A/N: Trigger warning for self harm. If this bothers you, please skip down to the break and keep reading. It isn't graphic, but very telling in nature. Sorry if this upsets any readers. Rated M for a reason.

Also, the next few chapters may be a little darker than I am used to writing and may take some time to get out. The story is flowing in the direction that I want to go. But, rest assured, I will update as soon as I can. As always, reviews are appreciated and they let me know that you care. Thanks and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 13

Regina escorted them upstairs and into her room. She left them sitting on the bed as she went into the bathroom to start filling the bath. Snow watched Rhiannon. She couldn't believe the calm that they both had. She was going out of her mind. She wanted one of them to come to reason and stop this craziness. She needed someone to stop them.

"She is really going to do this?"

"Yes, she is."

"You're going to help her?"

"I am."

"Why?"

"Because she asked."

"And, for no other reason?"

"Snow, I understand that this hard for you. You don't seem to see things in but in black and white. You are still learning about the shades of gray that surround everything that we do. Regina learned this the hard way. I am afraid that the only way you will understand her pain is to see it, to feel it, to experience it," Rhiannon told her.

"How can I do that?"

"I can help."

"You can help?"

"I maybe just another queen from another realm to you, but I do possess magic."

"Magic always comes with a price," Snow recited from memory.

"That is does, but the magic that I possess isn't necessarily dark. I could harm others but I chose not do to it. I believe in a simple motto: As long as I harm none, I can do as I want. It is simple but it serves to protect me and those I love."

"But, magic has a price," Snow stated again.

"I don't bring any back from the dead. I don't make anyone fall in love with someone else. That never turns out the way you want. Bad things tend to happen with matters of the heart are involved. They are some basic tenants that the Fae magicians believe."

"And, what is that?"

"For everything that you do, it will return to you three times as good or bad. I don't like bad things to happen, so I tend to do good things with my magic when it is necessary. I am afraid that something Regina and I did as young adults cost us both of our happiness in our marriages and the lives of our children," Rhiannon told her.

"Children? Regina never had a child. Henry isn't even really hers. She adopted him."

"I know that you don't know the whole story. And, yes, I know that Henry is her adopted son and now, she shares the parenting and responsibilities of him with your daughter. But, to be honest, you were once Regina's daughter, were you not?"

Snow sat there and stared at her. She knew what Rhiannon was telling her was the truth. She didn't know everything about Regina, but then she never sought to find out either. There hatred for each other destroyed whatever relationship they may have had as step-mother and daughter.

"How is this possible?"

"You want to know what harden Regina's heart?"

"I know that when I told her mother about Daniel. Her mother killed Daniel to make sure that she took the throne. It is my fault that he died."

"But is that the only thing?" Rhiannon asked her.

Snow thought about it. She wasn't sure. She knew that it was the motivating factor to Regina's hatred of her and her driving force for her personal vendetta against Snow's happiness. But, could Daniel's death be the only thing that pushed Regina so far into darkness that she became the Evil Queen.

"I don't know."

"I am going to change. The bath should be ready in a few minutes. I need you to both be ready," Regina told them as they came back into the bedroom and left again.

Snow watched her. She knew that Regina had singular mentality and when she had her mind set on something she hardly wavered until she got the conclusion she wanted. She saw that this was the same way. She knew that Regina wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted.

Snow watched her as she came back into the room. She stopped in front of Rhiannon, who handed her the vial. She uncorked it and drank its contents. She twisted her head to the side with the taste and her eyes flashed orange then purple before returning to their normal chocolate brown. Snow's own blue eyes mirrored her bewilderment of the situation. Unsure of what to say, they both stayed quiet.

"You shouldn't feel any different. The potion will mix with your body and be there to rebuild it once death occurs. The magic will activate on its own. It will not free your natural magic, however. You will still have to die for that to happen. I am sorry," Rhiannon told them.

"I am ready."

Snow just shook her head. She silently followed them into the bathroom. She wished that she had the courage to call David or Emma and tell them what she was about to do, but she couldn't talk. The shock of it all had dumbfounded her to her core. The nonchalance of both Rhiannon and Regina was characteristic of their nature, but Snow felt so out of place. She had agreed to do this. She had agreed to kill Regina in order to be forgiven. Was the punishment worth the crime? She wasn't sure, but she willing to find out. She was still torn about the fact that she was the one that destroyed Cora and Regina has let her live in her guilt. If this act would absolve her of that guilt, then she would do it.

Regina entered the tub and sat down in the water. Rhiannon sat across the room on the toilet and waited. She couldn't do anything until Regina was technically dead. The potion would start to work, but she needed to make sure that magics inside Regina had been loosened. She would force Regina back to life. The one rule that she would never break wouldn't be broken because technically it would be the Phoenix Oil that would give Regina back her life. Rhiannon was just going to jump start it, just in case Regina's own magics didn't.

Snow watched as Regina slowly lay down in the water and waited. Snow kneeled next to the tub. She gave Regina and Rhiannon both a pleading look. Regina just smiled at her. Rhiannon sat stoically on the toilet and waited. Snow stared at the ceiling and gave a silent prayer to whoever might be listening. She looked over at Rhiannon again.

"Put one hand on her heart and the other on her head. You'll have to hold her under. No matter how much she resists, you'll have to keep her under the water. You will have to be resolved to that or this will not work," Rhiannon told her.

