Dark Realm

The Dark Realm is a world featured on Once Upon a Time. It first appears in the eleventh episode of the sixth season.

Background
The Dark Realm is a world in the Land With Magic universe. Unlike the other lands, time works differently here. Time is faster and age manipulation is possible in the land. Babies can be brought to the land where their growth can be accelerated within seconds or minutes. ("Wish You Were Here")

Magic plays a huge role in the Dark Realm as time and age can be manipulated. A baby or child can age up to twenty-eight years old within a day, but the aging process stops if s/he leaves the land. ("Wish You Were Here", "Tougher Than the Rest")

Before First Curse
Fiona, with hopes of saving her son from his fate as a savior, uses the Shears of Destiny to sever his savior destiny. As punishment for interfering with fate, the Blue Fairy imprisons Fiona in the Dark Realm. Fiona — now known as the Black Fairy, can only leave the land briefly before being sucked back in. She then makes the land into her domain and plans to return one day to seek revenge on those that wronged her. She begins kidnapping children from various worlds and forces them to mine dark crystals which powers her magic. ("The Black Fairy")

One day, she is summoned by Rumplestiltskin through an incarnation. Briefly, she leaves the land to seek Rumplestiltskin and larns that he is her son. Not wanting to have anything to do with him, she returns home. ("Changelings")

After Third Curse
After learning about the birth of her grandson Gideon, the Black Fairy goes to Storybrooke and kidnaps him. She gives Gideon to the care of a nurse, noting the child's importance. As Gideon grows into a young boy, the Black Fairy locks him away in a cage and uses magic on him to toughen him up. However, Gideon resists it by thinking of his mother. ("Changelings", "Tougher Than the Rest")

As he reaches twenty-eight years old, Gideon plans to escape the land with Roderick. However, before getting the chance, the Black Fairy kills Roderick and rips out Gideon's heart. Controlling him with his heart, the Black Fairy sends Gideon to Storybrooke to manipulate events to free her from the land. Despite trying to foil her plan, the Black Fairy manages to free herself to Storybrooke, initiating the Final Battle. ("Wish You Were Here", "Mother's Little Helper")

Minor Locations

 * Black Fairy's Castle
 * Underground Mines

Inhabitants

 * Black Fairy † (formerly)
 * Gideon (formerly)
 * Kidnapped Children
 * Male Miner
 * Nurse
 * Roderick † (formerly)

'''Notes: (†) is for deceased inhabitants. (*) is for inhabitants with unknown status'''

Appearances
Season Six
 * "Tougher Than the Rest"
 * "Mother's Little Helper"