Author's Note: Hello everyone! This chapter is pretty focused around Shae and a bit of her backstory. For those of you who might still be salty about Shae and Regina's tumultuous relationship, I just want to tell you that in the next chapter, things are about to change. I won't say any more than that because I really hate spoilers. Anyway... Hope you all enjoy Chapter 27! =)

Chapter 27

It had been days since Regina, Nadia, and Remus rescued Shae from The God of Death. In that time, a lot happened. First, Regina and Emma both found out that their son had been secretly working with Cruella, who wanted him to write her back to life. He refused, but did manage to find The Author's pen in The Sorcerer's mansion. He had destroyed it shortly after gaining the power to use it, to prevent himself from becoming corrupted, like Isaac. Now, Henry Daniel Mills was The Author once again. He was determined to use the pen to simply record everyone's stories, just as The Author was meant to.

Next, they all had an encounter with Liam, Hook's deceased older brother. He was working with Hades for a brief time, and managed to destroy the storybook pages that held Hades' deepest secret. The heroes of Storybrooke had hoped to use the secrets in those pages against Hades, and find a way home. That hope was lost, thanks to Liam. However, in the final moment, he was able to make amends for his crimes, and crossed the lake of flames into the light. He, just like Regina's father, was finally in a better place.

Not long after that, they were all shocked when some newcomers arrived in Underbrooke, albeit on accident, via a portal; Belle, Robin Hood's baby, and the baby's mother as well, Zelena. The moment she arrived, Zelena stole her daughter back from her father, but only momentarily. She quickly realized that she could not protect her child from Hades, whom she had a past with. She was certain that Hades wanted to use her baby to cast a time spell. She returned the baby to Robin, and begged him, as well as the others, to keep her safe at all costs.

Things grew even more complicated when Belle found out she was pregnant, only to also find out that her husband, many, many years before, had already sold away his second born child, and Hades now held the contract. Belle was furious, especially after she found out that Gold was The Dark One all over again. To make matters worse, she and Gold encountered Gaston, who was on a mission of revenge against Rumplestiltskin, the man who had murdered him. Gaston was swiftly dealt with via The River of Lost Souls, much to Belle's horror.

While the others ran about dealing with this, that, and the other thing, Regina spent most of her time locked away in her vault, often accompanied by Remus and Nadia. They read through every dusty, rotting book that they could find in Underbrooke, searching for a way to wake Shae.

Shae had not so much as opened her eyes since they had rescued her from Hades' clutches. Even though Emma had used her light magic to heal Shae's broken and battered body, her mind remained in a comatose state. Remus and Nadia both speculated that it must be due to the device Hades had been torturing her with.

"Last time, all it took was a quick healing potion and Shae was right back on her feet." Nadia had said. "The Savior's magic should have been more than enough."

"From what we saw, I'm not sure if Hades knew how to properly work the thing. He might have scrambled her brain by accident." Remus mused quietly. "Or… Perhaps he did do it on purpose, just to be cruel."

"What exactly does it do, anyway?" Asked Regina.

"It's a bit like… A lobotomy, I suppose." Answered Remus, his face grim. "Through magic and clever engineering, it allows access to a person's brain, specifically, their memories. The elves used it on Shae to find out why a dirty halfling like her had magic."

"I can't even begin to imagine what Hades was rooting around in her head for." Nadia commented with a frown.

Regina slowly nodded, quietly processing everything Remus and Nadia had just told her. She stared down at Shae, who was lying still and lifeless on the moth-eaten bed within Underbrooke's version of her vault. She had cast a protection spell around the entirety of the vault, hoping that it would be enough to keep out The God of Death.

"So… What do we do?" She asked of the others.

Nadia and Remus both exchanged an uncertain glance. Remus was the one to answer, and his answer was not one Regina wanted to hear. "I… Don't know."

So, the three of them threw themselves into research, desperate to try and find a way to wake Shae, the woman that they all loved so very dearly. They were occasionally accompanied by Belle, whenever she wasn't dealing with her lying, trickster of a husband. They also occasionally lent their aid to Emma and the others as they dealt with one mess after another. But, mostly, they kept to the vault, and read, and read, and read.

Regina had dozed off in a chair with a dusty book in her lap, her chin sunk deep into her chest. She was startled awake by a sudden shaking of her shoulder. She blinked her eyes open, and found Nadia standing before her.

"Rise and shine." Nadia said with a weak, tired smile, almost as tired as Regina herself was. "Emma's here, and she's brought us some grub."

Regina blinked slowly a few times, her mind still a bit muddled. She quickly rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Emma was indeed among them, and she was unpacking styrofoam containers from several brown paper bags.

"Grilled cheese from Granny's." She said with a smile of her own. "Not quite as good as the original, but still pretty decent. For The Underworld, I guess."

Regina cleared her throat, turning her attention back onto the book sitting in her lap. "I'm not hungry."

Emma Swan breathed out a heavy, exasperated sigh. "Regina, come on, you have to eat." She said, frowning in concern. "You look awful. When was the last time you even slept?"

"I'll sleep for weeks when we've found a way to wake Shae up." Regina growled in reply.

"And find a way back home? And find a way to bring her back with us?" Emma asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"Oh, thank you so, so very much for reminding us of all that." Remus snapped from the other side of the room. He bit into the grilled cheese sandwich in his hand, breathing out a heavy sigh himself. "As if we don't have enough on our plates already."

"Look, I'm sorry, ok?" Emma exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. "All I'm saying is-"

"GUYS!"

They all practically leapt out of their skin as Belle suddenly burst into the vault. "You guys, I think I've found something!" She exclaimed, holding up the book that was in her hand.

Belle rushed over to the wooden table sitting in the middle of the room. She pushed aside the paper bags filled with food, and set the book down. The others all gathered around her as she pointed triumphantly to the page sitting open.

"The Sands of Morpheus?" Asked Regina, brow furrowed in confusion. "I've… Never heard of it."

"No, you wouldn't have, it's very rare." Belle replied in a rush, swiftly shaking her head. "This book says, if you sprinkle the sands onto a sleeping person, you will gain access to their dream world."

"I see." Remus muttered. A grin slowly began to creep across his face. "So, you're saying, if we use this sand on Shae, we can enter her dreams, and possibly… Wake her up from within?"

"Exactly!" Belle exclaimed.

Remus pulled Belle into a tight embrace, placing a quick kiss on her forehead. "Excellent!" He cried. "Belle, my darling, I've said it before, and I'll say it again; You're a bloody genius!"

Belle grinned sheepishly, her cheeks turning a bright shade of red. "Right, so… Where exactly do we find this Sand of Morpheus?" Asked Nadia.

The grin quickly disappeared from Belle's face. "Er… Right. That's the problem." She admitted with a frown. "I know Rumple has at least some in his shop. I'm certain I've seen this vial before. So, if it exists in the real world, there should be some down here. But-"

"But, you don't think he'll just give it to us." Regina finished for her.

Belle scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. "I'm almost certain he won't." She muttered bitterly. "He's right back to his old ways again."

"Actually, I wouldn't be so sure." Emma suddenly cut in. "I mean, sure, he is The Dark One again, but… He wants to get back home just as much as the rest of us, maybe even more so now. Shae knows a lot about, well… A lot of different things. If we can convince him that waking Shae up is the key to getting out of here, then, maybe, he might help us."

"Could you try talking to him?" Remus asked of Belle. "You are his wife after all, and you're carrying his child."

"Oh! Yes! Definitely play the baby card." Nadia said with an earnest nod. "Fathers do all sorts of things to keep their children safe. Well… Decent fathers, anyway."

They all stared expectantly at Belle, who stood biting her lip in silence. Regina could sense her hesitation, and she reached out, taking the young woman's hand. "Please." She pleaded quietly, staring desperately into Belle's eyes. "Please. Try."

Belle breathed out a heavy sigh, and slowly nodded her head. She then promptly set off to The Underworld's version of Gold's shop. Emma left as well, to tell her parents, Hook, and Henry their plan. Regina, Nadia, and Remus returned to their research. They did still need to find a way out of The Underworld, after all.

Regina hoped against hope that Belle would be successful. Emma had made an excellent point. Shae was quite familiar with the myths of the Olympian Gods. She just might know something that would be the key to getting them home. However, she was more concerned with hearing Shae's voice again, to see those piercing blue eyes, to feel the comfort of her embrace.

Night was beginning to fall over Underbrooke once again. Emma had returned to Regina's vault with her parents, Hook, and Henry in tow. They all sat together waiting, waiting, and waiting. They were starting to grow concerned. Belle should have returned hours before. Something must have gone wrong.

Regina rubbed at her dry, bloodshot eyes, fighting hard to stay awake. The others were all talking amongst each other, and her heart lurched as she watched Emma laughing at something Hook said. The Savior placed a kiss on her lover's cheek, and a vengeful jealousy began to boil deep within Regina's chest. Her knuckles cracked as she balled her hands into fists. Emma must have heard the sound, for she turned her head toward Regina, fixing her with a concerned stare. She opened her mouth to speak, but, thankfully, she stopped short at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs to the vault.

"Belle!" Snow exclaimed. "You're back!"

"Did you get it?" Regina asked, practically leaping to her feet.

Belle nodded her head, and produced a small vial from her pocket, the same vial that was depicted in the book she had found. "What took you so long?" Asked Emma. "We were getting worried."

"Well, turns out, I was right." Belle replied bitterly, an uncharacteristic skowl clouding her face. "Rumple was not in the mood to help. So, long story short… I stole it."

"Excellent!" Remus exclaimed, jumping up to his feet as well. "Oh, well done, Belle!"

"I don't know… Something doesn't feel right." Belle replied in a grave tone, slowly shaking her head. "It seemed as if… As if Rumple didn't want Shae to wake up."

Silence fell over the room for a moment as they all pondered what this new information might mean. "Look, we all know Gold." David finally said, after a time. "We can stand around trying to figure out his game till we're blue in the face, but it's never done us any good."

"David's right." Snow said, placing her hand gently on her husband's arm. "If Gold really doesn't want Shae to wake up, then that means we need to move fast."

"Agreed." Regina replied with a nod. "So… Let's get started. What do we do?"

"Right, well, I've been thinking about that." Replied Belle, looking a bit anxious. "It's not so much what we need to do, it's… It's what you need to do, Regina."

"Excuse me?" Asked Regina, placing her hands on her hips.

Belle breathed out a quick sigh. "You've already tried true love's kiss, right?" When Regina nodded, Belle went on. "Well, I think the best way to wake Shae is to find her in her dream world, and give her true love's kiss there."

"I see." Regina muttered, slowly nodding her head. "So, you're saying that I'm the one that needs to go spelunking in Shae's dreams."

"Couldn't it be dangerous for Regina to go alone?" Asked Emma.

"Maybe." Belle answered with a small shrug. "But, it might be that much safer if it's just her. We have no idea what Shae's state of mind is right now. Regina will be something familiar to her, something… Comforting. Safe."

"That… Makes a lot of sense." Snow muttered quietly, slowly nodding her head. She then smiled at Regina, her old nemesis. "And if anyone is up to the task, it's you, Regina."

Regina nodded in agreement, her lips pursed in a determined line. "Excellent!" Nadia exclaimed, beaming excitedly at the once Evil Queen. "See? What did I tell you? Shae doesn't need some bloody Savior. She needs her Queen!" Nadia then glanced at Emma with a slight frown. "Er… No offense."

"None… Taken?" Emma slowly replied.

Regina bit her lip, fighting off the urge to laugh. Now that the plan to wake Shae was clear and decided, they all moved to the magical safe room within Regina's vault. While Belle readied The Sands of Morpheus, Regina got into the dusty bed next to Shae. Before settling in, Regina took her lover's face in her hands, and placed a kiss on her lips.

"Hold on, my love." She whispered once again. "I'm coming."

She then turned to her son, and reached out, taking him by the hand. "You've got this, Mom." Henry said with a smile. "You can bring Shae back. I know you can."

Regina smiled back at him, and she took his face in her hands too, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. She then laid back onto the bed. She took one last look at Shae's still, lifeless face. She laced her fingers in with Shae's, and gave Belle a nod.

"I'm ready."

