Chapter Fourteen—"The Heart of the Truest Believer"

Trying to convince Rapunzel that the Witch wasn't the only magic in the world was put on hold by the arrival of the other prisoners. By the time Baelfire's father had noticed that he was being beckoned, the other humans who the Witch had locked up arrived in the courtyard, led by two very confounded officers. One look at the pair of prisoners leading the group sent Prince Philip scurrying from Bae's side to greet them, and things only went downhill from there. After all, no one had expected King Hubert to walk into the still-gloomy courtyard. Philip had been utterly shocked to find his father amongst the prisoners—this castle, after all, had belonged to King Stefan, Philip's father-in-law, and there had been absolutely no evidence at all that either of Philip's parents were alive. Queen Leah, King Stefan's wife and Aurora's mother, turned out to be alive as well, with both monarchs having been hidden along with a little over a hundred other prisoners in the bowels of the castle. Now, Philip's father and Aurora's mother stood side by side, eying Bae and Rumplestiltskin warily.

Rapunzel immediately shifted to a spot near the king and queen, still glaring. Queen Leah paused to speak to the girl, and her face grew tight while they talked. Bae couldn't hear what was said, but he had a feeling that he wouldn't like it.

"Father, Queen Leah, this is Baelfire," Philip started nervously. "He's my commanding officer."

Two royal sets of eyes turned on Bae, and he fought the urge to swallow nervously. He was used to the Charmings and Regina, or even Philip, Aurora, Thomas, and Ella. Out of all the royals he usually spent time around, only the Charmings were actual monarchs, and Bae had known them in Storybrooke. Besides, they were Emma's parents, and that made Bae see them in an entirely different light. King Hubert and Queen Leah, however, were rulers of kingdoms…and Bae was just a cheeky kid from the Frontlands who happened to have fallen in love with a lost princess. And I don't even know if Emma loves me back. It's not like I have any claim to her, and that means I'm probably lower than dirt in their eyes.

"Uh, hi," Bae replied after a moment, shrugging before he could do something stupid like wave his hand at a king and queen.

"Lord Baelfire of where?" Queen Leah asked immediately.

"Oh, um, I'm not a lord. Definitely not." He threw a somewhat panicked glance his father's way, wondering exactly where he should say that he was from. But Rumplestiltskin only shrugged, and Bae felt a naughty smile pulling at his own lips. "Most recently I'm from New York, but I doubt you've heard of the place."

Both monarchs blinked. Even Philip looked dreadfully confused; the prince was aware of Storybrooke, but probably didn't appreciate the fact that there were othertowns and cities in the Land Without Magic. And yes, that definitely was an amused smirk twitching on his father's face. Bae probably shouldn't have indulged his own twisted sense of humor, but they had asked. Not for the first time, Bae wished David was there. David might have been younger than Leah and Hubert both, but he would have had the diplomatic chops to be on equal footing with these two. Instead, they got a spinner's kid from the Frontlands who hadn't been in the Enchanted Forest for over two centuries and really didn't care who these two monarchs were.

Probably comes from knowing that I'm about two hundred years older than both of them, Bae thought behind a crooked smile.

"I see," King Hubert said stiffly, his posture utterly regal despite the filth covering his clothing and his skin. The disgust in his eyes, however, made Bae square his shoulders.

"I am still in command here," he said before they could get too condescending. And yes, Philip is working for me, even if he's a prince and I'm a nobody. "We'll take care of your people and get you to safety. We don't really have the forces to hold this castle, not now—but we can get you all out of territory controlled by the Witch."

"We didn't expect to find so many prisoners here, Father," Philip put in. "Our main army isn't nearby, but we've been making great strides these past months. The Witch's forces are on the run, and we freed an entire kingdom from her control recently."

"That's excellent news," Hubert said, his aloofness melting a little bit before he turned back to face Bae. "We thank you."

"Just here to help."

Queen Leah, however, did not look nearly so appeased, and she turned to Bae's father with an icy glare. "You are the magic user?"

"Indeed I am."

