New chapter up,

Thank you to those that commented. Much appreciated, here is the new page. It's a few months down the line as I felt it was stagnating a little and so speed things up a bit, also I think this will be split into volumes as I could easily see this going over 200K words and so I know nobody would want to read that much so It will be split up.

Which mean's that this first part is coming to to and end soon as the title of this chapter would suggest.

Anyway happy reading and I don't own OUAT.

PS - Please help me get to 60 comment's if it's not to much please... Thank you all. :D

Several months later

Fast paced running could be heard through the dark forest. It was night so the moon above was their only source of light as they navigated the darkened trail. Of course they didn't have much use for it as their eyesight was far better than their chasers giving them the advantage as they led them through the trees, they stopped for a moment to get their breath and give the others a chance to catch them.

They needed them not to lose interest in the chase as they were the last of the opposing groups that stood in their way, once they got rid of these than they were free to move on and over the line and reclaim the town that they had lost some weeks back, they didn't know how but George had a few tricks up his sleeve and so just beating him into the ground wasn't as straight forward as they thought.

Regina looked up to see Ruby, Zak and Tobias taking in deep breaths. The others had joined on hearing the plight that Regina had when she visited the wolves on one of the says they didn't go to see Snow, they had overheard the Dragon girl talking about how she and Maleficent had been plagued by the Kings men who were more persistent than they gave them credit for.

The two brothers had stopped them as they made their way back into the forest. They told her that they wanted to help, at first she refused, saying she could handle it but they would let up – she had helped them… she had saved them all and so it was only their duty to return the favour – they may have been wolves but they were honorable wolves.

After that it pretty much was none negotiable which was how they found themselves running from the last group that had been dispatched to the forbidden mountain. Not only had they come for the Dragons making them the fourth group in five months but they had also made camp in the town making it the fifth one in as many months that the enemy king had taken over, making his grip in the White Kingdom ever so slowly that bit stronger.

Looking back Ruby squints to the track they had been using as the sounds of the enemy voices could be heard. She scowls on realizing they have gotten lost and turns to the others.

Great- they've scattered."

Small groans could be heard as Regina stood and stretched. She really did hate running – it just took far too much out of a person and so being chased up and down the Sherwood Forest was not something she had envisioned for that night – even if her sight did make it simpler, it was just to tiring.

"So what now"

They turn to Zachary who is sitting on the floor his arms resting on his knees. "Well we can't just give up, we have to go and get them on the right track again."

It was true not only was it vital that they didn't get to the mountain – Maleficent had terrified her by being taken ill, she had woken that day to find the blonde hold up in bed looking like death had placed her in a cup, shook her like dice and then just rolled her right back out. She thanked her that less than complimentary analogy before saying that it was normal.

It happened at least twice a year and usually she would just sleep it out. The blonde hadn't told her quite the truth as to what it was as normally she would be off with the other Dragons by now but since having played house with the younger girl for so long she had delayed those trips and just braved the sickness that plagued her instead.

She smiled weakly at the sheer look of panic on her face and inwardly felt touched at the level of devotion that Regina gave her as she tried to find something to help her get better – she knew there was nothing but a few days of being in solitary confinement couldn't cure as she told the younger Dragon. It seemed to lessen her fear somewhat on hearing it coming from the sick woman herself and so with much verbal pushing and shoving, the older witch sent her off before settling back in her bed.

Which was why she was doubling her efforts in making sure they didn't reach the mountain, with Mal out of commission for a questionable amount of days she wouldn't be able to defend the castle and if they – by some luck – did reach it than George may have just round one.

He nodded and allowed himself to be pulled back to his feet by the other man as they waited a few seconds listening for where they were before she spoke. "Ok – split up, if they think we're lost than it might make it easier for us to flush them out and get them following us again."

