A/N: Hello beautiful people! So, I decided to rewrite the season 4 finale, because it simply wasn't Swan Queen enough for me, even though it was beautiful and painful and everything still hurts. Also because, in that moment Emma rises from the sacks and cries "REGINA!" I honestly, HONESTLY thought this was where it would canon. It felt like a perfect opportunity and I would have been more than happy if it had played out like I now decided to write it. But as always, they wasted a perfect opportunity.
Anyway, enough chatting. I hope you'll enjoy my idea of how Swan Queen COULD have canoned during the season 4 finale. Credit to my sister/beta Caryn, I would be nothing without you. Credit to my amazing girlfriend Nina, for reminding me that feelings are needed to create beauty. And credit to my lovely friend Joana, for the amazing artwork she did for this one-shot. Please check out the full piece here: post/118972512417/a-sacrifice-by-regalfangirl, at her tumblr page "artbyJoana". Her work is outstanding and she deserves all the awards.
Now let's get on with it! As always, reviews are highly appreciated. I love reading all your beautiful words, and as this took longer and more than I expected, I'm excited to see what you all have to say.
Disclaimer: The lines, scenes and characters belong to Once Upon A Time. I own nothing.
It all happened so fast. Like one of those moments that seem to go by so quickly you don't register the consequences, but also happens so slowly you remember every scrutinizing detail afterwards.
"Go, I got the dark one."
Regina looked anxiously at the blonde she'd only just come to know, wondering if she could really trust her. But as Emma pulled her sword and walked up to the man ready to fight, Regina knew she didn't have a choice.
She ran quickly past them, her focus steady on reaching the church, but couldn't help looking back, slowing down. She caught the green eyes of the blonde woman for a quick moment, her face stern but her eyes shimmering with a deep care Regina had never received from anyone, and the brunette couldn't understand why. Some odd sense of pleasure familiarity tingled in the back of her mind whenever she looked at the blonde's face.
"Regina, go!" Emma's command was not to be questioned, and Regina picked up her pace again, until she reached the church.
Emma struck her sword at Rumple, only to bang it against his own weapon. With a steady composure, she picked up the sword fighting she'd grown so used to, and did her best to hold Rumple off. Her eyes were fixed on his impy little face, anger boiling beneath her skin. Sweat started forming on her forehead but she never lost focus. She had to help Regina, lead her to her happy ending. Emma might have broken a lot of promises throughout her life, but this was one she intended to keep, and this cowardly excuse for a man was not going to stop her. She leapt forward for what she thought would be a good strike, but Rumple was too fast, and he caught her sword mid-blade and pushed her backwards. She stumbled over her own feet, and when she looked up with wide eyes, all she saw was a bright, white light before she was spiraled backwards, and then everything went dark and silent.
"Mom!" Henry cried, running towards her. He knew Rumple would kill Regina if he didn't stop him, so he didn't second-guess what he had to do, simply grabbing his mother's sword, pointing it at Rumple.
"Out of my way, boy."
"You have to get through me to get to her."
Henry walked backwards as Rumple approached him with a grin that made him shiver, even if he seemed unafraid on the outside. He looked over his shoulder to his brunette mother.
"Go, you have to stop that wedding!"
As he did, Rumple knocked the sword out of his hands, leaving him helpless. Henry felt the stern beating of his heart as he tried to stay brave. Rumple was talking to him, but he didn't listen. He simply awaited what he knew was about to come. If he had to die to save his mother, he would.
As Regina was standing in the door to the church looking into the eyes of a man who she was supposedly meant to be with, she knew what she needed to do. What she had to do. Even if she didn't know why, she knew exactly what. That's why, in the second before the sword struck, she leapt in front of the young boy who seemed so persistent in calling himself her son. The blade hit her hard, bringing the agonizing pain of the deep cut it left. Everything flickered before her eyes as she was blinded by white spots of pain, and she instinctively held her hands to her gut, where blood was already seeping through her clothes. As she exhaled, she fell to the ground with a dull thud, her head banging against the hard surface, forcing her to close her eyes for a moment.
"Mom?" Henry croaked quietly as he kneeled beside her.
