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Emma ran, the forest blurring around her. The snap and crash of broken branches sounded in her wake, as her pursuers relentlessly kept pace with her. She threw a quick glance behind her, taking note of the positions of four of her pursuers, but the fifth was nowhere to be seen. A blur of movement from her left was her only warning, and Emma immediately leapt sideways. Her right foot connected with the trunk of the nearest pine tree and she used it as springboard to change direction, launching herself up and over the massive frost hound that had been inches away from taking her head off. The hound turned its head and tried to snap at her as she somersaulted over it, and Emma could feel herself slowing, ice forming on her hair and skin. The magic in her blood fizzled, the deadly cold leeching it faster than normal.
She landed gracefully, and drew on the glowing crystal in her sword, the air warping around her. The hot rush of magic seared through her veins, counteracting the numbing cold and she accelerated off, opening a gap between herself and the pack.
Emma's lips compressed into a grim line. That had been her last crystal and once the magic in her blood ran out, she would be a sitting duck. She couldn't afford too many more close encounters with the hounds.
She burst into a large clearing, the bright sunlight causing temporary spots to appear in front of her eyes. Emma skidded to a halt in the middle of the clearing and drew her sword, turning to face the direction she'd come from. She didn't have to wait long.
The first frost hound appeared, and paused at the edge of the clearing, obviously reluctant to step into the direct sunlight. It was the size of a small horse, with a coat made up entirely of fine ice crystals. Its eerie glowing blue eyes fixed on her, and the animal snarled. Emma immediately felt the temperature drop, her breath crystallising in the air and forming white puffs. The hound was soon joined by the rest of the pack, and they paced the edge of the clearing.
Ice coated the trees nearest the hounds, the pine needles on the branches freezing over and turning white. A sheet of frost rippled across the grass in the clearing, and Emma shivered. Her thin shirt and jeans were poor protection against the cold. "C'mon, you bastards", she growled. She shifted her stance and the animals tracked her movement.
Emma took a careful step backward, frozen grass blades crunching beneath her boots.
The movement triggered something in the hounds and they surged forward together, bounding towards Emma. Tiny ice crystals started to form on her hands, and along the blade of her sword. She gritted her teeth, as her grip faltered, her fingers going numb with cold.
"Anytime now, Regina".
The hounds were five feet away and closing fast. She braced herself and raised her sword defensively in front of her face. Emma could feel the last of the magic in her blood fade, as everything seemed to slow. The lead hound leapt at her, sunlight glinting on the tiny bits of ice shearing away from its coat. The hound's massive jaws opened wide, revealing a row of vicious teeth that were only inches away from her skin.
"Regina"!
A blaze of magic tingled across Emma's senses, and a ring of flame appeared, centred around Emma. It expanded outwards in a concussive blast wave of superheated air that instantly consumed the frost hounds. They disappeared in an explosion of steam, and instead of vicious teeth ripping into her skin, Emma was deluged with warm water. The ice on the trees and grass disappeared as well, and the clearing reverted to the temperature of a normal summer's day.
Emma slowly lowered her sword and turned around. She glared at the dark haired woman who was making a show of inspecting her fingernails on the other side of the clearing. Regina was in one of her usual blazer and skirt power suit combos, the top two buttons of her red silk blouse unbuttoned, showcasing flawless olive skin. The four inch heels on her black pumps should have been totally impractical, given the fact that they were in the middle of the forest, but Regina made them look effortless.
"Problem, Sheriff Swan?" Regina asked in a bored tone of voice. There was another flare of magic and Emma felt her sword slip out of her grasp and float over to the other woman.
"No, no problem at all", Emma spoke through gritted teeth as she raised her now empty hand and moved wet strands of blonde hair out of her face. Water dripped off her skin, running in thick rivulets down her face and neck. Her clothing was soaked through as well, like she'd been caught in a heavy downpour.
Regina finished repowering the crystals on her sword and floated it back to her. "I expected you to get here sooner. Try not to dawdle, next time."
Emma's mouth opened then closed soundlessly, before she took a deep calming breath. She grabbed the floating sword and sheathed it in a slow deliberate movement. She then turned on her heel and stomped away from the other woman, her boots squelching with each step.
