When Emma Enters Fairytale Land]
Chapter 10: To Let It Go
The Beauty and The Beast
Old books had a smell she couldn't forget. Their aroma grounded her somehow. Even though she could see through Sidney's leniency when he locked her in the library, Belle couldn't help but be grateful. There's no other place where she would rather starve to death.
The first day she spent browsing shelves. Full of titles she had never heard before, the day past quickly as she tried to absorb every story, every character that met her on the page. At nightfall, she realized she was trapped. Two hours later, she realized her only source of survival was a small water fountain that magically brought in water. Two days later, Belle forced herself in the library's back corner and leaned against for support.
Only then could she make out his image through her mind's blurriness.
It was strange, really; for he was with her always. Rumpelstiltskin's voice kept pushing her forward, kept her striving for survival. His clear image, as she remembered his longing stare, was what brought her to tears. Belle couldn't stop her wails. Pressing into the corner for support, her breath caught and she gasped for air. It was no use. She could calm herself for a few minutes before losing control again.
The fourth day was spent searching for a way out, a way to connect to him. Belle fought through the exhaustion, the fatigue; determination bursting through her. It was the water, she knew. It provided her with much more than the essential nutrients she needed to survive.
The Evil Queen
A boulder unlatched itself and fell a foot from where she stood. She jumped from the impact. A shriek quickly followed; echoing through the chamber. When the queen recovered, a roar greeted her from behind and threw her backwards. The recently fallen boulder protected her from its fire. Clinging her legs to her chest, the queen looked upwards, desperate to escape the underground she had been in for four days.
More than anything, Regina wished she could talk rationally with Maleficent, the dragon who blew fire at her. There was no chance of that. Even if there was magic here and she could transform the dragon back into her friend, their friendship had been compromised for her selfish motives. She didn't have an ally here.
She didn't need one. Storybrooke was her creation. She knew it better than anything. If she didn't, she would know better than to wander beneath the town for days, feeling her way through the darkness until she guided her way back to daylight.
Maleficent's dragon blew out fire again. The queen's short, black hair flew behind her. The heat dissolved some of the soot off her face. Refreshing as it was, Regina couldn't help lifting a hand to wipe off whatever remaining soot was left.
Perhaps it was as simple as wiping dirt from her eyes or perhaps it was Regina's memory mapping her way after a reaffirmation of her loneliness, but small lights soon shown through the dust and led the queen to her elevator.
The Charmings
"What do you want?" Emma stepped forward and stood straighter. She addressed Rumpelstiltskin in a way that reminded her of how she dealt with strangers who thought she was weak enough to threaten.
"You know what I want." Rumpelstiltskin said and tightened his grip around James.
Emma fought off any weakness. Any urge to make to contact with James, she pushed down. She knew from experience the greatest advantage she had was to stay indifferent.
"I'm going to find Belle, Mr. Gold." Emma assured him and nodded him on. "That was always my plan. Believe me, we both have the same goal. I don't know why you are holding us back now."
"For insurance purposes, dearie. I have what you love," Rumpelstiltskin nodded to James, trapped in his arms. "And you promised to find what I love. Once you do, we can," his index finger went round in a half-circular motion. "Do a little trade."
"Or…" Emma stepped closer with caution. "I don't have to find Belle at all and we can all stay in the miserable hell-hole forever. It's your choice, but I have to warn you, your threats mean little to me. I was happy to walk out of these mines together. Now?" Emma narrowed her eyebrows. "Henry spent time down here to prove a point. I'm happy to do the same."
For the first time, Rumpelstiltskin put pressure on the knife. It broke through the surface of James' neck skin. "You don't want to mess with me."
"No." Emma watched blood droplets form on her father's neck before charging to them.
"Emma-" James warned and began to reassure her when he felt Emma's hand over the knife and pulled it back from his skin. Catching his breath, James stumbled forward.
When he had recovered, he turned back to find Emma pinning Rumpelstiltskin against the mine's rocky wall; she held his knife to his own throat. "No, you don't want to mess with me."
While Rumpelstiltskin searched Emma's serious figure a smirk couldn't help appearing on his features. "Impressive." He adjusted his position against the jagged cave wall. "Very impressive."
Rumpelstiltskin's cackle echoed through the mine. Emma turned and seemed to watch the sound as it made its way down the mine's tunnels. By the time the sound disappeared and Emma returned her attention to the man she was pinning to the wall, his smirk had disappeared.
