This is being continued!

I swear if winning the lottery was as easy as guessing if I'm going to continue a fic, you'd all be rich.

Anyway! Exciting stuff ahead. Like I mentioned in my [newly edited] AN for chapter 1, the first chapter does veer off from how the finale ended up being [though some parts were kinda accurate], and how things resolved with Emma's parents.

So please take the final eps' happenings lightly. If something is different here than it is on the show, that's why.


They had migrated into Granny's Diner, but Regina didn't remember when or how it had happened. One moment she was kneeling on wet asphalt, the next she was sitting in a booth at Granny's as if nothing had happened, and they were celebrating having returned from that strange opposite world of the Author's. But it wasn't so simple.

No, Emma was gone, and she was ready to chalk this up to a bad nightmare, something she could just wake up from and hope that tomorrow Emma would come waltzing into her office with an easy smile on her face and a new story to tell. But the dagger right in front of her - she hadn't let it go, and the vice grip she had on it was akin to someone holding a lifeline - brandishing Emma's name showed that this was very real.

The door opened and Belle was there, Henry beside her. Henry, how was she going to explain this to him? One of his mothers were gone after he worked so hard to save his other mother in the opposite Enchanted Forest.

"Mom? What's going on?" Henry approached her, his brow furrowed, almost scared to ask, his eyes glancing at the dagger in her hand. Thankfully it was down-turned so he didn't see the name etched on it in black.

Seeing that she had no chance to escape, and that she wouldn't lie to her son, she got out of the booth and stood up, flashing what she hoped was a comforting smile. He didn't seem to be too convinced, but she wanted to have him alone when she spoke about what happened. Turning to the Charmings, she gave a brusque nod before she beckoned Henry to come with her and heading outside the diner, her arm around his shoulders. With a pang, she noted that he was nearly her height. Where had the time gone?

She was scatterbrained right now. She couldn't focus on any one thing. Her mind kept jumping around, trying to make sense of what was going on. But she managed to clear her mind enough to teleport them to the living room of their house.

Henry blinked ever so slightly, adjusting to the new surroundings. "Mom, what happened?" he insisted.

"Sit down, Henry." Her voice sounded scratchy. Whether it was from how she screamed herself hoarse while Emma was being sucked in by the darkness, or whether it was that she hadn't used her voice since then, she couldn't decide. But she cleared her throat and hoped it helped.

Henry did as he was told to. He had his hands on his knees, clutching them ever so slightly in a way that she knew was him displaying his nerves. He was also nibbling the corner of his lip, and she wished she didn't have to deliver the bad news to him.

"Henry," Regina began as she sat down beside him. "Tonight, something happened."

"With Gold?" he asked, eyeing the dagger she had yet to let go. The last he had heard, everyone was off to Gold's shop because Belle had burst into the diner, exclaiming that her husband was near the end of his life and needed help. Regina had told Henry to go with the Charmings to their apartment, while she had gone with Emma and Belle to the pawnshop.

Not even 15 minutes later, Belle had showed up. Henry's brief hope that she was delivering good news was squandered with a hushed explanation moving his grandparents into action; he knew something must be seriously wrong, especially when they just told him to stay put with Belle, and the latter just refused to answer any questions. He wanted to run off and find answers for himself, but Belle was an expert at thwarting his plans. So he stayed still, the pit of his stomach plummeting each minute that passed. Especially when the lights flickered.

"Yes. The Apprentice managed to remove the darkness from him, but it wasn't contained properly. It fled out into the street, and next thing we knew, it was coming for us." Regina remembered rushing out into the street with Emma in tow, stopping in the middle of the road when they lost track of it, and how the Charmings along with Hook and Hood had showed up.

"It tried to tether itself to me, but Emma-" her voice broke a bit, hard to tell Henry what happened.

But Henry didn't need her to say anything. He was pretty sure he could guess what happened. With a shaky hand, he reached to place his hand over her own, where it was curled around the dagger. Adding a bit of pressure, he managed to turn her wrist so the other side of the dagger was facing him. When the name registered on his mind, he released his grip and his breath caught. "Is she-"

"She disappeared," Regina hollowly said, as if that was any true reassurance.

"Can't you summon her?" Henry asked.

Could she really admit to Henry that she was scared of doing so? She didn't know what to expect, or what would happen. Maybe nothing would happen. Regina wasn't sure which one would be worse. "I'll try later. Right now, I just wanted to let you know what was going on, and you should probably head to bed. It's late, and this past week has been hard on everyone. I'll be right here if you need me, okay?"

Henry gave a small smile, glad for the honesty. He rushed forward to hug her, and she dropped the dagger onto her lap as she wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight. Although she was worried, she felt the need to voice her reassurance. "We'll get her back. I promise."

Once they parted, Henry was grinning, eyes misty. "I know. We're her family."

She gave a watery smile and sniffed, wiping the corner of his eyes. "Yes we are. But we're not going to be of much help if we're sleep deprived. If anything happens, I'll let you know."

Agreeing, Henry gave her one last hug and a kiss to her cheek before he headed up to bed. Once alone, Regina once more took hold of the dagger, exploring the infinite intricacies of the design.

She took a deep breath, and realized she would need alcohol to do this.


"Wakey wakey, dearie."

Emma squeezed her eyes shut even more, willing the annoying and yet familiar voice to just disappear.