Belle nodded back. She uncorked the ornate, glass vial in her hands, and poured part of the contents over Shae. Regina and the others all watched in wonder as Shae's body momentarily glowed with a soft light. Belle then stepped around to the other side of the bed, and poured the rest of the sands onto Regina. They all watched with bated breath. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then, Regina's body began to glow faintly as well, and her eyes slowly fluttered closed.

"Now what?" Asked Henry.

"Now…" Belle began slowly, breathing out a heavy, shaky sigh. "Now, we wait."

X-X-X

Regina slowly blinked her eyes open. She was standing in the middle of a street, a street that was unfamiliar to her. It was made of cobblestone, dirty and decrepit buildings and shacks lining either side. There were carts and stands set up all along each side of the road. And there were people, lots and lots of people. They were rushing about this way and that. She seemed to be in some sort of old, medieval style marketplace.

"Hello, Regina."

A sudden, quiet voice spoke her name, and she whirled around. There was a little girl standing behind her, smiling at her. She looked to be about seven or eight, and seemed to be the only one that could actually see Regina.

"Do I… D-Do I know you?" Regina stammered.

The girl frowned, cocking her head to the side. "Don't you recognize me?"

Regina opened her mouth to reply, but quickly shut it again. The more she looked upon the girl, the more she realized that she did recognize her. She was tiny, scrawny, and Regina could see almost every bone in her body. She was dressed in dirty, tattered rags, her small feet bare, covered in dirt. Her jet black hair was just as messy and disheveled, sticking up and out at all kinds of odd angles. She had olive toned skin, and a pair of piercing, ice blue eyes.

"Shae?" Regina whispered. When the little girl nodded, Regina slowly shook her head in utter shock. "I… I don't… Why are you so… So…"

"Small?" The little girl that was indeed Shae finished for her. "Well, I'm only a part of who Shae really is."

"Part?" Regina asked, shaking her head even more. "What… What part?"

The tiny version of Shae smiled once again. "Hope!" She replied. Suddenly, the smile faded from her face. "But… That's why I'm so small. Shae is losing hope, and she needs your help to get it back. That's why you're here, right?"

"Um… I suppose so." Regina muttered, still trying to make sense of her surroundings. "Where exactly are we? Is this… Avalon?" Tiny Shae nodded, and Regina breathed out a bemused chuckle. "Sorry, I just thought the home of the elves would be a bit more, I don't know… Regal? This looks like a slum."

Tiny Shae simply raised her arm in response, pointing at something behind Regina's head. Regina turned around, and gasped in wonder at what she saw. There was a great mountain standing off into the distance. Built atop it, around it, and into it, was a massive, magnificent castle. The whole thing looked to be made of polished, white marble, with trimmings of both silver and gold. The tall, towering spires glittered marvelously in the sunlight. It was beautiful, a stark contrast to Regina's current surroundings.

"That's Avalon Palace." Tiny Shae told her. "All the important elves live up there, and the rest live in the village at the bottom of the mountain. The only ones that come down here are the guards, and they hate it."

"I see." Regina replied, slowly nodding her head. "So, the rich and powerful live up there, and, down here… It's where you lived, right? In the slums."

Tiny Shae nodded once again. "Now, let's go. We need to hurry."

"Where are we going?" Asked Regina.

"To find me, of course." Tiny Shae replied with a smile. "Come on! This way!"

The little girl that was Shae's hope took Regina by the hand, and pulled her forward down the cobblestone street. It was a strange sensation, walking through the slum, surrounded by people on all sides. They all passed right through both Regina and Shae, as if they were ghosts.

As Regina continued to follow the dirty, childhood version of the woman that she loved, she gazed intently all around her. It was quite easy to tell the humans from the halflings. The humans were all black of skin, as if they had come straight from the tribes of Africa. The halflings all had varying shades of olive toned skin, like Shae herself, and they stood slightly taller and were lankier than the humans. She even saw a few that had pointed ears. There were also a number of dwarves about, though they were a bit shorter and stockier than the seven she was used to.

"There!" Tiny Shae suddenly cried.

Regina was jerked to a stop, and she followed Tiny Shae's pointed finger. Amongst the crowd, a little girl with black hair and blue eyes was shuffling about. She was almost an exact replica of the Shae that was standing beside her, though a bit thinner and smaller, if that were even possible.

"Is that… You?" Regina asked.

The Shae beside her nodded, and Regina turned her attention back onto the other Shae. She could immediately tell that something was wrong. Though she couldn't feel it herself, she could tell that it was summertime in Avalon. The sun was shining strong, and the people around her were drenched in sweat. Young Shae, however, was shivering violently, holding her stomach. She staggered and stumbled as she walked, her filthy rags dangling off of her bony body.

Before Regina could even ask, the Shae that was beside her spoke softly. "I hadn't eaten so much as a stale piece of bread in over a week."

Regina's heart ached, and her jaw dropped open. "She's… You… You're starving. Dying."

Tiny Shae nodded again. Regina opened her mouth to speak more, but found that no sound was able to come out. She turned her eyes back onto the other Shae, and watched in sorrow as she stumbled over to one of the shacks lining the street. She leaned against the wall, and slumped down onto the filthy ground, unable to walk any more.

"How… H-How old are you?" Regina asked quietly.

"Mmm… Six. Maybe seven." Tiny Shae replied with a shrug.

Regina slowly shook her head, once again lost for words as she watched a young Shae curled up in a ball, starving and dying in the street. She glanced around at all the people surrounding her. Nobody at all seemed to notice, to even care.

As she turned her eyes back forward, Regina noticed that Shae's lips were moving. She took a few steps forward, and crouched down in front of her. She listened hard, but found she wasn't able to understand what she was saying.

Once again, before Regina could even question, the Shae beside her spoke. "Praying." She said. "I'm praying."

"To… To your Gods? The Norse Gods?" Asked Regina.

"Well, we didn't call them that." Tiny Shae replied, giving another small, one armed shrug. "They were just… The Gods. But, um… Yeah."

Regina nodded in understanding, and was about to ask more. However, a sudden commotion amongst the crowd caused her to stop. The elven guards that Tiny Shae had spoken of made a sudden appearance. They were even taller than the halflings like Shae were, their skin alabaster white, their hair varying shades of golden blonde. They were clad in golden armor as well, armed with spears and shields.

The group of guards seemed to be accosting a human woman, who was carrying a wicker basket filled with food in her arms. Though Regina couldn't understand what they were saying, it was clear that the woman wanted nothing more than to be safely on her way. Regina barely had time to gasp before one of the guards drew his spear, and plunged it into the woman's belly.

Regina expected chaos to erupt after the blatant murder of an innocent woman. However, the people milling about the street simply turned their heads, turned their backs. The street did grow just a bit quieter, but that was all.

Tiny Shae suddenly tugged at Regina's hand, and she tore her eyes away from the grisly scene. The other Shae was suddenly sitting upright, staring wide eyed at the food that had tumbled from the poor woman's basket. She began to quickly scoop up anything that was within arms reach, stuffing it all into her dirty rags. She then darted around the corner, out of sight of the guards.

Regina hurried after Tiny Shae, who was following herself. The two of them stood and watched as the other Shae sat back down on the ground, and began tearing into the small heel of bread she had managed to snatch up. Once she had devoured the bread, Shae fished around inside her rags, and, for the first time, a wide, gleeful smile stretched across her lips. She was holding an apple, a bright, shiny red apple.

"See?" Tiny Shae asked from beside her.

Regina couldn't help but laugh. "You've always loved apples." She replied with a smile of her own.

They fell silent for a time, watching as the other Shae devoured the apple in her hands, grinning all the while. She immediately pulled another apple out from amongst her rags. Regina smiled some more herself as she watched Shae bite into it.

"I just… I don't understand." Regina mumbled, slowly shaking her head. "What does this mean? Why show me this?"

Tiny Shae furrowed her brow in confusion. "Show you? I'm not showing you anything." She replied. "This is just a dream. A memory. My first memory."

Regina's brow furrowed as well. "You're… Dreaming in memories?"

Tiny Shae once again gave Regina a small, one armed shrug. "What else is there to dream about?" She asked. "Now, come on. There's more to see."

The small, dirty, childlike version of Shae took Regina's hand again, and began to pull her forward. Regina glanced back at the other Shae, who was digging into another apple, the juice from the sweet fruit dribbling down her chin. She was about to ask where exactly they were going next, but stopped as her surroundings began to slowly fade away. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light, and Regina's vision went stark white.

XX

"Now… We wait."

A sudden commotion by the door to the safe room caused all those gathered inside to turn around. They were all shocked to see Robin Hood. He was huffing and puffing, his daughter cradled carefully in his arms.

"Here… You all… Are." He rasped.

"Robin? What are you doing here?" Asked Emma. "I thought you were keeping the baby safe in the forest."

"I was." Robin replied with a swift nod, his chest heaving. "But… I saw something… Had to… Come find you."

"Here, I'll hold the baby." Belle said in a soothing voice. "Just… Sit down, take a breath. You look like you just ran a marathon."

Robin nodded gratefully, handing the baby over to Belle. "Thank you… Thank you…"

Once Robin was seated, and had taken several deep, soothing breaths, David went on to question him. "What's going on, Robin?" He asked. "Is everything ok?"

Robin quickly shook his head. "'Fraid not." He replied, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "I saw a group of people marching through the forest, a large group, and an armed one too. The man that was leading them, he was shouting orders to… To… 'Find The Evil Queen and the demon bitch that stands beside her.'"

A shocked and confused silence fell over the room for a moment. "This man, the leader…" Remus slowly began to say. "Was he… Big? I mean really big? With brown hair and a beard?"

"I… Yes." Robin replied, his face plastered with shock. "Yes, he looked just like that. Do you know him?"

Remus slowly and gravely nodded his head. "So do Snow White and The Prince, I'm afraid."

Snow and David exchanged a puzzled glance. "Wait a minute…" Snow suddenly muttered, her eyes growing wide. "You don't mean-"

"Van Helsing." Growled Remus.

"Dammit!" David snarled, slamming his fist into the table. "We should have known him and his lackeys would be down here!"

"Van Helsing…" Emma muttered with a frown. "Isn't he Shae's old nemesis?"

"And mine!" Remus exclaimed, looking offended. "He did kill my sister, after all."

"True." Nadia confirmed with a nod.

"I'm sorry, I'm a bit lost." Hook suddenly chimed in, looking, indeed, quite confused. "What exactly is going on here? Who is this man you all seem so afraid of?"

Remus breathed out an enraged snarl, running a shaky hand through his hair. "He's not just a man. He's a werewolf, the first werewolf. Remember Alucard? Dracula?" When Hook nodded, Remus went on. "Well, Abraham is his big brother, in every sense of the word. He's the fiercest and most brutal warrior I've ever seen, and that's just in his human form."

Hook slowly nodded his head. "I see." He muttered. "And… What exactly is he like in wolf form?"

Remus didn't respond right away, it didn't seem he knew how to. "Death." Nadia answered for him. "He is death itself."

Hook snorted loudly. "No offense, love, but… We're in The Underworld, where the literal God of Death rules. What harm can this Van Helsing character possibly do?"

"A whole hell of a lot!" Remus snarled, pointing a quivering finger at Hook. "He's been after Shae for years, but he never managed to actually kill her. Instead, Shae killed his wife, and Regina… She killed him."

"I see…" Hook muttered once again. "So he's out for revenge."

"Exactly." Replied Remus.

Silence fell over the room for another few moments. They all stood quietly processing the new threat that was Abraham Van Helsing. After a time, it was Henry who was the one to ask the question that was on all their minds.

"What do we do?"

Nobody responded right away. David then suddenly breathed out a heavy sigh, and stepped over to the table that was sitting in the corner of the room. He gestured for everyone to gather around, which they all did. He took a moment to gaze around at the group before him, then gave them all a determined nod.

"We come up with a plan."

X-X-X

Regina blinked several times as her vision began to clear. Tiny Shae's hand was still in her own. They were still in the slums of Avalon, farther down the market street. They were still surrounded by people on all sides.

There was a rickety, dirty shack sitting off to one side of the street. A number of children were playing and milling about in front of it. Regina realized that the shack must be the orphanage where Shae grew up.

