Tear-filled eyes looked into her step-daughter's. Snow loved them both--Ben and Regina. She felt so happy when Regina and Ben finally got together and now they were in risk of being pulled apart. Her still youthful face contorted as Regina choked up a sob. The former queen took a deep breath before she decided to speak.
"I've done nothing but unspeakable things to these people. I've killed, I've tortured, and I've hurt many. My only duty now is to protect them. To protect them at all costs. Pharaoh will not win," Regina said.
"At all costs? What do you mean?" Snow asked, getting worried.
"If it takes my life to save this town then so be it. I'm done being a villain. This is my chance to be a hero. To be the hero. But I will not put someone else's life especially a whole realm's worth in jeopardy just to save mine," she explained.
"Regina," Snow whispered and pulled her into a hug, as a tear fell. She didn't want to lose her now. She cared for her.
"It's okay Snow," she assured.
"I just want you to know that I love you, Regina. I always have," she said with more tears building up.
Regina smiled sadly and took hold of Snow's arms. "I love you too."
"Don't act l-like you're dying, Regina. Please....it's just," Ben struggled and Regina grabbed his hand, kissing his knuckles.
"Someone's going to die, Ben. Let's just hope it's Pharaoh," she hoped and let go of his hand. He smiled slightly and she went over to her blonde friend.
Emma looked at her best friend with her watering green eyes. The brunette smiled as she pulled the blonde into a hug. Emma returned the hug tightly. She really cared about Regina and life would definitely be different without her. Emma hugged Ben as well, ever so tightly until they let go.
"You guys better come back, both of you!" Emma pleaded.
Regina smiled sadly at her as Ben grabbed her hand. "Alright then, we should go before Pharaoh starts having one of his tantrums," he insisted.
...
On the Way to the Forest
The whole town was gathered on Main Street with their weapons at the ready. Ben and Regina noticed Jefferson and Granny first, running to them. "We're here to stop Pharaoh," Ben announced.
The hatter looked over Ben's and Regina's faces which were both filled with concern. He had a gut feeling something really bad would happen to them. They were his only true friends in town and he couldn't lose them.
Jefferson gathered Regina into a hug as Ben and Granny embraced. "Both of you, please come back alive," the hatter pleaded. "You guys are my only friends."
Ben cracked a small smile to the hatter and he hugged him. "You'll be alright, Jeff," he assured as he patted him on the back.
Granny looked sadly into Regina's eyes. "You better come back, the both of you," she warned and then hugged the former queen. "We still need to have a lasagna contest," she teased and Regina chuckled with a smile.
Granny went up to Ben again and pinched his cheeks like she always did. "I better see that handsome face of yours, again."
Ben nodded as he started to back away slightly. Regina went up to Jefferson and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for giving me a second chance, Jefferson. I-I can't promise that I'll see any of you again," she mumbled sadly. "Goodbye," she said which Ben didn't like her saying.
Ben intertwined his fingers with Regina's as they walked off into the forest. The muscles in Jefferson's jaw clenched as he though of the sinister king who wanted his friends dead. He could kill the guy if he were to kill Ben or Regina. That's how afraid he was.
"I have a really bad feeling about this," Jefferson said, slightly distressed.
~•~
"Regina, if anyone's dying here, it's going to be me, in order to protect you. That's why I came to this land, it was to protect you," he said as he held her hands.
"I can't loose you, Ben. Please!!" she pleaded as tears filled her eyes.
"If Pharaoh wants you dead because of some prophecy I am to make sure that doesn't come true. I will protect you at all costs, Regina. You know that," he whispered as he wiped her tears away and kissed her softly.
He let the kiss linger for a while, taking on the thought that it might be the last time he'll ever be able to kiss her.
~•~
Regina's mind was so foggy because she didn't know what would happen. She then thought of Henry. Where was he? She took out her phone and texted Emma.
