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“So you scour through this invitations until you find something appealing and not whether you’ve already went to it or not?” asked Rumple as he and Clara sat on the many steps in the TARDIS console room while the Doctor studied the screen in front of him.
It had been quite some time already since he was banished from Storybrooke and Clara and the Doctor had rescued him from the forests of Maine. They had gone to many adventures already but as always, whenever Clara was on board, they had to look for another one.
Currently, Rumple and Clara were buried in different types of papers and parchment. All apparent invitations for the Doctor to come and join a celebration or listen to a concert or just to have dinner. The Doctor was currently out of ideas as to where to go and so when over the pending events he had yet to go to.
“Yup,” replied Clara, too busy scanning the papers in her hands.
“How do you know if you had gone to it or not?” asked Rumple, he had all but given up on showing invites because everything just seemed ridiculous.
“She won’t let us,” replied the Doctor from the console, not looking up from the monitor. Rumple sighed and shrugged his shoulders as he looked back on the papers around him. There was one from Shakespeare about watching a play in the Globe, an invitation from Charles Dickens for dinner, a ticket to the Orient Express--that got his heart to clench painfully.
Agatha Christie was a favorite read of both himself and Belle. Sighing, he raised his head, “Orient Express.”
“NO!”
Rumple jumped as the Doctor quickly gathered the ticket and crumpled it into a ball, tossing it over his shoulder.
“Ummm, did I miss anything?”
“Ancient mummified soldier killing people,” said Clara, as she finally dropped the papers in her hand to look at him. “Not to mention weird computer giving orders and then decided to blow up the train once the mystery was solved.”
“Ok, never mind,” said Rumple, although he was a bit relieved because he’d probably be thinking about Belle the entire time.
Rumple shifted through the other papers when he felt something that wasn’t a paper invitation or a ticket. It was a small square package, tied with a bit of twine. He opened it and a soft turquoise light suddenly shined from the package.
It was a crystal that was fashioned into a pendant of some sort.
“Why would Kida and Milo send me another one?” came the Doctor’s voice as he was now suddenly standing over Rumple. The sorcerer offered the package to the Doctor while Clara got to her feet and stood by him to read the invitation.
“Greetings Doctor and to your current companion/s,” the Doctor turned to Clara who had a very amused expression but the Doctor turned a confused glance at Rumple who shrugged. “We hope this finds you in one piece. Given your adventures, I’m sure you’ll be on time in attending our celebration for the rebirth of Atlantis. All the best, Milo and Kida.”
“How did it get here?” asked Clara, as she took the letter and crystal from the Doctor.
“I usually just get things from Kate and whatever was sent to UNIT that was addressed to me,” said the Doctor as he went to the console and pushed a few buttons. “Looks like I haven’t answered the invite.”
“You said Atlantis,” began Rumple, finally rising from his position on one of the steps leading to the upper level of the room. “The Atlantis? The lost city that was swallowed by the sea?”
“You sure know your tales, Rum,” remarked Clara as she folded the letter neatly and studied the crystal. “What’s this then Doctor?”
“Atlantean Crystal,” answered the Doctor. “It’s a part of an even bigger crystal called the Heart Crystal and it is what powers Atlantis.”
“Like magic?” asked Rumple as he stood by Clara to study the faint glow the crystal was emitting.
“Energy,” corrected the Doctor and Rum and Clara exchanged an amused expression, knowing full well not to argue lest they have another debate about magic and energy. “Basically a big giant ancient battery.”
“Are we going then?” asked Clara as she and Rumple waked to stand on either side of the Doctor.
“I don’t see why not,” said the Doctor as he punched in the coordinates. “Maybe the trip will finally convince you that magic is really scientific in nature--”
“‘And it’s energy’, we know,” chorused Rum and Clara and the Doctor just glared at them before lowering the lever and the time rotor sprang into action.
“A little more to the left,” shouted Milo as the other Atlanteans lifted the stone statue to one side. “Hold it!”
“That’s perfect!” exclaimed Kida from above and Milo looked up to see her hovering a few feet above him. “It looks great Milo!”
