AN: Hello there!
We've made it to Queen's of Darkness!
Thank you to everyone that continues to read and support this story. I never thought I would get this far to publishing my story, and I really appreciate all the positive feedback so far. This story really wouldn't be anything without any of you!
Anyway:
For reference, I've based Amelia's new look from Scarlett Johansson's portrayal of Natasha Romanoff from Captain America: Civil War (2016).
Also we have a new OC I hope you'll love!
Drum Roll please...
Introducing Florence Pugh (Black Widow 2021) as Duchess Anastasia Romanova aka The Duchess.
Quick note: I am aware of a character from the spin-off Once Upon A Time in Wonderland called Anastasia. Just to be clear my OC and that character are NOT the same.
My OC is based off the animated movie Anastasia. (Disclaimer: I do not own the 1997 movie Anastasia or any of it's related characters. All right's belong to 20th Century Fox. etc. etc. etc.)
Without futher ago..Enjoy the chapter!
Forbidden Fortress.
Many Year's Ago...
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova sauntered down the dark, cold stone corridors of the Forbidden Fortress swinging her hips side to side as she stabbed and slit her way through the fortresses guards leaving them to bleed out where they had fallen. The tails of her old Assassin robe's snapping from side to side in the air as she stepped up to railing that overlooked a once grand ball room that housed a throne at one end of the room and the occupier of said throne confronting someone who looked like she had just come out of the sea.
One wore an impressive horned head piece with a long black dress holding onto a dragon tipped staff with the other wore a sea green dress that looked a lot like the skin of a fish with her own sea green crown on her head.
"Stop" the older of the two with the horned headpiece ordered the other "Just who the hell might you be?".
The one in the green dress threw out what the assassin thought she saw; a pair of long tentacle's, at the one in black only for slippery appendages to get caught by the shaft of latter staff.
"Ursula" the one in the sea green answered "But you can call me; Your Majesty".
"I don't bow down to fish" the older one retorted as she held her own against the strong tentacle's.
"Who are you?" Ursula demanded out of the other woman.
"I'm the person whose valet you either knocked out, strangled, or tried to impregnate. I don't know what those tentacles are for".
"Actually that was me" her voice made the pair look up to see a figure crouched on the railing that overlooked them as they stopped struggling against the other "Sorry, but I think you'll thank me if I told you I found some of your guard trying to steal from you" she tells the woman in black as she stood up straight, perfectly balancing on the edge.
Maleficent recognized the robe's straight away; she saw a similar one Regina's little assassin helper she had insisted on keeping by her side. She had only recently learnt her name Amelia...something. She didn't really care to remember the rest. She more commonly known as the Black Widow to those in the wrong circles. She certainly lived up to the name.
And by the looks of it, by the gauntlets that rested on her forearms she was one as well. She's met her fair share of Assassin's with the Brotherhood before they fell apart some time ago, even killed a few that thought they could kill her in her time. Last she heard of them they were becoming an endangered species in the Enchanted Forest as they fell one by one by the Black Widow herself.
Or those are just the rumors she had heard.
"Why thank you Assassin" she sarcastically drawled up to the figure "now would you mind if you got the hell down from there, you're spreading whatever filth you've stepped in recently".
Anastasia simply shrugged at the woman before stepping off the rail and landing in a crouch to Maleficence left. The figure stood up straight and pulled the hood that hid her face. That wasn't the Widow. For one she was blonde. And very young.
"Now what are you doing here Assassin, aren't you a little young to be playing with sharp things" Maleficent snarled at the younger woman.
"I was invited here" Ursula tells the assassin "What's your excuse?".
"I was told the Black Widow resides in this castle" she paused looking around at the interior of the castle "Although, now I'm starting to think otherwise".
Maleficent scoffed at younger woman in offence "Well the Widow certainly does not live here. This is my home".
"So why did you send for me?" Ursula questioned Maleficent.
"Believe me, I did not send for you" she tells the sea witch.
"Then what.." the sea witch was cut off as two dog's came running into the room barking that them making the three forget about their small confrontation and turned to face the new threat.
Anastasia stiffened her arms unsheathing her hidden blades from her gauntlets as they stopped just short of them as Maleficent pointed her staff towards them as Ursula retracted her tentacles from the staff to hold up her fists at the dogs as they heard a air of heels make there way toward them.
A woman with black and white hair with a large white fur coat that sat on her shoulders walked in the throne room in a black glittery dress and red leather gloves.
"I wouldn't do that" the woman's eye's flicked between Maleficent and Anastasia, who stood down from their previously defensive stance "Don't worry. They don't eat fish or dragon" she pauses to look at the Assassin, "or whatever you are. Unless I tell them to" she crouched down and blew a green mist into the faces to calm the once barking dogs.
"Thank you, my darlings. A wonderful job. I'll take it from here" she tells her pet's before standing up straight to face the three women in front of her "Now who's gonna tell me what in the hell I'm doing in this ghastly place?".
"Lovely question, because this 'ghastly place' is my home, and I didn't ask for any visitors" Maleficent tells the three women that had invaded her home.
"I received specific instructions" Cruella informs her.
"As did I" Ursula added.
"Me too" the assassin chimed in.
"I don't care" the sorceress tells them "You're trespassing. And do you know what I do with trespassers?" Maleficent threatening holding up her staff.
"Don't even think it" Ursula warning her as the tension grew among the four women.
"Now, now, ladies" a voice made them look back to see a man in glittery skin and red coat strolled in "Don't tear each other apart. I need you all in one piece... Or rather, four pieces".
"Rumplestiltskin" Maleficent drawled in annoyance "It was you".
"Guilty" the man giggled bowing to them in mockery.
"Who is this?" Anastasia asked the other's in confusion only for the dark one to answer the naive assassin for them.
"Well your old people knew me as the Dark One" the name struck accord with the blonde woman as he eyes widened and her body stiffening in apprehension, he approached her and taking her hand in his, bowing lowly to the duchess bringing her hand inches from his lips as his reptilian like eyes met hers.
"An honor, to finally meet the long-lost daughter of Tsar Nichol's Romanov. Shame about your little family. I did warn Rasputin not to get too big for his beard" he finished with a giggle that sent shivers up her spine as he placed a kiss on the back of her hand before she snatched it away in disgust.
"Someone wanna tell me why I left the sea for this?" Ursula distracted the Dark One away from the Assassin.
"Oh, yes. The reason for this little tete-a-tete-a-tete... A-tete... A-tete" he says as he walks through the group of women he had assembled to the Forbidden Fortress "We all have something in common, apart from mutual distaste. We're villains. And it's time the villains got their happy endings".
Storybrooke, Maine.
Present
For six weeks the sleepy town of Storybrooke full of fairy tale characters thrived not having a villain around to spoil their lives. Apart from a small number of hero's and villains turned hero's trying to figure out how to free the fairies from the magic that Rumple had trapped them in weeks previous.
The former Assassin found herself embarking on her greatest odyssey yet;
A mother and partner.
Life was finally settling for pair as they became the new couple in town (or at least one of them). Spending most of their time together at the mansion as the former assassin spent more days and night's in a row, settling into a routine with the Queen and their sons.
The teenager had eagerly taken over the spare room next to Henry with an invitation from his mother's soulmate herself as going between their apartment and the house grew tiresome. the Queen had even 'sacrificed' closet space for the redhead to keep a few of her things in the master bedroom.
Despite a rough start after losing his father, the youngest Montague soon settled when he started school with his younger cousin. With the young Mill's help, he was easily making friends with the other students as he become practicably glued to his phone most evenings covertly texting someone under his mother's nose before it was taken away by the redhead before they started eating.
His settled home life was showing in his school work despite the basic education he received in the orphanage Angelo had left him in. With Mary Margaret's reassurance and highest praises, he was becoming of her brightest students which made the redhead sleep easier at night. The teacher was happy to tell the her that she often found the sixteen year old in the library to keep up with his classmates.
Only the six weeks of peace and quiet didn't ease her mind as she felt apprehensive at what or who was around the corner, but those anxieties seemed to melt away as soon as she sat done to eat dinner with her slowly growing family.
For once, her leap of faith was paying off.
It was a start of another day of dead ends and growing frustrations for some residents of the sleepy town as they continued their work in background as the residents went back to their lives withe Snow or Ice Queen's disturbing them.
The small family walked out of Granny's after eating breakfast together, the mother's walking their son's arm in arm to the curb to wait for the yellow school bus to pick them up, putting the last minute touches on their uniforms, buttoning up buttons, straightening collars and trying to tame their growing son's curled brown hair, he had spent most of the morning in front of the bathroom mirror getting perfect just before leaving.
The teenager had grown taller in the short few weeks as he stood taller than his mother by a few inches making the redhead reach up a little further than before trying and fix what she saw as a mess on the top of his head only for him to lean away from her mothering hands.
"Mom stop" the teen whined as he flinched away from his mother's hand as he tried his best to put it back the way it was.
"Sorry" the redhead chuckled out as Henry glanced over to his older cousin "I didn't realize it was so important".
"He just want's it perfect for MJ" Henry suddenly tells the mothers as he looks to his cousin with a teasing smile, making the older boy's head snap towards him in disbelief.
