"Now we're getting somewhere." Zelena smirked. " Let me guess, you agreed to have yourself mutilated to look like you'd been attacked by another dragon to gain sympathy? Then gain my trust? For what, for the chance to live aboveground with the other normal people?"
"Alright, yes!" Teressa whimpered. "Please, give me back my heart."
"Not until you tell me who hired you. Must be someone powerful for them to have the Grimmerie and an Emerald Vlary just lying around to be used for an assassination plot."
"It was the witches council. Those that went into hiding."
"Glinda tried to have me killed?" Zelena frowned, a bit stunned by that. She and Glinda had their differences many times over. The Good Witch and the Wicked Witch were natural born enemies, but they squashed their rivalry when Zelena left Oz for good and relinquished the throne. Zelena even gave her necessary funds and materials to fix parts of Oz that she had neglected or destroyed, although there was more neglect than anything. If it didn't concern destroying her sister, Zelena hardly paid it any mind.
"No, Evanora and the other lackey. I don't even know their names."
"There's another witch of the west? Who the hell is Evanora?"
"Evanora rose to power in the east. At first I think she sided with Glinda. They wanted to fix what you destroyed, return her witch sisters to Oz, restore them to power. After a while, she and Glinda started fighting about what to do and who had what power and I don't know. Glinda was forced out. I think Evanora heard rumors that she was trying to contact you and sent me to kill you."
"Clearly, you didn't succeed. I wonder how Mal will feel about this." Zelena smirked wickedly. "Shall we go find out?" She teleported them straight to the farmhouse, just on the front porch. A quick knock on the window brought her wife outside, looking stunning in a simple black turtleneck and blue jeans. She was also wearing the necklace Zelena made for her and the witch almost forgot why she was here, holding someone else's heart, when she caught sight of her magnificent wife. Maleficent was not as pleased though.
"What is this?" She growled, glaring at Teressa, who took a step back. "Now you're afraid? After you've spent the last few weeks chasing my mate?" She looked at Zelena in explanation, who held up the heart.
"Tell her what you told me."
Teressa gulped. "I was sent to kill Zelena so she couldn't help Glinda."
"Help Glinda do what?" Mal asked.
"Apparently the witches of Oz are at war." Zelena answered. "Glinda was dethroned and she's looking for me to help her. I should go see if I can find her."
Mal nodded and held out her hand. Zelena passed along the heart, but waited to see what her lover would do with her would be assassin. "How many of you are there? Trapped below the surface."
"Hundreds." Teressa answered. "There were more, but many die every hundred years while we wait to be able to feed."
"That's very sad." Mal said blankly. "And I suppose that the last few weeks were the only times you've been able to come above ground other than to feed."
"Yes."
"I pity you. You and the rest of the dragons of Oz." Maleficent said. "I really do. I would rather die than never touch the sky. I almost want to spare your life."
"Wait, please." Teressa pleaded. "It was the only way."
Mal glanced at Zelena, starting to smirk. "Where's all that confidence from when you were trying to woo my mate? Where's that boldness when you were sitting on my border? Where's that courage from when you challenged me, sitting right here on this porch?"
"You know damn well why. I never meant-"
Mal snarled, a loud growl barrelling out of her chest as she slammed Teressa against the railing of the porch, one hand clamped around her throat. Zelena licked her lips. "You came into my territory with the intent to murder the mother of my children. I don't give a damn what kind of life you've lived." She held up Teressa's heart. "You think I need this to kill you? I would like nothing more than to split you from jaw to tail tip, but...you're lucky that I need you to deliver a message for me. So here's the deal." She gestured to Zelena with the heart. "She's going to send you back to Oz effective immediately. You're going to return to the bitch that hired you and tell her you failed and that she's pissed off a very powerful enemy, who is now coming for her head. You see, we were going to visit Oz as a family trip, maybe a year down the road, but now I think we need to bump that up. Children, I know you're listening." The front door opened and their daughters leaned out, both smirking. Mal looked over her shoulder. "I think it's time I show you what happens to those who think they can just attack this family and get away with it."
