Chapter 7: Into the Fire

(*PRESENT DAY IN THE ENCHANTED FOREST*)


"Alright Clara. We're about to land." The Doctor said nervously.

"Don't worry Doctor. We'll convince him. I know we will." Clara said.

"No we won't. You're staying in here where it's safe." The Doctor said.

"No way!" Clara responded.

"Yes way. He's just too dangerous. If he knows that you're here, if he knows that I have someone I care about, he'll come after you and I don't think he'll let himself be tricked by my sonic screwdriver again."

"Then why did you bring me if you didn't want me to go with you?"

"I didn't choose to bring you. The Blue Fairy transported us both to the TARDIS without even asking."

"Why would she do that?"

"It's not her fault. We arrived here together. You're my companion. She just assumed that we were doing this together, but we aren't. You will stay in the TARDIS. We're really heading into the fire on this one."

"Fine."

Rumplestiltskin was spinning straw into gold like he always did. He'd been rather emotional lately. Belle was gone. She wasn't dead, but she was gone. Rumple refused to believe that anyone could love him and he forced her out. However, it was too late. Belle had fallen in love with him, but she was gone now. He sat here alone most nights in his castle spinning.

However, his evening was about to be livened. The magic blue box was materializing at the other end of the room. He hadn't thought about that box or the Doctor in months. He'd been too preoccupied with other affairs to exact revenge against the Doctor, but now the moment had come. This was perfect. The Doctor stepped out and shut the door behind him so that Dark One would not see Clara.

"Hello, Rumple." The Doctor said.

"Hello, Doctor." The Dark One said.

Immediately after he had finished speaking, Rumplestiltskin summoned a magic puff of gray smoke from his hands and blew it at the Doctor. The smoke surrounded his body completely before he had a chance to escape. Within seconds, the Doctor had turned to stone.

"You never should've tricked me dearie." Rumple said.

Clara watched these events unfold from the screen in the TARDIS. She couldn't just stay in there so she ran outside. Rumplestiltskin turned around, saw her and used magic to shrink her to the size of a cricket.

"No one sneaks up on me dearie." He said.

"Wait. Rumplestiltskin I need your help." Clara said on the floor at the now giant man.

"And why should I help you?" He asked.

"Because you'll die if you don't." Clara said

These words caught him off guard.

"You've got two minutes to explain yourself dearie. Tik tok." He said.

"Evil creatures called Sontarans have invaded this world. As we speak they are currently trying to invade Snow White's castle so that they can kill her and use the red diamond to bring the rest of their species here and slaughter everyone in their path."

"The red diamond belongs to Regina dearie. She won it from me and she wouldn't just let some evil potatoes steal it form her."

"Well they took it from her and almost killed her in the process. I can offer you a deal that you can't pass up."

Rumplestiltskin made Clara normal size again to make sure he heard this deal.

"Go on then." He said to her.

"Not until you return the Doctor to normal." She said.

"That's not how it works here dearie. How about if I like your deal, then I'll return him to normal, but if I don't like your deal, then I'll kill you and keep the Doctor as a statue in my front garden forever."

"Alright. If you help us defeat the Sontarans, then you will be in possession of the red diamond again."

"There's no way Regina will agree to that."

"Even Regina doesn't want to die."

Rumple paused to consider.

"Alright dearie. But I better get my diamond." He said.

"You will." Clara responded.

Rumplestiltskin then blew another puff of magic gray smoke at the Doctor and he soon returned to normal. The three of them boarded the TARDIS and set a course back to Snow White's castle, where the greatest battle the Enchanted Forest will ever see was about to take place.