Her fingertips glowed blue in the darkness.
The princess gazed in wonder as the pinpricks of light grew, extending, connecting. It felt like dipping her hand in cold water, a cool, delicious sensation that made her sigh in delight. That is until her bedroom door opened, and she closed her fist immediately, distinguishing the light.
"Emma, darling? Are you awake?" Her mother's voice called out softly from the doorway. She could pretend to be asleep, the princess thought, and then Snow would leave and she could marvel at her little secret for just a moment longer.
But a childhood full of love and loyalty found her saying, "Yes, Mum. What's the matter?" Emma winced as her mother flipped the light switch on, her bedroom flooding with light. It felt so wrong; the artificial glow filling a room that had been blissful in the dark before. Glowing in the darkness…
Snow smiled at her gently, coming to sit on her bed. "We've just had some wonderful news. King Eos of Avalon has just expressed his enthusiasm in our partnership!"
"Oh, that's… great." Emma finished lamely, forcing an encouraged beam on her face, when in fact, she couldn't care less. Politics in the kingdom had never held her attention. It was all about status and alliances should a war come, and yet the idea of a war happening in the Enchanted Forest was just ludicrous. The only threat that had really counted was, well… Her.
Her mother was still looking at her, her smile wavering ever so slightly, "Now, here's the bit that I don't think you'll be as thrilled about." Worry collected in the pit of her stomach and Emma swallowed. Disastrous scenarios filled her head and she tried desperately to block them out. Slowly, she nodded and Snow said quietly, almost afraid to say it, "King Eos wishes for a strong, secure partnership and he suggested perhaps an alliance through marriage?"
A part of her had been expecting it. And yet nothing could stop the feeling of pure misery and fear that gripped hold of Emma's heart. She felt like she was drowning and burning up all at once, helpless and alone and hurting. It must've shown on her face because her mother pulled her into a quick hug, whispering in her ear, "You don't have to rush into anything, ok?" She held back, looking Emma firmly in the eye, "I know this is hard, Emma, but we need this. There's been talk that... " she shuddered, "That she's back."
The princess gasped. "No, that's impossible. You said she was gone, for good. That you'd banished her years ago-"
"Well it looks like she's found a way. Somehow she always does, I'll give her that." Snow frowned, her gaze becoming unfocused as she remembered, "A part of me has always been cautious. I told your father that it wasn't enough, that she was too powerful…"
Emma grabbed her mother's shoulders, anchoring her back to the present. Snow blinked, her green eyes identical to Emma's becoming clear once more. "Mum, don't worry, ok? We'll find a way. Don't we always?" She smiled but her mother didn't return it.
"That's the thing, my darling. Before, we had the upper hand. She wasn't as skilled, as demonic. But after all this time, she's become stronger. It's made her stronger." Snow sighed, as if in defeat. It was wrong to hear that sound from her mother, the very embodiment of hope. "Magic is evil. She's tempered it to her very will, and with it she'll conjure up nightmares we can't possibly imagine. I dread to think what she'll do if she ever laid her hands on our kingdom."
"She won't, Mum." Emma suddenly said, firm and determined. "I'll marry Prince Eos and with his armies and ours, we'll obliterate her. I promise." It was something in her mother's eyes - a broken hopelessness - that made the princess's heart swell with protective love. She would do her part, despite her darkest fears, if it meant saving her family. Of course she would.
Snow studied her, before a tearful smile made its way to her lips. "I'm so unbelievably proud of you, Emma. You've grown into such a beautiful young woman, so are much older than your eighteen years."
Emma chuckled, trying hard to keep her tone light and not burst into tears, "Almost eighteen, Mum."
"Oh, what's a few months?" Her mother laughed, and then she got up from Emma's bed. "Well, goodnight, darling."
"Night, Mum." She watched as Snow turned off the light, and left the room. Emma's heart sank, left in the darkness she once craved and now seemed to crawl with dangerous creatures and evil intentions.
Magic is evil.
She held her hand in front of her face. She could just about see the outline of it. Slowly, she watched as she willed it to and the blue beams glowed from her fingertips once more. But instead of wonder, she now looked at it in terror. She'll conjure up nightmares we can't possible imagine.
No matter how beautiful, magic was dangerous. Emma had been brought up learning this. It was dark, terrible. It had caused so much pain and anyone with it should be… should be…
No one could find out. If anyone knew, I'd be… I'd be…
A tear fell down her cheek and Emma gulped closing her fist painfully, her nails digging cuts into her skin.
It was a remedy, that pain. It could block out everything else, allowing her to focus in on that one minute piece of torment and somehow forget everything else.
The princess cried herself to sleep, unable to forget a thing.
Her fists were on fire in the darkness.
The queen grinned in satisfaction as the fire grew, lighting up the cave walls around her in a fierce, crimson glow. It felt like finally breaking free after all this time, a wild, defying awareness that made her sigh in relief. That is until a playful, high-pitched voice rang out, instantly putting her guard up.
"Is that really? Could it be?" The voice sang, and Regina rolled her eyes, turning to see a familiar, scaly imp in front of her, crazed eyes drinking her in. "My majesty!" he crooned in delight, "My queen!" His hands clutched hold of the bars of his cell, rattling them insistently.
"Rumple." She simpered, smirking at him. "Did you have fun while I was gone?" His face seemed to darken at that, the insane smile on his face faltering.
"We have been broken." He growled, "Anyone who wields strengths greater than understanding is prey to weak." he spat. Regina frowned at that, unsure of what he meant.
"Well, whatever is broken, you can be sure I will fix, old friend." she promised, and she was sure he seemed to relax slightly. "I intend to fix everything."
The queen hummed in thought, studying the underground cell, "They never decorate in here, do they? Perhaps I shall leave a gift, just to let them know I care." With a flourish, she threw a handful of shimmering seeds into the ground, before disappearing in a cloud of purple, laughing wickedly.
The Dark One began to laugh too as she left, clapping his hands in glee as an apple tree began to grow at an alarming rate, enormous and still growing.
The queen was back.