The second Emma had thrust Regina's heart into her chest, an energy filled sound wave of power had erupted from her chest, pushing outward across the forest. A force so powerful, trees and shrubbery bent backward at the energy that escaped her. With The force field almost knocking her off her feet, Emma gasped deeply taking a moment to steady herself.

Within an instant, All of The Queen's emotions, thoughts, and memories rushed through Emma as they flooded through her mind and heart. Every memory of joy, sadness, anger, love and regret was now realized by Emma.

"Fool!!" Chernabog boomed, his eyes burned red with anger, "What have you done!!?"

Overcome with emotion, a teary eyed Emma lowered the hand that held Regina still slumped in the air, lifeless. In doing so, Emma collected her body in her arms, laying her gently on the ground.

She's still breathing...

Emma realized, feeling Regina's chest softly rise and fall with every breath she took. Clasping her hands together, she created a protective barrier around Regina as she slept.

Wiping her eyes, Emma made a promise to Regina:

I'm not sure how I'm going to fix this Regina, but I promise you, I will.

Slowly, Emma turned to face Maleficent.

"What have you done, you imbecile!"

Maleficent scolded, "Chernabog will kill us both!!"

"Then so be it," Emma replied, "I am prepared to die for this kingdom, as Regina has done for us. What say you, Maleficent?"

The witch stood there, nervously contemplating the carnage that was about to unfold.

"I suppose we're not left with much of a choice, are we dear?" Maleficent replied as she turned to stand by Emma's side, both now facing the demon.

"I will destroy you! ALL of you!!" The demon cried, large balls of flames forming in his eyes and hands, "You both will suffer eternity in the deepest pits of hell!!"

"Maleficent," Emma started, as they both ran for cover behind a large rock formation, "Regina trusted in you for a reason.. do you know of any way possible to stop him? Anything at all??"

Taking a moment to think, Maleficent replied, "There may be one way... I don't know for certain that it will work, but it's all I've got."

Turning to Emma she explained, "If I succumb to my dragon form, and am successful in swallowing Chernabog... you may be able to destroy him for good."

"Perfect," Emma exclaimed, "Let's do it, what are we waiting for?"

"...there is one catch." Maleficent said slowly.

"What?? Hurry Maleficent, spit it out already, we don't have time!" Emma shouted as they both dodged a beam of fire that shot out from the winged demon; the blast blowing out a chunk of the rock they were hiding behind.

"If we are successful.." the witch explained, "You will have to kill me."

"What?? Why?"

"The only way to ensure the demon does not possess or control me after I've consumed him, is for you to kill me. You must drive your sword through my stomach, piercing not only me, but also Chernabog." Maleficent explained sternly.

"No, there must be a other way.. No one needs to die. Maybe if-"

"There isn't." Maleficent said, cutting Emma off mid sentence, "but it's ok. After all, I helped get us into this mess, I'll help get us out. Besides, I've suffered long enough in this world. My time was up ages ago."

"No! I will find another way!" Emma yelled back, but it was too late. Maleficent was gone. In her place stood Maleficent's dragon, towering over Emma and the demon, with its jet black skin and glowing green eyes.

"Look after Aurora." Was the last thing Emma heard her say before the transformation was complete.

Chernabog made a swipe at Emma with a sharply clawed hand, but before it could make contact, the dragon expanded its wing, knocking the demon one hundred feet away. His heavy, cumbersome body driving through several tree trunks along the way.

"I will devour you!!" He boomed, quickly darting again toward them.

Without hesitation, Emma grabbed her sword and cut Chernabog's arm clear off his body. When she turned around to admire her handiwork, she watched in horror as his arm instantly grew back as though it was never cut off at all.

The demon grinned wide from ear to ear as Maleficent roared. Hot, devilish flames exploded from her mouth hitting Chernabog straight on.

Just when Emma thought there was hope, she watched as he advanced slowly through Maleficent's flames, unharmed.

"Fools!!" He echoed, "You think fire can harm a demon of hell?!"

