a/n: was stuck on my multi-chapters and feeling down so in my funk I had this idea and decided to try and write it out. It's just a little one-shot. Basically takes place some time after the season 4B finale. Sorry that Robin is included for a bit but hopefully Dark Emma's little jabs at him make up for his presence. Hope you enjoy. :)
The Fall of the Dark Swan
"I told you I was quite capable of taking care of Miss Swan myself. I am not one of your damsels in distress in need of constant saving." Regina retorted to the thief as they made their way through the forest. She had started out in an attempt to confront the Dark One but Robin had refused to let her go alone.
"I'm well aware you are anything but a damsel in distress, Regina, but I would feel better knowing you are not alone. You don't know what Miss Swan is capable of now that she is the Dark One." Robin confessed as he tried to keep up with the brunette. How she walked so fast in high heels in this forest foliage he hadn't a clue as he tripped over a stump himself.
"Yes we see how well you hold up to confrontations. Being so easily thwarted and knocked out in the hospital when Zelena was set to destroy everything in this town. Your own incompetence to protect your son from flying monkeys in the Enchanted Forest, which I saved the boy from. And let's not forget your latest idiotic attempt at running at the darkness yourself and getting blasted back on your ass." She stopped walking and spun around. "You're all sorts of helpful." She rolled her eyes in irritation and spun back around to start walking again. While she had taken him back, after they had returned to town from New York, even after his accusation upon her, she wasn't letting him off the hook and was still extremely hurt by it.
Robin went to say more in his own defense, but for once thought better of it and kept his mouth shut as he started off again, following behind the angered brunette.
"I see you brought your dog along. Taking him out for a walk? If I were you I'd just let him loose in the woods. He looks like he may have mange."
Regina stopped with Robin almost bumping into her, as she whipped around at the voice. She knew that voice, though more menacing than she was used to, she would know that voice anywhere.
Emma let out a dark chuckle before showing herself, emerging from behind a tree to lean against it and folding her arms as she took in the pair in front of her. "And what do I owe this pleasure?" She asked, Regina noticing the raking look of appreciation the blonde was giving her causing her to quirk her brow. "Well, would be more pleasurable without the mangy mutt." She shot a glare toward the thief who took a step forward to stand next to Regina, straightening his stance. "Oh my, someone trying to show his dominance?" Emma pushed off the tree and sauntered toward them. "Do you really want another round with the darkness? I have no problem knocking you flat on your ass. Now why don't you do us both a favor and just lay down and roll over like a good boy, hmm?"
"Emma!" Regina snapped in an almost reprimanding fashion causing the blonde to turn her attention back to her.
"Regina, Regina…" Dark Emma tsked as she shook her head. "What have they done to you? Where is that fiery woman who tried to kill me when i first came to town? Instead they have you pining over this." She waved her hand, gesturing toward the thief. "I get that you're wanting this happy ending of yours, but you're really willing to settle with a man who had no problem giving you up and having another baby with another woman? Let alone yell at you for being a jealous ex."
"He didn't give me up. I let him go. That was his wife… or so we thought." Regina's voice fell off at the last words and looked away as her jaw tightened. Even if it was true, it still stung. She didn't need to be reminded of that moment. She remembered him yelling at her like she was some jealous lover instead of the true fact that she had gone to save him. If he was her true love, as the fairy dust told, he should have believed her not… Sensing movement next to her she snapped out of her inner conflict with herself and turned to find Robin now standing between her and Emma.
The thief steeled his nerve trying to shield the brunette from the Dark One as he took the steps to put himself between them. Emma moved back a little and let out a loud evil laugh. "You pathetic excuse for a man." She growled and stepped back into his personal space. "If one can call you that. Perhaps I should turn you into a bug. I think it would suit you more. Then you can go scurry off deep in the forest where you belong."
"Emma stop, this isn't you. Think of Henry." Regina commented to the blonde over the man's shoulder, knowing if anything could bring the true Emma back it would be their son.
Emma's eyes flicked to find Regina's, the brunette could see the war within the blonde's eyes before the darkness took over again. "Or maybe this is precisely who I am. You have no idea what I'm capable of." She growled the ending; keeping her eyes trained on the brunette, she reached out and grabbed Robin by the neck.
Seeing the grip the blonde had on the thief, Regina's mind immediately flashed back to when her mother did the same to Daniel. The Dark One saw the pain in the brunette's eyes and for a brief moment the true Emma showed herself just long enough for Regina to glimpse it before she was gone, the darkness returning once more. "Come now Regina, remember the good old days. Just you and me, without this louse." Venom coated her words as she spoke of the man, keeping a calculating eye on the woman in front of her.
Regina furrowed her brow. "Good old days? Have you lost your outright mind?" She squared her shoulders and took a regal stance, not willing to let Emma do this to herself. She knew the blonde's true self was there. She had made the mistake of letting it slip just a moment ago and Regina had to hold out hope that if she hit the right nerve it would bring her back to them. "All we did was fight, much like right now except the roles were quite reversed."
