Killian was standing at the front of a small hut, holding a piece of paper, which would be Brennan's ticket for leaving safely. After looking at his father, Killian pushed open the door to the small house and saw Brennan tucking a young boy in.
"I'm scared, Father," The boy said with a small pout. "I don't want to leave here in the morning."
"I know, but we'll be okay. You and I will find another home. What matters most is that we're together. We can face anything that way. Now, it's late. Close your eyes. And remember... whenever you're scared, all you have to do is look inside. We're all braver than we think if we just look deep enough," Brennan coaxed to the young boy. "Sleep tight. I'll see you in the morning... Liam." he then added before kissing the boy on the forehead paternally.
Killian looked like he had a lot more on his mind after that and suddenly left the house with a strong emotion taking over him.
"Thank you, Killian." Brennan said as he soon came out of the hut.
"You named your boy Liam. After my brother, after the son... you abandoned," Killian said without even looking back at his father who held his hand out hopefully. "Was he really that easy to replace?"
"I wasn't trying to replace him. I was trying to honor him, to honor you both," Brennan reassured his grown son. "So I'd remember never to make the same mistake."
"No, people don't change," Killian glared as he firmly pointed at his father, keeping the ticket away from him. "I saw what you said to him in there! It's the same thing you said to me! It was a lie then, and it's a lie now!"
"Killian, please, it's not true. I have changed," Brennan begged. "I would never leave him."
"But you would leave me." Killian retorted as he threw the piece of parchment that held Brennan's ticket to freedom into the fire. As the fire grew stronger after that, so did Pan and Rufio's influence inside a certain pirate teen's subconscious.
Harry began to approach his father with a dead glare on his eyes, especially punctuated by the guyliner he shared with his lone parent. He held onto the sword and began to come behind his father's back as he was blinded by the rage of the moment between Killian with his own father. After all, if Killian hated his father and was going to kill him, what was to stop Harry from doing the same?
"Do it... Do it... Do it..." Rufio and Pan said, being the devils on Harry's shoulders where the angels used to be.
"Oh, man! How am I gonna stop him?!" Elwin panicked.
"Face it, Snowflake," Pan said as he slowly faced Elwin with an evil smirk with beady red eyes. "Your Snow Queen Mommy and Guardian Daddy aren't gonna help you this time."
"Who knows? Maybe someday you will be put in an urn next or sent away to a far away land where nobody can contact you," Rufio added. "Harry's father's father abandoned him..."
"And then Harry found us in Neverland and he could've been a great Lost Boy if he didn't cry out for Daddy all the time," Pan added. "I abandoned my own son and he eventually abandoned his and you saw what happened in Benjamin's dream. It's only a matter of time before Ben Gold turns his back on the one who loves him just to get what he wants."
"No! Ben would never do that and I'm not gonna let Harry do the same thing!" Elwin argued.
"You're doing a very bad job so far~" Pan smirked. "I thought you were one of the more grown-up descendants, but I guess you're not."
"Shut up! You don't know me!" Elwin cried out as his hands began to glow white as though to summon some sort of ice magic.
"Killian, please, what are you doing?!" Brennan cried out to his now adult son.
"Deciding what kind of man I want to be," Killian retorted maturely before he took out a dagger from his coat. "You see, if the queen discovers that I've deceived her, I might not get what I need, and I can't have that. You're just not worth it." he then added and gave his father a swift stab.
Brennan grunted in pain and suddenly began to fall to the ground. He tried to get up and grab Killian only to be pushed to the ground by his son who tossed away the crimson coated dagger. "Killian... it's never too late," he then grunted and struggled as his last words to his son. "You CAN change. Be a different man."
Killian glared down at his father, though he looked a little sad because this had to happen.
"Harry, please..." Elwin begged as he tried to stop the pirate teen. "You can't wake up thinking you have to kill your father, especially because you had a fight when you were younger and ended up in Neverland. Pan and Rufio are just feeding on your guilt, fear, and sadness from the situation and they're not even really here!"
"As far as you know anyway..." Rufio smirked. "How do you know we're not really here?"
"Yeah, how do we know they're not really here?" Harry had to admit and then asked Elwin.
"Because Harry, this is all just a dream!" Elwin told him. "Pitch Black is just trying to turn your light heart black to be as miserable as he is!"
"Lies!" Harry hissed as he planted his hand on his eyes.
"No, Harry, we're friends!" Elwin reminded him. "You can't let them get to you!"
"You seemed to let us get to you even though this isn't your fight." Pan taunted.
Elwin snarled and glared at them. "But my fight is with Pitch Black." he then remarked.
"My grandfather abandoned my father... My father abandoned me... So my father killed his father and I should do the same..." Harry said aggressively. "A pirate just has a black heart after all. Isn't that right?" he then added and listed. "Davey Jones, Barbossa, Long John Silver, Blackbeard?"
"But your father is a great pirate even beyond all of that or trying to go after Ben's dad," Elwin insisted until he remembered something. "Didn't he get rid of Rufio the first time for you when you ran away to Neverland and promised to keep you safe from Peter Pan no matter what?"
Harry narrowed his eyes until there was a small glimmer of hope after that. Pan and Rufio began to glare and look annoyed that Elwin was now getting through to Harry. Elwin smiled, putting his hands in his hoodie pockets until he saw a glowing from in there. He then took out his hands and opened them before looking at his palms to see golden sand until a voice rang through his brain.
"Use the sand, Elwin..." A voice whispered.
Elwin nodded and soon took a deep breath and blew the sand into the air.
Harry grunted as he got sand in his eyes for a moment as it was briefly irritating until he blinked and felt some sort of spark deep within himself. "I know what I have to do..." he soon said strongly.
"Still better than that company we had in that bimbo boy who just talked about how cool his dad was." Rufio muttered to Pan.
"Oh, who could forget?" Pan scoffed and rolled his eyes. "'My dad is quick, slick and his neck is incredibly thick'." he then quoted mockingly.
"Not to mention that their brains are both a little bit thick." Rufio retorted.
Pan smirked and snorted, amused at that little rhyme.
"Hey, guys, forget about me?" Harry asked as was still moments away from killing his father next.
