It was colder than she'd remembered that last night in Storybrooke. Granted, it was Maine, so it was always fucking cold. Her breath puffed out in front of her, heated breath against the cold night air as Emma's hardened green eyes stared over the town she'd arrived back in. It was quiet, with most of the lights turned out for the night. Early birds…all of them were. It's almost like heroes came with a bedtime and a sickening desire for self-sacrifice. In the distance, beyond the clock tower, she saw a light on at the large mansion down the way. Regina's office light flickered all the way down the street and for the longest time, Emma stood there staring at it. How foolish had she been, thinking that there could come a time or day that Regina would actually love her in return. No doubt, she and Robin were there now. There was an ache in Emma's heart at the thought of this. Did Regina miss her? Had she thought of Emma at all?

With a clenched jaw, Emma stepped forward into the town, her black boots thudding upon the paved concrete. First things first. She had to find a way to get her dagger back without triggering any warning from the group. Yes, she held animosity toward the entire group. This wasn't just on Regina, but all of them. They forced her to be the Savior. From the moment that her parents sent her to another realm, they cursed her to be responsible for the outcome of all of their lives. Did they have any idea how fucking exhausting that was? She knew she could and probably would die saving one of them, and that was just the cards she'd been handed. Unacceptable. The only one who still held her heart without an ounce of resentment was Henry. Her Henry. He was an innocent, guilty only of believing in her. She had to keep him safe, and the only way to do that would be to get her dagger back. That was the source of her power now, and Regina had it.

Kill her… she heard a voice inside of her say, but the thought alone created a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. This was what it meant to be the Dark One. You lived with the darkness inside of you that wanted you to do things that your prior self would have never dreamed. Despite her anger, she loved Regina. Killing her wasn't something that she could do…not yet, anyway.

"If it comes to that;.." she whispered back to the voices, her tone hushed despite the fact that she was the only one there. It was crazy to talk to yourself, but these voices weren't hers. Right?

Remember your promise, Emma. Don't let us down…

Five Days Ago

Emma found the darkness stifling her ability to breathe as she felt herself falling with no indication of landing anytime soon. Wind blew past her and she sunk deeper and deeper into the nothingness, until her body stopped abruptly with the collision of grass beneath her. She landed on her feet, boots sinking in just a bit off of impact. Darkness began to subside, leaving her in the middle of the forest. What forest? Was this the Enchanted Forest? It wasn't familiar and as she turned in circles to take in her surroundings, she could feel her heart starting to pound. All of the trees looked the exact same. Every direction she could go had a similar path. Once again, she felt lost.

"Okay, Emma. Don't panic. You're the Savior. You can do this," she whispered to herself as her hands brushed over the jacket that she had on. This couldn't be that hard to navigate. It's not like she hadn't spent the majority of her life alone and trying to find a way out of whatever situation she'd been placed in. Taking a step off of the stones that she had landed on, Emma took a step forward and kept walking through the heavily wooded area.

This way, young Dark One...

"What the hell?" She stopped the moment that she heard the whispers. They were everywhere and nowhere all at the same time. Her green eyes shot wildly around once more to see who spoke, but she was the only one for miles. There was nobody there and it was only the swaying of the trees that gave her company. Then she heard it again.

Come to us, Emma...

The words echoed in her mind and were so clear that she couldn't differentiate the sounds outside of her hear to the ones inside. She felt a pull in the direction to her left and began without a moment's hesitation. Emma always was the type to go with her gut. Being the Dark One wouldn't be any different than before, she'd convinced herself. It might've been difficult for others in the past, Mr. Gold for example, but she was the Savior. If anybody could overcome it, it was her…right?

Her boots crunched over fallen branches and leaves with her attentions focused entirely on the path ahead of her. Where the hell was she going? What was she going to do when she got there? All of these questions were flooding her mind as she noticed a break in the trees. Blue skies were peeking in through the trees at the end. Determined, she quickened her pace and started toward the end of the forest. With her heart pounding and her breathing becoming labored, she found herself running until the sky was all she saw. An abrupt drop lay before her, revealing a large valley between the mountains that she stood at the end to. Had it not been for her quick reflexes, she'd have gone right off of the side.

