When they arrived, they found out that another threat was placed upon them. A mysterious messenger had dropped an envelope at Regina's doorstep. There was an obscure note in it: "Time is running out. The last petal of the enchanted rose is about to fall." There was also a page of a book, of the same kind of those on Henry's book. On one side it had the depiction of what looked like a bleak winter scene. On the other, the following: "A cold, brightless sun rose on the horizon. the grass, the green leaves and the flowers were gone. It was cold. Nobody remembered those they once loved. Magic was gone, hope was gone, trust was gone, love was gone, forever". Regina and Emma had come to the conclusion that it meant that if something, whatever it was, didn't happen before dawn, this new curse would break on the town and all them would starve to death, without even the comfort of their loved ones. In vain they spent all the afternoon and the early night trying to find a way to break the curse. There was nothing in the books they had, nor their experience that could gave them a clue of what could be the thing they needed, and they finally resigned to their fate, and tried to make the best of the last moments they had before everything were to become irreversible.
Mr. Gold was spinning in his shop when the doorbell ringed. He sighed. "This heroes will never give up" but when he raised his head, his eyes found Belle standing in front of him. "No. Please. Belle. Don't" He quickly raised, took his cane and started walking towards the front door. "Rumple, wait!" He stopped, and without looking at her, he said: "we have only hours before the curse becomes permanent. Don't waste them with me. I can't bear to hurt you now" "But you won't. You don't have time enough" a subtle smile appeared on his face. "And… I want to see the stars by the last time. And I thought that maybe you would like to do so too. Just… for good old times sake." He said nothing, but opened the door and pointed to the street with his hand, and followed her once she was out.
Thick clouds were starting to take over the sky, and all the grass and the shrubs on the streets had a sickly yellowish hue to them. Pongo's howl could be heard echoing through the empty streets. The air was chilly, but deadly quiet. Belle took sit on a bench, and Rumple sat by her side. "Do you think we would come to be able to forgive each other if we had time enough?" he asked. "I don't know" she answered. They remained silent for a long time. The air seemed more clear, announcing that the twilight was near. Belle took out a little bottle from her bag. "thirsty?" He smirked. "we don't have any glass to toast" "Are you sure? What's in your pocket?" Mr. Gold's lips trembled for a second, as he took out the bag with the pieces. With a simple movement of his hand, the chipped cup reapered whole again in his hand. As she poured the liquid in the cup, she started singing in a low voice, with a smile: "Water gleam and glow, let your power shine…" The trembling voice of Mr. Gold joined hers: "make the clock reverse. Heal what has been hurt, change the fate's design. Save what has been lost. Bring back what once was mine" They looked at each other with shining eyes. She drinked first, then he followed. No one said nothing, but the eyes were communicating silently a message of sorrow and forgiveness. "I can't believe this will be our last sunrise. I didn't want this to end this way for you" Belle finally said. "Nor I, for you" Rumple answered with a strange glow in his eyes, and then, looking her deep into the eyes, offered his hand to her and asked: Care to dance with a would-be poor spinner and pawnbroker?" A sudden realization struck her, and her blue eyes sparkled. It was her second chance to do things right. She was willing to sacrifice herself. She took his hand and there they went dancing a sweet waltz in the middle of the street.
They were getting closer and closer to each other, to the point that their faces were almost touching. Suddenly he stopped, and putting his hands on her shoulders, gave her an earnest and concerned look: "Belle, you know that spell, you know what it can do. Are you sure you want this? I don't want you to do something you will regret. I won't pull back this time." She looked him deep into the eyes, and with a sudden movement she put her arms around his neck and kissed him. A ray of golden light touched their faces: the sun was raising over the horizon. A blow with all the colors of the rainbow sprung from them and crossed the town, with the strength of a hurricane and the softness of a caress at the same time. As the sun started touching here and there, everything started to blossom again, sparkling joyfully. The haunting silence was broken with the sound of one thousand chords played by the sweet voice of nature, and a soft wind dispelled the clouds.
