Prologue ~ Black and White and everything in between
A/N: This idea has been bouncing around in my head, the idea that Regina is good and Emma is evil. But I didn't want to completely deconstruct Regina's character, because I love her sassiness, and really, that sassiness was borne out of her experiences, her hard life, and in order to keep the Regina I've grown to love, I needed her to go through that life (I'm sorry). Afterwards however, you can view it more of a Redemption!Regina than a PureGood!Regina because I figured, someone that's pure can never help someone out of darkness because they can't relate on the same level, and that's partially why we love SQ right?
I actually haven't really seen many (if any) fics that made Regina good and Emma evil, it's always been both of them evil or Regina going through Redemption, and even then, Emma was Dark One evil.
Also, I want to say that because this is my first fic, please be gentle, but that's not what I want. I'm not even that gentle as a reviewer even when people say it's their first fic so why should I ask the same courtesy? I'm not saying 'be mean', but I would love good criticism.
Oh right, Disclaimer: I'm a poor hobo so I don't own a thing.
"Don't do this, please!" She couldn't help but stare in horror at the scene in front of her. This was certainly not what she had expected when she decided to crash the naming ceremony of Snow White's child; who knew the Dark One would get there first.
By the twisted will of the fate's she had been destined to be set on a warpath of hate and revenge triggered by her lover's death due to the carelessness of one Snow White. Not only did that carelessness and ignorance cause the loss of her happiness but also forced her into a cage of silent torture. Yes, she was groomed to be a Queen but she never wanted any of it, and being forced to wed King Leopold was not something she viewed as a blessing. If anything, it was a curse.
She has been invisible and trapped all her life, thrusted unwillingly into smaller and smaller cages until she inevitably suffocated to death, first from her mother then second by both her mother and the spoiled Snow White brat. Sometimes she wished she was completely invisible because this new prison was worse than her last as now she was just used as a trophy and a glorified whore.
No one talked about the sobbing and the state of the new Queen on certain nights.
It was when she was at her lowest point did the Dark One come to her, giving her promises of revenge, tempting her with power to escape her prison. She's always been a little naive - no thanks to her mother, because the smart ones were harder to control - so she was unaware of the skillful manipulations of the Dark One and easily fell into a spiral of destruction and pain.
The scream of agony was from her heart's final cry before it was swallowed up by the darkness.
Murdering the King has never felt so sweet, it wasn't her first kill, but it certainly was the first that mattered. After that, she managed to run the little princess out of the Kingdom and she's been on a man hunt ever since. The years that went by were just an unkept tally of winning and losing to the ever elusive Snow White; but one day the insolent girl had the gall to announce her wedding and seek her happy ending despite the ongoing war with the Queen. Did their feud not strike fear? How was it possible that Snow managed to live her life whilst she pushed all her time and energy to fight the girl? Snow White was going to get her happy ending, despite the betrayal, despite everything she had put her through, despite the fact that she ruined the life of one Regina Mills.
She had spent days pacing, panicking, plotting on what to do to make sure that Snow White did not win, there was no way she was letting their story end this way. She had called for the Dark One but had found out that the moron got himself captured by Snow White and was of no use to her now. Snow also managed to get an enchantment on both herself and her shepherd that protected them from the Queen's attacks. She went to see Maleficent regarding the Dark Curse she traded with her but realized there was nothing for her to sacrifice since her father had died from a dilapidating disease.
"My dear sweet girl, please do not lose to the darkness." He had said on his final breath.
"I'm sorry, Daddy, I'm afraid that's too late." She whispered when he finally left.
In the end she had ran out of ideas but decided to go to the wedding and make an empty threat anyway, because she had nothing else to live for but revenge.
"I shall destroy your happiness, if it is the last thing I do."
But the most she could do was go about her day the same that she always did, terrorize the villages, have her army go around and capture anyone that support Snow; but none of it was enough, she wanted the girl to suffer. Eventually, too much time had passed and Snow had the audacity to announce the birth of her child and the date of her naming ceremony.
Hence, where she was now.
The Queen had burst in with her usual theatrics only to stop when she noticed that the Dark One had stolen her thunder.
"Rumplestiltskin."
The scaly man turned around and that's when she noticed the bundled up baby in his arms. "Hello dearie, nice to see you've finally joined the party."
The child was quiet with watchful eyes, practically surveying whatever was happening around her. For that split moment, she met the eyes of the babe, her magnificent green eyes locked with chocolate brown and she felt her magic bubbling up to the surface of her skin. Without even realizing it she threw out a hand and attempted to strike the Dark One with a fireball.
He easily deflected the blast and that damn giggle, "No need to get so fired up, dearie."
"Cut the crap, Rumple. Give me the baby."
"No! Both of you leave my baby alone!" She had momentarily forgotten the presence of the White Princess but her outburst made her notice the swords that were drawn around them.
"Unfortunately, I can't do either of those things," Rumplestiltskin pranced on the spot and dramatically waved a hand around, knocking down all the soldiers that were closing in, "this child, as you all know, was born out of True Love." The imp pointed between Snow White and Charming and the Queen barely contained her scoff. "And True Love is magic, right dearies?" his grin was both devious and malicious and he pointedly directed those words to Regina, knowing it brought back sour memories. "So not only does it have the greatest potential for good..."
"No!" She was unsure who that outburst came from but she certainly drew the line at manipulating innocent babies, especially ones with eyes that shifted into a beautiful emerald - she decided to resolutely ignore the fact that this was the child of Snow White.
"Oh yes!" He giggled at their obvious distress "This child also has the greatest potential for evil."
Regina found herself and Charming lunging forward but the Dark One quickly shrouded himself with red smoke. The last thing she heard was a final outcry from the baby White before the smoke cleared and they found the scaly man gone, as well as the baby. Snow fell to her knees and Regina should have been ecstatic at the other woman's despair, but she wasn't. She felt empty and she teleported back to her castle because she couldn't stand the sobbing of the girl she once sought out to destroy.
On that night she laid on her bed and contemplated why she still felt so empty. She got what she wanted, Snow was heartbroken, she finally won. But maybe she had lost so many times that she couldn't recognize victory even when it was right in front of her, maybe it was because she wasn't the one that caused Snow White's despair, or maybe, this was what victory truly felt like when it was based on the destruction of someone else's happiness. She still felt empty and alone.
What was she to do without rage, without revenge however? What else was left of her except those things? After such a long time of fighting she didn't know anything else. What is her purpose for living now?
