Belle continued, struggling to remain composed. "Rumpelstiltskin has left me with a cloaking spell to protect our town from other outsiders." She fished the little scroll out of her pocket. "He says it will make Storybrooke impossible to find."
Ruby turned to Belle and met her gaze with a look of concern. "They won't be able to return then...will they?" She asked. It was really more of a statement than a question. Belle felt her lip quiver and the sting of the truth surge through her anew as she shook her head.
Unable to speak anymore, Belle let her guard down and gulped loud, wailing sobs, spilling fresh tears all over the linoleum counter. "Oh, honey...shhh..." said Ruby. "We'll get through this." She held Belle for a moment, her own eyes shining with unshed tears, mourning the loss of her own close friends Snow and Charming. The mood in the little diner grew somber as everyone let it sink in that the town's fearless leaders had vanished and might never return.
For the moment, Belle sat a booth in Granny's Diner surrounded by her friends who huddled around her, taking in the enormity of their new situation. She twirled the tiny scroll in her fingers, then carefully pulled the red ribbon tied around it's center and unfurled it. Taking a deep breath in an effort to calm herself, she wiped her eyes on the back of her hand.
Ruby leaned over Belle's shoulder. "So...what does it say?"
Belle rattled off a list of ingredients. "Unicorn blood, butterfly wing, chameleon scales, and silver slime." She continued reading. "Mix together thoroughly and drop vile into the well. Everything can be found in the back room of my shop." Belle's voice caught as she read the closing line. " I know you can do this. I love you my sweet Belle, Forever yours...Rumplestiltskin."
Ruby put her hand on Belle's shoulder. "Wow. That is quite an...interesting list.
"All right, girl, enough tears!" Granny grabbed Belle gently and looked her in the eye. "You need to buck up now. I know this has been an especially difficult day for you as it has been for all of us, but we can't afford to let this town fall into shambles. It's time to protect it, so let's get to work! It's what they'd want us to do." Several nods among the group echoed her sentiment.
"Yes, of course. You're right." said Belle. "Thanks, Granny."
"Belle," said Grumpy, "if you need anything, and help at all, just say the word. My brothers and I are here for you." There was a murmur of agreement. "It's time for you to find your inner hero again!"
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Henry's in trouble?" said Neal. His forehead crinkled and his expression darkened. "It must have been Greg and Tamara. I can't believe I ever trusted her! Where did they take him?"
"He said he didn't know. They went through a portal!" said Aurora. "He said something about an island."
"An Island? Oh God, if that's where I think it is, we need to get him out of there. You said Emma and Mary Margaret were here. How did they get back home?"
"Lake Nostros, it returns things that are lost," said Aurora, "but they had ashes from a magic wardrobe as well as a special compass."
"Then that's our starting point!" said Neal. "Lead the way!" He began to stand up from the sand only to waver a bit unsteadily.
"We can't yet." Mulan took Neal's arm in an attempt to steady him. "Your wound might be healed, but you are still weak. You need to rest. Save your strength."
"I need to save my son. I need to get back to Emma." He pulled free from Mulan's grasp but then stumbled over a stray rock causing something small, flat, and black to fall out of her pocket and skid on the sand.
"What in the world is that?" asked Philip, eying the object with suspicion.
"Communication device," said Neal, grabbing his cellphone, "but of course, there's no signal here." He fiddled with the screen absently. "Wait, there can't be.."
"What is it?" Aurora stared at the little screen.
"It's showing bars! I know there are no phone towers in the Enchanted Forest." Neal held his cell in the air, trying to figure out where the signal was coming from. He walked towards Mulan. "Hey, it's getting stronger when I point it towards you!"
Mulan's eyes widened. On a whim, she pulled out the little velvet pouch of fairydust and held it next to the device. "That's it!" said Neal. "Whatever you have in there has some crazy effect!"
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Unexpected contemporary music suddenly interrupted Belle's thoughts. "Where's that coming from?"
"Behind the kitchen counter, I think." said Granny. "Emma dropped her phone in here before she went to stop the failsafe." Belle stood up and followed Granny's gaze to a small black touchscreen phone, the screen indicating an incoming call.
"Neal?" Belle read on the caller ID. "Wait isn't that-" she gasped with recognition. Her voice shook as she tapped the screen to answer the call. "Hello?"
"Emma?" came the reply.
"No..Emma isn't here. This is Belle."
"Belle? My father's girlfriend?"
New tears lined Belle's eyes. This time, however, they were tears of joy. "Oh! Baelfire, it really is you! You're alive!"