A/N: Ok. I know. I haven't posted in a year. Like a seriously long time.

There is a reason for that.

I tried to write it other ways, you guys. I really did. I knew when I started it up something like this would happen.

But. It had to be this way.

And I'll write more now, because it's summer and it'd be absolutely cruel not to.

You'll see why.

And remember, I love you all, you devoted followers. I love you very much. And I am so very glad you don't know where I live.

Chapter 6

~: Rumpelstiltskin :~

The night was cold. They were all cold now, and his cot was so tough there was nothing for it but to stare at the side of his miniscule tent anyways. This stupid tent, this stupid cot, and the stupid moth eaten blankets; he couldn't stand any of it.

He had a castle! With a fireplace in every room he wished! He had painted pictures and windows to stare from, stars to gaze at through a telescope…

"Papa! Papa look! I see a mermaid!"

Ember's six year old curly head bounced up and down as she peered through his telescope from atop a stepping stool into the night sky, pointing up into the blue black blanket filled with shimmering dots.

He could only smile, looking up from his own star charts, deciding on whether a potion would best be brewed this night or the following night.

"Ah yes, my dear. A very poignant constellation,-."He crouched down next to her, pointing out of the window, "See there, how her tail flips?"

"Yes!" she looked around at him, her eyes flickering brightly.

He grinned back at her excitement. He loved his children's excitement to learn, both she and Pearce, and even his little Persephone, who was too young to do more than crawl around, "Well you see-."

"What are we looking at today?"

Both he and Ember jumped.

Belle had come up the staircase with some tea on a tray, which she put down on a small, table with a cloth spread over it. Ember stammered guiltily, "Mama-."

"She was having trouble sleeping," Rumpelstiltskin tried to explain, though he knew there was no excuse really. Ember should have been in bed. The little girl had weaseled her way into staying up late again.

"Mmhmm," Belle raised her eyebrows, her mouth trying to hide a smile, though her eyes were unable to. Those blue eyes, how they sparkled, even in the dimmest light, as though she had managed to capture stars in her eyes.

"You should get to bed, little spitfire," Rumpelstiltskin encouraged, turning little Ember away from the window.

Ember stamped her little foot, "But you were going to tell me about the mermaid constellation!"

"Oh was he now?" Belle grinned conspiratorially at him. He pulled a grimacing face, and she could only just hide giggle.

"Yeah!" a new voice, a smaller one, called from underneath a tablecloth.

"Pearce?" she called, surprised, "What happened to bed?"

"Ember was awake too," Pearce shuffled out from his hiding place, bashful, "Papa showed her consta- constel-." A big word in the mouth of a four year old. Rumpelstiltskin was impressed that he had remembered it.

"They're called con-stellations," Ember sneered.

"Now, you two," Belle chided, stopping Pearce before he could retort angrily.

"I'm sorry, dearest," Rumpelstiltskin kissed her forehead.

"No, no, I always love it when you tell stories," she smiled, and to his surprise knelt down on the floor, her back leaning against the stone wall, looking up through the windows to the stars, asking, "Tell us about the mermaid in the stars."

Ember nestled close in her mother's skirts, head resting on her lap, Pearce following suit, tucking himself into the folds of her dress. "It's a const-ell-ation, Mama," Pearce corrected in his tiny voice.

"Oh, right. Tell us about the constellation," her smile was bright, her eyes twinkling as she stared up at him from her seat on the floor, two of their three children snuggling next to her. And the only thing he could do was stare back, warmth filling his once dark heart.

And now there was no warmth. No warmth in the heart that was turning blacker each day.

All because he was too much of a coward to go back and fix his mess. But with his apology she would wish to join him again, and he could not, would not have that. Belle the Brave on the front line, her face fierce as she slew ogres, shot small shards of magic into the fray-

No. Belle could no longer be brave. Belle had to stay safe.

She would stay safe, if he had anything to say about it.

He growled when a troop ran past, their heavy armor clinking, yelling jokes to one another. He should blast them apart, make an example of them. It was already hard enough to sleep without lying next to her. It was too cold. Far too cold.

After another hour of tossing and turning, he let out a bark of anger, throwing off his rag of a blanket and pulling on his clothes and boots, and hurling on his thick cloak, before stomping out of the tent in a rage.

He should apologize.

But he wouldn't.

Not until after this accursed war was over.

He needed more magic. He was an excellent sword fighter, managing expertise with a blade where so many couldn't handle one, but magic is what made the difference in the war. He would restore up his sorcerer's pocket on this ride he was going to take.

But what did it matter if he had magic? The stupid princeling was still missing, after more than five days of searching their Majesties had all but given up hope, and were now making the most reckless, foolhardy decisions in the battle, and Rumpelstiltskin didn't have the patience to check in with them.

People avoided him as he marched through the camp, searching for the stables.

He would take a horse to search for Henry tonight. Tracking him had proven useless. Ogres had clearly befallen him and his troop, though there was no sign of more than a little bloodshed, leaving the Charmings too much to hope for. But he had to prove the ridiculous child was dead, or still salvageable.

He mounted his horse after saddling him, a black horse, that Ember called Nightmare fondly. His Ember and Pearce were probably still awake, probably practicing magic or brewing potions together, making a mess of his study. And as dangerous as it was, Belle would keep them safe. She knew to call if anything happened. Didn't she? Would she, after his behavior?

He kept his mirror with him anyways as he rode from camp, out of the back entrance, so as not to disturb, letting the night and its mists cloak him.

