Disclaimer: If I owned Once Upon A Time, Rumplestiltskin and Belle would be married and Hook would be strapped to a slingshot and flung into space for his dastardly deeds.

A/N: No, I haven't abandoned Only A Rose, this plot bunny just sat on my head and refused to let me go until I started this. This story came from Straggle on tumblr, AKA Sapsparrow here. She had the prompt of Belle being stuck in FTL with the others, so poor Rumple is completely unaware of that fact that she is alive. I couldn't let it go, so Straggle, this is for you. I hope you enjoy it.

Of Curses and Broken Things

Chapter 1: Persistence

Two horses broke the line of the mountain as they galloped up the rocky path. One was grey and carried a woman wearing red leather with a yellow tunic and hood. A lace cravat now served as her scarf, it's end flapping behind her. She had long curly brown hair bound with a leather thong to keep it from covering her face. The brown and white horse held a man with sandy-brown hair. He wore a plain brown cloak with a grey tunic and black trousers.

"We're almost there, Fynn," she said when she saw the first black tower come into view, "It's the Dark Castle."

"Only you would find joy in such a place, Belle," he said in reply, but he wasn't sure if she heard him as she kicked her horse into a fiercer gallop. More likely his words were lost to the wind.

It was summer so the mountain snows had long ago melted away, if they had come at all. The world had become ravaged and broken many, many years ago. Not even this place had been spared. But the castle was still intact, and that filled Belle's heart with hope.

The ground was unyielding and loud beneath the hooves of the horses, but at last they made it to the black iron gates that stood guard over the Dark Castle. Belle finally yanked on the reins to command the horse to stop. She gave it one pat on the neck in gratitude before climbing out of the saddle. She walked over to the gates, her heart hammering away at her ribs as they went.

"He enspelled the gates," she said, "So only those he wish to enter may."

"And you're certain he'll welcome you?"

"I have faith."

Still, Belle held her breath as she placed one hand on the gates and then pushed. At first, the cold metal resisted. Then with a loud groan, they slowly creaked open at her insistence. Belle smiled. "Come on, Fynn. He's waiting for me."

She didn't look back to see if he was following her. She let her feet carry her up the old stone path that led to the door of the Dark Castle. The gardens were overgrown since the last time she saw them. He had been remiss in caring for his estate, but he'd taken to leaving the gardens to her care during her time with him. She'd loved to be outdoors with the sunshine, the smell of flowers and the velvety touch of new leaves. Perhaps he'd ceased to care for it all after she had left.

The heavy wooden door swung open after two pushes. A blast of cool air met her, but she felt no fear. Belle eagerly burst inside the great hall. It was all as she had left it. The suits of armor stood empty and cold, the stuffed bear was forever trapped in mid-roar and the round, wooden table was still in the center of the room. They were all dusty and the bowl of flowers was dead, but nothing else had changed.

"Rumplestiltskin!" she shouted as she took to the stairs, "Rumplestiltskin, it's me! It's Belle! I'm back!"

She heard Fynn's steps following her as she checked every door she came too, but none of them had the man she was looking for. But of course, the trophy room. That was where his wheel had sat and where they had shared their time together. It was the most comfortable room in the whole castle. It was their place.

Belle could remember where it was, though it had been so long. She threw open the doors and saw…despair.

The fireplace was cold. The candles and sconces unlit. The long, wooden table she had polished hundreds of times was caked with dust. More than that, many of the pedestals that had held his treasures were empty. The genie's lamp was gone, the sword and hideous puppets vanished as well. So was his spinning wheel.

As she stood in the center of the dark, empty room, Belle realized what all of these missing pieces meant. "No," she whispered, shaking her head, "No. Rumplestiltskin!" She called out to him again, "Rumplestiltskin, come out! It's me! Please! Please come to me!"

"Belle," Fynn's voice came to her softly from behind, "He's gone."

"No," Belle said, "No, he can't be. He must be here."

"Look around, he's gone. He's gone with all of the others."

"No!" she shouted, "No he can't! I can't accept that! After all of this time, all of my struggles, I can't have lost him again!"

"Belle," he said her name in a sad plea.

There had to be some other reason.

"But his magic…" she said.

"It wasn't enough," Fynn spoke truthfully, "He's wherever the Queen's curse took them all. I'm sorry, Belle."

Twenty-eight years. Belle had been frozen with a hundred others in one small corner of the land that hadn't been swept away. She had held onto the hope that Rumplestiltskin's vast amount of magic would protect him from Regina's curse, but all of that had been in vain. He was gone. She'd lost him all over again.

