Oh my gosh!
I'm sorry guys for not updating this story in so long! Other stories had my attention!
Zila's POV
I carried Excalibur in one hand and my dagger in the other as I entered Smaug's cave. Here I would make the legendary sword whole once again.
"So that is the sword of legend" the fire drake said seeing the broken half of Excalibur. The dragon snaked his head toward it and sniffed the metal. He then emitted a growl.
"I don't like it's scent" he complained. "But if you wish to forge it here I am alright with that"
I put Excalibur down and stroked the dragon's snout.
"Good lord I didn't know Smaug was this large"
I sighed at Athena's spirit.
"The spirit is here?" Smaug inquired. He couldn't see Athena's former self and I had explained to him how all Dark Ones could see their predecessors.
"She is" I confirmed before retrieving Excalibur.
"Beautiful are they not?" Athena's spirit asked. "Both haves finally reunited, you know what they represent don't you?"
"Power" I responded.
"Damn right" Athena agreed as she approached me. "But it's more than power, it's history, Excalibur's promise was brought to life many centuries ago and now it's time for that power to be fulfilled"
Camelot
Rumple's POV
I watched as Zila and Dakota were sparring with swords while I remained inside with the others.
"So you can do it? Take Zila's dagger and make it whole again?" David asked Merlin.
"I hope so" the mage answered. "The task won't be easy though"
"Agreed it won't" I added standing next to Merlin. "Arthur has the other half of Excalibur and we need it"
"We're pretty much not welcomed in Camelot anymore" Emma pointed out. "But we can figure it out"
"I thank all of you" I told my friends.
"Rumplestiltskin and I will be taking Zila to get what we need to unite Excalibur with Zila's dagger"
"I know this must be hard for you" Merlin continued and I looked to him. "I know what's it's like to lose someone you love, Zila will need you for what's to come"
Zila's POV
"Your getting very good with a sword my love" I praised my daughter. I placed Masamune back into its scabbard which was on my back. I wore a sleeveless dress with dark brown pants and black boots underneath. On my hands were black fingerless gloves and my hair was in a braid.
"She's a natural like her mother"
I flashed my mate a smirk as he and Merlin approached. Sensing she needed to be excused Dakota squeezed my hand and she received a kiss on the forehead by her father before heading to the diner.
"Zila there is a way to make Excalibur whole again" Merlin began. "Will you accompany me and Rumplestiltskin so we can get what we need it's not far"
"Yes" I answered immediately. "What is it we seek?"
"A spark from mankind's original fire, the flame of Prometheus" Merlin continued. "It's fire forged Excalibur and that's what we'll need to put it back together, we'll back by nightfall"
"Love there is something else you need to be aware of" Rumple joined in. "When we get there, we will need to deal with the first Dark One"
"Holy shit"
"There are two outcomes one where you will succeed or you succumb to your darkness and I do not return"
"F**k that" I told the mage. "I won't let you die Merlin and I thank you for letting my husband come with us"
Rumple took my hand into his and he kissed it. After giving the others well wishes to obtain the broken part of Excalibur did Rumple, Merlin, and I head to our destination.
"When I was seeing Athena in my head, she said she would be with me until I embraced my dark powers" I began as we continued walking. "Recently I've been thinking maybe not seeing her, maybe that's a bad thing"
Rumple and Merlin stopped to look at me.
"Have you embraced your powers?" Merlin asked.
"I've done some dark things not too long ago, in doing so Henry will be crushed if he ever found out, and I can feel the darkness winning, I'm starting to get hesitant on letting it go"
I shivered when I said those words.
"It's normal to feel like this dearie" my husband reassured me squeezing my hand. "I dealt with these same emotions after I became a Dark One"
"There still is hope for you Zila" Merlin agreed with Rumple and the mage looked to a rise. "And it's up there"
"Well we might as well continue" I joked.
My remark got both men to smirk before we ventured on. It was a little difficult to climb the rise but eventually we made it and after a fifteen minute walk we came upon some ruins. As we approached both me and Rumple felt the magic that once lingered here.