"Who's MJ?" Regina asked her son as the bus pulled up to the curb and opened it's door to the students.
"You are so dead" Tom threatened as Henry ran to the bus with his cousin chasing after him leaving their mother's in the street.
They watched as Tom caught up to his little cousin into playful head lock, messing up the younger's neatly combed hair before they settled down on a seat as the bus drove off.
"You think I should be worried about that?" Amelia asked her soulmate watched the buss drive down the street.
"Put a pin in it" Regina suggested as she turned to face the red head with a smile taking her hand in her's making the assassin look at her "I need to finish unpacking" her nose grazing the former Assassin's cheek. Excitement lased the reinstated Mayor's voice after the former Princess quit to focus on teaching.
A smile grew on the redhead's face hearing her eargeness of gettin back behind her desk "First day back Madam Mayor, I bet your excited" she drawled out.
"I am" the Mayor admitted.
"Well let me be the first to say; Welcome Back" Amelia said closing the small distance to place a sweet kiss on Regina's lips before separating.
"Thank you dear. Do you think you'll be free for lunch?" the Queen hoped. She hardly saw the woman during the day and even some nights as she had to train some of the Merry Men including Will Scarlet that had started working for her ever since their leader had left to save his wife.
And if she wasn't there she was stuck in the library with Belle and Hook scouring over every codex and book they could find to find a way to free the fairies from the sorcerer's hat Gold had made the pirate trap them in.
"No promises" she sighed out in disappointment "I'm stretching myself already between the bar and the library".
"What if, I gave you a small incentive?" Regina's voice suddenly dropped as a teasing smirk grew on her face before leaning to the redhead's ear.
Amelia felt her heart skip as she listened to the woman's incentive to pull herself away from the Hidden One's early before leaning back flicking her hair back out of her face as she did with a curious brow and wicked smile.
"Really?" the former assassin questioned her soulmate as Regina nodded slowly before slowly kissed the former Assassin full on the lips tracing her tongue against her bottom lip enticing a small moan from the redhead's throat before breaking the kiss leaning her forehead on her soulmates.
"As much pleasure I would get from burning that damn picture, I think you'd get more" she breathlessly tells the Mayor.
"You're right" the mayor relents "I'll see you back at home?".
"Definitely" Amelia said before giving her soulmate kiss on her cheek before turning to leave in opposite directions. The redhead was unable to stop herself from turning herself around to admire the view of the retreating form of the woman she loved.
Her eye's dragged from the top her shoulders to the to the boot's on her feet and up again as her blatant gawking was caught as the former Queen glanced back to see the redhead admiring eye with a bright smile.
"Turn around dear!" she tells the redhead with a twirling motion with her finger as she continued to walk away from her "You're going to be late!".
Looking down at her watch, she was right. She was late. Again.
"Dammit" the redhead hissed to herself forcing her legs to head towards the library.
Today was going to be another long day.
Letting herself into the library the redhead found Belle behind the desk as she caught Killian angrily knocking down the board they had laid out all the information they did have about the sorcerer's hat.
"Good Morning to you too Jones" Amelia greeted the pirate as she took off her tan jacket pulling out her hair that now went past her shoulder's sending a polite smile to her aunt and friend at the counter.
"Well, I see you still have your temper" Belle observed.
"Six weeks and nothing" he complained to them "They're still trapped inside that bloody hat".
"Look, we just have to keep at it, okay?" Belle tried to reassure the man as he put the board back up on the stand "But we will find a spell to release the fairies. I mean, these translations are difficult, but I've reached out to some of the finest minds in the world, and one of them will get back to us. I know it".
"If we're reduced to those magic boxes, then I'd say hope is in short supply" he said pointing to the antiquated computer at the desk.
"They, uh... Call it the Internet. And it can help us. And once we get the fairies out of the hat, they can help us release everyone else, including that poor old man that you put in there" Belle reminded the man as she walked from behind the desk to a trolley full of books leaving Amelia to once again sit at the desk trying and failing to translate the spell that would release the fairies.
But all came to no avail as even her extensive knowledge of languages within the Enchanted Forest was coming up short when they needed it most.
"All because I left myself be tricked by that Crocodile" Hook growled out "How could I have been so weak?" he asked himself in despair seeing the redhead behind him about to answer his rhetorical question, he stopped and pointed at her "And don't you dare answer that Widow" he warned her before joining Belle at the shelves.
Belle sighed "Urm... We all were" Belle pointed out to him as she started to fill the shelves "You know, Rumplestiltskin got the best of us all. And you're right. You... You should've been stronger, but you weren't. And...Well, neither was I. You know, I... I should've seen through him"
"You were blinded by love" Killian tells her "What was my excuse?".
"Probably the same, just for someone else".
"I know what my excuse was" the assassin chimed into the conversation from her place at the counter earning a look of sympathy from the pair.
She was trying to save her marriage with her first love. She had turned a blind eye on everything around her to focus on the mess that was her love life and he used it to his advantage not having his observant niece looking over his shoulder. He knew what he was doing when he returned their original rings to her and the words that went with the 'gift'.
Belle's and Hook's forgiveness of her willful blindness never eased the feeling of the knife in her back. He still had the audacity to find her at her most vulnerable and talk to her about her mother. And act like the family he should've always been to her since the day he found her back home. That had stung the most.
She would've done more than banish him given the opportunity.
"Well, he's right about one thing... Love is a weapon, as dangerous and persuasive as magic" Hook tells the librarian.
"Yeah. Yeah. He had both of our hearts" she heard Belle say. This wasn't right.
"Hey" the redhead calls out to her friend making Hook and Belle look back at her "As big a bastard as he was, he did love you" she interrupted her friends train of thought "And in his own sick way..he cared about me" she admitted to the pair, thinking of the advise he had left her with.
"And, uh, now he's gone from our lives forever" Belle says trying to fight back the tears she felt in her eye's as she refocused on shelving more books "Yeah, I... I just, I uh... I just hope he's found whatever it is he's looking for".
New York
Anastasia Romanova or Romanoff as she went by in the land of no magic, woke up with a start after falling asleep once again on Ursula's lumpy couch as a door slamming shut and keys cluttered on the table as the first thing, she saw was Ursula returning from her shift at the aquarium.
"That means it's ready" Ursula informed the man in the dressing gown eyeing the blonde assassin still on her coach.
"Yes, I know how to work a microwave, thank you" he replied taking the pot of ramen out of the microwave.
"Because the Dark One did so much cooking in his time" the duchess chuckled to herself at Ursula's sarcastic retort earning a glare from the man.
"Well, worry not. My power extends far beyond ramen noodles" he reassured the woman as she crossed the room back to the computer as Ursula went to her bedroom.
"Yeah, just not in this life. You know, I'm beginning to think you're a lot of talk, a lot of empty promises about happy endings, when all you do is eat my food, sleep on my couch" Ursula then pointed to young blonde "And little Miss Assassin here hanging out in my apartment all day long until she feels like leaving".
"He's promised me the same things to me fish" she argued from her place.
"Oh, go jump into the Hudson and drown" Ursula sniped back coming back into the small kitchen "That better not be the last ramen! Do I look like I'm made of money? I work at an aquarium".
"No, that's not what you do" Rumple added "What you do is complain. You know why?" he asked the pair as Ursula cooed over the fish in the numerous tanks around the apartment "Because your life, for want of a better term, is crap".
"Hey, are you forgetting who's been taking care of you?".
"Providing re-heatable noodles and what might charitably be called shelter... No great gift. Certainly not compared to what I'm providing. I'm gonna fix all your problems".
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. we know you well enough to know you don't care about me or the girl".
"No, I don't. I care about me. You're lucky our problems just so happen to align" he tells them as an alert goes off from the computer, notifying him of a new email.
"You got something?" Ursula asked him as he opened it to discover its contents.
"The beginning".
"Are you always this cryptic old man?" the young blonde asked the man with a raised brow "It's a wonder why my sister hasn't killed you herself from all your ramblings".
"Of what?" Ursula prompted the man to continue his discovery.
"The end of our misery" he announced to the pair "It's time to visit an old friend".
Great Neck, Long Island
Arriving at the their destination Rumpelstiltskin, Ursula and Anastasia were met by large lavish mansion with an FBI marked vehicles parked up in the driveway with it's red and blue light still on coming to a stop at the gates that opened up to the estate.
"So, this is where she lives?" Ursula says to them "I guess some of us are doing better than others".
"Not so bad" the young blonde shrugged her shoulders as she watched FBI agents drag out a man in handcuffs and put him in a car followed by Cruella De Ville herself rushing out as the agents carry out works of art.
"Look at all this. This is too awful" the heiress fusses over the agents seeing the crowd that had gathered at bottom of her driveway "Darling, so we need all these theatrics?" she sends the question toward one of the agents invading her home.
"We're doing better" he points out to the them. The three walked up the driveway to see Cruella practically wrestle a fur coat off a rack that was being held by a female agent.
"Ma'am... Sorry, lady" a male agent tried to stop the woman from taking the coat.
"This was mine before" she growled at the agent making him step back at the losing fight as she put the fur coat over her shoulders.
"Cruella de Vil" Rumple called out to her.
"No one calls me that here" she replied turning around to see, Rumpelstiltskin flanked by Ursula and Anastasia there.
