Hi, lovely readers... I was trying to control myself and just update tomorrow, but I can't... it's too much to wait and also I think you can't wait any longer too.
About the POLL, I'm going to close it in the next few days... sooooo... go vote!
To snoopydoodles17; Yeah, of course you can scream, but if I was you, I would wait to scream in this chapter... or in the next one, whatever haha They indeed can't have this easy and I think it's not going to get better... not now.
To anapcmesquita; I'm really happy you couldn't stop until reach the end of this chapter... it means you're getting better, haha because the last chapter had no romance at all. About Cora, your confusion is going to disappear as soon as you finish reading this chapter, a lot will be explained. Yeah, about the baby... that was exactly what I wanted all of my readers to think at that moment... that she was dead, but thanks God she wasn't huh? Don't need to be angry now, please... keep it for the next chapters... I know you and a lot of my readers will want to kill me when I'm done, but I never promissed a happy story, ever. Perdita... writing that scene was so intense and sad at the same time :/ I love that I have the capacity of surprising you. That makes me extremely happy. Thank you for everything, thank you for keeping in here with me, for listening to me and my crazy ideas about this story... it have been more than a year and you are still here :O haha Thank you, thank you, thank you. I know you can't understand how much that matters for me. Love u!
To mihpuretachi; Primeiro de tudo, preciso te dizer que esse foi a maior review que eu já ganhei. Eu não conseguia parar de lê-la. Eu acho que a li umas 18 vezes no mesmo dia, sem contar no decorrer da semana. Eu tive que mostrar para a minha amiga e para a minha beta, eu só precisava expressar o quão feliz você me deixou, mas não consegui! Pra mim aquele sonho com Leopold foi o mais difícil de escrever, por isso penso que foi o mais intenso de todos. A torta foi uma coisa que eu tinha em mente desde o começo dessa história e eu não tinha como deixá-la de fora e a amizade de Emma e Regina, eu nunca canso de ouvir você falar sobre isso porque eu adoro. Eu acho que elas irão se tornar grandes amigas e isso é tudo o que eu gostaria de ver no seriado (mentira, não é tudo não. Preciso da Regina grávida!). Sobre a árvore dela, eu queria ter explorado mais essa conexão com a Regina, mas eu simplesmente não consegui arranjar espaço. O capítulo já tava ficando enorme e eu não queria demorar tanto para que vocês chegassem onde realmente interessava. "OMG OMG OMG elas estão nascendo" Vou ter que te mandar um foto do tamanho do sorriso que ficou estampado na minha cara pelo resto do dia quando li isso? Mesmo que quisesse, não teria como, eu tava muito lesa e boba... acho que não dá pra repetir aquele sorriso. A perdita, owwwwn... se eu pudesse escolher uma cena no capítulo passado, pode ter certeza que seria aquela. E preciso falar algo sobre o Archie? Ele vai ser o pai do ano, eu aposto! Enfim, muito obrigada por me deixar tão boooba! Muito obrigada mesmo! Beeeijos.
To emanu cristina; Senti sua falta ;**** Evil kisses haha
To CCangel; Happy you could picture it... that makes me believe that I did a good job, thank you so much! Perdita *-* owwwwwwwn
To MeMirellaVieira; Se você não tem muita coisa a dizer... eu só acho que você vai continuar sem palavras... esse capítulo não é nada melhor do que o capítulo passado. Estou tão feliz que te fiz roer as unhas... espero que você termine com elas hoje (sorry, I'm not sorry). Eu adoraria te responder e comentar em cada comentário e opinião que você deu, mas eu iria estragar toda a surpresa... mas a sua sorte é que a maioria das perguntas que você me fez serão respondidas neste capítulo. Um grande beeeeeeeijo ;**
To EvilRegalTwinnies; Oh... tha much loss of blood could means a lot, including what you said... but lets cross our fingers huh?
To Gotapenname; Oh! What baby? One of them is still inside Regina's belly and the other is alive as we could see. But I can't assure you nothing :/ Just go read ;*
To opheliafrump; The second baby is going to appear... just take a deep breath and go read this chapter. I hope you like it ;*
To Britney; Great to know you would read other story like that ;) Thank you for everything! haha Go read! Don't want to keep you from reading this for too long.