Oh, crap. Bae twisted to look at his father, noting how the level tone of voice met up with a twisted smile. He really didn't know his father in the Enchanted Forest at all, but Bae did know himself. Faced with that much smug superiority, Bae'd be likely to mouth off, and he hardly had Rumplestiltskin's power or reputation. From what he'd seen in Storybrooke, his father wasn't about to put up with this kind of reception, even coming from a queen.

"And you claim not to be working for the Witch? We know that to be a lie. Whoever you are—"

"Rumplestiltskin," Bae's father cut her off, all sharp edges and a mocking bow. "At your service."

Both monarchs flinched, and Hubert actually stumbled a step backwards. Was it horrible of Bae to relish how wide their eyes went after both monarchs had made it plain how little they thought of him? He supposed that he shouldn't be surprised; the Enchanted Forest was a feudal society. Perhaps he'd just spent too long in the modern-day Land Without Magic and was too used to being accepted based on his own merits instead of his birth. Then again, being Rumplestiltskin's son probably counts for a lot in this world, he realized. Huh.

"The Dark One is dead," Leah managed after a moment, sneering right back.

"It's nice to know that my reputation preceded me, dearie, but you needn't get so worked up," Rumplestiltskin retorted with a flourish of one hand and a sardonic smile. "Unfortunately for my old friend Zelena, I am very far from dead, and I am certainly not her…'creature'. In fact, I'm of a mind to pull her off that throne she's stolen. Assuming you're interested."

"You're…you're helping in the fight against the Witch?" Hubert asked, clearly stunned.

"That would appear to be the case."

Philip, who was at least somewhat used to Bae's father's presence, spoke up again: "Those of us who were left behind during the curse apparently missed some significant alliances forming. Queen Regina is with us as well."

Hubert and Leah exchanged mystified looks, but Bae cleared his throat before either of them could start asking more questions.

"I hate to interrupt, but what we need to do right now is get out of—"

"No."

"Papa?" Surprise shocked the word out of him, and Baelfire twisted to look at his father, whose attention was now on something in the distance. Both monarchs were now staring at him again, but they never got the chance to ask the questions obviously burning in their minds.

Rumplestiltskin turned away very slowly. "There's a fae here. Get down."

Four hours after Emma's magic broke through the trap forcing them to walk in circles, the trio finally approached the Forbidden Fortress. Knowing how close they'd been the entire time—for four days!—rankled, but Emma was glad to know that her frustrations were solely her own. At least there wasn't some stupid spell setting her temper off now.

"So, how do we get in?" she asked Robin when they stopped about a mile short of the castle. It really was, well…foreboding. Emma had broken into enough places to know that it was going to be a tough nut to crack. Thankfully, they had Robin along, and he'd done this before. Working together was so much easier now that all three of them were less angry. Even Hook's ego seemed to be under control.

Robin grimaced. "With Maleficent here? I wasn't dumb enough to do that last time. Best bet is to find some way to distract her and then sneak in."

"Were there fewer magical wards warning of your approach, that might be a passable notion," a fourth voice suddenly said from behind them.

Emma, Hook, and Robin whirled together, and Emma felt her eyes go wide. Between Regina and Rumplestiltskin, she thought she'd known what to expect from an evil wizard/witch/sorcerer/whatever, but Maleficent really took the cake, complete with a tall horned headdress that should have looked ridiculous but somehow didn't. Her eyes were fierce, framed by a pale and angry face and somewhat wild hair. Unfortunately, the staff in her hand was definitely pointed their way, too.

"I think I liked you better as a dragon," Emma retorted, drawing her sword.

Maleficent threw her head back and laughed. Emma had seen Disney movies where she was the villain. How could a cackle sound so threatening? Magic tingled in the distance, making the hairs on the back of Emma's neck stand up.

"We seek no conflict with you," Robin spoke up reasonably. "We're only here for Queen Regina."

"And if I said that would bring you into conflict with me?" Maleficent sounded almost playful, and her smile really ticked Emma off.

"Then we'll do whatever we have to do," Robin replied, his voice growing hard.

Emma smiled nastily. "I killed you as a dragon. I'll do it again if I have to. Bet it's easier this time."

"My, my. Your friends are loyal," Maleficent said lightly, but her eyes flicked off to Emma's right as she spoke.