Kida descended and parked her vehicle near Milo and beamed. It was close to a year since Atlantis had been revived and the city beaming with life. A year since the arrival of Milo and the death of her father...a year since the Atlantean crystal had resurfaced and now hovered over them, protecting the city.
Six months since a particular incident with aliens trying to take the crystal and use it for their own selfish schemes.
“Oh how I wish I could see this from above,” said Milo, looking up at the recent Atlantean statue that was salvaged and fixed. It had been destroyed during the alien attack but with the power from the crystals and the hard work of the Atlanteans, the giant statue, one of the guards of the city, was finally fixed just in time for their celebration. “Finally the circle of guards are complete once again.”
“I’m not sure our vehicles can fly that high enough,” pointed out Kida but she too was eager to see their beloved city from above.
Suddenly the sound of gears and machines could be heard in a distance, growing louder by the second. The others stood on guard, drawing closer to their king and queen but the sound began to feel familiar and finally a giant blue box slowly came to being.
“Your vehicles’ can’t, but I bet mine can,” came the Scottish voice as the blue box materialized fully in front of them and the door swung open to reveal a tall man with graying hair wearing a black coat over a white dress shirt, black trousers and shoes. “I’m sure you won’t be able to recog--”
“Doctor!” came the chorused shout from Kida and Milo as Kida ran up to the man and hugged him, much to his surprise.
“Easy Kida,” came the chuckle from Milo as the other man was mortified with the ancient queen still clinging to him. “I’m pretty sure you gave him a scare.”
“She did,” came the other voice and Clara and Rumple finally stepped out of the TARDIS as well.
“New face, new companions,” said Kida, finally letting go of the Doctor. “You’ve been busy.”
“Yes,” replied the Doctor. “How did you recognize me?”
“You mentioned you could change your face,” pointed out Milo. “Besides, who could own a big blue box that could materialize within Atlantis.”
“He has a point,” said Rumple and the Doctor just glared at him.
“Milo, Kida, these are Clara Oswald and Rum Gold,” introduced the Doctor. “Clara, Rum these are the King and Queen of Atlantis.”
“Welcome to the city of Atlantis,” said Kida, then she turned to the Doctor. “But it’s an even more beautiful sight from up above.”
“I can take a hint,” said the Doctor making his way back to the TARDIS. “Come on then, one view of Atlantis from above, coming up.”
Milo and Kida joined them in boarding the TARDIS, the king and queen not noticing that above them, the Atlantean crystal turned a slight shade darker.
“So you’re Rumplestiltskin the imp that can turn straw into gold,” said Milo as they all had returned to the palace. The view from above was breathtaking as it could be, even so for Milo and Kida who was used to the beauty of their city.
“But I only was able to do it when I got the Dark One’s curse,” replied Rum, still not liking the fairy tale version of his story from the Land Without Magic. “And I am not that small of a man. Your tales were exaggerated.”
“So you’re telling me our fairy tales characters actually existed,” asked Milo again and Kida was glad to see that her husband’s tendencies to be interested in a lot of things could not be dampened by his new situation. He was still as giddy with new discoveries as ever. “Like Snow White, Peter Pan, Cinderella...all of them?”
“Peter Pan isn’t as nice as you would think,” replied the Doctor, giving Rumple a sympathetic look. “Trust me on that.”
“So magic exists?” asked Milo and Clara and Rumple turned to the Doctor with a triumphant smile.
“I am very disappointed in you Milo Thatch,” grumbled the Doctor as Clara and Rumple burst into fits of laughter. “Magic is what humans just call energy discharge that they cannot explain.”
“Hey when I first arrived here I thought it was magic,” pointed out Milo with a smile. “I mean Kida had healed a wound that I had. Like magic.”
“And then I told you that it was not. It was an energy transfer from the crystal to you,” replied the Doctor as he tried to eat whatever it was served in front of him. “Wasn’t it you, in your proposal, that said Atlantis had a power source--”
“That doesn’t necessarily equate it to being energy of a scientific nature, Doctor,” replied Rumple much to the glare of the Doctor.
The Doctor pointed to the Heart Crystal floating above them. “That thing over there is made out of properties that some I have yet encountered. Others yes, foreign to Earth of course and that is why it gained attention from other alien beings.”
