The Underworld, many centuries ago
"Pardon, Your Evilness," came the hesitant voice from the doorway of the study, "but there are a number of items that need your attention."
Hades scowled at the interloper. What was with this place? Couldn't a god ever sulk in peace? He was more than half tempted to join the sullen at the bottom of the river Styx. At least they didn't have people interrupting them every five minutes.
"What now?" he thundered, looking the skinny, bespectacled man up and down contemptuously.
"Things in hell have been a bit…chaotic…since all this upheaval with the titans and your father's retirement and the new regime…"
Hades felt his hair fire shoot higher. "It's hell. Of course it's chaotic. What am I supposed to do about it?"
"Well, sir," the man said, "you know full well—at least you would if you'd spent any time learning of your new domain—that there is an order to hell, the nine rings and all of that. If order is not maintained all hell will break loose. I can promise you that would be a most unpleasant experience for all of us."
Hades sighed loudly. "Fine, fine. Who needs what down there?"
The man droned on and on for what felt like centuries about everything from Cerberus running out of dog biscuits to Charon's ferry springing a leak, to the minotaur guarding ring seven needing a salve for the place he bit himself when Dante and Virgil stopped by, to the demons running out of boiling pitch to toss the corrupt politicians in. (And the giants guarding ring 9 were grousing that their ice supply for the traitors was dwindling rapidly as hell had yet to freeze over this winter.)
Seems things really had gone to hell in a handbasket over the last week while Hades was busy being defeated by his "perfect" brother Zeus and backstabbed by his own father.
"Fine, fine," Hades said, waving a hand lazily at the man. "You're authorized to…do whatever the hell needs to be done to make everyone happy."
"Hell is not a place for happiness, sir."
Like he didn't already know that! "Just take care of it! Is that all? I have a good two hours of wallowing in self-pity before it's time for the afternoon round of maiming and torturing those who piss me off—like you, for example."
The stupid man looked completely unfazed. "No, Your Evilness, that is not remotely all. There is yet the difficulty of the unrest within the Underworld."
"What's wrong with the Underworld?"
"Well, these…improvements you've made. It would seem they've ruffled a few feathers."
What NOW? His improvements had improved life. When he got here, first thing he did was modernize. Running water, electricity, television (true, there was terrible reception down here; all they could ever get were bad infomercials), all that jazz. What could there possibly be to complain about?
"Yeah? What are they upset about now."
"Well, it seems they've come to the conclusion that your so-called 'improvements' have only created safety concerns for the residents. We now have two furies out of commission and in the infirmary. It seems they were unaware of the deleterious effects of placing one's finger in a light socket."
He was surrounded by idiots. Absolute blithering idiots.
"Fine!" he erupted. "Call an Underbrooke town meeting. I'll see if I can address concerns."
"Very good sir," the man said before finally bowing his way out of the study.
As soon as he was alone again, Hades slumped into his plush, office chair. How had his afterlife turned into this? Him, the first born son of the most powerful god ever to god. This was his thanks for all his centuries of loyalty to his father? Hell? He was the lord of hell?
Sure, everyone said it was a fair election, the luck of the draw and all of that, but he more than half suspected his brother had rigged the whole thing.
Hades let his mind wander back to that fateful day two weeks ago. He'd been minding his own business, just hanging out on his cloud, daydreaming about the day Mount Olympus and everything else would be his. It would be glorious! Anyway, he'd just finished deciding how he'd redecorate the throne room when he got the summons to appear before his father.
He'd arrived, carefully draping his best "obedient son" smile on his face as he faced the god Cronus, head god, ruler over Elysium, Mount Olympus, the Underworld and Hell.
Cronus, otherwise known by Hades and Zeus as "dad". Hades noted with satisfaction that he arrived before his father's throne a good five minutes before his "perfect" brother.
When Zeus finally dragged his lazy butt to the room, the audience began. Hades waited excitedly for his father to begin speaking. Cronus never called both of his sons before him in this formal manner unless something big was going on. Hades had a feeling he knew what that something big was going to be. This would be the moment he got his birthright. This would be the moment all of his centuries of slaving for his father (aka aggressively sucking up) would pay off. This would be the moment he finally got what he so richly deserved.