Regina groaned as the pain settled in, until it was all she felt. Henry shook her shoulders gently, and she tried to open her eyes, but the burning in her gut made the effort almost too much. She felt one of his clammy hands grip tightly around one of her wrists and it did something to her heart she couldn't explain. Even if she still had a hard time believing that what he said was indeed true, some part of her felt an unbreakable connection to him, like she'd known him in another life. All she knew for sure though, was that she could not let him die. Which was why she was now lying here instead of him.
Emma was splayed out in the sacks on the ground where Rumple had knocked her unconscious. But as the sword struck into Regina's flesh, something prickled at the back of Emma's mind. Sounds and smells and touch came washing back to her as she was brought back to consciousness. Her heartbeat was rapid, her mouth was dry, and she couldn't quite comprehend her surroundings, but something was telling her to wake up, to hurry, to help. It was like she instinctively knew something was wrong. Something was wrong with Regina.
Emma's eyes sprung open and she sat up in one swift move. Without turning her head, she knew Regina was in danger. When she did turn to look towards where the brunette was splayed on the ground with Henry beside her, her heart leapt into her throat and she jumped off the ground towards them.
"Regina!" Emma screamed, her voice cracking. She fell to her knees even before she reached them, sliding the last inches through the dirt.
"Regina, what happened?" Emma held a hand to Regina's wound without thinking. The brunette finally opened her eyes, catching the green ones of the blonde before looking at Henry.
"Mom, why didn't you go into the church?" Henry cried, tears spilling down his cheeks.
Regina smiled through her pain, her brows furrowing as she spoke.
"I couldn't let you die."
Emma watched them both frantically. She had to do something. But what?
The sound of church bells broke through her train of thought, and she looked up as realization hit her.
"We're at the end of the book. We won't be able to change anything now," Emma whispered. As the realization of what that meant hit her, she looked down to where Regina was lying. If she didn't do anything, Regina would die. But what could she do? She was powerless in this fake reality, her magic gone. Emma felt how reluctant tears pricked at her eyes. They'd come so far. It couldn't end like this. She wouldn't let it. Regina caught Emma's eyes and smiled as tears spilled down her cheeks.
"You're gonna be alright," Emma croaked out.
Regina swallowed thickly and shook her head.
"No," she inhaled unsteadily as tears filled her brown eyes, "No I'm not."
Emma didn't know why it hurt so much. Why everything hurt so badly. Why she was crying. She grabbed one of Regina's hands and held it tightly in her own.
"I won't let you die."
"Emma…"
"No Regina, there has to be a way!"
"Emma, there isn't. You said it yourself. This is the end of the book."
So many feelings were crashing together inside Emma's head and she was shaking. She was sad. Angry. But mostly, she was scared. She bit her lower lip as it trembled.
"It's okay, Emma. I know in your world things were different, but here, I was nothing. I had no one. My whole life has been about running from Snow, surviving. I never thought of myself as more than a bandit, because I wasn't. But today, I got to be a hero." Regina turned her head to look at Henry before continuing, "I got to save this little boy's life," she turned her head to look at Emma again, "And that means more to me than anything else ever did."
Regina whimpered as her wound suddenly contracted, sending a throbbing pain up her spine, making her quiver. Emma felt like she'd lost any ability to talk. She simply watched Regina's face contort, wishing she could take away the pain. She couldn't believe what was happening. She didn't want to believe it. Regina couldn't die. It couldn't end just like that, in the split second of a sacrifice. There had to be something. Emma's breathing hitched as Regina whimpered again. No. She was not dying.
"Regina, listen to me."
Emma squeezed the brunette's hand, willing her to look at her, and so she did. Emma felt her throat tighten at the look in Regina's eyes. She was giving up.
"You are not dying. I'm gonna find a way. There has to be a way, there has to. I will save you. You have to get your happy ending. I promised you. I know you don't remember but I made you that promise, and I intend to keep it."
Regina smiled warmly at Emma, the blonde's words making her tear up for reasons she didn't know. She'd only known her for a day, but still she felt so familiar. Comfortable. Home. She had to believe Emma when she said they were friends in her world.
