Untitled Pt 1

Undoing Past Mistakes

"What do you mean you left her behind?!" Zelena screeched.
"She wanted to stay. It was the safest option."
"I beg to bloody differ!"
"I agree with Zelena. We should've brought her back." Robin spoke up.
"And risk all our safety? Tell me Robin. Which idea is better for our long-term survival? Bring Regina back here while Conan keeps the dagger and controls her, OR let her stay there where she can't hurt anyone, spy on Conan, and feed that information back to us during her nightly meetings with the cricket? Hm? Which is better?"
"The second one." Robin grumbled.
"Good."
"So what now?" David demanded.
"Now we focus on driving this thing from underground. Do your jobs, report back to your masters. We'll work on fortifying this place and expanding further into the mountain, as well as building some escape tunnels. Keep hunting, building, scavenging, training. My team and I will focus on recruiting more members to build up our forces. Rest up, stay down, keep quiet, work hard. We'll meet back when we have something substantial to report. Dismissed." She declared, walking away from the displeased group of rebels. It broke her heart to be so hard on them, especially Robin. She'd seen the way his eyes lit up every time someone said her sister's name. He was head over heels for her and wanted to help in any way he could. She smiled as she pictured them together, surrounded by their future offspring. They'd be perfect family. But then another thought, unbidden from her forgotten memories, came and tapped her on the shoulder, reminding her about the infertility potion her sister had taken when she was younger. A future like what she had just imagined was exactly that: imagination. If Robin wanted to help Regina so badly, that's where'd have to start. Suddenly, in a brilliant moment of word association and genius, an idea flashed into her head, and stayed like cement.
"Robin!" she cried out. "Come here. I have a mission for you."

∞

"Gilderoy!" Conan called out.
"Yes master?" Gilderoy's mousey voice squeaked from the corner of the room.
"I need you to deliver this message to the Alpha."
"The Alpha?"
"Yes. It's urgent. The plan must be brought forward. The Overlord is coming. He'll be here before the month is up"
"The Overlord, master? But I..i..i thought he wasn't supposed to arrive for at least another three months. Your foresight said so."
"The future is forever changing, Gilderoy. You must warn the Alpha at once. Go to them and stay there."
"Stay there? But what about you?"
"You're a loyal servant, Gilderoy. You always have been. So I need you to do this one last task for me. Find the Alpha and stay there. Do you understand?"
"Yes master." Gilderoy choked. "But master?"
"Yes?"
"If I'm alerting the Alpha, what will you do?"
"I need to keep the Overlord off their scent by keeping up my act as his loyal henchman." Conan sighed.

∞

Robin's heart was hammering as the blood pounded in his ears. He'd been trekking through the woods for hours now. But according to the map, his destination was just over the next hill. After another ten minutes of exhausting movement, he crested the hill, and smiled as the gleaming waters of Lake Nostos shined back at him.
"Thank you, Cora." He chuckled to himself. At least one good thing came out of Cora's reign of terror. Any and all feelings of exhaustion had evaporated by the time arrived at the shore, replaced by feelings of love, hope, and excitement for the future. According to Carmen, Regina made a mistake in her youth. One that cost her the ability to bare children. But this water could be exactly what she needed. Robin couldn't help but smile to himself as he dipped the small, glass jar into the cool, clam, waters of the lake. Now all he had to do was get Regina to drink it.

∞

Regina sighed with fatigue as she flopped down on her bed. Conan had had her out all day looking for the rebel base. She closed her eyes and let the quite of her home wash over her like a wave of peace. She waved her hand, and the window slid open. She smiled as the songs of the birds floated through the window, mixed with the sounds of marketplaces, horses, carts and cars, carried by the wind from all corners of the kingdom. How wonderful it was to just lay there, letting the peace and tranquillity of the world wash over her like waves on a beach. Just as the early signs of sleep began to creep into her eyes, her peaceful moment was suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door. With a huff of annoyance, she trudged downstairs. When she opened the door, her heart soared with happiness as her eyes locked with Robin's.
"Robin." She smiled. She gasped with pleasant surprise as Robin's lips collided with hers. She was vaguely aware of the door closing shut, and she could feel the coolness of the wall against her back as the passion of their love burned ever brighter. Memories of when they had made love in her vault for the first time came flooding back to her in a rush.
"I've missed you." he breathed.
"I've missed you too." She smiled.
"Would you like a drink?" he asked suddenly. "Might give us a chance to talk."
"I'd like that very much."
Robin smiled as he pulled her along to the kitchen. Regina couldn't help the smitten smile that spread across her face as he turned to pour the drinks.
"I must say. Our boys have grown up fast, haven't they?" he chuckled. "I saw Roland the other day. He looks so much like his mother."
"He does, doesn't he?"
"Do you remember when it was that?"
"When it was what?"
"You me, Henry, and Roland. Just the four of us. One perfect little family." He sighed wistfully.
"I think about it every day."
"What else do you think about?" he asked, turning back to her, two drinks waiting in his hands. His charming smile slowly faded as she stood up and moved to his side of the bench.
"I also think about us, and what we went through. And how painful it was without you." she choked, pulling him close and holding him as tight as possible. An irrational fear had formed in the pit of her stomach, scaring her with the idea that another evil entity would suddenly appear, and snatch him away from her.
"Oh, Regina." He sighed. "I cannot imagine the pain that you went through, but you don't have to go through that anymore. I'm here now, and I am not going anywhere else. That much, I can promise you."
"I know you're not."
"Here." He smiled, handing her a cup. "To seal the deal."
She smiled, taking the drink from his hand. Her body shivered slightly as the burning liquor slid its way down her throat. Suddenly, there was another feeling. It came quickly, out of the blue, a sensation she could only recall ever feeling once. Her hand flew to her stomach, and she doubled over, gasping.
"Regina?"
Robin's voice sounded a million miles away, and warped, as though they were underwater. Her abdomen felt like it was being poked with a thousand pins. Though the pain wasn't nearly as bad as the first time, it still brought tears to her eyes. Blood was pounding in her ears, and her vision was blurring. Feeling herself losing balance, her hands gripped the sides of the bench as hard as they could. Her knuckles turned white as a ghost as she gasped with yet another burst of pain. It was like her insides were moving, re-arranging themselves, tying themselves into a knot, then back again. She was vaguely aware of Robin's arm snaking around her middle.
"Regina?"
Robin sounded even further away. The darkness that had been lingering on the edge of her vision was now creeping over her sight. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't keep it at bay. The last thing she remembered was Robin's panicked voice echoing within the confines of her skull as the darkness engulfed her.

