From 5.08 "Birth", in flashback to Granny's diner, Freya used her magic to levitate the Flame of Prometheus, making it grow larger in size, picking up the dagger and Excalibur, trying to forge it through the flame, but both Freya and Jefferson gasped in agony, making Freya drop the dagger and sword.

Freya/Priscilla: (voice over) "Previously on Worlds Colliding (Once Upon a Time)."

The darkness was leaking from Freya into Jefferson as well since the spell she had just tried to complete had strengthened the link between their minds, and the darkness started to surround them both.

Lisa: (voice over from 5.08 Birth) "It's the madness and darkness. Freya was scared that destroying the darkness would destroy their sanity."

The darkness surrounded Jefferson completely, making him disappear, leaving everyone in shock. Jefferson's name appeared on Excalibur. Freya's appearance changed to the Dark One she was from the present.

Merlin: (voice over from 5.08 Birth) "The darkness will get to Jefferson and create another Dark One."

From 5.08 "Birth", in Freya's house, Jefferson used the squid ink to paralyze Freya in place.

Zelena showed him a dreamcatcher. "I found this outside. I suppose it's not the Dark One anymore, is it? More like the Dark Ones."

"I lost control back in Camelot, didn't I?" Jefferson asked. "Did something that made you erase everyone's memories."

"We both lost control," Freya answered.

Zelena chuckled. "The Dark Witch and Mad Hatter as Dark Ones? This town is in some serious trouble. And I'm happy to help the process along. Who wants to know what happens when you both really go dark?"

ღღ

Same Night - Same Scene

Storybrooke

Night - Freya's House - Living Room

Freya was still paralyzed in place by the squid ink.

"I suppose I should get on it with it, shouldn't I, Freya?" Zelena asked. "That squid ink on you is going to wear off soon, and Jefferson just relearned he had magic, so..." She used her magic on them, making them groan in pain as their minds became even worse, laughing at their looks of anger. "By the look on your face, it would appear someone needs restraining." She put the anti-magic cuff on Freya. "There. No more magic for you, not since you wanted to kill me before this."

Jefferson nearly used magic against Zelena, but she disappeared before she could be hit. "Cilla, everyone is outside, aren't they?"

"Yeah," Freya answered. "They should be getting close to being unfrozen by now. I can't leave, but you can."

Rumplestiltskin appeared to mock them, making them both jump, looking at Jefferson. "I would listen to her, dearie. Both of you were willing to fight against madness and darkness before, but that was before you both lost it. Before Zelena got into your already damaged minds and made everything worse. You're not going to fight it anymore, are you? You could always come back for her, Jefferson. Priscilla's trying to help you. And you could get your vengeance for the both of you. For Grace, Lisa, Blake, Alcina, Tori, Saphira, Mathias, Faye, Derek. Tell me, how does it feel to be a Dark One?"

Jefferson was gazing off insanely, remembering almost everything now. "It feels like I've been reborn."

ღ

Three Weeks Ago

Camelot

Day - Vault of the Dark One

Jefferson had appeared in the vault after the darkness had gotten to him through the shared madness when Freya had been trying to destroy it. The darkness swirled around Jefferson, attacking him and the madness, making him scream as it made him relive his worst memories, just as it had done with Freya when she had first became the Dark One. In 1.17, being tricked by Regina to leave his family and being left behind in Wonderland, going insane. 2.01, watching Freya fall through the hat after their family had just been reunited. 2.07, losing control of the madness when Freya was away, nearly killing George. 2.19, when Young Priscilla had taken some of the madness from Young Jefferson, and when Rumple had almost killed him. 2.22, losing Henry, Rose and Grace to Greg and Tamara taking them to Neverland, not getting them back until 3.08. 3.02, realizing he was poisoned by dreamshade and thinking he would never make it home with his family, having to lie about it so Freya wouldn't snap. 3.10, realizing that Peter Pan had tried to have him killed to make Freya go insane, and that he had possessed Grace. 3.15, in flashback and Storybrooke, watching Neal dying in Freya and Alcina's arms without a way to help them. 3.18, throwing knives at Faye and Zelena to try to kill them because of madness. 3.21, Grace and Jefferson watching in horror as Freya, Lisa, Ella and Killian were sucked through the time portal. 4.11, losing control of the madness because of the shattered sight spell cast on everyone that nearly made him, Freya and Grace kill Regina. 4.12, realizing Gold was behind it all, and the entire Hatter family in despair because of everything involving Gold and Ingrid. 4.17, Gold making Maleficent get into the heads of Freya, Jefferson and Grace, giving them hallucinations of destruction, horror and death to make Freya and Jefferson lose control of madness, and make Grace lose control of her power, all so that they couldn't stop him from reversing the link of light and darkness on Lisa and Blake to get what he wanted. 4.18, realizing that Gold had Zelena threatening Derek (Saphira's boyfriend), and Robin (Alcina's lover and the father of her unborn children) to keep everyone in line, also realizing Gold had someone waiting to kill Faye, revealing that he had known Maleficent and Lily to be family to the Matthews the entire time. 4.19/4.20/4.21, Freya, Jefferson, Grace and Lisa losing control of their magic/madness/powers because of Gold, including Lisa and Grace ending up killing Cruella. 4.22/4.23, everyone trapped in another realm of book so Gold could have his happy ending. 4.23, when the darkness was released from Gold, it went straight for Lisa, Blake and Grace, so Freya sacrificed herself to save them, while Jefferson could do nothing but watch in horror. 5.01 to 5.08, realizing Freya was losing herself to the darkness, becoming the Dark One, and was unable to help her, while he was falling further into madness and darkness, fearing of losing himself and Freya, fearing himself of hurting his family. 5.08, the darkness using the shared madness to get to him through Freya, nearly destroying them both, to become another Dark One.

Darkness was released from the vault, forming into Jefferson, in a black robe.

Rumplestiltskin was waiting with a smile, waving. "Hi."

Jefferson realized who he was and what he was doing there because of Freya, sighing in frustration, pulling back his hood, also realizing he was at the place that Neal had brought Gold back. "Hell, no."

Jefferson yelled in anger, trying to attack Rumple.

Rumplestiltskin appeared behind him. "That's not gonna work. I'm not out here." He pointed to Jefferson's head. "I'm in there. I am the guide, the voice in your head. Or, well, one of the voices, since like Priscilla, you've had many all your lives."

Jefferson rolled his eyes. "Save the speech. I know who you are. All the Dark Ones in my head. But it doesn't matter. I won't listen to you."

"What if I told you that together, I could get you and Priscilla what you need most?" Rumplestiltskin asked. "Revenge for yourselves, Grace, Lisa and Blake? Not to mention, Alcina, Tori, Saphira, Mathias, Faye, Derek, of course." He giggled. "That's right. I saw what you saw, dearie. The very things that Priscilla saw when she first awoke as the Dark One as well, except Priscilla has more pain when it comes to her father, considering that he killed her mother in front of her and held her back from saving her brother from falling through the time portal all those years ago. I see all of your pain, for the both of you, and I can erase it. Stick with me and you will finally give her father what no one could ever do before. Give him the justice he deserves."

"And how do you expect us to do that?" Jefferson asked.

Rumplestiltskin smiled. "Why, kill me, of course."

ღ Worlds Colliding (Once Upon a Time) ღ

Now

Storybrooke

Night - Freya's House - Outside

Now that everyone was unfrozen, they walked up to the house.

"Freya!" Snow called.

"Snow and I'll check the basement," David told them.

"Rose, Emma, Ella and I got upstairs," Regina told them. "Blake, Lisa, Grace, Ally, check downstairs."

Ella sighed. "Tori. Saphira. Mathias. Cyrus. Axel. Check the basement."

They all made their way inside.

ღ

Inside - Living Room

Alcina, Lisa, Blake and Grace were looking.

"Freya?" Alcina asked. "Freya!"

They found Freya sitting in a corner holding her head as all of the darkness and madness and Zelena's spellwork attacked her mind, walking closer in worry.

"Freya?" Lisa asked. "Hey. What happened?"

ღ

Later

Everyone was talking.

"Jefferson turned into a Dark One?" Emma asked in shock.

Freya was holding her head. "The darkness did what it said it would do and used the madness sharing to get to him when I tried to destroy it."

"And you didn't think of the consequences of not telling anyone else?" Saphira asked. Freya looked up. "You did. The darkness just brainwashed you into not telling us."

"We get that, Freya," Tori told her. "But... but now we have a bigger problem."

Freya sighed. "I know. I didn't think any of this would happen. I was trying to get rid of the darkness for good. Tori, Saphira, Mathias, Alcina, Regina, you can't tell me, after all Zelena's done to you, to Faye and Derek, your lives wouldn't be easier if she were gone. I was doing you a favor."

