Save Emma

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Over the next year, Emma read each one of Regina's journals, over and over again. Many nights she would sit on the floor next to Regina, reading her journals by candlelight, until her eyes hurt. Only then, did she say goodnight and drag herself up to bed, falling asleep within minutes, dreaming once again of the beautiful woman named Regina.

"Where is it?" Emma asked, as she ran down main street, Hook trailing close behind.

"I don't know..." David started to say.

"...It just disappeared into the night." Snow finished, as they all frantically searched around them.

"Hey, what's going on?" Regina asked, as she and Robin approached the group, unaware of the current situation.

"The Dark One. It's no longer tethered to the Crocodile." Hook answered.

"What?" Regina asked, her voice sounded concerned, as she and Emma started to frantically look around. "Where the hell is it?"

"It hasn't gone anywhere." Emma said. The town was eerily quiet, as they waited for the Darkness to emerge. "The Darkness is surrounding us."

Emma could suddenly feel Regina's fear, as she watched the swirling Darkness appear, surrounding Regina instantly. Emma froze in terror, as she watched the Darkness swirl around Regina, attempting to consume her completely.

"I..." Emma said, trying to sort through her thoughts and emotions, as she searched for Regina's face in the Darkness, hoping a single look from the brunette would help clear her mind.

"What's it doing?" Robin asked, his voice sounding as scared as Emma felt.

"What Darkness does..." Emma said, her heart shattering once again when she finally made eye contact with Regina, as she struggled against the Darkness. "It's snuffing out the light."

Emma wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. She wanted to kill someone for putting Regina in danger. But mostly she was scared. She was scared that she would once again lose Regina, and she still hasn't told her how she truly felt about her.

"Well I'm not going to let it." Robin said, rushing towards Regina, instantly being knocked backwards.

"That's not going to work on this thing!" Emma yelled. She already knew what needed to be done. "The Apprentice told me, we have to do what the Sorcerer did. We have to tether it to a person to contain it!" Emma said, as she rushed towards Regina without a second thought.

"EMMA! NO!" Regina screamed, her voice filled with pain. "There has to be another way!" Regina said, as she struggled to keep from screaming.

"There isn't..." Emma said, her eyes filling with tears. "You've worked too hard to have your happiness destroyed." Emma said. She knew it was true. Regina had worked so hard to redeem herself from her Evil past. She had worked so hard to mend her relationship with Henry. There was no way Emma was going to let all that hard work be for naught. She raised her hand to prepare.

"NOO!" David screamed, Snow tucked tightly in his arms.

"You figured out how to take the Darkness out of me once. You need to do it again..." Emma said, trying to contain her emotions. "...as heroes." Emma could feel Regina's pain now, she was running out of time.

"EMMA! EMMA PLEASE!" Hook screamed, rushing towards her, trying to stop her. "No..." He whispered. "...don't do this..."

"I love you..." Emma said. Those words tasted sour as she said them. He wasn't the person she wanted to say those words to. She desperately wanted to turn around and scream them to Regina, but she couldn't. It was too late. She had once again missed her chance.