The next morning, Regina got to work using her magic to help the idiots rebuild the Jolly Roger. She focused solely on the task of laying down planks while the pirate and the farmer hammered them in place. They were over halfway done with the hull, but now that her magic was replenished she could speed things along. Unfortunately she didn't actually know how to build a ship or she could just snap her fingers and it would be done. However, once the idiots showed her what to do she was able to expedite construction.
"Regina?" It was Salacia who broke her concentration. Her mermaid daughter was dressed in a pale green dress rather than her usual bathing suit.
"Yes?"
"Take a break. I want to speak to you."
Regina instantly let the planks that she'd been holding drop. There was a yelp and a thud behind her and she smirked at seeing David stuck in the hole she made. With that, she walked with Salacia down the beach. Salacia suddenly spun around, almost making them collide.
"What'd you tell Mother last night? She was up half the night crying and spent the other half destroying stuff."
"She asked what had happened to me." Regina answered. "I told her."
"Then tell me-"
"I don't think so. I am not interested in having that conversation twice in a 24 hour span. Just have Zelena look at her memories if you really want to know."
Salacia narrowed her eyes at her. "And you're okay with that?"
"Of course not. I don't want you to hate me." She said, "I already lost one child because of my past."
"Lost?" Salacia glanced down the shore at where Henry and Emma were. "What do you-"
"Henry wants nothing to do with the Evil Queen and I don't blame him. When you find out about her, you'll hate me too." She would never escape her past. She accepted that. It would always be there to weigh her down and the world would never forget it, never let her forget it.
"Regi-"
"Ask Raya. Let her tell you. She can tell whoever she wants. My life is in a storybook anyone can read. There's no point in hiding it."
"Hey!" Salacia snapped. Regina's eyebrows shot upwards at the outburst. "Do not put me in the same category as a child." She hissed. "I don't expect perfection from you. I don't expect that from anyone. I do expect honesty. I want to know you. I want to know I can trust you."
"You can!" Regina said.
"Then trust me too. Don't put me in the same category as the people who hurt you before I even get the chance to know you, Regina."
An uncomfortable silence followed her words and she did not give Regina any room to exit the conversation, refusing to look away.
"Okay." Regina sighed. "But I genuinely don't want to have this conversation again so soon."
Salacia nodded. "But will you give me a chance?"
"As long as you give me one."
"Deal."
"Deal."
They shook on it but Salacia didn't let go of Regina's hand. Instead, she started pulling her towards the water. "Follow me."
"Where are we going?"
Salacia only gave her a devilish grin. "Trust me."
Regina squinted at her daughter before snapping her fingers, changing her pantsuit into a bathing suit. Salacia pulled her into the water, changing into her tail and a bra didn't even have to call the hippocampi before he arrived to give Regina a ride. It was a short one and it wasn't long before Salacia had them stop and motioned for Regina to swim with her. This area of the sea seemed barren and lifeless with its only notable feature being a wall of stone. Salacia led the way to a hole that her tail could barely fit hole led to an open area, encircled by a wall of stone with a few stone pillars in the mix. It almost looked like an arena. Salacia gestured upwards and they swam to the surface, sitting on top of the stone wall.
"This is where Mother trained us to fight underwater."
"Why?" Regina asked. Raya wasn't a fighter. If anything, she avoided conflict as best as she could.
"Learning to defend oneself is a necessary skill and I asked her to." Salacia replied, lazily kicking the water with her tail. "When Zeraya came along we started training together. Our mothers hired soldiers and mermaid warriors to teach us to fight underwater, in the mud, in the sand, in the shallows. I thought it was fun."
"Sounds like it. Although I don't understand why you brought me here to tell me this."
"Because it's where you're going to be training. Unless Mother decides another place would be best for you."
Regina flicked an eyebrow, looking down at the arena. Learning to fight sounded quite appealing actually. She liked a good fight and she wasn't afraid of blood and killing. "Explain your little project first. What are we destroying again?"
"Atlantis." Salacia grinned. "Or rather, the walls of Atlantis. The great undersea city has been under contention for years now because of the murder of the royal family and the disappearance of the heirs. There was a bit of a civil war that left a huge opening in the city's leadership. Since then, most Atlanteans have been displaced from their own city and some evil mermaid guy has taken up residence as the new king with an army of monsters. He's decided to close off the city and now we can't pass through it during the migration or make use of its portals."
"I'm guessing the Atlanteans came to your grandmother for assistance."
