The Heart of Everything: The Gold Chronicles: Book I

by CJ Moliere

Rumplestiltskin Strogoff-Gold and his cousins Azkadellia and Dorothia Ozopov, descendants of Greek and Ozian gods must reunite to defeat the darkness that has been trying to destroy their family for centuries. Crossover with Tin Man and Snapegirlkmf's Gold Standard series

14. From The East He Is The Staff

Neverland

Many years ago…

Neverland was an anomaly in their world, the only realm not created by the Ozian goddess Lurline and done so with only the best intentions, a safe haven for the unloved and the unwanted; the seeds planted in dreams, hopes and desires the water and sunlight to make them grow and form the large island it now was. Only animals inhabited it now, the children would grow into adults and forget their childhood paradise but they left parts of their souls behind, all of them merging together to create a caretaker in the form of a shadow that possessed the wisdom of the ages. The shadow never expected one of the former child residents to return as an adult but when one did; neither Neverland nor its residents would ever be the same. Malcolm McDermott possessed one ability the others that visited did not, magic that was not of their world. Magic from other worlds was fiercely unpredictable and there was the chance that it would do more harm than good if used there.

The outlander took control of the island and began to transform it from a refuge to his own version of the hell realm Ephesis where he was absolute ruler but all magic came with a price and his was that his youth would only last as long as there were sands in the large hourglass inside Skull Rock. The second price was that Pan could not be away from Neverland long. The longer he was separated from his source of power, the weaker he would be but he'd gotten bored living on the island with only the shadow for company.

"There has to be a way I can stay young forever without all this," Pan said angrily.

"There is but obtaining it will be difficult," said the shadow.

"What is it?"

"The only way you can retain your youth and be able to cross realms without restriction is to take the heart of one who is descended from Lurline herself, a pureblood with a pure heart."

"A Strogoff? The last one was killed years ago and now my son has her dagger according to my spies."

"A Strogoff still lives and has continued the bloodline."

"Who is it?"

"Your son."

Pan scoffed. "My son? A Strogoff? Impossible! His mother was just some runaway I tumbled after having too many pints of ale."

"Your son's mother was Lilliana Strogoff and now Rumplestiltskin's son Baelfire is the last of his line but he is not a pureblood."

"So my son's heart is the one I need."

"His heart is tainted by darkness from being under Alemedia's control. No, one of his descendants will have the pure heart required to complete the spell."

"Then I'll just have to find him."

Though Pan was not a patient person by nature, he knew he would have to be to ensure his own survival. He also blessed the line of Scots-Irish witches and warlocks he descended from that gave him the ability to look into the future, a gift he hadn't tried to use before for the words the shadow had spoken to him were true. His great-grandson would be the key to his immortality. All he needed to do now was set the events in motion that would bring the child to him. He also blessed the dark goddess who held his son under her heel; making him abandon his son, just as Pan had done to Rumple. A lonely, lost soul would be much easier to manipulate. Now Baelfire was back in his home world, living with a family named the Darlings. Their two boys Jonathan and Michael often came to Neverland in their dreams but for his scheme to succeed, he would have to make it appear as if he wanted them to become permanent residents, not their new 'brother'.

Now there were over a dozen boys living on the island, all brought there courtesy of a former royal naval officer turned pirate Killian Jones, now using the name Captain Hook. Hook had his own issues with the Dark One, the death of his wench or so he told the master of Neverland. That wench also happened to be Baelfire's mother. Pan couldn't help feeling just a tinge of pride at that revelation. It ensured that Hook would bring Baelfire to him the moment he showed up in Neverland. He also kept a supply of rum available to make the pirate a little more compliant when he had an attack of conscience, which wasn't often.

During one of Hook's excursions into the Enchanted Forest he brought back an exiled and powerless fairy named Tinkerbell. At first he thought he could use her to his advantage too but the fairy wanted to brood in private. He didn't care as long as she stayed out of his way…until he had a vision that she would be essential to his plans to obtain the heart of Lurline and Aramon's last descendant. He also made a few excursions to the Outer Zone, his last one almost ending in a death sentence if Cora hadn't brokered a deal with the Sorceress to release him.

He sent the Shadow to England to visit the Darlings and bring the girl Wendy to Neverland, to make her believe the island was a paradise only she could hear the anguished cries of some of the Lost Boys who longed to return to their families only this was no longer possible in a realm where time stood still and anyone who attempted to escape would be killed by the shadow, their spirits haunting the place known as Dark Hollow. Now the Shadow wanted one of her brothers to live there, forever.

"H…how did you escape?" Bae asked her.

"He let me go. Because he didn't want me. He wanted a boy. He's coming back tonight to take one of my brothers in my place. You said magic was bad, and you were right, Bae. It's going to destroy my family."

"No. I won't let anything bad happen to you or this family."

Pan chuckled as he gazed through his seeing globe. "It's time for a family reunion, Baelfire."

Captain Hook couldn't believe his luck. The boy he and his crewmates fished out of the sea was none other than Baelfire….Milah's boy…and the son of the Dark One. He was also the key to Hook's survival on Neverland. He hid the boy from Pan's little army at first, wanting to try to convince the boy to sail off with him as his mother had done but eventually his own desire for self-preservation had gotten the best of him and he put the word out that there was a boy on his ship, possibly the one Pan was looking for.

Bae glared at him as he was being taken away. "You hated my father so much, you never even realized you're just like him!" he snarled. The boys threw a sack over his head and rowed away in their small boat. Once they reached the shore, he was dragged off the boat and onto the beach where the sack was lifted off his head.

"Is this the boy?" the blond haired leader demanded of another who was looking at a piece of parchment.

"No it's not."

"Congratulations boy. It's your lucky day. You get to live. Put him with the rest!" The blond boy shoved Bae to two others. They dragged him down the beach to a small camp where a dozen other boys were living. He recognized a few of them from the group that went missing shortly after his father found them with Pan.

Baelfire didn't know how much time went by while he was living in Neverland and when he wasn't being forced to run errands for Pan, he passed the time by drawing on the walls of the cave he made his home and trying to devise a plan to escape and get back to the Darlings. They'd given him the home he missed so much…and a real family. There were so many times when he wished his father hadn't taken that dagger. It had changed him and not for the better. The only friend he had on the island was an exiled fairy named Tinkerbell. The two of them would sometimes spend hours talking about everything that was on their minds. Tinkerbell had been exiled trying to help- the Queen of the Enchanted Forest change her life for the better but the Blue Fairy was convinced Regina was beyond saving, stripping Tinkerbell of her wings and her powers for disobeying her orders. Tinkerbell was content to stay on Neverland but she knew Bae didn't belong there.

"There is a chance you can escape Bae, but it is dangerous," she cautioned.

"I don't care how dangerous it is. I don't want to be here anymore. I hate Pan and I hate what he makes us do…steal….make all the kids the Shadow takes from their homes believe this is such a great place when it's all a lie. I heard him talking to Felix. He's looking for a specific kid, one who has the Heart of the Truest Believer. He's gonna take that kid's heart and make himself immortal! I hope he never finds him."

"So do I Bae because that child is a descendant of the goddess herself and the powers of a deity in the hands of someone like Pan…" She cringed.

"The Shadow is the only thing that leaves Neverland…if I can capture it; I can use it to get me outta here."

"Please be careful Bae. You know what will happen if you fail. He tells those other boys it's their shadows he rips from their bodies but its more than that…it's their life force he's taking."

"How is he able to do that?"

"I wish I knew. It's a power only the four Guardians of the Balance should have."

"Is it possible he is…?"

"NO! Absolutely not! The Guardians can only be those of the Strogoff and Ozopov bloodlines. That is the proper order. It must be something here that is giving him these abilities." Tink paced the floor of the cave. "There is something else….the time stillness spell Pan cast will not hold once you cross back into that other world."

"What do you mean, Tink?"

"How many years have passed since you have been here?"

"I don't know."

"Once you cross over, you will become the age you should have been in this land. That is the price you will pay if you leave….and that is why many others have been too terrified to leave….too much time has passed."

"I don't care how old I get…anything is better than this!" he said determinedly.

"Then you must go to Dark Hollow," she said softly.

His plan was a simple one. He would trap the Shadow inside a coconut shell that he used to use to replicate starlight on the ceiling of his cave. He loved gazing up at the stars with his father when they were still the poor, crippled spinner and his adoring son. But the Dark One and dark magic had taken everything away from him. Part of him never wanted to see the stranger his father had become again and another wished there was some way he could go back to the good man Bae remembered.

Later that night he made the treacherous journey to Dark Hollow, unaware that Pan was observing his every move through his hourglass that sometimes functioned as a seeing device. It was a clever little trick he learned from a brief visit to Oz during the reign of the dark witch Bastinda. She was in power once again and in control of one of the four guardians. He didn't dare try to cross into Oz again, neither Bastinda nor her dark mistress were women to be trifled with. It was why he never forced his son into a battle. Alemedia could blast him into the void with a thought. But….if he managed to get hold of the heart of a descendant of a deity and become one himself…all the better.

He gave it little thought at that time, but Bae's quest to capture the Shadow was not as difficult as he believed it would be. He forced the being to mold itself into the fabric of his tunic and flew through the barrier that divided their world from the one Wendy called Earth and as Tink warned him, the moment he passed through his appearance began to change from a boy's to a man's and he was not in the place the Darlings lived. He looked up and saw a sign reading PORTLAND, 5 MILES.

