Rage Awakened - Once Upon a Time Fanfiction

Subject: Rage Awakened - Once Upon a Time Fanfiction Sun 10 Jan 2016 - 22:42

Woo! My first posted work in a long time. While I do have some recent original works, I have been writing a lot of fanfiction recently. While you might say, "Ew, fanfiction, nerd" it's fine! You probably don't even know the source material, so if I didn't say otherwise, you'd probably think it was an original piece!

Regardless, I am very proud of this work. It's raw, it's real, has some good action, and I think it flows nicely. Don't forget though, that I still love getting feedback. Leave a comment and let me what you think, positive and/or negative. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Partially inspired by Rage Awakened ~The Origin~ - Yoko Shimomura

Word Count: 5,419

Two days had passed and Emma and Henry were still no closer to their destination. Despite the guidance they received from Snow White and her prince in navigating the Infinite Forest, frustration and despair had started to set in. Of course, such was the nature of the Infinite Forest.

Regina, having walked through the thick brush before, knew of the dangers lurking behind every tree and shadow. Instead of monsters and other fearsome creatures, one’s greatest enemy was their own fear. If left alone to fester long enough, it could drive anyone to insanity and leave them to wander through the trees forever. However, ever since the Dark One had unleashed his creatures of darkness, Heartless now plagued the forest. Anyone caught unawares was never seen or heard from again.

It was for this exact reason that Regina hurried to the edge of the forest once she learned from Snow that Emma and Henry were headed there. She knew that it was the quickest way to the Forbidden Fortress, but when she concentrated on finding Emma's unique magical aura she found them in the middle of the forest. They were nowhere near where they needed to be, and Regina silently cursed Snow White for not telling her about their plans sooner. Closing her eyes, she searched for Emma's exact location and in a cloud of purple smoke she disappeared.

Reappearing behind the thick trunk of a massive tree, the brunette immediately pressed up against it to avoid detection. Sometimes Emma would be completely oblivious to the fact that she was being followed, but Regina did not want to risk being found. Peering around the trunk she saw Emma in the midst of battle against several Heartless. The blonde’s expression was fierce, and she was standing in front of Henry with her keyblade up and at the ready. They were surrounded by Shadows, Soldiers, and Magicks, and Emma was blasting them with bursts of magic to keep them at bay.

Henry did not appear scared or intimidated, but after everything he had experienced and been through it wasn’t a surprise. He stood behind Emma while she protected him, and Regina knew that the blonde would never let anything happen to Henry. She really was taking care of him.

Suddenly all of the Heartless attacked at once and Henry cried out in surprise, but Emma was already prepared. She grabbed him by the arm and disappeared in a puff of golden smoke only to reappear a safe distance away. Pushing Henry toward a tree with overgrown roots, Regina heard Emma tell him to stick to it and call out if he needed help. Seeing the boy nod, Emma jumped back into the fray.

A particularly brave Soldier catapulted itself high into the air above her, but Emma jumped up to meet it and swung her blade up and through its body as it exploded in a cloud of darkness. Emma then flipped forward and swung her blade down as she landed on the ground and sent a massive shockwave out and around her. Several weaker Shadows immediately melted into the ground and a few Soldiers lost what little armour they already had on their bodies.

Emma jumped to her left when a large Magick sent a cascade of ice crystals towards her and then sidestepped another joint attack from two Shadows. Three Soldiers came and surrounded her, jumping up and attempting to kick her with their outstretched legs. Emma twirled her blade and sliced through two of them while the other was lucky enough to land a kick to her ribs. Stumbling forward, she threw up a quick reflection spell before a torrent of fire could burn her, and then she pointed her keyblade at the Magick responsible for the fire and blasted it with a burst of light magic. The Magick was hit directly in the face and flew backwards into a tree, exploding in darkness upon impact.

Emma had not noticed the small group of Shadows that flattened themselves to the forest floor and scrambled to her position like insects. Regina wanted to warn her, but was unable to do anything lest she give away her position. She had to watch as Emma was swarmed by the Shadows, each one of them biting at her legs or swiping at her arms and torso with their sharp claws. With a small shout of rage, Emma charged forward and swung her keyblade at all of the Heartless around her, occasionally thrusting her palm out and blasting them backwards with her magic.

