It took four days for Mal to complete the trident. The kingdom had a small celebration to welcome back their queen and princess and to celebrate being free again. Regina chose to skip it. No one was threatening to come after her for the Dark Curse but she didn't think it was wise to tempt fate. After that, the dragons practically barricaded themselves in Mal's vault. The dragon was happy to be able to get back to her forge and even happier to begin showing Lily how to craft her own weapons, armor and jewelry.
While they did their thing there, Regina spent time in the courtyard with some of Mal's warriors. The dragon had shared with her her memories on learning to fight with a spear, a trident and a knife. It took almost a day for Regina to sort through them, but it was as if her body had taken to the memories instantly and she was able to go toe to toe with trained warriors using weapons she'd never used before. It was an exhilarating feeling, but she had to remind herself several times that she wasn't a dragon and just copying Mal's moves would not suffice. She didn't have a dragon's enhanced strength so more than once she had to stop herself from trying to punch a hole through her training partner's chest.
The day finally came when she planned to test her new fighting abilities in water. A surprise was waiting for her when she was getting dressed. She put on a black wetsuit before collecting the weapons she'd been loaned and left the room, almost being run over by Lily in the process.
"Great, you're up! Mom's almost done. She needs some of your blood to finish the enchantments." She conjured a dagger. "She said the easiest way to do it is to cut off a finger."
"Uh, no." Regina said, taking the dagger away. "That's not happening." She conjured a syringe as she went back into her room and sat down. Lily bounced next to her while she drew some blood and healed it.
"Oh yeah, Salacia and the others are downstairs with Ursula. We'll be down in a second. We just have to set the enchantments." The young dragon took off again and Regina rolled her eyes as she teleported downstairs. She found Salacia in the throne room with the Sea Witch. She was surprised to see Zelena, Raya, Amphitrite and the other children as well. All of them were looking around the magnificent throne room in wonder. It was a sight. Mal had put a lot of her wealth on display and the room was large enough that her dragon form could fit in it as well. The crown piece of the room was Mal's throne. It was crafted from rock she'd blasted with so much dragon fire that it turned to a dark glass.
"This place is amazing!" Salacia said. "She has gemstones in the floor!"
"And yet, the most beautiful gem has not arrived." Regina smirked when they spun around at her arrival.
"Hi!" Caspian waved before ducking back behind Zelena. Regina waved back at him and Aria.
"What are you guys doing here?" She asked.
"Ursula said Maleficent wanted to meet Mom." Salacia answered, walking towards her. She looked Regina up and down. "What are you wearing?"
"This is what I'm wearing to train in the water today. It's from the Land Without Magic."
"Oh, well why aren't you there? Wait, what happened with your son?"
Regina sighed. "I gave full parental rights to Emma."
"I'm so sorry, Regina." Raya said, quickly wrapping her in a hug. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"No." She shook her head. "It's fine. It was what was best. I knew he would never agree to come with me so I let him stay. He has ways to contact me if he needs to and he knows I will come running if he needs me. It was the best I could do knowing what he was comfortable with." she shrugged off feelings of regret and moved on to Salacia's other question. "I didn't want to stay in the Land Without Magic because if I stayed in Storybrooke I might've killed- uh hurt someone. Also, the water there is kinda cold and the ocean is scary."
Zeraya laughed. "The ocean is scary? Really?" Raya gave her a sharp glare, but Regina touched her arm.
"It's okay, Raya. That ocean is scary because the people from that world have barely explored it. There is more ocean than land and there are no magical creatures and no humans that can withstand the deeper depths. I think I read that over eighty percent of the ocean there is unexplored." She almost laughed at the jaws of the mermaids dropping around the room.
"Well, what the hell are they doing?" Zeraya demanded.
Regina shrugged. "Storybrooke was just in that world. It wasn't really a part of it. The borders were usually sealed which meant no one could get in or leave so it didn't really matter if we were up to speed on current events." She looked at Raya. "Any news from Osirei?"
Raya shook her head. "Nothing on the sorcerer's movements or plans but we have some new allies. King Oceanos and Queen Tethys are powerful in their own right, but if they're able to mobilize their army, that could be hundreds of thousands more warriors to help us."
"Will that be enough?"
"I have no idea. We'll have an update when we get there. Will you be ready by the end of the week?"
"I should be. Mal's almost done with my new weapon and my armor."
"New weapon?" Salacia said.
Regina nodded. "Mal loves making things. She prefers jewelry but when she's in the mood, she can create some of the most powerful weapons in the world."
"And she's making you one?" Her daughter asked. "Even after you cursed her?"
Regia shrugged. "She may stab me later, but she seems to be okay with it right now." Salacia and Raya both exchanged confused looks and she only smirked as she noticed that their hostess had finally arrived. "Ladies and gentleman, allow me to introduce you to the Queen of the Forbidden Fortress, the Mistress of All Evil, the Dragon Queen and the Great Beast." She gestured behind them to Mal lounging on her throne. The dragon looked ravishing in a form fitting off the shoulder black gown. Her neck was draped in jewels and her makeup was perfectly applied. Her horned helmet was nowhere to be seen and lush golden locks were allowed to fall where they may. "Meet Maleficent."
