Together [Neal Cassidy || OUAT || Double Swan #6]

26 - Ill-Boding Pattern

Flashback

Rumpelstiltskin, Baelfire and Delphinia wade through the lake and entered the cave.

Inside the cave, they saw the villagers bodies, "Grendel. We're too late," Rumpelstiltskin found an ogres horn, he blew the horn and it bellowed, "An ogres call?" Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Papa, what is it? Are you alright?" Baelfire asked as Delphinia stayed close to Baelfire.

Beowulf grabbed Baelfire and Delphinia, taking the dagger from Baelfire and shoved the children to the ground.

"Papa!" Baelfire and Delphinia shouted.

Rumpelstiltskin came rushing, "Stay away from my children!" Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Or what?" Beowulf said as he held up the dagger.

"Don't. We should be fighting Grendel together," Baelfire said and Delphinia sat up.

"There is no Grendel, Bae, Del. There never has been," Rumpelstiltskin said as he showed his son the horn.

"Your father's right. The only monster down here is the Dark One," Beowulf said.

"You killed those villagers," Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Papa..." Delphinia said worriedly.

"I didn't. You did," Beowulf said.

"Why are you doing this?" Baelfire asked as he stood up and helped Delphinia up.

"So, he can be the hero he thinks he was meant to be," Rumpelstiltskin said.

"We would have won that war without your dark magic!" Beowulf said angrily.

"You would have died. Everyone would have died! And doing this now won't make you a hero," Rumpelstiltskin said.

"That's not what the villagers are gonna say when they see you standing over these bodies," Beowulf said.

"No..." Delphinia said tearfully.

Rumpelstiltskin was about to charge at him when Beowulf held up the dagger, "Dark One, I command you stay exactly where you are," Beowulf said.

"No. Papa!" Baelfire said.

"Papa!" Delphinia said.

"Bae, Del, run. Get help," Rumpelstiltskin said.

Baelfire and Delphinia listened to him and took off running.

"Think your son and daughter can stop me? You may have ended The Ogres War, but I'll be remembered as the hero who defeated the Dark One," Beowulf said.