"Lookie, lookie, we got Hooky." Rufio smirked as he sounded so sure.
"Funny, that is what you said back in the day," Harry chuckled and smirked as he brought out his sword. "I believe it was one of your final quips before my father proved himself as The World's Greatest Dad which of course is not you." he then added, facing Rufio and Pan and pointed at the Neverland tyrant at that second part and suddenly, he swished his sword in the air with confidence and suddenly stabbed the two.
"HOOK! NO!" Pan suddenly yelled out.
"I remember you saying that too." Harry smirked at his and his father's greatest enemy.
Rufio suddenly grabbed Harry. "Do you know what I wish?" he then asked in a dying voice.
"What?" Harry asked.
"I wish I had a dad... like yours." Rufio whispered to Harry while Pan was just flat on the ground which was a bit unlike the actual Peter Pan.
Pan and Rufio suddenly quivered together and turned into a pile of black sand. Two figures had appeared, one with devil horns and another one with frisky hair were shown, but their faces weren't seen before they quickly ran away out the door of Harry's dream.
"Well, I gotta keep moving," Elwin said. "Harry, you are a great pirate and I know that your father values you as much as he does with the Smee siblings." he then added.
"Uncle Smee and Aunt Sammy..." Harry nodded. "We always did have such great times together until that argument."
"Well, when it comes to parents, try to focus more on the good than the bad because you never know when it might be the last time you get a chance with them," Elwin advised Harry. "I miss Aunt Ingrid very much, she wasn't my mother, but she taught me everything I know about ice cream, The Guardians, and what it really means to have a family."
Harry gave a small smile as Elwin smiled back and soon left the pirate teen's dream to go somewhere else.
However, someone else wandered into the dream somehow and he looked excited. Of course, it was Gil who overheard about his father. "My dad is My dad is quick, slick, and his neck is incredibly thick," he then repeated the rhyme to himself until it hit him and he ran off in excitement. "Ooh, Elwin is gonna love this!"
An older man was shown to be standing alone in a horse stable, being very quiet until his daughter came in to join him.
"Father? Father, are you in here?"
"I'm right here, Belle." Maurice said as he turned to face his daughter.
"We're supposed to go riding today. Why aren't you dressed for it?" Belle reminded her father and then asked.
"Plans have changed. We have a visitor in the castle today," Maurice explained. "The eldest son of Lord LeGume."
"Father, no. I do not want to meet any more suitors, especially not that cretin." Belle dismissed him before going to her favorite horse named Philippe.
"So you know him?" Maurice asked his daughter hopefully.
"Well, I know of him, especially from Paulette's sisters who say he's a handsome fellow, but he's rude and conceited," Belle clarified. "He's supposedly the vainest man in all the land. Fancies himself quite the hunter, both of animals and women.
"At least give him a chance," Maurice advised. "Don't judge someone until you know their whole story."
"Well, I know enough." Belle said as she began to leave the stable.
"Belle, wait. There's more at stake," Maurice replied, trying to make her listen. "On our northern borders, there have been skirmishes with the ogres. Good men have died."
"That's horrible." Belle frowned.
"But Lord LeGume has a powerful army," Maurice then insisted. "If you were to marry his son-"
"What, marry him? Are you mad?" Belle scoffed. "What does Mother have to say about this?"
"She agrees with me. I'm not arranging a wedding, Belle," Maurice retorted. "I simply want you to meet him."
"Am I too early?" A voice asked from behind, coming right into the barn to see the father and daughter.
"You're right on time. Come in. Meet my daughter," Maurice reassured the hunter, causing Belle to be wide-eyed because of how fast this was suddenly going. "Belle, this is Gaston." he then introduced.
Gaston took Belle's hand and kissed it. "It's lovely to meet you, Belle." he then told her politely like a true gentleman.
"Gaston, I-I've heard so much about you." Belle had to admit.
Everyone then stood around in silence for quite a while since there was no other direction to go right now.
"I'm sorry. This is terribly awkward, isn't it?" Gaston remarked. "Do you hate these set-ups as much as I do?"
"Well, since you're asking, yes." Belle replied.
"I've heard you're a charming and intelligent young woman," Gaston said sweetly. "And you certainly live up to your name."
"But...?" Belle then added curiously.
"You've heard of me, and you're not interested in this, which is fine. I understand," Gaston then said, going to leave if she would prefer that. "If it is your wish, I shall turn around and head home. No hard feelings."
"Actually, uh... one walk couldn't hurt anyone." Belle had to admit with a small smile.
"Whoa! I can't believe I don't remember any of this from my dad," Gil beamed in excitement, gushing more over seeing his long-lost father rather than what was going on between him and Ben's mother. "He's the coolest person I've ever met!"
"He's so gorgeous... Belle is so lucky..." A woman's voice said before sighing and it appeared to be a blonde woman in a green dress who had come by the stables, watching the brunette woman she knew talk with the dark-haired man who met her for the first time.
"Oh, who do we have here?" Gaston asked Belle as they left the barn.
"Paulette, what a surprise," Belle smiled warmly. "I was just about to go for a walk with a new companion."
"So I see..." Paulette blushed as she looked at Gaston. "Erm... Enchanted to meet you, Mr...?"
"LeGume," Gaston replied. "Gaston LeGume III."
"So cool!" Gil gushed and beamed at his father.
"And who's this young fellow with you?" Belle then asked once she saw Gil.
Gil looked around until he saw that all eyes were on him. "Oh, me? Erm... Hi there." he then greeted bashfully.
"Yes... Hello there... Now your name...?" Gaston nodded and then prompted the blonde boy.
"Oh, me? Uh, I'm Gil," Gil explained, sounding starstruck as he communicated with his father. "This is so cool."
"Gil... What an interesting name..." Belle remarked and nodded. "Nice to meet you at least, Gil."
"Thanks, Ben's mom-I mean... Ma'am." Gil then said bashfully.
"Perhaps we could share some bread though? That's why I'm here," Paulette offered as she brought out a basket of fresh baguettes inside of it. "Those baguettes you like that my papa makes are in there, Belle."
"Oh, how wonderful, Paulette," Belle smiled at her friend. "I just hope your sisters didn't try to sneak extras."
