AN: See chapter 1 for story notes and summaries.
Ships: Snowing, Rumbelle, Swan Believer, Swanfire, Daddy Charming, Mama Snow, HadesxPersephone, Mama Persephone, and a delightful Golden Mad Charming BroT3. :)
Please consider leaving a review. Feedback is much appreciated and vital. Reviews have dropped a bit, but any feedback you can give is much appreciated.
Also, feel free to follow me on Tumblr lilacmoon83.
Special note:
Here are the main face claims that we're dealing with right now. For other minor Gods/Goddesses/characters, see previous chapters:
Gal Gadot as Persephone
Robert Downey Jr. as Hades
Ben Affleck as Prince Eli
Drew Barrymore as former Queen Serafina
Thanks for awesome the reviews. Again, please consider leaving feedback. I love writing this story, but a lot of hard work in my free time goes into getting weekly chapters up, so reviews are really gratifying. Unless you're a troll. Troll comments will be deleted.
I sincerely apologize about missing last week's update. Many who follow me on Tumblr probably saw my message, but just in case you didn't, I was admitted to the hospital for anemia and gallbladder pain last week. I did not have my laptop and was not up to editing and getting the chapter ready. I had gallbladder surgery on Friday so I am now almost back to normal now. :)
Here are individual responses:
Rory Kaye: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. :)
Saberius Prime: Yep, Jekyll and Hyde are coming and I'm hoping to do something a little different with them. Yes, there will be some Emma and Elsa bonding. I'm kind of waiting until Frozen 2 comes out. I know I want to do an arc with the Frozen gang, but I want to see the 2nd movie in case I want to use anything from it. Glad you're enjoying. :)
Number Ten: Yep, Jekyll is behind the home office. Yep, for now Frollo has faded to the shadows, but that probably won't last. Ravenna is gone and lucky she's still alive. Ha, it's funny you ask about Annie. My name is Andrea, but to my family since I was little, they've always called me Annie. So yeah...I named the author after someone, lol. Things are still very complicated, but some older threats have fallen by the wayside only for new ones to take their place. Ha yeah, I think Arthur is the poster child for entitled brat. It's also interesting you mentioned Greg's predicament and the harshness of it. He has a pretty major scene in this and I think you'll enjoy the implications of that scene and how blurry it makes the lines. :)
Jennifer Baratta: Glad you enjoyed it! Don't worry, I have every intention of continuing writing. I'm mostly healed now and back to normal. :)
Grace5231973: Yep, the Chernabog is essentially dead, even though Frollo is still lurking. Nope, they're not going to kill Rumple for Arthur the entitled. He's just jealous, because David is an actual hero. Yep, Jekyll is running the home office. I'm trying to do something a bit different with him. Oh yeah, you get a tiny glimpse of how horrible he is in this chapter.
Beth1980: Yeah, there was so much going on. Yeah, she knows Hades pretty well by now that she gets what he's planning. Yeah, David was pretty skillful, but definitely not surprising. Yep, no more Chernabog and Demeter's right. They probably should have seen David being the champion of mortals. Frollo will lurk in the shadows for now, but I'm sure he'll be back to bite them. Arthur is an entitled brat and Snowing does share a grandson with Rumple. Plus he and David are good friends in this. Oh the talk with Landon and Greg doesn't go well at all. Yep, Jekyll runs the home office. I'm doing something a bit different with him. :)
Dreaming Out Loud
Chapter 121: Heroes and Villains
"Mom...do you know what realm they're talking about?" Snow asked.
"I'm afraid so, snowdrop. It's a place called the Land of Untold Stories. Time does not move there," Persephone revealed.
"Does this group have a name? Beside the Home Office?" Emma questioned. They nodded.
"They call themselves the Order of the Jackal. Anubis is kind of a mascot of sorts," Annie answered.
"And who is this leader?" David asked. Annie and Adrian exchanged a glance.
"Dr. Henry Jekyll…" they answered.
"Whoa...like Jekyll and Hyde?" Emma asked.
