Chapter Eight

A Hero Not Born, but Made

Lily glided slowly to Gentleman's Park. She was weary from being scratched and bit to pieces last night. Even while recovering under her mother's miraculous care all day, she had been wearily arguing with her. Of course Maleficent wanted a chance to be a protective mother -of course she couldn't understand why she would want to go back into danger and be a hero now. But Maleficent had respectfully let her go.

Now was as good a time as any. Now was her chance to protect someone - Robin Hood, a good man, a good friend to her friend, Will. Someone who had probably helped them in Camelot, as they'd searched for tales, signs, even rumors of other dragons. If Lily could save Robin Hood, she'd have every excuse to visit him and Will whenever…

She looked down with precise night vision at the crowd, their pitiful weapons - at Robin Hood's pained face realizing his flamethrower was no longer working. Princess Snow and Prince Charming were right behind him, holding hands - probably thinking they could solve everything with true love and hope again. Lily stretched her long armor-scaled neck, shook her head full of sleek black horns, and prepared to belch fire at the Fury that flitted about. She was distracted by a piercing pain in her left wing- arrows from somewhere below! King Arthur and his followers were emerging from the shadows -and they were armed to the teeth! Even a two-story trebuchet was being wheeled up the path! Its wooden arm was being pulled back to ready an attack-catapulting spiky barbs up at her!

Lily was hit- caught off guard - but she managed to focus on the faces of her attackers as she fell. Last night she had been focused on the Fury and not the people on the ground. Now the people and the ground were getting closer and closer as she fell, still in dragon form, and she could look on the faces of these men acutely. They were the men from the Rabbit Hole, who had flirted and taunted and goaded her! She landed on her feet and, full of rage, used her growing breath of fire on them, not the Fury.

She could feel a sword overzealously stabbing her feet. King Arthur had evaded the blast- still, most of the people in the park had not. Regina the witch queen turned her attention for a moment from defending her love to drawing all the destructive fire away from them, up into a column of fire in her hand. She then threw it at the howling hellion that had, in that moment, reached Robin and clawed its feet into his shoulders. A strange moonglow was streaming from his body to the Fury's mouth. The Fury had lifted him up as high as a treetop- when knocked back by a fireball, it dropped Robin- and Regina ran to his side to heal him.

Lily tried to get back in this fight, but the trebuchet had launched something else -right into her mouth! She choked and writhed- something hard burst inside.

Even in singed jackets and armor, the men cheered, laughed, and clapped each other's backs. "Got 'er with the fire extinguisher!" she heard them say.

Meanwhile the onlookers screamed and the band of armed thieves shouted, crowding around Robin Hood. Their weapons were useless as the long limbs of the Fury picked off the Merry Men one by one. Will Scarlet held up a crossbow, shaking as he pointed it up at the supernatural force of a creature- he was the last, between it and Robin and Regina. Lily ran towards them, coughing, unable to roar out, "Will! No!"

His aim was true, but it made no difference to the Fury sent to take a life. Will was thrown aside. What made a difference was Regina leaning over Robin and saying to it, "Take me instead!" Its gaping mouth was silent for once as it sucked an iridescent substance away from Regina's aura. It shone in the moonlight- her life force, her soul, was leaving her body and being inhaled, tasted, evaluated by the winged beast. It reached for her as it sucked her in-

Snow White rushed forward to stand between Regina and the Fury. "No, take me instead!" Regina's aura was restored and faded to invisibility - Snow White now arched her back and felt the draw of her soul up to the monster's mouth. She would be sacrificed rather than let Robin or Regina lose their chance at happiness, especially after they had worked so hard to redeem themselves.

Charming then forced himself in front of Snow White. "No, take me!"

The spirit of Emma Swan was frantic inside Killian Jones. He and the braver of the townsfolk looked on, in panic. "No, don't let them do this! Do something-you've got to save my parents!" urged his beautiful vision at his side.

"But your parents are always doing this, Swan! Am I to chase after them every time they put themselves in danger?" Killian asked in a worried tone. Her sad, heavy-lidded eyes said yes.

For Charming, all sensation faded away, and dimly he saw a glowing blur before his body. His life was leaving him for the jaws of the messenger of death. His body was about to crumble- but something was different. He felt the ground rush to meet his head and shoulders- really felt, really heard, really saw and smelled the shadowy, burning city park! Death was not so near, Killian had pushed him out of the way!