The rage, pain and fear boiled inside Belle until it was a hideous brew. She grabbed the first thing she could find—a silver ball of some kind—and hurled it towards the now uncovered mirror with an unladylike curse. The reflective glass shattered as the force of the ball knocked the frame to the floor.

Belle sank to her knees in a sob. Over. Gone. There was nothing for her here but worthless trinkets and the dusty remains of a life she had once had. That man who had made this place her home was no longer there. She could search the ends of this world and never find him. It would take a power she did not possess to bring her to where he was now.

Fynn placed one warm hand on her quaking shoulder. "Come on, Belle," he said apologetically, "Let's go home."

Home. That tattered village wasn't her home. She hadn't had a home for over twenty-eight years. It was supposed to be this castle. Now she was bereft of what it could be. With tears wetting her cheeks, she accepted Fynn's assistance back to her feet. There was no sense in lingering here in this place with it's empty rooms and hopes. She would have to find another way.

They walked back to their horses in silence, leaving the gate cracked open as they left the castle behind. Nothing inside was of any true value and it wasn't like Rumplestiltskin would care that it was gone. Belle choked back a sob as she turned away what was once her home. She ached inside just like the day he'd forced her out.

Fynn answered her tears with silence as they rode. Belle was grateful to him for that, he knew her so very well. Phillip would have offered her a handkerchief and some words of sympathy. Mulan would promise that they would continue their quest to reunite her with him. While they both meant well and their friendship always appreciated, Belle needed the time to grieve the end of that bit of hope. Fynn understood that.

And so she rode with tears rolling down her face. She thought about when he'd forced her out and how she'd done the same. She'd walked and cried until she was completely drained. Once the tears had ended, she'd begun to plan what to do with herself and that was how she'd wound up in that tavern: her first adventure.

Belle did the same now. She let the tears fall until her eyes could shed no more. Now that her grief was spent, she set it aside to plan. Yes, she would return to the island, but that was just a stopping place. This world had been ravaged and overrun by ogres, trolls and other dangers, but one thing had remained: magic. She didn't know how to use it, but she would find a way. There had to be some portal or something to bring her to this world the Queen had stolen everyone to.

The only problem was where to look? All of the fairies were gone. She could sail to Agrabah to seek out a genie, but how was she to find one of those? Perhaps that land was empty from the Curse as well.

Magic was the key, but Belle had no means to get to it. But she did know of someone who did.

"Cora," she whispered the name aloud.

"What?" Fynn asked.

"When we return," Belle said, "I'd like to speak to Cora."

"Belle," he said her name in a gasp, "You can't do that. She can't be trusted."

"I know that."

"Then why…?" He stopped and shook his head at her. "Her magic won't help you."

"You don't know that."

"Even if it could, she wouldn't," he insisted, "She's dangerous, that's why Lancelot put her in the pit so she wouldn't harm anyone else. Her magic is black and cruel."

"So was his."

"And yet you still long to find him?"

He was the first person to question her about why she loved Rumplestiltskin, especially since she insisted that she knew his many, many faults. Yes, she understood he was the Dark One and that he had a great, terrible power. But she also knew that beneath all of that there was a man, a good man who had loved a son who he had lost.

"With all of my heart," she said, "That is why I must ask Cora. She is the only one who can help me now."

Magic. It may be a dark magic, but it was all she had. Cora wasn't like Rumplestiltskin. Belle had looked at her, heard her words and seen her eyes and known that she wasn't good deep into her core. Perhaps, once a very long time ago, she'd been different. But Cora had embraced her darkness, reveled in it, until it twisted her up inside. That was the difference between her and Rumplestiltskin. The magic had changed him on the outside, making him look the part of a monster and evil sorcerer but his heart, that remained good. Cora was outwardly a lovely, affectionate woman, but inside she was black and heartless.

But Belle had run into those like her before. She could handle Cora. No doubt it would cost her something, but anything was worth the price if it returned her to Rumplestiltskin.

"Belle," Fynn said with frustrated sound, "Haven't you had enough?"

"What?" she asked.

"This," he gestured to their broken world, their worn horses and repaired clothes, "You fought for two years to find him, then when the Curse hit and we came back to ourselves, you scoured what remained of our world clinging to the hope that he was there. You've dedicated your life and your health and always you come up empty. This must end."

"It will," she said, "When I find him."

Fynn spurned his horse forward a few steps and then banked it right in front of her, giving her no choice but to stop. She had to meet his gaze now. "It's over, Belle," he said.