"This structure marks the end of Prometheus's theft, the stolen flame burned on for a great while"
The three of us stopped in front of a pedestal with a platform behind it.
"Excalibur was both forged and broken here, this is also where the first Dark One killed Nimue, the woman I loved"
"What happened to the flame?" I questioned unable to look away from the pedestal.
"The first Dark One took it and still possesses it in the from of a single ember, with the spark deep inside"
"I understand I'm ready" I said looking to the mage and my husband.
Merlin looked to Rumple who nodded before taking my dagger out from his jacket. I took the blade from him and my mate kissed my forehead before he backed away.
"You need the knife's power to talk to the first Dark One, to reach all the way back to the origin of dark magic" Merlin explained.
As I held my dagger I felt it's magic surging through me. It felt both comforting and terrifying. I shook my head before doing what Merlin instructed and I awakened my dark magic. My name on the dagger disappeared and the many names of female Dark Ones replaced it going backwards. It was then I saw the first Dark One standing a few feet from me.
"Holy shit" I said looking to the spirit before me.
"I'll be damned" Rumple agreed.
"You did it" Merlin said seeing the first Dark One too. I felt the first Dark One's incredible power. Then the name on my dagger caught my attention and it said "Nimue".
Immediately I looked back to the first Dark One and she took off her mask which was followed by her lowering her hood.
"Nimue" I stated not believing my eyes.
"Yes I'm Nimue and your Zila"
She then walked towards me a few steps before stopping.
"You are quite pretty Zila, the first Dark One and the newest female Dark One standing as sisters"
Nimue then turned to Rumple.
"And you Rumplestiltskin are Zila's equal match"
"It all makes sense, you killed the woman he loved, because you killed the woman you used to be"
I felt horrible for Merlin who looked down as though ashamed. Nimue also looked to the man she used to love.
"It's been a long time Merlin" she greeted him.
Merlin looked up to her and his eyes were already wet with tears.
"I've thought of you everyday"
"And now on your last day, I'll be your last thought how poetic"
I then raised my hand up and used my dark magic to send Merlin flying into the air and he landed on the ground via on his back. Rumple hurried over to the mage as I demanded from Nimue while still holding my hand out.
"Why are you doing this? You loved him"
"Even when you love someone, you have to say "No this is mine, you can't take it away from me"
Nimue then walked closer to me.
"And if they don't listen, if they try to stop you from being you, then you have no choice, you have to kill them"
"Don't listen to her Zila!" Rumple shouted.
Not able to control myself I sent another blast of my dark magic at my husband but Rumple used his own Dark One powers to send the blast away and a nearby tree got destroyed. The next thing I knew I sent Rumple flying thanks to my powers and I now was on top of Merlin. My hand was around his throat and the mage gasped for air.
I began to resist my darkness but I felt it within me wanting more bloodshed and it didn't help Nimue kept rambling on.
"We are one and the same now, all Dark Ones, and we must destroy the threat to us, we must destroy Merlin"
"Zila fight this please" Merlin begged.
Nimue was now next to me eager to see me continue choking Merlin.
"Finish the job"
Rumple shouted for me to ignore Nimue and believe me I was trying hard.
"You can control this"
"Don't listen to him Zila, he wants you to make a sword to destroy to me, to destroy us, he doesn't understand why you sacrificed yourself to protect your child, he doesn't understand what you and I do, he doesn't understand the power, if you don't kill him now, you'll go back to being powerless"
"Killing is the dark path" Merlin said trying to breathe while I still continued trying to kill him.
"No its power" Nimue interjected. "It's power to protect you and your loved ones"
"Zila!" I heard my mate shout.
"Don't go back to being nothing!"
"SHUT THE HELL UP!" I snapped at Nimue finally before I removed myself from Merlin. "I'm not nothing and I never will be, the power I wield now is something I don't need!"
I then turned to Nimue who was now a few feet away from me. My dagger resumed having my name on it and I approached her.
"Now I am going to take that ember from you and your going to let me"
Then with my magic I forced the ember from Nimue. She gasped for air when the ember was taken from her. Behind me Rumple helped Merlin onto his feet.
