(Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time characters and all related to the show are not my property. None is made out for any kind of personal or for this site's profit.)


Change in the Air

She heard the voices from inside. Taking deep breaths, trying to control her heart rate.

Her eyes closed, trying to find a reason to leave and a reason to stay.

Her logic and her vengeance carelessly throwing every reason - right before her eyes - why doing this is right and why is wrong. Her hands were in fists, almost cutting through her own skin, and without a care, she closed her hand more tightly. 'Make it stop', she thought over and over, she didn't want to be this person, never has. But before she could open her eyes in confidence that she could move on and leave this ridiculous vendetta behind, it came back with its own, putting images of her life before evil laid a hand on it. How everything was, how she could smile from the heart and not out a wicked pleasure for other's misery. So she stayed. Unmoving against the wall, her body facing the doors where all the people of this town she run were probably discussing every way to find her, take her, and end with her life.

The curse had broken in the most unimaginable way possible. She still thinks about it and cringes at how just one kiss, from the sheriff to her son – to their son – had broke everything before she had chance to try to stop it. Emma. She lets her mind drift to this woman who came to Storybrooke changing everything. She felt threaten by her presence so many times, but there was this pull towards her that had nothing to do with getting her out of the way and that she couldn't explain. She thought of all the opportunities she had to just end with her life, disappear her body, and make it look like she just left, but she couldn't. Something always seem to stop her and, one day, she understood why. Her mind could say no, but her heart was winning this case 'Could it be love?' she had asked herself, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. A shout from inside the room brought her back to reality, making her realize that after today, even that will change. Not like it matters now, after all, she had to finish this once and for all.

Once the curse was broken, a whole town was plotting different ways to get her head in a plate for everyone to see. All the lives she messed with in the search of vengeance towards a soul that – said her logic again and again – probably had nothing to do with her predicament a bit over 28 years ago. 'Everything happens for a reason' she had heard it say over and over, and over and over again she ignored it. She did all this for something, she came here to finish this once and for all, and she wasn't going to just stop until she got her wish.

Thinking back to that moment in the hospital, when all she lived for was taken away from her in just a blink of an eye; how love proved, once again, that it can break through any curse – come from any source.

Love. Daniel. Snow.

Her eyes popped open and she didn't blink. She looked at her feet and saw she was standing right where she was 30 minutes ago. Nothing has changed so that means she has to end it. She has to end it all and end with anything and anyone that gets on her way.

She could literally hear vengeance's evil laugh in the back of her mind, laced with triumph and joy. She felt a shiver go down her spine and her back straighten, her head raised, and her hands relaxed. She felt the cuts in her palms, the air hitting right on them and it made her move with confidence towards the door. Without a second though and a flick of her wrist, the doors bursted open and in she walked, stopping right in the middle between the seats.

Silence made its appearance and with her eyes on her target, a piercing scream came from the front. Gasps and cries followed and just when Snow tried to move, she couldn't. All she could do was look as one by one, every occupant of the room was being sliced open by an invisible force. Blood covering the floor and sits. Some last breaths of life echoed in the room before they were heard no more.

Snow, looked at her. She hadn't move and if it wasn't for the subtle rise of her chest, she would have thought she wasn't even breathing.

"Regina." She choked out.

At that, Regina lowered her hands and her defenses. Letting Snow catch her breath while taking a look all around her. When she looked at her back, Charming's body laid face down, soaked in his own blood, no signs of life in him. She let out a scream as if his cuts where being duplicated on her skin. He's lifeless form taking the air out of her lungs and she fell to her knees. Unable to form words or to look away. All this time spent apart, all they had gone through, all they had lived, all the promises and the dreams die right before her eyes as another victim in the Evil Queen's hands.

She felt a presence behind her, knowing exactly who it was and not bothering to look up, "Why not just kill me?" she asked the Queen.