At first he was surprised by the kiss, but then, he threw himself in it. He felt his curse fighting to survive, scratching and squeaking, and then the voices on his head slowly fading. A pang on his leg made him hold strong into Belle's arms to not fall. A wide smile sprung in her wet face as she looked at him and wiped his tears with her thumb. The miracle happened: he had sacrificed himself for her, and she for him. They have had their true love's kiss. Mr. Gold's hands were shaking when he loosened the hold of the hug, but Belle squeezed them in hers. "I will never leave you again. I love you". Two big tears rolled by Mr. Gold's cheeks. "And now, let's go and find our son" he said, offering her his arm. "But... How?" she asked, accepting his offering. "You have no magic now". "we do, sweetheart. we have the most powerful magic of all. We have true love". And they started walking together towards the shop.
Snow White's sigh brought everyone on the window of her flat to reality. Emma gasped: "That's it. A true love kiss can break any curse. How could I be so blind?!" And running to her parents bedroom, she bended over her sleeping father. Snow White and the others arrived just on time to see her kiss the prince's forehead. An instant and another rainbowy blow after, Snow White husband was awake, looking at his wife and his daughter and telling them how much he loved them, kissing them, hugging them and plaguing them with questions.
Meanwhile, Rumple and Belle had arrived to the shop. He opened the door for her and snapping his fingers, turned the lights on. "Oh! You switched to audiorythmic lights!" He looked at her confused: "No, I didn't". Alarmed, she pulled his dagger from his jacket's pocket. She could see that his name had disappeared from it, and in a split second it turned into dust and vanished in the air. They looked at each other with shock. "Then, how…?" Belle finally managed to say. "I don't know", he answered. He made a gesture with his hand and a red cloud of smoke appeared on his hand, to be gone the next instant. He closed his eyes in concentration. A bigger cloud formed, and the chipped cup, that they had left at the bench was now in his hand. Belle stared at it.
After some silent seconds, he said: "Belle, Do you know what true love is?" "of course, the most powerful magic there is, you just said it" "Do you have any idea as to why it is so?" he asked again, a smirk glowing in his face, that made her remember his Dark Castle self. It seemed that it was a part of him, not a consequence of the curse. She liked that. "Love is the source of all light magic" he continued "because it is the source of all hope, trust, courage… and life" he said, carefully putting the chipped cup on the counter "That's the only thing dark magic can't do" he added "bring forth life". "But no magic can bring back the dead". "Well, human souls are special. I was thinking of a much simpler test". Another hand gesture and a white box, with beautiful golden decorations, popped beside the chipped cup. "I know that box" Belle said with a sad look in her eyes. He opened the box and took a bouquet of dried white roses from it. Closing his eyes, he passed his right hand over it. The flowers blossomed with new life, and the smell of roses filled the shop. He offered her the bouquet with an air of archness in the gesture, and she chuckled, remembering a similar scene at the Dark Castle, many years ago. She accepted it, smiling mischiefly and making an exaggerated courtesy.
"Well, I think this answers the question" she said, after smelling the fragrance of the roses. "There's something more I have to do now" he replied, healing his leg. Belle looked at him with curiosity. He bent his knee, and started saying: "If you want, with this hand, I will lift your sorrows." Her eyes were filling with tears "your cup will never be empty" and both said at the same time "for I will be your wine" "with this candle, I will light your way in darkness" she recited, remembering the vows she had read many years ago in that old book. He pulled a little box from his pocket, and opening it, he finished "With this ring, I ask you to be mine". The ring. It was that ring, the same ring he had put on her finger that unforgettable night of their wedding, the same ring she had taken off and put into the white box when she banished him from Storybrooke, that was sparkling down the lights of the shop. She said nothing, but offered him her open hand. He put the ring on one of her fingers and gazed her with that gaze of deep love she had missed so much.
She grabbed his hand and pulled him up swiftly. "Aren't you going to kiss the bride, Mr. Gold?" He touched her nose and forehead with his own, and then, opening his eyes wide, and with a playful grin in his face, he said in a whisper: "I can also turn you into a toad, Mrs. Gold". She chuckled, and putting her arms around his neck, looked him into the eyes. Some things will never change, and she was glad it was that way. Both knew that finding their son wouldn't be easy, but they were sure that they would do everything they could. Both knew that their love would sustain them through all the hardships they would surely face. This thing they had… it was messy, it was hard, but it was totally worth it, every single part of it. And with this conviction, they lost themselves on a kiss.