“The power of the crystal is what keeps our city and our people alive,” voiced out Kida. “I cannot really explain how but it does. Whether you want to believe it to be energy in its properties or some higher magic, the main thing is that the crystal gives us life.”
“Which is basically energy,” said the Doctor as the rest groaned. “What? Energy is transformed from one form to another. The crystal could be doing that as we speak, transforming its potential energy to whatever it is that the Atlanteans need.”
“But you said the crystal has developed a consciousness of its own?” asked Clara as Milo and Kida nodded.
“As my father had explained it,” began Kida. “The crystal thrives on the collective emotions of the people around it and the people who came before us. In return, it provides power, longevity, protection...as it grew in strength, it developed a consciousness of its own.”
“The energy it was accepting being transformed into something else,” voiced out Milo much to the Doctor’s smug smile. “With its growing strength, Kida’s father thought to channel some of the power of the crystal into weapons but an accident almost destroyed the city. The crystal chose Kida’s mother as a host to protect itself and its people.”
“Using the energy of human soul,” added the Doctor. It was the first time he was wearing the story first hand and it made him understand the crystal even more. “But didn’t it happen to you as well Kida?”
“Yes,” replied Kida. “But the city was saved by Milo and his friends and I wasn’t needed to bond with it after a while. It had done what it had intended, saved the city from the lava flow and from the invaders.”
Rumple couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was amazed when he had arrived in the Land Without Magic and heard of all the histories of ancient civilizations and other worlds. Atlantis had caught his attention, especially after regaining his memories. He had thought that the city really was just a myth, a story. A place of such wonder and unexplained things couldn’t possibly have existed in a world where magic could not exist. But then he remembered the Doctor was also somewhat of a mystery, especially since what he does is not magic at all…
But maybe he was right that magic and energy are all just the same thing. It is how one uses it that really defines what it can be. He had argued with Victor before how magic is more to it than meets the eye but now, magic sort of has a scientific concept to it as well, especially with how Rumplestiltskin uses it.
He turned to crystal, awed by both its beauty and power hidden within its purple glow...wait purple?
“Wasn’t it glowing blue a while ago?” asked Rumple as he continued to study the crystal.
The others all turned sharply and Kida gasped at the sight before her. The crystal was glowing differently...a darker shade. It was different from when Kida had bonded with it. Back then, the crystal glowed lighter, bordering on white.
“That hasn’t happened before,” said Milo, getting up and walking to stand closer to the window. “Kida have you--”
“No, never,” replied Kida as she turned to her own crystal. It was the same shade just as she turned to study Milo’s crystal.
“Ummmm...”
Kida and Milo turned to Rumple who had spoken up and raised the crystal hanging around his neck. He, along with Clara and the Doctor had worn their crystals when they had arrived. But now Rumple’s crystal was a different shade...the same shade that the Heart Crystal was becoming. “What--”
Blue light suddenly swirled around Rumple and before the Doctor and Clara could cry out, he vanished.
Milo and Kida turned back to the crystal. It was still glowing darker but it remained above the city.
“What’s going on?” demanded Clara. “What happened to Rum?”
“I don’t know,” replied Kida but she quickly moved and ordered the guards to search for their guest.
“I’m guessing that has never happened before,” said the Doctor, pointing to the Heart Crystal. “But why did only Rum’s crystal change to glow the same way as the Heart Crystal is now?”
“Was there something like this in the journal, Milo?” asked Kida as Milo continued to study the crystal.
“No,” replied Milo who had read the Shepherd’s journal cover to cover at least three dozen times. “It glowed red when Rourke disturbed the waters it was being kept at under the city.” Both Milo and Kida’s eyes widened. “You don’t think.”
“We have to try,” replied Kida as she took the Doctor’s hand and started running towards the throne room. “Come on!”
Rumple had never teleported without knowing where he was going. He was usually the one who took unwilling passenger for a bumpy ride. This time however, it was he who was in for a surprise as he was with the rest one second and landing on a very hard ground the next.
The landing was anything but gentle and Rumple had to rub his sore shoulder from the impact. He was in a dimly lit room of some sort...well not room really since the entire thing looked to be a cave of some sort, rocks and stones covered with markings surrounding the entire enclosure.
