❃
|The Underworld|
❃

Regina, Henry, Cora, and Gold followed the floating pocket knife to the Underworld library. When it hit the elevator door, it dropped. Henry moved to pick it up, but Regina beat him to it. She pocketed the knife and opened the elevator door.

"Apparently there's tunnels underneath the Underworld library too," she ,uttered while giving Henry a look that clearly said he wasn't getting the knife back.

The group rode the elevator down until it stopped at the bottom. Gold was the first out, Regina and Cora followed him, and Henry exited last. They were in a dark cavern and Regina could hear water dripping from somewhere. No one could see and no one had magic that could be used in the Underworld, so the four were stuck in the dark.

Regina took a tentative step forward, not sure what to expect in front of her. Water dripping was the only sound any of them could hear. Regina held her hand out in front of her and felt her hand come in contact with something silky. If she was feeling right, it was some sort of cloaking spell. Regina took another step forwards and stepped through the spell.

Once through, she could see. She was in a dungeon-like hallway with torches hung along the walls for light.

"You guys can come through," Regina called back through the door she had stepped through. However, only Henry stepped through the door.

"Cora and Mr. Gold couldn't get through," Henry explained. "Gold said only those with pure hearts could get through."

Regina shook her head, "That can't be right. Mary Margaret, David, and I encountered a door like that during the Missing Year, and I couldn't get through."

"Were your intentions to, I don't know, kill Zelena?" Henry asked innocently.

Regina looked down. "Maybe."

"And now your intentions are to save Robin, and so are mine. But Cora and Mr. Gold's intentions are probably not just that. ...Or not that at all."

Regina nodded, "That makes sense, I guess."

"So what, we just carry on without them?"

"What else can we do? We have no idea what Gold's true intentions are, and I have a very good guess what my mother's are and they don't make me want to invite her along with us, if there even is a way."

"It might not be like Daniel again," Henry said against his best instincts.

Regina shook her head, "I've given up hope that it won't be like that if my mother's involved."

"You can't give up!" Henry protested. "She's your mom! Back when I was trying to get my other mom to believe, I thought you couldn't love me because you were the Evil Queen and villains are always written as heartless and having no morals. But she was right about one thing; all of us are real people, not perfect heroes and ruthless villains. We're real and we can change and we have regrets and losses, but we also all have feelings and morals and families and we're real. Cora is no more of a ruthless villain than you were, and I believe she could change if she wanted to. You have to believe too."

Regina pulled Henry into a hug. "You really are the Truest Believer."

When she released Henry, she nodded. "You're right. I need to have hope that this time will be different. So let's go save Robin."

❃
|The Enchanted Forest|
❃

A teenage boy ran through the woods, his quiver slung over his back and bow in his hands. He stopped suddenly and looked behind him. "I hear you," he announced.

A young brown-haired girl poked her head out from behind a tree. "Mama and Papa told me to find you," she said timidly.

"But I just got out here," the boy complained.

"Mama says you need to get ready for the dinner tonight."

"But Kira..."

"Come on, Robin! You know Mama will be mad, especially if you get hurt again."

The boy sighed. He swung his bow over his shoulder and walked towards his little sister, "Better get back inside then, hadn't we?" He took the young girl's hand in his own and the two walked back to their house, careful not to dirty themselves. Their parents had been invited to a dinner at the palace with the other wealthy families and a few other royals from neighboring kingdoms. According to their parents, the children would be in a separate place from the adults and the King's daughter would be there.

❃
|The Underworld|
❃

When the fury had taken Robin away, he had expected to go wherever Hook was since they had both "cheated death" as Hades put it. But instead, the fury - Tisiphone - had taken him straight to what looked like the throne room of the Underworld. Robin was pretty sure there were no throne rooms in Storybrooke, so he guessed he was probably under the library somewhere. The fury dropped him off and flew upon to a stone ledge where a girl and an older woman stood. Tisiphone transformed into a human and Robin realized the other two women must also be furies.

A dark-skinned woman stepped towards Robin. Her dress was make of deep green silk and she wore a flower crown on her head. "You must be Robin of Locksley?"

Hearing someone call him Locksley was strange. Regina was the only one who ever called him 'Robin of Locksley,' and that was usually only when she was angry or annoyed or both.

Robin nodded. "Yes, I am."

The woman smiled. "Good. My husband sent you to me. He wanted to send you with the others who have cheated death, but I insisted he send you here." She looked up to the three furies. "Thank you, Tisiphone. You three may leave now."

In a cloud of smoke, the furies vanished and half of Robin wondered where they had gone. the other half was trying to figure out who the woman was. Henry had mentioned a Greek mythology movie with a character named Hades in it the Disney had made, but they had never actually gotten around to watching it. Once they got out of the Underworld, Storybrooke should just watch all the Disney movies they haven't encountered yet so they could be more prepared.

