Once upon a time there was an enchanted forest filled with all the classic characters we know.
A land filled with the richest green only people could dream of ever seeing during a lifetime. Castles built on cliffs by the water or on land surrounded by small towns in which kings and queens still reign supreme, and princes and princesses lay waiting for their turn to come. The citizens hold but admiration and adoration for their monarchs whose mission in life is to make sure they are protected. Fairies lived high above the skies where no one except for a select few where allowed to cross paths with them and were in charge of spraying fairy dust yearly to make sure the chance for happiness continued to thrive. Then there were the dwarfs who worked underground digging for gold. But just like everything good, there was always the bad for light cannot exist without darkness. The Evil Queen whose land lay in ice, a powerful Evil Fairy which can turn into a dragon, a King whose heart is filled with greed for gold and the Dark One whose power is feared throughout the land and can rival that of the Evil Queen's…rumor has it that it can even surpass it.
Or we think we know.
A man with blonde hair and emerald eyes stared at the guards with hatred and a hint of fear burning in his eyes as they dragged another boy away from their village. His hand gripping his younger siblings tightened.
"I'm scared," the little boy on his right whispered with raw fear in his eyes.
"Don't be."
"You will protect us…won't you?" The little girl on his left looked at him worriedly.
"I will do everything in my power to be keep the both of you by my side," he vowed.
One day they found themselves trapped in a place where all their happy endings were stolen.
"Have you no moral, you foul beast?" The young prince Will glared at the Dark One. "You aid the Evil Queen!"
"Let me let you in on a little secret," he hissed from behind the bars and glared at the prince. "I don't aid anyone unless it's for my own personal gain. If I do help her accomplish this curse, which I will." He took small satisfaction when the prince's wife, Emma, gasped. "Nothing will be able to stop it."
"What can we offer that will make you change your mind and aid us?"
"Nothing," Sam grinned. "There is nothing you can offer me."
"You wretched—"
"Stop!" Emma yelled at them. "Now is not the time to argue." She turned to him meeting his gaze boldly. "If you won't stop it, how can we break it?"
"Now that is the right question." Sam felt a small ounce of respect toward her. "Your child will be my insurance policy. If this curse does not work as planned she will be able to break it."
The royal couple looked at him surprised. "I never told you the sex," Emma whispered.
"You didn't have to."
"You son of a b—" The guards had to hold Will back from trying to grab Sam through the bars, while Sam's laughter echoed through the dungeons.
Our world.
An enchanted forest no longer surrounded them but instead tall, dull, green tress with no life took their place. Castles became mansions, cottages and huts became houses and apartments. The dirt roads became cemented and technology took the place of magic. Their memories became altered and were separated from their significant other after the dark fog overcame Fairytale Land, leaving them in a whole new world with fragmented and false memories.
But this tale isn't about all those classic characters except for one.
Sam clenched the handle of the dagger with name of the Dark One engraved on it. "All I have to do is kill you and then all that power will be mine."
"It's not that simple," The Dark One warned with a grave voice.
"How can it not be?" The Dark One barely put up a fight as Sam tackled him to the floor and pinned him. "Once I have it, I'll be able to protect Stevie and Stacy." He raised the dagger and brought back down with enough force to stab him in the heart.
A small smile graced the Dark One's lips as blood trailed from his mouth. "Let it be your curse now."
Before Sam could even contemplate his words he gasped as he felt a pain like no other. He could barely hear the Dark One's laughter through the sound of his heart beating and his own cries of pain he felt his skin on fire. The dagger pulled itself out of the body and came to rest itself in Sam's hand. He glanced down to it and saw his own name engraved on it and that's when he noticed that the color of his hand was changing. It no longer had a human hue to it and it continued to spread up his arm at a rapid rate. His back arched off the ground when he felt the pain intensify. "What have I done?"
Most knew him as the Dark One and to others the Beast for he was no longer man and his power was far beyond imagination.
"Ogres are not men," King Hiram said, exhausted as he took a seat on his throne.
"We must do something." Finn turned to him. "We have to stop them."
Princess Rachel walked passed Finn and kneeled by her father's side as she grabbed his hand.
"They are unstoppable," he muttered to himself.
"Right now he could be on his way, Papa," she said, hoping that she was right. Seeing her father in such a hopeless state not only worried her but also saddened her. It made it seemed like all hope was lost, but she refused to believe that.
