A/N: And it is complete! I know there are gaps, however if I get enough attention for it, I'll do another one of these and we shall see more of Maria in the modern world. But for now, enjoy the last chapter of Sugar and Spite. Thank you to all who have reviewed and please continue to do so :)
Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Curse and Epilogue
Another day passed, and I expected my midsection to hurt something awful that morning. What I didn't expect was to feel as relaxed as I did. Crawling out of bed and seeing Rumpel was not even there with me made lying there seem meaningless. I found him spinning at the wheel, seemingly very happy this morning; though, we had discussed the wheel as well, for the room needed a lot of repairs after what we did to it.
As soon as I entered the room, shuffling my bare feet along the polished wooden floor, his head turned only so I could see half of his face. The spark in his eyes had been what I was waiting to see for too many years to count, and the smirk across his lips was contagious. I smiled back, bowing my head slightly.
Today was particularly peculiar to me, though I had no idea why. We took a walk through town together when I had fully dressed, our hands clasped tightly. I saw him gaze up into the sky a few times, but when I looked, I didn't see anything too different. I felt him looking at me in that same loving way he had before Baelfire was born. Without a care in the world, we kissed right in the middle of the marketplace.
I found out why my feelings of eccentricity were felt...but not until I chased after Rumpel. Cinderella had captured him that night and locked him tight in a cell. That had only made him worse naturally.
I only found him a month later because the necklace led me straight to him, for I'd begun to seriously worry and miss him. Sometimes he'd disappear for weeks at a time and not tell me, then come home. This I felt was different. I snuck past the guard, simple enough, a key even slipped down my emerald green dress, and I saw where they kept Rumpel in his prison.
He seemed like he had nothing to lose, at least because I was protected.
"She'll unleash her curse," Rumpelstiltskin said in his high-pitched tone once he saw me. "I can tell when I look at the sky!" That last part was a little lower, but no less crazier.
"What will this curse do?" I asked, placing my hands on the bars of the cell.
"It will be fierce...Time will trap us, bring us to a horrible place where we will remain until we are saved otherwise. At least, I will," he explained. "...we may also see our son again..." How could I forget that he protected me from this event all those years ago? A curse would bring Bae back too. That's why he was doing this...
"What can I do?" I asked, tears welling up in my eyes.
"Well, I'm in chains, dearie. Look familiar? Snow and her Prince Charming think they have me in here as well...they even asked me about the curse. Only their child can save us. Preparations are probably already taking place, you know the monarchs...the savior's name is Emma," he explained.
I gasped at the thought of this curse now that I knew what it was going to do and that it was happening perhaps within a matter of minutes. His voice became more calm after he heard my own. He looked me in the eyes.
"Don't you worry about me, dearie. I've been promised a comfortable life, and I'm sure a few things will slip past her curse. Can't get rid of history no matter how hard you try, even with magic. You can return if you like, but you may come and go as you please."
The whole time he told me this, he was still in his dream-like state of mind. I took the key in my pocket I snagged like old times and accompanied him in the cell he was confined to. The door swung wide open and I approached him. The golden thread around my neck began to glisten in the darkness, shrouding me in a vail of mist. Rumpelstiltskin smiled at my actions, staring at me with an awe and sort of mystical gleam.
"It's coming..." he said, reaching for my hands. I took his, tears present, and I came close to him, grasping him tightly, never wanting to let go.
"I will not have as much of my power in this new land, none in fact. This is a land without magic...like Bae always wanted. Protect yourself well, and do your best not to forget me," he told me.
"Impossible," I replied, kissing him for what felt like the last time, and then I clutched to him, resting my head on his chest, inhaling his scent. My eyes clasped shut, afraid to open again...