I learned how to survive in this world once…I can do it again, he thought confidently and walked into his destiny for three months later he would meet the woman who would change his life forever, Emma Swan.

Oz (The Outer Zone)

Six months prior to the double eclipse

Two months prior to the breaking of the Dark Curse

What are you wearing?" the warden sniggered as he gazed at the long white satin gown his prisoner wore in place of the shirt and pants that had become her custom attire as leader of the resistance.

"My wedding dress, for today I fullfill my marriage vows...til death do us part." Adora answered calmly.

"Crazy bitch," he muttered. "You'll stain it with piss when you see the sword coming to take your head off."

"I'm not afraid to die."

"We'll see," he taunted.

Two guards flanked behind her and led her outside to where the scaffold stood. As she passed through the crowds, she could hear the people passing along messages of sympathy and mercy to her. Once she was standing on the scaffold, Zero stepped up to her, a satisfied grin on his face.

"Adora Kantrine Cain; you have been found guilty of high treason against her Majesty, Azakdellia, Queen of the Outer Zone. You are hearby sentenced to death. Do you have any last words before your sentence is carried out?"

"I do."

"What can you possibly have to say, bitch?" Zero hissed at her. Adora smiled and faced the crowd, feeling their support as the gazed up at her, many of them weeping.

"The executioner has come

And my time in this realm is done

Good Ozian people, never fear

For hope of freedom is near

There is a legend that has rarely been told

Of the saviors of the OZ, two young, two old

Two lost in a storm, two asleep behind a cold dark wall

Soon they will be reunited through love, the strongest magic of all!

Zero shook his head, wondering what Cain saw in that woman. She was obviously a lunatic. Most people when they had last words would go on and on about how sorry they were for what they did but not this one. Oh no. She stands up there and recites some idiotic poem yet the people hung on her every word.

"Idiot," Zero mumbled.

Adora kneeled down on the scaffold, her long skirts fanning out around her, holding her body straight. One of the guards brought the blindfold over to her. She motioned for him to take it away. She could hear Zero's footsteps behind her and the scrape of metal as he removed his sword from its sheath. She pictured her husband's face, still handsome in his magic induced slumber.

It won't be long now. Soon you'll awaken and take back what you've lost.

Then she thought of the son their love had given them and the child they lost. The resistance would never die as long as a Cain was there to lead them and it was her hope that father and son would be reunited and lead them to their final victory. She could feel the blade of the sword approaching. Keeping the faces of her son, her lost child and husband in her mind and remembering the precious time they had together brought a smile to her lips.

When the blade struck, the crowds did not remember Zero's demented laughter as he held up his prize, the head of the resistance leader, they remembered a brave woman kneeling on the scaffold in the same dress she took her wedding vows in, her head held high and a beautiful smile on her lips as she waited to meet the man she loved in the afterlife.

They also took to heart the words she spoke for she was the granddaughter of Alana Kantrine, the most powerful soothsayer in all of the OZ and if she said a savior was coming, they had to believe. Until that day they would fight on in her honor and in honor of those who had fallen before her.

"Sir?"

Jeb Cain glanced up at Artie Dagon. After his mother's death Jeb had taken command of the Western Guild resistance force and Dagon now served him as faithfully as he'd served Adora Cain.

"Yes?"

"We've had news from our spies at the tower."

"What news?"

"We've discovered that the power source for the machine the witch is building is a brain with the code name Ambrose and they are mining large quantities of mauritanium."

"Make sure they send word to us immediately with any updates." Jeb sighed and wished Commander Ozopov were still alive. He'd taken greater risks than any of the other spies the Resistance had in place in the Tower but his information was always legitimate and came to them much sooner.

"Yes sir. And sir...there are two escorts from the Temple of Lurline requesting an audience with you."

"Send them in."

Artie Dagon returned with a male and female dressed in white robes, both carrying swords. They bowed to Jeb, the blades of their swords thrust into the ground.

"Leave us." he ordered Dagon. The man left the tent. "Greetings and rise, Son and Daughter of Light," Jeb greeted two of his great grandmother's faithful protectors. "What are your names?"

"I am Medira Benu and this is my mate, Callux," the woman greeted. "Greetings Master Cain. We come bearing a message from Her Excellency, Alana Kantrine. She requests your presence at the temple at once."

"I'll come. Follow me," he said and the three of them left the tent in search of Dagon. He found him holding a meeting with the rest of the soldiers in the troop, discussing the latest news from their spies. "Artie, I'm going to be away for a few days. See what else our spies can find out about that machine. In the meantime, tighten the patrols."

"Yes sir."

Once he was on his horse, Medira and Callux Benu took their positions on either side of him. The Sons and Daughters of Light had been the protectors of the High Priestesses of the OZ from the beginning of time. Now their mission was to help protect their current priestess's only living descendant, her great-grandson, Jebediah Cain.

"We grieve the loss of your mother and father with you, young Son of Light," Medira said softly. "They were both very brave souls."

"Thank you, Medira," Jeb said sadly.

"Know that you are not alone in this world. We, the Sons and Daughters of Light pledge our loyalty to you as we do to your sainted parents and our own Priestess, Mistress Alana." Callux spoke up.

Jeb chuckled. "My father always thought you guys were crazy."

"That is because he did not understand his destiny," Medira explained.

"You still think he's alive, don't you?"

"He is the Dragon. A dragon does not back down from a fight. If he is wounded he will rest for a while but then his strength will return and he will fight again."

"I wish I could believe that everyone tells me he never would have survived the suit. No one ever has."

Medira and Callux looked at each other and shook their heads. The dragonspawn's heart had turned cold from years of battle and devastating loss. Neither he nor his sire had chosen to accept the Oz's will and if they never learned to, both would suffer. The father was already suffering.

The years of the darkness's reign had been terrifying for all the inhabitants of the OZ but for those who served Lurline herself it was even more so. Although they knew the resistance fighters were their allies in their struggle, Medira and Callux still exercised caution as they escorted young Jeb Cain to their underground fortress in the Northern guild.

Alana Kantrine wept as she set eyes on the son of her beloved Adora. Adora had always been such a loving child but when she gazed at Jeb, she saw more of his father in him. The years since Wyatt's capture had been difficult for both of them and had changed Adora and Jeb into fierce warriors. Now that Alana knew Adora was murdered she knew the time had come to prepare her great-grandson to accept his own destiny or perish.

"You would have been proud of her, Nana," Jeb said still using the nickname his mother had given the older woman. "But I don't understand what she said before Zero killed her."

"What did she say, my child?"

Jeb smiled. He would never forget how brave his mother had been as she kneeled on that scaffold wearing her wedding dress. He knew she had to be thinking about his father, him and the brother he never got the chance to see. The words she spoke before the blade of the sword struck played over and over in his mind but he didn't understand what they meant.

"The executioner has come

And my time in this realm is done

Good Ozian people, never fear

For hope of freedom is near

There is a legend that has rarely been told

Of the saviors of the OZ, two young, two old

Soon they will be reunited through love, the strongest magic of all!"

Alana looked away. As she predicted, the princess had survived the darkness's attack years ago and by severing their bond Wyatt had damned himself to the cruelest of punishments, confinement in the darkness's lair until his bondmate released him and having to sacrifice his life with Jeb and Adora.

She'd heard rumors that there was a resistance fighter trapped in one of the tin suits that had been dragged back to the Sorceress's tower repeatedly to be read by viewers but no matter how hard she probed, he would not reveal his secrets. Many viewers died in the attempt, not by the fault of the one being tortured but by the electric prods the alchemist used to make them obey.

Either he had enough magic left in him to put a blocking spell on his heart or there is still a trace left of the soul of the OZ in Azkadellia that she was able to take control and perform the spell herself.

It was this possibility that forced her to summon her great-grandson to her. His parents had been unaware of his purpose for the OZ but she was. She had sensed it in him the day he was born.

"Nana?" Jeb prodded when he noticed that his great-grandmother seemed distracted. "What did Mother mean when she said all that stuff?"

"Your father is alive, Jeb." she said softly.

"No he isn't." the younger man said bitterly.

"He..."

"No! Do you know how many times over the years I've wanted that to be true? We went back there Nana. He wasn't there!"

"When did you go back?" she inquired.

"The last time was two years ago," Jeb explained. "And we found nothing...not even a suit. Now that part of the guild is so heavily guarded we would need a larger army to break through. I'm not going to let you fill my head with false hopes like you did my mother's!"

"It wasn't false hope!" Alana cried.

"Then why didn't we find him?"

"Because he is the resistance fighter the Sorceress has been torturing but unable to break! When they saw you getting close to finding him, they moved him." She loved her great-grandson but he tried her patience as much as his father did. It was a Cain trait.

"If he is Nana, then they probably killed him when they realized they couldn't get anything out of him. They caught him not long after the war started. What information could he possibly have that would make them torture him for years?"

"The information the witch wants is in his heart," Alana explained. "You know he succeeded Jeb Mysticos as the Talon of the Dragon Master. Once that transition began, all of his knowledge and sorcerery passed to your father. Your father was born one but couldn't use his powers."

"My father was not a sorcerer," Jeb scoffed. "I knew he was a Talon warrior but I never saw him use magic."

"His powers were not unlocked until just before Princess Dorothia's death."

"What does she have to do with it?"

"She unlocked them by binding herself to him but it is not complete."

"Now I know you're insane! The only time he ever saw her is when he was carrying her coffin to its grave. I know. I was there!"

"He met her before that but he didn't remember it."

"Bullshit!"

"Watch your language, young man!" Alana snapped.

