Mufasa found the woods to be peaceful. An escape from the oddities, and the hustle and bustle, of the little town he had been calling home. It reminded him of his much quieter, simpler life in the Pridelands. They were a large Kingdom, true enough, but when he wanted to, when he needed it, there were so many plains and forests to get lost in. Go hunting in. Wander through just to clear his head. The honking horns and buzz of electronics in this place made it too loud on the streets for a quiet thought to make it through.

The forest, though, was still. There was nothing there to really distract him.

At least, that was what he thought. He didn't know that there was actually a band of people living there, or that many of the denizens of the town went in there for similar reasons. Plus there was a little cabin that he spotted while wandering, so clearly people came out here sometimes. It had been empty at the time, though, and he did not intrude where he was not invited, so he left it alone.

He was sitting on an outcropping of rocks, feeling at home there most of all. This had become his favorite spot so far, on a hill overlooking a quiet clearing down below. He could see the buildings of the town in the distance, never too far away, but even they looked more charming and welcoming from here. His castle had been built on a rocky cliff, a natural mountain of stone.

This place was a mystery to him, and he did not put a lot of effort into figuring it out. He did not want to remain here, not any longer than he absolutely had to. Still, he saw and heard things going on, things that seemed like they needed help with. His noble heart told him not to get involved, not to invest his time and energy here, but he could not ignore instincts so naturally ingrained in him. If someone was in trouble, it was his duty to aid them. This place had too much darkness in it, and it was likely an extra hero was always needed around town.

Zelena spent most of her time in the woods. Despite their location there was something oddly calming about them. If not for their close proximity to Storybrooke, she might have been completely comfortable there. As it was, she was always on guard for intruders because, one day, she knew it was going to be Rumple stumbling upon her and that was going to be one explosive reunion. Fun, but not terribly safe for anyone or anything in their blast radius.

She wasn't being particularly quiet at the moment, not bothering to mask her presence to anyone that she could hear approaching. It was far worse to face those that she wouldn't detect: her dear baby sister and Rumple. And she usually didn't have anything to fear from the rabble that could hear her approaching either.

She sensed the King long before she saw him.

He wasn't far ahead, pressed against the sky in a heroic outline. It was closer to the town than she usually liked to get but he seemed to be alone, and mostly defenseless to anything she could dish out. Magic was deceiving, but if he had it she liked to think she'd be able to sense it in him. She'd been around the stuff by now to be what she considered an expert.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that you should be careful when you're out alone in these woods? A wicked witch could come and kill you."

To prove her threat magic had gathered around her hands, forming very dark looking fiery balls. He had found her cabin in his wandering and she did not like people in her territory.

"I don't think I know you. Who are you and why are you all alone in my woods?"

Mufasa

Mufasa looked at her, frowning as she summoned fireballs to her hands. Another magic user. He was quickly learning to not like them. Frowning, he stood up, standing high on the rock and looking down at her without any fear in his proud stance or face. he was a King, after all, and being threatened by those with ill intentions was unfortunately a common situation to find himself in. He did not have any reason to fear her, though, as he had nothing to give her.

He was not King here, he had no family or friends to lose, and his Kingdom was far from him. If he ever returned there, he would help it, but right now he was all but useless.

And it was not sitting well with him.

Even so, he did not let his bad mood to the surface, offering her instead an infinitely patient look.

"Though I am not too familiar with these lands, I do know that they do not belong to you. Whoever you are. Why do you take to threatening me before trying an easier tactic? I would be happy to leave, if my presence here is a burden to you. But now I have the feeling you, my dear, are up to no good."

And he was a hero: heroes stopped those that were up to no good. That was just the way of the world. Anyway, she was holding fire balls, so he doubted he was getting out of here without some kind of a fight.

Zelena was quite comfortable with her magic.

As the king stood she took good measure of him, seeing his outline clearly against the sunset. She didn't let go of her magic entirely but she also didn't make a move to kill him where he stood. She was feeling generous that day and wanted to talk to him a bit more, until he attacked her. Inevitably they all did, deciding, rightly so, that she was a villain. Heroes did not talk to villains. They did not try to understand them. They only continued to see the darkness in their world of black and white.

And, with his words, it seemed that this man was no exception.

"These woods are mine; I beg to differ."

They were the only place here that she had to call her own, really. She couldn't be in town without the risk of running into Regina or Rumplestiltskin. She had no interest in speaking to either one of them. The others would as soon shoot her as look at her and then there'd be fighting, panic, someone would end up dead and she'd be blamed and hunted...again. None of that seemed all that thrilling to her for the moment so she avoided town. That only left the woods.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's not polite to make assumptions? You don't know what I'm up to."

