Is it a bird, is it a plane, is it a new chapter... yes it is.

Sorry to everyone who have been waiting for an update can't say how busy I have been but seeing as it's the weekend, I am determined to update most of my stories, starting with this.

A big, big BIG thank you to helped me to reach the twenty mark. I appreciate them all and hope you enjoy this chapter.

Happy reading and as always, I don't own OUAT.

The feeling of a heavy weight was what woke Maleficent from her slumber. She inhaled deeply before looking around the room only to realize it wasn't her own and the heavy weight pressing on her moved again making her look down. She tilted her head a little as a huge Black object was snuggled up lying on her stomach and chest as it snoozed; she looked up in thought before it all came back to her.

Regina

She had changed.

She looked down again to find the slumbering Dragon. She took the time as she slept on to look closer at her. From what she could see – and definitely feel, she was about the size of a dog… one of the larger sized ones – her colouring was entirely Black but she would have to check once she actually got up as it was still slightly dark. Her eyes trailed down her body to the wings tucked neatly on her back – they looked strong, enough to carry her weight possibly but she would have to wait and see once she taught her to fly.

Her tail looked in perfect condition. Thin and sleek – good for keeping balance.

She stopped her explorations when the large lump moved. She lifted her head to see Regina slowly rousing from sleep, she cracked open her eyes slowly, blinking a few times before lifting her head from its place on her chest Regina looked around with sleepy eyes before she turned and zoned on to the blonde. Groggy eyes held her own for a moment as Maleficent stared into not yellow – like she had seen before – but now purple coloured Irises.

The change in color had confused to Faerie as she gazed upon them pondering momentarily wondering if it had something to do with the tone of her magic before she yawned as her mouth opened wide treating the older witch to a showing of each of her sharp teeth, including the two large ones at the front.

She closed her mouth once more smacking her lips slightly before returning her attention to her, woman and Dragon eyed each other once more for a few more minutes before the blonde rolls her eyes.

"Are you going to remove yourself from my being anytime soon?" Regina cocked her head to the side slightly as she spoke.

"I'm not sure if you've noticed but you are far heavier now and you know… lying on me." Once more Regina let her head drift to the side a little as the Faerie scoffed and with a shove, pushed the small Dragon from her body as Regina slid to the bed.

"Quite enough of that thank you." She sat up as the Dragon watched her smooth out her dress and flick back her hair before standing, she turned back to the bed as Regina gets to her feet – stumbling only a little on the soft mattress and look back at her.

"How are you feeling?"

The small Black creature narrowed its eyes not knowing what it was she said much to her disbelief and snorted. "Please – don't pretend you can't hear what I'm saying… I invented that trick darling; I did it to you many a time so come on"

She waved her hand in the space between them "Change back."

Nothing happened for a few minutes as she waited. She wasn't known for her patience and so was about to let out a sigh of annoyance when she noticed the look on the Dragon's face – it was one of both confusion and concentration as the purple eyes looked down to the bed in front of her.

"Regina" Their eyes met again as Maleficent spoke this time with a gentle tone and a small smile. "You can do this just think of your normal self and it'll come to you quickly."

On her words the Dragon shuffled a little before focusing, a few seconds later the body started to change and ripple. With Maleficent watching the Black Dragon changed forms once more until nothing but the raven haired girl remained, she kept her gaze firmly on the younger witch as Regina shook her head slightly and moved to get off the bed.

"Whoa! Easy." The blonde stepped closer when the younger girl stumbled and nearly fell to the floor only to have a hand grip her arm and guide her to sit on the bed again. She stayed close waiting for her to try again but she never did, she sat with her head lowered, hair falling around so it covered her face in which the blonde couldn't tell what her feelings where.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

The blonde looked up when she finally heard her speak. Her head was still down and her hands within her lap. The blonde licked her lips wondering what it was she could say; eventually she opened her mouth and with careful words, began to speak.