Hey Swan, do you know where Henry is? Call me back this time 👿
She put away her phone into her pocket as she caught up with her love. She noticed that he was very focused on whatever the king was planning. "Ben...I...I lo-"
He shushed her, not realizing what she was trying to say. He honed his hearing so that he could her the king's voice. His voice was like nails on a chalkboard, irritating and loud. Ben glared at the king as he saw the tribe make some sort of ravine. Tiepyrsseus knew Ben was watching and used his magic to make the couple fall into the clearing.
"Benjamin Ainsworth and Regina Mills!!! So glad you could make it!" Pharaoh said with a wicked smile.
Sir Forrest held Ben back as the king glared at Regina, ready to give his reasons. If you were to fall into the ravine you'd surely die. Sharps rocks spurted out of the bottom, waiting to claim its first victim.
"I lost my throne because of you!" He shouted.
"Now Queen Regina you either jump into that ravine or I destroy your town and everyone in it." Pharaoh said.
"You can take me to your land. Send me to prison, torture me. I don't care-". She offered.
"NO! Death is your only option your majesty. No prison is strong enough to contain the darkness you hold in your twisted soul. As if you have one." He growled.
"She has a soul!" Ben argued. "She is...GOOD!" Ben was then punched by Sir Forrest. He fell onto the ground and glared at the king.
"Shut up you distasteful and repulsive loiter-sack." The king growled.
"Push 'er off." Pharaoh commanded. Two knights held back Ben as Sir Forrest tried to push Regina off the cliff.
"NO!!!!" Ben surged forward with so much force that it knocked the knights on their feet. He raced over to Regina and grabbed her hand before she slid off the side. "Regina!"
"Let the Evil Queen go or face immense consequences!" Pharaoh shouted.
Ben jerked his head to face the king. "Ben!" His head went back to Regina. "You have to let me go."
"No I can't. I-I-I love you!" He admitted with tears pooling in his amber eyes.
"I know. I-I love you too." She was crying herself. "Don't let Pharaoh win."
"Regina please. There has to be another way." He pleaded in a broken voice.
"There isn't. I'm doing this to save you and everyone else-". She started to slip more. Ben's amber orbs widened. "I love you Benjamin Ainsworth, I always will." She said.
"Please-". He cried out.
"And don't get revenge my love, you heart will only grow dark. Don't make the same mistakes I did." She slipped some more. Brown eyes looked deep into amber eyes as she said, "I'm sorry." She gave him a reassuring smile, letting him know that everything would be alright. Those were her last words before she let go of his hand.
"NOOOO!!!!! REGINA!!!" Ben screamed and tried to reach for his love falling to her death. At least she wouldn't suffer in pain when she hit the end of the ravine. Regina Mills died the second she made contact with the rocks.
The king smiled and walked up to Ben who looked back at him. He kicked him in the mouth and it started to bleed. Ben was so furious beyond measure as he glared at his love's murderer.
"Pitiful little swine." The king got down to Ben's level. "You have a choice Benjamin. You either stay here and rot knowing you lost your supposed love the Evil Queen or come back to Eldaland. I'll erase your memories of her and you'll be thrown into prison. Your choice."
"I'd rather know what true love really is then suffer under your foot." Ben growled with blood leaking out of his lip and tears falling down his face.
"Very well. Have fun with your very recently deceased lover." He said before turning his back to Ben.
Ben got up immediately and yelled, "You son of-". One of the knights nailed him in the head with a staff, survey leaving a bruise afterwards.
He was down but not unconscious. His Regina was dead. Was it his fault? Could he of stopped all of this? He was in pain, more emotional than physical. His heart was aching for his lover. He laid on the ground bawling his eyes out. He was to protect her and he failed.
King Pharaoh, his army, and the tribe had left for Eldaland. Although little did the king know that it was time for the tribe to die, of old age. Soon after the tribe passed, the king's army turned on him and killed him brutally.
~•~
Ben was still in the forest. Emma, Snow, and David walked through the forest with their flashlights.