Though his assumption was probably fair, all things considered.

"If I were up to no good, do you honestly think you could stop me? Stronger than you have tried."

The only person that ever concerned her, the only one, was Rumple and it seemed he had been neutered by his bride and child.

Mufasa

"Forgive me, you are right," Mufasa said, after a tense moment. He bowed his head gracefully, moving to climb down from the rocks and walk toward the woman currently threatening him with magic. She seemed patient enough, at least, not to make good on her threats immediately. Since she was willing to give him a chance to respond, he supposed it meant she wanted to listen.

After all, if she wanted to kill him, as she had said, she could have done so already.

He stood proudly on even ground with her, not too far away. He was tall and regal, and held himself up with the air of a King, despite being displaced from his land for some time now. He was not even sure if he still had a Kingdom to rule over, but that did not take the authoritative, yet graceful, aura out of him. It was also the air of a warrior, a knight. He bowed again, this time fully, dipping his upper body forward with his arm raised to his chest.

"I did not mean to insult you by making assumptions. You startled me with your threats, and I was not in the right state of mind to respond civilly. It's not an excuse. I take it you live in these woods, then? And that cabin, just beyond that ridge, is yours? I saw it, though I did not invite myself to it. I thought it abandoned."

He was placid now, watching her with a warm air, sensing something about her that gave him pause. Yes, she was clearly powerful, and there was anger in her. But something else, something gentler. She was a human, as he was, and that meant she likely suffered the same faults he did. Loneliness, for one. He had no right to cast her out without even knowing her, and she had so far not done anything to cross him beyond a threat made in defense of her home.

If he had the power and inclination, he likely would have done the same thing.

"My name is M... Talfrid."

"There's a good man."

Though...that was odd. People didn't just roll over like that. Whoever he was he was either very smart, or very weak. That made things easier and she wasn't going to complain about that. Any time she didn't have to resort to fighting and find a new place to live was a good day. Some people she would make exceptions for. Him, she didn't need to bother with.

"At least you recognize that."

She came closer, watching him carefully like a wild animal approaching food and not knowing if anything else was around. She always seemed to have an eye and ear open for danger and, sometimes, it was downright exhausting.

Talfrid. That seemed a bit off, but she was used to lying for her own means. Maybe he had his secrets. Secrets were good, manipulable.

"Apology accepted. My name is Zelena."

She offered a hand, expecting him to take it as the honor it was. She had no reason to lie about who she was because she had nothing to fear from him. He was as expendable to her as the dwarves or fairies.

"The cabin is...temporary. Soon I'll come back to my rightful place."

The witch had no doubt that soon she would find a way to get everything she wanted. If he could help her with that it would soon become apparent but for now she saw no reason to destroy him. Indeed, he might even prove amusing.

"What are you doing all alone in haunted woods?"

Mufasa

Mufasa was not weak by any means. He simple saw the importance of keeping a peaceful interaction, rather than leaping to anger. After all, it had not really helped him before, with Rumplestiltskin, and as far as he knew... everyone in this town was capable of magic. He had to be wary. He was just a normal man here, as far as everyone knew. He owned a bookstore, and went to the library a lot. There was nothing dangerous about him.

It might as well have been true. His title as King did nothing for him here, and though he was physically strong, he could do nothing against magic.

"Zelena? That is an exotic name. You are not from this land, then? Your rightful place, you mentioned. Where is that meant to be?"

It seemed this place was a strange mix of beings from all over the place. He was not sure what sort of name was acceptable around here, and did note that the one he chose for himself, Talfrid, was not exactly common. But it had to be better than Mufasa, right? He had no idea, but he used it rather than his Kingly name, just in case enemies had followed him to this place. He had left in the time of war, after all.

War caused by magic.

He took her hand and bowed gallantly, polite as ever. He was talking to a lady, after all, even if he did get the impression that she was a rather wicked one.

"I was here to think. Nothing more important or curious than that, I'm afraid. It is quiet here, and I can get my head clearer here than in town. I suppose that sounds a little strange. I have not found these woods to be haunted, of course, though I suppose you're talking about yourself. Forgive me, but you do not look like any ghost I've ever seen."

"I'm from a land called Oz, far from here, but I was born in the Enchanted Forest."

But Oz was not her rightful place, not yet. First she needed to conquer the land of her birth and then she could move on to the land she adopted, or rather adopted her. Though Storybrooke wasn't the Enchanted Forest pretty much everyone from the forest was here so the substitute was close enough. Though, she probably wasn't going to share that information with the King. Instead she simply smiled and left her intentions vague. He seemed like a hero type and heroes always wanted to step in and ruin her plans.