"It is!" the younger man snapped, sounding and looking every inch like his father as his anger took control of him. "You have no idea how much my mother suffered all these years holding onto the hope that my father was still alive...hope you drilled into her. And what happened? She was killed by the same man who killed him! It's not going to happen to me! I'll kill that son of a bitch first." He spun on his heel and walked out of the room.

Alana pressed her hand to her heart and the room began to spin. Medira rushed to her mistress's side and caught her before she fell to the floor. Callux lifted the older woman into his arms and carried her into her bedchamber.

"He has so much anger in him...just like Wyatt..." Alana wept as Callux gently placed her on her bed.

"Yet the dragon's rage can be soothed by the return of what was lost," Medira reminded her. "In two months' time the princess will return and Wyatt will be awakened. Once the dragonspawn sees his sire, it will soothe his anger. Have faith, Mistress. Lurline will help heal the dragons' angry hearts."

Alana smiled up at Medira. "You've served me well over the years. Both of you have," she said, indicating Callux. "As your parents did before you."

"And we would give our last breaths to protect you and yours, Mistress." Callux said softly.

"When Jeb leaves, you must go with him," Alana ordered.

"Mistress, we cannot leave you!" they cried in unison. "We will send our youngest to watch over him since they are the same age." Callux said.

"Are you sure that's such a good idea after what happened...?" Medira asked her spouse.

"They have to learn to deal with each other," Callux explained. "What happened was Xenia's mistake not his. She was not destined to be his bondmate. The OZ has determined that she is to guard him and his destined bondmate."

"That was why you summoned us here, was it not, Mistress?" Medira asked.

"He must be prepared for when his bondmate comes to claim him just as his father must be prepared for when Dorothia comes to claim him because their powers will be unlocked. All four must be at full strength when the final battle comes."

"The double eclipse?" Callux asked.

Alana nodded. She crawled out of bed and walked over to the closet and took out a cloth back that she handed to Medira. Medira opened it and inside was a gold staff with the image of a sleeping dragon on top of it. "I will give this to Xenia, Mistress."

"Should've known you were the one causing the ruckus," Jeb heard a familiar sarcastic voice say from behind him and turned around to face Xenia Benu, Medira and Callux's youngest daughter.

"Hello to you too, Xenia. It's been awhile."

"Not long enough for me," she said bitterly.

"Still hate me?"

"With every fiber of my being," the girl said angrily. "If I had my sword right now I would cut your heart out but since you don't have one, it would be a waste of my blade's energy."

He sighed. He first met her not long after his father was captured. He and his mother had taken sanctuary in Alana's temple so that his mother could recover from her miscarriage. He and Xenia were the same age and had forged a friendship that had lasted until Xenia had confessed to him two years ago that she'd fallen in love with him. Jeb felt it was best for them to stay friends. Xenia hadn't taken his rejection well.

"Can we just bury what happened in the past and let it stay buried?" he pleaded.

"I would rather bury you!" she growled. "Why are you so damned afraid to let anyone care for you?"

"You know why," he reminded her. "I won't let another woman go through what my mother did all those years."

"So it is much easier for you to subject both of us to a fate far worse than death...to spend this life and the afterlife alone?" Xenia demanded coldly.

"If I have to," he said.

"Unfortunately now you're not going to be alone," Xenia muttered.

"Why?"

"It is now my duty to protect you," Xenia said angrily, every word she spoke feeling like bile in her throat. She handed him a cloth bag. Jeb opened it and took out the silver staff.

"What is this?"

Xenia unsheathed her sword and kneeled, thrusting the blade into the ground. "I pledge my last breath to guard you, Jebediah Cain, Son of Light, Son of the Dragon, Guardian of the East Gate, Bearer of the Staff, and Keeper of Air."

"What the hell..." Jeb breathed.

Xenia smirked. "If you thought your life was hard before, it's gonna get worse like your father's did once he finally found out what he was...if he was even told everything."

"Would you please make some sense here?" Jeb demanded. Xenia returned her sword to its scabbard.

"You are the four Guardians of the Balance. You each represent a point on the compass, have one of the four elements that you can control and a symbol."

"Which one was my father?"

"Wyatt Cain is Dorothia's bondmate. He guards the West Gate, his element is fire and his symbol is the blade...or sword. Since he is also the Talon of the Dragon Grand Master, his symbol has become the sword he carries."

"He doesn't have his sword, I do!"

"You must return it to its rightful owner."

"I can't. He's dead!"

"There are only two beings that can kill him and she never will..."

"Who?"

" The Princess Dorothia or he will do it himself."

"You're as crazy as the rest of them. She's dead and buried. Let's say for argument's sake she is alive, how can she kill my father?"

"By launching an attack at where his strength lies...his heart. If she breaks his heart, he will lose the will to live."

Jeb shook his head. "My father, even if he was alive, would never let a broken heart bring him down especially if it was the princess doing it. What would give her a reason to break his heart?"

"By betraying their love. Just as his betrayal of their love is lethal to her heart now that they're bonded."

Jeb laughed bitterly. "What would my father see in a girl half his age?"

"What does any girl see in you that makes you worthy of love?" Xenia retorted.

"Answer your own question Xenia. What do you see in me?"

"Bastard," she hissed. "Before you took my heart and trampled on it, I loved you because you have a gentle side but you don't like to show it unless you really trust someone. And we did trust each other completely...once."

"That still doesn't answer how my father and Dorothia would fall in love."

"Watch it happen and you'll understand." Xenia challenged. "But do not interfere with anything having to do with their bond because doing so comes with a punishment and it is terrible one."

"Did my mother know about...?" He still had trouble believing what he was hearing but Xenia had never lied to him in her life, even if she was angry at him.

"Yes. Your father didn't know how to love until he met her. Her task was to teach him how but then she had to surrender his heart when Dorothia came to claim it."

"I guess her dying made that a lot easier," Jeb said sarcastically.

"Not if his heart has not accepted that it can be free to love another." Xenia said. "If that happened, her spirit must be called on to release it."

"Oh, and how can we do that?"

"We can't. You can. You are the child created from that union and if your mother has not completed her task and released Wyatt's heart from their bond she must be summoned to do so."

"What happens if she doesn't?"

"The memories that he loved another and cannot love again will act as the poison that will slowly kill your father and the princess."

Jeb sat down and buried his face in his hands. "So even if my father is alive, he's going to die again anyway," he asked sadly. "He loved my mother with all his heart, Xenia. He'd never replace her with anyone, even the princess."

"Then the Balance will continue to shift and the prophecy will come to pass," Xenia said sadly.

"What prophecy?"

"The one that can never be spoken." Even as she said these words, Jeb saw her tremble. He shook his head, agreeing with his father that all their lives would be much better without all the magic and superstition. "There's work to be done and time is running out."

Paradise

Ozian Heaven Realm

"...Welcome home sister," Lurline said softly as Adora appeared in her throne room back in her true form. "You've done well."

The younger woman kneeled before her mistress, hiding her agony behind a false smile. She would never reveal it but she'd secretly hoped that Dorothia would fail and Lurline in her mercy would allow Wyatt to stay with her. She'd loved him for centuries yet that mattered little to Lurline. To her he was just another human to use as she saw fit.

"Forgive me Mistress but I wish to be alone," Adora said softly and rose to her feet. Once the doors to her chambers were closed behind her she sank to her knees and burst into tears, crying for herself, her husband and their children, her adult son who would now lead their army and the child she lost.

"My Ozmalita," Lurline said softly as she embraced her.

Adora shoved the goddess away, glaring at her hatefully. "Do you enjoy torturing me so?" she demanded. "Why can I not have a mate?"

"You serve me Ozmalita and no other. Never forget that," the goddess said sternly. "And have you forgotten the chaos that ensued in this realm when I allowed myself to take a lover? The tainted offspring I spawned on him….his twisted visions?"

"So you punish me for your own mistake?" Adora cried.

"Ozmalita..."

"My name is Adora!" Adora screamed.

"Don't you talk back to me!" Lurline yelled.

"Admit it!" Adora hissed. "The only reason why you've never allowed me to keep a lover is because you've wanted me to be as alone and miserable as you've been all these centuries. Well, you've succeeded...again."

"Ozmalita, I..."

"I just want to be alone for now," the angel sobbed brokenly.

Lurline sighed and retreated to her throne room. Once she was alone she allowed her own tears to fall as she thought of the man she once loved.

Ephesis

Ozian Hell Realm

The Realm of the Forgotten

Later that night Adora awoke and reached under her pillow for a pendant that had been given to her centuries ago. She pressed it between her palms and closed her eyes. As the stone heated up her chamber in Paradise vanished and she found herself standing outside a stone fortress in Ephesis that was being guarded by two mobat demons.

"Mistress Ozmalita," one of the demons said as he bowed.

"Hello Braxus," she said. "How is he?"

"His mood has improved now that he knows you've come," the mobat replied as he escorted her inside and opened the door to a cell "Master Aramon, look who has come to visit!"

"Ozmalita,"Aramon, the former consort said softly as he longed to embrace the angel he considered a daughter but his shadow form prevented it. "You've been crying, precious. What's wrong?"

"I've lost him again, Papa." she sobbed.

"You knew you would have to darling."

"I know but this time...we were together longer and...I've born his child."

"I should have known," Aramon said bitterly. "And I am assuming your child is the East Gate's replacement if Rumplestiltskin cannot banish Alemedia back here?"

Adora nodded. "He doesn't know it yet."

