So this came together really fast. I don't know, I guess I was just feeling very inspired, but I really love the way it came out. I hope you all do to. A scene/plot point that wasn't even supposed to exist cropped up too which I hope will give certain character fans a little more enjoyment.
I realized I spelled Mohrion's name wrong all of last chapter... autocorrect can sometimes get you even in a word that is not real. But I reuploaded that chapter so it is correct.
Thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing this story. To those who have been reading a long tim - thank you for being so very patient. For those who have just started reading it, your reviews and love are so appreciated. Shout out to bbergs03 and sexikat and the few guests who mentioned they just read the whole thing recently (that's very impressive). To those of you who read and review faithfully (you know who you are) I can't wait to hear your responses, it's actually how I gauge my work now because you've been almost as faithful to this story as I am.
Also don't forget to check out the Christmas insert for this story, it's separate but on my profile page. Anyway ENJOY!
They landed hard, pain radiating through her left arm as it absorbed her fall. She clenched her teeth to keep from crying out. Looking around she could instantly see her enemy reflected in this world. The massive castle around her stood in ruin. The gothic structure was grossly oversized, crumbling in most areas. Towers and buttresses soared impossibly high, spiraling into the black clouds above. Massive lighting strikes cracked across the sky, illuminating the world. Beyond the castle, craggy rocks sat in the distance, dropping off into a black abyss of nothingness. She could tell they had landed in what once had been the great hall. In front of her was a platform on which stood a massive ruined throne, carved from the rock the palace was made from. Two massive staircases curved up on each side to a balcony above, the railing of which had long since caved in many places. The wall to her left had been blown out, revealing the courtyard below where ruined pillars stood, evenly spaced, each with a glowing red stone atop, casting an eerie light over the land. She noted a covered bridge off the back of the room, precariously standing with only one support under it, the rest having been blown out, their supports crumbled below.
Emma looked up as she heard a deep laugh come from the balcony above. Mohrion swept his black cape behind as he approached what was left of the railing, His eyes sweeping over his domain. Emma shuddered at how in place he looked, a true king in a castle that reflected the depths of his soul, evil and poisonous.
Finally Mohrion's eyes settled on Emma who had pushed herself to a stand. "You brought us here? Oh you foolish girl. Why would you bring us here..." Mohrion stopped as an idea struck him. "Unless? You've heard the legends. You think there's something here that can defeat me. You think that by coming here you can win."
"What does it matter what I think?" Emma's eyes flashed in challenge.
"Did you ever stop to consider maybe I created that legend, so people would have to come here," Mohrion gestured to the destruction around him. "To my world, to my domain, where I control everything and can so easily slaughter my enemies."
"Maybe." Emma shrugged, ignoring the concern that came with knowing he had the upper hand in this world he had created. "But you're far too prideful to admit any weakness, true or fabled. If it's here I will find it, and if not, well I'm preventing the slaughter of innocents by trapping you here."
"Oh my dear girl. Once I have taken your life, left you hear to rot in the darkness, I will take the lives of those you hold so dear. But not before I tell them of your demise. Maybe I'll bring them here and show them your final resting place. They'll see you left as a relic, a prize, a warning to anyone who dares cross me. Why I've already thought of a place for you. In the courtyard, among the bones of my other enemies, but my dear I won't let you become bones. Your face will remain frozen in fear, warning all others of what terrible things I am capable of. Who will take it the worst? You dear lover who has fought so hard to protect you? That wretch who raised you, hid you from me? No she only cares for your utility, she will only be disappointed. Your mother? Her regrets of failure filling her as she sobs over your dead body. Or what about your dear father, who cherishes you so? If he even makes it out of that battlefield alive? Worry not my dear. I'll save him so I may torture him with the rest of your family. Oh they'll suffer, but they'll be together. I wonder who will break first? I think it will be your sweet younger brother. At the tender age of eleven you had already seen terrible things, but he's sheltered, seeing your ravaged body will likely break him I may keep him around as a new pet."
"Stop!" Emma screamed, unleashing a powerful blast of dark blue magic, fueled by her rage. But Mohrion was ready, easily deflecting the blast, sending it into a nearby wall. The wall buckled, sending rock showering onto the courtyard below.
