Chapter 8: Conflicts
In which several confrontations take place
"Perhaps the best thing would be to talk to the Blue Fairy and give her a chance to defend herself." David doesn't want to be too sceptical and reckons it might be the best way to solve the situation, not to mention the fairest. "You know, the problem with that is: if she is untrustworthy we're so trusting the wrong person." David sighs. Emma is always eager to distrust people. "Emma," he needs to word his question carefully. "Are you sure your negative feelings towards the Blue Fairy are not about your own ambivalent feelings towards magic?" Emma doesn't answer, but gives him a foul look. She is about to snap something when she is distracted by a low sound. "Shush, do you hear that?" "What?" David asks turning around.
Belle has gone out. She is to host tonight's children's event at the library. The children can dress up as their favourite fairy or folk tale characters. They will do games and read or listen to stories and they're going to record the first chapter of an audio book in which some of the kids will get roles. Henry is going as Robin Hood, the ancient hero: a famous predecessor of Zorro, Superman, Batman and the likes. Regina has brought him, because Emma needed to focus on the vandalism situation. She will tell Belle that her son should get the best part available. Otherwise she could make her job quite difficult, not to mention change her mind about not prosecuting her for the stabbing.
With Belle gone for the evening, Rumple quickly resorts to his magical artefacts. Blue's story has made him very anxious. How to change the tides? What kind of weapon could eliminate the Dark One? One solution is to become the Dark One once more. He longs for it, passionately, but knows that Belle might not forgive him this time around. When they met, he already was the Dark One and he had lost his son because of it. To consciously choose that path again, might be more than even she could forgive. Rumple faces a great dilemma. Becoming that powerful might bring his son back in time, but could mean the loss of his true love.
He is standing in front of them, the vandal. His eyes filled with malice. "Come to arrest me sheriff?" he asks, smirking at her. "Perhaps," Emma replies, "if you are the one responsible for the wave of destruction of the last few nights." "I'd like to see you try," he challenges her. "I'm warning you. You don't want to mess with me," Emma says, bolder than she feels. "Is that so?"
Rumplestiltskin collects all the weapons he can find in the spell books. A piercing stake. An innocent looking lantern. A small handheld harp with only three strings: white, red and black. He tries to find instructions for the last two items, but apparently "one's inner magic will be one's guide." The stake, at least, has a clear purpose. He weighs it in his hand, it's quite heavy; still, he might be able to throw it or thrust it into someone.
Still seething from the confrontation with Belle, who had said that Henry had a lovely voice, but needed to audition for a role just like all the other kids, Regina turns into the dark lane. She has to drive slowly because the road is blocked by three people in the distance. "What the hell are these people doing in the middle of the street," she mumbles to herself. Coming a little closer, she notices that one of them is the sheriff. Emma, always Emma, she might have known. Regina sticks her face out of the car window and hoots her car horn. "The sidewalk is for walking people; you'd think a sheriff knows that!"
When they don't respond to her shouting, she becomes even more irritated. Like she doesn't have a rotten day already. Regina steps out of the car. "Don't come any closer!" both Emma and a man shout. The man has got David in a firm grip and holds a dagger to his throat. Regina swallows hard; it can't be…
"What's this?" Rumple hadn't heard Belle come home. Time flies when you're having fun. He is trying out the harp to see if he feels any inner stirring or guidance. So far, he'd made horrible music, but nothing interesting had happened. The lantern shines beautifully, but that can't be its purpose, not if it is supposed to be a weapon. Several spell books are spread out over the table. "I thought you wouldn't be home, until much, much later." "Rumple, answer my question please," Belle says impatiently.