"Sorry for disturbing your peace and getting you wrapped up in all of this." Regina found herself once more at the beach with Raya by her side. Since the arrival of Ursula, Cruella and Lily, things began to move more quickly. The Charmings, wisely, chose to avoid the others and kept their heads down. The rest of them had been in the pool room all day. Regina assumed that Amphitrite was filling Ursula in on everything that had happened under the sea during her 28 year absence.
"It seems it was bound to happen." Raya replied, "This must complicate matters for you."
"Not really. Once we finish the ship, we're going back to Storybrooke and resurrecting Mal. After that, I'm helping you and Salacia take over Atlantis. I promised I would."
"I might have a way we can help you." Raya said. Regina motioned for her to continue. "If you ever want to get out of Storybrooke, you can come to Osirei with us. It's an ocean close to Atlantis with some islands that we're using for the Atlantean refugees and our war party. You'd be welcome there."
"The Evil Queen would be welcome?"
"You would be welcome. Most of the undersea world don't even care about what happens on land. Maybe you can start over."
Regina flicked an eyebrow at her friend's earnest gaze. "I'll never be the woman I used to be."
"But you can always be better. If that's what you want to be."
Of course she wanted to be better. Of course she wanted to take the chance. But when she looked at Raya and saw all the years she'd wasted, all the years they could've spent together, it only broke her heart once again. For the longest time, she'd wanted Raya back in her life but she didn't know if she could deal with seeing her with someone else, not to mention her own sister.
"I will think about it." She said, "Are you going to Osirei now?"
"Not yet. We still have preparations to make and Mother is still fighting with some of the ocean leaders about the attack."
"Amphitrite is a goddess. Why is she fighting with someone else about anything? Let alone leading an attack on a city that was forcibly taken over. What is there to argue about beyond the method of attack?
"Just because she's a goddess here doesn't mean anything. There are other peoples and cultures, other worlds with their own gods and their own leaders. She can't command them all. Nor should she."
Regina nodded slowly. "So, that's why you're waiting? Salacia mentioned that there is some sort of seal on Atlantis and that this sorcerer could send his armies to other worlds?"
Raya nodded. "Atlantis is considered the heart of the undersea world. The migration goes through the city and the city can be opened by any magical sea creature. You could say that there are a lot of doors there. Magical sea creatures can pass through world borders easily as long as they have access to the water, but some borders are harder to cross than others. That's what the doors are for. The seal was placed there during the first attempt to retake the city. Mother and some others placed a magical seal on Atlantis itself, preventing the sorcerer from opening any of those doors."
"But waiting two years? He could break the seal by then."
"Agreed, but you know how people are. It's a dangerous situation but they want to make deals and fight about nonsense and glory. As if that would matter when our homes are destroyed by the Trench monsters."
"Is that why you never joined the pantheon?" She asked.
"My mother may be a goddess, but I'm just a mermaid, Regina." Raya answered.
She didn't know anything about Raya's other parent. Amphitrite never mentioned it and Raya didn't seem to care. Still, she wondered what a world would like if it had Raya at its head, leading and ruling.
"Regina." They turned to see Snow approaching and Regina rolled her eyes.
"I'll help you with the ship in a moment."
"That's not what I wanted to talk to you about." The princess murmured, scratching at her arm that had been bandaged. Ursula had taken some blood from both of the Charmings before they'd been kicked out of the tower.
"I don't really care about what you have to say, Snow."
"If you bring Maleficent back, she'll kill us."
"And you would deserve it." Regina replied. "It amazes me the amount of people who think they can get away with messing with a dragon. You stole and cursed her child and now you want to cry about the consequences? I'm going to help Ursula and Lilith bring Mal back and if she decides to kill you there is nothing anyone can do to stop her." Snow sniffled as she spun around to run back to her family.
"You believe Maleficent will kill them?" Raya asked.
"I have no idea." She replied. "That would be my first thought but she might surprise me. She could kill them or leave them alive to suffer some other punishment, curse them or come up with something new."
"Regina!" Ursula finally emerged from the tower with Cruella. "Let's go."
"She just got here and she's already commanding me." Regina sighed. Raya laughed softly as they walked over to the sea witch and her companion. Ursula glanced over at the beached Jolly Roger and snapped her fingers. The ship, its broken pieces and the wood that the men had chopped up, rose into the air and started putting itself together.
"I can't believe you don't know how to build a pirate ship, Regina." Ursula shook her head and Regina rolled her eyes. "Anyways, is this her?" She gestured to Raya and Regina nodded. "Everything you wanted it to be?"
"Of course not."
Ursula moved on to inspect the ship and Cruella followed.
"What was that about?" Raya asked.
"Ursula is Mal's best friend. She was always there when I used to visit Mal for training. She knows about why I cast the curse so she knows about you."
"And 'everything you wanted it to be'? What does that mean?"
"It means I wasted my time." Regina answered.
/
The ship was fully repaired within the hour. Regina boarded swiftly with a promise to Raya that she would return in a week with her decision. The box of magical ingredients were in her Charmings, wisely, stayed as far away from Lily and the other queens of darkness as possible. Once they realized that Regina would not be offering any kind of protection, they stayed away from her too. Raya and Salacia stood on the beach while the ship was pushed out to sea.
"Bye!" Caspian yelled, bouncing next to Raya as he waved. Regina smiled as she waved back.
"Hey, Salacia!" Lily called.
Salacia tilted her head before diving into the water and swimming out to the ship. Lily leaned over the rail and dropped something into her hands. "What is this?"
"It's a phone. Magical and waterproof. Just press my name. Call me sometime."
Salacia smirked. "I'll do that, Dragon." Lily leaned back, noticing but ignoring the fierce glare Emma sent her. Regina flicked an eyebrow but chose not to say anything. She looked back at Salacia when she heard her name being called. "When will you be back?"
"A week at the most. I promise."
Salacia nodded. "Okay. If you don't come back, I'll come and find you."
