A/N I honestly wanted to cry when I saw how long it had been since I last updated this piece. I have been through one hell of a time lately leaving me with a lot of anxiety and depression. I finally got a job back in February. Just a week ago I moved out of my ex's house into my own place with my best friend and some other roommates and I'm excited about where my life is headed. I'm trying to get my life back on track and I hope you guys are still around to enjoy this story. Also, if any of you are familiar with I have created two. One is to support me as an artist as a whole (Amethyst Midnight). The second is to support a fantasy novel I've been working on (Nyxalia). Please check them out if you're interested in supporting me! You all are amazing!

The day had finally come. Between a grand stretch of mountains, the army stood in the valley, waiting for the clock to strike. Emma's silver armor was wrapped around her flesh perfectly, heavily contrasting the charcoaled soldiers behind her. The warhorse she sat on swung its head, its helmet catching the sunlight and beaming it into her eyes. Turning her emerald gaze to her Dark Queen, she spoke to Regina.

"This is it," Emma said.

"It's only the beginning," Regina answered calmly and stroked Nyx's ebony mane. As the woman straightened her back, her dark locks took flight in the cool wind that was sweeping through the valley. Her obsidian black armor had a glowing red hue, surely enchanted with extra protection.

Would it be weird for Emma to say she dreamed of this day? It was glorifying to stand tall beside her queen with her very own sword at her side. The Obscurian blacksmith had forged this blade uniquely for her with Damascus steel and shortly after, she enchanted it with her very own light magic giving it a warm glow. It would grant her the ability to shield from any magic, even the Fairy magic that she knew her parents would be bringing.

She wasn't some princess locked in a tower anymore. She was the Queen's Knight. The warrior she had always dreamed of, and most importantly, she was Regina's. She would make her parents see. Make them understand.

Somehow…

A solemn howl echoed from somewhere in the distance, a signal that Red's pack had spotted the enemy. It wasn't long before the other army began peaking overtop the hill.

"Do you see?" Regina pointed to the west. She raised her other hand, giving a signal for the war horn. A steady pound of drums was filling the air and syncing with each and every heartbeat, unifying them into one.

"That's…them," Emma declared flatly, not sure how to feel about facing them head on like this. Would she come face to face with her parents today? It had been so long…

Her parents' army was grand even from a distance, but the Obscurian army stood unmoving; Regina had a secret weapon; one that Snow and Charming would never see coming. Emma recalled that the Queen had made some allies along the way to aid in the fight. Aside from the obvious creatures who would do anything to see the Kingdom of Lucia crumble to dust, there was one particular ally Regina had been keen on gaining. An ally who Emma almost caused her to lose, on two separate occasions. Luckily for her, Maleficent turned out to be quite understanding.

However, Emma had heard nothing of this ally's plans. She had been to her kingdom. She had walked the halls of that fortress. What army did that woman have? Would it be her magic alone that would aid them in battle? Was she really that strong?

It wasn't long before Regina's tactics began to play through. Dozens of wolves dashed from cover, running at full speed from both sides towards the Lucian army, breaking their flanks. The giant beasts threw several soldiers into the ground, tearing at their limbs with teeth and claws.

The Obscurian army moved forward from there, taking the rest head on. At first, it was easy for Emma to go riding in on horseback, her sword swinging downward at her foes. The pace was quick and didn't leave her in close combat. Not too far off, Regina was spewing fire from her hands, crisping all that came near her. Their eyes met and they gave one another a small nod, before they continued onward in their course of destruction.

The clashing of steel rang through the air, mixing with the cries of battle. Adrenaline was pumping like wildfire through Emma's veins and it felt as if she were on fire, an invincible, glorifying fire. She charged at a set of men, screaming at the top of her lungs, but her horse's leg gave out as it was impaled by an arrow and sent her flying through the air, overtop of the soldiers.

Her armor clattered and broke most of the fall, but pulling herself up was a feat. Panting hard, she pushed through the weight of her armor and stood up again, widening her stance to give her balance.

Reaching for her sword as a shielded enemy ran towards, her eyes widened in horror when she realized that her sword was not sheathed. In fact, it was lying hopelessly on the cold ground, just out of reach.