"My name is Persephone," the woman extended her hand towards Robin, who took it and stood up. "Follow me."

Robin did as he was told. Until he could figure out a way to get back to Regina and the others, he would have to play along.

❃
|The Enchanted Forest|
❃

Robin's outfit was itchy and extremely uncomfortable, but at least he wasn't being forced to eat dinner with the adults who would just end up talking about political nonsense. There were only four children at the dinner and two were Robin and Kira. One was the King's daughter, and one was a princess from a nearby kingdom.

"My dad said there was supposed to be another girl here, but her mom cancelled at the last minute," the princess informed the group, her brown eyes showing a proud glint because she knew something the others didn't. "I don't remember her name, though. Also the princess of DunBroch was supposed to come, but some family issues came up."

"I don't like big groups," the other princess informed them. She had brown hair and brilliants blue eyes. "I always have to eat with a big group of kids when my family hosts dinners. And there's a boy who always tries to win my heart," her voice was filled with disgust while saying the last statement.

"What's his name?" Kira asked.

"Gaston," she replied distastefully.

Robin was just listening to the conversation, as he was clearly much older than the others and the only boy there. He knew the brown-eyes princess's name had something to do with the weather. Summer? Winter? Rain? Snow? He wasn't sure. And the blue-eyed princess's name started with a 'B'. Perhaps it was Bella? Robin hadn't been paying attention when he was introduced to them; he was too busy thinking about how he could be practicing archery instead of being forced to eat with two bratty princesses.

However, neither of the princesses seemed too pompous, so Robin was beginning to regret not paying attention.

"Do you have any books I can read?" The blue-eyed princess asked the brown-eyed one. "Our parents will probably talking for awhile."

The brown-eyed princess nodded. "Yeah." She looked over to the guard standing by the door, "Mr. Walt, can I show Belle and the others the library?"

The guard nodded, "Of course, Lady Snow."

So it was Belle and Snow. Robin was close.

Robin, Kira, and Belle followed Snow's lead to the library. When Snow opened the door and they entered, Belle gasped.

"It's huge! Our library isn't even close to being this big!"

"What's you're favorite book?" Snow asked.

"It's called 'Her Handsome Hero,' " Belle answered. "It was the first book I remember my mom reading to me. It's about a girl who meets a prince, but she doesn't realize it until three chapters later and--" Belle cut her self off. "Sorry, I'm rambling. My parents tell me not to do that."

Snow nodded. "My parents tell me that too."

"Have you read any books with heroes that are archers?" Robin asked Belle, trying hard to hide his curiosity about the sorts of books the young princess had read.

Belle nodded. "Yep! It was about a boy who was a thief, but only because he didn't have enough money to provide for himself and his little brother, because they were orphans. He ended up meeting a beautiful girl, but the girl'd mother prevented them from being together because he was just a poor orphaned boy."

"Well did they get a happily ever after?" Kira questioned.

Belle frowned. "I don't know. The last pages of the book were missing."

"Well maybe we have that book," Snow said excitedly. "What if we find it and you can read the ending?!"

"Yes!" Belle agreed. "Then we can know if the boy gets his happy ending!"

❃
|The Underworld|
❃

Persephone lead Robin down a hallway and began to talk to him. "My husband doesn't see potential in those who have cheated death. Then again, he doesn't see potential in much of anyone these days. He's been preoccupied stalking some living mortal woman - ugh. Anyways, while he's been busy... admiring from afar... I've made a few discoveries. Most importantly is that he's been keeping those who are deserving out of Elysium. He shoves them into the Fields of Asphodel or the Fields of Punishment and allows them to think that there is no Elysium. And those who have cheated death? They receive the worst tortures of all. You should be glad I saved you.

"The second discovery I've made is that my husband plans to cheat on me with this mortal woman once she dies. And therefore I have been able to plan my revenge."

"So why are you telling me all of this?" Robin asked the goddess, not understanding where she was heading with this.

"Because," she turned around to face Robin, "my revenge is to cheat on Hades with one who he hates the most - those who have cheated death."

Robin took a step backwards. "No. Sorry, but I'm not helping you get revenge on Hades."

"Well why not?" Persephone asked, putting mock offense into her voice to try and sway Robin to give in. "Don't tell me you want to stay true to the Evil Queen. Don't you know all of the terrible things she's done?"

"I do, but I also know that she's changed and I'm not ever turning my back on her again."

"Fine!" Persephone went from pouty to enraged in seconds. "In that case, I have other plans for you." Persephone summoned a cloud of smoke and suddenly they were both back in the throne room, except Robin was in a cage that hung from the ceiling.

"I'll just admire you from here."

❃
|The Enchanted Forest|
❃

Cora was brushing her daughter's hair out when there was a knock on the door. She stood up and composed her posture before walking over to the door and opening it. The instant she saw who it was, her pleasant smile turned into a glare. "Rumplestiltskin."

