Once Upon a Midnight: Audrina:
Chapter 04: The World In a Grain of Sand
Humming, that's the first thing he noticed - a rhythmic and soothing lullaby being hummed above him. It reminded him of his childhood, of wandering the gardens and chasing butterflies with his sister. She'd be ahead of him, running and smiling, her blonde locks bouncing behind, while he struggled to keep up.
His sister, being older and acutely aware of his struggle, would often slow down until he caught up. Even during races. She'd never however simply let him win - not after the tantrum he threw after their father had done so. Even at five years old, he was stubborn and hated such gestures. His reasoning was that if he was one day going to be a king, he should be just as strong and gallant as their father.
"Hm." Prince Neal gazed around, groggy and with such a blurry vision that he wondered if he was drunk. Or perhaps he had dabbled a bit too much with the exotic herbs and tinctures sometimes found amid the wares of port merchants. There were just so many, and with effects more potent than anything produced by vine or grain, he couldn't help sampling them on occasion.
He searched around, realizing only then that he was standing and that what surrounded him was a strange mix of wall and forest. His vision blurred, almost like he was quickly falling, but he felt no vertigo. It was the walls that were moving, not him. Or at least appeared to.
"...what the hell did I take?" He mumbled, only to rethink his assumption when he realized his body was completely steady. That and when a woman, her face and body obscured by a oversized cloak, spoke.
"Nothing. You're dreaming." The woman spoke, approaching Prince Neal, though not close enough that he could see under her hood.
"Dreaming? This seriously doesn't feel like a dream. At least not one not brought on by herbal tinctures or other alchemical mixes."
"That's because it's not a normal dream." The woman replied and held out her hand, revealing her palm and a tiny grain of sand nested in it. "This speck is from the sands of Morpheus, and it has brought your consciousness here."
Prince Neal stared askance at the speck, shaking his head. "...I've travelled a lot, and it takes more than one grain of the sands of Morpheus to do anything. Besides, it doesn't create dreams - it lets one enter another person's dream."
"And you have entered mine." The woman answered, gesturing around them. The walls that had once been mixed with forest were now solid gray slabs of stone, as was the floor. "It's not much, I know. But..." She sighed, her lips quivering
Prince Neal noticed the tremble on the woman's lip and that of her hand grasping the sand. Whatever this room was, it seemed that it brought nothing but pain to the woman. 'Why doesn't she just dream of something else, if it pains her so?'
"Because it's not just a dream." She answered, making him wonder if he'd spoken the question aloud rather than thought it. "It's a memory. My last." She chewed on her bottom lip, a tear sliding down her cheek.
"When you say last, do you mean...?" Neal asked and the woman nodded before he even completed his question. He blinked and took a step back from the woman, his eyes widening as he stared at her. "Wait, if you're dead, then how...how can I be in your dream?"
"Because of my last wish." The woman whispered and pointed towards the tiny window through which the only light in the room shined. It was night, he finally realized by the dark expanse welcoming his gaze. "That star, that bright star there, I made a wish upon it while drawing my last breath."
Neal listened and stared at the star, the only one in the sky - at least it seemed such by how brightly it outshined the rest. Even the moon was nowhere to be seen.
"And that same star was in the sky when Audrina cast her curse." The woman finished, her voice wistful throughout, particularly so when she said the name.
"..." Neal scrunched his face, thinking. "Audrina said it was a karma spell she cast, not a curse."
"A karma spell is ancient magic and can become a curse under certain conditions." The woman grimaced and twisted her lips, mulling over Neal's words. "It could've become a blessing instead."
"I..." Neal pulled a face and averted his gaze from the woman. His brow furrowed as he noticed the numerous tally marks etched into the stone walls. There were so many, and a few were specked with red, like the hand that carved them had been cut. "...How long were you here?"
"Too long." The woman replied, her lips pulled into a frown. She didn't elaborate, but rather pulled her cloak tighter around herself, her hands lingerings for the briefest of moments on her abdomen.
"I..." Prince Neal exhaled and crossed his arms, unsure what else to say or ask. A heavy silence enveloped the room, making the place more surreal and uncomfortable.
"You're probably curious why you're here." The woman broke the silence, for the first time gazing up at the prince. Her tired, blue eyes searched his face, beseeching him to listen. "I had hoped that my daught..." She stumbled over the word, her lips trembling. Clearing her throat, she steadied herself and continued. "I'd hoped she'd be the one to see this. So I could...but that's no longer possible. She can't dream anymore. Not while the curse remains unbroken."
