Raya spent the next few days at sea while Amphitrite watched over her little one and decorated the cave. She didn't know these oceans and she needed to make sure they were safe for her child to swim in. Oz was filled with crazy magical sea creatures and they needed to be reminded of who their queen was. A few predators had to be taught a lesson, but all in all, it was a beautiful place. She swam home to find that Zelena had expanded the tower, adding another entire tower to it with several connections between the two. She decided to climb on shore and head inside through the front door to investigate. Walking inside, she was shocked at the massive change she saw. The interior had completely been redecorated with thick rugs, new furniture, pictures and a large pile of new clothes were laid across a table. Raya walked inside, momentarily freaking out touching the dark carpet, but managed to get over her surprise to continue exploring. She passed the kitchen, also newly redid, and saw that the pantry was overstuffed. She continued on to find the witch in her study/vault. It was a cozy room with a roaring fireplace, wall to wall bookshelves and plenty of room for her magical equipment.
Zelena was arranging the books on the shelves when Raya walked in. She turned around. "Hey. Everything okay?"
"Yes. Oz seems like a wondrous place." Raya said. "I thank you again for allowing me to stay here."
Zelena shrugged. "You're welcome."
"You're very nonchalant about this. A mermaid shows up on the beach, giving birth and you think nothing of it?" Raya sat down on a stack of books.
"This is Oz." The witch scoffed. "Stranger things have happened." She turned around and sat down on the floor. "What happened to you, Raya?"
Raya sighed. She didn't want to think about Regina. But they were bound to have this conversation anyway. Might as well be sooner rather than later. "Salacia doesn't have a father. It's a, um woman. She and I were friends since we were little and we fell in love." Zelena tilted her head, listening intently. "Her mother was an evil woman, a heartless woman, rude and mean to any and everyone she deemed below her station. She treated her husband and her daughter like crap. My mother even had to put a spell on us so she couldn't hurt us. I went to collect ingredients for a magic spell that would allow them to become like me so I could save them. It took 2 and a half years and when I returned…" she sighed. "The woman I returned to wasn't the woman I left. She had moved on. Her father and her lover had been murdered and she was so filled with hate and vengeance. There was nothing I could do."
"I'm guessing she didn't know about the baby." Zelena said.
"I didn't even know about her until the last minute. I assumed it was a stomachache and used a spell to block the symptoms. Not my brightest moment. After that I came here to get away."
"I'm sorry." Zelena said softly. "Your girlfriend sounds like a bitch. A dumb one too."
Raya smiled. "She was very smart, but...she didn't have much of a chance. If only she had come with me, maybe…"
"You could've tried again." Zelena nodded slowly. "I've never been in love before, so I don't know what it feels like, but I hope you don't stop loving. I mean you shouldn't give up."
"I won't. I just won't be doing much courting for the next few years or so. My Salacia is all that concerns me now."
Zelena smiled. Both of them jumped when there was a pounding on the front door. They moved to the window to see who it was, neither truly surprised at seeing the squad of guards at the door, along with that Torrell fellow. Zelena immediately threw off his cloak and waved her hands, dressing herself in a form fitting sparkly black dress. She released her hair from its peasant braids and grabbed a broomstick, green starting to cover her skin, crawling across the surface as she looked...deliciously wicked. Raya followed her to the door as she stepped out.
"Who dares to knock on the door of the Wicked Witch?" She demanded.
"You stole 300,000 pieces of gold from me!" Torrell snapped.
The Wicked Witch suddenly unleashed a powerful shockwave of magic. It shook the tower and blasted all those present off their feet. "Don't ever come here again. If you do, I will destroy every single one of you." One of the soldiers decided to attack anyway and Zelena melted his sword, causing the molten metal to splash onto his hands, burning them. "Leave!" The witch commanded, throwing a few green fireballs to ensure they would leave the tower in peace. When they were gone, Zelena returned to her study and pulled out a small orb and mounted it on the wall. "This should create a barrier to keep them out. I don't have time for idiots."
Raya grabbed her hand and examined it. "How did-"
Zelena ended the spell, returning her skin to normal. "It's a little trick of mine. It used to only come when I was envious of someone else, but I've learned to control it."
"How was the Wicked Witch born?" Raya asked curiously.
"When I realized that no one in the world wanted me." The redhead drew her hand back and quickly returned to her work, as though nothing had happened. Raya placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I want you, Zelena. As my friend. If you'll have me."
Zelena touched her hand and smiled a little, trying to hide it but failing miserably. "Of course."