"Okay." Cynara grinned.
Mal released Teressa and put an arm around her, leading her into the house. "Deliver this message for me, dear. And if I ever see you again, I'll kill you." She paused to place a spell on the heart, one that would prevent Teressa from putting it back in her chest until she had fulfilled Mal's request.
Zelena stepped around them to go retrieve her magic chalk. Creating portals was a craft sought after by many. It was a relatively simple once one learned the spell. The only problem lay in going from a magical world to one without. For instance, that's why it was so easy for her to leave Oz and venture to the Enchanted Forest. Once she was able to discern the exact spell, well, it was an easy enough job. She returned to the living room and drew a circle on the floor with the chalk, opening a portal straight to Oz. Exactly where, she wasn't sure and didn't really care.
"Evanora will just kill me or send me back underground. Please!" Teressa pleaded. "I swear I won't hurt Zelena if you'll let me stay."
"Maybe you should, Mommy." Cynara said, drawing the attention of her mothers. "And we could help the other dragons underground too. Maybe there are some like her and us, who just want to live in peace."
"Peace?" Mal arched an eyebrow. "She's an assassin. Sent to kill Zelena."
Cynara and Adrienne both turned to Teressa, their happy smiles turning into angry scowls in moments. "What?"
"Did she hurt you?" Adrienne demanded, looking at her redheaded mother.
"Of course not." Zelena scoffed.
"Drop her." Cynara commanded.
Mal grinned and dropped Teressa's heart back into her arms. Before she could fight back, she pushed the woman straight through the portal and Zelena closed it with a wave of her hand. "What was the witch's name?"
"Evanora." Zelena said. "She's one of the witches from the council. Guess they grew tired of Glinda's rule."
"Is she powerful?"
Zelena shrugged. "Not from what I've seen. It was easy to kick her out when I took over, but with a new attitude and the backing of the other witches, she could be a threat."
"Find Glinda then. Bring her here and get a handle on the situation. Any information we need before we go to Oz. I don't want us walking into the middle of a warzone. Are they strong enough to attack the Vinkus?"
"If they're stupid, they could try. The Vinkus are comprised of dozens of different tribes, not to mention the other groups of people that live in and pass through their main city. All of them teaming up against the council would be disastrous for everyone involved. The only reason they allow themselves to be ruled at all is because of their respect for Glinda, who is by far Oz's most powerful witch. Behind myself of course."
Mal nodded slowly. "See to Glinda. Then we're going witch hunting."
"Yes ma'am." Zelena smirked.
"And stop looking at me like that. Our children are in the room."
Zelena couldn't help grinning as she walked out of the room to go find a way to help Glinda.
When Regina walked into the farmhouse that evening, she was not prepared for what she would find. Zelena, Glinda and some other witch were currently deep in an argument that had Mal rolling her eyes. She listened silently, attempting to piece together its nature, but she didn't know enough of their history to decipher what was going on.
"Who's the brunette?" She asked Mal, gesturing to Glinda's companion.
"Witch of the North."
"How long have they been at it?"
"Long enough."
"You can't blame me for this!" Zelena snapped. "I gave you back Oz, even gave you food and money and magic to fix things!"
"It surely helped." The North Witch scoffed.
"Have you ever considered that maybe Evanora was planning this for a while?" Zelena asked. "She overthrew the most powerful witch in Oz in a night. That doesn't just happen. She didn't just decide to take over Oz on a whim."
"She caught me by surprise." Glinda scowled. "And it wouldn't have been a problem if I wasn't cursed while she was plotting. You upset the balance when you disbanded the council."
"There was no balance! You basically ruled Oz. The other three hardly did shit. The only person anyone talked about or prayed to or wished for was Glinda. Tell me I'm wrong."
