True to Emma's word, Hook, Rumpelstiltskin and Belle knocked on Regina's front door just before noon. She and the Sheriff had just begun combining their magic to heal Regina when they showed up, therefore she was instantly irate at their timing. Emma answered the door and led them into the living room where Regina was lounging, trying to look as much like her aristocratic self as possible.
Granted, she had done a fine job. After bathing and helping her dress into a simple dark charcoal dress and burgundy blazer, Emma had the opportunity to watch Regina's daily routine of getting ready. The practiced perfect way she applied her makeup, the ease in which she styled her black silken hair; it had felt so intimate that Emma blushed and had to look away at times when the mayor's eyes met hers through the mirror.
Belle placed her quite heavy looking ancient tomes onto the coffee table as they all assumed some sort of sitting or standing position in a semi-circle around her. Emma took the spot near Regina, and Hook stood hovering beside her. His right hand squeezed her shoulder gently and she looked up at him with her usual crooked smile, which he returned with his own, his blue eyes twinkling as he stared down at his lady-love. In the few days away from him she realized in that moment she had missed him slightly, but what troubled her was the degree that she missed him was not as drastic as she would have thought. The realization caused her smile to falter slightly and her brow to furrow as she turned her attention to Belle and Gold, hoping the slip in her expression went unnoticed.
"So we've done some looking into Moros' powers, the amulet Regina described," Belle began, but her tone wasn't hopeful and immediately put everyone on edge. "I can't find a way to dispel his mind-control magic, and the closest we've come to resisting it at all would be Rumple."
Regina glanced up at Gold, who shifted uncomfortably. She had the feeling he wasn't interested in putting his life on the line for her, as he was always the selfish type. If the danger wasn't directed at him specifically, he wanted no part in it.
She was quick to voice her opinion, "And Mr. Gold here isn't going to put himself in the line of fire, clearly."
Belle looked over at her boyfriend and frowned a little. Obviously they had had this discussion and by the look passed between the two of them, Regina's assumption was spot on.
"We want to use the apprentice's hat to take Moros' power from him," Gold responded, his voice low and resolute.
Regina nodded, a plan already forming in her head. She knew they wouldn't be able to get close enough to Moros to use the apprentice's hat, but she already had another idea for what they could use it for. Though she wasn't ready to tell the rest of them just yet, knowing the disruption and chaos the suggestion would cause.
"Alright," Emma said, her own mind working to figure out the best plan of action. "We just need to get close enough," She looked over at her still injured friend. "Regina is the only one who could maybe get that close, but she's still not strong enough. And I don't want to put her in that position,"
Gold chuckled at this; he waved a hand dismissively at the mayor. "Regina is plenty strong enough,"
Emma took to the defensive immediately. "We've been working hard together to heal her, we just need more time."
Gold shook his head at her, scoffing at Emma and Regina's misunderstanding of his statement as if they were simple minded children. "It's not Regina's magic that is weak, it's her will,"
The brunette glowered at Rumpelstiltskin, and if looks could kill he would probably have keeled over right then and there. "I am perfectly committed to ridding Storybrooke of Moros."
"You're afraid, and unwilling to get better," He accused her. "The Queen I know would have healed herself a week ago without even a spark of magic from the Savior."
Emma glanced over at Regina and curious green eyes met troubled brown, and she could sense there was truth to what Gold was saying. In the time she had spent with the mayor in the past week, she found herself able to pick up on the smallest of changes in her expression. Of course there would be fear lingering on account of what had been done to Regina, but she was never one to back down when her or her family was threatened.
"Stop acting like a petulant child and heal yourself," Gold said to the mayor condescendingly.
Regina exhaled a breath that sounded more like a growl and began summoning magic, her hands hovering over her injured legs. The room filled with a purplish glow, stemming from her outstretched fingers, and everyone held their breaths. For a moment the magic seemed to be working, and then it fizzled out like a party sparkler reaching the end of its stick.
"She's not ready," Emma countered immediately, and Regina gave her an apologetic look.
Gold grumbled and limped towards her. "Oh for God's sake," he murmured as he summoned his own magic before anyone had the chance to object, and a grey smoke enveloped Regina.
Once the smoke had dissipated she had a surprised look on her face that quickly changed to anger. "Don't use magic on me without my permission," she spat venomously.
Gold stepped back, her words not affecting him in the least, and he hit her legs gently with his cane. "Stand." If Moros was stealing the magic of the townsfolk, he needed Regina and Emma at full strength to keep himself off of his radar.
Emma was immediately on her feet to help, and Regina slipped a hand into hers for support as she gently rose. She detested being told what to do, especially from Gold, and especially when she was harboring doubts about rushing into a conflict with Moros, but as she stood her legs held fast and didn't hurt her. She looked at Emma and withdrew her hand, stretching out her once injured arm to test its mobility.
