EPISODE 10: MOVING FORWARD

"Regina," a familiar voice called out in the darkness.

She wheeled about on easy feet, straining her eyes for focus. "Robin?" she questioned softly.

Slowly, the darkness faded into a dim scene. She stood in the middle of a forest, but its color was drained, like an old photograph.

"I'm here, Regina," the voice called out once more.

She turned again and saw him at last. "Robin," she repeated with tears in her eyes. She rushed over to hug him but instead threw herself right through him and into the forest floor. She let out a single choked sob and got to her knees. She couldn't bring herself to face the man once more, so she stayed there in the dirt and grass, staring blankly forward with tears in her eyes.

Robin stared down at his beloved with sad eyes. He walked up behind her and stood there, unable to do anything else.

"What is this?" Regina asked. The air was still, and quiet, and smelled familiar, like apples and musk.

"I'm not sure," he responded, crouching down behind the raven haired woman.

She felt his presence behind her and turned to face him. She gave him a weak smile and wiped away a tear. "I miss you," she whispered.

"You needn't miss me," he said with a small smile of his own, "I am here."

She looked around for a moment before rising to her feet. All at once her attitude shifted. "You're not here," she snapped, her anger hiding her sorrow. "You're gone. You're more than gone. Hades erased your very existence." She turned away from the man who had risen to his feet as well. She faced out into the forest with crossed arms.

For a while all was quiet, and Regina began to feel isolated once again, but finally, Robin spoke.

"You are wrong," he said softly. "I am here. Can't you feel me?" He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, though he could not actually touch her.

She could feel him. She looked down at the arms wrapped around her and noticed that she could just barely see right through them. She closed her eyes and felt him there instead.

"I'm sorry I had to leave you…"

Tears began to fall from Regina's closed eyes. "You saved my life," she whispered. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I love you, Regina."

"I love you too, Robin." She sobbed despite all attempts not to and turned to face him again. She stared into his eyes. "You were my soul mate," she said, wiping away her tears once again. She shook her head. "He took you away. He took away Roland's and Little Robin's father. He took away my happy ending."

He gave her a sad, uneasy smile. "Regina, you mustn't let that be true. You can still have a happy ending."

"How? You're gone, and there is no way to bring you back, not like with Hook. You're just gone." She shut her eyes and took a deep breath.

Her very bones ached with this familiar loss. After so many years, she had had another chance at love, at a happy ending, and now, once again, because of Snow's family, it was gone. She shook her head. It wasn't their fault. It was circumstance. It was because she was a villain. Because of all the horrendous things she had done. She wasn't meant to have a happy ending.

"You're wrong," a different voice declared.

Regina turned on her heels, her eyes flashing open in an instance. No longer was she standing in a forest, but now she stood in a stable. There before her stood a face from so long ago.

"Daniel?" she called out hesitantly.

He smiled. "Regina," he greeted.

She thought her heart might simply implode, for there was too much emotion pumping through it. It beat furiously. She could feel it thumping against her ribcage painfully.

He took a step nearer the uncertain woman and she noticed that he, too, was not fully corporeal. Cautiously, she reached out to touch it cheek, but was unsurprised to find that she could not. She yanked back her hand and held it to her chest.

"I have missed you so much," she sobbed. Her brown eyes glistened with tears and they slid down her cheeks.

"I know," he replied. "I know." He was smiling, but there was sadness in his eyes too.

"I thought I would never be happy again when you were taken from me."

"But you were wrong, weren't you?" he asked in a kindly tone.

Despite his reassuring smile, she felt a pang of guilt that snapped in her heart. She diverted her eyes, too ashamed to face him any longer.

"It's okay," he continued. "Do you not think that I would want for you to be happy?"

She looked back at him and saw the honesty in his eyes. "But that was taken from me too," she whimpered. "I'm not allowed to have a happy ending," she added. "After you died…everything I did…all the lives I destroyed. This is my punishment." She wrapped her arms around herself as if she was cold, but really, she felt nothing at all, save the presence of the man before her, and the faint presence of Robin, though she could no longer see the man.

"You are wrong, my love."

She peered at him with wide, questioning eyes. Her heart ached to be so near and yet to be unable to touch him once again, to feel his arms around her. And yet, she could feel him. Under her skin, in her veins, in her bones—he was there. Robin was there.

"You will have your happy ending."

She closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. She wanted to believe him, but she was so sure he was wrong. She had done so much to prove herself, and time and time again she was knocked back down. She thought she had found a second chance at a happy ending, but once again it was torn from her.

"How can you be so sure?" she whispered.

"Because I'll do whatever it takes to make it happen," answered another voice.

"Emma?" Regina turned around yet again, opening her eyes to see yet another new scene—but no new face. She stood this time outside of her home. Her prized apple tree was there, nearly grey. Everything was quiet. It was Emma's voice that had spoken, but everywhere Regina looked she was nowhere to be found.

"I'll find your happy ending," Emma's voice continued. These were the promises she had made in the past. She had always been so sure that Regina could be happy—would be happy, some day.

She didn't believe them. She didn't believe any of them. But maybe, maybe a part of her did. A part of her that didn't want to admit it out loud. A part of her that knew her chances weren't over. The part of her that acknowledged all that had changed already. She had friends. Even Snow White, her worst enemy, was now her friend. She had family. Henry. Zelena. Emma.

Things could change. She could be happy. She should already be happy.

She felt herself smile. She could feel Emma's presence there with her. She closed her eyes and imagined her friend standing there with that earnest smile.

