Chapter 16

Fifth Day. Night Time.

Breathing.

Running.

Pain.

So much pain.

Regina growled as she struggled to run. Her ankle screamed. Her hand throbbed. Her body shuddered in the cold mist. The sounds of pursuit were still close behind her, so she pushed on. Her chest was so tight, and she was so lost. She would need to figure a way out of here. It took her a moment to remember that she had magic in this world. If she was lucky, her methods of instant travel would still work. Regina bit her lip and thought of Emma, wishing to be by her side. She pushed her magic into the air around her to create a teleportation field. But as soon as her purple magic sparked in the air, the darkness grew thicker, and she felt her magic stifled. The air grew close and claustrophobic around her. Regina moaned in frustration, pushing off of a tree and limping further on. More primitive magic would be needed. She swatted a branch away from her face, then held out her right hand, palm upturned. Regina whispered hoarsely into the night,

"Light of moon, stars of night,

Hear my cry, guide my life.

Show me home, show me light,

Show me hope, away from strife."

A light purple orb began to grow in her hand, quivering under the shifting moonlight.

"Take me to Emma." She whispered, wishing desperately that her magic wouldn't fail her this time. The orb shivered, and then it flew away from her hand towards the right. She groaned. The path ahead was littered with boulders and sharp rocks. But she had to get to Emma. She had to make sure she was okay.

Sounds of a fight broke out behind her, and Regina spun around, left hand outstretched. Nausea welled when she saw that the once vibrant forest behind her was dead. Darkness covered everything, masking unchecked death and Shadows. But she could feel their dark presence. She could almost see them. Her heart was in her throat as she stumbled backwards. A sharp noise jerked her attention. Regina's brow furrowed. Another glance in the direction the orb was heading, and she bolted. A shriek sounded behind her. Others echoed around her and she knew she would become paralyzed if she tried to figure out how many creatures were chasing her.

So she ran.

Regina scrabbled against the rocks, hissing as a nail broke. Hair fell into her face as she struggled to gain a foothold. Huffing, Regina hauled herself over an incline, then broke into a run. The hairs on her arms stood on end and her breath caught. She felt something grab her shoulder and she jerked around, eyes wide. Regina's brown eyes darted back and forth but saw nothing except darkness and broken rocks. A shriek behind her pulled her from her search and she gasped as she was tackled to the ground. A high pitched wail sounded and she sobbed as she was pinned down and drug backwards.

"Nonononono!" she silently screamed. Her fingers clawed bloody lines along the ground as she tried to gain traction and pull herself away from the shadow. Then she screamed in pain as a the shadow smashed a rock on her already throbbing right hand to keep it still. The crunch of bone and shafts of pain made her stomach clench. But with a gigantic heave, Regina thrust herself up and pulled herself barely out of the shadow's reach. It lunged towards her, but she held out her hand and pressed it against the creatures face.

"Fry, you bastard!" She spat out, and electricity shot from her fingers into the Shadow's form. For an instant, she could almost discern a face, but it was quickly masked by the eye sockets widening as it howled in pain and fury, jerking away from the Queen.

Regina felt something touch her shoulder again and she cried out and flung her hand out. The orb darted away from the lightning just in time, humming reassuringly before speeding into the darkness.

Regina swallowed hard, gritted her teeth against her broken bones, and dazedly staggered after the orb. She had to find Emma. They had to stop this.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Regina knew it had only been a few minutes since the attack. She knew she had only been gone from camp for twenty, maybe thirty minutes when the attack occurred. But she couldn't keep all the thoughts from crashing in on her and playing worst case scenarios on repeat. Emma dead before she could reach her. Emma dying after she found her. Belathon and Alexandra captured or dead. Regina's breath caught in her throat and tears stung her eyes. There was so much death. And Regina wasn't close enough to stop it. She snarled and ran faster. Her hand hurt more than she wanted to admit, but she stubbornly ignored it. A few broken bones were the least of her worries. She couldn't quit. Not now.

