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CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
THE DARK SWAN, PT. 3
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GRANNY'S DINER LANDED HARSHLY ON THE GROUND ONCE AGAIN. There was a series of groans that escaped everyones lips as they all regained their footing. Teresa lifted her head from the counter. Her blonde hair was acting as curtains, allowing her to only see in front of her. She the hand that wasn't holding Roland, she moved her hair out of her face and looked to her right.

She blushed as soon as she realised it was Henry's arm that had been thrown over both her and Roland. She cleared her throat, catching his attention, and when Henry seen his arm still around her, his face turned red and he drew it back to his side and took a step away.

"Sorry," he muttered awkwardly.

Teresa glanced down at Roland and gently peeled him away. "You okay, kiddo?"

Roland nodded, then his large brown eyes landed on his father, causing a grin to form on his face. "Papa!"

Robin lifted his son into his arms, before giving Teresa an appreciative nod. She returned it with a smile.

➳

Teresa took an intake of the surrounding fresh air with a large smile on her face. Snow laughed, giving her a weird look. "What're you doing?"

Teresa turned to her with a wide grin. "It's always good to be back here; to smell that fresh air, the woods."

"You have a serious obsession with the woods," David said.

"The woods is an archer's best friend, don't judge." Suddenly, Teresa froze, her senses as a hunter making the hairs raise on her arm. "Stop!" she ordered the group.

Everyone stopped walking and turned to look at her, as Teresa stepped to the front of the group and focused her hearing.

"What?" Regina asked.

Teresa ignored her question as she strained her ears to hear the voice that she had previously heard.

"You're a crazy woman. I don't want to talk."

"Please, don't." That voice, Teresa knew that voice. Although it sounded different, Teresa still knew that it belonged to the woman who they came for: Emma Swan.

"It's Emma!"

Hook was suddenly at her side, his eyes widening and his racing at the mention of Emma. "What? You can hear her? Where is she?"

"This way," Teresa said as she began to walk ahead of the group toward the sound of Emma's voice. As they got closer, they could hear Emma yell.

"Stop!"

They took off into a jog, and when they finally found Emma, their eyes widened at the predicament that she was in. A girl dressed in blue, with curly red hair was gasping for breath as Emma stood, clad in tattered beige clothing, clutching her heart.

Hook was the first to reach them. "Swan. Don't."

Emma blinked, shock in her eyes. It was like she didn't expect to see them at all. "What? How?"

"It doesn't matter how. Has anything ever stopped me before?"

"You don't know what's happening. This is the only way to find Merlin. He's the only one who can stop the darkness," Emma said. "The only way to protect all of you..."

Teresa stood next to Snow, her lips parted just the slightest as she stared at Emma. She never believed that Emma, one of the kindest women she knew, who was also the savior and product of true love, could become someone so dark. In her eyes, Teresa could see the dark thoughts she was thinking. She truly wanted to kill the girl who's heart she was clutching tightly in her palm.

"But to stop the darkness, you're going to let it consume you," Regina said cautiously. She knew if someone spooked Emma, she would most likely kill the red haired girl, who appeared to be an archer by the looks of it. Emma would feel guilty later on, if they ever saved her.

"You don't know that."

"We're not going to take the chance," Snow said from where stood with David, the pair clutching tightly to each others hands as they stared at the darkness that was swirling in their daughters once kind and caring eyes.

Snow then stepped forward with the Dark One's dagger, but Hook shook his head. "No, wait. You can't do that. This has to be her choice."

"You don't understand what's at stake. If I don't find Merlin, the darkness will destroy all of you."

Hook placed a gentle hand on ner shoulder. "Emma, please. No."

"The dark one destroys everyone near it. Look at Gold. I can't do that to my family. And to you. She has to die." Emma gave the womans heart a squeeze, causing her to gasp in pain and release more tears.

"Listen to your words," Hook pleaded. "It's not you speaking, Emma. We can find another way together. Look at us...heroes and villains together for you, because of you. And if we can overcome it...if we can overcome our demons...then so can you."

Teresa glanced between Emma and Hook and the whimpering girl, waiting for Emma's next one. Thankfully, Emma moved forward and shoved the heart back into the woman's chest before turning and throwing her arms around Hook.

➳

"Mom, dad, this is too dangerous. You shouldn't have come," Emma said.

David looked at her in disbelief. "We had to."

"You're our daughter."

Hook looked her up and down before wiggling his eyebrows. "Well, you don't look like a crocodile."

Emma gave him a sheepish smile. "I guess I lucked out."

"Here," Snow said, stretching the Dark One's dagger out toward her daughter. "We think you should have this."

"Take it. You'll be able to control yourself."

"No."

"Emma, think about it," Hook said. "If it falls into the wrong hands, what it could do...what you could do..."

"The fight to control my darkness has just begun." Emma sounded like she was in pain, making Teresa wonder just how hard it is to be the Dark One. "It's too much power. Someone needs to watch me." Emma took the dagger from her parents, only to hand it off to Regina. Regina accepted it.

"Are you serious?"

"I saved you. Now save me. And if you can't save me, do what no one else will willingly do. You're the only one who will get past their feelings and do what is necessary...destroy me."

