Secrets

The Spell Is Broken

Regina glared at Emma for a long time. The savior started to feel uncomfortable with the pressure on her. She didn't want the queen to die because she couldn't control her magic properly. Taking a deep breath, Emma diverted her gaze towards the Dark One, who stood beside them.

"How exactly are we doing this?" She questioned in a serious tone.

"Focus on your magic and let it flow through you. The energy you liberate will be enough to break the spell and unlock the urn." Rumple explained, taking a step towards his former student.

Regina stared at her hands with a deep frown. She tried to summon her magic but nothing she did seemed to work. Closing her eyes and clenching her jaw, Regina tried her best not to snap. Her magic was the only certainty in her life and there she was – powerless.

"You're allowed to use your magic to help us break the protection spell in the urn." The Dark One said, making the queen open her eyes.

Regina gritted her teeth and shot a murderous look at her former teacher. "How benevolent of you." She bitted out, holding his gaze.

Rumple hardened his expression and took another step towards her direction, his eyes diving into the queen's. Regina was ready to hear a lesson of how powerful he was and that she should pay him some respect. To her surprise, none of this happened.

"Do you think I want to see you suffer? Do you think I don't know how being powerless feels like?" Rumple inquired, his stern gaze undone by the frustration in his voice.

Regina listened to him with immediate surprise. She hadn't expected him to care about her. But then the queen remembered how much he seemed to be enjoying himself while he held her in those chains.

"You have no right to be sentimental, Rumple. I don't care how you might feel right now, but as far as I'm concerned you were more than happy to torture me in the first chance you got. I don't need a lesson from you." She snapped, taking a daring step towards the Dark One.

Rumple looked down and inbreathed deeply. Talking to Regina while she was consumed by rage and darkness was pointless. There was no way of making her understand his actions. Then, Rumple lifted his head until he could see her eyes. "I don't expect you to understand my actions right now, dearie. Nevertheless, I won't stay and cry in shame for what I've done, because as for late, it was necessary. Now, are you ready to open that urn or you wish to stay in this maze forever?" He questioned, sick of Regina's whining.

The queen opened her mouth to reply but no answer came from it. Letting out the breath she was holding, Regina closed her mouth, contorting her lips in a thin line. "Fine." She muttered, grabbing Emma and Rumple's hand and walking towards the pedestal.

Looking from Regina to the Dark One and then to the urn next to her, Emma positioned herself in front of the pedestal while the two magical practitioners did the same in opposite sides, forming a triangle around the artifact.

"I won't let you get hurt, Regina." The savior promised, looking at the queen. Regina held her gaze for a moment and nodded, quickly glancing at Rumple.

"There's no need to worry. Regina is capable of taking care of it." The Dark One commented.

"What about the whole 'suicidal mission' thing?" Emma asked, frowning.

Rumple couldn't help but smirk at her question. "Miss Swan, I understand your concern. I won't lie, this is risky. In most of cases, when a magical connection as big as this is made someone gets immensely hurt, but there's no one in here weak enough to die over this." He commented, grinning. "Regina is the Evil Queen and she was my student. I know her magic, I know her power. She'll be just fine." The Dark One assured, his eyes sparkling in the process.

As she listened to him, Regina felt her heart warm a bit when Rumple addressed her as a powerful sorceress. It would be a lie if she denied the small smirk on her lips at his words. It doesn't matter how much she hated the man - Rumple being proud of her could always lift her mood.

"Could you please do it faster? I would like very much to see my sister." Elsa said, rolling her eyes. Hearing the Dark One talking about how of a perfect student Regina was made her want to explode her acoustic ducts.

Nodding, Emma grabbed Regina and Rumple's hand again while watched the two to the same. The savior took a deep breath and closed her eyes. In a matter of seconds, Emma could feel her magic extending through her body but not quite going anywhere else. She waited to feel any hitch of dark magic, but it didn't seem to be anywhere. Frowning, she waited a little to see if the others would say anything. The feeling of her magic was so intense that Emma couldn't help but smile. It felt amazing.

"Good, Miss Swan. Keep it that way." Rumple murmured, sighing inwardly. "Now I'll make my move... Regina, prepare yourself." He added with a calm tone.

Suddenly, Emma felt her left hand burn slightly. Then, an uncomfortable feeling surrounded her whole arm and she couldn't help but gasp. It wasn't painful, but the intensity of Rumple's magic was so big that at every passing second a part of her was consumed by it and she could feel her energy being slowly dragged from her.

"Regina." The Dark One warned, receiving a 'hang on' in response.

As the words came out of the queen's mouth, Emma had to use all her will not to fall due the force hitting her whole body. She heard Regina groaning and tightening the grip over her hand, making the intensity of the force much stronger. Emma realized the energy she had lost was slowly returning to her and, as she opened her eyes, the savior lifted impressed eyebrows at the scene before her.

There were different colored kinds of magic surrounding the trio. Rumple, who had mostly red magic gravitating his body, had also a purple shadow around his features, which were linked to Regina. Glancing at the queen, Emma noticed that the usual purple in her magic was combined with both red and white, making the savior realize she must be looking exactly like Rumple; only the red replaced by glowing white.

After many gasps and murmurs of adoration from the fascinated group watching them, there was a sound of vase being shattered. A silver wave of magic threw all the ones who had been cursed flying against walls as a thick liquid came out of the urn, slowly dividing in two and growing into human bodies - the spell had been broken.

-- |¥| --

Snow fluttered her eyes open in confusion. She blinked a few times to make sure of her surroundings and quickly sat down, looking at her husband who was slowly sitting up as well. The princess faced David and gave him a small smile, leaning forward to wrap her arms around his neck. Charming's response was immediate. The prince held Snow close and place a trail of kisses from her forehead to her mouth, lingering there for a couple of seconds. Snow smile only grew and she tilted her head, deepening the kiss.

"I'm sorry for being such a pain the ass." She whispered, laughing slightly.

Charming couldn't help but chuckle, nodding in response. "I guess I wasn't very charming either." He teased, earning from his wife a snort at how poorly his joke had been.

The princess's smile faded as she found Regina's gaze. She couldn't help a frown from forming in her forehead. Things had gone a little heated between them, and this time Snow had no idea how to make up with her stepmother. However, she couldn't help but let out a loud laugh. Regina glared at her, lifting her eyebrows in surprise and making a gesture of pure puzzlement as she reached her hand and lifted the forgotten sword they used in their little fight.

Seeing the queen's smirk, Snow knew everything was going to be alright.

It felt oddly good to go back to her normal self. Snow felt light headed and happier than she had been for weeks. This crazy motion was over. They could finally go home and enjoy themselves.

Looking up to the sky, Snow realized all the clouds were dissipating and the sunlight hit them more intensely. If she stopped to pay attention, the princess could hear distant bird songs in the woods.

Yes, things were starting to go back to normal.