Ha! I did it! I wrote seven entries for Inspired By OQ Week-even if I didn't manage to post on seven separate days. This is inspired by a comic by EvillyQueenie/queenieappleby, which I thought would be a nice bookend since I used one of her comics for my first entry. I hope she likes my take on this one. Once again, you can find a link to it on my Twitter.
Thanks to everyone who participated in this week and thanks to audreysl0ve, who made it all possible. This has been a great celebration of our fandom and it's just been a lovefest. You all are wonderful!
Lucy Mills had a secret, one she told no one—not even her parents. They never would've believed her and probably would've thought what was going on was something evil. She knew otherwise, though. It wasn't evil but magic, thanks to a wish made on a shooting star one night. The next morning, all her toys were alive and able to play with her. It was every child's dream come true and she got to live it.
She had created elaborate backstories for each toy and she had kept adding details as she grew older, wanting to be a writer like her father. When they came to life, each toy recalled the story she had given them and treated them like their real story. Lucy loved watching the relationships she had created play out, pleased to see each happy.
One relationship, though, had grown outside of her influence between her two favorite dolls. There was the doll she had had since she was a toddler, one with dark hair and brown eyes dressed as a queen in a beautiful purple gown and tiny gold crown. Lucy had called her Queenie for years until she learned that the name Regina mean "queen" and so had started calling her that. Regina was a benevolent queen who ruled over the toys with kindness and fairness—though you did not want to get on her bad side as she did have magic and was not afraid to use it. Her specialty was fireballs, which Lucy had made out of crumpled up pieces of orange construction paper. She usually ended up throwing them at Zelena, the Wicked Witch of West doll Lucy had gotten for her sixth birthday. The Witch was jealous of Regina's power and believed she should be the one to rule—thanks for the backstory Lucy had created once where she had Zelena try to take the throne from Regina but had been defeated when all the other toys rose up against her.
Lucy's longest story had been her quest to find a suitable king for Regina. She had tried almost every male doll she had gotten but none seemed to be a good match for her favorite doll. Her latest doll had been a Robin Hood one but she hadn't had time to figure out if he was a good fit for Regina before her wish came true. Lucy had then come home from school one day to find him trying to talk to Regina, which seemed to anger the queen. She kept telling him to leave her alone, that she didn't associate with thieves, but he was persistent—no matter how many "fireballs" bounced off his felt-covered plastic chest.
Their relationship soon became the best show in Lucy's bedroom. She and the other dolls would gather to watch the two squabble, her threatening to kill him and him sassing her right back. Snow White had tried to intervene and set up a date for them but while Robin had appreciated it, Regina certainly hadn't. Lucy had found Snow tied to her toy train set while Prince Charming tried to free her as the train kept ramming into her. An annoyed Regina sat at the controls, muttering about how useless the train set really was. Lucy freed Snow and kept the two dolls separate for a bit.
Emma, one of her Barbie-esque dolls, suggested they lock Regina and Robin in the closet. "Eventually they'll just give in and kiss," she said.
"Or Regina will tear all my clothes to get back at me," Lucy answered. "I don't think Mom and Dad are going to buy 'my doll did it' when I tell them I need new clothes."
"I think we should just leave them alone and see what happens. I think Robin will win Regina over on his own, just like I did with you, Emma," her Captain Hook doll said. He wrapped his arm around her, holding her close.
Lucy nodded. "I think that's a good idea. Maybe he really is the one she's been waiting for."
As Hook predicted, things started to change between Regina and Robin over time. She became less insulting when they argued and almost like she was teasing him. He teased her right back, the two enjoying their arguments. Lucy then noticed they would disappear after them and when they returned, she always had to brush Regina's hair.
One night, she threw a little party for her dolls. They all dressed up in the best outfits she owned for them—if their clothes were changeable—and she played music on her iPod as they danced together. She played a mix of fast paced songs and slow ones so everyone could dance. When she played the last song before having to clean up and go to bed, everyone watched as Robin approached. He bowed, asking her to dance. To their amazement, she agreed and took his hand. No one else joined them, everyone watching as he led her around the dance floor. They both smiled at each other and Lucy grew excited—Regina had finally found her partner.
