Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time. Only my OCs and my version of the tales.

The Prelude

Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful princess. She grew up spoiled as the jewel of the kingdom. Her attitude was that of a rude and arrogant young woman, who believed she was better than everyone else.

Until one day…

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"Help!"

Running through the forest, being chased by a pack of wolves, Princess Eva stopped at the top of a cliff and looked down into the deep dark waters below. Turning round, she saw the wolves coming closer and panicked. She stepped back without realizing it and slipped off the side. With a scream, she plunged down, knowing that this was the end.

Before she hit the water, a flash of red came down and grabbed her by the hand. Eva looked up to see a tiny sparkling light holding her up as she flew over the land. "What?" she asked as she was placed gently down on the beach. A bright light flashed, blinding her, before there stood a young fairy with her wand out, decked all in red. She a pair of sequined capri pants, laced mid-calf boots with a two-inch heel, a corseted vest tied in the front, and a handkerchief cut high-low skirt that stopped at the knees. "Who are you?"

"That's the thanks I get for saving your life?" The fairy shook her dark-red hair back as she retracted her wings, "Talk about ungrateful."

The princess looked abashed, "I apologize. I am very grateful." Picking up her skirt, she curtsied and bowed her head, "Thank you, my lady, for rescuing me."

"Much better." The fairy smiled and held out a hand, "I'm Scarlet."

"Pleased to meet you Scarlet." They shook hands before the princess stepped back, "Now, I don't have a fairy godmother and fairies don't typically save someone unless they've been assigned to them."

"You know your Fairy Law pretty well." Scarlet said, looking impressed, "I, however, am not a typical fairy. I'm kind of a renegade."

"What kind of renegade?"

"The kind that had her wings taken away for disobeying orders," She smirked, "but got them back because she has a really good friend who has always believed in her."

"Is that all it takes for a fairy to get her wings back?"

"No. The fairy in question must believe in herself and complete a redeeming task. I've always been a little over confident in myself, so it was very hard. Now, because I got them back myself, and they weren't gifted back by my former superiors, I am no longer bound by their laws."

"They must be exhilarating to be able to live by your own rules."

"I wouldn't say exhilarating…" the fairy trailed off as she heard her name being called, "what in the world?"

She looked up to see a bright red streak coming at her, fast.. Reaching up, Scarlet grabbed the light in both hands and sighed in resignation, "Oh, Rosie. What happened."

Another fairy grew to normal size, and looked them in great sadness, "Oh, Scarlet. I need your help."

"Princess Eva, meet Rosetta."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Rosetta. That's a very pretty name."

"Thank you, sugar. It's an honour to meet you." The fairy's accent threw the princess off, as she had never heard anyone speak like that before, "Scarlet, I'm in trouble."

"What happened?"

"Freaking Blue!" Rosetta, with her bright red hair, corseted tulip shaped dress, shimmering tights and red heels with red ballet ribbons crisscrossing up her legs, sighed, "I swear she's out to get me. I don't think she likes me."

"I don't think Blue likes anybody."

"She assigned me to guardian detail!" Scarlet's eyes widened, "I'm a dang Garden Fairy, for cryin' out loud. I've never been trained to guard someone, especially against that dragon shifting fairy up in that black castle."

"Whoa!" Scarlet raised a hand, "Hold on. Maleficent? She had you protecting Briar Rose? Is she out of her ever loving mind?"

"That's what I said. I knew what was going to happen, I just knew it. And guess what? It happened."

"Sleeping curse?"

"Yes."

"I am very disappointed in you, Rosetta."

They looked up head fairy, Blue, descended on the beach, "Because of you, that girl has fallen into a deep sleep."

"Lay off Blue." Scarlet glared, "It's your fault for sending an untrained fairy to protect the princess."

"This does not concern you. You are no longer one of us." Blue glared before turning back to Rosetta, "This was your final strike. You don't get anymore chances."

"Please, don't."

"Don't you do it, Blue. I will personally make your life a living hell!"

"I'm sorry, Rosetta. But I no longer believe in you." At those words, Rosetta flashed red for a moment before falling to her knees in pain.

"Rosie!" Scarlet ran over to help her friend, glaring at the Blue Fairy, "I will make you pay for this."

"No, you won't. All access to fairy dust and the glen have been closed to both of you. No fairy will ever talk to either of you again. You will be all alone in this world."

"You think that's going to stop me?" Scarlet stood up, furious, "You pious little pixie. I will find you and I will make you pay. You will not be able to hide from me."

"We'll see about that."

Blue left just as Rosetta was getting back on her feet, crying, "I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't have anywhere to go."

