AN: Yes, I'm still alive. Real live has been quite a pain lately. To top it off, I'm currently in a situation where I don't have regular access to the internet, leaving me at the mercy of the free Wi-Fi offered at the local library and the McDonald's around the corner. With a little luck, that issue will be resolved before too much longer. In any event, here's the next chapter. Hopefully it was worth the wait.


Briefly, Emma glanced up at the old tree that served as Merlin's prison before directing her attention back to the potion she'd helped the Apprentice create. Taking a steadying breath, she slowly poured the vial containing Jefferson's tear into the potion, which instantly turned a dark violet color.

"I think that will do it," the Apprentice announced, carefully lifting up the bowl the potion resided in. Wordlessly, he approached the tree and poured the potion over the tree's roots. Once the potion had all been poured out, he stepped back. Emma watched the tree expectantly, but when half a minute went by with nothing happening, her face slightly deflated in confusion.

"Um…is something supposed to happen?" she asked.

"For the potion to work," the Apprentice explained, it needs to receive a burst of powerful magic."

"Oh," Emma sighed. "I guess that's where I come in, isn't it?"

Taking a deep breath, Emma bounced slightly in place, psyching herself up. Forcing back a feeling of apprehension, she unleashed a stream of magic from her hands. However, even though her magic was hitting the tree dead-on, there was no change.

"I don't get it," Emma said, cutting off the magical stream. "It didn't work. Did… did I do something wrong."

"No," the Apprentice assured, looking equally as mystified. "No, you did everything right. So why…?"

His words trailed off as he quickly looked back at the tree. Stepping closer, he placed a hand over the trunk and closed his eyes in concentration. For a while, he didn't say a word. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh.

"Oh, I should have known," the Apprentice said wearily. "It wasn't your fault, Emma. I was the one who made the error. I thought all that was needed was a blast of particularly strong magic. But it's more than that. You see, it was Nimue, the first Dark One, who trapped Merlin in this state."

"So only the magic of the Dark One can reverse the spell," Emma concluded, filling in the blanks.

"Yes, it appears that is the case," the Apprentice confirmed.

At these words, Emma felt despair starting to sink in. Given the fact that Mr. Gold had made it clear he was not willing to help them fight against Arthur, it was highly doubtful he'd willingly assist them in freeing Merlin. So, was this it? Was there literally nothing they could do? Did this mission into Camelot end up being all for nothing?

But just as Emma felt the hopelessness of their situation take hold, she suddenly found herself remembering the way her parents, Granny, Ruby, Michael Zimmer and Mr. and Mrs. Grace had been fighting against Arthur's knights to buy them time to make it through Jefferson's portal. She remembered what Killian had said, about how Neal had also risen to the occasion to hold them off. She remembered Henry, Grace and the Zimmer twins, who were still being held prisoner. As the memory of her loved ones and the faith they had in her came back to her, she felt those familiar pangs of gloom and misery fade away.

"No," she announced. "There has to be some other way! Everyone in Storybrooke is counting on us! I don't accept that we've come this far, only for it to be all for nothing!"

In response to Emma's words, the Apprentice smiled sadly.

"Your determination is very admirable, Emma," he said. "But…I don't know what else we can do. Without the magic of the current Dark One, the spell simply won't work. There's… just nobody else in existence who can channel dark magic powerful enough to reverse the spell Nimue placed on Merlin all those years ago."

"What if it doesn't have to specifically be the current Dark One?"

Emma and the Apprentice both started upon hearing Regina speaking up. She had been completely silent since Killian had asked her when she'd last thought about Daniel, so they had almost forgotten she was even there.

"Regina? What are you getting at?" Emma asked.

"Well, let's break things down," Regina said. "According to the Apprentice, the curse imprisoning Merlin in the tree can only be reversed with the magic of the current Dark One, since it was the original Dark One who originally cast it. But maybe that's only because the Dark One is the only person capable of wielding Dark Magic strong enough to lift the curse. Or rather, the only known person."

"Are you claiming to know someone whose mastery of Dark Magic can rival the Dark One?" the Apprentice asked.

"Not exactly," Regina admitted. "But let's not forget the one thing the current Dark One excelled at- finding loopholes. Perhaps we should try thinking like him and find the loophole."

"What sort of loophole?" Emma asked, nearly holding her breath.

