What's up! A few housekeeping notes:
First, the background of the story is really silly and cliche. Like, all you really need to know is: at some point, around the time Henry was 15, Emma and Killian conceived a baby. Also around that time, it was decided that the magic sustaining Storybrooke was failing. So they all returned to the Enchanted Forest, with Emma and Henry coming this time. They all lived together happily ever after. It's beautiful, really.
Second, if I mess up the timeline a little… forgive me. But we all know that's not really important. I know you're all just here for the drama of "WHAT! I have a kid with HIM!" Don't lie. I know it.
Okay, let's get started!
"Brother! Brother!" a young girl cried. Her blonde hair streaked behind her as she rushed to meet him. "Henry, what's happening?"
Henry, in his late 20s and donned in the fine clothes of a prince, turned to hold his little sister close to him. She was only his half-sister, and he was 15 years her senior, yet he adored her. The panic in his eyes seemed obvious as booms and crashes rocked their grandparent's castle.
"The Wizard is attacking the castle, Lily," he said quickly, urging her towards the exit as he spoke. "Grandfather is leading the counter-attack with my other mo- uh, Aunt Regina, as we speak. We need to get you out."
He was walking fast now, almost running, and Lily struggled to keep up with his larger strides. The enormity of the situation hit her all at once, and she struggled to control her panic. "The Wizard? The Wizard? Oh, by the gods!" she said. "Where's mother?"
"She's down at the docks, with your dad. They're getting the navy prepared for an attack at the bay," he answered her. "We need to get you down to the Jolly Roger. Your dad will get you out of danger."
"Wait!" she demanded. "No! I don't want to go! I can't leave my family. I want to stay and help fight. I won't go. I won't!"
Henry let out a frustrated huff, before turning and leaning down to meet her eyes. It wasn't that she was short, only that he was incredibly tall. He'd shot up remarkably during puberty.
"Lily, you're too youn-"
"Neal gets to stay, and he's only a few years older than me!"
"That's different, Lily!"
"Why, because I'm a girl?"
"No! He's the crown prince and that comes with certain responsibilities…"
"Both you and mother are in front of him in line for the throne."
"It's not like we want it! We'll both defer, for the good of the kingdom. We weren't raised for this like he was!"
"Ugh! Henry!"
"Lily! You're trying to distract me and it's not going to work!"
"Seems to be working fine to me!"
There was an ominous crash.
"Well, isn't this cute?"
Henry immediately dragged Lily behind him, pulling out his sword. "How did you get in here?" he asked the Wizard roughly.
The Wizard raised one thin eyebrow. "Uh… I'm magical," he answered as if this were something a toddler should know. "I don't even really need the army to take over the kingdom. I just like a little dramatic flair."
"We have magic users of our own, you know!" Henry shouted. "You won't find it so easy to kill us!"
The Wizard blinked. "Kill you? Whoever said anything about killing you?" a loud boom followed by screams in the courtyard below punctuated the sentence, and he shrugged. "No, dear. I'm not really into evil plans and death and murder and the like."
Henry's sword arm faltered, and his voice betrayed his uncertainty. "Then what do you want, Wizard?"
The Wizard laughed. "Wizard? Is that what they're calling me? How absurd! I'm much more than that!"
Lily had finally had enough. She pushed her way out of Henry's tight grip, ignoring his hissed protests, and glared up at the tall, oddly snake-like man.
"Who are you?" she demanded, her voice thick with frustration. Much like her mother and father, she was never one for games.
The man grinned. "I am a god," he said as if he were sharing some great, juicy secret.
Henry's gasped "God?"
The man rolled his eyes. "No not God, you idiot boy. A god. A trickster god, to be exact."
Henry thought back to his childhood in Storybrooke, in a world that had hundreds, if not thousands of different gods. "What, like, Loki?"
"If you'd like," the god said in a gracious tone. "I have many names, and that is one of them."
"…and what does a god want with us?" Henry asked hesitantly. He'd never met a god before. Sure, he'd met incredibly powerful people before. Half of them were in his family, or extended family. But a god? He had to get Lily out of here before something happened.
"Nothing important, really," 'Loki' laughed again. "As I said, I like playing tricks. I've been making my way through your kingdom, generally causing havoc. Apparently making a name for myself as a wizard of all things." The word "wizard" was spoken with derision.
