Warnings: (Probably) character death and swearing.
Pairing: Swan Queen.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Once Upon a Time and these characters.
Chapters: Five and an epilogue. [4/6]
Words: 2.071
A/N: English is not my first language.


I grabbed the knife and entered the labyrinth, it was so quiet that I felt goose bumps on my nape. I tried to walk fast since I couldn't run because of the wound in my ankle, so I limped trying to go faster. I looked at Regina's screen, she had the water at the height of her torso. When I glanced at the other screen I saw Ruby screaming a word, my name. I frowned and looked what was in front of me, just to see a big bifurcation, where there were two paths. I couldn't believe what was standing right ahead of me. A chimera.

I snapped open my eyes and I stepped back, that beast was a mixture of a lion, goat and dragon. Why the hell was there a fucking mythological creature?! My hand was trembling when the beast took a step towards me. What I'm going to do? It was right in front of me, I couldn't go on if it didn't get out of my way.

In that moment it growled. ''Oh my God.'' I whispered.

I held the knife up, really? What if I'd have left the knife in the first tryout? How the fuck would I have overcome this last test? Just when it rushed me I cut a portion of the nose, and I swear I could not see his leg getting closer to me because in one way or another sign of his claws were in my arms. I screamed in pain, but I could not recover because it sprang at me again, that time I fell back. I recoiled as much as I could since he approached me little by little. First an octopus, a shark, and then a chimera. When I said I wanted pets because they were so cute I did not mean this. ''I've come so far, and I'm not going to let you kill me, puss.'' I muttered when he was right above me. I bet if he bit me, he could rip off my head. I stabbed him on its neck with all my strength, wanting to stab him on his pulse point, and then I crawled to the left in order to dodge his paw, again. ''Are you like a cat and you have seven life or what?'' When he tried to harm me again I stepped aside and punched the knife, then I ran without looking back. I heard the beast howling.

I gasped for air whereas trying to keep calm. I limped through the paths of the freaking labyrinth, I glanced at Regina's screen and I saw that the water was below her neck, then I looked where I was going while I squeezed the wound on my arm with my hand, I saw blood all over it.

After a while I got to a kind of square, I looked around while walking to the centre, where there was a sword stuck into a rock, seriously? I'm not the king Arthur, what the hell does this guy do with his life? Even though I grabbed the handle and brandished the sword, it was heavy, well, I guess that all the swords are heavy because they have to stab and kill…

I froze when I felt a heavy breath behind me, I turned around slowly and saw the biggest beast I've ever seen. It was like two meters tall. "Alright, a chimera and now a minotaur? Seriously? You have to be kidding me." I stated hopeless. Its freaking axe was bigger than me!

I stepped back and ducked instinctively. Its axe almost tore my head up (what the hell is wrong with these beasts and my poor head?!). My eyes widened in shock. ''God save me.'' When he tried to rip off my head (again) I grabbed the sword tighter between the axe and me, the truth is that I don't know where the idea came from, because it didn't work. I was flying across the square and landed onto a bush. I got up and swallowed. I stared at it and grabbed the sword with both hands, then I ran towards the minotaur.

In the last moment I turned to the right, running/limping, honestly, the pain was absolutely unbearable, but if I didn't run the minotaur would catch me, and I really didn't want him to, so I ran/limped across the labyrinth, the minotaur was at my heels. I glanced up and saw Regina on the tip of her toes because of the water, I had no time left so that I was willing to get out of the labyrinth.


''Good morning, Miss Swan.'' Said Regina with a smirk when I entered the sheriff office, she was sitting on one of my desks in front of the cells. ''I came to report a robbery.''

I sighed and grabbed some papers before walking up to her. ''What's wrong now, Madame Mayor?''

''I don't know who stole all my apples of the apple tree on the yard outside my office. All the apples.''

''Regina, they are just apples. It's not such a big deal.''

''They are MY apples, sheriff.''

''Well if it helps you, I'll go later to your apple tree and see what I can find out, okay? If that's all you wanted, you can leave my office, Regina.''

Regina stood up, glanced at me and then I heard her heels leaving, I sat down on my desk and grabbed the bag underneath the table. I took out an apple as red as blood. I grinned.


I turned my head to the minotaur just to see that he threw his axe at me, I turned a corner and saw a centaur at the end of the path, in front of the door. I looked again the minotaur that turned the corner and grabbed its axe, when I glanced at the centaur, an arrow hit me. It stuck into my torso, just below my ribs. I clenched my jaw but I continued running towards the centaur, who was grabbing another arrow, but this time I dodged it. I was almost two meters away from the centaur.

In the last moment I rolled on the ground and slid between his legs, without looking back I ran towards the door. When I got inside the lights were still off, I put my hand where the arrow was and frowned. In that moment the door closed behind me and the lights turned on. I saw Regina's tank a few meters in front of me. I dropped the sword.