Salacia nodded. "Grandmother's already attacked the city twice but she can't get to the sorcerer because of his army."
Regina frowned. "An army powerful enough to defeat Amphitrite?" She almost asked if this battle was that important but she knew the migration was very important to the undersea world. The oceans of the many worlds connected them together and since magical sea creatures could travel between the worlds with ease, the migration often extended to those other worlds as well. It was a time of celebration, seeing old friends and extended family, sharing stories, showing the worlds to the newest children. Even though Raya often skipped it to stay with Regina, she knew how difficult a decision that always was.
"The sorcerer opened a portal to the trenches. That's where the worst sea monsters live. They're violent, bloodthirsty, and even cannibalistic."
"How many are there?"
"Hundreds of thousands. Maybe millions."
"Hmm." Regina scratched her neck lazily. "Sounds like a fun week. I'm in."
"Week?" Salacia laughed, splashing them with her tail. "We don't plan to attack for at least another two years."
"Two years?! What?"
Salacia nodded, grinning once again. "There is a lot of politics involved, which is unfortunate and annoying. The ocean leaders are still trying to come up with a plan of attack and it takes time to find the other leaders and gather forces, but that'll give us plenty of time to train you and to teach you how to be a mermaid. That's if you decide to use the ingredients Mother gathered. We can make concrete plans later."
"Well I suppose the extra time is good for another reason." They had to get the Charmings and Henry back to Storybrooke. She had to get her things in order, let Henry get his stuff out of the house and lock it down. Her vault too. She didn't think she would be back in Storybrooke for a while if all things went according to plan but she would not be leaving any of her belongings at the mercy of the idiots; even if she never set foot in her house again. She put those thoughts aside for now and focused on her daughter. "Tell me something, Salacia. Why are you so interested in this battle?"
"Besides the fact that they attacked my grandmother and if the evil guy manages to break through the seal she left in the city could open doors to all the worlds' oceans and let the trench monsters infect all of them?" Salacia took a deep breath as she slid back into the water. "Also, as you said, it sounds fun."
Regina was sure there were more intricacies to the situation than Salacia stated. The delayed attack was what concerned her, but she could ask Raya about it later.
"Want to spar?" Salacia asked. "We can begin your training now." She was already diving before Regina had given her an answer but the older brunette followed anyway. Not before casting a spell that would allow them to converse telepathically underwater. She let herself sink to where Salacia was already in place, standing on the sea floor and now with legs instead of her tail. This was gonna suck. It took all of 2 seconds to confirm her suspicions. Salacia knocked one of her legs out from under her and a swift kick to the stomach sent all of the air in her chest rushing out. Salacia grabbed her and rocketed them up to the surface again.
"What the hell was that?!" Regina hissed.
"I'm sorry. I thought you said fighting was fun. I assumed you would know how to do it."
"Not underwater! This is the first time I've even been near the ocean in years."
Salacia carried her to the rock wall and she sat down on it, watching as she got her breath back and healed her aching abdomen. This was definitely going to be difficult. She was trained to fight by her Black Knights and then trained by Mal who demanded she fire all of her Black Knights because they were terrible, but moving at all underwater was difficult. She could already recognize a few problems, especially with her fighting style. Having to move at the right speed to apply enough force to fight someone was problem number one. Next was dealing with the feeling of weightlessness and the water resistance. There were spells she could try but she was never one to experiment with magic. Once again she wished she had Mal's expertise to lean on. She would have to make do. While she was pondering a few spells that could be useful, she noticed Salacia giving her a funny look.
/
In the witch's tower, it was quiet. Few words had been spoken since Raya's meltdown the night before. Zeraya and Aria took Caspian for a swim while Zelena and Amphitrite attempted to coax some answers from Raya, whose fury had not abated. The witch could only watch as Raya ruthlessly cleaned the swimming pool beneath the tower, even though it was spotless. Zelena sat down on the edge of the pool directly in Raya's path. Her lover scowled when she looked up and her heart ached to see that look on her face. Raya wasn't someone who was easy to anger and she never stayed that way for long. Seeing it now only pissed Zelena off because if it wasn't for their "guests", Raya would be happy.
"Enough of this." Zelena said. "Talk to me."
"I'm busy."
"And I'm not asking." The witch replied. "Talk or I won't move." She crossed her arms and waited.
Raya sighed and pushed herself away from the edge of the pool, striking the water with a sharp growl. "I'm just frustrated."
"Why? Because your ex lover spun you a sad tale?"
