New chapter up, would like to thank the last reviewer – but a small note to add to what you put.
Everything that you questioned about this story is already in the first part of this saga. How Regina came to be friends with Ruby and Snow, Explanation's on Rumple being her dad, and so forth – it's all right there in the first half, I mean it's only like over twenty five chapter's and god knows how long but… you know.
Also what I write that doesn't quite seem to make the story go anywhere. It may seem boring to some but it's in there so readers can get an understanding of her life after the curse – how it's affected her and how she has made something in a world she doesn't know – it's also explaining her emotions on exploring an unknown place for the first time.
So yes – it may seem like its stagnating slightly but you know what they say. 'Rome wasn't built in a day' and this story isn't going to go from A to B just because a few might find it boring.
I'm taking my time and building it up otherwise what's the point? If I made it so Regina would simply go out and find them right away it would be pretty quick and very rushed.
To put an end to this little Authors note – thank you once again for your comment, but if you don't like how the story is going simply put – don't read.
Now - on with the story. As always, I don't own OUAT.
Far beneath a road in a certain fairy-tale town and underneath a corner street library, laid a cavern. A deep place, with blackness that far reached the length of the miles it seemed to stretch. It was a two tier lair, with one rocky footpath that led into a deeper chamber though the footpath had stood unused by anyone since the town's conception.
And because it lay unused, none also knew about what resided within the Rocky crevices. The vast area that which served as its walking spot, there was also two large towers that hovered high above and in between these two rock pillars something stirred. Something unworldly and reptilian as very slowly the large creature began to wake.
Two large eyes cracked open – two yellow orbs contrasting within the inky blackness and blinked a little dazed as she fought to clear the slumber, before very slowly lifting her head.
Maleficent looked around the empty cave that had been her home for the past twelve years and for the millionth time so desperately wished she could be free. To fly, to feel the cold air rush past her body and stretch her wings, before she had taken all that for granted – now… she never before realized just how lucky she was.
She had also realized just how lonely she was. Before Regina, peace was something she had only ever wanted. Craved… killed for – but then the little baby arrived and her life had changed drastically, she could say for the better she could say for the worse. But what she did know was that without the younger woman she was kind of lost.
Pathetic really considering she had for so long been the terror of the realms – still was, but if they ever learnt that she could be reduced to a simpering, morose shadow of the woman … dragon she once was all because the only constant in her life was no longer there, how they would rejoice.
It was sad but it was true. Regina brought a state of familiarity to her life for so long, that waking up only to find herself in a strange land without her was frightening. She tried calling for her, roaring to see if she was nearby and waited… she waited for ages, trying to think of the reasons why she wasn't coming.
Regina always came when she called. But as the time went by and she had begun to realize that the place she was in was a closed location. She also learned that if Regina had been around she would have been by her side well before a quarter of the time she was standing in the middle.
She had also felt no other signs of life, she couldn't hear any heartbeats, no intakes of breath's… just her own.
Wherever she was, she was alone. And from the indefinite way the solid roof above her looked – she was going to be for some time.
If only she had known how long that 'some time' would be.
She glanced around her obsidian prison. Studying the same monotonous rock structures, knowing each ridge and ripple after having been accustomed with their presence for far longer than she would have liked, yawning, she stood and stretched out her huge body.
Shaking the hulking frame and put a huge claw forward she set off. She did this to keep her muscles from cramping but also to keep her from going insane. She was never one for being idle, laziness was something she abhorred – she only allowed Regina to be so because she knew just what a cranky terror she could be when woken early.
But now it was a life-line. It was all she had really and so set off on the well-worn path she had carved out as she thought about old memories. By now it was a sad longing. A wistful remembrance to rather the angry confused and hurt she had been feeling so many years ago.
She had been angry at everyone. By being able to keep her mind clear she was able to focus on the last few critical hours before the curse struck. Before their lives had changed, she had remembered Regina saying that someone had been planning to set off a curse, and she had also known just who had the power to perform such a feat.
The Imp
She could clearly remember those last moments she when she was in the enchanted forest… when she was free. She had been obviously in her creature form. Had been hunting and was just finishing her kill for the night when she could feel the complete change in the air; it was like exchanging a trickle from a bucket and replacing it with a waterfall.
Lifting her head she quickly looked around for the source as it came from all sides only to set eyes upon a huge black and green cloud billowing from the other side of the infinite forest. It was a testament to how much this magic could be felt as she looked to the crowd to find all a many a different animal rushing past her.
