They took Maleficent, the real one, to Gold's shop so they can explain to her what happened with Regina. She's still can't get over the fact that the Dark One has orchestrated everything just to get to the Land Without Magic.
"Do you know what you just did to her? You screwed up her life for your curse, you evil imp", she exclaimed to Rumple.
"I did it to find my son. I think you would've done the same", he said.
"That's where you and I were different. I wouldn't corrupt an innocent girl for my benefit", she muttered and then looked at Snow and Charming. "I still can't get over that she made peace with you considering how much she wanted your heart back in the day", she said.
"Child can soften even the hardest of hearts", Snow replied.
"I know there are a lot of history here but we have more pressing thing to deal with. Regina thinks she's seeing you. She actually believes it and by the way she talks to 'you' I would say you two are really good friends. How can we help her?" Emma asked the dragon.
Maleficent thinks for a moment. She is analyzing everything that she's been told. It never happened before but she heard some legends of it in another realm.
"What? What do you know?" David asked her.
"You know when they say there's a certain embodiment of evil and light? They say angel is the embodiment of good, or it can be gods sometimes. The darkness takes person as Hades or Lucifer or demons. Those are sayings or myths or legends", she started.
"…in this world, I think it's called religion", Emma said.
"Yes, but it's really not the case. Light and darkness are forces that makes not only this world but all the worlds. They are not people or gods. They are cosmic entities that balances everything, fighting with each other to keep that balance or overthrow one another. Regina is indeed seeing someone but it's not me. She's seeing the darkness itself disguising as me to influence her", Maleficent explained.
They digested it fast because they don't have much time.
"If the darkness is a cosmic entity and powerful, why not do the work itself and destroy the world?" David asked.
"…because it can't. Light and Darkness can only influence beings. That's why we have the gods to guide people into doing good. Then, there's the evil creatures, demons, to corrupt them", Rumple answered.
"So what's Regina is seeing is the actual darkness, the entity darkness?" Emma clarified and Maleficent nodded.
"I have heard stories about this in the Dark Realm. There were practitioners of dark magic in there that offers themselves to it letting the darkness take over their bodies to inflict pain unto others. I never believed it but when you told me that Regina absorbed the Dark Curse, I think it might be real. After all, that curse was made out of darkness. Regina is a powerful witch, a conflicted one, easy to manipulate. She's talking to the darkness itself", Maleficent said.
They all went silent for a moment. It make sense. Henry mentioned she was telling someone to stop. It is possible for the darkness telling her to do something or poisoning her mind.
"What should we do? We can't let her stay like this forever. I don't think she can fight this for long", Snow asked.
"Not to mention I need to get my son back", Rumple added.
Maleficent sighed.
"We can only do so much. Majority of the fight has to come from her. We couldn't fight off the darkness. Only she can defeat the darkness in her", she answered.
Suddenly, they felt a wave of magic ran through the whole town. They all looked at each other.
"What was that?" David asked.
"That was magic", Rumple answered.
"Dark magic and strong one too", Emma added.
"Regina", Maleficent concluded.
The group came out of the street and found Regina destroying things around her. She is using her magic to smash cars, streetlights, and posts. People are running back and forth undecided on where to go.
"What now?" Snow asked the team.
"We need to get her to calm down or she will destroy this town", Rumple answered.
Her red eyes are piercing that it scares everyone who looks into them. Regina magically grabbed a car and threw it into a house.
"Regina! Stop this now!" Emma called.
She looked at her and just smirked. She always thinks she can tell her what to do. She let that play for a while because she wanted to see her son but she's done playing with Emma.
"Kill her. She's always in the way. Without her, you would've easily won and have a perfect life. None of these would've happen if she ate that apple turnover. The curse wouldn't be broken. Henry will still be yours and there will be no Peter Pan to take him away", Maleficent or rather the darkness told her.
Those words made her blood boil. She has a point. All her problems in this world started when Emma arrives in Storybrooke. It's all her fault.
"End her, Regina. Take victory in your hands", she urges.
"That is not really her you're talking to, Regina. You know that. It's just darkness manipulating you. It's just using you", Emma said when she noticed that she's listening to someone.
"You're lying. You and Gold did a spell to make me look crazy to everyone. You made her invisible to all except me so I wouldn't be fit to be Henry's mother", Regina said.
Emma shook her head.
"You want to see Maleficent? Here she is", she said.
