Hello lovlies, so, for those who haven't read my other updates. There's a poll for my next story up on my page. It'll be up until Christmas day or so. So here we are. Chapter 2. Ta
Chapter 2—Decisions
Captain Hook's ship—Never Land
Rumplestiltskin bounded up the stairs to the group on deck. In his haste and shock he'd forgotten he could just smoke to his desired destination. He had to stop Hook from entering the isle's waters. He burst forth from below deck, making Charming and snow jump and turn towards him. Regina and Emma gave him curious looks, but he could care less. He span around to look at Hook.
"Hook, stop the bloody ship! Stop, drop anchor, I don't care; just don't enter the isle's waters!" He shouted out towards the pirate. Both he and Hook knew entering the isle's waters would alert Pan to their presence but they'd needed to enter to get Henry. Hook, due to his surprise at the crocodile's urgent tone, complied.
"Swan, Charming, pull those ropes there. Regina, set the anchor loose," he called out orders as he left the helm to ensure they did it all correctly. Emma and Charming stood shocked and confuse before Rumplestiltskin severed the ropes Hook had indicated with magic. Regina knew better than to question her old mentor's knowledge and so dropped the anchor over the side. The sails of the ship collapsed and as the anchor hit the bottom, they stopped.
"What are you doing? We have to—" Snow began before the Dark One waved her off.
"There's no point alerting Pan that we're here when Henry's gone already. The dot on the globe's disappeared. We need to look in a different world for him," he said. The others looked wide-eyed at him.
"How did that happen?" Regina asked before realisation dawned on her. "Wait, you said there's no point alerting Pan to us being here. Does that mean he'd have known we'd come to get Henry?"
"Yes, Pan's got mermaids and other fun things awaiting people not welcome here. The waters surrounding the island alert him when there's a ship in them. It couldn't be helped, however, since the only way to the island is through those waters. Ole' Scaly's right; there's no point alerting him if the lad's gone," said Hook. Rumplestiltskin blinked at the captain before turning about face and heading back to the stairs leading below deck.
"Wait, where are you going?" Emma asked. The sorcerer paused before twirling around and fanning his hands out. He is really into dramatics, she thought.
"The only way to get off the globe is if he went to another world dearie. My guess is that he found a bean and used it. He's in another world, and it may not be Storybrooke; I have to go and find which world he landed in before we can go after him."
With that he twirled back around and headed to the captain's cabin. Charming went to the side of the ship and looked at the isle in the distance. After a few moments, in which Hook was giving out orders to the others so the ship was ready to leave, Charming pushed off the railing and headed below deck to find Rumplestiltskin. Whatever world they were travelling to, he wanted to be prepared. Besides, the Dark One may need some help.
Dark Castle—Enchanted Forrest
Baelfire couldn't believe he was going to do this. He'd spun his father's old walking stick and it revealed a hidden door; filled with magical items. Certainly, he'd learned some magic before jumping through that portal, but he could hardly remember it. Now, here he was with Mulan and Robin Hood trying to find Emma with his father's crystal ball.
"Do you see her?" asked the warrior. Bae nodded, his mouth gone dry. He knew where she was.
"She's on Hook's ship, in Never Land. What is she doing there?" he said, the last more to himself. Robin Hood clapped his gloved hands together.
"Well you can ask your lady fair when you next see her. For now, do you know how to get back to her?" said the thief who was squatting in his father's home. Bae didn't know, actually. He didn't have any beans on him, and he didn't know any other method of travelling through worlds.
"No… But my father might have left something here that does. Let's look through this cupboard first; then we can look elsewhere. He wouldn't have made just one of these," Bae said. Mulan nodded and Robin Hood was way ahead of them by rifling through the selves. Together, the three worked their way through the cupboard, finding nothing that could help Bea get to Emma.
"Say do either of you know a woman named Belle?" He asked as they searched the rest of the castle. The two paused.
"Yes, how do you know her?" the two said in unison. The last seemed to be more for each other than for Bae.
"I met her when she first started working for the Dark One. What about you?" said Robin Hood.
"She helped me save my village. I did not see the Dark One with her then," said Mulan. They turned to look at a shocked Bae.
"She's sleeping with my father," he offered. "I didn't really get to know her before I got sent here. So, I thought maybe you two knew something."
"She lays in the Beast's bed? They must be wed, Belle is a true lady, she wouldn't lie with him otherwise," said Robin Hood as the trio started moving again. Mulan nodded.
"Belle is, very kind and brave. She's clever too, and she… She loves your father," Mulan added. She didn't know if she should add the last part.
"How do you know that?" Bae asked. The Belle he'd met had been the cursed Belle, so he really didn't know anything about the woman his father seemed to worship.
"He freed her from her servitude to him. She told me that, but she missed him greatly, that much I could tell. After saving my village, she said she was returning here… I don't know if she knew or not."
