This is a shorter chapter than normal, but I didn't want to leave you hanging. Here's a bit of satisfaction for you...your patience will be rewarded!
Emma lost August almost immediately with the rush of men in both directions. She had put her helmet back on in the chaos, and battled fiercely in Regina's honor. Every clang of swords, every hit and shed of blood was for her love's honor.
Regina watched as her forces, old and new, laid waste to Snow's depleted army. She felt hope force it's way into her heart, but she still had no idea what had happened to Emma. Her eyes scanned frantically across the field, but with the helmets, it was impossible for Regina to spot her in the swarm of soldiers. She gripped her stomach as she continued to watch in panic.
As Emma fought her way through the sea of enemies, she finally caught sight of August. He had engaged Robin. Emma kept fighting off soldiers, trying desperately to get to August. As she approached August and Robin, she looked over and saw King James, slain. Emma looked up and saw a fire in August's eyes that made him extremely dangerous. Emma knew August well, and knew that King James was his best friend. If Robin was responsible for killing the King, he was about to face August's wrath.
Emma was taken by surprise from the side, shoved to the ground violently. She rolled out of the way of a violent downswing of a long sword. She tumbled to her feet as her helmet went flying. She gripped her sword and met her attacker's next blow, knocking his sword to the side. He grinned at her with black rotting teeth, and Emma had to shake her head. She waited for him to make the next move, which he did with a sloppy swipe to her gut. She easily deflected and spun, catching him squarely in the gut with her dagger. He spat blood and fell to the ground, Emma refocusing on August.
When Emma found August, he swung forward, thrusting his sword through Robin's chest, Robin coughing blood and falling backward as August pulled his sword out. She knew she screamed his name. She didn't mean to. But she knew she had as August turned to her and grinned.
Emma passed into a new threshold. Never before had she felt this amount of emotion on a battle. Her rage built like a teapot until it emerged out of her throat like a volcanic eruption. She surged forward, engaging August in an epic battle of emotions.
He had the advantage on her physically, but just like everyone else she had the speed. He barely missed a swipe at her head, leaving a bleeding slice down her cheek. This only enraged her more, clocking him in the throat with her forearm, sending him to his knees. Emma couldn't help but flash back to when she had done the same to Robin. Robin, who was now dead. Emma growled and kicked August in the face, sending him tumbling to the Earth. Emma was on top of him in an instance, blade forced to his throat. Emma stilled, catching her breath, wondering why she hadn't killed him already. August was shocked and out of breath, but started laughing.
Emma was pissed. "What the FUCK are you laughing at?! You're beat, August! We've just kicked your ass! The Black Kingdom has defeated your precious Snow White!"
August laughed again, causing Emma to sit further down on his jugular, causing him to cough. "That may be. But you're out of royals, I'm afraid."
Emma shook her head in confusion. "What the fuck are you talking about?"
"Your precious Queen Regina. She's fucking dead, Swan!" He laughed again. "Dead!"
Emma felt her heart drop. "What the fuck are you talking about, August?! Your men didn't even breach the castle gate!"
August laughed even more boisterously, looking at Emma like the cat that caught the canary. "We didn't need to."
Emma froze. She thought back, a flashback entering her mind of her in Regina's quarters in the White Castle. She remembered knocking out Snow's assassin, Sydney. And she also remembered not fucking killing him.
OH FUCK.
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Emma streaked through the battlefield that was all but won. She trudged into the castle gate and up the stairs toward Regina's quarters. Only one thought kept going through her mind: "Get to her. Get to her. Get to her."
The stairs seemed never ending. Her armor seemed thirty pounds heavier. She seemed to move in slow motion. She took the spiraled stairs upward until she finally reached Regina's door. Her guards still stood watch, startled by Emma's appearance.
"Out of the way!" Emma heard herself say, the men moving aside for her to push the door open. The door flung open heavily, Emma surging desperately into the room. She didn't see anything. No one was there. She flew to the bed and saw no one. Emma heard a squeal off to her right and remembered the royal bath chamber. She ran toward the room and gritted her teeth.
As Emma entered the bath room, she saw the back of whom she knew was Sydney, holding who she knew was Regina, under the water. The water was thrashing violently as Regina fought to breathe. Emma didn't even have time to think. She reached into her belt and grabbed her dagger. In less than two seconds the dagger was buried into Sydney's back, and Regina came gasping to the surface. Emma processed as Sydney's body bobbed lifelessly as Regina wiped water and fear from her face.
Without another second, Emma had flown somehow into the bath, splashing her way into Regina's arms. They were breathless, desperate, unbelieving as they pulled at each other thankfully. Emma pulled Regina's mouth to hers desperately, thankful that they had this moment together again at all. She had been so close...SO CLOSE to losing Regina, Emma's eyes brimmed with tears at the mere thought. They cried into each others mouths and faces, clinging to each other in the warm bath water like their lives depended on it.
Finally they settled into a right embrace, Emma with her hand behind Regina's head. "We did it," she said, still out of breath. "We won. We did it. You're safe now. You're safe," Emma continued, out of breath as she clung tightly.
Regina sobbed as Emma held her, so thankful that their story had yet to end. She knew her life would never be the same, and that many lives had been lost on this day. But somehow, by some miracle, Regina's happy ending had been preserved.