Heralded by a billow of purple smoke, The Dark One returns to the clearing where Zelena awaits. His face twists in a furious snarl. "It's done."
Zelena grins with a madwoman's glow of triumph lighting her eyes. "Good boy, Rumple." A gesture, dagger in hand, brings the Dark One crashing to his knees at her feet.
His facade of resistance shattered, his head droops in utter defeat.
"Now, isn't this better?" coos the witch. She reaches forward, the tip of the dagger parting the curtain of hair that shields his face. Another piece of armor broken with this mockery of tenderness. "No more distractions. You're all mine, poppet."
She refused to look away. If this was to be their last moment together in this life, Belle would take the sight of her true love with her into the next world. Even if it was not the memory he would wish her to keep, it was still him, still her beloved, and she needed him to know that she didn't blame him for her death.
And she had to see if her gamble had paid off.
Her breath harsh from exertion, she couldn't speak. She could only wait. The Dark One would kill her, if he could. No weapon, only his bare hand, reaching for her, for her heart.
And fell short. Close enough to brush against her coat before she wrenched herself away from him, suddenly weak with relief. It worked!
She met his eyes. Confusion, sparking into a flicker of hope.
"Dust," he whispered, eyes wide.
She managed a nod. The dust he had scavenged and saved, the dust he had given to Belle earlier that day, was powerful enough to contain even the Dark One. In their brief battle, in her feint with the town line that had distracted his attention, she had maneuvered their paths to lay out a circle of dust around him.
It had been a close thing, a matter of a fraction of an inch either way.
Light flared along the circle as Rumple slammed a fist into the barrier, then again, and again. But once the futility of his efforts was demonstrated beyond a doubt, he doubled over with an agonized grunt.
"Rumple!" Belle nearly went to him before she stopped herself. The price of disobedience. Or failure. This suffering had to be endured, just as he had always had to endure it. Her eyes stung, and she wiped away angry tears. Damn Zelena!
Rumple straightened with an effort. "Not... much time."
She nodded. It would hold longer than squid ink, but he would break free all too soon. Once, Pan's magic-suppressing cuff could have locked him from his magic, but Rumple had learned from experience and carved a key into his soul (just as he had created an antidote to dreamshade poison after nearly dying from it). "I know. I just need you to teach me one spell."
Zelena hadn't commanded him not to. And she hadn't known to command Belle. Rumple taught, Belle learned. Perhaps it was the way their hearts had been broken and pieced together in a jumble that made it seem that she already knew the spell and Rumple was merely reminding her.
But the spell she used first was one that came even more naturally to her. All her life she had been used to going unseen, one way or another. People saw what they wanted to see: a dutiful daughter, a beauty with useful blood connections, a pawn to be threatened, or an interactive reference book. Rarely was she seen as an independent person in her own right.
Now, as she transported herself to Zelena's storm cellar, she took her invisibility to the next level. To all the magic guarding the place, Belle was no one and nothing — no more out of place than another piece of furniture. To her relief, it worked.
And she had been right in her guess: the cage that had once held Rumple was now occupied by Robin Hood, sitting dejectedly on the floor. A flying monkey crouched on the roof of the cage, watching him with baleful eyes. She checked for traps, found none. Then she wove an illusion of the present moment, changeless and unthreatening, to throw over the flying monkey. It would notice nothing amiss even after she revealed herself to the prisoner.
"Belle!" Robin jumped to his feet. He gripped the bars of the cage, rattling them uselessly. "What's happened? What are you doing here?"
"I need your help." Or history really will repeat itself, she thought. Not that Rumple was anything like Maurice, but... Intent is meaningless. The result would be the same nevertheless.
Robin's face fell. "I can't... Roland... If I defy her, he..." His gaze went up to the monkey. "There's a poison pellet in one of his teeth. Her orders... he can bite down faster than I can reach him."
Belle inhaled sharply, giving the monkey another look. Now that she knew, she could see the boy hidden inside the fur, the poison squirming like a green worm beneath his tongue. Zelena had done that to an innocent little boy? No doubt she laughed about it, came the dark thought. A hilarious joke to her. "Robin, I'm so sorry."
"Then you understand..."
"Robin! This is only the beginning." Belle glared at him. "If you keep helping Zelena, soon there will be no one left to stop her. You'll lose everything, anyway."
Robin Hood shook his head obstinately. "Find your help elsewhere. He's only a boy. Your family has put him through enough danger already."
"And now we can save him. Rumple can change him back, but only if we free him from the witch." Belle stared the outlaw down. "He was her prisoner before. I am not letting it happen again."
"I don't know..."
"Perhaps this will help you decide." Belle concentrated. She lifted a hand, her magic threading through Zelena's spells to tug at the thread of toxic green. A green crystal coalesced between her fingers. "There. I've removed the poison. He should be safe... for now."
Robin Hood let out a breath. "What do you want me to do?"
