Many thanks to Friend89 for editing this chapter
Emma has been thinking... and she thinks that her life story should be called 'Series of Bad News.' Because that's all it has ever been. Bad news after bad news. And with bad news, bad income, bad problems came with bad situations. Its become a common occurrence.
They gather at Rumpelstiltskin's pawn shop, planning for the next step to take. Nobody was sure what to make out what Regina is thinking. Red just keeps repeating that they should just trust her. That she has a plan, and the only way it's going to work is if they just go along with it.
It doesn't help when they don't know what Regina is planning. You can only keep everyone on board to trust the former Evil Queen for so long. Even more after Cora got her hands on the dagger.
"Obvious Regina was able to postpone all your early deaths, because I haven't killed anyone yet," Rumpelstiltskin points out. "Cora would have you all killed by now."
"What about we just wait until Hook wakes up and ask him if he knows anything," Emma suggests.
"What makes you think he'll tell us anything?" Neal questions Emma.
"He'll tell us," Emma says as a matter of fact.
"Are you sure love?" Hook answers, waking up from being unconscious. He groans as his head throbs in pain. Going to reach his temple, he finds himself tied down. He feels the tight rope tying him to a chair, and his hook is once again gone. "I'm starting to think you have a wild side, Emma," Hook smirks, eyes landing on Emma.
Emma rolls her eyes, getting use to Hook's cocky flirtation. "And I'm starting to think you are suicidal, or a masochist. Always looking for trouble which ends up you getting hurt," Emma says dryly.
"Only for you," Hook wiggles his eyebrows.
"I'm going enjoy putting your ass in jail," Red growls, wanting to put the man in place for Regina.
"No need to be jealous, there is plenty of me to go around," Hook smirks at the beast.
"Jealous?" Red barks in laughter. "That's rich coming from you, a dead man."
"Can we get back to important matters?" Emma asks, afraid that Red will lose her temper before they can get information out of the cocky pirate. Rubbing her temples, she tries to ease the headache. This whole mess is becoming a bigger problem than it had to be. "What do you know?"
"I know a lot of things, and a lot of nothing," Hook shrugs, getting serious. "Depends what you want to know."
"Do you know what Regina is planning?"
"Understanding Regina is as difficult as understanding Cora. Both are hiding behind dark masks, but which one is to be trusted is the key question," Hook says. "What Regina is planning, I have no idea, but, I do know that whatever it is, it's not going to be easy for her to pull off."
"What do you mean?" Emma pushes Hook to be more specific.
"She can't easily kill Cora, because Cora doesn't have a heart. And even if she did, Regina wouldn't be able to go through with it. She had me kill her back before she cast the curse," Hook explains.
How could they ask Regina to do something that will leave her completely alone in all worlds? She'll be the last in her family, by blood.
"She doesn't have a heart?" Emma was confused. "Who has her heart?"
"She has it," Rumpelstiltskin jumps in, answering the question. "She took it out, not wanting her heart to be her weakness, to slow her down when it comes gaining powerful."
"So, Regina never had real love from her mother?" Emma asks.
"Nope," Rumpelstiltskin shakes his head. "When your heart isn't attached to you, you can't truly feel. You'll never be able to express true love. Only hatred and anger."
"That's why Regina had a terrible upbringing?"
"That had a small part of it," Rumpelstiltskin admits Regina's past to the group. Though he used Regina, manipulated her to cast the curse, he admired her strength. Especially after everything her mother put her through. He doubts that if she had a heart, things would have turned out with the same outcome.
"So, what is Regina going to do than if she's not going to kill Cora?" Snow demands to know. Cora must die. After all the pain she caused, just to get what she wanted, it seems only fair she pays for what she did.
Hook just shrugs, not having an answer. Emma and Charming just look at each other and shrug also, not sure what to tell Snow. They were as lost as well. Regina could be up to many things, but what for sure is beyond them.
"I'll keep Henry out of it and safe and away from the crossfire," Red declares. "Just remember to trust her. There is a reason why she's keeping you all in the dark. She can't have anyone of you ruining what she's working so hard on."
"Thank you, Red," Emma smiles as Red waves a goodbye and leaves the shop.
"The strongest and fastest person on your team and you have her babysitting?" Hook chuckles.
"Because she's the strongest and fastest IS the reason she's protecting Henry. She'll be able to stop him from escaping when he tries to come and help. We want to prevent him from hurting himself," Emma states.
"Why won't you let the crocodile die?" Hook wonders out loud. "The dagger will be useless, it will be just a regular blade. There won't be a Dark One and it buys you a couple of days to figure out how to stop Cora. To me, it seems like a win, win situation."
