Daughter of Darkness || Once Upon a Time

Chapter Two | Name Your Price

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|The Underworld|
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Regina rejoined the group and wrapped her hand around Robin's for support. She could tell him about what had happened later, when they were safely back in the land of the living with that blasted pirate living in Emma's white-picket-fenced house.

"She's taken care of. Now let's find Hook and get out of here."

"I thought I told you taking Hook with you wasn't an option?" Hades asked. "If you won't listen to me, I'll have to punish you. How does keeping you trapped in the Underworld sound?"

"Do it!" Emma challenged. "I dare you! I'm getting Hook back either way, and nothing you do will stop me!"

Hades shrugged. "If you insist..." He raised his hands and closed his eyes, concentrating on something. The ground shook and Emma realized she probably shouldn't have challenged Hades, but it was too late now. She would just have to hold true to what she had told Hades. She would find a way to get Hook back, no matter what Hades threw at her and her family.

When Hades opened his eyes, the ground stopped rumbling. He looked at Robin. "You. You were supposed to be here already. I sent one of my furies to retrieve you, but your friends made a sacrifice. But now that you're here, I can finally claim my price for the magic that was used to save you. I was going to ignore that fact, but your blonde friend here clearly wants to make it hard for you guys to all leave here at all, let alone alive. So Tisiphone will take you now."

Before anyone realized what was happening, a screeching fury had materialized and was lifting Robin of the ground.

"Robin!" Regina yelled. She tried to summon magic to fight the fury off, but realized she couldn't. By the time she would have been able to do anything, the fury and Robin were both gone.

Regina turned to Emma with a murderous look in her eyes. "This is all your fault! If you had just picked a price for the magic you used that was less steep, Robin would still be here!"

"Sorry no one told me the rules of being the Dark One," Emma responded.

"That's not the only thing, tough! You're just being reckless and stupid! I get that you just had to kill the love of your life, but that pirate is not worth the rest of our lives. We'd get out of here a lot faster if you would just shut up every once in a while and let someone who can think logically do the talking!"

Emma wanted o get mad at Regina, but she was right. They'd never find Hook if Emma just kept challenging everyone they met. So Emma simply said, "I'm sorry."

"So what now?" Mary Margaret asked.

Emma looked at Regina and knew they were thinking the same thing. "We split up."

"No," David said, "It's not safe to split up."

Regina shook her head, "It's not. But we have no other choice. Emma needs to find Hook, and I need to find Robin. He still has two kids in the Overworld that need him. So you, Mary Margaret, and Henry can go with Emma, and I'll go after Robin. Gold can join whoever he wants."

"Would you want to kill me if I thought that Gold should join you?" Emma asked Regina. "Simply because he and Hook never get along."

Regina glanced at Gold. "So I guess you're with me."

Gold nodded. "It seems so, dearie."

Everyone jumped when Cora spoke because no one had noticed her approach them, "I couldn't help but overhearing, and I was wondering if I could join my daughter on her expedition."

"No," Regina and Gold disagreed in unison.

"Why not?"

"Because you're irritating and have nothing to offer to help us," Gold answered.

"Oh, but I do," Cora's smile turned into an evil smirk. "You see, if you don't let me go with you, then I will help Hades in making your quests, well, pretty much a living he--"

"Okay, okay, we get the idea," Regina interrupted.

"So you'll let me come?"

Regina sighed. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

"No."

"...Fine. But if you try to hinder us in any way, you'll be sorry you ever made this offer."

"Um, Regina, a moment?" Emma grabbed her friend's arm and dragged her away. "I think Henry should go with you."

"Sorry, what?" Regina asked, taken aback. "Do you know how many people here want revenge on Gold, my mother, and I?"

Emma nodded. "I do. Well, not really, but I have a pretty good idea. However, I'm not going to let you go after Robin with only Cora and Gold for company. I have no doubt that you can protect Henry and that you will protect him, no matter the cost. He's been the light in you ever since we first met, and I know he can keep the light in you burning while you're stuck with Gold and Cora. The Underworld could very well be turning us into the worst version of ourselves, but I know that even the worst version of you loves Henry."

Regina smiled. "Thank you. Good luck finding Hook, and please don't continue being so reckless."

"I'll try. And good luck to you too."

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|Oz|
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Zelena tumbled into an open field and the green tornado that had transported her to Oz receded up into the sky as if it it had never been there. The place had changed since she had left, she could tell with just one look. The sky was brighter and the grass was greener. Zelena stood up and brushed her clothes off. If Regina was going to send her to Oz, Zelena would do whatever it took to get back to Storybrooke. The heroes would all be banished to the Underworld and Zelena would have only Captain One Hand to worry about.

Zelena began trekking west. She had to come upon the yellow brick road at some point, judging by the placement of the sun.

When she finally did find the yellow brick road, she followed it to the palace that she had called home for years while plotting how to get revenge on her wretched half-sister.

She opened the door with a wave of her hand and marched into where the so-called wizard had been when she had first arrived at the palace so long ago.

"Welcome! I am the great and terrible Wizard of Oz! What can I do for you this fine day?"

Zelena marched over to the curtain. "You can show me a way to get back to Storybrooke."

"Or I could not do that," the fake Wizard's voice had changed to that of a female in her mid twenties. The curtain dropped to reveal a woman in silver shoes Zelena would recognize anywhere.

"Dorothy," she sneered.

"Hello again, Zelena. I see you've come back from your melt. Did you have fun faking your death for me?"