"I left extra early this time so they wouldn't have a chance," Paulette smiled back before smirking. "Though I had to have one on my way over, I didn't know you were going out with this new friend though." she then added and glanced at Gaston bashfully.
"I didn't really know myself until recently." Belle replied.
"So, who is this charming and lovely lady in our presence, Belle?" Gaston asked the brunette woman.
"This is Paulette, my most near and dear friend and one of the daughters of Monsieur Bergman the local baker," Belle explained. "She's usually seen with her sisters."
"Though sometimes I like to break from the crowd and spend some time with Belle since we've known each other for years," Paulette admitted and added as an explanation. "Belle even taught me how to read while my sisters are only concerned about finding a husband and pleasing him."
"So I see..." Gaston remarked. "Well, perhaps we should all go for a walk since we're all here?" he then offered.
"Is that all right with you two?" Belle asked Gil and Paulette.
"You bet your sweet butt it's alright to go for a walk with Gaston!" Gil beamed.
"A simple yes would've sufficed." Belle murmured at that response.
"Well, since I'm here I'd love to and maybe we could have some bread as an energy boost?" Paulette accepted and then suggested.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea if your sisters aren't expecting you back home right away." Belle replied.
"No, Claudette is at the salon and Laurette had to run errands for Papa since his usual apprentice took some time off today," Paulette explained before she smiled warmly toward Gaston, almost looking like she had a crush. "Besides, I could use a little adventure today myself~"
"All right, then we'll all go." Belle nodded.
Gil beamed and gushed in excitement about hanging out with his father for the first time since before he ended up in Neverland.
"I have to say I'm impressed how far you've hiked," Gaston complimented Belle. "I suppose your perseverance is matched only by your beauty."
"Really?" Belle asked with an amused chuckle. "Does that line work on all your first dates?"
"Have we moved from a 'meeting' to a 'date'?" Gaston replied, feeling equally amused.
"You know what I meant." Belle countered warmly.
"I bet you think I'm the same Gaston as all the stories you've heard about." Gaston then commented to Belle.
"You have no idea." Gil whispered.
"I must say I have heard some unflattering tales." Belle admitted.
Paulette gently put her hand on Belle's shoulder in comfort.
"Well, then I profoundly apologize," Gaston said chivalrously. "I have this friend LeFou, who loves to spread tall tales to embarrass me."
"Ah, so you're not this great hunter of women that we've heard so much about?" Paulette guessed.
"I hunt only wild game, I assure you. My love life has been tragically empty," Gaston explained softly. "Actually, I've spent my whole life looking for a woman of real substance."
"Aww~" Paulette whispered and cooed at how charming that sounded.
Gil looked wide-eyed and impressed with what his father said next, feeling inspired to use that on a girl in the future.
Gaston then suddenly stopped as he heard a noise. "Wait." he then told the others in a hushed voice.
"What is it?" Belle asked softly.
"Wild creature. Very large. Very close. Stay here." Gaston said steadily before he brought out his bow and arrow, then left the women and teenage boy to go and find the creature.
"Perhaps we could share some bread while we wait?" Paulette offered.
"I don't know, I'm a bit concerned about Gaston going off on his own like that." Belle said with a small frown.
"He doesn't miss a shot though, Belle! He's the greatest hunter of all time and no beast alive could stand a chance against him," Gil gushed and reassured the brunette woman. "And no girl for that matter~"
Belle still looked concerned and decided to go after the hunter anyway. "Gaston? Gaston? Gaston?! Gaston." she then called until finding him near a hole in the ground
"Well, I'm afraid this won't be much of a hunt," Gaston reassure Belle, glancing back at her as he looked down into the hole. "Whatever that was, it fell into this old hunting pit."
The creature then suddenly moved around a bit down below, showing its species to the hunter.
"Impossible." Gaston murmured once he saw what it was.
"What is it?" Belle asked out of concern.
"The war is closer than we thought. It's an ogre." Gaston explained.
"Wha... no. There's never been an ogre anywhere near the castle before," Belle gasped at the idea of an ogre being around until she took a closer look at it. "Look at him. H-He's barely full grown. He's just a child. Maybe he wandered too far from home." she then suggested.
"Or maybe they're using their young as scouts and an entire army's following behind," Gaston countered. "We have to haul him up and take him back to your father."
"What? No, we can't," Belle shook her head as that sounded cruel. "We bring this creature back to the castle, the soldiers will torture him. We have to find another way."
"This isn't our decision," Gaston retorted. "The whole kingdom could be at risk."
"I know and I realize you've only known me an hour, but if you trust me, I promise I can find out what this ogre's after without hurting him." Belle replied softly.
"Can we really trust that?" Gil wondered.
"Belle would never let another living thing be of harm," Paulette reassured Gil. "I trust her and I know you trust Gaston, but let's see what Belle has to say first."
Gil looked a little unsure about that, but he looked into Paulette's eyes and nodded as he began to feel like she was probably right.
Gaston sighed and gave in. "Lead the way." he then told Belle.
"Could I have some of that bread actually?" Gil spoke up as he came closer beside Paulette while Belle and Gaston led the way further ahead of them. "I'm pretty hungry now that I think about it."
"Of course, help yourself." Paulette smiled as she held out the bread basket to him.
Gil smiled back as he took a piece of bread which was luckily warm, but not too freshly baked from the oven hot. He then took a bite right out of it until his sapphire eyes widened and he was pulled back into his own mind. He could see himself being very young, even younger than Evie's little brother Henry where he had come inside a cottage and looked pained about something until he could smell something hot and fresh being baked. Gil ventured right over to the kitchen as he knew just where to find it and there was a faceless woman who was humming a sweet song, perhaps a lullaby as she opened the oven and brought out fresh pieces of baked bread and once they cooled down enough, she shared the bread with Gil and it tasted just like the piece of bread he was having right now.
"Are you all right, Gil?" Paulette asked the teenage boy who seemed to forget what was going on.
"Sorry, it's just... This bread... It reminds me of... Reminds me of..." Gil muttered as he looked down at the bread before he looked back at the blonde woman and she suddenly looked very different to him.
