I do not own OUAT. So I have written this ages ago & had already posted it on Tumblr, but never actually got to posting it on : )

I initially had this idea to write a short story where Regina would sort of be like Athena/ Emma like Medusa, but then this happened. So it's basically inspired by a combination of myths that I twisted slightly but then also in a world with both ancient stuff (like the toga's or temples or some other things ) as well as modern ( the language, for one). It's basically just a mix of things, really.

Some notes: Regina keeps calling Emma 'the girl' because she is an ancient goddess. Emma is 28 in this story

She was prideful and vengeful and filled with hatred and anger her 'mother' had put there. ' Dear, do you honestly think that's the way to be with mortals? Gentle, helpful. My little fool ". She was licking her wounds and trying to hide them and loathing this silly mortal that dared –.

Then the pretty fool actually looked at her and she was lost.

For the first time in her long, long life Regina's heart skipped and her thoughts quieted. Everything went still and frozen around her. Her usual energy – the passion, anger, general apprehension- faded to the background for a moment.

" Lady Regina" the mortal said, quickly curtseying (in a way that didn't look like curtseying at all, the klutz) as the man behind her smirked and nodded at Regina. " Love".

" Do not call me that" she snapped, sauntering over to the Sea God and his latest conquest. She was predictably pretty, with eyes a hue Regina found it difficult to describe and fair hair (though Hook was most likely into attributes that were located a little lower than her eyes). Unlike the usual conquests, Regina actually thought she spotted some intelligence into her eyes. And she wasn't giggling. They were always giggling (the ones that miraculously wanted the useless Sea God, that is) so that was truly refreshing.

" You're in my temple".

" Uh yeah I gathered" the woman said, brushing her hair behind her ears. Regina noticed that , unlike her own hair ( which was braided and interwoven with gold of course) , the girl's hair was wild. Regina could grudgingly (in private/ under threat of torture) admit it was pretty.

" You gathered" Regina mocked.

" Listen, I didn't know he was going to-".

Regina stalked towards the woman and smirked when she quieted and studied her with wary eyes. She stopped inches away from the woman, dragging her eyes over the woman's body. Fair hair. Fair skin. Strong muscles, only partially covered by a toga. Regina's eyebrows shot up when she noted the beautiful girdle carrying a sword around her middle. She wasn't sure, but she thought she also glimpsed a tunic beneath the toga that was prettily adorned with yellow and red.

She met the mortal's eyes again, almost smiling when she saw the anger in them. The girl didn't say anything, but she was obviously stewing and looked ready to punch Regina.

Regina decided to make it worse.

" I fail to see what attracted you to her, Garlic Breath, but I am giving you one last chance to leave my temple and never return, or suffer the dire consequences".

Hook grinned, the arm he had slung around the girl's shoulders tightening. He was just opening his mouth, probably to say something yawn-worthily dull, when the girl shrugged off his steel grip and stepped forward.

" Lady. Regina. Whatever" she started, making Regina glare fiercely at her. Surprisingly , the girl barely cowered ." I didn't come into your temple on purpose, okay. I don't know what you think I like, but I don't exactly fancy being incinerated by a moody goddess because I had a little fun in one of her temples. And hot goddess of smarts or not, you don't get to look at me like I am beneath you".

Regina exhaled slowly , not missing the little shudder the girl's body was wreaked by as the breath played along her lips ( somewhere during the argument, the girl had come close enough that one of the blond strands of hair actually glided along one of Regina's darker curls). She made sure her voice was devoid of all emotion, her eyes were hard like the mountain she lived on and her hand was pressing down on the sword she always wore.

"Remove your offensive self from my sight" she commanded Hook.

" Regina, you can't- " Hook started, apparently deciding that it was fun to see her bitch at mortals, but not fun as soon as his fragile ego was in danger. Idiot.

" Listen you walking bad boy cliché , you leave now or you leave with that Hook stuck in your tiny Hook".

Hook rolled his eyes, though Regina noted that one of his hands was hovering above his junk and the split moment that his eyes were on her sword. She waved her hand and the doors swung open. " Fine. I hope you have more fun than I did. Though I doubt it, with that stick always stuck in your ass".

He shrugged at the girl, who had been standing in a fighting stance with her hand on her sword and eyeing her surroundings like she had to memorize them for an assignment. " Sorry luv. Good luck!" and off he was, probably already thinking about his new 'conquest' like the single-minded ass he was.

