Hello everyone. I'm really sorry it took this long for me to upload this chapter and the ones to come. Truth is I wrote them months ago but I wasn't 100 percent happy with them. I've gone back and forth and felt stuck when I finally decided just to put this out there. Let me know in reviews what you guys think and happy reading. :)

Please review so I know you're still out there and interested.

Chapter 16

Revelations part 2

The white stone proved it's worth as Emma opens her eyes having arrived back in the room where Persephone, Hook and Mila were waiting for her. As she suspected Gold is also there.

"Where the hell have you been? I needed your help!"

"Swan calm down. My thoughts, my magic...I'm not sure but it transported me back here."

"I really could have used you back there." Emma knows she could have run with Regina had he been there to distract Hades.

"I suppose this room is too loaded with my past. It was difficult to focus." Rumple looks behind him.

"Yeah? Well I did it!" Emma angrily barks back.

"Did you? Where is she?" Rumple asks her. But Emma looks down shamefully at having found and lost Regina.

"Ok enough!" Cora jumps in. She pulls Emma gently by the arm. "What happened?"

Emma explains how she found Regina in a trance-like state, and everything that followed. She told Cora how she heard her when she was still in the Elysian Fields.

"Interesting." Cora looks at her strangely.

"Alright that's it! Enough with the interesting. Enough with the lies. I need to know what the hell is going on if I am to find her. And your daughter or not you better believe I am not leaving here without her Cora!"

"I couldn't agree with you more Savior. Sit down."

Emma doesn't trust Cora but she has no one else she can depend on for help that knows what she's up against.

"Please." Cora insists.

"We don't have a lot of time." Emma urges.

"Which is why I will keep this as short as I can and this time Emma, we are all coming with you. You will need all the help you can get."

Cora begins, "It's difficult to find a place to start. A very long time ago I resided with my parents Demeter and Zeus. I was free to do as I pleased and I enjoyed my life very much as a Goddess. The woman you know today as Regina, my daughter only in this past life, once lived in Ancient Greek times. Her name then was Lole. She was a beautiful girl. Loved by all who knew her; she was admired for her bravery and ability to help others. She was a healer to the townspeople. One day when she was still very young Hades encountered her by accident. I'm not sure why or the context of their first meeting but I do know that he fell in love with her. At first she believed he was just a boy who took a fancy to her. In time she realized he was a god; and not just any god but the ruler of the underworld. Hades never cared she was a mortal for he became obsessed with her and believed he would be allowed to eventually take her with him to Tartarus. Everything was fine until one day Hades realized that his beloved wasn't in love with him. Lole loved another man. Well half man, half god."

"Hercules." Emma interrupts.

"Yes."

"But wasn't Hercules married to Meg-something and had children with her?"

"That came later Emma. Listen to the story so that you may understand. Lole and Hercules were madly in love with each other and as it turns out they were, are soulmates."

Emma doesn't understand why her heart drops and her throat goes dry at that revelation.

"When Hades found out that his half mortal half human nephew had taken the woman he loved he went mad with hatred. He swore that Hercules would never have Lole and that he would accelerate her delivery into Tartarus."

"He decided to kill her?" Rumple chimes in.

"Yes. Despite the fact that Lole never returned his affection nor treated him as anything but a friend he still believed she would someday realize she belonged to him."

"Aphrodite who naturally has a soft spot for true loves and cares for her nephew Hercules decided to take it upon herself to intervene. She convinced Lole to throw herself from a sea-faring cliff so that Aphrodite may take her in death to another realm, untraceable to Hades. She would be re-born when she could once again be with Hercules. "

"She convinced her to commit suicide?!" Emma was appalled.

"Lole was a young and frightened woman. She did the only thing she thought best. She wanted to protect Hercules even if it meant sacrificing her own life. Because of Aphrodite's persuasion and her sacrifice for her true love Hades lost her to the light. Had she not taken these measures Lole would have been taken to Tartarus and been lost forever."

"But why not let them be together in the afterlife? Why not fight while alive? Or why didn't Hercules join her?!"

"They couldn't have fought off Hades anymore than he could be defeated now. Besides, he was mad with jealousy and rage and he would have killed them both and taken her away. As for Hercules, if he had died with her then Hades would have immediately traced his soul to Lole."

"I can't believe that. Hercules let her just commit suicide..what a coward!"

"That's where you're wrong. Hercules only learned of her sacrifice after she had done it. He never knew of their plan. After the deed was done Aphrodite convinced him that dying would only endanger Lole. Therefore, Hercules had to wait. He spent the remainder of that lifetime in so much pain. He was in love with Lole his entire life but he had to keep it secret. He later married Megara, who was a good woman. He loved her well and he loved his children until Hades conspired with Hera and their trickery finally got the best of him. They made him mad causing him to murder his family. I'm sure you are all familiar with the legend.

