As they left, Regina, Emma, Henry, and Luxe saw a large purple lightning bolt near a building.
« Gold might have magic on his side but he sure isn't subtle », Luxe joked
Regina walked over to the hotel. Emma asked Henry and Luxe to stay on the side while they dealt with this.
« Regina, we need a plan »
« Gold may have all the magic but I still have a fist and he still has a nose »
The two women parted ways. Regina had to distract her old master and Emma had to get the crystal back.
« It seems to me that your best student could very well help you save your wife », she said with a smirk
« Yes but we both know that's not you, dearie. My best student was a queen. You have her buried under layers of tasteful cotton and good intentions, such a pity! »
« What if I told you I was ready to let her back out ? What if I told you I am sick of losing everyone I care about ?, she lied
« Well, I'd say, What's changed ? »
« Maleficent, Hook and the charmings, they're trapped in another realm »
« Belle has been kidnapped », Rumple said suddenly.
« How? »
« I didn't know until you arrived. It was the sorcerer's wand. Maleficent must be trapped because someone's taken it from her. Which means they're both in the same realm and you're going to help me find it, your majesty »
Gold had heard Emma come in. He understood the scheme of the two women. He retrieved the crystal before the savior touched it.
« Come join us, Miss Swan. You've changed, Regina, the almost loss of the man who loved you won't push you back over the edge. Not any more. For better or worse this is now who you are. Guilt-ridden and weak »
Henry and Luxe arrived and the young boy held up the Holy Grail in front of the crystal. All the magic of the crystal evaporated in the Grail. Much to everyone's dismay, he had actually destroyed the magic.
« You're completely nuts, Rumple said angry. You prevented from saving Belle and your family who are trapped in another kingdom and because of you we will have no way to bring them back »
The teenagers didn't know what to say, for a moment they were ashamed. Henry left, sad and distraught. He had thought that what he had done was courageous and fair. Lux joined him in front of a fountain.
« I think I have an idea, Emma said suddenly, staring at Regina. August. »
Regina didn't understand
« August taught me to always believe in my destiny and in magic. Even though in this world and in Storybrooke there weren't any, he was the only person who really believed it. There's magic is everywhere if you're willing to see it. When he took me to the wishing well, he told me that the water was magical and had mystical properties. If we believe in it strongly enough, we will be able to bring it back. »
« Well, Regina said with a big smile, I can see it hasn't been of any use to you, you've come a long way since time, I'm impressed. »
« When we were in New York with Henry, during the second curse, he often went to meditate near a fountain, when he was not in good spirits. »
« Yes we went there together »
« We threw coins to make the wish that everything would work out. Since we had no memories, it didn't work because we didn't believe it, but now that I remember August's words, it would be possible to bring back the magic. »
Regina, Emma and Rumple joined Henry and Luxe at the fountain in question. Luxe had told Henry that she enjoyed this place very much, it was here that she managed to forget her worries and not think about her hard life. She hoped that someone would come and save her and made this wish every day. They all took several coins, even went to ask for coins in exchange for their bill. They concentrated and tossed the coins one by one into the fountain. Regina saw the crystal clear. She and Gold were amazed that it worked.
After a hundred coins thrown in appeared Hook, Snow, David and Maleficent and another man they did not know. Gold had taken advantage of their reunion to return to the world they were in and find his wife.
They all landed in Emma's apartment. Luxe was amazed to find herself there with her whole family. She was the only one to notice Regina's absence. Hook explained that they had gone to a world called the world of secret stories and had confronted Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The other man with them was Dr. Jekyll. He explained to them that he had managed to separate himself from his half thanks to a serum. Luxe and Henry looked at each other, they realized that the books they had found in the library contained the stories of this other realm.
Luxe left, without saying anything, to join her father's girlfriend on the patio.
Regina had send a message to August reassuring him that everything was fine and that they would arrive later today.
Then she thought back to her discussion with Rumple about the Evil Queen.
« Are you okay Regina ? », the teenager smiled, « I'm sorry again for our silly idea »
« I don't blame you for trying to do what's right for you. But, I feel weird since your father wanted to sacrifice himself for me. I keep wondering what would have happened if Gold hadn't stepped in for you and me. I have a firm belief that the evil queen is still there in me, she is still trying to get out, I know you can't understand » she laughed. « I have to live with this every day. It's exhausting, I have to go against my instincts all the time. »
« I can't imagine how you feel »
« When I heard that Hook came back I thought it was so unfair after what happened with Daniel and what almost happened to your father. My first impulse was to rip his throat out. But I didn't. Because now I know that's wrong. Much as I want to give in to evil, I don't. I'm sorry if I'm scaring you, I know you're not comfortable with all of this yet. »
Luxe nodded and chuckled empathetically.
