"Reina!" Mal yelled, throwing herself off the cliff after her mate. The fog swallowed her up and she silently cursed Reina's spells. She couldn't see anything and flying was nearly impossible. What if Reina had fallen somewhere and was injured? What if she couldn't teleport herself? What if she was still tired and couldn't use her magic? "REINA!" Mal called frantically. She dove further and luckily hit the ground not too long later so it wasn't as high a cliff as she first presumed. She sniffed around and listened, hoping there was a sign of her mate. There were many new smells surrounding her, many new sounds. There were creatures all around her, running for their lives most likely. There was magic around her too. It made her scales tingle just being here. What the hell was this place? "Reina!" She tried reaching out to her through their bond but felt only a wave of confusion and pain that wasn't her own. Lily called out to her from somewhere above but she couldn't see ten feet in front of her, much less into the sky.

Go north.

Are you alright? Mal took off in the direction given, narrowly avoiding trees and hanging vines that got caught around her horns. She splashed through a small pond and found that much of the earth had been churned up as Reina slammed into it, but there was too much of it. She nearly stepped on her mate when she found her. "Reina." She lowered her head and felt Reina stroke her nose. Her mate looked exhausted and she was trembling and panting, looking up at Mal with dilated pupils. "Let's get you home."

"No." Reina struggled to get back to her feet and moved to get back into the saddle. Mal twisted away from her. "Please."

"What happened?"

"I think I did it. I think I changed into a dragon."

"What?"

Reina nodded. "I-I didn't do anything. I couldn't. My magic is still drained. I knew you wouldn't be able to catch me in here. But it happened. I saw my shadow and when I hit the ground." Reina smiled. "I saw wings and a tail. I moved one of my wings. I saw it. You have to drop me again."

"What?!"

"Higher. You have to take me higher."

Mal shook her head. "No, you sound ridiculous. I'm not doing that. I can't feel your aura at all. What if I'm not fast enough? What if you don't shift?"

"What if I do?" Reina asked. "Please, I'll do anything you ask after this. Just let me do this."

Mal glared at her. She let out a fierce roar that Reina only rolled her eyes at. "Fine. Get on." Reina pulled herself back into the saddle and Mal threw herself into the sky, powering through the fog. "First, I want to visit this place when I can actually see it."

"Fine, but I have to finish one more thing."

"Deal. Second, you will not leave the house until your magic has regenerated. I want to be able to bathe in your fucking aura, you understand me?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Whether you shift or not, you will go home after this and go to sleep. You will rest. You will no longer fight me on that either."

"As you wish."

Mal threw all of her power into her strokes as she powered her way back up out of the fog. Lily was circling overhead, constantly calling out to her mothers. When she spotted Mal, she flew over to them, but Mal didn't stop climbing.

"Whoa, Mom, what the hell is going on? Are you guys okay?"

"Fine. How's your wing?"

"I healed it. Why are you going so fast?"

"Reina shifted into dragon form when she was falling. I'm going to drop her from somewhere even higher to see if she can do it again."

"Are you serious?" She said, letting out an excited roar.

"I know it's dangerous." Reina said. "But please don't try and stop us."

"Stop you? Ha. Let's go!" Lily put on a burst of speed, even passing up Mal. Together, they climbed higher and higher. By now, the rain had stopped and sunlight was spreading across the sky. They broke through the cloudbank and Mal threw out her wings to hover. "You sure about this, Mom?"

Mal turned her head and looked back as Reina stood up. "Are you, Reina?"

"No." She admitted. "And yes." Mal could feel a lot of emotions through their bond. Excitement, nervousness, a trace of fear. "I want to try." She took a deep breath and jumped. Lily suddenly landed on Mal's back and Mal looked behind her to see her using her phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling backup." She shifted back and both of them began to dive after Reina. "You sure this'll work?"

"Well, she already jumped, Lily, I don't think we have much of a choice."

"What if we can't catch her?"

"You ask a lot of questions." Mal replied, refusing to think of that. She was ready to pull Reina back with magic because she already knew that at this speed, they wouldn't be able to catch her anyway. She had to trust her. They were falling quickly but she saw no changes in Reina. The bond was singing with tension and it wasn't long before her mate started to panic.

Relax! She commanded through their bond. That fire that you always used is gone, Reina. It cannot help you now. Maybe that's why you can't shift. You're still holding on to who you used to be. You've always focused on anger and hatred, used that as fuel. Find something else. Fuck the Evil Queen, what would Reina use?

She felt the panic start to dissipate, but there was still no change. Reina was still falling. Suddenly, Mal's eye caught something to the east. She turned her head and felt that she saw something move there. Something big.