Not once did they take in the threat she posed as they raced around her imposing body. She couldn't say she blamed them and was about to turn and take off into the sky herself – she knew this curse couldn't be stopped and in her dragon form she had no access to magic so was going to go find the younger woman.
Since they had to be cursed then she would rather be cursed with the one person she liked above others. Maybe what happened at the end they could consolidate their powers and work out a way to break it – she was about to lift from the ground when the thunderous rolling told her she was too late.
After that everything went dark and she awoke… to more darkness, she tried calling for Regina, called for her many a times. Before she learnt the truth that she was alone which in turn made her angry,
She was furious. At Rumpelstiltskin, who clearly was to blame for this – she was even angry at the younger woman. Though many, many times her junior - the younger sorceress had shown great maturity at times and had been known to offer comfort.
She was fiercely loyal to her that much she knew. And the one promise she had always given. Was that she would never leave. She had mocked her for being soft but was silently deeply grateful. She had been betrayed a lot during her long life and those that had been around had been driven away by her innate distrust and the clear hall's length she kept them at.
She knew she had fallen into bitterness. A deep, twisted loathing and hate that had driven her to act vengeful and destroy in the name of retaliation it was why so many had feared and despised her. Over time her name had grown and her legacy for instilling terror had grown until she had become a legend all over, only beaten by the dark one himself.
But through all that – through every act of evil she committed, every dark, soul staining deed she caused. Only one had ever stuck by her – sure she could have contributed Regina's underlying loyalty to the fact that she had saved her, took her in and she could have said the younger girl was gaining something from her just like the rest had.
But she knew that wasn't the case. Regina genuinely did feel loyalty and fondness that had grown over the years they had spent together. It wasn't borne from what they could get from each other, but more the family bonds that she had tried very hard to deny but had come to grudgingly accept the more Regina taunted her with it.
But she had stayed. She had been by her side and had never once shown any sign of double crossing her, she hadn't even complained when she taught her dark magic when she could have been learning light. She had knowingly darkened the younger girl and no doubt her heart.
Regina had only ever done what she asked. Had killed those she instructed, had taught her how to kill by uses of plants and herbs - all in all she had created and shaped a mini monster.
Regina had even gone to kill on her own merits. That itself had shown the complete devotion she had as the reasons had all been for the blonde.
To protect her from those who would wish her harm. She could of course have taken care of them herself. But she was touched that someone had gone out of their way to do something for her without wanting anything back in return. Though the many years she had spent keeping her sheltered could have evened out those deeds.
She had felt warm for the first time in years. She felt something that she had thought long gone – almost none existent from the bottom of her stone cold heart – it was actually the reason why she had slapped her,
She was scared for the younger woman.
She loved her.
It had come as huge shock to her which was why she had gotten so angry. Regina had broken her promise. She accused her of leaving her intentionally - for forgetting about her.
But on gaining a little calm and thinking a little clearly – she knew deep down Regina wouldn't have ever broken her one main promise, not unless she was seriously injured or worse.
But she knew the other woman wasn't dead. She didn't know how considering she could no longer feel her, but she knew that she wasn't dead… she couldn't be. Which in turn had her scared for the first time – she actually felt fear. Both at the unknown place she was, and for the safety of the one person who had crept into her long dead heart.
She couldn't change back she tried and with dread found her magic no longer working. She wasn't sure if it was the place she was in or the effects of the curse. But she was stuck in her dragon for the foreseeable future.
After having explored her surroundings and found something of a nest. She made herself a small niche and burrowed down. Placing her head on her arms she closed her eyes for a nap, trying hard not to think of the younger woman and the tears that were threatening to fall from her large eyes.
Sometime later when she woke - having done a lap of her domain she returned to the middle to find breakfast waiting in the centre. It had surprised her to find the carcass of a stag just lying near her bed of sorts. It had been suspicious at first and had taken a great time in sniffing the body out, if someone was trying to poison her than what better way than with the only food available to her.
But she could find nothing wrong. And being starving promptly devoured the animal with two bites. She also found a small water supply on the edge of the in what looked like a stream that led to nowhere – she had followed it in the hopes it would lead to the outside, no such luck.
She couldn't complain in terms of starving. Whoever had enacted the curse – and she still did strongly suspect the Imp, he had seen the good grace to gift her with a supply of food that appeared at the times of the day that food would be taken.