The place where he stood was the only surface not underwater as the rest of the 3/4s of the cave seemed to be...Rumple leaned forward slightly and was unnerved by the darkness that seemed to go on forever. He wasn’t going to deny the idea that there was no bottom to the cave.
It was the pitch blackness of it that really unnerved Rumple as memories of the Vault and the Darkness reared its ugly head.
Ever since being saved by the Doctor and Clara, he has not heard the voices of the previous Dark Ones, a thing he was glad to be rid of. For once, his thoughts were now his own with no other voices second guessing him or taunting him. But seeing the Darkness overwhelming the room...it was like he was back being imprisoned inside his own head...being held captive by the thrall of the dagger, not owning his own soul--
A sharp ringing sound suddenly filled the cave and Rumple had to cover his ears with his hands to try and drown them out. The sound intensified and it began to hurt as Rumple’s knees crumpled and he fell to his knees on the ground, landing just by the water’s edge.
The sharp ringing brought back so many painful memories...Zelena and the cage, his father leaving, Milah and Cora’s words, Baelfire and the portal, Belle holding the dagger.
“STOP!” White light swallowed the entire cave overpowering the sound and finally a stillness settled on the cave. Rumple managed to lift his head to see that the Heart Crystal was hovering a couple of feet before and above him. Its glow back to a light blue but seeing it hovering in front of him suddenly made him feel utterly exhausted. He could feel his body fading as his arms dropped to his side and he started to pitch forward, vaguely aware that the pond’s depth was swallowed in darkness.
“Belle...I’m sorry…”
The last thing that registered was the sound of water splashing and then everything went dark.
“Why won’t it open?” Kida asked Milo as the other man paced while reading the journal. The sound of the TARDIS materializing filled the throne room again but it soon solidified and an annoyed Doctor stepped out.
“The TARDIS won’t let me materialize there as well,” huffed the Doctor.
“Is there some sort of energy blocking her?” asked Milo, finally raising his head from the journal.
“No she’s just being stubborn,” replied the Doctor much to the confusion of Kida, Milo and Clara. “It’s true! She doesn’t want me to get into that room.”
“It’s more like a cave with a pond,” corrected Milo as the Doctor shot him a glare. He did not see it but did close the journal and studied the others in the room. “What do we know? The crystal glowed differently and then Rumple’s own crystal did the same before he disappeared. We come to this room and the cave where the crystal was housed won’t open for us. We’ve been here for quite some time and then the entire Heart Crystal vanished in a swirl of light just like how Rumple did.”
Milo stopped, waiting for any objection but with none continued. “The last time the crystal vanished it had turned you, Kida, to its living host.”
“But that would require Rum to be of royal blood,” said Kida as she turned from the Doctor and Clara.
“I assure you he’s not,” replied the Doctor. “Milo, how sure are you that Rumple and the crystal are below us?”
“Because,” began Milo, reaching for the crystal around his neck. “These haven’t diminished in their glow. The last time it left the city, the crystals that every Atlantean had, died.”
“So the crystal is still in the city,” said Clara. “We still don’t know what happened to it and to Rum.”
Suddenly the throne room shook as the middle of the makeshift pond in the throne room suddenly descended. Kida immediately took hold of the Doctor’s arm and Milo did the same to Clara. As the stone continued to descend.
They saw the Heart Crystal glowing in front of them--
“Look!” cried Clara and in the middle of what looked like a small lake was an unconscious Rumplestiltskin, floating on the surface of the water. The Heart Crystal seemed to be focusing on him with a beam of white light.
As soon as the pillar they were standing on landed on the ground, Clara immediately ran to the edge of the water, only to be grabbed by Kida at the last second.
“Clara, wait!”
Kida then took a small stone and threw it at the water. As it landed, the Heart Crystal glowed a dangerous red but as the ripples died, it returned to its usual color.
“Can you scan it?” asked Milo to the Doctor who already has his sunglasses out. “Your screwdriver--’
“Glasses,” corrected the Doctor and the usual buzzing sound of the sonic screwdriver filled the cave. The doctor removed his glasses with an annoyed sigh. “Well it’s not doing anything. It’s a steady level of energy flow for both of them.”