The synchronized voices of the Dark Ones come before him coldly chanted to Killian, "You can't die this way. Someone has to die this way. Get rid of her, she's just another monster in the way."

"Do something- now!" screamed Emma.

"Take her instead!" Killian said to the Fury, under his breath.

He secretly used his Dark One magic to throw the nearby limping dragon up into the Fury's erratic flight path. Its fanged mouth was still open wide to suck away a life- to the amazement of everyone, that life was Lily's! She was already feeling weak-now she curled into a spiky ball and yielded to the Fury's insistent draw. It clamped its bloody claws around her head and dragged her off swiftly to the lake, which whipped into a whirlpool to swallow them both.

Snow White and David ran to the edge of the waves and wind, crying for Lily to be left out of all this. Killian held them back from the water with a hand on one of both of their arms. "No, wait! Emma wouldn't want her parents to die!" His voice was not heard over the violent waves of the lake, and the Charmings' stubbornness.

In a minute the crowd would hush, the lake would be still again, the fog would rise up around them and the clouds would take away even the starlight. The Golds and the Charmings would stare out at the lake, mystified, for hours more. But Arthur would not wait to celebrate.

"Hurrah! Two monsters gone with one push!" He led his men in a cheer.

Killian forced a grin, and held Arthur's armored fist up high. "You did it, your majesty! Indeed, two birds with one stone! All hail King Arthur!" he shouted. The knights repeated this cheer, along with the Merry Men, and they marched off to East Storybrooke, following their king to a well-liquored party at the marina that Killian would arrange for. The Captain had his King just where he wanted him, striding in front and eager to take the attention away from what Killian had done.

Robin Hood and Regina did not follow, they just held each other tightly. "Let's get out of here before more trouble comes," Regina whispered in his ear, looking to the sky. On cue, the wind whipped about with the flapping of dragon wings. Maleficent was circling the park, looking to provide backup for her daughter again. Regina whooshed herself and Robin back home with magic, before her old friend landed and discovered that Lily had been taken.

The Charmings and the Golds heard a large thud behind them, and felt the heat of a dragon's angry breath. She wanted answers.

Snow scrambled to explain, without turning to face her. "The Fury wanted a life! It would have kept terrorizing the city, until it took a life! It -it needed a life for payment -a good deed done without paying the price! Because Robin saved Regina's life less than a moon ago and he died- -Our daughter broke the rules of magic, brought him back to life - without requiring a price for dark magic! And now it's the first time the full moon shone on us and Regina was going to sacrifice herself for Robin, but Charming and I were going to make sure we paid the price instead, for their sake! We don't know why the Fury took Lily!"

"Now, will people believe me, now that only Dark One magic can explain all this?" Mr. Gold grumbled under his breath. His warnings back at Granny's hadn't been heeded.

The ground shook with the dragon's long, pained roar. Maleficent made waves on the lake with her wings, flying around in a tight circle and thrashing the water with her tail. There was no following Lily-Unless it was her time to go.

The eyewitnesses to Lily's death were enveloped in the smoke of Maleficent's transformation into a glowering blonde woman. "My daughter was not about to die for any one of you!" she growled. "Lily -she's been taken to the afterlife -and it should have been you!"

She clamped her long fingernails onto Mr. Gold's shoulder. "Why didn't you do something?" she yelled. "You must still have some magic! Otherwise you wouldn't have risked coming here tonight!"

"It's a horrible thing, to lose a child, I'm sorry…" Mr. Gold said, gingerly holding her hand with both of his. "There was nothing I could do, besides throw myself into the mix of people trying to sacrifice themselves..."

"But you. ... You owed me! You first gave me hope that my daughter was alive, that made me try to find her!"

"Yes, and I warned you then," Mr. Gold said as sensitively as he could, "that it would bring you pain."

Snow motioned for them all to sit at a charred picnic table together, and go over exactly what happened, blow by blow. "Everyone exhausted their efforts to fight off the Fury, including Lily," Snow White began.

Maleficent's fingers drummed the table restlessly, distracted by memories as much as she tried to focus.

She remembered saying, "We need to work together, we're both-pregnant." Hadn't Maleficent appealed to Snow White like that, so long ago? Hadn't she come to the expectant princess, alone one night, before Lily or Emma were born? Hadn't they both been expecting a child that would be due right at the time of Regina's Curse on the Enchanted Forest? But Snow White wouldn't help her then.