"Reminds you of what, dear?" Paulette prompted, her voice echoing a moment as she suddenly wore a different dress and looked a bit older, but still looked very beautiful and even maternal.
"It reminds me a lot of..." Gil started to say, struggling to find the right words until they naturally came to him from within his dream. "My mother."
"Oh..." Paulette said with a small and warm smile. "Well, thank you, I helped out a little with Papa this time with the baking with a secret ingredient."
"Love?" Gil guessed.
"Something sweet like love, yes, but it's just a hint of sugar in the yeast." Paulette admitted.
Gil looked very soft and nodded as he began to realize something, but he didn't put it all together yet since he wasn't as smart as his peers, but he could definitely feel something there that wasn't there before.
"Are you two coming along or what?" Gaston soon asked Gil and Paulette.
"Coming!" Paulette replied. "Come on, Gil, we better go after them or we'll be left behind." she then suggested.
"Yes, Mama." Gil murmured.
"What did you say?" Paulette asked softly.
"Ma'am. Yes, ma'am." Gil quickly said with a nervous smile.
Paulette gave him a small glance before she smiled warmly at him and he smiled the same way back as they continued to walk together to go over to where Belle wanted to take Gaston.
They came back into Belle's home and were in the library.
"Always wild to imagine that these books were once owned by Pere Robert," Paulette remarked as she took a look around the books. "Belle taught me how to read as we spent hours and hours in here as little girls while my sister were learning how to cook and clean so that they could impress their future husbands."
"Do you remember what sentence you ever first read, Paulette?" Belle asked with a small smile as she began to look for a certain book.
Paulette smiled back with a wistful sigh. "'The blue bird that flies over the dark wood'." she then slowly recited and memorized.
"Yes, you did very good," Belle smiled warmly "I thought it would be easy for you to learn from that first before I told you about stories like 'The Bell Jar' or 'Anna Karenina'."
"True love never fails." Paulette memorized.
"Precisely..." Belle nodded until she found the book she needed. "Here, I found it."
"What is it?" Gil wondered.
"This." Belle said as she brought out the book and put it in front of them as they all sat at one of the tables.
"'An Alphabetized Inventory of Magical Antiquities'," Gaston read the cover aloud before scoffing. "Sounds a bit dense."
"No, this is a wonderful book," Belle reassured him as she opened the book and started to show him some of the pages. "It's a record of every magical item in the kingdom."
"And you think one of them will tell us what this ogre is after?" Gil asked.
"I'm sure of it. That's why my mother keeps these records," Belle explained. "For emergencies like this."
Gaston seemed to look soft at that. "Your mother must be quite a woman to have raised a daughter with this much fire in her." he then stated.
"Well, she was the one who taught me to love books," Belle said with a warm chuckle before she found a familiar book and then picked it out to show off. "Starting... with this one."
"'Her Handsome Hero'," Paulette read aloud and then smiled. "Isn't that when my sisters and I slept over during that winter storm and our parents had to make that delivery to another kingdom and we didn't know if they would make it back?"
"The very same, you were so worried and my mother tried to act as another mother for you since you were the most scared," Belle nodded. "You started calling her Aunt Collie after that."
Paulette smiled warmly while Gil looked surprised to hear more about this blonde woman's story that he never knew anything about.
"Interesting. I wouldn't have picked you for a fan of cheap romance." Gaston commented about the book's title.
"No! No! This is not like that. This book is about compassion and forgiveness, the things that truly make a hero," Belle defended and explained. "You, uh... you can have it if you like." she then offered to the hunting man.
"If this is indeed your favorite book, I shall read every word twice." Gaston told Belle softly.
Paulette sighed and gushed about how romantic that sounded.
"Because I have a feeling... I've finally found a woman of substance." Gaston then continued as he looked Belle deeply in her eyes before leaning in, looking like he was about to kiss her.
Gil looked a bit wide-eyed, looking on edge to see what might happen next... But then of course, there was no kiss between Belle and Gaston then.
"I... Wait. Look," Belle stammered and said as she opened the other book's page over to a certain artifact. "Th-This is what we need."
"'Mirror of Souls'." Gaston read aloud.
"What's that do?" Gil wondered.
"It says if someone has evil in their soul, it will be revealed in the mirror's gaze," Belle explained. "Their eyes will glow with demonic fire."
"So if we see no fire..." Gil started to say.
"Then the ogre means us no harm." Paulette concluded.
"Exactly," Belle nodded at both of them. "This mirror's but an hour's ride away. I-I can go now."
"Good. You can get the mirror and I'll watch over the ogre," Gaston decided before he took Belle's hand gently. "But promise me, in case this creature's not innocent, you'll bring back your father and his knights." he then added.
"I promise," Belle replied softly. "And I'll see you soon."
Gil and Paulette watched the two as they wondered what would happen next and soon decided to split up. Gil would go with Gaston while Paulette would go with Belle.
"Hyah!" A man called out as he and several other men such as LeFou, Tom, Dick, and Stanley began to ride their horses deep into the woods with Gaston leading them as they counted on him to lead the way.
The men on the horses breathed heavily as they went deep into the dark woods together after being told to do so. Someone was running away from the men on their horses, looking very scared. The someone just happened to be a young ogre who was afraid of what would happen if he got caught by the human men.
"Faster, Belle!" Paulette told her friend urgently.
"Philippe is going as fast as he can, Paulette!" Belle replied as she rode her horse into the woods after Gaston and his men.
Soon, Gaston and his men made it to the end of the woods. "Halt." he then told them as he began to sense something before hopping off his horse with his bow and arrow.
"What is it?" LeFou asked. "What's wrong?"
"The ogre tracks stopped," Gaston explained, looking around. "Draw your weapons." he then commanded the other men.
The other men then unsheathed their swords after Gaston's command.
Gaston looked around until he looked at the trees, then saw someone hiding inside one of them. "There!" he then yelled out before shooting his arrow suddenly.
The someone grunted and groaned before the arrow shot him in the arm and he fell flat to the ground in pain. The ogre then got up on his feet and tried to run behind a rock, hoping not to have any more pain.
"Ooh... Something tells me that that guy does not like pain at all." Gil commented in his usual way, sounding concerned though unlike Gaston.
