Borne of Curses & Blessings

Chapter Nine

After an hour or so of studying in silence, I hear glass crunching in the foyer and hushed voices speaking to one another as a light dances on the parquet.
"Jesus... what the hell happened here?" A familiar voice asks quietly.
"Is that blood?!" Another familiar voice asks in a panic, "God no, we're too late. Regina?! Where are you!?"
Conjuring a fireball in my palm, I press my body flush against the interior wall waiting for the intruder to step through the door into the study.
"There... more blood. I think she's in here." The wolf whimpers.
"Regina!?" Snow's soft voice cuts through the silence, "are you here? God, please be okay! I'll never forgiv--"
"S-Snow? I-I'm in the study..."
She and Ruby slowly enter the study, concern etched into their features.
"Regina, thank God!!!"
Snow is in front me in a second, she tosses her bow to the floor and she throws her arms around me in a warm, fierce hug; I freeze at the affectionate contact, I'm surprised to be honest. I'm not quite used to being in a neutral place with her. But, I've been trying to change for Henry and Emma.
"I'm so sorry we weren't here!!" she cries as she steps back to cup my face in her hands, "I can never seem to quit failing you..."
Much to my surprise, my arms wrap around her in a firm and gracious embrace.
"Shh... it's okay, it's okay. Snow, it isn't your job to take care of me ."
"We're family, Regina... it is my job. I-... it's my fault."
"What? Don't say that." My voice cracks, "Please don't say that."
"All of this is my fault, I-I'm so sorry."
"Snow, no... please..." I pull her closer, "no, okay? No... this was never your fault. It was Cora... I lost myself after Daniel... and, I was terrible to you. I was a horrible stepmother...."
"I know, but all of it wound up teaching me something so valuable.... it taught me to never give up and to never give up hope."
Then it hits me... sorrow clutches around my heart.
"Is that why you ate the apple?"
"I thought it would help save you. Once you showed me Daniel's grave, I knew it was the right thing to do."
"It's true..." the she-wolf says, "she refused to tell us where you were going and why you were truly meeting. She wanted us to know that secrecy is what started all of this."
"Y-You kept my secret?"
"I told you... I'd failed you enough. I wanted to be different after it was all said and done, but..."
"It didn't change anything..." we say in unison.
"It isn't your fault, Regina. Cora cursed your heart." Snow whispers before pulling away, my hand rests on my chest.
"Sh-She did what?"
"Yes... it's true. But, you need to know something. You and Emma are part of a-" Snow says before my vision begins to get blurry, "Snow, I don't fee- I don't feel so w..."
That's all I remember before passing out, falling to the floor with a heavy thud.

"Regina?!" Snow cries, "shit, Regina! Wake up! C'mon, honey! Don't do this to us!"
"What's happening?! Is she hurt!?" Ruby growls darkly as she kneels beside Snow as they thoroughly study her body.
"I can't find a fucking wound that would cause this! Could it be internal bleeding?" Snow sobs angrily. They find that she looks very pale but the cuts created by the glass are closing from the inside out leaving scars and the bruises from her fight are quickly fading; suddenly, Regina's unconscious form begins to levitate and she's bathed in a brilliant white light before a pink plume of smoke consumes her.
"Snow, what the hell-?"
"I don't know, Rubes... it has to be magic..."
The light and magic are so powerful that the ground shakes beneath their booted feet. Snow and Ruby shield their eyes as they're knocked flat by a warm yet thunderous explosion of magic. The destruction in the manor is repaired as the pink plume and bright light mend everything it touches.

