Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters you are about to meet. And I do not own Once Upon a Time
Author's note: If you have never seen Once Upon a Time prepare to be confused. If you are a Once Upon A Time fan, prepare to be confused.
Previously on Once Upon a Time:
Emma, Frodo, Ruby, and Anna have met Rapunzel and a shy stranger named Quasi. They had been living in the clock tower for many years. Frodo Baggins has become the new mayor of Story Brook. Belle has now become a girl named Lacey, but Rumple is working hard to get her real memories back, while shoving it in Frodo's face. Elsa has been trying to learn to control her ice powers, but keeps freezing the forest and now has frozen the entire river. Rapunzel wishes to help in any way she can, but feels helpless. But she is however, very strong.
Episode 8
The Thief
Before the Curse
It was a peaceful morning in Corona. The Lost Princess's birthday was coming up, and it was a beautiful summer as always. Guards were walking around the palace casually as always. Three mysterious men climbed along the rooftops. They disappeared long before a guard could catch them.
A young man, perhaps in his early twenties peeked out from his hiding place. He looked over the city, then across the water and into the world beyond. His short, brown hair blew gently in the breeze. His light-brown eyes were wide with curiosity.
"Wow," He breathed. "I could get used to a view like this!"
"Ryder!" One of his comrades snapped. Ryder had traveled to Corona with these two strange brothers. They were known as the Stabbington Brothers. They had been wanted in Corona for a long time, but no one really knew where they came from. They both had bright ginger hair. The older brother did the talking. The other brother didn't speak at all, and he wore an eye-patch. It was awkward for Ryder to speak with him. He would simply ask how he was feeling in the morning, and the guy never responded. But the older brother seemed to understand him without having to speak to him. They could read each other's faces like books. And it was obvious they were twins.
"Come on!" The older Stabbington brother snapped.
"Hold on," Ryder held up his hand. "Yep, I'm used to it." He continued contently. "Guys, I want a castle!"
"We do this job," The older brother told him. "You can buy your own castle." He grabbed Ryder and tied the rope around his waist. The two brothers lowered Ryder down through an opening in the roof. In the room below, was the Crown of the Lost Princess. It was a very valuable crown among the nearby kingdoms. The tiara was decorated with diamonds, amethysts, and rose zircons. The metal however, was the most valuable. It was a metal you could only find in Middle-Earth. How Corona ever came to own it, no one could even imagine.
Mithril.
This metal was very valuable in Middle-Earth, but in other kingdoms, people would kill to get their hands on a single stone. The things that this metal could do…
There were guards standing all around the crown, as it sat on the pedestal. Ryder was able to quietly place this crown into his satchel and rest his elbow on the pedestal.
A guard standing close to him sneezed loudly.
"Ugh, hay fever?" Ryder asked, sympathetically.
"Yeah," The guard replied. He stood for a moment in content before he realized what was going on. He turned to see Ryder being lifted back up through the ceiling. "Hey… wait…" The guard gasped. "Hey, wait!" The other guards turned and looked up at the ceiling as well.
"Can't you picture me in a castle? Because I certainly can!" Ryder said as he and the twin brothers ran for their lives, running out of the city and across the bridge. "All the things we've seen and it's only eight in the morning! Gentlemen, this is a very big day!"
Story Brook
"All right," Frodo said, as he gathered his friends around a table at Granny's Inn. "Report time! Emma, do you have any information?"
"I don't have any evidence against Tamara yet." Emma said.
"Anna?"
"Still no signs of Elsa, but the woods are getting colder by the minute." Anna answered.
"Ruby?"
"Progress in the beans is doing well." Ruby replied. "I found the former Sheriff of Nottingham seriously injured this morning. He's in the hospital right now. For some reason he can't speak. The nurses are having him write down what happened. You might want to look into that."
"Rapunzel?" Frodo turned to the girl with short brown hair. She looked up at him in surprise as if she were thinking of something else.
"Huh?" She said. "Um…nothing to report."
