Once Upon a Time in Narnia
Author's note: Much of the events of this fiction take place during season 3, and very much increases the time between Zelena's first defeat in Kansas and the Portal activation in the same episode.
Prologue
Once Upon a Time, there was an enchanted forest full of characters we all know, or think we know. An evil queen cursed them all, to steal their happy endings, exiling them to another world, our world. In a town called Storybrooke, legend and story live.
In a quiet wood, a guinea pig snuffled in a long empty hollow. If one were to ask the guinea pig, it would likely say that it had always lived in the woods. That is, if it were a Talking Animal. Probably the oddest thing about the animal was the yellow ring held in place by a piece of elastic about it's middle. It was happy in the way of animals.
One day things changed. A white lamb, covered in the finest wool, wandered through the wood, past the two empty pools. The lamb stepped over the freshly cut brown loam that made the one pool just a bit different from all the others, dove in, and vanished. The guinea pig stopped at this pool and for a moment, considered in it's animal way the events that just happened, and determining that it wasn't relevant to it's life, decided the pool was a lovely place for a drink.
How the guinea pig came to be in this forest is another story.
It was not a dark and stormy night. But then, most disasters don't start on such nights. Instead, it was a bright sunny day, the kind of day that makes one glad to be alive.
Three children ran from Mr. Gold's Pawn shop pushing past an elderly woman. She still walked with the grace of a younger woman, but much slower these days. In her prime, she had a beauty that could move a man to make an ass out of himself. She still cut an attractive figure even if that was fifty years ago. Perhaps there was something about the air of Storybrooke that agreed with her.
"Children, slow down, " a sweet voice rang out with the gentle authority of a teacher. It belonged to a very pregnant Mary Margaret. In another land she bore the name of Snow White, a raven haired beauty linked arm and arm with her husband, a Prince Charming named David.
With a giggle the girl of the trio waved and they slowed to a fast walk. In her arms was an old book. To most eyes it's letters were incomprehensible, but to the right eyes and mind, it could be read. It is worth noting that the books in Mr. Gold's shop were not always the safest of reading materials. Her black haired friend to the left was a squat boy, and by far the shortest of the trio. Everyone called him Nick. On the other side of the girl was a boy whose hair was a brownish gray had one of those unfortunate names that parents sometimes hang on their children, Adolf. Once out of sight of the Charmings, Simone glanced at her other prize in her bag, something round and golden. Then the children resumed their running. And Simone laughed as her messy brunette hair fluttered behind her.
While the children headed out, Ms. Aveline and the Charmings continued their conversation.
"And good morning, Mrs. Aveline. How are you today?" David asked.
She smiled and responded as she walked on, "Oh just lovely, just thought I would pop over and find a book at the library."
"Oh, Belle's running Mr. Gold's shop today, but I think she was going to wrap up early, " Mary Margaret said cheerily.
As Mrs. Aveline popped into Mr. Gold's shop and out of her earshot, David commented to Mary Margaret, "Her being here is a bit odd, isn't it?"
"I know, but Blue vouches for her and says she's not a danger to us, despite how she arrived," she replied thoughtfully.
"Huh, well there's still the missing year, and why we're back here. I suppose where she was for that year is just once more mystery for the pile."
Regina, mayor of Storybrooke via cursed election, had a horrid nightmare that night. The nightmare was one she had not had in a long time. In it, she was in her mother's grand hall where it had once stood in the Enchanted Forest, the statues of soldiers stood in battle poses, faces racked with fear. Booming out of nowhere came a voice, "Regina, we will meet again soon."
She awoke, another night of sleep ruined. But she knew that voice. She shuddered and tried to find peaceful dreams. At least it wasn't as bad as her nightmare after the curse was broken.
Still, she thought of the past and unable to sleep arose. Then, with a cloud of purplish smoke, she teleported to her private vault, located beneath her 'family crypt.' There, she hunted among her mother's things until she found what she was looking for. A tiny box, barely as big as her palm. She opened the latch, and looked within. There, on a velvet cushion lay a small rapier. It was too small for a child's hands, and too big for a fairy to use. But the being who had once owned it still lingered in her memories.