"Well, I'm sorry, dearie, but Cruella Feinberg doesn't have quite the same ring" he retorts.
"What in hell are you two and the fetus doing here?" she says glaring at the younger woman.
"Old bat" the assassin coolly replied, the corner of the heiresses lips twitching up in amusement she got from easily riling the girl.
"Looking to regain our greater glory" Rumple tells her "A glory I can soon return to you both, if you join me".
"I'm not going anywhere with you".
"Well, maybe you should. Things have changed" he says louder as the heiress started to walk away only for to stop to turn back to the Dark One "Mea culpa. Our last time together was less than ideal. But now? Now our interests align once more. You've lost all you have, and so have we. That's why I'm here, to put an end to having everything taken away".
"Oh, not everything" taking out a small remote she clicked a button to open the garage door to reveal her Panther.
"And where are you gonna go with these paltry material possessions?" the man asked her.
"To get myself some less paltry possessions".
"An empty pursuit. You're gonna end up right back where you started".
"I will never go back to where I started" she sears to herself.
"I can get back everything you've lost and more" he promised her.
"You know, you talk a good game, Dark One, but can you deliver in a world with no magic where apparently walking is a challenge?" she asked the man leaning against her car.
"Ah, but there is magic in this world. You just have to know where to look. I know you don't trust me. But the good news is, if you follow me, you won't have to. Aren't you tired of feeling ordinary?".
A small smile grew on Cruella's face "Get in" she tells them. the three entered the garage about to enter the car as the heiress posses Rumple a question "Now then, darling, where are we going?".
"A quaint little town called Storybrooke".
Forbidden Fortress
Past
The Dark One had the Queen's of Darkness sat down apart from Maleficent who decided to stand while he explained what he had promised for them. Cruella sat on a sofa with her dog's, while Ursula sat in a chair. Anastasia favored another ornate sofa sat on the edge with one knee over the other as they listened to Rumpelstiltskins plan for a happy ending for all of them.
"Now then" Cruella started as she stroked her dog "This happy ending shenanigan you're promising us, can you really do that? Are you really that powerful?".
"Yeah, he's powerful" Maleficent drawled out "but not that powerful".
"No one is" Ursula agreed.
"Love how you underestimate me" he replied "Adorable".
"What exactly are you offering, short stuff?" Cruella jibed at the man.
"Only the answer to all your prayers".
"I'm not exactly the religious sort" she retorted.
"Shocked" Rumplestiltskin gasped.
Cruella suddenly stood up and rushed to the man angrily "Look. I was quite content with my life until I received this summons, and I do not appreciate being dragged around on false promises".
Rumplestiltskin stood up to meet the woman "Nothing false about it, dearie. I know exactly what you want, and you, and you. and you" he said pointing to each woman in the room.
"Really?" Anastasia asked with a raised brow still unconvinced how he could ensure her sister's head on the end of of her blades.
She knew how powerful she had grown with her alliance with the Evil Queen and she now ran their former home Monteriggioni with all the trimmings of a valuable trading post and the mercenaries and thieves that went with it. She was untouchable.
"Really" The Dark One repeated "But don't worry. I'm not one to betray trusts, so your secrets can remain your own. What I will share is what we all have in common... A desire for happiness. A desire to do what villains can never do. To win. And I'm here to show you how, together" he proposed to the woman in the room.
"Even if we would work together" Maleficent continued "no spell known to man or woman can do what you're saying".
"Of course not, dearie. But we're not looking for a spell. We're looking for a curse. A dark curse. One that, if you help procure it, can get each and every one of you exactly what you want... Your... Happy... Ending".
Present Day
Stuck in the back seat with the Dark One, they queued for fast food with Ursula up front and Cruella in the driver's seat the assassin's mind wondered to Monteriggioni.
The old man had told her the once protected city was now lay in rubble after the Wicked Witch attacked the peaceful town to get to hurt her sister. She failed to do the one thing that all assassin where tasked to do.
Everything her sister touched turned to ash, including Romeo.
She had learnt that the man she gladly called her father had been banished instead of killed for his actions for marrying a Templar and fathering a child, her 'sister'. Instead of trying to find out the truth she killed their old family one by one while she lost the love of her life to the one and only Black Widow trying to find her.
"So why should I think this new plan will work when all the others have failed?" Cruella asked from the driver's seat breaking Anastasia's trail of thought.
"Our failures in the past have been for one reason... The odds were stacked against us. Now we're gonna change the odds" he answered them.
"With this author you keep babbling on about" Ursula added.
"His book harnesses a great power, one that exceeds anything you've ever experienced, giving villains and heroes what he deems just desserts. Our collective frustrations? They're because of his will, not our missteps" Rumple explained.
"Well, I suppose that's better than blaming bad judgment and gin" Cruella said as they came to the intercom.
"Welcome to Mr. Cluck's. What can I get you?" a voice asked them.
"One double Cluck combo" De-Vil ordered.
"Make it two" Ursula added.
"Three" she spoke up from the back before looking at the man beside her "Old man?".
"No, thanks" he answered "I'd like to survive for my happy ending".
"That'll be $23.25. Please pull up to the window. And have a clucky cluck cluck day".
"Will you hurry up? I'm fairly certain this author's in Storybrooke. And if we want to enlist his help, we have to get there before the heroes do".
Storybrooke
Sat at her office desk after unpacking the rest of her stuff from before Mary Margaret took over as Mayor of Storybrooke, the first order of business Regina conducted without Amelia's help was to burn the ugly painting the schoolteacher had brought into the office to 'brighten the place up'.
But that wasn't the only thing that made her first day back more welcoming. After parting with her love that morning, she walked into her office to find a vase of flowers waiting for her on her desk. She knew who had sent them straight away. A small bunch of purple and white roses sat with a single white feather placed between them in an elegant glass vase with a small note-card sat on the deck next to the display.
'Kick some ass Madam Mayor- A x'
Second task was to keep looking for clues about the author as she closely scrutinizes the storybook page by page, word by word if she had to. They had given it to Amelia to look through using her sixth sense, but after three hour's the former Assassin had come up with nothing but splitting headache.
"How do you feel about kale salad?" Emma asked the woman dropping a go to container on her desk in front of her.
"Like someone found someplace other than Granny's for takeout" she dryly retorted without looking up from the book.
"I'm fine with her grilled cheese, but I know it gets to you".
"You eat like a child" the brunette chuckled out looking up the sheriff to see what was in her arms "Is that a root beer?".
"Two" the blonde answered holding out the bottles to show her "I got you one. Thought you could use a break. Nearly got one for Lia, if I hadn't just seen her leave the library".
The redhead had been more than busy the last few weeks. In between looking for a way to free the fairies, she had to be at the bar with what little of staff survived Zelena's attack and the few Merry Men that had been employed to keep it running when she was called away. No one seemed to be able to fit into the Lance shaped hole that had been left behind.
"A break from what? Dead end after dead end? This sorcerer... Or author... Whatever he wants to be called... Doesn't want to be found" Regina tells her.
"It's only been a few weeks" Emma tied to reassure the woman trying to open the root beer with her hand but failing.
"Exactly, and I've conquered entire realms in less time, even quicker with Amelia I might add".
"Can either of you conquer these bottles?" Emma asked the woman holding out the bottle to her "I thought they were twist-offs" she said as she went to search out a bottle opener in the office.
"Do I look like I can pry them off with my teeth? I'm a queen and a bit more refined".
"Yeah, I got that. My mom had a bottle opener here during her brief tenure, somewhere" Emma went to a drawer that held something Regina didn't want her to see just yet.
"Wait! Don't..." but it was too late as the savior opened the drawer to see the story book page that Amelia had carefully taped back together.
Emma picked the page up and walked back to Regina with not sure what she was seeing "What's this? Did you take it from the book?".
"It's not from the book" Regina guiltily admitted to the blonde "Amelia found it... Before Robin and John left. It appeared to her".
"It's not your story" the blonde observes "What is it?".
"She thought it was hope, a sign that... Things would work out for me. For us"
And it was. The last few weeks had been amazing for the pair as they seemed to be getting to know each other all over again, agreeing to keep all the hurt in the past as they endeavored to make this relationship last for the long-term.
Henry loved having Amelia around the house more. He even managed to convince the former Assassin to watch a Star War's marathon with him and Tom. Trying to convince her that one of the characters looked exactly like Romeo.
The three became inseparable when they were in the room together. And on the nights that Henry had stayed with Emma and his grandparents it allowed Tom and Regina to bond over dinner and homework before he listened to tales of their time together back home. She was keen to get to know her soulmate's son more, moving past the first time they had met in Neverland.
But something was off with the redhead. She would often drift off from time to time. Often finding the assassin sneaking away to call someone during the first week. She knew who she was trying to call.
Leaving the same voicemail each time:
"Hey it me..again. Just checking in. Call back whenever".
After a week of unanswered calls, the woman had given up throwing herself into the bar and library whenever she could.
"Has she heard from him?" Emma's voice brought her out of her thoughts seeing the how worried the former Queen was for her partner.
"No, and I know she's worried" she told the blonde sadly sitting back down when they are interrupted by Hook and Belle entering the office unannounced as Regina quickly hid the page in the book snapping the book cover shut from the newcomer's view.
