Chapter Twenty-Two: Powerful Sacrifice
"Love is a symbol of eternity.
It wipes out all sense of time,
destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end."
~ Unknown
Rumplestiltskin and Belle kept their backs to one another to watch the circle of pirates and dark souls reanimated. Rumplestiltskin managed to call a sword to him and held it tight in one hand while the other glowed with his magic. Belle's breath came in deep breaths and he could feel her heart beating even through her back. He wanted to send her away from this. From the battle, from the pain and from the fact that on this day, she very well may lose him. But if he did, she would soon find a way back to him and straight into battle without his knowledge and may be killed. He would not let that happen while he still breathed.
Rumplestiltskin's purple mist slipped around him and her in a last defensive measure, "I hope that you read on some defensive moves with a dagger."
"I wouldn't dream of holding this if I hadn't," she spoke back.
There was a yell from the pirates and both forces under Chernabog's control charged. Before they reached the two lovers, a howl split the sky and all eyes turned toward the gates of the graveyard. There, back dropped by the rain outside and a slightly covered full moon was a large, powerful wolf and James with sword in hand.
"About time for some reinforcements," Rumplestiltskin smirked and took the distraction as an opportunity to strike first. He swiped his hand at two of the corpses in front of him and it took off their heads. The two bodies fell to the ground in dust.
James rushed the group closest to him and began to work his way through them and toward the center of the graveyard to who controlled them. The large wolf that had howled ran forward and pushed through the first line of dark souls. It grabbed one by the head and tore it from the body. It hurried toward the two of them and stepped next to Belle.
"Ready to do some clean up?" she asked Belle, whose eyes bugged a bit at the recognized voice.
"Ruby?!"
The wolf nodded and barked a little at her in warning as a pirate ran toward them. Belle yelled and leapt to the side out of the way of his sword. She jumped against him and pushed him back to knock him off balance. The pirate got back to his feet as Ruby was busy with another dark soul.
"Belle!" she barked harshly at her friend, "You have a dagger. That is your weapon- your claws! Use it!"
Belle looked at the dagger. She had never used violence, though she knew that she would have to today. To save Baelfire and help Rumplestiltskin, she would have to use force. She yelled as the pirate came toward her again with sword raised. She jumped to the side and sliced at his stomach. He clutched at the wound and looked at her surprised. She gritted her teeth and took another swipe at him. She didn't like ending lives and she never thought that she would be a part of it. But this…. This was a war, just like the one against the Ogres back in her father's providence. She remembered the war meetings, the bloodshed that had occurred and what they had sworn to do. Now, she was in the thick of battle, the bloodshed the same, but now upon her hands.
Ruby jumped next to her and nudged her in the arm with her nose, "You did what had to be done. Now…" Ruby knelt down quickly and nodded to her back, "Get on."
Belle wiped at her face and hopped on Ruby's back to rush into a group of dark souls. At least she knew that these were already dead. They were just sending them back to where they belonged. Her hand pushed back with the dagger, ready for the next swipe.
James and Rumplestiltskin fought and clashed swords and magic against those that came against them. James spun around the tight formation as Rumplestiltskin parried around him to catch those that he had missed. James smirked and chuckled a bit in the midst of fighting.
"What is so funny, Charming?" Rumplestiltskin called out as he ripped a pirate's heart from his chest and then threw it to the ground before slicing it in two with his sword.
"I just never thought that I would be fighting along your side," James smirked wider and ran the sword through the throat of a dark soul before it fell to dust, "The last time we both had swords around one another, we were using them against each other. This seemed so ludicrous maybe a few weeks ago, now I am doing so without a second thought."
"Fate and destiny is never set," Rumplestiltskin said simply as he danced through sword slashes with ease, "It is something that is built and woven by our actions and decisions. You can never just brush a possibility off. No matter how 'ludicrous'."
James smiled genuinely and pushed Rumplestiltskin out of the way as Hook jumped at them with hook raised. The hook came down into empty dirt and he looked over at James who had managed to push both him and Rumplestiltskin out of the way of his shot.
"You continue with the corpses, Charming," Rumplestiltskin told him as they both stood up eyeing Hook, "The captain and I have some issues to iron out."
James nodded and knew the importance of the face off. He ran off to keep the other pirates from reaching the two of them.
Belle pushed Ruby through a large crowd and toward the center where she could get to Baelfire. She knew that she didn't have a chance against Chernabog, but if she could get Baelfire out of harm's way, maybe they would have a chance.
"Get me as close to Baelfire as you can!" she yelled toward Ruby's ears.
