Untitled Pt 1

Embracing the Darkness

Regina awoke with a start, sweating beading down her face. Her chest was heaving as if she had jus run a marathon, and her blood was pounding in her ears. A flood of memories from the afternoon came rushing back. Robin, darkness and a million voices clamouring in her head, a sword. Then nothing. She looked desperately for Robin and prayed that the worse had not come to pass. Suddenly, she spied a small, folded piece of paper on her bedside table. A wave of relief passed over her as she read the message.
"My dearest Regina;
Meet me under the apple tree outside your office.
Love, Robin"
Wanting to waste no time, Regina leapt out of bed and worked her magic, smiling as her trademark purple smoke surrounded her. She closed her eyes and pictured the apple tree clear in her mind, with Robin standing underneath, his charming smile making her heart flutter. So it was no surprise that she was overcome with shock when she opened her eyes to find herself standing in Conan's quarters.
"Took you long enough." He sneered.
"What's going on? Why am I here?" she demanded.
"Do you really have to ask that question?"
His weaselly smile spread across his wrinkled face to reveal his infamous set of gnarled teeth, yellow with age and neglect, as he waved the dagger in the air.
"What do you want?"
"What I wanted is for you to do your job on your own."
"I've been searching for days. I haven't found anything."
"That's because you've been messing around with your little boytoy,."
"Don't you say anything about him." She hissed, advancing towards him. She suddenly recoiled as he whipped the dagger between them. It radiated heat like a hot branding iron.
"You won't hurt me. Not while I have this. And now, I'm going to use it to motivate you to do what you never could without it. You're going to destroy the rebels and kill your family."
"No."
"Dark One. I command you to embrace the darkness!" he cried, hoisting the dagger high in the air. Regina doubled over with gasps as her lungs were turned into airless vacuums. Her entire body was writhing with pain as she felt the darkness spread from her heart. It felt like a dozen Black Entities had been injected into her bloodstream, all alive and wriggling under her skin, inserting themselves in the smallest of crevasses. She could feel her conscious being forced down under a mountain of evil, as though yet another villainous version of herself was fighting to get on top. Her heroine side fought with all her strength, but the villain inside was gaining the upper hand. Memories of the horrible things she did as the Evil Queen only added fuel to the fire of wickedness that raged deep within her soul. Darkness clouded the edge of her vision, and she felt as though she was drowning. The tiny hole that was her escape was closing rapidly, but try as she might, she hadn't the strength to reach it. Everything went black, and her body exploded with pain as it collided with the floor. Regina felt like she'd been torn in two, with her hero side trapped deep under the evil. Her vision was edge with shadows and darkness, and her heart felt nothing as her body found it's feet. Her mind was filled with thoughts to horrible to speak of. It was as if she'd been given a curse persona; without ever being cursed.
"You need a new name. Something sharp to strike fear into the hearts of all who hear it."
Conan's voice sounded warped and echoed within her mind.
"I think I'll call you Ravenna.
Regina could feel the excitement build within her new self as her old self was buried even deeper within the confines of her soul.
"Now, let it be known that Regina is dead, and Ravenna is the new Dark One."
Regina tried to scream her lungs out as her body moved, her mind and heart revolving around Ravenna's new found villainy.

