Cheers to Forever, Love.

From One Curse To Another

Chapter Twenty One.

After a few days, Rumple, Freya and Astrid met in the forest that circled the town after the Heretic had had an emergency feed from her daughter.
"Did you find a way?" The Dark One asked as the two females approached, having healed Astrid's wound.
"I think so." Freya replied. "Did you?"
"I think so, too." He gave a mischievous little smile.
"Well then let's get this over with." Astrid said, impatiently.
With that, Rumple flattened his palm and waved it, causing a puff of purple smoke to coat it. When the smoke cleared, there appeared a box.
"What's that?" Freya asked.
"A selection of potions. I say selection because I have multiple spells that could work." The Dark One replied.
"And if the first one doesn't work?" Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Will mixing it with the second or even third have any unwanted effects?"
"Honestly, dearie? I have no idea. But if you're willing to try it, I'm willing to give it." Rumple shrugged, waving his hands about impishly.
"There's the Dark One I know and loathe..." Freya sighed, rolling her eyes. "And the price? I know you, Rumpelstiltskin. You're always the first to remind us that all magic comes with a price."
"We shall see." He smirked.
"Let's just get on with it." Astrid mumbled.
"Not so fast." Rumple pointed a finger up in the air as he looked to Freya. "What about your half of the deal? Did you find a way to give me your magic?"
"Most likely. It's a spell to transfer a Witch's magic into an object, but with a bit of luck, it could work for a living being too."
Rumple frowned. "I don't like these 'maybes' and 'could dos'."
"Then we'll uphold our end of our deal first. If it doesn't work, then you can walk away." Astrid sighed.
"Very well, dearies." He smirked.

With everything prepared, she offered out her hands to Rumple, who took them.
"This is a transference spell. It should give you a portion of my magic – thus being able to cast spells from this world." She explained, earning a nod from the Dark One. Freya closed her eyes and began to chant. "Oribos turai manecsitus. Orbiem. Oribos turai manecsitus. Orbiem."
Her hands began to glow, just as they did when she transferred some of her magic into Blackbeard's ship to make it fly.
"It's working!" Astrid smiled. "Keep going, mother."
"Oribos turai manecsitus. Orbiem." She continued to chant until she felt the suitable amount of power drain from her.
She released Rumple's hands and staggered back a few paces.
"Mum!" Astrid shrieked, running to her side to hold her steady.
"I'm alright, love. I'm fine." Freya panted.
Once she had steadied herself, she picked up a fallen leaf and moved back over to Rumple.
"Repeat after me." She said. "Incendia."
Rumple stared at the leaf intently and repeated the spell.
In an instant, the leaf burst into flames.
Freya smiled. "There you go. If you want to study further, I have plenty of Grimoires at my house."
"Thank you, dearie." He gave his signature giggle. "Now for my end of the bargain."
Rumple walked over to the box he had brought with him and opened it, revealing several vials and bottles filled with sparkling liquids.
"I think we'll try this one first." He said, picking up one with a dark, yet rich purple tone to it. As he took it from its spot in the box, the liquid swirled, creating a slight marble effect.
He handed it to Astrid, who looked at it with a raised eyebrow.
"How much of it should I drink?" She asked, shaking it a little bit.
"All of it." Rumple replied.
She glanced at Freya, who had a widely concerned look on her face.
"See you on the other side." The girl shrugged as she popped the cork.
Freya watched as she chugged the entire thing.
A few moments passed and nothing happened.
"Rumple?" Freya raised an eyebrow.
"Damn... I was hoping that wou-"
The dark One was interrupted when a cloud of purple smoke consumed Astrid. Freya took a few steps forward, prepared for anything.
When the smoke cleared, a young woman stood in the place of the little girl.
Freya took every part of her in. She looked about seventeen and was slender with jet black hair, much like Freya's. Her skin was also like the Heretic's – a very pale ivory, almost transparent.
"Astrid?" She frowned.
The girl looked up.
"Mother." She smiled.
Tears welled up in both their eyes as they ran to each other, engulfing one another in a hug.
"Oh, my darling... I never thought I'd see you all grown up." Freya sobbed into her daughter's hair.
"Neither did I, mum..." Astrid chuckled.
As they parted, something bad washed over Astrid. She stumbled back and looked between the Heretic and the Dark One with fear.
"What's happening?" She asked.
Freya looked to Rumple.
"I have no idea..." He said.
Astrid dropped to the floor.
Freya Vamp sped to her daughter's side, falling to her knees and scooping her up in her arms.
"Rumple, do something." She growled. "Find out what's happening."
"I don't know how to." He told her.
"Then I suggest you find a bloody way!" Freya snapped.
But it was too late. Astrid's eyes slipped closed as the Heretic listened to her failing heart.
"She's dying..." Fresh tears welled at her waterline. "Rumple, please..."
"I... I don't know what's happening. It shouldn't be like this."
The last beat of Astrid's heart sent Freya's emotions over the edge.
She let out a blood-curdling scream.
"Astrid... Astrid no!" She cried, hugging her daughter's lifeless body to her chest. But then she realised something. "By the Gods..." She breathed.
"What is it?" Rumple asked, kneeling on Astrid's other side.
"I fed from her before we came here... I gave her my blood to heal her. She's going to turn."

