Emma stood in the garden of the underworld version of Regina's Mansion. The sun was burning down on her back. A sword in a leather scabbard was on her back, the leather strap digging slightly into the bare flesh her grey tank top left exposed.
Emma was practising her light magic, as well as her sword skills. Since being the Dark One, magic had not been coming easily to her. She was worried that even with Regina's help, she might not be able to regain her powers to the level they had been.
Emma drew her sword, and lunged forward.
"Need a sparring partner?" David called from behind her.
He could see how tense his daughter was. They had been in the underworld for eight days now, and had found nothing but small traces that Hook was around. It was infuriating Emma to no end, she had expected him to come to her immediately, instead it seemed like he was purposefully avoiding them.
"I am fine. Thank you." She said, behind swings, her arms trembling slightly with the effort and concentration she was applying.
David nodded slightly, and turned around.
"You can't block us out forever Emma." He said quietly, "We just want to help."
He headed inside with a sigh, as Emma continued her practice.
The mansion was covered in magical protection from Regina and Rumplestiltskin. However whenever they went out, the victims of The Evil Queen and The Dark One would emerge. Emma could smell a stew being prepared inside, as David opened the back door to leave. She hoped Regina would soon return from meeting with her mother to help train her.
Emma sighed, kicking a stone, as she sheathed her sword.
"Geez Louise! What got his goat, huh?" a voice echoed through the garden. Emma spun round, hands up prepared to use magic. A cloud of smoke was dispersing around a tall man in a dark robe. His hair burned a bright blue, illuminating his dark face. He stalked towards her a smile playing at the edge of his face.
"Name is Hades, Lord of the Dead. Hi. How ya doin'?" He beamed, extending a hand towards her.
Emma let out a sigh and turned away from him.
"Not now, okay?" she sighed, she was not at all in the mood for the lord of the dead. She that she had a ten day time limit before they were stuck here for good, and another reminder was not going to improve her already foul mood.
"Hey, hey, I only need a few seconds and I'm a fast talker, all right?" Hades called, appearing in front of her, before she could turn around to tell him to get lost again. She had not previously met the God, but his minions Pain and Panic had made clear that after ten days they would be trapped.
"I already spoke to your minions, I know about the time limit." Emma haughtily replied.
"I'm not here about that silly little time limit. See, I've got the major deal in the works. A real estate venture, if you will." He smiled, placing a hand on Emma's shoulder, which she immediately brushed away.
"And Em, you little devil you, may I call you. Em? You seem to be constantly getting in the way of it."
"You've got the wrong girl." Emma replied, starting to get annoyed, she tried to walk past him to the house, where she knew he couldn't get to her.
Suddenly his whole demeanour changed, his eyes darkened with rage, and he grabbed her roughly back.
"Hear me out, ya little- heh-heh. Just- hear me out, okay?" He began filled with rage, but calmed himself quickly. Emma felt suddenly much more afraid of this man.
"So I would be eternally grateful if you would just... take a day off from this saviour business of yours. Geez, I mean, monsters, curses. Phew You wait a day, okay?"
Emma shook her head as he spoke. She knew that if someone wanted her to stop being the saviour, even for a day, it meant terrible things were about to unfold.
"You're out of your mind." She retorted, continuing to try and get past him to the house.
"Not so fast, because, ya see, I do have a little leverage... You might wanna know about." Hades growled slightly.
Emma turned to look at him confused. Her immediate thought was, this is who has been keeping me from Hook. Hades snapped his fingers and in a swirl of smoke a figure appeared.
"Regina?" Emma gasped rushing to Regina, who stood there looking confused.
Regina looked at Hades standing behind Emma and gasped.
"Emma, Don't listen…" Regina began, but smoke swirled around her, and turned to black ropes around her mouth, arms and legs. Regina fell to the ground, wincing slightly as her body hit the ground.
Emma rushed to her, kneeling down, but the moment she reached out to touch her, she vanished in smoke.
"Let her go!" Emma shouted, turning back to Hades, hands raised. She ran at him, grabbing her sword. Her sword went straight through him, followed by Emma, who crashed to the ground.
"Here's the trade-off. You give up your strength for about 24 hours, okay?" Hades smiled, as Emma turned to him, pulling herself up. Glowering at him. Regina appeared on the ground beside Hades, struggling against her bonds.
"Say, the next 24 hours and Regina here is free as a bird and safe from harm. We dance, we kiss, we schmooze, we carry on, you go home happy. What d'ya say? Come on." Hades smiled, stretching his bony hand out towards Emma.
"People are, are gonna get hurt, aren't they?" Emma stammered, looking at Regina, who was shaking her head at her.
"Nah! I mean, it's, you know, it's a possibility. It happens 'cause, you know, it's war, but what can I tell ya? Anyway, what do you owe these people, huh?" Hades began babbling quickly, with a small wave, Regina was beside him, his arm wrapped around her. Regina trying to pull herself away.
"Isn't Regina," he smiled, taking her face in his hand.
"Little smoochy face." He mockingly said to Regina, who pulled her face away.
"Isn't she more important than they are?" He continued to Emma.
"Stop it!" Emma shouted, everything once again felt like it was falling apart, she could barely think, so many things were swimming in her head.
"Isn't she?" Hades nearly shouted back.
"You going to swear my family, will be safe from any harm?" Emma asked cautiously. Regina let out a moan through her gag, her eyes pleading Emma to not do this. Hades let Regina fall again to the ground.
"Fine, okay, I'll give you that one. They are safe, otherwise you get your powers right back, yadda-yadda, fine print, boilerplate, baboom. Okay? We're done, what d'ya say we shake on it?" Hades began babbling quickly again.
Hades put out his hand to Emma once again, Emma didn't take it, and instead she looked over at Regina, who was still struggling. Regina was shaking her head at Emma.
"Hey, I really don't have, like, time to bat this around. I'm kind of on a schedule here, I got plans for August. Okay? I need an answer, like, now. Going once…" Hades dramatically began counting. Emma's head was once again swimming, she couldn't lose anyone else.
"Going twice." He boomed.
"All right!" Emma burst out, grabbing his hand.
"Yes, we're there! Bam!" Hades boomed in joy.
Light poured out of their hands, and the whole world seemed to be spinning. Emma felt her energy draining, she fell to her knees, feeling nauseous. Regina struggled against her bonds, trying to get to Emma.
Hades dropped Emma's hand, as she fell back. She pushed herself up, trembling, barely able to keep herself up.
"You may feel just a little queasy, it's kinda natural. Maybe you should sit down." He crowed, sending Emma flying back with a wave of his hand. Regina let out a cry, as Emma hit the ground with a thump.
"Now you know how it feels to be just like everybody else. Isn't it just peachy?" He smiled, looming over her.
With a wave of his hand the bonds around Regina disappeared, she rushed to Emma's side, but he grabbed her, pulling her close.
"Couldn't have done it without you, sugar, sweetheart, babe." Hades smiled, kissing her hand.
Regina shoved him away, in disgust, and bending down beside Emma.
"Why?" she whispered, as she helped Emma stand.
"Well, gotta blaze. There's a while cosmos up there waiting for me with, hey, my name on it. So much for the preliminaries, and now on to the main event!" Hades cackled as the garden filled with smoke, and he vanished.