Regina got to her knees behind her, running a hand through short hair and for a moment, she saw her mother smiling at her, whispering in her ear how proud she was, 'do it, Regina' she heard her mother's voice, 'kill her'. Right then Snow stood up, feeling weak and destroyed – "Why don't you just kill me?!" She was yelling now, Regina's silence perturbing her even more and she needed a sign, just a movement to make her fight back, but she wasn't expecting what she saw when Regina pushed herself from the floor, hands bathed in Charming's blood, and looked up at her. She could see right through her. The tear-stained cheeks, but the peaceful look adorning her eyes. If anything, this scared her more than anything she has ever seen and experienced from the woman before her.

"Watch and learn, my little snow white." Said Regina as she walked around Snow – "See all this blood? Nothing compared to the pain and the hurt you feel when you lose the one you love. No blood or pain or revenge could ever repair that loss. "But, " She got close to Snow's back, feeling the fear radiate from her body as she leaned in to her ear – "It sure can be enough."

And with that, she stabbed a knife right in Snow's chest. Over and over and over again until they were both in the floor. Snow laying on it, gasping for air and reaching to every part of Regina she could. Her hold on Regina failing in her attempts to stay alive as the blood just kept flowing out of the open wounds, she went limp and fell with her last breath against the floor.

Regina looked at her without a blink. And then she felt it – it was as if the air had been punched right out of her and she fell back. An unknown force leaving her body, leaving Regina to look at what she had done. All the blood, all the faces, all the misery and the pain she inflicted in all of them right before her eyes. She felt scared and dirty, whispering 'no' again and again to herself as she took in what she has done.

And the she heard footsteps.

She felt her before she saw her.

Emma.


Emma saw Regina leave the hospital short after the curse was broken. She felt her heart grow heavy and her pulse quickened – something wasn't right. But her attention was on Henry, Regina could wait. However, the last thing she thought was walking in to this. Where everyone was supposed to be talking and augmenting about different ways to get their revenge and pay back from Regina, she couldn't comprehend the scenario before her eyes. She had came here to talk some sense into everyone. To make them listen and reason with her that killing Regina wasn't going to be the best choice to take here, but she was a little too late. She looked around, not knowing if she wanted to scream, cry, or throw up and the sight of people she have grown to care about covered in blood and cuts. She looked up and, at the other side of the room, there was Regina. She looked so small - so fragile and weak, she wanted to run to her, hold her close and tell her she was going to be ok …. But she couldn't. This was Regina's doing, all of it. Walking a bit further into the room, there was Mary Margaret, or Snow, on the floor on her own, her blood all over and around her, which was already mixed with Daniel's, "Regina. No." She cried out. She looked desperately everywhere, trying to find a solution and ending up grabbing a chair and sending it flying to the other side of the room. Holding her head in her hands trying to stop the headache forming out of trying to reason with her heart.

She had loved Regina since she rescued Henry. She kept her feelings to herself, looked after both of them, but always kept her distance. Always played it cool. Often she would try to control herself from telling Regina, but sometimes she felt like she felt it, too. Like they're connected. It felt like …. Magic.

So now, kneeling in front of Regina, grabbing her face between her hands, she called her name and Regina looked up. Emma had to hold her breath out of fear she would just burst to tears right there and then. Regina's eyes were dark and soulless. No spark, no life, no nothing. She kept whispering her name, pleading her to talk, to say something, but she's met with silence.

Regina raised a hand to cover one of Emma's, gripping it and holding it there, the gesture warmed Emma's heart and she let out a sob she felt she has held since she got here.

"I lost it. I-I lost it, Emma." Regina barely whispered. So low and soft Emma was sure that if she wasn't paying attention she wouldn't have caught it, fresh tears falling at the fact that Regina just called her by her name. And just like that, Emma took Regina in her arms, their hearts beating in unison and their breaths calmed and collected. Emma kissed the top of Regina's head just when the body wrapped between her own started to shake. Muffled cries and sobs and screams could be heard and she felt defeated.

No magic could get them out of this one.


This story was inspired by Muse's Ruled by Secrecy. Whenever you can, give it a listen and thank you for reading. - A