Once Upon A Time ~ Book 1

Chapter 82 - Nova's Heartbreak

Ruby sat a glass of whisky down in front of Mary Margaret. She took a sip of it as the door of Granny's Diner opened and Leroy walked inside.
"I'll have what she's having." he said to Ruby and sat down next to Mary Margaret.
"Well? Did you get it?" she asked.
He took off his head. "What do you think?"
She sighed and shook her head. "I think you're right...... I was dreaming if I thought that the town harlot and the town drunk could accomplish anything."
"Yeah........ Just dreaming........" he took a drink from his whisky.

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The dwarfs were all fast asleep in their little beds, except for Dreamy. He gathered his belongings and sneaked through the room, the only noise being the loud snoring his seven brothers.
A beam grew on his face as he reached the door, but then he heard someone clear their throat behind him.
He stood still, facing the door, his eyes closed. "Stealthy......."
"You know, if you wanted to sneak out, you should have come to me."
The other dwarfs began to wake up and step out of their beds and hammocks, yawning sleepily.
He turned and looked around at his brothers.
"You're leaving us?" asked Sleepy, sadly.
"Without even saying goodbye?" said Doc, his face down, stepping closer to him.
"Well.......well, where are you going to go?" asked Dopey.
"To be with Nova. We're in love. We're gonna see the world together."
"I don't understand. I thought we were meant to live our lives here, in the mines." said Stealthy.
"I thought so, too." beamed Dreamy. "But things change when you fall in love. Suddenly, anything seems possible."
"Then take this with you. It might come in handy." said Sneeze, pushing through the dwarfs, Dreamy's pickaxe in his hands.
Dreamy raised his arms in joy. "I don't need it anymore." he beamed.
Sneezy dropped the axe and put his arms around Dreamy, smiling happily.
The dwarfs chuckled abd hugged Dreamy all together, all of them huddled up.

Dreamy walked through the forest, away from the mines, a sack in his hands. He then swung the sack over his shoulder, still beaming with glee.
"You can't do this, Dreamy." said Bossy from behond him.
He stopped in his tracks and his face fell.
"You can't go to her."
He turned and glared at him. "Why not?"
"You have a responsibility. To mine the diamonds we make into Fairy Dust."
"But I love her."
He shook his head. "You're a dwarf, Dreamy. We're not capable of love. It's not how we're made."
"But what if I'm different? What if you're wrong?"
"Bossy's not wrong, young one." said a woman's voice near by.
Dreamy turned his head to see the Blue Fairy.
"What you feel? It's just a dream." she said softly.
"Who are you?" asked Dreamy.
"I'm Nova's teacher. And if the two of you run away together, it will not end well. Nova will lose her wings. But if you return to the mines, and if you allow Nova to become the fairy she was meant to be, the two of you will bring until joy to the world....... Nova can be a great fairy, if you just let her......... The choice is yours."
Dreamy carefully listened to the Blue Fairy's words, the happiness he had felt all gone.

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Mary Margaret and Leroy still sat In Granny's Diner,drinking at the counter.
"Leroy..............you understand that a relationship between you and Sister Astrid can never happen?" said Mary Margaret.
"Yeah, yeah.............. My whole life people made it their business to tell me what I can't do........ She was the first person that said I could do anything......... Who believed in me......... I didn't want to disappoint her."
"But there are consequences to following through when the world tells you not to..........I mean, look at me.......... I am a pariah in this town."
"What about you're good memories?" he said after a minute.
"What do you mean?"
"Didn't you have moments with him that you love?"
She smiled.
"Do you regret them?"
"No, of course not." She said quitly.
"Isn't that what life's about?.... holding on to your good memories?" he shrugged. "All I wanted was a moment with Astrid. One moment to give me hope that any dream is possible." he looked at her. "You've had all that, Mary Margaret. So stop feeling sorry for yourself and enjoy it. Because I haven't." he took another drink from his whisky.
They sat in silence for a minute, thinking.
"Well, if I had the dream, I'm sorry to say it wasn't worth it."
"Then sitting here drinking won't end this pain."
"What will?" she took another drink.
He lifted his head. "I can only think of one thing." he gulped down the rest of his drink and got to his feet.

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The people gathered in the darkness around the stalls and markets outside the Town Hall, the fairy lights lighting up the area.
Leroy stood at the top of one of the buildings near by, right by the edge, a pickaxe in his hand.
"Perfect!" he said to himself.
Mary Margaret climbed from inside the building and up onto to roof. "Leroy! What are you doing?" she called frantically. She fan towards him. "Please don't do it." she cryed.
"I'm not gonna jump."
"You're not?" said Mary Margaret, calming a little.
"No, are you crazy? I could hit someone. You know how much damage I could do? I'm solidly built."
"Leroy, what are you dining up here?"
"I'm gonna get my moment." he held up the pickaxe.
"Wait. Whoa, whoa, whoa, what?" she said frantically.
"You might want to duck." he warned and he thrust the pickaxe into the electricity generator on the pole next to him. Mary Margaret ducked quickly as huge sparks like fireworks came from the generator. The fairy lights at the stalls and markets below suddenly went out and the people gasped and cryed in surprise.
Mary Margaret stood straight again and looked down at the people shuffling around in the darkness. "What are you doing?"
He turned his head to her. "I'm selling candles, sister." he smiled.

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Nova waited on Firefly Hill, looking out at the world ahead. She turned as she heard footsteps approach.
"Dreamy, come on! I have to show you something." she said excitedly, pulling him towards the view.
"Nova, we need to talk." he said.
She put her hand on his mouth. "No, you have to see this." she held out her hand and in a poof of pink dust a little, gold telescope apeared in her hand. She gave it to him. "Take a look."
He held it up and looked through, one eye shut and the other staring inside and seeing a little boat at the docks in the distance, it's white sails quivering in the light breeze.
He fave dropped. "It's amazing."
"It has everything we need to explore the world." she beamed "Supplies, maps of all the Kingdoms, a sturdy sail........"
"Nova......." he interrupted. He turned around to her. "I can't go with you."
"What about our life together? Our dreams?"
"I'm a dwarf, Nova. I belong in the mines, you belong with the other fairies. And that's never gonna change."
She shook her head sadly, the sparkle in her eyes fading away. "Dreamy, you control what changes in your life......... Never ley yourself forget.......... you're special."
"Why? What makes us different from any other dwarf or fairy out there?"
"Our love."
"..........I don't think it's love. It's a dream, abs we need to put it away."
"I don't want to put it away." she voice began to quiver and her eyes widened.
"I'm not your dream, Nova. You dream is to be a fairy godmother and you can still be that."
"You talked to the Blue Fairy." she said in shock.
"It doesn't matter."
"What did she say?"
"It doesn't matter."
"What did she say?" she cryed aloud.
"Nova!........... What matters is I can't stand in the way of your happiness."
"You're my happiness!" she cryed.
A tear rowled down Dreamy's rough cheek.
"I love you........ Don't you love me?" tears filled in her eyes.
His lip quivered. "I'm a dwarf. I can't love." he walked away, tears now rushing down his stern face. He left Nova crying, heartbroken on the hilltop, tears rowling down her cheeks.