Every morning, noon, evening and night a deer would appear – usually it was two or three seeing as she was a big dragon and one didn't fill her up, sometimes it was different. A cow or pigs – maybe even a sheep or flock, either way she didn't go hungry.
The water remained cold and fresh so again. Small mercies but with the problem of food sorted, the only thing that was left to grate on her mind was company.
Or in her case lack thereof, she had never before realized just how quiet a place could be when not her own mind. She hated it and it made her see just how big a difference having a person to talk to could make. She had one person, the first week actually she had been woken on sensing someone enter her cavern.
She had looked around and zoned in on him. He looked so much more different to how he was before. For one thing he wasn't gold or scaled, she didn't know what magic it was that he had done to make him look human but it baffled her but before all that she was angry.
Now that he was here she knew without a doubt it was him who had caused her to be here. Standing she narrowed her eyes on his small frame and got ready to incinerate him. If she couldn't do magic then she doubted he could either which made her grateful as even in her much stronger physical form, she didn't think she could take the dark one and so counted herself lucky for that.
He must have known for he quickly skittered back giving her a jolt of satisfaction she had him scared. But it wasn't enough, and so breathing in she was thankful she could still breathe fire and so got ready to aim it at him when he said the one thing that stopped her mid inhale.
She deflated on hearing him say Regina's name she peered back down to him as he cautiously took a step closer. He must have figured she could understand him which made him smile and her in turn unhappy at having given her one thing away, now she couldn't ignore him like she wanted.
But she listened to what he asked. Learning what she had figured, Regina was indeed nowhere near. He had come to see if she could sense her – to her displeasure she couldn't and so shook her head. Making him lose his tall posture as she dashed his hopes, she wanted to know how it was that he had lost the younger woman.
It was his curse after all, shouldn't he have been able to find her prior to setting off his little smoke cloud. But she was more interested in her revenge and so went to attack him again only to be stopped by him saying he could help. She once more listened to him telling her he would figure a way to get her out.
Out of her dragon form and the cave she was in, it had been the one thing she wanted and so watched him intently. He was a known trickster, a swindler both in his old life and on taking up the dark mantle. She knew she couldn't trust him – he had after all sent a stupid man to her castle once before.
But he didn't have his powers here and she could guarantee he was trying to rectify that, so maybe she should give him a chance. It was a long shot and very slim that he would actually follow through with what he was saying. But she had been down here for so long that she was just about ready to make a deal with her fairy nemesis - blue, if she thought it would get her out.
Watching as he turned and left she knew it would most likely be a while before he could go good on what he said. That was if he did at all, but it gave her time to plan in the meantime. Turning she moved back to her bed and settled down. She wasn't one to just let a slight against her go, those who wronged her always paid.
It was a lesson she taught the younger woman and it was one she had upheld no matter what land she was in and no matter who it was that was her target. It was a risky thing making him her next victim, a lot would say it was suicidal planning action against him, but what kind of person would she be if she didn't stick to her mantra.
She would just have to wait and strike before he managed to retrieve his magic.
That had been twelve years ago some few months back. Surprising to keep track seeing as the days seemed to meld together into one long, continuous stream but she had always had a long memory and been good at keeping track of time. She also had underlying faith that if he didn't come through then Regina would.
Having had spent her whole life in her company she knew the raven haired woman. She knew her traits and her picked up habits. She knew just how resilient she was her tenacity – once she latched on to something she would go at it with almost a fearsome like ferocity until she won or whatever she was fighting gave up.
She had no doubt that if she wasn't where the Imp wanted her to be. Then she would be hunting a way to find them. If she was indeed a place close then she would be searching and if the rest of the kingdom had been dragged along than she would be looking for her friend to, she was confident that when she did find them, she would find her also.
When she did she would find a way to break her from this form. She wanted to be back on two feet and so was waiting for Regina to make it happen. Blood might have been thicker than water, but she was in essence the only family she had ever known. Regina would take her side over the Imp's any day.
Family seemed to be a thing for him and so was looking forward to the day it all blew up in his face, the day he was audacious enough to leave his daughter on the side of the mountain was the day he gave her the biggest ally she ever had, familial bonds were nothing in the face of unwavering loyalty, especially she didn't know that he was indeed her family.
All she had to do was wait until that day came. She would get her revenge. If not by means of physical justifications then at least watching his face fall when his little plans fail.
With that to look forward to she moved from her little corner and out into the open. Shaking her body she set off on her post morning lap of the cave before breakfast.