Damage Control

Emma sighed beside Piper as the two sat outside of Granny's Diner on a fallen tree trunk, Piper holding the hoop of a dreamcatcher in her hands while Emma used hers to more intricately work the pattern within. Her gaze had flickered over to the diner where the heroes, Regina, and Hook were within, speaking to Merlin about his plan to free her from the Darkness. Even though they hadn't said it, it had come across to her that they hadn't wanted Piper there so she wouldn't know what the full plan was and couldn't 'sabotage' it. Hook had just outright told Piper to leave because the last thing they needed was a true Villain catching wind of the plan.

Henry had nearly hit the pirate for that, disgusted with Hook's remark, angry that he would forbid Piper to be there when he and Regina were, and they were villains. Hook had only remarked they were former villains, those working to redeem themselves whereas Piper wasn't and never would. He'd even gone so far as to say they shouldn't risk Piper being around because, for all they knew, she might try to keep Emma dark.

Piper knew Emma had been about to argue with the pirate for her sake, but she had merely smirked and turned to go. Both because it was amusing to her how they thought SHE was one intent to keep Emma dark (when Emma was the one who wanted to be dark and had tasked her with keeping her light enough) and also because she knew it would unnerve the heroes to merely smile as though that was exactly what she wanted and step away without complaint. Villains agreeing too quickly to a hero's plan always seemed to make them question why and what did they have up their sleeves?

Emma had stood firm with her though, glaring at her parents and stepping out with Piper, saying only that if SHE was too dark to be there then surely the potential Dark One was too. She'd ignored her parents shouts of how they didn't mean her and went to sit with her aunt. She had heard Merlin remark perhaps it was for the best, because the Darkness in her might fight more if it knew what was coming, before the door shut.

Really, though, did they honestly think having either of them out of the room would keep them from learning what the plan was? If not from Henry, who she felt stayed only for that purpose, then from Emma herself. Clearly Regina had already forgotten her trick with a dreamcatcher.

Emma glanced down at the catcher in Piper's hands, touching it as though adjusting something, but imbuing it with her magic and bringing up the image of what was happening in the diner right at that moment.

"So you can really do it?" Charming was asking Merlin, "Take the Dark One's Dagger and put it together with Arthur's sword to re-create the original Excalibur?"

"I hope so," Merlin nodded.

"And we can use it to save Emma?" Snow White continued.

"Perhaps," Merlin cautiously replied, "But I need two things. The magical means to unite the two blades. That's my and Emma's quest. From you, I need..."

"The two blades," Regina finished, because it was obvious they couldn't reunite the two without them BOTH being there.

"We're pretty much at the open-warfare stage," Robin Hook frowned, using his expertise as a thief to assess their chances of stealing the sword, "Now, getting the partial sword from Arthur won't be easy."

Hook sighed and turned to Merlin, "As long as you're looking at the future, any hints on how?"

Merlin was grim, "Well, the future isn't exact. There are many parts..."

"Of course there are," Hook scoffed, glaring, "You're willing to send us behind enemy lines, but when it comes to specifics, everything's a little fuzzy, isn't it?!"

"Hook," Charming cut in at the accusation, "Merlin's helping Emma."

"Is he?!" Hook snapped, before pointing, almost towards them in the image of the catcher, "She's sitting out there right now, making things to pull memories out of people's heads, because that's what she does now instead of sleeping. I'm not quite seeing the helping!"

Piper shifted her leg to brush Emma's knee, feeling her flinch beside her at how utterly furious Hook sounded about that, the lot of them only having just realized recently that she hadn't been sleeping and it was because Dark One's didn't sleep. None of them, not even Hook, had known that quirk before, so, naturally, they all assumed it had to mean she was turning into the Dark One, instead of realizing she had been like that from the very beginning of all this mess. It hadn't been sudden, it was always there. It was also, she knew, the way he phrased it, that he'd made it some dark object, some twisted purpose for her to be making them, like she had some sort of wicked plot to use them for.

All of them seemed to forget she HAD used a dreamcatcher before, on Pongo, with light magic, so her being the Dark One and making dreamcatchers didn't make the object itself dark.

Hook didn't see it that way.

"It is always hard," Piper murmured to her niece, "Being the villain," she eyed Emma a moment, "This is one trial to face always, heroes and those who think themselves heroes, when they see you as a villain, will always see the worst intention in anything you do."