His turned his attention towards Lily again, and smiled. "What do you know about time travel, little dear?"
Lily fidgeted, uncomfortable under his suddenly intense stare. "I, uh. That it's almost impossible to do, and very dangerous."
"Near impossible for mortals, sweet one," 'Loki' drawled. Henry moved toward Lily, alarmed at the man's words, but found himself frozen in mid-step by magic. 'Loki' tutted at him.
"Not so impossible for trickster gods," he continued, grinning at Henry. "And as for dangerous, well… sometimes the effects can be horrible. Entire lives can be erased. The bad guys can win. All because the time traveler stood on a butterfly."
"Henry…" Lily whispered, scared by the conversation and its implications.
"But again," 'Loki' said as if Lily hadn't spoken. "The effects of time travel only touch mortals. For people like me, it's mostly just entertaining to watch…"
He voice trailed off, and he raised his hands. The air around the siblings seemed to crackle with electricity and come to life.
"Henry!" Lily said again, louder and more urgent. "Henry, what's happening?"
But Henry couldn't speak, he couldn't move, he couldn't do anything but stand and watch in horror as his little sister started to fade out of existence.
"Don't worry dear," 'Loki' reassured. "You're just going on a little trip to the past. The spell will eventually wear off and you'll be returned to this time… if you still exist, that is."
With one final laugh, he swung his cloak dramatically and disappeared from the room. The sounds of battle from outside the castle quietened, and Henry knew the trickster god's armies had vanished too.
"I'm disappearing!" Lily sobbed, holding up her near invisible hands. Henry found that movement was returning to his body, and within a few seconds he was able to open his mouth enough to speak.
"Lily, I think you're being sent to the past," he said urgently. "Lily, sweetheart, you need to listen to me. Don't panic. Calm down."
"Okay, okay," she breathed, staring at her fast disappearing feet. "The past. I can do this. He said the spell would end. I just have to wait it out. Hide somewhere I can't change anything."
Henry was able to nod. "Yes, exactly. Don't change anything. Don't tell anyone! You mustn't."
Her chest was gone now, and her neck. "I love you Henry. Tell mother and father, too."
"Lil-"
She was gone.
All at once, Henry regained full movement, and the doors crashed open. Emma Swan (or Jones, if you'd prefer. She never really minded what name she was given) and Captain Hook – now better known as Killian Jones, rushed into the room.
"Henry?" Emma asked, immediately alarmed by Henry's horrified expression. "Henry, where's your sister."
Henry met his mother's gaze, and Killian's.
"Something… something has happened."
Killian glanced around the room, as if hoping Lily would hop out from behind a suit of armor and yell "surprise" in her mischievous voice. "Where's Lily? Where's my daughter?"
Storybrooke, 17 years in the past.
Lily opened her eyes with groan, blinking up at a white roof.
"Don't move, dear. You hit your head pretty bad," warned a kind, familiar voice. "Falling out of the sky isn't exactly a safe activity for young women."
"I'm not a young woman, I'm a pirate!" Lily exclaimed in a dazed voice. "A piraaaaaaaate. Yeeeeaaaaah."
"Uh, Snow, maybe we should call back the doctor," said a more anxious, male voice. It was familiar as well. Lily felt very safe.
Lily rolled over, searching for the source of the voices. She found two people, one male and one female, sitting near her bed. Oh, no wonder they were so familiar. "Hi grandpa. Hi grandma. Wow I love you both so much. Did you know that? So much!" Lily closed her eyes again, wanting to sleep off the dizziness, feeling safe with her family.
"Grandma?!" Grandma's voice was shrill and alarmed. Why was she so worried by that word? That's what Lily had always called her…
Wait.
Lily's eyes snapped open, and her memories returned so quickly she felt like passing out again just to escape them.
She was in the past.
"Don't tell anyone!" her brother had warned her. Don't change anything, the first rule of time travel.
And she'd already messed that up.
Damnit.
So… there's the first chapter. Should I continue, or is it completely hopeless? Let me know whether it's worth continuing. I'm having fun with it.
Also, time travel fics are really just supposed to be self-indulgent and fun. So if there's anything you guys would like to see happen, just let me know!
-Phelpstwinsandelftwins
