Note: A new scene has been added to the end of the prologue as of 5 March.
Chapter Sixteen—"Choices Made"
Their bedchamber had become very crowded since Regina had delivered Rumplestiltskin to his and Belle's bed. The Evil Queen had exchanged a knowingly exasperated look with Belle as she did so, explaining that Rumplestiltskin had managed to knock himself out by using too much magic. Bae, arriving with Emma and Henry, clarified exactly what Rumplestiltskin had done this time, and while Belle was so very proud of him for saving that many lives, she really wished he'd found a less dramatic and less personally damaging way to do so. Now, Rumplestiltskin lay pale and unmoving on the bed while other people filed in.
Belle was tempted to kick most of them out. She knew how Rumplestiltskin valued his privacy, knew how much he often hated sharing his castle with the Grand Alliance, much less his own private chambers. However, the crowd was growing more quickly than she could decide who to eject. Regina had sent Ruby to find Tink, so Philip had crept in when the door opened; he was now in one corner talking urgently with Baelfire. Hook and Robin lurked near the door, with Hook watching Emma hopefully and Robin heading over to join Regina as she stepped back from Belle's side. Having the outlaw there didn't bother Belle, but why would Hook feel the need to watch over a man they all knew he still hated?
Thankfully, Ruby returned faster than expected. Belle's relief died when she spotted the frown on her friend's face, though, which was explained when the Blue Fairy followed Tink into the room. Snow entered last of all, but at least she looked concerned. Blue's face was unreadable, but was that a glint of fear in her eyes?
Tink started to move forward, only to have the senior fairy step in her way, wand in hand.
"What do you think you're doing?" Regina asked before Belle could protest.
A suspiciously angry twitch started in Blue's cheek, but her expression turned typically maternal when everyone looked at her. "Helping, of course."
"I'm pretty damn sure that Rumplestiltskin doesn't want your help."
Belle could have hugged Regina for that, and shot the Evil Queen a smile from where she sat on the bed at Rumplestiltskin's side. Truth be told, he probably didn't want even Tink's magic near him, given how he felt about fairies, but Belle figured Tinker Bell was the lesser of the two evils. At least Rumplestiltskin had worked with Tink a dozen times over the past few weeks, and hadn't complained too much about her.
But the Blue Fairy didn't bother to reply, instead flicking her wand in Rumplestiltskin's direction before anyone could stop her. A slight glow enveloped both her wand and the sorcerer immediately, blue and shimmering, working its way over Rumplestiltskin from head to toe. Regina started to snarl something, and might have acted were it not for the way absolutely comical shock suddenly colored Blue's features. Eyes wide, the senior fairy lowered her wand in a jerky, startled motion, and the magic tapered off.
Belle, however, didn't care what stopped Blue, and Bae clearly didn't, either, because he pushed through the crowd to stand at Belle's side. "Don't you ever do that again," she growled.
"I…" Blue blinked rapidly, staring at Rumplestiltskin like she'd never seen him before.
Suddenly, the hand Belle held in her own twitched, and Rumplestiltskin's eyes flew open. "Surprised, dearie?" he asked Blue.
A stunned moment of silence passed.
"Your curse is broken."
"You just now figured that out?" Bae demanded, glaring at Blue before he glanced down at his father without bothering to wait for the shaken fairy to reply. Belle was so relieved to see his concern, so glad to see that the chasm between them had finally mended once and for all. "You okay, Papa?"
Rumplestiltskin sat up. "I'm fine, Bae."
Immediately, Belle watched his gaze flick around the room, taking in the crowd with a slight frown. From the way his eyes narrowed slightly, she could tell he wasn't happy, but he wouldn't show weakness by complaining. No, he'd file this away like he did any other grudge, save it and wait for his anger to die of old age. Or maybe he'd stuff it and mount it on the wall afterwards; Belle had seen Rumplestiltskin do worse. Surprisingly, however, his focus returned to Blue, just as Belle almost opened her mouth to tell her love what the fairy had been up to concerning Henry. However, Rumplestiltskin got in first.
"No need to look so delighted, Reul Ghorm," he drawled, sarcasm dripping from every word.