Everyone in the room spun around to face the throne as Mal rose to her feet and descended the steps to her guests. She was without heels so she did not quite tower over everyone else as she usually would. Still, there was an aura, a presence that followed the dragon naturally and made her feel larger than life. Regina wasn't even sure Amphitrite had such an ability. At least, not to her.
Mal approached Salacia first and looked her up and down. "You look like your mother." She commented. "Are you as hard headed as she is?"
"Yes." Raya muttered. Salacia threw her a playful glare before bending into a curtsy for Mal.
"I don't know what I'm supposed to do to greet a dragon. Sorry."
"You don't have to bow to me. You are Regina's family and she is family to me." Mal smiled before she looked at Raya. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Regina's told me much about you."
Raya glanced at Regina. "She's told me much about you as well. I'm glad she had you to help her after…everything."
"Well, I only helped her for a time." Mal replied, already turning away. "Bit hardheaded, as you know." When she looked at Zelena, she seemed to pause. "Daughter of Cora, I presume?"
"Zelena." The witch all but growled.
Mal tilted her head. "You don't like being reminded of your mother?"
"Why would I?" Zelena hissed. "She left me to die in the woods."
The dragon hummed. "She's dead, Witch. Believe me, if you had met her, you would not have liked her anyway. The woman was heartless. Literally. She could not love anyone, but she made the choice to rip out her own heart. Judging by the family around you, you have already surpassed her in every way. Nothing will change that." Raya went to comfort Zelena whose eyes were sparkling with unshed tears.
"Your friend is strange." Salacia whispered, moving to Regina's side. "I expected something a little different."
"Me too." Regina admitted. Mal was naturally unpredictable. It was difficult to tell how she would react in any situation. Unless it involved fighting someone. "Salacia, may I ask something of you?"
"Sure."
"In order to prepare to help you in the fight for Atlantis, Mal shared her memories with me of her learning to use certain weapons. I hoped you would let me tap into yours to learn how to fight underwater."
Salacia's eyebrows rose. "You're really preparing for this."
"I am." She nodded.
"Okay then. It's not going to hurt, is it?"
"No. Not even a little bit."
/
After a quick tour from Mal, who mostly took the time to show off her domain, and Lily, who took the time to flirt endlessly with Salacia, they ended up in the pool room where Zelena and Raya almost fell in trying to stop Caspian from jumping in. Mal teleported away to check on the trident while Regina watched her sister's family enjoy the pool. There was even a lower level with a wall that they could see through so they could see underwater. Regina sat on the edge of the pool, watching the children play with Raya and Zeraya. Zelena came to sit next to her but didn't engage with her. Regina could feel that she wanted to speak, but she never did. So she decided to be the bigger person.
"I'm sorry." She said. Zelena's head whipped around so fast she might've gotten whiplash. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion but Regina wanted her to know she was sincere. It was foolish of her to tell Zelena that she would win Raya back. It was foolish to try. She didn't want to hurt her friend or her family and even though it hurt, she just wanted Raya to be happy. Besides, she was used to pain.
"Excuse me?" Zelena said.
"I'm sorry for the way I acted in Oz. It was disrespectful and selfish. You have a beautiful family, a lovely home, you took care of Salacia when I couldn't and you make Raya happy."
"That's an abrupt change from a week ago." The witch replied, still suspicious of her intentions. "If you think this will make us sisters-"
"I doubt we ever will be sisters." Regina said with a shrug. Especially not with Raya standing between them. "I expect nothing from you, Zelena. I just wanted you to know. I won't try to get in the way of your family or your happiness."
"Not that you ever could." Zelena scoffed.
"That's true." She shrugged again and silently watched the children play for a few minutes before she glanced at her sister's legs. "Do you have a tail?"
"I do."
"Is it green?"
"...yes…"
Regina smirked. "You like reading?" Zelena glared at her, but she ignored it. "I just noticed you were awestruck when Mal showed you her library. If you give her an emerald, she'll let you go in anytime you want."
"Why an emerald?"
"Who wouldn't want an emerald from the Wicked Witch, the woman with green skin?" She smirked again. "I guarantee that she would love it."
"She knows everything?" Zelena asked. "About our mother, about you and Raya-"
"She does." Regina said. "I told her everything she'd missed since the curse was cast. Nothing about you though. I don't know anything to tell her anyway." She glanced to the side as Salacia sat next to her. "Tired of Lily?"
Salacia's cheeks turned red. "She's nice, but I'm not going to talk about that."
"She never does." Zelena murmured.
"Anyways," Salaica continued. "What are you going to have to do to get my memories?" Zelena instantly glared at Regina. Salacia noticed and before Regina could defend herself, Salacia continued again, "She just wants to use my memories to learn how to fight underwater, Mom. Relax."
