Author's intro:

Hello readers!

This is my first fanfiction for Once Upon A Time and my first fanfiction I have posted on here. I've been writing fanfiction for a few years, mostly Harry Potter, and finally decided that this one might be good enough to actually post so... here it is! Please don't attack me with pitchforks...

This story is mainly about Rumplstiltskin/Mr. Gold and I really want to get his character right so please give me a chance and, after you read, review to let me know what you think and spread the word about this story to other Once Upon A Time and Rumplestiltskin fans.

This story is currently rated T. Please note that the rating will possibly go up in the future.

Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

-Draco

DISCLAIMER!

I do not own OUAT

-OUAT-

Chapter 1- Music in the Snow

The night was clouded, blocking all light from view, placing the castle further into the darkness. Sally sat on the windowsill dressed in a nightgown, knees pulled to her chest, chin resting upon them, gazing out at the shadows engulfing the land.

As she watched, now began to fall; softly at first but, within a few minutes, it picked up, wind blowing it around, throwing the flakes around wildly. The snow mixed with hail and it slammed against the stones that made up the small window, the spell on said window keeping the snow and hail out of the small room, and Sally sat, watching it. She was memorized by it, as she always was. She loved the way the snow danced and the hail screamed its song and, as always, she began to wonder what would the snow and hail be like in her world where she was born?

Sally had always known she didn't belong in the land of fairytales, as a slave to the queen. It had never been conformed of course, it was just a gut feeling that told her she belonged somewhere else but where was still unknown. But the feeling in her gut remained, telling her that she didn't belong in the world she currently dwelled in but in another. She did once ask the queen but that had ended in her getting punished brutally.

As Sally sat, she heard the queen and the huntsman in the queen's quarters. They were loud as always but more so tonight and Sally was sure it was because she had escaped punishment after dinner earlier that evening. She felt sick as the groans and moans from the two mixed with the creaking of the mattress springs and slamming of wood against wood, flesh upon flesh filled the castle. She grimaced as she heard the queen begin to climax followed by the huntsman's loud groan.

Silence fell on the castle, save for the hail against the stones making up the window. Sally rested her head against the stone, feeling the cold seep into her warm flesh. A sigh escaped her lips as her deep, brown eyes closed. She sat there, still for a minute before reopening her eyes and walking over to the mattress that was stuffed with hay, walking across the cobble stone floor. She bent down and lifted a stone out of place carefully revealing a hole in the floor and lifting out a light cider wood guitar—obviously hand-made— from its depths. Taking care to be quiet, Sally returned to the window and sitting back down, holding the guitar in her lap as if she was going to play it but made no move to do as such.

She closed her eyes, listening carefully to the hail and wind outside for several minutes. As if her fingers had a mind of their own, they began to move upon the strings, playing softly.

The musical notes danced softly around the room, mixing with the sounds out in the darkness. Nothing else mattered to her, now. All other sounds were gone; all other feelings were gone as the music filled her up. The only thing was her and the notes she was playing combining with the sound of nature.

In the distance, an owl hooted before flying away from its home for a midnight hunt as the clock struck twelve and the moon reached its highest point in the sky, the clouds just beginning to clear as the wind and hail began to calm on the beginning of Sally's 17th birthday. She opened her mouth and began to sing quietly:

Good sir, I now present myself before you.

With velvet robes and lilies in my hair,

My ladies do their best with what they're given,

And I only pray that you will find me fair…

I ask you leave a penny for the bargeman

And one in penance for the hearts you break.

And keep these words forever as a reminder

Of what sends a dying lily to the lake…

In a forest miles away covered in snow, a man with green-gold, scaly skin walked calmly through the white powder, blood-red apple in his hand being tossed up and down causally, a sickening, twisted smirk on his paper thin, dry lips upon the narrow and demonic face, humming softly to himself;

He bends and he breaks

If you give, they will take away

His passion, his pain, his grace

He exhale

A thousand black flowers explode

Into butterflies as they're away.

Rip them out, take them,

Burn to coals as they crush and leave nothing

That resembles a soul of a man

See him numb, see him crushed

Rip them out, take them

Burn to coals as they crush and leave nothing

That resembles a soul of a man

Leave them numb, leave the crushed.

Took the fire inside

One too many times

He's burning over and out now,

He flails

Up against the raging tides,

No more fights

Everything you ever wanted to see,

See it in his eyes

One more time, one more time.

