Operation All Realms Chapter 6
Some of the other magic users in Storybrooke spoke to their counterparts in other realities, but only Regina and Robin had counterparts that were willing and able to help across all the crucial realities. The Regina and Robin in the Storybrooke reality closest to the chaos reality appeared to be the nexus magic users. All the other realities would focus stopping the chaos reality through them.
Prime reality Morgan speculated on why they were the nexus point. "I think it's because in this reality Regina knows and has been trained in being a ley line guardian."
Robin thoughtfully responded, "She has to help keep the line in balance with the others and watch how the power is being used."
"And what we'll be doing is kind of like that but on a massive scale across realities. I'm nowhere near the strongest magic user across the realities, both the Regina of your reality," She nodded at Morgan in the mirror, "and the one of the page 23 reality are much stronger."
"But you are the most regular high level magic user, and have the broadest range of skills."
"Jack of all trades, master of none." Regina said disparagingly.
Robin and Morgan shared a look of exasperation. Regina was too dismissive of her skills. This dismissiveness had lessened dramatically over their years of marriage, as more people looked to her for her skills and leadership, but old scars would always remain.
"Being the most powerful, and having centuries of using magic under your belt, doesn't mean you don't make colossal mistakes. You know mine, Regina."
"The secret reality."
"Yes. The origins of the chaos reality is my fault. I acted without considering repercussions, and acted alone. It is on my shoulders to fix what I caused."
"But some good came from it as well. Our reality."
Morgan nodded. "I think that's the other reason you are the nexus reality. You are the most direct counter to it."
While Regina had enjoyed speaking with her selves from the other realities, it was the Regina from the secret reality that she felt the closest bond. She wondered about her self in the chaos reality. Despite even Henry's efforts, no one had been able to reach anyone in that reality. If she was key in this reality, then the Regina of that reality might be too. The problem was her soul was literally split in two, and only half of Robin's soul had been located, with her darker half self. That Robin was his darker half as well. Regina didn't know how helpful they'd be. And the lighter half of that Regina didn't know who she was. She thought she was a bar owner in Seattle named Roni.
"A bar owner?" Robin's eyebrow rose, then he looked thoughtful. "Regina? You said this Roni only has half of her soul?"
"Yes. That Emma and Snow pushed her into splitting the dark half off, while she was in profound grief over her Robin's death."
"The way that reality's Emma and Snow act, you'd think they were the villains."
"It's the authors, they've destroyed everyone so much they've lost themselves."
"In 'Roni's' case that appears to be literal."
"She's so broken, but still wants to do good." Regina said sadly.
"I'm wondering something. If the light half of Robin's soul is missing, and Roni only has half her soul, and the dark halves of that Regina and Robin were drawn together, could the light half of that Robin's soul actually be inside Roni?" Robin mused.
"Yes! That has to be it! We are soulmates across all realities. When she split her dark half off it was only days after her Robin was killed. His soul split too, we know. The light half of that Robin's soul has to be entwined with Roni's."
"It would explain why the curse made her think she was a bar owner. It took memories of that Robin and fashioned a past for her. Even her cursed name- Roni, is a blend of our names."
"Yes! We both have r, n and i's in our first names and you have o. The shortness of her name. The arrow motifs in her bar…"
"Yes! Could this help us?"
"It might, if the curse on Roni is broken, and if Henry can get through to her via the book Lucy has. Get her to use the mirror spell to talk to us, if she can…"
Regina and Robin had been reluctant to allow their youngest children to take foot patrols, but the girls had effectively tag teamed their parents and joined the other adults and older teens talking patrol shifts at various points in Storybrooke.
"Henry and Roland were joining in protecting Storybrooke when they were our ages." Grace pleaded.
"Henry got to lots younger." Hope added, crossing her arms and stared eye to eye with her father. Something she could do now. A late growth spurt had made her as tall as her father.
"Henry was targeted because of he was my son, or he put himself in danger because he was child and didn't know what he was doing." Regina said firmly, frowning.
"Roland was targeted too, because he was my son." Robin said somberly.
"I faced Mr. Gold when he abducted Bae." Grace said in a tone as firm as her sister's and mother's. She also crossed her arms and stared at her mother eye to eye. Grace had just reached her adult height, which was the same as Regina's.
"I still have nightmares about that." Regina's look softened, and she touched Grace's shoulder.
"Grace and I have high level magic and are trained to use it, neither Henry nor Roland have that." Hope pushed, seeing their mother beginning to give way.
Robin and Regina exchanged resigned looks, their girls had clearly won the argument.
So now Hope, Grace and Laurent were doing their patrol around the border of Storybrooke's forest. With the barrier between lands breaking down there had been a few accidental crossovers. None yet from the rest of the Land Without Magic, but they'd already taken precautions on that. A half mile in there was a "Road Closed" sign up and a very convincing illusion spell of a large sinkhole across the lanes.
The few accidental crossovers had almost all occurred in the forest, so the foot patrols were focused there. Emma. David and the other police officers increased the patrols on the streets of Storybrooke, especially at night.
Hope walked a bit ahead of her sister and her boyfriend, who were flirting rather than looking for any lost people. Hope rolled her eyes and sighed. Everyone but the older adults patrolled in a group of three. Family members tended to be assigned to patrols, so she and Grace usually patrolled together. When Laurent patrolled with them, he and Grace spent most the two to three hours flirting. It was much better when their cousin Roberta patrolled with them. Roberta was working on her final paper for her college class tonight though, so even after the patrol was over tonight she would be the third wheel as they would eat a late dinner at Granny's and then Grace and Laurent would go on a date to Storybrooke's movie theater. Hopefully mom or dad would show up early and she wouldn't have to call and wait for them.