"Don't have to tell me twice," Ruby growled back and bite another head clean off.
Belle jumped off of Ruby's back as they were close to Baelfire. She ran past Chernabog who threw a few what looked like fireballs at her. She managed to duck out of the way of them and reached Baelfire.
"Baelfire," she let out a relieved breath to see him in one piece, "We need to get you out of here."
"If it was only that easy," he said in a struggle, "Get away from me, Belle."
"I won't leave you behind again," she shook her head and grabbed his shoulder in her free hand, "Get yourself together and come with me."
He frowned and shook his head, "I'm sorry, Belle."
"What?"
His hands suddenly captured her arms and she was pulled against him. In the struggle, the dagger fell from her grip and tumbled down a small hill toward the middle of the battle still raging. She struggled and tried to kick her way out of his grasp.
"Baelfire, fight him! Don't do this!"
"Belle!" Ruby ran toward her and Baelfire, until she was off the ground.
"Shape-shifters," Chernabog snarled and flicked his wrist that was stretched toward Ruby.
Hook polished the end of his hook with this opposite shirt sleeve and kept his eyes on Rumplestiltskin. A few of his crew mates tried to come to his aide, but he held up a hand and shooed them away to play with the prince. Rumplestiltskin saw the action and flicked the hand that held the sword.
"A little sure of yourself, Captain?" Rumplestiltskin asked and looked at his side where Belle had left him a parting gift, "If you can't defend against a librarian… what chance have you against me?"
"That scratch was nothing," he lifted the side of his shirt where only a faint outline of the cut was showing.
"Chernabog take mercy on you?" Rumplestiltskin asked and smirked at the dark light that entered Hook's eyes, "That's a light scar for what she had done."
"Unlike what I left on that once pretty face of hers?" Hook asked and smiled darkly at the way the smirk fell from Rumplestiltskin's face, "I saw how the scar will form. Even if you should survive this… when you look at her face you will always be reminded of Milah and I."
Rumplestiltskin flicked the sword and threw himself at the captain. Both swords clashed against one another and a hook embedded itself in a thick mist of magic. Rumplestiltskin growled and leaned over the pirate, "When I look in her face, I see her and only her. She erases everything dark. Including you."
Hook pushed Rumplestiltskin away from him and raised his sword to strike again. Both swordsmen ducked and parried and stuck and swiped at one another in a great ferocity. Each fighting for a love, lost or in fear of losing. Hook jumped to the side and caught Rumplestiltskin's sword before it was embedded in his chest. He shook his head and pushed it away.
"Enough of this," Rumplestiltskin growled and waved his hand. Hook's feet went out from under him and fell to the ground, his sword tumbling away from his grip. He looked from his sword to the man who stood above him.
"Can't beat me, so enchant me?" Hook asked and watched the tip of the sword.
"Never been too fond of swords, too messy," Rumplestiltskin teased and looked at the sword and then back at the man on his back, "The pointy end goes into the other man, right?"
As Rumplestiltskin raised his sword to bring it down on the captain a large crash was heard against a tree and a few grave markers. Both Hook and Rumplestiltskin looked to the side to see Ruby's wolf form hunched over and struggling to get up from where she landed.
"Red!" James yelled and dispatched one of the last pirates and ran over to his friend. He stood before her and asked her to get up as soon as she could.
"I thought that your wolf friend was fighting with your beauty," Hook said with an amused flare.
Rumplestiltskin gritted his teeth and looked toward the center where Chernabog had his hand over Baelfire who now held Belle. She sneered at the devil to her side and looked at Rumplestiltskin who had a hard choice once again.
Chernabog's voice cut through the fighting and the dark souls that still stood stopped their fighting to watch, "Let him up, Rumplestiltskin."
Rumplestiltskin looked down at Hook and then kicked him to push him out from under his blade. Hook rolled out and walked back to Chernabog, picking up his sword on the way.
Hook hissed at the devil, "I did not need your help."
"Then I saw that differently," Chernabog hissed back and nodded at him to step to the other side of Baelfire to keep an eye on Belle.
Belle looked over her shoulder at Baelfire, "Baelfire, please. Fight him."
Baelfire's mouth pressed into a fine line and his chest pushed out toward her back. His arms quivered under the strain as he tried to fight the influence. He groaned a little at the effort and she felt his muscles seize up again under the flick of Chernabog's control.
"It's time, Rumplestiltskin," Chernabog sighed and waved his finger to motion him to turn toward them, "Give me your soul."