"There may be a way to get the fairies out" Hook announced to the pair as he barged into the office with Belle trailing behind him.
"Yeah, I, uh, I found an incantation" Belle clarified "It's, uh, it's part of a spell in, uh, an ancient tongue I've never seen before".
"Which made translation a challenge" Hook added "Even besting the Widow I might add" making the former Queen roll her eyes at the pirates slight smugness.
"But I did it" Belle continues "I found a professor of linguistics from Oxford, and he just e-mailed me with the translation. It's an ancient ceremony, but, uh, one that'll bring them back. I, uh, I just need you to enact it" Belle explained handing the incantation to the Queen.
"Ceremony, huh?" Emma spoke up looking at Regina "Well, madame mayor, ready to pronounce today "Free the fairies day?".
She hated lying to her partner. But it was necessary, she couldn't know where she was going during her lunch break between the library and bar. She had to double check that her watch was still ticking along on her wrist as the minutes felt like hours sat in the torture devise the hospital called a chair.
"Miss Montague" a nurse sweetly called out her name ending her suffering for the time being as she looked up to the woman in uniform "Dr. Whale will see you now" she informed her with a warm smile as the former assassin slowly stood from her seat to head into the office, bracing herself for what she needed to be confirmed by Whale.
Pushing herself out of the chair she took a step towards Whale's office only for her cell to start ringing. Taking her phone out of her jacket pocket she see's the ID letting out a sigh.
Incoming Call: Queenie
"One minute. I swear" she promises the nurse as she accepted the call bringing up to her ear "Hey Queenie" she greets her partner on the other end.
"There you are, we've been calling everywhere" the former Queen huffs at her.
"I've been busy, and who's we?".
"Belle and Hook found a incantation to free the fairies" the mayor informed her.
"That's great, how does that involve me exactly".
"We need the dagger" the former Queen informs her.
She and Belle had agreed that they should keep the dagger that controlled her Uncle between them if he should ever find a way back. That way he wouldn't know who had it in their possession if he went for one of them, the other would be able to call him off.
"And I have it" the redhead cringed to herself knowing she would have to cancel her appointment.
"I'm sorry" her soulmate apologized knowing how stretched she was "I know things are hard at the moment with the bar-".
"No don't, I understand" she interrupts her "I'll get to you soon just text me where I should meet you all".
"Will do. See you soon. Love you".
"Love you too" the redhead signed off the call before the line cut off as she looked at the nurse.
"Rain check?" the nurse nodded in understanding before the assassin turned on her heel to leave the hospital.
The assassin found the group in the forest already waiting for in a small clearing covered in fallen autumn leaves. In the middle sat a circular flat topped stone where symbols had been engraved into the stone, while a few tall brazier's that had been set alight stood around it.
"Anyone order a magical dagger that controls one of the darkness sorcerers to ever walk the realms, who just so happens to be my Uncle?" Amelia announced her presence to all those present that included Mary Margaret, Hook and Belle as well as Regina and Emma as she made her way into the clearing.
"Have you been drinking today dear?" her partner asks her with a raised brow wondering if a glass or two of bourbon she usually sneaked in during her work at the bar.
"Not a drop" she says as as her hand found the handle of the dagger that controlled the Dark One comfortably tucked into her calf high boots before handing it over to her aunt who gratefully took it off the redhead.
"Where were you?" Mary Margaret asked her friend in concern as Regina put the finish touches to the incantation.
"At the bar Snow, nothing to worry about" she tries to reassure the younger woman "The only we have to worry about is leaving Will Scarlet alone with my liquor for too long" a small laugh left her lips as the teacher rubbed the woman's elbow on comfort, knowing how busy the her old friend had been over the last few weeks, as Regina had finished setting up.
"Here" Regina asked for the Dark One's dagger, taking it from Belle.
"You got it?" Emma asked the brunette.
"I got it" Regina tells them.
Stepping back with others, Regina held the dagger over the box waving it in circles above it. The group heard a hum come from the box as the witch tapped it with the tip of the dagger before stepping back, nothing happened for a pause until a bright golden light burst out of the box making the group avert their eye.
Holding out her forearm over her eyes the burst of magic pushed her feet through the dirt and leaves until in subsided allowing the group to look back and see the fairies return huddled on the forest floor.
The others went to help them when Amelia saw Regina on the other side, her hand's shaking looking completely petrified, staring down at the dagger.
Ignoring the returning fairies as she slowly approached the woman she loved and called out to her "Regina?" she called out to her but didn't get a response.
"Queenie" she called out again using her nickname for the woman as she gently grabbed the woman's wrist, making Regina snap her head up to meet the familiar green eye's looking straight at her "You, okay?".
Regina nodded at her soulmate as they heard Emma's voice "Actually, you should thank the mayor" Mother Superior looked behind her to see the Queen and her Assassin together.
"Welcome back" Regina greeted the fairy as she continued to shake.
"Thank you" Blue repeated herself to the Mayor.
Once the fairy walked away Regina held up the dagger still shaking despite Amelia's presence, an open hand suddenly appeared in the vision to see it belonged to a very worried assassin.
"Give me the dagger" Regina did as she asked giving the former Assassin the dagger inscribed his name before the red head wrapped an arm around her shoulder guiding her out of the forest. Only the assassin couldn't ignore the sudden pricks she felt on the back of her neck that told her something was wrong, but she had to focus on the woman she loved.
Whatever it was, it was enough to shaken the most fearsome Evil Queen.
Bald Mountain
Past
"The curse resides here... Bald Mountain" Rumpelstiltskin tells them as he led the four woman down a dark tunnel with a torch in hand "It's protected by a variety of lethal magic obstacles... Obstacles that suit your very specific talents" he explained until they came to a door covering in bugs "Blood scarabs. The only thing stronger than their venom is their bloodlust" he looked back to Cruella "Cruella, I believe with your powers of persuasion they'll be as harmless as puppy dogs".
The woman stepped forward and picked up one of the bugs in her hand "I've got a little job for you, darling" the green mist left her lips and covered the bug, taking control of it "Now run along and tell the others" the bug left her hand and re-joining the rest a second later the green magic expanded to all the other bugs before they left the door crawling away on the walls past them, clearing the way for the five.
"That's how it's done, darlings" Cruella drawled with pride as they continued into a larger cavern, at the end of room was something encased in glass ball however there was a wall of fire that blocked their path.
"The dark curse" the Dark One tells them as the fire sensed their presence and grew in front of them throwing his torch into it "Fire. Forged from the breath of dragons. Maleficent, I believe this is your area of expertise".
The woman stepped up standing in front of the fire raising her hands, the other's watched as the fire swirled around the woman as her staff sucked up the fire, clearing the way.
"Next time, maybe something challenging" she chimed in pride and swagger as she re-joined the group.
"And now... Ursula..." the Dark One called forward "If you don't mind" the woman stepped up using her tentacle's to snatch the ball, handing it straight to the Dark One.
"This what you're looking for?" Ursula grinned.
"Indeed" he said walking away with their prize as the mountain started to shake beneath their feet and above their head's.
"What the hell?" Maleficent said out loud in panic.
"What is going on?" Cruella asked the Dark One.
"I'm leaving with my prize. And you? Uh, you're about to die" the three went to follow him but he stopped them "I forgot to mention there's one more thing guarding the curse. The Chernabog... An ancient demon that feeds on evil. I believe Anastasia's set of skill might aid you this time" he giggled manically at them pointing at the blonde.
"It seeks out the heart with the greatest potential for darkness and devours it. That's why I really needed you four. Adieu" at that Rumplestiltskin leaves through the doors they entered through as the four turn around to see a monster with horns and the wings of a bat stand up over them.
Outside Storybrooke
The duchess held on for dear life in the back of Cruella's Panther as she tried to keep down the fast food she ate on the way as the woman swerved around the empty road.
"Stop the car" the Dark One suddenly announced which the Assassin was grateful for as Cruella stopped the car and they climbed out.
The three followed the older man as he grabbed a discarded purple tie that had been tied to a tree branch.
"We're here" he tells them as they all looked into the distance to see nothing, just a long road ahead.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ursula asked.
"Where is this Storybrooke?" The younger woman pressed the man as he tuned to face the women "Where is the Widow!" she yells at the man seeing the dead end.
"Look, I confess, things aren't quite as I said" he started only to be stopped by Cruella.
"For a man who's preaching trust, you are getting off on the wrong foot" she huffed at the man.
"But I-if I was completely untrustworthy, would I be telling you the truth now? The... the town line is, uh.." he started to stammer pointing up the road ahead of them "100 yards up that road. Oh. But... It's cloaked by a protection spell. Makes it impossible to see or enter".
"A town you can't see or enter?" Ursula repeated skeptically.
"But it's the truth. The night I was banished, I-I attached this tie to that tree so I'd be able to find my way home" he tries to tell them stuffing his tie into his pocket.
"Okay, let's say you are telling the truth. How are we supposed to cross that line without any magic?".
Having enough of the whole farce and the lies that poured out of his mouth she stomped forward kicking his bad leg out from under his making him fall onto his knees. He flinched back as a hidden blade jumped out of the Assassin's metal gauntlet that rested on her forearms, pointed as his neck as Cruella cocked her handgun and pointed it at the man's head as the blonde grabbed a fist full of his hair making him strain his neck up away from the sharp point of her blade.
