AN: Sorry it took me so long between updates. I'm planning on updating all of my stories.
This chapter includes mentions of character deaths and mutilation. There will of course be out of character moments since the story takes place in an altered universe.
Steps away from the large white house that she thought of as home, a funny feeling developed in the pit of Regina's stomach. Someone was watching her. She froze in her tracks from fear.
Regina had been this strange place for less than an hour. But she knew enough to know this wouldn't have been the world was different that of her own, very different. Rumple and Coral were happy and living in the Charmings's loft together. Her mother, who had died in her arms in the Storybrooke she had come from, was happy in this new world and alive. Cora had even chastised her about using magic. Emma's wish somehow caused them to switch places.
She steadied her pace as she thought about the Charmings living in her home. What if the Snow and her Prince Charming were as dangerous in this world as Rumple and Cora had been in the Storybrooke she knew? She laughed under her breath at the notion. An evil Snow White would be a sight to see. Curiosity drove her to continue her approach.
As she narrowed in on the entryway, Regina found her feet swept from underneath her. Her back slammed on the concrete. "Testing your luck again Mills," Ruby growled. Her wolf speed and strength were not altered in this universe.
Regina moaned under the weight of the Ruby on top of her pinning her to the ground. It took her several seconds to realize that Ruby's right arm was missing entirely. The wolf was holding her in place with just her left arm.
"Of course Snow still has her trusty guard dog," Regina scoffed trying to not appear stunned by the scars that covered Ruby's face.
"Whatever you had planned it wasn't going to work," Ruby growled. The yellow in her eyes flashed to even darker shades.
"I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding," Regina's voice shook and her pulse started to raise. "I should be on my way."
"You know it's not the simple," said a voice that Regina hadn't heard in quite some time. "Even with the truce in place, one pays a price for trespassing on her majesty's land." Graham emerged from the shadows then. His features were darker than she remembered. Ruby stood and Regina pulled herself to her feet. She could feel Ruby's breath behind her as she stood between them.
"There was to be no more bloodshed between Henry's families," Graham spoke clearly. "But you know as well as I that all bets are off once you cross unto this lawn." He pulled a small dagger from his waist.
Regina gulped slowly and steadily. She wasn't sure what to do. Her magic still worked in this realm. She could poof away but something in the back of her mind told her not to. "Right, that rules of truce must have slipped my mind" Regina managed to utter hating the fear she heard in the back of her throat.
"That's funny," Ruby snarled. Her eyes danced with a something dark as a menacing grin formed on her lips. "She's got jokes, Graham."
He let out a heavy exhaled, "Well I doubt she'll be laughing for long." He lifted the dagger to her face. Regina felt her limbs tighten. "Don't worry it won't hurt." He laughed then sinister and deep.
The front door to the mansion swung open just in time. "Let me handle this," Emma commanded.
"Emma, thank god," Regina squeaked. "I was just looking for you."
A smirked formed in the corner of Emma's mouth. She stepped forward and grabbed Regina by the back of the hair. Regina winced at the blonde's gasp as Emma tossed her onto the lawn. Regina gained her balance and found her footing just before Emma's fist met her face.
It wasn't the first time, Emma had punched her. Regina hadn't forgotten the sting of the Emma's right hook. It sent her stumbling to the ground. "Were you now?" Emma said loudly looking over her shoulder. "Didn't get enough the last time I kicked your ass."
She pulled Regina off the ground by the collar of her blazer closing the space between them quickly. "I'm sorry," She said in a whisper. "Just play along. It's the only way we'll survive this place."
"Is it necessary for you to strike me so hard?" Regina said under her breath. Emma hit her once more even harder.
Regina landed on the ground with a thud. The blonde then took the dagger from Graham's hand and grabbed Regina tightly by the arm. "I'll take her to the woods," Emma shouted back to Graham and Ruby. Her companions nodded at her as she dragged Regina off of the property.
"So, let me make sure I've got this," Emma said with a sigh as the two of them leaned against the magical well in the heart of the forest. "A fallen star trapped in an amulet created a bizarro Storybrooke?"
"It appears that way," Regina answered with a heavy sigh. "The wish you made, while I was wearing the amulet, for me to understand the hero's burden…" She shook her head. "It seems to have altered our past; granting your wish. However, I'm not sure to what extent."
Emma sighed heavily and waved her hand, "This might help." The infamous story book appeared in Regina's hands. "It was sitting next to my bedside table when I woke up in what I think is your guest bedroom. I felt compelled to read it."
"Henry's book," Regina's voice wasn't more than a whisper. "How is he?"
"Alive," Emma said. "I only caught a glimpse of him before he slammed the door in my face. But physically he seems fine."
"Good," Regina swallowed hard. There was so much about this world that was left unknown. Knowing that Henry was alive brought her great relief. She opened the book and began reading its stories.
"It's an interesting read," Emma said, a bitterness growing in her voice. Regina was focused intensely on the pages of the book as Emma watched from over her shoulder.
The story book told a somewhat familiar tale, a woman and a man who fall in love despite all odds, a tale of Rumple and Cora. Cora turned to him to enact revenge on Leopold who brutally murdered her child's father, Henry.
Only, they don't enact revenge at all. Instead, they fell in love and turn away from the temptations of evil. The Dark One abandons his powers and Cora retakes her heart. Rumple raises Cora's child as his own and the three of them continue their search for Rumple's lost son together.
