Chapter 6
Waters off the Enchanted Forest, about a year before the 1st curse
Ursula sat before her fabulous gilt-framed mirror and studied her features critically. Her white hair was starting to get a little flat. She'd have to do something about that soon. She patted her up-do with one fat, well-manicured hand. She noticed said hand in mirror, and abruptly brought it down before her face. Frowning, she studied the chipped polish. The salt-water really was murder on the nails.
"Fiona!" she called over her shoulder. The small red-head really was the best Ursula had found when it came to manicures. Her abilities were next door to magic.
Ursula waited long moments, but no Fiona, dazed and compliant, showed up at the door of her boudoir. Odd. Very odd.
"Fiona!" she called again, more forcefully this time. Still nothing.
Ursula huffed her annoyance as she got heavily to her tentacles and swam out the doorway. She headed to the servant's quarters and entered with reluctance. They kind of freaked her out, these compliant, soul-less creatures. Yes, they always did her will quickly and efficiently, and she had no problem with them on an individual basis. But put them all together, and she half expected some kind of fish-zombie apocalypse!
Scanning the room, she found dozens of familiar faces—those who had broken deals with her, those who had double crossed her, and those who just annoyed her with their terrible fashion sense. Seriously! Isn't it common knowledge that when you have a bright orange tail you can't wear pink?
Yes, she saw scores of familiar faces…but not the one she was looking for. Where under the sea could that mer-girl have gotten to? It wasn't like she had anywhere else to go. When they weren't busy fulfilling Ursula's every desire, the servants stuck to their quarters here.
A terrible suspicion began to blossom within Ursula's chest. What if…? But no! It wasn't possible! True, Ursula had been a little off her game lately, and her magic was definitely weakened, but surely none of her minions had managed to escape.
Beating a hasty exit, Ursula rushed pell-mell to her garden. She counted, row after row of miserable creatures, everyone in their proper place. She began to sigh with relief. All was as it should be. She turned away, but then something…or rather the lack of something caught her eye. There! In the far corner, where once Fiona's soul had languished away, there was…nothing! Nothing but a small patch of silt that had clearly been uprooted.
Ursula put a hand to her heart feeling the walls close in, dread, fear and anger coursing through her. She'd escaped? Fiona had escaped! How was that possible? Never in the ten years since she began collecting souls had she lost one. Never had she even come close.
"Flotsam! Jetsam!" she called, ashamed of the panic in her voice. She waited, and her pet catfish swam up, looking at her with deep soulful eyes. Absently Ursula began stroking him. She'd raised Tigger from a tadpole, and he always knew when she needed consoling.
Her slimy twin eels slithered in, oily smiles on their faces.
"Yes, your rotundness?" Flotsam hissed with a horrible imitation of a smile. "How can Flotsam and Jetsam serve you today?"
"I've got a problem," she said. She saw the two exchange a look, one freakishly glowing yellow eye meeting the other.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll make no wise cracks," she hissed right back. "I still haven't ruled out eel on my menu plans."
"We wouldn't dream of making any…as you call them…wise cracks, o liege most gluttonous," Jetsam intoned officiously. Ursula rolled her eyes. Again with the barbs about her rapidly expanding girth? Could she help it that she liked to eat and eat well? If obesity was the price of being well-fed and fabulous, she was more than willing to pay it.
"What might your problem be?" Flotsam asked.
"I seem to have misplaced Fiona," Ursuala said with irritation.
The eels shared an inscrutable glance. "You've lost your servant?" they asked in unison.
These slimy fish were creepy as hell sometimes. Whoever coined the phrase "slippery as an eel" knew what he was talking about.
"Certainly looks that way," Ursula answered, "Her soul's missing from the garden."
"And what do you wish of us?" Flotsam asked.
The fear-fueled anger bubbled up within her. "I want to know where she is, how she escaped, why my magic is evaporating, how I can get it back and I want you two to find the answers for me."
She held up a short stubby finger with each demand as though enumerating.
"How shall we determine that information, o must corpulent one?"
Ursula closed her eyes and counted to twenty-five. Counting to ten just wasn't gonna cut it today. These two could drive an angelfish to murder! Finally she answered slowly, gently with very hard fought-for patience.
"When I ask for your help, where do I normally send you?"
"To King Triton's kingdom."
"Yes. And why do I send you there?"
"Because you've been banned from going yourself."
"Exactly. And what else?"
"Because everyone knows you and would clam up rather than give you information."
"And?"
"Everyone thinks eels are nothing but dumb beasts with no intelligence, so they don't watch what they say around us."