"No more game's Dark One" the Assassin warned him through gritted teeth.
"We're finished with your hazy instructions and your empty promises" Cruella tells him.
"Please put the gun down and blade away. You're overreact...".
"No more tricks. If we're about to walk into a trap, tell us now, darling, because out here, you're nothing more than a cripple, a coward with a real world ability to die".
"Yes, yes. Y-y-you're right" he stammered as he felt the duchess press the blade to his neck "You're right".
"So you say you're banished. Who banished you and why?".
"I bet it was his little maid" Ursula jeered at the defensless Dark One "Is that why we're here? Because of a girl?".
"I'm here for the same reason you are. My happy ending. And that is the truth. And what that is? Well... That's my business, just like your reasons are yours. All of that we seek is just beyond that line. So please, if you think you can find your way in this town, and... And face all that... That light magic without my help, then be my guest. But if you can just trust me... You won't just get inside Storybrooke, you'll be invited".
"Like the people of Storybrooke are gonna invite us in with you by our side".
"Yes, they will, dearie, because I won't be on your side" Cruella met Anastasia eye's and gave the Assassin a nod before lowering her gun, Rumple heard the blade sheath back into it's place as the woman let go of his hair.
"All right" the blonde woman addressed the man "Start talking, old man or you'll be wishing my sister was here" the duchess sneered at the man on his knees.
With the welcome back party win full swing at Granny's celebrating the fairies return, the former assassin sat in the same place she and Robin usually occupied at the counter the she looked from her place at the bar to see Blue sat by herself with a haunted look in her eye's as she caught up to the events that led up to her being trapped and imprisoned within the hat and being rescued. Taking her drink, she approached the table.
"This seat taken?" the voice made the woman jump in surprise taking her out of her thought's to see Amelia at her table.
"No, please go ahead" she told the former assassin as she took the seat opposite her taking a sip of her drink.
"For what it's worth" Amelia started "I'm sorry for not seeing what Rumple was doing, if I had realized-"she cut herself off.
"He fooled all of us, especially those he called his family" the fairy tried to reassure the red head.
"Still. I should've seen it" she told the fairy softly, guilt lacing her voice.
"You had your own problems at home; you were caught in-between the vow you made to your first love and the other one to love the Queen. In the end it seems you choose wisely, you seem happy with her" she muses to her with a small smile.
"I am, and I think she is too".
"But you miss him, don't you?" the redhead was left frozen at the fairy's words as she heard Henry's voice behind her.
"Go on, mom. Ask" he encouraged his mother who was clutching a storybook to her stomach in nervousness.
"Excuse me" Regina called out Mother Superior turning her attention away from Amelia "May I ask you something?".
"What can I do for you?" Mother Superior asked the former Queen with a polite smile.
"Do you know what this is?" Regina asked handing her a blank storybook, one of hundred's Tom and Henry had found in the lake house six weeks ago.
"Where did you get this?" the fairy asked them as Emma joined them with Tom himself in his uniform.
"The sorcerer's mansion" the savior answered the fairy's question as the latter looked through the book in awe "Henry and Tom found dozens of these blank books there".
"The sorcerer is here?" Mother Superior asked in excitement.
"Well, his house is, but we haven't found him yet" Henry added.
"You're looking for him?" the fairy's eyes flicked to the people around the table from Emma to Amelia sat opposite her.
"Well, I was hoping he could..." Regina told the fairy "Write me a happy ending. But that book seems to have great power".
"Oh, it does" Blue confirmed.
"So, I thought if he rewrote it..." the Queen chuckled nervously to herself "I know it sounds crazy".
"It's not crazy at all. But you're looking for the wrong person. Although the sorcerer is a very powerful wizard, you should be looking for the author" Blue informs them.
"Aren't they the same person?" Amelia queried with the nun.
"Why would the sorcerer have the author's books?" Regina added.
"That is a quite perplexing question. And I'm afraid I do not know. But I do know that they are two very different people".
"So... You know who the author is" she asked in a hushed tone as she slid into the booth next to Amelia
"No" Blue whispered back "But I do know he exists. I mean, if he is a "He." I've never actually seen him. In fact, no one has. Not for many years".
"So, this is where hope has gotten me?" Regina grumbled as Amelia took her hand into hers trying to give her as much support as she could.
"We'll find him, Regina" Emma tells the dark brunette "It's not like he just vanished. Blue, do you have any idea why he might've disappeared?".
"Sadly, no" Blue corrected the blonde "But there are whispers that he left hidden clues in some of his works".
"You mean, works like Henry's book?" Emma asked before the diner started to shake. All idle chatter seized as the patron's looks up at the flickering as they all heard a low growl coming from outside the diner.
"What the hell was that?" Emma asked the only question on everyone's mind at that moment. There went the redhead's hope for getting back to Whale that day.
Regina looked up to Emma "I suppose we should go out and see what's killing property values this time".
The party goer's ran out of the diner with their jackets on as Emma, Regina, Mary Margaret, Belle, Hook and Amelia ran out of the restaurant as they heard screams already coming from the Storybrooke resident's.
Waving her hand in the air Regina summoned Amelia's gauntlets onto the red head's forearms as they looked to their right to see the source of the terror perched on top of the clock tower.
A giant bat like creature with black muscular body and horns upon its head with a tail. The creature seems to stare straight at Amelia as it's red eye's bore into hers.
Flicking her hidden blades out she looked down at them before looking back up at the creature with a fearful gulp "I'm gonna need a bigger blade".
Bald Mountain
Past
The giant bat like creature flapped it equally giant wings lifting itself into the air as the four women were left to their demise, Maleficent quickly fended the creature back as they ran to hide behind four boulders.
Pressing her back against the rock the Assassin closed her eye's as she felt her heart pick up pace as she tried to control her rapid breath's of panic as she heard Maleficent speak to the other's.
"There's a crack in the wall. We can make it through it" the sorceress informed the other's seeing the younger woman shaking with fear with her eyes shut closed trying to block out what was going on around her.
"Well, that's easier said than done" Cruella seethed at the woman "It doesn't seem to know which one of us to go after first".
"Doesn't matter. Once it makes its choice, the other three can make their way to safety".
"So, what, we're just playing a game of heart roulette?".
"Once the other three are out of harm's way, they can work together to save the one left behind. Must I figure out everything?".
"And we're supposed to just... Trust you?".
"First time for everything" she said seeing the Assassin still panicking to her right.
"Hey!" Maleficent called out to the Assassin who hadn't quite heard "Assassin! Duchess! Whatever the hell you are, you need to calm down others we're all dead" she tried again seeing the younger woman opening her eye's to meet hers.
"Oh. just leave the fetus here, she's useless" Cruella tells the sorceress seeing the young woman shaking in her boot's.
"You wanna get out here alive!?" Maleficent asked the young woman who nodded at her "Well then you need to get you shit together because we will leave you down here".
Nodding in understanding she forced her heart to slow down and her breathing to steady as she flicked out her arms trigger her hidden blades to jump out giving a curt nod to the sorceress.
The women gathered themselves and walked out from their hidden places to face Chernabog head on. The monster looked between the four women in front of it before finally choosing Maleficent.
"I knew it".
The six heroes and villains continued to stare at the creature on the clock tower as the resident's of Storybrooke continued to run and scream in terror around them.
The creature flapped it's giant wings and lifted itself from the clock tower and swooped down towards them as it roared. Amelia suddenly felt someone take her arm and pulled her down as the group dodge the creature as it continued down Main Street.
In the momentum she realized it was Regina, who had dragged them to a parked car covering their head's as the creature flew away. The Queen kept a hold of her as they got up from the car and rounded the corner of the nearest building for safety.
"Did that thing come out of the hat?!" Regina exclaimed over the creatures growls and roars "I thought the spell was only supposed to release the fairies".
"Well, maybe it is some kind of fairy" Mary Margaret supplied before looking towards the redhead "Lia, do you know what it is?" the group suddenly turned to her for answers.
"Don't' look at me" she tells the others "Do I look like a fucking Witcher!" she snapped at them before joining Hook at the edge of the building looking out for the creature to return.
"Why don't we just put it back in the hat and figure out the rest later?" Emma suggested to the group.
"Because we can't" Belle tells her "Once something's freed, it can never be re-trapped".
"Great. So, our best defense against magical beasts follows the same rules as chicken pox?".
"Surely the savoir and evil queen can defeat a simple hell beast" Killian spoke up earning a glare from the Queen and Assassin.
"Can we drop the "E" word already?".
With a nod Regina and Emma ran back into the road to face the monster together. Both threw out their hands and using their combined magic hit the monster as it swooped down in another attack.
The monster shrieked in pain as the mix of dark and light magic seemed to set the creature on fire as it tried to protect itself by covering itself with one of it's wings. After a few seconds, the creature gave up and flew away from the women, unharmed.
"Well, that was easy" Emma said as the other's joined them on the road.
"Don't get excited" Regina tells her "We only stunned it. And a blast like that should've destroyed it".
"I was just getting used to things being relaxing around here" Emma commented as she turned around to face the others "Belle...".
