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 lot and any feedback you can give is much appreciated. Unless you're a troll.
I have also made the decision that this story will be going to bi-weekly updates as well. I want to try and finish up other verses and I really want to start working on something original in 2020. My original work will have a lot of Once vibes though and Snowing vibes, with a lot of my original concepts in this story and Finding You Always being incorporated. I am only in the outlining stages of this though and will provide more information as I have it.
There may be updates on opposite Wednesdays in other verses, but no concrete schedule. I'm going to leave it pretty open. In January, there is also going to be a Snowing week that I will be participating in as well, so expect some pretty great Snowing stuff during that week too. :)
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
Here are individual responses:
Saberius Prime: Thanks, glad you enjoyed them. Yep, Zelena survived, cause she's too stubborn to just fade away. :)
Grace5231973: Yep, Zelena will always come up short, but she'll keep trying. I know, Wonderland is brutal. Not even Rumple will send people there on purpose. I know, I was one of those people that would have been fine with Zelena disappearing for good.
Naomi Blue: I was happy to finally kill Greg off too. Yeah, unfortunately, Zelena is not dead. Lol, Van Helsing has good comedic timing for sure. :)
Jennifer Baratta: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it and I always like to get those twists in there so Zelena is back.
Number Ten: Yep, it was drastic, but necessary until Zelena is neutrilized. Cause she's back and ready to cause nothing but trouble. Glad you enjoyed it. :)
Dreaming Out Loud
Chapter 128: Seizing Power
"Mommy! Daddy!" little Alexander called, as they arrived home at their castle. Snow sprinted to her little boy and swept him into her arms.
"Oh I've missed you so much, baby…" she gushed, as she kissed his little head.
"Missed you too, Mommy," Xander said, as David kissed his head too.
"Daddy!" he called, as he took his son, while his mother brought the baby to them.
"Oh...there's my little angel," he cooed, as Snow took her and they both cuddled her.
"Oh...Mommy is never leaving either of you ever again," she gushed, as she and David soaked them up. They smiled, as they saw Emma doing the same with Neal, Henry, and Tallie.
"We're so relieved you're all home safe," Serafina said, as she and Ruth hugged them tightly.
"Us too...but we might be safe yet," he said.
"What's going on?" Robert asked.
"In short...Zelena's back and she stole all the magic in the realms with the Olympian crystal," Snow answered.
"Then...she's all powerful?" Ruth asked fearfully.
"I'm afraid so...and Emma is the only other person with any magic right now," David replied.
"But...if Zelena stole the magic, how is that possible?" Serafina asked.
"I'm not really sure I understand it either," David said, as he looked at Rumple.
"He has a point. I mean, I get that Emma is a product of their true love, but so was the potion you used to originally bring magic to Storybrooke," Regina added.
"That was Storybrooke, a place without magic. This is the United Realms. Misthaven's inherent magic cannot be stolen," Rumple explained.
"So...because Emma was born with her magic, it can't be taken?" Snow asked.
"Short of cursing her or finding a spell to nullify it...no. But that will be exactly what Zelena seeks to do now," he replied.
"Then there's Promethean fire. She can't take it, but it won't do us much good if these two can't utilize it to its full potential," Van Helsing chimed in.
"Then Merlin must be freed. It's time to visit Camelot," Persephone said.
"Arthur is never going to agree to free him...this will get messy," Hades replied.
"Maybe...but we try to do this diplomatically first. With Zelena having so much power, Arthur will have to choose an allegiance. We will make our case that siding with us will work out far better than siding with Zelena," Persephone said.
"He'll be too threatened by us if we take the lead though," Hades reminded.
"Then we will," David said. Snow nodded.
"We'll send a messenger and request a meeting. We'll even concede to do so in Camelot," she agreed. They nodded and joined hands, as they took the children to the nursery. They would send a messenger and then be forced to wait for a response. They only hoped Arthur made a wise decision.
Oz
"Everything seems in order today. A few minor disputes, but they were easily settled," Dorothy reported, as she finished her daily rounds in Emerald City. Glinda was very proud of her. She had gone from a scared, reluctant girl that just wanted to go back to her home in the Land Without Magic, to a valiant peacekeeper that had realized her true home was in Oz. She only hoped that Dorothy was ready for the coming conflict that she was sensing on the horizon.
"I'm afraid all is not well," Glinda feared, as she turned away from the window.
"What is it?" Dorothy asked.
"The magic...it's gone," she replied, as she held up her wand and it refused her command.