"You're welcome by the way". Regina called after her. A smirk crossed delicate features as the bedraggled blonde stormed away even faster.
Snow carefully placed the small box she was holding on the desk, before picking up the phone. She dialled the by now familiar number, anxious to share the good news.
"Sheriff's office."
Snow felt her lips twitch into an unconscious smile at the familiar gruff tone. "Hey Emma."
"Hi Snow. Is everything alright?" Emma's voice immediately took on an anxious note.
"It's fine, more than fine actually". Snow smiled almost giddily. "Mother Superior just got back to me with the results from the tests on my ring".
A sharp intake of breath carried through the phone line. "What did she say?"
"It's good news Emma. The ring has just one enchantment on it. It was a tracking spell designed to find James's true love, in other words me."
"That's great Snow. I'm so glad to hear that". The relief in Emma's voice was obvious. "Mother Superior is totally sure though right, that it's just a tracking spell?"
"Yes, she seemed very certain".
"Ok that's good to hear". The sound of another phone ringing in the background, was soon followed by muffled voices. "Damn, sorry Snow, but I'm going to have to take that. It's been one of those days".
"No problem Emma. Be safe out there."
"Always. And Snow, I really am happy to hear that about the ring. We'll catch up later and you can fill me in properly ok."
"Definitely. Bye Emma". Snow hung up the phone, still smiling widely. She allowed herself one spin in the luxurious leather chair, before picking up the small box and heading out of her office. She'd barely stepped out of the door, when she was lifted off her feet and spun around.
"Snow, I just heard the good news", James smiled widely as he gently set her back down.
Mother Superior nodded at her over his shoulder, a small smile apparent on her face as well.
"Yes it's such a relief." Snow contently leaned against James.
James held her tightly for a long moment, before reluctantly releasing her. He turned to face the nun, slipping an arm around Snow's waist. "Thank you again, Mother Superior. I owe you a debt of gratitude."
"Think nothing of it, your Highness", Mother Superior waved away his words.
"So the ring is designed to find my true love, nothing more?"
"Yes." Mother Superior nodded in acquiescence. "It's a harmless tracking spell and you needn't worry about any ill effects. It's safe to wear the ring" She gestured at the box Snow had in her hand.
Snow smiled and offered the box to James. He took it from her and opened it, taking out her ring. As soon as he touched it, the stone on the ring turned an incandescent white, while emitting a loud buzzing noise.
"Snow GPS is once again up and running", "James said with a grin.
"Snow GPS"? Snow raised an eyebrow. She held out her left hand and James gently slid the ring onto her finger. The light and the noise disappeared and the stone reverted to its usual green colour.
"It's what Emma called it. The ring glowed for her too you know".
"It did?" Snow frowned. "Isn't that a bit odd, considering it's meant to find your true love?
"I think there's been a slight misunderstanding", Mother Superior said. "The tracking spell is not only designed to find your true love, your Highness", she nodded towards James, "but also the true love of anyone from your bloodline".
"Wait, are you telling me when the ring glowed, it was tracking Emma's true love?" James asked incredulously.
"Yes, I believe so", Mother Superior nodded again in confirmation.
Snow and James exchanged looks.
"You don't think she used it do you?" Snow asked slowly.
James hesitated a second before answering. "I don't think so. I think Regina got to it first".
"Right of course", Snow sighed in relief.
"Do you think we should tell her about it?"
Snow winced as she imagined her fiercely independent daughter's reaction to that particular revelation. "Let's not mention this to her just yet. I don't think she'd react well to a ring pointing the way to her true love".
"You're right", James nodded in agreement.
The sound of hurried footsteps made Snow look towards the corridor. Red appeared a moment later, an anxious expression on her face.
"Guys, you'd better come quick. Something's going down at the supermarket".
"Go", Snow took the box off James. "I'll be right behind you." She hurried back into the mayor's office and placed the box in the safe, before rushing off after the others.