"You know I will fall mortally wounded before I will willfully give you that," Rumplestiltskin spat, "It is no longer mine to give. I gave it to the one who holds my heart. And she won't give it easily either."
"Really?" Chernabog turned toward Belle and pinched her cheeks together which made the pain of the cut spread through her face, "You gave yourself to the beast, did you?"
"He will never be the beast you are," she muttered.
He chuckled and stood back and looked at his hand as if wondering whether or not to slap her, "You are right about that."
He threw his hand back and then sent a bolt of black lightning toward her.
"Belle!" Rumplestiltskin threw his own spell at Chernabog in an attempt to stop it from reaching Belle.
The lightning flew faster than Rumplestiltskin's spell and hit a target. At the last moment, Baelfire pushed himself from the hold with a yell and pulled Belle under him. His shoulder was hit with the immense pain of the lightning. He cried out and fell to the ground above her, still trying to cover her with his body.
Chernabog is thrown off a little by the spell that hit him and growled at Rumplestiltskin, "You forget who has the most power here!"
"Do I?" Rumplestiltskin asked and pulled at the major power that lived at the darkest parts of his humanity.
Another bolt was sent at him and pushed him back and onto the ground. Chernabog chortled and shook his head as he slowly made his way toward the injured Baelfire, "Apparently."
Belle had managed to crawl out from underneath Baelfire and turn him into her lap. She hugged him around his shoulders and brought him closer to her. She watched Hook closely, but he did nothing and then her eyes centered on Chernabog.
"Who do you think he will crumble for first?" Chernabog asked her as she hugged Baelfire closer to her in an attempt to protect him like he had her. Chernabog chuckled amusedly, "You two are cut from the same cloth, his son and you. Brave to death, even against impossible odds. Now, should you die first, or him?"
"You will not touch this man again," she growled.
"Well, if you are so eager to die…"
Rumplestiltskin groaned and sat up quickly to fight back. He would have to do something and something quick. He couldn't allow the black god to take over, take Baelfire and Belle. He cannot lose everything again. He had to save them. He promised that he would.
As he sat up he felt his hand land over some metal. He turned his eyes and they settled on the black blade that had started his curse. Belle must have dropped it. He turned to the center where Chernabog now stood over Belle and Baelfire both. James looked busy with more dark souls who kept him in his place, protecting downed Ruby. He had no choice.
He turned his head back to Chernabog as his hand reached for Belle who tried her best to cover his son.
"There will never be a new Dark One if there is not a Dark One to kill," he whispered and held the dagger in front of him. He took a deep breath and looked up toward Belle and Baelfire. The two people that meant the world and who ever loved him, "I will not let you take them."
Chernabog reached for Belle to drag her from Baelfire, but felt a stinging pain in his chest. He gripped the center of his chest and then looked out toward where he threw Rumplestiltskin. There in the grass, Rumplestiltskin stood with his hands still around the dagger now imbedded in the middle of his chest. Chernabog suddenly roared at the action and felt the dark purple mist of his curse begin to fall from Rumplestiltskin.
"You fool!" Chernabog raged toward him, "You kill yourself for this!"
"For them," Rumplestiltskin muttered and felt some of his dark blood flow from the corner of his mouth. He smiled slightly, "What will you do now with no puppet, oh great manipulator? I just broke your toy…"
"Rumplestiltskin! No!" Belle yelled as she turned her head toward the sight.
"Papa!" Baelfire groaned in her arms.
They both ran or crawled to the man who just released his own curse and fell to his knees. Belle came up to him first and placed him carefully in her lap as she curved over him. She cradled his head in her hands and her eyes filled with tears. The wisps of dark mist floated from his wound and she could see the gold flicks in his eyes begin to fade. Baelfire limped and then collapsed next to him and grabbed one of his hands.
"Oh papa," he breathed out and looked at the dagger in his chest, "Why?"
Rumplestiltskin swallowed and smiled briefly, "You were the reason that I cursed myself… to protect you. If this was the only way to save you… I will gladly take it. Without me… he cannot continue on in this world. You will be safe… You both will."
"Rumple…" Belle sobbed and her tears freely flowed down her cheeks, "Tell me how to fix you… Tell me how to save you."
"Oh, sweetheart," his eyes flicked up to hers with a loving smile etched on his lips. He reached his arm up only to barely run his fingertips across her lips and cheek, "At least I got to see you one more time."
"You said not to say goodbye…" she said quietly and ran her hand through his hair, "Don't tell me my training was for not! Tell me how to heal you… Don't go back on your word. You never do."
