Ruby looked at Emma sympathetically as they continued walking through the forest. She could tell that Emma was struggling to keep it together, especially since she couldn't even feel Regina.

"Stop staring at me," Emma said, pushing a branch out of her way. "I'm not going to have a mental breakdown."

"You look close to one," Ruby mumbled, following after her.

Emma sighed, stopping and facing Ruby. "I'm holding it together for her sake. If I pause to have a complete meltdown, I don't know that I'd be able to continue walking. So yes, I am close to one. But I can't."

Ruby nodded. She understood where Emma was coming from. And if she was honest with herself, she wasn't sure that she could deal with Emma having a breakdown. For as long as she'd known Emma, she'd been a rock. She took whatever life threw at her, including the Darkness, and just dealt with it. But Ruby wondered if maybe the reason that Emma was so strong for the town was because she got to break down at home, with Regina by her side.

Lost in her thoughts, Ruby didn't notice that Emma had suddenly stopped. She ran into her, and was ready to apologize when she saw the look on Emma's face. Following her gaze, she gasped at the scene in front of them.

Regina was unconscious on the ground, surrounded by Ursula and Maleficent. The magic cuff was still on Regina's wrist, which frustrated Emma to no end. She couldn't tell what had happened.

Suddenly, Lily walked out from the trees, coming to stand in front of her mother and Ursula. "Why is she unconscious?"

"Because she won't willingly give away her magic," Maleficent said, a hint of impatience in her tone. "We've been over this."

"I don't see why I need her magic," Lily protested. "I have enough of my own."

Ursula rolled her eyes. "You told me that she would agree to this plan."

"She did," Maleficent said, glaring at Lily. "Regina's magic is a mix of light and dark. It's very powerful, which we're going to need if we're going to get our revenge on the Charmings."

Lily looked skeptically at them both. "I thought taking someone's magic kills them."

"Not if it's done correctly," Maleficent said. "It's just highly discouraged, hence why Rumple fed her the lie that magic cannot be taken from another without also taking their life. Since she has the cuff on, her magic is already centered in one place. All you have to do is take it from there."

"And she'll live?" Lily asked, staring her mother and Ursula down.

"Why does it matter if she lives?" Ursula scoffed. "She's a part of the hero team now."

Lily looked down at Regina. "Because Emma loves her. I ruined Emma's happiness a long time ago when we first met. I won't ruin it again."

Emma sighed in relief from her hiding spot. Regina wasn't going to die today.

"You are your mother's daughter, and yet you refuse to kill someone out of compassion?" Ursula taunted. "How weak."

"Don't speak to my daughter that way!" Maleficent shouted, turning angrily towards Ursula. "She has every right to be concerned about Emma. They were very close friends."

"We're close friends, and yet I couldn't care less if someone you loved had died," Ursula spat. "We are villains and therefore must not let love blind us."

Ruby nudged Emma to get her attention. "I thought that everyone was happy. Maleficent has Lily and Ursula got her singing back and went home. What happened?"

"If there's one thing I've learned from Regina, it's that villains always expect their happy endings to be ruined," Emma said. "Sometimes that destroys the happiness all by itself."

"What does that mean?" Ruby asked.

"It means that Maleficent still hasn't forgiven my parents," Emma said. "And if I had to guess, I'd say that Ursula figured that her place in the kingdom was just a plan to keep her under control and wants to show them that she can't be controlled."

Ruby looked at the group. "And Regina?"

"Wakes up every morning expecting me to be gone," Emma said softly.

Ruby looked at Emma in surprise. "You would never do that."

Emma smiled at Ruby. "I know that. Everyone seems to know that except for her."

Ruby went to reply, but her eyes were drawn to movement. "Emma, she's waking up."

"Oh no," Emma breathed, looking back towards the group. "Ruby, there's something that I need you to do."

"Anything," Ruby said.

"Go to Regina's vault," Emma said. "It won't be protected because she's not in it. You need to push her father's coffin to the side and follow the staircase. There's a room that has artifacts in it. You're looking for a mirror."

Emma finished explaining to Ruby what she was looking for, and Ruby ran off immediately. There wasn't time to waste. She turned her attention back to the scene in front of her, her heart jumping in her throat as she saw the three villains closing in on Regina.

"Do it," Maleficent commanded.

Lily shakily reached out and covered the cuff with her hand. "I'm sorry."

"I know why you're doing this," Regina said. "But you don't have to. I can tell that you've forgiven Snow and David for what happened. You're just happy to have your mother."

Lily froze. "I do have to do this. If I don't, she'll leave."

Regina looked at Maleficent in shock. Maleficent avoided her gaze, looking at the ground instead. "Hurry up Lily. We don't have all day."