It was a new start for Raya. Within a year she and Zelena had built the tower into a mini self sufficient kingdom. While Zelena governed on land, Raya took command of the sea. They worked well as a team and easily fell into a good relationship. Another year and a half passed before little Salacia hit her first milestone.
Raya grinned, floating in one end of the pool while Zelena sat on the edge of the other side, holding Salacia. "Come to me, Sweetheart."
"You'll catch me, Mommy?" Salacia asked as Zelena lowered her into the water.
"Absolutely. Come on." Raya smiled. She held up her arms and waved her forward. Salacia splashed her tail and Zelena released her. The little mermaid panicked for a moment before shooting across the water to her mother. "You did it! Your first swim." Salacia looked around in shock before laughing and splashing.
"I did it! I did it, Mommy!"
"You did!" Raya laughed. "Come on, do it again." She encouraged with a smile. Salacia paddled awkwardly to Zelena and turned around to her mother's smiling face. Salacia swam back and forth and even rode on Raya's back as she circled the pool and dove down to the bottom, playfully stirring up the sand and resurfacing to splash Zelena. The witch squealed and dove into the water to join them.
"Now that you can swim, we can go see the lanterns together." Zelena said.
"Ooh, the lanterns!" Salacia said excitedly. "Are they tonight?"
"Yep."
Raya smiled as she watched the two interact. Zelena often dealt with insecurity due to being abandoned by her mother but to her little girl, the Wicked Witch was the most amazing person ever. Every year in Oz, the Emerald City released lanterns into the air, filling the sky with them, to celebrate the new year and hope for a brighter one. They were Salacia's favorite time of year and this year she didn't have to ride the boat with Zelena out to sea. She could swim with her mother and grandmother. That evening the small family left the wizard tower. Zelena sat in a small rowboat, which Raya pulled while Salacia swam next to her, trying to swim as fast a possible to keep up with her mom's naturally fast pace. Amphitrite rose out of the dark water nearby, smiling at seeing her granddaughter in the water on her own for the first time. Together, they swam out to where they could see the Emerald City lit up like a glittering gem. Raya leaned against the boat nearest Zelena. The redhead smiled at her. She smiled brightly in return. Salacia's happy splashing attracted their attention. It was beginning. The lanterns were being released all over the city, lighting up the sky.
"It's beautiful." Raya whispered.
"Yep." Zelena agreed softly. She didn't notice Zelena's eyes on her. Amphitrite did however. Her daughter had already been hurt before by a friend turned lover and as much as she didn't want to see it happen again, her child was all grown up now. Any mistakes she was going to make she would have to make them herself. As well as live with the consequences. She smirked a little, watching Zelena and Raya smile and giggle together. Salacia swam to them and pointed at the thousands of lights in the sky.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Regina walked into her bedchambers with a sigh as she removed her heavy crown and threw it across the room. The Dark Curse hadn't worked. No wonder Rumpelstiltskin wanted her to forget Raya. In order to cast the curse Regina needed to sacrifice the heart of the thing she loved most. That was Raya, and she was who knows where. She was the reason Regina wanted to cast the curse anyway so sacrificing her wouldn't be possible. She sighed again as she sat down at her vanity, wondering where Raya was at this moment. Wondering if she was happy, if she had moved on. And about their baby. It had been several years since Raya left, their baby would be at least...Come to think of it she wasn't even sure if mermaids grew the same as people, or if the world's time where Raya was ran the same as in the Enchanted Forest.
Regina looked at herself in the mirror, scowling at her own stupidity. She had to make this right. She knew in her heart that Raya was her happy ending, all that she wanted and ever would want. She opened one of the drawers and pulled out her potion making equipment. She needed to make a curse. Only a curse would fix this so that she could sacrifice someone else for the Dark Curse. Someone close, like the Huntsman. He was an easy target. So she cast a spell, taking away her love for Raya, the memory of their lives together just disappearing, fading away and hidden until the Dark Curse was broken, allowing her to love again. Allowing her to remember her lost love again. She didn't know how long it would take. She didn't know what was going to happen. But it didn't matter so long as the end result reunited her with Raya.
.
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.
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Neverland grew smaller in the distance as the Jolly Roger sailed away from shore on silent waters. Regina stood on deck, rubbing her wrists and silently staring out over the water. She bit her lip, thinking about Raya. Much had changed since the Dark Curse had been lifted and her memory of her favorite mermaid had returned. It had been a long uphill battle dealing with the Charmings, Emma Swan and her son, Henry. Their rescue mission to save Henry had been successful and now they needed to get home to Storybrooke, the town Regina had handcrafted for the Dark Curse.
"You okay?" Emma came to her side to ask.
"Tired and in need of a long hot bath, but yes." Regina sighed again. "I'm okay."
