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“You think I’m the figure under the hood?” Regina stared at Emma as she spoke.
Did Emma truly believe she was the great Evil destined to kill the savior?
She wanted to shake herself, of course she did. Of course, they all did.
Even Regina herself had little doubt of Emma’s premonition. Her vision. If Regina wasn’t there, being protected by the savior, where was she? Trying to kill her, naturally.
She stalked off, leaving the others back in the loft, muttering something about finding Aladdin, and made her way to her vault. She had every intention of trying to find the thieving savior, but she also needed to think, to plan.
Descending the stairs below the crypt, she stood in front of her vast library, it held more books than should have been physically possible, as Regina had wanted to bring her entire collection with her, to the land without magic. It made her feel safe, knowing she still had her knowledge, though, at the time, she hadn't had her magic.
How would it happen? Would the Evil Queen, her worse half, rejoin herself to her and take over their mind once again? Would she manage to vanquish the Queen, only to fall prey to darkness once more?
Regina has worked so hard, to become better, to walk away from the darkness that had consumed her for so long. She had proven herself, she thought, over and over again, to everyone, to herself. Then she’d made one crucial mistake, she’d decided she wanted to stop fighting, she was tired of having to push away her darkest desires. Tired of having to battle her own mind, day in and day out. So, she’d taken Jekyll’s potion, injected the liquid into her arms, and split herself from the monster inside her.
Except, that monster had been her. A part of her she’d denied herself, a part of her she’d hated and feared. But nonetheless, a part of her.
And she missed her.
In a strange, twisted way, she missed the little voice in her head that begged her to kill at the slightest provocation. The voice that whispered in her ear at night, that she was better than the others, stronger, more powerful, that they should bow before her.
To be sure, she hated the woman, who pranced around with her face on, all mad smiles and threats. She was ashamed of her, too. She wished she could hide her from the world, as she’d done when she was a part of her. It had been hard, yes, to resist the pull of power, of darkness, but it had been worth it.
Regina had made a mistake.
Would Emma pay for that mistake? Would Emma die for her mistake?
Regina dared not think of it. She would rather burn in the depths of hell than know that Emma suffered because of her. That Henry suffered. Her family.
She swallowed hard, reaching for a familiar book on the shelf.
She knew what she had to do, to destroy the Queen once and for all.
Pulling the book out she opened it, leafing through the pages until she found what she needed.
From having seen Jekyll’s work, she knew what would happen, should she die. The Queen would die with her.
Wasn’t it worth it? To save her family, to save the savior’s life?
Regina thought so.
It didn’t have to be magical, she could just…die.
Put a knife to her wrist. To her neck. Into her belly.
But, even without the Queen inside her, Regina had a sense for the dramatic, which was why she chose this particular method. Or perhaps she still had hope, hope that someday, someone would wake her up.
She brewed the potion, remembering how difficult it had been, before the curse had broken, to do the same. She had needed the curse for Emma, at the time. She had wanted to hurt the savior, to kill her. How ironic.
Now she would give her life for the blonde.
Soon enough, she would.
Well, she wouldn’t die. She’d just be asleep. For the rest of time.
Regina was sure there was no one who’d be able to wake her up, her son loved her, and she loved him more than words could express. But the Queen wasn’t capable of love, and to wake Regina, they’d have to wake her, too. And that wasn’t possible.
Picking up the long spinning needle she dipped it into the potion, it glowed blue for a moment. She pressed her lips together, her only regret that she had not found Alddin, to reassure Emma not all saviors were destined to death.
No matter, she’d find him herself, Regina was certain.
Taking a breath, she pulled the needle out.
A woosh of magic behind her startled her, she spun around. Her other half stood with her hands on her hips.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” The Queen growled, stalking forward towards her.
Regina hesitated, perhaps her second mistake. She was afraid.
The Queen took advantage of her weakness and lunged forward, grabbing the needle out of her hand.
“You’re going to put us to sleep?” She screeched, “for that insufferable savior?”
Regina had fallen to the ground in the scuffle, and pulled herself to her feet,
“I’m not going to let you hurt her,” she growled, “I would rather die than do that.”
The Queen stood back, staring at her, the needle still held between her fingers.
“Why do you care so much?” she asked, “You know she doesn’t care about you, you know she’s in love with that..pirate.”
Regina blinked, she hadn't expected to be called out by her own evil half.
“I..” she leaned back against the library, “That’s not why I’m doing this.”
“Oh?” The Queen asked, smelling blood, “You’re just going to die for her…platonically?”
Clenching her jaw Regina jumped forward, towards the Queen, who stepped aside, sending Regina crashing into the wall behind her.
“You know she won’t wake you up,” she teased, “she doesn’t love you.”
“I don’t need her to love me.”
“She won’t even notice you’re gone,” The Queen continued, oblivious, “She’ll be grateful for five minutes and then forget you ever existed,” she laughed, “she’ll marry her pirate and they’ll have their nice little family. Henry will forget all about you, too, with time, and then what? You’ll have sacrificed us for nothing.”
Regina was aware of the tears streaming down her face, though she tried hard to hide them, wiping her cheeks with her fingers.
She didn’t expect Emma to wake her. She knew Emma didn’t love her.
“This is pathetic,” The Queen said, “You’d rather sleep for the rest of eternity that face up to the fact you’re in love with a woman who doesn’t want you.”
“I am not in love with her,” Regina growled, her hands holding her steady against the wall. As the words left her mouth she knew they were lies. How she wished they weren't. But they were.
Emma wouldn’t wake her because Emma didn’t love her. Emma would forget all about her.
It didn’t matter.
As the Queen looked away, Regina sprung forward. The needle turned in the Queen’s fingers, piercing through Regina’s finger. Blood welled from the wound.
Heaviness filled her head, her eyesight going dark.
The last thing she saw was the Queen, falling to the ground, asleep.