AN: Hey there folks! Welcome to my latest attempt at another Once Upon a Time Fan Fiction. I know I have several started and I might finish them one day but I got this idea a few days ago and I had to run with it I hope you enjoy. This story is partially based on the mid 90s cartoon Princess Gwenevere and The Jewel Riders.
If you are unfamiliar with this show, it followed the quest of a young princess of Avalon, Gwenevere, and her friends, Fallon and Tamara, to find and secure the scattered enchanted jewels to stop the evil sorceress Lady Kale from taking over the kingdom, restore harmony in magic, and bring the banished Merlin home.
While I won't be following the premise of the original show. I will be using the characters of Gwenevere, Fallon and Tamara and bringing them to the world of Once Upon a Time.
If you want to know more about the show, I'll put a link up to a great website called Jewel Riders Archive on my profile page.
Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time is the property of Kitsis/Horowitz Productions, ABC Studios and The Walt Disney Company. Princess Gwenevere and The Jewel Riders is the property of New Frontier Entertainment. No clam of ownership intended.
List of New Characters:
Gwenevere/Starla Butler: Charlize Theron
Fallon/Alexandra Johnson: Freema Agyeman
Tamara (pronounced Tam-a-ra)/Melody Hart: Amy Adams
And now Princess Gwenevere!
Once Upon a Time
The Enchanted Forest
Many Years Ago
Princess Gwenevere and her two fellow Jewel Riders, Fallon and Tamara were on horseback riding across a long land bridge following Gwenevere's younger brother, James. The Jewel Riders had once been loyal protectors of King George's kingdom. They each had a powerful Enchanted Jewel. Gwen had the Sun Stone, Fallon had the Moon Stone and Tamera had the Heart Stone. But, when George turned on his son and tried to keep him apart from the woman he loved, Gwen and her friends joined her brother to help him find Snow White.
When they found The Seven Dwarves, snow started to fall. They climbed off their horses and walked over to them. They were standing around a glass coffin carved out of a fallen tree. The Dwarves turned and looked at the four humans walking toward them. Doc said, "You're too late."
Doc stepped aside and they saw Snow White lying inside the coffin. The four humans stepped forward. Gwen put hand on her brother's shoulder. "I'm sorry, James," she said.
"No," said James, "No!" He stepped closer and looked down at Snow. "Open it."
"I'm sorry," said Grumpy, "she's gone."
He looked up at the dwarves, "At least let me say goodbye."
The dwarves looked at each other and they silently agreed. They carefully lifted the lid off the casket. Gwen, Fallon and Tamera stood there with tears in their eyes as they watched James lean forward and kiss Snow on the lips. A few seconds later, a pulse of magic spread out from their lips across the Enchanted Forest. Then, Snow gasped and woke up. She looked up at James. She called him Charming and said, "You… You found me." She reached up and touched his cheek.
Charming smiled, "Did you ever doubt I would?"
Snow sat up and said, "Truthfully, the glass coffin gave me pause."
"Well, you never have to worry. I will always find you."
"Do you promise?"
Sometime later at Snow and Charming's wedding he looked at Snow and said, "I do."
"And do you, Snow White, promise to take this man to be your husband, and love him for all eternity?" asked the priest.
"I do," said Snow.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife."
Everyone applauded. Gwen smiled as she watched her younger brother marry his true love. She hoped one day to find love like that. Snow and Charming prepared to kiss when they heard the doors of the room fly open. They all turned and saw the Evil Queen standing in the door way. "Sorry I'm late," Then she started walking toward the couple a couple of guards tried to stop her but she just used her magic to push them out of the way.
"It's the Queen, Run!" shouted Doc.
Gwen, Fallon and Tamara reached for their Enchanted Jewels and prepared to use them to protect Snow and Charming. They knew their magic was nowhere near as powerful as the Queen's magic but it would be enough of a distraction to allow everyone else escape.
Snow pulled out Charming's sword and pointed at the woman, "She's not the Queen anymore. She's nothing more than an evil witch."
"No, no, no," said Charming, "Don't stoop to their level. There's no need." He took the sword from Snow as Gwen, Fallon and Tamera stepped forward.
"You're wasting your time, Regina," said Tamara.
"You've already lost," said Fallon.
"And we will not let you ruin this wedding," said Gwen.