The fairy frowned but said nothing, and everyone watched the silent interplay between Blue and the former Dark One. A thousand and one things hung unsaid in the air between them, and even Belle only had an inkling about what was going on. The silence stretched onwards, heavy with meaning and…what? Finally, Snow cleared her throat.
"Blue?" the Queen asked hesitantly. Of course she'll ask her. Blue didn't even manage to rationalize why she wants Henry, and Snow still wants to trust her. "What's going on?"
"Oh, yes. Why don't you tell her the truth?" Rumplestiltskin put in, now on his feet and standing between Belle and Bae. "I'm already gathering that you're just as happy as your sister is with the fact that my curse is broken." His eyes flashed, and the frown twisted into a vicious smirk. "This might perhaps be the moment for you to tell our friends that Danns' a'Bhàis has escaped her exile."
"Who?" several people asked, and Belle's heart sank.
She'd read that book months ago, and she could figure it out from context—
"The Black Fairy," Rumplestiltskin answered cooly, his eyes still on Blue.
"That's hardly the most pressing matter at the moment," the senior fairy shot back, finally goaded into replying. Her eyes flashed furiously. "You have not been honest, either."
A low chuckle. "Have I not?"
"That curse was designed not to be broken."
"And now everything hidden behind it has bubbled to the surface." He smiled nastily. "Not quite what your sister planned, I know."
Belle's heart was beating very fast. The old book was still sitting on the bedside table where she'd dropped it when Regina brought Rumplestiltskin in. Hints in half a dozen other books suddenly all coalesced with the information she'd read months ago, and suddenly everything made sense. Her head snapped around to stare at her love, but he only raised an eyebrow. Belle burned to ask if she was right, and if his power came from where she thought it did, but the blasé look on Rumplestiltskin's face answered her question. She could feel the balance of power shifting.
"What are you two talking about?" Snow cut in again. "Blue. Explain, if you would."
Apparently, even fairies didn't argue with that imperious tone, at least not if they wanted Snow's cooperation any time soon. The Blue Fairy sighed, gesturing calmingly to placate the queen.
"When the Black Fairy created the curse of the Dark One, she forced and elemental demon of darkness into the soul of humanity's most powerful sorcerer," Blue started, her superior expression back. "She structured a curse around that, so that the darkness in that sorcerer's power would be passed down, yet always tainted by evil and rage that it could not escape. Even in death, the power would transfer to whomever killed the sorcerer, ensuring that the curse itself would survive. Throughout the centuries, those who became the Dark One sought the power for its own sake, and were forever tainted by that evil. Most were controlled by another, but always unable to resist the Black Fairy's call—no matter who held the dagger, she could call it, and the Dark One.
"Some called it the perfect curse, the corruption of a human into a monster. For over one thousand five hundred years, the curse of the Dark One endured, with the demon all but un-slayable. Only the dagger that ensured the continuation of the curse itself could kill the Dark One, ensuring that the Black Fairy would always have a servant to call upon. Nineteen human men and women took on that curse or had it thrust upon them, each darker and more dangerous than the last, because curses grow over time. They terrorized the world, and it was all the fairies could do to contain them. Yet that was not enough. The Black Fairy built in other safeguards. She built the curse to resist even True Love's kiss, for a soul so corrupted by darkness does not want to be free.
"However…she did not count on a Dark One who took on the curse, and the powers, to protect his only child. Or one who would sacrifice himself to save those he loved."
Rumplestiltskin shifted slightly; Belle could feel his discomfort. Bae glanced his way, his face softening, but Rumplestiltskin's own expression simply closed off. To Blue's credit, she continued firmly:
"That sacrifice broke the curse, and broke the…power free of the darkness as well."
Merlin's power, Belle knew without asking. The Blue Fairy was carefully not using the name of humanity's most legendary sorcerer, and knowing Rumplestiltskin, he wouldn't mention that, either. He always liked to be underestimated, and Blue was obviously worried about saying too much.
Why wasn't she happy that Rumplestiltskin's curse was broken? Shouldn't she be? Belle felt her eyes narrowing as she studied the fairy. Not having the Dark One in the world had to be a good thing for everyone. Although Rumplestiltskin had sometimes succeeded in fighting the darkness back (at least compared to some of the things he'd told Belle his predecessors had done), he'd still been a creature of darkness, and really hadn't cared to stop himself much of the time. A world where that horrible curse was broken was certainly better off, and by all rights, Blue should be delighted about that.