"Who cares if it doesn't like pain?" Gaston glared at Gil's naitivity. "Don't let it escape! The thing about an ogre is you got to hit 'em right in the eye!" he then told his men.
"That doesn't sound very nice." Gil frowned as his heart sank while Gaston got ready to shoot and fire his next arrow into the ogre's eyes.
"NO!" Belle suddenly cried out as she rushed over to stop Gaston from doing any more harm to the ogre.
"What are you doing? Get away from that thing!" LeFou glared as Belle got in the way.
"I won't let you kill him without knowing the truth." Belle retorted bravely as she stood up for the cowering monster behind them all.
"He does have a point..." Gil admitted. "If we let the ogre live, then what's to stop it from doing any more harm to us if we don't harm it or the others?"
"We have a way of finding out," Paulette reassured Gil before looking between Belle and Gaston. "What do you really know about this creature, Gaston?" she then asked the adult hunter.
"It tried to kill me and that's all I need to know." Gaston reminded and retorted as he prepared to launch his arrow.
"NO!" Belle, Gil, and Paulette cried out as Belle moved the mirror high in the air.
The arrow then shot from the bow and shattered the glass just as Gaston was shown with blood-red eyes in the reflection. The ogre grunted and ducked down to avoid the pain, luckily being spared from that but not spared from the bleeding scars on his back.
"He's... he's hurt," Belle frowned in concern. "What happened to him?"
Gil stepped over beside Belle until he saw his father's reflection that had devilish eyes that proved to be scary for him since he never remembered his father like this.
"Gaston. You... you did this, didn't you? You tortured this ogre while I was gone," Belle realized and demanded emotionally as she felt contempt for the poor monster who was deathly afraid of Gaston and Gil now. "That's... that's why he attacked you.
"I don't need an enchanted mirror to recognize a monster," Gaston scoffed and snorted. "I'm trying to protect this kingdom. Step aside."
"He's not a monster, Dad. You are." Gil firmly frowned.
"This creature isn't the monster. You are," Belle retorted at a point where Gaston could hear her while Gil's mind was slowly processing what was going on with the truth of his father from this dream and what childhood memories he had before Neverland. "And if you want to shoot him, you'll have to shoot me first."
"Wow... Ben's mom is pretty awesome..." Gil whispered.
Belle smiled proudly as the young ogre was about to run off back home before looking back at Gil, looking very thankful that the boy tried to stand up for him like this.
"Get home safely, friend..." Gil said to the young ogre. "Wherever your home may be... My name is Gil and maybe we can be friends."
"Hi there, Gil," The young ogre spoke. "My name is Farkle. I am the son of Shrek and Princess Fiona and the brother of Fergus and Felicia."
"My name's Gil and I'm the son of Gaston, though... I think I'm a little bit different than he is." Gil replied and nodded.
"I see that you are," Farkle nodded. "You have a very kind heart of someone else and true beauty is within, like my mother until she met my father."
"Farkle... That's a nice name..." Gil said with a small smile. "Now go... Go back to your parents, brother, and sister."
"I won't forget this." Farkle said as he smiled back emotionally and then took off.
"There is no way that you understood that thing." Gaston scoffed at Gil.
Gil flinched and looked uncomfortable about talking to his father right now, already in enough emotional pain that his estranged father was nothing like he remembered.
"Hey, leave him alone," Paulette told Gaston as she protectively hugged Gil. "At least he's brave enough to be himself."
Gil sniffled and stiffened in Paulette's hold as something about it warmed his heart, still staying silent for now.
"You've made a fateful decision tonight," Gaston said to both Gil and Belle, sounding impressed but not that much. "I just hope, for all our sake... it was the right one."
"Whoa... that is deep..." Elwin commented about Gil's dream from afar.
"Isn't it though?~" A dark voice taunted the Snow Prince from behind.
Gil began to look distraught and horrified to learn that his father was not at all like he remembered and began to feel very hurt and broken on the inside. He didn't think he was going to recover from such an experience like this as it soon began to feel like all of his precious memories he did have of his father meant nothing and suddenly, everything turned black. "No... No... NO!" he then moaned as he fell to his knees as he was about to yell out.
"NOOOOOOO!" Gil cried out in anguish as he sat up in his bed in concern.
Lotus gasped as that startled her and soon, everyone else in the room began to wake up after him. Elwin seemed to be the most miserable from his so-called night of sleep since he was mostly doing an inside job for his friends in need.
"It's not just feasting on their fears and anxiety, it's their destinies holding them back!" Elwin realized fearfully.
"And what about yours?" Pitch Black smirked darkly from the shadows in the Dream Realm along with his goons beside him. "What do you want to be? An ice cream boy? A Snow Prince who will blanket the world in winter isolation? A Guardian who will live though the belief of children of all over the world in The Land Without Magic while your friends' stories are told through other ways? A hopeless suitor for a warrior girl engaged to a prince from another kingdom as a favor from The Emperor?"
"I can be whatever I desire to be no matter what my parents-" Elwin began to retort until that last one got his attention. "...what did you just say about me?"
"Hm? Whatever do you mean?" Pitch Black asked, acting like he didn't know what the boy was talking about.
"You know exactly what I mean, Pitch Black," Elwin glowered. "You said something about me being a hopeless suitor?"
"Ah, yes..." Pitch Black chuckled. "Haven't you wondered why Lonnie suddenly appeared in the Dream Realm with you even though you two were nowhere near each other?"
"...well, yeah, but... I just enjoyed having her company and having someone to talk to through this experience." Elwin had to admit softly as he shrugged.
"So don't you realize? She's your own dream... She was never really there with you, but why would she be?" Pitch Black taunted, showing an illusion of Lonnie made from black sand. "You have more of an interest in hanging out with and coresponding with the one called Enid."
"Enid and I are just friends though," Elwin insisted. "She feels like a sister to me whenever I hang out with her and we help each other out."
"Yes, but does Lonnie know that?" Pitch Black wondered. "Maybe she saw you two talking together and becoming very close and thinks you're spoken for, also because of her own destiny."
"Her own destiny? But... she and her mother are in Robin Hood's camp..." Elwin said softly, trying not to break down from his tortured mind over that. "I always believed in Lonnie no matter what... Coach Jenkins leaves Jay in charge during certain activities in Gym Class and he always picks Lonnie as his partner..."
