Second Love to the Right (Neal Cassidy/Baelfire Love Story)

Chapter 24: Neal's P.O.V

(This chapter entitles Neal's P.O.V. from the episode Quiet Minds when he was in the Enchanted Forest. Okay, continue reading)

"If there's anyone who can defeat that witch and get you back to your family, it's the Dark One. They way to resurrect him has to be here" Belle says interrupting my thoughts.
All at once I was thinking about Molly, Emma, Henry, my father, but most importantly, a way to get to them all. I take Belle's statement into consideration.
"You really believe in him, don't you?" I ask.
"I love him. All of him. Even the parts that belong to the darkness" Belle says.
I nod in agreement.
"Yeah, it took me a while to see past all that. To the good man trying to get out" I say.
"He did get out" Belle adds.
I sigh and pause for a moment.
"Yeah. He did. Irony is, now I need the dark part in order to get to the ones I care about" I say.
I look down and take out a photo from my jacket. It wasn't just any old photo, it was the exact same one that's in the locket that I gave to Molly. The one of us as kids. I honestly wonder if Molly is looking at it right now, remembering me.
"What is that?" Belle asks.
I hold up the photo and show it to her.
"A photo. It's of Molly and me when we were kids. It's actually the exact same picture that's in the locket that I gave her" I say to Belle.
"The locket you gave her right before the curse hit. The locket you gave her before you kissed her goodbye" she says.
I nod.
"But this won't be goodbye. Not if I can help myself. We're going to try and resurrect my father, no matter what the cost" I say.
"Come on, I think I know where we can find what we need" Belle says.
She then grabs her candle and leads me into the next section of the library. As we walk, I stare at the picture some more.
"I don't know how this survived the trip" I say.
Belle turns around to see what I was talking about. She smiles when she says her next statement.
"Because it was born out of true love" she says.
Her statement causes me to smile as well. As we reached the next section of the library, I asked, "You think there's magic in here?"
"No. Something better than magic. Books. Books on history and witchcraft, and hopefully, some on the Dark One, too" Belle says as she lights a nearby candelabra.
"Where do we start?" I ask.
"One shelf at a time" she simply says.
Suddenly a voice pierces the air.
"Hello there" it said in a French accent.
I got confused and began to look around. Belle was just as confused.
"Did you say some...?" she asks.
But she was cut off when the same voice said, "Over here."
We both turn around and notice the candelabra's flames connecting to form a face.
"Allow me to introduce myself" the candelabra says.
"What the hell?" I ask.
Okay I've heard of talking animals and talking trees, but talking candelabras? That's ridiculous.
"No need to be frightened. I am but a humble servant of this castle. My name is Lumiere" the candelabra says.

Belle and I exchange glances before she speaks.
"I don't understand. I've dusted every nook and cranny in this place, and how have our paths never crossed?"
"It's a big castle, and I was woefully under-utilized. Sadly, I only awaken when my candles are lit. Those are the rules of my punishment" Lumiere says.
"Punishment by who?" I ask.
I felt stupid just as soon as I heard those words come out of my mouth.
"Whom do you think? Does he even know where he is? Rumplestiltskin of course! We made a deal long ago, and when I couldn't live up to my end, he made sure I paid the price" Lumiere explains.
As he explains, I swish my hands through the flames forming his face. Nothing. It didn't burn me, he didn't vanish. Nothing.
"He's not here is he?" Lumiere asks.
"No, he's dead" Belle says sadly.
"But we're trying to bring him back," I say staying optimistic, "you said you spend a lot of time here. Do you know anything that could restore the Dark One, and..."
"I know a great many things!" Lumiere exclaims cutting me off.
"Please! You gotta help us! If you don't, I'll never see my family again" I beg.
"Boo-hoo! Why should I help resurrect the man who put me in this wax prison?" Lumiere says.
I was getting more and more annoyed with this candelabra each second.
"The Rumplestiltskin you knew may have seemed cold and hard, but he's changed since then. If you help us, I know he would restore you to your human form. Please" Belle says.
"The book case behind you. Bottom cabinet. You shall know it once you see it" Lumiere says.
Belle runs over to the bookcase and pulls it open. The first thing she lies eyes on is a huge book dead set in the middle of the shelf.
"It's a volume befitting the Dark One" Lumiere says.
Belle grabs the book and puts it on the table and opens it. It's not the size of the book that makes me puzzled, but what was literally inside it.
"What the hell kind of a book is that?" I ask.
"This isn't a book. It's a hiding spot" Belle says as she pulls some sort of key shaped object out of the book.
"What is it?" I ask as I grab it.
"It's a key. To the vault of the Dark One" Lumiere says.
"The vault of the Dark One?" Belle asks.
"Where the first Dark One was made. Born out of the, well, darkness. If you wish to being back Rumplestiltskin to life, it is where you must go" Lumiere explains.
"Will you guide us on our journey?" Belle asks.
"If your promises that the Dark One will return me to my human form are true, then yes, I will" Lumiere says.
I place the key back in the book and walk over to Lumiere.
"We leave first thing in the morning" I say.
Then I blow out Lumiere's flames and he disappears.