Saving the Savior
Chapter Nine
AU: Hi. I know I haven't updated in several weeks, I've just been busy with finals coming up and moving this month. I also went through a miniature writers-block. This chapter is very short but I hope this is enough for now! :) Thank you so much for your kind reviews and great ideas for this story, they are always appreciated. Anyways I hope you enjoy this chapter :D Warning: Torture, PTSD, mentions of child abuse, suicidal ideation, and possible self-harm.
~victorious_1415
Emma's POV
Waking up in my parent's soft bed is peaceful before all of the memories of the previous night come rushing back to me. I manage to keep my tears from falling so I will not stain the white pillow case under my head red. I strain my ears and hear my newborn sibling fussing in the next room over and Mary Margret's humming along with it, trying to soothe the baby. Dishes clang in the kitchen and I move into a sitting position. My heart rises in my throat as I come face to face with an engraged Belle.
The flesh on the right half of her face is torn and pieces are hanging. Blood drips down on the bed and my I can hear my heart thumping in my ears. I propel myself against the head board and squeeze my eyes tightly shut. I begin counting slowly to ten and breathing more evenly. When I open them again the woman I murdered is no longer in front of me. I let out a shaky breath and try to calm my rapidly beating heart. I swing my legs over the side of the bed and dash towards the door, as if Belle could grab me and get her revenge any second.
I throw open the door and close it swiftly behind me, like doing so will trap the entity in the room. I go to the bathroom across the hall and brush my hair and teeth. The circles around my eyes have darkened and there is no scar from my slit throat yesterday. My scales haven't gotten any greener or more gold presumably because of the enchanted bracelet around my wrist that prevents my magic from having effect.
I hear a knock at the door and I nearly jump ten feet in the air. When I open the door Snow's quiet voice says, "Here are some clothes for you to wear." Only her arm and a small pile of my old clothes is seen through the crack in the door. I mutter a 'thank you' and take the clothes and put them on once she shuts the white door. I try to avoid looking at my scarred body in the mirror as I dress and instead look around the dainty bathroom. Unlike the one upstairs, this one is baby blue and has a white driftwood theme. Even the mirror is framed with the ragged, messily painted wood and that gives it more character. The shower curtain is white with navy blue anchors on it and the sink is bright white porcelain.
After I am dressed in my black tank top, spare red jacket, and jeans I twist the bronze door knob and walk to the kitchen. David is leaning over the counter and speaking in a hushed voice to Mary Margret and when I clear my throat his eyes widen before he forces a smile in my direction.
"Emma, I made you some breakfast." He gestures towards a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast at the breakfast bar. I walk hesitantly towards my nervous parents silently sit down and shovel the food into my mouth. I think the last time I ate was at station when I ate the doughnut. I guess being the Dark One means I rarely get hungry.
I finish my meal and chug down the glass of orange juice before me which tastes strange with the mingling flavor of mint toothpaste in my mouth. I wipe my mouth with my hand and look up at Charming, "Are we going to work today?"
He looks at me with an expression of aghast. I frown, "We still have to take care of the Elsa situation."
He drags his hand over his face and I notice the bags under his eyes, "It's been resolved, she's working with us now." I narrow my black eyes in suspicion, "What is she working with you on?"
David sighs and places his hands on the counter in front of me, "Emma, you aren't ready to be working again. You still need to recov-" I cut him off,
"You're lying. People are still scared of me aren't they? Because of Belle?" I force the words out and subconsciously flinch when he pushes a strand of silver hair from my eyes.
He frowns and says, "It wasn't your fault. The dark curse made you do what you did." I glare at him and feel the familiar darkness begin to ignite in my heart and poisonous words start to brew in my mouth. Though before I can respond he continues, "People are scared of the darkness in you, not you."
I gasp in mock shock and place my glittering hand on my heart, "You think so highly of me, Prince Charming!" I snicker and drink the last of my orange juice. David sighs and runs a hand through his short hair before looking towards my mother with an exasperated look across his features. I growl as the unnecessary darkness in my beating organ begins to burn hotter and more hurtful words, not of my own, threaten to spew from my lips. I force the images of my parents grieving faces from the previous night in my head after I let the darkness take over and my need to see suffering only increases. A tremor tears through my whole body and Mary Margret and David look towards me immediately with matching concerned expressions.
"Kill them." Isabella whispers in my ear with a voice only I will ever hear. My hair falls in my face and my parents dead and bleeding bodies flash through my mind. I grit my teeth and stand up so quickly the stool I was sitting on falls backwards.
"I need to go now," I say scratchily as I pull up my sleeve and extend my arm with the bracelet towards them. Through the curtain of my hair I can see Charming open his mouth, about to protest. I know I can't actually inflict pain on anybody with this bracelet on but the magic building up inside of me is making me feel like I'm going to explode. A growls rips through me and my skin starts shimmering more and more. I don't know what has brought this on, but it is almost as painful as Zelena's magical torture.
"Please, it hurts," I cry out and my sibling starts crying in the other room from the noise. Neither of my parents move to silence the child or remove my enchanted cuff. A wave of excruciating pain knocks me onto the floor and my eyes are squeezed so tightly shut that I see fireworks behind my eyelids. Footsteps rush towards me and I feel the bracelet being torn off of me as if it is the easiest thing in the world. The agony doesn't stop and I know I'm about to explode. With my last ounce of energy I transport myself to the woods, away from my family, so I wont hurt them. The ground is hard and wet from dew beneath my body and my scream pierces the morning air. It begins raining and my body is soon soaked. I hear trees falling down around me from the supernaturally strong winds.
My last thought is how worried my parents must be and how lucky I am that I was able to get away from them in time. I try to focus on returning to them and things going back to the way they used to be but my common sense reminds me of my bitter reality so I return to my suffering, completely and utterly alone.