Nodding they made to move back to the track before cutting off in different directions. "Just remember, get them all together before we meet back up"

Soon all four had vanished as they played sheep wolves in a bid to round-up the scattered guardsmen. It took some time but eventually they all managed to lead the men back into following them as they made sure to be seen when meeting up in the middle before they started running again.

They needed to get them to the next town and line that led into Corona; there a waiting mass of Leopold's men would be waiting to apprehend them. It would have just been easier for her to kill them like she had done with the first two groups. But the blonde who had helped said that if she did too much than it would stain the soul something irrevocable and that if she hoped to learn the other half of magic to the dark that she had admittedly been teaching her, then she needed to have at least half a pure soul - if not more otherwise her learning would be moot.

She had to curse the blonde for telling her that when she had killed the last of the ten that had arrived.

It would also make for a show when George would eventually lose and see all of his men caught over the lines rather than have them all dead and try even harder in his efforts. It seemed that Midas had decided to align with the King which she wanted to kill him for as each day more would cross the border in the hopes of pushing their way through and beating back the Whites men until there was nothing left but the castle to take and ultimately the Kingdom.

But really all this running as killing her, she stopped in the middle of the path much to their confusion as Ruby turned to see her halting and slowed her running until eventually all of them stopped.

"Regina what are you doing?"

The raven haired woman waved her hand. Her chest heaving and heart racing, she was sick of playing bait and so decided to switch. They merely had to get them to the line no one actually said anything about how they got there as she lifted her head to look at them.

All of them knew about her magic. And on asking Ruby if she had told Snow about her little gift the wolf had shaken her head, it wasn't hers to tell and so was glad as she had in any way no inclination to tell the Princess – it made fighting easier when she could do it her way as she looked back to hear their voices. Looking around, she noticed a small bubble in which the moon wasn't shining on making it the perfect cover as she waved them over.

They looked at her as she jogged to the patch of shade and followed still confused before she dragged them into hiding before telling them her plan. All agreed that it would be better than keeping them running and would preserve their energy in case they needed to fight so they crouched down and waited for their prey to catch up as not but a few minutes later they did.

They came running into the middle of the trail still looking around madly for their targets as they began to realize they were no longer in the area. Slowing they searched from tree to tree in vain hopes of picking up any tracks that might give them a clue as puzzled shouts and confusion told them they were lost.

The four ducked as a few passed their spot peering through before moving on all of them had gathered and was now pacing the ground looking for footprints as well as broken twigs and snapped branches that could tell them where they had gone but found nothing.

"They couldn't have gotten far keep looking."

The hidden quartet got ready to make their move. Having had their spot overlooked they had moved on and was now in front of them – their backs open for them – the worst move any of them could have made as Regina nodded. In a flash the two brothers jumped out and onto the nearest unsuspecting men who yelled, startled as the rest turned and immediately drew their swords.

They charged at them ready to attack when Ruby and Regina jumped out and the air filled with noise as the sounds of a fight rose into the night sky. Using their stealth the wolves managed to dance and dodge their way out the harms path when they tried to strike with Regina, not being as overly agile – used her strength to subdue them as one by one they all fell.

Soon the sounds grew lower until finally ceasing as Zak who had held the last struggling man in a choke hold lowered him to the ground before dropping him onto the floor. All of them looked at the littered bodies as Regina smiled satisfied.

"Definitely better than running." She flicked her fingers as a cloud of purple washed over them and soon all of them where in a small pile their hands bound behind their backs with rope as she sighed contentedly.

Marcus raised his brow when he stepped out of the Inn they had been using to find the small group along with their catch as Tobias unceremoniously dumped the last of the unconscious men literally at their doorstep. When he had been told by Jeffery about the woman who had been instrumental in helping throughout the war, he didn't think the other man in his right mind.

After all she was of no status – no title or rank to hold to her name in fact on meeting the woman he was surprised to find her so young and her manner in which she greeted him with was worse than what a lady - status or not – should ever have but she did seem to fit in with the men of his group when she and that friend of hers had drunk them under the table the first night they had successfully taken back a vital town in their Kingdom.

