A/N: Second chapter. It's getting dark, like I like it. I'm having so much fun writing Dark Henry.
Songs Used: None, this chapter
Chapter Rating: M/R (For Dark Tones, Violence, Adult Content, and Adult Language)
Warnings: Dark Henry AU, OutlawQueen is a thing here (at least for now), CaptainSwan BroTP, So much angst,
Full Summary: See Chapter One
Chapter Summary: Emma and Hook search the town to see what they've takes the first steps down his dark path. Regina summons the Dark One.
Disclaimer: See Chapter One
"The thing none of you will ever understand is that there are no sides. There are no heroes or villains. There's just what I want and how I'll get it."
— Magneto
Regina (Six Weeks Ago)
After that poor showing at the pawn shop, Emma and Regina had to accept that they didn't have enough darkness to summon the portal that would take them to their son. Oddly enough it had been Hook that acted as the voice of reason.
"Enough! You're both going to embarrass yourselves and waste our time. You heard the man, it needs darkness. And I'm sorry, loves. But neither of you fit the bill. I hate to say this but we need someone wicked. I know she's one ship short of a fleet but for your son, it's worth the risk. Henry sacrificed himself for both of you, because he believed that an evil queen could be good and a savior can be pulled back from the edge of true darkness. Are we going to let the lad twist in the wind? Or are we going to swallow our pride and ask the witch for help?"
Although, she wanted to eviscerate the Pirate, he had a point. They weren't doing anyone any favors willing themselves dark. That's not quite how it worked. And for Henry, Regina was ready to make any deal imaginable, do anything, rip apart this world or the Enchanted Forest if it meant getting her son back.
"Regina dear, I'm trying to meditate. It's good for the baby. Please go, you're ruining my Chi."
This was for Henry, Regina reminded herself, watching Zelena in Child's Pose, her eyes closed with a self-satisfied smirk on her face. Regina's hand balled into a fist as her magic flared within her. Only Robin holding her other hand pulled her back. But when she looked at Emma, the Savior was already in mid-step, glaring daggers at the Wicked Witch before Captain Guyliner stopped her.
"We need your help," the Pirate told Zelena.
The Witch threw her head back and cackled. No one joined her. No one even made a move to threaten her into silence. Zelena must have caught on because the laughter died out on it's own. "Wow," Regina's sister breathed. "You must be really desperate. Well, out with it, Regina. Tell sissy all about what troubles you." She cast a knowing look Robin's way and smiled. "Though I could venture a guess or two."
The Former Queen bared teeth. "Careful."
Her sister feigned innocence. "What?"
Emma glanced between Regina and Robin and shook her head. The former Queen knew what the Savior must be thinking. And frankly the fact that the blonde was splitting her focus between finding their son and whether or not Regina had broken things off with Robin, aggravated the brunette to no end. They had more important things to deal with. Or perhaps, losing Henry to the Darkness was punishment for turning their backs on their respective True Loves.
"Something's happened to our son," Emma replied. "The Darkness broke free from Gold and took Henry. Now his name is on the dagger, we're trying to find him, and that wand is the only way we can."
"Well…" Zelena said. "That is quite a mess."
"Help us save Henry," Regina implored her. "We're trying to rid the world of the Darkness. Robin wants that for his son and the child he shares with you. You should want that too."
The witch scoffed. "I don't share, sis. This child is mine. And mine alone. I am doing all of the work. Your forest-fragranced outlaw was just an unwilling pawn in its creation."
"Quite unwilling," Robin added.
"If it makes you feel any better, I didn't enjoy a single second of it." Zelena turned slowly, setting her sights on Regina with a mischievous smirk. "You know, I'm not sure what you see in him. I mean he's fit enough, I suppose. But it's like bedding a living version of the English Patient, in the form of a pine-scented thief. Beautifully put together, but ultimately a boring experience only pretentious people seem to enjoy… Wait a second, have we figured out the true reason you're with our dear sweet Robin Hood, sister?"
"Zelena, you can still deliver a baby without your tongue," the Former Queen threatened. And she felt it, the part of her that would always be the Evil Queen trying to claw her way to the surface. Despite Regina's claims to the contrary, the Evil Queen was born out of necessity; to make her feel like she was in control when everything seemed to be crumbling around her. She protected Regina's heart. The Evil Queen made her strong when she felt anything but. And with her son gone, his name on the Dark One's dagger, her life was spiraling out of control again. And once more, she felt the pull of the Evil Queen.