"It should only take a second." Regina slid back, away from the water and turned to face Salacia, who did the same. Zelena watched the process closely and Regina fought the urge to roll her eyes. As if she would ever hurt her child. "Okay, I'm going to teach you the spell and you can choose the memories you want to share with me." Once that was done, Salacia closed her eyes. She could see her daughter's eyes flying back and forth beneath her eyelids and she waited while she picked what she wanted to share. After a couple of minutes, Salacia held out her hands and Regina took them.
The experience was less jarring than when Mal did it. Probably because Salacia didn't have as many memories as the dragon did to force into Regina's head. Mal literally spent decades mastering weapons that interested her, whereas Salacia was not old enough to. Hers were short and very specific, from sparring with Raya and some mermaids she didn't know in the underwater arena, to deep sea diving and fighting sharktails. There were also memories that Salacia had thrown in, seemingly just because she wanted to. For instance, she saw scenes of Raya playing with her children, beautiful undersea landscapes, crazy looking fish she'd never seen before, and a memory from a night in Oz where the sky was filled with lanterns.
Regina opened her eyes. It was quiet in the room now and the others were looking at her in concern. She took a deep breath and heard soft purring behind her. She looked up as Mal came into view. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You're crying, Regina." The dragon said, gently wiping away her tears.
"I'm sorry." Salacia whispered.
"Don't be." Regina insisted, hating the storm of feelings whirling around inside her. There would always be regret for leaving Raya and Salacia, regret for not being there to see her grow up, regret for not choosing them. A regret so heavy she felt she would choke on it. She wasn't sure she would ever be able to live that down. And still, there was joy. Happiness. She was happy that Salacia was able to grow up in a loving home that didn't feel like a cage, with a mother that wouldn't ever hurt her, with siblings that she would actually know and love. She was able to learn any and everything she wanted to and go wherever she wanted. Regina hadn't seen her interacting with anyone but she hoped that Salacia would experience love one day, if she had not already. She hoped Salacia would be able to have her own children, if that's what she wanted, and grow old one day. She deserved it.
"Are you okay?" Raya asked. Her friend had climbed out of the pool and was in front of her.
"Yes." She said, quickly wiping her eyes. "Sorry-"
"Don't apologize for crying." Mal growled sharply. "Never."
"It's just…I'm sorry." She looked at Raya and Salacia. "I regret that day so much. I wish I could have been in those memories with you. And you don't know how happy I am to know that you got to have a good childhood. I mean, even after 28 years being frozen in time and I'm still making mistakes."
"We all do." Salacia scoffed, pulling her in for a hug. "We forgive you, Regina." she whispered softly. "And we're going to make more memories. This time, you will be in them."
Regina smiled and stepped back to wipe her eyes again. "Why are you guys so kind?"
"Always been that way." Raya shrugged.
"Learned from the best." Salacia added.
"Are you okay now?" Mal asked. Regina nodded. "Great, because the weapon is done!" She gestured behind her to where Lily patiently waited, holding a long weapon case in her arms. "It's one of the greatest things I've ever made. If you lose it or break it, I will kill you. We will discuss payment later."
"You can have free access to my vault." Regina smiled, walking over to Lily.
"What's gotten into you?" Mal asked. "Not that I'm complaining and I will take you up on that offer."
Lily conjured a table and put down the case before opening it. The others crowded around Regina to see what the dragon had made. To their surprise, the only things in the case was a gold ring, a matching arm band and bracelet, and a circlet with a set of small earrings. There were symbols inscribed on the gold that Regina knew to be painstaking work but the lack of jewels surprised her. As well as the lack of an actual weapon.
"That's it?" Zeraya asked, receiving a smack on the back from Salacia.
"Considering that you would be spending a lot of time in the water, I didn't want to make you something heavy. Also, I know you won't be wearing the mantle of queen as you usually do, so I left off the extravagance. It was a painful decision." Mal said.
"Yeah," Lily agreed. "She wanted to make you a crown."
Regina smirked as she picked up the ring. "You can still make me a crown, Mal."
"Good, I did."
She rolled her eyes and put the ring on. A gentle buzz came from it before it tightened on her finger to just the right size.
"There are several enchantments on it." Mal explained. "One is so it will fit and it won't fall off in battle. It will only fit you, by the way. If you lose it, it will return to your person in a few seconds. There is a button on the inside that clicks when you make a fist."
Regina made a fist and squeezed. She heard the faintest click before a quindent snapped into existence in her hand. It was a gorgeous weapon made of a black metal. There were gold and silver designs wrapping around it, threading together. "I thought you were making a trident."
"I was, but Lily proposed that a quindent would be better since it has more prongs to stab people with." Mal replied. "I agreed. Give it a try." She gestured to the wall nearby. The others backed away, giving her room and she took position. She tapped into Mal's memories and her body corrected itself in preparation to throw the weapon. Mal had essentially shared with her all of her memories pertaining to spears, halberds, knife combat and hand to hand combat. There were long days of Mal practicing again and again to perfect a maneuver and spear throwing was something she had worked on for a long time. Regina could remember it as if she'd been the one doing the training. She drew back her arm and threw the quindent as hard as she could. Half the wall was blasted outwards when the weapon hit it.