The moment the doors closed, the girl attacked. Regina was nearly surprised when the sword was suddenly swung at her. She easily blocked it nonetheless.

"Foolish" she scolded, holding her sword against the girl's. The girl pulled her sword back, only to try another move. " Why? Because you're a badass goddess and I an unworthy mortal"?

" Well there's that. And the fact that you didn't even attempt to harm me".

" I am not a horrible person, I don't- ".

" I am immortal " Regina interrupted, rolling her eyes. She easily blocked another attack, and another, and another. Okay, to be honest, not as easily as she should. The blonde was truly a talent. Sure, her form was a bit atrocious because it was so crude but- she was quick and strong and definitely knew what to do with a sword.

" Does immortal mean 'annoying and entirely too rude" the girl threw, apparently to decide that since she was already in trouble that she might as well make it worse. Regina rolled her eyes, suddenly side-stepping when the girl least expected it and punching her on her arm. The girl cursed when pain travelled through her arm like tiny lightning bolts, then cursed louder when her legs suddenly were in the air and her ass on the hard ground.

She lay, panting, while the goddess stood above her with a bored expression on that arrogant face and a sword pointed at her heart. She blew some sweaty strands out of her face.

"So?".

" So.. your form is horrific. You're crude and rude and you have the most horrid taste in men. You're either a fool, a lunatic or deaf ".

Before the girl could actually speak the crude, rude words written so plainly in her eyes and the grim line of her mouth, Regina did something that made her nearly think she was a little crazy herself. She put her sword away and offered the girl her hand.

The girl blinked. Then narrowed her eyes in suspicion, eyeing the hand like its fingers were going to change into tiny snakes that would bite her if she touched it.

" This isn't like the Midas guy, is it?" she finally said and Regina sighed, already retracting her hand. " That was a curse. I typically cast curses to hurt others, not myself. And that wasn't even- " her voice was cut off as the mortal grabbed her hand suddenly , the warmth and slight roughness unfamiliar to Regina.

" Uh, are you going to- " the mortal spoke, and Regina suddenly realized she had frozen like one of the statues around them and even had the same awe-with-fear-lurking behind expression. She quickly started pulling on the mortal's hand, quick to pretend she had never frozen.

She blamed it on her slight (she wasn't going to say embarrassment) distraction that she hadn't anticipated what happened next.

One moment, she was stepping back with her hand quickly warming because of the heat it received from the girl's hand, the next she was falling and landing on a hard/soft body. She immediately pulled back, preparing to punch or otherwise harm the woman when muscled legs wrapped around her and the girl tried to flip them. No way.

She slipped her hand in the girl's hair, then immediately yanked her head to the side. She smirked at the gasp of pain, wrapped her fingers more securely in the wild curls. Pulling the girl's head back as far as possible, she used her hips to keep her from twisting their positions.

Then she realized she was on top of the girl,

thighs pressed down on thighs, one hand pushing down on her chest, fingers intertwined with curls.

The second of confusion and something even more startling is apparently all the woman beneath her needed. The mortal used her free arm to push Regina off , then jumped to her feet and over her to ru- Regina rolled around and grabbed her ankle. The blonde fell again, with a shout. "You evil-" before she could finish the sentence, her eyes rolled back.

—-

So. Emma wakes up tied to a naked statue a lot less perfect than the scowling woman sitting cross-legged on the throne in front of her ( and seriously? Does she have to sit like that, with the sword on her lap and her head a little cocked and eyes probing Emma).

" Oh good" is all the woman says when she sees Emma is awake, sauntering over to her with an unreadable look in her eyes. Most people would think she is indifferent or slightly mad, because there are no lines around her eyes, no hint that she is feeling anything even if anyone would think she is mad (they all know the stories of mortals challenging deities after all. There are no happy endings, no forgiveness, nothing but suffering) but Emma knows she isn't. She is good at reading people, always has been. She notices the tiny things, like the smallest smile hiding in those lips or how Regina's eyes glide over her over and over again and linger at places.

" So do you get your kicks from knocking out women and tying them to statues?" Emma says, grimacing as she shifts; being tied to a statue is very uncomfortable. Though not as uncomfortable as the silence that just stretches while the goddess stands there like Emma is some sort of fruit and she is trying to see whether it's still fresh. Damn, the woman has looking condescending and bored down to an art.

