Once Upon a Time 1. Prologue

Title: To fight the darkness within…

Summary: The one who created the Dark Curse is the only one who can break it, and the only one who knows that is the imp Rumpelstilskin, and he isn't telling…not after he's waited all these years for her to come back. Now he has other plans in mind for what is to come and he's all too happy playing dumb and watching the proud folk of this world running around in desperation.

Author's Note: First a short disclaimer, I own nothing. Next, I just want to say that this story kept bugging me until I could stand it no more and finally had to write it down so I hope it brings enjoyment and that you all bear with me as I rassle with the characters. They are very loud and very annoying.

"So here you are again, behind bars and powerless to boot." Rumpelstilskin scowled at the blonde woman standing just outside his prison. She looked just as she always did, brilliant blonde hair cascaded down her back in golden waves and the firelight caught her wide blue eyes and turned them into burning pools of sapphire. Her leggings and coat were made of the finest material and matched his own ensemble, just as she had always liked to do when she was alive. "What do you want?" He said in no mood for the usual torture that always accompanied her 'visits'.

She smiled and ran her hands up and down the bars. "Don't be like that Rumple, is that anyway to treat your wife?" She asked cheekily.

He flinched at her words and lunged up from sitting on the cold stone cutout. "You're not my wife anymore," he narrowed his eyes in anger and approached the bars, all the while she watched with open affection in her eyes. "Till death do us part, remember?" He asked harshly.

She frowned and he cursed the guilt that ran through him as pain flashed through her eyes. "If I recall properly, I believe what I said was forever and always, not even death can keep us apart forever." She said softly.

He growled and lunged for her through the bars, but as usual his hands met air, seconds later he smelled her scent-vanilla and cinnamon- before her strong, gentle hands reached around him from behind and enveloped him. He closed his eyes against the flood of emotion that hit him like a battering ram. White hot agony lanced through him and he felt the gaping hole that her death had created widen a little more, he took a ragged breath and leaned his head against the very real bars of his prison. "Why are you here?"

He could feel her lay her head against his back and cursed the false comfort that he took in that act. "I'm here for you of course." She said simply as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I thought you might like to know that the time I promised you is coming. You might want to prepare yourself."

His eyes popped open and he tensed. "That's impossible. The Queen gave the curse away." And it had taken every ounce of his control not to go and rip her head from her shoulders for that, he had searched for centuries for the right kind of person to invoke the Darkness only to have her trade it for a sleeping curse, as if that puny little parlor trick could have stopped True Love.

He felt her chuckle roll through him and she squeezed, "Yes, but she'll get it back. You choose wisely when you gave her the curse, she will invoke it and then all this will be a distant memory." The weight on his back vanished and he looked up to see her standing once more outside the bars. He felt power prickle along his skin and shivered, prophecy was coming and even his prison could not prevent the power from washing over and through him. Dimly he heard her speak over the rushing in his ears and with her words images flashed in his mind. A small town in a far off land, a clock that didn't tell time, he saw the influential people in the kingdoms stripped of their power, standing, and happiness as Regina ruled from a vast mansion. "The Darkness is coming; it will envelope anything and everyone within our land, all the happily ever after's will be forgotten and the Queen shall rule over all: victorious. Everyone will be trapped frozen in time forever."

He sucked in a breath as the visions cleared from his sight and he could see her once again. She stood lined with a bright white light and little flecks of snow fell softly around her. "I'm coming back my love, and when I do I'll need your help. Tell my new parents what they'll need to know to prepare, before this is done you will need their help…all their help." She smiled and turned into the light, giving him one last longing glance she stepped into the light and disappeared. "I'll see you soon and remember…I love you forever and always." Her voice echoed after she had gone and it was only the lingering smell of vanilla and cinnamon and the melting flecks of snow that told him that she hadn't been just a figment of his mind, and for the first time in centuries Rumpelstilskin felt hope fill him. With a satisfied grin he settled once more in the shadows of his cell, now that prophecy had been spoken and witnessed it was only a matter of time before the players started moving into position, and this time he wasn't going to let anything get between him and his happily ever after again.

