A.N: I will preface this fic by saying both Hook and Hood while mentioned will not be with either Regina or Emma in a romantic sense, that said both a heterosexual marriage and affair will be mentioned though we will not see anything of either relationship in this fic except for mentions.

A.N2: This fic is in large part a prologue fic for a much larger fic to follow. Swan Queen will begin in this fic but a true relationship will not be built until the next story.

Once Upon an Age: From the Dark Path

Chapter One

Rumpelstiltskin's eyes narrowed dangerously as the Blue Fairy moved towards Regina with a false sort of air. He eyed her hands and tilted his head as Regina edged back and away from the Fairy and nearly bumped into the large looking glass that was positioned behind her in his shop.

Regina's mouth pulled back into a snarl as she snapped out, "Stay back Moth..."

Snow sighed out, "Regina..."

Emma for her part spoke up, "What the hell is going on?" She turned her attention to the Blue Fairy, "Why did you call Regina here?" Her own green eyes narrowed, "And why did you make it seem like Gold was the one to ask her to come here?"

Rumple took a threatening step forward as he hissed out, "That is what I'd like to know?"

The Blue Fairy's placid small smile vanished slowly as she shifted and her hands clenched before she reached her hands into her cloak.

Rumple's fingers twitched and then his hands were shooting out almost before he could think as the Fairy hurled a handful of powder at Regina's face. Regina brought her hand up instinctively and Rumple's own own magic slammed into her just before the lion's share of the power hit Regine full in the face. Regina's own magic only managed to stop a bit of the Fairy's powder from hitting her.

Emma's own reaction was only slightly delayed as she threw her hands out, reacting with magic she had little control over, trying to protect Regina.

As Emma's magic joined the the other three magics the cloud of energy mushroomed back and slammed into the mirror behind her, causing the inert glass to shimmer blue as Regina was blasted back off her feet and into the glass. Rather than shatter Regina's whole body disappeared with a slight whoosh.

Emma surged forward and threw herself at the mirror but before she made contact her mother caught her around the waist and did her best to haul her back, "Let me go! Regina!?"

Gold's scowl was deep as he stalked forward, intent on the mirror himself. He placed a tentative hand against the cool glass and turned with a snarl to stare at the Blue Fairy who was staring at the glass with the slightest bit of surprise marring her face.

Snow's voice was small as she held a still struggling Emma, "Blue... what did you try to do?"

The Blue Fairy's face hardened, "I sought to end the evil the Queen brought into our lives once and for all."

Emma's struggle towards the mirror stopped as she tore from her mother's arms in a surge of magical strength and seized the Blue Fairy, "You tried to kill her!? She was good! She was trying so hard to be better!" The Savior was enraged and to Rumple's surprise her eyes were now wet with tears, no doubt she was now also thinking about the son she shared with the Queen and what they were meant to tell him about his mother's fate.

The Blue Fairy's scoffed, "I am an agent of good. I would never seek to murder another. I simply intended to return her to a younger, more innocent state."

Emma frowned but did not release her grip, "Like... like what you did to August... I mean Pinocchio?"

The Blue Fairy nodded, "Yes. She would be a child and innocent once again."

Rumple stalked forward with a snarl, "What she fails to mention is that Regina, the Regina who existed would have been gone. Her memories gone along with the years of age." He snapped after a moment, "You wear your mantle of good but this attempt was nothing more than a soft murder. Her heart would have beaten but Regina, the true Regina would have been gone forever."

Emma's grip reasserted itself on the Fairy's clothes, "How could you do this to us? To Henry?"

The Fairy's lips tightened, "She needed to be punished."

Snow shook her head, "She was working towards redemption Blue..."

The Fairy snapped finally, "That child of evil would never truly be good! Could never truly be anything but a dark soul." She nodded towards Rumple after a second, "And anyway what about what he tried to do?"

Emma's eyes focused on him though she didn't release the Fairy, "What did you throw at Regina?"

Rumple folded his hands over the handle of his cane and replied truthfully, "I recognized her intent a moment before and threw a very primitive anchoring spell to try and shield her memories. Even if it worked she'd still have the mind and emotions of a child but her memories of being Regina would be there. My hope was that we could simply age her back up."

Emma nodded slowly, "Well I have no idea what sort of magic I threw out but was Regina shielding herself from you or from Mother Superior?"

Rumple paused and then shook his head, "I don't know. I would hope she recognized the true threat considering that the Fairy lured her here under false pretenses and would have allowed you all to think I was responsible for Regina's sudden second childhood had you and Snow White not accompanied her."

Snow frowned powerfully at the Fairy before pointing towards the mirror, "Where does that lead?"

Rumple shrugged a shoulder, "It is a portal to another world I acquired during my time in the enchanted forest. It did not lead to this world so it was useless as a means to reach Bae but it is functional though inert before. The magic it came into contact with must have charged it just enough to send Regina through."

Emma scowled and demanded, "Where does it lead?"

Rumple frowned, "To a world with magic. Once I realized it couldn't be the world Bae had been sent to, I left. I was there less than a day."

Emma's shoulders sagged, "A world with magic... ok so we go get her, right now." She waved at the mirror, "Charge the thing. Now."

Rumple shook his head, "I have no idea how, not in this world anyway. Magic is different here and if we use the wrong combination of spells the glass will shatter and the portal will be destroyed." Rumple added after a moment, "Something you should know about this other world Miss Swan... time works differently there. Many minutes have passed here since Regina fell through the portal."

Emma cocked her head, "So?"

He nodded towards the mirror, "So she's been in that world for a week at least by now."

Emma's jaw dropped as Snow White's eyes went wide with horror, "WHAT?!"

Read and Review