Operation All Realms Chapter 5
In the Page 23 reality that Regina was taking her turn at holding the link open with both the Prime reality and the one where Henry was the author and lived in Storybrooke. She was thinking about the later reality. When she'd first seen that reality, it had frightened her. That Regina had been forced to marry Leopold and had eventually gone mad and evil. But slowly, over the years, that Regina had brought herself back to sanity and back to being a good person.
The curse of frozen time in that reality had skewed the timelines between realities. If it hadn't she would have been 84 years old, while in the reality with Henry as the author, that Regina was 56. But they were the same age. The timeline was so messed up in the Chaos Reality she had no idea what that Regina's age was.
Today she would finally speak to the Regina of the reality where Henry was the author. She'd heard that the Regina of that reality wanted to talk to her just as much, maybe more! She got the impression that Regina maybe idealized her a bit too much.
Her choices hadn't all been selfless. Nor was She a big hero like the Reginas that had built themselves back up from the darkness. Maybe some of the problems of her world wouldn't have happened if she'd been more heroic as a younger woman. She didn't judge her choice to escape with her fairy godmother Tinkerbell. She had no magic training, was terrified of the magic she'd sensed in herself. She didn't want to be evil like her mother.
Those first months of hiding, just Tinkerbell and herself, were a blur of panic and exhaustion. Finally, the intense pursuit slacked off after about six months. She didn't know it then; but her mother and older half-sister had conspired, and Zelena ended up marrying Leopold. Zelena was far more like mother than she'd been. Zelena had willingly married the man old enough to be her father. Zelena was able to manipulate Leopold into following her whims. Leopold's knights no longer relentlessly sought his runaway former fiancé, he'd forgotten all about her. And her mother had the power and revenge she'd wanted. Only her father missed her, and he had no knights to seek her. Cora had dismissed her husband back to the family manor. The former Prince Henry happily returned to the home in exile where Regina had grown to young adulthood, hoping his daughter would return.
Regina hadn't though. She was certain that her mother would've found her there. When the pursuit had waned, Tinkerbell and Regina began to visit towns more often and even stayed at inns when the weather was bad. Regina had wisely taken every coin she had, including the dowry Leopold had paid for her. Regina also had reluctantly sold her horse. Rocinate was too recognizable, especially in combination with the drawings and description of herself. So they had plenty of money whenever they needed food, clothing or other supplies. Cora hadn't known about Tinkerbell. The Blue fairy hadn't known Tinkerbell had disappeared because she had discovered her goddaughter. Tinkerbell changed into less conspicuous clothes with her magic when she was in human form. They rarely stayed in towns overnight. Thus, they'd evaded their pursuers, those first months.
Tinkerbell knew Regina was grieving about Daniel's murder. For the first six months she'd let Regina grieve. But after they began to visit towns for meals. And occasionally more comfortable places to sleep during rainstorms, Tinkerbell began to speak of her finding love again.
"But I loved Daniel so much. I don't think I could love as much again."
"Maybe, maybe not. But maybe someone that would like you and you like them, though?"
Regina shrugged, but felt a kernel of hope grow inside her. Maybe the rest of her life could have some joy in it. Even the months on the run had been better than most of the last few years. Tinkerbell was kind and sure things would eventually get better for her. Not like mother, who Regina never was clever enough or skilled enough.
One night a few weeks later Tinkerbell became excited.
"Regina, you have a soulmate! I can feel his connection to you. He's in this town too!"
"I have a soulmate? But that's so rare. I can't sense him."
"You're too far away and you haven't trained your magic."
"I don't- "
"You don't want to learn to use magic. I understand, but I've told you not all magic is dark. There's light magic, like mine. I can tell you have light magic potential."
Regina looked thoughtful. "Maybe someday I'll change my mind. I'm still scared of it now."
Tinkerbell grinned and hugged her goddaughter. "I understand. But what about your soulmate? Are you interested?"
Regina tentatively smiled and nodded.
Tinkerbell let some pixie dust into the air. "This is how we'll find him. It shows your bond."
The two women followed the pale green glowing trail. It led to a pub.
"There he is, the man with the lion tattoo. Come on, let's talk to him!"
Regina shyly followed her fairy godmother.
When he turned around Regina realized he had to be right around the same age as her. He was a man, but his face was youthful under the stubble on his jawline. The young man had beautiful blue eyes and light brown hair. He was dressed only in a shirt, pants and boots. Regina could soon tell he was from the nobility like herself, though. The quality of his shirt hinted at that. But what gave him away was his speech and manners.
