Chapter 21.
Merlin despite placing a magic restricting band on one of Marcel's wrists, after Marcel threw Chad a dozen times offered to Marcel to show him some of his most basic spells and earliest memories of using magic. Merlin takes Marcel over to Granny's Diner, this time the two entered. The duo finds a small booth, Merlin then passes Marcel a menu.
"What do you fancy?" Merlin asks.
"Anything I'm not really fussed. Right now all I really want is my magic. I need to figure out if there a way to still complete the ritual." Marcel answers.
"You really do depend on your magic don't you boy. It's not the best habit to have especially at a young age it can only grow worse." Merlin comments.
"I don't depend on my magic, I use it when I need it." Marcel protests.
"You needed magic to throw people and hurt them? That's some great use of magic." Merlin spoke.
"That was personal and to be fair, I landed in front of you a stranger." Marcel points out.
"Still you mentioned to me before that you were greedy by desiring love from someone other than your parents. Chad he was the person you desired wasn't he?" Merlin asked. Marcel nods his face full of sadness.
"Yes, I never expected to feel that way about anyone I just wanted someone else in my life a friend something new. And this is something I don't really feel like talking about." Marcel says. Merlin sighs he had thought the amount of time they spent together would have made it so Marcel would be more comfortable about talking from his past.
"Alright, how about a cheeseburger, I found them quite nice?" Merlin suggests.
"Sure you're paying," Marcel responds, Merlin then leaves the boot and walks over to the counter soon after Emma enters the diner with her younger brother Neal whose 16. who for most looks like his mother except for his eyes and his smile they came from David. Neal is just wearing black denim shorts, a white t-shirt and white converse. The siblings walk over to the counter and find themselves standing next to Merlin.
"Long time no see Merlin," Emma commented.
"It really has been a long time Emma, you're looking well." Merlin complimented.
"Being the saviour is great exercise," Emma joked. Meanwhile, Neal is staring at Marcel who is just playing with his fingers.
"Regina told me, she's planning on having Evie, her doppelgänger daughter meet up with her friends. Is he one of them?" Emma replies.
"No, he belongs to another group of friends Madam Mim and Hades doppelgängers children to be specific," Merlin said.
"He looks s..." Emma starts.
"Cute," Neal blurted out surprising both Emma and Merlin. The two adults, stare at Neal.
"Oh, that was something you weren't supposed to hear, ever!" Neal tells the two adults.
"He's holding so much inside bottled that I can't help with until he opens up," Merlin spoke.
"Maybe you're going about it the wrong way." Neal buts in.
"What do you mean?" Merlin asks.
"Aunt Red, can I have two milkshakes one classic vanilla another chocolate oh and a large ice cream sundae please." Neal requests.
"Sure thing kid," Red responded behind the counter, she then gets back to work. Emma's phone starts to ring. She sighs before answering she listens for a minute before hanging up.
"Sorry kid, I've got to sort some saviour business out and I might need the town's oldest pensioner." Emma apologised.
"I'm afraid I can't Emma, I can't leave Marcel alone," Merlin tells Emma.
"Sure you can I'll keep Merlin Jr company," Neal says.
"I'm not so s..." Merlin started.
"What kind of game are you playing kid?" Emma asked.
"Em, I can't believe you are accusing me of having some alterer motive, I'm merely hurt sis here I thought I would be kind and give the kid a tour of what Storybrooke has to offer and some good food," Neal responds.
"Alright kid, I might send mom a text you know to tell her, you're on your first date and the address so she can run over and take a picture she obsessed with having photos on our first special life experiences." Emma teased.
"Don't you dare or I'll tell her that you found grandma Ava's wedding ring and are planning on giving it to her at Christmas," Neal threatened. Emma chuckled before leaving with Merlin. Neal's order by now has been prepared.
"Enjoy kid," Red replied.
"Put on Emma's bill please, I'll just pay for the next take out," Neal tells Red before carrying the food and drinks over to the booth Marcel is sat at.
Neal then sits down opposite Marcel earning the other boy's attention. Marcel looks up at Neal and sees the ice cream sundae and the two milkshakes. Marcel wouldn't admit to anyone but the boy did look decent.
"Hey there Merlin Jr," Neal said.
"Where's Merlin and who are you?" Marcel demands.
"Papa Merlin had to leave with my sister Emma to do some saviour business." Neal answers.
"Wow so now I'm a charity case," Marcel responds.
"Well, you're definitely my cheapest charity case, Jr," Neal said with a smirk.
"Excuse me," Marcel snapped.
"I haven't paid anything all this is on my sis tab," Neal tells Marcel, who accidentally lets a laugh out making Neal smile. Maybe this boy is more than just a decent face Marcel thought. Neal finds the small laugh from Marcel sweet to hear but also quite tragic, the boy's confidence and self-worth must be so low!
"Wow and here I thought plain John wouldn't have a funny bone in his body," Marcel commented.
"We all have a funny bone, well it's not really a bone its actually a nerve. The ulnar nerve." Neal rambles. Marcel just sighs with a very little but subtle smile one that most wouldn't notice except Neal. Plain John (Neal) had a little wit but still comes off as quite a bit of a nerd in Marcel's eyes.
"Great I'm in a booth with some nerd," Marcel snipped.
"Just drink your milkshake and enjoy your ice cream sundae," Neal snipped back. Marcel grabs the classic vanilla milkshake and drinks a small mouthful and finds himself quickly taking another mouthful.
"This is fantastic! What's in this milkshake it tastes almost like Olympus?" Marcel says before quickly grabbing the other milkshake and taking a mouthful.
