Prologue: Portal Hopping

Storybrooke was quiet. Emma watched Main Street from inside her cruiser and she knew something was wrong. She could feel it in her blood. The wind wouldn't blow. The crickets wouldn't chirp. Something was happening. Something magic.

She picked up her cell and hit the speed dial.

"Regina," she said quickly, barely giving the other woman a chance to say hello. "We have a problem."

Emma waited for the reply. It was exactly what she expected to hear.

"No, for once, I don't think it has anything to do with Henry. This feeling I have, it's strange. We're dealing with something neither of us has seen before."

There was a loud sound, like thunder hitting the ground. It exploded down Main Street and bright white light filled the sky. "You saw that too, right?" Emma said, leaning over the steering wheel. Her eyebrows hit her hairline. "I'm not crazy, am I?"

Emma dropped the phone and shielded her eyes as the white light shot outwards, whipping through Storybrooke. It became a translucent fog that hugged every brick and stone and garden gnome as it moved. Then, as fast as it had appeared, the fog evaporated and the day was quiet once more.

Emma fumbled for her cell and held it to her ear. Regina said something and she responded with a weak laugh. "I'll give you one guess. But my money's on Gold."

"The hell was that?" Skye said. She was actually shouting but she couldn't tell because her ears were buzzing and ringing at the same time. She cupped one ear and stuck her finger in the other, wondering why she could hear the ocean. "I think my eardrums just exploded."

"What?" someone yelled.

Skye ignored the voice and stared straight ahead. She was looking at a pair of busted headlights. With the bumper all skewed, the front of the car seemed to be smiling at her. It was a sick, twisted smile. A taunting smile. She kicked out and the bumper detached from the rest of the frame. "That's better," she said before jumping to her feet. She hiked up her favorite skinny jeans and reached into her back pocket. "Hey! Where's my IPod?"

Skye whipped her head around. The trees spun with her and branches reached out like tangled arms. "The hell'd it go?" she managed to say before the dizziness caught up with her and she collapsed.

"My mommy says hell is a bad word," a small voice said. "It is, isn't it?"

Rosie had heard Skye a minute ago but now she wasn't answering. She looked around and couldn't see anything but the back seat of the Bug. Her arm was stuck beneath it, her little hand still holding tight to Henry's fairy-tale book. Somehow it ended up wedged under the seat, too. "Skye? Hello?" she said. "Isn't anyone going to help me out of here?"

Rosie reached up to push the hair from her eyes with her free hand. The strands were all tangled and stuck to her face with something red and sticky. Blood. She whimpered but the sound got caught in her throat. No one could hear her cry. Not even Talon who was only two feet away.

"Addison? McKenzie? Where are you?" he shouted. He was sprawled on the grass beside the car. He couldn't remember how he ended up outside of the vehicle, but he had. He used the door handle to pull himself to his feet. It jerked and ripped right off the door. "Crap," he muttered, trying to fit the rivets back in their holes. After a few minutes he abandoned the idea. The car was totaled anyway. "Emma is going to kill me."

"Now you're in trouble."

Talon looked around. McKenzie had her arms crossed and a smirk on her lips. He dropped the handle and wiped his hands on his jeans, noticing there was a tear just above his knee. He was out of breath but said, "You're the one who suggested we should take the Bug."

"You said we could all fit."

"And we did."

McKenzie choked on a laugh. "Barely."

Talon shrugged and winced. His shoulders flopped down.

"You okay?" McKenzie asked. She raced forward and caught Talon under the arm. "Is it your ribs?" He nodded and McKenzie leaned him against the door. The faded yellow paint on her ma's favorite car was peeling. It looked like it had been singed off in some places.

"I don't think that was supposed to happen," she said, tucking her black hair behind her ears. "I read my mom's notes over and over again before I even suggested we try this."

"Yeah, well Regina has a tendency of leaving things out of her magic spell book," Talon said wryly.

McKenzie's focus shifted between the mangled remains of the car and the small crater they had caused in the woods when they came through the portal. "Still, this wasn't a normal jump at all."

"What? The massive explosion and the blinding white light weren't supposed to happen," Rowe said, staggering out of the woods with his hands covering his head. "I used to have twenty-twenty vision before you fried my retinas."

"No one asked you to come," McKenzie snapped back at him.

"Actually, you did, princess. It was something along the lines of 'I need you Rowe, please don't leave me. I love you,'" he mimed in a high-pitched voice.

"As if," McKenzie said, feeling along Talon's ribs for what she suspected was a broken one. "And I definitely do not sound like that."

"Don't remember saying that, huh?" Rowe said with a smirk. "Do you fancy a walk down memory lane?"

"Shut up," McKenzie said. "Or I will fireball you out of existence."

Rowe made a jerky bow. "Whatever you say, princess."

"Go hang your wings out to dry," Talon grumbled after a sharp breath. "Or I'll do it for you."

"Mate, you're the one soaked in your own blood. I'm not sure you're in the position to be making threats."

Talon looked down at his shirt. "It's not mine," he said, pushing the material around. "I swear it's not mine."

