Dark Swan Rising

Fighting for Life

Emma was dreaming. She was reliving her whole life, but she was dimly aware of a searing pain in her head.

-

Henry was shaking Emma's limp body, desperately trying to wake her up. Tears were streaming down his face and blood was still coming out of the wound in the Savior's head. They'd called the hospital despite knowing that they couldn't heal Emma. But they did know that the bleeding could be stopped.

As Henry watched his mother helplessly, he knew that her breathing was becoming slower and slower.

-

She'd just met Lily, and she was grateful for Lily helping her to get away with shoplifting. Emma just knew that they'd be best friends.

-

David and Dr. Whale lifted Emma's body and carefully lay her on the stretcher in the ambulance. Everyone rode in the back of the ambulance with Emma, worried if she'll survive the battle for her life. But they also knew that if she died, the darkness inside her wouldn't go anywhere due to none of them causing her death.

When they arrived at the hospital, they immediately hooked her up to the machines and tried to stop the bleeding.

-

Emma watched in horror as Neal released his grip on her arm and he fell through the portal. She couldn't-no she wouldn't-believe it. This had to be some twisted dream and she'd wake up in a minute.

-

Nobody spoke to each other. They were all to worried that if they started talking that they'd miss something. The bleeding had almost stopped, but they'd been warned that if Emma moved, it could open up again.

Henry finally broke the silence. "Do... do you think she'll make it?"

No one dared to respond, not wanting to reassure him and be wrong, but not wanting to say no and then she could still die.

And so they all sat, glancing at each other every now and then but not uttering a word.

-

She took the dagger and stabbed it into the darkness. It unwrapped itself from Regina and made its way down Emma's arm. She grunted with pain and stress, already feeling the darkness taking over her. She looked at Killian, suddenly feeling calm.

All of a sudden, she was lifted up in the air. Emma dropped the dagger just before she was sent to the Dark One's Vault.

-

Regina watched as Emma started twitching in her sleep. Whale said that Emma was in a coma, so even if she survived this battle, she wouldn't awake for quite some time.

The Savior was muttering in her sleep saying things like "No." and "Leave me alone."

Suddenly, she said "Get out of my head," and her body started convulsing.

-

Emma plunged Excalibur through Killian's chest, and she immediately hugged him, knowing he was dying. His thumb stroked the side of her face, and she pulled away, Excalibur coming out as well.

The sword diminished, and Emma looked up, seeing Killian's neck wound reappear. She cried, "NO!" As his body collapsed, she grabbed him and lowered him to ground slowly.

-

Everyone instantly leapt to their feet and tried to hold her down. Doctors came rushing into the room as Emma's heart rate started to increase at a dangerous level. Whale started screaming orders. He turned to them, saying "Hold her down at all costs. This is going to hurt her, but it'll help."

With that, he stuck a needle in her left arm, slowly pressing down on the handle. The liquid entered her veins. Her body continued to spasm for about a minute before it fell still. Unusually still.

They slowly pulled their arms off of her, unsure was was happening. The machine's beeping began slowing down. They turned to it and saw that her heart rate was now dropping, and dropping quickly.

-

Emma was dancing with Killian, and although she knew she'd reached the end of her dream, this was a reality. He twirled her around, and they locked eyes. Killian pulled her close, their bodies pressing against the other's.

She pulled him in for a kiss, feeling the pressure leaving her head. Her body was being shaken in the real world, but Emma wanted to stay here. With Killian.

He pulled away, and they once again locked eyes. His sparkling blue eyes were serious. "You can come with me, love. You don't have to go back there. You can stay."

Emma stared at him, longing to be with him. "What happens if I go with you instead of returning?"

"You will die, but we can be together, forever."

They were suddenly in a circular room, with two doors. Killian began to back away towards the door directly behind him. "All you have to do is follow me," he said, his voice soothing her troubled mind.

They both looked up at the ceiling as they heard a distant voice reaching through them.

"Emma? Emma stay with us! You have to fight. You can win this battle. Come back to us, please!" The voice belonged to Henry.

She looked at Killian, despair filling her body. Emma made her decision.

-

The monitor stopped beeping. Henry couldn't believe it. He stared at Emma's body, distraught crashing into him like a wave. He placed a hand on the bed to prevent himself from falling.

Everyone else paused, unable to believe their eyes.

Emma was dead. Snow and David turned to each other, hugging and crying on the other's shoulder.

He turned towards Regina, about to hug her, when he suddenly felt a hand grab his arm, holding him tightly. He turned back around as he hear the monitor start up again. Looking down at his arm, he saw Emma's hand holding it.

Her eyes were half opened as she struggled to stay awake. Her chest fluttering, she closed her eyes and her hand went limp, her grip loosening and falling back down.

Tears of happiness poured down Henry's eyes. Everyone hugged each other and Emma's sleeping body, relief and happiness overflowing them.

She was alive.

+

For anyone who doesn't understand, the reverse between Emma and the other's perspectives are taking place a few moments after the other. Like when her heart rate starts dropping, that was when her dance started with Killian. Had she followed him out the door, she'd be dead. Obviously she chose to stay alive for a reason, but why?(;