She was on his mind too much. He flexed his left hand, feeling the weight of his ring there, a constant reminder. A constant guilt.

He pulled up the hood of his cloak as the horse and he rambled past the large clearing where they were encamped, deep into the forest, past scouts keeping a watch, signaling them as he went by.

He wasn't much of a rider. He only rode to get away, really. All the nonsense of looking for Henry had been just an excuse, an excuse he would have told someone if he had been asked, but he realized now that he was merely getting away.

The forest grew thick, and dark the deeper they traveled, and he slowed when he could no longer manage a gallop to weave through the trees.

He slowed his horse, the overnight sky all but shrouded by trees. The roots of a mountain started to grow, and he realized too late how close he'd come to the border of the Ogre Lands.

He exhaled through his nostrils frustratedly. He didn't want to have to turn back. He wasn't exhausted enough yet to go back to the cot, or to the tent.

So he didn't. His horse trotted along, roaming through the night, and it took Rumpelstiltskin by surprise when he recognized where he was. He'd been in this forest before, not just recently. He smelled his own old magic in the air- a great deal of it. He must have expended a lot in that area.

He followed it, curious, his mind trying to recall. He'd used a lot of magic, carelessly, back in his years, searching for a way to find Bae.

Bae.

Another guilt. Another sadness.

Too many of those right then.

It wasn't until he reached the blasted clearing that he remembered. To his shock nothing had grown- he remembered the spell, the fight.

He furrowed his brow.

He'd used a great deal of magic here. The place was rank with it. Then of course, the soil had eroded away into sheer bedrock, the trees blasted down, shattered, for at least a fourth of a mile. No undergrowth, no grass, not even dead leaves.

Nightmare shied under him, a rare thing, since he was always using magic when he rode around, but she moved forward when he urged her to.

He remembered now, he realized with a smirk, as they stepped into the circle of eroded bedrock. He'd had to turn everything to stone, using the earth itself to seal his enemy away.

He sighed, missing that kind of power, that infinite power that the Dark One had possessed. He peered into the night, wanting to see his obvious victory, a trophy he'd had to leave behind.

Now there was a welcome feeling- the feeling of victory, of beating someone so thoroughly that they had been cursed to be cast in stone, forever.

But peer as he might, Rumpelstiltskin couldn't see the statue of his opponent that he'd created.

He urged Nightmare into a canter, riding straight to the center of the stone ring.

Nothing was there, just cracked rock where stone had taken root at his feet. No- wait-.

There, inlaid in stone, was a craggy remain of a foot. A boot.

Rumpelstiltskin's frown deepened.

Where- and then several things clicked in his head at once.

If the statue was gone- there were only two ways to break that curse- and he had been the one person near powerful enough to take on the Dark One- a shape shifter-.

Panic rose in him as he made to wheel his horse around, wrenching on the reigns so hard the poor creature whinnied.

When he saw a new statue.

One he recognized, with a face that he had known through nine years, had grown into manhood. One who had been missing for six days.

"Henry-," Rumpelstiltskin breathed, horrified, but if Grace came, if Grace kissed him, it would be fine. He still couldn't calm himself. And he couldn't take him back at this moment. He had to ride, ride hard. Ride fast.

He kicked his horse, and they bolted towards the forest.

When the first ogre tore into view he knew he was too late.

The ogre bore down on them, and Rumpelstiltskin had to wheel the horse around, and tried to magic them from the stone clearing, but knew before he tried it would be a waste. A bubble, a Wall similar to his entrapped them there.

The next ogre slammed into view, and he spun back around to the middle of the clearing.

The horse was baying, bucking almost. Unhelpful.

He unhooked his leg and spun off of her.

Twelve ogres. Ogre berserkers.

An impossible feat. One meant to break him down to nothing, to leave him helpless against the next onslaught.

Make it count.

He pinched to fingers together in front of his mouth, and spewed fire at the closest ones, singeing their tough skin and making them roar. Knowing it would only enrage them, he appeared behind them, and roasted a couple from behind.

He thought a curse at another, and flung it out with his hands just as they realized what he was up to. Before he could watch the effects he danced around another's onslaught, barely disappearing away from the spot as the rock crumbled underneath the enormous battle axe.

He swiveled around, cloak flying out around him, ducking smoothly underneath the swing of a club. The mists swirled around him, towards him, the night suddenly thick with the fog. A bit of cover for the outnumbered sorcerer.

He drew his sword and slit an ogre's leg clean off below the knee. As the ogre fell he slew him, and spun to face his next target.

Three more fell before the mists dissipated enough for the cretins to see. The bellowed their rage. Five were injured, one of those near enough to death Rumpelstiltskin leapt in mid air, appearing on the ogre's shoulder and slamming his sword down through bone, before escaping.

That left seven. Four injured, three perfectly capable to-

The sword that swung down almost cleaved him in two. He managed a magical barrier before disappearing away.

Too close. Too much thought into numbers, into odds.

Fire spat forth, and engulfed one. Too much magic fire. He didn't have enough in store in his pocket for that. But the fire left enough smoke for him to discretely demolish two more, leaving four.

When he was swiped backwards by a hand, swatted like a fly, it was sheer luck that let him land far enough to regain a moment of clarity. He rolled against the rock, the pebbles scraping into his sides, and he only had time to push himself up onto his hands and knees before they were charging down on him. He realized almost too late how close they were to Henry, to the statue of him, and if that came crumbling down, no kiss would bring him back.

Rumpelstiltskin disappeared away from the statue, and the dumb grunts followed.