To Anonymouse; You vote have been computed haha Oh God... I think we can really say that Regina is in danger... and the other baby too! Go check it out! Kiiiisses ;)
To Kristy; Thaaank you again! xoxoxo
Enjoy!
CHAPTER 46 – BLOOD MAGIC
"I told you I couldn't do that." Regina speaks with difficulty. "I failed."
A new contraction.
"I don't wanna do this anymore, mother." Regina begs with tired eyes.
"I know, sweetheart. I'm sorry, but you have to." Cora speaks with a voice as calm as possible. "Your little girl needs you to be strong and courageous."
"I can't do that without Archie. Why are we here? Please, mother, take me to the hospital."
Regina and Cora were in a cabin in the woods. Regina was lying on the cold floor with Cora by her side, trying to convince her.
"Regina, don't you understand? Can you not see?"
"What?" Regina asks confused.
"They won't accept your girl. She has magic. She is powerful, Regina. They won't allow-"
"Stop! This is not true. They won't hurt her. Archie won't let them, I won't let-" She chokes on the pain of another contraction. She is on the floor and she is in labor, for God's sake.
"Regina, how do you think I got out of that mine?" Cora asked and saw Regina frown. Only now she remembered that her mother should be in the mine and not here. "I felt that you weren't fine. I felt it and I don't know how, I just showed up at your house."
"I can't do this anymore." Regina went back to weeping openly. "It hurts so much."
"Enough of this, Regina." Cora says angrily. "You're not a silly teenager anymore. You made this child and now you need to assume your responsibility. You just lost a daughter. If you don't want to lose the other, you better start pushing."
Regina looks at her mother with eyes full of fear, worry and pain. She tries to move in search of a more comfortable position, but there's no use. Despite her own fears and the unbearable pain, she does as she is ordered and starts pushing. The effort seemed useless. She just wanted the pain to end, but it was only increasing.
"Can you feel it?" Cora asks suddenly.
"What?" Regina managed to say.
"They are here," Cora says looking at one of the windows of the cabin. "I can feel them."
"They who? Archie?" She asks, but as no response comes, she starts screaming his name. "Archie!"
"Stop yelling, Regina. The cricket is not here." Cora says angrily. "Stay here, I'll handle this."
And then, even against Regina's protests, Cora exited the cabin and shut the door behind her. Cora had told her to stay where she was, but where could she go if she could hardly move, let alone, stand?
Then, after what seemed like hours, Dr. Whale appeared with a serious look, but calm, in his face. Archie ran toward him as soon as he saw him. He hadn't been able to calm down since they arrived at the hospital. Pongo and Perdita were beside him in an instant. It was as if they understood exactly what was happening.
"So?" Snow asked.
"Is she okay?" It was all that Archie was able to ask. That was the only thing he could think of now and the mere possibility of his little girl not being well was scary.
"Be calm." Dr. Whale said in an attempt to reduce the numerous questions he knew were about to come. "She's fine now. Isabella is still very small, Archie. As I have already said this week, their lungs aren't fully developed and that is why we had to connect her to some oxygen machines. She is stabilized and we'll be monitoring her, but that doesn't mean she is out of danger. She is in the ICU and will have to stay there until she fully develops. This may take a few weeks."
"But she's okay, right? She'll be fine, right?" Archie asked anxiously.
"We're doing our best, Archie." Dr. Whale said.
"Can I see her?" Henry asked. He hadn't seen his sister, because when they picked him up at school, the girl was already in the hospital.
"Henry, she is in the ICU and-"
"Please, Dr. Whale. Please, let us see her?" Archie asked almost pleading and that's why the doctor allowed them.
He called one of the nurses and asked her to take the two of them to see the girl. Once they were out of sight, Dr. Whale turned to Snow and Belle and asked what had happened. Snow explained what she had seen when she came to Regina's house and Belle told them about the tree, but the worried look on the doctor's face hasn't gone unnoticed.
"Dr. Whale, what's happening?" Snow asked afraid.
