but I am going to assume that it is like a dream world so it does not have to make sense.
Is it though? Because they don’t leave the world by waking up–they (almost) take a very literal magic bean that created a very literal portal back to their very literal Storybrooke. That’s the problem. If this was a dream world, then the bases are covered and we can handwave away all the wonkyness. But it was never stated as such. Belle was still asleep when she went to dream world, her subconscious traveled. But Emma and Regina–their very bodies and beings–traveled to this AU.
Edited (because I should read the whole thread first).
So the A.U. didn’t exist, but does exist and is real now, due to the wish?
If the world is REAL, then Regina *really* did kill real people, these A.U. Charmings. And good luck Emma explaining why to your son why you are working with his grandparents’ killer. And I hope Henry you are ready to be upgraded from new-Knight to King virtually over-night! Because Emma isn’t going to stick around.