Leopold and his queen Eva slipped further into darkness and Eva herself becomes the dark one. Snow grew up with a heartless mother and father. No one loved until she met a young werewolf.
The two of them planned to run away together but a villager revealed their plans to her mother. Her mother brutally mutilated the young wolf and sent her to another realm. The villager was Regina.
"This is absurd," Regina said as she slammed the book shut. "I don't need to see anymore." She took in a deep sharp breath trying to fight back the tears.
"But you didn't even read the end," Emma shouted, Regina could hear the anger dripping from her voice. "You missed the part where my mother rips out my father's heart to enact the dark curse. Luckily, He convinced your family to let me stow away in the wardrobe they built to send you, the young savior, to this world."
"Emma…" Regina started to speak but was at a loss for words. No doubt Emma was hurt and there was little she could say to make it better.
"Which is arguably the most confusing part," Emma was so angry she was shaking from head to toe as she started to rant. "You're supposed to be older than my parents but it turns out in this universe your family spent several years in Neverland making amends with Pan and hiding from my grandparents. You left after realizing that Neal wasn't there."
"What?" Regina shot her a puzzled look. "How is it then that everyone appears to be the same ages they were in the Storybrooke we know?"
"Really Regina, That's what you take away from what I just said?" Emma's body was tense. Her jaw was locked. "You finally figured out how to take away my mother's happiness. My father is dead. You've won, Congrats."
"This wasn't my wish," Regina shouted back in protest. "I wouldn't ask for any of this. This was your doing. I had a chance to make a wish and you took that from me."
"Oh and I'm sure you're hating this," Emma stepped toward Regina, her anger radiating from her. "You have your parents and the happy ending you. You have everything and I…" Emma's face fell as she heard the words that almost escaped her lips.
"You have nothing?" Regina asked as she stepped closer to Emma. The tears in Regina's eyes made them glisten. Emma's heart fell into her stomach. "I don't have a happy ending either. I saw no mention of Robin or Daniel in that book."
Emma shook her head, "They aren't in it." She said recalling what she had read early that morning. Regina stared at her blankly. "A lot of things aren't. For example, where the hell are Eva and Leopold now?"
"This book has never told the whole story," Regina exhaled slowly all the air slowly releasing from his lungs. "Our Henry's story book certainly doesn't." Regina's rubbed her forehead. "I do have to admit, this morning, when I heard my mother's voice-" She trailed off as she fought back tears once more.
"I'm sorry," Emma said softly. She reached for Regina's forearm but Regina pulled away "But you know this isn't right. This isn't our world."
"We have to find a way to undo the wish," Regina said firmly as she wiped the tears away from her eyes.
They stared at each other for a minute. Neither of them said anything. "And how do we do that?" Emma asked rocking back on her heels.
"The first thing we need is the amulet," Regina stated..
"So, where is it?"
"That I don't know," Regina sighed. "The last time I saw it was around my neck, but when I woke up in this world it was gone."
"Should we look at Gold's shop?" Emma suggested. "I mean whoever's pawn shop it is." She bit her lower lip and rubbed the back of her neck. "I guess that's assuming there's a pawn shop at all in this Storybrooke." A smiled formed on Regina's face as she watched Emma try and short through her thoughts. "This is confusing."
"I didn't get the amulet from Gold," Regina stated. "Your boyfriend gave it to me."
"Hook but why?" Emma asked noticing Regina's arched eyebrow. "And he's not my boyfriend." Emma added defensively.
The dock was empty save one vessel, the Jolly Roger. Emma and Regina approached the ship together. "Are you sure about this?" Emma asked. "We have no idea what to expect. The Hook in this world could be very different from the one in our world."
It had only been a few days since Hook told her the story of giving away the Jolly Roger to help find her. Hook's decision to lose his ship was the only thing that convinced Emma his heart was possible of change. Seeing it standing before her made all of her doubts surface.
"The pirate doesn't scare me, Emma," Regina said. "Besides, I'm not sure we have a choice if we're going to find the amulet."
As they began to step on board a figure began to emerge from the shadows. A woman stood before them, in a long black doublet, and very tight corset. Emma and Regina scanned the woman's body before noticing the hook on her left hand.
"Milah," Emma muttered. She recognized her face from drawings that Emma had seen in Hook's cabin when they journeyed to Neverland.
"This ought to be interesting," Regina said in a hushed tone under her breath.
"Since when are we on a first name basis, Satan's Spawn?" Milah glared at Emma.
"Look, Captain Hook, We're here-" Emma words were cut off as Milah shoved past Emma and stepped toward Regina.
"I'm happy to see you, Love. Though, I can't say I approve of your choice in company," Milah beamed a flashy flirtatious grin at Regina before stepping forward and kissing her gently on the lips. She felt a rosy embarrassed glow grow on her cheeks as Emma stared in confusing.
Milah turned back to her ship and continued working on the rigging. She gestured for them to come aboard. Regina began to follow but Emma pulled her gently her by the forearm. "This was a bad idea," She whispered.
"As strange as I find the fact, that in this world my stepfather's ex-wife greets me with a kiss on the lips, it doesn't change the fact that Hook is who gave me the amulet," Regina pulled her arm away. "This is our only lead."
"Everything else is different. Why would the amulet be the same?" Emma words fell on deaf ears. "Fine," She waved her hands in the air. "Let's see what your girlfriend has to say." Regina shot her a quick glare as she stepped aboard the ship.