"I'll see if I can find anything about this thing in the library".
"Thanks" she tells the librarian, turning to her mother "Mary Margaret..".
"I'll get everyone to safety. I'm on that" at that the school-teacher walked off to do her job.
"Thank you" she tells her mother turning to face Amelia "Lia…".
"Ahh fuck" she cursed to herself knowing what job she had "I'll track it down stop it getting too close to people" the redhead supplied for the blonde "But I'd prefer a bigger weapon if I have to distract it". She really hoped she wouldn't have to do that.
"What do you need?" Regina asked her.
Amelia shrugged at her partner "Surprise me".
Waving her hand a double-edged giant axe appeared in the red head's hands, it looked bigger that and the woman's head as she easily handled it, spinning it in her hands with a smile growing on her face.
"Nice" she said smiling to herself "Forgot I had this one" Amelia said to herself as she turned resting the axe on her shoulder as she sauntered in the direction the beast had gone.
"Wow. You guys really have this down" Emma compliment the other's.
"Well, this isn't our first monster bash" Hook tell her before heading to the library with Belle.
"Well, now that that's settled, what say you and I figure out a way to clip this bat's wings before it comes back?" Regina suggested to the blonde.
Outside Storybrooke with the women's trust once again earned, Rumple held out a cell phone to Ursula "The number's all cued up. All you have to do is press the "Call"button" he instructs her"
"I know a phone works" Ursula tells the man snatching the device out of his hand "I just don't know if I can trust the man whose phone it is".
"And why is that? I mean, you have my phone, my entire plan. And tonight, if you decide not to come back for me and stay in Storybrooke and abandon me, I couldn't blame you. That's why this time is different, because this time, my entire salvation depends not on you trusting me, but on me trusting you. Now...Are we in this together?".
"I guess you'll find out tonight, won't you?" the sea witch says before pressing the 'Call' button.
She lost it. How the hell could she lose something that big?.
Tracing back her steps the Master Assassin was at a loss to what to do as she failed to tag the massive creature before it flew away. So instead of staying out in the open for it to find her, the redhead retreated to the Mayor's office knowing that's where Emma and Regina.
Stepping in the office the redhead took both women inside by surprise as she entered the office gently placing the giant axe up against the back of the couch.
"Hey!" Emma exclaimed in surprise to see the assassin in the office and not out in the streets "What happened out there? I thought you were tracking it" the blonde continues her line of questioning as the assassin took a place behind an armchair to her left.
"I lost it over the woods. I forgot to track it with my vision, it's gone somewhere and I really don't feel like being a sitting duck today" she answered her as Regina's cell rang out.
Taking it out of her pocket she expected it to be either Hook or Belle only to see Gold's name show up. The former Queen went quiet as she looked straight at her soulmate.
"What?" she asked in apprehension. Regina answered her question as she simple turned the screen of her phone towards her to see her Uncle's name on it "What the-" the assassin cut herself off as the mayor answered the phone call.
Answering the call the mayor turns away from the blonde and redhead as she brought it up to her ear only to hear a completely different voice on the other end. the pair noticed her change of demeanor which only made the assassin more worried.
"Regina, who is it?" Emma asked for them.
"The sea bitch" she answered the blonde while greeting the woman.
"Ursula?" the assassin mouthed out to her partner who gave her a small nod remembering the Sea-Witch from back home.
The assassin's irises flickered in gold as to listen to the woman on the other end herself. Emma looked the the assassin for any clue who was on the other end of the call only to see angry furrowed brows on the assassin's face as she saw her eyes quickly turning back to there normal green.
"I've missed you, too. How are you?" she heard Ursula reply.
"Mostly wondering how a plate of under cooked calamari ended up with the Dark One's cell phone" Regina tells her.
"I stole it from him" Ursula casually tells her.
"Regina" Emma prompted the mayor as the latter turned the speaker on for all of them to listen to the conversation as Regina took a seat on the armchair opposite the one the redhead stood behind and the Emma taking the couch, with the phone placed on the coffee table between them.
"And where is he now?" the former Queen asked the Sea Witch.
"If we're lucky, probably passed out at the dive bar where Cruella, Anastasia and I left him".
The assassin's face fell at the mention of Anya's full name as her chest tightened, she hadn't seen her in years, decades even. And now she was with Ursula and Cruella.
'Anastasia?' Emma whispered to Regina who simply shook her head at the blonde, having no clue who that was for once. Neither having noticed how the assassin gripped the back of the chair as she stopped herself from the nausea swept through stomach from toppling her over there and then.
"Cruella?" Regina continued the conversation.
"Yes, we're back together" Ursula informs them "Rumple found us in New York, said he needed some old friends. Told us a tearful tale about how he was living in a quaint town until he ruined everything. But he said it was a special place where villains could find redemption".
"-Regina, Rumpelstiltskin told us how you've changed. How Amelia changed, and we've changed, too. We've learned our lessons" at that Amelia rolled her eyes at herself as she listened to the conversation "and we'd like a chance to prove it to you. Please. Let us in".
"Sorry, dear, but, we have enough problems without inviting three..." Regina answered onto to be interrupted by a roar coming from outside making the three outside freeze and look towards the windows.
"Is one of those problems a hell-bat with beady eyes and devil horns?" the sea-witch says having heard their small problem through the phone.
"How did you know that?" Amelia spoke up for the first time.
"Hello Amelia" Ursula greeted the new voice she could hear the smile on the sea witches face, she knew she wouldn't be too far behind the former Queen "Because that's the exact same sound it made before it tried to kill me".
"It obviously didn't do a very good job of it then" the assassin sniped at the woman who currently stood with her sister in the edge of town as anger simmered on the edge of her mind.
"My, my Amelia. Still quite hostile aren't we?" Ursula drawled out hearing the redhead's hostility through the phone "I thought your Widow days were long behind you for good, or that's what your Uncle told us".
"Oh honey you have no idea"
"So, you've faced this creature before?" Regina asked quickly changing the direction of the conversation, if they carried on Amelia would be on the other site of the line before any of them could stop her.
"Yes, and I can tell you exactly what it wants" the sea witch tells them.
"How convenient" Amelia chimes in.
"They've been living in a land without magic" Emma whispered covering Regina's phone "How could they do it?" the blonde questioned.
"The hat" Amelia supplied remembering how she felt when she went to comfort the mayor as they heard the monster roar again.
"I know" Regina whispered back scoffing in annoyance before Emma uncovered the phone "Fine. Tell us what it wants" she demand out of the woman.
"And then you'll let us in?" Ursula asked.
"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't".
"Well, then I guess you're on your own" Regina went to end the call only for Emma to stop her.
"Wait" Emma said covering the phone dropping her voice "The Snow Queen's scroll let her into Storybrooke once. Maybe it'll work for them".
Uncovering the phone Regina relented "All right, Squid. If your information pans out, we'll consider letting you in. Those are my terms".
After a pregnant pause Ursula answered "You've got a deal" she says before telling them all about the Chernaborg before the sea-witch hung up on them.
The creature fed off evil and was seeking out the heart with the greatest potential for darkness to devour it. That only put two people in town on the thing target list. Her and Regina. But the former Queen was convinced it would be her as she went to close all the drapes in her office to try and hide herself for as long as possible.
She didn't listen to the pair as they came up with plan to get the creature over the town line. All she could think about was her little sister that stood just over town line. New York, that's where she had been all this time since the curse. She didn't understand how, but all that mattered was to get to her sister even if she lost her head the second she saw her after so long apart.
"Have you been listening to a word we've said!" Regina angrily snapped at the assassin who looking like she hadn't been listening anything she and Emma had discussing as she simply sat back on the couch numbly staring at the fireplace.
Rounding on the assassin the pair stood in front of the redhead ready for her to lead the charge like she usually did only to sit back and do nothing. This wasn't like her.
"Not to interrupt but, who the hell is Anastasia?" the blonde asked seeing the redhead physically flinch at the name. Seeing her flinch the former Queen's brow furrowed in concern seeing how trouble she was hearing that name, Emma looking between the couple.
"Melia?" Regina gently called out to her.
"It's Anya" she tells the former Queen with a scratchy throat. The simple explanation made the former Queen tense up next to the savoir. She had barely spoken a word more about the adopted sister she told her about six weeks ago and now she was here on the edge of town.
"Its my sister" she said the words out load that felt like death by a thousand cuts as Emma's eyes widened in surprise at the assassins admission. A sister? This whole time? She looked to the mayor who looked just as stunned. But by the looks of it she knew more than she was letting on.
"I'm going to the town line" Amelia suddenly announced to the pair as she stood up from the couch "See you both there" she tells them before abruptly leaving the office grabbing the axe without another word uttered leaving the two in shocked silence.
"Sister?" Emma asks the older woman as she tried to wrap her mid around at the latest twist.
Regina's eye met her's as she tried to explain what little she did know about Amelia's adopted sister only to say "Miss Swan, I think everything is about to change again".
Bald Mountain
Past
"You want darkness? I'll give you darkness" Maleficent yelled at the Chernabog as she attacked the winged beast with her magic, distracting the thing as Cruella, Anastasia and Ursula climbed the cliff face that lead to the crack that Maleficent had pointed out to them.
