her chest heaving, her whole body trembling. "I don't give a single shit about you or your fucking crown! My life is here, my family, my real family, is here! So you can just kindly fuck off, Your Majesty. I don't trust you, or a damn word you say."

Shae then turned on her heel, and started toward the flaps of the tent. Two elven soldiers that had been standing silently at attention the whole time blocked her path. They quickly crossed their spears in front of the exit.

"Can I leave unharmed, or do I have to fight my way out?" Shae quietly asked of Oberon. Before he could answer, Shae suddenly whirled back around, slamming her fists onto the table. "Oh, please… Give me a reason…" She whispered, staring with wide, wild eyes into The King's. "Please… Father… Just give me a reason to kill you and every single one of your men with my bare fucking hands."

For a moment, King Oberon simply stared into his daughter's eyes, his jaw hanging open in pure shock. Then, he raised one of his hands toward his soldiers. Shae nodded in a satisfied sort of way, and was about to leave when she noticed Henry. Once again, she had forgotten that the boy was there.

"Henry." She growled, gesturing for him to follow her.

Henry swiftly and silently nodded his head, and quickly followed Shae out of the tent. Gold was about to leave himself, when Oberon stopped him. "Rumplestiltskin… A word, if you will." He spoke quietly.

Gold sighed, and sank back down into the chair that he had briefly abandoned. "PUCK!" The King suddenly called out. Almost immediately, the small elf in the leather collar rushed into the tent. "I need a drink. Something strong. Very strong."

"Of course, sire." The elf named Puck replied, bowing low. "At once."

Puck exited the tent, leaving Gold to sit in awkward silence with Oberon. He waited for The King to speak, but he never did. He simply sat with his fingers steepled in front of him, staring off into the distance. A few uncomfortably long moments later, Puck returned. He placed a pitcher and two glasses on the table, and bowed low once again, retreating back out of the tent.

As soon as he was gone, Oberon seized the pitcher, and poured the contents into the two glasses. Gold reached out expectantly for one of the glasses, but was forced to stop. He watched as The King swiftly gulped down one glass, then immediately the other.

"I'm guessing your meeting with your long lost daughter didn't quite go as planned." Gold said with a shrug, finally breaking the silence. "The pretending to be dying bit was awfully good, but-"

Gold stopped short as King Oberon suddenly leapt up from his chair, and hurled the glass in his hand across the tent. "Of course it didn't go as planned!" He shouted, his golden eyes wide and wild with rage. "Her insolence… It knows no bounds! And she's married to a woman, of all things! When you said she would not be someone I would recognize, I knew you spoke true. But, my daughter, one of… Those kind. Disgusting!"

Oberon spat furiously upon the ground. He then sank back down into his chair, and poured another drink for himself. "No matter… In fact, all the better." He growled, taking a large sip from his glass. "Shae will return to Avalon with me, whether she wants to or not. The full power of The Elder Blood will finally be mine. And, then… I will kill her."

Gold swallowed the hard lump that had suddenly formed in his throat, and opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when The King called out to the soldier nearest him. "You there! Summon my Captain!"

"At once, Your Grace." The soldier replied, bowing low.

The soldier promptly marched out of the tent as Oberon went on. "All those who whisper of my daughter's return will stand and watch as she's burned at the stake." He muttered, a dark, devious grin stretching across his face. "And once their savior is nothing but a pile of ash, all hope of usurping my throne will be crushed!"

Once again, Gold opened his mouth to speak, but was forced to stop as another elven soldier entered the tent. He recognized him as the one who had first entered his shop days ago. "You summoned me, sire?" The soldier asked of his King with a bow.

"Yes, Captain. Have your men follow The Princess and watch her closely, as well as all her little friends." Oberon replied with a nod. "Especially that scrawny looking boy that was just here. I have a funny feeling that he will be the key to her capture."

"As you command, my King." The Captain agreed with another bow. "All I will require is disguises for my soldiers. These humans, they dress… Awfully strange."

"Of course. Rumplestiltskin here will provide you with whatever you need." Said The King, glancing briefly at Gold as he gestured toward him. He then turned his eyes back onto his Captain, and pointed a stern and serious finger at him. "My daughter is very powerful, as are some of her friends. Therefore, you must watch them all closely and carefully, and wait for an opportune moment to strike. Understand?"

The Captain nodded, to which Oberon nodded back, and waved his hand dismissively. "You expect a great deal of me, Your Majesty." Gold said through gritted teeth, as soon as The Captain was gone. "Why, exactly, do you think that I'll simply continue to help you?"

"Because, we made a deal." Oberon replied with a shrug. "I gave you the phylactery which contained my daughter's blood, which you need for some sort of potion that would turn her from vampire to mortal, yes? In return, you promised that, one day, you would help me find her, and return her to Avalon. So far, you've failed to hold up your end of our bargain. Am I wrong?"

Gold clenched his hands into fists upon the arms of his chair. "What's to stop me from going to your daughter right now, hm?" He growled. "What's to stop me from telling her your entire plan?"

The King silently considered Gold for a moment as he took another large sip from his glass. Then, he started to laugh. It was the same loud, slightly hysterical laugh as Shae's. If there was any doubt in Gold's mind that he and Shae were actually related, it was now gone.

"Why, me, of course!" Oberon exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air. "You know full well what kind of power I wield! Come now, Dark One… You must know that, even without Gungnir, you'd still be no match for me!"

Oberon suddenly leapt up out of his chair, and seized the spear that was leaning against the tent behind him. He thrust the tip of it at Gold, who also leapt up in alarm, toppling his own chair over in the process. He leapt back as Oberon jabbed his spear at him once again. Gold then fled the tent, his heart racing, the sound of King Oberon's mocking laughter ringing in his ears.

XX

Henry hurried after Shae as she stomped out of King Oberon's camp. The elven soldiers all bowed to her once again as she passed by, all of them muttering the same word as before. "Rhenawedd, rhenawedd…" Though he didn't speak Elvish, Henry was now able to deduce the meaning of the word.

Shae continued walking in silence, and Henry continued to follow her. He had no idea what to do, what to even say. So he simply walked beside her, all the way back home. As soon as she was inside the house that she shared with her wife, Shae slowly sank down onto the couch.

Henry immediately rushed up the stairs in search of his mother. When he didn't find her, he frantically searched the rest of the house. When he realized that Regina was nowhere to be found, he returned to the living room. Shae was still sitting on the couch where he had left her, staring blankly at the wall.

"You're sweating…" Henry muttered in concern as he sat down beside Shae. "I'm… Gonna get your coat off of you. Ok, Shae?"

Shae didn't respond, and continued to stare wide-eyed directly in front of her. Henry then did as he said he would, and slowly and gently removed Shae's gray peacoat. She didn't move, her arms falling limply back down onto her knees as they were pulled from her coat sleeves.

"W-What… What can I do?" Henry asked of Shae, placing his hand gently on her arm. "How can I help?"

Shae drew in a deep, shaky breath, and slowly let it out. "Remus…" She whispered, still staring at the wall. "I need to… Talk to Remus…"

Henry nodded, and retrieved Shae's cell phone out of her coat pocket. All he needed to say was that Shae needed him. Not even ten minutes later, Remus was knocking on the door.

Shae still seemed to be in shock and unable to speak, so Henry did his best to explain everything that had just happened. At first, just like when Shae told him that Dracula had returned, Remus laughed, and thought it was all some strange joke. Henry continued to insist that it was all true, then, finally, Shae spoke.

"It's true, Remus. It's all true." She whispered, her voice trembling, as well as her whole body. "Looking at him was like… Looking in a blonde, golden eyed mirror…"

This time, Remus was the one to stare blankly at the wall in front of him. After a few moments, he simply uttered one single word: "Shit…"

Not knowing what else to do, Henry made another call, this time to his other mother, Emma, who, in turn, called her parents. David was the one that was awake at the moment, and he quickly arrived alongside Emma, Hook, and Tink, whom Emma had also called. Remus had also made his own call to Zelena, who arrived shortly after the others. They all tried to call Regina, only to realize that her cellphone was sitting on the kitchen counter. So, with little other choice, they began to discuss amongst themselves what to do about their new visitors.

"So… What sort of crisis mode are we looking at this time?" David asked of the two halflings in the room. "What kind of threat do Oberon and his elves pose?"

"Oh, you know… Just the single greatest threat this town has ever seen." Remus replied with a shrug.

"Seriously?" Asked Emma, raising a skeptical eyebrow at Remus. "I mean… Shae already told Oberon that she doesn't want his throne. It's not like he can force her to take it… Right?"

"Oh, he can, and he will." Remus answered with an angry grimace. "If that truly is all that he wants."

"You don't believe him?" Asked Hook.

Remus breathed out a heavy sigh, slowly shaking his head. "Oh, I don't know. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that he's… Shae's father." He muttered, shaking his head even more. He then turned his eyes onto Henry. "Are you… Absolutely certain?"

"Yeah." Henry confirmed with a nod. "She looks just like him. Er… No offense, Shae."

Shae didn't respond. She still seemed to be in shock, and was sitting slumped in her seat on the couch. She was also still sweating profusely, straight through her light blue shirt. Tinkerbell was doing her best to remedy the situation. She had placed a cold, wet rag on the back of Shae's neck, and was using another to dab at her forehead and cheeks.

"What exactly are we supposed to do, then?" Zelena asked as she gently bounced baby Robin in her arms. "This elf King hasn't exactly done anything untoward yet."

"No, but he will. Trust me. He's a cruel, vile man." Remus growled, balling his hands into fists. "I don't believe for a second anything he says about wanting to abolish laws and make change. Elves live long, long lives, and Oberon has been King for… Over a century! If he really wanted change as he says, he would have done it long ago."

"What kind of change do you mean?" Asked Hook. "What exactly has this King Oberon done to make you hate and fear him so?"

Remus breathed out a bitter, sour laugh, slowly shaking his head again. "Where do I even start?" He muttered as he began to pace irritably back and forth. "He allows slavery to run rampant in his kingdom, and turns a blind eye to his soldiers that rape and murder said slaves, as well as anyone who isn't a pure-blooded elf. There's no such thing as a middle class in Oberon's Kingdom. You're either rich and privileged, or you're poor and struggle every single day to not starve to death. Then there's the fact that people like Shae and I are whipped or even executed on a regular basis, just for being… Well, who we are!"

"Bloody hell…" Hook mumbled, looking quite disturbed, as did all the others. "I'm a bit sorry I asked."

"And then there's the centuries long war his bloody ancestors started!" Remus went on, throwing his arms up in the air. "Avalon wasn't always a land full of elves. In fact, the human tribes were there first, simply going about their business. Then, the elves showed up, and there was a bloody slaughter as they took over. Most of the human army fled across the desert and into the mountains. They've been at war ever since. Oberon was supposed to finally bring peace by marrying a human Queen. But she died not long after their marriage, before talks of peace could even begin. And quite mysteriously, I might add. Whispers from the castle said that Oberon killed her himself, that he never actually wanted peace at all."

A solemn silence fell over the room as they all processed everything Remus had just told them. They pondered what exactly all of it meant for their town, it's people, and, most of all, for Shae. Slowly, they began to realize that what Remus had said just might be true. King Oberon of Avalon just might be the greatest threat the heroes of Storybrooke had ever faced.

Suddenly, the sound of the front door opening roused them all from their quiet musings. It was Regina, who immediately froze in her spot as she entered the room. "What's… Going on?" She asked, staring wide eyed around at them all. "What are you all doing here?"

"Sorry, Regina, we tried to call you, but… You left your phone." Emma replied in a rush. "Listen, we've… Got a bit of a situation…"

Before Emma or anyone else could go on to explain, Regina noticed that something was wrong with her wife. She immediately rushed over to her, and sat down on the couch next to her. Shae simply continued to stare blankly at the wall in front of her as Regina spoke softly to her, gently running her fingers through her hair. Regina was starting to panic, so Henry quickly stepped in. He, with the help of the others, brought Regina up to speed on the situation with Oberon and the elves.

"My god…" Regina whispered once they were done. "Shae, I'm… So sorry I wasn't there. Are… You alright?"

Once again, Shae drew in a deep, trembling breath, and slowly let it out. "No. I'm not." She finally spoke, in a voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not alright. I'm the furthest thing I've ever been from alright."

She then slowly turned her head to stare into her wife's eyes, her own wide and wild, shimmering with frightened tears. "Imagine your deepest, greatest fear. The one thing that you've feared most of all for your entire life." She went on in a whisper, her voice quavering with emotion. "Then, imagine that… That thing… Is actually… Your father."

Regina placed one hand over her mouth, and the other on her wife's cheek. "Oh, Shae… Shae, I'm… So sorry." She whispered back. She then glanced around at all the others, her own eyes welling with tears. "We… W-We have to stop him, he cannot have her. We… Have to do something. W-What… What do we do?"

"There's little you can do, I'm afraid."

Everyone in the room turned their heads and bodies toward the source of the unfamiliar voice. Suddenly, they found a stranger amongst them. There was a woman leaning casually in the doorway to the kitchen, a stunningly beautiful woman. She had long, red hair and piercing ice blue eyes.

David immediately drew the pistol he kept at his hip, and pointed it at the strange woman. Hook fell back into a battle ready stance, as did Emma, her hands glowing with a bright white light. Regina leapt up from the couch, summoning a fireball into her hand, as did her sister. The only ones who didn't react were Shae and Tinkerbell, since they recognized the woman.

"STOP!" Shae shouted, suddenly leaping up from her seat. "Everybody stop! It's ok. She's… A friend."

Shae waited for them all to relax before going on to explain. "Everyone… This is Loki. Loki, this is, uh… Well, I'm guessing you already know who everyone is."

"Why, yes, of course." Loki replied, smiling warmly around the room. "Hello, darlings! It's a pleasure to meet you all."

There was another moment of silence as everyone stared wide eyed at the god that they had suddenly found in their presence. "Uh, it's… I-It's a pleasure to meet you as well." David replied, bowing low. "An honor."

Loki laughed loudly, and slowly sauntered across the room toward David. "Ah, Prince Charming… I like you." She said as she gently patted him on the chest. "I'd like you more if you weren't so insufferably good all the time."

"What, so… You're an evil god, then?" Asked Hook, folding his arms across his chest.

Loki barked another loud, amused laugh. "Certainly not! Good and evil, right and wrong, light and dark… Such things mean very little to a god of mischief and mayhem such as myself. To be frank, I don't very much care for either one. I much prefer those who choose to exist in the… Moral gray area. Like you, Remus."

She then turned to Remus, and placed her hands on his biceps, giving them both a tight squeeze. "You, my dear… Are my favorite."

This time, Remus was the one to laugh. "HA! You hear that, everyone?" He replied, grinning proudly around at the others. "I'm Loki's favorite!"

"Indeed, you are. For many, many reasons." Loki replied, grinning back at him. She then stepped in closer, dropping her voice low. "You know, I only chose this female form to appease Shae. I can choose a different form that would appease you, for a night or two, or three."

Loki gave Remus a sultry wink, and Remus opened his mouth to reply. He was forced to shut it again as Shae suddenly and loudly interjected. "Alright, that's enough! Stop touching him!" She shouted, forcing herself between Remus and Loki. "What the hell are you doing here, Loki? Where the hell have you been? I've been calling you for weeks!"

"Well, as I said before, I've been awfully busy!" Loki replied, throwing her arms up in the air. "After being imprisoned for centuries in a land of ice and snow, I've been thoroughly enjoying my new life in the warmth and sun of Los Angeles. So, so many beautiful looking mortals to play with! It's been exhausting, really."

"Great, that's, um… That's great." Shae muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Look, I have a lot of questions for you. We all do."

Loki breathed out an exasperated sigh, and took the seat on the couch that Shae had abandoned. Tink's eyes grew wide with alarm as The God of Chaos sat down beside her. She said nothing, though, and tried to make herself as small as possible.

"Yes, yes, that's why I'm here." Loki replied, waving an impatient hand at them all. "Ask away. Do try and make it quick, though. I have a dinner date with a certain Miss Knowles that I do not wish to miss."

Shae's jaw nearly hit the floor. "Miss… Knowles?" She whispered, her eyes wide as saucers. "As… A-As in… Beyonce Knowles? Holy shit… Holy fucking shit…"

"Shae! Focus!" Emma interjected, snapping her fingers in Shae's face. When Shae simply continued to stare open mouthed at Loki, she breathed out an irritated huff, and turned her gaze onto the god herself. "Ok, first question… It's about Mjolnir. Why-"

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold on!" Shae suddenly cut in, swiftly shaking her head. "Just, you know… Brushing past the fact that you're having dinner with Queen B herself… What are your preferred pronouns?"

Loki blinked several times in confusion. "I'm sorry… My… What?"

"You know… Your pronouns. She/her, he/him, they/them." Shae replied with a small shrug. "As a shapeshifter, I thought it was… Only polite to ask."