Rumplestiltskin hadn't expected her to be happy, Belle recalled. She'd have to ask him about that later.
Snow, however, was still watching Blue with those same hard eyes, though her demeanor had softened slightly once Blue started offering explanations. "So what now?"
It was Rumplestiltskin who answered, getting in before Blue and earning himself a glare from the senior fairy.
"We defeat the Witch," he said bluntly, and then twirled a hand to emphasize his next point, his expression devoid of the nasty amusement he usually greeted the world with. "That won't be the end of this, of course. The Black Fairy is still waiting in the wings, using the Witch for her own ends. I'm sure she'll have something to say before this war is over. And then, one of these days, Reul Ghorm and I will have a little chat about her sister."
That last sentence hit hard; Blue's face twisted in fury and her composure shattered. She took several steps forward, pointing a rigid finger at Rumplestiltskin from only a few feet away. Normally the maternal and kind sort, Blue's wrath was something to behold. She radiated power when angry, and Belle saw several people shiver, stepping away from the fairy. Original powers, Belle reminded herself, fighting back the urge to swallow. Just because she plays at being nice doesn't mean she is. Or that she ever has been.
"Curse or no, you may still be her creature!" Blue snarled.
Rumplestiltskin closed the distance between them, stopping right in front of her and looking her in the eye. "Dearie, I'm no one's creature, least of all Danns' a'Bhàis." He smiled lazily. "Or yours."
"The day will come when you're going to have to choose a side," the Blue Fairy told him, her eyes still ablaze and every rigid line of her body exuding magic.
"I already have."
His quiet voice and slight smirk made for a heady contrast with Blue's obvious fury, but Rumplestiltskin's eyes were dancing just as dangerously. Belle knew that he was at his most threatening when he was quiet; he only yelled when he was in a temper, and it was the soft spoken, methodical planner that people had to fear. His whispers were more dangerous than anyone else's shouts, and Rumplestiltskin looked down at the fairy derisively. Finally, he smiled.
"Now get out of my castle before I prove that I can throw you out."
In a flash of light, Blue turned fairy sized again, still only inches away from Rumplestiltskin's face and glaring at him. "We are not finished."
Rumplestiltskin laughed softly. "Indeed we are not."
Reul Ghorm left slowly, but leave she did, her face the picture of serenity and grace. She did, however, cast a glance over her shoulder at Tinker Bell as she headed for the suddenly open door to the balcony. The green fairy stared back at her steadily, her expression as shocked as everyone else's, but making no move to follow her superior. Pausing just inside the doorway, the Blue Fairy spoke once more.
"Come, Green. We are not wanted here."
Perhaps it was the use of her old name. Perhaps it was something else. But Tinker Bell straightened, her shoulders rolling back proudly as she frowned. "No thanks. I'll stay."
It seemed that Reul Ghorm had nothing to say to that, for she flew out the open door and left.
Once the Blue Fairy left, shooing out anyone who wasn't family was straightforward. Belle didn't explain her reasoning, but the look on Snow's face, of all people, said that this was important, and for Regina, that was enough. I wanted to ruin her life not too many years ago, and now I'm trusting her. Isn't this just a royally screwed up world? She accepted a quick kiss on the cheek from Robin when Belle threw the outlaw a look that said he wasn't welcome; normally, Regina would object to that, but the situation had gone from serious to dangerous in the blink of an eye, so she smiled at her lover and sent him on his way. Besides, Roland hadn't seen his father in almost three weeks, and that was reason enough to send Robin elsewhere.
She did smirk, however, when Hook objected to being shut out. The pirate had even less claim to be there than Robin did, but he'd thrown Emma a pleading look that Snow's daughter promptly ignored. Regina planned on staying well clear of the messed up love triangle that Emma had found herself in—unless it started to impact Henry, in which case she'd have no problem telling all three participants to pull their heads out and behave like adults. At least the tempest seemed to have calmed down to a minor rainstorm for the moment, or Emma was just plain irritated enough to ignore both of her potential lovers. Either way, things seemed quiet on that front, and she was glad. Regina really couldn't deal with Hook and Baelfire fighting over Emma. She already had enough of a headache.
