Chapter 44: I Am a Dark One

Most of the group headed back to Granny's diner to rest. It became their headquarters ever since they figured out Arthur and Gwen could not be trusted. Regina, David, and Robin had just returned from searching the nearby woods for Arthur or any of his guards. "No sign of anyone nearby," David informed them all.

"I don't think Merlin will be much help. Resisting Excalibur took a tole on him," Belle said sadly.

Regina nodded. "And Maddie and Emma?" She was deeply concerned with the pair of Dark Ones. "How are they doing with the spark?"

Snow sighed. "They needed some time alone. They're outside."

Regina sensed Snow's concerns as well. "I'll go check on them."

Zelena popped up out of her chair. "I'll come with."

"You've done enough," Regina said, shooting her a warning look before exiting the door. Zelena's smile faded as she slowly sat back down. She knew it would take awhile for Regina to let her become part of the circle, and that included helping her daughter.

Emma had her eyes closed, focusing on the flame in the box that was sitting upon the ledge of the well next to Maddie and Emma's daggers. Maddie knew she should be doing the same, but she had no idea what this flame was for. Sure, they told her they needed the spark from the flame, and that they would reunite Excalibur, but they failed to mention what the point of that was—would it eradicate the darkness from them or would it return them to Storybrooke? She leaned down and stared at the flame, as if it was going to tell her the answers she was seeking.

"Need a light?" Regina's voice interrupted them both.

"Regina!" Emma sounded startled.

Maddie stood upright, waiting for her aunt's explanation for what she was doing there.

"Thought you two could use some help," Regina gently offered.

Emma let out an aggravated sigh. "He's playing me. He said we wouldn't be able to light the spark if we weren't ready to let go of the darkness."

"Well, are you?" She asked them both.

"Regina," Emma rolled her eyes.

"Hey," Regina defensively put her hands up, "no one knows the lure of darkness better than I do."

Maddie guiltily hung her head, looking at the ground. Regina had a feeling she was right about the two of them. "You can lie to your parents, you can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to me."

Maddie remained silent, avoiding her aunt's eyes. Emma, on the other hand, was more annoyed than anything. "I don't know," the blonde said, somewhat frustrated.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Regina questioned. "Indulging every impulse, wielding great power, doing whatever you want."

"Yes," Emma said, her voice lacking any emotion.

Maddie closed her eyes. Everything Regina had said sounded amazing. That's exactly what she wanted. And apparently, so did Emma. But Maddie would never admit it, at least not yet.

"Is that wrong?" Emma asked Regina.

Regina rocked her head back and forth, contemplating the answer. "Course it is," she answered. "But it's also human." Regina made sure to make that point clear.

"Look, I know you both. It took a long time, but I really know you. And neither of you are as weak as I once was. So, if you're both clinging to the darkness, you each have a good reason. Beyond temptation, what is it?"

As if it were calling to her, Maddie reached up and grabbed her dagger. She wanted it safely in her hands. She felt uneasy with her aunt nearby. Something felt off. She wasn't sure if it was her aunt, or her dark thoughts making her feel this way.

Regina and Emma both saw her take her dagger, but neither commented.

"I don't know," Emma answered Regina's question, while Maddie remained silent.

"There's a difference between not knowing something, and not wanting to admit it. Those walls you put up, Emma, it's time they come down." She grabbed Emma's dagger off the well's ledge and held it out in front of her.

"What are you doing?" Emma looked alarmed.

"Helping you break the walls," Regina said. "As your friend, I command you, Dark One, why are you so afraid to give up the darkness?"

Emma looked surprised by the question. It took her a minute to find the answer. "Once I let it go, I won't be able to protect my family."

Regina shook her head no. She tightened her grip around the dagger. "That's another wall, Emma. Now, the truth."

"It is." Emma insisted. "Regina, please."

Maddie was curious to hear Emma's answer, though she was glad it wasn't her under Regina's command, having to give them the answer to this question that she wanted desperately to hide.

"No, it's not." Regina saw right through Emma's lies. "You just have to be brave enough to knock down all those walls you're hiding behind. The dagger can make you look, but you have to choose to see. Now, come on. Come on, Emma. See! Tell me what you're really afraid of."