"Oh, I haven't come here to ruin anything," said The Evil Queen, "On the contrary, dear, I've come to give the happy couple a gift."
"We want nothing from you," said Snow.
"But you shall have it!" The Evil Queen turned and started to pace and looked around at the crowd. "My gift to you is this happy, happy day." She stopped and looked at Snow and Charming, "But tomorrow, my real work begins. You've made your vows, now I make mine. Soon, everything you love," she looked around at the crowd, "everything all of you love, will be taken from you. Forever." She looked back at Snow and Charming, "And out of your suffering, will rise my victory. I shall destroy your happiness, if it is the last thing I do."
Then, The Evil Queen turned and walked to the door. Then, Charming called after her, "Hey!" She turned and Charming threw his sword at her but the woman just disappeared and cloud of purple smoke. The Jewel Riders looked at each other and they knew they hadn't heard the last of the Evil Queen.
Several months later, Charming and Gwen walked into what would soon be the nursery for Snow and Charming's baby. Snow was standing at the door to the balcony. A bluebird was sitting on her fingers then it flew away. Charming walked up to his wife, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," said Snow.
"You're thinking about what the Queen said again, aren't you?" asked Charming, "Snow, please. I can't keep having this conversation. You have to let it go. We're about to have a baby."
Snow walked into the room and over to the crib, "I haven't had a restful night since our wedding."
"That's what she wants," said Gwen, "She wants to get in your head. But you know that she can't either of you."
Snow looked at her sister-in-law, "She poisoned an apple because she thought I was prettier than her. You have no idea of what she's capable of."
"What can I do to ease your mind?" asked Charming.
"Let me talk to him," said Snow.
"Him?" asked Charming.
Gwen's eyes went wide, "You don't mean…"
"I do," said Snow.
"No, no, no. It's too dangerous," said Charming.
"He sees the future," said Snow.
"I agree with James," said Gwen, "There's a reason he's locked up."
Snow looked at Charming and Gwen, "Can either of you promise me that my child will be safe? Can either of you guarantee it? Because he can."
Charming and Gwen looked at each other. They knew it was pointless to fight. Charming looked at Snow, "Alright. For our child."
A short time later, Snow, Charming, Gwen, Fallon and Tamera were being led to the dungeon where The Dark One, Rumplestiltskin was being kept. They were wearing hooded robes to hide their faces from him. "When we reach the cell, stay out of the light," instructed the guard, "And whatever you do, do not let him know your name. If he knows your name, he will have power over you." They reached his cell, and the guard said, "Rumpelstiltskin. Rumpelstiltskin! I have a question for you.
Rumpelstiltskin stepped up to the bars and said, "No, you don't. They do. Snow White, Prince Charming, Princess Gwenevere, Lady Tamara and Lady Fallon." Rumple laughed then he said, "You insult me. Step into the light and take off those ridiculous robes." They lowered the hoods and stepped forward, "That's much better."
"We've come to ask you about the…" Charming started to ask.
"Yes! Yes! I know why you're here!" shouted Rumple, "You want to know about the Queen's threat."
"Tell us what you know," asked Snow.
"Ooh, tense, aren't we? Fear not! For I can ease your mind. But… It's going to cost you something in return."
"No!" said Charming, "This is a waste of time."
"What do you want?" asked Snow.
"Oh… The name of your unborn child?" asked Rumple.
"Absolutely not!" said Charming.
"Deal!" said Snow, "What do you know?"
"The Queen has created a powerful curse," said Rumple, "And it's coming. Soon, you'll all be in a prison. Just like me, only worse. Your prison, all of our prisons, will be time. Time will stop, and we will be trapped. Someplace horrible, where everything we hold dear, everything we love, will be ripped from us while we suffer for all eternity. While the Queen celebrates, victorious at last. No more happy endings."
"What can we do?" asked Gwen.
"We can't do anything."
"Who can?" asked Tamera.
Rumplestiltskin pointed at Show, "That little thing, growing inside her belly." He reached out to touch Snow. Fallon pulled her sword and slashed Rumples hand away.
"Next time, I cut it off," said Fallon.
"Tsk tsk," said Rumple, "The infant is our only hope. Get the child to safety. Get the child to safety and on its twenty-eighth birthday, the child will return. The child will find you and The Final Battle will begin."