When the smoke finally clears, Regina is lying still on the floor with her back to us. As we go to her, we find that her color has returned and that she's healed completely aside from fresh scarring. As Ruby and I kneel beside her, I brush her hair out of her face and stroke her cheek gently.
"Regina? Regina, can you hear me?"
She finally begins to stir as her intense eyes flutter open, she slowly pushes herself into a sitting position. She's dressed in white and her short hair now hangs just below her shoulders and she looks to be around Emma's age, maybe even younger.
"Regina?"
"S-Snow?" she asks shyly, "what are-?" she pauses as she begins a self examination, "what the hell happened? And, what the hell am I wearing?!" she groans before snapping her fingers and a plume of pink smoke swirls around her. She's then dressed in her typical fashion leaving Ruby and I laughing hysterically. She looks like a senators page.
"What?" Regina asks with a chuckle.
"You feeling alright, Queenie?" Ruby asks playfully.
"Yes, I'm quite fine thank you. Why do you ask?"
"Uh- n-no reason..." Ruby fibs.
"Look, you fainted and we just wanted be sure you were okay."
"I think I remember. Something about a curse on my heart?"
"Yes! Look, we were on patrol for Cora and the entire town was hit with white magic. I recognized it as True Love's Kiss but Blue said otherwise."
"Uh-huh, and you believed that Wasp, because...." Regina flourishes her hands sarcastically.
"That's exactly what I said!" Ruby interjects.
"And, this is why I tolerate you, Mutt." Regina responds kindly. Oddly enough, Ruby smiles and chuckles softly.
"You and Emma are part of a prophecy."
"Prophecy?" Regina echoes softly.
"When the pinnacles of darkest night and brightest day come together first as..." Snow begins.
"...equals then as one, the creation of Truest Love and a New Era begun..." Regina finishes in awe, "th-that's why Mother couldn't kill her..."
"Couldn't kill who?"
"Emma... C-Cora ran her through with a blade but she d-didn't die."
"We're all getting a second chance..." Ruby adds.
"You need to know that your heart is Pure, again Regina. You're free." Snow says gently.
"Wha-What?"
"Your heart is Pure."
"B-But, how? I-It's been.... a very long time since my heart was Pure."
"Not as long as you think," Ruby grins smugly before pointing to the mirror behind us.
I'm shocked by my reflection, I've somehow aged backward without losing my memory. But, how? This is powerful white magic, something I've never encountered.
"New Era begun..." I snap my fingers, "new age. Oh my God, our love did this. Ruby, you're right! It is a second chance!"
"I don't understand..." Snow offers dimly.
"I think I aged backward as a reward for fulfilling the prophecy."
"Regina, Truest Love is the rarest form of magic. It's raw power, pure energy. I-I think you and Emma are immortal..."
"Wha- no! That's not possible... if we were immortal that would mean..."
"The two realms would become one to be freely ruled by the Pinnacles of Peace." Snow finishes softly.
"Are you serious? Pinnacle of Peace? Me?" I offer sarcastically, "the Evil Queen... the irony isn't lost me."
"Um, excuse me Queenie," Ruby offers smugly, "but, peace isn't always maintained through peaceful acts. Even this realm goes to war... this country, they call it, has gone to war for centuries. They're fighting one now."
"But, I'm evil..."
"Hardly. Regina, please. Look at this situation reasonably..." Snow warns gently, "all of my life, I've seen your struggle."
"Snow, I-"
"No, Regina... I've seen you almost my whole life. You despised me for what I did, but you still protected me as a girl. You saved my life, you saved me from Cora, and I'm sure you prevented unnatural encounters from occurring with my father. You took it, instead. The curse Cora cast on you made your heart a vessel for that darkness, therefore you became it... but, that isn't who you are. Why do you think I couldn't ever kill you? A part of me always knew who you were."
"Because you're a good person, Snow White."
"So are you, Regina..." Ruby adds.
I can't help the tears falling down my cheeks as the wolf speaks.
"I saw you in the mine... willing to die for all of us because the fail safe wouldn't have existed if you hadn't cast the curse. No one made you do it, no one guilted you into it. You chose it and fought Emma and the rest of us the whole way. Evil would've saw us all obliterated if it meant no one got their happy ending. But, you..." she finishes.
Warmth seeps into my bones, I've never felt so supported in my life. I pull them both toward me in a hug and I seem to cry harder as they both put their arms around me.
"Thank you both..." I whisper, "if you'll excuse me, I need to find Emma."
"Of course, go! We'll straighten up here, Henry is with David."
With that, Regina flourishes her hands and disappears in a pillar of pink smoke.