"Well, Zelena got the jump on you," Mathias told her. "She tried to destroy your mind completely. And Jefferson's mind."

"Either way, that was premeditated murder, Freya," Snow told her. "There had to be another way."

"Like she found another way to trick Bae into bringing back our father even after Alcina, Tori, Saphira, Mathias, Grace, Lisa, Jefferson and I told him not to do it?" Freya replied. "Neal died because of her, Snow, and--"

Rose took her hand. "Okay, Aunt Freya... breathe. Please calm down."

Freya stood, pacing. "I can't. And you're lucky Zelena put this on me, or someone or something would be destroyed because all of my magic is trying to lash out."

Lisa, Blake and Grace tried to calm her down.

"Mama..." Grace trailed off. "Mama, it's okay."

Freya shook her head, backing away. "Please stay there. I don't wanna hurt you. I'm losing more and more of sanity each second because of the darkness, madness and that witch's spell."

"You should have come to us," Ella told her.

"And risk hurting everyone?" Freya asked. "I thought the best way to control the darkness was to isolate myself, stay with Jefferson from time to time so we could stay sane, but it wasn't working, and now--"

"Now you're losing it completely," Emma told her. "And so is Jefferson. So sit down and let us handle this before either of you become worse."

"Right now, we have to clean up this mess," David told them.

"No," Alcina told them. "We don't. Give us back our memories. Your dreamcatchers. We can access them, can't we? We can piece together the darkness's plan and stop Jefferson."

Axel walked in. "I'm afraid not. Dreamcatchers you said were in the shed? They're gone."

Regina sighed. "What the hell is Dark Hatter up to?"

ღ

Day Two

Morning - Gold's Pawnshop

Jefferson was speaking with Gold and Belle.

"The darkness really went through the shared madness, went through Freya, to turn you into a Dark One?" Belle asked.

"And now you've come for your revenge," Gold told him. "Just like Cilla did."

"The thought had crossed my mind before I even realized I was a Dark One," Jefferson admitted. "I mean, I didn't blame Cilla for going after you, for tormenting you like you tormented us. Hell, I was cheering her on inside my head. For what you did to me, Cilla, Blake, Lisa, Grace and Alcina, I think I'll make you go mad this time. For Derek, Tori, Saphira, Mathias, even Faye, your heart. For filling Cilla with the darkness and making us lose our minds even before we became the Dark Ones and made us this bad... hmm, I think your head will do quite nicely."

"So what are you waiting for?" Gold asked. "Get on with it."

Jefferson smiled manically, shaking his head. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. No. You didn't just torture us, Gold, you ruined us, so I really want to..." He took a deep breath mockingly. "Savor it." He took a sword off a shelf, sliding it across the floor to Gold, raising his hands mockingly to imitate Rumple. "Get your affairs in order, dearie, for we duel at noon at the docks. Maybe we'll fight at the sight where you killed Milah, in front of Freya, as a girl. The moment when you really started to destroy the both of us."

Gold sighed. "How poetic. But we both know this weapon can't kill you."

Jefferson pointed at him. "Ah, true, that sword can't kill me." He conjured Excalibur in his hand. "But this one... can."

"Excalibur," Gold stated.

Belle was in shock. "You have it."

Jefferson smirked. "Well, now that it's whole, it can no longer control me, but it can... oh, oh, oh! Kill me. All you have to do is take it from me. So, what do you say, Gold? Shall we finish what you started? I'm prepared to bring an extra special guest."

Gold was clearly scared, but knowing what would happen if he said no. "Indeed."

Jefferson smiled insanely.

ღღ

Hatter House - Living Room

Everyone was talking in the huge living room.

Killian sighed. "Once an insane lad, always an insane lad. Same could be said for a pirate or thief. Just ask Tori, Saphira and Mathias and me about the pirating. Just ask Robin and Derek about the thieving."

"Shut up, Hook," Mathias replied.

"After everything that Gold did to Freya and Jefferson before they became the Dark Ones, it makes sense that revenge is the only thing on their mind," David told them. "Not just for them. For their family, too. Saphira, Tori, Mathias, Alcina and Derek as well. Even Faye."

"Revenge was not the only thing on Freya's mind," Derek told them. "She did try to destroy the darkness. That plan got ruined by Zelena. Now because of Faye's mother? Jefferson and Freya are more insane than ever."

Freya was laying down on the couch. "I can hear you, Derek."

"We only have until noon to reverse the damage on Freya and Jefferson's minds," Saphira told them. "To stop Jefferson from killing Gold. To save them all."

"What about Merlin's message to Cyrus?" Belle asked. "He said this Nimue is the key to stopping the Dark One."

"Nimue was my father's true love," Cyrus answered. "My mother. And she was also the first Dark One. I have no clue as to why my father would tell me my mother is the key to stopping this when she's the one that trapped us in the tree and stone in the first place."

"We'll figure it out, Cyrus," Rose told him. "Okay? How do we find out more about her?"

"Start our search with the Dark One chronicles," Grace answered. "There are many texts that can help us."

Freya rolled her eyes, sitting up, standing, walking toward her father. "As much as I appreciate devotion to scholarship, there is an easier way. I am still a Dark One. You want my help or not? All you have to do is take off the cuff."

Gold chuckled. "Nice try, Cilla. I've come to recognize the looks on your face when you're seeing the other version of me inside your head. And I know that he's trying to get you to hurt me, so I think I'll take my chances."

"How about you stop taunting Cilla before she attacks you?" Alcina replied. "And after everything you did, I would probably let her."

Gold sighed in regret. "Ally..."

"Oh, now we're back to 'Ally'?" Alcina asked. "That's great, since you were torturing us and threatening Robin, Derek and Faye, you would only call me Alcina."

"Would you let me apologize?" Gold asked.

Alcina shrugged. Resisting the urge to attack her father with or without magic, Freya rolled her eyes, turning away. Henry, Axel and Faye walked in.

Henry looked at Freya. "So it's true. You are here."

Freya sighed. "Henry. Faye. Axel."

"There's a part of me that wants to thank you for saving my life last night," Faye told her. "But then there's another part of me that wants to punch you for trying to kill my mother."

"After what she did to you, Bae, Regina, Alcina, Tori, Saphira, Mathias, Derek, and everyone else, can you really blame me, Faye?" Freya replied.

"No," Faye answered. "Especially not after I heard that she's the reason why you and Jefferson are fully losing control now. But she's still my mother."

"I need you to tell them it's okay to take off this cuff," Freya told them. "It's the only way to figure it all out."

"No," Lisa told her. "Whatever's going on inside your head, Freya, it's destroying you. And we can't take the chance of you losing control like Jefferson is doing."

Blake sighed. "I'm sorry, Freya, but Lisa's right."

Freya looked at Blake in surprise. "I thought you were the one person who would understand."

"Oh, I understand," Blake answered. "The darkness can take control over me like it does to you, but the darkness inside me is something I can live with, but the darkness inside of you is something that destroys everything around it, and the person holding it inside, and with the madness, we can't take the chance."

"We need time, Freya," Axel told her. "We're gonna save you and Jefferson. We just need time to do it. But we will do it."

"We should really get to the library," Snow told them. "We've got a lot to do."

"Alcina, Faye and Derek gotta get back to the babies at the hospital," Tori told them. "Saphira, Mathias and I are going with them."

Regina stood. "I'll go with you guys, Tori. After what happened last night, I'm sure Zelena is gonna come looking for Faye."

"Well, if she does?" Mathias asked. "She's got a lot to answer for. For what she did to Freya, Jefferson, Faye and Derek."

Freya sighed. "Let me guess. I'm not invited."

Grace looked at her sadly. "Mama... we love you. We love Papa."

"You don't trust us," Freya told them.

"We don't trust the darkness and the madness," Emma corrected. "There's a big difference. Freya, you and Jefferson have lived with the madness all your lives and you've been mostly okay. But with the darkness, it's all a mess. We can get you two back to that."

"Stay here," Ella told her. "Let us save you. Let us save Jefferson. It's for the best."

Everyone started to leave. Blake walked up to Faye.

Faye was nervous to see Blake after their kiss when they thought she was going to die. "Uh, hi. Blake, if you didn't hear what they said, I have to get back to the hospital. My and Derek's baby. Not to mention that my mother could be looking for me." Blake nodded in understanding. "I'll see you later."

Faye left. When Blake was alone, Axel, Henry and Cyrus walked up to him in confusion.

"What was that all about?" Axel asked.

"You and Faye are avoiding looking at each other like the plague," Cyrus told him.

"Yeah, and Cyrus knows what the plague is and what it can do," Axel told them. "He's a kid that's been trapped in stone for a thousand years."