"No, it's—."

"He's gone," Fynn spoke the words with finality, "He has been taken with everyone else. There is no way back to him and he will not come for you here. Cora won't help you. Magic won't help you. It's over."

Belle shook her head at him. "No," she said. She thought her tears were done, but some began to blur her vision again. She blinked them away. "No, it's not. I will find him. I will not give up."

"I'm telling you to let this go," Fynn said, "You already nearly died once for him, don't waste your life anymore than you already have. He might as well be dead to you now. You'll never find him and that's the truth. I'm sorry, Belle, but you must accept that. You have other options. You can choose another life."

"He's the life I want," she insisted.

Fynn shut his green eyes. His chest heaved out a long sigh. "He cast you out. He told you he didn't want you anymore. It's time you accepted the fact that he is gone, that your love is just not meant to be and find someone else."

He gave her a sad look. "I'm sorry, Belle, truly I am, but it's time you heard all of this. It's time you admitted it to yourself."

Fynn nudged his horse aside to resume riding, this time slightly ahead of her. Belle sat in her saddle in silence again. Fynn was her dearest friend and she trusted him completely, but at that moment she hated him. He'd always been on her side, always helped her in her long quest to find Rumplestiltskin, and now he told her give it up? She knew he meant well, but he was wrong. He had to be wrong.

And if he wasn't? It had been twenty-eight years. She and the others that had remained in the Enchanted Forest had been frozen, but what of those carried away? What if Rumplestiltskin didn't want her anymore? Even worse, what if he had moved on and found someone else.

These dark thoughts weighed heavily in her mind. She refused to speak to Fynn for what he'd done, even those these doubts and fears and long been with her. He just made them impossible to ignore now.

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It was a chilly night and the fire was dying down, but Belle paid no attention. She hardly felt the cold. Fynn was asleep, snoring lightly in his spot by the fire. Belle couldn't sleep. The hole in her chest where her heart used to be was aching. Yes, she could still feel it beat, but it wasn't really there. It was in that other world, wherever Rumplestiltskin was.

Fynn wasn't completely wrong before. She had dedicated a great deal of herself to this quest. And she was tired. She was tired of hoping and then grieving when that failed. She was tired of constantly being too late and watching everything she wanted slip from her fingers. She was tired of wishing and pretending that she was certain she would have everything again. She wanted to just skip ahead of this pain and find out for sure that she would be with him someday. If she had a guarantee then this would all be so much easier.

But there was no magic wand or mirror that could tell her she would have that. There was only faith and hope, both of which she was beginning to run low on.

The truth was that she'd never thought about giving up. She'd focused so long on finding Rumplestiltskin that she never considered what the future would hold if she never succeeded. She never even thought what would happen if she did.

Belle stood up from her bedroll and wandered towards an old log carpeted with thick green moss. It served as a good perch. She sat there with her chip cupped in one hand, her eyes set on the darkness of the forest. Her free hand fingered the frayed edge of the cravat, his once. Now it was all she had left of him.

Fynn would have them return to the refugee camp and stay there, Belle knew that. He wanted to settle down and restart his life. So did she. But not there, not alone. But…what if she had no choice.

"Oh there's always a choice, dearie." Belle turned to see him step out of the shadows.

It had started after her run in with the queen. She'd been in such despair and was so lonely to see him that she'd started to pretend to talk to him. It was so easy to imagine what he would say. She could hear his odd titter of laughter and the gravelly tone of his voice. It helped to ease some of the loneliness, even if she feared it meant she was losing her mind.

"You always say that," Belle said, "but it's never that easy."

"I said there was a choice, not that it was simple." Rumplestiltskin stood between the trees, his mouth set in a wicked grin. The dragonhide coat shimmered in the moonlight, mirroring the sparkle of his skin which looked silver now instead of gold.

"Actually, you're choice is quite simple," he amended, "You can either continue to seek me out until you die or you move on with your life."

"You mean forget about you and accept the fact that I will never see you again."

Rumplestiltskin shrugged. "It is the sensible choice, and you were always the sensible one of the two of us."

Belle shook her head. "I can't just let it go like that."

He let out his odd giggle. "And you think me stubborn. Well, I suppose something of myself had to rub off on you."

"I just know what I want," she said.

"Yes, but not everyone can get what they want."

"You want me to give up," Belle realized, her mouth opening in shock while heat fueled her blood. He actually wanted her to let him go, to never see him again. How dare he!

"Well, dearie, I'm not really here and you know that," he reminded her, "You just know this can't last forever."

"I know I don't want to give up," she said.