"Regina?! Ben?!" Snow called out. "Where could they be? The people of Eldaland left." She mumbled.
"Regina?! Ben-". Emma shouted and waved her flashlight until she saw a figure. "Hey guys c'mon!" She saw someone.
Emma, David, and Snow rushed to him. "Ben?" Emma whispered noticing he was hopefully asleep.
He woke up and looked up at the frantic blonde. "Emma?" His eyes were puffy from crying and there was dried blood on his lip.
"You alright? What happened? Where's Regina?" Emma asked frantically.
Ben dropped his head and started to sob. The Charmings frowned. Now they knew something really bad must of happened to Regina. "She-she sacrificed herself for....me and the town." He struggled. "She's gone."
"No." Snow whispered. Tears formed in her eyes. She fell into David and he cradled her like a baby.
"She told me to let go. I couldn't...so...so she did it herself." Ben explained.
"Oh my God." Emma whispered and pulled Ben into a hug. "I'm so sorry." She rubbed his back and he cried into her shoulder. David held his sobbing wife and patted Ben's back.
Tears fell out of everybody's eyes as they mourned Regina. Emma lost a friend and sister. Snow lost a friend and mother. David lost a friend. Ben...he lost so much. He lost a best friend and a lover.
"It's all my fault. I let her down. I failed at my job, Emma! I was supposed to protect her!" He cried hysterically.
"Ben, this is NOT your fault. You couldn't stop her, she sacrificed herself and there was no changing that. There was no talking her out of it," Emma explained tearfully.
"Where's Henry?" Ben asked.
"Granny's." Emma answerd with tears in her eyes. "Do-do you want me to tell him or-"
"I'll tell him." Ben said.
"I'll raise the ravine to get...her body." Emma said awkwardly. Ben cringed at that. "We'll be there soon. Once we get the hospital to take her away." Emma said softly and quietly.
...
It was brutal. A gory death for the former queen. Her body was pierced by a rock, straight through her gut, blooding staining her entire shirt. She died the instant she hit the stone cold rocks, so at least she didn't suffer. The Charmings could hardly look at her. Especially Snow, she felt like she was going to throw up. David told her to go back and wait for the ambulance.
Emma also had a hard time looking at her friend like this: dead. She was hoping she'd get to see her friend get married to Ben and maybe have kids. But she was dead. A tear left her eye once again for her friend.
The Diner
Ben held back tears as he slowly entered the diner. He wrapped his hand around the door handle and went inside, seeing Henry, Granny, townspeople, and Ruby. He really didn't know how to tell Henry, but to just tell him.
"Ben? What are you doing here?" Henry asked, getting concerned due to Ben's distressed look.
"Henry....your mother, Regina," Ben began and choked out a small cry before finishing. "She...she died, I-I'm sorry," he cried out as Henry's face fell into shock and disbelief.
"No. NO! Mom, please!" Henry shouted as the whole diner finally realized what had happened.
"The mayor died?" Some man asked off in the distance.
"Regina's dead?" Red asked with a horrified expression. "King Pharaoh killed her," she concluded.
Just then, Jefferson exited the bathroom and walked into an odd scene. People chattering and then his ocean blue eyes landed on Ben and Henry embracing tightly. That couldn't be good. Regina also wasn't there, which tipped him off.
The hatter approached his emotional friend and asked, "Ben, please tell me she didn't..."
"She sacrificed herself," Ben choked out as Jefferson's face fell.
Out of rage Ben grabbed a napkin holder, looking at himself in its reflection; a broken man. He flung it at high speed, across the diner, then stormed out. "I'm sorry, Henry," the hatter apologized tearfully.
...
The Next Day
Zelena was up in her room, crying her eyes out for her little sister. She always wanted a sister and that was robbed from her again. She could never see her little sis alive again. Ben was downstairs and he had just gotten home, because he was avoiding the mansion, Regina's mansion. He noticed there was a note on the dining table and was surprised Zelena didn't see it. Then he picked up the note that read in beautiful cursive:
Dear Ben, my love,
I know that I will probably die trying to get these creatures out of the town. So I put my finances and the house under your name. You own the house once you sign the ownership papers (which is stapled to this).