"Enough of the family squabbling," Hook injected. "Are you going to help us find the young lad or not?"
"Of course," the Witch replied, much to everyone's surprise. "And before you get on your respective high horses, I'll have you all know that pregnancy's changed me, dears. I'm going to do whatever I can to free my nephew of the Darkness. Just let me see that wand."
"No," Emma said, flatly.
Regina's sister scoffed. "This little love bracelet that you put on me neutralizes my magic, remember? I am powerless."
The Mayor's eyes narrow suspiciously as she passed the wand to the Witch. "Zelena, I swear to-"
"Oh yes, it's so simple. I'm surprised you didn't figure it out before now, sis," Zelena said as if she hadn't spoken at all. "You simply need an object that guides the portal to its destination. Something that belonged to Henry. Something meaningful to him."
"Fine," Emma replied, begrudgingly. "We'll use the Book to find him."
"There might be a slight problem that, Sheriff," Zelena interjected. "Your magic isn't dark. And Regina's nowhere near powerful enough."
"Can you make it work?" Hook asked.
"I believe so," the Witch told them, dangling her arm in front of them with the bracelet in full view. "There's just a tiny something standing in my way."
Before Regina could accept Zelena's terms, Emma responded with a resounding. "No. She killed Henry's father. If you think she can actually be trusted, then I don't know what to tell you."
"You don't know what to tell me?" Regina asked, trying to keep her anger in check but failing miserably. "You can tell me that saving our son is your top priority. You can tell me that you'll do anything to get him back. You can tell me that you trust me."
"Trust you?" Emma scoffed. "You're willing to make a deal with Zelena. Ze-le-na! Your crazy ass sister that glamoured herself to look like your boyfriend's dead wife just to get back at you. You really think she won't use our love… for Henry against us? Then fine, do what you think is best. You're going to do whatever you want to anyway, right?"
Why did Regina have this feeling that Emma wasn't just talking about Henry being the Dark One, or Zelena?
"Emma…"
"Regina, look me in the eye and tell me that if it was me instead of Henry, you'd make the same deal and I'll drop it," Emma ordered. And when Regina said nothing, the Savior scoffed. "Thought so."
Then she was gone and Regina was left befuddled, standing in a room with her lover, her sister, and Emma's former boyfriend.
"Well, she really holds a grudge, doesn't she?" Zelena broke the awkward silence with the kind of grace Regina had come to expect from her sister. "You know, you should talk to her, because I may be your only way to find your son, sis."
Emma (Present Day)
"Swan… Swan… Swan!"
"What?!"
"You're going a bit fast," the Pirate replied, carefully. "Likely to crash and kill us both."
The Sheriff had been speeding through town, taking turns like she was a racecar driver; the fading sounds of screeching tires, and the smell of burning rubber left behind in her wake. Though it was hell on the bug, it would have been fine if she was on her own and no one else was around to witness it.
She eased off the gas. "Sorry."
"Swan, I know what you're going through…"
"Do you?" Emma snapped. "Do you really? Do you know what it's like to watch the only reason you get out of bed every morning ripped away from you? Oh right, I forgot. Of course, you do. Now just imagine Gold waking around in a Milah suit, broadcasting your failure to protect her for all to see. Then maybe, just maybe you'd know what the fuck this is like for me, Killian!"
In the cab of the car, silence befell the pair. Emma's outburst had her stomach twisted up in knots. And adding to her anger, pain, and all around desperation was the fact that while Henry was evil and missing, she didn't know where Regina was either. She didn't know what she was doing.
She didn't know how to help her.
"Do you feel better after all of that?" Hook asked, carefully.
"No," Emma replied. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright, Swan," he told her. "I don't mind being your emotional punching bag from time to time. I'm not your parents, love. I'm not going to give you some speech about hope and goodwill and all of that. Your boy is the Dark One. A bit of darkness and despair is understandable. If you ask me, it's a bloody wonder you and her Majesty haven't hoisted the black flag, and begun to slit throats."
"Well, just wait," Emma joked, darkly. "That still might be on the menu."
"You honestly think that's a possibility?" the Pirate asked. "You think the Queen will take up the title of Evil once more?"
