"O Night,

You black wet-nurse of the golden stars!

From this darkness

all things that are in this world have come

as from its spring or womb."

–Thomas Vaughan

Regina pursed her lips, the sting of the cider on her throat surprising her even though she was the one who had made it so lethal. Anxiety makes you do crazy things like dump nearly an entire bottle of rum into a pot of already top-shelf brews. The woman sitting next to her didn't seem at all concerned about it or the memory of their last visit in this room which was at least a relief, but that didn't change her own feelings. She took another harsh gulp.

"Why do you wear your bun so tightly?" Regina curiously asked; the question had been burning the moment the blonde began sporting it. She hated it to be honest.

"It…makes me feel…held together," Emma said in a weird, drawn our manner, not having thought much about it before, "In control. I feel on edge these days."

"With all that new power, it makes sense."

The blonde lifted the mug up to her lips to take a sip but winced as a strange wave pulsated through her like a millisecond migraine.

"Fuck..."

"Too strong?"

Emma narrowed her eyes, not willing to admit the moment of unidentified discomfort, and for a second the brunette worried she had tripped in their dance until the blonde grinned.

"Never, but if I didn't know any better," she continued, "I'd say you were trying to get me drunk."

Regina flushed red, but snapped back, crossing her arms "That would be a fair accusation, but I'm not forcing it on you."

As if it were declared a challenge, Emma threw back her mug and finished it off in one last go, setting it onto the table with a tiny clink. Regina rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile widely. Sure, she would have scolded the woman in the past for such childish behavior, but for Emma to be so open and laid back now was a miracle.

Emma looked…happy…

And for whatever reason she didn't want to think about, Regina felt happy too.

"Did you want another—" Regina began to say until her cellphone began to ring from her pocket, "It's Henry."

Emma's face scrunched up in curiosity.

"Henry, what's wrong? ...what…? A portal? Where?" Both women are on their feet by now.

"I know where; I can feel it," Emma stated.

"Henry. Don't mess with it! We'll be right there."

She nearly dropped her phone trying to hang up as she hurriedly searched for a pair of shoes.

"Why is he even outside at this time?" she shouted.

"He's a teenage boy, Regina," Emma says in a calm, collected manner and waved her hand.

Regina gave a gasp as a shadowy cloud surrounded her replacing her casual clothes with normal ones.

"…thanks," Regina says, a bit dazed, the taste of Emma's magic seeming to linger on her.

Taking control of herself, Regina transported them both out of the room to Henry. His friend was long gone, but Henry was curiously peering too closely at the new rip in time and space.

"Henry!" Regina shouted frantically running up to their son, "Don't get so close! What did I just tell you?"

A static hum was emanating from the gateway, but where it led to? That was anyone's guess. It suddenly dawned on Regina where exactly they were standing, and she realized why their son might have dismissed her warnings.

Where was the dagger?

She was mortified as her eyes fell upon what looked to be charred remains of the wooden box which had been holding the dagger. Why was Storybrook home to the most bothersome events? Could they be done with these series of uncalled for mishaps?

Emma's composure had changed. Emerald orbs were trained onto the glowing glitch, her face strained.

"Mom," Henry sighed, "It's gone."

"Please tell me you're not referring to my dagger…" Emma muttered, her brow tightly scrunched.

"…Emma," Regina replied wearily looking at the blonde and back at her son, unsure of how to approach this. She was so tired of this, and tired period. Her late-night cider indulging wasn't helping her concentration.

"We just found it right before we called you. There was some bright burst of light and we came running to find this. Do you think the dagger opened the portal?"

"There's no way the dagger can act on its own," Emma said through gritted teeth, anger beginning to seep into her veins, "Regina, what the fuck did you do to my dagger?"

"Why are you assuming I did anything wrong? We were very careful to hide it from you so you wouldn't wreak havoc across town."

"Well great job, Your Majesty," Emma snapped, "Because it's no longer here."

"What do you mean…?"

"You mean it went through the portal?" Henry chimed in.

"I don't fucking know!"

"Emma," the brunette reached out towards the blonde, but the younger woman flinched away.

Emma kneeled down and picked up a longer piece of the shrapnel. Turning it between her fingers, she looked at the others.

"I can't believe this," Emma shouted in a bitter laugh, throwing the wood towards Regina who barely moved in time.

"What is your problem?" the brunette asked her sternly and moved into the other woman's space.

"I..." the blonde stuttered as she brought a hand to her flushed face. She was flustered and angry beyond proportions; she felt more unstable than usual.