"Perhaps," he said, "Perhaps that's why I'm here, to convince you to end this folly. You've given up so much for me already, fought so hard, and for what? I'm not here. I tossed you out. You could have so much more than me. Do you really think I would ever change for you?"

Belle blinked at him. "You did," she said, "You did change. You were so rude when we first met, you locked me in a dungeon and teased me mercilessly. But then you stopped. Then you treated me like a friend and I…I loved seeing that warm side to you. You only ever showed that side to me."

She remembered the times they shared tea by the fire. How he caught her in the library reading his books and instead sat down and insisted she read to him. How he let her sit at his wheel and work the straw, though her efforts produced no gold. Those were moments that made her fall in love with him. Perhaps no one else would believe her, but she knew that beneath all of that dark magic, Rumplestiltskin was a man. And she would never find another man like him.

"No," she said with a defiant shake of her head. "You always expected me to give up. You couldn't believe I could love you so you would never believe that I would keep trying. I will never give up on you, Rumplestiltskin. You gave up on yourself a long time ago, it's up to me to prove you wrong."

She thought he would still argue with her, but it appeared that even that small part of her mind had agreed with her. Instead, he gave her a cheeky grin and dipped into that extravagant bow. "Then carry on, dearie. Persistence is an admirable trait…if it doesn't get you killed."

Phillip was exactly the type of prince Belle had read about in stories. Polite, kind, brave and utterly devoted to his princess. He told her of his fight with the wicked sorceress Maleficent and how he had been separated from his True Love, Aurora.

"I truly thought I was lost," Phillip explained, "I never thought anyone would see me, just the beast she'd turned me into. How did you do it?"

Belle shrugged, blushing at his accolades to a skill she wasn't sure she possessed. "I well…I guess I just know that just because something is horrible on the outside doesn't mean they're the same on the inside."

"Well I am forever in your debt. And you are truly rare, Lady Belle. I thank you again."

She smiled but stared down at the leaf-covered path they walked on. She was proud of herself and clearly she'd done something good, but nothing had changed for her. She would still have to return home with a broken heart. Her father would insist she marry Gaston, but Belle knew she couldn't do that, not now. There would be no hope of coming to love him. She could never love anyone the same way she loved Rumplestiltskin. The only life that lay before her was one of loneliness and empty dreams that one day he would come for her.

Or…what if she didn't wait for him? Mulan had shown her worth by doing great things, not waiting for them to come. She had another option before her. She could return to the Dark Castle and refuse to leave him. She would tell him over and over of her love for him until he had no choice to believe it.

Belle smiled now for an entirely different reason. Yes. That is exactly what she would do.

"My friend is just over that ridge," she pointed down the path. A few steps later and she could see Mulan reading on of her books while sitting on a log. "There she is."

Mulan smiled when she saw her. "Belle, you're alive."

Belle accepted a light hug from Mulan, perhaps the greatest compliment she could ever receive from such a hardened warrior. "I, uh, did it," she said with pride a little awkwardness, "I defeated the yaogui." She smiled over at Phillip. "With a little help."

"Who are you?" Mulan asked.

"I was the yaogui," he said.

Mulan stared at him for a moment before blinking back at Belle with a puzzled frown. "He was cursed," Belle explained, "So I helped him. Now he's going to help you."

"Wait. You're not coming?" she asked.

Belle had planned to stay with Mulan, perhaps go to her village or ask for her help on the way home, but not anymore. Her home wasn't with her father anymore. It was with Rumplestiltskin, where she'd left her heart.

"I have another beast to face," Belle said. Yes, a beast, but not a monster. She would prove that to them all.

Belle handed Mulan back her sword while she returned her book to her. "Goodbye," she said.

"Goodbye, Belle," Mulan replied.

It was a shame to leave such potential friends behind, but she didn't think Rumplestiltskin would take kindly to two warriors coming to his castle. She'd hate to have to convince him to change them back from lizards or something.

Belle followed the small path out towards the road. In the distance, she could see the large mountains that held the Dark Castle. She smiled at the dark, but wide open path before her. "I'm coming back, Rumple."

"Isn't that sweet." Belle stifled a gasp as she turned to see the one person she truly wished to never lay eyes on again. The queen, the woman who had helped her and tricked her all at once. The woman who had ruined everything.

"Still fighting for true love, even to the bitter end," she said with a crimson smile that matched her riding habit.

"How did you find me?" Belle asked. There was a carriage behind her with iron bars. A cage. What did she intend to do with her?

"You really should be nicer to your traveling companions. Isn't that right, Claude?"

