I'm sorry, I took too long to update. It's just that at first, I was gone to vacation, after what I got very ill. Then, my friend some took time to write the flashbacks. :) So, the chapter was mainly written by me. The flashbacks are by my friend, but I edited it. So... hope you'll enjoy this chapter. Oh, and the next chapter will conclude the Dark Star arc.

Answer to a review: No, there won't be Henry in this story... But that's the point of AU fanfics. Some events go differently and so, some characters are eventually never born. :(

Disclamer: I own nothing. OUAT belongs to Adam Horowitz and Edwart Kitsis, SM belongs to Naoko Takeuchi/Toei. Non profit.

Friends unite, the dark past of Little Em.

Crystal Forest

Everyone's gaze was locked at the spot where Emma had just been taken away.

"No… Emma… Where did that man take her…?!" – Mary Margaret exclaimed.

"We must find a way to bring her back!" – David shouted, turning to Regina.

"Why do you expect this from me? I told you, the darkness of the crystal is too complex to study!" – Regina said – "And besides, isn't Emma the 'most powerful' of the Guardians? She surely can find a way back by her own!"

"No, the place where she is now is full of the most intense darkness. She won't be able to use the Eternal Crystal." – King Killian said, approaching the team.

"Just great…" – David mumbled irritated.

"Emma's light is stronger!" – Mary Margaret protested, refusing to believe that her daughter was lost.

"You're way too optimistic." – Regina commented – "If the pirate says the truth, she's stuck in there forever."

Danielle approached her mother and said:

"Don't say that, Regina. I believe in my friend. She will survive."

"It's not the moment to lose hope." – Rosalie added – "If Emma is really the future Goddess Queen Selene, she's capable of lots of things."

Little Em was silent, looking at the black megalith, musing about the events. First, her mum was put in incapacity and now, Emma, her mum's past-self, was taken away by the Dark Star clan. "If it's happening, it's my entire fault…" – Little Em thought.

Dark Realm

Emma slowly regained consciousness, but didn't open her eyes yet. Her head was aching and her limbs were weak. The last thing she remembered was how she defeated another enemy and then… a dark reversed star… and then, nothing. "I must have been put into hypnosis…" – Emma thought. With a little effort, she finally managed to open her eyes. She looked around in surprise. The room was very dark, and she couldn't tell where it was located. It took some time to notice a door at the opposite wall, but there were no windows. Then, Emma noticed that she was lying on a queen-sized bed, and what surprised her more was the outfit she was currently wearing.

"What…?" – Emma gasped slightly.

First of all she had de-transformed, but she wasn't wearing her casual clothes. Instead, she was wearing a very fancy dress. Then, something more important occurred to her: she didn't have her brooch, which she usually wore on her chest. Before panic would rise, Emma's hand touched the precious object. Emma sighed in relief, seeing that her brooch (and the Eternal Crystal!) was lying next to her. Before Emma could even attempt to stand up, she saw the door of the room open and a man enter.

"Your power is impressive… normally you would have slept longer." – he said.

"Who are you? And what's that place?" – Emma asked, trying to hide her fear.

"My name is Prince Ernest; I'm the chief of the Dark Star clan." – the man introduced himself – "And you're currently in the Dark Realm."

"What…? The Dark Realm… That means my friends are somewhere here! Tell me, where are they?! What did you do to them?!" – Emma demanded with determination in her voice and eyes.

"You have the same look in your eyes… There are no doubts, you indeed are Queen Selene." – Ernest commented.

As Emma was saying nothing, the prince pursued:

"The queen gave me the same look, when she thought she could defy me… I just adore her… your strong and beautiful emerald sparks."

Ignoring Ernest's (somehow disturbing) words, Emma said:

"Why are you attacking the realms? What are you trying to accomplish with your darkness? And where are my friends?!"

Emma particularly insisted on the last question. Of course, it was this question Ernest ignored.

"My biggest dream is to eliminate Crystal Forest. I want to erase it from the map of cosmos. Forever."

"What…?! You're evil and insane!" – Emma shouted.

"You shouldn't judge me. You're the one who broke the rules first." – Ernest calmly replied.

