Leaving
Snow and Red walked together toward the castle gates. As the destination grew closer, Snow was consumed by a sense of fear, worried about what would happen if the spell did not work. "Will I die the moment I set foot past the gate?" Snow wondered. Her heart beat quickened as she took fast, shallow breathes.
Despite the obvious panic Snow was experiencing, Red continued running faster and following Emma's scent. Her distinctive vanilla aroma intensified as they approached the castle, motivating Red to heighten her pace further. All she could think about was finding her daughter. "Hurry, Snow!" Red demanded, getting ready to transform herself.
"I am trying, Red," Snow replied as she tried to ignore the unsettling feeling that welled inside of her.
"Get over here and climb on my back." With one swift motion, Red removed her cape and transformed into her wolf form. Snow grabbed a hold of Red's shaggy, auburn fur and hoisted herself onto the massive back of her former friend. Before Snow had a chance to brace herself, Red took off towards her daughter.
Red ran and ran as the scent grew stronger; however, she couldn't help but feel that something was not quite right. A slight headache came upon her, a sensation that only occurred whenever her Emma was in distress. She continued moving until the sudden loss of Emma's scent stopped her in her tracks. Rather, a new smell filled her senses, one of pure death. It was similar to the acrid stench of burning ruble combined with the pungent odor of wilting roses. "What happened to her Emma? Where did she go? Was she wearing some sort of perfume that masked her natural scent?" Red thought to herself. She didn't know if she should follow the new scent or continue searching for the sweet vanilla aroma that she was so familiar with, her Emma. The one thing Red knew for certain was that something was definitely not right. With this thought, her hope started to fade. She wanted to believe that her Emma was perfectly fine, but the lingering smell of death in the air further damaged her optimism. She couldn't bare the idea of losing her daughter again.
Before Ducky had the chance to leave the room, a loud thump caught her attention. She turned her head slightly and looked in horror as she saw the princess she once loved unconscious on the floor.
"Emma?" Ducky called out. No response. "Emma!" she yelled again. Still, no response came from the lifeless body which was now covered with black feathers instead of white ones. "Emma, please wake up. I didn't mean what I said, princess. Please, your highness," Ducky pleaded as a single tear slid down her cheek. She nestled herself between Emma's feathers, trying to get her to wake up. She wanted Emma to feel her, take her into her arms, kiss her, and play with her. When no response came from the princess, Ducky erupted into loud sobbing. Tears streamed down her face as her wails got louder and louder.
Regina heard Ducky and ran to go comfort her; however, everything she was about to do went blank when she noticed Emma lying on the ground. She immediately rushed to Emma's side and held her. Emma's upper body now rested in the queen's lap, her head against the queen's chest.
"Nooooooooooooo! Emma, please wake up! Pleaseee! No, baby noooo," Regina screamed. She couldn't hold her feelings back as she let herself cry right next to the body. She screamed for help and continued to cry.
The soldier, August, heard the queen and ran to her rescue. When he entered the room, August noticed the motionless body of the princess collapsed in the queen's lap. "Was this woman's condition the reason the queen was crying?" the soldier thought to himself. No one had ever seen the queen cry before. She always seemed cold and apathetic, and very strong willed. Yet, this queen was broken and sad, not her typical evil self. She obviously cared deeply for this princess. August finally took a minute to really observe the princess and scooped her into his arms.
"Oh my, sweet princess." He felt a connection with this girl. Her golden locks and piercing emerald green eyes reminded him of a girl he used to adore, his little Emma.
"Do something, August. Please, I beg you. Do something," Regina requested, her emotions pouring out. "Take her to the ballroom and find Lily. She may be able to help her. Please," Regina said in a shaky voice, her body trembling. The soldiers did as she said. She was about to follow them when something stopped her. For the first time, she noticed Ducky crying next to the body of Robin Hood lying on the ground.
"Ducky?" Regina asked. She was surprised to see a death Robin Hood, but did not feel hurt or sad.
"It was your fault," Ducky said, avoiding eye contact with Regina. She couldn't stand to look at the woman who hurt her dear Emma.
"What?" Regina kneeled to the ground and bent over closer to Ducky.
"She killed him because of you," Ducky cried. She ran behind the soldiers that took Emma and left Regina to think about what she had done. Her sadness intensified as she thought about how the queen caused the death of her beloved.
Everyone in the ball watched as countless fairies and witches tried to help wake Emma, but nothing seemed to work. Regina entered the ballroom and didn't care that everyone looked at her with pity as she cried. All she wanted was her Emma back, her sweet darling Emma.
"Emma please come back to me, come home," Regina exclaimed. Her voice echoed throughout the dead-silent room. Ducky looked at the queen, her eyes still glistening with tears. She knew that it was also her fault that Emma was dead.
Suddenly, the doors of the ballroom swung open. The gazes of everyone in the room drifted to the to the entrance, where Snow White and a giant wolf burst into the room.
"Where is our daughter, you witch?" Snow White yelled as she slid down from Red's back. She threw Red's cape over her body, watching as the wolf transformed back into a human.
Regina didn't respond. She looked at Red and Red already knew. Her worst fears became a reality.
"No! Please no, Regina. Please tell me that is not true!" Red shrieked, walking closer to the limp body in August's arms. What she saw made her collapse crying. "Nooooo!" She let out the scream of a mother losing her only pup. Snow couldn't bring herself to look. Red cried and cried, but suddenly stopped. She lifted her head and looked at Regina with a new intensity in her eyes. Her normally calm demeanor was taken over by grief and anger. Her face was flushed and her hands closed into fists at her sides. She looked as if she was ready take out anyone who crossed her path.
"We are taking her," Red said firmly, her mouth quivering as she looked at Regina.
"No, you are not taking Emma from me. She is my heir to the throne and is here to stay" Regina responded, looking from Red to the little swan standing by her side. "She has a baby swan. She can't leave. She has me."
"LOOK WHAT HAPPENED! SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SAFE HERE! DO YOU HONESTLY THINK I WOULD LEAVE HER WITH YOU? NO!" Red screamed at Regina, her nostrils flaring. She had already lost her husband. She wasn't going to give up her daughter, too.
"Please, Red. Don't take her away. I may be able to help her. Please," Regina pleaded, but Red did not budge.
"August! Get the hell over here!" Red screamed through the crowd.
"Red darling, I thought you where in-" August did not get to finish the sentence.
"Take Goldie's body and come with me. We have to go" Red said, breaking her angry persona for a second and revealing her grief. She knew that August did not know the truth.
"My Goldie?" He looked down at the body in his arms with confusion.
"Yes, I will explain later. Take her please," Red managed to say while holding back her tears.
"Red, please. Let her stay here," Regina said for a final time, trying to compose herself. She knew that she was too upset control her magic. It would be far too risky using it until she calmed herself down.
"If you will excuse us, my queen, we had enough," Red replied coolly.
Red started to walk out the door with August. As Snow followed closely behind, she looked directly at Regina and said, "I never thought I would say this about any person, but there's no good in you, Regina."
Snow followed Red out the door and they left with a lifeless Emma in their arms. Feeling heartbroken, Regina and Ducky stared at the door, hoping this was not true, that Emma would come back running to her queen and her daughter with a smile saying "I love you."
Regina distraught and guilty, disappeared in a cloud of smoke, bringing Ducky with her.