Four left. Only four.

But he ached, his ribs probably broken, and whoever had sent this attack force had meant to weaken him. Meaning that they had more power up their sleeve.

He didn't like to be outthought, or to be plotted against.

He snarled at the onslaught of ogres, tearing up rocks from the ground, and sent the rocks careening through each of their skulls.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you of David and Goliath?" he snarked, skipping over one of them.

His hood had fallen down in the disarray, but he kept it that way. Whoever was out there, who would now be coming, knew it was him, knew he was here, so there was no use in being mysterious.

There was use, however, in acting.

He pretended to be more hurt than he actually was, limping, something he was accustomed to, over to Henry's statue, having his horse canter over to him to help him along the way. Nightmare really was a smart horse, avoiding the ogres, keeping from the fight when ordered. Smart, useful.

He felt the familiar pulse of a mirror call in his pocket. He was surprised. He would have thought whoever had made this Wall would have thought to block simple scrying magic. Maybe it had been too simple though.

It was His Majesty.

"Where are you?" King Charming asked, impertinent as always.

Keep it light, "Trapped, Your Majesty," Rumpelstiltskin replied truthfully, "I found your grandson-."

"Not right now, we need you!" the King cut him off, "Ogres are ransacking the encampment- our forces alone can't hold them off-."

"He said he found Henry-."Emma, brazen as ever, pushed into his way, "Can you get him out?"

"No-," he repeated irritably, "Nor can I leave, at the moment."

"What are you talking about?" the King demanded.

He had to get this out, quickly, hoping the royals wouldn't interrupt anymore, "I know who it was who found a way through my Wall."

"It's been a long time, Rumpelstiltskin," said a familiar, raspy voice from behind him.

~: Pearce :~

It was hard to sleep when Papa wasn't home. He'd always felt that way. Not that he didn't feel safe without him, but that the castle didn't feel whole. There was a certain emptiness that echoed through the halls.

But being in Papa's study was the closest to being near whole.

And the house hadn't been whole since almost a week ago. He and Mama had had a fight. He'd never seen his father act like that.

He was curled up on the one chair in the study, a big arm chair that his father and his mother used to sit together in to read to one another, or to talk, or to sleep.

Pearce was reading one of his new favorites- the stories of his father, both when he was the Dark One, and when he was allied with the King of the Enchanted Forest.

He was reading the last of a battle, the one where the evil shapeshifter, the terrible and feared Worm of the Far North, known for his ability to change shape at whim, a slimy worm of a thing, with razor teeth and claws, but often took the form of a strong man, had come off his mountain to challenge this new Dark One when Rumpelstiltskin had boasted that he was the strongest in all of the land. It had been about two hundred years ago.

Of course, his father had antagonized the man out from his caves, challenging his immortality.

And they were locked in a battle.

Pearce's eyes took in every line quickly, knowing them by heart.

The Worm's strength was great. He drew on the twisted things of the earth, the evil, the scarred, but nothing, nothing could stand in the way of the Dark One.

And the Dark One wanted his claws.

It was said the claws of the Worm were powerful beyond imagining, that they could give people the ability to transform at will, always, without a potion or spell, just as the Worm could.

The Worm was losing, but then again, the Dark One's strength was legendary.

The Worm had resorted to raw magic, no longer battling with the elements, though Rumpelstiltskin did not seem fatigued, he did the same, humoring the creature he was easily defeating.

Pearce wished he had the Dark One's power, though he knew his Papa and his Mama always told him that it was evil, to have that much magic? It would be astounding, wonderfully easy to do things.

But he knew, true love was more important, and good always won.

He skimmed ahead a bit, to the good part. The part where his Papa ended the creature.

The Dark One cackled, "You should just give me your claws now, while you still have the chance."

"Never!" the Worm screamed, exhausted from the fight, "Not in a thousand years!"

"Well, then," "I'll give you time to think it over."And with that, Rumpelstiltskin appeared right at the Worm's side. "I hope this isn't the end. Your claws would be very useful."

Rumpelstiltskin put his forefinger to the Worm's temple and stone took hold of the creature's body.

When the Worm of a man had been thoroughly turned to stone the Dark One stepped back, admiring his handy work. He snapped off one of the Worm's fingers, but it was just stone.

"Pity," Rumpelstiltskin crumbled the finger to dust in his hand, "Well, it wasn't really necessary. It would have just been easy," he shrugged, patting the now stone shoulder, "Be see you in a thousand years! Or not!" the Dark One cackled, and then cocked his head as he looked under his feet. He'd used so much power in that stone curse he'd cursed the clearing entirely. That was a surprise. He still didn't know his own strength. It made him cackle all the more as he departed home.

Pearce smiled, though his eyes were tired.

By now the candle had burnt low. He probably shouldn't be up so late. Mama wouldn't be happy with him in the morning. He closed the book, smiling, hoping that one day he'd be as powerful as Papa had been-

That was when he had felt it.

The border. Something was tugging at the border wall of Dark Castle. Not Papa's magic.

This magic was darker than that.

Pearce put down the book, and ran over to the windows, standing on tip toes to peer out over the ledge.

Peering into the night, he saw Papa's barrier appear, to his surprise.

He watched as it thrummed, colorful in the night, like an aurora from the tip of the north, his nose pressing against the glass.

What was going on?

~:Belle:~

It was like most nights now that Belle slept in her daughter Sephie's room. She had moved Gryffin there too, trying to consolidate their family as much as she could. She knew Pearce would be reading until late hours of the night though, that is if he and Ember weren't practicing magic on their own up in Rumpelstiltskin's study, which they did alone now, since their Papa hadn't returned for nearly a week now, and she could barely teach them anything they didn't know now they were advancing so quickly.