Emma looked around her, whipping her head from side to side. There had to be something they could do. Maybe someone had magic? Maybe there was a potion, a root, a portal to get them to Storybrooke and to a hospital? Emma felt how panic was taking over her, clouding her judgment. Regina cried out.
"Regina! Don't, just hang in there. Okay? You're not dying."
Regina opened her eyes, the color of them glassy and faded. She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice was almost inaudible.
"Emma…" there was more she wanted to say, more she needed to say. But she couldn't. As darkness overtook her mind, her eyes fell shut and felt how everything faded away as her head fell limply to one side.
"Regina!" Emma's cry was heart wrenching, "Regina, no! No, please, Regina. You can't die. Listen to me! You're not dying. It doesn't end like this. Regina! You need your happy ending."
Emma was shaking the small body of the brunette more than she probably should but she had to wake up her. She had to save her. She had to make her happy. Hot tears spilled down her cheeks in a thick stream, dripping down on Regina's face.
"Regina! Damn it, Regina wake up!"
Emma didn't know why she did it. She didn't think. She only felt. She felt her panic. She felt her pain. She felt her anger. And it was all drawing her to do one, simple, action.
And so she crashed her lips against Regina's.
The moment their lips touched, Emma closed her eyes and everything faded around her. Henry, the sound of the bells, even the pain she felt, it all faded away. As her lips touched the ones of the brunette, there was only her. Regina. Emma could taste the sweetness of her still warm lips, she could smell the scent of her hair, feel the softness of her skin. All her senses were focused on Regina, and nothing else mattered in that moment.
She didn't notice the changing surroundings. The bright swirling lights and the familiar crackling sound of magic. She didn't notice the change in her clothes, the new scent of asphalt and gas and city filling the air or the missing sounds of the woods.
It wasn't until she felt Regina's lips press against her own did Emma open her eyes. She opened her eyes and was met by the startled brown ones of the brunette. For a moment, Emma was stunned, her lips still pressed against Regina's. The brunette seemed petrified as well, simply looking into Emma's eyes, not moving. They held eye contact for what seemed like minutes, searching each other's faces for questions, for answers, for emotions. A stray tear fell from the corner of Regina's eye, and Emma watched as it left a wet trail down her cheek. When she looked back into Regina's eyes, she realized their lips were still touching and she pulled back just an inch, there faces still close enough for their noses to brush.
"What was that?" Emma asked breathlessly.
"It worked!" Henry suddenly exclaimed somewhere behind them, and Emma jumped up, startled by the sudden intrusion of the bubble she'd found herself in with Regina.
It was only when she looked around her, did she realize they weren't in the Enchanted Forest anymore. They were on the streets of Storybrooke.
"What the…"
Henry came running towards them, and Emma got off the ground, offering Regina a hand so she could stand. Their eyes flickered towards each other awkwardly, but fell to the ground as Henry crashed into them, engulfing them both in a tight hug. He looked up at Emma.
"Mom! You did it."
Emma blinked a few times, her eyes darting to Regina. She looked at the brunette as she talked.
"No. We did it."
She saw how Regina inhaled sharply. She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. Emma knew Regina well enough to know that that was what she did whenever she felt too vulnerable and wanted to look stronger than she actually was. Emma couldn't help but smile softly at that.
Henry grabbed Emma's arm and shook it, wanting her attention.
"Mom, how did you know kissing her was going to work?"
Emma's eyes fell to the ground, and she heard Regina clear her throat.
"I… I didn't. I just… it was an impulse."
Henry nodded. For some reason he saw nothing out of the ordinary by the fact that his mothers had kissed.
"You always had awesome impulses."
"Thanks."
Henry seemed to be done with the conversation, and started walking in the direction of Granny's.
"I'm starving. Let's go."
Both Emma and Regina trailed behind him, neither of them saying anything.