"Very well," Frodo said.
"What about you?" Emma asked. "Did you find anything else about the eye?"
"I'm afraid not." Frodo said, taking out the paper.
"Is it…The Eye?!" Anna stepped back.
"What?" Frodo raised an eyebrow at her. "Of course not! If you saw the Eye of Sauron…" He trailed off.
"Um…" Anna hesitated. "What's it like?"
"Let's see," Frodo pondered for a moment. "It's scary."
"Really scary," Ruby added. "Like…fire scary. I saw it in a nightmare once."
"You could go insane!" Frodo said.
"Or maybe turn into a vegetable!" Ruby added.
"Guys," Emma placed a hand on her forehead. "Stop trying to scare Anna!"
"All right," Ruby and Frodo chuckled.
"So, what should we do now?" Rapunzel asked.
"Divide and conquer." Frodo replied. "Emma, you can come with me to hospital and investigate the case of Sheriff Nottingham. You are still the Sheriff, right?"
"Technically," Emma replied.
"All right, then," Frodo continued. "Anna, you and Ruby could do some exploring in the woods and search for Elsa."
"All right," Anna replied.
"And Rapunzel, you can choose to go with them or us." Frodo said, turning to her.
"Um," Rapunzel hesitated. "I'll come with you guys."
"Can I come?" Henry rushed over to the group.
"Sure," Emma said.
"Let's go," Frodo said, leading the group out of the doorway.
Before the Curse
Ryder and the Stabbington brothers had been running all morning through the realm. They paused to catch their breath. Ryder leaned against a tree and gasped when he caught sight of the wanted posters. He reached up and grabbed the one labeled: Flynn Ryder.
"No…" He said. "No, no, no, no, no…this is bad…this is very bad…this is really bad!" He turned to show the brother his picture. "They just can't get my nose right!"
"Who cares?" The older brother asked.
"Well, it's easy for you to say!" Ryder retorted. He leaned to get a closer look at the Stabbington Brothers' picture. "You guys look amazing!" He jumped at the sound of pounding hooves. He had no time to think and shoved the wanted poster into his satchel. The three men ran for a ways until they found themselves stuck in a hole. Ryder looked up the wall and measured it with his eyes.
"All right," He turned back to the brothers. "Give me a boost, and I'll pull you up." He said.
The two brothers looked at each other, then back at Ryder. "Give us the satchel first."
"What? I just…" Ryder stammered. "I can't believe that after all we've been through together, you don't trust me?"
The brothers were silent. They just both glared at him.
"Ouch," Ryder said. He took off the satchel and placed in the older brother's hand. The older brother stood on his younger brother's shoulders. Ryder slowly climbed up the brothers, stepping on the older brother's face as he did so, and reached the top. He looked down at the brothers for a moment.
"Now help us up, pretty boy," The older brother reached up his hand.
"Sorry," Ryder replied. "My hands are full." He held up the satchel and took off.
"What?" The older brother felt his chest, dumbfounded that he had been tricked. "Ryder!"
Ryder ran through the forest, hearing the pounding of hooves getting closer.
"Retrieve that satchel at any costs!" The leader shouted.
"Yes sir!"
The horses whined loudly as well.
Ryder slid under a large tree root. Arrows were aimed at him. He finally traveled through roots so thick, only the leader could fit through.
"We've got him now, Maximus!" He shouted triumphantly.
Ryder grabbed onto a vine and swung around. He kicked the leader off the horse and took his seat.
"Haha!" Ryder grabbed the reins. The horse suddenly stopped in its tracks. It turned it head to look at him with angry, red eyes.
"Come on, fleabag, forward!" Ryder commanded. The horse eyed the satchel and tried to grasp it in its jaws.
"No," Ryder ordered. "No," The horse ran around in circles, trying to grab the satchel. "Stop it! Stop! It!" The horse was able to bite down onto the leather. "Give it to me!" Ryder said, ripping the satchel out of the creature's mouth. The satchel went flying and hung on a branch, overhanging from a cliff.