Emma slumped tiredly in her seat as the room erupted into loud arguing. Everyone was on edge due to the latest spree of attacks that had been plaguing the town. Snow had called an emergency council session to discuss their options. The problem was nobody could agree on what was behind the attacks. They seemed totally random, from the dangerous frost hounds that Regina and her had to deal with earlier that day, to mischievous imps curdling all the fresh milk in the supermarket.
The one good thing about the day though, was Snow's news about the ring being harmless. It felt like an invisible weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She hadn't been as worried about being Gold's pawn anymore, after Regina's assurance about the whole true love thing, but there was still the chance that the ring had done something to Snow. She was glad that that fear had been laid to rest.
Her gaze flitted to the woman sitting beside her. Regina looked totally uninterested in the proceedings. She was only present at the council meeting because it was a requirement of the truce she had agreed to with Snow. Regina was obligated to provide assistance on any matters that were magical in nature, and this certainly qualified. It was the first time she'd attended a full council meeting though, and it was obvious that she wasn't impressed.
It was making Emma slightly antsy, having to sit so close to Regina. She'd already caught herself leaning towards the dark haired woman, like she was some kind of magnet. Regina had seemed to sense it and shot her a warning look, but not before she had seen the goosebumps on the other woman's arm. Maybe she wasn't the only one struggling with the attraction after all.
"Regina, do you have anything to say?" Snow asked suddenly.
The room went quiet as everyone focused on the dark haired woman.
Regina's lip curled. "As a matter of fact I do. Given the level of incompetence on display here, it's a wonder you ever managed to mobilise your army to storm my castle."
Snow's jaw clenched. "I don't think I need to remind you, that regardless of our incompetence, we still managed to defeat your army."
Regina smiled one of those terrifyingly bright smiles that never touched her eyes. "Only because you had help, dear." She pointedly did not look in the direction of the Mother Superior.
"Regina, who do you think is behind these attacks?" Emma interrupted hurriedly, as she recognised the telltale signs of an imminent Snow explosion. Regina and Snow in the same room together was a recipe for disaster. They knew exactly how to push each other's buttons.
Regina's eyes narrowed as she looked at the blonde, obviously recognising her attempt at keeping the peace.
Emma tilted her head, keeping her expression carefully neutral. "Oh sorry, am I putting you on the spot?"
"Of course not, Sheriff". Regina said coldly. Her gaze raked across the room, and most people around the table looked away. Regina allowed a satisfied smirk to settle on her face. "All the incidents have one thing in common, the creatures that are involved are not of this world".
Emma frowned. "Yeah that's kind of obvious. So what, someone's got a secret stash of magical creatures and is releasing them from somewhere?"
Regina shook her head "No, the curse was designed to only transport people to this world. Everything else remained behind. For magical creatures to appear here now, it can mean only one thing. Someone is bringing them here from other lands".
"What like dial a dragon, direct from fairytale land?"
Regina rolled her eyes at Emma's turn of phrase. "Yes", she answered shortly.
"I thought you said that our homeland doesn't exist anymore", Snow interjected accusingly.
"It doesn't". Regina snapped back.
"Then how are creatures from there showing up in this world?"
The answer came from a surprising source. "A hatter", Mother Superior said softly as she steepled her fingers.
Regina nodded stiffly. "Yes, a hatter has the ability to reach through both time and space".
Emma drew a breath. "Jefferson"
"Indeed. It's unlikely that he's working alone though." Regina fixed her gaze on the table. "He's not native to our land, so he doesn't have the requisite knowledge on exactly where and when to find his targets".
"I can really only think of one person outside of this room, who does have that kind of knowledge" Snow's lips compressed into a grim line. "Gold".
Regina inclined her head in agreement.
The room once again erupted into loud argument.
Emma would never forget Gold's betrayal with the egg, as it had nearly cost Henry his life. Learning that he was the architect of the curse had only increased her distrust of the man. After the curse had broken, one of her first priorities had been to find Gold, but he had seemingly disappeared off the radar. Apart from the booby traps on his shop, there'd been no sign of any activity from him, magical or otherwise. She hadn't dropped her guard though. Gold had proven to be a meticulous planner, with a great deal of patience, and only a fool would think that he was out of the picture. She could easily believe that he was the mastermind behind the latest attacks.