“I thought you said it thrived on emotions,” said Clara. ‘What if it’s feeding off him or something?”
“He’s safe, Clara,” assured the Doctor, his tone answering her worries. The Doctor was many things but when it came to the wellbeing of his companions, he would never endanger them. “For the time being anyway.” He put on his glasses again and turned to the crystal. “The crystal is not increasing its energy but...it is doing something.”
“You can’t tell what it is?” asked Milo. The shepherd's journal was useless at this point.
“No,” replied the Doctor removing his glasses once again and turning to Kida. “And I’m guessing no one can answer us because everyone else in the city would have been too young to remember the days before the crystal was stored in this place.”
Kida turned to Rumple who was unconscious on the water’s surface. His expression was tensed as though he was having a nightmare. Her mind flashed back to what Clara had said, could the crystal be thriving from Rumple’s emotions?
“Is Rum facing any emotional turmoil?” asked Kida to their guests and the two exchanged a look that already gave Kida her answer.
“I’m not really sure if he’s facing it or downright ignoring it,” replied Clara. “Do you think that’s why the crystal is doing this now?”
“But the energy level isn’t changing,” replied the Doctor. “If the crystal was thriving on Rum, then the energy should be moving that way...but it’s not. It’s a steady flow.”
“Maybe…” began Milo as they all turned to him. “I don’t know...this is revolving around the idea that the crystal is alive somehow. It sensed the conflict within Rum and decided to help.”
“But why would the crystal want to help Rum?” asked Clara. “I’m pretty sure he’s not Atlantean.”
“Well the only way we’re going to get answers,” began the Doctor. “Is to wait for Rum to wake up.”
Rumple woke up in a grass field. A grass field and that was it. As far as he could see there was nothing else or no one else there.
Where in all the realms was he? How did he get there? Why was he there?
The last thing he remembered was being in Atlantis and facing a glowing blue sphere that seemed to be doing a great impression of a dream catcher as he witnessed his own life’s drawbacks, all those painful memories play out right in front of him.
“I assume you are confused,” came a woman’s voice and Rumple turned sharply to see a woman who looked a lot like Kida. She seemed older somehow and Rumple could sense something different about her.
“Are you--?”
“Kida’s mother, yes,” replied the woman. “Former queen of Atlantis.”
Rumple just stared at her, not sure what to say next. He didn’t know where he was, how he got there and why he was there. In these kinds of situations, Rumple had learned it was best to keep quiet.
“We’re still in Atlantis,” said Kida’s mother all of a sudden and Rumple’s eyes widened. He didn’t say that out loud, that he was positive on. “You shouldn’t really panic. Everything is alright.”
“How--?” began Rumple but he couldn’t really form any coherent sentence.
“I can sense your emotions,” replied Kida’s mother. “I’ve been sensing it since you arrived.”
And that was when realization dawned on him...he wasn’t really talking to Kida’s mother. Kida’s mother was chosen by the Heart Crystal years ago to defend the city. She had stayed bonded with the crystal over time and now…
“You’re the Heart of Atlantis,” said Rumple and the woman nodded her head. “What do you want with me?”
The woman studied him briefly before white light suddenly surrounded her and she transformed from the image of Kida’s mother to that of--
“Belle?!” whispered Rumple as his wife was suddenly standing in front of him wearing the same clothes as the night she had banished him.
“Rumple?” the figure asked and Rumple took a step back.
“Why are you doing this?” demanded Rumple, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.
“Rumple,” said the figure again. “Please don’t go--”
“You dare say that to me after you banished me!” shouted Rumple as he tried to focus. This wasn’t real. She wasn’t real. Belle was back in Storybrooke having the time of her life no longer tied to him. He shook his head and murmured, “No...you’re not really here. You’re not real.”
“Rumple, please listen--”
“Oh like how you listened when I was trying to tell you--,” he cut off. No this wasn’t Belle. This was the crystal thriving on his emotions. “Just go away, please.”