The man and the horse looked at each other before both took off toward the cliff. It was strange…Ryder had never seen a horse behave like this before. He lunged forward and grabbed its leg, tripping it. He stepped over it. The horse bit his foot and tripped him as well. The horse began to walk carefully on the branch. Ryder jumped on its back and tried to climb over its head. The horse threw him off the branch and Ryder found himself hanging onto the branch, upside down. The horse stomped on the branch, attempting to step on Ryder's hands. Ryder swiftly made his way toward the satchel, not taking his eyes off it. Finally, he reached and grasped the strap and held the satchel toward the horse.
"Ha!"
Suddenly, the branch cracked and broke. The man and the horse tumbled down the cliff. The horse lay on its stomach for a moment before standing up and looking around. It pressed its nose to the ground and began sniffing around for Ryder. The man was able to hide from the horse. He went to lean against a wall covered in vines and nearly fell over. He realized he was looking into a cave. He quickly ran in so the horse wouldn't find him. He walked down the cave and found a tall, old tower. There was a waterfall and a pond, and green grass everywhere. It was a beautiful sight, and it looked like the perfect place to hide.
Ryder grabbed two arrows and slowly made his way up the tower. He panted and closed the window doors behind him once he was inside. He sighed in relief and looked into his satchel.
"Alone at last," He said admiringly to the crown, before something hit his head and the world went black.
Story Brook
"So," Ruby and Anna walked down the street. "Do you think your sister is all right?"
"I hope so," Anna replied. "I'm not sure if she knows how to control her powers… and after twenty-eight years, she must have not been able to use her powers. Now she has to figure it out all over again."
"I know how that feels." Ruby said.
"What do you mean?" Anna asked.
Ruby took a deep breath. "I'm… a werewolf." She answered.
"Really?" Anna looked at her with curious blue eyes.
"Before the curse, I had to learn to control the wolf." Ruby continued. "But when we were cursed, and there's supposed to be no magic in this world, I didn't turn for twenty-eight years. When the curse broke, I had to learn to control the wolf again."
"I see," Anna replied.
"I think it's strange you're not surprised, or scared." Ruby mused. "I mean, I can understand why Frodo wasn't surprised, but you?"
"Hey, my sister has ice powers." Anna replied. "She accidently shot spikes at me. This is nothing." She winked at Ruby.
"There needs to be more people like you." Ruby said. "I'm glad I've made friends with you, Frodo, Emma, and Rapunzel."
"Speaking of which, do Emma and Rapunzel know?" Anna asked.
"Emma knows," Ruby said. "But I haven't told Rapunzel yet."
"Anna!" Hans called out and ran up to the two girls. "Listen, I've been asking around…you were right…it was Regina, not Elsa… I'm so sorry…I shouldn't have doubted you."
"Oh, Hans…" Anna whispered. "Is that where you've been? It's okay, I'm not mad."
"Thank you," Hans said. "Is there anything I can do?"
Ruby and Anna looked at each other and shared a knowing look.
"Not that I can think of at the moment." Anna said. "But I'll let you know…"
"All right," Hans said. "I'd better be going…I still have a job."
"Good," Anna said. "Thanks again,"
Hans took off and headed back to wherever his work was.
"Thanks for not telling him." Ruby said.
"I don't want to keep secrets from my fiancée." Anna admitted. "But I promised to keep the beans and the woods a secret. I don't want to betray my friends…"
"Maybe when we get to know him and trust him, we could probably make him part of Operation Frog." Ruby said.
"Maybe," Anna giggled.
Before the Curse
Rapunzel shrieked at the man on the floor. She was both scared, and surprised at what she had just done. She backed away and hid behind the dress form. She eased forward, pushing the dress form on its wheels toward the unconscious man. She slowly crept toward him, holding the frying pan she hit him with out in front of her. She tapped the man's head and hesitated. She remembered what her mother told her. It was something about men having fangs…
With the handle, she lifted his lip. His teeth were very perfect, and there were no fangs.
