Still. All was utterly and sickeningly still. The sea, the air, even Killian's pulse- all still. God, this was awful! He could not understand how people dealt with this. It was like atrophy! Utter atrophy! And god, so maddening! What he'd give for so little as a gust of wind- but it would not come.
Rumple, of course, was annoyed with Killian's whining. "Y'know, of all ships to be imprisoned on, they could've had the mercy enough to put a proper captain at the helm."
Killian glared at him, turning away from the ruins of his ship.
"Brood all ye like, but the moanin' and groanin' MUST cease!"
"Can you do nothing to fix this?!"
"mmm... NOPE!" Rumple said, giving that annoying giggle.
Killian rolled his eyes. "Oh, honestly. All yer magic and stuff and ya cannot do a thing to at least call for help?!"
"One: I dunnot call for help! Ever! Two: I hate ye!" He giggled and shrugged.
"Well then we are stuck," Killian sighed.
"Erm, no, Dearie- that'd just be you." Rumple corrected.
"Wot are you talking about?"
" Weeellll wellly well, WELL... it's just... when have bars ever held me? Really, now?"
"Well, you don't seem to be getting anywhere right now, so..."
"But I could... Nyeh!"
"So why don't you get us back to Storybrooke?!"
"Why don't you just sail back?" Rumple giggled.
"DO YOU NOT SEE THE BATTERED SHIP RIGHT OVER THERE?!" Killian shouted, pointing angrily at the wooden ruins.
"Then you'd best start rebuilding it... with yer own two ha- OOPS!"
Hook ran towards him in a rage. He turned to mist and rematerialized behind him. "WOOP! Wee berserker, aren't we?" Rumple taunted.
Hook turned and took a slash at him, but Rumple only rematerialized again. Hook growled and looked around frantically. "Baelfire put up better games when 'e was a tot!"
"Givin' up on me like ya did him, are you?"
"Difference is- it took effort to give up on him."
"Didn't seem like it,"
He sighed deeply in restraint. "I should hardly trust yer judgment... after all, which of us is wearing ear-rings and eyeliner?"
"Which of us looks half reptilian?"
"And yet, I daresay, is still more handsome."
"Ya know what, screw this. I'm gonna go look around." Killian said, walking away.
"Watch out, Dearie, there be monsters!" Rumple warned mockingly.
"Whatever," he grumbled. Nearly two hours later, Killian came running out of the forest, a terrified look on his face. "The hell was that?" He panted.
"Knowing ye? A rabbit, likely." Rumple shrugged.
"Wanna go and see for yourself?"
"Want me ta hold yer hand?"
"Just come on," he grumbled. Rumple trekked on with him.
"Sir?" A small voice asked, stretching the word out. It was a small, pale, dark haired boy. His clothes were simple and dirty, making it obvious that whatever family he belonged to didn't have much money. His hair was much the same, disheveled and unwashed. His eyes were completely black, however. Black covered his iris and sclera.
"Aye, Dearie?" Rumple asked.
"Where did they go?" the boy asked.
"That's...not the one I saw..." Killian said so that the child wouldn't hear.
"Where'd who go, Dearie?" he said, kneeling beside the child.
"The lady, sir. Ms. Kinley." The boy said.
"And what does she look like?" he asked very politely.
"She's real pale, sir, and she's got pretty hair," he said.
"Take my hand, child- and we'll find her." Rumple said, extending his hand to the boy.
The boy took his hand, immediately fascinated by Rumple's skin. He brushed the scales lightly.
"Hehe. And I'd not asked your name! How silly of me! What'd be yer title, then?"
"I'm William, sir. William Kinley." The boy smiled then, revealing sharp, dirty teeth.
Rumple flashed back a grin of similar teeth before bowing grandly, as one would if standing before royalty. He kicked Killian when he didn't do the same. Killian only stared at him.
"And I am Rumpelstiltskin," he announced, rolling his r's, "And this is my servant, Captain Tight-Pants."
Killian glared.
"'Allo, Captain!" The boy said excitedly.
"Ahoy," he said flatly.
"D'ya have a ship and a crew and things?" He asked excitedly.
"Er... did."
"William?" a small girl's voice called from far off.
"OOH, Dearie, I think we've found 'er!" Rumple said.
"Where is she, then?" William asked.
"Where her voice is, so... hold on to my sleeve, child." Rumple said, and William did as he was told. In a flash of violet light, the two stood before the source of the call. Killian still stood where he was left.
"Goddamnit," he grumbled, walking in the direction of the voice.
"William?" said a small girl, equally as dirty, with unkempt, pale blonde hair. She stood in a simple white sun dress, stained all over with green and brown from running around.
"Ah, yes, here she... is..." Rumple's triumphant smile faded.
"Did ya find yer mum?" the girl asked.
"N-not yet," said William.
"Who're you?" She asked Rumple.
"Rumpelstiltskin. No one, really." He shrugged.
"Wot's with yer skin, Mr. Rumplestiltskin?" She asked, taking one of his scaly hands.
"I'm an awful lizard man. I eat flies and sleep upside down," he joked. The children laughed.
"D'ya know where Ms. Kinley is?" she asked Rumple.
"Not yet, Dearie,"
"Oh," she said sadly. "Well let's go find her!"
"Sounds like a plan. Do ye have anything that belongs to her?" Rumple asked.
"Sorry sir," she said, "we don't,"
"Where'd the Captain go?" The boy asked.
"He's awfully slow-"
"HE'S riGHT HERE!" Hook shouted.
"A Captain?" The girl said excitedly.
"Of a sunken boat," Rumple added. Hook glared again.
"Where's me mum, sir?" The boy asked again, a tear sparkling in his eye.
"We'll find her, ne'er ye worry! But have ye anything that belongs to her?"
"No, sir..."
"Hmm. that makes things a bit difficult." He said, tapping his chin. The boy sulked. "Well, let's see then, aha!"
"What is it, sir?" The girl asked.
"Let's work a little...magick!" he said, waving his hand dramatically.
"You do magick?" The girl asked.
"O'course!"
THEY ARE SCARY GHOSTLY CHILDREN DON'T SHOW THEM MAGICK! Thought Hook.
"Wow," they said in unison, gaping in amazement at Rumple.
Well this is just strange. Hook thought.
Rumple wove a pattern of light between his hands and wrapped the conjoined strands around his arm. the colors melded together as he sleekly pulled it away to reveal a scarf. He folded it in half then "pulled" it apart and presented the children with the two purple-and-green scarves. "Let's see Captain Tight-Pants do anything like that, eh?"
They stood giggling and admiring their scarves. "Thanks, mister!"
"It was a small price to pay," he smiled.
THE HELL IS HE THINKING?!
"Come on, we gotta find Ms. Kinley!" The girl said, grabbing Williams hand and running off.
Rumple followed calmly. "Coming, Hook?"
"I'm...not too sure about this," he said, shifting from one foot to the other.
"They're only children who want to go home to their Mum. If they aren't, then I'll skin 'em alive. No worries, Dearie!" he shrugged and gestured for Hook to follow.
"Mr. Rumpelstiltskin?" The boy called.
"Yes?"
"Come on! We gotta check the school house and stuff!"
"Coming!" he called back, headed in their direction.