"Knew what?" Robin Hood asked. He was interested to hear of Rumplestiltskin freeing her from her promise, that was unheard of. The group were at the base of a winding staircase.
"… I don't think she did know; she would not have acted as she did if she had," Mulan said. She didn't know how much to reveal about her friend. Of course, her mother had taught her all the signs, and as she, Belle and Philip travelled towards the road west together, she'd noted some of those signs. Bae put a hand on her shoulder and turned her away from the stairs to look at the two men.
"What did you notice that she didn't?" Bae asked. Mulan sighed, her and her mouth.
"She was with child, maybe three months, when we last parted ways."
Hogwarts—1st September
Harry was doing his best to not fidget as they waited for Professor McGonagall to return and take them for sorting. Henry and Draco were standing on either side of him, both quiet from nerves, much like all the other first years. The blood traitor named Ron Weasley that they'd met on the train was still as red as his hair. He'd sat with Harry on the train and was explaining a lot of things that Harry already knew about the Wizarding World, when Henry and Draco had appeared. Henry had been polite to Weasley and Draco treated him with civility, but he'd insulted them both. When Harry had told him the two were his friends, the red head had gaped before accusing him of being mad. Harry had left with his things after that, with the help of the other two boys. Draco had told Weasley that it wasn't his fault, Harry was just too high up to be wallowing in dirt and filth like Weasley.
"You didn't bring any of those horrid muggle clothes, did you?" Draco whispered to Harry, shaking him out of his thoughts.
"Only one outfit that I travelled to the train in. If I solely wore the clothes your mother bought in order to thrust upon me, the muggles I live with would go round the bend," Harry huffed as he remembered the first stop Lady Malfoy had taken them in the Alley. She spent an hour and a half buying Harry a whole new wardrobe, and no matter how much he protested she didn't stop until he had a clothes collection she approved. Henry smirked next to him.
"Don't feel too bad, Harry. She did the exact same thing to me. I think she and my mom would get along splendidly," he said and then the doors open and the Head of Gryffindor was leading them all into the Great Hall; in front of the entire school. There was a ratted, patched old hat sitting on a rickety stool and the whole room fell quiet as it sang a song. The hat seemed very clever, in Harry's opinion, to come up with a song like that. McGonagall stood next to the stool and began calling names from a long piece of parchment.
The boy Neville who lost his toad went to Gryffindor after a bookish girl named Hermione who'd been speaking about the enchanted ceiling a few minutes ago. Then Draco went to Slytherin, and Henry went to Ravenclaw. Harry gulped as there was utter silence when his name was called. He walked up to the hat and sat on the stool before the hat was dropped on his head.
"My my, it has been a while since I saw a mind like yours,"
Hello, what do you mean?
"Some students are more difficult to place than others; but you, you are more difficult than even they. You're very brave, yes very courageous; but not foolhardy. That's where your cleverness comes in, and your caution. You think before you act. You're not afraid of hard work, in fact you rather enjoy it; and you're quite loyal, but only to those who've earned your trust. You've a thirst for knowledge. No longer held back by your dim-witted cousin and his envious parents, you want to show how clever and intelligent you are. You've power too, oh yes, great power. You would find a fitting home in any one of the houses; but which one best fits you, hm? That's the only way to sort ones like you, you know. Finding which house best fits you."
Which do you think, you're the expert.
" That's the trick, isn't it. Finding which house best fits you when this is our first, and most likely last meeting. Gryffindor's too bold, and though you'd make friends there you'd lose the ones you have… No, besides, it's filled with more foolhardy heroes than anything else, and I should know, so it makes you a little aloof from the others. Ravenclaw would satisfy your thirst for knowledge and drive for success, but there's few you can trust there. Not to mention, you're not consumed with scholarly pursuits like the majority of them. You'd make more enemies there amongst your housemates, they tend to be rather vicious when others surpass them. Hufflepuff would do, but they aren't often bold, and although you'd have many loyal friends there, you would find it dull I think. Too mundane and monotonous for your tastes."
Then what about Slytherin?
"Ah, there's the thing. A house that is loyal but only unto itself and those it deems worthy. The current Headmaster cannot influence the house of snakes the way he does others. You're talent and ability will be respected there, and valued. You'll be with few friends outside your house, thanks to that old man's meddling, but the house is powerful and self reliant. You'll learn much there, and go far. You could be great in Slytherin."
…It sounds like the better option anyway.
"Heheh. Of course that is your answer. Very well, it shall be…."
"Slytherin!" cried the hat at last. No one in the hall made a sound as Harry placed the hat on the stool and walked over to his house, but not before bowing to the hat. Not a single one of the teachers, neither during their years of school nor during their careers as teachers—this included Dumbledore—had ever witnessed the hat take so long for a sorting. Harry sat next to Draco and waited with everyone else in silence for McGonagall to shake herself and return to calling up students. Weasley was placed in Gryffindor and a boy named Zabini was the last, he also was sorted to Slytherin. Thus began the year.