The Forgotten Enchanted Forest Chronicles
A Once Upon a Time/Enchanted Forest Chronicles Fanfic by SJO
Note: Once Upon a Time is owned by ABC, and the Enchanted Forest Chronicles are owned by Patricia C. Wrede, not me. I started to get this idea when Regina referred to the fairy tale world as "the enchanted forest" in the episode "We Are Both." It caused me to wonder if one of my favorite fantasy book series could have a part in one of my current favorite television shows. Some of the details from the book series may not be entirely accurate, but that's on purpose; as the show twists details from classic fairy tales, I plan to twist some details from EFC. I also may make some references to EFC fanfics I have written in the past.
I decided to change things a bit, hopefully, to get more reviews. I have a feeling the reason this story is being ignored is because very few people are familiar with Wrede's excellent series, though you really should be. So, I'm going to try telling these stories from first-person point of view and explaining more stuff from the books. Consider all of these accounts to be written after the curse broke, sort of the characters trying to sort through their memories of the past. The chapter names are going to change to the speaker and the time the speaker is writing about
Chapter 1: Daystar, Before the Curse
I've had a lot to think about lately. I've been in high school for twenty-eight years, and Principal Lloyd, who I now know as Willin, just graduated me. He finally told me there was no reason I had to go to school. With no job, no way out, and nothing to do with my life, all I can do is think. So, I've been sitting in this tree by the border drawing pictures and writing in this journal. I've decided that I'm unlike anyone in Storybrooke.
I'm double-cursed.
Maybe even triple, or more than that, I don't know. And it's all Herman's fault.
The night I first heard of the curse was so happy. We were eating dinner, actually quite a feast. I was watching my mother and father giggling and clinking glasses. "Happy anniversary, Dear Heart," Father said to Mother. "You look as beautiful today as you did on your wedding day."
"Oh, Mendanbar!" my mother blushed.
"I remember it so well, your face glowing with those fireflowers in your bouquet. You were so glorious! But I knew that the first day I saw you, with that rusty apron and tangled hair."
"Well, you still look as handsome as the day I met you, Darling, like you haven't aged a day." They both laughed.
I sighed. "I can't believe it. My parents are still acting like giggly-newlyweds on their twentieth anniversary."
They looked at me. "Daystar!" my mother said. "You know better than to be so rude!"
"Give him a break, Cimorene. He's still a teenager. It's normal for him to be embarrassed by his parents."
"That's no excuse, Mendanbar. I raised him better than that."
Father shook his head. "You're right, of course, Son. It is our twentieth anniversary, but since I was . . . uh, indisposed for most of those years, it just doesn't feel like that many."
"I know, it's just . . ." I couldn't think of a way to say it that wouldn't make Mother mad. So I just took another bite of my meat. "Oh, this is really good! What is it?"
"Griffin steak. Had to have something extra-special for our big day."
"Special is right," Mother said. "One wrong cut, and it's poisonous. It's worse than blowfish. Quite a challenge to make." Mother always handled tough recipes like this; she didn't trust the kitchen staff all the time. She didn't want the fact that she was Queen of the Enchanted Forest stand in the way of her eating quality food.
"So, what are you doing this weekend, Son?"
"I don't know. I may go over to see Shiara, if she's free, and if things have cooled off since last time. But I expect I'll just spend it in the library." Shiara's the closest thing I have to a girlfriend. She's a firewitch I met in the Enchanted Forest when I was sixteen. She had trouble doing magic, but I accidently made it so that she could only do magic when she was polite. She kept wanting me to fix it, and I kept promising that I would, but I found tremendously difficult because I liked her better that way. She's now the Chief Cook and Librarian for Kazul, the King of the Dragons, and I went to see her from time to time, keep our friendship alive. But since she's a firewitch, she has a temper that never seems to die out, so she seems to be mad at me for something all the time. Against my better judgment, I said, "What about you?"
"We're going to the beach for the weekend, spending our time at the same bed and breakfast where you were conceived."
I shook my head; I didn't need to know that. "Does that mean I get the kingdom while you are gone?"
"Not so fast. Willin's in charge."
"Oh, Willin! But I'm the Prince!"
"I know, but I don't think you're quite ready for the responsibility of running the whole kingdom just yet."
"No parties while we're gone, Daystar," Mother warned. "I want this place spic-and-span when we get back."
"Yes, Mother," I answered.
"Alright. Let's start packing." Father rose from the table and started picking at something in the air when Willin, his advisor who is an elf, burst in looking quite frantic.