Regina had resumed her disinterested expression, but Emma, who was sitting beside her, could see a telltale trace of worry shade brown eyes.
"So what, we go after Gold?" Emma lowered her voice, trying to keep their conversation private.
Regina's gaze flicked to her and she hesitated for a moment, before answering just as quietly. "No, I don't think that would be a good idea", she said. Delicate fingers reached out to trace restless patterns on the table. "A direct confrontation with Gold at this stage would likely go badly for us. There are too many unknowns, especially given how unpredictable magic is in this world."
Emma nodded. "Alright if Gold is out, that just leaves Jefferson. We stop him and Gold loses his access to other worlds."
"Yes", Regina's expression hardened. "And I know just the way to get to him".
Emma rang the doorbell of the small house, and awkwardly adjusted her grip on the stuffed white rabbit she was holding. Regina had insisted she take the toy as a gift for Paige.
A tired looking woman, wearing a nurse's uniform opened the door. She looked to be in her late thirties, with kind blue eyes and deep laugh lines around mouth. "Your Hi..I mean Sheriff Swan, what can I do for you?"
Emma smiled awkwardly. "Hello Mrs Cooke. Sorry to bother you so early in the morning, but do you mind if I come in?"
"Oh, of course", the woman said immediately. She opened the door wider and gestured for Emma to enter. "And please, call me Elizabeth".
"Thank you, Elizabeth". Emma trailed the woman into a small lounge area. The house looked well lived in, with the everyday clutter of family life obvious in the things scattered around. The smell of baking bread added an extra layer of homeliness to the place.
"Please take a seat. Can I offer you something to drink?"
"No thank you." Emma sat down on the sofa and Elizabeth took one of the chairs opposite her.
The woman smothered a yawn as she sat down. "I'm sorry, I only just got in myself. It was a long night at the hospital. I'm sure the Sheriffs department has been just as busy".
"Yes it's certainly been an interesting couple of days in Storybrooke". Emma nodded in agreement. She shifted in her seat, unsure about how to proceed. She was here because of Jefferson. After much debate, the council had agreed to focus on him, instead of Gold. Emma had been careful to ensure that she'd been the one to float the idea. If they'd known that Regina was behind the plan, they would likely still be debating it now.
There was an awkward silence until Elizabeth's eyes lit on the stuffed rabbit.
"Is that for Paige?" She gestured at the toy.
"Yes it is". Emma carefully set the rabbit down on the coffee table.
"She's already left for school, but she'll be so excited when she sees it. Rabbits are her favourite animal". Elizabeth's gaze lingered on the toy for a few seconds, before she looked Emma in the eye. "This is about Jefferson isn't it?" she said quietly.
Emma took a deep breath. "Yes it is".
Elizabeth reached out and picked up the rabbit. "Jefferson is a good man, Sheriff Swan. It's just that the curse has made things very difficult for all of us." She gently stroked the soft fur on the toy's back. "We have all these memories of Paige as our daughter, not just the memories, but the feelings behind them as well. Those memories and emotions didn't just disappear when the curse broke." She raised her head and met Emma's gaze. "Paige is still our daughter, but she's also Jefferson's child."
"I understand, believe me I do".
Elizabeth studied her for a long moment. "Yes I believe you do. So how can I help you Sheriff?"
Emma unlocked the door to her apartment, rubbing tiredly at her eyes. It had been another busy day of dealing with magical creature induced mayhem. Luckily the incidents had all been more annoying than life threatening, but it had still made for a long and exhausting day, especially given her early start to fit in the visit with Elizabeth Cooke. She was looking forward to a nice hot shower and some time to herself to decompress, before she headed to the Mills mansion for dinner.
"Would you care for some tea, Sheriff Swan?"
Emma froze in the doorway as she took in the man wearing a top hat, sitting calmly at her kitchen counter, sipping at a cup. "Jefferson", she growled and immediately drew her sword.