“I’ll listen,” the woman replied, her voice resigned. “Talk. I’ll listen this time. Just please don’t go, Rumple.” He looked up and met her eyes and for one moment it felt like he was really looking at her...at Belle. “Please…”
“I just wanted to protect you,” whispered Rumple as he looked at her. “I just wanted to protect you.”
“How was lying to me protecting me, Rumple?” asked Belle, tears falling from her eyes and running down her face.
“I meant what I said when I proposed, Belle,” began Rumple, his hands shaking with the effort to control his emotions. “I meant every word...but as we went home I just couldn’t stop thinking about Bae and how his life was wasted--”
“Rumple he--”
“He shouldn’t have died, Belle,” argued Rumple, tears falling now. “He shouldn’t have died. I should have died.” He paused and bowed his head in shame. “But I was already alive and there’s was nothing I could do to bring him back.” He looked up and turned to the image of Belle. “The only thing I could do was avenge him.”
The image of Belle remained silent and Rumple continued. “I was going to give you the real dagger. I swear but after seeing the damn hat...everything just changed.” He took a hesitant step forward. “I’ve always wanted my magic...my power for one reason. And that was to protect the people I love.”
Another step forward, “But the price of the curse was eating at my heart, especially after being controlled like that by Zelena. If I gave up the curse, I would lose my only chance of protecting you. If I remained under the curse, a far greater problem will befall on all of us.”
“And when you saw the hat?” asked Belle.
“I thought I saw a way out,” admitted Rumple. “I thought I saw or rather found a third option...but I guess villains don’t really get happy endings, no matter how hard we try.”
“Rumple…”
“I know I made mistakes Belle,” began Rumple, finally taking the last step to be right in front of her. “I’m so sorry I ruined--”
“Rumple…” began Belle as she cupped his face in one hand. “You’re not the only who is to blame for what happened.”
“Yes I am,” he admitted through his tears.
“You just said so yourself that I didn’t give you a chance to explain,” pointed out Belle. “You’re right. I should have.”
“But I lied to you and you had every right to be mad,” replied Rumple. “I can never stay mad at you Belle. I can never blame you for anything.”
“Maybe you should, Rumple,” replied Belle as her other hand found his and held on tight. “Rumple, I’m not perfect and I should stop trying to be. I should trying to force you into being someone you're not...someone I’m not as well.”
She stopped and met his gaze. “What happened between us, it was both our faults. Don’t believe that you ruined things that you are to blame for everything that has happened to us.”
“I’m the reason why you could never be happy,” said Rumple barely above a whisper. “Maybe now that I’m finally out of your life, you can be.”
“I can never be happy without you Rumple,” replied Belle as took both his hands into hers. “I told you that I knew what I was getting into...I knew who I was falling in love with.” She paused and wiped away the tears on his face with one hand. “I told Bae before that I love you, all of you. Even the parts that belonged to the darkness.”
“Belle…”
“And when that proved difficult,” began Belle, not letting him stop her. “I just turn my back and leave.” She clung to him, wanting so much for his arms to wrap around her, to shield her from the heart break. “I wish I could change things, Rumple. I wish we could go back and make things right…”
Rumple’s arms hesitantly went up and he didn’t know if he should or if he was allowed to hug her...but then own need won over his brain. Even if it wasn’t real...he just needed to hug, to be with her one last time.
“I wish we could to,” he finally answered and Belle raised her head to look at him. “But this isn’t real--”
“I know,” replied Belle, her eyes tearing up again. “But I do know one thing that is real,” she paused, letting her words sink in. “I love you Rumplestiltskin. I will never stop loving you.”
“I will never stop loving you as well, Belle,” replied Rumple, his tears once again falling. “I never will.”
They both leaned in at the same time and their lips met, all thought of it being real or not left, as they relished the time in each other’s arms, lost in the kiss that might be their last.
“We really can’t just sit here because it’s far too cold and dark to be of any comfort,” complained the Doctor as he continued to pace the part of the cave that wasn’t underwater.
“Feel free to stop and sit then,” snapped Clara. She was worried about her friend and the Doctor wasn’t helping by being his usual self. “I’m sure Milo, Kida and I would love for you to stop driving us mad!”