Falling rocks alerted her to the fact that she was not alone. Regina took a steadying breath and ignored the sounds, pressing on despite the terror crawling up her spin. Just as a hiss sounded next to her ear, her feet faltered and she cried out as she felt herself falling.

And falling.

And then everything went dark.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"Oh gods." Regina groaned, eyes tightly shut as she reached up to hold her head. She rolled over but quickly stopped, wheezing. The pain was excruciating. Her head fell back and her forehead creased as she tried to catalog her injuries. To her dismay, everything hurt too much to know if she had broken anything else. Tears escaped as she once again tried to sit up. A loud noise grabbed her attention. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to see in the gloomy cave. But the scraping hiss alerted her to a Shadow's presence. She looked up and saw darkness moving over the hole..

"Shit." She swore, scooting back. She held out her left hand towards the opening, her hand glowing purple as the hole began to magically seal itself. A few rocks came crashing down and Regina barely pulled herself out of the way. She stared in horror at a boulder that was sitting right where her leg had been moments before. One more glance up at the hole, another wave of her glowing hand, and the final points of light disappeared as it was sealed. Regina let out a breath. She was safe from the Shadows for now. At least, she hoped so. The Queen shifted in the oppressive darkness, trying to see around her.

Swallowing, she got to her knees, then pushed herself to her feet. A tiny noise to her left made her stiffen. She took a few quick breaths, then looked left. A light rushed towards her and she cried out, hands flying up to protect her face. But a quiet humming greeted her. She slowly lowered her hands and sighed as her orb bounced in front of her, its purple light pulsing gently.

"It's only you." She whispered, reaching out to touch the orb with her fingertips. It chirped reassuringly.

"Is Emma near?" Regina asked, her bruised but hopeful face illuminated by the purple glow. The orb flashed blue then back to purple, and flew deeper into the cave. Regina tried to follow, but failed. She reached down and found her whole right side was damaged. Her right knee and ankle were swollen, and would barely support her weight. Her eyes shut tightly and she let out a long breath. Nothing was ever easy. She remembered what she told Emma about healing, and cringed. Healing was never her specialty, and with her limited energy, she wasn't sure how effective her efforts might be. But she had to try. She had to get to Emma. Regina waved her hand and the cave was illuminated by small glowing embers. In the new, dim light, Regina slowly shuffled towards a large boulder, groaning as she relaxed against it. She propped her leg up on a smaller rock, then summoned what strength she could, laying her hand on her ankle. Her hand glowed again, and her magic flowed into the swollen area. Regina hissed in pain as a bone snapped back into place. Regina's head fell back against the boulder and she gritted her teeth as she tried to keep focusing on healing herself. After a few seconds she stopped, breathing heavily. Her whole body ached, and her head was throbbing. Healing was so draining. Her eyes cracked open again and she looked down at her broken right hand. Her previous masking spell had begun to fade, and she could see a few green tendrils mixing with the sickly black streaks around the claw marks. Her hand was a mess. She cradled it in her left and mumbled spells to herself, trying to figure out the best spell to use. She used to be able to cast spells without saying them, but this world was so unstable that that she didn't want to risk it.

Regina sighed. She needed some water for this spell. Her eyes closed and she sent out her magic. After a few seconds, her body tingled as she found the water. The Queen opened her eyes. She would need strength if she was going to perform this spell. She reached down and drew a rune in the ground next to her, then whispered "Thurisaz". Her eyes glowed purple. Soon the cave began to glow as well. Her limbs grew stronger as the rune channeled power into her broken body. Her mouth opened in a silent gasp as her eyes rolled back into her head.

Finally.

She felt strong again.

Her eyes still flashed purple when she opened them, and with a wave of her hand, water was summoned into a concave rock near her hand. She dipped her hand into the cold water, swearing as it stung her wounds. This spell was one for those with good magic, and just saying the words irked her. But she needed a verbal spell and it was the only one she could remember.

Sighing, she began to project the words into the cave, feeling them reverberate with power as the rune below her glowed brilliantly.

"Pure of water, pure of Heart,

Evil corruption begin to part.

Protective shield of water rise.

All evil within meet its demise.