"No? Pity. That would have made this so much easier." Jefferson stood up and in one smooth motion flung the hat at her feet. The hat started rotating as soon as it hit the ground, a purple vortex forming in the air. Emma didn't even have time to suck in a breath, before she was pulled into it.
Jefferson took another sip of his tea, before carefully placing the cup down on the counter and calmly walking into the vortex as well.
The sound and smell of the sea and the cold biting wind of the offshore breeze, were the first things she became aware of. Emma groaned and tried to raise her hand to her aching head, only to meet resistance. She opened her eyes and blinked rapidly, tendrils of fear crawling up her spine. She was handcuffed to the park bench in front of the playground that used to hold Henry's castle.
"Finally. I thought you were going to sleep the afternoon away".
Emma's eyes snapped to the man standing a few feet away from her. Her stomach dropped and she tasted bile as she saw her sword in his hand. Without actually physical contact with her sword, she couldn't draw on the gems to power her abilities.
"Let me go, you crazy bastard", Emma growled defiantly, tugging ineffectually at the cuffs.
"Now there's no need for that Sheriff." Jefferson smiled disarmingly at her. "After all a little rabbit told me that you're the one who wanted to meet with me".
Emma took a breath, forcing herself to calm down. "What do you want Jefferson?"
The smile instantly slipped of his face. "What I want is my daughter back", he yelled, his face turning red and spit spraying from his mouth. He took a couple of steps towards her then stopped. "But I don't think you can give me that, so I'm settling for the next best thing". Jefferson's expression became cold and hard. "Revenge".
He reached for his hat again and threw it at the ground, and it started to spin rapidly. The purple vortex opened up again, and Emma raised her uncuffed hand, trying to shield her face from the violent wind whipping the air.
"What are you doing?" Emma asked, her eyes wide with fear.
"I'm fetching a little something for you to play with Sheriff. I'm sure it will be fun for the whole family." Jefferson smiled maniacally at her. "Seeing as I'm not entirely heartless," he spat out the word heartless, "I'm even going to let you have your sword back. Not that it will make a difference." He reached into his pocket and held up a familiar swan keyring.
"Catch Sheriff". Jefferson threw the keys in her direction and they landed at her feet. Emma scrabbled for them and when she looked up again, Jefferson was gone. She hurriedly unlocked the cuffs and rushed over to pick up her sword.
The vortex was still spinning and it was now the height of the town hall. Emma slowly backed away from it as she saw a black shadow flickering in the purple haze.
She reached into her pocket and took out her phone. "You need to get here now".
The dragon towered over the abandoned playground, black scales gleaming in the afternoon sun. It had a strange fishlike head, with catfish whiskers, and a mouth full of multiple rows of vicious teeth. While its face was vaguely fishlike, the rest of its body was all dragon. The three wickedly sharp claws on each of its four legs, dug deep gouges into the ground beneath the beast, and a long barbed tail lashed the air behind it.
"We need to keep it here. We can't afford for it to get into a populated area", James said urgently from beside her. He had his sword drawn and hadn't taken his eyes of the dragon. Snow was on Emma's other side, her bow clutched tightly in one hand. Fortunately it had taken some time for the dragon to clear the vortex and fully enter Storybrooke, so it had enabled them to setup a rudimentary defence.
"No, we can't". Emma said grimly. She glanced over her shoulder to see several deputies ushering people away. Several more were setting up a cordon further back, ensuring nobody else got into the area. Luckily Jefferson had chosen to summon the dragon at the site that used to house Henry's castle. The area had been pretty much abandoned after the castle had been demolished, so they didn't have to worry about mass casualties as long as they kept the dragon there.
Snow reached into the quiver slung over her shoulder, and notched an arrow. "You guys see what damage you can do up close. I'll try and keep its attention on me".
"Alright, I'll take left". Emma drew her sword.
James nodded and headed right.
