ETERNALLY ⇢ HENRY MILLS [2]

chapter twenty-nine

"How'd it get here?" Brooke asked as her, Henry Emma, David, Hook, Zelena, Regina and Hades stood in front of the clocktower in the graveyard.
"The hands are moving, is that a good sign or a bad one?" Emma added.
"A great one." Hades replied. "If you want to leave, those hands will spin fast enough in about an hour and it will turn into an open portal back." He explained.
"Which we can't go through because of those." Regina said, pointing at the gravestones with the group's names on. "So, let's get on with it."
"Gladly." With a wave of his hand, Hades removed their names off the gravestones. "There, as promised."
"I told you love could change him." Zelena smiled.
"I don't buy it." Hook retorted. "A man can't change that quickly."
"We're free to go through the portal which means it's time to split my heart so you can leave with us." Emma said to Hook.
"Aye, love."
Emma turned to Regina. "Do it."
Regina reached for Emma's chest and pulled her heart out before ripping it in half and handing one half to Emma, who turned around to Hook. When she tried to put her heart inside, she felt a pain in her chest and clutched it.
"Mom!" Henry shouted, running towards her.
Regina took Emma's heart and put it back inside her.

"Why didn't it work?!" Emma panicked.
"I told you we couldn't trust him!" Hook glared at Hades.
"That wasn't me. I'm afraid there are laws in nature beyond even my control." Hades replied.
"No, it should work! I died and my wife's heart brought me back." David explained.
"How long were you dead?"
"A minute or so, maybe less?" Regina said, looking to David to check if she was right.
"Ah, I didn't think I recalled you entering this realm. Your soul never left your body that's why it worked for you." Hades told him.

"So, Hook's been down here too long?" Brooke summarised, looking over to Emma, who was pressed against Hook's chest.
"And his body is rotting the way up there. Even if your soul could return to it, I doubt that either of you could stomach the smell." Hades said to Brooke, who gasped.
"Well, it appears that you'll have to return without me." Hook muttered.
"There must be another way!"
"Emma, please-"
"You're telling me no one's gone to the Underworld and brought someone back?" Emma questioned.
Hades didn't answer.
"I'm taking that someone has." Brooke whispered to Henry.
"Who?" Emma urged.
"It was a long time ago and it was a rumour." Hades replied. "There's no proof that it actually worked."
"Tell me everything."

***

"Orpheus and Eurtdace." Hades told them.
"I know this myth," Henry stated, taking the book. "she died and you followed her to the Underworld to get her back."
"These are the only two souls who ever escaped my realm."
"How?" David asked him. "I thought you said that broke the laws of nature."
"Orpheus helped Eurtdace escape by feeding her ambrosia: the food of the Gods."
"And where do you get that?" Brooke asked.
"Yes, because I don't recall seeing it on the menu at the blind witches." Regina said, Brooke snorted.

Hades lead them to the elevator, which he magicked up.
"An elevator? I'm the saviour, I've got magic." Emma stated.
"And I'm the Lord of the Underworld, that should tell you something." Hades shot back.
"The ambrosia: it's powerful and like a petty spoiled child - it wants all the power for itself." Hades told them. "Everything else is shut down below, there's no hopping in and out in a puff of smoke. This is the only way. Once you're down there, you're on your own."

"We're knee-deep in a field of ambrosia it can't be that easy." Emma stated.
"I'm not really sure. Not even I have been that far down."
"So, we're going to the one place in Hell where even the devil is afraid to go?" Hook remarked.
"Not Hell and not the devil." Zelena scoffed.
"And not because I'm afraid; there's a test to insure that only those who are worthy of eating ambrosia can reach it and it will require offering up your heart, for judgement." Hades told them.
Emma began to reply but was cut off by Hades, who reached out and grabbed her heart.
"You're not." He said, popping it into a bag. "My gift to you, take good care of it." He handed it to Emma.
"Let this be the last time we do this today, okay?"
"Just trying to help." Hades whispered.
"So failing this test leads to what, fatal consequences?" Emma asked.
"One would think."
"You don't have to do this, Swan." Hook said.
"And you didn't have to sacrifice your life to save all of us from The Dark Ones. I'm going." Emma replied.
"We'll be right here waiting for you." David reassured his daughter.