Pure intentions, good and bright,

Protect and serve me, cast your light!"

The water erupted in a cascade of light as it began to swirl around her injured hand. The sickly green and black mixed with the purple magic and blue water, creating a beautiful myriad of power and light. Then Regina watched in fear as her magic began to be overwhelmed by the poisons. She needed more power. She winced. This was going to hurt, and it could most definitely backfire. Regina placed her left hand over her pulsing right one, and whispered "Rune of blood, I summon thee. Thurisaz!". The rune she had drawn on the ground appeared on her hand, carved into her skin. Blood slid down her fingers as she bit her lip, tears streaming down her face. "Thurisaz." She choked out, closing her eyes. The bloody rune lit up with a deep, crackling purple, and the poisons began to lose their hold. Then the water boiled and began to turn green. Her magic was corrupting the spell. Regina's eyes widened. "No." She whispered, willing the previous spell to continue working. She began to repeat the spell over and over again.

"Pure of water, pure of Heart,

Evil corruption begin to part.

Protective shield of water rise.

All evil within meet its demise.

Pure intentions, good and bright,

Protect and serve me, cast your light!"

The water glowed brighter, taking on the hue of the blood rune, and Regina finally felt its effects fill her body. Her bones snapped into place, the poisons faded, and the pain began to recede. After a minute, the water calmed, sliding off her hand into the small pool. But to Regina's dismay, both the Shadow's claw marks and the rune were still visible on her hand as dull red scars. She waved her hand over the marks, willing them to fade as well, but succeeded only in exhausting herself further. She collapsed against the boulder, head falling forward as she tried to calm her pounding heart. At least the healing had worked. She flexed her fingers, watching as her hand moved without pain. "That will have to do...". Regina traced the scars on her hand, mouth pursed. Those scars were unacceptable. A scrabbling sound along the ceiling caught her attention. Then she remembered the Shadows. And Emma. Pushing herself off the rock, she exhaustedly stumbled towards the still waiting orb. "I'm coming." She said quietly, and the orb pulsed in acknowledgment. When she reached it, what she found was a wall of boulders that stretched up into the darkness above her. She glared at the orb. "What is this?" She exclaimed, gesturing towards the rock.

"Emma isn't here! Find me a way through to her."

The orb chirped and tapped against the boulder in front of her. Regina's brow creased and she swore under her breath.

"Emma is on the other side of this wall?" She groaned. The orb chirped again. Regina shook her head, but placed a hand on the rocks. "If you say so." She mumbled, then closed her eyes. A blast wave hit the rocks, and they exploded outwards. Regina winced as sharp stones flew back, riddling her arms and face with small cuts. "Fuck." She swore. Then she rolled her eyes. 'I've been around Miss Swan far too much for my own good.' She thought. She directed a few of the glowing embers floating around the cave to drift into the new hole. She peered in, seeing a gloomy tunnel of dirt, rocks, and roots. Regina sighed. She was going to get dirty. The Queen waved the orb on. "Go. Find Emma." The orb bounced in the air, spun, then flew off into the tunnel. Climbing through the hole, Regina slowly but steadily made her way underground.

After ten minutes, Regina began to shiver. But she pushed on, still following the orb. A little longer and she came upon another blockage. "This is ridiculous." She grumbled, glowering at the root and dirt filled tunnel. The orb disappeared through the wall, and Regina leaned in to look. There was a small hole, and she could feel a breeze. Suddenly, the orb popped back through, hitting her in the face.

"Watch what you're doing!" She snapped, swatting at it. It buzzed around her head as she ran her hand over the dirt and rocks. "Alright. Let's get through this."

She sent another blast wave towards the blockage. Dirt sprayed the air, and some of the ceiling collapsed onto the disgruntled queen. "Damn it." She hissed, brushing dirt off her clothing and out of her hair. Her scowl deepened as she angrily shoved her way through the hole. "Find me a clear path." She muttered. The orb seemed to ignore her this time, and just flew ahead, almost out of view. Regina grumbled to herself as she pressed on. Over the next few minutes she ran into five more tunnel collapses. She often couldn't go more than a few steps without the path being blocked. Regina began to swear profusely, expending her limited energy on each wall of dirt and rubble. It began to get monotonous when all of a sudden the orb flashed bright purple, then darted up towards the ceiling. It hit the dirt furiously, flashing purple, blue, and then red. The red began to flash more frequently, and Regina felt her chest clench. "Is she up there?" She asked, pulse quickening. The orb chirped three times, flashing faster.