"We may not have the Dark One's magic, but we do have the magic of the Savior. Which, theoretically, should be equally as powerful as the Dark One's. The only problem is that you wield Light Magic, not Dark Magic, Emma. But perhaps we can find a way disguise your Light Magic and make it look like Dark Magic."

"How do we do that?"

"Simple. By combining my magic with yours. After all, let's not forget the Dark One was my teacher. Everything I learned about magic, I learned from him. So, if we mix my Dark Magic with your powerful Light Magic…."

"We might be able to fabricate the Dark One's magic," Emma concluded. "Will that actually work?"

"Well," the Apprentice mused, deep in thought. "It is a sound theory."

"So what do you say, Emma?" Regina asked. "Care to give it a try?"

For the briefest moment, Emma simply looked at Regina. But just as she was opening her mouth to respond, an arrow suddenly appeared, embedding itself in the ground an inch away from her foot. In reaction, Emma staggered backwards in shock while Regina and the Apprentice both quickly turned to look in the direction the arrow seemed to have come from. In doing so, they were the first to see the young woman with unkempt red hair stepping out from the shadows, another arrow notched to her bow.

"That was a warning shot!" the red-haired woman announced firmly. "Now listen well, because I will only ask this once. Who are you, and what are you doing here?"


The solitary farmhouse had been sitting vacant for a few months, and it showed by the thick layer of dust that coated the furniture and plates. The only sign of life within the farmhouse was the small mouse that had been helping herself to an abandoned bag of corn that had been left out on the counter. But the mouse instinctively ran for cover when a plume of red smoke formed out of nowhere, announcing the arrival of Mr. Gold and Zelena.

"Ah, I never thought I'd see this place again," Zelena sighed contently, running a hand over the back of one of the chairs arranged around the kitchen table.

"Don't bother getting comfortable, Zelena," Mr. Gold sneered. "I didn't bring you back here so you could make yourself at home. You said you'd make it worth my while if I helped you get out of that cell, remember?"

"Yes, yes, I haven't forgotten," Zelena replied with an almost dismissive wave of the hand. "But surely it wouldn't hurt if we waited to discuss things over supper. I haven't had a truly decent meal in such a long time."

"And I suppose you're going to rely on me to provide it," Mr. Gold surmised.

"Did I say that?" Zelena asked, putting on an innocent air.

"You said yourself your magic was sealed away when you were defeated by Emma Swan," Mr. Gold reminded. "And I don't have the patience to wait while you prepare something from scratch."

Without further preamble, Mr. Gold gestured towards the table. In the blink of an eye, the layer of dust had been magically replaced by two plates of thick cuts of roast beef, potatoes and cheese, along with two glasses of wine. Zelena responded to this with a smug smile. She hadn't forgotten how Rumpelstiltskin operated, and she knew this was his way of making it clear that he was the one calling the shots. So she had to continue to allow him to think that if her plan was to work. For that reason, she waited until he'd seated himself and gestured to the empty chair before sitting down herself.

"Now, let's hear this plan you were so desperate to tell me," Mr. Gold instructed.

"Well, let's go over the facts," Zelena began. "It seems that King Arthur is after your dagger. And he's quite determined, too, since he's declared war on the whole town in order to get it."

"I'm already aware of that," Mr. Gold replied.

"Aren't you the least bit curious as to why King Arthur is after the dagger?" Zelena asked.

"I would think that was obvious," Mr. Gold sneered. "He wants what they all want. To control me with the dagger."

"Is that right?" Zelena purred. "Well, from where I'm standing, he doesn't seem to have much need of you, specifically. While I'm sure the ability to control you would give anyone an edge, this King Arthur has managed to get everyone in town running scared completely on his own. My sister even tried coming to me to ask for help."

"What are you getting at," Mr. Gold grumbled, growing impatient. "Get to the point already."

"I'm simply saying that if King Arthur isn't looking to control you, he must have another reason to be after your dagger. Wouldn't it be prudent to find out what that reason is?"

"And what precisely do you suggest?"

"It's quite simple, really. I can go King Arthur and convince him that I can help him get your dagger. Earn his trust. In the process, I can determine what his goal is and report back to you."

"What do you plan to do if he expects you to actually deliver my dagger to him?"

"That's simple. I'll simply give him a fake dagger, of course."

