Chp 1: The Ripples

==Storybrooke==

As Robin tearfully sweeps his family into a crushing hug, Regina watches, shocked beyond belief as her happy ending once again slips from her fingers. Her breaths comes in heavy gasps as she feels something inside her constrict. Furious, she turns towards the stunned Emma.

"You. You did this."

And Emma really never thought anything like this would happen.

"I just…wanted to save her life."

Chest tightening even more, Regina can feel the tears that wish to come out and she does her best to force them back.

"You...You are just-cough-just like your m-m-mother. Nev-cough-Never—" and she frowns as the heavy feeling inside her starts to squeeze harder and harder. An invisible grip, somehow strangling her from the inside. This was no mere heartbreak.

"Regina?" Emma asks, getting worried as the mayor's skin starts reddening.

"I can't—" she rasps before succumbing to another coughing fit, a hand grabbing onto a bar stool to keep herself standing. Emma now hovers over her, awkwardly. Some people in the diner have begun to notice. Granny stops pouring a cup of coffee while Henry and Snow stand up from their table.

Henry takes a step forward.

"Mom?"

Robin turns toward the commotion, his line of sight blocked by Emma.

By now the coughing had turned into violent hacking. Emma sees the moment the mayor loses her grip on the stool and she lunges, falling down with Regina's crumpling body.

"Mom!" the alarmed Henry slides besides his two moms.

"What's going on?" asks a worried Snow, grip tightening on baby Neal.

Emma looks on, helplessly.

"I-I don't know. She just started…I don't know! She was fine! And then…"

All of a sudden Robin is there, kneeling by Regina and prying her hands off her throat to see what afflicted her.

"Regina? Regina c'mon. What is it? What's wrong?!"

But he can't see anything and Regina continues to choke. She gasps weakly and looks at him with a desperation that spears right through his heart. By now her skin had purpled and her teary eyes had begun to redden with bloody star-bursts.

"What are you doing? She's choking. Give her some breath!" shouts Hook.

And Robin kisses her and blows, trying to will her back to health with his breath. But no matter how hard he tries, it has no effect for this is no mere asphyxiation. The whole diner now circles them, and they watch in horrified fascination as Regina's skin starts darkening even more, patches of it glistening and hardening to obsidian stone. Roland's lip trembles and he clutches onto Marian's cloak.

"No, no, no!" Henry hugs Regina's body and sobs onto her while a teary Snow seems to be trapped in a vision of her own.

Regina manages one last pleading gaze towards the impotent Robin before the creeping obsidian covers her completely and she's turned into stone.

The diner's doorbells ring and Emma and some patrons turn to watch a harried Mr. Gold and Belle stumble inside. Gold takes one look at the black gasping statue that was the Queen and sends a fierce stare towards Emma.

"What have you done?"

==Enchanted Forest==

Thunder rumbles and rain drenches the steaming pile of blackened wood resting in the middle of the dark palace's courtyard. On the other side of a window, gazing down upon this sight is Regina. Cup of wine in her hand she stares down at the end of an obsession that spanned years of her life.

She did it. She finally killed Snow White. Killed her with such fury fueled flames that only ashes are left.

And now…Now what? Her desire to destroy Snow White had been the only thing that kept her going after Daniel. Kept her heart beating with purpose. Thirsty for vengeance and justice for hers and Daniel's lost life.

She'd done as she so wished to do for many nights. But the feeling of accomplishment, of resolution, of peace…none of it came. Half a life-time spent and she has been left with naught but ashes. All that pain and anger and suffering spread by her and after all is done she can't even conjure a smile that lasts. Bitterly, she curses the simpleton bards that frequent the kingdom's town halls and so joyously sing tales about righteous quests that end in great happiness.

The truth is, there's no such thing as a happy ending. At least, not for the likes of her.

And it is with that knowledge that she contemplates what is left of her life. Her eyes roam the empty and darkened dining hall and she can almost remember how it was once upon a time. A place bustling with activity, servants smiling and going about their duties. Nobles and dignitaries from all over the land filling the hall and conversing. On the farthest corner, the royal family with Leopold hiding a grin behind an apple while a 10 year old Snow stole glances of her stoic stepmother and tried her best to subtly mimic her mannerism. Life, running in all it's noisy crowded glory, none the wiser that soon everyone would be gone and the majestic hall would know nothing but silence.

Regina stares listlessly at the dining spot, lost in remembrance. Then, she slowly raises her gaze towards a stained glass portrait of the royal family that bathes the spot in colored lights. It was commissioned right after her wedding to Leopold, when she still retained a sliver of hope that magic would help her bring back her happy ending.

Out of the many portraits commissioned, she doesn't know why she'd left this one remain. Maybe because is the only one where she has the slightest semblance of a smile. Any outsider looking on it would think them a happy family and with Snow's dark hair and similar dress she could even pass as Regina's own.

As she stares into the brown eyes of the doomed child, something deep, deep, deep inside her…reacts.

It is with that leftover hidden part of her that strangely…mourns?...Remembers that child she rescued many years ago, that Regina raises her cup to the portrait and somberly drinks.

Lighting strikes, and in its brief light, a hooded figure is illuminated. Soaking wet from the rains that plague the kingdom, he raises his bow and aims at the Queen. It is because of the deep silence encompassing the room that she hears the creak of the bowstring tightening. Her head turns and for a moment she freezes at the sight of the bow-wielding assassin.

Lighting strikes again and with it she discerns the archer is a man.

"I've come for justice." he says in voice of barely restrained emotion.

For a moment she stares, eyes lost in a million thoughts. The assassin breaths in, feet shifting and preparing for what will probably be a most violent retaliation by the sorceress. He's prepared for it. Expected it when he set out on this mad suicide quest. But the Queen surprises him, for she does nothing but turn back and continue contemplating the stained glass portrait.

For a brief moment he knows not how to proceed. To be dismissed so easily…But then, determination washes over him. Fingers shift. And with twang, the arrow is released.