"Regina won't be able to deliver Lillian. She was here the day before yesterday and Lillian wasn't upside down, unlike Isabella. I find it very difficult, almost impossible, that she is positioned upside down now. They need to be brought to the hospital as quickly as possible so I can make the delivery. If it doesn't happen," The doctor sighed afraid to speak the next words, but he did it anyway. "Neither of them will survive, Snow. They will die."
"What?!" Belle whispered, eyes wide in horror.
"But we don't know where they are."
"She doesn't have much time, Snow. We have no way of knowing how long Isabella was in that room, you don't know how long she had been there since she was born. I'm afraid that Regina doesn't have much time left." Dr. Whale explained.
"I'm going after her." Snow said and prepared to run, but she returned shortly thereafter. "Don't tell Archie... about it," Snow said. "We'll find them and we will bring them both. He doesn't need to be more concerned than he already is."
The doctor nodded and then Snow was running through the halls toward the exit.
"Cora, what are you doing? Where is Regina?" Emma was the first to shout out when she saw the woman.
In front of Cora were Emma, Mr. Gold, Ruby and David. They didn't look friendly, but they really looked like they were ready for war.
Mr. Gold was able to lead them into the forest, near the cabin, but it was thanks to Ruby's advanced nose that they were able to know that the two women were in the direction of the cabin, which in turn, David knew very well. He had already been there once with Snow.
"Look what we have here." Cora said coldly. "The good guys come to save the Evil Queen. Except for you, dear Rumple, of course. What are you doing here?"
"Cora, no matter what I came here to do. You need to immediately stop what you're doing." Mr. Gold started talking as he approached her. "You will kill your daughter if we don't take her to the hospital right now."
The witch let out a scary laugh.
"Since when do you care about Regina? You, of all people? Don't forget, sweetheart, you helped me to turn her into the monster she became." Cora said dismissively.
"She's not a monster. She is Regina. She has changed and you can't do anything about it." Ruby said angrily.
"We'll see about that." Cora says with a wicked smile and a ball of fire appears in her hands.
That is all that is needed to pull everyone on full alert. Emma and Mr. Gold's senses are running a mile a minute, David has his sword firmly in his hands and Ruby is no longer a human being. At the first mention of Cora's magic, the wolf fell with four legs on the ground, growling viciously at the older woman before them.
Cora wastes no time in attacking and suddenly they are all wrapped up in a fierce fight. No time to think, just act. There is the sound of the sword, wolves and magic all over the place. It's intense and confusing at the same time.
Regina is lost amid her own cries of pain. The truth is that she can't concentrate on many things. She hears noises coming from outside the cabin and as much as she tries, she just can't stand to see what is happening. The pain is intense. She thought the pain she felt when she was delivering the first baby was strong, but here alone, she realized that the pain she was feeling now was infinitely greater and she knew something was definitely wrong.
Her mother's words just kept echoing in her head.
"Enough of this, Regina."
"You're not a silly teenager anymore."
"You made this child and now you need to take your responsibility."
"You just lost a daughter, if you don't want to lose the other you better start pushing."
And even though it hurt, and even though she had no strength left, she kept pushing, because at that moment, that was the best she could do. It was the only chance her only daughter had to survive, if she wasn't already dead too.
"Regina!"
And it's Snow's voice that calls her attention. She tries to take a deep breath, relieved. When her eyes meet Snow's figure running toward her, her heart seems to burst with joy and hope. Yes, hope. Because she knows that Snow will help her, she knows she can't do it alone anymore and she knows that, even after all the terrible things she did to Snow, she finally was changing, she was getting better and Snow believed her and had given her one more chance.
"Oh my God!" Snow said running and fell on the floor next to Regina.
"Snow," Regina calls interspersed between breaths. "Please, help me... I don't... I can't do that alon-" She can't speak as another scream erupts from her throat and Snow realizes that she is trying hard to push.
It is immediate. Whale's words saying that Regina wouldn't be able to deliver this baby on her own echo in Snow's minds.
"Regina," Snow warns, trying to get her attention. "Stop pushing."
"What?" Regina widens her eyes frightened. "I can't, Snow... She must be born... I can't lose her."
"No, you can't push, Regina." Snow tries to explain, but she is afraid of scaring Regina even more. "You need to go to the hospital, you can't do it alone."
"No! No, Snow, please, help me. I can't lose her too." Regina said with eyes full of tears.
