Chapter 1 – Flower Gleam and Glow

The night air was cool as a man pulled a heavy bucket out of the well outside of his little cottage in the woods. He took the bucket and wiped his brow with his sleeve before making his way towards the door. He opened it and walked in, placing the bucket on a wooden table.

"Helen?" he called into the house. He began to move towards the stairs that lead up to their bedroom. He saw that the door was open just a crack. The man opened the door and found Helen, his wife, standing by an open window, her blonde hair flowing backwards in the wind. Her eyes were closed as she felt the brisk wind brush over her face.

"Helen?" the man asked once more, moving into the room towards his wife. He placed his hands on both of her shoulders and kissed her warm neck, then her cheek, and her forehead, "What's wrong?"

"The child," Helen responded, not opening her eyes, "I fear for its survival."
The man cocked a brow and stood next to his wife. Helen leaned into her husband, wrapping her arms around him. As did he, placing his chin upon her head and stroking her golden locks.

"Everything will be all right, Helen," her husband assured her, "You need not worry."

"Damien, how can you be so sure?" Helen questioned, pulling away from him to look up into his handsome face.

"I have hope," the man – Damien- replied, his green eyes gleaming, "Hope is stronger than even our greatest fears," Helen still looked up at him with doubt in her eyes, "Our child will survive," he whispered, resting her forehead against his. His shoulder length brown hair covered them like a curtain as he spoke, "I promise. And when I promise something, Helen... I never break it."

Helen grinned, knowing that statement to be true. It was one of the reasons she had fallen in love with him. Helen sighed and leaned into her husband, kissing him tenderly on the lips. He kissed her back with the same passion, with the same love. True love.

Suddenly, a pain began to grow in Helen's stomach. She ignored it at first and continued to kiss her husband, but the pain became agonizing. It was a pain she had never experienced before. She only knew of one thing that could have caused it.

Helen pulled away from her husband quickly.

"What?" he asked worriedly, "What is it?"

She tried to speak, but the pain was too much. She held her stomach, feeling as if she might pass out, "Baby," she managed to say in a strangled voice, "The baby."

Her husband gasped, nodding his head, "Al right," he said, "Just- just hold on," he picked her up, sweeping her off the floor and into his arms. He carried her over to their bed and placed her in it.

"DOC!" he called, "DOC!"

A short dwarf with a grey beard and little spectacles that sat on the tip of his nose hurried into the room immediately. He didn't need Damien to say anything to understand the situation. He nodded his head and ran out of the room.

"Sneezy, Grumpy," he called. Two dwarves looked up to where they had heard Doc's voice, "Fetch some water and towels."

Sneezy, sneezed, wiping his nose with the back of his hand and then running for the bucket that Damien had placed there earlier. He tried to lift it, but he wasn't strong enough.

"For goodness sakes," Grumpy mumbled as he came to Sneezy and lifted the bucket up effortlessly, "Go get the towels, snot brain."

The dwarves got all the supplies that Doc asked for and Helen began to have her baby. Damien sat by her side, clutching her hand as she cried out in pain. Doc patted a wet cloth to her forehead, but the hot sweat kept pouring down her face.

"She's burning," Doc observed, feeling her forehead. Helen looked as drained as she felt. Her skin was paling, turning as white as the sheets beneath her. Doc pulled away from her, sorrow on his face.

"What?" Damien asked, extremely concerned, "What's wrong?"

"It is either her or the child," Doc said grimly, "I do not believe dear Helen will last this."
Damien looked down at his wife, who stroked his face gently with her hand.

"The baby," she said so quietly that Damien could only just hear her. Her voice was weak and not her own, "You promised... the baby."

Damien felt tears stream down his face as he watched his wife slowly dying before him. He needed her. He needed Helen. He knew nothing about taking care of a child. He promised Helen a family. He doesn't break his promises.

"There has to be a way, Doc," Damien said, desperately.

Doc tapped his lips with his fingers in thought. His eyes widened as a light bulb flicked on in his brain, "There is a herb. It is called a Rapunzel flower. It is golden and not hard to miss."

"Where can I find it?"

"Over the wall," Doc replied, pointing to the thick stone wall that separated their sweet little cottage from a large mansion. It is said that a great sorcerer lives there, "He makes deals, Damien," Doc warned, "And he - much like how you are with promises - doesn't break them."

"I shall go at once," Damien said, rising from his wife's bed side, and grabbing a black cape. He swung it over his shoulders and put the hood up. He strapped a sword around his waist and grabbed a line of rope. Before he left, he came to Helen and kissed her on the lips gently, "I will save you and our child. I promise," he kissed her once more before he stalked out of the room and out of the little cottage in the woods.

