SwanQueen: A Powerful Weakness (Lesbian Stories)

Chapter 12. Regina

Chapter 12. Regina

Wonderland hadn't changed. It was still incoherently weird with its oversized mushrooms and blades of grass. The only true difference was the lack of blue skies. "Maybe we should have brought an umbrella" Regina muttered sarcastically as the dark grey clouds lit up with a flash of bright white lightning. Nightfall was biting at their heels and the looking glass soon evaporated and ceased to exist. "Under here" Emma said grabbing Regina's arm and pulling her beneath a mushroom for shelter. "Regina you've been to this Wonderland before, where do we go from here?" the saviour asked. Regina looked out into the distance. The path stretched out ahead of them for miles, with nothing else to see other than the odd patch of trees forming miniature forests. "Looks like we're just going to have to follow the yellow brick road", "This isn't Oz Regina", "It's called a joke Emma" Regina mumbled. "Maybe we should stay put until the storm eases off?" Emma suggested, "No, I don't think this storm is going to stop anytime soon, we'll keep walking until we find somewhere to sleep tonight, then we can dry off and come up with a plan" Regina sassed. Together the two women set off on their journey deep into Wonderland, getting soaking wet on the way. Nobody was to be seen in any direction, no birds were out flying and no children out playing, it was like a ghost town. As they journeyed on Emma gave Regina a funny look. "What?" Regina asked not knowing what she had done wrong, "This was such a stupid plan, there's no shelter and I'm freezing and i'm wet and i'm tired" Emma moaned. Regina rolled her eyes, "We're almost there" Regina insisted as they came to a sharp corner. Unexpectedly Emma's eyes fell upon a huge fire flickering in the near distance. "Told you" Regina smirked picking up her pace, leaving Emma standing behind.
As they appeared closer to the fire a few people looked over at them, their faces struck with shock horror. "It's the evil queen" a young girl whimpered pointing at Regina. A man standing closest to her took a few steps back. Regina stared at the little girl. "Uh, guys please listen to me, I know you know this is the evil queen but that's not quite true anymore. Regina has changed, for the better, she's a hero now" Emma spoke up. "And why should we believe you, stranger?" a man called from the crowd. "Because, I'm the saviour, I'm Snow White and Prince Charming's daughter" Emma told truthfully. An elderly lady took a step closer to Emma and examined her face. "Why are you here?" the old lady asked, "We're here because the wicked witch kidnapped my brother, we've come to get him back, please you have to believe me" Emma replied. Everyone turned to Regina, "Has she really changed?" somebody asked,"Yes, I promise you she has, she's my friend, she's helping me". The crowd began to murmur amongst one another, as they did, they began to part down the middle. A white rabbit made himself visible. "Emma Swan, I wondered if I would ever get the pleasure of meeting you" The rabbit said. The crowd fell silent. Emma smiled weakly, "You know who I am?" she asked. "Yes, I understand you're looking for your brother?", "Yeah, Zelena took him", "And how can we help?", "Regina and I, we need a place to stay for tonight, we were also told that you might be able to help us get back to Storybrooke". The white rabbit turned to the people gathered behind him. "Alright, you may stay here tonight, you can have my tent, but be warned, any funny business from her" he said pointing to Regina, "And you're out of here, you got that?" he added. "Yes, thank you, thank you so much" Emma said relieved, "You can thank me when I get you out of this realm. In the meantime, please get some rest".
The tent was smaller than Regina expected and the thought of spending the whole night sleeping in there didn't fill her with much joy. As she and Emma crawled inside the tent their eyes met a single sheet on the ground with two small pillows and a blanket. The White Rabbit had left them fresh towels and a lantern, other than that, the tent was empty. "Is this a joke?" Regina questioned kicking off her shoes. "Nope, this is home for the night" Emma responded, pulling an awkward face. "Great" Regina breathed. "Get your clothes off" Emma wheezed, trying desperately to slide her tight leather jacket off. "Ms Swan I hardly think this is the time or the place" Regina said seriously. Emma rolled her eyes, "As pretty as you do look in the firelight Regina, I was thinking more about getting dry". Regina raised an eyebrow, "You think I'm pretty?" she asked suddenly feeling shy. Emma scoffed, "Just take your clothes off Ms Mills".