"What? What do you mean by lose her too?" Snow asks with a frown and Regina's look is enough to know what she is talking about. "You think your other daughter is dead?"
"I tried, Snow. It was hurting a lot and... and it wasn't time for them to come, I knew I couldn't do that by myself... and I also knew they couldn't do that... It's too early, I'm terrified... she wasn't crying, she was dead, Snow... My little girl... My little girl was dead, Snow. I can't lose Lillian too... please... please, Snow, help me." Regina said amid tears and despair.
Snow looked at her in shock.
"Regina, she isn't dead. Isabella isn't dead. I saw her, Archie and Henry are with her in the hospital." Snow told Regina.
"What?" Regina looked at Snow with narrowed eyes. She was looking for any sign of lying, but she didn't find it. But she hadn't seen or heard her daughter. Cora said she was dead and she wasn't even allowed to hold her daughter. "Why are you doing this?" Regina asked. "Why are you telling me these things?"
"Because it's true, Regina. I saw her. Emma, David, Archie, Ruby, we all saw her. She is alive."
"You're lying to me!" Regina shouted.
"No, I'm not." Snow insisted.
"You don't believe that I have changed, huh? You want to do the same with me, you want me to suffer in the same way that you suffered." Regina accused angrily. "I have already suffered, Snow. I suffered a lot more than you. You have Emma, she wasn't born dead." So Regina burst into tears. "My baby was born dead, Snow, and I know my little girl will not last much longer." She says with her hand firmly holding her belly. "She is not fine, I can feel it."
"No, Regina. Listen to me, look at me." Snow insisted, but Regina wasn't giving her any attention, she was focused on pushing. Regina screamed in pain and despair.
"Stop!" Snow shouted, but Regina just kept ignoring her. "Look at me," She insisted, "Listen to me!" Then she put her hands on each side of Regina's face and made her look at her eyes. "Your daughter is alive. I don't want you to suffer anymore and that's why I'm here. I love you, Regina, I always did. What happened in the past is behind us. You have changed and I need you. You are strong and brave and smart and I need you to be all that now."
"I don't deserve your forgiveness." Regina whispered through her tears.
"You deserve it. You deserve to be happy." Snow smiled at her when she realized that Regina was finally paying attention to her words. "And that's why you can't keep pushing. Whale said Lillian is not upside down and you can't do that alone. If you keep pushing, you two will die, Regina. I've come to take you to the hospital, we need to get there."
"But..." Regina looked at her insecurely. "My mother said I needed to push."
"Regina, look at me." Snow interrupted. "Do you trust me?" She asked and Regina made no sign. "You trust me, Regina?" Snow insisted.
Regina slowly nodded. Her eyes never left Snow's.
"Cora is not here to help you, she-"
"No! She's trying to help me. She just wants to protect me."
"No, Regina. She is not trying to protect you." Snow began to speak. "The apple pie you ate yesterday... it wasn't Granny or Ruby that sent it to you, it was Cora... your girls shouldn't be coming now. We think she put something in the pie to induce your labor."
"What?" Regina whispered in horror. "No, Snow, she changed. My mother has changed, she is no longer the same. She wouldn't do that."
"I'm sorry, Regina. She doesn't have her heart, how could she have changed? How could she love you without a heart?"
"But she does love me!" Regina shouted angrily. When she saw the frightened look that Snow had she regrets. "Sorry, Snow, but she wouldn't hurt my girls. They're her granddaughters."
"I have to tell you something, Regina. I need you to pay close attention to what I tell you, ok?"
Regina started to nod, but was interrupted by a new wave of pain that sent her screaming. It was as if she had no control over her own body and when she realized she was already pushing again.
"Don't push, Regina! Stop pushing." Snow begged scared.
"I can't!" Regina shouted desperately. She was dirty and sweaty.
"Stop pushing, Regina. I know it hurts, but stop pushing!" Snow ordered and it took a few seconds for Regina to be able to take a bit of control over her body and finally stop pushing.
Once she stopped, she started crying again.
"Look at me, Regina." Snow insisted, a little more desperate this time. She had to tell Regina about the prophecy, but she knew that time was running out. "There is a prophecy that talks about the battle between good and evil. This prophecy says that two witches come into confrontation. From the one who will defeats evil, twins will be born, two girls."
