Chapter 7
Retrieving The Ember Of Prometheus

Emma was outside working on another dreamcatcher already having made many. Everyone else was inside David said "so you can unite both halves to recreate the original Excalibur".
Mary-Margaret added "and then we can get the darkness out of Emma".
Merlin replied "I believe so, but I need two things. First the magical means to unite the sword, Emma and I should do that. Second the other half of the sword".
Neal said "of course, because how can you unite both halves of the sword without both halves".
Hook asked "and how"?
Merlin said "I'm afraid the future isn't exact there are many variables".
Hook angrily said "so you want us to go behind enemy line but when it comes to specifics everything is a little fuzzy".

David said "Hook Merlin is trying to help Emma".
Hook replied "well I don't see much helping".
Neal said "I think all Hook is saying is we would like any plan we have to be a sure thing. We don't know what could, if it can, push Emma into the darkness. Right now she's making dreamcatchers they were a symbol of our life together. But she's made several now and you'll forgive if I find that a little unnerving. Because that's what she does now instead of sleeping".
Merlin replied "I understand what it is to lose someone you love to the darkness. All I ask is you bring me the other half of the sword and that you have patience with Emma. Her power for good or evil, it is a weight on the soul".

Merlin joined Emma outside, at first she didn't see him being too engrossed making her dreamcatchers. Merlin got her attention before asking "Emma there's something we need to unite Excalibur, will you come with me? It's not far".
Emma asked "what is it"? The original spark from mankind's creation, the fire of Prometheus. It's heat forged Excalibur and is needed to unite it, will you come with me"?
Emma could see something akin to fear in his eyes so she asked "why do you look so grim".
"Once we get there you will be tested to see if you're ready to be rid of the darkness and it will be the first Dark One".
"I had Rumpelstiltskin in my head, I just got rid of him now you want me to let another one in".
"Unfortunately it's either that or remain the Dark One for the rest of your life".

"Looks like I have little choice"
"Good answer, now this is the first Dark One, the one who all the evil that followed was born. There are two possibilities for us, one where you resist the darkness and we succeed and in the other you succumb to the darkness and I die".
"But I thought you were immortal"?
"My immortality was born from the same thing that gave the Dark One immortality so a Dark One can kill me"
"But he won't really be there" then Emma saw the look in his eye "but I will be".
"If you lose the battle with the darkness everyone you know and love will be at the mercy of the most powerful dark one ever, you. But no pressure".

After Merlin and Emma left the others made a plan to get the other half of the sword. David said "we take them by surprise and go in the front".

Neal said "and how long should that surprise last"?
"Not long I'd wager" said Hook. "If we create a diversion at the drawbridge we can sneak in".
Regina asked "are you forgetting I've got magic I can just poof into Arthur's bedroom".
Neal said "well let's hope he's not there".
Zelena rolled her eyes at them, Regina asked "what"? Zelena opened her mouth reminding Regina she took her voice away. "Well if you're going to make a scene you might as well make noise".
With her voice back Zelena said "oh I do so love hearing a sensible person talk".
Regina said "so what did you want to say"?
First off all your plans are stupid. Going in the front is suicide. Diversion, Arthur hides the sword you need it on him, And you Regina could poof right in front of a blade whoops. You need to sneak in so quietly no one knows you're there".
David asked "and how do we do that? Hanglider, Ooh giant slingshot"?
Zelena replied "if Sir-Castic would let me speak I'll tell you I wasn't idle in there playing mute handmaiden at Regina's side. I was planning an escape"
Regina commented "I knew it".
"And I found a way out and if I found a way out, then I know a way in"?
Neal asked "and you didn't escape with it because..."?
Zelena answered "there was a little... actually a large thing hindering my escape".
Hook asked "but we can use it to get in"?
Zelena said "absolutely, Regina can get rid of what was stopping me from using it".

Regina asked "and why are you helping us"?
Zelena replied "of course" she held up her wrist. "Because you're going to help me, I want my magic back".