Robin and Regina were inseparable after that, often sharing meals of plastic food together as they lived in their own little world. They also loved to climb onto the windowsill to watch the stars at night. Lucy sometimes came home to find them cuddling on one of her pillows, watching a movie on her laptop. She also noticed that they still disappeared and reappeared needing their hair brushed. It also didn't escape her notice that Robin stopped sleeping in the little sleeping bag she made for him and started sleeping with Regina in her castle's big bed.
Many of the dolls starting to treat Robin like their king and Regina even asked for a throne for him. Lucy also started to look up wedding dresses for Regina, though none seemed to please the doll. She insisted it wasn't necessary—she and Robin were happy the way things were. They didn't need some big ceremony to make things official. "We're in love and everyone knows that," she said. "That's enough for us."
Lucy was just happy Regina was happy and all seemed right in her bedroom. She started to write their story down, certain it would be a bestseller like her father's books one day.
Their story didn't have a happy ending.
At least, not at first.
Lucy's parents agreed to watch their neighbors' kid, one who was younger than Lucy, while they went to do some grown up stuff she didn't really understand. She made her parents promise that the little girl wouldn't go into her room or play with her toys. They assured her that her toys were too old for the girl to play with and that she would come with her own. Satisfied that her secret was safe, Lucy skipped off to school.
When she got off the bus that afternoon, she noticed something was off with her father. His smile didn't seem right and he seemed nervous as he asked her about her day. She told him all about how her science teacher let them build soda bottle rockets and shoot them down the hallway. "Mine reached the principal's office and he came out to congratulate me," she said as they entered the house.
Her heart stopped when she saw the kitchen table. Robin laid on it, his arms and legs broken off. Mom stood there, looking as nervous as Dad did. "Luce, there was an accident," she started.
"What happened?" Lucy asked, growing upset. Robin wasn't moving and she didn't see any life in his eyes.
Dad rubbed her back. "We thought Ashley was napping in our room but we guess she woke up and went exploring. She managed to get into your room and, well, she broke your Robin Hood doll."
A sob escaped from Lucy's throat. "Can't you fix him?"
"We tried, baby," Mom assured her, rubbing her back. "All we could do was put his head back on. His arms and legs don't just pop back in."
Lucy cried, hugging her mother. "He can't be gone. He's supposed to be with Regina."
"Well, maybe Regina can find another doll to be," Dad said, not really knowing what was going on.
"Or we can always find another Robin Hood doll," Mom offered.
Lucy shook her head. "It won't be the same."
She knew any toy bought after she made her wish didn't come to life and even if she found a way to bring a new Robin Hood doll to life, something deep inside her knew it wouldn't be their Robin. He was lost to her.
He was dead.
Lucy pulled away from her parents and ran up to her room, where all the other dolls were gathered by her bedside. Snow approached her, sad. "What happened with Robin?" she asked.
"You don't know?" Lucy responded, her heart breaking.
"We know the little girl took him," Charming said. He lowered his voice. "We watched her pull off his arm before she left the room. We then heard a sickening thud."
Regina pushed back the blankets on her bed, looking like she had been crying. There was even tear tracks on her face though Lucy didn't think she had tear ducts. "Is he okay? Is he in pain? Are your parents trying to fix him?"
"He…He's too broken. They can't fix him," Lucy told her. She threw off her backpack and knelt next to the bed, hugging Regina. "I'm sorry, Queenie. He's gone."
Everyone gasped and she heard a few sniffles from them. Regina hugged her as best as she could, crying again. "I can't believe I lost him. This isn't fair."
"I know," Lucy said, patting her back with her finger. "I know."