"Regina, what are you doing?" David stepped in.

"I'm getting answers." Regina kept her gaze on Emma, waiting for the blonde to answer.

Hook grabbed the dagger from her hands. "By controlling her? That's enough."

Emma closed the wooden box containing the flame, then picked up her dagger and walked away from them angrily, Maddie following her.

"You really think you're helping her by being cruel?" Snow asked, annoyed with Regina's tactics.

Regina sighed. "I wasn't cruel. I've been cruel, and trust me, you'd know it." Regina knew Snow wouldn't understand, but she still felt compelled to tell them. "I was getting to the truth. It's not my fault it's painful."

Regina watched them both walk away. She realized Maddie answered not one of her questions. She didn't even speak. Something was wrong. Something she apparently couldn't figure out. Regina knew her niece was struggling with being a Dark One and fighting the temptation of the darkness, but she didn't know why Madeleine had suddenly seemed to hate her. She blamed Zelena. But deep down she knew it wasn't her sister's fault, at least not entirely. Regina knew of her niece's constant struggle with the darkness—it was a fear of Maddie's ever since they met in the Enchanted Forest when they were battling the Wicked Witch. She had promised Maddie she would help her control it, to never let her descend into darkness. Now Regina felt like she had failed her.

Maddie didn't follow Emma, however. She walked through the forest thinking of why she wanted to hang onto the darkness. It made her feel safe. It made her feel powerful. It made her feel in control. Something she never really had. But there was something else, there had to be, that made the darkness so enticing.

She sat upon a rock, dagger in her hands. She looked down at it, tracing over her name engraved on it. She had been fighting the darkness all of her life. Maybe it was easier to just accept it. So much anger and rage suddenly passed through her body, as if it came from all the Dark Ones before her. Her hands and eyes began to glow, as the hatred filled within her.

Maddie could feel the power coursing through her body. Her mother was a villain. Her aunt was a villain. Hell, even her grandmother was a villain. But she wasn't embracing the darkness to become a villain. She was clinging to the darkness to protect her family, especially her new baby sibling. That might be Emma's wall—to protect her family—but this was her true reason. She was determined to make sure her new sibling had a better childhood than she did.

The dark energy radiating from the dagger was stronger than she had ever felt. Maddie finally figured out the reason why she couldn't let go of being the Dark One. And she refused to let anyone get in her way of protecting her family. No one was going to hurt her little sibling the way she had been hurt by numerous people. She wasn't going to let this baby down.

"Maddie?" She heard her name and looked up, her once glowing eyes returned to their normal shade of brown. Edward was peeking out from behind a tree. "What are you doing?"

Maddie put the dagger inside her cloak. "Nothing. What are you doing here?" She stood, waiting for him to approach her.

Edward remained behind the tree, unsure he should trust her or not. "That looked like the Dark One's dagger."

"Looks can be deceiving." She crossed her arms and eyed him intensely as if she were studying him from the inside out.

Edward knew what he saw. Maddie had the Dark One's dagger. And she was doing magic. But was is light or dark magic? Maddie had assured him that she had the good magic the first time they had met. But he was also hired by Zelena to watch over her. Something was definitely going on with Madeleine, and nothing about this situation felt okay. But Edward was determined to free his father from Arthur's dungeons. He was just hoping Zelena held up her end of the bargain and freed him before they returned to Storybrooke. "Do you control the Dark One?" He saw the quick flare in her eyes as a wide grin spread across her face. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. This was not the girl he met in the woods a few weeks ago. This seemed like an entirely different person.

Maddie scoffed, a slight cackle slipping out. She suddenly felt very powerful. "Oh Edward, I am a Dark One." The words rolled of her lips as easy as her next breath. It wasn't something she expected to say, but something she needed to say.

Edward's eyes grew two times their size. When he agreed to spy on Maddie for Zelena, he thought the mute hand-maiden just wanted info on the Savior and her daughter. But Regina turned out not to be the Savior. And now, Maddie was a Dark One. These Storybrooke people are bad news. "Wait, did you say a Dark One? As in, there's more than one?"