"The girls' lives are tied together, as they had always been…" Isn't that what the Sorcerer's Apprentice had said, about Lily... and Emma? And hadn't they both been lost little girls in the Land Without Magic? Hadn't the world toughened them up, for times like these? There had to be some reason why both girls ended up throwing their lives away, and within weeks of each other!

"It's so quiet and dark, when you die," Charming was saying. "I knew I was really dying! So much colder and quieter than a sleeping curse… I knew there would be no haunting dreams to look forward to!"

Snow White was nodding and rubbing his back. "Now we know, baby, that death feels-somehow more comforting than that sleeping curse! " she said. "Thank you for trying to take that from me- from Regina, from Robin…"

Maleficent snorted. She was glad for the acknowledgement of the fearsome power of her trademark weapon. Worse than death after all. But why was no one quick enough to stop Lily from being sacrificed?

"I would have died if Killian hadn't-" Charming stopped himself. His eyes darted to those of the neutral observers, the Golds.

Belle finished his thought. "Killian pushed you away from the Fury. But he didn't have his life force sucked out instead. Not that we could see. Not like everyone else who went right in front of the Fury." She couldn't deny that this Killian was not the Killian she'd come to know.

"Maybe, in a way, he's immune to all that…" Mr. Gold said. "Maybe old Captain Hook… is the immortal now. And not Emma."

"What, how? Why would -"

"Just ask him," Gold told Snow, with gritted teeth. "Ask him why he didn't let the Fury taste his soul. Ask him why he didn't just stand there and say 'Take Me.' Ask if he was satisfied with the dragon dying instead of him! Ask him if he was satisfied with killing your daughter so he could be the immortal!" He turned to Maleficent. "And then killing your daughter!"

"That's crazy!" Snow said.

"Just ask him and listen- see if he's lying. Or don't you have your daughter's so-called superpower?" Rumpelstiltskin challenged Snow.

Snow White opened her phone- 4 AM. She hesitated. "I- I will ask him, at a- decent hour."

Rumpelstiltskin and Belle left, shaking their heads. People were not listening. They were too tired for pretense. They had every excuse to hole away from everyone, guard against threats unknown, and finally sleep- in their marriage bed, so missed.

"Oi, how do we know it's not that Arthur who's the bloody Dark One?"

A voice from the road- a young man who had been lingering there, waiting for Rumpelstiltskin and Belle to leave. The young man in the black canvas jacket and hood approached them. "King Arthur, he was right rotten to Lily," he said. A glimpse of his face in the lamp light- his big eyes were swollen, wet with tears.

"Will Scarlet!" Maleficent said. If she were the hugging type - she could have really used a hug, from someone else who mourned Lily.

He sat at their picnic table and briefly went over his intelligence regarding the Round Table. The pursuit of dragons, the fight against the Fury-and any and all monsters- for the sake of glory. The promises about "New Camelot." It made them want to talk further, someplace safer.

Maleficent and Will followed the Charmings back to their loft, going over the course of events again and again. Drinking, mourning, reminiscing until dawn. The sheriff was quite impressed with the stranger and thief who he had once jailed for petty crimes. He actually knew a lot about local politics, had some keen insights and good judge of character.

Finally the two mothers cried together, as the meaning behind the intersections of their lives became clear.

"Our girls... Their births were… analogous. Their deaths were analogous…" Maleficent reflected, using a term from her study of literature. "That's how we'll figure out who was really responsible, for both of their deaths!"

"Of course Rumpelstiltskin would want us to think Hook was responsible, they're old enemies," Charming explained. "But still, there's something off… about what he did…" He combed his fingers through his hair, shook off those thoughts, and headed out. "I'm going to pick up our baby from the Fairies."

Maleficent winced at the mention of the order of Fairies that had rejected and opposed her, lifetimes ago. Where were they, in the fight against the Fury? Once Charming left, she nudged Snow White to call the possible culprit.

"Hook...? There's something we must get straight."

He answered the phone with a warm "Aye, love?" The pirate stretched long, and turned away from the sun that spread across the marina. He had already built up an immunity to hangovers, but the Dark One powers surprised him by making the morning after drinking even easier.

"Last night. Did that dragon-really -put herself before the Fury? Or did you. ... try to put yourself before the Fury? I'm a bit confused…"

Killian reassured her, "It's alright, of course it's hard to sort out when your life was on the line. All that matters is that monster's not coming back. Now, have you gotten any rest? Are you reunited with your son?"

