Disclaimers: See Prologue - Part 1 for more info.

Prologue – Part 3:

Way to Luster

Green Shaft, The Rainbow Prison – The Present

Handel/Lightfoot could see color… one shade. It was green and it was in different shades of green. Of course he didn't see just one shade, but one color? Where in Luster was he? Oh, he felt so groggy…

Opening his eyes, Handel/Lightfoot saw he was on a green meadow, with a green sun and a green sky. No! He was in the Rainbow Prison… well, the green shaft of the prison. There were other people wandering around, too, all lost or wondering when they would wake up. As was he. He felt strange… no, he was a unicorn again. Well, at least he was back to his young self. Oh, how he missed himself as a unicorn! Deciding to test his legs, Handel/Lightfoot strode forward.

A few times, Handel/Lightfoot tripped on his hooves. Okay, maybe he wasn't used to being a unicorn again, but he had to try something. So he did. By the last time, he was able to walk on all fours more freely. This was weird. He had seen a lot of strange things, but testing out his new legs again, as if he were a foal, that was the weirdest experience he would ever have.

Once that was done, Handel/Lightfoot began his walk through the Green Shaft of the Rainbow Prison. There were mountains on all sides, some more distant than others. Here and there were patches of water and lone trees. It felt very foreboding and yet lonely, too. At last he found a spring and drank its waters. He was surprised at how fresh it tasted… but also green. Was there any color here besides the shades of green? He wanted more colors – all the colors of the rainbow, and many more in-between! He missed home and… Cara. Now he couldn't waste time being inside this prison. He needed to get out! Wait… what was that singing?

Though in the distance
There may be a cry,
When at last wing's span
There was my friend.

Handel/Lightfoot, excited now and recognizing the song he and Fredegar/Fred knew, joined in the singing. He could feel his young man body now, which felt heavy.

My friend! Oh, my friend
How I longed to see you
Carefree and true
Mistaken by dew.

Though we cried long and hard
Until the sun beat down upon us
I never gave up
On a friend as true as you.

Handel/Lightfoot continued singing until he broke free of the bright light. Was he back? Yeah, everything felt normal to him, all the colors returning. He opened his eyes at last. He was back in Dorian Gray's experimental room in London, England.

o-o-o

London, England – The Present

Fredegar/Fred put the emerald gem in his pocket. He observed his friend with candor. Good thing Handel/Lightfoot was out of the Rainbow Prison and now had those pads off his forehead. Now they could work on escaping this place, reach Luster, and search for Cara. Dorian Gray, in the meantime, wanted to attack both Fredegar/Fred and Handel/Lightfoot. The Squijum rested on top of the hospital bed as Fredegar/Fred took off all the straps off of Handel/Lightfoot's body.

Dorian Gray asked the two friends, "How could you do this? How?"

"Well, you can't always work on experiments without knowing your backup plan. Next time, ask me to sing something morbid. It'll fit you well enough," joked Fredegar/Fred, knowing he did not want to sing a morbid song anytime soon.

But Dorian Gray did not show a fierce look when he faced the two and the Squijum. As soon as Handel/Lightfoot was released, Dorian Gray told one of his soldiers, "Open the door. Release them. They hold no further value to me here."

Fredegar/Fred was stunned. No fight scene? That's what he expected coming here and being captured. "You're letting us go? You're not-"

"I've done my work with you both. Thank you for your time," said Dorian Gray.

Handel/Lightfoot led the way. "Come on, Fredegar." He, the Squijum and Fredegar/Fred bolted out of the room and back onto the alley, the second the soldier unlocked and opened the door for them.

Dorian Gray told one of his men in a grey suit, "Follow them, and don't take any detours. Should they find Cara, I want to know the details. Now go." He shoved the man forward, who charged out of the experimental room seconds after Handel/Lightfoot and his friends.

x-x-x

"Keep walking, Fredegar! Don't look back!" said Handel/Lightfoot, speeding up his pace.