"He's not going to die," Neal snaps at the pirate.
Hook's eyes finally land on Neal, squinting his eyes as he stares at him. "Have we met before?" He seems very familiar, like an old enemy he had back in his world... No, it can't be. He was a boy, not an adult.
"Rumpelstiltskin isn't going to die," Emma stresses out, hating to keep repeating herself, saving Neal from answering. "He's... family."
Everyone looks at Emma with a confused and shock looks. "Family?"
Emma points at Neal, "he's Henry's father and he's the son of Rumpelstiltskin." Better off getting the introduction over with. It'll make seeing Henry with Neal easier to understand.
Charming eyes set hard at Neal, glaring him down, father mode setting in. "This is the bastard who let you take the fall for his actions?"
Already Neal wasn't liked. First Emma, now Charming. He's sure Regina wasn't going to like him, seeing him as a threat, which she should. Even with these setbacks, he is determined to have his family. "That would be me," Neal smiles awkwardly, feeling kinda nervous being in the presence of Emma's father.
"Thanksgiving dinners are going to be interesting," Snow says to herself, stepping between Neal and Charming, not wanting her husband to beat the man up for betraying their daughter. "We don't have time to point fingers. We have more important things to worry about."
"That's right," Emma quickly agrees with Snow. "We need to focus on Regina and Cora."
Cora stares at the dagger, looking at every detail carved in the metal, commenting on the lovely art work. Her mind wonders back to the memories of her past with the dark imp. Everything he taught her and shared with her. Seeing a sudden change, she becomes rigid.
"Mother?" Regina notices a sudden change in her mother posture.
"He's injured," Cora whispers, watching as Rumpelstiltskin's name slowly disappears from the blade. She never thought she'd live to witness the day Rumpelstiltskin is weakened.
Regina leans to have a better look at the dagger, noticing the once shiny sharp blade is starting to look dull. "More than injured, I'd say. He's dying. And when his name disappears, all of that power of his will just… Boil off into the air and… Then there will be no new Dark One..." Regina says, letting the words settle in her mother's head.
"How is this possible?" Cora questions her daughter, as if she had an answer to the sudden news of the condition of the evil imp."
"I don't know, mother," Regina tells her mother half honestly. She doesn't know how the damn imp was dying, but she has a good feeling who did it.
"Where is Hook?"'
"I haven't seen Hook since we got the dagger," Regina shrugs, implying that Hook maybe played a hand in Rumpelstiltskin dire state.
"I think he decided to take things into his own hands," Cora curses at herself. How foolish of her to let a low life pirate bypass her.
"So a slight change of plans," Regina says, "we just have to use the dagger before Rumpel dies."
Cora shakes her head, "not in his condition. I don't want to kill him faster..." Cora trails off, quickly running all the possibilities, trying to come up with the best plan in such a short notice. "No, there are no other options. I have to stab him with this knife, and take his power as my own. I have to become the Dark One. And with his power, there's nothing I won't be able to do."
Regina was afraid it would turn out this way. It's not any better than having Rumpelstiltskin being controlled, but this was easier to stop. Without her own powers, she can't go against both her mother and Rumpel. Or Dark One's power, if she doesn't pull off her plan. So far everything is coming along, falling in place.
"And what is the whole point of this…" Regina narrows her eyes at her mother. She has to know the truth, for once in her life, she likes to hear the truth behind all of Cora's plans.
"To protect our family."
"Or you gaining more power," Regina is quick to snap at her mother. What she's doing is protecting her family. What Cora is doing is nothing as honorable as protecting family.
"Whatever power I gain is for us – to protect you, to protect Henry. If we lose this battle, we'll spend the rest of our short lives on our knees in front of them. And that, my love, is something I'll never do," Cora says coldly. She came a long way since being the miller's daughter. She refuses to go back. Everything she has ever done was to make sure she never goes back to a life of servitude, of low status.
"I hope this is all worth it," Regina says more to herself than to her mother. She prays that she pulls this off. She prays that she made the right decision. She is praying that she'll live at the end of this.
"You think mom will pull through?" Henry's voice cracks in fear as he walks besides Red.
"If there is anyone in all the worlds that will be able to pull off something that was near impossible, it would be your mother. She's the strongest fighter I know. Once she has her mind set on something, there will be no stopping her. Especially if it threatens her," Red tells Henry, assuring him that Regina will stop Cora. "Don't think one second that your mom is going to let Cora hurt you or Emma. She'll die first before that happens. If it's the last thing she does."
"I have faith and I believe she can do it, but," Henry pulls out the key she gave him to hold on to, "what if she does not come out it unharmed."
"What do you mean?" Red looks down at the boy, not sure what he's trying to say.