"I knew from the moment you were a baby what you were going to be."

Regina lifted her head a little not enough for the other woman to see her face fully but she could see the faint outline and so carried on. "I knew and I also knew just how big something like that would be to deal with… I wanted to make sure that you could – would, fully, in time – be able to handle something so life changing."

By now the younger girl had lifted her head fully and Maleficent could see the slight tear tracks on her olive cheeks. She really could have gone about this much better. But nevertheless she couldn't stop now.

"This is something that I haven't seen before…. Apart from myself you're the only other witch with such ability and knowing from experience just how daunting that could be I had to make sure your were mature enough to be able to cope which was why I refrained from telling you, because even though I changed a little earlier, I felt that you still wouldn't have been able to process it."

Regina had been silent the entire time of listening to her. Emotions coursing through her like a strong current crashing into every each way she tried to think and it was hurting her head.

She was a Dragon….

She was a Dragon…

She was a dragon…..

"It will take some getting used to"

She lifted her head as the sound of Maleficent's voice came back into focus. Had the blonde been talking this whole time? The younger girl looked at her blankly… unwilling to actually believe she was speaking so calmly about this when her head was about to cave in. She stood abruptly cutting off of the older woman who looked at her shocked at having been halted.

"Regina?"

"I'm sorry" She started to move for the door, dodging the hand that reached out to her as she touched the frame. "I need some air… I'll be back soon"

With that she ran down the hall leaving the other woman to look on where she had just been. Regina ran never slowing her pace as she jumped down he steps that led to the grounds and out into the woods. She ran all the way until she got to the small lake in the middle where she fell to the ground and didn't bother getting up. Now that she had more freedom to think she found her mind completely blank.

But what was it she was supposed to think? How her life had just been turned inside out and upside down… how she had gone about her days blissfully ignorant of this… unreal and massive secret. How the one person she trusted and hell - loved more than anything, kept something like this from her.

She looked up to the sky, her thoughts still clouding her head as she desperately tried to sort through them. She felt… anger, she was furious at the blonde for allowing her to go on – never giving her any sort of sign… no hints… no warning no nothing… not up until her actual change and even then she couldn't take in what she had said. Hurt – betrayed didn't cover it. Not something normally an eleven year old would feel maybe if they tricked into taking a bath yes – maybe even into eating their vegetables.

But not on this magnitude

She had to scoff. Then again, what every day eleven year old child goes through something like this? To have their lives ruined by a secret they weren't even privy to.

She remained on the ground for a long time just doing nothing. After a while her head started to hurt so she took to making shapes from the clouds that passed, it helped as it took away the rush of feelings she had for a few moments as she sat up and looked out across the lake. She sighed knowing that she would have to talk to Maleficent about it but she was so angry at her.

She wanted to blame the blonde. She really did, but she realized if not for the other woman. Then she wouldn't have known where she would have ended up. For all she knew whoever it was that left her on the mountain might have not known about the Dragon that lived there and they might have just been up there to dump her like a puppy, she threw a stone at the side of her as it splashed into the water creating large ripples and looked on as they spread.

Eventually she stood. She had no clue how long she had been out but it was getting cooler and the breeze was nipping at her arms, she ignored that she didn't bring something to keep her warm with and allowed herself the small defence of having far bigger things to think of as she turned and made her way back to the castle. Climbing the steps she pushed on the door and move slowly into the large building.

She didn't think the older woman would have waited for her, and especially not in her room so on that she turned and made her way to the hall across that led to the other sections of the large castle. One of the blondes more favorable pass times, if not cheerfully drinking was reading and so she made her way to the library near the other end and entered the homey looking room.

She made her way to the back where the seats were and on the fluffy rug she sat down before looking up to the woman in the chair calmly reading from a large tome as she let her eyes flicker across the page. The sound of the fire crackling was the only sound in the room as Regina waited; knowing she wouldn't get anything from the other woman until she had finished what it was she was reading.