At Granny's, everyone was gathered for the usual celebration of a fight well fought and won. Everyone was talking and laughing, except for the two guests of honor – Emma and Regina. They were seated opposite each other, neither touching any of the food in front of them. Robin was sitting next to Regina, talking to her, but it was obvious she wasn't listening. Emma herself had Hook by her side, but for some reason she wasn't happy about it. She was just so confused. Occasionally Emma would look up from the table to sneak a peek at Regina, and most of those times Regina would be looking at Emma as well, but only to quickly look down as Emma looked up. This is ridiculous, Emma thought to herself. She sighed deeply and fell back into her seat, about to speak up. But as she opened her mouth, her parents came over and interrupted her. David looked awkwardly, almost sheepishly at Hook.
"I didn't mean to kill you," he shuffled his feet on the ground, "though to be fair, I didn't have a heart," he gave Mary Margaret a side-glance and smirked.
"So it's my fault," she said and chuckled a bit, "what I think he means to say is – we are sorry."
Hook simply smirked and shook his head.
"You don't need to be sorry. Although I do intend to hold it above your heads for a very long time," his voice was cheery, and it was obvious he was kidding, but something inside Emma twisted at the sound of his words. When he gently grabbed her hand and squeezed it, she had to fight the urge to pull it from his grip. Instead she smiled tightly at him. She snuck another glance at Regina, and was met by the brunette's almost judging eyes. Emma gave her a puzzled look, but Regina simply looked away and to Robin, giving him a smile only Emma knew to be fake.
"Emma," Mary Margaret touched Emma's shoulder gently, "Is everything alright?"
Emma looked into the eyes of her concerned mother and smiled. Of course they didn't know what happened. No one did besides Henry.
"I'm fine. Just tired," she lifted a hand to squeeze the one of her mother's still on her shoulder. Mary Margaret furrowed her brows for a moment, questioning Emma's words, but nodded gently when she chose to believe her daughter.
Regina was watching Emma intently. Every move, every blink of her emerald eyes, every breath she took, Regina was watching. In her own mind, she was trying to figure out what had happened. She was trying to figure out what Emma felt. Why she did what she did. With the memories of both her bandit life and her real life, she remembered how Emma had helped her in the Enchanted Forest, even when Regina seemingly had no idea who she was. She remembered how Emma had looked at her with a broken smile as Regina was about to enter the church. And she remembered the unfamiliar feeling that had resonated throughout her entire body when Emma had kissed her. Each of these memories was more confusing than the other, and to be honest, Regina was scared. Before this, everything was so simple. Well, not entirely, but at least she had Robin and only him. Now what was she supposed to think, as she was sitting next to him now feeling – nothing.
Regina felt Emma's eyes upon her again and looked up to meet bright emerald. She searched for answers in Emma's face, but was only met with the same confusion she knew was written all over her own face. When it got too much, Regina looked away. She heard Emma take a deep breath and she panicked. Not here, she thought. She rose quickly from her seat.
"I have to go to the ladies room," Regina said and smiled tightly at Robin, "I'll be right back."
She was hoping the blonde would be smart enough to follow her. And sure enough, Emma rubbed a hand hard against her face before getting up herself, shaking her head. She caught up to Regina quickly. Back here, they were all alone.
"Regina, I…"
"Emma, don't."
"But we need to talk about what just happened."
"There's nothing to talk about."
Regina knew there was. There was an endless amount of unanswered questions and knotted strings that needed to be straightened out. But it was all so overwhelming. Suddenly, Emma grabbed Regina's arm, turning her around.
"The hell there is!"
Regina looked at Emma with angry eyes at first, but her expression quickly softened when she looked into Emma's eyes. Emma took a deep breath.
"Regina… when I kissed you… it… I didn't know what I was doing, I just...I panicked. I wanted to save you. I couldn't just let you die! And then it just happened."
Something about Emma's voice soothed Regina's fear and she felt stronger.
"I know," Regina said softly.
"So you're not angry?"
"Of course not."
Emma exhaled in relief.
"Okay, so… What the hell happened?"
"You kissed me," Regina said and smirked. Emma rolled her eyes.
"What I meant is, why did we appear back in Storybrooke when I did? Wasn't a true love's kiss needed for that?"
Regina shook her head. She'd been asking herself the same question ever since they got back.
"I don't know… Yes."
Emma threw up her hands in frustration.
"So? What the hell was it? Regina, come on, you're the magic expert here."