"It's more than that. She was my friend, Zelena. I cared about her more than anyone. Except Mother." She glanced up at Amphitrite, who said nothing as she sat down on the edge of the pool next to Zelena. "She went through hell and I wasn't there to help her, I can't take revenge for what happened to her, and I don't know how to help her now. I'm just frustrated."
"Do you regret-"
"NO!" Raya snapped. "Never! We have four children together, Zelena. I know you have your insecurities but I'm not going anywhere. I feel for Regina, I care about her, but I love you. I want you." Zelena only turned her head. It was foolish to be upset about Raya's former love and a part of her was happy that she was able to grow up with a good friend that cared about her. She was almost jealous of it because she didn't even have that growing up, but Regina was also tied to one of the worst days of Raya's life and a dark part of Zelena's where she was passed over not once but twice by Cora and Rumpelstiltskin. She didn't want to lose Raya to a former love, least of all her sister.
"Hey!" Raya snapped, attracting her attention. "You wanted me to talk. I'm talking. Besides, you can't be mad. We still have to have at least one more child."
"Only one?" Amphitrite asked.
Raya nodded. "We agreed on five. If we wind up with six children then we have to go up to ten. I want a nice round number."
"Five is a perfect number." Zelena replied. "Besides, Caspian is still a baby."
Raya only gave her a smirk as she spun in a circle. When she was done she swam back to the edge of the pool to sit on Zelena's other side. "I'm serious, Zelena. I'm yours."
Zelena huffed. "Good."
"I still want to help her though." Raya said after a while. "She never had a chance."
Zelena huffed again. She'd only been able to understand snippets of Regina's past from Raya's meltdown the night before. She knew she was missing important information, but Raya had kept quiet about her conversation with Regina since coming to her senses. She let out a sigh. "How could you help her when she's still in love with you?"
"Salacia will ultimately take her attention away from me."
"How can you be so certain? Literally last night she claimed that everything she did was to get back to you. What will happen if she sees that her efforts were wasted?" Zelena pressed. "That she spent the majority of her life chasing something she can never have?" She met Raya's eyes evenly. Her lover had a big heart and it was beautiful, but she had only dealt with Regina, not the Evil Queen and now Regina wasn't either of those people anymore. Regina was not the same person she remembered.
"I believe she will understand." Raya insisted. "She has to. My concern is what will become of her. She said that where she lives, everyone hates her and she hates all of them. She is despised and was abandoned by her own son. She has no friends, no family, no purpose. How can you expect her to do anything in that environment other than deteriorate?"
"What would you have us do? Let her live here?" Zelena asked with a pointed look that told her that that was never going to happen.
"Don't be ridiculous. And I don't know." Both Zelena and Raya turned to look at Amphitrite. The sea goddess rolled her eyes as they waited for her input.
"I remember Regina as she was. Wild and rebellious. Fierce and fearless when protecting those she loved. Trapped and afraid, but still very kind. While I did not venture back to the Enchanted Forest much after Salacia's birth, I did inquire what had happened to Regina through an old friend. She told me about the little, heartbroken queen who wanted a way to find her lost love. She returned several times seeking guidance and magic training. Then she stopped coming. After that, I began to hear more stories of the Evil Queen, the woman who was ready to destroy the world for the head of the woman she despised."
"That must've been when she cursed herself." Raya whispered.
"Whisper a bit more softly. I almost missed that." Zelena whispered.
Raya smirked and kissed her temple. "The Dark Curse, the one that Rumpelstiltskin wanted her to cast. She cast it. The curse's activation requirement was that she sacrifice the heart of the thing she loved most. At the time, that was me. But she couldn't find me. That's why she wanted to cast the curse because the Dark One told her it would lead to her happy ending. To cast it, she cursed herself and removed all memories of me and most of her childhood."
"The Dark Oneā¦" Amphitrite growled. "He corrupts all that he touches." She took Zelena's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I'm glad that he didn't get you."
"He almost did." The witch replied. "I know Rumple. Regina was just a pawn to him. As was I. He would have done anything to manipulate her."
"What else does your friend know, Mother?" Raya asked.
"I don't know. I haven't seen Ursula in years."
"Did you ever meet a dragon named Mal? Regina spoke fondly of her."
"Mal? As in, Maleficent? The Dragon Queen? Mistress of All Evil? Oh for fucks sake." The goddess stood up. Zelena and Raya exchanged looks as they followed her. "If she was friends with Regina and got mixed up in her curse, that explains why I haven't seen Ursula around. They were good friends."
