Pain ricocheted through the dark wizard's feeble body; it was a foreign sensation, and one he did not welcome. He looked over to where Merlin had stood; reduced to a scorch mark in the dirt, turning up his lip in disgust he immediately looked away. Eager to escape this nightmare he clicked his fingers, but instead of his usual swirl of purple smoke carrying him to his preferred destination there was nothing. He was suddenly aware of the steady pounding in his head, quickly rising to his feet he stumbled; mere standing proving a chore. "What the hell has Merlin done to me?" Limping back in the direction of his castle The Dark One cursed his current state; weakness would never do, not when he was so close to losing everything. He knew he had to get back as soon as he could and send someone to check on the Swan Princess. There would be no peace of mind until he knew she was still locked in her earthen cell, preferably dead, though he knew that was wishful thinking on his part, she had loyal friends.
Needing to distract himself from his aching limbs he began to make a mental note of those he held responsible for his current situation, nothing cheered The Dark One's soul like a kill list. First off there was the Evil Queen, if she hadn't thwarted his plans all those years ago and stolen the princess for herself then he could have killed off the girl himself, orphaned infants are much easier to starve than adults with friends and family. Leave it to Queen Regina to hear of the child's power and try to capture it for herself, she had no idea of the extent of power that child possessed and to think she could find a way to control it was arrogance like none other, the woman was insufferable! Her greed had become a thorn in his flesh, her mistake he'd spend the rest of his life trying to rectify.
Then there was the fool Brennan Jones who tried to help the girl escape in the first place. The Dark One rolled his eyes thinking of how much easier it would have been if she had just succumbed to the sleeping curse with the rest of her kingdom, tucked away where she couldn't cause him any trouble. Humans were always getting in the way of his diabolical plans.
Baelfire was no better, he didn't think twice about adding his own son to his assassination list. Baelfire knew his father needed to find the lost girl but was too stupid to realise she shared his bed. For years he helped his father look for clues, finally hunting the Misthaven crown, all the while with the Swan Princess at his side. Disappointment couldn't even begin to explain his feelings towards his son.
A small smile appeared as the Dark One mentally struck the last two names from his grim list, even though he wasn't the one who killed them, the fact they were dead made him feel like he had accomplished something at least.
Merlin was added and immediately stuck off as well. The Dark One knew this girl had always been a contingency plan of , his old master had a big part to play in Emma's part of his story, Merlin was probably the one who found a way to free her from his cell, that was another problem to solve on another day. There was a certain level of satisfaction that Merlin met his demise at his hand. It may have temporarily cost him his powers but Merlin was finally gone.
Then there was the Prince, prince only by name not by birth right. Brennen Jones' boy had caused no end of trouble for him. His blood boiled just thinking of how his wife, Milah had fallen for and run away with Killian when he was a young man in the navy. What could he have possibly given her that The Dark One couldn't? A weak, drunk, selfish, cowardly sailor was nothing in comparison to the greatest wielder of magic in all the realms. The Dark One's fists clutched involuntarily at the memory of finding them embracing on the deck of Killian's ship. The rage burning deep within him almost blinded him while he ripped her heart out of her chest and left her bleeding to death in her lover's arms. No one steals from the Dark One, and now Killian Jones had taken not only his wife but the Swan Princess too. Making him pay would be easy, Prince Killian always seemed to find a way to hurt himself and those around him, and it wouldn't be long until his recklessness took over again. This time The Dark One would kill his love and then kill him too.
He was already beginning to feel better, fuelled with a purpose now he just needed a plan. As he clambered over the final hill on his weary walk home, the silhouette of his castle stood proud in the distance. Once he regained his strength and power he would come down on them with a force like they'd never seen before, the final battle would end as soon as it begun and this time there would be no survivors.
Silence greeted Emma, Killian, and David as they entered what they knew would be their last strategic council meeting before the final battle. There was a sombre atmosphere in the air, the importance of this moment weighing heavy on the shoulders of all who attended. Each of the council members nodded their head in greeting at the royals as they took their place at the table, perfectly round in keeping with the tradition that Brennen Jones started when he laid the foundations for Aaralyn. All had equal claim and equal responsibility for their kingdom, everyone's views and concerns mattered. Today it wasn't just a meeting for Aaralyn, it was a meeting for the whole free world, light was coming against dark, good against evil and this was much bigger than any of them. Their council was made up of royalty, military, doctors, scholars, farmers, blacksmiths, bootmakers, and more. Emma was proud to fight for these people, they all were.
