A/N: I went with the short version, which is still pretty long. Please review!
Analain. The kingdom was old, deserted. And huge. How on earth was I supposed to find a book in this mess? Even with magic, it was difficult. As I was searching, I saw something moving in the distance. I walked closer. It was a young girl, maybe 8, walking around a broken-down house.
"Hello?", I asked.
She whipped around. "Hi! I haven't seen another person in so long!"
"Who are you? Where are you from?"
"I'm Annie. I'm from the Enchanted Forest. What's your name?"
"I'm Elizabeth. Why... why are you in Analain?"
"I'm looking for the book of Analain."
"So am I. Why are you trying to find it?"
"It can get me back to my family."
"Where's your family?"
"They were all taken by a curse... the Evil Queen cast it..."
"But that curse is broken. Everyone came back."
"They did?"
"Yes. They're in the Enchanted Forest."
"Then... I have to get back there!"
"Yes, I suppose you do."
"Oh, and the book is in there", said Annie, pointing towards the house she'd been circling.
"How do you know?"
"I can feel it. There is powerful magic in there. Goodbye, Elizabeth."
She started to walk away, but I couldn't just let her go alone.
"Annie, wait!" She turned around. "How about I find it, and then we go back together?"
She thought about it for a minute. "Okay."
I went into the house. It was dark, and a bit disturbing. I could feel the magic Annie had described, pulling at me. I followed it to the book. I could see why Annie had held back. The magic felt dark and sinister. I picked up the book, and climbed back put. Annie had already gotten to the portal, and was sitting and reading a book.
"I found it", I said.
"Yay! Let's go!"
We jumped into the portal together, arriving in the Enchanted Forest. We weren't far from Regina's kingdom, so I magicked us there, and then I realized I couldn't go in, because they didn't remember me.
"Annie, do you know who Snow White is?"
"Of course!"
"Well, she's in that castle. She can help you find your family."
"Okay!", said Annie excitedly. She ran into the castle, waving to me. I waved back.
I then found a place that seemed quiet and undisturbed, and I opened the book of Analain.
...
It was blank, and awaited my question. I conjured a pen, and I wrote: I wish to break the laws of magic.
The book didn't respond for a moment, then a page came up.
Breaking the laws of magic is neither sensible nor advisable for a normal magic user. However, if one is extremely powerful, it may be attempted using one of several methods.
Method 1: A certain spell with 3 genies and 2 sorcerers will change the laws for said 2 sorcerers.
Method 2: If one desires to change the laws of magic everywhere, one must be willing to pay a great price and will likely result in the destruction of several entire realms and billions of casualties.
Method 3: There is a certain spell that will allow one sorcerer or sorceress to change the laws for him/her. For a full list of ingredients, see page 815.
I had no genies or fellow sorcerers, and Method 2 didn't look good, so I decided to go for Method 3. I took my pen and scrawled, Page 815. It was easier than flipping. The page came up, and I saw a list of ingredients and a small line of directions at the bottom. I began to read the page.
INGREDIENTS
1. Water from Lake Nostos
2. Dreamshade
3. A brick from the yellow brick road
4. Magic mushroom from Wonderland
5. Anything from the Land Without Magic
DIRECTIONS: To cast the spell, simply put all of the ingredients together and say your name over them, enchanting them.
I looked over the list of ingredients. I realized it wasn't really about the ingredients themselves - the spell required me to go to all the major realms. Luckily, I already had the water from Lake Nostos. I looked at the second item - Dreamshade. It meant I had to go back to Neverland. I didn't know how, I had no way to make a portal. Then I remembered the giants' beanstalk, which had petrified beans. I had enough water to make some work and get me to all the realms. I half-walked, half-magicked to the beanstalk, which took 4 days. Then I plucked 4 beans off, one for each item on the list. I decided to take some extra, because... why not?
I regenerated the beans, and threw one down, creating a portal. First stop: Neverland.
...
With Pan gone, the place was different. Time was moving again. Which reminded me, In just 4 months, I would be 14. I hadn't celebrated a birthday in a long time. But that wasn't important. I found the cliff with the dreamshade, and grabbed a branch, careful not to scrape myself. I'd heard about my father's brother making that mistake. I didn't want to linger there, so I threw down another bean, traveling to Oz.
...
In front of me stood the famous yellow brick road. I used my magic to lift a brick, then put a fake one in place so no one would notice. I remembered the green woman who had captured Charlotte and me, and realized she was the Wicked Witch. From Oz. Definitely an incentive to get out of there. Next stop: Wonderland.
...
Wonderland was an entirely different type of place. I quickly found the magic mushroom, but unlike the other places, I didn't have much reason to leave. I knew I eventually would have to get to the Land Without Magic, but I decided to stay in Wonderland for a little while. Before I knew it, so much time had passed that it was now a year after the curse had been undone. 4 weeks until I had to find my papa. Even if he didn't remember my promise, or me, I still had to make good on it. I was about to leave, thinking of an exact destination, when someone said my name.
"Elizabeth!"
I whipped around. "Isabella."
"Long time no see", she said.
"Yeah... I thought Regina took out your hearts."
"She did", said Charlie. "But they were returned when the new curse happened -"
Isabella glared at him. But I'd heard what I needed to hear.
"A new curse?"
"Yes", said Isabella, irritated. "Storybrooke is back. And none of them remember the past year."
So it wasn't just their time with me they'd forgotten now. It was all of it.
"Well... great. Bye."
"Not so fast! We will kill you!"
"Why do you want to?"
"To take your power, so we can take over the world!"
"Again, why?"
"Well, why not?"
"Power isn't everything. Have you tried love?"
"Love is overrated."
"No. It's the most powerful magic of all. It's even where my magic comes from."
I'd obviously startled her. She hesitated. In that time, I managed to throw the bean down and escape. And then I surfaced in... Storybrooke.