Cyrus smirked sarcastically. "Hilarious, Axel."

"Nothing, okay?" Blake asked. "Let's just go." He turned to leave. Axel used his wolf speed to rush in front of Blake, blocking his way. Blake rolled his eyes. "Axel, you know I can just use my powers to teleport out of here."

"Then Cyrus would use his powers to take us where you go, and where would that leave us?" Henry asked.

"Exactly," Cyrus told him. "Come on, Blake. Tell us whatever is it. It's obvious something is messing with you."

"Yeah, and don't lie," Axel told him. "I can tell when you're lying. Wolf thing."

Blake smirked a little, giving in. "Fine, something happened between me and Faye."

"Yeah, we know," Henry told him. "We have eyes. What happened?"

"When Faye was about to have Derek's kid, and we thought she was going to die, I was trying to talk her through it, and we had a moment, and I would not stop talking, so she kissed me," Blake answered.

The others looked at him in surprise, but not shocked because they had known it was bound to happen.

"And what did you do?" Henry asked.

"Did you kiss her back?" Axel asked.

Blake used jokes to lighten up the mood. "No, I kissed her mouth." They gave him a look. "Fine, yes, I did."

"And what happened after that?" Cyrus asked.

"We looked each other in the eye and I kissed her again," Blake answered.

"Okay, so we get that you and Faye kissed," Henry told him. "But why aren't you talking much now?"

"Because I don't know if she kissed me just because she thought she was gonna die, or if she actually likes me," Blake answered. "I mean, of course she likes me, because hello..." He gestured to himself as if to say duh. "But I don't know if she liked it liked it."

"Well, do you like her?" Axel asked.

Blake sighed, just looking at them.

Henry nodded. "Then go ask her out."

Cyrus sighed. "Faye may have thought she was going to die, but that doesn't change the fact that she kissed you, and you were there for her. I'm pretty sure it's obvious you both like each other."

"She has a baby with Derek," Blake told them.

"A baby that Faye didn't even know she was going to have until Zelena cast the spell on her to make her have Derek's kid," Axel replied. "She's never been with Derek. She's never been with anyone else. And she has Derek's child, yes. But that doesn't mean she can't be with you when everyone knows Derek and Faye don't have feelings for each other. Derek's with Saphira, and Faye wanted to give them that happy ending."

Henry put a hand on Blake's shoulder. "Hey, you are amazing, legendary, iconic, badass, all high and mighty celestial being, okay? There's no way that Faye, who is just as much as every single one of those things besides the celestial being part, no way she's going to turn away from you after you were there for her like no one else before."

"Henry's right, Dark Being," Cyrus told him. "Any girl would be lucky to have you. And if Faye is smart, and she is, despite the fact she's a little insane, but she does like you."

"Maybe you could even help Faye with the slightly less insane version of herself," Axel pointed out. "And she could help you with the darkness. You can help Derek and Faye with their kid too. Whatever happens, you could help them out. They could certainly need it."

Blake smiled, nodding.

ღ

Three Weeks Ago

Camelot

Night - Vault of the Dark One

The others had come to see Jefferson was already gone.

"There's nothing we can do," Merlin told them. "It's too late. The vault has already forged Jefferson as its new Dark One."

"He went this way," Snow told them. "This way." They all followed the tracks. "And then the tracks disappear."

"We should split up," David told them. "Search the woods."

"He's a Dark One," Killian told them. "He can transport himself anywhere. So can Freya."

Lisa sighed worriedly. "We've got to start looking somewhere."

"There's no time," Cyrus told them. "Of all the paths we foresaw for Freya, I'm afraid that this was the darkest. For both her and Jefferson."

"And now Cyrus and Merlin's magic is weakened since they were broken free from Excalibur," Rose told them. "They're not as strong as they used to be."

"But we still have magic, Rose, even if it's weakened," Cyrus told her. "We still have enough ingredients to make preparations."

"I don't care how bad things got," Grace told them. "Mama and Papa wouldn't hurt us."

"Freya and Jefferson wouldn't," Regina corrected. "The Dark Witch and Mad Hatter? Both as Dark Ones? Don't be so sure, Grace."

"Regina's right," Emma told them. "We need as many allies as we can get."

"Lancelot?" Ella asked. "Your mother's the Lady of the Lake. Could she help us?"

Lancelot nodded. "Perhaps."

"Perhaps?" Derek repeated.

Tori sighed. "Lancelot, you should go. She does have great power. The lake is but a two day journey from here. It's worth a try."

"And if I don't make it in time?" Lancelot asked.

"Well, then you get to spend your last moments with your mother," Mathias answered.

"We were so close," David told them. "Freya was seconds away from destroying the darkness and ending this."

"Did you not see how destroying the darkness would have destroyed Freya and Jefferson?" Saphira asked. "You guys pushed her way too far. First with saving Emma, then bombarding her with her worst memories of her father to make her shed a tear to free Cyrus and Merlin, even making Axel's wolf bracelet, having her use her power when we all knew that each time she did it would get her and Jefferson both close to losing their minds, and then yelling for her to destroy the darkness when their sanity and minds could have been shattered, or they could have died."

"Saphira's right," Faye agreed. "We pushed Freya too far. And then all of this, the darkness using her to get to Jefferson..."

Derek looked at Snow and David. "You both share the same heart and you know the effects of what that does. What did you think the effects of shared madness and minds would do to them when they now both have darkness? You'd think you two would have been a little bit more lenient and didn't push them too far. I hope you all feel justified though the outcome of pushing them too far will all lead to bad."

ღ

Woods

Jefferson was walking alone. "What the hell am I wearing? Why must Dark Ones dress like monks?"

Jefferson, in a swirl of dark red smoke, used magic to change into leather Dark One apparel. In complete black and red leather, and with a black hat on his head with a trim of red around the base of the hat, he truly looked like a Dark Hatter.

Rumple appeared. "Yes, much better. I went leather as well, as did recently Priscilla, but look at you, fully turning into the real Mad Hatter as you are."

"Get out of here," Jefferson told him.

"Try to ignore me," Rumplestiltskin taunted. "Bet you can't. Priscilla can't either."

Jefferson was getting angrier. "Talk all you want, Rumple. I know you're lying. There's no way that I can get revenge for my family when Gold's in Storybrooke and I'm trapped here in Camelot."

"Well, that's where we come in, dearie," Rumplestiltskin told him. "Might I suggest a Dark Curse?"

"And crush the heart of the one I love most to enact it?" Jefferson asked. "No, no, no. I won't kill Cilla, and I won't do anything to hurt Grace, Lisa or Blake."

"Yeah, but there's always a loophole," Rumplestiltskin told him.

Freya appeared. "Jefferson! Are you okay?"

"Not exactly," Jefferson answered. "I never knew the struggle you were dealing with fighting against your father's Dark One form better than I do now, Freya."

"I tried to finish the darkness off," Freya told him. "I tried to push through the agony to try to save us, but it was already too late."

Jefferson sighed, nodding. "I know. I know, but now we have a bigger problem."

Freya looked at Rumplestiltskin. "Yeah, I can see that. How long has he been with you?"

"You can still see him?" Jefferson asked.

"Fortunately for me, yes," Rumplestiltskin answered. "I mean, she's still a Dark One, no matter how ineffectual she was at first, but now with both of you Dark Ones, both of you going completely mad, it will be so much easier to manipulate you both that way. Never before will bringing darkness to this world be so much easier now that you're both like this."

Freya glared at Rumple, turning to Jefferson. "Don't listen to him. He's not real. But I am. I'm right here. Look at me. We can still have our family. Still be together and fight together. You still want that, don't you?"

Jefferson nodded. "Yeah, I do. More than anything, I want to be with you and still have our family. Lisa, Grace, Blake."

Freya smiled, looking around. "Jefferson, look."

Jefferson followed her gaze, relieved. "The demon's gone. Like old times. Fighting the demons in our heads together. You know, ever since this started, I'm used to being the one to pull you back from the demon of darkness in your head."

Freya chuckled. "Well, now I can make it up to you by helping you do the same. We can do this. We can get the darkness out of both of us for good."

"How?" Jefferson asked. "The last time we tried, look what happened."

"But that was before we were both like this," Freya pointed out. "When you were mortal."

"And now that we're both immortal, we have the chance to get rid of the darkness without risking destroying our minds," Jefferson realized. "And do the same for Blake. Do you really think that's gonna work?"

Freya shrugged. "We can try."

ღ

Now

Storybrooke

Day - Hatter House - Outside

Everyone was leaving.

Belle stopped when she realized Gold had. "Rumple, what's wrong? Aren't you coming?"

Gold shook his head. "I'm afraid my preparations for this battle can't be found in a book. For you and the others, there might be some way to protect yourselves. For me, I've spent an entire life running away from battles. Running from the consequences of destroying my family. Time to stop."

