*I do not own OUAT, just my character Maddie and any others I add in here. This story was inspired by a book called "Dorothy Must Die". Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1: The Return

The purple smoke dissipated, revealing the very upset residents of the former Storybrooke. They were back in the Enchanted Forest and they were not happy about it. "We're back." Snow said with disappointment in her voice.

They found it very uncomfortable being in their old clothes. The amenities Storybrooke had to offer would be greatly missed, such as the bathroom.

Two people began walking towards the group and Snow instantly recognized Aurora. "You're back!" The clearly pregnant woman exclaimed as she embraced Snow.

"We're all back." Snow said as she returned the hug. "Can you give us an update on things around here?"

Aurora nodded and brought a few of them over to her and Philip's little gazebo. "The only real threat were the ogres, but we got rid of them." Philip said once everyone was crowded around him.

"The ogres came back?" David asked shocked.

Philip waved him off. "It was nothing we couldn't handle."

After they got their bearings they set off for Regina's castle, well the one she now found herself sharing with the Charming's. More and more of their people were joining them along the way. Snow was informed they had lost someone, that someone being Regina. She wasn't going to leave her behind. She searched the forest not too far from the path and found the older woman dressed in all black digging a hole.

"What are you doing?" Snow asked alarmed.

Regina gritted her teeth but she did not look up. "So now you're following me."

"We were worried and it looks like we were right to be. What are you burying?"

Regina kept jabbing her stick into the ground. "Nothing that concerns you."

"Why does that make me think it does? What have you done?" Snow asked walking closer to her. "Is that a heart?"

Regina was tired of Snow being nosy. "Go away!"

Snow then realized just whose heart it was. "It's yours isn't it?"

"I am not having this conversation with you." Regina said as she continued burying her heart.

Snow knew she was hurting deeply. "I know you miss Henry but this isn't the answer. No matter how much pain you feel, you can't just bury it in the woods."

Regina looked over at her slowly. "Watch me." She threw her stick down and sighed.

"You won't feel better!" Snow reminded her. "You won't feel anything!"

"That's the point!" Regina shot back. She didn't want to feel anymore, not without Henry in her life. "He doesn't even remember who I am!"

Snow took a step forward. "I know exactly how you feel." Regina was confused but Snow continued on. "I just said goodbye to my daughter for the second time. Henry too. But I promise you it will get better." She pointed to her heart. "With that. And I promise you it will let you feel something else soon enough."

Regina looked skeptical. "What's that?"

"The thing Henry always wanted you to find." She took another step closer and grabbed her hand. "Happiness."

Regina shook her head. "I can't be happy without him."

"Find a way." Snow squeezed her hand. "For Henry."

Regina looked down at her buried heart knowing Snow was right. She took a deep breath before bending down and retrieving her heart from the cold hard ground. She slipped the heart back in her chest. All the heartache rushed through her as she closed her eyes tightly. She just wanted to cry for her missing son but she wasn't going to do that in front of Snow. She turned around once she was composed and walked right passed the younger woman. "Now, let's get back to our castle."

A small smile spread across Snow's face as she followed Regina back to the group. As they passed a bush, Snow could have sworn something was watching them. A gust of wind blew her hair. "Did you hear that?" Snow asked cautiously. Regina turned around sharply and walked over to the bush Snow was talking about. "There's nothing here." They looked around the nearby woods. "Unless it flew away."

Snow looked to the skies. "It did!"

The creature blackened out the sun as it flew above. It was coming right for them. "We need to find cover!" Snow said frantically.

"No. I don't run from monsters." Regina kept her ground. "They run from me." She threw a fireball at the oncoming creature, grazing its shoulder in the process. Regina and Snow both fell to the ground as the creature swooped down and grabbed Regina's wrist with its claw.

"Regina!" Snow was not letting this thing take her. She grabbed onto Regina's legs, pulling her from its grip. "It's too fast." Snow said struggling to get up.

"I'm open to suggestions." Regina said breathlessly as she looked to the sky.

"Get down!" Someone screamed. Snow grabbed Regina and threw her down to the ground as an arrow soared right over them into the flying creature.

"M'lady?" Regina and Snow both looked up to this strange man. "You're injured."

"It's Your Majesty. And I'm fine." Regina said unmoved by this man's rescue.

"A simple thank you would suffice." He replied with his hand extended to help her up one to which she ignored. "We didn't ask for your help." She got up on her own.

Snow was not about to pass up a helping hand. "Well I'm grateful for your assistance."

