Thanks to my Beta, Holly for her help, corrections, and head expanding praise.
So you can keep track...
Regular type is when Regina, Holly, Henry and Maddie are talking
Bold is when the book is writing the action
Italics are when you are in the thick of the action.
Now that were set...let's finish this volume
Oh...and ABC owns OUAT. Oh...if we did.
"And it came to pass that chilly night, that the brave souls on a quest to save their friend, the fairy Nova, came to a clearing. The Good King and Queen, The Evil Queen Maleficent, The Savior, The Giant, the dwarf Grumpy, and the Blue Fairy had found a house in the middle of that clearing, seemingly warmly lit.
Earlier that day, Queen Snow White sent her scouts, two bluebirds as reconnaissance. The birds returned with news that Nova was being held against their will, guarded by a number of ogres, trolls, and the mysterious Shadow People, but they could not find anyone else there..."
"Wait just a second...bluebirds?" Holly Morris was verklempt as she was following along with Henry Mills' reading the chapter in the book being written before here very eyes.
"Actually, Holly..," Henry's mother Regina, explained, "...Snow's main ability is that she can communicate very well with woodland creatures...her husband included."
"Moooommmmm...!" Henry facepalmed as Holly's niece Madison Bailey suppressed a giggle.
"Its true, Henry," Regina continued. "Snow and I are on excellent terms now, but there was a time when Snow would train those birds to go out every Monday morning at 9 to fly over my head..."
"And...?" asked Holly.
"What do you think birds do when the fly over you?" replied the mayor, to a rousing chorus of "ewww"s from the younger pair in the room.
Holly scooted over and kissed Regina tenderly on the cheek. "I'd never do that to you, Regina." Then the Boston blonde smiled. Regina put her arm around Holly and said softly, "Does Mallie know exactly how lucky she is to have you?"
Holly gave a smirk. "I'd answer that...when they're not around..," pointing to Maddie and Henry, both giving the adults pointed looks. "The book's filling up mom," Henry told the elders with a cocked eye.
Then everyone turned their attention to the book. Books don't usually write themselves everyday anyway...
The decision was made. Because she could make herself small, the Blue Fairy would be the one to go in first. Once she freed Nova, she'd give the signal and the rest would charge the house. With good wishes behind her, the Blue Fairy flew into her mission...
Blue's POV
When I think about it, all of this was my fault. All of this, beginning with Daniel. If I had not left well enough alone.
Too late now. I have to do this. To save myself. To save Storybrooke. To save the only person I love more than life. My Nova.
I got to the window. It would all be so easy if I didn't emit so much light. The windows had not been washed in a while. It almost looked like Christmas time without the tree. There were three chairs. Nova was tied to one, with her back facing the window. She looked alright but I don't know what, if anything, they did to her. There was at least one ogre in the room. Jeans and a black t-shirt. They probably got reduced in size, the same as Tiny when he first came to Storybrooke. They just looked like very tough humans. Same with the trolls. I could see one passing by the door leading out.
It was nice of them to start a roaring fire. It keeps Nova warm, but also keeps me from flying down that chimney.
I flew away from the wall of the house...looked around for an opening.
Vents. At the bottom of the house! And one vent looked like it was open wide enough for me to squeeze in.
I fly down. Pull my wings in. Squeeeeeeeeeeze...
Good. I'm in...
The fairy darkened her presence. The light that usually shown as she moved around had to be dimmed. Now, the Blue Fairy had to find an opening to the room that held the White Fairy...luckily, a large knot hole in the wall was found. Just enough for the Blue Fairy to crawl through. Now, she was in the room...
Blue's POV
Gods, she's crying. I knew Nova tried to be brave. It's what I taught her. But there is only so much any creature can take. One ogre yelled at Nova to shut up. Now...NO! Don't hit...! Oh, she calmed down. The ogre pull's back.
Gods, you will all pay for this. In full.
I still myself. I hide behind a lampstand. A troll and an ogre are talking. They leave the room.
One moment alone. My chance.
I run as fast as I can from the lampstand to the chair Nova's in. Can't risk being spotted...not now. I sprout my wings. And fly up. Now I'm at her hands...
Nova's POV
I feel something. It can't be...it's...I feel the tingle of dust. Ruel? Is that you?
Blue's POV
The ropes are loose. She can wiggle free now...No! Noises. They're coming back...
The troll and the ogre returned to the room, but they didn't notice their prisoners bonds had been loosened...
"I feel so helpless." And indeed, Regina did. As the words and illustrations formed on the pages, she wanted to be out there in the thick of things, directing the action, being a part of it. Holly looked at her hostess with the same eyes of concern.
