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Astrid ran out of the large house followed by Emma as the two of them then ran into Peter, Hook, David, Robin, Regina, and Snow.

They noticed that Emma was no longer dressed as the Dark Swan anymore and looked back to normal.

"Love, what did you do?" Peter immediately started after he had pulled his wife into his embrace tightly, relieved that she was safe and unharmed. "How is she no longer the Dark One?"

David and Snow heard this and immediately looked over at Astrid in concern, simultaneously starting, "What?"

Astrid sadly smiled a little before pulling out of the embrace and looked over at Hook and her parents hugging Emma. "You should know by now I'm gonna always save my family."

Hook stepped over to the girl and began, "Peter said he could feel you making a sacrifice play. What kind was it? What's your price in freeing her of being the Dark One, AJ?"

Astrid bit her bottom lip and moved her hands lightly on top of the hilts of her swords strapped on her hips, saying with watery eyes, "It's okay. You and Emma are safe now."

Hook furrowed his eyebrows before he asked, looking from Astrid to Emma and back at his daughter, "What are you talking about, Kid?"

Astrid sighed and made the Excalibur appear in her hand, the blade whole once more. It also showed Emma's and Killian's names on the blade as the names then disappeared. "You're no longer the Dark Ones."

"I never was...?" Hook began while now watching Emma sadly look down at the ground as she spoke up, "It's time I told all of you what happened in Camelot."

Peter kept an arm around his love's waist, making sure she really was okay for the moment.

Astrid then collapsed in his arms as Peter immediately picked her up, now carrying her bridal style.

"Astrid!" "AJ!" The group exclaimed around her, crowding the now unconscious girl.

Astrid found herself chained to a tree next to Hook, Regina, Robin, and Peter who was beside David who was behind Snow, all chained to their trees also.

Merlin, Zelena, and Arthur was standing a few feet away as well; Everyone then noticed Emma walk over to them and stop in front of them, speaking up, "I brought the dagger and the flame, but you don't get it until you free my family."

"No." Arthur shook his head, saying, "You will hand it over now, or I unleash Merlin." He held up the half Excalibur.

"Emma, please," Merlin began, "I don't want to fight you."

"No, but I do." Zelena spoke up, "So, now that Mommy's got her magic back... Tell us, Dark One, what are you gonna do?"

Emma simply glared at her.

"So, Dark One, who should I execute first? Hmm?" Zelena began in amusement, "Your boyfriend or your father? Or perhaps your dear sister?"

Emma handed her the box, giving in, "You can have the flame."

"Zelena, make sure that's real." Arthur told the witch who opened it just as dark ropes shot out and wrapped around her and then tied her to a tree in front of them but behind Emma.

Emma looked over at the King in slight annoyance and remarked, "Now you want to give me my family? Or keep fighting?"

Arthur angrily let out, "Merlin!"

"Please, Emma. Give him the flame. This is a battle you cannot win." Merlin pleaded with the said woman before he blasted his magic her way while Emma blocked it with her own magic.

"I wish you could defeat me, Emma. But I've played this game for too long." Merlin added.

Soon, though, Emma was knocked to the ground, breathless and tired. "Merlin, kill her sister."

Merlin conjured a vine that snuck around Astrid's neck, making the eighteen year old squirm in its grip. "Astrid!" Peter let out, struggling in the magical chains around him.

"It's no good." Robin sighed, "They're too strong."

"Keep trying." Regina told them.

"Merlin, you have to fight it." Emma begged towards the sorcerer who shook his head, his eyes watery, as he replied, "I can't!"

Astrid gasped, "You can... You're the greatest sorcerer that has ever lived... If you cannot fight off the darkness, no one can."

Merlin struggled with gaining back control and soon made the vine around Astrid's neck vanish, making her gasp out in relief.

Arthur then spoke up, "I said kill her! By the sword, I command you! Kill her!"

Merlin grunted, "I can't hold him off much longer."

"You... will... kill her!" Arthur order him again just as Hook suddenly freed himself and moved over to him, saying, "Not today, mate."

Hook reeled back from Arthur swinging the sword his way, cutting him a little on his neck, just as Hook then punched him in his face.

The pirate then stepped on his hand to keep him from picking up the Excalibur and added, "I know someone else who needs that."