Her suspicions proved to be correct when she spotted another young Shae. She looked to be a bit older than the Shae from before, and just a touch more well fed. She was drawing in the dirt with a stick, accompanied by an older boy with brown hair. Regina quickly realized that the boy was Remus.

Suddenly, another brown haired child came sprinting up to Remus and Shae. Regina immediately recognized the child to be Nadia. She was bouncing up and down excitedly, shouting something.

"What is she saying?" Regina asked of the Shae beside her.

"Oh, right. You don't speak elvish." Tiny Shae said with a frown. "Here."

Tiny Shae took Regina's hand in both of her own. She then fell silent, and closed her eyes for a moment. Regina jumped as tiny Nadia's words suddenly became understandable.

"The Queen!" Nadia shouted. "It's The Queen! She's coming this way!"

"Come off it!" Remus scoffed, rolling his eyes at his little sister. "The Queen would never come down here."

"MAKE WAY! MAKE WAY FOR THE QUEEN!"

Regina, as well as Remus, Nadia, and Shae, all turned their heads toward the sudden and official sounding shout. The other children all fell silent as well, their own heads turning. They all watched wide-eyed as a group of elven soldiers marched down the street, a much larger group than before, a whole squadron.

"Believe me now?" Asked Nadia, throwing her arms up in the air.

Remus and Shae both nodded their heads, and scrambled up onto their feet. Chaos ensued for a moment as the children all rushed toward the street, pushing and shoving each other excitedly. A crowd had already started to form. Tiny Shae slowly and calmly guided Regina by the hand over to where the other version of herself, as well as Remus and Nadia, were standing. Just like before, they were able to walk right through the gathered crowd.

Regina chuckled quietly as she watched Shae and Nadia duck down, weaving in and out between people's legs to get to the front of the crowd. Remus, who was just a bit too big, was left behind. Regina chuckled some more as young Remus shouted angry profanities at Shae and his sister.

"Look!" Nadia exclaimed. "See? I told you!"

In the middle of the formation of elven soldiers, there were several that stood out amongst their brethren. They were much more ornately decorated, and carried swords instead of spears. Regina could tell that they were no ordinary soldiers. They were knights, and they surrounded their Queen, who walked slowly in the very center of the formation. She smiled and waved at her subjects, who clapped and cheered at the very sight of her.

"The Queen is… Human?" Regina asked, unable to help but notice the darkness of Her Majesty's skin.

"Uh-huh." Tiny Shae replied with a nod. "I told you the story, remember?"

"Right, right…" Regina muttered, slowly nodding her head. "The elven King married a human Queen to broker peace. But… I thought you said she died?"

"She does." Tiny Shae confirmed with another nod. "It just hasn't happened yet. Things got a lot worse here after. She actually cared about the poor people of Avalon. The King never did."

Regina nodded herself, and turned her attention back onto Avalon's Queen. She was a strikingly beautiful woman, her jet black hair done up in decorated braids that fell past her shoulders. She was garbed in a gorgeous, flowing, violet colored dress that made Regina's inner Queen quite jealous. She frowned as she watched the people of Avalon cheering for their Queen. None of her subjects had ever cheered at the sight of her. They had cowered in terror instead.

The Queen of Avalon stopped for a moment at one of the market stalls sitting along the side of the street. The soldiers and knights stopped as well, standing at attention as their Queen conversed with the merchant. Regina watched curiously as The Queen picked something out from the merchant's stall, and paid the man for it. She almost laughed out loud as The Queen turned around, holding a bright, shiny red apple in her hand.

Regina continued to watch in silence as The Queen crossed to the other side of the street, where young Shae and Nadia were standing. The soldiers parted swiftly for their Queen, as did the knights. Regina's jaw dropped open as The Queen stepped right up to little Shae, and held out the apple.

"For you, my child." She said, smiling a dazzling, white toothed smile.

Shae simply stared wide eyed at The Queen, her own jaw dangling open. When Shae continued to stand in shocked, rigid silence, The Queen laughed. She reached out and took Shae's hand, pressing the apple into it. She paused for a moment, staring intently into Shae's eyes. Regina noticed that her own eyes were a stunning shade of blue, a very similar shade to Shae's.

The Queen of Avalon reached out once again, and gently caressed Shae's cheek. She then straightened herself up, smiled at the dumbfounded child holding an apple in her quivering hands, and moved along. Shae stared down at the apple, her blue eyes wide and filled with wonder.

"Shae! It's your favorite!" Nadia exclaimed.

Shae slowly nodded her head, another wide, gleeful smile stretching across her dirt covered face. Suddenly, the crowd gathered upon the street disappeared right before Regina's eyes. The other Shae that was actually Shae's hope was still beside her. They were back at the rundown orphanage again, and the sun was now hanging low in the sky. Remus was nowhere to be seen, but Nadia and Shae were sitting in the dirt together. Shae was still holding the apple in her hands.

"Are you going to eat that, or are you just going to stare at it all day?" Little Nadia asked with a laugh.

Shae didn't respond right away. She continued to stare down at the apple, her lips pursed into a firm line. "I… I think… I think I'd like to be a knight some day." She finally replied.

A wide, joyous smile sprang onto Nadia's face. "A knight? Really? That's amazing!"

Shae smiled back at her, and opened her mouth to respond, but another voice cut her off. "A knight? You? Don't make me laugh!"

Nadia and Shae both turned themselves around. A small group of other orphans had meandered their way over to the two girls sitting in the dirt. One of the children, a boy, much larger than the others, seemed to be their leader. He was the one that had spoke, and was now sneering down at Shae in a way that Regina did not like one bit.

"What's so funny about that, Gendry?" Nadia demanded hotly. She sprang up onto her feet, placing her hands firmly on her hips. "Shae can be a knight if she wants. She can do it. I know she can."

The boy named Gendry laughed loudly, mockingly, and his gaggle of friends followed suit. "This little pip-squeak? Fat fucking chance!" Gendry replied, laughing some more. "Everyone knows that only pure-blood elves can become knights. She's just a halfling. She's nothing, just like the rest of us."

Shae leapt up onto her feet as well, glaring fiercely at the boy named Gendry. "I'm not nothing!" She shouted, proudly holding out her apple. "The Queen gave this to me! That means I'm special!"

Gendry merely laughed once again. Then, quicker than Regina could even blink, he snatched the apple right out of Shae's hand. "Well, well…" He sneered, grinning deviously at Shae. "Looks like I'm the special one now."

"That's mine!" Shae cried as she rushed forward. "Give it back!"

Gendry reacted swiftly once again. Regina gasped, clapping her hands over her mouth as his fist collided with Shae's face. Little Shae hit the ground hard, which caused Gendry and his gang to laugh even more. Regina's blood boiled as she watched Gendry take a big bite out of Shae's apple. He then sauntered away, taking his gaggle of friends with him.

"Shae!" Nadia shouted, dropping to her knees beside her. "Oh no… Shae, are you alright?"

Shae nodded as she sat forward, rubbing her cheek that was already starting to bruise. Nadia sat down beside her, wrapping a tiny arm around Shae's equally tiny shoulders. She then used her other hand to gently wipe the blood that was trickling from the cut on Shae's lip.

"T-They… They'll see…" Shae muttered, snifiling quietly as tears began to pour from her eyes. "I'm gonna get big and strong, and… A-And I'll become a knight. And I'm gonna serve a Queen, and she'll… She'll be… S-She'll be beautiful, just like our Queen. The… T-The fairest in all the land."

Nadia nodded her head, wrapping both her arms around Shae, holding her close as she began to weep. "They'll see…" Shae whispered between sobs. "They'll see…"

Regina stood in shocked silence for a long while, tears of her own trickling down her cheeks. She quickly shook herself when she realized the Shae standing beside her was watching her intently. She wiped at the tears on her face, softly clearing her throat.

"If only…" She began, clearing her throat again as her voice broke with emotion. "If… If only she knew."

Tiny Shae slowly nodded her head. "If only." She muttered. She then took Regina by the hand again. "Come on, the dreams changing."

Regina nodded back, and allowed Tiny Shae to lead her forward. She was prepared this time. She shielded her eyes from the blinding flash of light, and stepped into it.

XX

The heroes of Storybrooke left Regina's vault behind. They all agreed that it would be safer to lead Van Helsing and his gang away from Shae and Regina, who were both still fast asleep. Robin Hood took the task upon himself, insisting that he would be able to safely draw Van Helsing away from the vault, and to The Charming's apartment, where the rest had gathered.

"Are you sure Henry and Belle will be safe in there?" Emma asked her father, wringing her hands anxiously.

David sighed, placing his hand soothingly on his daughter's shoulder. "Regina cast a protection spell around the vault." He replied with a gentle smile. "It's the safest place for Henry, Belle, and Baby Hood to be right now."

Emma nodded, taking a deep, steadying breath. "Right… You're right."

Suddenly, the door to the apartment burst open with a bang. Robin rushed in, once again huffing and puffing. "They're coming." Was all he said.

"Good." David said with a quick nod. "Right… Do we all know our positions?"

The others all glanced around at each other for a moment, then Snow White replied. "Robin, Nadia, and I will be stationed above with our bows." She said, nodding as well. "We're the best archers, and we have plenty of arrows. We already got the brazier lit up on the roof. We'll rain fire down on Van Helsing and his goons."

David nodded once again. "Remus?" He asked.

"Right. The Captain, The Prince, and myself will be in the street, on the front lines." Replied Remus. He then turned to Hook, raising an eyebrow. "Is that hook of yours sharp and ready?"

Hook nodded too. "Aye."

"Emma?" David asked of his daughter.

"We're ready." Emma replied, nodding herself. "Zelena and I will-"

"Wait… WHAT?" Robin exclaimed, cutting Emma off. His eyes grew wide as he suddenly noticed The Wicked Witch of the West standing quietly in the corner of the room, arms folded. "What the hell is she doing here?"

Zelena barked out a laugh. "Oh, pleasure to see you too, husband." She said with a grin.

"I told you to never call me that!" Robin snarled, pointing a furious finger at Zelena.

"STOP IT!" Shouted David. He then breathed out a heavy sigh, quickly collecting himself. "Robin, I'm sorry, but we need all the help we can get. Zelena is the only one besides Emma that has magic. It did take some convincing, but she is here to help."

"Indeed." Zelena confirmed with a nod. "That Van Helsing character came to Oz once. He blathered on and on about how he was building an army to destroy magic. I sent him packing with his ass on fire."

"And you're here to do it again, right?" Emma asked of The Wicked Witch. Zelena nodded in agreement once more, and Emma turned her eyes back onto Robin. "So… We're good?"

Robin stood in silence for a moment, his eyes narrowed angrily at Zelena. "Fine." He growled in reply. "But I'll be keeping an eye on you."

Zelena barked out another mocking laugh, and opened her mouth to respond, but stopped when Nadia cut her off. "What about Rumplestiltskin?" She asked. "He's got to be the strongest out of all of us. Did anyone think to ask him for help?"

"We did." Said Snow, breathing out a heavy sigh. "Of course we did, but… He wasn't at his shop. And we don't exactly have the time to go looking all over town for him."

Nadia sighed herself, slowly nodding her head in understanding. "I see." She replied, then pointed around at all the others. "Right, then. Let's not forget what Henry said. Aim for the head."

Zelena snorted loudly. "Are we really going to put our faith in information a child gained from watching zombie movies?"

"Hey, it does make a lot of sense." Emma replied with a shrug. "They are dead, so, you know, disabling the brain should at least knock them out."

"Besides," Snow continued with a chuckle. "I think we've all learned by now to trust Henry. He may be just a kid, but he's surprised us more than times than I think any of us can count."

"Exactly." David agreed. "So… Are we ready?"

"As ready as we'll ever be, I think." Hook was the one to reply.

The others all nodded in agreement. "Alright, then." Snow replied, hefting her bow. "Everyone arm up, and get into position."

"Hold on." Said Nadia, causing everyone to pause. "There's something I'd like to do for all of you, for us. It's um… A blessing, of sorts. A warrior's blessing, from back home. I'll call upon the Aesir and the Vanir, to grant us strength in battle. Won't take but a moment."