Henry and Tally stayed behind with Granny while the others left. When Zelena led them to the way she found in they saw what stopped her, a grate covering the whole doorway. "I found the tunnel leading to it in the courtyard but without my magic how was I supposed to get past the grate"?
David said "it appears to lead in the right direction, looks like your information is good, thus far".
"Now I've done my part, now do yours, take off this cuff".
Neal said "hold on, how do we know it comes out in the courtyard? You could be lying".
Regina said "he's right, for all we know this leads to the guards quarters, we make it out with the sword then we'll talk. Mary-Margaret, how do you feel about guard duty"?
She replied "oh I'd be delighted, we can chat, share lots of pregnancy tips".
Zelena said "this is worse than being in my cell".
Regina made the grate vanish and the men went in followed by Regina.

Merlin and Emma reached their destination which appeared to be a ruin. He said "this structure marks the theft of Prometheus's flame. The stolen flame burned on for quite a while, enough for Excalibur to be forged and broken here. This is also where I lost Nimue".
Emma asked "what happened to the flame"?
Merlin told her "the first dark one took it, and still possesses it in the form of a single ember with the spark buried deep inside".
"And that's what we need" Emma said. She took a deep breath and said "I'm ready". Merlin gave her the dagger, surprised she asked "my family let you take this".
"I didn't exactly ask permission. You need its power to talk to the first dark one. To reach all the way back to the origin of dark magic".
The dagger started vibrating "I can feel it, is it safe"?
"Of course not, your power is unchecked. But I hope so because I just gave you the power to kill me. Now call upon the spirit of previous Dark Ones".
The names on the dagger started reversing slowly at first then faster Emma said to herself "it's all in my head, it's all in my head". Suddenly a figure in a black hooded cloak and mask appeared in front of her "You're him aren't you, the first Dark One, Vortigan"?
Merlin said "you got one out of three right".
Emma looked at him confused "you can see him too".
Merlin said "power has its advantages. This is the first Dark One, but it wasn't Vortigan, and he was a she".
Emma looked at the dagger and the name was Nimue. The figure removed the mask and lower her hood to reveal a scaly green face. "Now it makes sense, you killed the woman he loved by destroying the woman you used to be. My greatest fear is for the same thing to happen to me".
"But why,"? asked Nimue. "We are strong and powerful. The first Dark One and the latest Dark One standing as sisters"
Emma looked at Merlin as asked "why didn't you tell me"?
Merlin said "after showing how I turned into a tree I thought it was obvious".
Emma said "you hesitated to kill her because despite who she is now she was still the woman you loved".
Nimue said "it's been a long time Merlin".
He replied "I thought of you everyday".
Nimue said "and now on your last day I'll be your last thought, how poetic".
Through Emma she threw him back Emma asked "why are you doing this you loved him".
Nimue said "even when you love someone you must eliminate your threat. The moment I became the Dark One he tried to rip away my power and immortality so I broke Excalibur to stop him. Now it's time for both halves to be reunited he has to be destroyed. And you're doing this". Emma rushed up to Merlin and put her hand around his neck. "We are one in the same now, all Dark Ones and we must destroy the threat to us we must destroy Merlin".
Merlin gasped "Emma, please".
Both Nimue and Merlin tried to coax Emma into choosing between darkness or light. Nimue said "do it, kill him, don't go back to being nothing"
Emma let go of Merlin and stood up looking at Nimue "I am not nothing, I was never nothing. The power you have I don't need. Now I am going to take that ember from you and you are going to let me".
The ember sped out of Nimue and into Emma's hand.
Nimue said "the spark you need is in there. But the sword you will make has more than one use and I'm not done yet".
When she vanished Merlin got up and said "you passed, how does it feel to have the strength to choose good over evil"?
Emma smiled and answered "honestly, it feels fantastic".

