Vines

Chapter 1

A/N: Hi everyone! Welcome to my new fic! I really had such a good time writing this, and I really hope you all like it.

Before we dive into the story, there's a bit of housekeeping to go over.

First, there is always the issue of trigger warnings. This story gets a little dark, and things get a little rough for a few of the characters, especially Emma. There's nothing that I think needs a trigger warning, other than the fact that it's going to be a dark ride, with a fluffy and happy ending, as always.

Second, I want to thank my incredible artist, . Their incredible art not only inspired this story, but this story inspired a second piece of art. It's full circle! I was hooked the moment I saw their art during matching, and my muse was already working on the plot before we were officially matched. Please make sure to check out their incredible art on AO3

And finally, as always I do not own Once Upon a Time, nor any characters, locations or events associated with it. The story belongs to me, but the world belongs to them.

And now, without further ado, I happily and eagerly present "Vines"

Chapter 1

Emma's hands shook as she looked down at the jagged dagger still clutched in her left hand. Tears dripped onto the cold metal as she watched in horror as the name Regina Mills began to appear out of nowhere, burning the name in the darkest shade of black imaginable.

She had failed to save Regina from the Darkness.

Robin was the first to approach the Darkness as it began to engulf her. But the second he made contact with the swirling darkness he was instantly rejected, thrown back like a rag doll. Emma didn't hesitate for a second before she marched up to the dark tornado, dagger raised, ready to take the Darkness into herself while her parents and Killian tried to stop her. Selfish cowards! All of them! How could they even think to allow the darkness to consume this incredible woman! But in the end, it was all for naught.

Her hand vibrated as she stabbed the dark energy, the dagger repelling off immediately. But one failed attempt wasn't going to stop Emma Swan, and she stabbed at the Darkness again, her entire arm vibrating with energy as the dagger made contact with the Darkness, bouncing off it once more. She ignored her family's pleas to stop as she attacked the swirling energy until her arm felt like it was on fire, the sound of Regina's anguished screams pushing her to try harder and harder, each attempt met with failure. Her family begged her to stop, to give up the fight and allow the Darkness to do what it wanted. But she couldn't. She couldn't allow the Darkness to consume Regina. She had worked too hard to have her happiness destroyed. And so she continued. She continued to push the dagger into the energy, hoping to eventually penetrate and absorb the Darkness into herself. She tried with all her might until there was nothing left. Until the Darkness had completely consumed Regina, leaving nothing behind except a soft whisper of the wind blowing in the trees and the impossibly sharp and cold dagger that now bore Regina's name.

Regina was gone.

Regina was the Dark One.

"Ma?" Henry asked from far behind the group. She had forgotten their son had been present when the Darkness appeared and surrounded Regina. Which meant he was there to witness her failure and had been forced to watch as the Darkness consumed his mother. Her head snapped away from the dagger in her hand to find her son in the small crowd. "What...what happened to her?" he asked, his voice sounding like that of a small child.

"She....ummm...she's...she's the Dark One now..." Emma said, her voice catching in her throat as she showed the others the name engraved on the twisted metal.