Nadia hurried over to the kitchen counter, and swiftly began to prepare the ingredients for her blessing. The others all waited patiently. None of them argued, for it didn't seem that Nadia would take 'no' for an answer anyway. Besides, they all knew they would need all the help they could get in the upcoming battle against an army of dead men.

"I thought you said you and Shae both abandoned your gods." Emma whispered quietly to Remus.

Remus sighed, slowly nodding his head. "We did." He whispered back. "But, my sister still believes, even after everything she's been through, even in this place. That has to count for something… Right?"

Emma nodded herself, and was about to respond, but stopped as her mother suddenly gasped in alarm. "Is that… Blood?" Snow exclaimed.

In Nadia's hands was a small bowl, a bowl filled with a thick, red liquid. "Oh, calm down." She said, rolling her eyes. "It's only rabbit's blood. Now, everyone gather 'round."

Snow White, as well as the others, all exchanged an uncertain glance. However, they all obliged, and gathered in a circle around Nadia. She had laid out her ingredients on the coffee table in the middle of the room. She stood in silence for a moment, eyes closed, face turned upward toward the sky. Then, she began the blessing.

She started by lighting a sage stick, wafting the smoke over each of them as she began chanting in elvish. Then, she took up a small branch from some sort of tree, and dipped it in the bowl of blood. She took up both bowl and branch, and anointed them all with droplets of blood. Every single one of them flinched as the rabbit's blood splattered their faces, all except for Remus.

As Nadia stepped up to her brother, Remus swiftly removed his leather jacket and shirt. He dropped down onto his knees, bare chested, arms spread wide. He too turned his face upward, closing his eyes as his sister anointed his body with blood.

Though the others didn't quite understand what was going on, they stood in respectful silence as Nadia set both bowl and branch back down on the table. She dipped both of her thumbs into the blood, and smeared some across her brother's forehead. She then gently placed her bloody thumbs just under both of Remus' eyes, and drew them down to his chest.

Remus rose to his feet, and dipped his own thumbs in the blood, making the same marks on his sister's face, repeating the same words in elvish that she had been chanting. Nadia smiled, and took her brother's face in her hands, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. Remus smiled back at her, and they both turned toward the others.

"It's done." Nadia said with a nod. "We're ready."

"Good." David replied, nodding himself. "Let's go."

David took up his sword, and marched toward the door. Hook and Robin both hefted their own weapons, and followed suit. David stopped suddenly when he realized that his wife and daughter were not behind him.

"Snow? Emma? You coming?" He asked.

Neither The Savior nor her mother responded. They both simply stared at Remus, their eyes wide, their jaws dangling open. Zelena was in much the same state as well. None of them had ever seen Remus without a shirt before. They stared in wonder at his perfectly chiseled abs and pecs, his superbly toned shoulders and arms.

"Remus…" David said with a sigh, pinching the bride of his nose. "Did you really have to take your shirt off?"

"Why do you ask, Your Highness?" Remus replied with a grin and wink. "Is the sight a bit too distracting for you?"

David laughed, slowly shaking his head. "Sorry, Remus, not for me, but… Well…" He then gestured vaguely to the women gaping in silence at him.

The grin on Remus' face quickly faded, and he rolled his eyes. "Typical." He scoffed, and promptly marched out the door.

"Are… Are you completely certain your brother is only interested in men?" Zelena asked of Nadia, once Remus and David had left the apartment.

Nadia laughed herself, clapping The Wicked Witch on the shoulder. "Absolutely certain." She replied. "Now, come on. We've got work to do."

Zelena breathed out a heavy, disappointed sigh, and followed Nadia out the door. Emma exchanged a quick glance with her mother, and they both shook themselves out of their stupor. Nadia was right, they indeed did have a job to do, a very important job. It was up to them to stop Van Helsing and his followers from getting to Regina and Shae. They all hoped against hope that Regina would be able to wake Shae soon, so the two of them could join the fight. Every single one of them knew that they would need their help, and fast.

X-X-X

It was dark, so dark that it took Regina's eyes a few moments to adjust. Once they did, she saw that her and Shae's hope were surrounded by rocky walls. The only light came from the torches that were hanging in sconces built into the rock.

"The silver mine." Tiny Shae explained. "I always hated this place. It was always so dark, and all the dust and dirt made it hard to breathe."

Regina nodded in understanding. It was indeed quite dark, but even through the darkness she could see the dust. It hung heavy in the air like a thick, dirty cloud.

Suddenly, an elven soldier poked his head around the corner of the mine shaft they were standing in. "Oi!" He called out. "Break time, you lot!"

Regina turned around, and spotted Shae at the other end of the shaft, accompanied by both Remus and Nadia. All three of them were much older now. Shae looked to be a teenager, about sixteen or seventeen. She was much taller, but still strikingly thin. She had a worn leather collar around her neck, as did both Remus and Nadia. Regina frowned when she realized that they were slave collars.

"Make sure you get plenty of water." Said the elven soldier, pointing a commanding finger at the three of them. "The King says we can't have any more miners dropping dead."

The soldier then went on his way, leaving Shae, Nadia, and Remus alone. They dropped their pickaxes, and sat down on the ground. They took turns scooping water out of the bucket that was sitting in the middle of the shaft.

"Here." Nadia whispered to Shae. "Got you your favorite."

Shae grinned as Nadia produced two apples from inside her rags. "Where did you get these?" Asked Shae.

"Nicked 'em." Nadia replied with a shrug.

"Did you get one for me?" Remus asked his sister with a frown. "I like apples too, you know."

Nadia rolled her eyes, fishing a third apple out from her rags. "Of course, brother."

Remus grinned as well as Nadia tossed him the apple. The three of them held out their apples, knocking them together as if they were holding mugs of ale. They sat in silence as they devoured the sweet fruit, and guzzled some more water from the bucket.

Shae suddenly leapt up to her feet, and hurried to the other end of the shaft. She carefully peered around both corners, then rushed back. There was a small crevice in the wall behind where Nadia was sitting, and Shae reached an arm into it, removing two thick branches that had come from some sort of tree.

"Shae…" Remus whined, slowly shaking his head. "Shae, I'm tired."

"You promised!" Shae exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at her best friend.

Remus pursed his lips, glancing between Shae and his sister. Nadia simply smiled and nodded at her brother. Remus then breathed out a heavy, reluctant sigh. He slowly rose to his feet, cracking his neck, rolling his shoulders.

"Alright." He said to Shae. "Give it here."

Shae grinned once again, and tossed one of the branches over to him. They both then fell into battle ready stances, brandishing their weapons. Regina couldn't help but laugh as she watched both Shae and Remus swinging sticks at each other. She knew them both to be highly skilled, fearsome warriors, and it was a bit comical to see them flailing their sticks so clumsily.

"The fuck you three think you're doing?"

Remus and Shae both stopped at the sudden voice, and whirled around. Regina gritted her teeth when she saw a very familiar looking young man striding down the mine shaft. It was Genrdy, the boy that had been bullying Shae in the last memory. He too was older now, and much bigger. He looked much more well fed than Shae, Remus, and Nadia. Regina suspected that it wasn't on purpose. She knew his type, and she knew that he was stealing extra rations from the other slaves, just like he had stolen little Shae's apple. Just the sight of him made her blood boil.

"Fuck off, Gendry." Shae snarled at him.

"Still playing at being a knight, I see." Gendry sneered back. "When will you give up that stupid dream?"

"It's not stupid, and it's not a dream!" Nadia snarled as well, leaping up onto her feet. "Shae is smart and strong. She'll be the best knight Avalon has ever seen!"

Gendry barked out a loud, mocking laugh. "We'll see about that." He said, sneering some more. "Come on, let's see what you've got, pip-squeak!"

Gendry fell back into a battle ready stance, raising his fists. Shae exchanged a quick glance with Remus, who looked worried. However, Remus chose to remain silent, and he stepped back against the rocky wall. Shae then turned her eyes back onto Gendry, and tossed her stick aside. She too raised her fists, readying herself for a fierce fight.

Shae managed to block the first few blows, and even got a few in herself. But, Gendry proved much too dense, much too strong. Shae's punches seemed to bounce right off of him. Regina cringed as Gendry's fist collided with her face, once, twice, three times.

"I… I-I don't think I can watch." Regina muttered to the Shae that was standing beside her.

Tiny Shae slowly nodded her head in understanding. "It's ok. I'll tell you when it's over."

Regina nodded back, turning her face away. She could still hear the sound of Shae's painful grunts as Gendry struck blow after blow. She squeezed her eyes shut, more tears leaking down her cheeks. The sound of Gendry's fist striking the woman she loved over and over again was almost too much to bear.

"Look." Tiny Shae suddenly whispered.

Regina took a deep, steadying breath, and turned back toward the fight. Her heart ached when she saw Shae on the ground, her face black and blue, covered in blood. Gendry was standing over her, a triumphant grin stretching across his face.

"Stop!" Remus shouted, stepping between Gendry and Shae. "That's enough!"

Gendy responded with a swift kick to Remus' loins. Remus grunted painfully, immediately dropping to his knees. Gendry then raised his fist once again, and punched Remus square in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

Nadia shrieked in fury, throwing herself onto Gendry. They struggled for a moment, but, once again, Gendry proved to be too strong. He flung Nadia away from him, sending her crashing into the wall. Nadia slumped down onto the ground, groaning in pain just like her brother.

"See?" Gendry snarled, bending down and grabbing Shae by the throat. "You'll never be a knight. You're weak, worthless. You're nothing, you hear me? NOTHING! Stop pretending you're not!"

Shae groaned in pain, grabbing onto Gendry's arm. Her whole body began to tremble, and she bellowed a furious roar. Suddenly, her hand began to glow with a bright red light. Regina watched with wide, baffled eyes as flames burst out from around Shae's hand. Gendry's own eyes were just as wide as Regina's as he watched the flames creeping up his arm.

With another rage-filled roar, Shae rose to her feet, both of her hands clenched firmly around Gendry's arm. The flames quickly began to wind their way up his chest, his neck, his face, snaking their way down his legs. Suddenly, Gendry the bully was consumed by fire. He screamed, a piercing, agonizing scream.

"OI! What the bloody hell is going on down there?"

The voice from their elven guard came echoing around the corner of the mine shaft. Young Remus reacted quickly. He grabbed a stunned looking Shae by the shoulders, and spun her around so she was facing the wall. He then pulled his sister to her feet, and threw an arm around her shoulders, the two of them effectively blocking Shae from view. He used his other hand to wipe the blood from his lip, and used a foot to stomp the pile of ashes that was once Gendry into the dirt.

By the time the guard rounded the corner, everything was quiet, and nothing at all seemed to be amiss. "I thought I heard screaming down here." He said, folding his arms across his chest.

"Screaming? No, no, we were just… We were laughing, right?" Remus replied, glancing at his sister.

"Yes! Laughing!" Nadia agreed with a wide, cheesy smile. "Always so funny, my dear brother!"

The guard narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the three halfling slaves. Regina could almost hear their hearts pounding in their chests. "Alright, well… Back to work then, you three!" Snarled the guard.

Remus and Nadia both vigorously nodded their heads, smiling all the while. They stood rigidly still, listening to the guard's footsteps crunching in the dirt as he walked away. Once his footsteps had faded far into the distance, they both turned to Shae.

With her whole body trembling, Shae slowly sank down onto the ground, her chest heaving. "Oh, Shae…" Nadia whispered, dropping down on her knees next to her. "Here… Hold still, now."

Nadia dipped her sleeve into the bucket of water, and began to carefully dab at Shae's bloody face. "Shae… What just happened?" Remus asked in a whisper, his eyes wide. "Did… D-Did you just use… Magic?"

Shae stared down at her trembling hands, her own eyes just as wide. "I… I-I don't know." She stammered quietly. "I-I think… I think so."

Remus slowly shook his head, opening and closing his mouth several times. "How… How's that even possible? Halflings don't have magic."

Shae shook her own head, frightened tears beginning to leak out of her eyes. "What's… What's happening to me?" She whispered, her voice quavering with emotion. She glanced over at the pile of ashes, still slightly visible amongst the dirt, and her voice broke. "Oh… Oh Gods! What have I done?"