Regina turned her attention to Henry then, wanting to see for herself that he was still alright. Nothing had happened to him as of yet, and Emma had managed to keep all of the dark creatures concentrated on her. As if reading her mind, all of the remaining Heartless attacked Emma at once; bursts of fire and ice, sharp claws and biting teeth, and powerful kicks were aimed her way as blow upon blow was rained down upon her. Emma did not give up, though.

Jumping backwards, she hurled her keyblade forward and Regina watched with a great amount of satisfaction as the dark blade went sailing through the air and sliced through several Heartless with ease. Before the keyblade could come back, Emma then ran in a large circle, tossing blasts of white light at the lingering shadows. Catching her keyblade without missing a step, she jumped up into the air to greet several Soldiers and hacked and slashed into them, throwing her keyblade straight into the air to destroy the remaining few as she fell back to the ground.

Landing on her feet, she raised her arm and caught her keyblade, but was unprepared for the next swarm as Magicks honed on her position and, as one unit, bound her arms and legs together with their combined magic. Losing her balance, Emma fell to the ground with a heavy thud onto her side, her keyblade disappearing in a burst of shadow. She fought against the hold the dark magic had on her as the Heartless drew closer.

An ear-piercing scream shattered their focus as Regina whirled around to find the source of it just as Emma craned her neck around, searching for the same thing. Regina's blood ran cold at what she saw.

Thick, green, thorny vines had somehow slithered undetected on the forest floor and wrapped themselves firmly around Henry's ankles, and yanked him backwards. Henry had fallen forward onto the upturned tree roots and was being dragged away from the fight. He was shouting and calling out for Emma as he attempted to grab onto anything within reach to slow the vines. He managed to grasp one of the roots and held on as tightly as he could, kicking out his legs in an attempt to shake the vines free.

"No! Henry!" Emma cried as she squirmed on the ground, attempting to break free of the magic. The more she struggled, the tighter her bonds became, and she screamed in frustration as the Heartless began to close in.

Regina didn't want to leave Emma but she knew she had to do something before Henry was pulled into the depths of the forest. She had a feeling about what grabbed him, and if she was right, then if Henry disappeared they would never see him again. Staying behind the darkest trees in the clearing and barely making a sound, Regina ran to the tree Henry was desperately clinging to. Summoning Redemption in a flash of light, she gripped it tightly with both hands and shot forward, slicing through the vines in one clean cut. Immediately an inhuman scream resounded through the trees and a massive Trap Vine grew to its full height a few meters away. The muddy foliage mixed with its mossy covering shook as it writhed in pain, its dark maw opening wide and showcasing rows and rows of gleaming white teeth.

With another roar it called forth more vines, these ones thornier than the last, and shot them towards Regina with blinding speed. Regina just managed to evade the attack when she felt more vines snake around her legs and throw her to the ground. The wind was knocked out of her and she was momentarily helpless as another, smaller Trap Vine revealed itself from the underbrush. It dragged her backwards and tightened its hold, the sharp thorns digging into her legs and cutting the thick black material of her coat.

Once she found her breath, Regina gripped her keyblade and pointed it straight at the Heartless, shooting a blazing stream of fire directly into its waiting mouth. The monster reared back with a pained shriek and instantly released Regina to recoil into itself. Getting to her feet and wincing from the pain of the various lacerations on her legs, she ran back to the other Trap Vine, weapon in hand. Summoning a simple reflection spell to prevent anymore vines from trapping her, she dashed towards it and swung her keyblade up the middle before twirling it and slashing across the hidden face of the Heartless.

The darkness exploded and what was left of the vegetation covering it fell to the ground, limp and lifeless once more. Regina turned her sights onto the other Trap Vine but froze when she heard a shout of fury from behind her. She whirled around and saw as the group of Shadows, Soldiers, and Magicks were blasted backwards as Emma rose up and shattered the magical bonds, strong arms flexed at her sides and fists clenched tightly.
A moment passed and Emma's shoulders started to shake as she summoned the power within her and attempted to channel it. Regina expected to see Emma emanating a bright aura to signal the change, but something went wrong.

Instead of a bluish-white colouring, Emma's eyes opened to reveal luminescent gold as she let out an anguished cry. Suddenly the Saviour was engulfed in darkness as the power exploded outwards, knocking down several trees in the blast. Regina was sent hurtling back, Redemption flying out of her grasp and disappearing in a burst of shadow, and her hood slipped off momentarily before she brought a hand up to quickly put it back in place. She landed on her feet several meters away, standing behind a fallen tree as she searched for Henry. She sighed in relief when she saw him cowering beneath the roots of the tree he stayed close to all this time. He looked terribly frightened, but was otherwise unscathed. He crawled out from his hiding spot and looked around the damage that was done to the area.