Emma swallowed hard and had to look away a moment, she didn't make the dreamcatchers just to rip memories out of people. She made them for something to do and for a way to hopefully help protect her family and their dreams because she couldn't do much else. And there was Hook, twisting it into some vile purpose, not even he, the man who asked her to trust him repeatedly, was willing to trust that she only did it to pass the time and not to use them for a foul purpose.

"If this is too much, Emma," Piper added, "You need only say the word and we can allow Merlin to remove the Darkness from you."

With the condition that it be returned to Rumpelstiltskin went unsaid but always there.

"No," Emma shook her head, looking back at her aunt, "No, I want to do this. I can do this."

"I know you can," Piper replied, "You do not HAVE to though. Do not feel as though you must or my sake either. I can find other ways to deal with Snow White than this. I will never wish to see you harmed or in pain."

"I know," Emma repeated, offering her a small smile, "It's not just about you or me, it's also about them," she nodded her head towards the diner, "Testing them and teaching them."

Piper fell silent, nodding at her rationale, before they looked back down at the catcher when Merlin spoke, "I understand. I know what it is to lose someone you love to the Dark One. All I can ask of all of you is that you bring me that sword...and that you have patience with Emma. Her kind of power, for good or evil..." he sighed, "It is a weight on the soul. And love is a great help, if you can find it."

Emma frowned, "Why'd he say it like that?" she asked, "'If I can find it?'"

The implication that she didn't have it wasn't lost on them.

"It is difficult to love a Dark One," Piper reminded her, "And your pirate has spent 300 years loathing one. He may not easily make the distinction between you and the Darkness if you give in. He may not be able to see YOU through the Dark One."

Emma's frown deepened, "He will," she said, though it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than Piper, "He wouldn't reject me just for that. He loves me."

"He loves YOU," Piper repeated, they had discussed this before but now...now they were very close to letting the Darkness take her, the possibility was much realer than it had been all those weeks ago, "What happens if you become the Dark One? What then?" she set the hoop aside and reached out to take Emma's hand, "You must prepare yourself for that possibility, Emma."

"What, that he won't love me anymore just because I'm not the perfect savior?"

"Villains are hypocrites," Piper stated, "Everyone is, but the difference is we accept it and do not deny it. I can torture someone without batting an eye, but if someone so much as tried to harm my family in a similar way I would hunt them down and end them," she took a breath, refocusing, "Your pirate may ask that you love him, darkness and all, villainous past and all, but he may not be able to return the favor. He may ask you for your trust and not give you it in return."

Emma had to look down at that, Hook had already done a few things like that, where she would offer her trust and he would take it, but when she asked for the same in return he would keep quiet or change the subject.

Piper put her other hand on Emma's too, "If ever this becomes too much," she spoke quietly, hearing the door to Granny's open, "You need only say so."

"Thanks," Emma murmured, looking up when Merlin approached her.

Merlin offered them both a smile, "May I have a word with Emma?"

Piper gave a single nod and stood, moving off to the side where Henry was, though Hook lingered too close for the boy to slip even the most mundane detail to her about what he had heard in the diner. She merely gave him a sly smirk and ran a hand through his hair to wave off his concern, before speaking to him more about the stable girl he had come to care for and how best to go about attempting a 'second chance' (for those others listening could not know there was none needed) while their two sides were in opposition.

~8~

Piper was quite sure the only reason she'd been included in the heroes 'plan' to try and steal Excalibur from Arthur was because of hers and Emma's jailbreak and how they'd managed it with but two people and nothing else. It was as she had told Emma earlier, villains were excluded and shunned, unless their talents were needed and then they were included though kept at arms length. She honestly wondered if the heroes had always been this stupid as to think she wouldn't work out the 'real plan' even just based on the false one they gave her. They had said they needed to steal the sword because it was the source of Arthur's command over his people. That without it, he would no longer be seen as the rightful king and he'd be weaponless and powerless.

It was a load of bullocks if she'd ever heard it. Arthur had been crowned king, it wouldn't disappear because his sword did, if anything it would give him more power to command his people to go to war to retrieve it.