"The one and only!" he smiled, "My dearest Cora, how lovely you look this fine evening."

"Go away."

"But I bear a warning for you."

Regina was straining to her what her mother was talking about. She recognized Rumplestiltskin's voice from his last visit when he told Regina's mother of trouble brewing in a far away land Regina couldn't recall the name of.

"What is it this time?" Cora asked impatiently.

Rumplestiltskin pointed his finger at Regina. "That one cannot know about this."

Cora stepped outside and closed the door behind her. "Hurry up, I don't have all day."

"There will be a boy at the dinner you are planning to go to tonight. I do not know his name, but I do know hat if you want your daughter to be Queen someday, you should not let her near him."

Cora narrowed her eyes, not believing the imp. "Is this just a ploy to not get me to go to the dinner?"

Rumplestiltskin shook his head. "Cross my heart. The family is that of Locksley and their son is bad news for your power-hungry heart-- oh wait. My bad."

"Will you shut up about that already?" Cora regained her composure. "If this 'of Locksley' boy is as dangerous to Regina s you say, then I shall destroy him."

Rumplestiltskin waved his finger back and forth, "No, no, no. You cannot kill him."

"Hmph. Well I'm sure he has some other weakness."

❃
|The Underworld|
❃

Robin was in the cage for a few hours before one of the furies flew in past the metal surrounding him as if she were a ghost. She transformed into her human form and Robin recognized her as Tisiphone.

"I'm sorry for what Hades and Persephone made me do to you," she apologized, "but I'm afraid this game they are playing has only just begun."

"What makes you say that?" Robin asked, instantly worried for Regina and Henry's safety.

"Your wife and son are trapped in Hades's labyrinth of tunnels underneath the library while her mother and the Dark One wait, stuck in the dark with no light. The other group has made their way to the Fields of Asphodel and will become trapped as well, and Hades has completely sealed off the Underworld from the Overworld. Now no one in the Overworld can die if they are from a fairytale land."

"My wife and son?" Robin questioned.

"The Evil Queen and the Savior's son," Tisiphone clarified.

"Ah," Robin nodded. "Are they okay?"

"For the moment. Hades is playing them all like pieces in a game, and the only winner will be him. Be thankful that Persephone has removed you from the game."

"I need to get back to Regina and Henry!"

Tisiphone shook her head, "I'm afraid I cannot help you. My brethren and I can pass through these bars, but I cannot bring you with me. However, if you need help with an escape plan, I would be glad to assist you in any way. I can distract Hades and Persephone if need be. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before Regina and Henry find their way here, but as I said before. Whatever game Hades and Persephone are playing has only just begun. And the only winners will be the god and goddess them selves."

❃
|The Enchanted Forest|
❃

Snow's library either didn't have the book Belle had told them about or the four just hadn't found it, but Robin and Kira had to leave without finding out the ending.

The next morning, Robin left the house early so he could be outside in the morning air. He knocked an arrow and began shooting a target he had made on a tree weeks before.

It was nearly lunchtime when Kira joined him, telling him that their parents wanted him inside for lunch.

Robin shot another arrow at the tree. "Okay. I'll only be a minute. I need to gather all of my arrows."

"Okay." Kira stayed put in her spot and watched as Robin slung his bow over his back and walked towards the tree his target was on. He began yanking arrows out of the bark. He was halfway done when he heard Kira scream.

Before Robin could register what he was doing, he had an arrow knocked and pointed towards a woman who's arm was wrist deep in Kira's chest. The woman pulled her hand out and Robin didn't know what to think when he realized she had just pulled Kira's heart out of her chest. He had heard legend of a sorceress who ripped people's hearts out of their chest, but he had never thought it was real.

"Robin!" Kira called.

"Kira, come here," Robin tried to keep his voice steady.

Kira shook her head, "I can't." Tears began to leak from her eyes. as the woman squeezed the heart a bit.

"Kir, come here."

"I can't!" she wailed. "Robin, it hurts!"

Robin dropped his bow and arrow and rushed over to his sister, but everything seemed to happen in slow motion and Robin wasn't fast enough.

The woman crushed Kira's heart and Kira cried out in pain. Robin caught his sister as she fell and by the time he was there. the sorceress was gone.

"No!" Robin exclaimed, shaking Kira's shoulders. "Wake up! Kira, wake up! Come one, Kir, come on. You have to wake up!" He began to sob when he realized that Kira was not going to wake up. He was still trying ti get her to open her eyes, but to no prevail. "Kira. Come on, Kira. Wake up. I need you to wake up...just..just wake up, okay? Mama and Papa want you for lunch. Come on, Kir. Come on...I need you...don't leave me, Kir. You can't leave. Wake up."