Thank you for the kind reviews. I'm sure you'll love this chapter: Rumbellelover, SkyBlueSw, Pomc, vanillaface, dragonrose21 (that's really…curious), thedoctorsgirl42 , Mira SeverusSirius Black-Snape, AshRedDragon, Arekanderu, Queen of Light 17, Slytherin Cat, Grace5231973

Chapter 49 – day 43: The battle

Baelfire had barely slept. After talking with the Blue Fairy and receiving the mission of gathering Maleficent's fire into the tiny phial, the teenager spent long hours studying the several options. He sorrowfully came to the conclusion, gathering fire that was already burning didn't work, even if it was one spat by the dragon earlier. Reul Ghorm had told him it was dangerous and he knew for certain now. If he wanted to succeed, he would have to get the fire during one of her attacks. He gulped scared. But then, the thought of giving up was out of the question. Baelfire decided he preferred dying trying to help his father (who he was starting to believe was long dead) than sitting down and doing nothing.

So the following morning, when Commander Byront announced their plan in attacking Maleficent from her hiding place, Baelfire took his chance. He saw Humbert depart with the military column, Mulan by his side and their courage inspired him. When the men were leaving, he quickly slipped between the gates unnoticed. He followed the soldiers for about two hours, always silently and from a safe distance. They finally stopped. He realized all camps had converged together into this spot so thousands of men from Armithil and the Country of Gold formed one gigantic army. The teenager watched, from a hidden place, Commander Frederic and Commander Byront rearrange the troops. The soldiers were strategically spread between the trees, archers on the front and catapults in position. They formed a large half circle around a clearing. Scouts with the mission of following Maleficent's moves reported the dragon always came from somewhere deep in the woods to this clearing and from here, she would take off and torment the skies. All they had to do now was wait.

After Moraine's fatalist words, the young soldier led the group to the path used by the militaries not so many hours ago. Belle was glad to notice, despite his wound, the young soldier was quite fit and recovering fast. The adrenaline was high by everybody, mother and fathers in the edge of their nerves. Charleston for a change was quiet. He walked a bit behind, with Rafael and Moraine, who had begged to come along, not bearing the horrible anxiety any longer. They had to promise to stay with the old man and Charleston feared his children and son-in-law would do something really stupid.

"Just think before you act." He had said.

Three pairs of very dark eyes stared angrily back at him, the reason he had chosen to remain silent the rest of the journey. Just think before you act. He prayed desperately. The tension was thick. Belle walked next to Rumpelstiltskin, whose eyes were determinedly fixed on the road ahead them. She held his hand on hers and he turned to look at her. No words were needed. She was supporting while his fears and nerves boiled up inside of him. He could read in her eyes and reassuring smile the thought he's gonna be fine. But she could see in his eyes he didn't believe her.

Baelfire had dozed off while he waited for the coming of the dragon, the short hours of sleep from the previous night taking their toll. But he woke up with a stir, when a loud voice gave clear commands. He saw soldiers run hidden from one point to another, and everybody placed themselves ready for battle. His young heart started beating faster. Silence reined the forest , the only sound to be heard was the burning wood cracking in the background. And then he heard it. A faint thump, far away. The thumping grew louder and stronger, as the beast approached the clearing. It was a heavy and slow thumping, a sound of threat and death. Baelfire knew he had to act quickly. He needed that fire, so he could control it and have enough power to defeat Regina and save his father. But all his blood froze when he heard the horrible and vicious roaring. For some moments, his members were weak and he was unable to move. He could see the massive monster pacing slowly in the ambush's direction. He could see her eyes and ears had already sensed something was wrong. There was a tense moment of stillness, like the quiet before the storm. And then Maleficent reached the clearing. A shower of arrows and stones came down hitting and hurting the monster. Maleficent was taken by surprised, being hit from all directions. She spat fire erratically, burning everything and everybody in her path. The battle between men and beast had begun.