Emma took a breath and the air warped around her, magic fizzing in her blood. She blurred towards the dragon, and it raised its front claw in reaction. An arrow smacked into the claw, as Emma easily ducked under the limb. She held the sword out sideways, slashing along the side of the dragon's body as she blurred past. Her blade ripped through the scales without any resistance, opening up a long gash in the beast's side. Emma felt a moment of triumph, until she saw black smoke leaking out of the tear. It began to seal almost instantly in front of her disbelieving eyes. By the time she'd reached the dragon's tail, the slash was fully healed, like it hadn't even happened. She could see James stabbing at its front leg, but once again the injury leaked black smoke and it healed up.
The dragon roared and spun towards her. Unfortunately the movement brought its tail directly at James.
Get back", Emma yelled as she saw the barbed tail slice though the air at speed.
James cursed and tried to get out of the way, but was too slow. The tail clipped his shoulder and knocked him into the air. He landed heavily and lay dazed on the ground.
"James!" Snow cried out in fear.
A gentle flare of magic brushed against her senses, and a glowing rain of blue dust suddenly appeared over the dragon, immobilising it. She could see the Mother Superior standing with her arms outstretched behind the beast.
Emma sheathed her sword and blurred towards James, who was moving sluggishly. She slung him over her shoulder and raced away from the dragon, towards the security cordon. She gently laid James down on the ground. "I need some help here".
"I got him", Nova appeared beside her, her hands already glowing pink. Emma breathed a sigh of relief as she saw colour start to return to James's pale features. Luckily his padded vest seemed to have protected him from the barbs on the tail.
"James"! Snow knelt on the ground and cradled his head in her lap.
There was another ear shattering roar and Emma glanced over her shoulder. The dragon was shaking of the effects of the dust and was starting to move sluggishly.
"That should have held it for a lot longer". Mother Superior had a shocked look on her face.
"You're lucky it even worked at all", a familiar voice said grimly.
Emma turned her head, the tense set of her shoulders unconsciously loosening as the familiar hum of Regina's magic sparked across her senses.
The dark haired woman had her eyes fixed on the dragon. "Considering that that's a Jabberwocky".
"Jabberwocky, as in Alice in Wonderland?" Emma asked, her own eyes wide.
"Stay here and do not interfere". Regina said coldly, ignoring her question. She waited for Emma's nod of agreement, before she started walking towards the beast. The dragon roared again and turned in her direction and Emma tensed, her fists clenched in worry. She stayed put though, trusting that Regina knew what she was doing.
Regina came to a halt directly in front of the dragon and said something in a language Emma couldn't understand. The Jabberwocky bent its head to consider her, and a forked tongue slid out, tasting the air inches away from Regina's face. Regina stood very still, her back ramrod straight, her posture every inch a queen. After a long moment, the dragon lowered the front of its body in a crude approximation of a bow, before laying down fully on the ground.
Regina turned on her heel and headed back towards Emma.
"What did you do? Is it neutralised?" Emma asked urgently.
"No". Regina snapped in response. "All I've done is bought us some time".
Emma sucked in her breath as she noted the grim set to Regina's features. Something was obviously wrong. "Ok, so what do we do?"
"You don't understand". Regina tore her gaze away from the creature and looked at Emma. "That's a Jabberwocky. The only thing that can defeat it is a champion".
"That would be me", James said as he struggled to his feet. His colour was a lot better, but he was still carrying himself gingerly. "Snow's a queen, and I'm her champion."
Snow shot him a concerned look. "James are you sure you're up to this?"
"I'm fine Snow". James smiled reassuringly at her. "It just winded me".
Regina's lip curled. "The Jabberwocky will only recognise a champion sanctioned by the royal blood of Wonderland. But you're welcome to try to get it to acknowledge you, like I just did." The derisive look she gave Snow spoke volumes on what her chances would be.
Snow's jaw set. "So you expect us to believe that you're a queen in Wonderland too?"
"No". Regina said icily. "I said it recognises royal blood".
Emma waited for her to elaborate, but there was only stony silence. She cleared her throat. "Ok then. So the Jabberwocky's obviously recognised that you are royalty. Make me your champion. Problem solved."
"No"! Both Snow and Regina answered at the same time. They both looked at each other in surprise, before looking away again almost instantly.
Regina took a breath and shot her an undecipherable look. "You have no idea what you're asking for, Ms Swan. There are consequences to being a champion".
