❃
|Camelot|
❃

When Henry found his mother, she was sitting over Robin's body next to Ruby and a woman Henry hadn't seen before. Henry felt his heart drop even lower, if that was possible, once he realized that he wasn't the only one who had suffered a loss.

Ruby heard Henry's footsteps and jumped up, pulling her sword out of her sheath so that it was up at Henry's neck by the time she was on her feet. "Sorry," Ruby said sheepishly as she sheathed her sword. "Thought you were a zombie..."

"S'okay," Henry mumbled.

"What happened?" Ruby asked. Henry just shook his head and walked past Ruby to sit down next to his mother.

Regina hardly registered that Henry had sat down until he spoke, "I'm sorry."

Regina looked up at Henry and something clicked in her mind. "Henry, where's Violet?"

Henry bit his lip to stop himself from crying. "She...Hades..."

"Oh, Henry," Regina pulled her son into a tight hug - one Regina needed as much as Henry did. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think he would go after you two."

Henry pulled the quill and ink out of his pocket. "He offered me these so I could stop the zombies," the boy explained softly. "The price was Violet's life. She told me to sacrifice her so she could save the kingdom."

"You did the right thing," Regina assured Henry. "I just wish there could have been some other way."

"Is this Henry?" The brown-haired woman asked.

Regina nodded. "Henry, this is Kira. She's your, uh, step-aunt."

"Robin's sister?" Henry asked quietly.

"Yeah."

❃

The armies were retreating into the palace walls for the night when Belle finally found Meg and Herc. She rushed up to Meg, a book in her hands. "Meg, I think I might now how to defeat Hades once and for all."

"How?" Meg asked. "And have you seen my dad and Regina? They haven't returned yet."

Belle shook her head. "No, sorry. I'm sure they're fine. But according to that prophecy, Hades needs to be thrown into a lake of fire to end him forever. In the Greek myths, the River Phlegethon is a river of fire, which could lead to a lake. Do you happen to know where the river is?"

Meg nodded slowly. "There were tales of a river of fire hidden in the depths of the Labyrinth, and that Hades hid it because it was a threat to him."

"So how do we get Hades down there?"

Meg frowned. "I don't know. We need an entrance to the Underworld, but the only one I know of is in Storybrooke."

"Hold on," Belle turned to Hercules. "Cerberus was said to be a...a guardian of sorts. Maybe he was guarding a portal to the Underworld when you attacked him!"

Hercules hesitated. "I...I don't think I can defeat that thing."

"Why not?" Meg questioned.

"I can't fight all three heads at once."

Meg smiled. "Then you won't have to. I'll help you."

Ruby rushed up to the group, out of breath. She glanced up at the sky nervously. "My cloak is ruined, so I can't stop the transformation," she explained quickly. "But Robin...he..."

"W-what?" Meg's voice, trembled fearing the worst.

"He's gone," Ruby whispered. "I was going to protect him, but I didn't see, and-- and now Violet's gone too!" Ruby was on the edge of tears. "I'm sorry. Regina, Akira, Henry, and Jane are still out there somewhere!"

Meg wiped away her tears, trying her best to be strong. "Sh-show me. Please."

Ruby nodded. "I'll try to get you there before I transform, but if I don't, I'll still be aware of what I'm doing."

❃

After Akira had sent Ruby on her way back to the castle, Jane found the group mourning Robin. "What happened?" She asked, dropping to the ground. "And where's Violet?" Her voice grew more frantic.

"She," Henry choked back a sob. "I'm sorry. She...she sacrificed herself..."

Jane's eyes widened. "What?! No, but I sent you two off so you wouldn't get hurt!"

"Hades found us," Henry muttered.

"No..." Jane's voice trailed off. "No, no, no..."

A few minutes later, Ruby and Meg approached the group. Meg dropped to the ground as well and Regina wrapped and arm around her.

"Who...?" Akira motioned towards Meg.

"Robin's daughter," Henry explained softly. "Your niece."

"Henry?" Jane placed a hand on Henry's shoulder. "Could you take me to Violet?"

Henry nodded and stood up, but before he could walk away, Regina grabbed his hand. "Let me come with you."

"You don't have to--"

"Please, Henry. Let me be your mom."