Regina smiled and dipped her head. Salacia swam back to shore and Ursula stepped forward to cast something into the sea. The Jolly Roger shuddered violently as a whirlpool opened beneath it. Regina grabbed some rope to tie around herself and held the box tight against her chest as the ship tipped forward. Her vision was assaulted by a swirling mush of colors, a rush of wind that threatened to tear her from the ship's deck and the smell of saltwater was so strong that it nearly made her gag. She closed her eyes when she heard the Jolly Roger groan, the wood creaking so loudly she thought the portal would tear it to pieces again. But it never came.
A light tap on her shoulder had Regina open her eyes again. They were in Storybrooke's harbor. Its quiet, placid, quite boring harbor. "What happened?"
"Sea portals are quicker." Ursula answered. "Now, take me to my friend." She waved her hand and the Jolly Roger gently moved into port. Killian quickly tied the ship to the dock and laid down the gangplank for them to exit. "Damn, Regina, this really looks like hell. No wonder you picked it for the curse."
Regina rolled her eyes. "It's just a quiet, small town, Ursula. It didn't need to be more than that."
"I guess you're right. Do you have a pool? Or an aquarium?"
"No, when I cursed myself I lost my love for the sea." She replied.
The Charmings were the first to leave the ship and within minutes they had a huge crowd on the street to welcome them back.
"I wonder how their followers would act if they knew their precious leaders liked to steal babies." Lily growled.
"I doubt they would care." Regina scoffed. Even as she stepped onto the docks, several of the townspeople were already giving her dirty looks. She ignored them, as she always did. "I want to take this home first." She said, waving her hands and teleporting them to her living room. She went upstairs and slid the chest under her bed before taking Storybrooke's newest arrivals straight to the library and then to the cavern underneath it.
"You really had to lock her up underground?" Lily growled.
"Sorry." Was really all Regina could say. "I wasn't myself when I cast the curse and I knew if anyone could break it, it would be Mal. Especially if she wanted to find you. Nothing could've stopped her."
"She would've hated the place anyway." Ursula added. "It's too small."
Regina silently agreed as they piled into the elevator that would take them to the cavern. "How did you find each other?"
"Lily found me." Ursula said.
"The baby snatchers told Mom that the other Queens had fallen into the portal with me. One night she mentioned them and I asked her to tell me more. She said that Cruella was probably living rich somewhere. Probably married some guy and killed him and took all his money."
"I did." Cruella grinned. Regina rolled her eyes, unsurprised and unimpressed.
"She said Ursula would probably be somewhere near water which wasn't very specific so it took a while to find her. One needs money so Ursula would need a job. She couldn't have a high position like a marine biologist or something because that requires schooling and I'm sure they would require the person to have some documentation to show they existed and didn't just magically appear. A job like a fisherman seemed a terrible choice for someone who loved the sea. So I went on a bit of a quest until I wandered into an aquarium one day."
"Don't tell me it was the one Ursula worked at." Regina scowled.
"No, but wouldn't that be a bitch." Lily laughed. "No, she was at the second. I did a google search of employees and their pictures were online so I found the one closest to Mom's description and boom…I found the Sea Witch. We've been looking for you for some time."
"Mal said she was in a place where she couldn't use her magic so we assumed it was the same world as us."
"Hmm," Regina hummed. "Were you a bail bondsperson like Emma?"
Lily laughed softly, flashing a wicked smile. "Something like that." She had a feeling it was nothing like that and probably criminal in nature, but she wasn't surprised. The daughter of Maleficent holding a steady job? Helping people? Working for the police? She almost burst out laughing at the thought.
The elevator finally reached the lowest level and the doors slid open. "She's just up ahead." Regina said, wrapping her arms around her, suddenly feeling sick. Gods, she hated herself. Mal spent 28 years locked in this dark cave with no magic, no wings, no interaction. She knew she wasn't herself when she cursed Mal, but even she knew that this was cruel.
"You're not coming?" Ursula asked, looking back.
Regina glanced around, realizing that she was the only one who hadn't gotten off the elevator. "Um, no." Everything in her wanted it to be possible to bring Maleficent back into the world, but the dragon could also hate her for locking her up. As beautiful and wondrous as Mal was, she was just as unforgiving and unmerciful. She didn't want to face what would happen if Mal decided to be the latter.
"You know she's just going to find you." The cecaelia called.
"I know." Regina pressed the button to take her back up. If she was going to die, it would not be in a cave. She left the library and teleported out to a quiet spot in the forest. She sat down on a fallen log and contemplated her future plans. She agreed to go with Raya and Salacia on their quest to retake Atlantis and while she knew it was her best option, she hated to abandon Henry. She felt like a worse mother than Cora in that while Cora forced her to leave, she was willingly walking away from her child. What kind of mother did that? Of course none of that mattered if Mal decided to kill her.
A quake passed through the earth, shaking the forest around her and she looked back towards Storybrooke. Screams of terror followed and she spotted a glimpse of flames peeking over the top of the trees. Then a roar…She wondered which places in town Mal had destroyed and if she'd gotten to the Charmings yet. She doubted the dragon would kill them. They couldn't suffer if they were dead. Then again, after what they did to Mal she might've just wanted them gone. After them, she would come for Regina. She was prepared for a hug and a fight but she knew there was no way she could fight Mal and hope to win. She would be destroyed. There were few people in the world who could beat a dragon in a straight fight, especially not one like Mal, who enjoyed fighting. If only Atlantis was on land. Then they could just send in the dragon and the problem would be solved.
"I am fucking dead." She sighed.
"Not yet."
Regina whipped around to find the Dragon Queen just behind her. Mal was smirking, her familiar baby eyes dancing with mirth and mischief. A long black dress with one long slit on one side was her only attire. No heels, no jewelry, no horned helmet. Even without those things there were few people, few creatures in all the known realms that could compare to the beauty and ferocity of Maleficent. Great and terrible indeed.