At last she came to the end of the page. She put a marker at the top before shutting it and putting it on the side next to her, Regina watched as she faced the front before folding her hands over in her lap and waited, none of them spoke as they let the silence wash over them until very quietly, the younger girl spoke.

"I wanted to blame you."

Maleficent didn't say anything just listened as she carried on. "I thought it was another one of your stupid tricks you love so much"

She gets a smile from that making her look up. The blonde sees her frowning and replies. "Their good, not stupid dear,"

"Their pointless"

"Only because you're my favorite target" The dark-haired girl rolls her eyes from her place on the floor making the older woman smirk.

"But that was before it all became real," She looked down to her lap her words lost as the Faerie waits patiently; she is silent for a moment before speaking again.

"But then after… after when you were talking… I didn't hear much of it, sorry" She shrugged meekly to the other woman who simply nodded. "Then when I ran out – I sat by the lake and just thought… in the end, you must have had a good reason for keeping it from me this long and that even if I did feel angry at you, still maybe slightly do.

The faerie arched a brow at that but didn't have time to question as the younger girl talked on. "And I know you said it's going to be hard." She lifted her head to look at her.

"See I was listening for that…" The blonde merely rolls her hand imploring her to carry on.

"But if there is one person I trust enough to help me" She stood up on her knees and shuffled closer much to the blondes amusement as she placed her hands on the rest beside her and looked at her seriously.

"It's you."

None of them spoke after her little speech just stared each other in the eyes. The blonde fixed the other girl with an expression of questioning and musing until a small quirk broke her seriousness.

"Given I am the only one who can help you."

Regina conceded with a nod of her head. "That to," Maleficent rolled her eyes.

"Then I guess I can allow you this once – just once, mind. You can be a little upset with me."

She had to scoff at the almost contrite expression the younger girl tried to show but the small glimmer in her eye gave her away as she pushed her from the rest sending her back to the floor.

"….That's just mean." The blonde shrugged.

"But I will say this again." The smaller girl pulled herself into an upright position and looked at her as her face cleared of any sign of humor.

"It will be hard." She looked down to the dark-haired girl who hadn't blinked; she really couldn't stress just how hard it would be. She never had anyone to help her; all her life lessons came from just that… life. A cruel and harsh one at that and so she was never planning on sugar-coating it for the other now Dragon. She was going to tell her how it was and push her until she made sure she knew.

The two stayed in the library as the older woman explained just how it was she learnt all about her other half. How she had to travel to the far north and live with the other wild creatures and the last few Dragons that resided there – copying how they lived and behaved, until she was certain that she knew all she could from them. It was sort of a rite of passage for her seeing as the other wild creatures could tell she wasn't properly one of them and so gave her a bit of a tough time for it.

Regina sat fascinated and never wavered in her attentions as she listened as Maleficent told her how she had to fight and to earn their respect. As sentient beings, Dragons could just have easily dismissed her from their ranks like the Faeries had pretty much done on learning her ability. But they didn't and they allowed her to stay until she had passed which was why it was she could go back whenever she liked, if she decided to leave her castle that was.

She also told the dark-haired girl that it may very well be that she would have to go to the North to watch and learn from them. That had her breaking focus and she looked at her with worry and disbelief but found her to be very serious and for the rest of the night when they had finally finished talking and left the library to go to dinner, her words about going to the North were all she could think about.

As they sat down in the large room at the table Maleficent giving her a small smile when their eyes met, she looked to the door when they open and two helpers arrived with the dinners. She watched as they neared and gave them both warm smiles of their own before placing the dishes on the table and bowing slightly as they backed out. She sat back patiently in her seat as the older blonde served first and for the first time, truly understood now why it was that the older woman had undisputed reign over everything.

She thanked the other woman who had placed her food on her plate and tucked her chair under the table. She picked up her fork as they started eating and as she chewed one thought came to the younger girl.

At least she knew where her huge appetite came from at long last.