"Okay," Henry gave in.

Regina turned and pulled Meg into a hug. "I'll be back, I promise. And you always have a home with me."

"Thank you."

❃

Jane and Henry were mourning over Violet's body when suddenly, Henry's eyes lit up. "Mom, do you think a heart split would work?"

Regina almost answered positively before a thought occurred to her. "Henry, I put that spell on you after Neverland so no one could rip your heart out. Not even I can bypass that spell without completely undoing it, and I can never use that spell again."

"Then undo it," Henry pleaded. "You would do that same thing to--" Henry stopped himself. "Please, Mom."

Regina sighed. "I'm not even sure a heart split will work at your age. How do you know this is true love?"

"I can feel it," Henry insisted.

"Then maybe we can save one of our hearts. This is going to hurt," she warned.

"I know. I'll be fine," Henry assured her.

Regina undid the spell protecting Henry's heart and took a deep breath before plunging her hand into his chest. He winced slightly, but trued to not let his mom see. Regina yanked his heart out and placed her other hand on it, ready to break it in half.

"Do it," Henry pleaded.

Regina broke his heart apart and shoved half into Violet's chest before placing the other half back in Henry's. No one even dared to breathe for what felt like an eternity.

But finally, Violet sucked in a deep breath and her eyes shot open. She sat uo and put a hand on her forehead. "What--?"

Henry and Jane both crushed her in a hug while Regina sat nearby, a sad smile appearing on her face as her hand absentmindedly went to her stomach.

❃

Mary Margaret found Belle and Hercules sitting in the grass, looking over Belle's notes she had scribbled while trying to figure out where the lake of fire was. She sat down next to them, "Hey, have either of you seen Regina?"

Belle pursed her lips. "Ruby found us a little while ago so she could tell Meg. I'm not sure we're supposed to tell anyone, but Robin..."

"Oh no," Mary Margaret muttered in a horrified voice.

"Ruby said Regina was still out there and Meg made Ruby take her."

"I need to find her!" Mary Margaret stood up.

"I, uh, don't think a hope speech is what Regina needs," Belle said. "Maybe you can help us figure out how to open this portal."

"I can do more than give hope speeches," Mary Margaret protested. " And Regina's my family. I'm not letting her go through this alone."

"We don't even know where they are," Hercules reminded her.

"I'll find them," Mary Margaret assured him. "I will always find them."

"At least let me come with," Herc stood to join her.

"Deal."

❃

After Regina split Henry's heart and brought Violet back to life, the Author left Jane and Violet to talk to his mom. "On the way here, you said something about leaving part of your soul in Robin's body..."

Regina nodded.

"Well, I was thinking..." Henry pulled the quill and ink out of his pocket. "The Apprentice said I couldn't bring back the dead, but I could rewrite what happened to Robin."

"No," Regina disagreed firmly. "You know how dangerous magic is, Henry. And if you rewrite the story once, you could get...addicted, like Isaac."

"Just listen!" Henry pleaded. "Part of your soul is still in Robin's body, and you're alive! Yes, if you would have died with Robin if he hadn't returned most of your soul. But what if instead of you dying with Robin, Robin was able to live with you. If we can bring him back soon, and get Jane's help to heal him..."

"It's too risky. I'm not letting you pay the price for magic that was used for me."

Henry frowned. "I just want to help you! You're always sacrificing everything for me. Please, just this once, let me save you."

Regina gave in. "Okay. Let's go save Robin."

❃

Mary Margaret and Herc found Meg and Akira without much trouble. Meg was holding her dad's hand, looking down at him with tears streaming down her face. Hercules sat down next to Meg silently, and she turned and buried her head in his chest.

Akira stood up, her muscles stiff from sitting next to her brother for so long. She walked over to Mary Margaret. "I'm Akira. Robin is-- was my older brother."

Mary Margaret frowned. "He never mentioned a sister."

"It's a long story. Who are you?"

"Mary Margaret. Robin was my...step-dad...?" She sighed, "It's a long story. We were friends."

Akira didn't have time to reply before Regina, Jane, Violet, and Henry appeared from the surrounding forest.

