Authors note: First, let me apologize for the long wait. Truly, I have no other excuse than not feeling like it and having to study because my exams start in three weeks. I'm forever grateful to all my followers and favorites that decided to stick with this story and take comfort in the fact that I always finish my stories, so you'll never be left with an unfinished one. For now, I hope you enjoy and I hope to post the next chapter sooner than this one.

Trigger warning: a pretty dark and heavy dream sequence in the first half which contains mentions of RAPE and the AFTERMATH of RAPE! If that is triggering for you please start with the second part.

...

"I have to tell you that this does not come as a surprise, dearie. Truly, what happend to your sense of- well, how shall I put it? I guess your sense of delusional hatred and jealousy. Call it what it is, shall we. I would've predicted this for you, dearie. And not just because I have the ability to see that dreadful future of yours, no because even a fool could've predicted this. It was clear to the world that your hatred and jealousy would eventually turn and twist and mutate into something much more deluded and nauseating;

Love.

Love for that sister of yours, the one you've hated all your life. Can I be the one to say; 'Disgusting!'. I didn't know you were that deluded, Zelena dear."

Rumple was clad in his dirty, fake-leathery material that served as a vest of some kind. His big, bulging eyes were not human. The whites were yellowisch and the irises were gray and too big. The same went for his skin, the scale-like surface seemed to shimmer like the gold he made from useless pieces of straws. The cane his Storybrooke-version uses for walking was gone, his limp magically healed. His feet stood wide apart, the dark trees making a terrifying scenery behind his back. The only light seemed to come from the dark red magic that clouded around his animalistic claws, but Zelena could still see clearly that they were standing in an open space.

"Just look at you, a simple peasant, literally green with envy of her little sister. The little sister that is living in the castle some miles north, being raped by het own husband right now." He bared his yellow teeth in a sickening and cruel grin. "Are you really jealous of that life? That is truly awful, dearie. I almost feel bad for you."

Zelena wanted to scream that no, she had learned but her mouth felt like it was glued together and when the witch looked at her bare, green feet, they too were stitched to the mossy forest-ground. Her blue eyes looked up, growing as she stared at the imp that was still grinning at her, seemingly enjoying the whole ordeal, whatever it was exactly.

The Dark One clicked his lizard-like tongue and rolled his, big, bulging eyes. "Pathetic, delusional little Zelena. Are you really wondering why mommy gave you up? Why daddy hated you so much? Tell me dearie, don't you hate you? Regina would hate you, if she knew of your existence. Oh, wouldn't that be the joke? Maybe if Regina had been the second-born child that was actually wanted, it wouldn't be her in that bed right now, it would be you. You would get your wish to have your sister's life and poor, little Regina would have been spared that dark fate and maybe she would've even been able to marry her true love, the stable boy. Wouldn't that be amazing, dear Zelena?"

Zelena shook her head frantically, tears welling up in her eyes. No, that was not what she wanted. Maybe at first it had been but now, now that she knew, now that she was aware of Regina's story and what happened to her it was no longer a fairytale Zelena used to tell herself. It was a nightmare, one she praised herself lucky not to have gone through and one she felt guilty for because Regina had instead.

"Are you really that stupid, girl?" Regina's voice sounded from her right and Zelena shook awake from her thoughts, her head snapping to the direction of the sound.

Regina was standing there, only it was not the Regina Zelena has known for the past few months. Not the warm, loving mother. It was the Queen, Zelena remembered watching the woman through the the magical looking glass back in Oz. It was the Evil Queen, in full garb, looking ready for battle and prepared to kill. Dark hair that was cut short back in Storybrooke, was now styled in a high ponytail, silky smooth locks hanging over her right shoulder. A large crown was resting upon Regina's head, blood-red rubies set in dark iron, fashioned in a dramatic style. Her dress was surprisingly simple, black and tight, a sinfully low neckline that showed off everything. The fabric was see-through and all lace.

"You are truly ignorant aren't you?" Regina asked again, eyes drenched in heavy makeup blinking slowly and lips painted deep red curling in a vicious snarl that made her look like a crazed predator.