"And you expect me to trust you?" Mr. Gold challenged. "How do I know you won't stab me in the back?"

"In case you've forgotten, I no longer have my magic," Zelena reminded him. "I'm not in a position where I could feasibly do you harm."

For a long moment, Mr. Gold was silent, contemplating what Zelena was saying. Finally, he fixed her with a piercing look.

"And what exactly do you gain from this?" he asked, still suspicious.

"You got me out of my prison cell, didn't you?" Zelena pointed out.

"That can't be all there is to it," Mr. Gold scoffed.

"Of course there is. Now that I'm free, I can try to reclaim my amulet and get my magic back. I'm sure my sister has it stashed away somewhere. I just have to figure out where."

"Very well, Zelena," Mr. Gold said. "If you keep up your end of the bargain, I will personally assist you in getting the amulet back."


The angry looking red-head continued to glower at Emma, Regina and the Apprentice, her bowstring still being held taut. But before any of them could respond to her inquiries, another voice rang out.

"Merida!" the disapproving voice scolded from the shadows. "What are you doing? You were supposed to wait for Secance to arrive before doing anything! What have I told you about patience?"

"And what would we have done if they tried anything before he gets here?" Merida countered.

Emma instantly shifted in place upon hearing the second voice, barely registering what the woman named Merida was saying in her defense. She was sure she'd heard that voice somewhere before, but she was having trouble placing it. Until the owner of the voice came into view at last, revealing herself to be a woman wearing an exotic suit of armor.

"Wait, Mulan?" Emma sputtered, stunned to see her again.

"Emma!" Mulan exclaimed upon looking over and also recognizing her. "Stand down, Merida. Emma is an old ally of mine. We can trust her."

Merida, despite looking unsure, lowered her bow and returned the arrow to her quiver as Mulan strode forward to shake Emma's hand in greeting.

"So, you know this woman?" Regina asked Emma, looking Mulan up and down.

"Yeah, I do," Emma confirmed. "When my mother and I wound up in the Enchanted Forest during the incident with the wraith. Mulan was a great help in getting us both back home again."

"What are you doing back here?" Mulan asked.

"To put it simply, our town of Storybrooke is in trouble. Somehow, King Arthur managed to make it into our world, trying to get the Dark One's Dagger. He even managed to abduct my son and his friends to hold them for ransom. We came here to Camelot to try and free the wizard, Merlin, who could be our best chance at stopping Arthur."

"That explains where Arthur got off to," Mulan mused. "We've been closely watching his castle of Camelot since he left with his knights and members of his court, looking for any sign of his return while cautiously extracting the castle guards that were left behind whenever the opportunity presents itself, in the hopes that we could find some clue as to where he'd gone off to once the way into the castle was clear. But now it seems that you've brought us the answer we were seeking all this time."

"Sounds like you have a grievance with Arthur, too," Killian observed, announcing his presence at a doorway into the courtyard. As to how long he'd been standing there was anyone's guess. However, Mulan's expression instantly shifted upon seeing him, growing cold and unforgiving.

"Hook," she growled, starting to approach him with her hand reaching to remove her sword from its sheath.

"Mulan, wait!" Emma cried, quickly stepping into Mulan's path with her arms outstretched. "It's a long story, but he's on our side now."

"Are you sure?" Mulan asked, still side-eyeing Killian with suspicion.

"Absolutely sure," Emma replied. "I trust him completely."

That seemed to be all Mulan needed to be convinced, as she extracted her hand from the hilt of her sword. Killian, to his credit, looked a bit abashed, clearly remembering how things had stood when he and Mulan had last seen each other. In what appeared to be an effort to not push things, he remained where he was standing, in order to keep a respectful distance from Mulan. As for Mulan, she showed no further acknowledgement of his presence. Instead, she simply continued her explanation.

"There has been a growing concern for some time now that King Arthur had become too focused on securing and maybe even expanding his own power," Mulan said. "In response to this, a small but growing group of us have formed to carefully monitor things in Camelot, preparing to step in if we had to. But when King Arthur suddenly left with his knights and royal court, our concern only grew. So we've been standing watch over the nearly vacant castle since then, trying to find any clue as to what he might be planning. I believe that brings us to this very night, when Merida here spotted you sneaking into the castle. Of course, Merida was only supposed to keep an eye on your movements while I sent word to Secance to let him know about the new development. I'm sure you can figure out the rest."

