3rd Person's POV

" Eat up. You're gonna need your strength if you're going to remove the sword", Emma says as she removes the rope from Gold's hands.

" I, uh, I won't be able to do it now. You should really just let me go. Please. I-I need to see Belle", Gold pleads.

" You're not going anywhere until you get me my sword", Emma says.

" Get Scarlett here. Let me talk to my daughter".

" She's busy".

" You two have so much power... w-why do you need Excalibur?".

" Tell me, when you were the Dark one, did you advertise your plans?".

" My plans were always hidden. But my reasons were not. Every time I used magic, I told myself it was all for my children-- to protect them".

" How noble".

" Despite my best intentions... I still lost them... both to the darkness".

" I'm stronger than you were".

" Well, that really doesn't matter... The more you justify what you're doing, the more you push them away, and take it from me... you will always lose the ones you love the most".

If only he knew the truth.

If only he knew that Scarlett could hear every word he said.

If only he knew that Emma has no control over her actions.

If only they all knew.

camelot

" First we need to know how the potion you've been working on will react to our dark magic", Emma says as she opens a book in Merlin's tower, " Bring me the vial".

" I'm not doing a damn thing until you tell me how you knew David and Mary Margaret were under a spell", Regina says.

" We don't have time for this", Emma says.

" Make time".

" Fine", Emma says as she picks up a dreamcatcher, " I saw it in this-- a dreamcatcher".

" Emma, this is dark magic", Regina says.

" No, really? I thought it was pink unicorn magic", Scarlett says.

" These things catch more than just dreams. And you have to wave it over someone to capture a memory".

" I don't. This dark magic is stronger, more unpredictable than any magic I've ever used. The image just appeared. It showed me what Arthur did to them. Look, it's gonna be okay. The dreamcatcher also showed me a memory that's going to help us. Merlin's. I saw him. Merlin wept for the loss of the only woman he ever loved moments before the Dark One trapped him in the tree-- using one of his tears", Emma says.

" Emma, that's it. Sometimes spells are like snakebites. You can make the antivenom with the venom. If a tear of lost love trapped Merlin...", Regina says.

" Then another one might be able to get him out", Scarlett adds.

" Let's go get ourselves a tear".

----

" Henry! Careful", Regina scolds as Henry messes around with a sword in the middle of the woods.

" Hey... moms and sister. I was, uh... getting in the Camelot spirit. You know-- trying to understand this world", Henry says.

" Bro...", Scarlett says, totally unconvinced.

" W-Well, Sir Morgan, Violet's father, had a little advice for me to fit in. That's all. Trouble is, I'm not sure if I'm ever gonna be good at this knight stuff", He says.

" Well, if you're not, you're not. But... changing so someone likes you never works. I mean, I... I liked your dad because he was always himself", Emma says.

" But-- but maybe, if I try, I could be something better than I am. If you didn't change for the better, you wouldn't be with Robin", Henry says.

" True. But, do you really think a girl from Camelot would be interested in someone who's just like every other boy around here? Remember when I told you about Daniel?", Regina asks.

" Yeah, your first love".

" And it wasn't because he tried to impress me by being like the others. It was because he was so different... so unique".

" Henry, in Camelot, you're a mysterious stranger from an exotic land. That's a good thing", Scarlett says.

" I think I can work with that. Thanks. I have to go make a few arrangements", Henry says, then runs off.

" I might know where to get our missing ingredient to free Merlin. From me", Regina says.

And so, they make their way back to the castle where Emma prepares the dreamcatcher.

" Alright, mom. This is going to be intense. Last chance to back out", Scarlett says.

" I can take it", Her mother says.

And so, Emma takes a seat, handing the dreamcatcher to Regina.

" Look into the circle", Emma says as Regina's memory plays.

This is the first time that Scarlett has seen what happened between her mother and grandmother. She realizes that it's almost exactly what Regina did to her when she cast the dark curse.

" It was like it was happening all over again", Regina says as tears pour out of her eyes.

Emma collects a single tear into a vial, and then Scarlett brings her mother into her embrace.

" I am so sorry, mother", She says, her own eyes getting glossy.

" I didn't know how things were for you. I... didn't know... ", Emma says.

" You could see it too?", Regina asks.

" We both could. I'm so sorry. I don't understand how a mother could do something like that", Emma says.

" She thought it was for the best... and so did I... which is why I separated my daughter from her first love when I cast the curse that made you the Savior", Regina says as she cups her daughter's hands.

And at those words, an idea appears into Scarlett's head... and Emma can hear it.

" Excuse us for a second", Emma says as she drags Scarlett out of the room, " Are you crazy?! We can't do that to Henry!".

" It just might be the key to freeing Merlin. We have to do this", Scarlett says.

" We can't just rip out a poor girl's heart, Henry---".

" I'm pregnant", Scarlett blurts.

" What?", Emma asks.

" Killian and I are going to have a baby... and for reasons I can't explain, we need to free Merlin... so Excalibur can once again be whole".

" Scarlett... you can't do that to Henry".

" I know I can't... but you can", Scarlett says, then cups Emma's face in her hands, using an ancient spell to trick Emma's brain into thinking it was her idea, " Now go".

storybrooke

" Luv, don't you think it's time you go in for a check up?", Killian asks his wife as he walks into her-- their home.

" I'm fine, Killian", Scarlett insists.

" How can you be sure?", He asks.