"I told you that you shouldn't screw with them," Regina retorted as she appeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

Maleficent pouted. "I did have to test them. I was bored."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Are you finished? Or do we have to go through this again?"

Was it Emma's imagination, or did Maleficent wince?

"There's no need," the fallen fairy replied tartly. "We have an understanding."

"Good."

With those words, Maleficent vanished in another cloud of purple smoke, pausing to cast an unreadable look Hook's way. Stunned—hadn't they come all this way expecting to do battle against Maleficent?—a long moment passed before Emma could find her voice. Finally, Hook beat her to the obvious question:

"Pardon me for asking, and perhaps I miss things, being a simple pirate and not privy to the higher workings between sorcerers, but what in the world just happened?"

Regina laughed. "Maleficent and I are old friends. A few betrayals one way or another isn't going to change that," she replied easily. "It took a few battles, but we understand one another again."

"A few battles?" Emma echoed. "That sounds ominous."

"Welcome to the Enchanted Forest, Miss Swan." Regina's smile was deadly, and Emma had to admit that (borderline?) evil was a good look on her. Here, Regina's hair was longer and she dressed in mostly black, with long dresses that flowed around her as she moved. "Everything is different here."

"Thanks. I think."

Regina might have said something else, but Robin stepped forward. "Are you all right, love?" he asked her quietly, taking her hands in his.

"Of course I am." Emma marveled at how the sorceress' cutting expression softened immediately. "You didn't have to come rescue me."

"And let these two come by themselves? Not a chance." The outlaw laughed, and then winked. "Besides, isn't Belle always saying that some things must be fought for?"

There was obviously much left unsaid, and Regina clearly heard every unspoken word, judging from the way she smiled. The evil queen's eyes met the outlaw's, and they might as well have been alone for all they noticed Emma and Hook. They kissed lightly, but there was a promise behind the simple expression of affection that spoke volumes of how much they meant to one another. Watching them made Emma blink. How did they become so comfortable together in less than a year? She was almost reminded of the bond between her parents, and wasn't that creepy?

Yet Emma's chest felt suspiciously tight. Much though she claimed that Henry was the only love in her life, she wanted that. She snuck a glance Hook's way. The pirate captain was certainly appealing on a visual and emotional level, but was he like every bad boy she'd ever fallen for, or was he something more? There was no denying Emma's attraction to him—or his to her—but maybe Emma was looking for more than just attraction.

Something wasn't quite right in right in the way the Blue Fairy was watching him, and it reminded Henry of Pan. He'd been manipulated then, too, straight into tearing his own heart out because Pan had lied. Swallowing, Henry force himself to take a mental step back and consider the situation. Last time, I endangered everyone because I wanted to be a hero. I'm not going to let anyone manipulate me this time.

"But aren't I safe here? With my family." Henry asked the Blue Fairy. Why was she trying to be so concerned for him now, anyway? When his family had come to rescue Henry in Neverland, the Blue Fairy had been nowhere to be seen. She'd stayed in Storybrooke, despite the fact that she was now implying that Henry's very heart was dangerous. If she'd been so worried, why hadn't she done anything then?

"Oh, Henry," the Blue Fairy sighed. "I wish you were."

"So, why does the Black Fairy want Henry, exactly?" a new voice inquired, and Henry turned to see Belle approaching with a smile. Relief washed through him. He liked the brilliant Beauty-turned-librarian, and thought she was one of the bravest people he'd ever met. After all, you had to be both smart and courageous to fall in love with Rumplestiltskin, otherwise you would have either given up or wound up dead. But what Henry liked most about Belle was the way she never admitted defeat.

He was glad to have someone else here for this conversation. There was something in the way the Blue Fairy spoke that told Henry that she really wasn't being entirely truthful. Maybe that was just because he was still technically a kid, but maybe she was just being sneaky, too.

Henry had had enough of that.

The Blue Fairy stiffened. "I would not expect you to understand."

"Because I love Rumplestiltskin," was the blunt reply, and Belle's smile grew razor sharp. "I know what you said to Snow."