"But don't you remember?" Pitch Black asked him. "Lonnie is from an alternate timeline along with Audrey and Lonnie was already promised to Prince Jeeki..."
"...oh." Elwin said with wide eyes as he nearly forgot all about that.
"And for someone who has become so loyal to be the next Mulan and has an attachment for her mother's tradition and story, I'm sure she'll go through with the arrangement," Pitch Black said as he showed visions through black sand to show Lonnie accepting the crown of Prince Jeeki's marriage to her from the next empire over. "I don't think she's going to be thinking about you much, Snowflake."
"...I do want her to be happy..." Elwin admitted softly as he knew that Lonnie felt more traditional as a descendant of Mulan more than anyone else felt about their own stories and didn't want to make her stay with him any longer to prevent that.
"And now she can be. Snow Prince... She's finally found the prince of her dreams and destiny has allowed her to." Pitch Black said manipulatively.
"But look at me," Elwin said softly. "Look what I've done for her."
"It's time you stop living in someone else's fairy tale, Elwin," Pitch Black advised. "She has her story and you have yours."
Elwin took a deep breath as he took another look to see the black sand illusion. He could see Lonnie's family rejoicing along with the honorary uncles that she often mentioned as well as the princesses that they were able to befriend and become girls worth fighting for. Elwin knew how independent Lonnie felt about her mother's legacy and saw it as a way to lead her own life and she especially had her own world away from Storybrooke that wasn't always possible. He felt his heart sink as he realized he admired how much Lonnie fought for herself and was always determined to find a worthy friend or partner and not just interested in them because they first met the person and decided it was true love despite only knowing each other for seconds. "But... I love her..." he then said as he realized how much Lonnie truly meant to him.
"If you really love her... you'll let her go." Pitch Black advised ominously.
Elwin blinked with his eyes itching with tears as he grabbed his chest, feeling like Evie's mother had yanked it out as he nodded and now he knew what he had to do. "Sandy? I need you, I need to ask you something before I wake up with my friends." he then called to the distance, hoping to get a response and it proved true as a glimmer of golden sand shined and appeared.
"Yes, Prince Elwin, how can I be of service to your dream journey?" Sandy responded respectively as he viewed the teenage boy as a fellow Guardian.
Elwin let out a deep sigh and small smile as he had a lot to say before he would fully wake up along with his friends, just to see if there were any possibilities about how to get Pitch Black out of everyone's system.
Everyone soon gasped and woke up with a start after their own dreams.
"What happened?" Lotus asked in concern as she rushed over to check on the teenagers. "Are you guys okay?"
"That... that was terrible!" Evie said, sounding scared to death of her own dream. "I-I never want to have that nightmare again! I'm afraid to become the next Evil Queen!"
"I don't wanna be just like my dad either!" Gil added and shivered.
"You saw your dad?" Jay asked, impressed.
"I heard this creepy and disturbing voice in my head laughing." Carlos commented.
"I think I did too." Carla agreed.
"I think maybe I saw The Devil." Enid said out of concern.
"But Elwin stopped Pitch Black... didn't he?" Lotus asked out of concern
"I am so sorry, my friends. I failed," Elwin said out of sorrow. "He and his goons will be back to infect your dreams the next time you sleep."
"Oh, no!" Gil frowned and hid under the covers. "That's worse than Neverland!"
"Uh, yeah, I kinda prefer to never see that again." Ben said hopefully.
"I honestly got nothing but black dust..." Jay muttered to himself as he seemed to be blank on his dreams compared to his friends.
"But you will. Again and again, every night, until Pitch Black grows powerful enough to infect the waking world and he has descendants with him when Oogie Boogie chose HIM out of a group of trick-or-treaters to be his successor back when Stingy Jack was scary enough from The Holiday Forest." Elwin said to them regretfully.
"Oh, well, it's okay, buddy!" Gil said with a small shrug then. "Everybody makes mistakes!"
"Let's face it, we're all just cursed and tied to our stories and we have no signs of stopping," Elwin sighed. "It stars with us, but infecting all of our dreams gives Pitch Black more and more power and soon he'll be able to not just affect Storybrooke, but give the whole world his nightmare plague since no one believes in magic as much as they do in this small town Evie's mother gave us."
"But that means Pitch Black and his goons could be turning every dream in Storybrooke into a nightmare!" Ben said out of concern.
"It sounds like you had enough struggle trying to get him during OUR dreams, how are you gonna get into everyone in Storybrooke's dreams?" Carlos commented and then added in concern.
"Yeah, we have to help you stop that from happening." Enid added.
"Hmm... What if everybody in Storybrooke were having one dream?" Ben stopped to think and then suggested as an idea.
"Hmm..." Elwin stopped to thinking before nodding. "Sandy did mention that he can help with shared dreams, but I don't know about everyone at once. The amount of power it would take..."
"Well, it is worth a try, isn't it?" Gil suggested.
"Of course. I will do anything to end this, including accept your help. We can't let Pitch Black win this time even if The Guardians don't seem to know that Storybrooke exists," Elwin replied. "All of you must now go back to sleep and hope that I can create such a dream."
"Just one thing..." Carla spoke up. "How are we going to get everyone else in town to go back to sleep?"
"Yeah, I don't think Ben's dad really sleeps actually." Jay commented.
"He doesn't really, but I'm gonna call in a favor." Ben admitted before he took out his cell phone and dialed a certain number.
"Ben, this is no time to order pizza, we all have to go back to sleep to stop Pitch Black." Gil dismissed.
"I'm not ordering pizza, Gil..." Ben said with a weary sigh, trying not to roll his eyes at that. "Hey, Audrey, how'd you like to recreate your mother's story for a little while? We need to borrow Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather for something."
Elwin then went over to his backpack and took out a necklace that had his birthright jewel on it that would allow him to go back into the Dream Realm easily after everyone else would had fallen asleep.
Audrey had gotten a hold of her fairy godmothers for Elwin to put everyone in Storybrooke to sleep as it brought back memories of when they tried to help with the case of Princess Aurora to prevent what happened to Queen Briar wouldn't happen to her daughter until it did and they did the same for the third generation even if Mal was long out of Storybrooke by now just for being expected to be the next Dark Fairy to Audrey's Sleeping Beauty.