The trees immediately surrounding the Saviour had been completely razed, while others further away were uprooted and had fallen away from the center of the blast. Only the oldest and strongest of trees had remained standing tall. Alone in the center of the clearing Emma stood, surrounded by the evidence of her transformation, and Regina was stunned at what she saw.

The creature standing there looked so similar to the Heartless they fought tirelessly, but it was its distinct 'Emma' shape that led Regina to believe that it truly was Emma standing there. Black, smoky wisps billowed into the sky from her hunched shoulders, flowing hair, and now empty hands. Emma, or this dark version of her, twitched violently where she stood, head moving in every direction and hands fidgeting.

Her hands. Regina's glowing eyes widened as she took in the massive claws extended from each one of Emma's fingers, looking sharp and menacing as they gleamed in the faint light streaming through the trees.

The brunette was frozen where she stood, unable to comprehend the situation. The questions kept running through her mind; What happened to Emma? Why wasn’t she holding her keyblade? Where did the darkness come from? It was unsettling to see the light and carefree Saviour standing hunched over, twitchy and with fists clenching and unclenching with the need to destroy.

And destroy she did.

With a swiftness Regina had never seen, Emma surged towards the group of Heartless that she had blasted back earlier, but had yet to eliminate. Quick as lightning, Emma leaped into the air and seemed to float behind her enemies before she unleashed a flurry of attacks that Regina could barely keep up with. Emma hacked and slashed her way through the throng of Heartless that had gathered, her menacing claws ripping through the creatures of darkness with almost practiced ease. There were harsh kicks and deep slashes and pieces of Heartless rained down as they slowly dissolved in the air. Regina looked to Henry, concerned that what he was witnessing would be too much for the boy and it would ruin the image he had of the Saviour.

Instead, she found him staring at the fight with rapt attention, his dark eyes doing their best to follow every move Emma made as she decimated the Heartless. He looked uncertain and a little afraid; if Regina were to be honest, so did she. Neither of them knew what had happened to Emma, or if this change was damaging or permanent.

Henry ducked when he saw Emma go sailing over his head behind him, ready to shred the remaining Trap Vine to pieces. It was extremely weak after being blasted with such strong heat and it nearly succeeded in slinking away and molding itself back into the forest floor.

Emma was faster.

Loud, inhuman shrieks filled the forest air as thorny vines and bits of mossy foliage went flying in all different directions. Emma had made quick work of the Heartless, and whatever remained of it exploded into darkness as Emma fell back to the ground, landing easily on her feet, and crouched low.

For a time, nothing moved. All was silent and still, as things usually were in the Infinite Forest. Emma barely moved, but remained in the same position as before. Henry was rooted to the spot, still unable to process what had just happened and unwilling to make a sound. Regina was torn between going to Emma and wanting to take Henry away from the situation, to protect him. The entire situation and her uncertainty surrounding Emma's sudden transformation (into whatever she was now) was unnerving. A light breeze whispered through the trees and ruffled the hood of Regina's coat. A twig snapped.

A mighty roar was suddenly unleashed and Regina's glowing eyes snapped to Emma, just in time to see her whirl around and face Henry. The poor boy covered his ears from the sound as it echoed through the forest, nothing but pure rage ringing clearly through the trees. It was impossible to identify the expression on Emma's face; the only truly clear features were the glowing yellow eyes, so reminiscent of the monsters they fought tirelessly.

Emma started twitching again, violently, and she attempted to take a step forward but struggled just to put one foot in front of the other. The twitching worsened, and Regina was worried that Emma would snap her neck from the force of the movement. The dark figure started swiping at the air, almost as if attempting to grab something just out of reach, and staggered forward. The darkness rolled off of Emma in waves, the black and smoky tendrils dissipating moments later. It reminded Regina of the Shadows that crawled along the ground and swiped at anything within reach.

Feeling a massive knot forming in the pit of her stomach from the sheer dread of what might happen, Regina started to move just as she heard Henry's wavering call of, “Emma? E-Emma, are you ok?” Suddenly golden eyes flashed and Emma dashed towards Henry, claws extended and ready to strike the defenseless boy now paralyzed with fear.