"Oh how exciting. You're going to sleep through your stead as the Dark One?" the voice now grew bored.

Finding it impossible to drown out the voice, she opened her eyes, ready to chew them out for disturbing her slumber. It was night time, the stars overhead looking delightful between the canopy of trees. Trees? She was outside, lying on dirt and moss. Scrambling to stand up, she saw that she was right beside the Wishing Well. Then she saw who was keeping her company.

"Gold? What-"

The man was standing just as he always did, a powerful stance, cane in the middle, both hands gently gripping the gilded tip. But what was peculiar was that he seemed relatively translucent.

"Welcome to being the Dark One, dearie. As I'm currently in a coma, I'm free to be your 'guide' through this new and exciting process." Despite not making any hand gestures, she could tell from his tone and smirk that he was mocking her entirely.

"Well you can just go back to your body, I don't think having you teach me anything will end well," Emma grumbled, taking stock of herself as she vaguely shooed him off. She was wearing the same clothes as she remembered, but she felt different. There was a pull, one that she wasn't understanding quite yet.

"Oh believe you me, I'm not exactly doing this out of the goodness of my heart, Ms. Swan. I have tried to walk away, but I find that if I get too far away from you, I am subjected to a nice round of pain, and my body cripples. So I suppose we're stuck together for the time being."

Emma grimaced. "As if becoming the Dark One wasn't enough."

Gold chuckled, and flourished his hand towards where the town could be seen down the hill and through the trees. "Ah, but a playground full of new victims. You'll find your fun soon enough."

"No, I won't allow the darkness to take hold of me," Emma said, her fists clenched, voice steely and determined.

"So noble. I can see you really were the perfect candidate to being the Saviour. But now you're on the opposite side of the playing field, and you'll find that you'll want to have fun and you'll enjoy being evil. Can't you just feel it brimming in the surface? That need to cause mayhem and chaos? The feeling of power and desire? To wrong those who have wronged you?"

"Shut up!" Emma exclaimed, not worried about who might hear. When a nearby boulder imploded, Gold smirked wider.

"It seems that your magic is inclined to agree with me. You will grow to embrace the darkness."

Emma clutched at her head, "Why won't you just shut up?!"

"For the same reason that I wonder why you're fighting this. Who are you trying to maintain the image of good for? Your parents? The ones who tricked and deceived their way into creating your image of goodness, while also shaping your entire life?

"Or perhaps the pirate? No no, I can see he's gone from your thoughts. Oh of course," here Gold chuckles. "The Mills family. A noble endeavour, but take it from someone who has tried to juggle a family and being the Dark One: it won't work."

Emma wasn't deterred. "Watch me."

To prove her point, she began to walk away, but was then wracked with an unbearable pain starting from her heart spreading to her entire body, making her feel like she was being electrocuted. Granted, she had never been electrocuted, but she surmised the feeling must be very similar. She collapsed and clutched at the ground, scrambling to move back. "What the hell was that?" she panted after the pain had dissipated a bit.

"Well then, I believe I might have been slightly incorrect in my assessment. I believe this is our little boundary. Our new home so to speak. We are tethered to this well here, and unable to move until summoned."

She moved to stand up again, wiping the legs of her pants and her palms, ridding of the dust that had gathered. "Why though?"

"Don't you understand, Ms. Swan? The purpose of the Dark One is to have immeasurable power. Something akin to a genie, so to speak. And what do genies do?" he asked, turning ever so slightly to the sign in front of the well.

Emma scrunched up her face in distaste. "Don't tell me this is my genie lamp?" when he gave her a knowing look, she groaned. "Seriously? We're doing the whole 'phenomenal cosmic powers, itty-bitty living space' thing?"

Gold blinked. "I have absolutely no idea what you are saying, but suppose that is the case."

Emma went to sit down, her back against the well. "So we just wait here we're summoned?"

Going to sit down by a boulder that was still intact, he said, "I believe only you will get to enjoy the freedom. I am stuck here indefinitely."

"But can't Belle-"

It was clearly the wrong thing to say, guessing by his darkened expression and clipped answer. "Belle and I are clearly not seeing eye to eye. Besides, I am not under any curse, so no kiss, true love or not, can save me. I suppose I can only put my faith in your world's modern medicine and doctors."

Suddenly, Emma felt vibrations, and a pull to take her somewhere. 'I summon thee' was echoing in her mind in a vaguely familiar voice. "What's happening?"

Gold chuckled. "You are being summoned by the one holding your dagger. I wouldn't fight it if I were you, unless you want to experience the crippling pain yet again?"

Deciding that he did have a point, Emma stood up, took a deep breath, and let her magic take her to whoever was needing her.


Regina was sure it hadn't worked. Perhaps it was for the best.

Then dark navy blue smoke billowed in front of her, and before she could compose herself into an impassive stance, Emma was standing in front of her.

For her part, Emma was looking positively baffled, gaping ever so slightly at who had summoned her.

"So, what can I do for you?" Emma asked with a bit of a smirk, silently hoping she was displaying enough bravado that she was positive she didn't have at that moment.


That's all for today!

More will come with figuring out how Emma is doing in more detail.

So, is there still interest? I'd love to know what you think of this.

Next up will be drabbles, followed by Date in the Name of the Law, and Such a Heavenly View!