"What are you talking about?" Regina asked confused.
"Regina, you're this witch. You are the key. Your girls are powerful, they have magic and once they are born, you will become the most powerful witch of all time."
"I have no magic." Regina whispered.
"Cora doesn't want these girls alive, Regina. She wants power and this is exactly what these girls will take from her if they born. You will become more powerful than Cora. That is why Cora brought you here. She'll kill your girl as soon as she is born, Regina. I don't know how and I don't know why, but Isabella is only alive because I believe Cora thought she was already dead, otherwise Cora would have already done that."
"No! You're lying! I don't have magic and my mother wouldn't touch my daughter, she loves me. She loves my daughters." Regina insisted and, in the next moment, the fireplace, which was quiet before, was burning bravely as if by magic.
The two women's eyes widened in horror.
"My mother is coming! Get out, Snow. She'll kill you. Please, go away." Regina begs, her eyes full of fear.
"No, Regina, look." Snow says with a huge smile on her face. "It wasn't Cora, it was you. It's your magic."
Regina frowns at Snow's words, but with a wave of her hands she makes the fire disappear.
"What?" Regina whispered in amazement. She waves her hand and, once again, the fire takes over the fireplace. "How is that possi-"
"Your magic is back, Regina. Come on, you need to go to the hospital. Transport us over there." Snow asks cheerfully.
And it's the look on Regina's face that makes Snow's heart skip.
"Regina?"
"Snow, help me to stand up, please." Regina asks amid discomfort and pain.
"What? Why?" Snow frowned, she knows Regina and she knows, instantly when she looks at the pair of brown eyes that the woman is not planning on going to the hospital.
"Help me stand, Snow, please."
"You're not going to the hospital, are you?" Snow asks afraid.
"I need to do one thing first."
"No, Regina. No! You go to the hospital right away. You aren't fine, you're bleeding. You are tired."
"Snow-" Regina called as she tried to stand, but the effort was in vain.
Snow, realizing Regina's effort, came over and helped her stand up, despite the protests of pain coming from the older brunette.
"Snow," Regina called with difficulty, "I need to ask you a favor-"
"No," Snow starts to get angry. "You won't ask me anything. My husband and my daughter are out there fighting for you. Ruby and Granny are there and even Mr. Gold and Neal. So, you won't do anything stupid, you'll transport us to the hospital, Regina." Snow ordered in the most serious voice that she could use.
Looking at the despair in Snow's eyes, she knew she couldn't leave them out there and simply goes to the hospital. She needed to find out what was really happening. She needed to prove to them all that her mother had changed and they didn't need to fight.
Then, in the next instant, Regina found herself hugging Snow. She held her as if it was the last minute of her life and she wouldn't miss the chance to apologize to her.
"I'm sorry, Snow." She whispered in the younger brunette's ear. "For everything, for everything I have done to you, I'm sorry."
"We've been through this, Regina." Snow said trying to get off from the brunette, but Regina didn't loosen her grip on Snow.
"But I need you to promise me-" She stopped and gasped at the new pain. Her grip on Snow only increased. "That you will take care of my girl... and you'll love her."
"No, Regina. You'll take care of her, stop it."
"No, please, promise me, Snow. Promise you'll love her and will not let anyone hurt her, please." Regina was crying again.
"Regina-"
Regina pulled away from Snow and held her hands, looking deeply into her eyes.
"Please, Snow, please." Regina asked desperately.
"Ok, I promise." Snow said frightened with Regina's look full of fear. "Now, transport us to the hospital."
This time, a single tear left Regina's eyes.
"I'm sorry, Snow."
"What?" Snow said in exasperation when she saw Regina's look.
Then with a wave of her hand, Snow was surrounded by a purple cloud and disappeared.
"What are you doing here?" Emma asked in exasperation when she saw Neal and Granny approaching them.
"Snow's inside with Regina." He whispered back. "We're here to help." He replied and his eyes widened suddenly. "Get down!" He screamed and it was just a few inches that Cora missed Emma with one of her fireballs.
"Stop it, Cora. Are you not seeing what you're doing?" Mr. Gold shouted.