Claude turned out to be one of the men Belle had been riding with in the party she sent towards the lake. She could only guess how much money the Queen had offered for her whereabouts. Knowing them, it could have simply been a few coppers or even a mug of fine ale.

"Take her to the tower," the Queen announced to her guards.

Belle saw the men coming towards her. She did what was her only choice: run. She raced off of the road, back into the trees that would hopefully shield her in the darkness. "After her!" the Queen shouted.

"Mulan!" Belle cried, "Phillip! Help me, please!"

She didn't know if they could hear her, perhaps they were already gone, but Belle wasn't going to simply walk into that cage the Queen offered her. She grabbed a stone, stopping long enough to take aim at the nearest black knight. The rock pinged off of his helmet. The metal rang and he grunted, but it only worked to slow him down. She had no weapons that would defend her against them.

A root caught her as she tried to run again. There was no time to get back onto her feet. One guard landed right on top of her back, knocking the breath out of her she was saving for one more scream. He and his comrade each took one of her arms to haul her to her feet. "Our Queen has plans for you."

"Sorry to disappoint her then."

Mulan burst from the brush with her curved sword a strip of silver in the moonlight, slashing at one knight's arm. Phillip appeared from behind, cutting the other in the leg with his broad sword. Belle was freed instantly, but her footing was off and she fell again.

She turned over to see her friends each battling a knight. Mulan was swift with her sword, swiping and cutting until she found and opening in his armor and cut through. He went down with a guttural cry. Phillip was strong, battering at the knight until he sword was lost and then slicing into the joint between his helmet and his hauberk.

Both of them were breathing heavily, but completely unharmed. Mulan sheathed her sword and walked over to give Belle a hand up. "You're safe now," she promised.

The hairs on the back of Belle's neck stood straight up, that same sensation she'd felt whenever Rumplestiltskin had ever used his magic in her presence. Suddenly Mulan and Phillip flew through the air in opposite direction. They each struck a tree hard in the back and then collapsed to the ground.

Belle didn't have time to go to either of them. She didn't even have time to scream. Some purple light struck her and she was frozen to the ground she stood on.

A wicked laugh wafted towards her. She darted her eyes to the Queen as she slowly walked towards her, one hand glowing with a dark power. "I'm impressed," she said with a cruel smile, "You make friends quickly, Belle. You chose wisely, for once."

"I can save him," Belle found her voice to say, trumping her rising fear, "Just let me go to him. I can break his curse."

"You already tried and failed," The Queen hissed, "That's monster's beyond saving." She smiled at her again. "I'm sparing you a lifetime of pain and misery."

"No matter where you take me," Belle said, "No matter what you do, I will fight for him. I will always fight for him!"

The Queen tilted her head. Her blood red lips were curved up in a smile that set a painful knot into Belle's gut. "Do you truly mean that, girl? You would fight for him forever?"

"Yes," Belle said.

Now her smiled broadened. "I'd like to see that."

Her hand glowed a sickly green for a moment before she directed it towards Belle. A shot of green lightning flashed towards her. Belle was enveloped into a wave of power. It burned into her chest, seeping into her bones with a pain that was too intense to even scream about. All she could do was stand there and grimace as it overtook her, rolling inside of her for what seemed like centuries.

And then it was gone. Belle was curled up into a ball on the ground. She wasn't sure when she'd fallen, but her whole body ached too much to even consider standing again.

"I've changed my mind, you are free to go," Regina said.

Belle's mouth was dry, so her voice cracked as she said, "Wha—what did you do to me?"

The Queen's smile was wide, flashing with a victory Belle couldn't understand. "Find you're precious true love, Belle dear. I give you my blessing."

She let out a throaty laugh before she vanished into a puff of smoke. Belle grunted at the slight ache in her joints she forced herself back onto her feet. Phillip was already stirring, so Belle went to Mulan first, shaking her shoulder and calling her name.

Mulan blinked and them grabbed her head. "Belle, who was that?"

"A sorceress," Phillip answered.

"An enemy," Belle said, "She wanted to capture me."

"So why did she let you go?" Mulan asked.

Belle rubbed at her chest. The sting of the magic was still there where it has struck her. "I don't think she did."

The Queen had done something to her, Belle was certain of that. She could only hope Rumplestiltskin would be able to fix whatever it was that she had done. She would find him, but with caution now. The Queen was still out there and Belle knew now she couldn't travel alone.

"I have to find my True Love," Belle said to her two friends, "Will you help me?"

"Of course," Mulan said.