"We have much to discuss today" David began gravely, "But first, some sad news, Merlin, our friend and ally is dead."
The gasps rippled throughout the room, whispers of horror met with tears of despair.
"How did it happen?" Queen Anna of Arendelle finally spoke up. The room instantly fell quiet again waiting to hear the grisly details.
"The Dark One killed him." Ruby said quietly, "I saw it with my own eyes, he was fighting with the Evil Queen and Merlin showed up. The Dark One struck him down with one blow."
"That's impossible" King Arthur interupted, many eyes in the room glared at him, still unconvinced he should be allowed in the realm, let alone the council after his betrayal, though Killian, after a long talk with Emma had decided to pardon the King who had been placed in an impossible position by the Dark One and allow him to rectify his mistake by fighting with them and bringing his army of knights. "Merlin is more powerful than he seems, he would never give up without a fight."
"I know what I saw" Ruby snapped, "He let The Dark One strike him down".
"Why would he do that?" Leeroy, the dwarf wailed, "he was our only hope!"
David raised his hands to regain order, once the anxious chatter died down he spoke. "I can't speak for Merlin but it would seem that there was a method behind Merlin's madness, Ruby can explain what she saw."
Ruby nodded and addressed the room again, "When Merlin fell The Evil Queen fled, taking her army with her and The Dark One also fell to the ground, he is weakened, and though I don't know the extent of his injuries as I suspect they are more magical than physical, it appears that The Dark One is at his weakest right now. His army has been reduced substantially from his war with the queen; he has retreated to his castle on foot because his magic couldn't carry him there."
"Then we need to attack his castle now, he is at his weakest but we don't know how long for." Will added with a chorus of 'aye's' and grunts of agreement echoing through the room.
Emma felt the weight of responsibility turn and turn like a boulder in her stomach, she knew Will was right, and she knew she was the only one to defeat The Dark One but she had no idea how she would do it, how she could do it! Everyone's hoped rested on her and they didn't even know it.
David nodded and rose from his seat, "I agree, we can't miss our opportunity, Merlin chose this moment in time to give us our best shot. We don't have the luxury of knowing everything he knew but we have to trust that he chose now for a reason. His sacrifice has opened the door to the most fortified castle in the realms; I fear there will be more sacrifices to come before this fight is over but let's not allow any of them to be in vain." He looked at Emma, fear resided in every corner of his being that Emma might be one of those sacrifices mentioned, the thought of losing his daughter when he'd just been reunited tore his soul in two. He shook the thought from his mind, choosing to trust his old friend Merlin and have hope like Mary Margaret had always taught him to. He couldn't ask his people to risk their lives and the lives of their loved ones if he wasn't willing to do the same. "Does anyone have any reason to disagree?"
The room was once again silent, but Emma's mind was reeling. Killian had been noticeably quiet too, he didn't know what to think, he knew they were right but he also knew that Emma's magic was the only thing that could save them and she didn't know how to access it or control it. Were they leading her like a lamb to the slaughter? He'd give anything to know what the hell Merlin was playing at getting himself killed and leaving all these riddles and pieces of clues behind while giving them a limited time period to figure them out and defeat the greatest evil the world had known.
With no one objecting to the necessity to march immediately King David gave his command. "We march in 3 hours, using the cover of darkness to our advantage, generals, prepare your armies, we march together. You fight off any of The Dark One's remaining armies but leave beast himself to us."
Everyone agreed and the room cleared as they all rushed to get prepared for the toughest fight of their lives. David turned to Emma, "Please tell me you know how to use your magic."
Emma swallowed. She fidgeted with her silver pendant nervously thinking over everything they had learned that day, repeating the inscription over and over in her head, her silence doing nothing to cheer the two men beside her. Killian could sense her fear and it killed him. He felt powerless and wished there was something he could do, some part of the burden that he could carry or responsibility he could shoulder for her. Emma thought about her life leading up to now, about her own quest for vengeance and how it mirrored Killian's personal vendetta against The Dark One, it seemed almost unjust that she should be the one to defeat him when he'd taken so much from Killian, and what if they failed, what if The Dark One killed her, where would that leave her husband? She remembered how unsatisfied she'd been after killing Mr Croake, how empty it'd left her, perhaps that was why she had to kill The Dark One instead of Killian. But none of it seemed to make sense to her when she thought about Merlin's message to her, a message he'd written when she was just an infant, a message she'd carried close to her heart her whole life, albeit unknowingly. Forgiveness, what of forgiveness? So far vengeance had only caused her pain, but forgiveness helped to bring back her parents and reunite her with them. Killian's forgiveness of her pregnancy announcement brought them both closer and resulted in Henry having a loving family. Her forgiveness of Killian's hurtful words to her the night Aaralyn burned saved her son and her marriage. Killian's forgiveness of Arthur's betrayal strengthened their army substantially and reunited two friends. Vengeance had taken so much but forgiveness was always there to give back. Emma mused over all this, trying to figure out what it all meant for her and what she had to do. David and Killian looked at each other nervously.
