Summary:Emma failed her. She tried with everything she had, but in the end her best wasn't good enough to save Regina. And, to make matters worse, there is a new Dark One in town, with only one thing on their evil agenda: her demise.
Can Emma find a way to break the Dark One's curse before her time runs out, or will Regina be truly lost forever?
A/N:Hi everyone! Welcome to my new fic! I really had such a good time writing this, and I really hope you all like it.
Before we dive into the story, there's a bit of housekeeping to go over.
First, there is always the issue of trigger warnings. This story gets a little dark, and things get a little rough for a few of the characters, especially Emma. There's nothing that I think needs a trigger warning, other than the fact that it's going to be a dark ride, with a fluffy and happy ending, as always.
Second, I want to thank my incredible artist,shipinsight. Their incredible art not only inspired this story, but this story inspired a second piece of art. It's full circle! I was hooked the moment I saw their art during matching, and my muse was already working on the plot before we were officially matched. Please make sure to check out their incredible art on AO3
And finally, as always I do not own Once Upon a Time, nor any characters, locations or events associated with it. The story belongs to me, but the world belongs to them.
And now, without further ado, I happily and eagerly present "Vines"
Chapter 1
Emma's hands shook as she looked down at the jagged dagger still clutched in her left hand. Tears dripped onto the cold metal as she watched in horror as the name Regina Mills began to appear out of nowhere, burning the name in the darkest shade of black imaginable.
She had failed to save Regina from the Darkness.
Robin was the first to approach the Darkness as it began to engulf her. But the second he made contact with the swirling darkness he was instantly rejected, thrown back like a rag doll. Emma didn't hesitate for a second before she marched up to the dark tornado, dagger raised, ready to take the Darkness into herself while her parents and Killian tried to stop cowards! All of them! How could they even think to allow the darkness to consume this incredible woman!But in the end, it was all for naught.
Her hand vibrated as she stabbed the dark energy, the dagger repelling off immediately. But one failed attempt wasn't going to stop Emma Swan, and she stabbed at the Darkness again, her entire arm vibrating with energy as the dagger made contact with the Darkness, bouncing off it once more. She ignored her family's pleas to stop as she attacked the swirling energy until her arm felt like it was on fire, the sound of Regina's anguished screams pushing her to try harder and harder, each attempt met with failure. Her family begged her to stop, to give up the fight and allow the Darkness to do what it wanted. But she couldn't. She couldn't allow the Darkness to consume Regina. She had worked too hard to have her happiness destroyed. And so she continued. She continued to push the dagger into the energy, hoping to eventually penetrate and absorb the Darkness into herself. She tried with all her might until there was nothing left. Until the Darkness had completely consumed Regina, leaving nothing behind except a soft whisper of the wind blowing in the trees and the impossibly sharp and cold dagger that now bore Regina's name.
Regina was gone.
Regina was the Dark One.
"Ma?" Henry asked from far behind the group. She had forgotten their son had been present when the Darkness appeared and surrounded Regina. Which meant he was there to witness her failure and had been forced to watch as the Darkness consumed his mother. Her head snapped away from the dagger in her hand to find her son in the small crowd. "What…what happened to her?" he asked, his voice sounding like that of a small child.
"She….ummm…she's…she's the Dark One now…" Emma said, her voice catching in her throat as she showed the others the name engraved on the twisted metal.
"Oh god…" Mary Margaret gasped.
"What do we do now?" Henry asked, trying to stay calm as his eyes filled with unshed tears.
"I…I don't know. I don't even know where she went," Emma said, still in shock.
"Call her…" Robin suggested after a few seconds of silence.
"I doubt she's going to answer her phone right now," Emma said sarcastically, shooting Robin an annoyed look. She didn't have the time, nor the energy to deal with stupidity.
"Not on the talking phone thing. Call her with the dagger. Whoever possesses the Dark One's dagger, controls the Dark One. She'll be forced to appear if she's called," Killian explained.
"Yeah?" Emma asked. Her brain was just starting the work again when she realized she knew this about the Dark One. It was the only limitation to being the darkest of all dark creatures. All the power of the Dark One was tethered to the very dagger that Emma still clutched in her hand. "D…Dark One….I…I summon…thee…" Emma whispered, her voice suddenly betraying her.
They all stood with bated breath, waiting for Regina to appear. Emma tried again, calling out for the Dark One to appear. Leave it to Regina to be so stubborn that she resists the powerful tug of the dagger. "Oh for fucks sake, Regina! Get your ass over here!" Emma yelled, her anger beginning to boil over.