There was a snap of a twig to her right, then suddenly Hope was grabbed by the arm-
"Pretty enough, even if you're tall" A smelly, dirty looking man in Enchanted Forest clothes leered at her.
After a moment of frozen panic, Hope glared at the man. "Ugh, disgusting."
"Think you're better than me, red haired bitch?" The man yelled.
"I know I am" Hope smirked. She'd seen her mother act this way to Doctor Whale. Doctor Whale was a creepy asshole. Roland called it "Queen Regina" mode.
The man growled, and moved to punch her with his free hand.
Hope immediately used a spell to hold him in place; like mom had taught her to do if a person ever threatened her.
"You're a witch! The man shrieked.
"That's right, I am. And my mom's the Evil Queen." Hope smirked. Inwardly she apologized to her mother for using the label that became a painful brand for years after her redemption. But it had the desired effect, the man went wide eyed with fear.
Grace and Laurent ran up then. Grace screamed "Get away from my sister!" And immediately did a spell that threw the man against a tree.
Laurent walked over to the man and planted his bo staff on the dazed man's chest. "Don't even try to move."
"Ain't moving with two witches from the Evil Queen staring me down." The man muttered sullenly.
Laurent had only minimal magic, but he was very skilled with the bo staff. His interest in the bo staff had a kind of silly beginning. There was an old comic book superhero he liked, called Gambit. He fought with a bo staff, and explosive playing cards.
Mom was annoyed at his attempts to try to toss her playing cards "like Gambit". But she allowed him to learn to use the bo staff. He'd kind of slacked off on it when he got into cross country running and he and Grace started dating. But when they'd started doing patrols he'd taken up practicing with the bo staff again.
Grace's big brother Henry, was still a "comic book nerd". When Laurent had brought up why he had started learning to use a bo staff, Henry had said, "Gambit's smooth with the ladies." Then gave him the scary big brother glare.
"But Rogue was the love of his life." Laurent countered.
Henry grinned, "So you love my baby sister like Gambit loved Rogue?"
"Yeah." Laurent blushed faintly.
"Okay. You pass." Henry smirked.
Laurent rolled his eyes at Henry's teacher "joke".
"We better call Aunt Emma" Hope said.
"Yeah, mom and dad would freak out that we were in danger, even though we handled it just fine. Grandpa David would probably say something patronizing to us, and then tell Dad the next day in a stupid way that would make him freak out. Aunt Emma will wait to say something, then make sure she says in a way mom and dad won't freak out."
"Another witch?" The man whined. Then his expression changed to a pseudo contrition. "Hey, didn't know this was where the Queen lived now. How about you let me go, and I'll never come back here?"
Laurent laughed mockingly. "You don't even know where you are. This is Storybrooke. And you assaulted a daughter of the queen. You're going to prison tonight. That's the only place you'll be going."
The man thrashed about "No!"
Hope magically bound the man's arms and legs with thick vines.
"Called Aunt Emma, she's on her way. She thinks she's only about five minutes away." Grace said.
Grace elected to ride back to town on Laurent's motorcycle. Emma raised an eyebrow, but said nothing and watched them ride off. Hope chose to ride back on the passenger side of the patrol car. Emma had the soundproof barrier up so they wouldn't be subjected to the man's rantings in the back.
"So third wheel, huh?" Emma commented.
"Yeah." Hope grimaced.
"Rough deal. You two have been practically glued to each other's sides since Grace was born."
"Uh huh. Henry was already almost grown up when I was born. Roland and I were always bickering over stuff, plus he was already in school. I've been in the same room at home with Grace since I can remember."
"Your mom and dad were overjoyed at how close you've always been."
"Yeah dad was kind of how Henry was to me to Aunt Rowena. He was thirteen when she was born. And you know what happened between Zelena and Regina." Hope frowned.
"Yeah, that kind of made an impact on all of us. Not Regina's fault, she didn't even know she had an older half-sister."
"Closest mom had to a sister, when she was little, was cousin Valeria."
"There's quite a few years between them too, right?"
"Yeah. More than ten. But then the kingdom got overthrown and they didn't see each other for years. Mom didn't know anyone else of the royal family survived having to flee."
"I used to think I had such a rough life, but even mine is nothing like what most people that grew up in the Enchanted Forest went through, even the royalty."
"The curse ended up giving everyone a much better life."
"It did. Even me. Know that now. The reality where the curse never happened, that Emma ended up turning to the darkness and she still is working on getting out of it. Estranged from her parents…. And the Emma of the chaos reality, I don't like her either, she's hurt a lot of people in the name of being a so called hero. She's selfish and self-centered."
"Maybe she'll change if we can end the chaos."
"Hope so, kid." Emma smirked.
"Ugh, Aunt Emma, really did you have to say that?" Hope rolled her eyes.
"Yep. Because I'm your Aunt Emma. I get to do that."
The first time little Hope had called her "Aunt Emma" it had been a bit of a surprise. She wasn't really Hope's aunt, or Grace or Roland's. But Hope knew Emma was Henry's biological mother, and somehow decided that made Emma, her aunt. Emma took it in her stride though, and soon even Roland called her Aunt Emma. He didn't now as an adult, but Hope and Grace still did. She kind of liked being the cool aunt. The one who knew Grace and Laurent were dating before Robin and Regina did. It was kind of funny that Regina was the last to find out her baby girl was dating.
"Alright, to make up for teasing you I'll treat you to dinner at Granny's." Emma continued. "You don't want to go home until your mom and dad are expecting you. So they won't question you and panic needlessly. I'll let you off at Granny's, book this idiot in the back, and then we'll have a girls' night out. But one that your parents won't yell at me about."
"What, no trip to the Rabbit Hole?"
"Not yet kid. Maybe when you're twenty-one."
"Promise?" Hope grinned.
"We'll see." Emma laughed.