Chapter 11

It took a few hours, but eventually Regina gave up and agreed to let her go to one session of magic lessons. Regina had her arms crossed and was staring at the siren when Rumple popped in to the room. He looked from the angry Regina to the intensely staring Lorelei.

"Ah…" Rumple pointed to Lorelei and whispered at Regina loudly, "she's still here dearie…"

Sighing heavily Regina pursed her lips, "yes, she is. Apparently, she cannot relax while I am with you because she doesn't know what we are doing."

Rumple cleared his throat, "oh. Well, wouldn't want her being distracted while playing with her pup now would we?"

Lorelei stepped towards him, looking even more furious but Regina put a hand on her shoulder, "he's jut teasing. You can watch this one time and that's it but you must behave." Lorelei nodded and Regina shot a meaningful look at Rumple before taking a seat.

Rumple understood but it was ridiculous Regina thought to tell him to be careful. He had felt her power when she was an infant, he hadn't forgotten. He took a seat with the two women at the table and decided to let Regina handle this. She smiled and conjured a tiny fireball in her hand, tossing it from hand to hand for a few minutes, pretending to concentrate.

Lorelei was interested, for a while. But she quickly grew bored. "Is that all you can do?"

Regina let the fire go out and glared at her, "I just juggled magical fire, is that not enough?"

Lorelei rolled her eyes and produced a ball of silvery flames, and then two more balls of them. She stood and juggled them higher and higher and casually added a few more. She was showing off, but Regina was impressed.

"When did you learn to do that?!" Regina asked as the woman let them go out.

Lorelei shrugged, "just now. But, I have been juggling regular balls for a while."

Rumple swallowed, he did not want to teach the siren new tricks. "Ah, right, well, tiny fireballs is all I've taught Regina so far. We will probably be doing this for a few more weeks I think…"

Lorelei groaned and put her head on the table, missing the look between the other two. "Seriously? This is stupid. I'm out."

Regina smiled and watched as she nearly ran out the door. She let out a breath and her and Rumple stood, he placed the familiar leather cord around her wrist and they vanished in a cloud of his magic. She looked around at the forest, "thank you for playing along. She can be rather insistent at times."

Rumple nodded, "understandable. I'm sure you didn't want her here for this lesson…"

Regina swallowed hard as a massive white unicorn appeared in his smoke. She had refused this for some time, but spending time with Snow had pushed her to this point. She silently apologized to the beast and then she pushed her hand in and removed it's magical heart. She stared at it in wonder. She had seen this, but never done it herself. She looked at Rumple pleadingly.

"Crush it, this is your last chance. I won't let you try again."

Regina felt a tear roll down her cheek, but she squeezed hard and fast, watching the unicorn fall to the ground heavily. Rumple was clapping and rambling on about finally starting her real training. She silently prayed her two friends never learned what she had just done.

…..

Red was reading in her chambers, not expecting to see Lorelei until the next evening. When her chamber door burst open she jumped to her feet and was immediately crushed in a tight embrace by the woman. She fell off balance from the impact and they both landed heavily on the floor. Red was trying to disentangle her dress when she heard Lorelei laughing. "Don't you dare…"

The threat came too late as Lorelei started tickling her and didn't stop until she was crying from laughing too hard. Finally, looking down at Red she said, "let's go run."

Red caught her breath finally and pulled the woman down on top of herself, kissing her hard, "that sounds perfect!"

They both jumped up and sprinted thru the halls, the servants flattening themselves against the wall as they passed. They were used to it by now. Most didn't even interrupt the conversations they were having as the two women bolted past them.

Once outside, they darted for the forest. Red shifted and they took off at top speed. Lorelei could just barely keep up with her, but Red always kept an eye on her to make sure she didn't fall behind. They ran a path straight to the lake nearby and once there, they both jumped in, Red shifting in air. As they both came up for air, Lorelei was breathing hard. "You've gotten faster Red."

"Or maybe you haven't ran enough lately?"

Lorelei thought for a moment then seemed to come up with an idea. She grabbed the other womans hand and they swam to the shore together. Once there, Lorelei closed her eyes and frowned deeply. "What're you doing?"

Lorelei peeked one eye open just long enough to glare at her, "magic. Hush."

