Chapter 19: Revolution

Oh I am going to kill Mal if I get out of this, Emma groused. Sending you to 'where you need to be' my ass!

"Those are my new leather boots-" the voice cut off when he suddenly realized just who was on his deck. His grin grew larger. "Emma Swan, and her crew. What a turn of events."

"Son of a biscuit eater," Emma grumbled out. "Killian Jones."

...

They didn't even have a chance in hell to fight. Especially not with the way Regina quickly defected. There was a cold expression on her face the whole time as Killian's men drew out their swords and circled around them. "This is a pleasant surprise," Killian jeered as the crew was held at sword point, hands up. "I was not expecting to make such a catch today."

"They're all yours," Regina said, arrogance on her face. It did not fit her at all. Emma wished she could see her happy smile or soft expression of joy again but she knew she didn't deserve this.

"Regina, how could you side with that slimy git over there!" Neal barked out, affronted.

Regina gave a careless shrug of the shoulder. "I don't owe any of you lying pirates anything anymore."

Neal growled out and tried to take a step forward but only got rewarded with the tip of the sword going into his shoulder, slicing through his shirt. He stepped back.

"Throw them into the cells and bring a spring upon 'er. Queen Cora will be most pleased with this," Killian cackled and slung an arm over Regina's shoulder as they walked off. Anger filled Emma but she was helpless. She was lead at sword point down to the ship's cells.


The cells are damp and they stink. They barely get any food down there. Ruby and Sabine keep trying to engineer ways of getting out of there but Emma doesn't have the heart to try. She's still aching over Regina and of losing her. She wants Regina back.

She has to win her back. But she doesn't deserve her, not after what she did.

Emma lets her head thunk against the back of the cell, ignoring the gruel in a metal bowl that they've left for her to eat.


Emma expects the journey to take a month or more. But they must be closer to Cora's queendom than expected because in a week's time, they're there. Being dragged out and blinking in the glaring sun as Cora's guards haul them off the ship and to bigger cells. Neal throws his weight around and tries to escape but gets knocked around for his efforts. Emma tries to catch sight of Regina and finds her standing by the steering wheel, Killian by her side. He's given her new garbs. A dress befitting a princess, and with her hair brushed back, Regina does look like one. It's almost as if all the progress in becoming free has been erased.

What a shame.

"I don't suppose you have any bright ideas, captain?" Sabine asks as they get thrown into one huge cell in the queen's basement. They're all angry and itching to get out of here. Emma is too depressed to have a care.

"I don't know," she said at last. They've been stripped of their weapons and of their clothing, left in only white undershirts and pants. "It doesn't look good."

"Mal betrayed us!" Neal raged, hitting the bars with his fist. "She put us right on a ship with Killian Jones on it!"

"Being upset will not help us," August said calmly. "We have to think."

"We need action, not thinking," Ruby growled out. Everyone was tense, liable to erupt on each other.

"Maybe Regina will still help us," Sabine offered up.

"It's a foolish hope," August said. "We betrayed her so she'll betray us."

"Emma...?" Sabine turned to Emma as if she was the expert on Regina related things. As if she would know. Emma shrugged. She laid back on her coat, crossing her arms behind her head. Perhaps it was time. Emma's luck had held out for so long. Now, no longer. It was only a shame she would have to bring everyone down with her.

"The queen will want us hanged. She's going to make a big show of it, especially once she learns we took her daughter," Emma said lazily, looking out the square window where the courtyard was just visible in the upper part. "Which means we have a bit of time." Emma was too depressed to want to save herself, but she knew she had to save her crew. "Aladdin has people on the inside in the castle, already in place."

"Aladdin? You mean the man who wants to take down Cora with his rebellion?" August supplied. They had almost forgotten about him. It had been years it felt like, when they first started this adventure. Emma nodded her head.

"He told me the secret phrase if we ever invaded the castle or got stuck here."

"What is it?" Sabine pressed.

"Jasmine," Emma said. "If some guards come out, we should say it to them. If they work for Aladdin, they will know."


"Oh my dear, what have they done to you," Cora bemoaned as she looked over Regina's form. "Your skin has been ruined by the sun! And your hair, so short and garish! And your hands- covered in calluses. What King will want to marry you now!"

Regina stood impassively in front of her mother. She knew this was coming, and yet the pain of it still hit full force. Father stood off to the side, clearly wanting to go and greet his daughter but refraining from doing so because of Cora.

"I will have those pirates hanged for all they did to you!" Cora screamed.

"Mother," Regina said, steady and strong. She had faced worse things than her mother. How could she ever be scared of the woman again? "There are a great many things we must discuss. Such as how you've been treating the subjects of this queendom."

Cora's eyes bulged out of her skull. "What-"

"It has come to my attention that we are the villains," Regina said, not giving an inch. "I think it's about time we changed that."

"Are you- are you challenging me? Your own mother?!" Cora blustered out. "This is betrayal!"