"No magic? I got word from MIsthaven that Circe has been permanently dealt with. If she's gone, she couldn't have stolen the magic," Dorothy reasoned.
"She couldn't have...but I could," an unwelcome voice said, as they turned to the doorway.
"Zelena…" Dorothy hissed, as she swept into the room with another, homely looking woman that they did not recognize, behind her.
"You're dead…" Glinda refuted.
"It didn't stick…" she said, as they heard the guards rushing in about that time.
"Stop witch!" one of them called, but she waved her hand and several of them shrieked, as they became flying monkeys.
"If the rest of you don't want to join your Simian friends...then you'll pledge your allegiance to me," Zelena said, as they hesitated, but also did not advance on her out of fear.
"Glinda rules the Emerald City now!" Dorothy refuted. Zelena smirked and with a wave of her hand, encased Glinda in a bubble, much like one of her own. She shooed the bubble away and out into the sky, as it carried her away from Oz.
"Not anymore," Zelena said, as the guards surrounded Dorothy, having chosen not to cross the new Queen.
"Take her to the dungeon," Zelena ordered. But thinking quickly, Dorothy clicked the heels of her ruby slippers together three times and disappeared. Zelena growled.
"Find her!" she ordered, as they hurried out and she sent her flying monkeys off in search as well.
"What now?" Liz asked.
"The Charmings are the real problem...the whole family is. We need allies," Zelena replied.
"Who will side with us against Snow White and Persephone?" Liz inquired. Zelena smirked and went to the window.
"Perhaps more Kingdoms than you think," she said vaguely.
Camelot
Arthur slammed yet another useless book shut and tossed it aside.
"There's nothing here!" he shouted, as he brushed more books and ancient scrolls away.
"We have no other choice...we must force King David and his daughter to reforge Excalibur for us," he said gravely.
"But how do we force them? Persephone will never allow it," Guinevere reminded, just as Gawain came rushing in.
"Sire...something has happened," the Knight said, as Arthur and Guinevere followed him down to the Throne room.
"Sire...this just arrived from Misthaven," Tristan added, as he handed the envelope to him.
"What is it?" Guinevere asked.
"A summons from King David and Queen Snow. They are requesting to come here for an audience first thing in the morning," Arthur responded.
"It's Merlin they want...why else would they want to come here," Gawain spat in annoyance.
"There's more, My King…" Tristan said, as he ushered a munchkin into the Throne room. He looked quite frightened and could barely look at them.
"A munchkin? In Camelot?" Arthur asked in confusion. It was not like the munchkins to venture away from Oz.
"Tell him," Tristan snapped at the frightened small person.
"Magic...it's gone. The Wicked Witch is back and she stole it! She banished Glinda and has taken over Emerald City," he reported.
"Magic is gone? Are you certain?" Arthur asked with great interest.
"Y...yes...except the Savior still has it," he answered.
"And Queen Persephone?" Guinevere asked.
"N...no, she is powerless now," the munchkin said.
"And the Promethean fire?" Gawain questioned.
"King David and the Savior still possess the fire too. It's the only thing that is holding the Wicked Witch back," the munchkin retorted.
"Why are you here?" Arthur asked.
"I...I was scared. I fled Oz when the witch took over," he said shamefully.
"We will offer you refuge in Camelot for this information," Guinevere decided and he bowed.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," he said, as he scurried away.
"Then I was right...Merlin is what they want," Gawain said.
"Perhaps...we will hear their case anyhow," Arthur decided.
"Sire?" Tristan questioned in horror.
"The Savior may have her magic and the fire, but without Persephone and Hades' magic interfering, not to mention the Dark One being powerless...this may be exactly the leverage we need," Arthur said.
"They want something from us...and it will not come without a price," Guinevere said in agreement.
"Exactly, my love...we may yet get what we need," he agreed, as he looked to Gawain.
"Please deliver my invitation to King David and his lovely Queen personally and tell them that I look forward to hosting them tomorrow morning," Arthur stated. Gawain looked uncertain, but left to do his King's bidding. He hoped that he knew what he was doing.
The munchkin stumbled through the woods and cried out in fright, as Zelena appeared before him.
"Did you deliver the information, you little twit?" she snapped.
"Y...yes," he stammered. She smirked.
"Good...you get to live then," she said, as he breathed a sigh of relief. She waved her hand and turned him into a flying monkey.