Baelfire was immobilized by fear, tears running down his eyes while he saw men running and screaming of pain as their flesh was burnt by the dragon's flames. The soldiers were brave and well organized, but the dragon was fierce and merciless. Baelfire realized with agony the monster was too powerful to defeat and the soldiers had actually led themselves into their deaths. He jumped, when a blast of flames came in his direction, his body finally reacting. He ran between the trees, holding the phial on his hand. He ran downwards, to the clearing, where Malefient spread her terror. The teenager realized it was not a matter of saving his father anymore. It was a matter of self-survival. He needed those flames to control them and stop her from burning everything and everybody, including himself.

"What was that?" Charleston asked as an unknown fear spread through his old body.

The group halted for some minutes. Moraine instinctively grabbed Rafael's hand. The boy looked at her surprised and noticed she was as white as a ghost and tears were cascading freely down her face. The soldier who led the group turned around looking pale and very alarmed.

"Maleficent. The battle has started."

The soldier's words triggered a desperate and incomprehensible adrenaline in Thumbelina's body. Her mind went blank, the notion her boy was among the screaming soldiers dominating all her thoughts. She ran without thinking and she ran fast, shouting her son's name. Jonathan, Rumpelstiltskin and Belle followed her suit, trying to stop her. Charleston, too old to run, could only shout frustrated Think before you act! As he watched the foursome disappear between the burning trees, he turned to face the two teenagers. They switched determined looks and quickly marched after them. The young soldier was left and forgotten behind, without knowing what to do. When the old man and the children were almost out of sight, he finally decided to follow them and try to help them in any way he could.

"Humbert!" Thumbelina shouted, running fast between the burning branches. She could see the soldiers fighting, she could see the flames flying everywhere and she could hear her name being called behind her. But she ignored everything. She didn't care if she ran in the fire, she didn't care if she got burned to death. All she cared was the safety of her son.

Rumpelstilstkin was running right behind her, lean and fast as he once had been, ignoring the smoke that burned his lungs or the heat of fire under his feat. He had to stop his sister from her madness. Belle and Jonathan quickly stayed behind, their legs unable to follow the siblings, who were simply too fast. But they continued persistently, stumbling in the chaotic world of smoke and flames, until they finally reached the eye of the storm. Belle looked around and could not believe her eyes. Soldiers were fighting bravely, arrows and rocks flying through the skies. She could see Commander Byront's blackened face encourage his men into fighting. She could see many burned bodies lying around and many wounded carefully distancing from the heat of the battle. Thumbelina's voice brought her back to reality; the woman was desperately asking soldiers where her son was, while Rumpelstiltskin tried vainly in dragging her out of the place. And then another loud roar filled the air. Belle saw petrified as Maleficent's head turned back and projected fire to the soldiers. Her eyes met Rumpelstiltskin's for a fraction of seconds and in that fraction of seconds, she truly believed this was the last time she would see him. She felt something heavy throw her to the ground and watched petrified the fire pass just a few meters above her. She looked up to see it was Jonathan who had jumped on her to save her life.

"We need to get out of here." Jonathan yelled at Rumpelstiltskin and Thumbelina. They were about to go and meet him when Maleficent gave another furious roar. But it was the screams and gasps of shock that made them look down to the clearing.

Rumpelstiltskin felt all his blood drain down his face when he saw the small figure of a teenager step out of the trees and face the dragon. He would recognize those body features anywhere and all the air in his lungs escaped. His ears were silenced and his limbs almost collapsed when he saw the dragon spit fire at the tiny figure. He breathed again, when the teenager managed to flee and hide behind the trees, missing the fire by a few meters. Rumpelstiltskin saw the manner the dragon sniffed around looking for the little prey, her eyes maliciously shrunk. When she gave another trilling roar, his heart raced, not of fear, but of blinded anger.

"Bae!" He whispered. Before anybody could react, he was gone. His body acted in its own accord and his legs were leading him rapidly down, towards the clearing, towards the dragon.

Belle and Thumbelina shouted out his name and started running behind him. This time Jonathan managed to grab his wife, who screamed for her brother hysterically. Charleston had come just in time to see his son run as fast as the wind, between the burning trees and startled soldiers. He became white as death and thought he would faint.