"Lurline denies the truth. The Final Eclipse will come and if the proper order is not restored before that time, the price will be paid by all. Even if the dagger Rumplestiltskin holds is neutralized, she can still use the other two keys to seek out a vessel to carry her over to that side. She wouldn't dare risk a crossing in her true form."

"What are the other two keys? Surely you have seen them."

"Alemedia is clever. She's cloaked them from my sight."

"Then we must find them and neutralize them or destroy them."

"Only the Guardians can do that, dear heart but there are trials they must face first and it will be up to you to guide Rumplestiltskin through his though he will need my talisman when that time comes."

"Alemedia will never allow him to come here to retrieve it and the lock requires pure hearts from each side of the bloodline to open it."

Aramon smiled. "Then we shall see if the bondmates you have chosen for him and Azkadellia are worthy of such a task and I have every confidence they will be as will the one who will be bound to the East Guardian. Ozmalita my child….it is not your son. This is a truth you must accept. No other must stand at the East Gate but Henry Strogoff. He is has the purest heart of the four and it is to him that our full powers will be bequeathed when he reaches his hundredth birthday. The others will prepare him for that time."

"Then what is Jeb….a decoy then?"

"His duty is protect the East Guardian and his bondmate and he cannot do so if he remains in Oz. Soon he will have to cross over to the other side and return the staff to its rightful owner."

Adora sighed. "There is no chance of changing the order?"

"Ozmalita, have you not suffered enough for defying the will of the OZ?"

"If I help restore the proper order Lurline owes me a debt…and she will pay it!"

Aramon smirked. "Make one last deal with her, my dear. One more chance as a human to find your true love and be close to your son but not as he remembers you."

"It's not what I want but it will have to do," Adora sighed. She embraced the man she loved as a father. I hope to see you again Papu…one last time."

"I will see you…in one form or another….but soon I must return to Mother Russia. My soul wishes to rest beside my beloved sister Elizaveta."

And he would do so when West Guardian's bondmate came to claim his emerald and his talisman.

Storybrooke, Maine

Two months prior to the breaking of the Dark Curse

Thirty days prior to the Double Eclipse

He lived in a grand mansion, had every material possession his heart desired and his mother was the mayor of their town and yet Henry Mills still was not a happy child. He didn't approve of how his mother seemed to enjoy walking all over everyone in the town except for the pawnbroker Mr. Gold. He was the only person the boy observed that his mother actively feared. He was a little intimidated by the older gentleman himself but Mr. Gold was always kind to him when their paths crossed on the streets.

One day Mary Margaret Blanchard, one of his favorite teachers brought by a book she found in her closet in the hopes that it would cheer the boy up. When he opened it and gazed at the beautiful drawing of a couple at their wedding he couldn't help noticing how much the woman looked very much like his teacher and even more surprising, the book claimed this couple was Snow White and Prince Charming. He spent the rest of his lunch break reading. It was not the version of Snow White he was used to seeing when he went over to his friend Grace's house. His mother wouldn't allow him to watch any fairy tale movies or even read them.

"You don't need to be filling your head with that garbage," she said.

He didn't see any harm in it but he didn't dare disobey her…at least not at home and his mother became increasingly paranoid over his obsession with it that she made him start seeing Doctor Hopper once a week. Henry liked Doctor Hopper but the poor man absolutely refused to accept the truth that he was actually Jiminy Cricket and in a way, he was a bit like Roger Dearly from 101 Dalmatians since he owned a Dalmatian named Pongo and his best friend was none other than Geppetto himself.

His only hope of making everyone believe he wasn't crazy was to find the Savior. He wasn't shocked at all that she was his birth mother. It was meant to be. Once she came to town the curse would start to weaken and everyone would start standing up to the Evil Queen but only Emma could free everyone from the curse.

He called his mission Operation Cobra. It was the perfect name. Though his adoption records were supposed to be a sealed, he'd done a little snooping around in his mother's room and found all the paperwork she had on Emma and courtesy of Miss Blanchard's credit card, he was able to locate her in Boston.

"Are you Emma Swan?" he asked when a blond haired woman twenty-eight years old opened her door for him. It was her birthday today according to the information he learned from the website he'd been using.

"Yeah, who are you?"

"My name's Henry. I'm your son." He ducked under her and strode into the apartment.

"Whoa, hey, kid! Kid! I don't have a son! Where are your parents?" Emma demanded.

"Ten years ago, did you give up a baby for adoption? That was me."

My son. Neal's son. HERE in Boston!

"Give me a minute." She raced off to the bathroom, unable to believe this sudden twist of fate. She'd never expected to see her son again and there he was….bearing a striking resemblance to the only man who ever broke her heart.

"Hey, do you have any juice? Never mind, found some. You know, we should probably get going," Henry was saying to her when she returned to the kitchen.

"Going where?"

"I want you to come home with me."

"Okay, kid, I'm calling the cops." She picked up her phone.

"And I'll tell them you kidnapped me."

"And they'll believe you because I'm your birth mother." Clever kid, clever, she thought and set her phone back down. Just like both of us. Dammit! No. I do not want to think ab out that! It's done. We're done!

"Yep."

"You're not gonna do that."

"Try me."

"You're pretty good, but here's the thing. There's not a lot I'm great at in life, but I have one skill. It's called a "superpower." I can tell when anyone is lying, and you, kid, are."

"Wait. Please don't call the cops. Please come home with me," he pleaded.

"Where's home?"

"Storybrooke, Maine."

"Storybrooke? Seriously?"

Emma shook her head as she led them out of the apartment to her car, the old yellow Bug she and Neal stole what seemed like ages ago. Now she was reunited with the son she may have conceived in it at some point and was taking him back to his home.

Oh God! I do NOT want to think about that but dammit….this old thing was our home sometimes…

"I'm hungry. Can we stop somewhere?"

"This is not a road trip; we're not stopping for snacks."

"Why not?"

"Quit complaining, kid. Remember, I could've put your butt on a bus; I still could."

"You know, I have a name? It's Henry."

Emma glanced over to the passenger seat and saw a book laying across the boy's lap. "What's that?" it was called Once Upon a Time.

A book of fairy tales. A town called Storybrooke. This whole thing is getting weirder and weirder.

"I'm not sure you're ready."

"Ready for some fairy tales?"

"They're not fairy tales. They're true. Every story in this book actually happened."

"Of course they did."

"Use your superpower. See if I'm lying."

"Just because you believe something doesn't make it true." Yet when she looked at him, her bullshit detector seemed to be failing her. That was odd.

"That's exactly what makes it true. You should know more than anyone."

"Why's that?"

"Because you're in this book."

"Oh, kid. You've got problems."

"Yup. And you're going to fix them."

"Okay, kid, how about an address?"

"Forty-four, not-telling-you street."

Ha ha. Good one kid.

"Look, it's been a long night, and it's almost …eight-fifteen?" she said when they got out of the car in Storybrooke, something no one else would have been able to do because of the barrier that prevented anyone not born from their world to cross through.

"That clock hasn't moved my whole life. Time's frozen here."

"Excuse me?"

"The Evil Queen did it with her curse. She sent everyone from the Enchanted Forest here."

"Hang on. The Evil Queen sent a bunch of fairytale characters here."

"Yeah. And now they're trapped."

"Frozen in time, stuck in Storybrooke, Maine. That's what you're going with?"

"It's true!"

"Then why doesn't everybody just leave?"

"They can't. If they try, bad things happen."

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Archie approaching with Pongo, hoping the doctor wouldn't say anything to make Emma continue to think he was crazy. It would make getting her to see the truth far more difficult.

"Henry! What are you doing here? Is everything all right?" Archie inquired worriedly.

"I'm fine, Archie." Henry petted the Dalmatian.

"Who's this?" Archie asked, gazing at Emma. She was the first newcomer to their town in ages.

"Just someone trying to give him a ride home." Emma answered.

"She's my mom, Archie."

"Oh.. I see..."

The mayor is not going to like this one bit…and she's going to think I put him up to it!

"You know where he lives?" Emma was asking him, interrupting his thoughts.

"Oh. Yeah, sure, just uh, right up on Mifflin Street; the Mayor's house is the biggest one on the block."

"You're the mayor's kid?"

"Uh. Maybe?"

"Hey. Where were you today, Henry, because you missed our session," Archie asked his patient.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I went on a field trip."

Archie crouched down so that he was at eye level with the boy. "Henry, what'd I tell you about lying? Giving in to one's dark side never accomplishes anything," he reminded the boy softly.

"O-kay! Well, I really should be getting him home."

"Yeah. Sure. Well, listen—have a good night, and uh, you be good, Henry," Archie said as he walked away.

"So that's your shrink."

"I'm not crazy."

"Didn't say that. Just—he doesn't seem cursed to me. Maybe he's just trying to help you."

"He's the one who needs help. Because he doesn't know."

"That he's a fairytale character."

"None of them do. They don't remember who they are." And some of them are not aware of what they can do, a voice in his head was telling him though he was unaware that it was Ozmalita speaking to him. The balance must be reset and you are the key to doing so. You are the staff that must bring forth the winds of change.

"Convenient. All right. I'll play. Who's he supposed to be?"

"Jiminy Cricket!"

The heart of the soul forgotten…

"Right. The lying thing. Thought your nose grew a little bit."

"I'm not Pinocchio!"

"'Course you're not. 'Cause that would be ridiculous."

"Please don't take me back there."

"I have to. I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you."

"I don't have parents. I just have a mom, and she's-evil."

"Evil. That's a bit extreme, isn't it?"

"She is. She doesn't love me; she only pretends to."