"Before you stepped in, there was peace."
"There was malcontent." Zelena retorted. "Besides, the people didn't know that their beloved wizard was a figurehead put in place by you two. He was a fraud who profited off of ignorant people who truly believed in him, as did you."
"Because you hid the princess!" Glinda snapped.
"She didn't want to be queen!"
"ENOUGH!" Maleficent roared, silencing the bickering witches. Regina watched them from the back as the three women slowly calmed down. "As little as I care about the politics of your world, what is going on?" She looked at Zelena. "Mitt Hjarta, explain."
Zelena sighed. "Before there was the Wizard of Oz, there was a royal family. A long bloodline who sat on the emerald throne, protected by Oz's witches and ruled over all four regions. The last queen died with no heir, so people thought, but there were always rumors. The Wizard of Oz came and people started to forget the royal family. I found the missing princess."
"What did you do to her?" Regina asked with interest.
"I set her free." Zelena shrugged. "She was cursed by the wicked witch of the north." She gestured to the witch in front of her. "The one before Lucky here."
"My name is Locasta." The woman hissed.
"Whoever." Zelena scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "She was cursed to serve an evil witch and I broke her curse and took her to the Vinkus. We found out who she was, but she was barely more than a child who had never seen anything of life besides a witch's dark castle. So they let her stay and let her live. I taught her a bit of magic, helped her get set up with other teachers while I was plotting to ruin Regina's life. She didn't want a crown. She didn't want anything but to live a life worth living. How could you ask her to be a queen to a world that had forgotten her family, that she didn't know and didn't know her?"
"Well, she must've changed her mind, because instead of taking the emerald throne, she's built one in Winkie Country. She united all the tribes and clans under one banner."
"That sounds amazing?" Zelena looked confused.
"She's made herself a target and Evanora is going after her next."
"Enough." Mal said again. "The princess will be fine. We're going to kill Evanora anyway." She looked at Zelena. "We'll just have to pack a little faster."
"No, you're not." Glinda snapped. "We do not kill our fellow witches. She will be held accountable for her crimes, but she will not be murdered-"
"She sent someone to murder my wife." Mal replied, her voice barely above a growl. "She's going to die. That is a fact. I suggest you accept it."
Zelena stormed out of the room and Mal moved to follow, but Regina touched her arm. "Allow me." Mal nodded and turned back to the witches to get any more information they may have had while Regina walked out to the front porch. Her sister angrily paced back and forth, erratic green magic glowing in her hands. "Zelena, sit. Please."
"I don't want to talk."
"Well, I have something to say." Regina said, sitting down on the porch swing. "You helped that girl. You saved her. Just because that made life a little bit difficult for a bunch of witches who've been in power so long they've forgotten when they weren't, doesn't mean you should second guess that."
Zelena stopped her pacing and crossed her arms. "It was probably the only good deed I had ever done. And I didn't even mean to do it. It just happened."
"You didn't stay with her?"
"Obviously not." Her sister shrugged. "Why would I? Ruining you was more important."
Regina flicked an eyebrow. She was not surprised in the slightest. Her sister was a patient and persistent woman. If she decided to try and destroy you, she was going to do exactly that, no matter how long she had to wait to perfect her spells to do it. "You know, Zelena, that I know you. By now I have to. Teressa was hired to kill you and you didn't even bat an eyelash, but you get upset over a few words form Glinda? This princess was more than that. I know it."
Zelena glared at her, as if angry that someone could figure out her emotions. "The moment I saved her...she looked at me like I was the greatest thing in the world. She was so hopeful, so happy. I left her with the Vinkus because I had other plans and I couldn't let a little girl change that. She was in good hands. I never expected her to challenge the witches or anything like this and now she's become a target for a witch who will kill to get what she wants. I suppose it's true: no good deed goes unpunished." Her sister turned around and sighed again.