"My sons," Cronus began in his deep, booming voice, "I must once again offer my most heartfelt thanks for your role in the recent battle which expelled the titans from Mount Olympus. Without your exemplary leadership, our battle would have most assuredly been lost."
"It was no problem, father," Zeus simpered. "It was merely our duty as your sons."
"Nevertheless, your actions were noticed and appreciated," Cronus said with a nod of the head. "It cannot be understated how difficult this battle was, and, in short, it is that very fact which prompted me to call you before me today."
"How might we serve you, Father?" Hades said in a voice so syrupy sweet it was sickening.
"After much discussion with your mother, Rhea, we have decided the day of our retirement is upon us. We shall shortly retire to Elysium, and thus my throne must be passed on."
Hades leaned forward, trying with everything in him to keep his eagerness from showing on his face. This was the moment! This was the moment he, as the firstborn would finally inherit the throne he'd been groomed for since infancy.
"So then there is but one question to be decided," Cronus continued. "How am I to equitably divide my empire among my sons?"
Hades frowned. What was there to divide? It was a simple matter. To the firstborn go the spoils.
"In short, I have decided my empire must be divided between both of my worthy sons. One must rule over Mount Olympus and Elysium. To the other shall go the Underworld and hell."
Hades' frown deepened. This was not going at all to plan!
"How will it be decided which will rule which kingdom?" Zeus asked, smile still draping his face. Of course Zeus is smiling! He somehow managed to convince our dad to screw me out of half of my birthright!
"Simply this, my sons," Cronus said. He waved his hand, and a red, velvet bag appeared, suspended in the air before Zeus and Hades. "I have created two talismans: one inscribed with a lightning bolt for the god of Elysium and the other inscribed with a skull for the god of Hell. The talisman you choose will be your commission. Be advised: Your talisman shall be far more than a mere symbol; it shall be the seat of your power. The holder of the talisman shall never be defeated or overthrown."
And then the day that had devolved with every passing moment became yet worse. Hades and Zeus reached into the bag together and chose their commission. Hades stomach had dropped to his toes as he peered down on his—ugly, grinning skull peering back at him. Not only had he lost the ability to control all, he had been barred from Mount Olympus.
So here he sat, in the lavish mansion he'd taken for himself in the Underworld. It was a crock! A sham! A gross miscarriage of justice, and Hades had no intention of standing for it. Somehow, someway he would get his throne back. Somehow he'd find a way to take back what was his.
Even if his dad's stupid talismans made it impossible for him to steal the throne outright, he'd still get it in the end. Zeus had no wife, no son, no one to inherit from him. All Hades needed to do was bide his time; eventually his brother would retire, and then all the power in all the realms would be Hades's.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Storybrooke, present day
David washed his hands, and then peered at himself in the bathroom mirror. He was shocked at what he saw. He looked pale, haggard. The last few days had tested him more than any others had in years.
How had it come to this? How was it possible that Hook…no Killian…was dead. The stupid pirate bragged all the time about how he was a survivor. How the hell had this happened?
David took a deep breath and stepped out of the bathroom, glancing toward the kitchen where his wife was frantically washing dishes. She was troubled, he could see that clear enough. She never worked this frantically unless something was seriously bothering her.
It was no wonder after the day they'd just endured. David felt the pain and helplessness settle over him once again. His family was falling apart. His wife was close to breaking. His daughter was so distraught he had no idea when or how she would ever recover. He was barely holding it together. Only little Neal, who still happily remained oblivious in the fairies' care, was still whole.
Mary Margaret looked up as David approached, and pasted a far-too bright smile on her face.
"I've been thinking, David," she said as he grabbed the dish towel and began wiping dishes. "I know Emma isn't up to dealing with it yet, but we'll have to figure out about the funeral. I thought we could have a nice meal at Granny's for the town afterwards. You know, a way to honor Killian and say goodbye. There's lots to get ready. I should start cooking. As the mother of…well, as Emma's mother it's only right I help Granny with the food. What do you think? I found a recipe for a chocolate rum cake. Sounds appropriate doesn't it? There's so much to do! So much to arrange! Where should the funeral be? Do you think Emma would want a viewing beforehand? I'm sure the fairies would let us lay him out in the convent. People could pay their respects…"
With every passing word, Mary Margaret spoke faster, brighter, more determinedly cheerful. It hurt to see how hard she was trying; how much pain she was covering.
