Dark Swan Rising

Lure of Darkness

Regina couldn't believe it. She couldn't find Excalibur. Where could it have gone? Deep down, Regina knew who took it, but she didn't want to accept it.

"Henry, tell me you didn't," she murmured. Henry was the only person who would take the sword and not tell her. Looking at the clock, which read 8:15, something seemed wrong. Something wasn't right. Henry should've been back fifteen minutes ago, she thought. Worry coursed through her.

Rushing out the front door, Regina rushed down the street towards Miss Swan's house. Halfway across the block, she was stopped by a voice.

"Regina, wait!" It was Robin. "Where are you off to?"

She turned around and watched him jogging up to her, pulling his grey sweatshirt over his head. Regina wanted to just melt into his arms and forget her problems, but she knew that she couldn't.

"I'm going to Emma's," she responded, nodding her head back down the road.

Robin's eyes grew serious. "You're worried because Henry isn't back yet."

Regina nodded.

"We both know that the whole point of this was so that we can get her back."

She turned to him and sighed. "I know. I just don't understand..."

Robin narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Don't understand what?"

"She wasn't exactly all open arms after we turned her into a Dark One again." She pulled out a dreamcatcher and stared at it. "But she figured it out again right after we erased her memories of it." Regina stared at him, willing him to understand her confusion.

"Robin, what makes this time any different than right after we saved her? The point of this was to get answers, even if they aren't directly." Regina turned around and began walking again. "I'm checking on Henry," she called behind her.

Upon reaching the house, its blue walls distinctively standing out against all the other houses, Regina closed her eyes and poofed the dreamcatcher back in her house.

"Emma, who are you really," she mumbled, walking up the stairs. She knocked on the door. Calling out "Swan!", she backed away from the door and waited for Emma to open the door.

The door opened with a creak, and Emma stepped outside. Her blonde hair swayed in the breeze, and she wore a turtleneck under her jacket.

"Where's my son," Regina demanded, taking a step towards the door. Emma closed it and stood in the way.

"Regina, he's sleeping. Don't wake him up. Let him have some sleep." She walked over to a window on her left and gestured to Regina to look through. Her eyes softened when she saw him peacefully sleeping on the couch, a blanket resting over his shoulders.

She dipped her head in apology to Emma. "I'm sorry for bothering you. I was just worried-"

"When he didn't come back. I understand," Emma finished for her. Her eyebrows narrowed. "But I can tell that you didn't just come here for Henry."

Regina nodded her head again. "Indeed. I have something to tell you." the Dark One's eyebrows raised.

"...What is it?"

"Excalibur is missing," she bluntly stated. Emma took a step back in alarm. "I thought Henry took it," she added, gesturing towards the window, "but he clearly wasn't the culprit."

"So someone else has it." Emma eyes were troubled, maybe even a little crazed. "Regina, you know that whoever has it could make me do unspeakable things..." Her eyes widened. "Or if Rumple has it, what he could do to me," she said, her voice growing to a whisper.

Regina sighed. "That won't happen," she assured her. "Besides, there's something else we need to talk about. You being the Dark One again. We need to find another way to get rid of the darkness. Do you know of any way?"

Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "The flame of Prometheus. But we'll need the sword and the dagger. If I can get it to light again, we can join the blades once more. Then all we have to do is put the darkness back into the sword."

"But there's still a catch." Regina's voice hardened. "We'd still have to sacrifice someone."

"No, we wouldn't," Emma countered. "Because we're going to put that sword through Rumple."

"It could work," she murmured. "Goodnight, Emma. I expect to see Henry in the morning."

Emma smiled at her. "You can count on it."

A minute later, Regina was outside of her house again. She pulled out a phone and a piece of paper. She dialed the numbers of the paper and held the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?"

"We need to talk," Regina said. "I know we aren't exactly buddy-buddy right now, but I need to ask you something."

The person on the other end responded with disdain in their voice. "And why on earth would I help you? The last time we talked, you used me."

"You will help me because there is one person that we both care about that needs help."

"Yeah?" their tone sounded unbelieving. "And who is that?"

"Emma," she said bluntly. The line was quiet for a moment.

"Meet me at noon at the bus stop."

The line went dead. They hung up. Regina smirked and walked inside.

Regina awoke with a start. She glanced at the clock, inwardly groaning when she saw that it was only seven. Rolling over, she found herself pressuring against Robin's body, warm heat radiating off of him. Getting out of bed, she made breakfast and jumped, startled, when Henry walked through the doors.

"Henry! I thought you'd be at Emma's for a little longer."

He mumbled something about Emma's pacing keeping him awake before sprinting up the stairs, presumably to get some actual sleep.

When noon arrived, Regina worked her way towards the bus stop. She was relieved when she saw Lily waiting for her.

Lily lifted her head and stared into Regina's eyes, curious.

"What happened to Emma that has made this meeting so important?"

Regina launched into the story, and when she finished, she saw amusement lighting in Lily's eyes.

"What's so funny," she demanded.

Lily laughed. "You honestly expect Emma to forgive you for what you did? You're even more of a fool that I thought."

"Lily, we erased her memories. I called you her because I need to know. Despite Emma not remembering what happened, could she still be evil and trying to hurt us?"

Lily's eyes grew serious. "The darkness is a funny thing. It doesn't care about some Savior. It doesn't care about anything but itself. It makes its way deep inside of you so that not even you know it's there. So yes, she's trying to hurt you. You knew this deep down, Regina. You know better than most the lure of the darkness. Emma was-and in a way, still is-my best friend. We're interconnected. And I can feel her anger burning stronger every day."

Regina was shocked.

"So if I were you, your majesty, I'd keep well away from her and make sure that she doesn't get that memory back, because if she does," Lily said laughing. "If she does, there will be no way to bring her back to the light."