Chapter 3
Storybrooke, Maine
Present
"They look so…so…" Emma said, as she and Regina stood in the basement, staring at Snow and Charming, beaten and bloody, clutching each other through the bars of their cells.
"Pathetic?" Regina asked.
"Yes. So pathetic." Emma said, taking a step towards the couple in the cells. Today marks the fourth day in a row that Emma and Regina visited Snow and Charming. The previous three days met with relentless beatings, after which they were left in complete darkness for the remainder of the day.
"It just seems too easy when they are like this." Regina said, turning to Emma.
"And where's the fun in that?" Emma laughed, her eyes cold, as she stared down at her parents on the dirty ground.
"Perhaps we should show them some mercy. Let them rest for a day. What do you say, My Dear Swan? Shall we show our visitors mercy?" Regina asked, moving closer to Emma, placing her hand on Emma's low back.
"Whatever you think is best, Your Majesty." Emma said, smiling, her dark eyes, becoming slightly lighter as she looked at Regina.
With a wave of her hand, Regina removed the bars separating Snow and Charming's cells, causing the couple to immediately crawl into each other's arms. A large First Aid Kit appeared in front of them.
"Tend to each other's wounds. We will be back shortly with food and water." Regina said, touching Emma's arm softly. "Come, My Dear Swan. Let's let our visitors rest a little. Come and have a drink with me." Regina said, turning to walk towards the stairs.
"Of course, Your Majesty." Emma smiled, following Regina upstairs.
"Snow…" Charming whispered, as he wiped dried blood off Snow's face. "There's something different about the two of them."
"David, are you serious? Of course there's something different about them. They have us locked in a dungeon, beating and torturing us for the last three days? Four days? I can't even remember anymore." Snow snapped.
"No, it's not that. You and I both know their behavior is due to the Darkness. They aren't in control of their actions." Charming said. "It's the way they look at each other. The way they are always touching each other's arms or back. The way they smile at each other. The way they are always doting on each other. Something's going on between them." Charming explained.
"I guess that seems a little different." Snow admitted, shifting closer to Charming. "It's probably just a behavior change because of the Darkness."
"No, I don't think so. Call it fatherly intuition. There's something else going on." Charming said, holding onto Snow.
"I don't know, David. I think you might be imagining things." Snow said.
"Next time they come down here, just look at their eyes. What color are they now?" Charming asked.
"Black. Both of their eyes are black now." Snow answered.
"Emma's eyes turn green again when she's looking at Regina. They aren't as bright as they once were, but they are distinctly green again. Regina's turn a dark brown." Charming explained. "Look next time they come down."
"Ok. I'll look next time they come to torture us." Snow said, settling deeper in Charming's arms, falling asleep within a few minutes.
A few hours later, Snow and Charming woke to the sound of the door locks clicking open, followed by the distinct sound of the Dark One and The Evil Queen walking down the wooden stairs.
"Oh look, My Dear Swan, they look better already." Regina said, as she walked into the room, Emma at her heels.
"A little rest is just what the doctor ordered it seems." Emma said, her eyes dark as she watched her parents in their cell.
"Emma, Regina, please. Let us go." Snow pleaded, tears in her eyes.
"What do you say, Your Majesty? Are we finished playing with our new friends?" Emma asked, turning to Regina.
"No, I don't think we are. We've only just begun to have fun." Regina answered, looking at Emma.
"Looks like you two will be staying with us a little longer. I will forgive the disrespect this time." Emma said, waving her hand, two bags appearing in her hand. "We thought we would surprise you with a good meal. But I don't know. Maybe we should keep this for ourselves." Emma said, once again turning to Regina.
"Oh no, My Dear Swan, let's not be cruel. Let them have their treats. They've been good." Regina answered, smiling.
"Of course, Your Majesty." Emma said, handing the bags through the bars to Snow. Turning, the blonde gently placed her hand on Regina's back. "Let's allow our guests to enjoy their treats. They'll need their strength for tomorrow's fun." Emma said to Regina, a smile reaching both their faces.
"Yes, what a smart idea." Regina said, turning to glance over her shoulder at the couple in the cell. "Get some rest. We will see you again tomorrow." Regina led the way out of the basement, the door lock clicking in place.