"Your Majesties, please forgive the interruption, but you have an unexpected guest who has just arrived and begs audience. She says it is a matter of extreme importance."
"She?" Mother said. "It is not a princess, is it?"
"No, you majesty, it is a fairy."
"A fairy?" Father repeated.
"Um, I'm in no need of a fairy godmother," I protested. "I'm nearly an adult, and even though I'm unmarried—"
"I believe the matter is direr than that, my prince," Willin answered. "To be quite honest, she appears terrified."
"It must be a circumstance out of her own control, one that cannot be solved with even her own magic," Father decided. "That doesn't happen often. Fairies are usually so independent. Well, send her in, Willin."
"As you wish, Your Majesty," the elf replied with a bow. Father then made a plucking motion in the air, and all the leftover food from the feast vanished. See, in the Enchanted Forest, magic is everywhere, and Father, as the King of the Enchanted Forest, can sense it and use it directly. I can too since the forest has recognized me as its heir. It's like a net of invisible threads all around us that we can touch and create any spell we want. Father also summoned our best crowns with a wave of his hand. We all put them on and stood as Willin reentered. "Presenting the leader of the fairies, the Reul Ghorm!"
A tiny woman wearing a blue dress flew into the room and hovered above us. "Oh, Your Majesties, King Mendanbar, Queen Cimorene, Prince Daystar" (she bowed her head at each of us as she said our names), "I apologize at this sudden arrival. I understand you do not wish to be disturbed at this time, as it is Your Majesties' anniversary."
"Oh, it's no trouble at all, Miss, uh, Ghorm is it?" Father replied.
"You may call me Blue Star, so please Your Majesty, or simply the Blue Fairy. Most people of my kind know who I am."
"Oh yeah, I've heard of you!" I said. "You brought that puppet to life, the one without strings! Pi . . . some really long name that starts with a p."
"Daystar, please," Father said, motioning me to calm down. "As I was saying, if there is a problem beyond the fairies' control, we always stand ready to help."
"Oh, it's not just the fairies, Your Majesty. It's everyone's problem, and I fear you are our only hope. We have just learned the nature of Queen Regina's curse."
"Queen Regina?"
"At Snow's wedding?" Mother asked. The Blue Fairy nodded. "I told you about that, remember? It was almost a year ago."
"Oh, oh, right! The nontraditional curse at the wedding. Well, don't you fairies usually have a method of finding a loophole, a spell set up so the curse will be lessened and/or easily broken?"
"Usually, yes, but not this time. That's why I came to you!"
"Well, what is it?" Mother asked anxiously. "Is their kingdom troubled by great misfortune, failing crops, war?"
"You don't understand. Regina did not only curse Snow and Charming's kingdom. She cursed everyone, all creatures living in the Enchanted Forest. She is going to send us to a faraway land with no magic without our memories or our powers."
Stunned silence filled the room. We looked at each other. A world without magic? How could we possibly live in such a place?
"Does . . . such a place exist?" I asked.
"It certainly does. I once sent someone who made a wish to go there, but that is a long story."
"And what do you wish of us?" Father asked slowly.
"Could you please tell me if there is any way we can combat this? Some great power that can withstand this curse when it comes, lessen its blow, perhaps even resist it? If we can find just one spell or hiding place or cave or hidden tunnel, we may be able to protect a hero who will save us."
The room went silent again as they all thought. Then, I snapped my fingers. "The Lake of Weeping Dreamers!"
"What is that?"
"It's on the edge of the forest. It's not really a lake; it's a portal disguised as a lake, and it connects to a world where magic does exist. Granted, it's much rarer than it is here in the Enchanted Forest and doesn't work the same way, but it's there." My father discovered it a couple years prior, and I used it to study magic at a school called Hogwarts, but that's another story.
"Yeah, that's an idea," Father nodded. "Now, we do have to be careful. It doesn't like to transport several people at once. We learned that the hard way one year." That's when we tried to start a foreign exchange program with Hogwarts. It's enough to say that it didn't work the way we thought it would, so we were never able to get that program off the ground. "And people who take it must never expect to come here to stay again."
"Well, the idea does have some promise," the Blue Fairy nodded. "Can you show me this lake?"
"Certainly." Father grabbed some threads of magic, closed his eyes, and pulled. The four of us were taken on the transportation spell, but when we materialized, we were standing by a dry riverbed. The Lake of Weeping Dreamers was gone.