Arthur stood up and ran over to where Zelena was tied up and cut the ropes off of her, saying, "Get us out of here." The said witch then made her and Arthur disappear in a cloud of green smoke.

The chains on everyone then vanished off of them just as Peter rushed over to his wife and moved a concerned hand against the side of her neck, looking her over.

Astrid nodded and kissed him quickly before quickly moving over to where Hook was and looked at the cut on his neck, knowing the effects that Excalibur was and was fearing what she didn't want to happen.

***

David, Robin, Regina, Peter, and Astrid walked into the diner as David spoke up to the people, "Well, the woods are clear. Zelena and Arthur must have retreated somewhere far from here."

"I'm afraid Merlin won't be much help." Belle replied as she glanced over at the said sorcerer next to her, "Resisting Excalibur has taken its toll on him."

"And Emma?" Astrid spoke up, "How's she doing with the Spark?"

"Well, she said she needed some time alone," Snow answered, "She took it outside."

"I'll go and check on her." Regina commented and left out of the diner.

Astrid nodded in thanks while Peter moved an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him, kissing the side of her head.

Peter rushed his wife over to the bed once they arrived at the Blanchard loft, gently laying her down as Astrid squirmed a little in discomfort.

"What's happening?" Robin questioned in concern.

"She's taken on both of their darkness, so she's fighting it in her mind at the moment." Peter explained as he kept a hand on his love's shoulder to let her know she's not alone.

"What can we do to help?" David then questioned also in concern as he stood beside his wife.

Peter glanced from his wife to her family and back down at her, saying, "Show her the light, let her know that she's not alone while she's battling this..."

"How do we bloody do that?" Hook began as he moved on his daughter's other side, taking her hand in his.

Regina glanced over at Peter and both seemed to have the same idea just then. "Everyone, link hands and form a circle around her." Peter instructed.

The group did as told and held one another's hands after moving into a circle around the bed where Astrid was still laying at.

Regina spoke up, "We need to each think of a strong memory of Astrid, anything that can remind her that there's hope and that she's not alone."

Robin went first as he stood in between Regina and David; He thought about the time when Astrid first came to the Sherwood Forest and how well she fit in with his group of Merry Men and family.

"Astrid, come on, you're part of our family and like a daughter to me," Robin started, "You don't have to do anything alone— not anymore. You have us now... is better off alone."

The memory floated in the middle of the group before shining brightly over Astrid and disappearing as she winced somewhat.

Regina glanced over at Robin and nodded before she also thought of a memory between her and Astrid.

It was during the time Regina was being accused of murdering Archie and Astrid was the only one who had believed that it wasn't her.

"Thank you." Regina replied, "You have shown me kindness, even after knowing what I'm known as- the Evil Queen."

Astrid laughed, "Well, I am known as Artemis, the "perfect shot" archer who's like a female Robin Hood. But, really, I'm just Astrid, like you're just Regina."

"We are." Regina agreed with a small smile. "Thank you again."

Like before, the memory floated in the middle of the group before shining brightly over Astrid and disappearing.

Tears fell down Snow's cheeks as she let go of David's and Emma's hands and took a step backwards from the group. "I-I can't..."

"Mary Margaret, what's wrong?" David asked his wife in concern as he dropped his hands and faced her, moving a hand against the side of her neck.

"It's just... We haven't even been there for Astrid as much as we should have been..." Snow let out, "She has constantly looked out for every single one of us and goes above and beyond to protect us. She's the one who figures everything out..."

Snow cried some more, "And what have we- I've done for her? Hook and Robin- and even Peter- have been there for her more than I have, her own mother! We just take advantage of her without even realizing it because we just expect for her to sacrifice her needs above our own... We- I'm a horrible person..."

Astrid stirred some, having heard her mother admit that, and weakly spoke up, "No-No, you're not. You're my mom. That's who you are." She sat up on the bed some as everyone looked her way. "And I love you."

Snow immediately hugged the said eighteen year old tightly, tears continuing to stream down her face, as she let out, "I promise I'll do better, A."

"I know, Mom." Astrid murmured, a small fond smile on her face as Snow continued to hug her tightly. "You're Snow White, the fairest of them all."

