It's almost over! I want you guys to know that I appreciate all your reviews, you really helped me push through and make sure I get this done. I think this is the first thing that wasn't school work that I actually saw through to the end, wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. Also, when I edited out Hook's death, the main reason was for my epilogue chapter, you'll see why when I get to that, which will be soon. And if you don't know what I'm talking about when I say that, I added a note at the start of Chapter 14. Anyway, R&R, I don't own Once.
"I… I did exactly what I vowed never to do. I am such an idiot. I let the darkness trick me and now granpa is going to release all the Dark Ones on Storybrooke. And Violet, ug, I'm going to have to figure out what to do about that, I was so cruel because of the darkness, no because I was selfish. I'm sorry ma, I did terrible things, and I'm sorry. I'm sure that doesn't matter now but-" Emma cut him off by walking over and giving him a hug.
"Kid, it's time to take responsibility for your actions. And you can start by helping me stop Gold."
"What about Regina? I made it so that she could remember too, where is she?"
"Well let's just say, you're so good at writing that she wanted to stay"
"Well then I guess it's just us if she's not going to help. Do, uh, do you still have your magic or did I ruin that too?"
"Kid, you haven't ruined anything,"
"Yes I have, if I hadn't been so selfish then we wouldn't be in this mess. But if I hadn't been selfish then we never would've freed Merlin in the first place, so that would've just been more time for the darkness to consume me. So either way I messed everything up."
"Stop beating yourself up, we can't dwell on the past, we can only look towards the future. I have faith that we can fix this"
"I can't say I'm not surprised dearie, just disappointed" Mr. Gold showed up at the top of the stairs with a disapproving look on his face, "I really wanted to believe that you could just let things be and not interfere, but you have your parents stubbornness, that, I can confirm. And Henry, you were happy, don't throw that away for no good reason,"
"I have a good reason, I won't let you release all the Dark Ones on Storybrooke!" Henry replied, furious at his grandfather.
"A bit late for that dearie." Gold replied as Nimue walked in behind him.
"Hi Henry!" She said before walking straight through Emma, "Bye" and with that she poofed away.
"You see Henry, they need to replace a life that was already here, so I figure, what better way to teach you a lesson than sending all your loved ones to the underworld. The Charmings, Regina, Robin. All the Dark Ones are coming back, and you cannot stop it."
"Grandpa!" Henry shouted, "You don't have to do this."
"But I do, it's the only way I'm going to get my son back,"
"Yeah, um, about that" Nimue started, coming back, "The Underworld's for people with unfinished business, and I guess in your son's opinion, his business was finished. So, you can't really resurrect someone when they're not in the Underworld. So sorry, 'dearie.' Well, you always have your memories!"
"You tricked me,"
"Ding ding ding, sorry, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. I hope you understand, no harm no foul, right?"
"Henry, the ink is downstairs, you'll know where. Go stop this"
"Now, why are you stopping me? I won't interfere if you just leave it alone. Now, don't give young Henry that ink. Just leave it alone."
"No one tricks me! Henry, go now, I'll stop this witch from following you,"
"Right" Henry replied grabbing his quill and his mom and poofing downstairs.
"Now, you want to get to them, you go through me." Gold stated coldly
"Oh Rumple, I thought you of all people would understand betraying those close to you to get what you want. If you hadn't been so selfish, you never would've lost your son in the first place."
"Do not test me dearie, the boy's mothers may be without magic, but I still have mine,"
"What a coincidence, so do I,"
Downstairs
"So, do we just play hot and cold or…" Emma and Henry were still searching around, though they hadn't found anything.
"I, well, I'm not sure. He said it would call to me but-" Suddenly Henry felt a sharp pain as a whispering started growing louder in his head. He slowly walked towards a painting on the as the noise continued to grow.
"Kid, are you okay?" Emma said, concerned.
"Yeah, I just-" the pain returned, he reached out towards the painting and pulled it open revealing a hidden safe. Henry used magic to open it and inside he found a small vial which he assumed must be the ink, he also found inside, the dagger. With his name still clearly etched in it, just sitting there, waiting for someone to pick it up, which he did. The noise suddenly stopped and he could form coherent thoughts again. "Mom, I found the ink. Let's start writing."