"Yes you do." They looked over as Eva stepped forward, "I have a cottage, just off the woods there. You're free to stay there as long as you want."

"Why would you help me?"

"I haven't been a good person. It was recently brought to my attention from my future husband. There's been some mishaps in my past that I'm not proud of. I want to do better. I want to be better. I want to be the type of person Leopold could be proud to call his Queen. Maybe… maybe this could be a good start."

Scarlet looked at the princess and smiled, "That's lovely, princess. We thank you."

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Deep inside the Dark Forest, a black cottage sat on a moss bank, nestled in the trees and clocked by fog. An old crone, surrounded by grey streams of light, was doing her wash when she felt a presence behind her.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" She turned around and grined, "You're a little out of place here, dearie."

"You know why I'm here."

"It's been a long time since you've come to me for a placement. Are you sure you can meet my price?"

"I have two, this time. They need to go."

"Two? At one time?" The crone cackled, "One of these days, little pest, these deals you make with me are going to come back and nip you in your wings."

"Can you do it or not?"

"Yes, I can. For a fee."

"Your fee, is to make them new soul seekers." The crone squinted up, "I mean, that is what you do, correct? You collect souls, good or bad?"

"My Wisps collect the souls, dearie. I just gather them and send them where they need to be."

"Then do it and I'll make sure you get a small bag of Pixie Dust for your troubles."

"Deal."

Once the pest flew away, the crone sat on a rock, contemplating, "What's so important about these two little fairies that that high and mighty one wants them gone?"

"They're destiny." She looked up to see she had received another visitor, "Didn't mean to startle you."

"No troubles, Dark Lady." They nodded their heads in respect, "Now, what can I do for you?"

"Help me make their destinies come true."

"Anything for my favorite Dark One."

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Walking with Rosetta in the garden of the cottage, the two friends talked aimlessly about their future.

"It's been three months, Scar." The former Garden Fairy looked down dejectedly, "What am I going to do?"

"Nothing." They turned around at the voice behind them and screamed in pain as hands shot into their chests and pulled out their hearts, "Don't worry dears. I'm going to give them back." They looked on in shock as the old woman pour a black powder onto their hearts, "Give that a moment to absorb."

"What did you just do?" Scarlet glared, ready to attack.

"Just a little precaution to protect your hearts from ever going black." She replaced the glowing items back into the fairies chests, "Now, you two are coming with me." She wave her hand with a glowing blue ember in it and disappeared with the girls, reappearing in the clearing of the Dark Forest, "Welcome to your new home. 500 years in the past."

"What?!" Before they could object, the crone twirled her staff and transformed both girls, with delight. Scarlet, the once beautiful fairy, now had straight stark-white hair that fell to her waist, pale translucent skin, ice blue eyes with wide pupils, had talons on her hands and was barefoot. She wore grey, long sleeved dress and was shackled to the ground by glowing white chains. Rosetta, now a bright ball of white light, fluttered round the wild banshee in a panic.

"Not a bad job, if I do say so myself." She looked at the two, "Now, your job is simple. Protect the forest from unwanted intruders. As my new Wisp," She looked at the light, "it is your job to lure the intruders to our screaming friend here and collect their souls for my collections. And you may dear," she smirked, "well, do your worst."

She waved her hand again and reappeared back in front of her cabin, in her time, "Two down, one to go." She looked down into the Black Cauldron. "Just have to wait for the right time."

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Many years later, Eva and Leopold married and had their first child. A daughter with fair skin and beautiful raven colored hair. Hair, to her delight, looked like it had streaks of red in it.

"What shall we name her?" Her husband asked, stroking his child's hair.

"I want to name her after a couple of very dear friends of mine." She looked up and smiled in sadness, "They were staying in my cabin for a time. They were true friends."

"What happened to them."

"They disappeared. Father thinks, given the evidence of the cabin and the gardens around it, that they were attacked and killed by wolves."

"I'm sorry to hear that." He sighed, "What were their names?"

"Rosetta and Scarlet."

"Those are beautiful names, but…"

"It doesn't really fit, us, does it."

He chuckled, "No dearest, it doesn't." He paused for a moment, "I have an idea. Why don't we still use them, but in a slightly different way."

"How do you mean?"

"Why could name her, Rose Red."

"Oh, dearest. That's perfect."

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"Come on Snow, keep up!" Rose Red, older sister of Snow White by two years, laughed, "We don't want to miss your Sweet 16 party, do we? Father would have a fit!"

"It's not my fault that you're faster than me, Rosie."