That made Snow laugh and hug her even tighter before she let her go just before everyone else hugged the girl just as tight.

"Are you ready?" Merlin asked as everyone glanced over at Emma who answered, "Yes."

Astrid stood in between Hook and Peter with Zephyr in between his parents who each had a hand on his shoulders.

"Then it's time to destroy the darkness once and for all." Merlin replied as he opened the box that contained the glowing ember.

Emma glanced over at Hook and smiled a little before she made the flame float in her hand and then closed it in both of her hands before letting go as a big ball of light floated in front of her now.

Emma then picked up both the dagger and the broken sword in her hands and moved them into the bright sphere of light.

Astrid felt something off and glanced over at Hook who looked a bit disoriented as he let out, "Bloody hell."

"Hook, what's wrong?" "Dad?" Both David and Astrid questioned the pirate who now clutched the side of his neck as blood seeped through his fingers.

"He's bleeding!" Snow started just as Hook fell to the floor.

"Killian?" Emma began as she knelt beside him while everyone else crowded around the two with Astrid kneeling on his other side.

"When did happen?" Regina questioned worriedly about the cut on his neck.

"It was Excalibur. But it was just a small cut. I healed it." Emma began.

"I'm afraid it only seemed that way." Merlin spoke up, "Excalibur was forged to cut immortal ties. A wound from it cannot be healed."

"What? There has to be something we can do, that she can do." Snow started.

"Even Emma's power isn't strong enough, nor is my own-" Merlin replied sadly.

"Mine is." Astrid spoke up, making everyone's attention direct to her. "I can save him."

"Astrid, no." Peter argued, "In healing him, you'll die. I am not going to lose you. Not again."

Astrid's eyes watered as she looked over at her husband and down at her five year old son before looking down at her adopted father on the floor dying. "I-I have to. He's one of my dads."

"Do it." Emma pleaded towards her sister in desperation, tears in her eyes also.

"No, no," Hook shook his head, "That- That'll kill her..."

Astrid began to step forward but was stopped by David, Robin, and Peter as she let out, "I have to save him! Please!"

The three of them continued to hold Astrid who struggled in their grips while Emma shook her head and started, "Fine. There's another way, isn't there? You told me how powerful I am. Let's use that power."

"I-I can use the Promethean Flame to release you from Excalibur, and then I can use it to tether Hook's life to it instead." Emma continued as she glanced over at Merlin, "It could save him."

"Emma, you know what that could do." Merlin commented.

"Create another Dark One." Regina replied.

"It will multiply the darkness so that it cannot be destroyed. Not without you paying the steepest of prices." Merlin added towards Emma, "It will be your final step into the dark."

"I don't care what happens to me." Emma murmured.

"Emma, wait." "Please. Listen, you can't." Both David and Snow began.

"Emma, your parents are right-" Regina added.

"If you could've saved Daniel or Robin-- Look how far you were willing to go, how far you pushed me to save him!" Emma cut her off in tears, "I'm not gonna lose Killian. And if Astrid won't do it, then I will. And I won't let anyone stop me."

She then teleported herself and Killian in a cloud of dark smoke and appeared somewhere else.

A single tear fell down Astrid's face as she stopped struggling in their grips while Peter moved a hand on the back of her head with her burying her face in his chest.

Suddenly, darkness began to circle around Merlin whose eyes watered slightly as he gasped sharply.

"What's happening?" Robin questioned first.

"It's too late," Merlin whispered before vanishing into the darkness and was now gone.

"No..." Astrid let out as she felt Hook now also being reborn into a Dark One as well.

Astrid tossed in her sleep but then woke up in alert and sat up, seeing a familiar figure leaning against the wall in front of her.

This figure wore a hood and a mask that covered the bottom half of her face to where you could only see her blue eyes but they were cold and emotionless.

Dark Astrid smirked underneath her mask and straightened up before taking a step towards the bed Astrid sat on.

Peter and Zephyr was still sound asleep next to her as Dark Astrid spoke up in amusement, "You just can't be without me, can you, dear?"

Astrid simply lifted an eyebrow her way and replied, "I'm stronger now. You won't be able to win this time."

Dark Astrid actually laughed at that and folded her hands in front of her, saying, "Then let's play."

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