"Um, hi-"
"Thanks to my friends and my daughter, I have done the impossible." Mal said. "I return from the dead and my dearest friend does not even stay to see me rise? Is there another person around here that has captured your fascination? If so, they must be fucking spectacular!"
Regina couldn't resist the smile tugging on her lips. The dragon was back. Alive and still as arrogant as ever. "I wasn't sure how you would react when you returned."
"You should've been." Mal replied. "What was my last lesson for you, Little Queen?"
Regina remembered that day quite well. The last time she went to Mal for instruction. She'd been depressed and desperate to find Raya and growing increasingly impatient for her vengeance against Snow White. Mal was hardly ever fazed by her student's irrational mood swings and attitudes. Just thinking about it made Regina want to cringe at her unruly behavior. That day she'd yelled at Mal that she wasn't learning fast enough and that she would start training with Rumple instead and the dragon wasn't almost annoyed at her actions. I so hoped that you would prove me wrong.
"I know who you are and what you've done, so I know what you'll do." Mal had known that her anger would ruin her. It had done it before so it would do it again because Regina refused to let it all go. It was easier and familiar and as long as she was these things, she would never know how to be anything else. She would never be vulnerable.
Mal nodded. "And based on that, what do you think I will do?"
"Hug me? Then stab me?"
The dragon chuckled as she walked forward and pulled Regina into her arms. "I'll stab you later." The former queen sank into the dragon's warm embrace. By the gods, she felt safe, for the first time in a long time. Only Mal was able to evoke that feeling in her. Only Mal.
Eventually, they had to separate and Mal pulled her over to the fallen log she'd been sitting on earlier and bid her to tell her everything since she cast the curse.
"Shouldn't you be spending time with your daughter right now?" Regina asked.
Mal scoffed. "I've been in contact with Lilith for years. Besides, we are dragons. I literally have all the time in the world to spend with her. Unfortunately, since you are a human and they are so weak and have tiny life spans, I don't have all the time in the world to speak to you. So begin."
Regina rolled her eyes at her friend's arrogance, but it was comforting to hear it again, to know that her friend bore her no ill will because of the curse. Mal could've razed the town in a few breaths and she would've been within her right to do so, especially after Regina not only cursed her but her kingdom as well. She was glad the dragon didn't really care about the other townspeople. She agreed to tell Mal everything, beginning with her casting the Dark Curse. The dragon listened intently as she detailed those 28 years under the curse, the irritant that was Emma Swan upon her arrival in Storybrooke and the hell that followed her breaking the curse. She practically lit up when Regina told her about finally finding Raya again and meeting Salacia. She deflated a bit, looking curious and confused when Regina told her about Zelena. When she told her that Raya had a family with Zelena, she pulled Regina in for another hug.
"I'm sorry, my dear."
"I expected it, I suppose. It had been years, of course she would've moved on. I'm happy for her." Regina said. "I just wish things were different."
"Of course. So when will you be leaving?"
"Who said I was leaving?" Regina stood up and walked away before walking back. "I still love her. I don't know if I am able to spend time with her knowing that she'll never love me back. Everything I did was for nothing."
Mal let out a sigh. "Do you remember when I told you about dragons and storms?"
"Yes, you said you like to fly in them."
"We do, especially at night." The dragon said, "The cold water on our scales, the wind, the thunder, the lightning scarring the sky. It feels like you're the only one in the world until the lightning strikes and for a brief moment the sky is as clear as day. It is an intoxicating feeling and I would love to feel it every day but do you know what would happen if that happened?" Regina shrugged. "The land would flood. Lightning would strike the earth, fires could spread. People and animals would be displaced, homes could be ruined by the wind."
"Hurricanes can be destructive. What's your point?" Regina asked.
Mal stood up and walked towards her. "What follows after the storm?"
"I don't know. Mal, just tell me what you mean."
"The rains replenish, Regina. They bring water to crops and vegetation and add to the lakes and rivers that give life to so many. The air smells so sweet after it rains." When Regina continued to look annoyed at her musings, she smirked. "My point is, Regina, that eventually the storms go away and life continues on. We dragons like to fly in the storms but we don't stay there. How would we reap the benefits that follow in its wake? Your problem is that you stayed in the storm, the darkness. It felt nice, it made you feel wonderful and powerful, but darkness is meant to be tempting and many have fallen for its allure. You never left it. Not only that, but you gave up."
Regina scowled. "Gave up? I gave up?! I fight my darkness every day just to keep from murdering the idiots of this town-"
"Then why stay here?" Mal demanded. "Go on. Move on. Fly! Why stay?"
"Because of my son." Regina said, although even to herself she didn't sound firm. Her resolve was hanging by a thread, but what kind of mother would she be if she just let him go?
"The son who turned his back on you? You'd rather stay here, wallowing in misery, on the chance that he will one day change his mind about you? What kind of life is that?"
"He's my son. You don't understand." She snapped. "You have Lily. She loves you. You could tell her that you burned a kingdom to the ground and she wouldn't care at all. Henry thinks I'm a monster." Mal watched her closely, choosing to listen once again. "His entire life he knew nothing but me. I may not have been perfect but I did my best. I tried, Mal. I tried… It wasn't enough because as soon as he found that stupid book I was the monster, the villain to be defeated, the beast to be slain. I tried to fight for him but I just became the annoyance, the burden." She took a deep breath and stilled her trembling. She blinked and wiped the corner of her eye. She would not be crying today. She already cried plenty over the last couple of weeks.
"Fly, Regina." Mal said softly, but firmly. Her eyes were alight with an excitement that Regina just couldn't feel. "It baffles me why you are not jumping at the chance to be free of the darkness, to begin anew. You can finally be who you are, reach your full potential. If you don't know who or what that is, then congratulations, you can find out and you can do so with Salacia, the child that actually wants to know you. You have no idea what could be waiting for you out there. A new life, new family, new friends, new purpose. You could adopt again, fall in love again. Nothing will change until you do. Raya thrives because she had to move on to be better for her children. You can do the same."
