Henry found his favorite table in the back corner of the library, and settled himself in, opening the book on the table in front of him. He started flipping through from the back to the front, knowing instinctively somehow that if the book sought him out, it had to be a clue. He knew all the stories in it almost verbatim, but if anything had been added...
And it had. Only, it didn't make any sense.
Henry flipped back, looking for the earlier stories, only to find that everything, everything had been changed. His mother was...a pirate?
"What the hell?" Henry clapped a hand over his mouth, realizing he'd said that out loud. He paged through the book, shaking his head.
"A Tale of Three Princes," he read, rubbing his head in pure confusion. "Archie? Robin? Killian?"
He shut the book, putting his head in his hands. "How could this happen?" he whispered. "What changed everything?"
He opened the book again, determined to read every new chapter. The book was trying to tell him something. He just had to figure out what.
He put his head down, and began to read.
###
"Dad, I can explain," Emma said, putting up a hand to stop him before he did anything.
Charming made a grand gesture. "Please do. I assure you, I'm all ears."
Emma started to talk, but Charming interrupted.
"First, let me see to your little...vermin problem." He waved a hand, and in a poof of smoke, Killian vanished, leaving a small, black mouse in his place. Charming lifted his boot, preparing to deliver the death blow.
"Wait!" Emma didn't think, she just dove face down onto the stone floor, covering Killian with her hands. She looked up at her father, carefully gathering Killian in her hands and transferring him to the pocket of her cloak.
"Emma..." Charming warned with an oily smile, "Don't interfere."
"Oh, I'm not," Emma said, quickly getting to her feet. "I'm not interfering at all. I just..." she wet her lips, thinking fast. "I was getting tired of him, anyway. And I like the way you're solving this for me. But I still need to find the other guy, so maybe you can do your little trick again and let me take care of them both with one stomp." She forced a smile.
Charming looked as though he wasn't quite buying that, but he was willing to indulge.
"Very well," he said. "Where do we find the other would-be lothario?"
"He's breaking into the tower," Emma said. "Can you get us there a little faster?"
"Of course," he said, giving her a warm, fatherly smile. "And then we'll kill them." He gave her an affectionate pat on the shoulder, then waved his hand again with a flourish. They vanished, re-appearing at the foot of the winding stairwell that led up to the tower. Emma's hand moved down, patting the slightly squirming lump in her pocket, relieved beyond measure to find it there.
"Okay," she said, reaching inside her satchel. I just need to get something."
"How lovely to have visitors!"
Once again, Emma found herself turning to face the threat, and found her jaw dropping as she took in the sight of Belle, resplendent in a black, sequined gown with feathers at the collar, her hair pulled into a high, jeweled headdress, staring superciliously down from the stairwell. She began to slowly descend, taking her time, eyebrows raised as she smiled a cold, calculating smile.
"Charming."
"Belle. Fancy meeting you here." Charming's smile didn't falter.
"It is my castle."
"And you wear it well," he said graciously.
"I don't recall sending an invitation," Belle said, continuing down the stairs to stand in front of them. "And who might this be?" She nodded at Emma.
"My daughter."
Belle raised her brows again. "Really?" She walked a slow circle around Emma, swishing her long skirt behind her as she gave Emma a cool once-over. "Are you sure she's yours?" she asked. "She certainly doesn't have your eyes."
"Careful, Belle..." he warned with a chuckle. "You may have been an excellent protege', but I won't stand for anyone laying an insult upon my family."
Belle looked annoyed. "I wasn't insulting your family. I didn't know you had a family." She trailed a finger along a lock of Emma's hair. "I must have missed the birth announcement." Belle turned abruptly, looking at Charming. "Did you bring her here for fashion advice? I'm not exactly the nurturing type."
Emma rolled her eyes, giving the lump in her pocket one more soothing pat. "Excuse me," she said. "I'm standing right here. And I'd like to finish what I came here to do, if it's all the same to the two of you."
"Oh," Belle replied. "Does one of these belong to you?" She flicked her wrist, and a long, rattling chain slithered down the stairs like a snake, pulling along behind it Robin, Regina and Marco, all in manacles.
