Regina frantically searched every magic book she had. Everyone in Story Brook was slowly disappearing. Hook was the first to go. No one cared, no one noticed. David said he always disappears the moment Emma is out of the picture. Then Robin, it broke Regina's heart because she assumed he left to be with her sister who also vanished.
His leaving did not bother her as much as it should. Maybe at one time she would have gladly died for the man, however, things felt different now. For some reason she had stopped having any real feelings for him when her Emma disappeared. Her heart ached solely for the blonde Dark One that seemed lost to her forever. If only she could have saved her best friend and stopped all of this. The only thing she longed for was to be reunited, and save Emma. The dull ache for Emma started soon after the blonde left. Then it turned into desperate longing the longer Emma was gone. As if a piece of her was missing never to be replaced again.
It didn't take long for the others to vanish one by one. Regina started to truly panic when Henry faded away before her eyes. They had been working tirelessly, trying everything to bring back Emma and nothing was working. He was next to her looking through her old spell books and started to scream when his hand disappeared. She remembers his eyes and the panic in his voice. He begged her to save him and dam it she would. His voice cracked when he yelled "Mom," and then he was gone. If it was the last thing she did she would brig him back. With in a few days the whole town was gone and she was the only one left.
Regina set out on a mission to find whatever magic she had to save him. She lost everything and she couldn't bear to lose her son too. He was had always been her everything and with or without Emma she would still fine a way to save their son.
The only problem was her mind was playing tricks on her. She was remembering events that never happened. The longer it took her to find a solution the more people she forgot about. David all but faded from her memory. Only realizing something was off when she looked at a picture and had no idea who the man standing next to her son and Emma was. She held tight to a picture of her and Henry worried she would lose her memories of him as well. As the memories of the people she once knew faded more and more. Her thoughts became completely consumed with Emma, but not her Emma.
She remember Emma the Dark One protecting her and saving her from her mother. Broken bones healed in moments. Saving her life countless when she was reckless. Her mind was starting to fracture from what she remembered and what she though she knew. She worked frantically throughout the night, desperate to figure out what the Dark One did.
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Emma awoke with Regina clinging to her. She stared down at the girl whose light threatened to undo all the darkness inside her. It terrified and exhilarated her all at the same time. She had to force her eyes away from the girl in her arms and the new feelings she was causing. A sadness crept into her. This could never have been her Regina. Her Regina would never look at her the way this girl did. They were both too broken to ever know happiness the way this kid felt it. Looking down at the peaceful face in her arms the familiar voices started to play in her head.
What was it the voice in her head always said to her. The pull of the family we were so desperate to protect, the friendships that make it impossible to forget who we used to be, the magic that threatens to undo our most evil deeds, and worst of all, the love that refuses to give up on us. Emma pulled away, it had been so long since she had heard his voice in her head.
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Regina was standing at the veranda, looking out over the forest. Her eyes were sparkling and bright. They always sparkled, but today they were different. She was happier than Emma had ever seen her. Her Regina never sparkled, not even with the forest hobo. Emma stood leaning on the door frame looking out at the brunette for a long time, never saying anything.
This girl was a like a shiny beckon of hope and Emma would never admit it but she loved looking at her like this. This Regina was so happy with a heart full of light not yet scarred by the pain and darkness. Emma waved her hand, and was instantly sitting next to Regina on the edge of the balcony.
"I want to go on an adventure like the Mayor and Emma. I want to be a hero and save people."
"No,"
"Why not?" Regina pouted.
"Too dangerous, you have no way to protect yourself. You don't have magic. I could teach you a spell or two..."
"I hate magic."Regina cut her off. "Look at what it did to my mother, look at how she uses it to hurt people."
"Do you hate me, I use magic?"
"I could never hate you. Even if you do use magic. I could learn to defend myself with a sword. I could become a knight." Emma laughed, she always wondered why Henry was so obsessed with being the heroic Knight. Apparently his mother always was too.
"You a knight, that is the funnest thing I have ever heard, you are meant to be a Queen."
"You sound like my Mother."