"Temper, temper." Mohrion shook his head. "You should know better, that will get you nowhere, your majesty." Emma took a deep breath, calming herself as her eyes narrowed, steeling herself against the rage Mohrion meant to incite within her. "Your magic changes with emotion, or what you're doing… how fascinating. It's darker when you are angry, or going somewhere…" Mohrion looked around, a sick grin growing on his face. "evil. But it's so pure and light when you're acting out of goodness. I wonder. Who are you truly? Good and pure like your parent's love, or dark and spiteful after your years of pain as I suspect you are. Show me who you are Emma."
"With pleasure." Emma's voice was low and even as her right hand began to glow, a ball of light surrounding it. Rays of blue energy pulsed outward from it, surrounding her in a glow that would strike fear into the hearts of most. But Mohrion was prepared for the beam of collected energy to shoot at him, shielding himself with ease. What he was not prepared for was the sudden move of her hand upward, targeting the stone beams above his head, sending them crumbling toward him. He managed to knock the biggest away but couldn't prevent a smaller but sizable chunk from felling him.
He could not be kept down long. Emma felt his next attack before she saw him upright. Her vision began to darken and she quickly realized her was blinding her to the world around her, leaving her vulnerable. Acting on faith she put her hands out in front of her, creating a protective force field. She could feel heat licking at her and assumed he was attacking her with fire. She had no clue where he was and that's what worried her most. Even if she could regain her vision she wouldn't know where he would be, where the next attack would come from.
She calmed herself, thinking through the possibilities. It was unlikely Mohrion would come close. Though a surprise attack would likely win him victory, she stood a good chance at hand to hand combat. Emma had been told he was once a great swordsmen but she doubted he had practiced in many years. While they would likely be matched opponents it was unlikely he would take that risk. No, he would be farther away, giving her a chance to divert his attention and regain her bearings.
Knowing what she needed to do Emma pulled back on her shield, the heat growing more intense. Diverting her energy from defense she slowly pushed Mohrion out of her senses, the world beginning to come into focus. Balls of light began to orbit above her head, growing faster until one-by-one they flew off in different directions, crashing into walls, causing even more damage. She knew most of the attacks were futile, but if even one was in his direction, it might give her enough time to see his attack coming.
Her hopes were only somewhat recognized. She caught sight of him just in time to see a black flash shooting at her, hang outstretched. Emma barely had enough time to form a shield, his momentum too great, propelling them both backward onto the already unstable bridge. Emma landed hard, pain radiating through her body, but she wouldn't let is stop her. Mohrion was already launching his next attack, rings of light pulsing around his being, casting a deathly glow on his grey skin. His hand was outstretch, orbs of light spinning faster until they came together as one massive burst of energy, shooting out toward her in a fiery blaze.
Emma held her hands up in front of her as the blast hit, pushing them out to the side, and diverting the blow out the openings on the side of the bridge. As the beam split she and Mohrion met eye to eye, allowing her to read his next move. She broke stance with her left hand, bringing it protectively in front of her chest before his secondary blow could do any harm.
Her focus on him however made her forget her bearings. She took a step back and immediately regretted it, the unsteady bridge weakening further under the duress of their battle. It began to lean, tilting backward. Emma looked down, knowing the fall would not be one she would survive. Seeing no exit that she could safely make it through without Mohrion's interference she held her hands out, bracing the bridge with her magic, causing it to lift from all it's supports, floating suspended in the air, high above the castle.
"Quite a party trick." Mohrion's eyes flashed darkly. "But this is my world and it will not be controlled by you. It all obeys its master." With his words the lightning began to flash more intensely, crashing with devastating affects on the terrain around them. It began to gather around Mohrion, leaving him unharmed, but Emma would not be as safe. She knew she could not hold the bridge, avoid the lightning, and hope to attack. Instead she took an insane risk. Knowing she would only get one shot at it she let the bridge begin to fall. Hardening herself with her magic she charged at Mohrion who was distracted by the sudden drop. Before he could react she had tackled him, sending them both flying, perfectly timed, through the opening back into the great hall as the bridge crashed with a sickening sound below. The two tumbled through the expanse of the great hall from the momentum of the magic, separating from each other's grasp. Both were quick to react, immediately on their feat despite the pain, the injuries, the blood covering them both.