"Not Regina, Killian. Me," the Savior confessed. "Every bad thing I did, every wrong move, every mistake I ever made lead me here, to Storybrooke, to my family, to Henry. Being the Savior, it hasn't been easy. But the only thing that kept me going was knowing that the work I was did was something Henry could be proud of. That I was making the world better for him. So he didn't have to know the same darkness I did when I was his age. And now…" Her throat tightened and her eyes welled with tears she was too proud to shed. "It should have been me, Killian. My name should be on that dagger."
"It wouldn't have made things better, love," he said, softly.
"I know. But at least Henry would have been safe."
Something darted in front of the Bug and Emma had to swerve and slam on the brakes just to avoid hitting whatever that was. The Pirate and the Savior shared a look and then exited the Bug at the same time.
"What was that?" Hook asked.
"Not a clue," Emma replied.
"Well from the looks of it, whatever it was, it went toward the forest."
"Let's go."
"Lead the way, love."
They walked through the woods without speaking. At least at first. Neither of them had ever been comfortable with silence. For Emma it brought forth memories of long nights being tucked away in a bedroom that locked from the outside, Christmases without presents, and the knowledge she had been truly alone once upon a time. And for Killian, the ghosts of his past always spoke a little louder in the quiet.
"You ever thought that maybe defeating these villains just makes matters worse?" His question made the Savior cut her eyes at him. Even in the dark of night, tromping through the woods, she wanted to make she Killian felt her disapproval. He did because he began to explain himself. "Hear me out, Swan.
"First, you defeat the Evil Queen. Then Cora shows up. You defeat ther and only have to save Henry from Pan. After that Zelena appears. We put that business to rest, and the Snow Queen tries to get us to kill each other and take you as her sister. We vanquish her and then the Crocodile attempts to rewrite his story. We thwart him only for your boy to become the bloody Dark One."
"What's you point, Killian?" Emma asked, growing irritated.
"That being a hero is a crap job, love," Killian said, with a touch of levity. But a lot of truth was disguised as jest. And joke or not, he was right. Being the Savior was arguably the worst job she had ever had. The risks were often too high, and payout was next to nothing.
"Maybe we should unionize?"
Killian shook his head. "The Queen would never go for that, Swan."
"You're right," Emma agreed and kept walking. "Not even worth the fight."
"Ah, Swan…" Killian called to her.
But she didn't hear him and said, "With Regina, I've learned to pick my battles."
"Love…"
"And what are we going to do? Strike if she doesn't meet our demands?"
"Savior…"
"With my luck the second I do that - boom! Giant meteor. And it's goodbye Storybrooke."
"Emma!"
"What?"
The Pirate nodded to a clearing just ahead, where a lush green weeping willow stood, glowing in the soft, silver moonlight.
"Is that what I think it is?" The Sheriff asked.
"Aye," Killian affirmed. "That's the tree that imprisoned the Wizard."
The Savior's expression contorted into a bemused frown. "Okay. But what's it doing here?"
Hook (Six Weeks Ago)
"What do you want?" the Witch asked as soon as the Pirate slipped into her cell.
If the Savior knew he was doing this, she'd kill him. "I want your help with the wand."
Zelena regarded him with suspicion. "Why? So you can get in your precious savior's good graces? And by good graces I mean-"
Killian stopped her before she could finished. "Yes, I know. The deaf, dumb, and blind know what you mean."
"Do I detect trouble in paradise?" the Witch teased.
"No, you don't," he replied. "'Sides, love, the Savior and I aren't together."
"Did she leave you? She did, didn't she?"
"Oy! Maybe I broke it off with her. Maybe I finally figured out there's someone else out there that'll be better for her," the Pirate replied.
"Is it the Toy Maker's son? Oh, or her childhood friend, the daughter of the dragon?" Zelena asked. "Is that why you're here? A little rebellion to get back at an ex girlfriend?"
"No," he said, resolutely. "Henry is the Dark One and we have to save him. If Emma can't see that you're the only way we can get to him, then… Well…"
The Witch frowned. "You're following my sister's orders. I'm surprised she didn't send her outlaw to do her dirty work."
"She thought I'd be better for the job, considering…"
The redhead chuckled, seemingly pleased with the way things were playing out. "Considering I'm carrying his child? Or do you think perhaps she's afraid that he won't be able to control himself around me? I don't actually care either way." She gestured to the bracelet. "Just take this blasted thing off."
