1043 Words, this chapter

Chapter Thirteen, Dark Heart

Killian, Emma's parents, Belle and Gold all arrived at the convent as Mary-Margaret got a phone call.

She took it. "That was Leroy. Emma is at her house, asleep he thinks, on the couch. He can't see her up close. The nun is there too. She's cooking. "

"Hopefully it's a cheery tomato soup," said Gold, "and not something far worse."

"How are you feeling?" David asked his wife.

"I'm scared to death about my daughter."

He nodded. "Do you feel different though, like consumed with hate?"

"No."

"Me either. Killian?"

He shook his head.

Gold grunted. "If I was overcome with a dark hate, the pirate would have fallen by now."

Killian snorted. "True. So the cloud doesn't affect us."

"Apparently not in the same way as Emma's touch," said Gold. "That is good to know. However, it puts more importance on restoring the savior."

"Why hasn't...whatever this...Sister Meg is used the cloud before?" asked Belle.

Gold shook his head. "I suspect she has limited power. Perhaps Mother Superior can enlighten us."

They walked inside, asking the first nun they saw for Mother Superior. She was called and shortly after she greeted them.

David sighed. "There is no easy way to say this. We think one of your nuns is..."

"An ancient malevolent force," answered Gold for him.

Blue laughed. "We are ancient, but forces for good."

"Not this sister," said Killian. "She is evil. She has gotten her clutches on Emma and turned her."

"Turned her?"

"She's changed," said David. "She seems to hate everyone she used to love. She threatened me, and Killian, she even...turned on Henry."

Blue gasped.

"She looks different as well," said Killian, "almost as if she is bathed in shadow, her eyes darkened."

"Shadow? Dark?" asked Blue. She visibly shuddered.

"Plus we were all just attacked by a massive black cloud," said David.

Mother Superior closed her eyes. "No," she whispered, sitting down. "It cannot be."

"It can," said Gold.

"What is it?" asked Belle.

"Long ago, even before the faeries," said Blue. "The world was a dark place. When human beings appeared, the darkness seeped inside them. Their hearts were new and did not know how to push it out. They gave in to the dark. Wars were rampant. Love was fleeting and cold. It was a horrible, dark time."

Mother Superior sighed. She looked quite sad and troubled. She took a deep breath and began again.

"Hatred grew and spread from one dark heart to another," she said. "A force, a kind of evil mass, ruled from the darkness. Each new heart that it corrupted made it grow in power. It sought out purity. When it found a pure heart, it preyed upon it, poisoning it, and twisting the affection and love it found."

"It sounds horrible," said Belle.

"And disturbingly familiar," agreed Killian, glancing at David who nodded.

"Then we faeries came into being and we...stopped it."

"How?"

"By encouraging goodness, kindness, spreading love. Eventually, over the course of many millennium we were able to render it virtually powerless, at least in comparison to before. You can't destroy darkness, only weaken it, but it no longer ruled."

"It appears to be back," said Gold. "With a vengeance."

"A dark cloud is attacking Storybrooke?" asked the nun, horrified. "That has not happened since..." she shook her head, shaking off horrible memories. "Are hearts turning dark again?"

"Some what," said Gold.

"I do not understand," said the faerie. "The darkness has held no significant power for ages, literally since the beginning of the realms. How can this be? How could one of my sisters be involved? I would have sensed darkness in her heart!"

"Emma," replied Gold simply.

"It seems to be holding onto her. The others all affected have recovered, but not her. She's worse," said David.

Blue nodded. "I see. As the savior, her special powers and pure heart would be very tempting for the darkness. If it has corrupted her, perhaps it's spreading inside Emma, to all of her being before she can fight. It might also be drawing on her, using her goodness and her magic to empower itself."

"You can help her, right?" asked Mary-Margaret.

Blue looked at them, pain in her eyes. "If none of you can get through to her," she said. "I don't know what will. Love is the only cure. If Emma is so far gone that she no longer responds then...I don't know if she can be saved."

"No," whispered Killian, he felt his heart breaking.

David hung his head, equally upset.

"There has to be a way," said Mary-Margaret. "I'm going to get my daughter back."

Blue smiled. "Yes, that is the determination and faith that we need, that Emma needs." She sighed. "There may be something. Follow me, please." She led them into her office. She pulled an old, tattered book from a drawer.

"The darkness could seep into hearts, as I said, perhaps that is how it got Emma," said Blue. "There is an old, old incantation that was sometimes useful in pulling the darkness out of people, but not always."

She opened the book, carefully turning its pages. "Yes, here it is," she said, handing the delicate manuscript to Gold. "Understand that this is very old, it was not used by fairies but by human magic wielders trying to combat smaller, weaker forms of the darkness. I cannot verify it's usefulness."

"I understand," said the wizard. "Thank you." He looked at the others. "I think it's time that we confront this sister."

"It's bloody past time, Mate."

"Let's get Emma back," David said with quiet force. Mary-Margaret nodded.

Blue smiled softly. "I shall accompany you. I may not be able to help, but at the least I should be there. Whoever Meg truly is, she is still under my charge. I want answers as well."

"Don't we all," said David.

There was a moment of silence, as they each prepared themselves for the battle ahead: the battle to restore Emma's heart.

End of Chapter Thirteen