A/N: I thought I would throw in a new one for this verse too! A lot of you guys seemed to like it and this is one of my favorite moments from the movie itself. Enjoy!

Strange Magic

Prompt: The Blue Fairy reveals the antidote to the love potion, which brings back terrible memories for the Dark King. (Rated K+)

"Sire! We have the antidote!"

Both the Dark King and Belle looked at the same time as the goblin's henchmen, Whale and Hatter, came running in with the Blue Fairy trapped in her spider-web like prison. As Hatter approached them, the Dark King snatched the staff that held Blue and barked: "Where is it?"

Belle looked over his shoulder and saw nothing resembling an antidote within the fairy's cell. Only the Blue Fairy was there floating about with a knowing smile on her lips. With all the materials she needed… Belle wondered if this was a trick of some kind.

The Dark King had the same idea as well as he gave the Blue Fairy a good shake. "I'm warning you… if this is some trick I'll—"

"You'll what?" the Blue Fairy taunted. "You'll lock me away forever? Forgive me your majesty but you've already used that threat."

The Dark King sighed in frustration. Belle knew they weren't going anywhere with this back and forth and she really wanted Emma cured from her lovelorn attachment.

"Forgive him. We're all a little impatient," she said, in the hopes to appease or the very least placate the Blue Fairy. Taking the staff from the goblin, she carried it over to the table and set it down. "But do you have the antidote to help my sister?"

"I do."

"Great! What does it look like?"

The Blue Fairy giggled. "It's a riddle!"

"A riddle?!" both Belle and the Dark King sputtered. "What about all those things you wanted?" he demanded.

"It's hard to shop when you're in prison!" the Blue Fairy retorted. "Now, are you ready to hear what the antidote is or not?"

"Yes!" Belle exclaimed.

"Very well. The antidote is something more powerful than the potion itself."

"Something more powerful than the potion?" Belle repeated. "What could be more powerful than a potion or any spell?"

The Dark King smirked. "Usually another potion or spell."

They looked to Blue for confirmation, but she zipped her lips and shook her head.

Belle tapped her chin as she slowly walked in a circle. "Something more powerful than the potion," she murmured. If another potion or spell didn't work, and it was a love potion, then something more powerful would have to be the opposite to counteract it. "I got it!" she cried. "It has to be hate. Hate is stronger than love. After all, it helped me get over any romantic feelings I once had for this guy. So we just need to get Emma to hate you and it is over!"

"I can do that," the Dark King said, bobbing his head. "It shouldn't be that difficult to break a wee fairy's heart."

"Wrong again!"

The two whipped their heads towards Blue. "How can it be wrong?" Belle questioned.

"Look… I'm getting tired of this guessing game. So I will tell you the antidote in the form of a story."

Nearby, Hatter whispered to Whale, "Did she say 'antidote' or 'anecdote'?"

"Now, it all begin on one fateful day—" Blue started.

Alarm filled the Dark King's countenance as he roared: "No!"

Belle saw he was reaching for the staff and she quickly snatched it before he caused any damage. However it didn't stop Blue from her storytelling.

"The Dark King fell in love—"

"Stop!" he bellowed but his orders fell on deaf ears as Belle listened avidly to Blue. Her mind was focused on learning what the antidote was to save her sister that she didn't pay attention to the anguish pleas of the Dark King.

As for the Dark King himself… he was already lost in that moment when his life and his kingdom changed for the worse…

xXx

Milah had been the most beautiful creature he ever beheld. She was different from most goblins in that she took great pride in her appearance. Her hair was as black as a raven's with two bulbous green eyes and lips as red as the inside of a Venus fly trap.

He was infatuated with her the moment he laid eyes on her.

He had to make her his queen. No one else would do.

His attempts at courtship went unnoticed and his gifts he would leave for her were ignored. Nothing he did seemed to please her or give him the opportunity to bask in her beauty and attention.

It was as if he didn't exist in her eyes.

Even invoking his kingship didn't have the desired affect he had hoped would transpire.

So it left the Dark King with only one other option.

He called for the Blue Fairy.

It was no secret her specialty was making love potions for anyone who came to her. Even someone as dreadful as the Dark King deserved to have love in his life so she did not hesitate when he requested her presence.

All he needed to give her was a primrose.

Thus, the Dark King sought one and promptly delivered. His heart was full of Milah and he couldn't wait for the moment for her to return his love.

It didn't take long for the Blue Fairy to make and she gave him two simple steps to follow:

Dust the eyes of the person you love.

Be the first to stand in front of them.

Whispering those two steps to himself, the Dark King went searching for his precious Milah. He soon found her lounging on the banks of the swamp, her midnight hair fanned out over the leaves and fungi. She looked so peaceful, so happy that he didn't want disturb her. But he reminded himself that she will be his queen soon and the sooner the better.

Taking a deep breath, he approached her with the love potion behind his back. He had to time this perfectly for it to be a moment worth remembering for the rest of their lives.

As he drew closer, he removed the cork from the bottle and stood over her. His shadow casted itself over her face as her nose scrunched up for being interrupted. As her eyelids began to open… the Dark King quickly sprinkled the love potion on them.

She coughed and closed her eyes, rubbing the potion deeper into them.

This was it!

The Dark King stood close so his would be the first face she sees. As she once more began to open them, he held himself with abated breath.

Milah blinked as she gazed into his amber eyes almost dreamily.

He saw his chance and poured his heart out to her. During his declarations, her expression changed from being dazed to alarm to finally disgust.

"What are you doing?!" she cried, pushing him away from her. "I never told you I loved you or wanted to be with you! How can I? You might be my king but you're too ugly for me to love. Go away and leave me alone!"

The Dark King's heart ripped in half as Milah ran as fast as she could away from him. The potion didn't work… the potion DIDN'T work.

And her words echoed in his ear… too ugly too ugly too ugly too ugly.

The potion failed because he was too ugly.

With a hideous howl, the Dark King flew back to his castle where the Blue Fairy was waiting to hear the results. Seeing his outrage, her brow hitched in confusion but it was too late. He ordered his men to seize her. She tried to speak but he silenced her.

"Take the prisoner to the dungeon. Make sure no one has access to the cell." Once the Blue Fairy was out of his sight, he made the following creed:

"Let it be known from now on in the Dark Forest that love is to be banned forever. There will be no mention of the word and anyone who is caught creating or using love potion will be jailed for the rest of their miserable lives! And to make certain no one is tempted… destroy the primroses. Starting immediately."

xXx

Love was dangerous. Love destroyed people. And now the Dark King was wallowing in the misery he wanted so badly to forget.

Belle looked at him with a new sense of understanding. She wasn't the only one to be burned by love. A sudden urge to go to him and put her arms around him flitted in her mind, but Belle kept her distance. She doubted her need to comfort would be well received as the Dark King turned his back on them.

"She couldn't love me even after I used the potion," he whispered. "I'm too ugly to be loved."

"You're not ugly," Belle said.

A jolt went down his spine as he faced the fairy princess with a bewildered look. She flashed him a tender smile and he felt himself returning it.

"But that's not why the potion didn't work," Blue told them, seizing their attention. "She was in love with someone else."

Both the fairy and the goblin's eyes widened in astonishment as the antidote became clearer to them.

"The only thing powerful than the potion…" the Dark King said.

"…is love itself," Belle finished.

Now they finally know how to help Emma, but who does she love? Would a sister's love work? Stay tune and keep prompting my lovely readers! I know the next prompt I will certainly add will be from The Lost World, but please feel free to prompt me for any of these preexisting story verses!