Strange Magic

Chapter 6

The two went downstairs. In cages, creatures sing love songs in their cages. They've all been separated from their new lovers being so dramatic about it. Maddie cringed at the sight. Not because it was awful to see all these people locked up, because there was so much love in one place. And she hates it as much as Rumple does. Connor told Candy to tell everyone to shut up. But that only made the noise worse.

Maddie covered her ears. Rumple glanced at Maddie seeing how uncomfortable she was and yelled at everyone to be quiet. It worked. Rumple then opened the door to Rachel's cell. She was still singing. Maddie was shocked at the sight. Rumple closed the door. But Maddie opened it again just to see who she was looking at. She was looking at Rumple. Maddie closed the door and looked at him.

"You?" She asked

"Yes," Rumple said awkwardly

"Antidote?"

"Working on it."

"I know she's a girl who falls in love with every guy she sees, but this is ridiculous!"

"I..." Rumple started stuttering.

Maddie pulled out her sword and pointed it at him. Without looking away, she opened the door and let Rachel out who clung onto her niece.

"Sire! I forgot to mention, you forgot your weapon upstairs. But I found your boutonniere!" Candy said holding it up.

"You know, I really enjoyed our fight, but I'll be taking my aunt home now," Maddie said.

Rachel gasped and pushed Maddie off her, "Oh, no, you're not!"

Rachel accidentally disarmed Maddie so Rumple picked it up and pointed it at her. Rachel ran to him and clung onto his waist. After correcting Rachel of his name, he told Rachel to go back to her cell. She happily did.

"Don't listen to him!" Maddie said.

"You are not the boss of me!" Rachel said, "And don't even think about stealing my Rumpie!"

"'Rumple!'" He corrected

Rachel closed the door and Rumple leaned on Maddie's sword, "she stays here until I get the potion back."

"Forget the potion. Get the antidote, now!" Maddie said.

"Well, maybe you should ask her," Rumple pointed to Regina's cell

"'Her'? Who?" Maddie walked over.

"The Sugar Plum Fairy."

"Welcome!" Regina said smiling

"Give me the antidote," Rumple said.

"If you let me talk about that fateful..."

"No!"

"Then, no."

"Please! I love my aunt. I need that antidote," Maddie begged

"Okay! I'll just need a few things."

Regina listed off things she needed. Rumple ordered a Monster to get those things. Maddie asked if this antidote would really work when Fiona showed up. Well, who knows if it'll work. Rumple hasn't used it ever. And he wants to destroy the potion. Fiona introduced herself and asked if Maddie had a comb for her messy hair. She didn't but she didn't understand why she was asking anyway. Fiona made up an excuse to get the two upstairs. They went up knowing the antidote might take a while.

When they did, however, they saw a room full of bannisters, hearts and balloons. Fiona had made a date for the two. The two were shocked at what Fiona had done. But they hadn't gotten the message of what she thinks of them. Fiona left as Connor and Candy continued to sing for the two. Rumple told them to stop and check on the antidote. They left and Candy put the boutonniere on the table. Rumple started to ask why his mother would do all this when they both figured it out.

Fiona wanted them to be a couple! They shivered in disgust at the thought of them both being together. They started destroying the place apart and actually started getting along even after their fight earlier. They were also having fun ranting about this whole love thing they're surrounded by when they're both alone. Maddie took his boutonniere and crushed it when Rumple told her not to. She let him take it back and put it on. Yes, it was made by Rachel but he actually liked it.

Why, he didn't know. Like with Rumple, Maddie struggled to tell him it looked lovely. Rumple smiled at her attempt though. Then Connor and Candy came in with Regina. The antidote was ready. Or so they thought. The antidote was a riddle! Rumple asked about all the stuff she asked for. She just told him that it's stuff she wanted since it was hard to shop in prison. She told them the riddle. The antidote is the one thing more powerful than the potion. What could possibly be more powerful than the potion?

Well, time to start thinking while Loki and his army get closer. A Monster in front of them tried to sneak off and tell the mushrooms what he saw. But Loki complained about the lack of clothing on him, making him self conscious. He told the mushrooms anyway who passed it on to the castle. They still hadn't figured out the riddle yet back at the castle. Candy told Rumple what the mushrooms said but, once again, they got it wrong. So, he just left. And Regina was getting bored.

"I'm bored! I'll just tell you," Regina said

"Great!" The two said smiling

"If you set me free."

"No!" Maddie gave Rumple pleading eyes, "Okay."

Regina cheered, "Then I will reveal the antidote with a story."

"What? No!" Rumple knew this story!

"One fateful day, when the Dark One was young and impetuous," Rumple tried to attack Regina but Maddie moved her, "he fell in love with a sweet young thing."

Regina turned into the girl Rumple fell for. She was a Human, like most of the other creatures in the Human Forest, with brown hair, blue eyes, and tan skin and wearing a yellow ball gown, her name was Belle. Maddie didn't like the look of her.

"She was the most beautiful human I ever saw," Rumple said still love-struck.

"Seriously?" Maddie asked

"He was so in love. But Rumple, he had no patience," Regina continued

"That's enough!" Rumple kept trying to stop her.

"So, he came to me for my love potion. I tried to tell him how it worked," Rumple tried to attack her again but Maddie moved Regina away, "But he dusted the sweet, unsuspecting human."

"Regina, I beg you."

"As she was gazing into the eyes of a lovesick Rumple..." the girl screamed at him.

Rumple was hurt by what happened. As the past replayed again. This is why he banned loved from the forest. Because he had his heart broken all because the Love Potion didn't work. He couldn't handle the heartbreak. So he closed it off from him and everyone. And that's why he seemed like such a bad person. Because he was hurt by the past.

"Even with a love potion... I'm too hideous to love," Rumple said

"You're not hideous," Maddie said honestly.

"Hideous, not hideous, whatever! But that's not why the potion didn't work," Regina said.

"What?" Rumple asked

"She was already in love with someone else!"

"So, the one thing more powerful than the potion is... real love?" Maddie asked.

"Bingo! That took forever!" Regina said.

Rumple flew over and took Regina's cage from Maddie, angry that she never told him this!

"Why didn't you tell me?" Rumple asked

"You shut me away, and you shut me up! And Fiona blames me for the no-love-in-the-Dark-Forest!" Regina said.

"Teaching moment. There are no shortcuts to love," Fiona said making Rumple glare at her, "Just saying."

Rumple ordered Regina to be taken away. Connor and Candy took her. Well, now they have the antidote and the reason the girl never fell in love with Rumple even using the potion.