When Hades realized Lole had killed herself he went to his father, Kronos, for help. He wanted to rage war against Zeus, his brother, because he was Hercules father. He never knew Aphrodite was the master mind who arranged it all. But Kronos became angered by Hades' lust for a mortal woman. He saw it as a weakness. He immediately ordered Hades to take a true goddess for a bride. And that is where I come in. He took me, against my will and against my parent's will."

"Why you?" Emma inquires.

"Because I am the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Hercules Is my half brother. He wanted to get back at him and Zeus any which way he could. Even though my parents happen to be his siblings and I his niece. But that's beside the point.

"Why are you telling us all of this?" Emma felt the weight of this knowledge. It was baffling and disturbing to her. Sometimes she wished she could return to the world where she was found by the side of the road; with the only task while growing up was trying to survive. Things were so much simpler then.

"Because I know you don't trust me and perhaps if I explain myself you will understand. You see, Hades never loved me. I admit despite my lack of say in the matter I resented him for this. I have lived thousands of years tormented by the shadow of the woman he loved but couldn't have. As a last resource he sent me with a spell to be born again as human, well partially human, in order to give birth to Lole. He sent me with a hidden agenda, unbeknownst to me to turn her evil so that he would assure himself that once dead she would end up here, in Tartarus. I didn't remember this in life. Nor did I realize how much I would love my daughter, Regina.

Emma I am not innocent because I did agree to be reborn in order to give birth to her but I never knew that such evil would be implanted in me to deliver to her."

Emma didn't realize this entire time she had unshed tears in her eyes.

"Why? Why did you do it?"

"He promised me my freedom. And I was so tired of her ghost. But mostly I wanted to be with my mother, Demeter. I am allowed to visit but only during a certain time of the year and under very difficult circumstances. I was selfish. Thousands of years in hell will do that to you. Can you forgive me?"

"Me? It's not my place to forgive you Cora. Past or no past Regina was your daughter. You need to ask her for forgiveness. But first we need to find her."

"Now you understand why I've been so desperate to keep her from him."

"Oh my God. I did this to her." Emma's tears fall freely. "Regina was finally happy and I brought her here."

Hook kneels by her and holds her hand, "You didn't know. You couldn't have."

"I brought her here to save you. I led her right to him Killian!"

"I know love. That's why we are all going to work together to save her and get everyone back to where you belong."

"So all these years that I believed I was influencing you..." Rumple starts.

Cora interrupts, "You were. But there was always a greater plan. Doesn't feel good knowing you were being manipulated all your life does it?"

They begin to make their way out of the room into the empty corridors.

"So Hades learned of the plan after so many years..how? Did he get to Aphrodite?" Emma asks Persephone.

"That part I don't know."

"How were you able to locate her soul to give birth to her?"

"Because she was finally able to rejoin her soulmate. Somehow Hades knew and risked this just to get to her."

Emma feels as if her mind is going to blow up. As crazy as she felt when she first realized she was the offsprings of Snow White and Prince Charming all this talk of past lives being real was giving her a massive headache. Mostly because she couldn't help but wonder who the key players were. She had to ask, "Was Daniel Hercu..?"

"No Emma it was never Daniel." For some reason this didn't bring Emma any peace. 'For if it wasn't Daniel that leaves the thief.' A great sadness overcame her. 'Why?' She wasn't sure but she knew that this trip to Tartarus had caused her more confusion and heartache than she could have ever anticipated.

Cora turns to the group, "Listen to me...Everyone, it is the same as before except Hades will eventually sense me and that's when we'll have to part. We will fight him with all that we have because we need to get the living out of the realm of the dead." Cora turns to Rumple and Emma. "Now think of my daughter."

"What's our plan? He's not gonna let us just waltz right up and take her!" Emma has so many questions.

"The less you know the better. While you were in the Elysian Fields we prepared a plan for this very thing. All everyone needs to do right now is think of Regina."

As they continue to walk through this nothingness that is Tartarus Emma can't help but wonder 'who the hell Hercules is?' 'Could it really be Robin? That idiot!?'

Cora interrupts her train of thought, "Emma I need you especially to think of Regina."

"Of course but why especially me?"

"Because I believe you have a special bond with her."

"Yes..our son. He is our bond." Cora decided now wasn't the time to enlighten Emma.

"Time to get her back." Emma moves forward determined as ever to get her best friend back.