Chapter Three

Emma stared out over the entrance that would lead down to the dark dungeon, where Rumpelstiltskin was held prisoner by her parents. In front of the gates stood three large guards, ready for any intruder to attempt entrance.

"How the hell are we going to get in? You know those can't be the only three guards that lead down to his cell. We could take those three, but how are we going to get all the way down there without bringing attention to the rest of the castle?" Emma brought her hand up to her forehead, rubbing the tension a bit as she tried to work through any options.

"Swan! Look!" Hook nudged her as he pointed to see that there was a black carriage coming to a stop in the woods behind them. The two of them lowered further to the ground as they watched it come to a stop.

"Is that..?"

"Aye. The Evil Queen herself.." Hook replied just as the door to the carriage opened up. In a quick motion, a flash of black stepped out of the carriage with an air of confidence that she could only equate with Regina. There was just something about the way she carried herself, as if she held the entire world in her hands. Emma couldn't help but to feel a little envious of that. When was the last time she truly felt in control of her own life? At least Regina was doing something about her circumstances, as misguided as those actions may be. Her gaze followed Regina slowly as she slowly made her way toward the guards at the gate. Even in her darkness, surrounded by an evil energy felt for miles, she was beautiful. The way that she moved with grace was something that Emma never really had going for her.

Regina's hands lifted and, with a flick of her wrists, the three men were surrounded in a purple fog before they disappeared entirely. Without any effort, the gate doors opened and Regina moved inside. She knew that Regina was powerful, but it really was just that easy for her. That was incredible. Flashbacks of all of their times that Regina tried to teach her how to hone her own magic formed in the base of her mind and she realized just how truly patient Regina had been with her. Magic was effortless for her and Emma was so far behind.

"Swan?" Hook nudged her shoulder to snap her out of her thoughts and back into reality. Blinking a few times, she turned her head to look over at him.

"Huh? What?"

"Really, Swan? Bloody hell, I'm starting to think you really do fancy her," he said, rolling his eyes before pointing toward the castle. "The gate's open? You think you might want to go in while we still can? Or would you rather sit here and daydream through this whole bloody mission?" Emma shook her head and shot him an irritated look before focusing back on the open gate.

"That's enough. Let's go," she said as she started to stand up out of the bushes they had been hiding in. As Hook moved to stand up also, Emma placed her hand on his shoulder to push off of him, shoving him back down into the dirt.

"What the hell was that for?!" A smirk formed on Emma's lips as she looked over her shoulder at him, not bothering to answer him.

"Try and keep up," she replied before starting down the path to follow into the bottom of the castle that would lead them to Rumpelstiltskin's dungeon. A stifled chuckle escaped her lips as she heard him rustling around to get back up. If there was one thing she would say about Hook, he was a good partner-in-crime. It didn't go much further than that, and she never could understand why she had no real interest in him as a prospect, but he certainly was a good friend to have.

They moved quickly up to the open gate, trying to get inside before anyone noticed, slipping into the shadowy cave. Hook's boot rolled against a rock, which echoed against the walls leading into darkness. Emma snapped around toward him, her eyebrows furrowing as he held his hand and hook up in the air.

"Sorry," he whispered before flicking his hand forward as if to make her move forward. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she shook her head as she turned to keep walking deeper into the dungeon. Pressed against the wall, she moved as silently as she could when she started to see a flicker of light around the corner. Emma stopped right as she reached the edge of the curved cave wall, staying hidden in the shadows to avoid running into the Evil Queen. Her hand reached back to stop Hook from walking as she peeked out into the area and saw Rumpelstiltskin's cell. What she didn't see, however, was Regina. That couldn't be good. Attempting to stare around the area to find her without making her own presence known, she heard Rumpelstiltskin call out from his cell.

"It's just us, dearie. You can show yourself.." he called out, and for that brief moment, Emma was floored. How the hell did he know she was here? Clenching her jaw, she moved to step out into the light, when she saw a mouse on the ground, scurrying around an apple. Hook reached out to pull her back, holding her still as that mouse formed into a cloud of black smoke that rose slowly until it formed into the shape of a woman. Regina's form re-appeared in front of his cell and Emma's eyes widened. Holy shit, that could've been bad, she thought, thankful that Hook grabbed her and pulled her back just in time. In silence, she watched the conversation between the two.

"That curse you gave me...it's not working."

"Oh...so worried! So so so worried. Like Snow and her new husband!" Rumpel's voice held a sing-songy amused tone as he moved closer toward the pointed bars of his cell. Regina, on the other hand, did not seem as playful.

"What?"

"They paid me a visit as well! They were very anxious. About you...and the curse," he said as he gripped the cell bars and peeked his head between them. Regina swiftly stormed up to him, moving within inches of his face.

"What'd you tell them?" she whispered, her tone dangerously low.

