Love and Mischief Chapter 6
Inari growled inwardly in frustration. Three days and Maya was still stubbornly insisting she had done nothing wrong. But yet, he also sensed great sadness and loneliness in her. It wasn't as easy reading this goddess as it was mortals, but still he sensed it.
He wondered if she could sense his hidden emotions as well. Like her, he also carried eons of sadness and loneliness. The town had done much to ease his bitterness toward humans, the fun he'd had with Granny had restored his mischievous side, and Belle's friendship helped him not feel so lost here. Kitsu and Mitsue helped the weight of sadness and loneliness. But it still weighed on him and haunted his thoughts. He wondered at Maya's story, what had given her the same burden?
"It took two days, but Maya seems to trust us enough now to tell us what she knows. The Blue Fairy is behind this. She came to Maya after the first nightmares didn't affect Tinkerbelle, Nova and Iris. She apparently came up with something that would, and prompted Maya to give them the dreams." Emma said.
"No confirmation that she's working with anyone, or who though?" Regina asked.
"She thinks there's someone else but never saw who. She only saw Blue that one time. She convinced Maya that it was necessary to 'help' us. The reason she brought Maya- so we wouldn't make the big mistakes she'd 'warned us about'."
Regina raised her eyebrow. "Seriously?"
"She knew exactly how to manipulate Maya, how to disguise she was lying, even from a goddess."
"Great. So now we have to convince Maya she was manipulated and that she caused people emotional harm. We'll have another meeting tonight at my house; let Belle know both Inari and Maya should be there."
"Sure."
"Has Inari made any inroads- getting Maya seeing she hurt people with her dreams?"
"Last I heard, no."
"Didn't think so. She's as stubborn in her beliefs as you were, Ms. Swan."
This time Emma was the one to raise her eyebrow.
Regina chuckled, "Couldn't help it, just reminded me."
Emma's mouth quirked up briefly into a hint of a smile. "Okay you're right I was a stubborn self-righteous ass."
"You said it I didn't." Regina smirked.
"So any ideas how we can get a goddess to realize just maybe she might have hurt a few people?"
Regina nodded. "Yes, I'll talk to Robin about it, but I have an idea that might work, at least as a start."
"What you think, do you think it might be too painful for Roland?" Regina asked.
"He's sensitive, but he's more resilient than he appears." Robin replied.
"I hate to add something else to that list, even if he agrees."
"He will. He's old enough now to want to help. You remember how Henry was at his age?"
"Henry was a bit older when you met him, but yes." Regina laughed ruefully. Perhaps she should talk to Archie about any strategies he might recommend. How to let Roland help but still keep him as safe as she could. Let him see she had noticed he was old enough now to help out sometimes. She had a few strategies, learned the hard way, from dealing with Henry. Robin had complete confidence in her, but if there were more good choices she'd like to know.
"Okay, I'll be right back with Roland, we'll both talk about it with him" Robin left their bedroom and walked down to Roland's. He was engrossed in a novel. Robin smiled; Regina would be pleased to see that. Roland had been slow to get into reading, at first, but Henry had got him into this book series, both boys were reading it and enthusiastically discussing it.
Robin cleared his throat to get Roland's attention. "You aren't in trouble; in fact we want to ask you if you'd like to help us with something."
"Yes! I do." Roland dropped the book on his bed and jumped to his feet.
"I figured you would. But we'd like to tell you what help we need."
"Like how Henry helps you?"
"Like how he did when he was your age."
Roland nodded with a grin.
After Roland's attempt to follow them a few weeks ago, Regina and Robin had sat down with Roland and told him what had happened.
"So Henry and Violet are going to have the kids?"
"In a few years." Robin smiled.
"After they finish college and start working" Regina added.
"Wow, that's cool."
Regina smiled at how Henry's influence showed through just then.
"Remember how scared you were when we told you about the dreams and why we had to do something very fast?" Regina asked softly.
Roland nodded.
"We found the person who sent us those nightmares. Her name is Maya. She isn't evil, but she doesn't understand that her dreams hurt some people badly. They are scared and sad." Robin added.
"Yeah I know. Some are angry too."
"Yes. Maya is going to come over tonight. We are trying to get her to see that side. Maybe apologize, not hurt people with her nightmares. It's not wrong she warned us, but the way she did it was wrong." Regina said.
Robin nodded in agreement "So we want you to tell Maya how much it upset you seeing how upset we were, that it made you really scared and sad."
"So do you want me to use my power? To make her feel it more?" Roland asked.
"Only if you feel comfortable doing it" Regina responded. She remembered the first time she consciously used her power; she had been very nervous and scared. Roland was in a much better place than she had been though.
"I do. You told me I should only use this for good. Don't you think this is using it for good?"
Regina hugged Roland. "Yes I do. You are very heroic to do this."
"Yes, you are son. I'm very proud of you." Robin ruffled his hair.
Roland grinned. They weren't treating him like a little kid anymore. He'd show them how heroic he could be, how right dad was to be proud. He was going to be a hero like them.
"We'll have to do it so it doesn't look staged. Do you understand what that means, Roland?" Regina asked.
