A/N: Hello again :P I kinda enjoyed writing this one... I hope you'll enjoy reading it!
"Magic?" Emma whispered, unable to manage anything louder.
"Well, yes, dearie. Unless you had another way of defeating me figured out during the last couple of days." He answered, getting visibly impatient. "I'm offering to teach you the ways of magic."
There wasn't even a moment of hesitation before her next question was shot into the air. "What's in it for you?"
He took three short steps in her direction then disappeared and reappeared deep in her personal space. "That is no concern of yours, princess." He practically spat the title out, as if it was an insult. "The question you should really ask is what's in it for you."
"Accept for my freedom?" She inquired, licking her lips nervously. She was clearly desprate to get out of the dark dungeon, to get away from him, but she wouldn't agree to the deal until she'll know all the details, he noticed. He smiled widely.
"Oh, far beyond it." He promised. "Far beyond anything you can possibly imagine. Magic is power, dearie, and you have the potential of having a lot of it." He was now circling her with slow movements that were driving her insane. "You could get everything you desire. I heard about your little plan of taking over George and Regina's kingdoms." he laughed at her expression, a short and unpleasent sound. "Oh, don't look so surprised, dearie. I have eyes and ears everywhere. But magic can get you that. Magic can make you the most fearsome queen any realm had ever known. Magic can get you happiness. Magic can get rid of that little charming thing in your belly so that you could marry your prince."
Emma went pale immediately, her hands instinctively going to cover her stomach, to hide her baby from the monster in front of her in any way possible. "How do you know about-"
"About what?" He giggled. "Your feelings for the addoptive son of Queen Abigail? His child that is right now growing inside you? I know everything, dearie. I know, for example, that he had lost his brother when he was twelve, and that the king and queen fancied him and took him in. That he has no clue that you are in fact carrying his child and that in a dark, hidden corner of his heart, he desperately, desperately wishes it was his. I know-"
"Stop."
"I am not done quite yet, dearie. There's still a lot for you to learn about your love."
"I said stop." She was shaking. Whether it was because she was cold, afraid or angry- she couldn't tell. Maybe all three. "You have no right to tell me these things. Only he has it. And he would tell me if he'd want me to know."
"Oh, my, princess. How… how moral of you." He stopped pacing around her, and she felt somewhat relieved at that. "My offer remains. I'll teach you the ways of magic. If you'll be able to use it to defeat me, I'll let you go. If you'll try using them to get away, oh, then- and I promise you that- I will hunt you down, and I will kill that baby of yours, in addition to your prince, who I long to kill for years now anyway." Do you know the prince? She wanted to ask, but her voice failed her, due to the threats he had just thrown into the air. "Call my name three times when your ready to make the right choice." He said before he vanished in what she had come to know as his typical sort of magical smoke.
Emma shivered, pure horror washing over her in waves. Less than two months ago, she wouldn't have even imagined something like this at all. All the more that something like this would happen to her. But it didn't matter. She couldn't let him harm the people she loved. She spent an hour trying to gather enough courage to make the next move.
She cleared her throat. "Rumpelstiltskin, Rumpelst-"
"No need to proceed, dearie." He said from behind her, causing her to flinch. "Well?"
Emma swallowed her fears, hiding them deep within her. "I accept your offer. In one condition."
Rumpelstiltskin frowned. "And just what might that be?"
"I win once, and you let the prisoner in the cell next to mine free."
"The theif?" He asked, baffled.
"Yes, but I haven't finished. I win once, you let him go. I win for the second time, you let me go. And you leave me and my loved ones alone."
"Winning a second battle is nearly impossible, dearie." He told her. "Winning the first one would require something close to a miracle, but at least then you can still surprise me."
Emma nodded. "I know."
"You could stay here for years."
"I know."
He was silent for a short moment. "This is quite the foolish move, princess."
She chose to ignore the remark. "Do you agree to my terms?"
He observed her carefully before answering. "Yes."
"Good."
-xxx-
"Stop thinking! Feel! Magic comes from emotion." Her eyes were shut, The candle in front of her was refusing to be lit.
"I'm trying." She growled, getting more and more frustrated with each passing moment.
"Would you like me to help you? Would you like me to remind you of things that lie deep within you, covered with dust and denial? You've been here for over a week, now- it's time."
Emma shook her head at his words, shutting her eyes harder. "You know nothing about me." She said. She wasn't completely sure it was true anymore.
"Oh but I do, dearie." He grinned, pleased at the opportunity to get under her skin. "I know both your parents died when you were 16. I know you think your father got sick from heartbreak and died when he actually committed suicide, being too weak to stay with you."
Emma shook her head again, her hands trembling. It wasn't true. She knew it wasn't. But, then, again… Did she? She was't home when he died. She came back home to find him lifeless and cold.
"I also know about your friend, August. A funny thing, his past as a puppet. It was quite amusing watching him squirm and scream as I turned him back to the dull marionette he used to be."
"It was you?" Emma asked silently, hate and pain making her eyes shoot sparks.