"Hook," Snow said in a worried tone, "The dragon was a person! Lily, Emma's friend! Do you remember if she really sacrificed herself to the Fury? Or, what happened?"

"The dragon died. Someone else was supposed to die. But it's best this way, you know it is, lady." There was a moment of loaded silence on the phone. "You thought it was alright to sacrifice Lily before, didn't you? When Emma was not yet born, didn't you and the Sorcerer's Apprentice cast Lily away into another realm, for Emma's sake? I mean, is this anything new?" Bitterness crept into his tone. "I recall… the story goes, the Apprentice had said that Lily was too much evil to be contained, back in our land. Now, without Emma and her light magic to balance her- I mean- the Apprentice wouldn't want Lily in this land, either! Unbalanced, it is. You understand, my lady?"

Snow felt sick. She said goodbye and just cried and cried on Maleficent's shoulder. Something had changed in her daughter's beau! He was not the same man who had so endeared himself to her family. Who had earned her respect, and Charming's and Henry's.

"How could he be so cavalier about her death?" she sobbed.

"Because he pushed her into it!" said the other grieving mother, through tears of rage.

"And how, then, does he feel about your daughter's sacrifice?" Will asked Snow. "I don't know too much about you hero types, but I know you don't let someone die and then say it's better this way." With a couple swigs, he finished off the bottles of various spirits they had been sharing. "And- I know that Captain and King Arthur are working together."

"So-so what happened in Camelot had something to do with those two, pushing Emma into-?" Snow White struggled to work out the analogy.

Maleficent stood, wiped away her tears and runny makeup, and said, "Excuse me… while I kill them."

"He'll kill you!" Belle exclaimed.

"I'll be alright! You're so sweet to worry. But-I learned a thing or two from Merida."

"You don't have to go! Just because he said it was a matter of honor, that doesn't mean it's what it's really about!" Belle and Rumpelstiltskin had been going back and forth over the issue of the duel for about an hour. She so wanted to just keep her husband in bed, and keep him safe somehow- it occurred to her that he had probably wanted the same thing, for her! But they were both free spirits, they had to let each other fly sometimes. Belle wasn't sure this was one of those times! "You owe him nothing! And I don't want to see you get hurt," she said.

Rumpelstiltskin got dressed despite her protests. He was driven by curiosity, not a sense of honor or duty to his first wife Milah. Both he and Captain Hook had moved on from Milah years ago. "You won't see. You won't watch. I am going to find out what this is really about, Belle. And I just hope to meet you afterwards."

"You're really going to duel Killian? When our working theory is- that he's the Dark One? You're mortal! And- you don't even want my help?" Belle thought of the gun in her purse. She was a terrible shot, apparently, but she could still do something, if worse came to worse… If Killian would not relent from fighting Rumpelstiltskin to the death, couldn't she at least slow him down?

"No, Belle. You shouldn't have to help me and nurse me and feel sorry for me all the time." They exchanged hurt looks. "Isn't that what you've done, every day since my heart attack?" He fiddled with his tie, changing the knot for the occasion. They had hurt each other's pride. Maybe they needed space-already, after getting back together! He went downstairs for a quick lunch-likely not his last. He explained to Belle as she followed him around, "Merida showed me that whoever put her up to training me -wanted a good fight. If I give that to him, he'll kill me and be happy with himself- for a while. If I don't give that to him…" He closed his eyes for a humbling moment. "Well. I'm just going to get to the bottom of this, even if it kills me!"

Belle understood that he had to do something he'd be proud of. He had to restart his life as a mortal man with a decisive, brave action -and to Rumpelstiltskin, bravery was not just for fights. It was for facing the truth as well. He wanted to pride himself on gathering information, on being the one to piece things together. He wasn't going to the duel for Killian or Milah, he was doing it for himself… she sympathized, also, with not wanting to feel useless.

Belle threw on a housedress and watched him at their door. With his long coat and cane, he was going to walk all the way to the shipyards! He turned back, to speak to her. Gently, with wide eyes that expected nothing. "Thank you for accepting that this is something I want to do-alone. Is there something you want to do -for yourself? Besides worry about me?" He gave her a little smile.

"Do you mean, what I want to do with my life, Rumpel?"

"Yes. Please think about it, and think about whether you really want a life with me. I don't assume that- last night meant forever. So- if I survive the duel, I am going straight to the well where we were married. I want you to meet me there this afternoon…"

Belle's heart swelled with romanticism.