The Pirate shook his head. "Not so fast, greenie. I'm going to need some assurances first, that you're not going to do anything... unexpected."
Hand to her chest, Zelena swore, "On my unborn child's life."
"Afraid I'm going to need some real assurance," Hook replied, producing a small vial from his coat's inner pocket.
"What's that?"
"This is a potion your sister gave me a long time ago."
"To do what?"
"To rip out a heart."
"Why would she give you that?"
"Because she wanted me to take your mother's heart," he finally snapped, annoyed that the Witch just kept talking without allowing him the five seconds it took to pour the potion over his hook. "You can't be surprised your family's troubled. Cora was a monster. A beauty to be sure. But a deranged one. Though, that's something I suspect is a familial trait among the Mills women. Now then, this is probably going to sting."
There was a certain art to the magical removal of a heart. Even if he had zero practice, the Pirate was a purveyor of all manners of villainy. If all he had to do was sink his hook into someone's chest, well he could certainly do that. It's not like he hadn't before. Minus the magical aid, of course. But before the hook could even touch Zelena, Killian was blown back by a burst of magical energy.
The Pirate slammed into the far wall with an audible thud before he slumped to the floor, dazed and trying to regain his bearings.
Zelena cackled, ever so pleased with herself. "My family may be troubled dearie, but we all know that a heart is a precious thing, and I cast a protection spell on mine eons ago. So you're going to have to do better than that." The Pirate heard her footsteps draw closer. "Oh, it appears you were right. It did sting. Now then, do you want to see something really painful?"
Hook lifted his head in time to see Zelena puck a knife from his belt and use it to saw into her wrist. He watched in muted horror as the Witch's hand was severed by her own doing and then with the aid of magic it grew back. "There. Much better. You should have listened to the Savior."
And then she was gone in a cloud of green smoke.
The Pirate rose to his feet and dusted himself off as if he hadn't just been magically bitch-slapped only moments before. He looked around and sighed as a cloud of dark violet smoke engulfed him. And when it cleared, there stood Regina in all her regal splendor.
"For one as skilled in glamour as Zelena is supposed to be," the former Queen said to an empty room. "You'd think she'd have seen through that."
Emma (Six Weeks Ago)
She was thumbing through Henry's story book, trying not get bogged down in feelings of self-doubt and overwhelming guilt but as of right now she had failed on both fronts. Her son's name was on the Dark One's dagger. The dagger that was currently laying on the table next to the book. Henry's name in black embolden letters. It should have been her. Not Henry. What good was being the Savior if she couldn't protect the person that brought her to her happy ending?
It had taken a few years for her to see the magic in this place. She had closed herself off to it in the beginning and in turn it closed her off to her parents, her son, and to Regina. And now as she had started to accept this world and her place in it, something wholly unbelievable had presented itself.
What was she going to do? How was the Savior supposed to defeat an evil that had taken her son hostage? Normally, she'd go to Regina when she was at a loss but they weren't on the same page about Henry right now. And she wasn't sure if they'd ever be again.
"Emma!"
Speak of the devil, the blonde thought when the Mayor burst through the door of her parents' loft.
"Hey," she greeted without turning around.
"I'm sorry," Regina apologized. "I know I shouldn't be here. Especially after how we left things. I was just… worried."
That got Emma's attention. Not the words. But how she said them. There was real concern there. Genuine almost tangible concern. "Why? What's wrong?"
"Zelena. She got out. Come on. We have make sure everyone's safe. Even your idiot parents."
The Savior stood, and walked over to Regina. In spite everything, the smile that curled the ends of the blonde's pale lips couldn't be helped. She liked seeing this side of Regina. The blonde liked it when her compassion shined through. Don't mistake her, Emma loved every part of the Former Queen. From the snarky and morally ambiguous part of her, to the passionate Regina that loved as fiercely and as fully as she hated. But it was when the caring side of her was turned on someone other than their son, did Emma's heart swell. She just wished that Regina's fear of rejection and loss didn't stop her from being this person more often.
"What?" the brunette asked when Emma's gaze lingered on her just a moment too long.
"No, I just…" the Savior's grin widened as she closed the distance between them. "I like when you're concerned about me."
