![Rumpelstiltskin](https://31.media.tumblr.com/a9a2619ac9767fff4bbaae423d8fb6ae/tumblr_nc9dkyaSdD1s7eez6o3_500.gif "Rumpelstiltskin")

The Enchanted Forest - Swan Lake

Rumpelstiltskin had arrived long before Rothbart had begun his rampage. Although mostly annoyed from being pulled from something that was so important to him, he was genuinly curious as to what it was the fellow sorcerer needed him for. Watching from the shadows, he witnessed Rothbart beginning to take out his anger on the furniture.

*"RUMPELSTILTSKIN! I've had enough of your games! Show yourself!"*

Well, at least Rumpelstiltskin could say that training Rothbart hadn't been a *complete* waste, he caught on to more than he had initially thought. Well, it wasn't technically *him* that had trained Rothbart. Zoso, The Dark One before Rumpelstitlskin had the misfortune of teaching a whole number of apprentices, Ursula included, but Rumpelstiltskin shared Zoso's memories as if they were his own; and all memories of every other Dark One before him. Truly, it made Rumpelstiltskin feel as if he were closer to a thousand years old rather than his true age.

*"RUMPELSTILTSKIN, I WILL NOT CALL FOR YOU AGAIN!"*

Scoffing to himself, Rumpelstiltskin disappeard from his hidden space and appeared again in the center of the room, hands clasped together and resting at his lap as he looked upon Rothbart with a look that clearly sent the message that he found his former pupil to be completely and utterly foolish.

*"I see you finally decided to show yourself. You must be getting old, Dark One, you never used to make me call you more than twice. It is, to say the least, disappointing..."*

Rumpelstiltskin couldn't help but to let out a snort. If he truly knew him, then Rothbart would have known that he had arrived long ago, sitting idly by gathering information for any future encounters that would benefit himself, should the need arise. But Rothbart was in a rage, and so he allowed the sorcerer to continue speaking, standing there with all the patience in the world for the moment.

*"I have a problem that needs to be taken care of, and you Rumpelstiltskin, are the only one I believe to be capable of such a feat. I wish to secure my position as this kingdoms rightful ruler; as such, I need to marry that childish and stubborn girl I keep as my ward... I know the laws of magic! You cannot make someone fall in love, nor bring back the dead, nor change the past. You like all of us are bound by these rules."*

Rumpelstiltskin raised an eyebrow. Again he was impressed by the knowledge he had previously felt that Rothbart hadn't at all been able to grasp.

*"But there are ways around this, and I know that you are the one who can find them. Do this, and you can have whatever price you ask for, for that you have my word... Maybe you might be able to get through to that stupid child..."*

Rumpelstiltskin's eyebrow fell back down to it's normal position. Perhaps he was wrong. Rothbart had learned nothing, it was clear by the offer he was practically throwing at him.

Thats what this had all been about? That girl he had heard about so often of being kidnapped from her kingdom and forced into seclusion so that in hopes one day she would come around and realize she was in love with her captor? He couldn't help it, a chilling giggle came from Rumpelstiltskin then, the gears in his mind already turning, commiting each and every word Rothbart uttered to memory so that he could revisit them when the time came to make good on his deal. When one was as skilled in twisting words and finding loopholes as Rumpelstiltskin was, there wasn't anything he couldn't do.

"You know, you're right. I've quite the reputation for, shall we say, bending the rules..." Rumpelstiltskin acknowledged with another giggle, taking it upon himself then to start looking around the room at the various nick-knacks. Ignoring the whole principle of proper ettiqute when visiting another's home, Rumpelstiltskin picked up a few of the things to examine them more closely. Disinterested with a glass figurine, Rumpelstiltskin tossed it aside without regard, unable to find it in himself to care when it shattered on the ground next to the vase. But what did Rothbart have that Rumpelstiltskin wanted? He knew for a fact that there wasn't anything the sorcerer owned that would help him in his search for his son, so really it all boiled down to what Rothbart loved most, something that would utterly destroy him if he was forced to part with...

A flicker of a smile came upon his lips as a brilliant idea flashed across his mind as he examined the steel of a sword hanging on the wall.

"Sit tight, dearie. This won't take but a moment." He chided and was gone with the remnants of a thick cloud of crimson smoke that had enveloped him.

Appearing by the lake, Rumpelstitlskin's eyes happened upon the young blonde almost immediately. There was no need to try to keep himself hidden now, he had a deal to close. It was clear that she had been crying, and though Rumpelstiltskin had never before seen the girl, a pang of familiarity shot through his system like that of an old friend. It only took half a second for him to realize that the feeling a familiarity to not the girl, but magic; a curse had fallen upon the her, a curse he had once had his hand in creating. The question was, what curse did Rothbart take from his lessons and put on this girl that would force her into staying his prisoner forever? Another thought came to his mind then. Just how many crying blondes would he have to encounter before the night was through?

"Your upset, I get it. But the crying. Must. Stop." He said, alerting her to his presense. He then took a deep bow, just as he had done for Cinderella, and gave her his name.

"R-R-R-Rumpelstiltskin." He said, letting the 'R' roll off his tongue and came out of his bow. "And you are Princess Odette of Swan Lake." He bared his teeth in a knowing grin, thriving off of the confusion he was probably causing in the girl with his sudden appearance and knowledge of who she was.

"Yes I know all about you... Princess..." He said as he started to walk around, using her title with a jab of mockery in it, as if he didn't take her title at all very seriously. "...and I know all about your problems. The question is... what are you willing to give to change your fate?"

Really this was all too simple. Completing a deal with another deal. Surely if it had been him to train Rothbart he would have made sure to give the man some kind of brains, though... on second thought, there couldn't be *too* many people running around with all his secrets.