"I was just getting ready to have them beheaded," Belle continued.
"Well, we only need one of them," Charming said, pointing at Robin. "That one."
"Hmmm." Belle pursed her lips while Emma looked wildly over at Robin, willing him to meet her eyes. "I don't know," she said, tapping her chin. "He's awfully pretty. I may have use for him." She gave Regina a purely taunting smile. "After all, he is Regina's betrothed, and I'm not done taking from her yet."
"Ah, but this is for my little girl," Charming said, in a cajoling tone. "Apparently he's got a faithless heart, and we can't let that stand, now can we?"
"What!" Regina turned in outrage on Robin. "You were courting both of us?"
Belle let out a peal of laughter. "Oh, this is too good. Too, too good."
"What?" Robin repeated, looking askance in Emma's direction.
"Wait!" Emma jumped out in front of them both. "Listen, we're not a threat to you. Just let them go and we'll stay out of your way."
"We?" Belle said sarcastically. "No, you are going to stay out of my way. They are going to die."
"She's saying 'we' because she has a mouse in her pocket," David said. "Literally." He flipped his hand over, and there in his palm, sat Killian, twitching and squeaking.
"Dad - " Emma's eyes went wide. "Please..."
Charming's head turned away as Belle lobbed another fireball, hitting the wall between Robin and Regina, who were inching toward the door. "Not so fast," she said to them, before looking over her shoulder at Charming. "Are we done here? I really do have things to do."
"Why don't we finish them all together?" David offered magnanimously.
'Oh, very well." Belle drew back her arm, and Emma shouted "Regina!"
Regina's head snapped around and Emma tossed her the apple, shouting "Think fast!"
Regina instinctively caught the apple just as Belle tossed another fireball and the second her fingers closed around the fruit, the fireball fizzled out. At that same moment, Charming tossed Killian straight up into the air, drawing back his hand to throw a spell of his own, when suddenly, he was hit from behind by a barreling Snow White.
"David!" she screamed.
"Killian!" Emma shouted, diving to catch him. He let out a loud squeak as he landed in her outstretched palm.
"What the hell!" shouted Leroy, coming in behind it all.
Belle stood shaking her hand, completely surprised by her lack of magic. "What's going on? What's happening?" she asked, her eyes widening with dismay.
Regina straightened up, and the chains fell from her, Marco and Robin. "I'm back, that's what happened," she said, forming her own fireball. "Now, move away toward the wall," she said to Belle.
Robin reached out, putting his hand around Regina's neck. "You're back. Regina, you're back." He set his forehead to hers and she put her hand over his, smiling into his eyes.
"I have no idea what's going on," she said.
"Neither do I," said Marco, "but we need to get out of here." He pointed toward the corner, where Snow and Charming lay in a tangled heap, slowly righting themselves. Emma put Killian safely back in her pocket, then closed her eyes, concentrating until her palms started to glow.
"Get away from her," she said to Charming.
He looked up at her, shaking his head for a moment. "Emma?" He looked over at Snow. "Are you all right?"
"David?"
He nodded. "Yeah. It's me." He looked up at Emma again. "I mean, it's really me." He pulled Snow into his arms, holding her tightly.
Emma sagged with relief. "You found the cloak pin," she said.
Snow lifted her head from her husband's shoulder. "No," she said, eyes shining. "We didn't find anything."
Emma looked over at Robin, then back to Snow. "How?"
David reached out, tracing Snow's face with his fingers. "I touched her. That's how."
Realization dawned on Emma's face. "She's your talisman. Of course."
"We do share a heart," Snow reminded, kissing him lightly.
David pulled back, putting his hands on Snow's shoulders. "Where's the baby? Is he safe?"
"Come on," Snow said, her face going grim. "We have a lot to talk about. And plan." She stood up, putting a hand down to help him.
"Wait - " Emma said. "Do you still have your power?"
David shook his head. "No. I felt it rush out of me the second I touched your mother. I'm not The Dark One anymore."