"You don't have anything to prove anymore," Belle told him. "You saved me from Merida. You're a hero now."

"But that doesn't erase a lifetime of cowardice, of reveling in the darkness," Gold told her. "Nothing can." Belle sighed, walking closer. "Belle, I've hurt my family, and your family, in unforgivable ways, but I also know that not wanting me to die isn't the same as you wanting to be with me. So if I survive this, I want to do better by you. I want to love you in a way I never could before, with honesty and courage. Let me be the man you deserve, the man I swore on my son's grave that I would be. Priscilla was right about that. Bae died so that I could be a hero, and I destroyed that, so Cilla saying that Bae died for nothing... she was right. I have to do right by Cilla, Bae, Ally, Jefferson, Grace. Even your family, to make up for what I did to Tori, Saphira and Mathias. Even Faye. Threatening Robin and Derek."

Belle was completely stunned. I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything," Gold told her. "If I win... if I win, I go to the well where we were married, and if you meet me there, I'll know how you feel."

ღღ

Storybrooke General Hospital - Waiting Room

Regina, Alcina, Tori, Saphira and Faye were sitting down with the babies. Alcina and Robin's twins, and Faye and Derek's child.

"Derek, Robin and Mathias should be right back," Alcina told them. "Don't worry."

Faye shook her head. "I'm not worried about Papa Mathias, father of my child Derek and uncle to her Robin. All I can think about is this little adorable child and her cousins right next to us. Do you know that Alcina and Robin's babies are cousins to Derek's and my child twice over? Ally is my aunt, and her kids are my cousins, so that makes them second cousins to my child. And Robin is Derek's brother, meaning he's uncle to Derek's and my child, and any kid of Robin's is also cousin to my child. What would any child of Saphira and Derek be in the future to this child of mine and Derek's, since Saphira is the aunt to this baby? I would say siblings/cousins. Isn't that weird?"

"Faye?" Saphira asked. Faye looked up. "You usually talk a lot, like all the time, but not like that. What's going on? Something's going on with you more than just the baby."

"Nothing," Faye told them.

Tori gave her a look. "I don't need Dragon hearing to hear a thump of your heart to know you're lying. Is it about Zelena? What she did to you and Derek? To Freya and Jefferson?"

"No," Faye answered.

"Then what is it?" Regina asked.

"Aunt Gina..." Faye trailed off.

"You can tell us, Faye," Regina told her. "We're your family."

Faye sighed, giving in. "Last night, before having Derek's and my child... Blake was there trying to talk me through it. Trying to reassure me that I was going to live, before we knew that Mother had accepted Freya's deal of making sure I survived. He called me sensational and that if anyone was strong enough to survive such a thing, it was me. He would not stop talking."

"Sounds like you," Saphira told her.

Faye smirked sarcastically. "He wouldn't even let me get a word out, and I don't know why, but I just grabbed Blake and kissed him."

Alcina smiled, not shocked. "Did you now?"

Faye sighed. "After, I told him it was because I could die, so why not?"

"But that's not the reason," Regina told her knowingly. "Is it?"

Robin, Mathias and Derek was bringing stuff for the babies, having overheard.

"Looks like less insane Faye has a crush on the Dark Being," Derek told them.

"Shut up, Derek," Faye told him.

Derek chuckled. "No. It's a good thing, Faye. It means you're different from the way you were before. You can love. And it shows how much you've changed."

Mathias cleared his throat. "While Derek may be right about that... still as a father who's missed out on most of your life, which means I'm protective."

Faye was mortified. "Oh, God, Papa, don't do anything that will embarrass me or send Blake away." The others looked at Faye knowingly. "What?"

"That was the first time you've called him Papa without adding 'Mathias' to it at the end," Tori answered.

Faye realized they were right. "Huh." They chuckled. "Though I should still probably keep going with the 'Papa Mathias' and 'Mama Tori' thing, since my upbringing includes two birth moms and an experiment."

Robin chuckled. "All right, Alcina. Let me see one of the little ones." He walked toward Alcina, taking one of the babies from her to hold in his arms. They were looking at each other happily, sharing a kiss. "Can't quite name a day where Derek, Roland and I've been happier as a family."

"Considering Freya and Jefferson are more insane than ever and they could destroy us all, I'm devastated, but at the same time, I have my children here with me," Alcina told them. "I'm the most happy about that than I have ever been about anything, but more sad than I've ever been when it comes to Cilla and Jefferson."

Robin nodded knowingly in understanding, holding her hand. "It's all right, Alcina. We'll find a way to save them. And everything will be okay."

Regina looked at a message on her phone. "Not everything. Got an alert saying Zelena just got here."

Derek was worried. "Faye. Alcina. The babies."

Faye handed her baby to Derek. Robin took the other baby from Alcina as well.

"Go," Mathias told them. "We'll be fine."

"Saphira..." Derek trailed off.

"We'll be okay, Derek," Saphira promised. "We just have to make sure you and the babies are too."

Mathias used magic in a swirl of orange smoke to send them away to safety with the babies.

Down the hall, Zelena arrived, walking toward the severe nurse's station.

"You, the mayor told me explicitly not to let you through," the severe nurse told her.

Zelena smirked. "Well, then, you're just doing your job." She used magic to render the nurse unconscious. "Poorly, but you're doing it. Kudos to you."

Zelena walked around the corner, finding the Matthews, Regina and Alcina.

"Not so fast, sis," Regina told her.

Zelena looked at Regina and Alcina. "Sisters, dears. Faye, darling. Tori, Saphira and Mathias, too. Thank you so much for looking after Faye while I was off being kidnapped, but I'm back now, and I came to see Faye, Derek and their baby, my granddaughter."

"Good luck with that," Mathias told her.

"Well, I've also came to meet Alcina's babies," Zelena told them. "The fact that she's now a mother on top of being an aunt to four, wait, now five if you count Faye and Derek's baby as her great niece. How does it feel to finally be an aunt of your own, Regina? Me, I'm thrilled about it."

"Alcina and Robin's twins, and Derek and Faye's baby, are not here," Tori told her. "Neither are Robin and Derek."

"Well, where are they?" Zelena asked.

Saphira chuckled sarcastically. 'Did you really think, after everything you've done, we wouldn't protect Alcina, Robin, Derek and Faye's children from you?"

"Alcina and Robin's children are my niece and nephew, just as they are to Freya, Regina and Derek, Jefferson also by marriage, cousins to Henry, Rose and Grace, and Faye and Derek's baby wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for me," Zelena told them. "My granddaughter just as much as Tori and Mathias's, and just as much as she is niece to Saphira."

"And I wouldn't have almost died because of Derek's baby if it wasn't for you," Faye replied angrily. "You nearly killed me. You going behind my back to make a deal with Freya to make sure I survived does not change what you did to me, Mother."

"This insanity has to stop," Alcina told her. "Especially after what you did to Freya and Jefferson. After you already did what you did to me, Gina, Tori, Saphira, Mathias, Faye, Derek, Clarissa, Neal."

"Faye is handling her own insanity," Mathias told her. "What the bloody hell are you doing besides putting us all in danger? What you did to Freya and Jefferson last night has set them off the edge. And now we're all going to pay for what you did."

"Run along now, Zelena," Tori told her. "Because we might not hurt you. But a pissed off Jefferson and Freya might."

"Well, I guess it's a good thing that I put the anti-magic cuff on Freya, isn't it?" Zelena asked.

"What happens if that cuff comes off of her?" Saphira replied. "You're playing a very dangerous game. Freya and Jefferson could destroy this town. Starting with punishing the ones that did them the most wrong."

"And their family," Regina agreed. "That means you, Zelena. It means me and Gold."

"And do you really think the madness and darkness will stop there?" Mathias asked. "The Dark Witch and Mad Hatter as Dark Ones? You pushing us over the edge?"

"You signed a death sentence for all of us," Tori told her.

Alcina pointed at Zelena angrily. "You destroyed them like you destroyed Neal. And now they could destroy everything."

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Hatter House - Living Room

Freya was laying on the couch, holding her head in agony as she was further closer to losing her mind completely, even worse than before.

Merida was here, aiming her bow and arrow at her. "You know, when Derek asked me to guard you, the last thing I wanted to do was be in the same room as you. Now that we're here, this isn't so bad."

"Put it down, Merida," Freya told her in boredom. "We both know you're not going to shoot me."

"Oh, won't I?" Merida asked sarcastically. "After everything you've done to me? Fine. I'd say an arrow to the knee would do you right good, maybe me too."