"You are strong Zila, stronger than I once was" Nimue began. "The spark you need is in there, but the sword you will make has more than one use and it requires a price"
She then placed her hand onto my chest where my heart was.
"When you make Excalibur whole once again you will remain as a Dark One forever"
Nimue looked behind me and so did I. My husband and Merlin were both still occupied before Nimue looked back to me and I her.
"Before I died I learned of a prophecy where two Dark Ones one female and one male were fated to be together, you and Rumplestiltskin are those Dark Ones Zila, for you are the light in Rumplestiltskin's heart which balances with his darkness, and in return he is your light which will balance your darkness"
She then placed her hand to my head.
"You know where to find me when you want me Shadow Knight"
Then she disappeared.
"Zila!"
I turned around and it wasn't long until Rumple and I shared a hug.
"I'm so proud of you dearie"
"Good job Zila"
After hugging my husband I did the same with Merlin.
"How does it feel to take the right path?"
"Damn good" I answered.
As we left the ruins Merlin explained how he made the dagger and how Nimue took it. Of how she became the female Dark One in the first place.
"She still loves you" I explained to Merlin. "Yes its twisted up but I felt it"
"As did I" Rumple agreed.
"Thank you for telling me" the male thanked us. Suddenly a loud roar filled the air and looking up I saw Smaug. The fire drake eventually landed not far from us making the trees he landed on to be crushed. I rushed over to him and the dragon purred when I brought his snout to my face.
"I've missed you my friend"
"As have I" Smaug replied.
"Well this is a surprise" Rumple greeted the fire drake coming to my side.
"I had to come I sensed Zila was back in the Enchanted Forest and was in danger, you are the new female Dark One now"
"Yes I had no choice my friend either it was me or my daughter"
"Always selfless Zila" Smaug stated. He then growled and I looked behind us and Merlin was gone.
"Where did Merlin go?" I demanded at Rumple.
"I don't know love and I don't like it"
Storybrooke/Smaug's Cave
Zila's POV
I placed the box that contained the ember on a table while Excalibur and my dagger lay on a rock before me.
"Go on its time" Athena encouraged.
"You are seriously getting annoying" I told the spirit. "Why will you not leave me alone?"
"Well how could we? We're here to witness something historical"
"Now I can see her" Smaug said. "I can understand now how irritated you must get"
"Shut it dragon" Athena hissed. Smaug bared his teeth in response.
"Easy my friend" I reassured Smaug placing my palm onto his snout. Immediately Smaug calmed down and I patted his scales affectionately.
"Athena's eyes are fine to look through most days but I wanted to see this myself"
I turned to see Nimue standing nearby.
"Hello Nimue I'm not surprised your here, so you were the one who kept me from taking Excalibur out from its stone"
"Like them there was a chance you would use Excalibur to cut away the darkness but now you can douse the light instead, we are proud of you Zila, all of us"
Smaug snorted and growled as more spirits of both male and female Dark Ones from the past surrounded behind her. I looked to Athena who nodded in encouragement and I turned to the box with the ember inside. I picked it up and opened it revealing the ember. Using my magic I made a small fiery orb emerge from the ember and guided it where it needed to go. Then I made the orb turn into flames and then I guided the sphere of fire into the air. I let the flames levitate in front of me before placing my hands around them. A second later I released the new circle of fire which was levitating high above me and I grabbed my dagger and the broken half of Excalibur.
I placed both halves of the sword into the flames and I let go for a minute before the flames disappeared and Excalibur hovered above me now completely whole. The other Dark Ones looked on in awe and even Smaug was fascinated seeing the legendary sword as one again.
I reached out to grab Excalibur's hilt but I stopped when I remembered Merlin had warned me about this.
"Merlin" I said. "He warned me not do this in a dream back when I was a child"
"And now your a woman" Nimue stated.
"Take the power" Athena's spirit commanded.
"Take the power" the other Dark Ones voiced in and this time I took Excalibur into my grasp. It's power was incredible and Nimue smirked pleased while Athena's spirit did the same. Smaug remained silent and it was now time for me to use the sword to finish what I started back in Camelot.