Nadia wrapped her arms around Shae, once again holding her close as she began to weep. Nadia glanced up at her brother, who was standing rigid in shock, his jaw dangling open. He too sat down on Shae's other side, as Shae buried her face in Nadia's shoulder. He hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took Shae's hand. He squeezed it tight as she sobbed.

"I couldn't control it." Tiny Shae muttered from beside Regina. "For years afterward, I couldn't. I still can't, not… Not really. Not fully. I still don't know where it comes from, what it means. It… Scares me."

Regina slowly nodded her head, wiping more of her own tears away from her face. Suddenly, the dark, dirty mine shaft lit up with a bright white light. Regina drew in a deep, steadying breath, and allowed the next of Shae's memories to take her away.

XX

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Snow White, Nadia, and Robin Hood were all lying flat on their bellies, carefully peering down into the street from the apartment rooftop. "No." Nadia whispered back with a chuckle. "But, you both seem to know my brother quite well. So you know how awfully stubborn he is."

"Funny, he says the same about you." Robin replied, chuckling himself. "I suppose it runs in the family."

Nadia laughed too. "Yes, I suppose it does."

Remus was standing alone in the middle of the street, which was all part of the plan. He was armed with a sword in one hand, a small axe about the size of a hatchet in his other. He had insisted that he should be the first to face Van Helsing.

Hook and David were on opposite sides of the street, carefully hidden behind the walls of the buildings lining Underbrooke's main street. Emma and Zelena were not far behind, crouched down together behind some rubble. They all kept a careful eye on Remus, knowing that Van Helsing and his followers could arrive any moment.

"Would you just look at those rippling muscles." Zelena muttered with a wistful sigh. "What I wouldn't give to see the rest of him. I bet it's all just as impressive."

"Really?" Emma whispered back, rolling her eyes. "That's what you're thinking about right now?"

Zelena shrugged her shoulders, and was about to reply when movement in the street caught Emma's eye. Zelena stopped short as Emma pressed a finger to her lips, and pointed out at Remus. It seemed that the time for battle had finally come.

The archers on the rooftop curled their hands tightly around their bows, and the warriors in the street did the same with their swords. Van Helsing was slowly approaching. At his side was his wife, Aela, the fearsome huntress. At his other, was a blonde haired man with a goatee and a scar on his cheek. It was Carl, his closest friend and general, who had been killed by Ruby. Following the three of them was over a dozen armed men and women, The Knights of the Sun.

"Hello, Van Helsing." Remus spoke quietly.

"Well, well, well…" Van Helsing sneered, fiddling with his sword as he grinned at Remus. "And here I thought I'd be coming face to face with the lot of your little friends. I'm guessing they're somewhere around here, right?"

"Might be." Remus replied with a shrug. "We could always just settle this like men, you and me."

Van Helsing barked out a loud, mocking laugh. "As if you'd even stand a chance. You're not a filthy blood sucker any more." He snarled with another devious grin. "Besides, there's nothing to settle. Lord Hades wants your friend Shae and The Evil Queen. Once we deliver them to him, he'll send us back to the world of the living."

Remus was the one to laugh this time. "Do you really think Hades has that kind of power?"

Van Helsing laughed right back. "He's a bloody god! What makes you think he doesn't?"

When Remus remained silent, his hands curling firmly around his weapons, Van Helsing chuckled some more, and went on. "Now, then. If you truly want to settle things without bloodshed, you'll hand both of your friends over to us."

Remus chuckled himself, slowly and calmly raising his axe in the air. "Who says I don't want bloodshed?"

As Remus gave the signal, David and Hook leapt out from their hiding spots, their swords flashing through the air. Two hollow sounding thumps caused Van Helsing and his friends to whirl around. They were just in time to see two of their brethren collapsing to the ground, their severed heads still rolling.

"Bloody hell." Robin whispered from the rooftop. "Henry was right!"

"Told you." Snow White replied.

"You were right, Van Helsing!" David called out with a triumphant grin. "We're right here!"

Van Helsing breathed out an enraged snarl, and opened his mouth to reply. He stopped as his wife suddenly shouted; "ABRAHAM!"

Van Helsing whirled back around, just in time to watch Aela leap in front of him. A second later, Remus' axe buried itself in her forehead. "AELA!" He screamed.

Remus rushed forward with his sword in the air, bellowing out a fearsome war cry. At the same time, Robin, Snow, and Nadia lit their arrows, notched them to their bows, and fired. Their aim was sure and true, and three of Van Helsing's knights screamed as their bodies were lit aflame.

Utter chaos ensued after that. David and Hook leapt into the fray, as Remus began to clash swords with Van Helsing. The archers on the roof continued to swiftly fire, letting loose arrow after arrow with expert aim. Emma and Zelena, however, remained carefully hidden behind the pile of rubble.

"Easy, easy…" Zelena muttered, grabbing on to Emma's arm. "You know the plan."

The Savior and The Wicked Witch were their ace in the hole. They were not to use their magic, not to reveal themselves until the last possible second. Emma was having a difficult time remaining still. However, she steeled herself and stuck to the plan regardless. She kept a careful eye on the warriors in the street, watching for any sign of fatal danger.

"BACK!" David suddenly shouted. "FALL BACK!"

The warriors were quickly beginning to be overwhelmed, the archers on the roof bogged down by arrows from the archers in Van Helsing's company. Emma and Zelena both exchanged a quick glance, and nodded. It was time.

As Remus, David, and Hook all began to retreat, Emma finally rose to her feet. She bellowed out a war cry of her own, and threw her hands outward. A blast of her light magic sent the first of the pursuers careening backward.

Next, Zelena leapt out from her hiding place, and summoned a glowing green fireball into her hand. She sent it shooting up into the sky, where it exploded into dozens of other fireballs. They rained down on Van Helsing and his soldiers, their screams of agony ringing through the streets as they burst into flame.

The warriors all skidded to a stop, quickly spinning back around. They stood in a line, holding their weapons at the ready. Remus had managed to retrieve his axe from the fallen huntress' head, only to send it hurtling through the air once again. It made contact with his target, who was Carl this time. He too slumped to the ground as the axe collided with his face.

Underbrooke's main street erupted into more chaos as the two groups collided once again. Zelena sent fireballs shooting out left and right, beams of light magic from Emma's hands hitting Van Helsing's forces straight in the face. The archers continued to send volleys of fire arrows raining down on The Knights of The Sun. The warriors all swung their weapons furiously, bodies falling to the ground all around them.

Finally, the only one left standing was Van Helsing himself. The others watched carefully as he and Remus clashed swords again. They all gasped as Remus suddenly lost his footing, and hit the ground hard. David and Hook rushed forward to defend him, only to stop when an arrow from Nadia's bow suddenly buried itself in Van Helsing's forehead. He stumbled himself, his eyes gaping wide. Remus leapt swiftly back up to his feet, screaming in fury as his sword cut through the air.

Two more hollow, squelching thumps resonated around the street. The first was Van Helsing's severed head landing at Remus' feet. The other was Van Helsing's body, falling sideways into the dirt. Then, there was silence. The only sounds to be heard were the heaving of chests, coupled with the gentle crackling of still smouldering flames.

"Holy shit…" Emma whispered, her whole body trembling. "We… W-We did it."

The archers on the rooftop bellowed out triumphant cries, throwing their fists into the air. Emma Swan smiled as the man she loved, Killian Jones, turned around to face her. She laughed as he rushed over to her, sweeping her up into his arms.

"It's over." Robin Hood said, once he, Snow, and Nadia had joined the others in the middle of the street. "We won!"

"Of course we did!" Nadia exclaimed, clapping Robin on the shoulder. "They never stood a chance! Isn't that right, Remus?" When she received no response from her brother, Nadia frowned in concern. "Remus? Brother? Are you alright?"

Remus was standing with his back to the others, sword and axe still firmly clenched in his hands. He slowly turned around, his green eyes filled with worry. "I… I don't know." He muttered, shaking his head. "Something doesn't feel right."

"You're right." Zelena agreed with a nod. "It was much too easy. It-"

Zelena stopped mid sentence as they all heard a strange sound. There was a sudden movement amongst the fallen Knights of the Sun that caused them all to turn around. They watched in sheer horror as severed heads began to roll toward their respective bodies, as charred, blackened forms began to stagger to their feet.

"What?" Snow white whispered, her eyes wide. "No… No, no, no…"

The group from Storybrooke all began to slowly retreat as they watched Van Helsing's army placing their heads back on their bodies, their burns slowly beginning to heal. They watched helplessly as Abraham Van Helsing himself rose to his feet, and seized his severed head, shoving it back onto his shoulders. Suddenly, the entire army that they had just defeated stood before them once again.

"Oh… Shit." Emma whispered.

X-X-X

Regina's surroundings were dark again, and, again, it took a few moments of rapid blinking for her eyes to adjust. Once they did, she thought that perhaps she was in another mine shaft. However, the more she looked around, she realized that it was more like a cave. Lying in the dust and dirt were what looked like some sort of ancient, stone ruins. She gasped when she spotted a large, dusty, ornate mirror at the back of the cave, a mirror that was very familiar to her.

"Is… Is this-" She began to ask.

"The day we left Avalon." Tiny Shae finished for her with a nod.

Seemingly on cue, a sudden scuffling from the cave entrance drew Regina's attention. Two elven soldiers were stumbling amongst the ruins, supporting Shae between them. She was even older now, about twenty, if Regina remembered the story right. She had gaping wounds in her forehead that were dripping with blood. Regina recognized those wounds, and the sight sent a chill up her spine.

The soldiers carefully set Shae down on the ground, leaning her back against a fallen stone pillar. One of them knelt down at Shae's side, producing a small glass vial filled with a red, glowing liquid. The other stood watching in an anxious sort of way as his counterpart held the vial to Shae's lips.

"Here, Shae… Drink…" The soldier at Shae's side murmured softly. "That's it, there you go."

Regina's brow furrowed in confusion at the sound of a woman's voice, a voice that was strangely familiar. She didn't have time to ponder any further, as Shae's body glowed momentarily with a soft red light. Suddenly, her bloody wounds disappeared, and she drew in a deep, shuddering gasp.

As soon as she noticed the soldiers, Shae began to scramble backwards over the pillar in alarm. "Wait! Shae, it's alright, it's us!" The female soldier cried.

Shae froze as the soldiers removed their golden helms, tossing them to ground. The elven soldiers were not soldiers at all, nor even elves. They were Remus and Nadia in disguise.

Shae breathed out a shaky sigh of relief, and immediately threw herself into Nadia's waiting arms. "You found me… Thank the gods…" She whispered.

"Always." Nadia whispered back, placing a gentle kiss on the side of Shae's head. "Always, Shae."

Shae nodded, grateful tears leaking down her cheeks. Her brow then furrowed in confusion as she glanced all around her. "I… H-How did you… Where-"

"There's no time." Nadia cut her off, quickly shaking her head. "The King's soldiers aren't far behind us."

"Right, I'll start the spell." Remus said with a determined nod. "Nadia, you go keep watch. Shae, I'll need your help."

Nadia nodded back at her brother, and hurried off toward the cave entrance. "S-Spell?" Shae stammered, following Remus over to the mirror. "What spell?"

"The one thats going to take us away from Avalon." Remus replied with a grin.

"What? All the way across the desert?" Shae exclaimed in alarm. "Even if we did make it across, the mountain clans out there would kill us on sight!"

"No, no, no…" Remus muttered, quickly shaking his head. "This spell is going to open up a portal, a portal to a whole different world!"

Shae's blue eyes grew wide with shock. "How? How do you know a spell like that?"

Remus reached into the small leather pouch tied to his belt, and removed a very old, and very familiar looking book. "Found this in the castle when we were looking for you." He said with another excited grin. "This book here is finally going to be our ticket out of this wretched land."

Shae took the book from Remus' hands, and as she began to flip through it, her eyes grew even wider. "Remus, this… This is blood magic!" She cried.

"So?" Remus replied with a shrug, rummaging around in his pouch. He fished out a small knife, then held out his hand to Shae. "Right. Give me your hand."