When Emma tried to pull the other woman in closer, Regina stopped her with a hand pressed into her chest. "Sheriff, what do you think you're doing?"
"Regina," the blonde breathed, and stepped forward, her arms wrapping around the other woman's waist. "I know things are complicated between us right now because you haven't talked to Robin yet. But with Henry and everything else… I know we're fighting but…" Her voice dropped to just above a whisper as she pleaded, "Regina, I need you."
Their lips met and for Emma there was a sense of relief there. Like no matter what happens they'd always have each other. But the relief was short lived because something felt off. It wasn't just the way Regina kissed her, it was how her lips felt pressed against Emma's. It felt wrong. It didn't feel like Regina.
That's when it clicked, and Emma recoiled like she had been burned. "Zelena?"
The glamour vanished in a cloud of green and the Wicked Witch stood where a visage of Regina once was. "Well done. You really do love her, don't you?" Zelena cooed, with just a hint of mockery. "Well that certainly is an interesting turn of events. Albeit not an entirely unsurprising one. I mean you'd have to be a complete idiot not to notice how you two carry on."
The Savior's eyes narrowed with disdain. "What do you want?"
"Why you, dear Savior," Zelena replied. "See, you're the key to everything for me."
There was the slight sting of pain. And then, nothing.
Henry (Present Day)
The Dark One sat on a living throne made from a dying apple tree. The greying bark, cracking and flaking off, rotting apples littering the ground around him. The tree's roots rose from the ground, malformed and twisted to shape its armrests and the seat itself was carved into its trunk.
"Why am I here?" the Fallen King demanded. "What do you want?"
The Dark One said nothing. He just started at the old man, his face expressionless, his tri-colored eyes unreadable. He knew Albert was used to getting his way. He had been an ally of his mother and an enemy to his grandparents. A king. And kings, like queens were used to having their apple pie and eating it too. Telling them no, making them wait, refusing to acknowledge their self-prescribed importance, all of these things would annoy even the most humble of monarchs. Do these things to a man like Albert, who was drunk on his own former glory, and he might very well have a conniption fit.
But Albert should know that a good villain, a smart villain, would never reveal their plans when someone simply asked.
"Answer me, you insolent little bastard," the Former King demanded. When Henry still didn't say a word, Albert bristled at the perceived insult. "I should have killed your grandfather when I had the chance."
This time the Dark One did speak, leaning forward on his throne as his eyes bore into the Old King. "Your mistake."
"Or maybe I should have just killed your whore of a mother," Albert spat.
The Dark One arched an eyebrow at his words and simply asked without even a hint of anger, "Which one?"
"I demand-"
"You demand?" Henry's voice boomed over the aging villain as he rose to his feet. "Let me remind you, Pop-Pop, king or not, no one make demands of the Dark One. But I will make you a deal, Pop-Pop. It's simple, really." With a wave of his hand, a large rock appeared next to them. And encased in the stone was a blade with an ornate handle and a giant ruby pommel. "You pull that sword from it's prison and I won't kill you in the exact same manner you murdered Billy."
"Billy?" Albert scoffed. "What was the mouse to you?"
"Is that what you're really concerning yourself with right now?" Henry asked. "Because if I was in your shoes I'd be thinking about how not only did you kill Billy, you fucking ended him. You ripped him apart, sliced him up. That must have taken hours. All of those cuts. All of that blood. The scent of rusting iron and meat in the air. I know you probably did most of that damage when he was dead, but I wonder how long I can keep you alive. I mean with magic I could probably do it indefinitely but that wouldn't make it a proper experiment. Though the idea of you feeling everything until the very end is growing on me somewhat. It makes for a more compelling plot point. The Golden Son's further descent into the Darkness. What do you think, Pop-Pop? How would you write it?"
"You're insane."
"That I am not. One of the benefits of being insane is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. I know killing you, slowly, painfully… It's wrong. I just don't care. At this point I'll do it just to see the expression change on your face. Or you can take the deal and try to pull the sword from the stone. Your choice, Pop-Pop. Like I said, to me it doesn't make a difference either way."
For once Albert Spencer looked rattled. He stared at the Dark One, his eyes wide with fear. It seemed that the old man valued his life. Ironic given the fact that he didn't value anyone else's.
"Well?" the Dark One asked.
"I… I'll pull the sword from the stone."