The moment he touched her hand, both their eyes widened in shock. They felt the soulmate bond. Tinkerbell explained to the man, who introduced himself as simply, "Robin." that what they'd felt was a soulmate bond.
"I've heard of soulmates, but I thought it was just tales for children." Robin looked at the fairy with surprise.
"It's real." Tinkerbell said firmly.
That night Robin joined them on their travels. During their travels, he told Regina his tragic story after she told him hers. His father, the Baron of Locksley, had been a terrible, abusive man to both his wife and his children. One night, Robin couldn't stand to see his mother struck again by his enraged drunken father. He'd stepped between his parents and began to fight his father. In his rage he'd struck too hard and killed his father. His mother was not happy to be finally free of her abusive husband, though. In a quiet rage, she disowned her son and told him to leave immediately. He'd packed his things a left that night. Since then he'd learned to survive by a magician who'd taught him how to be a pickpocket. The magician had abandoned Robin after a couple of months. Since then he'd been on his own, surviving as best he could.
The addition of Robin seemed to throw off who was still tracking them; until they had a close call because of a court noble visiting the same town as them. The noble recognized Regina and summoned his royal guard escort. Regina, Robin and Tinkerbell had to flee deep into the forest to escape them.
"They know who you're with now, at least they will recognize Robin as well as you." Tinkerbell said solemnly.
"What do we do now? If it was summer we could hide in the woods and live off wild fruits and game, but winter's coming soon now." Robin said.
"Find a ship and go to another realm?" Regina suggested.
"No, they'll be watching the ports by the time we got to one." Robin responded.
"I know somewhere we'll be safe; they'll take us now because we need a refuge. No one can get into Avalon that they don't allow. Not even the Dark One can enter there."
"Rum-"Regina began to say, but Tinkerbell touched her finger to Regina's lips to silence the name.
"Don't say his real name aloud. Three times summons him, but even once and he could know where we are."
'You've seen the Dark One? You know his real name?" Robin said with an anxious look. He'd grown up learning the old stories warning children about the dangers of dark magic and those who practiced it.
"I told you about my mother. R- the Dark One was the one who taught my mother dark magic. I only met him once. He seemed really interested in me. I didn't know why, still don't."
Tinkerbell nodded, Regina had told her of the encounter. "That's another reason why we need to go to Avalon. I don't like that he was interested in you. That could never be a good thing. He may still be."
Tinkerbell got them to Avalon's outer lands as soon as she could.
Regina and Robin felt a strange tingle that made them shudder.
Tinkerbell smiled at their confused looks. "That's the outer magic barrier. We're safe now from any dark magic users or anyone with dark intent, even ones without magic."
"What now?" Regina asked with a touch of impatience.
Robin's expression was calmer, but he nodded in agreement.
Tinkerbell knew her charges. Other emotions were rising to the surface, now that they were relatively safe. They were tired as well. "We wait for them to contact us. It's safe to set up a camp, eat and rest."
Regina sighed, but she and Robin set about making their camp.
After they had settled in Robin asked "How long do you think it will take them to let us the rest of the way in?"
"I don't know, but probably not tonight. They are probably going to sleep for the night now. Maybe in the morning. If they let us in here, they'll let us in the rest of the way."
The next morning, they were awoken by a woman sitting by their banked campfire and singing a tune Regina vaguely recognized. The woman was a bit shorter than Regina with olive skin, long wavy black hair and brown eyes. She appeared to be some years older than Regina, but younger than her mother.
"Welcome to Avalon. We welcome all refugees like yourselves. You are welcome to stay as long as you need. The stories call me by many names, Lady Morgan, Morgana, Morgana of the Fairies and many other names, some I do not claim. Call me what you wish."
"Lady Morgana! You're the high priestess of Avalon!" Tinkerbell exclaimed.
"One of them, " she chuckled. "My partner, Mout, has been a powerful priestess far longer than I. I defer to her higher wisdom. You'll soon meet her. She is the oldest of us here."
That was their introduction to Avalon. A year and day apprenticeship in basic magic soon followed. Their lives were happy and peaceful. At the end of their apprenticeship, Morgan's daughter Brigid sat down with them.
"You've both done quite well. Do not be discouraged Robin, that your surface magic is small. Your magic needs the catalyst of the soulmate bond you have with Regina to fully open. That isn't unusual with soulmates. You will need that magic on the journey you both are going on."
"What journey?" Regina and Robin questioned.
"Last week my mother discovered a tale of an ancient curse on the women of a family. One that could only be broken by soulmate magic."
"My family?" Regina asked.
"Yes."
"Why was my family cursed?"
"Long ago a man with powerful magic became obsessed with a young woman. She spurned him for another, kinder man."