A hand gripped one of the trees to guarantee her from falling. Attempting to catch her breath, Emma took in the sights before her. There was nothing but lush green lands with a cascade of golden light dancing over the valley where the sun hit everything just right. The only sigh of civilization was a small cottage that rested right in the middle. Maybe the people who lived there could help her figure out where she had landed.

"You won't find what you're looking for down there, dear," a voice said behind her. Chills ran down her spine as she immediately recognized the voice. Emma spun quickly to find Regina standing behind her. The woman stood before her dressed in a black leather skirt, black boots and a red sleeveless shirt. That was her favorite, and she always felt her heart quicken when Regina wore that outfit...even when they had first met and those feelings were shoved into the corner of her mind.

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked, her eyes wide. How had she arrived without Emma noticing that someone walked up. As her gaze lifted, she met Regina's eyes which were not their typical warm brown hues. These were green eyes...like her own. This was not Regina Mills. The realization that Regina had not, in fact, followed her and chose to stay back with Robin only fueled the anger and pain already closing in around her heart. The green-eyed Regina only laughed.

"Surely you didn't think she'd care enough to actually find a way back to you, right? Emma, that time of hope in your life is over. You have a new family now." Regina pointed toward the cottage once more and Emma looked to find that there stood a dozen of people dressed in simple black cloaks.

"Who are all of these people?" Emma asked as she stared down at the group who were looking toward her. They were looking as if to call her down and join them.

"These are all of the previous dark ones who have lived over the years, and died at the hands of another who took their place as the Dark One."

"And who are you? Why do you look like Regina, when you're not?" Emma shot her gaze back to the familiar face of someone she knew she'd never met before. The woman laughed, Regina's rich and dark laughter...and she couldn't help but to feel as if that laugh she'd grown to love so much now haunted and mocked her.

"My dear. I am a part of your subconscious. You see Regina because you want to see Regina, which I'll admit, is a little pitiful. I expected...more. I'll admit though. The outfit is nice. I may have to keep this one," she said with a small cackle. Emma's patience grew thin.

"Who the hell are you and why can you see inside of my head?"

"I can see inside of all of the minds of every Dark One that's ever existed...because I am the first My name is Nimue." The moment she spoke, her form shifted from Regina to reveal her true form. Dressed in a similar black cloak to the rest of the group, she stood out only with the shimmering green lining that donned her clothing. Her skin held an olive complexion with dark hazel eyes. Emma took a step back to grip the tree behind her.

"You're the one who started it all."

"That's right, dear Emma. And you'll be the one to end it," Nimue said as her grin widened across her face, excitement in her eyes.

"End it? What do you mean? Why am I the one to do this?"

"Because, dear Emma. You're the first Dark One to sacrifice yourself to the darkness for love, rather than greed or power. You're the Savior, Emma. That carries beyond all lands." Nimue's eyes softened as she rested her hand on Emma's shoulder.

"Just because we succumbed to the darkness at some point in our lives doesn't mean we have to live in this purgatory or a Dark One's mind for eternity. You have the ability to save us. Won't you do it?" Emma felt the grip of Nimue's hand on her jacket and could feel the responsibility of all these expectations weighing on top of her.

"Freeing the Dark Ones would free myself as well, wouldn't it?" Emma asked, her eyes lowering back down to the group of people standing in the valley.

"Yes."

"Then let's do it. The faster I can break free of all of these damn curses and responsibilities, the better off I'll be," Emma replied firmly, turning to start walking toward the trail that would lead down the mountain. As she started, she noticed that Nimue stayed where she was. Arching an eyebrow, she turned back to her.

"Are you coming?"

"Yes. I'll be there in a moment." Nimue smiled and as Emma turned away from her, the look in her hazel eyes became calculating and amused. Emma had no idea what she was getting herself into, and she was falling right into Nimue's plans.