"Not to mention that the Savior is probably getting closer as we speak," Ursula said, glancing around. She had sent her pets back to the hut, just in case Emma and her little wolf friend showed up there.

Lily focused on the magic that she could feel in the cuff. She took in a little bit, gasping as it went through her system. She released it back into the cuff, quickly backing away. "I can't take it."

Maleficent glared at her daughter. "Why in the hell not? You're stronger than this!"

"For the same reason you can't take it!" Lily shouted. "There's too much light magic in her, and not enough dark. If I take it, it'll do nothing but destroy me."

"The connection," Ursula said. "Her magic combined with the Savior's. It's more light than dark."

Maleficent growled in frustration. "How do we sever this connection?"

"Her death," Ursula said simply.

Emma couldn't take it anymore. She burst forward, standing in between Regina and Maleficent and Ursula. "I don't think so."

Maleficent and Ursula both took a step back at Emma's sudden appearance. Emma glanced over their heads and nearly sighed in relief as she saw Ruby position the mirror exactly where she had told her to.

Regina had told her the story of how she had sent her mother through the mirror to Wonderland, and Emma was more than happy to send Maleficent and Ursula through it. The only problem was that Lily could see the mirror and sell Emma out to protect her mother.

"There's only one of you and two of us," Ursula taunted. "I hardly think that you're in the position to stop us."

"Debatable," Emma said. She quickly raised her hands, using her magic to push Maleficent and Ursula towards the mirror. Regina and Lily watched as Ursula went through, while Maleficent struggled against Emma's magic. Regina was about to beg Lily to help her when Ursula reached back out of the mirror, trying to grab onto something to pull her back out. She grabbed Maleficent's arm and pulled, and they both disappeared into Wonderland.

Emma sighed in relief and smiled at Ruby, who smiled back. She turned towards Regina and Lily, both of who were looking at her in amazement. Without even hesitating, she walked over and pulled Regina to her feet before hugging her tightly. All of the recent events that had happened caught up with her at once, and her knees slightly buckled.

Regina gently held her up, hugging her back just as tightly. She looked over at Lily, who was staring straight ahead at the mirror. "Why didn't you warn them?" Regina asked her.

Lily shrugged. "I want to be better." She looked at Regina and slightly smiled. "I should go. Don't worry about Ursula's minions, I'll take care of them."

"Where will you go?" Emma asked, looking at Lily from Regina's arms. She wasn't about to let go any time soon.

"Mom and I had a little cottage out here in the woods," Lily said. "I'll stay there. Keep practicing my magic."

Emma nodded. "Stay in touch okay?"

Lily smiled and nodded. "Of course." She nodded to Ruby before turning and walking off.

"This needs to come off," Emma said, reaching over and pulling the cuff off of Regina's wrist. Regina gasped as she felt her magic return to her, sighing in relief.

Emma smiled, glad that their connection was back. She couldn't feel anything negative from Regina, oddly enough. Just relief.

Regina kissed the top of Emma's head and focused on their connection. "You're trying very hard not to fall apart right now."

"The woods aren't exactly the best place to freak out," Emma mumbled.

"Miss Lucas, I thank you for assisting Emma in finding me," Regina said. "If you'll excuse us, I do believe that Emma needs to be home right now."

"Don't mention it," Ruby said. "I can find my way back to the town."

Regina smiled at her before poofing herself and Emma home.

"Is Henry home?" Emma asked. She still had yet to let go of Regina, and she didn't really plan to. In fact, if she could, she would lock them both in the house and never leave.

"Most likely," Regina said. "School is out and he hasn't contacted either of us to let us know otherwise."

Emma nodded, still clinging to Regina. "Can you let go for about 5 seconds so we can walk to the living room?" Regina asked. Emma shook her head.

Sighing, Regina poofed them both to the living room before guiding Emma over to sit on the couch. They sat in silence, holding each other, until Emma finally broke. Regina rubbed her back soothingly and whispered calming words into her ear, just letting her get it all out.

Regina waited, never once stopping her soothing motions. She tuned into Emma's emotions, and eventually they turned from fear and overwhelming anxiety to contentment and comfort. She went to pull away, put Emma shook her head and held on tighter.

"Eventually you're going to have to let go," Regina said gently.

"I know," Emma said. "But for now, I just want to feel like we're both safe for a little longer."

Regina didn't say anything, just continuing to hold Emma close in her arms. They sat like that until the exhaustion from the day caught up with them, and they both fell asleep. When the morning came, Emma would let go. But until then, she was going to hold Regina as close as she possibly could.

And that concludes this story! Stay tuned for more!