Regina closed her eyes and sent her magic up through the ground, feeling for Emma. Nothing. She went up ten feet. Then twenty. Then she found her. Her heart leapt. Emma was just above her! Then she felt how weak Emma was. Her eyes flew open and she felt her heart stop in that moment. Emma was dying. Regina felt around Emma and her skin began to crawl. A Shadow. A Shadow had Emma. Regina's eyes flashed a dangerous purple as her hands began to crackle with power. She hadn't come this far just to lose Emma to those monsters.

Regina placed her hands on the low ceiling, powerful fingers digging into the dirt as she bared her teeth. "Take me to Emma." She growled, and sent a steady blast wave towards the dirt and roots, tunneling her way towards the blonde.

'I have to make it in time. I have to.'

o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Emma shifted, and the Shadow's nails dug into her head further. The blonde whimpered, body tensing as her mind once more became aware of what was happening to her. Regina. She could feel Regina. She tried to open her eyes, but they were too heavy. She tried to find out where the woman was, but her lucidity was quickly fading. Her last thought was of the dark haired queen, Regina's name escaping in a last breath before Emma's heart stopped completely, mind once more overtaken by shadows.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o

CRACK!

The Shadow shrieked as lightning struck its chest. Fire erupted around it, flames crackling along its body.

"Get away from her!" Regina rasped, pulling herself up and out of the hole. She sent more lightning towards the creature, and smiled in satisfaction as its screams echoed in the forest. She knelt down next to Emma, her fingertips tracing the bloody marks on her face and head.

"Oh, Emma..." She breathed, brow wrinkling. Her eyes darted up, and she watched in dismay as she Shadow began to slowly stagger through the flames. Regina gritted her teeth and grabbed Emma beneath her arms, dragging her towards the hole.

"Forgive me." She whispered into Emma's ear, and the blonde shifted in her arms. One last step and the Queen was at the edge of the hole. She looked down into the darkness. This was going to hurt.

"Rune of blood, I summon thee! Eihwaz!" The jagged rune appeared on Regina's wrist, and she winced. She had to find a different way of performing magic in this world. But one last look at the flaming Shadow advancing towards them brought her back to the present.

She jumped.

Regina's eyes closed tightly as she felt them falling down. Down. Down. Then she gasped as the rune on her wrist flamed purple, and they jerked to a halt just above the ground. She tentatively tested the ground beneath them. It was solid. Gently placing Emma down, she smoothed her hair away from her face.

"You're safe now." Regina mumbled.

One last glance at Emma, then the Queen glowered up towards the hole.

"You're not getting her again, bastard!" Regina's hands stretched above her, and the roots began to twist and tangle themselves, creating a thirty foot barrier of living wood between them and the Shadow. Regina turned her head to keep dirt from falling in her eyes. After a moment, she knelt down, brushed Emma off, then examined her more closely. The punctures around her face were worrisome, but Regina was most distressed to find Emma chest was still. No breaths. No heartbeat. Nothing.

"No. Emma, no." She cupped the blonde's cheeks, looking intently into her face. The Queen's brow furrowed as her voice rose.

"Emma, you can't do this to me! You're the most stubborn woman I know. You can't die! Not like this! You can't!" Her hand slid to the back of Emma's neck as she held her close to her chest. Regina rocked the blonde as her scarred hand rested above Emma's heart.

"You can't leave me like this, Swan! You won't! I'm not going to let you die!" Regina's breathing sped up as Emma's body lay limp in her arms.

"Emma." She shook her gently. Still nothing. Growling, Regina lowered the Sheriff down, then knelt next to her. She gently reached up to brush hair away from Emma's face.