"Mom!" Lily smacked her shoulder and she returned her attention to Reina. Smoke was billowing off of Reina's form. Mal and Lily both moved away to be able to see her better. "Come on, Mom." She heard Lily say. Wings sprouted from the smoke and Mal threw herself into a dive again. A roar reached her ears and she roared back. Reina flapped furiously but she didn't know how to fly yet. Luckily, Lily had that problem already solved. Zelena stepped out of the trees and raised a shield that covered a massive section of the forest. The shield cushioned Reina's fall and gently bent inward, lowering her to the ground. Mal and Lily landed. "Thanks, Aunt Z." Lily said, rushing to hug Zelena. "I owe you one."

"What exactly were you going to do if I missed that text message?"

"Hope for a miracle?"

Mal inclined her head to Zelena as she passed. She would repay the witch later but her thoughts were on her mate. Reina was curled up in the shade of some trees, trembling and breathing heavily. She whimpered for Mal and she was by her mate's side in an instant. "Relax, my love. Deep breaths." Reina only seemed to breathe harder. Her claws left scratches in the dirt as she flexed them. "Take it slow." Mal instructed. "Try and move your front legs." One of Reina's wings unfurled, flapping uselessly and glancing off of Mal's horns. "That's not your legs, dear." Reina whimpered again and kicked out with her legs. "Slowly, Reina. You have plenty of time. There is no rush. This is your dragon form and you must learn to use it. Don't get frustrated. You think dragonlings aren't confused when they're born? I used to be afraid of my own tail because I couldn't control it and I didn't know why it was following me all the time." She heard Reina snort and felt amusement from their bond. "Take your time, Reina. Now, try to move your front legs. Stretch them out." It took a few moments, but Reina slowly reached out with her front legs, stretching them out as far as they could go. "Open your toes." Reina let out a growl but she successfully did as asked, although Mal noticed she was wiggling her back toes as well. Without being asked, she stretched out her back legs. "See if you can roll onto your stomach." Lily peeked out from behind her leg before going to her other mother to offer words of encouragement. Mal had her slowly adjust to her new form by moving every part of her body. It was just like a dragonling learning to move. Her mate was so determined.

As Reina went through the exercises, Mal took in the sight of her form. She was absolutely stunning. She was about the same size as Lily with a more slender form. It would make sense that she wasn't as muscled as Lily or as bulky as Mal though. She was purple. A deep, rich purple that Mal couldn't even name. Her wings were enormous and unlike Mal's, hers were covered in large glossy feathers. She had three sets of horns on her head that were big and slightly curved backwards. Upon closer inspection, Mal realized that her two largest horns had two more curling around it. Her gaze roamed down to her tail that seemed to run on forever. It was a magnificent tail whose lower half flared out with beautiful tail feathers.

"What do you think?" Reina whispered, avoiding Mal's gaze. She turned to look back at her tail and gave it a little ruffle, shaking her tail feathers.

"You look breathtaking." Maleficent answered with true sincerity. She'd never seen a more lovely dragon.

Reina looked up at her. "You mean it?"

"Of course. Come into the light. Let me see you." Reina stood up and took a few shaky steps. She moved into the sunlight and Mal's jaw dropped when colors exploded through her feathers. They were iridescent. Whenever she moved, the sun made a dozen more colors appear. She turned to look at herself and shimmering blues and teals spread across her wings and scales. She fluttered them and turned again and reds and golds took their place. Reina turned to look at her and threw her wings out wide, letting out a happy roar. She yelped when Mal tackled her and covered her with nuzzles and licks. Reina laughed and rolled onto her side to avoid Mal's excited tongue. "You're a dragon, Reina! I told you."

Lily screamed and jumped on top of Reina's back to congratulate her. "You look so cool, Mom."

"Thank you, dear, but enough displays of affection. Teach me how to fly!" Reina hopped to her feet and circled Mal, flapping her wings. Mal stepped on her tail and almost instantly stopped to stroke the beautiful feathers that she hoped she hadn't damaged. "What, Mal? You can't expect me to rest when I've finally become a dragon." She leaped and flapped furiously, taking off for a few moments before hitting the ground again.

"I can show you." Lily said.

Mal purred as she watched her daughter attempt to explain how to fly. Reina would have to go through training just as she did and she almost laughed at what lay ahead. Imagining Reina training to do anything seemed strange. Her excitement was palpable and she seemed as happy as a child on the winter solstice.

"Maleficent." Mal turned to lower her head next to Zelena. The witch held up her phone.

