─ ᴄʀᴜᴇʟʟᴀ ᴅᴇ ᴠɪʟ, ᴄʀᴜᴇʟʟᴀ ᴅᴇ ᴠɪʟ, ɪꜰ ꜱʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ'ᴛ ꜱᴄᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ.. ɴᴏ ᴇᴠɪʟ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴡɪʟʟ.
Zelena ponders over the card in her hands, re-reading the words over and over again. She hears the sound of someone appearing by magic and looks up, not in the least surprised by who was standing in the corner of her kitchen.
"Would you prefer I send you chocolates next time?"
Zelena looks up, meeting the blue eyes that look so similar to those of his daughter. "If you're looking for a thank you, maybe you should write your name on the card next time," she responds, waving the card in the air before putting it down next to her.
The God of the Underworld pushes himself away from the stove he was leaning against and approaches her carefully, each step slow and deliberate. "Well, I'm afraid I didn't come to woo you, Zelena. I came to warn you." Zelena stands up from her seat on the window sill and straightens out her black skirt nervously. She asks him what she needed a warning for.
Hades explains that she has a werewolf visitor from Oz. Zelena becomes a bit flustered. She knows exactly who he was talking about and just the thought of her makes the witch pace around the room.
If what she did to the werewolf came out to Regina she would lose all the good will she built with her. She would lose her daughter forever.
Which is why Zelena decides to leave before they find her.
Hades cocks his head to the side. It was almost as if he was challenging her, Zelena observed. "The Underworld? Easier said than done." The Wicked Witch holds his penetrating gaze, not looking away. "Need I remind you? I'm very much alive. I have my own way home."
A muscle in his jaw tightens. Hades' body language becomes a bit stiff. "And your daughter? You're just gonna leave her down here," he asks. He even sounded a little accusational.
Zelena starts arguing with him. Her daughter is exactly the reason she should go, because facing the werewolf girl would ultimately lead to doing something she will regret.
Hades slowly approaches her. Each step slow, deliberate, as they carry him closer to Zelena. "You certainly won't get your daughter back by running, hm? My Persephone is back with me because I never gave up looking for her. Because I never turned from her. Stay. Face them," he says, picking up the decayed flower from the vase she put it in.
"Let me guess, with you," she scoffs. She reads his barely hidden intentions easily. "We make quite a team. You can trust me, Zelena. I'll give you everything you want," Hades remarks. He extends the flower towards her, a token of his devotion to help her.
Zelena releases a quiet sigh. She shakes her head a little. "Sorry, Hades. My time in the Underworld is over." Hades purses his lips. He lowers his head, trying to recollect himself. The god opens his mouth but stays silent for a short moment.
Eventually he sighs. He takes a few steps back, allowing more space between the two of them. "Do what you must. But just know, either way, I'm going to take care of that wolf." He puts the flower down while Zelena watches his every move.
She parts her red lips, hesitantly uttering her next words. "Does Pres- I mean, does Persephone know about your intentions with that wolf girl?"
Hades chuckles. He keeps his gaze on the flower for a moment before shaking his head and moving his head to look at her once more. "She will understand my reasonings eventually. She is her father's daughter."
Hades steps back and spreads his arms wide open, welcoming the blue flames that come to swallow him whole and teleport him elsewhere in his domain.
°
Everyone was gathered in the loft of the Charmings, standing around the bed where Ruby had woken up. She explains she was down there because she sought Zelena and a tracking spell led her there. They asked why she wanted to find Zelena and Ruby continues her explanation.
Her friend Dorothy, the one of the yellow brick road and such, went to face her and never came back. Presley rolls her eyes, although a nudge in her ribs from Wendy quickly made her stop.
Emma expresses the thought that lingered in everyone's mind. They must go talk to Zelena.
While Ruby, Emma and Regina start to head out, Snow White stays behind to talk to her husband. She asks him to visit the phone booth and speak to their son. She also asks that he takes Hook, Wendy, Henry, Felix and Presley along since no one was safe to be alone. Keeping the daughter of Hades close might make sure they wouldn't be bothered.