"A mask for a mask, an ambush for an ambush," Belle said, half to herself. "Call it a karmic riposte." In terms of magic, it gave her an edge. What she had once disdained as revenge shifted with her new perception into a natural flow of action and reaction. It didn't mean she had turned to evil if she wanted Zelena to pay a price for what she had done.
Zelena was too full of her own victory to notice the bill coming due. Too busy gloating to see that the Dark One kneeling at her feet was not Rumplestiltskin but his wife.
He had taught her well. The disguise was flawless. Under his face, she felt an echo of his fear, his dread. The witch still had the dagger. Belle could feel what she wanted, like an arrow flying past her ear, close enough to draw blood. Just the edges of the compulsion threatened to suffocate her.
You're all mine, poppet.
Robin Hood had no more squid ink, but he still had his enchanted bow. An arrow fired from that bow never missed its target.
It didn't miss now.
Cold steel struck Zelena's hand, piercing the magical defenses that would have let her catch any missile from an ordinary bow, hitting with enough force to shatter bones.
Belle sensed the instant Zelena's fingers loosened and she lost possession of the dagger. Free! Within the space of a heartbeat, Belle shifted it to her own hand. She fought back the temptation to stab the witch with it.
It didn't take last time, Belle reminded herself. They still didn't understand how Zelena had managed to survive. The thought that murder was wrong came as a distant second, a faint twinge of her conscience. A simple summoning spell brought the magic-suppressing cuff from Rumple's safe. She slapped it around Zelena's wrist while the witch was still half in shock from the pain of her broken hand.
Belle stepped back, dagger stowed safely back under her coat, leaving Zelena to wail and writhe in pain. Belle let the illusion drop and said coldly, in her own voice, "It's the least you deserve." Then, turning to Robin, just now emerging from the trees, "Thank you."
"What did you do to her?"
"That cuff was enchanted by Pan to block magic." Belle kept an eye on Zelena. Rumple had a way to escape, but she didn't think Zelena could, short of amputating her hand.
Robin studied Zelena with revulsion. "All that magic, and she used it for this sad farce? And now Roland has lost his mother for a second time."
Zelena sneered back, having regained a pale, sweaty-faced approximation of her usual poise. "I'd shake his hand and welcome him to the club, but, well..." She shot her hand a disdainful look as she wrapped it in a strip of cloth torn from the bottom of her dress.
"I'm sorry, Robin." Belle wouldn't blame him if he wanted to kill Zelena for what she had done. "We can lock her up for now, and maybe let the town council decide her fate. None of us can be impartial, can we?"
Robin nodded.
"Let's hope Rumple can see it that way, too," said Belle. But she knew he was too used to having to exact his own justice (too used to having no one care about any wrongs done to him). Speak of the devil...
"Belle! Are you all right?" Rumple dropped to the ground next to Belle, materializing in a whirl of maroon smoke. He had broken free of the urn dust faster than she had expected.
"Yes, I'm fine." She caught his arms and let him sweep his anxious gaze over her. She repeated what she had told Robin. "And it's better in the long run for us to win people's trust..."
"She tried to kill you, Belle." Rumple was already shaking his head, his fury as strong as his earlier fear. "I will not let that stand!"
"No, of course not," soothed Belle. "That doesn't mean we try to murder her in cold blood."
"Then what?" spat Rumple. "Slap her on the wrist, send her to a twelve-step program, what? You think, in this town, with her connections, she'll stay locked up for long?"
Zelena laughed raggedly. "Pathetic. You know, I was doing you a favor, ridding you of the old ball and chain."
Rumple spun to face the witch. He lifted a hand. An invisible force squeezed her throat, hoisting her into the air. "Enough from you."
Robin frowned at him. "I suppose you haven't a dungeon in this land, have you, Dark One?"
Belle cleared her throat. "Torture won't do any of us any good, either, Rumple. No, in this case I think a hat will serve better than your skinning knife..."
Not to imprison Zelena (an ordinary cell would suffice) but to strip away her magic. It would take them one step closer to being able to use the hat to free themselves. (And as for the last step, Belle was sure they could find a substitute short of murder.)
"Ah." Rumple's eyes widened in appreciation. "Yes, that will do very nicely." He released his grip on Zelena. "It seems I finally have a use for you, dearie."
Zelena spluttered, wincing in pain as the sudden fall jarred her injured hand. "So much for turning over a new leaf." She glared at Robin. "Aren't you meant to be a hero? What about some medical care for your beloved wife?"
"You killed my wife!"
"Do try not to get hung up on petty details, darling." Zelena managed a sneer, despite the obvious shakiness when she pushed herself back to her feet, cradling her broken hand against her chest.
"We can go by the hospital once we're done here," Belle decided. "She's not going to bleed to death in the next ten minutes."