"What if I can't? What if Salacia ends up hating me as well?"
"There will always be an if to stop you moving forward." Mal said. "But you are Regina Mills, the former Evil Queen, the woman who has fought in battles, won wars, defeated monsters and men, conquered realms. You are a woman to be admired, if for nothing else than the resilience and fierceness you have always shown. Maybe Salacia sees that."
Regina laughed humorlessly as she sat back down on the log. "Salacia sees a heartbroken fool that abandoned her and her mother."
"Of course she does. All she knows is what she's seen and what you and Raya have told her. If you want her to see you differently then you have to show her something different. How can you do that in Storybrooke?"
Regina looked up at the dragon. "I don't deserve-"
"Stop whatever you're about to say." The blonde said, offering her hand. "It doesn't matter what you feel undeserving of. You deserve to be happy, Regina. The unfortunate thing is you have to keep fighting for it. I know you may be tired but…"
"Have to keep going." Regina sighed, taking her hand and letting her pull her up.
"That's right. Now tell me about this magic you were trying and why you need it."
Mal hooked an arm around hers as they took a stroll through the forest and she told her about her leg guards that she tried to enchant and the reason she needed them.
"They're not going to attack for two years? Are they adding to the seal to make sure the sorcerer doesn't break it?"
"I don't know. I'm sure I'll be given more information when we go to Osirei but I would imagine it's difficult to cross all these realms and gather their forces. The oceans are huge and their people are so spread out."
"And this sorcerer is that powerful?"
"Again, I don't know. I don't really think they've even fought the guy yet. He's surrounded himself by monsters and not even Amphitrite has been able to get through them. Salacia made it seem like the numbers are overwhelming so I assume it's not the difficulty of the combat, just the amount of enemies to fight. Raya also said there's a lot of politics involved."
"Of course there is." Mal let out a soft growl before squeezing Regina's arm. "Oh, this sounds fun. How are you going to prepare for battle? The boring, regular way or will you let me help?"
"Whatever you have, I'll take."
"Excellent! I'll help you with your armor. Ooh, I'll make you a weapon. If you're going to be fighting underwater, it has to be a trident. It will be the most powerful trident in existence!"
Regina only smiled as she listened to the dragon brainstorm. "I don't know how to fight with a trident."
"I do." Mal replied easily. "I can share my memories with you. Unless you want to spend the next two years-"
"Nope. I will accept the easy way."
"Thank you. Besides, you would not have enjoyed those two years if I trained you. I don't know how to fight underwater so it could be a bonding experience for you and Salacia. Is your sister a mermaid as well?"
"I know nothing about Zelena other than Mother abandoning her and we barely spent time together in Oz. She is…protective of Raya. Due to our past she wanted nothing to do with me."
"Well you did say you came to take Raya back."
Regina sighed. "I did."
"Anyways, we should go back to the Enchanted Forest. All of my smithing supplies are there-"
"Wait, what?"
Mal smirked again. "Yes, you think I would just let you curse my people without doing something about it? Do I look like Snow White?"
Regina arched an eyebrow. She had no idea what the dragon had done to protect her kingdom. The Dark Curse was unstoppable, unavoidable once it was cast. How the dragon managed to do the impossible was beyond her.
"I have a few things to do before we go." She said.
"Lily and I will find you at sunset then."
Regina nodded before glancing over at the dragon. "What'd you do to the Charmings?"
"Almost beat them to death." The dragon replied nonchalantly. "It was unsatisfactory so I also blew up their house, the police station, their cars- I almost blew up your office for locking me underground but it was absolutely gorgeous. You should've been an interior decorator. I contemplated setting fire to Snow's classroom but I didn't want the children to miss their classes. I think I am done taking vengeance for now. Oh yeah, Emma Swan tried to stop me and Lily punched her in the stomach."
"That would be the second time she's done that."
She felt the dragon's arm almost vibrate at how hard she purred. "So she said. Apparently they actually met before in the Land of No Magic."
"Coincidence?"
"Let's hope that's all it is."
/
It took Regina an hour to come to a decision. An agonizing hour of deliberation. In the end, she felt she had made the best decision for everyone. Then she started packing.
It didn't hurt as much as she expected it to when she printed out the papers. She'd already packed her things, locked down her house, office and vault with blood magic and now there was only one thing left to do. She didn't miss the hateful looks the townspeople sent her as she walked down the street but she hardly noticed. Her gaze was too busy taking in Storybrooke. She built this town. Everything in it was hand chosen, handcrafted by her. Every building, every car, every blade of grass, were meticulously placed. Every persona the people had under the curse was written by her. She was almost sad to leave. Almost. As many good memories she had here, they were tainted by her current circumstances. As well as the fiery debris left in Mal's wake. All of main street had been closed down due to Mal destroying the library and the clocktower when she was revived. Firefighters were still putting out the flames.
She had to go to the B&B to find them. Maleficent had returned so debts needed to be paid. The smoking husk of the Charmings' apartment was one of them.
Henry answered the door on the second knock and he instantly glared at her but she ignored that as well.
"Where is Emma?" She asked.
"She's in bed." He said curtly. "Lily punched her in the stomach and broke one of her ribs."
"Only one? That's surprising." She stepped past him to enter the room. A quick look around had her scowling. Gods, the place was drab. She hadn't paid much attention to the B&B considering she lived in a mansion. Emma was laying in bed, one arm placed across her stomach that appeared to be bandaged.
"Your friend blew up our house and put my grandparents in the hospital." Henry hissed, following after her. "You should've been there to stop her."
Regina smirked at him. "You overestimate my abilities if you think I can actually stop Mal from doing something. Besides, she was only repaying your grandparents for kidnapping her daughter. She could've killed them. You should be happy."
"Happy?! She attacked us!"
"She attacked your grandparents." Regina corrected him before looking at Emma. "Can you sit up?" She asked.
"Why?"
"Because it'll be easier to sign some things." She held out the stack of papers and Emma groaned as she slowly moved into a sitting position on the edge of the bed.