She was rude, crass, insubordinate that it made him want to tear his hair out but as she wasn't military he guessed she didn't actually have to listen to him – oddly graceful considering how she chose to dress and act – swore worse than a pirate that had lost his gold, and was as condescending as she was sarcastic that sometimes pulling out his hair wasn't enough.

The other girl wasn't half as outlandish or obnoxious. Instead rather keeping close to her and whoever it was they were with leaving all the interaction to her fried, only speaking when confronted. But when they delivered results like this then she could have stripped him of his clothes and forced him to run through the newly reclaimed town naked he was that impressed.

"Still not going to tell me how you did it." His reply was a throaty chuckle to which he took as no and so titled his head in the direction of the enemy group as a few of his men moved to take them prisoner. He looked back up to them and eyed the two men behind them – they to where something to be impressed by, never seen low-born people that muscled without some kind of training, but even his men didn't have the physical attributes they held.

"Well I've got to write this up and inform the General so you are welcome to stay if you'd like. The men are in there if you feel like having a rematch." His last words were meant in jest but he knew from the wicked glint in her dark eyes that he would have hung over men come morning and so shook his head before returning to his room.

She turned to the others. Waiting for their response Ruby shrugged she didn't feel like going home just yet and was rather thirsty, it seemed running did more than just knacker Regina out as Tobias and Zak nodded their agreement as they move into the building where they would not leave until the mid-morning.

The majority of Leopold's men were out in what many people called 'The great white wasteland' as no one ever ventured there – they had camped at the front line making no move to go further as they had a small ravine that blocked their path. It wasn't deep and so if they had to they could wade across but they decided to wait.

Jeffery had been sitting in his tent reading the reports that his officers had written – ever since coming to the front he had sent out a number of his men to different locations that had been the main topics of issue when it came to invasion. In order to keep from being surrounded he had spread them out so they could protect the places most needed and now was reading up on the events that had been documented.

It had been two weeks since he has last heard anything from Marcus and his base near Corona. He had been most interested to hear from the other man as it was with him that Regina had decided to go help –that had surprised him and on asking why she said she had her reasons he didn't press any further and so merely told the man a little about her, laughing at the dubious look on his face and even more so at the letter he got a few days later.

He was a little intrigued to hear that they already had a makeshift prison full of George's men that were spilling over and so he was bringing them to the main base. He wasn't surprised to hear that Regina had been one of the reasons why it got so full – he had no idea what it was she had been doing but she seemed to have a nose better than a bloodhound for these men.

Out of all the people that had volunteered to help with the war he had to admit her and her friends really where pulling their weight. He didn't think much of Ruby at first on seeing her but that changed when they got ambushed and she had brought down two of the opposing men. After that he had a new found respect for her and treated her with more warmth.

As was Marcus was on his way the front line. He needed to deliver the prisoners before he tried to capture anymore. Having no room he needed to let some up and so was bringing them to be with the rest of the captured men. It pained him to know that it wasn't all one sided – that they too had lost men except the difference was they weren't being held captive.

George had decided to straight out kill them. They were only low ranking men in his eyes no one of worth and so disposed of them before gleefully sending the bodies back to the other side, it made him want the man's head on a spike but told himself that once he realized he would soon be out of men – he would either have to forfeit the war or kill himself trying one last attempt.

He sighed and placed the letter down. That was two days ago and so knew it would be mere hours if not at least one more day before they arrived as he got up and left his tent. He would have to go and see if there was any more room in the camp built to house the war captives.

A few miles to the East, the travelling group that included Marcus, his men Regina, Ruby and the two brothers were all settling down for the night. The two wagons near the fire housed the prisoners – some sleeping, others watching as two guards had been stationed to keep an eye on them and the surrounding danger, Ruby shuffled closer to where Regina had set up bed for the night as she wrapped her arms around the body of her friend.