Before she could even make an attempt, the shield nearly bashed into her face but her arms took on the impact; nevertheless, she lost her balance and fell once again. This time when she collided with the ground, she panicked. She wanted to scream for help, but her pride wouldn't let her. Meanwhile, Regina was surrounded and currently too busy to notice her companion's predicament.

Was this it? Was she going to die right now, today, because she had been a clumsy fool? On the inside she was laughing at her odds, but on the outside she was frozen in fear as the man jabbed his blade towards her, threatening to slice her insides open.

She was going to die.

This war was going to be all for nothing.

But right before the sword could find its target, a giant, black wolf leaped into the air and threw the man violently into the dirt. There was a gurgling scream as the wolf's teeth tore through his neck.

Emma was on her feet by the time her savior had transformed into human shape. The brunette adorned a mischievous grin, her lips covered in gleaming crimson. There was a bloodthirst in her eyes that struck Emma with wonder.

"Sorry for the mess," Red said as she wiped the blood off onto her arm, "Are you okay?"

"Yea," the blonde answered with a shaky breath and grabbed her sword, "Yea, I'm fine. Red," they held a look and she grabbed her hand, "thank you."

There wasn't time for idle chat as they both sprang back into action again to help Regina, who was being targeted by at least a dozen new soldiers. It made sense for the enemy to take out the strongest opponent with as many people as possible. No one underestimated the Evil Queen, but everyone knew that magic had an end; Regina could only use so much before she was drained.

However, once the two women jumped in to give aid, they laid waste to their foes in a matter of minutes. A rumbling sound came from the sky and they looked up to see an approaching thunderstorm. It was an eerie sight to see the foreboding clouds on its way to devouring the glistening sunlight.

"Great," the blonde grumbled.

The storm's arrival was a beautiful cover that Regina hadn't expected. As a crackling boom rippled through the sky, no one seemed to notice the looming shadow among the darkening clouds except for Emma, but she played it off as a trick of the eyes.

Regina followed the gaze of the blonde and smirked knowingly. She hadn't been forthright about every detail of her old friend to the princess. This was the card up the Evil Queen's sleeve that would surely grant them today's victory. By the time the enemy saw the winged beast swooping down from the sky, it was too late. Dozens of soldiers were engulfed by blistering flames that erupted suddenly from the dragon's mouth.

"…A dragon…?" Emma gasped in surprise.

"Maleficent to be exact," Regina corrected her.

"Maleficent is a dragon!?" the blonde shouted and turned her attention back to the beast who had just made a huge impact crater in the dirt. There were a few new bodies buried in that instant.

Emma made eye contact and she swore she could see Maleficent smiling through her dragon form. To see such a beast before her was astonishing and to know it was Maleficent was even more intimidating.

To think Emma tried to play with a dragon's things and get away with it…

All was well and it seemed as though Fate was going to aid Obscuria in this battle until Maleficent took flight once more. As she opened her mouth to shout down at her prey, it turned into a shriek as something golden pierced her nearly-impenetrable wing. The rate at which the dragon fell was mind boggling. It was as if she had been paralyzed upon impact.

When the beast crashed into the ground, dirt went flying, and the sky broke into an onslaught of heavy tears. No one, not even the Lucian army, moved. Instead, everyone stared at the panting dragon whose eyes were fading in and out of reality.

Regina had shouted when the silver soldiers finally directed their weapons towards the now fragile creature lying weak on the ground. Leaping to her aid, the Queen used her anger and hurled a shockwave towards them, sending them flying like ragdolls. By the time she reached her friend, Maleficent had transformed back into her human form.

Chaos broke loose around them. Above their heads, the sky waged its own war, and as the saying "As above, so below" the armies were at each other's throats once more.

"I don't have enough magic," Regina told Emma as she ran over to help, "Help me get her to safety."

They slung the unconscious woman's arms across their shoulders and headed away from the fight. The weight of the body along with the soggy ground made it hard to retreat fast, their feet slipping in the mix of blood and mud.

The sound around them was deafening. They didn't have to look back to know that the tides had turned. The Lucian army was pushing back the Obscurian forces. To Hell with Regina's pride; they were going to be slaughtered.

"Fall back!" Regina shouted as loudly as she could and continued onward, drenched and drained to the bone.

Casualties were a given in any war, but to happen like this so soon?
~*~

A/N Don't forget to leave a review if you liked it! Or even if you didn't, what didn't you like?