Magic (OUAT; Belle/Rumpel; PG/K+; #9: Comfort)
Title: Magic
Author: Kat Lee
Fandom: Once Upon A Time
Characters/Pairing: Belle/Rumpelstiltskin
Rating: PG/K+
Challenge/Prompt: #9: Comfort
Word Count: 1,122
SPOILERS!: Going Home
Summary:
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners, not the author.
Her world had fallen apart in a matter of seconds, and now what little remained of it lingered around her in a haze. She could hear people talking, see them moving, but none of what was happening sank in to her realization at first. All she could think was of her beloved Rumpel's death. All she could feel was a sorrow more intense than anything she'd ever felt or imagined before in her life. It literally felt as though it was eating her from deep inside her heart and soul.
She had sobbed uncontrollably for how long she neither knew nor cared. She wanted to be silenced but not because she thought there was any chance of her tears to stop. This sorrow would be all she would know without her true love. She just wanted the feeling to stop, wanted her world to stop. She wanted to stop -- to stop living, stop loving, stop being. If her Rumpel was dead, she wanted to join him.
But then words began to reach her through the clouds of her sorrow. The Evil Queen, the second most powerful being she'd ever known, although even her power could not begin to match that of her beloved, was desperate. She was almost crying. She latched onto those words and fought to understand them, and as she did, she began to realize not just what she was saying but that it wasn't too late.
The magic was returning. Regina had a plan. She was going to sacrifice the last person on Earth she still loved so that he could live and was going to return them all to the realm from whence they had come. Things were going to go back to as they were before the curse.
And that was what first started the glimmer of hope in Belle's heart. If things really did reverse, if she truly could put them back before the curse began, then none of this would happen. She would not have been reunited with her Rumpel, but then he would not have died to save them from his father. He would still be alive!
She looked, through her tears, to where Charming and Snow were crying with their only child. They would lose their child, but her beloved would still be alive! Those two people were living proof of the magical rule of True Love. True Love always found a way. Two people who shared True Love would always find each other.
Belle's small hands balled into tight fists. She had never felt as cold as she did now, but her tears had stopped. She was standing again, standing quietly and unnoticed by all. None had come to help her. None had come to her rescue or even offered comfort, but then no one had ever really cared about her until her beloved had whisked away to his dark and foreboding castle.
Would he still be there, she wondered, when the curse was reversed? Would he be at his castle or somewhere else? It didn't really matter. What mattered was finding him and that he would still be alive to be found.
She would again be a prisoner of the Queen's. Her gaze shifted to Regina as she stood there alone, quiet, tall, and finally beginning to feel a little brave. It should have moved her to see the great Queen crying as she said goodbye to her child, but it didn't. All that mattered to her now was finding Rumpel.
Besides, Regina had caused this mess. She had brought pain to them all. Rumpel's life had been lost because of her. She deserved to suffer a little bit. Something inside of Belle twisted. She knew she would not have had such cruel thoughts if Rumpel was still alive, still holding to her hand, still there for her to wrap her arms around him, but he wasn't there. He wasn't alive in this world, and that changed everything.
Some of the others were talking about the magic's approach. She turned toward where they were looking and saw the dark clouds brewing, stretching, and coming closer. She remembered fearing them before but now they did not frighten her. They were not something of which to be afraid. She stepped closer.
Magic, she realized, was hope. Without magic, there would be no hope of finding her Rumpel. There would be no chance for him to still be alive. He would be dead permanently, lost to her forever, but now . . . Now, because of magic, there was hope. There was a chance. They were going back to when he would still be alive, and she would find him.
She would break the bonds the Queen placed upon her. She would search through all the kingdoms until she found her dark Prince, and then she would make their dreams come true. She would make sure he got the happy ending he, and they both, deserved this time. This time, she wouldn't lose him. He wouldn't be taken from her, not by death or by magic.
Indeed, magic would give him back to her. She walked closer to where the clouds were gathering and heard the whispers around her change.
"Look at her."
"Uh oh."
"Belle -- "
"Look at her."
"She wants it!"
She truly did. For the first time in her life, Belle didn't want adventure or reading. She wanted . . . She needed . . . She craved magic, because she knew, once those clouds of magic whirled around them, everything would change. Her Rumpel would be alive again. She would find him, and nothing would stand in the way of their True Love and happily ever after ending this time. Nothing would keep them apart!
While the others whispered in fear and trepidation and prepared themselves for what they feared would be the worst, Belle still stood alone. She stood alone with her head held high and proud and her very being singing with hope. Her heart was still as full of love for one man alone as it had been when she had first fallen in love with her soul mate. She smiled as the magic washed over her, closed her eyes, and gave herself up to it.
So this, she thought as she felt the changes begin, had thought for so long that he needed magic. Maybe they did need magic. After all, without it, he'd still be dead, but now it was taking her to a land where he still lived. She let it carry her without a fight and felt her heart soar on wings made of dark magic. Rumpel, my darling, she thought, I'm coming for you, and this time, we'll have our happy ending.