"They let us go," said Fredegar/Fred.

"Yes," said Handel/Lightfoot, concentrating on his steps.

"Well, yes, they did, but they let us go. I was expecting a fight or something…"

Handel/Lightfoot backed Fredegar/Fred up against a wall. "You think this is a joke? Dorian Gray won't give up so easily. He'll have us followed. It's best if we make ourselves scarce." He released Fredegar/Fred's shirt and jacket. "Sorry about that. I don't know what's happened to me. These past few hours have been… daunting."

"You're lucky I kept this, and the seven gems needed to get us to the Rainbow Prison and back, should we be captured or separated," admitted Fredegar/Fred.

Handel/Lightfoot shook his head. Pulling out his amulet from around his neck, he and Fredegar/Fred whispered to their amulets, all in the same instance, "Luster, take me home." Then they were gone, just as the man in the grey suit saw them vanish. As for the Squijum, he had clung onto Fredegar/Fred's shoulder, moments before they all vanished into another realm: the same realm they were trying to get to this whole time – Luster.

Not knowing what else to do, the man in the grey suit fled back in the direction he had come. He might as well warn Dorian Gray what happened.

o-o-o

Luster – The Present

It was late afternoon, close to evening, in the unicorn world Luster. Darting out of the green portal first was the Squijum. He sniffed the air for a moment, recognizing the area. He was on the outskirts of Springdale, but not far from the Valley of the Centaurs. He looked back as the green portal was prepared to send another two out onto the continent.

"Hotcha… whatcha!" cried the Squijum, skittering about the place.

Gliding down onto the grassy meadow ground was Fredegar/Fred and Handel/Lightfoot. Fredegar/Fred felt hot and sweaty due to the varying degree of this parallel world. That only meant one thing: he was back in Luster. There was no mistaking it now. Well, good thing his jacket had some sort of proof for circumstances such as these. Nevertheless, since the temperature proved to be muggier than his jacket, Fredegar/Fred gladly shook it off. However, he noticed Handel/Lightfoot glaring at him. Frustrated, Fredegar/Fred jerked the jacket back into place.

"Aren't you hot?" asked Fredegar/Fred. "I am."

"It's going to be cool soon. There's a spring nearby so we can have a drink. Besides, I wouldn't lose articles of clothing in this place. I can't believe I'm back," said Handel/Lightfoot.

"We need to find Cara," said Fredegar/Fred.

"It's not like I left in good terms. My uncle didn't know what to make of me human. I was nearly banished," said Handel/Lightfoot.

Fredegar/Fred told him, "Look, my time here, last time, was short and I only made few friends. Those friends were you and Cara. The rest just don't want to think of me as anyone important. Now, if I were you, I would suggest we find the centaurs and see about getting us near Cara."

"Who told you Cara is alive?" asked Handel/Lightfoot.

"It was the Squijum that told me," said Fredegar/Fred.

The Squijum backed up. "Hotcha… bye bye!" He scampered off in search of food, or something else that was important.

"Wait! Come back!" called Fredegar/Fred, not stopping the Squijum but unable to catch him.

"Oh yes, the Squijum is very reliable. Nuisance, the lot of them," said Handel/Lightfoot. "Come on. Let's head for the Valley of the Centaurs. Maybe we'll find Grimwold there, and he can tell us where to find Cara."

"That's a ways from here. Handel – Lightfoot, please, let's take things one step at a time," said Fredegar/Fred.

"The way things are turning out, we may not have all day. We need to start hunting for Cara now and finding her. I never thought I would be a hunter of anything. Oh come on," said Handel/Lightfoot, leading the way to the valley, but first to the spring.

x-x-x

At his Stronghold, towards the center of the continent, Dorian Gray returned, as did the men in grey suits and the soldiers. Dorian Gray told the soldiers and men to go about their business, while he dealt with matters inside his chamber. Just then, one of the soldiers whispered in his ear about an unwanted feline, before departing. Figuring this an ample opportunity to kick his unwanted guest out, Dorian Gray charged into his chamber, just in time to see a dark-furred lion with a scar on his right eye pacing back and forth. The lion saw him and growled viciously.