Zelena looked around, fear filling her body. Rumple was not around anymore, she was now alone in the clearing, alone with the Evil Queen.

Regina growled, her pearly white teeth clenching. "Kneel before your Queen, you ignorant cow." She snapped, one hand glowing purple and Zelena's knees connected harshly with the forest-ground. Her feet got ripped from the ground in the process and Zelena could smell the blood even before feeling the tingling drips rolling over the soles of her bare feet. The Queen came closer, walking steadily on uneven ground even though she was wearing six inch heels. "Peasants should know what they wish for, especially ones that have already turned green by the curse of envy, girl. No one truly understands what they wish for when they say the want to be Queen. Little girls would never understand the true meaning of being Queen. They could never phantom the pain, the emotional price you would have to pay to keep yourself sane. Truly dear, it isn't what most think it to be. It isn't what you think it is, and maybe you should learn. Maybe you should learn the meaning of the word 'Queen'.

Zelena was pushed down by magic and rolled over. She clenched her eyes, trying to make out the sky but there was nothing but darkness hanging above her. And then Regina's healed shoe was stepping on her throat. The heel itself pierced the skin of her throat and Zelena's mouth was just about to open itself in a silent scream when the shoe suddenly disappeared and with it did the Queen. She sat up, her hands resting on the mossy ground that suddenly felt slick and wet. Wetter than it was supposed to feel. Zelena slowly lifted her hand, staring down, her face twisting into an expression that showed pure horror. Her hand was soaked in a thick, red substance Zelena easily recognized as blood. And a lot of it.

A wheezy moan resounded through the clearing, shaking the leaves and causing a ripple to walk up the redhead's spine. Her blue eyes slowly turned and what she saw made her want to scream and yell and hit something in fear and in anger.

Regina was lying there on the ground, though at the same time it wasn't Regina at all. She didn't look like the proud woman Zelena knew, instead she looked like a frightened and tiny girl, forced to pretend to be a woman. The girl - it was easier to think it wasn't Regina - the girl was lying on the ground, dressed in a bloodied nightgown that was torn and showed more skin than it covered. The skin that wasn't covered was deathly pale and it was obvious the girl had lost a lot of blood. Another moan sounded and it seemed to make Zelena snap out of it. She quickly crawled over to the body and when she could get a proper look it was clear the girl was dying.

Regina's head turned, dazed and dark eyes staring straight at her. Her chest was wheezing out breaths, teeth were colored an orangy-red with blood as the girl tried to speak. "Ze...le...na." The girl eventually managed, eyes unseeing as they slowly rolled up into her head. "Is- is this what you wished for?"

"Yes, Zelena, is this what you wished for?"

Before Zelena was even able to identify the voice as being that of her mother, Cora Mills, a wrinkled hand disappeared into her dying sister's chest-"

...

"-Zelena!" The woman was twisting and turning in her sleep and Regina was desperately trying to wake her from what was a obvious a nightmare. And not a mild one either.

Her attention had first been caught by a tumble, a heavy thump that sounded like something falling on her wooden floor, she would soon found out the fallen object to be her vintage bedside lamp. After that came the screams, but they were not normal screams. It were muffled screams that sounded hollow. After quickly making sure that Claire was still asleep, Regina practically ran upstairs and threw her sister's bedroom door open.

Regina was met by the sight of her lamp, lying shattered on the cream colored carpet and her sister twisting and turning on the bed, almost threatening to fall out. Her mouth was closed but muffled screams still managed to resound. Fists were gripping her Egyptian-cotton sheets, crinkling the expensive fabric, but that was the last thing on Regina's mind. Instead she gripped her sister's quivering shoulder and started shaking her. Hard. Zelena's blue eyes snapped open, unseeing, frightened but at the same time looking oddly relieved. Her lips were almost the same bright blue as her eyes and her mouth formed in sync with soundless words.

