Rated T
Warning: Character death. (I'm sorry.)
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this texts. They belong to ABC and the producers of Once Upon a Time and probably some other groups I am sadly no part of.
A/N: This story is unbetad but I needed to post it after reading many great fictions of OQ Week. This is actually the first story I've written but I found it to dark to make my entry in the OQ fandom with it so I postponed publishing. Now with yesterdays promt being Dark OQ I thought it fitted very well. I noticed that one could even spot Masquerade Ball and Caught in this fiction but I don't want to get too carried away. What was I talking about? Yeah right I was telling you it is unbetad and there might be some mistakes because I am not a native speaker. Also those who follow me might have noticed that I updated a chapter of another story in another fandom. I will continue to write both, so if it bothers you I'll understand if you unfollow me.
In her darkest moments the Evil Queen turned her eyes away from the person in the mirror for the fear to loose herself in her reflection. One of her darkest moments she experienced right now. Her last evil deed had cost her future self dearly. Like the wind disperses the clouds, she had forcefully wiped out another life. Again. But this time it mattered. Without the darkness there is no light. Still...
She had no strength to straighten her shoulders, to put on the mask of a evil sneer. Her confident posture was broken as she sunk onto the floor next to his corpse.
Rumpelstiltskin's words were still running through her head. „When you see the future there is irony everywhere." Pictures of a life past formed themselves in her head.
Many years ago in a land called the Enchanted Forest there lived a Queen imprisoned in her own castle. She had been married to a king three times older against her will. All she had ever wanted in life was love. Love her mother was not able to bear for her. Love her father was to weak to defend against her mother's plans for her. Love she had easily given to her stable boy. Her loved one she would have gone through hell to be with. Her loved one who was ripped away from her. Once upon a time all she wanted was to be the wife of a stable boy. Life had betrayed her wishes.
The sound of shattering was heard from the Queen's chamber. The guards standing outside shared a look and shrugged their shoulders. It was not the first time that the Queen destroyed things worth a family's monthly supply.
Inside Regina was furious and lonely. She had thrown a vase against her wall to relieve a bit of her anger. But it did nothing to soothe her. Breathing heavily through her nose she wandered around in her room that became her prison. Clenching and unclenching her hands she pondered on her desperation. She needed that anger. She lived it, she seized it and unfolded in it making the raging feeling stronger. That moth had the nerve to tell her what she needed. Like she knew her. There was nothing but that anger that mattered after loosing everything, loosing her fiance, loosing her life and her freedom.
A frustrated growl was gracing her lips as she turned around sharply and faced her reflection in the mirror. What she saw was a broken woman. A frown was embedded on her face and the eyes were shining with anger and hurt. In all the realms there would be nobody who believed that this woman once has worn her heart on her cuff with a smile that enlightened her whole fair face. That foolish girl was still there on the outside. Regina remembered her because of the light blue dress the woman was wearing, her long ebony hair hung over her shoulders. Yet that girl was dead to the world. Rumpelstiltskin was right. The darkness feasted on her.
Regina approached her reflection. She touched the cold surface of the mirror trying to caress the girls cheek with the back of her hand. But the cold did not disappear. No warmth sparkled in those eyes. Instead a smirk formed itself on those full lips. A smirk that was frightening and pure evil. Startled Regina backed away from the looking glass.
That is not me, Regina thought. That cannot be me.
That is not me. That cannot be me. It can't be me. It can't. A mantra formed in her head tried to force away the realization that this was indeed herself who wore that evil smile. Upon the realization fresh anger welled in her chest. She heard screaming. Someone screamed from the bottom of his stomach. She saw a maddeningly angry grimace in the mirror. It was the woman who screamed atop of her lungs. It was the woman who grabbed a silver candlestick. It was the woman who threw the candlestick at Regina. And then Regina watched herself shattering into thousands of pieces.
The Evil Queen was now lost in her memories. She remembered her encounter with Tinkerbell all those years ago. She had chosen anger over hope, anger over the prospect of love, anger over happiness. In the hours after she had driven Tinkerbell away Regina had faced the Evil Queen. Regina gave up on herself and welcomed the Evil Queen. Back then she had known that she was not meant to be happy. She was meant to be angry and dark because she could not resurrect Daniel and she could not let the guilt she had on his death go. If he hadn't loved her he would be alive. No, she was not supposed to be happy. This is what had made her trust the darkness and made her powerful. The darkness had promised her success and control over her life. For once. Yet she wondered if she ever had control?