"Robin of Locksley." He said as he helped Snow up. "And these are some of my Merry Men." He pointed behind him.

"Snow White."

Robin smiled. "At least we meet. Our wanted pictures have been posted side by side a while ago."

"If you're really Snow White, why are you with her?" Little John asked referring to Regina.

"Her?" Regina said defensively. "Show some respect. Or at least some restraint at the buffet." She said once she eyed the man's appearance.

"You'll have to excise Little John." Robin spoke up. "But before you cursed this land we spent many a day running from your black knights."

"Well I'm sure you deserved it." Regina shot back but she was not in the mood to continue with that subject. "What the hell was that thing?"

"No idea." He replied. "Never encountered the likes of it before." They looked to the sky as loud screeching was heard in the distance.

"Come on." Snow urged. "We have to warn the others."

000000

After finding the castle surrounded by a protection spell they made camp not too far away. They were crowded around a fire as they all talked about ideas on how to take this witch down. Snow noticed Regina sitting on a log a short distance away from everyone facing the other way. She slowly walked up behind the older woman. "Regina?"

"What Snow?" She asked aggravated, her voice giving away that she had been crying.

"I know you're not okay but it would be better if you joined the group, instead of being alone." Snow suggested.

Regina turned around sharply. "Being alone is my specialty. Now if you don't mind, I would like to return to it."

Snow sighed and turned to walk away when a rustling came from the woods in front of the Queen. "Regina?" Snow questioned as she turned back around.

Regina was already on her feet, trying to see what was out there. "Shh."She said quickly. It would be Snow to give them away. More rustling could be heard and Regina was tired of playing these guessing games. "Whoever you are, come out at once!" Regina commanded as she raised a fireball in her hand. Her voice caught the attention of many of the people around the fire. They turned their heads to the forest.

A whole bunch of people began to emerge from the woods around them. Robin and his Merry Men were quick to react, grabbing their bows and lining the perimeter of the camp. David grabbed his sword and joined his wife who was standing by Regina. Red wolfed up and was ready to attack at a moment's notice.

The enemies looked ready to fight, holding their weapons out in front of them. "Who are you?!" Regina yelled.

An older woman stepped forward. She didn't look threatening, but Regina knew looks were deceiving. "We come in peace. We don't want to fight; we're saving that for the Wicked Witch."

Regina kept the fireball in her hand and no one backed down just yet. "You want me to believe that?"

The older woman shrugged her shoulders. "Believe what you want. My name is Mombi and we're here to help defeat the Wicked Witch."

"You're the leader of this group?" Robin asked looking around at the people surrounding the camp.

"Oh for Oz sake, no!" Mombi waved her hand. "I'm just an advisor."

"I'm the leader of this group." A voice said from the middle of the crowd of people behind Mombi. They parted like the Red Sea as the person emerged.

Everyone lowered their heads when they saw a teenage girl step forward. "Your leader is a thirteen year-old?" Regina scoffed.

The girl glared at her. "I'm fifteen and I'm more than qualified to lead this group. Tell your men to put down their weapons."

"No." Regina said firmly. "I still don't believe you."

Snow stepped closer to Regina. "Maybe we should hear them out." She suggested.

"You really want to take that chance?" Regina snapped without taking her eyes from the girl in front of her.

"My name is Maddie and this" She said gesturing to the group around her. "is my army. The Revolutionary Order of the Wicked."

"So you work for the Wicked Witch!" David said still in fighting stance.

Maddie rolled her eyes. "No you idiot. We're against her!" Regina gave a slight smirk at the spunk this little girl had.

"Are you from Oz?" Belle questioned.

The girl nodded. "We all are." She took a step forward causing the Merry Men to become a bit stiffer as their fingers were ready to release their arrows. "This Order is made up of many people from our world. Both good and bad. We've joined forces to stop the one woman who is terrorizing our world just like she is yours."

"See!" Regina glared at Snow. "What did I tell you?! We shouldn't trust these people!"

Maddie waved her hand and all of the Merry Men's weapons dropped to the ground, including David's sword.

Regina looked at her inquisitively as she raised her eyebrow. "I asked nicely the first time. They didn't listen." Maddie told her. The Order's weapons dropped to their sides as well. "So are you willing to work together to defeat the Wicked Witch?"

"Yes." Snow answered for her group.

Regina looked at her with her jaw clenched. "You're just asking to be killed, aren't you?"

"They know more about the witch than we do and she has magic." Snow said pointing to Maddie. "She can help you."