"Very good," she answered in a voice as condescending as she might have used for her catfish. "But we know better, don't we? Eels are not dumb beasts without intelligence."
They eyed each other again but remained mute. She could fairly see the wheels turning in their devious little heads.
Finally Flotsam bowed. "As always, your wish is our command."
The pair slithered off together in the general direction of Triton's kingdom. Ursula grumpily flounced back onto the stool that stood before her make-up table. Tigger swam into her lap, and looked adoringly up at her.
Why did she even keep the eels at her side? They drove her nuts! On the other hand, they did do her bidding…always…and very effectively. Really their benefit far outweighed their downfalls.
The pair had slithered into her life around five months after her banishment. She'd finally started to establish herself in her fabulous mansion. She already had a handful of zombie-servants, and everything was looking up. One day the slimy twins had simply swam up to her, welcomed her to the neighborhood and offered their services whenever they were needed.
She hadn't quite trusted them. They were, after all, more than a little fishy, but, hey! Who was she to deny her fellow aquatic beings the opportunity to help their neighbor?
And in the nine and a half years since they'd appeared, they'd been more than a little useful. They were her eyes and ears within Triton's kingdom. They'd lured more than a few of her servants to her. They'd provided her with more than a few exotic foods and other luxuries that she simply could not live without.
In return, Ursula had allowed them to share in her spoils. They lived the life of luxury themselves, owning their own private mansion within her grounds.
Oh, Ursula had no delusions that they truly held any loyalty to her. They could turn on her at any moment…and they no doubt would if she ever lost her power and fortune. But for now, she would take every advantage they lobbed her way.
In less than an hour Flotsam and Jetsam returned, self-satisfied looks on their oily faces.
"Got some news for me?" she asked casually, attempting to affect unconcern.
Flotsam smiled at her in a way that told her he knew full well just how concerned she truly was.
"Yessss," he hissed, sounding like a large, aquatic snake. "Bad news."
She waited. The pair simply looked at her, smirks firmly in place.
"Well?" she finally burst forth. "Just what is this 'bad news'?"
"I fear, o large one," Jetsam said with a bow, "that Fiona is lost to you forever."
"What do you mean?"
"She's returned to her family—a very wealthy, well connected family. She's received protection from Triton's personal body guards.
Well, that was a blow. No way to get her back if Triton was personally guarding her. Ursula's beauty regimen would severely suffer. That little doll face was the best beautician she'd ever had.
"How'd she escape?"
"That information was not forthcoming oh most malodorous one."
Malodorous? She smelled just fine, thank you very much! So what if she'd been simply too depressed to bathe herself in the past week…ever since she'd first discovered her magic was slipping?
"All right then baby cakes, what about my other questions. Why's my magic draining?"
"It would seem," Flotsam started.
"Love is the culprit," Jetsam finished.
"Love?"
"Yesss. Deep abiding love has come to Triton's kingdom, and as you know, the light magic of love sucks away any dark magic in its vicinity."
"You call what I do 'dark magic'?"
Flotsam gave her a significant look. "You tear people's souls out and force them to be your slaves for eternity."
Unfortunately, he had a bit of a point.
"So love, huh? You telling me that geriatric fool found love?"
"Not Triton, most portly one. His daughter," Jetsam began.
"His youngest daughter, Ariel," Flotsam finished.
"What? That guppy? She's nothing but a baby."
"She is eighteen, far old enough for tender feelings to take hold."
"But…but…" Ursula sputtered. "Triton's other daughters married, for Poseidon's sake! They fell in love and I didn't start losing my powers!"
"Ah!" Flotsam said with a superior little chuckle, "but Ariel's love has two significant differences."
"And those are…"
"Firstly, her love is true love. It has been decades since true love has come to Triton's kingdom. Regular love cannot hold a candle to true love when it comes to the power to cast out evil."
"Fine, fine, Triton's little brat is in true love. What's the second difference?
Jetsam moved closer. "She's in love with a human."
"A human?" Ursula erupted in a voice that couldn't have been more shocked if the eel had told her Ariel was in love with a tarantula. "And he…returns her feelings?"
"Not as yet," Flotsam answered. "As yet, he doesn't know she's alive. Fearing he might not be a fan of her fins and tail, the young princess has merely worshipped from afar."
"Well, how can it be true love then?"
"Ariel will find a way," Flotsam said. "True love always finds a way. And when she does…"
"It will be a true love that transcends worlds," Jetsam finished.
Oh this was not good. This was not good at all!