She let them think she was of agreement with their plan, there was no reason they needed to know she was aware that Merlin needed it to reunite with the Dark One's Dagger. She was almost looking forward to when they tried to reunite the pieces and it failed, for she was not going to give Rumpelstiltskin's Dagger to anyone unless she had a magical oath bound in blood from the sorcerer that he would return the Darkness to Rumpelstiltskin and do nothing else to it. Let him try to harm her, for he would likely forget that Emma was her niece and, at the current moment, more protective of her than of her own mother. That and, so far, the man seemed to have no idea Emma planned to let the Darkness take her when the time was right.

Who knew, him attacking her for the Dagger might give them another opportunity for Emma to 'turn dark' and it would be even more on Merlin's shoulders than a failed ritual would.

She would have to speak with Emma about it when she returned.

"Ok," Snow White was saying to the small group gathered around, though she did her level best to keep her gaze from moving to where Piper was sitting beside Henry on the barstools, "What's the plan?"

"We take them by surprise," Charming determined, "Go in through the front gate."

Piper caught Henry's eye and rolled her own at him, that would be what a hero would do, a foolish plan. How on earth an attack from the FRONT, where all eyes would be watching, would be a surprise was beyond her.

"Well, after the jailbreak, they'll be on high alert," Hook argued.

"Though it pains me to admit," Piper spoke, because it would mean agreeing with Hook in some manner, "Heading for the front gate, even without a jailbreak, is a fool's plan. There ARE guards stationed on the walls," she reminded them, "They would see you coming so it would be a fairly short surprise."

"Not if they're sleeping on the job," Charming countered.

"Oh, I am so very sorry," Piper mocked, "I was unaware I served a purpose here other than to remark on how utterly stupid the plans were."

"Look, could you do it?" Charming huffed.

"I could."

"Great, then…"

"But I will not," Piper added.

"Rose!" Snow frowned at her, "We're doing this to help Emma."

"I am aware," Piper shot her a foul look for daring to use Emma as a ploy to get her acceptance. Snow White was skilled in many things, manipulation was not one of them and so to try and guilt her or use Emma as a reason to agree was as foolish as her husband's plan of attack on the front gate, "I could play, but it would take time to reach any others in the castle, enough time for them to realize what is happening and just as easily cover their ears. There are far easier ways to enter the castle than an all out attack. There are always ways into a castle barring the front gate," she looked between Charming and Snow, reminding them of their own castles and all the sneaky ways in that didn't involve any main entrance, "Or do you prefer risking the lives of your little army on an ambush doomed to fail?"

"If we can create a diversion," Hook considered, "The rest of us can climb the wall on the side…"

"And how long before the would-be king is alerted to the encroaching attack and flees with the sword?"

"The fish is right," Regina cut in, "I've got magic. I can just poof into Arthur's bedroom…" she trailed off when Zelena, still mute-via-magic and sitting off to the side because Regina was not about to leave her anywhere near Camelot in the current climate, managed a scoffing noise from where she was sitting in a booth, "What?!" she rolled her eyes when Zelena began gesturing wildly, "Well, if you're going to make a scene, you might as well make noise," she waved her hand, allowing the woman to speak once more.

"Oh!" Zelena sighed, "Thank you. I do love hearing a sensible person talk. Or should I say fish, what ARE you exactly?" she eyed Piper.

"The person who can kill you with a word," Piper reminded her.

"Spit it out," Regina cut in with a huff, glaring at Zelena, "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking the Piper is right," Zelena remarked, "Going in the front...suicide. Diversion...Arthur hides the sword. You need it on him. And you could poof right in front of a blade. You need to sneak in so quietly no one knows you're there."

"How?" Charming scoffed, "Hang glider? Oh, giant slingshot? Piper's already refused to make them sleep."

"If sir-castic would let me speak," Zelena rolled her eyes, "I'd tell you that I wasn't idle during those days in there, playing mute handmaiden at Regina's side. I was plotting an escape."

"Which surprises no one," Piper remarked dryly, even as Regina muttered, "I knew it!" under her breath.

"And I found a way out. And if I know a way out, I know a way in."

Regina eyed her oddly, "You're going to help us?"

Zelena smirked, "Of course. Because you're going to help me. I want my magic back."

"Or you can help us because it saves your sorry life," Regina threatened, conjuring a fireball to her hand.

"Regina, the baby," Robin remind her, reaching out to grip her wrist, causing her to extinguish the flame.

"Yes, wouldn't want to harm the babe," Zelena smirked.

"This," Piper spoke up, a smirk of her own on her face, "This I would very much look forward to doing," she leaned in to pull her pipe from her boot as she stood off the stool, "You all may wish to vacate the room."