"Alright, let's start," she then noticed the dagger in Henry's hand, "where did you find the dagger?"
"It was in with the ink, that must have been grandpa's way of making sure I found the ink. Speaking of which, if Merlin was alive, I would sooooo be fired by now. Some Author I turned out to be"
"You're a great Author kid, now let's finish this."
"Yes, let's" Nimue said, appearing between the two holding a limp Rumple. "I have to say, I'm disappointed in you Henry. You had so much potential, and you wasted it. You could've had true power. Now you'll never get the chance to feel that power. I'll just have to take the power of the Dark One away from you after all your loved ones are sent to the Underworld. And if you try anything, so much as put a dot on any paper, your grandfather will meet the same fate as the rest of them. There is nothing left you can do." Nimue gloated, still holding a dangling Rumple.
Henry could feel the feelings of hatred that came from being a Dark One, though these seemed to be amplified by a thousand. He held these feelings in when he first became the Dark One, then when he started his plan with Nimue he was using without hesitation, but he was still subconsciously holding back, like when he couldn't harm his mother. But now, now he was furious, no one harms or threatens his family, he held nothing back, he released a blast of magic a Nimue, a blast fused with both light and dark magic. The light from his love of his family, and the dark from his hate of Nimue. The blast was strong enough to force Nimue to drop Gold and sent her straight through a wall knocking her unconscious due to the sheer power the blast possessed. Emma stared at Henry for a moment then finally said something.
"Kid, are you okay?" Henry looked down at his hands then back up at his mother.
"Yeah, I think so. Let's just start writing so we can fix this." Henry picked his quill and the ink then grabbed a sheet of paper from a nearby desk. "What should I write? Make the Dark Ones leave, sure, but what about everyone else?"
"Give them their old lives back, people deserve to know the truth about themselves. You can't just rewrite everyone's lives, they deserve to make their own decisions. Isaac got fired for that reason, but you're better than him, I trust you to fix this."
"But what about the darkness? It needs to go somewhere. If we still plan on cutting it down then I need to know how."
"In order to destroy the darkness someone has to die." Mr. Gold said, waking up from his unconsciousness. "It would be best to just give it to someone we can trust not to become corrupt from it. I would recommend someone who doesn't already have magic, that would make them too powerful."
"I don't want anyone to die, not after Merlin." Henry said regrettably. He then turned towards his grandfather, "Who else could we give it to, and why did you say to give it away instead of keeping it for yourself?"
"I nearly died for the second time in my life. That coma just about killed me, but I've learned my lesson. Get the magic out of me before I change my mind, I trust you Henry, take it."
"I proved I can't control this,"
"You proved you can, if was you, then back in Camelot I would've ripped out your mother's heart. But you didn't. You couldn't do it, and I believe you've learned your lesson. Just... coughs take it before the darkness regains control"
"But just now, when I blasted Nimue, I could feel the darkness. I could feel it, and I liked it. And I don't want to live forever."
"Just write something like, 'And he continued to age and as he did, the darkness grew weaker, eventually being snuffed out completely when he died.' and your problem will be solved," he then mumbled, "hopefully" speaking louder again, "Just hurry. You need to be finished writing by midnight, or else Nimue will win.'
"What happens at midnight?" Emma questioned, finally butting in.
"The fairy will arrive to drag you and your family to the underworld in place of the Dark Ones."
"Alright, I'll hurry. I guess this is the best way to do things," Henry said, dipping the quill in the ink and then bended over the paper to start writing. Emma look over and saw what he was writing,
Realising all of his mistakes, the Author undid all of his previous work returning everyone to their normal lives where they can live out happily. The problem of the darkness still remained though, and so the Author took it upon himself to take all the darkness and contain it in himself, in hopes that his mistakes will not be repeated. And although he took this magic, he decided he would continue to age instead of letting the darkness move on to another host, he will keep in trapped inside himself until he grows old and to his death, eradicating the darkness at that moment of death.
He dotted the last sentence, wrote the end, and watched the light spread out across the world.