It was as if she descended from a great height, yet without wind. A world of castles and great forests grew larger and clearer. To the small boy, leading a lamb back to the fields, it was if she suddenly appeared in the Enchanted Forest. It was the age of legend, before Cora was a lady, before Regina spoke the curse that would change two worlds, but well past the last time the dagger of the Dark One changed hands.
The woman that appeared was stunning. Her auburn hair hung alluringly over her long poison green dress. With a soft, hypnotic voice she asked, "My little child, I have heard tell of a great sorcerer, one who is capable of great feats. Do you know of such a man?"
In a single breath, the child rattled off while pointing, "Oh that's Rumpelstiltskin. He's very evil and powerful and magical and lives right over that way in that big castle, but he only makes deals so you have to have something he wants and he's very bad and most people get hurt by his deals and they call him the Dark One, which is a really scary name, and I've never seen him but I hear he has funny skin, and everyone is 'fraid of him."
The lamb, on the other hand, appeared to be bemused by the whole proceeding, or sad, it can be hard to tell with sheep.
"Why thank you, my dear, sweet child... now do forget about our conversation, " she said in tones of melodious resonance and with the spider web of magic. And so he did, for such was the nature of enchantment. However, she might have been wiser to give that council to the lamb, not that he'd have listened. But then, even the most savvy villain misses things from time to time. And so, she set off with confidence towards Rumpelstiltskin's estate.
In Storybrooke Maine, Mr. Gold's Pawn shop was one of the more lovely versions of such establishments. It had wood and glass counters, fine hardwood floors, and many curiosities. These included creepy puppets, with histories it probably did not do one well to dwell on, to books of various age and condition to bikes hung from the rafters to a chess set with white's queen, bishop, and knight set aside, but otherwise set up in classic game start formation. It was said that one could find anything in the shop. It was also said that a contract with Mr. Gold was one step up from a deal with the Devil, but only because the Devil usually didn't bother to pretend to hold up his end of the bargain.
Mrs. Aveline always found the place a bit dreary, with the current proprietress a bright ray of golden sunshine to an otherwise dark shop. Belle had been pulling double duty between this shop and the local library since the report of Mr. Gold's death. There was a story there, but Ms. Aveline did not know it.
"Hullo Belle, " Mrs. Aveline said cheerily.
"Mrs. Aveline! Were you wanting something from the Pawn Shop today?" Belle said, her gentle smile framed by her brown locks. While Mrs. Aveline had been particularly kind upon hearing about Rumpelstiltskin 's death, she was not from Storybrooke, thus her presence was always a bit disconcerting. Belle was indeed that Belle from old faerie tales. Her Beast, however, was a creature known as Rumplestiltskin, or rather Mr. Gold in our world. That name was possibly a nod to his habit of spinning straw into gold.
"Oh no, I was looking for something to read," Ms. Aveline said. "I have just returned from a rather nice holiday in Liverpool a few days ago. I had thought I was done traveling, but the opportunity was just too lovely to pass up."
At Belle's slightly confused look, Ms. Aveline continued, "I am so sorry, I thought with the accent I was talking to someone from my side of the pond, or maybe an Aussie."
Belle laughed to hide her unease, "Oh not to worry, Ms. Aveline. No, I have never been, actually, although Rumple and I had talked about going some day. I am about done here, so let me lock up and we will pop over the library and find you a good book.
"In the meantime, " Belle continued, "why don't you tell me about it while I tidy up."
As Ms. Aveline happily recounted the strange world of air travel and a city unlike any Belle, a native of the Enchanted Forest, had ever seen, Belle cleaned up the shop. It did not take long to clean up and close up the Pawn Shop, and then it was a short walk up Main Street to the clock tower and library. Belle mentally noted that Ms. Aveline's arrival was probably the day before Storybrooke returned. An odd fact, as she should have seen the lack of town on her way past. It also meant her cabin pre-dated Storybrooke and was incorporated into it. She wondered briefly what it meant as they headed inside. She made a mental note to look through Rumple's less public books about it. She wasn't about to ask Regina, better known as the Evil Queen from Snow White's tale, and original creator of Storybrooke via one truly nasty curse.
Once inside, they made their way to the back and started browsing together. The library was, in a word, strange. Sometimes things simply turned up unexpectedly. Not to mention the concealed elevator to the caverns below Storybrooke.
In this case, the unexpected came in the form of a seven volume set of white covered books in a white case with pictures on the three sides of the box that did not show off the volumes.