"Huh?" She said quietly to herself. She took the handle again and brushed the hair off his face. He was actually a very good-looking man. He looked like the prince she had read in one of her books.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes. They were large, and light-brown. Rapunzel gasped and hit him in the head once more. She shivered and made sure he was knocked out. She wrapped her hair around his chest and dragged him to her closet. First, she tried to shove him in, but that didn't work. She tried swinging him in with her hair, but her hair got stuck in the doors. She thought for a moment as he hung halfway out the closet awkwardly. She tried pushing him in with a broom, wanting to touch him as less as possible. At first she thought she had succeeded, but the door opened and the man fell on top of her. Finally, she got over her fear and shoved him into the closet. She closed the door and noticed four of his fingers had been caught. She quickly pushed them in and placed a chair under the handles. She held the frying pan out in defense.
"Okay…" She panted. "I've got a person in my closet…I've got a person in my closet…" She looked at a nearby mirror and realization struck her. "I've got a person…in my closet!" She laughed triumphantly. "Too weak to handle myself out there, huh, mother?" She said and twirled the frying pan on her fingers. "Tell that to my frying p-" She swung too hard and hit herself on the head. She rubbed her brow and grunted in pain. She looked over at the satchel sitting on the floor. She hadn't noticed it until now. She opened it up and found the beautiful tiara. She examined it carefully. She wasn't sure what it was…she had never seen one before. She looked through the gems, wondering if it was some kind of telescope. Was it a bracelet? She placed it on her arm. No, it was far too wide to be a bracelet, and too small to be a necklace…
She turned around and looked into the mirror again. She placed the crown upon her head and looked at herself for a moment. She felt beautiful... she felt like a princess.
"Rapunzel!" Someone from below called. Rapunzel jumped and placed it back into the satchel and hid it in a pot. "Let down your hair!" Her mother called.
"One moment Mother!" Rapunzel called back.
"I have a big surprise!" Mother called, taking hold of Rapunzel's golden hair.
"Uh, I do too!" Rapunzel replied.
"Oh, I bet my surprise is bigger!" Mother said, smiling up at her.
"I seriously doubt it!" Rapunzel whispered.
"I brought back parsnips!" Mother announced, stepping through the window. "I'm going to make hazel-nut soup for dinner! Your favorite! Surprise!"
"Well mother," Rapunzel said. "There's something I want to tell you."
"Oh Rapunzel," Mother sighed. "You know I hate leaving you after a fight, especially when I've done absolutely nothing wrong." She took off her cloak and walked over to the table. She began to unpack her basket.
"I've been thinking a lot about what you've said earlier…" Rapunzel began.
"I hope you're not still talking about the stars." Mother interrupted.
"Floating lights," Rapunzel corrected. "And yes, I'm leading up to that, I-"
"Because I really thought we dropped the issue sweetheart." Mother said again.
"No, Mother, I'm just saying," Rapunzel said desperately. "You think I'm not strong enough to handle myself out there."
"Oh darling," Mother replied. "I know you're not strong enough to handle yourself out there."
"But if you just-" Rapunzel began.
"Rapunzel, we're done talking about this." Mother said, strictly. He smile disappeared.
"Trust me-"
"Rapunzel,"
"I know what I'm-"
"Rapunzel!"
"Oh, come on!"
"Enough with the lights Rapunzel! You are not leaving this tower! Ever!" Mother raised her voice so loudly there was an echo throughout the tower. It scared Rapunzel and she moved her hand away from the chair she was about to move.
Mother caught the hurt in her eyes and sighed. She sat down in frustration. "Oh, great," She said. "Now I'm the bad guy…" She held up a hand to her forehead.
Rapunzel was silent for a long time. She looked over at the picture of her seeing the floating lights. She sighed and looked down at the ground.
"All I was going to say Mother, is that…" She hesitated. "I know what I want for my birthday, now…"
"And what is that?" Mother asked.
