A/N To my dear readers of 'Constellations' and to my dear companion who wrestled this story out of me today and insisted I post it. I blame you for all of this, honey. All of this.
To my readers: This was the initial idea for 'Constellations' and, as I'm sure you'll notice, served to be quite helpful throughout the entire story.
Enjoy!
~The Mad Queen
XXX
The night sky had never changed for him. He could not bend it to his will nor breach its powerful, vast subconscious as it hovered above the world, tantalizing the dreams of lovers and poets. It was an unforgiving vastness that called itself the heavens, shining down upon those so fortunate to live under the unearthly glow of its stars.
He had discovered, long ago, that to argue with a star was similar to arguing with a woman. While stars had no gender to speak of, he was certain.
No male could be a conniving and cruel as a star.
Not counting himself, of course.
Regardless, here he was, standing on the edge of a cliff, on the verge of an argument with a particularly fickle celestial being.
"Come now, dearie, you've shown for eons! Aren't you tired of seeing the same old stories, repeating themselves over the years?" He crooned, gesturing grandly in the dim glow radiating before him. He giggled nervously and squinted against the white light radiating off of the being before him. "Why not experience them from, say, a new angle."
The star huffed, " I should continue to shine for eons more, not waste my time twiddling away on some pretty little girl's neck!"
"Not just any girl's," Rumple cajoled, idling forward slyly. "A damsel's. A particularly beautiful one, at that. What a story she'll be a part of!"
"What could be more grand than to be paraded around on such a prize, shining day and night, instead of coming out only when it's dark enough to see you?" He continued, winking and giggling with excitement. "Goodness knows your light won't shine forever anyway, dearie. When you die out, who will know? No, on the neck of such a damsel, you will live forever!"
The star sputtered. "Human filth! Your life spans are no more than a blink in the vastness of time, Rumplestiltskin. It is indeed a wonder that you have lived so long, far longer than the rest of your race."
A pregnant pause followed the statement as the air simmered with tension.
"Well, dearie, I am not particularly human." Rumple replied flatly.
"Regardless," the star resumed, releasing a held breath. "Regardless, I find it hard to believe I would shine for any longer strapped to the neck of some insolent servant girl. If she was to die, I would as well, and this sacrifice will have been made for naught!"
Rumple snorted in disgust, turning from the glowing, frustrating creature with a huff. "Firstly, she is not an insolent servant girl." He growled. He whirled back towards the star, glowering. "Secondly, she has promised me a forever and I very much intend to hold her to it."
"Final chance, dearie." He said, waggling a finger mockingly. "Go on and die in the night sky. No one will know of your existence nor mourn your passing if you do."
The star paused, pondered. Rumplestiltskin waited impatiently, teeth grinding as the star wasted more of his precious time.
"Fine." The star sighed; surrender dimming the glow around it.
"Then we have a deal." His trademark feral grin fell neatly into place as the star relented.
Finally.
The star glared at the imp with contempt. "But know this well, Rumplestiltskin." It hovered closer to him, causing him to squint and look away. "Be it from the night sky or from your lady's neck, your story holds much interest with the stars. Do try and give us a happy ending." It smirked as the notorious creature growled. "She is not my lady." He muttered, glaring daggers up at the star.
The star chuckled for a moment. "I will fall in two days time." It continued. "Have you precious damsel ready or my sacrifice will go to waste." It towered over him for a moment, eyeing him viciously. "Regardless of how your story turns out, I will not be forgotten in the passage of time, Rumplestiltskin. All things must pass away. You know this better than most, though not better than any of the stars watching over you."
The words echoed as the star faded back into the night sky.
When the two days had passed, Rumplestiltskin brought the damsel to the cliff, guiding her gently across the uneven terrain in the dark of the night. Together they lay, side by side, as he pointed out the constellations he had discovered over years of star gazing, she pointing out the ones she had spied from her father's telescope.
Then the moment came, and she grasped his hand and gasped excitedly. "Look! A shooting star!" She smiled up at it as it trailed through the night sky, extending deep into the blackness of space and time. He gazed at her for a moment; the joy on her face was nothing less than radiant.
"I have a gift for you." He said after a moment, watching her attention shift from the star to his face. "A present?" She turned to face him, brown curls cascading everywhere as she rest her head on the cool ground. "What is it?"
He chuckled and pulled a long box from the pocket of his vest and presented it to her, neatly tied with a red ribbon. "A simple thing." He waved a hand carelessly. "I thought it might suit your interest."
The girl hesitated before slipping the ribbon off and opening the box. She gasped and lifted the glowing necklace from its place of rest, holding it up and admiring it against a backdrop of shimmering stars.
"It's beautiful." She whispered, returning her gaze to him. The most glorious smile had found its way to her face, and without any hope of denying her, he smiled back.
"Indeed, dearie. There are some things in this world so beautiful, even the stars cannot help but fall for them."