Henry shook his head, stepping forward toward his birth mother. "It won't come to that."

"I know, kid." Emma reached forward and pulled her son in her arms. "So, are you guys gonna tell me how y'all got here?"

"Well, it might be easier to show you," Teresa replied with a smirk. She could just picture Emma's face when she seen that they had brought an entire building with them.

➳

When they emerged from the treeline and into the small clearing, Emma let out a breath. "You brought Granny's..."

As if on queue, Granny came walking out of the diner, wiping her hands on a dirty rag. "Backup generator's working, but the fryers are shot."

"And Granny."

And then Leroy came walking out. "Terrible news! No onion rings!"

Emma's eyes widened, certainly not having expected to see either of them come walking out of Granny's. "And Leroy."

"There's no shortage of people who want to help you."

More residents of Storybrooke poured out the door, surprising Emma even more. "Emma!"

Suddenly, the sounds of horses caused Teresa to whip around. She furrowed her eyebrows at the sight of multiple people on horses could be seen heading their way.

"What now?"

"Stand back," Emma said, stepping forward, ready to protect her family. Henry inched toward Teresa, as Regina and Robin stepped in front of him.

The horses soon came to a stop when they were merely just ten feet away from them. "Who are you, and what do you want?" Emma asked.

The man at the front, with the brown hair and blue eyes, smirked. "I'm King Arthur of Camelot. We've come to find you."

Teresa furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Find us?"

"My Lord, they think their arrival is a surprise," said one of the men.

"You were expecting us."

"It was Merlin," the man said. "He prophesied your coming here a long time ago, just as he prophesied many things."

Emma's eyes widened. "Merlin. Where is he? We were told that he's been missing."

"For years, yes. But not for much longer because according to his prophecy, you're destined to reunite him with us. Just as you were destined to unite the soulmates, which I've seen you've done." Teresa and Henry shared a look before they took an awkward step away from each other, having not realized their closeness.

How does everyone but me and Henry ourselves know that we are soulmates, Teresa thought, annoyed.

Hook smirked at their awkwardness.

"Now, then, if you'll all follow me..." King Arthur said.

"Where?"

"Why, Camelot, of course."

➳

Camelot was...huge. The castle was glorious. It was a gray stone castle higher than Arendelle's kingdom, and it had red banners hanging from every possible spot.

King Arthur smirked at their awestruck faces before leading them across the bridge. Teresa walked next to Snow and Baby Neal, Henry in front of her with Regina, Robin, and Roland, who was clutching Regina's hand. Emma and Hook were at the front of the group, with everyone else pulling up the rear.

The doors to Camelot them opened and King Arthur led them inside.

➳

° SIX WEEKS LATER °

Teresa let out a loud groan as she opened her eyes. She was on her side, her face inches away from Henry's. A blush spread across her cheeks as she quickly sat up and moved away from him.

She looked around in confusion when she suddenly realised she was back in Granny's Diner. It was dark outside, making her assume it was dark, which was weird, since it had just been daylight seconds ago. Not only was it dark and they were suddenly back in Granny's, but she was also wearing different clothing; black pants and matching boots, a brown tunic and cloack. Meanwhile, just seconds ago she had been wearing jeans and one of Ruby's t-shirts.

"What the hell?" Teresa muttered, looking around in confusion. She then pulled herself onto her feet.

Suddenly, one of the dwarves that had not been with them in the Enchanted Forest came running in, confusing them even more. "What are you guys doing here?"

"What happened?" Snow asked.

"We're back," Regina realised.

"Bloody hell."

"This doesn't make any sense," Regina said. "We were just walking into Camelot."

From near Teresa, Leroy pulled at his tunic. "What the hell are we wearing? Sneezy, what happened? How long were we gone?"

"Six weeks."

Teresa's eyes widened. "What?!"

"Our memories...they're gone."

"Again.'

Hook glanced around in a panic, his eyes widening in worry. "Where's Emma?"

At the mention of the blonde not being present, everyone began to look around.

"Relax. I'm right here."

All heads turned to look at Emma, and their eyes widened at the sight of her. Her usual blonde hair looked white and was pulled back into a tight bun, and her clothes were black, skin as pale as snow.

"Mom? What happened to you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Thunder rumbled outside as Emma stepped into the zoned, her face expressionless. "You went to Camelot to get the darkness out of me." Emma brought her hand up and caressed her mothers face, emitting a gasp from Snow. "And you failed."

One of the dwarves then sneezed, causing Emma to turn toward him. "What the hell are you supposed to be?"

"Ah..."

Before he could talk any more, Emma had turned him into stone, surprising everyone in the room. "There's no savior in this town anymore."

Regina stepped forward with determined eyes. "Emma, stop. That's enough."

"Or what?" Emma was daring her, it seemed like.

"Or I'll do exactly what you asked me to." Regina reached to her waist for the Dark One dagger, but her eyes widened as she realized it was no longer there.

Emma held it up, grazing Regina's neck. "Looking for this? Nobody's gonna touch this dagger but me." Emma moved past Regina. "Now, for what you all did to me...you're about to be punished."

"Emma." Emma turned and met Hook's pained eyes. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because...I am the Dark One."