Before the attack could connect, Regina had surged forward as the adrenaline rushed through her veins, and she slammed into Henry's side. He went sailing to the ground three meters away and landed roughly on his side, skidding in the dirt, but otherwise appearing unharmed.

In his place, Regina took the brunt of the damage and had to grind her teeth together to refrain from crying out from the sheer agony. Emma's claws had slashed into her right arm, leaving deep and bleeding gashes visible through the tattered material of her black coat. Clutching the injured limb, she leapt back and shot a painful blast of dark magic in Emma's direction. Either not realizing what it was, or just not caring, Emma plowed through the attack but was sent careening backwards from the powerful shockwave that followed.

Regina desperately wanted to summon her keyblade as she knew how devastating her magic could be, especially with her inner darkness uninhibited. She knew it was not an option though, as her dominant arm was severely damaged and it was extremely difficult to concentrate with the harsh stinging in her arm. She allowed herself a low groan as Emma circled her like a predator hunting its prey. As long as Henry was safe, Regina didn’t care.

She glanced to her left and saw the boy slowly start to sit up, rubbing his shoulder and wincing. Regina instantly felt bad for shoving him so roughly, but it needed to be done. She would never let anything happen to him, and the brunette knew that Emma would never forgive herself, or Regina, if either of them had hurt Henry while the other had the power to stop it.

His dark eyes widened after a moment and he cried, “Look out!” Regina's momentary distraction gave Emma the opportunity she needed. Closing in faster than any monster Regina had ever fought, Emma leapt behind her and brought her clawed hand down over Regina's back, slicing through thick black material and into delicate flesh. Regina gave a strangled cry and fell to her hands and knees, her arms almost giving out from the searing pain radiating from the four slashes across her back. She desperately tried to contain her whimpering, ever mindful of the young boy not three meters away from her and… She wasn’t sure if it was still Emma.

Hearing an ear-splitting roar from behind her, Regina immediately summoned a barrier around herself that shocked the dark creature from just one touch. She then immediately pounded her fists in the hard dirt beneath her and sent a massive shockwave in Emma's direction. She was thrown away but flipped backwards and landed on her feet like a cat, skidding a few meters away.

Still in too much pain to fully stand, Regina seriously contemplated throwing a few fireballs Emma's way, but refrained from doing so. She wanted to leave no suspicions that she was the one protecting Henry and facing this monster; and, deep down, she knew that there was something very wrong with Emma and that this wasn’t her fault. She had little time to think before the Saviour was again upon her.

Emma seemed to have flown to her position, feet barely touching the ground as she propelled herself forward, leaving smoking trails of darkness in her wake. This time Regina was more prepared. If she couldn't throw out a few fireballs, she had other spells at her disposal. Thrusting her palms out, a surge of hot water sprayed forth and completely drenched Emma, slowing her advance slightly. Then Regina summoned a cold blast of ice, intent on hitting her in the torso but only managing to really connect with an extended arm. The limb froze on contact and was immediately encased with cold, glistening ice.

Emma was not to be deterred however, and continued forth. Regina threw up another barrier as several slashes connected with it, shocking Emma. She attempted a few kicks, rapidly circling the barrier and wildly striking anywhere she could reach.

Regina kept an eye on Henry, intent on keeping all of the focus on her. She was shocked that Henry hadn't run, but he knew this...Heartless creature was still Emma, somewhere, and he would not leave her. Regina knew then that no matter what happened, she would find a way to reverse this.

She suddenly whirled around and slammed her clenched fists together, summoning long, purple tendrils from the ground to slither around Emma's arms, legs, and torso, but when that wasn’t enough, another tendril wrapped itself snuggly around Emma's neck. The creature thrashed and flailed violently, attempting to claw at her bonds with only one working arm while the other remained frozen at her side.

"Don't hurt her!" a frightened yet determined voice called out. Regina turned her head just enough to see Henry standing on shaky legs, clutching his injured shoulder. The fear could be seen clearly in his eyes though he tried to put on a brave face. Before she could stop herself, she gave a slight nod and turned back to Emma. The violent thrashing had lessened somewhat, but Emma continued to struggle against the bonds.

Regina thought to herself that outright attacking Emma would too closely resemble an attempt on her life, and she did not want to further worry or scare Henry. Decision made, she attempted to ignore the excruciating pain in her back as she worked on tightening the tendrils keeping Emma immobile. Slowly the writhing began to cease as the tendril around Emma's neck tightened enough to constrict her airflow and render her unconscious before the one around her torso broke any bones from the crushing grip.