Emma looked at him interrogatively, and the dark prince pursued:

"Everyone on the realm lives a very long life, with eternal youth and beauty. It's against nature. We're made to eventually die. A body evolves only to be consumed by time. The cells die, my dear future queen. And you, and your Eternal Crystal, changed the natural course of things. It's an offense to gods."

Emma kept speechless, surprised by how Ernest saw things. Before she could reply anything, Prince Ernest added:

"Oh, but what was I thinking! My apologies! After all, you are a goddess."

His tone, even though his words were true, was actually half-sarcastic. Then, he approached Emma and he whispered, with a disturbing grin:

"Do you want to hear a story? It's about how I saw your terrifying power for the first time. It was the day the Dark Star clan attacked the Crystal Forest. Almost everything was erased away, except the castle of course. I was about to make the next step, which means destroy your home. It was then, as I saw you. It was unexpected, really. You never stepped a foot outside your castle. But this day, you ran outside, looking around, seeming to search for someone. The only word emitted from your lips was "Emma"."

Emma understood that he was referring to Little Em.

"As soon as I saw Queen Selene, I was amazed. I had to make her surrender to my power, to the great darkness. She looked at me despised, just like you're looking at me now. I was about to shot my dark magic at her, but she wasn't hit. Somehow, she got enveloped inside a crystal. It was impossible to break. It was the first time I saw what the Eternal Crystal is capable of. It is able to protect its owner, which means it can do lots of other things. It can do dark things."

"No! I won't let you do this!" – Emma shouted in anger.

"How do you plan stop me? You're my prisoner, or if you prefer, my permanent guest. I intend to keep you here for long years, the eternity. You'll see how the story of the universe… your story… will be rewritten. We'll erase the Crystal Forest by attacking the realms from the past. And you'll be mine. I could watch and face your anger and frustration forever. And that's what I'll do. So, I suggest you start to get used to this room, because it'll be your eternal home from now."

With those words, Ernest grinned and even stroked, in a possessive way, Emma's terrified face. But the girl wasn't about to give up. She turned her head from the man's hand and she grabbed her brooch.

"Light Crystal Power!"

But nothing happened. Emma looked shocked at her broach, not understanding why she couldn't transform. Ernest only laughed and said:

"This is the Dark Realm, dear. It's not called like that for nothing. This place is filled with darkness. I could even say this place is darkness. And what does the darkness do? It absorbs the light, including yours."

With those words, Ernest left the room. Emma stared on the door for a few moments, before a tear escaped her eye. She felt hopeless.

Crystal Forest, days ago

The utopian city, known as the Crystal Forest, was peaceful as it always was for three centuries. Emma, the daughter of Queen Selene and the Pirate King Killian Jones, was however struggled through her life, thinking she wouldn't be like her mother. As she was heading the docks, she got suddenly cornered by some of her classmates.

"So, what are you doing here, all alone, Your Highness?" – one boy said, the last two words sounding actually sarcastic.

"Aren't you afraid to walk all alone, far away from your mummy?" – another one added.

"Whatever you think… I'm not…!" – Emma protested, but her voice betrayed her offense.

"And how will you defend yourself, huh?" – a third guy added – "What kind of power do you have?"

"Yeah, show us the power of the Eternal Crystal, for once!" – the first boy pursued – "You don't have that power, do you? You're nothing like the queen!"

At that sentence, the three boys laughed, while Emma's eyes got teary. The three boys began to push her around, continuing to mock her.

"Hey! Go ahead! Defend yourself!"

"Yeah! If you want us to stop, make us!"

"You can't do it? That's what we thought! You're a fake princess!"

They pursued a little, until they finally decided to leave her. As they walked away, the little princess began to cry loudly. When her cries calmed a little, but still saddened, she heard that a ship was arriving at the dock. Looking at the ship, she recognized it. "It's the Jolly Roger…!" – she thought for herself – "Dad is back!" She turned happy, her face smiled and she ran to the dock as fast as she could.