Damien got to the edge of the wall. It was dark out now as the night closed in. He pulled the rope off of his shoulder and made a loop. He swung the rope over his head and threw it up at the wall. The rope swung over, catching on a loose piece of stone. Damien tugged on it, making sure that it was secure. He then held on, placing his foot on the stone wall. He quietly began to climb up the wall the same way Stealthy taught him. Once he got to the top, he hopped down into the grass.

He stood up straight, looking about the perimeter. A huge garden lay before him. Flowers of all colours, shapes, and sized grew in the garden. Massive mushrooms grew in a patch next to pumpkins that were the size of a carriage. Behind the beautiful garden was the mansion. It was tall with dark stone. Several windows were placed along the front, but Damien could not see through them. He makes deals, Damien. And he, much like how you are with promises, doesn't break them, Damien sighed as he remembered Doc's warning. He was going to have to be quiet. Get the flower and get out.

Damien began to search through the grass and plants that covered the perimeter. He scouted every root, every herb, and every flower and could not find the golden flower that Doc had told him about. Damien was not about to give up just yet. He moved closer towards the mansion, pressing his back up against the stone. A light shone through a crack in the dark curtain. Damien got down on his knees and peeked into the window. There, sitting in a glass case, was a golden flower. The Rapunzel Flower.

A grin formed on Damien's face as his hope grew. The only thing he needed to do now was get into the mansion. He crawled over to the door and reached for the handle. He found that the door was unlocked. Odd, Damien thought, you'd think a sorcerer would remember to lock his own door. Damien pushed the door even with the bad feeling that grew inside of his chest. He needed that flower and he was going to do everything in his power to get it. To save his wife and child.

Damien walked through the corridor and into a main room. A long wooden table was there and strange items surrounded it. There was a platform with several wands, a tea cup with a little chip in it that sat in a glass case, and in the back corner of the room was a spinning wheel. Damien tiptoed into the room, looking around him to make sure he wasn't being followed. It was then that he spotted it. It was his flower. Damien smiled and moved towards the glass case. The flower glowed like the sun. It was bright and very beautiful. Damien looked over his shoulder, once more making sure he was alone, before he lifted the glass case up. He placed the cover on the floor and picked up the flower.

"Rapunzel," he smiled.

He then turned, still staring at the flower. He almost didn't notice the sharp sword that was pointed in his face. Immediately, Damien drew his and slashed at the blade in his face. The man on the other end swung the sword in a swooping circle towards Damien's chest. He jumped out of the way; about to bring his sword down upon the other man, but his blade began to burn in his hands. Damian dropped the sword, gasping as he stared down at his burnt hand.

"Stop!" a woman shouted. Damien squinted, trying to make out the figures in the room, but he could not. It was too dark. The only light came from the flower that sat in the palm of his hand. The room was suddenly lit up. Flames burned on the chandelier above them and on the torches that surrounded the walls.

Damien starred the man that he had fought up and down. He had matted hair that looked greasy almost. His face was covered in scales, his nails dirty and sharp, and his eyes, his eyes were like a dragon's. They were big with slits down the middle, but his pupils were like pits now as he stared at Damien in fury.

"You have trespassed on private property, dearie," the man said in a strange voice that didn't even sound human. Chills ran down Damien's spine as this man spoke. It was the sorcerer. But he was much more than that. Damien had heard tales of him, dark tales of him.

"You," Damien said, "You're the Dark One?"

"Rrrumpelstiltskin," he said with a roll of his tongue, bowing to Damien, "That doesn't belong to you, dearie," he said, gesturing to the golden flower in Damien's hand, "You don't even know what it does."

"Of course I do," Damien replied, sharply, "This will heal my-"

"Your wife and child," Rumpelstiltskin said, finishing Damien's sentence.
Damien's eyes widened with shock, "How do you-"

"I have the ability to see the future, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin responded.
"Can you tell me if my wife will survive? My child?"

"Ah," Rumpelstiltskin put a hand up, silencing Damien, "I cannot tell you that without you giving me something in return. The same goes for that beautiful flower there."

Damien swallowed, looking down at the flower, "All I seek is this," he said, gesturing to the golden flower in his hand, "I will give you anything."

"Anything?" Rumpelstiltskin repeated, raising a brow.

"Anything," Damien confirmed.

"Even your unborn child?"

"What?" Damien exclaimed.

"Rumple," the woman who had stopped the fight before said. Damien had almost forgotten that she was in the room. She wore a golden gown that dragged along the ground behind her. She was beautiful, with lips red as roses and brown hair that fell over her shoulders like a waterfall. The woman moved towards Rumpelstiltskin with such confidence and courage that it surprised Damien, "That is a dreadful thing to ask for. Is there anything else you want?"