What followed was, putting it mildly, a mess. Father was furious, and he disappeared deep into the forest where we couldn't follow. Mother was trying to be strong and regal, but I could tell that she was on the brink of tears because her anniversary was ruined. The Blue Fairy was clearly anxious and worried. And I was just confused and frustrated. We didn't get any answers that night. Father called our three closest friends: Telemain the magician, his wife Morwen the Witch, and Kazul. The same stunned silence hung in the air that evening when he told them about the curse. Poor Telemain kept twitching and quivering his lips as though for the first time in his life he could not say a word. Then too suddenly, that silence was broken.
"I TOLD YOU!" a hoarse voice shouted. We looked up at a wooden gargoyle in the study corner. He was built with the castle to inform us of its upkeep, but most of the time he just insults us or offers advice nobody wants. "Didn't I tell you? I said take the magic iron dance shoes as your wedding present. You only had to throw them into a fire overnight, give 'em to Mom, and that would take care of her. But nooooooooooo, you thought the bride would have a lot more use for a crepe pan. Thanks a lot, Cimorene, you doomed us all!"
"Hey, you don't talk to my wife like that!" Father yelled up at the gargoyle.
"But you do have to admit, it makes you wonder why we didn't nip this in the bud," Kazul brought up.
"Making her dance until she dropped down dead?" Mother answered. "I couldn't do that, not even to Regina."
Silence again. Finally, Telemain found words. "A . . . a world without . . . magic?"
"I know," I replied. "I still find it hard to believe such a place exists."
"It must exist. In order to be effective, such a curse is required to have a point of . . . oh, what's the point?"
"Telley," Morwen said softly but firmly.
"But what are we to do, Morwen? Thirty years of painstaking research and analysis and cataloging of almost twenty different types of magic, wasted just like that!"
"Well, you think that's bad, what about us dragons?" Kazul grumbled. "If we cannot find enough magic in our surroundings, we stop making our own, and without magic we die. It's why when dragons leave the Mountains of Morning they have to be extremely careful where they go." I know dragons can leave the Mountains of Morning, the dragon kingdom, because I learned about dragons of the other world at Hogwarts. But Kazul taught me a useful principle—dragons have an excellent instinctual homing device; no matter where they are, all dragons know their way back to the Mountains of Morning.
"Maybe we should think about this more positively," Morwen offered. "This will give us an opportunity to try something new. I could see myself becoming a nurse, for either people or animals. Telemain, maybe we could be teachers again. We both loved teaching at Hogwarts."
"But what would we teach?" Telemain complained. "Magic is all I know."
"Well, there's Muggle magic," I offered. "I heard about that at Hogwarts. It's like electricity and machines."
"Or economics," Morwen added. "I remember that time you did so well with—"
Father hit the table. "Everyone, let's just put our worries and 'what ifs' aside for the moment and discuss this issue more practically! I'm hearing a lot of problems but no concrete solutions."
"Yes, sorry, Father," I answered meekly.
"Right. I spoke to some of the forest creatures to determine what happened to the Lake of Weeping Dreamers. The lion who guards the Pool of Gold turned out to be my best witness. He said that a few nights ago, a hero came and did battle with the lake's guardian and defeated her."
"The Lake of Weeping Dreamers has a guardian?"
"Well, had. She lived at the bottom of the lake and evidently only showed herself if she was summoned. Without the guardian, the lake could not survive, and it dried up." He added under his breath, "I wish someone told me about it."
"Willin probably has record of it somewhere," Mother answered.
"At any rate, we failed to meet the Blue Fairy's request. I spoke with her, and she explained that in the same prophecy that described the nature of this impending curse, the means of breaking the curse was also laid out. It seems the one destined to break Regina's curse is Snow's unborn child."
"Hey, just like me!" I observed. I was also destined to break a curse before I was even born, and I did when I was sixteen. Mother raised me on her own until then.
"That's right. Of course, just like in your situation, that's gonna take a while. The Blue Fairy wants protection for Snow and possibly Charming so that they can raise the child in safety, just as Cimorene did with Daystar, and then send the child on its way to destiny when the time is right. Of course, I don't think we can use Cimorene's entire strategy since this curse is supposedly going to take us to a world we don't know, so we need something else. Maybe a barrier or a shield or a magic amulet."
"You know, I've heard of a tree that resists black magic, no matter how strong," Morwen said thoughtfully. "As I recall, it makes its own magic and can be unpredictable, but it could probably be fashioned into some kind of shelter."
"That sounds perfect, Morwen."
"I mean, that is if we can even find one. I hear they are very rare, even in the Enchanted Forest. I should look it up in my library tonight."
