The Evil Queen stormed through the forest like a hurricane, razing everything in her path. Dark magic tore in a whirlwind around her, splintering trees and toppling them to the earth with a thunderous crashing. The wake of devastation stretched all the way back to town, and she revelled in the destruction as she hurtled unerringly to her destination. The black cape clipped across her shoulders flared out fitfully behind her, and the high spiked collar of her dusky dress framed the fury in her features. She was every inch the Evil Queen, intent on visiting her wrath upon anything that got in her way.
"Regina!"
Emma's frantic voice carried to her on the light breeze, but the Evil Queen didn't miss a stride. She thwarted Emma's attempt to reach her by hurling a whole tree across her path. The Sheriff rolled out of the way, cursing, and the Dark One helped her up as the Evil Queen marched on.
"There'll be no stopping her in that state, dearie," the Dark One said flippantly, reaching over to pull a leaf out of her hair, "Best try to keep up."
He followed his own advice and strode after the tornado of fury that was Regina. Emma swore and ran to catch up.
At the edge of the clearing that housed the mine entrance, the Evil Queen finally paused. She narrowed her eyes as the day darkened to twilight gloom around her, and then spun around like lightning to face the Netherworld Beast as it pounced. She unleashed her electrical fury in a crackling bolt of power, blasting the creature off course mid-leap.
Further behind in the trees, Emma and Gold heard its thunderous howl and broke into a dead run. Ominous black clouds, flecked through with a sickly green radiance, began to gather with startling rapidity above them. Within moments, they had blotted out the sunlight and drained the colour from the landscape. The shadow-beast recovered its feet with a snarl, and began to prowl around Regina. An unholy growl rumbled deep in its throat as it circled her, searching for a moment of opportunity.
The Evil Queen turned with its circuit, hands raised and ready, denying it an opening. The day darkened further, and the beast began to grow in size even as it continued to prowl. It had started out larger than a horse, but in an instant had doubled its shadowy mass. It approached elephantine proportions, and then surpassed them, not breaking its stride as it tightened the circle.
Imperceptibly, it was edging her further into the open.
The Evil Queen fired bolts of power at it every time it drew too close for comfort, causing it to dodge away with a snarl, but still the circuit grew gradually tighter and she found she couldn't hold her ground in the relative safety of the treeline. The beast leapt at her at pivotal moments, snapping its jaws of darkness, and Regina had to keep backing out of the way, further and further into the unsheltered clearing. Emma and Gold hesitated at the edge of the trees at the sight of the spectacle unfolding before them, sharing a bleak thought of the Staff of Souls, resting useless against the end of an empty hospital bed, miles away.
"What do we do?" Emma said frantically, watching in horror as Regina methodically punched out bolts of power, trying to keep the beast at bay. Her fury had settled to grim determination as she repelled it again and again, and yet, she was still losing ground.
"Divert it's attention," Gold said, steeling himself. Emma nodded even as her face paled.
They split up, circling out from the trees in opposite directions, moving quietly into their respective positions.
Gold attacked it first, sending a spinning wind of power bursting into its side. The beast howled in fury, finally breaking its circle around Regina as it turned its distracted attention to him. From the other side of the clearing, Emma unleashed a bright lash of light magic, making the beast yowl in further annoyance. It swung in her direction, but then stopped and turned back to Gold, who was closer.
Alarmed at its response, Emma tried again, but the gigantic shadow-beast ignored the sting of her power, advancing with menace towards the Dark One. The Evil Queen joined in, firing off another bolt of dark energy that caught it squarely in the back of the head. It snapped its jowls at her over its shoulder, and then leapt at Gold in a blur of movement. The Dark One flung up a shield, but the enraged beast smashed through it and knocked him flying with an effortless swing of one massive, shadowy appendage. Gold arced through the air to land hard with a thud some distance away.
Emma was already running. There was no point continuing to try and distract it from different angles – it appeared too smart for that. She skidded to a halt at Regina's side, meeting her now-nervous gaze before fixating her attention once more on the shadowy beast.
Gold didn't rise from where he had fallen, and the dark creature returned its interest to its true purpose. It was still growing ever larger as the day continued to darken threateningly, and was now the size of a dragon. The Evil Queen and Emma raised their hands as one, unleashing their power in an electrical surge of light and dark magic.