"Cora did a lot of bad things to her," Henry begins to explain.
During his time with his mom, she slowly told him her side of story. She left out the terrible details, just summarizing each thing that was done to her. Even told him how she got the scar on her lip. She told him her life as the wife to his great-grandfather, Leopold. Although, he senses that she was hiding a lot when she was married to the king. She admitted how happy she was when the Genie killed the king. And the truth of how she ruled the kingdom, not once sensing a lie.
"Despite what Cora did to her, she's still your mom's mother," Henry tells Red, "Cora is her weakness."
"I think you'll be surprise what your mother is willing to do to protect those who she loves," Red points out. "Just have faith, she has a plan."
"Okay," Henry nods, putting his hand back into his pocket, gripping the key.
"Now, let's check on Belle," Red smiles sadly, opening the door to the hospital, letting the kid go in first.
"Has she got her memory back?"
"Nope," Red answers sadly, walking in Belle's room, her green eyes lands on her lover.
"Don't lose faith, she'll get them back," Henry squeezes Red's hand, giving her support.
"I hope so." Red watches a nurse pass by her, not bothering to look at her as she leaves the room. Not bothering with the nurse, she looks back at Belle, who was staring at her. "Hey," Red greets Belle, "I brought a friend, I hope you don't mind."
"Of course not," ***** smiles at the boy. "Hello."
"Hi," Henry smiles at Belle.
"What's your name?" ***** asks the boy.
"Henry," Henry replies.
"Have we met before?"
Henry nods his head, "we met one day when you were playing chess with my mom, and was talking about fairy tales with me."
"Chess?" ***** whispers to herself, remembering something. "You're Regina's son?"
"You remember my mom?" Henry is quick to ask, quickly glancing at Red and back at Belle.
"She came by a few days ago, wanting to play chess," ****** explains.
"Did you win?" Red had to ask. Regina and Belle were in a competition against each other, counting how many wins they have until their last breath. It was their common ground, the only time they can open up to each other and understand one another.
"She won, but that was the point," ***** replies.
"You let her win?" Red teases, forgetting that Belle wouldn't understand the inside joke.
"I did not let her win," **** huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "She was plotting out her plan on how to take care of her mother."
"Will it work?" Red pushes on the subject.
"Yes," ***** says as matter of fact. She's sure of it. "She captured my king, I'm positive that it will work."
"How you and my mom can picture an entire strategy game plan is beyond me," Henry was jealous T how Belle's and his mom's mind worked. There was layers and layers of mystery. He's slowly learning, but he has a long way to understand the game and its true purpose.
"You can't play chess?"
"I know the basics," Henry shrugs, not wanting to admit how bad he is at the game.
"I sense that it's a subject you dislike," **** narrows her eyes playfully at the boy.
"I'm still trying to understand why the king is so useless," Henry huffs.
"The king isn't useless. It's the key to the entire game, without it, you have nothing to fight for."
Red just watches Henry and Belle talk on and on about the game of chess. She wasn't a big fan of the board game. Belle tried to teach her, but Red was too distracted by Belle's lips to focus. How Belle's mind slowly slip from her beautiful lips, speaking of all the knowledge she possesses. It put her in a trance, listening to each word and holding on to them as if it's her life source, sadly she can never grasp them to use them.
"Do you still like to read?" Henry notices the book on the counter.
Belle looks over to the book, at Red and back at the boy. "It's the only thing to pass the time," ***** replied, shrugging. "It was alright. The ending caught me off guard, but it was a good read."
"How did you felt about the ending?" Red puts her attention at Belle.
"I thought you never kill your main characters, it ruins the story... but Shakespeare chose to ignore the number one rule of writing. He wrote how two people couldn't live without each other. Just the thought of living on, terrified them. Though forbidden, they didn't want their parents winning, telling them what to do, so they made a decision," ***** spoke with passion, enjoyed every word of every page. "It was a great story. Thank you for letting me borrowing it."
"It was no problem," Red scratches her neck, smirking at the brunette. "I can bring more. I have a huge library, books are piled all around my apartment, collecting dust."
"If you don't mind."
"For you, I'll give you anything," Red vows. "Next time I come, I'll pack a few, to help kill the time."
"I tend to get bored," ***** admits. "It helps to keep me from going insane."
"Are they treating you right?" Red turns her head to look out the doorway, seeing a built nurse, standing watch.
"Regina told me to trust them," ***** tells Red. "They are keeping an eye on me."
"You mean eyes?"
"She specifically said an eye," ***** answers, remembering the words Regina told her. "And it's better than the asylum."