"Aunt P…" Henry began.

"No torture," Piper kept her gaze on Zelena, "This time at least. I do have a number of other ways to make people do as I wish."

Regina bit back a smirk and turned to the others, "Let's leave her to it."

Piper took a great deal of delight in how Zelena's eyes widened in fear as she brought the pipe to her lips…

~8~

The small group of heroes, and Piper, walked closely to the walls of Camelot's south side, the only point closest to the forest they were using for cover. Charming, Hook, and Robin Hood warily eyed Zelena as she walked ahead of them, leading the way, though the looks they sent to Piper only caused her own smirk to widen. While Snow seemed very uncomfortable, Regina seemed somewhat impressed and amused as she moved beside her sister to keep an eye on her, though it appeared Piper had done a thorough job.

Zelena just kept walking, swaying a bit as though she were in a daze, with a dreamy smile on her face, her eyes half-lidded as though nearly asleep.

"It's a tunnel," Zelena spoke, her voice quite flat compared to the expression on her face as she brought them to a small archway in the side of the wall with a gate set into it, "Abandoned for years. It will take you to the courtyard."

"Well, if it's so good, why didn't you escape through it?" Hook eyed her, shifting as her clouded vision turned to him.

"There is a metal gate," she stated, "I can't take it down without magic."

"Well, it leads in the right direction," Charming observed it, "Looks like your information is good, at least this far."

"Thank you," Zelena said simply, blinking slowly.

"Well done," Piper offered, nearly laughing at how Zelena smiled widely at her compliment.

"For all we know, this leads to the guards' quarters," Regina grumbled under her breath, before turning to Snow, "Mary Margaret, how do you feel about guard duty?"

Snow eyed Zelena as she swayed in place, "Does she even need it?" she looked at Piper, her expression clearly asking what the hell she'd done to the woman to make her so complacent and pliable.

"It shall wear off, eventually," Piper remarked.

"What…did you do to her?" Robin Hood had to ask, concerned more for the baby than Zelena herself.

Piper smirked, "She is half asleep, and half euphoric," she looked at Robin, "No torture," she eyed the woman, "Sometimes it is far more fun to make them malleable than frightened."

It had been a combination of tunes, blended into one. It made Zelena calm and peaceful, relaxed, which allowed more of the music to drift into her, swirling in her mind and her ears, taking root. There was an eager quality to it, a subtle set of notes that made a person so very eager to please, to do what the person commanding them wished, to help them in any way they could. The comfort level increased as they actively did a task, ensuring the hold of the song lasted longer. The person would feel like only good things could happen if they obeyed, it stripped them of their will to fight back, and there was an aspect of a dream to it. Nothing felt real, nothing hurt, nothing felt like it would bear any consequence. It appealed to the person who heard it, made their will pliant and malleable as she said, made them want to give in and do as they were told.

It could be used for very nefarious purposes, very foul and heinous means, she could have someone willing to walk into a fire or eager to jump off a cliff, could have them murder another without batting an eye or shedding a tear. She could have them cut off their own limb if she wished, among other things.

And yes, she had used it in such a manner on a handful of individuals who crossed her, had them happily leap to their death or douse themselves in oil before dropping a lantern at their own feet. Those were the people she truly wished to exert her entire control over. There were other forms of this magic, she could have someone's body move while their mind was conscious and fighting it but unable to break free. She could drive someone to the brink of insanity and have them rampage, so out of their mind not a single part of them was aware of what was happening. Or she could torment them until they broke and gave in and did what she wanted only so the pain would stop.

Peter Pan had nothing on her, she was the true Pied Piper of the Forest and it was HER reputation that preceded her.

Sometimes she wished to hurt those who had crossed her, pain them, make them aware of what they were doing and horrified by their own actions, a lesson not to cheat her again. Other times she was so angry, so furious, that she would utilize her full control, show them that they never should have doubted her ability. And times when she burned so cold in her fury, when the Siren instinct took over that the madness settled in the bones of others and spread.

Torture was out of the question for this occasion, only due to the baby and the heroes wishing to protect it. Due to Henry being close with Robin Hood and it being his child, in a way, part of Henry's family even if it was distant enough to be his adoptive mother's niece and not blood related to him. It limited the set of songs she could use. Madness was tricky, she usually used that in a general sense, when she didn't care who would be cut down during someone's rampage, which wasn't useful here given Henry had been at the diner, remaining behind now to 'guard' it with a few others. It left only the compliance and the dream to manipulate Zelena.