It was nothing sexual as they had talked it out a few weeks back. They had both set the still slight issue about the kiss straight – Ruby did love Regina, but only that of a best friend/sister… Regina feeling the same with relief and so with that out of the way the wolf girl went back to teasing her about Daniel.

The reason why she was hugging the other girl was that she was a good hugger… Like really great, Ruby hadn't noticed before until Snow insisted on it before finding her to be true much to Regina's dismay and so she used her as a make shift pillow/heat source – the wolf blood in her body made it so she never felt the cold but it was a bitterly chilly one that night.

Plus Regina was far warmer then what she could ever be… She literally was boiling, and so settling down she placed her head on her shoulder as she sighed and closed her eyes.

"Night Regina" She felt a pat on her head along with the reply, she shook her head before shifting a bit and fell still as the rest bunked down for the night with only the sounds of the fire crackling, the occasional mutter from the watchmen and the nocturnal animals coming to life.

When everyone had fallen asleep sometime later Regina opened her eyes. She found it hard to find sleep and so with a glance to Ruby who had been holding her tight in her sleep, she very carefully conjured a pillow for her to use as she extracted herself from the other girls grip and placed it in her arms as the fluffy item was quickly grabbed and held to her chest.

She mumbled something before curling up again. Regina laughed a little a stood, she looked to the rest who were still asleep and made her way to the nearest tree. She stopped on seeing the two watchmen as they looked up from their game to see her moving as she looked at them.

"Just going for a small walk… Helps me sleep," She smiled lightly as they stared; finally they nodded but not before one replied gruffly. "Don't go too far."

She gave him a small salute ignoring his mumbles as she made her way into the woods, she barely waited until she was hidden from view before the cloud of purple covered her body taking her from the woods and back to the fortress. She didn't waste time as she ran in on emerging from the smog and up to Maleficent's room as she timidly pushed on the door before peeking around the corner.

She focused on the bed to find the blonde sleeping. She stepped inside and closed the door carefully; she hadn't seen the older woman in three days and so wanted to see how she was, careful not to wake her as she took the seat next to the bed. The blonde looked peaceful as she slept, the lines on her face relaxed into a far more youthful version of the woman she knew, the Faerie already didn't look at day over the third decade but she knew her to be far older than that.

She didn't in fact actually know the real age of the blonde. She was old that much she got… The wisdom and power she possessed could only come with experience and age, something the blonde had more than enough of… It also made her quite proud to have been fortunate to know such a woman much less have the opportunity to share her life living with her.

Sometimes she did think on who her real parents where. Whether they were just people who couldn't afford a child and gave her up to try and give her a better chance – or just people who plain didn't care.

Those passing thoughts came only came at times of melancholy or when someone asked, Ruby being the last but they went as quickly as they came – she didn't think to dwell on what could have been, not when she had the best life already and gazed fondly at the woman who had helped.

She would mock her for being sentimental but she truly did love the blonde. She along with Ruby… And granny where the only family she had… And really all she needed as she moved a little closer and inspected the sleeping blonde some more she seemed to look better, her face – whilst always pale wasn't as white as before and so knew that to be a sign of her recovery.

It had puzzled her as to what caused it and asked but never truly did get a good enough reply. She had left it but really, needed to try harder…She placed her head down on the blanket that covered the older woman as she closed her eyes.

Maybe she had to step up her pestering techniques, they had been getting lax and in no way did she want the blonde thinking she was safe.

Smiling she settled down content in knowing she was recovering, she would leave soon… Just wanted to be near her a little longer,

Sharp poking had her opening her eyes as the light forced them shut again. She groaned lowly before dragging her head from where it had been to find the amused Maleficent looking at her, she blinked groggily for a few seconds and lifted her head in sleepy acknowledgement before jumping out of her chair.

"Shit!"

"Not the most eloquent of greetings, but then again you never have been anything close to ladylike." The blonde lifted herself up a little to rest upon her headboard as Regina looked to the window to see the sun – it was in the sky but not as high as she feared and so turned back to the other woman.