"Regina's curse took them to the Land of No Magic."
Amphitrite scowled. "That makes a lot of sense. Why would she choose the one place she would be at a disadvantage?"
"Rumple probably gave her the idea or she did it just to piss him off. He's very weak without his magic to fall back on and it's the one thing he will betray anyone for." Zelena answered, watching the sea goddess make a few hand signs she didn't recognize and cut the tip of her finger, letting a single drop hit the pool below. The water lit up with a pale light. "Who is this Ursula? Isn't that the name of a goddess?"
"Yes, but this is not that goddess. This one is called the 'Sea Witch' and she is the daughter of Poseidon."
"Uh oh." Raya murmured.
Zelena flicked an eyebrow at her. "You two know Poseidon?"
"Ex husband." Amphitrite answered.
"What? Where has that little nugget of information been stashed all these years?" Zelena asked.
"That relationship was over centuries ago and the split was not amicable." Amphitrite said stiffly. Zelena went around to Raya's other side, placing the mermaid between her and the goddess.
"How did you become friends with your ex husband's daughter?" She inquired.
"She hates him as well. More than me even."
"Aah. Makes sense then. So uh, what are you doing? Are you trying to contact Ursula? Is that possible?" A ball of water rose from the pool, answering her questions. Amphitrite held up a closed hand and slowly opened it. The water began to spread through the air, forming a mirror-like square. In it, appeared a dark skinned woman with golden brown hair dressed in a brown suit of sorts.
"Ursula?" Amphitrite called. The woman turned around and rushed to them
"Amphitrite? How is this possible?" She disappeared from view before returning with a chair to sit in front of them. "What are you doing in my fish tank?"
"What are you doing in the Land of No Magic?"
"A bitch knocked me through a portal." Ursula growled. "I've been stuck here ever since."
"Was it Regina?" Raya asked.
Ursula frowned. "What? No. Why would you ask me that?"
"We're looking for Regina's friend, Mal, to get some information on Regina. Regina said she was gone."
"Gone? She said "gone", not dead?" Ursula asked.
"Yes, but it is possible she meant-"
"Where is Regina now?" The Sea Witch cut in.
"I don't know, but she should be back shortly."
"Where was she before now?"
"A place in the Land of No Magic called Storybrooke."
Ursula grinned. "Excellent. I know you can't keep this spell open long, Amphitrite, so I won't keep you. When Regina returns, send me the location of Storybrooke and tell her that I can bring Mal back. Tell her that Mal's newborn baby was taken and that if she helps me, I can give her that silver platter she always wanted. She'll understand. Wait a minute, you said Regina would be back? Where are you?"
"Oz."
"And Regina's there? Even better!" The witch was gone in an instant. They could hear her footsteps rapidly moving away before Amphitrite ended the spell and the water fell back into the pool.
"Well, that wasn't very informative." Zelena commented, wondering how Regina was going to react to this news. Wherever Mal was, Ursula had a way to bring her back. That was all fine and dandy but she'd also had her newborn baby stolen? What was that all about? Her sister's life was too fucking complicated. Still, she enjoyed a good show. That's why she was one of the first ones on the beach when Regina and Salacia returned.
Both women were moving sluggishly and Raya had to catch Regina when they reached the shore, but both were also smiling.
"Mother, Regina came up with some new ideas for fighting underwater." Salacia said, collapsing onto the sand. "She broke both of her legs." Zelena crouched next to Salacia and touched her shoulder, using her magic to see her energy levels and whether she had any injuries. She was fine but would be better after a nap.
"Are you alright, Regina?" Raya asked.
Regina smiled as she nodded. "Yes, but I will be turning in. I'm exhausted."
"Um, Regina-"
"Have a good rest." Zelena cut in before Raya could reveal what they'd found out this afternoon. Regina looked between them for a moment, clearly suspicious of her sister's odd behavior but she chose not to comment on it. She started walking off to her beach shack, one she'd conjured when she grew tired of sharing the one with the heroes. Once she was out of earshot, Zelena smacked Raya's arm. "You almost gave it away."
"Gave what away? Shouldn't we tell her what Ursula said?"
"In the morning. You really want to ruin her good mood right now?" Zelena asked, glancing down to where Salacia was already asleep. "She had a good day with our daughter. Let her have it."
"Or you want to wait until she's not tired so you can watch her get pissed."
"That too."
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