"What's this?" Emma's confused expression deepened into a frown as she read. "Regina-"
"You will not convince me to change my mind, Miss Swan. Please sign."
"Regina, he's your son. He's just a kid."
Regina flicked an eyebrow . "He's made it clear that he doesn't want anything to do with me and I refuse to wait for the day that he might change his mind. I have a life to live and so does he."
Emma's frown shifted into a glare. "You're giving up on him." Her words drew Henry over but Regina didn't even look at him. "Why? He's going to be upset, Regina. He's going to miss you. I can't-
"Miss Swan," Regina said, gently but firmly, "You wanted to be his mother, so do it. Sign."
"What's going on?" Henry demanded.
Emma looked conflicted. She glanced at Henry. "You're serious about this?"
Regina gestured to the papers. "Sign." She said again. Emma did. "I have copies on file just in case. I've removed all of my things from the mayor's office so whoever you elect will need to redecorate. I've locked down my house and my vault with magic. Henry's things have been moved to a storage unit in the front yard. It will disappear when you remove all the boxes."
"Wait, are you leaving?" Henry asked.
"Yes and I have no idea when or if I'll return. If I do, I doubt you will notice."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma demanded.
Regina flicked an eyebrow. "I mean I will actively avoid anyone else if I have to venture back here. My vault is still here so I am sure I will come back at some point."
"I don't get a say in this?" Henry looked at her. He was angry again. He was always angry with her these days. "Why are you doing this?"
"You have made it very clear on what you would say." Regina retorted. "Sneaking out, running away. When was the last time you were home?" She asked. "I don't want to stay here and I know you won't come with me when I leave."
"What happened to being better? To not being a villain?"
"I will say that I don't want to be a villain anymore, but I'm also not going to spend the rest of my life trying to prove I'm better to the idiots of this town. I don't understand why you're so upset. Isn't this what you wanted? For the Savior to be your mother?" Henry suddenly turned and stormed out and Regina sighed and conjured a small box in her hands. "When he comes back, give him this."
"What is it?"
"A letter and a phone for him to talk to me. Although I don't expect him to use it."
Emma shook her head. "What's going on with you? You find out you have another, fully grown child and decide to abandon the other one?"
"Are you kidding me?" Regina scoffed. This stupid bitch… No one gave a damn about her unless they needed her for something or they needed someone to blame. People looked at her like they wanted to stab her everywhere she went. Her son, the only reason she stayed here, treated her like he hated her half the time and the rest of the time just ignored her. What needed to be explained? "Good bye, Miss Swan." She teleported straight home to gather her things and the box Raya had given her. When she came back downstairs, Mal and Lily were waiting for her with a portal already open against the wall.
"Will this be all?"
"Nope." Regina made one more trip to her vault and brought her last gift for Mal. The dragon squealed when she saw the mini unicorn.
"Oh, Aidan, my baby! I guess I won't stab you after all, Regina."
Regina smiled at seeing the blonde fawn over her lost pet. Of course she wouldn't have killed him. Even as the Evil Queen she hated to harm animals. Aidan was also the beloved pet of her dearest friend. She used the poor beast to steal the Dark Curse from Mal and for the past 28 years he had been in her vault as a stuffed animal, his curse broken only when he opened the door to his room. Locking up a stuffed animal behind an enchanted door may have seemed like overkill but she didn't want horse poop all over her vault once the curse was broken.
After one more look around, Regina followed Mal and Lily through the portal. She found herself in a familiar room. It was the room she often stayed in when she came for training. Mal and Lily left her to unpack and she took a look around. It was as if time had stood still. The room was wide and spacious. It was situated on one of the upper levels of Mal's castle so it was cool and with the balcony doors open a breeze often swept through the room. It was luxurious of course, a dragon had decorated it. Purple was the main color. The bedsheets, curtains and rugs were all purple. There was a massive four poster bed that Mal had crafted herself from ebony wood, along with matching dressers and a vanity. It connected to a bathroom that was mostly marble. She would have to add some more modern accommodations, but for now, this was perfect. She chose to unpack her things by hand, relishing in the fact that this was a step towards something new. Mal was right. This could lead to something better. She had a week to prepare to join Salacia and Raya in Osirei and she was going to make the most of it. Mal was sure to have a plan.
Lily knocked before peeking into the room. "Mom said to come to the courtyard when you get done."
Regina gave her a nod and led the way there. Mal's courtyard was essentially a giant garden full of rare and gorgeous flowers, along with a white fountain with water pouring from the mouth of a stone dragon. On top of that, there were gardeners and a group of guards passing through the courtyard. The odd thing was that all of them were still, as if someone had pressed 'pause'.
"What is this?" She asked when they were outside.
"I don't know. Mom just said to come here."
Then a shadow passed overhead. They both looked up as Mal landed on the courtyard in dragon form, shaking the earth in her descent. Then the dragon threw back her head and let out a thunderous roar. Regina instantly covered her ears but standing next to Mal it hardly did anything to save her eardrums. When the roaring was done, she had to use magic to heal her ears. Once she had her hearing back, she heard laughter.
The gardeners were laughing and hugging and the guards were already bowing to Maleficent and Lily.
"You froze them?" Regina asked, looking up at Mal.
"I cursed them." The dragon replied. "Before you could. I also moved everyone out of the range of your stupid curse and put up a barrier around my land to keep people and enemies out."
"How-"
"By the gods, Regina, it would take me a week to explain it and you don't have a week. While I finish waking everyone up, you and Lily begin brainstorming ideas for your trident. Also, in the purple room you'll find a surprise." The dragon threw out her wings and took off, blasting everyone in attendance with a powerful gust of wind.
"What's the purple room?" Lily asked.
"A training room that Mal can change the interior of. She can even make it larger inside than it is outside."
"Let's go see what's in it then."