"That's amazing!" Regina exclaimed. "I know I'm not strong enough to do that."
"That's another of the enchantments." Mal grinned. "I used a bit of my blood for that. Essentially, when you wield it, it will be as if I'm the one wielding it. That way, you can hit harder and throw farther."
Regina held up her hand and clicked the ring again and the quindent appeared in her hand once again. Another click made it disappear. "I love this already." She walked back over to the case and picked up the arm band. It hummed with magical energy as well and it also shrank to fit Regina's arm when she put it on. She touched it, searching for a button.
"This one is activated with a word and you have to think it. There could be a situation where you get captured, gods forbid it, but your movement could be constricted and you may be gagged. The word is 'Bul'."
"What is that?" Zelena asked.
"It means armor in a dead magical language." The dragon replied.
"What language?"
The dragon only smirked as Regina activated the armor. She half expected to be dressed like a knight in shining armor, but once again the dragon surprised her with her simplicity. The armor set was thin and comfortable, fitting smoothly over her wet suit. It consisted of a pauldron that wrapped around her right arm, a breastplate that did not cover as much as it needed to, a long skirt with two long slits in it and leg guards and wraps that covered her calves. All of it was crafted from a black material that she didn't recognize and was designed to look like dragon scales. It wasn't too bulky or clunky and actually felt weightless.
"Get rid of your suit so I can see how well it looks. I want to add a belt to tie it together." Regina obeyed, conjuring a mirror to look at herself.
"Why'd you pick black?" Raya asked.
"It's my color." Regina shrugged. "Also, Mal's scales are black so it was going to be black either way."
"Very true." Mal added, conjuring a broad black belt, embroidered with rubies and put around her waist, as well as conjuring a pair of daggers and a sheath to go with them. While Mal attached the sheath to her person, she pulled out one of the daggers. It was a beautiful weapon with a red blade and swirling black designs in it. The designs were dragons of course. In the end, she sheathed the daggers with Mal's instruction. One was positioned on her lower back and the other was positioned on her right side. "These are only enchanted to return to the sheath if you lose them. As for your armor, it is both fashionable and practical. Even in exposed areas, you are protected due to an invisible shield. We will still have to test it in a fight though." Regina nodded. "Your greaves are enchanted with the speed spell you attempted with Salacia. I improved upon it so it will manipulate the air and water around your feet. Lily likened it to Aquaman speeding through the water."
"Of course she did."
"Next is the circlet." The dragon picked it up and carefully slid it into place. Rather than sit on top of Regina's head, it wrapped around her forehead, resting just before her hairline like a headband. "I enchanted it with echolocation and it too is activated with a thought. It will connect to you as long as you wear it."
"And the earrings?"
"Those will allow you to communicate telepathically underwater. Unfortunately, it has a certain range so it will only be effective when you are close to the person you're speaking to and you can filter multiple thoughts by focusing on one person. The bracelet is unfinished. I wanted to create something that will let you control water since you can't be throwing fireballs underwater. That's all I managed to do in such a short amount of time."
"Mal, you are amazing." Regina smiled. "I mean that as sincerely as possible."
/
Raya watched with a small smile as Salacia, Aria and Caspian fawned over Regina's new attire and weapons. Even she had to admit that the former queen looked good in it and the positive attention brightened her right up. Her heart ached to see Regina in tears, so weighed down by guilt and self loathing she didn't know what to do. She and Maleficent were truly going all out for this and she could see that Regina had taken her advice to heart, to use Osirei as a new beginning.
"Planning to become a warrior queen this time?" Raya asked once the children had become fascinated with Maleficent and a new desire to see her dragon form.
Regina only shrugged. "Technically, I was a warrior queen. When I led the Black Knights into battle, I led from the front. It's the fighting underwater part that I needed help with."
"Want to try out your new armor set?" Salacia asked. Regina had barely been able to agree before their daughter was already diving into the pool. Regina followed and Raya moved down to the second level so she could watch them spar. Amphitrite, Zeraya and Ursula joined her while Zelena kept an eye on their youngest.
"This is incredible." Raya said, watching Regina and Salacia swim side by side across the pool. They were doing so normally so she assumed it was just to see if Regina could move in the water with the armor. However, as soon as that was done, she activated her leg guards and after a sharp boom she was off, dashing around the pool with ease.
"Yep." Said Ursula, with a proud grin. "Mal can make anything."
"She wouldn't be interested in a fight, would she?" Amphitrite asked.
The Sea Witch laughed. "She absolutely would, but she's no good in water. Besides, Regina might be all you need."
By now, the spar had begun and it was remarkable to see Regina hold her own against Salacia, who had been trained by some of the finest warriors Raya had ever seen. "She's able to do this just from the spell she used on Salacia?"
"Yes, but she also used the spell with Mal." Ursula explained. "She has Salacia's memories of fighting underwater and Mal's memories of fighting with a trident but Mal trained on land. Now she has to combine the two before she gets thrown into a war."
"Will you and your father be joining us?" Amphitrite asked.
"I will, yes, but I would destroy Atlantis myself before I ask that son of a bitch for anything. You can ask him though. I doubt he will agree."