The time for his nightmare to end was coming, and he reveled in the thought that all those 'good' people, all those 'bad' people would be brought to their knees as they were introduced to the true meaning of Darkness. The guards stationed outside his prison shivered as his howling laughter floated to them, and suffered as it continued through the night. They didn't want to know what could make a monster like that laugh, and waited eagerly for the dawn to come and for them to take to their beds.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: To sleep perchance to dream…

"Well, well, well…what do we have here?" Rebecca winced as Bryson's booming voice sounded from behind her. She spared one last longing glance at the woods waiting below, before turning to face the grim faced giant leaning against the door to the small storage room that she had chosen for her exit point. "Oh, hellos Bry, what a coincidence…were you getting some air as well?" She said brightly, trying her best to hide the rope she had secured hanging out the window. "I don't blame you; these stuffy old castles can be a mite musty." She wrinkled her nose and made a show of taking a deep breath.

Bryson turned coal grey eyes on her, taking in her full pack, leggings, blouse, and cloak and raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "Really, just getting some fresh air, in a storage room…and your balcony couldn't supply you with a sufficient amount of oxygen? It only overlooks the inner courtyard and the Queen's Gardens!" He sighed and pushed himself off the door, he advanced on Becca and had shouldered her to the side; exposing the miles of rope she had extended out the window. He scowled down at her and Becca could feel one of his infamous 'responsibility' lectures, and sure enough, "Becca, you can't keep doing this! You have responsibilities now and you have to face them! As the last born princess of the High King you have had very little expected of you, but now that you're of age you have to realize that there are certain responsibilities you cannot run from! If the king finds out that you continued to go out unescorted he will throw you in your room and keep you there until he has hand-picked your husband! Then you'll be shipped off to a distant kingdom, and knowing the King I very much doubt you'll enjoy it. " He ran a rough hand through his jet black hair in frustration and gestured to her gear. "How did you even manage to hide this from the guards? They tore your room apart when he caught you last time!"

Rebecca sighed and rested back against the windowsill, the cool night air at her back beckoning to her. She loved Bryson; he was the best friend a girl could wish for, but he was just too much the gallant knight. "Bryson, no matter what I do I'm going to end up locked away. Did you see the carriages today?" She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. They had gone on as far as the eye could see and she knew that still more were coming, her father had made an announcement across the lands: The Last Born Princess Rebecca was of marriageable age, and any and all takers were welcome. "They were just the beginning, there's no stopping him now. After last time," She went quiet and Bryson knew he had lost when she turned watery sapphire eyes on him; he never had been able to resist a damsel in distress; even though he knew that this particular damsel was far from distressed. "This is all I have left Bry; please don't ask me to stop." She gave him a brave smile that nearly broke his heart and he inwardly groaned.

Hanging his head in defeat he grabbed the rope and secured it in his hands. "Well, if you're going to do this at least I can make sure you don't fall to your death, got to give the beasties a chance." He said smiling down at her, he may not like how she chose to display her independence but he respected her enough to let her go...with a lecture thrown in every now and then in the vain attempt that she might one day listen and save him from getting his ass handed to him by the King when he found out that his daughter had once again gone gallivanting in a dark and cursed forest brimming with man-eating monsters and much worse.

Rebecca whooped in joy and gave him a quick hug, "Have I ever told you how glad I am that father made you Captain of the Guard?" she said happily taking the rope in hand and with an extra wide smile and a wink she was out the window and down the rope. Softly, her feet touched the earth and she swiftly made her way towards the woods that bordered the farthest corner of the castles perimeter and without so much as a glance back or a hint of hesitation she strolled merrily into the Forbidden Forest. Bryson had to smile at her gumption, he had known hardened soldiers to grow white and feint at the mere mention of the Forest and yet one slip of a girl didn't even think twice about taking late night strolls through the dense and cursed woods. He sent a quick prayer to whoever would listen and turned away from the window, 'Be safe girlie, you're more needed than you know.'

