Years ago….

Zelena sighed. "You are the most annoying person I have ever met." She heard a laugh from behind her as Raya swam up to the small floating docks. The mermaid had been sneaking up on the witch for the past week in attempt to scare her. She looked down as Salacia squealed when she saw her mother and flew into the water to join her. Raya grinned up at Zelena. The mermaid quickly proved to be a little bundle of energy, always smiling, always laughing. She was truly something else.

Raya pulled herself onto the docks. Without her tail, she would've been naked, but her hair kept anything inappropriate hidden. Not that Zelena would've minded. It had been almost 3 years since the mermaid had come into her world and changed her life. "You love me." Raya scoffed, looking down at Salacia as she grabbed onto her mother's tail. Raya lifted her into the air with a bright smile.

Zelena silently watched mother and daughter feeling both happy that she had these two wonderful people in her life, but also a little jealous that she had never felt such love and probably never will. Her thoughts started to darken, turning to her secrets that threatened this new, easy going life she had found. Every night she would travel to the Enchanted Forest and receive lessons from the Dark One. At the same time, every night she had to compete with her dreaded sister for attention, even though she was clearly better. Even Rumple praised her on her magical abilities. But he always went crawling back to Regina.

A pair of lips on each of her cheeks made Zelena freeze until she leaned back and Salacia giggled, throwing herself into the witch's arms. Raya grinned, sliding back into the water. "Tell us what has that pretty face of yours so contorted." The sea queen said, lazily swimming in circles. Zelena was so mesmerized by her tail that she barely registered her words. It was absolutely massive, continually growing and now shown a bright gold when it had once been gray. It was made of pure muscle, capable of breaking through the hull of a ship with ease, and was very flexible. "Zelena?"

Zelena blinked and refocused on Raya. "Sorry, what?"

"Why do you keep zoning out? Is something bothering you?" Raya's brow furrowed in concern.

"No, there's just...a lot to do." Zelena calmly lied. They had done some expansion to the tower and every day more people came to Zelena to be healed, as well to give her offerings. Magic had always been feared in Oz, even good magic, and the people seemed to think that presenting her with meager presents would keep the Wicked Witch from razing their fields and cursing their children. Zelena had no intention of hurting anyone but healing the sick allowed her to use her magic on a daily basis. Without it, she would go crazy.

"Have you ever used your magic for something else?" Raya inquired, as though reading her thoughts.

"What do you mean?" Zelena asked.

"For something other little home improvements and healing small cuts?" Raya gestured to their tower. "For something other than yourself? You're quite powerful, Zelena. One of the most powerful people I've ever met. And yet, you do very little with this power." The mermaid met her eyes. "Imagine what you could do if you unleashed Zelena. Imagine a world where magic was loved instead of feared."

Zelena scoffed. "I can't change the world. I could split Oz right down the middle and conjure cyclones and hurricanes, but once it was over, nothing will have changed."

"Hearts and minds take a little time." Raya replied. She nodded to Salacia, who was busy playing with her own tail. "Young hearts and minds are not set in stone like older ones. I'm sure if you showed the world the beauty of magic, then things would be different."

Zelena mulled over her words. Perhaps...she was right. It wouldn't be easy, but Rumple's lessons were hardly a challenge and keeping her magic in check was a full time job. "What'd you have in mind?"

Raya grinned. "A party."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Regina watched with a raised eyebrow at her sister as she walked among the people that had gathered at the front of the wizard's tower. Some of them were sick or hurt and Zelena healed them. Others came bearing gifts, children raced each other just touch her arms, mothers wanted her to kiss their babies, the men dropped flowers at her feet. Zelena...was adored. It was a feeling she had never experienced as queen. But these people truly adored the Wicked Witch.

Zelena raised her hands, silencing the crowd to say a single word. "Tonight." The people scattered, yelling happily, some even dancing.

"What was that about?" Emma asked, coming to Regina's side.

