The Third Sister

22 - From Giving Up To Get Hope

Regina was sitting on the ground, her back against the wall. She was in the library, reading some old books to find a way to defeat the Dark One. Some of these books belonged to her, but most of them came from the sorcerer's mansion's library. She was researching with Belle, and sometimes some other people came to help for a few hours. As she was trying to not fall asleep, she closed the book and put it on the ground. She yawned and rubbed her puffy red eyes.
"You should take a break" Belle said as she raised her eyes from her book to look at the mayor.
"No it's a waste of time. Taking a break won't help us to defeat the Dark One."
"But you haven't slept for three days" Belle said.
Three days. She has been in the library for three days, and she hasn't left it except to see her little sister. Regina sighed and took an other book, and opened it to start to read.
"Anything new?" Emma asked from the entrance of the library.
"Nop" Regina said as she turned a page.
She turned an other, then an other, faster and faster, while Emma and Belle was watching with surprised eyes.
"Hey slow down!" Belle exclaimed.
Regina closed the book violently, and threw it on the floor. She thought that, if she knew how the Dark One has been created, then maybe she could find a way to defeat it once for all. But after two months of research, they have found nothing, not even a clue.
"This is pointless." Regina exclaimed as a tear was falling on her cheek because of her exhaustion.
"No it's not, Regina" Emma said as she was watching her friend.
"Really? We have been looking for a way to defeat it for two months, Emma. And it's our third day trapped in these damn mines."
Emma kneeled before Regina, and looked her in the eyes.
"Look Regina. We can't lose hope. Not now. And you're exhausted, so I think it would be better if you get out of here to go to sleep."
"No Emma I can't. Not now."
Emma sighed. She wasn't the first one who tried to talk some sense into Regina. Even Robin has tried and failed.
"You know what?" Regina suddenly said as she was standing up. "I'm gonna see Taylor."
"I'll come with you, I haven't seen her today." Emma said, and they made their way to the elevator.

Zelena was glaring at the guy who was standing at the entrance of the cave.
"Are you kidding me?" She said angrily. "I told you it wasn't here four times today."
The man looked at her with a smirk on his lips. With his brown hair and his blue eyes, he was really cute.
"Yes I know" he said nicely. "But I wanted to see if you was still like that."
"Like what?"
"Mean" he said with a smirk. "Next time, try to be nice"
Before Zelena could reply, he quickly walked away. Zelena rolled her eyes and sat back on her chair, next to Taylor's bed. Her sister's state hasn't changed. She was still unconscious.
"You're still here?" Someone asked.
As she was staring at her little sister, Zelena turned her head to look at the Doctor Whale.
"I told you she was stable now. She doesn't need to be watched anymore."
"I know, you told me that two days ago." Zelena sighed.
"Then why do you stay here? You can leave"
"To go where? With those pathetic people? No thanks."
The Doctor Whale rolled his eyes and looked at the monitor.
"Is there something new?" Zelena asked.
"Nop. Nothing."
Zelena sighed and put her hands on the edge of the bed, then rested her chin on them.
"Why are you not waking up?" She asked in a low voice, staring at Taylor's face.
The Doctor Whale left the cave, letting Taylor and Zelena alone. Well not totally alone, because Mr Gold was lying on an other bed, still in his magical coma.
"Is anything new?" Regina asked as she was entering the cave.
She quickly walked to the bed and looked at her little sister.
"Nothing " Zelena said. "And you?"
Regina shook her head no.
"What? You've spent three days in this library and you have found nothing?"
Regina sighed and glared at Zelena into her eyes.
"You're not helping" Regina said.
"Well maybe it can't be defeated. Maybe you can just find a way to trap it."
"How?" Regina asked.
"The Pandora box" a weak voice said.
Everyone turned their head to look at Taylor, who was slowly opening her eyes.
"Taylor!" Regina exclaimed in a low voice.
"The Pandora box" Taylor reaped. "The Dark One has been trapped inside of it once. Maybe it can work again."
"Finally someone who gets a brain around here" Zelena said with a smile.
Taylor smiled weakly.
"It won't work" Regina slowly explained. "We can only trap a person inside. Do you want to drink?"
Taylor slowly nodded, and Regina took the glass of water that was on a table. Then she helped her sister to drink.
"What happened?" Taylor finally asked.
"You don't remember?" Emma asked.
"I do, but I don't understand. Why has she done that? To me?"
Emma quickly moved toward Taylor's bed, and took her hands.
"Taylor she didn't mean it. The Dark One created illusions, and she thought she was protecting you"
Taylor slowly nodded, while some tears were escaping from her eyes.
"She loves you, Taylor. More than anything. She's ..."
"She's what?"
Emma looked at Regina, not sure what to say.
"She's your true love, Taylor" Regina finished the sentence.
"She is ?" Taylor asked with a little smile.
"Yes" Regina said. "Do you remember when you told me about this strange feeling you both share?"
Taylor slowly nodded.
"Well it was the true love magic." Regina said gently. "The Dark One made her believe she was protecting you."
Taylor slowly sighed. Even if she was trying, she couldn't get that image of the dragon attacking her out of her head. She still remembered the fear and the pain, and the pain wasn't only physical, but also emotional. The memory of her lover trying to kill her was still hurting her.
"Maybe I didn't do that " She said in a low voice. Everyone frowned.
"Do what?" Zelena asked.
"When I was in the forest, I saw something dark trying to attack her. And I wanted to help her. And when I did so, it was by using magic. Light magic."
"I don't think the Dark One would show things like that" Emma exclaimed in a surprised voice.
"So I have magic?" Taylor asked in her weak voice.
"We will found out later" Regina said. "You need to rest."
"You too" Taylor said. "You seem exhausted"
Emma started to laugh.
"I'll go get Doctor Whale." She said as Regina was glaring at her.
She left the cave, just at the moment when Selena was entering it.
"Taylor!" She exclaimed happily as she was quickly approaching the bed. "You're awake?"
"Slow down." Zelena said. "She just woke up."
Selena glared at Zelena with a smirk, then returned her gaze to her friend.
"What are you doing here?" Taylor asked weakly as she was surprised to see her friend.
"I wanted to visit you, and here I am !"
"You couldn't avoid an other magical crisis, could you ?"
"You know me" Selena said with a smile.
"Okay everyone get out of here" the Doctor Whale suddenly said as he was entering the cave. "Including you this time." He said looking at Zelena. "She needs to rest."
Everyone started to move to the entrance of the cave.
"See you later" Selena said.
Taylor gave her a smile as an answer.
"Zelena?" She called in her weak voice.
As they didn't know who she just called, both Selena and Zelena looked her. But as Taylor was staring at her half sister, Selena left the cave.
"Yes ?" Zelena asked.
"Thank you. For saving my life."
"What makes you think I did such a thing?"
Taylor slowly rolled her eyes.
"I saw you"
"Well ... You're welcome" Zelena said with a little smile, and then she left the cave.