For a moment, Loki simply continued to blink at Shae in silence. Then, she let out another loud, amused laugh. "Oh, my dear Shae…" She muttered, still chuckling as she slowly shook her head. "As I've told you before, gender as you mortals perceive it means nothing to someone like me. Why, my true form is entirely genderless, made up of magic and the very fabris of time, space, and the universe itself. If any of you were to look upon it, your eyes would melt out of your skulls and your brains would implode."

More silence fell over the room as they all stared at Loki with wide, distrubed eyes. "Cool… Cool, cool… Right…" Shae mumbled, swallowing the hard, fearful lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. "So… They/them?"

Loki breathed out an exasperated sigh. "If you'd like…"

"Um… Right… Good… Glad that's, uh… All cleared up." Emma stammered, quickly clearing her throat. "So, back to my question…"

"Yes, yes, you want to know why both Regina and your boy Henry have been able to wield Mjolnir without exploding into tiny little bits." Loki cut in before Emma could go on. "The answer is something you've all already deduced yourselves. They have the blood of the old gods flowing through their veins just like Shae."

"Woah…" Henry whispered, his eyes growing wide. "Seriously?"

"Indeed, my dear boy." Loki replied with a wink. "In fact, both of your mothers come from a long, long line of powerful witches. Snow White herself could have been just as competent of a sorceress as you, Regina, if only her great-grandmother hadn't mucked it all up by breeding with a magicless mortal, as well as her grandmother, and then her own mother. Awfully sad, really, to see such a powerful, magical line flicker out like that."

There was another sudden silence as they all stared around at each other in shock, their jaws dangling open. "Ok… So… If both me and Regina are… Born of the gods, or… Whatever," Emma slowly began, shaking her head as she processed what Loki had just said. "Then… Who else is? I've been… Having these visions, and-"

"Yes, yes, I know all about your visions of your death. A hooded figure wielding Mjolnir is the one that kills you." Loki interjected once again before Emma could finish. "As to who exactly kills you, I'm afraid that I cannot answer. I can, however, answer your original question. I can say, without a doubt, that everyone in this room has the blood of the gods running in their veins. Yes, even you, my handsome friends."

Loki paused to glance at both David and Hook. "You, my Prince, I wager are descended from Freyr, god of peace and prosperity." Loki then turned to Hook, smiling a warm smile. "And you… You bear an absolutely striking resemblance to Njord, god of the sea and all seafarers."

David and Hook simply stared wide eyed at each other. "Are… A-Are you serious?" Shae whispered, staring at Loki with equally wide, incredulous eyes. "Are you for real telling me that, all my friends, my family, are… Also born of the gods?"

"Yes, of course! Do you really think it was purely coincidence that you all met in the ways that you did, that you're all now connected by blood or bond?" Loki asked, throwing their arms up in the air. Loki then breathed out a small chuckle, slowly shaking their head. "Don't you worry, Shae, none of them have the blood of the gods flowing through their veins as potently as you do. None of them can awaken the true power of The Elder Blood as you can. You're still… Very special."

"I don't fucking care about being special!" Shae shouted, taking an angry step toward Loki. She pointed a furious, trembling finger in Loki's face, her eyes wide and wild. "I don't fucking want to be special! I just… I… FUCK!"

Shae slammed her palm into the wall next to her. She then turned her back on the others, her chest heaving, her whole body quivering. "What about me?" Asked Emma, quickly changing the subject. "What about me and… My mother? Who are we, you know… Born from?"

"Why, Frigg, if I had to wager a guess. Wife of Odin." Loki replied with a shrug. "In fact, I would guess that you're both descended of Frigg and Odin."

"Seriously?" Emma muttered, her eyes wide.

"Indeed." Loki answered with a nod. "Why do you think that you became The Savior, and your son The Author? There have been many men and women who have found true love, and… Reproduced. But none of their children had such great power."

"And… What about me?" Asked, Regina, finally breaking her silence.

Loki didn't respond for a moment. She simply considered Regina in silence, a small, strange smile stretching across her lips. She then got up from her seat on the couch, and stepped up to Regina, gently taking both of her hands.

"You, Regina… I can answer with absolute certainty." Loki replied, smiling into Regina's eyes. "You, my dear… Are descended from yours truly."

Regina's jaw dropped open, and she wrenched her hands out of Loki's. "Wait… Wait a minute…" She muttered, drawing back a step. "Are you saying that, t-that Shae and I are… Related?"

Shae suddenly spun back around, her eyes wide. "Wait… What?" She exclaimed, looking quite disturbed. "Loki, just… What the fuck? What the actual fuck?"

"Oh, calm down!" Loki snapped, dramatically rolling their eyes. "It would take dozens upon dozens of family trees as long as the both of you combined to even begin to connect you together."

"Does that mean… I am too?" Asked Zelena, as Shae and Regina stared gaping at each other. "And my daughter?"

"Indeed." Loki replied with a nod. "Her father, the late Robin Hood, was also descended from the gods. Freya, if I had to wager a guess. She was a fearsome huntress, and quite skilled with magic. Suffice it to say, your little girl has a very prosperous and powerful future ahead of her, if you play your cards right, my dear."

Zelena breathed out a small, bemused laugh, staring down in wonder at the baby nestled in her arms. "I don't quite understand how either of you are so surprised." Loki went on, turning back to Shae and Regina. "Why do you think you've always been drawn to each other, always seem to find each other, against all odds? It's in your blood. It's… Your destiny."

Shae blinked several times at Loki, opening and closing her mouth for a moment. "Alright, just gonna, uh… Brush past that real quick…" She muttered, slowly shaking her head. "Because, honestly, I just… Can't even right now."

"Agreed." Mumbled Regina, still looking a bit disturbed.

Shae nodded in agreement, then quickly cleared her throat. "I met my father today." She went on with a deep grimace. "He talked a lot about my destiny."

Loki breathed out a long, heavy sigh. "Yes… I know."

"So… You knew? This entire time?" Shae asked, her lips curling into a furious snarl. "You knew that the one person I've hated and feared my entire life, was… My father."

Loki slowly nodded. "Yes… I knew."

"And… My mother?" Shae went on in a growl, taking an angry step toward Loki. "Who is she?"

"Wait a moment…" Loki replied, holding up a finger. A few tense, silent moments passed, then, suddenly, the doorbell rang. "Ah! It appears you have visitors." Loki said with a grin. "You'd do well to warmly welcome them."

The others stared around at each other in fearful silence for a moment. "Are you… Expecting company?" David asked of Regina and Shae.

They both shook their heads, then they all turned expectantly to Loki, only to find that The God of Mischief was now gone. "Does she… Do that a lot?" Hook asked with a frown.

"'Do they do that a lot.'" Shae corrected him. "And… Yes. Yes they do. Infuriating, isn't it?"

"Indeed." Grumbled Hook.

"I can't see who it is." Henry said as he peered carefully out of the nearby window. "It's too dark, and… It looks like they're wearing cloaks with hoods."

"How many are there?" Asked David.

"Um… Three, maybe four." Henry replied.

The doorbell rang once again, and Shae breathed out a heavy sigh as she started toward the door. "No! I'll get it." Regina whispered, placing her hand on Shae's shoulder. "They might be here for you. Stay out of sight, all of you. If they attack, then we might be able to take them by surprise."

Shae stood in hesitant silence for a moment. When the doorbell rang once again, she then breathed out a relenting sigh, and nodded. As Shae and the others placed themselves in hidden, strategic positions, Regina headed toward the door. She waited until everyone was ready, then slowly pulled it open. She found, just as Henry said, three figures wearing long, black hooded cloaks standing on the porch, with a fourth standing at the bottom of the stairs behind them.

"Can I help you?" Regina asked in the calmest voice she could muster.

"Good evening." The figure in the middle replied, a woman, taking a small step forward. "We are looking for a woman called Shae. Is she here?"

"No. Sorry." Regina answered in the same calm, even tone. "Noone by that name lives here."

"It is of no use to play coy with us, woman." The woman on the left said in an angry growl. "We know that she is here."

"Shireen!" The woman on the right chided her friend. "Please, forgive our sister's rudeness. I think, perhaps, she was dropped on her head as a child."

"Shut up, Faye!" Snarled the woman on the right.

"Stop it! Both of you!" The woman in the middle snapped irritably. She then breathed out a heavy sigh, and slowly drew down her hood. "My name is Nel. These are my sisters Shireen, and Faye. We are priestesses from the order of The Daughters of Chaos. We come from Avalon in search of the one called Shae."

The woman gestured to the two others beside her, who also drew down their hoods. All three were young, dark skinned women, their hair shaved nearly bald. They spoke with an accent much different from Remus, as well as Shae, before her speech was Amaricanized. It reminded Regina of a couple that she and Shae had met in Paris. They were originally from Haiti, but had relocated to France after the hurricane. The couple's accent was quite similar to the one of the three women now standing before her.

"I don't care who you are or where you're from." Regina replied, folding her arms across her chest. "I can't help you. I'm sorry."

"Did you say… The Daughters of Chaos?"

Regina whirled around to find her wife suddenly standing behind her, staring wide eyed at the three women. "It's ok, Regina. They won't hurt us." Shae went on, placing a hand gently on Regina's shoulder. "I'm, uh… I-I'm Shae."

The three women all smiled excitedly around at each other. "It is an honor." The woman in the middle, called Nel, replied with a small bow. "Our High Priestess has waited a long time, and traveled far to finally meet you."

The three women stepped aside, as the fourth who had been standing silently behind them all stepped forward. As she approached Shae, she also drew down her hood. She was also a dark skinned woman, though older than the others, perhaps middle aged, and had the same shaved haircut. Her face was familiar to Regina, but she couldn't quite place how.

"Hello, Shae." She spoke in a whisper, smiling up at Shae. "I have something that I would like to return to you."

The unnamed woman reached into her cloak, and produced a small, silver necklace. She handed it over to Shae, who took it in trembling hands. Shae simply stared down at the necklace in her hands for a moment, gently running her thumb across the image of a serpent etched into the silver pendant. Slowly, she turned her eyes back up to stare into the woman's standing before her, eyes that were the same shade of blue as her own. Then, she uttered a single word.

"Mom?"

XX

Just outside the house where The Heroes of Storybrooke were contending with their new visitors, Loki stood watching, waiting. The God of Chaos stood amongst the shadows of the nearby street lamp. Suddenly, a small, black cat began to weave itself between Loki's legs, mewling loudly.

"Ah, I see… She's here… Good." Loki whispered, never taking their eyes off the house. "You have done well, my dear, keeping an eye on Shae and her friends. And, now… Now it finally begins."

Loki then bent down to give the cat an affectionate scratch behind the ears. "Yes, of course, I could have told Shae everything from the start." Loki replied to another of the cat's meows. "But, well… Where's the fun in that? I do so enjoy a bit of chaos now and again, and it's been so, so long."

The cat breathed out a small, irritable huff, and began licking his paw. "Oh, don't you worry your furry little head. Shae will be just fine." Loki muttered, waving a dismissive hand as they straightened back up again. "She will return to Avalon and achieve her destiny. But death is not in the cards for her, not now, not yet. She and Regina have a long, prosperous future ahead of them. In fact… I'm counting on it. They are essential to exacting my revenge on Zeus and the rest of The Olympians."

The cat mewed loudly once again, and Loki was about to reply. Suddenly, a figure slinking through the darkness caught the god's eye. "Well, well… What have we here?" Loki muttered, watching as the person dressed all in black hurried off into the woods. "An elven soldier, off to report his findings to The King, I expect. Well, we simply can't have that. Not just yet."

Loki disappeared in a gust of swirling wind, and reappeared directly in front of the elf. Loki then placed a hand on the unfortunate man's forehead. He screamed as his entire body burst into flames. Loki stood before him, watching as he rolled around on the ground, wailing in agony.

After a few moments, the screaming stopped, and the man became still. Loki then raised one hand in the air, and swept it over the elf's charred, lifeless body. Loki watched as his body slowly crumbled into ash, and was swept away in a gentle gust of wind.

"You see, Shae thinks that I don't care, that I'm not watching out for her." Loki muttered to their feline friend, who once again trotted up next to them. "But I'm always watching. Always."

XX

"Mom?"

The ebony skinned woman standing before Shae nodded, her blue eyes welling with tears. "Yes, Shae. I'm… Your mother." She whispered, smiling into Shae's identical blue eyes. "It's so wonderful to finally see you, after all these years. You look a bit too much like your father, unfortunately… But at least you have my eyes."

The woman reached out to place her hand on Shae's cheek, but Shae recoiled violently, staggering backwards into her wife. "I… Understand. You have every right to be wary." The woman went on, her eyes suddenly growing very sad as she slowly dropped her hand back to her side. "But, I assure you… You have nothing to fear from me."

"Yeah… I'll be the judge of that." Shae muttered, eyeing the woman apprehensively.

"Of course. That is… All I want." The woman replied, nodding earnestly. "May I come in?"

Shae was silent for a moment, and exchanged a quick glance with her wife. She then slowly nodded her head, to which the woman nodded back. "Return to the camp." She said to the three women standing behind her. "I must speak to my daughter alone."

The three other women bowed low, and slowly retreated off the porch. The elder woman, who was apparently Shae's mother, then turned back around, and stepped into the house. She didn't seem surprised in the slightest to see an entire group of people gathered in the living room.

"My humble greetings to you all." She said to the room, bowing low. "I hope I am meeting you in happiness and good health."

Remus, for some reason, seemed incredibly surprised to see her. "By all the gods…" He whispered, staring wide eyed and open mouth at the woman. "I know you! You're… Y-Youre… The Queen!"

As everyone else's jaws dropped open just like Remus', Regina suddenly realized why the woman was so familiar to her. It had been back in The Underworld, when she had used The Sands of Morpheus to delve into Shae's dreams. She had seen her only once, in one of Shae's dreams, a memory of her childhood in Avalon.

"Yes, I was once Queen of Avalon." The woman replied with a sad smile. "But… No longer. That was… Long, long ago."

"So, uh… W-What do we call you, then?" Asked David.

"Oh, my apologies. Where are my manners?" Muttered the woman, shaking her head in apparent embarrassment. "My name is Morganna. It is a pleasure to meet you all."

"I… I-I don't understand…" Remus breathed, still staring wide eyed at the woman named Morganna. "You're… Supposed to be… Well… Dead!"

Morganna breathed out a sad, heavy sigh. "Yes, my death was… Greatly exaggerated." She replied in a bitter tone. "It was nothing but a rumor started by my former husband. Meanwhile, he kept me imprisoned in his castle."

"What?" Shae whispered, brow furrowed in confusion. "Why? W-Why… Why would he do that?"

"Because, he is a vile, evil man." Morganna growled, balling her hands into fists. She then quickly composed herself, and went on to explain. "Just days after your birth, Shae, a great prophecy was made. All the seers and soothsayers throughout the realm began to speak of it, and it soon reached Oberon's ears. The prophecy spoke of a child born of two worlds, who would one day bring about the end of the elven races' reign in Avalon. This child, you, my dear… Would finally bring forth an era of peace and prosperity among all the races of Avalon."

Morganna turned to Shae, and reached out a hand toward her, but quickly dropped it again, and went on. "Your father… He was enraged when he heard." She spoke quietly, her voice trembling with emotion. "He… He was going to kill you, Shae. Which is why I had to send you away. I intended to send you far, far away from Avalon, but… Things didn't quite go according to plan. But I anticipated that, which is why I gave you that necklace. It protected you, kept you hidden from your father's magic and the magic of his mages."

Shae glanced down at the pendant still clenched in her fist. "Jormungandr…" She whispered, slowly turning her eyes back up onto Morganna. "I… Thought I lost it. As soon as I left Avalon, it was just… Gone."

"No. Not gone." Morganna whispered back with a smile. "It simply… Returned to me, once you were no longer in need of it. Your father's soldiers did pursue you for a time, but you were strong enough and quick enough to evade them. And you had friends that helped you, for which I am ever so grateful, my dear boy."

Remus blinked several times in shock as Morganna suddenly turned her gaze onto him. "Y-You're… You're welcome." He mumbled.

Morganna nodded at Remus, then turned her eyes back onto Shae. "Now, my brave, sweet girl, you must be strong once again." She went on, taking a small step toward Shae. "I know you and your father have already met, have already spoken. But you must not believe a word he says. He wants nothing but your destruction, your death. Of that I'm certain."

Shae slowly nodded her head, swallowing the hard, dry lump that had formed in her throat. "Yeah, you, uh… Don't need to worry about that." She said quietly in reply. "I don't trust him, or a single word he says."

"Good." Morganna whispered with a smile. "I am… So glad to hear that. You are clever, Shae. Very clever."

Morganna once again reached out toward Shae. Just as before, she hesitated, and dropped her arm back to her side. It was apparent to everyone in the room that all Morganna wanted to do was take her daughter into her arms. But, she did not. She simply stood with her hands folded in front of her, smiling at her.

"Now, then… I don't wish to take up any more of your time." Morganna went on, still smiling a small, misty eyed smile. "I will be on my way now. But, I… I hope to see you again soon, Shae. My sisters and I, we are camped in the woods not far from here. If you'd like, you can… Come see me. We can share a meal together and, just… Talk."