"Okay," Ursula said releasing a long sigh. Might as well hear all of it at once. "And about my other question. What'd you find there? Any way I can get my magic back."
"You'll have very few options, my pudgy benefactress," Flotsam said.
"Perhaps there is one slim chance for you," Jetsam added.
"And," Ursula said irritably when the eels clammed up. "What precisely is that one chance?"
"King Triton's power comes from one single source, the most powerful magical object in any realm. His trident," Flotsam said.
"Find a way to get your tentacles on the trident, and you will never want for magic or power again," Jetsam finished.
The Enchanted Forest, present day
Regina groaned as she hit the wet, loamy ground. What she wouldn't give for a gentler, friendlier method of traveling across realms!
Pushing to her feet, she swiped at the dirt on her blouse and slacks, and then looked around. They'd all made it—Rumple and Belle, Emma and her pirate, even the Charmings. The dream team. They'd managed to get Henry back from Pan, and they would manage to get Roland and Robin back from—well whatever abysmally stupid person had taken them.
A sense of elation filled her, along with a new resolve. The hardest part was behind them. They'd accomplished the impossible—crossing realms. Now all they had to do was defeat the enemy. Between the Evil Queen, the Dark One, the Savior, the pirate, and, yes, even the heroes and the bookworm they were a force to be reckoned with.
"Everybody okay?" Emma asked, scanning the group.
A chorus of both groans and yeses greeted her.
"How about you Mom?" Emma persisted, "the baby okay?"
Snow put a hand to her abdomen and smiled. "From the way this little guy is kicking, I'd say he didn't appreciate the jolt, but other than that he seems fine."
"Good," Emma said. "So what's our next move?"
"We find the Merry Men and get some answers," Regina said firmly.
"Where do you suggest we begin our search, your majesty?" Hook asked brushing at his leather pants.
Regina looked around trying to get her bearings. A moment later she smiled. She knew exactly where they were, and if her guess was right, they'd find the outlaws in a matter of minutes.
"We're less than a mile from Friar Tuck's stone cottage," Regina said.
"And what, precisely makes you think we'll find anyone there this time of year, Dearie?" Rumple asked. The note of sarcasm that was ever present in his voice was going to get old fast.
"I don't know if we will or we won't," Regina said, "but we've got to start somewhere. You have a better idea?"
"None at all," Rumple said with exquisite unconcern.
"Alright then," Emma said, grabbing Killian's hand and stepping onto the dirt path, "Friar Tuck's cottage it is."
They walked the quarter mile to the cottage in silence. If only Regina could silence the thoughts in her head. Horrible possibilities that she'd hitherto refused to even think about came to her mind in stark clarity. Visions of Robin lying in the forest bleeding, broken, dead. Visions of some nameless, faceless villain torturing little Roland. What if they were too late?
"Who goes there?" came a voice in front of them. Regina listened carefully, trying to place it. It was lyrical, almost musical.
Of course! Alan-a-Dale, the outlaws' resident minstrel!
Regina saw her companions reach for their various weapons, and she stopped them with a hand in the air. "It's okay," she said in a whisper, "he's a friend."
"I'll ask you once more," Alan-a-Dale said, his voice harsher this time. "Who goes there? I swear on the Holy Writ itself I'll let no foe pass this night, be he the very devil who attacked us before!"
"Don't fear, Alan," Regina said gently, stepping forward. "We mean you no harm."
Alan-a-dale stepped forward into the moonlight. He was a young man, slim and lithe. He held a bow in his hand, and his ever-present lute was slung onto his back.
"My lady?" he asked hopefully, "is it truly you?"
"Yeah," Regina said, stepping forward. "We got Little John's message, and came as soon as we could."
"Praise be to God," Alan-a-Dale muttered, breathing a sigh of obvious relief. "We're sorely beset and desperately in need of your help."
"Well, we're here now," Emma said to Regina's right. "How 'bout you take us to Little John and fill us in on what went down around here?"
Alan-a-Dale looked around, seeing their whole group for the first time. With each face he saw, his smile grew. "Aye," he said. "Come with me."
Together with the minstrel, they walked the last few steps through the forest, and then the cottage came into view. Tears came into Regina's eyes as memories rushed in. She'd spent some of the best days of her life secluded in this cabin with Robin and Roland. Surreptitiously she swiped at her eyes. Now was not the time for weakness!
Alan stopped the group with an outstretched hand. "Wait here," he said. "I'll alert the others to your presence."