"I said you get to live...just not as what," she said evilly, as she looked at the Camelot palace in the distance. Arthur had taken the bait nicely, just as she knew he would. She'd play him like a fiddle and destroy her enemies in one fell swoop. Still, she would need more allies on her side and it was time to move onto the next Kingdom.
Oz was hers already and Camelot was already compromised. It would be the perfect battleground. Now, she would move onto the rest. They would join her or she would do away with their rulers and assimilate them accordingly. She may have failed to change her past, but she would ensure she ruled the future.
Snow was practically swooning, as she listened to her husband sing to the baby that night. They had successfully gotten Alexander to settle down and go to sleep, with no less than three stories, that is and then they had proceeded to the nursery with the baby to do the same. They had both missed tucking in their little ones the last couple nights and were content to have no repeat adventures that would take them away overnight from their babies for a while now.
While his singing had successfully lulled their sweet baby girl to sleep, it was definitely doing the opposite for her.
"I think she's finally asleep," he whispered.
"You always work magic with her," she agreed, as she slid her arms around his waist and nuzzled close to him. He smiled down at her and wrapped her in his arms.
"Someone is frisky," he purred, as she bit her bottom lip.
"Well, I can't help it. Your singing makes me the opposite of sleepy...if you get my drift," she purred back, as she nuzzled his nose with hers and he responded by kissing her tenderly.
"I think I do," he said, as he opened the adjoining door that connected their bed chambers to the nursery and led her through it. He closed the door and their lips met again, as he divested her of her robe, which fell to a puddle at her feet.
"Ugh...what they say is true. You two are positively nauseating," a voice said and Snow yelped in surprise, as Gawain stood on their balcony. David pulled his sword from its holder by the bed and leveled at the intruder. She hid herself behind her husband, for she was wearing only a tiny little satin nightie beneath her robe.
"How the hell did you get up here?" he demanded to know, as he stood in front of his wife.
"I am a Knight of the Roundtable...I have my ways," he goaded smugly.
"And there's no magical protections or you would have never made it through the gates," Snow said knowingly, as she poked her head out from behind her husband.
"Get out…" David growled through clenched teeth.
"I won't be here long. The Gods know I can't stomach the sight of you two sucking each other's faces off, though I have to admit...you do have impeccable taste in females," he leered, as he looked at Snow.
"You have three seconds to state your business before I rip your eyes out and make sure you leave in pieces," David growled.
"Relax...Your Majesty. I come in peace and simply to deliver a message from my King. He has accepted your request and will grant you an audience first thing in the morning," Gawain stated.
"Fine...then leave now," David demanded, as he held his sword at him and the Knight smirked.
"Always a pleasure, Your Majesties," he said sarcastically, as he climbed his way down their palace wall and David sighed, as he sheathed his sword.
"You know, I can see him getting passed some of our other Knights, but not Lancelot," Snow said.
"Lancelot is off tonight and believe me, they'll be getting an earful in the morning," David replied, as he took her in his arms.
"Well...don't be too hard on them. Gawain is a Knight of the Roundtable, after all," she said, as she kissed his cheek.
"I don't take kindly to even Knights of the Roundtable invading our privacy, especially when they spoil my intent to make love to my beautiful, amazing wife," he replied.
"Oh, I think it's going to take more than one smug Knight to spoil the mood between us," she whispered in his ear. He smirked.
"You're right," he agreed, as he swept her into his arms and carried her toward the bed.
"So...you like my singing?" he asked playfully, as he lay her down on the bed and hovered over her.
"Mmm...very much so, my love," she replied, as he caressed her beautiful face and her breathing hitched, as he kissed his way down her throat. Her nightgown was gone, as he undressed her with skillful ease and his own clothes were pulled away. Passion lit her every nerve, as his hands roamed and he sank between her parted legs. His passionate gaze locked with hers, as their breathing came in ragged, impassioned gasps now.
"You...are so beautiful…" he uttered in awe of her and he could still make her blush after all these years.
"Let's see if I can...make you sing…" he whispered to her, with a roguish smirk that made her almost lose control.
"You...you always do…" she managed to say, before he was making love to her. There were no words after that, but plenty of singing…
Deimos enjoyed a good stiff drink at the bar of the successful brothel that he owned in Cronus' Kingdom, which was adjacent to the Southern Isles. His eyes never strayed far from the young, dark haired girl dancing on stage and he smirked, as he intended to enjoy her later with a private showing.
"Lord Cronus has requested your presence, Lord Deimos," one of his bouncer's informed him and he finished his drink.