Raya silently agreed with that statement. The gods tended to stay out of mortal affairs when their help was desperately needed. The god of the fucking sea should've been the first one to join the fight to retake Atlantis but he was nowhere in sight. She fought the urge to growl at Poseidon's disdain for his own people.
A sharp thud drew her out of her thoughts and her heart nearly stopped when she spotted blood in the water. They raced back up to the pool room. Salacia was dragging a barely conscious Regina over to the edge where Maleficent waited.
"What happened?" Raya asked.
"She hit her head." Salacia answered, looking almost terrified.
"I'm fine." Regina groaned as Mal healed her injuries and cleaned the blood out of the water. "Mal, darling, I will need a helmet or at least something to stabilize my neck."
"I agree." The dragon easily pulled her out of the water and removed her circlet. She teleported out of the room while Regina rubbed the back of her head.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Salacia asked.
Regina lifted one eyebrow. "I'm fine, Salacia. I promise. I'm enjoying myself actually. I've never experimented with magic or tried to learn anything new for years now. Mal healed me, I'm fine. No need to worry." Salacia did not look convinced but she didn't argue. Mal soon returned with the circlet and put it back on Regina's head. "Fixed?"
"Yes. Try again."
/
It was a grueling day. Regina spent almost the entirety of it sparring with Salacia and Mal on land and underwater. She sparred until her entire body ached and she was too exhausted to continue. Then Mal had to carry her back to her room and help her into a tub.
"You did good today." The dragon said, pouring a purple liquid into the water while Regina soaked.
"Oh yeah? I'm sure Salacia and Raya think I'm half crazy."
"You are, but in a good way." Mal conjured a vial of red liquid that she also poured into the water. Regina didn't even care to ask her what it was because her soreness and bruises were already being healed.
"Do you think I'll be ready by the end of the week?"
"Sparring with me and Salacia will never be the same as being attacked by a million trench monsters." Mal replied. "And we still don't fully know the situation in Atlantis, but it won't matter if you're ready or not. You'll go."
"You think I'll win?"
"Regina, you are the most resilient woman I have ever met. I would be more surprised if you lose. However, you are not the only one fighting this war. Remember that. Not everything will fall on your shoulders." The dragon added a final drop of something gold from a small vial to the tub. Regina's aches and pains were gone instantly. "I'll send someone to fetch you once dinner is finished."
"Thank you, Mal."
"Anytime, my dear."
After the dragon was gone, she finished bathing and chose a form fitting dark blue dress as her attire for the evening. She dried and brushed her hair, which had to be accomplished with magic since it grew out again when she came back to the Enchanted Forest, and managed to pin most of it back with a gray clip. Then she made her way downstairs to the dining room. Mal was sitting at the table already with Ursula.
"Raya and the others are gone?" She asked, taking a seat to Mal's right. The dragon was seated at the head of the table of course.
"No, they're in the solar watching Aquaman with Lily." Mal answered. "How was your soak?"
"Wonderful. I feel like I'll be using that remedy of yours again before the week is up."
"I'll give you the recipe." The dragon purred. "Now, about this attack, is there no way I can participate? It would just be fun for me but Lily could use the practice as well."
"I'm going to Osirei tomorrow." Ursula said. "If I find a way to move the battle on land, then you'll be the first person I call."
Regina gave the idea a little more thought. Perhaps there was a way Mal could participate. "Atlantis is fully submerged, yes?"
"Yes."
"Was it ever above water?" She asked. "I could've sworn I read somewhere that it was."
"A very long time ago. I don't know if it can still be raised. When I say a long time ago, I mean thousands of years, so that may not be our best option."
"What about whittling down the numbers?" Mal asked. "Your best warriors could attack every day. Even if they only kill a thousand a day, that's still a thousand less than you have to worry about and you can still gather the rest of your forces. You know what, can I just see one of these monsters?" Ursula seemed to take a moment to think before abruptly teleporting away. "While she does that, I wanted to ask how you're doing. With Raya being here. I only invited her because I was curious."
"I know and I understand. I kind of expected it. What are your thoughts on her?" She asked, hating the way her stomach did a little flip. She felt like she was bringing a new girlfriend home to meet the family, which was ridiculous. However, she did want to know what Mal thought of Raya. Mal was many things to her and to know she approved gave her some comfort, even though she and Raya were no longer together.
"She seems like a good woman and appears to be a fine mother. She also seems to want some sort of relationship with you. Have the two of you come to an accord?"
"Not explicitly. Salacia is old enough to make her own decisions and she wants to know me, so on that front, I believe I'm good. In regards to Raya, it's a bit more complicated. I believe she trusts me, at least, and we could be considered friends. Zelena's presence is mostly what's causing the trouble."
"How is it meeting your long lost sister?" Mal smirked mischievously.
"Irritating mostly." She replied. "To think Mother ruined hundreds of lives and still managed to save the worst punishments for her own children."
"Why didn't Amphitrite kill her?"
"I don't know. Probably because Mother learned quickly not to mess with Raya and as long as she didn't, Amphitrite was fine."
