The Dark Ones stare at each other. Darkening blue eyes meet the green ones that seem to slowly fill with tears.

Hate fights love within the hooked one.

He hates her.

She turned him into the thing he despises most, the Dark One. She's destroyed any hope of a future for them together by saving him.

He loves her.

She saved him. She loves him with a selfish passion, the selfishness of a man who can't give up a single piece of gold even to save his family. She saved him at the cost of everything.

He hates her more.

Now he has darkness coursing through his veins, the darkness he had dedicated his life to destroy. The darkness that had killed his first love and buried his true love. He hates himself more than ever, hates that Excalibur was able to hurt him, hates that she had sacrificed saving herself for him. Hates that he couldn't do anything about it.

He loves her most.

Deep down. It's still there. His love. Her love. Their love. True love. That love that withstands a thousand earthquakes. The love that may be but a candle, but it turns back the darkness. The love that brought back Prometheus' flame. The love that saved him so many times. The love that saved her.

But right now—he can smother the candle.

Because he's the Dark One.