"Kid. I'm sure that's not true."

When they pulled into the driveway of the mayor's house on Mifflin Street, Regina came out followed by Graham, sheriff of Storybrooke, once the huntsman.

"Henry? Are you okay? Where have you been? What happened?" regina cried as she hugged him.

"I found my real mom!"

"You're Henry's birth mother?" Regina eyed the blond woman suspiciously.

"Hi."

"I'll.. just.. go check the lad, make sure he's okay," Graham said and went upstairs to check on Henry.

"How'd you like a glass of the best apple cider you ever tasted?" Regina invited.

"Got anything stronger?"

She waited in the foyer while Regina made them each a glass of cider. She returned a few minutes later and handed one of them to Emma.

"How did he find me?" Emma asked her

"No idea. When I adopted him, he was only three weeks old. Records were sealed, I was told the birth mother didn't want to have any contact."

"You were told right."

"And the father?"

"There was one."

"Do I need to be worried about him?"

"Nope. Doesn't even know." And he sold me out, the bastard.

"Do I need to be worried about you, Miss Swan?"

"Absolutely not."

"Madam Mayor, you can relax. Other than being a tired little boy, Henry's fine," Graham assured her when he came downstairs.

"Thank you, Sheriff." He smiled at her and left the house. Regina escorted Emma into the living room. "I'm sorry he dragged you out of your life. I really don't know what's gotten into him."

"Kid's having a rough time. Happens."

"You have to understand, ever since I became mayor, balancing things has been tricky. You have a job, I assume?"

"Uh, I keep busy. Yeah."

"Imagine having another one on top of it. That's being a single mom. So I push forward. Am I strict? I suppose. But I do it for his own good. I want Henry to excel in life. I don't think that makes me evil, do you?"

Evil isn't born…it's made and YOUR mother made me what I am by taking away MY true love.

"I'm-sure he's just saying that because of the fairytale thing."

"What fairytale thing?"

"Oh, you know, his book. How he thinks everyone's a cartoon character from it. Like his shrink is Jiminy Cricket."

No….no…NO! This will not do…at all! Regina thought frantically. She was going to have to have a talk with that cricket and remind him to do his job properly or else he was not going to be anything in this town.

"I'm sorry, I-really have no idea what you're talking about."

"You know what, it's none of my business. He's your kid. And I really should be heading back."

"Of course. "

As Emma was driving out of town the curse and even a bit of fate intervened. She looked down and saw the book sitting on the seat, chuckling. "Sneaky bastard." When she looked up a lone wolf came out of the woods and directly into the path of her car. She swerved to avoid hitting it and crashed on the side of the road, her head striking the steering wheel. The book was on the floor, open to the page depecting the instrument that had taken her out of her own world and into this one, the enchanted wardrobe.

The sheriff discovered her while out on patrol. Her injuries were mild but he'd assumed, with plenty of cocercion from Regina who removed his heart from its hiding place in her vault that the young woman had been drunk driving and put her in a holding cell back at the station next to Leroy's.

"What are you looking at, sister?" Leroy, once known as Grumpy the dwarf demanded angrily.

"Hey, Leroy—manners! We have a guest! So you are eh, Henry's mother. How lovely for him to have you back in his life," Geppetto, now Marco in this land greeted her politely.

"Actually, I was just dropping him off."

"Don't blame ya. They're all brats; who needs 'em," Leroy scoffed.

"Well, I'd give anything for one. My wife and I, we tried for many years, but, uh... it was not meant to be," Marco said wistfully.

"Well cry me a river," Leroy mocked.

"Leroy! I'm going to let you out; you need to behave. Put on a smile, and stay out of trouble." Graham advised his former prisoner. The man gave a faint false smile and left the station.

"Seriously?" Emma rolled her eyes.

"Regina's drinks; a little stronger than we thought."

"I wasn't drunk; there was a wolf, standing in the middle of the road."

"A wolf. Right."

That's a new one, Graham thought.

"Graham? Henry's run away again, we have to- …what is she doing here? Do you know where he is?" Regina demanded of Emma when she saw her in one of the cells.

"Lady, I haven't seen him since I dropped him at your house, and…pretty good alibi. Did you try his friends?"

"He doesn't really have any. Kind of a loner."

"Every kid has friends. Did you check his computer? If he was close to someone he'd be emailing them."

"And you know this how?"

"Finding people's what I do. Here's an idea; how 'bout you guys let me out, and I'll help you find him."

Regina didn't trust the girl as far as she could throw her but desperate times often called for desperate measures as that damned imp would often say to her.

She took them back to the house and watched with interest as Emma navigated through the system with very little effort. Even she could not do that.

"Smart kid. Cleared his inbox. I'm smart too, a little hard disk recovery utility I like to use," Emma explained and plugged it in.

"I'm a bit more old-fashioned, in my techniques. Pounding the pavement, knocking on doors, that sort of thing." Graham said.

"You're on salary; I get paid for delivery. Pounding pavement is not a luxury that I get. Ah, there's a receipt for a website, —it's expensive. He has a credit card?"

"He's ten."

"Well, he used one. Let's pull up a transaction record. Mary Margaret Blanchard, who's Mary Margaret Blanchard?" Emma asked as she read the screen.

"Henry's teacher."

"…What you're making is a home. Not a cage. A bird is free, and will do what it will. This is for them, not us. They're loyal creatures.. If you love them and they love you, they will always find you." Mary Margaret Blanchard released the bird in her hand and it flew into a bird house while the children in her class watched with delight. "We'll pick this up after recess. No running! Why thank you!" she praised a student who left an apple on her desk. "Miss Mills, what are you doing here?" Regina walked into the classroom and from the expression on her face, Mary knew her presence meant trouble.

"Where's my son?"

"Henry.. I assumed he was home with you." Mary said nervously.

"You think I'd be here if he was? Did you give him your credit card so he can find her?" Regina pointed to where Emma waited.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" she asked Emma.

How lovely, Regina thought gleefully. Your daughter is a stranger to you.

"I'm—I'm his—"

"The woman who gave him up for adoption." Regina said smarmily.

"You don't know anything about this, do you?"

"No, unfortunately not." She picked up her purse and began to search through it, her credit card missing. "Clever boy. I should never have given him that book."

Just like his father. Neal could pick the toughest pockets….taught me well enough.

"What in the hell is this book I keep hearing about?"

"Just some old stories I gave him. As you well know, Henry is a special boy: so smart, so creative, and as you might be aware, lonely. He needed it."

"What he needs is dose of reality. This is a waste of time. Have a nice trip back to Boston." She knocked over several books as she left the room. Emma knelt down to help the teacher pick them up.

"Sorry to bother you," she said to Mary.

"No, it's-it's okay, I fear this is partially my fault."

"How's a book supposed to help?"

"What do you think stories are for? These stories? The classics? There's a reason we all know them. They're a way for us to deal with our world. A world that doesn't always make sense. See, Henry hasn't had the easiest life," Mary was explaining as they left her classroom and walked down the hall.

"Yeah, she's kind of a hard-ass."

"No, it's more than her. He's like any adopted child. He wrestles with that most basic question they all inevitably face: why would anyone give me away? I am so sorry. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean in any way to judge you..." Mary Margaret said guiltily when she realized she'd probably hurt the other woman's feelings.

"It's okay."

"Look, I gave the book to him because I wanted Henry to have the most important thing anyone can have; hope. Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing."

"You know where he is, don't you."

"You might want to check his castle."

"You left this in my car. Still hasn't moved, huh?" Emma inquired when she found Henry sitting at his wooden castle in the park, gazing out at the clock tower, disappointed.

"I was hoping that when I brought you back, things would change here. That the final battle will begin."

Light meets dark in the stillness between

North and South shall unite

To banish the dark mistress's servant in a blaze of light

Face the father as a mortal shall the Western son

Through the love of his blood kin, shall the Dark One be undone

"I'm not fighting any battles, kid."

"Yes, you are. You're here because it's your destiny. You're going to bring back the happy endings."

"Can you cut it with the book crap?" Emma snapped.

"You don't have to be hostile. I know you like me, I can tell. You're just—pushing me away because I make you feel guilty. It's okay; I know why you gave me away. You wanted to give me my best chance."

"How do you know that?"

"The same reason Snow White gave you away."

"Listen to me, kid. I am not in any book. I'm a real person. And I'm no savior. You were right about one thing, though. I wanted you to have your best chance. But it's not with me. C'mon, let's go."

"Please don't take me back there! Just stay with me for one week, that's all I ask! One week, and you'll see I'm not crazy."

"I have to get you back to your mom."

"You don't know what it's like with her. My life sucks!"

Not from what I see kid. You have everything.

"Oh, you wanna know what sucking is? Being left abandoned on the side of a freeway; my parents didn't even bother to drop me off at a hospital!" She choked back a sob. "I ended up in a foster system and I had a family until I was three but then they had their own kid so they sent me back... Look. Your mom is trying her best. I know it's hard. And I know sometimes you think she doesn't love you. But at least she wants you."

"Your parents didn't leave you on the side of the freeway; that's just where you came through!"

"What?"

"The wardrobe. When you went through the wardrobe you appeared on the side of the street. Your parents were trying to save you from the curse."

This ain't Narnia, kid. My parents probably were kids. Selfish, spoiled little kids who didn't want to be shackled with one.

Kinda sounds like you, doesn't it?

That was different!

Was it?

Yes! I wanted to give him his best chance. My parents didn't give a shit. At least I did!