"Like exactly that. However, his story is quite different than the one known to the Land Without Magic," Annie replied.
"So he doesn't become Mr. Hyde part of the time?" Snow asked.
"Oh no...he does. He's quite obsessed with exploring dark and light. Good versus evil...it's probably too much to get into now. But trust me, with him as Author, that would be extremely terrifying," Adrian answered.
"Yeah...like his own story, his story lines would be classified in the horror genre," Annie shuddered.
"Okay...well maybe you can tell us more on the way. Right now, it's time to confront Greg and his detective friend," David said.
"Do we know if the Dragon has a way to get back into Storybrooke? I mean, surely he wouldn't have left unless he had a contingency plan," Snow said.
"She's right...I'm going to go talk to Circe," Hades replied.
"She'll never tell us anything, but we have to try," Persephone agreed, as they joined hands.
"We'll meet you at Granny's later," Hades said, as they used one of his invisi-portals and stepped through. The rest of them did the same and they found themselves in Storybrooke in front of Granny's. David stormed in and scanned the diner, but was disappointed that he didn't find Greg.
"I guess it makes sense that we never see him here. They are probably have been eating at odd hours so as not to run into us," Emma reasoned.
"I really hope so, Em...or I'm losing my touch," he complained. She scoffed.
"Dad...you just got chosen by Prometheus' flame and held Excalibur. I doubt you're losing your touch," she reminded. Snow smiled and slipped her arms around him.
"She's right...they've probably been going to great lengths to move in the shadows. Plus, it's not like we haven't been busy," his wife reminded him. He nodded.
"Let's see if they're in their rooms," he suggested, as they went over to the Inn side.
"Granny...can we look at your bookings?" Snow asked. She shrugged and handed over the book.
"They're not here…" Snow said in confusion.
"Surely they haven't been tenting it in the woods for three years," Emma said.
"No...maybe they're not staying in Storybrooke," David suggested.
"Because most of the real estate is owned by Mr. Gold and Granny would have told us if Greg was hanging around her Inn," Emma surmised. He nodded.
"Then they could be staying in any number of Kingdoms. All the hotels and Inns are modernized now," Snow realized.
"And most of the homes for rent too," Emma added.
"Damn...finding them might be harder than we thought," David said. Emma smirked, as she got an idea.
"Or maybe not," she said, as they looked at her.
"The Author...Annie said that they've been recording footage of magic for the last three years. So...let's give them something to record and use a little of their own technology against them by setting up cameras right on Main street," Emma said. They smiled at her.
"What did you have in mind?" David asked. Their daughter smiled.
"Follow me," he said, as they followed her with the double stroller in tow and the babies.
"Our daughter is genius," Snow said to him. He smiled.
"Like her mother," he agreed.
Arthur stormed into his castle, still livid and seething about what had just occurred at the most recent Council meeting.
"I can't believe this!" he hissed, as he paced his Throne room.
"Sire...just say the word and we will rally Camelot's army if you wish to declare war on Misthaven," Sir Gawain stated.
"Yes...we stand with you, my King," Sir Tristan added.
"Then you'd be going into sure defeat!" Arthur hissed.
"Weren't you paying attention?" he raged.
"King David now holds a sword that was reforged by the Promethean flame. It now rivals Excalibur, if not surpasses its power," he said.
"But no other mortal weapon can defeat Excalibur," Gawain said, horrified by the possibility.
"One can when Excalibur is not complete," Arthur reminded, as he looked at his broken sword.
"Not to mention that he has the backing of the Gods," he added.
"My love...perhaps we do nothing. King David seems reluctant to go to war with us," Guinevere said.
"But he will. He thinks my rule is unjust and that our people need freed from me," he reminded.
"That's absurd...the people of Camelot will not stand for it," Tristan offered.
"He's right...Camelot stands with you, my King," Gawain added. And thanks to the sands of Avalon, that was true. But now that the flame had chosen David and his daughter, who happened to be the illustrious Savior, he knew that they had the power to discover how to release his people from the effects of the sands. They hadn't discovered how yet, but he knew they would come here when they did. And that was why he had to stop them.
