Regina begins to pace through the ruin alley way, worrying that her friend may do something stupid to upset Hades. "What did she mean by him not being able to interfere? And what's so important that he is? I don't like this."
"Me either" Snow agrees.
"He is interfering because she is enchanted and in order for an enchantment to still have power in this realm it has to be done by…"
"A guardian or a god…yes, yes you already explain that." Rumple says getting irritated.
"Yes however if the enchantment or spell was cast by a former god it will work as well so long as their power is established."
"What does that mean?" Henry utters.
"It means that someone, either Hades or Zeus, or a guardian, which is unlikely do to their role, can allow a former god their powers even if that god was banished." Cora says.
"Who would want to do that to her? I mean it's gotta be a mistake, come on." David says a bit panic.
"Besides she does love him?" Snow says softly.
"Do you honestly believe that?" A woman says appearing in front of them in a golden light. She is dressed in a white dress outlined in silver; she had blue/green eyes and brown hair hanging on her shoulders.
Everyone looks shock having a goddess in their presents though more so that Cora is slightly bowing. "Your highness." She says before disappearing.
Emma looks nervously at her surroundings, "I don't trust you, and I'm not sure if I believe you, but I will think about what you have told me before I proceed." She glances up at Hades.
"That is all I ask." Hades says calmly before leaving Emma to her thoughts.
In silence is how the group stood for minutes scared to speak to the deity. "I won't bite," she says with a laugh "well hard."
"So which Greek goddess are you?" Henry speaks up.
"The one who is helping your mother." She says with sass.
"What are you doing here?" Emma asks as she steps around the corner.
"Well to tell you you're an idiot for one!"
"I could have saved you from that." Regina interrupts.
"Seriously?"Emma questions the goddess.
"Seriously, some things about a person don't change Emma. And you know that no matter how hard you wish you could have loved him to not disappoint your…"she pauses looking around the group waving her hands smoothly "parents, you can't. If you think about it you will have to have no choice but accept the truth. It is for the best, no more hiding Emma."
"But…" she utters, worried about hurting her family, worried that they won't love her, want her, worried knowing there is no going back.
"Just give me the ring, destroy the enchantment. I get that you're scared of the truth, of what might come of it, but Emma you've been alone most of your life, only just recently met your parents what's the worst that can happen?-being alone again, it's not like the last while can make up for your past. You know I'm right, dear"
Emma slowly lifts her hand and holds onto the ring around her neck. Snapping the chain she hands it to the goddess. Black and red magic flows out of Emma causing her to reach for the wall as she descends slowly to the floor. Resting her head against the wall she exhales and closes her eyes, rigid breaths heard by her family as they watch with confusion and worry.
"So this was all a waste of time!" Rumple says.
Henry sits down beside his mom and she lays her head on his shoulder in silence.
"Just take your time ma; we are with you when you're ready."
"We don't have much time though," she says lifting her head "it was the lion's magic."
"I am truly sorry." The deity says softly.
"I believe you. I will call for you if we need, but right now you are needed on Olympics. You must claim your fathers thrown."
She shakes her head. "I can't, I won't betray him."
"He betrayed the realms! Hades explained the cause and back track effect."
"Emma" Snow interrupts "you can't speak like that to a goddess."
Emma stares up at her mother then back to the deity getting up she goes to reach for the goddesses hand then stop "You have no choice Athena, it's you or…I don't even want to know."
She nods and turns to gather her thoughts, "I understand."
"So go already and thank you truly."
"It doesn't change anything though, between us, does it?" Athena whispers.
"No, not really." Emma says leaning her head on the wall, eyes closed as everyone watches in wonder as the deity vanish.
"What the hell was that?" shouts David.
"Like they said an enchantment. One of the former dark ones must have given Hook the spell and motivation for it, they must have done it together." Emma says with defeat "This realm is more dangerous now; it was set as a trap to be a meeting point."
"And what would this 'lion'" Rumple says waving his right hand dramatically "want with you, Cora says they would want the orphan that had wings, the one who fought back till the end, defeated them. Is there something you're not telling us Miss Swan?"
"Wow, you learned all that from her." She says shaking her head.
"Either way we should move forward, I for one will not want to stumble in the lions nest." Robin says griping his bow tightly.
"Coming from one who has a tattoo of one, that's rich." Rumples smirks "perhaps it is you their looking for."
"Enough! This is nonsense, how could it be him?" Regina says.
"She's right, he would not have grown up in the enchanted forest, nor have a tattoo of something that bares the animal to the ones who've well done that sort of stuff to him, doesn't make much sense unless they broke him." Emma says with bite then sadness looking towards Regina.
"And how would we know that for sure Miss Swan?"
"It would appear on his back, faded but still there." She says.
"May I?" Regina asks Robin,
"You may."
Lifting his shirt she sees no flog marks or cuts riddling his back just one cut towards the middle where she goes over with her fingers. "That was Rumplestiltskin." He says.
"See, told ya" Emma says "you two can go back home with Henry and the others. Nothing to worry about, your happiness is solid." She says to Regina.
"What about you? We're not leaving you down here." She says back.
"Yeah ma" Henry says
"We've come this far Emma; just tell us, we want to help." Snow says eagerly.
"Well I'm afraid we have a problem then." A sharp voice is heard as a tall dark haired man with magic at his fingertips says as he comes into view.
Emma looks up with panic. "Just let them go, they've done nothing."
"Oh I guess this is going to be easier than I thought, Em-ma." He snickers, waving his hand out shooting magic in their direction.