Red narrows her eyes, fighting against the growl that wanted to be release. Belle told her about her time in the asylum, how she kept count of how many days she's been stuck with chalk that never ended. Being feed three times a day, and hourly water was given to her. The only outside source she ever got was the window in her room. Belle told her she remember being checked on, hearing voices outside the door and movement but that's was all that happened for twenty eight years.
"Did she say why?" Red questions Belle, needing some type of comfort to calm her wolf.
"That it was part of the contract," ***** tells her, narrowing her eyes at Red's sudden change of mood. "The nurse has helped me to regain my memories, though there is no sign of improvement but she isn't giving up until she finds something to them back. Jet and Sam are just here to make sure I get what I need, and report back to see if anything changes."
"What's the nurse's name?" Red had to ask. She knows that there are other witches, villains here, even from other worlds that got caught in the curse. She's wondering which one is willing to help. Who does Regina trust to give such a difficult job? It had to be someone who she believes is capable of pulling it off.
"Vanessa, I think."
Red snaps her eyes to Henry. "Does the name sound familiar?"
Henry shakes his head. "There isn't anybody name Vanessa that I can think of. I'll have to go through the book."
"Why does it matter to you?" ***** questions the brunette.
"I just want to make sure you are being taking care of by the best," Red defends herself.
"For just a friend, you seem to care more the job description," ***** points out.
"You are right, and I'm sorry if I'm not making much sense, but it's what's best," Red tells her.
"That's where you are wrong," ***** snaps at the brunette, glaring into the hazel eyes. "You think you know what's best from me, but you don't. Because not even I know what's best for me. So stop walking around glass around me, it makes me feel though I'm a beast."
"That's not what I'm doing," Red tries to make things right between her and Belle. "It's just I'm afraid if I say or do the wrong thing, you wouldn't want me near you. I can't have you away from again, I'll lose control to the beast within me. It's me, who is the beast, it's not you. And I'm sorry."
"Than stop telling me, start showing me," ***** says softly.
Red nods her head, "Ok... I have to get this kid home, I'll see later." She motions Henry to follow as she leaves the room.
Henry looks at Red leaving and back at Belle. He takes out his book, and hands it to Belle. "Maybe this will help. It helped me realize it, and maybe it will help you remember."
Flipping through the book, "it's just a book of fairy tales..." **** looks back up at the boy.
"Not just any kind of fairy tales, it tells the truth from one point of view, from the good side. I'm working on a book that tells all sides, the whole truth and when I'm done, I'll let you borrow it too," Henry tells her. "Just believe. It's the most magical and powerful words to ever feel."
"Okay," ***** promises to try. "I'll try to believe in a magical solution."
"That's all one can ask for," Henry smiles before rushing to catch up to the hybrid.
"We'll need to get ready, we can't just stand here and do nothing," Emma declares, looking away from the clock.
"I agree, you can never be sure what Regina is planning. It's best to prepare for battle," Rumpelstiltskin says weakly. "First you need something to hold them back as long as possible. Emma, get the jar behind the counter."
Emma nods and leaves the back room to the front of the pawn shop. She looks behind the counter and finds the jar. Heading back, "there's nothing in here," shaking the jar to prove her point but there is a clinking sound. Reaching in, she feels an object and pulls it out.
"Invisible chalk," Rumpelstiltskin answers Emma's unasked question. "Use it in the front doorway. Draw a line."
Emma just stares back at the invisible chalk in her hand and back at the older man, but doesn't say anything and does what he asked. Though she feels stupid, she presses hard on the wood floor and draws a line, she thinks and hopes. Hard to tell when it's invisible.
"I drew the invisible line. I…think. What now? You cast a protection spell?" Emma enters the back room once again.
Rumpelstiltskin shakes his head, "I cannot, not in my condition. You'll be doing it for me."
"I can't cast a spell," Emma snorts, "I can spell 'spell'." She's still getting use to the whole fairy tale thing and slowly making progress with magic. It's not like she can go to the library and check out 'How to Cast Spells for Dummies.'
"You can. It's in you." Rumpelstiltskin sighs at seeing Emma's expression, "just try."
Emma sighed, taking a deep breath to calm herself, she closes her eyes and concentrates, but nothing happens. Just like she expected.
"Stop thinking!" Rumpelstiltskin snaps at the blonde. "Conjuring magic is not an intellectual endeavor. It's emotion. You must ask yourself, 'why am I doing this? Who am I protecting?' Feel it." He didn't have time to teach Emma correctly, or the patience. He wonders why Emma was chosen to be the savior, he is always questioning fate and destiny of the future. But each time he does, Emma proves why.