"I should warn you that I'm called wicked by those that know me."

Or evil. Details...

"Shall we?"

Zelena moved to the rock he was on and sat down, watching the sunset and inviting him to join her. It was as close to civil as she got so that in itself was something special. She looked at him sidelong as he spoke, noticing for the first time that he was actually kind of attractive in a strange way. Maybe it was the way he carried himself. He looked as if he didn't belong here, that this place couldn't touch him. It would have been nice for her to be able to feel that way just once.

"I'm not surprised. I don't usually look like a ghost, just a witch."

And Witch was what followed her around most. She certainly deserved that description, having earned it a hundred times over in her escapades.

She was quiet for a long time before adding, "I can't think there, either."

Mufasa

Mufasa had never heard of Oz, but in his land things were a little more... definite than in the Enchanted Forest. There was just what they could see and what they could travel to by foot or on horseback: the concept of other realms, beyond the world itself, was foreign. He had quickly come to accept it as truth, of course, considering he was now in a different realm entirely. There was no path he could take that would walk him back to the pridelands, after all.

She was displaced as he was, he supposed, and that gave her more credibility than he had offered at first. He nodded his head passively at her offer to sit down, joining her on the rock.

"Wicked? You do not seem like a witch, wicked or not, to me. Perhaps troubled, but we all have our problems, and we all deal with them in our ways. If others consider you wicked, then perhaps your chosen methods lead them to think that. Without understanding, it's easy to make unfair judgements about someone. As I almost did, just now. But I would seek to understand you first, before something like that happened again."

He sighed softly, thinking about his own temper, and his growing anger and bitterness toward this realm and all its magic. It was confusing and painful to be here, when all he wanted was to return to his home. To his family. Saving the people he cared about was the only thing he ever wanted to do. It just seemed to be getting more and more difficult.

"What is it that troubles you, M'lady Zelena?"

"Well it's fair to say you don't really know me. I could be a very good witch."

Or very good at being bad, which was true, and closer to the problem. The plans she had were not something she thought a stalwart like him could understand. Still, he professed to want to understand and she had no reason not to believe him. Well, except every other life experience she'd ever had. But for some reason Zelena didn't have an intense urge to kill him. Sure, it would have been easier to eliminate him before he became a threat but, oddly, she wasn't in it.

"You're not like the people around here, are you? You don't look like it."

And he certainly didn't act like it. After all, they were sitting together peaceably and she didn't have to coerce him. He wasn't trying to kill her. Tricky situation, it felt surreal. She sighed and leaned back, braced on her hands. For once, there was no magic in the air or around her. Zelena was just sitting there watching the sunset almost as if she were a normal person. With a friend.

"That would take a long time to explain, Talfrid."

Where to begin and how to tell him all of it without revealing her villain status? Somehow, she didn't want him thinking of her as a villain. Obviously he had no idea who she was but if he only talked to someone else and mentioned her name, that would all be over with in a heartbeat. She shook her head, willing that thought away. Instead, she changed the subject.

"You are clearly new around here. Where do you come from? Maybe I can help you find a way home."

Mufasa

Mufasa smiled, nodding his head in acknowledgement of her point. Maybe there were such a thing as good witches: he was not really familiar with them. Where he was from, witches and sorcerers were all but legends, and held tales of warning and danger with their names. No good came from dark magic, and even the light kind was avoided almost entirely.  The only one who seemed close to using magic was Rafiki, the town elder and almost shaman. He was a weird little man, but wise in his way. Maybe he knew more than even Mufasa had come to realize.

He watched Zelena passively, shaking his head.

"No, I am not from around here. Nor your realm, or the one everyone else in this town seems to be from. I come from a land called the Pridelands, and I am afraid we have very little magic there. I am learning the full potential of this strange power piece by piece, as I experience it. You being able to summon fire balls is a new experience for me, for one. I've never seen anyone do that before, let alone a deceptively beautiful woman."

He laughed heartily at that. Not shy, the King had little problem saying what was on his mind, when it came to it. He was filtered in an honorable sense, knowing when something was important and when it was frivolous, or when it might be damaging to a relationship or some foreign dignitaries pride. But beyond all that, he was a king and rather fun loving King, who enjoyed a good talk, and some honest connection or trust, when he could make a friend.