"Mal." Regina said. "We have a problem."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Regina anxiously paced as she waited for Mal to arrive at the mansion. She knew it was too good to be true. Why did she even bother trying to have any happiness? She kept replaying her time with Nyla over and over in her head and all she could think about was that she should've known something was off. Why else would someone want to go away with her for the week?

"Regina, you okay?" Emma asked.

"No." Regina replied curtly. "I am quite angry."

"You know he didn't mean for anything bad to happen." She whispered.

"It doesn't matter what he meant. It was foolish and wrong." Regina returned. "Mal is going to be pissed and she should be."

"Well, you spent the week with her other half. Is she really that big of a threat?"

"She's a dragon!" Regina exclaimed. "Of course she's a threat." A knock at the door drew her attention. Emma went to answer it and she nearly cursed when the Charmings walked in. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I called them." Henry said.

"That is fantastic. Invite the idiots for a meeting with the dragon that hates their guts."

"I think you're too worked up about this." Emma said.

"And I think you've forgotten who Maleficent is." Regina left the idiots in the living room and went to pour herself a glass of cider to calm herself down. Maybe she was freaking out a little bit, but she actually liked Nyla. Their time together was good, the sex was incredible and it seemed like she could finally move on from Maleficent. Only to find out that she was Maleficent! She knew something was off. A part of her knew it. Now it made sense that Nyla wanted to spend time with her. Who else would, knowing who she used to be.

"Um, Regina." Emma called.

Regina took a deep breath and downed the cider. When she walked back into the living room, she found Maleficent waiting patiently. The dragon looked gorgeous, fully dolled up in a black evening gown that looked like it was molded to her form. Lily and the Evil Queen were dressed to impress as well, in purple and red gowns respectively. "You all look nice."

Mal purred softly. "We're going out to celebrate after this. Reina took dragon form for the first time today."

Regina looked at her former counterpart and offered a sincere smile. "Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"Sorry to disrupt your evening, but we may have a problem." Regina looked at her son. "Tell them."

"Why-"

"Because you did it."

Henry turned to Maleficent, who tilted her head. "I used the Author's book and quill to try and separate you like Mom did to herself. It worked and um, there was another you here for a moment and then she was gone. I didn't say anything because I didn't know what to do and I didn't want to get in trouble. I thought it would make Mom happy again." Mal narrowed her eyes slightly.

"I didn't make it home after Lily's party. Not on my own. There was some man who tried to grab me on the street," Regina said. "A woman saved me and she joined on my little getaway. I only found out recently that the same woman is the one Henry brought here using his book."

Reina and Lily exchanged worried looks and looked at Mal. The dragon arched an eyebrow. "How dare you?" She growled.

"I just wanted to help my mom." Henry said.

Mal instantly fixed him with a hard glare, her eyes filled with fire. "You use me and my blood to make your mother feel better?" She said. "You use my fucking blood to make your mother feel better? Do you think that your intentions make your actions okay? How dare you use me, without my permission, for your own selfish reasons."

"I did it because you broke Mom's heart!" Henry yelled. "All she cared about was you and since you didn't want her, I made a second you who would."

The dragon shook her head, towering over the boy in her heels. "You didn't make a second me. Based on what you've said, you pulled a piece of me from the past. Do you know what I was in the past? A beast. A monster that torched kingdoms and destroyed nations. That is what you brought into Storybrooke. Yet another Charming playing with someone else's fate." She looked up at Emma. "You gave a child the same book that the Author used to fuck us all over?"

"It was meant to be kept in a secret place." Regina answered. "We knew the location but he wasn't supposed to mess with it without consulting us. What are we looking at, Mal?"

Emma took a step forward, slightly moving Henry behind her. "Maybe-"

"Shut up." Maleficent said, giving her a disdainful look.

"Look-"

"Shut up." The dragon growled, silencing the blonde once again. "Worry about disciplining your son, you can say nothing I want to hear." She turned to Regina, completely tuning out the Charmings and Regina was sure that was for the best. A dragon's body was sacred to them. Their scales, their claws, their blood, their memories and ancestors, all of it. It was meant for them alone and for someone else to take it and use it against her will, it was one of the ultimate signs of disrespect. "What did she look like?"

"She didn't look like you at all. I suppose I've never seen you younger before, but I could hardly believe you would be the same person."

"Describe her appearance."

"Long brown hair, one blue eye and one green eye, went by the name-"

"Nyla." Mal finished with a sigh. "This is not good."

"Why?"

"I only used that disguise during the times of Kator."

"That's how I knew it was you. She talked about launching an attack on them. Only you had ever spoken about them."

"What's Kator?" Snow asked.

"An ancient kingdom that liked killing dragons and plunged the world into a ceaseless war. I destroyed them." Mal answered.