"I would be honored to help you," Phillip said with a smile.

Belle smiled back. Her fear was momentarily set aside, but it was still lingering in the back of her mind as they walked together through the forest. A blessing from the Queen was surely a curse. What blessing was it that now sat inside Belle?

'Oh, Rumple, I know you'll help me,' she prayed to him as she stared at the moon through the black trees, 'And I'll help you.'

Fynn and Belle managed to avoid the ogres on their journey back to the island. She hated those creatures. She still remembered tending the wounds of soldiers, nearly torn to pieces on the battlefield while fighting the ogres. And now there were so many of them, too many to face all at once. The good thing about the curse was that ogres had spread out on the mainland. Sure, they traveled in packs but at least they didn't have to face a massive army like her village had. It would take magic to defeat a force that size, she knew that more than anyone.

Fynn had apologized after a full day of silence from Belle. She had forgiven him because she knew he only wanted her to be happy, but that wouldn't happen until she was with Rumplestiltskin again. Sometimes she wondered if she could even remember what happiness felt like. It had been so long since she'd felt anything but pain.

The truth was, she sometimes struggled to remember her old life. Her time with Rumplestiltskin and what followed was still all very clear, but her life before was beginning to fade. Sometimes her father's face was difficult to remember correctly. She could barely remember Gaston at all, though his memory had always meant little to her. She couldn't remember anything of her mother anymore, except for the last few notes of a lullaby. Her trials and adventures were pushing everyone else away.

Fynn smiled when he saw the village, but Belle felt little cheer in it. Yes, she looked forward to a bath and a good meal, but it wasn't a home to her. She knew Fynn wouldn't mind staying there, but not her. She belonged to another place.

They were greeted warmly by the friends they had made of the refugees since their awakening. Belle smiled and waved to the children before leaving her horse with the others at the makeshift stables. The one handed blacksmith was nearby so she didn't linger. There was just something off about him, something dark that unsettled her. Mulan and Phillip swore she was a good judge of character so they had also give him a wide berth whenever he was near. It was probably silly, but Belle couldn't shake it.

She put it all aside when she saw Mulan taking a whetstone to her sword close to the water's edge. The foreign woman was an oddity, never wearing gowns and confessed to not knowing how to dance at all. She was almost never without her armor and sword and only smiled to those she trusted. But she had become one of Belle's dearest friends through their journey's together.

Another woman sat next to her in a silk pink gown with a lovely woolen shawl. The gown was far too costly for here. Her skin was still soft and white. Belle knew this had to be Princess Aurora, Phillip's true love. But where was Phillip?

"Mulan," Belle called out to her friend.

Mulan smiled a little and stood up from her rock. "Belle. Fynn. You have returned safely. I'm glad." She frowned a little. "But you are alone. Was he—?"

"Taken," Belle nodded solemnly, "With all of the others." She was eager to change the subject from her trials, so she smiled at Mulan's companion. "You must be the Princess Aurora."

Aurora nodded regally but sweetly smiled. "I am."

"Phillip spoke of you often," Belle said, "Where is he?"

The dark look that crossed across both ladies' faces told Belle everything she needed to know. "It seems we all met with tragedy on our journeys," she said.

"How did it happen?" Fynn asked. "Was it ogres?"

"Worse than that," Mulan said, "A wraith."

Belle gave her a puzzled look. "What is that?"

"A creature of death that steals the souls of the living. Phillip was marked by an amulet when the wraith entered our world. He sacrificed himself to the wraith to save us."

Belle bowed her head. Phillip was truly the noblest of princes. He would have given his life for any of them. Poor Aurora was clearly still wracked with grief. Belle knew of their story, how they had loved and yet had always been separated by the sorceress Maleficent. Now they could never find one another. Belle could share that grief with her so well.

"You said the wraith came from another world?" Fynn asked. Belle had overlooked that strange part, now she pondered over it.

"Yes, those two villains brought it here," Aurora spat out.

"Who are you talking about?" Belle asked.

"Two women came with the wraith," Mulan said, "We put them in the pit, but Lancelot released them both."

"He should have killed them!" Aurora cried.

"Hush," Mulan said, "Lancelot is wise and he knew one of them well."

"Who?" Belle asked.

"One of them is Queen Snow White."

Belle's mouth fell open. She knew that name so well. She remembered back during her time in the Dark Castle when Rumplestiltskin had let her into his laboratory when she brought him tea. There had been a wanted poster with Snow White's portrait pinned to one of his walls. She had of course heard of the princess long ago and asked if Rumplestiltskin had met the beauty.