Jefferson appeared. "Don't worry." Merida fired her arrow at Jefferson. Jefferson caught the arrow before it impaled his temple, smirking, throwing the arrow away, waving his hand, using magic to make Merida fall unconscious. Freya raised her head. "A broken knee is nothing on a broken mind, or a broken heart. Isn't that right, Cilla?" Freya sat up in surprise, looking at him expectantly. Jefferson smirked, looking around. "What is this? I expected to find you and the heroes huddled over a mountain of books, trying to figure out my terrible plan. Oh, unless they don't trust you, of course, and leaving you all alone with the madness and darkness stirring around in that beautiful head of yours, without a way to stop it. Left you here, locked you up. Well, how do you feel about a jailbreak? You want revenge against Gold as badly as I do, don't you, Freya?"

"What happened to wanting to fight it?" Freya asked.

"That was ruined by the ones who ruined us," Jefferson replied. "You do want the revenge, you just deny it." He paced around Freya, standing very close to her, placing his head on top of hers, his chin resting on her head. "Well, you look nervous. Come here." He took her arm, pulling her up to a standing position, turning her to face him, placing a hand to her cheek, using his other hand to grab the back of her head. "Look at you, fighting it off. Oh, Cilla, you've always been better at fighting it off." He laughed, pointing at her. "There has always been fight in you. I loved it. Always have, always will."

"It's harder for you to fight it because the madness was yours to begin with," Freya told him. "I took some of it to make it easier on you."

"And now, we don't have to fight anymore," Jefferson told her. "Why fight when we can give in? You want to, so don't deny it."

"I'm not denying anything," Freya replied. "The only thing I can feel right now is anger. Hatred. Betrayal."

Jefferson pointed at her. "Me, too. See, Freya, this whole thing opened my eyes. I now see Gold for what he really is. The monster that we should have never allowed into our lives as a family, because if we hadn't, we wouldn't be here right now. Grace, Lisa and Blake wouldn't have suffered the way they did. Neither would have Alcina, Tori, Saphira, Mathias. Even Derek and Faye. And neither would have we. How many personalities do you think we have now, Freya? From Regina's Curse that brought us here, from the madness, from ourselves, from the darkness, even from the fairy tale book that your father forced Isaac to write for us, and now as Dark Ones. It's a wonder how we didn't lose our minds completely before this. Holding conflicting realities in our heads, so many personalities, will drive you mad. So many lives in our heads, cursed worse than ever, all our lives, everything about us, forever at odds. Way more pain, way more suffering."

"You're right," Freya told him. "I see clearly now. We should never have let anyone get away with what they did. Regina, my father, Zelena. Do you remember everything Regina, Faye, Snow, David, Emma and Ella pushed me to do back in Camelot?"

"I do," Jefferson answered. "And you know everything they pushed you to do, pushed us into becoming this."

Freya stepped closer. "Guess what, Jefferson? We were slaves before. But we're free now. And we don't have to hold anything back anymore."

Jefferson chuckled darkly. "That's my Cilla. As long as we get what we deserve, the justice for our family, I don't give a damn about the rest. We should hurt them... like they hurt us."

Jefferson bit his lip, smiling deviously. Freya was no longer able to fight it off anymore, and neither was Jefferson. Jefferson suddenly grabbed Freya's arm, pulling her closer, surprising her, but she knew what he was going to do, smirking. Jefferson smiled, using magic to break the anti-magic cuff off of Freya, offering her his other hand, waiting. Freya smirked, taking his hand in hers. They smiled, leaving together.

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Three Weeks Ago

Camelot

Night - Woods

Jefferson and Freya were kissing passionately.

Freya pulled away, laughing. "All right, enough distractions. We are going to get the darkness out of both of us."

"And Blake," Jefferson added.

Freya smiled. "Yes. We are going to do it together. I love you."

Jefferson chuckled. "I love you, too." They continued to kiss for a moment, pulling away when Jefferson heard an eerie whispering in his head. "Oh, what the hell is that? That noise."

"That's the sound of the dagger singing to the sword," Freya answered. "You have the sword. I have the blade. They want to be together."

"We should see to putting them together and ending this," Jefferson told her.

Freya nodded.

Rumplestiltskin appeared. "You know we can't let you do that."

Freya rolled her eyes. "Go the hell away."

Rumplestiltskin giggled. "Can't do that, either. Not until you two finish what all the other Dark Ones started. Lucky for me, the insanity inside your heads should make it easy for me to convince you."

"No," Jefferson told him.

Rumplestiltskin raised his voice so loud, they jumped. "Wake up, dearies! You want to get a little something called revenge, and we wanted to make a deal to help you get that if you help us get what we want."

Every voice of every Dark One was whispering in Freya and Jefferson's heads, causing them to be so overwhelmed their magic lashed out, further driving them into insanity.

Freya raised her voice. "Get out of here!"

"Oh, I don't think so, not yet," Rumplestiltskin told them. Freya and Jefferson held their heads in agony as the Dark Ones inside made everything worse. "Wonder what we want? Why don't you ask us yourselves? In doing so, you can get the justice you deserve."

"Jefferson..." Freya trailed off in agony.

Jefferson reached out for her hand. "Cilla..."

Jefferson raised his other hand, making them both disappear in a whirl of dark red smoke.

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Now

Storybrooke

Day - Gold's Pawnshop

Emma, Ella, Rose, Lisa and Grace went to Gold.

"Hello, girls," Gold told them. "Sorry the, uh, shop's in a bit of a mess since Cilla sent Merida here to kill Belle. Forgive me if I don't offer you tea. What can I do for you today? Because I assume this isn't just a social visit."

"We need help," Ella answered. "We went back to the mansion to see that Freya's gone. Merida was knocked out. When she woke up, it was to tell us that Jefferson had come to set her free."

Gold sighed. "I guess I should have seen that one coming when Jefferson told me that he was bringing an extra special guest to our duel at noon. I should have assumed he meant Priscilla."

"After what Zelena did to them last night, they are in no shape to fight the madness or darkness," Emma pointed out. "To stop Freya and Jefferson, we need our memories back."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Gold asked.

"Zelena and Jefferson used squid ink to immobilize Freya," Lisa told him. "There's still some left."

"And you want me to use this on them during our duel," Gold realized.

"All we ask is that you last long enough to occupy them while we steal back the dreamcatchers," Grace told him.

Gold took the vial of squid ink to put it away. "Ah, yes, but for that, I don't need this. This is where that magic belongs."

"What are you doing?" Rose asked. "You can't beat Aunt Freya and Uncle Jefferson without it."

"Well, the start of my sad tale of betrayal and anger with Priscilla and Jefferson predates you by centuries," Gold told them. "And if I am gonna stop them, I'm gonna do it with honor, because they are still my family, and I will."

Lisa scoffed. "You're on a suicide mission. They loathe you after everything you did to us. They can't control what they do now because of what you, the darkness, and Zelena did to their madness."

"Thank you for your concern, but my stakes are me," Gold told them. "Yours are far greater. If I'm to die today, it would be poetic to be at the hands of the two people I've destroyed more than anyone else, and that is saying quite a lot. If punishing me is what is going to settle the scores, so be it."

"Do you really think you can win against two very pissed off, insane Dark Ones on your own?" Rose asked.

Gold shrugged. "Maybe."

Grace scoffed. "Here's the thing about confidence, Grandpa. It's great at starting a fight. Not so great at finishing one."

"They're not gonna stop until they kill everyone who had a hand in making them like this," Emma told him. "Good luck."

"We should go with you," Rose told him.

Gold shook his head. "You should not, Rose. I was told to come alone. Who knows what Freya and Jefferson will do if any one else shows up. If you want to help me, and help me stay alive, stay away."

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Matthews Mansion - Living Room

Robin, Derek, the Matthews, Regina and Alcina were with the babies.

Alcina stood worriedly, hanging up her phone. "I need to go."

"What's wrong?" Robin asked. "Alcina?"

"Jefferson knocked out Merida to break out Freya," Alcina answered. "They're both spiraling worse than ever before."

Regina stopped Alcina. "Okay, one, you can't do anything to stop them. Two, Ally, you just had your twins, so stay here with them. I know Freya and Jefferson are your family, Ally, but they're gone."

Alcina shook her head, looking down with tears in her eyes. "I don't believe that, Regina."

Zelena appeared. "Well, you should. Regina's right, Ally. Hello, Derek, Robin. Did you miss me? Told you, once you go green, you'll never go queen."

Faye stood, angry and reacting out of her old habits of insanity, ready to cast a fireball at Zelena, but grabbed her own hand to stop herself.

Saphira stood, walking closer to help her calm down. "Faye. We talked about this."

