CHAPTER ONE - WICKED WINS

A heroic party consisting of Emma, Regina, Prince Charming, Captain Hook and Robin Hood rushes towards the barn to stop Zelena and rescue the newborn prince. But when they enter the barn...

"Where is she?" Charming cried. Not seeing the witch he lowered his sword and ran to his infant son who appeared to be safe and sound despite whatever Zelena had just put him through.

"Where's the witch!?" Regina rumbled.

"You're too late." an angry voiced hissed from beyond the glow of the time portal. The party looked through the green smoke and saw a very rumpled Rumplestiltskin chained to the back wall of the barn. "Release me!" he hissed. "RELEASE ME NOW!"

"Can't you free yourself?" Regina groused. "I can see my dear sister left your precious knife behind her... is that a golden dog collar you're wearing?"

"She put a spell on the chains before she left. I can't remove them!" he said, before adding in a heartbreaking plea directly to Regina, "I need your help. But you must hurry! The portal will only stay open as long as I can hold it open!"

"So you're holding the portal open" Emma said, "I knew there had to be a reason it didn't close the moment she walked through."

"YES! I am! And it is EXTREMELY taxing on even my powers to do so." He turned back to Regina and repeated his plea, "Please, release me!"

Regina's eyes narrowed. "What's in it for me? The witch is gone and we..." she looked at Emma, "...are still here, so I can only assume that Zelena's plan failed."

"Perhaps she changed her mind?" Robin offered, "Realized that time is not a thing to be tampered with..."

Regina gaped openmouthed at Robin Hood's innocence, "The woman sent Gold to threaten your son and tried to rip my heart out of my chest!"

"Yet, my son lives and is well and there..." he pointed, "is your heart, which looks none the worse for wear."

"A resilient heart..." Emma murmured, adding more loudly, "That's what Belle said. She 'uh, read it in a book somewhere."

Regina was still hesitant to attempt to break Zelena's spell over Gold. Every time she'd gone up against her sister she'd lost.

Charming noticed Regina's reluctance and passed his son to Robin Hood, then he grabbing his sword, now fully re-stored he hurried to Gold's side to free him, but repeated blows from his sword proved useless.

"I told you the chain has a spell on it!" Rumple reminded him; "It will take more than a piece of metal to break it." he turned to Regina, "You'll have to do it, Regina."

"Me? But I can't! Her magic is stronger than my magic!" Regina said, sounding defeated.

"Only if you use dark magic." he reminded her. "Zelena's magic is very powerful, truly, but it is also extremely ...vulnerable to ...to light magic." Rumple's voice began to crack as holding the portal open continued to drain his strength.

Regina looked at Emma, "I can't do it! You need to have a light heart to use light magic and mine's as dark as they come."

"That's not true." Emma said, "Because I know how muchyou love Henry. You used 'true love's kiss' to free Storybrook! I know you have a spot of light growing inside you, Regina. Just find it and channel it all at freeing Gold because we have to stop Zelena before she can kill my grandmother, because if she does than my whole family, including Henry could cease to exist!"

Regina stumbled forward, her face showing pain. "She's already won, Emma. I can feel myself fading... My magic is the only thing holding me together! If I use it..."

"Stop whining and save Gold!" Emma yelled, "He's the only one who can..."

Emma's last words hung in empty space. She was gone. Hook screamed, "No!" and ran to the empty space so recently occupied by Emma. Robin and Charming looked at each other in shock. Then the baby prince disappeared too. Right out of Robin Hood's arms. Charming's eyes filled with tears. He sank to the earth in despair.

Only Regina, Charming, Hook and Robin remained and Regina was beginning to look transparent. With her last fading strength Regina sent out a wave of love towards Gold. Her love of Henry hovered heavy over the air as she too winked out of existence.

But her last gasp of magic had done its work. The chains dropped from Rumple's wrists and he fell to the ground. "Thank you Regina" he whispered. Then he turned his head to look at his dagger and magic'd it swiftly across the floor into his hand. He then staggered to his feet, shook his unruly hair out of his face and dove headfirst into the portal.

"Gold... wait!" Hook cried irritably; immediately following him into the rapidly shrinking portal.

"Hey!" Robin cried, "You're not leaving us behind lads!"

Without a single second to waste, Robin Hood stepped into the portal pulling the weeping Charming behind him just as the portal closed.