The woods were dark and quiet, the day residents finding refuge in their beds while those that preferred the dark were just beginning to stir. They didn't worry her though, she had been exploring these woods since she was a young girl and those that called this place home had long ago acknowledged her right to traverse the woods…just so long as she didn't stray too far away from the path, there were some hungry creatures residing in the darkness of the woods and she was a tasty morsel with the High King's blood running through her veins. Yet despite the apparent danger the Forbidden Forest was a respite from the constant hustle and bustle of castle life. Here there were no servants avoiding eye contact, no courtiers politicking favor, and best of all no suitors banging down her door. She took a deep breath and sighed in relief, it had been getting harder and harder to sneak out; especially after the Incident that had driven her father to make his decree, and she was determined to enjoy every last ounce of freedom she could wrangle from her strictly structured routine.

She shivered and pulled her cloak tighter around her, the night air was refreshing but cool and she didn't want to freeze before she reached her destination. As she made her way deeper into the forest she failed to notice the dark shape following her through the trees. Confidently she continued on her way, her pace quick and sure as she made her way deeper into the woods. A twig snapping from behind was her only warning before she was slammed to the ground with massive force; the breath knocked out of her, she did her best to buck the dead weight that was now holding her down, but to no avail. Whatever it was it was heavy and determined to stay right where it was. She felt hot breath at her neck and recoiled as the rancid smell of rotted meat and blood enveloped her and she gagged.

A dark chuckle sounded from her assailant and she felt a chill run down her spine at the unfamiliar tone, "Well, well, well, must be my lucky day. First time in these woods and what do I come across but a succulent little princess! Whatever shall I do with you?" His voice was coarse and his speech rough, she could tell that he was not from around these parts by that alone, but judging by the smell and his accent she could make a guess at what he was and it brought her no comfort. Her attacker spun her around and slammed her back into the ground hard enough that stars burst in her vision and by the time it cleared she was looking into the gaping maw of a Wolf.

Wolves were a notorious lot, known for their ferocious tempers and their insatiable appetites. Long before Becca had been born, Wolves had been common in the Forbidden Forest preying on weary travelers and any young maidens foolish enough to wander into the woods, but that was until a Wolf had killed her grand-father: The High King Ronald. The death had come as a shock, for her grandfather was well known for his skill in combat and he had faced many battles with the wolves before, but one night he came across a Wolf he could not kill and his mangled corpse had been found by a patrol in the morning. In retaliation, the new High King waged war upon the Forbidden Forest and its inhabitants until the Wolves had been all but wiped out, the spattering of survivors fleeing into far off lands never to bother her kingdom again. Or so she had always been told by her tutors, in fact it was a legend among her people of how the brave and true prince Matthias ascended the throne and avenged his father's death, making the kingdom safer and ensuring its future prosperity. 'Apparently they're not as gone as everyone thinks,' she thought as she assessed her situation, 'ugh, and they smell just as bad as he said.'

The Wolf gave a parody of a crooked grin and Rebecca had to fight the urge to squirm as saliva dripped from his fangs and onto her. He leaned down and closed blood red eyes as he took in her scent. "Mmm…mm, you smell like solstice dinner! Tell me, what is a young innocent woman- who just happens to be an heir to the throne- doing in the one place where her status and family won't be able to help her?" He bared his teeth and snapped his jaw just inches from her neck; Rebecca held herself perfectly still and glared up at him. Her whole life she had had to face much scarier things than the slavering beast upon her, in fact his bared fangs and constant drool reminded her of when her brothers would all sit down for a meal, though admittedly they smelled a tad better.