"Well, well, well.. That was one hell of a performance, dearie."
Regina snapped towards the devil himself, Rumpelstiltskin. A confident and cruel smile decorated her lips. "What are you doing here? I believe our training session is not scheduled until this afternoon."
He giggled nastily as ever. "You could say I had a feeling that the flower I had poisoned has withered. I see I was right." He wiped his body toward the pile of shards on the ground. "Now that the darkness finally enveloped you, you will be one of the strongest magicians the world ever saw."
Regina rolled her eyes leisurely. "And how did you know when to come?"
He giggled again before he raised a hand mimicking to be in deep thought. "Isn't it obvious?"
The Queen raised a delicate eyebrow as reply and turned her back to him bored by his games.
The imp shook his head as if he was disappointed. "I was just attending businesses in the outskirts of this castle when something green flew by, a fairy named Tinkerbell."
Her head snapped around, revealing more emotion than she should. "What do you know, you little imp?"
"Ah, ah, ah." He wiped his finger from side to side. "I thought I already taught you, that I know everything. Just so it happens that I know about your second chance on love." He stressed the last word with a tone of sarcasm.
Regina's gaze was lost. She drew in a deep breath of control. I did not matter anymore. "It does not matter. If you know so much you clearly know that I did not jump at the idea of a second love. This is not he happiness I want nor I need. All I want is Snow White's head on a plate." She smiled satisfied with this thought. Her voice was dripping with sweetness. "Or on a spike. I have no decided yet."
Rumpelstiltskin nodded proudly at her with a almost genuine smile.
Regina strolled the room with swaying hips to a red cushioned chair."I have no intention to search for this man. For all I know, he could be some jerk who looks to deep into his glass. I will never see him." She seated herself leisurely in the chair. "All I care about is destroying Snow White and I will get my revenge." Her gaze lost her focus as she was dreaming about the moment she could tear the heart out of that disgustingly sweet girl squeezing it until it was nothing but ash.
Rumpelstiltskin giggled again madly.
Regina turned her head slowly into his direction and barked at him: "What?"
"Oh nothing deary, it's just as I told your mother once. When you see the future, there is irony everywhere." Giggling he vanished.
Irritated Regina rose from the chair staring at the spot where Rumpelstiltskin stood just a moment before. Her nostrils flattered a second before she schooled her expression into an indifferent face and huffed. "Now where was I? Right, I need a nice scheme to destroy my step-daughter's happiness."
If she had known back then that the Dark One was making fun of her maybe things would have turned out differently. Maybe her doubt would have ruled over her anger. Maybe she would have been more careful with trusting him. But she didn't. What was lost now was to be lost forever. Maybe she wouldn't lay here next to this corpse if she had listened to Tinkerbell. Most certainly she would not have ended up here on the cold stone floor. Maybe she could have prevented this situation if she had not given into her desire to kill, to hunt everyone who was disobeying her orders.
"My Queen." Regina rolled her eyes and sighed. She had just poured herself a bath with magic, tendering to her sore muscles with a sponge, her hair held up with a bun. After days of hunting Snow White she needed time to relax and ease her disappointment about yet another dead end. But she couldn't relax if the genie that trapped himself into her mirror was always disturbing her.
"What?", she snapped at him while she slowly raised her arm over her chest to cover her breasts so the pervert wouldn't ogle a her.
"I am sorry to interrupt your majesty's peace but the soldiers reported cases of theft in one the mansions at a northern village."
"And why should that concern me enough to finish my bath before I was able to relax and appreciate it fully?" She drew lazy circles with her other hand in the water watching the water embracing her fingers.
The magic mirror cleared his throat obviously struggling with his desire for something he will never be able to touch. "My Queen, according to the reports the thief used arrows like those Snow White possesses made of pine wood and turkey feathers."
The addressed queen sat up and wavered her hand wrapping herself up in purple smoke. Gone was the bathtub and the queen was dressed in a bloody red ball gown that hugged her curves like a second skin. "Arrows you say. Was Snow White sighted?"
