"Alright, what is it this time? An object? A sacrifice?" They'd found multiple things like this in the past, but Emma just couldn't stand to hop to that side of darkness.
"Actually," she bit her lip nervously, "it's a blood ritual."
"If I'm not mistaken, blood means bad in the world of abracadabra." Regina gave her a 'excuse me?' look. "It's from Cinderella..the children's book."
"I know who Cinderella is," she snapped and Emma snickered; she always did get annoyed when someone knew something she didn't. They'd bonded over the last few years after Henry had left; they had the dying men thing in common.
"Then why do you even think I would consider this?"
"It's a blood ritual that requires the blood of the deceased's great enemy and true love. I have some of Gold's blood..don't ask. The true love part elongates some of the risk that the one being raised is evil."
It was too good to be true. "And the grey area?"
"It will kill you if you fail. The souls of the true loves have to be extremely strong because you'll be pulling his soul from the above. If they are not, you'll get stuck and be unable to find your way back," Regina explained.
Emma took a deep breath and nodded. "I know the responsible adult thing to do is to think about this, but I'm not sure how much longer I can live without him. Let's do it."
She smiled a little, "Okay, meet me at the tombstone at dark. Did I mention we have to dig up the grave?"
Her eyes widened. "I have to defile my husband's grave? And see his corpsey gross body? If this doesn't work I'm going to need therapy." Emma threw up her hands, "Hell, even if this does work I'm going to need it."
-/-
There was something extremely creepy about walking through a graveyard at night with a shovel. It was true that she'd say by the headstone many times during the darkness, but this was just scary.
Regina was already waiting for her when she arrived. They both snapped their fingers and the two shovel levitated and started digging up the dirt around the headstone.
"This doesn't creep you out?"
Regina rolled her eyes. "I've done far worse. I'm just surprised you haven't crumpled into a puddle yet." Emma looked away and took a deep breath. "Sorry. That was insensitive."
"Yeah, it was," she waved her hand, "but whatever. If this works, I'd forgive anything."
The shovels were about two feet in. "It's going to work." Regina was convinced and she really needed for her to be right. If they dug up his corpse and nothing happened, she'd never be the same. Taking a deep breath, Emma tried to think of happy memories so she wouldn't start freaking out.
The shovels were about four feet now.
"Okay, so what? Do I have to touch his body or something?"
She nodded. "You'll have to press your fingers over where his heart should have been and then poor Gold's blood over that spot. After that you'll have to cut open your hand and pour it over that same place while pushing as much power as you can into your blood. With any luck, the corpse will start to transform back into a man. After that, you must wake him with true love's kiss."
Ting
The shovels hit the casket and stopped digging. Regina levitated the dark wooden casket out of the ground and positioned it in front of Emma who was breathing deeply.
"Are you ready?"
Another deep breath. "Let's do it."
With a nod, Regina handed over the vial of blood and began unhinging the locks; Emma could've done it, but she wasn't sure she would've been able to finish.
The lid came off with ease, and Emma cried out and turned away. She felt a hand on her should a moment later that made her jump, but it was only Regina. "You can do this," she assured, "it'll only take a second." Emma nodded and steeled herself. Uncorking the vial of blood, she shut her eyes and walked forward to the casket. She knew she had to open her eyes, but she didn't want to see it again. The image was already burned into her brain and it was never going to be unseen.
Knowing she'd loose her nerve if she didn't do it soon, she opened the eyes and tried to slow down her heart rate as she looked upon the bones. Finding the spot where his heart would be, she touched it and held back the vomit that was forming in the back of her throat. The bones felt slimey and rough. She poured the blood over her hand and then vomited over to the side.
Regina watched without expression and only nodded her head in encouragement.
Wiping her mouth, Emma took the proffered knife from Regina and slid her palm, right where the meatiest part right below the thumb is. The pain seared through her arm, but she managed to spread the dark liquid over the rotting bones as much as she could. Envisioning her light power flowing through her arm, she could feel her enemy force being drained. It hurt. It hurt like hell actually. As the magic left her, pain erupted from all sides of her body until it was almost blinding her. The cost was clear.
The pain enveloped her in darkness and soon little beacons of light could be seen. Each small light had a different array of colors and Emma was sure they were the souls of those lost. Many hues of color passed her by until one, almost familiar, pocket of light hesitated beside her own. The light had tinged of red and black, but there were brilliant ocean blues and even a section of white. Emma knew this was the one and reached her arm out. The soul came closer, slowly at first, but then rushed back to her all at once. The warmth and love came back to her all at once and she wept for the lost feeling.
Emma's eyes opened and she stood up on shaky legs to find the bones had regenerated into the man she had known and loved. It was like he was sleeping, but he was too pale for that.
"Now you kiss him," Regina prompted.
She nodded and touched the ice cold lips with her own. At first, nothing happened, of course, their story wouldn't be that adventurous if it did, but just when she was about to give up, warm breath caressed her lips.