"Charming…" Snow said, as they opened the paper bags to reveal two burgers wrapped in tin foil, as well as two servings of fresh fries. "I think you might be right."
The Enchanted Forest, City of Camelot
Six weeks ago
Regina stood frozen in shock, as she tried to wrap her mind around the events that had just transpired. Merlin's body lay unmoving on the ground before her, the fire causing the shadows to dance across his still face. Her mind raced with thoughts of Emma, afraid for the fate of the woman she had at one time despised.
After what felt like an eternity, Regina pulled herself out of her thoughts long enough to take off running. The rest of the rescue party was waiting for their return to the inn. Just before she opened the door to Snow and Charming's room, she checked her jacket pocket, making sure she was still in possession of the Dark One's dagger. Taking a deep breath, she entered the room without knocking, all eyes on her.
"What happened? Where's Emma?" Snow asked, as Regina closed the door behind her, Emma clearly nowhere in sight.
"Something happened." Regina said quietly, just barely over a whisper.
"What do you mean, something happened?" Killian said from the corner, as Robin walked over to put his hands around a clearly worried Regina.
"Regina, where's Emma?" Snow asked again, already starting to cry.
"Emma was…she was unable to resist the Darkness. It consumed her." Regina said, looking at Henry, who began to silently cry in the corner. "She killed Merlin."
"Where is she now?" Charming asked, pulling Snow closer for support.
"I don't know. She "poofed" away." Regina answered.
"I KNEW it! I knew I should have gone with her!" Killian yelled, moving to get in Regina's face, blaming her for the events.
"There was nothing any of us could do!" Regina shouted back, her eyes fierce, as Robin moved to push Killian away.
"What do we do now?" Henry asked from the corner, his voice sounding small.
"We should probably get out of the city as soon as we can. It won't end well once people find out Merlin is dead, and we were asking around the city before he died." Regina said, finally breaking away from Killian's death stare. "We should return to Granny's and figure out our next step there."
"What about Emma?" Snow asked.
"I still have the dagger. When we figure out our next step, we'll be able to summon her. Until then, we just have to hope she doesn't do anything stupid." Regina said.
"Ok. We'll leave first thing in the morning." Charming said, his voice strong and regal. "Until then, let's all get some sleep. We're going to need our strength."
A few hours later, Regina found herself tossing and turning. Her mind was still racing, anxiety level rising, as Robin slept soundly beside her. She stared at the ceiling, willing sleep to come, when suddenly, the answer came to her. She understood what needed to be done to save Emma's life. She knew what she needed to do to pull Emma out of the Darkness. And she knew she was the only one who could do what needed to be done. Slowly pulling herself out of bed and dressing quickly, she tiptoed across the room to Henry's bed, shaking him gently, waking him up from his light sleep.
"Mom? What's going on?" He whispered, his eyes focusing slowly on Regina's face.
"I have an idea of how to save Emma." Regina whispered, running her fingers through her son's messy hair. "But I have to do it alone."
"Give me a few minutes and I'll go with you." Henry said, trying to get out of bed.
"No, my little Prince. I need to do this alone." Regina said, gently pressing him back in bed.
"Be careful, Mom. Please. I can't lose both of you." Henry whispered.
"I will. I still have the dagger, so she can't hurt me." Regina whispered, reassuring Henry. "Tell everyone to go back to Granny's. I'll meet you guys there."
"Ok." Henry said, yawning.
"I Love You, Henry. Never forget that." Regina whispered.
"I Love You too, Mom. Be careful." Henry answered, his eyes slowly closing.
Regina walked quietly out of the inn, and into the dark cool air. As soon as she was outside the city limits, she waved her hands in the air, disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke.
Storybrooke, Maine
Present
"Well, My Dear Swan, are you ready to have more fun with our visitors?" Regina asked, as she approached the cage containing Snow and Charming, still clutching each other, neither having the energy to fight back anymore.
"I thought you would never ask." Emma smiled, unlocking the cage door, stepping towards her cowering parents. "Who should we start with today?"
"Eeeny…meeney…miney…MO!" Regina said, pointing her finger back and forth, ending at Charming, as she used her magic to pull him up and suspend him off the ground by his neck, tossing him against the wall behind him like a rag doll.