"We heard enough," said Charming, "We're leaving." The five of them turned to leave.
Rumple shouted it, "Hey! No! We made a deal! I want her name! We had a deal! I need her name! I want her name!"
"Her?" said Charming as he looked back, "It's a boy."
"Missy… Missy…" called Rumple, "You know I'm right. Tell me, what's her name?"
Snow turned toward The Dark One, "Emma. Her name is Emma."
Rumplestiltskin smiled, "Emma…"
Later, Charming and Snow had called a meeting with their friends to tell them what happened, Gwen, Tamera and Fallon were there along with Geppetto, Red Riding Hood and her Granny, three of the Seven Dwarves and Jiminy Cricket. Charming pounded his fist on the table and stood, "I say we fight!"
"Fighting is a bad idea," said Jiminy, through a translating megaphone, "Giving into one's dark side never accomplishes anything."
"And how many wars has a clear conscience won?" asked Fallon, "I agree with James. We need to take the Queen out before she can inflict her curse."
"Can we even trust Rumpelstiltskin?" asked Doc.
"I've gone into the forest," said Tamera. Her Heart Stone allowed her to speak with animals, "The animals are abuzz with the Queen's plan. This is going to happen unless we do something."
"There's no point," said Snow, "The future is written."
"No," said Gwen, "I refuse to believe that. Good can't just lose."
"Maybe it can."
"No," said Charming, he knelt next to her, "No, not as long as we have each other. If you believe him about the curse, then you must believe him about our child. She will be the Savior."
Just then doors to the room opened. A group of guards walked in pulling a large piece of a tree behind them. The Blue Fairy was with them, "What the hell is this?" asked Charming.
"Our only hope of saving that child," said the Blue Fairy as she flew to the center of the table.
"A tree?" asked Grumpy, "Our fate rests on a tree? Let's get back to the fighting thing."
"The tree is enchanted," said The Blue Fairy, "If fashioned into a vessel, it can ward off any curse." She turned toward Geppetto and asked, "Geppetto, can you build such a thing?"
"Me and my boy," said Geppetto who touched Pinocchio's head as the boy sat on the floor sanding a whale he had carved, "we can do it."
The Blue Fairy turned to Snow and Charming, "This will work. We all must have faith." Snow took Charming's hand and the Blue Fairy continued, "There is, however, a catch. The enchantment is, indeed, powerful, but all power has its limits. And this tree can protect only one." Snow and Charming looked at each other.
Geppetto and Pinocchio started to work on the wardrobe in Emma's nursery, and several days later, they were almost finished. Gwen, Fallon and Tamera were standing in the guard tower with Grumpy. Gwen looked toward the forest and saw birds frantically flying over the nearby mountains Then, dark smoke floated over the mountains and started to move toward the castle. "Fallon… Tamera," said Gwen, "Look." Her fellow Jewel Riders and Grumpy joined her and saw the smoke coming toward them.
"The curse!" said Grumpy as he rushed to the bell, in the middle of the guard tower, "It's here!" he shouted as he started to ring it.
Fallon looked at the road that led from the castle to the forest. She saw something coming down the road. She took out some binoculars and looked at the object. She saw a black carriage with knights in black armor, riding around it, "It's the Evil Queen…. She's coming," said Fallon.
"She must be coming for Emma," said Tamera.
Gwen clenched her fist, "Come on… we have to get to Snow and James before the Queen gets here."
The three women to Snow and Charming's room and found Snow getting ready to give birth. "I can't have this baby now!" she shouted
"Doc, do something," said Charming, as he tried to comfort her, "It's going to be okay. The wardrobe is almost finished, just hold on."
A few moments later Geppetto walked in and said, "It's ready."
Charming went to pick up Snow but Doc stopped her, "It's too late. We can't move her."
Shortly after that Emma was born. The Jewel Riders stood there and smiled as they watched their prince and princess hold the newborn in a blanket that Granny had made. Just then Snow had a realization, "The wardrobe… It only takes one."
The adults in the room heard the fighting outside between their guards and the Queen's guards. "Then our plan has failed," said Charming, "At least we're together."
Snow looked at Emma for a few moments then said without taking her eyes off her child, "No. You have to take her. Take the baby to the wardrobe."