Regina nodded, and watched as the young man stepped into the cottage. Snow White stepped forward and put a hand on Regina's shoulder. Unaccustomed affection welled up within Regina for the other woman. What would their relationship have been were it not for the situation with Daniel? Might they have become friends? Might Regina have been the mentor the young, motherless girl needed?
A moment later, the door opened again and Little John's large form emerged.
"Your Majesty!" he said, rushing to her side. "You have no idea how pleased I am to see you!"
Regina stepped forward, and suddenly confusion reigned. Everyone spoke at once.
"What happened?"
"Any news on Robin and Roland?"
"Who is the blackguard who attacked you?"
"What's our next move?"
"Tell us about the attack."
Little John raised both hands, and waited until silence descended once again. "Patience! All shall be revealed, but first…"
The man hesitated and gave Regina a pitying look. Dread pooled in her stomach. She knew instinctively something bad was coming.
"But first what?" she asked, her tone sharper than she'd intended in her fear.
"Your majesty…" he said slowly. "We found Robin Hood. Not more than minutes after the mermaid took my message."
"You found him?" Emma asked intently. "Where is he?"
Little John never took his eyes from Regina. "He is inside. Come with me."
Anxiety coursing through her body, Regina did as Little John asked and followed him through the main room of the cottage, through the small door, and into the dwelling's one bedroom.
Her eyes took in Friar Tuck, sitting in a straight backed chair by the bed, his head bowed, his hands folded in obvious prayer.
And then she saw Robin lying utterly still and motionless in the bed. With a strangled cry she rushed forward until she reached the bed. Robin looked terrible. To say he was battered and bruised would be a vast understatement. A large, white bandage, looking more like a turban, swaddled his head. One eye was blackened and swollen shut. His lip was bloodied, and numerous bruises and lacerations marred his handsome face. One arm was supported in a sling, and God only knew what injuries he'd sustained on the lower half of his body which was currently covered with a soft, light blanket.
"Is he…" she asked in a strangled voice, not even able to think the remainder of her question.
Friar Tuck got awkwardly to his feet and placed a large, comforting hand on her shoulder. "No my lady," he said in a deep, soothing voice, "he has not perished. But, I must warn you. His condition remains precarious. He's not regained consciousness since the attack, and I fear he's holding on only by the merest thread."
The tears Regina had been holding back since receiving the letter, finally brimmed over and tracked their way down her suddenly-pale cheeks.
"Is…" she began, barely able to get the word past her tight throat. She coughed and then began again. "Is there anything I can do?"
The large man shook his head. "All we can do is treat his surface wounds and wait until he awakens. Perhaps if you speak to him, let him know you're here, let him know he has something to fight for, something to live for…"
Regina nodded, and then brought her eyes back to Robin's ravaged face. She heard Friar Tuck's shuffling steps and then the closing of the door.
Finally alone with Robin, Regina leaned forward, resting her head on his broad chest. She listened as his heart beat strong and steadily. The sound gave her some measure of comfort. Sitting erect once again, Regina brought her hands gently to his face and caressed the stubbled cheeks.
"Listen to me Robin," she said in an insistent voice. "Don't give up! Do you hear me? You can't give up! You need to get well; your son needs you. We'll get him back, and when we do, he'll need his papa."
She leaned down and gently kissed his forehead just below the bandage. "I love you," she choked out. "Do you hear that? I love you, and if you die…I don't think I could go on. I need you. Please fight…for me, for us, for the life we can have together."
Regina straightened again and looked down at the outlaw. No change. She sighed, and then her back straightened. He was desperately injured and had yet to waken? So be it. She'd care for him and bring him back to the land of the living. Death would have to try a whole lot harder than this if it wanted to separate her from her true love!
…
Killian settled onto a log by the fire outside the cottage and wrapped an arm around Emma. The night was chilly, and he'd seen her shiver.
They sat with the Golds, the Charmings and several of the Merry Men while Regina remained in the cottage with Robin. It was dreadfully late, and Killian saw the lady Snow yawn discreetly behind her hand and lean her head against her husband's shoulder. They were all exhausted, but none wished to sleep before they'd learned what they were up against.
"What exactly happened here, Dearie?" the Crocodile asked?
Little John stirred the fire with a thin stick, and the flames shot up before settling back into a gentle blaze. "It was two nights ago. It was a peaceful night; not the slightest threat detected. All of the sudden we were under siege by what felt like an entire army of well-armed men who fought like the very devil."
"Who were these men?" Emma asked.
Little John shrugged. "Never saw them before. They looked like sailors…maybe pirates. They were armed to the teeth, and the leader had this aura of...fire and brimstone around him. Insane though it seems, I almost believed we were fighting the devil and a band of his demons."