"Was he a dark one?"
"No. His deeds had been generally benevolent prior to his obsession."
"What happened?"
"The sorcerer killed the other man. The young woman declared she hated the sorcerer and would die herself before she ever would allow him to touch her. The sorcerer then cursed her- 'All the women of your line will fall into darkness, only a soulmate's help will break the curse.' The young woman was devastated, soulmates are a rare thing, unlike true loves. She left her village and traveled. When she did not fall into darkness after some years went by she began to doubt the power of the curse. She eventually married and had children. But her daughter did indeed fall into darkness. Her sons did not-curses can be quite literal. Her daughter had no children and her two sons had only one son each. By then the tale of the curse had been forgotten. But in the next generation her grandsons had both sons and daughters. All the daughters fell into darkness. It's at this point the tale ended. But your mother was a descendant of the cursed woman."
"And she willingly fell into darkness. But I didn't."
"You didn't and you have a soulmate. You are the one to break the curse."
Regina broke into a smile and Robin hugged her tightly.
"When do we leave to break this blasted curse." Robin chuckled.
"Soon. But there's more you need to know. Mother discovered how and where you must go just this morning. There are a few things to take with you. The other high priestesses are blessing them."
"Thank you, " Robin said and Regina nodded.
"There will be dangers on your journey, and not all from the possibility of running into Leopold's knights."
"Why would he still care? Didn't he marry another woman; didn't I hear he likes her?"
"The problem is no longer from Leopold directly, but from his wife."
"Why would she care? Shouldn't she be happy I'm long gone from court and no rival to her claim?"
"This is best shown, rather than told. Come to the well temple in an hour."
The young couple was frustrated by the delay, but agreed. What they saw in the well, stunned both of them. Regina was not Cora's first daughter, but her second. She had a secret older half-sister, born out wedlock. Cora, before she had fully fallen into darkness, was fooled by a false nobleman; he abandoned her when she discovered she was pregnant. Cora then abandoned the newborn in the woods.
The infant already had strong instinctive powers, though; and transported herself to another realm. However, the baby could not control who found her. While her adoptive mother was kindhearted, her father was a strict and harsh man who hated and feared the girl's magic. The mother died of an illness before Zelena reached puberty. Zelena left her home as a young woman, and quickly fell into darkness. Zelena jumped willingly into the darkness, far more readily than even Cora had.
When Regina had fled her near forced marriage, Cora had to act fast. Cora knew of her older daughter, knew she had overthrown the Wizard of Oz. But Zelena was feared and hated in Oz, the land was constantly in a state of near revolt. It was only a matter of time before the people of Oz truly attempted a revolt. Cora manipulated the situation on both sides and soon Zelena was the queen consort of Leopold.
At first, Zelena stoked Leopold's anger at Regina's jilting him to keep her half-sister running, far enough there was no threat she'd ever return. Zelena had also easily soured the entire court, including Princess Snow, on the impudent girl who had so grossly insulted King Leopold. Zelena also found it easy to manipulate Leopold into being besotted with her. Cora was delighted that this daughter was so much like her.
Cora found herself becoming bored though; decided it was time to regain a throne of her own- in Wonderland. She wrote off her younger daughter as hopeless, like her pathetic father, prince Henry. The man she'd married to eventually gain a throne. A throne that was lost, because of an invasion after King Xavier's death. Henry's deceased oldest brother was as weak as him, but less intelligent. He'd died, most likely with the rest of Xavier's family. Only with her magic, had Cora gotten her husband and child out of the overrun kingdom. In time, though, Zelena, Rumpelstiltskin and Cora controlled most of the Enchanted Forest and other kingdoms as well.
Rumpelstiltskin was delighted by Zelena's power, her attraction to him, and her full throttle embrace of darkness. But her violent jealousy gave him pause. That could be inconvenient to his plans. He needed a better pawn. He saw one in what he now realized wasn't a sure vision, but a possible future. Still, he wondered why the vision he'd had of Cora's younger daughter as his apprentice had been so wrong. He'd sensed repressed powerful magic in her the time he'd met her. But she had fled, and he could no longer see where she had gone.
Nearly two years after becoming queen consort, Zelena was still jealous of her sister. A year ago one of her spies had spotted Regina with a handsome young man that clearly had her true affection. It wasn't fair that her pathetic half-sister had besotted a young man- Regina had nothing, couldn't even use magic. How could Regina get a man to fall for her? But the knights' chase after them resulted in nothing. Regina and her lover escaped.