"Are you out of your mind?"
"No, it's the only way. You have to send her through."
"No, no, no. You don't know what you're saying."
"No, I do. We have to believe that she'll come back for us. We have to give Emma her best chance." Charming knew Snow was right. He kissed Emma on the forehead. Then Snow said, "Goodbye, Emma…" Then she kissed Emma on the forehead. Charming took Emma and then he kissed his wife.
Gwen looked at her friends, "Fallon, Tamera… Stay here with Snow… I'm going with James."
The two women nodded. Charming grabbed his sword. Then gave his wife a final look. Then Charming and James left. The moment they were out of sight Snow started to break down. Fallon and Tamera did their best to comfort her.
As they were heading to the nursery, they ran into two of the Queen's guards Gwen pulled her sword and said to her brother, "Get Emma to the nursery." Charming nodded and Gwen did her best to run interference. It took her longer than she wanted to but once both of the Queen's guards were taken care of she rushed to the nursery.
When she got there here heart sank, her brother was on the floor, dead. She looked over at the wardrobe that was supposed to protect her niece. The doors were open and was empty. She went to her brother's side and knelt beside him. She put his head in her lap and started to cry. Then she heard a voice say, "No, no!" She turned and saw Snow along with Tamera and Fallon. They helped her walk over to Charming's side, "No! No! No!" She knelt on the other side of Charming, "Please… Please come back to me."
She tried kissing him but nothing happened, "Snow…" said Gwen, "It's too late… He's gone…"
Just then The Evil Queen walked in, "Oh, don't worry dear. In a few moments, you won't remember you knew him, let alone loved him."
"Why did you do this?" asked Snow.
"Because this is my happy ending…" said the Queen. Just then two of her guards walked in, "The child?"
"Gone," said one of the guards, "It was in the wardrobe, and then it was gone. It's nowhere to be found."
Snow, Gwen, Tamera and Fallon all looked at each other. The Queen looked at the other women, "Where is she?'
"She got away…" said Snow, "You're going to lose. I know that now. Good will always win."
"We'll see about that," said the Queen. The Queen started to laugh. The roof started to break away and the smoke of the curse entered the room and started to surround them.
"Where are we going?" asked Gwen.
"Somewhere horrible. Absolutely horrible. A place where the only happy ending will be mine."
The windows of the room shattered and they were absorbed by The Dark Curse.
The entire population of The Enchanted Forest was sent to The World Without Magic. The Curse created a place called Storybrooke, Maine. It gave everyone new lives and new identities and it also blocked all of their memories of their past lives in The Enchanted Forest.
Storybrooke
28 Years Later
5th grade teacher, Starla Butler; PE teacher, Alexandra Johnson; and music teacher, Melody Hart were walking down the halls of Storybrooke Elementary on their way to the teachers' lounge. As they walked they saw 5th grade teacher, Mary Margaret Blanchard talking with a blond woman none of them had seen before. The blond walked away and three women walked up to Mary Margaret. Starla asked, "Who was that?"
Mary Margaret looked at her friends, "That was Henry Mills' birth mother. You guys know that book of fairy tales I gave him." The women all nodded. They were familiar with the book. Mary Margaret had shown the book to them before she gave it to Henry and they all had seen him with the book. Henry told them who he though they were. Starla was Princess Gwenevere. Alex was Fallon, Melody was Tamera, Mary Margaret was Snow White and Regina, Henry's adopted mother, was The Evil Queen.
Mary Margaret continued, "Well, he stole my credit card and used it to find that woman I was just talking to."
"I'm sure Regina wasn't too happy about that," said Alex.
"No," said Mary Margaret, "She and the woman I was talking to came to find Henry. I told her to try his castle."
Starla shook her head, "I hope things work out… Henry's such a nice boy…"
After school, Mary Margaret and Starla went to Storybrooke General Hospital where they volunteered. They would go to different rooms passing out flowers and spending time with the patients. Mary Margaret walked into the room of one comatose patient. He was a John Doe. But, in reality, it was Prince Charming.
AN: I know that Charming is David. But, if you all remember David was posing as James. So that's why I refer to him as James. So, The Pilot is done and I hope you all like it. If you like this story, Favorite and Follow. Also, give me a Review and let me know what you think of this. It gives me motivation to keep going.