"You are brazen." Mohrion began to circle her, both looking at the other like prey as they moved. "I wasn't aware they taught battle like this in Altair. Likely not. Risks like that can get you killed. "
"Lucky for me they haven't." Emma shot back, intending to show him she wasn't scared.
"You'll never win girl." Mohrion warned. "You can never destroy what you need to in order to truly rid the world of me. It's not possible."
Thought it didn't show on her face, Mohrion's comment sparked something in her, a memory or a dream. She couldn't be sure, but suddenly it was clear, the voice in her head telling her what had to be done. The risk, the sacrifice that had to be made. It was dangerous and she wasn't even sure she was capable of it, but the voice in her head sounded so sure. Her eyes locked on Mohrion as she stopped, straightening herself up and facing him head on. "You're right. I can never win in this world. I'll never find your link in time to destroy it."
"Are you giving up?" Mohrion laughed in surprise.
"Not exactly." Emma took a deep breath, allowing her eyes to close as she looked within herself to find the power necessary to do what was needed. She was a Great. Prophecies had fortold of her birth, of her abilities, of her immeasurable power. Her position came with great responsibility, it asked for great sacrifice, but it gave her the ability to do so, and she needed to believe in every bit of that ability in this moment. The image solidified in her mind and her eyes flew open, her arms shooting out as she entire castle began to tremble.
"What are you doing?!" Mohrion screamed, unable to move as he looked out the window, seeing his entire world crumbling around them. The stars began to fall out of the sky, streaks of light shooting through the black clouds, exploding in a fiery rage on the castle, on the stone pillars holding the balls of read light, destroying everything in their wake. "You'll kill us both."
"So be it." Emma didn't even recognize the voice as it came out of her. She had never known herself to be so powerful. Even in the face of death, she had never felt more alive as power radiated though her body. Jerking one hand, she felt the great hall break away under them as the tower castles began to fall out of the sky, crashing over one another to the ground that wouldn't be their resting place, as even it's foundation was crumbling beneath it, descending into the great abyss beneath it.
Suddenly a terrible sound began to rise above all the rest. It was unearthly, something she had never heard before and would forever associate with death in whatever world she ended up in at the end of this, living or dead. A look of horror crossed Mohrion's face as he realized what she was doing.
"How?" For the first time he looked truly terrified of the girl before him. "This is impossible? How are you doing this? How are you capable of this?"
"Because." Emma's voice had a deadly edge to it as the realm around them began to blur into nothingness, the dark grey of the sky swirling with a lighter blue in a strange, unnatural mix. "I am the next Great. And this, is the dawning of my era."
They were in the midst of battle. Swords met with sickening clashes all around them, soldiers both enemy and friend were strewn across the battlefield, blood of the victims splashed across their killers and comrades alike. The heat was unnaturally intense, making it difficult to see through the haze created by war. All the added challenges could be attributed to one individual, tearing a warpath through the center of the battle. Regina donned a dress of silver and black chainmail, her striking look making her appear every bit as deadly as she truly was. She had been cutting down men with her magic left and right, destroying her enemies by the dozen in an attempt to get to her true target, the heart of that wretched girl she despised more than anything in this entire world. She had finally caught sight of him, his blade glinting in the sun, fighting gallantly as he led his men in a great display of skill and power.
Regina was just about to take him, trap him so she could rip out his heart to crush before his true love when her blow was deflected by another. She searched around her, fire blazing in her eyes at the thought of anyone daring to challenge her. She came face to face with a man she had never expected to see stand up to her and was shocked to find he did not wear the look of fear that she had become so accustomed to. "Who do you think you are you foolish boy?" Regina snapped. "Do you have any idea what you have just done?"
"You do not intimidate me with your magic tricks." Chris faced the woman head on, refusing to show the fear she wanted so badly to see in him. "I have born witness to true power and you are nothing but a farce. A sad excuse for someone who wishes so badly to be something they will never have. Someone who blames all their problems on others and has nothing but anger and hatred in her heart."