"The world is a big scary place with evil people. You could get hurt and I will have none of it," Emma huffed, trying to sound more intimating than she felt. "You my dear are ill-equipped to be a hero."
"You are being mean in hopes that you will push me away. It won't work and besides I am not afraid of anything." Emma held back a chuckle, that sounded more like her Regina.
"So you have said, because I have always been there. You have never had to count on your own abilities."Emma crossed her arms and raised an eye brow. "Sometimes fear is not such a bad thing. I may not always be here to catch you when you fall."
"I doubt that," Regina laughed then climbed onto the ledge of the balcony. She started to lean over just a bit and Emma subconsciously put her hand on the brunette's waist to steady her. Regina smirked at the blond's protective nature. Emma immediately pulled her hand away. The pull of the family we were so desperate to protect. Regina smirked and Emma did her best to ignore the girls victorious smirk. Regina lifted a leg and turned just enough to look unsteady once more. Emma instantly reacted, her hands went to Regina's hips and softly eased Regina off the ledge. Emma shot the girl a look that said do not do that again. Regina smiled and looked down at the blonde's hands still firmly around her hips.
"Where would you go?" Regina smiled and took a step forward pushing herself into Emma's arms.
"Somewhere." Emma pulled back, held the girl out at arms length. Looking down at Regina' bright eyes Emma had enough and turned her back to the girl too afraid to look into her wanting chocolate eyes.
"Why leave? We belong together." Regina said in barely a whisper getting close enough for Emma to feel the brunette's breath on her neck. Emma stood shaking her head, and then started walking back and forth. Anything to distance herself from the intuitive girl. Regina tried to touch her, but Emma pulled away. "You can't`tell me you don't feel it."
"You have no idea what you are taking about."
"Then what is this connection we have?"
"We don't have a connection," Emma growled. The friend who makes it impossible to forget who we once used to be. Emma tried hard to shake the voice from her head. The girl always clouded her judgment from the moment she was born. Emma wanted nothing more than her pain when she started this journey. Now all she wanted to do was keep her safe.
"Then why spend all this time with me," Regina demanded. Emma had to stop this, had to stop the voices.
"Because my dear," Emma voice deepened. She slowly approached the girl getting inches from her face. "I am using you,"Emma did her best evil laugh. "No special connection, no life altering force. You are to become my tool and my pawn. "Emma smirked and licked her lips. "You see, you have a purity and light about you and I wish to destroy it. Take all the goodness and turn to you into my monster. Cast my curse."
"I don't believe you. You are doing it again...pushing me away because you are scared of how I make you feel." Regina shook her head. "You would never do that, not to me. There is good in you. I can feel it."
"There is nothing but hate and darkness inside my heart."
"Your afraid, of how you feel. You are afraid to love me."
"You are a stupid fool," Emma's shoulders stiffened her heart lurching into a frenzy. She clenched her jaw trying her best to not let her emotions show.
"I won't hurt you Emma." Emma took several stumbling steps back, fear and shock painted clearly on her face.
"How?" Regina walked forward closing the gab Emma back. "I never told you my name...how could you possibly know."
"I am not such a dumb child after all." Of course, Regina would know, she may be young but she is still Regina.
"I won't hurt you, not the way she did. I am not her." Emma shook her head and laughed. The love that refuses to give up on us.
"You have no idea what you're taking about." Emma continued to pace around. Gold's voice playing games with her head. She was shaking and talking to herself. Regina ran to Emma's side and started to shake her.
"I won't hurt you, I am not the Mayor." Regina cupped Emma's face in her hands and forced the blonde to look at her. Regina was making promises again. Promises she couldn't possibly keep. Regina leaned forward, getting close to Emma. She licked her lips and closed her eyes. Emma stepped back and held her arms out, pushing the brunette and her wanting lips away. Glaring angrily at the young girl.
"You should be afraid of me," Emma growled. "I will destroy you, you have no idea." Emma's breath was hot and ragged.
"I don't believe you., and I can prove it." Regina grinned, turned and leaped off the railing of the balcony.