"That remains to be seen, Pop-Pop. But you are more than welcome to try."
The Former King stepped forward and put his hands on the grip of the sword and began to pull. The sword didn't budge. At least not at first. Then the blade started to give, and for a moment it looked like Albert could do it. But he looked worse for wear the longer he attempted to removed the sword. His face and hands were red and blistering; skin bubbling up like he was being boiled from the inside out. Then his epidemius slowly burned away. Then the fatty tissue underneath. Soon the smell of burnt flesh hung thick in the air, as Albert finally noticed he was being immolated. His suit caught on fire and within seconds the Old King was ablaze and burning oh so prettily, until he was just a pile of blacked ash on the ground.
"His heart wasn't pure enough," a meek voice sounded from the shadows.
"I know," the Dark One replied. "I didn't think he'd be able to."
"Then why did you make him do it?"
"I didn't make him do anything. I gave him a choice. He chose poorly. It's a simple as that. You should know the consequences of making the wrong choice. Or did you forget what happened to you when you worked with Gold to curse my family, Isaac?"
The little dark haired man stepped from the darkness, bowing his head. "I didn't forget. I'm sorry, Dark One. I didn't mean to speak out of turn."
"Stop groveling. I'm not the Imp. I don't need your fear."
"Wh- Wha- What do you need from me?"
The Dark One wagged his finger and clicked his tongue in disapproval. "I can't tell you that, Isaac. It would diminish the emotional impact when I finally reveal my endgame. So, no spoilers."
Regina (Six Weeks Ago)
Zelena threw the dagger at Regina's feet. The rage she felt at the single action as well as seeing Emma, not only wearing the nullifying bracelet, but being held by her sister's magic was almost insurmountable. She wanted to eviscerate the Witch for the disregard she showed Henry and the woman that gave birth to him. But she had to remind herself that heroes didn't disemboweled their enemies, especially pregnant ones, no matter how strong the temptation may be.
"Hello, sis. I see you've fixed the clock. It would be a shame to break it again. Although, it might be fun to see if swans really can fly." Zelena added just a little bit of pressure to the magic coiled around Emma's neck. Just enough that the Savior felt it, and Regina knew she wasn't playing around.
The Former Queen practically snarled at the display of power. "You lay another finger on her…"
"Oh, I'm not here to hurt the Savior," Zelena assured her. "I'm here to trade her for the apprentice's wand."
"What the hell do you want with this?" Regina asked.
"I am exhausted, sis," the Witch told her truthfully. "I don't want to continue on with this fight. It's grown tiresome. And I wasn't lying when I said that motherhood has changed me. See, this child is my future, and I am not letting anyone take it from me or turn it against me. So I am going as far away from you and the Outlaw as possible... Over the rainbow, where you can't follow."
"Back to Oz?"
"I may have been feared and despised there, but at least I was free. At least I was in control," her sister confessed. And if Regina was honest, she could understand the sentiment. "So if you want your precious savior to live through the day, you will give me that wand."
"You can't, Regina. Please," Emma begged, struggling against Zelena's magic "Don't give this bit-"
The Wicked Witch grip tightened and the blonde was rendered speechless.
Regina knew what she had to do and gave Zelena the wand. "I'm sorry, Emma. I have to."
Her sister released the Savior as soon as the wand was in her hands and the Mayor rushed over to her fallen compatriot.
"Emma?" she asked, and removed the bracelet, passing it to Robin when he approached.
"I'm fine," the blonde said, though she didn't look it.
The Mayor didn't ask for Emma's approval before she healed her.
"Lovely, Regina. Thank you," Zelena said, triumphantly. "Now, all it needs is a little direction." She pulled out the charm she used to trap her magic back in New York. "A trinket from home… And now watch me do what you weren't powerful enough to do yourself." With a flick of her wrist, storm clouds gathered overhead. The sky rumbled as lightning struck and a tornado touched down in the distance. But the magic was powerful and therefore taxing on the wielder. Something Zelena had soon discovered with a flash of green light. "Ohh! Ohh!" she gasped, her breathing heavy and labored. "No!"
"What the hell happened?" Hook asked.