Emma looked on, unsure of what to do. Fire didn't hurt him, cutting his limbs off proved no good...

Perhaps Maleficent is right... it is the only way.

Emma took in her breath deep, sheathing her sword and focusing every ounce of concentration she had on Chernabog. Suddenly, her hands began to glow as if she were holding bright, luminous globes in her hands.

"I've told you, time and again child," Chernabog taunted, "You cannot destroy me! I don't know why you even try!"

"Not a problem," Emma replied, "I just need you to hold still!"

All at once, strong, powerful beams of energy shot from Emma's hands.

Maleficent watched as the power shooting from Emma's hands was being generating from her chest... the very spot she plunged Regina's heart into it. This power seemed to freeze the demon in his place.

"WHAT?!?" The demon cried as he struggled to break free, "No!! You can't hold me!"

Chernabog screamed and bellowed as he fought with all his might to break Emma's hold. His muscles strained through tight, dark skin as the veins in his temple protruded.

"Maleficent! Quickly!! I can't hold him much longer!" Emma cried, the power now bringing her to her knees.

With one final battle cry, Maleficent roared, bringing her jaws down on the demon, swallowing him whole.

Quickly, as the connection between them was broken, Emma grabbed her sword, throwing it with one fell swoop, plunging the hot blade into the dragon's stomach. The impact caused an explosion of fire that threw Emma to the ground, near Regina's body.

Quickly Crawling the few inches that separated her and Regina, Emma threw herself over The Queen in an attempt to shield her from the explosion.

When the surrounding flames cleared, Emma slowly moved herself away from Regina, who still lay there unconscious.

Emma sat up next to her attempting to gather her surroundings. It was eerily quiet. The only thing that could be heard were the very faint war cries from the battle Mulan and Ruby were fighting close to the castle and the crackling of the surrounding flames.

After a few silent minutes passed, Emma thought she heard the pained muffled cries of someone gasping for air close by. Standing up, Emma walked around In the near vicinity to find out where it was coming from.

"Oh shit! Maleficent!" Emma exclaimed rushing over to the witch.

There, behind some charred shrubbery, was a woman laid on her side, blood spilling from her abdomen.

"Oh my god, you're alive!" Emma revealed.

Maleficent slowly removed the blade that was lodged in her stomach, coughing up blood as it left her body. Painfully, Maleficent took her final breaths, "No, this is the end for me. We succeeded in our plan."

"There must be something we can do-"

"NO!" Maleficent scorned, "You must listen to me.. in a few moments I will leave this wretched world. We've come this far, now you must save Regina."

"How??"

"Listen carefully child," Maleficent explained, "Do you remember plunging Regina's heart into your chest just before we defeated Chernabog?"

"I do."

"Good... When that happened, you merged your hearts together, as one. Now, you must give Regina a heart so that she may live as she did before."

"How am I supposed to do that??" Emma asked.

"It will take great power to do." The witch explained as more blood spilled out of her, "Concentrate every last bit of your power into doing so. Carefully Remove the merged heart from your own chest, then split it in two. From there, you will be able to give life to Regina once more."

Emma looked at Maleficent confused, "But won't splitting the heart just kill us both??"

"It can, yes. But if done correctly, you will have success. Emma, it is imperative that you protect Regina's heart, forever. She may not understand, but her heart now forged with yours, is the most powerful element in the entire kingdom." Maleficent breathed out, "...and Emma, Please, look after Aurora..."

"I will. I promise." Emma agreed, gently laying her hand on Maleficent's shoulder. As Maleficent closed her eyes for the last time, Emma stood.

Slowly she walked over to where Regina lay quietly. With full concentration, she braced herself, pressing her right hand over the left side of her chest. Seconds later, a soft glow transformed into a bright white light that engulfed Emma's chest and shown out around her hand. With fingers trembling, Emma began to pull at the combined heart within her, the pain in her eyes was imminent. Her blue eyes quickly becoming bloodshot as she struggled to remove the heart. Emma cried out in pain as the heart slowly separated from her flesh, the light shining brighter and brighter still. Like an illuminated orb, the organ made up of two powerful, beating hearts, now throbbed in Emma's hand.

