Chapter 6
Courageous Coward

Tally went into Emma's house "mom, we need to talk".
Emma appears behind her "you called me mom, not mommy, sounds serious".
She turned around and said "how could you do that to Henry and that girl? You ripped out her heart."
Emma replied "I put it back after I was done with it, that's more than what most people who rip out hearts do".
Tally cried "that besides the point, you still ripped it out".
Emma said "sweetie, I know it's hard to understand but it was a necessary evil. I needed to do it to free Merlin".
"How"? Tally asked not totally believing her but curious all the same.
The first dark one used Merlin's tear over the loss of his first love to trap him in the form of a tree, only another tear over the loss of a first love would work. We tried Regina's but she's with Robin now, she's healed, what we needed was a fresh tear. I feel awful about what I had to do but it was the only way, for the greater good".
Tally crossed her arms "not good enough, he didn't help you".
He tried, but unforeseen consequences forced my hand."
"What consequences"?
Emma said "I saw quite a few things through my dreamcatchers, in one person's a patch was blocked and when I uncovered it a found why and how it was blocked. The patch that was blocked was this person's darkest moment and it was blocked to stop the darkness from spreading. What I am doing isn't that much different but too many people knew what had happened so to ensure the darkness didn't spread everyone had to forget. I am sorry it had to be this way but I had no other choice".

Hook said "she ripped a heart out of an innocent thirteen year old girl, what if we can't reach her? What if she's too far gone".
Neal said "relax I have a plan already in motion to find a way back to the real Emma".
"Daddy" said Tally coming in.
"Sugar Plum" said Neal, "So how'd it go"?
"She told me everything"?
Regina said "so when I want to use her to get Gold's plan out of him that's dangerous but when you want to use her to get Emma's plan..."
Neal said "my father was surrounded by three villains who I wasn't sure were above harming a child. Emma is her mother, after my father became the dark one he harmed a lot of people but he never raised a hand against me. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I asked Henry first but he refused to see her. So Sugar Plum what did she tell you"?
"She put the heart back when she was done with it, she feels bad about doing it but she only did it to free Merlin. She..."
Before Tally could tell them the rest Mary-Margaret said "so we did find Merlin in Camelot".
"Then why didn't he destroy the darkness in Emma"? Hook asked.
"I asked her that too" said Tally. "Her exact words were 'he tired but unforeseen consequences forced my hand'. I asked her what consequences and she starting talking about not letting the darkness spread".
Neal asked them all "does anyone else think the Dark One not wanting the darkness to spread sounds a little off"?
Regina said "well if she's telling the truth there's much, much more to this than we can see".
Neal said "unfortunately I think she is telling the truth, if she was lying she would have told Tally something that made more sense. But it's just left us with more questions".
Hook replied "and it's not like we can ask Emma"?
Regina said "but there is someone else we can ask" and she held up the Crimson Crown.
"The Crimson Crown" said David. "You learnt how to make the communication spell work."
"Let say seeing Emma rip Violets heart from her chest gave me all the motivation I needed".
Neal asked "so tell us, what do we need to do"?
Regina said "it's not that easy, Merlin will only appear to someone who has been chosen by Merlin".
David commented "Arthur, Merlin delivered all the prophecies to him".
Regina asked "so Sheriff"...?
David answered "I'll tell him and ask him to come with me to enact the spell".
Belle asked "why waste our time with Merlin knowing he failed when there's someone here who can help us"?
Mary-Margaret asked "who"
Belle answered "Rumple".
Regina stated "if he hadn't brought the darkness back to Storybrooke we wouldn't even be in this mess".
Belle replied "Rumple may be to blame for the predicament we're in, but so is Emma, she was seduced by the darkness just like him".
Hook said "the crocodile had more than enough chances".
David said "we have to give Emma her best chance".
Belle turned to Neal hoping he would back her up. "Sorry Belle but I'm with everyone else here. Sure, he's my dad and I love him, but I also love Emma. She is my wife who I vowed to love, honour and protect and is the mother of my children who I also love and knowing what having a dark one for a parent is like do not want to subject my children to that. So if it's a choice between my father or someone who can return the mother of my children to the woman she was I'm picking the latter".
Belle looked down at Tally who said "Grandpa Gold is a good idea but we don't even know where he is or where to start looking but we know how to contact Merlin".
Mary-Margaret added "another reason why contacting Merlin is the better option".
Belle replied "maybe you're all willing to risk Rumple's life but I'm not."