Rumpelstiltskin- she had to stop herself.

Belle toyed with her little Persephone's hair as she slept, wondering how on earth her hair had turned out to be so blond, and how it was growing to be so long! Why, it was almost down to her feet! Belle had to keep finding new ways to pull it up to keep it from dragging across the floor. She couldn't bring herself to cut it off for some reason.

She had cut it once, and the end that remained had turned dark, and now would not grow. She felt guilt, as though she'd cut off a flower stem, but knew the thought was a little silly. Still, she hadn't tried to cut her hair since.

Belle listened into the night, the candle next to Sephie's bed flickering with the light breeze that gently blew across the room. She didn't hear anything. Once hearing quiet had given her ease of mind, but now it made her all the more anxious.

She decided that she should probably tell her children to go to bed, even it was only Pearce reading.

Belle stood, and just as she did so, Gryffin started to cry.

Belle took him from the room, bouncing him in her arms as she carried him up the staircase to Rumpelstiltskin's study.

She'd always loved his spiral staircase, had always loved how it reminded her of their wedding.

Their wedding.

She stopped where she stood, placating Gryffin quietly. "Do you want to hear a story?"

All of her other children had been fast talkers, but Gryffin had been more a man of action thus far, walking earlier than her other children, crawling faster, escaping with ease. So when he continued to cry instead of settling at her words as her other children had had, she decided a rocking chair would be the best course of action.

"Well," she detoured into another room, the nursery. She'd let Ember and Pearce have a little longer with their fun, she decided, settling down into the old rocking chair that had rocked four children to sleep multiple times. "When your father and I were younger, we got married, and what a beautiful occasion it was."

She didn't know why she was telling him this story. She often told her children stories of pirates, or of castles with knights, or of places with cars and airplanes. But, but… Gryffin needed to know. He needed to know that his Papa and his Mama loved each other. Because no matter what she still loved him. She did.

They weren't having a wedding at the church, because Rumpelstiltskin absolutely abhorred fairies. And she didn't mind.

Snow White was smiling at her, still floofing with her hair, almost as excited as Belle, though less contained. Because for some ridiculous reason, Belle was nervous.

She knew she wanted to marry Rumpelstiltskin, knew that she wanted to grow old with him, spend the rest of her life with him, have children with him…

She bit her lip, watching her reflection follow suit. Her reflection for some reason often startled her. It seemed as though it were someone else, not her. She didn't perceive herself the way her reflection showed her. Her expressions seemed slightly off, her eyebrows lower set on her forehead than she imagined, her hair frizzier or straighter than she believed when she thought of herself walking around. It was silly to be concerned about it now. But it seemed like she was concerned with everything right now.

She had been stationed in his house in the white bedroom, and though his house had been rocked to shambles in the Last Battle, she had insisted on getting married here. He had repaired it though, for her, and there were flowers, white flowers everywhere throughout the room.

She didn't want to wait for everyone to be reestablished before getting married. She wanted it right now. Didn't she?

"Belle, you look absolutely gorgeous," beamed Snow.

"She's right," Emma came up behind her, an almost smile on her face. She'd gotten a fresh scar that trailed from her jaw across the backside of her neck. It had been stitched up, but, unless they had a healer look at it, it was going to be permanent. Why Emma was so skittish around magic was still a mystery to her.

"Thank you," Belle responded in kind, surprised how quivery her voice was.

Emma raised her eyebrows at her mother, "Mary Margret, don't you think you're over-doing it a bit?"

"Oh," Snow White stopped herself, letting go of a strand of Belle's hair, "You're probably right."

Belle smiled, trying not to look too gratefully at Emma, and stared back at her reflection. The dress was a dream of lace, the sweetheart neckline underneath the long lace sleeves, her gown draping downwards and trailing behind her, her veil long and silvery. She couldn't help but feel a bit awed by how the white made her reflection's hair deep and illustrious, made the blues in her eyes pop, made her skin look smooth and silky. That might also have been due to Ruby's make up design. It had almost gone overboard when Emma had reigned her in. Emma was good at that, and she couldn't have been more grateful. Ruby had left to go finish overseeing the decorations, but she could still thank the Charming women.

She turned around to face them, fidgeting with her sleeve, "Thank you both, so much."

"Hey," Snow took her by the shoulders, "I know you're nervous. I get it. But don't worry. This is your Happily Ever After-."

Something made Belle pause. She stood up abruptly, making a dozing Gryffin wake. He started to bubble unhappily, but she cooed him back into quietness.

Something was wrong.

~: Rumpelstiltskin :~

The Worm was still missing a finger, and now instead of a leg he had a peg attached there, though it wasn't affecting his magic at all. No. It wasn't.

His skin was now gray- one way of breaking the curse, that had a more permanent affect on him- and he had chosen a lankier person to imitate, dark hair trimmed at his shoulders, a goatee cut close so that his smile shown all the more.

And this time he had all the confidence in the world. This time the Worm was winning.

No. Rumpelstiltskin felt his energy draining. Draining too quickly.

His mental barrier was impenetrable, but his battle magic lacked what his opponent's had. And his opponent was cackling.

"So soft, Rumpelstiltskin! I would have never thought you would have sunk so low!"

Rumpelstiltskin didn't have energy for words. He was pouring it all into his craft, and his spells were losing.