"Yes, dearie." He smiled wickedly. "And I also know about your dearest love, about your huntsman. He was quite the honorable man, was he? Did you know I was there when she crushed his heart? The Evil Queen. In the very room. She fancied him, asked him to stay with her as her lover. Thought he wouldn't be able to resist, since her youthful glow was preserved- thanks to magic, by the way- but he did. He truly, truly loved you. He was desperate to come back home, to come back for you. Too bad he couldn't."
A single tear was slipping down her face. "Enough."
"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if they didn't die? Or are you not letting yourself do such things? Is that why you didn't tell the prince about his baby? Because you knew having a child of another man would keep him away from you, so that he could never leave you? You just can't be loved, can you princess? your life is a proof to that. You are doomed to take care of yourself, to be alone forever- you are-"
"I said enough!" She yelled, a pulse of white light beaming from her in a widening circle, blowing back the imp's hair and lighting every candle in the hall. His satisfied grin made her knees go weak. "I hate you." She whispered, a sob rocking her body violently.
"I think that's enough for today, princess." He said, sending her back to the dungeon in a cloud of smoke.
-xxx-
He's had the princess captive for almost three weeks now. She was quite the talented sorceress, he had to admit, much better than most of his students. What a pleasure would it be to finally corrupt her pure soul, teach her the complicated art of the dark magic, have her as a queen instead of those two fools, Regina and George. And most of all, see the prince's face as he'll witness the dark form of his beautiful sweetheart.
The prince was going mad. He could see it when he watched him through his crystal ball. He was barely sleeping or eating, always pacing aroung and throwing glances towards the door, probably hoping that she'll come through it at some point.
It would have been quite amusing if he didn't have the feeling that his foe would come himself to rescue his love, and by that destroy the darkness he had planted in her heart over the last few weeks.
He could not let that happen.
He summoned the princess, who appeared in front of him right away. She had lost weight, he could see that. It wasn't good for what he was going to have her do for him. "Hello there, princess." He greeted her. She didn't answer, nor even looked at him. "There's something I need you to do for me." He coughed. "It involves your prince." He addaed, knowing that it would get him her attention. He was right.
"What?" She whispered, looking up at him.
"I fear he plans to come here and rescue you himself." He informed her. "I am going to send you to him, to tell him that I'll make sure to kill him if he does. I'll take you back when the deed is done."
"Wait, wh-?" She didn't even manage to gasp before he had her sent away in a cloud of magic.
She reappeared in the cabbin, and when she looked down at herself she found out that she was clean and wearing a white, long, simple gown that brushed the tiles of the floor gently and glowed softly in the darkness of the night. Her hair was down, reaching the middle of her back, and her feet were bare.
She silently walked towards the bedroom and opened the door. The dark figure of the prince on her bed made her eyes fill with tears. She opened the door wider and he turned in his sleep at the slight creak.
She walked towards the bed and kneeled beside it, laying a hand on his back. He woke up at once, his hand catching hers. She gasped and he turned to look at her.
"Emma?" He breathed. She nodded, tears flowing freely on her face as he fell to the floor next to her and gathered her in his arms, burrying his face in her neck. "How are you here? How did you escape?"
Her heart broke at the truth she had to tell him, at the hope in his voice. She tightened her grip on his chest before she answered. "I didn't." She choked on her own tears. "He sent me here to warn you." He pulled away from her to look into her eyes. "He said that he'll take me back after I do." She whispered as his thumb wiped away her tears. "We don't have much time."
"It matters not, my love." He said, his voice soft. "I will come for you. I'll find you."
"You can't." The dam was broken, she was crying. "He sent me here to tell you he'll make sure to kill you if you do. You must promise me you won't. Promise me this." She sobbed, holding his head in her hands, running her fingers through his hair absent-mindedly.
"Emma, I-"
"Promise me. I will get myself out of there. I can't lose you, too."
He gulped, tears shining in his eyes. "I promise you, Emma." He said through gritted teeth. One of his hands came to remove hers from his face and he pressed his lips to it softly. "Just come back to me," He pleaded and pulled her close again.
"I will." She whispered in his embrace, her face burried in his chest. And then she disappeared. Just like that, he was holding nothing in his hands.
Seeing her again was like falling off a cliff. There was no stopping it, no denying it- his entire soul was hers. He trusted her with his heart. She will get back to him. She has to.
-xxx-
When she appeared in the dark castle her face was damp and her eyes were swollen, and he took evil pleasure from the pain he must have inflicted. His enemy must be drowning in it. "Well, have you told your prince not to come for you?"
She looked at him with such hatred he almost flinched. "You know I did." She gulped and wiped away her tears. "Why do you hate him so much?"
"What makes you believe I do?"
"You sent me. You knew how would he react and you sent me anyway. You could have just gone yourself. And you seem sickeningly joyous every time you say something about hurting him."
The Dark One sighed and sat on the dining table. "Let me tell you a little tale, dearie."
Aaaaaannnd there it is... :P
Review? :3