"The truth! That nothing can stop the darkness!" His words brought a smirk to Regina's lips, but he wasn't done, and she wasn't about to like what else he had to say. A smile formed on his lips as he continued.

"...except, of course, their unborn child. See, no matter how powerful, all curses can be broken! The child is the key. Of course, the curse has to be enacted first," he pulled back from the cell bars, prompting Regina to move closer toward him.

"Tell me what I did wrong."

"For that...there's a price."

"What do you want?"

"Simple. In this new land, I want comfort. I want a good life."

"Fine! You'll have an estate. You'll be rich."

"I wasn't finished! There's more!"

"There always is with you." Rumpel laughed and leaned close against the bars once more.

"In this new land, should I ever come to you for any reason, you must heed my every request!" He pointed at her through the bars. "You must do whatever I say, so long as I say….please!"

"You do realize that, should I succeed, you won't remember any of this."

"Oh! Well, then. What's the harm?" Regina smiled at him, pride forming in her eyes as if she believed that she'd won in this banter between two powers.

"Deal. What must I do to enact this curse?" Rumpel stepped back with his crazy smile in full view as he pointed in her direction.

"You need to sacrifice a heart."

"I sacrificed my prized steed." Before Regina had the opportunity to react, Rumpel jumped forward and gripped her by the throat, forcing her to her knees before him. Emma's immediate reaction was to jump from the shadows to fight him off of her, but Hook forced her to stay still, whispering in her ear.

"Don't. Change. A. Thing. If you interrupt this, you will suffer massive repercussions. Not to mention, we'll disappear like those guards outside if we piss her off." She knew that he was right, simply gripping the wall to keep from running over there to help her. Even as she sucked in breath with Rumpelstiltskin's hand around her throat, choking her, she couldn't stop what was happening.

"A horse?! This is the curse to end all curses; you think a horse is gonna do?! Great power requires great sacrifice. The heart you need must come from something far more precious," he said as his grip loosened ever so slightly. Only enough for her to respond.

"Tell me what will suffice."

"The heart of the thing you love most," he whispered, and she immediately shoved his hand away from her throat.

"What I loved most died because of Snow White," she snapped back at him, speaking of Snow White as though she were a terrible plague. Rumpel felt no sadness for her, only mocking her pain in a fake sympathetic expression as he stroked her cheek.

"Is there no one else you truly love?" his expression faded away as he held on to the bars that held him captive. "This curse isn't gonna be easy. Vengeance never is, dearie. You have to ask yourself a simple question. How far are you willing to go?" she leaned in fearlessly, her hands balled into fists by her side.

"As far as it takes."

"Then, please, stop wasting everyone's time and just do it. You know what you love. Now go kill it," he whispered to her, eyes locked on her face until she finally pulled away. Black cloak swiped around her form as she turned to leave the dungeon. Hook and Emma quickly stepped back into the shadows against the wall, remaining as still as they possibly could as Regina stormed past them without any indication that she knew they were there. They turned their heads and watched her walk away, waiting to move until the footsteps turned to silence and they seemed to be alone.

"Oh goody. I don't usually have so many visitors! You'll have to excuse the mess. Good help is so hard to find," Rumpel said with a little giggle escaping his lips as a hand stretched out from the bars, hand motioning for them to come closer. Emma inched forward, stepping into the lit area of the dungeon to reveal herself to the caged man with Hook right behind her. When Emma's gaze met his own, she found herself at a loss for words. What the hell was she going to say to him to convince him to help them?

"Come closer, dearie. Don't let the appearance frighten you." With a deep breath, Emma moved within reach.

"Okay, I'll get right to the point. We're here about the Evil Queen."

"Is that so? Let me guess. You're here to defeat the Evil Queen and stop the dark curse," he tapped his fingers against the bar. "Go on, dearie. Tell me I'm right."

"Actually, we're here to...to help her. I'm afraid she's in danger. This is going to sound crazy, but we're from the future. Regina succeeds with the dark curse and everyone is sent into a different land. Storybrooke. Then Zelena showed up and opened a time portal to go back in time to kill Regina." Once Emma started talking, everything just poured out of her, whether it made sense or not.

"Zelena? It's not possible. Nobody has that sort of magic. No one has ever been able to time travel. Stop wasting my time," he waved his hand at them and pushed away from the bars to step back into the shadows.

"Wait! Rumpelstiltskin. She's right," Hook chimed in as he stepped forward to grab hold of the bars. Quickly, Rumpel lunged forward to grab Hook by the throat.

"You! How dare you show your face here! I'll kill you!" he snarled as he tightened his grip. Unlike his hold on Regina, Rumpelstiltskin had no plan to release him. Emma ran up to the cell and grabbed hold of Rumpelstiltskin's hand.

"Stop! He's here to help you! We know your son!" She had no choice but to use Neal to calm him down and reason with him. Immediately, his hold on Hook released and he looked toward Emma, wild eyes filled with confusion and curiosity.