" Because I'm the Dark One. I don't sleep, I don't get sick, I don't get tired".

" All the more reason to get a check up".

" There is no magic doctor in Storybrooke... or one that knows how to handle magical Dark One pregnancies".

" Well, who says it's magical? Maybe you pregnancy is normal. Just, go the the doctor... please... for me... for you children", Killian says as he places one hand on her belly.

" One home visit. That's all I'll do", Scarlett says.

" That's all I ask", He says, then walks towards the door.

" Killian... are you doing this because you still love me... or because I'm carrying your babies?", She asks.

Killian hesitates, but answers with:

" Both", and then walks out of the door.

camelot

As the three women stand by the tree, Emma hesitates at her actions.

" Go on, Emma. Do it. Arthur could be here any second", Regina says, making Emma pour the ingredients into a bowl.

" And now for the final ingredient-- the tear", Scarlett says as she pours it.

The potions smokes upwards... but ultimately fails.

" It should have worked. It should have worked!", Regina says.

" Regina... it's simple. Your heartbreak wasn't strong enough", Emma says.

" {scoffs} What?!".

" No, no. It was real. But there's Robin now. You've moved on. You've healed", Scarlett says.

" Hey. Sorry I'm late", Henry says as he approaches them with puffy eyes.

" Henry, are you okay?", Emma asks.

" Yeah, I'm-- I'm fine".

" No, you're not. What happened?", Regina asks.

" I don't wanna talk about it", Henry says.

" You can tell us anything", Scarlett says as she puts her hand on his shoulder.

" I tried doing what you said. I tried acting like myself. But she didn't want anything to do with me. Violet's right. In this world, I'll never be a hero", Henry say, tears streaming down his face and his voice cracking.

" You may not be a hero in her world... but you will be in ours", Regina says as she collects a tear on a towel, " This'll work. This tear. Your tear, Henry".

" It can free Merlin?", He asks.

" It can save us, kid", Emma says.

" Stop! Stay away from the tree. I won't ask twice", Arthur says as he and his guards show up, " You and your people have done nothing but lie to me ever since you got here. You're no savior. You're a fraud".

" Go on, call me a fraud again. I dare you", Regina says.

" We welcomed you---celebrated you. And in return, you bring the Dark One into the heart of my kingdom, endangering all who live here. Give me the dagger!".

" Listen, douchenozzle. We're too close to be stopped by you and your bruised ego because we're about to do the one thing that you never could. So... you want the dagger? Come and get it", Scarlett says as she throws a fireball at them, grabbing Emma and the tear and bolting for the bowl.

She adds the tear to the potion, causing both light and dark magic to surround both of the Dark One's. Each hand wielding each magic, Scarlett and Emma blast their magic onto the tree, until, finally... Merlin is freed.

Merlin slowly pulls back his hood, revealing himself to them all.

" I've been waiting for you... Emma", He says, " And you--the boy who would be king. My great hope. How you disappointed me".

" I disappointed you? You gave me false prophecies. Sent me on an impossible quest! You ruined my life!", Arthur says as he draws Excalibur.

" Put it away, Arthur. We both know that broken sword can't hurt me", Merlin says.

" This is not finished", Arthur says, then walks off with his men.

storybrooke

" Emma", Regina says as she opens her front door.

" Hello", Emma says.

" What the hell is going on? What are you doing?", Regina asks.

" You know that's not what I mean. You took our memories, and now Gold. What are you trying to do? Emma, there is nothing you can't come back from if you just tell us".

" This is just as much your daughter's fault as it is mine. Why don't you question her?".

" Because the only person Scarlett talks to his Hook... she hasn't said one word to me since we got back".

" What we're doing is our business, but it's for the best. Trust me".

" I was starting to. And, like Henry, I was seeing the good in you. But I was wrong. I thought you could be different. I thought you could escape the darkness. But then you had to go and rip a 13-year-old girl's heart out".

" What? Now you're breaking and entering?", Emma asks as Regina shows her the dreamcatcher.

" Oh, no. You don't get to be self-righteous with me. Not after what you've done. Henry saw what you did. He's devastated".

" I was trying to make it up to him".

" Make it up to hm? By reuniting a girl and her horse? Oh, let me guess. You let the damn thing out in the first place. You forget-- I have some experience with Dark Ones. Everything's a manipulation".

" It all would've been fine if you could've just helped yourself and stayed out of it. Maybe you're the one causing pain".

" Wow. Listen to you trying to justify everything. If I'm the one on the moral high ground, you've fallen quite a ways, Miss Swan".

" Don't Miss Swan me. We've been through too much. You know I never would have done that to Henry if I didn't have a good reason".

" Good reason. You know, that's exactly what my mother said to justify what she did to Daniel".

" What I did in Camelot, I did it to protect Henry".

" She thought she was protecting me, too".

" I didn't have a choice".

" There's always a choice, Emma. You've said that to me a thousand times".

" We were running out of time. It was the only way to free Merlin".

" Merlin? We freed Merlin in Camelot? But if that's true, why are you and Scarlett still the Dark Ones?".

" This is a waste of time. I want to see my son".

" Well, I don't think he wants to see you. Goodbye, Miss Swan".

" Are you happy now?".

" Very", Scarlett says as she appears out of a plume of smoke, " Come along. There's much more to be done".

" How long are you going to keep this up?", Emma asks.

" Until the prophecy is fulfilled", Scarlett says with a deep smirk.