Somehow you fell in love with me, (still can't figure out why). And I with you. You showed me that love is strength and even a villain could do good things. You were my best friend and lover, you still are. You kept bugging me before and I knew you had a crush on me but I didn't want to believe so I ignored it...silly me.
I asked what you wanted and you answered with: "This. Us." You little flirt. After I gave you a hard time we started dating. I've never been so happy to have such care in my life. I thank you for that. Tell Henry, Emma, Snow, Winter, Zelena, and David I love them and think of them as family.
I love you Benjamin Ainsworth and I always will. I wish our future was an infinity. Make friends, get a job, and find a new love. I'll always be in your heart.
Love,
Regina ~ Your Queen
Ben started to cry and set the note and papers on the table. He ran his fingers delicately over her handwriting, knowing that her hands touched the paper. He wanted every last bit of her that was still around.
One of his tears fell onto her name. The ink glowed gold. They were true love. He broke down as he realized the funeral was just a day away.
...
The Morgue
Gold had restored Regina's body to pristine condition and her body remained on the morgue bed. He also put a preservation spell, at the request of her family. Ben came in and this was his last chance before they put her body in a casket for the funeral and then buried her.
Somehow she still looked beautiful to him. He walked slowly over to her and put a lock of hair behind her ear. She was as pale as a ghost. Riga mortis had taken place so she was stiff. He leaned down and placed one last kiss on his lover's cold lips.
Within seconds he broke down into tears again. He had found the love of his life and she died because she loved him and wanted to protect him.
...
Hours Before the Funeral: A Street
"Ben?!" A bearded man called out. Ben faced the man.
He then recognized the man under the beard. "Cassius? I-I thought you were dead. You were stabbed by a sword!"
"Passed out. Then the king's men found me and took me to a training camp. I became a part of the army, not willingly though," he explained. "Ben, what's wrong?"
"I've missed you," Ben said and pulled his best friend into a hug.
"I've missed you too," Cas said back and let go of him. "So what's been going on with you?"
Ben took out his phone and looked at a picture of Regina he secretly took. "Ben?"
"I fell in love," he responded.
"Really?! Who is she? I want to meet her!"
Ben looked down at the picture sadly. He showed Cas the picture of Regina. "God, she is truly beautiful Ben-"
"Was."
"What do you mean?"
"She's gone. Pharaoh killed her," he said with anger in his voice.
"I'm so sorry. But she'll always be in your heart. Never forget that," Cas said sternly.
"What happened to Rosalyn?"
"I-I never found her again. She was my true love, Ben."
"And Regina was mine. But, you're stronger than me, I think you can move on."
Ben wasn't mad that Cassius was back instead of Regina, but it certainly didn't seem fair.
...
The Funeral
Ben was up at the podium, trying to keep a higher spirit as he talked about the love of his life.
"My friend Cassius, taught me one thing. That love is unconditional and those you love will always leave a mark in your heart. I know that my Regina will always be in my heart," he said with fresh tears falling down the previously-made tracks of dried tears. He chuckled sadly and said, "She left her own beautiful scar."
Ben chuckled sadly again and said, "When Regina and I first met in the forest, my heart--I swear it skipped a beat. I was like--my God that is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen! Then of course she punched me," he said with a small smile as the room laughed a little.
"It-it took a long time for us to be together, but that's alright. As we learned about each other, my love for her only grew stronger. What I ask of you, is that you let Regina rest in peace. She died to save us all, because she scared. She was the hero and we shall never forget that. I loved Regina Mills with all my heart and I always will...thank you," he said as tears fell down his face. He turned to his side to see a tearful Winter holding a piece of notebook paper. "Are you okay, Winter?"
