Defeating Darkness (Rumbelle's Daughter)

First Dance

- Present Time; Storybrooke -

"What in the bloody -

"Shh, pirate, let me awaken my love in my own time." He had pulled me from my memory with his coarse babble. Too soon the others joined.

"Bella," my Mum approached the cell, "darling, what are you doing? Who is he?"

When I answered, my eyes did not leave my love. "You all see a beast, a monster - but I know the man he truly is."

They continued to argue, but his eyes drew me back into the peaceful time we had together.

- 100th Birthday; Dark Realm -
Continued

"Would you like to dance?" Cornelius smiled to me and extended his hand. I hadn't realized the first song had begun playing. I placed the rose next to a present and met his reach. When I touched him, his warmth spread to my finger tips and from there to my heart then across my whole body.

"With you - I would love to." I kept pace with him as we nearly ran to the dance floor. Once there he gingerly placed his hands on my waist and I set my hands upon his shoulders. We stared into each other's eyes and talked about the party - the people in attendance, the overwhelming presents, our roles in the Dark Realm. We spoke until we had nothing else to say and continued to dance even after that.

We danced together blissfully for a long time. At some point I saw a mischievous grin flash across his face and questioned him. He mentioned how in my song, I'd said my heart has wings. He continued to say that if I let him, he'd love to be my wings.

I made a deal with him that if he could make a song about him being my wings then he could be. He did, and so he was. Every night I sang that song he made me.

- Present Time; Storybrooke -

I began to sing our song as I slowly unthawed Cornelius. I released his ears first, so he could hear my voice.

Let me be your wings
Let me be your only love
Let me take you far beyond the stars

I then released the hand that was preparing to withdraw his sword. I unsheathed his weapon and placed it outside of the cell.

Let me be your wings
Let me lift you high above
Everything we're dreaming of will soon be ours.

I gazed into his eyes and finished our song. Then I gently placed a kiss on his lips and gave him reign over his own body again.

For a brief moment, he returned my kiss. Yet, all too soon, his hand was at my neck. Everyone else started to panic but I continued to hold onto my belief that Cornelius could realize that I wasn't the beast he thought me to be - not anymore.

"... Cor... nel... ius..." I was barely able to gasp out his name. He loosened his grip slightly. "I love you."

With that he dropped me to the ground and fell himself. "Thumbelina, you have to make it stop! I can't stop it."

I looked at him with panic completely unaware of what I should do. I reached out to him but he swatted my arm
away.

"She poisoned the heart in me and commanded me to kill you," the pain in his face grew with each word. "You have to crush the heart - it's the only way to save me."

"No-no! There has to be another way." I attempted to approach him, but he refused. I watched as he pulled a heart black as coal from his chest. "Cornelius- who's heart is that?"

He looked at me with such intensity that it could have brought me to my knees, "Fiona's." He placed the heart in front of me, "she tied my life with her heart then placed it inside of me. You have to crush it."

"I... I can't," tears welled up in my eyes, "what will happen to you?"

He stayed cowered in the corner, I could tell all his restraint was going into preventing himself from thwarting me. "You'll have to believe that our love will bring us back together."

I slowly picked up the heart and started to squeeze, but he yelled out in pain. "I can't hurt you, Cornelius! Please, please - there must be another way."

"You will only hurt me if you don't set me free."

I stared at his crumpled figure then closed my eyes. "I love you, Cornelius."

"And, I love you. My rose."

I shut my eyes and crushed the heart as soon as possible. I had to believe he'd still live - I was crushing the Black Fairy's heart - not his. But, when I reopened my eyes, all I saw was his limp body across from me.

"NO! No, no, no!" I ran to him and pulled his body into mine. I ran my fingers through his hair. I peppered his head with kisses and tears. I told him I loved him a thousand times, but nothing worked.

He was gone.