Mal frowned slightly and shook her head. "One would think a goddess would have eliminated such a threat to her child and the one her child claimed to be in love with."
Regina shrugged. "You'd have to ask her about it."
"I plan to."
"Mal!" Ursula called from the throne room. Regina followed the dragon as she rose to answer the call. Ursula was sitting on the throne and lazily gestured across the room to the dead creature laying on the floor.
"You put it on my fucking rug, Sea Witch!" Mal growled.
Regina ignored them and approached the creature. It appeared to be some strange mix of human and fish. It was about eight feet long and covered with blue scales. There were many patches where the scales were missing and the skin underneath was gray and scarred. Its hands and feet were webbed with long black claws. It also had a tail but it was too short and deformed to be much use. The whole thing seemed deformed. Its head was a little too small, its eyes and teeth a little big for its face and the spine along its back had a few kinks in it. The smell was also horrendous. Mal removed it almost immediately. She couldn't imagine how badly it smelled to a dragon.
"No two are exactly alike." Ursula said, coming to stand next to them. "They live in pitch darkness. Some have bioluminescent scales, others don't. They don't see well, I don't think, but they rely more on scent and sound anyway. They're very strong, great swimmers, and utterly fearless when on the hunt."
"Intelligence level?" Mal asked, crouching to examine the monster.
"Low, as far as we can tell. Before the sorcerer in Atlantis started mobilizing them, they only had one desire: to feed. They will eat anything and anyone, even their slain brethren."
"Do they eat each other when they're alive?" Regina asked.
"Sometimes. They often fight amongst themselves. To be fair, we don't know as much as we should about them. If I remember correctly, they were welcomed in Atlantis, once upon a time. That too was thousands of years ago and they've mutated or something since then."
Regina hummed softly as she walked around the creature. Millions of these are a problem. She could only imagine them infecting the other oceans and feeding on everything in sight. Yes, they needed to be destroyed. "Best ways to kill them?"
"Same ways you would kill anything else." Ursula replied.
"How do they do on land? Are they able to breathe air?" Mal asked, conjuring a knife and a small bottle. Regina moved around to see what she was doing. The dragon was taking some blood, probably for another enchantment.
"They can breathe air but not for very long and most can walk but they prefer crawling around on all fours."
Regina circled the creature once more, trying to come up with a way to attack Atlantis. They could use blood or fish to draw the monsters away from the city and set up an ambush. It would be difficult to ambush a million monsters, but maybe they could draw them to one area and have some mines or explosives in place. Sea mines were a thing. They could be helpful. She wondered how the sorcerer controlled them. Maybe they could attack from two fronts? Draw the monsters out with their army and send another force around to attack the sorcerer? However, even if they killed the sorcerer, they'd still have a lot of monsters running around. Raya mentioned that they were gathering their armies, which actually might take two years if they were talking about multiple worlds and all of them having to be moved to Osirei would take time as well. She voiced her thoughts aloud and Mal was happy to try and create some explosives for her.
"Explosives?" Raya, Salacia and Amphitrite walked into the room, all of them bristling at the sight of the dead monster.
Regina relayed her thoughts to them and her idea of using explosives to destroy as many of the trench monsters as possible. "Mal even offered to build explosives."
Raya looked uncertainly at Mal. "And you would do this?"
"Absolutely! I've been dead for the past couple of years, I'm enjoying being able to contribute." She grinned. "Regina, I'll create a new enchantment tonight. Maybe I can make your quindent even more powerful before tomorrow." She poofed away and Regina turned to Raya, ignoring the arrival of the rest of the mermaid family. Ursula teleported the body away so the younger children wouldn't have to see it.
"That last time you all attacked Atlantis, you killed many of the monsters, yes?"
"Thousands easily." Amphitrite answered.
"Is the sorcerer replenishing his troops?"
"We're not sure. No matter how many we kill, the numbers never seem to change." Salacia answered. "The explosives idea might be good."
Regina turned to Raya. "Your people are gathering their armies in their oceans and their worlds and going to Osirei, yes?"
"Yes, that is the plan."
"You mentioned before that there are a lot of doors in Atlantis, does that mean you open the same portals every time?"
"Yes, but-"
"What if they just prepare in their world and then open their portals to the city, storm it all at once?"
"There would still be the monsters to deal with." Zeraya scoffed. "How would you deal with them?"
"Ursula said that the monsters care only about eating. They can be manipulated. Lure them away from the city with blood in the water. You could kill a whale and drop it wherever you want them to go. If their need to feed is really that powerful, you might can even override whatever the sorcerer is using to control them. Once they are away from the city, have your armies storm it and secure it and the sorcerer." She paused to think some more. The whale could be a diversion, draw the monsters to one place where the explosive mines would be. It could destroy hundreds of thousands of them easily with the right enchantment. Meanwhile, the second army would take the city and the army in Osirei could go on the attack, crushing the monsters between two fronts.