David stepped forward, and with both hands on Mary Margaret's shoulders, he turned her toward him. He saw the tears in her eyes, tears she was apparently holding back only through sheer will-power.
"Hey," he said, "slow down. Just take it easy."
Mary Margaret frowned. "I can't slow down. Funerals take a lot of work. There's so much to do. I have to…"
David shook his head until she finally stumbled to a stop. After a moment she crumbled, melting into his waiting embrace, letting her tears finally fall and soak through his shirt. He merely held her for long moments, head resting on hers, aching for her, for Emma, for himself.
"She's in so much pain, David," Mary Margaret finally said in a broken voice. "I've never in my life seen her like this; never even imagined her like this. And how can I blame her? She just lost her true love. How do you recover from that? How can you ever be whole again?"
David felt the tears rush to his eyes. "Emma's…" he cleared his throat, trying to gain control over himself; trying to be strong, his wife's rock. "Emma's a strong woman, honey. She's got a tough road ahead of her, but she'll heal. She has a family now; a family who loves her and will do anything for her. I have to believe it will be a help."
"That's just it," Mary Margaret said, pulling back slightly and looking into his eyes. " I feel so helpless. There is nothing. Nothing I can do to help or comfort my daughter. I just…I feel like I have to do something. Planning the funeral arrangements might not be much, but at least it's something I can do to help her."
"And it will be a help," David said, gently caressing her arms. "I'm sure she'll be grateful for all your efforts, but you can't work yourself into a frenzy. We need to take a deep breath and..find some way to deal with this."
"I suppose," Mary Margaret said. "I just wish she hadn't left us this morning. When I think of her alone in that big house, dealing with the kind of wrenching agony we saw her feeling last night…I just…I just can barely stand it."
"I know, honey," he said, "I know."
Mary Margaret rested in his embrace for another long minute, and then pulled away, wiping at her wet cheeks. "You wanna help me with dinner? Regina and Robin and Henry will probably be here in a few minutes, and…"
The phone rang.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
"Hey Mom, it's me," Emma said as she stepped from Gold's shop and shut the door with enough force that a few of his knick-knacks fell from their shelves and crashed on the floor. The sound brought Emma more than a little satisfaction.
"Emma!" came Snow's concerned response. "Are you alright, honey? Is there anything we can do?"
Warmth filled Emma despite the ache in her heart. This loss may be the most painful one she'd ever endured in her life, but the fact that she had a family, people who loved her to help her through…well, it meant more than she could ever say.
"Yeah," Emma answered. "I'm…well, maybe 'alright' isn't the right word, but…I'm surviving. Listen, would it be okay if I came over for a minute?"
"Of course!" Snow said, relief evident in her voice. "You don't even need to ask, honey. You are always welcome here."
"Thanks," Emma answered, turning to corner, seeing the Charming's apartment complex up ahead. "There's something I wanted to talk to you guys about. I have an idea, something I think will fix everything!"
"Oh…" she heard the hesitation in her mother's voice. "That's…wonderful honey. Regina and Robin are here with Henry. I hope that's not a problem."
"No," Emma said quickly. "That's fine; great really. They should probably hear this too."
"Okay…" Snow said slowly. "I suppose we'll see you soon, then?"
"Five minutes, tops," Emma said, and then hung up.
They were going to fix this. They were going to make this right! Rumple may be a world-class son of a bitch, but he could help them; he could get them to Killian. Emma's heart felt lighter than it had been since she took on the darkness almost two months ago. That future Killian wanted to give her? They could have it after all. Emma fingered his ring once more. This long nightmare would be over before she knew it.
"Hold on, Killian," she whispered as she pulled open the heavy outer door to the apartment building. "I'm coming for you."
Emma had barely stepped into her parents' apartment before she was enveloped in her mother's arms…and then her son's . Emma's heart ached at the hurt on Henry's face. She'd been so immersed in her own pain she'd barely thought about how this would affect her boy. He and Killian had been spending a lot of time together lately, and she knew Henry loved him too.
