No Regrets, Chapter 7
Endings and Undoings, part 1
If she hadn't been used to the feel of darkness, the land around them would have made her ill. It oozed a sick, twisted darkness that she'd only felt the like once- when the Dark One's malignant power tried to kill her right after it had fatally attacked the Apprentice. It didn't want her as a host; it only wanted to kill her… This land around her felt every bit as malevolent. Their guardian guides words last night, and actions today made the truth of that clear….
"Get down now!" Bast shouted. Regina dropped to a squat. The tiger leapt up, catchingt something flying toward where she'd been. Regina caught a glimpse of a misshapen bat-like thing before it exploded, in a ball of sickly dark grayish brown mud, on the ground outside of the protective circle.
"That was the first one, they'll be more."
Regina nodded at Bast as she stood back up. They moved more quickly now, everyone's eyes at the alert. That thing was even more hideous than her sister's flying monkeys.
"Once we get to the Place of Ending the curse's hold on the land will end"
"Have to get there first"
"Yes."
That was the end of conversation, all other words were quick warnings. Just before they cleared the cursed land, Regina had to use her light magic to protect the ocelot from an attack. They crossed over the border of the cursed land and Regina collapsed to the ground exhausted. The others were not much better off.
Bast transformed back to her fully human form sat down next to Regina, helping her into a seated position. Then she smiled at Regina, "Heart radiant magic, rare."
"Heart radiant magic?" Regina looked confused.
"Yes, your natural is magic is red. That is heart radiant magic. It's fueled by positive emotional bonds. The more people you care about, that care for you as well, the stronger light magic will be. Not just romantic love, but also familial, friendship, allies, mentors, any kind of positive bond."
"But the first time I consciously used light magic, it was white."
"Was your soulmate in physical contact with you?"
"He was holding my soul heart."
Bast nodded. "A soulmate, even if they are not natural magic users, will strength a soulmate's magic. Your pathway had just opened fully, so it did not have your color yet."
"So light magic that is just white-"
"Isn't evolved, it's the most basic form. Some never proceed past that- where it takes on the user's nature."
"But I've not been trained in light magic."
"But you were in dark magic."
"Yes."
"Although not with the same aims, and certainly not many of the same training methods, a few techniques are the same for light magic users, plus your pathways were fully open. You likely had great difficulty learning dark magic, correct ?"
"Yes, I was pathetic for years, couldn't even make more than a weak fireball."
"That's because you were being forced to make it with dark magic."
"But aren't fireballs only dark magic?"
"Your mentor told you that, right?"
Regina nodded.
"Have you been able to make a fireball when you were content?"
"Not when I was the Evil Queen."
"But recently?"
"Yes, I have." Her eyes opened in wonder.
"Fire magic can be used by light or dark magic users. It's like fire itself. Fire can light ones way through the dark, or it can be a wildfire. Fire is the strongest element for heart radiant magic users."
"Does that mean water is my weakest?"
"Not necessarily, might be earth. Your soulmate, what does he smell of to you?"
"Robin...he smells of forest."
"Then your weakest element is earth. A soulmate's strongest element is their partner's weakest."
"That" Regina looked thoughtful "makes sense. Balancing out one's weakness with a strength in the other. You'd have to, if being soulmates means one of you has to do something vital. The other probably not in that role, but support."
"But the other is as vital, it's just their magic is different."
"Like how Robin makes my light magic stronger?"
"It could be, or it can be that one is a different type magic user, like Morgan and Mout. They created Avalon together. Your soulmate may be as vital to ending this curse on your family."
"The prophecy sounded like that could be true. So are you saying that Robin really does have some kind of magic of his own?"
"Perhaps" Bast smiled enigmatically "Not all magic is visible, sometimes it's hidden until it's needed."
Regina sighed. "That means you know something that you can't tell me or that I'm supposed to figure out on my own."
"Or you and Robin have to figure it out together."
Regina realized Bast, with those few words, had given her a clue-perhaps all she could give.
Bast and her children guarded Regina through that night, although the risk was quite low, now that they had crossed over the border of the cursed land.