"It's too late, sweetheart." Hiram looked at his daughter, feeling regret.
Three knocks that shook the reinforced hardwood doors interrupted their conversation.
"It's him, Papa." Rachel helped her father up. "It has to be him!"
"How can he even get passed the walls?" Hiram asked worried as he walked forward the passed the guards and Finn with his daughter still holding onto his arm. "Open it!" he commanded.
The guards quickly removed the wooden plank that kept the door locked and anyone from trying to get in. Finn unsheathed his sword as the guards open the doors only to reveal an empty hallway. Rachel had to beat down the disappointment that threatened to overwhelm her at that moment as everyone looked at the hallway confused.
"Well, wasn't that a bit of a letdown?" A male voice echoed through the room behind them causing everyone to turn around. Rachel felt the breath rush out of her lungs when she saw what appeared to be a man dressed in black leather pants with a long sleeve black shirt sitting on her father's thrown. What caught her off guard was the color of his skin which had a gray hue, but when he cocked his head to the side the candlelight reflecting on his skin seemed to almost make him sparkle. His blonde hair was slicked back leaving his most prominent feature bare for all to see and receive the full force of his emerald eyes as he gazed upon them.
Rachel looked at him curiously when she saw his dark amusement reflecting in his gaze. The moment their gazes met, Rachel didn't know if she wanted to take a step forward or backward, so instead she stayed still. The smile that curved on his lips grew ever so slightly before his gaze left hers. "You sent me a message." Finn approached him with his sword at hand. "Something about help, people dying and wanting to be saved."
She looked at her father and cautiously followed him as he stepped forward.
"Now the answer is." He stood up, looking at the sword Finn was pointing at him with distaste. "Yes." He tapped the blade down with enough force to have Finn lower it. "I can." Sam threw the apple he had been holding to one of the guards as Finn sheathed his sword. "Yes, I can protect your town." Rachel and the others watched silently as he walked further to the center of the room. "For a price." He pointed at the king.
"We sent you a promise of gold." Hiram left his daughter's side to stand in front of him.
"I make gold." Sam met his gaze. "What I want." He walked closer to him. "Is something a bit more special."
Rachel glanced at her father nervously.
"My price." His gaze never wavered from Hiram. "Is her." Sam pointed at Rachel.
It took a moment for Hiram to realize what Samuel had asked of him as he stepped aside and looked behind to see Rachel. Finn placed an arm in front of her as if to protect her and gulped as she found herself meeting emerald eyes once more.
"No," Hiram said without hesitation.
"The young lady is engaged," Finn glared. "With me."
"I wasn't asking if she was engaged." Sam walked passed them. "I'm not looking for." He placed his hands over his chest as he put more emphasize on the word. "Love." The guards could see what he clearly thought of such an emotion when he shook his head amused. Rachel looked at him suspiciously. "I'm looking for a caretaker." He turned around to face them again. "For my rather larger estate. It's her." Sam pointed at Rachel again. "Or no deal."
He was the most feared in all the land, but only one was strong enough to dare to love him.
"True love's kiss can break any spe—"
"Shut up," he said through gritted teeth.
"Don't you see that reaction can only be brought out by true lo—" she tried to explain.
"Shut up!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, grabbing her by the upper arms. When she tried to open her mouth to speak."Shut the hell up!" his hands on her tightened.
"Why won't you believe me?" Rachel cried out, blinking back tears.
"Because no one!" Sam yelled, pulling her closer. "No one could ever." The anger and betrayal that burned in his gaze seared her."Ever love me!"
This is their tale.
"Do you have any idea exactly what you do to me?" His hand cupped the back of her neck desperately.
"Am I supposed to?" Her gaze held his.
A small smile played on his lips. "Gods how have I missed you…" He pressed his forehead against hers. His gaze unwavering and didn't dare to blink afraid that it was just a dream. For the first time since he became cursed and gained power that many could only dream of, he begged, "Please don't let this be a dream."
"Do you wish for this to be more than a dream?"
"More than anything."
A Tale as Old as Time
AN: First thing first I want to give a huge thank you to my beta MissBreePhoenix for looking over this. =) This is a teaser just like the one I did for Momento Mori. I wanted you to have a feel about what this fic is going to be like. It will be heavily based on the show Once Upon a Time and Beauty and The Beast. I'm really excited about this fic and I hope you are too. Please leave a review telling me what you think. (^_^)