The little outburst got everyone’s attention but it was the Doctor who immediately went to Clara’s side and placed a calming hand on her shoulder. “He’s going to be alright, Clara.”
“I know, I know…” replied Clara, standing and walking to the water’s edge, she studied Rumple’s prone form and then turned to face the others again. “I just feel so useless not being able to help him.”
“Maybe this is something Rum has to face by himself,” replied the Doctor. “You’ve been mothering him since we got rescued him Clara. His marital problems is something he should face alone...or with his wife.”
Clara made to reply but the crystal suddenly glowed brighter and the beam of light surrounding Rumple vanished just as he opened his eyes and sank immediately, the crystal no longer making him float.
“Rum!” called both Clara and the Doctor. They both made to dive into the lake but both Kida and Milo stopped them. The cave was plunged into darkness then as the Heart Crystal disappeared, Milo and Kida coming to agree that the Crystal was back above the city.
The crystals around their necks were the only light but suddenly there was purple smoke and then Rum appeared, dripping wet and shivering.
“Rum!” called Clara as Rumple fell to his knees, his arms hugging wrapped around himself. The Doctor quickly shrugged off his coat and wrapped it around his shivering friend as Clara kneeled in front of him.
“Th--thank you,” managed Rumple as he looked around. “Wh.--where are...we?”
“Underneath the city,” replied Kida as she kneeled next to Clara. “Are you alright?”
“Just freezing,” replied Rumple, his voice finally strong. “How long have we been here?”
“Well we found you here since you disappeared,” replied the Doctor. He turned and pointed over the dark waters. “Floating there to be exact while the Heart Crystal loomed over you.”
“And it’s back above the city, I assume?” offered Rumple as everyone nodded. “I’ve been floating there all this time?”
The other four all exchanged curious looks. “Where else would you have been, Rum?” asked Milo.
Rumple turned them, slightly in disbelief but sighed. “It’s a very complicated tale.”
The crystal hovered above the city again, its beauty still captivating Rumple to no end.
Kida and Milo explained that maybe the crystal was trying to tell him something and it had taken matters to its own...well power...to help the sorcerer.
What help it wanted to relay was a bit lost to Rumple, but he will admit that the resulting conversation did help his mind a little.
He was always conflicted when it came to their parting. He didn’t know if he hated her or hated himself, blamed her or blamed himself…and with the crystal’s little intervention, Rumple finally realized that it was not one-sided.
They were both at fault. They were both victim and perpetrator of the downfall of their relationship. Rumple would never have admitted to that himself. He would always chose himself to blame because he was the weak one, he was the coward.
But the image of Belle that the Crystal constructed spoke true as well.
Although there was something in that exchanged that puzzled him. When the image of Belle had said that she had told Baelfire that she loved all of him, even the parts that belonged to the darkness. He couldn’t fathom where the crystal could have gotten that bit of information or was it just his mind being hopeful?
Nevertheless, he cherished that belief. That Belle loved him.
“It is a sight to behold, isn’t it?”
Rumple turned to see Kida standing beside him, the Doctor and the others near the TARDIS discussing something.
“It is,” replied Rumple turning back to study the crystal. “Beautiful, remarkable...and a little too intelligent for its own good.”
Kida laughed and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re not taking its little intervention with your life in good terms.”
“Well let’s say I needed it,” replied Rumple, turning back to look at Kida. “I’m not sure if it's any comfort or not...but besides my ex-wife...I saw another person.”
“You saw--,” began Kida, her eyes widening in realization.
“Your mother,” answered Rumple. “And from her physical appearance, you look just like her, Kida. And from what I saw, you’re going to be a great queen, a protector of her people, just like her.”
Kida smiled as her eyes began to tear up. She hugged Rumple with tight, the other man returning the gesture. “Thank you, Rumplestiltskin.”
“Thank you as well,” replied Rumple as they broke apart. “Your majesty.” He bowed his head and Kida chuckled lightly before returning the gesture.
The TARDIS lurched into a stop and its occupants were thrown across the console room.
“Hey!” shouted Clara as she landed right on top of Rumple who groaned as the wind was knocked out of him with the impact. “Oh, sorry, Rum. You alright?”