"I don't know, Emma!" Regina was just as frustrated, and not being able to find an answer when she should be the one knowing it angered her. She paced the floor, thinking. Emma was right. The only thing powerful enough to undo what happened in the book was…
Regina stopped in her tracks as something cold ran down her spine. She could almost feel all the puzzle pieces linking together inside her head. What she'd been feeling ever since they came back wasn't uncalled for. It all made perfect sense. Her heart was beating in a way she'd never experienced before. It was like a rattling, an awakening. She raised her head.
Regina looked so deeply into Emma's eyes Emma could almost feel them burn through her.
"Regina… we needed a true love's kiss, so why -"
"What makes you think it wasn't?"
Emma's breath caught uncomfortably in her throat as she widened her eyes.
"What?"
"You heard me."
"But Regina…" Emma shook her head, unable to comprehend the situation, "You love Robin. And I…"
"You don't love that pirate, Emma."
Emma looked at Regina and crossed her arms in defense.
"What makes you think you know anything about that?"
"I know because I don't love Robin either."
Emma's eyes widened even further, her mouth open but she didn't speak. Regina sighed.
"Look, Emma… I thought I did, for a long time. I was told he was my soul mate, and so I believed he was. I thought I was obligated to be in love with him. So I made myself believe that I was. But living that other life, as a bandit, without him, without my memories, and then coming back here to have all my memories intact… I realized that I didn't miss him. I wasn't any happier to see him than I was to see your parents or anyone else. And at first it scared me. It scared me because I thought he was my one and only chance of a happy ending. But then I remembered what I told you. That it's time for us to beat fate. And you kissing me, that kiss bringing us back here, that was it. We made our own destiny. And I realized that no fairy is gonna tell me who to love. I choose that for myself. I don't love Robin and I probably never did. So… again I ask you – what makes you think it wasn't?"
Emma stared blankly at Regina, unable to process all that she had just thrown at her. That was a lot of information to take in after everything they just went through. And she simply didn't know what to say. Or what to think. She shook her head as if to clear her mind. Regina waited patiently for her to answer, but Emma felt like she didn't have one. Everything was a messy blur. But she felt something, something unknown. It was roaming around in her heart, making her dizzy. It was like a calling she wasn't able to understand yet.
"Regina, I…"
"HELP!"
The cry came from the diner and Emma whipped her head around. She was about to run when she remembered what she was in the middle of. She turned her head towards Regina, whose eyes were big and vulnerable. Emma remembered Regina looking at her like this before. She swallowed hard before she took Regina's hand and squeezed.
"Let's talk about this later, okay?"
Regina simply nodded. Emma smiled warmly at her for a moment, holding eye contact for longer than needed. Then she turned around and ran into the main room of the diner.
Belle was in the door breathing heavily, tears in her eyes and on her cheeks.
"I need your help. We all need help!"
Emma walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Belle, calm down. What's happening?"
Belle was shaking, her voice trembling.
"It's Rumple."
Emma's expression hardened.
"What about him?"
"The apprentice… he tried to help, to save his life. But the darkness, his darkness, it got out and it got away and now it's, it's… it's."
"For gods sake, just spit it out already!" Regina said, frustrated.
Belle closed her eyes for a quick moment.
"It's looking for a victim."
"What?" Emma whispered.
Belle went on explaining what the apprentice had told her, as best and as fast as she could. All eyes were on her, and when she finished, the diner was dead silent.
"So what you're saying is," Emma took a deep breath, "That darkness will be flowing around, uncontrollably, until it's tethered to a person who can contain it, like Rumple did?"
Belle simply nodded. Emma looked around her to all the faces she knew so well by now, but her gaze settled on one person only. Regina. Emma nodded quick and stern. Regina nodded in response, and they both ran out the door.
"Wait!" Bella exclaimed, stopping them in their tracks, "Here." The brunette handed Emma the dark one's dagger. Only it no longer had Rumple's name written on it. Somehow, having the cold steel rest in her hands made Emma shiver. The power once stored in this had ruined so many lives. She looked up at Belle and gave her a nod of appreciation, before continuing out the door.
As Emma looked over her shoulder, she saw both Hook and Robin follow them and she wished more than ever that Regina and herself could be allowed to deal with a problem on their own for once.