∞

Emma stood at the entrance of the Hive, watching as the Merry Men scurried around with their axes, and flinching as the thundering BOOMS of the trees colliding with the earth resonated within her core. After every boom, her thoughts would race back to the topic on everyone's lips: Regina. Emma remembered with sadness the day she had promised her friend that she would get her a happy ending. But of course, it was ripped away from her, time and again. Only this time, Emma couldn't do anything about it. She struggle to recall a time when she had felt any more useless than she did now.
"Penny for your thoughts?" a familiar voice spoke from behind. Emma's heart soared as she turned, expecting to see Regina. Instead, she was met with disappointment and the Evil Queen.
"Well, don't get too excited."
"Sorry."
"You thought I was Regina, didn't you?" she asked.
"Yeah." Emma admitted sheepishly. "Sorry."
"It's okay. I've been getting that a lot around here."
"I'm sure that must be annoying."
"That's what you get for being the same person, I suppose."
"I suppose it is. The same person." Emma repeated under her breath.
"I beg your pardon?" the Queen asked.
"The same person." Emma said again. "You're the same person."
"Yes. I thought I just said that."
"You're right. You are the same person!" Emma cried, excitement bubbling up inside her.
"Am I missing something?"
"You and Regina are the same person. Same bodies, same minds, same voice."
"So?"
"So what if there was a way for us to communicate with Regina by using you?"
"I'm not following."
"A potion, or spell, or something. I don't know, but something we can use so that whatever Regina sees, you see. Whatever she hears, you hear."
"So it'd be like being inside her head. And since she's around Conan all the time, we'd be able to find out what he's planning." The Queen said, quickly catching on to the Saviour's plan.
"Exactly."
"Sounds risky."
"I know it does. But right now, it's our best chance to get a one up on the weasel." she smiled, trying to convince the Queen that it would work. The look on her face told Emma that she hadn't quite done so yet. "Look, I'm not going to force you. I only ask that you consider it."
"What are you talking about? I've already considered it, and I'm doing it."
"You are?"
"Of course. I'm willing to do whatever I can to help this rebellion and get my other half out of that weasel's clutches."
"Alright then. Let's go find Carmen and get started."

∞

"Are you sure, Rhydian?"
"Positive." Rhydian assured. He woke up yesterday, and since then, he's been gaining back his strength and his magic."
"I still don't think it's a good idea to be unloading this much information on him at this stage. He still needs as much rest as possible before he can even begin moving around, let alone be running to and fro from the library and the shop." Carmen argued.
"I know, Carm. But these are desperate times. Emma and the Evil Queen have a plan, but we need ingredients and info, and we have few hands to spare. At least until the new recruits come in. And besides, he claims he's ready for action." Rhydian countered, leading Carmen through a small, wooden door which led to the newly built infirmary. They moved through the rows of stolen beds and curtains, with tables of equipment and drips heavy with bags of liquid. Rhydian took Carmen to the very end, where one of the stalls had its curtain's drawn right the way around. There was movement on the other side, and a second later, Jana's whisky brown eyes were staring into Carmen's.
"About bloody time." She huffed, pulling back the curtains to reveal a young man in the bed. He wore no shirt, and his torso had been wrapped in fresh, white bandages.
"You must be Carmen." He smiled, his accent echoing with traces of his mother's and his father's.
"And you must be the young shop owner/librarian I've heard so much about. I've been looking forward to meeting you."
"As have I. I hear you wish to pick my brains about a certain spell you wish to experiment with."
"Something like that. But only if you are up to the task."
"I most certainly am. I've been laying down for far too long. There's a rebellion going on, and I need to do my part."
"You do, as do we all. But there is no shame in taking the time to rest. And with that, I am going to order you to stay in here until the end of the week. Then you can begin. Understood?"
"Understood." He replied, somewhat disappointed.
"Don't worry. There'll be plenty of time for action and adventure later. For now, it's time to rest. in fact, I think we should all be getting some of that. See that it happens." She said to Rhydian.
"Yes boss." He answered, leaving with Jana.
"Well, I'll let you get back to it, then. But before I go, I brought you something." She smiled, pulling a book out from her coat pocket. It was of decent size, with a beautiful royal blue cover decorated with gold patterns. The title read Her Handsome Hero.
"Thank you." he breathed, taking the book with both hands, and holding it close to his chest.
"Welcome to the rebellion, Gideon."