"Not yet," he had said, "though I look forward to it."

"They say she is the fairest in the land. Do you think that's true?"

"Well that depends on who's looking, dearie," he had teased.

Belle had stood beside the picture, tracing the perfect curves and lines of Snow White's face. She could easily believe the princess the most beautiful woman in the world. She hadn't meant to ask him, but the words slipped out. "And do you?"

He'd eyed her with interest. "Do you think she's the fairest of all ladies?" she'd asked.

She remembered how Rumplestiltskin had gazed at her for such a long time. "No," he'd said. She never asked him who he thought outshone the raven haired beauty. She doubted he would have told her if she'd asked.

But Belle also remembered that Snow White had been an enemy of the Queen. That same Queen had created the curse that had ripped everyone out of this world, no doubt she would have taken Snow White with her. Then how…?

Belle's heart hammered in her chest with the familiar beat of fresh hope. "Snow White?" she asked, "Are you certain?"

"Yes."

"Then she must have come from that other world, where everyone is." Where Rumplestiltskin is.

Mulan nodded. Another smile blossomed across Belle's face. "Do you know where they are? I must speak to them now."

"With Lancelot, I believe."

She thanked her friend and started towards the village, but Fynn grabbed her hand. "Belle, don't give yourself false hope," he warned her.

Belle yanked herself free. "It's better than none." And it's all I have, she thought as she hurried to Lancelot's hovel.

Mary Margaret, formerly Snow White, would have thought the land she stood on would have felt like home. At least, she would have thought that had she been aware for the past twenty-eight years of her real identity. Perhaps it was only the fact that half of her was still Mary Margaret Blanchard instead of Snow White. But she wasn't so sure.

The land she had grown up in had been lush and green. Her father had made sure all of his people were cared for and lived in peace and prosperity. Oh, they'd had skirmishes with ogres and trolls, but those beasts had always been beaten back so they'd turned their attention to other kingdoms. But this land…this land was as foreign to her as much as France of Germany would. It was hard, broken and it's people were the same. This wasn't the same world she had fought and won with Charming at her side. It had been destroyed by the Dark Curse, just as Regina had said.

"Home sweet home?" Emma asked when she saw her staring at the land and ocean stretching before her.

She shook her head. "No. Not anymore."

"You don't feel any nostalgia here?"

"Emma, I never set foot on this island even before the Curse," she said to her daughter, "And even if I did, home isn't land and stone. It's family, and ours is in Storybrooke."

Emma nodded, but she had that pensive look she'd inherited from her father. She wasn't entirely sure on something, but that made sense. Mary Margaret wasn't sure of anything here either. "I thought you would want to stay here, or at least come back somehow."

"I go where my family goes," she said, "You came here and so I did. When you go, I will go too."

She smiled a little when she saw relief in Emma's face. She had been worried that Emma would pull away from her now that the truth the Curse had hidden was finally out. Perhaps Emma couldn't see her as her mother, but she must still remember her as her friend. It was a start.

Lancelot had promised to help them find their way home. Mary Margaret only had a small idea of how that would be possible. Perhaps the wardrobe still carried some magic in it, surely it couldn't all be gone. It was thin, something she didn't dare tell Emma, but it was the only idea she had. She had learned long ago that magic was dangerous and always, always came with a great price. She didn't dare seek out anything that could be darker. What would that cost them if they did?

"Pardon me?"

Emma and Mary Margaret both turned around to see who had spoken. It was woman Mary Margaret didn't recognize. She was young and quite beautiful with long, chestnut curls pulled away from her face. Her eyes were a vibrant shade of blue, a perfect match for a cloudless sky. She had on dark red leather with a yellow undertunic. A sword was on her left hip with a dagger tucked into a sheath on her right. Her voice was soft and cultured which didn't match the rest of her. She sounded like a noble, but she was dressed like a warrior.

"Are you Snow White?" the woman asked.

Mary Margaret smiled at her. "I was, but I suppose now I'm Mary Margaret."

She frowned at her and blinked several times. "Forgive me, but I don't understand."

"You and me both," Emma said.

"I was Snow White," Mary Margaret explained, "but for the past twenty-eight years I thought I was someone else, Mary Margaret Blanchard. Now I am both, I suppose."

"I'm Belle," the woman said, pointing to herself.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Belle," she said, holding out her hand to shake. "This is my daughter, Emma."

Belle slowly looked Emma up and down. If the situation wasn't so complex, Mary Margaret probably would have laughed at how comical she looked. "You're daughter?"