Suddenly a cloud of dark purple smoke, so dark it was almost completely black, appeared in front of them. They all gasped in unison as the smoke began to clear.
Standing before them was the Evil Queen, decked out in all her glory, an evil smirk spreading across her face. "You rang?" she asked, nonchalantly.
"Mom?" Henry asked. His voice sounded so small, and Emma didn't need to turn around to know he was crying. "Mom…you're her…you're…the Evil Queen…again…"
"Correction, my Prince. I'm the Dark One," she said. No one else seemed to hear the deep growl that came from Regina's voice when she called herself the Dark One.
"But you don't look like the crocodile," Killian pointed out.
"I am a Queen and abitmore refined. Besides, I much prefer my exquisite gowns to those stuffy pantsuits the Mayor used to wear," Regina replied, running her hands over the silky material of her bodice. No one but Emma seemed to catch the slight wink Regina gave her as she gently caressed the fabric covering her breasts.
"You are the Mayor, Regina," Emma said, hoping no one could hear her voice cracking.
"Correction, Iwasthe Mayor. The woman I once was is dead." Henry whimpered at Regina's comment, causing the Dark One to turn to his direction. "Don't worry, Henry. I'm still your mother. I am just more fabulous and even more powerful than ever." Emma concentrated with everything she had, recalling the lessons in teleportation she had with Regina, focusing on the words and techniques she had learned from the woman in front of her.
Suddenly, in a flash of white light, the magic dampening cuff appeared in her hand as if it had been there the entire time. "Someone's been practicing," Regina purred, pleased at her success as a teacher, yet unimpressed with the actual item Emma had just summoned.
"Okay, Regina. We can do this the easy way or the hard way," Emma said, taking a small step towards the unpredictable woman.
"Oh, and what might that be? Are you going to punish me, Miss Swan?" Regina asked. Another small and subtle wink appeared on her face for a split second as a sly smile spread across Regina's face.
"No," Emma said, rolling her Regina, our son is right here. Tone down the sexyness before you scar him even more than he's already been,she thought to herself as her eyes naturally roamed across Regina's cleavage, her breasts pressed together tightly in her the hell does she breathe in that dress?she thought to herself as she forced her eyes to return to Regina's face, now painted with fierce dark makeup.
She shook her head slightly to snap her out of her thoughts. "The first option is: you put this cuff on yourself, and then come with us to figure out a way to get the Darkness out of you."
"And what's the second option, Sheriff?" Regina asked.
"I hold you down and force the cuff on myself, then you spend the night sleeping in one of the cells at the Sheriff's Station while we start researching ways to help you," Emma said.
"I thought you said you weren't going to punish me, Sheriff," Regina said, her voice heavy with flirtation.
"Don't make this harder than it has to be, Regina. Put on the cuff," Emma said, ignoring Regina's comment. Her hands shook as she held out the black cuff to Regina, her heart pounding so hard against her ribs she was afraid her chest might explode.
"That cuff?" Regina asked, pointing to the leather cuff in Emma's hand. "You want me to put onthatcuff, right here?"
"Yes. Now are you going to comply? Or do I have to force you?"
"You might have to force me, Savior," Regina purred. If Emma didn't know better, she would have thought Regina was flirting with her. She had never encountered the Evil Queen, but from what she had read in Henry's book, the Queen knew how attractive she was and thus knew how to manipulate people with her body.
"Regina…please…" Emma whispered. She was doing everything she could to hold back her tears as she begged Regina. She couldn't let anyone see her so weak, even though deep inside, her heart was breaking. She could feel Regina slipping away from her, and it felt like her heart was slowly shattering.
"Well, since you asked so nicely," Regina said, reaching to take the cuff from Emma's hands. A moment later, the cuff exploded into dark flames, burning to dust in a matter of seconds. "Oops. I'm so clumsy sometimes. Guess you can't take away my magic after all. A shame, I was so looking forward to it too." Regina laughed, her lips stretching across her perfectly white teeth.
"Regina, please. We need to find a way to bind your magic until we can figure out a way of stopping the Darkness from completely consuming you." Emma was starting to feel like she was talking to a child. A very dangerous and stubborn child.
"Hmmm…that's a tempting offer, but I think I'm going to have to respectfully decline. I'm very happy with the way I am now. No more pain and suffering…well, except the pain and suffering I will be inflicting on anyone who stands in my way. So I suggest you step aside, unless you like being turned into an insect and crushed under my boot. In that case, carry on."
"Regina please. Don't do this. You're scaring Henry."