"More experience, dear heart." They linked arms and laughed, "Father got a little more protective when mother passed. Tightened the reigns quit a bit." She sighed, "I hate that I wasn't there for you that day."

"We've been over this. It's not your fault that you were off with father. You are the eldest and, as such, will be the future Queen of these lands. Father needed to tend to some business and took you along." She looked up at her sister, "Father blames himself enough as it is, Rosie. No need to add a second troubled hearts in the mix." She held up her hand and stuck out her pinkie, "It's my birthday, and I wish for you to let it go for the night and just celebrate with me. Please."

Rose smiled and hooked her pinkie with her sister's, "Deal. Now, let's go before our evil step-mother sends out the hounds looking for us."

"She is not evil." Snow glared at her sister, "I don't understand why you've always had a problem with her. She's been nothing but nice to us from the very beginning."

"I don't know. There's just something about her that I've never liked. I think a big part of it steams from her mother. Two sides of the same coin, if you ask me."

They didn't get very far before an old crone appeared in front of them, "Well, didn't you turn out nice." She smirked, looking Rose up and down, "Oh, yes. Very nice indeed."

"Get away from us!" Snow yelled as Rose had been magically frozen, "Leave her alone!"

"Dear child, I'm doing this for your own good. And hers, of course." She threw Snow to the ground and grabbed Rose by the arm, "I know you'll miss her, sweet Snow, but it's for the best." She waved her arm and disappeared.

"No!" Snow screamed running up the hill to tell her father.

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The crone reappeared in the Dark Forest and smirked at the girl in her grasp, "Welcome to your new home dear." She pulled out the girls heart and sprinkled it with the same black powder as before, "500 years in the past."

Rose's eyes widen, still not able to make a sound, and grunted with pain when her new heart was placed back in her chest, "Now, for the final touch." She waved her hand again and turned the beautiful Rose Red into a giant White Wolf, "Very good. You are now cursed to do my will help the Wisp and the Banshee in keeping intruders out of my forest. You are now bound to these lands and you cannot go past the boundaries. Someone will be along in about 200 years to free you." She cackled as she left the wolf to her new home.

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The Dark Lady, formerly known as the Goddess Persephone, walked along the edge of the woods, thinking back to her last trip to the Underworld. "What am I going to do with you, my love?" Looking up, she saw an orb of light hit the barrier of magic, "What in the world was that?" The light came back rammed into the barrier once more, this time breaking through. "Uh-oh. Come here." Persephone held up a hand and captured the light. She held it up to her hear and listened, "Interesting." She waved her hand over the light and then blew on it, making the light grow bright before a young women dropped down and landed on the ground. "Well, hello."

"Oh, my." The young woman started crying.

"I take it you were cursed."

"Yes, ma'am." She looked around, "I'm Rosetta."

"Pleased to meet you, Rosetta. I'm Persephone."

Rosetta stood up in shock, "The Dark Lady? Queen of the Underworld?"

"That would be me." Persephone did a mock curtsy and smiled, "How did you get in there?"

"The Old Crone. She took me from the cottage, cursed my heart and trapped me here 500 years in the past."

"You're from the future?"

"Yes, ma'am." The former fairy looked around her, "Can you send me back?"

"Well, I could. I do have the ability to traverse time. But, with her taking you out of your time, there's no telling what repercussions have happened because of it. I have to be careful with those type of situations. If I had been the one to do, it wouldn't be a problem. But, since I'm not, I could cause a ripple effect."

"Just great." She looked back at the woods, "Can you save my friend?"

"I'm afraid not. The Crone and I came to an understanding a long time ago. I'm not allowed to enter those woods. I only caught you because you broke through the barrier."

"Then what am I supposed to do? I don't know how to do anything. I'm just a Garden Fairy. A pathetic one at that, but it's all I know."

"Well, if you don't know what to do, do something you don't know how to do?"

"I'm sorry."

"How long have you been in those woods?"

"Um, it's difficult to tell. Maybe, 200 years. Give or take."

"And in all that time, have you not thought of anything you would like to try and do?"

Rosetta heard bells tolling and looked down at the ocean. She saw the ships pulling in and smiled wistfully. Persephone saw and smirked, "Well, I think the choice is obvious."

"It is?"

The Goddess waved her hand at the fairy, causing a cloud of grey smoke to surround her. When it cleared, Rosetta now wore knee-high red leather boots with black laces, shimmering tights, red leather shorts with black trim, a quarter sleeve white dress with a ruffled high-low skirt that ended at the back of her knees, a red leather corset vest with black lace and red leather gauntlets.