"Mombi can do magic as." Maddie added trying to sway Regina.

Regina still didn't trust the girl or her group but Snow already made up her mind. "Don't let me stop you." Regina said walking away.

"They weren't kidding when they said she had a temper." Maddie commented as she watched Regina walk away.

David furrowed his eyebrows. "How do you know who Regina is?"

"We may be from a different land, but we've heard the stories."Mombi replied.

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear." Snow said knowing how complicated Regina's past was.

"There is always more than one side to every story." Maddie replied with a shrug. Snow tilted her head, intrigued by this young girl.

"Does that mean you know the Witch's story?" Robin asked.

"Something like that." Maddie crossed her arms. "So who exactly is the leader of this group?"

"Snow White and David." Grumpy replied firmly.

Snow shook her head. "No, there are a few of us. We're kind of like a council."

"Well I would like to speak with this council of yours to discuss further action." Maddie replied. Snow nodded. "Follow me."

"My people will not interrupt your group. Our camp is not too far from here." She nodded towards them and they all went on their way. Those closest to Maddie remained.

They followed Snow, David, Grumpy, Granny, Belle, Robin, Neal and Red over to where Regina was sitting. "Regina?"

"What now Snow?" She asked aggravated.

"Would you like to be included in making a plan or not?" Snow snapped, tired of the queen's bad mood.

Regina huffed as she got up to join them, not liking Snow's decision to allow the newcomers into their camp. She walked over to them and eyed the newbies suspiciously. "Are you going to introduce yourselves?"

"You've met Mombi, my advisor and right-hand woman." Maddie said then moving down the line to a scrawny older man. "This is Renzo. He also is very knowledgeable about the many worlds and mystical creatures."

"Yea we already got one of them." Grumpy said motioning towards Belle.

Maddie nodded. "You can never have too many knowledgeable people on your side."

"Who's the shy little man behind you?" Granny questioned still unsure of these people.

Maddie took a step forward. "That's Lawrence, our healer. He doesn't talk much." She looked around the group before her. "And what about you people?"

Snow introduced everyone before they got down to business. "I think we should storm the castle. They wouldn't know what hit them." Grumpy voiced his opinion.

"We don't know how many men she has in her army." David told him.

"They're not men, their monkeys." Mombi corrected. "And she has about 3,000 maybe more by now."

"There's no way we can defeat that many." Red said looking around the group. "We may have more people but their just villagers. They don't know how to fight."

"We need to protect them, especially the children." Snow said firmly.

"We will, Snow." David said putting his hand on her back for comfort. "We'll split our armies. Half stay here to protect the people and the other half will go off to battle."

Regina rolled her eyes. "I just need to get inside and lower the shield to let you all in."

"And how do you propose to do that?" Belle asked.

"There are tunnels that run under the castle." Regina told them.

"Great. So we will send the army in through that way-" David began but was interrupted by the young girl. "An army would just raise the alarm. Only a few people should enter."

"But what about her flying monkeys?" Robin asked. "Surely they'll be around the castle."

Renzo shook his head. "No, she'll have them flying around for information to report back to her. If anything, we'll only have to face a few of them."

"I'm going alone." Regina told them firmly.

"No, I'll go with you." Snow said. "For back up."

Regina glared at her. "I'll be fine. Now." She looked over to the young girl. "I would like to talk to Madison, alone."

She glared right back, not faltering one bit. "If you're going to use my full name, you should probably use the right one. It's Madeline."

Regina already began walking passed her. "Don't care. Let's go."

Maddie rolled her eyes but followed her anyway. "What do you want?" She asked once they were far away from the group.

"To know exactly what you want and why you're here." Regina replied sharply.

"I already told you, Regina."

"Oh knock it off. I know you're hiding something." She snapped.

Maddie took a deep breath. "I just come from the same land she does. I've come in contact with the witch if that's what you mean."

"No, there has to be a reason as to why you out of all people are leading this Order." Regina replied with her hands on her hips. "You're just a little girl."

Maddie ignored her comment. "She's targeting you personally. You have to have done something to her!"

Regina clenched her jaw. She knew she wasn't going to get anywhere with this girl; she was just as stubborn as she was. "Fine. Keep your secrets. But know that I still don't trust you."

"Good. You should never trust someone fully." Maddie replied. "I know there's more to your story as well but I'm sure things will unravel themselves." She stared at the Regina for a moment before walking off to rejoin the group.

Regina sighed. "They always do."

So what do you all think? Would love to get some feedback!