David walks in front of them all with Henry at his side, followed by Felix and Hook who walk with quite some distance in between them. The tension between them from all that happened between them was still palpable, but they did their best.
Trailing behind everyone else were Wendy and Presley. They were holding hands and snuggled close to each other. If not for the orange sky and the ruins all around them, they might be just strolling around Storybrooke like many couples do.
They walk around the corner when David notices that the line for the phone booth was different than before. Less organized with people crowding the phone booth itself. Henry asks if the line is always this long and his grandfather responds that something is wrong.
The group begins crossing the street, hurrying to get closer.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing," David yells. The crowd around the booth parts to make room for them. Some of them glance at the group surrounding David and cower away. Presley notices that all their eyes lingered on her before moving them to David, who recognized the woman who was in charge of this.
Cruella de Vil.
"What does it look like, darling? I'm fulfilling my mayoral responsibilities by supervising some municipal improvements." She smirks for a second before turning to her henchman, screeching at him. "Get on with it, Claude. Rip it out!"
David physically stops him, dragging him out of the booth. He glances at Cruella. "This is the only chance these people have to contact their loved ones." Cruella's red lips stretch out into an evil smirk again. "Oh, you mean it's your only opportunity to reach out and haunt your infant son? Looks like Chisel Chin Jr., will just have to go to bed without what I can imagine are terribly dull bedtime stories."
The prince stares in disbelief at her. He was about to ask her why she was doing this when an imposing figure decided to step forward.
Presley steps onto the curb. She has her arms crossed before her chest. Her blue eyes are stern and cold as they narrow down on the woman. Behind her on her left side was Wendy. She also looks intimidating, as far as a teenage girl with frilly clothes could seem intimidating.
On her right was Felix. He has his head lowered, causing his face to be hidden in shadows except for his lips and jaw. He clutches the club in his hand, letting it slowly rotate on his shoulder. His calm and almost relaxed posture was even more intimidating than if he was ready to pounce.
"Cruella.." Presley says. She let her voice, which was dripping with venom, drawl out. Cruella raises a singular eyebrow. She scoffs at the little girl trying to seem scary. "And who might you be, little girl?"
"My name is Persephone. My father is Hades, ruler of this place. As his daughter I command you to leave these phone booths for what they are and run to hide in the deepest, darkest rat hole you can find and never show your face in my sight again."
Cruella chuckles, although she wrings her hands together with a slight hint of nervousness. "I would never disobey your orders, My Lady, if not for the fact that I am simply abiding the will of the one person who has more power here than you."
Presley sighs deeply. She knows who is behind this, yet the reasons are unclear for her. "My father.."
Cruella claps her hands together. "Exactly. With all you heroes running around the place, he feels there's a little too much hope bubbling up in his realm."
David says it is going to take a lot more than ripping apart the phone booths to discourage them from helping all those trapped in the Underworld.
"I will. But in the meantime, if you wanted to strike a deal, I could look the other way while you made one last call. I mean, assuming I'd have the Author and his pen to write me back to life."
Cruella's hand itches closer to David's jacket, but he slaps her hand away from him and tells her they will not make deals with her. She shrugs her shoulders and orders her henchman to rip out the phone. After a snarky remark she and the two buff men walk away.
They are on their way back to the loft when Presley suddenly stands still in the middle of the road. "I'm gonna talk to him," she says, catching the attention of the others. "Presley, Hades is not someone you can confront about this."
"How would you know," she asks sarcastically, her arms crossed before her chest. She leans heavily onto her hip, standing there with sass radiating from her. "He is the Lord of the Underworld. He wouldn't be so succesful in what he does if he wasn't stubborn. I see where you got it from, really," Hook remarks, raising a taunting eyebrow at Presley.
The goddess takes a step closer to the pirate. Her fist was raised, red electricity dancing around angrily. She was about to burst out, but Wendy's hand on her arm made her retreat. For now she would keep quiet and do as they say, if only for Wendy's sake. She huffs and starts marching forward. Her shoulders bump agressively against those of Hook and David as she passes them, heading back to the loft to wait for the others.