He went on, "If you want a life with me, meet me at the wishing well. If you don't come- I'll know your answer."

The clouds were light, the breeze was warm, the gulls were calling their birdcalls peacefully. Killian kicked back on the deck of the Jolly Roger to enjoy the beautiful day, the day when he would finally quench his thirst for revenge. He had talked and sang drinking songs with the newcomers all night and into the early morning, and even danced with his ghostly girlfriend, to Mr. Smee's accordion. The black and purple dragon flying above couldn't spoil his mood; he had quietly made all East Storybrooke fireproof to guard against Maleficent. The boys would go after that monster when another morale boost was needed.

Now footsteps and the click of a cane were heard on the dock, from a gentleman with brown hair touched by silver, and crooked teeth capped with gold. He had his best three-piece suit on- he was ready to die.

Killian twirled a cutlass on the deck and glared at him through windswept bangs. He tossed Rumpelstiltskin a sword and attacked.

Rumpelstiltskin blocked, advancing on Killian's personal space, jumping down onto the deck off a banister. They parried- shortly his movements became predictable as he compensated for his lame foot, bearing such pain. Killian wouldn't have him blame his handicap for losing.

As Rumpelstiltskin dodged a blow and swung his sword low at his enemy's knees, he felt the adrenaline bolster his strength, his balance- his foot almost felt healed! He rejected the slightest taste of the thrill of battle. It wasn't for him.

The two fought up and down the steps over the Captain's quarters. Killian pushed forcefully on their crossed swords, so Rumpelstiltskin would fall backwards, down by the mast and ropes.

"You could have had her back, you know!" Killian shouted, sharply. "Milah- if you had just tried to fight for her! But you wouldn't, on that day- you waited until she meant everything to me! And then you killed her for no reason!" Killian stood over Rumpelstiltskin, ready to make a fatal blow- but did this man hear him? Did he acknowledge what he'd done?

This man's sword had been knocked from his hand, but he still could loose one of the ties, a tie that held a moveable pulley high above. The rope went slack, the heavy Pulley swung down and hit Killian's head- for the element of surprise was all his mortal opponent had. Killian was down- his opponent grabbed both blades.

"If only you knew how to use those! It would actually be a fair match!" Killian insulted him as his head recovered.

"I know enough…" One blade was at his neck and the other was pointed at him but held high, ready for anything. Rumpelstiltskin knew this was to be a fight to the death - but if he attempted a deathblow now, the Captain would be forced to come out as the invincible Dark One! So far it had been better for everyone that this Dark One was lying low! Rumpelstiltskin avoided testing his theory about the Dark One for now. He quoted Regina, "Still, Someone once told me, heroes don't kill."

Killian laughed bitterly and kicked the old man's kneecaps with both feet. He rolled out of the way of the swords as his enemy fell. He had the upper hand again-this time, both hands on his kneeling enemy's throat, instead of the hilts of swords, because it was that personal. And to his dismay, he was shown fear and helplessness instead of anger and struggle.

"Please stop -I beg of you!" Rumpelstiltskin gagged. "Please- you've won!" he spit out. "The old man- dies today! I am -a new man- now!" He looked up at Killian, with oxygen starved red eyes, filling with tears. Hadn't Killian seen his heart, along with everyone else who watched the Apprentice suck the darkness out of him? He whispered, "My heart- isn't the one that killed Milah! It's blank-!"

Emma Swan pulled on Killian's arms. Nimue stayed his hands. After a moment, he could let go, catch his breath. " Yes... And that may make you useful..."

Killian had him get up, and walk the plank -not out to open water, but back to the dock. With his sword point at his back, he took the Crocodile on a little walk.

Maleficent threw a boulder into the ground, then circled around to land in the cemetery. She breathed fire upon a stencil she had made on the rock, and looked over the hasty flame-licked tombstone that she'd placed in a shady, isolated part of the town cemetery. Revenge was still not hers- it was surely Dark One magic that had deflected her destruction of Captain Hook and all those in 'new Camelot.' She had nearly exhausted herself this morning trying to get revenge- but Lily deserved a memorial service, too.

She had invited the few people who cared to a quickly planned funeral this afternoon; three bouquets of white lilies were being brought in. The service would be there in the shadowy corner, as far as possible from Emma Swan's marker on the opposite side of the graveyard. It would still be hard for people to separate the recent tragedies.