Why didn't you wake me?"

The blonde gave her a look that bordered on incredulous before replying, "Because, I have only just woke myself. I certainly didn't expect to see you here… Why are you here anyway"?

"I wanted to see how you were doing. I was only going to stay for a few minutes but then your bed called and who was I to ignore." The Faerie nodded in agreement.

"Only the best don't you think?" She smiled smug as the younger woman rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yes, but now that I fell asleep they are going to be looking me for me. I only said I went for a walk… It's been hours."

She mumbled looking down before moving. She rushed over to the sitting blonde and without pause of thought kissed her on her head and ran out the room. She wasn't fearing for her life like the many other times she did that – those were to piss her off nothing more the kiss she gave her this time was one of tenderness and she could tell as she watched her leave the room.

"Where the hell have you been?"

She emerged through the shrubs to see Ruby racing to her, the other girls face was a mixture of anger and concern as she reached for her and looked her over. Regina smiled sheepishly before replying.

"I'm sorry, I went for a walk to try and help me sleep and then I… Fell asleep." Ruby paused and pulled her head back to look at her, "But they've been searching for you for hours now, they thought… We thought something had happened."

She nodded and felt bad at the look on her friends face. "I'm sorry – I went too far and I just sat down for a while and I must have dozed off because I woke to see the light and knew that I had been gone ages."

Ruby scoffed at the obvious remark. "You think? But never mind, come on we need to leave." She picked up her hand and dragged her to the clearing where the rest had been waiting, as they saw their missing person. Questions rose about to where she had been. Marcus looked suspicious but after hearing what she had told Ruby didn't press further, he knew something else was missing from that story but he did like her enough not to outright ask as they made a start to the main camp which was less than a few hours away.

"So where did you really go?" She turned to see Ruby who had leaned over and was looking at her; she knew the stare and that she didn't believe the excuse she had been given as Regina sighed.

"I went to see if Mal was ok."

"Is she sick?" She titled her head. Was she still sick? She didn't look as such anymore but if she knew the blonde than she would take another day to fully get back on her feet.

"Getting better – but I haven't seen her in days so I thought I would go see if she was ok, she is… Even had the energy to poke me rather harshly this morning," Ruby smirked, she had never met the other Dragon and frankly wasn't sure if she wanted to, Regina might have been one thing but the mistress of all evil was another entirely. But from what she had been told the blonde seemed nothing like the title she had been given.

Also if Regina's manners where anything to go by it only spoke volumes about her personality. She nodded, happy with the truth as she looked to the others. "Speaking of – can we go home tonight – to my home I mean, it's just I haven't seen Mother of Granny and I want to see if they are ok."

They talked for a little while. Making plans to go home that night as the other two joined them for a bit until finally they reached the hillside pass that took them along the desolate stretch of road leading up to 'no man's land.' More soldiers could be seen the further they walked until eventually they were greeted by the sight of most of the White army as it spread over the vast plains.

Marcus had instructed his men to take the prisoners to the make shift camp as he sent one ahead to make sure they had room as he requested before moving to find Jeffery, he nodded his head in parting as he set off leaving them alone. She didn't know about the others but she needed to change clothes, having slept in them she felt icky and so telling the others of what she was doing, they split as Ruby followed in the hopes of finding fresh clothes as Tobias and Zak wandered off to find breakfast.

With much searching and some minor adjustments they managed to swipe some clean clothing that had been delivered the day before as they pulled their cloaks back over their shoulders, she looked at Ruby's bright red colored one and momentarily wondered why she had chosen such a glaringly obvious color – black was so much better for sneaking around with as they walked through the masses of people.

They found Tobias and Zak at what seemed to be an open kitchen. Cooking pots steaming and people carrying various items ranging from birds to cattle as they joined them on the small patch of ground they had taken. From there they would do some exploring, before watching the practice fights being held in the circle on the other side.