"I'm fine. That was a very beautiful speech, Benny," she said and she kissed his cheek.
He helped her up to the podium and adjusted the mic for her. Cutely, she cleared her throat. "Regina or as I call her, 'Gina was a really good person. Some may have called her the Evil Queen. But she was not evil at all. She would always make me smile and laugh because she smiled too. She was so pretty too, like a princess! She was like a second mommy to me and I loved her," she said as she started to get choked up. "I just really miss my 'Gina," she whimpered and then Ben took her away to calm her down.
He cradled her in his arms as as poker-faced Henry walked up to speak. "Uh...hi," he said awkwardly. "My name's Henry Mills and my-my....um..I'm sorry," he apologized which broke hearts across the room. He cleared his throat and wiped his eyes before speaking again. "My mom died because of some stupid king. She deserves to be here, laughing and smiling with us because we accept her now. She cared for me for ten years and I think I turned out pretty good so far. I really admired how much she changed in so little of time. She did it out of love because that's what she deserved; love. She was an awesome mom and she could kick butt too, I was so happy that she made things better with her mother and sister, Zelena. She may have adopted me, but that doesn't matter, she will always be my mom. I loved her a lot and I miss her....t-thank you," he said and quickly got off the stage.
Zelena was originally planning on making a speech, but she realized stay it would be too hard. She was far too heartbroken to speak. It was then that Snow tearfully walked up and looked out at the people.
"Hello, I know this day is hard. It's very hard for me. The fact that I lost another mother is...is just unbearable to me. But, like Ben said she will embassy be in our hearts. She's a strong spirit and perhaps that's what I admired most about her. She had so much pain and suffering in her life and it ended the same way. I loved her, I really did. All I wished for was her happiness and for a few moments she had that. I just wish....she-she was here right now. Would...uh...would anyone else like to say something?" She asked as her watering green eyes scanned the crowd.
Jefferson popped from his seat as he walked to the podium. He sighed sadly and adjusted his black tie. "Hello, I'm Jefferson or also known as the Mad Hatter. Regina and I had a complicated history, but over the past few months we made up for that. She and Ben were my best friends, so all I have left for a friend is Ben. I just wish I've could've seen her more and become even closer friends. I loved her like she was family and we lost her...uh...yeah. Regina was a great person and I judged her for too long, but I'm glad that changed. I'm sorry to everybody else that was close with her," he said as his eyes were red-rimmed from tears. He nodded and then walked off the stage.
Archie then walked up to the podium and asked if anyone else would like to speak, but no one did. Not even Emma, because she wasn't a speech kind of person and it would be hard, especially after having to see Regina's dead body. The funeral had concluded and then everybody who wanted to pay their respects would walk up to the casket next to a beautiful picture of Regina (that Ben snapped).
Ben stood by and watched as some townspeople left flowers or a thank you note. He then felt a gentle hand on his arm. He turned around to see Emma, her eyes blood-shot.
"She really loved you, you know." Emma said.
"I know," he said simply.
"Are you gonna be okay?"
"I don't know," he whispered.
Winter placed a kiss on the palm of her hand and touched the casket with the kissed hand. As a tear fell from the little girl's face she said, "I miss you, 'Gina."
Her brother Derek, led her out of the way so others could pay their respects.
Jefferson placed a bouquet of flowers next to her casket. "You were special, Regina," he said with tears threatening to fall. "You didn't deserve to die."
Regina Mills was the hero.
~•~
September 17, 2012 was the day Regina Mills died.
The Charmings paid for a large headstone near Regina's vault that read:
Regina Mills
Our town hero, a beloved mother, and a lover will be missed.
This is the real last chapter. I'm sorry for the tragic ending. Thanks for reading!
Btw the inspiration for the title of this chapter came from the song:
There She Goes by The La's
Just imagine that song playing as Regina falls in slow motion.
Muhahaha I'm so mean.
Isn't Chapter 25 hilarious????
But hold up...do you guys want a sequel?
-OUAT_7