Climb down to test the waters,

My hands feel like they're rusting away

So I'll pace around like a lamb before the slaughter

I'll stay here as long as you let me,

Decision's been made obvious so I will return

Where I started I'll stay here

When I'm finished I'll wither away

Rip them out, take them,

Burn to coals as they crush and leave nothing

That resembles a soul of a man

See him numb, see him crushed

Rip them out, take them

Burn to coals as they crush and leave nothing

That resembles a soul of a man

Leave them numb, leave the crushed.

As he hummed the tone of the song, he thought over the events of the day. It had been a good day for the demon; he had made three new deals and collected four debts, one of them was forced. Despite having to take the one by force, it had been a good day. A very good day indeed.

Then, the music came.

The man stopped his humming, stilling both the apple and his walking, listening to the music and soft singing;

Dear Lancelot, my sorrow clad in silver,

You see my thoughts return to you again.

You came to me as other come a-courting

But nothing is with you as other men.

It was soft sounding, sad, mixing with the sound of the faint wind and slowing hail as it returned to snow. He strained his ears to hear better;

I ask you to leave a penny for the sermon

And another for the errors that you make.

And keep these words forever as reminded

Of what sends a dying lily to the lake.

It had been a long time since he heard something such as this sound, a very long time indeed. Over a thousand years, since before his wife and him… Since before he…

His feet seemed to gain a mind of their own and began walking towards the singing and music until he came to the dark queen's castle. Looking up, he saw the brown haired, pail skinned girl sitting in the window playing her guitar, eyes still closed.

She wasn't pretty, he thought then, but she wasn't ugly later. Just… plain, boring looking. But her fingers… as he watched they ghostly danced across the strings as if they were made to do so, much better than a Beatle.

Slowly, a twisted, cold smile crossed the demon's long face and he crossed his arms, taking a bite of the blood-red apple, not even bothering to wipe the juices that drip down his chin off, eyes never leaving the girl's pale face. Yes, he knew who she was. The queen couldn't keep such information from him. He knew everything, about everyone. How else would he be able to make such good deals and mess with them in a way to profit himself? But this girl… she was different. Very different. He knew who she was, yes, but he didn't know what she wanted, how to barter with her. Everyone else was simple but she… she was complex and hidden. It frustrated him beyond belief but in time he knew he would find out. Of course he would. All he had to do was wait…

So, he did. He waited, eating his apple, watching the girl, listening to her music and song;

With trembling hands I held your life inside you

But failed to earn your favour for my own.

Your coppers were an empty consolation,

For my needs are met by you, and you alone.

I ask you to leave a penny for the water

And another for the liberties you take.

And keep these words forever in reminder

Of what sends a dying lily to the lake.

Please keep these words, my love, as a reminder.

As the song came to an end, Sally opened her eyes and leaned her head back against the stones, letting the guitar drop to the ground in her room. She looked out the window, into the sky and, as she watched, a shooting star shot across the now clear midnight blanket. Reclosing her eyes and licking her soft, pink lips, she whispered, making the man have to strain his ears to hear, "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, Have this wish, I wish tonight…" After a pause she opened her eyes again and a single twinkling tear slips down her face. "I wish for my hero to come and save me from this place. I wish for my prince charming. I wish for my Lancelot."

Then, without noticing the man in the shadows of the trees below her window, she got up and walked to her mattress and laying down upon it, pulling the slender worn blanket over her frail body and, after blowing out the candle and curling into herself, silently cried herself to sleep.

Rumplestiltskin remained in his place for several long, excruciating moments as his mind worked out what she had wished upon that star for. Taking one last bite of the apple, he tossed the core away into the snow, some of it still able to be eaten but unwanted by him. As he thought for a few seconds longer, his mind formulized an idea and the cracked, scaly lips twisted upward into a grimacing smile.

"Oh my dear," He cackled softly with laughter, unfolding his arms and walking slowly in a straight line at the border of the forest, placing one foot in front of the other as if on a tightrope. "You shall have your wish. I shall make it happen, for a price of course. Because, as you soon will learn," he cackled again, louder and looked up at the darkened window. "All magic comes with a price." The "-ice" came out as a low, sickly hiss. With the grin still in place, Rumplestiltskin slipped back into the forest leaving nothing behind to indicate his presence besides the footprints soon buried in snow and the half eaten apple laying in the snow.

-OUAT-

Author's note:

Well, what did you think? Good? Okay? Horrible? Amazing? Was Rumplestiltskin in character for what you saw of him? Should I change the title?

The two songs in this chapter used were Lily Maid by Heather Dale and The Theft by Atreyu. Did the songs seem to fit the characters (mainly Rumplestiltskin and The Theft).

Also, all of my OCs' names' meanings in here will have significans to the story.

Please review and tell me what you think!

-Draco