"And who or what is this Secance?" Regina asked.

"That would be me."

Upon hearing the new voice, everyone turned to face the speaker as he entered into the courtyard, with Mulan and Merida stepping over to flank him. Like before, Emma felt her eyes widen when she realized she recognized this man as well.

"Lancelot?!" she cried in amazement.

The former Knight of the Round Table fixed Emma with a puzzled look upon hearing her say his name.

"Forgive me, but… I don't believe we've met before."

"Oh, right," Emma said, remembering. "I guess the you I met before wasn't actually you, but Cora disguised as you."

"It was after Cora took up your identity in Haven," Mulan clarified.

"Ah, I see," Lancelot nodded in understanding.

"You did meet my parents, though," Emma added. "Snow White and Prince Charming? Though I guess you probably knew him as Prince James?"

"I actually knew him by his real name, too," Lancelot chuckled. "Seeing as I was the one who officiated their secret wedding. So, you're their daughter?"

"Yeah, I…. wait! How are you still alive? Cora said she killed you when she took your place."

"She did try," Lancelot confirmed. "But she wasn't aware that the lake where she left me for dead was the same lake where my mother resided. My mother, who is quite a skilled healer, found me close to death and helped me regain my strength."

For the next few minutes, the time was spent on various introductions and filling everyone in on past adventures they hadn't been present for. In the process, Emma, Regina, Killian and the Apprentice were able to fully explain the trouble Storybrooke was in. In exchange, Lancelot - who had been operating under the codename of 'Secance' in an attempt to keep word of his return to Camelot from reaching King Arthur's ears - Mulan and Merida were able to explain how they had started growing suspicious of Arthur's behavior when people who had previously not cared much for the king were suddenly seen enthusiastically adhering to him.

"My three brothers are a prime example," Merida said. "Up until a short time ago, they were working alongside us to keep a careful watch on Arthur. But one day, they were sent on a mission to sneak into the castle and gather some information. But they didn't report back when they were supposed to. Right when I was about to try and find out what happened to them, we spotted Arthur and his followers leaving. My brothers were marching among them."

Upon hearing this, Emma shared a glance with her companions. She saw in their faces that they were all thinking the same thing.

"That almost sounds like what happened to our friend, Robin," Emma said. "We had a good friend back in Storybrooke, Robin Hood. He was working alongside us in keeping the people of Storybrooke safe. But when we opened a portal to come to Camelot in the hopes of freeing Merlin, he suddenly appeared and tried to stop us, stating his allegiance was to Arthur. It didn't make much sense."

"I'm afraid I might have a possible explanation," Lancelot admitted sadly. "Though I hope even now that I'm wrong. It was my last mission in Camelot before I imposed exile on myself. King Arthur's wife, Guinevere; she was concerned that he was growing too obsessed with his hunt for the Dark One's Dagger to restore Excalibur, and forgetting what was more important. She tasked me to accompany her to try and find the Dagger ourselves, in the hopes that Arthur would become the man she'd fallen in love with again once he got what he wanted. To make a long story short, we didn't get the Dagger, but we did obtain a mystical substance called the Sands of Avalon. It was supposed to help give Arthur the illusion that Excalibur was restored to its unbroken state, so he would have no excuse to focus on his obsession and simply be the good king he was supposed to be. But now… I wonder if Guinevere's plan backfired on her somehow. If Arthur managed to get his hands on the Sands of Avalon, he might have started using it on others, to give them the illusion that he was the great king he claimed to be."

"If that's what's been going on," the Apprentice declared, "then we really have no time to use. He might even now be using the Sands of Avalon on the people we left behind. Emma? I think Merlin has waited long enough, don't you?"

Emma nodded once in understanding. After sharing a glance at Regina to check if she was ready, the two woman fired off a blast of magic at the tree in the middle of the courtyard, with Emma's Light Magic combining with Regina's Dark Magic right before impact. Before everyone's eyes, the tree slowly started to melt away. By the time Emma and Regina lowered their hands, cutting off the duel stream of magic, a cloaked figure was standing where the tree had been moments before.

It seemed as if everyone was holding their breath as the cloaked figure continued to stand motionlessly. But then, he moved, lowering his hood to reveal a smiling face.

"Well done, Emma," Merlin commended.