Snow gave her a sad look that she ignored, before she turned to the others, "I'll stay with Zelena," Snow promised, reaching out to take Zelena's hand, Robin coming over to wrap her wrists together with rope for Snow to lead her away.

Regina looked at the gate that led to the tunnel and sighed, "Alright, everyone," she waved her hand at it, disintegrating it with her magic, "Let's get this sword."

~8~

Surprisingly the tunnel did lead exactly where it was meant to, to the main hall of the castle, the small group coming to a stop just before the doorway through, for there were a number of knights rushing about within as though preparing for a battle. A group of them were even lugging a boiling, steaming cauldron between them as they headed for the stairs.

"You suppose that's for us?" Robin Hood murmured as they eyed the guards moving on.

"I have a feeling we don't want to find out," Regina countered.

Hook barely waited until the last guard turned a corner before he was pushing his way into the hall, "Come on. Let's keep moving."

"I keep waiting for the axe to fall," Robin Hood commented as he and Regina followed Hook, Charming taking up the rear as he forced Piper to go ahead of him, not trusting her at his back.

"I didn't think she had it in her," Regina sighed, "But...Zelena hasn't screwed us. Yet."

Piper nearly snorted, "You think she has not already?" she asked.

Regina frowned back at her, "You think your magic failed?"

"My magic worked as flawlessly as ever," Piper reassured her, "I meant she discovered this tunnel quite quickly and gave it up rather fast. She had to know you would never remove the cuff from her."

She watched as the group grew tense, looking between each other as though only just now realizing that Zelena HAD offered up the information too quickly to be trying to trade it for her freedom, she hinted it to them before they had even heard what she wanted, which meant she wanted them in the tunnel and didn't do it for her freedom.

Piper shook her head, especially at Regina and Hook, "Perhaps next time ask a Villain's opinion before going with another villain's plan."

It had been suspicious to her, how fast Zelena had offered her help, especially knowing the thing she wanted most would not be on the table and so, why bother offering anything at all? It reeked of a trap, to her. When she spelled Zelena she could have easily gotten her to admit her true intentions, asked her what her hidden plan was, why she was helping them. She hadn't. Not because she hadn't thought to do so, but because the heroes hadn't asked her to. She would not assist them more than necessary, not after their display of distrust earlier. No, she would let them wander into a trap and force them to realize it was on their own heads for not considering Zelena's eagerness to offer a backup plan.

Truly the only reason she even assisted this quest at all was because they would need the sword at one point, for her own plans with Emma, and it would be easier to get it this way. She had no qualms if a hero rushed in to try and steal it and was thrown back. Let them be the first line of attack, they were always so eager to be so. Emma needed the sword, it had to be in their possession when she became the Dark One in order to alarm the heroes. Doing this now would only mean it would be given to her by the heroes without a reason to doubt or hesitate. She did this for Emma, for Rumpelstiltskin, for Henry, and nothing else.

Perhaps a small part of it was damage control as well, the heroes were too suspicious that she wanted to turn Emma dark, helping them obtain the sword they needed to 'save her' should be enough to have them hesitate later. They would know, no matter what, she would do anything for Emma, and if Emma wanted to be 'free' then she would help them do so. They HAD to make the heroes think Emma was serious about removing the Darkness right to the end.

Charming grit his teeth, "Come on," he moved ahead, giving Hook a look to take the rear, they'd come too far to stop now, "The Round Table's this way, it's where Arthur would go first…"

~8~

Regina didn't hesitate to use her magic to hurl the door to the Round Table room open, allowing them all access to where Arthur was standing, hunched over Excalibur as it rested on the table before him, alone.

Instantly Piper knew this had to be the trap Zelena meant for them to reach, for if a king was anticipating an attack enough to have his men preparing, he would not allow himself to be so alone and unprotected.

But this was not her quest, this was not her fight to make, and the heroes had not asked for her opinion, so she merely slowed her pace, allowing the four ahead of her to confront Arthur while she closed the doors behind them. She had come mostly to see if they would succeed in obtaining the sword. In her opinion, if Merlin was so powerful, he could have summoned the sword to himself.

