PROLOGUE:
The Charming family and Rumplestiltskin stand near the lake looking on as all the Dark One's come out of the shadows. Killian stands in front of them all holding Excalibur. Regina was obviously able to convince Killian to call off the Dark One's. They were surprised that she was able to do so seeing as Killian has all of those voices in his head. They watched as silence took over the eerie night. They were expecting Killian to lash out and attack someone, but suddenly he turns the great sword on shadows behind him, taking all the power of the Dark One's. The screeching was ignored and all eyes were on Killian. The shadows disappear and Killian turns to face the others taking a step towards Emma. He means to give her the sword but he struggles, fighting with the Dark One's inside of him.
"Do it, Swan." His words come out distorted. Tears stream down Emma's face as she realizes what he's asking her to do. She couldn't do it! She lost Neil to sacrifice and she about to lose Killian the same way. She couldn't! She wouldn't.
"I love you." She says after a moment of agonizing revelation. She had to do it. There was no other way to get rid of the darkness.
"I love you." Killian replies. He hated to do this to her but it was the right thing to do. It needed to be done and this was possibly their only chance to get rid of the darkness forever. They take their final kiss and Emma plunges the sword into the man before her. She gasps at her own grief and squeezes her eyes shut.
As she steps back, she freezes. Emma, in shock, her now yellow hair falling off her shoulders, stares at the man before her. It's not Killian standing in front of her. It's Rumplestiltskin. She looks at his pain stricken face in horror.
"Gold?" She takes the sword out and helps him down to the ground. Killian is standing a few feet away, exactly where Rumple was standing near the lake. He darts for Emma helping her ease his old enemy down. The others move in closer confusion on all of their faces.
"How?" Killian asks.
"The sword... I used magic..." His voice trails off as weakness envelops him. Regina hears his words and suddenly she knows just what he did. She kneels down on the other side of him.
"He switched with you." Regina says out loud looking up into the disbelieving face of Captain Hook.
"Switched?" David asks, confused with Mary Margaret grabbing his hand.
"You used the potion to switch you and Killian, the tether to the sword becomes yours, so does the Dark One curse, and Hook's wound." Emma voice her realizations.
"But, you'll die." Henry says sadly. Rumple looks at him with apologetic eyes.
"Yes." Is all Rumple manages to say before he closes his eyes and grunts in pain.
"Why? Why would you do this?" Killian asks bewildered at the crocodile's actions.
The sound of a Cadillac pulling up nearby went unheard in the group of heroes and ex-villains.
"Because it should be me. You don't deserve this." His words are strained, they could hear in his voice he was getting weaker. Snow and David look up when they hear a car door shut. The others look up and see Belle running towards them.
"I called her." Henry said out of the blue. Everyone looks to him as Belle comes down the steps. Regina steps to Henry and hugs him. Snow moves closer to David as Belle moved closer to Rumple lying on the ground. Belles takes the space where Regina was and pulls Rumple into her lap.
"Rumple!" He looks up sluggishly upon hearing his wife's voice.
"Belle?" He managed to say. He felt relieved and also guilty that she was hear. She didn't deserve this, she deserved to much better.
"I'm here, Rumple. I'm here. Oh, Rumple what did you do?"
"He sacrificed himself, to save me. To save all of us." Killian says as he looks to the ground. Emma places a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Rumple. I-I don't know what to say. I can't lose you." Tears begin to fall down her face. She could feel her heart breaking, and yet again, it was Rumplestiltskin's doing. But, the reason warmed her heart.
"It was the right thing to do. I love you, Belle. I'm sorry." His words were coming out in whispers now. Most of the others had tears in their eyes, watching the scene unfold.
"I love you, too!" She kissed Rumple on the lips. She sat back up to look at him, and he was gone.
"Rumple? Rumple! No..." The last word came out in a half sob half cry. She held her true love close, clinging on for dear life. Killian stood unknowing of how he felt and Emma stood with him. Regina held onto Henry, who had just lost his grandfather. David held Snow as they stood near Emma and Killian. They all watched as a white light began to envelop Rumple's body, and within seconds he vanished. The Dark One was no more.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Hope this didn't cause too much heartache for Rumple and Rumpbelle fans. Which I am one, very much so! I promise the story gets so much better. Please leave any helpful comments if i mess up the lore or the backstory I have seen the entire series several times and i will do research to make sure everything goes with the rules the creators made. Chapter one coming soon. Thank you ONCERS!