They were down to sheer magic now, no more lightning or fire, no earth and wind. Just raw force hammering at one another, sparks shattering the air as the lights of their magics clashed against one another.

He was going to lose.

"Belle," he murmured, and then felt his magic flare out. True love enhanced magic. He would need her strength, her link, though the link would make guarding his mind infinitely harder. "Belle," he growled.

~: Belle :~

"Rumpelstiltskin," she breathed, and instantly she was connected with him.

Help. His mind was trying to hide his panic, trying to hide what was happening, but she knew him better.

Here.

Instantly the bond was stronger- sending energy to another through a mental contact wasn't as effective, and for Belle it was almost dream like. Crystals danced in front of her eyes.

He was in a fight he couldn't handle- she could feel that-

Who-

But he stopped her, I'm not going to make it.

Panic raced through her mind, You are- here.

She sent a burst of magic through to him, forcing none of it to get lost in translation.

~: Rumpelstiltskin :~

"True love Rumpelstiltskin?" he heard the Worm cackle as Rumpelstiltskin's magic intensified, Belle's strength weaving through his own, "I'd heard about your wife and children, but I never thought the Dark One could love."

Oh no, the Dark One couldn't love. That was why he was no longer the Dark One. But the Worm knew that as well as he did.

"I've sent my ogres to your castle."

Fear stopped his heart, making the strength from Belle's magic lessen. Ogres? To Dark Castle?

Belle- she was sending her magic his way. No. Not if ogres were coming-

He stopped her magic flow, throwing up a flag, and when she tried to force more on him, No- you're going to need it. You're going to-

The ground underneath his feet ruptured, and his left foot slipped into the crack. Sloppy of him to not pay attention-

The ground closed quicker than he could disappear away.

Rumpelstiltskin!

The pain blackened everything, dented his magic as he felt his bones in his leg crushed. His hallow yell echoed off the ground, disappearing and reappearing far from where they'd been dueling, almost completely unable to stand.

The torrent of his enemy's raw magic bashed into him, almost wearing the skin off of his bones, before he got a protective shield up.

The cackle resounded painfully in his ears as the Worm stepped casually forward, his face tilted.

"You should have seen me coming, should have noticed how I lead your horse here," the Worm spoke in scathing rasps, "You've gotten weak." He continued, "And the death of this kingdom will be your fault."

Rumpelstiltskin felt rage rise within him, and he blasted his magic at the Worm.

He kept his stride, his own magic shield impervious to Rumpelstiltskin's onslaught, his smile mad. "I prepared for the fight of my life," his voice was twisting, "I even ate the heart of a dragon."

Rumpelstiltskin felt his blood turn to ice. The Worm had eaten the heart of a dragon- the heart of a dragon was known to grant eternal healing if given willingly, but, to eat one? An abomination, but the strength it would give him? Almost infinite, almost enough to match the power of the Dark One. But, the Dark One existed no longer. Only Rumpelstiltskin remained, ""But now I see it was not needed. You are weak without the Dark One's gifts."

Rumpelstiltskin didn't stop, increasing his force until the Worm's shield broke and his magic slammed through, the burst sending the Worm twisting backwards.

In his moment of freedom, he yelled a message through to Belle, Children- you- get safe- get out! Get out now! Belle!

Rumpelstiltskin!

Rage flickered over the Worm's deadened skin, and a storm hit Rumpelstiltskin before he could manage anything but a fraction of a shield. He went soaring backwards, fear searing through him just before he landed. He rolled to a stop, face to the ground, and before he could get up he felt magic pinning him there. This was it.

Rumpelstiltskin! What's going on?!

Belle- my brave Belle.

The Worm descended upon him, pulling him to his feet by his throat, and before he could do anything he felt the Worm break his mental barrier.

Belle I love you.

And with that he severed his connection to magic, breaking off contact to her, and keeping the mad man from tainting his mind. With his pocket closed, however, he left himself open, wide open.

The Worm set him on his two feet, and smiled, his jaw jutting forward, his dark eyes bright with crazed malice, "Now you get to know how it felt." He raised a hand, his eyes wide, his pupils dilated, "This is the End."

Rumpelstiltskin felt his heart lurch. Belle- his children- he could barely breathe, his hands scrambling to peel off the Worm's fingers from around his throat.

The Worm pressed his forefinger to Rumpelstiltskin's temple, and in an instant, before Rumpelstiltskin could even choke out a yell, his skin had petrified, and he knew no more.

~: Belle :~

"Rumpelstiltskin!"

She felt her heart lurch. She could only move. She ran for the stairs, clinging the baby to her as he cried. "Rumpelstiltskin, what's going on?!" she was yelling it aloud as well as in his mind.

Belle- my brave Belle. His voice in her head sounded so sweet, but so final. Belle, I love you.

She felt the connection sever just as something sinister slipped into his mind. "No-," she had to stop on the stairs, to breathe, tears streaming down her face as Gryffin cried out loudly. "No!"

And then the halls echoed as a roar rumbled outside of the castle.

~: Ember :~

She awoke with a start.

Something was wrong.

The border.

She felt the breach before she realized what it was. Her Papa had taught her that.

She leapt out of bed, running to the window and flinging the curtains open.

The night was dark, but the moon gave barely enough light for her to find where she'd felt the breach.

What she saw was terrifying. Something had torn a hole in the Wall her Papa had made invisible around Dark Castle, and she felt her face drain of color as her eyes found what she had been searching for. She'd only seen pictures of ogres, but these ogres, they were twelve feet tall, running towards the castle, huge weapons held high. So many of them.