Robin began to choke as he tried to keep air flowing through his windpipe but it was becoming increasingly difficult as the Dark One gripped his throat that much tighter at the brunette's words to her.
"Please, you know as well as I there was much more hidden within those fights." Emma purred as her eyes dropped to appreciate the other woman's body. Regina shifted in place before bringing her arms up to cross in front of her, feeling a flush come to her face.
"Stop being so absurd. That is ridiculous." Regina glanced away.
"Re...Regina..gack… little help... " Robin tried to get out.
The brunette whipped back around and inwardly started berating herself for completely forgetting the thief's predicament thanks to the blonde's words. Right… "Emma, please, let him go." She pleaded.
A low, dark chuckle bubbled up from the blonde's throat, an evil smirk appearing on her face. "Well, if you say so." She gave a quirk of her brow before launching the man across and into a nearby tree.
"Robin!" Regina called out before running over to where he landed, checking to see if he was alright. When he didn't respond she checked to see if he was breathing. When she heard the crunching of leaves behind her she turned to find the Dark One approaching.
"He doesn't deserve you." The blonde stated as she fold her arms and watched the brunette fussing over the man. "He only wants you when it is convenient, when things aren't going his way with the other woman, or should I say "women", in his life." Regina just continued to stare at the other woman, not knowing who she hearing, the dark one or… Emma. If she didn't know better she could swear she saw a hint of a tear at the corner of the blonde's eye. "Don't you see Regina? He has done nothing but help destroy the woman that I…" The Dark One growled and abruptly cut her sentence short, angry that the brunette somehow managed to break through to its vessel once again. Raising her hand, Emma flicked her wrist, a whirlwind of smoke enveloping her in a sweet embrace before she was gone, the magic cloud the only thing remaining as it drifted to the ground and dissipated.
Regina paced back and forth in front of the fireplace, trying to figure out what Emma was about to say before she stopped herself and poofed away. Robin lay there on the couch, an ice pack resting on the back of his head where it had hit the tree.
"Regina, come, sit." The thief offered, managing to sit up and repositioned the ice pack. "We'll find another way to get her."
The brunette stopped and looked over at him. "We? We will not be doing anything. I told you I could take care of this myself but you had to go and now we are left once again not knowing where she is." The blonde's words echoing in her head… Just you and me...
"Can't you just use that dagger and summon her?" He winced at the sharp pain that sprang up in that moment, making his head throb.
"While technically yes, I wanted her to come on her own. Demanding her to show herself isn't going to solve anything." Yes, of course she knew she could use the dagger, but that didn't mean she should. She had insisted on putting in her vault where it was protected so that others would not be tempted to use it.
Robin removed the ice pack and set it on the table, getting up to walk over to her. "But whoever controls the dagger, controls the dark one. You could demand answers." He went to bring her into an embrace but she took a step back and began pacing again.
Demand answers… like what was that about those looks and… Regina stopped again and turned "Perhaps you should go see Dr Whale and get that looked at." She stated, throwing the thief a bit off guard at the sudden subject change. She walked over and gently touched the back of his head to check it. "I'll be fine but you need medical attention. And... I would just like some time alone and I would feel better if I knew you were being looked at to make sure there is nothing too serious."
Robin decided not to argue with the brunette, knowing she had much on her shoulders. "Alright. I'll stop by the hospital and have him look if that makes you happy. And I will check in on you later tonight." He moved to kiss her but she turned away, his lips only brushing her cheek.
"I may have taken you back, but that doesn't mean I've forgiven you completely. I'm not stupid but I do care about you." Regina stated softly as she stood there staring at the fire in the fireplace, her arms wrapped around herself. "Thank you for accepting my wishes."
The thief didn't leave right away, not sure how to take what she had just said. Giving a short nod, he finally turned and left, Regina unmoving until she heard the front door close. In the silence of the manor, from the stress of bringing her son's other mother home, she broke.
After giving herself a moment to let the emotions out, she took a deep breath and straightened her stance, finding the regal within once more. Losing herself was not going to help matters. Giving a quick wipe of her cheeks to clear away the remnants of the tears that had flowed, Regina quickly poofed herself to her vault
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She quickly walked to the far corner of the vault and pulled out a piece of cloth, but it's what was inside that she wished for. Folding back the edges, she took in the exquisite piece, running her fingers over the newer engraving of the name of the person's soul that the dagger now claimed. Emma. "Why did you have to do it, you idiot." She asked aloud to the empty vault.
Taking the hilt of the dagger in hand she let the cloth fall out of the other before resting the cold metal in her palm. "What were you going to say to me before you vanished?" Her brow furrowed as she took a deep breath and raised the dagger up. "Dark One! Emma, I summon thee!" She yelled out to the emptiness and waited in the silence, but nothing happened.
Cursing and growing frustrated at the lack of answers, she gripped the dagger tighter and held it out again. "Dammit, Emma Swan. I SUMMON THEE!"