"This is not your concern, child. Henry and I were speaking privately and—"

"I'm okay if Belle stays," Henry cut in. She wasn't exactly his step-grandmother or anything, but Belle was his grandfather's True Love, and that made her family. Belle smiled at him as she sat down in a nearby chair, cradling a book in her lap, and Henry grinned back.

"So." Belle spoke brightly, but her eyes were wary. "Why is it that you're so concerned about the Black Fairy that you'd have to take Henry away without so much as talking to any of his parents?"

"There are forces gathering," the Blue Fairy replied ominously, just as Henry started thinking about how odd it was that she had waited until everyone but Grandma Snow was gone to bring this up.

"You're going to have to be more specific than that," Belle retorted immediately, sounding rather like the one of his grandparents that liked the Blue Fairy the least. He knew that Snow and David both trusted her implicitly, but Regina certainly didn't, and Emma always reserved judgment. Henry didn't know how his dad felt, but he was willing to bet that Neal would find this entire conversation very suspicious, too.

The Blue Fairy glowered. "These are things that no mere human would understand."

"Should I call Rumplestiltskin, then? I'm sure you'd agree that he's no 'mere human'," Belle countered, her blue eyes dancing. Henry snickered.

"That will not be necessary." The fairy rose, flattening her skirts angrily. "Henry, I will speak to you another time. Thank you for listening to me."

"You're welcome, I think," he replied warily as the Blue Fairy shrank down to glittering fairy size.

"Next time, why don't you try talking to one of his parents, too?" Belle suggested pleasantly. "I'm sure they will share all of your concerns for Henry's safety."

But the Blue Fairy was already flying out the window, and did not answer. Henry stared after her for a long moment, frowning in confusion, before he turned to look at Belle again.

"That was really weird."

Belle nodded. "I quite agree. And something isn't right here."

"I think she wasn't telling the whole truth," Henry said hesitantly. "I mean, I want to believe her, but…"

"But I think your instincts are spot on," she agreed. "Will you promise me something, Henry?"

"Sure," he answered automatically, and then caught himself. Henry wasn't ten any more, and he knew better than to make blanket promises. "I mean, if I can."

"Just don't talk to the Blue Fairy without someone else around, okay? Find one of us first."

"Oh, that's easy. Okay."

Belle was smart. Henry had known that, but she could still surprise him. There hadn't been much on Belle in his book (the Beauty and the Beast story in it had been the saddest story of all, given that it ended with the Beast throwing Beauty out), so everything he knew about her was from having known her in Storybrooke. But she was definitely on to something about the Blue Fairy, and Henry promised himself that he'd be careful, too. Even when they turned back to researching the history of magic—Belle's pet project hat Henry had volunteered to help with—Henry couldn't keep his mind off of what the Blue Fairy had said. Was he in danger, or was there something they were missing?

Rumplestiltskin had never been one to seek out magical battles, but he'd duked it out with a sorcerer or two in his time. Usually he found himself slinging magic around like that when some fool thought they were powerful enough to take on the Dark One and gain his powers through victory, but this was not exactly normal. This battle started almost without warning, with one of the "human" prisoners suddenly dropping her glamour and trying to knock him unconscious.

Had the fae in question been a little less dangerous, Rumplestiltskin would have mocked her for the clumsy beginning. Yet she came at him wielding enormous amounts of power, using magic of the sort that haunted his nightmares, and for the first time in centuries, Rumplestiltskin actually hesitated. He recovered quickly enough to absorb the spell without allowing it to disable him, but it was a closer call than he would ever admit to and left him aching. Particularly with his son and various soldiers, royals, and prisoners all looking on. He had a reputation to uphold, after all, and it simply wouldn't do to allow them to think him weak.

Truth be told, Rumplestiltskin would do just about anything to avoid letting people see him as weak, and if that meant he had to reach into the depths of power he was utterly unfamiliar with—and slightly terrified of—he would do so. Even three hundred years as the most feared creature in the Enchanted Forest hadn't robbed him of the memory of what it had been like to be frightened and bullied, and his recent experiences with the fae only underlined that long ago learned lesson. He would rather be dead than weak, and as he was rather fond of living, whatever he had to do, Rumplestiltskin would do. After that first moment's hesitation, he wrapped his mental hands around that fathomless magic and let it fly.