"Why don't you come back here, tomorrow night?" Regina suddenly blurted out, to everyone's surprise. "We can… Have dinner together."

Morganna furrowed her brow at Regina. "Oh… Is this… Your home?" She asked.

"Uh… Yeah…" Shae was the one to answer. "This is, um… My wife. Regina."

"Your… Y-Your… Wife?" Morganna stammered, staring wide eyed at Shae. "You're… Married? To this woman?" There was a tense moment of silence, then a wide, joyful smile stretched across Morganna's lips. "Oh! Oh, she's so beautiful! And an accomplished sorceress! Oh, well done, darling. Well done indeed!"

Morganna clapped her hands in front of her mouth, tears now spilling down her face. "I would be… Most honored to join the two of you for dinner." She went on, fighting to keep her voice even. "If that is alright with Shae, of course."

Regina glanced over at her wife, who hesitated in silence for a moment. Then, she silently nodded her head. "Wonderful! Simply… Wonderful!" Morganna exclaimed.

She seemed to be overwhelmed as she glanced between Shae and Regina for a moment, a wide, excited smile stretching across her lips. She then wiped the tears from her face, and quickly composed herself. She turned toward the others, and bowed low once again.

"I go in peace, friends." She said, smiling warmly around at them all. "May the gods grant you good health, and good fortune."

Then, just as quickly as she came, Morganna, Queen of Avalon, and Shae's mother, was gone. As soon as the front door swung shut behind her, Shae slowly sank back down onto her seat on the couch. Regina sat down beside her, unsure of what to do, what to say. The others all glanced just as uncertainly around at each other for a moment.

"We, uh… W-We should probably go." Emma muttered. "Come on, Henry. You can stay with us tonight."

Henry silently nodded his head, and followed his mother toward the door. David, Tinkerbell, and Zelena made a quick exit, and Remus was about to follow. He hesitated behind the couch for a moment, his hand hovering above Shae's shoulder. He placed it on Regina's shoulder instead, who simply placed her hand on top of his, giving it a gentle squeeze. Remus then nodded his head, and quietly headed out the door.

"Alright, if no one else is going to say it, I will!" Hook exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air. "Don't you know what this all means, mate? You're… A princess!"

Shae, who had once again been staring blankly at the wall in front of her, slowly turned her head toward Hook. "You shut your fucking mouth!" She growled, pointing a furious finger at the pirate. "And get the fuck out of my house!"

Hook opened his mouth to retort, but Emma quickly seized him by the arm, and dragged him out the door. After everyone was gone, Regina and Shae sat in silence for a while. Regina then gently wrapped her arm around her wife's shoulders.

"What are you thinking?" She whispered softly, gently running her fingers through the hair on the back of Shae's head. "How do you feel?"

Shae took a moment to respond. When she finally did, her voice was quiet, and trembled slightly with emotion. "Honestly? Just… Overwhelmed." She muttered. "In a single day, I… Met both my parents, who I thought were, I dunno… Dead, or just… Abandoned me. Now, they're both here, and… My father apparently wants to kill me, and my mother… She… I… I-I…"

Shae stopped her stammering, and turned her head to gaze into her wife's eyes. "Why did you invite her to dinner?" She asked.

Regina bit her lip, staring down into her lap. "I… Don't know." She quietly admitted. "I suppose I just… Feel like she's telling the truth. She seems nothing but warm and kind, and…" Regina stopped mid sentence, clapping a hand over her mouth in alarm. "Oh god, Shae… I… I-I should have asked you first. I'm so sorry, I-"

"No, no, it's… I-It's ok." Shae quickly interjected, slowly shaking her head. "I only asked, because… I feel the same way."

Regina blinked several times in surprise. "Oh… Really?"

"Yeah, I, uh… I-I dunno… I guess it's just… A feeling I have. A gut feeling." Shae replied with a small, uncertain shrug. "When I met my… M-My father, I just felt scared and… Angry. I thought it was just because I grew up hating him, just like all the other slaves and non-elves in Avalon. But… Maybe it's not. Morganna, my… Mother… She seems… Different."

"Well, I suppose we'll find out tomorrow." Said Regina, shrugging herself. "We can talk, and… Get to know her."

Shae breathed out a small laugh. "Yeah, I… Guess so." She muttered, shaking her head some more. "It all just feels so… Surreal. My parents, the King and Queen of Avalon. This whole time I thought that my father was just… Some elven soldier who raped my mother, who then left the unwanted child on the doorstep of the nearest orphanage."

"That's… Horrible." Regina muttered, sadly shaking her head.

"That's pretty much how halflings are made." Shae went on with another small shrug. "I never met a single one that wasn't born that way. Remus and Nadia were the one exception. Their father was an elven blacksmith, and their mother was human. They actually fell in love, and were happy for a while. Then, their father was conscripted into the war with the mountain tribes. When he came back, he started drinking heavily, and, well… You know the rest."

Regina nodded, remembering what Nadia had told her about her parents, about how they both used to beat poor young Remus. "Then, there were some women who actually kept the child, but… Not many." Shae continued in a low, somber tone. "Us lucky ones got left at the orphanage, and the others were smothered by their mothers, or left out in the elements, or died with their mother during a botched abortion. The poor couldn't exactly afford a good doctor, and the ones they could afford didn't exactly have any kind of sanitary equipment, or any real medical knowledge, for that matter. Half the time coming down with just a sniffle was a death sentence."

Regina simply stared at her wife in silence, her jaw dangling open in horror. She knew that things in Avalon had been bad, but not to this extent. She didn't blame Shae or Remus one bit for leaving it all behind, and rarely ever speaking of it.

"To think that I might actually have a mother who… Did want me, and actually cares about me…" Shae quietly went on, staring down into her lap. "I… I don't… I don't even know what to do with that."

"I'm sure it's all very… Strange." Regina muttered, slowly shaking her head. "I just… Can't even begin to imagine what you're going through, Shae. Just know that… I'm here for you." She then placed her hand on her wife's cheek, gently turning her head so she could gaze deep into her eyes. "I'm so, so sorry I wasn't there for you earlier. The way I acted, it was-"

"Hey… It's ok." Shae interjected quietly, placing her hand on top of Regina's. "I understand. It's like you said, the whole thing between me and Gold really isn't that different from what you're going through with-"

Shae suddenly stopped mid sentence, and drew in a sharp gasp. "Gold!" She exclaimed, leaping up to her feet. "I completely forgot about him! He kidnapped me and took me to Oberon!"

"Right, Henry mentioned that earlier…" Regina muttered, pursing her lips into a deep frown. "He must have… Made some kind of deal with your father long ago."

"That fucking bastard has been manipulating my life since even before he had Nadia killed!" Shae snarled, her hands trembling as she balled them into fists.

"It certainly seems that way." Regina agreed through gritted teeth.

"That fucking snake… That… Fucking… ASSHOLE!" Shae bellowed.

Shae seized the lamp that was sitting on the nearby end table, and hurled it across the room. Regina jumped as it shattered to pieces against the wall. A split second later, there was a deep rumble of thunder off in the distance. Regina found it a bit strange, but shrugged it off as pure coincidence.

"I know I shouldn't… But I want to kill him." Shae whispered, her whole body trembling as she stood with her back to her wife. "I want to rip him apart with my bare fucking hands."

Regina got up from her seat on the couch, and placed her hand gently on Shae's shoulder. "I know. I don't blame you, not one bit." She whispered back. "But… Let's not think about him right now. It's late, and you… Look exhausted. You've had such a long day. You need to rest."

Shae drew in a deep, shaky breath, and slowly nodded her head. Regina nodded back, and took her wife by the hand, leading her up the stairs to their bedroom. What Regina had said was true, Shae was thoroughly exhausted. Once in bed, though, she found she was unable to sleep. Her head was spinning with everything that had transpired that day.

"So, should we talk about, you know," Shae quietly began, knowing full well that her wife was awake as well. "How we're apparently… Billionth cousins?"

Regina lifted her head from where it had been resting on Shae's chest. "Let's not." She muttered, frowning into her wife's eyes. "Ever."

Shae chuckled quietly, and placed a quick kiss on Regina's lips. "I guess it really does make sense." She went on as Regina laid her head back down on her chest again. "We do always seem to find a way back to each other, no matter what."

"Yes… That's true." Regina mumbled, breathing out a contented sigh as she wrapped her arms even tighter around Shae. "Let's just hope that we don't have to go looking for each other again any time soon."

Shae frowned up at the ceiling, thinking back to what her mother had said about the prophecy, that, apparently, it was her destiny to bring peace and prosperity to Avalon. She then thought back to what Grand Pabbie had told her, about how things like fate and destiny are never completely absolute, and can be changed. She made a silent vow to do whatever it took to change her fate. It didn't matter who her parents were, or that they were now in Storybrooke. She had worked hard to leave her past in Avalon behind her, and there was no way she was going back.

XX

The next morning, Shae and Regina woke to the sound of the doorbell ringing. Upon investigation, they found a group of elven soldiers gathered on their front lawn. They brought with them dozens and dozens of bouquets of brightly colored flowers, as well as chests filled to bursting with gold and priceless jewels. They were a gift from King Oberon, for his beloved daughter, the elves told them.

The sight of it all made Shae positively furious. She screamed at them all to go away, to go back to Avalon, and take their gold and jewels with them. She told them that she wanted nothing to do with her father, and if The King really wanted to do something right by her, he'd distribute all of his gifts amongst the poor and desolate of Avalon.

The soldiers took great offense to that, and, after some angry shouting in Elvish that Regina couldn't understand, they suddenly drew their weapons. Regina tried to step in and diffuse the situation, but her calm, careful words only seemed to make things worse. The elves began shouting furiously at her, and started advancing toward the house. When Shae raised Mjolnir into the air, and the mythic hammer began to crackle with lightning, they finally retreated. They left all the flowers, gold, and jewels on Shae and Regina's doorstep, and turned tail and ran.

Once safely back inside, Regina asked her wife why the elves only seemed to grow angrier after she spoke to them. Shae replied by telling her what exactly it was they had said. They, the true blooded sons of the great Elven race, wouldn't be told what to do by a woman, let alone a worthless human. This only served to reinforce both Shae and Regina's suspicions about King Oberon. Not only were he and his soldiers racist, they were sexist as well. The elves simply had to go, but likely wouldn't without a fight. Regina proposed that they should ask Shae's mother for help at dinner that evening. Shae immediately agreed. They both sensed a deep, powerful magic within Morganna, as well as the three other women she had traveled from Avalon with.

After their unsettling encounter with the elves, Regina made a call to Emma, briefly explained to her what had just happened, and said that she and Hook should meet her and Shae at The Rabbit Hole. Both Emma and Hook were already outside waiting when Shae and Regina arrived. Once inside, they were all surprised to actually find customers already at the bar.

"I can't believe there are actually people here at this hour." Emma said as they approached the bar. "It's nine in the morning!"

"I'm not surprised at all, love." Hook replied with a shrug. "Just look around! It's mostly pirates."

Upon closer inspection of the customers at Remus' bar, they found what Hook had said to be true. It seemed to be only Jack Sparrow and his crew. Jack himself was at the bar with his First Mate, Mr. Gibbs. The rest of the pirates were milling about elsewhere.

"Gone? What do you mean, gone?" Gibbs was asking Remus.

"Why?" Shouted Jack, throwing his arms up in the air. "Why is the rum always gone?"

"Because you drank it all, you damn degenerates!" Remus shouted back. "Now order something else or get out!"

Jack and Gibbs exchanged a quick glance. "Do you… Have port?" Asked Jack.

"What does this look like, a book club for middle aged white women on diets?" Cried Remus. "No, I don't have bloody port!"

"Then what do you have?" Snarled Gibbs, slamming his fist onto the counter.

Remus breathed out a frustrated, irritated growl, and seized two bottles of a clear liquid from off the shelves behind him. "Here, dammit! It's vodka." He explained as he set the bottles down in front of the pirates. "Take both bottles and begone with you!"

Once again, Jack Sparrow and his first mate exchanged a quick, uncertain glance. After a moment, they both shrugged at each other. They seized both bottles, and returned to the rest of their friends.

"I expect payment this time! In cash, not doubloons!" Remus called after them. He slowly shook his head, breathing out a long, heavy sigh. He then turned his gaze onto the group now standing before him. "My apologies… What can I do for you all? Care for a mid-morning nip? One of my employees came up with an excellent new shot. Whiskey and maple liqueur! Tastes just like a pancake!"

"Oh, hell yeah!" Shae said with a grin.

"No! No, no." Regina quickly interjected. "As lovely as that sounds, Remus, that's not why we're here."

Remus had turned around again, his hands on two different bottles of dark colored alcohol. "Your loss." He muttered with a shrug, turning back around. "So… What does bring you all in to my humble establishment?"

"It's about, my… M-My… Father." Shae replied slowly, still struggling to utter the word. "And his band of bastard soldiers."

"Oh… Are they all somehow fatherless, then?" Remus asked with a frown.

"No, no… I mean 'bastard' as in, you know… Asshole." Shae quickly explained.

Remus laughed loudly. "Ah, I see! Well you're certainly right about that. Come, let's sit down."

Remus then left the bar, and led them all over to a nearby table. Once they were all seated comfortably, Shae and Regina told him all about their encounter with Oberon's soldiers. Remus was just as furious as Shae had been, and just as concerned.

"We need to send that… T-That… Bloody bastard and his soldiers back to Avalon! At once!" He snarled.

"Aye. That we do." Hook agreed with a nod. "The question is… How? Shae insists that they won't leave with her, which means they won't leave without a fight."

"I wholeheartedly agree, I'm afraid." Remus muttered, exchanging a quick, serious glance with Shae. "We need to figure out what exactly it is Oberon is planning. I don't believe for a single second that all he wants is to reconnect with his… Long lost daughter."

"Yeah… Me either." Shae grumbled, her lips pursed in an angry grimace.

"Say, Jack…" Remus began, turning slowly toward the pirate. "Do you think you and your crew could… Patrol the woods? Keep an eye on the elf camp?"

Jack Sparrow and his crew had gathered around as well, much to the dismay of the others. "I suppose we could be… Persuaded, aye." Jack replied with a small shrug, swaying on his feet slightly. "Depends on how much you're willing to pay us."

"I don't suppose you'd just, you know… Do it out of the goodness of your heart?" Emma asked, shrugging herself.

There was a brief moment of silence as Jack Sparrow simply stared wide eyed at The Savior. He then turned back to glance at his crew. They all immediately burst out into raucous, mocking laughter.

"Fine, fine!" Regina called out over the din of laughter. Once the pirates had all quieted down, she went on. "As mayor, I'm sure I can come up with some sort of method of payment."

"You swear it?" Muttered Jack, pointing the bottle of vodka clenched in his fist at Regina.

Regina breathed out a deep, irritated sigh. "Yes. I swear." She replied through gritted teeth. "Just make sure to watch the camp closely. Anything you see or hear, you report to us. Is that clear?"

"Crystal clear, love! Crystal clear!" Jack Sparrow exclaimed, clapping his hands together excitedly. "Look alive, gents!" He announced to his crew. "I've finally found some work for us in this god forsaken town! Er… No offense."

He gave Regina a quick, awkward pat on the shoulder before leading his crew toward the door. The pirates all followed him, bottles of vodka in hand. "Wait! You can't go outside with those!" Remus called after them. He breathed out a heavy sigh of his own as the door swung shut behind them. "Bloody idiots… Oh, well. I know both of the sheriffs. They're not exactly competent at their jobs, anyway."

"Hey!" Cried Emma.

"Oh… Sorry, my dear. Forgot you were there." Remus replied with a small, dismissive shrug.

Emma glared at the back of Remus' head as he got up from the table, and made his way back behind the bar. "I can't believe he's Loki's favorite." She grumbled. After seething in silence for a moment, she simply shrugged herself. "But… I guess I get it."

The others all chuckled lightly. When Remus returned with a wet rag, and began cleaning the tables that Jack and his crew had abandoned, they all began to discuss what to do next. There was little to discuss, unfortunately. Other than what Morganna had said about Oberon wanting Shae dead, they had nothing else to actually go on. So moved on to discuss the problem that was The Evil Queen, as well as Gold. Nobody had seen hide nor hair of either of them, so, with little other choice, they returned to their respective homes.

Once home, Regina and Shae began to prepare for dinner later that evening with Morganna, Shae's mother. Shae was a nervous wreck the entire time, and Regina did her best to calm her wife. She couldn't help but be nervous too. She had no idea what she was going to say to the complete stranger that was suddenly her mother-in-law. She had no idea where to even begin.

Several hours later, the sun was hanging low in the Storybrooke sky. Then, Morganna herself was ringing the doorbell of Shae and Regina's home. The once Queen of Avalon had no idea that she was being watched.