Regina chuckled darkly. "Oh I know mother. I know a few things about betrayal and being betrayed. And what you did, was betray me for my whole life. You were supposed to love and care for me, yet you kept me locked up like treasure, not like some person. I have seen the world now. I have seen it wonders, I have seen it's terrors. And I have met all sorts of people and things there. You will not stuff me back into the ivory tower." Regina dramatically ripped off the dress she had been wearing, revealing her pirate outfit underneath, along where she had a cutlass strapped to her side.

"Are you rebelling against me?!" Cora screamed out, face turning red. Regina held the sword up, in clear threat.

"I am putting an end to all this vileness. I want to treat my people kindly. I want father to be free from your rule too," Regina said.

"Those pirates have filled your head with vile thoughts. Don't you see they are using you!" Cora begged, trying to reason with her daughter one last time.

"No, they are not using me. I am using myself. My destiny is my own to write and to have."

"Guards!" Cora ordered, and the five guards stationed against the wall in the throne room shook to action, drawing their swords out. Five was a bit too much for Regina to handle. But she knew for who it might not be hard to do so. She booked it out of the room as the guards gave chase.

"Seize her!" followed Regina out of the room.

Regina ran down to where the crew was being kept in locked cells. Somehow she was not surprised that they were out of their cells, armed with swords, and talking to two guards that had tied up all the other guards and put in the cells instead.

"Princess!" Ruby cried out when she saw her first. They all turned to look at her in shock.

"It might be Queen soon," Regina said, only slightly out of her breath. All her adventures had left her fit, and faster than the heavily armored men chasing her. "I need your help. I might have threatened my mother the queen and now she wants me captured."

The pirates all cheered.

"You're helping us? You're not going to throw us back in the cell?" Emma asked, still so uncertain with everything that had happened between her and Regina. Regina shook her head. "I've thought about it a lot and while I am still mad at you all, you are the only people who can help me right now."

"Well," August chuckled, drawing his sword. "I never expected to take down the queen so early on."

"No hurting her," Regina chided. "I will deal with her on my own."

The guards chasing her finally appeared, only to be greeted by eight awaiting blades. They were quickly dealt with. "Aladdin, a friend of mine, has people on the inside that can help us. We can take everyone down, we just need time to get in contact with him and rally up the-"

"We don't have time, Emma," Regina said as they raced through the halls back to mother's chamber. "Mother will act soon. We must face her down on her own and make her concede the crown. Then, when I am queen I can deny her right to the throne and send her to sit in a cell."

"I will follow your lead then. My crew and I are at your disposal."

Regina smiled. "And if you happen upon Jones, feel free to take him down of your own accord."

"Gladly," she had been waiting for that for a solid decade.

The guards, seeing that there were escaped prisoners in the main hall, all began to to charge at them. "For the queen!" they shouted out.

"Fuck your queen!" Sabine shouted out equally as loud and met them head on Neal, right behind her. The clang of swords filled the hall, but it was clear that the guards were no match for the pirates. They worked together like a machine, Emma filled with vigor and energy. She was working with Regina again and while it wasn't a reconciliation, it was good enough for her.

They made way quickly through the guards and up to the queen's chambers. They shouted out 'Jasmine' at any of the other guards in case they were on Aladdin's side. Outside the window, a man caught Emma's eye. With his long black coat, and cocky strut, she knew who it was. "Regina, I must part here, for Jones calls my blade to him."

"Good luck," Regina said.

"We will escort Regina to the queen," Neal promised. They separated ways, Emma rushing back down and outside. She caught him standing at the end of the courtyard, scratching his beard and looking out over the sea. He was alone, no doubt enjoying the queen's amenities for his daring catch of Emma's crew.

"Jones!" she hollered out. He whipped his head to her.

"How are you-"

"Doesn't matter. What matters if I've come to settle this matter for once and for all," Emma said, brandishing her sword at him. "Be ye a man or be ye not a man?"

"I be a man," he said, though his eye twitched. He clearly did not want to be here for a one on one duel with Emma. He drew his sword. Without warning Emma lunged ahead, and steel met steel. She swung and jabbed, he mainly parried and ducked. She could see his eyes dancing around the courtyard, no doubt trying to find a way to escape. He tried a cheat move, kicking out to try and sweep her feet from under her. But she jumped up and onto the fencing, which wasn't too high up. He went on the attack now, thinking that he could knock her down and send her flying down the side of the cliff face. He hit hard and fast, letting his guard down. Letting himself grow cocky. He aimed for her ankles but she flipped over his head, slicing down with her sword as she did, before landing on her feet behind him.

He let out a scream as his ear fell to the floor. The whole right side of his face was covered in red, and blood dripped to the floor. He clamped a hand to where his ear should be. He turned to her with horror on his face. "You ruined my good looks!"

"You never had any to begin with," she sneered.

His lips pulled back from his teeth. Now it was personal. Now he was in this duel to win. He lunged at her and she parried his blows. They fought back and forth, one gaining ground before losing the ground again. This duel was taking longer than Emma believed it would.

She saw Killian reach for his inner pocket. He was going to either draw his gun or another sword out. That cheat! That scoundrel of a man! Thinking quickly, Emma slid under his extended blade and towards him, jabbing her sword upwards. She stabbed him right through the gut. His eyes went wide but he took out the gun and aimed right at her. She squeezed her eyes shut, hopping somehow he would miss.