Mrs. Aveline held it on it's side, showing the picture of a tall, swarthy man with a black kite shield rimmed in red crossing swords with a much smaller man, wearing a crown of silver, and wielding a silver sword and a rounded shield lacking any coat of arms.
"Chronicles of Narnia," she said thoughtfully, "how odd. It reminds me..."
While Belle waited patiently, Ms. Aveline read off two of the titles just as thoughtfully, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
"And Prince," her voice had an odd catch in it, "Caspian."
Belle looked on intently, "Why so strange?"
"Oh it's nothing, it just reminds me of silly fairytales and games I and my siblings used to play. Utterly childish fantasy rubbish, of course, " Mrs. Aveline said dismissively, "But how odd. I would swear I never knew a man named C.S. Lewis."
Belle looked on thoughtfully, "I've often thought fairy tales are unfairly derided. What is so wrong with true love? What is so wrong with a quest to redeem the villain, no matter how black his heart? What's so wrong with stories where the good guy wins?"
"Oh, but it's just not mature. I mean a grown woman should concern herself making sure she stays fashionable and that she can keep current with world events. She understands the modern world and her place in it. Ours is a world of intellectual grays. She should not waste her time on the slaying of dragons, stories of pirates with flying ships, evil queens, witches, and other such silly things that don't exist. "
Belle thought that sounded rather shallow as Mrs. Aveline impulsively grabbed another book. Through Mrs. Aveline's hand she could make out the letter "T" as the start of the title, with the last four letters of the author's name being "eyer."
"I much more prefer realistic fiction in any case, " Mrs. Aveline said, leaving Belle holding the box set. "I think I shall read this one instead. It's sure to be much better written. Besides, the king's shield on the box art is all wrong, it's not round."
Belle was polite while getting the book checked out, but Mrs. Aveline departed in a manner much more frosty than either might have preferred. Still, if there is one truth that a woman who has loved a Beast like Rumpelstiltskin, it is that it is best to have a fairly thick skin when it comes to the slights of others. The road of Belle's love story had been a rocky and difficult one, but more on that later.
In the Enchanted Forest, the lady walked towards the estate of Rumpelstiltskin, her poisonous green dress brushing her steps yet never attracting the real problems in such environments, such as mud. Magic can be practical like that, giving little advantages while jacking up the price. And as the owner of the estate she walked towards would remind us, all magic comes at a price.
"So, Dearie, who are ya and why are ya off in such a hurry?" said a sing song voice from the trees. As she turned her head in surprise, letting her sumptuous red-brown locks twirl and frame her surprised and pale face, she saw him. He was a twisted thing, what in others was whimsy, was in him, terror. His skin was a golden fleck that might remind one of a dragon or demon, and the dark scale leather he wore merely enhanced the comparison.
"Oh, you have startled me, " she said in silken tones, "I was seeking the master of the estate over there. I am Melinda, on my own business with him. Could you direct me?"
"Well Dearie, " He said with a cheerful caper, "you've found him, and he's a very busy man.
"Now, what's to stop him from ripping your heart out for bothering him," he said in a much darker tone.
With that, Melinda spoke in a low, hypnotic voice, "I am sure that he can aid me. It would be so easy for him to use his dark magics to teach me what I need to..."
Suddenly, he was behind her, knife at her throat. He whispered in her ear, "Stop that Dearie, or I will carry out my threat... Or maybe I'll turn you into a little garden snake and step on you."
"Can we not make a deal?" Melinda said in a much less enchanting voice and one not at all backed up by magic.
"Ooooooh, " Rumpelstiltskin cooed with his trademark giggle, "I do so love a good deal. Especially by the desperate. What are ya offerin'... Dearie?"
"What I wish is training in magic. My mistress simply does not have the time just now to teach me what I need to know, but she gave me the tools to travel between here and her realm, Narnia. Now, as to what I offer, the first is this golden item. It's quite clever really. The second, is a book my mistress uses to teach her Hags, adapted from her original realm. I already know everything in that, so it's not of help."
The device was a round and golden on the outside, with a flip up top. Inside it had a face consisting of a series of characters in ring formation. It bore a bit resemblance to a watch, but it had no hands, but rather a triangular viewing window that went from the middle to the edge. With a push on the top button, the six rings of characters would spin, aligning beneath the viewing window, with a small winder on the back. Open, it looked closer to a compass. But looks could be deceiving. Rumpelstiltskin looked it over and said, "What a clever little device.