But Zelena had a victory on another front. She gave birth to a son. The infant Prince Dominic was the apple of old King Leopold's eye. Princess Snow no longer was the center of her father's universe. Rumpelstiltskin used Princess Snow's childish envy of her baby brother to lay the seeds for his goal.
That had been the situation when Regina and Robin journeyed to break the curse. The high priestesses put a glamor spell on Robin and Regina. To all but the most powerful magic users they appeared to be a nondescript middle aged couple. Even a powerful magic user would only sense magic used for the spell, they would not be able to tell what kind of spell it was. That had kept them safe the trip to break the curse. The woman who helped them break the curse, immediately see through the glamour though. She said she was from the beginning of everything.
"People call me the great mother of all" The woman with skin the color of the night sky, chuckled. "Maybe so, maybe not, but I can help you break this curse that has poisoned this sad land as well as the women of your people, Regina."
Regina had felt profoundly ill when she and Robin had entered the land. It seethed with a twisted dark magic. Now she understood why. It was part of the curse. Breaking the curse would heal the land as well. And it had.
Their trip back to Avalon was uneventful until they stopped at an inn on the third day. When they were paying for their room for the night a man came in shouting, awkwardly holding a screaming newborn wrapped in a horse blanket.
"The wench who stayed in the stable, left her brat behind, along with the mess she made birthing it."
The innkeeper yelled back "What do you expect me to do about it? I'm not taking charge of no one's brat. Just leave it outside, get back to the stables and clean up the mess!"
Regina & Robin looked horrified and both blurted out: "We'll take it!"
Both the men looked at the newcomers nonplussed. Then the stablemaster shrugged, and handed the newborn to Regina. The innkeeper grumbled "Don't expect no discount for taking the brat."
"I wouldn't dream of it." Robin said with a deadpan sarcasm.
Regina silently glared at the innkeeper, who continued grumbling as he handed over the room key. They had paid for the most expensive room in his inn, after all.
Cradled in Regina's arms, the baby quieted and dropped into an exhausted slumber; it didn't even wake when they climbed the two flights of stairs to their room.
Robin smiled at Regina holding the baby. "Sooner than I expected, but this feels right, doesn't it?"
Regina nodded and smiled back. "I glad we stopped here. We saved…" Regina unwrapped the none to clean blanket from the baby, "him, from some awful fate, I can feel it."
"So it's a boy then?"
"Yes."
"What will we call him?"
Regina's eyes looked somber as she asked "Would you mind Henry Daniel?"
"Not at all, " Robin replied softly. "Henry Daniel Locksley."
"Yes." While Robin was no longer Sir Robin of Locksley, when he and Regina had wed on Avalon they had both taken Locksley as their surname, with no title; like the merchant class Regina's mother had been raised in.
After the baby had been bathed and Regina wrapped the baby in a pillowcase, they ventured out to the town's market place and bought clothes and goat's milk in a container. Back in their room Regina did a spell to keep the milk from spoiling. Robin had found a suitable baby bottle. It took a few tries, but the baby eventually latched onto the bottle's small opening and drank.
The next morning Robin felt something ill was in the air. Regina looked uneasy, even the baby was whimpering and restless.
"Time to leave." Robin said.
"The sooner the better."
"Glad we're almost home."
"Just have to find the ley line and we'll be there."
Ley lines were shortcuts for those that had magic. A simple thought of their destination and a small pull on the ley line's magic and they'd be there, saving sometimes days of travel. This one was shorter than that, a mere half day's travel. But the uneasy feeling hadn't lessened. It remained, like an itch that couldn't be scratched.
They'd just located the line when the reason for their unease appeared.
"Found you at last, dearie."
"Rumpelstiltskin!" Regina blurted, in shock.
"So you remember my name, I'm flattered."
"What do you want with us? We didn't call on you." Robin said calmly.
The Dark One glanced Robin's direction. "With you, nothing." He said dismissively. "You have barely enough magic to matter to anyone. But Regina glows with all the magic in her, a shame its light magic…"
"I don't want to be like my mother, hurting people with her magic."
Rumpelstiltskin sighed "No fear of that anymore, hmm?"
"What do you mean?"
"You broke the curse on your family, you and" he glanced at Robin "your soulmate."
"How did you know?"
"Dearie, that magic broadcast itself all over the Enchanted Forest. Anyone with any amount of magic felt it."
"But how did you know what we'd done?"
"Avalon isn't the only place that has the old books. And yes, I know that's where you've been hiding. Only place you could have, and your mother and sister not found you. Only place you could have been trained that well in light magic."
"You know about my older sister?"