"Zelena?" Regina frowned in fear, leaning closer toward her dying sister, trying to catch the words and all she God was a faint you're alive before blood started to drip from the redhead's mouth. A straight, red line running vertically down from the corner of her mouth down her cheek and staining the white pillowcase in an awfully bright contrast. "Zelena?! Oh my god, Zelena!" Regina cupped her hand around her sister's cheek, staring as Zelena's eyes rolled back into her head and her lids closed slowly.

Her hand patted the pocket of her blazer before remembering that her phone was still lying on the breakfast-bar in the kitchen and silently cursing. "Listen Zelena," Regina tried, lightly patting a deathly pale cheek. "Listen, I'm going to run downstairs and get my phone so I can call for help. I promise I'll be back in less than a minute, I swear. I will come back, I won't leave you." Blinking back tears, Regina raced down the stairs, almost tripping over her heels before kicking them both off completely and causing a clattering sound that woke up Claire.

"Shit." Regina muttered, ignoring every fiber in her body that said she should comfort her wailing baby, and instead grabbing the phone and running back up the stairs. "I'm so sorry, baby girl." She said more to herself than anyone else before forcing her shaking fingers to dial 911.

...

"Regina! God, Regina is she alright?" Robin's worried voice broke through the unnatural silence of the hospital waiting room. Regina was sitting in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs, rocking a sleeping Claire in her arms when Robin stormed in. "I heard your message, I'm sorry I didn't pick up when you called, I didn't hear, I swear if I had I'd-"

"Robin- Robin hush, it's fine dear, really." Regina quickly stopped his rambling. Standing up from the chair and handing him the baby. "It's fine, Robin. You didn't know, I understand." She tried to smile but it looked more like a painful grimace. "It's just- I just really wanted to- I really wanted to talk to you." Regina didn't understand why but her bottom lip started to quiver and before she knew it she was burying her head in his chest, her tears wetting his shirt. This wasn't like her at all. Regina Mills, former Evil Queen would never let go of her emotions like this, and especially not in a public space.

"I'm sorry, my Queen." Robin said softly, trying to comfort the woman in his arms while also trying to make sure Claire stayed asleep.

They stood like that for the better part of thirty minutes and it ended when Regina stepped back, wiping the tears and the mascara away from under her eyes and seemingly having cried enough for the time being. That's when he started talking again.

"Have you heard anything yet? About how Zelena is doing?"

The brunette shook her head and reached for the baby in Robin's arms. She found comfort in the warm weight and the newborn-smell. "No, no one has told me anything yet. Who knows, maybe Zelena died twenty minutes ago and these peasants are just to terrified of me to come here and tell me!"

Robin sighed, eyes looking her over as he put his arm around the woman and slowly made her sit down. "I'm sure that's not the case, Regina." He said comfortingly, sitting down next to her. "I'm sure Zelena is still alive and kicking. After all, I've had some experience with Mills-women and I'm pretty sure it's in the genes."

That made a smile appear on Regina's face as she looked up at her handsome thief. "Oh, do you really think that?"

He winked cheekily. "Perhaps I do."

A sassy reply was about to leave Regina's mouth when doctor Whale, dressed in light blue scrubs stepped into the waiting area with a grave look on his face that shut her up immediately as dread filled her stomach.

"Regina?" He asked, pulling the mask down from his face. "I'm afraid I have bad news."

Robin quickly took the baby as Regina almost jumped up. "No." She said softly, shaking her head. "No she cannot be dead, I didn't even have enough time to look for a cure, let alone find it!"

Whale shook his head, bringing up one hand to stop her from speculating further. "No, she's still alive Regina, the bad news is that she won't be for long. The ice is now damaging the internal organs and I'm afraid that she won't make it to the end of the week." He furrowed his eyebrows. "I'm truly sorry Regina, but there is nothing more medicine can do for your sister. I can only give her painkillers to alleviate some of the pain the ice is causing."

Robin's hand was the only thing grounding her at the moment as Regina felt the one thing she had never expected she would feel a couple of months ago. Namely sadness- sadness that her sister was going to die.

...

Pretty dark chapter for y'all. I'm still not sure about Zelena but it seems like most of you want her to live. Mmm... I guess I'll have to think about it.

And yes, I'm a tease.