Nearby, another elven soldier dressed in black jeans and a black hoodie left his hiding spot, and began rushing through the nearby trees. Suddenly, he tripped and fell flat on his face as something seized him by the ankles. He tugged furiously as what looked like roots from the trees themselves began winding their way up his legs. They curled around his arms, pinning him to the ground, and began to consume his entire body. The roots pierced his flesh, worming their way into his ear canals, into his eye sockets. He couldn't even scream as they shot down his throat.

"Now, now…" The figure standing over his now dead body whispered softly, gently patting his forehead. "Not yet. Not just yet…"

Loki, God of Mischief, God of Chaos, walked away laughing as the dead elf's body was swallowed up by the earth.

XX

Shae was much too nervous to get the door after the doorbell rang, so she made her wife do it. Morganna greeted Regina with a warm smile. She was still wearing the same long, black, tattered robe, but it did nothing to take away from her striking beauty. She quickly sent away the three women she had been with the night before, who were gathered at the bottom of the stairs behind her, also still dressed in their black robes. Once they were gone, she followed Regina into the house.

"Hello, Shae." Morganna greeted her daughter as she stepped into the living room, smiling warmly at her as well. "It's so good to see you again. Thank you for having me, thank you both."

Shae simply nodded her head silently, her throat too dry to speak. "My, you have such a lovely home!" Morganna went on, gazing all around her in wonder. "I didn't really get a proper look last time. Just… Truly lovely."

"Thank you." Regina replied as she began to lead the way toward the dining room. "So, um… We didn't exactly know what you like to eat, so we made, well… A few different things."

Morganna's eyes grew wide as she gazed at all the various dishes lying out on the dining room table. "'A few?'" She asked, breathing out a small laugh. "It all looks… Positively wonderful! And smells even better! Would it be alright if I take a bit back to my sisters? We've had nothing but rabbit meat and mushrooms from the forest ever since we arrived here. I know they'd be ever so grateful."

"Of course. You can take everything that's left over after we're done, if you'd like." Regina replied with a smile. "And if there's anything else you need, please feel free to ask."

"My, my…" Morganna breathed, slowly shaking her head. "Beautiful, powerful, and generous? Your wife is quite the catch, Shae."

Shae responded by laughing loudly, much too loudly. It startled both her wife and her mother. "Er… Sorry." Shae mumbled, awkwardly clearing her throat. "I-I'm sorry. I'm just… Really nervous."

Morganna breathed out a sad, heavy sigh. "I… Understand. Truly, I do." She quietly replied. After a brief, silent moment, she clapped her hands together with another smile. "Why don't we sit down and eat, then? A good meal in the belly does wonders to calm the heart and soothe the spirit. And I, for one, am absolutely famished."

Shae nodded earnestly, to which Morganna chuckled, and nodded back. The three of them then sat down at the table together, and began to dig in. Morganna piled her plate high with bits of all the assorted dishes. Regina and Shae had tried their best to keep everything simple, knowing full well that food in their modern world was much different than in both The Enchanted Forest and Avalon. Morganna led the conversation for a while, commenting on how delicious every single dish was. But, soon, an awkward silence fell over the table.

"Sorry, I guess, I… I-I, um…" Shae stammered quietly. "I don't really know, uh… Where to even start."

"Neither do I, to be perfectly honest." Morganna replied with a small chuckle. "But, please, ask me anything. My life is an open book. I'm sure you both must have many, many questions."

Shae nodded, and another uncomfortable silence fell over the room. When she glanced pleadingly over at her wife, Regina quickly stepped in. "Those women that you came here with, you call them sisters. Are they all… Shae's aunts, then?"

"Oh… No. We are sisters not by blood, but by bond." Morganna explained. "We are… Witches, priestesses, belonging to the order of The Daughters of Chaos. I have had the great honor of serving as High Priestess for… Many years now."

"Who exactly are The Daughters of Chaos?" Regina went on to ask. She then suddenly turned to her wife. "Shae, you spoke as if you knew them."

Shae was in the middle of shoving a mouthful of roast chicken into her mouth. She chewed and swallowed as quickly and as gracefully as she could before responding. "Uh, y-yeah… Kind of. A few members used to come to the orphanage every so often. They were… Really nice. They would bring us food, clothes, some toys. Oh, and books too. None of us actually knew how to read, though. But they made nice kindling during winter."

At the shocked and slightly appalled look on Morganna's face, Shae's eyes grew wide with alarm. "Kidding! I-I'm kidding!" She quickly went on. She then frowned, and awkwardly cleared her throat. "Uh… Well… Mostly. Kind of."

Shae stopped her stammering, and breathed out an uncomfortable, embarrassed laugh. To her and Regina's surprise, Morganna simply laughed herself. "I'm just glad that my sisters were able to reach you, and provide you with food and clothes and… Kindling." She said with a wink. "There was little else I could do for you at the time. Eventually, word got to your Father that my order was in his city. Then, even that I had to put a stop to, for the safety of my sisters."

"Yeah, they did stop coming after a while." Shae muttered with a frown. "We always wondered why. They were… Really good to us. Much better than the people that actually ran the orphanage."

Suddenly, the warm, kind smile that Morganna had been sporting ever since she arrived faded away, and her face grew very sad. Once again, Regina stepped in, and quickly changed the subject. "So, what exactly do The Daughters of Chaos, um… Do?"

"We watch over all the human tribes that reside in the mountains of Avalon. It is our sworn duty to… Protect them, from themselves and outsiders who might do them harm." Morganna replied, her smile returning as she turned her gaze onto Regina. "There are three different tribes residing in the valley. Their chiefs all have deep respect for our order, and often come to us for council. They know that, without the mists, they would quickly fall prey to Oberon and his army."

"'Mists?'" Asked Regina.

At the confused look on both Regina and Shae's faces, Morganna went on to explain. "After the elves invaded centuries ago, my people fled across the desert, and into the mountains. At the center of the Avalon mountains, there is a vast, deep valley, which they made their home. It was my own ancestor, the witch Morgan la Fay, who led the remains of the human army across the desert, all the while being pursued by the elves. It's said that she went without food, without water, for three whole weeks, and spent the whole time praying to Loki, God of Mischief, Mayhem, and-"

"Chaos." Regina finished for her.

Morganna raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Oh! You know of Loki?"

"Well, yes, we've actually-" Regina began to say. She stopped suddenly at a wide eyed glance from her wife. "Er… W-What… What I mean, is… Shae has told me many stories about the gods and goddesses she grew up hearing about in Avalon."

Shae breathed out a quiet, relieved sigh. She thought that it would be a bit too much for Morganna to learn that her daughter actually knew the god Loki personally. Morganna looked suspicious for a brief moment, but seemed to shrug it off, and went on.

"Well, then… As I was saying… Morgan la Fay prayed fervently to Loki for weeks on end, begging The Mad One to bring chaos down onto the heads of the elves." She said, shifting slightly in her seat. Then, a wide grin stretched across her face. "One day, a massive sandstorm swept through the desert! Unable to see a thing, the elven army fell into complete disarray, into complete, well… Chaos! The human army wasn't much better off, but, they had the sorceress, Morgan la Fay, on their side… She could see clearly through the storm. She then led my people up into the mountains, where they found the valley, which was surrounded by a dense forest, teeming with game and fresh water. Once there, she immediately had a temple to Loki constructed, and cast a powerful spell from within it's center. The spell cast a thick mist over the entire valley. My people and our friends and allies are able to move freely within it, but any outsiders are met with a tragic end. The mist is poisonous to anyone who wishes us harm."

Morganna paused for a moment to take another bite of food from her plate. "The Mists of Avalon, is what the valley became to be known by. Simply The Mists, for short." She went on, dabbing lightly at her lips with a napkin. "Shortly after building the temple and casting her spell, Morgan la Fay founded The Daughters of Chaos. She served as High Priestess for many years after that. Then, upon her death, she passed the duty down to her daughter, Morgause, who then passed it down to her daughter, Morgaine, and so on and so forth, until… My mother, Morrigan, then… Myself. Nel is currently my apprentice, and I have been training her for years now to be my successor. Normally, as you can tell, the duty of High Priestess passes down from mother to daughter. But, well… Things didn't exactly go quite as planned for me, or you, Shae."

Once again, Morganna's smile faded, and her face grew incredibly sad. "I wanted to name you Mordred, in line with tradition from my family." She went on, her ice blue eyes shining with tears as she gazed at her daughter. "Your father, however… Wanted to name you Obarra, after himself, of course. We compromised with Shaeogora, in honor of Shaeogorath, your father's brother."

"Wait… His… Brother?" Shae muttered, slowly shaking her head. "I thought Shaeogorath was… His father. The Mad King, everyone called him. Because, well… Apparently, he was… Um…"

"Cruel? Sadistic? Completely and utterly insane?" Morganna finished for her, in a sour, bitter tone. "Indeed, he was. Avalon suffered greatly under the rule of Shaeogorath the Second. Even in The Mists, we could hear the entire kingdom rejoicing after his death. Oberon was never meant to take his father's throne, though. It was supposed to go to The Mad King's eldest son, Shaeogorath the Third. The poor man was kept hidden from the kingdom ever since his birth. He was born… Deformed. His legs were twisted and mangled. He couldn't even stand upright on his own, let alone walk. It was likely due to years and years of marrying brother to sister within the royal elven line, as was his father's madness."

Morganna paused to breathe out a wistful sigh, her eyes growing sad once again. "But, despite all that, his mind was sharp, unlike his father." She went on. "He was the one to first reach out to me. He wanted to finally put an end to the centuries long war between my people and his. After I received his message, I went to the castle, alone, to just… Meet with him, against the council of my sisters. I arrived anxious and afraid, only to find the most… Incredible man. He was wonderful, your uncle, and so intelligent. He loved to read, preferred books over violence and war. He was kind, warm… Gentle. He was the one that I was supposed to marry, who I agreed to marry."

She paused once again, this time to chuckle lightly. "We only got to know each other over a few days, and the entire time his one concern was that he wouldn't be able to produce an heir with me. His, um… His… Reproductive parts… Also didn't work." Morganna cleared her throat awkwardly, then went on. "I told him that I didn't care. And I truly didn't, not one bit. In fact, we agreed that we would adopt a child, in secret, of course. Noone would know that the child wasn't ours by blood. We both agreed that we would love and care for the child no matter what, and any other children after that."

Morganna paused once more, but this time she seemed to be choked up with emotion. Shae and Regina exchanged a sad, knowing glance. "Then, I returned to The Mists, to my people, who helped me prepare for the wedding." Morganna went on, her voice trembling. "Only to receive a message days later saying that Shaeogorath was dead. The letter from the castle said that he had suddenly fallen ill the same day that I had left. Despite the efforts of the royal healers and mages, he passed just two days later. I was told that he had always been sickly, as a child and into his adulthood. But, I know in my heart that Oberon poisoned his brother. He had been furious that his father's crown was going to his sickly, crippled brother over he who was strong and able-bodied."

Morganna breathed out a heavy, shaky sigh, tears now leaking onto her cheeks. "There was no going back after that, unfortunately." She continued on in a whisper, hastily wiping away her tears. "The bargain for peace had already been struck. Suddenly, I found myself married to a complete stranger. I was pregnant with you, Shae, the night of the wedding. Then, any time my people would send an inquiry about peace talks, Oberon would reply by saying that I was having a difficult pregnancy, that I was too sick, and that he needed to focus his attention on me and our child."

Once more, Morganna paused, balling her hands into angry fists. "It was all a lie. He was kind at first, and I was so incredibly relieved. But I quickly began to see his true nature." She muttered through gritted teeth. "It roared it's full, ugly head the day that you were born. Your father was furious when he found out that you were a girl. I tried to tell him during the entire pregnancy that it was inevitable. Since Morgan la Fay herself, the High Priestess of The Daughters of Chaos only ever produced girls. But he never listened, insisted that, through his own strength of will, we would have a son. Then, a few days later, The Prophecy was made. I've already told you the rest."

"Oh my god…" Shae whispered, staring at her mother with nothing but pity in her eyes. "I'm… So sorry you had to go through all that."

Morganna slowly nodded her head, wiping away a few more stray tears from her face. "Thank you, darling. Oh, I'm so sorry… I've been talking for such a long time."

"No, it's ok…" Shae replied, shaking her head as well. "Please… Tell me more."

For the first time, Shae was the one to reach out toward her mother. She gently took Morganna's hand in her own. Morganna's eyes suddenly grew wide, and she simply stared at her daughter in shock for a moment.

"W-What… What else would you like to know?" She asked Shae quietly.

Shae stared down at the floor in silence for a moment as she thought. Regina remained rigid in her seat, watching with bated breath as Shae kept her hand clenched around Morganna's. She didn't dare speak, or even move, lest she ruin the moment.

"We were always told that… You died." Shae finally replied, turning her eyes back up to gaze into her mother's. "Obviously, that isn't true. You said that you were… Imprisoned, in the castle. But I remember seeing you, when I was just a kid. You visited the slums, along with an entire battalion of elves. You… Gave me an apple. Do you… Remember that?"

Morganna leaned forward in her chair, placing her other hand on top of Shae's. "Of course I remember. That was the one time your father allowed me to leave the castle." She replied with a smile. "After I sent you away, he locked me in my chambers, posted guards at my door day and night. He continued to send word back to my people that I was ill, but that wasn't at all true. Groups of our warriors were sent out to find me, but they were killed by Oberon's forces before they even reached the city. This went on for years and years. Meanwhile, unrest between the poor races of Avalon and the elves began to brew. So, Oberon decided that it would do the poor non-elves some good to lay eyes on their human Queen once again, for the first time since the wedding. But… His plan backfired. It backfired horribly."

For a moment, Morganna hung her head in what seemed like shame. "Trust me when I say, I never did or said anything to anyone to provoke violence." She went on, staring mournfully into her daughter's eyes. "But, still… Just the sight of me seemed to provoke just that. After my visit, there were riots in the streets. Somehow, the poor and destitute of Avalon seemed to see through Oberon's entire charade. They demanded my release, accused their King of keeping me prisoner against my will. It was all true, of course, but Oberon never admitted it. Instead, he sent his soldiers out into the streets, where they slaughtered anyone and everyone who spoke against him. Then, he spread the word that I was dead, that I contracted some sort of illness just from walking through the slums. After that, the divide between the rich and poor grew even wider, and the war against my people continued on."

More tears began to leak out of Morganna's eyes, and she hastily wiped them away as she went on. "A few months after the riots, I found out that I was with child once again. Even though he hated me, despised me with every fiber of his being, Oberon, he… Continued to force himself on me. So, eventually, I became pregnant all over again. And, once again, Oberon was furious that it was a girl. If it had been a boy, or if you had been, Shae, things would have been… Entirely different, I'm sure. The misogynistic bastard…"

"W-Wait… Wait a minute…" Shae muttered, staring wide eyed at her mother. "Are you saying that I… I-I have… A sister?"

"Yes." Morganna replied. Shae and Regina exchanged a quick, excited smile. But those smiles quickly faded as Morganna went on. "Or, at least… You did. I… I-I truly don't know… If she's even alive."

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Regina asked with a frown.

"Oberon, he… Took her away from me. The moment she was born." Morganna answered, tears now flowing freely down her face. "The court physicians, they… T-They took the baby the moment she came out. When they told Oberon that he had another daughter, he… H-He didn't say a word. But I could see the fury in his eyes. Then, he just… Took her, and… Was gone. I never saw him or my baby again."

Shae exchanged another shocked, wide eyed glance with her wife, both of their jaws dangling open in horror. "I wanted to name her Freya, after the goddess herself, for strength, and… Wisdom." Morganna went on, squeezing her eyes shut as more tears trickled down onto her already tear stained face. "But… I never got the chance. I never even got the chance to hold her. At least, with you, Shae, a few days passed where I got to cradle you in my arms. But… B-But her… I never even got to hold her. Not once."

"I… I-I'm… So sorry." Shae whispered, not at all knowing what else to say. "You really have no idea what happened to her? At all?"

Morganna shook her head, once again wiping the tears away from her face. "I tried to ask the soldiers that your father had posted at my door. I screamed and shouted at them for days. They told me nothing, and, if they did speak to me, it was only to tell me that it was no longer any concern of mine. Once, a particularly cruel soldier taunted me by saying that Oberon had taken the halfling wretch, and dashed her head against the very walls of the castle. I truly didn't know whether to believe him or not. I still don't. The very next night, was finally when I escaped the castle."

Morganna breathed out a heavy, shaky sigh, dropping her face into her hands. "The Daughters of Chaos all make a solemn vow upon first joining the order to never use our powers to kill." She quietly went on. "The only time it is allowed, is if it is absolutely necessary to protect the order, or the people of The Mists that we serve. That night… I broke my vow. I murdered the soldiers that stood guard at my door, and several others. I wanted to find Oberon, and kill him while he slept. But the path to his chambers was too well guarded. I could have done it, but the slaughter that I would have left in my wake would have made me no better than him. So I fled for the slave's quarters, where they have their own tunnel in and out of the castle. Not a single one stopped me, and many of them followed me all the way back into the mountains, where they reside to this day. In fact, my people frequently patrol the desert, and take in any helpless soul that has fled the city."