"Now," Emma leveled Rumpelstiltskin with her gaze. "This can be simple or not. I have every intention of finding Belle and returning her to you. I keep my word; more than that I have a destiny to fulfill." She watched him, searching for a hint of his agenda. "You wouldn't want to stand in the way of that, now, would you?"
"No." Rumpelstiltskin tried, and failed, to pull his skin from the knife. "I wouldn't."
"Good." Emma said shortly. She hesitated as grasp for her next move. In her desperation, she found James, who was standing aside, watching his daughter take the lead. He eyed her back pocket, where he saw a something metal sticking out of it. James held his gaze on the object before making contact with Emma. Just as their eyes met, Emma spun her attention back to Rumpelstiltskin. "You have a choice here. You can either come with us or stay here in the mines and hope they don't collapse on you."
Rumpelstiltskin laughed again, although it was different than a minute ago. His cackle staggered and faded abruptly. Metal handcuffs glued his hands together. Emma took a step back, somehow feeling more threatened than she did before.
"It's your choice." Emma repeated.
An eerie silence trapped the three characters in place. Each of the minds reeled, trying to put dots together to figure out their next move.
Rumpelstiltskin shifted his weight towards James. "Well, isn't your daughter is full of surprises?"
James could not hide the pride on his face. Rumpelstiltskin shook his head and rolled his eyes at him before refocusing on Emma.
"I've had my share of double-talkers in my life." Emma shared, causing James' smile to fade. She shrugged. "I've since learned how to deal with them."
"Aren't we lucky, then." Rumpelstiltskin retorted a little too casually. "All of our cards can be out in the open."
Emma smirked as her lie detector clicked on. "I doubt it."
"Do you now?" The imp clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Curious."
"Enough?" James stepped between them. "You are lucky Emma gave you a choice-"
Rumpelstiltskin raised one eyebrow. "Lucky? Really?"
"Are you staying or going, imp?" Emma demanded.
"Depends," Rumpelstiltskin shifted his weight from one leg to the other; ending on the leg closest to Emma. "Are the handcuffs staying on or -?"
"Handcuffs will stay on until we find a way to trust you or you have enough magic to unlatch them yourself." It was Emma's turn to challenge him with an eyebrow. "Are you staying or going?"
"Like you could find my Belle by yourselves." Rumpelstiltskin nodded the way out. "After you, Miss Swan."
Emma starred at him, frozen for a moment. Her gut pulled her forward while her mind hesitated.
"It's Your Highness," James corrected him quickly. "Or Princess Emma. You do not address her as Miss Swan."
A blush heated Emma's cheeks. She turned in James' direction, not daring to make contact with him, but scanning his straight posture instead.
"My apologies." Rumpelstiltskin bowed his head and Emma could tell it was just for show. "After you, Your Highness."
"Huh?" Her head shook from one man to the other in slight confusion. Rumpelstiltskin stretched his arm in front of them.
"Lead the way, Princess."
James crossed his arms and shook his head. He waited for Emma to pass him before following right behind her.
"Right…" Emma furrowed her brow at both men. She stepped around Rumpelstiltskin and took a minute before looking back at him. They were still waiting for her. "Right…Then…Let's go."
The Glass Mirror
He had the whole town to himself. The journalist didn't know where Storybrooke's inhabits went nor did he care. Sidney Glass had one mission to complete until he secured Storybrooke for himself. The queen of his heart, the mayor of his town, needed him. He had to find her. When he did, he would believe in happy endings because she would finally need him in the way he needed her.
Nothing would come in their way. He searched the town inside out. Except for Mary Margaret's apartment and the female patient he found deep within the hospital, there was not a soul around.
After securing the patient in the abandoned, somewhat wreaked library, Sidney did his best to do the same with the apartment building. It wasn't the same though.
The sheriff car rolled on the dirt, rocks and sand crushed further into the dirt before the vehicle halted completely. Sidney looked up, surprised at his destination point.
And yet, he wasn't. His unconscious had brought him here for the last three days. He didn't know why; but he knew he was in the right place.
Sidney grabbed his burger as his mouth watered with anticipation and his jaw parted in expectation. As he leaned in, however, his distracted senses snapped out of their dinner fantasy.
He sat up straight and then leaned forward to examine his rearview mirror. "What the hell?"
The newspaperman was too focused on the trio coming out of the Storybrooke mine to notice the tomato slice that fell out of his burger and into his lap.