Finally the wrinkles on Emma's brow smoothed and her body relaxed. "I know what has to be done, it won't be easy but I need you both to trust me." And she rose and left the room to prepare her horse leaving her husband and father as clueless as they were before.
When Killian found Emma she was in their tent, hunched over a table writing a letter. He didn't disturb her but watched as she wiped a stray tear and finished her task. She called out to Ruby, only noticing Killian then when she lifted her head. Their eyes met but they didn't speak.
Ruby rushed in, "Your Majesty".
Emma folded up the letter and placed it in an envelope sealing it with the wax from the candle on her writing table. "Deliver this to Henry please." She instructed her friend.
Ruby looked at the letter, confused by the order, "But, my Queen, we ride to battle in an hour, I could never get there and back in time!"
"I know" Emma replied.
Ruby shook her head in disbelief, "But you need me to fight, I should be there…have I done something wrong?"
Emma placed her hand on Ruby's arm. "You have been more than any Queen could hope for in a warrior, advisor, protector, and friend. You have served our family with a fierce loyalty that I don't think any could match."
"Then why..."
Emma cut her off, "I need this letter to go to my son, and I need you to be the one to take it." Emma leaned in to her friend's ear and whispered, "I know, Ruby, and I will not allow you to fight today, not because you are unable or unwilling but because we have a responsibility to those who will come after us, there will be more battles in the future and we need to protect the next generation and raise them with the same values and beliefs. Do you understand?"
Ruby nodded her head sadly, "I will leave at once your majesty." She hugged the Queen, then remembering etiquette curtsied and left.
"What was that about?" Killian asked. "Are you sure we can afford to lose our best tracker?"
Emma smiled, "In this instance, yes, and don't let Graham hear you say Ruby is the best tracker, he'd be heartbroken."
"He'd agree."
"Perhaps, but he will be glad I sent her home."
Killian took her hand, "I wish I could send you home, or somewhere I could keep you safe."
She cupped his cheek with her other hand, gently stroking his temple with her thumb, "We don't have that choice, but at least we know Henry is safe, and my mind will be more at ease knowing Ruby is there with him and my mother."
"So you have a plan?" Killian probed, changing the subject,
"I have the theory of a plan, how it will play out I don't know but it's all I've got." She shrugged.
"And you're not going to tell me what it is?"
"I don't think I can, it won't work if you know."
"Emma…I don't like to be kept in the dark when so much is at stake…when your life is at stake."
She took both his hands in hers, "I know, and I understand how you feel. I'm scared too. But I need you to trust me, can you do that?"
"Aye" He sighed sadly.
The Dark One paced back and forth in his library, a shiver ran its way up his spine and he flicked his hand towards his large fireplace commanding it to light but nothing happened. He stopped, turned to look at the stone centrepiece and sighed frustratingly walking over to it and dropping to his knees to strike a match and light a fire by hand, something he hadn't done in years. With the problem of temperature solved he returned to his previous one, how to restore his magic. He scanned his bookshelves to look for anything that might help him more than the discarded heap of literature piled on his table. Reaching for his ladder he started to climb to the top shelves, yet another inconvenience he'd not had to suffer since gaining his power, being able to command any book to his fingertips with a simple snap. His breath grew heavy as he reached the top, life was annoyingly cumbersome without magic, he didn't know how humans lived that way; no wonder they had such a short life expectancy. Blowing the dust off the book spines his eyes roamed the titles, falling on one 'Ancient Magic', he couldn't remember reading it before. He pulled it out and carefully made his way back down the ladder, his body still feeling unnaturally weak.
He didn't have to read too far before he came across a spell where if one was powerful enough they could link their life to another's magic, it was a form of insurance, so if another magical being killed them, that being would be rendered powerless for a period of time. The length of that period depended on how powerful the victim was who cast the spell. It could last anywhere from a few seconds to a few weeks. He slammed the book shut.