Henry sat down between her and Emma, who, interestingly enough, sat next to Baelfire, who the idiot savior was still insisting on calling Neal. Next you know, she'll be calling her mother Mary Margaret. Regina tried not to snort out loud, but Henry definitely noticed her amusement.
"Something funny, Mom?" Henry asked her, and Regina smiled, wrapping an arm around her boy.
"Just life, sweetie."
"How is dear Maleficent?" Rumplestiltskin drawled as Hook, the last one out, shut the door. The question earned him several dirty looks—Regina wasn't the only one in the room who would like a few more explanations than the Blue Fairy had offered—but no one interjected, so she laughed. She knew how the game was played, and she and Rumple had been dancing around most of these people for years.
"She says the fae are back," Regina replied lightly. "And that she might be willing to help us against them."
"Oh, so now you believe," her old mentor snorted.
Regina smiled sweetly. "I needed to hear it from a more credible source than you."
"Of course you did, dearie." But several people snickered now, and Rumplestiltskin didn't look offended. Why would he? They'd made trusting and mistrusting one another their lives' work, and besides, Regina hadn't actually disbelieved him, or at least not lately. Once Rumplestiltskin proved that he'd come out of his ordeal more or less intact, Regina wasn't foolish enough to doubt the first-rate brain hidden inside his skull. She'd never thought the man was stupid, after all. Rather the opposite, in fact. He'd always been far too smart.
"So," she asked with studied disinterest, turning to glance out the open balcony door as she spoke, and wondering about which side Rumplestiltskin claimed to have chosen, "which sorcerer?"
"Come again?"
She shot him a hard look. "Don't try that, Rumple. You know what I mean."
"I'm certain that I haven't a faint idea of what you're talking about."
Oh, yes. You're certain you have no idea what I'm talking about. Clever bastard and your wordsmithing. You don't have a faint idea. You know. But was it worthwhile to press the point when he was so obviously reluctant to say? The fragile peace between them didn't always leave room for unwelcome truths, and wherever Rumplestiltskin's powers came from, he had an awful lot of them. For once, however, Regina was inclined to believe that was a good thing. He wasn't her enemy, anymore; he was an ally who was suddenly able to bully the world's most annoying bug into leaving. Anyone who could do that immediately earned a lot of points in Regina's book.
And he was her son's grandfather, which counted for a lot in this world, too. Particularly given the array of enemies they seemed to be assembling. When she added to that what Henry had started trying to tell her before Rumplestiltskin and company had shown up, Regina was happy to let Rumplestiltskin have his secrets. He did seem to have a habit of coming through when it counted, anyway.
"Of course you don't," Regina replied neutrally, wondering if someone else would pick up the line of questioning. If they were lucky, it'd be Belle, and he might actually answer her. The man was utterly besotted, after all.
Who was she kidding? Belle was no fool, either. She'd ask him in private. The younger woman did, however, choose that moment to speak up about something else after exchanging yet another ominous glance with Snow. What is it between those two? Snow's never been Rumple's greatest fan, so it's got to be important if it has her conspiring with Belle, of all people.
"There's something else we need to worry about," Belle interjected bluntly. "I discovered it earlier today after the Blue Fairy tried to, um, convince Henry to leave with her."
"She what?" Under other circumstances, Regina might have been insulted to be shouting in synch with Emma Swan, but given that it was their son Belle was talking about, she didn't give a damn. She did, however, twist to stare at Henry.
Their boy nodded. "Everyone was gone except Grandma Snow and Belle, and I think Blue thought that was a great time to convince me. She started talking about how everyone wanted my heart because I'm still the Truest Believer, and said that she had somewhere safe for me."
"Because that doesn't sound suspicious at all." Surprisingly the sarcasm came from Baelfire and not Emma, though Emma added:
"Why wouldn't she talk to any of us, first?"
"Because she wasn't telling the whole truth," Belle answered. Regina's eyes narrowed.