"Foul witch!" Arthur shouted out, spotting Regina and grabbing a dagger from his belt to stalk towards her, "You've overpowered the guards!"

Regina waved her hand and froze him in place.

"Sword's on the table," Robin Hood moved for it, but Hook grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Don't touch it," Hook warned, "It could have protection charms."

"Odd, is it not," Piper remarked dryly, "How he just left it, right there, within your reach?"

"It's not like it could do much damage against us," Charming defended, waving off her very logical concern, "It's broken."

"Nothing in here can hurt us," Regina assured them all, "Arthur doesn't know how to do magic."

"Zelena can," Piper remarked, "And I hear her song approaching," she looked over at a tapestry hanging off a wall, disguising another hidden passage behind it, right as Zelena sauntered through, shoving a bound and gagged Snow White ahead of her.

"Hi, guys!"" Zelena chirruped.

"Oh, hell no," Regina glared at her.

"Mary Margaret!" Charming called, about to lunge forward but Regina grabbed him this time to stop him, "If you hurt her..."

"Ooh," Zelena pouted, shoving Snow into a chair, "Daddy's angry," before her gaze landed on Arthur, "Let's undo that," she waved her hand to release him from the freezing spell.

"How did..." Regina's eyes widened at the use of magic.

"Well, Arthur was kind enough to remove that constricting jewelry," Zelena held her arm up, pulling her sleeve down to show them the suppressing band was gone, the one she'd worn before clearly just a decoy.

"Fine. I'd prefer an even fight…" Regina began to conjure another fireball.

"No, don't!" and, as before, Robin Hood stopped her, "The baby."

"You know," Zelena smirked as her sister extinguished the fireball, "If you treated me fairly for once, maybe I wouldn't turn on you."

"Yes, you would," Hook glared at her.

She shrugged, "But I'd enjoy it less. Oh!" she spotted an open book on the table, what Arthur had been hunched over before, "Here we are. One of Merlin's cookbooks."

"Is it the right spell?" Arthur asked.

"Oh, yes. It's quite an ingenious recipe for a tethering potion."

"Excellent."

Piper looked at the heroes, at Regina, and crossed her arms, moving to lean against a pillar behind her. If they weren't going to make a move to stop whatever was about to happen, neither would she. Truly, Regina had magic, all she had to do was banish Arthur or Zelena to another location and put up a barrier spell to prevent them appearing back. Or banish the sword somewhere else. Or conjure it to herself. Or blast Zelena back with enough force to knock her out without harming her. Or, hell, she could wave her hand and send them both to sleep yet they did nothing? There were ways to subdue someone without harming them or the child within.

And the fact that a 'villain' could think of so many non-lethal or harmful ways said something about what the heroes should have been able to come up with.

So she stood back and watched with the others as Zelena waved her hand over the sheathed Excalibur, causing it to glow green for a moment, "There..." she smirked, "You can take it now. Cookies are done, and by 'cookies,' I mean that Artie here may have a shorter sword than a man would like, but it can control the world's greatest wizard," she watched as he pulled the sword from the sheath and held it up, Merlin's name etched into it like Emma's was on the Dark One's Dagger, "His plan, but I like it. Happy to help."

"Most obliged, my lady," Arthur dipped his head to her.

"Arthur, please," Charming tried to reason with him, "You can't see a way out, but there is one. You can start over."

Arthur just stepped back and held the sword above his head, "Merlin!" he summoned.

"We've all started over."

"Speak for yourself," Piper muttered.

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted a second time, needing just one more to call Merlin to him.

"Emma is worth more to you as the Savior than the Dark One!" Charming just kept trying.

Piper rolled her eyes at his rather dismal attempt to reason with Arthur and was utterly unsurprised when it failed to work.

"Thank you, David," Arthur sent him a look, "But...Merlin!"

And there, just at the side of the room, in a swirl of white smoke, Merlin appeared.

"Ah, Merlin," Arthur smirked, "How kind of you to come when called. For your first task, please use your magic to keep these fine people from attacking me in any way."

Merlin's jaw clenched but he waved his hand at the others, causing them all to drop their swords and Robin's bow and arrow. Piper wondered, briefly, how long it might be before anyone in the room realized she wasn't gagged and could very easily bring Arthur to his knees? Or kill him? Killing him would work too. But there was the threat that he could command Merlin to attack her before she could finish or that Zelena would grab the sword to control him before she could turn an attack on her.