"What exactly do you mean by 'fire and brimstone'?" Charming asked.
"It looked like his beard was on fire," Mulan said from somewhere on Killian's left. "There was smoke all around him."
Killian's head snapped up. That sounded just like….but it couldn't be! He was dead! Emma gave him a questioning glance, obviously alerted by his sudden movement. He gave his head a slight shake, and she nodded, turning back to the outlaws.
"But that wasn't even the most…other-worldly aspect of our attackers," Alan-a-Dale said, idly strumming at his lute. "They were…impervious to our weapons."
"Impervious?" Belle asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Little John scratched his head. "Our arrows went straight through them without harming them, without making a mark."
"What on earth?" the Lady Snow asked under her breath.
"I don't understand it any better than you, your majesty," Little John said, a troubled look on his face. "I've never seen or even heard of a foe like this."
"If that is the case," Charming asked, "how is it that you escaped with so few casualties? Aside from Robin Hood, I see no one with serious injury."
"That's true," Friar Tuck, the group's appointed healer said with a nod. "It was miraculous, really. Naught but scrapes and bruises."
"The only sense I can make of it is that they had no intention of actually harming us," Mulan said. "They seemed to have just one objective…kidnapping Roland." She shrugged. "I think Robin was only injured because he stood in the way of that objective."
"A band of marauding pirates who passed up an opportunity to pillage and plunder?" the Crocodile asked, shooting Killian a nasty look. Killian rolled his eyes.
"So it would seem," Little John said.
"But why?" Belle asked. "Why kidnap Roland? Neither Robin Hood nor the rest of the Merry Men appear to be overtly wealthy. They couldn't have hoped to extort any significant amount of ransom money from you."
"It would seem," Alan-a-Dale said, "that ransom was not the motive. The leader of the group seemed to be intent on Regina. He wished to lure her back to this realm."
"Why?" Emma asked.
"I can only assume an enemy of hers wishes to exact revenge."
Killian snorted. "Well, that narrows it down. We're looking for someone who has a grievance against the Evil Queen. That only leaves nearly everyone in the Enchanted Forest…and those in a fair number of other realms as well."
"Indeed," the Crocodile said with a grin in Killian's direction, "with only those people on our list, we should be able to zero in on our villain within the hour."
Killian returned the Crocodile's sarcastic grin. Had they just exchanged quips not at each other's expense? It seemed wonders would never cease!
"Just so," Little John agreed with a smile.
The Lady Snow yawned again, and her eyes drifted shut. Charming, looked down at his wife with a tender smile.
"Well," he said, "we won't sort anything else out tonight. I think it's time Snow and I get some sleep."
It took some minutes to sort out, but in due time, Snow and Charming were given the only remaining bed which sat in the main room of the cabin, while the rest of them set sleeping palates on the floor. Killian settled his and Emma's before the fire and then laid down behind his wife.
"I guess we aren't going to get to finish what we started back at Granny's," Emma said, turning in his arms until she was facing him.
Killian grinned, and then leaned forward until his lips captured hers. The need and heat erupted with the force of a wildfire. After long moments, Killian pulled back with a frustrated groan.
"Lass," he said huskily, "I'd give the Jolly for a little privacy."
"You and me both," she replied breathlessly. "I'm starting to think the whole Fairy Tale world is conspiring to keep us from being together, you know, as husband and wife."
Killian pecked her softly on the lips. "Let them do their worst. I'm convinced true love will win in the end."
"Can 'in the end' come soon?"
"We can only hope."
Emma turned over and settled back into his embrace. Despite the frustration, a warm feeling of contentment engulfed Killian. She was his wife! Emma Swan was his wife! He could be patient when it came to the physical expression of their love. After all, they had the rest of their lives to make up for the delay.
Notes:
-First off, I know Ursula's supposed to be the villain, but I just can't take her seriously yet. Maybe when she starts really causing havoc that will change, but for now I can't help but see her as just…ridiculous!
-So, Regina found Robin, but he's only barely clinging to life. The rest of the gang got some more details about what all went down in the Enchanted Forest, but there are still more questions than answers. What's up with people who get shot, but can't be harmed?
-Up next: Long, long ago, Edward spends the next ten years building up a reputation every bit as fearsome as his mentor's…and he take a more colorful moniker. In the present day section, Killian gets the idea to go to Camelot, to request Arthur's and the Knights' help with their current situation. He and Emma go off together to accomplish that task. Alone at last!