Dark Realm

"Am I really trapped in there forever…?" – Emma was whispering to herself, trying to suppress her tears – "I'm constantly failing everyone… I failed my parents, my friends, and even my future daughter, Little Em…"

Emma then put her face into the pillow and she let her tears flow. Then, she remembered what her mother always said: "Hope dies the last." Emma slowly sat on the bed, and shook her head. Mary Margaret was always very optimistic. Emma wished she could be like her in moments like this one. "Maybe the problem is that I don't hope enough… Maybe, after what life brought me, I refuse to find hope?" – Emma thought – "It's easier when my friends are on my side. But now, I'm alone. Cecilia… Alex… Emily… Where are you now…?"

Meanwhile, in the room of darkness, three teenage figures began to move in the dark, after being motionless for days. Slowly, Cecilia opened her eyes and began to stand up. Short after, Alex and Emily followed. After looking around in confusion, Alex asked:

"Where are we…?"

"I don't know… but this place is full of darkness…" – Emily replied to her friend – "That must be our enemies' base."

"Before I awoke, I heard Emma's voice…" – Cecilia then said.

Alexandra and Emily nodded, confirming that they heard it too. Then, they held their pens in the air, shouting their transformation quotes.

"Aqua Star Power!"

"Lightning Star Power!"

"Wind Star Power!"

But the magic didn't come from their items. The girls looked confused and alarmed that they didn't transform like they usually could.

"What's going on? Why can't we transform?" – Cecilia asked.

"Not sure… maybe the amount of darkness…?" – Emily suggested.

"That must be it." – Alex agreed – "But anyway, we must find our way out…"

The girls wanted to walk away, but then they saw that they were locked in a cylindrical room, and the way out was blocked by the droids. They were guarding the doors and they were staring straight at the girls. Feeling threatened, the three guardians walked back at the center of the room and sat on the ground.

"It seems like we're blocked here… and I feel myself weaken again…" – Cecilia said.

"I wish Emma or anyone else would come and help…" – Alex added.

"Emma… we need you…" – Emily said quietly.

Despite of being in another room, far from the room of darkness, Emma heard her friends' voices in her head. Her heart skipped a beat, hearing her three friends say her name.

"Cecilia… Alex… Emily…!" – Emma exclaimed, standing on her feet – "Girls, they're alive! I must go find them!"

With those words Emma rushed out of her room. She had no idea where she was going or which direction she had to take, but she knew one thing: her friends were alive and she would rescue them no matter what!

Crystal Forest, days ago

Killian arrived at the dock, the Jolly Roger now tied to the dock posts. The first person he saw who made him smile was his daughter, Emma.

"Hello. How's my Little Swan?" – Killian asked with a smile and stroking her head slightly.

"Hi dad. I'm ok… How was your journey?" – his daughter asked, avoiding to talk about herself.

"Oh, it went fine, as usual. When your kingdom is peaceful, the boat journeys turn less exciting…" – the pirate commented.

Looking down at his daughter, he saw that she wasn't that okay as she told him. Even though he could see her being happy to see him, he could easily tell she was sad about something. He bent down to her and looked in her eyes. Knowing that he noticed her sadness, she thought she should be honest and tell him what bothered her.

"The other kids, they… they think I would not be a queen like my mum, Queen Selene." – she answered, her eyes turning teary again.

She hugged her father, who immediately hugged her back. After a moment, Killian stood up and offered to Emma his right hand, the one he still had, which the girl took. They began to slowly walk to their castle and Killian asked:

"Did you tell your mother what's bothering you?"

"No… I… I didn't…" – Emma said, looking down.

"That's what I thought. I can recognize your mum in you right now." – the king commented, as Emma looked at him puzzled – "She used to be like that, when she was younger… hiding behind her walls, instead of expressing her feelings or matters. You shouldn't do that, Emma. It won't solve anything."

This made Emma a bit thoughtful. After a moment, she nodded slightly. Killian knew she wouldn't dare to speak with Selene about it soon. But he could see that she understood, and it was a start. Then, he said:

"Let me tell you a story. Centuries ago, lived a girl named Emma Swan. The world was harsh, and sometimes cruel, to her. So she took the habit to hide herself emotionally, afraid to be hurt by others. But progressively, that changed."

"She was mum… right? And how?" – Emma Jones asked.