Regina forced off her wet clothes and piled them next to Emma's before wrapping herself in the harsh cotton towel. "Ok now I'm dry but freezing my behind off, how is this any better?" Regina asked growing frustrated in the tiny capacity. "Well, for one, if you kept your ringing wet tshirt on you would probably catch pneumonia, at least now that you're dry your body has a chance to reheat itself" Emma dribbled as she cleared herself a sleeping place. Regina watched Emma climb under the tiny single sheet before she lay down herself. For a moment she thought of Henry, she hoped he was ok even though she knew he was safe under Granny's protection. As the minutes passed by her body heat seemed to lessen. It was still raining heavily outside though the thunder had stopped. An icy mist slithered from her lips as she shivered. Her thoughts were then cut short when she felt what could only be Emma wiggle over to her side. Without saying a word, Emma draped her arm over Regina's side and held her close. Regina shifted and turned to face her, she neither said anything, instead she nestled her head on Emma's chest and closed her eyes. Emma planted a kiss upon her forehead before she too drifted off to sleep.
Regina was awoken by the sounds of birds tweeting in the nearby trees. The rain had stopped and the scent of due lingered in the mist. "Good morning" Emma whispered when she noticed Regina stirring. A faint hint of a smile creeped upon Regina's face as she rubbed her eyes, "Good Morning Ms Swan" she groaned as she stretched. "I miss my castle" she added as she sat up, her back aching from laying on the floor. Emma chuckled, "Yeah, I'm sure anyone in their right mind would prefer a luxury castle over a tent", "I'd sleep here again if it meant waking up next to you" Regina smirked, "Or, you could just take me back to your castle and have your wicked way with me?" Emma suggested. "Wicked? I think you have the wrong sister there" Regina mumbled crawling up to Emma and kissing her softly on the lips. Emma laughed and kissed Regina back. Just as they lay down for a bit of fun a voice called from outside the tent. "Good Morning?" The white rabbit spoke, clearing his voice. Emma rolled her eyes whereas Regina's reaction was to blow out a breath of air, making a stray piece of her hair stand. Emma partly opened the zip. "White Rabbit, Good Morning" She said, Regina covered her bare body with the blanket. The white rabbit smiled weakly at Regina. "You are more than welcome to join the village and I for some breakfast, you must be hungry". "Oh, yes we are, thank you, we'll just get dressed and we'll come join you" Emma quipped. The White Rabbit smiled and hopped off.
The sound of sausages sizzling in a pan joined the tweeting and singing of the birds, which in all honesty was starting to get on Regina's nerves. "Woah, thank you" Emma sounded, jumping a little as a small boy handed her a plate of food. Regina looked down at the boys now empty hands and rolled her eyes. She leaned in closer to Emma as whispered, "Where's mine?", Emma giggled and took a bite of sausage. "You'll have to excuse the children, they're afraid of you, and if you don't mind me saying; with good reason too" The White Rabbit interrupted. He handed Regina her own plate of food. "Yeah? You'd think they'd be more afraid NOT to bring me my breakfast" Regina moaned. "In all fairness, many of them know of your legacy, if I were a young 'un, I'd be uneasy around you too. But I can see that you've changed" The white Rabbit chirped looking Regina up and down. "You think?" she asked as if she were not expecting his kind words. "I know so, the Evil Queen would have killed us all by now, you never did have any patience. Just as Regina you seem much easier to get along with", "Thank you" Regina hesitated to say as she tried to work out if the rabbits words were a compliment or not. Together Emma and Regina sat down to eat their breakfast on two camp chairs provided to them by a man with a hooked nose and greasy black hair. All the while Emma laughed silently to herself, tears forming in her eyes as Regina shoveled forkfuls of food into her mouth. "What's so funny?" Regina asked defensively. "I'm a Queen and a bit more refined" Emma imitated Regina. "You're not even funny Swan" Regina announced sitting up straight. "No but you are, especially with butter smothered up your face" Emma pointed out, dipping her finger into the yellowish margarine blobbed on the tip of her nose before licking it from her finger.
After breakfast the white rabbit walked the two women to the outskirts of the forest. "I'm afraid this is where I must leave you" he announced, shuddering in the shadows of the surrounding trees. "If you follow the stream it will take you into the heart of Wonderland, you will then come across a sign pointing in many directions, reading many destinations. I believe the route to the mansion that the wicked witch has taken for her own will get you there in a few minutes. Though I must warn you, there are all manor of dark creatures that have taken her side, not to mention the remaining of the Queen's guards", "Why would they help Zelena?" Regina asked confused, "I wouldn't know, but it may have something to do with your mother" the white rabbit suggested. Regina nodded and looked out across the horizon. The sun was only now beginning to rise, but it was cold and looked as though rain may fall again soon. "Thank you for your help Mr Rabbit" Emma vowed, shaking his small fluffy paw. The rabbit grinned from floppy ear to floppy ear. "When you want to leave this land all you have to do is give this a blow" he said, taking a chain from his neck. "A whistle?" Emma stated, "Specialised for my hearing, it's a rabbit thing" he smiled, "Give the whistle a blow and I will be with you in no time, and then I will cast your portal out of here", Emma fastened the chain around her neck and shook the rabbit's hand again. "Good Luck" he spoke to both Emma and Regina. He then hopped back into the forest to rejoin his village. Regina looked to Emma and together they started their journey beside the stream.