Gasping for breath, Emma took hold of the heart with both hands, and closed her eyes.

"Here goes nothin'.." she said aloud to herself. Using all of her strength, both magical and physical, Emma pulled at both ends of the heart, careful not to cause any irreversible damage.

As the fleshy, muscular organ began to divide itself in two, both Emma and Regina could feel it. Emma watched painfully, as Regina's body twitched and spasmed with every tug at the heart. Finally, the heart that Emma ripped from her chest was now in two.

Barely able to move, Emma inched closer to The Queen, bending down slowly kneeling beside her.

"Please, please work..." Emma mouthed silently as she took both pieces of the heart, plunging each one into their chests.

The very moment their bodies accepted their new shared heart, their eyes shot open wide, both gasping for breath. Another powerful force of energy burst from them at their core, shooting outwards, into the forest. As if a hurricane had just come through, strong powerful wind followed that power surge, bending trees backward and causing shrubs to lose their leaves.

Emma steadied herself so as not to completely fall over from the sheer force that surrounded them. After she regained stability, quickly, she adverted her attention to The Queen, who still lay beside her quietly.

"Regina??? Regina! Are you alright?!"

But there was no response from The Queen. "Please, Regina, please wake up.." Emma pleaded, giving Regina's shoulders a gentle shake. Seconds later, The Queen's eyes fluttered open.

"Omg! Regina! You're alive! Oh thank god..."

"Emma.." The Queen started as she attempted to make sense of what was happening around her, "I'm.. I'm alright. What of the demon? And Maleficent??"

Emma replied, "Chernabog has been defeated... Maleficent sacrificed herself to help destroy him for good."

A look of utter astonishment was evident on The Queen's face as she absorbed this new information.

Just then, one of The Queen's soldiers approached them on horseback.

The guardsman, after dismantling his horse, exclaimed "My Queen!"

As she lay in Emma's arms, Regina looked up at the man dressed in black armor cleared her throat and replied "Yes, what is it?"

"Mulan sent me to inform you there is sudden victory at the castle. Ruby is tending to the wounded survivors."

Emma smiled, as The Queen replied, "Well, that's excellent news!"

Now sitting up on her own, she continued "Return to Mulan and Ruby and inform them that we too share in their victory. With help from Maleficent, the demon Chernabog has been defeated and our kingdom remains safe."

The Knight watched as Emma helped The Queen to her feet. Slowly, she steadied herself.

"Now go. Inform Mulan to meet us in my chambers shortly. There are some details we must attend to there."

Touching his fist to his chest, the knight replied "Yes, My Queen!" Before mounting his steed and taking off from the direction from which he came.

All at once, Emma turned to Regina, hungrily pulling her into a kiss.

"I thought you were gone, Regina. Gone forever..."

"Well, Ms Swan, I'm right here, aren't I?" The Queen replied with a smirk.

"I don't know how I would have survived without you. I really don't."

Emma exclaimed, "I am so sorry Regina. I.. I don't know what came over me back there. I was just.. I was just so so angry."

"Emma, listen.. I do think we need to talk.." The Queen stated with a look of concern. "The things I did all those years ago, to the people of this kingdom.. it's truly unforgivable. The amount of death and torture... I honestly don't know how I did it." The Queen explained softly shuddering.

"I don't deserve the love and respect of this kingdom, and I definitely don't deserve your love or respect either. I have wronged you in such a way, I know I can never fix that. Emma, If you choose to leave my side, I will understand completely."

"It's true that we should discuss a few things, in due time." Emma agreed, "But you must know, that I will never leave your side, my Queen. Not ever."

Smiling, Emma bowed to one knee, taking The Queen's ringed hand to her lips, and kissing it.

Regina pulled Emma to her feet. With A curled smile upon her lips and a purple glimmer in her eyes she replied, "Let's hurry back to the castle, then. There is much to discuss!"

With a wave of her arms, the two women evaporated into a swirl of purple smoke.