"Sorry kid," she said through a suddenly tight throat. "I haven't been much of a mom to you over the last few weeks. I know this is hard for you too."
He shrugged, trying his best to mask the pain. "'S okay, mom. I get it. You miss him a lot. My other mom and Robin have been great; I'm okay."
Emma looked over Henry's head and shot Regina a grateful smile. Regina nodded in acknowledgement.
"So…" Snow said. "You sounded…kind of worked up on the phone. What's going on."
Emma took a deep breath, not at all sure how her family was going to take this. "Yeah, worked up is one way to put it. I'd just left Gold's shop, and…"
"You were at Grandpa's place?" Henry asked curiously. "Why did you go there?"
"Because," Emma said in a hard voice, "I heard the dagger. Heard it whispering, calling to Excalibur or whatever. Not sure how that works now that Excalibur's gone."
"But Emma…" Snow said, "that's impossible! The dagger's gone. We all saw it disintegrate!"
"Yeah," Emma said in a hard voice. "That's certainly what it looked like."
"Miss Swan," Regina said, with a raised brow. "You're not making sense. Did or did not the dagger disintegrate."
"It did not," Emma bit out. "I heard it; I heard it whispering, and somehow I knew what happened. Gold screwed us all. He found a loophole, a way to steal back the Dark One power for himself. When I….when Killian died…" (Her voice broke but she had to get through this. She had to focus on the anger rather than…rather than any of the rest of it. She cleared her throat.) "When it happened, Killian only thought he was destroying the darkness; instead it all channeled back into Rumple. He's the Dark One again."
"Son of a bitch!" Regina bit out, starting to pace.
"Exactly," Emma continued. "Everything Killian did…he gave up everything for us! He gave up everything to destroy the darkness once and for all and that bastard took it all away from him; made his death senseless!"
"Oh, Emma!" Snow said, hand coming up to cover her mouth. "I'm so sorry honey, so, so sorry."
"It's not you that need to be sorry!" Emma growled. "And…well, it's okay, because you know what? I'm not just going to take it. I'm not going to let Gold win. I'm not going to let Killian die for nothing!"
"What are you saying?" Charming asked cautiously.
"I'm saying I'm getting him back," Emma said. "I'm going after Killian, and I'm bringing him back!"
Silence reined in the apartment for long moments, her parents, her son, her friends all exchanging concerned, startled looks.
Finally Snow spoke. "You're going to hell?"
"The Underworld," Emma clarified.
"That's quite a distinction," David offered.
Emma had to make them see; had to make them understand. Her parents were Snow White and Prince freaking Charming, for heaven's sake! Surely if anyone could understand the lengths someone would go to save her true love it was them!
"I'm getting him back," she said, looking earnestly at her parents. "This isn't fair to Killian. Gold tricked him; everything he gave up was based on a lie."
Her parents shared another look. "Emma, you know how this works," her father said. "It's a one-for-one trade. To get him back, someone else will have to die."
"And you just got back from being the Dark One!" Mary Margaret threw in. "You can't give into darkness again!"
"I won't!" Emma said quickly. "I'm giving in to love. I'm doing this right; I learned my lesson. I'm taking a page out of your book. You two share a heart; so will we."
Mary Margaret stepped forward, her hand outstretched. "Emma…I know you love him; I know you miss him, but…that's incredibly dangerous. It's only the strongest, truest love that can survive that."
"Yeah," Emma said, focusing in on her mother. "And that's what Killian and I have! I know this will work! I know I can save him. I know our love is strong enough!"
They were silent for another moment.
"It could work," Regina offered.
Emma turned toward her. "It will work!"
David stepped forward. "Alright. We're in," he said. "We made some serious mistakes back in Camelot. We didn't understand what it would do to you to lose Killian; we didn't even try to find a solution to his Excalibur cut that wouldn't have made you feel like you had to act on your own. Least we can do is help you get your true love back now."
Emma rushed forward and enveloped her father in a hug. "Thanks dad. You have no idea what that means to me!"
"For what it's worth, we're in too," Regina said, lacing her fingers with Robin's. "After what you did for me—taking on the darkness to save me—how can I refuse to help you now?"
