The Arrow Saga: The Tale of the Wanderer
Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time.
The Turns Events Take
Bae and Morraine took a few steps back, but the cloud remained stationary. "Well, this is unusual," John said behind them. Startled, they both turned to face him.
"How much did you see?" Bae asked impulsively.
"Plenty, but as long as you're in the Barrier, you should be fine."
"That Barrier's not going to hold for much longer. When was the last time you had it cast?"
John shrugged. "Thirty years ago?"
Bae nodded and turned back to the cloud hovering over Robin Hood's limp form. "Rather interesting turn of events, yes?"
"You could say that."
"I think we all could," Morraine said.
"Get back to the Greenwood," John said, pulling the two teenagers behind him. They scrambled over their feet and the forest floor before regaining their footing and obeying his order, albeit slowly and watching John's every move. He'd drawn a dagger and was now merely watching the cloud. Bae and Morraine ducked behind a tree and peered around it. She turned to him and nodded, and he nocked an arrow.
John dared to inch closer to the cloud, which had stilled its movements within itself. "Gisborne," he whispered, not escaping the hearing of the two teenagers behind the tree.
The cloud condensed suddenly and flashed into the form of a man in light silver armor but with cloudy black eyes. "So you've heard of me," he said, stepping off of Robin Hood's body. The archer hardly seemed to notice. "So why haven't I heard of you? I lead a quiet life. How can my reputation precede me?"
"Let's just say I know someone who's heard of you, and therefore, so have I."
"By association, then. Who is among our mutual friends?"
"How about our mutual enemies? Robin Hood, for instance? Or how about an enemy of mine that was a friend of yours? Nottingham, I believe his name was."
"How is the good sheriff?"
"Not well, I'm afraid. Not that you've had much time to notice."
Gisborne looked over his shoulder at where the Sheriff lay. "Oh, a pity that," he said, looking back at John. It took all the latter had to repress his surprise at Gisborne's reaction. "It's a shame no one can know about this." Gisborne conjured a dagger to match John's and lunged at him.
OUAT
August flipped his hood down and tossed the room key into the bowl on the table next to the door. He noticed a draft and looked at the window, which had apparently been unlocked while he was out. Standing in front of the window was a red-headed boy that had to be somewhere around ten and in a lot of ways reminded August of his younger self. "Who are you?" he asked. "And if you say you're me I'll call the cops."
"Cops?" the boy asked.
"Adults whose job it is to enforce the law."
"Oh. Then in that case I'm not you."
"What're you doing here, Not Me?"
"I need help. I'm stuck in a strange land and I'm afraid if I try to leave this town something bad will happen to me. I lost two traveling companions along the way and I have a feeling if I find them the Dark One will be really happy with me, and if I don't find them, he'll kill me."
"Well, you've got the politics down." Something flashed in the boy's eyes. "Okay," he said, shrugging his jacket off and tossing it onto the bed. "You need help finding who you traveled here with?" The boy nodded. "How'd you do it?"
"I made the tunnel myself."
"So you're fey?"
"I guess so."
"And what happened en route?"
"There was something dark trying to pull us apart, and there was something else, trying to do the same. Also dark, but not as bad as the first thing."
"And you ended up here."
"No, I wanted to come here, or they did."
"So of the three of you, you're the only one that reached your destination." The boy nodded again, and August sat on the bed. "What made you come here?"
"The guy with the hat scared me."
"He scares a lot of people."
"But he said you might know someone who could help me."
"Well, I might, but travel's a lot easier than finding someone. Even she thinks so."
"Who's she?"
"This person Jefferson knows I know. She lives in Kansas, and only a handful of us folks in Storybrooke can leave without something bad happening to us."
"Are you one of them?"
"Yes. And I'd be really happy to get out into the real world again. Okay, I'll tell you what. I'll recruit her to the cause, and I'll let you stay here, even, if you hold the fort while I'm gone. Don't let anybody know I'm not here, if they ask, and make sure all my stuff is taken care of. I'll leave the exact rent in a drawer to which I'll give you the key. You're not to use it for anything else. Understand?" Peter nodded. "Can you do all that?"
"I...I think so."
August nodded. "Okay. There's a sleeping bag in the closet for you to use."
"...Thanks."
"Sure, kid."
"It's Peter."
"August." They shook hands, and Peter's eyes widened. "It's the wood, isn't it."
"It's weird."
"That's why I don't go out much anymore."
"Can you fix it?"
"I haven't been able to investigate that yet." Peter nodded, and already an idea started to germinate in his mind.