Daughter of Darkness || Once Upon a Time

Chapter Twenty-Seven | Heir of Magic

Regina knew there was no time to argue, so she simply went back to the lock.

Finally, it clicked and the gate swung open. She grabbed the scythe and Robin's hand and they both backed up, not daring to look away from the charging cyclopes.

But just as they thought they might escape, Cruella, the Blind Witch, and Kronos appeared behind them, blocking their exit.

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|The Fields of Asphodel|
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Neal rushed over to the Seer. Usually, Ruby would have been the one to jump up to help, but she was still outside with Mulan and Nimue. Neal caught her before she hit the ground and laid her down on the blanket that had been wrapped around her. Henry handed him a pillow, which Neal laid under the Seer's head.

Neal pressed the back of his hand to the Seer's forehead and upon announcing that it was warm, Henry rushed off to help Milah get a cold cloth.

David tried to get information about what was happening out of Merlin, but he refused to say anything.

And then everyone froze when they heard a knock on the door.

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|Tartarus|
❃

The cyclopes stopped their advance when the three appeared and Regina tightened her grip on the scythe, using it as a cane to hold herself up. "G-Get out of the way," she managed.

"Oh, but darling, who is going to make us?" Cruella taunted.

"I will."

"You can't even stand on your own," the Blind Witch cackled. "Good luck taking on the three of us."

Regina tried to find the strength the scythe had given her the first time she held it, but all she felt now was light-headed and ready to give up. Robin placed an arm around her.

"Is th-that...a challenge?"

"If you want it to be." The Blind Witch summoned a ball of magic, but put it out before she threw it, as if warning Regina that a fight would not be a good idea.

Regina stepped away from the safety of Robin and towards the three villains. "I d-do...want it t-to be."

The Blind Witch flung a ball of magic at Regina, who deflected it off the blade of the scythe. As the need to protect Robin and get him out of Tartarus alive burned inside of Regina, she was able to draw strength from the scythe. She knew that once her adrenaline rush was gone, she'd feel twice as bad as she did at the moment, but the important thing was to protect Robin.

Regina swung the scythe towards the Blind Witch, who backed up, surprised at Regina's sudden burst of energy. After the next swing, she simply and Cruella simply vanished and Kronos growled in outrage. He ordered the cyclopes to advance again, and Robin turned around to face them, using his sword to mostly block their strikes rather than defeat them. Regina came towards Kronos, her vision finally clearing and the faint feeling going away for the moment. The scythe blade made contact with Kronos' arm, and the scars on it seemed to reopen. When the cyclopes noticed this, they began pushing harder. Regina scratched his other arm with the blade and the scars on that one began to reopen as well.

When Regina touched the blade of the scythe to a scar on Kronos' face, he fell to the rgound and wailed in pain. As soon as the titan's body hit the ground, Regina felt her strength fading. She grabbed Robin's arm and pulled him towards her. Robin turned from the cyclopes and Regina fell into him, barely able to keep her eyes open.

"We need..." Regina coughed and she wasn't entirely sure if blood came out or not, "we need... to get out..."

Robin took the scythe from Regina and handed her the sword to hold instead because it was lighter. He helped Regina to her feet and they both began running to the portal that would hopefully return them to the Underworld.

Robin pushed Regina through first and stumbled in after her. They appeared somewhere dark and that was pretty much all Regina could tell. She heard a voice, but it was muffled as if she were underwater. Suddenly hands that were not Robin's were supporting her and she was making her feet move in the direction she was being led.

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|The Fields of Asphodel|
❃

No one moved until they heard a voice from outside that belonged to Ruby; "HURRY! SOMEONE, OPEN THE DOOR!"

David rushed over to the door, unlocked it, and opened it to reveal Ruby, Mulan, and Nimue supporting Regina and Robin. The most terrifying part was that David couldn't tell if they were even alive.

"Mom!" Henry shouted. He jumped up and attempted to rush over to her, but Neal held him back. Ruby and Mulan set Regina and Robin down on blankets that were supposed to be makeshift beds for those staying in The Seven Seas.

Merlin walked over to Regina, his movements much calmer than everyone else's. He ignored Henry yelling at his dad to let him go and dropped down on his knees next to Regina.

Regina's eyes were barely open and she had trouble focusing on the Sorcerer. To be completely honest, she wasn't sure he was really even there. "M-Mer...lin?"

"Listen," he ordered. Regina didn't really have plans to do anything else, so she closed her mouth and forced her eyes to stay open. "My magic, as the Sorcerer, is the most powerful in any realm. If it is not transferred to a living person soon, it will be released into the Underworld and Hades will take it all. I need you to become the Sorceress. If you do not, you may never leave the Underworld."

"But...Robin...?"

"I cannot save him and give you my magic," Merlin replied apologetically. "But the only hope in escape is for you to take my magic as your own."

Regina nodded a little bit. "I...o-okay."

Merlin's right hand began to glow. "Put your hand in mine," he instructed, "the magic will heal you completely, but it will take time and you will fall asleep while the magic does its work."

Regina didn't reply to Merlin with words. She simply extended her arm and placed her hand in his. She felt the magic flow from the Sorcerer into her. When their hands parted, her eyes nearly drooped shut, but she looked over at Robin and forced herself to stay awake. He looked dead, if Regina was going to tell the truth, and it broke her heart.

And then she saw something. She saw his body glowing with the magic that was dancing across Regina's skin now as it found a place inside of her with the dormant magic that was already running through her veins. Regina managed to sit up on her knees, hovering over Robin. She lowered her lips to meet his and the last thing she saw before her eyes shut was a blinding white light.