Shae narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her best friend, drawing back a step. "Why?"

Remus breathed out an irritated huff, and seized Shae's hand. He used the knife to make a small gash in her palm, which immediately began to bleed. "OW!" Cried Shae.

"Oh, stop your whining." Snapped Remus, rolling his eyes. "Now, just… Hold your hand out there. Right, just like that."

As Shae stood still with her bleeding palm open, Remus took up the book of elven blood magic in one hand. He used his other to dip his fingers in Shae's blood, and began drawing runes with it upon the mirror's dust covered glass. Shae watched him silently, occasionally casting anxious glances over toward the cave entrance.

"Alright." Remus muttered, taking a step back and nodding his head. "Now all we need to do is-"

He stopped short at the sound of pounding footsteps rushing into the cave. It was Nadia. She was sprinting towards them, eyes wide with alarm.

"Remus!" She exclaimed. "Is it finished yet?"

"What? No!" Remus scoffed in reply. "I haven't even started the incantation!"

"Well, hurry the bloody hell up!" Shouted Nadia. "The soldiers, they've taken to horseback. They're almost here!"

"Dammit!" Snarled Remus. He turned his attention back onto the book, stepping up to the mirror once again. "Just… Find a way to hold them off!"

"How?" Nadia asked, throwing her arms up in the air. "We didn't bring any weapons!"

"Figure it out!" Was all Remus had to say.

Nadia breathed out a frustrated groan, running her hands through her hair as her brother began reading from the book. She and Shae stood in uncertain silence for a few moments, glancing from Remus, to each other, then to the cave entrance. Nadia suddenly sighed, and stepped up to Shae, taking both of her hands in her own.

"Shae…" She slowly began, staring intently into Shae's eyes. "You… You need to use your magic."

"What?" Shae exclaimed, wrenching her hands out of Nadia's grip. "No! It's too dangerous! I… I-I can't control it, you know that!"

Nadia sighed once again, moving her hands to Shae's face. "Shae, listen to me." She whispered softly, gently caressing Shae's cheeks with her thumbs. "You have magic for a reason. The gods granted you power for a reason. You can use it to help us get to this new world, where we'll finally be free! You're the only one that can protect us now."

Shae vigorously shook her head, frightened tears leaking down her face. "No, I can't. I… I-I can't protect anyone." She whispered, staring down at her own quivering hands. "This power, it only destroys. It… I-It's only… Chaos!"

"No." Nadia replied, shaking her own head. "No, I refuse to believe that. You can gain control, I know it. You're so strong, Shae. The strongest person I know. If anyone can control this power, and stop the soldiers, it's you!"

Shae hesitated in silence for a moment, glancing over at Remus, who was still standing squarely in front of the ancient mirror, chanting the words from the book in his hand. She squeezed her eyes shut, more tears trickling down her face. Finally, she drew in a deep, quivering breath, and nodded.

"I'll… I-I'll try." She muttered.

A wide, joyous smile stretched across Nadia's face, and she nodded back. "Right, ok, just… Try and use your earth magic." She said, standing beside Shae. "Use it to block the entrance."

Shae nodded once again. She drew in another steadying breath, and outstretched her arms toward the mouth of the cave. When nothing seemed to happen, she squeezed her eyes shut, gritting her teeth. The dirt and stones near the cave entrance began to rumble gently.

"Shae…" Nadia whispered, her eyes growing wide with alarm at the sound of pounding hoofbeats. "Shae, you need to hurry."

Sounds of men shouting began to echo around the cave. Shae grunted softly, pushing her arms out further, hey eyes still shut tight. Her hands quivered, and the rumbling of the earth began to grow stronger.

"Shae!" Nadia exclaimed, watching the faint glow of torch light growing closer and closer to the cave. "Shae, focus! Concentrate! You can do it!"

Shae breathed out an angry snarl, her face turning a bright shade of red, her whole body trembling. Nadia suddenly drew in frightened gasp. A group of elven soldiers were marching up to the entrance of the cave, spears in one hand, torches in the other.

"They're here!" One of them shouted.

"NO!" Shae shouted back.

Shae suddenly clenched both of her hands into fists, and drew her arms down. Nadia gasped once again. She watched with wide, baffled eyes as the ceiling above the soldiers suddenly caved in. A few screamed as they were crushed beneath the dirt and rocks. The others were left behind, and silence fell over the cave once again.

"Shae… You… Y-You did it." Nadia whispered. Another wide, joyous smile stretched across her face, and she laughed in excitement, in wonder. "Shae! By the gods, you did it!"

Shae slowly nodded her head, and laughed herself as Nadia threw her arms around her. Nadia then placed a kiss on her lips and, judging from Shae's reaction, it was the first time it had ever happened. Her entire body went rigid with shock, her blue eyes gaping wide.

As suddenly as it had happened, it was over. Nadia and Shae were left staring wide eyed at each other, their jaws dangling open. The two of them reminded Regina of a pair of awkward teenagers sharing their first kiss on prom night. She had to stifle a laugh.

"Nadia…" Shae muttered, softly clearing her throat. "I… I-I, um-"

Shae never got to finish her thought. An explosion the size of a bomb came from the cave's entrance. It shook the entire cave, knocking Nadia, Shae, and Remus too, off of their feet.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Cried Remus, who had been intently focused on the spell he was casting. "What was that?"

Remus' question was answered as a squadron of elven soldiers began to pour into the cave. The three halflings scrambled up onto their feet. They watched in silent horror as the soldiers drew closer and closer, brandishing their spears.

"That one, there!" One of the soldiers called out, pointing at Shae. "The one with the black hair! She's the one The King wants."

"Seize her!" Cried another. "Kill the other two!"

The soldiers fell into a tight formation, and began to slowly advance. "Shae…" Nadia whispered, her voice cracking with fear.

Shae opened and closed her mouth several times, then glanced over her shoulder at Remus. He didn't speak, only stared helplessly out at the soldiers, the book of blood magic trembling in his hands. Shae then glanced at Nadia, who was clinging tightly to her arm. Frightened tears were streaming down her face, her bottom lip quivering.

Regina didn't exactly know what was going on in Shae's head, but something about her seemed to change. The helpless and hopeless terror on her face suddenly melted away, and her nostrils flared, her eyes narrowed. She gently removed Nadia's hand from her arm, and stepped forward, fists clenched.

"Remus… Keep going." She spoke quietly in a determined, commanding tone. "I'll handle this."

Nadia opened her mouth to respond, but no sound came out as Shae took another step forward. She then exchanged a quick, anxious glance with her brother. Remus simply swallowed hard, and continued reading from the book in his hand.

"STOP!" Shae shouted in a clear, ringing voice. "Come no closer!"

The elven soldiers came to a sudden halt, then burst out laughing. "You may have magic, halfling, but you don't stand a chance." One of the soldiers snarled in reply. "Your power is weak, worthless. It's nothing compared to the purity and the glory of the Elven!"

"You are NOTHING!" Shouted another. "So… STAND. DOWN!"

Shae's knuckles turned white, and her arms began to tremble. "Never." She growled.

A blast of roaring wind knocked the entire squadron off their feet as Shae threw out her arms. As the soldiers scrambled about, scooping up their fallen weapons, Shae walked calmly forward. The first back on their feet rushed at her, and Shae bellowed out a furious roar, streams of fire shooting from her palms. The soldiers screamed, and their spears fell from their hands all over again as they were engulfed in flames.

"Shae!" Nadia called out over the din of battle. "Shae, come on! It's time to go!"

Remus had finally finished the spell, the ancient, decrepit mirror now glowing with a bright blue light. However, Shae didn't seem to hear Nadia's cry. She remained where she stood, continuing to brutally take down man after elven man.

Regina watched with wide, baffled eyes as Shae outstretched her hand toward a pair that were rushing toward her at her left. They both stopped suddenly, clawing at their throats as streams of water poured out of their mouths. Shae then stomped her foot into the ground, the soldiers in front of her crying out in pain as the earth beneath their feet began to swallow them whole. Rings of roaring flames burst forth all around. It was utter chaos.

"SHAE!" Nadia shrieked, her eyes once again streaming with tears. "SHAE, STOP!"

Once again, Shae didn't seem to hear her. She threw back her head, laughing loudly as more of the soldiers succumbed to her flames. "WHO'S NOTHING NOW?" She screamed, laughing even more as she drowned another soldier where he stood.

Shae was slowly lost from Regina's eyes as smoke from her flames began to fill the cave. She could still hear her laughter, though. It was a wild, deranged sort of laughter. It rang familiar in her ears. She had heard it many times when she had been The Evil Queen, and she had laughed right alongside her vicious right hand, her Royal Protector.

A sudden movement through the smoke caught Regina's eye. It was Nadia and Remus, dragging Shae backward by both of her arms toward the mirror. "BURN, YOU BASTARDS!" Shae screamed as she struggled against her friends. "MAY YOU NEVER FEAST IN VALHALLA! MAY HEL TORMENT YOU FOR ALL ETERNITY!"

Shae's enraged screams were abruptly cut off as Remus and Nadia pulled her through the mirror. Not a moment afterward, there was another blinding flash of white light. Regina raised her hand against it, before she was spirited away once again.

XX

In all his years of running from the law, Robin of Locksley had never run so fast in his life. He sprinted through the forest as fast as his legs could possibly carry him. After watching Van Helsing and his army rise again, he and the others beat a hasty retreat toward the docks. Remus thought that The River of Lost Souls might be their only hope. He was also the one to send Robin back to Regina's vault.

"Go, quickly. Henry and Belle need to know what's happened." He had said sternly. "And, as soon as Regina and Shae wake up, you send them straight to us. We're going to need them, both of them."

Robin hadn't even bothered to protest. He knew there was no time for arguing, and that Remus was right anyway. It would be up to him to protect Henry, Belle, and his daughter in case things continued to go south.

As he finally approached Regina's vault, Robin slowed to a walk, his chest heaving, his limbs trembling. He took a moment to collect himself as he approached the door. Once he was able to even out his ragged breaths, he pulled open the door, and pushed the stone coffin aside, revealing the hidden staircase.

Belle and Henry must have heard the commotion, for the mirror at the end of the hall swung open as soon as Robin reached the bottom of the stairs. They both came rushing out of the safe room, excited smiles on their faces. Those smiles quickly disappeared when they saw Robin, and only Robin.

"Robin, you're back!" Cried Belle. "Are you alright?"

"Where is everybody?" Asked Henry, before Robin could even open his mouth.

Robin Hood breathed out a heavy sigh, taking a moment to think about how to properly respond. "They're… Still fighting." He slowly replied. "They sent me back here to… To…" Robin sighed once again, slowly shaking his head. "Listen, there's no easy way to put it. Something's happened, and-"

Robin stopped mid sentence when Henry suddenly gasped. He and Belle were both staring wide eyed at something behind him. Robin immediately knew something was wrong. In one swift, fluid, well practiced motion, he drew his bow, notched an arrow, and spun around.

"So… This is where you were running off to in such a hurry."

Robin, Henry, and Belle all stared in horrified silence at the large, bearded man standing at the bottom of the stairs, Abraham Van Helsing. "The Evil Queen's famous vault of black magic and stolen hearts." Van Helsing went on with a grin. "I'm sure it's even more dark and deplorable in real life."

"Henry… Belle…" Robin muttered, his arrow aimed firmly at Van Helsing's forehead. "Go. Get back."

Belle swiftly nodded her head. "Henry… Come on." She muttered as well, grabbing on to the boy's arm. "Come on, come on…"

Henry opened and closed his mouth several times, staring fearfully between Robin Hood and Van Helsing. No sound was able to come out as Belle pulled him toward the safe room. There was a soft click as the door swung shut behind them, then more silence.

"I'm guessing The Evil Queen and her pet are through there, right?" Asked Van Helsing, pointing over Robin's shoulder at the mirror.

Robin breathed out an angry snarl, pulling his bowstring even tighter. "I'll not exchange words with you." He growled. "And you'll not go any further!"

Van Helsing barked out a loud, mocking laugh. "And who exactly is going to stop me? You? You didn't even notice that you were being followed!" When Robin failed to respond, Van Helsing laughed even more. "Oh, I know you, Robin Hood, the famous thief. But that's all you are, isn't it? A thief."