"You know what, no." Regina snapped. "That's not true at all. I was in a similar situation, being forced into a throne, and you gave that girl something I only wish I was given." Zelena turned to look at her again, eyebrows knitted in confusion. "A choice." Regina said. "If Glinda or anyone else had found her and saved her, she would be stuck in a castle like I was. You let her choose to be something else, to be what she wanted, and you should never feel bad about that. Never."
"Thank you, Regina."
"It's the truth." She assured her. "We'll go to Oz soon and destroy Evanora and her sidekick and then we'll figure out what to do about the princess later on. You have my magic at your disposal."
Zelena simply nodded and Regina glanced back at the door, listening to Mal argue with their guests. "You should go." Zelena said softly. "I need to talk to Mal." Regina dipped her head and teleported home, finding that she had a guest of her own.
"What is this about a trip?" Robin instantly demanded.
Regina scowled just as quickly. "What are you doing in my house?"
"Henry let me in. I came to talk to you and see my daughter, but you plan on taking her to another world!" He followed her into the kitchen and glared at her down and she really, really wanted to slap him. She took a deep breath however, and kept her temper in check.
"The trip wasn't supposed to be for at least another year." She said slowly. "If you had let me tell you instead of jumping down my throat, you would know that. And if you think, I would just take Elizabeth to Oz without telling you-"
"And if I didn't want her to go? Wouldn't you just take her anyway?"
"First of all, lower your voice before our daughter hears you. I don't have to explain something to you that hasn't even happened yet. Now get out of my house." She met his glare head on until he backed down.
"We really need to have a talk-"
"No, we really don't, Robin. You need to leave."
"If I cannot change your mind then I am going with you." He said as he walked by her.
"I don't give a damn what you do anymore, Robin." She replied, slamming the door after he'd gone.
"Mommy?" Regina spun around at her daughter's call and found her on the verge of tears. Henry stepped out behind her, looking puzzled at what he just witnessed. Most of Storybrooke still seemed to think she and Robin were still together and she never directly told anyone besides Mal. She walked over and picked Elizabeth up and took her upstairs to get her ready for bed. "Mommy, are you okay?" Beth asked as Regina placed her on her bed.
"Just fine, Sweetheart."
"Did you and Daddy fight because of me?"
"No." Regina sighed. "Don't you worry about that right now. Get some sleep."
"But-"
"Elizabeth." Regina said firmly. "Sleep. It'll be better in the morning, I promise." Her child responded by throwing her arms around her neck and hugging her tightly. She kissed the top of Beth's head. "Everything is fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. How about this? Tomorrow, we'll see if you have magic and if so, we'll have our first lesson."
Elizabeth snapped backwards, bursting into a smile. "You mean it?"
"I do." She couldn't resist smiling when Elizabeth snuggled under the blankets and squeezed her eyes shut, as if trying to force herself to go to sleep so tomorrow would come sooner. "Good night, Princess."
"Good night, Mommy." Beth peeked out of one eye to say and Regina chuckled to herself as she left the room, all traces of her earlier anger at Robin now vanishing in the presence of her little girl. She went back downstairs and found that Henry was still waiting for an explanation.
"What's going on, Mom?"
"Now is not the time to have this discussion."
"You've been distant. It's been a while now. You don't even talk to Mom anymore. What's going on? I just want to help."
Regina shook her head, already feeling drained from the day's events. "We'll talk in the morning."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Maleficent was silent as she watched Zelena lift up the bed with magic and move underneath it, pulling out an oddly colored floorboard to reveal a hidden compartment.
"I don't know the best way to explain any of this. It was from a terrible time in my life." Her wife said, pulling out a small ornate box.
"I don't want an explanation." Mal replied, carefully pulling the bed back down once Zelena had moved back. "I want what I've always wanted: to understand. Talk and I will listen. You know I will."
"I know, I just...I never really understood my own feelings during that time and once it was over, I buried them and never thought about them again." Zelena sighed. "Before you get it in your head, there was nothing romantic involved."