''You stole her apples?'' Asked Ruby laughing behind the counter, leaning on it with her elbows. ''What are you going to do with all these apples?''

''I don't know. One way or another I will return them to her.''

''Here she comes.''

I turned to the door and saw Regina entering the establishment right after her son, who smiled and walked towards me, then he sat on the chair next to me. ''Hi Emma!'' He said, I smiled slightly.

''Hey kid, what are you doing here?''

''Sheriff Swan.'' Said Regina standing on her feet behind Henry. ''Miss Lucas, my habitual order, please.'' Ruby nodded and went to the kitchen, Regina stayed there, behind Henry.

''Mom said that this afternoon you'll come to the mansion.''

''Eh… Yeah, I have an investigation and I need to check out some stuff.'' I slurped my beverage when Regina's phone rang, she went outside. ''Your mother has some kind of obsession with apples.'' I whispered.

''She's The Evil Queen, Emma.'' He whispered back. ''She really likes apples.''

Here we go again… seriously, how did Henry make up that conclusion? Regina entered again Granny's a few seconds later and Ruby gave her order, Regina paid and told Henry they had to go. Henry glanced at me again before leaving. ''Don't eat these apples, Emma.'' He muttered.

I stared at him, surprised while he left Granny's with his mother, then I looked Ruby, who was smiling. "How did he…?"I stuttered. ''The boy caught you up, Emma.''


I limped towards Regina, the tank was still being filled with water, the lights were faint, but enough for me to see where I was going. The tank had its own highlights, one of the walls of the room had two screens. I was three meters away from Regina, who was looking at me through the water. I swallowed, why Regina kept being shut in? I succeed in all the phases! Why Regina wasn't outside of the tank?

''You really succeed all the tryouts, bravo.'' Said the masked guy. ''But haven't you ever heard that evil never plays fair?''

''What?''

Regina hit the crystal and I glanced at her, I was pretty sure that she could hear me, why couldn't I do the same with her? I took a step towards Regina and watched the screen.

''I was an 80% sure that you would succeed all of the three phases, so… I prepared a fourth one.'' My eyes snapped open and I turned around when I heard a metallic sound. One meter away from the tank where Regina was, two panels appeared. ''Let's play a game.''


''Seriously Emma, you're a White Knight!'' I laughed while I sat down beside Henry. ''You're The Saviour… And you have to break the curse.''

''Of course I am, kid.'' I smiled. ''Does your mother know that you think she is The Evil Queen?''

''She's the only one who knows the truth, Emma. She's the only one who remembers the past, the rest don't remember who they are… And you are the only one who can break the curse! Mary Margaret and David are your parents!'' I laughed again. ''My mother is a good person… she's trying to change… and I want to believe that she really wants to.''

''Henry, your mother is not evil. She loves you.''

''I have to save her, Emma.'' It was the millionth time Henry told me that. ''She really loves me, I know that, but it's completely different the love for a son and the love for another person.''

''What do you mean, kid?''

''You and my mother… You're the product of true love. Mary Margaret, Snow, took my mother's happiness and her love. She's your mother, she gave birth you, and you can give my mom a happy ending.''

''Wait, Henry, I… I don't… What do you mean?''

''True love can break any curse, Emma! And I know you like my mom.'' He grinned. ''You're always all over each other, trying to catch the other's attention… Everyone can see it.''

I stared at Henry surprised, the second time this week I saw him leaving and walking towards his mother, who was in front of her Mercedes, she looked at me and then she entered her car. Henry turned around before getting in and waved me.


I walked until I was in front of both panels, each one had a button, one was blue and the other one was purple, I looked at Regina, who was almost drowning, and then I glanced at the guy's screen, he wanted me to press one button to save Regina? Leaving her life up to fate? Seriously? Luck's going to save her?

''The blue button is you, Emma. The purple one is Regina.''

''What the hell are you talking about?''

''You're going to bleed to death… If you press the blue one you'll heal yourself.'' I heard his laugh. ''If you press the purple one the tank will open.''

''What?!''

''You get to push only one button, if you push the blue one, the purple will deactivate itself. You can't push both at the same time, it won't work. I said it at the beginning of the games…' I froze and felt like a bucket of cold water fell all over me. ''Your life for hers or hers for yours.'' He repeated.

And in that moment I remember that yes, he said that at the beginning of all this shit, how he always said that if she died I'd live, and if I died she'd live. I remember when he said that it was my life for hers or hers for mine. Ever since the beginning his plan was that only one would get out alive.

''The odds aren't in your favour, are they? You have less than five minutes to choose… Well, choose your life or her life. Make good choices, Miss Swan.''