"I checked your blood against hers. They matched."

"You have some of my blood?"

Regina scoffed. "You told me dragon's blood has magical properties. I wanted to see if you were lying. Don't change the subject. Our problem stems from the fact that I don't know where Nyla is right now. I panicked when I realized something was up and I put her to sleep. I remembered you telling me about how you pretended to be human to avoid capture and you kept a magical symbol on the bottom of your foot to hide your true nature."

Mal frowned slightly as she took a moment to think. She looked at Lily. "Mind going for a short flight?"

"Where to?"

"To the eastern ridge, near where we dropped Reina this morning. I believe I saw Nyla earlier today. Just fly around for a minute, make some noise and come back here." She turned to Regina. "Does she know this is your home?" Regina nodded. "Good. Think you can handle that?" She smirked at Lily, who scoffed.

"Piece of cake." She teleported out of the room and Mal looked at Reina.

"I'll take care of this. You go home and get some rest. We'll have a huge celebration tomorrow." Reina's eyes were already half closed. Mal placed a kiss to her forehead. She didn't protest when the blonde teleported her away. "She's tired." When her gaze traveled over to Henry, he cowered behind Emma. "Why does your family enjoy toying with me? Do I need to kill one of you to make a statement?"

"It wasn't about you." He said.

"And yet I am the one sacrificed for your bullshit!" Mal roared. "Again!" She glared at the Charmings and Regina said nothing to defend them or her son. She agreed with the dragon in this matter and she didn't know what she was going to do to discipline Henry yet. It was one thing to play with magic and another to play with fate or time. She didn't know what the hell he was thinking or how he thought this would play out any way other than Mal getting angry and potentially destroying something. She conjured the book, quill and ink in her hands and held them out.

"No!" Henry threw himself at her to stop her but it was Emma who held him back. "That's mine."

"Not anymore. You just proved to me that you can't handle it and we will discuss this at length at a later time." Regina replied. Mal took the book and teleported it away. Henry glared at them both, but as much as he hated it, Regina felt better knowing that it was with Mal. She doubted the dragon would just destroy it and had probably sent it to her vault. Mal's vault had never been breached and there was no safer place for it to be. He was just going to have to deal with the fact that he couldn't use it anytime he wanted.

"Count yourself lucky that you are Regina's son. Your connection to her is the only reason I do not curse you." Mal growled at Henry. "The next time a Charming crosses me, I will erase you just as I did to Kator. You want more details about it, ask Regina." The dragon chose to sit on the couch and neatly crossed her legs. "Sit, Regina."

"I'll talk to Henry. I'll figure out what to do about him." Regina assured her, choosing to speak in the dragon's ancient tongue.

"I know. I trust you." Mal shrugged, responding in the same language. She scooted a little closer to her and smirked. "So...you spent the week with Nyla?"

"...yes."

"Have fun?"

"Ye-"

"What'd you do?"

Regina scowled. "Mal, this isn't a game. And it's not funny."

"It's amusing." The dragon purred. All traces of her earlier fire were gone and there was only merriment sparkling in her eyes. "Tell me."

"We just talked." Regina shrugged. "We watched movies, sparred a little, cooked dinner together. Nothing exceptional."

Mal reached over to turn her head to the side and examined her neck. "She didn't mark you."

"Would she have?"

"If you spent much more time together, then probably, though not without your consent. She clearly likes you if she slept with you. I used to think that sex with a human was beneath me."

"Oh joy."

Mal chuckled. "Not all humans are bad. I met many who changed my opinion and many who confirmed it. What did you two talk about?"

"You." Regina said. "Me. Everything. I felt miserable and she was good company and provided a lot of counsel. We made a deal after she rescued me. I wanted to spend some time away anyway and I didn't really want to do it alone so she came with me. We were supposed to pretend like everything was okay but she asked a lot of questions. Mostly about me. She was very interested in finding out who you were and insistent on punching you." That only made Mal smile. "She doesn't know who you are though or what you are."

"She observed you too. She doesn't know this world."

"How are you going to get her to come here?" Regina asked in english.

"She'll follow Lily here and when she gets here, I'm going to punch you."

"Excuse me?"

"Trust me, dear." Mal smirked again.

Regina looked over at the dragon and remembered the scar on Nyla's chest. "You were captured, weren't you?" Mal arched an eyebrow in her direction. "Nyla is covered in scars. Small ones, but there is a big one on her chest. She said it was from a crossbow. It was from a war machine, wasn't it? It hit you while you were a dragon."

"Yes. To them, dragons were monsters and deserved to be eradicated."

"Maybe if you didn't attack people just for their gold, they wouldn't want to take revenge." Henry murmured.