"You do that, and we'll go looking for it in the morning. Telemain, I want you to find out all you can regarding the nature of this curse, what will happen to us and so forth."
"Uh, Your Majesty," Telemain said nervously.
Father ignored him. "And Kazul, I want you to search all your dragon lore and see if you can discover any way to combat the curse. I'm sure if there's any type of magic that's strong enough to withstand it, it's dragon magic. After all, it's been over twenty years, and Cimorene's fireproofing spell hasn't worn thin at all."
"Not to mention, she uses that couplet for everything," I added.
Mother laughed and nodded. "That's true."
"Your Majesty!" Telemain said louder.
"What is it, Telemain?" Father answered, very irritated.
"You know I don't specialize in black magic. In fact, I'm given to understand that my contact for such queries is currently incarcerated." I stared at him; Telemain's got a tendency to go into very technical vocabulary. It almost hurts him to dumb it down. He explained uncomfortably, "Locked in a dungeon."
But I was confused for another reason. "Sorry, I'm just wondering who that might be," I said.
Mendanbar sighed. "If it's who I think it is, he deserves it. Fine, you can go see him."
"I'm afraid that may not be possible, Your Majesty. He's under very heavy guard. They will not let visitors in."
"I'll go," Mother volunteered.
"No, Cimorene," Father said sharply. "He's not who you think he is. He's very dangerous."
"Well, I have a way to put him in his place, I think, and I'll let the guards know that."
"Even so, I don't want you to go alone. Daystar, go with her. Make sure to stop any magic he may conjure."
"Yes, Father."
"I think it might also be a good idea to get whatever information we can from the source," Mother added. "In the morning, I'll use the magic mirror to call Regina."
"I don't think that will get us anywhere, Dear Heart, but it's worth a try," Father nodded. "Alright, any other suggestions?" Everyone looked as uncertain as ever. "Very well, dismissed!"
Everyone scattered, but Telemain lingered for a moment. He approached Mendanbar and said bashfully, "Your Majesty, I apologize if I seemed out of sorts this evening. Lately I've been feeling, for lack of a better word, unsatisfactory."
"Nonsense, Telemain!" Father replied putting his arm around Telemain's shoulders. "You are the most skilled magician I have ever met. I have always been impressed by your intellect, even if you are a bit stuffy at times. I would never imagine having another magician in my courts."
"I thank you, Your Majesty, but I was referring to matters that do not involve magic."
Father and I knew what that meant. Since we came back from Hogwarts, Telemain and Morwen have been trying to start a family. "So, you still haven't—?"
"No."
"I'm sorry, my friend."
Telemain was trying to hold back tears. "It's fine. Morwen's just been taking care of her cats. They're her children, you know. I was starting to look up magical methods to aid our predicament. I could fashion a puppet out of an enchanted tree, but I've never been much of an artist, and it's my understanding that for a long time such a boy is unruly and disobedient. I thought about burying all our wishes for a perfect child in Morwen's garden, but that solution is only temporary. Lately I've been searching for a spell that might turn one of Morwen's kittens into a child, but with this curse coming—"
"Don't give up, no matter what you do. Just keep trying. If all else fails, remember Merlin's first theorem."
"Oh, Merlin's first theorem! I had forgotten. Thank you, Your Majesty." He bowed and rejoined his wife.
I came up to him and asked, "What's that, Merlin's first theorem?"
"Merlin was the first recognized magician. Remember how Morwen mentioned economics earlier? Well, Merlin is often called—"
"I know who Merlin is! I just am more familiar with his mythic depiction than his technical one. I never heard of his first theorem."
"You probably heard of it. You just didn't know it."
"Well, what is it?"
Father smiled and answered for him. "Love conquers all."
Everyone gathered back at the castle in the morning. Morwen showed Father a picture of the tree she talked about. "See this bark pattern? It's very recognizable," she said.
"Yes, I recognize it," he answered. "These trees are rare. The Enchanted Forest might grow two of these a year, and they usually get cut down by people who know their magic properties. I don't think that's a kind of tree my sword could produce. I think we might have a full day ahead of us."
"We'll find one, I'm sure."
"I have a rather full day as well," Telemain said. "I'm going to scour over Morwen's library for anything having to do with curses. Now, my contact usually charges a price for information, but he knows that I'm a magician, so he usually asks for ingredients for spells. Occasionally, he requests magic maintenance, which I may provide if and when he is freed. Therefore, I suggest you take this." He handed me his multi-pocketed vest. "If he asks for something in return, you need only ask what it is, and you can find what he request in the pockets. It's the same spell as on Morwen's door or in her sleeves. It just requires proper concentration."