"Henry, what did the Blue Fairy say to you? Exactly?" she asked, feeling rage boil up under the surface. Rage made for potent magic, she'd always known. Would it be potent enough to kill that annoying insect? She was willing to bet that she and Rumplestiltskin could do it together, and judging from the look on his face, he'd be more than willing to help.
"That someone—probably the Black Fairy—wanted my heart in order to control everyone in the Enchanted Forest," he answered with a frown. "The Blue Fairy said she needed to take me away right then so that I'd be safe, but I could tell she wasn't telling the whole truth. Belle came in, though, and the Blue Fairy didn't stick around much after that."
"What?" Now it was Emma's turn to snarl. "I thought we were done with that." She twisted to look at Rumplestiltskin. "Pan is dead, right? You being alive doesn't mean he is, does it?"
Someone really needs to pay more attention in her magic lessons, Regina thought to herself, watching Rumplestiltskin's face tighten.
"No, it doesn't, and yes, he is."
"Then why are we back to this Heart of the Truest Believer crap?" Emma demanded, and now Regina didn't bother to hide her own frustrations.
"Because it's magic," she snapped. "Magic that works for one person can work for someone else, the Black Fairy as well as Pan." Except—wait a minute—
Baelfire looked at his father, catching the inconsistency in Regina's argument immediately. "The Black Fairy doesn't need immortality, so why would she want Henry's heart?"
"I expect because Reul Ghorm wants it herself." The quiet response made Belle turn to look at Rumplestiltskin in surprise.
"You know?"
He gestured vaguely. "Let's just say that some memories are starting to bubble to the surface."
"Memories?" Regina asked before she could stop herself, and then shook her head. He obviously wasn't going to tell her, and they had more important things to worry about. "Never mind that. Back to Henry. Why does the Blue Insect want his heart?"
"Regina," Snow chided her gently, but she thought she saw a bit of laughter dancing in her stepdaughter's eyes. Emma certainly was amused, as was Henry, but Rumplestiltskin's face was hard to read, and Baelfire only frowned. Belle, however, continued:
"I'm exactly not sure. But I found this old book"—she held up a ratty old volume, slender and well read, much to Regina's utter lack of surprise—"that talks about the Heart of the Truest Believer. It's not just Henry. There have been others throughout history, and the Heart is considered one of the most magical items in existence. It can be used for a lot of things…none of which are really good for the person who the heart came out of.
"And…" Belle took a deep breath and glanced at Rumplestiltskin before continuing. "The Blue Fairy has done it in the past."
"Done what, exactly?" Regina asked when no one else would. Damn these people! Snow just looked sickened and disappointed, Rumplestiltskin didn't look surprised in the slightest—though there was something dangerous lurking in his expression—and Emma and Baelfire looked as confused as Regina felt.
"I'm not sure, exactly." Belle extended the book to her. "Page seventy-nine."
Resisting the urge to groan, Regina flipped the book open, noticing how the ancient pages crackled under her fingertips, and started to read.
…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.
It is said that the Heart is even powerful enough to trap one of the Original Powers. However, since the number of original powers (even including the Elemental Demons) has sharply decreased since the origins of magic, the likelihood of a Heart being used for such a purpose has likewise diminished. However, if placed inside one of the remaining Original Powers, it is theorized that the Heart might last as many as five centuries, allowing the Holder of the Heart to control even these most powerful of beings.
A chill ran down Regina's spine as half-forgotten lessons tried to swim to the surface of her memories. Regina had been too angry and too heartbroken to care about the history of magic as a young woman, and by the time she'd wished she had access to Rumplestiltskin's vast library on the topic, they'd already become enemies of a sort. Then, she'd been too proud to borrow books from him, and she'd been too busy during the last year, running from one crisis to the next and just trying to keep the Grand Alliance afloat. But she did remember his initial lessons on the three sources of magic, and Regina did know enough to remember what the Original Powers were.
"This is maddeningly less than helpful," she finally said, rereading the pertinent section with a frown. Of course, the author changed topics just when the answer they needed might have been relevant, and yet… There was something she wasn't seeing. Something they all weren't seeing.
"We'll have to ask her," Snow said unhappily, obviously feeling betrayed.
"If she'll tell us the truth," Baelfire pointed out with a frown. "And there's no way she's going to do that unless she thinks there's something in it for her. Like Henry's heart"
"I don't care what her reasoning is," Emma snarled. "She's not getting Henry's heart."