"Someone stop him! And get that kid out of there!" One of the commander's voice was heard, and soldiers tried to stop the desperate father. But he was too fast and determined, right now father's instincts stronger than any soldier. He dodged the taller and stronger men, his small and lean stature finally having its advantage. Belle was running right behind him, but it was Commander Frederic himself who managed to catch her in midair, the princess desperately crying out her true love's name.

"Not my son!" Rumpesltiltskin yelled in blinded fury as he pushed one of the soldiers aside who tried to stop him. In a slip of a second, he managed to steal the stunned soldier's sword and continued running downwards. He could see his son trying to face the dragon again and saw the flames miss the teenager a second time.

Baelfire hid again behind a tree, panting and shaking of fear. This time it had been a close one. Maleficent nearly caught him and still his phial was empty. He could hear her sniffing, trying to find his scent. He quickly peeked to see where she was. He almost moaned of agony when he realized she stood merely ten meters away from him. If he continued hesitating, he would fail his mission. He took a couple deep breaths, closed his eyes and summoned all the courage he could find in his young heart.

"For you, papa." He whispered and for the third time, he jumped out of the woods, pointed the phial in Maleficent's direction and with an outstanding look of determination yelled: "Give me your best shot!"

The dragon thought this child was amusingly crazy, but she would take pleasure in burning its little annoying existence. A lump of fire crossed her chest to her neck and she released her flames with all her might. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw her fire shrink and disappear between the boy's hands.

Rumpelstiltskin had reached the clearing, coming from the opposite side of his son, and made it exactly in the moment Maleficent vomited the fire. He dodged, falling onto the ground, watching the fire pass right above him. The moment the fire ceased he got up. Maleficent had not seen the spinner. She lost precious seconds when she watched her flames disappear between the teenager's hands, precious seconds when she was trying to figure out what the boy had just done, precious seconds that made her miss the presence of a very pissed off father.

"Stop spitting fire at my son, bitch!"

The time stood still. Maleficent's eyes redirected from the boy to a slender figure standing just a few meters from her. She had heard his fierce clamor and saw him throwing his arms behind his head, joining strength and speed to toss a sharp object. The sword came flying like a projectile in her direction, in a brutal velocity. Her instinct was her fatal error. She wanted to turn this man into ashes, pulled her body backwards, but her flames never got further then her neck. The dragon felt a horrible cold and sharp sensation as the sword pierced her belly in the moment she made herself vulnerable. Her eyes widened as she realized the wound was lethal.

Baelfire had stared in pure horror when he saw the fire mass towards him way but then he had watched in awe as it shrunk itself to fit in the magical phial. He had looked up and there was a moment of mystification in the dragon's eyes. But then what he saw next, froze him right on the spot. There stood a slender man exactly between him and the dragon. Baelfire had recognized immediately the voice, even if it was uncharacteristically powerful. His eyes had watched with great unbelief as a sword flew like an arrow, piercing the dragon's weak spot. He watched the fire trap itself inside the beast and saw the man fell on the ground from the blast's impact.

The world watched shocked as Malecifent, in just a few seconds, self-combusted and exploded, leaving nothing behind but ashes. There was a moment of shocked silence, the soldier's minds trying to process what just had happened. And then a great clamor of rejoice filled the air. Rumpelstiltskin, ignoring the sound of cheering filling the air, got up half stumbling, to practically fall on top of his son.

"Bae! Bae, are you alright?" He asked as his trembling hands searched his boy's face and arms, looking for burns and wounds.

"Papa!" The boy yelled in disbelief. "Papa you're alive!" And he hugged his father with all his might, crying all his worries and fears away from the last days. "I thought I had lost you!" The boy moaned. Rumpelstiltskin, having no words for the happiness of seeing his son, perfectly safe and unwounded, kissed him on his head and crushed him against his body. "Papa!" Baelfire yelled between his sobs, but this time laughing. "You killed the dragon!"

This had to be the most exciting chapter I've ever wrote in my entire FF carreer! Oh, I borrowed Emma's slaying technique, it looked quite...efficient.

Yep, nothing like parent's instincts to kill a dragon ;p

So, what are your thoughts of this chapter?

Review :)