Ogres were here. They'd come to fight here.

She had to get Mama.

She tugged on her boots, forgetting her stockings, and ran from her room.

"Mama!" she shrieked, her nightgown hiking up over her knees as she ran. "Mama! Ogres!"

Just then a bell sounded, startling her to a stop.

It rang loud over the whole house, and Ember looked skyward. Where was it coming from? There weren't bells in Dark Castle-.

It was magic. Her Mama's magic. She could feel her mother's flavor in it.

Her Mama already knew. And now the others did too.

She had to find Mama still. Mama would know what to do.

Her unlaced boots helped her race down the halls, around right corners, trying to locate Mama.

She found her mother up in Papa's study. Pearce was there, stuffing books into a bag, and his mother was trying to find things. A golden fleece, a set of mirrors, magic rope, a plate and mug, a carpet, a whole role of wands, bottles of potions-.

Gryffin was sobbing, screaming for attention on the big red high backed chair her Papa liked to sit in.

"Mama," Ember breathed, and her mother's brown curls shot up.

"You need to go find your sister."

"But Mama the ogres."

"Pearce is getting things you'll need," she said hurriedly, coming over to her daughter, taking her by both of her shoulders so she could look straight into her eyes, "You need to find Persephone and get out of here. You can do it."

Ember swallowed, "O-ok!"

Her mother nodded, "Go, now."

Ember turned, and ran back down the stairs.

~: Pearce :~

Mama was stuffing things into other bags, making curtains into bags, throwing in star charts and a telescope.

He couldn't possibly carry all of those things.

But he would try if Mama asked.

He hauled two bags over his shoulders, and his mother grabbed another three off of the desk and work table. She drew a cloak over her shoulders, the only cloak left on his father's once laden rack.

"Alright," she said, her eyes focusing on him, and took Gryffin up in her arms. "Let's go."

Gryffin cried as they ran down the stairs, scaring Pearce. The ogres would hear. They would come for them.

They took stairs all the way down to the ground level. Pearce was barely able to breathe with all of the weight, not able to keep up, but the bells his mother had set off throughout the castle were loud, banging against his ears so hard he wanted to clap his hands to them to stop them from aching.

His mother stopped him, and looked around the corner for the intruders.

"Alright," she said, and drew a spoon from the pocket of her cloak, holding Gryffin close to her, trying to coax him into quieting down. She gave him to Pearce to hold for a moment, whose arms already ached. He was so frightened his hair stood up on his arms, his heart racing even though they weren't going anywhere. Just standing still.

She set the spoon on the cold floor, and tapped it once with her forefinger.

Instantly it grew into a horse, a sturdy one, small, but sturdy. She conjured a saddle, tack and reigns as well. He hadn't known that she had known so much magic. She never did magic if she could help it, but he couldn't believe it now, how she had conjured so much, just like Papa.

"You have to ride, fast," his mother said quickly.

"But, I thought you said we couldn't ride horses in the castle," Pearce's eyes stared after her as she worked, saddling the horse.

"Don't mind that now," she told him with a small smile, but her face was still anxious, "You can break the rules just this once, alright?"

He just nodded as she put the bit into the horse's mouth. She was doing it backwards, but then, this was a spoon horse, so it didn't really matter.

"You know this spell isn't permanent," she told him, meeting his eyes, as she secured the three bags onto the horse. Pearce knew the spell wasn't permanent, and that it would last longer if the inanimate object had been animate, but he didn't want to think about running all the way to the other end of the castle to the stables.

His mother took his bags from him, and threw them over the horse too. "You get out. You use your magic to blast through the walls of the castle if you have to."

"But Mama-," he never blasted through anything before. Wasn't it Ember that put fiery holes through the walls so often Papa threatened her with no magic?

She picked Pearce up, and put him on the horse then, while he was still holding Gryffin, helping him put his feet in the stirrups. Gryffin was screaming now, his face red with the effort of it.

She tore a bit of the bottom off of her nightgown, and helped Pearce make a sling to hold Gryffin in around his chest. Gryffin was so heavy he still had to hold on with one arm.

"You take him to where it's safe, and you wait until Ember finds you, do you understand me?" she asked him, her eyes set on his.

Pearce felt fear spike in him again, his eyes wide with the question, "But what about you, Mama?"

"You'll find me," her eyes were watering as she kissed his cheek, and brushed Gryffin's cheek, "Now go, quickly."

She smacked the horse, and it took off, racing down the corridor, its hooves clacking loudly against the ground as they took off.

He looked around at his mother one last time, and watched as she waved to him, before she disappeared.

~: Ember :~

She had to find her sister. Her sister's room wasn't far- it wasn't very-.

A huge monster- an ogre- came thundering around the corner.

Ember skidded to a stop, her boots almost making her stumble.

The ogre growled, and then roared, raising his axe high over his head so it caught on the vaulted ceiling.

She pressed her hands together, and then spat fire from her mouth, just as her Papa had taught her, making it huge as she screamed the blaze from her lips. The ogre roared his pain, the smell of his awful skin burning causing her to choke. She ran away from it, ran away from the monster, and took another corridor to her sister's room.

Fear rose in her. She'd never expected anything that big, anything that scary in her Mama's stories. She almost choked on it as it rose in her throat, feeling faster as she ran for all her might to find her sister.

She could hear her sister's crying when another ogre lumbered up towards her.