Rumpelstiltskin laughed eerily, "Of course, she's the queen consort of the realm. I knew she was Cora's other child the moment I saw her. She has the same magic, only far more. More than you as well."
"Why are you here, though?" Regina didn't let Rumpelstiltskin's attempt to needle her work.
When he saw she hadn't been affected by his words, he gave her a slight bow, her will was stronger than he'd thought.
The baby whimpered in Robin's arms. Robin gently rocked it.
The Dark One turned sharply at the noise. He hadn't noticed the infant swaddled in a blanket. The blanket's color nearly blended in with Regina's soulmate's cloak and the infant's face had been turned toward the cloak. An unreadable look crossed Rumpelstiltskin's face, then he said, "Go back to Avalon, raise your child. This is no place for you."
"Is that a threat?" Robin responded.
"No, a warning." Then turned back to Regina. "Your mother and your sister can find you now. They know about the curse and didn't want it broken. They know you have magic now, enough to rival them."
Regina thought back to that time. The Storybrooke Regina would be so disappointed in them. She and Robin hadn't been the heroes that they'd been in other realities. They took the warning seriously and hadn't ventured off of Avalon's protective area since. They'd rarely even ventured off the island itself, in fact. It was three years before they ventured off the island to the protected zone. Regina was pregnant and the baby was due soon. Regina's father had come to Avalon. The former Prince Henry made it through the barrier because his heart wasn't consumed by darkness and his intent was out of love. He wanted to see his daughter.
Robin and Regina rowed a boat from the island to the protected zone. Little Henry, now three, excitedly watched their approach to the mainland from the forward thwart. This was his first trip off Avalon.
"Mama, Daddy, I saw a deer!"
Robin chuckled, "There's even more deer here than on Avalon. When you get older, we can come here and I'll teach you how to use a bow."
"When will that be?" Henry bounced excitedly.
"Careful, don't bounce too much, Henry." Regina said with a hint of worry. They'd taught him to swim, but as a young child, he wasn't that strong a swimmer yet. She didn't want him to bounce and fall in the water.
"Yes, mama." Henry's bouncing subsided.
"Maybe when you're five." Robin answered.
"Two years!" Henry pouted. "That's forever!"
Regina and Robin both chuckled at his impatience, remembering how long time seemed to be when they were children.
"Look Henry, there goes a raven." Regina pointed with her free hand, distracting the little boy.
"I see it, mama!"
"Do you see your father in the mirror, Regina?" Robin asked.
Regina lifted up the small mirror she wore around her neck on a cord. "Yes, just a bit further down the coastline."
Robin looked in that direction for a minute, "Yes, I see him now."
Regina let them get in sight of her father, then she waved to him.
Prince Henry looked stunned, then with joy, waved back to his daughter.
Little Henry waved enthusiastically back, as well.
Robin and Regina let the large rowboat slowly come to shore. Robin threw out the mooring rope and before he or Regina could get out, Prince Henry was tying the rope to a sturdy tree. While he was doing that little Henry leaped out, while Robin and Regina followed more slowly.
Prince Henry's eyes widened with surprise when he saw that his daughter was very pregnant.
"Don't worry daddy, Robin and I are married. We married a year before Henry was born.
Prince Henry smiled, she'd named her oldest child after him. Then he looked down at a very curious little Henry. "Hello, I'm your grandfather. My name is Henry too."
Little Henry nodded. "Mama said you were a prince."
Prince Henry chuckled. "So I was. But no one has called me that in a very long time. You can call me grandpa."
"Okay. Mama's going to have a baby soon. I'll have a little brother or sister."
"So I see."
"Are you ready to see where we've been living, Daddy?" Regina asked.
"Of course!"
Prince Henry insisted on taking the other oar beside Robin. "Indulge me, Regina. I haven't taken care of you in a long time."
Regina conceded and sat on the stern thwart with her son.
Once they got him settled in and little Henry was asleep, Regina's father told them what had gone on since Regina had fled.
"Regina, I didn't know this, so I know you didn't. But you have an older half-sister. When you fled, Cora brought her to take your place. Zelena didn't have your objections to marrying Leopold. She and Cora were able to convince Leopold to marry her."
"Robin and I heard about Leopold marrying Queen Zelena of Oz."
"Yes, that is what she called herself, and she did rule that realm when she arrived. Zelena told me she was Cora's other daughter. Cora confirmed it, when I asked her. I don't know the circumstances and didn't ask. Cora then told me it would be best if I went back to the manor house and remained there. I had hopes that once you'd heard of the wedding between Zelena and Leopold that you would return home."
"I couldn't do that; it wouldn't have been safe."