Regina took the lead, hoping that she remembered the way. They eventually found it and she opened it to peek inside. Inside it was a huge pool with a small platform in the middle. "I guess this is where Mal wants me to practice." Regina magically changed into her bathing suit and dropped into the water. Letting herself sink to the bottom, she judged the pool deep enough for practice and swam back to the surface where Lily was waiting, already writing on a notepad. Regina pulled herself onto the edge of the pool with her.
If she were honest, it was still strange to be sitting next to Mal's daughter. She always thought she and Mal were pretty close and to know that she'd had a child and didn't tell her hurt. Even when she was depressed she wished the dragon had told her. Maybe then she wouldn't have bothered with the curse at all and just went and stabbed Snow.
"You okay?" Lily asked, glancing over at her.
"Yeah, I was just thinking about you actually. I wished I'd known what happened."
"Would you have done something different?" She asked without looking up.
"I'd like to think so. I know what I would do now, but back then?" She shrugged. "Can't be too sure. If it's any consolation Snow didn't get to raise her daughter either."
"That truly does make me feel better."
Regina glanced up. She couldn't tell if the brunette was serious or not. "Emma seemed unhappy to see you."
"We have history. Let's leave it at that."
"Understood. Tell me about you and Mal. She said she placed spells on your egg?"
"Yep. Every time I went to sleep, I would wake up in a new world. It was like fairytale land. Mom would be there. When I was a baby she would just hold me and purr and talk to me. When I got older she told me who she was, explained to me what I was and how I got there. Only when I was asleep was I ever truly happy." Lily smiled as she paused in her writing. "My adoptive family were nice, but it never felt right living with them. I never really felt right most of my life. Until now, I guess."
"I'm sorry you didn't have Mal with you every day."
Lily nodded. "It's okay. Apparently, I'm immortal, so I have plenty of time to get to know her better and to learn everything she wants to teach me." She paused before looking at Regina. "I've been pretty poor most of my life. Most of what I had, I had to steal because people make me unreasonably angry and employers don't like that. Now…I'm like the richest woman in the world."
Regina smirked. "You're a dragon. They're usually rich. Dragons inherit their hoards from their parents. They may spend it, but they mostly add to it as they age and eventually pass it onto their children. I know for a fact that Mal would give you every coin or gem she has if you asked for it."
"She would. Who would have thought that Maleficent, the living embodiment of evil, would be so supportive and motherly? It's disgusting."
Regina laughed and agreed. "Anyways, what have you come up with so far?"
"Well, first off, it has to be powerful. Regardless of how powerful you are. Now, it would be terrible if it fell into the wrong hands, so we should make it so only you can use it."
"This sounds familiar…"
"And if you throw it, you can just call it back."
"This is from a movie."
Lily grinned. "It is. I'm assuming Mom can make something like this."
"I think so."
"Good." Lily made another note in her book. "So, I was thinking that you need some sort of crowd control enchantment. If you're going to be fighting a lot of trench monsters we don't want the numbers to overwhelm you. So what about a shockwave that kills everyone around you?"
"Interesting, but if I had an ally next to me, it would just kill them."
"Would stun be better? We don't really want a trench monster to recover and kill you. Is there a way to target them specifically?"
"I believe we would need the blood of a trench monster to create an enchantment for that. Also, it would be ineffective if I have to fight anything else."
"True." Lily made another note. They went back and forth for close to an hour, sketching out possible enchantments for weapons and armor. Most of Lily's suggestions had something to do with a movie she'd seen and Regina shot most of them down for different reasons. They either wouldn't have the necessary requirements for what Lily envisioned or it was too ambitious and would probably end up with Regina getting killed. The young dragon was clearly trying to turn her into Aquaman.
"I'm surprised you know who that is." Lily commented.
"I had a ten year old son. I am well aware of comic books."
"Well, your speed spell that you were trying to put on those ankle guards is a lot like how Aquaman moves through the water. It should keep you from being a target until you get your tail."
Regina frowned slightly. She hadn't made any plans to use the alchemical ingredients Raya gave her. "I won't be using that for now."
"Why not? It'll save you time, trouble and magic. If you don't you'll have to come up with ways to communicate in the water, a spell for gills- do mermaids have gills?" Lily asked.
"Depends on the mermaid, I think. Raya mentioned several kinds when we were growing up but hers are in her nose. As are Salacia's."
"That's convenient."
"No, it's because Salacia's half human and I'm not sure what Raya is entirely. Also, I'm sure Amphitrite would've moved them if they appeared anywhere else. Gills would be the first thing an enemy goes after."
Lily looked up. "Wait, Amphitrite can just move someone's gills?"
"She's a goddess. I'm sure there is little she can't do."
"Taking back Atlantis seems to be one of them."
"I'm sure she could do so easily if she didn't have the trench monsters to contend with."
Lily only hummed and made another note. "I think that's it for the trident for now. You should probably get a knife or two as well, just in case. So about this armor. We don't want you in a full suit, especially in the water. So what about leather? Like around her feet and shins that will propel you through the water."
Regina conjured a set on her legs and held them up. "Add in a shield spell as well so I don't break my legs again."
Lily snickered as she started writing. "Oh, you should wear a necklace or a bracelet that allows you to breathe underwater. Maybe communicate telepathically too. I don't know how mermaids communicate underwater. Ooh, wouldn't it be cool if you had some kind of echolocation thing?" The dragon went off on a bit of a tangent and she was still doing so when Mal returned. Lily held up the notepad to her proudly and Regina couldn't help but smile at her antics.
"I can do all of this." Mal assured her. "Would you like to see the forge?"
"Absolutely!"
Mal looked at Regina. "Would you like to join us?"
"No, I'm fine."
"Okay. Dinner is in two hours."
Once they were gone, Regina went back to her room, filled up a tub and relaxed for the evening.