"Henry!" Regina hissed sharply.

Mal sat up and looked at him. "Speak up, boy. You seem to know so much." The dragon bristled with anger and Regina was sure that if Henry wasn't a child, he'd have been punched by now. She put a hand on Mal's arm and gently rubbed it, reminding her to stay calm. Mal continued glaring at Henry. "Let me let you in on a little secret about the world. There are good people and bad people. There are good dragons and bad dragons. There are good people who do bad things and bad people who do good things. Kator attacked dragons because they hated them. They tracked mothers to their dens and slaughtered them and their eggs. They robbed their vaults and used it to finance their war. There was no revenge, no vengeance. Do you think those children, who had yet to even draw breath, deserved to die because they were dragons? Was their fate deserved because of another dragon's actions? Were they already monsters?" She paused to watch Henry stutter for an answer. "You are a child. You have seen nothing. You know nothing. Not yet. Be glad that you have not. Focus on being a child instead of playing with forces you do not understand." She leaned back, a growl boiling in her throat.

Regina reached over to touch her arm again, drawing her attention again, hoping to take it away from her frightened son. Defeating Kator was Mal's first great victory but it was still a sore spot for her. "How did you escape?"

"I didn't. I was released." Mal replied. "By a young woman from Kator."

"Really? You never told me that."

"It wasn't relevant, but none of that matters right now."

A cloud of purple smoke appeared nearby and the Evil Queen emerged from within. She didn't say anything but Mal made a face at her and begrudgingly got to her feet to place a spell around her midsection. Lily appeared nearby and gave a nod. Mal looked at Regina, who swallowed. "Relax." She whispered. "This won't hurt." All she had to do was raise her fist and a cloud of smoke appeared in front of Regina. Nyla grabbed Mal's fist and pushed her back, unleashing a shockwave of magical energy that shook the entire house and blasted out all of the windows. It didn't move Mal however and Nyla's jaw partially dropped, betraying her surprise.

"You're not the dragon I saw outside."

"Nope, now before you-"

Nyla lashed out again with her right hand and when Mal moved to block it she struck with her left and managed to catch Mal right in the jaw. "Son of a bitch!" Nyla hissed, holding her shattered hand against her chest. Mal wiped a drop of blood from her lip. They healed their injuries simultaneously and took a step back, dropping into a fighting stance. "You're the ex, I'm assuming." Nyla glanced around the room. "Evil Queen?" Reina hadn't moved from the couch and wiggled her fingers in greeting. When Nyla's gaze fell upon the Charmings, her eyes lit up with dragon fire. Regina stepped in front of them and fended off the blast she knew was coming while they dove on top of Henry to protect him. Mal tackled Nyla, wrapping her arms around her neck.

"Calm down! We just want to talk!"

Nyla growled and bit down on Mal's hand so hard that she drew blood. Mal's wound was healed instantaneously when Reina snapped her fingers, although she did nothing else to help the fight.

"Nyla, please." Regina pleaded. Nyla managed to get out of Mal's chokehold and the pair began trading punches back and forth, none of them managing to connect. Lily moved to step in, but Regina raised her hand and she stopped. Nyla managed to surprise Mal by ducking under a punch and running past her, aiming for the Charmings once again. A large ball of fire ignited in her hand, but Mal was just a bit faster than her younger self. She grabbed Nyla's hair and pulled hard, pulling her back and forcing Nyla's head back as well. Mal landed a single clubbing blow to her chest that slammed her down, shattering the glass coffee table. Nyla gasped for air and slowly sat up, coughing and clutching at her chest.

"Are you done?" Mal asked.

Nyla glared at her and got to her feet again, a ball of fire forming in her hand that burned so hot it turned blue.

Regina's own chest hurt after seeing Nyla get hit. Nyla was younger and perhaps faster but she simply could not match Mal's strength. Another blow like that could kill her. She had to put a stop to this. "Nyla! Valis!" The word halted both dragons in their tracks. Mal stepped back but Nyla continued to seethe. Regina moved between her and the others again. "Please, calm down."

"They are all here. The ones who hurt you."

Regina almost laughed. "You do not need to get justice for me, dear. I've dealt with it."

"And your child?" Nyla asked.

"That wouldn't be justice. It would be vengeance. A dragon's vengeance. I know what you're feeling but you cannot kill the idiots. Relax and we will explain everything."

"Why did you try to put me to sleep?" Nyla demanded. Her anger slightly dissipated and there was only confusion, possibly even betrayal in her multicolored eyes. "You just disappear after a night like that?" The flames in her hand fizzled out and she rubbed her chest that was already turning red.

