Regina's Queen - OUAT Fanfic

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The Evil Queen stormed through the forest like a hurricane, razing everything in her path. Dark magic tore in a whirlwind around her, splintering trees and toppling them to the earth with a thunderous crashing. The wake of devastation stretched all the way back to town, and she revelled in the destruction as she hurtled unerringly to her destination. The black cape clipped across her shoulders flared out fitfully behind her, and the high spiked collar of her dusky dress framed the fury in her features. She was every inch the Evil Queen, intent on visiting her wrath upon anything that got in her way.

  "Regina!" 

Emma's frantic voice carried to her on the light breeze, but the Evil Queen didn't miss a stride. She thwarted Emma's attempt to reach her by hurling a whole tree across her path. The Sheriff rolled out of the way, cursing, and the Dark One helped her up as the Evil Queen marched on.

  "There'll be no stopping her in that state, dearie," the Dark One said flippantly, reaching over to pull a leaf out of her hair. "Best try to keep up."

He followed his own advice and strode after the tornado of fury that was Regina. Emma swore and ran to catch up.

At the edge of the clearing that housed the mine entrance, the Evil Queen finally paused. She narrowed her eyes as the day darkened to twilight gloom around her, and then spun around like lightning to face the Netherworld Beast as it pounced. She unleashed her electrical fury in a crackling bolt of power, blasting the creature off-course mid-leap. 

Further behind in the trees, Emma and Gold heard its thunderous howl and broke into a dead run. Ominous black clouds, flecked through with a sickly green radiance, began to gather with startling rapidity above them. Within moments, they had blotted out the sunlight and drained the colour from the landscape. The shadow-beast recovered its feet with a snarl and began to prowl around Regina. An unholy growl rumbled deep in its throat as it circled her, searching for a moment of opportunity. 

The Evil Queen turned with its circuit, hands raised and ready, denying it an opening. The day darkened further, and the beast began to grow in size even as it continued to prowl. It had started out larger than a horse, but in an instant had doubled its shadowy mass. It approached elephantine proportions, and then surpassed them, not breaking its stride as it tightened the circle. 

Imperceptibly, it was edging her further into the open.

The Evil Queen fired bolts of power at it every time it drew too close for comfort, causing it to dodge away with a snarl, but still the circuit grew gradually tighter and she found she couldn't hold her ground in the relative safety of the treeline. The beast leapt at her at pivotal moments, snapping its jaws of darkness, and Regina had to keep backing out of the way, further and further into the unsheltered clearing. Emma and Gold hesitated at the edge of the trees at the sight of the spectacle unfolding before them, sharing a bleak thought of the Staff of Souls, resting useless against the end of an empty hospital bed, miles away.

  "What do we do?" Emma said frantically, watching in horror as Regina methodically punched out bolts of power, trying to keep the beast at bay. Her fury had settled to grim determination as she repelled it again and again, and yet, she was still losing ground.

  "Divert its attention," Gold said, steeling himself. Emma nodded even as her face paled.

They split up, circling out from the trees in opposite directions, moving quietly into their respective positions.

Gold attacked it first, sending a spinning wind of power bursting into its side. The beast howled in fury, finally breaking its circle around Regina as it turned its distracted attention to him. From the other side of the clearing, Emma unleashed a bright lash of light magic, making the beast yowl in further annoyance. It swung in her direction, but then stopped and turned back to Gold, who was closer.