"I wasn't worried." Mal smirked, drawing a small smile from her wife as they both took a seat on the bed.
Zelena opened the box and pulled out a pair of pictures. One was of a young girl who couldn't have been more than ten years old. Her brown hair was cut short. Horribly as well, like someone had taken a sword to it instead of scissors. The second picture was a bit clearer and in it, the girl was older, possibly in her late teens. She was very beautiful and possessed the most striking green eyes Mal had ever seen. Her hair had grown past her shoulders and she sported a large blue diamond tattoo on the front of her neck. "Her name is Oziana. The royal family was often named after Oz and has existed for a long time, but the best rulers came in the last few generations or so. First, there was Ozroar. Coolest name and coolest king ever. He was the one who started Shiz and wanted Oz to embrace magic. Then there was Pastoria, his son. The oddball who left the throne to open a tailor shop." Mal arched an eyebrow and Zelena just shrugged. "Don't ask. Then his daughter, Princess Ozma, who took over the kingdoms when she was a child and ruled until her death. No one really knew about Oziana and after a few years, no one really talked about her anymore. The royal family faded away when the wizard came."
"How did you find her?" Mal asked.
"Pure luck." Zelena replied. "I bumped into the witch who had captured her when I was at the market one day. She had Oziana disguised as her servant. I sensed the spell on her and without even thinking, I broke it. The other witch, I don't even remember her name she was so terrible," Maleficent smirked again. "I defeated her in minutes. She was old though, so it was a bit of a hollow victory. Anyways, I saved the lost princess and took her to the Vinkus because I had no clue what to do with her and I was busy plotting to destroy Regina's happiness. They took her in and a few years later, she received her first tattoo. They accepted her like they did me."
"You watched over her. "
"Every now and then. I did attend her ceremony though."
Mal looked down at the picture, at the smiling girl. She wondered what would've happened if Zelena had chosen to stay with her, perhaps train her. Would she have even met her beloved? Would it have changed her wife's life? "Are there any others?"
"Other what?" Zelena frowned slightly.
"Other things you missed because you were so focused on vengeance?"
"I missed everything because I was so focused on vengeance. That's part of the reason why I was so hesitant to trust you in the beginning. I'm glad I did though."
"Of course you did. I'm irresistible." Mal flipped her hair and it drew a bright smile from her lover.
"Yes, you are."
"So, what's the plan?" The dragon asked. "How will we draw out Evanora?"
"All you have to do is fly around really." Zelena shrugged. "She's going to want to know what a free dragon is doing in Oz. Just show off, do some acrobatics, breathe some fire. She'll come running."
"Slaughter flying monkeys?" Mal asked, hopefully.
"As many as your little heart desires."
Mal broke into a grin. It had been a long time since she got to really fight something. Her sparring sessions with Lily and Eric were fun, but she missed battle and really needed some variety. "Should we make it a learning session for the kids?"
Zelena flicked an eyebrow. "Do whatever dragons do, Babe."
"I love it when you call me that." Mal purred.
"Do you now?"
"You know I do." Zelena bit her lip as Mal leaned forward, but she got up at the last second. "We have to prepare to go kill a witch. No time for sex."
"No time for sex?! What?!"
"War first. Then love."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Regina walked into Granny's, absolutely dreading the conversation she was about to have. Emma and Henry were already in her usual booth. Emma looked over the menu while Henry snacked on a plate of cheese fires, although she didn't know why Emma bothered since she always ordered the same thing. She took a seat and ordered a sweet tea.
Emma looked up at her, but said nothing. She patiently waited for Regina to speak, something they hadn't done in a while. They used to be each other's strongest supporters, but the last couple years had taken its toll on Regina and she found herself drifting away from the Charmings altogether. Having Elizabeth and ending her relationship with Robin had consumed her attention. She made as much time as possible for Henry, but even that wasn't enough.