/
The dinner table was abuzz when Raya returned from checking the perimeter. A smile touched her lips as she stood at the door, watching her family. Salacia and Zeraya were deep in a discussion. About what she could only imagine. Aria was showing Zelena a shell she'd found. Caspian was sneaking pieces of fruit while feigning interest in whatever his sisters were talking about. Amphitrite was present as well, but she was quiet, deep in thought and judging by the furrow in her brow, she was agitated about something. Raya stepped into the room and kissed the top of Zelena's head before taking a seat next to Caspian. Her arrival meant that the others could fill their plates and her son wasted no time in doing so.
"Is everything all right?" Zelena asked her, while also putting a stop to Caspian trying to take the whole plate of bread.
"Yes. Everything's quiet." She ruffled Caspian's hair before looking at her mother. "Mother? What's bothering you?" Amphitrite shook her head and tried to put on her best smile but Raya was not fooled and her mother knew it. "Has there been news from Atlantis? Just yesterday you seemed pleased about it. I assumed things were moving in the right direction."
Amphitrite let out a deep sigh as she leaned forward. "Oceanos and Tethys have pledged to join the assault."
Salacia and Zeraya instantly picked up on their conversation and turned to face their grandmother.
"Who is that?" Zeraya asked, popping a grape in her mouth.
"Oceanos and Tethys are the king and queen of the Blue Expanse, one of the most vast oceans in the known realms. Oceanos' power level is as great as mine, if not greater. He's also a shark tail. Their king." While Salacia and Zeraya were initially impressed, their expressions darkened when Amphitrite mentioned sharktails.
"He leads those bastards?" Zeraya scowled.
"Yes, and if he can gather his army we could finally attack Atlantis."
"That seems good. Why are you agitated?" Raya asked.
"People are stupid." Amphitrite replied. "I know that Oz has a problem with sharktails but I don't believe Oceanos has anything to do with it. Sharktail or not, he is a good man. Tethys, his wife, would never condone these random attacks. Their people have a bad reputation and despite that, they are the one of the first ones, besides ourselves, who have fully pledged to help us take back a very important city. It makes me wonder why everyone else is dragging their feet hoping a seal will last when it is the only thing that stands between us and seas full of trench monsters."
"I'm sure they know how dire the situation is." Zelena said as she poured them each some wine. "But you've already failed twice. They may know what the problem is but they don't believe that you all are the solution."
"I don't hear anyone else offering any other solutions. No one seems to be doing anything."
"What about the Atlanteans who were displaced?" The witch asked.
"They want to go home of course. In fact, the Lord of Osirei has forbidden them from attacking. It would be the same as throwing their lives away."
Raya reached over to take her mother's hand. "All we can do right now is be patient, keep spreading the word and gathering people to fight."
"Have no fear." Zeraya smirked mischievously. "Our champion should return within the week."
Salacia smacked her arm and fixed her with a hard glare. "Don't insult Regina. For all you know, she could be instrumental in taking back Atlantis."
Zeraya rolled her eyes as she rubbed her arm. "Oh please. She can't even move underwater. How is she going to help us take back an underwater city?"
"Zeraya." Raya cut in sharply. Her redheaded daughter instantly lowered her head. "Do not be rude when Regina is not here to defend herself. Also, she has magic of her own and friends she can rely on that are also powerful. Salacia is right that her insights could prove valuable to us in the coming days and if they do not, you will still be respectful. Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes ma'am." Zeraya replied, exchanging a glare with Salacia as the pair went back to eating.
Raya doubted that would be the end of it. Zeraya was very much a mini Zelena and took after her in almost every way. She glanced at Zelena now and found herself being watched. Zelena turned back to her food rather than engage with her and she knew she was going to have to remind the witch that she was hers once again. Zelena's insecurities had never plagued them this much before and Raya knew it was because of her past of being treated like shit by her adoptive father, then being passed over several times by the people who were supposed to love, protect and teach her and finally, it was because the person she felt threatened by was Regina that made her start to question things. It wasn't Regina's fault exactly. She didn't even know about Zelena or the misfortunes that befell her sister just because she existed. Then again, Zelena also didn't like her just because she was Raya's former lover. That alone was enough to draw the witch's ire.
It took a while for conversation to flow again. It was Aria who distracted them from the uncomfortable silence by telling them about exploring the reef earlier that day. It was her youngest daughter's favorite place to spend her time beyond sitting in Zelena's garden. Raya listened to her stories with a smile. Aria was always the sweetest and gentlest of her children. Salacia and Zeraya often went out of their way to indulge her in whatever she wanted and treated her like a little princess.
Being that she was an only child and Raya only spent time around other mermaids during the migration, she knew little about sibling relationships but it amused her to see how each of her children interacted with one another as they grew. Aria was the little princess and was treated that way by all of her siblings. Caspian was the prince and the baby and was spoiled rotten by his elder sisters. All except Zeraya, who he purposefully annoyed to no end. She was also the only one he treated that way so it was not uncommon to hear them bickering throughout the day. Salacia was the eldest and her siblings adored her and aspired to be just like her.
A smile touched her lips as she watched Salacia speak and her younger siblings hang on her every word.
"You two were the ones who put a hole in our training arena." Zeraya said.
Salacia grinned. "Regina did it. She's really powerful."
"Is she?" Zelena asked, flicking an eyebrow as she moved the tray of bread further away from Caspian, who glared at her.
"Not like you, Mother." Salacia replied. "It is a bit weird. I don't think she's practiced magic the way we have. Experimenting seemed to be new for her."
"It wouldn't surprise me." Raya said. "Cora used magic to abuse her and Rumpelstiltskin only taught her enough to manipulate her."
Salacia hummed, a frown wiping away her smile. "She also said she hadn't been near the sea in years."
"Years away from the sea?!" Caspian yelled incredulously. "That's horrible!"
"Maybe we can make her love it again." Salacia murmured.
"Yes!" Caspian agreed. "The sea is the best!"
Raya smiled and rubbed his back. "Eat up." She said, glancing at Zelena.
"You will have to do so while fighting off suitors." Zeraya said, pretending to whisper to her older sister.
