Chapter 1

"Come on Your Majesty, speak up, I don't have all the time in the world, well not literally of course," Emma chuckled as she leaned against a tree, looking at the dumbfounded trio before her.

Regina found that it almost impossible to find her voice as she looked at her once light friend. As if she was playing some cruel joke, Emma had changed into the outfit that she was wearing the first day she had arrived in Storybooke, right down to that infuriating red jacket that Regina reluctantly loved so much.

Her face was twisted into a mocking mask that her Emma would never have worn, her once sparking green irises had now turned a dark shade of gold, and her skin looked frighteningly similar to Rumplestilitskin's had in the Enchanted forest, though it was much less obvious than his reptilian skin had been. Overall, she just looked angry, and Regina had to find out at what if she was going to get her sweet Emma back.

"E-Emma?" Regina stammered, still unable to form words, nor it seemed could the Charmings, as they both stood mouths agape looking at their daughter.

"Yes Madam Mayor?" Emma replied, pushing off from the tree and walking closer. As if on instinct Regina's arm came up to hold the dagger, stopping Emma mid-step, staring distastefully her only weakness Emma continued, "seriously what do you want? This is getting very boring."

Behind her Regina heard Snow's meek voice, "we wanted to see how you are."

A laughed tore its way out of Emma's throat, but it wasn't the laugh that had cheered Regina up whenever she was sad, or the soft sound that made others smile. It was the laugh of a villain. Bitterly Regina remembered the many times she had heard her mother make that horrible noise while trying to teach how to act like a 'lady'. She remembered all of the times that she herself had made that noise while taunting or scheming; thankfully it wasn't quite as manic sounding as the previous Dark One's laugh had been.

"You want to see how I am?" Emma continued, the dagger forgotten Regina allowed her arm to fall limp at her side as she observed her. Without the obstruction of the Dark One's dagger Emma continued her forward path, towards her parents this time. "Did you ask that question when you put me through a wardrobe to God knows where? Did you wonder for a second whether you were truly giving me my 'best chance' when you sent me alone to this cruel, horrible world? What would you have done if I had died in that forest they found me in? I guess that wouldn't matter would it? You would have just carried on living your life as Mary Margaret, who lets face it, hardly had to fear anything in an apparently cursed town, where most foster children would have killed to live!"

Tears were streaming down both parents faces as Emma's words hit them right where it hurt most, David managed to choke out, "Emma, p-please we're so sorry, we thought you forgave us."

This time the laugh could have easily rivalled any that had ever come out of Rumple's throat, "you idiots! You thought that I truly forgave you for what you did to me. I was raised to believe that no one could ever love me, and just as I got comfortable someone better would come along. Did you know that I was almost adopted five times, but each time they found someone younger, with less issues, so they just sent me back like it meant nothing to them, just another kid in the system. Then you two imbeciles come along expecting me to be able to love you, like just by giving me some DNA and a blanket that I am obligated to love you. Well I've got some news for you: I don't! I only started calling you mum and dad to make you happy. That's all I've been doing since I came to this town, making other people happy. Not once has someone tried to find me my happiness. And now I get to watch you raise your second, better child. Well I guess it's just easier, isn't it? Neal doesn't have any issues, his just a blank slate that can become the child that you always wished you'd have, instead of the screwed up one that you had to suck the darkness out of," anger filled her features as she walked straight up to Snow, plunging her hand into her chest and gripping her half-heart, "shame it didn't work isn't it?"

Snow choked back a cry as Emma applied pressure to her heart and Charming gripped his chest, feeling the same amount of pain.

Suddenly the pain disappeared, and David looked up to find Regina holding the dagger directly in front of Emma's face.

"Go back to whence you came" Regina's shaky voice filled the clearing.

As her muscles tensed, Emma turned to her parents, "this isn't over" she stated just as she disappeared in a cloud of darkness.

With that Snow and Charming each collapsed to the ground, with heavy sobs filling the cold air.