"Oh, family therapy?" Zelena asked. "I should imagine you all need that now. Every family in this town needs it, especially the Stiltskin/Hatter family"

"Let me remind you that you may have your magic back, but we've also got our own powers," Tori told her. "Let me remind you of something. As wicked as you may think you are, or as wicked as Faye used to be, you're not even in our league. I think you're forgetting why people have always called us monsters. We've spent so many years doing terrible, terrible things beyond your imagination. But you know how we turned it around? Mathias and I turned around for Saphira, and now we have Faye."

"I turned around for Henry and Rose," Regina agreed. "It took having children, that unconditional love. It made me my best self."

"And to think that kind of love could have done the same for you," Derek told her. "You didn't have Faye out of love, you had her so you could have revenge, but you came to love her in your own little twisted way."

Mathias sighed. "But after what you did to Regina, Alcina, Saphira, Tori, Neal, Faye, Derek, Freya and Jefferson, and me, we can never trust you."

"Not unless you prove that you deserve it," Faye agreed. "I'm a mother now, and yes, you gave me that, but you did it to punish me, Saphira and Derek, and I could have died doing so, even though you made up for that by bargaining with Freya to save my life, and yet you still found a way to destroy that shred of decency by making Freya and Jefferson lose their minds more than ever before. They're out there right now, causing havoc, and whatever they do, Mama, they do it because of you, because you're the one that pushed them so far off the edge of madness and darkness, they can't fight it anymore."

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Library

Belle, Killian, Snow and David, plus the circle, were researching. Emma, Ella, Rose, Grace and Lisa walked in to talk to them, telling them what happened.

"Jefferson broke Freya out?" Snow asked worriedly. "Oh, no."

Killian sighed. "Well, looks like Dark Witch and Mad Hatter always play alongside each other even when they're on the edge of being gone forever."

Grace glared at Killian.

"They're not gone," Axel told them. "We can still save them."

"Thank you, Axel," Grace told him.

"Axel might be right," Rose told them. "We have a way to figure this all out. Grandpa, Grandma, Belle and Hook can stay here. The rest of us can go and get what we need."

"Fine," Henry told them. "I'm in. Anything to save Aunt Freya and Uncle Jefferson."

"Good," Killian told them. "Very good. You girls and boys go, then. Snow, David, Belle and I can stay here. Continue the research to find out what's going on."

"What do you need to do?" David asked. "Even if we're here, we can help."

"Tell us," Snow told them. "Anything we can do, we will."

"Jefferson stole the dreamcatchers," Cyrus told them. "Freya's the one who took our memories. We must have known something back in Camelot."

"Exactly right, Cyrus," Rose told him.

"If we can get them back, we can help everyone," Lisa told them. "We just need help. Especially from you, Cyrus. We don't know how to track down the dreamcatchers. But I'm betting you do, don't you?"

Cyrus was thinking. "Actually, I might. I'll need your help for it, though."

"Good," Emma told him. "You got it. Kids, no one was ever better at figuring out how to break a spell than you. Operation Cobra, remember?"

"Now you have Axel and Cyrus," Ella told them. "Werewolf and wizard. New teens to add to your group of friends to help us break spells and kick ass. What do you say we go out and do it?"

"We just need one more thing," Henry told them.

"What's that?" Grace asked.

"A name," Henry answered.

Axel smirked. "Operation Circle."

Cyrus and Henry chuckled.

"Definitely," Henry answered.

"Circle?" Grace repeated.

"Inside thing," Axel told them. "For us boys. Come on."

Rose looked around. "Wait. Wait, wait, wait. Where's Blake?"

"We can call him on the way," Grace told them. "We don't have time to waste. I'm not losing my parents to this."

Axel instinctively reached out to place his hand on Grace's. "We'll do everything we can to save them, Grace. I promise."

Grace managed a small smile. "Thank you, Axel."

"I can't lose Freya and Jefferson like this, either," Lisa told them. "I won't."

Henry took Lisa's hand. "And you won't. We can save them, Lisa. Have hope and faith."

Lisa sighed, nodding. "Okay."

As Cyrus was starting spell, Rose knelt across from him next to the spellwork. "What you got, Cyrus? I can help."

Cyrus took her hands to channel her Enchantress power for the spell. "You already are without knowing it, Rose."

Rose and Cyrus's spell created a map to where the dreamcatchers were so they could find them.

ღ

Street

Blake was walking along.

Mathias appeared in front of him with a whirl of fiery orange smoke. "Hello, Blake, I was wondering if we could talk."

Blake nodded. "I guess so. You do realize this is our first one on one talk, Mathias, so it must be really important, right?"

"Well, it is," Mathias answered. "I heard about what happened with you and Faye."

Blake looked at him in surprise, embarrassed. "Oh, God, does everybody know about that now?"

Mathias chuckled in amusement. "Well, Robin, Derek and I heard it from Faye when she was telling Regina, Alcina, Tori and Saphira, but I guess gossip still gets around in this town, even if all might die." Blake scoffed, nodding in agreement. "Look, I came because Faye is still my and Tori's daughter, and even though she's getting better, she's been having issues with her mentality after finding out what Zelena did to Freya and Jefferson last night, and I know you don't want to hurt her, but just be careful, okay? During the spell of shattered sight, me and Saphira tried to kill you, Lisa and Elsa, Tori and I nearly destroyed the town, and I'm sure you don't want that to happen again, right, mate?" Blake looked at him nervously before realizing something, putting a hand to his mouth in shock. "What?"

"This is an overprotective talk, right?" Blake asked. "This is awful. Oh, God, I need to apologize to Henry and Axel so much."

"You think I like having this talk with a celestial being and a kid?" Mathias asked.

"Then why are you doing it?" Blake asked.

"Why did you with Axel and Henry?" Mathias replied.

Mathias and Blake spoke at the same time. "Because it's my job."

They chuckled.

"You know, I'm gonna walk away to apologize to Axel and Henry, but thanks for the talk, Mathias," Blake told him. "I know you're just looking out for Faye after everything she's been through, so I'm glad she's okay."

Mathias nodded in agreement.

ღ

Now

Storybrooke

Day - Jolly Roger

Gold arrived on the ship. Freya and Jefferson appeared in whirls of black and red smoke.

"Hello, Papa," Freya told him. "I wasn't sure you'd show."

"Well, I should have known that Jefferson would break you out to be his 'extra special guest', Priscilla," Gold replied.

"Yes, you should have," Freya agreed.

Jefferson chuckled, looking at Gold's limp. "No, this won't do. This has to be a fair fight. We can't have the ones that still love you blame this loss on your limp."

Jefferson used magic to heal the limp so Gold could walk on his own without the cane. Gold looked at him in surprise. Jefferson smiled, beckoning him forward with a wave of either hand.

Gold tossed his cane aside, walking closer. "It's been centuries since I stood here a mortal."

"Oh, you mean when you first met Mathias and Hook, begging to have my mother back?" Freya asked. "Then you turned into the Dark One and killed her in front of us as Mathias hid the sight of a little girl so she wouldn't have to watch her demon of a father murder her whore of a mother."

"I was scared that she was going to take you away from me, Cilla," Gold told her.

"You were scared that I would choose to leave with her instead of going back with you," Freya corrected. "She may have abandoned me and Bae, but so did you. Repeatedly. And you did far worse things than she ever did. I may have been angry at her, but she was still my mother, and you crushed her heart in front of me just because she was trying to take me away from the monster that you had became. What else was she supposed to do, Papa, leave her daughter in the custody of a monster that destroyed everything around him?"

"I was afraid back then, but I'm not afraid anymore," Gold told them. "I know I have to fight for the people I love. My family. And that includes both of you."

"Don't you mean die for your family?" Jefferson asked, picking Excalibur up. "Because that's what's going to happen after you ripped it apart."

Gold shrugged. "We shall see."

"This one is all you, boys," Freya told them. "Jefferson, I've had my chance at punishing him a little bit. You get the honors now. I just want to watch you go."

Jefferson smiled. "Thank you, Cilla." He held up Excalibur in his hand, waving it around, tilting his head back and forth. "Then here... we... go."

Freya leaned against a beam on the ship, her arms crossed, watching as Gold and Jefferson began to sword fight, smirking in amusement insanely.

ღღ

Three Weeks Ago

Camelot

Night - Granny's - Outside

Freya and Jefferson returned to Granny's where everyone was waiting outside.

Killian sighed. "There you are. We've looked everywhere for you."

Snow was surprised by their new looks. "Freya? What happened to you? Jefferson? Are you two okay?"

Freya shrugged. "For now. It looks worse than it is."

"Are you sure?" David asked. "Jefferson's even got a creepy Dark Mad Hatter hat."

"We're fine," Jefferson told them. "Ready to get the sickness out of us. Where's Merlin?"

"He's inside," Killian answered.

"Well, let's get on with it, then," Jefferson told them. "Freya and I'll go get him. Wait here."