"It is done, Arthur," Merlin sighed, before turning to the man, "You can put that down. We don't have to do this. Emma has passed her test."

While the heroes looked relieved, Arthur appeared furious and mocking, "Oh, Emma passed the test? How nice for her."

"I have what we need to unite Excalibur and fulfill your legacy. Give me the sword."

"You mean give you the glory? No."

"Glory?" Merlin repeated, disappointment heavy in his tone, "You seek glory? Is that really what you've become? I am so sorry I wasn't there to guide you, Arthur. This isn't the man you were supposed to be."

"Oh, I am exactly what you made me. 'Look at the half-man with his half-sword, solving riddles from a tree.' I bet you laughed."

"I was trapped, and I put my faith in you. You were meant to be like a son to me."

"Shut your mouth," Arthur commanded and Merlin's jaw snapped shut with a click, "I was never a son to you. You lied. You told me legend would speak of the great King Arthur, using Excalibur to strike darkness from the realm! Tell me how this was not a lie!"

"Because you will do that," Merlin spoke, commanded to do so, "You're a part of doing it right now."

"A part of it?" Arthur scoffed.

"We have what we need. The future is in your hands, Arthur. Give me the sword. We can repair everything."

Arthur shook his head, "No, not everything. This is MY charge and MY right. I will be known for more than defeating a stone."

"Arthur, you cannot..." Merlin tried to reason with him.

"Be quiet," Arthur snapped, "We have intruders. Make them leave."

Merlin turned to the group, grim and resigned, and waved his hand, white smoke surrounding them and banishing them away from the castle.

Piper had but a moment to consider that now, now things were finally going to get interesting, before she vanished as well...in a swirl of black.

A/N: Hmm...interesting things happening all around }:)

Heroes being heroes and not trusting villains, what else is new? But Emma somehow tricked Merlin on her quest and succeeded in getting what they need to put Excalibur back together. Zelena has fallen to Piper's magic for a brief time. The heroes prove their old habits of seeking out villains for help when they have something they want or need from them :/ And the end...hmmm...

When I was watching the episode, the second Zelena started talking I was like 'something's going on here' and yet no one, not even Regina, seemed to pick apart every single thing and doubt every word or action or promise that came out of Zelena's mouth? Seriously? They actually went along with her plan? :/ Yes, there's a remark that 'she hasn't betrayed us yet' but that implies they still trusted enough of the plan to go through with it.

Zelena. They trusted and went with Zelena's plan. And didn't literally extract the truth from her first? :/ They have magic, Regina should have been able to think of a truth spell or potion or something first. And then they get there and they don't find it odd that Zelena found a way out and just gave up on getting through it because oh boo hoo she doesn't have magic? :/ And none of them consider how willing she was to give them the information, even when she KNEW she wouldn't be freed as a result, but STILL 'helped?' :/ And they face Arthur and Zelena is doing the tethering spell and NONE of them have ANY idea how to stop her? At all? Really? They have MAGIC :/

So I sort of felt that Piper would be like the lone villain who's actually thinking like A VILLAIN like Zelena is, and considering 'well what would I do if I was in her place' and she's like 'lead them to a trap.' Regina and Hook have gone so far into 'herodom' that it felt like they were actually forgetting how to think like a villain in this episode. Piper hasn't, so she would see the suspicion in Zelena's offer, she'd see the way the heroes are choosing to trust her and not get the truth out of her, she'd notice how they're failing to attack Zelena when they have the chance and stop her, not even kill her, not even hurt her, just stop her, and aren't :/

Sometimes you just need a true villain's perspective to understand a villain's plan I guess }:)

Piper, as always (with villains lol) has her own ulterior motives for 'helping' the heroes. Get the sword for Emma, so one part of their Dark Swan plan can be ticked off the list, but also covering their tracks about it too. If she's seen 'helping' the heroes so they can 'save' Emma, then people might be less suspicious that she had a hand in Emma's conversion later. If everyone seems on the same page to save Emma, then they'll let it get to the 'ritual' where the plan fails and Emma becomes the Dark One. The things she does to keep her family safe lol :)

Some notes on reviews...