"Sure they were. C'mon, Henry."

Regina breathed a sigh of relief when the Swan woman brought her son back home, To her dismay, he ignored her and raced upstairs to his bedroom.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

"He seems to have taken quite a shine to you."

Emma laughed nervously. "You know it seems kind of crazy. Yesterday was my birthday. And—when I blew out the candle on this cupcake I bought myself, I actually made a wish. That I didn't have to be alone on my birthday. And then Henry showed up…"

"I hope there's no misunderstanding here."

"I'm sorry?"

"Don't mistake all of this as invitation back into his life.

"Oh…I…"

"Miss Swan, you made a decision ten years ago," Regina reminded her icily. "And in the last decade, while you've been…well, who knows that you've been doing…I've changed every diaper, soothed every fever, endured every tantrum. You may have given birth to him, but he is my son!"

I raised him, you bitch! Not you! And I WILL keep him!

"I was not…"

"No. You don't get to speak—you don't get to do anything. You gave up that right when you tossed him away. Do you know what a closed adoption is? It's what you asked for. You have no legal right to Henry, and you're gonna be held to that. So I suggest you get in your car, and you leave this town. Because if you don't, I will destroy you if it is the last thing I do. Goodbye, Miss Swan!"

Emma started to turn away but she stopped and turned to face the mayor. "Do you love him?"

"Excuse me?"

"Henry. Do you love him?"

"Of course I love him!" Regina insisted. "Leave. Now!"

Emma was still uneasy when she left the house, feeling for the first time that motherly instinct to protect her offspring. Something wasn't right in this town and with the mayor and she was determined to find out what it was.

It was rent day again. Gold walked into Granny's Bed and Breakfast to collect it when he spotted a blond haired woman standing at the counter getting ready to check in. He hadn't seen her in town before and no one ever visited Storybrooke. Everyone liked it that way. The news was filled with reports of outsiders causing problems in cities and towns all across the United States and they didn't need that in their safe haven.

"Now, what's the name?" Granny was asking the girl.

"Swan. Emma Swan."

Gold flinched as if he'd been struck by something. Images started playing in his mind like a movie on fast forward as well as voices and faces from his past...

You coward. You promised! Don't break our deal!

And all you'll have... is an empty heart...and a chipped cup...

A child can't have a child Rumple!

I never loved you!

You changed the contract Rumple. You only get your own child. And any baby I have, it won't be yours.

In this new land, should I ever come to you for any reason, you must heed my every request. You must do whatever I say. So long as I say "Please".

You do realize that should I succeed, you won't remember any of this?

Oh well, then what's the harm?

Missy, missy..you know I'm right. Tell me. What's her name?

Emma. Her name is Emma.

"What a lovely name," Rumplestiltskin said softly. So this girl was their savior?

"Thanks," the girl said while Granny held out a wad of cash.

"It's all here."

"Yes, yes of course it is dear. Thank you." Normally he would have counted the money as Mr. Gold used to do but he was not Mr. Gold anymore. "Enjoy your stay," he said to Emma and left the inn with a smile on his face.

I am Rumplestiltskin. I am the Dark One. And now the savior has arrived. It's time to break this damned curse and find my son!

When he returned to his shop he opened the safe and took out the shawl, caressing it. It along with most of his possessions had been transported from the Dark Castle to his shop and Victorian style mansion.

"It's almost over Bae...it's almost over," he chanted, draping the shawl over his shoulders. When he returned home, he glanced over at the china closet, Belle's chipped cup sitting on its saucer on the top shelf. It was all he had of her now...and his memories. He sat down in his chair and wept softly holding her cup in his hand and his son's shawl around his neck. His happy ending would have been perfect if there was a chance Belle was still alive but being reunited with his son was now all the happy ending he needed.

Now it was time to set up his chessboard again and enjoy the living hell that was about to become the Evil Queen's life and the next day he learned that under his cursed persona he'd made a move that ensured that the Savior would stay in town. As it turned out, Regina's boy Henry was Emma Swan's son and the boy had a book filled with stories about all their lives. He smiled, remembering the day he broke into Mary Margaret's loft as Mr. Gold and planted the book in the closet. He'd created it shortly before the curse was cast and enchanted it so that it would fall into the hands of the one person who could deliver it to the Savior, her own mother. Somehow the spell was able to force his cursed self to carry out his instructions. Snow hadn't given it to the Savior but she'd done the next best thing...given it to her grandchild and he used it to late Emma and bring her to Storybrooke to break the curse.

He had to give the boy credit, he was clever. A lot like him if he wanted to be honest. Regina was trying to make it sound like he was crazy, even forcing him to attend therapy sessions with Dr. Hopper. By doing so she was alienating Henry, making him want to form a bond with his birth mother...just what Rumple needed to happy. It would give Emma more of an incentive to stay.

And Regina was being her usual Evil Queen self, doing everything she could to force the girl out of town, first by having her arrested for stealing Dr. Hopper's files. Rumple eagerly awaited the results of Regina's scheme. it would show him just how strong the Savior was...and she didn't disappoint. He watched in the distance with a smirk on his face as the girl walked right into Regina's backyard and took a chainsaw to her precious apple tree.

"What the hell are you doing!?" he heard her screaming at Emma.

"Picking apples," Emma declared and dropped the chainsaw.

"You're out of you mind!"

"No, you are if you think a shotty frame job's enough to scare me off. You're gonna have to do better than that. If you come after me one more time, I'm coming back for the rest of this tree. Because, sister, you have no idea what I am capable of. Your move," Emma challenged as she walked away.

"Well done dearie," Rumple murmured proudly. "Well done."

Regina wasn't done with the girl yet. She made certain Granny evicted her from the inn, a boot was placed on her car. Any other person would be ready to throw in the towel but not the savior and seeing the way Regina acted with her and everyone else in the town would bring Emma's maternal instinct to protect her child to the surface. He did not have his powers or his sight in this land but he sensed that Henry was the key to breaking the curse.

Later that night he decided to pay his former apprentice a visit to give her a friendly reminder of what he was capable of if she continued to interfere in his plans to get the damned curse broken.

"What a mess." he said.

"Not for long. What can I do for you, Mr. Gold?" Regina asked.

"I was just in the neighborhood, thought I'd pop by. Lovely to see you in such high spirits."

"Well, it's been a good day. I just rid the town of an unwanted nuisance."

"Emma Swan? Really?"

"Yes. I imagine she's halfway to Boston by now."

"Oh, I wouldn't bet on that," he said, picking an apple from the tree. "I've just seen her strolling down the main street with your boy. Thick as thieves, they looked," he taunted.

"What?"

Perhaps you should have come to me. If Miss Swan is a problem you can't fix, I'm only too happy to help, for a price, of course."

"I'm not in the business of making deals with you anymore," she said with a laugh and turned her back to him.

"To which deal are you referring?"

"You know what deal."

"Oh, right, yeah. The boy I procured for you. Henry. Did I ever tell you what a lovely name that was? How ever did you pick it?"

"Did you want her to come to town? You wanted all this to happen, didn't you? Your finding Henry wasn't an accident, was it?" she demanded as she faced him.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Where did you get him? Do you know something?"

"I've no idea what you're implying."

"I think you do. Who is this woman, his mother, this... Emma Swan?"

I would say you think you know exactly who she is." He smirked. "I really must be going."

Regina blocked his way. Tell me what you know about her!"

"I'm not gonna answer you, dear, so I suggest you excuse me. Please." He bit into the apple and walked away while she only stood still from the power of the enchantment. He tossed the apple over his shoulder, still smiling during the walk back home. It may have started out as a good day for her but it was an even better one for him when he'd ruined hers with the piece of news that her little scheme backfired.

Soon history would repeat itself as he moved himself on the chessboard into the position of benefactor to the girl. There was so much she could do...she just needed someone to show her how. It was once again time for that silly Cinderella to play her part.

Now that time started again, Cinderella's pregnancy would progress normally meaning her child would be due any day and she would have to give it up for adoption per their agreement in this land. He, however, had no intentions of honoring the agreement. If he knew Ms. Swan as well as he thought he did, she would try to talk the silly girl into not repeating her own mistakes and find some way to keep the baby. Emma was every inch her parents' child, looking for a silver lining in the dark clouds although she hid it well. He'd done some digging of his own into her past shortly after she arrived in town just as Regina did. The girl's life had been more difficult than he expected but those obstacles were needed to give her the strength she had to have to complete her task.

He closed the shop up late and walked back to the rear parking lot about to get in the car when he heard the sound of glass breaking. He limped around ot the front of the store to see that one of the panes in the shop door's window was broken, the window pane closest to the doorknob. Well, the intruder was smart, he had to give them that. He entered the shop and saw Ashley Boyd with her back to him, poised to open the safe behind the counter.

"Ashley, what are you doing?"

"Changing my life!" she shouted and sprayed something in his face. He cried out and staggered backwards, his head striking the edge of the counter and he fell to the floor.

When he woke up later his eyes burned like hell and his head ached even worse and the keys to his safe were now inside the lock. There was only one thing the girl would have been after in that safe and it was the agreement to put her child up for adoption. Someone had given her the incentive to try to prevent it and he had no doubts it was Emma Swan.

"Another job well done, dearie." He washed out his eyes and cleaned his head wound. He knew he should go to the hospital to have it looked at but Frankenstein wasn't exactly the most qualified doctor in Storybrooke. This was one of those days when he wished he had his magic back. He could've healed all of his injuries with a simple wave of his hand. They would, however, give weight to the tale he was about to spin for the Savior so that when the time came she would have no choice but to enter into an agreement with him or else Cinderella would never see her child again.