"OK, great," I nodded. "Now, I don't know where we're going, so I can't . . ."
"Well, the dungeon was constructed by the dwarves, so I would suggest going through their tunnels in the Caves of Chance."
I didn't like hearing that since last time he was in the Caves of Chance I was nearly killed by a jelly-like creature called a quozzel, but I nodded politely. I wished everyone goodbye before they all disappeared, then I went to join Mother in the study. She had just finished pinning up her hair in two braids on top of her head, and she placed a crown in the center, made sure it was straight, and then she cleared her voice and said, "Mirror, mirror on the wall, I would like to make a call."
The mirror in front of her went milky-white and a soft, pleasant voice said, "What party are you calling, please?"
"Queen Regina."
"One moment, please." The mirror stayed cloudy for about two minutes.
"What's taking it so long?" I asked.
"Remember, son, patience is a virtue."
"Maybe you should've said the name of the kingdom."
"Well, it escapes me right now. I know she has a mirror. She's gotta answer it sometime."
Right around then, a woman in a black leather dress appeared in the reflection. She also had long black hair pulled up into a ponytail on her head. In fact, I was amazed how much Regina looked like Mother. "Cimorene! What a pleasant surprise!" Regina smiled, but it was an entirely sincere smile, and I wondered if she really thought this was pleasant.
"Good morning, Regina."
"And who's that with you?"
"My son, Daystar."
"Oh my, how he's grown! And a looker. Quite the heartbreaker already, aren't you Daystar?"
Mother chuckled a little just to be polite but also to keep the conversation on track. "Regina, I have to say, when Morwen and I were at your stepdaughter's wedding, we were actually impressed with your . . . performance. You know, it's usually more traditional for a wicked fairy to pronounce a curse at the christening of the first child, not at the wedding."
Regina actually laughed and nodded. "I thought you'd appreciate that. I'm frankly surprised it doesn't happen so often. I've never been a patient person. Most people who are wicked aren't."
"I suppose that's true. But my friends and I are somewhat concerned regarding this curse."
"Well, of course you are. That's understandable. However, I'm sure you'd understand that I can't tell you everything. That would put you at an advantage."
"Right, of course. It's just that one of my friends is a magician. He's studied magic all his life, and the thought of going to a world without magic is very perplexing to him."
"Well, he doesn't need to worry. When he is taken to this new world, he will remember nothing of his life here. He will have a new life with new worries, new troubles."
"But what kind of life would he have?"
"Now that, I can't tell you."
"Can't or won't?"
Regina just leaned back and smiled.
"You don't know."
Regina sighed. "Fine. I don't have complete control over everything. Some aspects of the curse are random. All I can say is he'll only know about his new life."
"Well, that's helpful."
"You don't seem very worried, Cimorene. You're not looking into a way to break my curse, are you?"
"Oh, I'd be lying if I said we're not doing research of our own, but I honestly think it would be futile. It's going to happen, like it or not. We just want to be prepared."
"That's good. Well, try to get as prepared as you can."
"And I do have a concern of my own. What is going to happen to all the creatures who grow their own, natural magic?"
Regina raised an eyebrow. "Like dragons?"
"Yes."
"Well, they'll have no place in this world."
"Oh come on!" I blurted out. "A world without magic is bad enough, but a world without dragons? That's just nuts!"
Regina smiled coldly at my outburst. "I might keep one or two well-concealed. Of course, you won't know that they exist."
"Oh yes I would! I'd feel them!"
"Don't be so sure, boy."
"Daystar, please control yourself," Mother ordered. "One last thing, if I may ask you, Regina. I don't really understand why this curse must affect everyone. Why must we all pay for one innocent mistake?"
Regina didn't answer right away, but after a brief pause she cruelly chuckled.
"What is it?"
"I just find it interesting that you would wonder this, Cimorene. It's not the first time it's happened."
Mother looked confused and a little hurt. "Have I wronged you, Regina?"
"Oh no, Cimorene, not me. Someone I believe you know. But at any rate, the answer is simple. This is my happily ever after. The cold, hard truth is that no one, not even you, is going to keep me from it. Magic always comes at a price. That's why you have to pay."
Mother obviously did not like that phrase and opened her mouth to reply when a hoarse voice interrupted her. "One more thing, Your Majesty, how do you feel about dancing?" The wooden gargoyle was trying to stick its head into the picture.
"No, stop it!" she said trying to push his face out of the way.
"But there's still time!" the gargoyle replied through bared teeth.