As they entered the street, the air was thick and the night seemed to be of a different shade. There was a seething sound crackling through the air. They looked frantically around them, trying to locate whatever it was they were dealing with.
"Where the hell is it?" Regina said breathlessly.
Emma looked up with wide eyes.
"It hasn't gone anywhere. It's surrounding us."
The blackness of the night seemed unnatural, and it was with Emma's words they realized that whatever darkness they were looking for was not a simple it. It was everything and everywhere and they shared a collective shiver as they swung their heads around. Emma turned her back to Regina for a quick second to look behind them. She shouldn't have.
It all happened so fast. Like one of those moments that seem to go by so quickly you don't register the consequences, but also happens so slowly you remember every scrutinizing detail afterwards.
A cloud of what seemed to be deep, dark, strings of slithering darkness appeared in front of them. The sound it made was ear numbing and terrifying. Regina only saw it in time for it to engulf her and swing her around and she screamed.
"Regina!" Emma cried as she turned around.
The cloud was everywhere, imprisoning Regina in its seeping claws of blackness, strangling her to herself and itself. She could do nothing but scream. She felt herself choke, the air leaving her lungs as the pressure from the darkness pulled at something deep within her. She felt like it was sucking out everything she was, an unpleasant itch under her skin like the actual blood from her veins leaving her body. Her heart was beating differently, restrained and painfully and her memories bathed her in agony. She was slipping away. The light within her was slipping away.
"What's it doing?" Robin screamed, as if his question could make it stop.
Regina knew Emma would understand. The mind of the blonde always worked faster than she gave herself credit for.
"What darkness does. It's snuffing out the light," Emma's voice was a broken whisper.
"I'm not gonna let it!" Robin screamed again, before recklessly throwing himself at the cloud, only to be thrown back several feet.
"That's not gonna work on that thing!" Emma cried at him, overwhelmed by his stupidity.
Emma felt hot tears spring to her eyes, and she was powerless to stop them from spilling down her cheeks. Once again, she was faced with Regina's life being in danger. Once again, she was faced with the helpless feeling of not knowing what to do. But this time, it felt different. It was a difference Emma wasn't sure how to determine, but it hurt much more than anything ever had. It was like something was gnawing at her heartstrings, causing so much pain and confusion that Emma didn't know how to deal with it. This time a kiss was not going to suffice. Even if she felt a strange and unfamiliar urge to grab Regina tightly and hold her close to her, to shelter her from all the bad things that kept happening to her. Emma stomped on the ground as she screamed, her frustration too much to handle. Hook tried to grab her but she pushed him away, not wanting to hide her sudden disgust for him anymore. She glared at him.
"Don't. Touch. Me."
She watched as his face cracked with the pain her words inflicted, but she didn't care. All she cared about was Regina. She turned to face her, as much of her as she was able to see behind the cloud.
"Regina!" she cried and ran towards her, "Regina…" her voice cracked and she broke down in tears.
She was aching inside. It was a pain she didn't understand, and she wasn't sure she wanted to. Or even knew how. But she knew she couldn't lose Regina. Not now, not ever. She couldn't, and she wasn't going to. She sobbed as her hands trembled with the weight of the dagger.
The dagger.
It hit her like a freight train and she froze. You have to tether it to a person who can contain it.
Emma looked up and through the pools in her eyes she saw that Regina was crying, too.
"I know what to do," Emma said, her voice only loud enough for Regina to hear.
She held the dagger next to her face and watched as realization washed over Regina's features, followed by pure and utter fear.
"Emma! No! There has to be another way."
"There isn't."
Emma moved closer, as close as she could get without being pushed back. She wanted to take Regina's hand, to squeeze it reassuringly, to hold her, to kiss her. But she could do none of that. She could only save her.
"You've worked too hard to have your happiness destroyed," Emma's voice was trembling but she tried to stay strong, she tried to for Regina's sake.
"No! Emma, please. You can't do it."
"I have to!"
"No, you don't. I redeemed myself once. I can do it again."
"No, Regina. No. I'm not letting this happen to you. You need your happy ending."