He drove over to Snow's loft, pleased when he saw a familiar yellow car parked in front of it. What better place would there be for the Savior to stay than with her own mother? It was perfect. Snow still had some of her old spirit in this land but not much of it. It was just enough that she would be able to steer her girl in the right direction. Once he stood outside Snow's door, he lifted his cane and tapped on it with the knob.

"Ms. Blanchard, is Ms. Swan here?" he asked Snow when she opened the door. Emma walked up to them "Hi, my name is Mr. Gold, we met briefly on your arrival."

"I remember."

He smiled. "Good, I have a proposition for you, Ms. Swan. I need your help. I'm looking for someone."

"Really? um..."

"You know what? I am going to jump in the bath," Snow said and left them alone in the room when he gave her a look as cold as ice.

"I have a photo. Her name is Ashley Boyd and she's taken something quite valuable of mine." He handed her the photograph from his shop's security camera.

"So why don't you just call the police?" Emma inquired suspiciously.

"Because uh... she's a confused young woman. She's pregnant, alone, and scared. I don't want to ruin this young girl's life, but I just want my property returned." He was a master of being vague. Had he told her what it was he was referring to, she would never agree to it.

"And what is it?"

"Well one of the advantages of you not being the police is discretion. Let's just say it's a precious object and leave it at that."

"When did you see her last?"

"Last night. That's how I got this." He pointed to the bruise. "It's so unlike her. She was quite wound up, rambling on and on about changing her life. I have not idea what got into her. Ms. Swan, please just help me find her. My only other choice is the police, and I don't think anyone wants to see that baby born in jail, now do they?" he asked, knowing those were the right words to reel her in.

"No, of course not."

"So you'll help me then?"

"I will help her."

"Grand." He smiled again.

They heard the front door open and Henry walk in. "Hey Emma, I was thinking we..."

"Hey Henry, how are you?" Rumple greeted the boy.

"Okay."

"Good. Give my regards to your mother, and um... good luck Ms. Swan." he added to Emma before he left.

Hours later he was at his pawnshop taking inventory when the phone rang.

"I just had a very interesting visit," Mitchell Herman was saying.

"Oh? Who?"

"Emma Swan. She was asking a lot of questions about Ashley and Sean...and the baby. I thought you talked to her about all this and that she's supposed to just deliver it to you when it's born...no questions asked."

"I may have omitted a few details."

"Why?"

"I'll be asking the questions here. What did you tell her?"

"That uhhhh...she was being paid to give up the baby and you would find it a good home," Herman replied nervously, surprised Gold wasn't raking him across the coals for opening his mouth.

"And I will...as soon as she brings it to me."

"The way she was talking, she wasn't going to let you have it."

"Let me worry about that."

As soon as he hung up the phone he got another call, this one from Dove who was monitoring Emma and Ashley. He listened to his assistant's account of both womens' activities that day, pleased that everything was going according to plan. At that moment Ashley was at the hospital delivering her baby. When he reached the maternity ward he could hear the doctor talking to Emma.

"Ms. Swan, the baby is a healthy six-pound girl, and the mother is doing fine."

"What lovely news. Excellent work, Ms. Swan. Thank you for bringing me my merchandise." He walked over to the coffee machine to get a cup. It was awful, not his own blend but it would do. When the machine wouldn't start he struck it and the cup started brewing without charging him. "Well, well. Must be my lucky day. Care for a cup, Ms. Swan?"

"A baby? That's your merchandise? Why didn't you tell me?" she asked angrily.

"Well, because at the time you didn't need to know." And he didn't particularly care for referring to the child as merchandise but it had ensured her cooperation thus far.

"Really, or you thought I wouldn't take the job?" she accused.

"On the contrary, I thought it would be more effective if you found out yourself. After seeing Ashley's hard life, I thought it would make sense... to you. I mean if anyone could understand the reasons behind giving up a baby, I assumed it would be you."

"You're not getting that kid."

"Actually, we have an agreement. And my agreements are always honored. If not, I'm going to have to involve the police, and that baby is going to end up in the system, and that would be a pity. You didn't enjoy your time in the system, did you Emma?"

"That's not gonna happen."

"I like your confidence. Charming, but all I have to do is press charges. She did, after all, break into my shop."

"Let me guess, to steal a contract."

"Who knows what she was after."

"You know, no jury in the world will put a woman in jail whose only reason for breaking and entering was to keep her child. I'm willing to roll the dice that contract doesn't stand up. Are you? Not to mention what might come out about you in the process. Somehow I suspect there is more to you than a simple pawnbroker. You really want to start that fight?" Emma threatened. He smirked as they now danced around each other like gladiators in the ring except neither was willing to surrender.

"I like you, Ms. Swan. You're not afraid of me, and that's either cocky or presumptuous. Either way I'd rather have you on my side."

"So she can keep the baby?"

"Not just yet. There's still the matter of my agreement with Ms. Boyd."

"Tear it up."

"That's not what I do. You see, contracts, deals, well they're the very foundation of all civilized existence, so I put it to you now. If you want Ashley to have that baby, are you willing to make a deal with me?" he proposed.

"What do you want?"

"Oh I don't know just yet. You'll owe me a favor." You will bring me my son.

"Deal." she said coldly as she gave him a cold stare.

"Excellent." He shook her hand. "I trust we'll be seeing each other again very soon."

She ignored him and took Henry in to see Ashley.

The next several weeks proved to be interesting. The shepherd prince was trying to recover his lost memories while finding himself drawn to Snow who in this world wasn't his wife. Regina was going to have her hands full trying to prevent them from being together in this land and making the Savior's job a bit more complicated. Now, however, thanks to Regina's huntsman slave, the girl was now in a position to make Madam Mayor's life even more of a living hell. Regina was getting more and more desperate and it was only a matter of time before she did something foolish and his pawnshop was getting a lot more visitors than he was used to. He didn't mind it at long as they brought him news that gave him hope his curse was about to be broken.

One night while he was in the backroom repairing a broken doll he heard the bell over the door ring.

"Hello?" David Nolan's voice called out. Rumple approached the doorway to the backroom and watched as the shepherd prince looked around. He finally stopped at his daughter's mobile dangling from the ceiling.

"Charming," he said now from behind the counter, testing to see if the boy had a reaction to being called by the nickname Snow had given him back in their land.

"I'm sorry?"

"The mobile. Isn't it charming? Exquisitely designed, masterfully crafted. I could get it down if you'd like?" he offered.

"No, it's...very nice. Actually I'm looking for the Toll Bridge. The mayor said there was a fork in the road by your shop but..."

Rumple wanted to laugh. Oh she'd certainly botched this up nicely. It was true, men did not always ask for directions...unless they were on a mission and meeting a lover in secret was a mission worthy of swallowing one's pride for the moment. "It seems Ms. Mills has led you astray."

"Yeah...you'd think the mayor would know her own town," David laughed nervously.

"One would think. Out of the door, turn right, two blocks you'll find a trail. Can't miss it."

The boy smiled. "Thank you." He turned to leave and stopped again when he saw a windmill figurine.

"See something you like?"

"Where did you get that?"

"That old thing? That's been gathering dust for...for forever."

David reached out and spun the blades. "I think...I think this belonged to me."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yes," David whispered. "I remember."

Rumple smirked. "Remember, what dearie?"

"I...umm...gotta go," David said and hurried off.

Rumple stepped out from behind the counter and touched the windmill. "Talismans. Any object can be a talisman...even for memory," he murmured then walked over to the safe, opened it and took out his son's shawl, caressing it gently. "And this is mine, Bae. He picked it up and carried it into the back of the shop and placed it on his worktable then took out a candle and some matches. He lit the candle. "I'm so sorry Bae...I've forgotten for twenty-eight years but I'll never forget your birthday again...and next year we will be celebrating it together...I promise."

He watched from a distance as Graham and the savior started getting closer, something that didn't suit well with the Queen at all. The huntsman had been her personal slave all these years and now he was desperate to feel anything. He could without his heart but it would not be as fulfilling.

Now that the curse was close to being broken, Rumple had to move his dagger again. When he stepped out from behind the trees he spotted Graham looking troubled. It was no surprise. Being the queen's secret lover and the sheriff was quite a burden to handle.

"Good morning, Sheriff," he greeted. "Sorry if I startled you."

"Right. Sorry, I, I thought you were a wolf," the sheriff muttered.

"Did I forget to shave?" Rumple said at an attempt at humor though he never forgot to shave in the morning even when he was the poor, cowardly spinner.

"What are you doing out here so early?"

"A sport of gardening. Yourself?"

"I was looking for..."

"A wolf. Yeah, I think I've been able to catch on. You know, to the best of my knowledge there are no wolves in Storybrooke. Not the literal kind anyway. Why are you looking?"

"You'll think I'm crazy."

Not crazy, huntsman, dearie. The wolf is your guide and he is leading you back to what you have forgotten. He is your talisman just as Bae's shawl is mine.

"Try me," he challenged.

"I saw one in my dreams and then I saw one for real. Just a few hours ago. Did you- Did you see anything unusual right there?"

"I'm afraid not. I do wish I could be more helpful. You know, Sheriff, they say that dreams…dreams are memories…memories of another life." Rumple advised the sheriff.

Plant the seed, give it water and it will grow, he thought.

"What do you believe?"

"I never rule out anything. Good luck, Sheriff. I do hope you'll find what you're looking for."

