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Chapter One
A quiet stillness settled upon the residents of the castle as the 18 year old girl crept through the stone hallways. She clutched her Book of Shadows tightly as she made her way down the stone steps hoping she would not get caught.
Unfortunately, hopes were dashed by the sudden appearance of Sir Nicholas' son, Gaston who had appeared out of nowhere. "And where do you think you're going Miss Belle," he questioned her suspiciously. "It's none of your business now let me pass Gaston," she said glaring at the young, handsome knight who was to be her husband when she turned twenty-one. Gaston was three years older and acted as if he already were her husband.
"Let me see that," he said as he pulled the book of spells out of her grip. "Gaston, please give it back," Belle exclaimed having to jump up to reach since he was a few inches taller than her. But Gaston only held it much higher and he began to flip through the pages, "What is this, your diary? It's not even written in English!"
"No it is not my diary, but it is still my property so I demand you give it back," making this demand Belle knew it was disrespectful for her to talk to a man in this way, but she was also the princess so she had some authority over him—not much, but some.
Despite her disrespect Gaston cared for Belle and was just teasing, but it was true she shouldn't have been out this late, "Alright Belle, I'll stop teasing but you should be in bed." "I will, but I was hungry and I wanted something from the kitchen," she said not daring to tell her true reasons for being up in middle of the night.
He nodded, "alright but as I said you need to get bed, you need your rest," he lectured as he handed her back her book. He then departed giving Belle a chance to relax, but she had to avoid her father's other guards and knights as well.
Stepping out into the cool night air Belle entered the Enchanted forest to meet her six best friends in the clearing where they secretly met. As she traversed into the forest she thought about her engagement to Gaston. It wasn't that she did like Gaston; it was just that she had no deep feelings for him and she thought he was superficial and vain. Impressing people with his skills with the blade and hunting were the only things he cared about. She could never talk to him about the books she read, what she learned, or what she believed in, like she could with her mother and her father. Now that she was getting older she had to learn to talk to someone other than her father especially her future husband, but she was not comfortable with that.
At least she could talk to her friends such as, Red. Red was a very understanding and sympathetic person, and did not criticize Belle's lack of romantic feelings towards Gaston. She, like Belle, was a firm believer that love should not be forced upon someone. Belle was a princess and Red was a peasant, a village girl, so she did not have to be arranged to marry someone it was her choice. Red's grandmother was strict and hard on her and Belle was sorry that her friend felt just as trapped as she did.
It was extremely dark and difficult to navigate through these woods, but Belle had done it so many times it had become second nature to her. She had gotten lost a few times, but both Red and Snow had helped her learn her way around. She was getting close to the clearing, and she could smell the burning embers rising up through the trees.
"You're late," her 'friend' Aurora commented in an accusatory tone. Aurora's arms were crossed as she sat on a tree stump trying to take in the warmth of the fire. Her light brown hair was draped over her shoulders. Belle and Aurora barely got along and often times Red and Snow would have to get between the two of them preventing them from using their magic on each other.
"Yes, well I was delayed, but I am here now," Belle said to Aurora who was rolling her eyes. "You are our fearless leader and you should be here on time!" Aurora said rather sarcastically, but Belle ignored her. The other five girls were also gathered around the fire trying to get warm.
"What's going on? Why did we need to meet?" Belle asked looking at Red, who was her, as the knight's would put it, second in command. "Ella has had a vision," she turned to the blonde girl who was looking at her feet nervously. She was another friend, who like Red came from what was considered a commoner's background. Ella lived with her stepmother and two stepsisters, who had a habit of putting on airs. Her father had died a few years ago. She had been treated as if she were nothing more than a something they stepped in, but Belle and the others were her safe haven.
"What did you see Ella?" Belle inquired, feeling a sensation of foreboding coming upon her. The others looked at Ella eagerly awaiting what she would describe. After all, Ella's visions almost always came true and foretold of very grim futures. For once it would be nice if her visions were of something pleasant, but Belle knew it would not happen. She did not know how Ella would handle them! It must have driven Ella mad just thinking about them even after the she had them and it did seem as if she would shake after having the visions.