"What in the world?" She smiled in excitement as she twirled around, trying to see herself clearer. The Goddess waved her hand again and produced a full length mirror for the girl to see, "I'm a… pirate."

"What better way to set sail?" The frown for a moment, "You said the Crone cursed your heart. May I see it?"

"Um, sure."

The Goddess pull the girl's heart out and stared at it, "I take it your heart didn't used to have this silver and grey marbling mixed in with the red."

"No, ma'am. She did that." Rosetta stepped forward to look at it, "What did she do?"

"What she had to do in order to turn you into a Wisp. Her soul collectors, which is one of the reasons for the Wisp's existence, are dark creatures. They're created that way. They have to be in order to take a soul without being tainted." She put the girl's heart back into her chest, "No matter what happens, from here on out, your heart is free of taint."

"What does that mean?"

"Have you ever killed anybody?"

"Goodness, no!"

"Well, if something ever happens, and you have to kill someone, self defense or not, the blackness won't stain your heart. You'll be free of guilt."

"I don't know if I like that."

"It's gonna be up to you on how you live your life now."

"I don't know how to be a pirate. I've never been on a ship before or wielded a sword."

"Let me help." The Goddess reached out and touched her fingers to the girls temple. Rosetta's eyes glowed green for a moment before clearing, "Understand now?" The smiled before nodding, "Good. Now, you're missing a few things." She materialized a matching red leather tailcoat jacket with black trim, "For you."

"This is great." Rosetta put the jacket on and pulled a red and black scarf out of her pocket and tied her now curly waist length hair with it, "Um, what's that for?"

"This," Persephone held out a black leather jeweled belt with a matching scabbard and sword, "is for you. You can't be a pirate without a sword. And," she waved her hand again, "I this belongs to you." She held out the red wand that had fallen to the ground when Rosetta first appeared. She waved her hand, making the wand glow, and handed it to it's owner, "Now, you can use it again, just without the fairy dust."

"I didn't know you could do that."

"Well, I am a Goddess."

She put the wand in her boot and strapped on the belt at her waist, smirking, "Now for the biggest change."

"What's that dearie?"

"My name. My past self is fluttering around here somewhere, and I don't want any confusion. Rosetta is my past. If I'm here, to stay, I need to move forward."

"And what name would you choose little Red?"

"There was this little girl that I helped. She was so sweet. She was the only human to ever be kind to me." She looked back at the woods, one last time, "From now on, I'm going to be Red. Red Jessica."

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"BECAUSE I NEVERE LOVED YOU!"

Jess looked on in shock as Rumpelstiltskin ripped the woman's heart out of her chest.

"No!"

"Stop!"

Everyone looked over a Jess came running over and put her hand on Rumpel's arm, "You have every right to kill her, but I have just as much right."

"You have no right!" Killian yelled, cradling Milah in his arms, "It's always been her. You're nothing."

Jess looked at him in pain, "Says you and that BITCH in your arms!"

"Interesting." Rumpelstiltskin looked over at Jess, "Who are you and why do you have the right?"

"My name is Red Jessica. I was signed on as a member of his crew. We fell in love. True love."

"I had never met you before!"

"Shut up!" She glared at him before turning back to the Dark One, "We got married and had twins. A boy and a girl. Then she came along. She bought some sort of potion from a witch and put it in his rum. It made him completely forget about me, our marriage and our children. He became obsessed with her. Pretend love. She had me removed from the ship and kept my children, to work for her. To rub it in my face." She had tears running down, "I tracked them down, here, the other day. I found out from one of the crew members, that she killed them. Threw them overboard."

"Oh, dear. Dearie, dearie me." Rumpel looked over at Milah, "You naughty little girl. I take it the potion is still in effect on his heart."

"I don't know how to fix it. I just wanted my son back."

Rumpel looked down at his hand and gave the heart to Jess, "I'll make you a deal. I can't bring your kids back, no amount of power can bring back the dead. But, I'll let you crush it if you come back with me and help me find my son. I sense magic in you dearie."

"I used to be a fairy. Now, I'm just a pirate with power over her wand. I don't need fairy dust." She looked down at Milah, who had just whispered that she loved Killian, "You've got a deal." She glared, tears gleaming in her eyes, as she crushed the heart of the woman who had destroyed her life, "Rot in Tartarus, Bitch."

"No!"

Killian lunged at her, only to get in a sword fight with the Dark One. Bad move on your part, my love. Rumpel sliced the pirate's hand off and left him on his ship, crying out in pain.

"Come on, my dear. Let's get out of here."

"Can I make another deal with you, sir?"

He stopped on the side to let a buggy pass them, "What kind of deal?"

