BIG disclaimer here, guys! Please read!

For those following Like No One's Watching (love ya!) Don't worry, this OS hasn't disrupted anything! Still working on "The Ball."

This fic came to me in the middle of the night when I had one of those weird half-awake dreams (know what I'm talking about?) while listening to Dark Magic from the Beautiful Creatures Soundtrack. (Which, I could go on and on about the parallels between that an OUAT.) And it wouldn't leave my brain, so I decided to just type it out. I had no intention of publishing it, but it was no use just leaving it on my computer, so I decided to throw it on out there.

PLEASE NOTE: The story starts off in a forest in Neverland, going off the spoilers for next season. That's where the spoilers end though, so fear not. I realize the beginning makes little sense because I don't explain why Tamara is chasing them, where Greg is, or what "Tamara did." I tried to come up with all of that, but just couldn't, and it isn't part of what I was trying to get across here, so I'm leaving the how-they-ended-up-in-this-situation to your imagination.

So take this with a grain of salt, if you hate it, fine. If I get no reviews, I won't mind. And keep in mind that this is angstier than anything I've ever written, and BEFORE YOU FLAY ME finish reading it. Just saying. ;)

Listen to Dark Magic on YouTube if you want the accompaniment to this, I think it makes it cool. :)

I own nothing. But then who ever thought I did?

"Told you I'd find you," Tamara smirked, strutting calmly into the forest clearing.

Emma glared, clenching her fists. She was really getting sick of this bitch. She glanced behind her at Mary Margaret and Neal, silently wondering how long it took for David and Hook to scout ahead, and relieved that Henry was safe with Regina. "You can forget it, Tamara. It's three against one and you don't have your stupid magic Taser anymore."

"Who said I need it?" she said in that superior, mocking voice that was even more irritating from her than it was from Regina.

"Please, Tamara, just give this up," Neal pleaded. Emma felt just a flash of sympathy for him. He really had thought she loved him. But that sympathy was quickly smashed by frustration that he'd so easily fallen into her trap. "Stop this before someone else gets hurt."

Tamara pretended to pout, mocking him with her eyes. "Oh, poor Neal, do you think I'm going to beg you for forgiveness? Are you hoping I'll run back into your arms?"

Emma watched as Neal's eyes darkened, and she thought maybe at last, he'd given up hope for this witch. "No," he said lowly. "I could never forgive you for what you tried to do. But if you keep this up you're going to end up dead."

She rolled her eyes. "Not if I kill you all first."

Emma's hands shot out in front of her, prepared to blast her back, pulverize her, and hoping the ability to do so would actually kick in. It wasn't exactly reliable. "Just try, bitch."

"Emma…" Mary Margaret was at her side in an instant, placing a calming hand on one of her arms, applying gentle pressure to lower it. "Don't."

"She's trying to kill us!" Emma snapped, not taking her eyes off Tamara. "She nearly killed Henry! She's worse than Regina! I'm not just going to stand around and let her keep hurting us!"

Mary Margaret pressed down on her arm again, this time more insistently. "Think about what you're doing. Hurting her won't make anything right, just like hurting Regina won't. You're not that person, Emma. You don't want to go down that path. Trust me."

Emma's eyes flickered to Mary Margaret's at last and her resolution faded. She'd seen the anguish her best friend and mother went through after the death of Cora, so she knew exactly why Mary Margaret was trying to prevent her from killing Tamara. She didn't exactly have the same qualms Mary Margaret did, but she couldn't bear to see the disappointment in her mother's eyes if she hurt Tamara out of anger. She wanted so badly to be the kind of person her mother thought she was. So she lowered her arms, and Mary Margaret smiled.

"Like you said," Mary Margaret said, glancing back at Tamara. "She's powerless without her silly stun gun."

"We'll see about that," and suddenly, there was a gun in Tamara's hand.

The next seconds seemed like they happened in slow motion.

Emma saw the gun, saw the barrel aimed straight for her chest. She had that moment of surreal introspection that she'd only heard about in movies, that split second where you know you're about to die, you know there's no time to stop it, and you kind of just can't believe it.

She heard the bang that crashed in her eardrums and sent birds in the trees flying for cover. She heard the sharp cry of "No!" from Neal. She heard the blood-curdling scream of her mother.

She shut her eyes tight, waiting for it to be over, but there was nothing. No pain, no white light at the end of the tunnel.

With absolute certainty that she should be dead, or at the very least in agonizing pain, Emma opened her eyes.

At first, she just didn't understand what she was looking at.

Mary Margaret stood facing her, just inches away. She was clutching her upper-arms in a vice grip and her whole body was rigid. Emma had somehow been pushed slightly to the left, so that her right shoulder rested against Mary Margaret's, and now Mary Margaret was staring at a hold in the tree they were against.

"Mary Margaret?" Emma whimpered. "Mare?"