The gun went off.

She felt no pain. Nothing. She opened her eyes and found Killian stumbling backwards, a hole in his throat. He was gurgling, eyes rolling back in his head as the gun dropped from his hand and fired, nicking Emma on the shin. She grit her teeth in pain. Killian collapsed a few feet from her, sword sticking out of his gut. She got up and pulled it out, cleaning it on the clean inside of his crown bought clothing.

Finally, he was rid of. She'd have to see his smarmy face no longer.

August approached Emma from where he had stood in the doorway and took the shot. He pocketed his gun. "Nice aim," Emma said, clasping hands with him in camaraderie. "I could not have taken a better one myself."

"All in a day's work," he said.

"Did you not go and help Regina?" Emma asked, furrow between her brows.

"I felt like I needed to come and help you, so I came back." His happy smile dropped. "Emma, I believe that was it. I don't have much time left. Whatever the rest of the future looks like, it will be in your hands now." The skin around the edges was turning gray know, forming into metal.

Emma's eyes went wide with despair. "August, no-! You still have so much left to give. You have a life you-"

"No, I never had a life. I was never real," he said, shaking his head. "My only purpose was to save you. And this was it. I needed to keep you alive until now."

She shook him, but she could already feel the metal under his clothing. Only his face was human and even then the gray was spreading up his neck. "August, tell me how I can save you. Tell me how I can help you!"

"You can't. I don't know anything about who created me. I'm sorry, Emma. I wish I could have more time with you. I enjoyed our adventures, but you won't be alone anymore. I know that." He gave her one last smile, and that was the facial expression he turned into metal with. A bittersweet smile.

He was a heavy weight in her arms but she hugged him to her. She didn't even get a chance to tell him how much he meant to her. Or how thankful she was for him. "I'll bring you back," she said, whispering it into his metal ear, hoping he could still hear this.

A single tear dropped onto his shoulder.


Cora had no escape.

Not from Regina's avenging. She and the crew plus some guards surrounded Cora, circling around her. At last, Regina had Cora cornered. Held at sword point. Father stood by her, though he was not the one being threatened. "Give me the crown, mother."

"You've teemed up with these dirty rats. My own flesh and blood, betraying me!"

"As if you don't have pirates working for you, you hypocrite," Regina spat back. "Now hand me the crown, and no one will get hurt."

"You don't have what it takes to hurt me," Cora goaded and she was right. Regina could not take the crown by force. She wouldn't hurt her mother like that.

"Honey, I think it's time," Henry Sr. said, taking the crown off of Cora's head and going to stand by Regina's side with it. Cora shook with rage at this betrayal.

"You've ruled for long. Regina is grown now. She needs to be the new queen," he said.

"After all I did for you- I married you and made you into a king when you were nothing but a common miller!"

"I never wanted to be a king. I was happy, milling my wheat, living my days in poverty. And I always bowed my head to you, kept quiet because you were royalty and I never was. I was too afraid to get kicked out of the castle and lose the chance to see my daughter. But I will not listen to you any longer. Regina is now the true queen."

And he placed the crown down on Regina's head.


It was amazing how much could change in a week. But the queendom did just that. With mother behind bars and held in the castle cell, and with father as the new ruler, the people rejoiced. Harsh rules were disbanded, heavy taxes lifted, and rations given to the poor. The bounties on Emma's and the crew's heads had been removed and they were allowed to roam the seas freely once more.

"Are you sure you don't want all this?" Henry Sr. asked Regina as they stood on the castle balcony, overlooking the town and the sea beyond. Celebrations had been going on for a week now and the city was aglow with lanterns and fireworks as the people rejoiced. "You earned all this. It is yours to have and no one else."

But Regina was shaking her head. Her eyes were not focused on the bountiful lands we would rule, but on the ocean that sparkled and winked at her from the distance. Already she could feel the wind in her hair, the salt in the spray, and the clang of metal and steel as gunpowder scented the air. She wanted sun on her skin, the water guiding her.

She had spent so many years locked up. She had to make up for it. "I still have so much more to learn and experience," she told him. "I want to be a good ruler, but to be one, I must know more of the world." Her eyes squinted and she focused on one ship in particular she could see getting ready at port. She and Emma had not had a proper conversation ever since the coup.

It was long overdue. There was still so much to say, so many unresolved feelings. What Emma did wasn't right but Regina loved her, and she didn't want to just give up on everything they had together.

"What will you do?" Henry Sr. asked.

"You will rule in my stead. Then I shall arrive and take my throne. But before that, I will see the world, father."

He smiled softly at her. It would ache him to see her go, but she deserved it. Deserved the world and more because she was his little girl. "Be safe."

Regina smiled at him. "You should fear the things that cross my path and their safety not mine."

He drew her into a hug, the crown gleaming on his head in the evening light. "Happy sailing, Regina."

"Happy ruling father."

Regina pulled free from his hug, and then without another look back at her castle or her queendom, she left, heading for the sea.

Notes:

Bring a spring upon 'er- turn the ship in another direction