"Even better," Salacia said. "We try the explosives idea. Just to see if it works. If it does, we do it again. If we can make it so that we can outnumber them, it would make the attack even easier." She looked to Regina, who nodded. "Besides, it's something to do instead of just sitting around waiting. The lords of Osirei believe the monsters will just die off on their own."
Zelena looked unconvinced by their proposal. "Were you a battle strategist, Regina? When you were the Evil Queen."
"Hardly." Regina said. "I led an elite group of soldiers and I was one of the most powerful magic practitioners in the Enchanted Forest. I was also going up against Snow and her ragtag bunch of peasants and farmers. Brute force was always enough to send them running. This is much different and I will admit that there are others more experienced than myself. These were just my thoughts."
"Which is more than anyone in Osirei has come up with in weeks." Salacia added, arching an eyebrow at her redheaded mother.
"We'll take your ideas to the lords." Raya said. "With Oceanos' troops, it might work."
"Anything might work." Zelena replied. "Strategizing without more information is pointless."
Regina rolled her eyes but chose not to argue. "Do you have a map of the area?"
"No, but we can get one for you." Her daughter answered.
She turned to Amphitrite. "Is it possible to raise Atlantis?"
"Yes and no. I am sure it can still be done but the only one who knew how to do it was the king and he's dead."
"Is there a way to draw the monsters on land?"
"Why?" Zelena cut in, all but glaring at her. She had a feeling her sister would question everything she suggested just because.
Regina fought the urge to roll her eyes again. "Because Mal could help us."
"I understand that she is a good smith but-"
Regina felt the urge to growl as she stepped to Zelena. Lily and Ursula's eyes turned hard at her words. "How dare you? Do not disrespect my friend. Regardless of how you feel about me, watch your tongue when it comes to her. She is more than a good smith. She can forge the most powerful weapons in the world and she is one of the greatest warriors in the world. Forgive me for trying to come up with a way to have her fight with us."
"You defend her so strongly. Did you do the same for Raya and Salacia?"
Regina felt her magic stir painfully in her gut. She really wanted to just punch her sister in the face right now. How dare she presume to know anything?! She knew exactly how to respond, to hit her sister right where it hurt. Even though she had Raya and children with her, Regina could see the insecurities as if they were painted across her face. Raya would be upset if she met the witch's challenge. Salacia too probably. She didn't want to destroy the work she'd made in those relationships just to stick it to her bitch of a sister but she was also not going to roll over for her. She wouldn't do that for anyone.
So she took a deep breath. "I will let that one go, Zelena. That's the only one you get. Just know that I am not your enemy and I am not the one to mess with. You can keep it coming with the petty jabs, but know that I will match you blow for blow until we are both broken and bloody. Believe me, you do not want this fight."
"Am I supposed to be afraid of you?" Zelena laughed.
Regina shrugged. "I don't care. I don't care if you feel nothing for me at all, Witch. But I will not tolerate disrespect. Not from you or anyone else."
"That's enough." Raya said, putting a hand between them. "Please. There's no need for this."
"She is right." Mal's warm hand touched Regina's shoulder and she looked up at her old friend, a bit surprised to see her eyes glowing a bright gold. The dragon looked at Zelena. "Leave my home. Now." Her tone left little room for disagreement and she didn't even stay to see if her order was carried out. Zelena glared at her back and all but stormed away to the pool room to conjure a portal. The younger children and Raya followed. Salacia hesitated but a quiet word from Lily seemed to appease her and she hurried after the others. Ursula went with them to ensure they made it home.
"You okay?" Lily asked.
"No, I shouldn't have-"
"No, you should've." The young dragon said. "Zelena asked for it and you could've done worse."
"You are a dragon, you know that, right?"
Lily gave her the biggest grin she'd ever seen and practically skipped as she led the way to the dining room. Mal was in her seat again and the servants were bringing trays of food to the table. A minute later, Ursula returned as well.
"Well, that was interesting." The Sea Witch said, filling her plate with roasted fish.
"It was…until the end." Regina agreed. "How much of that did you hear?" She asked Mal, watching a blushing servant place a giant steak on her queen's plate.
"All of it. She said that I was 'good'. How disrespectful after I just showed her my impressive castle and she saw me produce a quindent that could destroy a castle wall with one throw." Mal shook her head, growling softly under her breath. "Anyways, you did have some good insights into the battle strategy. I'm sure they will take it into consideration."
"If everyone else is as thick headed as my sister, I may not even want to go." Regina grumbled, drinking some of her wine.
"You'll go." Mal replied in a matter of fact manner. "Salacia asked you. You'll go."
Regina rolled her eyes and started filling her plate, knowing that her friend was right. She ate heartily of the meal spread before her, more than she would usually ever eat, and once she was done she said good night, teleported back to her bedroom and collapsed into bed. She fell asleep easily and slept well for the first time in years. Being a tyrant and a disgraced mayor surrounded by enemies always kept her on edge, but she knew she was safe in the dragon's fortress. The next day, it was back to training. Salacia was allowed to come back to the fortress, under the supervision of Amphitrite, and she trained with Regina every day for the next week until they were both too sore to move. They didn't talk about Zelena or what had happened and Regina was glad of it. She had just discovered she had a sister and she was quite tired of her already. Mal made adjustments to her suit of armor at her request and she was able to hold her own against Salacia quite well on land and in water. Mal also built them a couple of bombs made of iron and inscribed with multiple runes of various languages and enchantments to pack a big enough bang to kill plenty of trench monsters. She also offered to be on standby in case they needed a dragon in the fight.