"New paint," Rapunzel said. "The paint made from the white shells you once brought me…"
"Now that is a very long trip, Rapunzel." Mother looked up at her. "Almost three days time…"
"I just thought it was a better idea than the…stars…" Rapunzel replied.
Mother sighed and walked over to Rapunzel. "You sure you'll be all right on your own?" She asked. Rapunzel reached over and hugged Mother.
"I know I'm safe as long as I'm here." Rapunzel said, almost robotically. Mother kissed her head and got ready for the journey. Rapunzel packed a basket of food for her.
"I'll be back in three days time." Mother said. "I love you very much dear."
"I love you more," Rapunzel said.
"I love you most." Mother replied.
Mother looked back at Rapunzel before she vanished into the cave. She waved up at her and turned to leave. Rapunzel waved back to her and watched her go into the world she hungered to see.
Story Brook
Frodo read the papers over and over again. The group sat in the hospital room for a while, looking over at the bruised and beaten man. They weren't sure what to say to him. Of course, he wouldn't be able to talk back…
"I can't believe this…" Frodo said.
"Frodo?" Emma tilted her head at him. The hobbit stood and smacked the man with the papers.
"Are you really that stupid?!" Frodo demanded.
"All right," Emma snatched the papers from him. "Just chill out!" She began to read the papers to herself. Rapunzel and Henry looked at each other nervously.
"So…" Emma said slowly. "So… Belle's memory is messed up."
"Very," Frodo said. "But don't you see, Sheriff? She was using you to see how that Gold would react!"
"Wow…" Emma said. "You sure about that…"
"She may not have remembered who she was," Frodo said, turning to Emma. "But I can assure you; this is not the girl I met in the hospital. She is someone who cares for people, and she's smart…I don't understand it… and to think I called her a hobbit when I saw her happily drinking."
"Isn't that a misconception anyways?" Emma asked.
"Sort of…" Frodo replied. "Hobbits still like to drink… but that's not important." He sighed. "I'll be back."
"Henry," Emma said, turning to her son. "Can you run home? I need to talk to Rapunzel alone."
Henry sighed and rushed out the door.
"Thank you for your time." Emma said, turning to the Sheriff of Nottingham. She led Rapunzel out of the room.
~jb~
Emma had decided to take Rapunzel for a walk in the park.
"So Rapunzel," Emma said. "I know you've been trying to help out, but something seems to be bothering you…"
"Oh," Rapunzel finally looked up at Emma. "Please don't kick me out of Operation Frog!"
"I'm not," Emma reassured her. "I just want to know what's been bothering you. Maybe I can help. Frodo, Ruby, and Anna…we're all your friends. I'm sure even Henry would help you if you asked him, or if I'd let him."
"Oh," Rapunzel sighed. "It's… Eugene."
"Who's Eugene?" Emma asked.
"He was the man I fell in love with before the curse." Rapunzel replied. "Before the curse hit…" She trailed off and began to cry.
"Rapunzel…?" Emma asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry…" She sobbed. "It's just that…he was stabbed, and the curse came before I could do anything…"
"I'm sorry…" Emma said. "You must be heart-broken."
"I am…" She sobbed again. She took a deep breath and looked at Emma. Her eyes had turned red, making the green stand out like emeralds. "Have you ever lost a loved one?"
"Yes," Emma said. "I have,"
Rapunzel sobbed again and laid her head on Emma's shoulder. Emma put her arm around Rapunzel and let her cry for a long time.
Before the Curse
Rapunzel held the frying pan in her hand. She grabbed the chair and pulled it away from the door. She took a deep breath.
"Okay," She whispered. She flipped her hair toward the handle and opened the doors to the closet. The man slowly fell out onto his face and slid across the floor. Rapunzel slowly crept toward him to make sure he was still unconscious. She finally set him on the chair and used her hair to tie him up. She pulled him to the middle of the room, sat high up in a crevice in the wall and threw pebbles as him. He finally stirred and gasped. He struggled for a moment against the hair. He looked around in confusion.