Emma takes what Rumpelstiltskin tells her and tries again. Once again, she closes her eyes, she ask herself why she was doing this and Regina's name echoed in her head. She wonders who she's protecting and Regina's name echoed once more. Letting the warmth of the brunette's name flow to heart, feeling the love she has for the woman, a wave of magic passes over the entire shop.
Not as quick as Cora or fueled as Regina but it was good enough for now. Cora's and Regina's magic together will be strong enough to take down the protection spell, but it'll buy a little time. He always wonder who was stronger, the more powerful between mother and daughter. But he knows that answer, he knew that answer since meeting the woman.
Proud of herself, Emma goes to the front, grouping up with the others. Charming passes a sword to her, to use as defense. "So, what's the plan?"
"To stop Cora and Regina from getting the power of the dark one," Charming fills Emma in.
"Doesn't sound too hard," Emma snorts. "I was hoping it was to stay alive, but this sounds much more suicidal."
"Hopefully Regina is truly on our side," Charming points out. He can feel it in his gut that Regina can be trusted, that she'll pull through. He has faith in her. Unlike his wife, he saw what a determined. Regina can do. She wouldn't go against her words.
A tremor surges through the building, snapping everyone out of their thought. "It's them. Regina and Cora – they're here," Snow states out loud, tightening her grip on her sword.
Magically teleporting in front of the pawn shop together, they look at each other and nod. Regina and Cora conjure a magical fireball together. They throw it against the door, which easily breaks Emma's protection spell. When they enter the shop, they find Snow, Emma, Neal, and David armed with swords.
Regina's eyes land on Emma's, having missing her, not having seen her in so long. The electric magnetic pull was demanding to be attached to its opposite. Her heart and soul was calling for Emma, dying to feel the familiar warmth the blonde offers.
"Regina," Emma stares into the cold dark eyes, hoping to see the real woman underneath the mask. "Think about what you're doing," Emma begs Regina.
"Don't talk to me," Regina growls at Emma, glaring hard at the blonde. She can't let her walls down. Not yet. She has to stay strong, she has to pull this off. For Emma and Henry, she keeps reminding herself.
Creating a magical fireball, and hurls it at the group, thankfully Charming deflects it with his sword. Acting annoyed, seeing Charming close to her and seeing an opportunity, she magically throws Charming out the front door and locks him out. One damn idiot down, one more to go and Emma.
"David!" Snow shouts wearily after her husband, swinging her sword wildly at Regina, Cora flicks her wrist, sending Snow out the side door and locking it behind the dark hair beauty.
Cora turns her attention back to the two figures left that stand in her way, she magically flicker Emma backswards, as Emma tries to attack her, and Neal lunges at Cora in retaliation. Cora disappears in a puff of purple smoke, but drops the dagger on the floor in the process.
Regina catches Emma before she did any damage, holding her against the wall, magically. She turns her head, looking around for her mother, momentarily distracted by Cora's sudden disappearance.
From the corner of her eye, noticing a knife, Emma reaches for it, just as Cora reappears in the room. Gaining an upper hand by using Regina's temporarily distraction, she was able to break through Regina's magical grip and hold the dagger to Regina's throat. "Got you," she whispers angrily in Regina's ear.
"What the hell, Emma," Regina feels the sharp blade against her throat. "What the hell are you thinking?" Regina whispers angrily back, trying to fight against Emma's grip.
"I won't let you do this after everything we went through," Emma states, tightening her grip around Regina, holding her still as she points the dagger at Regina's throat.
Cora stares back between her daughter and the dagger on the floor. Neal tilts his head, daring her to make a move. "What's it going to be?" Neal points his sword at the older woman, "choose wisely."
"Mother!" Regina shouts, as Cora summons the dagger to her hand, choosing a blade over her. Not really surprise but not liking the answer to the unasked questions about what her mother wants. It made doing what she's about to do next easy.
Reach a hand over Emma's grip on the dagger, losing the hold, freeing herself from Emma's arms. She waves her hand, transporting Emma and the male out of the pawn shop, sending Emma as far as possible. She can't have the blonde getting in the way.
"Excellent, Regina," Cora says proud at how quickly Regina got rid of the group.
"I just want to get this over with," Regina says dryly, staring hard at her mother.
"Yes, let's get the Dark One's power," Cora couldn't agree with her daughter any more. They walk to the back of the room, finding a very weak, slowly dying Rumpelstiltskin.
"Really, Rumpel. Hiding is beneath you," Cora smiles evilly at her old lover.
"A vision told me about you. Told me this day would come. But it didn't tell me everything. Didn't tell me what I really wanted to know," Rumpelstiltskin slowly turns his head, to look at his once lover.
Cora sits next to the older wizard on the bed, staring into his eyes. "And what's that?" The man deserves one last request.