" Where did you train ?" Regina asks after a long, uncomfortable silence where Emma isn't talking either because that feels like defeat, somehow.

Emma tugs on the rope keeping her to the statue and scowls. " Why do you want to know?".

" You do realize that I could have incinerated –or worse- you for your lack of respect and yet I haven't even harmed you?".

" What ? Now you want kudos for not being a terrible person? " Emma scoffs and rolls her eyes. " Go to the Underworld , lady". No, Emma is not in fact an idiot in desperate need of a brain. There is just something about this woman that pushes her buttons and screams at her to push back.

The goddess freezes, her nostrils flaring ( for a moment Emma eyes them with suspicion: can the goddess of smarts and beating people up release fire?) and her hand twitching like it wants to do something fun like strangling Emma. Then even the smallest signs of displeasure vanish and she actually smiles at Emma.

Well. Emma officially has seen the most terrifying thing ever.

" You will not ever disrespect me like that again. You will not use degrading words, not tell me what I shouldn't or should do and you will most definitely not ever remark on my character again".

Emma opens her mouth to protest. Regina lights her hand on fire and gives that creepy fake smile as she leans in. " Do you understand".

"Yes" Emma grits out, making sure to glare extra hard , to have her eyes basically scream 'fuck you' without ever speaking the words.

" Well I hope your memory is good, dear, because if you forget…" Regina trails off but those…..automatically makes Emma think of the stories she has heard about the great and terrible Regina. She turned an innocent girl into a monstrous beast, she killed someone who considered her a friend, she helped the Sea God flood an island and thousands of innocents died.. ( the last one was a actually a bit difficult to believe, considering Regina had been looking at Hook like he was shit that she had stepped into).

" if you forget – " Regina says and Emma forgets all the angry words that had been on her tongue when Regina steps forward and grabs her chin before bending forward a little. " I will destroy your happiness, if it's the last thing I do" she swears and Emma almost feels terrified.

She lets go of Emma again, stepping back and then snaps her fingers. Emma grunts when the ropes around her suddenly snap and she nearly falls. Her legs buckle a little bit, asleep after the long time (hours? Days?) she had been tied to the statue.

"so I can go?" she asks. Regina shakes her head. " Not exactly".

Emma throws Regina a what-the-Hades look.

" You're going to be my.. servant" Regina states and Emma snorts. " No way in Tartarus I am".

She turns around, starts walking to the door. Then jumps back and curses when a statue erupts from the ground and slams its axe into the ground.

" You nearly killed me!" Emma accuses, swirling around to glare at the smug goddess. Regina is her usual indifferent self, apart from the stretched arm and smug little smirk.

"I didn't give you permission to leave".

" Yeah well I didn't give you permission to kill me! As you like reminding me, lady, I am mortal! "

Regina eyes the frustrated mortal in front of her. ".. you're fine".

" Well no thanks to you".

" No need to be so angry, you were merely startled".

" I was merely.. " Emma is silent for a second, laughing unbelievingly. " That thing that pissed you off earlier? I still mean it" is all she says as she turns and tries to leave, again. Regina stops her. "Mortal".

Emma ignores her pointedly.

" Fine. What's your name , girl?".

Emma can't help herself. She turns around to face the frustrating woman again. " Woman. And it's Emma".

Regina ignores the woman-comment, merely rolling her eyes. Like a cat with a mouse, she focuses on the second part . " Em-ma" she says, rolling the words on her tongue as though she was tasting a fine wine ( or in her case, drinking nectar).

" Re-gi-na" Emma mocks, though she can't stop being affected by Regina's voice. It is.. damn, if that voice wasn't a weapon befitting a war goddess.

Regina merely gives her a snide look, then marches away. The statue that still has its axe embedded in the floor tears it free, then starts stomping towards Emma.

" Fine I will follow her" Emma mutters, deciding that the creepy statue was Regina's way to keep her from running and instead forcing her to follow the woman marching ahead of her. Typical.

