The night is silent, more so than usual. A quiet mist lingers in the streets, giving the little town a spooky touch. Above the library, the famous bell tower clock chimes at exactly 2am, the gears and dials rusted and creaky after 28 years of disuse. Not a single human soul wanders the vacant streets of Storybrooke, each former prince, princess, hero and villain tucked away in their nice, cozy beds, unaware of the deal being struck at the edge of town in the infamous pawnbroker shop.
The little bell above the door jingles an ominous tune as Ariel pushes her way out into the cold night. Mr. Gold utters a faint farewell after her, wishing her good luck on her mission. She returns the gesture with a curt nod, tightening the belt of her coat as an icy breeze drifts across her skin.
Hurriedly, Ariel stuffs a smooth, perfectly-shaped red and white shell deep into her pocket, her eyes scanning the familiar buildings and roads. She doesn't expect anyone to be wandering this late at night, but one can ever know with Storybrooke. She prays to Poseidon no one catches her and questions her motives. This is a mission she must complete on her own, with no one else to get in her way.
She shuffles down the sidewalk, heading in the familiar direction to the pier. Thankfully the pier isn't too close to her house, so if her husband or cousin wake up and find her gone, she'll have some distance to escape before they can question her and bring her home.
Not that she wants to avoid them. More than anything, she wants to let Eric in on the truth; that she's going after the trident and bringing it back to her father, the rightful owner. But Eric would never allow her to go after such a dangerous artifact, let alone go with her. The native girl who had stolen it had nearly killed the redhead, and she claimed to be working for someone entirely more powerful. Whoever this person was, he or she will not succeed; Ariel is determined to bring the trident home before anyone can notice she's gone missing. Hence leaving at 2am.
And Mr. Gold has offered his help, lending her a magical trinket that will take her right to the enemy. She can at least trust the Dark One to keep her secret.
As she passes by a darkened alley, a figure shifts in the shadows and moves towards the light. Ariel, oblivious, continues her trek, her fingers curling around the shell resting deeply in the pocket.
The hidden figure watches her curiously, wondering what a former mermaid like her is doing out in the middle of the night, and he steps out into the light, barring Ariel's path.
"Hi."
She squeaks, one hand flying over her pounding heart, the other raised in self-defense, ready to punch the Snow Queen or Zelena or the Cora Mills or whatever villain is rampaging the town these days-
Oh, for the love of Neptune!
"Aladdin!" She hisses, her shoulders squaring in defiance. "What the shell are you doing here?!"
He blinks, the amusement never fading from his eyes. "I live here." He aches a brow, folding his arms over his broad chest. "What are you doing?"
Ariel presses her lips into a thin line, weighing in the choices of her answer. He can't know what she's up to... But nobody takes a walk in the middle of the night for no reason. "I... Was visiting Rapunzel, and we stayed up all night watching a movie, but Melody is sick so I need to get home and give her her medicine." There. That's believable enough.
Aladdin just stares at her, not buying a single word of it. He of all people can tell when someone is lying. "Rapunzel lives on the other side of town."
Inwardly, Ariel curses herself. Of course he would know that. He flipping dated Rapunzel! She opens her mouth to respond, another excuse already formulating in her head, but Aladdin beats her to the chase.
