Twice Upon A Time - Season 3 (reader x once upon a time)

Dark Hollow - Part 3

Monday, November 2 – Storybrooke

Belle grunted, still struggling to get out of the ropes her and Ariel were tied up with

"They're too tight" she said, giving up

"We'll find a way out" Ariel said confidently

"What makes you so sure?" Belle wondered

"Because... I'm an optimist" Ariel replied

"I wish I could be, but every time I try to be a hero it just... it just feels like it backfires" Belle said "I'm sorry you won't get to be with Eric"

"Don't worry about me. Even after the magic wears off this bracelet, I'll find him and I will tell him how I feel. As long as he lives near the beach" Ariel said

"Bracelet? Is that what turned your tail into legs?" Belle asked, an idea forming in her head

"Yeah, why?" replied the mermaid

"I think we can get out of here" Belle said

"How?"

"By stretching your fins" Belle explained "Can you get that bracelet off?"

Ariel tried to reach it with her other hand, but it was impossible with the ropes "No, I can't reach it"

"Okay. Hang on" Belle told her, reaching herself for the bracelet

"You got it?"

"I can. I can" Belle said when her fingers touched it "Got it!" she exclaimed, ripping it off. Without it, Ariel's legs turned back into a tail, making them fall over

With more room to move, Ariel was able to free herself

"See? That didn't backfire" she told Belle as she started untying her. Once they were both free, they started looking for the strangers

"Where did they go?" Ariel asked as they left the shop

"The protection spell is still up, so they can't leave Storybrooke" Belle told her

"Well then, what are they going to do with the box?" Ariel wondered

"Well, if I wanted to make sure it doesn't end up in Neverland, I'd destroy it" Belle reasoned

"How do you destroy something so powerful?" the mermaid continued asking

"You'd need something just as strong" Belle said

"Like what? More magic?"

"No. No, a dwarf's pickaxe" Belle realized "The kind that can smash a diamond. The kind that their friends, who took Henry, used to start all this trouble. Come on, hurry" she said, leading Ariel to the mines

"They're, uh, probably just up ahead" Belle said, entering a new tunnel

"Shouldn't we wait for the dwarves?" Ariel asked

"We don't have time" Belle replied

Right then, they heard the men talking

"Here. Use this pickaxe" 'Short-man' said

Belle and Ariel rushed to stop them "You can't do that" Belle said, seeing 'Tall-man' about to hit the box with the pickaxe. 'Short-man' raised the gun when they saw them "You destroy that box; people we really care about will die" Belle continued

"Then we have something in common" 'Tall-man' said "Because if we don't, someone we care about will die"

"What are you talking about?" Belle asked, confused