"This will hurt. I'm so sorry." She whispered. Biting her lip, Regina unbuttoned Emma's shirt, breath hitching as her hands brushed against the blonde's exposed skin. She flexed her fingers then rested her palms on Emma's chest. The Queen took a deep breath. She could do this. Regina jumped as Emma's body jerked up, electricity sparking from her hands into Emma's chest. She stopped and felt Emma's pulse, but her heart was still.

Regina shocked Emma's heart again. Nothing. She shocked her again. Still nothing. Tears began sliding down Regina's cheeks. Then Regina scowled. Since when was she this attached to the life of anyone other than her family? Regina pushed the thought away. She swallowed thickly, fingers tingling as they rested on Emma's cool skin. Once more. Her hands glowed purple, Emma's body jerked, and a small gasp escaped the blonde's lips. Regina didn't realize she had been holding her breath, and it escaped sharply.

"Emma?" She choked out, leaning down and cupping the blonde's face. "Emma...?"

The Sheriff's eyelids fluttered, but the woman wouldn't awaken. Regina signed in relief as she held Emma in her arms.

"See?" She mumbled, holding Emma tightly.

"I told you I wouldn't let you die. I keep my word."

Then Regina stood up, groaning, and grabbed Emma beneath her arms.

"Time to go." She whispered, then grunted and began dragging the unconscious Sheriff to safety.

"Gods. Why are you so heavy." Regina complained. The orb chirped happily next to her ear and Regina jumped. Then it darted down and illuminated Emma's face.

"Yes, yes. You found her. Thank you." Regina's tone gentled significantly, and the orb began to glow a soft blue and gold.

"Can you find me a place where I can properly tend to her wounds?"

The orb spun and flew past her, deeper into the tunnels. Regina grunted again and got a better hold of Emma. 'Here we go.'

o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Regina looked in dismay at the smelly, spider web, and feces covered cave.

"You can't be serious." She snapped. Her lip curled in disgust. The orb flashed blue then back to purple, flying around both women.

"You are serious then..." Regina's brow seemed permanently creased as she daintily reached out to touch a grimy wall.

"Whatever lived in here had some nasty habits." She grumbled. Then she glared at the orb. "Do tell me...the creature that inhabited this cave...it has moved on, yes?" The orb blinked again. Regina sighed. This would have to do. She looked at the bone strewn floor between her and the cave mouth, mouth pinched in disgust.

"This is unacceptable." She put Emma down gently.

"Miss Swan, I know your hygiene is far less cultured than mine, but I believe even this mess is below your standards. I won't drag you through such filth, regardless." Regina continued to grumble to herself as she hunted for something to clean the cave. She found a long shin bone, and a short stick amidst the finger bones, skulls, and vacant spider webs. Her nostrils flared as she picked up the bone with two fingers. She looked around her and groaned. This was highly unpleasant. Regina gripped the bone more securely, and then began using the knobbed end to shift rocks, bones, and webs out of the way. The orb hovered above her shoulder, seemingly interested in watching the mighty Queen clear away remnants of a monster's many meals.

After a while, Regina had cleared most of the bones and rocks along a narrow path to the cave mouth. She kicked a pebble out of the way before trudging back to the unconscious blonde. Emma was very pale, and her wounds were still bleeding sluggishly. Regina held Emma's chin and looked her over more closely.

"Sheriff, what have you gotten yourself into?" She asked sadly, hand tenderly cupping the blonde's cheek. Emma leaned into her touch, forehead smoothing slightly as a quiet sigh escaped. Regina's thumb caressed her cheek, eyes searching the woman's face for any sign of consciousness. But all she saw was pain and exhaustion.

"I hope I reached you in time." She said quietly, leaning down to grab Emma again. With a grunt, she began to drag the Sheriff along the narrow path. Regina stopped a ways from from the cave mouth, and leaned Emma against the curved wall. Her back popped when she stood up, eyes searching the cave. They would need a fire if she was going to keep Emma warm.