"She became Sailor Light." – Killian said with a smile – "It was from that moment that she began, step by step, open herself to others. Being Sailor Light made her brave. She always fought for the right cause and she never gave up. She was really amazing."

Killian had an expression of nostalgia on his face, as he was remembering those days. He looked down at his daughter and pursued:

"It took time for her to realize everything she was capable of, though. Sailor Light saw darkness in all its possible forms… she faced the most incredible of challenges. She always did everything in her power to help her friends and family. And it was by facing everything life or evil could bring, that she became who she is now."

Emma looked at her father, her eyes sparkling in amazement. She smiled and she said:

"I guess Sailor Light was very strong."

"She was invincible." – Killian said, making Emma smile.

When they arrived at the Crystal Palace, Killian saw Queen Selene sitting in the throne room. She seemed pensive, but whatever occupied her mind left instantly, as soon as she saw Killian enter, in company of their child.

"Killian!" – the queen exclaimed with a bright smile, after what she ran straight in his arms – "I missed you!"

"I missed you too, Swan." – Killian replied happily, as he reunited with his beloved wife.

Then, the couple kissed and so, Emma decided to give them space. She was walking around the castle, and after a while she stumbled across a door that she never seen before. "I wonder where it leads…" – she mused. Curious, she went through the door, and she saw a Sailor Guardian, standing there alone. Emma was surprised. She knew very well about Aqua, Fire, Wind, Lightning and Rose, but she had never heard about this guardian. The Sailor Guardian noticed her, so she turned around and she bowed slightly to her.

"Hello, Princess Emma. It's an honor and pleasure to meet you." – she said politely.

"You know me…?" – Emma asked surprised.

"I can recognize you easily, even though we never actually met. You look a lot like your mother, the queen." – the guardian explained with a smile.

With only this small phrase, Emma felt a bit comfort. No one (besides her father) told her that she was like her mum. So, the small princess managed a little smile and she asked:

"Who are you…?"

"Oh, where are my manners? I am Sailor Tempus, the guardian of space and time." – the guardian introduced herself.

"It's nice to meet you, Sailor Tempus." – Emma said, her mood getting a bit better.

Dark Realm

Emma's attention got caught by a certain room, where she could see a man standing next to a column of dark energy. He was examining the amount of power of the droids he was creating. He then noticed the "guest" standing at the door and he said:

"You must be the future queen of Crystal Forest."

Emma made one careful step inside. The man fully turned to face her and he introduced himself:

"I am Prince Ernest's brother, Elac. And this place is the center of the Dark Realm, the reactor of the black megalith. This is also the only enter to this realm, as well as its exit. But this realm also has a mind of its own. Just like my brother, Ernest. He has this habit to follow his impulses instead of what was strictly planned."

Elac approached Emma and explained further, while the girl kept speechless:

"That's what happened with the plantation of the black megalith in the Crystal Forest. Originally that wasn't planned. But when my brother decides something…"

Elac made a few more steps to the girl.

"He and I shouldn't have come here… we just followed Wiseman as soon as we met him, accepting his helping hand and his power. He explained us that the Eternal Crystal was the only possible rival to the black megalith. Since then, my brother turned very obsessed by the black megalith and the Dark Realm. It's difficult to reason him now…"

While Elac was speaking, Emma didn't notice a few droids approach her from behind. The man added:

"The only way to do so is to… destroy you!"

At those words, the droids grabbed Emma by her limbs, making her unable to move. They wouldn't let go of her, despite the girl's shouts and wriggles.

"Once the great Sailor Light dead, we'll be able to destroy all the realms of the past."

"The realms of the past…?"

"Yes, the ones that constitute the Crystal Forest today. Especially the Enchanted Forest and the Land Without Magic. But others won't escape their dark fate. We'll create a new history, by creating another realm, closer to our likes. That was our original plan. But Ernest lost his mind… because of you. It's all you and your Eternal Crystal!"

Then, Elac used a piece of black megalith to give it a dagger-like form, and the second after, he launched it in Emma's direction.

"NO!"

Something unexpected happened. The brooch Emma was holding in her hand began to glow. Emma, her eyes closed, focused on her friends. She needed them now!