On the way back Emma asked "what happened after she became the Dark One"?
Merlin said "first my apprentice and I placed the sword in the stone. Then I created the dagger and tethered her soul to it so I could control her but I could not control my own heart".
"She used your love for her to turn you into a tree. In your memory I saw her wearing a mask".
"She took that mask from a man that did her great harm, Vortigan, Many believed him to have been the first Dark One because of the mask. He destroyed her village and she came to me for vengeance. At first her only desire for vengeance was to have her Middlemist flowers grow so something besides her survived despite him and I was happy to oblige. After she became immortal she crushed his heart and that turned her into the Dark One".
"I know you had your heart broken but being a Dark One I know she loves you still. It's twisted but it's still there".
"Thank you"
"Tell me is it possible for someone to have a darkness but use it for good? To help people"?
"Emma, don't let those thoughts tempt you".
"But is it possible"
"Maybe, but soon the darkness will be gone forever"
"Then we need the other half of the sword".

Arthur had his half on the table when Regina and the men came in. Before Arthur could attack then Regina immobilized him".
Robin said "the swords on the table".
As Regina went to retrieve it Neal mentioned "okay, this is all feeling a little too easy"
"Your right" said Hook. "Regina be careful, it could have protection charms"
Regina replied "tell your timbers to stop shivering, nothing here can hurt us Arthur doesn't know how to do magic". Then she saw something akin to a smirk appear on Arthur's face.
"Hi guys" said Zelena coming in with Mary-Margaret tied up.
'Times David yelled "Mary-Margaret what have you done to her"?
Zelena replied "nothing more or less than what you see". She turned to Arthur and said "lets undo that" and with a wave of her hand Arthur was free.
Regina said "what the...".
Zelena held up her wrist and removed the cuff "this is a fake sis, while you were suppose to be retrieving the dagger I gave him a note telling him everything and promising to get him what he needed if he removed the cuff. You know maybe if you treated me fairly I wouldn't turn on you".
Hook replied "yes, you would"
Zelena nodded "you're right, but I'd enjoy it less".
Arthur showed a book to her and said "is the right one"?
Zelena replied "yes, it's quite an ingenuous recipe for a tethering potion". Everyone could only watch as Zelena waved her hand and the sword momentarily glowed green and when it faded Arthur took the sword and Zelena said "cookies are done, which mean Artie here might have a shorter sword than a man would like, but it can control the world's greatest wizard". Now Excalibur had Merlin's name in it. "His plan but I like it and was happy to help".
Everyone tried to convince him not to use the sword but Arthur raised the sword and said "Merlin I summon thee".

Merlin suddenly appeared and looked a bit confused, Arthur said "Merlin, how kind to come when called. For your first task keep these people from attacking me in any way. With a wave of his hand the men dropped their swords and Regina found she couldn't make a fireball.
Neal asked "Merlin, what's happened to Emma"?
Merlin replied "she passed, she resisted dark temptations and retrieved the ember. We have what we need to unite Excalibur. Arthur give me the sword".
Arthur replied "you mean give you the glory".
"Glory" replied Merlin. "is this really what you become? I'm sorry I wasn't there to guide you. This conceited king was not who were not to be".
"I am what you made me, look at the half man with his half sword. I bet you laughed at me".
"I was trapped and put my faith in you. You were supposed to be like a son to me".
"Lair, you told me legend will speak of the great King Arthur using Excalibur to strike evil from the land, tell me that was not a lie".
"You will be a part of it, you're part of it now, just give me the sword and we can fix everything".
"Not everything, I shall be known for more than defeating the stone. Now we have intruders, get rid of them". With another wave of his hand everyone but Zelena disappeared and found themselves chained in the forest

In present day all the previous Dark Ones watched as Emma used the ember to unite Excalibur. As the united sword floated in mid-air but Emma remembered Merlin telling her to leave the sword alone.

LAST CHANCE TO VOTE
I suspect a landslide
Neal-5
Anyone Else-0