"Did you ever love me?" Rumpelstiltskin asks, needing to know the truth.
Cora strokes the side of his face, enjoying the feeling. "Why do you think I had to rip my heart out? You were my weakness. You are the only man I ever truly loved."
Rumpelstiltskin leans into the hand, enjoying the feeling for one last time, before the love of his life kill him. Feeling the warm hand leaves his face, he braces himself for what's going to happen next. He finally can make peace with himself.
Cora stands up and raises the dagger above Rumpelstiltskin. Before she has a chance to stab him, Regina magically pulls Cora away from Rumpel and throws her back to the front of the shop. Reaching in her pocket, she throws a small bottle at Rumpel, "you owe me," Regina states before walking through the doorway, entering the front of the shop.
"Mother..." Regina says hard, seeing the shock in her mother's face. Quickly, summoning the dagger into her hand, taking it away from Cora. She eyes the dagger, seeing the name reappear on the blade, sharpening and shining to back its wonderful glory.
"Regina, dear, what are you doing?" Cora angrily demands an answer from her daughter.
"Finally doing what I've should have done a long time ago," Regina replies, wiping her wrist that sends Cora through the door, causing her to crash through the wooden door, onto the hard cold pavement.
She drops the dagger on the floor, leaving for the imp to pick it up. She walks outside, meeting with her fate. Stepping on glass, she walks out and was quick to block a fireball thrown at her.
She tilts her neck from side to side, cracking her neck, as she realizes the green magic within her. Summoning the power within her, she throws electric green balls at her mother, one after one, after another. Charming was still unconscious on the sidewalk and she's a bit off from the set mark.
"How dare you defied me," Cora snarls, lifts her hands, summoning earth to life, raising pieces of gravel. Easily flicking her wrist, the gravel goes flying towards Regina. "You will pay for double-crossing me."
Regina steps out-of-the-way as a chunk of gravel comes her way. Magically disappearing, dodging the other gravel pieces, popping out of harms way, she waves her hand, misting the area, the air around them.
"I won't lie," Cora starts to say. "You are very good, you handle magic very well." Cora squints to try to see through the thick fog, trying to see where the next move will be.
"I was determined," Regina's voice echoes all around the fog. "To never be step all over, and have someone run my life."
Cora snorts, and was about to reply back but lightning zaps at her side, missing her by inches. Just as quickly the lightning zaps pass her, another shoots at her. Being quick on her toes, she magically blocks the next lightning shock.
Summoning a gust of wind, waving her hand over her head, she creates a tornado that sucks the mist into its wind's vortex. Clearing the area up, Regina comes up behind her, being a step ahead of her mother, lifts her hand up, summoning vines to wrap around the older woman's figure.
"You will not be controlling me any longer mother," Regina vows, fire burning in eyes as she stares hard at her mother. "It stops today."
"I fought against Rumpelstiltskin himself and survive to tell the tale. What makes you think you are more powerful than me?" Pulling at the tight vines, she burns through and sets herself free. "You'll have to do better than that, dear."
"I'm planning to." Regina twist her hand, a green electric ball hovers at the palm of her hand. It's time to use the curse she absorbed, her eyes glow dangerously green as she lets the magic free, going head to head with the Queen of Hearts. "I'm the Evil Queen. I will destroy you if it's the last thing I do!"
"Where the hell are we?" Neal questions, looking around to find himself in the woods.
"Regina teleported us," Emma comes to realize, seeing herself no longer in the room but on a random path in the middle of the woods. She feels her phone vibrate in her pocket, "David?"
"Are you safe?" Charming's voice demands with worry.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Emma assures him. "Regina teleported me in the woods. Are you guys okay?"
"Me and Snow are fine," Charming replies loudly, trying to voice his answer over the loud noise coming in the background.
"What's going on over there?" Emma asks, hearing an explosion at a distance through the phone.
"Regina is fighting against Cora, keeping her in the main street," Charming says out of breath. "Regina!?"
Hearing the worry and concern in her father's voice, Emma's heart drops at the thought of Regina injured. "What's wrong with Regina?"
Emma doesn't get a reply, the line goes dead. "Shit!"
"What's going on?" Neal asks, seeing Emma upset at her phone.
"We need to get back," Emma says and starts running, heading back to town. She won't leave Regina facing her mother again, not without her. She'll prove that love isn't weakness, and together they are stronger and can do anything.
"Wait up!" Neal chases after Emma.
"Charming, take your damn wife out of here!" Regina snaps as she pours magic in the force field to keep Cora's attack from breaking through.
"We are going to help you," Charming declares to Regina. "We can help."
