Darkness [Neal Cassidy || OUAT || Double Swan #5]

12 - The Bear and the Bow

Belle and Mr Gold entered the pawnshop, "Okay, come on. See? I knew you could make it," Belle said.

"I should've known better than to argue with you by now," Mr Gold said.

"Here," Belle handed him his cane, "Now, what did we come here for?" Belle asked.

An arrow targetted them as Merida entered the shop, "I told the Dark One you wouldn't be daft enough to seek shelter in your own shop, but she said you wouldn't be able to resist the pull of your magic," Merida said.

"Merid, you... You don't have to do this," Mr Gold said.

"No, I tried to fight it, but I couldn't. So, now her fate rests in your hands," Merida said as she pulled another around and as she was putting it on her bow. 

Mr Gold and Belle took off into the backroom as they shut the doors, pressed themselves against it to keep Merida out, but Merida shot her arrow through the door next to Belle's face.

In Regina's vault, Regina was making the potion to contact Merlin.

"What the hell is taking so long?" Neal asked.

"Patience, Cassidy. If these spellbooks are correct, as soon as Arthur adds the Crimson Crown to the cauldron, he should be able to make contact with Merlin," Regina said.

"Then we'll be speaking with him before you know it. David told us everything," Arthur said as he, Guinevere and David walked in.

"And you're willing to help?" Mary Margaret asked.

"After everything you've done for us, it's the least I can do," Arthur said.

Regina handed him the Crimson Crown and Arthur just stares at it, "What are you waiting for?" Regina asked.

"Perhaps it's best if I do this alone. Back in Camelot, Merlin delivered his prophecies to me from inside a tree. But I'm afraid he only delivered them when I was alone," Arthur said.

"This is too important to risk. Come on. Let's leave him to it," David said.

Regina, Emma, Mary Margaret, Neal and Guinevere walked out of the vault when Arthur knows they were gone, he crouched down and threw the mushroom into the fire.

Outside the vault, Emma was pacing back and forth, "Emma, calm down," David said.

"I'm sorry, I can't. My little sister is doing god knows what, I can't just stand around and wait," Emma said.

Arthur walked out of the vault, "Did it work?" David asked.

"Afraid not... I thought the spell was gonna make contact, and then it... Just fizzled out," Arthur said.

Back at the pawnshop, Merida was banging on the door of the backroom that Mr Gold and Belle were leading again. Then they ran to take cover as Merida burst into the backroom with her bow.

Merida saw them and shot her arrow at them, but it was just their reflection in a mirror. She turned a corner and saw them, "Stop me, you coward. Be the hero we all need," Merida said.

"I ca... I can't. I ca... I'm sorry, Belle," Mr Gold said.

"No, I am... For what I'm about to do," Merida said.

Belle pulled the rug out from under Merida's feet, knocking her out as she hit her head, Belle got up and helped Mr Gold up.

Mr Gold grabbed a potion from his safe, "What's that?" Belle asked.

"We may not outrun her arrows, but there's somewhere where this can keep us safe," Mr Gold said.

"Then, let's go," Belle said.