Chapter 26
Gonna go back to that conversation Regina was having in the woods, now that we all know who she was talking to. Just in case anyone still wasn't sure, the Blue Fairy is the mysterious 'intruder' Regina was talking to in chapter 12.
"The spell on the mausoleum is broken. He's unprotected now."
Regina laughed again. "Wow, you really are determined! But seriously, you need to quit. The enchantment is perfectly intact."
"Are you sure about that? After all, Your Majesty, magic here is…unpredictable."
"Spells and curses, maybe, but enchantments are the most stable magic there is. If the enchantment broke I would know it instantly. Now leave me alone before I conjure up a fly swatter."
The fairy swooped down, hovering far too close for Regina's liking. She recoiled in disgust but her head could only go so far before it was pressed against the tree. "I wonder, Your Majesty, does Sherriff Swan possess your keen understanding of the intricacies of magic?"
Regina's blood ran cold. Her mind was reeling, struggling to put the pieces together. Was the fairy really threatening her son? Regina had assumed that the Blue Fairy wanted her dead, ideally taking Rumple down with her, but threatening Henry didn't make sense. "You wouldn't dare," she said, a hint of disbelief in her words.
The Fairy was now hovering so close that Regina had to strain her eyes to keep the tiny face in focus. The fairy's voice dropped to a hiss, her face contorting with rage. "You deserve to lose him."
Regina was on her feet instantly, her hand flying out to grab the infernal creature but she zoomed nimbly out of Regina's grasp. "If you so much as fly over my son I will crush you into dust," Regina threatened.
The fairy laughed, doing a graceful little flip in mid-air. "You think your power is a match for mine?" She steadied herself, eyes locked on Regina's, and her voice dropped as she said, "You love Henry? Love is weakness, Regina."
Regina shuddered. She couldn't help it. Her mother's voice rang in her ears, echoing forward through time as though she had just spoken. It made Regina's head fill with thick fog, too many emotions welling up in her, all vying for top position. Anger, hatred, fear, resentment, sorrow, longing and – ugh, that sick, twisted, desperate, yearning love that Regina hacked away at furiously but could never break. Cora would always be her mother, and nothing Regina ever did would free her from that bond, even now. She began to tremble, wanting to lash out, scream, cry, wanting to collapse in on herself until the emotions smothered her, the conflict rendering her completely motionless.
Until she heard it – that infuriating giggle. She looked up at the mocking smile, stretched wide to reveal rotting teeth, eyes filled with glee at finding his enemy so helpless. Everything in her hardened, self-preservation kicking in and condensing everything into pure, solid hatred. The world closed in around her, narrowing her focus until it was completely filled with the man who had dangled happiness in front of her time and time again only to snatch it away, always just out of her reach. He'd turned her into a mule, taking advantage of her burning hunger to keep her blindly following the carrot. She let out an anguished scream and lunged, but Rumple vanished. Feeling a strange disconnect, her mind silencing her body's cries of pain, Regina raced through the woods, pushing her magic outwards to lead her straight to her target.
"You foolish girl," a voice said in her ear. Running full-out, Regina lost her footing and went flying, landed hard on her front, the wind knocked out of her. "This is you happy ending?"
"No," Regina cried, pressing her hands over her ears. She knew it was impossible, knew her mother was dead, but the voice sounded so close and so real that it plunged Regina back into her past. She felt the iron grip on her arms, the rough wiping of her tears, the unbearable agony in her heart as she wrapped her arms around Daniel's body. "No," she sobbed, pulling her knees up to her chest, hands over her ears.
"I am so proud of you." Regina screamed and she felt pain rip through her. The fire that had been burning inside her for the past two days seared through her, burning white hot, and it mingled with the magic flowing in her veins until it leapt out as a physical thing, igniting the dry brush. Regina rolled onto her back, limbs sprawling, breathing heavily as she felt her body finally succumbing to its weakness.
Her vision began to blur, but as she looked up she could make out a faint outline, glowing brilliantly in the light of the fire spreading around her. "You were wrong, Your Majesty." That voice. Regina knew it. But no, this creature was not Cora. So then…? "Looks like tonight is your night to burn at the stake." The voice softened and everything clicked. Regina laughed in her delirium. The hatred in her was gone, burnt up like gasoline on a bonfire, and cold truth settled over her. She really was going to die in this fire. She looking blearily up at her opponent and might have clapped if her strength allowed it. Instead she just chuckled, which turned into a cough as she inhaled a lungful of smoke.