In the forest Merida had left Rumple tied up holding his teacup. He said quietly "forgive me Belle" and smashed to teacup on a log. He picked up a shard and used it to cut the rope. When Merida and Emma found he escaped Emma held up Merida's heart. She said "oh crush it, better than helping you with your dirty work".
Emma replied "why would I do that when your job's not done yet".
"How can I train him when he's not even here"?
"You found out something I needed to know Belle, someone he's still willing to fight for"
"It didn't exactly make him a hero now did it".
"It will, if he wants to save her, from you"
"From me"? Merida asked.
Emma threw her bow to her and said "now go find Belle and put an arrow through her heart".
Merida on her way to find Belle said "don't make me".
Emma said "if killing an innocent soul is weighing down on you don't worry. If Gold is as good as you say he'll do the heroic thing ans stop you".

Mr Gold could only think of Belle and went where he knew she'd be; the library. "Oh Belle" he said seeing her. She brought over a chair as he stumbled in. He told her how her voice is what gave him the strength to carry on when he was in his coma.
Eventually she said "come on, it won't take Emma long to figure out where you've gone".
"If she wanted to find me she would have already. Every Dark One has been powerful, but till Emma every Dark One had been a regular, powerless person before holding that dagger. Emma is the first Dark One who was powerful before the darkness meaning she's the most powerful Dark One, and that means she let me escape".
"But why? After she kidnapped you"?
"To try and force me into becoming a hero, so I can pull Excalibur from the stone".
"How does letting you escape do that".
"I don't kn... oh that's clever, and devious"
"What"?
"She's coming after you"
"Why"?
"To force me to protect you, to turn me into the hero she needs. She knows even cowards will try to protect the people they love. Even with the darkness she wouldn't risk Bae, Henry or Tally's life. We need to go to my shop, there's magic there that can help us".

Zelena was reading 'What To Expect When You're Expecting' when the nurse came in with her lunch. "Finally I'm famished; all this little one seems to want is a plate of onion rings".
The nurse took the lid off the plate to reveal boiled vegetables "I've been instructed by Mayor Mills only to feed you locally grown organic produce, for the health of the baby".
"Well isn't my sister sweet" Zelena replied with clear snide. Hearing it the nurse left with the food.
Suddenly Emma appeared "if anyone knows what's it's like to be pregnant behind bars it's me".
"The dark one, to what do I owe this pleasure"?
"Just a chat".
"Not in the mood"
Emma teleported them to her house "all the baby wants is some onion rings right" and she holds out a bag of onion rings. "In the mood to talk now"?
Zelena took the bag and said "so what sort of mischief do you want to get up to ".
"Remember this" Emma said producing the apprentice's wand. "You're the only person alive whose been powerful enough to wield Merlin's magic".
"It's nice to be appreciated".
"For my plan to succeed I'll need your assistance".
"I can't wait to hear what you're offering in return"?
"My assurance that you'll have nothing to worry about from Regina nor anyone of the heroes".
"Some things never change, a Dark One wanting to make a deal. And believe it or not but that patient with the mop loves to tell stories and I hear you've been very naughty, ripping out that little girls heart to break your sons, kudos that's next level darkness".
"You think you have the right to judge me with everything you've done".
"No, but as someone whose been on the receiving end of a mothers betrayal I can tell you those feeling of hurt don't go away, they fester. So have fun with a lifetime of resentment".
"Henry will forgive me in time, he'll eventually see the ends justified the means. Now will you take my deal? Yes or no Zelena"?
"Sorry, but I'm trying to turn over a new leaf and with the little one on the way I wouldn't want to associate myself with someone who might be a bad influence. Now thanks for the nosh but I'd like to back to my cell".
"You need an ally in this town, maybe not now but soon, you'll be back to take my deal".
"Don't think so, you see the difference between you and me is I don't mind being alone".