She swallowed hard. She sighed. She leaned over the tub and looked at the submerged Regina. She closed her eyes and extended her arms over into the water. She placed her left hand on Regina's chest, but hovered her right hand over her face. Regina dipped her head under the water and blinked up at Snow. She pushed her hand down onto her face and held her down.

At first, she didn't need any pressure, but as time passed and Regina's body began to beg for oxygen, Snow had to actually hold her firmly down in the water. Snow closed her eyes so she didn't have to watch the events unfolding before her. It was enough that she could feel Regina thrashing under her hands as she steadily increased the pressure to hold her down. She felt knew that it was Regina's hand the grabbed her arms and held onto her tightly. It was almost enough for Snow to stop and let go.

"Don't ease up," Rhiannon said, breaking the through the splashing and helping Snow maintain her resolve and her nerve in this venture.

She kept her under the water. It felt like hours, but it had to be mere minutes. It was almost over, she presumed when the first wave of blinding light hit her.

"Hold fast. Her magic is breaking through. It will be soon," Rhiannon told her as she came near them both, she put her hand over Snow's and helped her hold Regina in the water.

Wave after wave of blinding light passed through her, but Snow didn't ease up. Rhiannon helped her stay the course and eventually the light stopped. She opened her eyes and looked down at the lifeless body in the water. She realized that she had felt the last bits of Regina's life ebb from her. Her heart started breaking.

"You wanted to know," Rhiannon told her, "Now know what it was like for Regina."

Snow looked at her questioningly before another round of blinding light passed before her. She blinked and was blinded. When she opened her eyes, she was back in her father's castle. She flinched not prepared to see him standing before her, again, alive.

Across town Emma and Henry were sharing an ice cream sundae and having hot chocolate with their customary cinnamon on top. David was sitting across from them in the booth at Granny's flanked by Ava and Ruth. They each had a different flavor of ice cream they were enjoying. Ruby watched them as she finished cleaning down the high counter and preparing for closing for the evening. They were all smiling and enjoying some family time together.

Ruby suddenly stopped cleaning and looked up at Emma. There was something in her eyes that made her put down her spoon, when Emma returned the gaze. Ruby sniffed the air and shook her head in dismay.

"Sheriff, we might have a problem," she told her.

Emma immediately was out of the booth and at the counter next to Ruby.

"What? What is it? What do you smell?" she questioned her, frantic with worry.

"Magic."

Ruby had no sooner said the word than a blinding light burst into the diner. Emma hid behind one of the bar stools and watched as David and Henry pulled the girls under the table. They waited for the burst of light to stop. When it did, Emma made like she was going to move out from behind the stool only to be stopped in her tracks by another wave of blinding light.

"David, you okay?" she called out to her father.

"We're fine."

"Henry?" she questioned her son.

"I'm good, Ma. What is that? What is causing that light?" he replied, staring at his birth mother across the diner in wide-eyed fear.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out just as soon as I can."

Ruby kept her back to the door and snatched Emma around the corner. Her hazel eyes were wild and she could tell that Ruby was fighting the change. She looked at Emma and found the solidarity that she needed to maintain her control.

"Any ideas?" Emma asked her, trying to keep her mind from slipping into the change.

"No, but I've never smelled magic like that before."

"How do you mean?"

"It wasn't evil, but it wasn't normal either."

"Can you tell me anything, Rubes?"

"Not at the moment."

"It's okay. We're all okay. I'll figure it out as soon as the blasted light stops."

Ruby nodded and waited. She didn't know what else to do. Emma had become more of a leader and sheriff in the past few years. She maintained the peace and order and she had learned to not question certain things without talking to Regina about it first. Some of the more "magical" inhabitants of Storybrooke forgot that they weren't in the Enchanted Forest all the time. The few "mistakes" had been easy to correct and deal with. This…this was on a whole other plain for them and she could tell by the way that Ruby was acting. This was no ordinary magic at work.

"I think the light stopped," David said, coming out from under the table.

"Everyone okay?" Emma asked as she and Ruby came out from behind the counter.

"We're all fine, but what about Mom, Emma. Is she okay? Did she text you yet?" Henry asked.

The question was palpable. Everyone then shared the same thoughts. Snow and Regina weren't with them. Were they still okay, too?

"Don't worry, Kid. I'll go check on your Mom. You all stay here. I call you if I need you."

"Oh, hell no, I'm going with you. I am still a deputy when needed," Ruby stated, throwing David the keys, "Lock up down here and head upstairs. The apartment is waiting for you."

Henry ran over to Emma and gave her a big hug. He was worried and he could tell that she was, too. But, for once, he didn't beg to go with her. He was scared, but he understood that he should stay with David and the girls. He would protect his young twin aunts with her grandfather by his side if need be and he knew that Emma knew it.

"Make sure she's okay, Ma. Make sure she's okay. You saved her once. Don't let anything happen to my Mom, Emma. Promise me," he stated, liked a wounded kid.

"I won't, Kid. I promise. Everything will be okay," Emma told him as they left the diner.

"Everything is going to be okay," she stated as she fired up the Bug and started driving towards the Mayor's house. "Everything is going to be okay. Regina and Snow are fine. Everything is going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay, right, Rubes?"

Emma gave her a pleading look as she drove. Ruby just kept her nose up, sniffing the air and pointing. Both of their hearts sank as they pulled in the drive of 108 Mifflin Street. They got out of the car and stared at each other over the roof of the Bug.

"Everything is going to be alright, right, Ruby?" Emma asked, again, as she drew her Glock, just in case, as they approached the door.

For once, Ruby didn't have an answer.