Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time


I tried my best to be guarded, I'm an open book instead


Tentatively, Emma took a full step into the water, surprised when her boot didn't automatically sink into the mud. Swallowing hard, she took another step forward. "Emma," Elsa began from behind her, "you're walking on water."

Emma nodded. "Yeah and I'd feel better about it if someone would walk on it with me," she muttered.

Elsa took a breath, joining Emma on the water. "Wow," she murmured. "I guess this is the way to the Underworld," she whispered.

"Guess so," Emma agreed. Turning, she watched as Henry was the next to step on the water. She found herself shaking as her son took a step forward, afraid of something happening to him. One-by-one the rest of the group joined them on the water. "Next stop, the Underworld," she murmured. Quietly the group crossed the lake. When they reached the other side, they looked around wide-eyed.

"Elsa?" Anna asked hesitantly. "Are we still in Arendelle?" She glanced up at her husband, tugging on his arm. "Kristoff, doesn't it look like Arendelle?"

Kristoff protectively tightened his grip on her tiny hand. "It certainly does look like Arendelle, only icier and colder." He turned, his eyes landing on his sister-in-law. "Elsa are you changing the weather again?" His tone was slightly glib in an effort to try to lift the tension. It didn't work.

The blonde scowled at him. "No, of course not," she chided.

"Okay, this conversation is getting us nowhere," Regina interrupted sharply, glancing around at the surrounding forest warily. Pocketing the wand so they had a definitive way to get back to their world, she shivered. "The ice man is right about one thing, it's far colder here than in Arendelle. We could use warmer clothing, the last thing we want is to freeze to death." Raising her hands, she sucked in a breath.

There was a moment of silence.

"Nothing's happening," Kristoff pointed out impatiently.

The queen scoffed and focused, raising her hands. Again nothing happened. "Regina, are you alright, darling?" Robin asked, his hands ghosting over her, looking for signs of an injury that could be impeding her magic.

It was the oddest feeling, knowing her magic was there, but having nothing happen. "Well, what in the world?" She muttered to herself. Looking up, she pointed to Elsa. "Can you try to whip those of us who get cold warmer clothes so we don't freeze to death before we find Killian?"

Elsa nodded and held up her hands. She could just barely feel her magic thrumming beneath her skin, but nothing happened. "Elsa?" Anna asked quietly after nothing happened. "Why is nothing happening?"

"Well, why isn't anything happening?" Elsa grumbled indignantly, repeating her sister's question. "I just don't understand it. This shouldn't be happening." She paused. "Emma?" She looked up at her friend hopefully.

Emma hesitated. "Maybe I shouldn't." Her recent experiences with magic fresh on her mind and making her hesitant. The last thing she wanted to do was have any darkness seep in and put her loved ones in danger again. She'd already lost Killian, she didn't want to have to hunt anyone else down in the Underworld.

"Well why not?" Her mother asked with wide eyes. "We need warmer clothes." Even after David nudged his wife, she still didn't understand Emma's concern, opening her mouth to speak.

Emma still hesitated though, and Elsa interrupted before Mary Margaret could make another comment. "It's okay, Emma," Elsa assured her. "If you believe in yourself, you'll be okay. Alright?"

"Elsa's right." Regina placed a hand on Emma's arm. "We may need you if things get bad." She paused. "And trust me on this, you only have light magic in you now."

"You can do it, Mom. After all, you're the Savior," Henry assured her as well. Hugging her son tightly against her, Emma tried to soak up some of his unwavering belief in her role as the Savior.

With a sigh of resignation, Emma raised her hands. She focused all of her energy on creating warmer clothes for them, but nothing happened. "It's so strange," she commented. "It's like when Ingrid had those ribbons on our wrists. I can feel my magic, but it's not working," she explained, finally understanding the frustration Regina and Elsa were feeling.

Elsa nodded. "That's it! That's exactly what it feels like."

David shivered. "That's wonderful to know, but I think we need to find somewhere warm and come up with a game plan."

Emma bit her lip and took a step forward, prepared to disagree with her father. "Let's start by exploring a bit. Moving will keep us warm enough." She wrapped an arm around Henry. "You game, kid?"