"Is this…hair?!" He asked.
"Struggling…" Rapunzel stammered. "Struggling is pointless!" She told him. He looked up in her direction, but couldn't see her clearly. She leapt from her hiding place, but lingered in the shadows.
"I know why you're here!" She continued. "And I'm not…afraid of you…"
"What?" The man looked curiously through the darkness. Rapunzel finally stepped into the light.
"Who are you?" She asked. "And how did you find me?"
"Ah-hah…" The man said quietly. He didn't answer. He looked very dumbfounded.
"Who are you, and how did you find me?" Rapunzel repeated, holding up the frying pan, ready to hit him again if necessary.
The man cleared his throat. "I know not who you are, nor how I came to find you." He finally replied. "But may I just say… Hi," He gave her a crooked smile and raised his eyebrows. It was the weirdest face Rapunzel had ever seen.
"How'ya doin'?" The man continued, losing his proper English. "The name's Flynn Ryder. How's your day goin', huh?"
Rapunzel looked at him in confusion. What on earth was he doing?! She couldn't say why, but she nearly smiled at him, as if it were some kind of instinct. But she quickly shook it off, not wanting him to think she was weak.
"Who else knows my location, Flynn Ryder?" She asked, pointing the frying pan at him.
"All right, Blondie," Flynn began.
"Rapunzel,"
"Bless you," Flynn replied. "Anyways, I was in a situation, gallivanting through the forest. I came across your tower, and then…" He looked around, about to panic. "Oh… oh no! Where is my satchel?" He demanded, turning back to Rapunzel.
"I've hidden it," Rapunzel replied. "Somewhere you'll never find it!" She folding her arms proudly.
Flynn looked around for a moment. "It's in that pot, isn't it?"
Rapunzel swung the frying pan, and Flynn's world went dark once again.
~jb~
Flynn woke up to Rapunzel tossing pebbles at his face.
"Hey, would you stop that?!" He complained.
"Now it's hidden, where you'll never find it!" Rapunzel said.
Flynn sighed in frustration.
"So, what do you want with my hair?" Rapunzel asked. "To cut it?"
"What?"
"Sell it?" She accused, pointing the frying pan at his face once again.
"No," Flynn reassured. "Listen, the only thing I want to do with your hair is to get out of it… Literally!"
"You…" Rapunzel paused. "Wait…you don't want my hair?"
"Why on earth would I want your hair?" Flynn asked. "Listen, I was being chased, I saw a tower, and I climbed it. End of story."
"You're telling the truth…?" Rapunzel asked, clearly puzzled.
"Yes," Flynn insisted.
"Hm…" She turned away from him and thought for a moment. She needed someone to take her…She was sure he was telling the truth…he didn't have fangs. What choice did she have? She could hear Flynn struggle once again. She took a deep breath and made her decision.
"Okay, Flynn Ryder," She said. "I'm prepared to offer you a deal."
"Deal?" Flynn asked.
"Look this way," Rapunzel said. She pulled the chair toward the picture above the mantel piece. The chair tipped and he fell to the floor. "Do you know what these are?" Rapunzel asked.
"You mean the lantern thing they do for the Princess?" Flynn asked.
"Lanterns…" Rapunzel whispered to herself. "Well," She turned back to Flynn. "Tomorrow evening, they will light the night sky with these lanterns. You will act as my guide, take me to these lanterns, and return me home safely, then, and only then, will I return your satchel to you. That is my deal."
"Yeah, sorry," Flynn flipped the chair so he could lie on his side. "No can do. Unfortunately the kingdom and I aren't exactly on the same page at the moment, so I won't be taking you anywhere."
Rapunzel glared at him and hopped down from the mantel piece. "Something brought you here, Flynn Ryder," She pulled the chair up, making him sit up right again. "Call it what you will; fate, destiny…"
"A horse," Flynn said.
"So I have made the decision to trust you." Rapunzel continued.