He nodded. "Cora would have wanted to use you in another political scheme, perhaps she would have been wiser and found a younger crown prince the next time, thinking it merely was Leopold's great age difference that had caused your objections. And your sister would have seen you as a threat to her own ambitions. I was able to finally convince your mother that you were too much like me, not useful for her ambitions."
"Thank you, daddy."
"Stay here, Regina, where you are safe and happy. The world outside is too dangerous for people like us."
"That's what the Dark One told us too." Robin said.
"He found you?"
"When Robin and I broke the curse."
"Yes, Cora told me. She felt it. And the Dark One showed her what happened."
"What did mother say?"
"She thought breaking the curse was unnecessary, but she'd heard you'd married 'some peasant' that 'apparently was your soulmate', had a child, and broken the curse."
"How did mother know- "
"You know your mother knows the Dark One quite well."
"He told her?"
"Undoubtedly. I've encountered him enough to know he would have been overjoyed to stir up something by telling her. Your sister as well. She's as close, if not closer to him. Your sister is extremely powerful in dark magic, more than even your mother. The Dark One is drawn to others with strong magic, especially those susceptible to turning to dark magic."
"So Regina's sister is a dark magic user?" Robin asked.
"Yes. She is quite skilled at manipulating non magic users. She has King Leopold completely besotted with her, especially since their son, Prince Dominic, was born."
That was something Regina didn't know. "My sister has a child?"
"Yes, Prince Dominic is a bit younger than your son. He was born a few months after you and Robin broke the family curse."
"What of the girl, the king's daughter?"
"Princess Snow? I don't know much about her, but I've heard the king doesn't pay much attention to her since his son was born. There's talk about marrying her to King George's son, once they are of age."
"To keep him from invading this kingdom, like he did ours."
"Yes." Prince Henry sighed. "Cora never has forgiven my brothers and I for not being strong enough to hold off that invasion. None of us were the ruthless type our father was. But some good came out of it in the end. You met your soulmate and you are happy."
"I am."
"I love your daughter deeply and would do anything to keep her safe and happy." Robin said, solemnly.
"I know you would. I could tell that as soon as I met you."
A few weeks later Roland was born. Then six years later Regina gave birth to a daughter Hazel, and one year after that a second daughter named Rowan. Now Henry was grown up and married and Roland was grown with romantic partners, as well. Hazel and Rowan were grown women as well.
Henry, Rowan and Roland had ventured off of Avalon and had some exciting adventures, but had returned home,
On Henry's first adventure, at seventeen, he returned to Avalon with two runaway princesses. They decided they wished to be married to each other, not the princes, their parents tried to get them to marry. Jacinda had been attracted to Henry as well, briefly, during the daring escape journey. But it hadn't lasted, her true love was Sabine. A child had resulted from Henry and Jacinda's fling, however, Saffron. Henry, Jacinda and Sabine were raising her together.
Two years later Henry left for another adventure and came back from the corrupt and dying kingdom of Camelot with a young woman named Violet. This time the romance was true love and Henry and Violet married a few months later. Now they had children of their own, twins Roan and Wren.
Roland had first ventured off Avalon at fifteen. Regina and Robin were hesitant to let him go at so young an age, but he'd managed to convince them to let him go. Regina was still suspicious that he'd used a bit of his magic to sway them. Roland had a similar magic to his father, but it ran stronger in him. Like his father, he also had a great affinity for the forest. He had not returned for two years. Robin and Regina had resort to finding him through Avalon's well more than a few times during his long journey. He rescued a duke's son in King George's kingdom. Douglas had strong healer's magic and ran away from his militaristic family. Roland and Douglas then traveled across the sea to kingdoms neither Regina or Robin had heard of. They had to search through Avalon's records to find any information. In Roland and Douglas' travels they met a young woman named Eimi. Eimi was part fox spirit. She had grown restless in the fox spirit realm and returned to the realm of her birth. The three then traveled together and eventually Roland brought them back to Avalon. Douglas and Eimi both loved Avalon as much as Roland did. They had lived on Avalon ever since.
Hazel had become a healer and had only ventured as far as the first village outside the protective area around Avalon. The trip had distressed her and she'd not repeated it. Rowan, however, had followed in her older brothers' footsteps and traveled far from Avalon before returning. She had the strongest magic of the four, although Hazel was close behind. Rowan had some healing skills, but had a fierce protective streak that had led her onto a heroic path. Where Henry and Roland had stopped adventuring when they'd found their true loves, Rowan had not. She and her partner Lawrence regularly went on what they called "rescues". On the adventure where Rowan had met Lawrence, she also discovered the fate of the aunt she'd been named similarly in honor of, Rowena.