The End
Author: Kat Lee
Fandom: Once Upon A Time
Characters/Pairing: Belle/Rumpelstiltskin
Rating: PG/K+
Challenge/Prompt: #9: Comfort
Word Count: 1,122
SPOILERS!: Going Home
Summary:
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners, not the author.
Her world had fallen apart in a matter of seconds, and now what little remained of it lingered around her in a haze. She could hear people talking, see them moving, but none of what was happening sank in to her realization at first. All she could think was of her beloved Rumpel's death. All she could feel was a sorrow more intense than anything she'd ever felt or imagined before in her life. It literally felt as though it was eating her from deep inside her heart and soul.
She had sobbed uncontrollably for how long she neither knew nor cared. She wanted to be silenced but not because she thought there was any chance of her tears to stop. This sorrow would be all she would know without her true love. She just wanted the feeling to stop, wanted her world to stop. She wanted to stop -- to stop living, stop loving, stop being. If her Rumpel was dead, she wanted to join him.
But then words began to reach her through the clouds of her sorrow. The Evil Queen, the second most powerful being she'd ever known, although even her power could not begin to match that of her beloved, was desperate. She was almost crying. She latched onto those words and fought to understand them, and as she did, she began to realize not just what she was saying but that it wasn't too late.
The magic was returning. Regina had a plan. She was going to sacrifice the last person on Earth she still loved so that he could live and was going to return them all to the realm from whence they had come. Things were going to go back to as they were before the curse.
And that was what first started the glimmer of hope in Belle's heart. If things really did reverse, if she truly could put them back before the curse began, then none of this would happen. She would not have been reunited with her Rumpel, but then he would not have died to save them from his father. He would still be alive!
She looked, through her tears, to where Charming and Snow were crying with their only child. They would lose their child, but her beloved would still be alive! Those two people were living proof of the magical rule of True Love. True Love always found a way. Two people who shared True Love would always find each other.
Belle's small hands balled into tight fists. She had never felt as cold as she did now, but her tears had stopped. She was standing again, standing quietly and unnoticed by all. None had come to help her. None had come to her rescue or even offered comfort, but then no one had ever really cared about her until her beloved had whisked away to his dark and foreboding castle.
Would he still be there, she wondered, when the curse was reversed? Would he be at his castle or somewhere else? It didn't really matter. What mattered was finding him and that he would still be alive to be found.
She would again be a prisoner of the Queen's. Her gaze shifted to Regina as she stood there alone, quiet, tall, and finally beginning to feel a little brave. It should have moved her to see the great Queen crying as she said goodbye to her child, but it didn't. All that mattered to her now was finding Rumpel.
Besides, Regina had caused this mess. She had brought pain to them all. Rumpel's life had been lost because of her. She deserved to suffer a little bit. Something inside of Belle twisted. She knew she would not have had such cruel thoughts if Rumpel was still alive, still holding to her hand, still there for her to wrap her arms around him, but he wasn't there. He wasn't alive in this world, and that changed everything.
Some of the others were talking about the magic's approach. She turned toward where they were looking and saw the dark clouds brewing, stretching, and coming closer. She remembered fearing them before but now they did not frighten her. They were not something of which to be afraid. She stepped closer.
Magic, she realized, was hope. Without magic, there would be no hope of finding her Rumpel. There would be no chance for him to still be alive. He would be dead permanently, lost to her forever, but now . . . Now, because of magic, there was hope. There was a chance. They were going back to when he would still be alive, and she would find him.
She would break the bonds the Queen placed upon her. She would search through all the kingdoms until she found her dark Prince, and then she would make their dreams come true. She would make sure he got the happy ending he, and they both, deserved this time. This time, she wouldn't lose him. He wouldn't be taken from her, not by death or by magic.
Indeed, magic would give him back to her. She walked closer to where the clouds were gathering and heard the whispers around her change.
"Look at her."
"Uh oh."
"Belle -- "
"Look at her."
"She wants it!"
She truly did. For the first time in her life, Belle didn't want adventure or reading. She wanted . . . She needed . . . She craved magic, because she knew, once those clouds of magic whirled around them, everything would change. Her Rumpel would be alive again. She would find him, and nothing would stand in the way of their True Love and happily ever after ending this time. Nothing would keep them apart!
While the others whispered in fear and trepidation and prepared themselves for what they feared would be the worst, Belle still stood alone. She stood alone with her head held high and proud and her very being singing with hope. Her heart was still as full of love for one man alone as it had been when she had first fallen in love with her soul mate. She smiled as the magic washed over her, closed her eyes, and gave herself up to it.
So this, she thought as she felt the changes begin, had thought for so long that he needed magic. Maybe they did need magic. After all, without it, he'd still be dead, but now it was taking her to a land where he still lived. She let it carry her without a fight and felt her heart soar on wings made of dark magic. Rumpel, my darling, she thought, I'm coming for you, and this time, we'll have our happy ending.
The End