She took a few steps closer to the teenage boy. She could see the terror on his face as he stumbled backwards and tripped over a rock. His fear made her feel how powerful she actually was. Edward was frightened of her, and she liked it. "We came here in search of a cure to being a Dark One. But instead, I've finally embraced the darkness."

"Why?" Edward asked, even though there was no way he would know if she was telling him the truth.

She leaned over him, the gleam in her eyes was frightening. "Power."

He should've known. Everything usually was about power. Who had it and who didn't. Who had light and who had dark. Who was good and who was evil. But villains always forgot. "Power is fleeting!"

She straightened her posture, but her wicked grin remained. "We shall see about that."

She waved her hand over him. He closed his eyes, bracing for whatever dark magic she was going to use on him. After a few seconds had passed, he opened his eyes to see the results of Maddie's magic. He didn't feel different. He didn't look different as far as he could tell.

"Did you know King Arthur was evil?" Maddie asked him.

He shook his head no. "No one did. At least, that I know of."

She eyed him suspiciously, but proceeded to question him. "Was it just a coincidence that you found me in the woods the first day we met?"

"Zelena hired me to follow you." Edward's eyes flashed with fear as his hands quickly covered his mouth. He had no idea why he just spilled the beans like that.

Maddie nodded her head. "I wish I could say I was surprised by my mother." She noticed that hewas surprised by his own actions and what she had said. "Truth spell, my dear. And that's just the beginning of my power." She then sighed. "And yes. Zelena is my mother. Regina is my aunt."

His eyebrows rose in surprise. Things were starting to make sense, at least why Zelena hired him to spy on Maddie. He knew there was no way to outrun someone with magic. The only thing he had to use against her were his words. But how long would he have even that? He was determined to get Maddie back on track. He wasn't going to let this information rattle him. "Maddie, this isn't you. You're better than this."

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "You barely know me. We practically just met."

"But what I do know about you is that you are willing to save someone in danger." He looked into her eyes to see if there was any emotion whatsoever. But there was none. However, he continued to try to get through to her. "You healed me the first day we met. You were ready to jump in and save your mother-aunt-whatever she is when Sir Kay was going to kill her."

Maddie yawned, unmoved by Edward's pleas to return to the side of good. He continued anyway. "Maddie, you're a selfless person, willing to do anything and everything to help someone in need. This time, it's you. Help yourself. Save yourself."

"That's exactly what I plan to do."

Edward knew by the look on her face that his words did not work. He scrambled to get to his feet, but he wasn't quick enough to run away. Maddie waved her hand, a red glass figurine shaped like a ball appeared in her hand. She blew a magical breath onto the figurine, entrapping the teenage boy inside, sound asleep. "Sleep well, Edward."

She tucked her new keepsake inside her cloak. She had a feeling she would be collecting many figurines in the future.

On her way back towards Granny's, Maddie heard voices in the distance. She crept closer, trying to remain as quiet as could be. She peeked her head out from behind a thick tree. It was Emma. She was talking to someone. Maddie squinted her eyes, then gasped. Emma turned around at the sound, but Maddie quickly hid behind the tree.

Rumpelstiltskin! I thought she said she didn't see him anymore. She had to get closer. She made sure Emma wasn't looking before she made a mad dash for a more convenient tree to hide behind. Maddie could now hear what they were saying, but she didn't dare poke her head out.

"Your little plan won't work, dearie," Rumple said.

Emma huffed. She was sure it would succeed. "All I have to do is transfer the darkness to Zelena, then kill her. And the darkness will be destroyed forever."

"And what about that baby of hers?" Rumple asked her with his usual giggle.

Emma didn't seem too concerned. "I'll take care of it."

Maddie's eyes narrowed, as her fists clenched. She wasn't going to let Emma do this to her family. Her mother was on the path to being good, and her little brother or sister would be motherless if Emma followed through with her plan. I would be an orphan.

Her eyes glowed yellow, but only for a moment. Emma was about to start a fight with the only person that rivaled her power. Another Dark One. Maddie.