"Bae?" his eyes narrowed toward Emma as he pointed firmly at her.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Emma. I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming." His eyes widened and he couldn't help but to find himself intrigued with the woman before him.

"The product of true love. And you say you know where my boy is?" he asked, and Emma certainly couldn't bring herself to tell him that he was dead. She also couldn't risk changing the future by telling him the outcome of his son's death, though she was certain he'd help them defeat Zelena if he knew that she was the reason for his death.

"Yes."

"Well, on with it! Where is he?! When can I see him?!"

"You'll see him again in the future. After Regina casts the curse, you'll be reunited with him. We have to make sure this curse is completed and that Zelena is stopped. Please. I need your help to get my magic back. She took it from me and light magic is the only way she can be stopped." Rumpel turned toward Emma and pointed to the cell.

"Can't help you there, dearie. I'm powerless in here. Besides, I only deal in dark magic."

"What? I refuse to believe that. You, Rumpelstiltskin, the most powerful being in this realm and you can't help us?"

"While I appreciate the flattery, I'm afraid that I cannot help you. You must seek light magic elsewhere."

"What about re-opening the portal to get home? Can you help with that?" Hook asked, looking over at Emma who turned toward him angrily.

"What? Don't look at me like that, Swan. We're definitely no good here if we can't get home," he shrugged just a little and looked back at Rumpelstiltskin.

"In my home, there is a wand. A wand that can recreate spells and curses already made. Find it and you might have a chance to re-open your time portal. But be warned! If light magic is the only thing to defeat Zelena, then only light magic will undo her spells. Better hurry! Time's wasting. Tick tock, tick tock," Rumpel giggled and pointed over at Hook before stepping back into the shadows.

"Good luck, dearie. You'll need it." Emma stared at his shadowy figure for one more moment before turning to start down the path. Rumpelstiltskin leapt forward and called out to her.

"Wait!" Emma stopped, turning back toward him.

"In the future. Does he forgive me?" he asked, revealing the slightest bit of humanity that many did not get to see. Emma's eyes soften just a little and she nodded.

"Yes, he does." She didn't wait for a response. He didn't need to know any more. Turning, she looked to Hook and started down the path that led out of the dungeon.

"This is great, Swan. How are we going to defeat her if you don't have light magic? There isn't anyone else that we can find in this short amount of time."

"Yes there is."

"Who?"

"Regina." Hook grabbed hold of Emma's arm to stop her.

"Have you lost your mind? Emma, she is not the Regina you know. Here, she is the Evil Queen, and there isn't an ounce of light in her!" He couldn't believe that Emma was being so ridiculous. There was absolutely no way that this was going to work.

"Hook, it's our only chance. If she was able to chance in Storybrooke, she can change here. It's the only way. We don't have a lot of time. You just said it yourself. There isn't anyone else we can find in time. We have to try this. As my parents always tell me, we have to have hope. I have to do this. You need to find that wand. If I've succeeded, I'll be at Regina's castle. You can look for me there," she didn't wait for him to argue more. Instead, she turned and continued walking down the path that would lead out to the dungeon.

"Emma, wait…" he said, sighing softly as she kept walking without him. For a few seconds, he paced in place. This was insane. This was a suicide mission. Grumbling under his breath, he turned and started to chase after her.

The sunlight grew as she reached the end of the dungeon, stepping outside of the gate before Hook had the chance to catch up to her. As soon as she was out of the gates, two words from a familiar voice caught her off guard.

"Seize her," Regina spoke calmly to her guards who quickly grabbed Emma by either arm. Gloved hands held Emma in place as Regina stepped in front of her, cold eyes staring at the blonde before her.

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice you eavesdropping on my conversation?" Regina laughed softly, amused at the stupidity of the woman before her.

"Regina, I.."

"Excuse me? That's a bit informal, don't you think? It's Your Majesty. You're already proving to be a disappointment, so I don't expect much out of you, but I would at least think your parents taught you respect." To see Regina staring right through her, Emma felt the same way she did when she first came to Storybrooke.

"I...apologize, Your Majesty. I was coming to help you. I have information that will help you with the dark curse. You're in danger and I'm here to..rescue you.." as each word left Emma's mouth, she realized just how ridiculous she sounded. Regina's laughter only confirmed it.

"You are going to rescue me? Well, isn't that hilarious?" Regina's smile faded as she lowered her gaze slowly over the rest of Emma's form before shifting back to her guards.

"Guards, take her away. Maybe she'll be more likely to talk after some time in the dungeon. I have more important tasks to tend to." With a flip of her cloak, she turned to walk back to her carriage as the guards dragged Emma away from the dungeon. Emma quickly turned her head to see Hook stepping out of the shadows. All she could hope was that he would do as she said and find that wand.

Hopefully, by that time, she will have convinced Regina of the good that is within her. This was the only way.