Daughter of Darkness || Once Upon a Time

Chapter Thirty-Eight | Robin's Last Farewell

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|One Month Later|
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When Henry woke up, Regina was already making breakfast for Robin and Meg. Henry smiled when he smelled what was cooking. "Pancakes?"

"Yup," Meg confirmed.

"Nice. Is there bacon too?"

"Do I ever make pancakes without bacon?" Regina asked, glancing over her shoulder at Henry. "Good morning."

"Morning, Mom."

Robin placed a plate of finished pancakes on the table and Meg and Henry both grabbed them despite Robin's warning that they were hot. Regina had given up warning Henry about hot food at this point because it was common knowledge to her that he was going to eat it either way. Henry reached for the maple syrup, but Meg got it first. She stuck her tongue out at Henry - a gesture she had learned from Roland - before pouring syrup onto her pancakes. After she was done, Henry snatched the syrup from her and gave her the evil eye.

"Just because you're both teenagers doesn't mean you can't get along," Robin said.

Regina set the rest of the pancakes and the bacon on the table and sat down next to Robin. "You two need to play nice."

"Okay, Mom."

"Okay, Regina."

"And Henry, you do not need that much syrup."

Henry looked down at his pancakes and shrugged. "They look fine to me." He passed the syrup to Regina and began to eat.

After Roland had woken up and breakfast was over, Regina's phone rang. She looked at the screen to see that Emma was calling her before answering. "Hello?"

"Uh... Regina..."

"Yes?"

"There's this weird smoke at the pond. ...You might want to check it out."

"We're on our way." Regina told Robin what was happening and Regina's car was soon loaded. They dropped Roland off with Tinker Bell on the way there.

At the pond, Regina, Robin, Meg, and Henry exited the car to see Emma, Hook, and the Charmings already there. Just like Emma had said, dark grey smoke was pouring out of the portal to the Underworld. Except the portal hadn't been opened since Regina and Robin went back for Meg.

"What's happening?" Robin asked.

"We don't know," Emma replied. "I noticed the smoke in the sky earlier and Killian and I traced it to here."

"The smoke," everyone turned to see Hades, "is from me. I'm afraid this exit from the Underworld is leaving a bit of a mess. I'm only here because I didn't fulfill one of Persephone's wishes, to be completely honest."

"So do what you need to and get out of here," Emma told the god.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple," the apologetic tone in Hades's voice was obviously fake. "I came here for more than just Persephone's wish. I believe you have more souls here that are owed to me." Hades snapped his fingers and Zelena, Arthur, and Dorothy appeared. The Lord of the Underworld turned to face them. "You three are coming with me. Zelena and Arthur, as my wife as requested you be banished to Tartarus, I must oblige. And Dorothy, you were not meant to return here with the others. You agreed to stay with me."

Dorothy nodded. "I will go back to the Underworld with you."

Zelena and Arthur tried to argue, but Hades cut them off.  "It's not an option for you two. Now. There is one more soul to collect. As my dear Megaera knows, there is a cost for going to Tartarus."