At the Beginning With You

Chapter Fifteen

In Storybrooke…

"We've looked everywhere for Gold and he's nowhere to be found," Regina said in frustration after she and the others searching for the villain had been all over the town in doing so. "But there's no way he would have been able to cross the town line."

"No, but he could be using a cloaking spell to conceal himself," Belle responded as she stared ahead at window of her former husband's shop from where she sat at a table outside of Granny's diner, as she, Regina, and Henry had come to take a break after a long afternoon. "I bet he's over there."

Henry looked at her with confusion as he replied, "But how can he do that? I mean, Pan cursed him with that marque that causes him pain every time he uses magic. If he's hiding using a cloaking spell…"

Regina scoffed and then answered, "He's Rumpelstiltskin. I certainly wouldn't put anything past him. It will be a cold day in hell before he stops using magic, even if it puts him at death's door."

"You know what?" the Queen stated again after she paused for a moment to think when a thought suddenly came to her. "I'll bet you he's busy trying to find a way to get that marque removed, in which case, he would definitely be searching all of his old books."

"And if he succeeds, he'll be free to use all the magic he wants and will most likely try to punish our entire town for trapping him for eight months inside both Pandora's Box and his cell beneath the library," Belle responded worryingly, then paused when she remembered something from a long time ago. "Unless…"

Henry quickly looked at his mom, then back at Belle as he swallowed what he was eating and asked, "Unless what?"

Belle suddenly stood and took off out of the diner, while Regina and Henry both followed after her while she replied, "I cannot believe I didn't think of this earlier, but then again, a lot has happened between now and then."

"Remember what?" Regina impatiently asked again as the younger woman swiftly led them toward the library.

"There's this book I once read, a long time ago before the first curse over us was broken," she continued as they walked inside. "It was more of someone's journal really, that read like a memoir. I never knew then what it was or who wrote it, but in it, there was what I thought was a poem, but it turns out I think it's more of a chant or a spell of some kind. If I remember it right, I think it could have the power to summon something, or someone, to you, no matter where or how they're hidden."

Henry started looking through the books on the shelves nearby where the woman once in love with the monster they were trying to defeat led them, as he asked, "Wait, are you saying that you can summon someone as powerful as the Dark One right here to us?"

Belle scanned the books as well, not exactly remembering where it was she had stashed the book while she answered, "I suppose so, or at least I hope so. The question is, if we can, what will we do with him? The prison may still hold him, but eventually, Rumple will find a way to escape. I am certain of it."

"Actually, instead of just calling the Dark One to us, we can summoned them both," Regina responded smugly. "If this spell really is legit, if we can even find it, then we can use his dagger against him like we've done before, to control Rumpelstiltskin long enough for us to figure out how it is we want to deal with him once and for all. Let's just hope that the dagger still controls him. When Emma made Excalibur whole again with the dagger, it no longer controlled her or Hook. Excalibur was destroyed when Hook sacrificed himself, but we still don't know the kind of magic Gold used on the sword beforehand. For all we know, it could be just like any other dagger."

"Wait, is this the book you were talking about, Belle?" Henry asked as he suddenly became drawn to a section of books, hearing a whisper coming from an old book mixed among the rest as he pulled the book down from the shelf and began to scan through its pages.

Belle lifted it enough to get a look at its cover and nodded, while Regina stared nervously at her son as she asked, "Henry, are you okay? What's going on?"

He finally came a page within the book as he stopped and replied, "This is another of Isaac's books. Even older than our book of fairytales. Rumpelstiltskin must have been the first story he ever wrote. I think that this spell is a failsafe against the Dark One, should he ever have needed it if he ever escaped the page where the apprentice trapped him within."

"Henry, have I ever told you you're a genius?" Regina asked as she ruffled his hair.

"At least once a day, Mom," Henry answered as she hugged him, then pulled back as he looked closer at the spell. "I think I can translate this spell for us, but it's going to take a few ingredients, not to mention a safe place for us to cast it."

The Queen smiled as she responded, "Luckily for us, my vault will have exactly what we need, I think. But one question still remains. Even if we can bring the dagger and then Gold to us, what are we going to do with him? Belle's right. His prison cell won't hold him forever and we can't risk him escaping again."