∞

"Mom? What is it? What's wrong?" Henry Snr's worried voice echoed against the cave walls, catching the attention of everyone in the vicinity. Dozens of pairs of worried eyes homed in on the sight before them; the Evil Queen, bent over and gasping, her face contorted into an expression of panic and fear.
"Regina." She breathed.
"Henry? What's going on?" Carmen demanded, striding towards the pair.
"It's Regina. Conan's done something." The Queen gasped.
"How do you know?"
"I felt it."
"But how. I thought you two weren't connected anymore."
"The shears severed most of our connection, but a small amount of it still lingers. Any large spells cast on one will be felt slightly by the other."
"What did this one feel like?"
"Like she'd been forced to embrace the darkness. It was almost as if she'd been torn in two again, and the hero Regina had been buried under an evil one."
"So Conan's busted out the dagger. Wonderful." Rhydian huffed.
"Gideon!" Carmen shouted suddenly. Everyone jaw in the room hit the floor as the young man came jogging out of the infirmary.
"Gideon?! What...how?" Emma stuttered. "How are you here? We thought you were dead!"
"Not quite." He smiled. "But thankfully, Carmen discovered me before I'd completely let go. You see, one part of me was still fighting to stay alive. All it needed was a boost, and I was back I the thick of it. I was in the infirmary for a while, but now I'm back in the shop and the library, researching that spell idea you and the queen came up with."
"Which is exactly what I called you over here for. How's it going?"
"I think I might have something. I found a potion in the shop. You think of a person, then drop some in your eye. It allows you to see what they see."
"I know that potion! Gold gave it to find Regina when she'd been captured by Greg and Tamara." Snow exclaimed.
"And you think this'll work?" Carmen clarified.
"Well, I did some research, and I discovered that the potion's strength is determined by the strength of the connection between the two people. So if the Evil Queen and Regina were once the same person..."
"Then I should be able to see exactly what she sees." The Queen smiled.
"Not just that. You'll be able to hear, smell, feel, even taste what she does. You'll even be able to hear her thoughts."
"But what's the price?" Wish Robin asked suddenly.
"What?"
"Everyone knows that magic always comes with a price. What's this one?"
"As far as I know, nothing. Just drop a bit in your eye, and it'll be like you're really there."
"You up for it?" Carmen asked.
"Yes. Anything to do my part and get Regina out of there." The Queen declared.

∞

Henry Jnr's face was shiny with sweat as he jogged through the woods. His sword bounced against his hip while his quiver constantly collided with his back. He'd been moving through the forest for hours now, searching for any potential base locations. Even though they had a good one on the go, Carmen had requested he search for another in case the Hive was ever infiltrated. Stopping for a rest, he leaned against the closest tree and took a swig of water from his canteen. The forest was eerily silent and empty. He realised it'd been like that all morning. Not a single deer, or any forest animal for that matter. Not even a bird tweeting in the trees. The hairs on his neck suddenly prickled, and his stomach was overflowing with foreboding. The sound of his sword being drawn echoed through the forest. A twig snapped behind him and whirled on his target. What stood before him almost caused him to drop his weapon. His mind rushed back to the day of the first curse breaking. To when his mother had stormed into the town hall, thrown a fireball at the crowd, and whisked him away back home. For the briefest of moments, her eyes had been black as coal. Just like the ones he was looking into now.

∞

"Are you ready?" Carmen asked. She was standing next to the Evil Queen, who was sat waiting for her to drop the potion in her eye.
"Ready."
Carmen nodded and held the dropper over her eye. There was a slight sting as the potion made contact, but after there was nothing.
"Just give it a minute." Snow advised. The queen nodded and waited for the potion to act. Suddenly, her mind erupted with images and visions. A forest, Henry, a sword.

∞

"Mom?" Henry called. Regina made no sign that she had even heard him. "Mom!"
"Who?" her voice was deep and devoid of any emotion.
"Mom, it's me. Henry. You're son."
"You're no one to me." She hissed. Henry's heart sank to the floor. However the woman in front of him was, it definitely wasn't his mother. Despite the turmoil of emotions and pain underneath, he kept his gaze steady. His heart was pounding as he wondered if he could outrun her.
"Don't bother trying to run. You won't get very far." She said, as if she'd read his thoughts. She raised her hand, with her index and middle fingers pointed at the sky. There was a puff of purple smoke, and suddenly an arrow had appeared next to her head. She dropped her fingers, and Henry barely had any time to react before the arrow had pierced his flesh.

∞

"Regina? What's going on?" Carmen demanded.
"I don't..." the queen breathed.
"Regina?"
The Queen couldn't reply. Her mind was enthralled with the scene playing out before her. There was purple smoke, an arrow, harsh words, and screaming.

∞

Henry gasped as pain erupted in his chest. He stared down at the arrow shaft protruding from his torso. Suddenly, there was a bloodcurdling scream. He looked up into his mother's whiskey brown eyes, wet with tears of horror, her face contorted into one of pain.
"Henry! What have I done?!"

∞

"Henry!" The queen screamed. The moment the arrow had entered Henry, her mind had snapped back to reality. Emma was there, shaking her, demanding to know what was wrong with her son.
"Regina! Answer us! What about Henry? Where is he?"
"He's in the woods. With Regina. She shot him! With an arrow!"
"What?!" Emma roared. The queen looked to Carmen, but she was already racing out of the cave, Alpha Team hot on her tail.