Salacia rolled her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't play coy, Cia. Emma and Lilith were totally flirting with you." Salacia opened her mouth to refute but Zeraya had already turned to Zelena. "Mum, who would you rather have as a daughter in law, the Savior or the Dragon Princess?"
Zelena fought off a smirk as she looked up. "Whatever makes Salacia happy."
"Have you called the dragon yet?" Zeraya asked.
"No. Let's talk about something else." Salacia waved away her sister's digging and asked what was on the agenda for the next day.
"You will be repairing the training arena you and Regina destroyed." Raya said. Salacia let out a sigh at that while Zeraya snickered. "You and Zelena can patrol the west for sharktails. Zeraya and I will take the east. Mother-"
"I know." Amphitrite said with a smile at her grandchildren. "I promised the little ones I would take them to the tide pools."
Raya glanced at Zelena. "Is that okay with you?" The witch merely nodded. After dinner and once the children had retired to do their own things for the evening, she sought the witch out for a talk. Zelena was out on her balcony, watching the sea. Raya joined her at the railing and looked over at the darkening skyline. "You okay?"
"You don't have to keep asking me, you know."
"Of course I do." Raya scoffed. "If something seems to be bothering you I want to know what it is."
"Nothing's really bothering me." Zelena said. "Regina just stirred up old feelings. Then the talk of Rumple and finding out Cora was dead. I wanted to be the one to kill her." Raya only smirked. "That's not really true." Zelena continued. "I wanted to show her what I'd become. Make her see that…"
"That she'd made the wrong choice?"
"No." Zelena shook her head. "I never wanted her approval but…"
"She abandoned you. Of course it would leave scars."
The witch let out a sigh and turned to look at her, leaning back against the railing. "I'm sorry I've been acting like a jealous fool."
"You have never been a fool, Zelena."
"You are the best thing to ever happen to me. I know you love me and that our family is secure. It's just that…I finally stopped waiting and the feeling came back and-"
"Waiting?" Raya frowned. "What do you mean?"
"After the first time we kissed, I started waiting for it all to go away. Waiting for your ex to come and win you back, waiting for you to realize you could do better. It took a long time for me to stop. And then Regina showed up and everyone else always thought she was better than me-"
"She's not." Raya said firmly. She wrapped Zelena in her arms and felt the witch melt into her embrace. "I'm not going anywhere, Zelena. You are you and you are the most amazing woman I've ever met. Have you forgotten that?" Eventually, Zelena stepped away and turned back to the sea, discreetly wiping her eyes. Raya moved to her side, sliding an arm around her waist to keep her close. "I promised I would make you see yourself as I do. That I would tell you every day until you believed it. I guess I have to begin again." She kissed Zelena's temple and smiled when the witch leaned against her.
"What about you?" Zelena asked after a while.
"Okay. I'm ready for peace again." Unlike her eldest daughters, she did not relish battle or ever tired of a quiet life. She preferred times of peace and enjoyed the slower moments in life. Waking late in the morning with Zelena in her arms, making breakfast, swimming with her children, teaching them about the ocean and Oz, making love to Zelena and presenting her with gifts. That was enough for her. Besides, she had had plenty of battles and adventures since coming to Oz. Zelena had taken her and Salacia all across the realm to show them her favorite spots. After that, she and Zelena had spent years building the tower to be self-sufficient while fighting off the council of witches that protected Oz. Zelena explained to her why they were so threatened by her but she didn't quite understand why they thought attacking the woman who proved herself their superior was a good idea, especially considering Zelena actively avoided other people for a long time. They gave up when Amphitrite made her presence known and threatened to flood half of Oz if they did not cease. Beyond the occasional sharktail attacks, there had been nothing but peace since. Until now, that is.
"When are we going to Osirei?" Zelena asked, glancing down when they heard yelling.
Raya smirked when she saw Zeraya running down the beach with Salacia and Caspian chasing after her. "Probably by next week. I want to give Regina time to get her things in order and I want to make arrangements for us before we leave."
"Arrangements?"
"Mostly a place for us to stay while in Osirei and a place for you to put your things. I imagine that the Good Witch of the West would need supplies to help us take Atlantis back."
"True." Zelena tilted her head as she watched Salacia throw her sister into the surf. "However, if you call me the Good Witch again, I will throw you off this balcony."
"It would be a waste of time. You'd catch me." Raya replied with a grin.
Zelena rolled her eyes. "We have a visitor." She murmured.
"What?" Raya glanced over her shoulder but saw no one.
"In the pool room. It's Ursula."
Raya flicked an eyebrow at her. The witch kept spells around all entrances of the tower, even in the pool and underwater tunnel in case someone was trying to sneak in. "Let's go see if she wants something." Zelena's hand slipped into hers as they went downstairs. They found Amphitrite sitting in the pool, her giant tail stretching almost the entire length of it. Ursula was sitting on the edge of the pool, talking excitedly about Mal.
"You were able to resurrect her then?" Raya asked.
"We were. She's as strong as ever." Ursula grinned. "She beat the shit out of Snow and David. It was glorious. And she blew up their house."
"I would have thought she would've killed them." Zelena commented. "Or cursed them."
"Me too, but who knows what goes through a dragon's head. Maybe she'll come back once they're healed and do it again."
"She could make it a yearly event." Zelena smirked. "For every year she had to spend without her daughter."
Ursula grinned again. "I like you, Wicked Witch. You should come meet Mal. She would love you." She looked at Raya. " She also wants to meet you."
"Why?"
"Regina talked about you a lot before the curse. It's nice to put a name to a face. Mal also wants to meet Salacia, so if that's the case, you all should visit the Forbidden Kingdom."
"Forbidden Kingdom?"
"That's what her kingdom is called. Coined by idiots who are afraid of dragons."
Raya looked at Zelena. "Do you want to go?"
"Dragons have been extinct in Oz for hundreds of years. They are said to be immensely powerful, masters of magic and can accumulate hoards of wealth and knowledge." Zelena said. "Yes, I want to meet a dragon."
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