"Perfect, now let's stop dilly dallying, dearies."
They all decided to reconvene at Rumpelstiltskin's shop later that afternoon to solidify their plans and to get their affairs in order before they attempted to 'storm the castle'. Regina walked into the kitchen to fix herself and Emma some real food, remaining quiet as she diced vegetables for omelets. She was perfectly aware that Emma was watching her thoughtfully from the stool she was perched on at the island in the middle of the kitchen. The sun was warm as it filtered in through the windows, and if this had been under different circumstances, this would have felt very domestic.
"Regina,"
She refused to look up at her friend at first, busying herself with their brunch, until Emma repeated her name in a harsh tone.
"What have we been doing here, why have we been wasting so much time?" Emma moved to stand in front of the oven to force Regina to look at her. "Are you just afraid of facing him? Afraid we aren't strong enough?" She instinctively reached out to touch her friend's hand. "Together, we are strong enough to do this."
Regina snatched her hand away as if she had been burned and pushed Emma aside, again focusing on the food, trying to save the delicate dish from over-cooking. Facing away from the sheriff, the brunette shook her head.
"We aren't strong enough," She whispered, so quietly that Emma almost didn't catch it.
"That's bullshit, Gold said so, and I believe in you. We've been able to stop everything we've come up against once we combined our magic and our wills…" A realization washed over her, and she grasped the counter for support, feeling a little dizzy. "Is that it? You don't want to stop him?"
Regina turned to face her slowly, placing aside the spatula, and gradually let her tear-filled eyes meet Emma's. "There's nothing we can do here. I'm going to surrender myself, I'm the one he wants and he want's me to come to him voluntarily," She held her hand up as Emma began to argue. She sounded exhausted as she continued, "Don't you get it? His power is limitless. I was just enjoying our time together these last few days, the peaceful feeling of being looked after, cared for. I wanted it to last a little longer. Once I give him what he wants, he and I will leave together."
Emotions welled up inside Emma and she struggled for a moment to speak, so furious and confused and—what had she said about enjoying their time together?—just as a loud bang of a door opening shook the house, causing the chandelier in the foyer to clink together. The two women instinctively moved closer together, standing back to back, magic crackling at their fingertips.
Regina choked at the sight of Robin entering the kitchen, his clothes torn and dirty, the left side of his face split open and oozing blood, his body lumbering and likely only able to move because of the magic that was controlling his mind. As horrified as she was to see Robin, when Moros came around the corner behind him, moving as if he was gliding along the floor, her knees buckled and Emma had to scoop her arm under her elbow to try to hold her upright.
"My beautiful poppet," Moros' voice felt like a snake slithering across their skin, and the two women tried to back away, both shivering against the ungodly noise. "How I've missed you."
With a simple flick of his wrist, he threw Emma aside and into a wall, creating a crack in the plaster that extended up and across the ceiling. She groaned in pain and tried to stand, but a cabinet had fallen on her and kept her pinned. Adrenaline was surging through her veins and she threw it aside, standing just in time to see Moros' hand stroking Regina's cheek as she stood statue still, threading his dirty fingers in her hair and tangling it as he tugged.
Emma screamed defiantly and threw a crackling ball of electricity at him, but was horrified to find Robin jumping in the way to protect his master. The outlaw's moans of pain echoed through the destroyed kitchen, causing Emma's stomach to churn, but somehow he was still standing after the light of the magic had died down. The flesh on his torso was torn and blood had splashed all over Regina and Moros.
Moros traced a finger along Regina's jaw and then across her lips and teeth, forcing her to taste her lover's blood. He stepped away from her then, and Robin staggered back to stand between them. With a simple snap of Moros' fingers, Robin dug his hands into his the wounds of own torso to grab onto the bottom of his ribs, and with unprecedented strength and no protest, he began pulling them out of his body one by one, deaf to Emma's cries to stop. In fact, not only was he not objecting at all, he was making some horrible sound that resembled laughter, creating a cacophony of cracks, squishing and spurting, and a terrible cackling. He dropped his ribs carelessly the floor and they made a sickening slapping sound as they clattered onto the tiles
After he had finished digging at his chest, He wavered slightly. A proud smile graced his lips as he had successfully followed his master's orders, and then he toppled over at Regina's feet.
With a quick puff of crimson and black smoke, Moros was gone, but Robin's dead body remained, the stench of him and the burning food permeating the once pristine kitchen.
Regina's hair was filthy and matted, her face caked with blood, her deep brown orbs glistening with tears. Her legs gave way and she fell back to sit on her heels, her bloody hands limp beside her, eyes unblinking. Emma stared wide-eyed, her hand going to her forehead, mouth agape, as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. Slowly, Regina leaned forwards onto her hands and knees, hovering over the bloody mess that was once her Happy Ending, quiet sobs racking her body. She seemed so frail and broken as she trembled in the afternoon sun.