So it was only temporary, that was something at least. But just how temporary? He looked out the window at the setting sun, it had been the better part of a day already since Merlin met his demise and still he remained powerless. He didn't like waiting, or being out of control when it came to his own magical power, but for now there was nothing he could do, he had to protect himself as best he could and wait out the storm. He called for his general.
A tall, broad shouldered man entered the room; he was covered in armour from head to foot wearing a bird-like helmet covering his face. "I was just on my way to you master, the prisoner is not in her cell, it's lying empty."
"Gather up the troupes we have left and protect this castle, no one comes in, you understand me?"
"Yes master." The general bowed and left the room. The Dark One looked around and picked up a dagger sliding it in his belt, it had been centuries since he'd had to rely on a man-made weapon but tonight he was leaving nothing to chance, if anyone did get in he had to be able to defend himself in more traditional ways.
It was a 3 hour march to the Dark One's castle, nightfall offered them cover, though by this point they were past surprises, it was hard to hide 150,000 soldiers marching together. With their enemy's forces dwindled and his magic momentarily gone, for once in history they were the stronger side and they weren't hiding anymore. David led the army with Emma and Killian close behind him. The troupes had their orders, attack The Dark One's army and distract from David, Killian, Emma, Graham, Robin, and Will stealthily entering the castle.
Far in the distance they could see the ominous outline of the black stone castle. It dwarfed the rest of its surroundings taking centre stage, dark and stark against the backdrop of forest. Its large iron gate reached 10 feet tall nestled within the stone walls. Twisting jagged towers stretched to the sky contorting in every directing giving the impression that the castle was crooked or diseased in some way just like its master's deformed appearance. Large threatening gargoyles haunted the building's façade, their eerie eyes searching the landscape for intruders, warding them off with their grotesque expressions.
Killian ignored the architecture; his eyes were fixed on the prize as they marched towards the towering gates. They were about 300 feet away from the castle wall when he heard a swishing sound zip past his ear. The first arrows had been released. "shields up!" he shouted and the soldiers followed suit, the front line placing their shields in front and the rest above their heads making a protective shell allowing them to continue forward as arrows bounced off their shields leaving them unharmed.
From the middle of their army a battering ram started to make its way forward to the gate under the protective cover of the shields. Using the distraction of the castle siege the small group of friends began to creep under the shields towards the outside of their sea of soldiers. Graham reached into his bag and handed out dark green cloaks for them to wear over their clothes to camouflage them as they slowly crept around the outside of the castle wall making their way to the back and away from the action, hoping to use the shelter of the forest in the back to scale the castle walls.
Once they reached the cover of the forest undergrowth they exhaled a sigh of relief.
"So far so good." David patted Killian on the back.
"Ok Robin, you're the expert here, how do we sneak inside?" asked Killian turning to his best friend.
Robin gave a wry smile. "It pays to know a thief sometimes! I have a grappling hook that I've made out of wood covered in fabric instead of metal, it makes less noise when it hits against the stone, I'm sure The Dark One has at least two guards covering the rear of the castle while the rest handle the siege at the front. I suggest Graham stays back with his bow to take out anyone who tries to stop us from getting up. Once inside we regroup, we have no idea what the blueprints for the castle are so we will have to search room by room to find The Dark One."
"And once we establish where he is?" Will asked.
"You all are on containment, make sure we are left alone with The Dark One" Emma ordered.
"Understood." Graham replied; Will, Robin and David nodded their heads in agreement.
While Robin started to unpack his grappling hook, Graham reached for Emma's arm getting her attention and whispered, "What you did for Ruby…thank you."
Emma smiled. "Keeping her safe is just one part of it; she will be expecting you to return safely to her and I don't intend to let her down in that respect."
"Nor do I." He grinned.
"Ok, I'm going to throw it, are you ready Graham?"
"Ready" The huntsman drew his bow and arrow prepared to strike. Robin stood at the bottom of the wall and leaned back, swinging the grappling hook round and round above his head getting his timing just right before releasing the hook and watching it glide through the sky and rest just over the wall, he pulled the attached rope to make sure it was secure. The landing was no louder than a faint thud but it was enough activity to attract some attention from the castle guards. "What the hell?" They heard someone exclaim and then a helmeted head became visible looking over the wall, "We have company!" the guard shouted over his shoulder.