000000

The Storybrooke crew was waiting impatiently inside Granny's for Maddie to return. Emma had figured out why she was holding onto the darkness—she was scared of a future with Hook, as odd as that seemed. But Hook reassured her that everything would be fine, she just had to trust him. And she did.

Regina, however, waited outside, worrying about her niece. Where was she? Was she okay? Did she get into trouble? Did someone take her? The constant fear for Madeleine was taking a toll on her, but she was determined to save her niece from this dark fate.

She continued to scan the woods just beyond the diner, hoping Maddie would come through any minute. Regina jumped when she felt a hand on her back. "Sorry," Robin said sheepishly.

Regina took a deep breath, but returned her gaze to the woods ahead. Robin knew she was worried. She was always worried. Worried for her son, Henry. Worried for his son, Roland. And worried for her niece. He just wished he could help her release some of her stress. "She's going to be fine."

She turned towards him. "You don't know that."

He grabbed her shoulders and leaned his head against hers. "I do know that. Because she's got an aunt to keep her on the right track."

Regina smiled, though it was weak. "I haven't done a good job at it."

"Ever since you met her, Regina, you instantly began protecting her." He made sure she was listening before he continued. "You've saved her from Zelena. You've guided her along the way. You've done an amazing job."

She pursed her lips and stared up at him. "She's a Dark One, Robin."

"Because she saved you!" He told her. "She was selfless and wanted to keep you safe."

"And now I have failed her." She turned back towards the woods.

This talk was not going the way Robin had planned it. He was sure Maddie would overcome the darkness. Maybe not right away, but he was sure she would win this fight. "Why don't we head back inside? See if they made any progress?"

She sighed. Regina knew it was best to see how the others were making out. She just hoped Maddie would be along shortly. He kissed the side of her head as they both headed inside.

"Can't we start without her?" Hook asked with a sigh as Regina and Robin walked inside the diner. "We only need one of them to perform the spell. Emma's ready."

"But we need Madeleine's dagger," Regina reminded him, taking a seat in one of the booths. "Which she still has."

Merlin thought about it for a moment. "You can combine your dagger and Excalibur now, and when Maddie comes back, we'll add hers. The potion to return to Storybrooke is almost ready to go."

"Can I do that?" Emma questioned, skeptical of this plan.

"What if Madeleine doesn't want to give up her dagger?" Snow asked. "Or the darkness?"

Everyone remained silent, thinking about Snow's question. It was a valid question, one some didn't think about and others didn't want to.

"We'll have to get her dagger," Zelena spoke up. Everyone looked at her surprised. She knew what they were all thinking. "Not to control her to do horrible things, but to figure out why she would still be clinging to the darkness."

"It probably has to do with you." Regina crossed her arms and stared intently at her sister across the room.

Zelena, one who is usually quick to anger, kept her cool. "I guess we'll have to wait to find out."

"You won't have to wait long." Maddie's voice echoed in the room before she arrived at the front door. Everyone's mouths dropped when they saw the young girl's new wardrobe and hairstyle. Maddie was now wearing rose gold metallic leggings, black combat boots, and a sheer, black hooded vest. Her once brown hair now had purple streaks in it. It was pulled back, out of her face, but remained half up half down.

"Madeleine, what are you doing?" Regina asked the question that was on everyone's mind. She had a feeling she already knew the answer, but she didn't want to believe it.

Maddie smiled, though it didn't seem friendly. "Embracing the darkness, of course. I simply thought I'd dress for the part."

Zelena liked her daughter's style change, but she wasn't happy about Maddie embracing the darkness. "Madeleine—"

"Don't try to talk me out of this, mother." She looked around at the rest of the group. "Or any of you, for that matter. I've made up my mind." She narrowed her eyes on the blonde. "And so did Emma."

"She's giving up the darkness," Snow said then was interrupted.

"She's not only giving up the darkness," Maddie continued eyeing Emma from across the room, "she plans to destroy it."

Everyone in the room looked around confused. David looked over to his daughter. "Emma?"

Emma's eyes remained locked on the young Dark One. "Ignore her. She's trying to confuse you. We need to get her dagger."

Maddie's eyes lit up with amusement. "I'd love to see you try."