"You don't know the first thing about me." Robin snarled.

"Don't I?" Asked Van Helsing, grinning deviously once again. "I know that you were able to bed The Evil Queen while my old friend Shae was none the wiser. She must have been furious. Good for you, my friend. I suppose there might be more to you than meets the eye."

Robin stook a step forward, gritting his teeth in anger. "I'm not your friend. And you need to leave. Now!"

Van Helsing merely laughed once again, taking a step forward himself. "Oh, come now, you haven't even heard what it is I have to offer you." When Robin only glared at him in silence, Van Helsing rolled his eyes, and went on. "The Evil Queen was the one to deliver my killing blow, it's true, but… It was that filthy bloodsucker that did most of the work. She's the one I'm truly after. I would be willing to defy Hades, and let The Queen be, as well as the rest of you, if you simply stand aside, and let me take my revenge."

Robin Hood's hands began to tremble around his bow as Van Helsing took another step toward him. "Think about what that would mean for you, my friend." Van Helsing went on in an excited whisper. "I would dispose of Shae myself, and there would be absolutely no chance of her ever escaping this realm. You would be completely and totally free to be with your Queen. Doesn't that sound just wonderful?"

Robin simply continued to glare furiously at Van Helsing in silence for a few moments. Then, suddenly, his face softened, and he slowly lowered his bow. "I… I-I suppose… That does sound wonderful." He muttered quietly.

"Yes! Yes, of course it does!" Van Helsing exclaimed, smiling broadly. "So… We have a deal, then?"

Van Helsing strode forward a few more steps, his hand outstretched. He stopped in his tracks as Robin began to laugh. "You're an idiot." The thief whispered, grinning deviously himself. "You're a complete and utter buffoon if you think I'll let you hurt Shae!"

Faster than the eye could blink, Robin Hood raised his bow again, and fired. His aim was sure and true, as it always was. He grinned even broader as his arrow buried itself in Van Helsing's forehead.

Van Helsing stumbled back against the wall, his chest heaving, his eyes blinking furiously. Robin continued to stand triumphantly grinning as he waited for his foe to fall. His grin immediately faded, and his eyes grew wide with horror. He watched in stunned silence as Van Helsing reached up, and yanked the arrow from his forehead.

"You've made a terrible mistake, my friend." Van Helsing whispered, his own friendly grin falling into a fearsome scowl. "A terrible, terrible mistake."

As Van Helsing walked slowly forward, Robin notched another arrow, and fired. Van Helsing didn't even seem to feel it, didn't even flinch as it hit him in the chest. Robin drew back, firing off another arrow, and another, and another. Van Helsing's torso was a pincushion by the time he reached Robin. The thief barely had time to blink before Van Helsing seized him by the throat, and hurled him back down the hall.

Robin grunted in pain, his head spinning and throbbing as it collided with the stone wall. He pushed himself shakily up onto his feet, peering through hazy, reeling vision at the hulking form that was Abraham Van Helsing. He was heading toward the mirror, and Robin drew the dagger that he kept hidden in his belt. He bellowed out a furious war cry as he sprinted forward.

Robin Hood stabbed his dagger into Van Helsing's back, and Van Helsing stopped in his tracks, grunting and groaning in pain. As he turned to face the brave but outmatched thief, his groans quickly turned into laughter. Robin howled in fury once more, burying his dagger into Van Helsing's heart.

Van Helsing simply grimaced in pain as he seized the dagger's hilt, wrenching it from his body. All Robin could do was stare helplessly up at him. "You're a persistent little man, aren't you, Robin Hood?" Van Helsing asked with a grin.

Robin stumbled backward as Van Helsing's fist collided with his face. He braced his arm against the wall for support, his chest heaving. Blinking furiously through foggy vision, Robin drew back his own fist. He was immediately struck down flat on his back by another blow.

"You…" Van Helsing snarled as he climbed on top of Robin. "Just. Stay. The fuck. DOWN!"

Van Helsing hit Robin in the face over and over again with each syllable, then once more for good measure. Finally, the famous Robin Hood was unable to fight any more. He coughed and sputtered weakly, his face already swollen and bruised, blood trickling out of the corners of his lips.

Silence fell over The Underworld's version of Regina's vault for a moment. Then, Van Helsing rose to his feet, and stepped up to the mirror once again. He drew back his fist, and punched it straight through the glass, shattering it to tiny pieces. He then reached his arm through the hole, pulled the mirror open, and climbed inside.

"YAAAAHHH!"

Henry Mills sprinted forward, and smashed a wooden chair right over Van Helsing's head. The chair exploded into splinters, and, for a moment, a triumphant grin stretched across the boy's face. It immediately faded as the hulking, bearded man before him straightened himself up, and turned his eyes onto Henry.

"Oh, you're a very brave lad." Van Helsing said with a grin of his own. "But very, very foolish."

All that was able to escape Henry's lips was a meak whimper as Van Helsing seized him by the throat. "STOP IT!" Belle shrieked, cradling Baby Hood carefully in her arms. "Let him go!"

Van Helsing barked out one of his boisterous, mocking laughs. "You must be Belle." He said, tightening his grip around Henry's throat. "From what I've heard, you're nothing but a bookworm." He paused for a moment, his grin growing even broader as he noticed Shae and Regina lying side by side on the bed. "So… Who exactly is going to stop me, hm? You?"

"No, she can't. But I can."

Van Helsing whirled around with Henry still in his grasp. "Rumple!" Belle exclaimed.

Mr. Gold had indeed finally made an appearance. He was standing in the corner of the room, behind Van Helsing, his face a calm and collected mask. "Rumplestiltskin? Is that really you?" Asked Van Helsing, laughing once again. His laughter quickly faded, and he pointed an accusing finger at The Dark One. "Lord Hades said that you promised not to interfere."

"Indeed." Gold calmly replied. "But he didn't say that I couldn't protect my wife, and my grandson that you're manhandling. You would be smart to release him, Van Helsing."

Van Helsing immediately obliged, and Henry hit the ground hard, falling to his knees. The boy coughed and sputtered, holding his throat as he gulped air into his lungs. Gold stepped over to his grandson, keeping a careful eye on Van Helsing all the while. He helped Henry to his feet, then gave him a gentle push toward his wife. Belle shifted Baby Hood into one arm, and wrapped her other protectively around Henry's shoulders.

"Well, well, well…" Van Helsing spoke quietly as he leaned casually against the wall. "It's been a long time, Dark One. You look good. Your skin is practically glowing!"

"Grandpa…" Henry rasped, still rubbing his neck. "What… W-What's going on? How do you know Van Helsing?"

"Oh, we made a deal, a long, long time ago." Van Helsing was the one to answer. "Your wonderful grandfather provided me with all the gold, jewels, and precious gems I needed to build my army."

"Rumple… What is this?" Asked Belle, eyeing her husband warily. "What did you do? What kind of deal did you make with this man?"

Gold hesitated to respond, and Van Helsing seized the moment to go on. "All I had to do was kill one single bloodsucker for him." He said. "I succeeded, of course, but… Things didn't go quite as expected for me, did they?"

"Your own incompetence led to your own destruction." Gold snarled in reply.

"Oh my god…" Henry suddenly whispered, staring wide eyed at his grandfather. "It was Nadia, wasn't it? The vampire you told him to kill."

Gold breathed out a long, heavy sigh before he replied. "Yes."

"That's why you wouldn't give me The Sands of Morpheus." Belle whispered too, her own eyes just as wide as Henry's. "That's why you don't want Shae to wake up. You're afraid she'll find out."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Said Van Helsing. He pouted his lips in a sarcastic sort of way, a way that suggested that he wasn't sorry at all. "Was our deal meant to be a secret?"

"It was." Gold snarled in reply. "For a long, long time."

Silence fell over the room for a moment as both Belle and Henry stared at Gold in shocked and utter disbelief. "Well, the cat's out of the bag now, I'm afraid." Van Helsing said with an unconcerned shrug. "Now, if the lot of you don't mind… I'll finally be having my revenge now."

Van Helsing stepped toward the bed, where both Regina and Shae were still lying unconscious. He stopped when Henry leapt in front of him. The boy clenched his fists, glaring fiercely at the hulking man before him.

"Stop! I won't let you hurt them!" Henry shouted.

Van Helsing barked out another laugh. "Didn't you learn your lesson, boy?" He snarled as he drew his sword. "I'll cut you down where you stand! I'll-"

Suddenly, Abraham Van Helsing's words were cut off as he disappeared in a cloud of bright red smoke. Henry slowly lowered his hands, which he had raised in his own defense. He turned his eyes onto Gold, as did Belle. The Dark One was standing with his arm outstretched, and he too slowly lowered it.

"T-Thanks, Grandpa." Henry muttered shakily.

Gold slowly shook his head, staring down at the floor. "Don't thank me yet, Henry." He muttered in return. "All I could do was send Van Helsing back to his army." He then turned his eyes onto his wife, eyes that were filled with sorrow. "I'm afraid that's all I could do, since Hades still holds our child's contract. Van Helsing will return for Regina and Shae. I suggest the two of you get to safety before he does."

Belle opened her mouth to reply, but stopped as her husband disappeared in another cloud of smoke. A deafening silence fell over the room. Both Henry and Belle stood rigid in their spots, their jaws hanging open, their minds reeling over everything they had just experienced.

"W-What… What do we do now?" Henry finally asked.

Belle breathed out a heavy sigh, squeezing her eyes shut as silent tears leaked onto her cheeks. "I don't know, Henry." She whispered, slowly shaking her head. "I… I don't know."

X-X-X

Regina was now standing in what looked like a throne room of a large, stone castle. There was a group of people huddled together at the front of the room. Most were dressed in old, victorian style clothing. Others had on black leather armor, armor that was very familiar to Regina.

Tiny Shae motioned for her to follow, and Regina obliged. The group of people was standing in silence, their heads bowed. As Regina grew closer, she could hear the sound of quiet, bitter sobbing. It was a familiar sound, and her heart sank when she saw who it was coming from, and why.

It was Shae, even older now, the same age, at least appearance wise, that Regina knew her to be. She realized that they must be in Dracula's castle, for Shae's skin was a shade of pale gray, her eyes a deep red. She too was garbed in black leather armor, but her armor was torn to shreds, and covered in blood. She was holding a woman in her arms as she sobbed, a woman that was also covered in blood. It was Nadia, and she wasn't moving.

"Shae lost me that day." Tiny Shae spoke softly from beside her. "She couldn't find me again for a long, long time. And, even then, I was… Like this."

Regina furrowed her brow as Tiny Shae gestured to her own miniscule, scrawny form. "Lost you?" She asked. "You mean… Hope? Shae lost hope, after Nadia died?"

Tiny Shae nodded her head. "I… Understand." Regina replied, breathing out a sad, heavy sigh. "More than most."

"I know." Tiny Shae said, nodding once again. Suddenly, a small smile crept across her lips as she gazed up at Regina. "That's just another reason why, it's… It's you, Regina. It's always been you."

Regina's brow furrowed once again. "What do you mean?"

Tiny Shae chuckled, and was about to reply. She stopped suddenly, and Regina gave a start as she doubled over, clutching at her stomach. Regina stood in shocked silence as Tiny Shae began coughing violently. When she lowered her trembling hand from her lips, Regina gasped in alarm. Her palm was covered in blood.

In the time it took Regina to merely blink, Dracula's castle was gone. There was nothing but darkness as far as the eye could see, a black, endless void. Regina glanced down at her feet. She didn't even appear to be standing on anything.

"R-Regina…" Tiny Shae groaned from beside her.

Regina dropped down onto her knees, watching in helpless horror as the child before her that was actually Shae's hope coughed up more blood. "Shae, what… W-What's happening?"

Tiny Shae slowly shook her head, her piercing blue eyes filled with fear. "I… I-I don't-"

"STOP! Why the hell are you doing this?"

Regina jumped at the sudden shout from behind her, and whirled around. Amidst the darkness, two figures had appeared. One was Shae, an adult, vampire Shae. The other was an old foe. It was Ingrid, better known as The Snow Queen. Shae was on her knees before her, her blood red eyes streaming with tears.