She tried to adjust herself, trying to gain some leverage to throw him off, but his grip was firm and his weight was pushing down and effectively pinning her. She would have laughed had the situation not been so dire, all those defense lessons Bryson had forced upon her seemed to be as effective as a wet blanket. "If you must know, I was meeting someone." She said between clenched teeth, the smell combined with the pressure on her chest was suffocating her and if she didn't find a way out of this soon than she was sure she would pass out from oxygen deprivation.

That gave the Wolf pause and he pulled back to look at her, his red eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And who could you possibly be meeting out here and at this hour?" He asked real curiosity sparking in his eyes. Rebecca gave an evil smile and was going to answer him, but she was cut off.

"Me." A voice said from the darkness and the Wolf was ripped off her and thrown backwards several feet. She heard several snaps and cracks and winced as she thought of what her assailant had probably broken, but the rush of fresh air was more than welcome and she took deep gasping breaths as she tried to get her bearings. She sat up slowly and winced as the scratches she had acquired during her fall made themselves known. She had scrapes on her hands and she could feel the sting of several more on her legs, a cool patch of air on her thigh let her know that she owed her brother Leon another pair of leggings and she cursed softly at the thought, he had just forgiven her for the last pair she had 'borrowed' from him. 'Like he doesn't have a dozen more where this came from, and Father doesn't have an armored guard search his rooms daily for contraband.' She thought sourly, she winced as a cut on her lip made itself known and she dabbed at the blood she could feel running down her face where a rock had cut her cheek; belatedly she remembered that there was an injured and by the sounds of it very irate Wolf to deal with…not to mention her rescuer, she cringed at the dressing down she was going to get after all was said and done; it had taken her ages to get him to agree to meet with her after the Incident.

She could feel him standing over her, the air practically vibrated with his anger and she thanked the Gods that the Wolf would bear the brunt of it before he focused on her. She took a steadying breath and looked up into the burning amber gaze of her knight in black leather armor/best friend Rumpelstilskin. "What wonderful timing you have." She said softly, and she couldn't help the grin that pulled at her lips.

Rumpelstilskin scowled down at her and crouched, he gently reached out a hand and grasped her chin, turning her head this way and that, he made a thorough examination of her injuries and the dark fire that lit his amber eyes did not bode well for the Wolf now moaning in pain. "You have the devil's own luck missy," He said but there was real concern in his voice and she felt warmth fill her, "If I hadn't been around, you would have been dog food." He ran a gentle finger down her cheek and she felt warmth grow from where his touch traveled, instantly her cheek stopped bleeding and she could feel the wound begin to close. She winced slightly as the rest of her cuts began to heal, she had always hated when he healed her with magic; it was effective but stung like something else.

"You son-of-a-bitch! She's my prey; I found her wondering fair and square!" The Wolf had apparently recovered; she made a mental note that Wolves were very fast healers, and was standing clutching his arm. Bright red blood dripped from his hand and his head and she could hear the snap and crackle of bones and tendons realigning and knitting back together, she winced at the thought of just how much pain that would cause and felt a grudging respect for the beast that had tried to make her his dinner. "I demand you give her back to me, or I'll rip you limb from limb!" He snarled, spittle flying everywhere and Becca wondered if Wolves became rabid like their four-legged brethren.

She felt Rumpelstilskin stiffen and knew that any chance the Wolf had had of getting out of this forest relatively unscathed were null and void, she might have felt bad for him if he hadn't just tried to make her his midnight snack. A savage grin lit up Rumpelstilskin's face and he calmly stood helping her to her feet and gently pushing her to the side. He gave her a reassuring nudge and when she was a safe distance away he turned back to the very pissed off Wolf glaring daggers at him. Tilting his head he gave a gracious bow, "So sorry, sir, but you see she's already been claimed." Though she could not see his face she knew that his eyes were narrowed and his lips were stretched into an accommodating grin, it was the look he always got when he was about to make someone's life utterly miserable; usually reserved for her. "I'm surprised that fine nose of yours couldn't figure that out." His voice was deceptively pleasant but the dark intensity that seemed to emanate from him was becoming stronger, Becca could feel the power beginning to gather around the imp; the power wrapping around her and creating a shield, if she had to credit him with one thing it was his forethought into every action he made.