"This is all quite lovely," Belle said sarcastically. "But what the hell is going on?" She strode forward, getting in Emma's face. "What have you done with my powers?"
"It's a long story," Emma said apologetically. "Now, if you'll just come with us..."
"I'm not going anywhere with any of you!" Belle said in a scathing tone. "Mark my words - I will find a way to destroy each and every one of you. I swear I will." She snapped her skirt behind her and pulled open the nearest door, slamming it hard behind her.
"Should we go after her?" Robin asked.
"You want to go after the evil queen?" Marco said incredulously.
"I'm the evil queen," Regina said tersely. "I mean - I'm the queen. Or I was. I don't know what the hell I am now," she added, throwing up a hand.
"Leave her for now," Snow said. "None of this will make sense to her anyway. You might have regained your powers, Regina, but she's still the Evil Queen until we find her talisman."
Emma felt a nudge from her pocket and reached inside. "Oh, sorry," she mumbled. Killian let out an indignant squeak and she held him up so she could look him in the eyes. "Oh, please, I did not forget you." He squeaked again.
"All right, all right," she said, putting her hand down to the ground. "Regina? Can you do the honors?"
Regina arched a brow. "Who is that?"
"It's Killian. Do you mind?"
Regina waved her hand, and a moment later, Killian stood, reeling slightly in the center of the room. Emma reached out to grab his arm, steadying him. "Whoa there. You okay?"
"Okay?" he roared. "No, I am bloody well not okay." He glared at all of them. "I was wondering when you were all going to stop talking and get around to me again."
"Sorry," Emma apologized. "Come on, let's get back to the house." She turned to David and Regina. "We'll fill you in on everything on the way there." She turned back to Killian, sliding her hand down his arm and twining her fingers with his. "You sure you're okay?" she asked.
"I am craving cheese," he said. "But I'm no worse for my ordeal." He pulled her in closer as they others gathered themselves up. "I was actually quite comfortable. You've got very soft hands, love" he said.
She gave him a sly smile. "Oh, I certainly do. And I can demonstrate that any time."
Killian swallowed hard as Emma sashayed toward the door.
"Bloody pirate," he said with a grin, following her out.
"When we reach home, I need to show Marco something," Snow said, following them out.
Marco gave her a curious look and she favored him with a bright smile in return. "Sleepy taught wood shop," she explained. "We have all sorts of wood carving tools. It's quite an impressive collection."
"Sleepy?" Emma asked.
"Aurora," Snow said. "She's probably back by now. She was away at a conference."
"What?" David looked thoroughly confused. "In the Enchanted Forest? What sort of conference was she at?"
"David," Snow chastised as she shouldered her bow. "Don't end a sentence in a preposition, please."
###
Belle sat in front of the mirror in her bedchamber, glaring at her reflection.
"Powerless," she seethed. "Completely undone. Stripped of my magic and I don't even know how they did it." She dropped her hairbrush with a loud thunk onto the bureau. "How am I supposed to control a kingdom without any power?"
"You want power?"
She spun in her chair to find out where the voice came from.
"Who are you?" she asked, getting to her feet. "Who let you in here?"
"The name is Rumplestiltskin," he said. "I let myself in. And I brought you this." He gave a flourish of his hand, and a single, long-stemmed rose appeared.
Belle stepped forward, taking the rose. "You have magic," she said.
"Oh yes. I have magic. I am The Dark One again. And if you need power, I can... supply it."
She looked at him distrustfully. "Why?" she asked. "Why help me?"
"Because I find you intriguing," he said, "And because our interests are aligned."
"And how is that?"
Rumple walked slowly toward her, his eyes drinking her in as he drew close enough to touch her.
"You want power," he said, "And I've always wanted a woman who wanted power. It's that simple."
Belle rubbed the petals of the rose slowly across her lips, then brought it forward to trail down Rumple's arm. "It seems we have some common goals," she said, her eyes brightening with interest. "Just how do you propose to help me with that?"
He gave her a slow, crafty smile. "By keeping things exactly as they are. You in power, and me at your side, taking care of the rest."