"We need to find Killian, we can worry about ourselves later," Henry confirmed. "He hates the cold. He must be miserable down here."

Pressing a kiss to the top of his head, Emma hummed in agreement. "Yeah, kid, he does hate the cold." She turned to face the others. "Let's move. We should get out of the forest, see if there's something else nearby. Maybe a town or something. Who knows how the Underworld is set up. We need to see if we can find people who can help us."

They walked for what felt like hours, everyone cold and tired. Emma's feet were starting to hurt in her trusty boots she'd worn to chase many monsters in, she could only imagine how Regina, Elsa and Anna were fairing. Their shoes looked extremely uncomfortable.

"Hey, Elsa," Kristoff pointed up ahead, "isn't that the palace?"

The group came to a stop at the foot of a hill that appeared to lead towards Elsa's palace. The blonde queen frowned as her head fell to the side. "Um, is it?" She asked. The large stone building was covered completely in ice and appeared to be resting lopsided. "I think it is, but it just looks so different."

"Where are we?" Robin asked slowly. "This is like some kind of alternative universe."

"Let's keep moving," Regina advised. "Chances are the palace is controlled by someone dead who none of us wants to see," she muttered.

"You would be correct!"

They all spun at the voice behind them. Emma's eyes nearly bugged out of her head, Henry's instantly matching hers. "Mom?" He asked hesitantly.

"Wow, how rude, I haven't even introduced myself, but usually I don't greet newcomers." The man paused. "But usually my newcomers aren't alive," he mused.

"What is it?" Kristoff asked, eyeing the thing in front of them. The being was bluish-gray, wearing what appeared to be some sort of toga like dress that was black. The top of his head looked like flames, only they were blue, and he emanated a very distinct chill.

The man frowned. "Um, excuse me, but that's very rude." He chastised Kristoff. "I am not a what, I'm a he!"

Regina snorted. "Fine, then grace us with your name, please. And we don't need the theatrics."

The man's fine eyebrows rose to the top of his head. "Whoa, no wonder you were the Evil Queen." Regina snarled and stepped forward, barely noting Robin's restraining hand. "Uh, don't forget, dear, your magic won't work down here. It's light."

"You still haven't told us who you are," David pointed out, trying to push Emma behind him and next to her mother.

"He's Hades," Henry replied. "You know, Disney finally got something right. You're just as freaky looking." He glanced over at Emma. "Isn't he, Mom?"

Emma nodded. "Yeah, kid, he really is," she agreed, eyeing the ruler of the Underworld. "So, uh, this looks like Arendelle," she commented.

Hades shrugged. "This part of the Underworld does because that's where we are." He answered in a tone that indicated it should be obvious. "I mean, if we were in Neverland then it would look like Neverland."

"Well, thank god for some small favors," Snow murmured. "After being there alive, I definitely don't want to go there dead."

Robin held up a hand. "Wait, so the only people we'll see here are people who died in Arendelle?"

Hades let out a sigh. "Wow, I really need to work on my communications with the outside world. Is that not obvious? Do they not teach you this in school?" No one answered him and he let out another even more desolate sigh. "Zeus and I will have to have words about this the next time I see him. Anyhow," Hades straightened to his full height, "I just want to formally welcome you to the Underworld."

In a bright flash of light he was gone.

"What just happened?" Anna asked.

"We were just greeted by the head of the Underworld. And chances are, he won't let us out of here easily," Regina murmured.

"I think we should be more concerned with who all has died here who knows us and hates us," David muttered.

Emma swallowed hard, pushing the bile back. "I think we should head down to the docks, that's where we're likely to find Killian and maybe a tavern we can warm up in. It looks like we're all stuck without magic down here." The group turned slowly in the direction of the water, letting Elsa, Anna and Kristoff lead since this was indeed Arendelle. Keeping a hand on Henry's shoulders, Emma tried not to worry too much about the people who were likely to want to come after them in their search for Killian. Particularly people who would want to keep Killian down in the Underworld with them.

OUAT

XOXO

MAS