Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You
Chapter Thirteen
Just after midnight, once most of Storybrooke was asleep…
Gold remained outside of the town line as he sat on a fallen log at the edge of the woods near where he had hanged his tie to find Storybrooke once again in wait, still hoping that the two villainesses would follow through on their end of their deal and return to let him into Storybrooke. If not, then all of his hard planning over the last six weeks will have been for naught. And while the Dark One hated having to rely on anyone, least of all on Cruella and Ursula whom he had once betrayed during their past dealings, he had no other options. If they betrayed him now like he half expected of them, then he was finished. And Gold couldn't really blame them if they did betray him.
The more time that passed, the more agitated and worried he became. Finally, midnight passed, and the magicless shopkeeper at last stood upon giving up hope that the two women were coming back for him, then slowly began walking away from the town line with his cane in hand out of defeat.
However, he took no more than a few steps, when the scroll Gold immediately recognized to have once belonged to the Snow Queen suddenly appeared on the ground behind him after it was cast out from inside the line. Upon hearing it clatter on the ground when the scroll landed, the villain turned around and stared down at it for a moment, before he finally bent down to pick it up, then carefully unrolled it to enact its magic. As soon as he did so, Ursula and Cruella, along with her Panther De Ville, magically appeared in front of him, and Storybrooke became opened up to him just like it been for them too.
Once he could see them, the villain who loathed dogs and yet loved to wear their fur as coats smiled at him as she sneered, "We're back, darling."
The Sea Witch also spoke up as she added snidely, "You didn't think we abandoned you… did you, Dark One?"
"Of course not," Gold lied as he looked between the two women still standing before him as they waited for him to join them. "We're a team."
He then limped forward with his cane held tightly within his grasp for support until the moment he finally crossed the town line, and upon feeling his magic suddenly strengthen within him after he re-entered Storybrooke at last, Rumplestiltskin swiftly tossed his cane away now that he no longer needed it as he continued to walk swiftly without his limp, while Cruella stated smugly, "Nice duds. Now what do we do?"
"Now we begin our task," he steadfastly replied, as he used his dark power to poof the three of them on the street in the center of town, while he magicked Cruella's roadster back to where it would remain safely parked until the next time she drove it.
"It's simple, really," he continued on after doing so. "Continue to repent your wicked ways. Make friends. Build relationships."
Cruella questioned him again in frustration, "And just what will you be doing?"
While they kept walking, Mr. Gold responded confidently, "I'll continue my work behind the scenes, of course."
"Sounds like we're doing everything, again," Ursula crossly answered.
"Just how is it you think we got in here?" the Dark One then asked her and Cruella when he stopped, as both women turned around to face him once more. "If you might recall… I do believe all of this has been possible because of me. Because of my plan to get us inside Storybrooke so we can finally take what we deserve. Our happy endings. Without me, you both would still be stuck out there in a world without magic, living your crappy lives. You're welcome, dearies."
The Dark One looked at their surroundings as he and the other villains continued walking again while he added arrogantly, "I ask you consider what I was able to do on the outside… at my lowest point… without magic. And then consider what I'm able to do in here. So maybe we should stop bickering and get on with it. So our team is one member short. It's time to reunite the band."
Cruella uttered out of disbelief, "Y… you don't mean…"
"Maleficent," Ursula grumbled upon feeling the same sense of disbelief as her partner.
"But she's dead," Cruella retorted with the sound of surprise in her voice.
Gold just shook his head as he replied, "Not entirely."
Cruella looked over at him with confusion as she asked, "Well… just what does that mean?"
"It means we have our work cut out," Gold responded. "Much to prepare."
"I don't like it," the Sea Witch then expressed worryingly out of concern with their overall plan. "Dead or alive, we got a bigger problem… Regina."
Rumple glanced over at her as he questioned, "And what makes you say that?"
Ursula continued, "That beast was unable to defeat her. As bad as Maleficent is, Regina's dark heart is far worse."
"You are so filled with assumptions," the Dark One haughtily answered her. "Regina is not the one we have to worry about."
"What?" Ursula stated in surprise once more.
He smiled cruelly and then continued to explain, "That beast did seek out the heart with the greatest potential for darkness… yes, but it was wasn't going after Regina. It was after Emma Swan."
Cruella looked at him in shock as she replied, "I don't understand… I thought you said this, Emma Swan… is the Savior?"
"She is," Gold responded to her once they finally reached the town library. "But a long time ago, the Charmings did something terrible to make it so that their daughter would surely grow up to be good, and without any evil in her heart. That is what they were doing with Maleficent's baby just before her baby, and the two of you, were all pulled away through a portal and forced to land out there in the real world where you've been living until today. However, just because she grew up without evil in her heart, and has become the Savior… it doesn't mean she can't come to be evil now. And that, dearies… is why we are going to finally be able to succeed in our plans. You see… for us to gain our happy endings, outside of just having to find this Author, we will also need to darken Emma's heart. And while that may sound impossible, I assure you… it won't be nearly as impossible as you might think. All she needs is the proper push. And I know exactly what her weaknesses are. And that is all to my plan that I have left out until now. What do you think?"
"I like this plan," Cruella maliciously answered at last as she smiled, then entered the library while Gold held the door open for her and Ursula so they could walk inside upon using his magic to unlock the doors.
The Sea Witch finally complied, "I like it too. And I do hope you're right about everything. You'll have to forgive me for being a bit more skeptical though. I mean… if this Savior was able to turn a treacherous villain like Captain Hook into a supposed hero, then I still have my doubts."
Once she walked past him, then turned back around to face him again after he too entered the building so they could all be off the street and away from any prying eyes, the Dark One quickly relocked the doors before turning to her as well, and nodded in understanding while he replied, "I can certainly understand your skepticism. Believe me… after having Hook seeking revenge on me for over two hundred years, I never thought it possible that anyone could turn him away from his vile lust. Let alone that someone was capable of loving him like she, and of turning his dark heart pure once more. And Emma Swan has done so. However, it's her love for him, as well as her love for her son and her parents, and her yearning to restore everyone's happy endings here that makes her weak. Trust me on that."
"I guess we'll find out," Ursula sternly responded, then watched him unlock the doors blocking the elevator. "What are you doing now?"
"Right now… I am going to make sure that Maleficent's ashes are where they need to be for when we're ready to bring her back to her true form," Gold answered her. "You two should return to your rooms at Granny's Bed and Breakfast, and continue to act like I've warned you of how you should act. We'll be in touch."
With that being said, both Ursula and Cruella left the library again, then the villain who remained, stepped into the elevator and made his way down into the caves below where the Savior had killed her just before she had succeeded in breaking the Evil Queen's curse a few years ago.
After he finished, as he summoned the ashes of Maleficent's dragon form together again into a pile on the rocky terrain before him, Gold returned to the elevator so he could make his way up to the library again. He then walked back outside and remained hidden within the shadows upon seeing Emma and Hook walking arm in arm towards the Charmings' loft, no doubt as the pirate was walking his love home before saying goodnight to the Savior. Once they were out of sight, the Dark One vanished in a cloud of smoke to his cabin within the woods where he would remain free and unseen by any of Storybrooke's residents.