"Getting out of my way is helping me," Regina grunts as Cora's attack picked up strength. Mumbling a quick spell, waving her free hand to the ground, the earth shakes, hoping to cause Cora to lose her footing.
"I thought we were doing this together," Charming lifts his sword, ready to battle.
"This isn't your battle," Regina stresses out in relief when Cora's attack was discontinued. Not wanting to give her mother any time to gather her bearings, she throws fireballs, easily flicking her wrist at her target.
"There has to be something we can do," Charming wonders out loud, as he helps his wife to her feet, after being knocked out when Cora fling her to the ground.
"Making sure nobody gets in the crossfire is a start." Regina feels something wrap around her ankle, looking down to see a magical rope tightened around her leg, pulling her down to the ground, dragging her down the pavement road. "Do what you damn Charmings do, protect the others," Regina commands as she points her finger at the rope, cutting herself free.
Quickly getting to feet, just as she was about to straighten, Cora shots a magical blast at Regina, sending her daughter flying into the air, crashing harshly into the ground. "Give up, Regina. You are no match for me," Cora takes a step forward.
Narrowing her eyes at her mother, she places her palm on the ground, sending electric shock through the ground, causing her mother to be electrocuted. Magically disappearing in a purple black smoke, she appears back on her feet, throwing fireballs at her mother. "Over my dead body will I quit," Regina blasts her mother farther down the street.
"I should have just taken your heart for my collection," Cora curses, swinging her hand in the air, Regina grunts from being knocked off her feet. Acting quickly, she moves her hand, summoning the underground vines to the surface, wrapping over Regina's body, holding her down. Whispering a spell, she strengthens the hold on the vines, not giving her daughter a chance to release herself.
She grunts, trying free herself, not wanting her mother to get any closer. If Cora gets her heart, everything she planned for will be lost. Regina fights harder, as her mother lifts her hand, making the vines lift her off the ground, still holding her tightly.
Clenching her jaw, her eyes set coldly at her mother as Cora's hand hovers over her heart. Never one to hide from her fate, or what's coming to her. So she doesn't dare to take her eyes off of her mother's as she felt fingers slowly slipping into her chest. Holding in the pain as her mother grasps her heart, about to pull it out, when a sword comes flying through the air, Cora magically teleports out of harms way.
Regina eyes land on the sword pierced into the ground, just a few inches away from her. Lifting her eyes, seeing the one person she didn't want being here. Emma. Damn that woman and need to save everyone.
"Regina!" Emma yelled, running towards the brunette.
"Isn't it the savior," Cora's voice sends chills down Emma and Regina's spine. Cora reappears next to Regina, smirking evilly at the foolish blonde. "How wonderful it is you to finally join us."
"Emma, run!" Regina yells at Emma, hoping that for once she will listen to her. "Get out of here!"
"I'm leaving you alone with her," Emma states, eyes set on Cora.
"Aww, isn't that sweet," Cora mocks at Emma promise words. "Sounds like you care."
"Please," Regina begs, fighting against her bonds, needing to be free. "Get out of here."
"No," Emma shakes her head, more determined than ever, looking into the dark orbs staring back.
Cora looks between the savior and her daughter, seeing something that she hasn't seen in a very long time. She can feel the connection, and not any ordinary connection. She senses a magical connection. It pulls and calls for the other. A need and a want that both can't deny and never will. Their souls and hearts was connected. A connection she doesn't approve.
"I thought you learned your lesson, Regina," Cora's voice is sudden cold and dark.
Regina's eyes widen quickly, snapping her attention away from Emma and at her mother. "I don't know what you are referring to," Regina says coldly back. Regina refuses to let her mother have the upper hand over her. Not wanting to seem weak or scared.
"Are you telling me that you think I'm an idiot, Regina?" Cora tilts her head. "Do I have to remind you what happened the last time you let your heart feel? Of what happened to Daniel, what will happen if you ever defied me?"
"I remember how much I hated when you spoke in riddles. Stop speaking in a circle and come out with it," Regina growls at her mother, hoping to stale time as her magic burn into the vines, working on freeing herself.
"You spoil brat," Cora spits at Regina, digging the vines in Regina's skin. "Should I remind you what happens when you question me, being disobedient?"
"I haven't forgotten. Kinda hard when you scarred the memories into my mind. Repeating behind my closed eyelids, feeling everything you have ever done to me," Regina says, feeling the familiar squeeze around her wrists. "I'm becoming numb to the feeling. I think you should step up your game, mother."
"Yes, I think you are right," Cora smiles wickedly at her daughter. "And I think I'll start is by killing your savior."
"You can't take my heart, Cora," Emma reminds the older woman, bracing herself for what Cora will throw at her.