A gentle breeze blew by as they trekked out of the forest. Regina had to keep grabbing onto Emma to stop herself falling into the water as she attempted to follow in her footsteps. "People actually do this kind of thing for fun?" Regina enquired, slightly peeved that she had scuffed her shoe on a bit of rock. "Just try to keep up, we need to find Neal", "Yes I know that Swan, I didn't come out here for my health". Emma suddenly came to a standstill, causing Regina to walk into her. "Who the hell is that?" The blonde asked as she stared menacingly at a huge blue caterpillar which was laying back on a giant leaf. "Who am I? Who are you?" The caterpillar asked not bothering to open his eyes and look at the people standing in front of him. Emma noticed a pipe in the caterpillar's hand and it jogged her memory of the book Alice In Wonderland. "You're the Hookah" she addressed. The caterpillar opened one eye, "That is correct, but, who are you?" He asked taking a puff on his pipe. "I'm Emma Swan and this is Reg-", "I know who she is Emma Swan. Everybody in this Realm knows who she is. Although we don't know what she is doing here. What ARE you doing here, your Majesty?" The caterpillar questioned sarcastically. "Never you mind why I'm here. Don't you have a cocoon to build?" Regina said sardonically. The caterpillar puffed out a ball of smoke causing both Emma and Regina to cough. "Very well, it is none of my business why you are here, but I trust you know I can't let you carry on your little adventure", "Why not?" Emma growled, the thought of Neal springing to her mind. "Anybody who goes looking for trouble ends up in trouble themselves and you my lovelies are about to walk into a whole lot of trouble", "What are you talking about?", "Do you deny that you are seeking the wicked witch of the west?", "I thought you didn't know why we were here?" Regina asked scornfully. "I did not say that, I merely wanted to hear what you would tell". Emma pulled a face and coughed again as the caterpillar blew another wad of smoke into her face. "Look, what's the deal here?" she asked becoming impatient. "There is no deal Emma Swan, I am just simply warning you of the dangers that lay ahead", "Well that's very nice of you but we have a baby to rescue" Regina spat walking on. Emma hesitated but followed Regina. The caterpillar called after them, "Don't say I didn't warn you, you would have been wise to return home". "Crazy insect" Regina intoned. "I know right?" Emma agreed catching up with Regina who now seemed to be determined to get away from the soggy mud surrounding the stream. "The sign post can't be too far away now, can it?" Emma voiced from behind. Just as she spoke the sign post came into view. "Good timing saviour" Regina mentioned alongside a sigh of relief. The tall light wooden post pointed in many directions. The path to their left would take them to Tulgey Wood, the right; Salazen Grum. "Ah there" Regina pointed out. An arrow pointing straight ahead read 'Wicked Witch's Mansion'. Of course this was painted on in a dark green paint, which covered the previous engravement that had once been 'Red Queen's Mansion'. "Well what are we waiting for, let's go" Emma said arriving at Regina's side. "I don't think so" a low hair raising voice snarled from behind. Emma and Regina span around to see that they were completely surrounded by playing cards. Unfortunately they had arms and legs and carried sharp spears. Each of them stared remorselessly at Emma and Regina. "Look we don't want any trouble" Emma breathed, nerves showing in her voice. "Oh I know you don't" one of the cards barked. The letter 'J' was stained upon his white cardboard body. "Hey look, Jack" Emma started, "How'd you know my name?" the playing card shouted defensively. "I know who you are, and I know who you work for. I also know how to defeat you" Emma replied, clenching her fists. "Is that right?" the card chuckled not feeling any kind of threat from Emma's words. Emma sighed, "Alright, Regina he's all yours". Regina smirked and produced a great ball of fire from the palm of her hand. As she flicked her wrist the flame ball shot from her grip and hurled towards the cards. A look of delight flooded Regina's eyes as she awaited the burning to begin, but for some reason the flame halted in mid air just in front of the cards. "Lovely, we may be made of card paper but it's gonna take a lot more than fire to destroy us" the Jack spoke. All the other cards began to laugh. "You see before the wicked witch left she enchanted us with a flame proof elixir, so it looks like you're going to need to think outside of the box on this occasion". Regina backed closer to Emma, "What now?" she whispered, "I don't know" Emma replied. "Alas, I know; why don't we take you to your new home, the penitentiary", "The what?" Emma questioned. "Prison lovely, you're going to prison". With that the Jack raised his spear and let out a ferocious roar of attack. Each and every card ran forward, there was nowhere to run. Spears came at them from every direction, it was only a matter of time before they were captured.