"From here to the Place of Ending you and your soulmate must travel without us. We will wait here and guard the border until you reach the Place of Ending."
"Robin?" Regina thought after she'd left Bast and her family behind.
"I'm here Regina." She felt the warmth in his voice as they could finally speak again.
"That was awful, especially without your voice. I felt almost as alone as I did when I thought I'd lost you forever."
"It was awful for me too. I could see you but could do nothing, not even after those battles, just to let you know I was still there with you."
"I hope that's the last separation we ever have again."
"I never want us to be forced by magic to separate again. Regina, twice magic has separated us right before I could say this- so I'm going to ask it now, will you marry me?"
"Yes. My answer would have always been, yes. I love you Robin, with all my heart, all my soul. No matter what happens my answer is yes."
"As would mine. I wish I'd asked you during the missing year, in fact."
Regina laughed. "Now that would have shocked me."
"Would you have said yes? He chuckled
She thought for a long while, trying to put herself back to the person she'd been then. "I might have. If you'd asked before I saw your lion tattoo, but after we'd been flirting for a bit, the answer would have definitely been yes. You made me not hate myself so much, and I adored Roland already..."
"And later? After you'd seen the tattoo?"
She smirked "You know how you so effectively seduced me in the vault? I was fighting our mutual attraction as painfully and unwillingly as you were. I was fighting it in the Enchanted Forest too; I just was using anger rather than avoidance. But if you'd been bold and seductive enough I might have said yes." The images that came to her mind made her glad they were alone.
"Now that makes me wish I had." He murmured seductively
"Me too." She bit her lip and ran a hand through her hair and laughed with a shudder of desire. Thank goodness they were alone. She really hoped, if Henry was closely following their journey, the book would edit this conversation out. She blushed lightly, and shook her head, Robin and she had gone straight to desire in their thoughts. It was like how the books she'd started to read about teenagers- now that Henry was one, and at 13 already had a girlfriend. Robin and she could be as randy as teenagers, it was somewhat embarrassing, especially if the book wasn't editing this out.
Finally, after traveling for about an hour more, she saw a clearing with a large river with an island in its center. She knew this had to be the Place of Ending. She stopped and waited. After a few moments a woman appeared from behind a tree. She looked very like Duarani, but younger. She wore a crown of white flowers and a red gown. "I am Cachicamo, welcome to the Place of Ending." Cachicamo lead them to a small low stone platform. "Here is where the ending happened, and where your beginning starts." She motioned to the platform and sat down. Regina sat beside her. "The tale is nearly as old as the younger gods. Isaac was not the first author to severely damage a story."
"So it was an author?" Regina sighed with resignation.
"Yes. Long ago there was a beautiful and intelligent young maiden. She had fallen in love with a handsome and kind man; it was one of the first soulmates stories. The author before had recorded their meeting and love story. They were to have been wed soon, despite the obstacles. She was the daughter of a wealthy noble and he had been a wandering poet. She had been expected to marry a man of her class. "
Regina felt the faint twinge of pain of her own memory, "Daniel..." She felt Robin's soothing presence wordlessly surround her like an embrace.
Cachicamo continued "At first her parents were very opposed to this love match, but the young man's kindness and poetic talent won them over. He had agreed to take on proper role of a nobleman; sharing his poet's heart only with his beloved. We do not know what role they might have played in this world, though. The writer, that had faithfully recorded their story, died of old age. She was mourned, but then a successor had to be found.
"He truly loved her. to give up his life as poet for his soulmate, to become what her parents expected of him" Robin mused
" Soon, a promising young man to be the new author was found. However, a terrible thing happened. The new author became obsessed with the maiden, and became determined to make her his own. At first, his interference was minimal; he wasn't the first author, nor the last, to fall for one of the people whose story they recorded. It was a problem that the maiden was already deeply in love with another, but it was hoped, once she turned him down, his feelings would pass. Alas, this did not happen. His obsession grew. The maiden became annoyed, rejecting his attentions with strong words. In a rage he killed the poet in front of her, and made his terrible curse- She would lose all, she and all her future female descendants would fall into darkness and be doomed to never have a true love that lasted."