Shae breathed out a small, surprised laugh. "We were always told to never venture into the desert. That no one who did ever came back." She said, slowly shaking her head. "We were told that the wild, savage mountain clans kill anyone and everyone on sight. But… I guess that isn't true."

"It is, I suppose, in regards to your father's soldiers." Morganna replied with a small shrug. "But, anyone else, we take back to The Mists. Once there, we feed them, clothe them, and… Put them to work amongst one of the tribes. Life in The Mists isn't exactly easy, and everyone is expected to pull their weight, to provide something that benefits the entire community. But most outsiders come to us as slaves, and none have ever left. A life of hard work lived as free men and women is better than one lived in bondage, I suppose."

"Yeah, I… Definitely agree with that." Shae said, breathing out another small laugh. She then reached out toward her mother once again, and gripped her hand tightly in her own. "I'm… So sorry about what happened to… My… M-My sister. I would have loved to have met her."

Morganna slowly nodded her head, placing her hand on top of Shae's. "As am I, my dear. As am I." She whispered. "I hated to leave her behind, if she truly is alive. But… I couldn't remain your father's prisoner any longer. If… I-If she is alive, she would be… five, maybe six winters old, now. This likely sounds horrible, but part of me does hope that what that one soldier said is true. I would wish death for any child of mine over whatever cruelty Oberon would have in store for her."

This time, Shae had no idea what to say, what to even do. She then glanced over at her wife. Regina was simply sitting with her hand over her mouth, her deep brown eyes shimmering with tears.

"Do you… D-Do you have anything to drink other than… Apple cider?" Morganna suddenly asked of them both, wiping away more tears. "As delicious as it is, I could use something… A bit stronger."

"Of course." Regina answered with a misty eyed smile. "We have… Wine. As well as whiskey. That's about it, I'm afraid."

"Oh, a good wine sounds… Just wonderful." Morganna replied, smiling back.

Regina nodded, breathing out a small chuckle. She then suggested that, since none of them seemed to have much of an appetite anymore, they relocate to the living room, where they'd all be more comfortable. Morganna and Shae both agreed, and Shae led the way into the living room.

"I'll go fetch the wine." Said Regina, smiling politely some more. "Then, I think I should leave the two of you alone to… Get to know each other more."

"Oh, please, I… Would rather that you stay, if that's alright with Shae, of course." Morganna replied in a rush, glancing quickly at her daughter. She then glanced back at Regina, smiling another warm, kind smile. "You are… Shae's wife, my… Daughter-in-law. I would love to get to know you better, as well as Shae. You are… Family, after all."

"Of course." Shae replied with a nod. She then cleared her throat, and glanced over at Regina. "I'll go and get the wine. I, uh… Need a moment, anyway."

Regina nodded back at her wife, to which Shae made a quick exit into the kitchen. Regina suddenly found herself alone with Morganna, who was suddenly her mother-in-law, who she found to be nothing but warm and kind, and had suffered so many hardships. She simply stood rooted in her stop, watching as Morganna wandered around the room, examining the pictures that were hanging on the walls, and placed on the mantle above the fireplace.

"This boy, I… Recognize him. He was here last night." Morganna commented on one of the more recent pictures of Regina, Henry, and Shae. "You have… Many pictures of him. Is he… Your son?"

"Yes." Regina replied with a smile. "His name is Henry."

"Henry…" Morganna whispered, glancing back at the picture of Henry, Regina, and Shae all smiling together. "I… Have a grandson?"

Regina bit her lip, not exactly sure of how to respond. "In a sense… Yes." She replied slowly, carefully. "Henry's birth is… A bit of a complicated story. I adopted him myself, long before Shae and I were married, when he was just a baby, and I have, um… Joint custody of him, along with his birth mother, Emma, who was also here last night. She was the blonde one in the red jacket. His grandfather was also here, along with… Emma's, um… Boyfriend. But, in regards to Shae… She's treated him as a friend ever since she met him. And, now that he's her… Step-son, she treats him as her own, and loves him and cares for him just like I do."

"I see… At least, I think I do." Morganna muttered, slowly nodding her head. "It all seems very… Complicated, as you said. But, all I have to say, is… Anyone who you and Shae see as family or friend, is also my family and friend."

Regina nodded, once again left speechless over Morganna's uncommon kindness and warmth. "Is this… Your wedding?" Morganna asked, picking up a framed picture that was sitting on the mantle.

Regina stepped up behind Morganna to examine the picture. It was indeed of her and Shae the night of their wedding. Emma had snapped it, as they were holding hands in front of the wishing well together.

"Yes." Regina replied. "It's actually… The moment when we were exchanging our vows."

Morganna breathed out a small laugh, tracing a finger gently across the glass. "I… Wish I could have been there." She whispered softly, mournfully. "There are so, so many moments that I wish I could have been standing at Shae's side for. I deeply regret sending her away. But, if I hadn't… She… S-She-"

"Might not even be alive." Regina finished for her, placing her hand gently on Morganna's shoulder.

Morganna nodded, still staring down at the picture she was holding. "No. She might not be." She quietly replied, placing her hand on top of Regina's. "Then she wouldn't be happily married to you. And none of us would be here today."

At that moment, Shae finally returned from the kitchen, a bottle of wine and three glasses in her hands. Morganna carefully placed the picture of Regina and Shae exchanging vows at their wedding back on the mantle where she found it. She then sat down in a nearby armchair, while Regina and Shae sat down on the couch together.

Shae poured three glasses of wine, and Morganna took a careful sip of hers. Her eyes suddenly grew wide. Regina and Shae watched with wide eyes themselves as she then proceeded to drain the entire rest of her glass in just a few, swift gulps.

"Oh… Oh my…" She muttered, setting her now empty glass back onto the coffee table in front of them. "That is… Exquisite."

"It is, isn't it?" Regina replied with a grin, as Shae poured her mother another glass. "The people of this world have done wonders in regards to making wine. And many, many other things, of course."

Morganna nodded in earnest agreement as she took another large sip of her wine. "Now, then. I've spent an eternity talking about myself." She said, smiling at her daughter and her wife. "Tell me about you. How did you two meet?"

Neither Regina or Shae responded right away. They exchanged a nervous glance, not entirely sure how to answer Morganna's simple, innocent question. "Um… Well… Back in my homeland, The Enchanted Forest, I was… A Queen." Regina slowly and carefully replied. She then placed her hand on top of her wife's, smiling fondly. "And Shae was… My sworn knight. My Protector."

"My, my… A Queen!" Morganna whispered, staring at Regina in wonder. "I know I've said this before, Shae, but I'll happily say it again. Your wife really is quite the catch."

Shae nodded in agreement, taking her wife's hand and placing a quick kiss on her knuckles. "I agree." She said, smiling back at Regina. "Whole heartedly."

"And you've been together ever since?" Morganna went on to ask. "How long has it been, now?"

Once again, neither Shae or Regina knew how to respond right away, and exchanged another anxious glance. "Um, well… No. Not… Exactly." Shae muttered in reply. "After coming to this world, there was a good thirty years where we didn't even speak. And then, well… The years leading up till now were a bit, uh… Complicated."

"Thirty years?" Cried Morganna. "You didn't speak for… Thirty years? Why? What happened?"

Regina and Shae exchanged yet another anxious, uncertain glance for a moment. "Look, uh… I really want to be honest with you. We both do." Shae began, pausing to get confirmation from her wife, who nodded. "But, um… Before we tell you our story, you need to know that… T-That… It's not a good story. Life wasn't exactly easy, for either of us. And, instead of… Rising above it all, Regina and I, we… Sank low. Very low."

"We gave in to the darkness brewing in our hearts." Regina went on in a quiet, solemn tone, once again placing her hand on top of Shae's. "I wasn't a good Queen. I was once called The Evil Queen, and Shae was my ruthless right hand. We've done many things that we regret, horrible, terrible things. But, we've both… Worked hard to change, to become… Heroes, even."

"It's true. We have." Shae agreed with a small, sad smile, squeezing her wife's hand gently. "And, during that change, we… Finally found each other again. Now, we're married, and we have friends, we have family. I have a step-son that is just… A really amazing kid. Together, we… Protect this town. And all the people in it."

Morganna sat in silence for a while, slowly nodding her head. "I see…" She finally replied, her tone low and quiet. "Tell me more. Tell me… Everything."

Once again, Regina and Shae exchanged a nervous glance. Then, after hesitating for a moment, Shae began their tale. She started before she and Regina had even met, at the moment she had left Avalon, along with Remus and Nadia. She told her mother all about willingly becoming a vampire to throw off Oberon's soldiers, and falling in love with Nadia, and, eventually, losing her. Regina then told Morganna all about Daniel, the stable boy that had been her first love, and losing him too. Then, they finally answered Morganna's original question, and told her all about how they had first met.

Shae briefly branched off from their story to tell her mother all about Elsa, and her adventures in Arendelle. She told the story of losing Elsa, another woman that she had loved, another Queen. Then, their stories met again upon Shae's return to The Enchanted Forest, where she and Regina met again.

Regina and Shae then proceeded to tell Morganna… Everything. Their entire story up until the present. They started at the beginning, with the curse that brought them all to Storybrooke, then all the villains they had faced. When they got to The Snow Queen, Shae told the story of Elsa's return, and falling in love with her all over again. Regina, in turn, told her about Robin Hood, and falling in love with him. They told her all about how, even though they had two other people that they loved, and loved them in return, they were always drawn back to each other. Shae went on about losing Elsa once again, then they moved on to The Queen's of Darkness, The Author, King Arthur of Camelot, and Shae's death at the hands of The Hollow.

Morganna didn't seem at all surprised to learn that her daughter had died, and come back to life. Shae and Regina both now knew that it was due to the prophecy. So they quickly moved on to their adventures in Hades' Underworld, and Shae's escape from death itself. It seemed that Shae didn't need to be so secretive before about her dealings with Loki, for, once again, Morganna didn't seem at all surprised. So they moved on to their current problems; The Evil Queen, Gold, Shae's own evil half, and, now, King Oberon of Avalon.

The entire time Shae and Regina were telling their story, Morganna listened in rapt attention. She only spoke very briefly to ask a quick question, or make a quick comment. Then, once they were done, she sat in silence for a long time. She sipped at her glass of wine as she slowly processed everything Shae and Regina had told her.

"Like I said, it's not a good story." Shae muttered, breathing out a sad, heavy sigh. "But… It's ours."

Morganna slowly nodded her head, and set her wine glass back down on the coffee table. "You're right, it's not a good story." She muttered. She then leaned forward in her chair, and smiled into her daughter's eyes. "But I knew that, I knew it wouldn't be. The prophecy spoke of the difficult path that you would walk. It spoke of the fierce battle between darkness and light that would rage within your heart. And, that one day, you would come to realize that… You can be neither, you can be both, or something… Entirely different. Right and wrong, light and dark, good and evil, they live within each and every one of us, after all."

Morganna paused for a moment, her eyes beginning to shimmer with tears as she continued to smile at Shae. "Despite the road you walked to get where you are today, I am… So proud of you, Shae. So, so proud."

Suddenly, Regina felt her wife's hand trembling within her own. She found that Shae's face was now streaming with tears. "Oh! Oh, no!" Morganna cried, leaping from her chair. She knelt down in front of Shae, placing her hand gently on her arm. "I'm… So sorry, my love. I… I-I didn't mean to upset you."

Shae quickly shook her head, wiping the tears away from her face. "No, no… It's ok." She whispered, smiling through her tears at her mother. "It's just… Nobody has ever said that to me before. That… T-That they're… Proud of me. It… Means a lot. Especially coming from my… M-My… Mother."

"Well, of course I'm proud of you!" Cried Morganna. She then reached out, and cupped her daughter's face in her hands. "How could I not be? Just look at you and everything you've accomplished! You may have lost many battles against the darkness in your heart, but, in the end… You won the war! You both did! And I'm so incredibly proud of both of you."

Regina smiled back at Morganna as she turned her eyes onto her. She then felt her own eyes welling with tears. She thought back to her own mother, how, just before she crossed over into the light, Cora told both her and Zelena that she was proud of them. It was an emotional moment, hearing those words. She didn't blame Shae one bit for dissolving into tears, just as she had.

Suddenly, Shae's previous, joyous tears became something quite different. Her face contorted in sorrow, in pain, and she dropped it into her hands. Regina exchanged a glance with Morganna, who seemed just as shocked and confused as she was.

"Shae… Shae, it's alright." Regina muttered soothingly, gently rubbing her wife's back. "What's wrong?"

"It's… I-It's just… I never thought… I'd have this." Shae replied shakily, her head still buried in her hands. "I have a mother who is… Proud of me, and… A-And that somehow makes… Everything worse. Looking back on everything I've done… I regret it so much more now. It… I-It hurts so much more."

Finally, Shae lifted her head to stare mourfully into her mother's identical, piercing blue eyes. "I'm sorry, Mom." She whispered, choking out a strangled sob. "I'm… I-I'm so… So sorry."

Moganna opened and closed her mouth several times, then placed a hand over her mouth, unsure of what to do, what to say. She then rose to her feet, and sat down on the couch on Shae's other side. Then, for the first time, she drew her daughter into her arms. Shae dissolved into more miserable tears, wrapping her arms tightly around her mother, sobbing into her shoulder. Regina simply sat beside her in silence, one hand placed gently on her knee.

"Shh, shh… It's alright, my love. It's alright." Morganna murmured softly, gently running her fingers through her daughter's hair. "Now, listen closely, both of you. I'm going to tell you something that my mother once told me."

Morganna smiled at Regina through her own tears, and spoke the simplest, most profound thing that either her or Shae had ever heard; "There's no use in looking back. You're not going that way. Instead, turn your gaze forward, onto tomorrow. That is where you are going. That is what matters."

After that, Morganna continued to hold her daughter in her arms, until she finally calmed down. They all continued to talk for a little while, until they realized how late it had gotten. It was well past midnight. So, just like she had promised, Regina packed up all the leftovers from dinner, plus a little extra from the fridge and pantry. Morganna embraced them both tightly and gratefully before she left. Then, laden with tupperware containers, she stepped off into the night.

Regina and Shae went to bed looking forward to tomorrow, as Morganna had said. They had both promised to meet Morganna at Granny's Diner for breakfast. There, she would meet Henry, her grandson, as well as the rest of Shae and Regina's family and friends.

Once in bed, Shae, once again, found that she was unable to sleep, her mind reeling, her head spinning. "Hey… Can I ask you something?" She muttered to her wife, whom she was spooning.

"Hm?" Regina mumbled sleepily.

"Is… I-Is my mom… Black?"

Regina blinked several times in confusion, then rolled over slightly to better face her wife. "Um… Well… Yes."

Shae rolled over onto her back, giggling excitedly at the ceiling. "Awesome…" She breathed.

"You really never… Assumed that? All this time?" Regina asked, brow furrowed. "I don't mean any offense, but… From the little I saw of Avalon in your memories, it seemed blatantly obvious that all the humans were black."

"No, you're right, they are. I guess I just… Never actually thought about it." Shae replied. She stared silently up at the ceiling for a moment, then breathed out another laugh. "My mom is black… That is just… So awesome!"

Regina furrowed her brow once again, still confused over why her wife seemed fixed on nothing but a simple fact. "You're awfully strange…" She mumbled, laying her head down on Shae's chest. "But… I love you for it."

Shae chuckled quietly, placing a quick kiss on her wife's forehead. "I love you too, Regina." She whispered. "I love you too."

Once again, just outside Shae and Regina's house, an elven soldier clad all in black had been watching as Morganna left. He followed her at a careful distance as she ventured out into the woods. Suddenly, his entire body burst into flames. He didn't even have time to scream before he was nothing but a pile of ash.

"Not yet…" Loki whispered, watching as the ashes of the dead elf were swept away in a gentle gust of wind. "Not yet…"

XX

The next morning, Shae and Regina headed to Granny's Diner, just as they had planned. They waited outside for Morganna to arrive along with Henry, Emma, Hook, Snow, as well as Tinkerbell. As Shae and Regina's fairy-godmother, they thought it only appropriate to invite Tink to their family breakfast.

They didn't have to wait long before Morganna arrived, her sisters trailing along behind her, their hoods drawn up over their heads. The other three women, Nel, Faye, and Shireen, remained silent, and eyed them all with careful apprehension. Nevertheless, they immediately obeyed their High Priestess, and made a quick exit as Morganna sent them away.

"My apologies." Morganna said, smiling warmly around at everyone. "My sisters are simply… Protective of me."

"They're most certainly welcome to join us, of course." Snow White replied, smiling back.

"Yes, I told them as much." Morganna muttered with a frown. "But, this new world, it is… Much different from our own. I'm afraid it's a bit… Overwhelming, for them. And myself, if I'm to be perfectly honest. I'm quite… Out of my element."

Shae chuckled, and placed her hand on her mother's shoulder. "It's ok, Mom." She said, smiling herself. "It took me a while to get used to this modern world too. Let's just… Go inside. Like you said, a good meal in the belly calms the heart and soothes the soul."