°
While Zelena and Belle were talking in her house, Snow, Emma, Regina and Ruby ended up in Auntie's, a café down in Underbrooke where Dorothy's last hope for saving resides; her deceased Auntie Em. They asked for her help by blowing a True Love's Kiss, but just before she could do it she turned into a puddle of water before their eyes.
"What the hell was that," Regina asks as they all stand frozen on their spots. They heard a familiar voice coming from one of the booths. Hades reveals himself, standing up from his seat by the window. He chuckles. "A little water from the River of Souls gives the soup a little something special."
Snow asks why he would ever hurt a sweet old lady, to which Hades asks if it isn't obvious. Regina suggests that Zelena might have put him up to it, considering Dorothy is her sworn enemy. "Trust me, she has no idea I'm here. But this is about so much more than just your sister. Let's call it a teachable moment."
"You wouldn't be here unless you were scared we might actually win this fight. Perhaps it is because Presley left you for us." Hades starts laughing. "Yes. Is that so, Savior? My Persephone left because she needs a little time to think, like all teenagers do. But you are all.. current. We gods are forever. She will learn that when all of you around her start to wither and die and the only one left to love her is her dear, sweet papa," Hades says, his voice drawling out.
He walks towards the counter, where the puddle of what once was Dorothy's aunt still lays on the floor. The god grabs a rag and morbidly begins to mop her up. Then he grabs an empty jar and squeezes the rag, the water slowly filling up the jar while those who looked at it cringed.
"Citizens of the Underworld, from now on, this is what happens to anyone who deals with these so-called heroes." Hades holds the jar up in the air to show it to everyone present in the diner. Most of the customers had seen the whole ordeal and cower away. The god asks who would be the next in line for their help, but no one reacted.
Hades continues smiling as he approaches Emma. He speaks to her in a whisper, which was almost more threatening than if he had been yelling. "It's hard to be a savior if no one wants you to save them."
The Lord of the Underworld walks out of the diner. The door bell jingles when he closed the door behind him, leaving Emma seething with anger and a beginning sense of hopelessness.
°
Everyone had gathered in the graveyard again. Presley was still sporting a sour expression on her face. She hadn't forgotten her earlier disagreement with Charming and Hook. The blonde has her arms crossed before her belly with her girlfriend's hand resting on her bicep.
Ruby finished paying her respects to Dorothy's aunt and approaches them, saying she's ready. Regina walks towards her with the pair of silver slippers in her hands. Ruby put them on and was waiting for Charming to join her. Snow and David say goodbye to one another when David and Hook reveal what they had done.
Hook crossed out Snow's name and replaced it with David's with the help of his enchanted hook.
They all say goodbye to each other and Red and Snow disappear after the heels of the silver shoes clicked three times against each other. They start to make their way out of the graveyard when they notice one person staying behind.
Presley.
Emma was the first to see her still standing by Em's grave. She tugs on Killian's hand to stop and turns around to look at the girl. "Come on, Lee. Let's go home."
"I need to talk to my father."
David released a sigh. "We talked about this before, Presley." Presley puts her jaw forward, standing there with the arrogance on her face of someone who would not back down. "But I disagree."
Hook joins David. "He is the one keeping us all trapped down here, lass. He is not one for dilly-dallying around the thing he wants, which is for all hope to be erased from here," the pirate attempts to argue.
But she was going to stand her ground this time. "I am his daughter. If there is one person he will listen to, it is me," Presley says. She crosses her arms again, closing herself off physically and mentally. She wouldn't listen to their arguments and David saw that, but he couldn't let it rest.
"And risk having him keep you captive again? No way. If something happened to you, then-" the prince says, but she was too far gone in her defiance. "Then what? I am not your daughter, David, to command around. In fact, I have nothing to do with any of you. I am going and you are not going to stop me."
Presley raises both her hands. Red smoke drifts upwards, hiding her away. When the smoke disappeared she was gone. Wendy stares in silence at the place where her girlfriend once stood. "She will be fine. This is Presley we're talking about," she says to the others. Her entire body language was full of confidence. Confidence that her girlfriend would do what was best.