He giggled, "Alright Dearie, I've never taught anyone magic before. I'll give it a go. I'll most likely kill you in the morning."
"In which case, " Melinda added, "I think I should like one other item to travel back with, if you're agreeable to adding it to the deal."
"Oh, what do you have in mind?"
She told him, and Rumpelstiltskin giggled and agreed.
It was a cloudy day in Storybrooke shortly after the breaking of part of Regina's first curse, but the storm clouds over it's citizens was far more intense. The memories of the Enchanted Forest had returned, but they could not leave, as poor Sneezy found out the hard way. To leave was to lose who they were and yet they had to live with two sets of memories, their own and those of the curse. But that wasn't the end of it. The latest discovery was that people from the outside could now get in and leave as they will. For the people beyond the borders of Storybrooke had never been cursed by Regina's hatred, but could see the truth of the town.
The hearts of many of the townspeople were troubled, and they feared what would happen were the truth of Storybrooke were to be discovered.
What then was this device of terror. The thing that had them quivering and shuddering this day? An ordinary bus. Not a school bus, but one of those everyday, gray buses that go from city to city, transporting people. The appearance would have been worrisome enough. At least the sign didn't say "Storybrooke" but rather a city further to the north. What was worrisome was that it stopped, and let off a single passenger.
"Like I told you, " Grumpy, or Leroy as he was known in Storybrooke said to Doc, one of his fellow dwarves, "next thing you know we're gonna to have tour buses goin' up and down main street."
The single passenger was a little old lady. She was named Ms. Aveline, but she had not yet become a fixture of Storybrooke. She had that queenly grace that comes from beauty at a young age, but without the spoiled rotten air that often follows. Though the beauty had faded along with her black hair leaving behind dark gray strands in memory, her eyes were still keen, if sad. Yet, age had taken it's toll as she moved feebly on a simple cane of oak.
After a pair of large suitcases on wheels were unloaded she made her way up to Leroy in his maintenance worker's clothes, and said, "Hullo, could you direct me to the Forest Cottage? I inherited it a while back, and decided it would make a nice place to settle down."
Leroy, much to his surprise, knew exactly where that cottage was. Curse knowledge could be like that. He replied, "Oh yeah sister, four blocks up, hang a left and then it's about a half a mile up the road."
In a rare moment of compassion possibly mixed with the urge to get her out of town, even if only for a little bit, "Tell you what, give me a minute to borrow the van and I'll drive ya."
"Why thank you, " She said with a small smile, "I was rather afraid I would have to walk."
As they loaded her luggage into the van, they were spotted by the local church's Mother Superior, who in the land of the Enchanted Forest was normally much smaller, winged, and referred to as the 'Blue Fairy.' That would be the Blue Fairy of Pinocchio fame, of course. The bangs of her red hair were sticking out a bit below the traditional blue habit of her and her fellow fairies. Well, more accurately here, nuns. Curses could be like that.
Her eyes narrowed in worry. It was bad enough that there was one person from the outside world. Admittedly, he was in the hospital at the moment and claimed to have seen nothing. But this, this meant that there was another one wandering about, who could blow the secret of Storybrooke to a world without magic. As she considered how she might deal with this new interloper within the bounds of light magic, she heard a voice behind her.
"Peace Blue Fairy, she is no threat," it said in a deep voice that resonated peace just in the speaking.
She turned quickly and recognized the speaker, "You. Why are you here?"
"Shepherding," the other person responded calmly.
Blue considered this with deep seriousness and suddenly connected the stories. As her eyes lit up in thought she replied, "All right. Is there anything you need from me and my fellow fairies, or nuns if you will?"
"Beyond non-interference?" The other person responded thoughtfully, "Not much. Be wary. Other parties seek violence upon this town."
As the speaker left, Blue considered how to deal with this warning.
