The Dark Backward

Chapter Thirteen

Outside of the time loop…

While Henry remained behind to take care of his uncle at his grandparents' loft, Mary Margaret and David headed to Regina's house in hope she was there safe and sound, possibly trying to figure out a way to help them stop the villains the closer they came to learning of their plans. Unfortunately, they discovered she wasn't there and so they continued their search as the Charmings walked from the mansion towards the cemetery to her vault. However, they suddenly came face to face with Cruella once they arrived and David quickly pulled his gun and aimed it directly at the vile woman believing her to be a threat to them should she attack, since none of the heroes knew yet of her inability to kill.

From behind her, Pongo stepped out and moved to stand beside her now that he had been put under her control, then began to growl at the Prince and Princess, seeing them as a threat instead of friends, and Mary Margaret kept her eyes on the villainess while she asked, "What have you done to him? How did you even get your hands on Pongo? Did you hurt Archie?"

Cruella scoffed, then she replied, "Don't worry about this beast's master, darlings. He's perfectly fine. Luckily for him and each of you my power only works on animals. How unfortunate for them both that the cricket chose a short time ago to take his dog for a walk. The cricket…"

"It's a pity he isn't actually a cricket," she crossly added, speaking more to herself or possibly the dalmatian when she looked down at Pongo again.

"What are you after?" David questioned her once again in frustration, keeping his service weapon trained on her still while his wife remained close by his side. "Why did you feel the need to put Pongo under your control, and why are you lurking around here in the cemetery?"

The other woman with black and white hair responded, "I could ask the same of you. I was here looking for Gold. Now that our alliances have fallen apart thanks to Ursula becoming a traitor when she chose to side with you all and revealed our plans to that pirate… You know what? I don't have to explain my reason for being here to the likes of you. Or for taking control of this mutt. Step aside and let me pass, and I won't sick the mongrel on either of you."

Mary Margaret spoke again as she asked, "Do you know where Regina is? Are you or Gold responsible for her having gone missing?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Cruella answered her with a lie. "If Her Majesty is missing, you might want to get back to looking for her. Now, lower your pistol, let me pass with the cricket's beast still in my control, and there won't be a problem here."

"There will always be a problem between us, Cruella," David replied in frustration, as he and Mary Margaret stepped aside in order to let the villainess pass along with their friend's dog out of worry she might hurt him if they didn't. "If you hurt him just like if you were to hurt anyone else, you'll regret it. I promise you that."

She scoffed again and then walked on by them while she responded, "I would expect nothing less, darling. Good night. And good luck hunting."

Once Cruella was gone after she left the cemetery, Mary Margaret stated, "She may not have anything to do with Regina's abduction, David. But she knows where she is. We shouldn't have just let her go. Especially not with Pongo under her control."

"Don't worry," her husband then assured her once he lowered his gun and placed it safely back into its holster he wore on his belt. "Pongo will be okay for now. She wants to use him for whatever she's going to do next. Right now, we have to focus on Emma and Regina and my gut's telling me she's been in her vault all along. Come on."

Together, they both ran the rest of the way to the Queen's vault and quickly made their way inside until they entered the hidden room beneath the crypt and found their friend inside like David suspected, her wrists bound together in shackles while she remained sitting down against the wall beside her magic mirror.

"Regina!" Mary Margaret cried out in relief upon seeing her friend again and at least appearing to be unharmed. "Thank God… Are you alright?"

"If you count being imprisoned by Rumplestiltskin within your own vault and having someone you love threatened okay, then yeah… I'm fine," the Queen retorted angrily, then raised her arms out to David when he leaned over her to try to help her break free. "You're not going to get them off. Gold enchanted them. At least until morning. But don't worry about me right now. It's Emma who's in trouble. Hook too, only… I'm afraid…"

Mary Margaret saw the sadness in her eyes when she started to talk about their friend until she cut herself off when she was unsure how to tell them about what Gold had said to her about him, and then the Princess asked, "Regina… what is it? Did Gold have something to do with the portal that Emma, Hook, and Maleficent were pulled into?"

Regina looked up at them again sadly when she finally answered, "I'm afraid so. He was there watching whatever went on between Emma, Hook, and Maleficent, but that isn't all. I mean… he did open the portal, but I don't think he was responsible for whatever might have happened to Hook. Gold told me Hook is dead. That he was killed protecting Emma from Maleficent's attack. I looked into his eyes and I don't believe he was lying. He had no reason to lie to me about that."

"No, that's… that can't be true," Mary Margaret whispered in despair when she and David thought of the grief and pain their daughter must be feeling wherever she was right now if it was.

"I'm afraid her grief over Hook's death must have been what allowed for Gold to open the portal Emma and Maleficent were both pulled into," Regina continued when she stood up to try to stretch her legs a little. "He didn't exactly share much detail other than that. He didn't have the chance to. He was sent a text on his phone and then he left."

David turned away as he glanced over at the Queen's magic mirror, suddenly giving him an idea, so he turned back to Regina again as he asked, "Can you use your mirror to show us what happened down there? Before I arrived with Tink and Leroy. It could help us discover a possible way to reopen the portal again so we can bring Emma back home."

Regina raised her wrists bound within the shackles again as she replied, "Unless you can find some way to remove these shackles, I'm afraid I'm completely powerless. They're blocking my magic. But Gold said I would be free come morning. If you come back then, I can see if I can activate my mirror's magic for you then if you haven't found a way to bring them back home before then. I'm so sorry."

"I just can't believe Hook's gone," Mary Margaret responded sadly. "After all he's done for Emma… for all of us. He didn't deserve to die. It's not fair."

"He was protecting Emma," David answered remorsefully. "Like Gold told Regina. At least it happened on his own terms and not him being killed because of a sin from his past. It's strange… I saw Hook getting pulled into the portal along with Emma and Maleficent. I had no idea he was already dead. I had hoped I would have a chance to pay him back one day for saving my life back in Neverland. I should have much sooner and now it's too late."

Mary Margaret laid her hand over the back of his shoulders as she comforted him and then she replied, "You can by helping Emma get back home and then with us fighting to regain her trust and love again. Hook assured us he would do everything he could to help her understand how much she needs us. Now we have to do that ourselves. For him."

She looked over at Regina again and saw a sadness in her eyes that she was trying to hide from them, but somehow recognized it wasn't because of Hook, so she then reached out to lay her other hand over her stepmother's arm while she asked, "Regina… what's wrong? Other than what's happened to Hook and Emma? Don't think that I don't recognize the look you're trying to keep something from us in our eyes. Did Gold tell you something else?"

"I wasn't going to say anything to you until I got out of here and until Emma was home safe," Regina responded, then let out a sigh of frustration. "I know how worried Henry must be for her right now. I didn't want him or you to worry about me too."

"What is it?" David questioned again.

The Queen finally just nodded and then she answered, "It's Robin. He's in trouble and Gold proved it by having me call the number I have for him from since he left Storybrooke and settled in at Neal's old place in New York. Only… it wasn't Robin who answered. It was Marian. Or more precisely… my sister, Zelena."

David and Mary Margaret looked at her in disbelief until she quickly continued, "It turns out Zelena didn't die after all like we believed she did. Even Gold was surprised. But they've come to some kind of understanding with one another. I have to help him, or she might hurt Robin and even Roland. But get back to helping Emma. I'll be there as soon as I can be and we'll get her back… somehow. Then we can all help save Robin too."