Once Upon A Time for all good stories start that way, there was a tower hidden in the forest. No one knew for certain how long it had been there or how it had come to be there but they all knew of what was inside it. A sleeping fae princess put there for her protection. In time, the tower and its occupant fell into legend, no one willing to seek out the rose-covered tower with its dragon guardian.
No one except a famed group of mystery solvers and their canine companion.
…...
"How long have we been walking?" Shaggy groaned, "I'm hungry"
"Two hours, three minutes, and forty-seven seconds exactly," Velma checked her watch, "I told you, Daphne this was pointless, there's no tower and no princess even if there was how do they no there's a princess?"
"C'mon guys, this is fun!" Daphne laughed, marching ahead of her friends, "Like a nature walk"
"I dunno, Daph the locals seemed pretty freaked out by this place" Fred replied.
"Oh, your just a bunch of spoil-AH"
Daphne fell out of sight the others soon following, tumbling down the incline scraping their limbs, and hitting their heads until they fell into the lush grass at the bottom.
"Whoa!" Daphne cried, "We found it!"
A few feet away, there stood the tower, white stone gleaming in the rising moon. The tower so covered with roses, the stone only showed through the occasional sliver. Blood red, reddish-purple, black, colors that seemed too fantastical to be real. Daphne beat the others to their feet, looking for a door. She didn't come all this way to not find a fairy.
A shaking of the trees distracted her enough to notice a dragon crashing through the trees, black scales tinted blue, violet eyes, narrowed with anger. Its roar shook the trees. Scooby ran for the hills, the dragon in pursuit.
Daphne went back to hunting for the door, gasping in shock when the thorns retracted revealing a carved wooden door.
"Look, I found it!" Daphne cried in elation, "Let's go in before the dragon comes back"
"Right behind you," Fred assured.
The door opened with a shuddering creak. The anxious teens crept inside, starting up the swirling stone steps in silence. There was no looking up or down as either would make them very, very dizzy. There was another door at the very top. Daphne pushed it open leading the others inside. The room was covered in the same roses which grew around the tower, one window allowing the moonlight to flood the room, shining down on the occupant, sleeping under the velvet bed-covers.
"See?" Daphne pointed excitedly.
"There's no way she's real, Daph, just look," Fred tried to reason, "It has to be a dummy, some failed tourist attraction"
"I don't think so, Freddie," Velma replied softly, "What do you think, Shaggy?"
Shaggy was closest to the bed, transfixed, "She's breathing," was the only thing he said.
The others circled the bed to get a better look.
She was breathing. No longer near the door, they could see her better. She was pale-skinned with rosy cheeks and long lashes. The same roses that covered the room, encircled her head like a crown, woven throughout her hair which spread across the pillows
"Some sort of animatronic or a doll?" Fred argued.
"No"
While his friends debated what they were seeing, Shaggy found it hard to tear himself away. There was something about her he couldn't put a finger on. So when a breeze filled the room, blowing petals across her he found himself brushing them away.
"Shaggy, I think you woke her up," Daphne gasped softly, watching the girl shift in bed.
The gang jumped back.
The girl sat up, stretching her arms above her head, revealing wings they hadn't seen, shuddering and fluttering with the stretch. When she yawned they saw gleaming white fangs. She slid from the bed, standing as lightning cracked across the sky, the howling of wolves filling the air.
"Mmmmm. Children of the Night. What music they make", the strange, darkly beautiful girl said fondly. Then she smiled warmly at the gang. "Hello. My name is Christina Rose Shadowfae Dracula."
"Uh, I'm Fred, this is Daphne,"
"Hi," Daphne waved.
"Velma"
"Hello"
"And, Shaggy"
"Hi"
"Do you live in the tower?" Daphne burst with questions, "How long have you been asleep?"
"Daphne!" the others hissed.
"What I want to know!"
"Then I'll tell you," Christina's smiled. With a wave of her hand, three chairs now occupied the empty space in front of the window. Once they sat, Christina began, "It was many, many years ago..."
…...
"I don't believe this!" Alissa yelled at the guard she'd been forced to char only a moment ago, "Traitor"
"Indeed," Maleficent looked briefly away from her trembling granddaughter, " His death was much too quick for my liking"
"Not what I meant, Mother, I meant Popinjay just tried to have Christina beheaded!"
"Don't remind me," Christina pleaded.
: I think ve have to consider drastic measures," Radu spoke up, "Ve tried everything else"
"What do you mean?" Christina looked worriedly at the adults.
"Butterfly," Alissa took her daughter's hands, "We've been talking about moving to the monster world, put some distance between us and those who'd harm you but what we just went through tells me we're going to have to do more"
"More?"