"Wait!" Emma said softly, gently touching Regina's arm as she magically lifted Charming off the ground again.
"Emma?" Regina asked, looking over at Emma, her eyes fixed at the wall behind them.
"It's Henry. He's calling for us." Emma said, eyes shifting over to Regina.
"Let's go!" Waving her hand towards the cell door, locking it behind them, before they waved their hands in unison, disappearing in a mixture of black and purple smoke.
Seconds later, they appeared at the docks, the cool ocean air blowing across their faces. Henry sat on the benches in front of them, a face full of worry.
"Moms?" Henry asked, standing to walk towards his mothers.
"Yes, Henry. We're here." Emma said, taking a step towards Henry, attempting to embrace their son.
"No." Henry said, stepping away from her. "Not when you're like this. Not when neither of you are yourselves." Henry added.
"This is who we are now." Emma whispered, clearly hurt by Henry's rejection.
"We're still us." Regina said, moving to stand next to Emma, reaching out of Henry, receiving the same rejection as Emma.
"No you're not. You're nothing like the woman who raised me. The woman who used to sing me to sleep or would let me sleep in her bed when I had a nightmare. The woman who used to spend every Sunday afternoon baking chocolate chip cookies with me." Henry said to Regina, his eyes filling with tears. "And you're nothing like the woman who fought a dragon to save my life, who told me she loved me then broke the curse with True Love's Kiss, or the woman who used to play video games with me in our living room in New York, even though you were really bad, but who knew I loved playing with her." He said to Emma, the tears now falling down his cheeks.
"Henry." Emma said, her demeanor changing drastically. "We're still those people." Emma said.
"We just look a little different." Regina added.
"NO! You're not! You kidnapped my grandparents. Who knows what you're doing to them!" Henry yelled. "You're not my mothers!" Suddenly, the sound of a bowstring could be faintly heard in the distance.
Regina's hand shot up as if by instinct, catching the arrow that was headed straight towards Emma's chest, snapping it in half with one hand. Emma's eyes instantly went dark again, her demeanor changing as she shot her hand in the air, dragging the culprit out by his throat.
"Swan! Don't!" Killian said, from his hiding spot, as Robin flew through the air, his hands clutching his throat, his bow falling beneath him. Regina's hand instantly flew up, grabbing Killian by the throat, dragging him beside Robin.
"What is the meaning of this?" Emma said through clenched teeth. "You tried to kill me!"
"Emma! Don't do this!" Killian pleaded, as Regina's magical grip tightened around his throat.
"Oh will you two relax?" Zelena said, waltzing out from behind her hiding spot. "You were never in any danger. You can't die, remember?"
"Oh great, you're here too." Regina sighed, as they collectively threw Robin and Killian across the docks, landing hard on the wooden ground.
"Hey, it was my idea to shoot Emma with an arrow, not you, dear sister. You CAN die. I deserve some credit for preserving your life." Zelena said, approaching Regina and Emma.
"Should I be flattered that you chose to shoot me with an arrow?" Emma said.
"You should be flattered that we are here to save your lives." Zelena fired back. "This is your intervention. Don't mind the weapons." She laughed.
"Moms, please. Just listen to us." Henry begged, stepping next to Zelena.
"You tricked us." Emma growled, her eyes dark as she looked at Henry. Zelena took a step in front of Henry. With the Darkness now residing inside her, she was unpredictable.
"Calm down, Dark One. We are just here to talk." Zelena said, Robin and Killian slowly making their way towards the group.
"Regina, darling, just let us help you. We can figure out a way to fix this, if you just let us help you." Robin said, taking a tentative step towards Regina, reaching out for her arm.
A growl rose in Emma's throat as The Dark One caught his hand before it could touch Regina."Don't touch her!"
"Emma! Stop this!" Killian's anger rose.
"Back off, Captain GuyLiner. You'll only get yourself hurt." Regina said, conjuring up a fireball in her left hand, as Killian took a step towards Emma. "In fact, I'm done with both of you." Regina added, waving her hand towards Robin and Killian, instantly causing them to fall to the ground, unconscious.
"Mom! What did you do?" Henry asked, fresh tears in his eyes.
"Don't worry, they're just sleeping. They'll be awake and back to their annoying ways in a few hours." Turning her attention back to Zelena and Henry, with eyes darkened by anger.