Thank you all for your thoughts on the other websites, you've given me a lot to think about! :)

I'm very glad you haven't had any plagiarisms, I really mean it, it isn't anything I would ever wish on anyone else or want anyone to experience :( My work was only here on this site for a very long time, and people still copied and plagiarized it on this site and quotev and wattpad so I've had some negative experiences all over the place :/ I ended up making accounts on those sites, same username, and only posting the first chapter of some stories there and directing people to this site, but it still wasn't enough to deter some from still posting my full work there :/ That is a good point though, providing the link provides a connection to the original posting date. So far the baby isn't considered a Dark One, at least while still in the womb. Piper and the others do refer to it as being half-Dark One, but more in a general sense of its dark nature, Gold having been the Dark One, magic and all, when it was conceived. But we've started to see it may be a bit more sensitive to magic than a normal child so, for all we know, once it's born it may be more like a Dark One than a Siren }:) Since it's still in Piper, and she is biologically half a magical/dark creature, that might interfere with trying to find out exactly what the child is ;) I could see Arthur being like a Dark One, to me it comes across more like the Ring of Power from LOTR, like he has this very powerful object and it slowly corrupts him, having the prestige it gives him :)

Thank you for keeping an eye out for my work :) I technically do have accounts on all the sites, I just haven't posted more than the first chapter of some stories on 2 of them so far :/ I'll have to give it more thought on how to get the proof out there first :)

I can say the second Dark One isn't the baby, so far, while it's inside Piper it's a little harder for outside magic to detect or determine what it is due to her own magical biology, so not even Gold or Piper would know for sure. It has a piece of the Dark One's darkness in it, due to its father being the Dark One when it was conceived, but beyond that they can't be sure ;) I'm so sorry you're going through writer's block, it's never fun :( What usually helps me is stepping back, writing something else, or even watching the show/movie the story is for again, sometimes that visual kicks my imagination into gear again :) I fully get the fear of plagiarism. It was a hard lesson for me because when I first posted a story, I never imagined any of my work would be 'liked' enough that someone would want to pass it off as their own, so it never occurred to me to be worried, so when it happened it was out of the blue and devastating. I wasn't prepared for it, I hope, if you do post your work one day, that it never ever happens to you :(

I don't think it's wrong, I wish Bae had come back too :) I agree, he would probably understand better than anyone Emma's reasons. And, I think, he'd be a contrast to Hook in that he has experience loving a Dark One, it would just be a different type of love he feels for Emma than his father. It would be a sort of big neon sign comparing him to Hook in how they handle the Dark Swan, one seeking to change her and flip flopping between rejecting and accepting her, and the other like 'I may need a little time, but I know I love you, I'd love you dark or light or grey or nothing at all' :)

Thank you for the perspective. That was something that had me going back and forth, I'm not big on wattpad or quotev, so do I want to put the time and effort into getting stories up on there? :/ I have a lot to consider, but thank you :)

Very good point, I should probably have done that when the first plagiarism came up, put a note right at the start and end of the stories, and on my profile, requesting people reach out of they see my work somewhere not mine. This is what I love about putting it out there to readers, you all bring up so many good points and things I should have thought to do but didn't occur to me, thank you :) I feel for Piper too, we may see a bit of a breakthrough for Snow before this story is over...but Snow does seem to have a habit of taking one step in the right direction and then two back }:)

I'm glad you noticed the increased use of 'mate' for Piper :) I feel like with the Zelena problem, it was a sort of desperation on her own part, to try and get those closest to her to see how important he is to her, to try and get them to support her and believe her even if there wasn't evidence of it, just because they're family. Once she got him back, it was like she could breathe again and she knew in her mind what her heart had always known, he's her mate :)

Oh I can promise there will be a very key moment in the series where Piper does just that, remarks how much like a villain Snow can be when she's using the 'greater good' as a shield }:) It may not happen in this story, but it will occur before the series is over. There's a very specific moment I have in mind where Piper really just puts it all in Snow's face and forces her to see her actions through a non-heroic lens. I feel like Emma's efforts in this story will be the groundwork, the cracks in Snow's foundation that will allow Piper's final words on the subject to really finally break through to her about how far she's fallen, and she will only have herself to blame and need to take a hard look in the mirror about her excuses and even the lies she tells herself ;) I can say we'll get a small glimpse into Snow's family and their thoughts on who she's become and how she's changed not entirely for the better too ;) And thank you, I wish they wouldn't take my work, in the end it just makes them look worse to their own readers too and sort of has a black sign over them if they try to recover from it, who could trust that what they put out after is original when they stole once before? :(