"Do you think this might be connected to that spectre?" Henry asked, trying to put out the fire. Eyes turned to him. "What if the portal happened to appear here where it was buried?"

"That's awfully coincidental," Regina stated, "The cloaking spell should have concealed its power."

"A cloaking spell? Seriously?" Emma brooded.

"You hadn't found it!" Regina shouted at her.

"That's not my point, Regina!"

"Hey," Henry interjected uncomfortably, "um…can you both please not fight about this?"

Their bickering came to a halt, hurling them into the present, and they sheepishly looked away from one another, mutually muttering apologies.

"We should find the dagger," Henry reminded them, "Especially if it went in there."

They all followed his pointed finger to the ominous, swirling tear in reality. The low hum was accompanied by random high-pitched static hisses.

"You, Henry," Regina reminded, "are staying here. We have no idea what's on the other side. I need you to go back to town and tell everyone what happened and wait."

"Fine," Henry responded with a roll of his eyes yet without argument. He had grown up far too soon.

"I don't want anyone trying anything while we're gone, do you hear me? Please enunciate this to your grandparents. This portal might not be closed until we get that dagger back here so until then tell everyone to stay inside and keep their guard up. Who knows if more will appear."

"Roger that," he leaned forward and grabbed both of them with his growing arms, "promise me you'll be careful? I can't lose both of my moms."

"We'll be okay, I promise."

They exchanged goodbyes, Regina planting a warm kiss on her son's cheek while Emma could only offer a quick hug. When Henry was out of sight, the brunette turned her attention to the other woman with a look of concern.

"Emma, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Okay," Regina sighed, but didn't press further, "Well we should go."

Emma's brow furrowed as a hand extended towards her.

"Is that necessary?" Emma asked stubbornly, staring down at the limb.

"I don't want the portal accidentally shutting behind one of us."

"Fine," she sighed in defeat and placed her hand in the brunette's. It surprised her to see that her skin wasn't as frosty as it looked; in fact, warmth grew quickly where their skin made contact as if there was only a thin layer to melt.

When they proceeded to enter the portal, they both felt a rippling tide across their entire being and for a moment they lost sense of everything around them but each other. It only lasted a split second but when they finally faded into this new world, it took a moment to adjust.

There was a loud crackling sound as the doorway they came through snapped shut, giving Regina a startle.

"See?"

While they could have played the mocking game a thousand-fold, it wouldn't change that they were both now stranded in a land they had never been. Were they sure they could find the dagger?

"This place looks…inviting," Emma said sarcastically, her eyes adjusting to the gloomy, barely lit scene before them.

It looked as if Storybrook had been threw a detonation, all colors stripped away of color. The ground had what appeared to be dirty snow, but upon closer inspection, turned out to be ash. There were dark flakes and specks drifting upwards from the ground defying all physics that was known to them. Every house was intact, yet grey dusted all surfaces.

"You first, your Majesty," Emma said as she held out her hand, a tight smile on her face.

Regina rolled her eyes.

"How chivalrous of you, Miss Swan."

The mayor proceeded towards the unknown objective. Where in Hell were they were going? How did they even know where to begin?

They began at the closest place they were by, Granny's Diner. Seeing it so barren was nerve-wracking. There were no dishes. No people. Nothing but empty, dusted barstools and tables.

"I want nothing to do with this place," Regina said in disgust. As they came out of the diner, the bell gave a sharp ding in the silence, seeming to ring for miles, "I hate this."

"Well don't blame me."

"I never blamed you. In fact, I think you blame me." The blonde's face scrunched up, her eyes refusing to meet the brunette's challenging gaze. "Do you want to talk about anything?"

"No," Emma said quickly, crossing her arms, her feet speeding up on the sidewalk. Regina rolled her eyes and gave a huff.

"Emma."

"Just help me find my dagger."

Continuing to wander around the ominous streets, their places switched as Emma began to fall behind. Assuming she was checking out their surroundings, Regina didn't think much of it until she turned around to find the blonde hunched over.

"Emma?" Regina gasped, running over to her and grabbing her to give support, "What's wrong?"

"Something doesn't feel right," the blonde gritted and looked into a worried gaze, "Do you feel it at all? I thought maybe I was drunk or maybe because we're in another dimension."

"I don't feel much different," Regina admitted "I mean, I don't feel cheerful or particularly like the energy of this place. It's empty and dead but as the Dark One you shouldn't be—"

"I think my dagger is here and I think something is feeding on it," Emma spoke through gritted teeth.