"Good. They were starting to annoy me anyway." Zelena said, laughing to herself. "Now, are you two going to come with us, or are we going to do this the hard way?" A green fireball appeared in her left hand.
"Enough." With a wave of her hand, Emma sent Zelena flying across the docks with a landing so rough she was temporarily knocked unconscious.
"Someone's going to have a headache when they wake up." Regina laughed, her eyes lightening slightly as Emma joined in the laughter.
"Moms…please…" Henry cried, a constant stream of tears rushing down his face. "Please, don't do this. Let us help you."
A hint of vulnerability laced itself through Emma's voice."I Love You, Henry. I always will. But there's nothing you can do to help." She turned around so Henry couldn't see the tears filling her eyes. Regina turned to follow Emma, placing a hand on her low back for support. "I need to go. Regina, are you coming?" Her voice was so soft that only her dark companion could hear.
"Yes, of course." Regina responded in a soft and reassuring voice, before Emma threw her hands in the air, disappearing in her cloud of black smoke.
"I Love You, Henry. Never forget that." Regina whispered, in the warmest voice she could manage, before she threw her hands into the air, preparing to teleport away.
"Mommy…"
The Enchanted Forest
Six weeks ago
Regina appeared in a small clearing deep in the forest, far beyond city limits. She took a deep breath, before pulling the Dark One dagger out of her jacket pocket, holding it high in the air.
"Dark One! I summon thee!" She called. A moment later, a black cloud of smoke appeared in front of her. Once the smoke cleared, there stood Emma Swan, her new Dark One persona still clad in black leather.
"Regina!" Emma said, with a deep smile. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"We need to talk." Regina said, taking a step towards Emma.
"Is Henry ok?" Emma asked, her hard exterior becoming instantly soft at the idea Henry may be in danger.
"Yes, he's fine. He's sleeping." Regina answered, taking another step towards Emma. "I came here to talk about you. Well us, actually." Regina said.
"Us? Really Regina?" Emma asked, a smirk across her face. "What about us ?"
"I'm here…" Regina hesitated. "I'm here to join you."
"What do you mean, join me?" Emma asked, intrigued.
"We've already established that I can feel the Darkness in you. I can feel it reaching out for me, to consume me as well." Regina explained.
"Yes, I can feel it reaching out for you. Even now, it wants to consume you." Emma responded, her hard exterior growing soft again.
"I can't resist it any longer. I'm here to join you." Regina explained.
"What about Henry? I won't let you leave him alone." Emma said, her dark eyes becoming slightly lighter.
"Henry's fine. He's with your parents. They'll keep him safe." Regina answered.
"Are you sure about this, Regina? You're working so hard to be a hero." Emma asked.
"Yes, I have. And each day I've been in pain, as I've tried to resist the constant pull of the Darkness. I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of being in pain." Emma could sense the truth in Regina's words.
"Well, I can't argue with that. I won't stop you." Emma smiled. "Plus, I would love the company." Emma's smile widened at the last statement. "We need to find you a victim." Emma said after a few moments of silence.
"I'll let you choose. So you know I'm not trying to trick you." Regina said.
"I appreciate that." Emma said, thinking for a few minutes before snapping her fingers, causing a man Regina had never met appear before them. "This man was rude to you in Camelot, when we first arrived. I think he needs to be punished for his disrespect. What do you think?" Emma asked, watching Regina closely.
"I couldn't agree more!" Regina said, taking a step towards the confused man, pulling him up to his feet. Before he could comprehend the situation, Regina plunged her hand deep into his chest, pulling out his glowing heart a moment later.
Regina squeezed the heart slightly, remembering the feel of a live heart, the rush of power she used to feel when she literally held someone's life in her hands. Her eyes grew wider, as she slowly squeezed the heart, causing the man to double over in pain, clutching his chest, pleading with Regina to spare his life. Emma watched as Regina continued to slowly crush the stranger's heart. Regina's eyes continued to grow wide, taking great pleasure in slowly killing the man, drawing out the torture and pain.
Eventually, Regina crushed the man's heart, turning it to dust in her hands. As the dust fell through her fingers, a wave of purple smoke circled Regina, changing her appearance drastically, transforming back into her dark alter ego.
The Evil Queen was back.