Maleficent stepped forward and Regina's eyes widened in shock. She looked at them back and forth confused on which one is real.
"Hello, old friend", Maleficent greeted.
"What is happening? What is going on?" Regina muttered.
"Don't listen to them, Regina. It's all a trick, remember? They're doing this to confuse you", the darkness said.
"I heard you did the work to change yourself. That is impressive. I guess I was wrong to suggest to you to get a pet so you can have comfort", Maleficent reminded her of their conversation right before she took the Dark Curse from her.
Regina stared at her. She remembers. Maleficent knows it too.
"I got a son", she muttered.
"I heard about that too", Maleficent replied with a smile.
Regina smiled back. She then turned to the darkness beside her.
"You're not Maleficent. You've never been. You're just tricking me all this time", she said.
"This could've been easier, Regina. I thought we can still play a little longer but I guess not. Let's get to the point, shall we?" the darkness replied and became a dark smoke which became visible to everyone.
"That's it. That's the darkness", Snow muttered.
It surrounded Regina and entered her body forcefully to which she screamed in pain.
Tinkerbell got in Snow's apartment to see Henry. He's on the bed writing something on the paper.
"Hello, Henry Mills", she greeted.
"Tinkerbell. What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Your mother, Regina, asked me to take you away from here. The fight has started and she wanted you to be safe", she answered.
It saddened Henry. He was hoping things will be different, that Emma and the others will find a way to help her other than to fight her.
"She also wanted me to tell you that she loves you no matter what even when her heart is filled with darkness, even when she is doing terrible things. She loves you. You're always in her heart", she said just like she promised Regina.
Tears fell from Henry's eyes. He can feel that he will not see her again based on that message. He put down the paper he's working on. It is a sketch he made of the heroes. He included Regina in it as one of them.
Suddenly, Tinkerbell got an idea.
"I think I know how to help your mother", she said.
Henry's eyes lit up.
"…but it's going to be risky and if it works, I think she will kill me", she added.
"What is it?" he asked.
Regina is no longer herself. Her eyes turned colder than before. Her powers are coming off of her uncontrollably destroying properties around her. Then, she attacked them.
Emma grabbed her parents to keep them out of the way. Sword and arrows are useless in this kind of fight.
Rumple took over and fights Regina even though he knows he has a slim chance of winning. He might be the Dark One but he is fighting the darkness inside Regina's body.
"I was always been so disappointed in you, Rumplestiltskin. Of all the Dark One's I made, you are the weakest. You wasted your power to your selfish endeavor rather than serving the greater evil. No wonder you can't even save your son from me", Regina taunted.
It hurts him. He always thinks he's so powerful but he realized all the works he did were to get Baelfire. He never gave the darkness service.
"At least I do the work myself. You just use other people to do your dirty work for you", Rumple snapped back.
"It's rich coming from the man who corrupted an innocent girl into becoming evil so she can cast the Dark Curse for you", she replied.
She let out one blow and it sent Rumple flying backwards. Emma tried to use light magic against her but even though she's the Savior, she's not well-versed in magic. Maleficent suddenly joined her and together they attacked Regina. Rumple got up and joined in too.
Snow and David are watching on the side as the three battled out Regina. Hook pulled them out of the street to keep them safe.
"Where have you been?" David asked him.
"I've been busy taking people to the town hall. It's far enough from here so they'll be safe", he answered.
"That is good work, Hook", Snow said.
Regina groaned and produced a massive fire. Maleficent pushed Emma and Rumple out of the way. Once the fire has been cleared, they saw Maleficent didn't even get a single burn on her body.
"Dragon, eh?" Hook muttered.
"Come on, Regina. You're not going to let that disgusting smoke dictate you, right? You hate being told what to do", Maleficent said.
"You'll thank me soon enough when I get rid this world of light. No one will ever dare hurt us again", Regina muttered.
Regina produced dark magic in her hands. Maleficent readied herself to defend herself from her friend. She knows she can fight her but at the same time she doesn't want to hurt her. She knows it's not Regina's fault. It's not her. Regina attacked her by throwing the dark magic onto Maleficent.
"Mom, stop!" Henry yelled after suddenly appearing between them.
Regina's reflexes kicked in and managed to sway the dark magic onto the side hitting a house which turned into the dust in an instant.
"Henry Daniel Mills! What on earth are you doing?!" Regina exclaimed.