Their magics cut through the oppressive air together and crashed into the beast as it stalked toward them, pushing back hard against it. The beast howled in pain and fury, digging its claws into the earth for leverage and shaking itself in rage. The two women focused their twin beams of magic as powerfully as they could, but the massive creature bowed its head against the force of it and stepped forward, one deliberate step at a time.
"Regina!" Emma cried out, "It's not stopping!"
"I can see that!" Regina shot back, panting at the effort of keeping up the continuous stream of magic.
With a thunderous cracking sound, the white strand of Emma's light magic suddenly turned black as ink and circled itself back on her without warning. The bolt of power knocked her sprawling, and she rolled to a halt a few feet away, unconscious but breathing. Regina shouted desperately to her fallen comrade, but Emma didn't stir.
The beast roared in arrogant challenge, and Regina found herself suddenly alone in the face of certain death. She renewed her outpouring of magic with a primordial cry, and the beam of her power flared darkly. But, alone, her magic's effect on the beast was weakened. Staring at her with smouldering, soulless eyes, it began to move more easily toward her. It was nearly close enough to hit its mark, and it paused and gathered its darkness around itself.
Behind it, the shadows condensed and a gaping black hole tore through the fabric of existence, belching out the foul smell of sulphur. Regina felt the blood drain from her face.
At last, she understood. The beast meant to drag her back to the Netherworld as its prize.
Her magic faltered as the unadorned inevitability of eternal damnation sank in.
The appalling creature gathered itself to pounce.
Regina took a step backward in dread, and collided with something solid. The scent of honeysuckle and apple-blossom drove the stench of terror from her lungs, and then the Red Queen moulded herself against Regina's back, her power bright and liquid in her flashing hands.
The Evil Queen collapsed against her in stark relief, moving with her like a marionette. With deadly focus, the Red Queen fused her magic to Regina's, and a searing beam the colour of moonlight radiated forth from them both. Regina gasped as she leaned into the anchor behind her, marvelling that the magic was not two separate strands intertwined, but rather a single torrent of silver light.
The shadow-beast roared furiously, leaping forward to meet it, and the magic sang wildly in response. The two women cried out as one, and the flood of power they unleashed smashed into the creature, ramming it into the gaping black hole behind it. The brilliant magic faded, and the monster howled as the vortex sucked it down. With a final, furious effort, it flung one last black bolt of lightning at Regina.
Fast as a falcon, the Red Queen pitched her aside. Regina cried out in horror as the bolt meant for her hit the Red Queen squarely in the heart.
In the same instant, the black vortex imploded violently, drowning out the furious screams of the thwarted Netherworld Beast.
The Red Queen crumpled as if in slow motion.
With a stricken cry, Regina leapt for her. She caught her as she fell, sinking to her knees with her head and shoulders cradled on her lap. The Red Queen gasped for breath, her moonlight eyes wide with agony as she clutched fruitlessly at her heart. Regina cupped her face gently, her tears raining freely down.
The Red Queen sucked in a painful breath. "I'm... sorry, Regina... I've... failed you."
"Failed me!" Regina cried out in consternation. She willed her to keep breathing. "You saved my life!"
The Red Queen exhaled, closing her eyes briefly with a soft smile. "Twice," she murmured.
"Twice," Regina nodded with a tearful smile, stroking her starlight hair. She didn't know where the Red Queen had appeared from the second before her demise, but she'd never been so relieved to see someone in her entire life.
The Red Queen haltingly sucked in another breath, and reached up with the last of her strength to cup Regina's cheek. Regina held her hand there, leaning into her touch.
"Forgive me... Regina... For failing to give you the happy ending... you so truly deserve."
She sank back with a sigh. Her glowing moonlight eyes ebbed to dullness, but she kept them on Regina's tearful face until the last. Quietly, she released her final breath, and Regina's sobs broke free with abandon as the hook in her heart constricted violently.
Too late, she understood the pull. Too late, she recognised that terrifying, savage power.
It was her own magic, after all - reaching out desperately for her soulmate.
Devastated at the sudden understanding of the extent of her loss, Regina rocked back and forth, keening. Her tears fell on the other woman's still face, and her heart broke into a thousand pieces. Gently, she leaned down and pressed a timorous kiss to the Red Queen's still lips.
Regina's tears rained down and she clung to her fallen soulmate, sobbing her heart out.
Villains don't get happy endings.