"Regina, I wish I was there too. I mean, Mallie's out there..."
"Holly, so's Emma. My whole..." Regina was about to say the "f" word. She never really had one of those, actually. Not in the Forest and certainly not in Storybrooke. Alas here she sits the Evil Queen of All Worlds, with her best friend's lover and her niece; her son and worrying about the woman who was going to be the wife of the Queen, as well as her soon-to-be-in-laws...that would be the "f" word...family... right there.
Meanwhile, henry continued to read the story...
It was now or never. The Blue Fairy had to act fast...
Blue's POV
A distraction. I need to get their attention so I could get to Nova, fully free her so she could reduce, sprout wings, and we could try to fly out. Then there were the "troops" outside. I said I'd give a signal, but I didn't say what it was. To be honest, I don't know what it could be. Then, I saw the roaring fire and I figured it was going to help to kill two birds with one stone.
I reached in a pocket..grabbed just enough dust to do the trick. I used it to create a ball of energy. Not a fireball, but enough energy...I threw the ball in the fire. I think a troll saw me throw it in. When the ball got to the fire, it didn't matter...
Snow White was anxious. She was a woman of action, and while the troop was sitting in the tall bushes surrounding the house. Emma and David tried to calm her down, but Snow wanted to see what the signal would be. She wanted to do something.
Mallie was also anxious. She volunteered to be the back-up, and not because of fear. She knew that she had an ability that could only be used if anything else failed. That's why her new love was in a safe place...
"Safe place, my ass! I want to be at her side..."
"Holly.." said Regina to her anxious houseguest, "I want to be with Emma. But what if something happened to both of us. What would happen to Henry?" Then she whispers, "What would happen to Maddie if something should happen to you...?"
That was enough to make Holly stop and think for a bit. Meanwhile Maddie gave the two adults a look while Henry continued reading...
Suddenly, there was a small explosion. Not enough to damage much, but enough to get someone's attention. WIth that, the team massed around the house: Emma, Red, and Snow took the side where Blue and Nova were, David, Grumpy, and Tiny were in the front.
Inside, Blue and Nova were now full human-sized. The force of the explosion knocked the younger fairy on her back. The bumps on her back where wings were starting to grow caused great pain. The trolls and ogres rushed into the room. They were silent but very menacing. Rescue looked like a lost cause. Until the lost cause burst the front door in.
One of the advantages of 410 pounds was that when you shift all that weight into one foot, it becomes one hell of a battering ram. The front door was on the floor. Tiny, Grumpy, and David were in, and quickly started to clean up. Fists and bodies were flying pretty much everywhere in the front of the house. Meanwhile in the rear, Emma and Snow sent magic beams through the window, smashing the glass. Blue gave the signal, and the two fairies quickly shrank and flew out the window. Red had a burlap bag which caught the fairies, then the shapeshifter put the bag in her purse for safe keeping.
Fist pumps all over as Henry continued to read from the book. Print was now filling the pages and an almost supersonic rate as Regina was swelling with pride at how her fiance and her former stepdaughter were applying the lessons she taught them.
As fast as the trolls and ogres were filing out of the they were being dealt with by Team Good. Systematically, the villains were incapacitated by the men and tied up by the women. A small group of trolls tried to flee into the woods, only to be met by a large wolf who was eyeing the group like Wimpy would look at an all-you-can-eat-hamburger stand.
When the the three trolls ran out into the open arms of the sheriff and the Queen, following the trio was Red Lucas, looking very demure, as if she did not know why the three men were running from her. Of course the three trolls did, and so did The King, the Giant, and the Dwarf as they sent the three to sleep, via their fists.
Three of the four watching the story unfold were pretty much euphoric, except for the fourth. Regina knew that this story was reaching a happy ending a bit too quickly. And she was right...
Maleficent's POV
It was going all too well. I hung back because of what Blue told me about...well, if my suspicions were correct, I was in the right place right now.
I could hear the discussions. Blue and Nova had regrown to human size. Leroy was all over Nova with kisses and hugs, and Blue let them alone (for once, and about damn time). I came closer and I was hearing Nova say something about Spencer...King George. Basically confirming that bastard was part of all this. The poor fairy was near hysterics, saying...almost screaming that she knew who Spencer really was. Of course he's King George. Everyone knows that...
But Nova kept going...NO NO, I know who he REALLY is...you can see it in his eyes...
He's...
However...at that moment, I noticed them. So did everyone else.
I noticed them forming. Solidifying. And that laughter. Not much frightens me. But that laughter does. Taunting, satanic laughter.
The shadows.
TBC
Ok...we'll finish Volume one the next time. Volume 2 starts immediately after. And as always, comments are very welcome.