"Tonight, Zelena will change the world." Salacia answered, standing at Emma's side. "You're coming, yes?"

"What's going to happen?" Regina asked.

"She's going to remind the world how beautiful magic is." Salacia replied. "You're going to love it. It's going to be marvelous."

"How is she going to do that?"

"You'll see."

Regina crossed her arms, watching as Zeraya ran and jumped on Zelena's back, only for them to be tackled by Aria. Caspian came streaking from the tower to try and jump on them. All four fell into a laughing heap and Salacia finished off the dog pile by perching neatly on the top.

"Idiots, the lot of them." Raya appeared next to Regina, wearing a sparkly green bikini. She always did hate wearing clothes. She looked at Regina. "How goes your ship building?"

"The men are working nonstop." She answered. "We should be out of your hair in about a week."

"Good. The rest of your families must be worried."

"Not really." Regina shrugged.

Raya looked over the former queen's shoulder and nodded to Henry. "Is he your son?"

"I'm his adoptive mother. Emma is his birth mother."

This news caused Raya to frown and look at Regina critically. "You always wanted children. Why do you never…"

"I did something stupid." Regina replied. "Made myself barren." She looked down, kicking the dirt with her bare feet. "Besides, why would I want to have a child with someone I wasn't in love with?" Raya didn't reply. Regina looked back up to find the mermaid simply looking at her. "What?"

"Cora?"

Regina sniffed, blinking back the tears that wanted to fall and nodded. "Of course it was." The next thing she knew, she was engulfed in the mermaid's arms. She was so shocked by the gesture that she almost didn't reciprocate it.

"No one should have to go through that. Especially not when it comes to their mother." Raya stepped back and Regina almost whined at the absence. Raya hadn't changed at all. She felt the exact same way as she had when they were kids.

Regina said nothing more. She just wanted to go away and wallow in her own misery. Maybe Raya was never meant to be hers… Her thoughts drifted to Salacia's words from a couple nights ago. Because Zelena knows who you are. She never knew that you and Mom used to be together but she could've done the exact same thing you did: focus on vengeance. She hated you for a long time and she could have gone after you. She planned to. But Mom made her stay. When the decision mattered the most, she chose Mom, and Mom will choose her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rumpelstiltskin had chosen her! Someone had chosen her! Zelena had never been so happy and so excited that she almost couldn't contain her joy. Finally he understood that Regina was just a waste of his time and Zelena herself was far superior to her. She had planned to kill Regina, just to make sure that the Dark One couldn't change his mind. But...it was only a trap.

/

Zelena screamed as she angrily tore apart her study, breaking and shredding everything she could get her hands on. She tore the pages out of her magic books, smashed through worktables and used one of the legs to go on a spree of breaking everything glass in her tower. She could feel the green starting to creep across her skin, burning like lava across the land. It hurt just as much as the rejection and abandonment. What was wrong with her?! Why wouldn't anyone love her? The witch crumbled to the ground with her back to the wall, shaking from exhaustion. Regina truly did get everything! She didn't even have to work for it. It was just handed to her.

"Zelena?" Salacia's little voice shook Zelena. She buried her face in her hands, not wanting the little girl to see her like this.

"Go downstairs, Lace." Raya commanded. She came and sat down next to Zelena. "Zelena? What's wrong?"

"Everything." Zelena hissed. "Why do I exist?" She asked. "I'm wanted by no one. I'm loved by no one. If I were to die, people would dance in the street. No one mourns the wicked."

"I would." Raya said. "I would mourn you and your bet your ass Salacia would. Why are you feeling like this?"

I have a sister." Zelena answered, staring ahead. "And a magic teacher. He chose to continue teaching her instead of me. Even though I'm better and stronger than she will ever be. I should go destroy her and him and everything they have!" She got to her feet and stormed off to her bedroom, waving her hand and magically packing her bags.