"No...we must find a way to reforge Excalibur. We must force King David or his beloved daughter to use the Promethean flame for our benefit," Arthur said.
"How do we do that?" Guinevere asked.
"He already refused to reforge Excalibur at the cost of the Dark One's life," she added.
"Yes...but if he was forced to choose between them, say the life of one of his young children or his wife, he would choose them over the Dark One. Any good husband and father would," Arthur said.
"Arthur...not a child," Guinevere admonished in horror.
"I will not resort to that unless I am forced. But he would choose his beloved wife over anyone else. He gave her half his own heart, after all," Arthur said.
"But she is the daughter of Persephone. Such a plot will not be easy to enact," Gawain replied.
"No...it will not. We will need help from other magical sources. It may be time to make some new alliances," Arthur said, as he gazed out the window over his Kingdom.
"And with the right help and resources...we can and will succeed. I will not be denied my birthright and our research will continue," he said.
"We will find the answers we seek," he added, as they followed him to do just that, leaving Guinevere to watch him leave her side again in one of his endless quests.
Greg popped into the small house they had been renting in a small Misthaven village for the past three years.
"What are you doing?" he asked his roommate, as he saw Landon packing up his camera.
"Haven't you heard? I guess there's a Dragon terrorizing Storybrooke. This will make for some great footage," he said. Greg sighed.
"You have enough footage. Have your heard from your friend at the bureau?" Greg asked.
"Yeah...the coordinates we gave them naturally show that it's in the middle of the Maine wilderness. So they're not believing there's any town here. Unless we can present them a suspect in front of them, they're not going to come. Unless...we show them that there's something here. Thus why we need as much footage possible," Landon reasoned.
"They're never going to believe it's real footage," Greg said.
"Maybe not at first, but they'll get their best people on it and they will determine that it's not fabricated. Then they'll want to talk," Landon replied. Greg sighed.
"You better be right...I've waited too long for justice," he snapped, as they left the house and headed for Storybrooke.
The guard unlocked the cell block door, letting Persephone and Hades through the gate. The pair approached their intended destination and looked on through the cell at Circe herself.
"Well, well...it's not every day that I get visitors. Let alone visitors from such high and mighty rulers," she drawled.
"We're here to talk to you about something very important," Persephone said sternly.
"Oh my...the Supreme Goddess wants to speak to little old me?" Circe mocked.
"This is a waste of time," Hades said, having little patience for this woman's antics. But his wife put a hand up and continued.
"Your father has apparently been quite busy in the outside world, but then you know that, don't you?" she questioned. She hummed.
"He might have mentioned it here and there," she answered flippantly.
"If your father has left Storybrooke...then he would not have done so without having a way back in. You need to tell us how he is getting back into Storybrooke and who is he bringing with him," Persephone demanded.
"I'm not telling you anything unless I get something out of it," Circe responded.
"You're not getting out of here. That's not even on the table," Hades refuted.
"Well, then I guess you'll have to chase down dear old dad yourselves," Circe said, as she laid back on her cot and gave them a smug glare. Persephone pursed her lips and contemplated their options, until she felt her husband's hand on her arm.
"We don't need her to figure this out. I think I might have another idea," he said, as he glared back at her. Persephone gave her one last stern look, before they walked away. Letting Circe go free was not an option, no matter what she might know. They would have to explore other avenues to get the information they were seeking.
The dragon roared and David rolled away from the fire being breathed down upon him. Snow fired a few arrows, but they failed to make any kind of impact, as she dodged the dragon's tail.
"We need to lure her away from town," Emma said.
"Great idea...but not really sure how to do that, Em. She clearly wants to destroy the town," David replied.
"Unreal…" Landon said, as he filmed the footage from the alleyway near the square.
"When this goes viral...I'm going to be rich," he said and Greg rolled his eyes.
"If anyone believes this is real, which they won't," he reminded.