"Why did you lie?"

"I never lied to you."

Regina crossed her arms and looked Nyla in the eye. "What is your name?" Nyla narrowed her eyes slightly. "Show me your real form and we can talk." Nyla didn't even hesitate. A wave of magic passed over the brunette dragon and the brown hair turned bright gold and the curls fell away. Her eyes changed to the familiar blue Regina knew. "What is your name?"

"If you know who I am, why does it matter? Beyond my name, I never lied to you. Why did you put me to sleep? Why are all of them here?" She glared at Mal. "Especially that bitch."

"You spoke of Kator." Regina put a hand on her chest and gently pushed. Nyla gave way and allowed herself to be seated. "Kator was destroyed a long time ago. It was erased from history. The only thing people remember about it was that it was a foolish kingdom who pissed off a certain dragon. That dragon obliterated them." Regina motioned to Mal. "She's that dragon."

"You fucking bitch!" Nyla growled. "That was my kingdom to destroy!"

"Technically, you did." Lily muttered.

"What? What is she talking about?"

"You are her. She is Maleficent." Regina said. "She's what you become. Henry, explain it."

Henry stuttered and looked at her like she was crazy. "Why do I-"

"Because you did it."

He cowered behind his grandparents and explained once again how he'd used the Author's book to bring Nyla into existence. Regina explained the rest when he'd finished. Nyla listened silently and didn't say anything until the very end and it was only two words. "Show me." Mal touched her own forehead and whispered a spell. When she moved her hand, green magic flowed off of her skin towards Nyla. Regina stood up and moved out of the way. Nyla held still and closed her eyes, letting Mal's magic wash over her. More minutes passed and Regina eventually walked out to pour herself something to drink. Lily and Emma ended up following her.

"You okay?" Lily asked.

"I'm fine. I just wish that this never happened."

"Why?" Emma asked. "I thought you liked her."

"Would it matter if I did?"

"I know Henry did something he wasn't supposed to do, but maybe this could lead to your Happy Ending. She doesn't have to go back, does she?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "You heroes and your talk of Happy Endings. Those are for storybooks."

"So she shouldn't try to find one? Not everyone is so pessimistic."

"Why do you think dating someone automatically means a Happy Ending?"

"It's a start."

"Children." Regina said, interrupting their little argument. "Calm down. I guess we'll take things one day at a time. Right now, let's focus on the more pressing matters."

"HOLY FUCK!" Nyla's scream had them racing back into the living room. Nyla was staring at Mal with starstruck eyes and the Charmings had jumped at her outburst. Reina hadn't stirred at all and seemed asleep on the end of the couch. "We're fucking amazing!" Nyla laughed, throwing her arms around Mal, who was laughing heartily at her counterpart's excitement. "Oh my gosh, I love you! Tell me, do we destroy that stupid kingdom with the golden eagle banners?"

Mal rolled her eyes. "No, they were attacked by another kingdom but I wish we'd killed those posh bastards."

"I hated those guys." Nyla growled. "And those idiots with the armada that painted all of their ships yellow? The most disgusting of colors."

"Oh we blew them to bits. Tried to shoot us down."

"I have to see the vault. How big is it?"

"Double the size of our mother's." Mal said proudly. Nyla did a giddy little dance.

"And our dragon?"

"Triple your size."

Nyla grinned so hard it must've hurt. "So we do it then? Everything we said we would? Everything we dreamed?"

"Just about." Mal said with a nod. "There were a lot of ups and downs but we survived and thrived. We have yet to achieve our goal of having thirty children, but that's about it."

Reina's eyes snapped open. "THIRTY?!"

Mal smirked at her before taking Lily's hand. "We have one perfect first born though. This is Lilith. Lily."

Nyla turned to her and burst into a grin as she looked her up and down and took her hands. "Gorgeous, isn't she? We have to spar. How many battles have you won? Kingdoms conquered, knights defeated. How many?"

"Different world." Lily smirked.

"A boring one." Nyla scoffed. "You are magnificent." Regina smiled to herself as Nyla fawned over their daughter, praising her on everything she could think of and leaving Lily a blushing mess. "Do you have a mate?"

"Um, no."

"Excellent. No one is worthy. Give it another decade or so, but make sure this person is a good warrior. Always choose a mate who can fight. Also, ensure they can provide for you. Anything less than half a vault is insufficient."

Lily rolled her eyes and looked at Mal. "You two are definitely the same person."

"You are the one they stole." Nyla whispered.

Lily gave her hands a squeeze. "It's okay."

"It's not. Nor will it ever be. They deserve death or worse."