Three minutes later, he stood over a female fae, marveling at the power crackling through his every limb. Even as the Dark One, he'd never felt magic like this. He'd killed fairies, yes—usually by catching them by surprise, since Rumplestiltskin was a big believer in doing things the smartest way possible—but never so easily. Fairies were powerful, and yet the fae were even more so, because they didn't limit themselves to just using fairy dust, dark or light. The fae also used straight up magic, and this one did so amazingly well. She was more talented than just about any human sorcerer Rumplestiltskin had ever encountered, excepting Regina and Cora, and that should have made her very difficult to defeat.

Except it didn't.

"Bite off more than you can chew, dearie?" he taunted her as Bae stepped up to his side.

Snarling, the fae tried to get up, but Rumplestiltskin waved a hand and magic pinned her to the ground. Hard. He smiled, and she glared.

"I don't suppose you'd like to save your life by volunteering some information," he offered, just to see what she'd say. People said that Rumplestiltskin would make a deal with just about anyone, and while that wasn't exactly true, he was perfectly happy to barter for information. At his left, Bae winced slightly, but his son didn't argue—Bae was a practical sort, after all, and this fae had just attacked them.

"No."

Without warning, magic roared out from her clenched fists, boiling up and almost overcoming his defenses. It came in hard and fast, brilliant and deadly, designed to rip him limb from limb and leave Rumplestiltskin begging for death. The spell was sheer darkness mixed with a touch of madness, and so utterly powerful that it should have hit him before he had any idea he was in danger.

But he saw the magic coming, and even more importantly, he recognized it. Knowledge welled up from somewhere inside Rumplestiltskin, allowing him to turn the attack aside with a flick of his right wrist, wrapping it into a ball and catching the now-glowing orb in the palm of his hand. Blinking, he turned to study the magic he'd trapped, admiring the intricately woven strands of silver, black, and purple as they hummed and buzzed for release. The spell was as potent as anything he'd ever cast as the Dark One, complete with a solid core of evil fairy dust to give it sharp pointy teeth. It was a fascinating construct, and the well-studied sorcerer in him wanted to hold the magic and dissect it, scrutinizing every piece and learning every individual spell. There were at least seven different enchantments encased in the fist-sized ball he held, and it was utterly fascinating.

"You all right, Papa?" Bae asked quietly from his left, jerking Rumplestiltskin back to the present. Startled, he glanced at his son.

"Oh, I'm quite all right. Better, I think, than our friend here would like me to be." Looking down at the angry fae again, Rumplestiltskin shot her a nasty grin. "Isn't that so?"

She growled, a low and dangerous sound that should have set his teeth on edge. Yet somehow it just felt familiar. Had he seen her before? Rumplestiltskin didn't think she was one of the fae who had…visited him during his imprisonment. But then again, he'd been so out of it that he might not have been able to tell any of the fae apart, except for her. Call her what she is. Danns' a'Bhàis. The Black Fairy.

"Then kill me," the fae hissed. "Merlin."

That made him blink again, cocking his head to peer at her in confusion—confusion that quickly bled over into almost irrational anger. The name jelled far too well with the visions/memories he still hadn't overcome, and being at a disadvantage always infuriated him. His voice came out clipped and sharp: "My name, dearie, is Rumplestiltskin."

"Merlin," she repeated, scowling right back at him. "Deny it all you like. It's what you are."

She vanished.

And then the ground started to shake.

Belle wasn't sure what made her pick up An Abridged Historie of the Formation of Magic again. She still didn't know the name of the book, and had all but forgotten it once she had finished reading the slender volume, but something made her go back to it. Belle hadn't looked at the ragged old book in what felt like forever; she'd last noticed it at least six months before they'd found Rumplestiltskin in Bremen. Being Belle, at least thirty other books had passed through her hands and her mind since then, which meant the details were now a little blurry. Yet hearing the Blue Fairy mention the Heart of the Truest Believer made Belle dig the old book out once more, flipping through its pages until she found the right section.