"I want a lot of things, Belle," Rumpelstiltskin sneered, "But right now, I want the baby."

"He is trying to save his wife," the woman – Belle – exclaimed, "He's saving his wife and the baby so that they can be happy. And you want to be the one to take that away?"

"I'll make a deal with you, Rumpelstiltskin," Damien said. Belle and Rumpelstiltskin both turned to Damien, "You can have the child when it is of age."

"And what age may that be?"

"Eleven," Damien said, "Give me eleven years to get to know my child and then you can have it."

Rumpelstiltskin began to pace back and forth. He then stopped, turning towards Damien and putting a hand out to him, "Deal," Rumpelstiltskin grinned, flashing his crooked yellow teeth.

"Deal," Damien said, grimly as he shook Rumpelstiltskin's hand. Damien nodded towards Belle and the made his way for the door, but they slammed in his face before he could get too far.

"We made one deal, yes, but one more must be made," Rumpelstiltskin said, "Nobody steals from me, dearie. The punishment for that is death. If you want to keep your life then you must make another deal."

"Rumple," Belle said, touching him on the shoulder gently. The gesture sent tingles down his arm, "You have enough. Just let him go."

"You remember what happened last time someone tried to steal from me," Rumpelstiltskin said. Belle remembered that very well. A thief by the name of Robin Hood broke in a tried to steal a wand from him. She remembered how Rumpelstiltskin tortured him and how when Belle helped him escape he went on a hunt to murder the thief. But what Belle remembered the most from that was that Rumpelstiltskin spared his life.

"I remember you sparing his life," Belle responded, "You can afford to do that once more."

Rumpelstiltskin stood there, looking down into Belle's beautiful eyes. He remembered how he felt with her that day. How his heart pounded in his chest as they spoke on the way home together. Rumpelstiltskin sighed, not understanding what that feeling was and why he was feeling it.

With a wave of his hand, the doors in front of Damien swung open.

"Now get out before I change my mind," Rumpelstiltskin sneered.

"Thank you," Damien nodded and then ran out of the mansion back to his home.

"I got the flower," Damien exclaimed in triumph as he entered his room. The smile on his face began to fade as he noticed his wife. Her lips were purpling and her eyes were red with tears. Damien quickly handed Doc the flower and then moved to Helen. He gripped her hand and stroked her hair as Doc cut the flower from the stem and placed it into a bowl of hot water. Immediately, the flower began to melt into a golden liquid.

"Make her drink this," Doc ordered, handing Damien the bowl.

Damien brought the bowl to Helen's lips and she opened her lips slightly, letting the sweet liquid run down her throat. She swallowed, instantly feeling the effects of the flower. The colour began to return to her face and lips.

"All right," Doc grinned, "Now push, Helen, push!"

With one last cry from Helen's mouth, she could hear the sound of a baby crying. Her and Damien both smiled.\

"Once more, honey," Damien laughed lightly, "Once more."

Helen cried out one more time and the baby was fully out. Doc picked it up in his arms and began to wash the child. He came back with it wrapped in cloth and placed it in Helen's arms. Helen began to cry when she saw the beautiful baby in her arms.

"A girl," Doc said.

Helen stroked the baby's head and then kissed it on the forehead, "What should we name her?" she asked Damien.

"How about... Rapunzel," he said. Helen smiled. It was perfect. But for Damien, it wasn't. Rapunzel. It was a reminder of the deal he had made with the Dark One. It was a deal he didn't want to keep. Now that he looked down upon his daughter, he truly saw how foolish he had been. Eleven years was too short of a time with his daughter. He wanted eternity, to see her grow up into an adult. To see his grandchildren.

"What's wrong?" Helen said, noticing the sad look upon Damien's face, "Do you not like the name you have chosen for our daughter?"

"No, I love it," Damien grinned, kissing his wife on the lips. She grinned and they both sat there, looking upon their child. Damien got up from the bed to go and fetch something for Helen to drink. Once he left the room, Doc hurried after him.

Damien heard his little footsteps, but did not turn to speak to him. Doc closed the door to the room and took a step towards Damien, "All magic comes with a price," Doc said, "What was the price?"

Damien swallowed, "The child."

Doc gasped, "Why would you-"

"It's not going to happen," Damien snapped, finally turning Doc. He looked down at him as he spoke, "I will make sure that it doesn't happen."

"You cannot break deals with him," Doc protested, "He has powerful, dark magic."

"I will find a way," Damien insisted, "I will find a way, no matter what it takes."