"To hell with my happy ending. You're not sacrificing yourself for me."
"I PROMISED YOU!" Emma screamed, her voice echoing through the empty streets.
For a moment, the crackling and breaking sound of the cloud seemed to die down, the barrier of its claws seemed to vanish and it was as if Regina was looking clearly into Emma's eyes for the first time. She watched Emma's features carefully, the strength of her promise written in every curve of her face. There was something so strong about her eyes. Regina could almost feel it radiate on to her, making her stronger, even if she felt weaker than ever. For the first time since Emma had made that promise, Regina knew that she was not going to break it. She'd never trusted the blonde to keep her word, but now, Regina knew she would do anything to do just that. And it broke her heart. It was like a pulsation of pain shot through all she was and in that moment, she realized she couldn't lose Emma.
"Emma…"
"No Regina. After everything you've had to go through, everything you did to prove yourself to everyone in this stupid town, I'm not letting all that go to waste."
Regina shook her head violently as everything came crashing down around her, her thoughts, feelings, memories, all in one clatter of confusion and pain and realization. She gasped repeatedly, as if sucking in new air would make what she was feeling less confusing and easier to grasp. She couldn't lose Emma.
"I promised you your happy ending, and I'm –"
"But what if you're my happy ending?" Regina's cry was so shrill her voice broke several octaves, and she fought against her sobs.
Emma didn't flinch. She held her gaze steady upon Regina's face. She knew by the way her heart was beating that Regina was right. That kiss had not been the moment they made their own destiny.
It had been the moment they started living it.
But Emma couldn't think like that. Not now. She had to save Regina. No matter what it meant for the both of them. Even if everything inside of her was screaming for her to find another way. As if her body subconsciously knew it wasn't going to be able to take the pain she would cause herself, were she to leave Regina now. She was so scared, terrified. But not of what she was about to do. She would always save Regina, without batting an eye she'd throw herself in front of a bullet for her. She knew that now. No, she was scared, because this time, she could really lose everything. This battle might be one she wouldn't be able to come back from. The difference was – all she wanted to come back for now was Regina. And that scared her more than anything ever had.
Emma looked into Regina's dark eyes as she imagined how it would feel like to kiss her one more time.
"Then you'll find me," Emma croaked, her lips trembling.
Before Regina could stop her, Emma threw the dagger into the air and into the cloud of darkness surrounding her. Emma screamed as the claws of black hooked themselves into her skin, running down the length of her body. She closed her eyes, trying to deal with the pain of what was happening to her. Every fiber of her body was shuddering, like something was trying to break in, fill her up with something that wasn't supposed to be there.
Regina didn't move. She stood right beside Emma, watching her as it all happened. She wanted to grab her, to take the pain away, but she knew she couldn't. Instead she kept looking into Emma's eyes, trying to reassure the blonde that she was with her. Right here, whenever she might go. She watched as a single tear trailed down Emma's right cheek before her face hardened into something Regina didn't recognize. And within the blink of an eye, the cloud sucked itself into a hole that wasn't there, and when it was gone, so was Emma.
The dagger fell to the ground at Regina's feet. She fell to her knees. And she screamed. She screamed not because she was devastated or terrified, but because the pain she felt was too much, it was too overwhelming. It was like the never-ending length of a needle was piercing its way through her heart with no intention of stopping. And it was all too much, too real, because she didn't understand why she felt like this, all this pain. Hours ago, Emma was nothing more than just a friend. And now… now she held the promise of everything Regina had ever wished for in life. And she was gone.
Regina buried her face in her hands as she cried. She barely sensed Robin coming up beside her, wrapping his arms around her.
"Regina…"
Regina threw an arm in the direction of his face and tore at his shirt as she pushed him away.
"Leave me alone!" she screamed so loudly her voice cracked in a hoarse whisper.
Robin retreated, holding his hands up in defeat. Regina tried to steady her breathing as she looked at the dagger lying by her knees. She cried out as she picked it up, running a hand over the inscription.
Emma Swan.
Regina swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. Everything inside her was trembling, breaking. She held the dagger to her chest and closed her eyes from the pain as she spoke.
"I will find you. I promise."