"Henry knows I would never hurt him, no matter what," Regina said, her expression turning very serious. She would never joke about harming Henry. "You, on the other hand…you should worry."
"Regina, please, you don't mean that."
"Oh how I do love to hear you beg, Miss Swan. But I assure you, I mean every word of it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll just take my dagger and be on my way."
"Not a chance. There's no way I'm giving you the only thing that can control you."
"Let me put it this way, Miss Swan," Regina said, taking a step towards Emma, who stood her ground in front of the scared group. "Iwillbe leaving here with my dagger. Now, you can hand it to me the easy way, or I can pry it from your cold dead hands. You decide."
"I'm not afraid of you, Regina. There's no way you're getting this dagger," Emma said. Her grip on the handle increased so much she could feel the leather dig into the flesh of her hand.
"Allow me to repeat myself, in case you didn't understand me the first time. Hand over my dagger…" In the blink of an eye, Emma went from standing on solid ground in front of Regina, to being held a few feet in the air by an unseen force, the magic tightening around her throat making it hard to breathe. Regina slowly walked towards the captive woman, until she was standing so close to Emma she could feel the woman's breath on her face. "...or I will pry it from your dead fingers."
"Never…"
"Suit yourself, Miss Swan." Emma started choking as the hold on her throat increased, her free hand clawing at the invisible force cutting off her air source.
"Regina! Stop!" Robin demanded, trying to knock some sense into her.
"Quiet, the grown ups are talking," Regina said, using her free hand to skillfully fling him into the air and crashing to the ground a few feet away. "Besides, this quarrel is between me and Miss Swan."
Emma looked deep into her face as she gasped for breath, her eyes locking onto Regina's. The Queen's signature dark makeup accentuated their color, making them almost glow in the streetlight. It only took a second of staring into the woman's dark eyes for Emma to release her grip and drop the dagger into Regina's outstretched hands.
The moment the cold metal met Regina's skin she released Emma, dropping her to the ground with a thud. Emma gasped for breath, desperate to fill her lungs with the oxygen they had been denied. "Why thank you. Although I would have liked killing you, Miss Swan. But tomorrow is another day," Regina said, with a dark smile. Killian rushed to Emma's side, gently helping her back to her feet while she continued to force air back into her lungs.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be on my way. I've grown tiresome of your faces," Regina said with a sneer. "Henry, shall we make our way home, son?"
"There is no way in hell any of us are going to let Henry within a hundred feet of you while you're in this…condition," David threatened.
"I had a feeling you were going to say that. But, with all due respect,Charming,he is my son. The decision isn't up to you. Henry?"
"No…not when you're like this. Mom, please. Listen to Ma. Work together to find a way to save you. Do it for me…please."
"Never beg, Henry. Nobility never begs. But, I understand. I suppose my new transformation is a bit shocking at first. You'll come around, I know it. Have fun with your grandparents. Don't stay up too late."
"Mom…please…"
"Miss Swan, I'll be seeing you later," Regina said, this time her wink wasn't subtle. With a flick of her wrist Regina was gone in a cloud of dark purple smoke.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Swan? Why did you give the Dark One the dagger? Do you have any idea what you've just done? You've just taken away any chances of us defeating the monster!"
"HEY! Watch yourself, mate. Thatmonsteris my girlfriend."
"Thatthingis not the Regina you once knew. The Regina you knew is dead," Killian screamed, causing Henry to whimper at his words. But Emma knew he was wrong. He had to be wrong. The Regina they all knew and loved had to still be there. She couldn't be gone.
"That still doesn't change the fact that Emma just handed her our only weapon against her," David said.
"Emma, what were you thinking?" Mary Margaret chimed in, leaving her husband's grip for the first time since the Darkness began to circle Regina.
"I…what…she was trying to kill me, in case you forgot that! And it's not like any of YOU were stepping up to do anything!" Emma screamed, breaking away and storming off. Killian grabbed her hand, pulling her back to the group. "Let GO OF ME!" she screamed, pushing him away from her. "DON'T follow me! Henry, stay with your grandparents! Sleep on the couch tonight, I want my room to myself when I get back," she said as she stormed off. She could hear her family screaming for her to stop, but she ignored their every word. She had to get away from them. She needed to think, and she couldn't handle their criticism and snide comments while she was trying to figure out what to do next.
Emma ran.
She ran as fast as her legs would allow her. She ran until her muscles were on fire and her chest burned with every sharp intake of breath. She ran until she reached the edge of Storybrooke, and ran headfirst over the townline, back into the world she left behind years ago when she decided to stay in Storybrooke. She ran down the single lane road until she reached civilization. She ran until she couldn't run anymore and stopped when she saw a small dive bar which made the Rabbit Hole look like an elite establishment. She practically kicked the door open as she raced to the bar, taking a seat on the first stool she found.
