In a bid for the power born of true love, King Arthur binds Emma to the broken blade Excalibur. Unbeknownst to him, Killian Jones is bound to the other half, having given himself over to the darkness in order to exact his revenge on Rumpelstiltskin. He frees Emma from King Arthur's control, sparking the beginnings of war, and a quest to rid her of the darkness. (No Curse AU)