A few moments later, Emma's dark figure hung limply in the air as the thick tendrils held her in place. Grunting from pain and exhaustion, Regina separated her hands and the tendrils inched their way back into the ground, bringing Emma with them. Once Emma's body was slowly and carefully settled, Regina's knees buckled and she fell to the ground on one knee, panting and sweating. Regina could feel her blood running down her back in rivulets, the crimson liquid feeling cool against her burning skin. Moving at all sent bolts of excruciating pain throughout her whole body, and she shuddered to think of the damage Emma had caused.

No. She had to remind herself that this wasn’t her Emma, not really.

Looking at the unconscious woman on the ground, Regina heard rapid footsteps approaching from behind. All movement ceased when she held out a hand to stop the boy, unsure if the danger really had been abated.

“I-I have to see if she’s alright! We can’t just-” Henry began in protest, but cut himself off when he noticed the state of Regina's shivering form. His eyes widened at the tattered and bloodied remains of the cloth on her back, and he saw several drops of blood that had stained the ground from Regina's bleeding arm. The brunette noticed his stares and felt extremely self-conscious, pulling her arm back close to her chest.

"You're hurt," he said in a strained voice, realizing it was done in an effort to protect him. He reached out an unsteady hand towards her, but Regina shied away from the touch, facing away from him and pulling her hood tighter around her face.

"Hey, wait, don't move," he told her, attempting to inch a little closer. "I can try to help or-"

Regina cut him off with a quick shake of her head. Henry stopped his advance and stood still, arm still slightly outstretched and looking conflicted. He stared at the ground for a moment before he apologized.

"I'm sorry. This happened because of me. I don't know who you are but..." He hesitated before glancing up. He wanted to know who this person was, but all he could see was the side of a dark hood. "Thank you. If I had magic or something I'd try to fix that. My...” He paused, and out of the corner of her eye Regina saw him fidgeting. “Well, they're not my parents even though they act like they are... They're kinda my moms. They have magic. They'd be able to heal you." He looked sad then, and turned his gaze to Emma as she lied on the ground, unconscious.

Regina froze. Henry thought of her and Emma as his parents? His mothers? Her eyes stung with unshed tears, yet it wasn’t from the pain she felt coursing through her body. It took every ounce of self-control she had left to contain the onslaught of emotion that threatened to spill out of her. She managed a shaky sigh but said nothing.

When Henry offered nothing further, Regina attempted to stand up. Every movement, no matter how slight, sent a bolt of pain down her spine, and the raw skin on her back burned as she stood straight on wobbly legs. Henry rushed to her but she turned away at the last moment, losing her balance and falling hard on her front. She groaned and dragged her fingers into the cold dirt, attempting to ground herself.

“Please, just let me help you up,” the brunette heard Henry plead. She could just imagine the earnest look on his face. “You can barely stand by yourself. If…if you don’t want me to know who you are then fine, but please, let me help.”

Regina's lips twitched up in the smallest of smiles. Despite not being Emma's son, he acted just like the blonde woman he idolized.

She swallowed through the lump in her throat from the thought and gave a short nod.
She felt two hands on her uninjured arm, surprisingly gentle in their grip, and with great effort managed to pull herself up to her knees while Henry steadied her. She was breathing heavily and she could feel the sweat dripping down the side of her face. She wiped at it haphazardly and pulled the hood closer. A few moments later Regina was pulled to her feet. She was still unsteady, and she hissed from the constant stinging, but at least she was standing. She took a step forward and almost fell to her knees once more, but Henry kept his grip on her arm secure. He paused, and then slowly stretched her arm around his shoulders and wrapped his free arm around her waist, ever mindful of the bloody gashes marring Regina's flesh. He encouraged her to lean against him, and though she was reluctant, it relieved Regina of some of the pressure and slightly eased the throbbing pain in her back.

Regina kept her head turned however; Henry would never know that this dark and powerful stranger he was helping was one of the women he considered a mother. Perhaps one day she could explain herself, but it would have to wait. Right now, her main priority was ensuring that Emma was alright and then transporting them back to the castle.

The shattering of glass broke the silence.

“Emma!!!” Henry cried suddenly as he lurched forward, momentarily forgetting he had an injured stranger hanging onto him for much-needed support. Regina stumbled forward and almost fell again if not for Henry tightening his hold on her at the last moment. She whimpered from the jostling and Henry started to apologize profusely, but turned back to Emma and indicated that she should look.