"My daughter is weak! I'm making her stronger." Cora replied quickly.
"No, you're only hurting her." Ruby shouted.
"Everything you want is power, that's all." Mr. Gold says.
"I have no time for these stupid conversations with you." Cora said and cast some sort of spell that sent all of them some feet away from her.
Mr. Gold felt, since the moment he arrived at Regina's house this morning, there was something new, something different with Regina's and Cora's magic. Somehow, Cora's magic wasn't purely dark, which was impossible. Unfortunately, Mr. Gold hadn't yet been able to put his finger on what that meant.
"Cora, I'd give everything, everything, even my power to have what you have." Mr. Gold says, being the first to rise from the magic that Cora had just released on them.
"What are you talking about, you little imp?" Cora creaked.
"You have Regina, you have a family willing to forgive you. You know what that means? Regina believes in you. She is willing to give you another chance. You have a family, Cora. A real family and you're ruining it. You have Regina and now you have the chance to have two granddaughters-"
Mr. Gold was interrupted by a loud laughter coming from Cora.
"So you don't know, huh? The first little girl was born dead. I didn't need to do anything. Regina failed on her own." She barked those words. "She couldn't do something as simple as any woman can do. Have a child."
"Oh my God, you really have no heart. How are you able to say that?" David screams. "They are your granddaughters."
"THEY ARE NOT MY GRANDDAUGHTERS!" Cora cries. "I sacrificed so many things in my life so that Regina became a Queen and what does she do? She got pregnant with a disgusting insect. These two babies are only a hindrance, but don't worry, I just need to get rid of that little disgusting cricket as soon as she is born, then I will be powerful again." She spits these words without any resentment.
"What?!"
Regina's voice is heard and only then do they all notice her presence. She is firmly supported in the cabin doorway, struggling to remain standing.
This is when everyone looks at Regina to see what situation she is in. Her face is stained with tears and sweat. Her hair is a mess, her dress is dirty and bloodstained below the waist and they can see streaks of blood that make their way down her legs.
"Regina?" Cora turns, eyes wide. "That's not what you're thinking, my love."
"I thought... I thought you changed." She speaks in a low voice. Perhaps because of the weariness or disappointment or even embarrassment, but they can't find out now.
"They want to take your girl from you. They came to hurt her because she has magic." Cora tries.
"Lie!" Ruby screams.
And the next moment, Ruby is flying away, thrown by Cora's magic.
"You lied to me, mother." Regina whispers. She leaves her place on the door support and starts walking slowly towards them. She has one hand on her belly and eyes on the ground, concentrating and wishing with all her heart that she is able to walk just a little more.
"My love, you shouldn't be here. Your girl must be born as soon as possible." Cora said, her voice a bit desperate and as low as possible so that the others couldn't hear her.
"Regina, stay away from her, she just wants to hurt you." Mr. Gold ordered.
"They are lying, my love." Cora insisted.
Regina was looking at her mother incredulously. Does she not realize that Regina had heard everything she just said? How can she lie so blatantly as she is doing now?
Regina says nothing, however. She looks at all those people there, and she knows that they are there to help her. To fight for her. She had brought them all here. She refused to listen to them when they told her who Cora was, but she simply refused to believe the things, only now she realized, were there all the time, right before her eyes.
That is why, with a move from Regina's hands, a barrier is formed to isolate Cora and Regina from all others. They all are caught by surprise. The screams are heard as soon as it is possible to see them running towards the barrier, but soon Mr. Gold realizes that there is nothing they can do. Regina had launched a barrier with blood magic. No one except her and Cora could overcome this barrier, no matter how powerful that person may be.
"Regina! What are you doing?"
"You'll get hurt."
"Stop it right now!"
"You can't-"
And, suddenly, everything was silent. There was nothing else but Regina and Cora. Nothing beyond the barrier could be heard or seen.
"Your magic, how-" Cora was wide-eyed when she was cut off by Regina.
"Power." Regina whispered. "The whole time, it all was for power."
"Regina, let me explain what's happen-"
"How can you explain calling my daughters a hindrance and little disgusting crickets?" Regina asks with disgust. "Or saying you didn't have to do anything because my Isabella was born dead. How do you explain that?"