"What can I getcha?" the bartender asked, completely oblivious to Emma's woes.
"Whisky. Neat…make it a double…please…"
"Coming right up," the bartender said, disappearing to pour her drink. "Tough night?" he asked when he returned, placing the glass in front of her.
"You have no idea," Emma said, drinking the entire glass in one large gulp. She coughed as the liquor burned her throat on the way down. "Can I have another one? And a shot of tequila as well."
"You sure about that?"
"Yes. I don't want to feel anymore…"
"Coming right up," he said, disappearing once again, reappearing a few seconds later with her drinks. The shot of tequila didn't last ten seconds before she swallowed it down, the liquid setting her throat on fire again. She welcomed the pain as she tried to think of something…anything…other than the fact that she had failed.
She finished her whisky in two large gulps this time in an attempt to pace herself. "Another," she demanded, slamming the glass against the wooden bar.
"Hey, slow down a little. I don't feel like cleaning your puke off the floor."
"I can hold my liquor," she demanded, slamming the glass against the bar again, insisting more alcohol.
"Fine, don't say I didn't warn you," he said, pouring her another drink. "But this is it. The state of Maine prohibits me from serving you more than I think you can handle."
"Fine. Whatever." Two more gulps later, her drink was gone and her head was beginning to spin as the alcohol finally took effect. She handed the bartender her credit card to pay for her drinks, leaving a generous tip before she walked out, swaying only slightly.
"Hey, do you need a ride? I could call you a cab if you need one," the bartender called after her before she reached the door.
"It's okay. I'll walk," she said, pushing the door open and disappearing back into the cool Maine evening. She took three steps before she took off into a jog, which turned into a run moments later.
She ran as fast as she could. The alcohol coursing through her veins numbed the pain, allowing her to cross the town line back into Storybrooke before she had to stop, just in time to empty the contents of her stomach onto the side of the road. She tried to compose herself. She tried to hold it together, but she couldn't. She just couldn't do it anymore. She broke down on the side of the road, a few feet away from the orange line painted on the asphalt, indicating the boundaries of the magical town.
She cried, her tears streaming down her face and onto her sweater. She cried until her throat was raw and her voice betrayed her.
She had failed Regina.
She had tried to save her, but she couldn't. She couldn't stop the Darkness from taking Regina. She tried and she failed. And now she could feel Regina slipping through her fingers. If she didn't do something soon, Regina would be gone forever, and that hurt more than anything else in the universe.
A dark purple cloud of smoke appeared in Regina's vault, revealing the new Dark One in its wake. She could feel the magic from the ancient and powerful relics she kept tucked safely inside her underground magical sanctuary. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling the magic that reverberated all around her as she slowly walked to her wall of beating hearts, the sounds of hundreds of hearts pulsing in different rhythms echoing off the stone walls. It had felt like an eternity since she stood and listened to the sweet song of the drumming hearts, each one violently stolen from the chest of her victims. A wide grin grew across her face when she realized she could not remember a single owner of the hearts in her collection, none of the poor souls meaning anything to her.
She continued to listen to the sweet music of the thumping organs as she walked into the next room where she kept her favorite mirror attached to the wall. The mirror that had been one of the few things she brought over from the Enchanted Forest during the curse.
She gazed at her reflection, pleased to once again see herself as the Queen that she was, after nearly thirty years of pretending as the Mayor. "Mmmmm…you do look amazing, Your Majesty. Black was always your color," she said, speaking to her reflection in the mirror in front of her. "Mirror mirror, on the wall, who is the most powerful of them all?" she asked, gazing deep into her dark reflection.
"Well, it's you, of course," the familiar voice of the Imp spoke in her mind as the image of Rumplestiltskin appeared in the reflection behind her. She smirked as she looked at him in the mirror, not at all shocked or scared to see him looking back at her.
"Now, I know you're not real," she said to the reflection.
"And how do you know that, deary?" the scaled man asked.
"Because the real Rumplestiltskin is currently laying half dead in a coma in the back room of his store like the pathetic weakling he once was. And his power, the Darkness that lived inside him for centuries, now resides within me." She smiled as dark lightning bolts shot out of her fingertips and into the air around her. "Therefore, you are merely a figment of my imagination."
"Very astute. It usually takes the new ones a few days to realize we aren't actually there."
"I'm nothing, if not a perfectionist."