Taking a deep breath, her skin paler than usual, she began, "I cannot even begin to understand, but I can tell you what I saw. We were in another world with no magic. Not all of us were there, and it was a strange, unnerving sort of place. Those of us in this world were trapped there, but we didn't realize it. We had no memories of our current lives. Aurora and I asked the faeries about my vision, and they said it was true. A curse would take us from our world, a dark curse created by the man known as the Dark One or some referred to him as Rumplestilskin. The fairy Queen said it was not the curse we should be concerned with, but that darker days that lie ahead and we would be tested."
"Wait what do you mean tested?" Ariel exclaimed. "Tested how," she asked her blue eyes widened at the thought of this. Ariel was the youngest in the circle by a few months. She and Aurora were both 16, but Aurora had been born a few months before Ariel. "Were the faeries cryptic as usual or did they tell us what to expect from these tests," she continued worried that she would not be able to come to the surface since magic is what allowed her to form human legs and walk on land.
Ella and Aurora both shook their heads. At this point Aurora took over, "No they did not say a lot," she rolled her eyes again. "All they said was that these tests would prepare us to face whatever destiny has planned for us, and we will, apparently, have to sacrifice our magic as part of it."
This was met by a chorus of shocked exclamations from four of the girls while Belle kept quiet. Unlike the others, Belle feared her magic and how her father would react if he found out she had magic like her mother. He blamed magic for her mother's death and did not trust anyone who used it. He even feared the faeries. So Belle felt more pressure at keeping their secret than the others did. It also did not help she did not understand her magic or that her mother had not prepared her for what to expect. The idea of giving up her magic was somewhat appealing, but she did not confide to the others.
"Belle? Belle?" Snow prodded, "Are you listening?"
"Oh, sorry! What were you saying?" she asked recovering from being lost in her own thoughts.
"Snow was asking what you think of giving up your powers." Aurora irritatingly replied. She found it rather annoying how Belle's mind tended to wander off into her own little world. They all worried about Belle's tendency to let her mind wander, but she was one of the bravest of the group, and Aurora envied that about her. She wished she could be that confident, but she was not as brave, far from it in fact.
Belle did her best to not sound as if she was actually happy about giving up her powers. "The Good Faeries are wise, and know what they are doing. They always have a reason, and besides, this might be good for us not to rely on magic." She argued reasonably, and prepared herself for the protests; half of her friends Aurora, Ariel, and Rapunzel disagreed while the other half Snow, Ella, and Red knew Belle made a good point. "Besides," Belle said, "I don't think we have much of a choice."
"What do you mean?! Because you say so Belle," Aurora questioned.
Snow answered for Belle, "No, because either way will get our powers taken away now or when the curse happens. Aurora you remember what the red fairy said, 'that in this world this curse will take us from our world and we won't have our magic. Look at it this way, at least we would not have to lie to our loved ones anymore.
"If I lose my magic I can no longer come to the surface, and I cannot be stuck at home in the ocean for the rest of my life! I will not give up the freedom to walk on land," Ariel protested, but she knew it was a waste of a protest when she saw the look on Belle's face. It was the same look Ariel's father had whenever he put his foot down, so Ariel had no choice. She hated being one of the youngest because even amongst her friends she felt as if she had no say in matters.
Belle shook her head. She felt bad doing this especially since she wanted a reason to give her magic, but when Faeries confirmed Ella's premonition, Belle knew it was true. As she took out her leather-bound "Book of Shadows" she explained, "once the spell takes effect you won't remember ever having had magic or being on land so in the end it will not matter Ariel." She looked at all three who objected to this. No one said anything.
She carefully opened the book the pages crinkling as she turned them until she came across the spell they needed. The spell was written in an ancient script that was difficult to translate. Belle ran her hand over the writing and it began to glow a bright gold. The letters began to shift from the ancient language to English.
Slowly and carefully she recited each word of the spell as she cut herself with the dagger, which Red kept underneath the folds of her skirt. She slit both her left and right palms and handed the dagger to Snow. Snow did the same as Belle then passed the dagger to Ella who repeated the same process. It went around the whole circle, each of them cutting themselves, and reciting the spell until the dagger got back to Belle. They let the blood from there palms drip into the flickering flames, and for a moment everything went silent until a blast of energy threw each of them all back….