Rumplestiltskin groaned and arched a little under Belle's hands. Her sobs choked her as she tried to keep him with her. She reached out with her light toward him and tried to get his body to take in her light as it had done before. It was pushed back toward her every time that she tried by the blade that stuck out of his chest. She reached her hand out toward the blade, but he suddenly barked out.
"Don't touch it!"
She retracted her hand and looked back in his face.
"Not until I die," he said softly.
"You won't die, you can't die," she said as if it was known fact. She pressed her forehead to his and rubbed her nose next to his. Her tears flowed off her nose and to his cheeks. Her lips whispered and brushed over his, "I love you. You promised me forever…"
When an answer didn't come back, she leaned back and noticed that the last wisp of magic flowed from his chest and into the air. Baelfire leaned over his father and cried into the man's shoulder. Belle yelled out and folded over her love's body as she felt her heart shatter.
Chernabog watched as the last of his power dissipated from the world and he felt the largest portion of his power disappear from inside him. The dark souls that still guarded James fell back to dust and the heavy rainfall stopped. The prince and wolf, now back in her woman form, ran toward their comrades. He looked at his hands and then toward the dead man and the two loved ones out in the middle of the yard.
"I didn't think that someone would make that sacrifice," he whispered in immense anger, "The only way to stop the cycle. No one has been brave enough to end it. They always needed someone else to do it…"
"How are you still here?" Hook asked as he stepped up by Chernabog.
"Only the feeble magic of those two witches keep me here. And their power will not be wasted," Chernabog vowed and moved toward the group of heroes.
"He fought valiantly, just like any hero that I have ever seen," James said and stood over Belle.
Ruby held Belle's shoulders as the woman wept over her love. She rubbed her arms and softly whispered into her ear, "Honey, we got to get you up. The battle isn't over yet. Come on."
Baelfire scooted up his father's body and sat next to Belle, "She's right, Belle… we have to go. Papa's gone. We need to find a way to win this battle and get out of here."
Belle took a deep breath, ragged from her tears. She shook her head and kept her eyes locked on Rumplestiltskin's motionless face. She gritted her teeth and let out another sob before she whispered, "There is nothing as powerful as true love."
"Except death, Belle," James knelt down on the other side of Ruby, "You know this. So did he. Don't let his sacrifice be in vain."
She put her forehead against his and let the tears fall where they may, "I will not leave him."
Baelfire took a breath to try and convince her again, but he was suddenly lifted into the air and restricted in place. James and Ruby stood and were ready to strike. Belle lifted her head, but kept herself curled around Rumplestiltskin. Chernabog sneered at them all and shows bits and pieces of his true form as his glamour began to fall. Horns formed through his hair, his wings become more impressive, his eyes turned completely ember and his skin slowly became dark as night.
"I will not let this insignificant man take my power without a price," Chernabog seethed and gripped his hand to squeeze Baelfire in mid air as he managed to scream, "I now take my price. The end of his line with this man."
"Baelfire!" Belle yelled. James and Ruby ran toward the devil, but he swiped them back.
Chernabog threw Baelfire from them and lifted his hand, charging what he planned to be the man's undoing. He lifted his hands above his head and eyed Baelfire trying to get up from the ground, "Say hello to your father, will you?"
As he let the power fly another form rushed from the side and threw themselves in front of Baelfire, "No!"
The power connected with the body and a dark light spread itself over the entire graveyard. Baelfire opened his eyes and looked in front of him where Captain Killian Jones laid panting for breath and a mortal wound over half of his body.
"Hook, you imbecile!" Chernabog yelled, but stumbled as it took more power than what he planned.
"Why?" Balefire whispered and looked at the man whose light was fading.
"Because, your mother needs to live on," Hook choked on the blood that rose in his throat and looked up past Baelfire and smiled simply, "Milah…"
Within a second the captain was gone.
"I will not be undone by the likes of you people! You humans!" Chernabog roared as he tried to regain his magic. As weak as he was, he still held magic and magic was power.
Belle looked back down at Rumplestiltskin now that Baelfire carefully made his way back over to their side. She leaned over Rumplestiltskin and put her lips against his. She poured her sorrow and her love into him through her lips; one last hope to awaken him. She gasped at his still warm lips and began to whisper to him, "Rumple… I need you. Don't go when we are finally together in the way that we were always meant to be. Truly and forever…"
As the last words dropped from her lips, the dagger was pushed up from his chest and then fell to his side where it laid innocently in the grass. The section of the blade that once held his name was blank and shining up at her as if to tell them hope had returned. Dark gold light glowed around Rumplestiltskin and Ruby pulled Belle back toward her, just in case it was part of the curse trying to reinstitute itself. The gold light intensified and soon it was too bright to even look at.