Morganna chuckled herself, and nodded in agreement. Shae then offered her arm to her mother, which she took, and followed her inside. The others all trailed in behind them, smiling around at each other. Morganna, former Queen of Avalon, seemed to them all to be a kind, lovely woman. It warmed all their hearts to see Shae getting along so well with her long lost mother.

Once they all sat down, Morganna was officially introduced to Henry, her grandson. She greeted him happily, with a misty eyed smile. She made numerous comments on how strong and handsome he was, which caused Henry to blush deeply. The others all laughed, which caused the budding teenager in their midst to blush even more.

Morganna asked Henry many questions about his life, his interests. Henry happily elaborated on everything she asked of him, and it soon seemed the two of them were becoming fast friends. Morganna went on to get to know the others as well. Before they knew it, hours had gone by as they all sat around and talked with the former Queen of Avalon, and Shae's mother.

Once they had all finally left Granny's, they intended to go their separate ways. Hook announced that it was time for Henry's sword fighting lesson. Since Hook had officially moved in with Emma, every Sunday he would spend an hour or so in the backyard sparring with Henry, teaching him to fight. This piqued Morganna's interest, and she said she would love to see her grandson's skills for herself. So, they all headed to Emma's house together.

Out in the backyard, Henry took up his wooden sword. This time, however, it wasn't Hook that he was facing. It was Morganna herself. The others gathered on the back porch to watch. Morganna was good, very good, and seemed to be a seasoned warrior. At one point, Remus gently nudged Regina with his elbow, and pointed at Shae. They both chuckled at the wide eyed, open mouthed grin on her face.

"Good, Henry… Very good. You have a swift, strong arm." Morganna said as they paused for a moment, both breathing heavily. "Widen your stance just a bit. A wide, firm stance helps to maintain balance. The last thing you want is to trip over your own feet during battle."

Henry nodded, and quickly adjusted his stance, as Morganna suggested. She took a few more swings at him, nodding approvingly. "That's it! Excellent!" She exclaimed, smiling proudly. "Now, then… You must always keep your eyes moving. Never keep your eyes fixed on one spot for too long. Always be watching every inch of your opponent's body, and your surroundings. That way, you'll never be taken by surprise."

Henry nodded once again, and Morganna nodded back. She then motioned for Henry to come at her. The boy obliged, putting his full force into every one of his swings. At one point, it seemed like Morganna was actually struggling to fend him off. Shae continued to watch with the same wide eyed, awestruck grin on her face.

"Enough! I yield!" Morganna cried after a time. She laughed as she lowered her own wooden sword down at her side. "You'll make a fine warrior one day, Henry. A fine warrior indeed."

"Thanks, Grandma." Henry replied with a smile. "Is, uh… I-Is it ok if I call you that?"

Morganna smiled as she stepped up to Henry, cupping his face gently in her hands. "I would just… Absolutely love that." She whispered, her eyes welling with grateful tears. She then cleared her throat, and wrapped her arm around Henry's shoulders. "Now then… I need to rest. I'm afraid you've tuckered out your poor old 'Grandma.'"

"You don't seem that old to me." Henry said as the two of them made their way back toward the others. "How old are you, exactly?"

"Much older than I look, I'm afraid." Morganna replied with a wink. "Time works much differently in Avalon. Besides, the elves aren't the only ones who can prolong their lives with magic. My own mother was two hundred and six when she passed, may the gods keep her."

"Woah…" Henry whispered, his eyes wide.

"Mom, that was… Amazing! You're amazing!" Shae exclaimed, still grinning broadly. "I had no idea that you were a warrior! I thought you said that The Daughters of Chaos don't fight."

"Well, I never said that, exactly." Morganna replied with another wink. "What I said was that we don't use our powers to fight. But, all of us train extensively with sword, shield, and bow. I don't think it's what Morgan la Fay intended for our order, but… It became necessary over the years. I, as well as my predecessors, refuse to sit idly by while the warriors of the tribes rush out to defend The Mists any time the elves send their soldiers into the desert. So… We join them. And we fight to protect our home."

"That is… Very noble of you." Commented Snow White, staring in awe at Morganna as well.

"Oh, I don't know about that." Morganna said with a shrug, wiping the sweat from her brow with the sleeve of her robe, as well as her bald head. "It's simply… Our duty."

"You know, I've been meaning to ask you…" Shae muttered with a slight frown. "The last time I saw you, when I was just a kid, you had… Hair. A lot of it. Done up in all these… Magnificent braids. Why'd you shave it?"

Morganna chuckled quietly, graciously accepting the glass of ice water that Emma handed to her. "Yes, the braids, they are… A custom among my people's warriors." She explained, after taking a generous sip. "The more braids you have, or the longer your braid is, signifies how many battles you have fought and won. When I returned to The Mists after being your father's prisoner for years, I found that all my sisters had shaved them off, as well as the rest of my people. They considered losing their High Priestess, a… Grave loss. And when I lost both you and your sister, I… Considered that a grave loss as well. So I cut my own braids."

She paused to set her glass down on the nearby table. She then stepped up to her daughter, taking both of her hands in her own. "But, now that we're together," She began, smiling up into Shae's eyes. "Perhaps I will… Grow them out again."

"Yes. Of course you should." Shae replied, smiling back at her mother. "Any battle that you face, I want to be right beside you. With the two of us combined, there's no way we can lose."

Suddenly, Morganna's eyes grew very sad. "Yes… About that…" She muttered, placing her hand gently on Shae's arm. "You should know that-"

The rest of Morganna's words were cut short by a loud, frantic knocking on Emma and Hook's front door. They all followed Emma inside, and, after she opened the door, they were met with an alarming sight. It was one of Jack Sparrow's crew, the one with the wooden eye. He was breathing heavily, and covered in blood.

"Thank god I've found you!" He exclaimed, stumbling shakily through the door. "The elves, they… T-They have the Captain! And Mr. Gibbs!"

They all gasped as the man, called Ragetti by Jack, suddenly staggered into the wall, and slowly sank down onto the floor. "Woah, woah, woah…" Emma muttered, kneeling down in front of him. "Oh my god, you're… Y-You're hurt!"

"Calm yourself, mate." Hook said as he knelt down on his other side. "Tell us what happened."

Ragetti nodded, his chest heaving. After taking a moment to calm himself, he began to explain. "Those elves, they spotted us spying on them. The rest of us barely got away with our lives. Jack and Gibbs weren't so lucky, though. Afterwards, the others sent me to find you lot. I went to the diner first, and the old woman there sent me here."

The other's exchanged a brief, wide eyed glance. "Please, you… Y-You have to help them!" Cried Ragetti.

"Don't worry, we'll get them out of there." Emma replied, placing a comforting hand on Ragetti's shoulder. She then glanced at Tinkerbell. "Tink, can you heal him?"

Tink blinked several times in shock, opening and closing her mouth. "I… I-I… I dunno. I can try." She muttered uncertainly.

"If she can't, I can." Said Morganna, stepping forward. "Besides, I… Can't go with you. Oberon doesn't know I'm here, and it would be best for everyone if it stays that way."

"Of course." Shae replied, placing a gentle hand on her mother's shoulder. She then glanced around at the others. "Everyone else… Let's go."

The others, apart from Henry, all nodded their heads in agreement. They then followed Shae out the door, and to King Oberon's encampment. Shae led the way into the camp, her fists clenched, a fierce scowl on her face. Just like before, the elven soldiers all bowed as she passed by.

It didn't take them long to find Jack and Gibbs. In fact, they were right in the center of the camp, tied to wooden posts carved from the nearby trees. The two of them were stripped down to just their pants, and were being viciously whipped by one of the soldiers. Their backs were already raw and bloody, and the rest of the elves laughed as they watched.

"STOP!" Shae bellowed as she approached the elf with the whip. She tore the whip out of his hand before he could even say a word, and tossed it aside. "That's enough!"

The elf was obviously enraged, and he and Shae exchanged some heated words in Elvish that the others, apart from Remus, did not understand. Suddenly, Shae kneed the man in the groin, then struck him in the face with her fist. As he collapsed unconscious onto the ground, several other soldiers went rushing off toward The King's tent.

"Remus… Snow…" Shae muttered, gesturing toward Jack and Gibbs.

They both nodded, and immediately rushed over to the two unfortunate pirates. Jack and Gibbs simply groaned in pain as Remus and Snow undid their bonds. Just as the two of them were placing the pirate's arms over their shoulders to stabilize them, King Oberon of Avalon arrived.

Regina immediately fell back into a battle ready stance, hands raised, as did Emma. Hook followed suit not a moment later, drawing his sword. Shae simply stood in front of them all, arms folded across her chest.

"Shae! My darling daughter! You've returned!" Oberon exclaimed, smiling as he spread his arms wide. His smile quickly turned into a frown as he noticed Jack and Gibbs, leaning heavily against Snow and Remus. "What, pray tell, are you doing with my prisoners?"

"I'm setting them free." Shae replied with a small shrug. "And that's all you need to know."

There was a tense moment where Oberon simply stared at his daughter, his jaw dangling open. Then, he cocked his head to one side, folding his own arms across his chest. The others all watched in silence, their eyes wide with shock. Now that they were seeing King Oberon for themselves, they couldn't deny that Shae looked just like the man. If it wasn't for Oberon's blonde hair, pale complexion, and golden colored eyes, they two of them would be almost identical.

"Why, exactly, would you want to do that?" Oberon asked of his daughter. "We have noticed them spying on us, skulking around our camp day and night, and I have been punishing them accordingly. Do they not deserve it?"

"No. They don't." Shae snarled, taking an angry step forward.

Oberon simply laughed, slowly shaking his head. "I see… So it is as I feared. You sent them, didn't you?"

"Yeah. I did. Because I don't trust you." Shae growled, narrowing her eyes at Oberon. "And I don't want anything to do with you. I don't want you here. So, I suggest you leave, go back to Avalon. And don't ever, ever come back. If you do, you'll have to answer to me, and only me."

Shae then drew Mjolnir from it's holster, and raised it into the air. As it began to crackle with lightning, the elven soldiers that were closest to Shae cried out in alarm, and fled. There was another tense moment where Shae and Oberon simply stared at each other. Then, The King of Avalon said something that surprised them all.

"Fine." He replied with a shrug. "Allow my men and I some time to pack up our camp. We'll be gone by… Tomorrow afternoon."

Shae blinked several times in surprise, as did the others. "Fine… Good." She muttered, eyeing her father warily. When he simply remained where he stood, smiling at her, Shae then turned her back on him. "Come on… Let's go."

Oberon remained where he stood for a few moments, watching as his daughter and her friends left his camp. As soon as they were gone, he beckoned to his captain. "Bring me Rumplestiltskin." He muttered as the elf stepped up beside him. "There's one last thing he can do for me to ensure that my daughter will come willingly back to Avalon."

"If you don't mind my asking, Your Grace, how exactly can Rumplestiltskin ensure that?" The Captain asked, eyebrow raised. "She seems… Awfully resistant."

"Well, she'll simply have no choice." The King replied, shrugging once again. "There is a certain scrawny little human boy that she cares very deeply about. Rumplestiltskin is going to bring him to me."

"Very Good, Your Grace." Said The Captain, bowing low. "I will fetch him at once."

Oberon nodded his head, and his Captain promptly set off. "What say you, Puck?" Oberon asked of the small elf in the leather collar standing silently at his side. "Once we're home, should I have the princess burned at the stake, or should I cut off her head myself?"

Puck swallowed hard before responding. "Whatever would please Your Majesty most."

Oberon narrowed his eyes at Puck, and, for seemingly no reason at all, suddenly struck him hard in the face with an open palm. "You're useless, you know that?" Oberon snarled, eyeing Puck with deep contempt. "Now go and fetch me a drink. I have a great and sudden thirst."

"At once, Your Grace." Puck muttered with a bow.

He didn't even dare to rub his sore cheek as he scurried off toward the tent where the barrels of the finest elven wine were stored. He knew full well that The King was watching him closely. As Puck began to pour a pitcher of wine, he paused to turn his head up toward the ceiling of the tent.

"Odin… Allfather… Hear my prayer." He whispered, squeezing his eyes shut. "Please… Please let The Prophecy be true. Watch over The Princess, and keep her safe. So that, one day soon, she can bring an end to her father's reign."

Puck then fell to his knees, hanging his head as tears spilled down his face. "Loki… Mad One… Please, give her the strength to reign fire down upon Oberon and all those that support him. Let them call her Vatt'ghern, so that we may call her Zireael. Let her bring doom upon the wicked, selfish royals, so that us kindly, humble poor can finally live in freedom and peace. Let her be… Our Savior!"

XX

Once back at Emma's house, Jack Sparrow and Mr. Gibbs were carefully set down on the couch. Morganna immediately rushed over to heal them, just as she did with Ragetti, who was still present. Just as Shae's hands once did when she had healed Robin Hood, back in Camelot, Morganna's hands glowed with a soft, yellow light. Not even a moment later, Jack and Gibbs were back at full health once again.

"Thank you, love." Gibbs muttered, breathing out a relieved sigh. "Thank you ever so much."

"Aye. That's much better." Jack sighed as well, nodding gratefully at Morganna. He then turned his eyes onto the others. "Mr. Gibbs and I would be well and truly dead if it wasn't for you lot. You have our eternal thanks."

"We're just glad you're both ok." Snow said with a smile.

"Could use a drink, thanks for asking." Jack replied, though no one had actually asked. "Rum would be preferred, if you have it."

"Of course, Captain." Hook said with a grin. "I've got plenty stashed away. Back in a moment."

As Hook went into the kitchen to fetch drinks for the pirates, Jack suddenly turned to Regina. "I expect payment in double for meself and me crew for what we just went through."

Regina exchanged a quick glance with her wife, who simply shrugged at her. "I… Suppose that could be arranged." Regina muttered, though a bit begrudgingly. "You'll all be paid double the agreed amount, considering all you've been through."

Ragetti emitted a gleeful giggle, clapping his hands together excitedly. "You hear that, Cap'n?" He whispered as he sat down on Jack's other side. "Double!"

"Aye! We'll be living like Kings, mates!" Jack exclaimed, throwing his arms around Ragetti and Gibbs. "Let's just hope that knob who runs the tavern stocks some more rum soon."

"Oi!" Cried Remus.

The eyes of the three pirates grew wide as they suddenly noticed Remus. Just then, Hook returned with a bottle of Captain Morgan in hand, as well as three glasses. He poured all the pirates a tall drink, and they clinked their glasses together, laughing merrily. None of them seemed at all bothered about the ordeal they just went through.

"Is it just me, or was that far too easy?" Remus asked of the others, as the pirates drank deep from their glasses of rum.

"It's not just you." Shae mumbled, slowly rubbing her chin. "None of this feels right. I don't believe for a goddamn second that Oberon is simply just going to leave without a fight."

"Oh! Right!" Jack Sparrow suddenly called out from his spot on the couch. "We did hear some things when we were in the elf camp. Didn't we, Gibbs?"

"Aye!" Cried Gibbs, nodding in agreement as he took another deep gulp of rum. "It was all in elvish, o'course, but there were two words that they all kept saying over and over again."

"What two words?" Asked Shae.

Jack and Gibbs both furrowed their brows, and exchanged a quick glance. "Uh… Uh… Rhen… R-Rhenawedd!" Gibbs answered. "And… Something like… Dith… Deth… Deithwen!"

"Rhenawedd… I heard the elves saying that when I was at their camp." Muttered Henry. "I think it means… Princess. Right?"

Shae and Remus both nodded. "And… Deithwen?" Asked Regina. "What does that mean?"

The two halflings in their midst that spoke elvish exchanged a wide eyed, concerned glance. "Death…" Shae whispered.

The others all exchanged shocked, wide eyed glances themselves. "So… What your mother said really is true." Emma muttered, staring in alarm at Shae. "Your father, he… Really does want you dead."

"Yes." Morganna confirmed, finally breaking her silence. "In fact, the only reason he wants you to return to Avalon with him is so he can publicly execute you."

"What?" Regina exclaimed. "H-How… How exactly do you know that?"

Morganna breathed out a sad, heavy sigh before she responded. "When Oberon had all those who participated in the riots after my rumored death slaughtered, he, unwillingly, planted the seeds of rebellion. And those seeds have been growing ever since." She began to explain. "I have made allies in the city, and in the castle itself. Over the years, they became my eyes and ears into Oberon's plans."

"Really?" Hook asked with a skeptical frown. "It's that easy for them?"

"Well… Yes." Morganna replied with a small shrug. "Here in this world, things are… Much different. But, in Avalon, none of the rich and powerful would ever think to bite their tongue amongst a slave. They are nothing, after all. Simply… Part of the furniture. Which is why they make the best spies."

"That's just… Awful." Snow mumbled sadly.

"Yes… It is." Remus mumbled back. "But it's also… Very true."

"Indeed." Morganna agreed with a solemn nod.

A moment of silence fell over the group, the only sounds to be heard were the three pirates who were drinking and talking quietly amongst themselves. "I just… I don't understand." Muttered Snow, slowly shaking her head. "Why exactly does Oberon want Shae dead? She's his daughter!"