When Regina raised her head and saw Emma lying on the ground, she was shocked to find that the darkness was slowly melting away. One moment the dark silhouette of the Saviour was lying unconscious on the ground, and the next the darkness was receding, seeping into the ground like a thick black slime. Regina was amazed; she had never seen anything like it. She and Henry were completely still, watching as the last remnants of the darkness disappeared into the ground beneath Emma's body, leaving the blonde intact and exactly how she was before her transformation.

Regina needed to examine Emma, thinking of the damage she had dealt the blonde in their battle earlier. She took a small step forward, and Henry accommodated her, helping her along and going at whatever pace she set. When they were beside Emma, the boy slowly let Regina down to the ground. He stepped back and allowed the stranger room to work.

Regina wet her lips in anticipation, expecting the worst, but she reached out a hand, the one not covered in blood, and touched Emma's left arm. She noticed that there were large, jagged pieces of ice lying on the ground; that must have been what shattered. She lifted up her sleeve to inspect the skin, hoping that the burns were nothing serious. To Regina's surprise, Emma's skin was intact. She couldn’t understand why, and was absently stroking the blonde’s arm as she lost herself in her thoughts.

She was jarred back to the present when Henry asked, “Is she alright?” Regina, slightly embarrassed at the small display, lowered her head and immediately set to work checking Emma for injuries. The quickest way was through magic. She raised her arms above Emma's torso, palms facing down, and they lit up with a dark blue glow. Regina closed her eyes in concentration and slowly passed her hands over the expanse of the blonde’s vulnerable form. After a few minutes of careful examination, Regina determined that Emma had sustained no injuries.

“So…she’s ok, right?” a timid voice asked once more. Regina paused, knowing that physically Emma was fine. She eventually nodded, confirming the boy’s hopes. He dashed over and dropped to his knees beside Emma, his dark eyes searching her face for any signs of distress. She looked at peace.

Regina slowly got to her feet, her breathing laboured, but able to push the pain aside enough to stand properly. She took a few steps backward and watched as Henry shook Emma's arm slightly, imploring her to wake up, but to no avail. He looked disappointed, but Regina knew that after an ordeal like this, Emma would need time to recover. She needed to be somewhere comfortable, somewhere she could be taken care of. She needed to get them back to the castle as soon as possible.

Henry looked up then, and stared at the hooded figure that had saved his life and Emma's. He wanted to know their identity, but their face was obscured.

“Thank you,” he started, clutching onto Emma's hand. “You saved us. You didn’t have to.”

Regina turned her head slightly towards him, acknowledging that she heard what he said, but did not respond. She understood he was trying to bait her. Clever boy.

If only you knew, Henry.

They stared at each other for a moment more before Regina raised her hand and waved it, the tips of her fingers glowing purple. She watched as Henry slumped over, his eyelids growing heavy as he struggled against the overwhelming desire to sleep. He managed to stay awake for a few seconds before finally succumbing to the power of the spell. He fell onto his side next to Emma, eyes closed and breathing even.

The glow faded from Regina's fingertips and she lowered her arm. She stared at the boy and the woman, the two most important people in her life, and her eyes began to water of their own accord. She closed her eyes and willed the traitorous tears away, taking a moment to compose herself. There would be time for that later.

She slowly approached the sleeping duo and knelt down next to the them. She ruffled Henry's hair lightly, smiling to herself at the thought that this kind, brave boy cared about her as much as he did. Regina had given up all hope of ever having a family the moment her first love was taken from her, but Regina knew now that it was still possible. While he wasn’t hers in the traditional sense, it was impossible for her to have her own children, she loved him with all she had.

She turned her gaze to Emma then, and her features softened even more. A family with Henry and Emma. The thought alone filled Regina with a warmth, a hope that she had not allowed herself to feel since the possibility of being Emma's True Love was proposed.

She wasn’t conscious of her hand’s movements, and just managed to pull it back before her fingers tangled in long blonde locks. She stared at the dried blood that coated her hand and fingers and clenched her fist tightly, bringing it close to her chest. Regina sighed at her own foolishness.

She was a denizen of the darkness. In the darkness was where she would stay.

» Rage Cures Cancer
» Time
» nap time.
» Quiz Time Goes Bad
» 7. I have too much time on my hands, sorry.