CHAPTER 6: THE TALES WE TWIST
—-Other Dimension—
“AHH!” Kisses screamed as he began pulling his hair. “Horrowitch! The Master ABCindra just called! And she is demanding that we get things under control immediately, or else she’ll have our heads!”
“What do we do? What do we do? What do we do?” Horrowitch began hyperventilating until WickedJane reared back, and slapped him across the face. “Ow…what was that for?”
“Get yourself under control man!” WickedJane ordered. “This is no time to panic! It’s time we start pulling out the big guns on these characters!”
“The big guns? WickedJane, have you been sipping on the red plothennesy again?” Kisses asked. “ABCindra wants to see some true development, not some random bunch of hocus pocus!”
“Then we’ll give them development…I think you lads know what needs to be done,” WickedJane said crossing her arms, a sinister smirk across her face. In puffs of smoke appeared various ingrediants, with two vials in particular, both filled with a grayish smoke.
“Wait…you can’t mean…” Horrowitch stuttered.
“That’s exactly what I mean! Stand back lassies!” WickedJane ordered, before uncorking the vials releasing the smoke that floated in the air. “Faithful characters long since dead, rise up out of thy wormy beds. Wiggle thy toes, twinkle thine eyes, reach thy hands up toward the sky. Reappear, don’t be shy….inhale breaths of air, so say I!” WickedJane chanted as the smoke began to whirl around, before flying straight into the open book in Horrowitch’s hands.
“Things are about to get a little more interesting…I just hope ABCindra will approve,” Kisses said before the three witches all let out high pitched cackles, hoping that their characters were unprepared for what they had just unleashed.
—Bathroom—
The moment Robin took that moment, to force Regina into the Men’s RestRoom with him, and all but scared the hell out of another guy who fled either from seeing the commanding presence Robin had, or the Evil Queen on his arm. Now he and Regina stood face to face, neither saying anything, but their eyes showing all the emotion needed to be known. Regina’s eyes held a sense of hurt hidden under layers of boiling wrath while Robin’s held a sense of sympathy along with regret. However, the clearest thing both could see in each other, was that look of passionate longing.
“Well, I can only hope that you didn’t drag me in here just to see you take a piss,” Regina folded her arms across her chest. “Listen…I’ve got business to tend to, so I don’t really have time to play twenty questions nor am I really in the mood to speak with you. Out with it thief…what the hell do you want?”
“Don’t do that…not now,” Robin plainly stated.
“I’m not doing anything,” Regina tilted her head. “And if you’re not going to say anything, then I’d best be on my…”
“Dang it Regina! Will you just spare me five minutes before you do the whole (beep) Evil Queen routine!” Robin shouted in a tone of voice that both shocked, and impressed Regina, who could now tell that Robin was in no mood for her casual rudeness. It was the best thing she could pull off…it was either that or break down in front of him. And she’d rather not have her mother roll over in her grave once again, for her daughter showing any signs of weakness.
“What do you want Robin?” Regina asked before nervously flipping her hair, a habit she seemed to pick up whenever Robin was near.
“H-How are you?” he asked.
“Oh life couldn’t be better, we’ve got another threat trying to do us all in, and mother nature has decided to vacation right here in Storybrooke, freezing everything around her. So yeah…I’m doing fine,” Regina responded in a false tone of optimism. “How about you? How’s the dead wife coming back going for you?” she added patting him on the shoulder, a false smile across her face.
“Terribly,” Robin admitted, and could see at the fall of Regina’s face, that that had been the last thing she had expected for him to say. “I lost my wife thirty two years ago, and I never thought I’d ever fall in love with anyone else. That is until a year ago…when I met the most vibrant, bold, audacious, and a little evil, all around insufferable woman! Who no matter how hard I tried to ignore, always managed to get under my skin, just like I got under hers.”
Robin could see the conflicting look in Regina’s eye, who gazed toward the ground rather than up at him. “And your point of saying all of that was?” he heard her mutter, but in a more broken tone.
“It’s hard as hell to get over a woman like that?” Robin said reaching out to lift Regina’s face up to look up at him. “Especially when she’s your soul mate,” he added before bending down to kiss her. That single kiss was enough for Robin to know that he was making the right decision. He and Marian kisses had never been as passionate, and spirited as the ones he shared with Regina. And the moment Regina pulled away, it took every masculinity in him not to whimper from their loss of contact.
“Wait…wait…wait…” said a flustered Regina, who was trying to compose herself. She had spent the entire night piling up anger to keep this man out of her heart, and yet with one kiss, he managed to tear down the walls, and storm the castle! “You’re married to Maryanne, Maria, or whatever the hell that woman’s name is!” Regina said, finding it hard to remember the former widower’s wife name.
“Yeah…umm…about that,” Robin said running a hand through his hair. “It may turn out that Marian may already be remarried.”
“What?” Regina asked, whirling around to face him. “How is that possible?”
“No idea…but this woman named Merida went all berserk because someone hit her Marian. And frankly, she can have her…I only want you,” Robin said stepping closer to Regina whose back met a wall, Robin inches from her, his hands coming up to block her any exit.
“How could you so easily give your wife away…for an Evil Queen?” Regina asked, never feeling so terrified, but so secured all at once. She was horrified at the prospect of opening herself up once more, but she never felt more safe knowing it was her soul mate she could open herself up to.
“My ex-wife is supposedly married to another, but has no recollection of it. And when she does…she’ll understand. Regular love can move on, but soul mates are bounded. You’re stuck with me forever darling,” Robin grinned from ear to ear as he leaned forward, their noses brushing against one another.
Regina couldn’t help but allow the smile to spread across her face. “Are you sure you want to be stuck with me…even though half of the town still hates my guts and anyone involved with me.”