"You have to wake up now, Regina," Emma whispered. "Zelena needs you…"

"I need you."

With a gasp Regina opened her eyes once again, this time for real. Her head pounded and her body ached. She was lying on the cool floor of her office. The blood on the back of her head had dried. Slowly, she climbed to her feet with Pandora's box in her hand.

"Regina?"

She looked up so quickly that the pounding in her head resounded twice as hard. She gripped her temples. "Snow, what are you doing here?" she asked in a pained tone.

Snow stood in the doorway with her bow with a look of concern etched on her brow. "You've been gone for hours," she answered, "so I came looking for you."

Regina remembered her dream and smiled. She did have reasons to be happy. "I'm all right," Regina said with a groan. "Or I'll be all right. But don't step closer—there's a barrier. I can't get out."

"Where's Zelena? Where's Hyde and the Evil Queen?"

Regina growled. "They are gone. She and Hyde went back to his world to prepare some sort of new curse or spell to merge that world with ours. Zelena…she was captured by Hyde's irritating minion."

She walked over to the barrier and reached out to see if it was still there. It zapped her skin like electricity. She drew back her hand and held it close.

"I can't break this on my own. It's mine, but also somehow not. I need Zelena. Together we can break it, I'm sure of it."

Snow nodded. "Where could they have gone?"

Regina thought about it. Where could they have gone? Her first thought was her vault, but she didn't think her other self would have told any more people about it than already knew. She wracked her brain. The library basement? No, there would be no place to keep Zelena captive there.

"The only thing I can think of is the jail," she answered.

"I'll get her, don't worry," Snow replied. She made to leave, but paused. "Are you sure you're all right?"

Regina nodded. The throbbing in her head was fading, and her mind was jumbled with all these dream-happenings that kept occurring, but she felt somehow hopeful. "I'm fine."

"All right, I'll be back," Snow assured, and with that she turned around and left down the hall.

Mr. Gold paced slowly back and forth in front of the Cave of Wonders, wary that it felt as though the beast was watching his every move. He hated being unable to have his way, and he hated having to rely on others. He curled his upper lip in a snarl at the thought of having to count on the pirate to find the staff for him, the same man that had once stolen his wife away from him.

He heard voices growing louder from within the beast's throat and turned to see the other two men walking up the stairs from the deep darkness behind them. They were laughing and talking like old friends, and this turned Gold's stomach even more with disdain.

To his pleasure, however, Hook was carrying the staff. As they neared, he saw that the pirate was holding the staff so tightly that his knuckles were white with the effort.

"I see your venture was successful," he greeted them, eager to interrupt their jovial conversation. The pirate simply didn't deserve to be happy.

"Indeed," Hook responded simply, his carefree happiness fading at the sight of the Crocodile. The man was simply a reminder of everything that had gone wrong in Hook's life.

Gold stuck out his hand, waiting for the pirate to pass the staff to him.

Hook stood his ground. "I don't think so," he said coolly. "I'll hold on to this until we get back home."

Aladdin's eyes shifted between the two men, trying to understand the situation further. Hook had filled him in on some of the details, and he knew that the older man was not to be trusted. Aladdin had already wondered. Gold gave him an uneasy feeling in his gut.

Gold narrowed his eyes but kept his cool. "I will need the staff's power to create a portal home," he said simply.

Hook's stomach dropped. In his desire to save Emma he had rushed into this plan with the Crocodile with barely a thought for the logistics of the operation. He could have agreed to a plan with no way back home.

With a sigh, he conceded. "Fine, Crocodile." Before he handed over the staff, however, he turned to face his new friend. "I suppose this is farewell then," he said.

Aladdin stuck out his hand to shake farewell. Hook looked down and looked from his hook to the hand that held the staff before shifting the staff to under his arm and shaking the other man's hand.

"It was nice to meet you, Killian," said Aladdin with a charming smile.

"Likewise," agreed Hook with a smile just as debonair. "Perhaps we shall meet again someday."

Aladdin's grin grew. "I would like that. And if you see Genie, tell him we miss him."

"Will do lad. Tell your princess it was nice meeting her as well."

Gold rolled his eyes at the display, but made his own pleasantries as well. After all, the boy had helped him receive the tool he needed to save his wife. "I am grateful for your assistance," he said. "It will not be forgotten."

"No problem," Aladdin responded. He ran a hand through the thick hair at the back of his head.

Hook hesitantly handed the staff to Gold. His instinct told him not to trust anyone with the object, but when it finally left his hand he felt relieved to be free of its overwhelming presence. He could feel the color return to his cheeks.

Aladdin waved them off as they walked a bit further into the desert to make a portal home.

Gold stood still, holding the instrument in his hands. He could feel the darkness that emanated within the golden staff. He pitied the spirit within. He knew what it was like, to have such immense power but to be shackled to a tool. In his case, it was the dagger that gave people control of his actions. The darkness called to him, begging for freedom, but he resisted the temptation.

Instead, channeled his own magic through it, charging it up until he had enough to create a portal on his own. It strained him to do so. Creating a portal between worlds was not an easy task. He once had had to manipulate multiple people so that a curse could be cast, just so he could cross worlds. Zelena was powerful enough to do so with the fairy's wand, and together he and she could do so, because he had the power of every dark one. But alone it was impossible.

With the staff, however, he was able to build up the power. It drained him, but it was doable. Finally, when he could feel the power vibrating in his bones and even deeper yet, he slammed the end of it into the sand and a portal opening beneath their feet, swallowing them up.