"Not true...all the footage I've collected is irrefutable and soon these woods will be crawling with law enforcement and civilians alike. And when I let people in, you can get the cops to arrest the woman that killed your father and I can charge admission to all the curious civilians," he boasted.
"That's going to be pretty hard to do from inside a prison cell," a voice said, as they froze and then looked behind them, finding Snow White there with an arrow trained on them.
"What?" Landon said in confusion, as they watched the dragon disappear in a puff of magenta smoke and a woman reappear in place of the dragon. David sheathed his sword, as Lancelot moved into cuff both Greg and Landon.
"Thanks for helping with the ruse," Snow said to Maleficent.
"We all have children to protect and neither of us welcomes the idea of outsiders," the dragon Queen said, as Regina sided up to her.
"You…" Greg hissed.
"You should have just left town when you had the chance three years ago," Regina stated.
"You killed my father!" Greg cried, as he struggled against the cuffs.
"You're going to lock me up while she walks free?!" he shouted.
"That's exactly what they're going to do, but they won't get away with it. You have no legal reason to put me away. I haven't done anything," Landon challenged.
"You're a threat to my family...to every family here. The author told us what you've been doing, but we're not going to let you release any of that footage to the world," David refuted. Landon smirked.
"Too late, chisel chin. It's already done," he goaded, as he showed him his phone.
"All my footage, the reports, and information I've gathered just went live," he boasted. David grabbed his phone and smashed it on the ground. The former detective rolled his eyes.
"Smashing it isn't going to change that," Landon said derisively.
"Maybe not, but we're not going to let you do anymore damage," David retorted.
"Most aren't going to believe any of that footage is real. I know what people are like in the Land Without Magic. Unless it's smacking them in the face, they'll never believe in magic. And even then, it would be questionable," Emma said. He shrugged.
"Maybe...maybe not. But the FBI has identified the remains of Greg's father and the lure of closing the case might draw them here," Landon warned.
"Doesn't matter…they can't get in," Emma refuted, as she cuffed him.
"You hope," he leered, as she marched him and David followed her with Greg in tow.
"I can't believe this! You go on about justice and yet my father's murderer walks free!" he yelled.
"Regina may not have served time in prison, but she has paid for her crimes in other ways. She's come a long way in repenting for those crimes," Snow declared.
"Oh save your hope speeches, princess!" Greg snapped and David whipped him around, grabbing him by the collar.
"She is Queen of Misthaven and Storybrooke. Show some respect," David said.
"Fat chance of that happening," Greg snapped in return.
"Look...I actually do understand where you're coming from. Captain Hook killed my father, but he gave up his revenge and became a better man. I was able to forgive him and I can tell you that it lifted a huge weight off me once I did," David advised.
"Thanks for the advice, but you got your father back. I didn't," Greg reminded.
"You have everything...literally everything. We have nothing in common. You have it all!" he raged.
"You're right...I do have it all. I have an amazing and stunningly beautiful wife, true love, children...everything. But that does not mean you cannot have the same things. But you won't have them with revenge in your heart," David warned.
"Oh but it does!" he said, as he looked around at everyone that the spectacle had drawn and his eyes noticed the author and her brother.
"I've read Henry's book and what does it say, author?" he questioned, but she didn't answer, because she knew he was being rhetorical.
"It says that villains don't get happy endings! VILLIANS!" he shouted.
"Except that everyone standing here knows that's a load of crap!" he continued.
"Because the villains DO get happy endings!" he called.
"The Evil Queen...Rumpelstiltskin...Captain Hook. They all got their happy endings. They killed probably hundreds and committed just as many other atrocities, but yet they found true love. They have children and happiness now and live in lavish castles!" he ranted.
"Villains do get happy endings!" he announced.
"Even Maleficent and your evil twin brother got happy endings," Greg spat at him.
"And they got their happy endings, because of your so-called heroes, people!" he shouted.
"They didn't really give up their revenge! No...they just conceded to these heroes, because they knew it would get them what they wanted!" he continued.
"They told Snow White and Prince Charming that they were sorry and these two ate it up like cake," he said, as David glared at him and they heard commotion spreading through the gathered crowd at his words.