She takes big steps, trying to ignore the rest of the statues that are built into the dark walls. They are a little too life-like, almost like people had been glued to the walls and then covered with plaster. And the torches some of them are holding just made it creepier. She walks a little faster, nearly running into Regina when she stopped in front of two gigantic doors. As in giant-sized doors. With ornate designs and gemstones and possibly magic because Emma can feel it hum in the air in front of her. Regina mumbles something and the doors swing open, revealing a loooong hallway that was so dark that Emma knows even night vision wouldn't help.

" Uh what's that? A secret gateway to Tartarus?" .

" Hardly. It's the only way to my personal chambers. It's magic, from the source of it and from the goddess of the night".

"Your personal chambers? Why are you-".

" Later. Be silent for a moment" Regina interrupts , glaring at Emma for the umpteenth time. Emma is just about to politely ask Regina where the entrance that wouldn't get her killed is when Regina steps into the room. Before Emma can give in to her instincts and pull the woman back to protect her from dark that made all her nerves fire off with signals to run, the darkness.. seems to part? Like it was a freaking sea instead of an absence of light.

Where Regina is standing , there is suddenly 'normal ' darkness ( the kind your eyes would sort of adjust to and that had no impact on you, not really) surrounded by the 'magic' darkness ( the kind cats couldn't even see in and that felt like the air pressure was crushing your lungs). Regina starts to walk and the darkness keeps gliding away from her.

Emma decides to follow before she can't anymore.

"Keep close to me" Regina instructs and her voice is serious enough that Emma actually obeyes though she can't keep herself from asking why. " W- ".

"If you aren't close enough to me, the magic will attack. You can only access my chambers if I allow you to and you follow behind me so if the magic senses you're breaking the rules…".

Regina lets her voice trail off again and Emma glances at the darkness away from Regina. She is probably just sleep-deprived and high-strung, but she could've sworn she sometimes saw open mouths (screaming) there. Like the magic had swallowed people.

" Where is my sword?".

" Hacking away at it won't save your life, dear".

" Still. It was a gift. And I like being able to defend myself".

" A bit of steel wouldn't help you in a fight with the Partheon ".

" It helped me to fight you".

" I was playing with you. Had I been fighting you with the intent to hurt, you wouldn't have had a chance".

" Keep telling yourself that".

"Do you want me to push you towards it?" Regina threatens and Emma shuts up. The darkness/magic/whatever really freaks her out.

So they walk in silence for a while, a walk which would've been boring weren't it for the occasional scream and the constant feeling of air pressing down on them. Emma makes sure to keep close to the glow of Regina in front of her.

Emma rubs her eyes when they finally leave the hallway behind and end up in a corridor. It isn't bright or anything, but Emma's eyes still have to adjust to the soft glow of several torches after the complete lack of light. Regina doesn't seem to have the same problem, for she immediately marches over to one of four doors and pushes it open.

Emma followes her a little slower, glancing around. The corridor is quite bare, the walls black with rivers of gold cracking them, and there are two more life-like statues. After one more glance and a flash of disappointment as she sees no exit, just more corridor, she slips into the room.

She gets quite the shock when she actually enters the chamber where Regina is waiting 'patiently'. It is like stepping into a different country. The color scheme is still the same (black, some white and even dark purple ) but that is where the similarities end.

Three walls are made of book shelves and practically breaking under the weight of many books. In front of the shelves there are long, square tables. Every bit of space on one table is occupied, by flasks and bottles with powder like the stars, and humming machines Emma doesn't recognize. The other one holds piles of papers, with scrabbles and drawings and such on them. The last table has weapons laying on it.

" Wow".

" This is my workshop. Don't ever touch anything " Regina commands, then pulls open a door that is hidden in the bookshelves. Emma sighs but obeys the unspoken comment- after lingering at the table with powders and flasks and such- and pushes through the door.

The room behind the door is small, with wide walls and a few items. There is a bed against one wall, a bookcase against another and a desk against the wall next to the door. It's sterile and quiet and Emma is already feeling a tad claustrophobic.

" What is this?" Emma says, looking behind her in confusion- just as the door suddenly disappears and all that is left is a blank wall. She runs to it, pushing against it.

" HE!" she screams. She slams the wall, not caring her knuckles get a little bruised. " HE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING".

She keeps screaming and punching and kicking but the wall doesn't answer, the door doesn't appear, there is nothing but pressing silence and a room that suddenly feels a lot tinnier. Emma sinks to the floor, panting and sweaty and finally afraid.

What in the name of the primordial Gods is the goddess going to do with her?