"...is that why I'm here? You want me to break this curse?" Prince Neal laughed, and shook his head. "I...I didn't come back to break curses or play hero. I came to..." He didn't continue, but simply shook his head, his thoughts on the vials Audrina had taken from him. The Dreamshade.
"You have to. You're the only one who can."
"Why? I am not at all hero material. Other than who my parents were, there's nothing special about me. My sister was to be the Savior, and my nephew the future king. I..." He scoffed and rubbed his chin, shaking his head. "I'm just the black sheep in a family of heroes. Not once have I done anything heroic. I...what makes you think I could or would even try to? Why not bother my nephew? He'd make a decent hero."
The woman slowly shook her head, frowning. "You're the only one. The only one to not succumb to the curse. The only one who even attempted to think something good about the Evil Queen."
"What? But wait...I thought..." He grimaced, thinking about the sheer pain that ran through his veins when the curse light touched him.
"If you'd succumbed to the curse, you wouldn't be here. The karma curse Audrina used takes away the ability to dream. Not even the sands of Morpheus can overcome that." The woman spoke, her voice gradually becoming quieter and more ephemeral. The room too grew dim, fading into a blur.
"What? Hey!" Prince Neal exclaimed, his whole body growing light and his vision blurry. Everything soon grew as dark and deep as the night sky, and even as he continued to call out he knew it was futile. Whatever had caused him to dream in the first place was wearing off, and he soon became aware of warmth and the crackling of a fire.
It contrasted with the rough, cold floor beneath his back. The clanging and clunking of someone hectically searching through and tossing objects further pushed away the comfort provided by the fire.
"...on. Damn it!" Someone shouted from another room, loud enough to carry through thick the walls.
Prince Neal opened his eyes and sat up, his head groggy and haunted by a dull ache. He rubbed his eyes, noting the fire crackling in a large fireplace and the musty scent old castles gave when left uninhabited too long.
"Damn it!" The person swore again, followed by a loud clash as though smashing something with all their might. It was followed by a few more choice words and then footsteps stomping closer.
Prince Neal bristled and climbed to his feet, not caring for the anger in each step. He desperately grabbed for his bow and vials, only to remember how Audrina had taken them.
"Shit." He cursed, almost jumping when the room's door crashed open. It was then he realized how large the room was, especially compared to the tiny dungeon room from the dream. More like a grand dining chamber or trophy room, going by the various items, tables, and chairs scattered willy-nilly. His eyes widened as they locked on the man who entered.
Dressed in a dark attire that was pristine yet foreign to any realm Prince Neal had traveled through, the man seethed. His dark brown eyes searched the room and its scattered objects, not showing any surprise just frustration. "Where the hell did he put it?"
"..." Prince Neal tensed and grabbed the closest object he could find, his instinct cultivated from years of exploration and facing dangers kicking in. He brandished his makeshift weapon and growled at the stranger. "Who are you?! And...where am I?! Answer me!"
Rumplestiltskin glowered at Prince Neal, though his anger was tempered slightly by the sight of the younger man holding out a two-pronged fork as a weapon. "...what are you going to do if I don't? Stab me with that dinner fork?"
"I…well, I've slain a bear with a sling and rock before." Prince Neal boasted, recalling an incident from some years back when he hunted a ginormous brown bear for its bounty and a bet with a stranger in a pub. "This should be easier." He blustered, though it didn't stop his arm from becoming covered in goosebumps.
"I don't care if you've slain a dragon by shouting at it. That fork isn't going to hurt me." Rumplestiltskin scoffed, his bemusement at the other's bravado not enough to curtail his anger.
"Well, I…." Prince Neal shrugged, glanced at the fork and then tossed it away. "Whatever. I just want to know where I am so I know how far it is to the closest port. Between Audrina and that dream I just had, I'm done."
"You're in the Dark One castle." Rumplestiltskin answered, his lips twitching as he noticed the alarm in the younger man's eyes.
"The Dark….and you're just tossing everythin…." Prince Neal paled, his widened eyes taking in the mess.
"Don't worry. I don't mind. And this realm's version of me won't either, not after I get my hands on him." Rumple seethed, not caring about the effect of his explanation on the younger man.
"Wait...what?"