The Assassin was climbing up the wall the quickest ahead of the other two as Maleficent continued to fight the beat off "We had a deal, witches!".
Cornered by the beast with no hope of winning she hold up her head "I hope you choke on my bones" she tells the beast before a tentacle take hold of the sorceress bring her up and way from the monster.
"Yeah, lovely. Now I'll never get the smell of fish out of this dress" Maleficent complains to the three once she's out of harms way.
"You're welcome" Ursula replied taking Maleficent insult as a 'thank you'.
At the loft Mary Margaret is sat at the breakfast bar on her phone with her daughter with David stood opposite her as he waited to for his wife to update him on what was going on outside with the creature reeking havoc in town.
"What? Okay. Be careful" she tells her daughter before hanging up her phone she looks up to address her husband "They found a way to stop the beast" she tells her husband with a worried look on her face.
"Great" David tell her "Why aren't you smiling?".
"Because Cruella, Anastasia and Ursula…are here".
With helmet and visor on her head, the former assassin sped through the streets of Storybrooke on her motorcycle weaving in and of cars until she came onto the stretch of road that lead to the town line. Hearing the roar of the Chernabog before she saw it chasing Emma's yellow bug. Changing gear, the former Assassin sped up.
"What made you choose yellow?" Regina asked the savior as they heard the monster roar behind them holding onto the dashboard for dear life.
"What?".
"Your bug... Yellow? Bold choice".
"I like yellow" Emma answered as she sped down the road "I stole it. Is this really the time to question my taste?".
"Sorry, I'm just trying not to think about being some demon's lunch".
"You're not going to be" the blonde tells her.
"I'm glad you're confident".
Glancing into her side view mirror as she heard an engine come from behind them to see a figure catching up to them on a motorcycle seeing the fiery end of their friend and partner's hair sticking out the bottom of the black helmet she wore over her head.
"Looks like we have some help" the savior informs her passenger making Regina turn in her seat to seat to Amelia on the motorcycle she wanted the assassin not to ride anymore pulling the giant axe from her back as they feel something land onto of the car just as the assassin caught up to the yellow bug.
The monster clawed at the car as Amelia swung the heavy axe towards the monster catching it's wing, the sharp edged weapon embedding itself into is skin only to shake the weapon off and onto the road missing Amelia on her bike by inches.
Chernabog screamed out in pain as it swung out with an extended hidden blade handling the motorized bike with only one hand.
She did like to show off sometimes.
Missing her target the assassin put two hands back onto the bar to drop back behind the bug only to speed up again on Regina's side.
"What, is this thing made of tin?" the former Queen exclaimed as the car struggled with the extra weight.
"Hang on. We're almost there" she pleads with the woman next to her.
The redhead could only watch as the beast punched a hole into the windshield of the bug making glass fly everywhere making Emma swerve too far right, hitting the bike with an uncomfortable thump as she forced the assassin take the bike off-road into the forest disappearing from view as she tried to regain control of her bike.
"Lia!" the pair exclaimed in panic to watch as the bike disappearing in the forest.
"It's too late" Regina tells her turning in her seat "I'm not gonna let both of us die in this metal coffin on wheels. Thanks for trying, Miss Swan" at that the former Queen disappears in purple smoke leaving the blonde alone in the car as she continued to speed down the road only for the creature to stay on her roof .
"What?!" she exclaims as the beast reaches through her broken passenger window to try and get the blonde.
As the savior nears the town line, she sees Regina waving the Chernabog down as she heard the sound of a motorcycle behind her.
Pushing her foot through the accelerator the bug sped up as Amelia overtook her on her bike racing to the town line and Regina. Stepping hard on her brake the yellow bug comes to a screeching halt as the assassin swing's her bike in between the bug and Regina as the momentum throws the Chernabog off the car over the couple's heads, through the barrier into the land of no magic, turning into dust as it crossed the line.
Pulling the helmet off her the redhead shook out her hair as she saw Emma get out of the bug to see her, giving the assassin an thankful smile.
Hearing a throat being cleared behind her Amelia whipped around to see a less than amused Regina looking at her on the bike she didn't like the assassin riding, even if it was to save her.
"Hi" she greeted the Queen "That was stupid" she tells the woman placing the helmet on the bar's swinging her leg over the bike to stand in front of her.
"Not as stupid as the bike" Regina dryly retorts before she engulfed the red head in a tight embrace, relieved to see the woman still on once piece. The redhead held the woman she loved tight in her arms as she pressed her nose and into the woman shoulder taking in the sent of apple's coming from her.
"Never do that again" the former Queen heard the muffled into her coat.
"No promises" she replied a choked laugh escaped her mouth as her queen repeats the words she usually tells her.
The pair separated as Emma joined them patting the redhead on the back before they looked across the town line to see three women with their back to them waiting for them.
Her heart clenched seeing her little sister sat on the bonnet of the Panther, oblivious to what happened on the other side, she'd changed since the last time she had seen her, but her light blonde hair that had remained the same after all these years.
"Emma!" they heard Mary Margaret's voice call out, they all looked back to see the Charming couple rush to them before the mother engulfed her daughter in a tight embrace.
"Are you alright?" David asked her as Mary Margaret let her go.
"Yes" the savoir answered her parents.
"So, Cruella, Anastasia and Ursula were telling the truth" the former Princess starts.
"It would appear so" Regina added as Emma went to hand her the scroll the Snow Queen used to get into Storybrooke before the first curse broke only for her mother to stop her.
"No, wait. Emma, I... I think this is a bad idea" the teacher tells her grown daughter "Look, they may have told the truth this time. That doesn't mean they can be trusted".
"Mom, this doesn't sound like you. You always believe the best in everyone".
"I'm also a realist" Snow argued.
"Emma, she's right" David agreed with his wife "Things were just starting to get back to normal in Storybrooke".
"You, too?" Emma said to her father in disbelief.
"Look, we don't know anything about these three. They could be looking for redemption, but they also could be as evil as Mr. Gold or Zelena or worse"
The words made the assassin's vision turn red in a split second as she turned around to face the woman who dared to compare her sister to Zelena and her Uncle.
"Hey!" the redhead suddenly barked at the former Princess "My sister is not Zelena!" Amelia spat at the teacher in a fit of anger no one saw coming from the cool Assassin making the couple step back in fear. No-one had ever heard the redhead speak to Mary Margaret like that.
Putting a hand on the angry assassin's shoulder Emma tried to silently encourage her away from her parents he Charming couple looked to each other in bewilderment at the new piece of news that had come from the redhead.
"Hey easy, no one is saying she's Zelena" Emma tells the angry woman before turning back to her parents "They just helped us, and we made a deal".
"Doesn't matter. It's a bad idea" Mary Margaret continued to argue "They're villains".
"You're right" Regina finally speaks up "They are. They're horrible... But not as horrible as I was once. As Amelia was" she adds "And if we deserve a second chance, so do they. How can I sit here, looking for my happiness, and deny three others a chance at theirs?".
"I'm with Regina" Emma tells her parents "We let them in" Emma hands Regina the scroll over to the older woman who throws it over the town line.
She watched as Anastasia was the first one to notice the object appear out of nowhere as she jumps off the bonnet to approach the object picking it up unaware that she's looking straight at her adopted sister before whirling around the ball of her foot to give the awaiting Cruella the scroll before climbing into the Panther.
In the car Anastasia lent in between the front seat to read the scroll for the image of Amelia standing next to Regina on the other side with Snow White and Prince Charming behind them with a blonde she didn't know.
The heiress crawled past the red line before stopping next to their old comrade "Welcome to Storybrooke" Regina greets the former villains and Anastasia into the town.
"Thank you, Regina" Cruella tells the former Evil Queen through her car window "You won't regret it".
"I better not" the Mayor tells them as Anastasia pulls herself over Cruella's seat to see her sister stood next to the former Queen.
"Привет сестра" (Hello sister) Anastasia greeted her older sister with a sweet smile she knew wasn't genuine.
"Сестренка"(Sister) the red head curtly replied before Cruella pulls away driving towards Storybrooke. She could only watch as the car containing her sister drove down the road after seeing her after so many years apart.
Rumpelstiltskin waited on the other side of the town line for what seemed like an age for the return of Anastasia, Cruella and Ursula. Having watched from the treeline as they drove through the barrier before completely disappearing.
Hours passed the Dark One, until it got dark and there was still no sign of the Queen's and Princesses return until something fell onto the ground his side of the barrier. He moved as quickly as he could with his limp picking up the scroll and quickly reading it. Looking up her saw Anastasia stood between Cruella and Ursula as a small smile grew on the man's face.
"We're back, darling" Cruella drawled in greeting.
"You didn't think we abandoned you, did you, Dark One?" Ursula added.
"Of course not" he tells them "We're a team" He crosses the border, his back straighten without his limp throwing away his cane as a clean suit replaces the wore old one he wore the day he was banished.
"Nice duds" Cruella compliment the man in his new suit "Now what do we do?".
"Now? We begin our task".
The four walked down the empty streets of Storybrooke with a swagger about them, as if they now owned them with Rumple in the middle as Anastasia tailed the group.
"It's simple, really" he starts as the women follow him "Continue to repent your wicked ways. Make friends. Build relationships. Reconnect with family members, build their trust" he sent the last two pieces of instructions to the Assassin behind him.