"Zelena, no! Please." Raya quickly stood in her path. "Zelena, don't go. You don't need what your sister has." She grabbed the witch's cheeks and looked into her eyes. "If your sister and your teacher don't value you the way you deserve, then you don't need them. You have me and Salacia and we can be your family. Hell, we've been together for 3 years, I thought you knew that by now."

"I'm sorry." Zelena sighed. "But I can't even change the wickedness in my skin, much less the world."

"You're right, because you can do a lot more than that." Raya snapped. "Leave then. I won't try to make you see what I see when I look at you. I don't know if you will ever be able to see it. You are not your mother. She didn't want you and she didn't deserve you. Your father, the bastard who beat you, is dead. Your sister, probably doesn't even know you exist. But I do! And I care."

Zelena scowled, trying to ignore her conflicted feelings. Since did she care about anyone's opinion? But Raya wasn't just anyone. They had known each other for 3 years now, but it hadn't taken nearly as long for Zelena to fall for the mermaid. She was in love with Raya and the sound of hurt in her voice, the cry of fear that someone else would leave her, broke Zelena's heart. And Salacia may not have been her biological child, but Zelena loved her. More than she loved herself.

For the next few days, she barricaded herself in her tower. Raya and Salacia stayed out at sea, probably assuming that she had left. When they returned that night, they found magic flowing throughout the land. Tendrils of bright magic that glowed in the darkness blazed and danced through the air. They traveled across Oz, healing the sick and the frail and making farmlands burst with ripe crops. The magic began to change colors and transform into fine clothes, gold coins, puppies and kittens for children, even going so far as to fix the house, huts and broken wagon wheels of the people who were laughing and dancing through the display.

The mermaids ran into the tower, swiftly climbing the steps, finding Zelena on her balcony, commanding the magical entities. She made a gesture in the air, conjuring bouncing balls of harmless green fire for the children to play and the dogs to chase after.

"Zelena!" Salacia ran to the witch and Zelena smiled as she picked her up. "You're still here."

"I am, and I'm not ever leaving you."

"You sure won't." Salacia commanded.

"Yes ma'am. Now, go play with your friends. Have fun." She put Salacia down and the young mermaid ran back downstairs. Zelena looked up at Raya. "I'm sorry."

"One day." Raya said solemnly. "One day, I'm going to make you see how beautiful you are. Green skin and all." She walked into Zelena's arms and buried her face in her neck. "Don't scare me like that again. Please."

"I promise." Her old family wasn't worth the pain. Raya and Salacia...anything was worth seeing them happy and safe. Anything.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Regina looked unimpressed, watching Zelena's magic heal the land and make everyone happy. Her sister came to her side as they watched the family play in the magic.

"It took 10 years to undo the damage you caused." Zelena said. "When you chose vengeance instead of Raya, you broke her heart. There was nothing left but pieces."

"Everything I have done since has been for Raya and for Salacia." Regina hissed, maintaining her cool, while inside she was seething.

"You didn't want them then...They don't need you now." Zelena replied. "If you really think you're going to just walk into my world and take my family, you are sadly mistaken." The redhead slowly turned to look at Regina. "The Evil Queen has no power here, and never will. When I chose Raya, I chose not to kill you. Next time, there won't be a choice." She walked off to join Raya, purposefully grabbing the mermaid and kissing her for all she was worth.

Regina scowled at the display. Something wet touch her leg and she looked down. "Water? What the-" The water tightened around her leg, like a wet rope, suddenly dragging her across the dirt. She heard the others call after her and Charming even chased her, but he was nowhere near fast enough. Regina hit the sand hard and was dragged along the beach and into the sea. It started swirling and foaming, locking her in place and she looked up in fear as Amphitrite rose out of the water, glaring down at the woman who got her daughter pregnant and broke her heart. "Amphitrite. Wait, please!"

Amphitrite raised her hand, conjuring a golden trident. White electricity pulsed along the magical metal. "Long time no see, Evil Queen."

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