They had a funeral for Robin. Lucy had a wooden pencil case she had gotten from her grandmother and she was able to put Robin's torso in it. She covered it in a white cloth to hide the fact he was missing his legs and arms. Lucy then placed it on a little stand and placed some flowers from her yard around it. Everyone who could dressed in black, including her, and she found a little veil for Regina to wear. Lucy said some prayers she learned from Sunday school and read from her children's Bible before letting a few dolls speak. Captain Hook spoke about how much of a friend Robin ended up being while her Elsa doll talked about how kind he always was to everyone.
Regina then got up and as she stroked his hair, she talked about how annoying she found him in the beginning and how over time he had won her heart. She spoke about how much she loved him and how he made her feel so special, made her feel loved and not so alone. "He never judged me and was always willing to listen when I needed to talk. Now who will I turn to?" she asked, sobbing. She pressed a handkerchief to her eyes as Emma helped her back to her seat.
Lucy then closed the cover on the pencil case and placed it in a spot of honor. She even made a little tombstone for him, to give everyone a place to go visit him.
Many dolls stopped by to pay their respects and say goodbye to Robin at first. As time went by, most moved on until the only regular visitor was Regina. She refused to let Lucy change her out of her black mourning dress though she eventually took off the veil. Lucy could feel her grief and while they all tried to help her feel better, nothing worked. Her heart was broken and it would be a long time before she felt anything but sadness, if it ever happened at all.
One morning, Lucy woke up to someone hitting her face. She opened her eyes to find an irate Regina standing on top of her. The queen was angry and she pointed to where Robin's coffin was. "What did you do with him?"
"What are you talking about?" Lucy asked, confused. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "What's going on?"
"Robin. He's gone," Regina told her.
Surprise filled Lucy and she dropped her hands. When she looked at the spot she placed the pencil case, she found it was gone. Her heart sped up and she pushed the blankets off her, jumping out of bed. She ran out of her room. "Mom? Dad? Mom! Dad!"
"We're in here, Luce," her mother said, coming out of the kitchen. "What's wrong?"
"Where's my pencil case?" she asked, breathless.
Dad came up behind Mom, holding it. He handed it to her. "Here you go."
She took it, opening it. Her heart sank when she saw it was empty. "Where's Robin?"
"We wanted it to be a surprise but we knew you were really upset about what happened to him, so we did some research," Mom started.
"And we discovered a man who restores dolls like Robin," Dad continued. "We talked with him and showed him some pictures of what happened to Robin. He said he could fix him so we've shipped Robin to him."
Lucy's spirits soared. "You're fixing Robin?"
They nodded and she hugged them. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
Her parents hugged her back, each kissing her hair. She then pulled away, gasping. "I have to tell Regina!"
She ran upstairs, placing the pencil case down on her desk as she approached an inconsolable Regina. Lucy told her—and all the other dolls gathered around—what was happening. Everyone gasped and Regina looked hopeful. "Do…Do you think he'll be alive like us when he comes back?"
"I don't know," Lucy admitted, her happiness dissipating. She hadn't considered that. "I guess we'll just have to find out when he comes back."
A month later, she got off the bus to find a box waiting for her at home. She brought it in and her mother helped her open it. They dug through all the peanuts to find a box with a note attached. It was from the man who made the repairs, telling her that her Robin Hood doll was as good as new and that he was glad he was sending Robin back to a little girl who loved him as much as Lucy did. She hugged her mother before hurrying upstairs, eager to see what would happen when she opened the box.
The dolls gathered around, Regina at the forefront, as she laid the box down on the carpet. Lucy carefully opened it and they all peered inside. Robin lay inside, once again whole but not moving. His eyes still looked lifeless and Lucy's heart sank. The magic that had brought him to life was no longer there.
Regina touched him, cupping his face with her hand. "Robin? Robin, are you in there? Come back to me."
When nothing happened, she looked up at Lucy with anguish in her eyes. "Do something. I can't have him whole but not alive like us. Please."
Lucy thought hard before she remembered something her teacher had told the class before they left. Hope filled her again. "There's a meteor shower tonight. A shooting star is really just space dust like meteorites burning up in the earth's atmosphere. We're supposed to watch it and talk about it in science class tomorrow, so if I wait outside and make a wish on the very first shooting star I see, maybe I can bring Robin back to life."