"What…? You think that's possible?"

"You said this place is dead. Regina, we must be in the Netherworld," She paused for it to process.

"That would make sense," Regina said slowly in thought,"Possibilities come to an end here. The only magic that exists here are forces that crave to be alive again. That's why nothing is here. If this place had any life to it ever, the entities that live here must have fed on it."

"And maybe something or someone has been opening up portals all around town which is where that spectre came from?

"Perhaps. Let's find a place to rest and figure out a plan. I can try a tracking spell."

"No," Emma warned, "I mean about the tracking spell. I don't think we should try using magic unless we absolutely need to. It could stir up the energy and draw attention to us."

"Fair point."

Although she knew Emma hadn't studied as she had to gain the same knowledge, she still couldn't help feeling impressed. While they hadn't encountered anything thus far on their exploration, safety was a dangerous assumption.

"We should go to your mansion," Emma's suggestion threw the mayor off, "What? Do you have another suggestion?"

"Don't you think it'll be a bit…depressing? It was already big and empty before all of this."

"This entire place is depressing, Regina. But you know I was thinking…everything started at that mansion; feels like it's the only thing with a spec of life here."

Regina felt a tightness in her chest at those words. What did that mean? That day Emma arrived hadn't been a happy event for either of them. In fact, Emma was trying to get Henry out of her hands as quickly as possible and Regina was ready to throw her on the other side of the town line likewise.

But it had been where they met. It was where stubborn emerald eyes sunk their roots into challenging earthy orbs. Where they declared war. Where they shared an intimate moment not that long ago which neither of them were willing to talk about.

The door creaked open, echoing through the hollow home. As Emma began walking towards the living room, Regina gently touched her arm.

"Emma," she said lightly, tired and worn, "We've been on our feet for hours and I can't even begin to imagine what time it is back home. There are plenty of beds upstairs so we can try to be at least moderately comfortable here."

The blonde nodded and they proceeded to walk up the stairs. It was uneasy to be walking around a house so recognizable in the dark only to realize it wasn't exactly the same. Regina's fingers traced a line up the railing, running through the thick layer of ash that clung. When they got to the top of the stairs, Regina showed Emma where the guest bedroom was located and after confirming things were as safe as they could be, they shared a look.

"Are you going to be alright, alone?" Regina found herself asking, more concerned than she would like to admit.

"We're both adults here," Emma replied with a weak grin, "I can still kick the monster-in-the-closet's ass if I need to."

"Okay," Regina chuckled, neither aware of the irony that the monsters in the closet were themselves, "well I'll be right across the hall."

Regina entered her room, closing the door, and sneered at how awful the entire place made her feel. This town, a place she had once created as an escape, was now a reflection of her darkest fears. She felt an overwhelming hopelessness wash over her as she proceeded to sit on the bed she had dusted off.

The walls felt as if they had eyes. She couldn't even bare to think of laying down even though that's all her body begged for. In a quick rush of panic, she jumped up and walked over to the door. The moment she opened it, a presence was on the other side and she nearly shouted until she realized it was Emma.

"Oh," she said in a shaky breath.

The blonde's hair had been released from the confinements of her tight bun allowing nearly white strands to fall past her shoulders. Her hair had grown so much to Regina's surprise. She looked almost like a ghost destined to wander the corridors of this empty house.

"You too?" Emma asked, scratching at her head awkwardly, brushing hair behind an ear.

"I can't be alone here," Regina admittedly, now not so ashamed as the woman who stood before her wore the same look of unease.

Once in the room, they took hold of the edges of the comforter and shook it off before laying it back onto the bed. Emma, not as concerned, dusted off her pillow with her hand and laid back while Regina rigorously shook out hers.

"If you're that concerned about your hair, your Majesty, you can use me as a pillow."

Regina looked at her from the corner of her eye and laughed nervously. The blonde's hair was fanned out underneath her, tempting hands to run through it.

"It's fine, I was just being careful."

"Mmkay," Emma replied, "please don't drive me crazy in a few hours about how dry your hair is."

"Shut up, Swan," Regina said and whacked her with the pillow as she joined the blonde on the bed.

The bed was rather large, yet they both found themselves in the center as if the demons underneath would get them. It was cooler than Regina would have liked to admit, but there was no chance she was using any blankets in this place to wrap up in.

Was Emma alright though? She remembered how cold her house had been. This was probably temperate for the blonde.

"Regina," Emma said after a few moments of the other woman fidgeting uncomfortably beside her, "Will you relax?"