"Mama?" Grace asked. "Papa? Are you sure you're okay? You seem so different."

Jefferson placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll be fine, Grace. Lisa, Blake, stay out here with the others. Make sure everything's okay."

Freya and Jefferson walked into Granny's. Cyrus had a bad feeling, looking down.

"Cyrus?" Rose asked. "What's wrong?"

"Ever since being broken free from Excalibur, my powers are weaker," Cyrus answered. "But I'm still strong as a wizard. I just have a bad feeling."

"What kind of feeling?" Rose asked.

"I'm not sure," Cyrus admitted. "Can't exactly peer into the future to see for myself, Rose, but I can try to make sure everything is fine."

ღ

Inside

Merlin was leaving his message for Cyrus. "Cyrus, if you're receiving this message, then things are worse than I feared. There is only one person who can help you defeat the Dark One now, Cyrus. Nimue. If you want to destroy the darkness, then you must..." He heard the bell jingle, sighing. "No. The Dark Ones found me already."

Jefferson used magic to lock the door behind them.

"Heard you preparing for worst case scenario," Freya told him. "I'm sorry, Merlin, it's already here."

Freya used an outline of black power to freeze Merlin in place. Jefferson ripped out his heart, smirking coldly with a dark, insane look, the glowing red from the enchanted heart reflected upon his face in the otherwise dark room, making him look even more sinister.

Rumplestiltskin was enjoying crushing the sanity in their heads to make them want to do this, loving every minute of it. "Careful, dearie. That's the oldest heart in all the realms. Let's cut it open and count the rings."

"You're too late," Merlin told them. "I've already left a message for Cyrus."

"Well, Cyrus can't do anything to stop us," Freya told him, showing him Excalibur and her dagger. "Not while we have these."

"What do you want?" Merlin asked.

"Our revenge," Jefferson answered. "And for that, we need to get back to Storybrooke."

"Do you want to cast a Curse?" Merlin asked. "It's not possible. Not without crushing the heart of the thing you love most."

"Which is why I am not going to crush it," Rumplestiltskin told him. "But someone else will. Someone who might actually have feelings for you, dearie, and that's not me."

Nimue appeared in the place of Rumple. "But it is me."

Merlin looked at her in shock. "Nimue?"

"Remember, I am all Dark Ones," Nimue told him. "It's romantic, isn't it? After all that's happened between us, between me and Cyrus, you and Cyrus are still the only things I love most. Luckily I only have to kill one of you to enact this Curse, and I'm not going to kill Cyrus. I have a plan of my own for our son. But I do love you. And I love Cyrus. I always have."

"But you're not really here," Merlin told her.

"Yeah, but she is," Jefferson told him. "She lives in all Dark Ones, so when I crush your heart, so will she."

ღ

Now

Storybrooke

Day - Jolly Roger

Gold and Jefferson were still sword fighting, blocking each others moves and blows. Jefferson twisted his sword around Gold's to pull it free and make Gold flip to the ground. Freya was still leaning against the beam, watching in insane satisfaction, laughing in amusement. Gold stood to continue sword fighting with Jefferson. Jefferson spun out of the way, punching Gold in the face, slamming his sword against Gold's. Gold drove his sword through Jefferson's chest.

Jefferson laughed in amusement. "We can do this all day, but until you have Excalibur, it won't make a bit of difference."

Jefferson pulled the sword out of his chest, using it to cut into Gold as he pushed him away.

Freya smirked. "They say the first cut is the deepest. Well, they lied."

"Upset this order and everything becomes chaos," Jefferson told him. "That's what our family is like. Matches ready to be lit and released. One thing goes wrong, one thing, and the whole family explodes. I can tell you a thing or two about chaos. Oh, and you know the thing about chaos used against chaos, like what we're doing? It's fair. And we're not nearly done."

"I believe whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and you've tried to kill us all so many times, we're all so much stronger now," Freya told him. "And whatever torture you plied us with, it didn't kill us, it also just made us stronger. Now it's our turn to pay you back for everything you did. And since you did so many, many things, that will either be paid back over a long time, or in one devastating sweep."

"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?" Gold asked.

"How many more times you make up for the times you never said sorry," Jefferson replied. "And I thought my jokes were bad. Your apologizes suck. How about a magic trick? I'm gonna make this sword disappear when I drive it through your heart."

Freya and Jefferson laughed. Gold was getting more nervous, scared of these versions of them, and in pain because he knew that it was mostly his fault that they fell so far.

ღ

Clock Tower

Emma, Ella and the teens arrived, following the magical map created by Cyrus and Rose's spell.

"This is it?" Ella asked. "Jefferson put Freya's dreamcatchers up here?"

They walked upstairs, finding all of the dreamcatchers hanging from the ceiling.

"Makes no sense," Emma told them. "Why would Jefferson keep Freya's dreamcatchers where we could so easily get to them?"

They reached out to the dreamcatchers, but were repelled by a barrier of red power.

"Because we can't get to them," Henry answered.

"He knew that we would come for them," Axel told them. "He knows that his magic is stronger than any of yours, too. He's toying with us, tormenting us."

"Good thing we all have magic, too," Emma told them. "Call me an optimist, but I was hoping we would have to use our power."

"All right," Ella told them. "We should call Regina, Alcina, Saphira, Tori, Mathias and Faye here, too. Their magical help would be... helpful right now."

Rose nodded in agreement. "Yes, it would. Who knows how much power Uncle Jefferson used to block us from getting our memories back."

"I'll make the call," Henry told them. "There should be a week where none of us have to save the day."

ღ

Three Weeks Ago

Camelot

Night - Granny's Diner

Cyrus walked into the diner after using magic to unlock the door, seeing that Freya and Jefferson were losing control of their madness/darkness, and seeing they were almost ready to cast the Curse with Merlin's heart in Jefferson's hand, also seeing Nimue next to his father, in shock. "Mother."

Nimue smirked. "Hello, Cyrus."

Merlin was worried about his son getting hurt. "Cyrus, go. Leave."

Cyrus looked at Nimue. "You've gotten into their heads. You made the madness take control."

Nimue chuckled. "When they lose control, all bets are off, Cyrus."

Cyrus tried to take Excalibur from Jefferson so that he could stop them.

Freya used magic to freeze Cyrus in an outline of black magic, smirking insanely, shaking her finger, speaking in a singsong voice. "Ah, ah, ah, ah."

"I'm sorry, Cyrus," Nimue told him. "I can't have you interfering with our work."

"Your work," Cyrus corrected angrily. "They wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for you crushing whatever sanity they have left."

"True," Jefferson agreed. "But what can we do about that now? I knew you would try to use the dagger and Excalibur to make us stop. And now no one will ever control me again." He looked at Excalibur. "Go back from whence you came. Back to stone."

Excalibur disappeared in a wave of red smoke.

Cyrus looked at Nimue in betrayal. "I don't understand. Why are you destroying them? Why do you want them to get their revenge?"

"Don't be naive, Cyrus," Nimue warned. "Dark Ones never do anything without getting something in return."

"What do you want?" Cyrus asked.

"You were there when the first Dark One was created," Nimue told him. "You and Merlin both know what we want, Cyrus. And now that we're tormenting the madness inside Priscilla and Jefferson, they want it too."

Cyrus realized what she was doing. "No. You can't."

"Yes, we can, Cyrus, and we will," Nimue told him.

Cyrus struggled to move so he could try to help his father. "Father..."

"It's okay, Cyrus," Merlin told him. "I may not live on, but you will, and you will find a way to help the others, even if you're not as strong as you were before. You will save Freya and Jefferson and all the rest. I believe in you."

Cyrus fought off tears in his eyes, shaking his head. "Freya, Jefferson, please."

Jefferson raised his eyebrows, whistling slightly. "Ooh."

Jefferson crushed Merlin's heart in his hand, pouring the ashes into the cauldron. Merlin fell, slowly dying.

Cyrus started to cry in horror and devastation. "No!"

ღ

Now

Storybrooke

Day - Jolly Roger

Gold was still on the ground, holding his slash wound in pain. Freya was watching them from the beam she was still leaning against.

Jefferson was still pointing Excalibur at Gold. "Well, I have to hand it to you, Rumple. You lasted a lot longer than I expected."

Rumplestiltskin appeared, his presence and voice making both Freya and Jefferson jump. "What are you waiting for, Jefferson? Finish him."

Freya and Jefferson looked from Rumple to each other. Though Jefferson kept Excalibur aimed at Gold, he didn't make move to kill him. Gold used their distraction to let loose a sandbag, which hit Freya from above and made her fall, and while Jefferson was distracted with that, Gold could take Excalibur from him, pointing it at him.

"Well, get on with it, Papa," Freya told him. "Do you really have it in you to run your daughter or your son in law through?"