"Too tired to get us home?" The blonde inquired.
"Perhaps. I could try." The former queen took a step back and took a deep breath as she readied her magic. Emma signaled to Neal to prepare to release the Shadow. Regina was tired but she could rest when they got home. When she knew her son was no longer in danger. She raised her hands… and something slammed into the side of the ship rocking it so hard that Regina nearly fell overboard. She managed to grab onto the side of the rail and held on for dear life as the Roger tipped dangerously onto its side. The tips of her boots brushed against the water and as she looked down, she saw them. The dozens of shark fins in the water, circling them. She peered closer and realized that they weren't entirely sharks, they were hybrids. Half shark and half human.
"Regina, look out!" Emma yelled.
The ship was rocked as it started to right itself and Regina let loose a barrage of fireballs as the shark-tailed mermaids tried to leap out of the water and grab her.
"What are they?" Neal cried once the ship was straight again, only to be rocked again. David and Killian went below deck to check the hull.
"Regina, you have to get us out of here. Now." Snow commanded. "They're going to destroy the ship. It's our only way home."
"Gee, you don't say." Regina panted. She'd never seen creatures like these before. They were sitting ducks. Defending herself had weakened her magic considerably. She couldn't get them home now. It was up to their...She scowled in disgust. Their Savior.
"We're taking water." Killian announced as the men returned. "They're tearing apart the ship from the bottom up. We have minutes until we sink to the briny deep."
"Or become fish food." Regina muttered.
"How about seconds?" They all looked at the flying manboy. Peter Pan smiled as he summoned a massive ball of fire in one of his hands. "Did you really think I was going to let you get away that easily?" Before they could stop him he threw the fireball. Regina and Emma both ran to Henry, throwing themselves over him. The explosion that followed suit nearly blew the ship to bits and it scared away the sharktails...but not for long.
Regina pulled herself onto a piece of wood and coughed up a stomach full of water. She looked around at the carnage. The Roger, or what was left of it was either sinking or on fire. So far she couldn't see any of the Charmings. "Henry!" She called. "Idiots?"
"Regina!" The call was weak, but she recognized David's voice. She kicked out with her legs and swam through the wreckage, finding a barely conscious Snow floating in the water and pulling her onto the piece of wood with her. She found Henry, David and Emma doing a balancing act on the broken mast. They were surrounded by the sharktails. Regina summoned a fireball to assist and felt hands grab her legs. She didn't even have time to scream before she was dragged under. She fought back another scream as claws ripped through her leg, turning the water red. Another sharktail bit into her arm and held tight. She conjured a knife and stabbed it in the throat, forcing it to release her. Another grabbed her leg and dragged her down even further, trying to drown her. Their little tactic was working. Regina struggled to get back to the surface, struggled for a single drop of air. Her heart felt like it was going to explode. She summoned a ball of light to illuminate the dark water and found that she was surrounded on all sides by shark-tailed mermaids, all of them licking their lips hungrily, ready to tear her to pieces. Two made a dive for her. There was a flash of blue-green as a massive tail smacked them so hard it must've broken their backs because they started to sink, even as they struggled to swim. Regina looked around, watching as another mermaid, this one with a long green tail, dove right into the middle of them, lashing out with her tail like monster. Soft hands took Regina by the arms and pulled her through the water, up to the surface so she could breathe. She sucked air like she never would again and collapsed against the mermaid that held her. Another mermaid, blonde with a bright orange and red tail, leaped out of the water to tackle yet another sharktail as it attempted to grab Emma. With their arrival, the other sharktails dispersed, running for their lives. The mermaids started to push and tie together pieces of the ship, creating a raft for the shipwrecked nevengers. They collected the crew and gently placed them aboard. Regina collapsed onto her back, still panting.
"Thank you." Emma said softly, holding a shaking Henry.
Regina lifted her head and looked at the three mermaids. The two in the water seemed to be the younger of the trio with the blonde being the youngest at around 13. The next oldest was at least 19 or 20, with long red hair and a long green tail. The third was the eldest and was sitting on the edge of their makeshift raft, making it dip into the water. She looked just like her. Even though her hair was black and her tail another color. "Raya?"
The mermaid smiled. "Not quite." She dove into the water with the others and they moved to the sides of the raft, pushing it.
"Where are you taking us?" David asked.
"A safe place." Came the cryptic reply. The mermaid tails started to glow and a portal opened before them. Regina could hardly keep her eyes open to witness their saviors' strange magic. In the end she fell asleep.