Mother laughed nervously. "Ignore him, Regina, please."
"Done," Regina answered. "It was nice talking with you, Cimorene." Her face faded from the mirror's reflection. Mother continued to struggle with the gargoyle, and she eventually needed my help to end it. We teleported out of the study.
"Who do you think Queen Regina meant?" I asked.
"I might have an idea," Mother answered. "It doesn't make things much easier. Well, let's go find Telemain's contact."
We went outside the castle and found the way to the passages of the Caves of Chance. "Mother, if I may ask, how did you know Queen Regina?" Daystar asked as they walked down the passages in the Caves of Chance.
"Well, we only met once. She came to our house. Truth be told, she knows me better than I know her."
I remembered that we entertained many guests headed for the Enchanted Forest, but I never remembered Regina. "Why did she come?"
Mother didn't answer. "Daystar, why were you so upset when Regina said the dragons can't come?"
"I guess I was just thinking about Shiara," I answered. "What's going to happen to her?"
She shook her head. "I really don't know, Daystar. She's a firewitch. She makes her own magic. Taking her out of this world would starve her to death, just like it would the dragons."
"Or maybe she'll just become an ordinary person, not a firewitch. But if she's with the dragons . . ."
"I really don't know. I'm sure they'll protect her. Dragon magic is very strong."
"Hello?" a voice called at the other end of the passage. "Who goes there?"
I sighed in relief. It didn't sound like a quozzel. "Prince Daystar and Queen Cimorene, sir," I answered.
We saw lantern light moving more closely to us, and a sandy-haired gentleman a little older than me approached. "Daystar? It's been a long time."
"Hello, James! Mother, this is Prince James. We met on my first Enchanted Forest adventure." Shiara and I found a princess, who turned out to be Snow White, in the middle of the Enchanted Forest. Prince James came to rescue here and had a tourney with a dragon. It's another lengthy story.
"Oh, yes, we've met," Mother said. "This is the young man who just got married."
"Wait, it's you? Wow, I didn't realize. Everyone said it was someone called Charming."
"Yeah, that's a nickname Snow gave me, and it kinda stuck," James answered.
"Well, I hope that doesn't happen to me. You should hear some of the nickname's Shiara's given me." We all chuckled. "So these are your tunnels now?"
"Oh, I'm just taking the next shift. Snow and I are guarding a prisoner here, and we don't want people to get too close."
"Actually, that's who we came to see," Mother said.
"I'm afraid I can't allow that. He's the most dangerous being in the whole realm."
"What, more dangerous than a dragon? Relax, we have a few tricks up our sleeve."
"Do you have your sword, Daystar?"
I shook my head. "No, but I don't need it anymore."
"Alright, you may go, but it's at your own risk. Good luck."
We followed the passage to the very end where we found a cell, and in that cell was a strange little man with wavy hair, big dark eyes, terrible teeth, and gold sickly-looking skin. I recognized him right away. "YOU!"
So did Mother. "Herman?" (Don't ask me why she called him that; I don't know to this day.)
The little man turned to us and glared. "That is not my name," he said in an unpleasant voice.
"That's not what you told me."
"Different time, different man." He grinned and came closer to the bars. "But I must say, dearie, I have you to thank for who I am." He grabbed the bars and looked straight into her face. "Or perhaps I should say, I have you to blame." He grinned even bigger and added a high-pitched giggle that set my teeth on edge.
Mother didn't flinch. "I see you've settled on a term of endearment."
"Oh yes. It has worked very well for me, just the way you said it would. It disarms people, makes them think I'm on their side. Then they do what I want."
"That's not what I—"
"And you!" The little man turned to me. "How did you like the little present I left for you?"
I glared at him. "You tried to kill me." When I saw him, I thought he was an elf. He took credit for making a wizard's staff explode and offered for Shiara and me to take it, but the fragments of the staff nearly blew me up.
"Oh, no, no, no." The man giggled again, then he reached his hand out and stroked a finger against my cheek, and a shiver ran down my spine. "If I really wanted to kill you, dearie, you'd be dead. But the two of you didn't come here to relive the past."
"We want more information about the curse," Mother said.
"Oh, I already said what I was going to say."
"Yes, we know about it and what's going to stop it, but we want to know more about the nature. What can we expect in this new world?"
"Ah, but you know I don't give such information away. What is it you once told me? 'It takes magic to make magic'?"
"How about this? In return for your information, I will promise you that you will not be eaten by a dragon."
"Oh, but I can get my hands on dragonsbane easilly."