"Because of The Prophecy, of course." Answered Morganna, shrugging once again. "All the people of Avalon know about it. Those directly under Oberon's thumb dare not speak of it, but the common folk, the poor, the enslaved… They speak of it often. They whisper about the day the child born of two worlds will return to Avalon, and bring an end to the tyranny that has always been the elven reign. They hope and pray for the day when she will bring about an era of peace and prosperity to all the realm."

Morganna paused as she turned her eyes onto her daughter. She then stepped up to her, taking both of her hands in her own. "That day… It has come, Shae." She went on, staring very seriously into Shae's eyes. "It is now."

Shae drew in a deep, shaky breath, and slowly let it out again. "I don't mean any offense…" She began quietly, fighting to keep her voice calm and even. "But… I'm not going back to Avalon, Mom. Not ever. My life is here now. My friends, my family… They're here, in Storybrooke."

"I know, my love… I know." Morganna whispered, gently rubbing her daughter's arm. "But, I'm afraid… You might not have a choice."

Shae suddenly wrenched her hands out of her mother's grip, and stumbled back a step. "No! I refuse to believe that!" She shouted, pointing an angry, trembling finger in Morganna's face. "A very wise person once told me that things like prophecy and destiny are never completely absolute!"

Morganna slowly nodded her head, once again breathing out a sad, heavy sigh. "That… Can be true, yes." She muttered, turning her eyes down onto the floor. "But, for a prophecy as great as this… You may be able to change certain circumstances, certain elements of it, but… Other certain things will always remain the same."

Shae vigorously shook her head, retreating backwards even more. "No. You're wrong." She whispered, still shaking her head. "I… I-I… I am the master of my fate. Nothing else can change that."

There was another moment of silence as Morganna continued to stare down at her feet. Then, she slowly turned her gaze back onto her daughter. The others watched as she opened and closed her mouth several times, her piercing blue eyes welling with tears.

"Why don't we, um… Change the subject?" Snow White offered, glancing around at all the others. "The one thing we all agree on is that Oberon and his soldiers need to leave Storybrooke. So, if we can find out how exactly they got here in the first place, then maybe we can send them right back."

"Oh, well… I can answer that, my dear." Morganna replied before anyone else could. She quickly wiped the tears from her face as she turned to Snow. "He used Gungnir."

"Goog… What?" Asked Hook.

While the others stared around at each other in confusion, Remus and Shae exchanged a wide eyed, baffled glace. "Gungnir…" Remus whispered, turning his wide eyes onto Morganna. "Odin's Spear… It's… Actually real?"

"Why yes, of course." Morganna said with a laugh.

"I guess that's not too surprising, considering Thor's Hammer is… Right there." Replied Regina, gesturing to Mjolnir, which was attached to her wife's belt.

"Right, so… What does Odin's Spear do exactly?" Asked Emma.

"Well, apart from being a formidable weapon, it can pierce through the very fabric of time and space itself." Morganna explained. "It can open a portal to whatever realm the user wishes. It's said that's how The Elves escaped their own realm of Alfheim during Ragnarok. They stole the spear from The Allfather himself, and fled through a portal. Eventually, they settled in Avalon, and Gungnir has been passed down through the royal line ever since."

"Loki did say The Elves ran instead of fighting for their home, called them cowards." Shae muttered with a frown.

Morganna breathed out a sour chuckle. "An apt description, if I do say so myself."

"Indeed." Remus agreed with a grimace.

"Ok… So…" Snow White slowly began. "All we need to do is… Storm a camp full of elves, steal a magical spear from their King, and use it to somehow… Force them back to Avalon?"

There was a brief moment of silence as they all pondered over such an incredible feat. "That sounds impossible." Hook spoke what was on all their minds.

"It is impossible, I assure you." Morganna confirmed with a grim nod. "Even if you did somehow fight your way through Oberon's soldiers, Oberon himself is very powerful, and won't give Gungnir up without a fight. In fact, I'm certain he won't leave Storybrooke at all without a fight, and certainly not without you, Shae."

"Would you be willing to help? You know… Break your vow again." Shae asked of her mother. "I know you don't use magic to fight, but… Mom, I can feel all the power you have stored away. If you help us, we might just have a chance."

Morganna simply considered her daughter for a moment, then said something that surprised them all. "Yes. I would break my vow and fight to bring down Oberon. Of course I would, as would my sisters." She replied. "What I will not do is break my vow to fight a losing battle. If I know your father, and, trust me, I do, he will have brought his entire Kingsguard with him. Though they don't have magic themselves, nor do the common soldiers, they're still the most highly trained and highly skilled warriors in… Well, any realm! I'm certain he will have brought mages as well, which even I, a highly skilled sorceress, am wary to face in numbers."

Morganna paused to breathe out a sad, heavy sigh. "Even with our powers combined, we would still need an entire army at our backs to even begin to stand a chance, a very large army, full of skilled warriors." She went on, glancing around at all the others. "So, unless you actually have such an army tucked away somewhere, I'd say the cause is lost."

"We could rally the town. There's a good number of people who are former soldiers of both mine and Regina's." Snow muttered, slowly rubbing her chin. "And we could ask Gold for help. Maleficent and Lily too, they can turn into dragons. But… They mostly keep to themselves these days. And there's no guarantee that they'd help us, or Gold, or anyone else in town, for that matter."

The others watched and waited in silence as Snow White talked herself in circles. "So… I guess the answer is… No." She finally admitted. "We don't have an army."

"I didn't think so." Morganna replied with a shrug.

"So, what, we just… Give up?" Emma exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. "Are we really supposed to just sit around and… A-And… Let them take Shae?"

Once again, Morganna's eyes suddenly grew very sad. She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped as Regina suddenly cut in. "No! Of course not!" She cried. "We simply need to… Put our heads together, and come up with some other way to get rid of Oberon."

And they did just that. The Heroes of Storybrooke spent the entire rest of the day at Emma's house, talking and arguing amongst each other over what to do about King Oberon and his soldiers. Morganna, Remus, and Shae herself all insisted that Oberon was not going to leave without his daughter, which meant that he wasn't going to leave without a fight, a fight that The Heroes of Storybrooke couldn't win.

After a long, fruitless debate, they all retreated to their separate homes. They had come up empty. After spending so many hours talking through every possible scenario, there simply seemed to be no possible way to defeat Oberon and the small army he had brought with him from Avalon.

Regina and Shae returned home with heavy hearts, with Henry in tow, as well as Morganna. They had invited her back to their home for a night cap, to which Morganna graciously agreed. Regina brought out another bottle of wine, of which Morganna immediately gulped down an entire glass full. They all laughed, and Regina poured her another. She even poured a small amount for her son, after insistent prodding from both Shae and her mother. There was more laughter as, upon taking a single sip, Henry grimaced.

"It… I-It… Burns!" Henry muttered, setting his glass down on the coffee table. "Does all alcohol burn going down?"

"The good kind does, yeah." Shae answered with a laugh. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"I'd much rather he didn't." Grumbled Regina.

Shae and her mother both laughed some more. They sat around and talked for a while, sipping at their wine. Henry, on the other hand, sipped on a glass of grape juice, after being thoroughly disgusted by the wine.

"I saw a piano in your dining room last night." Morganna said to Regina at one point. "Do you play?"

Regina chuckled quietly, slowly shaking her head. "No, but… Shae does."

"Yeah! She's really good!" Henry said excitedly. "And she has an amazing voice!"

"Well, those are two things you get from your mother, obviously." Morganna replied, chuckling herself. "I'd absolutely love to hear you play!"

Shae resisted for a moment, but her wife, her mother, and her step-son all continued to relentlessly insist. She was forced to relent, and they all quickly relocated to the dining room. Once they were all seated comfortably, Shae began to play. Regina smiled when she realized that her wife was playing her favorite classical piece, Chopin's Nocturne in E Flat Major.

Regina thought back to the last time Shae had played it for her. It was right after she had returned from falling into Zelena's time portal. Shae had covered the entire dining room in her favorite flowers, purple calla lilies. At the time, it had all been in attempt to win her back from Robin Hood. Regina had rejected her, and quite violently. Now, all she could think about was how grateful she was to now be married to Shae, and how she would do anything and everything to prevent losing her, like she lost Robin.

Once Shae was done, Regina, Morganna, and Henry all burst into raucous applause. Shae bowed as they gave her a standing ovation. Just like Regina, Morganna was frantically wiping tears off of her cheeks.

"That was… Beautiful, my love! Absolutely, just… Beautiful!" Morganna exclaimed, gripping her daughter's hands tight. "You're so, so talented. Will you sing for me too?"

Shae chuckled lightly, slowly nodding her head. "Actually, I, uh… Have something special for you, Mom." She replied with a smile. "And I don't even need a piano for it. If there is a score, I don't know it. All I do know is a song an old woman once taught all us orphans, back in Avalon. She would come around every so often, tell us stories and sing to us. Apparently, her ancestors were from Old Avalon, before The Elves came. They passed down the song onto her. Maybe, you… Know it?"

Morganna's eyes immediately began to well with tears all over again. "I… I-I don't know. I might." She muttered quietly.

Shae nodded once again, then sat back down on the piano bench, this time facing them all. She quickly cleared her throat, then began to sing. The tune was slow and somber, the words in a language that neither Regina or Henry understood. The only thing that the two of them were able to surmise was that it wasn't Elvish. Neither of them understood Elvish either, but they knew the cadence of the language too well now. It was a strange language, one that sounded old, very old. And even though they couldn't understand the words, it didn't take away from the song's beauty.

After a few verses, Morganna began to sing with her daughter. Their voices melded in perfect harmony, growing louder and stronger with each verse. Regina and Henry sat with their jaws dangling open, listening in sheer awe. They watched as, at the end of the song, Shae and Morganna's voices grew and grew into a grand crescendo. Mother and daughter joined hands, tears rushing down their faces as they smiled at each other.

Regina and Henry were absolutely speechless, and it took them a moment to realize the song was over. Once they did, they immediately burst into applause. Morganna seemed deeply emotional, and, when asked about it, she said that the song was one that mothers and fathers among her people sing to their children, including her own mother. She even sang it to Shae, during the few days after her birth. Morganna said she was so happy to be able to sing it with daughter.

After that, Morganna bid them all goodnight. Regina and Shae offered to let her stay in the guest room, but she politely declined, saying that her sisters would go mad with worry if she didn't return to their camp. After giving her grandson another warm, tight hug, she walked with her daughter to the door.

"I am… So proud of you, Shae." Morganna said as Shae walked her out onto the porch. "You have such wonderful friends, and a beautiful family. I just… Couldn't be more proud."

Shae's eyes immediately welled with tears, and she found she was unable to speak. Morganna then spread her arms wide, and tightly embraced her daughter. Shae breathed out a quiet, strangled laugh, tears spilling down her face as she held her mother tight.

"I love you, Shae." Morganna whispered. "I love you so much. I always have."

"I… I-I love you too, Mom." Shae whispered back. "I love you too."

Morganna laughed herself, and squeezed her arms even tighter around her daughter. After a few more moments, she finally released her. She then cupped Shae's face in her hands, and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Shae was much taller than her mother, so Morganna had to stand on the tip of her tiptoes to do so, which caused Shae to laugh even more.

"See you tomorrow?" Shae asked with a smile. "You can come here for breakfast this time, and bring your sisters with you too. I'd love to get to know them."

"I would love that as well, as I'm sure they will." Morganna replied, smiling back. "We will be here. Count on it."

Shae nodded, as did Morganna. She then gave Shae one quick, final hug, and stepped off into the night. Shae watched her go for a while, until she was lost from sight as she disappeared into the trees. Shae continued to stand in the doorway for a few moments, smiling to herself as grateful, joyful tears trickled down her face.

A little while later, Shae and Regina said goodnight to Henry, and both got into bed themselves. "That song you sang with your mother… What was it about?" Regina asked as she curled up next to her wife.

Shae thought for a moment, running her fingers up and down Regina's bare back. "It's about… Staying strong through hardship, I guess." She muttered in reply. "That no matter how dark things get, dawn will always come. And dawn brings a new day, which brings… New opportunity. New strength to face whatever's coming."

Regina nodded silently, and nuzzled her face into her wife's neck. Shae held her close as they both fell asleep, once again looking forward to tomorrow. They had no idea that tomorrow would bring nothing but more darkness, nothing but chaos.

XX

The next morning, just as Shae had promised, she and Regina got up extra early to cook a large breakfast. Morganna arrived just as everything was ready, with her sisters in tow. The three other women greeted Shae, Regina, and Henry with warm smiles. Then, they all sat down to eat.

Unfortunately, Henry only had time to wolf his food down quickly, before he had to get on the bus for school. He scurried out the door with a mouth still full of bacon, leaving Shae and Regina alone with The Daughters of Chaos.

It was overall a pleasant experience, despite Faye and Shireen's constant bickering. They found out that, though most of the priestesses in the order were not sisters by blood, Faye and Shireen actually were. In fact, they were twins, and had hated each other since birth. When the girls began to display magical talent, their parents thought it would do them some good to send them to The Daughters. Their training and devotion to the order did nothing to take away from their disdain for each other, much to both Morganna and Nel's chagrin.

Nel, on the other hand, they found to be nothing but warm, pleasant, and kind. She was quiet, and didn't speak much unless it was to answer a question directed at her, or to chastise her sisters over their bickering. Regina and Shae found Nel to be much like Morganna, which explained why she had chosen her to be her apprentice.

"And I thought things between Zelena and me were bad." Regina muttered to her wife as they began carrying dirty dishes into the kitchen.

"I know right?" Shae muttered back. "Yikes…"

Morganna and her sisters graciously offered to help clean up after their breakfast. Once they were done, Regina brewed a pot of coffee, and they all sat down in the living room together. They chatted for a while, until Emma and Hook arrived, as did Tinkerbell a few moments later. Shae and Regina had tried to call Remus as well, but they got only his voicemail.

Nel, Faye, and Shireen all eyed the new strangers in their midst with apprehension, but quickly calmed down when they were greeted kindly and with warm smiles. Once they were all seated, and another pot of coffee was brewed, they all, once again, began to discuss what they should do about King Oberon. A little while into their talks, Regina's cell phone rang. She announced to the room that it was the school, and quickly excused herself.

"What else can you tell us about Oberon?" Emma asked of Morganna.

Morganna took a careful sip of her coffee before responding. "There's not much to tell, really." She replied with a small shrug. "He's violent, arrogant, misogynistic, and deeply racist. He despises anyone who isn't a pure blooded elf, and despises women too. Which is why he was so enraged when Shae and her sister were born."

"Wait… What?" Tink exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Shae has… A sister?"

Morganna's eyes suddenly grew very sad, and her sisters all exchanged a worried glance. "Yes." Morganna replied with a sigh. "Or, at least… She did. Once."

The others all exchanged quick, confused glances themselves. Tinkerbell opened her mouth to question Morganna more, but stopped as Regina stepped back into the room. "Regina?" She muttered, brow furrowed in concern. "Is everything alright?"

Regina seemed deeply troubled, and slowly shook her head. "We've got a problem." She quietly replied, her brown eyes wide. "Henry never showed up for his first class this morning, or his second."

"That's… Not like him." Shae said with a frown.

"No. It's not." Regina agreed, shaking her head some more. "Something must have happened to him. He might be hurt, or kidnapped, or-"

"Now just everyone calm down, ok?" Emma interjected, calmly putting her hands out in front of her. "There's no need to panic. He's probably just playing hooky with Violet."

"Yes, I thought of that." Regina replied in a frantic rush. "So I asked about Violet, and was told that she's at school. She even asked one of the teachers about Henry, said that she was worried since he wasn't there."

Emma's eyes suddenly grew wide, as did everyone else's. "Oh." Muttered Emma. "That's… Not good."

"Exactly!" Cried Regina, throwing her arms up in the air. "So, can we panic now?"

"Yep! Panic mode fully engaged!" Shae exclaimed, leaping to her feet. "Let's go, everyone!"

The others all immediately began rushing about and grabbing their coats. Once they were ready, they followed Regina to the door, who immediately let out a startled cry upon opening it. Sitting in the middle of the porch, was the severed head of Ragetti, the pirate with the wooden eye.

"Holy shit!" Cried Shae.

"Bloody hell!" Cried Hook. "Who… W-Who the hell would do this?"

As the others stared in shock at the grotesque sight, Regina slowly bent down to examine it closer. "There's… Something in his mouth." She muttered.

Upon closer inspection, they all noticed some sort of scrap of paper protruding from the dead pirate's lips. Regina gingerly retrieved it, then straightened up again. She slowly and carefully opened the folded up scrap of paper, which was actually a hand written note.

"It's in… A different language." Regina said, handing the note over to her wife.

"It's in Elvish." Shae muttered. She then cleared her throat, and began to read the note out loud. "'I have your boy. If you want him back, come to my camp before high noon. Come unarmed. If you do not, it will be his head on your doorstep next. Oberon, King of Avalon.'"

