❃
|The Underworld|
❃

The ferry slowed to a stop and bumped against the shore, which looked identical to the shore where they had boarded the ferry in the land of the living. Emma took a hesitant step onto land and after she was sure it was safe-ish, she beckoned for the others to follow her. No one said a word as they followed Emma further away from the portal back to Storybrooke. The Underworld was almost identical to the Storybrooke for the living.

Almost.

The group reached the center of the town, where the clock tower usually stood tall. Except in Underworld Storybrooke, the clock tower was buried into the ground.

"Well this is new..." Mary Margaret muttered.

Emma was looking around, trying to figure out where Killian may be - or where anyone may be - when her eyes settled on what looked like her car. The yellow Volkswagen bug. However, this car was charred down to nearly the bottom.

But the most terrifying part about the Underworld was how eerily quiet it was. It was dead silent except for the breaths of the group who was still breathing. And the utter silence tempted them to stop breathing, to just dissolve into the Underworld's silence.

Emma slowly began to walk over to her not-car, simply because it was drawing her in. When she was halfway there, the air stilled. No one breathed.

And then Gold's voice sounded in a shout, "Duck!"

What happened next was like a scene from a movie. Giant axes swung from the sky, and they probably would have killed everyone had Gold not warned them.

In a cloud of smoke - oddly enough, it was dark grey and looked like real smoke - a man appeared. The group from Storybrooke slowly stood up.

"Welcome to the Underworld!" The man spread his arms out. "I sense one of you has been here before." He looked from one person to the next until his gaze settled on Gold. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the great and powerful Rumplestiltskin. Back for a second round of Underworldly torture, are you?"

Gold didn't reply. He knew better than to reply to Hades.

"We're looking for someone--"

"Yes. I am well aware," Hades interrupted Emma. "You're looking for your boyfriend. The one-handed pirate. He should have died long ago, and now, he is paying for the fact that he didn't. I'm afraid I simply cannot let you rescue him."

Emma lunged towards Hades, ready to break his neck, but Regina and David intercepted her.

"Emma, stop!" Regina said.

Emma focused on Regina. "Why?"

"Because you are going to get yourself killed!"

"I'll be fine! I just need to give him a black eye, and--"

"Ladies, ladies, calm down," Hades interrupted. "I admire your efforts for the captain, so I will allow you to bring another person whom you have lost back to the land of the living with you."

"No. I'm here to rescue Killian," Emma said, not afraid of the god.

"I already told you; those who have cheated death are not allowed to return to the Overworld. That list includes, but is not limited to, Peter Pan, Neal Cassidy, any and all of the Dark Ones, Merlin, and your precious Captain Hook. Now you," Hades turned to Regina, "you have lost people who did not cheat death. Let's see, there's your mother, and of course your dear stable boy. And what about you?" Hades stepped towards Robin. "You have your lovely wife and your parents and Kira, of course. And my dearest Snow White. Both of your parents died so early in their lives. I mean, the only person you have to blame is Regina here--"

"Hades, quit giving the guests trouble!"

Both Regina and Mary Margaret instantly recognized the voice."No," Regina muttered. "Not even our luck can be this bad. Don't we have to run out of bad luck some day?"

Hades stepped aside to reveal the woman Mary Margaret had feared running into in the Underworld.

"I was just giving them my introduction speech," he told the woman.

"Your introduction speeches are so long and boring, though. Let me show them around." Cora smiled her seemingly innocent smile at the group, "Welcome to the Underworld."

❃
|Storybrooke|
❃

Merida was more than happy to accept Belle's job offer of being the one to arrest King Arthur. She threw him into one of the jail cells at the sheriff's station and locked the gate.

"Who's be'ind bars now?" She jeered.

"What now? Are you going to take my head off?" Arthur responded. "Because that would be much more pleasant than listening to your accented sass all day!"

Merida opened her mouth to respond, but Belle cut her off. "No, we're leaving now. We have more important matters to attend to."

Belle took Merida's wrist and led her out of the sheriff's station. Once outside, Belle lowered her voice. "We don't know how long the others will be in the Underworld, but we need to keep this town running while they're gone. I don't know what happened last time everyone left, but I think this time will be worse. They've opened a portal to the Underworld, and I don't know what that could do to this town."

"So what d'ya want me ter do?" Merida asked, confused why she out of all people had been chosen by Belle to help Storybrooke when everyone was off on a suicide quest to the Underworld.

"I need you to gain the trust of the merry men. They've been without a leader for well over twelve weeks, so if you step in to take charge, they could possibly listen to you."

Merida nodded. "They're Robin 'ood's men, yeah? I think I can do that."

❃
|The Underworld|
❃

Regina looked her mother in the eye. "We need to talk."

"Regina, dear--"

"Did I stutter? We need to talk. Now."

Cora followed Regina over to the side, unsure of what had happened since she had died for Regina to be so angry at her. And why were they all looking for that darned pirate Cora had kept around only for his good looks?

"A sister?!" Regina demanded once they were out of earshot of the other. "Why did you never tell me I had a sister?!"

"Well, I didn't think you'd ever have to worry about it."

"You were wrong! Very wrong! Listen, I'm glad to see you and all, but since you've died, things have changed. I'm not going to be pushed around by you anymore, and I'm not going to accept any lies. So if there's any other oddly colored people I should watch out for in the future, please tell me right now."

Cora hesitated no more than a second before answering. "No. Your half-sister is the only part of your past that I hid from you."

"Good. In that case, we've had our talk. Now unless you can tell us where that one-handed pirate is, you can leave."

"Speaking of which, why are you looking for him?"

"Because through a long chain of events, he became a hero of sorts and started dating Emma. Until this whole problem with the Dark One darkness, when Emma had to kill him."

"Ah. Well I don't know where he is, but I would be glad to help you."

"No." Regina's tone of voice clearly said she wouldn't tolerate arguing. "You are not coming with us."

"Regina...are you hiding something from me?"

"No. But if I was, it's not like I wouldn't have my reasons. I mean you sort of ruined my entire life."

"I thought Snow White was the one who ruined your life?"

"No. No, because if you hadn't taken your heart out, you never would have traded everything for power. I never wanted power!" Regina's voice cracked. "I just wanted to be loved, and it was clear you weren't going to do that."

"Regina, I had to take my heart out!"

"Why, so you could say goodbye to your boyfriend? All you've ever cared about is power, Mother. And I am done with it, so get out of my life, and just...just go back to being dead!"

Cora could only watch as Regina turned and walked back to the group she had come to the Underworld with. It was strange to Cora that Regina had come with the Charmings and their wretched daughter. And then there was Rumplestiltskin, and--

Oh.

So that was what Regina was hiding. Or rather, who she was hiding.

Well two could play at that game.

~

Author's note: I'm going to say right now that this fan fiction is not necessarily what I think will happen in season five, but rather what I want to happen. I will still include all of the other characters that have been confirmed to be returning (Pan, Cruella, the Blind Witch, ect), and also some that haven't been confirmed (but no spoilers). And before you Captain Swan shippers get your hopes up, this is not a Captain Swan fan fiction. It's centered around Outlaw Queen more than anything, but all of the main characters are included.