"At this hour?" he questioned.
"He said it is quite urgent. Apparently, something of grave concern has occurred," the man responded. He sighed and felt a bit of disappointment. The dark haired girl on stage was a real beauty and fit all his specific tastes.
"Fine...make sure that one finds her way to my chambers. I'll return soon and expect her to be ready for me," he said, as he made his way out of the establishment and made the short drive to the castle.
"You summoned me, Your Majesty?" he said, as he bowed to him. Under Cronus, he enjoyed a good life with enough power to satisfy most, but he had always known he was on a short leash with the tyrannical God. Cronus himself had his wings clipped a bit too, being that Persephone was the supreme Goddess. But Deimos had become a patient man and knew a day would come where he could seize power once again. And this time, he would not stop. Cronus had used his magic to clip his urge to feast on the blood of mortals, but someday, he knew would be able to satiate that craving again and rule as he was meant to. Then...he would have Persephone's daughter as well.
"The magic...it's gone," Cronus stated.
"Gone?" Deimos questioned, as he watched his King fail to summon magic in his palm.
"Then Circe...she has stolen it again?" Deimos asked.
"That is what I thought, but Phobos just returned with Intel. It appears that Zelena has returned and she has the Olympian crystal," Cronus answered.
"Then the witch has all the magic," Deimos deduced.
"Not quite," Cronus corrected.
"What do you mean?" he questioned with scrutiny.
"The Savior...her magic could not be taken and neither could the Promethean fire. She and her father still possess the flame," he responded. Deimos clenched his teeth. Charming and his spawn...still in his path to Snow White, as usual.
"So Persephone and Hades...are powerless now?" Deimos questioned.
"Yes...and Phobos said they are already gathering allies against the witch. I'm sure one of their messengers will be here soon to barter with us," Cronus stated.
"That would be wasted errand. They will never trust us and allying with them will bring us no benefit," Deimos refuted.
"Perhaps...but Zelena is no better. I will bow to no witch," Cronus stated.
"You cannot seriously be considering siding with the Kingdom of Misthaven," Deimos said in outrage.
"What choice do we have? With Persephone, we can at least maintain our status. But Zelena...she will just assimilate us under her stifling rule," Cronus reasoned.
"Be that as it may...I refuse to work with those bloody heroes," Deimos refused.
"You will do as I command. I am your King," he reminded. Deimos fumed and then bowed to him with barely contained, seething rage.
"Of course...forgive me, my King," he said, as Cronus turned his back and gazed out the window into the twilight.
"No, as much as I do not fancy it...we must join the effort to dethrone Zelena and regain our power," Cronus said and then his breath seized, as he choked in pain. He looked down to find a blade protruding from his chest.
"I'm afraid that with magic gone...that makes you weak and useless, my King," Deimos hissed, as he extracted his blade. Cronus fell to the floor, as he struggled for air. He coughed and blood violently sputtered from his mouth. A pool of red slowly leaked from his body, soon covered the floor around him. He continued to sputter painfully and blood spattered all over his face, as he struggled to breathe. Deimos smirked evilly down upon him.
"Back to the Underworld for you...for good this time," Deimos said, as the King gurgled and exhaled his final breath.
"Such a mess…" Zelena chided, as she appeared and he turned to the redheaded witch.
"The messier the better…" Deimos replied, as he watched her move into the room.
"You...you killed the great Saturn…" Liz said in horror.
"Who is this?" Deimos asked.
"Apparently, there are some mortals out there in the Land Without Magic that admire Cronus...or Saturn as they like to call him. She's leader of this cult and responsible for helping in my revival," Zelena explained.
"Cronus had gone weak and soft over the years. Without magic, he was useless and was willing to side with the heroes against you, Queen Zelena," Deimos stated. She smirked.
"Then you did me a favor and I do need a fearsome General," she mused.
"Then you can count on me to carry out your horrors...however, Cronus clipped some of my more fearsome abilities," Deimos stated. Zelena smirked and created a ball of energy.
"Stare into the moonlight...and let the monster be reborn," she said, as the energy filled him up and his eyes glowed red once again. His muscles bulked slightly more and his incisors grew longer.
"Thank you...my Queen," he said, as he bowed deeply to her.
"The Southern Isles is a weakened state, due to the new leadership and they're intent on sucking up to Persephone and Misthaven. Prove your worth," Zelena ordered. He smirked.
