The Dark Dagger
"Thank goodness you're here," Belle says hysterically to the Apprentice, Emma and Regina as they come through the door. "Rumple just passed out. He was acting completely crazy and tried to get me to leave," she explains as she leads them back to where he's laid down. "He said that we're all in terrible trouble. That the darkness in his heart is taking it over completely, so that there won't be any conscience left in him- his ability to love will be gone. Is there anything you can do?"
Both Emma and Regina turn to the Apprentice apprehensively as he stares grimly down at Rumplestiltskin's still body. The Dagger is somehow still gripped tightly in Rumple's hands, with his name face-up.
"He wouldn't let me near him or the Dagger," Belle says as she begins to cry.
"There is only one thing to be done," the Apprentice begins, "You see, long ago- The Sorcerer battled the Darkness. He was able to keep it from consuming all the realms by tethering it to a human soul which could be controlled by the Dagger. This Hat," he says, and waves his hand over the box, making a blue Magician's hat appear in its place, "Has never been asked to contain such a force. But we have no choice. If we let it consume Rumple, nothing but malice will be left inside of him and he'll kill all of us."
"What do we do?" Emma asks, looking from Regina to the Apprentice.
"Take this," the Apprentice says and pries the Dagger from Rumple, then hands it to her. "And stand back."
The Apprentice then reaches into Rumple's chest, and pulls out his heart. The entirety of it is nearly completely black, with only a sliver of red shining in the center. The Sorcerer's Apprentice closes his eyes, and wind bellows all around him. He mutters a spell that Emma can't understand the words of, and all of a sudden the Hat begins to absorb the Darkness in Rumple's heart.
Regina, Emma and Belle watch tensely as the Hat appears to contain it. The Hat returns to its home, and the rounded gold and blue box appears back into the Apprentice's hand.
With the Darkness now pulled from Rumple's heart, it is now nearly completely white- Apart from the sliver of red that seems to be glowing a bit brighter.
"You did it!" Emma smiles in relief as the Apprentice replaces Rumple's heart back into his chest.
It's at that moment that the box shakes violently and tips itself out of the Apprentice's hands and onto the floor.
The blue center of it seems to disappear as a dark swarm of blackness takes over.
"What's happening?!" Regina yells.
The swarm of Darkness shoots out of it and begins to circle her.
"Regina!" Emma screams and watches her wildly as the Dark Magic appears to envelope her.
Then, she looks down at the Dagger in her hand.
"NO!" Regina demands through her struggle, "Emma, I can hear its thoughts, don't do this!"
"I have to," Emma cries, "There's no other way, Regina, I won't let it take you! I can't!"
"Please, Emma! No!" Regina begs.
Desperately, Emma grips the Dagger with all her strength and shoves it into the tornado of Darkness.
Immediately, the Dagger absorbs the Black Magic and it disappears within.
Regina looks up at the Dagger that Emma still has extended into the air. To her dismay and horror she sees that instead of baring Rumplestiltskin's name, it now reads 'Emma Swan'.
She then brings her eyes to Emma, and is frightened to see that her hair has turned pure white.
"Emma?" Regina asks softly.
Emma glances at Regina for a split-second, then vanishes in a cloud of gray magic.
As dread consumes her, Regina shudders at the maniacal look she had in her eye.