Regina cleared away more room so she could build a fire, then looked over her shoulder at the unconscious blonde. Emma needed a fire badly. The longer she waited, the worse off Emma would be. Her jaw clenched. Shadows or no, she would have to get some firewood. She wasn't strong enough to keep a fire going with magic alone. She needed to rest as well. So, with a wave of her hand, she summoned wood. Nothing. She waved her hand again. But she only managed to summon one wet, rotting branch. Regina swore, then glanced out of the cave mouth. There would be firewood outside, even if she couldn't summon any.

"Going outside is stupid. So stupid. I shouldn't even be considering it." Regina muttered. Her arms wrapped around herself protectively as she stared into the gloomy night. The hair on her arms stood on end and she shivered. Then she peered out of the cave and into the dark, wet night, glowering at the empty darkness. Nothing was ever easy. Shoulders hunched, Regina stepped into the night. A chirp by her ear startled her.

"Stop that!" She hissed, eyes narrowed. The orb hovered by her head, blinking orange.

"No, I'm not leaving her. I'll be back. Keep an eye on her for me, please?" The orb hummed for a second, then blinked blue before whizzing back to Emma's side.

Regina hunched her shoulders again as she walked cautiously into the darkness. She began making her way towards the treeline to her right. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Clearing her throat, her fingers tightened, digging into her arms. Her eyes scanned her surroundings. Helping Emma was her priority. Regina just hoped going out alone at night was the right choice. But she knew that it wasn't.

"Shit." This was a mistake. She huffed and turned around, coming back to kneel by Emma's side. She took a piece of golden hair in her hand, fingers sliding through the strands.

"It seems you will continue to experience my magical failings, Swan." She said wryly.

"We need fire, and I can't get enough wood here during this storm. And I don't remember any verbal fire spells to light the fire we need if I can't conjure a fireball to light our nonexistent wood. So we will have to make do with me 'winging it', as you would say." A small smile graced the Queen's lips. She paused and placed her hand on the side of Emma's neck. It was cold and clammy, and the pulse was ragged. She didn't have long to come up with some heat and a way to heal Emma's dangerous wounds.

"At least I do well under pressure." Regina muttered. She looked around the very unpleasant cave.

"If I manage to get a fire started, I will need to clean this place up. I will not have us staying in lodgings even more deplorable than a peasant's hovel. A mayor deserves better than this. And maybe even a sheriff." She laughed to herself. The orb flew just off her right shoulder, humming and pulsing in what seemed like responses. Regina raised an eyebrow, side eying her new little friend.

"Sticking around, are we?" The orb pulsed and chirruped pleasantly. Regina rolled her eyes.

"As you will." She rolled up her sleeves. Time to get to work. Kneeling down, the Queen placed her hands on a large rock. She scooted it closer to the unconscious sheriff, her ears tuned into Emma's breaths.

"Okay..." Regina sighed. Her hands splayed on the rock.

"Time to get you warm, Sheriff. Sadly, things are harder in this world than they were in yours. Even with magic." Head tilted to the side, Regina watched the rock closely. She felt her magic well up inside of her, body buzzing with the high. Her eyes slid shut as her nostrils flared. It felt so good. So very, very good. Lights danced behind her eyes as she explored the magic filling her. She enjoyed the buzz of power in her fingertips, the flush along her chest, neck, and cheeks. Her lips curled in a contented smile as her body seemed to float. Sounds died out, the cold rock beneath her seemed to fade away. It was just her and her magic. It slithered around her limbs, filled her lungs with long lost life, and set her heart fluttering. It was truly intoxicating. A few small bumps on her shoulder were not enough to pull her from her reverie. Then a hard object slammed into her cheek. Regina swore, eyes flying open, flashing purple. Her hands crackled with power as she snarled. But it was just the orb, humming and pulsing. It nudged her gently this time, hovering close. It flashed yellow, then bumped her again, chirping lightly. Regina's eyes slowly faded to a dark purple, and back to brown. She said nothing. Looking down at her hands, she saw that she had dug holes into the rock with her fingertips, yet they were unscathed. Prying her hands away from the stone, she flexed her fingers. Her throat fluttered as she swallowed.