“Anybody that’s got a problem with you…let me know, and I’ll take care of it. The Merry Men and I got your back, and I’m sure your daughter and her family feel the same way,” Robin pointed out as he leaned in to kiss her once more.
“Step-daughter…” Regina pulled away to correct him, a smile plastered across her face.
“Daughter nonetheless…” Robin smirked. “And don’t worry…Roland will be just fine. Marian and I will balance him just as you and Emma balance Henry. Everything’s going to work out just…”
It was then that the bathroom door burst open to reveal a frantic looking Tinkerbelle and Ruby, who immediately blushed at the predicament Robin and Regina had been caught in. “Umm…ummm….Regina, Hood, we’re sorry to break up this renewed love fest, but we’ve got a problem!” Ruby began.
“What is it?” Regina asked, fighting down the blush on her face.
“Someone’s come back…and they’re looking for you!” Tinkerbelle stated. “It’s best to bring along Robin…Hook and David are having a hard enough time holding back this one!”
“Who is it?” Robin questioned.
“It’s best for you to come see it for yourself…he’s in the lobby of the hospital!” Ruby stated. “But Whale and the doctors can’t get close enough to sedate him. So do you have anything in order to calm him…potion or powder or anything?”
“At the house…I do.” Regina responded.
“Then you go and get that…I’ll go make sure Roland is with Marian, and then hold whoever this is off till you get here,” Robin said before kissing Regina’s hand, who smiled before a column of purple smoke enveloped her, leaving nothing in it’s place.
—-Hospital Lobby—-
The very last person that Emma had ever expected to see was a wild, rambunctious, animalistic looking, and very living Graham. He scanned the crowd of people, and it was yet that his eyes landed on Emma, and nervously watched as her father and Hook attempted to talk through to Graham who demanded to see Regina with a look of bloodlust in his eyes. One thing was for sure…she wouldn’t let this former huntsman hurt her pirate or her family.
“Where is the Queen!” Graham roared.
“Graham…calm down!” David said holding his hand out in a peaceful manner. “A lot has changed since you’ve died. But we need answers…”
“Are you really going to sit here and try to talk him first?” Hook scoffed as he held his sword out. “What we need for you is to calm down mate!” he ordered toward Graham, whose grip on his sword tightened.
“For once, I think the pirate is right!” Robin said as stepped forward, bow and arrow raised and drawn. “What’s your business with Regina!”
“My business is returning the favor she dealt!” Graham replied as he stared at the three men, confused as to why they all seemed to be defending the Evil Queen. Had it not just been yesterday that he had stopped the fight brewing between her and Emma…Emma, his deputy! Where was she! His eyes scanned past the three men, and locked eyes with Emma, whose breath became hitched in her throat. “Emma…” he breathed out.
Hook glanced behind him toward Emma, and could see the look of confusion in her eyes. “Do you know this man Swan?”
“You can say that,” Emma dug her hands in her pockets, and glanced to her side. “He’s supposed to be dead!”
“The Queen killed me…I know she did! Now where is she?” Graham asked. “Emma, you were there! When I died…tell them!”
“I was,” Emma nodded as she took a step forward. “But Graham…you have to understand. Regina’s not the same person anymore…she’s changed.”
“What do you mean changed…she just killed me yesterday! No one changes overnight!” Graham rebuked.
“That’s impossible…Graham, it’s been two years since you’ve died. A lot has changed…” Emma responded. “If you calm down, and let us explain. Maybe you’ll understand…”
—The Mills Mansion—
“Where is it!” Regina said as she rummaged through her living room, trying to find her mother’s spell book. It was no where to be found, and she was sure that she had locked it away inside her cabinet. After searching for ten minutes, Regina gave up, and sighed, running her hands through her hair in frustration. It was too much going on in one day, from the Snow Queen, these two mysterious witches writing history, Marian coming back, her losing and then gaining back Robin Hood, and now someone is at the hospital, apparently after her.
“Okay…I’ll just have to do this with my magic. Just please no more wicked sorcerers, or crazy people!” she silently prayed.
“You weren’t even going to say hello first?” she heard an all too familiar voice ask her, causing her to freeze just before she could disappear out of her house. “Not exactly the welcome home I was expecting,” the person added.
Regina dared to look over her shoulder to see her sister Zelena walking forward with their mother’s spell book in her hands. “Zelena…” Regina whispered.
“Miss me sis?” Zelena asked with a tilt of her head, a smile across her face.
“I thought…I thought you were dead,” Regina stated. “I saw you turn yourself to stone, and crumble.”
“Is that what that Imp told you?” Zelena asked, a flash of anger in her eyes. “Well it appears, it’s up to me to set the record straight. And don’t worry I didn’t come here to fight…I actually came here because well, I had no where else to go really.”
“So you didn’t just come here to greet your little sister?” Regina asked, feigning a hurtful expression before laughing. “What is this…I’m talking to my dead sister. Well, whose supposed to be dead.”
“You’re right supposed to be dead. But I’m not…here I am in the flesh. And I’m ready to accept that offer…that second chance,” Zelena replied stepping closer to her sister, so they could meet eye to eye.
“As if you had much of a choice…but first I want answers. What do you mean when you say “The Imp told you”? And how are you alive?” Regina asked.
—The Other Dimension—
“WickedJane, you wicked thing you, this is perfect!” Horrowitch explained.
“I don’t know Horrowitch…I mean bringing back those two specifically…” Kisses began.
“Was a splendid idea! And I just know ABCindra will be satisfied now! Things are about to get a little more heated in SB,” WickedJane cackled. “Besides…it was either Zelena and Graham, or the Mother of all Evil Cora!”
“NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!” Horrowitch and Kisses shouted. “Zelena and Graham will do…no need for Cora!”
"If you go as far as you can see...you will then see enough to go even further." - Finn Balor