With a wave of Emma's hand, the small group in Granny's was lying on the floor unconscious. Maddie looked around, unfazed. "What? Didn't want to admit it to your family and friends that you've embraced the darkness as well."

"I didn't embrace it," Emma raged. "I only want to get rid of it."

"Putting darkness inside someone and then destroying said person qualifies as being a Dark One." Maddie stepped a little closer. "It's a dark thought, Emma. Killing someone is a dark thought no matter what your reasoning is."

Emma's eyes narrowed on the young girl, her fists tightly in a ball at her sides. "I see you've uncovered my plan."

"The knowledge of the Dark Ones is vast." Maddie began circling the table between her an Emma. The blonde copying her. "I've also learned that young girl Henry is crushing on, Violet was her name, that her heart was taken by you." Maddie watched Emma for any reaction on the blonde's face by her words, but Emma remained expressionless. "You made her break Henry's heart just to get an ingredient you needed. Sounds a bit selfish to me."

"While you were off having a picnic for two weeks," Emma had never looked at her with so much hatred, "I did what needed to be done!"

Maddie knew Emma was trying to unnerve her, but the young Dark One was not backing down so easily. "I don't think Henry would agree." She looked around. "Or your mommy and daddy. I think you should dress more accordingly." With a wave of Maddie's hand, Emma was dressed in all black leather. Her hair was blonder than normal, almost white, and was wrapped in a tight bun. If Maddie didn't know any better, she'd think Emma was sick with how pale she looked. "That's better."

Emma ignored her new wardrobe and slammed her hands on the table between them. "You don't know half the sacrifices I've made to get what we needed to rid us from the darkness and get home to Storybrooke."

Maddie leaned on the same table, their glares burning into one another. "Destroying my mother in the process is not a sacrifice. It's convenient."

Before Maddie could say another word, Emma had her lying on the ground with the rest of the unconscious people. Maddie didn't know what was best for herself, let alone Emma. The blonde bent down and grabbed Maddie's dagger, then stepped over the younger Dark One on her way to the cauldron that contained the potion to bring them back to Storybrooke.

"Don't do it, Emma." The voice made her stop in her tracks. She slowly turned around to see Merlin getting to his feet. "You can't go through with this plan of yours."

She closed her eyes. "Oh, but I can." In a flash, she was right in front of him. She plunged her hand into his chest and yanked out his heart, his face full of anguish.

"You're too late," he told her clenching his chest. "I already left a message for the others."

Emma studied his heart in her hands, but appeared unmoved by his comment. "Oh, they can't do anything to stop me." He knew she now controlled him and was powerless to stop her.

He grabbed Excalibur off the floor where Emma had dropped it. "You really think that will help you now that I have your heart?" She asked, her brows raised while a playful smile danced upon her lips.

"Return to your stone," he commanded Excalibur, the sword disappearing from his hand.

"No!" She growled. He knew she needed that, but now there was no way to get it out. At least not right away. There would be steps she would need to take in order to retrieve the sword. Merlin was hoping this move would buy the others time in the future.

He suddenly realized what Emma planned to do when she squeezed his heart tightly. "You want to cast the Dark Curse."

Emma sighed. "I don't want to."

"She needs to." Rumple's irritating giggle echoed in the room. He appeared beside Merlin.

"You can't do that without crushing the thing you love most," Merlin told Emma, confident she wouldn't kill Hook, or himself since she didn't love him.

"Which is why," Rumple interjected, "someone who actually has feelings for you will crush your heart. And that's not me." Rumple suddenly changed form.

Nimue stood before them. "But it is me." He stood there wide-eyed. "Remember, I am all Dark Ones." She walked closer to him. "Romantic, isn't it. After everything we've been through, you're still the thing I love most. And I do love you."

Merlin looked down at her sympathetically. "But you're not really here."

"But she is," Emma smiled. "She lives in all Dark Ones. So, when I crush your heart, so will she." Emma squeezed tightly, the heart exploding in her hand. Merlin now lay lifeless on the floor. Emma looked surprised by her action. It wasn't me. It was Nimue. It was Nimue. It was Nimue.