Merryweather continued to put other people to sleep, looking apologetic for the Darlings since she grew rather fond of them, especially Michael for personal reasons. Suddenly, Sleepy the Dwarf was shown to be waking up from a random nap of his own since he slept all day long until Merryweather instantly put him back to sleep, making him yawn and go straight back to his slumber. Meanwhile, Flora was just passing the forest part of Storybrooke which was where Robin Hood and his Merry Men stayed along with Mulan and Lonnie and there were squishy footsteps heard coming from the nearby lake. She was just about to force this creature to sleep until it was shown to be a literally stone-faced dragon head.
"Halt! Who goes there?" Flora demanded urgently as she held onto her wand protectively. "Don't think only witches turn folks into toads if they don't like them!"
There was then a dark gray cloud puff and there was now a human young man in gray colored clothing. "Greetings, Fairy. I am Shinto and I am the descendant of The Great Stone Dragon who was summoned with The Zodiac Spell to fetch Mulan and her middle child Lonnie to bring them back to where they belong in The Northern Wei Empire."
"Oh, yes, yes, I have heard of you, but you must wait while the next Snow Prince has to save his friends from their own fates and nightmares about being just like their parents," Flora nodded and then explained. "When the others awake after The Snow Prince has done his task, you shall take Lonnie and Mulan back home because the family's fate rests in your claws."
"I'm glad you understand and I shall wait in the meantime." Shinto nodded as he went back into his dragon form and flew off somewhere else momentarily.
"Oh, Shinto... Audrey and Lonnie will be so pleased that they can go back home where they truly belong." Flora beamed at the name as she flew with her fellow fairies after putting everyone in Storybrooke to sleep and luckily nothing was really going on in town anyway, though everyone was moved inside their homes to their beds since they were mostly outside to enjoy the snow day that came with the sacrifice of Ingrid.
"Boy, am I glad to see something familiar," Jay commented as he looked around Storybrooke and even saw Chad in his ballerina outfit. "I don't know about that though."
Elwin soon found an old soap box and used it to stand before the town of Storybrooke to get everyone's attention. "People of Storybrooke!" he then called out as loudly as he could.
"Elwin!" The people responded to the Snow Prince as they surrounded him and even Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff were there.
"There is no time for small talk, my friends and family!" Elwin told everyone. "There is someone coming, someone terrible!"
"Prince Hans?!" Anna asked with wide eyes. "I sang with him once! We sang about sandwiches. SANDWICHES, ELWIN!" she then emphasized to her nephew while Kristoff gave her a strange look for that retort.
"Um, yeah, no, its not Prince Hans, Aunt Anna," Elwin said before he heard snarling and saw a dark shadow looming ahead and pointed it out. "There! He's already here!"
Pitch Black came into downtown Dream Storybrooke with shadows following him as well as him riding on the back of a horse that matched the darkness and grittiness of charcoal. The people looked afraid and panicked at the sight of Pitch Black.
"So, this is where you've been for your high school years? How disappointing," Pitch Black taunted Elwin. "Even your father was better off before joining The Guardians."
Elwin glared and soon took out the staff he found from his first dream.
Pitch Black cackled, unafraid of that. "You think that just because you have a stick like your father that you can stop me?" he then taunted. "That's very good for a laugh, Snowflake~"
"Elwin, darling, let us help you." Elsa offered to her estranged son.
"No, Mama, I'm sorry, I brought this upon everyone in Storybrooke and I should end it now." Elwin volunteered.
Pitch Black and Elwin began to fight with dark and light magic, though Elwin seemed to be struggling. Elwin did as best as he could since he felt it was his job and duty to stop Pitch Black for the town he lived in along with all of the friends he made around here. The people ran as Pitch Black unleashed dark nightmares and fears to everyone, causing them to flee from their fears, especially the descendants being plagued by the stories that came before them.
"Elwin, what's wrong?" Ben asked out of concern as he along with the other descendants grouped together around The Snow Prince.
"It's taking all of my strength just to fight him alone in this dream!" Elwin grunted and panted. "I need help, but The Guardians aren't anywhere around here and I'm on my own."
"Then you're in luck because you're not alone." Ben promised.
"Yeah! We're already on it!" Jay added.
"I can't make you all do this, especially with those nightmares you had about your parents." Elwin said to them, though he DID really need help right now.
"You're getting help from us because everyone needs help from people they can trust and rely on." Evie promised Elwin firmly.
"We're your friends and we should help you, even if we're not descended from The Guardians like you." Enid added.
"Why would you want to help me, even though I'm one of the 'Heroes' and the one who's putting you in danger after you were made to see the darker side to who you came from?" Elwin asked with a frown.
"Our stories don't define us, Elwin, we do," Ben reminded him. "That's the whole reason I tried to befriend people like Mal because I wanted her to believe she was more than just The Dark Fairy and I believe in her and I see the beauty from within the beast just like when my mother fell in love with Rumplestiltskin."
"And I'm more than an Evil Queen who crushes hearts to get what she wants for a true happy ending," Evie added softly. "Even if it had to be the heart of the one she loved most after already losing my father."
"I'm not a crazy lady with a fur coat." Carlos stated.
"I'm not some guy who takes other people's stories." Carla added.
"I'm not from The Dark Land of Sand or whatever that was, it's kind of a blur for me." Jay proclaimed and then added with a small shrug.
"I'm not a wicked crone who locked Rapunzel in a tower and I'm not some demon who had an army of the dead," Enid added. "It's a little blurry for me too."
Jay looked bashful that he and Enid had similar dreams in terms of fully comprehending what they saw.
"I will be the next Captain Hook, but I'll be a noble pirate just like my father and I won't abandon any of those I truly love and care about," Harry proclaimed. "Pirates might have black hearts, but real pirates never lie or cheat."
"Didn't your dad know these swindlers called Tulio and Miguel or something?" Audrey asked as she wore a very poofy and pink princess dress while a vision of Mal but with green skin and black horns and bat-like wings was harrassing her.