Rowena had been Robin's much younger sister. Thirteen years separated them. Robin had been the oldest, there had been two brothers born in between them, but both had died quite young. The elder had died as an infant, Robin had few memories of him, but the younger, Matthew had lived to five years old. Robin had been six years old when Matthew was born, eleven when he died. Matthew had been both his parent's favorite. They had even commissioned a portrait of Robin and Matthew, when Matthew turned three. Robin mildly resented that his parents so obviously favored Matthew, but he still loved his little brother, and grieved when he died. The portrait was moved into the nursery after Matthew died. No portrait was made of Robin and his sister. Robin was disowned by his recently widowed mother when Robin was eighteen. When Robin and Regina trained their magic on Avalon he had asked to see how his sister fared. When he saw she had been fostered out to Sir Cedric, he was relieved. He knew Sir Cedric was a far kinder than his father or mother. His sister would be safe. He doubted she would remember him and decided he shouldn't pain himself by hopes that someday they would be reunited. He stopped looking for how she was faring. But he and Regina named their youngest a name close to his sister's name in memory of his bond to her. Much like Regina had named their oldest after her beloved father.
Rowan had found her aunt and convinced her and family to come to visit Avalon. Rowena had defied her mother and foster father and married her true love. Sir Cedric had forgiven the act, but it had been his then estranged son. The marriage had restored the bond between father and son. They had become estranged over Wilfred's love of adventuring. Sir Cedric found this an irresponsible neglect of caretaking the estate. Wilfred returned from an adventure and found the gawky girl who crushed on him grown into a woman of intelligence and talent. Her portraits and many other paintings graced the walls of the manor house. A one sided romance turned into mutual feelings. After the secret marriage Wilfred agreed to become more responsible, and father and son were reconciled. The Lady Matilda, however, did not forgive her daughter. Lady Matilda went to Leopold's court and married a Duke abandoned the Locksley estate. Rowena and Wilfred were able to purchase it and made it the dower lands for their daughter, Roberta. Their first child was a son, named Matthew, after the brother who died two years before Rowena was born. Rowena though, had not forgotten her only living, she hoped, brother. Roberta had been named such because Rowena's love for her long lost brother, Robin. Sir Cedric had died a few years after Roberta was born. Wilfred and Rowena had named their younger son Cedric in honor of him.
When Rowena came to Avalon with her family, she and Robin had a joyous reunion. Rowena and her family stayed for two weeks. At the end of the two weeks, Rowena's daughter, Roberta asked to stay and train in magic. Rowena had agreed. Roberta was a grown woman, after all, and she would not pressure her daughter the way she had been pressured by her mother. Roberta was one year younger than Roland.
Robin and Regina's children were quite happy that one of their cousins wanted to stay, Hazel was especially happy, Roberta had quickly become like an older sister to her. Hazel was happy to not be the oldest girl in the family anymore. Roberta loved having other female family members, especially younger ones. Rowan was two years older than Cedric, while Hazel was just five years younger than her.
Roberta did eventually go back to the Locksley land, with a husband of her own choosing. That wasn't the end of reunions though. Two years after finding Rowena, Rowan's adventures also brought a surviving cousin of Regina's, Valeria to Avalon. Valeria and her daughter Leira chose to stay on Avalon. On Rowena's and her family's last yearly visit, Leira and Cedric fell in love. They had just married and now lived on Wilfred's older family estate in Rotherwood.
Those were the happiest things that had happened. But it wasn't all light, even when it came to family. Not the least because of what Regina's mother and sister had done. Cora ruled Wonderland with an iron hand as the dreaded Queen of Hearts- so named for the thousands of hearts she'd reportedly taken from anyone that dared defy her rule. Zelena terrorized the kingdom of the Enchanted Forest. And reportedly, Oz. Her son Domenic sat on the Enchanted Forest throne. There were stories Zelena had taken her son's magic when he was an adolescent. Mother and son sometimes clashed. Domenic did not have his mother and grandmother's love of dark magic. Zelena could not manipulate her son, nor could the Dark one, much. But his lack of magic had rendered him of little importance to the Dark One. His grandmother, Cora, though, had manipulated young King Domenic into making choices that favored her.
In King George's kingdom there had been a civil war that had raged for years between George and his son David and daughter-in-law Snow. George, although magic-less, was a powerful, ruthless and evil man. Hated and feared by all in his kingdom. Prince David and Princess Snow, while snobbish and somewhat selfish, were not evil. Even with the civil war, both father and son commanded armies powerful enough that no invasion attempts had been successful outside of a few border villages. King George finally appeared to be losing power, though, and Prince David and Princess Snow gain power.