"What's going on with you, Mom?" Henry asked. "Are you and Robin breaking up?"
"We broke up a long time ago. A couple years ago now actually."
Emma and Henry's jaw dropped. "Why?" The blonde asked once she was able to form a sentence. "When did this happen? Why didn't you tell us? Do he do something to you?"
"No." Regina shook her head. "Nothing like that. I realized that I wasn't truly happy and I didn't want to string him along, so we parted ways. He was less than enthusiastic about it, but it was my decision. Elizabeth still stays with me though."
"Why weren't you happy?" Emma inquired.
"A few reasons." Regina shrugged.
"Well, what trip was he so mad about last night?" Her son ventured to ask.
It took a few minutes to explain the entire situation surrounding her sister and former lover. "They plan to stop Evanora before she can harm the princess or anyone else and I offered to help them."
"And they're going to do that by killing her." Henry said. "Heroes don't kill, Mom."
She almost wanted to roll her eyes at his words. It was an irritating phrase she was very familiar with by now. "I am aware. Zelena and Mal are not heroes and if Zelena was anything like a hero, she would be dead. Anyways, before all of this with the witches, Zelena was planning a family trip to Oz and offered me a chance to go with her. I accepted and Elizabeth was really excited to go-"
"You didn't tell me about a trip." Henry frowned.
"Because it wasn't supposed to happen any time soon. Right now, I believe the plan is to go deal with Evanora before we take the kids to Oz, but it's Zelena so her mind is subject to change at any point in time. There's a lot going on with them right now and I wanted to help any way I can. I would've told you about the trip, Henry. There was no way I was going to leave you behind or force you to go if you didn't want to." She paused so Henry and Emma could soak in this new information. She could tell her son was still a bit confused, but he didn't ask anything else. It was only when he excused himself to go to the bathroom did Emma inquire more.
"If there is a problem, let us know." The blonde said. "If there is a way we can help, we want to. Now, what really happened with you and Robin? I can't believe you kept this a secret for so long. I mean, I suspected there were problems between you two but I never thought..."
Regina sighed, remembering when Mal lost her memories. Sure she wasn't herself, but even then, Mal treated her like her little queen, made her feel things with a single look or a touch that she never felt with Robin. "It wasn't meant to be."
"Why not?"
"Mal made me see otherwise."
"Because Maleficent kissed you?" Emma frowned, looking even more confused.
"I settled for Robin. I would have killed Zelena to have Mal to myself. I know now that her feelings lie elsewhere, but it doesn't change the fact that she made me feel more alive than when I was ever with Robin. I love him, I do, but I didn't want to be with him anymore." She glanced down at her hands, a bit nervous at having to explain a bunch of feelings that had taken her months to sort out. "I know my idea of love and what it really is are probably very different things. But if love feels the way I felt two years ago, then I would rather not have it. And it wasn't fair to lie to him."
"I thought he would be your happy ending." Emma said softly.
"I did too, for a while." Regina smiled sadly. In the beginning, it was bliss, but it faded quickly. Maybe she wasn't meant to love anyone romantically. Glancing down at the vibrating table, Regina picked up her phone and answered it. "Hello? Zelena? Is Elizabeth alright?"
"The little dearie is perfectly fine. She wants to know if she can go flying with Mal and the kids."
"Yes, I trust Mal, but make sure she uses a proper saddle."
"Of course. Also, we have a bit of problem regarding our witch situation."
"I'm at Granny's with Emma. You can teleport here." She hung up and slid over. Zelena appeared next to her and instantly helped herself to one of the cheese fries. "What's the problem?"
"Me and Glinda went to Oz this morning to do a bit of reconnaissance. We found Evanora, her castle and her army of flying monkeys. You know, I was angry about her trying to have me assassinated but now i'm pissed she's using my methods." Zelena ate another fry and narrowed her eyes when Regina slid the plate away.