"We all agree." Mal smirked. "But due to their relationship with Regina, they are allowed to continue their irritating existence. They are under her protection, though they do not deserve her loyalty, and therefore, are off limits."

Nyla growled slightly but nodded. She turned to Reina and held out her hand. Reina took it and Nyla kissed the back of it. "It is a pleasure to meet my future mate."

"Great!" Mal said, taking a seat. "Let's talk about you and Regina for a moment."

"What do you mean?"

"You appear in a foreign world with no recollection of how you got here, no resources, no familiar faces and you just go off with the first woman you meet?"

"First of all," Nyla said. "Look at that woman." She gestured to Regina. "The most beautiful woman I've ever seen asked me to go away with her, why would I say anything other than yes? If she asked me to stab you right now, I would. Besides, some asshole grabbed her while she was walking home."

Emma's head snapped up. "You did that to Keith."

"Who the hell is Keith?" Regina asked.

"The Sheriff of Nottingham." Emma answered. "We found him in an alleyway with broken ribs and a shattered jaw."

"He's a very lucky man then." Nyla shrugged. "I'm surprised he's not dead."

"He nearly was."

"I really don't care. I was protecting Regina. Anyways, I want to see my dragon." Nyla pulled Mal to her feet and pushed her out the front door. "Show me my dragon. Lilith, join us. I want to see yours too." She came back in to look at Reina. "You too, ma'am." She ran back out the door and Reina rose to her feet.

"What the hell just happened?" Emma asked.

Regina and Reina both found themselves laughing at the situation. It would only make sense that she would hate her own counterpart and Mal and hers would love each other. Reina's next words wiped her smile right away. "We just can't escape her, can we?" Reina chuckled softly. "Although, why would you want to?" She strutted out the front door and as soon as the door closed, Emma looked at Regina.

"What was that?"

"I don't know. She's been acting weird." Regina flopped down on the couch and rubbed her temples. She could hear the dragons moving around outside and Nyla's excited screams were crystal clear.

"So what now?" Snow asked.

"Is there going to be another dragon in Storybrooke that hates us?" David said. "She just tried to kill us. She didn't even care that Henry was in the way."

"She wasn't going to hurt Henry." Regina scoffed.

"And why not? If you weren't here, they'd have killed us all by now."

Flames roared to life in the fireplace when Regina abruptly stood up and faced Prince Charming. "Are you tired of hearing about what you did to Lily? Are you tired of being hated and despised because of something you did?! Hmm?"

"Whoa, Regina, calm down." Emma put a hand on Regina's shoulder, but she shook it off.

"You're right that if I wasn't here, they'd have killed you a long time ago. You stole Maleficent's baby, my baby. They will never forget that. They will never let it go and they don't have to. You ruined Lily's life and you expect them to forget it? It wouldn't matter if you saved a thousand lives and a thousand years had passed. They hate you. They will always hate you. So get used to it." Before she said something she would regret, she took a deep breath and extinguished the fire in the fireplace. "Get out. Henry, spend the night with your grandparents. You're grounded until I think of a more suitable punishment." She turned to head back into the kitchen and found herself pacing.

"Do you hate them?" Emma asked, leaning against the doorway.

"I hate what they did and let's be honest I never liked them."

Emma walked past her to grab two glasses and a bottle of cider. She poured them both a glass and pushed Regina into a chair. They heard the front door open and close as Henry and the idiots left. She couldn't hear the dragons anymore.

"What does Valis mean?" Emma asked after she got tired of the silence.

"It means many things depending on who you ask." Regina answered. "But essentially, it means remember where you are. To dragons, their home is their den. It is their safe place, to rest, store their valuables, where they raise their children. It is in a sense, sacred. This is my house, my den. When I said Valis to Nyla, it was meant as a reminder that she was not in her home, but mine. They're picky about such things."

"What's going to happen now?"

"How would I know the answer to that?" Regina scowled.

"I don't know, but they'll talk to you and I need to know that the town won't be in any danger."

"They're always in danger from something. This is Storybrooke, dear."

"Yeah and another dragon is in town."

"Thank our son for that."

"You didn't have to be so hard on him." Emma said softly.

Regina rolled her eyes. It didn't matter what Henry meant when he used the Author's book to her. He was a child playing with magic that he didn't fully understand, casting spells on people without their knowledge. "He shouldn't have used the book. End of story."

"He was only thinking of helping his heartbroken mother."

"Precisely. It seems to be a running theme for your family. Not thinking things through." She replied. "How else did you expect this to end? For Mal to say fine and be happy with it? For me and Nyla to fall in love and live happily ever after?"

"I didn't expect you to blow up like that."

