Chapter IV
The water started tightening their bodies as they were sinking further into the sea. Rumpelstiltskin found Belle a few inches away frightened over the thought of further sinking, Rumpelstiltskin looked up noticing the surface causing them to quickly swim up. They made it to the surface gasping for breath trying their best to cling onto one another as neither were the most excellent of swimmers. Both Belle and Rumpelstiltskin swam into the surface of the water trying to hold on to one another against the swift waves. The ocean of Neverland stretched for miles with waves pushing them back and forth where the pair would hear the occasional sound coming from the ocean leading them to quickly begin swimming.
"I thought we were going to land at the beach or at least somewhere dry."
"Swimming in the middle of a mermaid infested ocean isn't something I had in mind."
"If we explain to them our situation…"
Rumpelstiltskin interrupted, "Out of the question and I don't want either of us to be here in case we bump into one" They kept constantly trying to place their head above water as the waves continued going against them where the thunder now increase which meant they were soon to hear the sounds of the mermaids. "Hang on; I try to get us to land." Rumpelstiltskin focused on the beach he remembered stepping foot onto as a boy with his father thinking it was a good spot to land. Rumpelstiltskin moved towards Belle clinging on to her as was becoming slowly exhausted from keeping her head on surface ground for so long. Without a second thought, Rumpelstiltskin transported them out of the water in which he was now in the middle of the jungle with only the night sky as his light.
The sorcerer looked around unable to see Belle anywhere near him. Rumpelstiltskin called for her several times but there was only silence coming to him even unable to sense the presence of both her and their child.
"You need to keep a closer eye on your trinkets laddie; you always tended to lose things." Rumpelstiltskin turned around seeing his father sitting on a boulder smirking at him.
Nothing about Pan had changed from their last encounter, the timeless curse of Neverland allowed him to remain a fifteen year old boy reminding Rumpelstiltskin how he was traded away for the man to obtain eternal youth. The boy took his flute and began playing a tune that Rumpelstiltskin had recognized in the past where needed to get away from that trance.
"Where is she?" the sorcerer summoned a fireball aiming towards Pan.
Pan continued playing until he opened his eyes seeing Rumpelstiltskin was ready to attack him, "I have no idea what you are talking about. It seems your magic isn't in sync here as you wanted it to be, I can always help you. You are still going on about the search for Baelfire?" Rumpelstiltskin now had him, he knew there was little chance in a bargain for Baelfire's safety but keeping his composure intact could go a long way.
"What do you want?"
"I can give you information to Baelfire, in exchange you are now working for me and will do my bidding whenever I need my arrangements finished. You see, I lost my most trusted man from a pesky lost boy and I have been meaning to replace him. We will be working together and this time we can make up for lost cause, even Baelfire can join us to be one big happy family just as the two of you always wanted.
"No thanks."
Pan got up from the boulder bending the trees to allow some of the night sky into the jungle. "I will be honest, your visit has been a surprise to me, and naturally I did not want this family reunion to involve your lovely friend its better she is out of your hair for a bit. I would be careful though as this island has many dangers where my hospitality is an honor."
"Then I will take my chances." Rumpelstiltskin turned around but to his misfortune saw Peter Pan teleported in front of him smirking with delight leaving the sorcerer increasingly nervous.
"Does that girl mean anything to you?"
"That is none of your business…." Rumpelstiltskin began thinking about the many ways where he get what was left of Pan's heart and crush it before his very eyes.
"My my, we are a little tense. I can understand what you see in her. From the little glances I got, she's very delectable but really laddie she is way out of your league and your track record with women hasn't exactly been stellar." Pan continued playing his flute when Rumpelstiltskin moved back as a cloud of black smoke appeared before him turning into his old doll presented to him.
He took the doll remembering of when he first got it and the memories surrounding it. There was a moment in which Rumpelstiltskin began to feel a tear but he had not wanted to stare into Pan once again to give him the satisfaction.
"The things we haven't thought about in years still have the ability to make us cry." Pan laughed when playing his flute. "Good luck finding your bride laddie, I do wish you would take my offer because I don't want to help you pick up the pieces again when the girl leaves you for better prospects."
Rumpelstiltskin had enough, he got up ready to lunge another fireball at Pan when to his dismay, the sprite had disappeared leaving the trees back in its natural state and the forest in pitch black. The only good view Rumpelstiltskin gained was of the doll where he picked it up clinging on it as though he were a child of eight wishing for acceptance.
There was a noise that startled the sorcerer when he discovered it was an owl. Thankful for the relapse, Rumpelstiltskin gathered the doll and walked towards the forest to find Baelfire and Belle.
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Belle found herself to have landed on the beach safely, she felt fine checking for all signs of the baby while trying to catch her breath.
"The next time try to transport us quickly." Belle drank some water from her canteen handing it to Rumpelstiltskin but was perplexed when he did not take it. She turned around that her fiancé was nowhere in sight.
"Rumple? Rumpelstiltskin?" she yelled. Belle tried summoning him several times but her cries were all in vain.
She got up and picked up several seashells or brightly colored rocks putting them in her bag until it became full and headed into the island. About every couple of minutes, Belle threw one of the seashells into the ground while also taking a few strands of her hair placing into the tree bark when she carved out tally marks as she began to get the impression the island is a maze.
Don't worry ducky, we're going to get out of here and afterwards we will look back at this and laugh. If I can still remember where I turned.
The jungle had several noises in the form of an occasional owl and a few crickets chirping that left Belle relieved as she began questioning her sanity. She stated to suspect it was the same tree she marked during a lengthy period but she wasn't going to retrace her steps based on a hunch that could prove to be false. She took her dagger cutting up several leaves to see her path while being careful not to touch most of the plants grateful to have worn gloves in this trip despite the humidity giving her the temptation of wanting to take them off.
Stay calm, there has to be clearing somewhere…
By stepping on a twig, Belle was met a barrage of arrows being thrown at her. She began running as quick as she could while the trees were still brushing against her face and the possibility of stumbling increased. Belle wasn't sure what was attacking but they continuing following while chanting with what faintly sounded like her own language along with several dialects from different parts of Misthaven all screaming to get her.
As Belle continued fleeing, she was then grabbed by her shirt in the back pulled into a row of bushes. Confused, she stumbled back when there was a hand placed over her mouth leaving her nervous to turn around.
"Shh, they won't hear us if we don't make a sound." Said the voice of what she assumed must have been a young boy. She nodded clutching onto her stomach for dear life while listening to the footsteps of the voices becoming faint.
"All clear" the boy said. He took his hand out of Belle's mouth getting out of the bush while helping her at the same time. Belle cleaned herself up looking at her rescuer causing her to make a second turn noticing it's was the boy from her dreams down to the exact pattern of red and black strips painting on his face.
"Thank you. I am not from here so the area is still some getting use to." Belle heard another noise causing the boy to grab her hand again.
"Thank me later, we have to run" She followed the boy as they ran away from what he was telling her to be lost boys who tended to capture anyone who might have stumbled into Neverland for Peter Pan's dungeons.
They continued running until they made it to a clearing where it revealed to be a dead end surrounded by cliffs as the ocean lay down below.
"Do you trust me?" the boy asked.
Belle wasn't sure how to respond to this answer, she didn't know the boy but at the same time was indebted to him. "I can't swim, I really can't."
"I will guide you; if not for me, do it for you baby. Please." Giving him her hand, Belle and the boy jumped out of the cliff and into the water missing the rocks by an inch just as the lost boys arrived to find only a crown of red feathers floating amongst the waves.