"And just what will you be doing?" Cruella questioned the man.
"I'll continue my work behind the scenes, of course" he answered her.
"Sounds like we're doing everything" Ursula deduced.
"Again" the blonde assassin adds.
The Dark One stopped to speak to the three women clearly "How do you think we got in here? And how do you think that Chernabog was released? It was me" he states pointing to himself.
"-I'm the Oxford professor who translated the spell for Belle, the spell that released the fairies and also happened to unleash that monstrosity. So, I ask you consider what I was able to do on the outside, at my lowest point, without magic. And then consider what I'm able to do in here. So maybe we should stop bickering and get on with it. So, our team is one member short. It's time to reunite the band".
Cruella stammered as they continued down the street "Y-you don't mean...".
"Maleficent" Anastasia answered the woman with a smirk.
"But she's dead".
"Not entirely" Rumple corrects them cryptically.
"Well, just what does that mean?".
"It means we have our work cut out, much to prepare" Rumple tells her.
"I don't like it" Ursula speaks up "Dead or alive, we got a bigger problem... Regina".
"And what makes you say that?".
"That beast was unable to defeat her. As bad as Maleficent is, Regina's dark heart is far worse maybe even the Widow" she explained worried.
"You are so filled with assumptions" Rumple stopped turning to Ursula in frustration "Regina nor my niece are not the one we have to worry about".
"What?".
"Then who?" Anastasia asked the better question.
"That beast did seek out the heart with the greatest potential for darkness, yes, but it was wasn't going after Regina or Amelia Montague. It was after Emma Swan".
Everything was changing again.
Returning to the mansion after the action-packed day, the couple were greeted by Tom who was wondering what was going one only to be brushed off by his mother.
Dinner was quieter than usual as the redhead was stuck in her thought's barely eating her food before finally giving up to excusing herself from the table to take her plate to the kitchen. She hadn't even touched the glass of wine that sat in front of her.
Seeing her sister after so long had greatly troubles the former assassin. And with little information she had about Anastasia, the former Queen wasn't sure how to help her soulmate. This was going to be the first real test of strength of the relationship.
As they were preparing for bed Regina couldn't find the former Assassin anywhere until she heard voices from Tom's room, the door was cracked open enough for the dark brunette to peer in and see Amelia lounging in Tom's bed with her son next to him shoulder to shoulder as they snacked on Twizzlers.
A habit that had grown between the pair over the past few weeks.
Having discovered this worlds assortment of sweet food's thanks to his younger cousin, that were available to him at a moments notice, he quickly found out his mother's sweet tooth and her fondness for red colored candy, creating a bridge between the pair after his father left for Arendelle.
"So, Anastasia" the teen started chewing on the sweet "Is she the sister you were talking about the other week?" he asked her recalling what she had told him about the second apprentice Romeo had taken on.
"Yeah" she answered him with a sad sigh "We called her Anya. She was my best friend, my sister, we spent so much time together the others would call us sisters".
"But if you were so close, why did she leave?".
"Shorty after I first met Regina and Snow. We were sent out on a mission together to a land similar to this one, to find a sorcerer that had been rumored to have been using a Piece of Eden to manipulate a Queen who was looking for a cure for her sick son, only he had rallied its people to revolt against its royal family. They slaughtered the whole family allowing him to take over himself while she got sent to the Enchanted Forest with no memory of who she was or where she had came from"
"-It was an intelligence mission, we were ordered to return home to see what Claudius wanted to do. Things changed when we became separated when some men that offered to help us kidnapped her wanting to pawn her off as a Princess that had gone missing years earlier trying to cash in on a reward. Only to discover she was the real Princess from the necklace Romeo and I had found on her. After the sorcerer was killed. She decided to stay"she sighed out finishing her story.
"Why? I thought the Brotherhood was for life".
"It is" she quickly tells him only to correct herself "Or was. She fell in love with the man that tried to pawn her off as the missing Princess, it turned out he also helped her escape in the first place. She also found a her grandmother. The only remaining member of her real family".
"-At the time I was left so...confused why she left for love and family, some part of me hated her for choosing this man over her sister, the people who took her in and raised her when she had nothing. I didn't really understand, until I met your father, until I had you. That there was a life away from the Creed, away from Templar's and targets".
"And Regina?" he teased her making her chuckle to herself.
"Of course Regina" she quickly added with a smile.
"Why do you need to tell me this?" he asks her knowing there was more to why she was telling him all this. Shifting on the bed the former assassin faced her teenage son with a serious look on her face as he felt her demeanor shift.
"She thinks I killed the man she loved" she tells him "With her now in town, I can't have you out of the blue about her while she's here, I haven't seen her since I found Dimitri dead. She could come after you or Henry, even Regina if she was brave enough".
"You think she went dark like you did?" he deduced.
"If she's anything like me, she's been hardwired into one feeling alone whenever she's upset. You remember when I was training you when we were searching for the Snow Queen's truck" Tom nodded.
"What you felt when we found it, that...knot in the pit of your stomach it's nothing compared to drawing blood for the first time. It's..addicting. If she's not been able to do that of thirty years, if she gets a chance to do that. Nothing will stop her. Not even me"
"What can I do Mom?" he asks her "Wha
She knew she had to be honest with him. If she wasn't he would be in more danger than he already was. But that didn't stop him feeling scared for the woman that had stepped foot into town. Taking his hand in her's, her eyes found the pendant of Thor's Hammer on the brown leather cord she had given him before the spell of Shattered Sight.
"Nothing, there's nothing you can do. I need to face this myself. You just need to be careful. Look out for Henry, but more importantly keep yourself safe. You're gonna be in more danger because of who are to me".
"Okay Mom, I will" with that Amelia stood up form the bed before leaning down to place a kiss on his forehead and headed to his door before he stopped her "Thank's for telling me. Love you".
"Love you too" Amelia left her son's room closing the door behind her were she was met by Regina in the hallway not surprised to see the woman there after sensing her there.
"No one likes eavesdropper's Queenie" she playfully drawls at the Queen.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to" her Queen tells her.
"Don't worry, I'm glad you heard that, saves us some time" she said with a meek smile.
"Do you think she's dangerous?" the former Queen asks her having heard what she said about the younger woman they had just invited into Storybrooke.
"Honestly, I don't know. Its been a while since I've seen her, let alone been in the same place. We'll just have to take it a day at a time". she answered with a tired sigh "Did you like the flower's?" the redhead changes the subject.
"I did" Regina tells her with genuine smile "Thank you".
"Your Welcome" she says as her fingers started to lightly trace the front of her dress as the air around the shifts between the couple "Did you happen to keep the feather?".
"I did" the Queen coyly answers her as she slowly steps towards the redhead feeling her arms wrap around her waist holding her noses grazing over the other as eye's hooded over "May I ask why?".
The redhead stayed silent as she slowly closed the distance between their lips, her's barely brushing the Queen's before she moved them to her ear as her finger found the zipper on the back of her dress giving it a gentle tug downwards before whispering;
"Come to bed and find out" at that the assassin quickly pulled away, brushing past her to saunter down the hall to the master bedroom as the assassin eagerly awaited her Queen to join her only for her love to appear in front of her in a cloud of purple smoke in the doorway.
"You know I hate that" she practically growls before pulling the woman she loved into a punishing kiss, the pair stumbling into the room before the door was slammed shut behind them.
The rain poured down on the sleepy town of Storybrooke as a familiar red Ford truck stopped in the middle of a dirt road. Stepping out the Charming couple with umbrella's over their heads continue down the road on foot before coming to a stop.
The area lit up around them as powerful headlights illuminated the darkness around them as they saw three familiar figures stood in front of the high-beams. Seeing them the couple continue their small trek as the three did the same.
"Well, well, well. Look who's here" they heard Cruella drawl out as they came to a stop with only a meter or two lying between them. The noticed the youngest of the three stood in the middle like it was the most natural thing for her to be in thier little 'group', without an umbrella in her hand finding sufficient shelter from the pouring rain between the umbrella's Ursula and Cruella carried "It's been a long time".
"We gotta talk" David stated to them.
"Oh, so the prince wants a chat? Okay, handsome. Talk" the heiress tell him.
"This is our town" Mary Margaret tells them straight "If you've really turned over a new leaf, you're welcome to stay".
"My, aren't we generous?" Ursula drawled out sarcastically.
"On one condition" the former princess tells them "No one must ever know what happened between us in the Enchanted Forest. And if you say one single word to anyone, especially Emma. Well, you won't have to worry about the Evil Queen or the Black Widow. I'll rip out your hearts myself" the former Princess finishes of with an innocent smirk.
Hearing the woman's confidence to threaten them, a deadly smirk appeared on the blonde assassin's face as a small chuckle left her throat before she silently took a step towards the royal couple, leaving the little shelter she had to enter the space that lied between them until she stopped right in front of the pair.
The couple stood their ground as they saw the rain instantly soak through her hair and jacket, seemingly uncaring how wet she was.
"You may have my sister wrapped around your little finger Princess" Anastasia started "But if she ever found out your little secret, she'll be the one ripping out yours".
AN: Big Chapter to kick the next half of the season off!.
Well Done! See you next time. x
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