Belle thought for a minute and then replied, "Actually, I think I know exactly what we can do with him."

Within the hour, the three of them, as well as Mother Superior, who had joined them in order to assist her friends in the capture of their enemy, were gathered together again inside Regina's vault and were finishing up with preparing the ritual as Henry poured a magic oil, mixed with special herbs by the Queen, around in a large circle on the floor. When he finished, Belle and the Blue Fairy both double checked to make sure everything was prepared properly once Henry had translated the words Isaac had written within the book's pages.

"It's time," Blue said. "If this works, Rumpelstiltskin will hopefully never again be a problem to us and our town."

"On second thought, maybe this isn't such a good idea," Belle spoke up again nervously as she thought over their plan.

Regina moved to stand in front of the young woman as she answered, "If you recall, this was your idea. You wanted him gone, but you also wanted it to be done humanely. This is our best option. Personally, I think it's too good for him."

Belle looked into the Queen's eyes as she responded, "Maybe so, but it's still better than anything else we've been able to come up with. Okay, let's get this over with. I'm ready."

Henry handed his seconded mother the book and without hesitation, she began the spell inside her mind, concentrating on the circle before her and within moments, the oil caught fire, the Dark One dagger appeared within Belle's hands, finally, the villain appeared in cloud a black smoke within the flames.

"Belle?" Rumple stated with shock upon looking around at where he was and who was standing before him. "How did you…? What have you done?"

"I'm trying to save us all from whatever it is you've got planned, Rumple," she replied sadly. "And this is the only way we know how to do it, without you suffering as you would have us do if the situation was reversed."

He glared between the women as well as Henry while he answered, "Whatever it is you have done, these flames will not be able to hold me for long. I am the Dark One. The most powerful Dark One there has ever been, including that of Miss. Swan and her pirate. Belle, I was close to ridding myself of this marque. And then together you and I could have left this town and lived a wonderful life out within the world."

Tears came to her eyes as Belle responded, "And that's exactly what will happen, but you won't have your powers any longer. At least you won't know that you have your powers. Within minutes, this circle of fire surrounding you will strip you of the monster that you've become and what will be left will be the man I once loved. You'll have a whole new set of memories, just as your dark curse did to all of us. When this is over, you won't remember Rumpelstiltskin or Storybrooke, but you will remember your love for me, though not second to the darkness inside of you."

"Belle's right," Regina spoke up for her when Belle couldn't continue on. "It's better than you deserve, but then again… I suppose it's ironic that this should be your fate. Oh, and your dagger will remain here with us, should you actually come to remember the beast within one day."

"No Belle, please don't do this!" the evil man before them pleaded as he weakly collapsed to his knees when he began to feel whatever magic was being cast over him. "I know that I've lost you, but I cannot live within a world where I have nothing."

Belle replied, "You won't have nothing, Rumple."

A few minutes later, Mr. Gold was standing across the town line as he looked around him in confusion upon finding himself all alone, then called out in confusion, "Hello! Is anyone there?"

"Of course, I'm right here," a young woman answered kindly as she walked up to him from behind.

"There you are," he responded as he slowly limped his way over to the beauty who was his wife, his cane in hand. "Where have you been? I was worried about you."

She leaned in close and kissed his lips and when she pulled back she replied, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. Don't you remember? Our car ran out of gas less than a mile down the road. We started walking in this direction, hoping that a car would come by soon, but I accidentally left my purse behind. I walked back to go get it while you remained here. We can't exactly get more gas without money, can we?"

Gold shook his head as he answered, "No, I suppose we can't. Did you get what you needed?"

"Yes, of course," she responded gently as the crippled man and his beautiful wife started walking down the road once more, away from where Storybrooke stood shielded from them both, while the real Belle remained concealed within the magical border, watching as the man she had loved walked away for good with a copy of the real woman he believed her to be. "Let's keep going then. Surely a car will come along in no time."

"It's for the best, Miss. French," Regina said sincerely as she stepped up beside her and watched them with her. "He should remain happy, so long as the magic we just created holds."

Belle nodded and then replied, "I hope so. The spell, I mean. I hope it does hold. Because if not, we're all in for a reckoning."

Regina answered, "I know what you mean."