« There are even things I did that your dad didn't even know about. I was ready to kill Belle so Rumple wouldn't hurt your father. My instinct is to protect the people I love and keep them safe like Henry, August and you and Robin, whom I lost, but I think that's just an excuse for my bad urges to slip away but it doesn't work, it doesn't make me happy because I'm not enough with you and it makes me suffer horribly. But I do know the Evil Queen can't return, so that's how it has to be. I'll never be at peace with myself. When we were in New York I didn't have my magic and I swear I savored every second but I understand it's getting harder and harder. »
« You love my father I know I can feel it and you're good with him and with Henry it's the same »
« I am what I am. Many years ago, I had a choice. Snow White told a secret. And I could have chosen to forgive her. Instead I did terrible things, unspeakable things. That will always hang over me. I know we can change Lux but we can't forget. Your father thinks we look alike, but besides what I did, he's God and me the Devil. He may have done some awful things but he gets to live with it, it's a lot easier to live with than what I did. I know the difference between good and evil. And I'm caught between them. If I go revert I lose everyone I love: Henry, your father, you, my friends and if I go forward trying to be good, I have to live with my past darkness and it's well-deserved consequences. »
« I believe in you Regina. You are a heroine. You know I never knew this woman there, I always respected you as Henry's mother and if my father loves you it's because you have managed to become an admirable woman. You know after what you told me, it doesn't change anything for me, on the contrary it even makes you more interesting. But I didn't know you were in so much pain, I'm sorry. »
« You say that because you are a young girl full of virtue. For me, it's a simple choice, really. I'd rather suffer than see that pain on the people I care about. You know, August is not even aware of all this, I never allowed myself to tell him. I know he's the kind of person who wants to help and protect others, but he can't help me, I have to live with those thoughts alone. This is my faith, I am trapped. »
« Regina, as we are in the know. I would like to tell you something that I've never said to anyone or even to Tasha and that I don't even dare to tell my father I am too ashamed, but you I know that you can understand me. »
Regina saw her worried, she took her hand. Her hand was so soft. Lux had never been so reassured
« When I was ten years old, just before I met Neal, I ran into the most horrible of families. At first, oddly, things were going well, they were kind of nice. They were a bit older than the other parents I had but I didn't mind, quite the contrary but the man started to want me to slip into their bed. He started to intimidate me a lot to kiss me. At that age, I was naive and innocent. He started to threaten me so that I wouldn't say anything to his wife. He harassed me physically and mentally », she cried, Regina had no words. « And one day in a fit of anger that he got, he beat me up and pushed me down the stairs. I had a stroke and learning disorder, a little later. To defend myself, I hit him with a lamp, he was bleeding from his head. His wife arrived just then and didn't believe a word of my whole story. She immediately fired me and threatened the state not to help me anymore. It was then that I met Neal, he comforted me so much, without hearing my story, he was so close to me that he pretty much helped me get over it. He made me stronger and more mature. So Regina, I know what it's like to go through a trauma and go through it every day, without people really understanding what it feels like. We have to live with that, and not otherwise. »
Regina, in speed, hugged the young girl tightly. She never wanted to let go. She couldn't believe that a young girl so young could have lived with so much trauma and miserable lives.
« You want a fresh start I'm not sure but trying to figure out how your world works I think I have an idea. »
She warnd Emma and Snow and gave Regina Dr. Jekyll's serum. She could part ways with the evil queen and destroy her.
« Let's get rid of her and finally become all three, you and my father, the united family that I always dreamed of having. »
Snow injected Regina with the potion. She wanted to stay, she was not afraid, it was kind of her fault that the evil queen had been created so she was ready to see her disappear. Emma put Luxe behind her to protect her. Regina received great pain all over her body, Lux wanted to intervene but Emma held her back. The Evil Queen came out of Regina's body. The young girl was frightened. Emma captured the Evil Queen and Regina took her heart straight and crushed it. She was finally released, the evil queen was gone to dust. Lux threw herself into her arms, happy.
They arrived at Storybrooke. August and Geppetto were waiting for them. Regina hurried to kiss her boyfriend. She finally had a happy future with him without the Evil Queen who would haunt her. She finally felt fulfilled. Lux coughed for them to stop kissing. The couple laughed. August approached his daughter, his eyes worried. He saw Henry from afar.
« Dad, I'm sorry. »
She had finally managed to tell him dad, because she was worried about his reaction, there appeared a big smile on August's face, Henry approached them and apologized too, August stroked his face.
« I still don't understand why you did this but I can't blame you, you managed to fix things and this is the most important just hope Henry you stop getting my daughter into this genre things »
« I promise », he laughed
Lux threw herself into her father's arms, confused. Regina returned all the magic to Storybrooke. She looked at them, smiling.
« Now let's make sure no one can ever steal this crystal. »
Henry took his friend's shoulder to comfort her. But everyone's hugs stopped when they heard a deep voice.
« Thank you for that. I'd hate to be trapped in this town without magic. That would be truly barbaric »
« Who are you ? », Regina demanded furiously that her happiness was still short-lived.
« The evil half of your new friend »
« Mr. Hyde , Henry exclaimed. How did you get here? »
« Rumplestiltskin made me a deal, I find a way to wake up his beauty in exchange for Storybrooke. Storybrooke is mine now. »
Regina was laughing to death. It was her own city, she was the mayor and the woman who created this city with the curse.
« I brought some friends. You know I've been looking for a place like this for quite some time. A land where all the world's lost and forgotten stories could play themselves out. And now that I have brought them here, that is exactly what they're going to do»
« Let me tell you, one thing Mr Hyde. August threatened him,
Regina wouldn't let go of his hand
« I know your story ends. You lose »
Hyde gave him a big smirk
« I wouldn't bet on it. »
He glanced at Regina
« Despite what you may think, darkness is not easy to snuff out as you might believe »
Regina thought about the Evil Queen.
Why she still had to think of her ?, when she hoped to be happier than ever without her bad karma.