It was more like fifteen minutes, but Belle hardly noticed, mesmerized by the eerie power of the Sorcerer's hat. Rumple summoned the box to his hand, then used the dagger to open it and reveal the hat's true form. Tiny stars blazed in a cloud of glowing pink and violet, coalescing into a conical shape. The patterns hinted at secrets written in invisible script. Belle thought she could hear the stars whispering just beneath the edge of vision.
...the hat? I had it longer than you. I learned many things...
So Ingrid had said to Rumple. But before Belle could make out any words, Rumple carefully tilted the hat onto its side. It opened up a gaping, swirling maw of golden energy.
Belle's tight grip on Zelena kept her from dodging away when tentacles of light floated towards her. They thickened on contact, latching onto her aura. Once escape became impossible, Belle removed the magic-suppressing cuff from her wrist and returned it to storage. The light drank deeply, draining the well of Zelena's power.
It was a gruesome sight. Despite everything, Belle shuddered in empathy. Like being bled dry. But magic isn't the person: the person is more than their magic... She tried to convince herself this wasn't an amputation. Not that the Dark One was above lopping off someone's hand — exhibit A being Captain Hook. But after what Zelena had done to Rumple?
Belle's conscience wasn't overly bothered.
After that, they delivered Zelena to the hospital, and into the custody of Abigail, who with her husband Frederick were manning the sheriff's station while Emma and David were out of town.
To Robin Hood's obvious relief, Roland was still in Zelena's cellar, still caught in Belle's illusion. The absorption of Zelena's magic into the hat had broken her spell on the boy; he was human once again.
"Daddy?" Roland seemed to have little memory of his time as a flying monkey.
Robin Hood crouched down to embrace his son. "Daddy's here. It's all right. Don't be scared..."
Then the boy looked around, eyes wide and anxious. "Where's Mama?"
Robin looked torn. He stroked Roland's hair, but no words came out.
"Did she die?" the boy asked with a child's straightforward innocence.
Belle sighed at what was bound to be a painful conversation. She murmured, "He has a right to know. Otherwise, the secret will eat away at his heart and may lead him to do something foolish someday... trust me, I speak from experience."
Rumple looked troubled at her words, but didn't gainsay her.
Robin Hood nodded to Belle reluctantly. "Perhaps you're right." He took a deep breath before saying softly to his son, "Mama can't be with us anymore. It's not something any of us can change, no matter how much we miss her. I'm sorry. But we'll always have her in our hearts..."
Belle couldn't tell if the little boy understood. Either way, life had to go on. At least they still had Robin's loyal band of outlaws for support. And... "You should call Regina."
Not that Belle was interested in helping the Evil Queen's love life, but Robin Hood deserved happiness, didn't he?
When Robin Hood agreed, Rumple grumbled, "Then I suppose I should call Emma, before the whole Charming clan descend on us."
A snap of his fingers transported the two of them back to the house, where he could make the call in relative privacy.
"Do you think they've found Lily yet?" wondered Belle. Maleficent hadn't been able to use Rumple's locator globe because her blood wasn't recognized as blood by the magic, but Emma was supposed to be good at finding people.
"Hmm," he said noncommittally. "Even if they have, there's still the trip to New York to factor in..."
"New York? Why would they go to New York?"
"For Ursula and Cruella." At Belle's questioning look, he smiled. "It seems the Savior insisted on it, much to her parents' chagrin. I gave her the contact details I had from Zelena and Walsh."
"Emma's still angry at her parents," Belle guessed.
Rumple nodded. "She harbors a certain amount of resentment, yes. As she put it, they were the ones who wanted her to be the Savior... and that includes saving the people whose happy endings were taken away by Snow White and her charming prince."
"Well, it was a little hypocritical of them to cover up their sins all this time while setting themselves up as some kind of heroic standard." Belle knew exactly how that went, having done it herself, but she couldn't help but be disappointed in them.
"A little hypocrisy greases the wheels of governance," Rumple noted cynically. He paused, then mused, "Now I suppose I'll have those two she-devils hounding me to fulfill my side of our old deal..."
"It's about time," said Belle.
Rumple rolled his eyes. "An inconvenient time, considering everything else we have on our plates."
"Just get it over with," Belle suggested. "Maybe they'll even be helpful once you give them what they want."
"It's not all bad." Rumple suddenly smirked. "If nothing else, it may discomfit the pirate."
Belle raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
"He took something from Ursula..." At Belle's questioning look, he tapped the side of his nose. "You'll see."
"Fine. Be mysterious. What about Cruella? What does she want?"
"That... may be more complicated." His smug expression lost its certainty. "I will have to think on it."
He didn't have long for thought, as it turned out. Belle was with him in the shop the next morning when she saw Emma's yellow Volkswagen driving down the street, followed by a black and white luxury convertible, a neo-classic monster bearing the license plate "DEV IL". She caught a glimpse of Cruella and Ursula in the front seats as the car whizzed by.
Rumple was already heading for the door. He paused long enough to offer Belle an arm. "Looks like the circus is in town. Shall we?"
Belle smiled wryly. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."