"Easier said than done," the brunette grumbled. They both shifted, their arms now touching one another. "What if something comes while we're resting?"

Emma grinned in the dark. Regina was a bad-ass witch; what was she afraid of? Or who?

"Then we go into fight or flight mode and deal with it then. What's the point in wasting energy on anxiety?"

"I…I guess you're right."

"I got you," Emma whispered so softly, but the silence made it blaringly loud.

It made butterflies in Regina's stomach erupt. The backs of their hands were touching and slowly, fingers wandered until they found the blonde's, entwining delicately around slender bones. They rested like this for a while, the brunette's heart thumping wildly in her ears like a drum circle. Could Emma hear it?

"How're you feeling?" she asked the blonde, trying to find a distraction.

"I'm okay for now."

For a second, Regina forgot where they were as her focus fell back to their hands and the warmth it generated, but it only lasted momentarily as a shiver coursed through her, the air much colder than her home would ever be.

Emma squeezed her hand; it was strange how such a simple act could be so comforting. Lifting her head, the brunette turned and used her momentum to fly past the knots in her stomach so that she was laying against the blonde. Strong arms instinctively wrapped around her, giving her security.

Regina found herself resting her face on Emma's chest. It was a different sensation, that of a woman, yet in that moment she realized it was something she would miss if it vanished. Her chilled body was beginning to melt into the other woman, and she sighed lightly.

"Emma," Regina whispered into the dark after a while, unsure if the blonde had dozed off.

"Hm?"

"What made you leave the dagger in the first place?"

"I…" she felt the blonde tense. Did she even know herself? "I think I was using the last bit of self-control I had because I knew I'd be unstoppable with it. When I hurt Killian when he called to me…it took everything in me not to grab it again. I literally had to blast it away from me because I think I might have actually killed Killian…"

"Hey," Regina looked up at her, "That wasn't you, that part that hurt him. The fact that you could stop yourself shows the tremendous strength you have. You were able to enchant it well enough that no one but Henry could touch it."

"Wait, what?"

"You didn't know that?"

"I didn't…That's weird."

"Huh…" Regina responded slowly as her hand began to absentmindedly trace patterns on the blonde's arm. It was a nice distraction and it made this interaction feel normal.

"I didn't have much control over myself in the beginning," Emma admitted, "I didn't know who to trust. I suppose Henry was the only one," It was a painful silence, but neither of them moved, "It's not that I don't trust you, Regina. I just…at the time, my mind was everywhere. I don't know what I expected to happen, but…"

"The Darkness makes us do things without thinking," Regina reminded her.

"Yet I hurled myself at you without thought before any of that."

Regina wondered where Emma was going with this.

"I told Killian I loved him; I told once again another lie. Or maybe it wasn't a lie…Maybe I really did love him, yet I was so willing to throw it all away to save you."

"You've always been the hero, Emma."

"I don't think—"

"Well, I mean, now you could argue—"

"I don't even mean that."

"Then what do you mean?"

By this point, Regina was using her forearms to hold herself over Emma so they could look at one another easily. It was far too intimate to be innocent.

"I thought I was doing what I always do; being the hero, just saving my best friend and my child's mother, but when I saw you run into Robin's arms, I felt something awful I didn't understand. I…all that energy surging through me, it brought to the surface emotions I had repressed for so long. I had been living a fantasy. A delusion. And for some reason it felt as if I had lost everything seeing that fear in your eyes watching the Darkness consume me."

"I wasn't fearful of you. I was fearful of what was happening to you."

"I understand that in hindsight."

"Is that what made you vanish?"

"I got so angry…Selfish. While all I wanted was to give you your happiness, I just…" she was fumbling with her words, her brow scrunched up in annoyance or perhaps self-consciousness, "Then, I saw my parents and all I wanted to do was scream because I wanted to blame them for everything. For where they put me in life. For what my mother did to you. For so easily influencing me that I could be happy with Killian, a pirate of all things."

"I tried to warn you, but all I wanted was for you to be happy too, Emma. And for a while, I thought you were."

"I thought so too…"

"I'm sorry I ruined your chance," Regina sighed. The woman beneath her stiffened before firmly grasping the brunette's arms.

"Regina," Emma pleaded, her green eyes hooking her in place, "Don't you see? I think I…"

Her eyes squeezed shut.

"…you what?"

Regina couldn't take her gaze off the woman underneath her; in fact, she could hardly keep her breath in line as her heart raced like a wild horse through a field.