Later that day, Storybrooke was in a state of shock when it was learned that Sheriff Graham was dead. He'd dropped dead of a heart attack in the arms of his deputy, everyone wondering how a man so young could possibly have heart trouble. Oh, it was known to happen but it still sounded strange to all of them but Rumplestiltskin. He knew very well what the cause of Graham's sudden heart trouble was. The Queen made him her first causality in her battle with the Savior. The huntsman knew too much and had to be disposed of before the Savior believed.

It fell upon Emma Swan as deputy to act as sheriff until a new one could be announced. Regina could put whatever fool she wanted to up for the job but he was going to make certain that it went to no one else but the Savior. He picked up the phone and dialed the Sheriff's department leaving a message that he needed to speak to Deputy Swan about an urgent matter. That was certain to light a fire under her feet as he would soon light a fire under Regina's. Lanolin had a terrible odor and when it was used often, one could learn to tolerate the scent especially if you had been using it for three hundred years. It was also flammable and worked perfectly in the duke's castle all those years ago. He heard the bell over his door tinkling. She'd arrived.

"Gold? In here?" he heard her call out.

"Well, it is my shop," he muttered. She entered his workroom while he was coating a sheep's pelt with the lanolin.

"Whoa! What is that?"

"Now, this is lanolin used for waterproofing," he explained.

"Smells like livestock!" she complained.

"Well, it is the reason why sheep's wool repels water."

"It stinks! Umm…if there was a reason why you called the Sheriff's department. If you wanna talk about that quickly or... outside."

"Yes. I just wanted to express my condolences, really. The sheriff was a good man," he said to her when he rose from his chair and approached her, glancing down at her waist, seeing the deputy's badge pinned to it. "You're still wearing the deputy's badge? Well, he's been gone for two weeks now. And I believe after two weeks of acting as sheriff the job becomes yours. You'll have to wear the real badge," he pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess... I'm just not in a hurry. So, ummm... thank you for the kind words," she said with a twinge of sadness and turned to leave.

"I have his things," he said.

"What?" Emma inquired, turning around.

"The sheriff. He rented an apartment that I own. Another reason for my call really, I wanted to offer you a keepsake."

"I don't need anything."

"As you wish. I'll give them to Mayor Mills. Seems like she was the closest thing he had to family," he said knowing that would get a reaction from her.

"Not sure about that," she said bitterly.

"No love lost there, I see. Look, I feel that all of this stuff is heading directly for the trash bin. You really should take something. Look! His jacket?" he offered, holding up the jacket.

"No," she said stubbornly.

"Look, he said again and held up two radios. "Your boy might like these, don't you think? You could play together," he suggested. And carry on conversations away from a certain queen's ears.

"I don't..."

"No, please. They grow up so fast," he insisted. And when you lose precious time with them, you regret it all your life.

"Thanks."

The time together is precious, you know. That's the thing about children: Before you know it, you lose them."

He sat in the backroom of his shop reading through the town charter, smiling to himself. Only the best contracts had no loopholes only Regina wasn't clever enough to think of that. She thought that by firing Emma Swan that would be the end of it. He closed the binder containing the town charter and drove down to Mary Margaret's apartment building to have a talk with the girl.

"Good evening, Miss Swan. Sorry for the intrusion, there's something I'd like to discuss with you," he said.

"I'll let you two talk," Mary Margaret said wisely and left them alone in the room.

"Come on in."

"Thank you. I..I heard about what happened. Such an injustice."

"Yeah. Well, what's done is done," she said, defeated.

"Spoken like a true fighter."

"I know what chance I'll have. She's the mayor and I am - well - me."

Oh but you are so much more than a simple girl but you need to believe!

"Miss Swan, two people with a common goal can accomplish many things. Two people with a common enemy can accomplish even more. How would you like a benefactor?" he proposed.

Just as Zozo was to me. Instead of controlling power, sometimes you need to simply take it.

"A benefactor?"

"Do you mind?" he inquired when he sat down with the binder containing the charter in his hands. "You know, it really is quite shocking how few people study the town charter."

"The town charter?"

"It's quite comprehensive on the mayor's authority. Or maybe she is not quite as powerful as she seems," he said with a smile.

Now that Emma had thrown down the gauntlet Regina was in a rage and looking for someone to unleash her wrath on and he was more than ready for it.

"Regina. Shall I remove some things? Make a bit of space for your rage?"

"You found that loophole in the town charter."

"Legal documents – contracts, if you like. Always been a fascination of mine."

"Yes, you love to trifle with technicalities."

"I like small weapons, you see. The needle, the pen, the fine point of a deal. Subtlety…not your style, I know," he taunted.

"You're a bastard."

He laughed. "I think your grief's getting the better of you, Regina. Shame what happened to Graham."

"Don't you talk about him. You know nothing."

"What is there to know? He died.

"Are you really going up against me?"

"Not directly. We are, after all, both invested in the common good. We're just picking different sides."

"Well, I think you picked a really slow horse this time. It's not like you to back a loser."

"She hasn't lost yet."

"She will."

"Never underestimate someone who's acting for their child."

"He's not her child. Not legally."

"Oh, now who's trifling with technicalities?"

Later that evening Rumple drove over to the town hall with the equipment he needed for his mission….a cigarette lighter and his sheep's wool coated with lanolin. As he had in the past, the sheep's wool served as the torch to light the wood inside the hall. When the flames started to appear he chuckled.

"They burned down the gambling house

It died with an awful sound

Funky Claude was running in and out

Pulling kids out the ground

When it all was over

We had to find another place

But Swiss time was running out

It seemed that we would lose the race

Smoke on the water, fire in the sky…." he sang and left the town hall. He knew Emma and Regina were inside and now it was Emma's chance to show the town what she was really made of. And once she found his all too telling clue behind, the choice she would make on how to handle it would show him just what she was made of.

She stormed into the shop on cue, holding out his makeshift torch. Oh, her playing the hero and rescuing Regina was a high form of bravery but not enough. She would only, truly be brave…and a hero if she defied him, the man everyone, even Regina when she chose to admit it, feared. He chose his words carefully, allowing her to weigh the options exposing him would present. It was possible her son would be disappointed in her as his was by his choice to take the dark path.

"Loads of visitors today," he remarked. Do hope you're not going to break my little bell."

"You set the fire," she accused.

Thank you for stating the obvious. I'm washing the rest of the evidence from my hands as we speak. Are you going to point that out too?

"I've been right here, Miss Swan."

"Take a whiff. It smells like your sheep crap oil. Turns out it's flammable."

"Oh. Are you sure? There's some construction working on at City Hall at the moment. There's loads of flammable solvents used in construction."

"Why did you do it?"

"If I did it…if I did it that would be because you cannot win without something big. Something like, uh I don't know. Being the hero in a fire?"

"How could you even know I'd be there at the right time?"

"Regina's not the only one with eyes and ears in this town. Or maybe... I'm just intuitive where I involved."

"I could've run and left her there."

"Not the type."

"I can't go along with this."

"You just did. This is just the price of election, Miss Swan," he said with a smile.

"A price I'm not willing to pay. Find another sucker!"

"Okay. Go ahead, expose me. But if you do …just think about what you'll be exposing and what you'll be walking away from. Oh, yes. And ummm, who you might be disappointing," he added as parting shot while she was leaving.

He sat in the audience at the town hall for the debate that would decide who would become the sheriff of the town….the lovestruck former genie or the Savior herself. He barely paid attention to Sidney's speech and when it came time for Emma to deliver hers, he was on the edge of his seat as was the entire town.

"You guys all know I have what they call an ahh…troubled past. But, you've been able to overlook it because of the um, hero thing. But here's the thing: The fire was a setup. Mr. Gold agreed to support me in this race, but I didn't know that that meant he was going to set a fire. I don't have definitive evidence but I'm sure. And the worst part of all this was…the worst part of all this is I let you all think it was real. I can't win that way. I'm sorry," she declared.

Rumple rose from his chair and walked out of the town hall leaving its citizens with a great deal more of respect for their newcomer. The next morning he paid a visit to the sheriff's office, hanging Graham's jacket on the rack.

"The sheriff's jacket. I thought you might want it after all," he said, startling her.

"You do know I'm armed…right?" she asked, trying not to sound terrified.

He laughed. "It's all part of the act m'dear. Political theater in an actual theater. I knew no one was gonna vote for you unless we gave you some kind of extraordinary quality. I'm afraid saving Regina's arse from the fire wasn't gonna do that. We had to give you a higher form of bravery. They had to see you defy me. And they did."

"No way," she whispered. "There's no way you planned that!"

"Everyone's afraid of Regina….but they're more afraid of me. By standing up to me, you won them over. It was the only way."

"You knew I'd agree."

"Oh yeah. I know how to recognize a desperate soul."

"Why did you do this?"

"We made a deal sometime back Miss Swan," he reminded her. "We established that you owe me a favor. I know that can be a bad feeling…owing someone. Now that you're sheriff, I'm sure you'll find some way to pay back what you owe me. Congratulations," he finished and left the girl alone with her thoughts.

Later that night, he moved another piece on his chessboard. "Checkmate, Regina….checkmate."

It was now her move and he had her trapped. He eagerly anticipated her next move. The queen's carelessness would be her undoing.

Paradise

Adora watched from her seeing globe, smiling in triumph. The Eastern Guardian had at last revealed himself and had summoned the wind of change that broke through the time barrier spell cast upon the town. Soon the curse itself would shatter and all those who dwelled in that small town would recall their pasts and the final battle would begin.