Emma held the dust of Merlin's heart in her hand. This wasn't what she wanted to do. This is what Nimue wanted—she was the most powerful Dark One of them all. Emma was powerless to stop her from crushing Merlin's heart. She looked down at Merlin, sorry for what she had done. "Rest in peace." She waved her hand and Merlin's body had disappeared.

She walked over to the bubbling cauldron and sprinkled the dust into the pot. Emma knew she couldn't stop a Dark Curse once it had been enacted, but she could alter it. With another wave of her hand, a dreamcatcher appeared. "This is my fault, and I'm the one that's going to fix this." She took away everyone's memories in one sweep. "And no one will remember Maddie had embraced the darkness." She used her magic to change the young girl's clothes to a dark purple velvet frock from Camelot.

She knew she was using dark magic to add a memory wipe to the curse, but it was the only way to stall her family from getting further involved. And to stop Madeleine from ruining her plans and to save the young one from going completely dark. She was hoping to save them both before the young Dark One figured out what Emma had done. She placed the dreamcatcher into the cauldron, the purple curse spilling over the sides and engulfing the entire room.

Hours later, the few residents in the diner woke up, realizing they were back in Storybrooke when two dwarfs walked through the front door. They struggled to get to their feet. "We're back." David said looking at the dwarfs.

"This doesn't make any sense," Regina breathed out as her eyes darted back and forth to those around her. "We were just walking into Camelot."

Grumpy looked down at his attire, and the rest of the groups'. "What the hell are we wearing? Sneezy, how long were we gone?"

"Six weeks," he said, looking around at them all.

"What?" Maddie exclaimed. "This can't be happening."

"Our memories," David closed his eyes and sighed, "they're gone."

"Again," Snow added, with the same disappointed sigh as her husband's.

Hook looked around and noticed someone important was missing. "Where's Emma?"

"Relax," Emma's voice was heard before she was seen. "I'm right here."

She appeared at the front door, everyone startled by her appearance. "Mom?" Henry was the first to recover. "What happened to you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Emma cocked her head to one side. "You went to Camelot to get the darkness out of me," she said, then looked over to Maddie. "Out of both of us. But you failed."

Sneezy sneezed, nervous about the current situation. Emma, instantly, was annoyed. She turned him into stone. Jaws dropping at her sudden display of dark magic. "There's no more Savior in this town."

Regina stepped in front of Emma. "Emma, stop!"

"Or what?" Emma looked less than thrilled to deal with Regina.

"Or I'll do exactly what you asked me to." She reached for the dagger that was in her pocket, but nothing was there.

"Looking for these?" Emma held up her and Maddie's daggers. Regina glared at her, but could do nothing more. "No one will touch these daggers but me."

She stepped around Regina, but was confronted by Maddie. "Give me back my dagger, Emma. You made your choice, now let me make mine."

Emma rolled her eyes and sent the young girl back to the floor, unconscious. She was not in the mood to deal with Maddie so soon after they left Camelot. "Emma!" Snow scolded, as Regina and Zelena dove to the floor to check on Maddie, both glaring at each other in the process.

"After what you all did to me," Emma continued as if nothing happened, "you're about to be punished."

"Emma," Hook called to his love, "why are you doing this?"

She looked directly into his eyes, emotionless. "Because I am a Dark One."

Here's another chapter. I made this one longer for you guys. Thank you so much for continuing to read my story and for your feedback. It means a lot to me. If you want to continue reading my stuff, I recently published a book on Amazon, called The Skye Fae: Pursuer of the Shadows. It's about fairies of Skye who cast dreams and nightmares to humans. Ebony is the young and stubborn Princess of Nightmares. Her world begins to unravel when she discovers more secrets than she bargained for as a new and old enemy threaten both Skye and Earth, and the life she once knew begins to fall apart. Friendships are tested, alliances are formed, and war is on the horizon.

I've included a link below, though I don't think you'll be able to copy at paste. You could always search the title in Amazon.

Skye-Fae-Pursuer-Shadows/dp/1981548696/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1516381261&sr=8-1&keywords=the+skye+fae

As always, let me know what you think!