Everything happened so quickly. The fight, the flash of lights, magic, screams of terror. She thought the camp was secured, that everyone had ran away to a safe place, especially him. She was supposed to protect him. She would have, should have given her life for the little boy. But how could she know… How could she know he standing there, just a few feet away from her. She was sending fireballs and other spells to her sister to try to protect the people that were still close by. She knew once Robin, Emma, Snow and David would see the green and purple smoke in the sky, they would come to help her, but she could handle this. She's already defeated her sister, and she could do it again. She would do it again.
But it all happened so incredibly fast. Zelena repeatedly sent rays of green light her way and Regina was making them deviate with an invisible shield, attacking her sister as soon as she had the opportunity. But as she protected herself from one of her sister's attacks, the green light deviated and, as she replied to the assault, she heard a hollow sound, a thud so subtle it could have been easily lost in the noise of the fight. But she knew it wasn't the sound of magic hitting a tree or a building. It had hit someone.
She quickly looked on her left and her breath caught in her throat. " 'Gina?" The little boy mumbled as he held his hands on his stomach, shaking slightly. Regina's eyes were wide and then, then time seemed to have stopped. His small knees fell to the ground ever so slowly, the fear in his eyes as he seemed to beg for her help, as if he was silently begging her to save him. "Roland," Regina mumbled inaudibly, completely shocked. She didn't think about Zelena, who was about to send her right to her grave, she didn't think of the risk she was taking before she lowered her hands and immediately ran towards the little boy. Why couldn't she run faster? Why wasn't she already by his side? Why was time stopping now when it was going by so quickly just seconds ago?
As David tackled Zelena to the ground out of the blue and put the enchanted bracelet on her wrist, Regina finally reached the child on the ground. "Roland! Roland, please open your eyes! Please, Roland, don't leave me! Please!" Regina begged frantically as she put her hands over his tiny body and tried to heal him with magic. She would do everything she could, use all the energy and power she had. She could die, she didn't care, as long as these beautiful dark eyes would open again, as long as these lips formed at least another wide smile, showing his white teeth and adorable dimples. "Please, honey, open your eyes for me. Please, Roland," She continued as tears ran down her cheeks freely, magic still emanating from her hands. His small chest was not moving up and down as it was supposed to. Air was not filling his lungs as it was supposed to.
With gritted teeth, Regina kept on begging and kept on trying to save her sweet little boy. A delicate hand landed on her shoulder and she recognized Snow's gentle touch. Although she didn't look at her, she knew she was also sobbing. "Regina," The other woman started but Regina cut her off before knowing what she was trying to tell her. "Get Emma," Regina said sternly, still using her magic on the little boy. "I-" Snow tried with a frown. "GET HER!" Regina snapped. "If we try together, maybe we'll make it," She added quickly.
As if on queue, Emma arrived before Snow could even move. The blonde woman's throat tightened at the scene in front of her. "Don't just stand there, Emma! Help me!" Regina told her frantically, refusing to give up. Emma gulped and got on her knees in front of Regina, the boy laying on the ground between them. She knew it was useless to try to tell Regina to stop, so she simply did as the other woman told her and combined her magic to hers. After what seemed like an eternity, Emma looked at Regina who was still whispering begs to Roland. "Regina… It's not working, it's-" Emma mumbled to her. "No! No it's not!" Regina replied, still refusing to face the evidence. "It can't! It can't…" She continued and clenched her teeth, her lips quivering.
Her hands finally gently fell on the little boy's stomach. She sobbed desperately, refusing to face reality. She laid her forehead on his chest and wept as she hugged him tightly. She wept for her sweet, lifeless little knight. She stayed like this for a while before mumbling "I'm so sorry, Roland. I'm so, so sorry".
She didn't remember when or how she got up on her shaking legs, but she now had the little boy in her arms. She was walking in the middle of the street, Snow and Emma following her. David had gone to the sheriff's station to lock Zelena up in a cell before going to look for Robin. He didn't have time to reach him though, for the outlaw appeared running at the end of a perpendicular street with his bow in hand. He directed his gaze where he noticed movement at the end of the street and he could have sworn his heart stopped beating when he saw a small silhouette that seemed all too familiar and all too limp for his liking in the arms of the woman he loved. He dropped his bow on the pavement unconsciously and immediately ran towards them, yelling his son's name frantically.
Regina's eyes were full of tears once again, but she managed to hold them back by biting her lip as Robin ran towards her. "I-I'm sorry, Robin. I tried to save him, I tried everything," Regina told him when he finally reached them, her voice shaking. She was unable to control her tears anymore and she started to sob helplessly. Robin felt the world crumble under his feet as Regina's words confirmed his worst fear. "No," He mumbled and cupped his son's cheek, hoping to get some kind of reaction from him.
But there was nothing.
"Roland," he muttered desperately and started to weep uncontrollably, his whole body shaking. Regina didn't know how she was managing to hold the little boy anymore. Seeing Robin like this broke what was left of her shattered heart. And yet, she had to go on, she had to tell him everything. He deserved to know the truth.
"I'm so sorry, Robin. It's all my fault. I was fighting Zelena and I stopped one of her attacks, but it deviated and-" The woman said quickly, unable to finish as she looked down at the lifeless body in her arms. The tears were streaming down her face. She felt a deep hole in her chest, the guilt and the pain too overwhelming. "I'm sorry, Robin," She mumbled pleadingly and so desperately, about to fall on her knees when he took his son's body in his arms
Robin hugged his son, hollering from his loss. He was the one to fall on his knees, not finding the strength to stay up, not finding any strength at all as he ran his fingers in the mop of dark curly hair. That touch always earned him a smile from his boy, always, and for the first time, it didn't. Robin couldn't find any more strength or hope to hold onto. He was swallowed by darkness as he held the inert body of the thing he loved most.
Regina leaned beside him, completely devastated, and that was the only warmth and strength Robin could find. Still holding onto his son tightly, as if he put enough love and desire into the embrace, it would have some kind of magical effect, he leaned on Regina. "I'm sorry, Robin," She sobbed once more, wrapping her arm around him as her free hand took Roland's. She kissed it and then leaned her head on Robin's. They both cried and grieved, not wanting to let go of their little ray of sunshine who was now extinct.