"I have been looking for a way home for some time, but there is little there to return to, I imagine. We were being destroyed by a powerful enemy, who created an army from the fallen and lost members of my own Kingdom, and the ones neighboring. A terrible curse swept the lands, twisting everything it touched, until almost all the lands I knew were lost. I left in a desperate effort to stop it, after losing everything I loved. But I did not succeed. I ended up here, alone."

He was looking out at the sunset as he spoke, lost in a memory that was painful. He looked grave, the laughter having fallen from his handsome features, his eyes darker and his shoulders heavier as he spoke of the true weight he bore. He shook it off as best he could, though, calling back a small smile to look at her.

"But I believe I will find my purpose. Why I was brought to this land, at this time. There must be some role for me to play here, before I can return to my home."

"The Pridelands," she repeated, turning it over on her tongue. "I don't think I'll be visiting. A lack of magic probably wouldn't agree with me."

Zelena didn't know how to be herself without it. Having magic was her first memory, the only confidence she had when she was young. It was her crutch, of course, and she didn't know how to exist if she didn't have it. Embracing all of who she was was the only thing that got her here and made her feel strong. If she didn't have magic she wouldn't be noticed...at all. Who would think of her as special without it?

"I'm sorry to hear that." She sighed. "Though that sounds like an interesting power to have."

She couldn't help but to be fascinated by the sound of new magic, things she didn't already know how to do. She wanted to learn everything and having an army of the dead sounded like a useful thing, if she was plotting to overthrow Storybrook and defeat the many heroes that lay in her path. That was the trouble with heroes, they never knew when to give up an accept defeat, which made them all the more dangerous.

Oddly, he was still attractive to her, more so, when he was serious. She did not often indulge in frivolity herself.

"Do you have family back there? There may not be much to fight for, but if there is someone you might be able to go back there for, or I can bring them to you, maybe."

She wasn't sure why she was offering. She didn't care, not really, if he had a family to go to or one to bring forward. She planned on taking Storybrooke so bringing someone else into that was hardly a good idea. She looked at him, puzzling. It would be nice to have a purpose. It would be nice to feel like she belonged somewhere.

Hesitantly, bashfully, she touched his hand with hers.

"If you find out what it is, will you tell me?"

Mufasa

The King watched her quietly, not finding her particularly wicked or evil. She was rather nice, really, though there was a sense that she was holding back from him, and not letting him see her true nature. Or perhaps it wasn't her truest nature, just the one she felt most comfortable in. The one everything around her, everything that had happened to her up until now, told her was how she needed to protect herself. If the angry woman that approached him and threatened him with fireballs was who she preferred to be, he felt he would just need to encourage her to be this gentler, quieter lady instead.

He much preferred it, honestly. She was pleasant to speak to, and there was no need to jump to hostility.

Her question drew his thoughts, though, and he shook his head slowly.

"No. I thought my entire family gone, when I came here, but I now find my son may have survived. He may be in this world, due to some strange little man's design. I am going to spend my time looking for him: if he is here, I need to see him again. It has been so long... I thought him dead. I thought... them all dead. My wife was taken by the curse. My brother betrayed me, joined their ranks. Leads them against us. It was by his hand that my wife was killed. And I thought he took my son, as well. So."

He smiled at her peacefully, despite his sadness, looking brave and hurt all at once. He was a very strong man when it came to war and ruling Kingdoms, but when it came to his family he found his greatest weakness. He loved them wholly, and losing them had left his heart damaged, but not broken. Never broken.

"Perhaps there are still good things to be had, despite the will of magic and curses. If I can find my son, then we may yet be destined to return to our home. In any case, all this rambling of my past must be boring to you. Certainly you have more important things to be doing?"

"Rumplestiltskin."

There was only one man that answered to that description and would do such a thing. She could not keep the venom from her tone when she spoke the name. Zelena had no love for the man, not anymore. That was taken from her over a lifetime of waiting for revenge. She needed to shut everything out of her heart to make sure that it was never used to hurt her again. On that she was absolute, and took her hand from his.

He was not foreign to betrayal, either. She shook her head, hating that she was finding things in common with the enemy and everyone was her enemy.

"You should leave here as soon as you can, with your son if you are able."

Zelena didn't want to see him hurt. It was a new feeling and she wasn't liking it much. She shook her head and got up, realizing that she had spent too much time here with him. She couldn't risk anything for him, a stranger. It was hard enough to have felt herself understanding Baelfire, her enemy's son.

No, this was impossible.

"You're right. I've stayed too long. Watch yourself in these woods. Goodbye, Mufasa."

She gathered herself up and nodded at him. She gave him a painful look and then vanished in a cloud of green smoke.

Mufasa