After the soldiers closed the doors behind him, Dorian Gray gave a cunning grin, "Now don't be that way, Scar. We knew this would be tricky. Cara is an unwelcome sort that doesn't trust us – doesn't trust me. She's been evading me for years now. I spot her and still, she evades me. I know you can talk. You've been doing it for years: ramming about finding your son, your possible son, Kovu. When was the last time you saw him?"

Scar lunged at him. Growling fiercely, Scar told him, "Don't play games with me, Dorian Gray. You could still gaze into that painting of yours and turn to dust. That is your weakness. As for mine… well, let's just say I don't have any sort of weakness, but power! Power can cause the most devastating matters." He moved away. "When was the last time you saw them? The guards told me everything."

"Not long. They fled here, to Luster, looking for Cara. It'll be the perfect opportunity to find her and catch her," said Dorian Gray. "As well as that pesky unicorn who thinks he's a man. He's no different than her, no better than her."

"And yet they survived Beloved's invasion. Such a pity," said Scar.

"You seem on edge yourself," said Dorian Gray.

"And you're not? A man such as you who only needs to live forever through a portrait? Did you think it would go unnoticed? You think that your feeble attempt to find and catch unicorns, for the sake of gaining immortality, is going to be enough? You know nothing of true power," said Scar.

Dorian Gray hesitated. He asked Scar, "And you do: a lion who wants nothing but to usurp his brother's crown? Tell me how that's working out for you. You lost your chance and here you are: wanting a second relay."

Scar growled furiously, "I don't need to be told by you HOW TO RULE!" There was a pause, at which Scar growled in full tension at the man in the grey suit, standing before him. Calming down some, Scar told Gray, "When did you last see them: the feeble Halfling and his unicorn companion?"

"Not too long ago in London," said Gray. "I know how to catch them. Then nothing will stop me from finding Cara. Mark my words, lion. You're barking up the wrong tree."

Scar bellowed a fierce lion roar at Gray. A moment passed when the dark-furred lion moved backwards, before jumping through a golden-brown portal. Gray witnessed the scene for a moment, before he returned to work. No lion would stand against him, even if Scar knew exactly where his portrait was located.

x-x-x

Fredegar/Fred was relieved to see the spring of fresh, crystal-clear water. It felt cool to the touch and rejuvenating to drink. As he cooled down, Fredegar/Fred peered up at Handel/Lightfoot, only to see him staring out at the sunset. The man, once a unicorn, couldn't resist seeing these sunsets.

"The sunset reminds me of Cara. Those reds up in the sky, they're just like her hair: ginger and flaming, as much as she is," said Handel/Lightfoot. "You know, when you brought me here, I didn't think we could come this far. Much has changed and it's gotten a lot stranger since our last visit. Even the trees are strange, dark and foreboding. Nothing like I'm used to. Where are the unicorns?"

"We'll find them, and Cara," said Fredegar/Fred, optimistic.

Handel/Lightfoot grunted. "How can you be sure?"

"Because you and Cara have spirit, much like Frodo Baggins," said Fredegar/Fred. "He's my friend."

"Yes, you've told me and Cara a lot about him on your last visit. How went things there, before the first curse?" asked Handel/Lightfoot.

"I wasn't with Frodo and my other friends when they went on their quest. I stayed in the Shire and a good thing too. The hobbits needed to be warned; we needed to fend off the ruffians. It was quite a victorious battle for us hobbits. You should have been there," said Fredegar/Fred, checking himself over. No, he was indeed skinny since being locked inside that quarry. Could anyone really call him Fatty now, including Cara and Handel/Lightfoot?