Emma was on the ground in an instant with Regina safely cradled in her arms. "You are an idiot," Emma growled.
"I may be an idiot, but you just saved me." Regina blushed then buried her head in Emma shoulder. "Just like I knew you would." Emma felt Regina lips on her ear and threw the girl on the ground. She missed the brunettes brooding older counterpart who wasn't nearly so grabby.
"Och." Regina hissed and rubbed her backside.
"You need to keep your hands to yourself…."Emma paused, "and your lips. Youth makes you act oddly." So fearless and brave, her Regina was as much, but this girl was careless and rash with her feelings. Her Regina was so guarded. IS this what she was like before her heart was blackend by pain and loss. Or was this what Regina was always like, why had she never noticed.
"What does that even mean?"
"Nothing," Emma growled, "Just...ugh." Emma yelled into the air. Regina slowly stumbled to her feet. "You are just too young, a child who is unaware of the world around you."
Regina was about to say something when they heard a girl yelling. "What was that?" Regina heard. Emma paused, the voice seemed familiar. A runaway horse went speeding by with a little girl screaming on it for help.
"We have to save her," Regina declared.
"I knew you would say that." Emma snapped her finger and Regina was on her horse. "Go, be the hero."
"You aren't coming."
"I am no Savior besides I think you can handle this one. Now go she needs you." Emma pointed in the screaming girls direction. Regina nodded and took off after the girl.
"See, we are already having adventures together."
"No, you are doing this all on your own, best be on your way." Emma appeared next to the horse. "Wouldn't want anything to happen to a child just because you wanted to be chatty." Emma smiled and hit the best hard on it's rump and Regina launched forward. It didn't take her long to reach the scared child, and pulling her to safety."
The little girl hugged Regina tightly, almost clinging to her. Regina brushed the little girls matted hair to the side and did her best to clam the scared child. Emma appeared in that moment and softly clapped. "Congratulations savior," Regina realized she was the only one who could see her. As soon as Emma appeared she was gone and Regina was left alone to deal with the shrill little girl.
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"Did you do this?" Regina came storming into her bedroom. "I know you are here just show yourself."
"Do what dear?"Emma appeared sitting on the bed looking down at her fingers as if they were the most fascinating thing in the world.
"Don't play games." Regina growled. Emma rather enjoyed seeing a bit of her former rival inside the brunette.
"You set it up for me to save the princess and have my supposed happy ending,." Regina pointed her finger and pushed it into Emma's chest. "YOU have no right. I don't want to be Queen. I don't want to be married or have a child." Emma laughed loudly.
"I can assure you this was not my doing, as far as I know your happiness is in a land far far way. In a different time entirely."
"What dose that even mean."
"It means, sometimes you have to do things you don't want to become someone you have too. To get the things you really want. You want my recommendation marry the King. Kill the king, try to kill his kid." Regina looked mortified.
"How could you say that. I am not a murderer, I could never hurt anyone," Regina yelled. Emma laughed and walked closer to the young brunette. Emma stood there looking into Regina's deep chocolate eyes. This innocent girl wasn't the woman she knew. The woman who killed her father, to cast a dark curse. She wondered how Gold destroyed her light so thoroughly that she became the Evil Queen. Emma worried she never would be able to.
"Someday, you stupid child. YOU will be a Queen. A Queen so evil that you will kill innocent children. Your heart will turn black as night."
"Never," Regina yelled, shock and fear covered her face. "I am not a monster."
Emma got with in inches of the girls face. Looking her square in the face and whispering in her ear. "You will be. I told you, I never protected you because I cared. I only did it because I need you to become my monster, my puppet and my toy." Emma had no idea why she was saying these things. She knew deep down it would drive the girl to do the exact opposite. Even in youth Regina was predictable.
"Why me? Get someone else to be your toy. I won't do it, I won't be your monster." Emma held back a smile. Regina crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. For a moment the girl reminded her of Henry their son. Henry...Emma thought. Why was she doing this. She was purposely driving Regina further away from her, further away from the darkness.
"It has to be you. Your the only one it can be."