In the room of darkness, Cecilia, Emily and Alexandra felt their friend's distress. They stood up and raised their pens again.

"Our friend needs us! We must help her, no matter what it costs!" – Alexandra said, ignoring the droids who began to get agitated.

"Emma! Please hear us! We are with you!" – Emily shouted.

"Yes, with our minds and hearts!" – Cecilia added.

Crystal Forest

Danielle and Rosalie, in their sailor forms, gasped, feeling the jewels on their tiaras glow. Everyone looked surprised at them. Both girls just took each other's hands and closed their eyes. "Emma… wherever you are… we're here for you…" – Rosalie thought. "Don't be afraid, our bond, the bond of the Chosen Six, is unbreakable." – Danielle mentally reminded to her friend, somehow sure that Emma would hear them. The two girls began to glow.

"Danielle…?" – Regina asked, slightly worried, not understanding what was going on.

"David, look…" – Mary Margaret said, indicating at the colorful sparkles emitting from the black megalith.

"What's this?" – David asked, surprised.

The small lights were of color indigo, yellow and blue. After a moment, Little Em smiled and she said:

"Those are the colors of the guardians… it's Alex, Cecilia and Emily."

"The girls are alive! I knew it!" – Mary Margaret exclaimed.

"This means Emma must be okay too." – David added, to which his wife nodded.

Dark Realm

"Girls… I can feel your presence… even if you're not really there…" – Emma thought – "Our hearts are connected. It will give us the power to transform!" Emma then shouted:

"Light Crystal Power!"

And within seconds, Emma turned into Sailor Light. The light emitted during her transformation pushed the droids away.

"What?!" – Elac shouted – "It's impossible!"

"Girls! As our hearts are joined, transform!" – Emma shouted.

Meantime, in the room of darkness, as the three girls were surrounded by the droids, felt Emma's power in the air. Seeing it to be the best opportunity, they shouted their quotes once more.

"Aqua Star Power!"

"Wind Star Power!"

"Lightning Star Power!"

This time, their powers didn't fail them. They transformed into Sailor Aqua, Sailor Wind and Sailor Lightning, after what they destroyed the droids around them. Then, taking each others' hands, they used to strong connection of the Chosen Six' powers to teleport themselves away, right on Emma's side.

As soon as Sailor Light saw her friends appear next to her, she exclaimed joyfully:

"Girls! I'm so glad to see you! You're safe and sound!"

"Of course, and that's all thanks to you." – Alexandra replied.

"No! It just can't be! The darkness of this realm is way too powerful! You shouldn't be able to use your powers!" – Elac shouted in anger and frustration.

"Don't underestimate the power of the Sailor Guardians!" – Sailor Light replied – "Together, we can accomplish anything! And we shall punish you in the name of the Light!"

"You fool! Light is nothing against the great darkness of our new realm!" – Elac shouted, beginning to charge dark energy in his hands – "Soon, you'll see everything you believed in disappear! And none of you can stop us!"

"We'll see that!" – Sailor Wind protested – "Aria Breeze!"

As the wind destabilized Elac for a moment, Sailor Aqua and Sailor Lightning used their own attacks on him.

"Oceanic Purity Ball!"

"Glowing Thunderstorm!"

As the ball of water and the thunder from above hit the man, he lost complete control of the dark powers. But Emma knew it wasn't for very long, so she had to act quickly. She made the Nebula Wand appear in her hand and she shouted:

"Heavens Princess Kiss!"

The powerful beam of light immediately shot at Elac. He did his best to resist the light emitted by the weapon, shouting:

"No…! You're not done…! You'll see, the Dark Star clan… is… invincible…! The darkness… shall destroy… everything…!"

And it was with those last words that the young prince of darkness collapsed on the ground, lifeless.

"We did it… Now, we shall go out of there." – Emma said – "Elac said that this column of dark energy is the exit of the Dark Realm."

"But to pass it, we must concentrate all the light we have within us." – Emily suggested.

Sailor Light and others nodded, then they joined their hands together and walked to the dark column. Closing their eyes, they concentrated to activate their inner light, which would permit them to cross the darkness without being hurt. Soon, the jewels on their tiaras began to glow brightly, before the light enveloped them entirely. It was at that moment when Prince Ernest entered the room and saw his dead brother.