"Ve're going to hide you, put you somewhere you won't be easily found"
"I've had a tower built," Maleficent added, "In the middle of a very large forest, it's been enchanted so no one who'd harm you can get in"
"But, I don't want to be alone, Grammy, it'd be sad and scary"
"Well," Alissa slowly added, "You'll be asleep"
"Asleep?"
"Until it's safe again"
…...
A week later just after sunset, Christina, her grandmother, and parents arrived at the tower. All were silent climbing the stairs, blinking back tears as Christina climbed into bed, her mother pulling the covers snugly around her.
"I'm scared," Christina whispered.
"We know," Alissa smiled weakly, "But, you'll have wonderful dreams"
"No nightmares, Promise" Radu took his daughter's hand.
"Daddy," Christina faltered, voice cracking.
"It's time," Maleficent declared, a single tear sliding down her cheek.
Each parent pressed a kiss to her forehead before stepping back.
"Ve love you, Christina"
"We'll see you soon, Butterfly.
One finger prick later, Christina was spiraling into dreamland.
…...
"Wow"
"You've all done so much for me already, but could you help me get home to New Salem? I just know my family misses me"
"N-N-New Salem?!", Shaggy stammered. "That's, like, the monster town right next to our home town Crystal Cove!"
"So we're headed that way anyway", Fred added cheerfully.
"Um, how are we supposed to walk back to the van this late at night?" Velma hated to be the voice of reason but it was always her job, "It took us almost three hours to get here and we fell down an incline"
"We have flashlights for a reason," Daphne pointed out.
"There are wolves in the woods"
"I can help you get back to your van," Christina offered, reminding them she was there.
"How?"
"Brace yourself"
…...
They fell into the grass, surrounding the van
"We forgot Scooby!" Shaggy cried sitting up in alarm, "Like, that dragon's going to eat him!"
"Prince?" Christina laughed, "He wouldn't harm a fly"
"You know the dragon?" Daphne squealed.
"Of course I do, he's my pet I raised him from an egg"
The gang watched as Christina turned back to the forest and gave a low whistle. Moments later the same dragon came crashing through the trees, diving right for Christina. Before he got to her, however, he shrunk, still managing to knock Christina down on impact, covering her face in slobbery kisses.
"I'm happy to see you too," Christina sat up, hugging the much smaller dragon to her chest, "I heard you were playing chase"
Daphne was silently disappointed when Prince didn't respond with words, purring and nuzzling Christina instead.
Scooby soon came bounding out only to freeze at the sight of Christina.
"Hello," she smiled at him.
Scooby fainted at the sight of her fangs.
"Don't mind Scooby, he scares easy," Daphne explained as Christina got to her feet, "He'll come around"
"It's okay, I'm used to such reactions," Christina waved it off.
"Let's load up before it gets any later," Fred suggested.
…...
Christina sat between Shaggy and Scooby in the back, Prince resting on her lap. All were silent, even Daphne who'd taken to writing her questions down.
Shaggy looked at her again, the way she was dressed, the way she spoke reminded him of a storybook character, someone from his sister's fantasy novels. Her eyes were brown but if you looked for a long time, you'd see purple and red moving throughout. It was otherworldly, hypnotic.
"you're staring," she informed him in a voice so low only he heard.
"I'm sorry, Christina," he whispered just as quietly.
"I'm sure I look strange to you"
"No, no, that's not it"
"Then what is it?"
He couldn't find the answer to that question.
"Shaggy, if you think I'll be upset you're mistaken, it's just a part of my life, something I've been forced to accept, I know I look strange"
Christina looked from him to the dragon sleeping in her lap. If he continued to stare she didn't say anything, tracing scales with the tips of her fingers.
The silence continued into New Salem only broken by Fred asking Christina where she needed to go.
"The castle on the hill,"
the castle, looking over the town in all its Gothic grandeur was the only place she'd been in New Salem the week before the tower so it was the only place she knew.
"You live there?" Shaggy pointed a shaky finger at the building they were fast approaching.
There was no way the fairy, in a rose pink satin dress with roses throughout her hair and wings that cast prisms when light shot through them lived in such a scary place.
"Not really," Christina replied, "Uncle Dracula does"
Now, Fred slammed the brakes, "Dracula?"
"Where do you think my last name comes from?" Christina asked sweetly, "If this is as far as you wish to take me I understand"
"No," Daphne insisted, "We're going to take you home," she gave a sidelong glance to Fred who resumed driving.
The hill and all the land beyond was Dracula's property, wild forests, and tar-filled bogs. The closer they got the scarier the place became, a black metal gate with spires sharp enough to draw blood rose up to meet them, creaking open at Christina's prompting.