Snow White and her husband, David, showed up early, pushing the black buggy with baby Neal up and down the rows of stones. Then Regina, her boyfriend, and the two children between them.

Maleficent shrank herself to human form to receive condolences.

"Lily was ... an intriguing person. She had spirit," Regina said, hugging her friend. "I wish I could have gotten to know her better."

"Are you sure you don't just... wish you had more of her blood? For your magical ink?" Maleficent surprised herself by bringing up anger over the past. The blood of someone harboring such darkness as Lily was- it was an ingredient for the special ink needed to change stories, and not just record them. The sort of stories that Regina's son, the new Author, was destined to write.

"No-Maleficent!" Regina was startled. "I don't blame you for keeping your distance since that thing with the last Author. If circumstances were not in the way, we could have all been better friends."

Will showed up with a boom box. "The Sound of Silence" by Disturbd played as everyone looked down at the boulder that read Lily Anderson. Maleficent's shuddering cries shook the very earth.

Snow White looked about nervously - no one else was coming. She and Charming had reached out to Arthur and Guinevere. Implored them to come to the tail end of the service -to apologize or to clarify what happened last night. Anything, to ease the suspicions that Arthur had wanted Lily dead- and to save East Storybrooke from a mother's wrath!

Maleficent said a few words about Lily's life, what little she knew. Lily had been adopted by humans, but kept running away- had already faked her death, out there in the Land Without Magic, severed all ties- and Storybrooke was supposed to be her second chance. Maleficent dried her eyes and swore vengeance.

Killian Jones marched his prisoner up the gravel alley to the back door of his new house. He let the magical boost to Rumpelstiltskin's gait wear off, hoping that his use of dark healing powers would go unnoticed. In the cool of the entryway, past the strange locked door under the stairs, down damp, creaky steps, into the cold of a subterranean hideaway beyond basement level. Killian flicked on the string of floodlights. The tired old Crocodile gasped.

"You know what that is, don't you?" They both stared at the glorious treasure lodged in a stone. Rumpelstiltskin had felt the urgings, throughout his life as a Dark One, to seek out this sword! Its reputation preceded it by far- rumors of men turned to ash at a touch.

"Coward. Go grab it then! Coward!" Killian barked. He nudged Rumpelstiltskin with his sword, towards the shining hilt atop the rough boulder. His hands were shaking.

"You brought this with you from Camelot? Why don't you pull it out?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"I read Merlin's writings. This sword wasn't always a sword. It was once a magical chalice, found by desperate souls… only a desperate soul who was worthy could touch it and not die. Only a man who had nothing-nothing to lose, nothing to gain, nothing holding back his heart- that man was Merlin. And he harnessed this magic, at a time when he was nothing- a completely blank slate."

"Excalibur," Rumpelstiltskin whispered in awe. He knew, from the memories of the first Dark One, that the Great Sorcerer had forged this sword. He hadn't known how the Sorcerer came across it, when it had been the Grail. For centuries the voices of the Dark Ones had pestered Rumpelstiltskin to search for this artifact, reforge it, and use it to strike down all other forms of magic besides theirs. But he had resisted because he focused on his own agenda- finding his son. "They say that- it's not a blank slate, but- the rightful leader of the land, who can pull this sword from a stone," he said.

"Yeah? And who's to say that's not you? Go on!" Killian pushed. If the sword turned Rumpelstiltskin to a pile of ash, he had other contenders in mind.

His girlfriend tried to pull this man's arms away frantically- to no avail. His reach was unaffected by all the force that Emma had-she was just a vision. A vision that took to action, rather than mutterings in Killian's ear. She was a vision and a warning, to heed Merlin's wisdom about leaving the sword alone- but she did not change Killian's hatred of Rumpelstiltskin. "If he really gets it-he'll kill you with it!" she cried.

"Just try," Killian said lowly.

Cautiously, Rumpelstiltskin curled his fingers around the hilt of the sword. He could feel its emanating power without gripping it. He figured he could pull on it willingly, and surely die, or this Dark One would no longer have any use for him… and would kill him. He chose his last words carefully. "You're just- a host for the darkness," he said snidely, over his shoulder. "Recovering Excalibur- isn't your idea. Dark magic uses you, consumes you. It uses you to its own ends." He turned to give Killian a piercing look, as he gripped the silver handle and pulled with all his strength.