"The villains learned that if they repented to the heroes that all the doors would open for them and it worked. So the book is wrong! Villains do get happy endings! They have fooled these heroes and fooled you! Because people don't really change...least of all the Evil Queen or Rumpelstiltskin!" he hissed.
"You're wrong…" Snow refuted.
"No I'm not, Your Majesty," he snapped.
"Even Hades himself got a happy ending! Your beloved Snow White forgave his atrocities as well!" he announced, furthering riling up the crowd.
"He has changed! They all have and they earned their happy endings!" Snow shouted back, but the crowd seemed too riled by Greg Mendell's speech.
"Your sentiments are endearing, Queen Snow...sweet even. But like you, they are a fairy tale. Because villains do get happy endings. You should change the book, author," he said, looking at Annie, who looked none too pleased by his words either.
"But do you know who doesn't get happy endings?" he shouted to the crowd.
"Us!" he cried.
"The normal people! The peons! The background players that no one pays any mind to!" he called.
"Because we're too busy getting screwed over by the heroes and villains alike!" he shouted.
"That's enough from you," David growled, as he started marching him toward the station.
"You all know I'm right!" he called.
"We're just bit players. I can't wield Excalibur or the Promethean flame like our valiant Prince Charming here," he said.
"I'm not the child of Persephone or the Savior born from the truest love in all the lands!" he continued to rant.
"We're peons...we don't get happy endings, because we're barely blips on the radar in that book," he added.
"You could have found happiness. That's the difference between you and Regina. She let go of revenge and then found love. You could have too," David told him.
"Keep telling yourself that, handsome. Just don't compare us again. Because I'm not Prince Charming...you are. You'll lock me up and be hailed as a hero. Then you'll return to that beautiful wife and those precious children and that perfect little family. And I'll rot in a prison cell for trying to prove my father's murder. That's real justice," he said sarcastically, as he and Landon were led to jail.
But as Snow, Regina, and the others looked around, they wondered if his words truly had an impact. There would always be some dissension, but if people truly started to believe they didn't matter, then Snow worried about her people.
"He made a lot of good points, as much as I hate to admit it," Regina whispered to her. She swallowed thickly.
"I don't believe that…" she refuted.
"Snow…" Regina started to admonish.
"I don't...I won't. You've changed and not because you conceded to us. You did it, because it was right. You did it for family and Henry, but most importantly...yourself," Snow said, hoping she was loud enough for most to hear, even as they had all started to disperse with weary looks upon them in passing.
"We just have to make them see that Greg is wrong," she added.
"And how do you plan to do that?" Maleficent questioned.
"Because at the end of the day...you're Snow White and we're still the Evil Queen and Maleficent to many of them. Greg Mendell's words didn't just plant these thoughts in the dissenters. He doesn't have that kind of power or presence," the dragon Queen continued.
"His words only awakened thoughts that were already in anyone that agrees with him," she concluded.
"Maybe so...but we'll find a way. We always do and we'll always have critics. We know that, but he's wrong. People do change," she said.
"And those that want to see it will," she added.
"And for those that don't...we'll always be what we are. Villains," Maleficent said, as she disappeared in a puff of smoke before Snow could say anything else.
"Don't mind her...she's naturally leery of most people," Regina said.
"Quite the crowd," Hades mentioned, as he and Persephone arrived. Snow hurried to them and hugged them both.
"Oh…" Persephone said in surprise, but then hugged her daughter tightly. Hades did as well, while Eli approached, having been there to witness the spectacle as well.
"What is it, snowdrop?" Persephone asked, as Hades hugged her tightly. Snow shook her head.
"I let Greg Mendell get under my skin and I shouldn't have," she said. Persephone looked at her ex and he nodded.
"Greg Mendell and his friend made quite a spectacle. You can watch the whole thing, I'm sure. People were recording it on their phones," Eli said.