"Hey, that's mine," Neal protests.
"I'm the charity case right here, so I think I deserve both milkshakes," Marcel replies with a smirk.
It didn't take long for Marcel to devour both milkshakes and start on the ice-cream sundae, Marcel couldn't but find each bit of ice cream he consumed better than the last. To him, this was an experience he was left out from. He did find the ice-cream sundae quite too large for him.
"The charity case wants to know if you want some of this ice-cream," Marcel says, Neal chuckles.
"The donator doesn't mind if he does," Neal replied, before picking up a spoon and starts to eat some of the ice-cream.
"This is a dream come true." Marcel comments.
"Ice-cream is every kids' dream," Neal spoke.
"No having something that is fresh and made by someone else is a dream come true." Marcel corrected.
"You never had anything freshly made!" Neal said.
"No not really, while on the run for most of my life, we stole whatever we could get. Food made by magic has never tasted good for some bizarre reason. And when you're on the Isle the food you get sent is just leftovers." Marcel responds.
"That's terrible!" Neal spoke.
"Not when you're used to it," Marcel tells Neal. The two are silent for five-ten minutes once the ice-cream sundae is devoured.
"If you think milkshakes and ice-cream sundaes taste almost like Olympus, you've only seen a small piece of Olympus, Storybrooke has to offer," Neal told Marcel as he steps out the boot.
"I should warn you, donator boy, my requirements is nothing less than three dollars," Marcel replied with a smirk.
"Lucky for you, my new charity case I have forty dollars, I think I can handle your requirements with a few extras," Neal says. Marcel steps out of the booth.
"Lead the way donator," Marcel said. The two then left the diner.
Now outside the diner, Neal finds himself giving Marcel a full tour of Storybrooke, well almost full tour. They stopped at Storybrooke's forest standing where the wishing well is.
"I didn't always hate Chad, you know I didn't always throw him or abuse him with my magic," Marcel commented.
"My mother told me that hate can often come from love when someone you care about most hurts you," Neal replied.
"She almost sounds wise," Marcel said.
"How did you and Chad meet?" Neal asked. Marcel thinks for a moment before walking over to the wishing well, Marcel offers a hand to Neal who accepts it the two look at the water down in the wishing well.
"Water in this well show the day I first found love, show the moment me and Chad crossed paths for the first time. When two lives once were separate become one." Marcel chanted seconds a later an image starts to form on the surface of the water in the wishing well.
Flashback:
Marcel decides to spend his first day at his new possible permanent residency in the forest near Auradom Prep by looking at all the forest. He knew he could never attend that school for obvious reasons. He knew for the next few months the school would be empty due to the children being on their holiday periods. Marcel finds himself exploring the vast forest for hours as the sun starts to set. The sky turns darker, Marcel is shocked when he hears a group of charging horses along with shouting and cries.
"Finally some excitement," Marcel says to himself as he runs off following the noise.
Marcel successful in following the sounds of charging horses, shouting and cries is shocked to see a group of seven knights surrounding a tallish figure that is lying on the floor twitching and shaking in pain.
"Let's get the beast back to the palace, there no need to be gentle, we can say the stunning arrows weren't strong enough and what other lies we need to tell." The leader of the knights said with no level of empathy in her voice. Marcel can also hear soft sobs and cries coming from the figure surrounded by the knights. Marcel can't stand by no more and steps away from a tree he was using to hide.
"HEY!" Marcel shouts catching the Knights' attention.
"You're on private land and interfering with royal business leave," The leader of the group of knights ordered.
"I don't take orders from people like you, you should leave the beast be you hurt the poor thing enough." Marcel snipped.
"This beast is a royal property I'll give you one last chance leave before I'll you flogged." The leader of the group responds, Marcel just chuckles.
"I have a better idea," Marcel says, as he clicks his fingers causing all the knights' weapons to transform into water shocking the knights. Marcel then quickly makes a hand gesture to throw the knights off their horses into trees, he scares the horses resulting in the charging away. The guards quickly get to their feet.
"You dare defend a monster!" The leader shouted.
"No, I'm granting you pathetic excuses of men to live leave now and don't come back," Marcel tells the knights as he holds to his hands out revealing sparks of magic.
"This isn't over." The leader snipped before running off with the other knights.
Now with the fight over, Marcel walks over to the individual that was attacked by the knights. Marcel walks over slowly to the victim and kneels down to examine. The victim is wearing a dark long cloak, curious to know what this figure actually is.
"I'm here to help you, I'm just gonna see what your condition is okay?" Marcel asks hoping for some form of a verbal or physical answer. After waiting a minute, Marcel being as careful as possible removes the cloak from the figure and is stunned to see the complete appearance of the person he protected. Marcel is shocked, horrified at the sight of a body that consists of partly decayed body parts and fully healthy body parts. Marcel although frozen for almost three minutes can sense the heavy breathing coming from the person he saved the victim's eyes meet his and all Marcel can feel is a pity for who he now knows to be some form of a boy. The appearance that once only a few mere seconds ago brought horrifying feels now brings curiosity and need to know more about the boy's past.
"Y...You saved me," The boy said in a weak voice yet his tone and delivery seemed to tell Marcel that the boy was surprised.
"I've never really liked knights, look I'm going to make you better I just need a little time," Marcel replies.
"Okay," The boy spoke.
"Can you tell me, your name I don't wanna have to call you boy every time I need to speak to you?" Marcel requests.
"C...Chad my name Chad," The boy answers.
End of Flashback:
End of chapter 21.