Belle Gold had been agonizing over the calendar on the kitchen wall. All Souls Day? Thanksgiving? Christmas? What would be a good milestone to look forward to?

"Rumpel. I have some things I want to do. I have to do this on my own," she had said, practicing her speech to the wall. She would use his words, give him what he seemed to want. "All I ask is that you be my friend... until this day. All Souls Day. On this day, I want us to meet here at the well. We'll have a beautiful recommitment ceremony... if that's what we both want. I can tell you that right now- I do want that! And this way you can decide, after you've had a chance - to stand on your own two feet, as a mortal man-" She had thought better of saying that, as she paced about. "To- to earn my respect, the way you are now. And you'll see, we aren't together because of me feeling sorry for you!" She'd wrung her hands anxiously. She couldn't say that either! How could she quantify the time it would take for her to know what kind of life she wanted? And for him to know? She felt like her husband would keep pushing her away, keep pushing for space, time apart… as a way to atone… He would keep doing this until they had passed some kind of milestone and she could prove that the past was past. But how? And how far past did it have to be?

She'd grabbed a plain blue coat and driven to Granny's for an egg salad sandwich and iced tea. She kept going over what she would say- which kept her bottomless fears at bay. He would be there, she had to prepare! Of course he would be there, and not… stabbed to death, floating face down in the bay…! Or tossed into a ditch where no one would find him for days! Or- Belle couldn't think like that.

"Booth. Over there." Granny instructed Belle not to sit at the lunch counter today- she could tell when someone came to her diner needing privacy and advice, and not just sustenance. She brought Belle her order and was as blunt as ever: "You know what your problem is? You keep on giving people mixed messages because you don't know what you want. You need to figure it out and- you need some respect for yourself." She wiped her hands on her apron and looked over the beautifully made up young woman, who had nervousness and indecision written on her face. "That's what you both need," Granny said as she walked away.

It occurred to Belle that the main thing she had to do, before starting her married life again, was earn respect. For once, people could interact with her and not just think of the Dark One - so how would they treat her? Did this town appreciate her attempts to be a good neighbor, a good friend, and a hero at times? Or had everyone assumed, all this time, that she got all her knowledge and resources from being close to the Dark One? Did anyone believe in her, just being herself? And did she?

She thanked Granny and headed out. She wasn't ready -and he wasn't ready- to love, if they didn't first love and respect themselves. As independent, new people. She couldn't meet him at the well because then he'd get mixed messages, yet again! She couldn't stay away, either, because she just had to know if he survived the duel! If he didn't make it to the well in the woods today, then- she would be the only one to care enough to file a missing person report… She had to find a hidden place to watch for him at the well. She'd leave as soon as she knew he lived!

Stepping out, she surveyed the busy little town of East Storybrooke. Women with covered hair were selling eggs, brushing horses at hitching posts; men in plain tunics were sitting outside drinking, braiding ropes and fishing nets, telling loud stories. What could she make of this provincial life? She waved to Henry Mills who was walking by- the quick young brunette boy who looked so much like his father.

Henry was striking up conversation with any newcomer walking by. He had to come up with a distraction- he and his mother and grandmother had a plan. After Lily's funeral, they'd quickly conferenced and determined that if they didn't get through to King Arthur, Maleficent would kill him- and everyone who stepped forward to defend him. Possibly the whole village of newcomers!

Seeing Belle had given him an idea. "I'm just looking for the most beautiful woman of Camelot," Henry improvised, grabbing the attention of a small group of men. "Point her out, would you? Because -there's a prize… we have… for that…"

"Well that's our queen, Guinevere!" Someone said.

"You have to say that, that's the official position," Henry said to the gathering crowd. " But who is really most beautiful among you? I need to see... women and girls by age category, uh…" His face and neck grew red with embarrassment. When he was on the spot like this, his voice was starting to squeak! "See, I am the son of the savior- and our tradition is that I judge who is the fairest... of them all…"

His diversion was working. Snow and Regina discreetly made their way through the back alleys, to the houseboats- they spied the unmistakably dignified Queen Guinevere leaving the farthest one. That meant Arthur might be alone.

Arthur was in the wrong. He was a fool to have launched attacks against dragons, when he didn't have all the information. But Snow White and her stepmother Regina figured he could still be useful. As soon as they had an audience with Arthur, sitting at his cramped fiberboard kitchen table, they lay the gravity of the situation on him.