"I have a couple of friends, trapped in the Dark Forest. They were put there, like me, by the Crone."

"The Crone?" He looked at her in confusion, "But she doesn't live there anymore."

"I know, but her magic still holds. One friend was turned into a Banshee; one a wolf. Can you heal them?"

"Hmm… yes." He pondered for a moment, "Red Jessica. Did I hear that you were also call the Red Vixen of the sea?" She nodded, "Very well." He teleported them to the clearing in the woods, "But, you won't be the only one to owe me."

"I'm sure they'll understand. We were all sent back 500 years into the past. We resided in those woods for nearly 200 of them. We can't go back, but, maybe we can move forward."

"Interesting. How did you get out?"

"I found a hole through the barrier. I got out, just as the Dark Lady was walking past."

"Persephone? What a lovely woman. I take it she turned you back."

"Yes, and helped me start my new life as a pirate. I owe her greatly."

"Don't say that too loud, she might take you at your word."

They approached a crouching figure, huddled in the darkness of the trees, "Come on out, dearie. It's time to wake up." The figure stood up and glared before letting out a blood curdling scream, "Oh, you are magnificent."

"She used to be a fairy, like me." Jess looked at her friend, "Scarlet, stop. It's me. Rosetta." The screaming halted and the Banshee started to cry, wailing with her tears, "Rumpel, please."

"Do we know each other dear?"

"No. But you knew her."

"Scarlet. The Dream Fairy. I've only met her in passing. She's not as irritating as the others."

"Can you help her."

"Of course." He waved his arms, calling on his red smoke. When it cleared, the former Dream Fairy sat curled in a ball of pain, "You might want to go to her."

"Scarlet. It's me. It's gonna be okay."

"I'm gonna kill her. She took my life away. I want blood."

"Ooh. I like you." Scarlet looked over and smiled.

"Rum?"

"Wait, Scar. This isn't the Rum you used to know. We're still in the past. He just confronted Milah."

Scarlet's faced dropped, "What do we do now?"

"We need to rescue the other girl."

"I don't even know who she is. The Crone just dropped her here."

"This girl wouldn't happened to have been turned into a giant white wolf, would she?" Rumpel asked, calling their attention to the growling coming from the right. They scrambled up and stood by the Dark One, unsure of what to do next, "That is her, right?" The girls nodded, "Very well." The wolf started to pounce, but Rumpel waved his arm again, and a young woman with black hair red streaks and a red riding dress fell to the ground, "That had to hurt."

"Snow." The whispered, crying silently to herself.

"It's gonna be okay." Jess walked over to help the girl up, "I'll help you. What's your name?"

"Rose Red."

"Interesting. I'm a former Garden Fairy named Rosetta who now goes by Red Jessica and you're a…"

"Princess."

"... a princess name Rose Red. I like it."

"And my name's Scarlet. Pleased to meet you." They turned to the Dark One, "What do we owe you?"

"Well, dearie, your friend there was already coming to my castle to help research ways to find my son. How about, for this situation, the three of you become my castle's caretakers. Clean, tend the gardens, cook."

"We can't go back to our time, can we?" Rose asked, resigned.

"No, sugar, we can't." Jess rubbed her arm and looked at Rumpel, "I'll take you up on your deal."

"Me too." Rose nodded.

"Me three." Scarlet agreed, "Though, I'm gonna have to change my name. I just don't feel like being scarlet anymore. Especially since past me is still running round."

"Your hair has turned black with purple streaks in it."

"What?"

"You were the Banshee for a long time." Rumpel said, walking over, "Maybe this is your hair rebelling at going back to it's natural color. You were a Dream Fairy, right?" She nodded, "And a Banshee is a creature of the night." He tapped his chin, "Why not call yourself, Nyx?"

"Nyx?" She smiled, "I like it. A lot."

"And you," Rumpel looked over at the princess, "you're now a child of the moon."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"The spell she used for you was different. In order to turn someone into the great beast, is to use the blood of a great wolf. I can turn you back, but now you're a shifter for life."

"Great."

"I can help you control it and teach you magic if you'd like." He held up a wand that had fallen on the ground, "I believe this belongs to you." He handed it over to the new Nyx and turned back to the princess, "I can make it to where you all use wands and can use and control magic, like me. If you'd like."

The girls all looked at each other and nodded. It was time to take back their lives. Their destiny.

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Once Upon a Time…

There was an enchanted forest filled with all the classic character we know.

Or we think we know.

One day they found themselves trapped in a place where all their happy ending were stolen.

Our world.

This is how it happened…