Disclaimer: I do not own anything involving the show Once Upon a Time. All characters, places, and other such details belong to ABC.
A/N: I don't know how many stories are currently based on this idea, but I had an urge to write this shortly after seeing the end of "Witch Hunt" (3x13). It'll focus mainly on Rumbelle. I intend for this to follow the pattern of my story "That Which is Lost". In other words, I'm probably not going to rely heavily on the events of the show to tell this story-I will be telling it in my own way, of my own creativity. I'm excited to see where it will take me.
With that being said, I hope everyone enjoys reading it.
It was a common belief that people saw white light at the precise moment of their death. There was even that old saying: walk toward the light. An ethereal beam from above that was guaranteed to guide them to a better place.
Up until then, Rumpelstiltskin never put much stock into it one way or the other. He had never been close enough to death to test the theory. But when the dagger that bound his power as the Dark One finally thrust through his father's body and into his heart, that was all he could see. Brilliant white light, blinding him from every corner.
Villains don't get happy endings; his own last words echoed endlessly in his ears. All feeling in his body ceased, every muscle contorting for the last time, his brain unable to produce a single coherent thought, his heartbeat slowing in his chest. His body became light as a feather, floating on the wind. There was no misery, there was no pain, there was no regret...
He was free.
He didn't know what he expected to be waiting for him, when all was said and done. A better place, overflowing with the same pure, enchanting white light that lifted his soul from his mortal body? A choir of angels and a pair of magnificent golden gates, opening to admit him to the great beyond? A dull gray world in between heaven and earth in which he would wander aimlessly, restlessly, as payment for the suffering he caused in his four hundred years of living?
For once, Rumpelstiltskin had no answers, no knowledge to prepare him for what lay ahead.
Somehow, where he ended up defied all of his expectations.
Without warning, his soul was yanked backward, as though tied to an unbreakable chain, falling short of the sky, and crammed inside his body once more. It was impossible to tell if it had been seconds or years since his sacrifice. All hopes of heavenly music shattered. Awareness and feeling returned to him with the brutal force of a brick wall. His heart kicked back up, pounding and pulsing rapidly in his chest. The white light faded and he plunged headfirst into cold, cruel darkness.
What had he done to deserve this harsh reawakening?
Coils of seductive, sinister laughter burst through the warm, serene bubble that had started to form around his entire being. It was difficult to detect the source, for it seemed the noise was everywhere around him, flanking him on all sides. The laughter penetrated his brain, spinning round and round, spinning like a wheel. It made his head throb worse than it already was. Everything ached, but the greatest agony shot up from his ankle, proving that he was once again among the living.
He was alive.
He was trapped in darkness.
There were hands on his arms. Rough hands dragging him across the ground. Sharp nails dug into his skin through his shirt. His strength was slow in returning, his limbs limp and ignoring his commands to move.
All of a sudden, his body dropped to the floor, his cheek colliding sharply with the damp ground. It stung from the impact. A distinct click, conjoined with the rattle of keys, pierced his ears and then he was being tugged along again. Being tossed somewhere like a useless bag of flour. His forehead smashed into a solid set of bars and he barely heard the clang of the door as it slammed shut. When his hand rose to his forehead, he felt something wet trickle over his brow. Blood.
A cage.
Someone had thrown him in a cage.
He raised his head, but it knocked against the top of the the cage. His skull screamed in protest, hot and painful. His legs stretched, but the walls of the cage prevented them from unfolding completely. This cage was never meant for a human. It was meant for a dog.
A slice of light invaded the cocoon of shadows that was vastly embracing his body. It was brief, and he could almost make out the figure of a person ascending a set of stairs. He forced his body to squirm across the cage, his hands wrapping around the black bars, desperately seeking to put a face with this torture. His throat was raw and dry as sandpaper, stopping him from crying out. His vision blurred, warm water rising beneath his eyelids, but he saw enough to know the person was hiding behind a cloak.
Coward.
The light vanished as quickly as it had come, giving him over to the darkness once more. He slumped against the bars of his cage in despair, weak and broken. The suffering in his heart trumped that of his ankle.
Why were the gods so merciless as to toss him right back into a world that granted him heartache? He had meant to die for his loved ones; he had finally found the will to do the brave thing. It was his intention to sacrifice himself so that they could survive.
Belle...
Bae...
He pressed his hand over his heart and swore he could feel it breaking. Was this his reward for his act of selflessness? Was he doomed to be punished after all? In a cage, in the darkness, alone, instead of sleep eternal? This was not a haven; this was hell. Had Belle and Bae even managed to escape? Or was it all for nothing? It was so tempting to submit himself to it, to welcome the wings of darkness that wrapped so formidably around his body.
As far as he knew, this was the point of his existence for the time being. An ocean of darkness and he was searching for the light. It took incredible strength and courage on his part to sacrifice himself for the sake of those he loved most dearly. It was clear now that his story had not reached its conclusion.
He needed to do it again. He could not allow himself to revert to that selfish, spineless man he had been content to be for so long. Doing so would certainly sign his death certificate once and for all. Huddled in the corner of his cage, lost and lonely, he silently gave his word.
For Belle, for Bae...he would not stop fighting.
...