"You got it wrong, baby, I-"
"Don't call me baby!" Regina screamed and bent with pain, but this time Cora made no move to help her. Once Regina caught her breath, she continued. "I already know everything. I already know about the prophecy."
"What are you talking about? Who told you about the prophecy?"
Regina laughed sadly.
"That doesn't matter now. What matters is that you won't get anywhere near my daughters, even if it costs my life."
And it was then that the masks fall. Cora looked at Regina with nothing but disdain. She laughed openly. A mocking laugh.
"You never were different from a weak woman, Regina. I thought I raised you to be a queen, but you're stupid." She began. "You keep talking about your stupid daughters when you weren't even able to bring them to this world. You disgust me."
"Guess what, mother." Regina said ironically. "My little girl is alive. The two of them." She said with a hand on her belly while a new tear made its way across her face.
"What?" The scream that came out of Cora's mouth showed all the fear she felt. "That's why... your magic." She realized with wide eyes. "I should have ripped that stupid baby's heart out." She growled, her eyes full of hatred and lust for power.
"You will never touch my daughter, EVER!" Regina screamed and reached into Cora's chest.
Cora gasped at the first contact, but then she started laughing when she saw her daughter's shocked face.
"Silly girl. I am the Queen of Hearts, I wouldn't keep my heart where everyone keeps theirs. I thought you knew better than that."
Regina knew Cora had no heart. But here, now, she didn't know what to do. She couldn't allow Cora anywhere near her daughter, even if it costs her own life and perhaps her other daughter's life. Desperation had made her forget that "little detail" and here she was now. She was alone in this battle and she didn't know what else to do.
Then, in the midst of her despair, images began to flood her mind. Dreams and nightmares she had had over the past few months began to flood her mind. The feeling of being followed and watched. Her mother had been watching her the whole time. Her magic disappearing. Suddenly it all made sense. All these months, Cora was faking everything.
Then her father came into her mind.
"Do you remember the necklace?"
Dreams with her father surfaced. The necklace. The brightness. The same brightness she saw in her father's hands and the same brightness she saw in her room a few days ago.
"Don't forget the necklace."
But her thoughts were interrupted by a new pain. Cora had tucked her hand in her chest and had been able to reach her heart.
"This," She said with eyes full of malice. They were watching her as if she was a prey. "Is how I deal with a problem."
And that is when Regina actually looked into her mother's eyes and she shuddered in horror. It was her. She was in her room a few nights ago while she was stuck in that horrible nightmare. And she clearly remembered the light coming from the chest of that person. It was the same light coming from the necklace that her father insisted on showing her. Her magic. Her mother had stolen her magic.
She instinctively grabbed the necklace that was underneath Cora's dress. She immediately felt her hand starting to burn and her mother gasped.
At that point they were just spectators. Nothing they tried to do was able to break down the barrier that Regina had raised around her.
They could see everything that was happening, although it appeared that the two women were completely focused on each other. It was impossible to hear something, they just could see what the two women were doing.
Everyone gasped when Regina reached into Cora's chest only to be greeted with a smirk. But it was when Cora's hand went into Regina's chest that they actually trembled. They saw the look on Regina's face. Pain.
Everything happened very fast. They were trying desperately to break the barrier. There were screams.
Then, Regina got something in Cora's clothes and everything changed. A strong bright light began to exit from Cora's chest and Regina's hand. Their feet left the ground and the two slowly began to rise in the air like they were flying and it was as if gravity simply didn't exist.
They saw that they were fighting. The determined look on the face of the two women didn't deny it. Both had faces contorted in signal of pain.
"Oh my God!" Ruby shouted.
"She's bleeding!" Granny pointed.
The trail of blood that was making its way down Regina's legs was making a puddle of blood just below her feet and now they could see a trickle of blood making its way from her nose.
"Regina." David tried to scream, but nothing happened. They couldn't hear them.
"You're getting hurt, stop it!" Emma tried.
Then the ground began to shake and the intense light that was purple before became an unbearable white. A loud noise was heard, like a blast, and the next second everything went white and then... darkness.
Oh my God! This chapter was intense! What happens next?
I can't wait to tell you! I love listening to your thoughts.
Thank you everyone for keeping here with me.
Bárbara.