Chernabog saw the change and roared out again, "NO! He should not win! He is the weak one!"
As he tried to rush toward the group, he was thrown back slightly by the magic surrounding the man. He landed in some grass and growled as he felt the dark magic from the witches grow stronger in response to the gold light.
The light faded and everyone looked down at Rumplestiltskin, who was still immobile. Belle fought her way from Ruby's arms and pulled on the shirt and jacket that the dagger had passed through and looked for the whole. When she didn't find one, she turned to Baelfire and then to Rumplestiltskin's face.
She cupped his face and felt the warmth of his skin, "Now you listen to me, Rumplestiltskin. You will wake up. You will get up from this cold ground. You will fight by my side and finish what you have started. You will keep your word of forever. Now, open your eyes and come back to me."
Rumplestiltskin's eyes flew open and he took a full breath into his human lungs for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. His eyes scanned the faces around him and smiled at Baelfire and then connected to Belle's eyes.
"Thank you, dearest," he smiled and cupped her face, "Always my light."
"Always will be," she leaned into his hand and touch.
"As much as this is a miracle and touching, it would be my honor to destroy it," Chernabog announced and held a large sphere of magic in one clawed hand. He smiled as if he had won, "I will win this day."
He threw the ball of magic at the group and it hit the target. He yelled out in victory and waited for the dust to settle so he could see the carnage. The dust and the debris held in the air longer than he expected, but when it did he wasn't expecting what was left over.
Rumplestiltskin and Belle held hands tight together as a shield mixed of gold and blue swirled around them and the rest of the group. Both Rumplestiltskin and Belle held determined looks upon their faces and Rumplestiltskin took the chance to smirk up at the devil who trudged heavily on the ground.
"But you gave up my curse," Chernabog tried to reason out the event, "You don't have any power!"
"Dark magic isn't the only magic," Belle answered, "And neither is light."
"Impossible!" Chernabog sneered and leaned toward them, "No one can master whole magic!"
"You're right. Not one…" Rumplestiltskin shook his head and held tight to Belle's hand, "But two? Well, that's something completely different."
Rumplestiltskin shot his arm out toward Chernabog and the devil was blasted to the ground. Gold vines with blue leaves wrapped around his winged body and kept him in place on the ground. Rumplestiltskin stood up from Belle with some effort as the pain in his leg returned with a vengeance. He used the sword that he had used to cut down the dark souls as a new crutch and grabbed the dagger from the ground. He hobbled slowly to the trapped devil that could not fight against the whole magic in the vines.
"You will never be rid of me completely," Chernabog promised, "There are too many other desperate souls."
"I hope they will be braver than I," Rumplestiltskin said and raised the dagger above his head. He brought the dagger down and stabbed it into the chest of his old master and grand manipulator, "Take this with you. I don't need it anymore."
As Rumplestiltskin stood back, Chernabog's body began to let out more of the dark smoke, darker than the purple that usually surrounded Rumplestiltskin's old magic. Chernabog screamed as if mixed between a bat and a large cat. Roars and screams that faded into the afternoon. In the end, not even the dagger was left behind.
James took a deep breath and looked at the pirate bodies that were left and then turned to Rumplestiltskin once convinced that the fight was finally over, "Will he be back?"
"Not in this world," Rumplestiltskin said evenly.
"What about home?" James asked after a moment of hesitation.
"He is weakened at least. We will know for certain if another Dark One ever rises," he turned his head toward James with a soft smile, "We will be prepared if that should ever happen."
"Yes," Belle added and wove her fingers through one of Rumplestiltskin's hands that didn't hold his makeshift crutch, "We will."
He brought up the hand and kissed the back side of it while he looked in her eyes.
Baelfire cleared his throat and looked at both of them, "I.. uhh…"
Rumplestiltskin looked at his boy before he gave a look to Belle. She smiled and let go of his hand as she nodded. Ruby came to stand next to her and hugged her friend. Rumplestiltskin limped up to Baelfire and looked him over. Within the next moment he smiled sadly and gathered his son in his arms in a strong embrace. He held his son close as Baelfire returned the gesture.
"Thanks for coming for me, papa," Baelfire said into his father's shoulder.
"Always," Rumplestiltskin answered, "Always, Bae."
A/N: One more chapter and this bad boy will be all wrapped up. I hope you enjoyed the trip, I sure did. Now off to concentrate on my Red Cricket obsession.