"Oh, you foolish girl, there are different ways to kill you," Cora snorts. And proving her point, she flicker her hands, blasting at Emma, throwing the blonde into the ground.
"Emma!" Regina yells, pulling against the binds as her anger boils.
Emma landed with a grunt, groaning when her ass made contact with the ground, but other than that... She didn't feel any pain. Checking for damage, she does not find even a scratch. Getting to her feet with ease, she faces Cora once more.
"You should of blown to pieces..." Cora says in shock to see Emma is in one piece, no harm was caused to her. "That's not possible."
Regina couldn't help but smile at her handy work. It worked. Daniel's ring saved Emma. Her magic saved Emma from a harsh death.
Cora flicker her hands once, attempting to blow Emma into pieces, but once again something block the spell and just send Emma once again to the floor. Eyes widen when Emma goes to stand once more with ease, she does it again, making Emma roll roughly across the pavement.
Finally freeing one hand, she quickly magically grabs her mother, throwing her as far as away from Emma as possible. She magically disappears out of the binds grip and she stands in front of Emma, keeping her mother from hurting Emma. "Emma, I need you to get out of here."
Finally able to see the condition Regina is in, she takes a sharp intake. A greenish magic aurora was smoking out of Regina's body. How she's able to keep up with the magical demand, she can picture the exhaustion the brunette was feeling. "I'm not leaving," Emma refuses.
"Damn you Emma," Regina grits out, she pushes Emma down with her figures, bracing herself for the blast Cora throws at their way. The blast slips through her body as her magic shield her body from the damage of magic but not stopping the effects.
Not letting the pain to slow her down, or the exhaustion from pushing her limits, she once again throws shadow balls, keeping up with one after another. "Now!" Regina commands, finally having her mother on the mark.
Cora doesn't see the attack coming, as fairy dust is thrown at her, freezing her in place. Regina limps forward, watching as her mother tries to break free. Just like how she was when Snow trapped her. Standing face to face with her mother, she looks into the eyes of the woman who raised her and gave birth to her.
"You know you can't kill me," Cora states. "I don't have my heart."
"I know," Regina says sadly. "And wasn't planning to." Turning her palm face up, a golden feather pen appears.
"Is that?..." Cora looks at the feather with wide eyes.
"Inked with a special ink that is from the rarest species of squid," Regina confirms her mother's suspicion. "It kept Rumpel imprisoned, it'll keep you imprisoned too." Placing her other hand over her mother's chest, as she signs the air, completing her signature.
As the magic slips out of her, Cora feels herself becoming weaker against the fairy dust. Fairy dust losing it grip on her, she drops to her knees, feeling weak and useless. "What have you done?"
"I took away your magic, it's no longer going to be a problem," Regina answers Cora. "Death doesn't fit the pain you caused me. You will suffer as I have in my mind, what I always felt when under your iron fists. Alone."
Two men come out of the shadows, walking up the older witch, putting cuffs on her wrist and lifting to her feet. Just before they start to leave, another figure appears, inspecting their newest soul, soon to be part of their freakish collection. Looking back, she nods sharply to Regina. A deal was a deal. She ordered the two men to take their prisoner back.
Regina nods back, not able to form words as the last bit of magic is drained from her body, dropping to her knees before falling to the floor. The side effect from using magic, she was now empty inside. She feels tired and exhausted. Her heart starts to pump slowly, her blood stop flowing. She becomes paler and colder by the second.
"Regina!" Emma fights against her father's tight grip around her, trying to keep her away from running to the former Evil Queen. She watched as two men and a woman take Cora away, with a snap of the woman's fingers. But none of that was important when she saw the greenish smoke out of Regina's body, as if she burnt out.
Elbowing Charming in the gut, and stomping on his foot, she frees herself from his grasp and rushes over to the brunette. Sliding to her knees, kneeling over Regina's body, she turns her over carefully. "Regina," Emma says softly when Regina groans out in pain, trying to comfort her. "Don't you dare leave me."
Opening her eyes, she fights against the exhaustion that her body is dying in need. Looking up seeing concern green orbs staring down at her, she slowly lifts a hand up to cup Emma's face. She smiles with all her strength. She was about to say something, but her eyes were too heavy to keep open. The darkness won as her body relaxes, losing the tension it held. Her heart gives up as her body lost energy.
"Regina?" Emma voice cracked in worried echoes in her mind.
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She feels something on her lips, sparking energy into her body. Her blood starts to pump as an electric feeling rushed throughout her body, restarting it once more. A bright light fought against the darkness, scaring it back into the shadows. Her heart starts to pump oxygen back into her body, bringing her back from the brink of death.
"I love you," a voice whispers in her ear, a finger traces above her heart, warming her body.