There was a moment of silence as they all stared around at each other in alarm. "I'll kill him." Tinkerbell suddenly snarled, balling her hands into fists. "If he harms a single hair on my grand-fairy-godson's head I'll turn him into a toad and squash him under my boot myself!"

"Agreed." Morganna snarled herself. She then turned to Shae, giving her a wink. "I like this one." She paused to clear her throat, then turned to the others. "Right, then. I think we all know what must be done."

Morganna started down the porch steps, but Shae quickly caught her by the arm. "Mom, no!" She cried. "You should stay here. Oberon doesn't know you're here, and-"

"No! Absolutely not! Not when Henry's life is at stake." Morganna interjected, firmly shaking her head. "Besides… I think it's finally time I face your father."

"We are with you, Lady Morganna." Nel said as she stepped forward, bowing her head.

"We will be at your side." Faye agreed, also stepping forward.

Shireen nodded her head, and stepped up beside her sister. "We will defend you and your own until the end, my Lady."

"Even if it means breaking your vows?" Morganna asked of her sisters.

The three women all nodded, and crossed clenched fists over their chests, bowing low to their High Priestess. "Good." Said Morganna, nodding approvingly. "Let us go, then. And be ready, my sisters. Be ready for anything, for the worst."

Nel, Faye, and Shireen all nodded once again, and followed Morganna into the forest. The others trailed along behind them, all of their hearts racing. None of them knew exactly what was about to happen, what they were going to face. All they knew was that they needed to do whatever they could to get Henry back.

As they made their way through the forest, Emma made a quick call to her mother, who was still at the school. Snow White immediately wanted to help, but Emma told her that it would be safer to stay in her classroom. She told her mother to keep a watchful eye, and, if anything were to happen, to keep the children safe. At the same time, Shae tried to call Remus, but still received no answer. This left her even more unsettled. Remus always answered when she called. Always.

Finally, they saw King Oberon's camp in the distance. The Heroes of Storybrooke all stopped for a moment, and began to formulate a plan. They were immediately forced to stop as Morganna and her sisters strode right into the camp. The others were left with little other choice but to follow.

Morganna ignored all the elven soldiers frantically grabbing at their weapons, muttering quietly to each other. She simply continued on through the camp, head held high. None of the soldiers made a move, and simply watched with wide eyes as the entire group passed by. They muttered the same two words over and over again; "Rhena, Rhenawedd…" Shae recognized the words to mean Queen, and Queen's Child, aka Princess.

"OBERON!" Morganna shouted as they approached The King's tent. "Let the boy go, Oberon!"

King Oberon himself immediately emerged from his tent. "Ah! Morganna! It seems that what my scout told me last night was really true!" He exclaimed with a grin, spreading his arms wide. "You really are here!"

"Indeed, I am. I came to warn our daughter of your true nature before she fell prey to your lies." Morganna growled, taking an angry step forward. "But, it seems I didn't need to. You've put your vileness on full display by kidnapping my grandson!"

Oberon barked out a loud, mocking laugh. "You really consider that pathetic little wretch family? My men barely had to lift a finger to bring him here. The weakling didn't even put up a fight!"

"ENOUGH!" Morganna bellowed, her entire body trembling with rage. "You will let the boy go, or you will face the wrath of The Daughters of Chaos!"

Nel, Faye, and Shireen all stepped up beside their High Priestess. The others noticed their wide stances, their clenched fists. They, as well as Morganna, were ready for battle.

This only seemed to amuse Oberon, and he barked out another laugh. "Fine, fine… Bring out the boy." He said to one of his soldiers.

The soldier nodded, and immediately disappeared into The King's tent. He returned a moment later, dragging Henry along with him. The boy's wrists were shackled in front of him, but he otherwise seemed unharmed.

"HENRY!" Emma and Regina cried in unison.

"Moms… Shae…" Henry muttered, staring mournfully at them all. "I'm… I-I'm… So sorry."

"Henry, it's alright." Regina replied breathlessly, her eyes shimmering with tears. "There's nothing you need to be sorry for."

"Everything's gonna be ok, kid." Said Emma, her own eyes glistening as well. "We're gonna get you out of here."

Henry opened his mouth to reply, but shut it again as Oberon suddenly threw his arm around his shoulders. "No, I don't think you will." Oberon said with a devious grin. "Not unless I get something in return."

Shae snarled in fury, and stomped up next to her mother. "What the hell do you want, Oberon?" She shouted.

"My, that is a bit formal, don't you think?" Oberon replied, still grinning. "You should address me as Your Majesty, or Your Grace, or… Father."

"Fine… Father." Shae growled, practically spitting out the word in disgust. "What do you want? What exactly happened to just wanting to spend time with your darling daughter?"

Oberon barked out another loud, mocking laugh, his arm still wrapped firmly around Henry. "Well, it was all a facade, of course! One that I knew was useless to keep up after our very first meeting. You're much too much like your mother. Stubborn, rash, overly emotional. I should have known you would be so. You are a woman, after all."

Shae, along with the other women in her midst, glared furiously at The King. "The truth is, my darling daughter…" Oberon went on with another wide, slimy grin. "I've despised you since your birth. All I wanted was a son, a Prince, a strong, smart, strapping boy whom I could groom for the throne of Avalon in my stead. But, your whore of a mother had other plans."

"Oh, enough with your misogynistic bullshit!" Shae snarled, taking a furious step forward. "Just tell me what you want already, you ignorant bastard!"

Oberon's eyes flashed with rage, and Henry winced as his fingers clenched tightly around his shoulder. He quickly smoothed out his face, and went on. "What I want… Is your destruction. You will come willingly with me back to Avalon, or I will slit the boy's throat right here and now."

"You wouldn't dare!" Shouted Morganna.

"Oh, wouldn't I? You obviously don't know me very well, Morganna." Oberon asked of his former wife with another devilish grin. "Why, of course I would! As I would do to your other friend."

Oberon then gestured to the same soldier as before, who nodded, and once again disappeared into The King's tent. A moment later, the mystery of why Remus hadn't been answering his phone was suddenly solved. He had his hands shackled in front of him just like Henry, but Remus was in a much, much worse condition. His entire body was covered in blood, as was his face, which was also swollen and bruised.

"I… I-Im sorry… R-Regina… Shae." He stammered shakily, peering at them through the one eye that wasn't swollen shut. "I… I-I saw… I saw them take Henry, and I tried… I-I tried… To stop them… But-"

The soldier suddenly shoved Remus down onto his knees, then struck him in the face with the butt of his spear. Remus immediately collapsed sideways onto the ground. He coughed and sputtered, blood trickling from his lips and onto his chin.

"Yes, this one gave us quite a bit of trouble." Commented Oberon, resting his other hand on top of Remus' head as he pushed himself back up onto his knees. "He's quite the warrior. He managed to kill three of my men, and with nothing but his bare hands! I can't say that I'm not impressed. But, alas… I digress. Back to the topic at hand."

Oberon suddenly shoved both Henry and Remus away from him. A soldier on his left dragged Henry close to him by his arm, and the soldier on Oberon's right dragged Remus to his feet. They both pressed daggers against Remus and Henry's throats.

"Now, then…" Oberon went on as he calmly strutted forward, coming to stand right in front of Shae. "As I was saying, you will come willingly back to Avalon, where I will have you publicly executed. Otherwise, I'll sever the heads of both the boy and the warrior. Just like I did with your pirate friend."

"Like hell you will!" Snarled Hook.

"You let them go!" Shouted Regina. "Let them go RIGHT NOW!"

Suddenly, time seemed to slow to a crawl for Shae. She watched as, on one side of her, Emma and Hook rushed forward, then her wife and her mother did the same on her other side. She threw out both of her arms, holding them back. As she struggled against them, as her friends and family screamed and shouted at Oberon, a strange and sudden serenity washed over her. Her mother had been trying to warn her, but Shae hadn't listened. As she looked upon the desperate faces of her brother and her step-son, she knew that her mother had been right all along. She knew what she had to do. She now knew that there was no escaping her destiny, not this time.

"Stop… Everyone… STOP!"

Shae whirled around, and shoved them all backwards. She stared around at all their wide eyed, tear stained faces for a moment. Then, she drew in a deep, shaky breath, and turned back around to face her father.

"I'll go." She whispered. "I won't fight you, I swear. I'll go willingly with you to Avalon."

"Shae, NO!" Henry cried.

"Don't do this, Shae!" Shouted Remus. "DON'T!"

"It's ok, you guys." Shae said in the same gentle whisper. "Everything is going to be ok."

There was a moment of silence as the others all stared around at each other in horror. "I'll go peacefully," Shae went on, glancing back into her father's golden colored eyes. "Just as long as you give me a moment to… Say goodbye."

Oberon narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Shae for a moment, but eventually relented, and nodded his head. Shae nodded back, and turned around to face her family and friends. She stared around at all their shock plastered faces for a moment, then drew in another deep breath.

"It's alright, everyone." She said, smiling serenely around at all of them. "I know now, that… This is my destiny. I'm sure I've changed a lot of things about it, but, in the end, I'm sure that I would always end up here. In this moment."

Shae reached out and placed her hands on Emma and Hook's shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze. Neither of them were able to say a word. They simply stared at Shae with their jaws gaping open, tears rushing down their faces. Shae then turned to her mother, and embraced her tightly. Morganna embraced her tightly back, squeezing her eyes shut as tears of her own flowed freely down her cheeks. The two of them stood silently holding each other for a moment, and it appeared that Morganna was whispering something softly in her daughter's ear.

Lastly, Shae turned to her wife, Regina, the woman that she loved. "This… T-This can't be happening." Regina muttered, vigorously shaking her head. "You can't go. We… W-We… We just got married! Finally! After all this time!"

Shae slowly nodded her head, her own eyes now streaming with tears. "I know, babe… I know." She whispered, placing her hands gently on both of her wife's shoulders. "But… I have to. For Henry, and for Remus."

Regina choked out a strangled sob, and threw herself into her wife's arms. "You should know better than anyone… That I always come back. Always." Shae whispered softly. She smiled at the others as she held the woman that she loved close. "This isn't really goodbye, not forever. I'll be back."

Shae then released Regina, and gently cupped her face in her hands. "I will spend every moment of every day trying to find a way to come back to you." She went on, smiling into her wife's eyes as she gently brushed away her tears with her thumbs. "And I won't stop until I do. I promise you that."

Regina nodded, placing her hands on top of Shae's. "I love you, Shae." She whispered, her eyes streaming with tears. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Shae whispered back. "I love you… More than anything, Regina. You're my world, my everything."

Shae then wrapped her arms around her wife once again, and placed a deep, passionate kiss on her lips. Regina sobbed against her wife's lips, holding her as tight as she possibly could. The others simply stood rooted in their spots in mournful, terrified silence.

"Alright, that's enough!" Oberon suddenly shouted. "This abhorrent display is making me sick. Men!"

Suddenly, Shae was wrenched away from Regina. Soldiers seized her by both of her arms, and quickly placed shackles on her wrists, which were much different than Remus and Henry's. They began to glow with a soft blue light the moment they were locked around Shae's wrists. Shae simply smiled as they dragged her backwards, away from her friends and loved ones.

"You have what you want, Oberon." Morganna muttered, her face stained with tears. "Now let Remus and my grandson go."

"Fine. You can have the boy." Oberon replied with a small shrug. "He's utterly useless, anyway."

Oberon waved his hand in the air, and the shackles on Henry's wrists suddenly disappeared with a flash of golden light. He then shoved Henry roughly forward, who stumbled and fell flat on his face. He quickly righted himself, then rushed into the safety of the arms of his two mothers.

"This one, on the other hand… I think I'll keep." Oberon went on, patting Remus on the head. "I think I'll put him in The Colosseum. I'm sure he'll provide some much needed entertainment for my court. If not, well… He'll simply die. Which is what he deserves for murdering my men."

"That wasn't the agreement!" Shouted Hook.

"No, it wasn't." Oberon agreed, shrugging again. "I just simply don't care. And what exactly can you do about it, anyway?"

Oberon raised a hand, and, suddenly, all of the elven soldiers began to close in, spears pointed at them all. Regina and the others drew in close to each other, staring around at all the elves in panic. They were outnumbered, vastly outnumbered. Oberon laughed loudly, mockingly, as he draped his arm around Shae's shoulders. He seized her shackled wrists, drawing them up to her eyes.

"There will be no spellcasting from you, I'm afraid." He sneered into his daughter's ear. "No summoning of Mjolnir, either. In fact, once I have your head on a silver platter, I plan to return to your pathetic little town, and take Thor's Hammer for my own. It will look awfully nice beside his father's spear."

Oberon then held out a hand, and one his soldiers placed Gungnir, Odin's Spear, into his hand. With one arm still clinging to Shae, he used his other to jab Obin's Spear into the air on the other side of him. Suddenly, a large, swirling, bright green portal sprang to life at the spear's tip.

"Take one last look at your pathetic little friends!" Oberon shouted over the roar of the swirling portal. "This is the last time you'll ever see them!"

Shae didn't bother to even glance at her father. Instead, she gave her friends and loved ones one of her signature cheeky, quirky grins. "You obviously don't know me very well, Father!" She shouted back with a wink.

Suddenly, Regina noticed that one of Shae's shackled hands was outstretched forward. "GET DOWN!" She cried.

She seized the two people closest to her, Henry and Emma, and shoved them down to the ground. The others watched her do so, and immediately followed suit. Not a split second later, Mjolnir whizzed over their heads. It shot straight toward Shae's outstretched hand, bowling several of the elven soldiers over. As soon as Shae's fingers closed around Mjolnir's hilt, she bellowed out a vicious war cry, and swung around, striking her father right in the temple with it.

The King immediately collapsed onto the ground at his daughter's feet. Once again, time seemed to slow to a crawl, this time for Regina. She watched as her wife, the woman that she loved with all her heart, continued to swing Thor's Hammer wildly around her. She took down any and all soldiers surrounding her, and rushed over to Remus. As she stood in front of her brother, her best friend, more soldiers began to rush at her. Once again, she let out a furious war cry, and raised Mjolnir over her head, bringing it back down again.

The bolt of lightning that burst forth from Mjolnir crackled violently through the air, momentarily blinding Regina and anyone else who was nearby. The Heroes of Storybrooke suddenly found their world plunged into utter chaos. They all blinked furiously through hazy vision, trying desperately to make sense of their surroundings.

As their vision began to clear, they saw that Morganna and her sisters were surrounding them all in a circle. The Daughters of Chaos were launching fireballs and other strange sorts of spells left and right. Regina even saw Nel wrench the spear out of one unfortunate soldier's hands, only to turn it back on him, and plunge it straight into his gaping mouth. Regina watched with her own mouth gaping wide as Nel continued to use that same spear to take down three soldiers that all rushed at her at once.

Suddenly, they all heard Oberon's voice crying out in Elvish. Upon hearing their King's command, the soldiers all abandoned their fight with The Daughters of Chaos. One by one, they all began rushing through the portal. Regina then pushed herself onto her feet, watching as Oberon was helped through the portal himself by two soldiers, his head bleeding profusely. One of the soldiers supporting him suddenly collapsed dead onto the ground, unable to even scream as Nel threw her spear directly through the back of his head.

As all the elves continued to flee through the portal, Emma and Hook staggered back up onto their feet. They, Regina, as well as Morganna and her sisters, all stood silently staring at the one elf that was left. It was the small one, with the leather collar strapped around his neck. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, his own golden eyes shifting back and forth between the portal and the group gathered before him.

Then, the single remaining elf crossed both arms over his chest, fists clenched, and bowed low toward Morganna. Regina and the others recognized it as the same motion that Nel and her sisters had performed amongst their High Priestess. Morganna nodded at him, to which the elf nodded back. Then, he leapt through the portal, which closed behind him not a moment later.

There was a sudden, horrified silence as they all stood rooted in their spots, staring at the spot where they had last seen Shae standing. They turned wildly where they stood, searching desperately. Shae was nowhere to be found. She, as well as Remus, were gone.

"No… No, no, no…" Regina muttered, still staring frantically all around her. She then let out a strangled sob, and fell to her knees. "No… Shae… SHAE!"

As Regina's family and friends rushed to comfort her, to comfort each other, they had no idea that, their entire time in Oberon's camp, they had been being watched. Nearby, hidden within the trees, stood Loki, God of Mischief, God of Chaos. Loki chuckled, watching as Emma and Henry embraced Regina, crying right along with her.

"Yes… Yes!" Loki muttered, clapping their hands together with an excited grin. "Now… It finally begins!"

Suddenly, a small black cat trotted up beside Loki. "Oh, don't you worry. Shae will be back." Loki muttered as the cat began mewling loudly. "In three days time, she will return. Then, and only then, will she finally begin on the journey to her true destiny. She and the rest of her kin born friends will finally start on the path to greatness. Then, one day soon… I will get my revenge on Zeus and his kin."

Loki laughed gleefully, walking away with arms spread wide, and disappeared in a gust of swirling wind.

XX