The night before they were due to leave, Salacia joined her on her balcony. This time she was accompanied by Raya, but her old friend had been quiet of late.
"It's so strange." Salacia said softly. "Not to hear and smell the sea all the time."
"I would imagine so." Regina smirked.
"I don't know how you did it. Stayed away from it all those years."
"It wasn't the sea I loved." Regina replied. "It was the person who showed me its beauty." She itched to glance at Raya, but pushed away the temptation. She had to put a stop to that desire anyway. Raya was with Zelena now and no matter how close she wanted to be to her, she just couldn't. This was probably as close as they would ever be.
She cleared her throat and leaned against the railing. "Anything I should know before tomorrow?"
"Well, you should pack for at least a couple of weeks. You may need food and an idea for a small house or hut. Mother managed to reserve a small plot to set up something for ourselves, but there are a lot of refugees."
"You'll probably be housed close to us. Is that okay?"
"It's fine." Regina shrugged. "I should probably go shopping then and figure out how to conjure a fridge. I hope it's not too late in Storybrooke."
"You're going to your old town?" Raya asked.
"I am. I promised to make Mal a lasagna before I leave anyway."
"What's a lasagna?" Salacia frowned. "No, what's a fridge?"
Regina smirked. "Why don't you come with me? Help me shop and then stay for dinner. You'll love it."
They made ready to leave in a few minutes. Salacia and Raya were not pleased to know that they had to bundle up but they accepted the warmer clothing she conjured. She also used magic to create disguises for them.
"Why are we hiding ourselves?" Salacia asked.
"I told Emma that I would be returning to Storybrooke sometimes and I wasn't expecting to do it this soon. Neither do I want to talk to her or anyone else." Salacia arched an eyebrow, but accepted the disguise. To them they would appear the same, but others would see someone completely different. Regina notified Mal that they were leaving and opened a portal in the wall nearby straight to the living room of her mansion. She let them look around and explore, watching with a smile at Salacia's fascination with everything she found strange. Raya seemed just as fascinated, but less willing to touch things. Regina gave them a little tour before leading them through Storybrooke to the grocery store, discreetly pointing out things from her formerly beloved town and answering any questions they had. The grocery store took their breath away again. Regina couldn't imagine what kind of fruits and vegetables Oz had or if they differed from the ones here or in the Enchanted Forest. She promised to buy them anything they wanted to try and they ended up filling two carts with all kinds of fruits, vegetables, baked goods and snacks. They weren't too interested in any meat that didn't come from the ocean, which wasn't surprising.
"There is so much here." Salacia whispered to her as they checked out.
"Oh please, Storybrooke is rather small compared to other stores in this world."
"Really?"
"Yep." Regina said, popping the 'p'. She felt a presence next to her and rolled her eyes when she turned to find Snow standing there. The former princess was walking with crutches and still had some bruises on her face from Mal's fist, but she was still wearing that irritating smile of hers. "Can I help you?"
"You've used that face before." Snow said. "Though, Emma recognized Salacia right away. Something about her butt." Regina and Raya both glared at her before glancing around to find the blonde. "I sent them away."
"It figures. I know Storybrooke is small, but it's not that small and the amount of times I run into you idiots, when I specifically don't want to, is ridiculous."
"I'm surprised that you-"
"I don't care. I wore the disguise to avoid you, Snow. We are not having a friendly conversation." She turned her back to the annoying princess to pay for their groceries. Snow was wise enough to leave them alone.
"You okay?" Raya asked.
"I'm fine, but I'll make sure to use another disguise from now on."
As they left, Emma made her way over and asked for the phone Lily had given her. Her daughter conjured it and handed it to her. She put in her number, gave it back and walked away. Salacia seemed more confused than anything, but she didn't say anything about it. They gathered their groceries, headed back to the mansion and then back to the fortress where Regina conjured a fridge to put her groceries in and took the rest to the kitchens to make the lasagna. Raya and Salacia took theirs to Oz with the promise that they would return in an hour to try her home cooked meal.
While she cooked, she made plans for what she would need to pack. She didn't plan to take off her weapons and arm band that Mal had gifted her so she wouldn't need to pack any of that, but she did need something other than a bathing suit and it would have to be weather appropriate and something she didn't mind getting wet. She was pretty sure she would be spending much of her time in the water. As for a house she wanted something less than the mansion she once lived in. Depending on the beach, maybe she could conjure a house over the water.
The more she considered her future, the more she was able to understand Mal's initial suggestion, for her to take this opportunity to start anew. Not only would she be able to start over without the Evil Queen looking over her shoulder, but she would do it while doing something good. She would take it. She wasn't going to lose this opportunity to be happy again.
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