Red nodded and waited. After a few minutes, the sirens silver runes began to softly glow. Then, the bare space on her throat flashed and new runes were put there. Lorelei opened her eyes triumphantly and before Red could say anything, she began to change.

There was a blinding light, and when Red could look again, there stood the most beautiful silver haired wolf she had ever seen. She gasped and held her hand out, gently stroking the wolfs head. She smiled at her wolfsiren and shifted to wolf herself. It took a few minutes but eventually, Red was able to talk to Lorelei the way wolves did.

"you're beautiful!"

"Thank you. Not as pretty as you though…" Lorelei nuzzled at Red before jerking her head towards the woods. "Run".

They took off. Red had been slowing herself to keep pace with Lorelei, but now, she could really run with her. They ran as fast as they could, keeping side by side as the trees whipped past them in a blur. They both smelled dark magic at the same time, and they both stopped instantly, silently. They crouched low, hiding behind the bushes as they crept closer. They finally could see, just as Regina crushed something and a unicorn fell to the ground screaming in pain.

They both stared as Rumple spoke to her, "very good! Now that I know you are capable of taking a life, we can begin your real training!"

Lorelei backed away silently, Red following close behind. They ran nearly back to the castle before Red shifted just after Lorelei. The siren was wide eyed and pacing feverishly. "What was that?! What did she do? Did she kill that beast?"

Red was horrified at what she saw, but not as shocked as Lorelei. She had sensed a darkness in Regina since Daniel died. It was only growing. She shrugged, "I don't know. I think she killed it. I saw Cora pull out a servants heart once, it looked the same to me…"

Lorelei whipped around to face her, furious, "Regina is not Cora!"

Holding her hands up in defense she tried to calm the other woman, "no, she isn't. I just mean, I think she had that creatures heart in her hands, it's magical heart. When she crushed it, well… the unicorn died."

Lorelei looked like she didn't know what to do with herself. She was running her hand thru her hair and gesturing at the forest. "But, how is she in the forest? I can feel her in her room where I left her."

Red frowned, Lorelei had always known where Regina was. "Let's go look in her room?"

Nodding, the siren bolted for the castle, Red close behind. They opened Regina's door… No one was there. Lorelei walked to a spot in the room, waving her hand thru the air. "I can sense her, right here. I don't understand."

There was a cloud of purple smoke and Regina appeared, jumping back and going wide eyed at her friends standing there, watching her. She put her hand up, "please, I can explain!"

Lorelei stared at her, uncertainty all over her face. "Why can I feel you here?"

Regina winced and slowly removed the leather cord on her wrist, showing it to Lorelei, "it tricks you into thinking I am wherever I put it on at."

Lorelei took the cord and her hands flashed as it fell to dust. She glared at Regina, "do not ever do that again."

Regina sighed heavily and looked at the rug instead of at her furious face. "I won't. But you wouldn't like what I learn…"

Red interrupted this time, "oh, you mean killing unicorns?"

Regina glared at her friend, "How did you know that? Have you followed me?"

Red glared right back, "we went running, we didn't mean to find you. Lorelei thought you were here, after all."

Regina clenched her fists and stepped towards Red, "you just accidentally found me in the middle of nowhere in time to see that? That's a lie! You led her there just to make her disgusted of me!"

Red stepped closer to her and they were within arms reach of each other now, "I didn't know you were there. It was an accident, unlike you killing the poor thing for no reason. You're becoming a monster Regina!"

Regina threw her hands out and meant to shove her, but her magic wasn't entirely reliable yet. She blasted her backwards. Regina watched helplessly as Red hit the wall and crumpled there.

Lorelei rushed to her and sat on the floor, holding the woman close and saying her name repeatedly. She looked at Regina, of all people, for help. "Regina, she's not waking up. Please, help me?"

Regina was crying now, but she couldn't make herself move. She looked around, trying to think of something.

Lorelei growled at her, not helping. She put her hand on Reds chest and watched runes flash onto her palms. A bright silver light radiated from her hand and was absorbed into the chest under her hand. Red's eyes shot open and she gripped Lorelei's shirt like it was her only lifeline.

"Oh! You're ok!" Lorelei held her tightly and rocked her gently as Red started crying heavily into her shirt. She glanced at Regina, "you've been just fine hiding from me for weeks. You can make it one night."