"What happened is, I'm not stupid," Regina began as she slowly rose to her feet and approached her older sister. David and Robin flanked the Witch, replacing the bracelet on her sister's as they subdued her. "I knew you could open that portal, but I also knew it would weaken you. See, there's one thing our family does well, sis, and that's exploit pain." The Mayor snatched the wand from Zelena's grasp. "Now we're gonna take your portal, but we're not taking it to Oz." She locked eyes with the blonde who only gave her a slight nod in understanding. "We're taking it to our son."
Regina (Present)
The former Queen knew how much Henry's "castle" had meant to him, and still when she had the opportunity to hurt the Savior by hurting him, Regina didn't even think twice before signing the demolition order. Only barren sand now laid where Henry's "castle" had once been. The site of Regina's biggest regret.
Until now.
Her son was the Dark One and she couldn't help but feel like this was some karmic punishment. Her name should be on the dagger. She should be the Dark One. Henry shouldn't be burdened with darkness. He was 13, shouldn't know what true darkness was. He was only a child. No child should know this kind of evil.
Regina had worked so hard to make sure he didn't have the experiences she had with her mother. Had it been a perfect process? No, of course not. But she had Henry's unconditional love. And that's all that mattered to her. Because whenever she was racked with self-doubt, whenever she wondered if it had all been worth it, Regina only had to do was, catch a glimpse of his bright, happy smile, and she knew it had been.
She had terrorized a population, devastated a realm with a Dark Curse; she killed, she tortured, and the sound of screams had once been music to her ears. But her path had ultimately lead her to Henry. Her redemption.
And that used to mean something.
"Henry Mills."
She wanted to know if he was okay.
"Henry Mills."
She wanted to know how this all happened.
"Henry Mills."
And as selfish as it was, she wanted to know if he hated her.
"Mom."
He didn't sound like himself. He didn't sound like the colicky baby she had raised into a kind-hearted young man. He didn't sound like her Little Prince. His voice had an icy quality to it; the kind of cold that cut through a person. He didn't look like Henry either. Ever since Emma barrelled into town in that yellow deathtrap, Regina saw so much of the golden haired Savior in her son and less of herself.
Until now.
The way he moved, every step, every slight tilt of his head, every small flourish with his hand was careful and deliberate. She marveled at how his eyes burned into her and how his smile looked more like a sneer or a snarl. And all of it reminded it of herself… when she was the Evil Queen.
"Henry?" On a reflex, Regina reached for him but he jumped back. "I'm sorry, Henry. Whatever happened in Camelot, I'm sorry we failed you."
"That's the tragic irony of all of this is, I know you are, Mom," he said with an aloof indifference. "But it doesn't change anything. If you knew the truth you might even understand."
"If I would understand, why did you erase my memories?" she asked.
Henry rolled his eyes. "It's a curse, Mom."
"I know, but what I can't figure out is why."
"If I wanted you to know, I wouldn't have erased your memories."
Regina frowned. The key was those missing memories. Why else take them in the first place? "Henry, you have to know we won't stop until we get them back."
"It's not going to happen, Mom," he sneered. "Because - if you recall - I'm the son of the Evil Queen. And I did learn from you, so I built this curse without the two things you need to break it... True Love and a savior."
"We have a savior. We have Emma."
"Mom, I love you. But a fallen hero with just a touch of darkness in her heart does not a savior make. Not one strong enough to break this curse anyway."
"Then we'll find a way, Henry," the Mayor vowed. And he let out a deep rolling laugh. It was chilling, but the former Queen wasn't deterred. "You don't think we can save you?"
"I know you can't."
"You're wrong, Henry." She believed that. More often than not they defied all odds and sometimes the natural order of things, emerging victorious. "Emma and I, we can protect this town. And we'll save you."
"Have you ever thought there might be another possibility?" Henry asked, reaching out for her hand.
"And what's that?" she replied, as he turned her palm up and placed a small vial of ash in her hand, closing it.
"That maybe this town doesn't deserve your protection and maybe I don't want to be saved," he suggested, before adding, "You might want to have a closed casket for King George. If you want to waste the space. I, personally wouldn't bother."
Then he combusted without warning and burned away in a disturbingly, yet hauntingly beautiful display of blue flames.
"Wait, Henry, please…" Regina called. But he was gone. And she was left with more questions than answers.
Alright Chapter Two is up. What do you think? I'm loving Dark Henry. There's more darkness to come. You can follow me on tumblr where I am MurderouslyAdorkable. :D
