Emma Swan stormed through the doors of Gold's pawnshop with haste as she slapped her hand down harshly on the glass counter.
"Regina's missing we need something to find her." Emma told Gold pointedly, Impatience present in her features as she tapped her foot.
"I'm rather shocked you'd even want to find her. Miss Swan." Rumpled teased, flicking through his paper records with a smirk.
"Regina could be in danger, Now you're going to help me or I'll make you." The blonde growled her frustration getting the better of her.
There were on borrowed time and the longer she spent tussling with Rumplestiltskin the more she worried about the Queen something didn't sit right with her.
Rumple offered the woman a giggle before spinning around with flare, A hidden vault appearing with a mere flick of his hand.
Emma watched him root around momentarily, small glass bottles clanging together as he rifled through the safe with purpose.
"Here we are." He offered her a small glass jar, with but an inch of clear liquid at the bottom and Emma's brow furrowed in confusion.
"What the hell is this?!"
"Regina's tears." The man told her flatly, A shiver running down Emma's spine as she contemplated how he was able to obtain such a thing.
"What can I do with this?" The blonde exclaimed as she threw her arms up in frustration.
"This will connect you with Regina. What she feels, you feel. What she sees you'll see."
"How long will this last? " the blonde asked him impatiently, snatching the bottle from his hands.
"Long enough for you to find her." Emma wasted no time in exiting the store.
Ignoring the shouts of Gold warning her that she owed him a favour. He would have to be patient, there were more pressing matters ahead.
"Are you sure you want to do this? " Snow asked her daughter sternly, pulling out a chair for the her as she excepted it greatfully.
"Mary Margaret Please, We're wasting time." Emma brushed off irritably, Making herself as comfortable as she could on the stiff wooden chair.
"Hit me." She instructed, leaning back as she widened her eyes in Preparation.
Snow reluctantly squeezed the pipette, Gathering the tears before dropping them into the blonde's eye in one fluid motion.
Her green eyes scrunched as they adjusted to the intrusion, a small niggling thought that it may not have worked poked at her until her body tensed uncontrollably, Her back arching painfully as her mind seemed to flash.
Chaos, pain, anger. She felt her heart burn as the magic ran through her body. Flashes and scenes of the woman's life before her eyes, burning into her brain as she heard the screams of pain.
It invaded her very being and left her bones exhausted. A rage that burned like wild fire as her mind buzzed with angry voices.
"Don't you walk away from me."
The harsh gripping hold of Cora's magic coursed through her body, constricting her limbs and crushing her lungs.
"MOTHER WHY HAVE YOU DONE THIS?"
The sudden waves of sadness pulling her under as her lungs burned for oxygen yet only received water, drowning her from the inside.
"You've made it clear that you don't think anyone's going to love me, So why not make it official?"
"You stupid girl, do you think it makes you strong to hurt yourself?"
"Oh it does if it hurts you more."
Pain. Undeniable and consuming. A spiral of heat ripping it's way through her abdomen as she felt her body crumple over, infertile and useless.
The utter lack of breath had Emma doubled over and screaming in pain as the flashes continued.
"They'll never love me."
"They already think I'm nothing."
The harsh blows of her fears rendering her motionless as her heart hammered in her chest.
"It should've let me to gaze upon the person I hate most!"
The guilt and disgust as she gazed upon herself, Her face filled with sadness as the darkness and self loathing seemed to shroud her in its grip.
Her body contorted once more, the smell of salt invading her nostrils first as she fluttered her eyes open and peered out beneath long dark lashes.
The dank surroundings of the Storybrooke Cannery boxing her in.
She desperately tried to squirm, to release her limbs and free herself but the leather straps kept her firmly in place as another zap of electricity coursed through her like fire.
She wanted to give in. The darkness becoming more and more comfortable as her mind ached and begged for freedom. She screamed, louder than ever.
In an instant she was back in the loft, doubled over and panting as Snow and charming checked her over frantically.
"Emma!" Snow's shrill voice rang in her eyes as she felt her rationality returning, her grip on reality finally strong.
"What happened?" Charming questioned, his hands skimming her carefully; double checking there were no fatal injuries.
"The cannery." Emma gasped, tears falling from her eyes.
"She needs help."
"Emma breathe." Snow told her soothingly, running her back as the blonde gasped for air.
"She's going to die." Emma panted before jumping to her feet as she sprinted out the loft hastily, leaving the Charming's trailing behind.
Her heart was hammering in her chest as she held out her gun firmly, kicking through the rickety wooden doors with ease.
She was free from the magic now. But her bones still felt the chill of near death and undeniable pain, it made her shiver.
She heard her first. Her voice filled with malice as she breathed heavily and taunted the man. His face contorted in sadness as the Queen pushed on.
"Now go ahead and kill me. I just wanted to see the look on your face when I..."
the woman's screams rang in Emma's ears, she felt the rage within her bubble up as she pushed her way into the room with purpose.
She stood face to face with him and shot once,
Then twice, then a third time.
Destroying the machine with a crackle of electricity and a bang as the man tried to run.
She took a deep breath and shot again and again and again.
Her mind becoming absent as his heavy body fell to the ground with a thud and her eyes fluttered.
She thought it would feel different, to kill someone. She thought her heart would ache as the anger and darkness took over. But she felt happy, his crumpled body lying motionless on the floor as she sprinted towards the queen.
She released her binds hastily, Regina's body limp as she picked her up gently.
Her heart hammered wildly in her chest with the fear that they may have been too late. The queen's pulse was weak and her breathing slow and laboured, Emma held her close as they exited the cannery with haste.
"She's going to be okay. Given time and rest her magic will return." the fairy told them gently, Emma let out a sigh of relief as she felt the tension dissapear from her body.
Snow held a damp cloth to Regina's head attentively as Emma flopped herself down on the chair beside her bed.
She stared at the woman that lay unconscious before them. She no longer looked like the terrifying queen, or the regal mayor; she looked small and fragile. A thought Emma knew Regina would despise.
"What happened to you?" Snow asked her daughter gently a brief silence falling before the brunnette continued.
"When you were in that trance you spoke, you weren't yourself."
"I was Regina." Emma told her solemnly.
"Gold told me the tears would connect us, long enough for me to save her and they did." The blonde paused abruptly, breathing deeply as she lifted her gaze to meet her mother's.
"But they also showed me other things. They were dark"
"And painful." the blonde finished with a sigh, She felt it in her bones, A tiny minute feeling of the sadness that had washed over her still present.
"The queen has much darkness in her past. It's not uncommon the magic tapped into it. As unpleasant as it may be it's a part of her and you too experienced that part. Magic is direct but sometimes it takes detours." The fairy told them.
"Maybe she's not as black and white as everybody thinks she is." Emma told them. Trailing off into her thoughts once more.