Disclaimer: I do not own Once upon a time, anything related to Wonderland, Alice, Dorothy Gale, Oz, Narnia or Tinman.
'Someone is near Mistress Madeline' Clicker whispered in my ear. 'Very powerful they are Miss!'
"Find out whom they are Clicker, and why they're here." I responded while crushing the herbs I had foraged early this morning.
'As you wish Miss' Clicker whispered as he flew out of the shack we called home. If someone is near then they could be after my piece of the Emerald. We can't let Peter have it, he already has too much control over Neverland and he shan't gain anymore.
Clicker had been gone several hours when suddenly a shout sounded outside of the shack. "Where are you leading me you putrid little bug?!"
Dearest Clicker you are quite thick sometimes, I said found out who they are, not bring them here… stupid little firefly! Wait a second I know that voice… No it can't be…. How is he here? Suddenly the shack door burst open and Clicker flew in followed by a rather human looking Rumplestiltskin.
"Rumple!" I exclaimed in shock at the man standing in front of me. The last time I saw him I was only a little girl and he was my mentor in shadow magic. He was a father to me, more so than my own. He supported me in everything I did and showed me the consequences to the bad decisions I made. My parents didn't like the connection between Rumple and I. They also hated how strong the shadow magic made me, compared to my darling sister and forbid any more lessons from happening. Now here he was, a man who I had missed for years, the father whom I have yearned for. He looked so different to when I last saw him, but there was no denying it, it was him. "What are you doing here?!"
"Maddie?" he whispered as he fully staggered into the shack. Shock colored his face as he stared disbelievingly at me. I ran up to him full pelt and wrapped my arms around his frozen form.
"RUMPLE! I can't believe it what are you doing here? How are you in Neverland?" I shock his shoulders as I spouted off question after question. His hands came to hold my face still and he stared into my eyes, shock and disbelief shown in his eyes as well as what looked to be a glimmer of hope.
"Madeline is that really you?" he whispered. I smiled and nodded and the next thing I know I'm being wrapped into the biggest bear hug I think I've ever had, and coming from someone who has actually been hugged by a bear that's something.
"Rumple…Can't…Breathe…" I managed to get out as he practically crushed my lungs. He laughed and let go of me, grabbing my shoulders gently.
"I can't believe it, you're alive! What happened to you? Where have you been all these years? I tried to come back to you after your parents stopped our lessons, and when I finally got through the barriers between our lands your parents told me you were dead. It felt like I had lost another child! " he squeezed my shoulders with each question, and smiled at me.
"Here Rumple in Neverland. You're never going to believe what I have to tell you about the OZ and the Gale line, and how the Gale magic used to control Neverland! Not to mention how corrupt the OZ actually is!" I chattered away as I withdrew my shoulders from his hands and started to prepare a cup of tea.
"Wait what do you mean? The Gale magic controls Neverland?" he asked while frowning. He accepted the cup of tea and took a seat on one of the few crates that were around the shack.
"Used to Rumple, the Gale magic used to control it. The Emerald of the Eclipse holds great magical powers within it and can control the land from which it was mined, which was Neverland. Many years ago, even before the troubles of Azkadelia and DG of the royal house of Gale, the emerald was enchanted so that only its full magical potential could be accessed by those of the Gale line. As you can probably tell we no longer have the Emerald except for the rather small fragment I have in my possession. When I found out about the land the Emerald controlled I traveled through many realms looking for the fragment holders of the Emerald…"
"Wait what do you mean fragment holders?" he interrupted as he sipped at his tea.
"Well after the disaster of the Sorceress nearly destroying the whole of the OZ, the Emerald was split into multiple pieces so that if anyone 'evil' was to rise to power again they would have to take several trips to several different realms to be able to have all the pieces to form the Emerald! They would then need the power to fuse all the Emerald back together, giving time for a resistance to form and for help to be sent for!"
