Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT, but I do own this story.

Sudoku - Very true.

proudlesbian - Yes, I updated the sixth chapter. Maybe a glitch is refraining you from viewing the sixth chapter?

This chapter will be switching back and forth between the fairy tale and reality. We'll also be focusing a little bit more on Zoso and his non-magical counterpart.

Actually... waaaiit. Zoso cannot have a non-magical - Storybrooke - counterpart seeing he is deceased, but I suppose Zoso could have a spiritual counterpart.

Charles VII (the Seventh)

"Whaddya think my mom is doing?" Henry was anxious and excited. He was also getting really bored. Emma had not come out with Baelfire since what seemed like forever.

Gold had no response to Henry's question, just the "occasional" stare at the young boy's features and the mental comparison between Henry and his son.

"Mr. Gold?"

Gold was jerked out of his thoughts. "Uh... ahem... yes, Henry?"

The young boy smirked at the older man's reaction. "I said.. what do you think my mom is doing? Why hasn't she come out yet? I really wanna know if Baelfire knows these stories. I mean, he should, right? Right, Mr. Gold?"

Damn, was the boy perky. If Henry was any other person, Gold would've blown them to bits. However, Gold had a strange tolerance and compassion for the young boy.

"Right, Henry," he said a bit too crossly. Henry didn't mind. His smile widened and he started jumping up and down eagerly. He tired in only two minutes.

Gold laughed aloud, "Only two minutes, Henry? I think you used up all of your energy in one jump."

Henry rolled his eyes and attempted to open his storybook. Gold snapped it shut. "It's dark, Henry. You can't read in the dark."

"Not without magic!" he pulled out a small vial full of glowing liquid. Gold stared at the potion in awe.

The vial, full of glowing blue liquid, was no doubt created by the Blue Fairy. Good magic. Gold watched as Henry poured three drops of the potion onto the cover of his storybook. In a flash, the cover illuminated and out came a small, bright light. As Henry turned to the desired page, the light settled itself onto the spine of the book and shone brighter, blocking away the darkness.

Even Gold was pushed away by the bright light. As he was pushed a few steps away, he called out agitatedly to Henry.

"How did you get that potion?"

"Isn't it obvious? I asked."

"Oh. Right," his voice sounded oddly defeated. Henry turned the page of his storybook, and the light fluttered to it. A old beggar walked up.

"That light is warm. May I use it to warm my hands, lad?"

Henry stared at Gold, who nodded. "Sure," he said, with a smile.

"Thanks, lad," the beggar smiled softly. The beggar turned his head and bore glaring eyes into Gold.

Eyes that reminded Gold of the crippled beggar... Zoso, the deceased and previous Dark One before him.

Zoso accepted his nearing death with open arms. He brought out his memories, stored in dusty, leather-bound books, into the light. He picked a black covered book with gold trimming. He blew the dust off, and patted the cover lovingly. Opening it, he fingered his way to a worn out, dog-eared page.

He touched an engraving on the page. Charles VII.

Charles VII was born to a rich, noble family, the favorite son in the family. His father was named Charles VI, or Charles the Sixth. His mother was named Althea, and he had seven siblings. Soon to be eight, for his mother was pregnant once more. Forced to memorize the birth order in his family, it would be forever imprinted in his brain. Even when was Zoso.

Matthew, Lucas, Robert, Mary, Catherine, Charles VII - himself -, Amelia, and Emily. His eighth sibling would be named James if the child were to be a boy, and Victoria if the babe was a girl.

However, they would never know the gender of the babe. Charles's mother lost the child when she was only seven months pregnant.

Despite losing his eighth sibling, Charles remained a constant favorite. His mother and father doted on him and gave him the best of everything. His siblings were treated almost equally, but given hand-me-downs and used items. They still loved him, however.

When Charles grew older, he seemed perfectly content, always obeying his parents' wishes. However, Charles was not content. He wanted power.

After seeing the king walk by with his multitudes of jewelry, coins, horses, and women, Charles began to experience envy. Using his family ties and connections, he sought out the highest place in the royal courtroom. Being the king's right hand man. Charles attained his desired position when he was only twenty-eight years old, an accomplishment at the time, seeing that most "outsiders" would have achieved the title at least at the undesirable age of fifty-six.

His position was not enough. After the king died, there were no sons to take over the throne. Charles VII was soon proclaimed the next king. During his coronation, the king's favorite nephew seized the crown and declared himself the rightful king.

It was an illegal act, but no one dared to oppose their "new ruler."

Charles grew even more power hungry, and he sought to achieve power... even if it meant turning into the darkness.

The beggar's eyes bore into Gold angrily. Those eyes looked familiar to the cripple, and he wracked through his memories to discover the identity behind the old beggar.

As the eyes continued glaring, Gold reached his answer.

Zoso.

Gold had killed Zoso, though, so it was technically impossible for the dead Dark One to resurrect and have a non-magical counterpart. But then Gold remembered about magical spirits. No matter how much magic was drained out of Zoso's system, he still maintained a magical spirit which probably floated around haunting unlucky souls. And if that magical spirit was floating around, then Zoso had a spiritual counterpart: the old beggar.

"Excuse me, sir. What's your name?" Gold inquired meekly.

"Zeke Oso," the beggar growled. He didn't look happy answering Gold's question. "You look power hungry. That's bad. I've been through the lane of power hungry men, and I turned out this way. Repent! Repent, old cripple! Repent!" At those final words, "Zeke Oso" - Zoso - fainted dead away, disappearing into a poof of black smoke.

Henry stared at Gold in surprise, his bright light disappearing as well.

"Who," the boy started out dumbly, "was that?"

"A man I met when I was Rumpelstiltskin."

"Is that why he poofed away in black smoke?"

"Yes, Henry."

"Cool," the boy was awed. He touched the spot Zoso was in only to receive a minor burn on the finger.

"Ow!" Gold didn't bother looking at the boy. He was too shocked - and cross - to care.

"What happened, Henry?"

"I got... burned! And my finger is glowing. There's sparkles around it and it's turning blue!"

Gold whipped around and grabbed Henry's hand. His hand pulsed a deep violet color, but Henry's finger remained the same.

"What's going on?!" Henry wailed.

"I think it's time to go to your mother, Henry," Gold said blankly. Apparently the spiritual counterpart had some deadly magic left in it. Gold had to get Henry to his mother before it was too late. "The source of true love's magic should be able to heal your wound, Henry," Gold said, trying to reassure the boy. Henry was sobbing and wailing as his finger started swelling up, now turning a deadly shade of blue and Gold's dark violet colored healing power.

Dark magic and dark magic didn't mix well. Especially if it both came from two Dark Ones.