Regina gasped in horror, was this the true curse?
"Sadly, once the curse was written it could not be stopped, even such a terrible curse. The author was immediately brought here and punished. Not only was he no longer the author, but his mind was taken from him, his name, and he was sent back to his world a raving madman. His fate is unknown. A new author had to be found without delay. One willing to make the sacrifice to end their time as the author- and soon after beginning it. For they must repair the damage, and as this was strong interference, the law was- they must give up the role immediately after. But, as it was at the finders urging, the writer would not be punished, but rewarded in their own world. A woman was soon found that was willing to take on this great deed. She modified the curse to the one you have seen- that when a woman of this line is born with a soulmate and fights back from the darkness, she can break the curse with the aid of her soulmate."
"Who was she?"
"You know her as Sappho. Her name became immortal as a poet in your world. That was the gift to her, for her sacrifice."
"So the curse began by destroying a soulmate bond, and will be ended by soulmates." Robin said.
"Yes, this was how the curse could be modified and eventually ended. No curse should ever be unbreakable, that is the law of curses. He broke this law as well." Cachicamo replied.
Regina looked pleadingly at Cachicamo. "Can you do what Morgan did on Avalon?"
"Alas, I cannot. However, do not despair; I am certain that the goddess of the Place of Undoing can. She is the oldest and most powerful of all of us." Cachicamo pointed to the island in the middle of the river. "It is there the curse will be broken. I will take you there now." Cachicamo walked to the river. Regina followed her.
Cachicamo waded into the water and transformed into a dugout canoe. Regina gingerly stepped into it. As soon as Regina was settled into the canoe, it moved by itself toward the island.
When Regina stepped onto the island Cachicamo followed her up the gentle incline. When they reached the top Cachicamo pointed to a cave. "She waits for us there" Cachicamo took the lead.
Regina was expecting a dark, dank and chilly place inside the cave, but it was softly lit and warm. A woman stood in the cave and smiled at their approach. Her skin and hair were a glowing ebony, and her eyes the deepest brown. Cachicamo bowed to her. "Great Mother, I have brought them here for the quest of undoing"
"Yes. " The voice was as warm as the cave. Cachicamo bowed again and departed.
Regina bowed as well to the woman Cachicamo called the Great Mother.
"Welcome to both of you. As you've heard I am known as the Great Mother- even the world you live in."
"Did you create all this?"
"Create the universe? I do not know. I exist. I have created things but I do not if the earliest people created me, or that I created them. But I know I can help you both, and the others you care for as well."
Robin was suddenly standing beside Regina. They tightly embraced, and cried with joy-to be finally seeing and touching again!
"Now, lets us go to the Place of Undoing." The Great Mother walked deeper into the cave.
"What do we need to do?" Robin asked.
"Regina will first face her darkness and her victims, making atonement." She glanced back at Regina. " That will free you from the last hold the darkness has on you. You will not have to atone to those that also wronged you, or to those you already have made peace with."
Regina felt overwhelmed, still that was so many, how could she-
"This is outside of time. When you emerge from the atonement no time will have passed here or in your other land."
"I won't leave her to face this alone." Robin said firmly.
"Of course you won't" The goddess laughed. "You are soulmates. This is to be shared between you."
Regina blanched and felt ill. When he saw all that she had done, surely he would hate her. She looked at Robin pleadingly. "Please don't hate me, after you see-"
"Regina, I've heard all the stories. Yet I fell in love with you. You brought yourself out of the darkness. Henry and I and the others only offered you our support. You made that painful journey yourself. Even when faced with losses that could have broken you again, you pushed onward."
Regina threw herself into his arms, they kissed deeply for some time. The goddess waited patiently.
"I'm sorry!" They both cried out to her.
The goddess smiled back at them. "No, this was part of your journey to the place of undoing. To love and trust on the deepest, truest level. You are ready now, I believe."
Regina took a shuddered breath, but nodded. Robin held her close and kissed the top of her head. It was time.