"No, your majesty but your soldiers are searching the whole village for a sign."
Breathing deeply she calmed her nerves. "If Snow White was not sighted then why are you assuming that it was her. The only proof seems to be some pointy sticks. Since when is Snow White known for theft?"
"Excuse me for my misleading news. There is one detail that might pacify my queen's understandable anger at my fault."
Oh how she hated this bootlicker. "Go on."
"The stolen property was given to the poorest of the village."
A smirk slowly adorned her face. "This does sound like her. Search for the thief and bring Snow White to me dead or alive."
These castle walls had not been this constricting since she had killed king Leopold. Now the Evil Queen felt the walls coming nearer, threatening to devour. She watched the corpse imagining how it suddenly started to breathe again. She imagined how the white skin would regain heir rosy tone, dull eyes would shine again with their blue glint, the chest would rise and fall with sweet life. She studied his face, his trimmed beard, dirty blond hair combed stylishly with dread spreading through her body. Could this man had been her gate into a second chance? She had not dared to dream of it when she met him.
Years after she had persuaded the Genie into murdering her husband and began to hunt Snow White the Queen who was known as Evil Queen still preferred to linger in her own chambers. Although it was her castle now the presence of her late husband was felt in every damn stone of this castle. She knew when she finally would get her hands on the impudent Snow White and tear her into pieces her deceased husband would be nothing but a memory in the histories of the people instead of a haunting presence.
She felt anxious, her fingers tingled with anticipation as she walked an invisible path time and time again in the Great Hall. She had waited for this day to come oh so long. The Evil Queen would soon reinforce her right to be on the throne and vanquish her most devilish nemesis. Soon, so soon.
The first time she was glad her Magic Mirror called upon her was when he brought her news that the thief from the incident two weeks ago has been caught. "My Queen, we found the thief."
She stopped walking. Something almost resembling a giggle bubbled from her chest. "Good bring her to me."
"I have to warn you -." The Magic Mirror sounded frightened but she did not care for his fears. She would bath in her victory making Snow White suffer like she had.
She stalled the room towards the mirror a dissatisfied scowl lined her face. "Would you stop bothering me in my victory?"
"Of course, my Queen." The reflection in the mirror bowed before he disappeared leaving the Evil Queen face to face with her all so evil smiling reflection.
The gates opened. Two soldiers carried a limp and hooded body into the hall. This would be fun. She grinned. "Leave us alone." The soldiers let go of the thief's shoulders tossing the body into the center of the hall before bowing to the queen and leaving her quickly. The doors closed with a loud bump.
The thief stirred at the sound.
The Evil Queen laughed her upper body shaking. "Look what the cat brought in. If this isn't my dear step-daughter, Snow White."
Rising his body the thief supported his weight on the floor with gloved hands groaning in a not so feminine voice.
The Evil Queen's eyes widened. What the hell?!
Lifting himself to one knee the thief rubbed his head and thereby lifted his hood. Instead of a woman with lips as red as blood, hair ebony as coal and skin white as snow a man with piercing blue eyes was revealed. "Apologies your majesty but I have to confess that I don't know what you're talking about."
In a moment of total shock the Evil Queen forgot her mask and stood there with a dropped jaw disbelief in her eyes. Someone will have to pay for this masquerade. With long angry steps she approached the man kneeling on the floor. "Who are you?"
To her utter amazement a smile appeared on his face. He had dimples that made her wish to trace them with her finger. Arousing such emotions in the Evil Queen was inexcusable. He lifted himself from the ground. "It's my honour to introduce myself. I am Robin of Locksley." He bowed in a mocking fashion. Unforgivable.
Robin of Locksley. The name stirred some recognition. Of course, this is Robin Hood. In total shock she shrieked. "The thief?"
Suddenly she felt foolish and betrayed. Walking to the other side of the hall she tried to concentrate and order her thoughts. Nobody had thought of the possibility that the thief who had stolen things of high value from one of the lords and given the haul to the poorest could have been Robin Hood. Not even herself. She grew mad, mad at the soldiers, at her Magic Mirror, mad at herself.
She did not notice how he drank her in. How he watched her every reaction a frown forming on his face. When she seemed plastered to the ground, he made his presence known again with a cheeky grin. "At your service, mylady."