After calling Killian and getting Astrid's body home and laid on the couch, they waited in nervous anticipation for her to wake.
"How did you not know this would kill her?" Killian growled.
"All magic comes with a price. I believe I've said that enough times to the residents of this town. Perhaps this time people will listen." Rumple said as though none of this mattered.
In a rage, Killian launched at him, pinning him up against the wall by his throat.
"And now, because of your carelessness, she's going to turn into the very thing Freya didn't want her to be." He spat.
"Killian..." Freya sighed. "None of this is going to help or change anything."
"Perhaps not, love. But it's about time the Crocodile's crimes were answered for." He didn't take his eyes off the man before him as he spoke.
Freya got up from the floor, releasing her daughter's hand and walked over to them, putting a hand on Killian's shoulder.
"Stop. There are more pressing matters to be dealing with right now." She said.
One look at the sadness in her eyes caused Killian to release the Dark One's neck, not failing to give it one last squeeze.
Rumple choked out for breath, massaging his neck.
But that didn't matter, because as soon as he did, Astrid shot up into a sitting position, coughing, gasping and spluttering.
"Astrid." Freya breathed, Vamp speeding to her daughter's side. "Are you alright?"
"What happened, mum?" She asked.
Freya looked up to Killian, who frowned his concern.
"You... You died." Freya sighed, taking Astrid's hand.
Astrid didn't know what to think; do or say, but then she pieced everything together.
"Your blood." She gasped at the realisation.
Freya just nodded her head.
Astrid held out the hand that wasn't being held by her mother an cast a spell in her mind. Nothing happened.
"I've lost my magic..." She practically whispered.
"It's alright, love. We'll help you through this." Killian said, crouching down next to Freya.
"You know what you have to do, baby." She looked at Astrid through sad eyes.
"I have to feed or... I'll die for real." The girl sighed. "Get me a blood bag."

After Rumple had been escorted out of the house by Killian, he and Freya stood by as Astrid held the cup of blood in her hand, studying it apprehensively.
"I don't know if I want to, mum..." The girl practically whispered, fearing what her mother would think.
Freya sighed, sitting down next to her.
"Darling, it's alright. I know exactly what you're going through." She said, holding her daughter's hand.
"The difference is, I'm not a Siphoner like you. If I become a Vampire, I'll lose my magic." Astrid replied. "I've had it for a so long, I fear I've relied on it too much. And then there's the matter of eternity. I've already lived almost a thousand years. I'm not sure I could cope with another thousand."
"And the other difference is that last time, you didn't have me by your side. I'll be your magic, I'll be your companion through eternity and, most importantly, I'll be your mother." Freya smiled, gently placing a kiss on Astrid's temple. "But I know the burden of immortality. If you choose to die, it would destroy me. But I don't care about me. I just want you to be happy."
Astrid released a deep sigh as Killian walked over, kneeling in front of his soon-to-be step daughter.
"I can't imagine the thoughts racing through your mind right now, love. All I can offer is my assistance. I'll help you adjust to a life without magic and I'll always be here for you, your mother and your sister no matter what your decision is." He gave her a small smile, receiving one from the girl in return.
"I couldn't ask for a better life partner for my mother, Killian. I'm so glad you found each other." Astrid told him.
"Aye. Me too." He breathed a chuckle, giving her knee a small squeeze.
"I'll drink." She eventually nodded. "Not sure I could survive the afterlife knowing I died before meeting my sister and watching my mother marry her soulmate."
Freya and Killian smiled brightly, leaning in to hug the girl.
Once they had separated, Astrid put the glass of blood to her lips and drank.