"And?"
"Luckily, she's not turning people into flying monkeys. They're just conjurations, but no less of a problem. Not only that, but she's employed a few dragons as well. This is going to be much harder than we thought."
Regina arched an eyebrow. "Just let Mal, Eric and Lily loose. Dragons love to fight. Hell, even Ruby. She's a beast on the battlefield. I should know." Ruby was the one problem she was never able to tame when she was fighting Snow. Any time their armies had met and Ruby was present, Regina lost or would only win by the skin of her teeth. She was sure the werewolf had killed dozens of her black knights.
"That's the plan, but we'll need more than that to draw her out. Her castle is too heavily fortified."
"Then talk to the princess." Regina shrugged. "If Evanora has approached the Ozian people in Glinda's absence, because I'm sure they will have noticed something is up by now considering that they don't have their wizard or their savior witch anymore, then having someone with royal blood appear to finally take her place will take the focus off of Evanora. She won't want that."
"Who's to say she won't just send someone to assassinate her like she did me?"
"I'm sure she would be curious." Regina reasoned. "And want to know if it's true. Half of Oz would. If it doesn't work, we'll just have to kill all her guards and storm the castle."
The sisters went quiet as they considered all of their options. Emma cleared her throat, drawing their attention. "Why don't you curse her like you did Glinda? Trap her in that ice world or whatever." She asked. "Just to separate her from her castle and her guards." She suggested.
"Hmm. You've given me something to think about, Miss Swan." Zelena looked at her sister. "I'll call you when I bring Beth back tonight." Regina nodded and with that, the witch teleported back home. Regina looked up, narrowing her eyes at Emma's smile.
"What?"
"You two have come a long way."
"I know."
"I'm glad. It's nice to see Evil and Wicked on the same team instead of trying to kill each other."
"It is."
"When did that happen?"
Regina took a moment to think about it. "I don't really know." It just sort of happened. Zelena getting married and having children had really calmed her down. Motherhood had worked its magic on both sisters in a way and their hatred for each other turned into a love for their children. It was years before they were able to even consider one another a friend though. There were still things Regina didn't know about her sister and she understood her a lot more after a few conversations with her. There were times when they could almost kill each other still, but she trusted Zelena.
After a quiet afternoon with Emma and Henry, they journeyed out to the farmhouse to collect Elizabeth after receiving a text message from Zelena. "Whoa." Emma said softly, seeing Mal sunbathing in the front yard. "Maleficent got huge."
At one point in time, Mal was thin and slender, just as elegant in dragon form as she was in human form. That wasn't quite the case anymore. When Zelena gave birth, it triggered new instincts for Mal. Those instincts involved bulking up so as to protect her new babies and mate from enemies and suitors. Now, Mal was twice the size she once was. Chunkier and more muscular than ever. She still managed to retain her regality however and looked like a beautiful sculpture in the falling light. The children were playing around her paws, chasing Ruby in her wolf form. Regina spotted a little speck of white on Mal's nose and smiled when she realized it was little Erec, using his mother's snout as a sunbathing platform.
"Mommy!" Elizabeth abandoned the game entirely when she spotted Regina and ran to greet her. Regina stooped down to pick her up and gave her a hug, unable to stop a foolish grin from spreading across her face at the sight of her child. "Can we go see if I have magic now?"
"Absolutely."
"Beth has magic?!" Cynara yelled, racing as well.
"We don't know yet. We're going to see if we can find out today."
"Can we come to see?"
"Yeah!" Elizabeth grinned. "We could have a sleepover! Can we, Mommy?"
Regina smiled. "They have to ask their mothers."
Cynara turned to look up at Mal. "Please?" The dragon opened her eyes and looked at her daughter. She gave a nod, the smallest she could muster without disturbing the half asleep dragonling on her face. "Adrienne!" The little blonde ran over to her sister to share the news and the two sprinted into the house to pack for the night.