"Then who's?" McKenzie said to him. "Who were you sitting beside?"

"I don't remember," Talon said. "Everything's a foggy mess. But I had Addie on my lap. She shifted right before we—"

McKenzie met his eyes and her expression fell. "No," she said.

Talon reached for the side mirror, trying to get enough of a grip to heave himself to his feet.

"No mate, stay here. I'll help her look." Rowe grabbed McKenzie's arm but she yanked it away.

"I can walk thanks."

"Do you want help finding your sister or not?" Rowe asked. His dark eyes pinched together and his lips curved into his signature twisted smile.

McKenzie growled under her breath. "Fine, let's go this way."

"Wait," someone called. "I've got her here. She's fine." Kai stumbled around the front of the Bug and dropped Addie on the hood. He whistled for air. "You're a lot heavier than I remember, kid." His almond eyes were kind but McKenzie could see the pain he was hiding in them. She raced forward and pulled him into a hug.

"Kai, you're okay." She breathed him in. Deeper and deeper. He always smelt like the woods and spices she couldn't place. Magical and homey and wonderful. It smelt like the Enchanted Forest.

"M'fine," he murmured into her hair. She pulled away and he stumbled. "But I think my ankle is bummed. I woke up wrapped around a tree. Addie was beside me."

They both looked at the blonde girl beside them. She shook her head, sending the curls spiraling down her back, and crossed her arms. "I'm fine, but I did not enjoy that ride at all. Mummy would not approve. Talon is bleeding. Gramma and Gramps would be very mad about that."

"It's not my blood."

"Kai hurt his foot. Skye was spinning around in circles screaming about her IPod. And I haven't seen Henry's book anywhere," Addie continued.

"Well at least some things are still the same," McKenzie said. "Rowe is still being an annoying jerk."

"Mummy would not approve," Addie said again.

"Mom's not here." McKenzie's brows furrowed. "Technically."

But Addie wasn't finished yet. She usually wasn't unless she got the last word in. "This was very dangerous."

"Motion seconded," Kai said. He turned back to McKenzie. "You know I love coming over here and you know I volunteered for this but I haven't been chucked around like that since the ogres invaded my village."

McKenzie rolled her eyes. "Seriously, you're comparing this to an ogre attack?"

"No," Kai said. "I'm saying it was worse." He brushed his spikey black hair back. It sprung right back to the same position as soon as he pulled his hands away.

Rowe scoffed. "Too much for the brave warrior to handle," he said.

McKenzie opened her mouth but Talon was on his feet now, fingering the blood on his shirt. "Give it a rest, Rowe." He towered over the other boy, squaring his shoulders. Muscles tightened and rolled under his shirt.

"Gunna make me, or are you all for show?"

Talon's blue eyes narrowed and his jaw set. "This isn't the time for petty arguments. We're here to get help."

"Lead the way then, oh fearless prince."

Talon made a fist but his arm dropped. "You're not even worth it."

"Honestly, guys, would you quit it with the macho crap and help me," Skye begged. She had abandoned the idea of looking for her IPod and was now caught in the tree line, supporting a very unconscious Melody.

"Oh my gods," Talon said. He raced to take Melody from Skye. "Help me get her on the ground," he shouted.

Arms and legs tangled as the group dragged Melody back beside the car.

"Is she—"

"No."

"How do you know?"

"She's breathing."

"Er, right."

"Never claimed to be the brightest tool in the shed, did you Talon?"

"Rowe, the fireball threat is still active."

"Anytime you wanna go, Kenzie. We'll see how your magic stalks up against mine."

"Enough," Kai said. He ripped off the bottom length of his shirt and tied it to Melody's upper arm.

"The warrior binds wounds too; should we give him a medal for that?"

"Rowe!" There was so much shouting going on Rowe couldn't be sure who was yelling at him. But there was no mistaking the fist. It collided with the underside of his chin. The crunch of teeth on tongue was sickening.

"What was that for, Mel?" he slurred.

"I still hate you," she said. "Nothing's changed."

"Mel, you're okay," Talon cried. He crushed her in a hug.

"Yeah, lover boy," Rowe said, rotating his jaw. "It appears that your girlfriend is back to her acerbic self."

"How's your arm?" Kai asked, breaking up the fight. "I've bound the blood flow but that won't do anything for the pain."

Talon pushed Melody's long red braid over her shoulder and kissed her forehead. She smiled at him and then at Kai. "I can't feel it that much. It just tingles."

"Okay, good then. We'll have to get to the hospital first," Kai said. "The car is wrecked and our stuff is everywhere but I think getting medical care trumps all that."

"We can't just leave it," Skye said suddenly. "All my clothes."

"Your very red clothes," McKenzie interjected. "It looks like Christmas threw up out here."

"And my IPod is still out there somewhere."

"Well come back for it later," Talon said, helping Melody to her feet.

"We need Henry's book," Addie cut in. "Everything else can wait but we can't leave that, just in case."

"Fine, fan out," Kai said. "Find the book and then we go."