"Regina!" Mary Margaret rushed over to the former Queen. "I'm so sorry--"

"It's okay," Regina assured the frantic woman. "We're going to save him."

Meg and Herc stood up and moved a safe distance away from Robin while Regina sat down next to him. Henry reached in his pocket and pulled out the quill and ink. He realized the only piece of paper he had was the letter Violet had written to him. But the back was blank, so it would work.

Henry dipped the quill into the ink and began to write, muttering the words under his breath as they appeared on the paper;

"The part of Regina's soul still inside of Robin is a tether to a loving body,bringing him back to life."

Once the last part was written, Robin's eyes shot open and he sucked in a deep breath. Regina pressed her lips to his, and Jane hurried over to inspect the wound that would need to be taken care of immediately. But when she saw it, her eyes widened. "I don't think..."

Meg pushed her way past Jane. "Let me." She waved her hand over the wound, magically healing it. "It's still healing on the inside, but the bleeding has stopped. You just need to be careful for a few more hours." After Meg was done giving the informational part of her speech, she helped Robin sit up and pulled him into a hug. "Dad..."

"I'm right here," Robin assured his daughter. "I've got you."

Meg knew her tears were running onto Robin's clothing, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She had tried being strong ever since Regina and Robin had brought her back from the Underworld, but for now, she just wanted to be five-years-old again and let herself be protected by her parents.

Of course, nothing is that simple.

A low growl sounded as if it were coming from all around. Regina shot to her feet and moved closer to Henry and Violet, as did Jane.

"That wouldn't happen to be Ruby...would it?" Akira asked hopefully.

Mary Margaret shook her head. "That's not Ruby."

"It's Cerberus." Hercules recognized the growl easily. "The three headed dog I need to defeat for my final labor."

"Then go," Mary Margaret encouraged.

But Herc shook his head. "I can't defeat that thing on my own. I need help."

"I'll help," Meg stood up and wiped her tears away. "I'm with you till the end, Wonder Boy."

"We need someone else," Hercules looked around at the group. "Three heads needs three people. But Robin shouldn't move, let alone fight, yet, and I won't allow Regina, Henry, and Violet to put themselves in danger."

"Snow."

Mary Margaret looked over at Regina, surprised to hear her Enchanted Forest name from the former Queen.

"Me?"

Regina nodded. "You're a hero."

Mary Margaret shook her head. "I'm nothing but hope speeches and a pretty face."

"No," Regina walked over to Snow and looked her in the eye. "You are my step-daughter, and you are stronger than you want to admit. Forget about Mary Margaret - in fact, we don't need her anymore. You are Snow White. You fought against the Evil Queen for years and you inspired entire kingdoms. You are so much more than hope speeches and a pretty face, Snow. Now go help Hercules."

Snow nodded. "Y-You're right. Thank you, Regina." She pulled her step-mother into a hug before going to join Herc and Meg. "Let's go get that dog."

Once Snow, Hercules, and Meg disappeared into the trees, Akira unsheathed her sword, ready to protect Robin. Regina helped him stand up, but he was leaning heavily on her and Henry for support.

❃

Once Snow found tracks on the ground, they found Cerberus easily. He seemed to be watching the group surrounding Robin, ready to attack at any moment.

"So what's the plan?" Meg asked.

Hercules pulled a dagger from his belt and handed it to Meg. "It's not a good idea to use magic with this thing. Snow will use her arrows to get its attention and then you attack the right head, and I'll get the left one. Snow, go for the middle."

Snow nodded. "Okay."

Meg gripped the dagger tightly. She wanted to help Hercules, yes, but more than that, she wanted revenge on Hades. Robin was dead thanks to his army of zombies, and Meg figured killing his pet would calm her anger. Robin was back now, yes, but Meg never wanted to go through the pain of losing him again.

Snow backed up and pulled an arrow from her quiver, aiming for Cerberus's back. She hit the target and the giant dog swung three of its heads around. Meg and Herc sprung into action, slashing at the left and right heads, while Snow fired arrows at the head in the middle.

The dog dropped to the ground without much of a fight and dissolved into a cloud of dark smoke. Meg threw her arms around Hercules, pulling him into a hug. The three were about to share the victory with the others when a voice stopped them.

"Mary Margaret?"