"Emma..." She paused. "Emma, I think this world will be more dangerous than we had anticipated."

Regina knew the woman couldn't possibly hear her, but the speaking aloud helped ease her fear. She pushed the rock away, her hands moving into her lap, fingers lacing awkwardly as she fidgeted. Regina's eyes darted around the cave, looking for anything that she could use besides magic. But she so desperately wanted to use magic. Her breath hitched again, and she looked down at her hands. Such dainty hands. They were blood caked, dirt smeared, and littered with cuts and scrapes. But their thin, fine bones still stood out. Her fingers clenched. They were capable of more than she wanted in that moment. Once she had craved every ounce of power she could get her hands on. But this? This uncertainty? This...all consuming power? She knew what it could do to a person, to her. And none of it would help her save the life of Emma Swan.

Regina softened as she looked at her companion. No matter what she was going through right now, she had to save Emma. Swallowing hard, she reached out and took the unconscious woman's hand in hers. Her thumb circled the back of Emma's pale hand. It was comforting.

"Help me save you, Sheriff." She whispered. Taking a steadying breath, Regina closed her eyes. She was more careful when she called on her magic this time. It welled up, sliding down her arms and meeting with the dull, fading magic of the Savior. Regina hated how weak the blonde was. Her eyes were tightly shut as her lips began moving, muttering a mix of spells, hoping they would work.

"Powers of light,

Powers of dark,

Your warmth is light

Your warmth is spark

My cause is right

Cast not your ire

Make me warmth

Make me fire

Grant me heat

'Tis my desire."

A light of purple and gold swirled around their hands, and a purple glow seeped along Emma's body. Her body stiffened, hands clenching around Regina. The Queen's eyes snapped open as the Sheriff's hands began to shake in hers.
"Emma?" Regina's mouth pursed as Emma took shaky breaths.
'Miss Swan. Please. Let me in. Please!' Regina's eyes shut tightly as she pushed her magic into Emma as far as the woman's golden magic would let her. Her mind touched Emma's. Scattered thoughts, old memories, rampant emotions met her touch. She reared back, but their joined hands grounded her. She pushed on, her purple magic sliding between memories and fears, trying to reach Emma, trying to be heard.

'I'm here, Emma. I'm here. I can help. Let me help you. I need to help you.' Regina's mind sought desperately for a response. Only a chaotic jumble of emotions met her. Anger, fear, distrust, desperation, pain. So much fear and pain. Regina softened, hands gently squeezing the Savior's.

'You're not alone, Emma. I saved you from the Shadows. I rescued you. Now let me do it again. Please. I can't do it without you. I just need you to let me in. I need to save you.' She felt Emma relax against her, fingers now entwined with hers. It became easier to push between thoughts, deeper, further into the woman's mind. Suddenly, there was silence, and there was calm.

'Regina?' A tentative voice reached her.

'Emma?'

'Is that you Regina?' A soft touch on her consciousness made the Queen smile.

'Yes, Sheriff. It's me.'

'It's so dark, Regina. I-I can't see. I don't know where I am...I don't know where I am...' Panic began to seep back in, but Regina pushed back against it. Her magic flowed around the blonde, warmth filling every fiber, sliding into every bone.

'You're right here, with me. It's safe. No one will harm you. Not while I'm here.'

Emma seemed to reach out towards her, and Regina reached back.

'It's okay. It's okay.' She kept repeating, their magic pulsing together.

'I know.' Came Emma's quiet response. Their hands tightened around each other as Emma relaxed into the healing warmth of Regina's magic.

'See?' Emma whispered. Regina shivered.

'What?'

'I knew you would come for me.'

Regina paused, heart clenched. 'I almost didn't make it.' She whispered back.

'But you did. And I wouldn't have it any other way.'

Regina's eyes opened. She could still feel Emma's presence on the edge of her mind. She sat there for the next few hours, fingers intertwined, keeping the Savior warm. Emma's head shifted towards the Queen and the brunette smiled. The cave filled with the low glow from the two women, time whiling away, the Queen never leaving the Savior's side.