Meanwhile, Leroy found that it was not a long drive, and it was sometimes a surprise how quickly things went from town to forest. It was not on the main road through Storybrooke, but rather on one of side streets off that main road, and far, Leroy noted, from Mr. Gold's private cottage, but still well within the borders of Storybrooke. It had the rustic feel of something that had been around for a century, grudgingly receiving modern luxuries, like electricity, with the grace of a spoiled child. It had started life as a simple two room log cabin. Generations had replaced the roof, insulated the walls, replaced and enlarged the windows, and added indoor plumbing. The bathroom itself looked a bit tacked on as it had been made by more modern techniques. Still, it managed that lived in, happy feel with it's slightly over run small flower beds. One got the sense that it could be restored with some love. Finally, it had an old oak door with a lock that opened to Ms. Aveline's key. From what Grumpy saw of the inside as they made their goodbyes, it was well appointed and recently aired out. In the distance, the clock tower in town square chimed.
After Leroy drove grumbling back to town, he headed back and promptly found himself in another end of the world catastrophe, the fruits of which would result in deaths, torture, and in time, the disappearance and eventual return of Storybrooke. Blue did indeed face a horrid time, the seeds of which had been sewn so long ago with Tinkerbelle. But that is another story.
Rumpelstiltskin sat comfortably on the edge of the Enchanted Forest, on a small hillock. The long grasses rustled as a large snake approached him stealthily. It's poison green scales glistening in the daylight.
It slid closer. Rumpelstiltskin seemed oblivious.
It reared as if to strike, and Rumpelstiltskin disappeared into a cloud of purple smoke. Nearby, his mocking laughter sounded as he stepped out from behind a tree. With a slight gesture, the snake was surrounded in green smoke, revealing Melinda. She was wearing her favorite poison green dress.
Rumpelstiltskin was amused and generally pleased with his new student, Melinda. Her gifts were not strong for direct magic, such as the fireballs and turning to stone that he'd seen in other hands. Instead, her gifts leaned towards enchantment, and altering of minds. Indeed, in time, he'd dubbed her "the Lady of the Green Kirtle," as both joke and truth. Recently acquired gifts had told him that he would soon have to send her back to her land, but for now, he was curious and had a question and had, in his usual way, manipulated things to make it look like a won bet.
In his typical way, he asked as if to simply fill the time between lessons, "Now dearie, you owe me a story. So, tell me more about this land of yours and your mistress."
And so the witch began her story.
"It was a normal childhood, I would say. Not long ago, the true queen of Narnia, Jadis, formerly of Charn was deceived out of her due by various circumstances, her proper immortality used to drive her away in the form of a crooked magic laughably called the 'Tree of Protection.'
"She told me how it wasn't her fault. After trailing the thief that would plant the tree and seeing him enter in the gates of the great garden, she scaled the wall and acquired an apple of her own. This apple would be the source of her own immortality. Little did she know that the thief's apple would deny her what she was due. She swears the Lion knew, but I don't think he's that smart.
"King Frank and Queen Helen spawned many children, who bred with the Naiads and Dryads of Narnia, and as was their wont, they spread across Narnia. They went in all directions. Many went south and some set sail. The ones that came north, she killed, of course, " Melinda continued, her eyes distant with memory.
"Queen Jadis was wise, and chose to make her own children to serve her army. When Dryads or Naiads were found within the North, she made sure to get what she needed from them. From them came the Hags and the People of the Toadstools. Also, Jadis was very good at finding ways to summon other servants. Then I was born. I do not know who my father was. Jadis told me he was unworthy of me, and that she had to remove him from the picture.
"Queen Jadis told me I was her princess. When she took Narnia for her own, I, her most perfect child, would rule at her side, and, of course, at that time give me the great gift she had, immortality. But first we had many things to do. We brought the black haired dwarves to our side, and she only had to turn ten of them to stone!" Melinda said with a slight giggle.
"My, what fun you've had dearie," Rumpelstiltskin said in that disquieting voice of his, and quietly reflecting that she seemed unaware that her Jadis would be sure that Melinda would never actually rule. "But I sense the story takes a darker turn."
Melinda sighed, "I suppose that would be the incident with the giants. It was a set back for both of us."
"Giants you say?" he perked up curiously. "They don't garden beans by any chance?"
"Why yes, they did, at least the ones at the giant city used to. I'm afraid they're all dead now, " Melinda said brightly.
"I see, so what happened to them?" Rumpelstiltskin said with curiosity, carefully keeping the annoyance out of his voice.
"Oh, I killed them all, of course."