The gang couldn't help but follow at a distance when Christina picked up her skirts, running for the front door which she excitedly beat on. They followed her still when she was welcomed in by slack-jawed servants who couldn't believe their eyes. But they stood respectfully in the shadows of the doorway, watching the family reunion take place.
…...
Dinner three nights a week with Dracula, Vana, and her nieces was the only thing keeping the dark fae queen Alissa from sobbing herself to sleep every night. Ten years, ten long horrible years without her precious daughter. A ten-year-long manhunt for the fae who wished her daughter dead. Ten years.
"Alissa," Radu touched her hand lightly, bringing her back to the present, "You haven't eaten much"
"I'm sorry, I'm not very hungry today"
Before Alissa could respond, Hazel one of the witch housekeepers entered looking like she'd seen a ghost.
"Vhat is it, Hazel?" Vana asked in concern.
Hazel could only step aside allowing the sudden visitor to enter.
Alissa nearly fainted at the sight, Vana gasping Dracula almost choking. Christina was standing before them with Prince in her arms, a smile on her face.
"Christina?"
"Hello, Mom"
"MY BABY" Alissa flew from her seat, crushing her daughter in a fierce embrace, Radu doing the same, the weeping parents falling to the floor with their child.
"But, but how?" Dracula questioned.
"Shh," Vana jabbed him in the ribs.
When the tears ended, and the happy sobs quieted, Alissa repeated Dracula's question, "How did you wake up?"
"I'm not too certain," Christina shrugged, "But, they did it," she gestured to the gang.
Mystery Inc shuffled in, shrinking under the stares of the vampire family.
"Who woke her up?"
Daphne pushed Shaggy forward. He didn't have time to glare as he was soon being squeezed to death by a crying, thankful Alissa.
"Like, I don't even know what I like, did"
"It doesn't matter, I have my daughter back"
"I thought it wasn't safe for her to be awake?" Sibella hated to bring it up.
"It's not," Radu admitted sadly.
"I have to go back to sleep?" tears shone in Christina's eyes.
"No," Alissa declared, pulling her daughter back to her chest, "We'll figure something out, I don't want to be apart from you anymore"
Christina was swarmed by her family, convinced it would flood if the tears were to continue. Eventually, the tears dried and she was ushered to the table to eat.
"Excuse us," Fred said nervously, "We'd better be getting home"
"Thank you for bringing her home to us," Radu smiled.
"It wasn't any trouble, we were headed this way anyway," Velma nodded.
"I haven't seen you in New Salem," Draculaura spoke up, "You live in Crystal Cove?"
"Yes"
"Will you come to visit?" Christina asked hopefully.
"We'd love to"
…...
"This is your room, Butterfly," Alissa concluded the tour of the manor, pushing open the double doors.
"It's very pretty, Mom," Christina smiled, looking around.
The walls were lavender, painted with a forest, richly colored animals peeking from behind the silhouetted trees. A writing desk sat close to the window, while a four-poster canopy bed, stood across from it. A soft rug spread across the hardwood floor, her old hope chest at the foot of the bed.
But Christina noticed something missing.
"Where are my books, my piano? I remember taking them with us"
"In here," Alissa opened another door, Christina hadn't noticed because of the tree that hid the handle, "Your own library"
"Oh," Christina gasped in wonder.
The room truly pulled wonderlandish tricks, from the outside looking no bigger than an average walk-in closet but the inside could have rivaled Belle's famed library. Books in every genre and on every topic towered around them.
"Your father had more than a few tricks up his sleeve when this place was built, conspiring with your aunt behind my back"
"Auntie Aurora?"
"She's hidden some surprises for you," Alissa nodded, "Go take a look"
Everywhere she looked there was something to see, windowed alcoves, beautifully carved shelves with beautiful volumes lining end from end. Fireplaces and comfortable reading chairs. Christina found her piano, gleaming silvery-white in one alcove, while her art supplies rested in another. Happily, she raced back to her mother, finding her father grinning.
"Do you like the surprise?"
"Thank you, Daddy, thank you Mom" she threw her arms around her parents yet again.
"Welcome home, Butterfly"
…...
Why yes, I did start a new story, this one heavily influenced by both Disney and Holly Black Novels.
Now for clarification as you'll see Draculaura and Sibella are 'older' than Christina. EVERYONE is older than Christina. I mean, she did sleep for ten years and this isn't like the sleeping beauty story where everyone slept with her. The world continued while she slept in ageless sleep
I wonder how she'll cope with that?
And yes, Shaggy is still the same age as her because well, he has to be or this would be weird.