He'd barely finished his sentence before letting out a cry as Graham's arrow gliding seamlessly through the eye slit in his helmet.
"Perfect shot, mate!" Killian praised his friend. Graham already had a new arrow in place and poised to fire.
"Man down!" They heard another guard shout rushing over to his fallen companion. Graham took him out too. Robin started to climb the rope while Graham kept a keen eye open for more company. Will was right behind him, quickly followed by Killian, David and Emma. As soon as Robin reached the top he could see another guard running towards him, he quickly drew his sword and fought him off while the others joined him just in time to greet three more guards who had been alerted to their arrival. By the time they'd overthrown The Dark One's minions Graham had arrived behind them. A loud boom sounded from somewhere in the distance. "They've started battering down the gate" said David, turning to the others, "We need to look for The Dark One."
They heard more footfall echoing from down the empty stone corridor, "Quick in here!" Robin opened a door to their left and they all quickly filed inside. He left the door open a millimetre so he could hear the guards while the group of trespassers held their breath.
"We need to alert the master that the castle has been breached!" Footsteps thundered past the tiny room they huddled in and Graham, holding his finger to his lips, moved to the door. "I'm going to follow them; I'll leave a trail so you can find The Dark One." He left without another word.
"What trail could he possibly leave that won't be seen?" David asked his equally confused comrades. Robin listened at the door and once he was confident they were alone he slowly pushed it open. The five friends crept into the corridor looking for any clue that Graham may have left them as to where to go next. The hall was deserted. Emma frantically looked around for anything, her eyes dropping to the floor in frustration she saw something. Squinting she squatted down to get a closer look, something was on the floor, a powder perhaps. She ran her finger through it and rose pressing it between her forefinger and thumb. "Breadcrumbs" she stated.
Killian chuckled, "not exactly subtle."
"But genius nonetheless." Emma added smirking.
David took a deep breath as he started to follow the faint trail, "Let's hope the castle rats have already eaten today."
Graham's, literal, breadcrumbs led them on a twisting and turning tour of the castle venturing deeper and deeper inside where no natural light touched. They'd be in total darkness was it not for the thick candles spaced periodically on the walls offering just enough light to walk without tripping. Every now and then they had to quickly crouch in the shadows or duck into a room when they heard the footsteps of guards running, the booming drum of the battering ram played as the soundtrack to their scavenger hunt. Finally the trail came to an end and they saw Graham hunched behind a pillar signalling them to be silent. He cocked his head to his right and Emma followed the direction he pointed to see just around the corner where 6 guards stood in front of large double doors. They'd found The Dark One deep inside his fortress and the adrenaline pumped through Emma's veins knowing the time had come for her to put her theory to practice and make the ultimate sacrifice, but first she had to get inside.
She signalled to the others that she would go in alone while they fought off the guards and stopped anyone else from going inside. Killian grabbed her arm, his eyes dark and brooding. "You're not going in there without me." he whispered, "You said yourself we are strongest when we work together, you and I do this as a team and end this villain's reign once and for all."
Emma sighed, she knew she needed Killian to play a part in this too, but she couldn't tell him what, she had to trust that he would do the right thing. She nodded and smiled sadly at him. "Ok we do this together but you follow my lead, whatever happens in there Killian I need you to remember this is bigger than us, thousands of people's lives are at stake and we have a responsibility. Let me face him, can I trust you to choose the right path, to stay in the light and not give into darkness? I couldn't bear it if after all we've been through you fell back into that dark hole, promise me!" She implored him earnestly.
His heart sank. Dread gripped his soul knowing that the chances of them walking away from this was slim at best. But deep down he knew Emma was right, this was bigger than them and they had to try until their last breath.
She squeezed his hand, blinking back her own tears, "What do you say, pirate? One last adventure with your captain?"
"I'd follow you to the ends of the earth, princess."
She smiled then turned to the others counting down on her fingers, 5…4…3…2…1. The world seemed to go in slow motion as they charged the guards, Emma and Killian slipping past, dodging the flying swords and crashing metal, darting inside to face their foe.
David, Robin, Will, and Graham quickly overcame their opponents but the victory was short lived as the sound of more of The Dark One's men carried down the stone hall. "Alright men, we need to buy my daughter time, we fight to the end." The words had no sooner left his mouth when a new onslaught of castle guards came running around the corner. "For Emma!" David shouted.
"For Emma!" echoed the other 3 men as metal clashed against metal and the fight continued.