"A horrible decision really," Flynn said.
"But trust me when I tell you this," Rapunzel pulled the chair close and leaned in to look Flynn right in the eye. "You can tear this tower apart brick by brick, but without my help, you will never find your precious satchel."
"Let me get this straight." Flynn said. "I take you to see the lanterns, bring you back home, and you'll give me back my satchel?"
"I promise," Rapunzel insisted. Flynn raised an eyebrow at her. "And when I promise something, I never, ever, break that promise…ever." She added, catching the doubt in his eyes.
"All right," Flynn sighed. "I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice…here come the smolder…" He looked down and then back up at Rapunzel. He made an even weirder face than he did earlier. His eyebrows were raised and pointed up, his eyes were nearly shut, and his lip hung out his mouth. But this time, Rapunzel stood her ground and glared at him.
"This is kind of an off day for me," Flynn admitted. "This doesn't normally happen... Fine, I'll take you to see the lanterns."
"Really?" Rapunzel stepped back and let the chair fall.
"Ah!" Flynn fell forward.
"Oops…" Rapunzel winced.
"You…you broke my smolder!" Flynn grunted.
~jb~
"Are you coming, Blondie?!" Flynn asked, making his way down the tower, using the arrows. Rapunzel looked down and hesitated. She looked at her painting and then wondered if she should stay…
"No," Rapunzel decided. "Here I go…" She let her hair down, attached it to the hook above her window. She slid down and giggled. She grasped her hair and paused, stopping only an inch away from the ground. She slowly stretched out her foot and touched the grass. The grass tickled her foot and crawled in between her toes. Rapunzel giggled as she let her other toes be engulfed by the grass. It smelled wonderful. She felt amazing. She felt free!
Story Brook
"Ah, Nathan," Lacey looked up from the pool table at the mayor. "Fancy meeting you here."
"Yeah," Frodo said, placing his bag onto a nearby chair. "Mind if I join in?"
"Not at all," She replied.
"Just to warn ya," A stranger sat nearby. "She'll beat ya,"
Frodo picked up a stick and rubbed the blue chalk on the tip. "You know, there was a man who was found severely injured yesterday." He studied the pool table. He needed a few balls moved around.
"Really?" Lacey said, leaning over the table and aiming the white ball.
"Yes," Frodo replied. The white ball hit a few others to where Frodo wanted them. Only one fell into a hole. "He couldn't speak, but he was able to write down what happened to him." He leaned over the table, aimed at the white ball, and hit it. Like a stack of dominos, all the balls hit each other and fell into holes like rabbits hiding away from foxes. The table was empty except for the white ball. Frodo stood up straight and looked at the surprised Lacey.
"He said it was Mr. Gold." Frodo concluded. Lacey looked over at him.
"So what?" She accused. "Are you going to have him arrested now? We have a date tonight."
"No," Frodo reassured. "I know the whole story. You left Mr. Gold to be with that man, correct?"
Lacey was quiet.
"Next thing you know, Mr. Gold is beating him and he suddenly won you over." Frodo said. "Seems a little odd to me."
"What do you mean?" Lacey asked.
"I think you were using that man," Frodo said. "If you asked me, I liked you better when you were in the hospital."
"Why would you say that?" Lacey narrowed her eyes at him. "You would rather have me not remember who I am and have me be confused for the rest of my life?"
"No," Frodo said. "This girl…this girl who I'm standing in front of now…she's not the girl I met in the hospital!"
"No, she's not." Lacey replied. "I am not Belle."
"Then why have people been calling you that?" Frodo asked. The two of them were silent for a long time.
"Forget it," Frodo said. "Have fun on your date tonight…" He left the Rabbit Hole. Lacey began to set up the pool table.
Author's Note: Haha! I couldn't help but to throw a few lines from Full Metal Alchemist.
Teacher: Not wrong, more like…scary?
Edward: Yep, like scary!
Teacher: You could go insane!
Edward: Maybe turn into a vegetable!
Haha! I love FMA!