“You crushed me,” replied Rumple with a breathe but Clara just helped him to his feet and playfully punched his shoulder. “You’re heavy.”
“It’s not my fault you Scots are the size of toothpicks,” replied Clara with a relieved smile as they went to stand by the Doctor who was muttering himself, studying the monitors of the console.
“I don’t understand,” said the Doctor, annoyed as he pushed random buttons. “She’s staying put in the vortex because she doesn’t have enough energy to travel back to your time.”
“How is that possible?” asked Clara. “We were just in Atlantis. Could your attempts at getting into the cave underneath the throne room used that enough energy?”
“No,” replied the Doctor, studying the energy levels again. “She could only have been drained like this if we’ve been travelling to and from time...like a ping pong ball going back and forth.”
“You went back and forth through time?” asked Rumple.
“No,” replied Clara. “He was pacing and driving us all mad while you were too busy floating in the middle of that lake and having a spotlight trained at you.”
“I know I checked the levels,” muttered the Doctor. “We had a good level to get you home and maybe even get Rum and I to the moon for a much needed drink.”
Clara slapped his arm with the back of her hand, offended that she wasn’t going to be part of that trip. “Well guess this is payback for not including me in your plans.” She took Rum’s arm and headed to the kitchen. “Maybe a cup of tea would do us some good while she charges up.”
Rum just shrugged and turned to the Doctor with a smile who was still confused at their current predicament. “Couldn’t hurt to have a cup of tea.”
“Alright,” replied the Doctor as they all headed to the kitchen. “Maybe it’ll let me think and get an answer why the TARDIS is suddenly exhausted.”
As they disappeared, the time column moved a bit and glowed a certain shade of blue. Back in Atlantis, the Heart Crystal shimmered the same colour before going back to its original state.
Seems like two objects with a consciousness of their own had concocted a plan…
Frankly, Emma and Killian shouldn’t have been surprised to see Belle standing by the docks that early in the morning.
She had been closed off and quiet ever since Gold’s d-- disappearance. Emma didn’t want to consider him dead, not until they had tangible proof that he was. Regina was on the same book as her, as well as Henry. But they didn’t want to give the librarian hope, especially if the odds were against them.
It had been too long already with no sign and no contact and even if Gold were that mad at his wife, he wouldn’t stay that quiet for that long.
“Hey, Belle,” offered Killian as the beauty turned to them and Emma had to stop and study her. She seemed to be having a good day as compared to the others. She had a small smile on her face. It was sad, but it wasn’t forced like the others she had been putting on. “You ok?”
“Yeah,” replied Belle, her smile strengthening a little as she looked back at the sea. “I just had this urge to be near the ocean for some reason.”
They remained silent for a while, Emma and Killian exchanging a look as to what to say next. It was Emma who finally asked the hard question.
“You dreamt about him again, didn’t you?” asked Emma and she was met with silence. “Belle you can’t keep doing this yourself.”
“It was different this time, Emma,” replied Belle as she kept her gaze in the water. “This time we actually talked. This time he wasn’t mad or wasn’t blaming me or suffering...this wasn’t a nightmare.” She turned to the two, her eyes close to tears again. “It was dream. A good dream…”
“What happened?” asked Emma, knowing full well that it was better to have her say it instead of bottling it up.
“We talked,” replied Belle. “And maybe I got some answers of my own and got things out of my chest…” She stopped and she felt her tears fall. “I guess you can say it was a proper good-bye…”
Emma wrapped an arm around her shoulders as Belle openly cried now. “I’m so sorry Belle…”
“It just felt so real,” sobbed Belle. “We were able to say a proper goodbye to each other...but I know it wasn’t real...but I wished it had been that way.” She sniffed. “He died thinking I hated him.”
“I doubt that,” said Killian and both women turned to her. “Even if that was how you two last saw each other...I know the Crocodile, Belle. He knew.”
Belle thought back to her dream. His arms wrapped around her, their kiss.
I will never stop loving you as well, Belle. I never will.
The sound of the ocean’s waves calmed her again. She didn’t know why but those words rang through even if it was a dream. Rumple loved her and she loved him...she didn’t know what was coming but that knowledge reassured her for the time being.