"And worse...his friend claimed that he leaked all his footage and information before David smashed his phone. Supposedly, it's all out there on the Internet. There's no telling what kind of ramifications it's going to have," Regina added. Hades rolled his eyes.
"No one believes in anything in this land. They'll think it's some amateurishly made movie or something," Hades said.
"That's what Emma said...but apparently, they sent Kurt Flynn's remains to the FBI lab and they have been positively identified. We might soon have the woods crawling with law enforcement and civilians alike," Emma said, as she and David returned. Snow went to him and he hugged her tightly, as he pressed a kiss to her hair.
"But...they can't get into Storybrooke, right?" Henry asked, as he arrived with James and Regina put her arm around him.
"I'm hoping the answer is no. Did you get anything from that witch?" Regina asked. Persephone shook her head.
"She'll only talk if we set her free and we cannot do that under any circumstance. But Mushu is out there and he's as slippery as his serpent form would suggest," the Goddess said.
"She's right...he wouldn't have left Storybrooke if he didn't have a way to get back in. I'm almost certain of it," Hades agreed.
"Then there's no telling who he could let in. We really could have buses driving down Main Street soon or worse," David said.
"Yes...but I think I might know how to prevent that," Hades replied.
"How?" Eli asked.
"We don't wait for them to come to us. We go to them," Hades replied.
"You mean...out there?" James questioned. He nodded.
"We find Mushu and this Order of the Jackal. We go to them," Hades said, as he looked to the author.
"Do you know where their base of operations is?" he asked. Annie and Adrian nodded.
"We do...but you have to understand that the pen has absolutely no power to change or fix anything that happens in the Land Without Magic," she warned. He nodded.
"We understand. But I think you all misunderstand. I don't want to go to the Land Without Magic, at least not yet," he said and they looked confused.
"I want to go straight to the man himself, before we go to the base out there. We're going to find a way to the Land of Untold Stories. It's time I have a chat with Dr. Jekyll himself," Hades added.
"Going to the head of it...that makes sense. He's the main head of this Hydra so to speak," Persephone agreed.
"Just so you know...I don't have any power in the Land of Untold Stories either. People go there to pause their stories indefinitely. I'm expressly forbidden to meddle there," Annie warned again.
"We understand," Hades assured.
"Okay...so we get a bean from Anton and be on our way," Emma said.
"It's not that simple," Persephone said, with a wince.
"What do you mean?" David asked.
"She means that you can't portal into the Land of Untold Stories. Only with one of the rare keys to it can you enter," Hades answered.
"Okay...so how do we find one of these keys?" Emma asked.
"I may know where one is…" Hades revealed, as they listened closely.
The Land of Untold Stories
The tall, dark skinned man stormed through the barracks in the asylum. He was used to the moaning and screaming of the asylum's unwell patients and if he was affected by their screams and moans of sheer misery and insanity, he did not show it.
Upon entering his Master's lab, he witnessed a familiar scene. Dr. Jekyll was in the middle of another painstaking experiment and his current test subject struggled with the restraints, as they struggled to get free. But he had fastened those restraints himself and knew there was no give.
"Easy...there is nothing to fear," Jekyll assured, as he mixed his potion and added the new ingredient he had acquired. It turned the desired color that he wanted and he swirled the vial.
"Excellent...perhaps this is the one. Now to test it," he said, as he motioned to Mr. Poole, who came forward and held the victim's head still, allowing the doctor to pour the liquid down the man's throat. They stepped back then and watched the man convulse and squeal in painful agony, as he started to separate.
"Yes…" Jekyll said, as his eyes gleamed with a twisted glee behind his thin rimmed glasses. The convulsions and spasms became violent and the man threw up blood, as the machine monitoring his heart beeped wildly. The man then collapsed to the table, as he flat lined and the doctor slammed his fists on the table.
"Dammit…" he growled, as he experienced yet another failure.
"What am I missing?" he lamented, as Mr. Poole covered the body with a sheet and proceeded to wheel the unfortunate victim out. He rubbed his temples. Another headache was coming on and he was no closer to a solution once more. But he would continue his search and his quest for knowledge...