"They will be swearing allegiance to you by morning," Deimos promised, as he left to wage war on the first Kingdom that would fall to them. It was good to be in power again…
Persephone stood on the balcony of her palace on Mount Olympus. She looked out over the realms, her eyes often resting on Misthaven where her precious family slept. But sleep was impossible for her tonight, for she knew Zelena intended to bring nothing but pain and death to all the realms. Oz had already fallen. Glinda and Dorothy were missing and she knew dawn would likely bring the fall of more. They were meeting with Arthur in Camelot in the morning and with or without his blessing, they had to awaken Merlin. It was the only chance they had, but she hated every bit of it.
"There's no keeping them out of this, as much as I hate it too," Hades said, as he approached her from behind.
"I know...Snow, David, and Emma...they may be the ones that will have to save us all. But it wasn't supposed to be this way when I took Zeus' power!" she lamented.
"It's supposed to be me fighting these battles...not Snow, Charming, and Emma," she fretted.
"Not even we can thwart destiny, my love…" he reminded and she knew he was right.
"Love will win...you've taught me that," Hades said.
"What if it's not enough?" Persephone asked. He smiled and caressed her cheek.
"It will be...and we will be there to make sure they win," he assured, as he hugged her close.
When Guinevere happened to wake up, an hour or so before dawn, she wasn't surprised to see that her husband was not in bed with her. This wasn't an uncommon occurrence and she couldn't help the stab of sadness in her heart. She knew Arthur loved her, but not more so than his quest for power; his quest to reforge Excalibur so no one could challenge him for his Throne.
She was not surprised to find him in the lab that he had given to Claude Frollo to use in his experiments and research.
"You've been sequestered for days...you must have something," Arthur insisted.
"Reforging Excalibur requires Promethean fire and there is no way around that. Now that magic is gone though...we may be able to utilize these much easier," Frollo said, as he presented him with a pair of glowing chains.
"And what exactly are these?" Arthur questioned.
"Promethean chains. The originals were destroyed and busted to smithereens when the trigger was set off in the mines. But I managed to find remnants of the chains and reforged them. They can capture and control the Savior...and her father," Frollo said.
"Well...that certainly is something. It seems you are worth your salt, after all, Judge Frollo," Arthur complimented.
"Then I trust you will hold up your end of our bargain?" Frollo questioned.
"When I have reforged Excalibur...you'll get what you want," Arthur responded.
"That is easier now that magic is gone, but the witch has the power to sweep us all away," Frollo warned.
"Then our next objective will be to seize the crystal from her. A Sorcerer of your knowledge must know of ways to circumvent her power," he surmised. Frollo smirked.
"As a matter of fact...I just might," he replied. Guinevere had no idea what he had planned, but perhaps once her husband's quest was complete...they could finally be happy. But something in the back of her mind told her that Arthur's quest could never be satiated.
Snow tossed and turned in her sleep. Just hours ago, she had been in pure bliss, as her husband made passionate love to her. But now, the events of the last few days and the uncertainty of what was to come now haunted her dreams, until they had her waking screaming in her husband's arms.
"Snow...please my darling...wake up…" he pleaded, as she suffered a night terror. He held her face still in his hands and pressed his lips to hers, knowing only that might break through. Snow's eyes went wide and she melted into him, before dissolving into sobs against his bare chest.
"Shh...it was just a dream, my love…" he whispered to her in a soothing manner. But she shook her head and looked up at him through tear filled eyes.
"What if it wasn't? It felt so real…" she cried, as he caressed her face.
"Arthur...we can't trust him. He had you and Emma...in chains! Like the chains my mother used to bind Deimos!" she said, as she gasped.
"Charming...what if he has the Promethean chains?" she feared.
"They were destroyed in the mines...remember?" he reminded.
"And we thought my step-father destroyed the Olympian crystal. What if someone has the chains too? I can't lose you and Emma…" she fretted.
"Shh...you are not going to lose me. I refused to give you up when Ravenna tried to take you away and I won't let Arthur separate us either," he promised, as she started to calm.
"My heart is yours, my darling...that's why I gave you half to bring you back, because it's already yours," he said and she kissed him passionately at that.
"If he or anyone tries to take you...I'll kill them," she said fiercely, as she kissed him hard and deeply again.
"Snow…" he breathed, as she straddled him.
"I need you…" she said desperately.
"I'm yours…" he promised and she smirked sultrily, as he lay beneath her.
"And I'm going to make you sing this time, my love…" she promised, as passion consumed them again...