Daughter of Darkness || Once Upon a Time

Chapter One | To the Underworld

"Hades, quit giving the guests trouble!"

Both Regina and Mary Margaret instantly recognized the voice."No," Regina muttered. "Not even our luck can be this bad. Don't we have to run out of bad luck some day?"

Hades stepped aside to reveal the woman Mary Margaret had feared running into in the Underworld.

"I was just giving them my introduction speech," he told the woman.

"Your introduction speeches are so long and boring, though. Let me show them around." Cora smiled her seemingly innocent smile at the group, "Welcome to the Underworld."

❃
|Storybrooke|
❃

Merida was more than happy to accept Belle's job offer of being the one to arrest King Arthur. She threw him into one of the jail cells at the sheriff's station and locked the gate.

"Who's be'ind bars now?" She jeered.

"What now? Are you going to take my head off?" Arthur responded. "Because that would be much more pleasant than listening to your accented sass all day!"

Merida opened her mouth to respond, but Belle cut her off. "No, we're leaving now. We have more important matters to attend to."

Belle took Merida's wrist and led her out of the sheriff's station. Once outside, Belle lowered her voice. "We don't know how long the others will be in the Underworld, but we need to keep this town running while they're gone. I don't know what happened last time everyone left, but I think this time will be worse. They've opened a portal to the Underworld, and I don't know what that could do to this town."

"So what d'ya want me ter do?" Merida asked, confused why she out of all people had been chosen by Belle to help Storybrooke when everyone was off on a suicide quest to the Underworld.

"I need you to gain the trust of the merry men. They've been without a leader for well over twelve weeks, so if you step in to take charge, they could possibly listen to you."

Merida nodded. "They're Robin 'ood's men, yeah? I think I can do that."

❃
|The Underworld|
❃

Regina looked her mother in the eye. "We need to talk."

"Regina, dear--"

"Did I stutter? We need to talk. Now."

Cora followed Regina over to the side, unsure of what had happened since she had died for Regina to be so angry at her. And why were they all looking for that darned pirate Cora had kept around only for his good looks?

"A sister?!" Regina demanded once they were out of earshot of the other. "Why did you never tell me I had a sister?!"

"Well, I didn't think you'd ever have to worry about it."

"You were wrong! Very wrong! Listen, I'm glad to see you and all, but since you've died, things have changed. I'm not going to be pushed around by you anymore, and I'm not going to accept any lies. So if there's any other oddly colored people I should watch out for in the future, please tell me right now."

Cora hesitated no more than a second before answering. "No. Your half-sister is the only part of your past that I hid from you."

"Good. In that case, we've had our talk. Now unless you can tell us where that one-handed pirate is, you can leave."

"Speaking of which, why are you looking for him?"

"Because through a long chain of events, he became a hero of sorts and started dating Emma. Until this whole problem with the Dark One darkness, when Emma had to kill him."

"Ah. Well I don't know where he is, but I would be glad to help you."

"No." Regina's tone of voice clearly said she wouldn't tolerate arguing. "You are not coming with us."

"Regina...are you hiding something from me?"

"No. But if I was, it's not like I wouldn't have my reasons. I mean you sort of ruined my entire life."

"I thought Snow White was the one who ruined your life?"

"No. No, because if you hadn't taken your heart out, you never would have traded everything for power. I never wanted power!" Regina's voice cracked. "I just wanted to be loved, and it was clear you weren't going to do that."

"Regina, I had to take my heart out!"

"Why, so you could say goodbye to your boyfriend? All you've ever cared about is power, Mother. And I am done with it, so get out of my life, and just...just go back to being dead!"

Cora could only watch as Regina turned and walked back to the group she had come to the Underworld with. It was strange to Cora that Regina had come with the Charmings and their wretched daughter. And then there was Rumplestiltskin, and--

Oh.

So that was what Regina was hiding. Or rather, who she was hiding.

Well two could play at that game.

~

Author's note: I'm going to say right now that this fan fiction is not necessarily what I think will happen in season five, but rather what I want to happen. I will still include all of the other characters that have been confirmed to be returning (Pan, Cruella, the Blind Witch, ect), and also some that haven't been confirmed (but no spoilers). And before you Captain Swan shippers get your hopes up, this is not a Captain Swan fan fiction. It's centered around Outlaw Queen more than anything, but all of the main characters are included.