Mary Margaret's face was a mixture of fear and confusion. With puzzled eyes, she glanced down at herself, her hand rising slowly to touch the middle of her own chest.

That was when Emma saw the blood slowly soaking her best friend's shirt.

"Mary Margaret?" Emma repeated, waiting for her to shake it off and say something like, "Phew! That was close! Too bad I spilled this ketchup all over my favorite shirt!"

But Mary Margaret just looked back up at her and blinked, then her legs buckled and she crumpled to the ground.

Emma's paralysis broke instantly and she reached out to catch her mother before she hit to hard earth. The motion sent her falling as well, and she landed on her knees with Mary Margaret's upper body resting across her lap while she struggled to hold her up.

Warmth filled her palm, and keeping Mary Margaret propped up on her arm, Emma slid her hand that had been pressed against Mary Margaret's back into view, staring with sickening shock at the red that now coated her skin. She felt it pouring out of her best friend, spilling across her lap and into the dirt. The entire front of Mary Margaret's white blouse was scarlet.

Still dazed and in shock, she looked up to see that Neal had gotten the gun from Tamara and was now holding her by the arms around her back, staring at them in horror. Tamara didn't fight, only smiled victoriously.

"Mary Margaret?" Emma said once again, her voice rising and becoming panicked.

"Emma…" she whispered. Her face was pale – no, not fair like always – pale, like death. Her eyes were glassy and Emma could tell she felt no pain. "Emma…"

"It's okay," Emma said, pressing her hands against the bullet wounds front and back, making Mary Margaret cry out in pain, but didn't release the pressure. "You're going to be okay."

Mary Margaret lifted a cold, shaking hand to lightly caress Emma's face. "So perfect. So brave."

"Stop it," Emma demanded, fighting back the tears that were trying to make themselves known. She couldn't give into them now. Not now. "I can heal you, you're going to be fine!"

She pressed her hands against the wounds again, fighting for all she was worth to summon the magic she knew was in there, that Gold said she could control if she only tried. Mary Margaret moaned at the renewed pressure, making Emma falter, but she tried again.

Please, please just let me do this, she cried to God or whoever else could possibly be listening. I I'm never able to use this damned magic again just PLEASE let me heal her!

But nothing was happening, no white or purple light shone from her hand. She just didn't know how.

"Emma," Mary Margaret whispered again, her breath coming in shallow, rattling bursts. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"

Emma shook her head, hair whipping into her face. "No! No, damn it! I'm going to heal you!"

Mary Margaret moved her hand to weakly grip her daughter's chin, trying to force her to look at her. "My love…It's okay. It's okay."

Emma was hyperventilating to keep from crying. She looked into her mother's dying eyes and could no longer keep the tears at bay. Her hands never left where they were pressed tightly against the wound. "Why would you do that?!" she cried. "Why the hell would you jump in front of me?!"

Mary Margaret gasped something that might have been a laugh. "Why…why would you jump in front…of me…when Cora…"

"Please," Emma interrupted. "Please, Mary Margaret, you can't do this. We need you. David needs you, Henry needs you, everyone needs you! I…I need you! You promised you would never leave me again!"

Tears were rolling down Mary Margaret's cheeks and the hand holding Emma's chin was growing colder. "I know. I'm sorry…so sorry…I…" she gasped, a wet, sickening sound. "I love you…Emma…so much. You're…ev'rything I could have wished…" she gasped again and her hand fell from Emma's face.

"Please!" Emma begged, holding her mother close, as if she could transfer her own life into her. "Don't leave me, please, Snow…Mom…I love you…"

A small smile graced Snow White's lips before her eyes fluttered shut and she exhaled for a final time before her body went limp.

"No…nononono…" Emma shook her mother, willing her to wake back up. "NO! NO!"

She screamed then, still applying pressure to the wound, still hoping maybe she can save her mom. But she couldn't. She had fucking magic, but she couldn't save one of three people in the world she loved most.

"What happened?!" David exclaimed, running into the clearing with Hook on his heels. He first took in Neal, a pained look on his face, holding a smirking Tamara, then whipped around to where his daughter was sobbing, clutching his lifeless wife in her arms.

"SNOW!" David cried, stumbling to his knees before her, staring in disbelief at the amount of blood still dripping from her. He held shaking hands in the air, knowing not what to do, but it felt like all the breath was sucked from him. This wasn't a sleeping curse. He knew he couldn't wake her by kissing her.

Emma was looking at him with pleading, anguished eyes. "I'm sorry!" she wailed. "I tried! I tried, Daddy, I'm sorry! I tried to save her!"

Through pain that felt like it would kill him at any moment, David registered that his strong, grown daughter was pleading for forgiveness like a frightened child, repeating over and over that she "tried." He crawled around his True Love to sit on the ground beside Emma, pulling her roughly into his arms, using one hand to help support Snow's head.