"She's coming for you."

"Who?"

"Maleficent! The mother dragon!"

" Let her come! We will be victorious!"

"You're wasting your efforts," Regina said, as patiently as she could. "There is a real enemy among us- the Dark One!"

"My daughter took on the darkness but she did not destroy it like we all thought!" Snow said. "Those memories were some kind of trick- just like our memory loss! Now we're close to finding the real villain…"

Arthur's eyes sparkled with wanderlust and wonder- and there was something else there too. A brief look of challenge -or contempt. So it seemed to Regina. "Then the Dark One dagger can still be found," he said. "This is a villain that can be controlled, you see…"

"You want to be a hero, huh?" Snow White asked. "Then stop picking on dragons who mean no harm- and pick on someone your own size!"

"Then help us draw out the Dark One. You're the diversion - we're the reconnaissance." Regina said. "And tell no one! Not until we can be sure of him…"

Quietly, Regina and Snow gulped down their suspicions that they could not be sure of Arthur, either, until he passed this test.

Arthur humbly acquiesced, out of curiosity about the Dark One. He found himself walking into the angled afternoon sun, down to Main Street, to do the bidding of this town's matriarchs. He didn't care for being told what to do. But the two darling, daring ladies who had approached him -they had something valuable- connections. They could even dissuade the monster Maleficent from chasing him- if need be.

He found a markedly unique yellow buggy, left on the road in a line of horseless carriages- and forced open the front door. This was the spot where they said that the presumed new Dark One would not allow trespass.

Just as he sat on the squeaky, faded black seat, he felt angry eyes watching him. Captain Jones was coming up to the car. "Uh-ahoy- mate," Arthur said, turning around fast.

"What are you doing?" the Captain demanded. "No one touches Swan's car!" He had been pulled away from a vastly entertaining game at home. By some miracle, Rumpelstiltskin had recovered Excalibur. Naturally, he'd tried to attack Killian with it- and stumbled and failed. The game was getting the sword of legend from a powerless Crocodile, playing with backhanded, subtle magic. He had let the empty-hearted man struggle to escape from his underground chamber as the cave walls closed in on him, so he would have to drop Excalibur to squeeze through the narrowing passage to freedom. Even now, Killian was missing out on this little rat in a maze that he could control and watch with his magic, without having to show his magical abilities. He had been pulled away to deal with this pitiful puppet, Arthur.

Arthur looked up at Killian's fierce, handsome face. "I have to get used to driving and- didn't you say that anyone from Camelot could use the boats, buildings and cars with impunity?"

"Not this one!" the Captain answered, and picked Arthur up by his throat.

"What's so special-" Arthur choked on the rest of his question. He thought he and Killian were matched for height and strength, but Killian was able to drag him into an empty side street and then transport them away somewhere. So much for the distraction.

When the grey cloud of magic thinned around them, Arthur saw he was in a tight, dank cave- with Excalibur, the sword broken clean in half ages ago- laying on the floor! "You have magic!" he accused Killian, breaking the hold and pushing him away. "You have Dark One magic, then? Why did you hide it from me?"

"What business is it of yours?" the pirate asked gruffly. He could sense that they were alone in the cave-his little rat had really escaped! All the ancient Dark Ones in his head loved to torment Rumpelstiltskin, because he had been the host who wouldn't listen, wouldn't yield to their ambitions. Now he just had Arthur to toy with.

"Well if you have-that- and the Dark One dagger- together, we could forge them back together!" Arthur said. "This sword, my kingdom -it's my destiny to make them whole again!"

"Go ahead."

Arthur paused. He alone had been able to touch this weapon-in recent memory! But what if something had changed in the missing memories? How did it get here, carelessly dropped on the floor of a cave that was lit up by electricity? Someone else had touched it- it was reasonable to believe that someone else was the rightful leader of this land! He sweated as he slowly reached for the sword. Killian used magic to lock the door at the top of the narrow, rocky passage that was the staircase up to his house. He was going to let Arthur stew over the question of his arrogant claim to a certain destiny, for a few days. He would either turn to a pile of dust next to the half-sword- or a man desperate for any role he could possibly play in the restoration of that sword.

Meanwhile, Rumpelstiltskin hurried to the wishing well on the hill, as it grew late in the afternoon. He had escaped with his life and a story to tell about the Dark One- but the only one he wanted to talk to was not there. He waited by the well silently, heartbroken, not bothering to wish.