She saw Marcus and Jeffery sometime halfway through the day never spoke – that came later when he found them after some searching. They had been making conversation with some of the other volunteers who had come to help – they couldn't all fight but they could help with the horses, polishing Armour, making food, menial stuff but helped nonetheless.

He brought them all back to his tent, mindful of the large men they had traveled with. He wanted to know about the town that had been liberated from the last of the men that were now safely locked up in the second of the prison cells they had to build. He needed to make sure that they had been the last and that no more had been left in the town as he had it on good authority that the numbers for the other King wasn't looking to good.

He was losing men by the day and if kept up, his grips on the villages he had taken loosened. He also was losing resources, of course he had Midas and his handy ability to turn anything into gold, but they had been making sure to cover their trails so that the other enemy king was trapped in his Kingdom. Without the much needed gold and other assets, he was confident that they could make him desperate enough that he would slip up.

When he did that was when they would strike and hopefully put an end to the war without any more deaths. It sounded plausible of course that was this fight – she never told him about the one she was facing but nodded along with what he said until it was time to go, she had promised Ruby they would go and she was desperate to sleep in her own bed as she bade him goodbye.

Leaving him, they made their way across the grounds, hoods drawn and back the way of the long road until they hit the woods. It was a fair distance and so no sooner as they hit shade she twisted her hand, covering all four in smoke before they vanished.

If she had been more attentive to her surroundings and not on the conversation she had been engaged in – she would have noticed the set of eyes watching them as they followed some few feet back, if she had been paying attention then she would have realized that those eye had been watching them for most of the day, if she had been that little more focused then she would have seen the widen on watching as she stretched her magic out to her friends as she took them away from the desolate wasteland.

But she wasn't and it was too late now as she was halfway across the realm give or take a few stops along the way leaving those set of eyes to make their way back to camp, the man they belonged to walked – smiling at his fellow guardsmen and people he had been interacting with all day until he got to his small barracks, there he sat down and took out a quill and parchment and began to write.

Of course this fellow's guardsman wasn't one of Leopold's he was a spy sent by George to try and work out how it was the aging King had discovered his plans. He had no clue as to how they had found out and on flying to a rage, destroying most of his study he then sent one of his own in to infiltrate and observe. That was before he saw the raven haired woman walking by.

He had no idea that she was here as his eyes trained on the unsuspecting woman as she talked to the people next to her, she looked different but he was positive it was her, when she had arrived he had no idea and even more was why she was here… he had heard she had not wanted to take part in this war so it had him baffled but he followed her.

She seemed to be completely different… An excellent actress, if he hadn't of been as sure as he was then he would have said she was a completely different woman… But it wasn't a few slight changes aside he was certain. Even more so when she used magic he had heard she possessed the gift and so had no doubt, which was why he was writing this now to his King.

He would be very interested to hear all he had seen. On finishing he waited until most had gone to sleep before he set out to send his note.

Finding a bird he moved to he was sure no one was around before tying the paper to its leg and setting it off as it took to the sky and into the night, he watched it go, knowing it would take some time and so went back to his bed to get some sleep.

It would be in the early hours before the letter reached its destination. By that time the King would be asleep and so a servant, who had seen and retrieved the note, placed it in his personal chambers on his desk.

The next morning when George entered his now once more refurnished study and to his desk, he would see the note sent by his spy, he would pick it up thinking it was the news he had been waiting to hear as he unfolded the sheet and sat down as a servant who had been delivering his breakfast placed the tray on the table and bowed out of the room.

He would pick up his goblet and lift it to his lips as he read the sparse words that had been sent to him… Words he had not been expecting but just as damming all the same.

The five words that had him reeling as his goblet went sailing across the room smashing into the wall.

'Cora is in the camp'

The king would yell and scream and rage at the audacity of the traitorous bitch that had dared to double cross him as once more his study was the recipient of his ire.

It was that note that set off the beginning of the end.