"No need to yell, Your Majesty."
Hearing the smooth lower new voice of the blonde she called upon, Regina brought the dagger down to her side and turned to find Emma standing there with a smug smirk on her face, leaning against one of the columns.
"And here I thought you couldn't be any more infuriating than before. Clearly, you love proving me wrong." The brunette stated in annoyance.
"Oh come now. You know you love having me around." Emma pushed off and took steps toward her. "Name one other that challenges you in your verbal sparring matches." The blonde dared, continuing her slow calculating steps.
"You're an idiot." Regina scoffed, trying not to let the other woman unsettle her.
Her words only caused the blonde to smirk that much more. "But it would seem I'm your idiot now." Emma quipped back, glancing down at the dagger in the mayor's hand. As she approached the smaller brunette woman she began to slowly circle her. "So what is it Your Majesty wishes of me?" She purred as she stepped behind her, whispering against her ear. "You did summon me, after all." Emma added before coming fully back around to stand in front of her just in time to witness the hard swallow. "What? Does the new me unnerve you?"
Regina rolled her eyes, trying her best to remain steadfast. "You wish."
Emma let out a dark chuckle. "Oh I don't need to wish, dear. I'm quite certain I do." She reached out and held the brunette's chin. "No wonder you enjoyed power. It's quite exhilarating."
Regina jerked from the touch and turned to gain some space from the other woman, hoping also that it would help her mind clear. Remembering why she sent for the blonde, she stopped when she felt she was safe enough distance away. "What were you about to say before you left earlier?"
The Dark One's smirk wiped from her face at the brunette's question. "I'm not certain what you mean. Clearly it wasn't important if I didn't say whatever it was." For the first time Emma's attention dropped from the smaller woman and tried to find anything within the room to latch on to.
Seeing the change in the Emma's demeanor, Regina knew she hit the right nerve. "Or it was important, and that scared you."
Emma let out a loud cackle. "Scared? I'm the Dark One. What ever could I be scared of?"
"Yes, what would you be scared of." Regina questioned to herself as she narrowed her eyes, analysing the taller woman. She played back the blonde's last words from earlier in the day in her head. 'Don't you see Regina? He has done nothing but help destroy the woman that I…' That, combined with the looks dark Emma had been giving… It clicked as Regina's brow rose in realization. "Unless… It's what we all have fears of… our emotions. Especially a certain one that deals with the one thing that can break into a thousand pieces yet still remain whole as it beats, and you feel every one of those thousand pieces jabbing you with each heartbeat as you live on, praying one day it finally stops hurting."
Emma tossed the bobble she was looking at back into the pile of others and brushed her hands together to rid herself of the dust as she spun around. "Wow.. that was deep, Your Majesty. Did you read it in a book?" She asked with cocky disinterest, wishing to hide the nerve the brunette seemed to have hit within. But Regina wasn't fooled by any of it.
"Maybe emotions didn't scare the darkness when it was taking over Rumple, but he embraced it out of selfishness, craving and choosing it's power over his own family. Would you choose this, over Henry?" The brunette paused waiting to see if anything was getting through to the other woman. "Emma… you sacrificed your happiness, your own being, to save people. I know that Emma is still there."
There was a long silence before Emma finally spoke. "How do you do it?"
"Do what, dear?" Regina furrowed her brow and tilted her head, not understanding to what she was referring to.
The blonde hesitated then took a step toward the smaller woman. "Get to me when no one else can." Her voice was soft as her eyes searched those of the other woman.
A small smile slowly made it's presence known upon Regina's lips at that confession. "We're a lot alike. And because I lived with my own dark power for so long but deep down inside I knew I was still there, still Regina, just as I know you're in there now."
"I don't know if I am strong enough to fight this." Emma finally cracked and the brunette could see the struggle inside her so clearly in that moment.
"Perhaps not… But maybe we are." Regina took a step closer, closing the gap between them, and dared reach out to cup the taller woman's cheek. "I remember someone telling me that once."
Emma closed her eyes at the caress and leaned into the touch "Regina?" The word was but a whisper.
"Yes?"
The blonde slowly opened her eyes to stare into the concerned, yet understanding and loving chocolate brown eyes gazing back at her. "I didn't sacrifice myself to save people… I did it to save you."
"I know." Regina affirmed before leaning in and placing a tender, all encompassing kiss upon soft lips. Emma's eyes fluttered shut once again as a lone tear broke from its hold to mark a trail down her face, everything feeling complete and right in that one moment.
When they finally pulled apart, Regina's smile only grew as she saw the changes manifesting upon the blonde's face, returning her to her true self. "There you are." Regina murmured brushing her thumb against the taller woman's cheek, wiping away the remnants of the tear.
Emma let out a huff of laughter in relief before grabbing the brunette's face in her hands and claimed her lips, not able to hold back any longer as the darkness bowed out, knowing it had been defeated by the only thing powerful enough to do so... true love.