Sound of Surviving

88

ENCHANTED FOREST

The Light One went back to his home.

"Look!" a boy cried. "It's him!"

Rumpelstiltskin entered his house and called, "Belle!"

"Sounds like someone else wants to celebrate your return," Belle said softly.

"And how is the newest member of our dear family?"

"With any luck, he'll grow up to be just like dear old dad," Isaac stated.

"Belle. You didn't tell me we had a visitor."

"Name's Isaac. I was traveling through your village, when your wife invited me in to slake my thirst." He took a sip.  "Mm. Not to be too picky, but the water tastes a little murky."

"Oh," Belle replied. "I'll get some that's fresh from the well." She left.

"You didn't come here for the water," Rumpelstiltskin stated.

"Perceptive in all worlds," Isaac noted. "Good. Yes. I came here to warn you. Your happiness is in danger."

"From what?"

"A boy and a girl. They're on a mission to help the bandit Regina and her partner Jefferson. If they succeed, everything you have will be destroyed. Not to mention what I have."

"Ha! What nonsense. How can some stranger's actions affect my life?"

"Because your happiness, your entire life... It's not real. I know because I am the one who created it... With magic. And it is all about to crumble. Regina's true love is about to marry another. She's going to try and stop the wedding. You cannot let her succeed. You have to kill her. And him before he can save the woman he loves."

"Demon! You've been sent here to try to corrupt me."

"You have already been corrupted. Before all of this, you were a villain... Maybe the worst one of all. Which is why you had me use magic to rewrite your story. Look, I can prove it to you. I-I know things... The secrets that you've kept from Belle, the ones about your first son... Baelfire."

"Where did you hear that name?"

"In this story, he was killed in the ogre wars despite your heroic efforts. But in reality, he died because of your cowardice."

"No, no, no. I... I protected him. I did my best. I... I was honorable."

"No. You weren't. He died because of you."

"Liar! Get out of here... Now."

"All right. I'll go. But deep down, you know I'm right. You're not really a hero. And if you don't kill Regina and keep her from her happy ending, then everyone, including Belle, will know, too. I know you'll make the right choice, Rumple. You always do."

ON THE JOLLY ROGER

"Ahoy! Is anyone here?!" Henry and Grace asked.

"Careful, boy," Hook warned. "No one steps aboard the Jolly Roger's decks without an invitation from its captain first."

"Are you gonna make us walk the plank?" Henry asked.

"All depends on why you're here."

"We need a ship to take us to the bottomless sea."

"Now, those are treacherous waters. There must be something of great value there to be worth taking the risk."

""Someones". Their names are Emma and Nevaeh. She's my mom and Nevaeh is Grace, Tatiana and Tobias' mom. And they were put there by the queen."