Her fear was too great. His eyes focused on her, and there was nothing she could do. Her mind went blank. She froze where she stood as the monster's big face opened to roar at her, and she screamed, but this time there was no fire as a mace came down at her.

A sword gleamed into view.

Her mother leapt forward draped in a cloak over her night gown, and smote the ogre where he stood.

Ember panted, and watched as her mother, soaked in red, hurried towards her daughter. "I'll get Persephone."

"But Mama-," Ember felt guilt overwhelming her. She hadn't been able to do what her mother had asked.

"Here," her mother pressed a small, round mirror into her hand, "Take it with you."

"What is it?" Ember asked, staring into it.

Her mother's blue eyes caught her attention again, "A way to look, to see. Your Papa used it. Find Pearce with it. Go, now, quickly."

Ember nodded, "Yes Mama."

Her mother smiled, touching her face, "There's my spitfire."

She pulled the cloak from around her shoulders, "It will hide you, camoflauge you. The ogres won't see you anymore if you're quiet. Get out quickly." She tied it tightly around Ember's neck.

Ember's eyes went wide, "But what about Richard?"

"Richard will be fine," her mother said, though her eyes said differently, "I'll get him too."

Ember shook her head, backing away, "Mama- I have to find him."

Her mother stood up from her crouch, "No, Ember-."

"I'll find him!" Ember shouted, turning away from her mother and running, the cloak dragging her down.

"No!" shouted Belle, but another ogre had heard the noise, and charged at her, "Ember, be safe!" she called over her shoulder.

Ember just nodded as she threw the hood of the cloak up over her head.

~: Belle :~

The sword was not her sword. It was too heavy, a two handed weapon, but she would use it to the best of her ability.

She swung with all her might, taking out a chunk of an ogre's leg. When he fell to his knees she severed his head.

Tears were blinding everything, and she couldn't afford to be blind. Not now.

Her thoughts were too muddled, she couldn't get a clear connection out to her children. They had only rarely used a mind link, but she found Pearce with little Gryffin, riding hard on horseback out of the castle from the side entrance, Pearce's little heart racing, and Gryffin crying so loudly the ogres were sure to come after them.

Not if she slew them all first.

Where was Ember?

Running. Running. Finding Richard, finding anyone.

Belle breathed a sigh of relief, Darling- Darling listen. I need you to listen-.

But there are more of them!

Listen! She felt herself urge, You take as many of the other children, and get out of the castle. Run as fast as you can. Keep talking to me.

My pocket isn't full anymore! Her daughter had never sounded so timid.

Belle could only smile. After all that conjuring, and then disappearing to her daughter's aid, after helping Rumpelstiltskin, she herself barely had much left, Neither is mine. Keep talking to me until it's gone. I need you to get out now. Now, do you hear me?

Her daughter said she would, and Belle kept running, sword in one hand as she did so, her bare feet skimming across the stone floors, down flights of stairs, up them again.

She wished she had practiced magic more. She wished her sorcerer's pocket had been full. She wished Rumpelstiltskin were there. She wished her children weren't scattered, that they were together, united as a family-

Where's Papa? Ember had heard her wishes. She'd been wishing too loudly, something Rumpelstiltskin and she had once played at together.

The stream of thoughts almost stifled her. I'm looking.

Papa? She felt her daughter cry out to his mind.

No, save the magic you have, she ordered her daughter. Take Richard, take the others, take Grace, and get out. Out now! You know the ways. You have snuck out many times before.

But what about you Mama?

You'll find me. Get out, get safe. Run. You know how to use magic.

Where's Persephone? Sephie?

I'm getting her.

She slid to a stop next to the room, and almost got clobbered by an ogre, who had been trying to ram into the room, since he couldn't squeeze through the door.

She could hear Persephone wailing, screaming for her. Her heart twisted, but the ogre was sizing her up, and she had to finish him first.

He bore his green teeth at her, and she shouted right back, twisting around to thwack at his knee.

It'd been too long since she'd fought ogres. Too long. She was out of practice. She should have kept practicing fencing with Rumpelstiltskin.

Rumpelstiltskin-

She felt her heart cry out, and she could only yell as threw her sword, piercing the ogre's heart so that he fell, dead, to the ground.

There were more, she knew. More. More that she would kill. She would slay them all.

"Mama!"

Persephone was clutching at her blood soaked night gown, burying her little tear stained face into her, and the rage that had been about to consume her heart receded. She picked up Sephie, and ran, leaving the sword. She couldn't carry them both.

~: Ember :~

She almost ran head long into Richard who was coming around a corner.

He had a fire poker, his face angry, angrier than she'd ever seen it.

"Richy?" she pulled her hood down.

"Ember!" he was surprised, his face lighting up, "I was coming to look for you!"

"Where are the others?" Ember asked over the ringing of the bells that still were singing their choruses throughout the halls, looking around the empty corridor for them.

"They're hiding," Richard jabbed his thumb over his shoulder, "We have to go back for them."

Ember nodded, "Mama said to get as many people out as possible-."

"Let's go," Richard said, his face determined.

They ran in tandem, moving as fast as they possibly could, right around into the room the Crickett family had been staying in.

They were all there. The triplets were crying, and so was little Matthew, but everyone else, even Alexandria was quiet, terrified. Grace was there too, the only grown up, taking care of the triplets as much as she could.

Ember knew what to do next, "Ok, Mama said to get out. There's a back way out."

"Alright," Parker was quick to say, stepping forward, holding an ash shovel that matched Richard's poker.

"Now wait a minute-," whispered Grace quietly, in that forceful way grown-ups did when they wanted to be in charge.

