"We need a concrete exit plan," Emma says "We need a concrete plan to defeat Pan and a concrete plan to leave this island"

It's early in the morning and we are all gathering around the camp. We have been discussing for a while plans and schemes about how to find Henry and how to leave this damn island once we have him, but all the plans we come up with always have one tine tiny issue.

Pan!

It doesn't matter if we get Henry or not because we still need to defeat him.

He will never let us leave this island with Henry.

"Pan is powerful," Hook says "He takes his power from this damn island. This whole place is his infinite magic source"

"Then how the hell are we supposed to defeat him?" Emma asks.

"With magic," I say simply.

I've been thinking about this for a while now.

The only way to defeat magic is with magic.

If this boy is made of it, made of magic, then we can not defeat him with brute force.

We need magic.

Powerful magic.

"Do you think you are powerful enough to defeat him on your own?" Emma asks looking at me.

"Of course, I am" I scoff.

As if a child could ever be more powerful than me.

I'm the Evil Queen.

I was taught by The Dark One.

This child has nothing on me.

"Don't get me wrong, Love," Hook says "But if you could take Pan down on your own we would be on our way home right now"

"I can't take down a person if I don't know where they are, can I, Pirate?" I bit back angrily.

"You fought Pan before with all of us," Hook says looking at me "And we still lost"

"Perhaps you would like to have a taste of my magic and decide for yourself how powerful it is," I say to the handless Pirate, a fireball already burning in my hand.

"Okay, that's enough" Emma comes between us "We are in this together," Emma says and looks at me "All of us"

"What about Emma?" Snow asks cheerfully behind me.

"What about me?" Emma frowns.

"You have magic too," Snow says "Good magic"

"Excuse me?" I ask.

What a little bitch.

"I mean, light magic," Snow shakes her head "Maybe the two of you could be powerful enough to defeat him"

"She's right," Charming says next to her "You two were powerful enough to stop the trigger. Maybe the magic of the two of you combined can be strong enough to defeat Pan"

Well, look at that.

From time to time the idiots can actually think.

"Yeah, there is just one problem with that" Emma says "I don't know how to use magic"

"Well, maybe Regina can teach you," Snow says smiling at me.

"I can what now?" I ask looking dumbfound at her.

"Teach Emma how to use magic," Snow repeats herself.

"I don't think that's a good idea," I say.

I was wrong!

They can't think at all!

"Regina, they are right," Emma says looking at me "You are the only one who knows magic"

"I can't teach you," I shook my head.

"Why not?" Emma asks.

"My methods they are… rough" I smile "I'm not sure you can handle me"

"I can handle rough, Regina," Emma says with a half-smile.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, dear," I say staring back at her.

"Regina, you have to try," Snow says behind me again "We need Emma to access her magic"

"I can't teach her enough magic in the short time we have here," I shout looking back at Snow "Magic takes time and that's something we don't have!"

"We have to at least try," Emma says seriously.

Emma looks hopeful at me and I know, I just know, I'm going to cave to those damn pleading eyes.

I swallow dry while still looking at her and feel my heart sink on my stomach.

Out of all the ideas these two ever had this one is both the smartest and the dumbest because Emma doesn't… She doesn't know how deep one has to go to truly access their power.

"Fine!" I threw my hands in the air "I suppose we can't start with something basic"

"Okay," Emma nods.

"What do you know about magic, Miss Swan?" I ask looking deadly at Emma.

"I know that makes you create fireballs," Emma says lamely "And the tent"

"And how do you suppose I create them, dear?" I ask with a fake smile on my lips.

"You know," Emma says and makes a face "You sort of… wave them in the air, and they appear"

Emma waves her hands in the air as if mimicking me. The gesture is absolutely adorable and completely ridiculous at the same time.

Either way, I roll my eyes.

"Magic is something that comes from within, dear," I say as I start to walk circling Emma "You have to access your inner anger in order to let it flow through your veins"

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea," Emma says turning her head to look at me.

I stop in front of her and look deep into her eyes.

"Anger is what fuels magic,"

"I don't want to turn dark, Regina," Emma says vulnerably.

"If you want to learn magic, you are gonna have to suck it up, dear," I say harshly.

Emma looks hurt at me and I can't help the pang of pain in my chest even though I know my features remain ice cold.

I wish there was another way I could help her with this, but there isn't.

There isn't another way.

Anger!

That's what magic is made of, that's what my magic is made of.

Pure anger.

And that's what makes me so powerful.

"Okay," Emma nods "Teach me how to use magic"

I smile victoriously at her and nod back.

Finally, something going my way.

Unfortunately, I spoke too soon.

Emma is useless!

I have been teaching her the basics for hours now and the only thing she accomplished so far was the ability to piss me off even more.

I suppose, in a way, I should be grateful for that.

Any desire I had of kissing her has completely vanished from my mind.

No, I don't want to kiss her.

But I do want to strangle her, and not in a good way.

"It's not that hard," I say harshly "Just focus your energy on the damn stick and make it float"

"I'm trying," Emma scratches her forehead "The wind is blowing too fast, making the trees make all these noises. It's distracting me"

"Look at the stick Emma," I squat next to her and whisper in her ear "Look at it. Think about what you want it to do. Think about it floating in the air right in front of your eyes"

Emma cracks her neck to one side and then the other and lets out a puff of air before focusing on the stick in front of her again.

I look at her and bit my lower lip before smiling when I see her looking at the stick on top of the rock. She is looking very intensely at it and I feel my breath quicken as my heart fills with the hope that this time, she will do it.

She will concentrate on it enough to make it float.

I can already feel her blood filling with magic, running through her veins, pulsating begging to be released…

"Oh my God, is that a monkey?" Emma says looking up at a tree.

What the actual fuck?

"Where?" Snow asks walking behind her.

"There," Emma points at a branch.

"Oh, yeah, I think it is" Snow smiles looking down at Emma.

"Excuse me?" I shout as I stand on my feet again.

"Regina, it's a monkey," Snow smiles "We haven't seen one since we arrived here"

"You know, what? I give up!" I say angrily "I'm wasting my time and knowledge trying to teach you anything"

"Wait, Regna…" Emma says.

"You don't want to learn magic," I say "I don't even know why I'm wasting my time"

"Perhaps, we should take a break," Snow says quickly "We are all tired of the day"

"Yes, we are," I shout "We have just wasted another day of looking for my son! And for what?"

"Regina, that's enough," David says, "I think we all deserve a little break"

"Pathetic," I say looking down at Emma.

I wave my hands in the air and my tent magic appears. I look at Emma one last time but she doesn't dare to look back at me.

Good!

I enter my tent feeling my magic running inside my veins. I cant almost feel it wanting to break from my skin.

See?

This is magic!

Real magic.

Something that comes from a place of anger. Something so powerful that can destroy everything around you.

And Emma has this. I know she does. I felt it when we were destroying the trigger. Her magic invaded me and it was powerful.

Perhaps even more powerful than mine.

And I don't understand, how can she possibly not want to access that?

Not allowed it to dominate her.

All of her.

I sit down in bed and sigh.

I close my eyes and rub my forehead.

I suppose I feel a little bit guilty about the way I spoke with her.

I was harsh.

I know that.

But I don't know how to be any other way.

This was how I was taught.

That's how I learn to access my anger and therefore access my magic.

And this is the only way I know how to teach Emma.

And if Henry's life depends on it me being harsh on her so be it.

If I have to choose between the two of them, I rather lose her than losing my son.