"It's not here!" Regina huffed as she slammed another drawer of potions shut. A growl rumbled in her throat, frustration apparent in both demeanor and tone.

"We'll find it, Regina. I promise we will," Snow replied quietly as she rummaged through a basket in search for the small black velvet bag that contained one of the only magic beans in all of the realms, much less Storybrooke. There was no doubt that it was the only one in Storybrooke and right now, it was the only way that they could think of to find Emma. The Mad Hatter was gone, and with him, all of the magic to change realms. This was the only way, and the longer it took for them to find it, the angrier Regina felt herself becoming. Desperation had a way of bringing out that true anger from within.

"And if we don't? What then? I can't lose her, Snow. I won't. Not again," she threw her hands up and spun toward the stairs behind her, snapping at the shadowy figure appearing from the darkness.

"What do you want?! Can't you see we're busy?!" She shouted, only to find Robin creeping into the light with a soft smile on his face.

"Sorry. I just came to see if you guys needed any help," he said softly, his blue eyes landing on Regina. Her heart sunk just slightly as the guilt creeped in. It wasn't his fault that all of this was happening. He was suffering from a broken heart, and yet he stood there, asking to help.

"Why would you want to help me, when I hurt you?" She asked, her hands resting on the top of her potions table. He laughed a little and shook his head.

"Quite honestly, I don't know. I guess, when you love someone, you just want to see them happy. If…Emma…makes you happy, then I want to help be a part of that happiness," he replied, walking over toward her and resting his hand on top of hers. His touch caused Regina to jump ever so slightly, hardly noticed by anyone but Henry, who had been seated in the corner with a book of spells while trying to find another way to get Emma back. His eyes lowered to the hands for a moment and then back up to Robin. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something didn't seem right. It didn't make sense, but he had no proof outside of his gut instinct and, therefore, opted to stay quiet…for now.

"That's very kind of you, Robin. Perhaps you wouldn't mind taking Henry home while I continue to look? It's a school night."

"But mom! I-" Regina held up a hand.

"Henry. I appreciate all of your help, but I mean it. I need you to get some rest. We'll find her. Right, Snow?" Regina turned and looked at Snow, her eyebrows raised for support.

"Right. Henry…it's best to go home. I promise. You've been a big help already," Snow added with a bright smile as she walked over and hugged him. He sagged against her just a little, disappointed and frustrated.

"Fine." He gave his mom a quick kiss to the cheek and walked past Robin to head up the stairs. Robin gave a little smile and nodded before turning to follow.

As the car parked in front of the mayor's house, Henry reached for his bag.

"Do you want me to walk you inside?" Robin asked, moving to turn the car off. Henry shook his head quickly and pushed the door open.

"Nope. I'm good. Thanks." Henry's gaze lingered on Robin for a moment longer. "What's in this for you?" Robin's eyebrows furrowed a little.

"What? Nothing. Clearly. I'm a hero, remember? I do the right thing, and the right thing is to help your mother find her happy ending," Robin replied. Henry said nothing, only nodding and pushing himself out of the car to head toward the house. As the door closed behind him, Robin stared at the young boy walking inside. His jaw clenched just a little.

"He's on to you," another voice from the back seat replied. Robin turned to look at the hooded figure who had appeared in the back seat of his car. Nimue turned her head to show a shadowed profile, her eyes as green as her textured skin.

"He won't find out."

"That's a sloppy way to think, Hood. You're going to ruin our plans with those assumptions. Do you have the beans?" She asked quietly, her eyes still on the front door of the house. Robin reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the black velvet bag, turning it upside down and dumping the two magic beans into his palm.

"Good. Keep them safe. We need more time. She's not ready yet. Besides, you need to sweeten up Regina if you have any intentions of getting her back and running this town."

"And Henry? If he starts snooping?" Robin asked as he put the beans back in the bag. Nimue inhaled long and slow, her eyes calculating and thoughtful. There was only one answer to that.

"Kill him," she responded, disappearing only after Robin nodded his head in agreement.