Emma turned to Regina.
"I know the drill; if you're not back by sunset-"
"Everybody leaves, promise me." Emma finished.
"You'll be back." Regina reassured.
"I love you, mom." Henry said, hugging her.
"I love you too, kid."

Brooke smiled at the two before Emma turned to her and giving her a quick hug.
She then turned to Hook, who nodded and the two walked into the elevator.

***

"We can't just sit around, waiting for them to get back." Henry sighed, pacing up and down.
"We don't have a choice, Henry." Brooke sighed.
"She's right." Regina agreed. "The minute Emma and Hook get off this elevator we're going straight through that portal."
"What about Operation Firebird? We can't leave the Underworld without helping the people trapped here."
"They were trapped here because of Hades." Regina nodded her head in his direction. "Who fortunately for them will no longer be a resident."
"She's right. The Underworld will function as it was meant to; a place for people to deal with The unfinished business without anyone getting in the way." Hades told him.
"Yeah. But a lot of the people down here don't even know what their unfinished business is." Henry snapped. "But maybe as The Author, I can tell them."

Regina was about to say something when Robin walked in, holding his and Zelena's baby. "What's going on?"
"Great. You got our message." David said
"What are they doing here?" Robin asked, pointing at Zelena and Hades.
"Hello to you too." Zelena retorted. "Are you just gonna stand there or are you going to let out darling daughter see her mommy?"
"Regina-"
"It's okay, Robin. As hard as this is to believe, they're actually helping us." Regina told him.
"We both want the same thing: to leave this place." Hades stated.
"It's true. He took our names off the tomb stones and we can leave." David exclaimed.
"Well, then what are we still doing here?"
Zelena shrugged. "Boy scout's got a point. We could take the baby to the cemetery now and walk through as soon as it opens."
"Not without Emma and Hook." Brooke stated.
Regina sighed. "And Henry's right. We can still help people." She smiled at her son before turning to Robin. "Take the baby to the portal."
"No! I'm not leaving you in this place. He may be playing nice but there's still plenty of people down here who have a grudge against you."
"Okay, then give the baby to Zelena."
"Are you mad?!"

Zelena looked offended at first, but once Regina turned to her sister and smiled, she could only do the same.

"We can trust her." Regina said.
"Maybe you can." Robin retorted.
"Trust me. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think it's what's best for your daughter." Regina replied, calmly.

Robin looked down at his baby before back up at Regina and walking over to Zelena. She smiled and held out her arms and Robin handed her their child.
"Thank you." Zelena smiled at her sister, hugging her with her spare hand.
Once Hades and Zelena walked out, Regina turned to Robin. "Are you okay?"
"I-I just need a moment." He replied with tears in his eyes before walking out.

Regina sighed as Brooke's eyes followed Robin. She had a feeling something was wrong. "Hang on..." She whispered.
"What is it?" Henry asked, putting his hand on his girlfriend's shoulder.
She brushed it off and followed Robin without saying a word. Henry was about to follow her when David put his arm out in front of him. "Don't worry, I'm sure she's just checking if he's feeling okay."

When Brooke walked into the room, she gasped when she saw Gold and he spun around. Robin looked just as scared as she was.
"Ah, the younger, the better!" He exclaimed. "Don't worry, dearie, neither of you will remember any of this." He smirked before ripping out Brooke's heart.

***

"Is he okay?" Regina asked as Brooke walked back into the main room. Feeling slightly unsteady for some unknown reason, she nodded. "Yes and no, I guess. I think we should just leave him."
Regina sighed before flashing Brooke a smile. "Okay, thanks, Brooke."