She starts walking towards the gate of the graveyard with Felix following close to her side and the others trailing after them. For now they just had to wait for Presley to come back.
°
Hades stares pensively at the green water that was flowing in the river close by his feet. In his hands he still holds the jar filled with lost hope. Another name to add to a long list of victims of the Lord of the Underworld.
He hears footsteps on the stone floor that become louder with each step. He glances over his shoulder at his visitor. His lips stretch out into a genuine smile upon seeing Persephone.
She was everything he had imagined in his daughter yet so different all the same. Her experiences shaped her into a strong, confident and perhaps stubborn young lady. With a little help she could become the most powerful sorceress the realms have ever seen.
To him everything about his daughter was beautiful. Her pale skin, the blue eyes that were so similar to his own. Each streak of colour in her hair matching with the blonde of her original hair colour. Since the moment he saw her he wondered how that happened, but he was yet to ask her.
Even the things one would see as imperfections were perfect to him, like the little scars that her rough life left on her body or the modern clothing that did not seem fit for a goddess. He loves everything about her and nothing would be able to change that, since she was and still is his entire world.
"Persephone, how glad I am to see you."
Presley walks into the light. The candles were lighting the cave up, but the rivers cast an eerie hue on the stone. She looks her father over, her eyes stopping on the object in his hold. "Hey.. wait, what's that in your hands?"
Hades looks down at the jar. A devilish smirk made its way on his lips.
"Hope."
Presley freezes. Her eyes flicker from the jar to her father's eyes and back. "Dad.. what did you do?" Hades let out a soft laugh, barely more than a chuckle. "I taught those heroes, your friends, an important lesson which I am going to teach you now as well." He steps away from the river and sits down on his throne. The god put the glass jar on the side table.
He waved his hand and suddenly she was sitting in a chair which was pulled towards him in a rapid pace, until it stopped a few feet across from him. Hades leans forward in his throne, one elbow resting on his knee.
"The Underworld is an intricate system of hope and power, my daughter. When people have hope, they will work to the bone to finish the unfinished business or reason as to why they are still here. Without hope, they will believe nothing they do will ever matter and continue living their 'lives' here in my domain."
Presley frowns. She leans back in her chair, one leg crossing over the other. Her eyes meet those of her father, a thousand questions lingering in them that she had yet to ask. "But why would you want a couple of sad souls surrounding you," she asks.
Being in the Underworld had been despressing until now. Nobody smiled, being tormented by their own unfinished business. She couldn't imagine wanting to spend an eternity being surrounded by these shells of people, waiting for their misery to end while it (almost) never would.
Hades let out a chuckle at his daughter's confused face. He sits straight, his arms spreading wide. "Because that is what gives me, gives us, power. The more souls are in my domain, the more powerful we are. And I will need that power to go against my brother, when the time is there."
"Your brother?"
Hades nods his head, his smirk fading into a solemn and distant look while his eyes glaze over, his blank stare focused on the ground by her feet. "Yes, but that is a story for another time."
Presley nods, trying to hide the fearful shiver that ran over her spine. Her mind was racing. She understood him, which was frightening enough on its own, but she was scared of him at that moment. His tone, his mannerisms, they were all enough to install fear for whatever he would do.
She stands up from her seat and dusts off her jeans. Not knowing how to hold herself in front of her father she just awkwardly stuffed her hands into the front pockets of her jeans. "I-I have to get back to my friends, but I will reach out again soon."
Hades' mouth twitches. He tried not showing his distaste for his daughter's so-called friends, but he gathered she might have seen the glimpse that briefly made itself present on his features.
He stands up, his arms cast wide invitingly. He did not want to push her away over those measly heroes. "Perfect. Perhaps we can have dinner together? One place has unfortunately gone out of business since today, but Granny's is still available?"
Presley nods, avoiding his gaze. "I'll think about it," she says before turning around and leaving. On her way out she almost bumped shoulders with Zelena. The two share a glance that spoke more than words could.
Zelena was there to accept her heart's desires. To be with the man she was destined to love. And Presley was slowly inching towards loving him as well.