"Who had it last?" McKenzie asked. She turned her head as Talon pointed at Addie.

"I did have it," she said. "I was reading it, but right before we went through the portal I turned and gave it to—"

"Who?" McKenzie asked.

Talon reached up and squeezed her hand. "What is it, Addie?"

Her brown eyes widened. "Where's Rosie?"

"O-M-G," Melody said, leaning against Talon for support. "You lost her?"

"We didn't lose her," Kai said. "She just hasn't been found yet."

"Sure yeah…"

"Who's supposed to be watching her?"

"You're not in charge, don't ask stupid questions."

"I am dummy, I'm older."

"Hear that?" Skye said over the din of voices. Everyone was talking at once. "Hey, hey, everyone shut up for a sec."

They did and then they heard it. A hallow tapping sound.

Kai raced forward and yanked the back door of the car open. "Rosie!" he cried.

She was huddled on the floor of the back seat.

"Hey," McKenzie said racing forward. "You okay?"

Rosie shook her head. "My hand is stuck."

Kai peered under the seat and smiled. "Just let go of the book, Rosie."

She shook her head.

Kai shoved his hand under the seat. "It's okay, I've got it. You can let go now."

Rosie pulled her arm out and in a second was in McKenzie's arms. "I lost my glasses," she cried.

"And bumped your head pretty bad by the looks of it. I'm not sure that can wait for the hospital."

Rosie was crying. "How am I supposed to read without my glasses?"

"It's okay, squirt," McKenzie said gently. "We'll find them. I promise." Rosie nodded through a sniffled hiccup. "Let's get your head looked after, okay. Addie, you wanna hold Rosie's hand for me?"

Addie slid off the hood of her mother's car and knelt down beside her friend. "It doesn't hurt, Rosie. My mummy uses this spell on me all the time."

McKenzie shook out her arm and placed her hand on the side of Rosie's head, right above the gash that was oozing blood down her face.

"You sure that's a good idea, princess?"

McKenzie rolled her eyes. "What is it now, Rowe?"

"I'm just saying, it was your magic that landed us in this mess. We don't know what you're capable of here. Maybe we shouldn't go testing it out on Rosie's head."

"It's a simple spell."

"Portal hopping was supposed to be simple," he said.

"But time travel is not," Addie defended. "She did a good job to get us here."

"Where else would we have gone?" Rowe said.

"She could have gone back way too far. Back to before there was even a town here." Addie swallowed. "Back, before there was magic."

The silence that followed startled McKenzie. She shook off the feeling. "I can do it," she assured everyone.

"Yeah, right," Rowe scoffed. "You barely managed to get us through the portal in one piece."

"Who brought this guy?" Melody said, pointing a thumb at Rowe.

"That's what I keep wondering," Talon muttered.

McKenzie was on her feet now. "And I suppose you would have done so much better with your fairy powers?"

"Not a fairy," he said, flicking her forehead. "And yeah, I could have."

McKenzie ground her teeth together. She could feel the heat rippling against her palms. All she had to do was open them. It was only because of Talon's hand on her shoulder and Melody's arm wrapped around her waist that she didn't lunge. "Well," she said. "I guess you've volunteered to get us home. Have fun with that."

"Heck, no," Skye said. "I am not portal hopping with any of you again. There's a hole burned in my shirt."

Melody groaned. "You have, like, a thousand red shirts, Skye."

"Yeah, well, this one was my favorite."

Melody rolled her eyes but smiled. "They're all your favorite. But I agree, I like that one."

"See, I'm not crazy. And I don't want to leave my stuff in the woods were animals could get at it."

"You mean like wolves?" Rowe asked. He tried to hide the smirk but failed.

"Bite me," Skye said, standing before him until they were almost nose to nose. She turned away with a flourish. "I don't know about you guys but it doesn't look like anyone is about to die so I'm gunna track down my stuff."

Kai pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Fine, we pack up first. Then we go straight to the hospital, understood?"

"Yes, oh brave warrior," Rowe sneered, walking past the group. "If anyone finds any fairy dust, it's mine."

"Seriously guys, do not give him fairy dust," McKenzie whispered, before she followed Rowe into the tangle of trees that now held their belongings.

"Wait up," Skye squealed. She pushed her way past the group and out into the open. "Hey, someone's coming up fast." She pointed through the trees. "Maybe two someone's. Cars at ten o'clock."

Flashing red lights and a wailing siren greeted them from behind.

McKenzie raced back to the Bug with Rowe on her heels. "Aw, damn," she said. "We're busted."

Addison turned around. "It's okay. It's just the police."

"It's not the police, squirt. It's ma." McKenzie's face fell. "And she brought, mom."

"Alright," Talon said, straightening up and marching to the front of the group. "Everyone just stay calm and let me do the talking."

"Right," Rowe said. "Cause you're always so smooth."

"I'm not smooth," he said. "I'm charming."

So...thanks for reading...tell me what you think and if you want me to continue. Magical fan-fiction points to whoever can guess who the kids belong to. (ie. who their parents are). Some are pretty obvious since I had to write in plot points ;P