"How does it feel, Your Majesty? To have the Darkness flowing through your veins once more?"
"Mmmm…" Regina hummed, closing her eyes for a moment to concentrate on the power that flowed through her. "It feels magnificent. I've forgotten how marvelous it feels to have such power inside of me. I feel even more powerful than I was before."
"That's because you are, Regina. You're the most powerful being on the planet. You could do anything."
"I'm unstoppable," Regina purred, her eyes glowing purple for a second as her power spiked with excitement.
"Correction: you arenearlyunstoppable. There is one person who has the power to stop you. This personwillbe your undoing," Rumplestiltskin warned.
"Yes…Henry…he's going to be a problem, isn't he."
"Oh, but it's not your boy. While his connection to you is strong, it is not strong enough to stop you."
"Who is it then? Who is powerful enough to stop the Dark One?"
"Oh, this person is very powerful, indeed. Almost as powerful as you are, Your Majesty," Rumplestiltskin taunted, causing Regina's perfect skin to turn red with frustration.
"Show me! Show me the person who could possibly be stronger than me!" she demanded, her angry voice echoing off the stone around her, drowning out the sound of the beating hearts.
A moment later their reflections faded as the image of a dark road and the face of Emma Swan weeping uncontrollably filled the glass.
"Oh, the poor thing is sad," Regina said, smiling at the apparent pain Emma was in.
"Do not let her current vulnerable state fool you. This woman is quite powerful, and she will stop at nothing to keep you from taking what you want."
"Then she must be stopped."
"Yes. Shall we shuffle her off the mortal coil now before the night is over?"
"No. No, my dear friend, I have a better idea. One that is far more fun."
"More fun for who?"
"Oh for me, of course. I suspect Miss Swan will not like what I have in store for her." She didn't need to see her own reflection to know her evil smile spread from ear to ear.
She stood in silence, watching as Emma eventually pulled herself together and began the long walk back into town, eventually making it back to the loft she shared with her parents, and silently let herself in. There was a softness in her heart for a second when she saw Henry, sound asleep on the couch, his sock clad feet peeking out from under the blanket.
She continued to watch as Emma walked upstairs and closed the door to the bedroom she shared with their son, and silently closed the door behind her. She leaned her head against the cold wood for a few minutes, before pulling off the ridiculous red leather jacket she insisted on wearing and tossing it on the floor in the corner. Another wide and wicked smile spread across her face when she caught sight of the blonde shedding her clothes, until she was standing in the middle of her room wearing nothing but the red cotton panties she had once caught a glimpse of when Emma first came to town. Her eyes fixated the woman's pale breasts as she searched for a tank top, whining slightly when Emma pulled the thin shirt over her body, covering up her perfect breasts. Emma sighed as she climbed into bed, pulling the blanket over her long and muscular legs, shifting slightly to get more comfortable.
Regina continued to spy on Emma as she stared up at the ceiling, silently shedding more tears for Regina, until she fell fast asleep. "Showtime," Regina whispered, once she was certain Emma was finally asleep.
With a flick of her wrist she disappeared from her vault and into the peaceful loft of the Charmings. She slowly and silently crept towards her sleeping son, bending over to gently kiss his forehead in his sleep, the same way she had done nearly every night when he was a child. No matter how much darkness flowed through her veins, no matter how much darkness filled her heart, she would always love her son, and would never do anything to harm him. After gazing at her sleeping son for a few moments she leisurely made her way upstairs where she knew the Savior was sound asleep.
"She looks so peaceful when she's sleeping," Rumplestiltskin whispered in her ear. "It's almost a shame we have to kill her."
"Patience, my friend. We must have patience. Just because we must take her life, doesn't mean we can't have a little fun in the process."
"I have taught you well."
Regina took a few steps towards Emma, stopping at the end of her bed. She gently peeled back the blankets from around Emma's feet, exposing them to the cool air. She placed the tips of her fingers along the bottom of Emma's feet, touching them so softly that the sleeping woman never even knew she was there. Her hands began to glow a deep purple, the magic transferring from her fingertips onto Emma's skin. A few moments later, thick vines began to grow out of Emma's skin, curling around her feet and around her ankles, stopping right at the base of her legs. She carefully replaced the blanket, tucking Emma's feet in as she took the two steps towards the head of the bed. She peered down at the sleeping Savior, gently pushing a lock of blonde hair away from her soft face.
"Sleep well, Miss Swan. You're going to need all the rest you can get."
A/N: Oh crap! Regina is the new Dark One AND the Evil Queen. Buckle up folks, things are going to get bumpy!