When Regina opened her eyes, she was laying on a soft bed, the smell of the sea faint in the air. She sat up and stretched and took in the sight of the cave around it. It was beautiful, decorated with seashells and glittering paint on the walls in various colors and designs. The rest of her group were in beds along the wall next to hers leaving a large open sandy area for walking and resting that lead down to a large beautiful sapphire blue pool. She started to get out of bed when the mermaids arrived again through the pool, rising from the depths and crawling onto shore. The two youngest changed their tails into legs and made a beeline for the spiraling staircase lead above ground. The black haired mermaid remained sitting at the edge of the water.
"You're awake too soon. Go back to sleep." She said without glancing at Regina.
"Who are you?" Regina asked.
"You can find out later. Go back to sleep." She dove into the water again and was gone. Regina obeyed in laying back down and she was asleep before she realized it. When she awoke this time the others were up and about as well, stretching tired limbs or filling their bellies with the stew that was being passed out by the redheaded mermaid. The smell woke Regina's stomach and she quickly stumbled over to the table for a bowl.
"There's plenty for all." She said in a British accent. "More than enough."
"Thank you." The men mumbled through a mouthful of food. Their attention was drawn to the staircase as a woman descended them, wrapped in a form fitting black dress that sparkled in the light. She was barefooted and her hair was long and red. Bright blue eyes fell on the newcomers with hardly any real interest.
"Does your mother know that we have guests?"
"We were chasing the sharktails away and we found them on a broken ship." Said the blonde mermaid.
"Who are all of you?" David asked.
The witch arched an eyebrow. "My name is Zelena. These are my daughters. Their other mother will be here any moment for more formal introductions. In the meantime, I suggest you all start figuring out a way to get home.
"We lost the Shadow." Emma sighed. "And the ship. How do we get home now?"
"You rebuild." Regina went stock still when she heard the voice. She nearly burst into tears right then and there because she would never forget that sound. She turned around. Raya was standing behind her, wearing a bejeweled bra top and a sequined skirt. Her hair fell past her waist at this point but still retained its original bright gold. "I have recovered the ship. It lies on the beach next to the tower, still in pieces I'm afraid. We've erected a small cottage for you to stay in until you're ready to leave. My name is Raya, Queen of the Ozian Seas." She motioned to her daughters and introduced them. "These are my children. "Aria, Zeraya and Salacia." The blonde, redhead and black haired mermaids respectively.
Snow was quick to introduce the heroes, saving Regina for last. Raya raised her hand. "I know exactly who this is. Hello Regina. It's been a long time."
"Yes it has." Regina said softly, just staring at her former lover, the love of her life. The woman she'd been working all these years to find.
"Regina, come with me, please. Salacia, escort our guests to their quarters once they've finished eating." Raya commanded.
"What are you going to do?" Zelena asked, looking concerned. Regina scowled and felt an almost overwhelming swell of jealousy fill her breast watching how close they were. Her hand gripped the table until her knuckles were white when Raya kissed her forehead. She was teleported away a moment later, appearing on the beach next to the wreck of the Jolly Roger. The sky was dark, absent stars and with only a sliver of moon in the heavens. Regina swallowed, looking at Raya. She seemed to have grown more beautiful. If that were even possible. She seemed thicker, more physically fit and her breasts were obviously a bit larger.
"You haven't changed much." Regina said.
"Have you?" Raya asked.
"Yes. Raya, I'm sorry. I was young and stupid and-"
"Angry and heartbroken and sad." Raya finished. "I know. I know you better than anyone, remember?" She sighed. "Well I thought I did."
Regina swallowed again. Raya made her so nervous. Her stomach was doing backflips. "Was it a girl or a boy?"
"A girl. Salacia. She is the eldest."
Regina scowled upon realizing what this meant. "You had more kids. With her?"
"You can't be serious. You're angry? I offered you a chance to come with me."
"You didn't tell me you were pregnant either!" Regina snapped.
"I didn't know!" Raya roared. "Even if I had, I doubt things would be any different."
"Do they know...about me?" Regina asked, trying to keep the hope out of her voice.
"No. You weren't in their life so they didn't need to know about you. I didn't tell them your name or show them a picture. You made that decision when you chose to go after a little girl in a stupid attempt at vengeance."
"And in doing so I lost everything!" Regina said, struggling to hold back the tears. "You were everything I've ever wanted and I took you for granted, I let you go and my life has been hell without you." Raya crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow disbelievingly. "Everything that I have done since was done simply to find you again. To find our child."
"And do what? Even with the differences in world times Salacia is almost 30. She doesn't need you. Zelena has been a great mother to her."
"Speaking of whom...who the fuck is she?"
Raya sighed. "Your sister."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxzzzzz
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