He nodded. "Think so, like I just blurt it out, instead it looking like you told me what to say."
"Exactly. That's why we aren't going to tell you what to say. You just say exactly how you felt." Robin replied.
"Whatever emotions you really felt let them come out. It's okay if it makes you cry again, we're right here." Regina pulled Roland into a hug.
Roland hugged her back "I might cry, but that doesn't mean I'm a baby."
"Not at all. You've seen me cry and I'm a grown up." Regina assured him.
Roland nodded, assured.
Regina remembered her mother sneering at her, at Roland's age, crying over a broken doll. That was when mother started telling her how weak she was, how ashamed she had such a crybaby daughter. Roland was sensitive, but that didn't have to be weakness, it could be strength, especially with the nature of his magic. No matter what she'd make sure he never felt ashamed about it. She knew Robin felt the same.
"That will become empathy, even more than he already has. He got that from Marion. Even though she was only there for a few years of his life. Marion taught me. She was such a good teacher. I think she may have had a touch of magic too, probably why Roland has more than I do."
"If so, I'm glad Roland is a legacy of that. I'll do whatever I can to nurture that in him."
"You already do, my love. "
Regina could see Roland was a bit nervous despite his earlier assurance. Regina was glad that not only was Henry there, but the two boys had worked out a plan. Henry would signal when he thought was the right time. Her oldest child had become a good judge of character over time, and learned how to stay calm in tense moments. The later just seemed to be something uniquely Henry, although she and Robin could put on a show of it for a short time.
But Henry, he would get this unshakable calm resolve... She'd noticed hints of it in his younger years, but the first time she really saw it was during rescue Wilfred trip to Wonderland. In the Enchanted Forest that would have made him a good battle leader.
But Regina was glad, despite the various villain incursions since the curse was broken, that Storybrooke was a far more peaceful place than the Enchanted Forest. Far more peaceful than most of the Land Without Magic actually. That illusion barrier had done them a lot of good. It still remained in place even without any magic penalty for crossing over it- other than needing a magic user to find it and talisman to cross over into Storybrooke. The "magic token" as Henry called it, was easier to replicate than the scroll they'd formerly used. "And more democratic" Emma had said. Regina had put this change in place last year. Every adult citizen of Storybrooke could apply for one whenever they needed to take a trip outside of town. "It's like a passport" Emma had said. Then had to explain what a passport was to everyone. Emma bet the Blue Fairy had replicated the talisman to get out and back in town undetected. Regina agreed, the magic she'd used for them was pretty simple. She'd done that on purpose, both to make it less work on her and to make it so commonplace it wouldn't be worth it to find a magic user that would replicate it without having to submit the paperwork and pay the small fee.
Emma had pushed for a lot of things to make this city more democratic, sometimes to her parents' objections more than Regina's. The Charmings, despite David's humble beginnings, had a more royalist bent than Regina did. Regina was generally willing to give Emma's democratic suggestions a try. She really did see herself as a public servant. They'd even started holding elections for mayor. Of all people, Albert had run against her two years ago, and promptly lost resoundingly. Emma had laughed at the results, "Hey, at least you'll be mayor for life democratically now."
Roland looked up at Maya, tears slowly running down his face "I was so scared my mama was going to die or be hurt forever. I lost my first mama when I was real little. Then my daddy died too. Mama Regina got daddy back though, because she has lots of magic. But Daddy only has a little bit of magic, and the dreams said mama could die and we'd all be sad forever…"
Maya began to cry "I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I just wanted to help. I did get your mama and daddy to find something that would save her. She's safe now, don't cry little one."
An audible sigh of relief came from several in the room.
Roland nodded with a shudder, slowly getting his emotions back under control, wiping the tears from his eyes. It was harder than he'd thought but he'd done it, he'd helped.
"If you don't mind I'd like to continue talking to Maya. I want to help her. I sense some of the same pain I've dealt with in her." Inari spoke to the others before he left with Belle and Maya. Belle had already gone out to the car with Maya.
Regina and Robin exchanged a significant look. That sounded a bit like what Robin had said to her a short time after they met during the missing year. When he helped her get back into her castle… Could the fox god be falling for the dreamcaster?
"Fine" Regina said. "I wish we had more progress finding a spell that would get you back home, but your realm is so obscure that we haven't found anything yet."
"I understand. It's just as well. I want to see the people who abducted me… I still want to help find them." There was a hint of a growl in his words. Inari was not about to forgive those people.
"Thank you. You've already helped us finding Maya."
"The people here have mostly been very kind and friendly. Despite how I was brought here, I've enjoyed my time here. I would like to repay your town in some permanent way. I'm afraid I'm not a terribly powerful god, so what I could do would be small. Before I leave though perhaps I can do something?"
"We wouldn't want to take advantage of you."
"No, just consider it a kindness for kindness."
"Perhaps, then." Regina nodded with a small smile. There was one thing, if it was within the fox god's illusion powers…Something that might help them if Gold did eventually follow through with what was in Belle's dream. A type of illusion spell that Gold might not know, or at least not have the skill level Inari did.