Strange Magic

Chapter 7

Rumple thought over what he had done in the past and wished it turned out different. If he had just listened to Regina then he wouldn't have gone through so much heartache. And maybe he wouldn't be so evil. But the past is the past. He can't change it.

"This antidote won't help Rachel," Maddie said, "She's never been in love with anybody."

Rumple sighed, "I shouldn't have used the potion on that poor, sweet... Nothing would have been..."

"Real," Maddie finished for Rumple, "Well... I know all about getting your heart broken. I almost married someone who didn't love me."

"Why?"

"He was so good-looking. Maybe I couldn't bear to see that... he really was a shallow, power-hungry, cheating, chattering, pig son of a..." Rumple stopped her from swearing, "Inside, I knew he didn't want me to be..."

"You?"

"Yeah."

"But you are... different," Rumple smiled

"I've been told."

"That's what I like! I mean..." Rumple got flustered with what he just said, "Well, you know."

Maddie chuckled, "So, now I keep my guard up."

"Me, too."

"And most important, I never..."

"Trust anybody!" The two said accidentally hitting their hands together.

The two laughed at the little accident. They looked at each other building tension.

"Come on. Let's go stretch our wings," Maddie suggested

"Good idea! Good idea. Yes," Rumple picked up his staff and Maddie's sword and gave it to her, "Here."

"Thank you," she took it from him.

Rumple led the way to the entrance. He let her go first. When she opened her blue wings, they admitted this glow that lit up Rumple's face a little. But he was shocked at their beauty. He's never seen anything like it before. He smiled and followed her out of the castle.

"Maybe you should rethink this entrance," Maddie said referring to the animal skull opening.

She bumped into a Monster who was ready to attack her. Rumple flew over to save her.

"Try thinking of this... as an adventure!" Rumple said flying away.

Maddie smiled at the thought of it. The Monster growled at her so she quickly flew after Rumple. But she stopped at a spider web. She was scared of the unknown territory she was in.

"Hey, how about we go back?" Maddie asked

"Why? The moonlight is perfect right now," Rumple said.

She looked up at the sky. It was filled with fireflies! She smiled at them when she heard a snap. Rumple was making the snapping plants close to create a path to walk on. He told her to try it too. So, she stepped on one. It was sturdy enough to walk on. She started running on them doing cartwheels and somersaults. Rumple smiled at her. When she got to the last plant, she slipped and fell. But Rumple caught her and helped her back up. He smiled and flew away.

'You're waking meadows in my mind,' Maddie sang flying after him, 'making waves across my time. Oh, no,' Rumple touched one of the plants making them open, 'Oh, no I got a strange magic,' she copied him, 'Oh, what a...'

'Strange magic,' they sang together

'Oh, it's a...' Maddie touched more making them open.

'Strange magic. Got a strange magic.'

The mushrooms watched them fly by singing. They passed on the message about what they were doing. Unaware that the Dark One was falling in love with a Marcher for the first time in years.

'You're sailing softly through the sun,' Rumple sang as they watched a centipede walk by.

'Softly through the sun,' Maddie repeated

'Of a land I've always known. You fly.'

'You fly,' Rumple flew away and Maddie followed.

'So high.'

'So high.'

'I get a...' Rumple flew into a thorn bush.

'Strange magic. Oh, what a strange magic,' Maddie tried to follow but her wings got caught so she flew back, 'Oh, it's a strange magic,' Rumple came back and offered his hand, 'Got a strange magic.'

Maddie took his hand and he brought her close. He held onto her as she put her wings down. Never letting go, Rumple took her through the thorns safely.

'Oh, I...' Maddie sang.

'Oh, I...' Rumple also sang.

'Never gonna be...'

'The same again,' Maddie completed

'Never gonna be the same again,' Rumple repeated

'Now I've seen the way it's got to end,' Rumple opened some vines showing a cave full of glowing raindrop crystals.

'Got to end.'

'Sweet dreams.'

'Sweet dreams.'

'Sweet dreams. Got a strange magic,' they sang as Maddie touched a few making them go out, 'Oh, what a strange magic. Oh, it's a strange magic,' they left the cave, 'Got a strange magic. Got a strange magic.'

As they flew across the forest, Rumple picked a flower and they landed on a tree.

'It's magic,' Maddie sang

'It's magic,' Rumple sang

'It's magic.'

'It's magic,' he put the flower in her hair

'It's magic. It's magic.'

'It's ma...' Rumple stopped.

He heard a horn in the distance. He looked to see Loki's army arrive at the castle. This hurt him. This hurt him more than being rejected! He felt used! He looked back at Maddie looking hurt and betrayed.

"You... You played me!" Rumple said enraged and flew away.

"'Played you'? I don't under..." Maddie Turned to see the army, "Oh, no."

She didn't know he was actually given an army! How could she have known? She flew after him. Loki stopped his army and showed the Monsters the potion and that he had to take it to Rumple before moondown. The army would stay outside and all he would need is his three of his men. Michael was told to stay with them.

"Wait!" Maddie called out to Rumple.

"I won't be a fool again!" Rumple said still mad

"I didn't know!" Maddie stopped him.

"I wouldn't follow me if I were you, Princess. You won't want to see what I do to them."

Maddie took out her sword, "I won't let that happen."

Rumple pushed her into a spider web and flew off. She freed herself and flew after Rumple. She had to fix this!