"Sleepovers too?" Emma commented. "The two of you have come a long way."
"Zelena knows I would never hurt the children." Regina frowned at the blonde and turned around as Ruby trotted towards them, a dazzling diamond studded collar around her neck.
"Hey, Gina." Ruby sat next to her, puffing out her chest and curling her tail around her paws.
"Hello, Miss Lucas. New collar?"
"Yes, thank you for noticing." Ruby beamed. "It was an anniversary gift from Lily."
"One of many, I'm sure." Regina replied. Despite their past dealings and quarrels, she was pleased to see Ruby get her happy ending too. After being ignored by the heroes countless times, it was good to know she was in very good hands with the dragons.
"You would be correct. Dragons know nothing about moderation."
"Of course they don't."
They both looked up when the door of the farmhouse came flying open and Adrienne and Cynara came sprinting back out with their bags. Zelena appeared in front of Regina and handed her a list. "This is their nightly routine. Make sure you follow it to the letter."
Regina placed Elizabeth back on the ground and snatched the list. A lot of it centered on bathtime and making sure the girls' hair was properly washed and braided, but it was the same thing she did for Beth's, so she wasn't worried about that. "Three scoops of cookies and cream ice cream an hour before bed?" She read aloud. "Lots of chocolate- Wow." Regina looked at her smirking sister.
"Can we bring Oz and Kiki?" Cynara asked.
"Are they house trained?"
"Yes, and they sleep through the night. Oz snores though." The little blonde pleaded.
"Yeah, Mommy, then we can play games in the backyard. They like your apples too." Beth added.
"The pet lions eat apples?" All three girls nodded vigorously and Regina sighed. "Fine." She turned to Zelena as they ran to collect the giant cats. "How am I supposed to take care of a fucking lion?"
"They're completely docile and I'll send you some food later and directions for how to prepare it. They listen to the girls. They'll do all the work."
"And you're sure they're safe to be around?"
Zelena nodded. "It'll be fine."
"What about Erec?"
"He's going Running with me and Lily tonight." Ruby piped in.
"Alright then." Regina looked back at her car and made a waving motion with her hand, transforming it into a black pickup truck. "This will be an eventful evening."
"We'll help you, Mom." Henry smiled.
"We will?" Emma asked. Henry gave her a look and she grinned. "Yeah, we will. We will help you with the giant man eating cats. Absolutely."
"They're not man eaters. Otherwise, a lot of the town would be dead." Zelena replied.
The girls returned, leading the large lions behind them. "Come on, Oz, meet Regina." Cynara said, leading the large male up to her aunt. The creature stood as tall as a horse almost and was the color of molten gold. His mane was dark brown, was perfectly brushed and stretched all the way down to his belly. "Hold out your hand." Regina held out her hand to the beast and he took a sniff of it, giving her a final lick in greeting. They did the same with Kiki and Henry and Emma. "Now, up." The big male hopped up onto the back of the truck and the female followed, both laying down at a simple command.
"They're well trained." Regina commented.
"They're Ozian lions. They're more trainable than dogs. Seriously, you have nothing to worry about from them. If they end up being too much, just call me." Her sister said. Regina turned to help the kids into the car. "Be good for your Auntie Gina." Zelena called.
"We will." Adrienne said.
"Call me if you find out anything else about Evanora."
"That's what we'll be working on tonight. I'll let you know."
With that, Regina and the others piled into the new truck. "You know, only in Storybrooke can you go to your sister's house to pick up your daughter and return with two more kids and some lions." She could spend the night with the children while her sister prepared for war.
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A/N: I'm so sorry for the sporadic updates, but thank you so much for the people that are still following this story and if you're new, thank you for stopping to read it. I love feedback and I love your reviews, so feel free leave any comments or suggestions or anything of that nature.
Quick question: Would you all like to see what happens during the sleepover or do you want to get straight to the meaty stuff in Oz?