"That's a different story that won't define me." Harry retorted.
"And I won't be a hunter who hunts only for blood or the fear of others," Gil soon said as he crossed his arms. "No one's a terrible father and role model like Gaston."
"Hey, I think I've heard that name before." Ben commented.
"Yeah, I bet you have because I sure did." Gil nodded.
"Uh, yeah, your father?" Ben reminded him.
"Yeah, I don't remember what happened between my parents and Neverland until I ended up here, but my father is not at all like I remembered." Gil remarked.
"Oh, yeah, Sandy told me about that," Elwin commented. "It's something called a nostalgia filter."
Pitch Black snarled as his darkness got stronger and stronger.
"Last chance to back down, guys," Elwin said to them. "I can't make you all do this."
"Well, too bad because until the night falls we'll stick together until the battle is won." Evie retorted.
Everyone else agreed as they surrounded him.
"Okay..." Elwin sighed and narrowed his eyes. "Hit him with everything you got, people!" he then called out to the Storybrooke population that were all in this one dream together.
Pitch Black soon shot out some darkness towards Granny's Diner and it came to life before snarling and roaring like a monster. More buildings and homes came to life and even a dark shadow loomed over Chad and his family.
"Please! I'll pay you anything!" Chad cried out before he took out his baby sister and used her as a shield. "Here, take Alexandra! She won't even remember any of this anyway!"
Doug and Evie looked deadpan before facing each other. "Not a lot of there there." they then said together.
Lotus and Jay soon decided to work together as they came over to Chad's house and kicked it together. Jay then began to swing and jump around, showing very unique acrobatic skills as Lotus watched him and it reminded him very heavily of a certain someone.
"My friends call me Al, but you can call me Aladdin."
"Lotus, look out!" Jay cried out as she was about to get stomped on until he dove in and moved her out of the way as a giant boot came down where Henry, Dee Dee, Grace, and many of the other younger Storybrooke kids were trapped inside of.
Doug and Evie saw Henry and Dee Dee in trouble and quickly rushed in to help out.
"Whoa... that was close..." Lotus sighed in relief before looking at Jay. "Wow. You saved me. Thank you, sweetie." she then said before hugging him.
Jay looked tense and wide-eyed from the hug, though he also felt his heart flutter from it. "Eh, no biggie. Anyone would've done the same." he then said, getting out of the hug rather quickly.
Doug soon whacked down on the giant shoe with his pic-axe until it splintered. Evie then helped the younger kids come out before she smiled and hugged Henry while Dee Dee came to hug Doug.
"That's my boy!" Dopey said proudly.
"You... can TALK?!" Doug asked his father out of shock.
Dopey just smirked and winked at him in response. Everyone else tried to fight the best that they could. Lonnie and Mulan worked together until Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather caught Mulan alone for a moment and then came to take her aside while Lonnie fought as well as she could on her own with her own warrior sword. Tinkerbell used what magic she could to keep the darkness away from Archie and Scarlet while Mary Margaret sang operatically and summoned forest critters to come out and fight back against trees that came to life.
"Wow! Nice one, Mom." Emma smiled.
"Well, everyone knows that Snow White has a way with animals." Mary Margaret smiled back.
"Yeah, that and hanging around Giselle a lot of the time." David remarked.
"Hm." Mary Margaret smirked at that.
"Come on, guys!" Emma called out. "If Pitch Black turns any more dream or legacy against us, we'll be too busy to stop him and he'll have a chance to escape into The Land Without Magic beyond Storybrooke!"
Pitch Black narrowed his eyes as he was starting to lose this dream battle. (don't know what more to add at the moment)
After a very long fight, Pitch Black seemed to wither away into nothing and disappeared after his defeat.
"Thank you..." Elwin smiled wearily to everyone else. "Thank you all."
Everything soon faded in a bright white light and it was the next day, though Ben seemed to be having another dream until he would wake up.
"Where am I?" Ben murmured as he found himself in a lush green forest, sitting on a stone floor of an ancient ruin and there were the sounds of rushing water not too far away. "Who are you?" he then asked, seeing a dark shadow hidden right in front of him. "Are you some kind of princess or something?"
"You know who I am," The girl said. "I'm your friend."
"Wait... that voice..." Ben murmured until the light shined brighter to reveal an emerald-eyed and purple-haired girl around his age right across from him. "Mal?"
"I see you never stopped thinking about me." Mal replied.
"Mal, I hate that you left Storybrooke, you really didn't have to do that you know..." Ben frowned.
"I know, but it was my time to go," Mal said to him mysteriously. "But maybe I'll come back."
"Really? You'll come back to Storybrooke?" Ben asked hopefully. "Because we miss you."
"I'm not sure why..." Mal said as she looked away. "After all, I'm just the next Dark Fairy there to harrass Sleeping Beauty's slumber until her prince comes to save you... you'll just be locked away from a beast if you try to use your beauty on me."
"Don't say that, Mal, you're more than just the next Dark Fairy." Ben frowned.
"No one else seems to think so except for you..." Mal replied. "I don't know why when no one else is happy to see me, not even my own mother or old friends I ran into."
"Old friends? Mal, what happened when you left town?" Ben begged. "I have to know what happened!"
Mal glanced over silently as she seemed to be hiding something.
"Mal, please tell me..." Ben begged. "My mother helped my father during his beastly tendencies, let me help you with yours."
"So you do think I'm a beast..." Mal muttered.
"Hey, I didn't say that!" Ben defended. "Mal, please!" he then begged before looking at her again only to see that she was suddenly gone and he was all alone. "NOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Mal! WAIT!" Ben cried out as he woke up in his own bed at home and felt confused, glancing out the window as a new day came after a very adventurous experience in Storybrooke. "I almost had her back... I wish there was a way to bring her back and make her not feel like she's trapped to be a Dark Fairy and be a villain..." he then said to himself, just not sure how or when he was going to figure that out right now until he heard his stomach grumble. "Heh, maybe I better think of an idea after some breakfast." he then suggested to himself sheepishly before he got out of bed and began to get ready for the day, though he sighed softly, thinking about Mal, unable to help it as he really missed her most of all even though he did like Audrey... or at least he thought he loved Audrey.