"I know a spell that can melt wizards. I'd be very interested to see how it works on you."
"But I'm not a wizard, and I know just as well as you do that your little spell isn't permanent."
"You know, a friend of mine once told me that the first thing you did as the Dark One was end a war, but then my husband told me that you started one. How would you like for me to get that information out?"
The little man's silly grin disappeared, and his voice became colder. "Do you honestly think I have forgotten? All this time, do you really think I have forgiven you? Do you realize what you had taken from me? No, I have played nice with you far too long! Now it's time for you to answer for what you've done."
"So, Regina was right. So all of this, all of this, is because of a broken window?"
The little man shook his head. "You and your husband, you are far too petty."
I had enough of this. "Look, whoever you are, we come on behalf of the magician Telemain, and he said if you wish you may take any rare item you need for a spell from his stores." I held up the vest.
"Ah, the magician. The little dearie doesn't know when to give up. There is something I've had my mind on. Let me see the vest."
"What is the item?"
"Oh, you'll never get it right. Just give it to me." I reluctantly handed over the vest, but I kept my hand on some loose threads of magic. The little man sensed it. "Let go."
"No. I don't want to risk you taking it. It's borrowed after all."
"Very well." The little man opened a pocket and pulled out a bottle of ink. He held it to the light, looked it over, and giggled again. "Yes, this will do." He also pulled out some parchment and a quill, then shoved the vest back to me. "Oh, the nature of the curse. Well, you certainly can't expect another life in the palace."
"Well, of course!" Mother yelled. "We know we're going to start all over. The question is as what?"
"I don't think that should be so much a concern for you, dearie. You see, this land is not only a land without magic. It's a land without happily ever afters. You'll have a lot more to be bothered about." He turned to me. "You, for instance. You have a sweetheart! Oh, I remember, slender girl, red hair, but a rather rude disposition. Dearie, you could do better."
"She's not my sweetheart. She's just my friend," I said flatly.
"Don't lie to me, dearie. You cannot hide the mark of love upon you. But that's beside the point, because no matter who she is, you may never see her again. And even if you do, you won't know who she is."
"Well, we can meet and become friends again. Maybe it would be better this time. Maybe she'd be nicer."
"Yes, or maybe you'll find she's in love with someone else."
"If we're destined for each other—"
"Destiny? Ha! Destiny has no place in this world. It's a world of free will!"
I sighed. "The more I hear about this world, the less I believe in it. How can there be a world without magic? We went to another world, and it had magic! All the portals I've heard of led to worlds with magic!"
The little man looked deeply into my eyes. "You better watch your tongue, dearie. You'll get so used to living without magic. And then you'll start to feel empty, and you'll wonder why, and you'll never know. You'll find yourself trapped forever. That's what living without a happilly ever after is like."
"Let's go, Mother," I said. "I think he's told us all he's going to say."
"I agree," she nodded. "Thank you, Herman, and farewell."
As we turned away, I heard the man giggle again and cringed. Then the man laughed louder and harder as they walked away, and then he said something that made my blood go cold. "JUST LIKE YOUR FATHER!"
I couldn't take it anymore, chance or no. I yanked the nearest bit of magic I could find and thought of the throne room. Luckilly it worked. In the next instance we were home. "Daystar, you know how risky doing things like that in the Caves of Chance is!" Mother scolded.
"I know, but I couldn't be around that guy anymore, whoever he is."
"Well, that's what he wanted."
"He was creeping me out!"
"Oh, your father felt the same way when we met him."
"Yeah, how did you know him? And why do you keep calling him Herman?"
Mother opened her mouth to reply, but then we heard a shout. "YOUR MAJESTY! YOUR MAJESTY!" Telemain ran into the room waving a book above his head. I couldn't believe it; the magician was smiling! He calmed down and bowed in between breaths. "Oh. Queen Cimorene, Prince Daystar. Where's your father?"
"Still out with Morwen, I guess."
"Did you find something, Telemain?" Mother asked.
"Yes, I think we can stop it! See, here." He opened the book and pointed to a page. "According to this, the curse has a major flaw that we may be able to counteract."
"How? And please, try to keep it simple. You know we aren't as technically minded as you or Mendanbar and Morwen."
"Right. I think this will actually be easy to explain. You see, from all I heard of this curse, it is based almost entirely on intense emotions, in this sense rage, revenge, and hate. Granted, they do make the magic very powerfull and effective. Most magicians would not be able to resist it. However, if the curse is matched with a spell that is strong enough based on equally intense emotions such as kindness, unity, and love, the effects may be offset."