"No," Gold answered. "I think I'd rather let you both live, give the others a chance to find a way to save you, and so that you know for the rest of your lives that I bested you."

"Today," Freya told him, disappearing in a cloud of black smoke.

Jefferson laughed darkly, disappearing in a whirl of red smoke. Gold sighed in relief, dropping the sword.

ღღ

Wishing Well

Gold was waiting for Belle, placing Excalibur on the side of the wishing well.

Belle arrived, looking at him in relief. "You did it. You won."

Gold turned to face her in surprise. "And you came. Oh, Belle, I'm so glad you're here. I'm ready to do this right, put the past behind us."

Belle hated having to tell him this. "Rumple, this isn't easy for me. I love you, and some part of me will always love you, but you've broken my heart too many times, and you've destroyed not only your family, but mine too. There's just too much broken trust."

"But I've changed," Gold told her. "My heart is pure now."

Belle nodded. "Yeah, you--you have, and it is. You're the man that I always hoped you would be."

"Then why are you doing this now?" Gold asked. "Now we have a chance to make this work."

"I don't know that I want to make it work," Belle admitted. "But I do know that if I'm gonna try and figure that out, I need to do that on my own. I can't... I have spent too many years trying to mend your heart. Now I--I need to protect mine. You're trying to fix your family that you self-admittedly destroyed, and now I have to fix my own, because of what you also did."

Gold knew she was right, but hated losing her. "Belle, please."

ღ

Three Weeks Ago

Camelot

Night - Granny's Diner

Alcina, Lisa, Grace and Blake walked in to see what was going on, finding out what happened, horrified.

"Freya?" Lisa asked. "Jefferson? Cyrus?"

Jefferson sighed. "Lisa. Blake. Grace. Alcina."

"What happened to Merlin?" Grace asked.

"The Dark Ones were feeding on the madness inside your parents, Grace," Cyrus told her. "They brainwashed them into killing my father to enact the Dark Curse so they could get back to Storybrooke and back your grandfather pay for what he did to all of you."

"Cilla, Jefferson, no," Alcina told them. "I know whatever you're going through, we can't begin to understand, but I need you to fight this."

"Oh, don't take your father's death too bad, Cyrus," Nimue told him. "I mean, he died for a good cause, and I still have plans for you and your new friends."

Lisa used magic to send Merlin away, his body turning to light. "I'm sorry. Rest in peace."

"It's over," Freya told them.

"No, it's not," Blake told them. "You're our family. We've never abandoned you before. We're not going to start now."

"I'm sorry," Jefferson told them. "Once a Curse has been enacted, you can't stop it."

"Yes," Grace agreed sadly. "We might not be able to stop it. But we can stop you."

Lisa, Grace, Blake, Alcina and Cyrus used magic to get into the heads of Freya and Jefferson so that they could fight through the darkness and madness and wake up the real them. The magical struggle caused everyone to fall.

Freya realized what was going on, but still running on insane and drastic measures because of everything that happened, reacted badly. "We can't let this go on. I can make them forget that Jefferson was ever the Dark One in the first place so that we can both fight it. It only got so bad after everyone knew what happened." She used magic to make the others fall unconscious on the floor. "If they don't know, then we won't have to lose control again like that."

"Clever, dearie," Rumplestiltskin complimented.

Freya used dreamcatchers to capture the memories of Alcina, Lisa, Grace, Blake, Jefferson and Cyrus. "When you wake up, you'll be the man you were, Jefferson. And I'll fight every day to try and make it where we won't have to lose control again."

Freya placed a kiss on Jefferson's lips, laying her head on his. She held the hands of Lisa, Grace and Blake in turn, looking at them and Alcina sadly as she checked on Alcina's babies to make sure they were okay. 

"Ah, you'll have to do more than that if you want them to forget he was ever a Dark One," Rumplestiltskin pointed out.

Freya stood. "I know." She turned around, and with a wave of her arm, used magic to summon everyone to the floor in whirls of black smoke, all unconscious. "I need to erase the memories of everyone who knew, that Jefferson turned into a Dark One."

Freya used the dreamcatchers on them to take their memories. She noticed that Zelena was also on the floor, conjuring the anti-magic cuff around her wrist.

Rumplestiltskin chuckled. "Right. Because no one could possibly understand. Why trust anyone to help when you can do it all yourself? You really are going completely mad, Priscilla, just like I hoped you would. You may not believe it now, but everything is going to go exactly the way the Dark Ones plan, including you and Jefferson, eventually."

Freya placed the dreamcatcher into the cauldron as purple smoke began to rise. "You're wrong."

"You won't like where it leads," Rumplestiltskin warned. "Or worse, you will."

Freya walked toward her family, holding them, crying, as the cloud of purple smoke spread all over Granny's.

ღ

Outside

The Curse cloud spread from Granny's all over the woods, to where Merida was riding her horse, capturing her as well.

ღ

Castle - Round Table

Arthur and Guinevere were in the room.

Arthur noticed that Excalibur had appeared in the stone on the table. "How did this get back here?"

Guinevere looked outside. "Arthur. What is that?"

Arthur walked closer, looking outside to see the Curse cloud coming. "Dark magic. Extremely dark magic."

The people of Camelot were also captured in the Curse cloud that would take everyone back to Storybrooke.

ღ

Now

Storybrooke

Night - Matthews Mansion - Living Room

The heroes were all gathered.

"Are we really gonna get our memories back?" Killian asked. "Just like that?"

"Yes," Snow answered.

"We are," David agreed. "Emma, Ella, Lisa, Henry, Rose, Grace, Blake, Cyrus and Axel found Freya's dreamcatchers."

"They called Tori, Regina, Alcina, Saphira, Mathias and Faye so they could break Jefferson's protection spell on them," Snow explained. "Now we have all of them."

"Okay," Derek told them. "Let's get our memories back."

Saphira sighed. "Yeah. Okay."

Everyone held up their dreamcatchers, and their memories flowed back into their heads. Everyone was disoriented when they remembered everything that happened.

Snow was horrified. "Oh, God. Freya... Jefferson... how far we pushed them..."

"No wonder they're so angry," David told them. "Not just with Gold. Not just with Zelena. But with everyone."

"Uh, not everyone," Killian told them. "Not everyone was daft enough to push those two beyond their limits. There were some of us that didn't want to push them at all. Me, Lisa, Henry, Rose, Grace, Saphira, Tori, Mathias, Alcina, Derek, Blake, Axel, Cyrus."

"Killian, that's not the point," Ella told him.

Remembering what happened right before the Curse, Lisa, Grace, Blake and Alcina were in shock, looking at Cyrus, who was devastated. "Cyrus..."

"What?" Emma asked. "What is it?"

"Cyrus?" Rose asked in concern. "What's wrong?"

"My father," Cyrus answered. "He's dead. I had to watch as the spirit of my mother brainwashed Jefferson and Freya to use him to cast the Curse."

"Cyrus, I'm so sorry," Tori told him.

"Are you all right?" Lisa asked timidly.

"I'm sorry for what my parents did," Grace told him, horrified.

Cyrus sighed, shaking his head. "That wasn't your parents, Grace, that was my mother turning them into something they're not."

"Do you remember anything else?" Axel asked.

"Yeah, I do," Cyrus answered. "I know what they're doing. I know what the Dark Ones want, what they needed Freya and Jefferson so much for."

ღ

Burnaby Park

At the lake, Freya and Jefferson were standing together.

Rumplestiltskin appeared to them. "Congratulations. You didn't completely fail. You returned from your duel with exactly the right ingredients for our plan. The blood of a man who'd been to hell and back. Rumplestiltskin has done what few can claim. He died, and then he returned. This pond holds a portal to the Underworld itself."

"This is where the Fury tried to drag Emma to Hell," Freya told them.

"I thought the portal only appeared when the moon reached its zenith?" Jefferson asked.

"Yes, for a Fury," Rumplestiltskin answered. "But it's always existed, dearies. You just have to know how to open it."

Rumplestiltskin pointed to the blood on the sword that Jefferson had taken from Gold. Freya dipped it into the water, which turned blood red as fog appeared on the lake and a small boat arrived with Dark Ones on it.

"What the hell?" Jefferson asked.

Rumplestiltskin giggled. "That's exactly where that came from."

Nimue approached them, pulling back her hood, taking off her mask.

"Nimue," Freya told her.

Nimue smiled. "We're here. All of us, as promised, in the flesh, and now it's time to get to work, to do what Dark Ones do best. Snuff out the light. Cyrus... is mine. I choose what to do for Cyrus. I'll punish the rest. Only for the ones that harmed your family, of course. The ones you love can be spared, if you play by our rules."

Jefferson frowned. "They better be. Welcome to Storybrooke."