And then, an ogre slammed into the room, scaring them all into alarm. He blasted the rocks apart to make it wide enough for him to enter. Everyone was screaming.

Richard stepped forward, brandishing his poker.

But Ember could do this.

She took a deep breathe, and screamed fire at him, her mouth wide so that the fire engulfed him.

Everyone was spluttering smoke, coughing at the stench, but Grace looked at her, holding Matthew in her hands. "Which was out spitfire?"

Ember grinned, feeling pride well up in her, "This way."

~: Belle :~

Mama! The ogres! I put another one on fire! I didn't even have to put my hands together to rub sparks.

Belle felt a small moment of pride, listening to her daughter face monsters three times her size.

Mama we're running. Her daughter's mind connected with hers, and Belle was able to see through her eyes ever so slightly. She saw the children, all running before Ember, Grace, Henry's wife, running just beside her.

There's my good girl.

They were coming around the corner, Belle running for all her worth, thinking of the nearest exits, windows if they had to, but they were so high up, and Sephie couldn't stop sobbing uncontrollably. She had to get Sephie out, had to get her out too. She didn't know about anyone else. She didn't know if Ella had made it. She hoped-

But then she heard Ella cry out.

"You're not who I'm looking for," she heard a man's raspy, thick voice. A man, with the ogres? A man- she couldn't even begin to think, "Where's the mistress of this castle?"

Ella's voice was strangled, "I- I just want my daughter to be safe."

"We'll see what can be arranged."

Ella didn't hesitate, "I – saw her running- running that way." No Ella, No. Your daughter is safe, with my daughter. It didn't matter- it was too late. And she still had Sephie. That hadn't been her plan. She'd planned on torching the castle, but not with Sephie still in it. She couldn't do that.

"Thank you," and the man's raspy voice turned into laughter as Ella shrieked.

Belle peered around the corner as the man, tall, thick in stature dropped her to the ground, and brought a hand down to Ella's face, "Wait- wait!" Ella was putting a hand over her protectively.

Belle covered Sephie's mouth as she watched the man touch her forehead with his forefinger- and Ella was turned to stone.

Panicked Belle twisted around the corner, and bolted up the stairs to her husband's study. The tower stairs twisted up and up-

A way out wasn't this way. Some magic potion or spell, a distraction, and then a way for Sephie to escape. If he kept hunting her, then Sephie would be safe.

But when she got there she knew with the little magic she still possessed there was nothing she could do. Not a thing. She panted. What to do with Sephie, what to do with Sephie.

Mama- Mama we're out.

Keep running. Run until you can't see the castle anymore.

She tucked Sephie under the table with the cloth draping over it. She looked to her daughter, stern as she had ever been, "You must be quiet. Do you understand?"

Sephie nodded, her tiny bow of a mouth pressed tightly together as her bright eyes stared up at her, wide and fearful.

"I love you, dear one," she said, kissing the child on the head, just as a man stumbled up the stairs.

A man she didn't even recognize. A man who looked at her with such a scornful expression she felt her heart freeze.

The man who had turned Ella into stone.

She couldn't breathe, prayed that her daughter would remain quiet.

His voice was deeper, resounding painfully in her ears with his proximity, "You're the mistress of this castle?"

Ember's voice burst through her mind, Mama I'm scared!

You're my little spitfire. You know what to do. You stay safe, stay strong.

Yes Mama.

"I am," Belle held her chin up high, "And you're the one who killed my husband."

"He is dead!" the man laughed, his back arching with the movement of it, his dead, gray skin twisting into dark euphoria, "As good as dead as you're about to be," the raspy sound of his voice made chills crawl up Belle's spine, "Except there will be no heaven or hell with this death. You'll be stuck, looking out from your stone forever, until you erode away into nothing," his eyes were focused on hers, dark, darker and eviler than any she'd seen. Including the Evil Queen's, as he added with malice, "Just like I was."

Belle wished for her sword. She stepped backwards, and knocked into her husband's work table.

Find Pearce, and Gryffin. Find Persephone. You find them. Her magic was trickling to an end. She was almost empty. Dangerous, to have an empty pocket, but she'd rather use the last of it to tell her eldest daughter what she needed to hear.

Yes Mama.

She felt her heart ache at her daughter's panicked obedience, and could only think of one more thing to tell her, I love you.

Mama-!

Her magic was gone.

Belle picked up an object from the desk,- something encased in glass- and flung it at him.

The bottle smashed against his face, and it immediately started bubbling. She heard him screaming the counter curse for the potion, shrieking in agony, but she ran for the staircase, anything to get him off the scent of her other daughter, who was being as quiet as a church mouse for all the crying she had done earlier.

She wasn't quick enough.

He dragged her back by the nightgown, and flung her to the ground with unearthly strength.

A third of his face had burnt to down to the bone, scars still boiling themselves there. Whatever had been in that potion was meant to kill-

He leered down at her. She scratched at his face with fingernails, clawing away part of his skin with her ferocity. He didn't pay enough heed this time.

Her children, each of them, out there, alone. Rumpelstiltskin, turned to stone, dead. And as she watched the forefinger descend onto her brow, and felt her blood stop cold in her veins.

A/N: See?! I told you!

I tried to write it otherwise, I really did, I was trying to wrap it up even, but, the Ogre wars, they were never something to laugh at, and, I'm sorry the bad guy is abrupt, but, I promise in the next chapter, it will be answered.

Tell me what you think. Any questions? I'll see what I can do about them in the next chapter!

Don't hate me.