I rambled on as a dragged map after map out of a small standing put at the edge of the room. In the end I had six maps and I laid them out on the table
"As you can see there are 7 emerald fragments, including the one I have! One was left with Queen DG while the other 6 were spread throughout the realms. 1 was taken to Wonderland and left with a young Ozian man who was researching Wonderland for Advisor Ambrose. Another was taken to Narnia again by an Ozian on a research project. 2 were taken to the mortal world and were given to the Kings of England and France. 1 was left in the Enchanted Forest deep in a mountain and the last was hidden here on Neverland…OhandPeterhappenstohavethemallexceptform ine…So why are you here." I smiled and hoped he completely missed the whole last sentence of me admitting that Peter has almost all the pieces to the most powerful gem in existence.
"HE WHAT?!" he yelped, jumping up and spilling his tea all over the floor.
"Peter has all the pieces of the Emerald except the one that is in my possession…" I replied sheepishly, looking everywhere but at Rumple. "He also happens to be from the Gale line, meaning that if he gets this piece… let's just say it won't be pretty for either of us!" Rumple sighed and scrubbed at his eyes.
"So you mean to tell me that Peter Fucking Pan, the most annoying and smuggest bastard of a teenager to ever exist has an almost complete Emerald of the Eclipse and happens to be from the one line that can access its full potential power?" he growled out. I gulped and nodded, the whole time biting my lip.
"Hey look at the bright side Peter doesn't have complete control over Neverland I have 1/7th of it…" I replied laughing nervously. He glares at me and starts pacing. "Hey don't be over pissy with me, you mister still haven't explained why or how you are here!" I snapped back. Rumple stopped pacing and sighed once again. Is sighing his new thing? I mean how much does one person have to sigh?!
"Peter Pan had two pathetic morons kidnap my grandson Henry and I'm here to get him back... but to get Henry back I must die…" he whispered the end of his sentence and sat down once again.
"How'd you gather that Rumple?" I asked astounded at the fact that Rumple would even show up here if it meant his demise.
"A seer told me many years ago, that a young boy whom would reunite me with my own son would be my undoing. Henry is that boy, and the only way I know how to kill Peter is by dying myself." he explained as he ran his hands through his hair and for the first time since he arrived I noticed how tired he was.
"Hey Dumb ass did you ever think that maybe by undoing she meant the end of the Dark One? Not to mention that viewing the future only shows you one of the many paths that may happen, you taught me that. Also who says you have to kill Peter, you could just trap him or you let me handle Peter, Gale to Gale." he looked up shocked and I saw a look of realization form on his face.
"I never thought of that, the trapping part that is not the whole you killing Peter yourself, 'cause i didn't know you were alive and were related to Peter..." He rambled on continuously.
"RUMPLE!" I interrupted him and he looked so quick I think i heard his neck crack. "You were rambling... How the hell you've survived without me I'll never know I mean forgetting your own lessons and opinions on survival and strength, not to mention how the loneliness of your rather dull castle did not drive you insane... not that you, Dark one you that is was very sane to begin with."
"I…er found someone, more like acquired someone. They showed me I wasn't as beastly as I thought…" he cryptically told me, as I fished out some food for Clicker.
"Explain!" I demanded excitedly as I began to fill up Clicker's bowl. Anyone who could make Rumple think he wasn't a beast was worth hearing about!
"Well after your parents had stopped our lessons and you had been dragged back to the OZ I made a deal…" and so he continued to tell me the story of Belle and him, and boy howdy did I want to hit him with a stick when he told me about the time he kicked Belle out, and when he got to the end of Belle and his' story damn that want was even stronger.
"So let me get this straight, you left the love of your life, your true love waiting on a dock with the possibility that she'll never see you again!" he nodded and this time I did hit him…rather harshly… with a very large stick. "You are so damn Ozma lucky that I can communicate with people through realms… God Rumple you anger me so much sometimes!" he stood up and grabbed me by my shoulders and stared at me intensely.
"You mean it I can really talk to Belle!" I grinned and nodded and started to set up the mirror way communication system. Time for a little true love chatter!
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