The Wolf was taken aback by the imp's graciousness and fidgeted some last shred of self-preservation putting him on his guard. He backed up a step and lifted his head to the air, sniffing slightly he looked confused and glared at Rumpelstilskin. "I thought she had a strange scent to her, but I've never smelled anything like it…what are you?" He asked cautiously, his shoulder gave a loud crack and popped back into place. He howled in pain and slowly straightened up, a small gash on his head was bleeding sluggishly and the rest of his injuries were either fully healed or would be shortly; for a second Rebecca wondered if the Wolf would actually manage to give Rumpelstilskin trouble, but then Rumpelstilskin laughed and she remembered who she was thinking about.

"Rumpelstilskin is my name good sir, a simple imp of trade, and you see this delightful little morsel is my property, so in essence you have no rightful claim on her." Rumpelstilskin introduced himself with his usual flair and Rebecca grit her teeth at being called his 'property' though she still had to roll her eyes at his antics, leave it to him to cause a right royal scene instead of just causing the Wolf to vanish; but no, the imp had the Wolf in his sights and just like a cat with its dinner he was going to play.

The Wolf looked suspicious but he still offered up his name with little resistance, "Rumpelstilskin? I've heard of you, you like to make deals. Well, I want the girl, what's your price?" Rebecca gasped in outrage and took a threatening step towards the Wolf, "Why you mangy mongrel-!" It was one thing for Rumpel to treat her as merchandise, that's how he treated everything and everyone, but Rumpelstilskin extended his arm and caught her before she could actually finish her suicide attempt; he hauled her up against him and squeezed her in warning, apparently he was the only one allowed to have fun. He grabbed her chin and moved her head from side to side, an appraising light in his eyes. "Hmm….I don't think you can afford her sonny, she is a prize of timeless value." He glanced at the Wolf and grinned, "What do you have to offer?"

The Wolf bared his fangs in a parody of a grin and pulled out a pouch from his pants, she couldn't see what it was from this distance but it fit into the palm of his hand. "I don't have any gold, but I do have this." He held the pouch up and she felt Rumpelstilskin tense, she still couldn't see and she cursed the clouds that hid the moon. "It's fairy dust; pure, unfiltered directly from a hundred of the Seelie court. Took me years to hunt them down and well," He spared Becca a nasty grin and tossed the bag to Rumpelstilskin, "let's just say that the extraction process was long and…eventful."

Rumpelstilskin caught the bag gently and pulled the pouch open, up close Becca could see that the pouch actually glowed and inside were thousands of gleaming golden grains. She felt her heart constrict at the thought of all that goodness snuffed out, for nothing more than the power it would grant a user no matter the price that such stolen goods always managed to exact. She looked at Rumpelstilskin to see what he would do next, of all the creatures in the kingdoms he was probably the one who understood the true value of what was in that pouch. The imp weighed the bag in his hand with a considering eye, "Yes, quite fine quality. I imagine it took quite some time to be so very…thorough." He said and there was an almost approving tone in his voice, "But alas, as good a deal as that would be, you see the dumpling here is worth a hundred of these." He palmed a bit of the dust and brought his hand to his lips; he gave the Wolf a toothy grin and blew on his hand. The dust flew through the air and surrounded the Wolf, the grains whirling round him until the Wolf was out of sight and only his howls of agony could be heard.

Becca watched in satisfaction as the dust died down, and where once the Wolf stood there was only a pile of ash.

The incessant beeping of the alarm clock snapped Emma from her dream, and as she groggily went about her morning routine the dream faded until it was just a wisp of a thought and didn't give it another moments thought; and if she gave Graham a little extra berth that day she chalked it up to PMS.


End file.

Once Upon a Time, Romance, Tragedy