"I don't care about the consequences. If that thing gets past us, it's going to destroy Storybrooke." Emma waved her hand in the direction of the dragon. "Do you really want to trust the safety of our son to someone else?"
Regina was still for a long moment, the conflict obvious on her face. She looked back and forth between the Jabberwocky and Emma, before drawing a deep breath. "Fine. Kneel and give me your sword."
"Emma", Snow began softly.
"I'm doing this Snow", Emma cut her off firmly. She handed Regina her sword and dropped to one knee.
Regina planted the sword point first into the ground and met Emma's eyes. The world seemed to fade around them, the background fading into monochrome and sounds becoming muted.
"Emma Swan, do you agree to serve as my champion"? Regina's hair stirred in an invisible wind and the steadily increasing hum of her magic crackled across Emma's senses.
"I do". Emma said firmly, her gaze locked on dark eyes. She ruthlessly tamped down on her natural reaction to the other woman's magic.
Regina closed her right hand over the blade of the sword, her jaw clenching as it cut into her skin. A thin stream of red tricked down the sword. She nodded at Emma to do the same. Emma gripped the side of the blade opposite to Regina's hand, her fingers pressing against the other woman's, and winced as it cut into her palm. Regina opened her hand slightly, pushing Emma's away from the blade, before lacing their fingers together tightly, so that there palms were pressed against each other.
Regina's magic flared so brightly that it felt like small sun was igniting Emma's senses. There was a flash of light and a ripple of air expanded outwards, blowing their hair backwards. The sword glowed brightly between their entwined hands, and Emma had to turn her head away at the intensity of the glow.
When the glow finally faded, Emma felt a strange tugging in her chest. It was like a line connecting her directly to Regina. She absently raised her free hand and rubbed at her chest lightly, while blinking rapidly to get rid of the spots in front of her eyes.
Emma's gaze dropped to her sword and she gasped. The blade had changed into a silvery white metal, and the hilt and crossguard were now a solid black. The three gems had changed shape and looked almost like red hearts embedded in the hilt, except the bottom of the gems were rounded, rather than pointed.
"The Vorpal blade", Regina said softly. "The only weapon with the power to defeat the Jabberwocky." She released Emma's hand and stepped back. "It can only be wielded by a champion of Wonderland". She swayed suddenly and put her hand to her head.
Emma immediately let go of the sword and surged to her feet. She grabbed Regina's waist and pulled the other woman against her, in an effort to steady her. Soft hair brushed against her throat as Regina leant into Emma, her hands gripping the blonde's jacket lightly.
"Are you alright Regina?" She frowned as she noted that magic glow around the other woman had dimmed significantly.
"I'm fine". Regina released her grip on Emma's jacket and gently pushed her away. "Creating the Vorpal blade drained a bit more of my power than I expected.
"Creating it?"
"Yes, the blade has to be created anew and is unique to each champion". Regina said tiredly, brushing away the strands of dark hair that had fallen into her eyes.
"Ok", Emma rubbed at her chest again. The curious tugging sensation was really starting to bug her.
Brown eyes skewered Emma with that same indecipherable look from earlier. "I warned you Ms Swan, that there would be consequences".
"What"? Emma asked in bewilderment.
Regina closed her eyes and sighed. "I believe you have a fight to prepare for."
As if on cue, the Jabberwocky roared behind them.
TBC
Well this chapter took a bit longer than usual to get out, but I blame the awesome season 2 OUAT premiere for distracting me. It did give me some new ideas, but I had already planned to have Jefferson's hat in this chapter anyway. The chapter is actually a homage to Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland movie, as I absolutely adored the fact that Alice was Mirana's champion. I've obviously modified it slightly to fit the OUAT universe of course. It's also my first try at writing proper action sequences, so would really appreciate feedback.
Also in answer to DA, Emma's abilities are powered by her absorbing magic. She has to be in physical contact with the source though, so the gems in the sword the Regina helpfully keeps filling up for her, is pretty much key to her powers.
Thanks as always for all the wonderful reviews, favourites and follows. They really do motivate me to keep writing.