"Please… Don't do this." Shae sobbed. "I… I love her!"

"I know you do, Shae." Ingrid quietly replied. "But, it's like you and Elsa always say. You have to… Let it go."

As Shae screamed at The Snow Queen in anguish, the Shae beside Regina cried out in pain, falling to her knees, clutching her stomach. Regina dropped down to her knees again too, her heart racing, her mind reeling. She immediately sprang back up when she heard her lover's voice again, this time to her left.

"Come away with me…"

Tears immediately began to well in Regina's eyes as she spotted two more figures in the void of darkness. Shae, and the woman that Regina herself had once been, The Evil Queen. Regina knew full well what was about to happen next. She wished with all her heart that she had just done what Shae asked of her that day, and ran away with the woman that she loved, the woman that loved her.

"I love you." Shae whispered.

"I'm sorry." The Evil Queen whispered back.

Regina's own heart ached as she watched herself attempt to rip out her Protector's. She turned away from the awful vision, tears now flowing freely down her face. She gasped in alarm when two more figures sprang up before her eyes.

Shae was suspended in mid air, dozens of swords buried in her body. The Evil Queen stood before her, laughing. Regina choked out a strangled sob, turning away again, only to be met with another vision.

"No… W-Why?"

The Evil Queen was standing before Shae again, holding her glowing heart in her hand. "I'm only taking what's mine." The Evil Queen sneered.

Regina shook her head, sobbing even more. Then, the figures and visions from Shae's past began to spring up all around her. She watched in wide eyed horror as a past version of herself set Shae's chest ablaze, the night she first returned to Storybrooke. Next, she watched Emma Swan dragging Shae away from another past version of herself. It was when Peter Pan had cast his curse, forcing Emma, Henry, and Shae away from Storybrooke.

The visions came faster and faster after that, and Regina only got quick glimpses of events from Shae's past; Zelena crushing Shae's heart, Regina bringing her back to life again with half of her own heart, only to tell her that she was in love with Robin Hood. The Ice Queen, Elsa, fading away through the door to Arendelle as Shae clung desperately to her hand, Shae leaving for New York afterwards, heartbroken. Shae leaping into the portal with Remus that took them both to The Underworld, dying as she sang the love song she wrote for Regina in the fake world that Isaac had created.

The visions began to slow then, and Regina watched in silence as The Hollow entered Shae, as King Arthur brought to light Shae's past sins against him, calling her a monster. Then, finally, the image that had been replaying itself every time Regina closed her eyes reared its ugly head; Shae taking up the mythical sword Excalibur, and plunging it into her own heart.

"R… R-Re… Gina…"

The feeble groan came from Tiny Shae, who was now curled up on the ground at Regina's feet. Regina gasped in alarm, falling to her knees once again. Tiny Shae was somehow even tinier now, her bones poking through her gaunt, ghostly white skin. She stared up at Regina with desperate, pleading eyes, eyes that were sallow and sunken into her skull.

"Shae… What… W-What's happening to you?" Regina stammered shakily. Tiny Shae responded by coughing up another wad of blood, and Regina's eyes suddenly grew wide with horror. "You're… Y-You're dying!"

Tiny Shae coughed some more, then lifted a bony, quivering arm. "Through there…" She rasped. "Hurry…"

Regina followed Tiny Shae's pointed finger, and gasped at what she saw; A bright red door, standing amidst the void of darkness. Regina nodded her head in understanding, and bent down, placing a gentle kiss on the forehead of the dirty little girl that was Shae's hope.

"Hold on." She whispered. "I'm coming."

Regina drew in a deep, steadying breath as she rose to her feet. She hurried toward the bright red door, not daring to look back. She had no idea what was on the other side, but she knew that the mysterious door was the end. She had to save Shae, and she was short on time.

She slowly turned the door's handle, pulled it open, and stepped through. Regina immediately drew in a sharp, frightened gasp, throwing her arms over her head. She was now in a small room, a room that was on fire.

"Shae? SHAE!" She shouted, shielding her eyes.

Flames roared on all sides of her, drowning out all sound. She was alarmed to find that the door she had stepped through was no longer there, replaced by a thick wall of fire. Regina leapt away from it, and began to turn wildly in her spot, searching the burning room for any signs of the woman that she loved.

Finally, Regina spotted a black, huddled form in one of the corners of the room. "SHAE!" She exclaimed, sprinting forward.

It was indeed Shae, sitting in the corner, hugging her knees to her chest. She was shivering despite the flames all around her, mumbling quietly to herself in a deranged sort of way. Her black leather jacket was charred and burnt, as was her shirt and jeans. Regina fell to her knees in front of her, choking out a joyful, strangled sob.

"Shae… Shae, it's me. It's Regina." She whispered, her voice quavering with emotion.

Shae slowly lifted her head, and Regina was alarmed to see glowing red burns covering her face. "Regina?" Shae whispered back. A smile slowly crept across her chapped lips, but it immediately disappeared. She quickly shook her head, burying it back into her knees. "No… No, no, no… You're not here… Y-You're not real."

"Yes! Yes, I am!" Regina exclaimed, grabbing onto Shae's hands. "Shae, it's me, it's really me! I've come to save you!"

Shae shook her head some more, choking out a strangled sob of her own. "You can't… You can't save me." She whispered. "Noone can."

"What? No, of course I can!" Regina sobbed herself. "Shae, I'm really here, I'm here to-"

"NO!"

Shae shoved Regina roughly away from her. "YOU CAN'T!" She screamed, tears streaming down her face. "You can't save me! I don't deserve to be saved!"

Regina had tumbled backwards, and she pushed herself back onto her knees. "What?" She asked, slowly shaking her head. "No, Shae, that's… That's not true!"

"Of course it is!" Shae shouted, choking out another miserable sob. "After everything I've done, this is all I deserve!"

Shae held up her quivering hands, and Regina gasped in alarm. She watched more burns appearing in Shae's flesh right before her eyes. "Just… Just go." Shae whispered, more tears rushing down her face. "Just leave me to burn."

"NO!" Regina shouted this time, tears of her own spilling down her cheeks. "No, I won't! Not after all that's happened, not after all we've been through together!"

Shae suddenly lurched forward onto her knees, seizing Regina's hands, squeezing them tight. "That's just it, Regina!" She sobbed, staring desperately into her lover's eyes. "You've worked so hard to change, to be a hero. All I'll do, all I've ever done, is hold you back."

All Regina could do was stare back into Shae's wild, tear stained eyes. "You… You deserve better than me." Shae went on, her hands trembling in Regina's. "You should go back to Robin. He's a true hero. Just leave me here. Please."

Regina breathed out a long, shaky sigh, shaking her head some more. "Dammit, Shae… If you weren't already suffering so much, I'd slap you silly." Shae's words made her furious, and she fought hard to quell it. "You've worked hard to change, to be a hero, just like I have. You've changed so much, we both have, together! How many times have you saved Storybrooke now?"

Shae was silent for a time, continuing to stare into Regina's eyes. Suddenly, Regina saw a glimmer of recollection in her lover's piercing blue eyes, a glimmer of hope. Shae began to open and close her mouth several times, her brow furrowed. Regina seized upon Shae's moment of confusion, and went on.

"You've saved countless lives, Shae! And you have people that care so, so much about you!" She said in a rush. "Remus, Emma, Henry… Oh, especially Henry! He sees the hero in you, just like he sees it in me. He's never given up on you, never given up on either of us. That stubborn boy completely refuses to!"

Shae's lips continued to open and close, her black haired brow furrowing even more. "And so do I." Regina went on, squeezing Shae's hands tight. "I won't leave you here to rot, I refuse to. I… I need you, Shae." Regina's throat suddenly became dry and tight as she was overcome with emotion. She reached out a trembling hand, gently caressing her lover's face. "I miss you… I miss you so much. I-I just… I just want you back."

After a few more moments of confused silence, Shae suddenly slumped backwards into a sitting position, her arms dangling limply onto the floor. "How?" She asked quietly. She then breathed out a bitter, sour laugh, slowly shaking her head. "I'm dead, so is Hook. How exactly do you guys plan on beating death itself? How are you going to beat Hades?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Regina shrieked, choking out another strangled sob. She took a moment to collect herself, drew in several deep, soothing breaths, then spoke in a calm, even tone. "I don't know, Shae. I haven't the faintest idea how to defeat Hades, how someone would even escape his Underworld, alive or dead. But… We'll figure it out. We'll find a way, and we'll do it together."

Shae didn't seem at all pleased with her answer. Her eyes grew wide and wild once again, and she began vigorously shaking her head. Regina opened her mouth to speak more soothing words as Shae began to scoot backwards away from her. She stopped, drawing in a sharp gasp as she felt a searing pain on her arm.

When she had first stepped into the burning room, the flames seemed to have no effect on Regina. Now, however, she could feel the boiling heat all around her. She glanced down at her arm, and was alarmed to see a bright red burn, a burn that was spreading rapidly.

Not knowing what else to even do or say, Regina started to laugh. "Well… If you won't let me save you from these flames, then I'm staying right here." She said, holding up her arm. "I'll burn right here beside you, Shae. I won't leave you here alone. If this is what you deserve, then I certainly deserve it too."

Shae's eyes somehow grew even wider, and her jaw dropped open in alarm. She shot forward onto her knees again, and grasped Regina's arm. She watched in horror as the burn continued to spread, watched her lover's face as she grimaced in pain.

"Wha… W-What? I-I don't… Why?" She stammered.

Slowly, the madness in Shae's eyes began to fade away. Regina found herself suddenly staring into eyes that she recognized, eyes that she loved so very, very much. Slowly, a smile began to creep across her face.

"Why?" Shae whispered with a small smile of her own. She reached out a trembling hand, and placed it on Regina's cheek. "Why do you love me so much?"

Regina laughed out loud, grateful tears rushing down her face. "That's the stupidest question I've ever heard." She replied. "Just… Come here."

Regina took Shae's face in both of her hands, pulled her in close, and kissed her. She smiled even more as she felt Shae's arms wrap around her, holding her tight. As Shae's lips parted against her own, she felt as if she could just melt right then and there, and not because of the flames.

"I love you." Regina whispered softly.

"I love you too." Shae whispered back.

They kissed again, and Regina felt the familiar surge of magic. She pulled away from Shae's lips, watching the pulse wave emanating out between them. The last thing she saw was her lover's gorgeous, smiling face, then everything went black.

XX

Regina's eyes snapped open, and she drew in a deep, shuddering gasp. She sat bolt upright, her chest heaving, her whole body trembling. She blinked furiously, trying to make sense of her surroundings.

"Mom? MOM!"

Suddenly, her vision cleared, and she found herself staring into the eyes of her son. "Henry!" She exclaimed.

Henry smiled, and threw his arms around his mother. Regina laughed, holding him tight, grateful tears spilling down her face. Then, she gasped, turning her head to the side. She gasped again out of pure joy when she saw Shae sitting up in the bed beside her.

"Shae?" She whispered.

Shae blinked several times herself, then slowly turned her own head. "Regina?" She whispered back.

Regina sobbed loudly, gratefully, and threw her arms around the woman that she loved. She laughed some more as Shae's lips found her own. Her laughter turned into a deep, contented sigh as her lips parted against Shae's. Once again, she felt as if she could simply melt as the woman that she loved kissed her, as she finally felt her warm, loving embrace.

"Ahem…"

Shae and Regina suddenly broke apart, turning their heads toward the quiet cough. "Hi! Hello! So sorry to interrupt." Said Belle, smiling apologetically as she bounced Baby Hood gently in her arms. "But, um… We've got a bit of a situation."

"What?" Regina and Shae both asked in unison.

"Mom, Shae…" Henry replied, staring intently at both of them. "We need your help."

A soft, painful sounding groan caught both Shae and Regina's attention. Both their eyes grew wide with alarm when they spotted Robin Hood. He was sitting on the floor of the safe room, slumped against the wall. His face was swollen and bruised, covered in blood.

"What?" Shae exclaimed once again.

She and Regina both turned their eyes onto the young woman holding a baby. "Belle…" Regina slowly began. "What the hell is going on?"

XX