Incidental Powers

Much like the Secondary Powers (referenced previously), Incidental Powers were created through the actions of magic-users, with few exceptions. However, unlike the Secondary Powers, these magics are not objects or magical beings; they are instead statuses granted to an otherwise normal entity. Usually human, these beings are remarkable creatures in and as themselves, but it is the incidental powers they bear which are of interest here. These powers include: the Golden Touch, the All-Seeing Eye, the Bones of the Willing Sage, the Heart of the Truest Believer, and the Heart of Darkness. The possibility of other incidental powers developing over time cannot be discounted, but in the first millennia of magic, only these five have been identified.

Each incidental power takes residence in a living being. While the Golden Touch and the All-Seeing Eye are commonly known as curses, this is an incorrect assumption. Both, like all incidental powers, can exist at a maximum of once per generation, but are often much less common. These powers have been known to skip over as much as six or seven generations without manifesting themselves, only to reappear again after having been all but forgotten. Yet the physical exhibitions of each power are not the sum of its importance. While each "possessor" of an incidental power can indeed exercise a certain degree of magic because of the power's presence, the actual incidental power itself becomes a magical object when removed from its host.

In this manner, the incidental powers take on a status similar to that of the objects of secondary power, save for the fact that they first must be removed from the being who naturally possesses them.

Although all five incidental powers are extraordinary in their own right, by far the most powerful of the group is the Heart of the Truest Believer. Any heart removed by magic becomes enchanted, but unlike these other hearts, the Heart of the Truest Believer already possesses magic. In fact, its magic is the second purest and lightest magic in all the realms, only eclipsed in power by True Love.

Alone of the incidental powers, the Heart of the Truest Believer always exists within a human being. Unlike the Golden Touch and the All-Seeing Eye, there are no external indicators of its presence, but a well-versed magic user can identify the host. The Heart itself is always golden in color, a true "heart of gold." When removed, it can grant a magic user eternal life, great power, or the ability to freeze time itself. When inserted into another being, the Heart can be used to magically bind that being to whom took the Heart from its host. It is said that both the Blue Fairy and the Black Fae committed themselves to great study of the Heart's magic, discovering that if long life can be granted to the host, the Heart itself will continue to provide power for centuries. Each captured and held at least one host during the first millennia of magic, testing both the limits of the power and its relation to the human host. By this time, the rivalry between the two Original Fairies was fierce, and although both uncovered further powers of the Heart, those were kept secret by their respective followers lest the other discover them.

Perhaps because of its great power, the Heart of the Truest Believer is the most uncommon of the incidental powers, appearing no more regularly than once per each century. However, should the Host be killed before their time, should their lifespan be cut short by violence or trickery, another Heart of the Truest Believer will immediately manifest itself.

Blinking, Belle immediately turned back one page to read the entire section again. Until the Blue Fairy had referenced the Heart of the Truest Believer, they'd all thought it just to be a label Pan had stuck on Henry, something created to convince Henry to do his bidding. Yet this thousand year old book indicated otherwise. Henry isn't the first, Belle realized with a suddenly racing heart. The book implied that the Heart of the Truest Believer was incredibly powerful, and Belle knew what that meant. She remembered her history well enough. Ordinary humans who found themselves in possession of items of great power never fared well in the Enchanted Forest. I wonder what happened to the others.

"That lying…mosquito," she hissed, her eyes travelling back back to the second to last paragraph.

The Blue Fairy had experimented on one of Henry's predecessors. She'd implied that the Black Fairy—suddenly and conveniently alive, according to her—would want to use Henry's heart to endanger his family, but she'd never mentioned that she also had done such things in the past! Was that why Blue was so eager to spirit Henry away without anyone's knowledge? Did she want the Heart as well?

Slamming the book shut, Belle headed out to find Snow. No one was going to hurt a member of Belle's family, not while she could prevent it.

A/N: Thank you for reading, and please drop me a line to tell me what you think! My questions this time around are: 1) Do you think Snow will believe Belle over Blue and 2) What kind of magic do you think that the (now disappeared) fae woman has left behind?

Next up is Chapter 15: "Necessary Evils", where Henry is reunited with all three parents, and Snow begins to ask the hard questions.