Once Upon a Second Chance

(35) - Revelations

"Thanks for everything, Granny," Henry smiled as he just got back from walking Violet home from their date celebrating their one-year anniversary.

"Hope she liked it?"

"Yeah, she had a blast," Henry said, loosening the tie on his suit, thankful for finally being able to breath. Granny had helped him set up a romantic, candle-lit dinner for his girlfriend. He even paid her extra to let the couple have the diner for themselves for two hours, and pushing the surrounding tables and chairs to the side so after they had dinner, they danced to their song, 'Only You'. "So do you need any help cleaning up?"

"Nah, I got it. You go home, it's late," Granny brushes him off as she wipes down the counter.

Henry tapped the counter. "Goodnight, Granny."

"Oh, one thing," the older woman stopped Henry. "Your friends from the other world left this here the other day." She took out the book titled 'Auradon and the Isle of the Lost' and placed it on the counter.

Henry walked back over to the counter and looked at the book in confusion and curiosity. It's cover was definitely identical to his book, with the exception of the title, of course. He bit his tongue as he swiftly flipped through the pages, quickly catching on that these were the tales of the heroes and villains of Auradon's world. But where did it come from? Who wrote it? How did the kids get ahold of it? Why wouldn't they tell him about it? ...His new siblings have some explaining to do.

As Henry skimmed through the book, recognizing the tales of the depicted characters from Disney movies he watched as a child. Some of the following chapters were stories of how the kingdom of Auradon and its resident prison, the Isle of the Lost, came to fruition.

At last, he arrived at the page where all the pages that followed were blank. He stared at them in confusion for a moment. When suddenly, his breath caught in his throat as ink slowly emerged on those blank pages. The formerly white sheets of paper were now slowly filling themselves with passages and illustrations.

He watched with great intent. Henry looked through the newly added story in shock. He of course had to read the the story thoroughly to understand the event full-circle. But just by looking at it at first glance, the tale in front of him was something that needed to be shared with the others.

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The overheard shopkeeper's bell on the front door was heard as Rumplestiltskin entered his pawn shop. It was late at night, but then again, immortals don't need sleep.

It was a peaceful moment, and he decided to finally get to work on determining what was plaguing his alternate son.

He walked over to the painting behind the far counter and pulled it out to reveal his safe hidden behind it. He puts his thumb on the magical fingerprint activation that unlocks it. Once the circle around it glowed gold, he turned the handle and opened the safe. He took out Ben's blood that he had collected the other day. He was prepared to test his theory.

He took out the necessary ingredients for the potion that would confirm his hypothesis as the words Benjamin's girlfriend had said that day replayed in his head.

"I swear, Ben, you are too pure-hearted to be human."

Rumple put the half-full vial of blood to the side and took out a wooden bowl. A dove's feather, a lotus petal, demon's ash, a newborn's hair strand, a serpent's tear, etc. Once Rumple was finished mixing the ingredients in the bowl, he waved his hand over them, causing the substance to glow for a moment before taking a grayish-ivory color.