She turned around her eyes shined with so much anger it seemed to inflame people by just looking at them. The thief however neither moved forward nor backed away when she again strolled towards him with these eyes. "You robbed the mansion?"
"I did." He relaxed his posture by shifting his weight on one of his legs like he was at home.
She scoffed in disbelief. He was too confident for his own welfare. "Do you have proof?"
His chuckle caused her stomach to tingle not unpleasantly but unwelcome. "You want me to show you proof for my crime so you can convict me?"
He amused her. She masked her amusement with an evil grin that he replied with more sparkly eyes as if he saw behind the mask. Staring into his eyes she saw the reflection of a smiling woman. "I wanted to catch Snow White. Not Robin Hood. If you prove to accomplished the theft, I will set you free."
Tilting his head to consider the offer he pressed his lips together. "Why should I trust you?"
A need to separate his lips from their clasp on each other with her own lips was swirling in her belly. This emotions were highly inappropriate and too distracting. She had to dispose herself of him. "Oh, you have my word."
He watched her and had the nerve to step up to her searching for a sign of her lying. After he ripped himself of their eye contact he gazed on his hands. "I gather the only thing to proof myself of the theft is to show you a proof of being an archer because I heard your soldiers found my arrows." With a gloved hand he pulled the glove from his right hand. He held up three fingers, his thumb, his pointy finger and his middle finger showing her the calluses the other two fingers did not have.
Robin Hood clearly made fun of her. She tilted her head forward skeptically. "You think that is proof?"
He shrugged his shoulders like a young boy. "I have no other way to prove my theft. I am very talented so there are no other traces than my arrows."
She laughed evilly. "Oh, this does not prove anything." She will get rid of the thief with his tempting voice, clear blue eyes and calloused strong hands. She had no time to let herself be distracted by a thief. "Nonetheless there is something you can do for me."
He raised an eyebrow unsure what her request might be.
"I wanted to kill someone today. I think you will satisfy my needs quite well, Robin of Locksley." With that she buried her hand in his chest ripping his heart out in an instant.
Robin was obviously bewildered seeing his own heart beating in her hands.
There was a rush of emotions inside her when she held his heart. She did not want those emotions, she despised them, had to get rid of them. Her murderously intent grew with each second as more and more emotions washed over her body.
In desperation he raised his hands. "Wait!"
She started squeezing fiercely watching him stumble to the ground in pain. His right hand grabbed and rubbed the spot where his heart should have been. His sleeve was pushed upwards. It was to late, his heart was already giving in.
When his arms grew limp at his sides of exhaustion she caught a glimpse at his wrist. As his heart turned into ash she felt as if the ground would swallow her. His wrist was decorated with a Lion Tattoo.
A dull sound echoed in the Great Hall as her soul-mate's lifeless body crashed to the ground.
The irony was bitter and heavy weight on her shoulders. Rumpelstiltskin had been right. She had disregarded her own promise. She had searched for the man with the Lion Tattoo, she had seen him again and instead on getting her revenge she destroyed her own chance of happiness. Not knowing about him being her destined love but neither caring about those feelings that instantly rose in her chest when she first laid eyes on Robin of Locksley, she made sure that Regina will stay buried deep inside of the Evil Queen forgotten and unforgiven. Regina was a flower that had withered because no one took care, not even herself.
The Evil Queen was broken. Leaning against the wall with a chest full of nothing, eyes that held no emotions she stared at her reflection in the looking glass. The woman in the mirror was the shattered Queen of Nothing. All that what might have been was gone. What she had prophesied her father all those years ago became the naked and blunt truth. She will never love again and no one will ever love her. She just made sure of that herself. Without the light there is no darkness. There is only nothing.
Hours later guards found the body of the Evil Queen clinging to the corpse of Robin Hood. No one ever spoke of the incident again. And the vengeful Queen tried to forget the one that was lost to her forever as time went by.
Years later after she broke the curse to save the inhabitants of Storybrook she would remember her short encounter with her soul-mate when she crosses path with the Merry Men in the Enchanted Forest.
A/N: I am actually glad myself that this is not how it happened but it is how I imagined what would happen if Regina met Robin on her darkest point in life. Sometimes I need a little bit drama and for OQ it reminds us how beautiful their love is because it is so tragic but yet so full of hope.