Regina was trembling when the two vanished in a flash of light. She collapsed onto her bed, curling up into a lonely ball and crying herself to sleep.

…

Lorelei gently laid Red on the bed and after managing to make her let go of her shirt, she arranged the blankets and undressed them both. She crawled in next to her and was immediately locked in a death grip as Red cried. "I was dead. She killed me. I was dead."

Lorelei kissed her forehead and kept smoothing her hair, calming her down slowly. "It's ok. You're ok now."

Red pulled back and looked her in the eye, "I can't stay here. I can't stay here with her. You have to come with me, please. You can't stay here."

Lorelei stared at her, "Red, you can't leave. I can't leave…"

Red closed her eyes tightly, refusing to let go, "I have to. Lorelei, she used her magic, and she killed me. She isn't Cora, but she is becoming just as bad. I know you can feel it. It's been growing in her. Come with me…?"

Lorelei let the tears fall, and slowly shook her head. "I can't. I won't leave her, you know I won't."

Red let out a long breath. "I know… I just wished you would."

Lorelei was at a loss. She wouldn't leave Regina, but she didn't want Red to leave either. She used her hand to make Red look at her again. "Do you still love me?" Red nodded and Lorelei kissed her deeply, trying to push her feelings into it, to make sure Red knew. "I love you Red. I always will, no matter where we are."

Red nodded, heart racing from the kiss. "I know. But I can't stay…"

Putting a finger on Reds lips to hush her Lorelei whispered, "just tell me you love me."

Red smiled and kissed her passionately. The kisses tasted like salt from the combined tears and they stayed face to face as they moved over each other with loving movements. Red said nothing except 'I love you' over and over again. When she moved to look down on Lorelei she made her say it over and over again, moaning and crying as they said their good byes for the rest of the night.

….

Regina woke with a start. She felt something pulling at her, from her chest. She rushed to throw on a robe and ran down to the main floor of the palace, that's where the pulling took her. She slowed and slowly approached Lorelei who stood at the open man door near the front doors. This was what was pulling her. She gently put a hand on Lorelei's arm as she looked past her and saw the figure of Red running towards the tree, a small pack on her back.

"Will she be back?"

Lorelei shook her head, she looked exhausted, as if she hadn't slept. She had cried, a lot. "No. She will not come back." She turned to look at Regina, frowning, "I understand now."

"Understand what?" Regina tried very hard not to cry, but her friends pain was so intense. She knew this was all her fault.

"The inside pain you told me about. Remember? We were five, or six. Cora had yelled at you and told you that you were disappointing. You were crying and I could feel the pain, but I looked you all over and found nothing. No bruises, no cuts or scrapes. You told me that it hurt on the inside." Lorelei pointed to her chest and turned to stare back out the door. "I didn't understand, but now I do. It hurts on the inside. It hurts a lot."

Regina nodded and gently tugged her away from the door. They slowly made their way back up the stairs and to their chamber. Regina helped Lorelei out of her clothes and had the servants prepare a hot bath. They both climbed in and Regina washed her friend like they always used to do. They hadn't washed like this since coming to the palace. Lorelei had been bathing with Red.

Once finished, Regina guided her friend to bed and covered her up, crawling in with her. She held her and comforted her, the same way the siren had done for her so many years ago.

Regina stayed in the room, long after Lorelei fell asleep. She had told the staff to watch over Snow, and she even told Rumple to come back in a week. She stayed in the room, and she took care of her friend. For nearly three days, Lorelei only got up to tend to necessary needs. Finally, Lorelei sat up and scooted next to Regina who was leaning on the headboard reading a book.

"I won't leave you."

Regina smiled at her, "I know. Because you can't".

Lorelei cupped her face and made her look at her in the eye, "I won't because I won't. I could, but I won't."

Putting her book down, Regina shook her head, "Red told me that too. She told you that too."

"But she lied." Lorelei seemed to lose focus for a minute, but she shook her head and looked back to Regina. "She lied, because she was scared. But I won't get scared. I will always be with you."

Regina leaned against her and whispered, "I know you won't. We're going to do this together."

Lorelei leaned in to her, she could sense the darkness, but she didn't know how to save Regina from herself. "I'll be here with you."

….