He knew he and Belle had to get back to his shop but he couldn't bring himself to get up off the chair. Belle realised there was something more going on, he told her "it's my leg. It's a reminder of who I am, what I continued to be when I became the dark one, and what I still am is a coward".
Belle said "you told me about your leg before. How you walked on a broken leg just to get home to your son when he was born. How you broke it so Baelfire wouldn't grow up without a father. Rumple you may have made a lot of mistakes in your life but injuring yourself to be with your son wasn't one of them. I told before I could see the man behind the beast, now the beast is gone I can see something else, a hero, you just need to see it too".

With Belles support he got back to his shop, Belle immediately gave him back his old cane. Before he could tell her what he had they'd come for an arrow came through the window. Gold said "I hope Robin Hood or one of his men just tripped and forgot to put the safety on".
Belle asked nervously "who else would it be"?
Merida came through the door and Gold replied "her".
Merida said "I told the Dark One you wouldn't be daft enough to seek shelter in your shop but she said you wouldn't be able to resist the pull of your magic". She held up her bow and arrow "I've tried to fight it but I couldn't, now her fate lies in your hands".
Belle and Gold rushed to the back room and closed the door. Suddenly an arrow landed through the door, if it had been an inch closer to the left it would have gone through Belle's head.

Everyone else was in Regina's vault waiting for Arthur around a cauldron. Regina said "if these spell books are correct as soon as Arthur adds the crimson crown to the cauldron we'll be able to speak with Merlin".
Coming in Arthur said "then you'll be speaking with him soon".
Tally said "it's so exciting".
Neal added "and the bottom line is we'll be able to turn Emma back to her old self".
They gave the Crimson Crown to Arthur, he was about to throw it into the cauldron when he said "perhaps I should do this alone. Back in Camelot Merlin delivered all his prophesies to me from inside a tree, but he only did it when I was alone".
David said "this is too important to risk, we'll wait outside".
Tally said "But I wanted to see Merlin".
Neal told her "I know Sugar Plum but if we stay we might not see him anyway and if he doesn't appear we can't save your mom".
They left the vault and Arthur came out only after a moment. Neal commented "that was quick".
Arthur said "when I threw the toadstool in it appeared like it was going to make contact then fizzled out".

When Merida finally got into the back room she grabbed an arrow and prepared to fire her bow on sight. The first thing she shot at a reflection, she begged Gold to stop her but he couldn't so Belle pulled out the carpet from under Merida knocking her out. She and Gold grabbed a pouch from his safe and they got in his car. Belle asked "where are we going"?
Gold replied "somewhere we'll be safe from Emma and our quivered friend".
"You're taking us out of Storybrooke".
"Don't worry" holding up the pouch with one hand he said "this is transformation powder, it will keep us safe from any effect crossing the town line".
"That's not why I don't want to leave. We can't leave, not while there are still people in this town we care about, your son, and your grandkids".
"They're better off without me. I used to be the dark one, I know Emma better than she knows herself and she won't stop till she gets what she wants".
"Then we'll stop her together".
"It's not that simple, and I couldn't even protect you from Merida".
"Rumple, stop the car" Belle demanded.
"What"?
"Now"
When he still wouldn't stop she put her hand on the door handle to show she was leaving this car whether he stopped or not. He slammed on the brakes and she got out and started walking back into town. Gold got out to try and get her back in "Belle, please, get back in the car".
"No, running away never turned anyone into a hero".
"Well, I'm not a hero, never have been".
"You were brave once before".
"You mean during the Ogres War. I crippled myself because a seer told me my actions on the battlefield would make my son grow up fatherless. That was what I told everyone, including myself, but the truth was I saw the state of men that came back from the battlefield with limbs ripped off. I crippled myself because I was a coward, and using Bae as an excuse didn't fool anyone. I joined the war to prove I wasn't a coward, but instead everyone's assumption I was, was confirmed. Please, get back in the car, this is the only way I know how to protect you".
"Protect me, protect yourself you mean. She continued walking back into the town as he called out her name. He eventually got back in his car believing he couldn't save anyone to become the hero Emma wanted to use.