"I think I was meant to save you, Regina," by this time she had opened her eyes once more, "Who else could have taken that on?" Emma paused, pursing her lips, her eyes wanting so badly to look away, yet also terrified this would all disappear, "who else would have accepted me the way you do? Who was the one person who wouldn't try to change me? Who wouldn't be afraid of me?"

"…Emma," Regina whispered, unsure of how to respond.

She thought of how Robin tried so hard to convince her she wasn't the Evil Queen; he wanted nothing more than to see through that entire era of her life which should have been comforting yet to Regina it felt wrong. Her past is what made her; while she may not have been that person any longer, the fact was she grew from that persona and it still was alive inside of her. The Darkness and the Light weren't meant to be separate; in fact, it was the darkness that allowed Regina to find her own Light, not follow in the footsteps of another's glow.

Regina knew that it was the deepest, darkest parts of youself that are the hardest to face. They scream at you, taunt you, whisper lies that make you wish you were never even alive. What a lot of people never understood was that the Darkness usually came from an absence of Love; it does not need to be destroyed but embraced. It is not in annihilation of the Shadows that the world finds balance but accepting everything for what it is. Honoring the sacred place of every good and bad action and being conscious about every new action made.

There are no wrong and right choices. In fact, the goal of life is to simply live to the beat of your own drum, to experience life from your special angle. Every choice has a consequence, but that does not mean you should choose with the weight of the future or past. Only what feels right and true in the moment. It shouldn't matter the voices of others or even the voice in your head. It should only matter that you find happiness without chaining down another's.

If one can find their footing within the chaos, then one can truly know what it feels to be alive. Happiness. Pain. Joy. Anger. Ecstasy. Sorrow. Solace. Betrayal. We wouldn't understand these concepts if we never faced them. We couldn't distinguish them if we only knew one. We would never know danger if it came to tear our heads off, or perhaps we would only know danger and run around like anxious sheep. We would never recognize Divine Beauty when it was staring us right in the eye.

Regina could feel the heaviness of the passing hours finally creeping up on her, yet she fought the blur of her mind away. They needed to rest, truly, but these words, this moment were far too important. She could see Emma's own exhaustion and wondered if the dagger's depleted energy was still affecting her.

"Everyone wants to rid the world of Darkness," Emma whispered as if she knew what was on her companion's mind, "but we can't live in a world without it. Look at you. Look at how strong you are. How much you've overcome. You can't find that strength through Love alone, but I think in the end Love is what keeps us going. Even in the absence of Love, we're still acting from that void, looking to fill it."

"I filled it for so long with lies," Regina replied.

"So did I."

Almost as if on its own, Regina's hand cupped the blonde's cheek. This place around them was so dead, yet they were filled with such potential, a seed that had been growing its roots, ready to sprout to the surface. Brown eyes fixated on pink lips and while the moment felt right, she was too anxious to move any further. Emma was observing her curiously, her face trying to remain stoic, yet a crack was appearing as her cheeks pulled.

Pale hands reached forward and found their place behind Regina's head, pulling her face down to meet her own. It wasn't smooth when they collided, teeth clanking against one another, but it felt real. Overwhelming in fact. Their kiss grew stronger as the brunette's rested her weight completely on top of the younger woman's.

Fingers were entangling themselves in fine, dark strands, holding the brunette close to her. The heat they felt the first time was back, fiercer than ever and it threatened to engulf them.

By the time their faces pulled apart, their swollen lips tingled. Regina mind was buzzing as if she was high. When she looked at Emma's own face, she could see the same look in green orbs, dazed yet so peaceful. Regina had never seen this look on the blonde before and it made her chest tighten.

Emma's lips cracked into the biggest grin, but this wasn't one of arrogance or pride; in fact, one might say she was happy.

"I wasn't sure," Regina whispered, her nose grazing Emma's, "If what we had done that night was a mistake. The way you ran from me…"

"I'm sorry," the blonde said, her hands brushing against olive skin as she tucked dark locks behind Regina's ears, "I was scared."

"I understand."

They kissed again, this time slowly, and Emma tightened her arms around the other woman, willing them to melt into one. Regina pulled away and turn her head as a long yawn escaped her lips and Emma chuckled.

"We should try and sleep for a little," Emma declared. There wasn't any need for argument as the brunette nodded in agreement and sank her head back onto the woman's chest.

The loud cadence of Emma's heart in her ear was like a lullaby. Had she ever felt this safe before? She took one last deep, conscious breath before reality faded into symbols and metaphors of the dreamworld.