Hook was shaking his head. "Of all people…" he muttered. "Had to be that one," he glanced back where Neal was still in shock right at the moment Tamara decided she would make her getaway. Hook was on her immediately, easily pinning her arms back behind her, ignoring her pained cry. "Where do you think you're going?"

She chuckled. "Oh, I just thought I'd go, let the family mourn and whatnot. And maybe find that Regina so I can brag that I accomplished what she's tried for like what, fifty years to do?"

Emma heard them talking, heard that monster Tamara laugh at her mother's death.

My mother's death.

Snow White is dead.

Emma opened her eyes, watching her tears land on the pale face of her mother, the best friend she'd ever had, the first person she'd ever met who accepted and loved her for who she is. She never even got to tell her how much she loved her.

Because of Tamara.

Tamara with the gun.

She'd wanted to kill Tamara, but her mother talked her out of it, so she backed off. She didn't want to disappoint her mom.

And Tamara fired. Fired at her.

And her mom took the bullet for her.

"I'm not used to someone putting me first."

"Well, get used to it!"

Emma raised her eyes, the tears drying on her skin. She focused on Tamara who was smiling at her in sick victory, and everyone else faded from existence.

She stood out of her father's embrace, carefully removed her arms from around her mom, leaving him to hold his wife.

His wife that he didn't get to say goodbye to.

Henry's grandmother who didn't get to watch him grow up.

The future children she'd never gotten to have a second chance at being a mother to.

Emma's body started to shake harder and harder until she was all but convulsing, but she paid no mind. In some part of her brain, she heard her father say her name, a frightened tone to his voice.

She stepped around her mother's body, no longer seeing it. No longer seeing anything but the bitch who took her family from her.

"I can't lose that. I cannot lose my family!"

"Family?"

Someone was holding the murderer still, so Emma's eyes flicked to him, and he released Tamara, backing away slowly.

Emma was still shaking, but then, so was the ground below her. The earth darkened with black storm clouds that rolled over the clear blue sky. Thunder crashed and lightning illuminated the frightened eyes of the murderer.

"Get the hell away from me," Tamara said, her voice starting to waver, backing away as Emma stepped closer. "What are you doing?!"

Suddenly Tamara was looking away, yelling as rocks, logs, trees started to be pulled from the ground by an invisible force, floating slowly in the air.

Emma felt her own hair lift, and it was like a vacuum was pulling at them all. Something was overtaking her mind, she could no longer form rational thought, but she felt that those who she did not want to pay were behind her. She could feel their shocked and frightened stares. She didn't care.

"Stop!" Tamara screamed, and in a fluid motion reached into her boot and produced a long knife which she flung at Emma.

Emma blinked her eyes, and the knife froze in midair, then erupted into flames.

Eyes wide and terrified, Tamara turned to run.

So she wanted to run? Coward.

Emma's hand whipped out in front of her as if by its own volition and Tamara was caught by an invisible cord around her neck.

She's dead.

Snow White is dead.

My mother is dead.

Tamara killed my mother.

"You found us…"

Emma's mouth opened and the scream the burst forth was barely human. Power rippled through the air, splitting trees and boulders. The earth shifted and cracked beneath her, not strong enough to withstand the pulse of energy coursing out of her.

Her hair whipped in wind that wasn't there and the world grew bright.

Her body,

Her eyes,

Her mouth was glowing a blinding white.

She continued to scream without pause or breath. The murderer attempted to cover her ears against the ear-piecing sound.

Emma willed the murderer to rise into the air, turn toward her so she could see. She, the monster who took her mother.

"I'm sorry!" she pleaded. "Please, have mercy!"

But Emma had no mercy left.

Her mother thought she was better than this.

Her mother was dead.

Her hand tightened. Tamara gasped.

The light continued to brighten, and Tamara was glowing as well.

Tamara screamed, an agonizing animal sound.

And then nothing.

She felt like she was floating. It was peaceful, painless, but also sad. She knew this wasn't where she needed to be. Sure, it was easier here. Nothing hurt, nothing scared. But it was empty, like the void she lived in while under the sleeping curse.

Snow heard her precious daughter's wails, and they mixed with the memory of her baby girl's cries that one and only time she was able to hold her in her arms.

She'd promised Emma she wouldn't leave her again. Not again.

How did she get here? Oh, she remembered. The gun, the split second she was afforded to put her body in front of her baby's, to spare her harm. She didn't regret it, no, she would take a million bullets for Emma. But she wasn't ready to leave yet.

Suddenly she felt warmth in her chest. At first it was pleasant, but then it was agonizing. She felt her insides twisting, repairing.

She tried to swim upward, to escape the pain and open her eyes, move…something. But she couldn't.