As Belle walked back into town she saw Merida who told her Emma wasn't taking any chances. She took a potion Emma had given her and Merida turned into a big black bear. Belle ran into the forest until she tripped and saw she couldn't outrun Merida. "Merida you don't have to do this" she begged. It was clear Merida couldn't stop herself, suddenly a stone hit Merida. She and Belle saw Gold limping towards them, then Merida switched targets. "No, she'll kill you, Rumple run".
"No Belle, I'm not running this time, heroes don't run away".
Merida swiped at him knocking him down as she was about to kill him Gold threw the transformation powder into Merida's mouth transforming her back into a girl. Belle ran up to him "how did you know that would work"?
"I didn't".
"Rumple I knew you had it in you. You saved me".
"No, it was you who saved me. But we do now have a problem".
"What's that".
"I've just become the hero Emma wants me to be".

With no other choice Mr Gold went back to Emma with Merida and Belle. Emma was waiting in her basement, Merida immediately said "he bested me courageously and with mercy".
Gold said "and I know you won't stop wreaking havoc until I pull that sword from that stone".
Emma said "so get to it".
Gold asked "but after I do why should I not keep it and use it to destroy the darkness myself"?
"Because I said so".
"Because I said so might work when a mother tells her children something but not here. I'm not the dark one anymore but through my time I knew how to strike up deals. So I pull out the sword, give it to you and you give Merida back her heart".
Merida added "and my brothers, I want to know what happened to them".
Emma replied "well I'm a reasonable dark one, it's a deal. Besides I'm not like Cora or Regina, if I don't have a use for a heart any longer I give it back to whom it came from. Now that you're a hero I have no more need of it". She pulled Merida up to her and pushed the heart back in.
Gold asked "and her brothers".
Emma replied "safe and sound by her mother's side. Now get on with it".
Belle asked "what happens if he can't pull the sword from the stone".
"He'll turn to dust and I'll be expecting his wife to sweep him out of my basement".
Gold reached out for the sword then stopped "Belle, in case this doesn't go well I won't you to know I'm sorry for everything. If I had the chance to do it all again I would be the man you deserve from the start. I would try to be a better husband to you, a better father to Bae and a better grandfather to Henry and Tally".
"It's never too late" replied Belle.
Gold grabbed the sword and nothing happened so he pulled it up and it came out. "Here's your sword" he said as he threw it at her feet. As she picked it up he added "you might be a dark one but you made a big mistake. You made me a hero".
Emma replied "you think that makes a difference. This town is full of heroes from the pure to the rehabilitated, and none of them have been able to stop me".
"Well, none of them have been me. I can fix the mistake you made in Camelot".
Belle asked "what mistake did she make in Camelot"?
Gold said "I don't want to lie to you Belle, so please don't ask. The fewer who know, the less chance it will get to the wrong person".

In Regina's vault everyone else was wondering why the spell didn't work when David found the Crimson Crown in the fire beneath the cauldron. Regina said "I guess he didn't realise magic toadstools don't burn".
David asked "but why wouldn't he want us to contact Merlin"?
Mary-Margaret stated "we need to talk to Merlin now more than ever".
Neal said "we have a problem there"?
Hook pointed out "we need someone chosen by Merlin. With the apprentice dead and Arthur being uncooperative we're out of options".
Tally said "the pen was made by Merlin so when the pen chooses it just as good as Merlin choosing himself".
Neal asked "what pen".
Tally replied "the authors pen, we don't have any other choice. Henry's the only one who can do this".

They convinced Henry to come and put the Crimson Crown in the cauldron. When he came he said "the person who ripped out Violet's heart isn't my mother, but Emma is still in there, and I'll do whatever it takes to get her back."
They gave the Crimson Crown to Henry and he put it in the cauldron and the image of a young looking man appeared. Neal said "that's Merlin, got to say when I pictured Merlin I didn't imagine that".
Finally the image said "if you're receiving this things are worse than I feared".
"I don't believe this". Regina said "we've getting Merlin's voicemail".
"There is only person who can help you defeat the dark one now, her name in Nimue. To defeat the darkness you must... the Dark One has found me" and the image disappeared.
Hook asked "what did Emma do to Merlin"?

Who should the other dark one be?
Neal – 4
Anyone Else - 0