"Thank you!"
"Just give us a bit of time to work out the logistics," Robin put in. "I'd like to bid my little lad farewell, make sure the fairies are willing to care for him and our daughter."
"And we'd better do the same for Neal," Mary Margaret said.
"What kind of clothes do you think I should wear?" Henry asked. "I mean, I know hell's supposed to be hot, but do you think that's really true?"
Emma shot her son a startled look. "Doesn't matter; you are not going to the Underworld with us, kid."
Henry shot her a stubborn look. "I want to help you!"
"No!" Emma and Regina shouted in unison.
"I'm the author and a hero now!" Henry reasoned.
Emma crossed her arms. "And we're your mothers!"
"When I was ten," Henry said with a frown, "I got on a bus to Boston by myself to find you. You leave me behind, I'll find another way."
"Kid…" Emma said slowly. "This is serious stuff. You heard what Gold said about it before. The Underworld is no joke."
"I'm not laughing," Henry insisted. "I know it will be dangerous! I know what I'm getting myself into."
Suddenly he took a deep breath, his eyes dropping to the floor. "I can't just stay here with the babies. I…mom, you're not the only one who cares about Killian. He was…he cared about me; really cared. He treated me like someone who mattered. He, you know, asked for my advice and stuff and he gave me advice when I needed it. All that Operation Light Swan stuff? We…we were gonna be a family, all three of us. I just…I need to go help find him."
Emma stepped forward and wrapped her son in her arms, her eyes once more filling with tears. "I know kid; I know. And he wanted you as part of our family too. He loved you."
Henry stepped back. "So let me come too!"
Emma shared a look with Regina. After a moment Regina shrugged. "He has a point. Try as I might I've never managed to stop him when he has his mind made up."
"He'll probably be safer with us than on his own," David offered.
Emma looked closely at her son once more, and finally nodded. "Alright kid. Get yourself ready. We leave for the Underworld at nightfall."
"Forgive me if I'm…um…missing the obvious," Robin said, stepping forward, "but how does one get to the Underworld."
"Same way Hook brought the Dark Ones back," Emma answered. "We use Gold's blood to open a portal.
Regina scoffed. "After what he just did, you're going to trust him to keep his word."
Emma pursed her lips, anger riding to the surface once more. "Yeah, he'll keep his word. Unless he wants his wife to find out just what kind of man he is, he'll help us."
"And then what?" Regina persisted. "You think he'll just come with us? Help us out of the kindness of his heart? Just how long do you think it'll take before he decides to screw us over again."
"Doesn't matter," Emma said in a hard voice. "What he does when he gets there is his business. All I care about is getting there."
Regina nodded. "Okay. Looks like we're off to rescue the pirate."
Notes:
-As far as the Hades backstory is concerned, my inspiration was a bit of a mashup of all kinds of things. Hades and his story is mostly based off Disney's Hercules, but there are elements of Greek mythology thrown in as well as references to Dante's Inferno. I wonder if I should be concerned that I'm having so much fun with hell. Lol.
-Another nice healthy dose of angst with the Charmings dealing with things in the second scene. Don't worry! Angst won't be the rule. Now that the gang's heading down to the Underworld, they'll be far too busy trying to save Killian (and not, you know, get killed or something) to dwell on their grief.
-The final scene was obviously heavily inspired by what happened in 5x11. (In fact a nice little portion of the dialogue was taken directly from that scene in the Charmings' flat.) I also incorporated elements from the script of the deleted scene that Adam released on Twitter not long after 5x11 aired. Other than that, I just kind of filled in the cracks.
-I teased a scene with Rumple saying goodbye to Belle, but I decided to scrap that. This chapter was already getting long, and do we really need to see another scene where Rumple lies to Belle again about how he's a hero now and wants to go rescue Killian out of the kindness of his heart?
-Up next: Probably a far shorter chapter. In the past, Hades tries to go back to Mount Olympus and challenge Zeus. That, of course, doesn't go so well for him. He then meets his trusted sidekicks, Pain and Panic. In the present, Killian (or should we say Colin now?) wakes up. We get a glimpse of what his underworld life is like.