But there was a shadow on Prince David and Princess Snow's slow victory journey. Their daughter Emma had fallen into darkness some years before and had disappeared. Regina knew what had happened through well on Avalon and the tale Rowan had heard from Emma, herself.
When David and Snow had a second child they named Leopold after Snow's father, Emma deeply resented the attention they devoted to the infant. Much like Snow had resented her father's affection, turning toward Prince Domenic in the few years before he had died. The difference was that Emma had strong magic. The Dark One discovered this and turned Emma's resentment into a fall into dark magic and eventually brought her to his castle of darkness.
But Zelena, jealous of the Dark One's attention turning away from her powerful magic to Emma, had discovered his one weakness, his intense drive to find his long lost son, Baelfire. Zelena still had her realm traveling shoes and brought Baelfire out of his prison on Neverland. Baelfire had not aged on Neverland. He and Princess Emma were of an age. The Dark One became distracted at the joy of being reunited with his son. Baelfire began to have a bit of a positive influence on his father and on Emma. When Emma was nineteen they fled from the Dark One's castle. Baelfire managed to wheedle their freedom when the Dark One found them.
Rowan encountered them a few years later during a battle she was struggling to win. Despite her strong light magic, King George's feared knights had her cornered.
"This is one adventure I won't be telling mom and dad about." Rowan muttered to herself.
Then a man and woman suddenly appeared in between her and King George's knights. The blond haired woman shouted "Go find your magic user victims elsewhere" and did a magic spell that sent the knights crashing into trees and boulders. While she did that, the man turned to Rowan and said. "We'll get you out of here. King George is trying to find someone with magic that he can make fight against his son and daughter-in-law. No one should be used that way."
Once they all got away the man and woman introduced themselves to Rowan.
"I'm Emma and he's Baelfire."
"Rowan Locksley." Rowan looked closer at her rescuers and realized they must be around her age. Then she realized she knew who the woman was, she was the missing Princess Emma. She'd seen the yellowed notice of the missing girl in the last town. "Are you Princess Emma?"
"I used to be. I can't go back now. My parents would be horrified at what I've done, what I've become. Besides, they have my little brother whom they love a lot more than me."
"I still think you should see them. Let them know you're alive and don't hate them."
"I don't how to be a princess anymore, not that I was great at it before. I'd just embarrass them, this dark magic using bandit. What a sight I'd be."
"Maybe you could write them or send a message by magic?"
Emma shrugged. "Maybe. But not while this war's going on. Maybe after we defeat my evil grandfather."
"Where are you from?" Baelfire asked. "You aren't a fairy, but you can use light magic as well as they can."
"I travel around a lot, but I grew up on Avalon."
"Avalon! I thought no one with magic could go there." Emma exclaimed.
"Not true. My parents had magic when they came there, so did my cousin. You just have to have a good and kind heart and not be consumed by dark magic."
"Well that counts me out then. I'm a dark magic user."
"But you aren't consumed by it, not anymore. You use your magic to help people that are in danger." Baelfire countered.
Emma sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm a real hero."
"I think you are" Rowan said.
"Sure, because I helped save you."
"Isn't that a hero?"
Emma shrugged again. "Maybe. But you really ought to go home to Avalon. It's not safe here. Not for anyone, but especially light magic users."
"Why don't you both come back to Avalon with me, then."
Both Baelfire and Emma shook their heads no.
"This is my family's land. I'm going to free it from my grandfather's evil."
Over the next few days, while traveling toward the ley line that would take Rowan back home, she tried to convince them to come to Avalon, "even just for a visit". In the end Rowan reluctantly left them in Emma's family's kingdom and she returned to Avalon. She married Lawrence soon after. For a while, the couple stayed on Avalon. But, perhaps inspired by Emma and Baelfire, Rowan and Lawrence decided they would travel and rescue people in danger. They would always return to Avalon, though, sometimes with the people they'd rescued.
This is where Regina felt she was far less heroic than her counterpart in the reality where she'd fought back from her darkness, saved her soulmate and put her life on the line for others many times. Rowan and Lawrence were the heroes of the family in this reality, not Robin and herself. What heroic thing had she done since she and Robin had broken her family curse? She wanted to be a hero now. The prime reality version of herself had filled her in on the basics of what had happened. That Regina seemed to feel as guilty too. They'd sat back and had a happy life. The Reginas in other realities suffered and sacrificed to make their realities better. She wanted to speak to this Regina who had been a real hero. The Regina that had already acted to try to stop the spread of the chaos through the different realities.