"Maybe I'm just tired." Regina said, standing up. "See yourself out, Miss Swan. I'm going to bed." She felt drained all of a sudden and she wanted to be alone. Her dark bedroom was comforting and she quickly changed to slide into bed. She never did manage to fall asleep. It was around midnight when she heard a knock at the door. She went to answer it and found herself smiling when Nyla turned around. "Hello?"

"Hello. Were you asleep? Did I wake you? The night has only begun, Regina."

Regina smirked. "Not everyone runs on dragon time."

"They should. Life would be simpler. May I come in?"

"Of course. I'm actually surprised you knocked."

Nyla followed her into the house and joined her on the couch. "I just left the vault. It's amazing! It's massive!" Regina smiled. "And my dragon form is so big! My horns are almost as tall as me. She showed me the battle when we took down Kator and burned those bastard kings. The kingdom we built was beautiful. And I talked to Lilith. She is wonderful." Nyla wrapped her arms around Regina. "Our child is wonderful. An excellent successor to our thrones. We plan to spar tomorrow morning. You must attend."

"Of course."

"Excellent. Until then, we should discuss arrangements."

"Arrangements for what?" Regina frowned.

"I did tell you that I would be moving in. Didn't believe me?"

"Nyla, I do think we should talk. I don't think you're taking all of this in. Yes, you got to see who you would become and meet Lily, but-"

"And met you."

"Yes, but...you can't stay."

"Says who?" Nyla challenged. "I've been here for a while and nothing bad has happened. As long as no one changes the book, everything will stay as it is, right?"

"I guess, but-"

"And no one can do that but your son and the book's locked in the vault. I will stay. I want to know my daughter and I want to know you. I made you a promise and I intend to keep it. We still have a deal."

Regina stood up and moved away. "Nyla."

"If you're worried about me pursuing you, then don't be." Nyla said. Regina turned around and forced herself to look passive. Nyla was not so composed. There were so many emotions in her eyes and she stood up as well. "I know of your past and I don't want to push anything on you, but I was never joking or exaggerating when I said that you are the most extraordinary woman I have ever met." Regina swallowed under Nyla's heavy gaze. "I'm not going back and since I won't, it means that I can't be Maleficent. I will never grow into her or become her. I can't go through everything she's been through or do everything she's done. I'm okay with that. What I'm not okay with is having to wait hundreds of years just to meet you. I liked the week we spent together. I'd like to know more about you and see your world."

"Do you know why you're here?" Regina asked. "Henry only brought you here to be a replacement for Mal."

"I'm not happy about how I got here. All I know is that I am and I don't want to go back. I told Maleficent that she doesn't have a choice. But if you don't want me here…"

"That's not...what I want, but this can't be good. Messing with time and fate. How can you be so nonchalant about this?"

"Because I get to be here." Nyla replied. Regina shook her head and ran her hands through her hair. "Give me a week." Nyla said. "After that, you can decide whether I stay or not."

"Mal doesn't get a choice but I do?"

Nyla shrugged. "Why is this so hard for you?"

"I don't know." Regina sighed. "Maybe because you two seem so okay with it? Mal was pissed at first, but now she seems almost happy."

"She's still pissed. At your son and his decision, but she's intrigued by me. And I have to say...we're amazing." Regina rolled her eyes. Well, Mal always loved herself. She wasn't sure why she expected anything different. "What about this? We make a new deal and pretend that all of this is completely normal too. Just like our deal back at the lake house. What do you say?" Regina silently thought it over. Nyla made it clear that she wasn't going anywhere. She couldn't anyway without Henry rewriting the storybook or Mal potentially killing her but they didn't know what that would do either. If Nyla was to stay, why not enjoy it for a little while? She probably needed to take her happiness wherever she could get it.

"Alright, but you're sure this isn't weird for you now?"

"Our lives are already too weird to be normal." Regina silently agreed and rubbed her temples. She really was tired. She was far too aware of Nyla near her. Without the enchantment that hid the fact that she was a dragon, Regina could feel her magical aura washing over her, making her own magic churn in her gut. "Does the friends with benefits thing still apply to this new deal?" Nyla asked.

"Nope."

"Damn it."

Regina smirked at her crestfallen expression. "Good night, Nyla."

"Good night, Regina." Nyla smiled and kissed her cheek before she teleported away. Regina returned to bed, wondering just what lay ahead. Tomorrow was going to be interesting…

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Read and Review!

A/N: More updates are coming, dearies, but I wanted to get these chapters out there. I've had them for a while and couldn't do much more to them. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to review or send me a pm and thank you for anyone still reading this story and any others. It's been a crazy year and writing anything at all is getting to be a struggle sometimes so bear with me please. Stay safe.