"No, Elac!" – he shouted, running to Elac's body.

Seeing that he was really dead, he wanted to use his darkness to attack the four girls. But he hadn't enough time to do anything, because at that moment the guardians entered in the column of darkness, before disappearing from Ernest's sight.

Crystal Forest, days ago

Emma, without any doubt, made of Sailor Tempus a friend. Talking to her made her feel better. But even though Tempus' comfort had its effect, Emma was still haunted by what her classmates taunted her with. It didn't happen just once, so the words of some bullies began to affect the princess more than a friend's or parent's words should. So, Emma made a decision. She would prove to her classmates that she could be like a queen too, by taking the Eternal Crystal. Emma entered the chamber where the Eternal Crystal was encased. The girl approached it and, after a moment of hesitation, she used Lux T to break the case containing the Eternal Crystal. But when she touched it, the Eternal Crystal glowed and disappeared! "What…? I don't understand… Where did it go? What's going to happen now?" – Emma thought in panic. Hearing someone coming, Emma grabbed Lux T and hid behind one of the curtains. Queen Selene entered, and saw that the Eternal Crystal was missing.

"The Eternal Crystal… is gone…?" – she muttered to herself, as she felt her panic rise.

If the crystal was gone, the kingdom was in danger, and most of all was Emma! Queen Selene quickly left the room, looking for her.

"Emma…! Emma, where are you…?!" – the queen was yelling, worried for her daughter's safety.

A few moments later, an explosion was heard. Frightened, Emma went to search her mother. But when she exited the castle, she saw her encased in the Eternal Crystal!

"Mum… No… What have I done…? It's my fault… If only I didn't take the Eternal Crystal…" – Emma was blaming herself, tears streaming down her face.

Crystal Forest

Mary Margaret, David and Little Em were staring at the escaping sparks from the megalith. Regina was pacing a bit aside, while the two guardians were standing next to the King (or, precisely, his hologram), but their attention was not less concentrated on the state of the megalith. Suddenly, an intense beam of light emitted from it, causing everyone close their eyes. When the light dissipated and they opened their eyes, what a pleasant surprise it was! Emma, Cecilia, Alex and Emily were all there (still in their sailor forms)!

"Emma!" – Mary Margaret ran to her daughter and hugged her tightly, letting go of the worry she dealt with during the long hours.

Emma, taken aback at first (due to the urgency of the hug), hugged her mother back, before David joined them too. Emily, Cecilia and Alexandra ran to Danielle and Rosalie.

"Girls, you're finally back! Are you okay?" – Rosalie asked on edge of tears.

"What did they do to you?!" – Danielle asked with worry, her grudge against the Dark Star clan evident.

"Don't worry, we're all right. Emma saved us…" – Alexandra replied.

"Well… I would say you actually saved me." – Emma contradicted her friend.

"In fact, you saved each other." – Pirate King Killian said, stepping ahead – "The bond between you, the Chosen Six, is very strong. As long as you're united by soul, you six can make the greatest of miracles."

"Wow… I never thought we had such powers…" – Emma said, amazed.

"Never doubt that, Emma Swan." – Killian said with a small smile.

Then, Emma walked to Little Em and she asked:

"Little Em… are you okay?"

"Yes. Never been that good." – the little girl said with a smile, then taking Emma's hand, she added – "Dad was right about you. You truly are invincible."

Emma smiled back. Then, Cecilia, Emily and Alexandra looked around in confusion, and after a moment, Cecilia asked to her friends:

"But… what's this place…? What's going on?"

"And why is Captain Hook here?" – Emily asked quietly to Rosalie, stepping to her friend a bit closer, as in a self-protecting manner.

"Hours ago, I was as much surprised as you were." – Regina commented.

"We have lots of things to tell you." – Danielle added – "But I warn you: what you'll hear might shock you."

"Well, that wouldn't be the first time…" – Cecilia said.

So, the whole group walked back to Little Em and her parent's castle. It would be a long story to tell and it was better to be told in a safer place.

A/N: Reviews are always welcome.