"I think we can take that for granted," Regina agreed, closing the book. She looked directly at Rumplestiltskin; this much silence was unlike him, particularly since he was finding this out with the rest of them. "So, how do we stop her?"
"Leave that to me," he answered simply, and the sneer on his face was definitely encouraging. Though she did have to wonder at his confidence—irritating insect or not, the damn fairy was powerful.
"Wait a minute," Snow interjected. "We have to talk to her first. We can't just—"
"The hell we can't," Regina cut her off, not really caring what argument her stepdaughter wanted to make. "This is Henry's heart we're talking about. I don't care what the Blue Fairy is supposed to represent—original goodness, light, or freaking love itself—if she wants Henry's heart, she deserves what's coming to her."
"I'm not saying we should give her Henry's heart, Regina, just that this has to be some sort of misunderstanding. She's always been on our side. She's helped us so many times, and she's always on the right side. Perhaps we can help her come up with some sort of alternative."
There were times when Snow's earnest optimism really did make Regina remember why she'd turned to darkness. Her stepdaughter really was sickeningly…good. How could Snow be so optimistic after everything that had happened to her? Not rolling her eyes took all of the self-control she had. Thankfully, however, someone got in before Regina could say all the nasty things that came to mind, or offer to rip Snow's heart out just so she could remember how it felt. Bad idea, Regina, she tried to tell herself. Damn, there were times that being evil was just easier. No one questioned your motives when you were evil.
"I'm sorry, but I'm with Regina on this one," Emma told her mother, her eyes still narrowed with anger. "Sure, we can talk to her about it, but that…fairy isn't getting anywhere near Henry in the meantime."
"Sounds good to me," Henry said in a small voice, suddenly sounding very young again. Hearing him like that made Regina's heart melt; damn the Blue Fairy for frightening him! Thirteen or not, he was still a child, her child, and Regina could kill Blue for that if nothing else.
Baelfire turned to look at Regina. "Is that spell you cast on Henry still good? The one that kept Pan from being able to rip his heart out?"
"Probably not since I left Storybrooke," Henry answered, glancing up at her. "Leaving where there's magic would banish the spell, right, Mom?"
Regina had to think about that one for a moment. "I think so." Though having places where magic didn't exist was rather a gray area when it came to magical theory, Henry's conjecture made sense.
"Can't you just cast it again?" Emma asked.
Can I? Regina hated showing weakness, hated not being able to do anything, but Pan was one thing…an Original Power like the Blue Fairy was quite another. The insect had thoroughly understated her powers back in Storybrooke, or she'd been more hampered by the odd nature of magic there than anyone else. Here, however…
"I can try," she replied hesitantly.
"I'll cast it," Rumplestiltskin volunteered unexpectedly, and all eyes turned to him. He, however, looked at Regina. "No offense, Regina, but powerful though you are, your magic isn't quite up to resisting an Original Power."
"And yours is?" she demanded automatically, feeling her hackles rising.
Rumplestiltskin only smiled, and when his hands moved over Henry, casting the same spell Regina had used to protect him from Pan, his fingers glowed gold. To the untrained eye, the spell appeared normal but powerful, yet Regina could feel this magic vibrating in her bones. Her breath caught in her throat. Tink had been right all those weeks ago. This magic wasn't like anything Regina had ever felt before. It wasn't the pure and vicious darkness Regina knew Rumplestiltskin once possessed; this was just intoxicating power. Even the spell he cast was multi-layered, the same magic conducted on a dozen different levels to make it impossible for even the greatest of fairies to overcome.
Regina shivered. He wasn't the Dark One now, but this was no normal sorcerer's power. What was he? What power had the curse carried down to turn him into this?
A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter – I was out of town for the weekend without a computer. Questions in this round: 1) Why do you think the Blue Fairy wants Henry's heart? and 2) Do you think that the Black Fairy meant for there to be so much power behind the curse of the Dark One?
Next up is Chapter 17: "New Beginnings", where Rumplestiltskin explains things to Belle and Bae, Regina "interferes" in the Charming family, and the Charming family finally gets some time together.