"Regina!" A voice called. She heard an angry hiss and the fairy vanished. She coughed again, another whiff of smoke blowing over her. A moment later she saw someone come into view, someone she should recognize but her brain struggled to make the connection. The figure knelt down next to her and recognition clicked.
"Emma," she said, her voice a hoarse whisper.
"Regina, what happened? Have you been sick this whole time?" Sick? What did that matter? She felt Emma trying to pull her up, trying to take her away from the fire, but she resisted. Emma had to listen, had to understand before it was too late. "Dammit, I'm trying to help you!"
"No, no. Henry…" Regina breathed, struggling to regain her voice.
"Don't worry about Henry, I have to get you out."
No, no, no! Didn't she understand? Henry was more important now, Henry was the one in danger. He was the one who had to be saved. "He's not safe!" She rasped, her throat feeling raw and singed from the smoke.
"I know. I took him somewhere safe." Took him…oh gods. Regina's mind reeled. She had already spoken to the Blue Fairy, already thought the enchantment was broken. She had taken Henry from the only safe place left in Storybrooke, the only place that would keep him protected from Rumplestiltskin and, apparently an even bigger threat, the Blue Fairy. "He's going to be fine. Come ON!"
Regina resisted Emma's efforts, shaking her head, sending a wave of dizziness over her. Dammit, she had to make Emma understand…something. Her thoughts were so jumbled, her fever was skyrocketing, and none of what had happened in the last hour even made sense. How could she possibly explain it? "Don't…" she started, fighting the dizziness. "Don't…" she willed her brain to focus.
"Don't what?"
"Don't trust…" Dammit, why? What was even happening? Would Regina death be enough to satisfy the Blue Fairy's desires? Would it be enough to keep Emma and Henry safe? She had threatened Henry, but was it real or just to push Regina forward?
Regina heard the loud crack and she felt the weight of his presence nearby. She didn't have to turn her head to know who was now standing in their midst. "Don't trust who?" Emma screamed.
'Because as long as you're alive Henry will never be mine'. Regina looked up at Emma, the saviour, a woman she had feared and hated and tried so hard to push away. 'What a strange twist of fate,' she thought. She lifted her hands to press them gently against Emma's temples. "Protect him," she said, trusting Emma at last. What choice remained? Henry loved Emma. And after all the heartache he had suffered for Regina's selfish needs, he deserved to be happy. She couldn't bear the thought of him losing everything because of her selfishness. She would not let him lose his hope, his white knight, his precious saviour – his mother – trying to save the woman who took away his hope for happiness. She gathered together everything she had left inside of her, every tiny thread of power, and drew in into her hands. Then she pushed with the very last of her strength, and the magic exploded out of her. She heard Emma's scream of agony, and then she was gone, leaving behind a few wispy tendrils of dark smoke. Regina's world went dark.
"Quiet!" Emma yelled. "Why? Why would you destroy your world?"
"All of our enchanted trees chopped down, all our magic beans used up, the mighty herds of unicorns gone, only a small few remaining…it was horrible. Our world was dying but no one wanted to see it. No one wanted to believe it. I had to bring us here!"
"To a land without magic where we would suffer for eternity?" Red shook her head, feeling disgusted.
"I knew it wouldn't be forever. I made preparations before we left to safeguard my memories so I could bring Emma here."
"Those aren't the only preparations you made, Dearie." Everyone shouted, scrambling away from Rumplestiltskin as he waltzed through the door, but there was nowhere to go.
"You," the fairy hissed.
"Lovely to see you again," he greeted cheerfully.
"How the hell did you survive? You were supposed to die in that fire!"
"Yes, that was very poor planning on your part. Didn't expect Miss Swan to turn up so soon, did you?"
Emma looked down, expecting to see the Blue Fairy fuming, or possibly looking scared, but instead she saw her shrinking. At first Emma thought she was just crouching, frustrated, but she realized – too late – that she was actually shrinking in size. A second later she was so tiny that she simply slipped through the mesh of the net and zoomed out of the room before anyone could stop her, even slipping through Rumple's outstretched hands. "Dammit!" Emma bellowed.