There were new sounds now, a rumbling. She felt like the world was shaking. Charming was beside her. She knew his smell. He was shaking too – sobbing. She heard him cry out to Emma, fearfully at first and with more force. He was screaming at her to stop. Stop what?

There were other voices too, male voices, but they intermingled and she couldn't decipher their words.

There was a woman – Snow knew that voice – Tamara was screaming, pleading for mercy. Mercy from what?

And above it all was an ear-splitting sound that was so angry, so anguished, that it hurt Snow's heart.

She knew she had to open her eyes, NOW.

Her lungs expanded, and she gratefully sucked in air, much like she did when she was awoken by her True Love's kiss. Her eyelids felt like lead, but she forced them to open.

At first she was baffled beyond belief. Charming was holding her, but not looking at her. His eyes were wide and disbelieving.

It was dark, though seconds ago she knew it had been midafternoon. Lighting was crashing and a beam of blinding white light was before her.

Snow turned her head and squinted in the light, but through it she could see…Emma!

All at once the picture made sense. Emma was holding Tamara magically above the ground and the latter was flailing helplessly, crying out in agony.

Pure, unadulterated magic was flowing from Emma uncontrolled. She was shrieking in a way that sent chills right through Snow.

Rumplestiltskin had said that Emma was more powerful than anyone knew.

He was right.

"EMMA!" she yelled and felt her husband jump before he accidentally dropped her and she landed with a grunt on the hard ground.

"SNOW?!" he exclaimed, looking at her like he couldn't believe she was real.

But Snow couldn't pay attention to him then, her daughter needed her. "Emma stop!" she cried.

But it was no use, Emma didn't seem to hear them. Her shaking fingers were tightening, and Tamara's skin was glowing – burning.

Tamara's screams grew louder and more chilling, and it was like her body was cracking, her skin splitting.

Snow wanted to turn away, close her eyes, but couldn't.

With one final scream from both women, Tamara erupted, her body evaporating until it was nothing but dust that fluttered to the ground.

In an instant, the light, the shuddering, the power was gone.

The storm clouds cleared, the earth settled.

And Emma collapsed to the ground.

"Emma!" Snow cried, crawling to her feet and ignoring the pain and exhaustion she felt.

She fell beside Emma, lifting her head just the way her daughter had done for her but moments ago and cradled her.

David was beside her at once looking over Emma with confused, frantic eyes then placing a panicked hand to Snow's chest where the bullet wound should have been.

"She healed me," Snow said, not taking her eyes off her daughter. "She must have been healing me and just didn't realize it."

Emma was breathing steadily, her expression peaceful as if merely asleep.

"Is she okay?" David whispered, and Snow though he looked ready to keel over himself.

"I…I don't know," Snow admitted.

"What happened? What the hell was that?"

Snow brushed the golden hair from her daughter's face. "Her magic. The only time I saw anything remotely close to that was when Cora tried to take her heart. This…this was something else entirely though."

"M…magic use like that is dangerous…" Neal said, his voice trembling as he stared at the pile of ash that was once his fiancé. "My father used to be exhausted after using it until he got used to it. She…she could have killed herself."

"I don't think she could control herself," Hook murmured. "We should move. You don't want her awakening to that," he gestured to the remains of Tamara.

For once the pirate was right, and Snow nodded to Charming to pick their daughter up, which he did instantly.

He cradled her in his arms, much like he did all those years ago, and pressed a grateful kiss to her head.

"David…" Emma murmured groggily, cracking her eyes open.

"I'm here," David crooned.

"Emma…" Snow laid a hand on Emma's forehead and her child's eyes flew open.

"Am I dead?"

Despite herself, Snow chuckled. "No, Love, you saved me. You did it, sweetheart."

Emma's eyes were fluttering shut again, but she was trying to keep them open, trying to see her. "Mom?"

"I'm right here, Emma, go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

"I love you."

"I love you too, Emma, now close your eyes."

She did, unhesitatingly curling up to Charming's chest like a child, and Snow leaned up to kiss her cheek.

"What do we tell her when she awakens?" David asked.

"The truth," Snow said sadly. "We can't lie to her about this. It's going to be hard for her to accept. But we'll be there for her, we won't let her go through this alone."

Snow started to follow alongside David, but paused when she saw Neal still staring at the ashes.

"Neal…Emma, she…"

He shook his head. "It's not Emma's fault. Tamara brought this on herself."

"Do you need a moment?"

Neal looked up at her and shook his head again. "No, let's just go and take care of Emma. We should get her home, to my father. As much as I hate to say it, I think she needs his help to learn how to control this."

Snow nodded in agreement and clutched her daughter's hand as they carried her away from the destroyed clearing.

And none of them looked back.

Did you honestly think I'd kill Snow? Please. ;) It's probably no secret though that I hate Tamara. Mwahaha! Let me know what you think, good or bad. :)