At that moment, Handel/Lightfoot heard a strange reflection sound. Looking down at his feet, Handel/Lightfoot picked up a crystal-and-gold amulet, much like the ones he and Fredegar/Fred carried. Only this one he knew, somehow he could feel Cara's presence. Fredegar/Fred stared at Handel/Lightfoot, before approaching him.

"What's that in your hand?" asked Fredegar/Fred.

"It belongs to Cara," said Handel/Lightfoot.

"How do you know?" asked Fredegar/Fred, confused and yet he was curious.

Handel/Lightfoot explained, "Because Cara, for a time, was a unicorn. And unicorns have a way of finding each other, whether through animal instinct or something more." He turned his gaze to the amulet in his hands, saying further, "Look, I know you don't believe me."

"I never said that. I just didn't think you had it in you to find Cara, if she's even alive," said Fredegar/Fred.

Handel/Lightfoot recovered, determination filling in his eyes, "I know she's alive! That's why we're here, why you sent for me. Cara is alive and I'm going to find her."

Fredegar/Fred grinned. This was the words he was waiting to hear Handel/Lightfoot say. "Then we find her, if the Squijum knows the way."

The Squijum pointed in the direction they needed to go. "Squijum go Centaurs. Go go hotcha!"

"Then lead on. You're the expert in these parts," said Fredegar/Fred.

Handel/Lightfoot was confused. Then he said, taking this comment very seriously, "I do know the way to the centaurs, Fredegar."

"I was asking the Squijum if he knew the way," said Fredegar/Fred. "That doesn't excuse your need to follow."

Handel/Lightfoot was appalled. As they walked, with the Squijum leading the way, Handel/Lightfoot went into a hard lecture on why unicorns have excellent tracking abilities. To ensure he carried both amulets, Handel/Lightfoot put on the amulet that he claimed was Cara's around his neck. The two crystal amulets glowed, sending a unicorn signal across distances.

Somewhere in the Present

The memory was so vivid she could feel it, as if it was yesterday…

"Cara, run! Run!" Lightfoot screamed at her to flee.

She remembered him more clearly as a unicorn than as a human, and yet she could see him as a teenage boy, and then a man as clear as day. She knew it was him, it was Lightfoot. What on Earth happened to him?

Cara ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She didn't stop and she wouldn't stop. She had left Luster long ago, traveling between worlds, evading Dorian Gray and Rumplestiltskin wherever she might find safety. And on the times she did meet Rumplestiltskin, he helped her escape. But why? She did not know.

She felt something glow inside her chest… was it… it was…

"Lightfoot," was the only word Cara said.

Cara, now twenty-nine, and still possessing her ginger hair with streaks of silver strands here and there, still rested inside a forest. It had been so long with her journeying between worlds she had no idea where she was or how to get back to Luster, if she was even back. Even so, Luster had changed so much, even if the locations were the same.

Would she find Lightfoot? Cara knew she felt his presence. Where was he? That was all she could think about at the time, all she was concerned. She had long since given up the hunt to find her parents and grandparents. Who knows whether or not they were still alive and waiting for her to come home. All she wanted to find was Lightfoot and remain in Luster with her grandmother, Amalia Flickerfoot. But how would she find Lightfoot? That remained the question.

Then there was Dorian Gray still lurking about. She knew next to nothing about him. Only that he was looking for her. She would find a way to evade him and reach Lightfoot. She would stop at nothing until she found him. And then… oh, maybe get an evening supper first. A few roots sounded like a fine meal.

Luster – The Present

And so Handel/Lightfoot, Fredegar/Fred and the Squijum were off through the spring part of the continent Luster. They did not know exactly who they would meet or would be prepared to meet, but hopefully Handel/Lightfoot could reason with the centaurs and their Chiron.

It was only the beginning of their quest to find Cara.

End of Prologue, Pilot and Episode 1