"So, we might be able to stop it?" I asked hopefully.
"Unfortunately, Daystar, I think the chances of that are greatly unlikely. It is much more probable that the curse's effects may be ameliorated. We may retain at least some of our memories or our familial units and our friendships. However, the chance is still there."
"That's excellent!" Mother said. "Well, you work out all the details with Mendanbar, and I'll call Snow's kingdom to tell her we found an answer."
"No, I wouldn't do that, Your Majesty," Telemain answered. "Remember, the magic must be strong enough. I know their love is strong, but I am not as confident in their magic ability. You, however, have all the power of the Enchanted Forest at your disposal and not just one but two people who can wield it. Also, if all the dragons of the Mountains of Morning unite and conjure their strongest spells, they can also perhaps combat the curse."
"Wait, you just want us to protect ourselves and leave the others to take their chances?"
"It may not be so bleak. I am not sure how far-reaching our efforts may go. After all, in the miniscule chance that the magic is strong enough, you might be able to save the Enchanted Forest."
We all got a lot cockier after hearing Telemain's news, even though our hope was small. Father and Morwen found one enchanted tree like the kind Morwen described, and they sent it with the Blue Fairy who was getting someone to craft it into a wardrobe. I forgot about the little man and all that he said. Sometimes I thought about going to the Mountains of Morning to visit Shiara, but then I found something else to do. Days passed by, and nothing happened. We even started to forget about the curse.
Then one sunny day in the morning, I was looking for Father to invite him to breakfast. He found him standing on a balcony that overlooked the entire kingdom. "Father, come on, pancakes! The syrup's gonna get cold."
But he didn't move. "It's coming," he whispered.
"What?"
"I feel it. Can't you feel it, Daystar?"
I stood by him, and I could feel a coldness in the sunny breeze. It felt like the calm befor a storm. I got goose bumps, and I realized what the forest was telling me. Then, in the distance, I saw a black cloud in the sky coming right toward us. "Oh no!"
Father turned to me. "Quickly, tell your mother to call Kazul, Telemain, and Morwen, and meet me in the courtyard. I'll get the sword." He pushed me aside and ran for the armory.
It wasn't even an hour later before condition got much worse. The wind was strong, uprooting trees and breaking windows. The skies became darker and darker. I did as I was told, and Mother called all our friends. Then, we appeared in the main courtyard. Father was already there, the Sword of the Enchanted Forest in his hand. That's the sword that's connected to the entire forest that recognized both my father and I as rulers of the kingdom and awoke our power. It has a magic that to this day remain a mystery.
"Come on, we don't have a moment to lose!" Father said. He stepped onto the bright green moss and stabbed the blade into the earth. He knelt and pushed the blade down as far as it would go. "Daystar, put you hands on the hilt. Cimorene, get behind us." I did as instructed and choked back a sob. "I know, Son, I'm worried about them too," Father said as though he was replying to my thoughts, "but we must keep our minds clear. Think of the Enchanted Forest with all your might." Father closed his eyes, bowed his head, and began whispering. I couldn't hear everything he said, but it mostly sounded like he was saying, "Please protect us, please" over and over.
Mother put her hands on our shoulders, closed her eyes, and said repeatedly, "Power of fire, wind, and earth, turn the spell back to its birth." That's the draconian couplet of the fireproofing spell she learned. She could modify it to do just about any spell.
I tried. For a while, I closed my eyes and said my own prayers silently, and I could feel the power of the Enchanted Forest swell around me. It was a strange feeling, like warm and cold at the same time, but it gave me a reassurance, like everything is going to be OK. Yet then I opened my eyes and looked east. The skies were so dark, I couldn't see the Mountains of Morning anymore. And all at once, I could hear the little man's irritating voice in my ear. "You have a sweetheart. You may never see her again."
I got up and broke in a run.
"DAYSTAR, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Father yelled. "COME BACK HERE!"
"DAYSTAR, WE HAVE TO BE TOGETHER!" Mother shouted.
But I couldn't stop. "SHIARA! SHIARA!"
"SHE'S GONNA BE OK! THE DRAGONS ARE WITH HER; THEY'RE DOING THE SAME THING WE'RE DOING!"
But I didn't know that. She wasn't a dragon, and if they were OK, why did the mountains disappear? I kept running until he tripped, and then I got back on my knees and wept. Everything was getting darker. It was too late. The last thing I remembered of my home was feeling my parents hands on my shoulders trying to pull me back, but I was still reaching out screaming, "SHIARA! SHIAAAAAAAAAAAAAARAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"