"Silence!" Regina snapped, cutting him off. "You stupid prince. You are brave but foolishly so. You will die for what you have done." She lifted her hand up, willing her magic to crush his throat, but nothing happened. When Regina realized her limitation she looked at her hand in shock. "What is happening? Why isn't it working?"
Chris merely grinned, producing a medallion from under his armor. "Seems those with real power know how to deal with magicians like you. If you want to kill me you're going to have to do it like everyone else. With you bare hands."
"Oh my dear boy." Regina unsheathed her sword, a wicked grin gracing her face. "You don't think I grew up the only child of a duke without learning how to swing a sword? I have killed just as many by the stroke of my sword as I have by crushing their hearts."
"Prove it." Chris challenged, a yell ripping from Regina's throat as their swords met, clashing in concert with the battle raging on around them.
"Lancelot." Charming yelled over the battle to where his comrade fought by his side. "The left flank."
Lancelot's glance flickered from his enemy only briefly to see what his king was referring to. "Right away my liege. Roan, move with your company to the left flank as soon as you can. We are in dire need."
"As you command sir!" The reply was soon drowned out along with all the other crashes and screams of battle by a sound no one had ever heard before. The terrible sound had everyone turn in shock, momentarily forgetting the task in front of them. The source was far away, but even at this distance it could be seen, leaving every soldier in a shocked horror at what they bore witness to.
"Sire." Lancelot's voice was breathless, almost as if he were struggling for air. "What is that?"
It had been far too quite for all of them, leaving them on edge in an uncomfortable silence. No one knew what to say. Everything seemed wrong. No words seemed able to verbalize the feeling they were all experience. Emma had been gone for too long, leaving them all imagining horrid fates that could have befallen her.
Their silent fears were shattered in an instant with the violent blowing of winds, the feeling of tree's as a terrible high pitch screech ripped through the clearing followed by a deep, intense, jarring sound that forced all of them to cover their ears.
"What in god's name?" Red shouted.
"Daniel the protection spell." Evan call. "It needs to be strengthened."
"I can't!" Daniel cried. "There's something in the way, preventing us. I can't tell who's magic it is. They're practically intertwined at this moment."
"Look!" Evander pointed to the sky, each of them turning to the scene in shock. In a moment they realized the screeching sound that had been so familiar was that of tearing, a horrid tearing of something that was supposed forever remain intact. The sky had been distorted, swirling into a hole, intertwining with tendrils of dark grey and black that pulled at the blue of the sky around it as if crawling out of the abyss. Slowly something began to take shape, a haze keeping it from being clearly seen.
"Is that?" Red gasped.
"Emma." Daniel replied in shock.
"But it's as if we're seeing into his world." Evan shook his head as the ruins of the dark castle's great hall began to take shape. "It looks as if they're still in his palace."
"We're not seeing into his world." Serafine's voice was even but even their ever-calm leader had a twinge of panic in it. "She's bringing it here."
"What?" Evander stared at her in shock.
"She's using the veil between worlds to temporarily merge them." Serafine explained.
"Is that possible?" Red asked in bewilderment.
"It's unlike anything I've ever imagined." Serafine's eyes were fixed on the ever clearer floating fortress in the sky. "I never dreamed it possible."
"But why?" Daniel asked, not understanding Emma's decisions. "Why would she want to bring that darkness here?"
"She will have the power to destroy worlds." Snow whispered in realization. The shock of the long buried memory coming to the surface as the scene in front of her unfolded.
"What?" Everyone turned to look at Snow, waiting for her to explain her comment.
"It's something Rumplestiltskin told us once, or rather my husband, about Emma." Snow began to explain, keeping the corner of her eye trained on where her daughter was, even if she couldn't see her. "He said she would have the power to destroy worlds."
"Does Emma remember this?" Serafine asked intently.
"I don't know…" Snow shrugged helplessly. "Maybe."
"My lord." Serafine turned in shock, her gaze back on the tearing veil between realms. "That beast told her how to defeat Mohrion."
"And how to kill herself in the process." Daniel's voice was gaze as he spoke. "There's no way anyone can survive that."
Just a reminder Charming's name in this is James. I originally did it because without the curse, I thought he would have never changed his name. Later I questioned the decision but I was already too far into the story to really change it so thus James/Charming he is. But it is not the evil twin!