"You think so?" Regina asked, sounding just as hopeful as Lucy felt.
She nodded. "I think it's worth a try. We just have to believe."
That night, she sat outside with her father. He set up his old telescope and she looked through it, not wanting to miss the first star. It had to be the first one or her wish might not come true.
"Don't worry," Dad said. "Why don't you have a seat a relax while we wait?"
She shook her head, thinking of Regina upstairs. After they came up with a game plan, she had asked Lucy to change her back into her purple gown. They also put Robin on the windowsill so he could be in the shining star's glow as Regina sat next to him. Her happiness depended on everything going exactly to plan. Lucy didn't want to chance anything.
Moving the telescope a bit, she gasped as she saw a light brighter than the others in the sky. Her heart knew this was it and she looked up, watching as it streaked through the sky. Lucy quickly made her wish: I wish Robin came back to life.
It then disappeared but others soon appeared, lighting up the night sky. She watched and kept wishing, deciding not to risk anything. One of them had to grant her wish. Lucy also made sure to study them through the telescope so she could finish her homework.
Once the shower ended and her assignment completed, Lucy hurried upstairs to get ready for bed. She burst into her room, eyes wide. "Did it work?"
Snow and Charming greeted her, shaking their heads. "He's still just a doll," Charming replied.
Lucy's heart sank as she approached the windowsill. Regina cried by Robin's side as he laid still. She let Lucy pick her up, snuggling against her. "I guess he's gone for good," she whispered.
"I'm sorry, Regina," Lucy said. "I did my best."
Regina nodded. "I know. I guess…I guess happy endings weren't meant for me. Can you put me to bed? I just want to sleep. At least I can see him in my dreams."
Though her heart broke for the queen, Lucy did as she asked. She tucked Regina in before changing herself. Everyone went to bed when she did, Robin still lying on the windowsill as they fell asleep.
Lucy's alarm went off and she turned it off, sitting up as she stretched. A few pale beams of sunlight shone into her room, illuminating a waving Robin. She started to push the blankets back so she could go to the bathroom when she stopped. Looking back, she confirmed that she had really saw what she thought she did—Robin was sitting up and waving at her.
"Robin!" she exclaimed. She scrambled out of bed and walked over to the window. Leaning down, she smiled. "You're back!"
He nodded. "I am. Can you help me down? I would like to go wake Regina up."
"Of course," she said, carefully setting him down on the ground. She watched as he walked over to Regina's castle, climbing up to her bedroom. He walked over to her, shaking her gently.
Regina let out a soft moan, rolling away from him. "Go away."
"I know it's early, milady, but I really need you to wake up," he said, shaking her again.
"No," she replied. "This is a dream and when I wake up, you'll be gone."
Lucy knelt next to the castle. "Queenie, you need to open your eyes. This isn't a dream. It worked."
Regina opened her eyes, hopeful but cautious. "It did? Robin is…"
"Right here," he said, taking her hand. "And I'm never leaving you again."
"Robin!" she exclaimed, kissing him. "I can't" kiss "believe" kiss "you're" kiss "really" kiss "here." Kiss. "I've" kiss "missed you" kiss "so much."
He laughed, holding her. She then pulled away and looked in him in the eyes. "Marry me."
Lucy gasped, covering her mouth with her hands as she waited for Robin's answer. He didn't hesitate as he said: "Yes."
"I guess I should start looking for wedding dresses," Lucy said before glancing at the clock. "After school. Mom and Dad will kill me if I'm not ready in fifteen minutes."
Robin and Regina weren't listening, though, once again kissing each other. She chuckled, leaving the bedroom to head to the bathroom. When she returned, they were nowhere to be seen. Lucy smiled, figuring they would be back by the time she got home and would be in need of a good hair-brushing. She would happily do it before they would go find a wedding dress for Regina.
Lucy hummed as she picked out her outfit for the day, knowing she had a great way for her story to end. Though it really wasn't an ending—it was a happy beginning. And those were a lot better than happy endings.