"It's…"

"Complicated," Emma said.

"Yes, complicated."

Belle nodded once, but Mary Margaret doubted she really understood. It was difficult for anyone to wrap their head around. Emma was her daughter. She remembered giving birth to her, wrapping her in her baby blanket and then handing her away to her husband to send her through the wardrobe. She had missed out on every moment of her daughter's childhood. She was her mother and yet she never got to really be her mother.

"So you were taken by the Curse," Belle said.

"Yes."

The young woman bit her lip and stared down at her boots. "Can you…did you live with the others? Do you know if there are others who were with you when the Curse…?"

Mary Margaret smiled. She wanted to know if her loved ones were safe. It was a kindness she was happy to bestow. "Everyone who was taken by the Curse was brought to the same town. We couldn't leave it. Whoever you seek is surely there."

Belle let out a choked sound, more like a sob. Tears were in her eyes, but she blinked them back. "There is someone I've been looking for even before the Curse was struck. The man I love."

"Why was he taken and not you?" Emma asked.

"We were separated," Belle said, "I was trying to make my way back to him and then…"

"I understand," Mary Margaret said, "And I'd like to help you, but some of the people in Storybrooke I only know by their new names. Can you tell me about him?"

"He's not like other men."

"They all say that," Emma said, earning her first disapproving look from her mother.

"He was cursed, not the Dark Curse, but by something else," Belle said, "It was something terribly evil, but there is still good inside of him. His heart wasn't touched by it, I know it."

"I think she meant something more descriptive," Emma said, "Like hair and eye color, maybe occupation or something."

"He had brown hair," Belle said, "But his eyes…they weren't exactly human."

"That doesn't match anyone in Storybrooke," Emma answered for Mary Margaret.

"He might look different there though," Mary Margaret said, "Was there anything that would separate him from everyone else."

"Magic," she answered quickly, "He wanted power and his magic was a part of that."

"Well that does narrow things down," Mary Margaret said, "What was his name?"

Belle stared at her with hope, her eyes pleading for answers. "Rumplestiltskin."

Every inch of Mary Margaret froze up at that name. Emma's mouth dropped open and her blue eyes were the size of full moons. Had she heard that right? No. That wasn't possible. Not him.

"Please tell me there's another Rumplestiltskin I don't know about," Emma said to her mother."

"You know him?" Belle asked, "Please, is he there? Is he all right?"

"Oh he's fine," Emma said, "Scum always comes out on top."

"Emma!" Mary Margaret hissed at her. Belle was looking hurt now. She even took a step back and started staring at the toes of her boots again. "I'm sorry, but do you do mean Rumplestiltskin the Dark One?"

"There is no other," Belle said, "Only him."

She nodded. "Yes, we know him. He is Mr. Gold where we come from. He was alive and well when we left."

"And playing with magic," Emma reminded her, "He brought out the wraith to attack Regina because of some old vendetta between them. He's the reason we got sent here."

"I'm sorry for what he's done," Belle said, "But you have to believe me, he's cursed. I can break his curse, I can change him for the better if I can just get to him."

"You have a magic wand in your pocket?" Emma asked.

"No. He's my True Love."

Mary Margaret tilted her head. "True Love's kiss? You think that would work on him?"

"It did, well it was, but then he stopped believing. Please, you must let me go with you," Belle said, "I can help him, I know I can."

"Go with us?

"Yes, I know you must be planning on returning. I want to go with you."

"I don't know about—." Emma didn't get to finish what she was going to say. Belle reached over to take a hold of Mary Margaret's arms, her eyes large and begging to be heard.

"Please, I've been separated from the man I love for thirty years," she said, "You have to take me with you. Surely you understand the pain of being separated from the one you love."

Yes she did know that pain. They were both suffering that now. Mary Margaret knew that Emma wasn't convinced, and neither was she, not completely. But she thought this woman might just be telling the truth. If she loved Rumplestiltskin, then what did that mean for the creature she and her husband had locked away to keep him from his deals and mischief? Once again she realized that everything she ever know had changed.

Perhaps she didn't understand evil like she thought she did.

A/N: So, what do you think? Please review to let me know. Oh, and Belle isn't crazy or anything, I just wanted to keep Rumple in the story and I thought she might be lonely enough just to pretend sometimes that he was there.

Next chapter: Emma and Mary Margaret aren't sure of what to think about Belle. Fynn tries to convince Belle to stay, but she is determined to find her one True Love. And Belle remembers the last time she saw Rumplestiltskin and how she discovered what the Queen had done to keep them apart.